#(seen a lot of it oddly enough in the segment of the fandom that just assumes the aurigan coalition got conquered)

[doolallymagpie]

almost finished with the medium ‘mechs for the aurigan reach’s “it” couple: high lady kamea arano and prince-consort raynard noriko callahan

[utilitycaster]

What’s your feeling on the Laudna-is-a-suntree-corpse reveal? I think I remember you finding the theory silly at one point, so are you still frustrated? The thing with her ears was somehow the most upsetting to me.

You know this is a great question and I was wondering if anyone would ask it. I actually found that I didn't mind how it was presented in the story, in the end. You've caught me in an oddly reflective mood, which is probably good for everyone myself included, and I want to answer this and also maybe elucidate my philosophy on theories in a way that's perhaps more honest and a bit...idk about kinder, but at least more patient and less contrarian than I've been.

Specifically about this theory

In hindsight, I don't love this as backstory but I don't hate it either. I think I reacted so negatively to this as a theory for a couple of reasons.

The first is that I do feel Vox Machina at times occupies this outsized mythos within the fandom and it was something I felt particularly keenly coming in with Campaign 2; it felt (still feels, tbh) sometimes that there's this air of "welcome :) you don't have to have seen campaign 1 to enjoy campaign 2 :) but jsyk campaign 1 was better in every way :) it was better when the fandom was smaller and all you johnny come latelies weren't here and you're wrong for preferring campaign 2 :) anyway welcome :)" (I should note - many, many people who have been around since Campaign One don't do this at all, it's a tiny minority who do, but god they piss me off). Anyway, to that end I'm hesitant about strong connections to Campaign 1, to the point that it took a good deal of time for Orym to grow on me (and he has, to be clear).

The second is that, and maybe this, ironically enough, is me jumping to conclusions, it felt like it was treated as definitively correct (well, that and the competing theory that Laudna was a de Rolo) when it was merely a possibility, and one that I didn't feel added much (more on this below).

The third is that I could feel the way a certain segment of the fandom wanted this to be true for Angst Reasons and this is a sticking point; I have a low, low tolerance for angst and I've talked about that before, in that I'm way more interested in realistic depictions of responses to tragedy, ie, either like, actual grief and trauma, and then processing and healing. Like, I want the Nein post-Molly's death, I want Yasha and Caleb's stories...but I also want stories that we're getting in Campaign Three, in which Laudna, Chetney, Orym, and Ashton have all experienced objectively horrible, life-altering events but they all seem to share this attitude of "yes, this was horrible. Nothing I can do will change it, and even resentment against those who did it won't help, and all I can do is move forward." I guess what I'm saying is that if you want to delve deep into angst and "oh no I made myself sad" that is an entirely valid personal choice but I have no taste for it, and I can't really block it either without blocking a lot of stuff I do want to see so I just...seethe.

So this was a super long way to say that it's not going to be my favorite choice but I actually appreciate that Laudna is like "I was an innocent bystander who brutally murdered to send a message I don't even totally understand, and I don't want to think about it too much, but in the end, it is what it is and I'm somehow still here so let's make the best of it."

(FWIW the part about the ears doesn't bother me terribly? I mean it's awful but we already knew how horrible the Briarwoods were, like, this doesn't really change much and I can respect a gory detail, but I understand it being rough)

Theories in general

So I'm in no way above theorizing to my own taste...but I do want theories to answer a question. Otherwise it's wild unfounded speculation, and I know that is fun for some people but it's no fun to me. I don't even mind being wrong about the concrete happenings, but I do mind being wrong about vibes, I guess is the best way to say it?

Like, to give a couple examples in which I was wrong (both C2 because I was spoiled for a decent amount of C1) - I was very wrong about the campaign going on longer bc the Uk'otoa and Trent plot threads were still out there, but I was correct in that they were still out there and need a resolution; the difference was just that the resolution would happen for the most part as epilogue or post-campaign. I was wrong in that I leaned towards Essek not being a traitor and just being caught up in some weird personal stuff...but he was indeed caught up in some weird personal stuff and his intent wasn't really to betray.

So here, I was 100% wrong about Laudna not being a Sun Tree corpse. But I do think that her response to her death seems like it would have been the same had she just been killed by a necromantic wave of energy, or by a stone giant, or whatever. That's what I ultimately felt strongly about - that the connection isn't rife with meaning, that it's just a thing that happened. I should probably, when dealing with theories, focus more on things like that than the details. I feel like this is hedging but I promise that's not my intent - this is me realizing things about why I dislike certain theories and how to better personally frame it instead of shooting them all down wholesale.

[crescentfool]

after a year of on-and-off playing, i finally finished persona 3 fes (the journey) and it was a very lovely experience! so i thought i’d write a post compiling some of my thoughts about it!

first things first, p3p or p3fes:

i enjoyed fes a LOT but for people who are looking for a smoother game experience and fun social links, i would suggest playing femc’s route on p3p, and then watch the p3 movies to see minato’s journey.

that said, if you feel that 3d models are important to help immerse yourself in the setting and storyline (like me!), i would still recommend playing fes!

and if you are not entirely sure if you want to commit to an 80+ hour long game… the movies are a very good starting point!

where im coming from:

before i actually get into Some of My Thoughts™, a lil’ precursor  i did go into fes with the general gist of p3’s plot (i watched the movies).

p3 fes was the second persona game i played (after p5r), but i have seen a good chunk of gameplay of the other games (p1, p2is, p3p, and p4g).

i can say that playing the game definitely heightened my appreciation for the characters and setting in a way that the movie couldn’t. soufhglkhdf i loved it. 

but anyways. some More Thoughts™ under the cut, mostly just about fes’s gameplay and Some Spoilers!

on the gameplay:

i think that playing fes after p5r was really interesting! i felt that i could see the foundation of what makes up the ‘modernsona’ games. it’s not as streamlined as p5r (no baton passes 💔) but i think it’s still playable (though that might be because i played on easy, lol).

tartarus, i found it… oddly calming? but i understand if people feel it’s repetitive, and not as interesting as the dungeons in p5r. i enjoy that tartarus isn’t as segmented since the story beats didn’t have to be tied to it.

i think the worst part of the gameplay to me was anything to do with the golden hands…. it’s very annoying to get into a battle with them on the map, and once you DO get into a fight they can just run away before you can do anything? so i’m glad that their appearances in p4g are much more fair and feel more rewarding bc i had to abuse so many save states just to hit the fuckers.

in regards to the ai, i think they’re alright unless you’re trying to pull off a more elaborate strategy that isn’t “knock down enemies and all out attack them.” i think the directions that you can give SEES are fairly straightforward but there have been times where their decisions are questionable (no mediaharan or… attacking when the final boss activated their reflect barrier… lol).

i found fes to be tolerable but i do think that sometimes enemy advantage attacks combined with the ai can be rather punishing when party members heal people that aren’t the leader (given the if protag dies = game over). totally not speaking from experience haha what do you mean (volume warning)???

if you’re playing on emulator i highly recommend keeping save states! i used them a lot for hands and the (groans) random skill mutations and. shuffle times. im cheap. i know. but don’t b afraid to make it easier for urself ✨ 

there’s also the new moon difficulty mod for anyone who’s concerned about the game balance, but i haven’t played it myself.

on the characters / story:

i liked sees when watching the movies, but gosh, playing the game really heightened my appreciation for them! especially yukari, i loved her social link and i really enjoyed getting to know her better.

that said. anyone who’s been in the p3 fandom long enough probably has heard that minato’s social links are… lackluster. there are a few good ones (that weren’t SEES) that i really liked- bebe (XIV), mutatsu (XVI), and akinari (XIX)! but all of these are… available in femc’s route and she gets a lot better options. i don’t want to sit through nozomi and kenji’s social links again </3

even if i feel that minato’s SLs are a bit meh, i really appreciate how SEES’s social links are handled and that their development does not hinge on minato DOING things- i think it allows for stronger and more believable character arcs and i loved seeing the different dynamics among the cast!

i think that playing the game and living out each day brings out the inherent strength of the persona calendar system- i really felt a stronger attachment to the characters and their individualized storylines than i did in the movies, which in turn enhanced my enjoyment of the themes portrayed in the narrative. which. i already enjoyed a lot (gestures a lot at ryoji mochizuki who everyone probably knows that he’s my favorite character ever).

if it’s not readily apparent! i really! enjoyed playing FES! im glad i chose it over p3p bc :) i like to look at minato and smile at his silly little animations. but uh. i think that’s all i have to say!

if anyone wants any specific thoughts™ on the characters / gameplay, feel free to leave an ask !!! i would be happy to answer it whenever i have the chance to~

 TL;DR: p3 GOOD i loved it a lot

[fandomlurker]

A Ponderous Rewatch: Prologue

You know, I didn’t think this would happen. I didn’t go into bingeing the 2020 renewal of Animaniacs with the thought “I’m going to watch this and then go and watch the original Pinky and the Brain shorts and spin-off show and do a rewatch and loose analysis on the whole franchise with special attention on queer subtext and themes”. What I initially set out to do was simply watch the renewal and see if it lived up to the show I watched pretty regularly as a kid in the 90s…or at least what I remembered of it through the haze of decades worth of time.

Pinky and the Brain was my favorite set-up on Animaniacs back in the day. Back then I probably wouldn’t even have been able to tell you why beyond “I think it’s funny and the characters are fun to watch as they screw up trying to take over the world”. Other segments were funny to me back in the day, too. Slappy the squirrel was great in that she was basically just like the classic, near-timeless Looney Toons a la Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, but as an old lady toon who’s seen it all and tries to relate to the changing world while proving that the ol’ slapstick ways still work. The Goodfeathers were entertaining despite the fact that I was a literal child and didn’t even know that it was a big ol’ spoof of Goodfellas. Hell, I’ve still never seen Goodfellas, but three pigeons trying to carry themselves like macho tough guy mafia folks while being goddamn pigeons is still funny with or without that context. And as for the Warner siblings themselves? Their skits were pretty consistently great as well. Lots of that Bugs Bunny-like energy of putting terrible folks in their place when they annoy you while coupling it with the dynamic of three child siblings who are very, very active and much too clever for the average person. It was fun!

But as I watched the 2020 reboot with its stripped-down cast now largely consisting of just the Warner siblings and Pinky and the Brain segments for the season (And I’ll be honest, some of the segments from the 90s like Katie Kaboom, Buttons and Mindy, and the Hip-Hippos are ones I’ll be happy to never have return because they were godawful even back then), it brought into focus the strength of those segments compared to most of the others from the old 90s line-up: The strong dynamic and chemistry of the relationships between the main characters of those skits. The Warner siblings are a trio of kids who, despite being truly cut from the same wacky cloth as the most beloved of Looney Toon characters, also very much tap into a very realistic depiction of sibling relationships. Sure, they get on each other’s nerves sometimes. Sure, sometimes they have disagreements on how they view a certain situation. At the end of the day, however, they care about each other more than anything else and work in such perfect sync despite differences in who they are individually.  Sure, Yakko is a talkative theater kid jackass who sasses back at the drop of a dime. Sure, Wakko is kinda quiet and spaced-out and he has the appetite of a garbage disposal. Sure, Dot is adorable and witty and loudly and proudly feminist with an oddly feral streak. But if any one of them is inconvenienced or picked on or threatened in any way by someone, even if that someone is a powerful celebrity of some sort? You bet your ass the other two will immediately back their sibling up and make their tormentor’s life a living hell for the next however long the skit lasts. They’re little gremlin children who love one another, and have a surprisingly tragic backstory that actually speaks to a lot of fans on several levels.

But, okay, the bond between the Warner siblings is great and fun. What about Pinky and the Brain? What makes their dynamic stand out?

Folks, that’s where things get a little more…interesting. To me, at least.

So, watching the beginning of the 2020 reboot got me to slowly remember the parts I loved about the Pinky and the Brain skits from Animaniacs…were actually from their spin-off show. And the things I remembered most clearly from the spin-off were the more heartwarming moments that showed how much they cared about and loved one another, despite Brain being exhausted by Pinky’s dimwitted antics at times. And for a supposedly continuity-light cartoon show, there was a surprising amount of consistency to the main duo and their motivations. There was even a handful of reoccurring side characters the audience was expected to recognize from past episodes, as well, which is a bit strange to have for a show that initially seemed to aim to be strictly episodic. I remembered the odd amount of depth there was to the series. Nothing groundbreaking, mind you, but definitely something more than the average comedy cartoon.

So after watching the first few episodes of the reboot, I took to Tumblr to see if anyone remembered the old 90s show and to see how they were reacting to the new one. In doing so, I came across this post:

“i love that ppl make jokes abt a pinky and the brain version of the destiel confession because that. already happened....... the only difference is that brain pulls pinky out of superhell instead of dying on a barn nail”

Now, look, I’ve never watched Supernatural and only know it through Tumblr cultural osmosis, and at the time we were all riding off the high of the madness that was the finale of that show and the fallout from it. But ANYWAY…

This piqued my interest because 1. I didn’t remember watching an episode of Pinky and the Brain where anything like that happened, and 2. I was already picking up strong gay vibes from the reboot only a few episodes in. So, basically, I just had to hunt down this episode to sate my curiosity and see for myself if there was subtext in this 90s cartoon that I hadn’t quite picked up on as a kid.

I found the episode and started watching it. “Wow,” I said to myself, “this is a lot gayer than I remember…” And after finishing the episode, memories came flooding back to me:

That time the Brain fell for a girl mouse that was looked and acted lot like Pinky.

All those moments where Pinky would wear drag to disguise himself as Brain’s significant other in one way or another to further their plans for that episode, and how I could never remember it being ridiculed.

That one time they accidentally had a child together via a science mishap.

The ending of the Christmas special!...

And as I sat there, dumbstruck and searching Tumblr’s tags to see how far this particular rabbit hole (mouse hole?) went, everything finally clicked in my little bisexual mind.

This was one of the big reasons as to why I loved the Pinky and the Brain skits so much above all the others on Animaniacs all those years ago when I was a kid. It was the same sort of thing that subconsciously drew me to many of the cartoons and anime and media in general I loved as a child, back before I had the proper knowledge and self-awareness to know or express it.

Looking back on my life, I’d always gravitated to and resonated the most with stories and media with queer content in text or subtext. And sure, this cartoon was/is no Sailor Moon or Revolutionary Girl Utena with explorations of gender roles and queerness. It’s no Steven Universe or She-Ra with out and proud queer characters. It’s no The Little Mermaid or The Happy Prince where the stories were made by queer authors and subtextually about queer experience.

However…

However…!

I was surprised to find how deep the gay subtext went with Pinky and the Brain. Hell, I still am. This little Warner Brothers, Looney Toons-pedigree, continuity-light show about two lab mice trying to take over the world in bizarre, hilarious ways has such a weirdly continuous, heartfelt, touching, engaging, and sometimes outrageously raunchy queer undercurrent to it. All done in the 90s! It’s kind of baffling.

This is not to say that the creators and writers of the shows deliberately set out to do this. I don’t believe that anyone involved sat down and said to themselves “I’m going to make this so fucking gay!”. Sure, the voice actors of both Pinky and the Brain have said that they played the dynamic with “the energy of an old gay couple” and they’ve said plenty of suggestive or outright not safe for work things in the character’s voices in interviews and at convention panels. I firmly believe that they’re just having fun as the characters, just as much as I believe the writers were probably just having fun and putting in the gay subtext and suggestive lines as a kind of long running joke and seeing how far they could take it.

(By the time of the Pinky and the Brain comics, however, I’m not so sure. Some of the stuff they got away with in those issues is…amazing, to say the least.)

Regardless of actual intent, I think the writers of Pinky and the Brain (both old and new), have accidentally created a sort of subtextual, yet pretty powerful love story. And you know what? I want to rewatch this story for myself and write down my thoughts as I go along. I tried something similar quite a while back with Droids, and while I kind of ran out of steam as my life got busier and never finished, I have time now for something like this.

I should also say that I’m not out here to, like, convert anyone into shipping cartoon mice together. I imagine most people see Pinky and the Brain as nothing other than very close friends, and that’s a completely valid viewpoint to have. I doubt there will ever be some sort of canonization of a gay relationship between the two, as I imagine most of the writers on the new show (and hell, on the old one) are heterosexual themselves and would view such an idea as “ruining the comedy and the dynamic of the characters” or something similar. I’ve been in the fandom game long enough to know better than to hope and expect any media to sincerely tackle queer relationships in stories that only have the subtext there, especially in comedies.

I guess I’m doing this more to explore something I loved as a child and to see if I can find just as much if not more enjoyment from it as an adult, albeit maybe for different reasons. Hell, it’s also an opportunity to peek into a kind of time capsule from the 90s regarding how far queer subtext could be pushed back then, even when heavily couched in comedy. This is just a little project I wanna do for fun in my spare time. And hey, maybe a few of you out there will have some fun reading it too, who knows?

Either way, see you sometime soon in the new year.

[rosesfromcth]

Spill Your Guts. SM

Summary/AN: So I spent tonight watching clips from the late late show with James Corden and the up next videos ended up always showing me the segment ‘Spill your guts or fill your guts’ and that got me thinking about how Shawn Mendes would do on the show and how I would do if I would ever end up on the show if I were famous and it gave me an idea for a fic so here we are.

Pairing: Shawn Mendes and Famous!Reader

Word count:3.4K

#queen of the run on sentence.

This was not your first time being on The Late Late Show. It was probably one of your favorite late show to go on, you always had so much fun with James. You typically would go on with people that you were promoting other projects with to normally just talk. You’d never really done any of the game segments.

However, tonight you were playing a game with a bunch of other celebrities you had not yet met. IT was the worst possible game for you to play as well. It was Spill your Guts or Fill your Guts. For starters, you have always had a very sensitive stomach and you had a very big problem with most textures when it came to food.  But you also had never met these people and you didn’t want to make them have ti eat these foods because you hated hurting foods and you also hated having to ask them compromising questions. You could only hope that James would be your teammate for the night because you felt somewhat comfortable around him.

It was 5 minutes till your segment and you’d just been introduced to one of the other guests, Sabrina Carpenter. You have been a fan of her music for the longest time, so it was pretty exciting to meet her. The two of you were chatting when one of the crew members walks up and says that the last guest is running just a few minutes late but should be there any second.

It was just as you were about to go on when the third and final guest finally arrived. You were surprised to see it was Shawn Mendes. This was kind of surprising for a few reasons, He was your ‘celebrity crush’ and the last time you had been on the show James had asked you about who your celebrity crush was and of course you had told him and now of course he was here. You actually are so embarrassed by this that you pretend that you have a preshow routine to do quickly before you go on stage when Sabrina says she is going to go say hello. You are then told you it’s time to go on stage.

“Ladies and Gentleman, it is time for our next segment, I’d like a warm welcome for our incoming guest. Shawn Mendes, Sabrina Carpenter and Y/Full/Name!” James announces and you all rush on.

James stands to greet each of you and gives you a hug before you sit down at the rotating table of disgusting foods.

“I am so excited to have each of you here tonight, now have you all had a chance to get acquainted?” He asks as you each settle in.

“Y/N and I actually just met tonight for the first time and we had a few minutes beforehand to chat. I am quite a fan so I was a little star struck when I was told she would be here tonight,” Sabrina giggles. “But Shawn and I have known each other for a while and I always love to see him when we get the chance.”

“Sabrina and I have, um well, we’ve actually even discussed collaborating before on a song but have never had the chance.” Shawn smiles. “But I’ve never met Y/N before. I was running late tonight so I actually didn’t even get to introduce myself before we came out here. Hi Y/N, nice to meet you. I am Shawn Mendes.”

The crowd erupts in laughter and you laugh alongside them before smiling at him and offering your hand in a handshake.

“Well, isn’t that nice? Shawn, did you know that the last time Y/N was on this show she actually told  me-“ You cut James off before he has a chance to out you.

“That I am a huge fan of yours. Yeah I love your music. Anyways. James, can you tell me more about the gross foods we have to choose from?” The crowd seems to get a kick out of this because it seems they all know your little secret but Shawn doesn’t show any hint on his face of knowing what you’re hiding.

James just smirks at you before listing each of the foods.

“So I figured the teams would be Sabrina and Shawn because both of their names start with an S and Then I figured Y/N and I would be together on a team. The rules of the game are that you don’t have to answer whatever question you are asked but if you don’t you and your teammate have to eat whatever food the opposing team had chosen for you.” James explains and you all nod in understanding.

“I think this will be a very fun game tonight. actually, because I know how uncomfortable Y/N gets and how awkward she is but also that she is the nicest, most polite person I know tied alongside Shawn.” James laughs and so does the audience yet again.

You are the first to ask a question and you are told to ask Sabrina the first question in your deck. You let James pick the food that she will have to eat if she doesn’t answer. He chooses Turkey Testes.

“Oh no,” You say as you pick up the card. “I feel so bad even asking this question. Like I don’t want to put you in a hard spot.”

From besides you, James chuckles and awhs at your reaction to the question in your hands.

“Okay, ahh. Sabrina, you were on the popular Disney Channel reboot of Boy Meets World titled Girl Meets World-I have to admit I was a huge fan of that show- Who was your least favorite person in that cast to work with?” You sputter out. You can feel your cheeks grow red.

“Y/N, this isn’t even something you have to answer or risk eating a gross food for and you’re this flustered, my god!” James cries.

“Erh, Shawn, I don’t know that I can answer that. I loved everyone one that set, ahhh.”

“It’s not that you don’t like them, it’s that they were your least favorite.” James reminds her.

“Sabrina, I can eat Turkey Balls for you. You don’t have to answer that if you’ll get in trouble.” Shawn tells her.

“Um, my least favorite person on that set, oh gosh. I-I can’t.” She says as she grabs one of the Items and throws it into her mouth, gagging slightly as she does so. Shawn follows her lead and throws it straight back. They both hew for a moment and start laughing as they do so until they swallow.

Sabrina then moves on to asking James a question, which was very similar to many questions he gets, was about who the worst singer he did Carpool Karaoke with was.

“James, don’t answer, please. Don’t. I can, ugh, I can drink this Sardine Smoothie.” You protest. “Or say, I was the worst if I was, I can handle it.”

He looks at you for a second. “I’m so sorry, I can’t say that because it wouldn’t be true. But I can’t tell you who the worst was either. Sorry, Y/N, bottoms up.”  

Both of you grab a glass and take a chug of the thick liquid. You plug your nose as you do so to try and hide of some of the taste. It it’s chunky and thick and just disgusting. You try and down it but end up gagging and having to spit it out.

“Well, I definitely do not feel super attractive after that.” You announce as you take a big gulp of water and use your napkin to wipe your face and to that everyone laughs.

James asks Shawn a question which he actually doesn’t end up answering. James then tells Shawn to grab a card to ask you a question and tells them to select a food for you to eat but tell them to go easy on you with the food because of how flustered you are already which of course makes you blush harder.

“Y/N, since we are looking to stir up some drama onstage tonight, can you list five Shawn Mendes songs, five of my songs?” He smiles at you and for a second you have to ask him to repeat because just looking at his smile breaks you for a seconds “Or you can drink some pickle juice.”

“Wow they really went easy on me tonight. When I said I was a fan earlier, I wasn’t lying to either of you about being a fan. But okay, five songs. Um, there’s Life of the Party. Which oddly enough was really the first song that got me into your music. Back when you were touring with Austin Mahone, my friend who was a huge Mahonie, I believe is the fandom name, had a group of us go the concert near our hometown for her birthday. And we both fangirled so hard over you at that concert. Okay so life of the party was like your big song at the time and oof, we loved it. Okay, one down, four to go. When you’re ready, Lights on, Roses and then, um, Falling all in you is another of my favorites.” You could feel yourself rambling so as soon as you said the last one you cut yourself off.

You picked up the glass of pickle juice and thought about how as a kid you used to drink it straight up.

“The funny thing is, I used to love pickle juice, I could drink it by the jar. And I’ve heard it’s a pretty good hangover remedy. As a kid, I would beg my parents to let me drink it and they would usually indulge me a bit but never let me drink a lot because they said I would get a tummy ache.” You brought the glass to your mouth and took a sip, sighing at how good it tasted to you. It was probably the weirdest food you enjoyed.  You quickly finished the drink as everyone laughed at you. James was a bit in awe because he didn’t expect it considering how you had a weak stomach and were gagging at most of the foods as they passed you on the table. Shawn and Sabrina both picked up glasses as well and raised their glasses to you before taking a sip. Sabrina also finished her glass off, but Shawn’s face quickly puckered and he set the glass back down.

“Wow, I’ve never seen all of the guests try a food when none of them had to. She answered the question. You two aren’t even on her team!” James exclaimed as the audience quieted down.

It is then your turn to ask Sabrina another question and this time she is able to answer. She continues the game by asking James about which celebrity has been the worst behaved on his show and he jokingly answers that it was Harry Styles but then refuses to answer seriously so you end up drinking bird saliva, which again, you are unable to swallow.

“Shawn Mendes, my question for you has to do with both of the young and talented women we have here with us tonight.” James turns and smirks at you and you can feel the heat rise to your cheeks. What is he doing? “My question, and you cannot go wrong with your answer because both of these women are beautiful and funny and kind, is who would you most likely date out of your co-guests tonight?”

If James hadn’t embarrassed you enough at this point, he winks at you and nudges your shoulder. Shawn has to have some clue at this point.

He’s going to choose Sabrina. She is a strong and successful woman, not to mention she is just so cute and funny. Hell, if you were him you’d choose her. Besides, they are already friends and he knows her unlike you.

Sabrina is grinning at Shawn, even she knows he’ll choose her. This is embarrassing. “C’mon Shawn, tell her.” Then she grins directly at James and winks. That’s when you notice that Shawn’s cheeks are possibly just as red as yours must be.

“Well, I would have to admit that Y/N is probably who I would choose since she’s been my celebrity crush for quite some time.” He awkwardly chuckles and then sneaks a glance at you and you awkwardly look away.

It makes sense, you’d been set up completely and you can feel a grin grow on your face.

“Wow, isn’t that interesting, Y/N, last time you were here you were actually telling all of us about how Shawn Mendes, who is sitting right there and just confessed that he would like to take you on a date, is your biggest celebrity crush.” James feigns shock and you see Shawn’s mouth curl up into a smile that matches your own as James spills the beans.

Shawn then asks you your last question of the night, both of you sending each other shy glances and smiling softly as James closes the show.

Sabrina and you walk off the stage together one the cameras stop filming. You exchange phone numbers and make plans to meet up for coffee sometime soon. James and Shawn stay at their spots for a moment while you converse with Sabrina. One of the crew members walked over and offers you each a disposable tooth brush and a mini tube of toothpaste. Sabrina leads you to her dressing room where you continue to chat and brush your teeth of the gross aftertaste that is lingering in your mouth from the game.

When you walk back out to the set, she says goodbye to you and walks with you to Shawn and James. Sabrina gives Shawn a quick hug and then pulls James to the side to talk to him, James winks at you before walking away.

“We were really set up, weren’t we?” You giggle, breaking the ice.

“Yeah, I’d mentioned it to Sabrina a while ago that I thought you were cute and she must’ve told James at some point and then the orchestrated this.” He laughs with you.

“I had no idea you would be here tonight, to be honest, it really threw me off. But I was happy I got to meet you, if nothing else.”

“Yeah, yeah me too.” He agrees and you both say goodbye.

It’s as you are gathering your items out of your dressing room that you notice the presence of the tall singer.

“Hey Shawn, what’s up?” You turn to look at the singer.

 “So, about tonight, I actually would love to get to know you a little bit better and maybe take you on a date?” Shawn asks.

It takes you a second to realize what he is asking and that this is reality, not a dream. When you finally realize that you had yet to respond, you give him your full attention and stop packing your bag up.

“I would love that.”

After that night, the two of you went on three dates before he asked you to become his girlfriend. You kept your relationship fairly quiet for a while, telling everyone you were really good friends. You ended up announcing it officially six months later when you went back to The Late Late Show. James took all credit and pretended to be shocked just like when he first heard about Shawn’s crush on the show that first night. The both of you had actually told James fairly quickly after you got together. James continued to talk about how he would be taking credit for getting you together and decided he had to call Sabrina Carpenter on air to tell her the news. This led to him explaining to the audience his plan that he and Sabrina had created to get the two of you together. She had seen the episode when it first aired of you telling James about your crush and had decided she had to get you two together if it was possible. To this day whenever, you or Shawn are on the show he brings up his matchmaker status. “100 percent matching success.” He will brag.

Now, two years later, you are seated back at the table with disgusting food surrounded by Harry Styles and Steve Carrell. The two Europeans, Harry and James are on a team and you are paired with Steve. James has yet to brag about being the reason behind your relationship. Which is odd, because anytime you see him, that’s typically the first thing he will say.

The questions had been fairly easy so far and the only weird food you’d had to consume was pickle juice yet again.

“Y/N. The last question of the night goes to you,” James looks at you. “The first time we played this game, I was able to set you up with your boyfriend of two years, Shawn Mendes. By the way, if anyone needs a significant other, come to me. 100 percent of the couples I have set up are still together.” He tells the audience. They laugh as you correct him telling them you are the only couple he has set up.

He is quick to shush you. “My question for you actually doesn’t come from my crew. My question is very special. Your boyfriend, Shawn Mendes, wants to know if you will do him the honors of marrying him.”

You gasp as he says this thinking it’s a joke but then the crowd erupts into cheers and both Steve and Harry are clapping and staring behind you.  You turn around and are greeted by the smiling face of your boyfriend.

“Hi.” You whisper to him, “is this real?”                                      

“Y/N, We met exactly two years ago on this stage. I figured this might be the perfect way to do this. I’ve known I wanted to do this since our first date. And with the help of our friends, James and Sabrina, I am able to do this in what I hope is the right way.” Shawn explains.

“I love you with my whole heart, you are the kindest and most beautiful person I know. I want to make you laugh every day for the rest of our lives and kiss you whenever I want. I love how generous and selfless you are, especially with both your fans and mine. I will never understand how I got so lucky to have you in my life and I will spend every day trying to do what I can to deserve you and your love. You make me a better person and a better artist. I hope I get to wake up next to you every day and fall asleep with you in my arms every night for the rest of our lives. So my question for you, is will you marry me? Remember, if you say no there is a cow tongue on that table for you to eat?” He is now kneeling on the ground in front of you. He has the ring box in one hand and your hand is in his other hand.

“Yes.” You whisper.

“Yes?’ He asks, smiling at you in disbelief.

“Yes!” You exclaim and he slips the ring on your left ring finger. You collapse onto the ground so you are at the same height as him and wrap both arms around his neck, pulling him into you. He pulls away after being content with how long he’s been able to hug you and kisses you. Then he jumps up and fist bumps the air.

“She said yes!” He yells and jumps around. He is such a dork, but you know exactly how he’s feeling because you feel the same. You laugh as you stand up next to him and wrap your arms around his waist again and he presses a kiss to your forehead pulling you as close to his chest as possible.

James then comes over and congrats you before announcing a special guest. Sabrina Carpenter walks onto stage and announces she’ll be singing a new song that she just recently finished writing with Shawn title “Marry Her One Day.”

[sol1056]

git along little nonnies

Got a whole bunch of you on related themes, so I’m just gonna do this all at once: a bunch of questions about DW, spinoffs, merchandise, business, management, support (and protest) and whatnot. In no particular order.

Ok there are petitions and peaceful boycotts directed at DW but problem is they aren’t addressing the EPs and things they, not DW, did so how are we to sign them, how to handle this when this could at best confuse the situation and not give any results and at worst, make matters even worse about what we want regarding DW addressing things? 

Here’s what companies care about: money. Everything else is gravy.

If you want a corporation to pay attention to your complaints, then you need to figure out their sources of income, and find a way to threaten that. If the social reprobation is high enough, damage to the brand can translate into lost sales, but the tempest required to make that happen must be much, much larger than anything I’ve seen the fandom manage. 

I’ve been saying this all along: voices are far more powerful than signatures. If twenty thousand people wrote or called in, and said what they liked vs what upset them, that would have a far greater impact. Certainly a lot more than a list of names with no emotion beyond a request that may not even be something DW can, or would, fulfill.  

And don’t even get me started on mailing stuff in. Cute, but hardly actionable.  

Do you know what kind of contracts DW sign, as in, are they obligated to air all seasons, can they choose not to air them, do the companies they work with (netflix, wep) have a say or more say than them? Who gets the last word? Is airing all seasons squarely on DW or more? 

As I’m not a corporate lawyer employed by any of the signatories, I can’t tell you what the contract stipulated. What I can tell you is that a contract of the magnitude of the DW-WEP-Netflix agreement probably had a dissertation worth of riders covering the different types of possible defaults or breaches, and the penalties for each. Additionally, the contract also likely covered what constituted ‘satisfactory delivery’ of the product. 

To take it down to a really simple level: you place an order at a restaurant. You expect to get it, eat it, and pay for it. You don’t expect to be told, “hey, we burnt your steak and we’re out of butter for your sweet potatoes, so have some green beans instead,” and then be told you still owe the full amount, anyway. 

Netflix wouldn’t settle for ordering (and paying for) something never delivered, anymore than you would. Sure, any corporation worth their over-inflated stock options would try --- but that’s the point of contracts, to make sure they can’t. 

Netflix paid, DW delivers, end of story.  

 ...do you think ppl in charge didn't think EPs would tell they made changes and also thought they'd manage to bury it? And then they got in trouble and DW is going thru changes for that reason? -waves at DW goings on and silence.

I got lost in all the pronouns, there. Who’s the first ‘they,’ the EPs or DW execs? Is the second ‘they’ referring to the same as the first? So... I’m not really sure what you’re positing, but if the ‘DW is going through changes’ is implying DW’s got a shakeup and/or is promoting its head-of-TV to president and that’s somehow connected to two newbie EPs screwing up?

I’d say the chances are so infinitesimal as to be nearly in the negative. (I should also note, the press release listed successful shows Cohn oversaw, yet oddly did not include VLD.) DW is not a three-person start up; it has stakeholders and a board and a C-suite to satisfy. Cohn got that promotion ‘cause she’s got a track record going back thirty years, most recently growing DW’s TV division from 8 to 800 in five years. 

Most corporations tend to announce their new CEO or President like someone woke up that morning and went, hey, I’ve got a great idea. Truth is, it’s usually in the works for at least a year, sometimes several years, or more. The only thing that has me side-eyeing the announcement is the silence around who’ll fill Cohn’s previous position. 

But that’s again less to do with a single series, and more to do with what it says about DW as a whole, business-wise. 

What meaningful changes could the new president Margie Cohn make that would be different than the last one? Also I'm sorry if your getting a bunch of Voltron/DW questions lately, you just seem to be the most knowledgeable person on this platform.

I’d be willing to bet I’m far from the most knowledgeable person; I’m just someone not bound by an NDA, and curious enough to do a bit of digging and jaded enough to talk about (most) of what I find. 

A president can have immense impact on a company’s direction; that’s kinda why they exist, to set that high-level strategy. That said, Cohn will be bound by all contracts signed by her predecessor. The TV side (barring someone filling the shoes she left) will probably continue as it was. The theatrical side (which she’s taking over) will be where we’ll probably see any major changes. 

And even those aren’t likely to be on films currently in production. Hell, given theatrical animation can take up to five years, I’m not sure that’d show much change, either. Look instead to changes in investors, new deals, and new properties. 

What do you think DW will do about a sequel if there’s really no bible? Theres tons of plot holes & abandoned storylines. VLD will never feel satisfying, and fans already argued with different interpretations based on conflicting content, without a nice satisfying explanation...

I know this is the first of a three-part ask, but I’m skipping the rest because the only answer possible is to your very first question: the bible doesn’t matter. 

Any new series --- even a continuation --- will construct its own bible. Same as we’d do in fandom: they’ll patch together what they can, fill in blanks as they need, and gloss the rest, or retcon it outright. Even if there were a bible, diligently followed, that doesn’t mean the next series is automatically beholden to it. Some franchises would care (ie Star Wars) while others might let a reboot mess with the details (ie Star Trek). 

For every continuation, there’s gradations in between, since otherwise what’s the interest for creative minds, if you’re obligated to follow someone else’s script exactly? So, no. The absence of a story bible doesn’t preclude the next iteration making its own, as it needs, to whatever extent it requires. 

I was wandering around the hot topic online store, and i noticed a shirt that raised a few flags and questions. it's the 'Voltron Location' shirt. it has all the paladins in different places in a star globe chart thing? with what might possibly be planet designations. plus Lance is the only one not inside his blue colored bubble. Keith is in Red and Shiro in Black again. it's interesting at least.

Nearly all the shirts use the same base images, just changed up. It feels a little like someone handed a designer a half-dozen images with a request for forty-something designs --- and now HT is just throwing them all at the wall to see what sticks (or sells). 

HT’s stuff has been pretty consistent, from what I’ve heard: Shiro is Black, Keith is Red, etc. Considering the t-shirts seem to be selling out regularly (along with various other sidelines), I’d say someone is savvy as to the fact that the segment of fandom spending the most money is also the segment that prefers the S1/S2 lineup. 

If that’s what customers want, it’s smart business for DW to provide.

(Yes, that applies on more than one level.)

There are VLD comic books being released by LionForge Comics, are those considered canon? Do LM and JDS have any involvement? They take place before Season 7and8 but I don't wanna support the original EPs.

Every fandom has its own stand on what counts as canon. Sometimes (especially with adaptations) you’ll find fandoms being explicit as to whether they’re book or movie (ie HP and LotR). I expect the same will eventually shake out in VLD’s fandom, too. 

From everything I’ve heard, Hedrick and Iverson were handed the comics and ran with it. I suppose that would argue for seeing the comics as canon, being they were written by people also writing the main series... but from what I can tell, it’s one-way. The show affected the comics, but nothing in the comics ever affected the series.

That said, your purchases have nothing to do with the original EPs. All you’re doing is telling DW you like the VLD-iteration of Voltron.

What are your thoughts on the final vld poster? I feel like it’s missing the end. Allura is randomly staring back into nothing.

It’s a clever idea to do a poster for each season, but it’s not something I’ve ever paid any attention to, really. If it were drawn by the head writer? That might mean the artist had more insight than, say, a storyboarder or animator. But even then... cool picture, still not-canon. I’m only interested in canon.

Do you think that Voltron was rushed purposely by the EP's. [...] Wouldn't this effect the quality of, well, everything? I feel as if they got frustrated with the show at that point and just wanted out.

Dude. There are times I sit here and just stare into space, bewildered yet again not just at the thought of 39 episodes released in one year --- but doing that with 26 as a last-minute cut-and-paste rearrangement. All I can tell you is that what I’ve seen from animation people and aficionados (and friends) is that three full seasons in one calendar year is just bonkers. 

If DW hadn’t wanted the schedule that packed, the EPs aren’t the ones getting the say. That’s a DW-Netflix thing. I really wonder whether DW used VLD as a guinea pig. TH went a year between S1 and S2, and the numbers slumped badly. Perhaps DW wanted to know if more episodes, more often, would keep fan interest high? DW has experienced execs, but they’re all from broadcast; how you arrange and time things in the brave new world of binge-watching is a completely different beast. 

So, it’s possible it was less of a rush job to get the show out, and more from a desire to see what'd happen to release so much, so close together. 

I still think it’s a bonkers schedule, though.

"Relaunch the whole property" sounds like they won't continue expanding the whole vld universe and they'll make a new itineration. Though if they do a spin-off it'd likely be on the vld universe surrounding the new "Legendary Defenders" from the epilogue. And "especially given the response" do you think after the negative response from s8, wouldn't be better for WEP to not keep working with Dreamworks? Or maybe they need to clean their brand from vld fiasco? What can you say about all of this?

I can say you might try re-reading, because boy is that a radical interpretation of the text. Remember, Jeremy was speaking before S8, and all indication is that he was caught off-guard as much as the fans. Re-read in light of Jeremy (at the time) appearing to expect S8 to be a crowd-pleaser.   

...I'm becoming more confident in my belief that DW has something planned for Voltron. I mean they are still heavily promoting the show, LionForge is still publishing Voltron comics, and merchandise is still being made. These don't seem like the actions of a company trying to get people to forget a show. 

You’re not wrong. Up to the last few days of 2018, DW gave every indication they wanted S8 quietly buried. Nothing they’ve done since has fit that pattern --- including the anomaly of failing to announce their 2019 series. Something is going on, that’s for certain. 

Did DW really just throw the VAs to the wolves [for] three days? and there's still no official stance? One panel was enough. They had [the VAs] take the heat for them? But thankfully fans felt sorry for them? Which could also have been the goal, shut the fans up [with] the VAs of the characters who got the worst treatment and who love their characters ... Yes DW this really makes me trust you /sarcasm/

I don’t think that was the original plan. Let’s pretend DW released its 2019 schedule via press release in the first few days of January, and among those was an announcement of a VLD sequel or spinoff, coming late 2019. 

People wouldn’t be fussing over putting the VAs through three panels. They’d be complaining we didn’t get the biggest room for every panel. The majority of the fandom doesn’t trust the EPs, and is wary of DW --- really, the only ones who retain any goodwill, at this point, are the VAs. So who better than to assure a nervous fandom about the goodness of the second iteration than the VAs whose characters were most shafted by the first iteration?

What breaks this is that immediately after S8 dropped, Josh and Kimberly went silent on twitter. AJ slipped into passive-aggressive snarking; Jeremy fell off the radar and usually he’s pretty interactive with his fans. Bex pretty much wiped  VLD from her stream, possibly including deleting older tweets. Neil tried to engage and made a hash of it, bless his heart. 

Josh and Kimberly are consummate professionals who reliably promote the series after every season drop, but their radio silence continued for almost two weeks. This wasn’t the first season that came saddled with controversy; if there was a time to go quiet, it was after S7. Something else was going on. 

I have strong suspicions backed by research, but if I’m right, I’d be stepping on a major legal landmine. In the interest of not getting blown up, I’ll only say that the VAs appearing for those three panels (and their low-key and mostly diplomatic hedging around VLD’s conclusion) was a good sign that all parties involved are willing to work things out.   

[DW was] quick to handle the Season 7 backlash and have stayed mum on what is arguably a much worse reaction to the 8th and final season.

and

I believe the S8 of voltron we got was not the original ending we were supposed to get and highly edited. My question is why? What was the point of changing the original ending? [The] radio silence from DW and the cast is driving me nuts. I wish DW would make a statement.

DW is in an interesting place. Its TV side is barely five years old, but dominated by execs with long-time broadcast experience, predating vibrant interactivity afforded by platforms like twitter, tumblr, or instagram. DW’s background as a theatrical company also seems to incline it away from any ongoing engagement with the audience. It releases a movie and by the time that hits theaters, DW is onto the next thing. 

It’s a strong contrast with production studios like Zagtoon (Miraculous), who penned an open letter to their fandom about production delays. Or little studios like Wonderstorm (The Dragon Prince) whose deft use of twitter and tumblr sets their brand apart. Or Federator (Castlevania), with their witty marketing campaigns and willingness to engage with fans. Even Disney was willing to be open about its errors with Tiana, and to make clear how it was striving to do better --- so there’s no excuse that only small studios do such outreach.

My guess is that DW's core leadership is from the school of business in which admitting a mistake is tantamount to ritual suicide. Don’t blink first, or maybe the rule is never let them see you sweat, but whatever it is, DW is turning into a textbook case of how silence can damage a brand. 

Companies have multiple avenues to reach customers directly, now. Our modern technologies are a two-way street, and good companies leverage that to create not passive fandoms but active communities. It takes work, careful planning, and some level of transparency --- something old-school execs find highly uncomfortable, to be honest --- but in this day and age, those are crucial building-blocks to achieving any kind of audience loyalty.

DW isn’t going to render itself obsolete (at least not overnight), but it's on a track to end up as the studio whose work audiences only watch when there’s nothing better being offered. Unfortunately for DW, there’s a hell of a lot of other studios out there, and they're all offering something better. 

[writin-bout-games-blog]

Goty 2k18

Here are the best games I played in 2018; honorable mentions are for either games I played this year that released outside of 2018 or remasters that don’t count.

Honorable Mentions: 

Hollow Knight (PS4/Xbox One/Switch/PC) - I didn’t play this 2017 release until the Switch version this year, but it’s the best game I played in 2018, and maybe the best Metroidvania I’ve ever played as well. It has a bit of a slow start in terms of seeing new areas and gaining new abilities, but stick with it and it becomes one of the most rewarding games I’ve ever experienced.

Yakuza 0 (PS4/PC) - Narrative oriented games have never been my bag, but I’ve rarely felt this invested in a story in any medium. The characters are immediately memorable, at once both over the top caricatures of goofy hyper masculinity and oddly thoughtful yakuza members concerned with their community and just being human. I’ve never seen a story so masterfully jump back and forth between overwrought anime nonsense and down to earth character beats, all while retaining its unique sense of self. It’s a lovable soap opera starring handsome criminal boys with hearts of gold, and shouldn’t be missed by anyone.

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana (PS4/Switch/PS Vita) - This series has been around for decades, and I never gave it a glance until I heard a bit of the soundtrack for this entry. It lacks polish and has a pretty simplistic combat system, at least on the default difficulty setting, but it’s one of the most interesting JRPGs I’ve ever played, as the entire game takes place on a deserted island after a ship is destroyed by a kraken-esque creature. Oh, and the aforementioned soundtrack is absolutely delightful, with cheesy electric guitars around every corner. It’s the perfect game to unwind with before bed on your Switch.

Katamari Damacy Reroll (Switch/PC) - It wouldn’t be fair for the best game of 2004 to also be the best game of 2018, so it’s been excluded here. But make no mistake, this is the best purchase you can make this year.

Actual games of the year:

12. Far: Lone Sails (PC) - I fucking love games where you operate a large vessel by controlling a small character inside of it. I’m not sure how to describe this type of sub-genre, but Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime and Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime are the only other examples I know of. And while those are fast, goofy, frenetic and colorful experiences, Lone Sails takes the concept and applies it to a linear, artsy indie game. And it turns out, making one of “those” indie games and coupling it with a fun and relatively unexplored gameplay conceit makes for an extremely memorable experience; the first time my train-shuttle-car-thingie reached full speed as I perfectly managed my fuel, steam and acceleration is something that’s stuck with me all year. The only thing keeping this game from rising higher up this list is that I think it’s painfully short at around 2 hours long, and I say that as someone that loves shorter experiences. A more fully fleshed out sequel or spiritual successor has the potential to be considered an all-time great.

11. Donut County (PS4/Xbox One/Switch/PC/iOS) - The soundtrack for this game alone is clever enough to deserve a spot on this list, honestly. And clever is the best word to describe Donut County as a (w)hole. Having not heard pretty much anything about the game going in besides general good word of mouth, I was genuinely stunned as I realized the entire game was nothing but moving a hole around and growing bigger as I sucked up objects in a stylized world. In all respects, this game feels like the western equivalent of Katamari Damacy, though there are probably some poignant think pieces to be written comparing Katamari’s building with Donut County’s destruction. Regardless, Donut County is delightful. The humor may not be for everyone (I personally loved how accurately the dialogue captures the tone of texts between 20-somethings), but there’s something for everyone to enjoy here.

10. God of War (PS4) - God of War is interesting. It feels like a mish mash of pretty much all the non-shooter related hot trends in video games right now, and yet doesn’t really excel at any of them. The story’s fine, though I think both Spider-Man and Red Dead Redemption 2 told far more nuanced and interesting ones this year in the western-developed AAA space. The combat feels great for the first couple of hours, and BOY DOES THROWING THAT AXE AND RECALLING IT FEEL AMAZING, but encounters aren’t really changed up at all past the halfway point of the game, and the combat in general feels like it’s shown you its entire hand within a couple of hours. And yet, everything about the game is so memorable. From punching indestructible gods through mountains in the first 15 minutes of the game to hanging out with a sardonic decapitated head, I feel like this is the most I’ve thought about an action game after completion besides Bloodborne. It doesn’t hurt that this might be the best looking game I’ve ever seen, either. It might just be the meatloaf and mashed potatoes of video games, but it’s some pretty damn good meatloaf.

9. Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom (PS4/Xbox One/Switch/PC later) - There are plenty of sidescrolling indie metroidvania throwbacks these days. Oddly, there’s also been a fair few games in the oft overlooked Wonder Boy vein lately, the series Monster Boy belongs to. There aren’t a lot of downright pleasant games made in this style lately though, and pleasant is the perfect word to describe the time spent exploring this game. The visuals are absolutely gorgeous, the soundtrack is second only to Celeste this year, and the game somehow manages to feel like playing a Master System game without all of the drawbacks a statement like that would normally entail. What holds this game back from true greatness for me is that some of the later dungeon and boss designs are remarkably unclear in their progression, mostly the haunted mansion area. That said, these are relatively small complaints in a surprisingly large adventure, and the different animal abilities are truly brilliant. Monster Boy occupies the same space for me as last year’s truly incredible SteamWorld Dig 2, and if that doesn’t sell you on the game then nothing will.

8. Yakuza Kiwami 2 (PS4) - Everything stated above in the Honorable Mentions section applies here; Yakuza is a series about lovable handsome crime boys playing the role of boy scouts in their community, if the boy scouts kicked motorcycles at bad guys. I will say that Kiwami 2 never approaches the pure brilliance that was Yakuza 0, but most of that can largely be attributed to the fact that this game is a remake of a 12-year-old video game from two console generations ago. And don’t let that statement deter you; the story is as engaging as ever, and Kiwami 2 also shares with 0 the most fun game within a game I’ve ever played - the cabaret club management sim, which tasks you with recruiting hostesses to take on an evil circuit of club owners in a tournament of taking money from lonely Japanese businessmen. It’s as absurd as it sounds, and far more engaging than it seems, which kind of summarizes the series as a whole. My only caveat with this entry is that I would consider it absolutely crucial to play through 0 and Kiwami 1 before this, as there are some emotional seeds planted in those two games that come to tear-jerking fruition here.

7. Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of An Elusive Age (PS4/PC/Switch later) - With the sales and reception of both this and Octopath Traveler, 2018 seems like the year in which throwback JRPGs came into vogue, and I couldn’t be happier about it. I grew up loving the genre, but post high school my love largely faded for any of them that weren’t Pokemon or Mario adjacent. While I still think there’s a lot of self reflection for the genre to accomplish that Dragon Quest is existentially incapable of doing (as its own design and fandom have prevented it from making any meaningful mechanical progression in decades), DQ11 succeeds in that it’s just a really fantastic video game. Its story is always captivating and repeatedly goes in directions I never expected. Its characters are simple and painted in broad strokes (I mean that in the best way possible) while remaining some of the best written and most engaging party members I’ve ever encountered. And its battle system is oldschool, somewhat archaic and even punishing without ever feeling unfair, and it has just enough new mechanics to constantly give the player a wider swath of options than the series has ever had before without relinquishing the series trademark simplicity. It’s the most I’ve enjoyed a tradition JRPG since Chrono Trigger, and I was never once bored in my 70+ hours of playtime. Really, the only complaint I can level against the game is that the series composer is a monstrous piece of homophobic trash that deserves to be launched into a brick wall via trebuchet.

6. Mega Man 11 (PS4/Xbox One/Switch/PC) - Who would have imagined that a new Mega Man game under contemporary Capcom could end up being great? The soundtrack is extremely disappointing and the Wily stages are a series lowpoint (especially when compared to the previous two Mega Man games), but everything else in this game is operating at heights the series has never previously achieved. The mark of a good Mega Man game is how versatile the robot master’s weapons are within the actual platforming segments, and 11’s level and enemy design are completely built around using these weapons and the new double gear system as well, which allows a player to increase their firepower or slow down time at will. Every ability is not only useful but fun to use as well, even the obligatory shield weapon. Much like what last year’s Sonic Mania did for Sonic, there has never been a better time to try out Mega Man.

5. Call of Duty Black Ops 4: Blackout (PS4/Xbox One/PC) - The way in which the battle royale genre has overtaken video games is remarkable, though not as remarkable as the fact that a Call of Duty game is being included on one of my game of the year lists. I could go deep into how Blackout feels like a best-of compilation for the genre, or how remarkable it is that it retains the goofy, unpredictable nature of PUBG while actually feeling like a polished video game. But what’s most notable about the game for me is just how much fun I’ve had playing it with my friends. Video games mean a lot to me, and having a game in which our party chat can go from discussing poor life choices made by people we know to yelping as shots soar over our head as quickly as it takes for an armored truck to appear outside the house we’re hiding inside of is something truly special, and it’s something I’ve only encountered with this genre of games. Blackout may not add much of its own flavor to battle royale, and what little is there (the perk system and zombies) feels either broken or weirdly inconsequential. But sometimes, a less broken game with a slightly faster pace is all you need to become the most playable game of the genre, as well as the most I’ve ever enjoyed a multiplayer console shooter.

4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Switch) - Smash is my all-time favorite multiplayer series, so the biggest character, stage and music roster to date makes this entry a no-brainer. I mean, I could spend multiple paragraphs absolutely gushing about how excited I am for all of the love the Castlevania series (another all-time favorite video game franchise) has received here alone. And that’s kind of the point. From Isabelle’s accidental murder sprees to K. Rool’s big belly rude boy moveset to Kirby sporting a beard after eating Solid Snake, with Ultimate it feels like nearly anyone that has ever played a video game can find something within that brings a smile to their face. And this is to say nothing of the over 1200(!) “spirits” in the game, all referencing even smaller and more obscure video game things. Will the game have an interesting competitive scene? I think so; I’m no pro, but the game feels so much better to me than any game in the series post Melee. Only time will tell how fun of a tournament game Ultimate ends up being, but as a celebration of the medium as a whole, this is a love letter to nearly all corners of the industry, no matter how niche. And that’s where my love of Super Smash Bros. has always stemmed from - its unflinching love and celebration of the things in my life that I love and want to celebrate. Plus, there’s Castlevania stuff in this one.

3. Tetris Effect (PS4) - Positivity in my life has been in short supply the past couple of years. To be more straightforward, the world has been an absolute fucking nuclear wasteland of hopelessness for the past couple of years. Hell, there’s an argument to be made that it’s been on this level for a while, and it’s my privilege that has prevented me from seeing that, which is even worse. My eyes have been opened, they cannot be closed, and while part of me wishes they could be, most of me can only stare with a grim sense of foreboding and wonder where the hell we’re going and how we fix all of this. So, Tetris then.

Tetris is simple and Tetris can be overwhelming. Add psychedelic visuals, spac- Enya-world music and the option to experience it all in virtual reality, and you have something simple, something overwhelming, and something oddly powerful. To say I had an emotional response to Tetris Effect is an oversimplification. Losing myself inside of my VR headset to clearing lines while dolphins made of light surrounded and splashed around me was beautiful, ridiculous, cheesy and, somehow, empowering. I’m under no illusion that the world is going to get better  while I hide inside, literally blind to everything going on around me, and no one should be. But the best art never was able to save us; it reminds us of what there is to lose and why the things we love are worth fighting for while also giving us the strength to do so. This sounds like a lot for what basically amounts to Tetris with cool music and visualizers, and I get that. But while writing and editing this piece, not only do I not feel like any of this has been hyperbolic per my experiences, re-reading my own words really just makes me want to play some more damn Tetris Effect.

2. Celeste (PS4/Xbox One/Switch/PC) - If Tetris Effect is your overly positive friend that can seemingly never be brought down by anything, Celeste is the friend that’s been through more than you could ever imagine and came out through the other side a better person, and not only knows you can as well, but actively pushes you to be the best you can be. This is both narratively true, as the surprisingly great story deals with depression and self-loathing and overcoming anxiety, but also what the game beats into you through your own act of playing it. Well, “beats into you” might be putting it lightly; “gently yet forcefully stabbing into you” is a bit more accurate. Yes, the game is an unbelievably hard platformer (at least on the B and C side levels), and it does take a lot of inspiration in its design from fellow platformer classic Super Meat Boy. But while Meat Boy makes your repeated deaths part of the punchline, Celeste prefers those failures to be recontextualized as experiences to be learned from. “You’re going to beat this level, and you’re going to beat this game. Just keep trying.” is what Celeste wants you to take from its harsh design. And maybe that kind of motivation doesn’t work for everyone, but the people that stick with the game found what will go down as one of the all-time greats in the genre, and certainly one of the best games of the decade.

Oh, and the soundtrack is fucking incredible too.

1. Monster Hunter World (PS4/Xbox One/PC) and Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (Switch) - I knew something special was happening when I saw multiple Playstation friends who usually only play Call of Duty and sports games devoting dozens (or even hundreds) of hours to Monster Hunter World this year. I was skeptical, having tried to get into the series previously on the 3DS, but something just clicked this time that hadn’t before, and soon I was farming Nergigantes for entire evenings. The game was full of nothing but memorable moments, but realizing for the first time how the insect glaive worked and flipping through the air whacking a giant electric flying squirrel as we were both being chased by a fire breathing t-rex was the most out of control I’ve ever felt playing a video game while simultaneously being the coolest thing I’ve ever done in a video game. And to revisit that same scenario over a hundred hours later, armed with the knowledge that only experience can give of how to actually control my insect glaive flips, was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. All of the knowledge gained from World was then taken to MHGU on the Switch later this year, where my girlfriend and I put over 200 hours in and still have not seen all of the content within. If two grown adults sitting in a hotel room and screaming with delight when they see how cool the weapons they can forge from hunting a bubble dragon are isn’t an indication that their families should seek help, it means that Monster Hunter is pretty great.

So which game is better? My heart of hearts tells me World wins out by an inch for its extremely intelligent streamlined design and accessibility, but MHGU has dozens and dozens (and dozens and dozens) of different monsters to hunt and hundreds of weapons and armor sets to choose from, and having a full blown Monster Hunter on a portable with a decent screen and dual analog sticks is a great argument for the Switch entry. Really though, it doesn’t matter; these are both amazing games, and I wanted to give them both their due without using two slots. If weirdos on your friends list you haven’t talked to since high school who usually only buy FIFA can fall in love with Monhun, so can you.