#Aqua Facts With Zuma

[diy-fire-water-pups]

Starting a brand new kind of post series, every Friday I'll bring you some facts and curiosities I've been learning about aquatic life, be it from the seas or fresh water! Let's begin with this rare and curious little dude called Pupfish!

[marshallpupfan]

Unpopular Opinion but I think the first Aqua Pups is probably the worst episode throughout the whole series and Aqua Pups is the worst subseries a I see a lot of issues with that subseries alone and the only reason why they made that subseries is so that they can just show more Merpup Episodes just to please some certain people in the fandom (the ones on Deviantart that loved the merpup concept). Sad to say but even if I liked Moby, I still don't like the subseries and the direction in the episodes which is kinda disappointing.

I feel like that's not much of an unpopular opinion though. From what I've noticed, fans were very divided on Aqua Pups. On one hand, some liked it because of Moby and Coral, not to mention it did give Zuma a bit more than the usual. On the other hand, others disliked it because of the continuity errors, lack of originality and failed potential... and the fact it was so lousy to Marshall, since it barely gave him anything (outside of one mission using his new vehicle as a glorified door stopper and another being so small, even he, himself admitted it was "easy"). Many fans were especially disappointed by that (myself included, of course).

I appreciate that it has its fans who hope to see it again, but personally, I don't miss Aqua Pups.

[starlight-time-machine]

Week in Review

07/07/2024 – 07/13/2024

Sunday

Week 22 of missing Cipher Academy

Undead Unluck is interesting this week – I’ve mentioned my trepidations with Remember before, and I’m still a bit worried that some old grudges are going to be dug up once people start remembering how they fought and murdered each other in previous loops, but I suppose I should trust Fuuko and her trust in her teammates to be able to overcome those bitter memories and hold onto the fact that for most of them, their lives in the current loop are the best they’ve ever had it.

SpyFam continues to be good, though I don’t have much more to say about this arc that I haven’t already said.

Finally caught up with Chainsaw Man and I don’t even really know how to feel. I’m just repeating myself, but I genuinely don’t think I’ll be able to gauge how I feel about Part 2 until it’s over. Currently, it’s just a mixture of confusion and disappointment.

The first episode of Mayoi Jiangshi took me right back to some of the frustrations I was having with Monogatari as a whole. It’s very slow paced (Araragi and Shinobu talking so much in front of the gate when there was apparently a one minute timer was excruciating, as well as all the pontificating about time travel afterwards), and the conversation topics themselves feel like they’re only gesturing to something interesting without actually being interesting themselves. The reveal that they’ve gone 11 years into the past was a fun twist, though, and I’m looking forward to things actually happening in the coming episodes. I’m also looking forward to reading the novels for myself, because I can at least control the pacing a lot more in that format.

Monday

I’m gonna do it…I’m gonna catch up on my manga…started off with Oshi no Ko and um…I don’t think I like Oshi no Ko anymore. Not even because of the incest, but it’s the problem that I’ve mentioned before finally rearing its head in full: the writer seems to like invoking dark or taboo subjects in order to hook the reader and promise them something interesting, only to pull their punches later and retroactively soften the blow of previous bomb drops (see Aqua staring into the camera and explaining to the audience how the mental age gap thing isn’t an issue or this whole Hikaru reveal). Now that it’s happening with the main mystery of the manga, I’m beyond annoyed. I hate that Ai’s murder turned out to be a tragedy of misunderstandings. Hikaru’s motivations are so stupid precisely because the writer wants him to play a part without any actual significant malice towards Ai – “I didn’t know he would kill her” are you fucking kidding me? My most charitable reading is that Hikaru wanted Ai to know the pains of being a celebrity like he does, but it just doesn’t feel like a reasonable response to being dumped…the two lines of reasoning don’t connect at all, Ai’s problem was not being able to open herself up to others, not that she was naïve about the industry she was in… The whole “lying was her way of showing love” is also such “woah this is so deep” writing, and all it does here is setup a D-grade romcom-esque misunderstanding. I really would’ve preferred it if Hikaru had a real reason for wanting Ai dead despite loving her, it would’ve made his character so much more interesting and compelling than just this sad sack “I made a huge mistake” loser we have now. For a manga that purported to show the real dark side of the Japanese entertainment industry, it sure feels like we’re just heading towards a fairly basic happy ending for everyone. The writing is just cowardly and leaning on the most egregious elements of soap opera. It’s kind of amazing how quickly I’ve been turned off of Oshi no Ko, but now I’m almost even considering not watching the anime anymore…I’ll probably watch until the end of the stage play arc (my favourite) and then drop it afterwards.

Dandadan was a very nice palate cleanser after that, with Zuma’s backstory being perfectly bittersweet and endearing. And finally we get some progress on Otarun/Momo! I will say though, Rin’s idol outfit is criminally bad. Not even in an “ew fanservice” way but from purely a design sense, it’s so ugly…I guess that was the point, but I don’t know, the same effect could’ve been achieved with a cuter looking bikini…

Tuesday

I finally watch the Let’s Go Karaoke movie and IT’S PEAKKKKKKKKKKK I think this is genuinely one of the only live action adaptations of a manga I’ve ever liked. I just love that the director had an actual vision, and isn’t just going through the motions of adapting the story with the most standard color grading and shot composition possible (cough Yuria-sensei live action show cough). They really captured the absurdist humor in Kyoji asking a middle schooler for singing lessons, and watching the two main actors interact and feeling their bond grow throughout the movie was so rewarding. Unfortunately Satomi’s actor felt a little wooden to me at times, but he shone the best in his scenes with Kyoji so that’s all I can really ask for. Kyoji’s actor was the real star of the movie, and I love everything about the way he acted his character. The mix between being bizarrely moe and cutesy and being menacing was just absolutely pitch perfect. God, I’d waited so long to watch this movie and I’m so glad that it was so worth it. 9/10.

Wednesday

Whoops

Thursday

Watched the new Make Some Noise episode with a friend and it was really funny. I loved everyone’s energy in this episode, and the drunk girls bit was the definite highlight.

Caught up with Magilumiere and I feel myself cooling on it considerably as it goes through the motions of its final arc. It’s got all the classic tropes – finally seeing the tragic backstory that motivated some important side characters, the two rivals joining forces to fight a common enemy, etc. It’s fine for what it is, I suppose, but I think Magilumiere will ultimately end up being a middling experience for me.

On the other hand, I caught up with One Piece and this is absolutely the most invested and excited I’ve felt about the manga in years, and it just keeps getting crazier with each chapter. It’s enough where I think I’ll actually start watching the anime again (especially with all the sakuga clips I see on Twitter…I’m so happy we’re past the ugly post-timeskip days). Even without all the context (because I’ve forgotten it), some of the character beats were still moving, which is a testament to Oda’s strength as a writer. I really can’t wait to watch the arcs through like I did as a kid and enjoy them as complete sections of story.

Friday

I really need to catch up on Mankai Stage. It’s been two years…and they keep coming out with new shows that I want to watch but can’t because I haven’t caught up… Shamefully I have to admit that the reason I’ve procrastinated on these despite loving A3 as a franchise is that…I don’t find the Natsugumi arcs to be very compelling… I mean, they’re cute, but it just doesn’t hold a candle to the found family vibes of Harugumi (sprinkled with whatever the hell is going on with Chikage) or the literal fights of Akigumi or the gay polycule vibes of Fuyugumi. But I’ve finally watched Mankai Stage Summer 2022 and it was fine. I’m not a Kumon or an Azami stan, but the actors they cast for them are cute and they do a good job. Honestly I’m just kind of relieved to be done with this show so that I can move on to the next one.

Saturday

Started reading City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert and it’s fine so far. The writing is a little basic sounding, but I’m hoping I can get some good theater backstage energy from this setting.

[diy-fire-water-pups]

These little dudes are one of the main reasons why you shouldn't pick up empty sea shells to take home to the point of cleaning up the beach! They already have a lot of trouble to find shells in the right size for them, let's not make it even more difficult. A lot have been found using plastic and even glass and metal discarded trash as protection, which is just not natural and can be very harmful for them!

[diy-fire-water-pups]

Did you know the name "urchin" is an old word for "hedgehog"? With passing time, it stopped being used for hedgehogs, but stuck with the sea animal up to nowadays!

[diy-fire-water-pups]

Some facts about one of the most acrobatic animals out there! Can you imagine how much strength they got in order to swim up AND spin out so many times? Spinner Dolphins are really amazing!!

[diy-fire-water-pups]

Zuma, dude! Your aqua facts are so cool!🤙🏻 I love ocean life and learning about it!😁🦈🐳🐬🦑🦐🐙🪸🪼

Thanks!! It's a big project, there's a lot more to come every Friday! I hope this will help our followers and other people to learn a little bit about all kinds of aquatic animals and come to take better care of this diverse environment.

[diy-fire-water-pups]

Next on our list is the Narwhal! I remember when I first saw one of these, poor guy was lost so far away from his home waters we had to guide him all the way back! Cap'n Turbot helped us a lot for that rescue too.

[marshallpupfan]

There's something I've been wanting to talk about for some time now, and due to the fact it's been crossing my mind more and more, I'm just going to get it out of my head. It involves Marshall, his role during season 9, the upcoming spinoff "Rubble & Crew", and why the franchises lately has been leaving me... frustrated.

This will be lengthy, so hit "Keep reading" if you want to see more.

It goes without being said that I am absolutely crazy about Marshall. It's why I created my Marshall Pup Fanatic accounts, why I continue buying his merchandise, and why I even purchased my own mascot costume to wear in parades and such (which hasn't worked out yet, but hopefully in due time). As I've said many times, Marshall is legit my #1 favorite character, and due to just how much I love him, I enjoyed giving back to the franchise by supporting it.

I just wish the cartoon, itself would do the same for Marshall. Nowadays... it really doesn't anymore.

I don't know why, but ever since season 7, it feels like things just got a lot worse for the Dalmatian. Dino Rescue and Moto Pups barely gave him anything, the first half of season 8 ignored him way too much (eight missions in a row... twice), and even the theatrical film stripped him of most of his personality and gave his wipeout, his biggest running gag, to someone else.

Understandably, I found all of this to be frustrating. It's always been my impression that Marshall's one of the more popular characters in PAW Patrol, due to how much he's featured on advertisements, the numerous amounts of merchandise he gets, and the fact that most fans, both young and old, really seem to love him. And yet, his treatment in the cartoon has been so poor. I really don't get it.

And for a while there, I thought there might've been a silver lining to it all; the spinoff. When we first learned about it and nobody had any idea who it'd focus on, I really thought it was going to be Marshall. No other pup was experiencing what I mentioned above, as even Zuma was appearing more during missions for a while there. I figured they were using Marshall less because they were saving up ideas to use for him in the spinoff! Why else restrict him so much? To me, it made sense! It HAD to be him!

Well, you know what happened with that. Rubble was chosen for the spinoff, and Marshall's treatment in the cartoon got worse and worse... just because.

I so badly wanted him to be the star of the spinoff. I felt he deserved it, especially after how the cartoon began treating him. It would've been a fine way to make up for it. As a fan who became a big supporter of both Marshall and PAW Patrol, I felt an odd sense of betrayal, as silly as that may sound.

I guess, if anything, I'm glad later portions of season 8 got better for Marshall after a while. The first Rescue Knights episode gave him so much focus, and I was happy to see him co-star in that Cat Pack short with Leo! Unfortunately, it was short-lived, as things quickly went back downhill for Marshall after that. Arguably, he's at his lowest point yet.

We're currently fifteen episodes into season 9, and his usage during missions has been so unimpressive. Typically, he's only called in to handle small tasks, he's often restricted to backup, he disappears quickly no matter what he's doing, and he's yet to receive much focus, such as Big Truck Pups refusing to call him in as a first responder. I fear Aqua Pups might do the same.

Furthermore, Marshall has yet to appear on a single season 9 title card. The only one of the main six, in fact. You'd think, out of the twenty-six we've seen so far, he'd appear on at least ONE...

I really don't understand why this is happening. It's almost as if Spin Master has turned their backs on Marshall... and as a result, I no longer enjoy the franchise like I once used to. Maybe it's wrong of me to watch PAW Patrol for just one character, but Marshall really did become that special to me. And to see Spin Master treat him like this... it frustrate me, and I'm starting to wonder just how much longer I want to continue supporting the franchise.

Seriously, why stay loyal at this point? Just so I can keep tuning in to see my favorite pup get the same poor treatment? It's clear that Spin Master is shifting their focus, their priorities on Chase, Skye and Rubble, and whatever plans they have up their sleeves doesn't seem to have much room for Marshall (Rocky and Zuma also fit into that, sadly). Do I really need to keep subjecting myself to constant disappointment, new episode after new episode after new episode?

To be fair, it wouldn't be so bad if missions actually gave Marshall something that allowed him to make a difference. Sadly, that's not happening, either. As I said, Marshall keeps getting restricted to small tasks, such as wrapping legs, parking his vehicle in front of sand sculptures, and harmlessly spraying robot cats. Compare that to Chase and Skye, who continuously get tasks that save lives. The difference is like night and day! And I know the cynical answer might be "well, maybe it's because he's clumsy", but that was never an issue in the earlier seasons. Pups Leave Marshall Home Alone, the Pup-Fu episodes, the Ultimate Fire Rescues, Ready Race Rescue... all fine examples of Marshall being quite skilled and competent.

And there's a reason I said later portions of season 8 got better for him. Remember the first Rescue Knights mission, where Marshall was the only pup to stay outside of the castle to stop Sparks the Dragon from attacking it, and then he later bravely leaped up on the beast's back to retrieve the stolen Dragon's Tooth from Claw? It was such a great episode, and a wonderful showing of the skills I've come to expect from Marshall! It was something I was so happy to see, and for a little while, it renewed my faith in the franchise! I was so desperately hoping it'd last... but then season 9 came along and flushed all of that right back down the drain.

It's as if we went from "Marshall is clumsy yet highly skilled" to "just let Marshall do something small, then get him out of there as fast as we can". Just what happened... and again, why?

I hate to say it, but I really don't know if any of this will ever get any better. Again, their priority seems to have shifted to Chase, Skye and Rubble, and I fear this is just how it's going to be for Marshall from now on. I don't know that for a fact, but it's a bad feeling I'm getting. And when I look at the upcoming season 9 episodes we know about so far, none of them seem like they'll change any of this for Marshall one bit.

Is this just how it's going to be for the rest of season 9? Is Season 10 going to continue this poor treatment for Marshall? And will the theatrical film sequel even attempt to restore his personality and give him his elevator wipeout? Truth be told, I'm just not optimistic...

I apologize for making this post so lengthy. For better or worse, it's clear I'm very passionate about Marshall, and all of this is something that frustrates me, especially since I can't seem to find a logical reason as to WHY it's happening. All I know is that, if this continues for too much longer, I may stop watching PAW Patrol. Hey, I still maintain that I'm just as crazy about Marshall as ever... but the franchise, itself? Not so much anymore.

If I do stop watching new episodes, that doesn't mean I'm going to abandon my accounts or anything. I honestly love posting daily pics of Marshall every day, and I plan on keeping that tradition up for as long as I can! Unfortunately, I can't promise I'll be as active as I used to be, such as posting updates on new episodes and talking about what goes on with the franchise and whatnot. I'll probably stop posting Weekly Wipeouts, too. I'm not at that point yet, however, and if I do decide on anything, I'll probably wait until the end of season 9.

For now, I'll continue watching, though only in the hope that things will finally get better for Marshall. I don't expect much, but... who knows, maybe they'll find a way to surprise me and renew my faith in the franchise once again? I hope so, anyway...