#I don’t mind there being some detail but I overall prefer the more simplistic designs Cookies used to have

[quibbs126]

You can just tell these two designs were made at VERY different times

[emblem-oracle]

My Super Subjective Fire Emblem Ranking

Today I finally finished New Mystery of the Emblem. Meaning, I have finally experienced every Fire Emblem story so far (I decided to skip FE1-FE3 but I did buy the localised FE1 on Switch and I might go back to FE3 at some point). 

So, here is my very subjective ranking of each game - from worst to best.  Oh and SPOILERS! I talk about a couple of these games in detail.

15.) Revelations - beaten on Lunatic

This route pretty much takes all the worst things about Fates, bundles them together, and charges you $20 for it. Rev has some of the most tedious maps in the series (anyone remember the snow shovelling map?) Corrin stands as my least favourite lord even beyond this route. There is some terrible unit balance which makes some units practically unusable, the story is just yikes... beyond getting all the characters, anything there is to like in this route is done infinitely better in Conquest. 

14.) Shadow Dragon - beaten on Hard 2

The Archanea games really did not do it for me, especially this one. The lack of supports, the barebones story… Shadow Dragon is just a bit too simplistic for me. It is not bad by any means (I actually like the gameplay options it offers) but since my favourite thing about Fire Emblem is building an army of characters I love…. Yeah, Shadow Dragons is just not my cup of tea.

13.) Binding Blade - beaten on Hard

I enjoy the cast for this game and the maps have some interesting layouts, but this game mainly feels like a jankier Blazing Sword. The story has similar problems to Shadow Dragon, and I feel like some of the maps are too big for the movement of the units you have, making them feel like a slog. I don’t mind Binding Blade, but this is perhaps the hardest game for me to go back and replay. 

12.) Birthright - beaten on Lunatic

There is nothing wrong with Birthright but there is very little good about it either. For good points, Corrin is less unbearable in this mode in comparison to the other two routes and I do like the Hoshidian cast more than the Conquest cast overall. However, the gameplay cutbacks and unremarkable story make this an entry that I almost forgot to put on this list. 

11.) New Mystery of the Emblem - beaten on Maniac

A big improvement over Shadow Dragon but I feel like I would probably prefer FE3 if I played it. Unlike some people, I don’t hate Kris, but wow do I wish they were not here. While it was nice they added supports for this one, the fact Kris is the only conversation partner for half the cast is a bit sad. The sprite design is as bad as Shadow Dragon, but the maps feel brighter to me than SD. I also enjoyed the story for this one and the maps were fun, at the very least. Overall, I would consider this game a very average Fire Emblem experience.  

10.) Genealogy of the Holy War - beaten on Normal

Okay, I’m probably going to have to justify putting this entry so low. 

I feel like this game gets overhyped because of the... uh... ‘Sigurd BBQ.’ The plot of Gen One is so ambitious and interesting with some of the best plot points in the series. Your entire Gen One army getting killed, Quan and Ethlyn’s deaths, Eldigan getting executed... Gen One really makes you feel like you are in an unwinnable situation. Gen Two though is such a dive in quality. Every cast member’s motivation becomes the same (revenge). Victories feel easily won to the point that it almost invalidates the struggle the Gen One cast went through. Julius could have been interesting if we saw anything beyond him being super possessed… I have heard the point of Gen Two was to focus on the villains but the only villains that are really interesting in this game are Eldigan (who is dead by Gen Two) Arvis, Travant and Ishtar. The Loptyr cult and Manfroy just drag down the Jugdral games every time they are on screen and are an active detriment to the story quality. Also, I’m sorry but the maps are just tedious. Huge maps are really not for me and make this game really hard to play.

However, I really want a remake for this one. I feel like some faster turn speeds, supports and additional dialogue could do a lot for my opinion on this game. 

9.) Sacred Stones - beaten on Hard

Sacred Stones does not contain any of the series’ high notes, nor does it contain any low notes. Everything about this entry is just solid. The story is nothing to write home about but it’s engaging and without any serious bad points (the only things I did not like were Eirika just giving the Sacred Stone to Lyon and how much more interesting Ephraim’s route is in comparison to Eirika’s.) The cast is good but not my favourite. The maps are fun but, again, I feel some other entries have better ones. 

I really enjoyed Lyon as a villain, but I wish we could have seen more of him. I liked Ephraim and Eirika as lords... I feel like this game is the most balanced experience in terms of everything being equal in quality. 

8.) Echoes - beaten on Hard

I enjoy Echoes but it is one of those games where I don’t really have much to say about it. I am more amazed that this game even exists in the first place. 

Really, I have a lot of similar feelings on this entry as I do Sacred Stones. Like SS, it is solid in all aspects, with slight improvements across the board except in map design. I do think this game is a lot more fun on Normal than Hard which is a rare opinion for me. Generally, I think I just prefer an entry to be really good at something than to be just average across the board though.

7.) Conquest - beaten on Lunatic

Speaking of being really good at something...

The story is hot garbage, Corrin is the worst, the cast is really not my taste... but wow, the gameplay is my favourite in the series. I love the map design, how well thought out enemy placement is, the changes to pair up and skills. 

If Conquest had even a mediocre story/cast this would probably be among my favourite games in the series. However, everything else about it is just so bad, I cannot rank it higher than here. 

6.) Three Houses - beaten on Maddening (Azure Moon), Hard (Silver Snow, Verdant Wind, Crimson Flower)

I think this game could have had the potential to be in my top three favourite games for this series if Edelgard’s route was better, Silver Snow was removed, and the monastery was not so prevalent. 

The story was enjoyable in all three routes, though Azure Moon’s hit just the right notes for me. Battalions were something I thought I was not going to like but wound-up loving, especially on Maddening. I really enjoyed the cast this time around and it brought me genuine pain to kill a few of them on replays. Dimitri is one of my favourite lords in the series. I like the reinclusion of same-sex endings and the deemphasis (but not complete removal) of romance. 

It is so close to being amazing. However, it is no secret that Edelgard’s route was done dirty. Silver Snow is pretty much just Verdant Wind but worse. The monastery, while fun before the time skip, just becomes a chore afterwards and the monastery sections are so time consuming it puts me off picking up the game sometimes. Still, a definite step in the right direction after Fates. 

5.) Awakening - beaten on Lunatic

This game being this high is pure bias. Awakening was my first Fire Emblem and although everything about it is done better in other entries, it holds a really nostalgic and comforting place for me. It still stands as the FE game I have put the most hours into (clocking in at 750 hours), most of that being from before I even tried other entries. It was also because of Awakening that I joined Tumblr in the first place so I could look at peoples’ artwork for the game. 

Also, on a more personal note, Awakening genuinely helped me through perhaps the most depressing period of my life when my social anxiety was at its worst. I have a lot to be thankful to this game for. 

However, its gameplay is not the best in hindsight. The plot takes a bit of a dive after the time skip. I really enjoy Robin as an avatar but I’m not sure if that’s just pure bias as well. Chrom is also a very middling lord, and the cast is a bit tropey. 

Still, I will always love this game and this is my list. Top five it is!

4.) Radiant Dawn - beaten on Hard

There are so many good moments in this game. The reveal of playable Black Knight, Queen Elincia’s character arc as queen, the Greil Mercenaries’ reintroduction and the multiple points where your two playable armies clash. The defence maps in this game are the best in the series (and considering defence maps are my favourite map type means I really like the maps here). There is a reason this game is in my top four. 

HOWEVER, there are a few things that drag this game down. Part 4 being both dull and tedious, the blood pact nonsense, the removal of supports leading to the underdevelopment of the Dawn Brigade and other original characters, the god-awful unit scaling (e.g., why does Tormod re-join in Part 4 with the same stats he had in Part 1).

Honestly, I just miss the army building in Radiant Dawn. It is hard to bond with any one army because you switch between them so much. It is no wonder people like the Greil Mercenaries so much in comparison to everyone else because at least you know them from the last game. Yet, I feel like no entry quite offers what Radiant Dawn does - a glance at multiple armies/perspectives across an entire continent. In a way, I like Radiant Dawn because it dared to be different to other entries and I feel like it tied up most of the loose ends of Path of Radiance to create a very satisfying duology.

3.) Thracia 776 - beaten on Normal

I definitely did not expect to like this one as much as I did. I was honestly scared of this game for a couple of years (it was literally the last game I completed besides New Mystery). However, after I finally did bite the bullet and gave this one a go, I found it was not nearly as bad as people suggested it was. It is perhaps the only game in the series where I ever felt the desperation of the main character during certain maps. In this game, when you are told your army is on the brink of defeat, you feel it too. I really loved that. Capturing does a lot to add to this feeling, making your team feel like it is scraping anything it can together to keep fighting (it is also really fun to steal all the cool equipment off enemies).

The cast is also great, even without supports. Leif has become my favourite lord after this entry which also surprised me. I loved the fact that he generally follows the thought process of most lords (” I must save everyone I can”) but unlike with other lords, his naivety has some devastating consequences. 

It is definitely a game that is harsh to completely blind players though. I would really recommend against just turning on the game without hearing at least some prior advice. Namely, advice on avoiding the endgame soft lock where you don’t have enough door keys to defeat the final boss, how to recruit some characters and the gaiden chapter requirements. 

Still, if you were like me and are intimidated by Thracia, don’t be. It is consistently tough, but it never feels impossible. 

2.) Blazing Sword - beaten on Hector Hard

I think some people may be surprised that this game ranks so highly for me. It is just the gold standard for all Fire Emblems. I LOVE the cast here, the maps are fantastic, the difficulty is perfect. The Black Fang are really cool as villains, and I love the dynamic of the three lords. The story gets some flak, but I honestly do not have a problem with it. In fact, I think there are some gut punches in here. Moments like Eliwood killing Ninian, Matthew’s reaction to Leila’s death and everything to do with Nino and Jaffar have stuck in my mind for a really long time. 

I honestly have nothing bad to say about Blazing Sword, beyond the fact that it preludes such a disappointing game for me. Still, as good as Blazing Sword is, there is one game that ranks a little higher.

1.) Path of Radiance - beaten on Hard (Western version)

Path of Radiance! No matter how many FE games I have played after it, nothing has really come close to topping it. 

Everything about it is just my favourite or close to my favourite. Ike is my second favourite lord in the series after Leif - his bluntness and his uniqeness really help him to stand out amongst other lords. The story is by far my favourite; I liked how the villain was a man driven by ambition and not some evil cult or dragon. The cast is amazing with almost every character making a memorable impression (I cannot think of a single character I dislike) with Soren being my favourite character in any Fire Emblem game. Tellius is so interesting as a continent with each location having a distinct flare. I really enjoy the themes at play in this story too. Although tackling racism through fantasy races is never going to be perfect, it was nice to have a fresh topic for a Fire Emblem game. 

There is something almost homely about this game which makes it so comforting to play and so fun to reexperience again and again. I have played this game so much that I have completed the support log (through transfers to RD). 

It is such a shame that this game is so expensive because in my opinion, this is the best Fire Emblem game in the series. The only issue I can think of is that the animations are slow. I would be so thrilled with a rerelease or a full-blown remake to hopefully fix that problem. Hopefully, some of the rumours in regard to that turn out to be true. 

[0poole]

Why I don’t really like anime

Alright well here’s one that’s pure “who tf asked” energy but it’s something I’ve legitimately been thinking about. Most of these are just me trying to organize how I think. I try to keep away from this general aura of saying I don’t like something completely unprompted, but my brother is a massive anime fan so I’m around anime a lot more than anything else I’m not into.

Obviously I’m gonna have to preface this with the whole spiel. People can do and enjoy literally anything they want so long as it doesn’t hurt other people. Apart from that, this is just me putting thoughts onto paper and shouting them out into the void pretending people on the internet care or even will hear in the first place. And, apart from THAT, I’m also saying I just don’t like it, not that it’s “bad.” Anyone saying something as expansive as anime can be universally “bad” is objectively an idiot who doesn’t know how things work. Also, I’m not trying to cover my bases as if I expect anime fans to hound me like people stereotypically assume they would, I’ll always cover my bases when saying things like this to catch literally anyone and make the undertones of what I’m actually saying perfectly clear to everyone.

And similar to that, absolutely none of this stems from the less affectionate stereotypes of anime fans. Let it be known that I’ve been a part of various fandoms, including My Little Pony, Steven Universe, Undertale, and probably some others that have just-kinda-bad to horrible stereotypes put on them because of the true weirdos in the fandom who act seriously out of turn. I know the feeling of being lumped in with those unfortunately remarkable people as if this giant group acts basically in the same way/agrees with the same actions. Plus, anime has grown so far beyond the “nerd culture” that I feel like it’s more normal to like at least a little anime than to not like it at all, so people that suggest all anime fans are weirdos are the weird ones.

    But yeah, over time I’ve definitely felt a full bias against anime for some reason. Obviously some fit into my interests and get into my mind when I had an anime phase (like anyone), as I’ll mention, but for the most part if something is brought up as “anime” I just lose all interest in watching it. I feel like in terms of my overall biases, there are only three types of series: Non-anime animation, Anime, and Live action. For some reason, live action series are even worse in the bias chart than anime. I literally can’t muster up even the slightest interest in a live action series, while I can at least sometimes get behind the idea of an anime (and it’s a whole different can of worms for movies/other forms).

    The reason why I say “non-anime” animation instead of “western” animation is because it really doesn’t have to do with place of origin at all. Also, calling stuff “western” kind of excludes non-Japanese eastern countries that don’t produce anime, like Russia and India. For me, the question is just anime compared to all other types of animation. Aside from the objectively bad art styles of course.

That really just gets troubling with the true definition of “anime,” though, but as far as I care to define it it’s entirely revolving around the art and animation style, and maybe various other stylistic things as well. It’s one of those “hard to define it, but you can usually spot one when you see it” sort of things. But, I feel like even though “anime” might literally just mean “Japanese animation” in general, I feel like there are Japanese animations that could not be “anime.” For example, the big one being anything by Studio Ghibli. It honestly could or could not be anime, but the fact that there is a debate suggests that there’s more to anime than it just being Japanese. If it’s not origin, then basically all of it rests on the style itself. Especially since so many people start off trying to draw “anime style” (like I did), and since some things have been called “French anime” (a term which honestly gets me infinitely more into an idea for some reason, I guess it being “French” reverses the negative bias from “anime”). Then of course it gets into murky water, though, like are Teen Titans (the original) or Avatar: The Last Airbender anime? It’s obviously something that doesn’t have a clear definition and it sucks. But, it’s easier for me to talk about if it’s limited to the art style, because that’s pretty much my main gripe with the whole thing.

I could also just not even remotely know what I’m talking about but just go with it.

If it had to be limited to a single sentence, the main reason why I don’t like anime is that it feels like 90% of it looks extremely similar to one another. See a few paragraphs down for the major exceptions, because there’s always exceptions. Also I’m sure someone somewhere is trying to pull out the “Calarts style” argument here and honestly nothing inoffensive pisses me off more than that and I’m gonna for sure make a separate rant on that some day. Obviously “western” animation isn’t the saving grace either, but it feels closer in general.

It may be one of those things that is supposed to be more functional, of course. I’d have to imagine it’s much more writing-focused, because, if I were an executive at an animation company, I could definitely get sold on a story much more easily if it followed very similar artistic practices that have been used by so many other companies/groups. Plus, for the audience, it’s probably easier to enjoy a story when you are pretty sure you’re going to be into the art style of the show by default. I’d have to imagine that’s why there are so many different anime (animes? Consider it a fish/fishes type thing) out there. For the most part, too, it seems like the vast majority of it is animated simply, with the higher detail and budget being saved for the big events. I’ll never say it’s not a reasonable thing to exist. It just sucks when the one thing made to be so universal is the one thing you don’t like. 

But I’m definitely realizing I care about the visual of an animation more than the story. Definitely, a few years ago, I went full stereotypical writer, and cared so much more about the story itself than how things looked, but I definitely have changed from that. I’m much more likely to enjoy a story that’s pretty simple and easygoing that’s told in amazing animation than a highly detailed and complex story that’s told in pretty simple and easygoing animation. I mean, apart from that, I definitely don’t like the idea of a story’s complexity being one of its selling points, but that’s beside the point. Also, not to suggest all anime are “simply animated.” Exceptions are everywhere.

I’m the type of person who can enjoy something by “turning my brain off,” if you want to discredit the value of simplistic stories. Plus, now that I’m starting to try and make animations of my own, whenever I see some crazy good animation I’m halfway between “The animators are legends for putting in the massive legwork of making that” and “The animators are legends for making so impossibly good and high quality.” It also boggles my mind a bit when I see an overly detailed anime character/mech/whatever move. Someone had to animate that.

And then there’s one specific gripe that’s basically exactly that, but distilled into its purest form, and that’s how practically all young male protagonists in a mostly realistic setting in anime look like actual doppelgangers with each other. But, again, that’s a product of japanese society being less racially diverse overall compared to the Americas, so obviously the archetypal male is going to look much more average compared to what I’m used to. Just because there’s a reason doesn’t mean I have to like it, though. And, obviously, a lot of anime doesn’t have this issue, especially with the slightly less prevalent idea of “anime protagonist hair” of the past. Plus, girl characters don’t really seem to have this issue, and lord knows anime girls are a big thing. And, even worse for my case, it’s the same issue I have with the Calarts argument: The protagonists are supposed to look more average/approachable, while the side characters and environment can go the extra design-distance. I will say though that if an anime features the main character who looks just like that one archetype, I just can’t like it at all. It’s too plain. Same goes for when characters attend a school, and their “main” outfit is just their school uniform. Obviously practically all schools in Japan have uniforms, but it’s just so boring from a character design prospective. 

Another big part of the style that I don’t like is just the level of detail anime characters/things often have. The worst part of this is always, ALWAYS the hair. It always looks so greasy and stringy, and it just makes me feel gross looking at it for too long. I don’t even care what color it is. Something a little less universal are the more fantastical side of outfits some characters wear some of the time. Obviously some outfits just go too far with detail, or maybe try too hard for a specific look that it thwarts the design as a whole. It’s kind of hard to say that without having specific examples, but I’ll always prefer bigger shapes and relative simplicity over the level of detail most anime characters have. Same goes for items too. 

One thing that’s very easy to avoid on the larger scale, but still pretty prominent and a thing I genuinely hate, is how much more sexualized things are in anime. Like I said, it’s pretty easy to avoid sexualization because you can usually tell from the get-go where it’s at its worst, but even in other cases it feels like it creeps in even in the best shows. Trust me, though, I’ll never not admit to being horny, but when I sit down to engage in a genuine story I’m not even joking when I say that there is practically no situation where I want sex to be involved. Romance can be on-and-off, but specifically sexual elements just really throw me off of taking a story seriously, even when it’s actually incorporated into the greater themes and ideas of the story. I don’t know why I’m so averse to it, but I am. But, really, this is more of a writing thing than a visual thing usually. I swear to god, whenever my brother shows me an anime (my family would be completely disconnected from anime without him), there is like a 70-80% chance some female character is going to call a male character a “pervert” (or whatever the untranslated word they use is) and have it play off like a casual joke/remark. That shit actually makes me want to die. It doesn’t even matter whether or not they’re actually being a pervert, the mere mention of the remote idea genuinely pisses me off to no end.

Even though it’s just barely relevant, the way they always draw people with blood shooting out of their nose when they see lewd things makes me feel uncomfortable too. I’m not sure what anime originated that trend, because it sure as hell can’t be a thing from real life. That just doesn’t happen on the scale it happens in anime. Plus, it can’t feel good. 

Strangely enough, one of the main things that doesn’t put me off is having to watch with subtitles. For one, if there’s any culture whose animation I enjoy inherently more by default, it’s French animation, so I still deal with it outside of anime. And, even when I understand the language being spoken, I still like watching with subtitles just so I never mishear or misunderstand something. But, also, I’m actually completely on the “sub” side of the age-old-and-probably-ignored-nowadays-but-i’m-behind-the-times “Dubs vs Subs” debate. For some reason, it is extremely hard for me to look at an anime with a very plainly english voice over top of it. It just doesn’t feel right, almost ever. Some get it right of course, but the general state of dubs is pretty low compared to just reading text with the default emotions behind them. It sounds kind of counterintuitive, because I can’t exactly admire the animation as much if I’m reading text, but I feel like I’ve watched and written enough (even though it doesn’t exactly take much to find this skill) to realize what the general effect of a scene is, and when I do, I can usually watch the actual animation itself instead of reading the text. Like with French stuff, I can pick up very few words that repeat and match them to the subtitles to learn just the slightest bit of another language. I actually took a French language class in high school though, so it’s much easier then…

And one thing that I actually wish non-anime did was make different intro sequences/songs for different seasons/sections of the story. Even though some classic cartoon intros are so insanely classic that it’s hard to want to get something else, I can imagine that, for the most part, the alternative intros could be just as good. I guess it’s because we have so many more episodic shows, so the same intro could reasonably apply to the whole show as if it’s practically the same thing over its entire course, unlike anime which are more structured and progress with each season. I just want more music.

Of course different anime differ in levels between these, with some being major problems in some areas and being completely fine in others. I really don’t like going super in-depth about things I hate though, so let’s just skip that.

But the only rule without an exception is the rule that states “everything has an exception,” so there are a few anime that I actually like, or ones that I respect from afar. I did have an anime nerd phase in my past, although it wasn’t super intense or long lived, but in that period a few anime did sneak into my radar and I still like them, mostly because I can’t help but love the nostalgia. 

The one that kinda doesn’t count is the Pokemon anime. I like it because it’s Pokemon and I love Pokemon. Plus, it’s based on literally the most profitable gaming franchise ever, so it’s not like a fringe indie series. I will say that I actually really like the artistic direction they’ve taken for both the series and the official artwork/design as a whole. The Sun and Moon series looked pretty cute but maybe took it a bit too far, but the current series has a great balance of the clean, expressiveness of the Sun and Moon series but the solid-ness of the series before it. Apart from that, though, it’s one of those things I only still watch out of obligation, and for the rare good moments. I just love watching Pokemon exist, you know? Since I’ve watched so much of it already, and don’t have too much else to watch on a weekly basis, there’s no reason not to just put on the newest episode. It’s funny, though, because I normally like the dub of the anime more than the sub, but since the Sun and Moon series upped Ash’s expressiveness up to 10 it felt like his old dub voice actress didn’t quite match him anymore. Since I had no impression on what his original japanese voice sounded like, it was easy to start watching the subbed version and apply his new traits onto that voice. Either way, watching the subbed version means I can watch further into the series, and can’t get spoiled on things that’ll happen weeks/months down the line in the dub. As I said, it’s pretty normal nowadays to be into anime, meaning so many more people are following the Japanese episode release times and posting about it ASAP.

One that’s pretty expected is One Punch Man, which I watched once I heard someone explain it as “a parody of anime,” or something to that effect. The greatest thing about parodies is that they can be enjoyed both by those who love the thing being riffed on, and those that don’t. So, I watched it, and loved it. Me thinking about it like a parody also let me pass by the usual gripes I had with anime as a whole, like over-the-top crazy strong villains explaining so much out in the open, only to get one-shot by Saitama. And, the more obvious parody elements, such as Saitama becoming so strong just by exercising a lot, and just being a generally understated guy who just kinda is around. Pairing him with Genos, the more stereotypical anime powerhouse protagonist, is a great choice. For the animation, they even go super hard on the battles partially, I’d have to guess, because it still is just cool, but also to juxtapose how relatively simple Saitama is. There’s even some great character designs in there, like I remember this one single-episode side villain who was like a silhouette girl (?) with sharp teeth and long, seaweed-like hair that I loved the most. There’s also that second-in-command henchman guy under the main season 1 villain who looked sort of octopus-like, and I think had a crazy stupid name. I even liked the second season, which I guess most people didn’t like as much? It might’ve not been the highest of highs but I didn’t hate too much of it. 

One of the weirder examples is Attack on Titan because of the artstyle. For some reason, it feels like the characters of AoT are drawn and designed so well that they can look anime, realistic, and just barely cartoonic at the same time, creating diverse and impressionable characters without having to resort to the crazy stuff like colored hair and weird clothes. Plus, this lends extremely well to the overall atmosphere of the show, which of course is more grim in a slightly more realistic setting, but with the occasional guise of happiness some scenes have. It can be everything at once. But, of course, I only realized that after watching it, and the main selling point was actually how interesting and unique the story was, while remaining, at first, pretty simplistic all things considered. I just loved dudes with giant swords jet boosting up to a shambling giant and slicing the back of their neck. Compared to most anime, it was so specifically designed, instead of having a lot of detail put into everything to have the uniqueness. The Scout uniform is basically iconic at this point, while remaining pretty straightforward and, even better, completely unrevealing. Even when you hear the idea of an “anime sword” you also kind of think of something super flamboyant and complex, while the Scouts’ swords are also pretty simple, but very recognizable, basically being a rectangle, and also being replaceable. The whole device they use to get around is also so simple, yet so cool, and relatively reasonable. From a writing perspective, it’s also really good to have all main characters be on practically the same playing field in terms of abilities (aside from, you know, Erin) so each knows their full limitations, and you don’t learn anything out of the blue in the midst of battle. Even better, it’s a type of power you have to be genuinely skilled with, not like how most stories pull the “you’re inherently powerful you just need to release it!” sort of deal (Again, Erin).

I am kinda falling out of interest with the story as it progresses, though, but it’s entirely not the creators’ faults. Part of the appeal initially was how mysteriously cool and terrifying the Titans were, and why everything in this world was the way it was. Like with pretty much everything going on for long periods of time, the explanation had to come eventually, and it never is quite as good as you thought it’d be. Now that I know exactly why everything is the way it is, a lot of the magic kind of dissipated. Plus, that subplot of the false royalty of their kingdom and all the politics of that got very Star Wars Prequels with me. I didn’t come for that stuff. I am still a bit in that “I’m obligated to watch it since I’ve watched so much already” camp, so if they ever continue the series I’ll get back in. I’m definitely not at all the manga type, though. I don’t really like long form comics as a whole, and my eyes genuinely hurt looking at most manga because it seems they don’t use different shades of grey as much as they should. It’s all black and white, and my eyes can’t stand it. It’s the digital age, dammit. Leave the old style behind.

Even though I already said it’s on the verge of being anime and even though It’s all movies (I think?) you gotta admit Studio Ghibli stuff is just impossibly magical. I can only actively remember seeing like 3 of them (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and Ponyo) but I would actually sell my soul to keep these movies in existence. I’m highly considering watching Kiki’s Delivery Service next because I think it’s on some streaming service my family has, where I can literally just watch it whenever with no fuss. They all fall into that kind of foreign fantasy genre that I love to all hell, because the “usual” for western fantasy has gotten impossibly stale and I actually kind of hate it now. Literally whenever any kind of story is a fantasy story, but with fantastical elements coming from some culture that isn’t the norm for fantasy, I can’t help but love it. Even though I’m talking more about the high fantasy genre, I can still love Ghibli stuff for being so adorably casual and local, making it feel so much more like every little thing they show you exists in some magical recess in the real world. The artstyle also has that kind of feel, where it’s cute in that weird-looking way. Plus, it’s a movie, so there’s a more solid stream of higher quality animation, instead of the more necessarily efficient series. Also also, I would die for Chihiro. That’s all.

For the stuff I don’t actively engage with as much, you can’t not mention the big Shonen Jump names, like One Piece, Naruto, and the one I interacted with the most, Yu Gi Oh. I’ve watched all three of those to some extent at some point in my life, but they didn’t really stay too much. 

One Piece has another remarkable artstyle, being so weird and quirky and large-faced with everything. I can also appreciate the fantastical pirate elements, as well as the very unique superpowers of Luffy, and the rest of the Devil Fruit powers. I would totally try watching again if it didn’t have over 900 goddamn episodes. That’s the problem with watching super popular stuff like that, it goes on forever, and it’s so hard to make that commitment. Either way, I think that one guy with the cigarette/lollipop was a walking “pervert” joke so I don’t miss it too much. I also honestly think a non-episodic series that goes over like 200-something episodes can’t possibly have a truly balanced and engaging story all throughout.

Naruto also had that “High fantasy of another culture” appeal to it, and is probably the most classic anime that isn’t Dragonball (which I personally am not really into at all, never was). I don’t really have too much to say about it, but I did really like the Wii game I had where it was a fighter with all the characters. I haven’t checked, but I’m pretty sure Naruto’s just like One Piece in that there are too many episodes to make the commitment and I think Naruto might even have a worse problem with “Pervert” jokes, but I don’t remember exactly.

Yu Gi Oh, on the other hand, is actually still sort of my jam. The recent stuff, whether it’s the cards or the series, is completely beyond me, and looks like the true anime BS that I don’t like, but the OG Yu Gi Oh stuff was awesome. I still know how to play the card game, at least with the earlier, simpler rules and card effects. I don’t even know how to play the Pokemon card game, and Pokemon’s one of my favorite things ever. I wish we still had those pre-made decks sorted so I could just play really quickly with those to regain my idea for strategy, and then make an original deck of the hundreds of hundreds of cards we have lying around. It’d be fun for no other reason than nostalgia. The video games are probably a good place to start, and I still have that old PC one where it was split into multiple versions for like Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey I think. I had the Yugi one, and last time I tried I actually had trouble beating him. There’s a semi-decent multiplayer one I have on Steam right now but it’s one of those things where I could either play that, or just… not, and continue life as normal. I might try it out again, but I already feel like I’m wasting my day. Oh my god, then Dungeon Dice Monsters on Gameboy Advance? Who needs anything else for that plane ride, am I right? I think there’s even those semi-story based RPGs on the Gameboy too that I should probably try out again. There’s just so much goodness.

And I haven’t even talked about the anime yet. Definitely the more meme-able of the classic anime, and I can definitely appreciate it for that. It was pretty weird in its own way. Especially with Yugi himself having what might just be the most insane and nonsensical hair style of all of anime. But, even then, I actually think it’s my all-time favorite, and I kinda love it. I have no idea why I do, but I do. I couldn’t even conceive of how to draw it from anything other than the front view. I also seriously appreciate when a character’s main icon/representation is something unique, and the Dark Magician is such an insanely cool character for just being some random dude on a card. Even apart from that, the Millenium Puzzle looks really cool, as does pretty much anything with an Egyptian flair to it. Then, we got the man, the legend, Joey Wheeler, who would not have been the same with any other voice actor. I stand by the fact that Tea and Tristan should’ve been fused into a hot-headed tomboy though, you really could’ve done without them both separately. Kaiba is also a classic anime antagonist/antihero, and he’s pretty lovable for it. Such great characters for something that really didn’t need them at all. I definitely have more nostalgia for the card/video game overall, but the anime definitely has an impression of its own. 

There’s also Zatch Bell, which I only know about in full because of that one Billiam video. I did have some vague idea of what Zatch Bell was, but only because we got those cool little books to hold the cards in. Honestly though the average character design in the show kinda sucks considering the fantastical elements are kind of cool. The only reason why I’m bringing it up at all is because I think Zatch’s design might be my all-time favorite character design in any anime property ever. His hair does still look pretty greasy, sure, but overall he has a very simple and clear design, and even though I’d definitely redesign him to look more puppet-like, the only reason why I see him as a puppet is because of the lines going down his cheeks. Those lines might be one of my all-time favorite single character design details for some reason. He also has a giant bow around his neck, and that plus the wide dress seriously makes him feel like a character I’d design (mostly because I have a character with somewhat the same details) minus the uber-generic anime boy protagonist sidekick.

For the list of anime I haven’t engaged with at all yet but can respect from afar, the shortest one I can describe is that one with that skeleton guy who has that average job and it’s animated very plainly, almost like a more western adult animation. You know, that one who got the meme with the subtitle of “Thanks, but reconsider!!!” with him looking all average but also anime-shocked at the same time. I can appreciate the deviation from pretty much every norm for sure.

For the more popular stuff, probably the second most likely for me to watch is My Hero Academia. The artstyle is just varied enough to make it feel better. Sometimes the hero outfits get a little weird, but most of the time they’re alright. What I’m really here for is the base character designs under them. Deku is an amazing average protagonist character design, who definitely looks average but still unique enough to not look boring. Designs like that are hard to come by, because it’s so much easier to use more over-the-top unique elements to make the main character unique. Doing more with less is always preferable though. I could list off all the characters and all, but beyond Deku I really would just be saying things like “The guy who looks like a crow or whatever.” Except for Tsuyu. Tsuyu is best girl, and if you don’t draw her mouth wide enough I’ll be sorely disappointed in you. I think there isn’t a single character I love more from a property I don’t engage with at all. To be honest, I don’t think there’s a serious chance for me really wanting to get into it, though, mainly because I’m intimidated by that little shitstain with the weird latex ball mohawk. As I’ve heard, he’s the walking “pervert” joke type. Could be wrong. I hope so.

The most likely is another Academia, that being Little Witch Academia. It looks adorable as all hell, and the fantasy elements look classically fun, being a sort of bubbly spin on the more generic Harry Potter-type stuff you might imagine for a witch/wizard school. I’ve heard that any Studio Trigger series is animated very well, but somewhat lacking in the story department, but as I said before I can very easily enjoy a simple story with great animation in front of it, so it really seems super up my alley. Plus, it’s just like, ON Netflix. I could literally just boot it up any second and start watching. 

I usually try to organize these paragraphs/lists in ascending order of interest, but I gotta break that for something that’s super half-and-half, and sort of the one that triggered me to want to finally write down all this junk. Madoka Magica is occasionally really cool, with the absurd and bizarre imagery of each Witch and Labyrinth, and I seriously love that part. But… Then it turns to the characters, which I honestly hate looking at multiple times more than the average anime character. Maybe it was somehow intentional, but their faces seriously look like those drawn by kids just starting out trying to draw anime, but just barely adjusted to look more polished for the sake of decency. I’m also not really into the story, being this massive juxtaposition of cutesy little magical girl antics and hellish demonic nonsense and brutal events. Trust me, I’m not the one to shy away from intense, adult stuff in animation, but I feel like the two extremes are almost too far apart from each other to really get into. That, and the magical girl dresses they each transform into was the specific inspiration for me mentioning designs that feel like they’re too set on doing one thing that it hinders their overall design. The yellow girl’s dress looks pretty cool though, since she has those weird poofy shoulder things, another character design trait I love. I just had to mention it because of how crazy interesting the Witches and Labyrinths are. 

I just remembered Sailor Moon existed as I was writing that, and I’m not insanely opposed to looking into it. It might fight with Dragonball for the title of most classic anime ever. It also looks kind of cutesy-fun, which I can enjoy, but I definitely would expect it being a bit old to be its downfall. The artstyle alone gives me some vicarious nostalgia, even though I’ve never engaged with anything styled like it (and honestly believe it’s objectively worse than the anime style that’s more common nowadays). People as a whole seem to be nostalgic about it, so it’s kind of hard not to also feel it a little bit. As I said, though, I do kinda hate it compared to modern stuff. Same thing applies to Dragonball and really anything of Toryiama’s work. I can see the nostalgia from other people, but I just don’t like it.

I’m sure there are others that are just barely being forgotten about, but you get the point.

So yeah, that’s basically why I hate anime except I talk more about the anime I do like instead of hating on it as a whole. Believe it or not, when I like animation, I truly do like it, regardless of whatever form it is. But still, anime as a whole is not at all my thing. Feed me my generic Disney Channel “Calarts” SJW shlock instead. 

[condensed-theorem-shop]

Thing that seems like it should exist (but AFAIK doesn’t):

Running/walking/jogging app that lets you choose from several “paths,” and then tracks your total distance across multiple runs and shows you your progress on a hypothetical map/alerts you when you pass certain milestones.

So, for instance, you could choose a Lord of the Rings option and have your total distance run shown on a map of Middle Earth, tracing out the journey of the Fellowship, with little pop-up alerts saying “congratulations! you’ve left the Shire!” or “Now entering Moria!”

Or you could choose “your location to Jerusalem,” for a virtual pilgrimage (as in a poem I see going around tumblr every so often.)

Or you could choose the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and have it tell you whenever you reach a new island.

Or walk the Oregon Trail, and have it tell you about what hazards you’d be encountering as an early settler.

Or follow Percy’s path in The Lightning Thief, or Taran’s in The Black Cauldron, or Richard Mayhew’s in Neverwhere, or Kel’s in Lady Knight. Any story, real or fictional, that features the protagonists going on some sort of quest, preferably on foot, with enough detail to construct or make up a map. There’s a lot of options.

Various bonus options could include: thematic music (maybe from the soundtrack, if it’s a movie), matching what part of the path you’re on. Special challenges at key plot points: now run to escape your pursuers, stop and do twenty push-ups to represent fighting some orcs, spot six different species of local birds to find the one bringing you a message. An audiobook, for paths corresponding to books, which unlocks the corresponding sections as you progress.

Bonuses are definitely not necessary, though -- and without them, this doesn’t seem all that hard to make, it should be essentially just a counter ticking upwards. I guess there are copyright issues? But you should still be able to at minimum have things that are out of copyright (the voyages of Odysseus!) and nonfiction.

Zombies, Run! is the obvious suggestion, and it’s close to the thing I want, but not quite right (and it’s weird that there aren’t more clones of it, in any case).

One, I want something that’s based on an existing story I know and like; “while running” isn’t the ideal time, for me, to try and get into a new one.

Two, it’s too audio-book-y. I really dislike audiobooks; I really just want to be able to see my progress in a story I already know, rather than consuming a new story while running.

Three, it’s just too much -- I really want something very simplistic, that just provides a nice little sense of accomplishment, rather than being a whole Thing of its own. (And that would be more flexible, too, you could use it to count up how much you walk in the course of your day, or track running you’re doing for other reasons; Zombies, Run! has its own structure you kind of have to follow for it to work.)

Four, it doesn’t have the right sense of cumulative accomplishment. You get story in individual chunks of a fair size, which you kind of have to do all at once, and overall progress is really only tracked by how many chunks you’ve done. With a simpler total-distance tracker, you could do it in chunks as small or weirdly-structured as you’d like, and you’d have a nice visual map of your total progress.

Five, because it’s trying to be a whole story of its own, there’s only the one option; it would be absurdly excessive for them to try to do multiple stories. If all it were doing was a map and a few milestones, though, you could easily have dozens of paths to choose from -- maybe even a nice setup for making and sharing user-generated ones.

Technically speaking, this should be perfectly feasible to track by hand. Plenty of things will give you your total distance run (you don’t even need a smartphone, a pedometer will do fine), and you can make up your own list of milestones and compare to that at the end of each run. There are in fact various “walk the Lord of the Rings” challenges online; I’m not the only person to have this idea.

But that’s just so -- trivial-obstacle-y. I don’t really mind the idea of working out my own list of distances, but if I think “I’ll start that running project after I do that,” I’ll never get around to either. And comparing to a list of milestones when you get home doesn’t give you the same little jolt of achievement as having your phone pop up with a notification that you’re passing through Shelob’s den, or tracking your progress through Lothlorien.

If this were computer-based instead of mobile-based, I’d actually try writing my own -- the map part might be a tiny bit trickier, but taking a numeric input and giving a text output if it’s over a certain size should be basically trivial. But I’m not clear enough on the basic logistics of app design to try doing that the same way I’d whip up a quick program in Python.

Is this something that already exists, and I’m just totally missing it? Or is it a really weird thing to want? Or hard to make in some way I’m not anticipating? Or do most people who want this sort of thing find Zombies, Run! to be enough to fill the niche?

[kendrixtermina]

Kenny Reacts to: Ramayana (& Hindu Mythology in General)

So, for those who don’t know, “Ramayana” is one of the big epics of Hindu Mythology, comparable to the Illiad or other legendary Kings such as David or Arthur, centering around Prince/King Ramchandr, one of the Avatars of Vishnu

My boyfriend (who happens to be Indian) introuced me to a TV show based on it, and I, being a mythology nerd, couldn’t resist...

Since a lot of people actually believe in this as a religion, first a disclaimer: I’m a complete atheist with no belief in the supernatural whatsover, but I’m a huge believer in the value of storytelling (and a writer - the more mythological references the better, at least if you’re aiming for as much of an ‘universal’ flavor as possible) and do hold that myth holds an important place in the human experience. I will be approaching this completely from a literature perspective. 

My boyfriend is not a believer either, though he used to be an actual Hindu growing up & still has it as a cultural background (I know myself that the stories you’re brought up on do influence you just by the archetypes and poetic shorthands they make available to you) - apparently he found it quite interesting to see me react to it & see it properly from start to finish. (though it has actually caused a resurgence in childhood song earworms)

So, with that out of the way, let’s get to the actual “review”

What did I watch

It’s a somewhat older show from the 80s or 90s so the special effects could have been better - but I say that only because with a concept like “Demons versus monkey people” and “battles with dark sorcery and vaguely described divine weapons” there is a lot of potential for creative visuals. 

In this implementation the style of costumes was more “historical” overall, but great care was taken nonetheless. 

Indeed, though childhood nostalgia filter my boyfriend likes this particular version because it was made by an 80 year old dude who dreamt all his life of making a TV show out of this story & worked hard to make everything ~just right~ - there have been never, fancier interpretations since but they tend to be more generic & plasticy in terms of the actual screenplay (my boyfriend, though biased by childhood exposure, says that “You don’t get the feeling that you’re looking at Ram, you’re looking at a supermodel”) whereas in this one, the director took great care to write all the songs & handpick the actors - 

Which, with those mythical, ‘archetypical’ characters is quite important, they have to have the right ‘aura’, ‘presence’ or ‘atmosphere’ around them to connect to the larger-than-life timeless ideas they’re intended to embody. They made sure to cast tall, wry dudes as the monkey people, had some really good acting, made sure supposed relatives actually look alike etc. 

This adaptation (at least insofar as I’ve watched it) seems to have gone with the “good ending”, that is, the version where the Prince & his wife live happily ever after returning to their home city (for a change, the original/older one... though it makes little sense to debate about the true version of a myth, it’s their very nature to be passed around & reinterpreted and for each listener & reteller to put their own spin on it) - there’s a second one that’s much more anal about social divisions, harder on the mysoginy and ends with him disowning her ass, though there’s some ring to the idea of the Princess returting to whence she came (mother Earth) in humiliation. It depends on what sort story you want though it doesn’t seem to fit with Ram’s characterization as the type who always looks to resolve things peacefully & reasonably & think before acting, & he may lose some of what makes him interesting if you take that away. 

Indeed the director saw the need to sanitize even the orginal “chastity test by fire” scene - more than I would have done even if I wanted the Prince to keep looking heroic, I suppose, a lot like how many Christians will explain away many inconsistencies in the bible (and pretty much everything in the book of Judges) because they need their headcanon to be consistent with what they associate with the deities. 

The Cosmology

One of the interesting parts about this particular ‘verse that got me more interested in it beyond my initial watching of that show is the rather complex makep of the world -

In most places religion has gone though certain discrete stages in accordance to the civilization that thought it up, with the various ideas (animism, polytheism, dualism, monotheistm etc.) all influecing each other subtly by the need to react to each other but in this case you had this evolution happening gradually without the previous being completely discarded.

So you have river spirits, sacret trees, elemental monsters, demons,  titan/jötnar like entities, your basic greek style deities,  a big head honcho lord of the universe, concepts of self-enlightenment and pantheist universal unity all coexisting in the same setting.

It’s basically a religion kitchen sink. (and I mean that in a good way, though I get why some may prefer the more ‘streamlined’ ideas of modern Christianity or Islam)

Impressions & Surprising things

Very interesting - because of my familiarity with mythic universals & certain shared cultural roots ( They even have their own wandering handsy thunder god! -  though he’s squarely in the middle of the cosmic hierarchy and seems to be the designated Worf Effect recipient) , I could count down all the tropes and see a lot comming but because of different cultural ideals there were many points where I REALLY didn’t know what was going to happen next

Also, it was a veritable soap opera and I did not expect the feels. The heroes were more adorable than I’d ever have thought. 

The level of “Honor Before Reason” and “Because Destiny Says so” is about comparable to the ancient greeks, but the “humble sinless all-loving hero come to earth for an ardurous mission” might remind one of Jesus, especially in the conception that “The Hero”, in the most archetypical sense, is to be not just badass but moral - though rather, Jesus resembles Ramayana because Ramayana came several centuries first; Just a sign IMHO that there myths come from the human mind and humans everywhere are more similar than different.

Funny thing is, since christian apologetics have this complex to prove how “special” their religion is (I mean it is unique in that no one has the exact same combination of traits but that’s true of every religion and the elements are universal), they spend a lot of time dismantling Islam (often with bonus racism) but usually completely dismiss Hinduism because “Well, they’re polytheists” when the two religions actually have a lot of ideas in common - indeed a lot of beievers will speak of the Hindu Trinity (or their favorite part thereof) or the Mother Godess much like the average dualist or monotheist would talk of their god, like, “O supreme being that dwells in all goodness” etc.

Unlike Jesus (who, despite his popular interpretation,  in the original bible had quite a temper) Rama’s patience & forgiveness is a bit less of an informed ability, though you do get the sense that this comes from a warrior culture as well as a very stratified society where living up to your given social role (including that of a wife) is everything - in a Western work Ram probably would’ve seized the city with the support of the citizens. XD

One could comment that Ram & his brothers are still royalty & that the focus is on that whereas Jesus deliberately took the shape of an ordinary dude, though Ram still gets to spend years as a hermit & Jesus is still convolutedly made to be descended from David - the Jesus myth being the way it is probably has more to do with the political circumstances of its origin (conquest by rome) than the nobler meanings ascribed to it later. 

Another, subtler/ less apparent aspect of the destiny trap thing is that if everyone has their fate, no one can be blamed all too badly. (Deathbed redemptions galore) Nonetheless, as the prover goes, “karma is a bitch” and these people invented it.

That said, tough still a simplistic story (that purtports there’s only one clear universal law everywhere and that the good guys always win - That’s an air castle if there ever was one, we need to work for that) I was actually surprised by the sophistication of morals & politics at times, it went into specific questions (hypocrite accusations, hypocratic oaths, how to charioteer, what a good king should be like etc. )

This is probably an artefact of being written from the PoV of royals & warriors, or just an indication of the great asian civilizations having existed so long & relatively unbroken compared to the many shifts in where things where going on in the nothwest. 

This is the first time in ANY mythical story that I’ve seen anyone raise the concern of preserving the innocent citizens of the enemy faction and how to stabilize the political situation afterwards (after dethroning the local evil overlord, they put in his turncoat brother who joined the good guys for damage control), something that I haven’t seen a SINGLE time in the Bible (and I’ve read the whole thing), though the heroes steer clear of the line to “simplistic stupid good” if you discount the “honor before reason” parts.

There’s 4 ways you can do ‘archetypical’ characters: Wholly & completely stick to the simple archetype, bring the archetype to full circle & detail while milking it for maximum symbolism, “not what they seem/contrast” and giving them depht without having them ever stop to be their archetype - it’s the latter that was done magnificiently here, especially in terms of 3Dimensional antagonists, they have enough redeeming qualities for it all to strike you as a tragic waste of life, but not enough to let go of their pride and avert the divine punishment. 

(The “wicked cultured” Dark Sorceror Evil Overlord being interesting is a given, but of all characters, the cocky big mouthed Demon Prince was the last one I expected to have hidden dephts)

[katiezstorey93]

The Internet Design Trends You’ll Want To Use in 2018

Milton Glaser, the graphic designer behind the renowned I Love NY emblem said, “There are three responses to a bit of design — yes, no, and even WOW! ” Today, with all the influx of websites flourishing all over the Internet, which ‘WOW’ factor is that the key to standing out from the crowd.

So what do you need in order? First, you’ll certainly need a strong tool to make your own stunning site. As you’re reading this post you understand that Wix is the ideal platform to do just that we presume. You’ll want to focus on discovering the upcoming web design tendencies of 2018 to make sure the love that it deserves is received by your creation.

From the fast paced world that we call home, engineering, Internet customs and internet design trends are constantly changing. So in order for one to remain in the know, we have rounded up the latest internet design trends you’ll see online in the calendar year supplied by our prestigious Wix layout group.

Without further ado, here are the net design tendencies you’re guaranteed to see in 2018:

Rethink typographies

Typography serves the branding components for any small business. For the longest time, it was an unwritten ‘design’ principle to play it safe in regards to mixing multiple kinds of fonts, yet that the rules are changing this year. Typography will take on a new role of acting not as text but will also function as an image. Saying this, make sure your masterpiece is displayed over the fold. Get ready for the bold, the big and the beautiful!

Therefore, what are we going to see?

Caution: Mixing up your typography must only be for aesthetic reasons, and therefore don’t attempt this in paragraphs or blog articles where readability is vital.

Add decorative details

The blank look that was simplistic might have lasted a while, but it’s time to make way. Be on the lookout for shapes and preferences. The purpose of these embellishments? They are amazing for adding content on your site or a little extra focus on areas that are certain — or just just for cosmetic purposes.

Caution: Like most wise moms say, “everything in moderation.” Make sure these details are utilised to add attention, as opposed to distract your viewers.

Break the (design) rules

There has been a slow increase of websites which are currently altering users’ browsing habits. The horizontal menu along the surface of your site is a good practice but do not be reluctant to go for a floating bar, a hamburger menu and content that is laid out in ways: in reference to navigation. When done correctly, this trendy trend will make certain that your site is currently overflowing with style.

If it has to do with the design aspect, there is a shift towards layouts that seem stylish and from the box. Envision something along the lines of an journal. Many of these sites take on the notion of “organized chaos” but since people are more informed in regards to scanning websites, it works.

All this also allows for:

More liberty with dimensions and page alignment

Asymmetrical layouts

A Assortment of media (text, video, pictures) all in 1 area

Caution: This fresh take on conventional layouts seems fun and freeing, but keep in mind that users still must find all of your important information without looking too much.

Incorporate animation

There is a definite increase of the ever-so-subtle detail, although it might not be revolutionary for net design to incorporate animation. The interactiveness of animation ensures any site is tricky and lively, encouraging visitors for longer to browse. Use it and tastefully. Animation should add impact. By way of instance, the mouseover exhibited from the stunning template under is loved by us.

Some examples contain:

Parallax scrolling (The continued trend of 2017)

Transition between webpages

Animation on Specific components or segments

Mouseover effect

Caution: Overusing animation will bring about a more “heavy” site that takes forever to load. Don’t compromise your visitors’ patience.

Showoff with movies and 3D effects

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last five decades, you’ve probably seen the growth of the movie age! You can easily incorporate this highly engaging medium onto your site by means of a movie history or movie strips. Using video or transferring 3D components is a way to reveal service, product or your story. By way of instance, imagine if it was shown from several angles, how much more attractive a product would appear. You’re going to be sure to captivate your visitors right from the beginning.

Talking of moving things, 3D animations are still currently proving to be as trendy as movies. Have a peek at this remarkable use of the trend that was shown in the 2017 OFFFTLV festival created by our very own Wix Studio team. How cool is that?

Experiment with colours

Moving onto the colours. Whilst still carrying your brand to consideration, the overall motif of 2018 appears to be “everything goes!” From these pastel colors to the showy and vibrant, to those loved gradients and palettes, colour is very much a trend for the calendar year. Of course colours will be trendy — styles that are white and black are still in. There is one particular color that is making headway for the year: ultra violet! It is certainly if ever there is a time to be more daring and colorful. The template below, magnificently combines a few

Caution: rescue your site goers a trip to the optometrist — utilize these colours sensibly.

To sum things up: 2018 is all about being daring, “out there” and initial. With this liberty, the design options are endless!

The post <p>The Internet Design Trends You’ll Want To Use in 2018</p> appeared first on Vista Icon Creator.

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[eddiejpoplar]

Drive Review: BMW R nine T Pure

When a motorcycle adorns a premium brand’s name, like BMW along with their distinctive roundel, expectations are high. When the model name includes “R nine T,” expectations begin to soar. Introduced in 2013, the R nine T was the first entrant into BMW’s Heritage line. Immediately following that bike’s introduction, it was beloved and lauded by consumers, journalists and customizers alike. The Pure variant, which debuted in 2016 following the Scrambler variant’s introduction, is a bit more minimalistic. Consequently, the base price is a whopping $3,400 less than the original model’s. Its simplistic design is very conducive to an individual looking to modify their motorbike into something even more unique and exclusive. I’ve been told by my local BMW Motorrad dealer that the vast majority of R nine T Pures that they service have been significantly modified from their original state. However, bone stock, what BMW Motorrad has created is a motorcycle that provides a truly unadulterated motorcycling experience, without any non-sense. It’s name, Pure, is so very fitting.

Gazing upon the bike, in the flesh or rather the metal, you become immediately aware of the tiny details, which serve to create a gulf between this bike and the proverbial herd. Such details as the BMW roundel present in the headlamp, and the “R nine T” tag that adorns the seat.

The instrument cluster, in keeping with the simplistic nature of the motorcycle, is very basic in its design. Absent is a tachometer, but other information like the engine temperature, for example, can be viewed through a digital display at the base. Don’t worry, if you feel like you cannot live without the tachometer, you can purchase it as an Original BMW Motorrad Accessory through your BMW motorcycle dealer. Also, true to its retro inspiration, the speedometer is a traditional, analog needle.

My particular test bike was equipped with optional spoke wheels, which thanks to the use of a single-sided swing arm, the rear wheel’s aesthetic value can be fully appreciated. They added an additional $500 to the price, but I’d say they are well worth the extra expenditure.

Every button that graces your fingertips further conveys solidity and quality. In fact, every material and surface, in general, conveys these positive attributes. When you mount the bike and stand it up, moving the bike’s weight from side to side, you can immediately anticipate how agile it will be on the road. After all of the build up from its tantalizing looks comes to a head, it’s almost time to fire up the bike.

As a member of the Heritage line, the R nine T Pure, of course, draws inspiration from the models upon which BMW Motorrad built its stellar reputation. Beginning in 1923, when BMW produced their first motorcycle, the Bavarian firm has utilized a flat, twin motor, affectionately known as a boxer engine. Since their very first model, the boxer configuration has become truly synonymous with the core of the brand, and though not identical to that original design, it lives on in several of the brand’s offerings, including some of its highest selling models, like the R 1200 GS. The boxer motor, which acts as the heart of the R nine T Pure, is air and oil cooled, and is therefore arguably the closest to the original air-cooled boxer motors.

The time has finally come, and after depressing the bottom of the On/Off switch located on the right handlebar, the motor springs to life. The rumble it emanates, the sensation alone, temporarily ignoring the sound, is enlivening and distinctive. It retains so much of the character and charm that embodied and defined previous generations of BMW motorcycles.

Is rumble just a mere eloquent synonym for vibration? Not at all. Characteristic of this type of motor configuration, there is a tiny bit of vibration, but I can’t emphasize “tiny bit” enough. The vibration never led to numbness nor even as much as a tingling sensation. In fact, it was hardly noticeable. Considering that the foot pegs aren’t coated in a material which would assist in absorbing vibration, this is even more impressive.

Power is delivered smoothly, and very much predictably. Due to the torque, it is provided in a manner which can be best described as joyful. An excellent balance between providing linear power and providing exhilaration is achieved. Unsurprisingly, the 110 horsepower, 1,170cc engine offers an excess of ‘umph,’ seemingly available throughout the entirety of the rev range, in all gears. A mere slight rotation of the throttle is all that is necessary to awaken the beast which lies between the rider’s legs.

That ‘beast’ does, however, become quite warm in heavy traffic. I observed temperatures in excess of 260 degrees Fahrenheit, in such conditions. Yet, if it weren’t for the temperature gauge, the rider would be completely unaware. I cannot think of another motorcycle, excluding other R nine T variants of course, which dissipates heat in such a non-obtrusive manner. Otherwise, in ‘normal’ conditions, the temperature hovered right at or above 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Engine braking is, for me, an integral part of my experience while riding a motorcycle. It does, of course, create a wondrous noise but we’ll talk about that later. It’s integral because it enables you to scrub off speed without utilizing your brakes. If engine braking is too severe, it slows you too quickly, in a manner which is jarring. Conversely, if it is too weak, its impact is negligible and you’ll frequently need to employ the brakes to slow the bike, which is just not as fun. The latter of the two is more problematic, as the first can be compensated for by rolling on the throttle. The R nine T Pure’s engine braking is a tiny bit on the stronger side, but very well balanced between the two extremes. Precisely as I prefer it to be.

The more basic suspension utilized on the Pure is, in technical terms, a downgrade from what is present on the original R nine T. However, in describing it, the word “downgrade” is extremely far from the forefront of my mind. Instead, words like “balanced,” “practical” and “precise” occupy my sentiments. In fact, I would even go as far as saying that the R nine T Pure’s suspension is my favorite of all the motorcycles I’ve ever ridden, for real road riding. During spirited riding on secluded, twisty roads, it is reassuring and firm. Over the pot hole laden, poor roads that are far too common in the North Eastern United States, it remains very composed, nullifying the road’s impact on the rider. It is, in my opinion, absolutely excellent at handling a very wide variety of real road riding conditions. I must add, my weight is roughly 160lbs, and that does, undoubtedly, effect the suspension’s performance and concomitantly my impression of it.

The phenomenal suspension, paired with the wheelbase length, the tubular space frame’s rigidity, and a superb set of Metzeler tires, synergistically work together to provide an overall handling experience that punches far above the R nine T Pure’s price class. On the highway and through sweeping turns, the bike feels very planted and stable. Yet, it feels nimble and agile through tight switchbacks and in traffic. This is also attributable to the way in which it carries its weight. Weighing in at 483 pounds wet, it isn’t exactly feather light, but it feels more like a 415 pound bike. Though low speed maneuverability is excellent, it doesn’t come at the expense of higher speed stability, thanks to the addition of a steering stabilizer.

Another thing that makes it a joy to ride around town is its seat height. Measuring up at 31.7 inches, it isn’t extremely short, yet due to how narrow the seat is where it makes contact with your inner thigh, it is very easy to plant both feet firmly on the ground. This, of course, will vary for each individual. I am 5′ 11″, and typically wear pants with a 30″ inseam.

The seating position, itself, I found to be also quite comfortable and versatile. Upright, it is very kind to your wrists. Yet, it is a very commanding position, which lends itself well to ‘carving up’ the road and easily shifting your weight.

I cannot neglect to mention that my test bike was equipped with BMW’s Automatic Stability Control system, or ASC. When I encountered gravel on the roads, the ASC was more than just a bit of “peace of mind.” I could feel it working, as well as witness the indication of its effectiveness on the instrument cluster. A $400 option, I would opt for undoubtedly.

Though again, technically lesser than what comes on the original R nine T, the best name in braking still adorns the the setup on the Pure. Brembo. With that being said, it doesn’t disappoint at all. The bite from the rear brake alone, is enough to bring the bike to a complete stop rather quickly, though you should always use both the front and rear brakes simultaneously. The front brakes have an excess of capacity to abruptly halt the bike’s motion, and both the front and rear systems can work to their fullest potential thanks to BMW’s standard ABS. Due to that suspension I was lauding earlier, under heavy braking, there is very little perceptible nose diving.

Typical of a BMW, the R nine T Pure makes use of a drive shaft, rather than a chain, to transfer power to the rear wheel. Not only is it smooth and reliable, it is far less maintenance intensive than a chain. With all of the miles I put on my test bike, not once did I have to get ‘down n’ dirty’ to clean and lubricate a chain, nor did I have to risk my fingers getting caught between a chain and a rear sprocket. You simply change the fluid in the drive shaft when you change your engine oil, more simplicity. Additionally, the aesthetic of the driveshaft paired with the single-sided swing arm is far more pleasing to the eye than other mainstream alternatives.

The transmission, though very-very refined, retains a little bit of that re-assuring, solid and audible clunk that occurs when shifting through the gears, that is common of Beamers. Admittedly, I’d be saddened if it weren’t present at all. It is about one twentieth as perceptible as it is on my nearly forty year old BMW R65. Shifter travel is minimal, as well. Shifts themselves are pretty smooth, thanks both to the transmission itself and the hydraulically actuated clutch. However, that clutch is one of the very few, if not the only thing, that I would’ve changed about the bike.

The clutch works beautifully, and with the hydraulic actuator, clutch pull is pretty light. Many purists will disagree with me here, but I’d have preferred a wet clutch instead of the dry clutch that BMW went with. The reason is simple, I’d feel much less guilty pulling the clutch lever in while stopped, as the dry clutch used on the R nine T Pure, not unlike the clutch in a manual car, can burn out more easily. It is a pretty insignificant criticism because, just as I do with my vintage Beamer, I simply shifted into neutral at stops. Of course, that is for stops that aren’t very brief, like when stopping at a stop sign, for example. Thankfully, because of the great transmission, shifting frequently into neutral isn’t bothersome, and there weren’t any false neutrals.

Design is, by its very nature, something which is valued and judged subjectively, but based upon my experiences with the R nine T Pure, I’ve concluded that I am not alone in thinking that this is one beautiful bike. Though the design clearly has a retro theme, it also conveys modernity simultaneously, masculinity and strength, particularly through the tank. It is distinctive from the pool of both modern and vintage motorcycles I frequently encounter, as a result.

The paint color which embellishes the steel tank, dubbed Catalano Grey, is non-metallic and has a glossy finish. It pairs wonderfully with the black and metal components on the bike, and serves to give the bike a bit of a gritty persona, as opposed to the original R nine T.

Everywhere I went with the bike, it garnered positive attention. Everything from gawking eyes and envious glances to those more enthusiastic observers who approach wanting to know more about the bike. It is a real conversation starter. Even where I live, in New Hope, PA, where Main Street is often lined with motorcycles and spotting rare, upscale bikes and automobiles is rather common, the R nine T Pure made a statement and had a strong presence.

Another thing that draws attention to the bike is the symphony of sound that it produces from its exhaust. With the same canister that can be found on the R nine T Racer, the Pure makes a full-bodied roar, with the depth that you’d expect from a twin motor.

However, the bike sounds far better stock than I anticipated it would. See, many of us have come to simply accept that, due to the regulatory climate, when you purchase a new motorcycle, you’ll very much want to replace the stock canister/s, if not the entire exhaust system, immediately. In this case, I felt very satisfied by both the sound itself and its volume. Actually, I was more than merely satisfied, I was elated.

It is true that if it hadn’t been satisfactory, it could have easily been remedied by upgrading it with the HP Sports Silencer, which if it sounds this good stock must be absolutely intoxicating. Still, it’s important to note that the bike really does sound great with the stock can. That is not to say that you likely wouldn’t want to buy things to personalize the bike, and BMW offers tons of genuine accessories with which to do so, but you could never change a thing on it and still really love it.

Clearly, I’m pretty smitten with the bike. I am/was very much a fan of the R nine T, as well, so I was a little bit concerned that the Pure was going feel like a budget conscious compromise, comparatively. Though this is a review and not a direct comparison, that concern was, thankfully, erroneous. Starting at $11,995, the Pure still isn’t a ‘cheap’ bike, but it is a lot of bike for the money, very much a value. Also, let’s be honest, if it were ‘too cheap,’ you’d see them everywhere and that would decrease the bike’s desirability, but I do feel like the Pure is very competitively priced with offerings from other premium manufacturers. The competition in this price segment is pretty fierce. Still, my test bike, with the optional wheels, ASC and heated grips, plus destination fees, came out to $13,640, still a hefty $1,755 less than the starting price of the R nine T. Of course, the R nine T retains its own appeal at the pinnacle of the Heritage line-up. The Pure, however, is an unignorable proposition. Would I purchase one for myself, is it that good? Most certainly, without even an ounce of regret.

Visit the Author on Instagram @MikeAndHisBikes

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[londontheatre]

Tahiti! – Photo by Alex Fine

A rather outspoken maverick clergyman, now retired, once told me that if he were for some reason obligated to attend an opera performance, he would prefer to go to one sung in Italian with English ‘surtitles’ (the same as ‘subtitles’ but these appear above the stage in order to be seen by the audience).

He would, he thought, have a far better understanding of the libretto than he would trying to decipher opera sung in English. Cheekiness aside, there are some opera aficionados who would applaud his stance: they tell me that there are certain expressions and intonations that get lost in sung translation, just as Shakespeare plays are apparently always at their best in English.

Such matters need not concern the audience attending this production of Tahiti!, with both short operas in this double-bill originally written in English in the first place. The problem wasn’t with anyone’s diction but with the acoustics of the venue. A 14-strong orchestra led by Karin Hendrickson, wonderful and note-perfect as they were, almost drowned out the singers on occasion, thus making a section of unaccompanied singing comparatively angelic, particularly when all five performers were singing in harmony.

In the first half, a new composition called Pacific Pleasures, the show came across more as a concert than a fully-staged production. But it’s certainly very spirited at times. The second half, a performance of Leonard Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti, is one of those ‘day in the life of’ stories, making what preceded it (in hindsight) a tad rushed, even if the dramaturgy works: just before the interval, Sam (Edward Laurenson) and Dinah (Rebecca Cuddy) get married, a decision taken after (if the story is to be taken literally) just one date. Thus there is at least an explanation for all the squabbling and disagreement in the second half – which makes, mind you, for some glorious and lively singing. It is only now that they are getting to know one another properly, and finding that there really isn’t such a thing as a perfect human being after all.

Sam gets his big number, set in a gym. I didn’t quite catch all the lyrics (that so good they are too good orchestra again) but it seemed to be about men, some of whom simply won’t achieve their ambition, however hard they try, and others who succeed at practically everything regardless of effort or deservedness. In short, he has delusions of grandeur as he pumps weights. Dinah’s big number sees her breaching the fourth wall and singing from the stalls, as she gives, through song, a synopsis of a movie, acted out on stage by a ‘Jazz Trio’ (Eleri Gwilym, Joshua Baxter and Ashley Mercer). “Escapist Technicolor twaddle”? I don’t think she liked it.

Elsewhere, the detailed descriptions of the couple’s evening out are surprisingly compelling, given some of the lyrics. “Focus on the screen,” sings Gwilym, in the role of Dinah’s conscience. But what else would you do at the cinema? That said, it was, overall, useful to have one’s private thoughts voiced out in this way – I couldn’t count the number of shows where the audience must guess what a character is really thinking. The subsequent bedroom activity was covered on stage, almost disappointingly, with too many bedsheets – or have I seen too many ‘let it all hang’ National Theatre productions?

More sad than satirical, though not without moments of humour, this is accessible opera done with poise and confidence. It may not tell us anything new, but the simplistic staging and feasible opera plot in which nobody dies make for a refreshingly thoughtful and reflective production. Look out, too, for the subtle nods to the motion picture Titanic in the first half.

Review by Chris Omaweng

Set in a typical residential suburb, Tahiti! tells us the story of a young couple who, despite apparently having all the key ingredients for happiness and having been afforded all the opportunities to hold on to it and be truly happy, alas… are not.

Directed by Jorge Balça, Karin Hendrickson conducts a vibrant and talented orchestra of young musicians. As our Tahiti! unfolds, the five-strong ensemble cast will ask you to consider ‘what’s your Tahiti?’

Using a range of dramatic strategies, such as physical theatre and puppeteering, Tahiti! explores the extent to which our lives are already mapped out before we start living them.

Jorge Balça is a London-based actor, theatre & opera director, teacher and academic. He trained as a countertenor in Portugal, before moving to the UK in 1998 when he started focusing on directing during his BA Performing Arts – Drama at Middlesex University. Since then, Jorge leads workshops and research projects in the areas of opera, physical theatre, interdisciplinary performance and cross-culturalism. Directing credits include ‘Don Giovanni… a fashion opera’ by W.A. Mozart (Goodenough), ‘The Magic Flute’ by W.A. Mozart (Goodenough/Bloomsbury Festival), ‘Tango Finale’ by M. Corbett (+logo), ‘The Tunnel of Rats’ by A.N. Rosa (Stonecrabs) and more.

Company Information Words and Music (Trouble In Tahiti) by Leonard Bernstein Music (Pacific Pleasures) by Alannah Marie Halay Libretto (Pacific Pleasures) by Jorge Balça Directed by: Jorge Balça Musical Director: Karin Harcourt Lighting Designer: Will Alder

Cast: Dinah – Rebecca Cuddy Sam – Edward Laurenson Ensemble – Eleri Gwilym Ensemble – Joshua Baxter Ensemble – Ashley Mercer

Listings Information Goodenough College, Mecklenburgh Square, London, WC1N 2AB 25th & 26th March 2017, 8pm http://ift.tt/2nWt2VI

http://ift.tt/2o6b28f LondonTheatre1.com