#Genesis is my favorite so far he’s so goofy

[closedrop]

So far I am 25 hours into Crisis Core and learned many things

(Crisis Core spoilers and theories ahead)

- Genesis has a Bible (most likely related to LOVELESS and his theories) and I joined his fan club

- Sephiroth has a fan club with “images that your average Sephiroth fan could never ever dream of seeing” apparently which is a bit worrying but I am also a Sephiroth fan club member so

- Tseng knows Aerith somehow? Willing to bet this is either related to her having been in I think Shinra facilities for a while. Orrrr something love related(?)

- Cid is in space training :) (I love Cid.)

- Cissnei is a character, don’t know much about her but she’s there and I don’t THINK she’s in the original FFVII but if she is she’s hidden because I dragged Cloud around on SO MANY side quests. (Cissnei your chances of living do not look good in the future I’m not gonna lie)

- I believe Gongaga is still intact and hasn’t yet been destroyed by theeee Mako Reactor I think it was sooo that’s probably gonna be an important plot point if that happens

- At least two of the SOLDIERS are gay for Zack or at least find him attractive in some way (which if they are, good for them, good for them)

- The fact that once you’re in the science dept. you can’t leave because they deal with too much sensitive information, that’s a really nice detail and I really love it. I learned that a few days ago I think and I really appreciate that because it makes Hollander’s stuff make more sense I guess from what little I do know

- I lied about Sephiroth he’s not the comedy character it’s Genesis, my man just shows up, spouts poetry(It’s always LOVELESS) and then dips. “My friend, will you fly away now. To a world that abhors you and I 🤓” (I’m sorry Genny ily I’m in your fan club 😞)

- Apparently nobody likes Angeal because from what I saw there was one person in his fan club and it’s getting shut down because she’s too depressed to do anything about it (unless Zack intervenes, which can’t be possible anymore because I missed that chance, sorry Angie 😞)

- There’s a lot of definitely not relevant small details(lie) Like Zack’s whatever limit break that he uses when you haven’t gotten the character’s image in the DMW yet. It’s just cross slash, which is Cloud’s 2nd limit break in the original FFVII (I can’t say anything about the new one since I haven’t played it yet- but yeah) Another one being Aerith’s bow, since Zack buys it. (I’m sure there’s more I can’t think of right now but yeah)

- Zack is 6’1” and his hobby is squats apparently which makes sense but I figured he’d more of a casual baking kind of guy. (Though he’d also be the kind of guy to burn like Kraft Mac n cheese so I don’t know if I’d trust him in the kitchen ever-)

- Zack got doxed lol (and Yuffie got his address)

- Zack the puppy.

- Wutai spies are very bad at being spies

- Every child is a con artist (except for that one that one time)

- Zack, master treasure hunter (Me because I have spent most of my time doing just missions and side quests-)

[nonbinaryhatboxghost]

Okay, today has been a quiet Saturday morning so far, I have some time, and I like lists. So here is my random (personal) ranking of Star Trek series and movies, out of what I’ve seen, which is everything but seasons 5-7 of Voyager, all of Enterprise, and all of Picard. I’m only counting shows with three or more seasons because it’s easier. But let the record show that I love Lower Decks so far and The Animated Series is actually a blast.

SPOILERS THROUGHOUT

Series Ranking

The Original Series - As influential of a show as it is, I constantly forget how much damn fun the original Trek is. There is an almost Community-like variance in tone and genre throughout the show. And I’m a sucker for a future that embraces primary colors. It is the Trek show I revisit the most so far, and it remains my favorite.

Deep Space Nine - This one comes close, though. It starts out as a solid spinoff with very well-defined characters, and then becomes a big, sprawling epic that had my eyes welling up by the end. It feels more like a sequel to The Original Series than The Next Generation did to me. It dealt with subject matter both different and darker than was expected for the time. It had characters at odds with each other. Religion was explored in a way that balanced brutal honesty with genuine respect. War and the various traumas it induces were acknowledged. And it had “Take Me Out to the Holosuite”. I only finished this one recently but I look forward to watching it again.

Discovery - I was rooting for this show to be good even as it went through so much behind-the-scenes drama during its first two seasons. Even with all of that going on, the show became a fascinating watch as you saw it change from its arguably-too-dark beginnings as a prequel, to the almost Doctor Who-like second season with its joyful embracing of classic Trek, and finally to its current iteration that at long last gives us a Trek show that’s not bound by prequel limitations. Michael Burnham is such a great character and getting to see her arc alone makes this one of my favorite Trek stories. The queer/nonbinary representation also warms my heart.

Voyager - I’m just starting the fifth season, but the show has settled into an interesting groove with its characters. And Voyager’s characters are so damn good that they counterbalance a lot of the show’s early problems. It takes a while for Voyager to realize that the Kazon do not work very well as villains. But once the show realizes that, it begins an upward trajectory in quality that reminds me of Deep Space Nine after it began doing Dominion plots. And Seven of Nine’s effect on the crew dynamic lives up to the hype. Any scene between her and Janeway demonstrates such a unique relationship between captain and crewmate that an episode plot can be meh and still worth it for a scene with those two. Also, Janeway is the best captain character. No other Trek show (that I’ve seen so far) comes close to showing us the weight of leadership like Voyager, and Mulgrew constantly brings it.

The Next Generation - This is my first Trek show. It’s the one that my dad watched. There are several standout episodes to me, but I find myself less drawn to revisiting TNG than the other Trek shows because ultimately it took me too long to understand and care about its cast of characters. If you were to ask me to describe any character from any other Trek show, I would be able to. Ask me to describe a TNG character and I would likely fail to give any good adjectives for any character besides Data and Worf. As iconic as the show is, and as great as it became, it doesn’t have the same pull on me as other Trek shows. But it was the template for the spinoffs that followed, and the portrayal of Picard’s trauma post-Borg assimilation earns its reputation as an all-timer for me.

Movie Ranking

VI: The Undiscovered Country - I’m surprised this one isn’t talked about as much as other Trek movies. It’s a very frank depiction of prejudices and learning to deal with them. It has one of the best Kirk/Spock scenes ever. Christopher Plummer as a Klingon. The ORIGINAL cast credits sign-off (yes, Avengers: Endgame borrowed from this). A score that carefully balances menace with eventual hope. A fun whodunit structure. I could go on and on. It’s just so damn great, and so far the only successful send-off to a Trek crew in any of the movies.

II: The Wrath of Khan - It’s a classic for a reason. I’ve probably rewatched this more than any other Trek movie. You got your great villain, your classic crew beginning to deal with their mortality, an all-timer death scene, a kickass early James Horner score. What more could you want?

The Motion Picture - This is an interesting one. When I first watched it as a teen, I hated it. I agreed with every critique of it being thinly plotted and having an excessive runtime. When I revisited it in my 20s, it became a favorite. It’s Star Trek’s exploration of existential dread, and the struggle to find agency and identity within that dread. It has possibly Jerry Goldsmith’s greatest score. It is the best that the Enterprise has ever looked. This movie envelopes you with eerie and epic imagery, culminating in a finale with interesting philosophical ramifications and a well-earned return to optimism from its crew. This one is criminally underrated.

First Contact - This one is just rock solid all around. The best-ever TNG villains, further exploration of Picard’s trauma from Borg assimilation, Alfre Woodard, Alice Krige, fun action, the genesis of the Federation. It has the best balance of darkness and fun out of all of the Trek movies. It also has a character actually say the words “star trek” in a way that never ceases to make me smile. I don’t know if it’s a good line, but it’s funny regardless.

Beyond - Like The Motion Picture, I initially disliked this upon first viewing. I was still in the middle of watching The Original Series and was in the wrong mindset for this mashup of TOS and Fast & Furious. But it’s one of the most underrated Treks because it’s a perfect balance of the more kinetic action found in the 2010s with a very well-done breakdown of the inherent point and value of Star Trek: learning to be better and move beyond fighting the same battles among ourselves.

IV: The Voyage Home - This one is such a satisfying culmination of the crew’s arc starting in The Wrath of Khan that the joy of the 1980s material is almost just a bonus to me. Nimoy does a good job of keeping things light without disregarding stakes. He gets the best portrayal of the crew’s camaraderie in this and The Search for Spock. And Spock’s reaction to the concept of “exact change” always makes me laugh.

III: The Search for Spock - I revisited this one recently and it held up better than I expected. Seeing the weight of Spock’s death on Kirk in the beginning hits hard. Christopher Lloyd as the Klingon villain is casually one of the best Trek movie villains. And seeing the crew uniting over trying to bring back Spock gives us some of the best on-screen moments of this cast.

Star Trek - One of the reasons I love Beyond so much is that it retroactively makes this one better. I was crazy for this movie when it came out. I was in high school, Star Trek in general was something I was only really aware of because of my dad. But this is the thing that got me into Trek. And as mixed of a bag as it now plays to me, ‘09 Star Trek being a gateway for me to general Trek, combined with the perfect casting of the crew, the excellent Giacchino score, and the emotion of the opening sequence, thankfully makes this one still a blast to revisit.

Nemesis - I have only seen this twice, and both of those times without having seen TNG in its entirety. This was also the very first Trek movie I ever saw. Nostalgia is a factor for why this is higher than the others on the list. Curiosity is another, as I was unaware of Tom Hardy when I watched this, and have no idea what my opinion will be on rewatch. But what I always remembered of this movie was its ending, which even to a novice like myself when I first saw it had an impact.

Generations - There are quite a few great scenes that Stewart gets in this movie. Malcolm McDowell is also great in it. But the whole plot feels too forced for me to get actually swept up in it. And as fun as it is to see Shatner and Stewart share the screen... it ultimately has no impact and leads to a strangely lame death for Kirk.

Insurrection - The idea of Enterprise going rogue against the Federation for forcibly relocating a population for a natural resource is such a good concept... which makes the goofiness and half-baked writing of this entry all the more confusing. All the elements are there, but it feels like the tone was forced to be lighter than the material warranted. It’s frustrating because Frakes’ directing chops that he showed off on First Contact are still visible here. But for whatever reason, this one just falls apart.

Into Darkness - This one is low on the list mainly because it represents almost all the negative traits of the modern blockbuster to me. Darkness without depth, franchise callbacks without substance, and no character development/change by the end. Another reason why Beyond works better as a sequel to ‘09 Star Trek than this one is that Into Darkness feels more like it’s trying to make Star Trek a bigger movie franchise rather than develop this iteration of the Enterprise crew. Nothing and no one is changed by the end of this story.

V: The Final Frontier - It is the most difficult Trek movie to sit through, and yet I can’t call it a disaster. For all of its misfirings on the comedy front (dancing Uhura, for instance), the camping material with Kirk, Spock and McCoy is genuinely great. The premise of its villain being on a quest to find God is ultimately a misfire, but it leads to a very engagingly ridiculous climax centered around the question “What does God need with a starship?” There are far too many undeveloped ideas in this one, but that scene is worth seeing this movie for. At least, now that we know it didn’t kill the franchise, as so many apparently feared when this came out.

[peekychu]

hiii ray! we haven't talked in a while but i still get happy whenever i see you on my dash :D i hope you're doing well! it's pretty cool that you're more active on tumblr nowadays, i missed u :'3 if u want to use this ask as an excuse to rant about any hyperfixations or special interests that u have rn please feel free bc ive been super pumped about being neurodivergent all day and want to share that :D it's just been *thinks about my favorite characters having adhd* *thinks about my favorite ch

Warning! This got long, you DID say I could rant, but thought I’d let ya know xD

Hi Avery!!! Aw, I’m so glad my goofy posts can make ya happy, it’s nice to hear!!!

AND YEAAA relating to favorite characters is a super nice thing, I know what you mean!! ^o^ Seeing Undertale trending again recently for the anniversary made me nostalgic for all the self-indulgent headcanon art I used to draw of Alphys, haha!

I will say, it’s kind of weird because lately I haven’t had One Big All-Consuming interest like I usually did in the past (except for maybe Game Grumps and Ninja Sex Party which have still been staples for me xD), I’ve been trying to expand my horizons during quarantine and I’m starting a lot of new shows & games!!! I gotta give my partner tons of credit for introducing me to new things I never would have checked out on my own, without him I’d probably still be watching the same old Game Grumps compilations and nothing else, lol. It’s been AWESOME discovering new interests!

During lockdown I have:

- Watched all of the Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure anime and just finished part 6 of the manga! You don’t even know how hard I resisted getting into this series, but sometime around part 4 I got nearly as obsessed as bf xD Emphasis on nearly, hehe. But seriously, I love this series! I met some awesome new characters too! I really love some of the sillier characters like Narancia and Foo Fighters, but Jotaro has grown on me like a LOT!! I love this fella, especially in part 4. Joseph was the first person that made me interested in the show!

- Watched and read all of Beastars so far! Excited for season 2 to be animated! The manga is definitely all over the place, but still made for some really interesting friend discussions! 

- Started Hunter x Hunter 2011, as well as some of the 1999 episodes! It got to a SUUUPER slow point so I haven’t finished it, but people have been convincing me to stick with it for the Chimera Ant arc which is supposedly the best xD Mostly I just ADORE Gon and Killua’s dynamic, as well as their friends Kurapika and Leorio! I feel like the series is a little bit confusing and isn’t storytelling to its max potential, but I have some favorite bits for sure!

- Re-awakened a Spongebob obsession xD I got the game Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated and beat it, SUCHHHH a good game!! It inspired me to watch a ton of old episodes (seasons 1-3 of course) which was very nostalgic and made me remember how genuinely hilarious of a cartoon it was.

- Played tons of Animal Crossing! I sort of burnt out on ACNH like most ppl stuck at home with a Switch, but I’m happy with my island (named Daffodil!) and the love I put into it! It served as some crucial escapism at the start of this wackiness, lol

- Beaten Mario Galaxy for the very first time!! This was a hyperfocus-y highlight for me, I beat the game in under 3 days and LOVED every second!! Mario Galaxy is such a delightful game!

- Started Majora’s Mask 3DS! My mom also got a copy so the two of us could play together! I ended up getting MUCH farther in the game than her since I’d played the first part a few times when I was younger, but I don’t know if I’ll ever beat it, haha. The 3DS remake made some changes from the original that bummed me out, so I’m taking a break until I’m inspired again :P Maybe I’ll just play through Ocarina of Time again?

- Played Fall Guys with my pals!! Honestly I’m craving this game again, maybe after typing this post I’ll play some, hehe.

- Started Pokemon Journeys (the anime) with bf!!!! I LOVE this show, I think it’s the best Pokemon anime yet! Lots of very cute Pikachu moments which is important to me, and lots of content that really takes full advantage of the Pokemon world!

- Got into Rock-Afire Explosion with bf! I feel weird talking so much about him on here since he doesn’t have a tumblr account and most likely doesn’t read these posts, but he’s been a huge part of my life :P Anyways, this guy is the Rock-Afire KING, it’s been a lot of fun listening to their (shockingly) good songs and seeing the project he’s been working on for it! I’ve grown a huge fondness for Billy Bob, he is a sweet boy with a sweet voice.

- Started Neon Genesis Evangelion! I’m actually super close to finishing this anime, it REALLY got cool and interesting! I’m glad about not being spoiled Too much despite seeing it everywhere online for most of my teenagehood, haha. One of the more serious things I’ve watched lately, but I find stories like this to be cathartic :P

- And arguably most importantly, Avatar the Last Airbender!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy MOLY! This is one of those things that ppl have been pressuring me to get into for Years, and now that I have, I wish I could go back in time and pester myself alongside my friends, haha! I binged a whole season’s worth on a sick day, I just really Really love every character, and the writing, and the worldbuildinG, it’s all fantastic and it’s all been said before xD I also caved and bought the entire collection of The Search and The Promise of the comic series!!! Just read the rest of it last night, I am in awe over how fantastic Avatar really is!! I think that alongside Jojo, Avatar has been a world that really helped me through the weirdness of these past months xD

I also have been thinking a lot about my furry characters, lol :P I’ve commissioned and drawn  so much art of my OCs, they just all make me so happy! Especially my fursona Twinkie of course, I feel so connected with this goofball cat! I want to maybe develop a comic for my characters and make a world for them, but all of my motivation is being dedicated to art classes :P

ANYWAYS!! Thanks for letting me ultra infodump, this became less of an interest-gush and more of a quarantine update xD I don’t love talking about the current situation because it’s All anyone talks about (I mean, I get why but yknow) but I’m really grateful that I found some inspiration and enjoyment in new things during my time at home!

[bloody-croissant]

Tagged by the Precious @raburabusama o((>ω< ))o Thank you for the tag!!!💙

I tag @46snowfox @carlatsukinamistolemyhamsandwich @uzi-boozii @dj-diabolik-fan  Only If you want to QwQ No pressure if you don’t wanna!

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Favorite Anime:. Madoka Magica, Season1 and 2 of Free!, Neon Genesis og series, Tenshi ni narumon, Yowapeda and Tenipuri(Two very, VERY, bizarre sports anime that are surprisingly entertaining to watch), Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, P4 the animation, Nichijou, Ojamajo Doremi, Movies From studio Studio Ghibli

First anime crush:

Technically, My first anime “crush” was Ash from Pokemon when I was 6 years old to this day, my mom still hasn't let me live it down >( This was before I knew what anime was lmao. I also had a short lived crush on fucking Kakashi from Naruto when I when I was like 11 :o) That’s around the age when I actually started learning about/getting into anime xd

Recent anime crush:

Shin Tsukinami

Impey Barbicane(Even tho he looks like a goddamn Goofy gijinka)

Fuyuki from Tenshi ni narumon,Love one from senjuushi? Idia shroud? maybe? idk

First anime:

When I was in elementary school, I remember watching Pokemon, Yugioh, Dragon ball z (in spanish), and Card Captor Sakura. I also used to own a vhs copy of Kiki’s delivery service which I adored as well.

Recent anime:

I am planning to watch the new Tenipuri anime/Rikkai spinoff that is coming out this year. I also want to continue watching Demon Slayer. So far my fave character is probably Inosuke. I only made it up to the Spider Demon arc, when it aired and have not picked it up since. 

 Tbh, most if not all anime after the year 2014 barely catches my interest anymore. Not sure if its an age thing or what, but I don’t feel inspired to watch any of these new series currently airing. Maybe the new formula of anime doesn't sit well with me, because I find myself rediscovering old series instead. Nowadays for example, If Shouchan voices a character in an anime I will only skim to the scenes where his character is present ^^;  and maybe eventually watch the whole series....

[dumb-american]

The Rebuild of Final Fantasy VII: Your Expectations Will (Not) Be Met

I apologize for the stupid title and I promise I’m going to talk about the Final Fantasy VII Remake, but I have to get this out of the way first. Sometime in the mid 2000s, acclaimed artist and director Hideaki Anno announced that he was going to remake his beloved anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion the way it should have been the first time, free from technical and budgetary restraints. Evangelion had a notoriously strange ending when the original anime aired, consisting of character talking over still images, abstract art, and simple animations. It was highly polarizing and controversial. Anno, for his part, received death threats and the headquarters of the studio that produced the anime was vandalized. Soon after the initial uproar Anno would direct The End of Evangelion, a retelling of the final two episodes of the anime, and that seemed to mostly satisfy the fanbase. Looking back now, The End of Evangelion wasn’t “fixing” something that was “broken,” no, it was a premonition: a vision of things to come. Why remake the ending when you can just remake the whole damn thing?

The mid 2000s also saw the birth of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII: a sub-series of projects expanding the universe and world of the video game that had “quite possibly the greatest game ever made” proudly printed on the back of its CD case. The Compilation consisted of three games, all on different platforms, and a film. First was Advent Children, a sequel to Final Fantasy VII, where three dudes that look like discarded Sephiroth concept art all have anime fights with our beloved protagonists, culminating in a ridiculous gravity defying sword fight between Cloud and Sephiroth. Before Crisis and Crisis Core are prequels that expand the story of the Turks and Zack Fair, respectively. Then there’s Dirge of Cerberus, an action shooter staring secret party member and former Turk Vincent. Were these projects good? I’d say they were largely forgettable. Crisis Core stood out as the obvious best of the bunch and I think may be worth revisiting.

As a business model, the practice pioneered by the Compilation would continue on and eventually brings us FFXIII (and sequels), FF Versus XIII (which would later become FFXV), and FF Agito XIII (which would later become FF Type-0). If that’s all incredibly confusing to you, I’m sorry, I promise I will begin talking about the Final Fantasy VII Remake soon. Suffice it to say, both Final Fantasy VII and Neon Genesis Evangelion have a certain gravity. They punch above their weight. They are both regarded as absolute classics, flaws and all. And yet, in both cases, the people responsible for their creation decided that their first at bat wasn’t good enough and it was time to recreate them as they were meant to be all along. I think this way of thinking about art is flawed, limitations are as much a part of the creative process as vision and intent. Yet, we find ourselves in a world with a remake of Final Fantasy VII, so I guess we should talk about it.

From this point forward, there’s going to be major spoilers for every Final Fantasy VII related media. So, be warned.

So, is the Final Fantasy VII Remake any good? To me, that’s the least interesting question, but we can get into it. FFVIIR is audacious, that’s for sure. Where Anno condenses and remixes a 26 episode anime series into four feature length films, the FFVIIR team expands an around 5 hour prologue chapter into a 30+ hour entire game. Naturally, there will be some growing pains. The worst example of this is the sewers. The game forces you to slog through an awful sewer level twice, fighting the same boss each time. This expanded sewer level is based on a part of the original game that was only two screens and was never revisited.

Besides the walk from point A to point B, watch a cutscene, fight a boss, repeat that you’d expect from a JRPG, there’s also three chapters where the player can explore and do sidequests. The sidequests are mostly filler, but a select few do accomplish the goal of fleshing out some of the minor characters. You spend way more time with the Avalanche crew, for example. Out of them, only Jesse has something approaching a complete personality or character arc that matters. The main playable cast is practically unchanged which was a bit surprising to me. I figured Square-Enix would tone down Barret’s characterization as Mr. T with a gun for an arm, but they decided, maybe correctly, that Barret is an immutable part of the Final Fantasy VII experience. Also, it’s practically unforgivable that Red XIII was not playable in the remake considering how much time you spend with him. I don’t understand that decision in the slightest.

The game’s general systems and mechanics, materia, combat, weapon upgrades, etc. are all engaging and fun and not much else really needs to be said about it. I found it to be great blend of action/strategy. Materia really was the peak of JPRG creativity in the original FFVII and its recreation here is just as good. The novelty of seeing weird monsters like the Hell House and the “Swordipede” (called the Corvette in the original) make appearances as full on boss fights with mechanics is just weaponized nostalgia. In general, the remake has far more hits than misses, but those misses, like the sewers and some of the tedious sidequests, are big misses. It is a flawed game, but a good one. If I were to pick a favorite part of the game, I’d have to pick updated Train Graveyard section which takes lore from the original game and creates a mini-storyline out of it.

If that was all, however, then honestly writing about Final Fantasy VII Remake wouldn’t be worth my time or yours. The game’s ambition goes way further than just reimagining Midgar as a living, real city. There’s a joke in the JRPG community about the genre that goes something like this: at the start of the game, you kill rats in the sewer and by the end you’re killing God. Well, when all is said and done, the Final Fantasy VII Remake essentially does just that. Narratively, the entire final act of the game is a gigantic mess, but if you know anything about me then you know I’d much rather a work of fiction blast off into orbit and get a little wild than be safe and boring.

In the original games, the Lifestream is a physical substance that contains spirits and memories of every living being. Hence, when a person dies, they “return to the planet”. It flows beneath the surface of the planet like blood flows in a living person’s veins and can gather to heal “wounds” in the planet. In the original game, the antagonist, Sephiroth, seeks to deeply wound the planet with Meteor and then collect all the “spirit energy” the planet musters to heal the wound. The remake builds on this concept by introducing shadowy, hooded beings called Whispers. The Whispers are a physical manifestation of the concept of destiny and they can be found when someone seeks to change their fate, correcting course to the pre-destined outcome. Whispers appear at multiple points throughout the game’s storyline both impeding and aiding the party. The ending focuses heavily on them and the idea that fate and destiny can be changed. We receive visions throughout the game which some will recognize as major story beats and images from the original game. After dealing with Shinra and rescuing Aerith, the game immediately switches over to this battle against destiny and fate that you’re either going to love or hate. The transition is abrupt and jarring. While Cloud has shown flashes of supernatural physical abilities throughout the game, suddenly he has gone full Advent Children mode and is flying around cleaving 15 ton sections of steel in half with his sword. The party previously took on giant mutated monsters, elite soldiers, and horrific science experiments, but now the gloves are off and they’re squaring up against an impossibly huge manifestation of the Planet’s will. Keep in mind, in the narrative of the original FFVII, the Midgar section was rougly 10%, if that, of the game’s full storyline. This is, frankly, insane, but I’d be lying if I didn’t love it.

The Final Fantasy VII Remake, with its goofy JRPG concluding chapter, is forcing the player to participate in the original game’s un-making. We see premonitions of an orb of materia falling to the ground, we see an older Red XIII gallop across the plains, we see a SOLDIER with black hair and Cloud’s Buster Sword make his final stand, we see Cloud waist deep in water holding something or someone. We all know what these images represent, they’ve been part of imaginations for decades. But the Final Fantasy VII Remake allows us (or forces us, depending on perspective, I guess) to kill fate, kill God, and set aside all we thought we knew about how the game would play out post-Midgar. The most obvious effect of our actions is the reveal that Zack survived his final stand against Shinra and instead of leaving Cloud his sword and legacy, helped him get to Midgar safely. I have my doubts and my worries about the future of this series. I’m not sure when the next part of the game will be released or what form it will come in, but I can’t believe I’m as excited as I am to see it.

Of course, part of me wishes they’d just left well enough alone. Remakes are generally complete wastes of time and effort. Not all, but most. Maybe I’m, to borrow a term from pro wrestling lingo, a complete mark here and I just love JRPGs and Final Fantasy VII so much that I’ll countenance close to anything bearing its name. I’ve tried my best to be as critical and fair as possible to the game and I hope that if you’re on the fence and reading this I’ve maybe helped you decide if it’s for you or not. I think the Final Fantasy VII Remake is worth your time if you’re looking for a good, meaty JRPG. It’s not perfect and it’s final act is insane, but that just makes me love it more.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like for Zack, Cloud, and Aerith to face Sephiroth in the Planet’s core? I know 15 year old me did. And he may get his wish.

[fromtheringapron]

Scary Wrestling Stuff from My Childhood

Every Halloween season, it’s not uncommon for wrestling fans to reminisce about the moments in our great sport that genuinely scared them, and I’m certainly no exception. At the end of the day, wrestling is still a fantasy world that’s seen plenty of dark, suspenseful, and even at times supernatural bullshit. In fact, one of its biggest stars is The Undertaker, who has been in turns a mortician, a zombie, a Satanic cult leader, a desert biker, and some strange hybrid of all those characters at once.

Truthfully, nothing in wrestling scares me anymore. Well, at least not in kayfabe. Real life still provides a lot of fright in and out of the ring. When I see a wrestler get legitimately injured in the ring, you bet I’m concerned. The depressingly common trend of premature wrestling deaths is a terrifying subject on its own. But when you’re a kid, where even the most ridiculous thing in wrestling can seem real, there’s a lot in kayfabe to be scared about, and you don’t even known what the hell the term “kayfabe” even means.

So, to get in the spirit of the spooky season, I’ll give you a quick rundown of some things that personally scared me shitless watching wrestling as a youngster:

Evil Doink the Clown: Doink is usually associated with everything wrong in WWF’s New Generation era⏤one-dimensional gimmickry, cheesy beyond belief, and worst of all, out of touch. But it’s a reputation that isn’t quite deserved. The original Doink character was that of an evil clown, brilliantly brought to life by Matt Borne. As someone who churned out many rewatches of WrestleMania IX as a child, which features the character at its peak, you better believe I was terrified of this wrestling clown with lime green hair. If evil Doink’s sudden mood swings and aggression weren’t unsettling enough, the entrance music is fucking horrifying to this day. Far scarier than Pennywise and the Joker could ever wish, complete with maniacal clown cackles. Yikes, yikes, yikes. It sounds like the soundtrack to a haunted carnival episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? on Nickelodeon. Given the rise of creepy clowns in recent pop culture, evil Doink would still get over now, and scare a whole new generation of kids to boot.

Kane, Circa ’97/‘98: Hear me out: the video package to Kane and The Undertaker’s clash at WrestleMania XIV is one of the best ever. The music, the footage, and even the random Michael Cole narration all flow together perfectly to create something goosebumpingly epic. But, damn, as kid? This was some terrifying shit. Considering I was too young to stay up and watch every episode of Raw in full, that package was like a highlight reel of pure horror. Kane has become known for taking part in some of the most infamous and illogical storylines in WWE history, but it’s often forgotten how effective a job was done to build him up as a monster upon his debut. Remember when he lit that random dude on fire on Raw? Holy fuck. Not even the Wicked Witch of the West setting fire to The Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz shook me up quite like that. The eyes peeping out of his mask was, to me, the most frightening part of his appearance. Total nightmare fuel. Generations more familiar with bald, mask-less Kane could never quite know the trauma.

Papa Shango’s Sega Genesis Theme Music: Okay, this a fairly obscure one, but my brother and I would play WWF Royal Rumble on Sega Genesis back in the day. The game was complete with cute little 8-bit versions of each wrestler’s entrance themes. The Crush theme, in particular, is a minor masterpiece. The other piece of music that made an impact on me is the version of Papa Shango’s theme. I didn’t have too much footage of Papa Shango in my childhood wrestling VHS collection so he held some mythical status to me. The original theme is creepy enough, but the Genesis version really takes you to an dark, murky swamp where Shango is hexing his latest victim. It scared me so much that I’d speed ahead the character selection screen in the game so I wouldn’t have to hear it. You can scoff at me now all you want, but I must speak my truth.

Zeus and Randy Savage Attack Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake: If you’ve watched Survivor Series 1989, you may remember a segment where Mean Gene interviews Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake about their upcoming match at No Holds Barred. That’s not scary at all, but it’s what happens as the interview unfolds that, for whatever reason, really tore me up when I’d put my copy of this show in the VHS. Sensational Sherri crashes the interview, with the most wild-eyed glared you could imagine, shouting at Hogan and Beefcake in her dark, garish makeup. She then throws handfuls of powder in their eyes, allowing Zeus and Randy Savage to attack them. It’s so hard to describe what’s so scary about this. No Holds Barred, both the movie and the pay-per-view, were pretty notorious failures so it’s not even like it’s remembered as a major angle or anything. If anything, I gotta think it has something to do with the sudden tonal shift from a goofy babyface interview to an all-out assault, which can be pretty striking for any young viewer.

Mick Foley, Hell in the Cell: I don’t really need to say any more, do I? The Hell in the Cell match at King of The Ring 1998 is something that warrants a post of its own, as its undoubtedly one of my favorite matches of all time. But I cannot stress this enough: watching a human being do what Mick Foley does in this match, no matter how pre-planned, is some seriously distressing shit. As an adult, you realize you’re watching this man single-handedly take years off his career. But even in kayfabe, there’s true terror in watching the full extent of Mankind’s threshold reveal itself. The dude literally fucking smiles to the camera as he’s concussed and his mouth bloodied into steak tartar. If that image alone doesn’t stay with you, I don’t know what will. Mick Foley turns this match into a mini horror movie. Years before people tuned in droves to watch Saw and Hostel, they watched Mick Foley torture himself. In the match’s most chilling moments, he turns Mankind into a character like Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees⏤just when you think he’s been completely broken in half, he’s up and ready for more.

Early Undertaker: I can’t possibly go on without mentioning The Undertaker. When you really think about it, some of things I’ve mentioned already wouldn’t have been possible without him. It seems a little cliche to even bring him up for a topic like this, but he’s the OG of cheesy wrestling horror. Plus, it needs to be said: The Undertaker, in first couple years of his WWF career, could easily scare kids. It definitely scared the kids who grew up watching that version of the character, at least. I watched Survivor Series 1990 countless times growing up so, as you could imagine, I was one of the fortunate/unfortunate children. One of the more brilliant touches of The Undertaker’s early character, outside of the creepy glare and slow approach, was the various shots of mortified children in the crowd. It seems like a minor detail, but it went a long way in establishing him as a genuine monster. Not to mention, there were things the Undertaker did during that era that, even by the family-friendly standards of early ‘90s WWF, were pretty messed-up. How about that time he locked The Ultimate Warrior in a coffin? Or when he worked with Jake Roberts to terrorize Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth? Make no mistake, those first few years were critical in letting us know for whom the bell tolls.

And that about does it for my own personal horrors. Maybe you think mine are silly, but what about wrestling scared you growing up? Does it still scare you? Does it still give you nightmares? As you ponder, I’ll be looking over my shoulder, hoping I’m not attacked by Zeus.

[tsaomengde]

Tiny Viewing Guide to Star Trek: The Next Generation

Just found out one of my oldest friends, a huge sci fi guy, has never actually seen TNG, or indeed any Trek. He asked if I wouldn't mind writing a viewing guide. Not all that tiny, but the blurb for each episode is tiny. YMMV.

S1

Encounter at Farpoint - Goofy but iconic, series premiere

The Naked Now - Bad but hilarious and a little important

Code of Honor - terrible racist horseshit

The Last Outpost - first time we meet the Ferengi, they're not impressive

Where No One Has Gone Before - interesting enough

Lonely Among Us - I have no memory of this place

Justice - terrible outfits, Wesley episode

The Battle - Picard episode, not terrible

Hide and Q - Riker-centric Q episode, not the best Q episode, not the worst

Haven - first time we meet Lwaxana, don't remember anything else

The Big Goodbye - first of many holodeck episodes, pretty good

Datalore - important!!!

Angel One - totally forgettable

11001001 - meh

Too Short a Season - weird, generally meh

When the Bough Breaks - Wesley episode, don't remember it much

Home Soil - no clue

Coming of Age - more Wesley (can you tell Gene Roddenberry liked the character?), but not bad

Heart of Glory - first time the Klingons get real character, important

The Arsenal of Freedom - automated weaponry is bad, mmkay

Symbiosis - nope, no idea

Skin of Evil - dark, nasty, generally unpleasant episode, important for character reasons

We'll Always Have Paris - genuinely do not remember this one but wiki says there's time travel and that's always fun

Conspiracy - real mixed feelings about this one, it's tense and interesting TV but not really good Trek and it has huge implications that are never revisited

The Neutral Zone - Romulans are reintroduced, pretty cool

S2

The Child - pretty decent Troi episode

Where Silence Has Lease - interesting space puzzle episode sprinkled with Picard philosophizing

Elementary, Dear Data - first Sherlock!Data holodeck episode, excellent stuff

The Outrageous Okona - weeeaaaak, but kind of funny

Loud As A Whisper - cool deaf character, cringey late-80s implementation

The Schizoid Man - Data episode, good acting, cringey dialogue

Unnatural Selection - Pulaski-centric, and I dislike Pulaski so this is a pass for me

A Matter Of Honor - Riker serves on a Klingon warship, some good stuff

The Measure of A Man - Easily a top 10 Trek episode of all time

The Dauphin - Wesley has a crush, receives terrible romantic advice from entire crew

Contagion - interesting lethal archaeology

The Royale - love this episode, it's terrible and bad science but I love it

Time Squared - weird time-travel stuff, not one of the best

The Icarus Factor - lot of good character stuff, terrible future martial arts

Pen Pals - excellent Data episode, thoughts about the Prime Directive

Q Who - WATCH THIS ONE

Samaritan Snare - bad episode, funny moments

Up The Long Ladder - holy shit the Irish racism

Manhunt - Lwaxana Troi at her best, love it

The Emissary - Amazing Klingon stuff

Peak Performance - good episode, lots of fun character bits

Shades of Gray - TERRIBLE CLIP SHOW AVOID AVOID AVOID

S3

Evolution - Wesley episode, not bad but not great

The Ensigns of Command - Mediocre Data episode

The Survivors - space puzzle episode, OK

Who Watches the Watchers - more prime directive stuff, mildly interesting

The Bonding - interesting stuff about grief

Booby Trap - another space puzzle, high stakes, cool payoff

The Enemy - Pretty good, Romulans

The Price - fun episode

The Vengeance Factor - ehhhhhhhh

The Defector - More Romulan stuff, is good

The Hunted - will 100% make you scream at how terrible security is in the future, not a bad ep though

The High Ground - ugh, just not great

Deja Q - good Q episode

A Matter of Perspective - let's use the holodeck to prove Riker couldn't have committed this crime!

The Offspring - WATCH THIS BUT BRING TISSUES

Sins of the Father - first of many Klingon Politics episodes, I love these with a fiery passion and my wife is bored to tears by them so YMMV

Allegiance - space puzzle, not a great one but not bad

Captain's Holiday - WATCH THIS, IS AMAZING

Tin Man - literally put me to sleep once

Hollow Pursuits - First of many Barclay episodes, my beautiful autistic space boi

The Most Toys - alright, worth one watch

Sarek - SO IMPORTANT WAAAAAAAAAATCH

Menage a Troi - bad episode, worth it for the payoff

Transfigurations - Jason Ironheart called, he knows he came after this episode chronologically but he was better

The Best of Both Worlds, Part 1 - YAAAS

S4

The Best of Both Worlds, Part 2- YAAAAAAAAAAAAAS

Family - So important

Brothers - Very Important

Suddenly Human - meh

Remember Me - very interesting space puzzle, one of the Crusher episodes where she gets to be awesome

Legacy - not the most jaw-dropping ep but important

Reunion - KLINGON POLITICS YEEES

Future Imperfect - interesting enough

Final Mission - Wesley episode, not bad

The Loss - v. good Troi episode

Data's Day - fun, wholesome Data times

The Wounded - SO GOOD AND SO IMPORTANT

Devil's Due - I love this episode even if it's not that important or good

Clues - Awesome space puzzle

First Contact - eh? okay? sure?

Galaxy's Child - fine, whatever

Night Terrors - uuuuugh, no

Identity Crisis - this one scared the fuck out of me as a kid and may be responsible for my deep-seated body-transformation-horror triggers, now it's just kind of weird

The nth Degree - BARCLAY, LOVE HIM AND THIS EP

Qpid - YES SO GOOD

The Drumhead - This is Michael Dorn's favorite episode and it is worthy of the title

Half a Life - Lwaxana is great, the episode not as much

The Host - introduction of the Trill, kind of cringey almost 30 years later

The Mind's Eye - brainwashing stuff, meh

In Theory - Data tries to date, hilarities ensue

Redemption Part 1 - GIVE ME THE KLINGON POLITICS

S5

Redemption Part 2 - MOOOOOOOOOORE

Darmok - One of my top 5 episodes in the series

Ensign Ro - so important, introduces the Bajorans and Ensign Ro

Silicon Avatar - important for Data, not a terribly interesting episode otherwise

Disaster - Troi gets to shine! cool episode

The Game - by far the worst Wesley episode. everyone is seduced into acting like a brainwashed idiot by a terrible space future video game. fuck this episode and everyone who wrote it but especially Brannon Braga.

Unification 1 - WATCH

Unification 2- THESE

A Matter of Time - So good, waaatch

New Ground - I am not a fan of Alexander but he is so important to Worf's growth, so... yeah

Hero Worship - more stuff about grief, eh

Violations - I don't remember this one that much but I do not think I enjoyed it

The Masterpiece Society - read the above description

Conundrum - amazing space puzzle episode. easily one of my favorites in the series

Power Play - meh

Ethics - very important, good Trek

The Outcast - THIS EPISODE COULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH BETTER IF THE LOVE INTEREST WAS MALE. JONATHAN FRAKES PUSHED FOR A MALE ACTOR. watch it anyway

Cause and Effect - fun space puzzle, a little repetitive but totally solid

The First Duty - one of the best Picard Speeches ever, watch

Cost of Living - fun Lwaxana episode

The Perfect Mate - pretty meh but Famke Janssen is fun as Kamala

Imaginary Friend - so bored

I, Borg - INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT

The Next Phase - interesting episode about the afterlife

The Inner Light - THIS IS MY FAVORITE EPISODE OF THE ENTIRE SERIES AND I CRY EVERY TIME

Time's Arrow 1 - Such good time travel

S6

Time's Arrow 2 - Such great Mark Twain

Realm of Fear - Yay more Barclay!

Man of the People - bad Troi episode

Relics - WAAAAAAAAAATCH

Schisms - space puzzle, kind of lame payoff due to effects limitations but the journey is worth it

True Q - By far the worst fucking Q episode ever written

Rascals - uuuuuuuugh. half the crew is regressed into children. Ferengi are involved. you are missing nothing.

A Fistful of Datas - amazing dumb holodeck episode, watch

The Quality of Life - boring episode, good message

Chain of Command 1 - So dark, so difficult, so totally riveting and important

Chain of Command 2 - See above

Ship in a Bottle - Sequel to Sherlock!Data, amazing

Aquiel - could have been written much better

Face of the Enemy - by far the best Troi episode, Marina Sirtis was incredibly happy when I told her it was one of my favorites

Tapestry - fantastic Q/Picard episode

Birthright 1 - Basically exists to set up DS9 but is pretty good and has important bits

Birthright 2 - See above

Starship Mine - DIE HARD ON THE ENTERPRISE

Lessons - Very important Picard episode

The Chase - amazing space puzzle episode, has one of my favorite one-off Klingon characters

Frame of Mind - is Riker's entire life a delusion he has created to mentally escape his imprisonment in a mental asylum? spoilers: no

Suspicions - Good mystery episode, Crusher gets to do stuff

Rightful Heir - Very important Worf episode, good Klingon stuff

Second Chances - uh, kind of bad, but it gets referenced later in DS9

Timescape - super interesting space puzzle, amazing character bits

Descent 1 - WAAATCH

S7

Descent 2 - as above

Liaisons - okay. not great. not bad.

Interface - OK Geordi episode

Gambit 1 - Amazing stuff

Gambit 2 - More amazing stuff

Phantasms - Psychological horror? in my Data? it's more likely than you think. watch

Dark Page - one of the few Lwaxana episodes I don't love

Attached - great Picard/Crusher episode

Force of Nature - environmentalism! is! good!

Inheritance - important Data episode

Parallels - SUCH A GOOD WORF EPISODE

The Pegasus - very important Riker episode

Homeward - Interesting Worf and Prime Directive episode

Sub Rosa - so cringey and terrible, oh my God

Lower Decks - a fun change of pace from the main cast

Thine Own Self - I don't love it, but it is good character stuff

Masks - weird space puzzle episode, I love it but I wouldn't call it Great

Eye of the Beholder - space mystery, it's not fantastic

Genesis - look. this episode is not good. but it has amazing costumework by Michael Westmore. and has some great Picard/Data stuff. watch it.

Journey's End - super important stuff. sets up a lot of stuff for DS9 and VOY

Firstborn - Good Worf/Alexander episode

Bloodlines - More Ferengi stuff, kind of lame

Emergence - space puzzle, weird but interesting

Preemptive Strike - So so so so important

All Good Things... - it's the series finale. and some of the best Trek ever. obviously you're going to watch.

[recentanimenews]

FEATURE: What Are Your Favorite Musical Cues in Anime?

  Hello everyone, and welcome back to Why It Works. Sometime last week, while scanning through recent anime news, I learned that the soundtrack for Cowboy Bebop, along with several other classic anime, had just popped up on streaming music services. If you’ve seen Cowboy Bebop, I’m sure you’re aware of the power of its music — but for those who haven’t, you should know that the show’s soundtrack is an incredible achievement, and easily as impressive as its writing or animation. 

    The soundtrack for Cowboy Bebop was written by Yoko Kanno, a brilliant artist and composer who actually assembled a band known as “The Seatbelts,” purely to record this particular show’s music. Ranging from jazz to funk to country and far beyond, I think it’s fair to say that Cowboy Bebop simply would not be the phenomenon it is without Kanno’s musical support. Every scene of Cowboy Bebop is elevated by its soundtrack, from the big band blitz of the show’s opening, "Tank!," to the moody horns of its concluding "The Real Folk Blues," to the countless uses of music both big and small throughout the series. Would "Ballad of Fallen Angels" strike as painfully without its somber use of “Green Bird?” Would "Waltz for Venus" work without the tender, fragile melody of its signature music box?

  A good musical cue — the term for when a song begins to play or is "cued" up — can do more than just set the tone for a scene. It can lead a story through a major narrative shift, close the distance between audience and action, or serve as a pure emotional articulation of the drama on-screen, lingering in your mind long after the action has passed. Great musical direction can elevate narrative drama into an emotionally tangible experience, and most of our favorite shows would feel empty without the music shifting, directing, and amplifying our response to the action. But a great example is generally more useful than a rambling explanation, so without further ado, here are some of my absolute favorite musical cues in anime!

    First off, if I had to pick just one musical cue from Cowboy Bebop, it’d actually be a different "Ballad of Fallen Angels" song — “Rain,” which plays as Spike approaches his confrontation with former partner Vicious. Renowned as one of the show’s very best episodes, "Ballad of Fallen Angels" has to work extremely efficiently to set up its final battle; the episode compresses reflections on Spike’s past and a full bounty investigation by Faye into its first two-thirds, meaning it has little time to reset its mood for the melancholy, nostalgic final act. Fortunately, the opening organ keys of “Rain,” combined with the violet hues of the church, instantly transport the audience into Spike’s somber headspace. Simultaneously a nostalgic reverie and a funeral march, "Rain" gracefully leads the audience into the mood of the "Fallen Angels" finale, and the episode would be far less memorable without it.

  Shinichiro Watanabe is one of the most impressive directors when it comes to integrating music into his productions, but there are other directors who have an equally sharp ear for music and a similar understanding of its importance in drama. Masaaki Yuasa, for one, always manages to integrate music into his shows in a compelling, emotionally impactful way. All of his shows use music in a variety of interesting ways, but I think my favorite example is the diegetic Christmas song that one of Ping Pong’s stars, Wenge Kong, sings at karaoke.

    After half a season of fruitlessly trying to integrate into his new Japanese team, the Chinese-born Kong only finds peace and companionship when his mother comes to visit. Through the process of making traditional dumplings, he bonds with his new teammates, and at last finds a source of confidence and joy apart from his victories in ping pong. That joy, along with his still-present longing for his home, is elevated into epic theater through his karaoke song, as the show pans over a medley of its stars, all bearing the loneliness of the holidays in their own way. It’s a transcendent moment, and another shining example of the power of song to elevate narrative drama.

  Musical cues can do more than just set or elevate the tone of a scene, though — they can actually contribute to the narrative directly, either through discordant musical contrast, repeated musical motifs, or songs that shift from one form to another in order to illustrate the changing tides of a story. So it goes for the Monogatari franchise, where each new arc focuses on a different character, with a different opening song used to establish both that character's personality and the narrative they’ll be experiencing. In Monogatari’s first season, the introduction of Nadeko Sengoku is accompanied by “Renai Circulation” — an upbeat, lighthearted song about Nadeko’s crush, accompanied by goofy images of her prancing around, waving hello, and halfheartedly trying to study.

    "Renai Circulation" is a fun song in its own right, but it actually gains far more significance in retrospect, after Nadeko’s second arc is introduced with the new “Mousou Express.” Leaning on ominous piano keys and featuring actress Kana Hanazawa singing in a menacing whisper, "Mousou Express" inverts both the melodic tone and visual imagery of "Renai Circulation," viscerally implying Nadeko’s two-faced nature and selfish desires. It’s one of the few examples I’ve seen of a character arc literally illustrated through music, and also just a really great pair of songs.

  Finally, my own all-time favorite musical cue in anime comes from, unsurprisingly, my all-time favorite anime: Neon Genesis Evangelion. Specifically, the concluding film End of Evangelion, which turns the series’ slow-building exploration of isolation and self-loathing into a cathartic scream of “I am here.” And yet, when that scream erupts, it’s through the almost tender descending keys of “Komm, süsser Tod” (German for "Come, Sweet Death"). Set against a scene of intimate violence between the show’s principal pilots, "Komm, süsser Tod" acts as a stark counterpoint to the on-screen chaos, like a lullaby set against the end of the world.

    The song encapsulates the feeling of transcendent surrender to the infinity that characterizes End of Evangelion’s last act, while its lyrics speak to the regrets of its cast, who only wish they could spend these moments with the people they love. Annihilation, nostalgia, loneliness, belonging, and rebirth, all at once, all captured in song — through "Komm, süsser Tod," End of Evangelion reaches a peak of emotional catharsis I have never seen repeated.

  Those are my own favorite musical cues in anime, but there are countless more shows that are elevated through their thoughtful use of song. I hope you’ve enjoyed this exploration of music’s power, and please let me know all your own favorite musical cues in the comments!

      Nick Creamer has been writing about cartoons for too many years now and is always ready to cry about Madoka. You can find more of his work at his blog Wrong Every Time, or follow him on Twitter.

  Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[housebeleren]

War of the Spark Reprints & New Art

I can’t believe we’re already on the brink of Core Set 2020 previews! Before we go there, I”ll wrap up my thoughts on War of the Spark. Today, some reprints & the new art that accompanies them. This is always one of my favorite things, to see how staple cards are reinterpreted in new contexts.

Starting with a bang, so to speak, is this redo of limited staple Gateway Plaza. To me, this was an ingenious design on the part of the creative team. By giving us identical art two sets in a row in Guilds of Ravnica and Ravnica Allegiance, they created a sense of constancy, of permanence on this world. Blowing it up was the most evocative way to start this war, and to make clear the sudden and violent change the plane is to experience. In a set that was somewhat hit or miss on the “war” tone, this was one story moment that was perfectly executed.

Sung Choi has a fairly small pool of Magic art so far, but all of it is excellent. His work first caught my eye with the fantastic Molten Rain reprint in Modern Masters 2017, and recently blew it out of the water with the Ultimate Masters Life from the Loam. This Gateway Plaza does a phenomenal job of conveying this powerful story moment, and is a highlight of the set.

All Versions:

War of the Spark

Guilds of Ravnica/Ravnica Allegiance

Ajani’s Pridemate has been a staple since it was first printed in Magic 2011, and it’s great to see it back here as Ajani’s signature spell, errata and all. The existing version by Svetlin Velinov has been the only version til now, so it’s exciting to see a change.

Sidharth Chaturvedi got 4 cards in War of the Spark, and for good reason. The set has a very animated, comic book style about it, and Sidharth’s style is a perfect fit. He tends towards this illustration-esque feel, with stark but narrow color palettes (basically just blue & yellow here), and a sense of visible brushstrokes. It fits in beautifully with the feel of the set. My only wish is that the setting were a little more visible, putting this in the context of Ravnica, as he did on Pouncing Lynx. 

War of the Spark

Magic 2011

Augur is another staple from core sets of yore, and a fantastic reprint for Standard, though I wish we had more context for this character. Who is this merfolk defecting to Bolas, and why? But that’s neither here nor there.

What I love about this depiction is it really conveys the sense of this creature being an oracle or seer of sorts, where the existing artwork is more generic. The water in particular is done amazingly here, conveying the motion surrounding the character while still giving us a perfectly clear view. The colors are beautiful, and the details are precise but not overwhelming. Alex Konstad is excellent, and I love the piece. I’d check out his Coral Commando & promo of Deeproot Champion as examples why it made perfect sense for him to get this commission.

War of the Spark

Magic 2013

Another signature spell that made perfect sense to bring back. As much as I love the original version of this, charging at the viewer, this one is simply phenomenal, and I’m so happy they had Aleksi Briclot do it. He’s done a huge number of Magic cards, going back to the Kamigawa days, and often gets major commissions, including all five of the original Lorwyn Planeswalkers. He does Chandra and fire so phenomenally well. Just look at Stigma Lasher and Ravaging Blaze for a sense of what he can do with fire. And, of course, the original Chandra Nalaar is beyond iconic.

This piece, a Common whose art will often go unnoticed by drafters, shows just how incredible the quality of Magic art is.

War of the Spark

Kaladesh

This is one of those spells I always feel like has been around since... I dunno... Tempest or something. But it’s actually only the second time it’s been printed since its debut in Khans of Tarkir. Obviously, the dream is to draft it in the same deck as Feather, the Redeemed, but I’m not sure how often that is actually going to happen. Either way, it’s a fun cantrip & utility trick for Limited.

Gabor Szikszai is great at these action shots, frequently illustrating for the Boros or other combat-oriented individuals. His pieces are full of energy, and always feel like the very apex of the moment, like the shots you’d see on a storyboard or in a comic. This style is a perfect fit for War of the Spark, and this piece does a great job.

War of the Spark

Khans of Tarkir

Demolish, on the other hand, has been around for a long time, going back to Odyssey, and it still shows up as a perpetual inclusion. It’s always not good enough for standard, and most of the time it’s not really playable in Limited either. That said, it’s the kind of effect that needs to be around, just to serve as a baseline. Probably its best inclusion, from a Mel perspective, was in Kaladesh, where artifact removal was maindeckable, yet the rate made this far from overpowered.

As for the art, this may be my favorite iteration ever, since it’s possibly the only version ever to actually depict destroying both an artifact and a land, whereas most versions are more typical artifact destruction designs. This also goes deeper, as the building being destroyed is the Interplanar Beacon, first hinted at on Steam Vents in Guilds of Ravnica. The fact that they went to so much effort to seed these important story moments for War of the Spark is above and beyond awesome, and I’d love to see more of this in the future. 

Adam Paquette needs no introduction–he’s Magic art royalty at this point. But I would like to point out that he did a huge number of lands for this year on Ravnica, including the aforementioned Interplanar Beacon, another of my favorite pieces from the set, and several of the evocative basic lands. It’s amazing to get to see so many different angles of the same buildings & locations, and was one of the highlights of this incredible year in Magic.

War of the Spark

Ixalan

Kaladesh

Theros

Avacyn Restored

Zendikar

Odyssey

Awwww look at the goodest boy! Mowu is here serving good boy realness, and I’m all about it. I love that they were able to print this spell and use it effectively as a signature spell to demonstrate Jiang Yanggu’s magic. I’m always a little surprised to see this spell reprinting, since it feels like Wizards is perpetually unsure if this is too powerful or not, toying with making this effect cost 2 mana or making it slightly less of a buff for 1. Either way, I’m happy to see it back. Obviously, this card goes back to the genesis of the game, and is one of the only iconic spells from that era that would still be printable these days.

I didn’t immediately recognize Dmitry Burmak’s name on this card, but one cursory glance at his card history and I immediately recognized a number of his pieces. His first Magic pieces were from Unstable, including two of my favorites: Lobe Lobber & Willing Test Subject. On Ravnica, he’s done a bunch of pieces for the Rakdos & Izzet, including Captive Audience, Electrodominance, and Light up the Stage. His pieces have tremendous energy and more than a dash of whimsy, and I am here for it. I’d love to see more of this energy in Magic art going forward.

War of the Spark

Return to Ravnica

Tenth Edition

Ninth Edition

Seventh Edition

Fifth Edition

Ice Age

Alpha

From the very old to the much more recent, New Horizons is one of the increasing number of land ramp enchantments Wizards has been pushing in recent years as an alternative to land fetching. To be clear, these effects have been around for a while, but they’re much more frequent than they used to be, and land fetching doesn’t show up quite as often. It’s a cool effect, and I do like it. I just hope they keep land fetching as well, since both effects are useful in different ways.

Eytan Zana is a name that may not be super familiar, but you’ve definitely seen a ton of his works, and that’s because the vast majority of his Magic artworks are lands. One of my favorite Forests of all time is his, the idyllic deer & stream Forest from Avacyn Restored. It’s his mastery of landscapes that makes this New Horizons art so good. For all intents and purposes, it is a land art, just themed on a spell. I love the subtle ruins of the city in the foreground, and the majesty of the great trees growing out of the main structure are absolutely breathtaking. Well done.

War of the Spark

Ixalan

Ahhh, Primordial Wurm. Herein lies the proof of just how pushed creatures are these days. Back in Alpha, this casting cost got you a 6/4 Craw Wurm. Now it either gets you a 7/6 Primordial Wurm, and it’s still basically unplayable. I look forward to ten years from now, when we get a 10/10 Wurm for this exact casting cost at Common, and it still doesn’t see play.

Anyhoo, this is a fun piece. Svetlin Velinov is another piece of Magic art royalty, who needs absolutely no introduction. What I love about him is the vast array of types of cards he does. Sometimes it’s a high-profile Mythic Legend like Roalesk, Apex Hybrid. Sometimes it’s a goofy limited trick like Maximize Velocity (with goofy Viashino to match). And sometimes it’s an absolutely gorgeous land. But no matter what, his style shows through and makes something totally memorable. I’ll remember this Wurm chasing down bite-sized eternals, even if I forget if it’s a 7/6 or a 6/6 or a 6/4 or whatever the hell size Wurms are these days.

War of the Spark

Dominaria

One only need look at the original version of this art by Karl Kopinski to get a sense of the art direction for this set. What was once a somber, pensive piece is now action, in full comic book mode. And I’m totally here for it. I do love how the Nicol Bolas statue was used as a prop in this set.

Obviously Daarken is a legend. Suffice it to say, he’s done everything, but definitely has a talent for darker, more sinister pieces (and occasionally, the exact opposite). This piece is great, though I will say I don’t quite understand the Nahiri quote on here. I would really have rather seen a Sorin quote here and had them use this one on Nahiri’s Stoneblades. But what do I know?

War of the Spark

Magic 2012

Last but not least, it’s Totally Lost, everyone’s favorite card they wish cost 1 mana less, but couldn’t really without being a little too powerful. Honestly, I love that they brought back Fblthp for this, though if they do it a third time, then they’ll never be able to do a version of this card without him ever. Think about that carefully, Wizards. Probably my favorite thing about this card isn’t even Fblthp on top of the Bolas statue, but actually the flavor text reference to his Easter Egg in Captive Audience from the last set. They really went deep this time around.

Aaron Miller does a huge variety of cards, from high profile works like Ajani, Mentor of Heroes, to cards you probably already forgot existed, like Honed Khopesh. He seems to really enjoy these interesting perspectives, looking up or down at his characters from unique vantage points, and creating stylized pieces that have character, but still fit into the Magic universe. I enjoy that this card made it into the set, and I think this depiction of one of the game’s favorite memes, high over the spires of the city, is a perfect place to close out this post.

War of the Spark

Gatecrash

[murdercide626]

Awesome Possum

… Kicks Dr. Machino’s Butt!

So, I recently bought this game (yeah, with real currency. don’t you judge me!), and I thought I’d give my two cents.

I’ve played through it a couple times on easy mode (the default setting), and I gotta say… I don’t think it’s all that bad. Definitely not a highlight for the Genesis/Mega Drive, that’s for sure! But I personally don’t think it deserves all the bile people typically throw at it. Then again, I’ve suspected for quite a while that I may just have a high tolerance for b.s., so take what I say with a grain of salt.

One of the most commonly heard complaints I’ve heard regarding this game is that Awesome Possum is way too chatty to the point of aggravation. But what most don’t mention is that there’s a voice setting in the options menu that actually lets you adjust how often he speaks. You can even turn off the feature altogether, so that complaint is pretty moot. Don’t get me wrong, he can definitely get annoying, which is why I only play the game with the second-to-highest setting, which I find tolerable.

Then there’s the controls. Yeah, I agree the controls and hit-detection are a bit wonky. But during my two complete playthroughs, I can honestly say I had hardly any trouble at all navigating the levels and hitting targets. Though there were a couple incidents where I passed through a platform or enemy, but that happened so rarely it’s hardly worth noting. That said, avoid the speed power-up at all costs! If you can manage that, you shouldn’t have too much trouble. lol

And of course there’s the fact that the game is a shameless rip-off of both the plot and gameplay style of the Sonic series, which, yeah, it definitely is! But it’s just different enough to be a somewhat unique experience.

As for the ham-fisted environmentally-conscious plot, it just oozed ‘90s sensibilities, and its narmy qualities were actually oddly charming to me.

So, yeah, it’s a pretty okay game, imho. Just not something I would recommend buying, unless you’re an impulsive, retro-game-obsessed weirdo like me. lol

And despite all his cockyness and self-aggrandizing, I actually think Awesome is pretty gosh darn cute! ^_^

I also really liked a couple of the game’s enemy designs, which I’ll detail below:

The first enemies you encounter are these deforestation robots. Their designs are extremely basic as far as humanoid robots go, but I find them to be pretty charming. And the way they just haphazardly run around with chainsaws just looks so goofy! And there’s also these smaller models which wield handsaws. They’re so small that they’re actually shorter than Awesome, and they’re adorable! X3

Later in the game, there are these bear-trap-headed, dog-like robots that relentlessly pursue you, and they jump if you’re currently airborne or on a higher platform.

In the final levels of the game (the so-called “Fortress of Garbage”) you encounter these ghoulish, toxic muck monsters! Aside from the bosses, they’re the only enemies in the game that aren’t entirely mechanical. As such, they’re also the only enemies that don’t explode when you defeat them. Instead, they melt into the ground in a mildly disturbing manner. I love them!

There are many more types of enemies throughout the game, of course. These three are just my favorites.

Then, there’s the bosses:

Dr. Machino and his minions!

Unfortunately, none of the bosses, besides Machino himself, have names (that I know of). Oh well.

The first boss is this hulking cyborg outfitted specifically for deforestation purposes. As you can see, his left hand is a circular saw, his right hand a flamethrower, and his lower body has been replaced with tank treads. This brings up one of the reasons I like this game: rather than just throwing mindless automatons (and the aforementioned muck creatures) your way, you actually face off against cyborgs too! A nice little detail about this guy specifically is that, taking into account his asymmetrical design, he has unique left and right-facing sprites.

The boss of the undersea caverns is by far the least interesting. Just what appears to be some guy in a deep-sea diving suit with a harpoon gun (that shoots tridents). Although he does explode like the other bosses when you defeat him, so I guess he must be a cyborg of some kind. Or maybe even a robot? Eh.

The boss of the arctic is this Jason-Voorhees-looking guy who wields a giant wrench and zips around on ice skates. A surprisingly frustrating fight!

The penultimate boss of the game is this gas mask wearing guy who flies around in a little machine that constantly produces toxic gas, which he also shoots at you as projectiles. On my crappy TV, I actually interpreted the gas mask as being a ghoulish green face!

Finally, the main villain of this whole affair: Dr. Machino! Though his design is kinda plain, I really like him if only for the fact that he’s a mad scientist character who’s also a cigar-chomping, corporate fat-cat caricature, which you don’t see often. His mechanical body is also kinda spiffy. His body is outfitted with a flamethrower, extendable hands, and a missile launcher concealed in his chest. This guy is definitely the cheapest boss in the game and requires more luck than skill to defeat, so you had better have a lot of lives saved up! But when you finally do defeat him, his body explodes only to reveal that the doctor was actually much smaller than he appeared to be and was actually piloting a mechanical suit all along! Honestly, that just makes him all the more endearing to me! ^_^

After you triumph over the dastardly scientist, you are treated to an animation of what was promised in the game’s title: that being Awesome Possum booting Machino in the backside, right into the landfill below!

Thus ends the doctor’s Captain-Planet-style shenanigans!

Hooray for Earth! And the rain forest… And dolphins… and… stuff…

[professorthorgi]

Hey I've never been a fanatic of manga or anime but a good portion of my friends totally are... I value your opinion on this because I have discovered great comic book series through you... The only two things I have fully invested in are Death Note and My Hero Academia which I really liked

Haha, as I started reading this I thought “Oh I’ll recommend My Hero Academia, it’ll be great,” and then I saw you were already reading it and thought “Oh crap,now what.” 

But okay, let’s see, if you liked Death Note I’d recommend Bakuman, it’s from the same creative team behind Death Note but it’s totally different. It’s about an artist and a writer who really want to make a manga series, and it’s basically an inside look at the world of Manga Making and working at Shonen Jump. In fact it becomes pretty obvious pretty quickly this is like a behind the scenes look at the making of Death Note and what they went through to make it.

Also if you like My Hero Academia I’d recommend One Punch Man, it’s another semi parody of the super hero genre, and it starts off as a series of one shots, but then it actually starts to develop a story and the story gets really emotional and really makes you care for these joke characters.

Speaking of good super hero spoofs, check out the anime Tiger and Bunny. It’s about a world where super heroes have to be sponsored by corporations and they have to compete in a big reality show to get points by saving people, but one hero is still saying “No this isn’t what it means to be a hero, we aren’t here to win points and get sponsors,” but he’s getting old and washed up, so his sponsors pair him up with a young rich pretty boy hero and the two of them have to go out there and learn what it means to be a hero together, loved that anime, never read the mangas though but I think they’re like side stories to the anime so just start with the anime.

Full Metal Alchemist is one of the best manga/anime’s for people who enjoy sci-fi/fantasy who haven’t really been able to get into anime to start with. If you watch the anime though then be warned, there’s a “Full Metal Alchemist” series and a “Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood” series, watch the Brotherhood series because that one was based off the manga, while the first series started being based on the manga but then halfway through went in a totally different direction that wasn’t as good.

Cowboy Bebop is another great series for people who aren’t big into Anime, it’s that anime series that people who dislike anime always stop and say “Except for Cowboy Bebop, that one was great”

If you like Death Note because of how dark it gets, then I recommend any Junji Ito stuff, especially if you like horror stuff, although just to warn you it gets really dark.

Also if you like some darker stuff and want to check out a classic, Neon Genesis Evangelion. It’s a story about fifteen years after Angels came down to earth and caused the apocalypse, the angels have now returned and mankind is now ready to fight them back with giant robots. Sounds goofy, but it is basically twenty six episodes of watching these poor kids who have to fight them back get emotionally torn apart and delving into all their baggage and problems as the world hangs in the balance. Like I said, if you liked the emotional stuff in Death Note, then give this a try.

Also, one last darker Death Note style recommendation, go check out Monster. It’s the story of a doctor who saves this mystery man’s life one night against the hospital’s wishes, gets fired over it, and then years later people start dying and he’s getting blamed. Turns out the person he saved is a serial killer and now this doctor has to hunt him down and stop him.

Now for something completely different, I’d also recommend Eyeshield 21, which is a sports manga. Now I was never a fan of sports mangas, but this one I really enjoyed. It’s about a football team (America football) and they can’t get any members recruited and they’re in last place every year. But one day they find this little wimpy kid who has spent his whole life running from bullies and they recruit him because they realize he can run around the other teams with the ball. From there they recruit all these outcast misfits who don’t fit in anywhere else and you watch them all come together and become a family. It’s actually got an amazing cast of characters and will make you cheer... however I do have to warn you of something, there is one storyline where they go to America and it get’s really culturally and even racially insensitive, it was hard for me to get through that one storyline. Aside from that it’s one of my favorite series, but I do have to point out that one big problem.

And I’ll throw one last obscure pick that most people don’t even know just to impress your friends. I absolutely loved this series and it had a strong fanbase but the fanbase just wasn’t big enough to keep it going. But the series is Psyren, it’s a story about this kid who has to investigate the disappearance of a classmate. As he investigates it he learns of this rumor going around about this game people are playing, one of those urban legends that involves making contracts and phone calls in the night (at this point I should say anybody out there who loves the Persona franchise this is a great recommendation for you too). One night he gets recruited for the game and he gets picked up and taken away to a far away world where he has to fight in these games to survive. Now everytime that he survives, he gets brought back to the real world and he has a card on him now with a number that slowly decreases, and he realizes he has to keep going back to that world until the number hits zero. Now I’m going to spoil one thing for you because this is what made me start loving this series, they eventually realize this world isn’t an alien planet, it’s not another dimension, it’s the future. So everytime they go to this post apocalyptic world, they realize it’s because something happened to their world,so they have to unravel that mystery, and whenever they go back to the present they have to try and change things, then when they go back to the future they have to see what’s changed. It’s a really engaging story with great villains and twist.

Okay, that’s all I got, hope you enjoy them and if anybody reading this has some recommendations then fill them in below.

[canvaswolfdoll]

Canvas and Video Games

Have I talked about my Video Game history? Feels like I have, but I also can’t remember doing so. I’m also running low on possible essay topics, and haven’t finished off any media that I can review[1] recently enough to do that instead…

So, hey, you nerds, let’s talk about Video Games!

Because that’s obviously been a massive influence on my life, what with… my entire brand, really. Egads, am I a nerd, sitting here with a New 3DS in a charging cradle in front of me, trying to work out how to do better quality streams and deciding to write an essay about Video Games.

It all started with my brother, old Foxface himself. As the family lore goes, my parents once didn’t want video games in the house, what with… the social stigma, I guess? It was different times, alright?

Point is, my brother’s speech teacher was all ‘Hey, you know what may help with speech? Video Games! Get him video games.’

And so my parents did, despite any reasonable connection or evidence in the above argument.[2]

So they bought him the Sega Genesis, the only non-Nintendo console we’ve ever owned. He played Sonic the Hedgehog! Also… no. It was mostly just Sonic.

Obviously young Canvas was also interested in the wonder of interactive media, and the running rodent, so I’d watch him play, and occasionally step in as Tails or try to play it myself. And I was terrible at it.

Eventually, the Nintendo 64 was released and added to our fleet of hardware, and we never looked back! Ha ha!

That’s the console that we really cut our teeth on, with it’s many beloved games, from Mario 64, Star Fox 64, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (first Zelda game I was ever aware of), and so on and so forth. We ended up with most of the major releases.[3] Also Mischief Makers for some reason.

It was also the height of Video Rental stores, though I never got to choose games to rent. Vulpin stuck with Space Station Silicon Valley which… might deserve an HD Remake, to be honest. Such a bizarre premise people would eat up, nowadays.

The Game Boy Color arrived, carrying Pokemon and various shovelware, plus a few Zelda Games. Tried my best with them, but for the longest time I never actually completed a video game, or got that far, though I did finish Johto in Gold, which is something.

Gamecube came out, the Dreamcast died, and I began to become aware of the surrounding culture as my capabilities to use the internet matured. We also continued a trend of our person game libraries for the generation growing larger than the last. Lots of GameCube games.

Animal Crossing was a Christmas gift early in the cycle, and it was the first video game all of the kids in the family played, to various extents. Elder Sister was her usual perfectionist self, paid off her house, then pretty much stopped playing video games forever afterwards. Little Sister still plays the occasional game (mostly Paper Mario), but largely it’s just Foxface and I who are deep into the gaming scene.

But, like so many things, tracking each and every experience would be a rather sisyphean task, so I should try and refocus here.

Video Games have always been a presence in my life, and thus had its effects on my creative self, from imaginary friends to the little stories I’d crafted pacing the backyard. They were my chief insight into narratives and various genres, design (whether costume or set or mechanical). Nintendo Power helped educate me on the concept of news and industry, as well as the community that could grow from a hobby.

In fact, Pokemon was the main driving force behind the event I joke is the time I’ve ever made friends myself,[4] being approached while reading a book related to the franchise during second grade. It was nice.

Learning about the internet and GameFAQs hinted towards the wider world and culture, and eventually I came upon 8-Bit Theater, which fired up my love of comics in a big way. Comics and stories made from and about elements of video games? That’s so cool!

Then Nintendo Acres happened.

The diminishing use of quality sprite work in video games makes me sad, by the way. There’s just something about the GBA/DS era graphics that invokes joy in my heart, by now even Pokemon has left sprite work behind for models, and even kitschy independent games tend for the super minimalistic version of 8-bit and… whatever one would refer to Atari graphics. Had I artistic talent, I would slather my media in 16-bit evocative of Friends of Mineral Town or The World Ends with You.

In fact, I think that’s one of my main hurdles getting invested in Stardew Valley[5] and Undertale. They just look ugly, even by the standards of kitschy 8-bit style. Frisk is malformed, and all the Stardew characters are in the wrong perspective for the rest of the world. Sprite work can be so beautiful, and yet no one puts in the effort anymore.

Look, sprites aren’t the only aesthetic I love, just so we’re clear. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, I just prefer bright, cheery worlds. Tale of Symphonia is one of my favorite games, if not my absolute number one.[6] There’s just something very nice about a fantasy world that looks lush and vibrant, where you’d be happy to live just for the scenery. The Tales series and Rune Factory also made me very positive about oddly intricate characters in fantasy. I’ve never liked the dirt covered fantasy of… let’s say Skyrim. Fantasy should be about escapism, grand adventure in grand landscapes, not the crushing reality of medieval times.

More Ghibli, less brown is what I want in general.

I may be an oddball for the elements I look for in video games. I like RPGs (obviously) but there’s very few members of the genre I actually enjoy. I flat-out can’t stand western Video Game RPGs.

What I usually look for in games is both a compelling narrative and interesting mechanics, with allowance for the ‘Classics’ and trendsetters.[7] This is something I find lacking in Western-Style RPGs, with their focus on customizing and granular stat advancement. Sure, I understand someone’s desire to try and put a popular character in an Elder Scrolls, or place some curious limitation on themselves while crawling around Fallout’s wastelands.

But because the game needs to allow the player to make whoever they want, it severely cripples the writer’s ability to write the “main” character into the plot, lest they step on the agency of the player. So, from my perspective, we end up in one of two situations: the PC is a non-entity in the plot, with the narrative happening around and to them instead of with them. Or, we get a Mass Effect situation, where they treat it like Choose Your Own Adventure, and you end up shooting a dude when you thought you were just going to arrest him.[8] That’s why I much prefer being handed a protagonist with a history and personality.

Now, those familiar with my tabletop philosophies, and namely my disdain for randomized Character Gen because it takes away player agency might be tilting their head at this inconsistency.

Well, it’s a scale thing. I realize Video Games have a limitation, and thus it’s unreasonable to expect it to cater to you completely. Tabletop, however, allows endless narrative possibilities, because it’s being created in the moment. So, with Video Games, I’m more willing to just let the story take me along as an observer, like a TV Show.

Which is to say, I don’t really project on the Player Character, and am I happy with that. It’s a division between game and story that may seem odd, but it’s what I look for: every piece having a narrative purpose, especially the loser who’s carrying us on our back.

So, narratively, I prefer the style of JRPGs (also, I like Anime and it’s tropes, so…). Yet, I have never really gotten engrossed in any Final Fantasy Game, because list combat is very dull. I mean, grindy, set the auto-attack against opponent style of Western RPGs[10] aren’t much better, but at least it’s got a hint of visual interest.

What am I left with? For a while, Tales of Symphonia, but now I’ve got Rune Factory, with it’s rather simple combat, but still mostly fun (helped along by other elements), and especially Fire Emblem, which what I wish battlemat D&D combat could be: quick, clever, strategic.

Though I’ve only played the 3DS installments thus far, due to lack of accessibility to the early games, which I couldn’t be bothered to try when they were released. Did try the first GBA game to be ported over, but that ended up having the worst, most micromanaging tutorial I’ve ever seen, and thus I am incapable of completing the first level.

I know how to play video games, Fire Emblem. I am aware of the base concept of pressing A. Yeesh. You’re worse than modern Harvest Moon games!

I’ve also never gotten invested in military FPSs, as a mixture of finding the gameplay boring, difficulty mastering it, and mockery whenever I was roped into playing one with friends.[11] In general, I don’t like being in first person view, as I find it limiting to controls, and responding to things that get behind me is annoying, because I flail trying to find the source of damage, then die.

Though, with time, my avoidance has decreased. Portal has a first person camera, but in a mixture of a more puzzle focused game and excellent integration of tutorial into gameplay,[12] it takes an agitating limited camera and makes it very workable, while also teaching the player how to interact with a game in first person.

I also played a little Team Fortress 2, and now Overwatch. The difference with those two over, say, Modern Duty or whatever, is the tone. The two games are competitive, yes, but also light hearted and goofy. Death is cheap and non punishing, the addition of powers make character choice widely different and fun, and, when I do get a little frustrated, it’s very easy for me to take a breath say ‘It’s only a game’ and let it go. Which is important when playing video games, sometimes.

Because that’s what games should always be: entertainment. It’s why I don’t try and force myself through games I’m not enjoying or lose interest in (though obviously I do try and come back and finish the plot) and why I very rarely strive for 100% completion. Because I want to enjoy myself, not engage in tedious work.

It’s also why I don’t care about ESports. Because I don’t care about sports. People doing something very well doesn’t really appeal to me. High-level chess players aren’t interesting to watch or study, seeing two teams of muscled people charge one another isn’t fun, and fight scenes with the usual punching and kicking is dull.

Because, what I look for in most cases is novelty.

Seeing a master craftsman make a thing once can be interesting, just to see the process. See a master craftsman make the same thing a 100 times is uninteresting, because nothing new is happening. When it comes to sports and games, it’s more interesting to see novices play, because they mess up in interesting ways, spot and solve problems, and you get to sit back and go ‘Now, I would’ve done this.’

So, yeah, not a big fan of Counterstrike and League of Legends news, even besides the toxic communities.

Public perception of video games turned rather quick in my lifetime. It used to be such a niche hobby, enjoyed by nerds and children and so such. Yet… well times change, don’t they? Obviously children grew up and brought games along with them, but the hobby has expanded to become mainstream, a console being as necessary as a television, where those without are viewed as bizarre, despite it not being a physical need.[13] We all remember the children who noted their family doesn’t have a TV (or keep it in the closet), and I wonder if XBoxes have gained the same traction.[14]

If only tabletop games could get the same treatment.

Though I still wouldn’t be able to find a group, but still…

Now that I’m an employed adult, I have even more control over the games I play. Which means a Wii U and a custom built PC.

That I built myself, because I also enjoyed Lego as a child.

Between the two, I tend to have a wide enough net to catch the games that interest me. Sure, there’s still some PlayStation exclusives I’d love to try (Journey, Team ICO’s works, plenty of Tales games…)[15] but some of those games are slowly drifting over to Steam, and I already have a backlog, so I can wait it out.

That’s my stumbled musings about video games… Oh! I stream them! Over here! Watch me! I love to entertain and amuse!

Also maybe consider supporting me through patreon? Then I can put more resources into being amusing!

And share any thoughts you have. I’ll listen. Until then…

Kataal kataal.

[1] Did finish rereading Yotsuba&! but there’s nothing to say about besides “Read it!” [2] Certainly didn’t help me. [3] Though not Harvest Moon 64. One day, I will slay that whale. One day… [4] The rest are inherited after old friends leave. [5] Someone on Reddit commented its port to the Switch may help scratch the itch left by Rune Factory. They are, of course, dreadfully wrong. [6] I still dislike do rankings. [7] IE, I’m not a big fan of hallway-bound FPS games, but have played through the Half-Life series. Mostly for the connection to Portal. [8] I know it was in the ‘Renegade’ position, but I thought it’d be played as ‘I’ll risk losing the Shadow Broker to book this small fish’ sort of thing. I’m not very clever, okay?[9] [9] I actually never progressed much further than that. Perhaps it’ll be on CanvasPlays someday. [10] I don’t care if you have a list of subversions of this style, by the way. I really don’t. [11] I once annoyed a former friend for not knowing there’s an aim button. I didn’t know this, because I don’t play FPSs. [12] There’s a very nice Extra Credits about this somewhere. [13] Though as a cultural need… [14] Nintendo Consoles, of course and unfortunately, being considered the off-brand. [15] the PS3 port of Tides of Destiny. Yes, it’s a disgrace of a Rune Factory game, and it was also on the wii but… well, sometimes I’m an insane collector![16] [16] I don’t even need a PS3. I can get it used for, like, five bucks from GameStop…

[velmaemyers88]

The RetroBeat: Critiquing classic Sonic box art

I bought a refrigerator magnet last week that has the box art for the original Sonic the Hedgehog, the one that came out for the Sega Genesis back in 1991. Not to sound like a crazy person who just stands in front of his fridge all day, but I’ve spent a lot of time staring at that magnet.

It’s just so beautiful, and it had me thinking about some of the other covers for those classic Sonic games for the Genesis. So I thought it would be fun to go through them all and talk about why they rule — well, most of them.

Sonic the Hedgehog

Above: Sonic the Hedgehog.

Image Credit: Sega

Man, this is great. This may still be my favorite rendition of Sonic. He has that smirk and pose that conveys a bit of that ’90s attitude the character became famous for, but he still has appealing, round features that make him kind of cute and likable. Also, the shading is so great. I could just stare at that tummy lighting gradient for hours. OK, that’s ridiculous, but I could do it for like a few minutes straight, which is an impressive amount of time to look at a cartoon stomach.

That background does so much to sell the game too. It shows off one of the most exciting feature’s from Sonic’s levels: the loops. We even have those rings glistening in the background, and the hint of green on the edges does a wonderful job or framing the image.

I’m also a big fan of box art that uses a border. A lot of Capcom and Konami games from the NES era did a similar thing, and for some reason it has always looked so attractive.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Above: Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Image Credit: Sega

Oh, baby! Now this is how you do box art for a sequel. While the original game put Sonic himself front and center, this one gets a bit creative and frames everything around this giant 2. But because of the use of the series’ iconic font and checkerboard texture, we still strongly identify it as Sonic.

Then you have Dr. Robotnik looming in the background, towering over our heroes as he crushes that 2. The cover also does a good job of introducing Tails, proudly displaying him next to our beloved Sonic. We also still have that border I love so much, even if it is a bit smaller.

I do have some small criticisms. This rendition of Sonic isn’t as strong as the one in the original. His posture is weird, especially the way he’s bending his knees. The shadows are also a bit off. According to where the light is coming from based on the shadows coming off of Sonic and Tails, that giant 2 should be casting a much bigger one that what we’re seeing.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Above: Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

Image Credit: Sega

And then we have the box art for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which I like significantly less than its predecessors. It’s just so busy. The foliage and other details of the jungle overtake too much of the characters and action instead of helping to frame them. It also does a poor job of introducing Knuckles, the major new character in this game. He’s hiding in a bush as if his existence is some kind of a secret, even though he shows in the game’s intro.

Tails and Dr. Robotnik just kind of float around the background. Robotnik looks far less menacing than he does in the Sonic 2 art. Sonic himself also retains his poor posture from Sonic 2. In fact, this render of Sonic looks so similar to the last one that it almost feels like they copy/pasted it and then changed his arms. Also, him holding up the three fingers is goofy and uninspired. Oh, and Sonic’s shadow makes no sense.

We also lost that dark border completely now, which is the biggest aesthetic crime here

Sonic & Knuckles

Above: Sonic & Knuckles.

Image Credit: Sega

After that overly busy cover for Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles goes for something a good deal simpler. I like it! That emblem tells you everything you need to know. It’s Sonic and Knuckles. You even have those interlocking blue and black backgrounds to hint at the cartridge’s lock-on functionality.

Sadly, the bottom part of the box is dedicated to explaining that feature in full detail. That’s probably helpful information, but it doesn’t do much for the aesthetics of the cover.

This box reminds me of that iconic VHS cover for Tim Burton’s Batman movie, which was just the Batman emblem on a black background. That one was even so bold that it didn’t include the word Batman. It would have been cool to see a version of this box that went with a similar approach, even getting rid of the title to just feature that beautiful emblem.

OK, that’s it for my box art ramblings. If this is something you’d like to see me talk more about, let me know! There are still a lot of awesome retro gaming covers out there to talk about.

The RetroBeat is a weekly column that looks at gaming’s past, diving into classics, new retro titles, or looking at how old favorites — and their design techniques — inspire today’s market and experiences. If you have any retro-themed projects or scoops you’d like to send my way, please contact me.

Credit: Source link

The post The RetroBeat: Critiquing classic Sonic box art appeared first on WeeklyReviewer.

from WeeklyReviewer https://weeklyreviewer.com/the-retrobeat-critiquing-classic-sonic-box-art/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-retrobeat-critiquing-classic-sonic-box-art from WeeklyReviewer https://weeklyreviewer.tumblr.com/post/186413077442

[reneeacaseyfl]

The RetroBeat: Critiquing classic Sonic box art

I bought a refrigerator magnet last week that has the box art for the original Sonic the Hedgehog, the one that came out for the Sega Genesis back in 1991. Not to sound like a crazy person who just stands in front of his fridge all day, but I’ve spent a lot of time staring at that magnet.

It’s just so beautiful, and it had me thinking about some of the other covers for those classic Sonic games for the Genesis. So I thought it would be fun to go through them all and talk about why they rule — well, most of them.

Sonic the Hedgehog

Above: Sonic the Hedgehog.

Image Credit: Sega

Man, this is great. This may still be my favorite rendition of Sonic. He has that smirk and pose that conveys a bit of that ’90s attitude the character became famous for, but he still has appealing, round features that make him kind of cute and likable. Also, the shading is so great. I could just stare at that tummy lighting gradient for hours. OK, that’s ridiculous, but I could do it for like a few minutes straight, which is an impressive amount of time to look at a cartoon stomach.

That background does so much to sell the game too. It shows off one of the most exciting feature’s from Sonic’s levels: the loops. We even have those rings glistening in the background, and the hint of green on the edges does a wonderful job or framing the image.

I’m also a big fan of box art that uses a border. A lot of Capcom and Konami games from the NES era did a similar thing, and for some reason it has always looked so attractive.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Above: Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Image Credit: Sega

Oh, baby! Now this is how you do box art for a sequel. While the original game put Sonic himself front and center, this one gets a bit creative and frames everything around this giant 2. But because of the use of the series’ iconic font and checkerboard texture, we still strongly identify it as Sonic.

Then you have Dr. Robotnik looming in the background, towering over our heroes as he crushes that 2. The cover also does a good job of introducing Tails, proudly displaying him next to our beloved Sonic. We also still have that border I love so much, even if it is a bit smaller.

I do have some small criticisms. This rendition of Sonic isn’t as strong as the one in the original. His posture is weird, especially the way he’s bending his knees. The shadows are also a bit off. According to where the light is coming from based on the shadows coming off of Sonic and Tails, that giant 2 should be casting a much bigger one that what we’re seeing.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Above: Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

Image Credit: Sega

And then we have the box art for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which I like significantly less than its predecessors. It’s just so busy. The foliage and other details of the jungle overtake too much of the characters and action instead of helping to frame them. It also does a poor job of introducing Knuckles, the major new character in this game. He’s hiding in a bush as if his existence is some kind of a secret, even though he shows in the game’s intro.

Tails and Dr. Robotnik just kind of float around the background. Robotnik looks far less menacing than he does in the Sonic 2 art. Sonic himself also retains his poor posture from Sonic 2. In fact, this render of Sonic looks so similar to the last one that it almost feels like they copy/pasted it and then changed his arms. Also, him holding up the three fingers is goofy and uninspired. Oh, and Sonic’s shadow makes no sense.

We also lost that dark border completely now, which is the biggest aesthetic crime here

Sonic & Knuckles

Above: Sonic & Knuckles.

Image Credit: Sega

After that overly busy cover for Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles goes for something a good deal simpler. I like it! That emblem tells you everything you need to know. It’s Sonic and Knuckles. You even have those interlocking blue and black backgrounds to hint at the cartridge’s lock-on functionality.

Sadly, the bottom part of the box is dedicated to explaining that feature in full detail. That’s probably helpful information, but it doesn’t do much for the aesthetics of the cover.

This box reminds me of that iconic VHS cover for Tim Burton’s Batman movie, which was just the Batman emblem on a black background. That one was even so bold that it didn’t include the word Batman. It would have been cool to see a version of this box that went with a similar approach, even getting rid of the title to just feature that beautiful emblem.

OK, that’s it for my box art ramblings. If this is something you’d like to see me talk more about, let me know! There are still a lot of awesome retro gaming covers out there to talk about.

The RetroBeat is a weekly column that looks at gaming’s past, diving into classics, new retro titles, or looking at how old favorites — and their design techniques — inspire today’s market and experiences. If you have any retro-themed projects or scoops you’d like to send my way, please contact me.

Credit: Source link

The post The RetroBeat: Critiquing classic Sonic box art appeared first on WeeklyReviewer.

from WeeklyReviewer https://weeklyreviewer.com/the-retrobeat-critiquing-classic-sonic-box-art/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-retrobeat-critiquing-classic-sonic-box-art from WeeklyReviewer https://weeklyreviewer.tumblr.com/post/186413077442

[weeklyreviewer]

The RetroBeat: Critiquing classic Sonic box art

I bought a refrigerator magnet last week that has the box art for the original Sonic the Hedgehog, the one that came out for the Sega Genesis back in 1991. Not to sound like a crazy person who just stands in front of his fridge all day, but I’ve spent a lot of time staring at that magnet.

It’s just so beautiful, and it had me thinking about some of the other covers for those classic Sonic games for the Genesis. So I thought it would be fun to go through them all and talk about why they rule — well, most of them.

Sonic the Hedgehog

Above: Sonic the Hedgehog.

Image Credit: Sega

Man, this is great. This may still be my favorite rendition of Sonic. He has that smirk and pose that conveys a bit of that ’90s attitude the character became famous for, but he still has appealing, round features that make him kind of cute and likable. Also, the shading is so great. I could just stare at that tummy lighting gradient for hours. OK, that’s ridiculous, but I could do it for like a few minutes straight, which is an impressive amount of time to look at a cartoon stomach.

That background does so much to sell the game too. It shows off one of the most exciting feature’s from Sonic’s levels: the loops. We even have those rings glistening in the background, and the hint of green on the edges does a wonderful job or framing the image.

I’m also a big fan of box art that uses a border. A lot of Capcom and Konami games from the NES era did a similar thing, and for some reason it has always looked so attractive.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Above: Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Image Credit: Sega

Oh, baby! Now this is how you do box art for a sequel. While the original game put Sonic himself front and center, this one gets a bit creative and frames everything around this giant 2. But because of the use of the series’ iconic font and checkerboard texture, we still strongly identify it as Sonic.

Then you have Dr. Robotnik looming in the background, towering over our heroes as he crushes that 2. The cover also does a good job of introducing Tails, proudly displaying him next to our beloved Sonic. We also still have that border I love so much, even if it is a bit smaller.

I do have some small criticisms. This rendition of Sonic isn’t as strong as the one in the original. His posture is weird, especially the way he’s bending his knees. The shadows are also a bit off. According to where the light is coming from based on the shadows coming off of Sonic and Tails, that giant 2 should be casting a much bigger one that what we’re seeing.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Above: Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

Image Credit: Sega

And then we have the box art for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which I like significantly less than its predecessors. It’s just so busy. The foliage and other details of the jungle overtake too much of the characters and action instead of helping to frame them. It also does a poor job of introducing Knuckles, the major new character in this game. He’s hiding in a bush as if his existence is some kind of a secret, even though he shows in the game’s intro.

Tails and Dr. Robotnik just kind of float around the background. Robotnik looks far less menacing than he does in the Sonic 2 art. Sonic himself also retains his poor posture from Sonic 2. In fact, this render of Sonic looks so similar to the last one that it almost feels like they copy/pasted it and then changed his arms. Also, him holding up the three fingers is goofy and uninspired. Oh, and Sonic’s shadow makes no sense.

We also lost that dark border completely now, which is the biggest aesthetic crime here

Sonic & Knuckles

Above: Sonic & Knuckles.

Image Credit: Sega

After that overly busy cover for Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles goes for something a good deal simpler. I like it! That emblem tells you everything you need to know. It’s Sonic and Knuckles. You even have those interlocking blue and black backgrounds to hint at the cartridge’s lock-on functionality.

Sadly, the bottom part of the box is dedicated to explaining that feature in full detail. That’s probably helpful information, but it doesn’t do much for the aesthetics of the cover.

This box reminds me of that iconic VHS cover for Tim Burton’s Batman movie, which was just the Batman emblem on a black background. That one was even so bold that it didn’t include the word Batman. It would have been cool to see a version of this box that went with a similar approach, even getting rid of the title to just feature that beautiful emblem.

OK, that’s it for my box art ramblings. If this is something you’d like to see me talk more about, let me know! There are still a lot of awesome retro gaming covers out there to talk about.

The RetroBeat is a weekly column that looks at gaming’s past, diving into classics, new retro titles, or looking at how old favorites — and their design techniques — inspire today’s market and experiences. If you have any retro-themed projects or scoops you’d like to send my way, please contact me.

Credit: Source link

The post The RetroBeat: Critiquing classic Sonic box art appeared first on WeeklyReviewer.

from WeeklyReviewer https://weeklyreviewer.com/the-retrobeat-critiquing-classic-sonic-box-art/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-retrobeat-critiquing-classic-sonic-box-art

[recentanimenews]

FEATURE: 10 Anime to Watch if You Loved 'Yuri!!! On ICE'

The word is out: Yuri!!! On ICE was officially crowned Crunchyroll's Anime of the Year at the Anime Awards. The show’s combination of thoughtful character drama, thrilling performance sequences, and goofy comedy made it a deserved breakout hit. Will there be more? Maybe, but it won’t be for a long time yet. So what can all of us do to occupy ourselves in the meantime? Watch more anime, of course!

  Yuri!!! On ICE was a unique show, but if you loved something about its specific blend of strengths, there are almost certainly more shows out there for you to enjoy. But recommendations are never a one-size-fits-all sort of thing, so I’ll be tackling this one piece at a time. What specifically about Yuri!!! On ICE spoke to you? What sort of show could see yourself enjoying, even if it doesn’t have precisely everything Yuri!!! On ICE? Well, let’s start with the easy ones, and see where we get from there.

  First off, if you loved Yuri!!! On ICE, you probably owe it to yourself to check out some of director Sayo Yamamoto’s other work. Yamamoto has been renowned as a distinctive directorial voice in anime for years now, having even worked as an episode director on esteemed projects like Samurai Champloo and Space Dandy. Her own works exemplify the forward-thinking perspective that made Yuri!!! on ICE so unique, and so my list of recommendations will start right there.

  1) Michiko & Hatchin

Michiko & Hatchin is a rambling road trip starring a lawless woman and her orphan companion, who seek their destinies in a country three steps removed from our own Brazil. If you like Shinichiro Watanabe’s style of episodic adventures (Champloo, Cowboy Bebop), but feel they could probably use a badass heroine topping the bill, it’s very worth a look. Yamamoto herself has described this one as a show she hoped women could come home to after a day of work, cracking a beer and enjoying the show.

  2) The Woman Called Fujiko Mine

Four years after directing Michiko & Hatchin, Yamamoto returned with The Woman Called Fujiko Mine. Though this show takes place in the general Lupin III, master thief universe, it’s both relatively self-contained and very unique in its focus. As the title says, this show turns its eye to Lupin’s eternal femme fatale Fujiko, who is given her own rich story in Yamamoto’s capable hands. Couple that with the show’s gorgeous art design, and you’ve got another series that’s definitely worth checking out.

Before I move on from Yamamoto, I should mention that her highlights aren’t just limited to the full series she’s directed. Yamamoto preceded Yuri!!! On ICE with the clear stylistic predecessor Endless Night, a beautiful skating-focused short from the Animator Expo program. She’s also renowned for her work on show ending songs, having directed the endings for shows like Attack on Titan, Space Dandy, and Rage of Bahamut: Genesis. Yuri!!! On ICE’s tight schedule and breakneck pacing didn’t even necessarily allow all of Yamamoto’s strengths to shine, so I’d definitely give her other work a chance.

    But of course, shows are more than just their creators. While Yamamoto has directed some very exciting productions, if you’re looking for something that feels like Yuri!!! On ICE, you might have to look elsewhere. The thrill of competition, the camaraderie of a broad cast, the fundamental optimism of pushing beyond yourself to succeed—all of those things are fundamental to sports dramas like Yuri!!! On ICE. And fortunately, Yuri!!! On ICE actually hits us during something of a sports anime renaissance, where we have a wide variety of recent sports hits to choose from. As far as those go, check out the next recommendations (in no particular order).

  3) Haikyuu!!

Starting off our sports roundup, Haikyuu!! offers a satisfying and reasonably grounded take on high school volleyball. Featuring some terrific animation and a wide, likeable cast, it just recently finished up its third season. It’s light, fun, and brimming with energy. Even if Yuri!!! On ICE made you fall in love with figure skating, you might want to leave a little time in your schedule for volleyball after this one.

  4) Cross Game

Cross Game sadly isn’t available streaming, but is still widely in manga form. As a personal fan, I had to include this one in my list - a story about grief, family, and the competitions that bring us together, it’s one of my absolute favorite manga. Focusing on a pitching prodigy and the team that rises around him, Cross Game offers a more sensitive and character-focused approach to sports stories, following its cast as they grow from children into young adults.

5) Kuroko’s Basketball

At the more sports-as-superpowers end of the genre, there’s the intense and often beautifully directed Kuroko’s Basketball. There are no overt romantic relationships in this one, but Kuroko’s Basketball is still deeply invested in the internal worlds of its characters, and the relationships that form between them. Plus, who doesn’t like shows about characters with basketball teleportation magic?

  6) Ping Pong the Animation

Finally, the tremendous Ping Pong the Animation brings a unique visual sensibility and terrific character writing together to offer one of the strongest shows in any genre. Starring a dynamic cast of young talents, it both celebrates what makes them unique and also examines the fundamental nature of competition. Every competitor has their own style and reasons for playing, and Ping Pong brings all of its heroes to life.

7) Free!

I’d frankly be negligent in my duties if I moved on from sports shows without mentioning Free! Free! is actually a less dedicated sports drama than those picks above, and more of a slice of life/drama blend, but it’s still funny and beautifully animated and full of cute boys. Definitely worth a look if you’re seeking something a little lighter.

Of course, Yuri!!! On ICE wasn’t just a thrilling sports show - it was also a mature and satisfying romance, a queer drama with a very thoughtful approach to its cast. If you’re looking for more shows like that, I’ve got a few picks that are just the thing!

8) Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu

Focusing on a few artists practicing Japanese theater across the twentieth century, Rakugo presents a striking story of passion, legacy, and awakening to your own sexuality. Performers find identity and redemption on the stage, all while weathering a Shakespearian hurricane of tragedy and personal sacrifice. It’s sensitively written and beautifully directed, and its second season is airing right now.

9) Wandering Son

Wandering Son tends to show up on any list of LGBT-focused anime, and for good reason. The show is a beautifully intimate story of two adolescents coming to terms with their gender identities. Featuring another great ensemble cast and a warm, almost watercolor-styled visual aesthetic, it’s a sensitive and often heartwarming production. Wandering Son embraces the complexity and validity of our sometimes contradictory feelings, celebrating the value of every member of its charming cast.

  10) Yurikuma Arashi

If you know Kunihiko Ikuhara, this one’s probably not surprising - he directed the standout adolescent drama Revolutionary Girl Utena, and all of his works are rich in visual metaphor and social commentary. His latest show is actually his most direct, though that doesn’t make it any less exciting. Yurikuma Arashi tackles the realities of same-sex oppression, portraying not just the difficulty of being yourself in a hostile society, but also the various ways we all become servants of such systems. And it does this all through the wonderful framing device of... predatory lesbian bears.

  From ice skating champions to lesbian bears seems like quite a trip, but there are all sorts of things to draw from our favorites. I hope some of these shows sound appealing to you, and please sound off with any of your own recommendations in the comments!

-----

Nick Creamer has been writing about cartoons for too many years now, and is always ready to cry about Madoka. You can find more of his work at his blog Wrong Every Time, or follow him on Twitter.

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com