#Aqua Facts With Zuma

[diy-fire-water-pups]

Guaiamuns are called "land crabs" because, unlike most other crabs, they are extremely adapted to live on land, being found several kilometers away from the sea! All they need is a deep enough burrow to find underground water and they'll be fine. There's even a kind of mosquito that adapted to reproduce in the water found inside their burrows! Guaiamuns live mostly in mangrove areas and can even walk into people's houses like no biggie - in fact, the beach town where our mod is at right now has lots of them and she's been shooing them out of the house these last nights! Considering they are aggressive, it's quite the funny sight to imagine someone poking them away with a stick, while they lift their pincers trying to be intimidating, but eventually give up and run!

[self-indulgent-paw-patrol]

Guess who almost forgot about today's Aqua Fact With Zuma and had to stop packing up to go make the next one and schedule it LMAO

Ok I'm back to packing up, going to another beach with my mom and her best friend, it'll be two days only, I should be back home tomorrow (unless Carla finds a place to stay the whole weekend for a decent price) but I got plenty data on my phone as far as I'm aware of anyway-

[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 watched 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]

Axolotls are critically endangered! In the wild, they can be found in only one place in the world: Lake Xochimilco in Mexico City. There's no telling how many are still there, due to loss of habitat and introduction of predators like Carp and Tilapia. The only thing ensuring their survival as species for now is the easiness to breed in captivity.

[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!

[diy-fire-water-pups]

Swimming with whale sharks is a touristic attraction in several places in the world, but you need to make sure their management is environmental friendly. Some places will dump pounds and pounds of dead krill in the waters to attract and keep the sharks around, then surround them with hundreds of tourists at once. These are not natural ways, and can be stressful and even harmful for the sharks!

[diy-fire-water-pups]

Portuguese Men O' War are found mainly in tropical and subtropical oceans and shores, occasionally in temperate regions.

Now, a very important addition!

Some people say you should apply vinegar to treat the burn caused by their sting, but that actually makes it worse! This mistake occurs because you CAN use vinegar to treat a sting, but it's for the Box Jellyfish sting! If you apply vinegar to treat a Men O' War sting, it'll only make it release even more venom, so instead of that, you should submerge the affected area in 45ºC (113ºF) water for around 20 minutes to make it stop.

[diy-fire-water-pups]

Their name means something like swimming or living jewel koi, given their stunning colorations and their usually friendly and calm behavior. It's literally therapeutic to watch these fishes swimming around and many people keep koi ponds at home to symbolize success, fulfilment, ambition, perseverance, advancement in life, etc. In domestic ponds, they can live from 15 to 35 years, but in optimal conditions, Nishikigoi can live up to 100 years or even longer - there are stories that the oldest koi fish ever recorded was supposedly around 226 years old at the time of her death!

[diy-fire-water-pups]

Vaquita means "little cow" in Spanish! They got this name because of their darker markings on their heads and around pectoral fins. I hope they'll be able to recover... People should be aware of how much harm they cause to the ecosystem around them when they care only about themselves and their profit...

[diy-fire-water-pups]

Leatherback Sea Turtles still face a lot of threats, such as pollution, climate change, destruction of their nests and both ghost fishing and illegal hunting. It's very important to keep these turtles as safe as possible, because by eating jellyfishes, they provide a safer environment for healthy coral reefs, as jellyfishes are a major threat to these delicate ecosystems!

[diy-fire-water-pups]

These fellas have some other interesting or crazy curiosities, like how their heart is located in their heads! Arguably you can say it's their thorax, but it's encased by the same part of exoskeleton, so you can say thorax and head are in the same part. Also, there's a species of snapping shrimp that makes a loooooot of noise by snapping their pincers together, and it can easily get louder than a gunshot or a jet engine! People still don't know for sure why they do that, but it's assumed that it's for communication with other shrimps or just to stun their prey.

[diy-fire-water-pups]

Walruses like to eat shellfish, mussels, sea cucumbers, sometimes other molluscs and fish. We know Wally loves fish treats and squid jerky! They can live up to 40 years but don't have babies frequently, so they are very protective of their offspring. It's very common to find walruses covered in dozens or even hundreds of scars, from fighting during breeding season or against predators. But maybe the most curious fact is that they can sleep in the water, thanks to an air pouch they have around their throats! Once it's inflated, they can doze off in a vertical position, with these portable pillows keeping them from drowning!

[diy-fire-water-pups]

Amazonian Manatees are at risk for two main reasons: They have been hunted for their meat and oil; and their reproductive cycle is very slow, with the female carrying pregnancy for 13 months and having only one baby at a time, rarely twins. She also cares for them for 4 years before she can go and reproduce again. Both of these reasons have caused their population to decline a lot in the last decades… Some groups like AMPA and IPE are making an effort along with international help to save them, though!

[diy-fire-water-pups]

The name Pirarucu comes from merging two Tupi words: Pirá (fish) and Urucum (red), due to their red tail, more visible on the males during mating season.

There's a local indigenous legend, in which Pirarucu was a brave warrior, son of a kind tribe chief, but unlike his father, he had a very selfish and proud nature. He mocked the gods and they tried to scare him with their powers so the guy would show them some respect, giving him a few chances, but he still didn't care and refused to respect them even after being struck by lightning, so as punishment, They dragged him down the river and turned him into a giant fish!

[diy-fire-water-pups]

Dugongs can communicate between themselves with chirps, barks and whistles, just like dolphins! These big shy dudes can be found in warm coastal waters from Western Pacific Ocean down to the Eastern Coast of Africa. Sadly, the Dugongs are listed as vulnerable, almost changing to endangered, and they're currently functionally extinct from Chinese waters, as well as Taiwan and parts of Cambodia, Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines. The biggest threats against them are human activity, hunting, pollution and degradation of their habitats.