#HOW DID THEY GET SO MUCH WRONG SO EARLY IN THE FRANCHISE?????

[hyperch1ptune]

idk if it’s evil if I just. “steal” certain characters from crappy Inspector Gadget spin-off’s (IMO) & write them in a way that doesn’t piss me off

idk if i’m becoming more of a AVGN as I get older & gain more critic knowledge but DUDE - dose Spydra’s story not piss u off?? especially w her unnecessary vulture lackey????? dose Talon not piss u off w how interesting of a character concept he is only 2 be some run-down papa’s boy who’s wrapped up in this crappy “ohhhooh funny unwilling romance lmaaooo” type scenario????

it’s really sad how this is the only way I can like the characters either way uhgghukl

[profoundmakerdreamerss-blog]

It is funny to me how Harry Potter is literally the main character, yet people tend to go like he didn't suffer that much or he wasn't "abused"; Like, how can one misunderstand the literal main character of the damn franchise?

He wasn't abused; yes okay. He absolutely did not grow up inside a cupboard; the tiny place that is mostly reserved for brooms or cleaning supply. He absolutely was not treated inferior to the other child who lived in the same house. He was totally was not treated like a "freak" or a "stain" that his family was ashamed off. He grew up inside a cupboard while there was a literal unused bed in the same house. And you want to know what that screamed to a child, a baby — who slept inside a cupboard while there being a perfectly usable room right there? You are worth nothing and we don't love you and we are ashamed of what you are.

He wasn't starved, or at least he was fed; Yeah, no. We see it from the first book. How Vernon was no food for you and in the cupboard you go — and by the looks of it, that was like his most common punishment. And then, in the second book — you practically see it happen. He was locked, inside a room with only a can of soup that he shared with Hedwig. Now, tell me what it would do to a child — to be given food through a cat flap, and fun fact? Harry got to eat less than people on war rations; in short? He was starved, yes.

He wasn't abused physically so it's not abuse; As for people's thinks abuse isn't abuse until it's physical (which is inherently wrong because abuse isn't only physically, fyi); Harry has learned to dodge Vernon and he states that, very proudly when his uncle tries to grab him. He dodges a flying pan and states that fact, again very proudly as if it is the norm; do you know how heavy pans are? And do you know what would happen when one hits you? If you want an even clearer proof; Vernon Dursley strangles Harry in Ootp. There you go. Also, in the first book, we clearly see Vernon encouraging Dudley to hit Harry. Read between the lines and actually try to understand what that signifies.

And favourite part; When he wasn't treated like a prisoner, or a freak— he was their servant. And that is very much canonical. Tending Petunia's garden during summers and drinking from the water hose in the garden because of how hot it was? Having to wake up early so he can tend the kitchen and when he wasn't doing all that he is locked away. And it is all canon.

In conclusion, Harry— not only grew up to think that he was inhumane, undeserving of love, a freak that didn't even get to have his own bed because someone like him didn't deserve it, physically harmed enough times that he dodges them out of reflex and also the Dursleys' glorified servant; that is not even taking into account what Harry went through in Hogwarts. And after all that if someone tells me; this child, right here — didn't go through much then well, maybe read the books again?

[imagowrites]

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales; Why It Shouldn’t Exist

Or how I invested time and energy into an analysis of a relatively dead franchise instead of doing it for my actual media analysis university course.

An essay by: a bitter and obsessed PotC fan since they were 7, with a lot of free time.

Lads, this is going to be long. You have been warned.

The Beginning

At the very beginning of the movie, we see a young Henry Turner looking for his dad.

Now, we're not talking about characterization problems or how likely it is that a ten-year-old child would risk his life to look for a man he technically only saw once; we're talking about plot problems, actual logical fallacies. My questions are:

How? The Flying Dutchman is a legendary ship, impossible to be found unless She wants to be found. The only reason we see Her in Dead Man's Chest is because Davy Jones himself is looking for Jack to collect his debt, and in that occasion the Dutchman's captain wasn't even doing what he was supposed to do, so he was most definitely in the living world. Will otherwise, he's doing the job Calypso gave him, so he's constantly in between. Is the movie trying to convince me that a kid was able to do something no one in the history of piracy was ever able to do? And even if he did, why hasn't anyone explained me how? He simply looks at a map and throws himself on the bottom of the ocean. How did he know The Dutchman was there? How did he know it would've come to surface?

Where is his mom? We got to know Elizabeth in the first three movies; we know she's a smart woman and we can assume she's an attentive mother. She didn't notice her son preparing himself for a trip in the middle of the ocean to go look for his dad? Was she distracted? Was she outsmarted by a 10ish-year-old? Or is she just not contemplated in this scenario?

Why does Will look like that? Will is doing his job, so... why does he look like he's slowly corrupting? That kind of corruption is the punishment Calypso reserves to The Dutchman's crew when the captain fails her, which isn't the case. Did they forget about it? Was the idea of putting algae on Orlando Bloom's face just impossible to resist to?

Alright, this isn't actually from this movie but it's bothering me, so I have to write it; also, it would make this whole movie unnecessary, so it's somehow related to it. Why (and I can't stress this enough) can't Elizabeth be on the Dutchman? Why can't they do the job together? Is it because she's not a pirate? I'm pretty sure se actually is. Is it because she's a woman? Last time I checked she was the KING. She wants to stay with Will forever, Will wants to stay with her forever, they can literally live forever on the same ship. Why aren't they?

Whatever the Hell Happened to Jack Sparrow

Imagine creating a character that is so iconic whenever you ask a person who was a kid in the early 2000 to imagine a pirate, they imagine said character.

Now imagine fourteen years pass and you decide to ruin that character by making him the most hideous, annoying, idiotic person in the whole saga, and we're talking about a saga that has Philip the Missionary in it. Why? Jack Sparrow is THE anti-hero. Never on the right side, but never on the wrong one. You can tell he's doing something morally questionable, but you still find yourself rooting for him. He's stupid enough to make you laugh, but he's secretly clever enough to always get away with it. Now he's just... drunk. And that's not even an excuse for this horrendous new characterization, because he was always drunk. The guy FORGOT HE WAS ROBBING A BANK, the same guy just one movie earlier was able to escape from the King of England's palace and steal a lady's earring (by pretending to be a literal slut) in the process. He just switched from the iconic drunk bi bestie everyone loves to my cringe uncle that drinks too much at Christmas parties and makes everyone uncomfortable. Please, if the risk is ruining an entire generation's beloved character, either don't make the movie or find a better explanation than "Bad luck dogs you day and night".

The Pearl in The Bottle

So... what you're telling me is that Jack Sparrow, the guy who was able to defeat Hector Barbossa, Davy Jones and Blackbeard thanks to his slyness, and who loves his Black Pearl more than anything else in the world, had said ship in a bottle in his pockets for FIVE YEARS... and he never thought about breaking the bottle to free Her. That's what you're telling me. This is the pivotal point upon which the entire Jack's plot hinges. I... I don't even know what to say. Was this supposed to be funny?

What an Incredibly Lucky Coincidence

A guy needs a treasure to save his father. To find it, he needs the help of a notorious and legendary pirate. He looks for him everywhere, sailing on dozens of ships just so he has the remote chance to stumble across the pirate. The last ship he's been on has sinked, he's the only survivor. He's been found in the middle of the ocean and someone brought him to the nearest city. Which city? I mean, the one that has both the pirate he was looking for and a lady who's the only person in the whole planet who's able to find the treasure he was looking for! And, oh my... he finds the both of them! In that same city! Without even LOOKING FOR THEM! A hell of a coincidence, if you ask me. Also known as lazy writing.

What's Wrong With the Guards?

Now, I know Pirates of the Caribbean isn't exactly known for its accurate historical reconstructions, but why are the guards in this movie acting like they're some sort of hellhounds ready to kill anyone in sight? Even pirates and traitors as Jack and Henry were supposed to stand trial before being sentenced to death. It would've probably been an unjust and barbaric trial, but there should've been one. We literally saw it, in the previous movie. Why's Jack been sentenced to death for simply existing here? He gave pirate vibes and they decided that was enough?

Paul McCartney

This is not an actual point of the analysis, I just wanted to remind people that Paul McCartney is in this movie and that's the only valid reason to watch it.

Salazar

I am confused. Once again, I have questions.

El Matador Del Mar was so good at his job he had almost defeated piracy. "The last ones joined together to try and defeat me". The last what? Pirates? There were no pirates left? This happened when Jack was young, so a lot of time before the first movie, right? Where were, I don't know... Blackbeard? Davy Jones? Barbossa? All the other Pirate Lords? I might be wrong, but I guess Salazar didn't kill them, did he? Why weren't they there during that "last battle" in which "the last ones joined together"?

The Devil's Triangle. I just don't understand what's the logic behind it. So, this is a cursed place. Whoever enters there, can't get out. One would think it means that if you get there, you die; and Salazar does die, but he somehow also becomes a ghost whose only purpose is to find Jack Sparrow and have his revenge. So, do people become ghosts when they get in The Devil's Triangle? We have to assume people have gotten stuck in there before; otherwise, there wouldn't be legends around the place. So why isn't it like full of spirits ready to haunt people? Why are Salazar and his crew the only ones?

Poseidon or Calypso?

What's the Trident of Poseidon? Does Poseidon exist? Isn't Calypso the Goddess of the sea? Breaking the Trident, you break all the curses of the sea, so the Trident must be more powerful than Calypso, which leads to a question. Where is she? She IS the sea, right? So she must have known someone was about to find the Trident and brake all curses, including her one. She just decided it was okay? It really feels like someone decided to suddenly change the world's mythology without giving explanations.

The Compass

This is possibly the most blatant plot hole in the whole saga. Probably the most blatant plot hole I've ever witnessed, and man, I watched all the Harry Potter movies. In Dead Man's Chest, Jack meets Tia Dalma in her "shop" and he tells her he's looking for the Davy Jones' key. She asks him "The compass you bartered from me, it cannot lead you to this?", making another pivotal point of Dead Men Tell No Tales factually senseless.

That man couldn't have given his compass to Jack, because that wasn't his compass.

So either Salazar is lying while telling his tale or they forgot about that line in the second movie. Anyway, let's pretend that line doesn't exist; even if that captain gave Jack his compass in that exact moment, why would it be the key to free Salazar, exactly? How is the compass in any way related to The Devil's Triangle or to Salazar? In the movie, they try to explain it with a sentence: “if you betray it, your greatest fear comes true”. So, is Salazar Jack's greatest fear? I really doesn't seem right, Jack almost didn't remember Salazar when Henry mentioned him. To Jack, he's only a guy he outsmarted decades earlier. Also, Jack technically already gave the compass away, twice: to Elizabeth in Dead Man's Chest, to make her find the chest, and to Beckett in At World's End, when they're negotiating.

That's... That's Just Body Shaming, Mate

Let's talk about her. So, the woman's ugly. It can happen that a woman is ugly. Was it necessary to build an entire scene around some blatant body shaming? This scene wants to mimic the similar scene in Dead Man's Chest: Jack's on an island, running from the main villain, and he's forced to do things he doesn't want to do until someone saves him, then it was Will, now it's Hector.

Except in Dead Man's Chest it was LITERAL CANNIBALISM he was facing, and yet he looked LESS TERRIFIED and DISGUSTED. What's exactly the message here? Lads, is marrying an ugly woman worse than cannibalism? I don't know... that was just bad.

Justice for Hector Barbossa

If you know me (you probably don't, but if you do) then you know about my obsession with Hector Barbossa. I truly believe he's the best written character in the saga, and he's in my top five of the characters I love the most in all media. I watched The Curse of the Black Pearl when I was seven and I am autistic, so I had all the time to develop a literal relationship with these characters in my head. As much as Geoffrey Rush's interpretation was impeccable, as always, it really hurt to watch Hector in this movie. He just doesn't sound like him. First of all, why isn't he on the Queen Anne's Revenge? Why's he letting someone else sail around on his ships? He would've never. Why's he just sitting on a throne and shooting musicians instead of, I don't know... being a pirate? Being a pirate is the only thing that matters to him. He says it at the end of On Stranger Tides, and he even says it in this movie, to the witch. "I'm a pirate. Always will be".

So, why isn't he pirating? What happened to him? And what about the pact with the witch? He made her curse all his enemies; that's honestly the most out-of-character thing he could've done.

Seriously, watch this movie, and then The Curse of the Black Pearl and tell me he sounds like he's the same character. Then there’s his death... was it necessary? And I don't mean if it was necessary to the plot (it wasn't), but the way he died, did it make sense? He takes the sword and sacrifices himself to kill Salazar, but WHY? Salazar was back a mortal. They could've brought him to surface and then shoot him. What was the point of his death, Disney? I will never forgive you.

I would've preferred if they never showed him again. He's alive and living his best life in Tortuga, if you ask me.

How does Carina Smyth exist?

Let's do the maths. Carina Smyth has approximately the same age as Henry Turner, who was born around nine moths after the end of At World's End. At the end of that movie, Barbossa once again stole the Black Pearl (he's iconic we stan a legend), so we have to assume it is during that time (between the At World's End and On Stranger Tides) that he conceives Carina. He stays with this woman during the whole pregnancy, bacause he says he was there when she died. So nine months, at least, right? Except; Jack makes it clear that he and Barbossa met Carina's mom, Margaret, together.

When, exactly, did this happen? It can't be between On Stranger Tides and Dead Men Tell No Tales, because Hector himself says only five years passed between the two, and Carina doesn't look like a five-year-old;

it can't be between At World's End and On Stranger Tides, because we know Jack and Barbossa weren't together, and Hector was too busy losing a leg and planning his revenge by working for the King of England; it can't be during At World's End, because Barbossa was too busy rescuing Jack and then slaying (literally and metaphorically) Beckett's men to save piracy; it can't be during Dead Man's Chest, because he was dead; it can't be during The Curse of the Black Pearl, nor during the ten years before it, because he was... he was a skeleton, I hardly believe he could reproduce, despite what’s written in some fanficions; it can't be before, of course, because Carina would be too old. The only chance, but it's a stretch, is that Hector and Jack met this Margaret Smyth years and years before, and that at a certain point (while he was still busy slaying, losing a leg or planning his revenge), for some reason he decided to come back to her and accidentally had a daughter. That would mean that Jack remembered Margaret Smyth's name DECADES after he met her.

The Post-Credit Scene: What?

WHY'S DAVY JONES BACK? The Trident technically broke all the curses of the sea. He is THE cursed man of the sea. AND HE'S DEAD. The only answer I was able to give me, is that the moment the Trident broke the curses, the curse that said if you stab his heart he dies was also broken, so he technically didn't die, but it makes even less sense, because if the curses just aren't real anymore, then a man shouldn't be able to... carve out his heart and put it in a chest, right? (Which by the way, makes Will Turner being alive senseless as well). Even if so, Davy should've come back as a human.

My conclusion is that this movie should not exist, and we, as a community, should pretend it was never made. Hector is alive. Bye.

Imago

[thelazydoodle]

I honestly don't know how I feel about the new dmc series

They at least kept "Humans can be worse than demons" aspect, but there's things that I don't like.

I don't like that they made Lady this person who just follows orders even when she knows that they're wrong. while in one episode, we get to see her have a change of heart or have some form of epiphany. I actually thought she was going to be a cop like character that goes by her own rules and using her resources to search and pursuit Arkham, while I thought the rabbit was going to be arkham, who of course was working "with" vergil.

I don't like how they made Dante stupid, like comically stupid. He's silly at times, but he's not dumb as people think he is. I didn't mind the "potential growth" of Dante's abilities, but I don't like how they made him oblivious to his past. His whole character is hating his father's side and protecting humanity for the love of his mother. He doesn't know much about Sparda, cause he doesn't want to. He buries that so much that it can't come up, but because of what was happening in DMC3 he had to come to terms of sparda and accept his demonic heritage. I don't like how they just say his devil trigger like an actual thing, they could've said "Dante must get in touch of his demonic blood" or "use his demonic potential" in that kind of beat.

I knew that the show is going to be a reinterpretation of the series like Trigun Stampede, but even Trigun Stampede's Vash felt like Vash.

The humor is alright at best, but I felt like Dante's quips could be better. The voice acting was great, I think Johnny Young Bosh did a great job switching to Dante, and Scout Taylor-Compton did a great job, too. It was nice hearing Kevin Conroy being a power-hungry bible thumping lunatic, like if batman actually lost his mind. But almost every insult I heard had to be a swear addition where it's not even needed. I felt like insults could be a little more creative.

The early 2000s era aesthetic choice was actually a nice creative touch. It complemented the hysteria of the early 2000s in America, along with the release of the series started. The music licenses they chose were pretty peachy as well

All in all, I'll say this. If know bits of Devil May Cry and this is your first step into the franchise? I think you'll kinda enjoy it. If you know the series and play the games? I'd say watch it with no complete attachment to the games.

If you want to play the games? I have a small list of advice for you to follow and let you know that capcom is doing a 75% sale of all the games till the 24th of April.

I'll most likely keep watching because of a certain character I want to see step into the spotlight.

[kimberlyannharts]

Out of curiosity, what are your favorite issues/eras of the entire Boom PR canon? Is there a point where you feel it stopped being good or as enjoyable? Are there any main characters you feel were done especially right or wrong?

Strictly speaking in terms of the books canon to the 2016 main ongoing -

(putting this under a read more as it got long, oops)

My favorite era was Shattered Grid and its lead-up; so basically the entire Kyle Higgins run of MMPR and Ryan's GGPR up through #12. I also really liked Beyond the Grid and the final two issues of Mighty Morphin. Side series-wise I love Ranger Slayer, Drakkon New Dawn, Power Rangers Universe, and The Coinless is my favorite of the Unlimited books.

Necessary Evil had its flaws but it was still enjoyable (MMPR side at least; the GGPR side was very bad in how they dropped what made GGPR so good in favor of stretching out the modern Omega Rangers' origins for five issues too many), but the Mighty Morphin/Power Rangers split was when things started going downhill, because that was when the books started ramping up this idea of Expanding Lore and Making The Next Big OC at the expense of the show characters' development; something that MMPR Necessary Evil was starting, but it wasn't quite as pronounced as MM/PR was. There were high points of the books after MM/PR (again, Mighty Morphin #21 and 22 are fantastic, and the Omegas are probably at their most tolerable in their side of Charge to 100) but they never fully recovered the consistent quality of Kyle's run.

As for the characters (only looking at the main MMPRs from the show), Tommy was probably the most obvious development and consistently well-written; any flaws in his writing came from how the books were intentionally ignoring any good points he was making to make other characters (the Omegas, M-tt) look better, and we unfortunately never got a deep dive into his backstory or even just his family life. Kim was similarly consistent and VERY well-explored, probably even better than Tommy with how important her parents' divorce was integral to her arcs, and any weirdness with her character came from half-assed M-tt plots that fortunately never really stuck.

Jason and Trini were fine; I'm trying not to let my annoyance with the Omegas and clear author favoritism cloud my judgment, but if you already loved them, you'd probably be happy with how much they ended up getting. Rocky came through with decent development at the very end.

Billy it's hard to say. Obviously he was great and recognizably Billy in the early days and I personally did not like his descent into "the lone genius who's so isolated from the team, doing shady shit that messes everything up." But it's.......unfortunately become a very consistent path for him in the modern franchise; even in the SHOW. So it's hard to call it bad writing when it. is just who Billy is now.

The worst were probably Aisha, Zack, and Adam; Aisha they obviously had no clear vision for because she was practically a different character under every author and Adam was literally nobody. But I think in terms of character writing Zack fared the worst. He went from a leader at heart who steps up when needed, who offers levity through his charisma but the first to get serious when the situation calls for it - to "my role is to be funny" who jokes about a situation being too serious for jokes and his leadership arc and capabilities end up being given Trini (to the point where TRINI is called the leader of the Coinless on occasion when the whole point to the og Coinless arc was that ZACK was.) Not to say he didn't get serious arcs at all after NE, but it's overall such a downgrade when the early days of the comics practically had him as a main character on the same level as Tommy.

[mikaila-orchard]

Anduin still gets more respect and dignity than Sylvanas ever did and I'm still mad about it.

Aight, the new WoW trailer stirred up some old animosity that I have to get out lest it fester.

The problem I've had with Anduin for the past few years is something that isn't even strictly his fault, and is just symptomatic of how shitty the writing staff is. In theory, Anduin is an interesting bit of flavor for the Alliance. Someone who was raised in a very turbulent time in the Alliance's history, gone through some shit when he was too early to handle it and is plagued with self doubt because of it. All of this complimented by Velen's vision of Anduin's future going down two very different roads.

Alas, the problem is in execution. Because what we are left with in practice is a character who goes through comparatively less than other legacy characters (Thrall being raised as a slave, Jaina losing her home and loved ones regularly and Sylvanas with fucking everything) but who, by the time Shadowlands rolls around, insists that he is the one suffering the most and everyone else needs to get over themselves. And that wouldn't be so bad (hell, in Shadows Rising, it's kinda treated as a genuine character flaw) but that's not the case because WoW treats Anduin like the moral barometer of the franchise for many years now.

There are multiple examples of this throughout, but the biggest culprit is all across BFA and Shadowlands, where Anduin is made to understand the hardships that Sylvanas and the Forsaken have suffered, most of it by the Alliance's hands, and just shuts it down with "Everyone suffers, stop hiding behind your trauma and rise above it," and because BFA is framing him as the hero and Sylvanas as the villain he gets away with it. In the fucking Sylvanas book, he has the gall to say Sylvanas had a better life than him because she knew her mother and calls her selfish for committing suicide. And of course the book frames Anduin as being in the right about all of this because they decided Sylvanas holding him captive was the time they would even allow to let her reach out to someone and hope they understand her. The deck was always stacked against Sylvanas and in Anduin's favor in terms of audience sympathy.

But then, what happens in Shadowlands? He gets dominated by Zovaal, stabs the Archon (doesn't even kill her), maybe kills a bunch of unnamed npcs off screen, and fights his friends. Not a single tally to add to his body count while he was a puppet. And when he is freed from Zovaal's control, he doesn't lose his support system, he doesn't lose the respect of his loved ones or his people, and he's not put under pressure to just be okay again.

AND YET!

He still goes on this self imposed exile of his, and has been on it for over half a decade at this point, because he is just too haunted by everything he's 'seen and done'. Things that we as the audience don't really see. So in practice, the justification for all this on screen angst is so painfully weak. And yes, there's no wrong way to respond to trauma and there never will be, and Anduin's trauma responses are far from unrealistic.

But compared to Sylvanas, Anduin is giving a great deal more respect and dignity by the narrative for, comparatively, much less. Sylvanas was enslaved and forced to murder her countrymen (onscreen too, we MADE HER DO THAT in warcraft 3) and when she was finally freed, she had no support system besides her rangers and Nathanos, she was feared by her former homeland who only accepted her help out of desperation and was hated and distrusted by enemies and allies alike way before she might have done anything to deserve it. The game even leans into the idea that the Sylvanas who suffered all this trauma isn't the real Sylvanas and we just needed to restore her soul to have the pure pious ranger general back (barf). And she still has to toil away in superhell because the writers were too chickenshit to fully backpedal on the deliberate character assassination the sexual predator on staff forced upon her.

"Oh, but M'Kay! That's the writers fault, not Anduin's! You can't blame him for all that."

Maybe not but a lot of the issue here comes from the fact that so long as the people who enabled this inequity of care remains on staff (IE fucking GOLDEN) this won't stop. So what choice do I have but to loathe the byproduct of this fuckery when it's being shoved in my face like this? What other way could I possibly interpret this disparity other than as misogyny?

[nthspecialll]

Dead or alive?

The red dead redemption franchise is quite good at making sure not to say or do anything that contradicts the previous game and have been quite good at it, especially considering that the second game happens before the first game, but there is one mistake.

In rdr1, the very first newspaper, we get a describtion of Williamson's gang as well as a little update on Dutch. "Dutch Van Der Linde himself has not been seen nor heard from in several years and despite claims of sightings, is thought to have perished in a fire following a bungled robbery in 1906." Now we as players know this is wrong since we meet Dutch in 1907 as John, this wouldn't mean much as maybe the law just did not know Dutch was there, but lets look to rdr2's newspapers.

"VAN DER LINDE REPORTEDLY SEEN IN TALL TREES.

ON THE RUN SEVEN YEARS.

GANG MEMBERS STILL AT LARGE.

A dispatch from Tall Trees reports a sighting of infamous outlaw Dutch van der Linde, who has been on a bloody run from the law for many years now."

A sighting of Dutch, I mean, fair enough they did also say that in rdr1, but having been "on a bloody run for seven years"?

I know that chap 6 is 1899 and epilouge is 1907, which should be eight years, but lets do some quick thinking. Chapter 1 was in May and it had been several months since then so 6 was at the end of 1899, google says september. The epilouge start had to have taken place in early 1907 considering that John had time to work months (i mean look at how slow beard grows and how mamy times we have to cut it) at prohong ranch, had time to buy a property and BUILD A HOUSE AND RANCH BY HAND, get it fairly up and running, live some time happy with Abigail and then chase doen Micah and still be in 1907. Meaning late 1899 and early 1907, I would round down to 7 years, not up to eight. How can you have been running for the last 7 years if you died last year?

We also have this:

"Law enforcement have pledged to continue searching for Van der Linde, who has one of the largest bounties on his head for kill or capture."

If you generally believe someone to be dead, why would you continue searching for them? Especially as law men? Why put the resources on it?

Even if you don’t agree with everything I just said, there is this:

The fact when Sadie and John talk about Dutch in the epilouge, they both say that they heard nothing of Dutch and that they would have considering how colorful of a person he is. Well seems neither read the newspapers because he has apparently been on a bloody run as well as died, which I don’t see why the newspapers wouldn’t report on. I get why John might not have since he traveled, but Sadie??

(Tags: @photo1030 )

[xxaraaq]

𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙤𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙚

masterlist

word count | 5.6 k

cw | suggestiveness, smut, that's really it

Choso x Black!reader

A/N | Sorry that I haven't posted in a long time. This is really shitty but I wanted to post something for Halloween before I probably disappear again. I hope you enjoy. Also, the costume is the first one when you click on the link.

Choso wasn’t one to be at any type of social event, much less a Halloween party. He hated everything there – from the alcohol filled bodied rubbing against each other to the shitty costume, he could barely stand the thought of it.

He’s always preferred to stay in and watch any horror movie franchise ranging from Saw to the Conjuring. It was one of the best ways to spend the night in his opinion, and he wouldn’t think in a million years that it would ever change. 

Until you.

He doesn’t even know how he bagged you, with the fashion sense of a borderline homeless man, to a face he would consider as pale as a corpse. But he did, and easily at that. You were obsessed from the moment you saw him in the dining hall. It was early – around 8 AM, when you first met. He made your heart drop down to your stomach, and you knew then and there that you were gonna have him.

Safe to say he was surprised when you came up to him in nothing but a hoodie, pj pants, and a bonnet asking for his number. He thought you had him mistaken for somebody else, even looking side to side with a look full of confusion. “Ain't nobody behind you if that’s what you're looking for.”

He looked at you before looking at your phone, taking it in his hand before quickly typing his number into it, “Here you go.” He says, an unreadable look on his face. You chuckled playfully, taking your phone with a confidence he’s never seen before. “I’ll see you later I guess.” You smirk, walking away with an extra sway in your hips.

What the fuck is wrong with me, saying ‘here you go’, shit is mad corny, he thinks to himself, a grimace forming on his face.

Your relationship with him grew fast after that, constantly spending time with each other in your dorms, doing everything from watching shitty comedy movies to talking shit on half of the professors. Seeing you was the highlight of his day, and vice versa. It didn’t help that you were a tease though. With all the lingering touches and possessiveness, he didn’t know what to do with himself.

You’ve always had a confident and solid aura, and it didn’t stop when it came to him. You knew that he wasn’t experienced – at least not as much as you – and you honestly didn’t care. You loved when he would go short of breath when you gave him hickies while he was supposed to be doing homework. And you loved it even more when he would moan, whimper even, when you slowly grinded against his crotch. It was a fun game for you, but you were getting restless. 

So when one of your friends told you about the halloween party being hosted that Saturday, you knew that it was your chance. 

“Baby pleaseee, we’ll look so cute together.” You whined, moving the hairs out his face. “Do we have to? Being around that many people for that long doesn’t really sound like an ideal setting to spend Halloween to me.” He sighs, gently grabbing you by the waist, pressing chaste kisses on your shoulder. “You wanna make me happy?” You ask, turning to face him. “Of course I do.” He sways back and forth with you. “Then you’ll do this for me, right?” You say, sultry tone lacing your voice. He stares at you in contemplation, and that’s when you know you have him. “Who do you wanna be? He asks, groaning in defeat.

It works every time.

—

“Choso, come here please.” You ask, pulling your stockings up to your mid thigh. “Come, lemme take a picture of you.” taking your phone. You posed, before taking it back. You knew he wasn’t going to, so you didn’t even bother to take a picture of him. “Come on, we’re gonna be late.” You say, dragging him out the door.

By the time the two of you got there, it was already packed. Music rattling every known surface and people already out in the front yard. When you stepped in the house, the smell of smoke and other substances hit your nose like a truck. You grabbed his hands, leading the two of you to the kitchen.

 “This is soo fun.” He says, pouring you a drink before pouring himself one. “Stop being a pessimist Choso, we just got here.” You say, rolling your eyes. You can tell he’s getting a second and high by the way his eyes are already lidded. “You ok? You're staring y’know.” You joke, taking the rest of your drink down before stepping closer to him. “Oh I am? What, you don’t like it?” He teases, eyes darkening as he pulls you close.

 He breathes in your scent, almost moaning as he feels himself harden. You giggle, dragging your hand against his clothed erection. He hissed at the sudden feeling, but you retract before he gets the chance to fully enjoy it. “Don’t be a fucking tease.” He says lowly, taking your chin in his hand. “You gonna do something about it?” You say, gliding your hand under his shirt. He chuckles, taking your hand in his before leading the two of you upstairs. 

–

You don’t know how it progressed so quickly, but it did. One minute you were making out, practically tearing each other's clothes off. Next, you were grinding against each other like dogs in heat. Now, he was fucking you into the mattress.

“Ohhhh fuckk.” He groans, digging crescents into your hips as he pounded into you. You moaned like a pornstar, gripping his muscular arm as you fucked back. From the way he was hitting your sweet spot like a man starved to the way his balls hit your clit every time he bottomed out in you, you didn’t know how much longer you could last.

“Choso,” you whined. “S’good, sooo good. Keep fuckin’ me like this.” You cry out, tears staining the pillow. He took all of you in, from your angelic moans to the way your ass bounced on his pelvis, it was almost too much for him.

Almost.

“Shhh, it’s ok baby, you’re doing so good. S-so good for me.” He sighs, leaning over to press light kissed on your back. He gripped the back of your neck, pulling you back to create a near perfect arch. “You so pretty like this baby, fuck, so pretty.” You could tell that he was about to cum, and you smiled at the fact. “Cum in me.” You gasp out, hand coming to reach for his. “You want me to cum in you? Hmm” He asks, thrusting into you with more fervor than he has the entire night.

“M’cumming, m’cumming, m’cumming.” You chant like a mantra, seeing stars as you cum. “M’close, so close.” He says, still fucking into you. You whine at the overstimulation, slyly going forward to escape his ministrations.

“Where you going? Stop running from this dick, take it like a good girl, okay?” He says, pulling you back as his thrusts become sloppy. You take what he’s giving you, eyes rolling back. “Best pussy I ever had.” He moans, cumming with his final thrusts.

He lays down next to you as you both catch your breath. “If I knew you fucked like this, I would’ve taken you to a party sooner.” You laugh, rolling over onto his chest. He wraps an arm around you, tugging you close. “You make me cum like that again, I’ll go wherever you want.” He says, placing a chaste kiss on the side of your head.

His view on Halloween parties has definitely changed.

-Nene

[hopelesslyromanticgay]

An Americano, Please? Part 2

Word Count: 757 A/N: italicized text within quotation marks means that the person speaking is using Romanian instead of English

Y/N's POV:

I haven't seen Jenna for five days, so she was probably just a tourist. It's not uncommon for a tourist to pop by the shop asking for a coffee but not being able to speak Romanian, so I have no idea why I'm so sad that she's not coming back. 

I thought the idea of a "hallway crush," (someone you've interacted with once or twice for a short or professional amount of time, but are attracted to nonetheless), only lasted through high school. I guess I was wrong.

Friday morning, the shop is quiet because of how early it is. I shovel some coffee beans into the grinder. Despite the annoyingly loud noise it makes, I find it an oddly satisfying process.

I yawn, getting out of bed at four thirty for a five AM shift is nobody's idea of a good start to a day.

Once the coffee's all ground up, I put some in the drip coffee brewer and the rest next to the espresso machine.

In the back, I can smell my coworkers taking today's baked goods out of the oven.

"Hey, L/N, want a cinnamon bun? It's a little 'burnt', so we can't sell it," my coworker and friend Nessa asks. Every Friday is the same, Nessa and I are two of the only people around the shop this early, so we'll sneak a pastry and say it was burnt if anyone asks.

"Sure, Thanks!" I reply, taking the warm pastry from her. Taking a bite, a smile creeps across my face, "did you guys change the recipe? This is even better than last week's!"

"Yeah, boss asked if we could add a few more spices to the dough," she explains, "I'm a pretty big fan of the new recipe if I do say so myself."

It's not long before the cafe starts to smell like cinnamon and coffee, a perfectly inviting scent in the gloomy fall weather.

Five twenty and it's time to open up the shop. Of course, no one actually arrives until six, usually. Nevertheless the owner says being open early is best for business.

As I wait for the first customers to arrive, I zone out. There's not much to do except for sitting alone with my thoughts.

I'm so lost in thought that I'm thoroughly shocked when I hear the bell on the door ring, indicating that someone has entered the shop. I look up to see who it is. Then it dawns on me. She's a little paler than last time, but it's still her.

"Jenna?" I ask incredulously, I thought for sure she was gone.

"You remember me?" she raises an eyebrow.

"I remember most people who can't speak Romanian," I lie.

"Sure," she giggles.

"What can I get for ya today?" I ask.

"You know, I think I'll take your joke from the other day seriously," she replies with a faint smirk, "I'll have an Americano with oat milk please."

"Alright, an Americano for the American," I laugh, mixing the drink, "so, what brings you to Romania?"

"Could you please repeat that?" she asks, "sorry, I've been having trouble focusing lately."

"Well, you're clearly not a tourist, because most tourists don't stick around for more than three days. So I'm just wondering, what brings you to Romania?" I repeat.

"Oh, uh, I'm filming a TV show," she explains.

"You act?" I ask. I don't know why I'm surprised. She certainly has the looks and charisma for Hollywood.

"Yeah," she smiles, "this is definitely one of the bigger things I've done though."

"Congrats on that! What are you filming? Are you allowed to tell people?"

"It's a show about the Addams family," she tells me.

"Oh I love that franchise!" I exclaim, "Are you playing one of the family members?"

"Yeah, I'm Wednesday, which is both exciting and nerve wracking." 

Okay, so I'm literally talking to a celebrity. 

"Woah... That- that sounds like an awesome job," I smile, "good for you. So you'll be in the area for a while?"

"What's it to you?" she smirks flirtatiously, "you wanna take me out on a date or something?" I feel a blush start to creep it's way to my cheeks.

"That depends, you gonna be in town for a while?"

"At least six more months."

"In that case, how about I show you around town sometime?"

"I'd like that," she smiles. As much as I would love to keep up this banter, there's too many people in the store now.

I hand her the receipt, my number neatly scribbled down on the blank side, "reach out when you're available," I wink.

She heads out and I watch as she leaves.

On with the day. Only four hours left of this shift.

[msookyspooky]

hi there!

i just wanted to say that i absolutely love the set up series!

i started reading it back when the series only had a few chapter of set up. i stopped reading when terrible trilogy was getting updated (“bah, i’ll just read it once the series is complete” 💀). i did not expect the series to have 5 books (ish? more?), but hey, you won’t see me complain. last week, i remembered its existence and read the entire thing without being able to stop. i could not focus on my upcoming finals during the last 10 chapters of four’s a franchise (actual reaction of me whole reading : “OH MY GOD, THE SLOW BURNING IS BURNING” to “oh my god, this is not a slow burn. this is a quick freeze”)

the development of the characters is amazing, they feel realistic and somewhat humans. your writing really got better over time and the twists literally made me anxious. i love how you did not make Y/N, billy and stu forget how they each wronged each other and that the resentment is still present (because let’s face it, what they did to each other is hard to forgive). the realism is amazing.

anyways, i can’t wait to read the rest of it! (please don’t make them suffer… too much… please?) take care 🫶🏻

This is so old I'm so so sorry my dear heart; this got overran by spam and I missed it 😥

THANK YOU BC I SEE IT TOO!! Like, my early Set Up series for me has a few lines where 'damn I was good' then the rest it's like 'Oh...Wow, I needed that practice lol' but I'm not complaining! If anything; if anyone wants to ever see my progress as a writer; here you go.

And absolutely I try to go fir realism bc I couldn't relate to YN's that if Billy cornered her with no knife it's like 'W-Wait, this isn't you! 🥺' (I KNOW IM GUILTY OF THIS IN PAST WRITING. GO ON, YOU ALL CAN LAUGH. IT'S FUNNY 😂) when irl it's like 'Boy...You are two seconds from me screaming, punching and running for help'

And trauma doesn't dissappear! It appears then can be dorment (Especially if the purpotrator is nice) then rear it's ugly head out of no where

I feel like YN will always have moments where the trauma creeps up. A scream, running past her, Halloween etc etc. And that she could be joking with Stu then BAM. He says something and she's...Mortified. Because it's too close to home, some tactless joke or remark or the way he says something and that will probably be for life even if she gets better at brushing it off over time

I sometimes put my own issues into YN. YN in freeze mode most of Fours a Franchise? Me the last 2 years so that made it easier. And I started writing this at 24 and now I'm 28 and the growth is enough that I started relating to Terrible Trilogy YN the most then so easily transitioned to Fours a Franchise with her in her 30's.

Anyways thank you I hope you take care too and hopefully the next installment doesn't disappoint ♡♡♡♡♡

[thecrispydemon]

My Personal Elm Street:What Freddy Krueger and a Nightmare on Elm Street Taught Me about Myself

TW: brief mentions of rape, and abuse

When I was a kid I wasn’t allowed to watch Horror movies, however I’ve always had a fascination with dark things. When I went to the library I often read books about macabre topics such as, ghosts, and urban legends.

I would ask my classmates, or family members about horror movies they’ve seen, because I was afraid to watch them myself. One day, I was in my third grade classroom sitting with some of the other kids, I don’t remember how we began talking about horror, but I learned about iconic figures like Micheal, Jason, Chucky, but the one that made me the most uneasy was Freddy Krueger.

I remember lying awake at night, thinking about him, the burnt face, the glove with soldered razors, but worst of all was the idea of falling asleep and never waking up. Eventually I reached a point where I was tired of being afraid. Before I fell asleep I’d imagine going to meet him. I envisioned myself walking through a forest with serpentine trees poking out of the fog. The trail lead me to some decrepit cabin, and just behind the door he’d be there. The bright, ratty red and green sweater stood out from the rotting grey wood of the cabin. I don’t remember what was said, what I do recall is that I talked to him as if he were a friend, as if he were a misunderstood soul. Of course I knew this wasn’t the case, it was more about psychological comfort. I did this until my fear of him faded, once I accomplished that, so did his presence in my life, until much later, where he impacted me in a way I didn’t expect.

I started watching horror my freshmen year of high school, since I’m slow at watching new things, I didn’t watch a Nightmare on Elm Street until my senior year. The film peaked my interest, so I decided to watch the sequels. My passion for the franchise was cemented when I watched the second film, Freddy’s Revenge.

Have you ever heard a song that gave you chills the first time you heard it? As if the notes resonated off of something deep within? That was my experience watching Freddy’s Revenge, though I didn’t get chills I still felt that deep resonance. I felt a magnetic pull towards Freddy, like a reflection in a funhouse mirror, a reflection of you, but it isn’t. For a long time I couldn’t figure out why. In the beginning I thought I was experiencing another hyper-fixation, similar to ones I’ve had in the past.

For a year I spent my time learning about the franchise, reading, watching interviews, anything I could get my hands on I consumed. Despite my passion, there was a part of me that was anxious I was doing something socially unacceptable, or that I was liking something “the wrong way”, because Freddy is insinuated to be a child predator. I had a gut feeling that what I was experiencing was more passionate than just about being a fan. I felt like he was a part of my essence. I wouldn’t describe myself as a spiritual person, but something that is ingrained in your psyche, that is apart of your being. and I was afraid what people would think if they found out. I tried to convince myself to not feel the way I did, by imposing rules upon myself. I saw videos, and comments about how it’s “problematic” to simply like Freddy, which legitimized my fears. Despite my anxiety I kept on engaging with the series because it gave me a sense of comfort, and reassurance, ironically enough.

Eventually I wanted Freddy to be my next cosplay project. I gathered all of the things I needed, and on Halloween I woke up early to begin the several hours of makeup. I set to work, layering on latex, my face slowly morphing into his. When I was finished I was overcome with euphoria. As the sun began to set trick-r-treaters made their way through the neighborhood, I stood outside handing out candy. I wasn’t seen as my usual self, instead I was treated as if I was him. There was a level of authenticity that I felt. It’s like a suppressed part of me got to finally come to the surface.

While I learned about the franchise I found the fandom, which was a huge turning point for me. I found others with a similar passion, and they all seemed like average people. My worries about enjoying a “problematic” character lifted. However this did not address all of the emotions I was experiencing, because a lot of people didn’t experience the same intimate connection with Freddy as I did.

I wasn’t completely overcome with shame, due to spending time with my thoughts I determined that I don’t have malevolent tendencies, nor was it the cause for my connection with Freddy, instead it was examining his personality, motivations, and backstory that gave me insight.

From being a product of rape Freddy was mocked and socially isolated from his peers he was passed around several orphanages until being “adopted” by an abusive alcoholic. People treated him as evil by default. All throughout his life he’s only seen cruelty and pain. My life thus far has never been nearly as tragic, but being outcasted, and socially isolated is something that deeply resonates with me. Due to having physical disabilities, being queer, not to mention having undiagnosed ADHD made social connection that much harder. Overall I just couldn’t assimilate socially in school. Since I was undiagnosed, my ADHD symptoms were perceived as me being purposely difficult, like I was bad by default and needed to be “corrected”. Over time this led me to attain a strong sense of independence, and fierce internal rage. I became more vigilant and suspicious of others, in turn it made being vulnerable difficult. Though I wasn’t abused, I see some his fears in myself such as being afraid of being vulnerable, or asking for help out of fear of being seen as “weak”. Additionally having a burning determination in our goals.

Although there are nuances between how Freddy and I perceive the world, and how we treat others. To me he not only represents my darker nature, but my passion, individualism, and tenacity. Accepting him as apart of my identity has given me the strength to take up space in the world, that I deserve to be seen, respected, and to not allow myself to be taken advantage of. Throughout my journey I was afraid that my passionate connection to Freddy said something negative about my morality, or that I was endorsing his actions, but on closer examination I realized that I’ve learned a lot about myself. It’s easy to take a dichotomous view on morality, especially when it comes to fiction. The one takeaway I want to share, is to encourage others to examine their relationship with fiction, and what connects with them, because it’s not always the hero that we learn from.

[ick25]

Everything wrong in Battle of the Gods. Part 1.

Something I don't understand about the Dragon Ball fandom is that they would admit hating DB Super and say that Resurrection F is the worst modern DB movie, but for some reason, they praise Battle of the Gods, a movie that, in my opinion, was what kickstarted everything bad about Super.

So I decided to make a post pointing out the retcons it did and why it feels more like an alternative universe instead of a continuation of the anime we all know and love. Also me ranting about it.

2013's Battle of the Gods movie is the movie that revived the franchise 17 years after the anime and manga officially ended. Everyone was excited to have this beloved anime return after so many years, including me, however, when I watched the movie, though nostalgic, it didn't feel like the Dragon Ball I grew up with, and after rekindling my love for the series, I found out why.

In case you couldn't tell, I hate Dragon Ball Super, both anime and manga! I don't consider it canon to Z and it was mostly made to sell merchandize to a new generation. The inconsistencies, the retcons, the new transformations that miss the point of the original story and how they basically turn it into the Goku and Vegeta show because no one cares about the other characters, and how Toriyama, the actual creator of the series, being involve, doesn't help at all. Don't get me wrong, the man was a genius, but his mindset wasn't the same as it was back in the 90s, it's been a whole decade since then, and he had editors breathing down his neck.

The movie was an interesting idea, but it is painfully obvious that it was made to appeal to a new audience while disregarding the original fans in the process. These are the reasons why.

The setting.

The movie starts with King Kai in a telepathic communication with the fused Supreme Kai and the Elder Supreme Kai, they are talking about the God of Destruction Beerus waking up from his... Wait, what is Goku doing in King Kai's planet? And what is he wearing?!

I heard Toriyama liked his track suits, but it feels a little out of character for Goku, he has always trained with his gi, and why is he training with King Kai? I'm pretty sure King Kai taught him everything he knows back in the Saiyan Saga. He's not dead anymore so he has no reason to hang out with him, specially since his planet blew up in the Cell saga.

When did they rebuild his house/ planet? Wasn't he still homeless in the Buu Saga? The movie hasn't even started and I already have so many questions.

Beerus and Whis.

Next is these MFs, Beerus and Whis, fan favorites, but I simply can't stand them for so many reasons.

Lets' start with the obvious, Beerus is a God of Destruction, as oppose to the Kais who are Gods of creation, however, this cat is an A hole, he does whatever he wants, whenever he wants, from bullying mortals (and other Gods) to destroying planets on a whim, he even retcons the Z anime by saying that he told Frieza to destroy Planet Vegeta, which was an important part of his character, he was even too lazy to do it himself. Speaking of lazy, they stablish that his own existence is linked with the Supreme Kais, if that was true then why didn't he intervene when Buu was killing the Kais? Well, it's simple, he was sleeping during that time. He takes very long cat naps.

But what irks me the most about this guy, is that they don't even make him a villain! He is an antagonist here, but he is not evil, he is a God that does whatever he wants and no one stops or reprimands him, shouldn't that kind of behavior be inappropriate for a God? The closest thing he has to a superior is his assistant Whis, but he enables his behavior because he doesn't give a s*it about anyone, all he cares about is eating tasty food. So quirky!

These two characters have so much potential, but they are basically walking jokes in the guise of powerful beings.

Super Saiyan God?

The reason Beerus wakes up early from his long slumber is because he had a premonition about him fighting a "Super Saiyan God". What even is that? wouldn't it be just the Super Saiyan or a Saiyan God? Wouldn't this imply that the legendary Super Saiyan wasn't actually a big deal, like it was just a regular power boost all Saiyans can get at some point in their lives? Because in Z, the legend of the Super Saiyan was the closest thing to a God to the Saiyans, a Saiyan that breaks the limits of what is possible for their race. So where does the idea of a Super Saiyan God even come from? Did Beerus misinterpreted the legend? Did the Saiyans not know their own folklore? Was the transformation just a "tingling sensation in the back" the whole time?

Not my Goku.

King Kai is anxious because he doesn't want Goku to know about Beerus, why? Because Goku would probably want to fight him...

Yes and no, Goku loves fighting strong opponents, but he has no reason to fight a God of Destruction. In the Namek saga, King Kai warned Goku about Frieza and his power, even though he wanted to meet him, he knew he was bad news from what King Kai said. When he arrived on Namek, his priority was to save his son and friends from the bad guys and get the Dragon Balls, fighting Frieza was a necessity because he was threatening his friends, and beating up Vegeta.

This movie portrays Goku as a moron who only cares about fighting and that he would actively go out of his way to pursue someone said to be way stronger than him, just because. When Beerus arrives to the planet asking about the Super Saiyan God, Goku naturally asks to fight him a little, Beerus accepts and Goku right off the bat starts showcasing all of his Super Saiyan transformations and bragging about it which is out of character.

Goku was never this cocky, he loved the trill of the fight, but he knew when to get serious.

Sure, he is over confident in his skills as a fighter because that is his area of expertise, even if sometimes he would get humbled by things like Gohan not being the same as him when it came to fighting, and Kid Buu kicking his butt after a while because he thought that if he could Power up Super Saiyan 3 it would be enough to beat him, which backfired because he lost power faster since he wasn't dead anymore, but at least he never bragged about it like he's doing here.

Is the movie trying to say that Goku is like this because he defeated Majin Buu, a notorious God killer? A fight he didn't even win by himself?

Meanwhile in Earth.

After Beerus beats Super moron 3 in record time, he heads to Earth to talk to Vegeta because of course the prince of all Saiyans would know more about the Super Saiyan lore than a Saiyan who lost all knowledge he had of his race after hitting his head as a baby.

King Kai warns him about Beerus arriving on Earth and how he defeated Goku, prompting Vegeta to wet his pants because Kakarot is suppose to be number one.

Meanwhile, Bulma is having a party to celebrate her birthday and, hey, look who is crashing it.

The Pilaf gang, the first villains from OG Dragon Ball, and they look like children now. Somehow they got their hands on the Dragon Balls and wished to become young again because at this point in time they would be like...in their 50s? When King Picollo made the same wish he was like over 300 years old and super wrinkly, and Shenron understood the assignment and returned him to the prime of his youth, so either Pilaf redacted his wish wrong, or Shenron lost a few brain cells after Z.

This is a nice throwback and a funny gag having them turned into kids, but what they do with this later on is just... no.

I'm gonna end part 1 here, let me know your thoughts and if you want me to continue with part 2.

[captainhunnicutt]

9 of my favorite films that I watched for the first time this year!

Thank you to @amrv-5 for tagging me. Kisses.

I have never been one to sit and watch movies. It's annoyed family and friends for as long as I can remember. It's not something I ever set out to do or even think about doing, and when @pomegranate suggested I get Letterboxd, I primarily was going to use it to rate Mike movies and forget about it. Instead, it's helped me watch 34 movies (28 new to me) movies. Picking 9 of my favorites (excluding ones I've seen before, which I think were all Christmas movies), means you get essentially 1/3 of my viewing list. Enjoy.

Memento (2000), dir. Christopher Nolan -- The way this was shot is batshit insane, and I was entranced from the get go. There's nothing I can say that won't spoil the movie. It's one of those you watch it once and your mind gets blown. You watch it a second time to figure out how the fuck you missed so much.

The Mephisto Waltz (1971), dir. Paul Wendkos -- I'm in my lusting over Alan Alda phase, which if I'm being honest, was probably always going to happen someday. This movie did something to my brain. I've been rewired. I was on the dog's side the entire movie.

James Acaster: Hecklers Welcome (2004), dir. Stuart Laws -- I am horribly late to the Acaster party. Shame on me, right? Anyway, if you were ever curious about the type of man that really gets me going - he embodies it. This had me laughing from start to finish, and that's saying something because I'm not usually one to enjoy watching stand-up comedy. I find it funnier when you're in the same room. But this? Chef's kiss.

Will & Harper (2024), dir. Josh Greenbaum -- This year, I have learned a lot. I've learned a lot about people and myself. I wouldn't say I've been "sheltered," per se - but never exposed to a lot and therefore had to fuck up and learn and fuck up some more. This just resonated with me. I can and want to do better.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), dir. Michel Gondry -- I avoided this movie like the plague, because I hate Jim Carrey as a serious actor. I somehow went 20 years not ever having anything spoiled for me, and I'm really glad I didn't. It deserves the decades of hype.

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), dir. Robert Wise -- I love science fiction, but a very specific type of science fiction. I love the trope of some alien being comes to warn or assist humanity. It's overdone, I know, but it's one of the reasons I adore The Twilight Zone as much as I do - and this movie falls directly into that trope. Even if the idea of some being from outer space coming to attempt to save humanity from itself isn't up your alley, the underlying messages of what humanity should do better still ring true today.

Inside Out 2 (2024), dir. Kelsey Mann -- "I don’t know how to stop anxiety. Maybe we can’t. Maybe this is what happens when you grow up. You feel less joy." These two sentences alone absolutely destroyed me. In a year where everything that could go wrong went wrong, in a year of self-discovery and having to come to terms with things I thought I had tucked safely in a box and locked away, I have felt so much anxiety and little joy - and that's okay. It's always okay.

The Hunger Games: Ballads of Songbirds & Snakes (2023), dir. Francis Lawerence -- Fuck me, I'm predictable. I love this franchise, and I love how downright brutal this movie was. Nothing intelligent to say about it. I'll leave you with my Letterboxd review: "'Now I know the whole world is an arena,' & 'It's the things we love most, that destroy us.' It's a shame this movie didn't come out during the heart of AOL Instant Messenger. Those two lines are perfect away messages."

Requiem for a Dream (2000), dir. Darren Aronofsky -- Just... is Aronofsky okay? I legitimately felt like I needed to check myself into rehab after watching this film, and I don't partake in any drugs. It's got this... early 00's color palette that if you were around during those years you know exactly what I mean. It's beautifully shot, but it will honest to God leave you wondering if you will ever be happy again.

If you want to follow along on my movie viewing in 2025, please feel free to add me on Letterboxd. Tagging anyone who feels like doing this.

[mortal-kombat-1]

what is your opinion on johnny cage's character?

Oh boy, this took me a good bit to think on and type out, lmao. Like, would have it all ready to post then think of something else to add. Thank you draft option 🙏

Overall, I think he's more complex than a lot of folks make him out to be. Yeah, its really easy to just think he's the comedic relief only when the game(s) kinda lead you to believe that. You can't really judge him based on one timeline since the plots/stories keep changing with each game (even if you add in the comics and movies). There's no connecting the dots when it comes to MK lore, lol. You gotta be fairly new to the franchise to think otherwise if I'm being very honest.

But given this blog is primarily MK1 Johnny, that's the timeline/version I'll jot my thoughts out for.

He's obviously not a parent in this timeline unlike 10 and 11, so we can scratch even mentioning that. But, he's once again married, not to Sonya but to Cris. Even so, his ego, money spending and his need to be the prime center of attention gets the better of him causing things to sour in his marriage. Of course ending in divorce. I won't stick up for him, he has his flaws, Cris was definitely in the right to divorce 'em. She deserved to be treated better. I'm not saying the man didn't care for her, it was pretty damn obvious that he did. He's very protective and regrets how he's done her -- he made that clear in a couple of intro's. I really felt like he got into the movie business not only because it was something he always wanted to do, but to make a better life for the both of them at some point, but I think he kinda let it all get to his head and let slip away the reason he was initially doing it all for. So in short: He's gotta take responsibility for his own actions. Nobody else is to blame but himself. But even with that being said, he struggled, obviously an alcoholic -- he's mentioned recovery to Ashrah in one of their intro's; though I'm really convinced he started drinking to forget about certain details of his past... and maybe stress because Hollywood. We don't really get enough information on his childhood other than whats mentioned in intro's with other characters. And even then, they never really seem good nor happy. So I like to think his need to be a people pleaser really stems from his parents. That is in no way me trying to make an excuse for his character, though. The man isn't a child/teen, and I've seen people on here and elsewhere, thinking he's in his 20's or early 30's. And after going through some of the files in the game, a lot of the things he's won or collected were from the 90's -- awards being more specific. So I tend to say he's in his early 40's at the youngest. Also, he's mentioned getting someone younger to take on his role so yeah.

I like how even though others might find his tactics and odd sense of humor (which happens 99% at the wrong time) annoying, they still want him there. And he knows that, the damn smirking gives it away. Does he mature in any way in this timeline -- eventually, but I wouldn't say he's changed completely or he wouldn't be Johnny Cage. I'd say he finally realized there's more to life than money and fame when you got the right people surrounding you, and he gets that by the time the game ends.

Also, that damn boopable nose... they ever change that I'm gonna riot.

I could keep going on about this idiot, but I gotta stop there or I will never shut up sdfghjkl;. It's one of those "I see so much of myself in this character and I'm gonna glue myself to them" type of thing.

[astridhoff03]

Our fiery warrior Queen has returned…not just yet.

Hear me out, Astrid is alongside Hiccup one of my all time favorite characters in the entire httyd franchise. Astrid is fierce but has a big heart, whom she not shares with everyone. I’m kinda worried that Parker will not portray Astrid’s depth as well as America Ferrera did. But I’m sure she did her best and we will see how she does when the movie earns in theaters. I’m also not a fan of her look, don’t get me wrong I have nothing against the actress, but it just doesn’t scream Astrid from her look of clothes and how her hair are braid. I know it’s from an early design from Astrid, I just don’t like the costume very much. I like Astrid’s more simple but warrior like style she wears in the trilogy as well as in the TV-shows.

Let’s just wait and see how she will do as Astrid. I might give the new cast a chance but I will definitely be one of the people who will stay with the original series.

(LOL Snotlout has also returned but his actor looks kinda done with everything😂)

So what are your thoughts?

Also please don’t be disrespectful towards the actress because of her appearance. She’s a a person just like everyone else here, and deserves respect. Please don’t be racist to her, she has also feelings.

[tokiro07]

Finally finished Echoes of Wisdom, and I have to say for as much as I liked the concepts and presentation, ultimately the mechanics ended up leaving me wanting

For example, even right up until the end of the game, the Bind mechanic, which I think could have carried an entire game in and of itself, was shockingly forgettable

I excused it when I forgot to use it in early puzzles because I just wasn't used to it yet, but the fact that I made it to the final boss without realizing that I actually had a way to directly interact with it???

To make matters worse, there was a point where I finally did remember I could use that mechanic, but apparently that realization came too late, because it wasn't useful during that particular phase! So I just figured it was never useful and continued to just avoid damage while Link and my Lynel just continued to whale on the boss

Frankly, I shouldn't have been able to skirt by like that. I shouldn't have been able to rely on two computer players to do all the work while I twiddled my thumbs. I didn't even want to do nothing! I wanted to fight! But I just kept thinking "now that I don't have Link-mode, how the hell am I supposed to fight???"

The Echoes are the primary mechanic, so it's perfectly reasonable to assume that the answer to any given problem is "use an Echo." But that makes the Bind mechanic an afterthought, so even though it comes up just often enough to not feel tacked on, every time that I remembered it, it felt like a massive revelation rather than an intuitive solution

I should not have been able to beat the final boss wrong. Using Bind should not just "make it go by faster," it should be the way you're meant to win. Not just because it's a mechanic that's present, but because it's the only direct form of interaction available!

I feel like an idiot for forgetting a major mechanic, but the game did absolutely nothing to imply that I wasn't playing right other than the fact that I was getting bored. It provided no feedback that this wasn't what I was supposed to be doing, and while slow, it actually provided positive feedback, so I had to just shrug and say "I guess that's the right solution..."

There's an adage in User Experience (UX) Design that "there's no such thing as user error," that any mistake a user can possibly make could be accounted for with proper communication from the designer through the design. I had a boring experience with the finale of what was otherwise a very fun and engaging game because the design told me that the boring solution I found was acceptable and never insisted that I use the more engaging and efficient solution that it constantly went out of its own way to deemphasize

This is why I can't stand Aonuma's stance that "open-ended games are better~", because it divorces designers from the responsibility of communicating an intended solution, and instead asks the player to jam square pegs into round holes under the guise of making them feel clever, even though player psychology results in them tending to find a small handful of reliable solutions that work in enough situations that they stop experimenting and just turn that small handful into the primary mechanic

I'm glad I played Echoes of Wisdom, and I'm glad I played BotW and TotK, but I don't want the entire franchise to be these games! This is not the Zelda that I want or love! I want more games like Link Between Worlds with one, central mechanic that other, smaller mechanics can synergize with, not a giant toybox where every single toy starts to blend together and gets lost in the shuffle as I continuously fall back on my favorite