#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]

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]

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]

Sometimes they end up gliding so high and so fast, they end up stranding onto boats or ships. People have been fishing them on moonless nights for several decades by using large rafts and lanterns or flashlights to attract them up into their boats for an easier catch, as they're attracted to light sources!

[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]

Frilled Sharks have been known for a long time, be it through fossils or corpses caught by fishermen... Only in 2004 humans got to see one of them alive in its natural habitat for the very first time! After that, one got caught on video in 2007. There's still a lot to learn about them, because they live so much time in the deepest waters, it's very rare to find one, let alone to observe it long enough to learn anything!

[diy-fire-water-pups]

Sea Angels are not endangered, though their population has been declining due to climate change, which makes the ocean more acidic. It's really bad for any creature that needs to produce a shell at any point of their lives!

[diy-fire-water-pups]

Sea Sponges are also considered a good visual clue if the waters around are clean and rich in microscopic life or not. The more sponges and the bigger they are, the better the water quality!

[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]

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]

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]

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.