#CharlizChallenge2024 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

charlidrawz · 3 months ago

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Oh boy this is gonna take a hot minute;;

I'm gonna do my best to say a word or two quickly for each so they aren't super long!

These are just quick reaction/reviews for those simply wanting to know "Is this worth my time" or "I wonder how others reacted to this"

I'll also try not to go way too in-depth so ya'll don't have to worry as much about spoilers. ✨

Starting with the Books:

Jim Henson's The Labyrinth: Coronation [The Graphic Novel]

This series was short & fantabulous! The art was really nice, & while at first I was unsure on how I felt about the actual story I eventually decided: yes. I absolutely love this- & I honestly hope the possible live-action remake is more along the lines of Dark Crystal where instead of making Disney's mistakes they base the plot off of this & make it an episodic prequel series with the usual gorgeous Creature Shop work rather than CGI remaking the classic masterpiece that is The Labyrinth.

Kingdom Hearts

Oooh boy... anybody who knows me knows this was inevitable, so I'll try to keep it as brief as I can: I loved Kingdom Hearts. Is that a surprise to anyone? This was much easier to finish & actually process compared to the games for me, & if anything makes me more excited to properly play them on Steam at some point. The art was fun- & it was such an enjoyable & heart touching experience that I'm rereading it so my husband can get into it as well. (We already have an ever-growing folder of screenshots/pics of panels & reaction images from these mangas alone.) Story was more than I expected- speaking of, it did manage to make me cry. ...that should be a surprise to no one, but yes. it made Mickey cry.

I'm actually gonna skip to doing this one next before the others

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories

This one was. Not as much a favorite as the originals were, I'll be completely honest. The art was still pretty good, story was alright, but it was a tad bit confusing &... lengthier than I personally feel it really needed to be. This one especially felt like it really was meant to just be played as a game. Tedious back-and-forthing with plot & revisited world segments etc- but this is just my opinion!! ^^;; I am interested in this Axel character though, & now that I've started reading Kingdom Hearts II I'm getting more interested in the rest of these worlds & whatever happened with Kairi & Namine.

My Little Pony: Misty's Tale

Okay- so this one is actually a children's "I Can Read!" picture book, but ya'll know ya boi's got special interests a brony. 100% honesty here: still haven't watched the new series. I know, how criminal of me- here come the tomatoes. EVEN SO!! I did enjoy this. It really gave me a feel for who Misty is, & makes me more & more interested in actually trying to give the show a chance. Okay, before the torches & pitchforks are shoved in my face- YES, I did at least watch the new movie. I thought it was cute, & the references made me happy. -I also recognize most of the voices who I thought were wonderful, & the one I didn't recognize I follow online occasionally because not only are they funny, but it looks like they hire mlp fans & independent artists to make Twitch/Discord icons & emojis etc for them.

The Batman Strikes! [In The Clutches of The Penguin, Catwoman Gets Busted by The Batman, & Sanity Plea!]

These were an interesting couple of quick comics that were nice & easy reads! My husband's main special interest is of course Batman, & The Batman [2004 Animated Series] is one of his favorites... so, naturally, we had to grab these when we saw them in the library. As always, I adore the 2004 animated series' art style. I believe I've said all that's needed to be said. They were quick reads that we had a good time taking turns flipping through & pointing out details to each other- although I will say, I was surprised with how much I enjoyed Sanity Plea! compared to Catwoman's story... but it may also be because 2004 animated Joker is the one iteration of him I genuinely like that's not based on family, actor appreciation, or lego-related biase(es). Amazing design, truly.

Batman Adventures: Free Man

Now, THIS is one that had me at a loss for words- & in a good way. I didn't know what to expect with this other than "another quick BatMan read"- but after finishing it I am indeed intrigued by the concept & am curious as to what in the world is going on... Probably needless to say: I will be searching for the rest of these in my free time.

Batman: Reptilian [Warning: A bit long]

Ugh... oh boy... No matter how I tackle this somebody is gonna be disappointed, I'll just say that. It wasn't god-awful, in my personal opinion... but I don't know if it's my favorite Batman content I've consumed either. I actually did like the art; I found in fascinating. The story was interesting, & I was able to handle the "messier" parts of the case & the story... but whether you're cis like my husband, trans like me, find certain content in this comic triggering, or just get a bit squeamish with some topics brought up... it's a bit of an awkward if not genuinely uncomfortable read. It's one of those books that's hard to explain mixed feelings on without giving the entire story away... but let's just say that if you have a sensitive stomach & get light-headed over even cartoony g-re then this may not be for you. This isn't a simple "different take" on Batman, this is...it's hard not to refer to it as a revolting masterpiece of art or sickeningly twisted entertainment- if you dare call it that. This was not entertainment... but it doesn't feel like a cautionary tale either. It didn't quite mess with me, but it did make me feel especially sad for- & slight spoilers here without giving context- Waylon. I didn't have nightmares over this story, but I felt frustrated- frustrated that I did understand how Bruce was written in it & why he seemed, as my husband put it if I'm remembering correctly- "more aggressive" in a way. I was frustrated with how Waylon was treated & that I understood where Bruce was coming from... & I was angry I couldn't help. ...That's it. "Reptilian felt like an episode of Black Mirror based around Jurassic Park" is the best way I can put it.

Kami Garcia & Gabriel Picolo's Teen Titans: Robin

Have I mentioned how much I love Picolo's work & Teen Titans? No? Well, you're gonna know now. ... An average amount. What? Ugh, okay, fine, yeah- I've been following Picolo since his earliest Deviantart days when I was still a kid. -In fact, when I was younger I actually had his oldest works as my wallpapers for years... it just felt like the flames were dancing across my screen & the illustrations were coming to life off the book pages he'd inked them onto. I eventually finally started down my DC appreciating (& eventually loving/obsessed fan) path after I got into Teen Titans. I won't talk about it too much, but to put it simply: "I really really liked Teen Titans: Robin." I liked the art, the story was good (You should really read them from the start though if you're new; you're not gonna get a lick of it) & I was rather pleased with the presence of both Damian Wayne & Dick Grayson in the comic. I act normal about these but let's just say we have a few copies of the other books as well already- & as chill/neutral as I may seem about them compared to my main special interests if anyone dares bring up Teen Titans: Starfire to me they will most likely witness me doing this:

Batman: Wayne Family Adventures [Volumes 1 & 2]

No, we have not been reading the original Webtoon so please don't spoil it for us! We'll continue when we're able, don't worry! Another surprise to no one that we love these so far. They're originally WebToons, so the stories are short enough to get done & over with quickly & leave you wanting more. I love how each character is portrayed & the art style is spectacular. We had a blast reading through these.

Batman: Justice Buster [1, 2, & 3]

I'll be dead-honest with you guys; I saw this & thought it looked awesome but didn't actually expect it to be any good MAN was I glad to be wrong. At first I wasn't sure & just saw it as, yeah, an "anime Batman" that would probably just be a response or even somehow companion to Su1cide Squad Isekai It may still end up being a "We use the manga format/Batman ip to our advantage so we can rank up more reads via Shock-Value™" but even so, I'm actually enjoying it quite a bit. …Alright, I'm putting this way too lightly for the sake of sounding professional- I am a 20+ y/o Tumblr user gushing about manga on the internet- there's no WAY I'm going to be "normal" about this. The art was AMAZING, I am deep into this story & I. need. more. The first one was an interesting opening; kind of a proof of concept to me at first- or like… the perfect pilot episode introducing each character & giving some foreshadowing as the story continues. The second volume had my husband & I scratching our heads, but at this point we were getting caught up in a concept we still knew next to nothing about but were intrigued by. (Not too spoilery, but a huge thanks to the creators for helping explain the multi-verse concepts to newer/less educated on DC lore/s fans & confirming that Batman: Justice Buster is a separate continuity. Mwah mwah, Kisses to you /p) & lastly…ho ho…volume 3. Volume 3 my beloved, you have solidified yourself as possibly one of my favorite mangas ever at this point. The awesome visuals & the PLOT THICKENS! The end of this manga wrecked me, & CJ (my husband) & I need the pages of this final "chapter" as full posters to line our hallway walls. I'm not even joking.

Be More Chill: The Graphic Novel

Pretty well done. I'm not entirely sure what I expected, but it both didn't quite meet my expectations while also far exceeded them flawlessly. This is not some musical about a loser trying to be cool for his girlfriend... if you want more of that type of content go watch A Goofy Movie /srs. I have yet to read the original novel, but I can certainly say that this version of the story takes the situation far more seriously in the best way possible. The musical made me feel every emotion of each character in an honestly beautiful way... but this graphic novel was a toe curler in the best way possible, for sure. Spoilers for both if you don't already know, but in the musical you have that heart breaking scene with Michael in the Bathroom. In the graphic novel he's alone on the ground- you're barely given a glance at the poor kid as he's abandoned by his friend. You see shots of a blurry party while Jeremy runs off with a girl he doesn't really want to be with, & glimpses of certain characters not doing so hot either. There are many moments I was seriously uncomfortable reading through, & they do it phenomenally. Yes. You're supposed to feel disgusted as he treats girls & his best friend like garbage. Yes. Feel miserable as the warning signs are lost in the haze of wanting. Feel that embarrassment & dread over what's been done. Feel everything you only had a sliver of a taste of from the musical. Because the book makes it all-the-more real. This isn't Murder Drones, it's not Heathers, it's not even 13 Reasons Why- The musical felt like an older teen/young adult version of Monster High: 13 Wishes. This novel however makes me spiral with the thoughts & feelings I had playing through Simulacra. This isn't some kid recovering from a cyber war or whatever, this is a warning about society & technology bigger than even the musical was able to put forward on display for us. This wasn't a tragic drama, this was a cautionary tale of our fate if we're not careful.

Sofia the First: The Royal Games

On a totally different note! This was another children's book that goes along with an episode in the original animated series! It was alright, but most of the points would go to the initial writers & character, costume, set etc designers of the episode from the show. The actual book itself was made for kids so I don't mind the simple reading, but what puts my rating of the book itself so low is the art. I don't mind Sofia's style, I love it! ...but it wasn't quite realized to it's full potential here, in my personal opinion. I would have loved to read this if it had a different, more flat/2D style like some of the unique & gorgeous Disney Princess books from my childhood... -but instead, this book had rushed painted backgrounds & what we late amateur/early indie artists seem to call "floating" 3D set pieces. Cute morals, alright story, not my favorite picture book; it was okay.

The Giver: Graphic Novel

I'm starting to phase out & I promise these most likely won't be so long after this; I apologize if these start getting rushed a bit. Beautiful book, astounding film, stellar graphic novel. The art direction is especially what makes this my favorite way to properly process the brilliance that is The Giver.

Batman: the long Halloween

My husband was so excited about this, & I'm stoked to see the film now that I've read it myself. The art was fantastic & the writing was brilliant. I was able to feel the anticipation while also putting together theories of "whoddunit"/who Holiday supposedly was.

Batman's Missions & Ready for Action!

These I can say quickly: cute little reads. Lego books for kids. I was having a bit of a harder time keeping up with one of them because of the lengthier read, personally. I honestly just liked the pictures of the legos minifigs & sets. (The little details of pointing out certain pieces were fun, too.)

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children & Hollow City [The Graphic Novel/s]

Finally almost done! These were beautiful graphic novels I thoroughly enjoyed reading. A bit sad that there doesn't seem to be other graphic novels, but they've made me more interested in reading the rest of the series. The movie is enjoyable as well, but yes, these are different & more accurate to the books. (Also easier & quicker to process than the original novels)

Gotham After Midnight

THIS beautiful BEAST of literature is now most likely my favorite piece of Batman media out there- or at the very least it's in the top 3-5. The cape's movement, the length of the ears & the design of the cowl... the dialogue that grips me into the plot, & the mystery that must be solved...for Gotham!!! Another one I was able to piece together over time, but even so... man, that ending still stings so good. I need this made into a perfectly animated film or a short live action lengthy episodic series with Jim Henson. Just imagine Midnight with the vibes of The Mad Hatter meets Haunted Mansion but brought to life by the company that gave us The Muppets Christmas Carol & the Dark Crystal... The lines & colors; the vibe, the mood- the entire experience screams The Jim Henson Company... what I believe they could do. It was another moment where I caught myself, once again, nearly sputtering "woah, Tim Burton could do something like that- wait." oops On that note, if some madman/lh wanted it in stopmotion & similar to both then I'd like to remind people of some more talented & ingenious minds... Laika.

Marvel Disney Kingdoms: Seekers of the Weird, Figment, & The Haunted Mansion

Ohhh, these will be the end of me, I tell you! ^I say this with a fist of rage to the sky but the biggest smile on my face.

Allow me to preface this with a reminder: I adore graphic novels, comics, manga, etc... but Disney, especially Disney Theme Parks, Attractions, & Resorts.... oh, they are my highest special interest. Thank goodness for my beliefs & supporting family for who knows how badly I'd have lost it by now over Disney- especially with where it's gotten to now... blasted multi-million corporations!/hj

Starting with Seekers of the Weird: it certainly was. weird. Intrigued by the concept of a Disney attraction that never was I approached this with a VERY open mind. The art was good, story alright, but it was the concept I liked the most. Still enjoyable nevertheless & worth the read if you're a die-hard fan like me. The Haunted Mansion is what started this nonsense & led me to discover all of the wonderful Disney Park Graphic Novel joys I had nearly missed out on- I swear, I must have known of these at some point from Offhand Disney or someone I follow somewhere. I had the biggest grin on my face as I read through this book. These are a dream come true, & a total shame they seem to have been cancelled... I would have loved something like this for other rides as well... Matterhorn, Everest, Kali River Rapids- even for Mary Oceaneer & Mystic Manor. ...Is it clear I'm on my knees, begging for a Disney S.E.A. graphic novel/series yet? ...But Figment... of course.... our beloved Figment is the GOAT here. I'm still going to read the others, fret not! ...but man, if I die knowing I at least read Figment. I can die satisfied. I swear, these comics changed me. It felt like reliving my first days in Epcot, or even California Adventure as a kid again... it felt like how I always wanted to feel when playing Epic Mickey. Figment actually got me crying, man. Beautiful series. Please, at least read these if you're a Disney Parks enthusiast like me & wanna give these books a go.

Almost there......

Watersnakes

Man, I'll be honest- this one made my stomach hurt. This was stunning- I'd even almost say bewitching; but as I said with Reptilian, a lot of these types of...topics? tropes? honestly unsure how to put this... The illustrations were lovely... & graphic. It was a fascinating read, & by the end of it I decided "yes, I think I like this." On that note though, I still have personal mixed feelings due to some of the content, but that's mostly "just a me thing". artistic & intriguing, but at times a bit unnerving... but I think that was the point. [Imagine a wink there, I guess haha]

The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys

𝕃𝕆𝕆𝕂 𝔸𝕃𝕀𝕍𝔼, 𝕊𝕌ℕ𝕊ℍ𝕀ℕ𝔼. I wasn't sure how to feel entirely when I started- I probably should have watched through the Danger Days music videos first before reading, huh? As I continued through though I did find myself more & more invested. All I could say was it felt like The Last of Us meets Borderlands or Detroit Become Human meets Fallout. Fun read.

Is...is that it?

Am I finally..FREE?-

oh, no. Nope, we've still got

The Movies & Anime

3, 2, 1 let's jam-

A Monster in Paris

Underrated family-friendly film that CJ & I adored. I already knew La Siene so I was singing along while CJ was puttering about wanting to cosplay Francœur. I will do my best to make this dream a reality someday.

Sofia the First: Once Upon A Princess

Already seen this one! Basically the pilot episode for the series. Cute movie, good plot, Cedric is iconic, Cinderella made me cry, yadda yadda Do not start the series without watching this. Lovely little film!

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Mario! At long last... I CAN WATCH YOU NOW- /j ref

Fun family movie filled with nostalgia! ...Unfortunately, I only ever really played & liked The Super Mario Galaxy games & only really loved Super Paper Mario personally, so it was fun watching people get hyped & adorable watching my husband all excited over references I barely understood since I never got to play Mario64 I still haven't watched GameGrumps' playthroughs. I really liked the animation & designs; you truly get to see Illumination at their best here. My one main gripe is still more of a personal thing & not really a gripe, but I'm not big on tropes where the protag gets beat up &/or forces the audience to experience second-hand embarrassment... ...but that's what Illumination is brilliant at taking advantage of. Secret Life of Pets pulling a Woody(Toy Story) on us, Gru doing his best to be a better father- better man- for his family, & here Mario is at his weakest point but he never gives up. He pushes through for others, & that's inspiring. Even when we're at our weakest points, we're stronger than we'll ever know, & we're not alone.

Spy x Family [Vol 3]

This one's a bit more spoileryish I already knew about Yor's brother, but man;; I didn't know it was THAT bad. Excellent art & writing, fun family shenanigans- loved Anya, & I MUST see where they go with the dog.

Your Name

UGGHGHGHGHHG MY BONES

I've been waiting to read, watch, & review this one for literal years now. Man, this movie honestly hits different after coming out as trans. We seriously expected it to be an overrated movie about two long-distance lovers with meh personalities, but instead we were BAWLING over an exceptional story with exquisite animation, entertaining voicing, & really great music. It's not A Silent Voice, but we were both in tears at the end of it. Loved it.

Belle

I nearly forgot to add this one 'til I double checked LikeWise & I could feel the sting in my eyes trying to keep back the tears just thinking about it. Yeah, yeah; modern Beauty & the Beast remake wishes it were Dear Evan Hansen like a wannabe musical of A Silent Voice- SHUSH! Everyone's welcome to have their own opinions. ...Mine are that this movie was phenomenal with stellar voice acting in both Japanese & English & the masterfully done writing for both the film itself & the music brought not only me to tears but my husband as well. While we both sat huffin' & puffin' through light sobs as she sang, I said: "I think I found the next anime film I want a physical copy of..." & my husband surprised me with: "THE DVD? Honey, I need this soundtrack on VINYL."

OKAY- we're done!

Next on the list I'm reading Marvel Disney Kingdoms: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Vanitas no Carte/The Case Study of Vanitas, & re-reading The Promised Neverland Volume 1.

At some point we'll be reading Justice Buster Volume 4, Wayne Family Adventures 3, Teen Titans: Starfire, & attempting to finish Kingdom Hearts II.

Eventually I plan to tackle Pandora Hearts, Higurashi, Scott Pilgrim, Into the Pit, & restarting & finishing Lore Olympus.

Have a great week, everyone!

Hiya Pals, It's Mickey!

To put this short & quick: I'm starting a challenge!

Others are welcome to join in on this in their own ways if they'd like

Basically, I will be attempting to read every manga if not also every graphic novel my library has. Yes, the actual library. I will be using the tag #CharlizChallenge or #CharlizChallenge[enter year here] (You'll be able to keep track of posts easier that way.) "What on Earth does that mean?" ^I will also be attempting to say at least one thing about each manga/book I read. I may also do a (most likely short & quick or lengthy & ramble-y) review on different movies & shows I watch over time.

Ya'll are welcome to keep up with whatever I'm reading/watching at the time via LikeWise & MyAnimeList.

I'll try & review whatever the heck I've already done since first going to this specific library.

No, I'm not covering every media/content I've consumed, but if I mention something- even something I've already partially reviewed-that you want me to cover more of feel free to let me know in the comments!

I will leave warnings & those "Read More" border/page breakers if the content in whatever's being reviewed could be triggering/too explicit for younger/sensitive eyes.

Please take care of yourselves out there, & good luck if you try to do the same challenge!

Keep in mind: some might find this a lot easier than others as certain libraries- bigger or smaller- may have a shorter collection of manga & graphic novels. -The one I used to have nearby, for example, only had Tokyo Ghoul, Tokyo ESP, Deadman Wonderland, & Alice in the Country of Hearts while the one I initially grew up in I doubt had any manga (at the time, to my knowledge) at all.

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