#(like having a clever or unique name pops a lot more)

[arseniccattails]

Stupid Blurr headcanon: his full name is actually Blueshift.

[oldtvandcomics]

Pulptober 2024: 26 - Not Like We Remember

"It's inevitable that, through the adaptation process and the passage of time, people's ideas of what a character is changes. This is for characters where this is...particularly drastic such that the way people envision them is often radically different from how they were originally." - Original prompt by @krinsbez

I have A LOT of thoughts about this, so I'm going to change my usual pattern of going for a character and write an essay instead.

TL;DR: In my experience, one could argue that this is true for all stories that have gone through some adaptations. At least it is in the minds of the general population. Fans who are invested enough to watch/read the original might be a little different, depending on which character you're talking about.

Many fans have pointed out fandoms' bad tendency to simplify and occasionally twist characters in order to fit them into neat narrative boxes, and the way that this hurts fanworks, because they now fail to interact with any of the things that made said character unique to begin with. What I would like to propose:

Mainstream adaptations and popular perception of a story do this too.

Trends that I have observed to happen during adaptations:

All clever characters -> insufferable genius who is full of themselves and keeps rubbing this into everyone's face (Sherlock Holmes; the Doctor, occasionally)

The one woman important for the story -> the hero's love interest, if he didn't originally have one (Irene Adler; Lenore "Casey" Case; Lieutenant Uhura*; Dan Reid Sr.'s wife (who also appears to have changed her first name from Linda to Rebecca in the process? *The 2008 Star Trek movie is ALSO guilty of erasing two out of the three important female officers, leaving only Uhura. If you were to give Spock a love interest, why didn't you stick with Nurse Chapel?! But those movies are a rant for another time.)

"Cool" male hero -> Insufferable asshole who thinks that he is cooler and better than anyone else and treats women like assets to get across how cool he is (Captain Kirk; Han Solo too, at least I personally would argue so)

White hero + partner who is a person of color, both more or less equally competent -> White guy is a complete idiot who wouldn't be able to keep himself alive + partner is insanely competent and does the work for both of them without receiving any thanks (The Lone Ranger + Tonto; The Green Hornet + Kato)

Any period typical prejudices that might have been present in the original get amplified by ten (The Green Hornet; The Lone Ranger; Sherlock Holmes; the First Doctor)

Two very close male friends -> They hate / barely tolerate each other (The Lone Ranger + Tonto; The Green Hornet + Kato; Kirk and Spock (!!); Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson)

Any woman in a leading position -> Girl with a sword and very 21st century attitude (Nimue that one time; Not sure how much Enola Holmes counts because she is an original character, but....)

Woman who is NOT in a leading position but doing her thing -> Screaming damsel in distress (Susan Foreman; Lois Lane in the minds of those who don't actually consume these stories)

There are absolutely more, these are just the most obvious ones that are bothering me. My general attitude towards older stories is to approach them with the best possible intention, and try to read past any outdated language and tropes. There is SO MUCH beauty and diversity there if you do that! But I really have the impression that the people making these adaptations don't always approach the original with the same good faith, if they really read/watch/listen to these stories at all. And then there is of course the inevitable game of telephone between people who know the original and understand the cultural context it was made in, people who know the original but don't understand the context, and people who only know the original through pop culture osmosis.

IDK, the only solution I see is to drastically shorten copyright, so that the people who get to retell these stories are the ones who actually love them, and of course to give Hollywood writers the time and resources to actually do their research. None of which I see happening.

[kaythetrashcan]

Here are some of my thoughts on DN: short stories!

And it's a lot. I'm crossposting this from my reddit account. Spoilers ahead

Book cover

Why does Ryuk look different on the cover? He looks like normal in all the actual stories but on the cover he has a red spot on his chest and red lips (among other things).

I do really like his right bracelet, it reminds me of the handcuffs Light and L had. I'm not sure if it's new but it's cool.

Speaking of the cover, there is 'Death Note' written in shiny letters and I only noticed once I turned my lamp on. That's such a nice detail.

Onto the stories themselves.

C-Kira

When I read the name Yamamoto, I though it was one of Light's friends from the manga, since they have the same name and appearance (spiky black hair and glasses). But apparently they are different characters entirely, which is kinda disappointing even if it doesn't change anything.

I'm bit confused on what's up with Matsuda. He tries to justify actions of C-Kira and I'm not sure where the writers where going with this. Like he was supportive of the original Kira but I kinda thought that ended when he shot Light several times.

I like that Near's hair got a bit longer from last time. Also the tator card towers are insanely cool.

And the way he just pops out of them on page 22 XD.

When Near recalls the video chat, we see a kid with a striped shirt, who I'm guessing is Matt

I haven't seen the Relight movies (I'm planning to one day), but I saw L's monster speech and I'm guessing it's based on this scene. The manga is pretty different from it, L is more forward and cold.

It's pretty interesting to hear that L picked Near and Mello because they didn't ask him any questions, just listened. Also bc of their glares.

And if this is the only time Near interacted with L, how does he know his appearence for his finger puppet? Did he see a photo or did he just get a description from someone else?

I can't believe Ryuk got other shinigamis, including the actual King of Death addicted to apples. Good lord.

Also I love how Ryuk refers to king of death as an "old fart". Makes it sound like he's the shinigami's dad XD

Near just tuning in, calling C-Kira a murderer and then signing out was pretty badass. Rip C-Kira, you were okay.

Speaking of C-kira, we actually know really little about them. All we got was they own a bunch of anime figurines.

I noticed how many bananas Meadra has eaten. Do all shinigami's have a specific food they like? Although all seem to like apples.

I like Near not being sure if he acted like L and how Rester tells him he's L now, it's pretty sweet and adds a bit of humanity to Near.

Also how are the towers holding together? Near's breaking laws of gravity

Meadra is such a nice friend, bringing Ryuk an apple.

This was a pretty fun story and it's always nice to see Halle Linder.

A-kira

I really like Minoru's design. He looks unique but still natural and his hairstyle is bit more modern compared to Light's.

Ryuk picked Minoru rather than just throwing the death note and waiting for somebody to find it. It's a interesting shift from his first appearence.

I love Ryuk's disappointment when Minoru told him he can't read the rules and demanded translation.

Minoru is so based for just trying to sell the notebook and his plan is really clever.

Ryuk holding the sign while literaly everyone in the studio can't see him is hilarious.

Near looks gorgeous with the long hair. <3 And so does Halle Linder with the shorter hair cut

Is that Donald Trump???!!! What even is this story?!

I love how Armonia just shows up with his chair and leaves immediately.

Wait, Yotsuba??? I was wondering what the Yotsuba group was actually leading, nice to get a conclusion.

I'm also intrigued that Minoru decided to keep only a fraction of the money, but it was pretty smart and he still got a bunch of money from it.

I can't believe Ryuk met Donald Trump.

In the end, Ryuk writes the name of Minoru in his note book. I thought the rule would kill him immediately? Or is Ryuk obligated to write it?

Anyways, this story was goofy, Minoru was entertainingly smart and I liked it.

Scribbles

I love how insane and fun everyone in this. We need more. Also Sayu has more to do. Yay :D

Why does Light think strawberries are more sexy than apples?

Misa's back!!! I missed her so much.

Her swimsuit is really bland, but Light looks great in the Hawaian shirt. He should wear it more often.

I'm not sure how to feel about Misa getting sexualized in this. I'm fine with fanservice and her being sexy, but I feel like she sometimes gets treated more as a source of fanservice than an actual character.

I noticed she's the one driving the car. And I don't think I ever saw Light drive. This leads me to a conclusion that Light never learned to drive. Headcanon that Misa just drives him around during those 5 years.

Also I live for Misa and Sayu's friendship!!!

Misa making bunny apples for Ryuk is so cute.

Somehow, "Disappointment" makes Misa and Light into a somewhat healthy couple.

In second to last strip, Light somehow pulls L up using only one arm. My boy is strong.

And the last strip, "Debate" depicts Rem holding a glass of wine (?). Since Rem doesn't have a favourite human food (unlike Ryuk, Meadra and Sidoh), maybe she likes to drink wine? Misa seems to enjoy drinking (in that one scene in the anime). Maybe she shared some with her.

L - one day

Watari narrates this like an animal documentary.

It also gives L both really bizarre and really normal traits, like he bathes in a washing machine and can't be bothered to put a shirt on, but he is fond of art galleries and theme parks.

Also L's a pop fan. Love that but I'm bit said we didn't get this in the main series. I'd love to see what interactions with Misa could come from that.

I'm glad to know that L does more than just sit in front of a computer.

L- Wammy's house

I love L, but he looks so weird as a kid. Glad he didn't stay like this forever.

So L came into the orphanage without a name. Did he name himself or did Wammy gave him that name? How do all the kids get their names? Why does Near have a normal name but then we have a guy named Mail?

How did L manage to defeat a group of kids who were trying to beat him (the new kid) up? And judging from what L says, this might be a common thing, so why isn't anyone doing anything about it?

Kids in Wammy's house share bedrooms so I wonder who did Near and Mello live with.

L and Watari's dynamic here is so hilarious.

Overall I'm not really big on this story. I know it's a matter of preference but L feels really overpowered and inhuman here. I kinda prefer when he gets some grounded moments, like his monster speech in Relight movies or even just his reaction to Misa kissing him on the cheek. I'm not saying it's bad, it's just not really my thing.

Taro Kagami

This is also a pilot for the series.

I noticed that the shinigami's look more human. I'm glad their designs got changed, I don't like how they look like sexy women with weird faces.

Taro is so cute! I really like his design.

I like how he just uses the Death note as a regular notebook and accidentally kills someone. It's a pretty common concept in memes about DN so it's nice to see it in a serious story.

I appreciate Taro's reaction to Ryuk and accidentally killing people. It's pretty realistic for a kid like him.

Takagi kinda looks like Raye Penber while Yamanaka's design didn't make it into the series. Its kinda a shame, since it's pretty unique.

I also like to see Taro's mom getting involved. We never really got any reaction from Sachiko.

The conversation between Yamanaka and Takagi about how they'd use the death note is really interesting. Yamanaka makes a great point on how most people would use it.

I also love him saying that Takagi would have to kill half the world to achieve his harmonious world.

And personality wise, Takagi reminds me a bit of Matsuda.

The death eraser is a cool concept. While it probably would be too overpowered in the main series, I'd love to see what could be done with it.

I'm also intrigued by the author of detective novels. His design is cool as well and I wonder if he somewhat inspired L's character. His deductions were great.

And so we're Taru's, when he figured out Miuro is the second DN owner.

The ending itself is amazing in my opinion. Taro manages to twist the truth just right, so Miuro trusts him while he keeps the original note book. Death note becomes a legend but Taru still has it after all these years. The ambiguity is brilliant.

And older Taru looks great with long hair.

I read on the wiki that Taru might have inspired Mikami and I honestly believe that, but he seems like a combination of both Taru and Miuro.

He gets his long hair from Taru, glasses and fanatism from Miuro (who kept screaming "Die, die, die" while frantically writing names of criminals) and being bullied from both.

This was my favourite story. It flows a bit better than the A and C kira stories and it had some really cool ideas.

Final thoughts

While I'm bit sad we didn't really have any female characters (since DN doesn't really have many and as a woman I'd like to see them) I had fun with this book, the art's great and it's nice to see the pilot, shorter funny comics and what's most of the living cast up to after Light's death.

[yash--doshi]

Top 10 Ways to Start a Conversation on Dating Apps: Stand-Out Opening Lines

Let's face it—making the first move on a dating app can be nerve-wracking. Crafting that perfect opening line to catch someone’s interest is crucial, especially in a sea of “Hey, what’s up?” messages. If you’re looking to go beyond the usual small talk and make a lasting first impression, here are ten ways to start a conversation that’ll help you stand out from the crowd. Let’s dive in!

1. Be Observant and Make It Personal

Instead of a generic greeting, take a few seconds to actually read their profile. Find something specific that catches your eye, like a hobby or a favorite travel destination, and reference it in your opener. For example:

“I see you’ve been to Tokyo—how amazing was the food there? Any must-visit spots?”

Personalized openers show that you’re genuinely interested in them and make it easier for them to respond.

2. Use Humor to Break the Ice

Humor is a universal way to connect. A clever joke, a lighthearted pun, or even a funny question can make someone smile and want to reply. Just keep it tasteful and avoid anything too edgy right off the bat.

“If we were both slices of pizza, which toppings would we have to make the perfect pair?”

A bit silly, but it’s memorable—and who doesn’t love pizza?

3. Ask a Thought-Provoking Question

Asking a question that requires a bit of thought can engage them right from the start. It also gives you a deeper insight into their personality.

“If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would you choose?”

This type of question leads to interesting conversations and can showcase your curiosity about them.

4. Find Common Ground

One of the easiest ways to start a conversation is by finding something you both have in common. This could be as simple as a shared interest in a book, movie, or sport that you noticed on their profile.

“You love hiking too? Any favorite trails around here?”

People love talking about their passions, and having something in common makes the conversation feel natural.

5. Use Compliments Creatively

Compliments work wonders when they’re genuine and specific. Instead of saying, “You’re cute,” focus on something unique in their photos or profile.

“I have to say, your dog has the best smile I’ve ever seen! What’s their name?”

Complimenting something or someone important to them, like a pet, can often lead to a more enthusiastic response.

6. Playfully Challenge Them

Adding a fun twist to your opener by challenging them to something playful can get a conversation going with a bit of a competitive spirit.

“So, I bet I could guess your favorite ice cream flavor in three tries. Up for the challenge?”

This opener is lighthearted and fun, plus it opens the door for a bit of friendly banter.

7. Get Creative with Hypotheticals

Hypothetical questions are an easy way to jump into a fun, imaginative conversation without any pressure. They’re usually unexpected and can lead to unique and humorous exchanges.

“If you were a character in a movie, would you be the hero, the villain, or the wise sidekick?”

These questions help you both ease into a conversation that’s more memorable than a simple “Hi.”

8. Use Pop Culture References

If they mention a favorite show, movie, or band, use that as a conversation starter. Pop culture references can be funny and relatable, instantly creating common ground.

“I see you’re a Marvel fan. So, who’s the best Avenger, and why is it always Captain America?”

Whether they agree or disagree, you’re setting up a lively discussion.

9. Ask About Their Bucket List

This approach can reveal a lot about someone’s personality, dreams, and sense of adventure. People love talking about their aspirations, and it’s a great way to start a conversation on an optimistic note.

“What’s the number one thing on your bucket list? I’d love to hear about it!”

You’re showing interest in what they want out of life, which can be refreshing and meaningful.

10. Be Direct and Sincere

Sometimes, straightforward honesty is the best route. There’s something refreshing about an opener that’s simple and genuine without any gimmicks.

“I’m not sure if I’m better at funny openers or meaningful conversations, but I’d love to get to know you either way.”

This shows that you’re authentic and interested in them beyond just a clever one-liner.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to dating apps, there’s no magic formula for the perfect opening line. The best advice is to stay true to your personality, be mindful of what catches your interest about the other person, and keep the conversation flowing naturally. Whether you’re starting with a joke, a personal question, or just a simple “hi” with a twist, remember that the goal is to connect, not impress.

Try out these conversation starters and see what works best for you! The more you practice, the easier it will be to start conversations that lead to meaningful connections. Happy swiping!

[anhed-nia]

BLOGTOBER 10/26/2024: THE DAY OF BAD DECISIONS feat. TRAP and SPEAK NO EVIL (2024)

I know I've said some version of this in several entries, but I'm trying to stop picking movies that I know won't give me anything nice to say, and I really let myself down this year. I had a lot on my plate, personally, and I didn't want to be this careless but OH WELL. Out of some fucked up sense of inevitability, I caved in and watched TRAP, which was somehow a worse experience than whatever I expected.

The titular "trap" is this improbable thing where a serial killer called "The Butcher"--the laziest serial killer name ever and also one that is not at all earned in the movie--is supposed to be captured at a gigantic arena filled with thousands and thousands of tween concert-goers, which is pretty stupid. The Butcher aka Cooper (Josh Hartnett) is a goofy suburban dad who takes his goofy daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to see Lady Raven, aka M. Night Shyamalan's daughter Saleka, about whom more presently. You might think you're going to get something like SNAKE EYES where the environment of a championship boxing match is fully exploited to create some complex scenarios--the unique structure of the building, its surveillance technology, its communication systems, all the potential collateral damage, etc--but nothing that clever is afoot here. Cooper and Riley spend quite a lot of time enjoying the concert and palling around with the staff and the singer, before they all move on to Cooper's home where he and Lady Raven engage in a battle of wits because she has been elevated to the status of detective for some reason. I swear to god there's a moment where she's taunting Cooper by describing the whole Butcher situation to his wife Rachel (Alison Pill), and Rachel says, "Did you catch him?" Which is hilariously absurd, and also sort of the main problem with this entire movie: the gross overreaction to Lady Raven.

I knew that M. Night Shyamalan had mounted this movie as a vehicle for his daughter, and I know she's a real professional recording artist and everything, but the two of them were just not equipped to make a movie that convincingly simulates the excitement of an arena show by someone with the star power of Taylor Swift. (His explicit point of reference was that this should be like the Eras Tour) That's a tall order, and the concert never rises above the atmosphere of like, a large community center show for local talents. The music is anonymous, the costumes are bad, everyone is being pretty well-behaved, and it feels like it's just a lot of little kids. Actually I almost felt sorry for this movie because SMILE 2 does such a stellar job of creating a convincing pop star--something that is almost always a bad idea--complete with realistic top 40 songs and successfully Gaga-like stage shows. I mean it really works, it's sort of miraculous...and then TRAP comes out at the same time, with an actual pop singer in it, and it manages to completely undermine whatever real-world charisma and ability she might have. If I didn't know she was a real performer, I wouldn't have bought it.

I think that to get the message of this movie, you have to really attach yourself to needy tween Riley's point of view, which is a tall order in and of itself. It's not enough to just say "Saleka Night Shyamalan is really cool and pretty and a good singer, right? She should be a big star, right?" You have to like, empathize with the point of view that Saleka is the BEST pop star, and empathize with how awesome it would be if she picked YOU to dance on the stage with her, and empathize with the fantasy that her whole entourage are really nice and cool and they like you, and empathize with the thrill of Saleka coming to your house and hanging out with your lame boring family and saying things like "I don't know why but I feel so connected to you!" Like this is just a lot to ask of the viewer--you're not just asking me to agree that Saleka should be a famous singer in real life, you're asking me to have this whole fantasy about what if Saleka were already my idol AND I find out that she's an awesome person in real life who wants to be my bff AND she's a super radical girl detective who fights my jerky daddy! This movie just expects a humongous buy-in from me right off the bat without giving me much in exchange, and honestly I felt sort of offended.

Mercifully I'm a little too far away from my screening to fully account for all of the things about TRAP that were stupid and dull and infantile and didn't make any sense. M. Night Shyamalan is complicated to deal with. He has his defenders, and I think their position is that he makes these breezy, fun, blockbuster-y things that are just supposed to be pure entertainment--and honestly I always tell myself, "Well, this will be dumb fun, at the very least"...but then it isn't. Then it's actually frustrating, and pretentious, and babyish, and I just wind up feeling really exasperated. I'm capable of finding THE HAPPENING entertaining because it's just so relentlessly silly, and I can sort of remember how it felt when THE SIXTH SENSE was new, but practically all of his movies become insulting at some point, and that is not an enjoyable sensation.

That movie took me up to about 11:50pm on 10/26, and I thought maybe I could rescue the day's entry by starting something else under the wire, and I picked the exact wrong movie. Blumhouse remade the 2022 Danish movie SPEAK NO EVIL and I don't know why. I guess they just couldn't think of anything else to do. I always remember when Jason Blum was on The Last Drive-In and he described himself as basically just a salesman who knew nothing about horror movies, but he noticed that horror was selling and figured he could sell that too, and so he produced PARANORMAL ACTIVITY and the rest is history. That made so much sense to me, that Blumhouse is the brainchild of a salesman from outside the film world, who knows a hot product when he sees one. But anyway SPEAK NO EVIL seems really unmotivated to me. When the trailer came out and it showed every single major plot point in order from beginning to end, I was sort of stunned. I almost wondered if that meant they had added something new to the story, so there could be some surprises still in store, but there really isn't.

To my mind, the only real virtue of the first movie is how shocking it is. I mean, it's OK, it's fine, it just doesn't seem to have a real point to make. It participates in that trope where it's like, bestial rednecks torment city slickers who are too polite to react with the appropriate violence, which means they're a bunch of castrated hypocrites. When STRAW DOGS does it, it's about dysfunctions of masculinity and how you need to maintain your primal animalistic instincts if you're going to survive. FUNNY GAMES does it in the service of criticizing the commodification of the spectacle of violence. THE VAGRANT does it to be hilarious. There are a whole slew of movies that deal with this, not always in very inspired ways, and I'm not sure what SPEAK NO EVIL wants other than to be unusually graphic about child abuse and generally be a gigantic bummer. Which is fine, you can do that. But then why remake it? Blumhouse didn't do an exceptional job, the drama is unconvincing and they backed off of the extreme darkness achieved by the original. Maybe it's ironic; I've been promising myself that I'll be less bitchy about movies on the internet, and then SPEAK NO EVIL just has so little to say that I don't have much to say either!

[thepodcasthoard]

How to Start a Podcast: Step-By-Step Guide- Castos

Part 1 l Part 2 l Part 3 l Part 4 l Part 5 l Part 6 l Part 7 l Part 8 l Part 9 l Part 10 l Part 11 l Part 12

The thirteenth article Sydney gave me is from Castos, which is a hosting site.

Castos lines out six steps to start a podcast.

Plan

Define goals. Why are you making this podcast?

Choose a topic. Castos suggests thinking about if you can talk about the topic you're considering for hours. Yes. Plural. If not, then it's not the topic for you. What makes your podcast different than similar ones? You also might want to consider future monetization if that's something you're after. The article I linked suggests twenty five broad topics to get you thinking (such as your trial and errors, and yourself narrating something).

Define your audience. Make a listener persona or avatar.

Choose a format. That article lists pros and cons of each, with examples of established podcasts.

Choose a name. That article goes over the camps of naming- yes, the descriptive, clever, and brand- and a few other things, like how saying the name out loud will help.

Choose who's going to conduct the podcast. If you're doing it solo, it's a no-brainer. But if you have a team, there will have to be a discussion.

Write a description. This article says that out of 780 people surveyed by the podcast host, most of them judged whether or not to listen to a podcast by their description. I included the first article because it has other useful stats. You should write it to be engaging to the human readers, and search engine optimized for the algorithm. If you get stuck, Castos helpfully provided three templates to chose from and tweak as you need.

Choose categories. Most people (from the podcast host data) find new podcasts via the search function in their app or site of choice. The categories are how your listeners will find you. One broad category and two sub categories are allowed, so choose wisely.

Decide on a length to shoot for. You won't hit it to the second, but having a general guide will help. Your episode length can be a unique selling point- if every other podcast in your niche is over an hour, your fifteen minute podcast will be interesting. And the opposite is true. But don't pad out the episode with fluff to make it longer for the sake of it, and don't cut any useful information to make it shorter for the sake of it.

Decide on a publishing frequency. Whatever you choose- weekly, fortnightly, monthly- be consistent. If you miss an update, you might lose listeners because they don't feel like they can expect the episode reliably.

Name episodes. Consider the episode name like the headline of an article. You want to get the broad view across while also enticing people to read. Or, in this case, listen. Use at least one or two keywords naturally to make it so when people search for a solution to a problem, your episode has a better chance of popping up. Podcast apps tend to cut off episode titles, so make sure the most important words start the title. If you have guests, include their names, but leave off your podcast name. It'll already be in your feed, so there's no need to reiterate.

Consider monetization. While monetization is most likely far in the future, think about any ideas now. For example, merchandise you can sell, or a subscription tier system.

2. Recording equipment

They included a handy infographic, but really a microphone, pop filter, headphones, and the computer you already own will do fine to start. When you're ready to expand, they have more equipment recommendations.

Have a recording space. You don't need a fancy studio, but it should be a quiet place with little background noise.

Set up equipment. Make sure everything works and is recording. Then- this is just an aside from me- make a test recording. Make sure it sounds how you want it to.

3. Editing software

A lot of times, your recording software can also edit, but in case it doesn't Castos provides some options.

Remote recording software is different, and you need it if you have guests that aren't physically present in the same room as you.

4. Record your first episode

Don't worry if you don't have a workflow yet, that will come.

Write a script if you're nervous.

Check out some microphone techniques to build good habits.

Castos has general tips here

They also have a video tutorial and article here.

5. Edit

Add intros and outros. According to NPR, 20-35% of listeners will only give your podcast five minutes. To avoid this, Castos has a guide on intros and outros.

Music. It's nice to have, and makes your podcast sound more polished. Castos collected sites to get affordable royalty-free music.

In general, there are three things to do when editing- removing things you don't like, adding things that make the episode better, and fixing audio mistakes like background noise.

Castos put together a video and article on editing here so you can take some of the guesswork out.

Export your final file. There's some technical jargon here, but basically there's a preferred file type and a way to adjust your sound so that the episode is the same volume throughout the one episode and between episodes. Castos focuses on how they expect files to be- they are a hosting site after all- but I feel like maybe other hosting sites would encourage this. The best practice is to check out the guidelines on your hosting site and follow them.

6. Launch

Choose a podcast hosting site. As I've said in previous posts, you need an RSS feed to give podcast directories before people can listen. Castos does a good job explaining it in this infographic.

When choosing a hosting site, consider a few factors: storage, website, analytics, and marketing.

Artwork. Castos recommends that the font is clear and easy to read, and there aren't too many diffferent fonts- two max. Keep your topic in mind as you design or have someone else design the artwork for you. Contrasting colors and 'empty' space are your friends- they bring attention to the podcast and gives the name room to metaphorically breathe. They also included a handy site called the podcast artwork check to see how the artwork looks across sites and apps. Castos also has an in-depth guide with examples of artwork.

Submit to directories. Now it's time to get ears on your podcast and get it out there. Check out the list of thirty different directories to submit to.

Build a website. This is a permanent home for your podcast, just in case anything disastrous happens to any directory.

Add show notes and transcriptions.

Strategies:

Make a trailer.

Release three episodes on launch day.

Network with other podcasters. You can offer to cross-promote, which means that if they feature a snippet or description of your show on theirs, you'll do the same with theirs on yours. Make sure your niches are linked, though- no one wants a comedy podcast in a true crime one.

Be active in online communities related to your audience and topic.

Don't be afraid to self-promote. Word of mouth has to start somewhere.

7. Promote your podcast.

Don't be afraid to reach out to your audience. They're listening to you for a reason, and they'll probably gladly spread the word if they haven't been already.

If you mention any brands organically, shoot them a message and tell them. They might feature your episode on their social media.

Guest on other podcasts. Be nice here, no one likes someone constantly nagging about when they're going to be on their podcast.

Advertise on podcast apps. Just make sure you're actually listed on their app before you buy the ad.

Castos also has social media and email list guides.

There are a few resources listed at the bottom of the article, including a facebook group and their podcast about podcasting.

[tomorrowxtogether]

TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s playlist

The group resists temptation and walk their own path

2023.02.13

Following The Dream Chapter and The Chaos Chapter, TOMORROW X TOGETHER has now opened the door to The Name Chapter. They stand now at a crossroads between their desire to become adults and to live forever in a fantasy world of dreams. We asked the boys of TOMORROW X TOGETHER about their fifth mini album, The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION, and the portrait it paints of young men given the promise of growing as adults while also wavering in the face of temptation. They also gave some song recommendations for the people who are always by their side, no matter the path they choose: MOA.

“Sugar Rush Ride” (TOMORROW X TOGETHER)

SOOBIN: It’ll be more memorable if you watch the performance with the song and get the mood we were trying to deliver better. Please enjoy how we switch from-and-to different sides!

YEONJUN: It might sound like a refreshing song, but at the same time, the drop in the chorus, the hook and the whistle all throughout make it extremely catchy and captivating.

BEOMGYU: The song has refreshing and sexy vibes and they will be amplified if you listen to it with the performance.

TAEHYUN: This is a refreshing song that we sang in a way to give it a sexy nuance. This is the first single we’ve put out where there’s no melody in the chorus—it’s the beat and the breathing that come after the drop that are the real highlight.

HUENINGKAI: I feel like this is a kind of song no one’s ever heard before. It’s upbeat but sexy at the same time and it comes across really well. The chorus is catchy and the melody’s a total earworm!

“Devil by the Window” (TOMORROW X TOGETHER)

SOOBIN: The full English lyrics and all the little details make this song fun to listen to. It’s got a lot of personality and will make you think of the devil just by listening to it and it really suits the somewhat grotesque choreography that goes with it.

YEONJUN: This song’s so unique and trendy it makes me wonder if there’s ever been a K-pop song like it. It’s our second fully English song so I hope our fans all around the world enjoy listening to it.

BEOMGYU: It’s been a while since we put out a song that’s entirely in English. It’s really trendy and catchy.

TAEHYUN: The transition almost feels like it could’ve been changing to a different song if it hadn’t been done right, but it’s actually really clever the way it’s done. It’s very TOMORROW X TOGETHER!

HUENINGKAI: This is TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s second English song. We’ve never done a song in this style before! It also feels like a trendy pop song.

“November Rain” (JANNABI)

SOOBIN: I listen to this song on repeat at night lately. I’m moved by those sad lyrics and the guitar is so good it gives me goosebumps.

“My Fire” (Sam Ock)

YEONJUN: I listened to this song on Christmas. It’s a good song and it makes me feel relaxed when I hear it, so I’m recommending it to you, too.

“Happy Fools” feat. Coi Leray (TOMORROW X TOGETHER)

BEOMGYU: I helped write the lyrics for this song and the story’s all about TOMORROW X TOGETHER. You’ll be able to think, Oh, this really happened, when you listen to it. It’s also nice to listen to when you’re out for a walk.

TAEHYUN: You don’t have to be a singer to relate to this song. Lots of people can. And it’s hard to find any K-pop songs with groovy Afrobeats like this that sound really wide when you listen to it on speakers.

HUENINGKAI: This song’s great anytime. I’m recommending it because it makes me feel happy and I get excited every time I hear it!

[customweedbags]

How to make a mylar bag template

Designing a mylar bag template opens doors to a world of personalization and precision in packaging, giving your creations a vibe that’s all your own. But where to begin? It's not as intimidating as it sounds. This guide will walk you through each step, peppered with insights and a few clever tricks along the way. Let’s dive in, and who knows? You might even find yourself reveling in the simplicity of building something so unique.

What's a Mylar Bag Template, Anyway?

A mylar bag template isn’t some high-tech contraption—it’s a straightforward, blank design, often whipped up in a graphic program, that maps out the dimensions of your bag. Think of it as your staging area for all those snazzy logos, eye-popping colors, and clever text you want splashed across your packaging. Having a go-to mylar bag template means you’re setting yourself up for an easy, fuss-free production that’ll stay consistent every time. No second-guessing. No surprises.

Step 1: Measure Twice, Cut Once (Metaphorically, of Course)

First thing’s first: get those dimensions right. Grab a ruler, caliper, or whatever measuring doodad you have on hand and take down every little detail. Learn more on how to make a mylar bag template here.

Height – from top-seal to bottom edge (don’t cheat; every millimeter counts).

Width – side-to-side, hugging the edges.

Seal Space – that upper lip reserved for sealing.

Gusset (if it exists) – a fold at the base to keep things sturdy and upright.

Got all that? Great. Scribble it down somewhere handy—you’ll be reaching for these numbers a lot as we go.

Step 2: Choose Your Creative Arsenal

Here comes the fun part. Which tool will you wield? The big guns like Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW, or maybe a freebie like Inkscape? Any of these design powerhouses will let you craft your masterpiece with the precision of a seasoned pro. Vector design’s the name of the game here. Why? Because it scales up (or down) without a single pixel out of place.

Step 3: Lay Down Your Canvas

Set up a new document with the measurements you lovingly jotted down.

Add a snug little margin around the edges for “bleed”—about 0.125 inches (3mm). Bleed is your safety net, helping you dodge any nasty surprises if your print job wobbles slightly.

Example time: If your custom mylar bag measures a humble 5 by 8 inches, set your canvas to 5.25 by 8.25 inches. Simple? Absolutely. Necessary? You bet.

Step 4: Outline the Framework

Now, here’s where it all comes together. Draw a rectangle to match the width and height of your custom mylar bag. Voila! You’ve just made the skeleton of your mylar bag template. If your custom mylar bag’s got a gusset (a little stand-up bottom fold), toss in an extra box at the bottom to mark that territory.

Mark the sealing area with a horizontal line.

Include a guideline for any folds or gussets.

Double-check everything; it doesn’t hurt to be cautious here.

Step 5: Drop In the Placeholders (for Logos, Text, and Such)

This is your playground. Adding placeholders for brand elements ensures every custom mylar bag will flaunt your style. Toss in some boxes for the logo, text, or any eye-candy you want to slap on there.

Front Panel: Place main artwork, a logo, or a bold product name front-and-center.

Back Panel: Typically, this is where the nuts-and-bolts info goes—nutrition facts, barcodes, or maybe even a quirky tagline.

One little trick? Think about readability. Don’t cram the design; leave a little breathing room. Crowded text isn’t just ugly; it’s hard to read.

Step 6: Save Your Masterpiece

Finally, save this mylar bag template as your secret weapon for future designs. Adobe Illustrator lets you save it as an AI file, or PDF if you need to pass it off. The beauty here? Once you’ve crafted this baby, it’s rinse and repeat for any design you can dream up.

Step 7: Test Run Your Mylar Bag Template

Before you send your precious work off to the printer, do a trial run. Create a mock-up with actual branding elements, then print a draft copy. Hold it in your hands. Squint at it. Imagine it on the shelf. Does it hit all the right notes? Make adjustments as you go, fine-tuning your layout until every inch of it feels just right. See how brandmydispo is changing custom mylar bags and flexible packaging.

Tips for Rocking Your Template

Stick to Your Guns: Consistency’s your friend. This mylar bag template will make all your custom mylar bags look sharp and on-brand.

Time Saver Extraordinaire: Imagine shaving hours off each project because you’ve got a template at the ready.

Make It Look Pro: A thoughtfully made template means a polished, professional look that people will notice.

Wrapping It All Up (Pun Fully Intended)

Setting up a mylar bag template might seem like an ordeal, but the payoff is real. With a little time and a few personal touches, you’ve got a template that’ll make every project after this one a whole lot easier. So, go ahead—craft a template that screams “you” every time.

Now, aren’t you glad you took the plunge?

[thisaintascenereviews]

That Mexican OT - Texas Technician

When I first got into rap music about a decade ago, we were in what was then known as the “swag era.” Featuring artists such as Drake, Nicki Minaj, Wiz Khalifa, Tyga, Lil Wayne, and a handful more that were on the come-up, the swag era was defined by skinny jeans and snap backs, and it also overlapped with what was also known as the “blog era.” A lot of rappers started gaining traction through blogs, reviews, and social media. Simply put, rap music a decade ago is a lot different compared to how it is now, especially with how it’s perceived.

Despite a lot of songs being popular at that time, a lot of music fans were sick of the trends of that era, especially lyrically and musically speaking. Rap music, just like pop music, had become soulless and generic piles of trash. A lot of great stuff came out, too, but it was more so in the underground than in the mainstream. Unfortunately, a lot of people that weren’t familiar with those genres tended to write them off as being about the same few topics and being soulless and brainless trash, but you want to know something I’ve learned over the years?

I love a lot of music that’s considered to be “dumb,” but that’s because I look at those albums for what they are, not what I want them to be. A good recent example of this is the new Denzel Curry album, King Of The Mischievous South, Volume 2, where Curry essentially made a record that flexed his muscles when it came to simplistic and energetic southern rap. Featuring a slew of southern rappers, it’s one of my top favorites of the year, but I’d be lying if I said it was for how poignant and profound it is. No, it’s catchy, fun, energetic, humorous, slick, and just an overall great project that sounded like a blast to make.

One of the featured artists on that record is That Mexican OT, a Texas-born rapper with the real name Virgil Gazca, and he’s been a rising star within the last few years, especially with his last album, 2023’s Lonestar Luchadore, and how he’s gone viral for a couple of tracks from it. He came back earlier this year with a new album, entitled Texas Technician, and sort of with how the aforementioned Denzel Curry paid homage to his Florida roots on 2019’ ZUU, Texas Technician is very much a love letter to Texas hip-hop. Is the album deep, poignant, and intellectual?

No, it’s really not, but what it is, however, is an energetic, fun, humorous, and engaging ride through the south that has some really clever and funny lyrics along with some great performances and production from That Mexican OT and his collaborators. I’ve been going back to this album quite a bit over the last few weeks, and I’d say it’s one of my favorite albums of year so far. I’ve come to redefine what constitutes as one of my favorite albums of the year, and it doesn’t have to be an album that’s super weird, experimental, or unique, but it needs to be something I go back to quite a bit, regardless of its sound.

I’ve been coming back to this album quite a lot, just for how catchy, groovy, and fun it is. I don’t have a lot to say outside of how good the production is, as well as how fun and unique OT’s flow is, but it’s a solid little album. At 16 songs, it does feel a little long and repetitive at times, but it’s only 41 minute, so it isn’t even that long of an album, but it’s still a lot of fun. If you enjoy southern rap, it’s worth hearing, though. That Mexican OT is one of the biggest rising stars in rap, and for good reason. This was my introduction to his music, and I’m excited for whatever he does next.

[chorusfm]

Twenty One Pilots – Clancy

The seventh studio album from Twenty One Pilots, called Clancy, brings closure to the near decade-long conceptual series that began with Trench. In many ways, Twenty One Pilots are challenging their audience to go on this ride with them as they navigate through the waters of rap, alternative, punk, and indie rock, while still looking for new and innovative ways to express the right emotions in their music. Clancy is the character that the band first introduced in Trench, and this record of the same name pulls out some additional thematic elements to bring rich context to the story. After some hard to hear radio chatter on the beginning of the opener, “Overcompensate,” a voice comes on to set the tone by stating emphatically, “Welcome back to Trench.” By taking a brief detour to where they’ve been, while still trying to advance the music forward in their repertoire, Twenty One Pilots have crafted an album worthy of multiple repeat spins and reward listeners willing to take deep dive into the world of Clancy. After the brilliant opening track/lead single, the subsequent single of “Next Semester” follows with a frenetic drumbeat from Josh Dun, while lead vocalist Tyler Joseph croons over the mix to bring some experimental pop into the fold. The dreamy acoustic guitar outro in the song is a welcome departure from what the band has attempted to date, and yet it still feels authentic to the band. “Backslide” is largely a hip-hop song that is rooted in the nostalgia of what Twenty One Pilots accomplished on Trench, while the production from longtime collaborator, Paul Meany, accelerates the artistic growth from the band. The steady pick-me-up bounce found on “Midwest Indigo” is sure to be a crowd favorite on the Clancy arena tour, while the brooding “Routines in the Night” is clouded in mystery, much like its intentions. Twenty One Pilots have never been strangers to the darkest of thoughts, and this song sounds like the logical progression from their standout single “Heathens.” The bombastic pop of “Vignette” is filled with sweeping orchestral parts that lend itself well to the heavy synth breakdowns in the song, while “The Craving (Jenna’s version)” was a curious choice for a fourth single since it seems a bit out of place in the overall sequencing of Clancy. The largely acoustic ballad features the refrain of, “Say enough, say enough / Did I let her know, let her know? / If I found my body in chains / I’d lay down and wait / And hope she looks for me,” and puts the spotlight on the vulnerability of the Clancy character. It may have made more sense towards the end of the tracklisting, or even as the album closer, if they chose to go out on a somber tone. Things pick back up on “Lavish” as Tyler Joseph softly croons, “Welcome to the new way of livin’ / It’s just the beginning of lavish.” The song plays out a bit like a commercial jingle in its memorable chorus, while the rapping in the verses makes it firmly implanted in Twenty One Pilots lore. The heavy bass line in “Navigating,” mixed with great guitar riffing, makes for one of the heaviest songs that the band have attempted to date, and they largely pull it off with grace and poise. “Snap Back” features a unique blend of dreamscape pop paired with heavy hip-hop elements to make for a really creative listening experience. “Oldies Station” features a clever pre-chorus of, “Fear of the past and (Relative pain) / Future’s comin’ fast, you’ve got (Nothin’ in the tank) / In a season of purging things you used to love / Everything must go,” since a lot of this LP is about looking back, while still embracing the uncertain path ahead of us. The closing one-two punch of the bouncy “At the Risk of Feeling Dumb” has a great, gradual crescendo towards the tail end of the track, plus the sprawling “Paladin Strait” is an excellent way of making a memorable statement. The closing lines sung over an acoustic guitar of, “On the ground are Banditos / Fighting while I find Nico / Even though I’m past the point of no return /… https://chorus.fm/reviews/twenty-one-pilots-clancy/

[rockmiyabideusexmachina]

2021 Megaman Summer Fanart Contest Results!

Yet again, I had no time for promo-themed art, so I will just continue rehashing this old Akane pic since it sorta fits the theme. Just to have some visual before the writeup. 

Thank you as always to every single one of you who participated this summer! I say it all the time, but you all really do make it a challenge judging these pieces year after year, with your creativity and hard work. Trying to be objective about each piece and how they best fit within the requirements gets harder and harder each year! Thank you for your patience in waiting for these results, as this never is a quick process to format and write up, especially around my work schedule. I will be contacting the winners about their prizes soon after this goes live. 

After the break, you’ll see the winners for both categories, along with all of the entries.

Category 1: A Cool Summer DiVE

For our first category this summer, participants were tasked with creating a Rockman X DiVE-inspired summer-themed character(s)/skin of their choice, and a special summer weapon design to go along with them.

There were a grand total of 10 participants in this category. For the full gallery of entries, you can head to this link HERE. Beneath each entrant’s name will also be a link to their individual pieces at full-size.

1.) @firemanshug: $100 prize

[Image 1] [Image 2]

He is so happy, and he makes me smile! Much like the Sailor Mammoth we got in DiVE this summer, I like the contrast a flame-themed boss gets by having a watery-feel to him. But you incorporated a lot to give Sword Man this summery look, with the bright colors, which feel both like a lemonade and water scheme. You’ve got the sun on his head, cool shades, the flowers reminiscent of a lei, and even if it appears liquidy, it feels like he’s ready to fire up his kabob arm for a luau. So overall, I loved how much you meshed into this design, and made it just feel like a summer skin I want to pull! Your Cold Slush Buster fits wonderfully with the style of other Classic boss busters we’ve seen so far, like Aqua and Air. 

2.) Algaae: $75 prize

[Image 1] [Image 2]

Definitely the most detailed and technically sound artwork overall, your style certainly could make some think this was official artwork for swimsuit Levi! The little details to her swimsuit are simple, but nice tweaks to allude to her standard armor, yet still look fashionable and unique. Feel bad for that poor fish if it’s about to be whacked around as a weapon on that staff, but would also be amused if it popped off for it’s own attack, only to bite right back on the orbs after flopping around out of water. XD

3.) @subzeroiceskater​: $50 prize

[Image 1] [Image 2] [Image 3] [Image 4]

As a boss idea, having “Serve” Master K bumping and spiking Bounce Man and all his volleyball parts in a beach volleyball boss room sounds like a ton of chaotic fun! That creative concept alone had me sold, even before seeing their design changes. Your humorous punny bunny additions were a bonus, and certainly made me laugh. The weapon is cute and clever, and I liked how you were able to fit both characterizations of Watt. It would be interesting to see how a “combo” character would play in-game, a little more differently than Tron & Servbots, for example. 

And the rest of the Deep Log error entries, in alphabetical order by alias:

@annvolans:

[Image 1]

Pink flamingo Heatnix is a decoration we all need on our front lawns this summer! Love his chilled, relaxed pose, just nursing that drink while trying to avoid any battle. Wonderful pic, just unfortunately no accompanying weapon design to compete with the other entries.

@aw-colorcat:

[Image 1]

I really loved this idea, and seeing Heat Man as a cooler is just like the best summer image. This needs to be an official concept. Period. The spray gun having dual pop tabs and the warning to shake first was so amusing. Absolutely appreciated your creativity on this, and had a hard time debating where it would place. So very close!

Dash Nolan:

[Image 1] [Image 2] [Image 3] [Image 4]

I swear I had a Super Soaker in this color scheme back in the day, so I did totally love the concept of Vile having to pump his shoulder blaster multiple times to get water to spray out. And if it doesn’t work out, he can help plug Sprite instead with these colors. Thank you for your extra effort with the turnaround vid, which I had to shrink down into a really small .gif just to present it on here. It does look really cool to see his full model that way. 

@digitallyfanged:

[Image 1]

Under the Sea Under the Sea X, it’s better When your corpse is wetter And crushed by my heeeeeee~ls MerSigma...Sigmerman...Ursaligma...regardless what you want to call him, he’s still pretty imposing. (With emphasis on pretty...) Yes, we all have questions, but you have to admit, you want to see this Sigma form running through a stage with his flowing locks and mertail blowing in the wind, with the grace of a school of fishes swimming through the current. Love the pearl theme tying in with his head orb and the Fish Hook Glaive weapon of his. Although now I’m imagining him emerging from Shield Sheldon’s shell like The Birth of Venus or something...XD

Mattasaurs: 

[Image 1] [Image 2]

Swimsuit Ashe stumbled upon a booty of kabobs, and greedily doesn’t appear like she’s gonna share any of that food. XD Your Bubble Crab Spray Gun would make a lot of sense in-game, and would kinda be fun if you could encase enemies and jump and bounce off that giant bubble, to help reach inaccessible areas. 

Rockman HQ:

[Image 1] [Image 2] [Image 3]

Thank you for incorporating both categories into your entry! Love seeing this as an actual banner image. Bit’s outfit is amusing on a lot of levels, from his pineapple and novelty dual slurpee cup headwear, Doppler logo trunks, and surfing on his shield better than Blues ever could. Another bubble weapon, buku, which is a simple, but effective way to allude to Cancer Bubble’s powers with your claw buster design.. 

Ryan Vogler:

[Image 1]

Lime Margarita X -on the rocks(man)- knows Sigma is drunk on power. So he’s going to splash a hint of lime juice in his eyes, using his Lime Blaster, which will certainly sting a bit. But good luck at the capsule for either of these alcoholic-themed gacha pulls, because I think all you’ll get is salt. I was certainly amused at X getting equipped with a citrusy margarita for the summer, and the colors of this piece really stand out beautifully. The watercolor background is just mesmerizing. 

Category 2: Ride the Big Wave

In our second category this summer, participants were tasked with creating a Megaman-related surfboard design, as well as a scene that put that surfboard into use. 

There was a grand total of 8 participants in this category. For the full gallery of entries, you can head to this gallery HERE. Beneath each entrant’s name will also be a link to their individual pieces at full-size.

1.) NightopianFoxGirl: $100 prize

[Image 1] [Image 2]

This surfboard is cute and has a little bit of everything. The ‘80s bright neon net skyline aesthetic certainly helped it stand out, as the Mets do against it. Their progression with unique beach-themed items, seemingly being led by the one with the lifeguard whistle, makes it feel like they’re out to have fun on their own digital summer vacay. Cool, creative, and one I’d definitely love to see on a real board. On top of that, your additional scene had a really nice composition, with the curve of the wave tying in with War Rock curving in to fetch the frisbee, and still capturing two different scenes with Subaru and Tsukasa both walking with their boards and surfing on them. Had a good laugh at Gemini’s shades. Twinning they are not, though. XD Well done overall!

2.) Moogy: $75 prize

[Image 1]

Overdrive’s board is something that looks so simple in many respects, yet fits him and symbolizes so much with those simple shapes. A stylized version of the missile that launches in his stage, which you can clearly see blasting off. But being a flightless bird, you can feel that symbolism of Overdrive wanting to fly in the sky, with the wings and arrows pointing upwards to the heavens. But wait! The missile also can double as an overhead view of Overdrive himself. With his long neck and beak at the top, the blast from behind symbolizing his speed, and those red arrows actually being his Sonic Slicer attack! He flies in his own way, unlike that rocket and his bird bot brethren. And that creativity makes this an awesome board! I love his multiple chains and Hawaiian shirt. Your corresponding pics of the board in use are both beautiful and amazing.

3.) @stephodell: $50 prize

[Image 1] [Image 2] [Image 3]

Seeing the evolution of your board ideas was really neat, and I do think the merger of those concepts turned out pretty neat! The curve of the shooting star sort of gives Pegasus another flowing mane (or Proto Man’s scarf cosplay), but also works to mimic the flow of the waves...be they radio waves or water waves. The actual Pegasus constellation helps fill in empty space, and overall, it looks very nice! Your accompanying pic is top notch as always, and love seeing Ken in that lifeguard chair scoping out what’s happening in the water. Subaru’s wetsuit works perfectly with Rockman-form trim. Just take the bulky armor pieces off, and it’s just a wetsuit underneath, basically. LOL

And the rest of the Hang Ten entries, in alphabetical order by alias:

AbilityField:

[Image 1] [Image 2]

Winner of the most creative use of an ironing board! XD You really thought outside the box with this VR approach for Laika. The actual surfboard art balances well with both the EXE and Classic counterparts to the side of his Navi Crest. The colors pop well, and certainly fits Laika’s style. A lot of fun things going on in the background of your accompanying pic. Besides the box for the board, I loved how you tied in Ken and the Big Wave remix into the simulation with those screens/consoles. 

@aw-colorcat​:

[Image 1]

The gradient on this board gives off a beautiful sunset vibe reminiscent of that closing cutscene in MM8, along with that triangular green up top to play off of her hair ribbon nicely. The cut of having the main board design on sand to separate it from the main pic was clever, and the effect worked out nicely! Good thing Beat is following Roll on the waves, so he can dive on in and grab her, if she falls off her board!

ColeManX: 

[Image 1]

Poor Forte. I don’t think those kind of fins make the surfboard more aerodynamic and able to handle the waves better. In fact, that’s probably why you fell off it so awkwardly! The design is certainly amusing and unique to him, though. 

@mosketches​:

[Image 1] [Image 2]

Anko and a school of Shrinks definitely fit the theme for a Bubble Man board. The background really gives off that underwater vibe, yet helps the minor bots stand out on it with the help of the white water lines. Very cool. Your accompanying pic is very amusing, from Flash’s eye gag, to Wood Man’s sexy sand curves, to Air Man’s hat. Unfortunately, both Bubble and his board are going to be going back down to see those actual Anko and Shrinks below the depths of that huge wave! XD

@subzeroiceskater​:

[Image 1] [Image 2] [Image 3] [Image 4] [Image 5] [Image 6] [Image 7] [Image 8]

Well, you certainly did your research on surfboards, giving me a whole lesson on your final board page! Your effort on that alone certainly stood out. Seeing Totemer as a board amused me the most, closely followed up by the Impact Bro board. But you clearly put a lot of thought and care into each character’s style, while still making them fun. Poor Chill, at least he tried for a good cause. Had a good laugh at them all trying to get out of there with the cash in the end. So much for a fair contest. 

[rolanberry-rebel]

Info sheet: Kjalla Nisemi

Name: Kjalla Nisemi Nicknames: K, Two-Guns, “oh hell, not her!”, “Gun-bunny” if you want to get shot Race: Viera (rava) Age: mid-late 30s in hyuran years, exact age unknown (even to her, really) Gender: Cis female Orientation: Whatever suits her at the moment Relationship status: Whatever suits her at the moment Profession: Professional psycho, hired gun, mechanic

Height: 6′2″ Weight: 160lbs. Eyes: Icy blue Hair: Dark blue Skin: Greyish-blue Build: Fit, busty Scars: Deep scar along the left side of her jaw, scarring around her wrists and fingers, scar tissue along her neck. Tattoos: Blue markings along her face; a thorny blue vine splayed down the back of her neck, along her right shoulder and twining around her right bicep Fashion: Spartan and street-tough; never goes anywhere without her kickin’ boots and a good jacket. Loves leather, loves fishnets, loves denim, loves spikes. Comfortable and not necessarily showy. Dark colors. Loves red; loves black. Not afraid to show off what she’s got. When she thinks she���ll need it she's outfitted in the one of the suits of heavy armor she custom-builds herself, varying from more mobile sets of light plate to bulky, gadget-augmented battle suits. Accessories: Kjalla wears a fair amount of jewelry, a lot of it worn and tarnished, suggesting it might have some sentimental value. Often seen with a smattering of dull gold and silver rings, earrings, and a bridge piercing with a pair of rubies at each end.

Birthplace: the Golmore jungles somewhere. Residence: Her junk shop/personal safehouse off of a private jetty near Kugane. Alignment: Chaotic Evil Hobbies: Violence, rowdy nights out, any and every manner of indulgence, creating new weapons and gadgets for her armors, salvaging and experimenting with old junk, making and spending lots of gil Likes: Exciting experiences, adrenaline rushes, the opposite sex, the same sex, swapping stories, swapping punches, money, people with guts, alcohol, tinkering away Dislikes: Cowards, soft people, pretty things, lalafel, you if you get in her way. And chocobos. Disgusting things. Personality: Erratic and unconstrained, shifting wildly with her impulsive mood swings. One night you buy her a drink and you might flirt your way back to her junk-shop; the next she might put a round through your skull. More than anything she likes to surprise and be surprised, so always expect the unexpected. Always headstrong and often arrogant, and you should absolutely never tell her what to do. Ever. In spite of her crazed impulses, when she’s not in a bad mood Kjalla can be incorrigibly flirtatious, friendly, and fun to have a good night out with. Virtues: Strong, physically and emotionally; there’s very little that will break her, and she’s seen it all. Strong leadership instinct, whether through her charisma or force of character simply overwhelming others into following. Obsessively self-sufficient and fiercely independent. Determined and diligent when there’s work to do, and will not quit until she gets it done. Streetwise, clever, skilled; not conventionally smart but picks up new hands-on skills quickly. A fierce, experienced fighter. Unfailingly loyal to those who prove themselves worth it. Bad habits: The obvious - she’s utterly immoral, indulging in any behavior if it makes her feel good. Impulsive, reckless, violent, quick to anger and lash out at others. Heart hard as a rock and a firm believer in the survival of the fittest (the fittest, of course, being her). Trusts next to no one and will betray others save her closest circle if it helps her get ahead. Stubborn as hell. Promiscuous with little regard for whom it might hurt. Huge chip on her shoulder. Has a major problem with authority. Unintelligent by conventional standards, and completely dead to magic.

Significant Other: *derisive laughter* Children: *even more incredulous laughter* Family: All presumed dead, except for her sister Eyrisse, from whom she is estranged. Pets: Linchpin and Electrode, her pair of baby coeurls, who live at her junk-shop. Their unique grounding and electrical powers help Kjalla with her electrical experiments.

Friends: People aren’t friends to Kjalla; they’re tools, things to be used, experienced and discarded. (Most of the time, anyway...)

You might know Kjalla if...

Merciless Mercenary. Kjalla is a notoriously cutthroat sellsword, unscrupulous - more than willing and able to do any job big or small, just as long as kids aren’t involved. (That’s the one line she doesn’t cross.) From political leaders to petty thieves, she’s taken them all. Her race may paint her as a novelty - it’s not often you see a viera mercenary traipsing around the world, after all - but she’s no laughing matter. If you hire mercenaries, work with them, or are one yourself, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of her, under one of her assorted names - some flattering, some very much not.

Underworld Surgeon. Kjalla has no magical healing talent but she’s a darn good field surgeon, and has a great knowledge of alchemical remedies, salves and drugs. A ‘side-job’ of hers is to sell her services as a mundane healer to shady characters who, for fear of the law, of the attention, or otherwise - avoid visiting a reputable establishment for healing after an incident. Criminals on the run, overdose cases, just someone who wants to stay off the grid - if you’re in need of a quick patching-up and you’d rather keep it discreet, her junk-shop is always open.

Life of the Party. Kjalla is a staple in a few of her favorite seedy dives in cities across the world - and would certainly be recognizable to regulars, given scar-covered, foul-mouthed viera with backwater accents aren’t exactly easy to miss. If you frequent these kinds of establishments, you’ve no doubt heard of, seen, and maybe even gotten into a drunken brawl with her.

Purveyor of Dangerous and Exploding Things. Kjalla loves weapons - all of them, but especially guns, bombs, tasers, flamethrowers, dynamite, and weapons far more bizarre and exotic. If you’re a weapon collector, an arms dealer, or if you’re looking to outfit yourself with something significantly more dangerous, you’ve no doubt run in to back-alley gunrunners and smugglers who’ve mentioned her as a supplier. Conversely, if you’re searching for training in gunsmithing or engineering from a master, she might consider it... you’ll probably wind up dead, though, so maaaybe not a good idea... unless that’s your kink. 

Garlean Killer: There’re few jobs Kjalla loves more than the ones where she gets to pop Garlean heads like grapes. Though one could scarcely call the viera a principled woman whose violence is politically sophisticated, she takes a perverse delight in torturing and killing agents of the empire, even if she’s not getting paid to do it. Naturally her reputation for murdering prominent officers, personnel, facilities, and stealing lots of Garlean technology has made her a notorious outlaw in the empire, and if you’re involved in any of those fields, you’d recognize her scarred visage anywhere. Just be careful - she really does love planting bullets right in those third eyes.

Hi! I’ve been RPing forever and I’m lookin for new friends!

Adult female OOCly who’s RPed in every game you can probably think of and happy RPing lots of themes/scene types so long as we talk about it beforehand.

Kjalla is violent, rude, crude, and lustful. I however am (well, in my opinion, anyway...) none of those things, and am happy to talk with nice people! Just be aware most RP involving her’s gonna be one of those things, lol.

Available at random times, usually late evenings EST. Will always try to respond to private messages here no matter when you send them though!

Discord: I’m not on there very much, but I know it’s become a big way for a lotta people to do most of their OOC communication/RP threads so I’m willing to get on there if you wanna talk!

In-game: Anylissa Sebastis (Balmung) or Kjalla Nisemi (Mateus)

If you’re not into psychotic rabbit-ladies, I have my playful spoiled heiress, Anylissa, if you’d prefer. :>

[popculturebuffet]

Lilo and Stitch Crossover Arc: “Rufus” (Kim Possible) Better and Worse (Paid for by WeirdKev27)

Aloha all you happy people! It’s back to Kauai for the third of my look at LIlo and Stitch’s crossover episodes! This retrospective was made possible by WeirdKev27, who had the idea for it and paid for me to review these episodes. You too can buy reviews for only 5 bucks a pop. Just go to my ask, Direct Messages or discord.

Now with my plugging out of the way, this one, out of all four is the one I looked forward to the most, and out of the four shows in this crossoverathon to make the trip to the Kauai, this one is hands down my faviorite. 

Kim Possible was just damn good and having rewatched a handful of episodes and the movie (Easily one of my faviorite Disney movies and the best DCOM, I will not back down on either), I can say it holds up every bit as good as it did in the early 2000′s. Frankly like Danny Phantom i’m surprised I never thought to get to it till now. But no time like the present: The show proper is a fun super spy sendup, but still feels unique: Instead of i’ts Teen Superspy working for some knockoff of MI6 or S.H.I.E.L.D., Kim is self employed, simply helping people because it’s the right thign to do and not for any reward with the help of her bumbling  but loveable sidekick and future boyfriend Ron, though the romance angle wasn’t overplayed with the two, just hinted at here and there, enough to make it plausable for Ron to realize he has feelings in the movie and for Kim to return them and frankly it’s probably the best handled “Friends to lovers’ plot i’ve seen in a children’s cartoon. I”ll get more into that if I hit my stretch goal for it on patreon, more on that at the end of the review, but while it has no baring on this review I still felt it worth noting as that trope is NOT easy to pull off.

Point is, the show was smart, funny, engaging and had two great characters, a tremendously talented voice cast, and more anchoring it. It was a treasured part of my adolsence. It also had one of the only succesful “Save our show” campagins from fans i’ve ever seen. Despite So The Drama having been written as a finale and having reached Disney’s episode count, fan demand for a fourth season was so incredibly high we got one and it’s to this day one of the very few Disney shows to live past three seasons as a result. The show is in full on Disney Plus, along with the movie, which I HIGHLY recommend and hope I get to talk about, and the recent live action remake movie which .. is not bad. Not GREAT but the leads do make a good kim and ron, paticuarlly my boy Sean Gambone as Ron, and for a live action remake it really does get the spirit of the show. 

But obviously we’re not here to talk about the show proper, though I REALLY want to now, but instead it’s crossover. So far the crossovers for Lilo and Stitch have been, much like said live action remake, OKAY, but nothing amazing, often shoving in sideplots related to Lilo and Stitch proper we didn’t need, forced morals and not really having a good amount of character intraction. The good news is this crossover DOES fix a lot of that.. the bad is that it also has some new problems, and still falls into some of the same traps the other episodes have. See what I mean with the full review under the cut!

We open at night, with Lilo and Stitch playing hide and seek. Adorably though Sttich dosen’t quite get the hang of it and proudly announces where he is. However things are quickly interupted when he’s kidnaped by a mystery ship out of the blue. It’s a good hook to start with, leaving us wondering who it could be...

And thus, if you hadn’t gone into this episode knwoing it was a crossover, giving us a hell of a reveal with a cut to Dr. Drakken being the one to kidnap stitch!

Look I love this Doofus. He’s easily one of John DiMaggio’s best roles, up there with Jake and Bender, and the one along with Bender that cemented his career. as one of voice acting’s finest. He’s just so loveably incompetent, over the top and quick to bicker with Sheego, which leads to some of the funneist moments in his home series as she’d either skewer him good or he’d shove his boot in his mouth and help her point instead of his own. He’s just such a great character and he not only fits neatly into Lilo and Stitch’s world, but the writers clearly get him perfectly. We get a hilarious bit where, fed up with Hamsterviel, who he’s teamed up with, he simply fakes the radio going out, adjusting the dials purposfully to make it come in buggy something I GUARANTEE he put in for SHeego and I gurantee she saw right through. His plan is to create a clone army of Stiches.. meaning Hamsterviel’s big evil plan.. is a copy of someone else’s.

Lilo goes to Jumb and Pleakly, the latter of whom has been collecting magazines adorably. Lilo plans to go after Stitch but Jumba says she can’t go on dangerous missions without him and to get a professional and this part.. does not work for me. Most of the time Jumba ENABLES Lilo’s behaviors and while not wanting an 8 year old to run out into the night is a good call, he also suggests getting help.. instead of you know GOING WITH HER WHEN IT’S LIGHT. It sounds more like Nani’s idea... it fits her more to not want Lilo to run out and to want to get help versus Jumba whose admant about keeping secrecy yet very lax on things, and you know would BE concerned that his prized creation was suddenly stolen and actually think about it. He’s just so horribly out of character it hurts. 

And Nani’s absence really hurts the episode. See the last two, as much as I missed the lovely and talented Tia Carrere’s presence, didn’t really need her, though still could’ve included her: she could’ve made a cameo at the start since Lilo was there to visit her and she woul’dve made a better target for Spats than trudy, with Oscar fighting Jumba instead, allowing us some crossover interactions instead of having Jumba argue with a random asshole the episode wrote in. But it’s minor stuff. Here though? Her being the one to tell Lilo not to go would’ve made more sense: She’s protective by nature, and while she’s let go more since the movie, it’d make sense for her NOT to want Lilo to blindly chase after someone who beat stitch of all beings, as well as for her ot be the one to later tell Kim not to let lilo be involved. It’d be stronger coming from her sister and surrogate mother than Pleakly and it would’ve been a better arc to have Nani let Lilo off the leash so to speak and accept she needed to save kim. Instead she’s just gone for no reason and Jumba is grosly out of character and i’m disapointed. 

That said the setup is the best and most intergrated so far: Pleakly sees an article about kim so he reaches out to her via a message on her site, while Lilo is stubborn about not being help.. obnoxiously so to the point it hurts the episode. While her being inscure about someone else saving Sttich would be fine, the episode never adresses that and instead just has her say she can because shut pu instead of accepting help. The episode would’ve flowed better if instead she accepted kim but Nani had Kim push her away, and thus create more problems. More on that in a bit. 

But as I said this setup is great: it uses BOTH shows for once isntead of feeling like the first two, and honestly the next one judging by the blurb on the wiki, where its just “Hey x character visits Kauai”, here it blends both: The two main villians team up, and Kim is logically called for help since that’s what she does and they don’t want to risk lilo’s saftey. It’s good stuff. 

So our other heroes enter the episode, on a ritzy jet as Kim’s dad had an old college friend with an airline. I admit the episode weirdly downplays Kim’s penchant for getting rides, getting a helicopter that appears to be a touring one and getting this one via her dad instead of the usual person who owes her a favor. IT was a neat part of her character: that she got help from people she already helped on adventure’s we hadn’t seen to establish she can’t drive herself yet and to show she’s an experinced heroine with a lot of history before the show started. I also like how a handful of episodes after season 1 had returns from people we HAD seen before or linked to them, a clever way of having callbacks. 

It’s simple stuff Kim is ready for the wrold saving mision and ron hopes to get a vacation in. Nothing too out of the ordinary. 

So the next day Lilo tries to go it solo but is spotted before she can leave, while Pleakly has built a.. photo colloage of Kim’s face on the wall...

... no wait i’m getting paid for this. Nevermind. 

It is funny as it is unsettling though and Kim arrives and Pleakly faints.. Ron also arrives doing fake kung fu moves. This episode gets ron about half right... they overdo it a bit on the shenanigans, but Will Freidle’s natural charm and talent mean that even standard ron bits coughed up by a cat onto a page and used for this script still work simply because he’s that good at delivery. 

We also get the who’s on first bit you all knew was coming as Kim asking what’s the Sitch confuses lilo and i’ts .. pretty funny. Again you could see it coming from a mile away, but Daveigh Chase and Christy Carlson Ramano really sell the hell out of it and we get a nice runner after of Kim misprouncing his name and trying NOT to say her usual catchphrase. 

She also gets filled in on the alien thing... and while she admits i’ts a lot to swallow, she also admits she’s seen weirder. And given this episode would, by airdate (ignoring the one for So the Drama as that aired before the last batch of season 3 episodes but continuity wise takes place between seasons 3 and 4), take place around the same time as the season 3 intended finale “Team Impossible”, by this point she’s seen vengeful fishteens mutated by a horrifying summer camp, a rogue gentecist who basis her crimes against nature on a beanie baby knockoff, magical monkey based kung fu, a magican egyptian amulet, killer robot’s resembling teenage girls, a body swap episode, a plan using a barcode to destroy the internet, an attack on canada, a giant poodle, a complicated time travel plot, a trucker with a mullet, her sidekick getting turned into a surprisingly competent supervillian, and draken’s plan to use his rap career to promote brainwashing shampoo. And that’s just a handful of the things I was reminded of on the episode list. So yeah, this isn’t THAT much of a stretch. Oh and lest you think Kim never encountered aliens the series finale was an alien invasion by aliens Draken had pissed off earlier in the season. Suprised Lilo didn’t you know have Stitch and the family army pitch in. Maybe Leory and Stitch was going on at the same time? 

Point is she’s in but goes with Pleakly in trying to keep Lilo out of it. And here’s yet another place the episode missteps: Kim’s REALLY patronizing to Lilo, treating her like she can’t do anything and later ignoring her advice when she brings up the current later, something that ends up getting Kim caught. The latter part especially bugs me since Kim normally listens to her clients pretty well, and had she doubted him could’ve at least asked Waid since she contacts him in the same scene. Speaking of which THAT’S why I feel her patronizing “not now kiddo” atittude dosen’t work: her spy master IS a child, her brothers have helped out multiple times, and the incident I mentioned from where she met her younger cousin who idolized her at an old west town was understandable: Her cousin was getting into dangerous stuff and throwing herself out there recklessly with no regards to her own saftey and impeding the mission with her well meant antics. Lilo.. knows who their looking for, knows the island well, and knows stitch’s weaknesses. And she goes from being annoyingly hostlile to kim to helpful, so it makes kim even more obnoxious for not accepting said help. It’s just.. draining as when this part of the plot ISN’T in play, Kim is fine. She’s her usual self.. not AS well written as the parent show, a bit too reliant on her catchphrases, but still not half bad and Christy Carlson Romanao, like Fredle helps paper over the weaker bits of the script.  She’s not even out of character in her actions, as she does have a tendency to think she knows everything or undereistmate people.. the problem is it’s written poorly enough she comes across as insufferable, and unlike the show, where she actually learned something here.. she just learns to work as a team? When she does on a regular basis with Wade and Ron? 

It’s just so frustrating because they almost had it just right, but instead just had to try and put some half assed moral about teamwork in there. They broke from the formula of having an experiment of the week but they still just HAD to keep to their own formula. And look Kim Possible has it’s own formula.. but it used that to great effect, often using the episode’s plot to shake it up in fun ways, and the plots were still diffrent enough and the villians bold and intrestin genough that it didn’t grate.  This is starting to grate. And I do remember good and intresting episodes of the show.. but i’m starting tor ealize why I don’t remember NEARLY as much of Lilo and Stitch as I do the other shows it’s crossing over with: it’s so bolted to the formula they all just sorta blend together. It’s really fucking disheartning to realize something you loved so damn much as a kid just.. isn’t as good as you remember. And with these other shows.. I don’t have that as much. I accept proud family’s fault, Jake Long actually seems MORE intresting than it was at the time, and rewatching kim possible it’s excellent, same with recess coming up. I really need to watch more Recess. The most disheartining thing about this arc is the crossover just shows how BETTER the other shows were. Lilo and Stitch wasn’t a BAD show, and it isn’t here.. but it’s a mediroce one. it has a good premise. but it feels like they just don’t break away from the premise enough. This just... hurts a lot to type and realize. I really loved this show and movie as a kid and while the movie likely still holds up this.. this just dosen’t. 

I need a moment... i’m breaking open the glass case containing my emergency patrick stewart clip excuse me...

That.. I needed that. 

So before the bicker sisters can head off, we get our goofy comedy subplot: Jumba thinks Rufus is one of his experiments, one that could destroy the universe if not cancel and is highly unstable. As for why this one wouldn’t of worked out, I get why: it’s TOO powerful. Stitch is a weapon of mass distruction in a cuddly package, but he’s also easily deployable, kind of like Wolverine if he was in the body of a cartoon mascot. Having the THREAT of destroying ap lanet is fine and good for the long term but it does you no good if you can’t control it and i’td just destroy you too. 

So he and Pleakly try to steal rufus without telling Ron why after Ron naturlaly refuses to sel land a chase insues. So while the boys and gender fluid person have their comedy plot, the girls head to where stitch was taken and find Draken’s glove.... they know it’s his because he put a note saying “return to dr. draken, his mother gave it to him”. That’s just.. fucking precious. And entirely in character. So kim aranges a ride, and dives into the ocean, but finds lilo in her parachute, and tries to send her back despite LIlo offering valuable advice both about the area , the current I mentioned earlier, and about stitch, i.e. Draken’s base is underwater (something Kim didn’t realize which feels odd for her), because Stitch can’t swim, something I genuinely forgot. 

So while Kim sends Lilo back, or rather intercut with that but I choose to compress plots for my own convinence we cut back to Drakken and Shego. And I WAS worried that Shego wouldn’t show up, she wasn’t in the synopsis or anything and was delighted to find that nope she’s here. Drakken just isn’t the same without her.. I mean I liked the recurring subplot in season 4 where other villians would break her out, that was great, but in the end the two need each other. I may not ship them romantically but as a comedy team one just needs the other: Drakken needs Shego to cut down his ego and Shego needs someone to snark at and complain about. Sullivan and DiMaggio just had perfect chemistry and it’s easy to see why Drakken and Shego went from just another part of the Rogue’s Gallery to Kim’s arch enemies. 

Which is why I am sad Gantu and 625 don’t show up for this one. I mean I can buy it: Hamsterviel likely is doing this on the sly to see if he can find a better minon, but the two sets of villians have similar dynamics and i’d love to see Shego and 625 dunk on their bosses together. It’s a really big missed opportunity but I do get it as they may of just nto been able to fit the two together or it may of been hard to block a lot of scenes iwth the human sized drakken and the giant sized gantu. So unlike a lot of missed opportunites in the other episodes, this one I at least can understand. 

We get some GREAT banter with the two though. Out of the four guest characters in this one the crew really got Drakken and Shego down and the two bicker like any episode of Kim Possible, with Shego pointing out the massive bill on Stitch’s cage and how Drakken’s tried cloning about five times now and it’s never worked, and of course how he’s 50 50 splitting with a hamster bellow his station. Seriously why get rid of Gantu and 625 but keep the annoying rodent, I don’t get you episode. 

Of course while they quack quack bicker bicker Stitch escapes and Shego gives chase. Sadly we don’t get a fight between the two like we did with Jake, another missed opprotunity but Stitch getting out of her grasp by licking her is objectively funny. Stitch finds he’s underwater though and gets recaptured. 

Kim gets captured for the first time shortly after as the current caught her, but luckily she has kimunicator gloves and calls waid to call ron. Meanwhile Ron finally catches rufus back and Jumba explains the situation.. but Ron understandably dosen’t want to give up his buddy especially since Rufus has shown no signs of being a planet killer before. He’s not mooncake... althought i do think those two could hang. God now I just want a final space kim possible crossover to wash this out of my mouth. 

So it’s down to Lilo, the really not all that ambigiously gay their pretty darn gay duo, and Ron to save the day. Lilo finally gets to do what she kept asking kim to do: use jumbas hot rod car spaceship thing to go down under the sea, and they send Lilo and Rufus in since hteir small enough to get in and suriive the pressures. Our heroes arrive and Drakken is nonplussed.. only for Lilo to prove WHY she can keep an alien in line by freeing stitch from teh leash drakken has him on using kim’s grapple gun, and then frees kim. The good guys win and the bad guys loose and the base starts to self destruct.. eh they’ll be fine. They still have the movie to get to. 

So time for the wrap up: Stitch sniffs Rufus and confirms what the audience knew... that he’s a naked mole rat not an experiment. Which didn’t make sense to begin with for either show: Jumba’s archive should’ve been able to scan him or something (And if not he could build something to do that), and Kim Possible not only implied from day one Ron had Rufus a while, long before the rain of the pods, but A Stitch in Time outright confirms Ron bought him years ago in middle school. It just makes no sense and while it thankfully dosen’t take up a ton of the episode it still takes up too much. 

But with that our heroes prepare to part on good terms but Pleakly decides to celebrate with  Luau. Kim’s repsonse “Well I can do anything...”

And we get a gratuitous luau sequence! I do love a job that allows me to type the phrase “Gratuitous Luau Sequence’ They clearly ran short and we just get a good minute of everyone doing hula dances for no reason. I mean.. you could’ve done a quick gag with the experiment who was mistaken for Rufus... who I now realize given the finale was befriended by someone. I’m headcanoning now Kim and Ron came back for that one and Kim had him sent to space as part of one her dad’s projects where he and earth would be safer and he could help with space missions or something. 

Final Thoughts: As you could tell I had mixed thoughts. As a crossover this melded things better, had a more original plot and the actors from Kim Possible brought their a-game.. but once again some disapointing characteteriztion and downright stupid decisions really let the episode down. These episodes just depress me every time and I’m looking forward to being done.. which given how excited I was going into this.. yeah. Like all of these despite their flaws I recommend checking it out if you like Kim Possible, if nothing else than for some extra drakken shego banter but.. keep your expectations low.

Next Time on Kim Possible: A team of spiteful assholes who are in a way repsonsible for Kim’s Career try to shut her down. It’s the intended finale episode outisde of hte movie people buckle up.. or you would if I was doing any of these. Though I should do “Team IMpossible” at some point. 

On the finale of these crossovers: The Recess Gang are the final visitors to Kuai as Lilo must find and stop a lazy monster... no i’m not guest starring too. 

Tommorow: Another kev one this time by patreon as I put two similar episodes of a show or franchise against each other and ask “Who Did It Better?” This time it’s two episodes of Celebrity Death Match, original versus revivial may the original.. probably win. 

If you liked this review, please consider supporting my patreon, YOU CAN FIND THE LINK TO IT HERE.  For just 2 bucks a month you get access to my discord, to pick a short each time I do one of my shortstravaganzas, and acess to my Patreon exclusive reviews! Next month I intend to do one for the show whose crossover gets the most likes within a week of it’s relase. Proud Family has already passed American Dragon so you have a week to get it ahed. And if you like Kim Possible, help me reach my 25 dollar stretch goal! At that i’ll review So The Drama, along with the Recess and Proud Family Movies. So check it out and i’ll see you at the next rainbow. 

[scottymcgeesterwrites]

Final Fantasy XIII Review

Year: 2009

Original Platform: PlayStation 3

Also available on: Xbox 360, PC, Android, iOS

Version I Played: PlayStation 3

Synopsis:

On the planet Cocoon, those who come into contact with anything from the planet Pulse are purged to that planet. Pulse is a feared planet full of monsters and strange creatures. Both planets are ruled by fal’Cie, mechanical godlike beings who sometimes brand humans as their servants for specific tasks, called a focus. Those who fulfill their focus are turned into crystals and obtain eternal life. Those who do not fulfill their focus turn into mindless monsters. Lightning is a former soldier whose sister, Serah, is branded by a fal’Cie and taken to be purged. Lightning sets off to rescue her.

Gameplay:

Going to say this now – the worst gameplay in the entire Final Fantasy series.

The battles are Active Time Battles but instead of you inputting individual commands, there are what’s called paradigms. Paradigms are somewhat like Job Classes from the old Final Fantasy games, except less fun and more automated. You can switch to a Medic paradigm in battle and every time you press “Auto-Battle” your character automatically performs a series of necessary cure and restore spells, based on what’s going on in the battle. The Sentinel paradigm specializes in keeping the enemy at bay. The Ravager paradigm uses magic. The Commando paradigm uses physical attacks. You get the picture.

As a result, the gameplay could be best described as:

With occasional switching of paradigms whenever you see fit. You can set up a number of combinations across the characters. Two Commandos and one Sentinel. One Sentinel and one Ravager and One Commando, etc.

The party automatically heals after each battle – you can even press start during a battle and restart the battle.

I probably only used an item once or twice. I honestly don’t see why they bothered putting any items if you hardly ever use them.

You can upgrade your weapons with pieces and junk you find after battles. You find so many of them that you hardly ever think about what you’re upgrading so long as whatever you make upgrades your stats. Is this better? No? What about this? Okay, good. Moving on.

Like Final Fantasy X, the game is linear. Much more linear. You follow a long hallway for about 30 hours of the game before you can do sidequests. The sidequests involve completing other people’s focus. That’s about it. There are no towns, no inns, no villages. You are entirely on the road, constantly in battle (Okay, there’s like one time where Sazh and Vanille are in a casino or something but that’s about it).

I wrote a blog piece a while back about what exactly was wrong with Final Fantasy XIII, and it’s not that it’s linear. We play really great linear games all the time. It’s the automation – the feeling that you’re not really doing anything.

There isn’t an ounce of customization. Leveling up is similar to the Sphere Grid of Final Fantasy X. It’s called the Crystarium but it follows a strict path. You can’t actually stray anywhere or customize anything. If that’s the case, why bother making you open the menu to level up through the Crystarium? Why not just automatically do it? I guess they want to give you some ounce (more like a milligram) of control over the game.

Basically – you’re watching a long movie and occasionally get to move the people around. That’s how I see it.

Graphics:

PLAYSTATION 3 HD GRAPHICS HOMG DO YOU HAVEA BONER YET? LOOK AT THIS. FIRST FINAL FANTASY GAME IN GLORIOUS HD.

Everything is pretty in this game. Everything. There is nothing wrong with this at all.

Story:

The characters appear to reference those in Final Fantasy VII. Director Motomu Toriyama wanted Lightning to essentially be a female Cloud Strife. She’s a no-nonsense, athletic female lead. While Cloud and Squall were introspective and antisocial, Lightning is slightly different by actively ordering people around. She comes off as a dick to everyone, and that’s due to her ex-soldier background. Think of your stereotypical ex-cop/ex-CIA/ex-military action movie hero, like Liam Neeson (Bryan Mills in Taken) or Bruce Willis (John McClane in Die Hard). That’s basically Lightning.

Can we go on a short tangent for a moment to talk about how weird it is that Lightning was also used as a model for advertising in Japan?

Here she is driving a Nissan.

And wearing Louis Vitton.

Cool? I guess? Unless you start to realize that Toriyama wanted to design his own personal waifu, and that he’s completely obsessed with her. That gets really weird. And sad? A little? Anyway.

Vanille has some reminiscent of Yuffie from Final Fantasy VII, although with more character via her inner monologues and narration. Fang is vaguely like Vincent Valentine. Sazh takes the place of Barrett as the token black dude, except instead of being aggressive he’s more like the comic relief and wants nothing to do with anything. Every time you control him, jazz music plays, because black people I guess. Hope doesn’t appear to be reminiscent of anyone – he’s just this boy who yells and complains a lot with Lightning. Snow meanwhile is a ripoff of Zell from Final Fantasy VIII, except somehow even more annoying.

(Every time I see his picture I think about your typical dude bro at a frat.)

The story starts of a bit choppy as you follow almost each character separately, then they run into each other, then separate again, then join again. The first 30 hours or so gives flashbacks of 13 days prior- BECAUSE IT’S FINAL FANTASY XIII GET IT? Vanille actually narrates some events but it’s not exactly clear why or from when – but that’s a spoiler. Along the way, I got really confused because I didn’t know why some people were fighting each other when they were on the same side a moment ago. The concept of the “focus” is really weird and sometimes confusing. People with a focus simply have visions or a general idea of what they’re supposed to do, but they don’t actually know for sure unless they actively seek it. If the gods granted them a focus, wouldn’t it make more sense if the gods just told them what to do? Seemed to work in Final Fantasy XII. 

In short, the narrative weaves around a lot. If you stop playing in the middle and pick up the game again months later, you’re bound to forget what’s going on. I know I did.

The characters didn’t annoy me as much as you would think they would on paper. They all have character development and that’s good. The only character that effectively got on my nerves was Snow. Snow is Serah’s fiancé, and Lightning hates him because of course you need some family drama. I don’t blame Lightning though. Snow shouts cheesy lines left and right, like “Heroes never die!”. He shouts Serah’s name the same way Christian Bale shouts Rachel’s name in the Christopher Nolan Batman films. Snow is quite possibly the most irritating character of all the Final Fantasy games. He will not shut the fuck up about what it means to be a hero.

The rest of the cast works well in that their motives and desires clash with each other. But I’m still sore about the wasted potential for a great character in Jihl Nabaat. Sazh wants his son Dejh back, who was taken to be purged by the sinister and extremely hot Jihl Nabaat.

 Goddaaayyyum. Seriously, look at her.

Too bad, because she’s only featured in a handful of scenes and then dies. Her death isn’t a major spoiler, at least one that I consider, because she hardly does anything except get in the way for a moment. You don’t even fight her. How lame is that?

Then you have this annoying bastard – Primarch Dysley.

When I think of him, I think of Mitch McConnell.

Old. Disagreeable. Been in power for too long. Always in the way of progress.

Primarch Dysley happens to be as annoying as Seymour from Final Fantasy X, so expect to be overjoyed every time you run into him.

Overall, the story isn’t as bad as you’d think. You just have to pay close attention. The gameplay is far worse than the story. I could easily slip into a coma while playing this game and still make it pretty far.

Music:

Final Fantasy XII saw the departure of Nobuo Uematsu (well with the exception of the pop song “Kiss Me Goodbye”). Final Fantasy XIII continues to head into the unknown without the beloved longtime composer. This game’s score is composed entirely by Masashi Hamauzu, who if you haven’t been paying attention, already partly worked on Final Fantasy X.  I immediately saw how “Saber’s Edge”, the boss theme, is similar in nature to the boss theme of Final Fantasy X.

Final Fantasy XIII made the most radical changes to the score. There are no signature themes from the series. No “Prelude” theme, no “Main Theme”, no “Victory Fanfare” theme. Instead, we get a theme called “Fabula Nova Crystallis”.  It plays frequently throughout the game, and almost acts as Serah and Snow’s love theme. In some portions of the game, some woman is singing along. Yes – this is the first time where you roam around a world in a Final Fantasy game with actual pop music playing in the background – “Sunleth Waterscape” to be exact. Final Fantasy XIII’s music gets pretty poppy.

Not saying it’s a bad idea.

Just.

You got pop music playing in the background now.

“Lightning’s Theme” is pretty sick. Her theme plays during the battles in a rendition called “Blinded by Light” – HA GET IT BECAUSE SHE’S LIGHTNING. SO CLEVER.

But Hamauzu was a good choice – the entire score holds up well and sounds like a movie score, with varying motifs running across. It can be a bit more subdued but that’s how contemporary instrumental music is nowadays, especially with film composers like Hans Zimmer.

 Notable Theme:

“Blinded by Light”

Really epic, unique song. I always scat along to it as it plays.

Verdict:

Uff. 

Look, if you just search on YouTube for all the cutscenes, there you go. That’s the game. And it’s entertaining to watch. But it has the worst gameplay that doesn’t feel like you’re even doing anything. No sense of customization or originality.

Direct Sequel?

Yes, two.

Final Fantasy XIII-2.

I started it around the time it first came out, but I’m still in the middle of playing it and I have no idea what’s going on in the story. NO idea. NONE at all. They use time travel but none of it makes sense. Apparently changing things in the future can change the past. I don’t know how. I only understand a vague semblance of a plot with the bad guy Caius. While it doesn’t tarnish the dignity of the original like Final Fantasy X-2 did, it’s still offbeat with its metal (yes, metal) music and utterly confounding story. It’s infamous for this metal rendition of the sweet and innocent Chocobo theme.

Then there’s the third game, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

I plan on playing it after I finish Final Fantasy XIII-2, if I don’t already die from an aneurysm by then. It’s supposed to be better than Final Fantasy XIII-2 but lacking in graphics.

[shefanispeculator]

Blake Shelton has 28 career No. 1 songs on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, and another seven that have reached the Top 10. It'd be easy just to stick with the singles in making a list of his best songs, but who likes easy?

Find plenty of deep cuts on this list of Shelton's 50 best songs, including his spiritual songs. Those are sprinkled all over the playlist — The Voice coach is a rare singer who can sing about drinking and heartache with as much conviction as his relationship with God. Fans will find a new one called "Bible Verses" on his Body Language album. It does well on this staff and reader partnership.

Songs with ex-wife Miranda Lambert and fiancee Gwen Stefani make the list as well, but the Top 10 Blake Shelton songs are all solo efforts ... with one exception. Is it strange that his most convincing bedroom ballad was a collaboration with a different "Gwen"? Cover songs by George Jones and Conway Twitty, collaborations with RaeLynn and Trace Adkins, and a co-write with Earl Thomas Conley all make this list of Shelton's top songs. Which is your No. 1?

Top Blake Songs: His Greatest Hits + Best Deep Cuts

Taste of Country staff opinion, and the commercial success of tracks from Shelton's 12 studio albums were certainly considered in making this list of the top songs. More than anything, we sought fan input, via sales and direct input. What's your favorite Blake Shelton song, and does it agree with our No. 1?

Below are the The Voice coach's 50 best songs. Lyrical integrity and production were also considered in this ranking. Really it's hard to argue against any of the Top 5, but we understand if there's a debate about placement. Heck, we encourage it!

Warner Music Nashville

No. 50: "She's Got a Way With Words"

Songwriters Andy Albert, Marc Beeson and Wyatt Earp wrote a clever country lyric, but the problem is, it felt too personal from Blake Shelton in 2016. This is the song that stopped Shelton's impressive streak of No. 1 singles. Sonically, very few songs from this era stand apart from one another.

No. 49: "Gonna"

" isn't a bad song — a strong case could be made that it's better than some of the singles ranked ahead of it on this list of the top 50 Blake Shelton songs, actually — the love story from 2014 just isn't memorable in any way. Think about it: At best you said, "I remember that song" but more likely thought, "which one is that?"

No. 48: "The Wave"

" is a unique metaphor for how a good love can wash away all of your troubles. Blake Shelton's song from Texoma Shore is another fan favorite. The mid-tempo track displays his voice nicely.

No. 47: "When the Wine Wears Off"

," an album track from Texoma Shore that could have been a single. The song's structure and flow is very similar to so many hits from this era of Blake Shelton.

No. 46: "Anyone Else"

When asked which deep cut they like most, Blake Shelton fans chose "

," an album cut from Bringing Back the Sunshine. This ballad shows a bitterness that's rare across the singer's discography, and certainly this list of 50 songs. It's packaged in a fairly unoffensive arrangement, but his lyrics really sting.

No. 45: "Over"

Blake Shelton gives a great vocal performance of a fairly ordinary song during "

," his fourth straight No. 1 single from the Red River Blue album.

No. 44: "I'll Just Hold On"

Shelton relied on a sitar to make this song stand out. It only worked to get him a Top 10 hit. The remainder of "

" is arranged more conventionally, making the outsider instrument something of a gimmick.

No. 43: "All Over Me"

" will always hold a special place for Shelton, as he co-wrote it with an idol, Earl Thomas Conley. The piano-led ballad finds the singer doing something truly unique: Showcasing a timid falsetto during the chorus of this poignant, pure country single. Lyrically it's difficult to keep up with, but sonically it's bold, like so many of his early hits.

No. 42: "Every Time I Hear That Song"

In retrospect, very few songs from Shelton's post-divorce album stack up against his earliest and most recent singles and deep cuts. "

" relies on a vocal hook, but the performance lacks urgency. Still, it hit No. 1 easily.

No. 41: "Sure Be Cool If You Did"

Shelton's Based on a True Story ... album started with "

," but every single that followed is far better and more engaging. This love ballad doesn't hurt for warmth, but the arrangement is milquetoast at best.

Rick Diamond, Getty Images

No. 40: "Drink on It"

Real life couple Jessi Alexander and Jon Randall joined Rodney Clawson for this track from Shelton's Red River Blue album. While still a No. 1 hit, "

" gets a little lost among other more dynamic performances and arrangements on this list of his 50 best songs.

No. 39: "I'll Name the Dogs"

" cast Blake Shelton as a husband in waiting, something his fans and the world in general were hoping for in his real life. The No. 1 hit from 2017 went Platinum on the strength of a pop-rock chorus and a charming lyrical hook.

No. 38: "Happy Anywhere"

" — the second of two straight single collaborations with Gwen Stefani — hit No. 1 and is a total earworm. It's hard to criticize the feel-good jam, but we'll say "Nobody But You" is a superior duet for the country couple.

No. 37: "Neon Light"

In a vacuum, "Neon Light" — a No. 1 hit, released in 2014 — is a funky, country and hip fusion that works. Across Blake Shelton's full catalog of hits and album cuts, however, it tries to do too many things that this singer does better elsewhere. For that reason, this track rates a bit low on this list of Shelton's best songs.

No. 36: "Granddaddy's Gun"

Aaron Lewis' version of this same song was more convincing, but Blake Shelton's "

" wasn't trying to act tough. The more sensitive singer's rendition was more sensitive and polished. The two men were targeting different country audiences.

No. 35: "A Guy With a Girl"

Blake Shelton celebrates his woman during "

" a No. 1 hit from If I'm Honest. The song is a sweet gesture, made atop a radio-ready arrangement.

No. 34: "Nobody But You"

The first of two straight, Gwen Stefani duets to country radio finds the couple trading lines as they tell a love story that can only be described as genuine. The No. 1 hit reached a very pleasing one million downloads quickly. "

" should not be confused with another song on this list. It's a progressive, pop-friendly ballad that truly simmers.

No. 33: "When Somebody Knows You That Well"

Of all of Blake Shelton's official singles, "

" faired the worst. It barely cracked the Top 40, possibly due to an outdated, string heavy arrangement. But it's not a bad little song. Harley Allen co-wrote this ballad and Shelton does OK in finding the right perspective. 'A' for effort, big fella.

No. 32: "Doin' What She Likes"

This charming No. 1 hit is best remembered for a music video in which a bumbling Blake Shelton burns the house down trying to cook a romantic dinner for Miranda Lambert, who makes a vocal cameo early. Sans video, "

" is a warm love song that's fit for a squeeze.

No. 31: "Just South of Heaven"

Another fan favorite from deep in Shelton's catalog, "

" finds the singer relying on a familiar mood over a welcome acoustic guitar and fiddle combination.

No. 30: "Came Here to Forget"

If you expected Blake Shelton's post-divorce album to include some heartache, you were right. "

is a dark country lyric atop an R&B-infused guitar line. His twang keeps it country, but the song is among his most progressive No. 1 hits. Often when he stretches the genre, it's done with a wink — not this time.

No. 29: "Sangria"

Few songs on this list of Blake Shelton's best smolder like "

." The love song rides a warm melody that covers for a barely-there hook. This 2015 hit was one in a string of No. 1 hits for Shelton, most of which went Gold or Platinum.

No. 28: "Jesus Got a Tight Grip"

When Blake Shelton does sit down to write, what comes out is often spiritual. Deep love songs and reflections on a higher power make up his short songwriting catalog. Jessi Alexander helped him with "

," a plucky country-rocker from 2019.

No. 27 Draggin' the River

" tells a dark story of two lovers escaping together, and in that way, it's very Miranda. Shelton's polished vocals and a sweetened production make this track from the All About Tonight EP very Blake, however. While not a single, it was a fan favorite back when they were a couple. We still dig it.

No. 26: "Minimum Wage"

Blake Shelton's blue-collar love song is no "Friends in Low Places" but the spirit of this song still hits today. There's not a lot of love-conquers-all messaging across his catalog, at least not as much as that of storytellers like

" is a mainstream effort that did its job of introducing a new album, but it's hard to put it high on this list of Shelton's 50 best at this point.

No. 25: "Footloose"

Blake Shelton didn't deviate much from Kenny Loggins' original version. The country "

" wasn't a radio hit, but it went Gold and introduced the country singer to an all-genre audience that was just beginning to learn of him via The Voice.

No. 24: "Some Beach"

One could make a case for "

" as Shelton's most important song, as it saved a career that was spiraling after a trio of Top 40 country airplay hits. This is the first time fans got to witness his sense of humor and sarcasm — remember, there was no Twitter in 2004. A pre

Rory Feek co-wrote "Some Beach," showing how wide the singer reached for great songs early in his career.

No. 23: "Bible Verses"

" is the faith song on Blake Shelton's 2021 album Body Language, and it's truly a highlight on the project. The singer approaches the topic with genuine humility that feels as honest as any love or drinking song he has recorded. A great play on a phrase pushes the song higher up on this Top 50 list.

No. 22: "Hillbilly Bone" with Trace Adkins

Blake Shelton proved he's a dynamic duet partner with this partnership with Trace

" is among his most well-known songs, even if it's not a Top 10 song on our list. Amid a catalog of songs with sexy, delicate women, this rocker with tough guy Adkins stands up and demands you pay attention. Even the haters have to smile!

No. 21: "Nobody But Me"

Did you even know that Shelton has a hit song called "Nobody But You" and "

"? The former is his most recent hit with Gwen Stefani, but the 2005 love ballad is the one that deserves a celebration. A jazzy piano carries the country singer atop this pleading love song. It's both memorable and effective.

No. 20: "Savior's Shadow"

Jessi Alexander returns to this list of the best Blake Shelton songs to offer a gentle message about faith and peace. "

" is Shelton's only Hot Christian Songs hit, reaching No. 14 in 2016. He's rarely, if ever, performs the song live.

No. 19: "The More I Drink"

," a Top 10 hit for Blake Shelton in 2007. The singer's early rompers are unmistakably genuine. In his later years, a certain polish would change the raw messaging, but that doesn't exist in this Brent Rowan production.

No. 18: "Playboys of the Southwestern World"

This is a song about best friends. "

" is a critic's pick for this list because we can recall him playing it live. The song is largely shelved now, but it still cooks. As a storyteller, few artists do better than Shelton, as some of the highest ranked songs on this list will prove. Playboys (No. 24 in 2003) is a different kind of story.

No. 17: "Lonely Tonight"

Give Shelton credit: At a time when few solo females could break in country music, he was doing what he could to celebrate talent.

is just one example of the hitmaker looking past stars who would have furthered his career to support Nashville's best. This dark ballad about a one night stand is a provocative conversation that just burned in 2014, a time where Blake Shelton was king. During "

No. 16: "Turnin' Me On"

Blake Shelton hasn't written very many of the songs found on this list of his 50 best. "

" is a rare case where he set out to write a song that became a hit, albeit a minor one. The simmering love song only reached the Top 10 after its 2018 release, but charts aren't everything. Years later it really stands apart from the rest of the songs he released to radio. You can feel his passion as he sings a song that he clearly had girlfriend Gwen Stefani in mind for.

No. 15: "I Lived It"

This Top 5 hit for Blake Shelton seemed to come and go, but we wish it would have stuck around as a catalog cut for the singer. "

" is among his best late model songs as it treads into new, nostalgic territory for a singer who is so often singing of love and love lost.

No. 14: "The Baby"

Blake Shelton cemented himself as one of country music's most promising young storytellers with three of his first four singles, including "

." The heartbreaking mother-son story is a gut punch for older country music fans. Melodically, the chorus gives it wings. This song from The Dreamer would become his second No. 1 hit.

No. 13: "All About Tonight"

" for Blake Shelton, and it's a song that will forever hold a place in his live show. It's kind of the theme song for any country concert, isn't it? In truth, Shelton hasn't released too many all-out jams like this one in the last decade, so it stands out a decade later.

No. 12: "Boys 'Round Here" With Pistol Annies and RaeLynn

Every once in awhile Blake Shelton drops a song that reminds you he doesn't take himself too seriously. It's critical to his artistry and an integral part of his longevity. "

" was his early 2010s version of that song. It's a sort of hip-hop-inspired redneck stomp with callback lyrics and his then-wife's supergroup supporting him. The song is just so much fun to bop along with, even a decade later.

No. 11: "God Gave Me You"

Blake Shelton took Dave Barnes' "

God Gave Me You

" and turned it into a Grammy-nominated, chart-topping country song. But that's just part of the story. The emotive love ballad is also what gave the singer the kick in the pants he needed to propose marriage to then-girlfriend Miranda Lambert. This is a tremendous vocal performance and certainly worthy of a high placement on the singer's best songs list.

No. 10: "My Eyes"

Blake Shelton and

Gwen Sebastian

kept a brother-sister kind of relationship after her time on The Voice. She even joined his band. That changed with "

," a true bed burner that beckons, "Come a little closer, come a little closer / Come a little closer, love the way you look tonight / My eyes are the only thing I don't wanna take off of you."

"My Eyes" was the last of a trio of great male/female collaborations that truly put new female artists on a pedestal. RaeLynn and Pistol Annies joined him for "Boys 'Round Here," Ashley Monroe jumped in for "Lonely Tonight" and Sebastian for "My Eyes." This was a time when women struggled mightily at country radio, but the singer did what he could to help introduce new talent.

Warner Music Nashville

No. 9: "Home"

You see a real change in Blake Shelton's commercial success beginning with his cover of "

" in 2008. One could argue this is his most important radio release, and his vocals stand up to anything else he's put out. Prior to his version of the Michel Bublé song, Top 20 was where he lived. After that, he rattled off a string of No. 1 hits as long as anyone ever: Nineteen of Shelton's next 20 singles hit No. 1.

Warner Music Nashville

No. 8: "Goodbye Time"

There is more than one famous cover among Blake Shelton's 50 best songs. "

" was a

Conway Twitty

hit in 1988, and the younger singer did it justice with a piano-led arrangement that showcased him as a premier vocalist. This song also exemplifies why he was hit-and-miss at radio in the mid 2000s. It followed the chart-topping "Some Beach," which followed a Top 40 song called "When Somebody Knows You That Well." It's good to go back and forth between good times and heartache, but with Shelton, the pendulum swung too far every time. It was hard to figure out who he was for most of a decade.

No. 7: "Ol' Red"

" is not Blake Shelton's best song, but it's his signature song. He can't play a live show without telling this story of a prisoner, a dog and a warden who gets fooled. Early in his career, Shelton wasn't shy about covering other artists, including Conway Twitty and (in this case) George Jones. His tie to the past has loosened in recent years, which is a bummer because songs like this are far more interesting than anything on the radio today.

Warner Music Nashville

No. 6: "Honey Bee"

There's not an easier song in Blake Shelton's catalog to enjoy than "

," his slightly saccharine, but still grinning love song from 2011. The track went triple-Platinum and is perhaps his most recognizable song worldwide today.

No. 5: "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking"

Joe Nichols

cut this song several years before Shelton would make it his best love song. Both versions are exemplary. It starts with the songwriting. Lyrically, "

" is more sensitive and poetic than anything else on this list. Each line is phrased as a question, and each question is one any woman can relate to. The magic is in this hitmaker's personal delivery. His range isn't needed for a subtle romancer that the greats would be proud of. Few country women will resist a warm smile when this No. 1 hit begins.

Warner Music Nashville

No. 4: "God's Country"

God's Country

" rejuvenated Blake Shelton's career. The country-rock song paints a vivid picture but it works so well because everyone who touched the song went for it 100 percent. The chart-topping hit is arguably his best of the last half-decade and an easy pick for Top 10 on this list of his greatest songs.

No. 3: "She Wouldn't Be Gone"

There's no song in Blake Shelton's catalog that paints a breathtaking picture with the same ease of "

She Wouldn't Be Gone

," his No. 1 song from 2008. He begins with, "Red roadside wild flower if I'd only picked you / Took you home set you on the counter" before his second metered stanza that goes, "Yellow sunset slowly dipping down in the rear view / Oh, how she'd love to sit and watch you / I could have done that a whole lot more."

The chorus of this song is where the tension lies, however. Shelton has told great stories before and delivered strong vocal performances plenty of times, but few songs find him so recklessly emotional as this ballad. It's almost unnerving to listen to.

No. 2: "Mine Would Be You"

" is a Top 5 Blake Shelton song because of the twist at the end that just crushes your heart. It's a love song, until suddenly it isn't. Jessi Alexander and company wrote it, but it's the singer's energy that makes the song special. As with "She Wouldn't Be Gone," there's a sense of panic so rare on the radio today. Shelton seems like such a cool character most of the time, but moments like this remind us of his gifts.

No. 1: "Austin"

Fans have, and will continue to, make a case for "

" as Blake Shelton's best song. It's certainly an all-time great debut single — one that would work in any era of country music. Early in his career, the Oklahoma native relied on veteran songwriters and producers like Bobby Braddock to shape his sound. These days everything comes with a little more polish, which is fine and probably even necessary.

You can't compare 20-year-old tracks like "Austin" with modern songs like "I'll Name the Dogs." Lyrically, his newest material lacks depth when held up against the rich tapestry of these early hits. So many songs from Shelton's first two albums make the Top 10 or even Top 20 of this list for this reason. "Austin" at No. 1? It's tempting to select another for the sake of being bold, but doing so would just be dishonest.

[purplesurveys]

1283

Are you more annoyed when decorations are up two months prior to a holiday or still up two months after a holiday? We only do this for Christmas, so I’d personally find it weird if this was done for any other holiday; like if I see people wearing 2022 glasses right in October lol. But for Christmas, it’s fine; we literally put our tree up a month ago and I imagine we would have it around until end of January. 

Have you ever had Dippin’ Dots and if so, what’re your thoughts on it and you favorite flavor? No. Their product never looked too appealing to me, honestly. It looks like it’s a lot to chew hahaha.

What’re the best and worst books you ever had to read for a class? I will allllllllllways vouch for Without Seeing the Dawn by Stevan Javellana; his style of writing is precisely what I look for, so I was b r e e z i n g through the pages while still appreciating what I was reading. As for worst, I really hated Holes by Louis Sachar.

What’s the best meal you had at an amusement park. or if you haven’t been to one, how about a good meal at another place like a zoo, aquarium or museum? Ooh, good question. I’m not actually sure...I don’t really buy food from these places because they tend to be overpriced, and the food I have had have been unremarkable at best. I’m not sure I’ve had something that was especially good because I would for sure have to remember that.

Who, whether a person or company, emails you the most? These days it’s one of my clients since we have a huge huge huge event/launch coming up for that brand soon so there have been a million and one things to prepare for.

If you were given an assignment to draw anything besides stick figures or just doodles, what would you draw? I hate being creative hahaha. I would 100% just use the opportunity to practice my written Hangul.

Do you own any magnets and do you even like magnets? I don’t own any of my own, but our refrigerator is filled with magnets from all the places my dad has visited for work. At this point I think we’ve got at least one magnet from each continent except Antarctica lol.

What kind of sound or noise freaks you out the most and why do you think it scares you? Banging doors shut. That’s my mom’s habit when she’s extremely pissed off and she has been banging doors since I was a kid, so it makes me nervous and sends me into an internal panic.

If you could get any body part massaged right now, what would you pick? My shoulders.

Are the street names in your area in the standard language of your country or in another language? Most are Western-sounding ones, but there are a handful that are Spanish in origin. So, essentially, none are in Filipino haha.

What’s the strangest art piece you’ve come across? I’ve never seen anything too weird.

What’s the most clever or unique name you’ve come across for a business? I’ve come across a lot of unique ones but the first that came to mind is the online shop I frequent for K-Pop merch – their shop name is what would at first look like a random bunch of numbers, which technically doesn’t look the most appealing – but I got curious and did some digging, and it was there I learned that they actually combined the country codes of South Korea and the Philippines :)

Are there a lot of Cash for Gold stores in your area? We don’t have those here and I have no clue what they are.

If you had to name one of your hypothetical future children after a song, which song would you pick? One Direction has a song called Olivia, and that’s a name I’ve always loved, even before 1D. I’ll go with that.

What’s the best item you’ve bought from the dollar section of a store? We don’t have fifty-peso (what the equivalent of $1 be here) stores lol.

Do you ever get meals or snacks when you go to a coffee or smoothie shop? Not always, but sure. It’s nice to have something to munch on while having coffee.

Are you a messy eater and what foods do you consume that are usually messy? Yeah, it drives my mom nuts. I always end up with a mark on my shirt or with a few grains of rice on my side of the table.

How popular is the bank you or your parents use and can you find one pretty much everywhere or is it not as common? It’s probably the most popular one here in my country.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve witnessed at your work, or if you don’t work, what’s a strange experience you witnessed at a store or restaurant? One of my clients is pretty elitist and has said some absolutely wack shit in the past.