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mysterylover123 · 5 years ago

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Top 10 Bakugou Moments I Can’t Wait to see Animated!

MANGA SPOILERS AHEAD THROUGH 251

Our loudmouthed Lord Explosion Murder sure has grown up a lot, hasn’t he? While there was traceable growth in him even before The Thing happened (The Thing being Episode 61), he really shot off like a rocket on the Character Development Train following that grand wakeup call. Since he’s basically on hiatus from the anime until we get through the damn basement arc (sorry to those who like it, I just think it’s way too long) I thought I’d celebrate the Top 10 Katsuki Bakugou moments from the manga I can’t wait to see animated.

#10. “That’s a good look for you, dreamy boy!��

Chapter 166

I’m basically hyped to get to all of the Todoroki/Bakugou shenanigans from the License Retake mini-arc (every interaction they have here is gold) but this moment stands out as the most fun one to see transfer to animation. Bakugou actually laughs for once at a joke rather than his own triumph; his line is translated differently, either as an actual compliment to Camie or a borderline flirty, teasing comment towards Todoroki. Either way, it’s funny as hell, and a great BakuMoment I’m looking forward to seeing finally hit the screen (and to hear both Okamoto and Chapin try and make Bakugou laugh like that).

#9. “I came here to find what I lack”

Chapter 247

Bakugou really kicked off the self-awareness train post DVK2, of course. But this is one of his more self-aware moments since then, as he goes to intern with the #1 pro and talks about what motivated him to do so. Bakugou knows he’s great at many aspects of being a hero, and he’s even learned how to do the Saving and Teamwork thing from last arc, but he still feels like there’s something he’s missing as a hero. So he comes to learn from the #1, and gives this little speech (accompanied by another cute flashback with Baby Deku). Another moment I’m impatient to hear voiced.

#8. “Have you gotten any better?”

Chapter 168

After the first 120 chapters of being the Central dynamic of the entire series, post DVK2 Bakugou and Midoriya rivalry is a lot more low-key and very different in nature. Namely, Bakugou flips from being desperate to tear down every success of Midoriya’s out of fear to being surprisingly supportive of Deku’s success and quick to give him a push in the right direction. He speaks here to ask Deku how he’s doing, and challenge him to catch up. No longer afraid that he might, but practically demanding that he actually do it. That, my friends, is growth.

#7. “I’m gonna kill ‘em all with my sound”

Chapters 171-182

Culture Fest Bakugou is just a surprising delight from beginning to end. It’s one of those arcs that really reminds me he’s a teenager, immature and petty but learning to be better. There’s two specific scenes I’m excited for in the anime: firstly, of course, the aforementioned quote, as he protests the way the other classes are treating Class 1-A, and then during the performance itself, as he not only does great, but realizes that he needs to put his own ego aside and play along for the good of the class as a whole. It’s a very short little mini-arc for him, but another sign of how much more empathetic he’s grown.

#6. Post OFA breakdown concern

Chapter 217

I’ve got a number of the “Kacchan acts like a concerned, supportive friend for Deku” moments on this list, but this little sequence has a special place in my heart. Of course, there are the multiple close-ups on Katsuki’s concerned looking face during the match as OFA goes berserk, but then there’s the cut to post-Training when Kacchan spars with Deku to bring out his power, sits on the couch with him to consult about OFA, and serves as a very helpful intermediary between Deku and All Might, spurring Midoriya to realize some uncomfortable truths about OFA. Also, “Icy hot can be so smart and so damn dense at the same time.” Cannot wait to hear that one.

#5. “Didn’t hear of any time limit”

Chapter 218-219

Finally having their Provisional Licenses, Bakugou and Todoroki leap into action within less than an hour of getting them to save some civilians from a villain attack. Not only is that cool, but Bakugo once again shows his growth by prioritizing getting their stolen wallets back from the criminal, somehow managing to store them all inside those giant gauntlets. Pulling off teamwork with his (best friend) greatest rival, saving to win, and getting head-pat from All Might? It’s enough to seriously warm the heart.

#4. “Did something happen with One for All?”

Chapter 202

And my favorite of the “Kacchan worrying about Deku” moments, from Chapter 202. After nearly a year’s worth of complete hiatus from the Rivalry, Kacchan returns with a new attitude towards Midoriya, one where he actively inquires into his wellbeing, encourages him “in his own way”, to quote the Symbol of Peace himself, and nags him about being more cautious and trying harder. He just exudes such a kinder, better energy here, despite still exploding and covering it up with harshness, than he ever did before. I can’t wait to hear that new, more tender delivery from both Dub & Sub.

#3. “If you’re always looking down on people…”

Chapter 167

Ah, the climax moment of the License Retake arc. Not only does Bakugou figure out exactly how to reach the bratty kids (Bakugou!!!), but he takes a moment to pull the ringleader by the hand to join his friends and tell him the lesson he learned himself about self-examination and the consequences of looking down on others. Again, another moment I’m excited to see animated partly, yes, for the animation, but mostly for the sake of hearing Kacchan’s gruff voice actors pull this off (And of course, after the way they both nailed DVK2, I know they’ll be amazing).

#2. “He’d achieved a different kind of strength”

Chapter 208

The first moment when we truly get to see the new “Save to Win” dynamic play out on screen. Living up to his own hype to Deku and All Might, Katsuki not only leads his team to a perfect 4-0 victory (the first for Class A), but does so through 1. Teamwork and Cooperation with his classmates, and 2. Jumping into action to save Jirou from an upcoming attack. We’re reminded, in this moment, of those key words from the end of DVK2, as the person who brought about all this change in him (Midoriya) watches on in awe. I want to see the action, voice acting, and maybe a hint of the “Katsuki and Izuku” OST to start playing at this point. Hype!

Honorable Mentions: “It’s too damn early” Chapter 249, Christmas Kacchan, Chapter 242, Eating the Speech bubble, Chapter 194 (how are they gonna pull that off in animation?), grumpily waiting up for the Internship kids (Chapter 162).

#1. Saving Natsuo

Chapter 251

Yep. Most recent, most hype-a-ble. Kacchan finally getting to rescue someone from a real, honest-to-god crisis situation. This chapter went by really fast, so I’m hoping the anime gives us the proper animation and focus on Kacchan (the chapter was also way more focused on Todoroki’s thoughts than his). I want to see him have that switch flip, that Deku moment where he just moves to go save someone without thinking. And in this case, I think he does. He jumps into a action to save good ‘ol Natsuo from a dangerous villain and gets himself a hug from the #1 for his trouble (hugged by 2 #1 pros, wows). Definitely cannot wait to see this finally hit the big screen.

#my hero academia #katsuki bakugou #kacchan #bakugou katsuki #i do love making a top baku moments list #he's so lovable now #like he starts as the guy you think will be the villain #and then #all of a sudden #post dvk2 he's lke the unexpected heart of class a #you just wanna pat his head and hug him #jealous of endeav a little

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thecartoonuniverse · 6 years ago

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Currently Airing Cartoons to Watch: 2019 Edition Part 1

You may remember my list of upcoming cartoons to look out for last year, but this time around I would like to do something different! I am personally recommending cartoons that are currently airing (or are confirmed to get more seasons) and give my opinions on each of them. There may be other good cartoons out there, but if they are not on the list, it means I was not a huge fan of it, it’s a super popular show like Steven Universe or Star vs. the Forces of Evil, or I have yet to watch it. If you are looking for something to watch, this is the list!

Currently Airing:

The Dragon Prince

Summary: The Dragon Prince is an epic fantasy series by the head writer and director of Avatar: the Last Airbender. In the magical land of Xadia, magic comes from six primal sources. But when human mages create a seventh kind of magic, Dark Magic — they begin capturing and harvesting the unique magical creatures they need as ingredients. This sparks a catastrophic war between Xadia and the Human Kingdoms. Three kids from opposite sides of the conflict — two human princes, and the elven assassin who was sent to kill them — discover a secret that could change everything. They decide to join forces and go on an epic journey that may be their only hope of ending the war, and restoring peace to both their worlds.

Opinion: This is probably my favorite currently airing show right now, mostly since I am a huge fan of fantasy shows. Dragons, extremely hot elves, and magic- what more could you ask for? Every one of the characters is complex and likable (well most, depending on who you ask). But even the antagonists are compelling at there are always shades of gray present. Season 2 truly blew me away with how much the stakes were raised and the number of surprises that occurred. There is even going to be a AAA cross-platform video game coming soon set in the same world! The company that creates The Dragon Prince, is doing a fantastic job on their social media (it’s hilarious, trust me), and I cannot wait to see what else they create. A quick warning, the animation from season 1 will take a little while to get used to, but for the most part, it has been improved for Season 2.

Also, there a lot of memes, so get ready for that.

gen:LOCK

Summary: In gen:LOCK, Earth’s last free society is on the losing side of a global war, and recruits a diverse team of young pilots to control the next generation of mecha—giant, weaponized robot bodies. These daring recruits will find, however, that their newfound abilities come at no small cost. As Julian Chase leaves behind his life as a fighter pilot to become the first candidate for the program, he finds his endurance, as well as his very identity, will be tested beyond anything he ever imagined.

Opinion: For any current/past fans of Voltron: Legendary Defender- WATCH THIS SHOW! If you are a fan of mechas, you will surely enjoy this. But if you were more a fan of the character interactions from VLD, this show also has you covered. It has an amazingly diverse cast and even has a canon genderfluid character. It is a show made for adults, so the stakes are real and dark subjects are treated seriously. Even the romance is done very well with the characters acting like adults instead of arguing over each other like teenagers. Even from the first episode, you can tell that the show is willing to take risks and is sure to become one of the greatest shows of the decade. The animation is also beautiful, and is definitely the best looking show Rooster Teeth has created. The fan base is super small right now since the first season just aired and is RT First exclusive. But trust me, it is worth a watch.

Carmen Sandiego

Summary: Carmen is a modern day Robin Hood traveling the globe and stealing from V.I.L.E. and giving back to its victims. Carmen is publicly perceived as a criminal by most law enforcement agencies – correction, make that a master criminal due to the sheer scale and theatricality of her heists. We will follow her escapades and get to determine not only where but WHO in the world is Carmen Sandiego?

Opinion: This show really caught me by surprise- I was fully expecting a kiddy edutainment show, but what I got was something much more complex and intriguing. Carmen this time around, as the summary suggests, is an anti-hero, and not an antagonist or villain like she was in the past. While some may not want to watch it due to this, I think this take on her is done very well, and once you get past the two-episode backstory, you will find the show is fun with a diverse cast of characters from all over the world. This GIF doesn’t quite do it justice but trust me when I say this show has some one of the best looking art styles I have ever seen. Surprisingly the weakest aspect of the show is the educational factor, which is puzzling as it was very much promoted as a show to teach children geography. In some cases, I have seen posts/tweets pointing out factual errors the show made! Normally it wouldn’t be the biggest deal, but this is a show that prides itself for its educational value. Also, some of the characters have pretty flat personalities or are just straight up incompetent, but hopefully that will change as the show progresses further. The finale was amazing, and I am patiently waiting for the next season!

Tangled: The Series/ Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure

Summary: Set between the events of the feature film and the start of the 2012 CGI short film, Tangled Ever After, the animated series unfolds as Rapunzel acquaints herself with her parents, her kingdom and the people of Corona. Her irrepressible spirit and natural curiosity about the world drives her to the realization that there is so much more she needs to learn before she can truly accept her royal destiny. She boldly puts her crown and impending marriage on hold to seek out epic adventures, much to the dismay of the King who, after missing out on Rapunzel's childhood, must accept that his daughter is now an independent young woman. Accompanying Rapunzel on her journey will be Eugene Fitzherbert; the plucky chameleon sidekick, Pascal; the no-nonsense horse, Maximus; most of The Snuggly Duckling's pub thugs; and newcomer Cassandra, a tough-as-nails handmaiden, who becomes Rapunzel's confidant.

Opinion: This series is truly a delight, and definitely exceeded my expectations for a television series based off a Disney show (I did not expect much as most of those types of shows from my childhood weren’t the best). But I was truly wowed, and this is a must see for any Disney fan.The series does not ignore anything that happened in the movie, far from it. Events that occurred in the movie still impact Rapunzel and are treated seriously. The cartoon mixes comedy, adventure, lore, and mystery quite well. It is also very beautiful, much like Carmen Sandiego (both have similar styles but I like CS’s lighting a bit more). The show can even get quite dark, as is evident with the season 1 finale. This show deserves a much biggest fanbase, so give it a watch!

Hilda

Summary: Hilda follows the journey of a fearless blue-haired girl as she travels from her home in a vast magical wilderness full of elves and giants to the bustling city of Trolberg, where she makes new friends and discovers mysterious creatures who are stranger –and sometimes more dangerous– than she ever expected. Based on graphic novels by Luke Pearson, who storyboarded for Adventure Time.

Opinion: Hilda is definitely a comfort show, and if you liked Gravity Falls there is a good chance you will also like this show! The art style is simply adorable, and Hilda is a delight to get to know. I love the way that the show not only has magical creatures, but it goes in depth into how these creatures live and survive in a modern world. Having read all the comics, I personally enjoyed the addition of Hilda getting some human friends. I know some people did not like this, but she seemed quite lonely once she moved to the city, and I liked seeing her interact with children her age. Season 2 is coming out next year, so there is plenty of time to watch the first season! If you love a feel-good show with mystery and magic, this is the show for you!

Star Wars Resistance

Summary: The series is set between the events of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, in a time when the Resistance is still learning about the growing threat of the First Order. It centers on the character of Kazuda Xiono, a young pilot in General Leia Organa's Resistance who is tasked with spying on the growing threat of the First Order.

Opinion: This show was one I was not expecting anything from at all, but as the show has progressed throughout the first season I have begun to enjoy it more and more. This show, like many on this list, features a very diverse cast (including some aliens, of course). Probably the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that the main character, Kaz, is 20 years old! I feel like that is not something you see with action shows these days, as they usually make the protagonist 16 or 17 years old. I really like the animation style, as I always felt that without the big budget, the Clone Wars style just didn’t look that good in Rebels. Resistance is so... shiny! As for the plot itself, it is sad that most of my favorite aspects of Star Wars are missing, namely the Force, Jedi, and Light Sabers. But since it may eventually tie in more with the sequels, there is hope to see more of that eventually! It’s definitely not at Clone Wars level of good, but I am finding it more enjoyable than Rebels (excluding a few episodes and the season finales). It may never end up being as serious as Rebels, but I am sure it will get darker as time goes on and the stakes get higher.

Young Justice: Outsiders

Summary: Young Justice: Outsiders is the third season of Young Justice. The backdrop for the season is one that will touch on “all corners of the DC universe,” and this time the team is tasked with stopping a metahuman trafficking ring, as well as dealing with the “intergalactic arms race for control of these super-powered youths.” You can also count on new heroes Arrowette, Spoiler, Thirteen, Halo, and many more joining in the fight.

(^I can’t recall if this is the exact line from the show but this whole episode is the best)

Opinion: If you loved the first two seasons of Young Justice, it is easy to say that you should give this one a watch. But now that it is on DC’s streaming platform, DC Universe, IT IS DARK. Seriously, this is no longer a show for children. And that’s pretty great. I truly love that the show can now explore darker themes and have some adult jokes from time to time. However, unlike the first two seasons, I feel constantly confused about new characters or things that have happened to returning characters offscreen. Unless you are very knowledgable about DC characters, there is a good chance you will feel this way. So, it is sadly a bit more unwelcoming to those unfamiliar with the comics. I still love the show’s characters and superhero stuff, in general, is always a lot of fun. There’s also LGBT characters apparently already in the show (and some that were LGBT in the comics have appeared, but nothing in-show is confirmed), so hopefully, there is also that to look forward to in the second half of the season when it airs in June.

Big Hero 6 The Series

Summary: The series continues the adventures of 14-year-old tech genius Hiro and his robot pal Baymax. Joining the pair on their journey is control freak Wasabi, scientist Honey Lemon, fanboy Fred, and no-nonsense Go Go Tomago, whom together form the Big Hero 6 superhero team. As the new prodigy at San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, Hiro faces daunting academic challenges, not to mention the social trials of being the little man on campus. The stakes are also raised for the high-tech heroes when they must protect their city from an array of scientifically enhanced villains.

Opinion: Another very well made series based off a Disney movie. Once again, this show stays faithful to the source material. The art style is very interesting, and while not my favorite gives the show a very cool feel. Once the main villain is introduced, I was glad to report that he became a major threat very fast. And the season 1 finale was pretty great as well. My biggest issue concerning this series so far is that is still really hasn’t developed the side characters at all, despite them being in almost every episode. These are college students, so their families should still be quite important to them. But besides Fred, we have yet to really learn about them, and with that, a potentially important part of who they are as a person is missing. After a movie and a whole season, these characters should not seem as flat as they are, so I hope we learn more about them too. But we also get flashbacks of Tadashi, so for that alone the show may be worth a watch.

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Summary: Deep in the sewers of New York City, four mutant turtle brothers lurk. Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michaelangelo are in their early teen years, and the brothers go on new and exciting adventures. They tap into their mystic ninja powers to learn to work together as a cohesive unit and become a team of heroes as they navigate the modern world and other hidden realms. The brothers get a whole new look, new weapons, and new powers as they discover the hidden city beneath New York and find time for a slice of their favorite pizza.

Opinion: Okay I will admit this is one I haven’t actually seen all of yet. But the art style is just so cool I had to include it and will likely update this entry when I catch up. This show may be a worthy successor to the 2012 series, which I know a lot of people loved.

So that’s the end of my list. If I remember any other good shows airing, I may update it. But, if I got you to watch any, let me know and tell me your thoughts!

Shows to Look Foward to: Glitch Techs, Amphibia, Owl House, Twelve Forever, Hazbin Hotel, Villainous, Infinity Train, 101 Dalmatian Street

Shows Omitted due to being super popular already: Steven Universe, Star vs. the Forces of Evil, RWBY, Bojack Horseman, OK KO, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Duck Tales

Join my Cartoon Themed Discord: https://discord.gg/cartoonuv

And give us a follow if you enjoyed the post! We talk about cartoon related stuff a lot! I will probably do a part 2 later in the year when more of the cartoons to look forward to have aired. And I might even add some shows omitted or other shows I may have forgotten!

#tdp #the dragon prince #gen:lock #tangled #hilda #carmen sandiego #tmnt #bh6 #young justice #star wars resistance #rwby #she-ra

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blodreina-noumou · 5 years ago

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Tagged by: @blodkihci and @spyecho - tysm!!! I have already done this, but I watch a thousand TV shows, so I’ma do it again!

MY SHOWS (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER) :

The 100

The Good Place

Cloak and Dagger

One Day at a Time

The Dragon Prince

Under a cut, since it’s long!

QUESTIONS:

1. who is your favorite character in 2?

The cruelty of this question. The impossible task. I cannot choose, I love Team Cockroach all equally.

Wait, no, that’s a lie. Chidi. It’s Chidi. I love my surprisingly jacked, anxious, moral philosophy professor above almost all else.

2. who is your least favorite character in 1?

Of those who are still alive...Clarke and Bellamy, lmao. Before Abby and Kane kicked it though, they topped that list. Easily.

3. what is your favorite episode of 4?

Oh man, that’s really tough, too. I think the season finales are all up there. Elena’s family dancing with her at her quinceañera, when her dad abandons her, still makes me cry so hard. Penelope saying, “I’ve got you,” which is what her mom said to her earlier in the season, when Penelope couldn’t sleep without her husband around and she broke down in front of Lydia. That generational strength of women. The way Schneider and Leslie come in, because they’re family too. And don’t even get me started on the second season finale, there’s dozens of perfect moments, and the ending always gets my waterworks going in the best possible way.

If you haven’t watched One Day at a Time, what are you even doing??

4. what is your favorite season of 5?

The second season is really good, because by then, everyone is established and the story is clear. Plus the goddamn baby dragon is there, no longer in his egg, and he is the best. Him and Bait really help guide you through the pain and emotional turmoil.

God I need to rewatch The Dragon Prince again, it’s soooo good. Criminally underrated.

5. who is your favorite couple in 3?

I mean, that’s obvious, right? TnT, Tyrondy, The Divine Pairing. My sweet babies, Tyrone and Tandy.

6. who is your favorite couple in 2?

Cheleanor forever 💖

7. what is your favorite episode in 1?

That’s really tough, it’s such a long show now, and there are so many highs, and so, so many lows. My knee-jerk reaction is still “Spacewalker” I think. The reveal/retcon that Raven is the badass, spacewalking rebel, and Finn was her sweet and supportive boyfriend, combined with that heartbreaking twist at the end - it’s not just the best episode of The 100, it’s maybe one of the best episodes of television, ever. A true gem amidst a whoooole lot of garbage.

8. what is your favorite episode of 5?

This is mostly hard because I binged it super fast...

I think it must be “Heart of a Titan” - the one where Prince Callum reads the letter his step-father left him, and there are so many reveals so quickly. It’s a really emotional, beautiful episode.

9. what is your favorite season of 2?

The first season is really good. It’s a solid piece of television and the reveal at the end is perfect. But I think most of the best episodes happen in season two and three. It’s a tough call.

10. how long have you watched 1?

About three years now. I started when s3a was airing, so I watched the fandom burn itself to the ground while still getting through s1 and s2, lmao.

11. how did you become interested in 3?

I saw a lot of gifs about it and I got curious. People who liked Runaways said Cloak & Dagger was good too. Plus, Olivia Holt is a goddamn stunner, and Aubrey Joseph is beautiful. I’m pretty shallow, at the end of the day.

12. who is your favorite actor in 4?

Justina Machado, who plays Penelope. Everyone is amazing, but she’s an incredible lead.

13. which do you prefer, 1, 2, or 5?

Ugggggh, this is sooo tough. It’s not The 100. Honestly it’s probably The Good Place. It’s amazing how a show about death and the afterlife and hell and can be my happy place.

The Dragon Prince is so, so good though, more people need to watch it.

14. which show have you seen more episodes of, 1 or 3?

Welp, The 100 has six seasons, Cloak & Dagger has two. Do the math. (Also I haven’t seen the second season of Cloak & Dagger still...)

15. if you could be anyone from 4, who would you be?

Honestly, Penelope. I relate so much to her, with her struggles with PTSD, depression, and anxiety - except she’s a hardworking, determined, badass mother who has overcome so much, and will continue to, because that’s who she is. I admire her a lot, and aspire to that, deep down. (Less the motherhood part, but meh.)

16. would a crossover between 3 and 4 work?

I think a really funny episode could be made where Tandy and Tyrone are inserted into the world of ODAAT and have supernatural shenanigans and the show finds a way to explain them away. Plus, there’s only one degree of separate between C&D and Runaways, and Ariela Barer guest starred on ODAAT. It’d be a very silly episode, probably not canon - maybe some sort of coma/concussion episode with Elena, so she can Ariela can guest star and Carmen can return again?

That’s the one and only way I can envision it. It wouldn’t work in reverse. ODAAT cannot exist in the world of C&D.

17. pair two characters in 1 that would make an unlikely but strangely okay couple

I saw someone make a very compelling argument for Octavia and Murphy on this very survey, once. I don’t exactly ship it, but I could see it working. They’re both kind of outcasts, who rose in rank abruptly within their societies, after a long time being underdogs (to middling results.) They’re both jaded, sarcastic, edgy, and super beautiful in somewhat unconventional ways. Interestingly, they’ve rarely interacted on-screen, from what I can recall. But I think they’d make a fun, badass outsiders kind of couple. This is assuming Emori is not with Murphy anymore, for whatever reason.

18. overall, which story has the better storyline, 3 or 5?

I have to go with The Dragon Prince. C&D is good, but TDP is like, life-changing. It’s so dense, yet so lighthearted. There’s incredible, organic, natural representation of different skin tones, of people with disabilities, of blended families, of LGB characters. It raises interesting ethical questions, and provides you with some really fascinating, well-developed antagonists. It has an “epic quest” feel while also being a personal, intimate story driven by its characters and its setting in a believable way. Plus, it always finds lighthearted ways to include humor, adorable animals and moments, and romance.

It’s a perfect show.

19. which has the better theme music, 2 or 4?

Definitely The Good Place. It has such an iconic score, a very simple and memorable theme. I like ODAAT’s, it’s fun and energetic, but TGP’s manages to capture a lot about the show’s vibes in like, six notes.

Tagging: @bombshellsandbluebells @blodkru @johnmurphysreddit @twinzmoon @awesomenell65 @diytavias @captainwilldameron @dylanobrienisbatman and anyone else who sees this and wants to steal it! I’ve absolutely lost track of who’s done this and who hasn’t, so please feel free to ignore it, for any reason.

#tag games #not the 100 #but 100 adjacent #about me #stephspeaks

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kurogabae · 6 years ago

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Tsubasa: Trainwreck Chronicles

And Why Bee Train Personally Owes Me At Least a Grand; an Essay by Popular Demand

part 1 part 2

For those of you who might not know, I love Tsubasa Chronicle. So much. But for the love of Kurogane’s beautiful biceps is the anime awful. Now, I’m not one of those “manga purists” who always insists the manga is better than the anime, I tend to find them equal pretty often. This is not one of those cases.

Once upon a time CLAMP made a deal with Bee Train for a Tsubasa anime. Cardcaptor Sakura had done so well! CLAMP was a solid name to back! Bee Train had nothing to lose - except the trust of every CLAMP fan ever. I don’t know how hands on CLAMP (or rather Ohkawa) were in the production but I feel like “not at all” is a fairly solid guess. It was a mess folks. Production was rushed, story was disregarded, plot was cut up and Frankensteined back together, I’m not even going to talk about the English casting.

In fairness, it wasn’t without it’s good points. The soundtrack was flawless, the Japanese cast was amazing, and when Bee Train tried they really did manage to make the series look nice, which imo makes the rest of the subpar animation even more of a slap to the face. They even had some genuinely enjoyable filler episodes - the chibi episode and the Kero and Mokona episode are always the first to come to my mind - but overall? Not even a hot mess, just a mess.

Under the cut we’ll go arc by arc. I’m not going to rewatch the series just to write this so forgive me if I’m missing facts or if something I say is slightly inaccurate. Also, beware of spoilers for the manga if you haven’t finished reading it. That means you Nick. I’ll write you up a spoiler free copy of this later. Anyway, let’s go.

Opening and introductions:

You’d think, as the start of your series, you’d want the first episode or two to look really nice right? Catch the eye, impress the new viewer. Not Bee Train! [x x] The whole thing is subpar at best. Syaoran and Sakura’s introduction isn’t so bad for the most part, they’re cute and Bee Train tried to add a little more interaction between them before Sakura loses her feathers, which I am all kinds of behind, but... there’s a point where they run from castle guards. And Syaoran sort of just... grabs her and runs and Sakura is left literally flapping in the wind? [x] Also Sakura looks stoned out of her mind in like 90% of the shots she’s in. Touya probably thinks Syaoran is giving her drugs. But honestly, I don’t have too many problems with how the intro happens, mostly just the way it looks.

Fai’s intro can go by with almost no comment aside from the fact that his face looks like it’s melting. Sadly, this is not the worse his face will ever look. Pretty meh.

Personally I think Kurogane’s intro got the short end of the stick visually and I’m not just saying that because he and Tomoyo are my favorites. They both look pretty awful and, as always, where’s the beef???

Also Yuuko deserved better.

Hanshin:

If possible, the animation gets even lazier. We’ve added Mokona to the party and they cannot decide how big she is. I’m not being nitpicky either. Her size fluctuates wildly. Here are just a few examples set only in Hanshin. This problem persists throughout the series. Also I don’t know how to exactly put this into words but... everyone’s eyes are just extra jacked up.

Plot wise we mostly follow canon. Until they decide Sakura should get more screen time. “Great idea!” I can hear you say. “We love Sakura!” Well so do I. Problem: she has one (1) feather to her name and is comatose. Sakura is not really going to do anything. Yet the camera keeps going back to her- oh wait she’s awake. Sort of. Oh she’s getting dressed now, we even get a very weird little montage of her trying on clothes. Now she’s wandering the town, meets up with the leader of the Mohawk Gang whose kudan Kurogane beat the crap out of. Luckily she’s a super cute girl (who is barely conscious and doesn’t even talk? She’s so far from Mokona she probably can’t even understand these guys anyway but...) so they take her out to lunch instead of doing something Terrible. To the restaurant Touya works at. He serves her and doesn’t recognize her, meaning there is no Sakura in this world, at least not one related to him. This happens a lot.

In the anime Sakura is sometimes, for reasons unexplained and inconsistent, “drawn” to her feathers. She’s looking for her feather. There is an absurd Looney Tunes moment where she climbs some sort of tall thing (oil rig? construction site? world’s weirdest flag pole?) and jumps off of it before Syaoran and Co. (who have located her after Arashi, who would never have lost track of her in the first place let’s be real, tells them she’s gone AWOL) can stop her.

And then she flies. Literally and truly fucking flies. Through the sky. Thanks I hate it.

Syaoran catches her, brings her back home, and the story pretty much continues. One fun change was that the whole family had to share a room, they didn’t get separated like in the manga, so we get treated to this Gay Fucking Scene(tm) of Kurogane waking up and the first thing he sees if Fai sleeping while angelic music plays in the background. So that was nice.

Oh god hang on, I had to come back and add this because I literally always forget: Kurogane sees a version of Tomoyo in this world and goes running after her, leaving Fai and Syaoran to meet Touya and Yukito on their own. This results in both of them missing Kurogane’s kudan fight and Kurogane missing the “same face, different person” talk/reminder. They still can’t draw Tomoyo.

Also this.

Koryo:

Where’s the beef?

Much in the spirit of Hanshin, Koryo keeps mostly to the plot and has overall meh animation with a few choice moments of dear god why. Surprisingly, they made a few changes that I didn’t hate - the village had gotten a group of rebels together against the Ryanban. He also stole Chu’nyan’s mother’s body, making it so that her spirit could never find peace, making him even more of a dick.

This is where we see the first instance of the anime really being geared towards younger audiences than CLAMP had planned for. In the manga Sakura wins everyone new clothes via dice gambling, but in the anime she wins a lottery. Not a big deal, but we see more of this. Another thing change is that there’s a whole secondary plot added to everything when they try to, again, give Sakura a more active role. There are better ways to do this, but Bee Train sort of just tosses her into action and then tosses Syaoran in after her. It’s always bad and pointless and never amounts to anything.

Anyway, she ends up inside the castle, somehow Syaoran manages to follow after her. Goodness knows what the dads are up to. (Probably this.) Some Really Weird Stuff happens and from what I remember the spirit of Chu-nyan’s mother hops a ride out of the castle with Sakura. Who, uhh, teleports her and Syaoran out. Yeah.

The rest of the arc goes pretty much how the manga does with a handful of minor changes - like the fact that Kurogane never bought a manga in Hanshin, so in order to block Kiishim’s killing blow he’s tucked the hammer he was using to fix the roof in his shirt, which is a much smaller shield than a whole ass book and I think that’s dumb. Still can’t get Mokona’s size right, to awkward and hilarious results.

And remember kids, we won’t show you dice but we will show you this.

Big Lake and Shipper Fish:

The animation in this part is actually pretty nice. Considering. The things they changed were needless and weird.

Sakura and the fish talk. How? Why? We don’t know, it’s never explained or examined. We are meant to accept it Because Sakura, which only works most of the time. The fish tries to tell Sakura that she knows Syaoran - we all know this will not and cannot work. Why does this happen? What was the point of adding this? It is so weird and awkward. It messes up the flow and is so extra. I understand your desires Shipper Fish, but please, let things take their course.

Jade:

Fuck you and fuck your animation. It looks The Worst, which is a bummer because this world changes the fewest amount of things. Anything I could point out are really minor:

somehow Fai can read

they never show how the family gets their clothes, and 99% of the scene in the tavern is skipped

breaking and entering!

Mokona bites Kurogane in the ass

they don’t have horses

no Kuro-dork looking at the snow like an excited child

they nerf Kurogane’s BAMF

the feather isn’t hidden behind a wall, they need the pure hearts of children?

Kyle was a way lazier villain

Filler #1 - Lightning Jazz Hands:

Alright, that looked neat as hell, I’ll admit. My compliments end here.

Story: nosy little shits got themselves cursed. Gonna fight in a competition to win a Big Magic. Is the Big Magic a feather? Stay tuned! (It’s not, because then the girl would die and that would be Too Sad.)

So the people in this country can shoot lightning out of their hands, that would be awesome and possibly scary, but I guess Kurogane is water/ground type because he gets it and only says, and I quote, “it tingles”. So your lightning powers mean nothing, add no stakes, and the Fam can’t do it so what is the point?

This filler is also famous for its KuroFai baiting, which is impressive, seeing as the anime tried very hard to make them Not Gay. I mean it failed but yeah.

Syaoran is the only fighter they have left because Kurogane and Fai are children and Sakura is making friends with the cursed girl. Keefer... Keepha... fights Syaoran, and obviously Syaoran wins because we’re supposed to think this is a feather. They really play it up to, even after we learn the Big Magic isn’t a feather Syaoran still hesitates before handing it over. For dramatics I guess? I don’t know, there’s literally no reason for him to not give it to the needy couple.

Boring filler. Only fun was watching Kurogane get excited over fighting people.

tbc... with Outo

[part 1] [part 2]

#Tsubasa Trainwreck Chronicles #my meta #sort of?????#TRC #spoilersTRC

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psycho-alchemist · 7 years ago

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Hi so first of all you seem really awesome and your blog is amazing, I always love seeing what you've reblogged on my dash. Second, I was wondering if you had any anime recommendations of like your all-time favorite animes or series you think everyone should watch? I just finished a Fullmetal Alchemist rewatch and I'd love to find some new shows to get into. Thank you!!

Oh wow thank you, that’s so sweet of you!!

Three anime everyone should watch (not including FMAB, since that’s a given and you’ve already seen it):

Steins;Gate - Not many people talk about S;G anymore, but the people who have watched it pretty much unanimously love it. It’s about a man named Okabe and his friends who discover how to send messages to the past. But in doing so, they start to change their world too much, and suddenly all of their lives are in danger. Okabe has to undo the mistakes he made to save his friends’ lives and change the world back to the way it was. It’s a really cool time travel show! From what I have seen, most people who dropped it did so because it seems to move pretty slowly at first. I actually nearly dropped it too during my first watch, but upon rewatching I noticed that there are a lot of subtle hints dropped during the “slow” episodes that something horrible and tragic is about to happen. There’s this very faint, ever-growing feeling that something isn’t right, and suddenly it’s too late to fix anything.Time travel is a very very tiny theme in media, but I love it because it’s a great opportunity for pseudo-science and angst. The helplessness a main character feels as they try to fix things in a fucked up world when no one else around him even realizes how fucked up it is? 👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽 Steins;Gate handles the angst and plot twists really well, and it also manages to avoid all the plot holes that often come with badly written time travel stories. I am usually of the mindset that if I need to wait more than 4-6 episodes for an anime to “get good,” then it’s not worth it. Steins;Gate is a very rare exception to that rule, and I think everyone should watch it!!

Barakamon - I am not a fan of children, so an anime about a misanthropic twenty-something-year-old spending a summer on a rural island with a bunch of country kids is not something I would typically even glance at. When I originally saw it on the Summer 2016 roster, I wrote it off instantly. But during the first week of the new season I had finished all my other anime, so I watched it out of pure boredom. And boy, was I FLOORED.Barakamon is a surprisingly charming and hilarious story. Handa, the main character, is relatable to the average dramatic grump like me who would prefer to stay indoors during the summer, away from the bugs and sunshine and nature in general. The children are actually realistic, unlike a lot of the children or children-passing lolis we often see in anime. They’re a tiny bit bratty and very mischievous, but it’s actually really refreshing and endearing. The situations they get themselves into are ridiculous and hilarious. And despite Handa avoiding them at first, he ends up getting very very attached to them, and them to him.I was very reluctant to like Barakamon, but the first episode completely charmed me, and every episode thereafter. The humor was rarely an overdone punchline, it was situational and felt very authentic. I still laugh a lot just thinking about some of the scenes!

Psycho Pass (season 1) - This is only regarding season 1. Don’t bother watching s2 or the movie. But Psycho Pass was a special show for me, not just because of the very fascinating world-building but because of the way it makes you think about how morality works. How do we decide what is good and what is bad? How do we determine if someone is guilty or innocent? How do we make the judgment on whether someone deserves punishment or forgiveness? Psycho Pass made me think about those questions in a way I never really had. It actually made me agree with the psychopathic villain for once, which had never happened to me beforehand. (I’m pretty black-and-white so I usually side with the good guys and hate the bad guys without questioning it.) I understood and agreed with the villain’s philosophies, and it was really intriguing to consider that anyone could become a villain if they twisted their thinking the wrong way. In addition, Psycho Pass also brings up an interesting point of what would happen if humans didn’t go through any kind of stress or hardship. It suggests that perhaps stress and trauma are...not good exactly, but perhaps essential to the human experience.In short, Psycho Pass made me think about humanity and morality in a way I never had before. Again I am only speaking for s1, since s2 and the movie fell off that trend, but s1 was a fantastic watch and perfectly fine as a standalone series.

Those are the two I recommend to everyone, regardless of what genres they prefer. Here are my other favorites:

Haikyuu!! - If you’re a fan of sports anime, or would like to watch sports anime but don’t like the overdone sports moves, Haikyuu!! is a great watch. It’s funny, it’s inspiring, and the sports actually don’t defy the laws of physics. The characters are all very lovable and have a great dynamic.

Hunter x Hunter - If you’ve been looking for a fun action series, HxH is definitely worth it. It’s got great action and really cool storylines, and it has a fun shounen feel without being overbearingly so. It’s a pretty long one at 148 episodes, and I definitely understand how intimidating that can be, as someone who hesitates to watch even 2-cour series. But Hunter x Hunter was worth every single minute, and I cannot stress that enough. It’s so much fun to watch, the characters are so unique and interesting, and the last two arcs are Angst Central if that’s what you’re into. It’s got someone for action fans who love fluff and those who love angst, and I am so so glad I decided to watch it despite its episode count looming over my head.

Kaichou wa Maid-sama! - If you love a good rom com, definitely check out KWMS! The animation is done in a way that brings out each of the characters’ charm and really adds to the energetic, cute feel of the show. I’ve rewatched it more times than I can count, and it never gets old!

Kimi ni Todoke - If you love rom coms but want a slow-paced romance, KnT will do that for you. It’s still really funny (first anime that made me laugh so hard I couldn’t breathe!), but the romance is slow and steady. Some people have complained that the romance is too slow, and while I won’t disagree, I think the show still did a great job showing a very shy girl slowly establishing deep relationships, both platonic and romantic, with kind people.

Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou - Technically a rom com, but don’t expect too much romantic development! It’s more like a comedy anime with a side romantic plot. But there’s nothing wrong with that! I love the characters; they’re all super eccentric but go together perfectly. And don’t get me started on Brain Base’s gorgeous animation and the lovely soundtrack! Overall this is just a really pretty, aesthetic, feel-good fluff show. Perfect for casual laughs!

Hopefully this helps you! :) If you would like recs from one particular genre, just let me know and I’ll tell you what I like!

#ask p-a #anime rec #anime recs #Anonymous

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amandajoyce118 · 7 years ago

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Friday Five: Simply Marvel-ous

Since we’re going to have a hiatus for Agents of SHIELD this month (The show cannot compete with Olympics ratings, so please don’t complain. You want the show to do well and come back for a sixth season, right?), I thought I’d theme my Friday Fives for the next several weeks around Marvel and/or Agents of SHIELD. Leading up to the 100th episode, it’s all Marvel, all the time. This week, you’re getting my favorite Marvel properties of all time, whether they are comics or tv shows. (Yeah, surprisingly, a comic book movie doesn’t make my top five? Who knew?)

One: X-Men, the animated series.

When I was a youngster in the 90s, I used to watch the animated X-Men series all the time. I would hum the theme song in grocery stories. I had a Jean Grey action figure. I used to pretend to be a mutant on the playground. I was obsessed. My dad got me hooked on the show before sharing comic books with me. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Two: Generation-X.

Generation-X was a comic book series that was most definitely a product of its time. It was the first series I was ever subscribed to, a gift from my dad that I managed to get my mom to renew every year until the series ended. This was back in the day when the subscription came directly from Marvel, mailed to your house, and it still had Stan’s Soapbox in the back of the issues. The book was for the next generation of X-Men fans. It was about teenagers figuring out life and mutant abilities, getting into trouble, and saving the world once in a while. I think it speaks to the same part of us that enjoys books like Harry Potter - a special kid in a crappy environment who gets to escape. I kept waiting for my X-gene to kick in.

Three: Mockingbird

Chelsea Cain’s Mockingbird comic book series just didn’t last long enough. Yes, I understand why long time fans of the character take issue with Mockingbird’s rape erasure that happens near the end of the series, but this is one of the few modern comics that has a similar tone to that of the MCU. It features the kick-ass scientist that is Mockingbird in a crazy story arc that involves her reconnecting with both Hawkeye and Lance Hunter (whose personality is totally the Nick Blood version, and it’s amazing), her ending up with a weird illness and trying to fix it, her being on the run, and her ending up stranded on an island with mercorgis offshore. Yeah, you read that right. It also ends with a threesome. So, sorry to spoil the ending for you? I wish it had gone on for so many more than 8 issues, but Marvel cancelled it, apparently due to it underperforming.

Four: Jessica Jones

Yes, yes, I know. Jessica Jones has been appearing in a lot of Friday Fives. What can I say? I love her. I love the show. I love the other characters on the show. I love how they’ve adapted this property for a live action series. I just love it all. I especially love this because until the show was greenlit, I wasn’t all that familiar with the character. The time that the Alias stories were published was during a time when I wasn’t reading as many comics, and definitely not anything aimed at “mature audiences,” so when the show was greenlit, I learned everything I could about the series (I even bought the trade paperbacks) and about the ABC series that never moved forward, and I was hooked before it even made it to Netflix. This is, what seems like, your weekly reminder that the second season returns on March 8.

Five: Agents of SHIELD

I am probably one of the few people who has consistently watched the show from the pilot. I know there are so many people who didn’t like the monster of the week format in season one and drifted away for a while, or people who got to the show late because they were interested in the relationships and not the comic book aspect, and those things are all okay. Everyone likes what they like for different reasons. I loved those monster of the week episodes as much as I love the serial format of the show now. Despite me getting nitpicky with some aspects of the show, I genuinely love the talent behind it and the storylines it’s brought to the MCU - even if the movies don’t acknowledge the show (yet). I love that the show is the most diverse of the small screen Marvel properties, that it made unknowns superheroes, that it’s been able to bring little-known comic book characters to life, and that it can make me laugh as much as it can make me cry. Yes, I enjoy the angst just as much as I enjoy happy endings. It’s probably up there in my top shows, not just Marvel or comic book shows, of all time. That’s how much I love it and miss it every time it goes on hiatus.

#marvel comics #mcu #agents of shield #jessica jones #generation x #friday five

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lilietsblog · 7 years ago

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my mirai nikki liveblog notes from last night

yandere is a gross and creepy fandom trope beloved by gross and creepy fandom dudes but I really like Mirai Nikki and personally Gasai Yuno, and I hope she finds some stability in her mind orrr she could kill either herself or Yukki to get the other to be the god of time and space and I'm honestly not sure which of those would be a healthier decision or more fascinating to watch. but i dont want this ending bc of the cop )= (my taste in anime is impeccable)

I like how Yukki is still majorly creeped out by Yuno, even if making out with her is no longer even a Big Thing for him

WHY DID THIS THING JUST HAPPEN THIS IS LIKE THE WORST POSSIBLE SCENARIO HONESTLY WHAT THE FUCK I like the girl just snapping photos of everything I aspire to be this chill

Yuno if you fuck up Yukki's friendships because you are jealous I'm going to be very cross with you that's exactly what you're going to do isn't it I mean you've been 100% right about Tsubasa and you've been actually very charismatic with Yukki's mom but I can just feel the trainwreck coming

huh, they all end up just hanging out together, that's surprisingly nice I'm glad things other than blood and carnage are allowed to happen in this anime it won't last long will it

shine shine shine wow Yuno maybe chill

Mao and Hinata, I swear I'm going to remember this

HINATA PLEASE OH PLEASE DON'T GET MURDERED BY A SERIAL KILLER WHAT THE FUCK ANIME WHY ARE YOU GIVING ME THESE THOUGHTS DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE HAVE ME BE RIGHT ABOUT THE FORESHADOWING

okay what followed was teeth snapping not blood from a bitten throat so maybe she won't die after all thank god

NO HINATA WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TRYING TO GET EATEN ON PURPOSE YOU ARE THE PUREST CREATURE IN THIS ENTIRE ANIME PLEASE DONT DIE

guys you are discussing it with them walking right behind you how well have you thought this through I guess they were further behind?

I SURE HOPE RUNNING CHANGED THE FUTURE AND SHE IS STILL ALIVE

Akise is another Diary owner isn't he

I feel Yukki on his Definite Overload With Everything

I sure hope those are not Akise's dogs that Akise deliberately set on them to engineer this situation

hm well at least this is not personally Akise, doesn't mean he's not affiliated with this guy at the very least they seem to share hair color

I love Mary tho

hmmm this might actually not be the guy with the flesh eating dogs, these look different okay I'm holding off on further speculation right now and giving it a tentative 50/50, as well as to Akise turning out to have been behind the attack

okay what the FUCK that looks like Hinata

fuuuck i am SO tempted to like Akise but that would also come with a sore wish to have him Join The Team and I hoped that for Tsubasa too >_> my heart can't take it

...that feeling when Yuno is being the Voice of Reason

aaand it's gone

shit I hope Yukki figures out what to do about this shit situation because I'm out of ideas HEY NICE PUTTING THAT DIARY TO WORK I SURE AS SHIT HOPE THERE WON'T BE AS MANY DEAD BODIES AS WITH THE SIXTH THO TO BE FAIR THEY WERENT NAMED CHARACTERS I HOPE THESE KIDS' PLOT PURPOSE IS NOT TO DIE POINTLESSLY HINATA WAS ENOUGH OF A SACRIFICE WHICH I WAS RIGHT ABOUT BTW DEPRESSINGLY ENOUGH STILL DIDN'T EXPECT THIS THO this anime just kind of keeps escalating in ways I fail to expect time after time

please Yukki don't tell them about your diary there's nothing about that that's not a bad idea don't drag them into this aaand of course that's what you're doing and once again, Yuno is me

aaand there's Mao isn't there fuck not the one I was expecting at least thank you Akase for it not being you

okay Hinata is alive that's fair enough except she won't be for long will she why must you take away Pure things from me anime why ugggghhhh

a Breeder's diary??? oh right dogs whew

oh my god Akise too????? okay this is kind of hilarious now I hope they go for a reverse of the temple thing and he actually gets to join the squad I guess the girls were doomed because of Yuno anyway but he has a chance

so I think Deus rigged this whole game specifically for Yukki his random observations diary made the future diary a very interesting idea and a very powerful tool but then Deus threw a bunch of various... interesting characters into it, and I imagine physical proximity (or ability and willingness to get around fast) and, ah, interestingness of character were the main criteria, and he went for ANY kind of diary at all, which made most of theirs much less potent

another thing I'm thinking is I've been noticing the small child holding hands with ?parents? in the end credits for a while, and it looks like Hinata, and she might be an important character

maybe this anime just burned through a few expendable characters at the beginning to set up the situation and create the athmosphere, and the main plot is going to be about a bunch of high schoolers after all, because that's just how anime rolls - high schoolers would be the major characters out of the whole bunch of diary owners

so maybe they're not all dying next episode is what i'm trying to say

Murmur is amazing btw

hum so Akise got his diary late? or does he not have one after all oh my god I love Akise so much already his expression here like 'i can't believe i'm going along with this' and yet he's going along with this like sure ok

aaand SUDDEN DORK MODE oh no I have a new favorite character please don't turn out to secretly be a mass murderer that's all I ask ;~; hum might he not actually have a diary after all dammit these are supposed to be post credit scenes not revealing plot twists I'm just confusing myself at this point aren't I

lol oh my god they thought Akise was a diary owner but he's just a guy who's good at investigation isn't he

or is he??? godfuckingdammit I need to stop doing this to myself theorizing is a bad habit that I get way too into I don't like bumpy rides of plot twists I like being able to follow what the fuck is going on )=

yeah he does not have a diary nor any idea what's going on does he lol I called it seconds before Yuno caught on it's kind of interesting how it seems her job is to be the genre savvy one, whose usefulness is however kind of fucked up by her brain cockroaches

Yuno??????? why are you doing this HE IS TRYING TO WIN BACK YUKKI'S DIARY WHY WHY WHY HE IS ON YOUR SIDE DOn'T FUCK UP HIS GAME

I guess she caught on that he was bluffing but??? ??? ???

and Akise's just going nuts and laughing because what else is left to do honestly

Akise why are you so fucking likable how dare you I'm actually angry at this development HAVE A FLAW DAMN YOU I CANNOT RELAX BECAUSE OF THIS SHIT I CANNOT TRUST WHAT I AM SEEING THIS FUCKING ANIME

oh man I thought they were lesbians when Mao first brought up that she's taken, but this is V Cute

oh my fucking god Akise have you MISSED Yuno's thing in your investigation or are you doing this ON PURPOSE

wait what just happened was that yandere on yandere combat or what

Mao what the fuck were you doing

Yuno you are an ASSHOLE I hope everyone other than Yukki keeps just ignoring everything you say and do

I love this one normal guy who's kind of a dick and just reacts normally to things and his contrast to Akise whom I love

honestly Yukki I agree I think I DON'T WANT TO is the only argument Yuno can be receptive to

oooor that only makes things worse huh Yuno honey please settle down believe in Yukki a little more than that

oh hey good solution even if it's just getting yourself deeper in I guess in a BLOOD DEATH situation it's kind of the best available option

"You don't want me to hate you, do you?" A+ game Yukki hit her where it hurts aka explain basic facts of human relationships >_>

aaand yep he's freaking out because he doesn't even like her that way and he's getting deeper and deeper in )=

oh my god Hinata's dad do you realize you've GIVEN HER YOUR DIARY YOU DUMB FUCK ALL ANYONE PRESENT NEEDS TO DO TO KILL YOU IS BREAK IT

uuunless that was a lie huh can't deny that possibility

lol Akise also has voice of reason tendencies <3

hum okay dammit I liked the cop a lot then again Akise is like him+ as far as having an Awesome detective character goes and Yukki has a Squad his age now I'm surprised by how well this went actually

another episode and I'm going to sleep (yes i'm aware these are Cursed Words but what if I'm lucky)

Yuno? Uh, are you okay?...

see the thing is I really can't find a way to apply to this anime the standards of 'healthy relationship with a mentally ill person' because PEOPLE ARE DYING AND EVERYTHING IS TERRIBLE LET'S PUT THAT OFF UNTIL THE FUCKING GAME IS OVER like Yukki can't just ditch Yuno because she keeps fucking saving his life??? and Yuno can't just resolve to Not Murder because that keeps fucking saving both of their lives??? they can't do what would have been the Reasonable Thing To Do under normal circumstances because these SURE AS FUCK AREN'T NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES

oh please girl are you sure anyone's MAKING you do anything

wait what the fuck is going on here oh it's Murmur fucking around isn't it yep there it is

hum

okay I'm not sure what's happening like, what? seriously? what the fuck

okay so that's what happened huh that still leaves a lot of holes but okay

uh Akise why what makes you think this is a good idea I mean I've noticed you don't exactly have conventional emotional responses to fucked up stuff either but like seriously

oh Yukki you're starting to become more OK with murder that's just the world you live in huh

awww he cares about her when they are one on one as much as he cares about EVERYONE which he does because he is wonderful and I love him it's just in mixed company that Yuno's stalkerish shit gets lower priority to everyone else's normal shit and Yukki is 100% right in that

aha I'd been wondering whose last name I forgot

ahhh so that's what he was doing that makes more sense than him being a shipper on deck -_- just throwing Yukki under the bus for the sake of investigation that's p much normal... by this anime's standards...

also holy damn Yuno you can work when you try hum self-induced amnesia or something? that's almost a sensible coping mechanism I'm glad the anime is actually paying attention to that

augh what the fuck Kurusu why do you gotta hum and there's that other detective uuugh this anime has way too much going on I guess it IS 11 pm and I HAD decided to go to sleep after this

#mirai nikki #liliet watches mirai nikki

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mageinabarrel · 8 years ago

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Sometimes, the best thing you can say to a child is: “I love you.”

Back in the middle of my college years, I took an entire summer to go out to Denver, Colorado to serve on a 4-person team that traveled around the area putting on what was not exactly, but can be approximated as a week-long vacation Bible school program. There were a lot of good things that happened that summer (I fell in love and was rejected, made a lifelong friend, grew a lot as a person, etc.), but among the most unexpected benefits was the surprisingly valuable experience of spending the vast majority of my time surrounded by children between the ages of 6 and 12.

It’s probably true that there are few things in life that can test your patience as an adult as a fourth grader with an attitude or a second grader who just won’t sit down. But the other side of the coin is that these children, even the brattiest of them, are capable of some of the most uninhibited, generous kinds of affection. The emotional whiplash of dealing with kids is worse than the kind you get from watching airing anime go down the tubes, and yet the rewards—if you’re patient enough to receive them—are superb.

All this is to say that children are a very inconvenient, gratuitous kind of existence. There are very few things in this world less utilitarian than a child. I was listening to a podcast recently that described beautiful things as those things without usefulness, and while I don’t think such a description fully encapsulates the beauty, value, and importance of a child, I do think it serves as a useful point with which to begin considering Alice and Zoroku.

While there have been some recent anime with memorable child characters (Non Non Biyori, Barakamon, and sweetness & lightning come to mind), I would contend that the none of these truly make the child the center of their stories. While Tsumugi is a key element in the overall dynamic of sweetness & lightning, I think it’s fair to say that she is often decentered from the show’s focus for other characters. Likewise, Barakamon‘s Naru, while key to the show’s workings, is more important as an influence on protagonist Handa than she is as her own character.

Non Non Biyori actually probably comes the closest to really making its own child character, Ren-chon, the most important part of its story. The show often focuses specifically on Renge’s particular experiences and feelings, holding them up as valid and important. However, it’s ultimately the iyashikei mood and rural atmosphere that dominate Non Non Biyori – and Ren-chon’s perspective is just one method by which this larger goal is achieved.

That’s not to say these shows portray their child characters badly, it’s just that they all do something with them that Alizou does not: Make them useful.

For clarity’s sake I feel it’s important that I note that, yes, in some sense the children of Alice and Zoroku are useful to the anime as a whole; that is, it would not exist without them. In reverse, though, we might say that the show exists for them. It exists to tell their stories, to explore their needs, and to portray their growth as themselves. In essence, as a production—as a story—it values its child characters implicitly by elevating them over any other characters and never using them as useful devices to illuminate things about other, non-child characters. They remain at the center.

When I wrote about the nature of family in Alizou, The Eccentric Family, and Sukasuka, I called what Alizou depicts “the gravitational pull of a child.” And, really, that’s an accurate description of what Alizou as a show does – not only Sana, but also with its other child characters: Hatori, Ayumu, Yonaga, and Asahi. Like the sun to the earth, these children constantly pull the show’s story into orbit around them. Whatever else happens, the narrative is always about them – and, importantly, the attentions of all the important side characters almost as consistently are drawn toward them.

The first arc of Alice and Zoroku has taken some heat for being less enjoyable and less heartwarming the the much cozier second half, but I think the discomfort that exists there is absolutely critical to framing of Alizou‘s themes. Although we see Minnie C’s tragic backstory, her actions are inexcusable. Even as Alizou takes great care to provide nuance to Minnie C’s character by showing us her motivations (and thus avoid making her into a purely evil, villainous character), it also refuses to use her past as a justification for her present actions. Sad as it is, her selfish desires are cannot be given higher priority than the protection and care of Sana. Why? Because Sana’s a child, not an object Minnie C can use to achieve her goals.

Throughout the show, treating the children like tools is rather unambiguously portrayed as wrong, with even the more-or-less genial research facility being taken down because (in a thematic sense) it existed to use the children, not be of use to them. This stands in sharp contrast to the way Naito’s organization is validated in its concern for those with the Dreams of Alice (the choice that is narratively rewarded in its political triumph over its rival), but the foil winds up being more powerful because the research facility is never evil, per se – it just has the wrong priorities. The resultant rebuke is gentle, but firm – and there’s no need for a caricatured villain for the point to be effective.

This relative dismissal of the adult is paralleled in Alizou‘s second arc. In story terms, Hatori’s parents’ marital issues are very clearly shown as secondary to Hatori’s needs. Structurally, although Zoroku and Ichijou set out to help Sana and Hatori in Wonderland, the problem is almost entirely solved by Sana, Hatori, and Ayumu on their own initiative and by their own efforts. They are the stars; they, their interior lives, and the ways they attempt to figure out their lives are most important. All that’s left is for the adults to come in and shout away the clouds.

As I said before, the beauty of a child is not merely in their un-usefulness. It is not that children are valuable in an aesthetic sense because they lack value in a utilitarian one. It was never enough for Alizou to merely allow Sana, Hatori, and the others to lack in-universe and narrative utility. And so it takes great pains to validate their existence as children apart from any external scale, instead diving into their experiences. We see Sana’s talent for math balanced against her struggle with more qualitative subjects. We see the twins adjusting to life as schoolgirls, and the way that experience influences Sana. We see Hatori’s guilt and Ayumu’s love for her friend. In short, we see these children as the people they are – in the midst of growing, but with their own preoccupations, cares, and needs.

In the concluding episode’s final minutes, Naito makes an extremely important statement that both retroactively frames his actions within the story and makes concrete the thematic subtext the entire show has been pushing:

My jaw dropped at this line. Plenty of anime focus on characters in their teens and younger—an age range that could certainly be encompassed by the definition of “children”—but I had never seen an anime so explicitly cast children as the ultimate barometer of societal and narrative good. And by waiting until the end of the show, until Alizou had proven in execution its commitment to establishing this value system on all levels, made it all the more effective. It showed us what it means to make a good world, and then told us at the very end what it had done so we couldn’t miss it.

It’s all child-like, but the growth all of them display—particularly Sana—hints at one of the greatest, most astounding realities of children: Their capacity to grow. For what is a child but a ball of potential humanness? And who can say where the limits of that potential are? I’m certain a parent could speak more eloquently on this than me, but I think I apprehend at least a small part of the terrific wonder a child’s existence represents every time I hold a friend’s baby in my arms. Or, to return to my introduction to this piece, I may have seen some of that as I was teaching those kids out in Colorado. Somewhere amidst those times I was tired, annoyed, and fed-up, I simply just understood: These children are amazing existences. They are beautiful.

Alice and Zoroku, I am convinced, understands this too. And, further, it wants its watchers to understand it. Naito’s concluding thought isn’t just a nice sentiment. It’s an arresting challenge to anyone who finishes this show and witnesses the final frame of Sana, Hatori, and Ayumu heading off to school. Do we agree with Naito? Is a good world a place where children are happy and healthy? Is that the kind of world we want to create? For my part, I’d like to be part of making that sort of world. How about you?

Sometimes, the best thing you can say to a child is: "I love you." Sometimes, the best thing you can say to a child is: "I love you."

#Alice and Zoroku #Alizou #Childhood #Reflection

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recentanimenews · 5 years ago

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Life Under State of Emergency: Tokyo and Rural Areas

Shibuya Crossing (Photo: Daryl Harding)

Previously, we looked at how the state of emergency was affecting the lives of anime fans in Japan, focusing on the areas of Kyoto and Sendai. Today in part two, we speak with two people who live in Tokyo and a rural area outside of the main cities to get their perspective and feelings on how the “lockdown” is affecting them. We asked them all the same questions to get their differing points of view.

(Note: all answers have been edited down for clarity.)

Inside The Capital of Japan

An empty and close Tokyu Plaza in Harajuku, one of the most Instagram'd places in Japan (Photo: Daryl Harding)

I spoke to cosplayer, writer, and Tokyo native, Kaho Shibuya, who in her past has been a newspaper reporter, a TV, radio and YouTube channel host, and a teacher among a vast array of other colorful professions. She lives in the heart of Tokyo.

Firstly, how are you doing in the “lockdown,” even though it’s not technically a lockdown?

Under our current law, the Japanese government can’t force us to stay at home, so there are some people not behaving the way we’re advised to. Yet things have definitely changed when the prime minister declared a state of emergency: In major cities like Tokyo and Osaka, a great number of shops have closed, so you don’t have destinations for just hanging out anymore.

The transportation system, however, hasn’t been affected so people can still commute. With how punctual and on-time our train system is, people are still heading to school/work. The extremely crowded train ride in Persona 5 isn’t exaggerated at all and is still happening.

This means unless you can work at home or you work for a company where they care about your health your job puts you at a higher risk of infection.

How has the quarantine affected you personally?

Actually, I hardly go out to socialize other than work. As a non-drinker, I would be happy only going out to attend business meetings or networking gatherings. All my friends are business-related so when we naturally come together, we work together.

My hobbies are reading manga and watching anime, evidentially, alone. My favorite genre is RPGs, which doesn’t require another player. I live very close to my parents. Quarantine thus far hasn’t affected my personal life at all.

My work gives me an excuse to talk to people and be an extrovert, so I cherish it very much. Otherwise, I’m an indoor otaku detached from society.

What about professionally?

I have many deadlines to meet: weekly, biweekly, and monthly columns, plus my upcoming book. There is still a lot on my plate, though I usually visit a café or somewhere not my room to work. Staying at home makes it absolutely difficult to concentrate.

Usually, my favorite workplaces have been the worst locations to go to due to during the coronavirus crisis because of their confined spaces, like karaoke and manga cafés to name a few. Japanese people often use karaoke places for business talks because you don’t have to worry about others listening to your conversations and waiters won’t bother you. Manga cafés give you access to almost every popular show and magazines in print. You appreciate the sanctuary if you’re a classic physical book lover like myself.

Was there anything you were looking forward to that has now been canceled?

I’ve had the luxury of visiting quite a few conventions overseas as a guest and was looking forward to going more this year before you-know-what happened. My last con was Anime Los Angeles back in January, and I miss the geeky energy there.

I was going to voice the main role in a new anime show and was really looking forward to it, then the production was delayed due to COVID-19. In fact, a lot of TV series and movies I’ve been waiting for have been postponed such as Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- and Case Closed.

Is there anything you’ve started to do because of the lockdown?

I’ve actually joined Twitch and started streaming in April. With everyone experiencing isolation, I thought it’s important now more than ever to stay connected and share the same moments together live.

I don’t show much of my private side on social media, almost always posting pictures from professional photo shoots plus simple puns and messages, so streaming for hours from my room is definitely something new. It’s not only a good way to tell people how I’m doing through webcam, but what kind of person I really am beneath all those smug model pictures. Some might want nothing other than sexy from me, for sure, while others might relate more because I relate a lot to the topics Twitch users talk about.

Streaming on Twitch, I can practice speaking English since there are way more English-speakers on the platform than Japanese, and I get to talk passionately about manga/anime/light novels/games in the chat room with people who are really into those things and want to genuinely know about Japan. Especially with cons getting canceled where I get to weeb out together with my international fans whom I cannot see often because of the obvious long-distance in between, interacting with them and staying passionate about our favorite things is what I crave. Like talking about the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba stamp-rally I went to in Kyoto, or other Japanese-related anime events.

Although, if it weren’t for lockdown, I wouldn’t consider making my own account since I’m so not a tech nerd (just a nerd, period). But my friends offered to help out and I’m truly lucky that I have them. I’m in good hands and now thinking of setting up for game streaming and more!

What are you using to cope with being forced to stay inside?

Now that new episodes of seasonal anime have been suspended, I take this time to go back to older shows, like Bleach, Gintama, Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, Angel Beats, and Steins;Gate, all from 2004 to 2011 when I only have a vague memory of following every single episode because we didn’t have anime streaming sites to catch up. While the first two are very long to binge-watch, the middle two series have only 12 episodes, then the last one is somewhere in between plus its extra season Steins;Gate 0.

Currently, I’m watching Mob Psycho 100 in English, all thanks to Crunchyroll by the way! I want to digest amazing shows in English too so that I get to talk with more people about them.

Kaho actually put the A Certain Scientific Railgun puzzle together during the “lockdown.”

How has your neighborhood/town changed?

Considering it’s central Tokyo, the number of people I see on the street is now surprisingly low, especially on weekends and late at night. Some shops and offices have either closed or shorten their business hours, so it’s very quiet in the evening.

What are you looking forward to once everything is over?

Once this pandemic is subdued, I’m planning to have my first gig as an Anisong DJ! I’ve been practicing and was going to debut in April, so now I have to make my performance worth the wait!

I’d been to some clubs that played mainly anime songs in Japan, but when I attended Kawaii Kon in Hawaii, I made friends with AniParty members from NY at the LUMICA booth, and their energy and audiences were great. I wanted to be a part of that, bringing smiles and music to dance to, letting everyone know about stunning OPs and EDs.

In addition to signing, paneling, cosplaying, and emceeing, I’ve been eager to contribute more to events. Some other projects are going on too which I can reveal at my next con, whenever that is. This stay-at-home time is for me to grow, and after that, it’s time to show!

How do you feel about Japan’s response to the pandemic?

It was quite a long time before our government took things seriously. I mean, they should’ve regulated if not banned traveling, they were very reluctant to make that decision.

If such action was made earlier, I believe we could’ve been in a much better situation. Given that we have a bigger personal space in social interaction; we rarely hug or even handshake, and we’re used to wearing masks because of hay fever in the spring. And more than everything, our biggest city, Tokyo, is incredibly clean and safe compared to other big cities in the world. I hope you all get to visit when this international fear is gone …

Any other stories you’d like to tell?

A lot of my friends from overseas reached out to me to make sure I was okay, which was incredibly nice. In these hard times, you realize the importance of people around you, you discover who is really precious to you and who feels the same way about you in return. Without the quarantine, we are usually too busy living our own lives every day to ever think about things like that.

The Rounds in Rural Japan

Finally, I spoke to Ernest Lin, an American who has lived in Japan for the last three years and currently quite a way out of Tokyo — outside of the four main prefectures. He’s a senior editor at the video game website PlayStation Universe and works as a consultant in Japan in various fields.

Firstly, how are you doing in the “lockdown,” even though it’s not technically a lockdown?

Surviving so far — things for me could be worse but could be better.

How has the quarantine affected you personally?

There's an overall sense of anxiety that I feel has been cast over everyday life. There are days where my mood has been pretty gloomy. Obviously, not going out as much and being separated from friends and others has played a part in that. I follow the news of the COVID-19 situation in Japan and America a lot, so I'm especially worried about my friends and family around the world.

What about professionally?

Ah, unfortunately, it has affected me in that regard. I missed out on some work — there are a few of my on-going projects on indefinite hold until the situation quells. Additionally, it's been hard to get some other things off the ground.

Was there anything you were looking forward to that has now been canceled?

Oh, at this point it feels like countless things — anime and gaming industry events, other festivals here in Japan, various movies, and series releases. With everything else going on bringing perspective, the cancellations and delays are only slightly disappointments. I completely understand and support them if it means keeping more people out of harm.

Is there anything you’ve started to do because of the lockdown?

I started cooking more. The situation has given me time to work on bigger personal projects. Also, I've been able to catch up with loved ones, especially back in America, via voice and video calls.

What are you using to cope with being forced to stay inside?

I use some of the time to study more Japanese and organize my living space. Games have been a nice temporary escape (Final Fantasy VII Remake has been perfect for that!) and multiplayer ones like Fortnite have served as digital hang-out spaces to replace meeting up in real life.

Ernest traveling to Midgar in Final Fantasy VII Remake

Before the "lockdown," I hadn't binged many shows in a while since my job and other life stuff usually kept me really busy. Like everyone and their mom, I watched through Netflix's Tiger King. I've tried catching up on some anime shows I missed in the past. I recently finished Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai plus its sequel film and was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved them.

How has your neighborhood/town changed?

Places, in general, are a little less crowded and various public spaces and businesses are temporarily closed or at reduced hours. Almost everyone is wearing masks.

What are you looking forward to once everything is over?

Karaoke for sure.

How do you feel about Japan’s response to the pandemic?

Frankly, I do not believe the measures that have been taken have not been swift or adequate enough. It's one of the reasons I'm constantly concerned about the situation spiraling into something worse ... I hope it doesn't, but I'm always afraid it will.

Any other stories you’d like to tell?

A month or so ago, I was attending a meeting to check out a property for a project. I showed up at the entrance without a mask, and before we could proceed with the meeting, one of the staff made a remark about how I didn't have a mask. Embarrassed, I realized I had forgotten to wear one (I was born and raised in America, so I sometimes forget). Fortunately, I had extras in the car, so I ran back and came back with one on.

Around that time, I had a dinner meeting where the food was self-serve, buffet-style, but we were given gloves to wear while using the tongs and such. That was a first for me.

Thank you so much to both Kaho and Ernest for sharing their stories of isolation with us. Kaho Shibuya can be found in multiple places all over the web with most of her social media found on her website (NSFW warning), or you can find her streaming on Twitch. Ernest can be found on Twitter @erniichan.

If you have your own story about life in Japan you’d like to share, feel free to share it with me at any of the links in my bio below.

If you or someone who know is living in Japan, coronavirus-based English resources are available at NHK World Japan.

Daryl Harding is a Japan Correspondent for Crunchyroll News. He also runs the YouTube channel about Japan stuff called TheDoctorDazza, tweets at @DoctorDazza, and posts photos of his travels on Instagram.

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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itsworn · 6 years ago

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A Very Hot 1971 Hemi Cuda

Greetings Ghoulz! When we finally finished the Phantom ’Cuda, I had a moment where I thought Graveyard Carz had peaked. We resurrected the raced, wrecked, and rusted. Returning to the world one of its 108 1971 440+6-bbl, 3.54 Dana, shaker hood, Tor Red, four-speed ’Cudas. Particularly, one that had been completely written off by this aforementioned world. It felt great! But I admit there was this sinking feeling, spurred by the question, “What if that was the biggest challenge we’ll ever face?” One good ’Cuda deserves another.

In the unaired pilot for Graveyard Carz we had an animated cemetery for fallen cars — literally buried and marked with headstones. If that existed in real life, the car I’m about to introduce would definitely be in it. I could imagine — considering the rarity, value, and near mythical status of this car — an appropriate epitaph would read: “1971 Hemi ’Cuda, 1 of 48. Born May 19, 1971 – Died May 20, 1999. ‘Only The Good Die Young.’” Who knows, with today’s technology maybe a streaming MP3 version of the same song by Billy Joel could play through a hidden speaker when you walked by. While I greatly respect and admire “The Piano Man,” or B.J. as I like to call him (not to his face and not ’cause I’m afraid of him), I’d prefer an epitaph from Oscar Goldman: “Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to make the world’s first bionic car. Better … stronger … faster.”

For more details on the tragedy that befell this car, you can watch season 8 episode 13 of Graveyard Carz on Velocity or Motor Trend On Demand and hear the story from the man who lived it, Wendall Malmberg. In very short summary: Wendall and a friend were in his shop with the ‘Cuda and several other cars when a spark ignited some gas fumes from a leaking car. The resulting explosion engulfed the building in flames. Wendall and his friend were lucky to make it out alive. Graveyard Carz gets another shot at the title. Wendall, in a stroke of genius and mercy, didn’t let the insurance company total his Hemi ’Cuda. He wanted to bring it back to life one day and he chose Graveyard Carz to make that dream a reality. The fire was in 1999, so he’s been waiting 19 years for this. I can tell you that it’ll be a long restoration process, but Wendall knows it’ll be worth the wait. Having combed over the Elephant ’Cuda in excruciating detail, I can give you my thoughts on the approach we intend to take. But as with all journeys, the navigation can change when you encounter unexpected surprises along the way. So the plan I’m going to lay out here might be dramatically overhauled when this car comes back from the dipper. Specifically, we’ll have a better idea of the condition of inner structures, rockers, and framerails.

Running down the Big Fish:

● 1971 “R” code Hemi ’Cuda Hardtop ● Automatic with console ● B5 Blue exterior ● Black leather bucket seats ● No vinyl top ● 4.10 Dana axle package ● SPD 519 ● Power steering ● Black billboard decals ● Left and right outside painted racing mirrors ● Turn signal indicators

“Is it numbers buddy?” said in a high-pitched, annoyingly familiar voice. When authenticating a car I check the fender tag, dash VIN, upper cowl numbers, core support, engine, and transmission number to see if they match, i.e. all started life together on the same car. Miraculously, all of these numbers not only survived the fire, but are also matching — that’s rarely heard of on a Hemi car, especially a ’71 Hemi ’Cuda. This is amazing when you consider that a dash VIN plate is a very thin metal and at the epicenter of the blazing heat. Fortunately, most intuitively, Wendall had the notion when he first bought the car that the broadcast sheet should be prized and protected — clearly a man after my own heart. So he had it under lock and key in his safe at home. Take note, my Ghoulz at home. Take note! When you look under the hood you can see that the bolt-on items were destroyed. Fortunately, these melted parts made of plastic, rubber, aluminum, etc., aren’t tied to a specific vehicle, meaning no VINs to worry about. Parts will just need to be date-coded correct when replacing. Nonetheless, the engine and transmission weren’t damaged — another miracle, if you ask me. Knowing that the basic engine, heads, and transmission are able to be rebuilt and restored is some of the best news a car owner can get. It means that this Hemi ’Cuda is 100 percent numbers matching! All of you know how rare that is, but that rarity is compounded greatly when we consider the trauma this car has been through. I know I said it twice already but I want to drive this point home — miracle!

Well, it ain’t all sunshine and roses. The Hemi ’Cuda’s body has seen better days to be sure. When sheetmetal is heated, it warps. That fact of physics is no different here. The fenders, hood, roof skin, doorskins, and quarter-panels will certainly need to be replaced. Nonetheless, it’s shocking to me, considering the other damage, that the inner structure is in phenomenal shape. In addition, the front inner fenders, cowl, firewall, front rails, rockers, main floor, rear step wells, under seat pan, inner and outer wheelhouses, trunk floor, trunk floor extensions, rear framerails, and rear body panel all appear to be usable. In fact, I don’t see any damage. Again, I am reserving final judgment until we get the car back from the dip tank, but it’s very promising.

Sometimes, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. Fire isn’t friendly to interiors. Let’s face facts: If it’s rubber, plastic, pot metal, aluminum, or fabric it’s toast. Fortunately though, we can save the more structural components of the interior, such as the seat frames and tracks, dash frame, glovebox door, lightbar, metal interior garnish moldings, and in a twist of irony, the ashtray. For a car like this, it makes sense to use as many original parts as possible. The investment of time is well worth it. As for the numerous items that cannot be restored, like the center console and “standard” instrument panel, I’ve some amazing vendors I rely on for almost all of my restorations. Like my friend Tony “he thinks he knows more about Mopars than me” D’Agostino and OER, a division of Classic Industries.

Don’t miss the train. With the miraculous survival of the original engine, transmission, and 4.10 Dana, the drivetrain will be restored to the Hamtramck assembly plant’s specifications, including the suspension, as the leafsprings, transmission crossmember, front suspension, K-member, et al., all appear to be very restorable. The factory 15×7 Rally Wheels survived the flames. The center caps and trim rings, however, didn’t make it. You can probably guess how the F60-15 Polyglas tires turned out. Surprisingly though, the original space-saver rim is good, go figure.

The glass is definitely half empty. The original glass, date codes and all, were broken by the firefighters. It’s sad, but they did an amazing job controlling the fire, and if they didn’t do what they did, we may not have as much as we do of this car. Speaking of which, the stainless steel windshield trim and drip troughs look salvageable. However, anything pot metal or plastic, like the L31 fender-mounted turn signal indicators, grille, headlight bezels, taillight housings and bezels, side marker lenses, park lenses, etc. are beyond repair. Just as an interesting aside, the damage to the roof was also fire-suppression related. The firefighters had to stand on the roof to suppress the fire in the building. Again, let me reiterate, although it’s tragic to have more damage done to this beautiful car, if the firefighters didn’t perform as they did we may not have as much as we do. So even though the car guy in me wants to weep for Wendall and curse the small losses, I will not sleep under the blanket of fire safety that the firefighters provide and then question the manner in which they provide it. Jack Nicholson … A Few Good Men. We bandy about the word “survivor” when referring to a car that has never needed the gentle touch of the restoration technician nor the heavy hand of the amateur auto aficionado in his home-based shop, but when we think about what that means, we’re talking about a car that’s cared for and kept from lot to garage. Driven and used, but protected and maintained throughout its life. When we consider Wendall’s ultra-rare Hemi ’Cuda, sitting in his shop with its gorgeous B5 blue paint, black billboard stripes, and stunning shaker hoodscoop cared for, protected, and well maintained. Then, in a moment, this cherished car is lost in an explosive inferno. But Wendall’s passion and love for this car isn’t gone. It grows. He keeps it, cares for it, and holds on hope for its return. When this car is restored, brought out of the ashes, and given new life, it’ll be a true “survivor” car.

When I look back at some of the cars we’ve restored or even built, I have to laugh at the similarities. We built/restored a ’71 ’Cuda to be an homage to the ’Cudas in my friend Don Coscarelli’s Phantasm films. It wasn’t an exact replica, but one that paid homage to the cars used in his inimitable film franchise. We called it the “Phantasm ’Cuda.” We built a very special O.E. on the outside, modern Mopar muscle on the inside, ’Cuda to reveal at SEMA 2016. Considering the original name for the Hemi was “Firepower” and this was the first ’71 ’Cuda to sport the new Mopar 392 Crate Hemi (it was even blessed by Mopar President Pietro Gorlier when he visited my shop — just saying), we decided to call this car the “Firepower ’Cuda.” And, of course, we have the ’Cuda that started it all. The ’71 ’Cuda that no one believed we could restore — the hurdle car that kicked off the Graveyard Carz TV series. The “one and only” to me, but 1 of 108 to the rest of the world, we call the “Phantom ’Cuda.” I find it odd that some of the most significant cars we’ve done have been ’71 ’Cudas. Stranger still that we only give these cars special monikers. Even weirder that two out of three of those names happen to begin with a “Ph” — but all with an “ef” sound (phonetically speaking). Well, it’s going to get stranger.

We gave this new hurdle car a name too. Given that it burst into flames and will soon rise out of the ashes reborn, we’ve continued our oddly coincidental naming scheme of ’71 ’Cudas and call this the “Phoenix ’Cuda.” Stay tuned to Graveyard Carz in the coming seasons on Velocity and Motor Trend On Demand. This car is rarer than the “Phantom” with only 1 of 48 ever made. Unlike the other moniker ’Cudas, it’s completely numbers matching. And it’s endured far more trauma than being wrecked in a ditch. After the “Phantom,” I wondered if we’d ever have a car with the trifecta of being ultra-rare, incredibly challenging to restore, and having a compelling story. Well, I guess when the restoration tech is ready, the car appears.

The post A Very Hot 1971 Hemi Cuda appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

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closetwarriorcc-blog · 7 years ago

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“I will fight for those who cannot fight for themselves”

I won’t lie to you. I have been waiting since the day I came up with the idea for this blog to do a Wonder Woman post. Wonder Woman may very well be my all-time favorite fictional character. I have wanted to be Wonder Woman my whole life. In the same way that Princess Leia resonated with me as a kid, Wonder Woman has been a lifelong idol, role model and source of joy. Wonder Woman is and has been such a big part of pop culture since her origination in the comic book world in 1941 that I honestly don’t remember the exact date she came into my life, but I do remember what sparked the current level of infatuation that I’m at. The level where I’m twice as likely to buy something if it has her logo or face on it. (There’s a place that has a Wonder Woman crock pot and I was so close to buying it even though, between my fiance and I, I think there are already three in my house. And it’s not just me keeping Wonder Woman economically relevant, it’s also my friends and family. I may be the easiest person to shop for because if it has to do with a certain Amazonian princess, I am all about that. )

I was a junior in college the first time I saw the Justice League cartoon series on Netflix. My junior year was really hard for me. I struggled so hard with my depression the first semester that I almost failed out of school. There were days I didn’t want to get out of bed. On one of the rare days that I did, I still couldn’t face the idea of going to class, so I flipped through Netflix on my roomie’s Xbox. I didn’t feel like anything heavy or complicated so I found the Justice League under the kid’s category and settled in to see what it was all about. I was still there when my roomie came home 6 hours later. I hadn’t done anything else productive that day, but I also hadn’t taken a depression nap either. Believe it or not, we both counted that as progress.

It may sound like a really weird thing, but it got me out of bed the next day too. When I turned it off for the night, I had just seen the first half of a two part episode that was heavy on the Diana plot. This was before I got my first smart phone and my tv in the bedroom was one of those old portable ones that had a VCR built in, so if I wanted to find out what happened, I was going to at the very least have to drag myself into the living room to turn on the tv. This would be the start of a very slow healing process in which I managed to pull myself far enough out of the pit to not fail out of school.

I’m not trying to say that the Justice League cured my depression; I still struggle with it even now. What I AM saying, is that getting out of bed to watch it was me stepping onto the first rung of the ladder out of the hole where I was standing at the rock bottom. Many many other steps came after that, but reminding myself as often as possible to be like Wonder Woman gave me the courage to keep climbing. By adopting Wonder Woman as my spirit animal, as the kids say, I was able to inspire myself to be better, to be brave and to persevere.

I immersed myself in that mentality. I made myself become an Amazon and when I told myself often enough that I was, I think I really started to believe it.

Wonder Woman was the first character I regularly started to emulate with my clothing, particularly when facing down an obstacle. Job interviews, stage performances, tough days at work or uncomfortable social situations all saw me either wearing a red top with blue bottoms or my WW emblem earrings or even my WW socks. Becoming an Amazon was my armor. For whatever reason, it just gave me that extra boost of courage to look into the eyes of whatever metaphorical monster stood in my way and be ready to do battle.

When I saw Gal Gadot’s performance in the film released last year, my lifelong hero was suddenly a living, breathing person made of flesh and blood. Or clay, if you want to go with the mythology of the comic heroine. I was mesmerized. My fiance (boyfriend at the time) found a showing of the film at 7pm the night before it was supposed to come out and he bought tickets to it right away. I don’t even remember if he actually asked me first. That’s how public I am about my love for this character; I’m pretty sure I would have jumped at the chance even if he hadn’t asked me first.

I’m only slightly embarrassed to admit that I shed a tear or two during the movie when her big moment comes and her full costume is revealed for the first time. I’m trying not to be too specific for the sake of not spoiling it for anyone who still hasn’t seen it (but they should make it a priority because it’s SO GOOD).

It is that very costume I chose to emulate for this week’s post rather than any of its other incarnations, even though Lynda Carter’s unitard will forever be iconic.

From day one, Wonder Woman has pretty much always had something red on her torso and something blue on her legs and more red on her feet. This look has hundreds of ways to be accomplished, but for this post, I chose to try my hand at emulating her movie armor to the best of my ability and to the best of the limits of still keeping it an outfit rather than an out and out cosplay.

For the red top, I picked a simple cotton tee shirt:

The blue bottom is a simple a-line stretchy skirt:

And the red shoes were these surprisingly comfortable red heels I actually initially purchased for a ‘my best effort’ Sailor Mars cosplay, but really work for the aesthetic of today’s look:

After that, I chose a few select pieces from my kind of vast collection of WW jewelry and accessories because just in case no one realized it, I’M WONDER WOMAN IN THIS OUTFIT:

Trying my best to show off as many accessories as possible while still posing.

And because it’s me, and this is my favorite character EVER, I decided to have a little fun during this week’s photo shoot with two other very important accessories and some fun filters I try to avoid with the rest of the looks.

The diadem and the Godkiller sword (A birthday gift from my fiance because he gets me) really add a level of badass to this look.

I’m going to be real here. This is not the last time I’m going to casually cosplay Wonder Woman. I have too many additional outfits that I can put together to NOT be my favorite character again. I can, promise, though, that they will all be different, amazing and very much worth your time to take a second look at the same character.

Thank you for reading this week’s post, which is essentially a giant love letter to Wonder Woman. Always feel free to share your own looks with me as well as inbox me with any questions, comments, suggestions or feedback you may have! Check back next Tuesday to see which badass female superhero is featured!

Thanks for the read!

The Most Wonderful Of Women "I will fight for those who cannot fight for themselves" I won’t lie to you. I have been waiting since the day I came up with the idea for this blog to do a Wonder Woman post.

#aesthetic #art #casual #casualcosplay #closet #closetwarrior #comfort #confidence #Cosplay #creative #Fashion #fashionblog #femalesuperhero #fun #girlpower #wonderwoman

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meowsaidmayaanime · 7 years ago

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Autumn Simulcasts 2016

Rather than watching older anime, I've gotten myself into more simulcasts this November than I ever anticipated! (these two are the ones I caught up with this month instead of adding more to my watch list)

March Comes in Like a Lion

I binged the 11 episodes that were out at the time, and this show is very good. It's going ot continue on into the next season (winter 2017). Its a wonderful slice of life about a high school professional shogi player who has some serious baggage, and it shows his life and how he is starting to finally move past it and be happier. The show is VERY slow paced and has quite a bit of serious and mature themes. But its very heartwarming and the drawing style is different and suites the story very well. Its beautiful, and I can't wait until I get to see the entire season.

Kiss Him, Not Me

This show is absolutely amazing, and way more than I ever expected. If I had to sum it up in a few words I'd say its a reverse harem over a girl who loves BL that makes fun of the reverse harem genre and is incredibly modern and forward thinking.

its sort of like the 2016 version of Ouran Highschool Host Club. It defies stereotypes, has feminism views, a cast where not everyone is vying for the same girl for the same reason or with the same intention, is surprisingly body positive, and just has some amazing otaku BL moments that any female anime fan like myself loves and understands.

I've only watched 8 episodes and I'm already in love with this series and would highly recommend it!

Magical Girl Raising Project

This show has the same kind of radical, go against the grain kind of idea that Madoka had, just different topic. With that in mind I'm sure you could guess what ends up happening when the character agrees to becoming a magical girl, but I won't spoil it any further.

Without saying too much, its so far not as good as Madoka was, but it does have some good themes and concepts that I am enjoying. But we will have to wait until it's over for me to give my final opinion.

Natsume's Book of Friends Season 5

I love this show, discovered it a month ago and was incredibly excited to see that the next season was airing. Its a cute sweet show about a boy who is able to see yokai, and his experiences interacting with the yokai, learning more about his grandmother who also had the same ability, and growing as an individual. If you want to read more about this show check it out here under September Top Pick.

Haikyuu Season 3

The finals!! This season is a continuation of the Spring Tournament Karasuno High Schools volleyball team is competing in. Its a wonderful show and was also my personal top pick for July, check out more about it here under July Top Pick.

Yuki!!! On Ice

I was incredibly surprised after watching the first episode and I'm already super excited for more! This follows the life of a post graduate male ice skater who fell into a lull in his career. Its hilarious, the main character is such a bae, and the animation for the ice skating routines are amazing.

Sound! Euphonium Season 2

A continuation of the lives of freshman high school girls as they try to make it to nationals with their school's concert band. The animation and sound are beautiful, and is surprisingly deep in how it talks about discovering who you are, re-discovering the things you love, and just living life in general. You can read more about my thoughts on season 1 here towards the bottom of the post.

Izetta: The Last Witch

This show is set during the WW2 era in Europe about a princess of a small nation who tries to protect her homeland from the Germanians. The princess is aided by a young witch the same age as her who wants to keep the princess and her country safe. The setting is on a fine spiderweb thread between reality and fantasy, intertwining some magic and the slight changing of names with actual events from WW2. I can't quite tell if they are in 'our' world or in an alternate world that is only slightly different form ours. If you watch the first episode you'll know what I mean.

UPDATE: I lost interest in this, it is serious, and I like that, but its also a bit too 'moe' to fit with the seriousness of the plot. So Iv'e dropped it...

The Ancient Magus' Bride

This is an interesting anime for one main reason. There will be only three episodes and they are spread out from Sept 2016 until Sept 2017. So it will be a long while until we finally see the remaining two episodes. Until then, I watched the first episode and its very good. It tells the story of how this one little girl who could see spirits, ended up in the care of and learning magic from a great and powerful sorcerer. The first episode focuses on introducing the main character and explaining her young life where she was ostracized because of her ability to see things others cannot.

Knowing now that this is based of a manga, and how long it will take until the next episode is released, I have decided I will be reading the manga. So stay tuned for that.

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