#I especially like how Jojo showcases their different fighting styles

[adrift-in-thyme]

LOVE the visual similarities between these two panels

Credit to @linkeduniverse

[filmmakerdreamst]

Xena: Warrior Princess Review

During Pride Month 2020, I finally got around to watch ‘Xena’. A show that had been in my to-watch list for years, but never got around to start. And when I finally did, I was pleasantly surprised. It was not what I expected and it was everything I think my 11 year old self would have loved.

The one thing that surprised me about the show, was the lack of packaging. Even though it was a fantasy, it also played with different kinds of genres too. I’ve talked about this before in my other review - ‘Xena’ was made at a time when TV had very few rules/rarely had a set audience, since there were parts of the show that were clearly for kids and there were other parts that were clearly for adults (therefore had much more flexibility). I admired how they weren’t afraid to break barriers and touch on deep themes such as religion, morality, redemption, spirituality, motherhood, forgiveness etc - even more than shows of today are able. I also loved how they played into the idea of ‘murder’ and how much it can damage a person - not just the person who commits the act, but the many people affected afterwards. I wasn’t expecting it to be that extreme. It made me think that this must of been the inspiration for ‘Game of Thrones’. 

I see a lot of comments here and there, saying how ‘cheesy and terrible’ it was but to just accept it because its part of the fun. And while like any show it does suffer from the occasional spell of bad writing (the whole of season 5) but it was also shown to be very aware of that fact and never took itself too seriously - unlike some shows I could mention. 

And regarding the ‘cheese’ factor (what 90s show wasn’t) It definitely can be, but I would call it ‘camp’ and ‘experimental’ more than anything else. (Don’t diss the poor use of CGI - I’m personally sympathetic to what was avaliable to them at the time) The style of humour reminded me of Taika Waititi’s filmmaking. If you’ve watched any of his films such as ‘Hunt for The Wilderpeople’ or ‘Jojo Rabbit’, then you know what I’m talking about. I liked how little they cared about being accurate or logical, which added to the ‘bonkers’ element in the show - which you can see in all of Taika Waititi’s films.

In all seriousness, a show centered around two women in their late twenties, who are realistic sizes (not trying to play teenagers). One of whom is a reformed mass murderer, who has lived a life experience, trying to do good in the world for the first time, picking the other one up who has no life experience prior (after they bugged them until they said ‘ok fine’) in their path to redemption. Just two women who become friends travelling the world together, fighting crime, having a laff, learning from one another without any toxicity - when suddenly when the stakes are raised - they realise ‘oh I'm actually falling in love with this person’ I have watched a lot of badly written shows in my childhood enough to know that, that’s not ‘cheesy’. I’ve never seen a story like that in my entire life. I’m not at all surprised that Russel T Davis was inspired by it while writing the Doctor and Rose’s relationship in ‘Doctor Who’ since he’s gay himself.

What’s more amazing about their love story is how they’re both develop as separate people as well. There was this video essay explaining ‘Why you should watch Angel’ the spin off series to Buffy; how ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer ‘was all about growing up and ‘Angel’ was all about being an adult. With Xena: Warrior Princess, you have both of those stories at the same time. 

Xena’s character was such a multifaceted experience to watch. And I can’t imagine anyone else who could play her as well as Lucy Lawless. What planet did they get that actress from? She's flawless! The amount of skill she has to put herself into a very physical role is astonishing. I personally had a love/hate relationship with her character all series long. Not in the way that I hated her, just that I couldn’t trust if she was all good or bad, which I know was intentional on the writers part. I haven’t seen a character quite like her before. She felt very much like a fallen angel; almost like the villain of her own story. Some of my favourite episodes come from fleshing out her character and dark past (‘Locked up and Tied Down’ is one of them) which reminds the audience that's she's not the stereotypical hero everyone expects. I loved her transformation from being this incredibly stoic warrior to being content and happy with who she is in season six, all because of a woman she fell in love with along the way. 

I’ve always thought of Gabrielle as the real hero and narrator of ‘Xena’. She’s the prime example of ‘a normal person becoming extrodinary’. Gabrielle’s coming of age story starting out as an innocent girl from a poor village dreaming of adventure, and ending as this vicious warrior who realises the ‘adventure’ wasn’t how she made it out to be is honestly the best character arc that I’ve ever seen. I loved how travelling with Xena made her realise her passion for writing (which was never going to happen in her home town, given the ‘sexist’ and ‘heteronormative’ ideas) and that she became a amazon princess like Xena. In regards to her sexuality, which is more up for debate than Xena’s (which I think we can all agree is bisexual) I personally interpret her as gay, just in terms of how she was written. Theres this moment in season 4 where she's being held up her hair, and Xena “symbolically” cuts it off ‘freeing her’. And she never really gets with a man afterwards, unless she’s being ‘possessed. It reminded me of a moment in one of Hayao Miyasaki’s films ‘Laputa, Castle in the Sky’ where the bad guy Moska shoots Sheeta’s ‘princess hair off’ which symbolises her transition from child to adult.

The cinematography was breathtaking. There was some great utilisation of New Zealand as the scenery. So was the soundtrack. You could tell it was made by experienced filmmakers. One of my favourite things about the show was the domestic elements - moments in the show where time seemed to stop - which made the world around the characters seem very real and magical. Even though it was a show that featured a lot of action/adventure, there was also this gentleness to it as well. For example, you could feel the wetness of the rain, the warmth of the sun and the clashing of the waves. This technique is used in Hayao Miayasaki’s work a lot .

The technique is referred to as ‘MA’ 空虚 meaning emptiness in Japanese. ‘Miyasaki describes this as the time between a clap’

“If you just have non stop action, with no breathing space at all, its just busyness. But if you take a moment, then the tension building in the film can grow into a wider dimension” - Hayao Miyasaki

The episode ‘A Day in the Life’ in season two is a really good example of this technique being used.

To my understanding, they used a lot of the local actors in New Zealand, which according to Lucy Lawless, consisted of ‘African immigrants and other different ethnicites’. It was so refreshing to see such a diverse show (despite some slip ups) especially in the 90s. I appreciated the idea that if the actors or extras couldn’t do an ‘american accent’ people could just talk in their natural speech which was also very refreshing. 

The LGBT representation was surprisingly amazing. I never expected so many queer characters in one show - especially under the censors. There was this one episode where they had a trans woman - played by an actual trans actress - win a beauty contest. It made me cry. Not to mention the actress was an aids activist. It was actually Lucy Lawless’ idea to kiss her which was incredibly controversial at that time considering how everyone thought you could catch aids just by kissing. I can definitey see how it validated people back in the 90s.

When people told me that Xena: Warrior Princess was one of the greatest love stories, I thought they were exaggerating a little. But no, watching the show in context, I found out that it really is. Despite its obvious restrictions, It made me realise (regarding token gay couples today) how often television writers rely on physicality and drama to convey a ‘love story’ and how much of it is actually pandering the audience. One of the reasons why Xena and Gabrielle’s relationship felt so genuine is because it was built on mutual respect/compassion and they were also best friends. I felt like I was witnessing something very real and private. It didn’t need kissing scenes or drama to make it interesting. 

It really helped that most of the writers were queer also. There’s this opening scene in season 4, panning over to Gabrielle giving Xena a massage (metaphor for sex - because they weren’t able to show that on screen) which I consider to be one of the most iconic scenes in media - considering how I wanted to sick up my supper when I watched the 10 minute ‘empty’ explicit sex scene in ‘Blue in the Warmest Colour’. The difference when something is written by a queer women vs a straight man.

Because the creators weren’t allowed to write their love story in the normal way, due to the studio forbidding them to, they found creative ways to showcase that love on screen - which made for a very magical/sensual experience. And I can safely say, if anyone has doubts about watching ‘Xena’, whenever I expected to be queer baited at a few points in the show, I was proved wrong time and time again. It’s the most romantical show I’ve ever seen in my life!

[kdtheghostwriter]

SNK 116: V Has Come To

Alexa: play “Roundabout”

When I first saw the Kanji that represents “rumbling,” my first two thoughts, in immediate succession where as follows: “Oh, shit, is it already happening” and “Oh, no, wait it’s just like JoJo.” (Fun fact about that ED, since Ded Memes live here. The little To Be Continued arrow always flies in before the drums hit. Like everything it gets adjusted for the purposes I suppose. Anyway!) Honestly, every chapter in this volume has ended like the episode of an anime, including this one with its hero/villain stare down and triumphant proclamation from the narrator. More on how those tables have turned later.

 I want to spend most of this essay talking about Eren, since I spent most of the last one talking about his older brother. I’m not so much surprised at the direction his character has taken after so many years of pain and abuse. What does take me aback is how so many people are apparently sympathetic to Zeke while hating Eren, especially considering how Eren had a comparatively awful upbringing while spending a lot less time being shitty to people.

But maybe I shouldn’t be too shocked. Even as the main character, he’s always been controversial. Whether by people who want him to be paired with one character or another, or those who just plain don’t like him. Even in-story, good will has been hard to come by. One minute they’re honoring you and your friends in front of the Queen. A few years later, you’re locked underground as a fugitive of the military-controlled government.

It was the Chapter 112 recap where I broke down the nuance of a pro wrestling storyline – specifically in regards to their character-driven nature. I used performers like Shawn Michaels and Brett “The Hitman” Hart to outline the natural progression of a character from fan favorite to hated ne’er-do-well. Now, I’ll be using an example much more relevant to the story. The Rise then Fall then Return then “Turn” of Daniel Bryan.

Most important thing to note about Daniel Bryan is that he’s not supposed to be in the ring at all. A series of concussions and other injuries forced him to retire from active in-ring competition. This was directly after a year-long saga of him trying to prove himself as a main event player. After what seemed like endless waves of red tape and front office hurdles, he achieved the absolute pinnacle of the business. Winning in the main event of the year’s biggest show, WrestleMania, and becoming the World Heavyweight Champion. It was always going to be downhill from that point. What couldn’t have been predicted was the suddenness of it.

Three years pass and Daniel Bryan announces his imminent return to active competition. His first match back is yet again at the Showcase of the Immortals. He receives a hero’s welcome and for several months is riding a familiar high as the most popular superstar in all of wrestling. And then, he fights AJ Styles and something changes.

I must note here briefly that at this point in the latter part of 2018, AJ Styles himself is enjoying a year-long run as champion of the world’s largest federation. He and Daniel Bryan were scheduled to have a match at the Crown Jewel event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Yes, the same Saudi Arabia that allegedly orchestrated the murder of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi. Daniel Bryan, along with other members of the roster, refused to make the trip. As such, his WWE Championship match was pushed up a week to be contested on TV. Bryan lost this match, but that would not be the last time they faced. In fact, the very next time the two squared off, Bryan captured the title, albeit via some nefarious means. It was after this match (followed by a match with former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar) that something broke within Daniel Bryan.

The WWE’s relentless media schedules as well as the punishment of months of fighting on the road finally broke him down mentally as well as physically, and he decided that enough was too much. Daniel Bryan utilized his newfound platform as champion and killed the movement that catapulted him to worldwide fame. In its place, a message of repentance. He replaced the leather strap of his title belt with one made of hemp and naturally fallen oak. He railed against the paying fans for their unchecked consumerism and even admonished his boss, billionaire Chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment Vince McMahon, for exploiting their more reductive tendencies.

This is going to sound weird because, honestly, these things change month-to-month but, yes, Daniel Bryan is supposed to be the bad guy here. And for a segment of the audience he absolutely is. Live crowds across the country (excluding his home state of Washington) hate Bryan with a fiery passion. Meanwhile, all of Twitter asked all at once, “Wait, you want us to…boo him?” It’s the most famous Heel Turn in recent memory due in part to the circumstances and the performer involved. This was the most popular wrestler in the world not six months prior. But even though the crowd still loved him, they were not clamoring for him like they had been. The magic of the Yes Movement was largely gone.

In Shingeki no Kyojin, I’ve witnessed this cycle ad nauseum. It’s the ebb and flow of fandom. I’ve been reading this series long enough to recall a time when Eren was seen as a useless, whiny geek as opposed to the badass world-beater he is now. There was a time, believe it or not, where Reiner was as polarized and hated as Eren is now. Before that even! Reiner was little more than the cute, air-headed jock before he and Bertholt revealed themselves as spies. Isayama reveals him as his favorite character and he’s been the darling of the fandom ever since. Second perhaps only to Commander Handsome himself who is even more popular in death. Annie still has her fans, despite only being in maybe fifteen percent of this manga.

My point is the same that Isayama has been getting at for the past three volumes or so. (Maybe more than that if we accept Kruger’s monologue as the first example.) Your notion of how the world works has been fucked from the start. Good and evil; right and wrong; Marley and Paradis. Reality is only as good as your perspective. The author was not content with just stating this, though. To prove his point, he deconstructed his own carefully planned narrative, rebuilt it backwards, then flipped it upside down so that now, we’ve come back ‘round to this.

Funny thing, life is. When your idols become your rivals. Eren once confided in Reiner for support in his darkest moments. Now, it’s very likely he’s going to try and kill him. Simply for getting in his way. This is more of the framing I’ve talked about before from Isayama. This looks like any other match card from an actual title bout. To show you what I mean, I’m going to line up several examples.

Seeing it now? Classic promoter tactics. Building up the hype. People rib on the Dragon Ball series for doing this sometimes – in the case of Z – to a comical extent. But really, this method can be seen elsewhere in stuff like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, One Piece, Yu Yu Hakusho, Lupin the Third; I really could just name twelve more titles.

This is a rematch four years in the making. Yes, they met in Liberio but I don’t count that as a fight, considering Eren won long before anyone even transformed and Reiner was literally begging for his death. In present day, the Warriors have caught The Usurper off guard and they have much needed backup. This conflict has been set up like the apex of any Marvel movie. The mismatched group of heroes converging on one point, because the only hope they have of defeating the super villain is if they do it together.

This is why Pieck didn’t pull the trigger when she had the chance and also why Eren didn’t transform and splatter her and Gabi against the dungeon walls. Pieck is part of a team. A team with a plan. Part of that plan involved getting Eren Jaeger out in the open where he would be exposed to an all-out attack. Eren had prior knowledge of the Warrior Unit’s arrival and knew his best option was to track their location and cut them off. Pieck was likely dead whether she cooperated or not. What Eren didn’t account for was Porco, who was actually in plain sight amongst the other Jaegerists, but in a world where photography has just recently been introduced, one could not expect them to recognize him out of his Titan.

 Pieck trusted her friends, and now they are all dropping in to Shiganshina to aid in her rescue. Eren did not trust his friends, and now they are all dead, mutilated or locked in a cell and they won’t be coming to his rescue. In another manga, this would be the turning point of the story where the Big Bad got his comeuppance and learned the ultimate lesson about the Power of Friendship and the series would end with the two brothers embracing in a pile of rubble. This is not any manga. Eren has three Titan powers at his disposal. (Four if he can get his hands on Porco again.) Unless there is a legit airstrike of some sort or some other secondary offensive, Reiner has no chance of winning this. Maybe he doesn’t have to, depending on what the plan is.

We still don’t know what Eren’s plan is either! That’s probably the biggest difference between him and Daniel Bryan. The Daniel Bryan character was developed weekly on television over many months and his motivations up to this point have been fully fleshed out. Eren’s motivations are a mystery to everyone except Eren. Even his brother Zeke doesn’t know what he’s up to. Zeke who, by the way, can magically appear in this upcoming battle as well. No, I don’t think Eren is the final “bad guy” of this story. I just wish he was, because he’s damn good at doing it.

I do not know how this ends. I am, however, sure of one thing.

  Stray Thoughts

- I wouldn’t say either Eren or Pieck had the other fooled at any point. They were at an impasse and Eren decided to move the plot along.

- Eren isn’t the classic mwahaha villain (yet) but wow is he angry. And not the violent, explosive anger we know him for. Cold, cunning, calculated. I genuinely feared for Pieck’s life despite her holding the gun.

- I know we’ve been conditioned by this story to search for subtext, even when it’s not there, but I wouldn’t read too much into certain…stuff that happened with the 104th. The point here was to re-establish what we already know about the crew. Jean is a very perceptive lad and almost certainly the next Commander if anyone survives this story. Armin is…having a moment.

- I have to wonder how good Magath’s intel is for this op. Does he know that Shiganshina is deserted? Has he accounted for Zeke’s appearance? Does he know the God of Destruction is nearby?

- Yelena has been a favorite of mine since her debut, when everyone thought Connie grew three times his size. I won’t call it a Heel Turn because it doesn’t count if you weren’t wearing the White Hat to begin with.

[kob131]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZiQAq_nf1s

“Could have expanded on the ideas surrounding the character but you just couldn’t do that, Rooster Teeth?”-

Look man, I get getting angry about a character you like being killed off-

But for fuck’s sake, keep the creators out of your bullshit.

0:24 See the thing is-

If you take a look at numerous things surrounding the show and how the show actually treats them: Expectations are almost completely out of the CRWBY’s hands.

This isn’t like what happened with The Last Jedi were the creators purposefully built up what their predecessor did only to completely dash them-We had people making theories about and treating the shattered moon as this huge plot point when no one makes any mention of it and it’s basically there to look cool. And then when the unimportant background object was given non-earth shattering reveal, people bitched at the CRWBY. So unless you can show beyond a shadow of doubt they did this with Adam (which you’ve failed to do twice before): All I’m going to do is throw you in the same bin as the Yang fans who insist that she has no flaws.

1:13 Wanna note here this spider tank is smaller and weaker looking than the Paladin from Volume 2 (the same one that Team RWBY had troubles with until Yang punched it out full force with her Semblance). Looking being the operative word because assumption is the same thing Eruption here is basing his argument on so if he tries to bring up the Paladin being outclassed later on then the Spider Tank is logically even more outclassed.

Also of note:

The Spider Tank does not have Aura.

Adam absorbs a full three second blast.

And Adam is not shown taking a hit once.

These are all important factors.

1:23 Same expectation for Yang surprisingly, to the point she was considered a Mary Sue pre Volume 2, Episode 10. There we established Yang isn’t as powerful as she seems due to her anger, recklessness and lack of finesse in her fighting style. This shows that weaknesses in these characters can be established after their establishing moments since we had never seen Yang faced with a situation like this before. Again, keep this in mind.

1:53 No actually. Two of three things you stated are not established here. Adam is not established as a leader due to this being a two man operation PRECISELY because it’s a two man operation. Because of this, Adam is not shown leading anyone and in fact is portrayed as Blake’s equal as he almost never gives her orders. Nor is he presented as caring about the WF as he never expressly shows concern or dedication to the cause. He only seems to care about blowing up a train full of humans. 

If anything, he is established a powerful combatant with a bloodlust against humans. That’s all. 

3:02 *holds up a finger*

Unreliable Narrator.

It’s a trope where the person giving the information isn’t exactly reliable and thus the information isn’t that good. Reasons can range from lies to insanity to personal bias. Personal bias, like say an abuse survivor glorifying their abuser because of mental damage. 

In order for me to take Blake’s words as you do at face value, you have to prove this is inconsistent behavior for an abuse survivor. 

Not to mention the fact that you ignore an important bit of context: Adam approved of and helped carry out a plan to destroy not just Beacon but Vale as well. Both of which contain a fair number of Fanaus. He makes no attempt to warn Fanaus ahead of time nor does he seem to care about them.

4:40 yes and I’m sure Adolf wouldn’t want to waste German soldiers on a Jewish cause.

The issue here is that you focus on the word ‘cause’ whereas the narrative could be focused on the word ‘human’. A racist psychopath wouldn’t waste time and resources helping someone who they are racist against.

4:48... And you showcase a clip where Adam clarifies ‘human’, meaning it barely has anything to do with leadership and everything to do with racism. … Why?

5:08 Once again, the same traits can apply to a racist psychopath sending people to die for his own selfish reason rather than some leader. You have not shown anything to disprove the first interpretation (which is the one you arguing against as you think his character was changed.)

5:25 Really? It didn’t become shaky when Blake contradicted the idea of Adam being someone reasonable when she expressed concern and FEAR over the fact that Yang acted slightly like Adam? It didn’t become shaky when you never proved Adam being a leader and only proved him being racist? It didn’t become shaky upon reflecting on all this as the only reason you think Adam is a leader is because of Blake, someone who has reason to be an unreliable narrator especially with her actions in Volume 3?

I think we’ve been riding on a completely different set of trails this whole time.

5:33 >Not romantic >”my mentor” >Same show with Arkos in it

Yeah, either show me proof it's platonic or this was a case of Schrodinger's Relationship where it can be both things at the same time due to a lack of information, only to be defined when given solid proof.

5:45 Once again, I refer to Adolf Hitler who acted like his actions were a revolution himself. And I don't refer to Adolf for no reason, Adam display all the classical examples of a racist sociopath like Hitler did. Hell, he was one Mein Kampf quote away from being a more blatant Nazi Expy than the Daleks.

7:05 Except that Yang’s power level was cemented before this with the destruction of the Paladin, a feat FAR greater than Adams previous feat, only to be defeated by someone who never showed that level of strength (Neo) by acting around her and taking advantage of Yang’s weaknesses. This cements a very simple idea: Power is not everything. Yang was shown to be more powerful than Neo but Neo was far more skilled and was able to work around Yang’s Semblance and anger issues. Not just that, but Adam is once again NEVER shown to take a hit from Blake OR Yang in this whole fight so his DURABILITY is undefined.

So you’re basically applying DBZ logic to something more like JoJo in nature. Not really anyone’s fault here but yours.

8:05 Except not really.

Blake said Adam was misguided. Illa acts misguided.

Blake said Adam fell off the slipperly slope. Illa acts her descent.

Blake said Adam was these things. Illa IS these things.

This like saying Raven’s character was retconned because Taiyang described her differently, never mind how Taiyang has an inherent bias for Raven/would have a reason to lie.

Illa exists because she is what you deluded Adam was. Once again, no one’s fault but your own.

8:10 And you know...Illa doesn’t contradict a single thing stated about her unlike Adam who contradicted EVERYTHING stated about him...by Blake...his abuse victim...

You uh, wanna rethink your arguments now? Cuz you’re sounding less like someone who knows what they’re talking about and more like a RWDE poster.

8:40 You know, aside from the fact that Sienna denied him what he wanted and stood in his way...like Blake...a Fanaus...and former partner/lover.

Wow those arguments just keep getting more and more flimsy. Wonder if we’ll get to the point where I can just quote the show to disprove you.

9:01 Like say, trying to kill the Runaway Blake or the Belladonnas or, I dunno, THE HUNDREDS OF FANAUS THAT LIVED IN VALE/BEACON WHO HELPED TRY TO KILL WITHOUT REMORSE?

See how each of Adam’s actions makes him look more and more self centered, almost as though he’s breaking down and losing the mask he’s portrayed himself as?

9:45 Wrong.

Here’s where we get to the fundamental misunderstanding you have about Adam.

Why does he want to hurt humans? Because they hurt him.

Why does he want to hurt Blake? Because she hurt him.

Why does Adam work for the WF? Because it benefits him.

Why does Adam believe in Fanaus Supremacy? Because it benefits him.

Adam’s character never changed. It never made this dramatic shift you keep hinting at. He was always this way. All his actions have the common thread of benefitting himself whereas the character you think he is would have some kind of self sacrifice for his people.

But that’s only half the story. I’ll get to the other half when you do.

10:17 *raises eyebrow*

… Do I even need to bring up things like the KKK and the Nazis, who were both groups of people in VASTLY greater numbers that were manipulated and used by manipulative people without any real rational reason because people are not rational? Hell, want a better example? BLM is an organization of people who do terrible things because they feel oppressed, nevermind how that doesn’t excuse their actions nor that their leaders care more about their own selfish desires than anything meaningful.

Your argument doesn’t work, history disagrees with you.

10:26 So are all known dictators and tyrants: That doesn’t mean Adam was a misguided revolutionary.

10:43 No it just didn’t exist. He was never the character you made him out to be, your disappointment is the result of nothing more than buying into an illusion. And I can’t blame anyone for that but the person who willingly did that. I don’t care how sad you are: You fail because of your own flaws.

10:56 No, nobody but Adam stans felt that way. No one said that but people who refused to accept the idea that Adam wasn’t what they thought he was. It's the same damn bullshit in regards to Raven: It’s not the writers fault you hyped yourself for something they contradicted. If you want an example of hyping up a character aspect then abandoning it: Look at how cinder was portrayed in Volume 4 and how the sympathetic angle was abandoned in Volume 5 onward. THAT is the fault of the writers. Not this.

11:31 Except-

A. Adam was never in it for anyone but himself as his previous actions with Vale/Beacon can attest.

And B. Blake directly says that the change was only temporary and we can see that such extremity only leads to creating the opposite. Adam was created as the result of Jacques’ opportunistic and psychopathic actions, making Adam opportunistic and psychopathic. And we can see this in our world: white supremacy as a whole was on it’s last legs a few years ago and it was on the verge of becoming as arachic and out dated as monarchies and slavery. But when extremists yelling about how awful white people are as a whole and being violent extremists rose up, white supremacy resurged. Why? Because those hurt by the first group became extremist themselves due to how people gravitate between extremes. And the first group only existed because of the older form of the second group being douchebags in the past. 

Adam works not as a revolutionary but as a cautionary tale of how self sustaining this cycle of hate is. Eventually, Adam would have caused Fanaus racism to spike right back up and give those racists a strawman to point to, just like what happened at our doorstep.

12:57 No, Sienna is portrayed as opportunistic and power hungry and Adam is giving a sadistic smile at the praise. There is no ambiguity here: Ghira is and was portrayed as in the right and Adam/Sienna were portrayed as and are in the wrong. You’re ignoring context. AGAIN.

13:47 Says the guy whose trying to discredit everything Adam related post Volume 2 and would have every reason to willfully misrepsent the scene to support his argument, nevermind how he hasn’t proven a damn thing.

14:29 And just because you say it doesn’t make it so, especially considering a loot of people found Adam interesting again after this short AND this finale.

15:00 No, he’s always been 100% for himself. It’s just that Blake is an easier and more recent target than humans.

15:53 And yet he overcomes her, like the Fall Of Beacon. Forgot that part eh?

16:04 Nope.

The development with Yang was never her strength but rather her tactics. Thing is, we never see Adam use tactics in a fight. We never see him think or strategize in fights. And his style reflects someone who fights with power alone. Meanwhile, Yang has developed from Volume 3 with her training because Taiyang taught her that she can’t just power through everything in sight and has to THINK her way around thing. This being demonstrated by tripping up Taiyang, prioritizing the long ranged bandits in her Volumee 5 fight, letting go of her arm in the Haven fight and here by not feeding Adam’s Semblance and instead waiting for an opening to strike him down and disarm him (you know, like Neo did in Volume 2.)

The show directly said this, you have no excuse Eruption Fang.

16:30 No you just overhyped the boss and made it look tougher than they are. you basically hyped the Minotaur from SMT4 as Matador from SMT3, despite the latter being tougher than the former.

17:01 ADAM. IS NOT. THE FANAUS.

BLAKE is the representative of the Fanaus.

Just as Jacques isn’t the representative of the humans, WEISS is.

Stop trying to make Adam look like the only Fanaus involved in the conflict.

And even THEN: Adam IS Morally grey. Just not the ‘misguided revolutionary’ you made him out to be.

Remember when I said that Adam is selfish being only half the story? Well, Adam is selfish BECAUSE of his brand. Why? Because that action symbolizes how he lost his agency and his innocence a long time ago, now seeking control over other people through either tricking people into following him or abusing them until they listen, because he lost the control he once had. Because the branding scarred him so deeply it changed him as a person. But because of his obsession with control over others, he’s stuck in a mentally immature state. He’s just a scared child trying to get back at the people who hurt him and get back SOME semblance of control that he lost, nevermind how he hurts others because a child never thinks about such things.

He isn’t a misguided revolutionary, he’s a victim of abuse and racism that defined him before he had a choice, so he now tries to rob others of choice to feel better.

It’s the same thing Nazi Germany went through in regards to WWI’s aftermath, where their economy tanked and they became hungry and cold so they sought out anything to make themselves feel better, even if the option was a manchild of a dictator.

And that’s why this is no one’s fault but your own, Collen. You were given a morally grey character as you say you were promised: You just threw a fit because it wasn’t 100% what you wanted.

18:07 And just because someone is evil doesn’t mean they cannot be pitied or understood. You are denying complex writing for your headcanon.

19:10 No you’re just salty and denying it.

19:41 and yet you ignore the bad decisions Adam makes on his path through life, deciding to be violently, giving in to his abusive urges, deciding to be selfish and deciding to hurt other people for his own benefit:  basically preaching what the show said except worse in every regard.

20:08 You say as every ‘inconsistency’ you try to list is more evident of you ignoring facts right in front of you just to make yourself feel better than an actual inconsistency. I would have given this to you except by going through all this bullshit and spewing all of this, I’ve come to learn that Adam was never inconsistent and that the only fault was not portraying Blake’s symptoms of abuse more clearly.

20:12 And this si where we’re stopping because I swear, this one line makes me wanna smack you upside the head.

Adam didn’t ‘die’ in Volume 3. Your Adam NEVER EXISTED. He was never real, he was just an illusion built on misinformation and denial of reality. And yet instead of reflecting and thinking about Adam’s actions and trying to see if there’s a connecting thread, you decide to stomp your feet, flail your arms and insult everyone else, even the creators, just because you didn’t get what you wanted.

Either accept it or let go.

[moviepower]

Five Feet Apart is one of the most touching films

The book Five Feet Apart, and the filmAnd the premise of this film is a pair of teenagers with life threatening illnesses, meet in a hospital.The whole world has probably already seen Five Feet Apart, which is not surprising, because the film brings tears. And of course fall in love. Now the disease showcased in this film is a disease called cystic fibrosis. And if you guys don't know what it is, just a quick summary, this is a life threatening disorder that damages the lungs and the digestive system.

It is very rare. There are fewer than 200,000 cases, U S per year. And it is something that cannot be cured at this moment. Although there is treatment available. Now, I recently met someone through Instagram who has. Cystic fibrosis. He actually reached out to me. We got in contact with each other. He is a content creator as well, although a very different style of content.

I looked into what he does and I have to give this guy a shout out because his work is incredible. Take a look at his works of art. These are all original works of art. He is, he has an Instagram page and a YouTube channel. I will link both of those below. I just found this. Yeah, incredible. And for someone who has cystic fibrosis to do what he does.

And to overcome that disease with works of art like this guys that is incredible. I hope to have some of his artwork up back here, one of these days, and the guy is just awesome. So please give him a follow on Instagram and on you. But now we have to talk about the movie five feet apart. Let's get into it.

The cast wasn't very well known, but it worked

Are I five feet apart? First off, we have to talk about this cast because if you are a fan of the Disney channel, in my opinion, when it was in its prime, you have things like Hannah Montana and a sweet life, Zack and Cody, and two of those stars are actually in this movie. You have Cole Sprouse from Zack and Cody and Moises Arias from Hannah Montana, Tana, what a cast or water crew.

And I will get into those two in just a second, but I have to start. With what I believe to be the standout of this film and that Haley Lou Richardson. She is phenomenal in this movie mind. Oh goodness guys. One of the best leading actor's performance, there's one of the best leading performances I have seen all year.

You put her in any possible role and she always killed it. I have never seen her in a movie where she films as a performer. And once again, she stood out. She stole the show in mind, my opinion. There's one other character in there that I really loved. But really she is the main focus of this film from an acting perspective.

And she nails it. Kimberly Gregory plays, nurse Barb. I also thought she nailed it. She was hilarious. She brought the perfect level of humor to a movie like this because when they tried the humor, as in the younger characters, it did not work as well. But when she brought in the humor, it was always hilarious because she was kind of the person coming in, putting them back on track, where they need to be health wise.

The book Five Feet Apart, and the film

And it was always awesome. And she also nailed the emotion. There were some very emotional moments, especially towards the end of this film, as you can probably predict. And she nails that they all nail it really especially hailing the Richardson button, nurse, Barb. She was one of the best in this film. You can't dislike Jojo Rabbit.

And many people are going to find this film sweet and touching and emotional. And I'm sure there will be tears. I guarantee there were tears tonight in the theater that I was in. I heard some sniffling towards the end, just because it is one of those stories that I think is going to be a crowd pleaser.

It is going to do it. Everything that that age range from, I would say 13 to 18, 19, maybe even early college, that group, those individuals will love this film because that's what they're going for. That's what they do. And it's exactly what you get. And my big issue with this moving, I don't hate me just because I'm giving you guys problems.

There are definitely problems with this film. And it is a movie that is exactly what you expect. It doesn't really take any chances. It doesn't do things that you would say, Oh, that's not conventional. That's not cliche. It is fall in there. This genre, there's not much more you can do to change it up. So I can't make that a debt to this film in particular, but it plays up this romance in such a sloppy way.

There was a lot of emotion in the full movie

Now a lot of people are going to like the romance because they like Cole Sprouse and they like Haley Richardson. They liked those too. Actors, but from a writing standpoint, if you really pay attention to the dialogue and the conversations, there really was not that much of a buildup in the first half of the film.

Now I know I will get arguments on that because once again, this is going to be the movie that appeals to this demographic. I am not necessarily that demographic, but I still felt the emotion from certain scenes experiences. I just can't get past the scripts. Some of the dialogue, especially towards the end.

And I've mentioned Cole Sprouse. One of the reasons that I've not really highlighted him yet. Is because he was not, and don't hurt me for this. He was not a highlight of the movie for me. I like him. I've liked what I've seen in Riverdale, but in this film he was so over the top and so cheesy and yes, the dialogue was cheesy.

So I don't know whether it's him to blame or the dialogue to blame. But he was also, his line delivery was a bit flat. There's a moment towards the end where he comes to a window and every line he delivers, I'm sitting there like, come on, you can't be buying this. This is some of the worst dial. And of course people are going to buy it because once again, it's just that kind of movie.

It's great to see on Netflix

And if you're in it, you're in, it is going to tug on those heart strings and pull on your emotion in a way. Emotionally manipulative, because you will be so sad and emotional towards the end. You may forget about the flaws. And I've done that before. I have been through movies that make me so physically upset and sad and emotional. A big applause for this great director.

I walked out going, Oh my gosh, what an experience. And then I started thinking about it and I go, huh? Well, the movie wasn't that great, but I have to give kudos to the filmmakers because it's the perfect way to do it. Leaving your audience on an emotional high will make them forget about the bad elements and the elements that struggle and the pacing problems that this movie has, because it's definitely there.

It drags this film. Felt so long for me, there are so many moments where they just expand the dialogue. I'm just like, can we move on? And I know this is based on a book and fans of the book are probably wanting to tear my head off right now. I do not know how the book compares to the movie. So I'd love to know in the comments section below is the book better? 

Is the movie better? Fight it out? And I hate to be blonde, but I don't want to tip toe around this. I think Cole Sprouse was a bad casting choice. They could have gotten someone a bit more dynamic, a bit less flat, someone with better line delivery. And I think I would have liked this movie. Quite a bit more, maybe it wasn't even Cole.

Soundtrack Five Feet apart is a strength

Maybe it was his character because I didn't feel a huge character arc. It felt like he's kind of a jerk. He's a bit of a douchebag and all of a sudden, boom, they're in love and they're all about it. They're all for it. I just did not feel the buildup to that. What happened. Out the romance. I did not get enough to believe in the relationship and if you're not in the relationship, then you will not get as emotional as everyone else watching the movie.

Now, I don't think that was the case. This movie definitely has its moments. I liked certain character interactions. There were some really funny moments, definitely the emotion, the emotion is what is going to make people walk, hanging out saying this is the best movie I've ever seen in my life. Because I feel like every time one of these teen romance movies come out in this vein, people are saying that this is the best film I've ever seen.

And I get it. Look, it's all about how movies make you feel. If they, they make you feel a certain way than do not change that perspective. If you, I love this movie, tell the world, and I want this film to make a lot of money because I love the concept. I love the idea. I have not read the book. But it seems like there's a lot of Goodwill behind it.

And because of all of those things, I really like what this is all about. It definitely did not all work for me, but it did enough for me to get this film to fresh because I do think it is what audiences want. And that is a 60%, a six out of 10. I think this film was okay. And I think a lot of people are going to like it, it is a crowd pleaser, for sure.

Tragic ending to the film Five Feet Apart

So be sure to go check it out and make up your own mind. So that's it guys. Five feet apart. Did you like it? Did you not like it? Are you in my camp? Are you completely on the other side? And you're saying, Austin, you, you hate people. Give you guys my honest opinion. That is all weekend. Do you guys are the absolute best?

Thank you so much for watching this video. I will be back very soon with another theatrical review, some more Netflix use. And of course the next episode of duty patrol, you guys are the absolute best and I will catch you. Very soon.

[kanralovesu]

Top 12 Anime Openings of 2018

There are too many pure “Top X Anime” lists and not enough love for the glorious opening credit sequences in anime! For this list I picked from any OP this year regardless of whether I watched the anime or not. There’s just too many anime to watch that I’d be screwing over so many good OPs if I only focused on shows I’ve watched. With that said here’s my top 12 anime OPs of 2018.

#12: Gegege no Kitaro [Song: Gegege no Kitarou]

https://youtu.be/vWTKaoi6UBE

A delightful little OP that oozes a mix of whimsy and horror. The characters that sing the OP (especially the frog) add that extra bit to push it over the top into being one of my favorite OPs this year.

#11: Aguu Genius Dolls [Song: prima dynamis]

https://youtu.be/PPg9yj3QILE

In 10th place is another horror OP but this one ditches the whimsy and goes all in on crazy wicked and horrific imagery, my favorite being the miniature lady tied up in strings being pulled out of another lady’s mouth. Yeah, this OP is insane and I love it, unlike the show itself which people seem to dislike. I can definitely see bits of jank in the character animations which are my least favorite part of this, but the rest of it easily makes up for it. Its also got a tune that will rival #1.

#10: Black Clover OP4 [Song: Guess who is Back]

https://youtu.be/cK9Z9Zcuso0

I’m never up to date on anime shonen besides My Hero, but I’m always up to date on the OPs and this is why. This is the kind of OP you jam to every time not only because of the music but how well the OP itself syncs to it. I absolutely love the stylistic slow motion used near the end!

#9: Pop Team Epic [Song: Pop Team Epic]

https://youtu.be/TmrosfxGifQ

What else can I say besides “It’s Pop Team Epic”. It has the same energetic, meme style of humor as the show which on its own wouldn’t put it far up this list, but its clever metaphors (like smashing the TV to break the 4th wall) bring it a step above.

#8: Uma Musume Pretty Derby [Song: Make Debut!]

https://youtu.be/nuuq0Ul_-_c

This is one where I haven’t watched the show at all, but the OP instantly got me hooked on the concept. A big part of this is the character animation and directing which clearly shows off the personalities of the girls. The backgrounds of shots are also packed with detail adding even more character to the character expressed by the foreground characters. This is the absolute peak of what “cute girls” anime should be doing in their OPs. Then after that’s done we still have a beautifully animated running sequence which perfects on what sports anime should be doing in their OPs. However, this is where my lack of knowledge of the series hinders me a bit because I can tell these shots have a deeper meaning to the rival characters presented but that’s the kind of information that becomes more clear as the series finishes. By the way having hidden info like that is a VERY good thing and you’ll only see more of that as we get further on.

#7: Happy Sugar Life [Song: One Room Sugar Life]

https://youtu.be/3QvZYI00voE

This is the best OP I’ve ever seen for the classic “cute on the surface dark underneath” type of anime. On a surface level evaluation you’ve got great sequences like the one starting at 0:35 where the song kicks into high gear, but on a deeper level its clear there is a lot of symbolism going on. Sweets and sugar are evocative of carnal pleasures that offer short terms gratification. The two girls themselves are represented by spiky gummy sweets which pays off at the end in a chilling way when one girl eats the sweet that represents the other.

#6: Wotaku: Love is Hard for an Otaku [Song: Fiction]

https://youtu.be/K3XCP-KMR68

The ending is hands down my favorite sequence from an OP this year with so much charm and style! Not only is it fun to look at but it also foreshadows the relationships by having each person start individually and then join together in a synchronized bit that symbolizes their chemistry. The rest of the OP doesn’t drag it feet either and offers some great characterization, especially in the beginning when it cuts between how each character outwardly portrays themselves and how their true hobbies. You also gotta love the references to both retro and new age gaming which I’m sure is an intentional choice.

#5: Devilman Crybaby [Song: Man Human]

Of course we’ve got to give credit to Devilman Crybaby on this list! This trippy delight has some amazing and imaginative imagery, but unlike Aguu Genius Dolls this one also focuses heavily on the transitions between things. My favorite example of this is when all the hands reaching up become an eye. There is clear thought not only into what is shown right that moment but how that thing will become the next thing in the most interesting way possible. This is also one OP that I will see myself re-analyzing upon finishing the series because I think there is clearly some hidden symbolism in there. The OP is just too deliberate to not be hiding something!

#4: Love is Like After the Rain [Song: Nostalgic Rainfall]

Starting our top 4 is an opening that I’ve actually already analyzed to great detail on my blog:

https://kanralovesu.tumblr.com/post/170873771493/after-the-rains-opening-how-hardship-brings-us

In summary, the OP’s imagery of rain, clouds, umbrellas, etc. all lead into the central idea that bad times can bring people together. This is illustrated beautifully when two rain drops combine and become a heart!

#3: Attack on Titan S3 OP1 [Song: Red Swan]

Attack on Titan has given us some of the best OPs in the history of anime which just makes it even harder for them to top themselves. When I first saw that this OP was taking a drastically different style than the older ones, I was skeptical, but in the end I fell in love with it. The best part is obviously where little Eren bumps into his older self. The whole theme of reflecting on your past and realizing how much you’ve changed is shown completely visually. You can see how the childlike wonder of the bright and colorful insert images is stripped away by the cold looks of Eren and his friends. Its one thing to show who a character is using the OP, but its a whole different level of skill showing how a character has changed using the OP.

#2: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 5 [Song: Fighting Gold]

FIGHTING GOLD! Of course a new JoJo OP would impress but I’ll go ahead and say this is one of, if not my most favorite JoJo OP of all time! I love the visual motifs of chains and characters being trapped and then at the end they seemingly break free in what is of course the most amazing sequence in the OP. You just gotta sing along to this one! 

#1: Kokkoku [Song: Flashback]

Number 1 is none other than the jam itself: Flashback. This OP is absolutely incredible from its visuals to its music, but its also so much more than that. The imagery has clear purpose showing people’s hands forming hearts in front of stop signs and showing shadows twisting into the hands of a clock only to stop. There are also so many small spoilers hidden in plain sight. Near the beginning we get one shot of a clock pendulum swinging to reveal Shouko Majima and the near the end we get the same image but with Juri Yukawa and her dog connecting them as part of the same flashback. We also see Juri smash a heart as the beat drops and white lines fly out. At the beginning of the show this might seem completely stylistic but its actually a hint at her power to push you out of stopped time! A less obvious power showcase is in a single static shot of the grandfather who, if you look closely, is actually in two places at once showing that he can teleport. That shot isn’t even on screen for a second but they still put thought into it! This is masterful OP craftsmanship!

That rounds out this list of what I believe to be the top 12 anime OPs of 2018. I probably missed a good few OPs, but if its an consolation, this list is twice as long as the one I wrote down for 2017 which only had 5 I really thought were exceptional (That wasn’t posted on my blog but in case you’re curious it was Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu OP2, Twin Star Exorcists OP3, Re:Creators OP2, Konosuba OP2 and ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka). So what I’m trying to say is this was a fantastic year for anime OPs! With the OPs for next season already mostly out I can see next year is shaping up to be one of the best years for OPs yet so I’m looking forward to that!

Note: This is a reposting of my original list with 1 important addition because being the scatter brained nincompoop that I am, I forgot Fighting Gold! I know, I should have my OP license revoked for such a heinous mistake, so please forgive me Cruel Angel’s up above!