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potahun · 4 years ago

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Personal top 5 in Wo Men De Ge / Our Songs, Season 1

After finishing all 12 eps of the 1st season of “Wo Men De Ge” / “Our Songs”, I am listing my personal top 5 pairs of “Young Singer x Old but Gold Singer” teams in the show, mostly just to have an excuse to gush and recommend some of my favourite performances from this beautiful, beautiful music show.

5. Xiao Zhan x Na Ying (and Angela Chang) - Team: Na Zhan Dui

What I really liked about them: The fact that they challenged many styles! Perhaps it’s because Xiao Zhan is currently an actor and not specialised in any music type, but their performances were among the most diverse. They did rock, disco, old Chinese classics...Singing-wise, Xiao Zhan does nice switches to falsetto, Na Ying’s voice is broad and with its own feel, and Angela Chang who replaced NY for a few eps has such a special and beautiful voice ugh. But what I liked most about them is probably Na Ying herself. Her outspoken personality and sense rly got to me and she was my favourite “Model Singer” in Group B. She was also so open to accompanying XZ in trying new styles and to put an emphasis on performance (as in, the visual aspect of it) to help XZ out. I think for someone who’s not currently a singer, he got very lucky she was his partner.

What I found to be a pity: Xiao Zhan sings pretty nicely, but it’s true that when you have Ayanga and Zhou Shen next door, it’s pretty hard for his voice to stand out. A few times, I found myself feeling like Na Ying or Angela was carrying the song single-handedly and couldn’t rly notice his voice anymore. Angela’s voice especially stands out, so sometimes, it feels like what I remember most from Na Zhan Dui performances is Angela’s great voice and the visual effects. Also, maybe it’s because he has to manage his image a bit more than the other young artists, but Xiao Zhan did come across as quite nervous during the entire show, including during many of the performances. If you only watch him based on this show, he comes across as just a very polite young person (with a pleasant voice).

Favorite performance(s) from them:

Gen Zhe Gan Jue Zou / Going with the Feeling (not rly a performance but the song with which NY and XZ got “blindly” paired up, and somehow the song in which he was the most relaxed imo)

Jun Gang Zhi Ye / A Night at the Naval Port (classic lovely song. Imo it was the song in which their voices matched up most seamlessly)

4. Xiao Gui x Luo Qi - Team: Wang Zha

What I really liked about them: I knew neither of them before the show, but felt like this team truly tried to make a new sound each time and to mix modern elements into old songs (which fits perfectly with the show’s theme). Luo Qi is so open to Xiao Gui’s suggestions and so humble about trying things outside her comfort zone, even though she is the senior. They also had a really nice old sister-little brother relationship, full of mutual respect, and it was kind of refreshing to have the young artist be like ‘it’s ok, it’s ok’ and being the encouraging or optimistic one in the team. Among the younger artists, Xiao Gui is the only rapper, so being on this show could be pretty challenging but Luo Qi being so open to trying new things made it work. She really went outside her comfort zone, and I loved this team for it. They are also both really pleasant - mostly quiet but polite and comfortable. All-round lovely pair.

What I found to be a pity: In a way, because Luo Qi was so accommodating and humble, sometimes it felt like Xiao Gui might have overpushed her a bit? Perhaps he could have been a tad more considerate, but we don’t see much of their interactions and overall they do seem like they have a good relationship.

Favorite performance(s) from them: Hui Lai / Come Back (the way the rap got mixed into this song feels so very natural)

3. Ayanga x Fei Yuqing - Team: (God Xiao Ge team names are hard to remember) Yun Dan Feng Qing

What I really liked about them: Well of course, the voices and the singing technique. haha I did not know Ayanga before this show, but HOLY SHIT. Not a musical actor for nothing. HE CAN SING. And he can sing so many styles, too. He is GOOD. Watching them, I thought, shit, among all the young artists we saw, only he could have been paired up with a senior like Fei Yuqing (and perhaps Zhou Shen, but we’ll come to him later). Their voices are distinctive, but the style in which they sing have certain similarities, so they match quite well. Basically, this is a team based on talent, skills and experience. They only sing songs that sound like classics but holy fucking shit, I loved the way they sang them. Other than the singing - and this is not a team thing - but I was rly surprised to find out that Fei Yuqing was quite funny. Individually speaking, both he and Ayanga were entertaining while remaining ever so pleasant. They were real pleasures to watch.

What I found to be a pity: I thought there was a lack of team chemistry, which could be in part due to how they got paired up, but yeah, they just never really felt like a team, more like two very polite and courteous singers who decided to work together for a few performances. Also, I am absolutely not surprised by it, but I guess, since it’s the Fei Yuqing, both young artists were fully accommodating him and not the other way round. It is not a bad thing in FYQ’s case because his singing is beautifully amazing and hey its his last show anyway, but it would have been fun to see more sparks here and there.

Favorite performance(s) from them:

Juan Zhu Lian / Rolling up the Beaded Curtain (haha are you ready for pure skills to fuck you up? I liked Juan Zhu Lian before, but this version is incredible)

Xin Yuan Yang . Hu Die Meng / New Mandarin Duck. Butterfly Dream (again pure skills but also the harmonising. a+++)

2. Liu Yuning x Ren Xianqi - Team: Jie Tou Pai Dang

What I really liked about them: This team is one of the teams that felt the most like a team. They have similar past experiences and I liked that they had a chill older brother + reserved younger brother chemistry. I also liked that they both seem to be people who are passionate about different aspects of music (like singing yes, but also music arrangement overall). Ren Xianqi was so open to letting Liu Yuning express what he wanted / add in the elements he wanted to each performance, or have LYN’s band be in charge of re-arranging the songs. Before this show, all I knew from Ren Xianqi was his “Xin Tai Ruan”, but I found him so lovely and nice during the whole show! He only had kind praise for all the other artists, was positive throughout, and well, Group A only had lovely "Model Singers”, but RXQ stood out in this respect. He and Liu Yuning had such a comfortable dynamics and many of the songs they sang happen to be all-time favourites of mine so of course bonus points. Singing-wise, I love Liu Yuning’s voice. It’s not like he can hit super high notes or anything, but this guy rly gets the right feeling out of each song through his voice. All in all, I loved the team.

What I found to be a pity: Literally, the only thing I find to be a limiting factor for this team is Ren Xianqi’s voice aaaaa TT. It felt like he struggled a bit at times, and compared to other senior singers, his voice doesn’t have as much of a distinctive feel, which I thought was a pity... Some of his uh...moves during some of the performances also felt a bit old-fashioned, but I think I can live with that.

Favorite performance(s) from them:

Tian Ya (the song...the arrangement...the spirit...the LYN’s singing...)

Ai Jiang Shan Geng Ai Mei Ren (mainly because this song is one of my all-time favourites and you cant go wrong with it, but this is not my favorite rendition of it either)

1. Zhou Shen x Li Keqin - Team: Qin Shen Shen

What I really liked about them: EVERYTHING FUCK HAHA. ok so. I started this show with pretty even feelings for all the teams, but if one team really grabbed my heart from ep. 1 onwards and threw it into the fire pit, it’s these two. GOD Can I even talk about them neutrally?? Chemistry-wise...where did they even get all this chemistry? No one knows. On stage, I don’t know if I’ve heard two voices that match as well as theirs when they harmonise before, but if I did, I don’t remember. Zhou Shen’s voice is high and floating like some kind of ethereal mermaid’s, while Li Keqin’s voice is so stable, so warm it’s the perfect match. But the chemistry off-stage?? It’s even more incredible??? If Liu Yuning and Ren Xianqi are like a pair of older and younger brothers, what are Zhou Shen and Li Keqin? No one knows, and certainly not them. All the terms have been thrown in: match made in heaven, perfect match, a couple that separated and had a child (thanks LKQ) but also father and son, ‘someone who likes music’ (what?)....but basically, everyone on the show agrees that their chemistry is uncanny and it’s not stopping them from continuing with whatever they’re doing. This team basically has it all and they know it: Singing skills and technique? they both have it. Passion for singing? They both have it. Perfect chemistry? They have it. Stellar and complementary sense of comedy and humour? They have it. Theatrical smoke as their only visual effect on stage? They have it (jk). Every episode that they’re on, I am laughing and smiling from ears to ears and thanking the heavens that they got paired up. Why are they like this.

What I found to be a pity: The fact that I can’t buy an album from them as a duo? hahaha OK, perhaps just the fact that they stuck mostly with ballads (except for Ye Lang Disco) and so I would have loved to see more sparks from them. But this complaint is also very empty because it’s not like I didn’t thoroughly enjoy every single ballad they sang...haha haha....Ah, one thing I found to be a veeerrrry slight pity is that, as ZS himself says, he’s quite insecure. In contrast, LKQ is quite optimistic, so it makes for a lot of comedic clashes in this respect (annnnd it becomes a thing I like about them again). OK ok one thing is perhaps that ZS’s jokes can be a little bit borderline, but honestly, they receive each others’ jokes so well it becomes part of their charm and chemistry.........I guess I’m biased....ok....I'll shut up

Favorite performance(s) from them:

Tian Xia You Qing Ren / All the Lovers in the World (oh my God oh my God oh my God thank you Zhou Shen for choosing this song)

Ye Lang Disco / Wild Wolf Disco (?) (BECAUSE THIS IS Qin Shen Shen AT THEIR FINEST: ABSOLUTE DORKS WHO SLAY AT PERFORMING. Na Ying mentioned this as the inspiration for her and Xiao Zhan’s disco challenge, and that’s for a GOOD reason.)

Honestly I thought Zhou Hua Jian should be there somewhere, because I am a HUGE fan of Zhou Hua Jian songs, but I did feel like his performances were a bit...slapdash in this show haha. And Yi Qiao seems very nice but most of the time, I didn’t feel her presence as much, and it felt like I was enjoying the performance because no matter what, ZHJ’s voice is fucking good. I also found it to be a pity that he had to constantly remind the audience about points and voting - in the beginning it was funny, but by the end it felt a little repetitive - and that some of his comments could be a little bit borderline and clumsy. So not in the top 5, but his team’s performance of “Qi Shi Bu Xiang Zou / In truth, I don’t want to leave” did make me cry. A lot.

Anyways, overall, I rate this show 10 / 10 and would encourage anyone who likes music to watch it! I know many people who watched the show are international Xiao Zhan fans, well, if so, you’ll see a lot of him at least! (and your attention might get snatched by some others if you’re not careful)

#wo men de ge #xiao zhan #na ying #zhou shen #li keqin #zhou hua jian #fei yuqing #ayanga #wang linkai #luo qi #liu yuning #ren xianqi #our songs #long post

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lassieposting · 5 years ago

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How about the Lucifer OT3 for the domestic ship meme? 😁

domestic ship meme!

send me a ship and i’ll tell you:

who reaches out to new neighbors

a lot of the time, it’s lucifer. he’s a) incredibly sociable, b) nosy and c) faster than the other two, and demons are incredibly territorial, so if there’s someone new in the neighbourhood he wants to investigate immediately. he’s very friendly, but he flirts with the neighbours, or tries to make deals with them, or turns up with Fun MuffinsTM, so he’s a bit of a menace. chloe is pretty savvy and if she’s around she can usually grab him before he makes a break for the door, otherwise she and dan end up making the Lucifer Apology Tour.

who remembers to buy healthy food

chloe and dan are both pretty responsible about this; they’re parents and have to feed trixie. dan is more inclined to be a health nut, because he’s very into staying in shape and eating healthy is a big part of his lifestyle. they both like to (get trixie to) try new foods, but neither of them have a lot of free time, so even their healthy meals tend to be chosen for being quick and easy to prepare. lucifer doesn’t shop for himself - he has a fancy grocery delivery service for that - but he also eats out a lot at various expensive restaurants whose owners owe him favours, so he doesn’t need to “shop” often. when chloe and dan stay over it’s always a toss-up whether his fridge will be fully stocked or empty except for wine, whip cream and strawberries.

who remembers to buy junk food

lucifer, ably assisted by trixie. he’s a decent stepdevil, but he thinks showering your kid with money is good parenting. he snacks a lot as it is, bc supernatural metabolism + celestial young adult = constantly hungry, and trixie knows that if she says she’s hungry or suggests something new for him to try, he’ll take her to the store for a snack raid. he’s got a big sweet tooth and never says no to desserts and unhealthy junk.

who fixes the oven when it breaks

dan. chloe can do basic DIY - put up a shelf, change a fuse - but fixing the oven is a bit beyond her. lucifer is useless; he doesn’t repair things at all, he throws them out and buys a new one. he does very much enjoy watching dan when he’s sweaty and a bit dirty and wearing a tool belt, though, so he hangs around and leers and makes unhelpful suggestive comments while dan is working.

who waters the plants/feeds their pet(s)

lucifer is banned from looking after anything that can’t speak for itself for the foreseeable ever. he’s allowed to watch trixie occasionally, because trixie can and will remind him to feed her/take her to school/etc, but he’s too selfish to watch something that isn’t at least semi-independent. if they had a pet dan would look after it for the most part, and chloe is the only one who has any plants - she keeps a couple succulents, including the one on her desk at the precinct that lucifer doused with scotch that one time.

who wakes up earlier

dan usually wakes up earliest; he goes to the gym to work out before heading to the precinct for 9. during the week, chloe wakes up next, because years of being a parent and doing the school run has made early mornings a habit, but at the weekends she’s happy to sleep in. lucifer is very much a night owl, and does not do early mornings. he doesn’t have to be at the precinct as early as the other two, since he’s a civilian consultant and not a detective, so he has a bit more leeway to stay in bed and doze. he does try very hard to get them to stay and cuddle with him though. sleepy lucifer is a snuggler.

who makes the bed

lucifer is the only one who really cares about bed tidiness. dan doesn’t bother making it at all. chloe will straighten the comforter if she’s not in too much of a rush, but lucifer fluffs pillows and does hospital corners on the sheets and is just generally fastidious and overly tidy.

who makes the coffee

lucifer. when he first started working with chloe, he realised he could offer to do a coffee run as an excuse to get out of doing paperwork. his memory’s on the scary side of eidetic, so he remembers all the hot beverage preferences for their entire department, and he’s loaded, so he always goes to the fancy, ridiculously overpriced coffee shop no one else can afford and usually comes back with donuts. eventually it just becomes a habit.

who burns breakfast

chloe is a decent cook as long as the dish is simple and doesn’t take long to make, but she’ll put something on to boil and then get distracted by whatever case she’s working on and completely forget about whatever’s on the stove until it boils over or the fire alarm goes off and she has to go rescue it. dan is a pretty good cook, but he doesn’t hold a candle to lucifer, so normally luci will make the dinner and chloe and dan will alternate washing up and putting things away. drying the dishes is trixie’s job.

how do they let each other know they’re leaving the house

dan shouts bye from the door once he’s got his jacket and shoes on; chloe usually shouts bye back and lucifer’s normal response is “don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” chloe gives cheek kisses before she leaves the house, and reminds whoever’s looking after trixie to do whatever they need to do for her that day (lucifer because he needs reminding, and dan out of habit even though he’s a perfectly capable caregiver). lucifer usually wants a hug before he goes out, mostly because having people who are willing to give him that kind of affection is still a big novelty and he’s living for it.

how do they greet each other when one of them gets home

dan and chloe have lived together before, for years, so usually they just come in, toss their keys on the side and call out “hey”. living with other people is still new to lucifer, though, so he gets very excited when someone comes home; it’s an opportunity to get kisses and cuddles. when it’s him coming home, usually he just bursts in already talking about something that happened to him while he was gone, sometimes mid-sentence.

who brings home little gifts like flowers/chocolates more often

lucifer is the classically romantic one. he’s always picking up takeout from dan’s favourite vietnamese place or bringing chloe lemon bars or surprising them with a candlelit dinner on the penthouse balcony. neither of them really expected him to be the romantic type, but it makes a lot more sense once they realise that most of his knowledge about human courting practices comes from movies and TV.

who picks the movie for movie night

if trixie is with them, she usually picks; otherwise, they take turns. this was implemented because chloe kept getting outnumbered - the boys both like action films like body bags and the weaponizer with plenty of nudity, explosions and unrealistic fight scenes. chloe’s not really a fan.

their favorite kind of movie to watch

chloe likes comedies and dan likes action films. lucifer’s favourites are also action films, but he usually picks a horror for movie night. not because he has a particular fondness for scary movies, but because chloe will end up pressed into his side and he loves that of all the strange, comfort-seeking behaviours humans have, she cuddles up with the devil. he’s used to people being terrified of him. being seen as a protector is new and thrilling.

who first suggests a pillow fort

technically it’s trixie, and she’s horrified that lucifer’s parents never taught him to make one. he hates missing out on shit so he brings it up on date night cause he wants to see what the big deal is.

who builds the pillow fort

dan is in charge of actually building the pillow fort, and chloe is in charge of furnishing it with plenty of blankets and cushions and soft cuddly things. lucifer lounges on the couch and “directs”, which is what he claims he did when the demons were building his palace in hell. once the chloe and dan have finished building the damn thing, they then fuck him in it, which is very pleasant if not the original intended purpose.

who tries to distract the other during the movie

10000% lucifer. he lasts all of five minutes before he’s trying to undress someone. it’s always risky taking him to the movies because he’ll inevitably want to make out/give head/get head in the back row. chloe is surprisingly easily corrupted and makes a game out of how long she can edge him for; if he makes it to the end of the movie, he gets a reward.

who falls asleep first

unexpectedly, it’s lucifer. he’s just spent six months (for dan and chloe)/thousands of years (by his count) in hell, with nobody to watch his back. he hasn’t had a good night’s sleep for a very, very long time; he’s been constantly watching his back, heading off rebellions and assassination attempts and game of thrones-level political bullshittery. with chloe and dan, he’s safe. he can get his head down and sleep knowing that at least one of the three of them will wake up if there’s danger. also between them they fuck him till he’s ready to pass out so yeah, he crashes first

who is big spoon/little spoon

dan is very much a big spoon, which suits the other two just fine. lucifer will be the big spoon for chloe, because he knows she likes cuddling into him, but he’s a little spoon at heart. he loves being held. he likes tucking his head under dan’s jaw and dozing off to dan’s fingertips stroking his back. chloe will also switch, because she loves how soft and affectionate lucifer is when she’s cuddling him, but she prefers being the little spoon.

#lucifer on fox #lucifer on netflix #lucifer morningstar #chloe decker #dan espinoza #casimania #i got douchifer in my deckerstar #i have SO MANY EMOTIONS about the ot3 #lucifer is incredibly soft #one human loving him was great; now he has two!#hes so lucky!#thank u for the ask fren #lucifer headcanons

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recentanimenews · 5 years ago

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Bookshelf Briefs 2/16/20

Black Clover, Vol. 19 | By Yuki Tabata | Viz Media – The nature of these volumes is they tend to be between 9-11 chapters no matter what, and while some thought is always given for an appropriate “cliffhanger” (and there’s a good one here), it does sometimes mean that the emotional beat can happen earlier than the author might like. That’s definitely the case here—this book is front-loaded as hell, with the absolute highlight being Noelle reuniting with her family, kicking ass, and her older brother apologizing for the constant abuse he hurled at her. It’s really fantastic. The rest of the book can’t help but feel like an anticlimax, though there is a nice bit at the end where Asta and company make a chaotic entrance to join in the fight. Which isn’t over yet, so next time? – Sean Gaffney

Horimiya, Vol. 13 | By Hero and Daisuke Hagiwara | Yen Press – This manga has too many cast members in it we have to remember, especially given that it only comes out now about once every six months or so. We see Iura dealing with his younger sister, who is having exam worries, and it’s meant to contrast to his “the guy nobody likes” persona at school, but I can’t really retain enough about what he was like for it to really impact. One good thing about this volume is that Hori is relatively behaved, so there’s a lot less of the “wacky” consent issues we saw in prior volumes. When she acts relatively normal, she and Miyamura remind you why we loved this manga in the first place. That said, it really does not appear to be headed towards any specific conclusion. How long will it go on? – Sean Gaffney

Levius/est, Vol. 1 | By Haruhisa Nakata | Viz Media – I probably should have read the Levius omnibus before picking up Levius/est. As far as I can tell, the first volume is mostly a recap of the original series told at an astonishingly breakneck speed. (Levius ended prematurely when Ikki ceased publication; Nakahata essentially had to restart the series in a new magazine, Ultra Jump.) It’s admittedly impressive how much ground Nakata manages to cover in such a short span, but I’m hoping that Levius/est finds a more sustainable and enjoyable pace soon. I want to see the mixed martial arts matches between cyborgs that will either save or destroy the world. I want a chance to actually get to know the characters beyond a surface-level lightning overview of their tragic backstories. I want the worldbuilding to not need to rely on heavy-handed exposition. Right now, Levius/est‘s greatest strength is Nakata’s stylish artwork, but something more would be welcomed. – Ash Brown

Magus of the Library, Vol. 2 | By Mitsu Izumi | Kodansha Comics – Having enjoyed the first volume of Magus of the Library, I was looking forward to the second, even if the series is not always the most subtle of works narratively speaking. But I can’t help but love the underlying message of libraries (reading in generally, really) as a method of gaining knowledge, expanding one’s horizons, and developing empathy for others. At the same time, the work acknowledges the potential harm the written word can cause depending on its use. As a librarian, I can especially appreciate Izumi incorporating real-world social, economic, and political concerns surrounding libraries (fairly accurately, actually, although with simplification) into the fantasy setting of Magus of the Library. Other related areas the second volume of the series specifically addresses include bookselling and bookbinding. The volume also serves as something like a travelogue and introduces new characters destined, I’m sure, to become Theo’s cohorts in training at the Central Library. – Ash Brown

Murcielago, Vol. 13 | By Yoshimurakana | Yen Press – OK, the master swordsman arc did not finish off quite as fast as I’d hoped, but that’s fine, as it gives us a chance to see Kuroko in action some more (and still really struggling, which is cool), as well as Himiko’s dynamic entrance in her car, always a treat. After that’s resolved, we start a sequel arc, as Goldmarie’s body is not lying mouldering in the grave as it should be, but has gone missing. And now there’s a bunch of murders happening in and around the sewers, which gives the artist another chance to lovingly depict a lot of corpses and gore. Murcielago is never going to be children’s entertainment, but it’s a lot of fun provided ultraviolent lesbians are your bag. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia, Vol. 23 | By Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – So Izuku has multiple powers now. That said, he’s still having trouble learni8ng about them at all, so has to finish the fight quirkless. Honestly, Uraraka is the MVP of this battle, and there’s some nice ship tease with her and Izuku as my reward. After that, we switch over to the dark side of the cast—it even gets pointed out, with one chapter being called “My Villain Academia,” and a heavier focus on the League of Villains, who are falling on hard times at the moment. Things are not helped by a new, more corporate set of villains trying to get their foot in the door, and the volume ends with a confrontation. This has become one of the biggest Jump series, and it’s well deserved. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia, Vol. 23 | By Kohei Horikoshi | VIZ Media – There is so much going on in this volume. As the battle training with class B comes to a close, Midoriya learns that he will eventually inherit six additional quirks from past wielders of One for All and Shinso gets to use his power to save someone and earns admission into the hero course. Mina gets a couple of badass panels while Uraraka gets several (as well as a rare smile from Aizawa). I love how much Aizawa has taken Shinso under his wing as well as a glimpse and a reference to someone he and Mic knew when they were students, a boy called Shirakumo. We also meet the Meta Liberation Army, who are determined to take down the League of Villains. Todoroki and Bakugo get their provisional hero licenses and we learn a little of Shigaraki’s backstory. Phew! I love this series so much. – Michelle Smith

My Hero Academia: Smash!!, Vol. 3 | By Hirofumi Neda| Viz Media – Again, I like how this gag series is handled. It’s character-based exaggeration, but it also follows the main storyline for the most part, so it can use multiple modes of humor. It’s also not above pointing out its own flaws—when Momo is lacking confidence, Eraserhead tells her to spend a week living with Uraraka, and the latter is quick to point out that “my poverty being of service to you” is offensive. Of course, the series is also not above mocking her love of rich person’s food over and over again, so. We even get a good look at the league of villains here, and they’re just as goofy. This is still a lot of fun. – Sean Gaffney

The Quintessential Quintuplets, Vol. 7 | By Negi Haruba | Kodansha Comics – Somehow I missed reviewing the sixth volume of this series, and it’s a shame, as the seventh book is fantastic, possibly the highlight of the series in general. After spending about half of it leading up to the exams, and reminding us what’s at stake, we see the girls taking them one by one, each flashing back to their own issues and challenges—the biggest of which may be Yotsuba’s, as she reveals she’s the one who failed the makeup exam at their old school, and the others left with her in solidarity. The results are brought off perfectly, but Nino is saved for last, and she’s the one who gets the best part, right at the end. Still one of the best romantic comedy manga we’ve seen in some time. – Sean Gaffney

The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 2 | By Kousuke Oono | Viz Media – There’s not really much here in plot or characterization beyond the surface. But when the surface is this, you absolutely don’t care. Househusband is all about style, and in that the book succeeds dramatically. I liked that it featured his wife a bit more in the various chapters, and you can see why he loves her. Everyone keeps mistaking him for doing horrible yakuza deals, even when he’s pushing spices for birthday parties. That said, you really can’t blame them given he’s also pushing his yakuza thoughts into his everyday life, such as the yoga poses, which was absolutely hilarious. We also meet his wife’s family, and their desperate attempts at bonding, which they do after a fashion. This is a whole lot of fun. – Sean Gaffney

Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 22 | By Mizuho Kusanagi | VIZ Media – This volume begins with the aftermath of the adventure in Sei, with Lady Riri dealing with the gratitude of her people, which she doesn’t feel she’s earned; Hak reflecting on adolescent memories of Su-Won, whose ability to see the world impartially means he has no special attachment to anyone; and the Four Dragons working to get back a hairpin for Yona that Su-Won gave her. Then we’re off to another adventure in a foreign land. One of the princesses of Xing is sure they’re Kohka’s next target for expansion and proposes war while her younger sister proposes preemptive surrender in order to save lives. Would-be assassins raid the latter’s compound, where there are a couple of badass fighters and lots of kitties. It’s very much a transitional volume, but still quite good. I’m always bummed whenever I run out of Yona to read. = Michelle Smith

By: Ash Brown

#Anime #News #Manga Bookshelf

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nellie-elizabeth · 5 years ago

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The Handmaid's Tale: Mary and Martha (3x02)

Yep. Still amazing.

Cons:

I really can't think of anything to complain about. I guess I oddly missed checking in with the Waterfords this week, but I'm sure we'll see them again soon enough.

Pros:

Commander Lawrence is even more fascinating than he was previously, and now Mrs. Lawrence is intriguing me as well. I knew that Lawrence wasn't going to be a 100% nice guy. I could tell that he was twisted. I did think maybe he'd be a more active resistance member, but now I see that the dynamic is even more complicated than that. He's furious with June, and with his Marthas Cora and Beth, for drawing him in to this messy situation. But at the same time, there's really no fear here from the audience that he's suddenly going to turn June and the others over. He won't help, and yet by covering for them, he's doing so much more than any other Commander would dream of.

And Mrs. Lawrence - she's shaky and sickly and something seems to be wrong with her, but at the same time, she has her own moments of resistance. For one thing, she's part of the bald-faced lie that June and the Lawrences are undergoing the ceremony. She clearly doesn't want to do it, and neither does Commander Lawrence, and neither does June, but just the fact that they're not trying to get June knocked up is a bonding force between the three of them, a secret that they must keep to protect themselves, and consequently, each other. Then there's the moment when the house is being searched, and questions are being asked about the rebellious Martha who is currently bleeding out in the Lawrence's basement, and Mrs. Lawrence, surprisingly, is the one to step in and distract the men to help out in concealing the truth. This is obviously in her own best interest, because it would be hard to explain why the dying woman was there... but at the same time, she could have turned on June and the Marthas, and she didn't. I'll be keeping an eye on her.

I love this version of June, with no more shits to give. As she told Nick in episode one, she's perfectly aware that she's going to die in Gilead. She really doesn't have hope of escape anymore. She doesn't know how to escape with Hannah, and she refuses to leave without her, so... honestly, what more could she lose at this point? I noted before that this season seems to be focusing more on resistance, and we're seeing that even more now. June joins in with the network of Marthas. She disguises herself as one and helps a woman to escape. But not to Canada, as June believes - this woman is supposed to be going deeper in to the resistance to help make bombs. That's some heavy stuff. In this episode, June watches a woman die and then drags her corpse out to the garden to bury. She has been through a lot, and it has hardened her. You're never sure what you're capable of until you have to do it.

I loved the comedy mixed with world-building that came from June's exchanges with her new walking companion. This woman is totally indoctrinated, it appears. She's 100% on Gilead's side. This is obviously disgusting to June. I loved the moment at the end where they discuss another Handmaid who died in a traffic accident. June remarks that one day her walking companion snapped and pushed her in front of a bus. So funny. As is often the case with this show, though, there's always a bit more going on than first meets the eye. I think it's so important that we as an audience remember that this woman, who is supporting her oppressors, is still oppressed. Falling into line with Gilead could be a survival tactic. Maybe she doesn't really believe what she's saying. Or maybe she's been brainwashed. Either way, she's still a victim of this system.

Aunt Lydia. Oh boy. I was excited to see her, in a sick way. I loved the way her interaction went with June. June seems to be on this kick of offering genuine sympathy to everyone around her, including Serena and Aunt Lydia, but it's important to note that while she's kind to Aunt Lydia, she doesn't really bother with being overly subservient. Aunt Lydia is clearly a proud woman, who doesn't like June to see her weakness. When June tries to help her up the stairs, she gets a cattle prod for her trouble. Prior to that moment, Aunt Lydia was being polite. I was actually surprised by how nice she was being to June. And then - bam. It's good to be reminded how quickly people flip the switch. We see it here with Lydia, but there are also moments with Commander Lawrence that show the same tendency.

Meanwhile in Canada, it appears that Luke isn't bonding with baby Nichole. It's understandable, really. That's his wife's child with another man, and his wife is stuck in a situation where she's being tortured, and his daughter is still lost to him. Bless Moira for picking up the slack and helping out. I really like the dynamic here, because we've seen from the flashbacks in earlier seasons that Moira and Luke were never the best of friends. They were connected only through June. And now, they're family. And family don't always like each other, but they do love each other. I loved the moment when Luke finally held Nichole and told the baby that she looked like her mother. That was enormously sweet.

Emily is understandably having some issues adjusting to her new freedom in Canada. This show has a great knack for making ordinary things feel uncanny and off-putting. Emily being told she has high cholesterol at her doctor's appointment was just so mundane. It's a concerning yet pretty common health concern. It's such a great contrast to everything Emily has been through up to this point. The dinner scene with Luke and Moira was great - I like how Moira understands the complexities of what both Luke and Emily are feeling, and is able to make allowances for it, all while putting Emily's comfort and safety first. And then Emily calls her wife. God, that scene was so touching. Sylvia stops her car in the middle of the road to talk to her on the phone. Again, mixing the mundane in with the extraordinary. Emily just... had Sylvia's number. Was it the same number she'd had years ago? Why wouldn't it be? I love that.

Onward to the third episode! This show is just as intense and enjoyable as ever before.

9/10

#review #the handmaids tale #the handmaids tale review #handmaids tale #handmaids tale review #handmaid's tale #the handmaid's tale

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sparda3g · 6 years ago

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Gintama Chapter 699 Review

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After 10,000 years, this series is free. It’s time to conquer Earth! But seriously, it felt like it has been years since we last have a new Gintama chapter. The last one wasn’t truly the final chapter, but only final to be released in Weekly Shounen Jump. Today, Sorachi is on a mission to finish the series for good with a proper sendoff. What way to make a comeback than delivering a chapter that define Gintama perfectly; hysterical parody, emotional driven characters, and action-packed ride with a gut-wrenching cliffhanger.

By the time you see the color spread, you’ll know we’re off with a great start with Silver Ball Z. It’s remarkable how accurate Sorachi captured the visual work of Toriyama. From the character’s angle to design, it’s well deserved achievement to capture the sensation. Kondo didn’t need alteration though; he’s already a gorilla, so only the style has changed. To make the parody even better, the good portion of the beginning is a recap done in Dragon Ball style.

This is one of the best “previously on” segment that I have ever seen. It’s quite brilliant to take advantage of switching from one magazine to another and start off with a recap to remind the fans what happened while have a good laugh. It’s not only the artstyle that has changed, but even the narration reflects the same way how Dragon Ball has done in the past. All it was missing was the soundtrack. It is gold, or silver, however you want to call this moment. I laughed so hard at Katsura designed as Yamucha, and Takasugi designed as Vegeta. Strangely enough, it captured their character too well. Before the chapter truly begins, Katsura strikes Gintoki with Wolf Fang Fist.

The comedy doesn’t focus only on Dragon Ball parody, but also on Sorachi himself. Apparently, because of more time and switch to Jump Giga, Sorachi is now putting effort to his work with great quality of art, even if it does resort to Dragon Ball. Oddly enough, this seems to be low-key true to other Mangaka, but I digress. Hilarious that Katsura buries Yamucha by calling it a loser role. Rest in Peace, Yamucha. The best part is the ending of the parody. I seriously think Sorachi believes all of it.

Now that Gintama is in another magazine, Gintoki has nothing to worry about. No more worries about One Piece overshadowing him and no more worries about the rising suns that are Black Clover, My Hero Academia, and Haikyuu!!! to overshadow him. He can now overrun the world of Jump Giga, starting with Akira Toriyama’s power. So much so, he pulls the exact same ending shot from Dragon Ball. That is pure gold. Could you imagine if the series did end the same way? We’re going to need Gintama Super then. Takasugi brings the scene back to reality with Galick Gun. Oh how I missed this series.

He does have a point though. If there were silver balls, why bother planning this ambush in the first place? There wouldn’t be any need to sacrifice and nothing will be at stake. Well, thank goodness, it doesn’t exist. We can’t ruin the excitement now. Of course, what Sorachi does best is to segue to a more serious matter from a gag. It’s true with silver balls, life would be much easier on them, but Takasugi has no regrets. He’s thankful that they made it this far with their own hands; no tricks, no magic, just pure talent. All thanks to Shouyo. This is the type of writing I missed from this series. From there on, it’s all action-packed with many things to offer.

I assume with all the time Sorachi has with Jump Giga, he has enough energy to add plenty of details and sequences to the action scenes without wasting so much spaces. Unlike Boruto, it uses the panels wisely for tension and suspense. It’s why the action starts with a bang, literally and figuratively. It’s the Disciples against the cult followers. That panel with all three kicking asses while feeling the excitement is great. Thankfully, it’s not all of the story that was being told here.

Although they reached to the Altana Terminal, the ship that crashed is absorbing the altana. That means Shouyo’s body is absorbing it and soon, Tendoshu will gain a new way for their immortality plan. This does raise the tension higher, now that we establish that they’re on a ticking time bomb. They have to rush all the way up there and when you look at the scene, it’s incredibly difficult. It’s baffling how much people truly desired for immortality this badly. That’s where we receive a really heartfelt moment during the heated action.

While the action goes on as it becomes intense, Katsura begins a heartfelt speech that is shared with others that ties in the morale of immortality and cherish the life you’re given. Even if they were to die, he will have no regrets. It’s hard to say if their reunion was joy or sorrow, but it’s certain if one outlives another, it would be impossible to find another person like them. They have ups and downs, trying to kill each other. Despite all of the troubles, their bonds can’t be severed. It’s the bond that’s worth limiting to. Honestly, I can’t do it justice without the mention of its sequences.

The reason why this was so heartfelt isn’t just because we know their friendship is truly one of the kind or how well-written the dialogue is. It’s the action set piece that drives the emotion home with great sincerity. Not only it was entertaining, but you can grasp the words’ meaning at its best, leaving you feeling really good and emotional. It has great effective use of the flashback panels and the focus view to leave a strong impact. Like how Takasugi holds Gintoki’s hand to show the comradery, the unbroken friendship. It’s so damn good to see this series back again.

Gintoki can relate to the followers on one thing: not wanting to die. He can understand their wishes because he too wants to live long and enjoy the sensation with his friends. The others have their own wish to meet Shouyo. They want to vent out their frustration, but they may never know how much of a beating they will give until they feel satisfied. Not even eternity would do. Those panel shots with all of them enjoying are sublime. That’s how you do friendship. Those three are the best. The one major downside is the old friend of mine: darkness and it raised death flags.

Katsura spots a rocket launcher and push everyone back to dodge. Only he takes the damage from the impact, weakened enough to slow them down. They then gets trapped by both sides of their pathway, which seems like the end for them. While I didn’t think of that, I was a bit worried on what’s about to happen with Katsura injured. Anything goes and that’s what happens next. The explosions erupt from the wall, essentially saving the three from their certain doom. That’s where the other best part of the series comes in: the characters.

It was clear that it was too much for the three to handle all of the enemy alone, which is why it’s a great time to bring back all other characters to the fray. I like how Shinseigumi orders them to comply and if they don’t, then more power to them, because they would love to show their power. It’s not just them, it’s every character that has been around for a long time. It’s like witnessing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Gintama Edition; everyone is here! All it was missing was that theme song from Be Yorozuya Forever. Book it, anime staff!

What makes the scenario even better is how they are reflecting the long grueling journey after being ruled by Amanto for 20 years. They went through hell many times, but the result is paying off greatly. After the war, it made them stronger than ever. It’s no wonder earlier in the arc, it emphasized the growth of the Samurai. No more they will feel fear from them; it’s time to take Earth back. It’s a message that reads, “It’s been a long journey for your favorite characters, but they learn and grow, and when they show the result, the journey ends.” It’s already building for the closure that we have been waiting for.

You can’t do this justice without the beloved main characters. Just when Otae blocks the attack, which by the way is the same shot from the anime preview back in Jump Festa, the two come to save the day. Most importantly, after for so long, they can finally say, “Welcome to the country of Samurai.” The monthly release schedule really pays off for the quality panels like the one with Shinpachi and Kagura. So great to see them again. I got to remind myself how heroine is treated as well as a main character that doesn’t overshadow the protagonist. Yorozuya’s reunion is so close. I can almost taste it.

Characters aren’t great without amusing interactions. Matsudaira and Kondo are cooperating from sky and ground, like the good old time. Despite their political differences, mainly on the marriage, they are great friends. No matter what timeline they’re in, it will always be the Era of Samurai. Hijikata and Sougo work alongside with Shinpachi and Kagura, while she rubs in that Yorozuya is better than Shinseigumi as Sougo denies that claim. Some things never change, but that’s the way we like them.

There is an interesting development regarding with Utsuro. Tendoshu are in the process of gathering the Altana, but they are on the verge of losing their cult. The head leader however is fine with the way things are going. Shouyo’s body is slowly gaining a new heart. That will leave his disciples carrying a spare that wouldn’t destroy Tendoshu’s plan. Now the question comes in: why would the head leader needs to revive Shouyo completely? That’s where things get twisted.

If you have watched the preview from Jump Festa, there was a very strange scene with Utsuro mixed with Tendoshu’s body. It turns out that was true and not only true, but Utsuro has stolen their will. All this time, the plan isn’t for the sake of immortality, but instead, to revive Utsuro under his will. It makes sense considering that they consumed so much blood that they just so happen to control it like it belongs to them. The blood is like a virus, soon it will overpower you and a new mind will be inserted; case in point, Utsuro’s. In short, he has returned. This begs the question. Will Shouyo return as Utsuro with a new heart? It’s quite freaky to see three Utsuros in one setting.

The elevator scene is like a checkpoint for Gintoki and others to cool down and talk for a moment. Katsura does the talking while the other two stay quiet. It’s due to what Katsura said about their people and friends; everyone has grown stronger. They aren’t weak to ask them for a favor, rather fighting to help them. You can say they grew accustomed to be the one helping, not vice versa. Jumping ahead for a bit, Takasugi asks Gintoki for the heart; influenced by Katsura’s words, but not really all bright. They have enemies waiting for them, essentially, this scene become calm before storm.

Shinpachi and Kagura are assisted by Kyuubei and her clan, preventing reinforcements to barge through. It is the series’ way to have certain character to say their words or blessing, starting with her. She wishes to fool around a little longer with Gintoki and others like the good old days. She would be happy if they ruin her marriage interview. How charming.

In the midst of tensed action scene with Gintoki and others at the elevator lobby, Tsukuyo and others fight off the reinforcements to open path for Yorozuya. She gets shot through her leg. Damn. Luckily, Sacchan and Zenzou are there to back her up. Interesting though fitting for Sacchan to encourage Tsukuyo to not to die, unless she is with her lover. Strange use of context about the crotch spot, but the meaning holds the significant value. She’s not planning to die; she will live to see Gintoki again. Sorachi sure knows how to please the pairing fans; I’ll take it. I like Zenzou’s words for him as well. If he doesn’t return, then say goodbye to Jump issues. That’s funny yet heartwarming.

It’s hard to review the segment with great justice with its transition between Gintoki and his friends. It’s worth mentioning because how the scenes greatly complements the segment about what Gintoki has lost and gain. Takasugi wants the heart because he wants him to enjoy the life he can still take back. While that is seriously nice of him, Gintoki’s response is even nicer. He is fine with the way things are, because he doesn’t need to take it back. He got everything there. That includes Takasugi; when they fought alongside, when they fought against each other. That’s Gintoki’s reason to be there; never to lose anything. God, I’m going to miss this series.

The ending is crazy, especially the cliffhanger. Just when we got a teary sentimental scene, shit hits the fan when the explosion erupted by the lobby door. Damn you, Michael Bay! The heart slips out and Katsura is the only guy that can grab it. I was struck when his hand almost reaches it, only to get stabbed by the staff. Damn, that looks bad. Hitsugi sends him down crashing. I don’t know where they landed, but if they are fine more or less, I sense a new battle.

The intensity doesn’t stop as Gintoki trying to hold on the rope, which is ripping his skin. Cringe. Takasugi has to make an opening for them to land, so he jumps towards the door and breaks it, badass style. Wow, that was close. That elevator breakout scene was so damn good. Another scene from Jump Festa happens with Takasugi holding his hand out for Gintoki to grab onto. A couple of panels are used for heartfelt friendship scene as well as tension. It’s all fine and well, until Takasugi’s hand weakens. Tendoshu stabbed him with a sword. That’s where the chapter ends. Dammit, Gorilla…

I know Takasugi is semi-immortal, but the fact is he’s running out of time. If anything, this lessen the time even further. For all we know, this could be his last extra life, so if he were to die again, that’s it. Not to mention, it’s Tendoshu or Utsuro behind him, so the battle will be tough for him, even if not killed. This chapter has set up a death flag for each disciple, one in which has the highest. That’s Takasugi. Will he die here? I honestly don’t know.

This chapter was long but that’s expected for a month worth of content. With that said this was a hell of a return. There was a hilarious parody that this series is known for. There were tons of great action with plenty of fun moments. Characters were stellar as usual with believable motivations and relationships. The art is very solid, worth taking a time off. The ending was jarring with a cliffhanger that can make a person skip a heartbeat. It’s Gintama. I don’t know how many chapter we have left, but I will savor this as long as I can. The next chapter can’t come any sooner.

#gintama #chapter 699 #review #spoilers

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stevenuniversallyreviews · 6 years ago

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Episode 88: The New Lars

“This looks weird, but don’t jump to conclusions.”

Island Adventure is my lowest-ranked episode of the series, but it’s not my least favorite. All in all, I actually enjoy watching it. The problem, as I explain in greater depth in the review, is that it conveys a horrible message about consent in teen relationships and lionizes Sadie for a bevy of abusive actions, ranging from emotional manipulation to physical assault. And that makes it worse to me than an episode that I just don’t like watching. This is a kid’s show, and it’s not great for a kid’s show to espouse harmful message to kids, particularly when consent is such an important issue in the real world and in Steven Universe.

The New Lars isn’t nearly as bad, but it’s important to compare the two upfront, because both of them rely on the same conceit: Lars is a jerk, so it’s okay when bad things happen to him. The tricky thing is that seeing jerks get their comeuppance is an essential trope in comedy, so it should be okay for bad things to happen to him, but this is the second time that “bad things” involve ignoring Lars’s consent in a way that isn’t inherently comedic. There are fantastical elements to both stories, but forcing someone to do things that they explicitly don’t want to do is a bit more harrowing than, say, getting squashed by a falling anvil. Both episodes are from Raven Molisee and Paul Villeco, two extremely talented animators that I usually love (they did Mirror Gem and Rose’s Scabbard for Pete’s sake), and I wish I could get into their heads just to figure out why they’re so into abusing Lars in a way that evokes actual abuse.

Fortunately, a lot of my problems with Island Adventure aren’t present in The New Lars. We get a crucial slippery slope element to Steven’s behavior that Sadie’s early-episode subterfuge doesn’t grant (we learn that she hid their only way off the island immediately after arriving). Yes, he’s prying a bit too much into Lars and Sadie’s relationship in the first scene, but as soon as he mind swaps he states his determination to “respect Lars’s body and his privacy.” His good nature is his undoing, as he’s unable to play it cruel with Lars’s terrified parents or play it cool with Buck and pals. And it makes sense after seeing positive reactions for following his gut that he takes it over the edge to try and meddle in Lars’s love life. It’s not right, but it makes sense.

(It requires a Steven from a different era of emotional immaturity as well, but this team also did Sadie’s Song so I’ll count their restraint here as a victory.)

((Bear in mind that they also did Warp Tour and The Return and Keeping It Together and Message Received in case y’all think I’m just gonna sit here and pretend Molisee’n’Villeco aren’t amazing.))

Most importantly, Steven apologizes for his actions. If Sadie had shown an ounce of real remorse in Island Adventure, all would be well. The issue isn’t characters behaving badly, because this show would be garbage if everybody was perfect. The issue is not acknowledging bad behavior, and even rewarding it while piling on the victim of it. This episode knows that Lars is the wronged party and that Steven did a bad thing, even if he had good intentions, and in doing so teaches a lesson about consent instead of showing abusive behavior and shrugging it off.

It’s notable that Steven never does anything like this again. Just three episodes later in Kiki’s Delivery Service he accidentally enters Kiki’s dreams and is flustered and apologetic right away despite doing nothing harmful. The best way to make lessons stick is for the characters themselves to learn them, and a big part of Season 3 is showing how Steven has been shaped by past episodes.

And it turns out, a story about how Lars is treated is exactly what I needed. Because after nearly ninety episodes of the series, this is the first time I’ve actually liked Lars as a character. For the whole episode. I’ve always felt something was missing from his generic meanness, but everything clicked when I realized that the self-awareness that fuels his awkwardness is only a small part of his problem: he’s too aware of his status as a side character to be happy.

When Mayor Dewey acknowledges that Beach City is a magnet for disaster in Political Power, it’s a great gag that reveals hidden depths about the character. Lars’s bitter “Every day in Beach City is weird, that’s why I hate it here” is similarly revelatory, but about a character we’ve seen much more of. Lars has been the brunt of weird suffocating plants, a weird mouth-burning prank, a weird island trip complete with weird invisible monster, a weird haunted lighthouse, and now a weird body hijacking. He’s also witnessed the ocean weirdly disappearing and Beach City under siege from a weird space eye and a weird space hand, alongside who knows what else. And the kid who’s always bugging him to hang out is himself weird. This weird kid just took over his body and everyone, including Lars’s own parents, took the kid’s side. Of course Lars sees magic through a sour lens.

It’s so much easier to empathize for someone as ornery as Lars when there’s a good reason behind it, and noticing just how lousy life can be when you’re a regular person in a world of magic is a great reason to be ornery. It’s an excellent contrast to his former friend and fellow frustrating character Ronaldo, and allows Lars to grow within the context of a magical show. I’m not saying Lars is only irate because of this situation, people can be jerks just because they’re jerks and he’s a jerk in mundane situations, but after so many episodes where he seems to learn something and then goes right back to being a jerk, it’s such a relief to get this kind of depth.

And seriously, thank goodness Matthew Moy is still capable of emotional range after spending so many episodes voicing a jerk. He shows it off a bit when Lars admits he’s depressed in Island Adventure (which would’ve been a better character moment if it went anywhere in that episode), but voicing Lars as Steven must have been a blast. Even as a kid, it always bugged me when mindswapped characters switched voice actors, because that’s not how voices physically work and I was a stickler of a kid. Moy shines as an exuberant, doofy, melodramatic invader in his character’s head, to the point where you can tell when Steven is being himself versus when he’s trying to impersonate Lars. That ain’t easy!

On top of this, Moy still shows his practiced mastery of Lars’s crabbiness spectrum. I like his withering asides about Steven interrupting his workday, even though I’m all about deducing the laziest animal (Koala all the way by the way, sleep>slowness on the lazy scale), and I love his reaction upon waking up, where his justifiable fury with Steven is ramped up further by his family and peers backing up the kid. As in Joking Victim, Moy shows off his flair for comedic screaming, which also ain’t easy.

What’s doubly nice is that Kate Micucci also gets a showcase of her growing character that isn’t Sadie’s Song. While we wisely avoid too much detail about the exact nature of their relationship (not just because this is a kid’s show, but because it’s none of our business) Sadie is done with Lars’s nonsense, and I love hearing such decisiveness from the Big Donut’s resident wallflower. This episode could have crashed and burned if not for Sadie’s fed up reaction to “Lars” declaring his love for her, and Micucci sells it perfectly while still making the most of Sadie’s shyness in asking Lars to hang out in the first place.

This is also a great episode for other townies. Onion gets a hilarious cameo, and the Barrigas give a sterling first impression as loving but beleaguered parents. But come on, we gotta talk about the Cool Kids. Right off the bat, we get definitive proof that they’re not big on Lars (especially Jenny). It’s not shocking that such a jerk would be unwelcome, but it speaks well of the group that they keep giving him chances, and that Buck is quick to think the best of Lars when given the opportunity. It’s well-established that these are good kids, considering how awesome they are with Steven, but The New Lars shows that they’re even better than we thought they were. And we get a zany off-screen dance competition subplot.

I’ll be honest, I was shocked by how much I liked this episode on rewatch. Season 3′s midsection contains a cluster of episodes that I’d literally never rewatched since they first aired, so I let a bad first impression shape my views a little too much. At that point in the show I was so done with Lars that I wasn’t willing to give him a chance, but knowing where his story is finally going made me reevaluate his behavior here. Because things do get sort of different for him now after numerous false starts. He’s still gonna be a jerk and make mistakes, but seeing what his friends and family think of him seems to jolt his system in a way Life Lessons With Steven couldn’t.

Knowing where a story is going isn’t enough, though; if it was, I’d like Sadie’s Song a lot more than I do, because I am all in on Sadie Killer and the Suspects. I think I was so against Steven’s actions in The New Lars that they loomed larger than the part where he and the show acknowledge that he was wrong. I rewatched this three times for my review, because I was all primed to dislike it again and want to give episodes like that a fair shot (which, yeah, meant I slogged through Sadie’s Song multiple times, you’re welcome), and the apology just makes everything better. I can focus more on the episode’s strengths, which are stronger than they first looked, and appreciate that this is a story about a kid making a mistake and learning from it. I wish Island Adventure had concluded with a similar realization, but I’m thrilled to see a show grow in its storytelling.

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

Again, this was a surprise. I don’t wanna overcorrect and put it in my Top Fifteen or anything, but man this is more solid than I remember. Goes to show how far hindsight and a solid apology can take a story. If you’re like me and didn’t like The New Lars back when we were lousy with new episodes in the Summer of Steven, give it another chance.

Top Fifteen

Steven and the Stevens

Hit the Diamond

Mirror Gem

Lion 3: Straight to Video

Alone Together

The Return

Jailbreak

The Answer

Sworn to the Sword

Rose’s Scabbard

Mr. Greg

Coach Steven

Giant Woman

Winter Forecast

When It Rains

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon

Bubble Buddies

Tiger Millionaire

Lion 2: The Movie

Rose’s Room

An Indirect Kiss

Ocean Gem

Space Race

Garnet’s Universe

Warp Tour

The Test

Future Vision

On the Run

Maximum Capacity

Marble Madness

Political Power

Full Disclosure

Joy Ride

Keeping It Together

We Need to Talk

Chille Tid

Cry for Help

Keystone Motel

Catch and Release

Back to the Barn

Steven’s Birthday

It Could’ve Been Great

Message Received

Log Date 7 15 2

Same Old World

The New Lars

Like ‘em

Gem Glow

Frybo

Arcade Mania

So Many Birthdays

Lars and the Cool Kids

Onion Trade

Steven the Sword Fighter

Beach Party

Monster Buddies

Keep Beach City Weird

Watermelon Steven

The Message

Open Book

Story for Steven

Shirt Club

Love Letters

Reformed

Rising Tides, Crashing Tides

Onion Friend

Historical Friction

Friend Ship

Nightmare Hospital

Too Far

Barn Mates

Steven Floats

Drop Beat Dad

Too Short to Ride

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack

Together Breakfast

Cat Fingers

Serious Steven

Steven’s Lion

Joking Victim

Secret Team

Say Uncle

Super Watermelon Island

Gem Drill

No Thanks!

5. Horror Club 4. Fusion Cuisine 3. House Guest 2. Sadie’s Song 1. Island Adventure

#the new lars #steven universe #su #steven universally #review

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aikainkauna · 6 years ago

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Fanfic trope meme

Apologies to those of you who see this for a third time, as I’ve crossposted it to both LJ and Pillowfort. Feel free to comment over on there (or my other posts) if you like. And of course, feel free to grab this one and do it yourself, if you like.

***

Grabbed this meme from a couple of people on LJ. It's... well, apparently about fanfic tropes. Some of them more terrifying than others.

I have written:

-Hurt/comfort (Yeah, baby! Most of my fic is this.)

-Body swapping (Sort of? Souls slipping into each other's bodies for a bit? Jaffar feeling what Yassamin feels? Sex swap, I've definitely done.)

-Soulmate identifying marks (tattoo, red thread of fate, etc) (I have! The Throne of Solomon. And maybe The Past Forgotten counts, in its way. I may have written more, but I forget.)

-Snowed-in cabin/isolated together for extended period of time (The Jaffar/Pwinzezz Cavefic!)

-Found families (I guess the Samarkand gang counts for poor old Fadl? Even if Jaffar *is* his brother, so technically it is his family. But he does have his religious congregation and Zainab, and is... well, he always does seem to be seeking something, so he's the kind of guy to go for this trope.)

-Fairy tale/mythology AU (And not just when I am writing in *actual* fairytale/mythology fandoms. Which I am doing most of the time, what with Thief of Bagdad being a 1001 Nights fanfic anyway. So I'm writing fanfic about a fanfic of some age-old RPF (fantasy AU!) about historical figures from the late 700s/early 800s...)

-Enemies to friends to lovers (Yes, please! Aplenty. I'm surprised that enemyslash/FoeYay/Hero(ine)/Villain(ess), whatever you want to call it, isn't mentioned on this list.)

-Characters swap roles AU (Uh... I've written sexual switching in some isolated chapters? Like when Laura briefly doms Torsten in The Fall of Angels, to help him get over some traumas?)

-Friends to lovers (With RPS, Veidtbone in particular, and Theta/Koschei. This also seems to happen whenever I write femslash.)

-Magical connection (telepathy, etc) (Doctor/Master basically ruined me for all my other ships what with their telepathic ability. So that now, it feels less interesting for me to write love/sex that *doesn't* have telepathy.)

-Fake dating/fake marriage accidentally turns into feelings (see next trope)

-Royals/political marriage turns into feelings (These last two are pretty much the same thing in ToB, as I've had Yassamin marry Jaffar a couple of times--like The Past Forgotten and The King's White Falcon, but without him laying a hand on her for up to a year, until she finally grows a brain and realises how loveworthy he is after all.)

-Seemingly unrequited pining (Emphasis on the "seemingly." Jaffar's unrequited pining is painful enough in the movie, so there's no point in making him suffer any more.)

-Accidentally fell in love with the mission target (Well, *kind of,* what with Torsten. Lars-Erik was definitely his mission target in the original film, and at the start of Because The World Belongs to the Devil, he made no bones about having wanted to kill Laura Erika [the teenage girl version of Lars-Erik in this AU, to those of you just joining in] when she was born.)

-They break up (but then they get back together) (With Jaffar/Fadl. Fadl's stormed off in a huff at least twice in the past. And Doctor/Master is always the same old on-off car crash, isn't it? Although this is not a favourite trope of mine, as the setup would usually necessitate them being an existing couple in the first place, and I tend to not write canon or "plausibly lovers" ships because they're already happily together. What do Two and Jamie, Holmes and Watson etc. need me for? They're already as good as married. Let them have their happiness.)

-Supernatural creature/human romance (Sort of. I've written Time Lords/humans, humans/djinn at least. And surely wizards count as supernatural romance, anyway?)

-Reincarnation/'25 Lives' AU (What's with the 25 lives? Is this some big fandom thing again? One of the darkest, most fucked-up fics I ever wrote was the Master killing the Doctor during sex and fucking him as he regenerated around him. As you do. And there's reincarnation in one of my Jaffar/Pwinzezz fics, but I won't spoil it for the new readers by telling you which one it is.)

-Selfcest (possibly due to time travel) (I am scratching my head trying to remember when I wrote this and in which fandom, but I have the distinct feeling I've written it. I've certainly whacked off to that World Of Simm!Masters clusterfuck what with the pink dress so many times I... I think I broke two clit buzzers during that time. I've certainly drawn it. And drawn some Connies on Connies. And then there's, of course, Sarosh the Sexbot who's a clone of Jaffar, looks-wise, but he is very distinctly just a robot, not a living character as such--not the sort with which you could have a real, interpersonal dynamic. My problem with selfcest, in general, is that I like having that character dynamic--and that requires the characters to be different from one another. If it's two characters that are too similar--if they fulfill a similar role in the canons--it's hard to create a dynamic between them and to make it interesting.)

-Polyamory (Swinging away ALL the bloody time with the Roses!Jaffar and Yassamin, and Torsten/Laura. Sometimes I miss the monogamous 'verses.)

-Amnesia (I've got a post-movie "Jaffar comes back from the dead" WIP I'll probs never finish, because it doesn't seem to get off the ground. If I wrote this trope, I would have the characters gradually regain memory, though; complete mind-wipes are horrid. I did have Handy lose the majority of his cognitive/motor/Timey skills in No More and that was the main reason I had to... well, I'm not going to spoil it if someone hasn't read it yet, but it wasn't the cheeriest of fics. The Past Forgotten *sort of* has this, but I don't want to spoil as to how that happens.)

***

I could write:

-Daemons (Why the archaic spelling? I have written djinn, so I almost put this in the 'have written' section. I can't remember if I actually *have* written real demons, because I might have. Surely, Torsten counts...)

-'Everyone is evil'/mirrorverse AU (Well, mostly, if I want to explore "evil" characters, I write about those types of characters in the first place, without having to turn anyone evil. Devilry is the 'verse for that. Hell, usually it's the other way around; I try to look for the human elements of the baddies, or at least explore their logic--what makes them tick, what makes them the way they are. So, IDK, I could've also put this in the "unlikely to ever write" section.)

-And they were roommates! (This would be terrible and also hilarious, whatever characters ended up becoming my victims. Even if I'm more interested in those hurt/comfort plots, overall. And I have always found it *impossible* to live under the same roof with other people because I need peace and quiet and solitude too much. So this is almost a bit too much like the sorts of negative RL experiences I don't really want to get more of in fic. But I *could* write it as a comedy for cheap lols, especially if the stress were resolved by hot bonking, ASAP.)

-'They all work in an office' AU (Otherwise, I would've put this in the "just no" category, but... the Barmakids were civil servants. So I *could* write Jaffar and Fadl drowning in paperwork--"WHY DID WE EVER introduce paper into THIS EMPIRE?!?" and cursing their fates and Jaffar restraining Fadl from braining Harun al-Rashid with a paperweight. Same with Lina doing Zainab's books and trying to hold back The Fist of Death when Fadl carelessly drops a piece of his lunch over her perfectly calligraphied accounting.)

-'Falling for a coworker/teammate is a bad idea' except this is fiction so it works out (Maybe. Just maybe. But it'd also be in a medieval ToB context.)

***

I will probably never write:

-'Groundhog Day'/karmic time loop (I just never got the appeal of this. Sounds like the sort of thing experimental writers would like? The sorts who really like filling in bingo cards and challenge lists?)

-Vampires/werewolves AU (I'm not that big on either. Super-unpopular opinion coming up: I prefer sex to the sublimation of it that vampires are often all about; bloodsucking in lieu of sex, and/or being seen as way better than sex just always feel to me like a cheap cop-out from writers who are disappointed in sex, or afraid of it. I've never grokked it any more than that stupid, stupid "chocolate is better than sex" quip from women who don't know what masturbation is--yes, it fucking well is sex, TYVM! I much prefer to make partnered sex better than it is IRL by adding supernatural stuff like telepathy to *that*. Immortality alone is interesting to explore, as are Gothic themes, but all the usual themes that vampires *specifically* usually represent just... either hold little interest for me, or then, I can explore them in other ways.)

-'Pride and Prejudice' AU (I don't hate Jane Austen, but it's not my fandom. That kind of society stuff and being witty over teacups in bonnets has never really been my thing--if anything, I usually have my characters exist in their own bubble, isolated from society and its restrictive mores and social stresses.)

***

JUST NO!

-Coffee house AU/food service AU (AUGH! Please, no coffeeshop AUs for me; the world is full of them already. Maybe I could write it as some terrible, short parody? Or doodle it? But no more than that.)

-Hogwarts AU (Haven't read HP. Young Adult isn't really my genre. I know, I know; I've just lost all my WLW cred.)

-High school/university AU (I've done Time Lord Academy-era stuff with Doctor/Master, but I expect this means a sort of American high school/university AU with jocks and cheerleaders and shit. Hell, no. Again, the exact sort of horrid society stuff I would rather have my characters escape from.)

-Adopting/raising a baby (Erm, not unless you count Jaffar/Yassamin adopting a cheetah? They do have kids in some 'verses but there's none of that everyday baby stuff that this question/trope probably implies. I'm squicked by babies, sorry.)

-Unusually specific occupation AU, like, the Author clearly has the same job (It worries me that this is, by virtue of its inclusion here, apparently seen as normal and acceptable..? When it's crap fanfic, inserting yourself into something that should be about the *established* characters instead. Jesus, I don't want to go in expecting a fanfic, and then find out it’s your diary instead! Unless you're Anaïs Nin. And even if you really *do* want to write about yourself, then just... write original fic? An autobiography? A blog? Write an OC that has your job. Don't do this false advertising where you insist it's fanfic when it's not. That's a dick move towards your readers.)

-Loyalty kink (see next trope)

-Alpha/beta/omega (Too creepy. I can write about piss, shit, incest, necrophilia and cannibalism, but not these last two. Any more than I can glorify the Nazis I've written about; I either take the piss out of them, as with Strasser, or just step outside of their politics and bring them into the land of happy sexings like with von Kolb, with the aim of dragging him out of that madness and leaving it behind.)

-Hot single parent(s) (Please. Rundvik: "You love children." Torsten: "I loooooathe themm.")

-Unrequited pining (Too much of an emotional squick. Has to be requited. I write fanfic to fix things, to avenge wrongs, to set things right. I don't write them to make the characters more miserable than they already are. Unless it's for temporary, character-development purposes, that is.)

#writing #meta #personal #meme #and no #idk what's up with the extra spaces in the formatting either

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mash-notes · 7 years ago

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Season 2 Episodes, Ranked

Here’s the list! As before, please feel free to dispute and cite your preferences! Something I noted doing this is that there are many “vignettes” shows in this season, all of them excellent. It’s hard to keep track of what happened in which show, but this is a testament to the high comedic density of the season. Out of 24 episodes, there is one that contains cringey moments. The 23 others, even those ranked low, are beautifully done.

24. Operation Noselift

Stuart Margolin returns to the show, this time as a creep plastic surgeon called in to operate on an enlisted man with a prosthetic nose smaller than Klinger’s. For the second time, he assaults Margaret and it’s played for laughs. Get it together, MASH.

23. Mail Call

A vignettes show: everyone receives various letters and shipments. The main drama is Pioneer Aviation, the made-up stock that the Swampmen convince Frank to buy. Radar switches his picture out for Hawk’s in a pen-pal letter and Margaret receives some seriously hot shoes.

22. For Want of a Boot

Based on the success of “The Longjohn Flap” in s1, a show about trading commodities and services in the camp. Hawk promises many things to many people in order to replace his broken boot—resulting in chaos at Frank’s birthday party when the deals all fall through.

21. Divided We Stand

The season premiere. A psychiatrist (Anthony Holland; NOT Sidney) is sent to observe the MASH and decide if they should be broken up and sent to other units. After a day there, the shrink becomes a degenerate himself.

20. Henry in Love

Henry’s new girlfriend Nancy Sue (Kathrine Baumann), who is half his age, captivates Henry and irritates everyone else. She ends her visit by tackling Hawkeye in his tent, prompting the lecture: “one of us loves Henry Blake, and I think it’s me!”

19. As You Were

A slow day turns busy. Hawk and Trap order gorilla suits in the mail and Frank arranges the condiment bottles so they’re perfectly aligned. Later, Frank’s hernia acts up and he’s prepped for surgery. +1 for Blake’s ineffective sex lecture with Figures A and B.

18. The Chosen People

Henry finds a cow in his office, initiating a stalemate with a group of Korean villagers who settle at the MASH. Meanwhile, Radar pretends to be the father of a Korean woman’s baby. A lot of great quips from the dynamo Captain Sam Pak (Pat Morita), and snide remarks from Frank.

17. Radar’s Report

Radar describes Hawk’s new intrigue with Erica, and, notably, Trapper’s anger when an enemy soldier attacks the OR and causes him to lose a patient. Notable also for the debut of Allan Arbus as Sidney Freedman (yaaaayyy!), and his landmark consultation with Klinger.

16. Kim

Trapper adopts a little boy thought to be an orphan, who has won the hearts of the whole company. When the kid walks into a minefield, they must work together to maneuver him out. Sappy, but undeniably cute—and, when the boy’s real mother is found, also a little sad.

15. L.I.P.

Hawkeye helps a G.I. marry a woman from the village to start their new family. This offends Hawk’s new girlfriend Regina (Corinne Camacho), and she is quickly put in her place. Serious and heartfelt; Regina’s shaming is very satisfying. The prank pulled on the mean lieutenant (Burt Young) to bring the marriage off is funny also.

14. Officers Only

This episode creates the MASH Officers’ Club, scene of many brawls, heart-to-hearts, and dances in the nine seasons to come. When the surgeons operate on General Mitchell’s son, he gives them the bar—Hawk insists that everyone, not just officers, be welcome there.

13. Dear Dad… Three

A letter-home show, this one is a favorite for its heavy involvement of Ginger, #1 Nurse We Wish We Saw More In The Series. We also see Henry’s goofy home movie, the first of many, in a sweet device that will recur for other characters.

12. The Trial of Henry Blake

This vignettes show is held together with Henry’s court-martial—and it doesn’t look good for him until the end. Gurney races, a regiment of wingtips, and the hang-gliding Klinger endear it to us. Also Henry and Radar giggling during the trial, an A+ moment.

11. Dr. Pierce and Mr. Hyde

Sleep-Deprived Hawkeye, away! His dedication makes him refuse to take a break, until his exhaustion makes him go off the rails even more than usual and question the war. Arguably the first of the “Alan Alda soapbox episodes,” a hallmark of the series, which are Hawk-centric and deeply moral.

10. For the Good of the Outfit

A brilliant, brave, political show in which Hawk and Trap raise an investigation against the Army for bombing a village. In the end Frank, resentful of the attention they’re getting and bucking for praise, causes the complaint to go through.

9. The Incubator

Another show about red tape: the doctors can’t get an incubator for the hospital without obscene amounts of bribery. The scene in Henry’s office where they discuss the pizza oven is iconic; Hawk and Trapper in their Class A’s is terrific.

8. Carry On, Hawkeye

Hawk is the only surgeon available when everyone else at the MASH has the flu… except for Margaret. This episode shows us the first glimmer of friendship between the captain and the major, an association that will grow incrementally and, by the end of the series, become something really beautiful.

7. A Smattering of Intelligence

In the season finale, two CIA men descend upon the MASH, flashily, ridiculously, and hilariously. Edward Winter brings the laughs as Colonel Flagg, hyper-serious enough to never be taken seriously. Nobody knows what to make of this situation; it perfectly embodies the show’s early approach to madcap comedy.

6. George

Yes, this was in the same season. A queer soldier is battered and persecuted; Hawkeye and Trapper cleverly thwart Frank’s plan to discharge him. For its thoughtful treatment of homosexuality on TV, this show was decades ahead of its time. I will never stop being in awe of it.

5. Hot Lips and Empty Arms

Who knew she had emotions, desires, and raging benders like a normal person? Just like that, in a watershed moment, Hot Lips turns into Margaret. Warm, feminist, and extremely funny—thanks to a staggering star performance by Loretta.

4. Crisis

Why can’t these turkeys bunk together every night? If every episode of MASH featured this amount of cuddling, I would be fine with that. Also, Henry standing wrapped in a blanket, a cigar sticking out of his mouth, is one of my favorite images of all time. ALSO also, Father Mulcahy’s “bag of peanuts” prayer works on every conceivable level.

3. Deal Me Out

A poker game is broken up—first by Frank’s CID-protocol problem, then by a hostage situation. More Sidney, more Sam Pak, a glimpse of Ed Winter, and a LOT of John Ritter in one of his first acting roles. This show is full of wonderful close-ups around the table as the boys gamble the “conference” away, and is a truly deserving fan fav.

2. Five O’Clock Charlie

Action, cosplay, aeronautic stunts, and a shower scene—what doesn’t this one have? It’s kind of the platonic ideal of a “funny” MASH episode, and nobody gets hurt except the Jeep. +1, as if it needed it, for the debut of Henry’s doll.

1. The Sniper

The bullets landing all over the camp—how did they do that? In this incredible show (which also features Teri Garr and Radar’s ass), a lone gunman terrorizes the MASH, sending them into an unprecedented emergency, until he’s finally shot and has to be treated by Hawk himself. It has competition, but this is undeniably the jewel in season 2’s fancy crown; a gorgeous blend of danger, fun, and the blurred morality of war.

#mash 4077 #m*a*s*h #mash #alan alda #mash season 2 #mclean stevenson #gary burghoff #loretta swit #jamie farr #allan arbus #stuart margolin #odessa cleveland #pat morita #john ritter #edward winter

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justanothercinemaniac · 7 years ago

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Epic Movie (Re)Watch #228 - Tower Heist

Spoilers Below

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: Yes.

Was it a movie I saw since August 22nd, 2009: Yes, #129.

Format: DVD

Disclaimer: As this is an analysis/recap/review/weird musings post about Tower Heist, I’m not really going to get into the claims against Brett Ratner or Casey Affleck. I will say though I think it’s horrible what they did and I hope they face consequences for their actions.

1) I very much like Christophe Beck’s score for this film. It really fits the heist theme. It’s cool, slick, and a gets stuck in your head quite nicely. Since we get to hear Beck’s score before we even see any visuals for the film, I thought I’d mention it here.

2) The chess scene between Josh and Shaw speaks to how the heart of their relationship is conflict ridden. Even when they’re friendly at the beginning, even when they’re civil, there is a conflict there that is very interesting.

3) Ben Stiller as Josh Kovacs.

Josh is a very strong main character. You understand that he’s not only good at his job but incredibly dedicated and focused as well. He cares, but the one thing he cares more about is people. Josh is shown to be very empathetic not only to his staff but to a number of residents in the tower. He gives Fitzhugh extra time to leave, he chases down Shaw when he thinks he’s been kidnapped, and he knows all his staff like the back of his hand. Stiller’s reserved, human (albeit very Stiller-y) performance supports this and makes Josh a nice guy to follow along through the story.

4) Going behind the scenes of the Tower at the beginning gives you a sense of not only how this place is run but also gets you invested in its employees. They’re developed in small ways to be more than stereotypes, to be people you like and care for. This is important, as the fact that they are the ones who get screwed is the main plot.

5) Michael Peña as Enrique Dev’Reaux.

Peña is in competition as the film’s ultimate scene stealer (in competition with Gabourey Sidibe). Not only does he fit will the rest of the ensemble cast, but he’s remarkably funny on his own. Peña plays the role as sweet and endearing when he could have easily come off as annoying. But there’s a sincerity and uniqueness in the performance which makes it interesting.

6) This line always stuck with me, probably because of the film’s themes.

Josh: “You’re committing a crime.”

Fitzhugh: “I understand that.”

7) Alan Alda as Arthur Shaw.

You can definitely see why people would defend, trust, and believe show in the beginning of the film. He’s friendly and polite, but it’s obviously a facade. Alda is able to switch between Shaw’s “friendliness” and his rottenness very well, making it feel like a united character instead of two foreign elements. He’s wonderfully skeezy.

8) Téa Leoni as Agent Denham.

The writing for Claire Denham doesn’t make her more than a plot device Josh likes, I think. BUT Leoni is able to breathe such personality and life into the character that you almost forget how she is on the page. There is one scene in particular which represents this well: Denham feels actually human when she gets drunk at a bar with Josh, but she’s still the sexy drunk girl trope. So it’s a mixed bag: Leoni’s strong performance but weak writing. At least Brett Ratner didn’t dress her up in stupid “sexy” costumes.

9) TW: Suicide

Lester’s suicide attempt isn’t only powerful from a storytelling standpoint, but edited very well. Particularly, the scene ends perfectly. You don’t know if he was successful or not right away, it’s 50/50.

10) I love this line.

Lester: “Truth is, people can open their own doors.”

11) Josh going off on Shaw.

It is so wonderfully cathartic to see Josh go after Shaw. It perfectly paints that Josh cares more about people than his job (something which was a little in doubt before now). It also perfectly sets up his motivations moving forward AND means there is no more question of if Shaw did it or not.

Josh [after Shaw says he cares about Lester after his suicide attempt]: “Then why haven’t you asked me if he’s alive or dead?”

I dig it.

12) The sadness we see among the staff shows how much Josh means to them and how good a boss he was.

13) Matthew Broderick as Mr. Fitzhugh.

Broderick has some of the most surprisingly memorable lines in the film, playing Fitzhugh as wonderfully timid and out of place. Broderick is hysterical in the part, supporting the cast neatly.

14) Eddie Murphy as Slide.

This is probably Murphy’s best film of the decade, but that isn’t really saying much. The part feels like a classic for him, very much in line with some of his 80s roles, and there’s a charm/appeal to that. I’ve said this about a number of other characters but he fits remarkably well with the ensemble cast, with a particularly strong chemistry with Stiller (who’s involvement lurred Murphy back to the part after years in development hell).

15) So some of these jokes you just know are not in good taste. And they’re not funny enough to make up for that. They’re not like Blazing Saddles which is bad taste but really good bad taste. Moments like the extended seizure joke just makes you uncomfortable. I think we have Brett Ratner to thank for that.

16) This film is at its best/funniest when the assembled crew is just doing shit. The tangent humor is ESPECIALLY strong. The next ten minutes (the mall scene through the heist prep) is almost exclusively this and features the best humor of the film. Some jokes (like the “gauntlet of lesbians” joke) can veer into bad taste territory, but largely they’re just funny.

17) Josh “apologizing” to Shaw really makes Shaw an even more despicable villain (the worse he is, the better). It also shows how Josh is able to work with people underestimating him to his advantage. Shaw doesn’t even blink when Josh says he’ll get, “Exactly what you deserve.”

18) Gabourey Sidibe as Odessa.

Sidibe is absolutely incredible in the part. There’s a chance her character might be a Jamaican stereotype, but she somehow steals scenes from comedy veteran EDDIE MURPHY. She’s hysterical, strong, and really interesting. If this movie had just been about Odessa, I would’ve been as interested if not more in the film.

19) So, why does Charlie get a promotion? He was at constant risk at being fired and terrible at his job. Is it because he’s a straight cis white dude? Actually, yeah. That’s probably it.

20) There’s a reason I watch this film around Thanksgiving: the entire heist takes place ON Thanksgiving! There aren’t enough Thanksgiving movies in the world so I DEFINITELY include this on the list.

21) The final act of the film, the reason the heist works as well it does is because everything that can go wrong DOES go wrong. Slide betrays them, the money isn’t there, Charlie is working at the tower, etc. It’s these constant monkey wrenches throw into the operation which makes it incredibly interesting.

22) This bugs the shit out of me, but when Slide is pointing his gun at Josh every time they cut back to Slide the painting behind him is in a different place. It bugs the hell out of me.

23) I LOVE that the Ferrari is where the money is. That it’s what they have to steal. It’s a nice surprise which completely changes the circumstances of the heist, forcing the characters to think on their feet. I love that.

24)

Slide: “I’m gonna call Ralph. [Throws up out the hanging car.]”

My brother and I saw this in theaters together. That joke had us dying the first time.

25) I will admit if you don’t find the final heist interesting you might not like the movie as much because it’s like the last half hour of the movie. So I can see how you might be bored by it. I’m not but I can understand if some might be.

26) I never got how the FBI knows EXACTLY who was in on the heist in less than a few hours, not to mention where they are os they can be picked up.

27) Hey, that’s talented character actor Zeljko Ivanek! Just randomly showing up! Sure, why not.

(That’s him. Not from this movie, but still.)

28) Josh giving himself up to save the others on his crew is a really nice ending for a number of ways. For one, it gets everyone the happy ending they deserve (except Shaw, who deserves what he gets). Also, it totally fits everything we know about Josh. Of course he doesn’t care about what happens to him. It’s about everyone else.

I like Tower Heist mainly because it’s a Thanksgiving movie and my mom really likes it, so it’s fun watching it with her. But beyond that it’s actually pretty funny. Yes, some of it is markedly insensitive (the seizure joke), but it’s supported by nice performances and solid comedy. There aren’t enough Thanksgiving movies in the world, so maybe Tower Heist is worth your time.

#Tower Heist #Eddie Murphy #Ben Stiller #Gabourey Sidibe #Michael Pena #Tea Leoni #Zeljko Ivanek #Matthew Broderick #Alan Alda #Epic Movie (Re)Watch #Movie #Film #GIF #Brett Ratner #Casey Affleck

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thenichibro · 7 years ago

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Fall 2017 Anime First Impressions

And so here I am again, three weeks late because I can never keep up. Fall 2017 thus far doesn’t seem too, too bad, but I’m sure that will change, considering the multiple original shows on my watching list. Luckily there’s plenty of cute girls doing cute things shows, which is all I need, really. As usual, here’s what I’m watching, with MAL links and original shows marked: Osake wa Fuufu (MAL) Starting off with a short show this time. Osake wa Fuufu follows a wife, Chisato, and her husband, Sora. Sora likes making drinks, and Chisato likes drinking. Match made in heaven, if you ask me. The show even includes drink recipes depending on the featured drink, and a food pairing with it. It's a three minute show about a cute, drunk wife. What's not to like?

URAHARA (MAL) Taking a sharp departure from the calmness of Osake wa Fuufu, URAHARA involves three fashion-loving Harajuku girls saving the planet from aliens. This show is Harajuku personified. Everything from the character design to the OP explodes with a bubbly, colorful atmosphere, wrapped up in a beautiful watercolor aesthetic. ORESAMA's fantastic brand of electropop is the exact cherry on top the art style needed. Rito is the skateboarding, soft-spoken girl with demon horns, Kotoko is the peppy blonde kemonomimi, and Mari is the twintailed idol who also owns the clothes shop the girls work at. After aliens sucking up cultural landmarks appear, an American girl wearing a talking fried shrimp shows up, gives them "physical manifestations of imagination," and they promptly transform into magical girls and fight the aliens, making them explode and turn into donuts. Sure, that made no sense at all, but everything's so colorful. Capped off by a similarly bubbly ED, this show is just outright fun. If it stays about three cute girls happily fighting fashion-stealing aliens, I'm in.

Dies Irae (MAL) Just as an FYI, Dies Irae aired an episode zero prequel, but I've waited until the formal episode one before doing any impressions, seeing as the prequel was a complete clusterfuck anyway. Now then, after the prequel involving Nazi supermen, Dies Irae's main series cuts to the future and the protagonist Ren, a solemn oft-hospitalized teen. Plenty of mysteries abound - a sudden murder, a strange vision at a museum, a runaway friend, a girl calling him Cagliostrio in a dream - interspersed throughout an otherwise thoroughly boring slice of life. Following that, the episode alos teases plenty of the insane bullshit the prequel was few of. In one line, one character drops 5 proper nouns we have had zero interaction with, with the off mention of one name from the prequel episode. Foreshadowing is fine; introducing three characters in the span of 15 seconds and then talking about 5+ more of them is a bit much. The art is nothing special, and the orchestral soundtrack is unique enough, but if the prequel was any indication, this show is going to get insane, really fast. And not insane like the fun, rollercoaster ride kind. More like the trying-too-hard, unnecesarily edgy, impossible to actually follow kind.

Net-juu no Susume (MAL) Ah, the MMO spin on the isekai genre. Net-juu follows Moriko, a NEET woman living alone who devotes her time to playing a guy (Hayashi) in an MMO. She meets with an amazingly cute girl, Lily (who later we see to be a guy IRL), and they start adventuring together. Cut to 70-odd levels of grinding, joining a guild, and an upgraded PC later, Moriko/Hayashi has settled in just fine. First off, Lily's VA is the fucking cutest, holy shit. My reactions about echoed Moriko's anytime she was being cute. Other than that, the first episode was surprisingly sincere. Relatively light on the "MY REAL LIFE IS ON THE INTERNET!!" in favor of Moriko just being more of an awkward, lazy video game nerd. Using video games to not have to deal with real life is nothing new, but the heart with which Hayashi/Lily meet and grow in just one episode impressed me. This could go either way, and I'm hoping it stays a interesting vignette on the trials and tribulations of the two lives Moriko lives.

[ORIG] Just Because! (MAL) Next up, Just Because sees Eita Izumi returning after four years to his locale's high-school, reuniting with people he lost touch with. The first episode sees a wonderful moment of return, as Eita practices with an old baseball friend, leading the practicing band to strike up into the chorus they played at games, seeminginly on their own. The trumpets flowing into the full orchestral matches the rising tone perfectly. Juxatposed with a Photography Club facing termination and a former class prez buried in obligations, a web of connections lies in wait, ready to reaccept Eita. The art is quite muted, and even with complaints about the hot weather, the sun is behind clouds and the cityscape is grey, as opposed to the beating sun we often see. Just Because's first episode, while not telling much, showed plenty, and indicated what the main issues would be and who would be involved, and that's exactly what a first episode should do. If an original work is showing that early on, maybe it has more direction than most - and that's a very good thing.

[ORIG] Two Car (MAL) Sidecar racing is something I haven't seen, for sure. The island of Miyakejima, with its uncontrolled speed limits, is home to famous sidecar racing, or "kneeler racing" competitions, and the show follows the endlessly arguing but amazingly similar local team of Yuri and Megami. A bouncy pop soundtrack plays over the high-speed racing, creating a light yet competitive tone that perfectly fits the colored visuals, featuring the same artist/production company as Masamune-kun no Revenge from a few seasons ago. Discord has cropped up between Yuri and Megumi due to their beloved coach leaving for greener courses and the feelings they had for him as he left. The cuts between the high-speed raising and the melancholic, reflective flashbacks does quite well in explaining their movements throughout the race - catching us up to speed, so to speak. The tone of the show comes across perfectly as the episode closes, backed up by the fantastic soundtrack and beautifully done OP and ED. You just feel this show is time spent on an island, split between relaxing and racing. It's wonderfully done. It remains to be seen if this show will echo others like Minami Kamakura and Bakuon and go really into the mechanical aspect of sidecar racing. However, this show is a surprisingly emotionally-based piece where emotions are expressed on the race course - and I'm interested in more.

[ORIG] Animegataris (MAL) Minoa is our orange-haired, ahoge-sporting protag, called out by the school princess Kamiigusa to talk about anime, of all things. Go figure. Coming off the trash that was Gamers last season, the blonde perfect girl actually being a huge nerd is already tiring. Minoa is looking for the name of an anime that moved her as a kid, and to do it suggests to get the anime club back in action, then promptly gets roped into leading it. Her endless optimism isn't original but it's always refreshing, and the use of anime to let Minoa see "more of Kamiigusa's faces" is a bit better than just having the red face of a normally "perfect" girl besmirched by the recognition she likes anime. Also there's a huge-headed cat and a somehow magical beret, which came out of the blue just a bit. We get a sneak peak of the future members, ranging across all archetypes and social cliques, and then the magical beret comes back and the cat now talks. Interested to see where the hell any of that goes, but if this stays more comedy and less Gamers romance-misunderstanding bullshit, I'll be satisfied. Also, both the OP and ED (especially the OP - GARNiDELiA is so good) are great. Some very strange plot choices, especially worrying in an original work, but if they pay off this will be enjoyable. Let's just hope they do.

Mahoutsukai no Yome (MAL) Backing off the slice of life, Mahoutsukai imagines a modern day world intertwined with fantasy - beastmen, magic, and the few humans who can see it - one of them being Chise Hatori, ostracized for her power until she is bought at an auction by a legendary mage, Elias, who aims to make her his apprentice. Chise is actually a "Sleigh Beggy," a rare being that attracts "faries and mysteries," whatever that will eventually entail. Mahoutsukai thus far gives off a kind of Uchouten Kazoku vibe as Chise moves into Elias' tranquil house. An ostensibly normal-looking environment inhabited by mystical beings, and a duality of calmness and turbulent themes below echo Uchouten's politics. The juxtaposition of the forcible buying of Chise versus the welcoming environment she is brought in creates an interesting dynamic that I'm interested in seeing played out. The animation is beautiful, and the small switches to a more chibi style aren't disruptive in the least. Aside from some confusion about the initial setup of the world, if this show becomes a magical slice-of-life with even a fraction of the heart of Uchouten, I'm in.

Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou (MAL) Two girls in old-school fatigues, cruising around a cold, apocalyptic, industrial wasteland. Sounds cool to me. Chito is the collected, tired foil to Yuuri's galavanting, charismatic self. The animation is a bit divergent, in that while the landscapes are detailed in their greyness, the art of the two girls echoes something like Hidamari in its style. While initially strange, it didn't become anything more than just "noticeable." The muscial backdrop is a flowing, airy tone that fits well with the girls having fun praticing shooting or walking around looking for supplies.The music and the attitudes of Chi and Yuu create an atmosphere to the point that doesn't feel like a depressing, sober look at war. Seeing it through the eyes of two children also puts the concepts of war and conflict in eerily simple terms, providing a new look at a concept done to death, so to speak. There's a strangely relaxed feel despite the landscape and color scheme. It remains to be seen if this will go the route of Made in Abyss, especially with an out of place scene at the end of the episode, but while MiA was fucking phenomenal, I could do with less bawling two seasons in a row. This is a strange one, but the simple story of Chi and Yuu trudging across the snowy landscape is appealing.

Konohana Kitan (MAL) Cute fox girls working at a traditional Japanese hot spring hotel? I'm in. Yuzu is the nervous newbie, Kiri is the charismatic head attendant, Natsume is spunky and atheletic, Satsuki is responsible to a fault, Ren is the doll-like one whose personality doesn't match her cute exterior, and there's the diminutive, quiet Sakura. The personalities of the girls are varied and interplay nicely, and I look forward to seeing how Yuzu fits in. Moreover, the art is fantastic. The character designs echo perfectly the individual personalities, and the landscapes of cherry blossoms are stunning. I personally love the traditional Japanese aesthetic the inn and surrounding town embody, and it obviously fits well with the fact that the girls are all kitsunes. Konohana seems to me like a slightly less energetic/comedic Urara Meirochou, which is a good thing. The aesthetic is great, the girls are cute - this is a show for healing, and I need it.

Blend-S (MAL) Maika, a perpetual job hunter with her naturally scary eyes, finds her home at a cafe where all the waitresses are archetypes, as the sadistic one. Blend-S is almost like a more overt version of the varied personalities in Working!, with all comedy and less romance. I quite like the juxtaposition of the girls' normal personalities when talking to each other and their work personalities (especially when the line blurs). While usually its a cute girl who's actually evil or something and used as boring shock value, being the point of the show pivots the concept into a new way I enjoy. Even moreso, Maika especially has plenty of quirks that bely her role as the "normal" main character. The art is clean and sharp, and the girls have great character designs - I really like the facial designs. The OP, by the VAs (which is always a plus), is fantastic both in design and music, and compliments the more relaxed ED (which is also by the VAs). Overall, this show is friendly and the girls are cute. Sounds good to me.

Boku no Kanojo ga Majimesugiru Sho-bitch na Ken (MAL) Adaptations with stock character protagonists and plenty of overt fanservice. Yay. I'm amazed this isn't from an LN, because it is exactly that kind of show. Shobitch begins with our MC Shinozaki confessing to Kosaka, which she accepts. Then she learns "how to be a good girlfriend," which far more often than not involves plenty of fanservice. Also, despite him having a girlfriend, there's a whole variety of other girls interested in him - the childhood friend and imouto get ticked off the list int he first six minutes. On the bright side, the art is great. Character designs aside from the protag are varied and well-drawn. Kosaka's earnestness with which she wants to be a good girlfriend is endearing in itself, but the 100% focus on sexual themes is just a bit tiring. Sort of like how Kuzu no Honkai went from seriously emotional to reducing any character motivation to "the only way I can be loved is physically." Regardless, you know exactly what you're getting into with a title like this show. There are some genuine emotional moments, but they are few and very far between. Otherwise, Shobitch is a well-drawn yet bland ecchi definitely-not-LN adaptation.

Inuyashiki (MAL) Last but not least, adding to the limited action slate I'm watching this season, we have Inuyashiki. Inuyashiki is, for lack of a better term, strange. It begins with nearly all CG, but then transitions to a mix of normal animation and CG for the rest of the episode. The first half of episode one is one of the most solemn, depressing sequences I've seen, and that's blown away by a whirlwind of aliens, body-swapping, and mechanical bodies. While the tonal shift is quite jarring, the change wasn't anything completely incomprehensible. The problem will be where this will go, now that Ichiro, our man with months to live, is now equipped with alien technology. I'm hoping that within the mix of action there will be a sense that Ichiro, now unshackled by sickness, can make concrete steps to make his life better. While the action shots were nice-looking, and the CG actually doesn't look half bad, with how emotionally powerful the first half of episode one is I want to see more of that as well. Either way, Inuyashiki has my attention, and I'm eager to see where Ichiro goes.

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bigyack-com · 5 years ago

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Vir Das Is Afraid of Not Having It

Vir Das is, in his own words, a small things guy. The 40-year-old, best known for his stand-up comedy, doesn't stress about stuff too much. His biggest concern? Getting home in time to walk his nine-year-old bulldog Watson, whom he hasn't seen much of because he's been travelling. Das namechecks pollution — “if I had to pick a big issue,” he adds — before returning to the small things. “I act, I do stand up, and I do music,” Das tells Gadgets 360 from Chennai. “And I've done a heavy amount of acting and I've done a heavy amount of stand-up, but I haven't made a lot of music. So I've been missing my band a little bit.” If you haven't heard of his music career, Das' band is called Alien Chutney, self-described as India's first comedy rock band. “Alien Chutney has always been one of those things that I think Vir saw as a holiday from the stand-up and acting,” the band's pianist Kaizad Gherda, who has known Das for 12 years, says. Within the other two, it's largely been stand-up recently. Das hasn't had a film role in over two years. That's in part due to his deal at Netflix, where he released his first hour-long stand-up comedy special — Abroad Understanding — in 2017. That led to a 36-country world tour in 2018, plus a second special — Losing It — in late 2018. “I consciously didn't because I fell back in love with stand-up,” Das notes. “You don't get to perform in Oslo and try and figure out what they find funny without some serious commitment to that process. And I just hadn't done that before. So, I took a year-and-a-half to really get good at stand-up.” But that's been slowly changing. In early 2019, Das was part of the short-lived ABC action comedy-drama series Whiskey Cavalier — it aired on Colors Infinity and can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video — which was cancelled after a season. In late 2019, Das acted in sketches for Jestination Unknown, an Amazon comedy travel reality series he also hosted. That's set to continue in 2020. In addition to two unnamed films, Das has a series called Hasmukh — he wouldn't reveal the platform attached — about a comedian who's a serial killer, which he has written, creative produced, and acted in. Das thinks it has elements of crime dramas Dexter and Fargo. It's currently in post-production, so expect to see that on your screens soon. “It's nice to do some Hindi stand-up, and it was nice to murder people every episode, I enjoyed that as well,” Das adds with a chuckle. “Hopefully, an avatar of me people will not expect.” Before that, Das can be seen alongside Preity Zinta in an episode of Fresh Off the Boat — it airs on Hotstar Saturday — the immigrant sitcom that's currently in its sixth and final season. On it, he plays someone “who has infectious enthusiasm and zero pragmatism. He's fully 900 percent into everything but has no clue how to do it whatsoever.” If it does well for its network ABC, it could end up being turned into a spin-off series. Das says it was “the luck of the Irish” how the Fresh Off the Boat role came together. In July last year, he was at the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal when he got a call. Das flew down to Los Angeles to meet with writer Rachna Fruchbom and executive producer Melvin Mar. 48 hours later as he landed in India, he was told he had the job.

Das and Zinta in Fresh Off the Boat Photo Credit: ABC And then there's the new stand-up special — his third, which makes him one of just six comics to hit that milestone on Netflix. Titled For India, it's out Republic Day — Sunday — on the streaming service globally. With it, Das also makes his directorial debut, co-directing alongside Ajay Bhuyan, whom he previously worked with on Jestination Unknown. “I really got into the theme of this special,” Das adds. “And the shot-taking and the breakdown and how visually a special — yes, it's a piece of stand-up comedy but it's also a piece of cinema. There is an artistry to how to shoot a special. I learnt on this special to not have the fancy stage or the fancy lights or the swag suit or the big set. There's basically no set in this special.” That's not an exaggeration. In For India, Das — in loose-fitting clothing and a pair of jootis — walks out of a blue door that's placed in the middle of nowhere and then takes his place on the three steps that follow. The only thing next to him is a kulhad. The audience, sitting on lit-up chairs, surround him in a semi-circle. “I really wanted this special to feel intimate, because you can't do a special about India without making Indians as much a part of this special as the artist,” Das says. “Usually the audience is dimly lit; we've deliberately brightly lit. So if a joke works, you can see them laughing at it, and if they're uncomfortable with a joke, you can see that too. You're watching the audience as much as you're watching the comedian.” That intimacy isn't a natural environment for Das, who admits he's never been a “conversationally confident” person through his life. But those inhibitions magically disappear on stage, he adds: “Ever since I was a kid, school grades, debating, dramatics, ‘What's the Good Word?', quizzes, poetry recitals, anything on the stage, I was up for it.” Das was born in 1979 Dehradun, a small town on the foothills of the Himalayas, some five hours north of India's capital New Delhi. Just a few months old, the Das family — including his elder sister, Trisha — moved to the bustling Nigerian port city of Lagos, where he spent most of his early childhood. But his parents wanted him to have an Indian education, so at age nine, he was sent off to a boarding school in the sleepy town of Kasuali, five hours west of his birthplace. After splitting his time between India and Africa throughout school, Das came down to Delhi — his family had also moved back in the interim — for college, opting to study political science. But halfway through his degree, he packed his bags and moved to Chicago on a scholarship. There, Das would have his first taste of stand-up, writing and performing a 90-minute show in the final year of drama school. Soon after, Das was on his way to a master's degree in theatre in Alabama. But life had other plans. Das returned to Delhi for five months before he started grad school. During that time, he got another lick at stand-up. Loving it and wanting to become a full-time comic, Das dropped out of university in three months. His upbringing has made him “the perpetual outsider”, Das notes, “and that's something that I've had to make peace with. I'm very Indian for American audiences and very Western for Indian audiences. I'm way too Bollywood for music festivals and I'm way too indie for Bollywood. But I do believe that not getting lost in either one of those bubbles is a very valuable thing. “It took me a while to figure out comedically that I couldn't write for a particular audience because I didn't come from a particular audience. I just kind of had to write for myself and pray to God that the audience came along.” Back in India in the early 2000s, Das did anything and everything that came his way. That included stand-up specials, hosting TV shows, doing improv, and being part of a larger comedy ensemble. During one of those specials, Das thought of pairing comedy and music. “The only reason that I play with Alien Chutney is because it stands out,” Gherda says. “Even though the song has the same joke or the same punchline, it always lands differently for different crowds. Vir may have to twist it and turn it for different cities when we tour India. It's not like we're trying to play it perfectly. We're trying to ensure that the joke always remains funny.” Around the same time, Das would make his way into Bollywood, which included a leading role in the black comedy thriller Delhi Belly. Alongside, Das wrote a play called History of India.

Kunaal Roy Kapur, Imran Khan, and Das in Delhi Belly Photo Credit: AKP/UTV In fact, that was the original title for the new special — now called For India — an insider told Gadgets 360, before it underwent an overhaul of sorts. It still retains the essence, which involves Das looking at “what it means to be Indian in today's world. A mix of nostalgia and social commentary and just little s--t from India that I thought was funny.” For an hour and 15 minutes, Das talks about everything from chyawanprash to Ram Mandir, making a big deal out of little things and making light of controversial topics. He channels that outsider perspective by working two crowds — one Indian and the other foreign — in the same room. Every time he lands on a very-Indian thing like chyawanprash, the lighting changes as Das addresses the Westerners to explain it in their words. What's more interesting, in terms of what Das discusses, is the how. By and large, every time he wants to arrive on a political joke, he approaches it via a cultural association, be it a film, a book, a drink, or Indian uncles. It's a clever bait-and-switch, though viewers will likely see it coming after the first few instances. Mowgli is linked to Amit Shah, and Indian uncles are tied to Babri Masjid. “Sometimes you're like, ‘I want to write a joke about Doordarshan's Jungle Book.' And then you arrive at a political joke somewhere just because that's kind of floating around in your subconscious,” Das explains. “I did want to write a show that brought all Indians to the table because I think that the show — sort of a celebration of India — would need it as well. But at the same time, you don't want to stay away from things that — I do have beliefs.” For India is also like a homecoming for Das, who hadn't shot a special in the country in two years. And it kicks off a self-proclaimed “interesting” year, he says: “2020 is a year I decided not to repeat myself. The movies that I'm doing are extremely different and challenging. I don't look or sound like myself. I have a new show that I'm touring the world with and it's an incredibly personal show. “I'm going to release a hip-hop album at the end of the year, which is something I'm excited about because I think I'm at rap, and I wanna see if I can try and take Alien Chutney in a new direction. We're getting into the studio in a week to lay down like seven tracks.” “I think he's pretty good at that, because we previously had done a song called ‘Government Man' in that style and he was a little nervous as to whether everything would land or not,” Gherda remarks. “But it became quite a catchy and popular song. I think it's given him confidence to do right in that zone now.” “I love playing big music festivals with my band. I don't get to do that enough,” Das adds later, asked what he misses the most about his early years. “And I really enjoyed the job at CNBC. Because I was just this kid who they let on the nine o'clock news bulletin to joke and I had nowhere near the intelligence or maturity of anybody in that office building. “But they still put me on air on prime time, so I used to enjoy just being a kid raised in the newsroom. That was interesting. Sometimes I miss being part of a topical comedy show, and I think that's something I might do later in my career is get back to the Jon Stewart, John Oliver kind of game.” In his fifteen-or-so-year career so far, Das has explored virtually every art form available to him. Gherda says he does “a billion things” and adds: “There were days when it was just us. And Vir used to answer a call, and Vir used to quote for us, and Vir used to organise a car, and Vir used to book our tickets and our hotel. He had the motivation to do this without the celebrity attached to him.” Is there something Das can't do? “If I know that I can't do it, I usually want to do it,” he replies, before adding with a laugh: “Even if I'm going to be terrible at it.” That fearlessness has made him one of India's highest-earning comedians. Das' biggest fear is “not having it. I never want to get to the point where I'm not nervous before the show. I never want to get to a point where I'm not nervous about some of the products that I'm putting out. I never want to have a first day at work on a new project where I'm not terrified, because I think those three are good signs about artistic evolution. “If you constantly feel like a newcomer, and you're probably not good enough to do it, chances are you'll work that much harder.” Read the full article

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bucketpage · 5 years ago

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With the BBC broadcasting its lies to every household in the UK including children, I see it as a more direct threat as the BBC are actively trying change and form the nation’s views in every programme from Attenborough’s climate lies right down to indoctrination on CBeebies. Deforestation and child abuse etc are important but have their own charities and activists like Greenpeace and Childline. I have a work colleague and friend who loves the BBC and says he cannot see any left wing , Brexit or climate bias at all. He could not see it as he is a Corbynite, a Remainer and a ‘no borders’ globalist who also hates his own flag , so everything he watches on the BBC he agrees with. What we are looking at with the BBC is the embodiment of the political divide in the nation and the BBC are heavily on one side. They are the side that champions the EU, mass migration, man made climate change, globalism, identity politics and cultural Marxism. By doing this the BBC, our state broadcaster, paid for by us is in breach of its remit and this insidious indoctrination needs to be highlighted and revealed to as many people as possible. Will the BBC live to see its hundredth birthday in 2022? As Director-General Tony Hall steps down, the corporation’s reputation for impartiality is in tatters. It faces huge compensation payments to women broadcasters after illegally underpaying them while foolishly overpaying the likes of Gary Lineker, who is not in the same league as his sublime predecessor Des Lynam. It has welshed on its deal for viewers over the age of 75, who actually watch the telly, as it desperately pursues young people who don’t. It must deal with a landslide Conservative government, which is likely to be in power until the BBC Charter comes up for renewal in 2027. Unfortunately, of its 22,401 staff, only one is believed to have voted for Boris – Brian, who works in Archives in Perivale, but he’s coming up for retirement.The BBC has a metropolitan, globalist point of view which prevents it from tuning into the national mood. In December, a YouGov poll found that less than half (44 per cent) of Britons trusted BBC journalists to tell the truth, a fall of seven percentage points since October. Most dangerously of all, it has a Prime Minister who wonders aloud why, with so many excellent subscription channels, the British people should go on paying a compulsory tax for a public-service broadcaster which doesn’t seem to much like the public or their views.Twenty years ago, when I was employed as a TV critic, there was very little criticism of the BBC. In fact, there was widespread affection for Auntie, and rightly so. Documentaries (of which there were plenty) were generally of a high standard, and drama series did not exist to ram a multicultural agenda down the audience’s throat. For instance, it was not mandatory for every police detective to have an ethnic-minority spouse regardless of how accurately that reflected the real world.The BBC of 2020 is obsessed with promoting what Lord Hall calls “our values”. The fact that those values so seldom coincide with the values of the majority of people who pay their wages seems to be a matter of supreme unconcern. The BBC is only able to show such disdain for its customers because they have paid their money before entering the shop.That complacency may well prove fatal. Now that they have a choice, customers are choosing to go into another store. (I am surprised how many friends say they now listen to LBC instead of Radio 4, but then I switched recently to ITN’s News at Ten.) The number of people giving up their TV licences has soared, with more than 860,000 licences cancelled in 2017-18 compared to 798,000 a year earlier. Admittedly, that’s a small proportion of the 25.8 million licences currently held, but it’s still 2,300 cancellations a day. Coverage of Brexit alone must have seen hundreds of thousands of viewers switch off. BBC bias was embarrassingly evident with panels of six people featuring only one Leaver, studio audiences packed with choleric Corbynists and editors drip-feeding viewers a daily diet of Project Fear.One morning, a Telegraph colleague found herself waiting in a BBC newsroom before she went into the studio where Anna Soubry was screeching one of her mad, Lucia de Lammermoor anti-Brexit arias. When Soubry finished, staff broke into applause, my astonished colleague reported. I wonder, do you think they will get Huw Edwards to wear a black tie on Brexit Day? Nothing would surprise us anymore.Nowadays, if I start watching a BBC period drama I am always braced for the ahistorical nonsense with which producers chastise the past for being insufficiently politically correct. (The kids say Doctor Who has become unwatchable, that sprightly intergalactic voyager now weighed down by the lentil-bake concerns of a vegan cafe in Tufnell Park.) I adore the defiantly truthful and gutsily Northern Happy Valley, but otherwise prefer sophisticated US and French dramas which don’t insult the viewer as BBC productions do with their childish diversity-by-numbers. There is certainly diversity in Spiral, my favourite French detective series, but it occurs perfectly naturally and no one gives a damn if the villains turn out to be immigrants. C’est la vie, eh?Will a new Director-General be able to restore public trust in the BBC? There’s a chance if they choose someone from outside the metropolitan bubble who wants to reflect the nation back to itself, not lecture it. Oh, and commissioning one comedy show that doesn’t use the word “Tory” as an expletive might be nice.My fear is that institutional smuggery runs too deep at Broadcasting House to admit that change is urgently needed. Old Tories like Wogan and Brucie are gone, and in their place are the Guardianistas who have just been roundly rejected by the country. If you look at an electoral map of Britain, amid a vast sea of Tory blue, there are a few small islets of Labour red. Those islets are where BBC staff live and from which they draw their ideas.Once, not that long ago, it would have been impossible to imagine a Britain without the BBC. It’s still hard. We have so much shared history, Auntie and I, all the way back to Andy Pandy (I cried every time they shut him and Teddy in that wicker basket). But the Beeb can no longer count on public affection in the way it used to. Viewers are irritated, angry even. Many would welcome the Government decriminalising the licence fee, which would be the beginning of the end. To justify demanding a TV tax from every household, you have to truly speak for the nation, not an elite corner of London. The new DG would do well to ponder what was said about Charles Dickens, our most successful and beloved national entertainer. “Dickens didn’t just give the people what they wanted. He wanted what the people wanted.”

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joyofcrime-elinorhigh · 6 years ago

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2016 Year in Review Part 1:

Hello there, everybody! My name is JoyofCrimeArt and welcome to the fourth and finale part of my month long "Deviant-cember" event! Hasn't 2016 been a great year, guys!...guys? Okay, okay, I know that the grand majority of you probably hate 2016 and are really looking forward to a brand new year to get a fresh start. Though I have noticed that it seems like every New Year's people talk about how much the previous year has sucked and how they can't wait for the next year cause things are totally going to be different next year guys! You'll see! You'll see! I kid, I kid. I know why people are upset about 2016, there have been a lot of celebrity deaths (though there seems to be a lot of celebrity deaths ever year, though there has been a lot more this year it seems.) There was a lot of political tension in the United States with quite possibly the most divisive presidential election in recent history. Not to mention racial struggles, natural disasters, shootings, ISIS attacks....Yeah. Though to be fair most of those things I just listen didn't just "start" this year. They where problems in 2015 too, and will probably continue into 2017. Getting mad at the year, an abstract concept, just feels...unproductive to me. It seem's like it's the wrong target to be directing all this anger at. Sometimes bad stuff just happens, and there's a good chance that by the end of 2017 we'll hate that year too. Because most of the bad stuff that happened in 2016...probably won't just go away come January 1st. That's why I'm here today. To distract you all from the harshness that was 2016 and focus on something a little more fun. Why focus on the dark and depressing world of "reality" when you can focus on things like cartoons! (That's how I stay so optimistic.) Because while the world outside was burning itself to f#&king hell the world of animation has been a roller coaster of ups and downs, and one that I think is worth going over today. Hopefully this review will bring somebody some much needed joy in a year that was so insane. That's why I present the first in a (hopefully) annual tradition on this page in, the "2016 Year in Animation REVIEW" Now let me explain what exactly this is, because I have never done anything like this before. I have compiled a list of a series of new series and different cartoon announcements, controversies, or news stories that I will discuss in a brief manner. (Or brief for me anyway.) The events will go in a rough chronological order, starting from January 2016 to December 2016. And I will discuss my thoughts and feeling on all the changes that has happened in the animation world this year. I will not be talking about animated films or anime, just series and network updates. I also will not be able to talk about every show/event that occurred in 2016 and will be focusing on the ones that I found the most relevant to me, personally. So if I miss something try not to get to upset. I can't watch anything. Also I am completely acknowledging that I am completly ripping off online anime reviewer Gigguk and his yearly anime reviews. I loved the concept and the way Gigguk would go about his yearly reviews, so I borrowing the format to talk about something that I'm passionate about. If you want to check out Gigguk here's a link, www.youtube.com/user/gigguk&nb… if you are really into anime, or maybe even if your not, you should consider checking him out. He's a bit raunchy but he also has a great balance of comedy and critical thinking in his reviews, and his reviews have been a big inspiration for me and my reviews so check it out. But enough pointless blather, it's time to get into things! It's time for my 2016 year in review! The year started out...with a bit of a rocky start to be perfectly honest with you. The first big piece of cartoon news I noticed in 2016 was with the inclusion of a new main character in "The Fairly Oddparents." with the added inclusion of Timmy's new neighbor Chloe Carmichael

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D56T-r3Dz28

(My God, at the time of this writing this video has over 39 THOUSAND dislikes to 4.4 thousand likes. Jesus Christ!) So I'm going to be honest here. I don't watch the Fairly Oddparents. I haven't watched this show regularly in years, so I haven't actually seen any of the episodes that Chloe is in. Normally I wouldn't talk about something like this except it was kinda a big deal at the beginning of the year in the cartoon community. People who had stopped caring about Fairly Oddparents suddenly cared again as they ran to watch the episodes so they can see how bad the show had gotten. It was kinda a resurgence in the fandom to be honest. It does amaze me that the show is still adding new characters, and not just new characters, but like cartoonish exaggerations of what shows with new characters have. Like adding a baby I get, that makes sense. And even Foop makes sense given the established lore of the show's universe. But never since Scrappy Doo have I seen a show add a talking dog to the main cast of characters unironically...until Fairy Oddparents. It's kinda incredible in a way. Now I don't know how bad Chloe is, and adding another kid that Timmy has to share his Fairy's with is a dumb idea...BUT if you where to put a gun to my head and tell me that I had to make a new Godkid for Timmy to share his fairies with...I probably would come up with someone like Chloe. In concept Chloe as a character should work. She's kind, smart, and completely unselfish. She's the opposite of Timmy and should make a good foil. Plus, from what little I've seen, she does seem to have a bit of a crazy side that should keep her from being boring. It at least sound better than Sparky who, from the way it sounds at least, is just another Cosmo. Though keep in mind all this comes from someone who hasn't actually watched the show, and from what I understand the execution is what most people have a problem with. I've seem people say that she's a Mary Sue character, and the reason she has fairies doesn't make sense. Maybe this is true, maybe it isn't. (Though it probably is.) But I guess I'm a bit more open to the idea than most. I was honestly surprised how many people got mad at this new development. Like I just don't understand why people got so upset. Like if this was any other show I would understand, but It's the Fairly Oddparents. The show has already jumped like ten sharks by now. At that point what's the harm in jumping one more. Like, what do they have to lose? What I'm actually annoyed at is the fact that Poof and Sparky have been written out of the show! No, written out is to generous. Written out implies they gave a reason why there gone. There just gone, without any mention of why there gone! Poof is confirmed to be in ONE episode later this season, and Sparky has been confirmed by her voice actress to be gone from the entire season. She says that it was a decision from the higher ups, which is really surreal when you think about it. The artist was the one saying "Nah man, we need a talking dog." and it was the higher up who where like "Wait, what! Why?" Maybe it has to do with Sparky's voice actress going through a sex change operation between seasons. Maybe she went through voice therapy or something, and maybe that effected the voice. But I don't even think that's a factor 1.) I have no evidence that Sparky's voice actress did go through voice therapy and 2.) Poof is also gone, even though he's IN THE THEME SONG! I don't get it. The could of hand waved something but no. It makes Cosmo and Wanda look pretty frickin' neglectful when they don't even mention there son. And I know what your probably thinking. "Who cares, isn't it a good thing that Poof and Sparky are gone. They sucked." And that all might be true, but you can't just retcon them out of existence! You're not DC Comics! Retconning them is the lazy way out. THEY MADE THESE STUPID CHARACTERS AND NOW THEY HAVE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEM! ...Okay, maybe I can kinda start to understand how so many people could get so upset about The Fairly Oddparents. But look on the bright side, next year the Fairly Oddparents will be switching over to flash! S...Some shows have Flash that looks good. I'm sure Fairly Oddparents will put in the effort to....Okay, screw it, next topic. Gravity Falls aired it's final episode after airing a three day long marathon in which Disney XD aired the entire season FOUR FRICKIN' TIMES! (Calm down Gravity Falls, your making Spongebob and Teen Titans Go jealous.) (WARNING: I'M GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT SPOILERS FOR GRAVITY FALLS! IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN GRAVITY FALLS TO THE END SCROLL PAST THIS PART AND CONTINUE READING ONCE YOU SEE BOLD AGAIN! THIS IS NOT A SHOW YOU WANT SPOILED!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_t-aOeiFa0

Anyway, Gravity Falls aired it's final hour long episode as Dipper, Mabel, Stan and Ford go up defeat Bill once in for all. This finale was definitely and interesting one to talk about because, in my opinion, it did have a lot of problems. Oh God! Hear me out! Hear me out! A lot of things about this special, especially in the first half I didn't like. I didn't like how Stan so reluctant to save Ford from Bill. I know that Ford and Stan didn't get along, and Stan was still mad at Ford because Ford didn't thank him for rescuing him the first time, but it felt out of character for Stan to be that selfish. The whole series makes a big point about Stan being willing to do anything for his family. He spent thirty years trying to save Ford even though there last encounter was a giant fight. It shows that he still cares about his brother well being even after all of there bad blood. He was willing to work thirty years to save Ford the first time and now that he knows Bill has captured him and could be torturing him or killing him or worse and he just doesn't care. And I get it, Ford wasn't thankful the first time so he's not going to go through all the work a second time, but this is Bill where talking about. Ford's LIFE is on the line and Stan is basically leaving his brother to die just because he didn't apologize to him, and that made him seem very unlikable an goes against his whole "protecting my family" motivation. I see what they where trying to do, but I just don't think they executed it that well. Also there were a couple of other problems that, while not as much of a big deal to me, were still problems. Like how they make a big deal about how they have to whip Stan's mind to kill Bill, but couldn't they just write "Bill" on the memory gun and just erase him, without whipping out Stan's entire mind? Also the twist that Stan and Ford can do perfect impressions of each other did kinda seem like an ass pull, especially when they could of easily set that up some time earlier but didn't. I feel these are real problems that hurt the episode.. ...but for the most part none of that matters. Because the episode gave us everything a Gravity Falls fan could want from a finale. It had an epic conclusion with the entire Pine's family working together to stop Bill and save the world. It wrapped up all the lose threads and plot points and gave every character there happy ending, in a way that just felt complete. Unlike some other shows that either end without proper finales or end with the story left open this one felt complete. Not that those types of ending are bad, those endings can be great, but it is nice to see a show that delivers on all of it's promises in such an epic way. I really cannot think of many cartoon finales that felt as HUGE as this one. Where it really felt like the world and possibly the entire universe would be doomed if our hero failed. other cartoons have had finale's like that, but rarely do you really feel the weight of that kind of threat. In this episode you did. It was a grand finale and a perfect end for such an amazing series... (Though seriously Bill knew all the people who where in the zodiac and he didn't kill like, one of them, just to be safe. That pretty stupid Bill) (OKAY NOW YOU CAN COME BACK, PEOPLE WHO SKIPPED ALL THAT!) After Gravity Falls ending there was a void that lots of cartoon fans needed to fill. Gravity Falls had ended and Steven Universe was on hiatus and people needed there "cartoons with an ongoing lore." fix to be quelled. But nothing quelled it. This lead to several months of people freaking the f#&k out over Steven Universe being on hiatus from January to May. Now I get that they hiatus sucked and it happened right in the middle of a story arc, but I feel like people where really over reacting to this. It was a four and a half month break between seasons. That's perfectly normal for most tv shows. Show's like Adventure Time and Regular Show have had hiatus comparable to that and nobody seemed to care, but here people were freaking out, saying how Cartoon Network didn't care about Steven Universe and stuff like that, which I just felt like was a bit over dramatic, personally. And afterwards at least you got a summer full of new episodes. Maybe I'm just use to long and random hiatus due to being a "Young Justice" fan. (Which for real once had a three month hiatus, than a two weeks of new episodes, followed by another three month hiatus! DANG!) Anyway after that we got the news that Craig McCracken's "Wander Over Yonder." was going to be cancelled. This coupled with Gravity Falls ending made things hard for Disney XD fans, leaving only "Star and the Forces of Evil" and "Pickle and Peanut-"...leaving only "Star and the Forces of Evil" for most adult cartoon fans to be excited about. I didn't watch much Wander Over Yonder, only seeing some season one episodes and none of season two. That being said from what I saw, and this might be a bit of a controversial opinion, I didn't like it that much. Which is weird because I love "Powerpuff Girls" and "Fosters" was, from what I remember, pretty good. I don't know, the show just didn't seem like anything that new. It was another show where a dumb oblivious character annoys a rival who hates them while the main character doesn't realize said rival hates them. I just felt like we've seen that before in shows like "Spongebob" and "Camp Lazlo." and the show didn't seem to add much new to the formula. I didn't find the characters that interesting and even there space setting didn't seem that interesting. Maybe a lot of this improves in the episodes I haven't seen, but even though I didn't like the show I was still kinda sad to see it go. Even if it's a show I don't like I'm never glad a show ends, because I know it means a lot of people are out of a job and lots of fans are upset. So keep that in mind when I talk about cancelled showed. And speaking of cancelled shows it was also announced that Uncle Grandpa would be getting the ax sometime next year. Uncle Grandpa seems to be a somewhat divisive show, but I will say that I think the show is fine. Not great, but fine. Uncle Grandpa was always a unique creation, and I admired it for it's out there qualities. (And for helping create one of the best Steven Universe episodes ever! That's right, I said it!) The show was fun and wacky, and the comedy and characters were passable. It's no piece of fine art, but I don't think the show was trying to be. There was a lot of creativity in this show, and it always felt like the people behind it were always trying there best to make something good, even if it didn't always pan out. It is a shame to see it go, but not a grand shame. It got five seasons, and that's probably enough if where being honest. Plus with Cartoon Network having so many shows running it's probably a good thing to see some ending, making room for some fresh blood. Just as long as they don't cancel to many of there shows this year...he he he.... And speaking of fresh blood Cartoon Network premiered a new show this year. He he he....Okay, let's just do this again, and talk about the 2016 reboot of The Powerpuff Girls. May God help our souls!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbvC9Xtpm_8

Since I've already talked about this show before, I'm going to try to make this brief. (Ha! That's the funniest joke in the whole frickin' review!) What is there to say about this show that I haven't said already in my 6,836 word long three part review of the show. (Oh my God what is wrong with me?) Well, there is some stuff. As my opinion on the show has changed a bit since then and at the time of writing that review I had only seen twelve episodes, and now thirty nine are out. (Though I have not seen ALL of the episodes.) So let's briefly go into this. Once more, with feeling. Is rebooting The Powerpuff Girls a bad idea? Many say yes, I say no. I think that if we have to make a reboot out of any Cartoon Network show right now, I think Powerpuff Girls would be the best option. We know that superhero shows in particular are very easily reboot-able, and there are many different directions you can go with it. Just look at any Batman show if you want proof of that. Also unlike Ben 10, I think the Powerpuff Girls is old enough to warrant a reboot, as the show ended in a whole eleven years before this reboot came out. In concept I think there is a lot of cool things you can do to change the Powerpuff Girls and make it unique. I mean the Powerpuff Girls Z did it, and while I haven't seen that show, it does show that there are different directions you can take this franchise. Because, this isn't even the first time the series has been rebooted! I was excited about this show coming out prior to it's release. I think I was the only on who was optimistic about it. And how did the show do when it actually came out? Well...that's kinda the problem. The show is pretty mediocre. I do think I was a little to easy on the show when I first reviewed it, but a lot of what I said back then still stands. I think that the problems I have with the show are different from the problem most people have with the show. The main problem with the show is that it just seems kinda bland. It doesn't seem to have it's own identity. In a lot of way it seems like it's trying to be like the old show, by keeping the old character designs and most of the old voice actors, and not really explaining who most of the characters are. The show expects you to know the source material going in. Some episodes like "Bye Bye Bellum" don't make ANY sense unless you've seen the old show. So the reboot must be aimed at the older fans right? Well I don't really think that's true either because a lot of stuff that made older fans like the original Powerpuff Girls are gone. The humor doesn't really match the first show, and the action is for the most part gone. In terms of crime fighting we've still haven't had an episode with Sedusa, The Gang Green Gang, or Fuzzy Lumpkins as main villains yet and we're pretty close to being done with our first season. It seems like the show was trying to appeal to everyone and, judging by the ratings and online response, didn't end up hitting anyone. It seemed like they were kinda trying to be like the original, while also trying to be kinda like a less controversial Teen Titans Go! (focusing more on humor then the crime fighting.) While sprinkling in a little Steven Universe with some of it's more feminist qualities and it really just felt like there where to many cooks in the kitchen. That being said there are some things I do like about the show. I like how they tried to focus on the girls more, as most people seem to agree that the girls were the most boring part of the original show. Though the reboot kinda messed that up by making the girls feel like flanderized versions of there 98' counterparts. Still though, I do like how the Powerpuff Girl's personalities are a bit different in this version than in the 98' version. Most of the characters just act like how they did in the original but they changed it up a bit and I appreciate that. I know in my first review I said Buttercup was about as good as she was in the original, but after watching more episodes, yeah...she is kinda annoying in this version. There are really only two characters who I think they improved on, and that's Bubbles and Princess. I like how both of these characters are portrayed in this series, and I might prefer these versions over the originals. Both seem to change some stuff about the character while still making them still capture the spirit of the original. Bubbles is less of a crybaby and a bit more ditzy which is fun, and Princess is a lot less whiny and they do a lot more funny stuff with her being rich, and having her have a rap themed soundtrack is something I never knew I wanted, but I like. Also Princess is a lot more sympathetic in this show, which I also like. Also there are some good episodes, like "TTG vs PPG" (Which is technically a Teen Titans Go! episode but still) "Poorbucks" and "Tiara Trouble." (YES THAT EPISODE HAVE A "NO ME GUSTA" REFERENCE BY IT'S LITERALLY ONLY THREE SECONDS LONG AND THE REST OF THE EPISODES SURROUNDING IT WAS PRETTY GOOD!) And speaking of the "No Me Gusta" thing, let's talk about the whole meme thing. I understand if you think those jokes are annoying, there not funny, or were not executed well. I completely get if you have that opinion. But I feel like the whole meme thing has been so overblown that it's kinda ridiculous. If you look at any online review for the Powerpuff Girl reboot you will see that almost all of them will have wither the "No Me Gusta" face or the girls twerking as the thumbnail. While you may find these scenes and jokes dumb I don't like how people act like the show is just nothing but that. Even though that if you take all of the meme references in the entire show and string them back to back it probably takes up less than two minutes total. People obsess over these scenes even though tonnes of cartoons make references to memes. In "Painbow" Blossom makes a "I can't even" joke and everybody freaked out, but when Lincoln Loud said the exact same thing in the Loud House episode "Roughin' It" nobody sees to care. And that's not even counting all the other cartoons that reference meme's, like these examples.

And yes, that last one was a "surprised chipmunk" reference from "The Powerpuff Girls Rule." which was written, directed, and story boarded by Craig McCracken himself. And as for the twerking lots of other cartoons do that to. Again, Lincoln from the Loud House has his butt dance at the end of "Roughin' it" there's the infamous "Booty Quake" from "SymBionic Titan" and, again from "The Powerpuff Girls Rule-"

-Man, Mojo's been shaking his grove thang since before Miley Cyrus was even on the SCENE SON! And you might still see these things as a problem, I get that. After all execution is a big thing, which is why I love it the internet references in We Bare Bears, but am mostly indifferent to the ones in this show. All I'm saying is that this is far from the first show to do stuff like this. And it's seems odd to be that these are the moments that people are freaking out about when this show DOES have a lot of serious problems that holds it back, and yet it's the "No Me Gusta!" reference that everybody is freaking out about. The show, as a whole, is mediocre. I don't want it to get cancelled, I want it to improve. And hopefully that'll happen in season two, because I want a good Powerpuff Girls reboot to happen. And if the critical and financial of this series stops that from happening, I'll be very disappointed. It seems like everybody just wanted this show to fail almost a whole YEAR before it came out, and months before we even had our first clips of it and I just didn't want that. Plus if it wasn't for this show I probably wouldn't of started doing these reviews, so there's also that. But at least it wasn't the most hated reboot of 2016.

But then, after that, something happened in the animation community. A new show premiered that, really out of nowhere, took off like a rocket. A show that was a hit with both adult critics and in the ratings (sort of the reverse of Powerpuff Girls.) This show was none other, than The Loud House.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6MpT7lLwls

Yes, it was the Loud House, the show that changed Nickelodeon in the eyes of many people. Not only did this show come with many adults praising it but the ratings for the show were, and still are, huge. The shows popularity rivals Spongebob Squarepants! Think about that. What was the last show that aired on Nickelodeon that was both good and Nickelodeon actually gave reruns to on there main channel fairly consistently. I'd say T.U.F.F Puppy and that show was only reran at the beginning of it's run. For a show on Nickelodeon to be both good and not treated like garbage by the network was a big deal! And the fan made Loud House memes! OH THE FAN MADE LOUD HOUSE MEMES! So how was the show. It's pretty good. I don't think I love it as much as some other people do, but it is a good show. As someone who is the middle child with three older siblings and three younger ones the premise alone had me interested. I also really like the Sunday comic inspired style the show has. It's a unique look that really makes the show stand out. It's also neat seeing a cast of mostly girl characters in a show on Nickelodeon, that seems like it's really been trying to push shows for boys. Is this proof of my "Girliness Revolution" theory? PLUG! Cartoon Thoughts: MLP and the Girly Revolution. The show is pretty funny. Though the humor can be a bit to juvenile for me at times, with a lot of toilet humor and stuff like that. Also the characterization of most of the characters are a bit weak in my opinion, with most of them being pretty one note. Hopefully they'll be developed a bit more in season two, but as it stands there kinda bland in my opinion. Not bad per say, just a bit one dimensional. It's these things that make me say that the show is only good and not great. Also like a third of the episodes follow the formula of, 1.) Lincoln wants something incredibly simple. 2.) His sisters f#&k it up for him 3.) Lincoln is justifiably mad 4.) Lincoln learns he shouldn't be mad at his sister cause family, even though his sisters totally has the right to be upset. That's also a bit of a flaw with the show, but it's not a huge one or anything. If the characters could become a little bit more than there one trait I think we would have a great show on our hands. But despite all the shows flaws, I still like this show. It's not the best show ever, but it is a step in the right direction for Nickelodeon. I'm really glad that Nickelodeon has a show that is almost as popular as Spongebob that is actually pretty decent. Hopefully this can be a turning point for Nickelodeon, like how Adventure Time was a turning point for Cartoon Network. But only time will tell if that's the case. Also THOSE DANK LOUD HOUSE MEMES, BRA!

And that seems like a good place to stop for now. I would go on, but I'm afraid that if I make this review to long nobody will actually read it, so I'll be breaking it up into two parts. Part two will be up tomorrow, on New Years Eve, so get excited about that. What do you think of some of the shows that I've talked about here today? Tell me your thoughts in the comments down bellow. I would love to hear them, even if your opinion is different from mine. Please fav, follow and comment if you liked the review, have a great day. (I do not own any of the images or videos in this review all credit goes to there original owners.)

All credit for the "Clyde likes who blank Meme" goes to https://www.deviantart.com/cartoonteen18 It was fun to fill out, and here's the link to the original Clyde likes who Blank Meme.

#gravity falls #the loud house #editorial #powerpuff girls 2016 #fairly odd parents

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