jo-wallice-blog

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Powerful.............

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guitars are weird

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a video about scientology

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taylor swift covering evanescence, so powerful...........im sorry.

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Here’s a though I had about whales.

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Here’s a story about my cat who is a Lil Pump fan.

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Here are some stoner jokes.

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The Best of Bromance: Goku and Vegeta.

!!SPOILERS!! I love a good bromance. There’s something great about two heterosexual men going on a journey together, changing, and growing closer together through adversity.

I think Goku and Vegeta are a CLASSIC bromance. I think there are three characteristics that they nail, and make for a CLASSIC bromance: they’re the last men standing, at least one of them experiences a deep personal change, and the personal strength of one is highlighted by the other.

At the end of Dragon Ball Z, when Kid Buu is literally destroying the multiverse, it’s only Goku and Vegeta who can oppose him. Just like Frodo and Sam being the only two left of the Fellowship, Goku and Vegeta are the only fighters who can stand up to the ultimate evil. This ‘last men standing’ situation causes two of their character motivations to mix. They’re loyalty to each other and to the greater good is what brings them to this point.

Vegeta is a despicable villain when we first meet him. His goal is to kill everyone on Earth when we first see him. A few hundred episodes later, Vegeta has a family and is trying to save Earth. Goku is there for 95% of this transformation, and it a makes their friendship more believable.

Goku is an incredibly forgiving person. He is the one who talks Krillin out of killing Vegeta. Contrasting Goku and Vegeta allows us to really see how kind Goku truly is. Vegeta also allows us to see how powerful Goku is. When Vegeta shows up on Earth he can easily kill everyone, except Goku. Goku’s physical strength and kind spirit are highlighted by Vegeta.

Again, I think there are three core aspects to a good bromance: being the last men standing, the deep personal change of one character, and the way one character’s strengths are highlighted by the other. I think Goku and Vegeta are a perfect example of an awesome bromance.

Here’s my essay on Bromance in Attack on Titan if you’re interested: 

https://jo-wallice.tumblr.com/post/161538143899/classic-bromance-in-attack-on-titan

Side note: I’ve been writing a lot on Tumblr, and I’m working on a novel. If you’d like to keep up with me follow this blog. I appreciate the support I’ve gotten from this community.

Thanks, Jo :)

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Why is Bulma and Vegeta’s Romance so Captivating??

I think Vegeta and Bulma have one of the most interesting fictional romances, and judging by how many Vegeta and Bulma fans there are on the internet I don’t think I’m alone. My hypothesis is that there are four key reasons why the romance is so captivating: power, danger, mystery, and character development.

Vegeta and Bulma are the definition of a power couple. Bulma is a legendary scientist. Vegeta is the second most powerful hero in the entire Dragon Ball series. Both of them have a huge influence on what happens in the story. In contrast, Goke and Chi-Chi aren’t a power couple. Relative to Goku, Chi-Chi has a minimal impact on the events in the story.

When Vegeta first shows up, he is dangerous. He kills a bunch of characters, and it’s not many years later that Vegeta and Bulma start dating. Dangerous romance has always been intriguing. Certain stories base their entire plot around a girl loving a dangerous boy (Twilight).

Brilliantly, Toriyama doesn’t wast a lot of time divulging the details of Vegeta and Bulma’s romance. It’s mysterious. Trunks is the evidence, so we know what happens, and there are some cute moments between the two of them, but there are never any dates. This mystery has led fans to fill in the gaps themselves. Combine this mystery with the two details I brought up before (power and danger) and you have the foundation for really interesting stories and art.

Finally, the character development the romance represents is extremely captivating. Good character development is hard to find,  but people love it. I think the reason why a character’s changing personality and goals are so captivating is because humans change so much in real life. Vegeta changes so much in Dragon Ball, and seeing him turn from sociopath to good guy is really cool. It’s especially cool because his romance with Bulma seems to be what brings him the furthest along. Likewise, Bulma grows up from being a teenager, and Vegeta seems to be the culmination of that growth.

To summarize; power, danger, mystery, and character development are the three things that make Vegeta and Bulma’s romance so interesting.

Side note: I’ve been writing a lot on Tumblr, and I’m working on a book. If you’d like to keep up with me follow this blog. I appreciate all the support I’ve gotten from this community.

Thanks, Jo :)

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Vegeta is the Greatest Anime Character Pt3: His Relationship to Bulma and Trunks.

Read Part 1 Here: 

https://jo-wallice.tumblr.com/post/161013940959/vegeta-is-the-greatest-anime-character-pt-1-the

Read Part 2 Here:

https://jo-wallice.tumblr.com/post/161051669699/vegeta-is-the-greatest-anime-character-pt2-his

Part 3:

Vegeta is introduced as a horrible villain. Later, Vegeta is given a common enemy with the heroes (Frieza) and subtly gains some empathy.

If spectacle and believable development can make for a strong character, I think Vegeta’s relationship with Bulma and Trunks is what makes him the greatest anime character of all time.

Future Trunks show’s up and kills Mecha Frieza in one episode. Trunks is a super powerful mystery, and his introduction is bombastic to say the least. After seeing another super saiyan come from nowhere, the biggest surprise Trunks delivers is that Vegeta and Bulma are his parents. Spectacle.

Vegeta was introduced as possibly the most hyped villain in the series (if you consider the amount of episodes that are spent leading up to his fight with Goku). Bulma is the series’ sweetheart, and easily the most prominent female character. Against all odds, the romance between Bulma and Vegeta is believable. Vegeta’s rollercoaster ride from being the tyrant Prince of the Saiyans  to father and protector of Earth is what makes him such an amazing character.

All of this is cemented when Cell appears to have killed Future Trunks. Vegeta is devastated. This is a person who killed his partner (Nappa) basically for fun. This is a person who has always viewed himself as superior to everyone, and now he’s feeling emotions for his half-human son from the future. From this point on, though he is still a bit of a jerk, Vegeta seeks to help Earth. Believable development.

Behind the scenes of all this is Bulma. She’s smart, fun, and has blue hair, so it’s believable that Vegeta would be attracted to her. Early on it’s implied that Bulma likes “bad boys” because she dates Yamcha who is a desert bandit. Obviously, if we consider who Bulma hangs out with, she likes powerful people. Vegeta is the classic powerful “bad boy”. Their romance is never shoved down out throat, so it’s believable that Vegeta would be softened by his relationship to Bulma.

Compare Vegeta to any other anime character. Who else changes so profoundly as a character? Vegeta’s change is nuanced, and so much time is put into it. He’s a powerful, interesting, and ultimately (against all odds) an empathetic character that the viewer relates to.

Vegeta is the greatest anime character.

Side Note: I’ve been writing a lot on Tumblr, and I’m working on a novel. If you’d like to keep up with me follow this blog. I appreciate all the support I’ve gotten from this community.

Thanks, Jo :)

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Vegeta is the Greatest Anime Character Pt2: His Change is Believable.

Read Part 1 here: 

https://jo-wallice.tumblr.com/post/161013940959/vegeta-is-the-greatest-anime-character-pt-1-the

Part 2:

Creating a character who develops and changes in a believable way is difficult; especially if this character is a villain. Vegeta’s change is believable.

Vegeta is humbled. As the Prince of the Saiyans, he realizes that Goku has become a worthy adversary. Goku represents failure to Vegeta; Goku has defended Earth rather than destroy it. It’s disgraceful for Vegeta to even waste time fighting Goku.

The ultimate irony occurs when Vegeta is defeated, and Earth is saved, by Yajirobe. Yajirobe is one of the humans Goku has protected, and he’s so weak that Vegeta can’t sense a power level from him. Possibly the weakest character in Dragon Ball Z cuts off Vegeta’s tail, the biggest symbol of his Saiyan pride. Vegeta’s life is spared by Krillin (after convincing from Goku).

Later, a common enemy is brought in between him and Goku; that villain being Frieza. Frieza kills Vegeta, but before Vegeta dies he says something very interesting. He talks about how Frieza killed his Dad, the king of the Saiyans, and he tells Goku Frieza needs to be stopped because of all the people he’s hurt in the galaxy.

Wait! Isn’t Vegeta the person who tried to kill a father and son duo (Goku and Gohan)? Yes, and Goku’s mercy coupled with Vegeta’s humbling defeat have changed Vegeta’s heart. This change takes tons of episodes, and it’s slowly shown rather than told.

Vegeta’s character change makes him such a compelling character because it allows us to relate to a larger than life character. Everyone has been prideful, angry, and confused. Vegeta is practically intergalactic Hitler when we meet him, but somehow we wind up believing he’s a good guy.

Read Part 3 here: 

https://jo-wallice.tumblr.com/post/161071479129/vegeta-is-the-greatest-anime-character-pt3-his

Side Note: I’ve been writing on Tumblr a lot, and I’m working on a novel. If you’d like to keep up with me follow this blog. I appreciate all the support I’ve gotten from this community.

Thanks, Jo :)

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Vegeta is the Greatest Anime Character Pt 1: The Introduction.

Vegeta is the greatest anime character. Very few characters in anime undergo significant changes, and even fewer characters change in shonen anime. One of the many aspects that separates Dragon Ball Z from other shonen stories is the way many of its characters actually change dramatically.

Toriyama was clearly experimenting with villains who develop into heroes. Yamacha, Tien, and Piccolo all start out as villains. The degree to which characters change heart was steadily ramped up throughout the series until we reach Vegeta. Death is a constant in Dragon Ball Z, so I think Toriyama deliberately picked characters to develop, and I think Vegeta is the perfection of what he had been practicing. Vegeta is the perfect contrast to Goku; a character who’s personality changes minimally throughout the series.

Part of what separates Vegeta from other villains is his introduction. The fight with Raditz is a warm up and a warning that Vegeta and Nappa are coming. The entire supporting cast trains to fight Vegeta and Nappa, but they can’t even kill Nappa. Then, when it’s time for him to fight, Vegeta kills Nappa in one blast after Nappa spent 20+ episodes killing most of the supporting cast.

There are more episodes of people getting ready to fight Vegeta then there are in some entire series. It almost feels like the first arch of Dragon Ball Z is a red carpet welcoming Vegeta; the character that will grow and change the most throughout the series.

The introduction is flawless, and the hype allows Toriyama to show us one of the most interesting characters in manga or anime.

Read Part 2 Here: 

https://jo-wallice.tumblr.com/post/161051669699/vegeta-is-the-best-anime-character-pt2-his-change

Read Part 3 here:

https://jo-wallice.tumblr.com/post/161071479129/vegeta-is-the-greatest-anime-character-pt3-his

Side note: I’ve been writing a lot on Tumblr, and I’m working on a novel. If you’d like to keep up with me follow this blog. I appreciate all the support I’ve gotten from this community.

Thanks, Jo :)

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Why is Yamcha in DBZ??

Yamcha is like that friend in high school who is always at everyone’s birthday party, but nobody has actually hung out with him since elementary school.

Why is Yamcha in Dragon Ball Z? I honestly have trouble remembering a time he made a serious fighting contribution outside of Dragon Ball. Despite his weakness, I think I do know why Yamcha is continuously put back in the story.

Yamcha makes the characters feel more “human” (human is in parenthesis because many of them are technically aliens). Because of all the fighting and training, much of the social characterization in Dragon Ball Z takes place in the background. Tamcha is Goku’s friend; people have friends. Yamcha doesn’t serve any deeper plot device than to expose a more sensitive side to the characters.

Most of Bulma and Vegeta’s romance happens behind the scenes, but Yamcha has an emotional response to it. He even dislikes Trunks at first, but when he sees how much Vegeta cares when it appears Cell has killed Future Trunks Yamacha changes his mind about Vegeta.

Yamcha is the B-lister friend whose always around. You see him a couple of times a year. Neither of you ask for more, but you’re happy to be in each other’s life.

Side note: I’m writing a lot on Tumblr, and I’m working on a novel. If you want to keep up with me follow this blog. I appreciate all the support I’ve gotten from this community.

Thanks, Jo :)

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The Lord of the Rings, Depression, Frodo, and Gollum (an analysis).

SPOILERS!! As I mentioned in my last post, I’ve been reading The Lord of the Rings (LOTR) this year. I’m getting closer and closer to the end, and I’m starting to reflect a lot on the story. One thing about the novel that stands out to me is how depressed and hopeless Frodo becomes near the end of the story.

One thing I think the movie gets wrong is the relationship between Frodo and Gollum. In the movie Gollum has a change of heart. There is a good and bad side to him, and the good side wins for a while. 

In the book Gollum has a bad side and a truly treacherous side. The novel version of Gollum is obviously evil, and he plans to betray Sam and Frodo very shortly after promising to assist them.

In the movie Frodo is sympathetic toward Gollum, and we’re led to think Frodo even trusts Gollum.

In the novel, the only reason Gollum is ever helpful is because Sam and Frodo basically torture him with the elven rope (its touch burns Gollum’s skin). He swears on “the precious” that he’ll help Sam and Frodo if they take the rope off his ankle, and Frodo understands the superstitious weight Gollum would place on such a promise.

The book version of Frodo doesn’t plan on surviving the quest to destroy the ring. When him and Sam discuss the journey home Frodo makes it clear that he isn’t preparing for a journey home.

Frodo only sees four possibilities: get killed by the forces of Sauron, get killed by Gollum, horde the ring and transform into something like Gollum (which has already begun in him and Bilbo), or somehow get to Mount Doom to be killed by something after destroying the ring. He knows there is almost no chance they’ll make it, and he know the total destruction the War of the Ring is going to bring.

Frodo in the book allows Gollum to lead him and Sam because Frodo doesn’t care at all about his own well being. He doesn’t seem to care about much, and he’s probably relieved when he gets the chance to send Sam away.

He has no hope, but he’s honest. He’ll do what he said he would do to the best of his abilities. I think his hopelessness allows him to be truly selfless, and someone as hopeful as Sam wouldn’t have been able to deliver The Ring.

Side note: I’ve been writing a lot on Tumblr, and I’m working on a novel. If you’d like to keep up with me follow this blog. I appreciate all the support I’ve gotten from this community.

Thanks, Jo :)

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Lord of the Rings, Feminism, and Galadriel.

SPOILERS!! This year I’ve finally decided to read The Lord of the Rings (LOTR). My nerd pride has been aching for years, and I knew it was time to read it. The book is completely blowing my mind. It starts out a bit boring, but once it gets going it’s amazing. Now, I’m about 75% through the story, and I’m ready to reflect on it a bit.

I don’t think anyone would call LOTR a great work of feminist fantasy (it isn’t). I’ve been reading it on breaks at work, and a co-worker told me how they hate LOTR partially because of its depiction of women.

I don’t think LOTR is sexist. The book has become so influintial that a lot of people don’t read take the book for what it is; a REALLY weird book directly inspired by World War 1 (Tolkien fought in that war). The men running around, fighting, starving, having bromances, and smoking pipes are probably just a reflection of Tolkien’s experience.

It’s true that the book’s narrative follow’s only male characters (at least to the point where I’m at), but Galadriel has a huge impact on the story. At this point in the story (75% in) the most influential characters are Frodo, Gandalf, Elrond, and Galadriel; Galadriel possibly being the most powerful.

Galadriel and Gandalf are the only two people (at this point) who have been offered a chance to take the ring. With Gandalf and Aragorn around, Elrond didn’t really have a chance to take it. Gandalf is a wonderer, so with the ring it’s safe to say he wouldn’t have had a chance to take on Sauron. Galadriel is a ruler who already has a ring of power (one of the three elf rings). It’s said that Saruman could’ve used the ring to challenge Sauron, so it’s safe to say Galadriel could’ve challenged Sauron with the ring.

By aiding Frodo she’s not only resisting a chance to rule, but she’s also making a huge sacrifice; if Frodo succeeds her ring will loose its power and her home will be destroyed. 

She’s so powerful that a strand of her hair causes a dwarf to put aside thousands of years of conflict between dwarves and elves.

At this point LOTR hasn’t been disparaging of women. I think the male centric view point is a reflection of the author’s experience, and women have represented a huge source of strength and goodness.

Maybe I’m wrong, and LOTR is sexist trash. It’s a conversation worth having.

Side note: I’m writing a lot on Tumblr, and I’m working on a novel. If you want to keep up with me follow this blog. I appreciate the support I’ve gotten from this community.

Thanks, Jo :)

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Why Krillin and Gohan are Brilliant Characters.

Krillin and Gohan, especially in the Saiyen and Frieza sagas, are essential to the plot of Dragon Ball Z. They are brilliant characters, and represent a large reason why DBZ stood out so much when Toonami started airing it.

Krillin and Gohan are physically smaller and weaker than most of the people they bump into. They usually don’t have a full grasp on what is going on. Essentially, they have a lot in common with the kids and teenagers watching DBZ for the first time.

The show seemed so different when it aired for a lot of reasons. The art style and violence stood out a lot, but Gohan and Krillin act as a brilliant lens through which we view the story.

They’re often in the fight before Goku. It feels like their perspective is the primary perspective of the story. Gohan and Krillin are brilliantly used as tools to make the heroes and villians of the story almost godlike.

They are also used to add to the DBZ power fantasy. Krillin and Gohan hold their own against foes who out power them, hide and steal Namekian Dragon Balls, and in general feel more emotional than other heroes (especially Gohan). Young viewers get a sense that they could somehow contribute to Goku’s fights against Vegeta and Frieza.

It was deliberate and brilliant of Toriyama to keep Krillin small while Goku grew up.

Side Note: I’m writing a lot on Tumblr, and I’m working on a novel. Follow this blog if you’d like to keep up with me. I appreciate the support.

Thanks, Jo :)

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Krillin and Tien in the Kimyuchu Universe: Part 1

“I like the return to baldness,” Yamcha said rubbing Krillin’s head.

“It wasn’t my choice,” Krillin said brushing Yamcha’s hand away. “I’ve stared balding naturally.” :/

Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, and Bulma all stood in Krillin’s backyard eating pasta. “It’s weird how busy everyone is, but I’m glad you all could make it,” Krillin said looking around. “Even Chiaotzu is busy these days?” Krillin asked looking at Tien.

Tien rolled his eyes. “I don’t want to talk about it. He got Breath of the Wild......”

Everyone sighed. It was a weird time on Earth. There always seemed to be some fight going on, but it seemed that fewer and fewer people were able to participate. It was nice to have such strong friends, but it also made throwing parties kind of hard. Bulma had asked them all to wear the outfits they used to wear when they fought so she could get a picture.

She took the picture, and everyone enjoyed their food.

“I’ve got something cool,” Bulma said reaching into her purse. She pulled out a capsule, pushed a button on the top, and threw it on the ground. A puff of smoke went up, and large silver hoop was laying on the ground. Bulma tossed another capsule on the ground a few feet over and it produced another silver hoop. “Check this out,” she said stepping into one of the rings. She clapped her hands. Weird purple dots started glowing on the ring, and a moment later she disappeared in a puff of purple smoke.

A second later she reappeared standing inside the other silver ring. “Ta Da!,” she shouted holding out her arms. “These are teleportation rings. We actually developed them for a pop star to use for stage tricks. You should try them.”

Everyone enthusiastically started trying the teleportation rings. “It tickles,” Krillin said laughing when he moved from ring to ring. They tried teleporting holding objects. They stated moving the rings around the house.

“This is awesome,” Yamcha shouted when he had teleported to the other side of the house.

Bulma thought they should be a bit more careful, but decided it wasn’t worth ruining the fun. It was nice to see everyone enjoying themselves. Tein ran around the house to Yamcha holding a basketball.

“Thanks for bringing these,” Krillin said. “You really made the party.” He stepped into the ring. He clapped and disappeared.

“Dude! The basketball went with you,” Yamcha yelled. He ran back around the house to Bulma laughing. “This is so epic!” He looked at Bulma, then he looked around the yard. “Where’s the basketball?”

“What?” Bulma asked looking at Yamcha. She was kind of annoyed. After all these years she still didn’t like being around Yamcha. She had hoped he would be busy today. “Krillin, come back,” she called out.

There was no answer. She ran around the house. Krillin was nowhere to be found.

“Funny prank,” Yamcha said smiling nervously.

Krillin’s whole body tickled for a moment. He closed his eyes and smiled. “This is so fun!” He yelled.

“I was able to bring a basketball through! BASKETBALLLLL!” Tien shouted. He slammed the ball down on the blue grass and sent it soaring towards the orange clouds. “This is so dope.......wha....”

Both Krillin and Tien looked around. Something was really wrong. The grass was blue, the clouds were orange, and the house was nowhere to be found. They appeared to be in a prairie with rolling hills. Large rocks dotted the hillsides. 

“Where are we?” Krillin asked.

“Maybe......I don’t know. We should see if we can find something familiar,” Tien said. They both nodded, looked up, and stood there.

Their arms were fully extended to their sides. “Uhhhh, I can’t fly,” Krillin said.

“Me neither.....shoot,” Tien said looking around with a worried look on his face. “Guess we should run somewhere.”

“Let’s go,” Krillin agreed. They both took off running over the blue hills. The air around them was hot and humid. Occasionally they ran past bubbling ponds of green water. “I think we somehow got teleported to Namek, or somewhere like it,” Krillin suggested.

“Maybe,” Tien said. “What’s that?” Tien asked pointing over the hills. In the distance they could see a large figure coming towards them. As it got closer the image became clearer.

It was treelike figure riding a motorcycle.

Side Note: I’m writing a lot on tumblr, and I’m working on a novel. If you find this fanfic interesting and want to keep up with me follow this blog. I appreciate all the support I’ve been getting.

Thanks, Jo :)