#I know video game lore can be kind of iffy

[average-monster]

Hollow Knight fandom I need your help!

You see, when I joined tumblr a few years ago, I immediately fell in love with your plucky little protagonist. I also love the aesthetic. The problem is that I have very little patience for story driven video games.

Is there anywhere I can read some lore? Just enough to find some fanfic I can read without getting lost. Or more, idk.

Thanks in advance. 🙂

[kavaeric]

The Forever War, from 2019.

Commentary below. This is a heavy piece, and my thoughts on it are long, so grab a coffee.

Around this time, while a lot of my political thoughts and worldviews began to crystallise, I started scrutinising the art that I enjoyed. One such piece was the Vilous worldbuilding project, by artists Kiki and Mick39, most famous for the creation of the sergal species.

Light Era at this time was mostly an aimless kitchen sink, and in it, lore was the Vilousians were in contact with the Terrans but were also fighting a war. Aesthetically, it was also a way for me to explore a kind of alternative tech aesthetic that feels more rugged and janky though also with an air of retro-tech:

I realise now that the war as I wrote it embodied something of my own criticism of Vilous as a worldbuilding project: while I doubt that Mick or Kiki are genuinely bigoted people (and they are queer, and do maintain a collab group of pretty queer folks), it's hard to not read some of the iffy colonial subtext that emerges in her work. The idea of "civilised" and "uncivilised" groups of sergals, the fact that Rain Silves is depicted as a genocidal war criminal while the text itself doesn't seem fussed as to whether to condone or condemn her—while I lament the fact that sergals have a reputation in the fandom for being associated with the worst elements of bigoted, racist, fascist furries, I can't ignore the fact that they did not arise out of nowhere. Simultaneously, Mick and Kiki started to show signs of being burnt out on working on Vilous, despite a fervent fanbase, and that has only grown more apparent over time.

My thoughts of Vilous hence are a complicated swirl of emotions, but I suppose if there was anything that was apparent it was this sense of futility and tragedy. Two artists who are Japanese persons of colour, like myself, and quite queer, making something fairly genuine; a something that is now associated with bigotry and some of the worst types of furries; and an association that was unfortunately the two artists' fault yet out of their control at the same time; sand something now they have been saddled with for nearly 15 years, and with no real exit. I can't help but feel the weight of tragedy and futility.

Kyrja is the character in the painting. I envisioned potential video game, where their story was similar to that of Cpl Upham's from Saving Private Ryan: someone who wants to do good but is a pacifist, being plunged into a war where it seems everyone is innocent and guilty at the same time. The player character might be some kind of typical leader archetype, and the game would progress leading the player into the typical sense of feeling like a big cool hero rallying the troops.

But the game would "end" prematurely after you "win" a certain battle. In that scene, Kyrja finds out their sibling was alive, but actually one of the captured soldiers, who was basically fighting on the side of the nationalist faction. The revelation is what breaks Kyrja's mind, and send them into a breakdown tantrum.

The player would be presented with a choice, video-game style: you can either restrain Kyrja and stop them from beating up their sibling, or let them have a go and do not intervene. If the morality of that choice seems deliberately vague, that's because it is.

I had attempted to translate that into a music comic, based on Soldier by Fleurie:

Eventually, though, I think the reality of the situation of Vilous began to defeat my interest in it. I didn't feel motivated to really commentate on it, and in the end I couldn't be interested in the concept of Vilous or sergals or anything like that anymore. The lore of Vilous was excised from that of Light Era; presently, the Terrans know no other spacefaring society than their own.

I don't really know how sergals fit into Light Era. I do have friends who would love to see themselves in LE, but the whole setting has so much...baggage. It feels impossible to find a way to do it neatly.

It feels so...futile. And forever.

[latin-dr-robotnik]

Hey, hoping you can help clarify for me? I’m seeing a lot of fanart for sonic frontiers with sonic holding some sort of heart and Amy being glitchy in the background / images of her - was there some sort of leak or new footage showing this ?? Specifically the heart , it’s just surprising me a few people are drawing the exact same thing , not sure if you know but figured it was a good bet to ask you! Lol

Yes! This week we started seeing more and more previews from gaming media, as journalists and influencers played Frontiers during the Summer Game Fest Play days (and also NDAs started to expire.) Most articles so far have talked more or less about the same (accessibility options, gameplay styles, combat, exploration and bits of the story demo), and some say they can't talk about cyberspace stuff until the 29th.

(Sorry for the low quality, but it's the first video that came to my mind that features the heart.)

Anyway, the heart is the same one you can see being collected in every gameplay video floating around right now, but some publications like TheGamer said this about collectibles:

You’re also searching for Memory Tokens, which are used to free Sonic’s friends. In the demo, I found all of Amy’s Memory Tokens and released some kind of digital imprint of her from a futuristic jail cell. Tails was also mentioned at the start, but I don’t yet know what other Sonic characters will be in the game. Eggman does make a brief appearance, and I got the impression he’s just as lost and confused as Sonic is.

There's also another preview in Brazilian Portuguese with a lot of interesting info, but some translations were a bit iffy (for example, some believed it said "7 islands" when it was just a mistranslation), I'm using this thread as reference for the following:

- There are also a type of collectible called "Memory Tokens", while the lore hasn't been explained, it seems to indicate that Sonic needs them to remember the existence of his friends in order to be able to reach them and rescue them.

- (Spoiler-alert, I guess) He mentions his demo ended at the exact moment Sonic found Amy and as they were going to talk to each other a mysterious figure appears in the background, which he thinks is the game's villain... he says the mysterious creature has the silhouette of a human child, but the demo ended there and it got cut off so he doesn't know what happens next with Amy, but she was imprisoned in a sort of weird looking cocoon.

And you can find information about how those collectibles are -in fact- hearts for Amy in other previews, like the Easy Allies video, which around 1:26 says:

There are different collectibles, like, there's one where you get these hearts and you're trying to restore Amy's memories and I don't know what that means...

Yeah, so, the demo starts with this, like, kinda weird vibe... 'cause Sonic is just, like, laying like a corpse in the rain... [...] and they say something about being separated from Amy and Tails.

I think there are more examples (The first IGN preview mentions the wormhole travel at the start of the demo, and I believe the GameSpot preview video also mentioned the hearts...? I watched days ago, don't remember everything), but this is basically what's confirmed about Sonic Frontiers based on a demo certain journalists and influencers were allowed to play over the last weekend!

That's why I'm also super pumped for Frontiers!SonAmy heh

[cartoonrival]

If I’ve only seen the Sonic movies, what’s the best series to try out?

to be honest i am very far from a seasoned sonic fan and i've only really seen/read a few sonic medias. in my opinion sonic is something that's kind of intimidating and difficult to get into because there are so many continuities and series and characterization is iffy from media to media even within the same universe, and a lot of important lore is from old games or comics that are a little tedious to comb through in my opinion. theres a million things going on and i am a little bit frightened all the time and have largely decided to only care about things that are appealing to me specifically instead of trying to know everything there is to know, especially since i'm more concerned with characters than with what eggman's plan is this time. i can find youtube videos summarizing the rest.

that said. READ IDW. from what i've been told the characterization is generally pretty accurate, and even not knowing anything about most of the characters beforehand everyone is incredibly charming, the art is adorable, different tones are handled really well, and its easy to get into even if you don't really know anything about the series going in. it does well giving lots of characters the spotlight and building relationships and things like that. changed my life. cannot recommend it enough. my second recommendation is ask @infizero she taught me everything i know

[sneakyneighboururchin]

Genuinely asking here bc maybe I've missed/forgotten some stuff but... when homo- and transphobic stuff is said in DA, it's addressed in game as being bad, isn't it? Like Dorian's first personal quest is about his dad acknowleding his homophobia and apologizing to Dorian. And with Krem, Krem and Bull both correct the Inquisitor pretty sternly if you misgender him, and Bull explains how gender identity is respected under the Qun. Not trying to fight you on this, nor do I think DA is by any means perfect, I just don't recall seeing homophobia or transphobia that isn't quickly shut down by the player or other characters. Don't feel pressured to answer tho, I know it's not your job to pull receipts for every shitty thing in a video game lol

Well first off thanks for being so polite and nice in this message, I appreciate it. I'm gonna try and cover the stuff that I've seen myself and have had pointed out to me by other people but keep in mind that I'm not trans, most of what I'll say here on the transphobia issue is me parroting other trans fans who've said this sort of thing before. I am gay though, so I guess we're clear on that front. It's also been a while since i played any of the games so if i get stuff wrong, I'm sorry. This is gonna be long so sorry for that in advance.

So homophobia and transphobia in our world. Why is it a thing? A combination of humanity hating and fearing what it doesn't understand (which Dragon Age also has) and religion, specifically in my experience Christianity (which Dragon Age does not have). Yes the Chantry and Andrastianism is heavily based off of Christianity and Catholicism but it doesn't have any of the bullshit about sexuality and gender that Christianity does. Neither in it's holy texts or it's teachings. The in universe writing about sexuality, a codex by Brother Genitivi, is also kinda homophobic and doesn't explain why this is a thing in Thedas at all. Queer relations and relationships are aparently viewed by most of Southern Thedas as 'peculiar' but no explanation is given as to why. Now I'm gonna go into specific instances. 

First off, let's look at some of the stuff you've mentioned. Dorian and his dad. Yeah that whole situation hit me pretty close to home as a queer person who's pretty much accepted at this point that my dad will never accept who I am and my mother died still not having accepted me. What Halward did is definitely portrayed as a bad thing, that is correct. The narrative kind of subtly pushing the reconciliation being the good option is a bit iffy. What Halward tried to do to Dorian is straight up abuse and I really don't like plotlines that push making nice with the abuser and forgiving them as a good resolution. This is kind of more personal feelings than straight from the script fact but I wanted to say it anyway. 

Second issue: Krem's treatment. So many trans people have talked about this before me, if you want some more in depth analysis of this you should go check out some of their stuff, it won't be hard to find. The basics though: Krem is voiced by a cis woman. This immediately sets a shitty precedent on the side of the devs lending proof to the theory that they don't care about uplifting trans people, just making money off them. Krem should have been voiced by a trans actor. In the actual conversation with Iron Bull you get the opportunity to be extremely transphobic. And if you do this you get told off, and that's kind of it. The fact that your character even has the option to do that is a) gross from an out of character writing perspective, and b) makes no sense in character. Why would your character have these views? There is no in lore reason for any of the potential groups your character comes from to be transphobic. Also, and this is just my opinion, but if you're transphobic to Krem (even though it makes no sense in universe) the Iron Bull's reaction shouldn't be a bit of disapproval, he should send you through the fucking wall. Seems more in character. Also, gender roles under the Qun also have a lot of potential to be transphobic, they are by no means an improvement on ours imo. Under the Qun your gender is essentially decided by your role. So if you're a fighter you're male. If you care for children you're female. Not only is that pretty hella sexist and reliant on our dumb ideas of gender roles (that again aren't supposed to be a thing in Thedas) it also has potential to be hell for trans people. Yes it would work for someone like Krem, but for someone who was AMAB and good at fighting but they were a woman? Being shoved into male gender roles and treated as a man would not be good. If the writer's intent was to create a society with an entirely different concept of and approach to gender they've done it wrong because of how much of it is reliant on the audience's perception of gender which (going by general gaming demographics) is pretty cis and het normative. 

Now I'm gonna talk about the transphobia that doesn't get challenged. Sera makes a couple transphobic comments throughout the game I believe, the one I can remember in detail is in the Winter Palace when she says someone presenting a certain way isn't actually that. And without any further context the only way the audience can really interpret that is that the writers decided to take a cheap shot at someone cross dressing in a bad attempt at comedy. 

Sera's writing in general is super homophobic because she was written by a homophobe. I'm not gonna go into all of that in this cos this is already too long and I could write essays about it. Other people already have! But basically, she's the only out and out lesbian romance we have in the series, and her writing in that respect is really not good. 

So how about the other games? Well. In origins you can hire sex workers at a brothel. The 'special' on offer is a very masc presenting dwarf in a poorly fitting dress. This was a very transphobic attempt at humour. Zevran, much as I love him dearly, is a walking bisexual stereotype, made worse by feeding into the 'sexy Latine' stereotype on top of that, which isn't an in universe problem so much as it is proof that the writers are guilty of prejudices whether they know it or not. I suspect there's more instances in origins but I can't remember right now. 

In Dragon Age 2 Seneschal Bran has a relationship of some kind with a sex worker named Serendipity, a feminine presenting elf with a very deep voice. This is played as something that Bran should be ashamed of. At least I think so, it could be that he's ashamed of having a relationship with a sex worker. Not that far fetched considering Aveline's weaponisation of the word 'whore' against Isabela. But this is also something that doesn't make sense honestly. Why is sex work taboo in thedas? Christianity isn't around to make it so and Andrastianism doesn't have purity culture going except for their clergy ( which also is never explained why and makes no sense.) Additionally, Uncle Gamlen is super homophobic. Why? There is no reason culturally or religiously for him to be that way? Yes he's an asshole but why is he an asshole in that manner? And you don't even get to challenge him on it! It's passive dialogue that you trigger when walking into his house and you don't immediately get the option to fucking fight him about it? Why put it in then?! 

A good amount of this is off topic from the actual question so sorry about that but TLDR there's a lot of in universe homophobia and transphobia, most of it is not handled well in or out of universe. I do believe that they're trying to do better in this respect, inquisition was a step up from previous games it just wasn't enough of one. 

If you want more stuff like this go check out @dalishious cos they have a ton of very good meta on subjects related to this.

[smokeybrandreviews]

Smokey brand Reviews: What Is a Man

I wanted my next review to be The Invisible Man but i keep putting that thing off. I think it’s the pacing. it’s kind of funky. I’ll get around to it eventually. Spoiler alert, it’s pretty interesting so far. In the meantime, i finally caught up on a show that dropped and didn’t see when it first released; Castlevania! I passed on actually reviewing he first two season, well, season and a half. That first season was, like, six episodes. This ain’t the BBC, son. Thirteen or bust! Anyway, since we’re about three days from being under marital law, i figure i got time to revisit and review the series so far. Plus, i mean, i need to catch up since the fourth season has already been announced. F*cking Netflix, man. In that vein, pun in tended, here is my review of the series as a whole so far.

The Good

This show is not anime. It’s not. Avatar is not anime. It’s not. This is a sanitized facsimile of what the Japanese do with their animation. Stop calling this sh*t anime! That said, on it’s own, outside of that hilariously unflattering comparison, it can be pretty dope. I don’t think this sh*t holds a candle to studios like Trigger, Madhouse, Gainax, or Shaft, but it’s the best animation coming out of the US i’ve seen in years. The fight scenes in particular are absolutely gorgeous. You can really tell that Netflix invested the necessary resources to make this show look dope, even if the framerate is a little iffy between set pieces.

Now that i’ve died on my anime cross, i just want to acknowledge how good this show looks. It’s f*cking gorgeous, man. I mean, the world, alone, is a feat for the eyes, but i am absolutely in love with the character designs. If you google the characters from the games they are mad cluttered and full of extra nonsense. I’m never a fan of, like, flair on my characters. That’s why i hate the look of Mortal Kombat. That sh*t is gross. Castlevania has that same issue, culminating in the design vomits of Judgement. That game was gross to look at. Gross. This show takes the ludicrously gaudy designs of the games and make them presentable while still paying homage to the core design of the games. Sh*t is miraculous and i can’t help but marvel at that ingenuity. I mean, f*cking Carmilla, dude. Just look up Carmilla in the games and tell me this show ain’t good at it’s job.

Castlevania’s writing is kind of miraculous. As a cat that’s been playing these games since the late 80s, I’m mildly aware of the interconnecting lore between titles. It’s a mess. It’s a goddamn mess. There’s a dope story there, in the muck, but it’s so mired in melodrama, retcon, and years upon years of independent development, it’s completely lost. I appreciate Konami giving storytelling a shot during a time when gameplay was the principal seller of games, they didn’t have to do any of that, but, at some point, clean your sh*t up with a manga or reboot or something, man. The later titles do this sh*t fine. I adore Shanoa and Soma. Their games got the best of both worlds. The Belmonts? Not so much... This show does an amazing job of cutting through the bullsh*t and sharpening that story to a fine point. This is Trevor’s story, the first Belmont we take control of in game, so watching his line grow through the years, with this quality of storytelling, is mad compelling. I mean, you get right into it and it grips you from start to finish. I can’t wait to see where this goes.

The character work in this show is pretty legit. I was thoroughly surprised since the games themselves are rather bare bones and nauseatingly campy at times. Not this show. Nope! This sh*t is grim, dark, and violent. I love it! You can feel the plight one people and the rage of the vampires. Each main character s is beset with pathos and trauma and consequence, for two seasons. Season three is kind of light on growth but does a decent job explaining certain things. Like, this is Belmont’s tale but Sypha is definitely the most interesting character in the show. Everyone does a great job but there are, of course, a few standouts.

Speaking of my girl, did i tell you that Sypha is f*cking amazing? Ma is the most adorable, most badass motherf*cker in this show! I thought she was going to be kind of a weenie, like she is in the games, but nope! Ma is out here, burning motherf*ckers alive and slicing dudes up with ice blades, all the while being her peppy, adorable, kind of bloodthirsty self. F*ck, love Sypha and her voice actress, Alejandra Reynoso, is perfectly cast! She bring a levity and vulnerability to a woman who can take on an army all y her lonesome. I love that sh*t!

I have to mention how dope Dracula is in this how. He’s f*cking badass and, surprisingly, hilarious. His wit is as sharp as his fangs. Even with such overwhelming power, dude is still amazingly human, often time reminding you that he is just a broken, lonely, man. It’s incredible to see. you actually empathize with an entity hellbent of slaughtering humanity. I couldn’t believe that sh*t. A lot of that has to do with the writing but Graham McTavsh does an excellent job delivering those subtle emotional cues.

I feel like is should say something about Richard Armitage’s Trevor Belmont. Dude is dope. he’s how i always imagined Trevor to be. And Armitage is a seasoned veteran at this voice acting game so he does a great job. I’m not blown away or anything but he’s dope. Considering dude is kind of a supporting character in his own show, i think my indifference is warranted. He’s good, though, don’t misunderstand. I’m not decrying his performance or anything. Gold star for sure.

The best thing about season three, outside of my darling Sypha, is Lenore. Holy sh*t is she a great character! I was thoroughly surprised by how brazenly manipulative she turned out to be. Lenore is a f*cking genius and her feigned naivety is brought to life by an absolutely outstanding performance from Jessica Brown Findlay. Ma is on the long con and Carmilla might have some competition to look for.

I like Issac. This last season did wonders for developing his character. His arc is probably the best after Syph’s, mostly because he’s the only other character that even had an arc. His voice actor, Adetokumboh M'Cormack, does a great job developing the enigmatic Forgemaster into a character more than his humdrum game origins.

The Bad

This show is not anime! Stop telling me it’s an anime!

Alucard’s arc in season three was a little... me. I thought he was the one character let down by the writing but it’s not a terrible slight. I just felt he deserved more of a exploration than what he received.

Season three was straight up filler. I guess it has that in common with anime, even though most modern anime ha move away from the Filler system. I mean, i liked a lot of what went on and the character work was delightful but none of this is really of consequence. Most characters either didn’t grow or are exactly who we thought they were. It feels cheap.

Hector. What the f*ck, Hector. What the f*ck.

The Verdict

Season One showed a ton of potential. I enjoyed the whole Dracula arc, even though this was more a story about his disillusionment with humanity rather than how he became Dracula. Season two is the Castlevania know from the games. It was dope seeing that narrative removed from the shenanigans of that Konami narrative jank. I thought they id the characters dope ass justice and the story itself, was rather compelling. I didn’t mind the character changes and the stuff they added felt organic. Season three is the closest thing to a slice of life anime i’ve seen in this show and it’s ridiculous. Like, nothing really happens of consequence and it feels like setup for later seasons but it’s easily the best looking of the three seasons.

Overall, as a whole, Castlevnia is really good. It’s easily one of the best video game adaptions available. This show takes it’s liberties, of course, but it does so in a very respectful manner. The core of the Castlevania lore is revered and embellished with creative additions while keeping the characters true to their game selves. For the most part. I really enjoyed thee character of Dracula when he was around and, oh my god, Lenore is the goddamn best! Sypha is the MVP of this show, though, and i need you people to know that. The art style is beautiful, the narrative is compelling, and you’ll fall in love with the character work. Castlevania is dope and you should go binge all of it since there is literally nothing else to do under quarantine.

[smokeybrand]

Smokey band Reviews: What Is a Man

I wanted my next review to be The Invisible Man but i keep putting that thing off. I think it’s the pacing. it’s kind of funky. I’ll get around to it eventually. Spoiler alert, it’s pretty interesting so far. In the meantime, i finally caught up on a show that dropped and didn’t see when it first released; Castlevania! I passed on actually reviewing he first two season, well, season and a half. That first season was, like, six episodes. This ain’t the BBC, son. Thirteen or bust! Anyway, since we’re about three days from being under marital law, i figure i got time to revisit and review the series so far. Plus, i mean, i need to catch up since the fourth season has already been announced. F*cking Netflix, man. In that vein, pun in tended, here is my review of the series as a whole so far.

The Good

This show is not anime. It’s not. Avatar is not anime. It’s not. This is a sanitized facsimile of what the Japanese do with their animation. Stop calling this sh*t anime! That said, on it’s own, outside of that hilariously unflattering comparison, it can be pretty dope. I don’t think this sh*t holds a candle to studios like Trigger, Madhouse, Gainax, or Shaft, but it’s the best animation coming out of the US i’ve seen in years. The fight scenes in particular are absolutely gorgeous. You can really tell that Netflix invested the necessary resources to make this show look dope, even if the framerate is a little iffy between set pieces.

Now that i’ve died on my anime cross, i just want to acknowledge how good this show looks. It’s f*cking gorgeous, man. I mean, the world, alone, is a feat for the eyes, but i am absolutely in love with the character designs. If you google the characters from the games they are mad cluttered and full of extra nonsense. I’m never a fan of, like, flair on my characters. That’s why i hate the look of Mortal Kombat. That sh*t is gross. Castlevania has that same issue, culminating in the design vomits of Judgement. That game was gross to look at. Gross. This show takes the ludicrously gaudy designs of the games and make them presentable while still paying homage to the core design of the games. Sh*t is miraculous and i can’t help but marvel at that ingenuity. I mean, f*cking Carmilla, dude. Just look up Carmilla in the games and tell me this show ain’t good at it’s job.

Castlevania’s writing is kind of miraculous. As a cat that’s been playing these games since the late 80s, I’m mildly aware of the interconnecting lore between titles. It’s a mess. It’s a goddamn mess. There’s a dope story there, in the muck, but it’s so mired in melodrama, retcon, and years upon years of independent development, it’s completely lost. I appreciate Konami giving storytelling a shot during a time when gameplay was the principal seller of games, they didn’t have to do any of that, but, at some point, clean your sh*t up with a manga or reboot or something, man. The later titles do this sh*t fine. I adore Shanoa and Soma. Their games got the best of both worlds. The Belmonts? Not so much... This show does an amazing job of cutting through the bullsh*t and sharpening that story to a fine point. This is Trevor’s story, the first Belmont we take control of in game, so watching his line grow through the years, with this quality of storytelling, is mad compelling. I mean, you get right into it and it grips you from start to finish. I can’t wait to see where this goes.

The character work in this show is pretty legit. I was thoroughly surprised since the games themselves are rather bare bones and nauseatingly campy at times. Not this show. Nope! This sh*t is grim, dark, and violent. I love it! You can feel the plight one people and the rage of the vampires. Each main character s is beset with pathos and trauma and consequence, for two seasons. Season three is kind of light on growth but does a decent job explaining certain things. Like, this is Belmont’s tale but Sypha is definitely the most interesting character in the show. Everyone does a great job but there are, of course, a few standouts.

Speaking of my girl, did i tell you that Sypha is f*cking amazing? Ma is the most adorable, most badass motherf*cker in this show! I thought she was going to be kind of a weenie, like she is in the games, but nope! Ma is out here, burning motherf*ckers alive and slicing dudes up with ice blades, all the while being her peppy, adorable, kind of bloodthirsty self. F*ck, love Sypha and her voice actress, Alejandra Reynoso, is perfectly cast! She bring a levity and vulnerability to a woman who can take on an army all y her lonesome. I love that sh*t!

I have to mention how dope Dracula is in this how. He’s f*cking badass and, surprisingly, hilarious. His wit is as sharp as his fangs. Even with such overwhelming power, dude is still amazingly human, often time reminding you that he is just a broken, lonely, man. It’s incredible to see. you actually empathize with an entity hellbent of slaughtering humanity. I couldn’t believe that sh*t. A lot of that has to do with the writing but Graham McTavsh does an excellent job delivering those subtle emotional cues.

I feel like is should say something about Richard Armitage’s Trevor Belmont. Dude is dope. he’s how i always imagined Trevor to be. And Armitage is a seasoned veteran at this voice acting game so he does a great job. I’m not blown away or anything but he’s dope. Considering dude is kind of a supporting character in his own show, i think my indifference is warranted. He’s good, though, don’t misunderstand. I’m not decrying his performance or anything. Gold star for sure.

The best thing about season three, outside of my darling Sypha, is Lenore. Holy sh*t is she a great character! I was thoroughly surprised by how brazenly manipulative she turned out to be. Lenore is a f*cking genius and her feigned naivety is brought to life by an absolutely outstanding performance from Jessica Brown Findlay. Ma is on the long con and Carmilla might have some competition to look for.

I like Issac. This last season did wonders for developing his character. His arc is probably the best after Syph’s, mostly because he’s the only other character that even had an arc. His voice actor, Adetokumboh M'Cormack, does a great job developing the enigmatic Forgemaster into a character more than his humdrum game origins.

The Bad

This show is not anime! Stop telling me it’s an anime!

Alucard’s arc in season three was a little... me. I thought he was the one character let down by the writing but it’s not a terrible slight. I just felt he deserved more of a exploration than what he received.

Season three was straight up filler. I guess it has that in common with anime, even though most modern anime ha move away from the Filler system. I mean, i liked a lot of what went on and the character work was delightful but none of this is really of consequence. Most characters either didn’t grow or are exactly who we thought they were. It feels cheap.

Hector. What the f*ck, Hector. What the f*ck.

The Verdict

Season One showed a ton of potential. I enjoyed the whole Dracula arc, even though this was more a story about his disillusionment with humanity rather than how he became Dracula. Season two is the Castlevania know from the games. It was dope seeing that narrative removed from the shenanigans of that Konami narrative jank. I thought they id the characters dope ass justice and the story itself, was rather compelling. I didn’t mind the character changes and the stuff they added felt organic. Season three is the closest thing to a slice of life anime i’ve seen in this show and it’s ridiculous. Like, nothing really happens of consequence and it feels like setup for later seasons but it’s easily the best looking of the three seasons.

Overall, as a whole, Castlevnia is really good. It’s easily one of the best video game adaptions available. This show takes it’s liberties, of course, but it does so in a very respectful manner. The core of the Castlevania lore is revered and embellished with creative additions while keeping the characters true to their game selves. For the most part. I really enjoyed thee character of Dracula when he was around and, oh my god, Lenore is the goddamn best! Sypha is the MVP of this show, though, and i need you people to know that. The art style is beautiful, the narrative is compelling, and you’ll fall in love with the character work. Castlevania is dope and you should go binge all of it since there is literally nothing else to do under quarantine.

[quills-and-golden-ink]

Welcome one and all to the second part of the Monthly Guide to Monsters! The talented @downwithwritersblock​ and I have teamed up to bring you some quick and easy guides to some of the world’s most infamous creatures. 

The guide will include: basic background, historical information, abilities, how to defeat them, and portrayals in media. They’ll probably also come with some short stories or prompts! 

For this week, I’ve been tasked with probably one of my favourite mythological beings: vampires. These will be posted on Mondays and Thursdays, excluding this week (since I’ve been busy with stuff). We hope you enjoy! 

Monster Guide #2: The Vampire

Definition: A vampire is an undead or immortal being from folklore that subsists by feeding off the vital force (usually blood) of the living. Vampires are typically creatures that bring about mischief or death. For a long time, vampires were synonymous with demons. Many cultures actually classified vampires as being corpses that were possessed and animated by a demon.

Description: Many early tales described vampires to be bloated; with ruddy, dark, or purple skin, and almost always wearing some kind of dark shroud to hide themselves in (that they usually bring with them from their own grave). It wasn’t until the 19th century, with our more modern day lore that we started to see the classic frail, or gaunt and pale vampires that we have grown used to seeing in the media.

Abilities: These change from culture to culture, although many of them were birthed by Bram Stoker's Novel “Dracula” (which were, btw, super OP). Included are some of the most common abilities associated with vampires (you’ll notice that “glittering in sunlight” is absent because of this). 

Usually immortal, or with at least a very prolonged life span

Increased abilities such as strength, speed, sight, hearing and smell. 

Flight

Some hypnosis, telepathy, illusionary magic. 

Shapeshifting (typically into a bat)

Vampire’s Baptism: the act of healing one with a vampires blood, or turning one into a vampire through mutual biting

Regenerative healing

Immune or really unaffected by conventional or normal means of attack (like being punched, stabbed or shot) 

Night vision

Preventing Vampirism: Vampires eventually caused a bit of hysteria in some cultures, so we see many examples throughout the world of people trying to prevent the rise of the undead.

Some ways found to prevent the rise of a vampire were:

Buried upside down or flipped over.

Some cultures places scythes or sickles beside graves to satisfy the demons they thought would possess the dead. Why? Don’t know but that’s sick. 

Religious symbols, like wax crosses or pieces of pottery with biblical messages like “Jesus Christ Conquers” were commonly placed on corpses to prevent vampirism.

Some took the practical route and decided that separating or destroying the tendons in the legs of the deceased would also keep the dead from rising.

Shooting a bullet through the casket right before burial was also common

Some would put pieces of steel or silver over the corpse’s eyes, in their mouth, in their ears, or in between their fingers.

Pushing Iron needles through the heart was also said to stop a vampire from rising.

Decapitating after death. 

Curing and Killing: 

Garlic was said to keep away vampires

Crucifixes and rosaries were typically said to keep a vampire away.

They could not cross onto sacred or consecrated ground (like a church)

It’s also said they could not cross over running water (no bridges for vampires)

Some folklore says that they lacked shadows and would not show up in a mirror or a photograph (some folklore states that this is a reflection of their lack of a soul, although it could be due to the use of silver in these things)

Sprinkling mustard seeds along the roof of your house was said to keep vampires away, but if it didn't, you’d be alright becauseeee

Vampires, in many myths, could not enter a home without first being invited in. Be careful though, they only need the one invite. After that they might just be able to come and go from your house as they please.

Wild rose stems or hawthorn branches could potentially harm them

In many legends, vampires are warded off, and sometimes even harmed by silver. (Old mirrors were commonly backed with silver, and old photography also used silver specks, which might be the reason they’re not seen in them)

Holy Water or other items blessed by a priest were said to keep them away, and possibly even hurt them.

Vampires were said to be nocturnal, and were very vulnerable or damaged in sunlight. It might have even been able to kill them.

Being set on fire can kill just about everything, and vampires were no exception. 

@downwithwritersblock‘s favourite way to stop a vampire: Arithmomania. An expression or type of OCD in which the person who suffers from it feels compelled to count either their actions or the objects around them.  In many cultures around the world, especially in Eastern Europe and in Asia, it’s said that if you place small seeds (usually poppy seeds), sand or a type of grain like rice beside the grave, or in front of the vampire, they would compulsively have to count it, and that would keep them busy until either you kill them, or until the sunrises and the light kills them for you.

Decapitation was also a very common method in both preventing, and killing vampires.

And of course the most famous of all; A wooden stake through the heart. Many cultures will also tell you that the stake has to be made out of the same kind of wood as the cross that Jesus was crucified on.

History: Here we’ve included two of the most famous “real life vampires” in history! Up first we have...

Vlad Tepes (or as he’s more commonly known: Vlad the Impaler, or Vlad Dracula).

Born between 1428 and 1431 and died in either 1476 or 1477.

He was Prince of Walachia 3 times between 1448 and his death

The second son of Vlad Dracul, who ruled Walachia

Imprisoned in Transylvania, held in Visegrad from 1463 to 1475.

Vlad II got the name ‘Dracul’ when he joined ‘The Order of the Dragon’, a ‘monarchical chivalric order for selected nobility’ in middle Eastern Europe (aka it was mainly Germanic states).

Dracul(a) means ‘Dragon’, and in more modern Romanian it means ‘The Devil’

Vlad III’s prefered method of execution was impalement. Hence the nickname ‘Vlad the Impaler’

Rumours and stories of Vlad spread fast, in fact, books about his cruel acts were best sellers in the German speaking territories.

However, to his own people, Vlad was usually seen as a warrior and a hero.

Bram Stoker was the one to turn Vlad into the legendary vampire with his well known book “Dracula,” published in 1897. It relied on many of the ancient myths of blood suckers found in Romanian folklore. The novel was very loosely based on Vlad, considering Bram Stoker didn't actually know a whole lot about Vlad and Walachia.

Bram Stoker is also among the first to change the traditional vampire into what we know today. His book is, or at least part of the reason that the image of vampires shift into one that is pale and thin, the lack of a reflection or shadow probably starts with his novel as well.

Secondly, we have my favourite: Elizabeth Bathory, aka “The Blood Countess.” 

Considered to be the first female serial killer.

The accusations change a bit depending on the story, but, Elizabeth was a Countess who was accused of taking, torturing and killing hundreds of young girls. She was accused of some pretty gnarly torture methods like covering people in honey and ants, or burning and then dunking people in freezing water, not to mention mutilation. She was accused of cannibalism. She was also said to drink the blood of her victims, earning her the nickname ‘Countess Dracula’. Some also say that as a regular part of her beauty regimen she would drain the blood of young virgin girls, and bathe in it to help keep her young and beautiful. Sometimes I like to call her the inventor of the first bath bomb.

The highest number of victims she was accused of was 650; however, this, like many parts of her story are questionable, and from unreliable or iffy sources.

Vampires in Media: This list is absolutely massive, so I’ve included twelve titles. This includes books, tv shows, and movies, but excludes video games. 

Buffy The Vampire Slayer (TV show, movie, comics)

The Vampire Chronicles/Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice (movie and book)

Carmilla (1871 novel, cute lesbian 2014 youtube series, movie)

The Vampire Diaries (TV Show)

True Blood (Book series, TV show)

Van Helsing (Movie, TV show)

Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897 Novel)

30 Days Of Night (movie)

Twilight (Book series, movie)

The Originals (TV show)

Angel (TV show)

Blade (Movie)

And my personal favourite, which doesn’t fall under any specific monster, is the Women of the Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong. Would highly recommend. It’s 13 books in the main series, and features all sorts of awesome and well-known supernatural entities such as (but not limited to): werewolves, vampires, half-demons, witches, sorcerers, demons, angels, and necromancers. Fun 18+ supernatural mystery read (with triggers for violence, gore, and explicit sexual content however. Reader discretion is advised.)

Prompts:

1. “You’re so coldblooded!”

    “Uh, yeah? I literally don’t have any blood?” 

2. “The worst part about being a vampire is not being able to take selfies. Do you know how much I miss looking at my own beautiful face?” 

3. “I suppose the best part of this whole ordeal is not having to spend so much time in the vanity.” 

4. “I’m scared to do my eyeliner.”

5. “Werewolves have it so easy! What’s the big deal with turning into a wolf every once in a while? I’d slaughter a country if it meant I could go outside and enjoy the sun. Even as a four-legged mutt.”

[kitsoa]

Kingdom Hearts Recap Recommendation List

I was answering some questions on the subreddit when I realized I had an honest to goodness opinion on some of the better KH recap methods out there. What can I say, I like re-experiencing the series and seeing if people agree on the lore. Catching up with the series is a mounting task for a lot of folks and I’d hate for it to really turn someone away. Ultimately it’s best to either play the 1.5+2.5 collection followed by the 2.8 game-- but if you’re like me and suck at gaming and can’t swing the time (or don’t have a PS4) then here are some options you can do:

Let’s Plays/Streams

I’ve watched a few blind playthroughs that are pretty nice if having commentary helps the experience. Otherwise No Commentary Walkthroughs are a Youtube Search Away.

NicoB-- A funny and entertaining personality who is very keen on the lore and clearly loves the games. He can be bombastic at times but plays the game well and does some great dialogue reads!  

NyanCave-- Streaming style trio with all the bells and whistles that come with it like superchats and such. It’s well modded so there’s no spoilers and the team has a great welcoming energy that plays well off each other. They aren’t actually done yet and only just finished BBS.  

Recap Videos

The trade off is thoroughness but there are a variety of recap videos around. I recommend as thorough as one can personally manage to get the best experience out of KH3 in January, but should you just need a refresher, shorter videos are fine. In order from shortest to longest:

Frustrated Jacob's 20-minute recap-- Explains the basic plot happenings with a cynical but concise delivery. It’s actually rather amusing as it handwaves some of the more iffy concepts as one should sometimes. But lore concepts are touched with clarity and he provides visuals as well. It’s missing material from the 2017 entry and mobile game but adds it in a pinned comment.

* Suggestive Gaming's 36-minute summary--A thorough, game by game summary that unpacks finer details at a steady pace. Sometimes the multitude of character’s at play can get a blind viewer cross-eyed, but the level of nuance could prove vital to realizing all of what KH3′s story demands.

BestGuyEver's Kingdom Hearts 101 "Lecture"-- It's a 3 hours long, extremely amusing ‘classroom lecture’ setting, explaining it game by game in release order. Lore points are presented thoroughly with audience questions (which are sometimes factious but helpful) and visual aids. Corrects some discrepancies in the comments and has follow up for missed future content. It’s just kind of funny watching this. 

Everglow's Timeline Series--For the ambitious with time and dedication. This is a 70+ episode series formatting cutscenes, gameplay, and extra reports in chronological order with smart editing to create the most complete concept of the series proper. It doesn’t talk at you but unfolds the event like a large cinematic. It's beyond impressive and a gem to this fandom, but even I'm taking some time to get through it so it's more of a way to re-experience the series rather than recap.

*If you are unsure which experience to select I would lean toward this one as it’s the best compromise between length and content. 

Other

This is also a bit of a gag recap but I’ve always adored this google doc summary circa 2012 that gets me giggling. I love obtuse visual aids so if anyone knows of a simplistic one then go ahead and add it.

[bookaddict24-7]

June 2017 Book Wrap-Up!

Though the end of June has been an emotional mess for me, I did manage to read ten books in early to mid-June. I read the six pictured books, one borrowed book, and three e-galleys from Edelweiss. This was a really mixed month when it comes to ratings, so we will see how this goes! 

If you saw my June TBR, then you know I failed horribly on the books I wanted to read in June. Nevertheless, that stack remains on my dresser. 

I’m also trying to be a little better with reviews (especially with books I’ve received for review), so like the last two months, I’ll link those reviews under each book that applies. With that being said, this will be a slightly longer post because of all of the books. 

You can friend me on Goodreads here to see what I’m currently reading!

Tell me what books you have read this month and what you thought about them! I love seeing what you’re all reading!

Warning: There may or may not be spoilers ahead.

Question: Would you all like me to add anymore information regarding the books I’ve read in next month’s wrap up? 

Hellworld by Tom Leveen

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Indigo Books & Music Inc. in exchange for an honest review

I’ve only read one other book by Tom Leveen in the past and my liking it was an unpopular opinion. I wasn’t naive enough to think that this would be an amazing read, but I mean, I had hopes that I would still enjoy it. The premise sounded cool and the cover was pretty interesting (ignoring the slightly cliche and inaccurate nature of what the image portrays regarding the story). While I didn’t absolutely hate it, I found it to be slightly problematic and I would be wary to recommend this one to other readers. 

You can check out my mini review here and you can add it to your TBR on Goodreads here.

I gave this book 2/5 Stars

The Impossible Vastness of Us by Samantha Young

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Indigo Books & Music Inc. in exchange for an honest review

I won’t lie--I was a little wary of this book. Mainly because I wasn’t sure if I was in the mood for contemporary, but also because I was worried it would be a fluffy teen romance that would just have me rolling my eyes all over the place. But you know, I’ve learned that though I roll my eyes, I secretly love this romantic stuff. That being said, however, this book had a lot more depth than I thought it would have. Despite the shallow persona of the protagonist at the beginning of the novel and her “popularity” and need to be popular, the character quickly grew into someone more interesting. 

This honestly felt like a more romance-themed mash-up of Paper Princess by Erin Watt and Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen--which may sound like a weird combo, but it sort of worked? My main issue was the dramatic aspect and meanness of some of the characters. But I’m a sucker for these “poor to rich” contemporary YALit storylines, I’m not even going to lie. 

You can read another mini review I wrote here and you can add it to your TBR on Goodreads here.

I gave this book 3.5/5 Stars.

Noteworthy by Riley Redgate

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Indigo Books & Music Inc. in exchange for an honest review

Noteworthy was probably my favourite read of the month. I think this is one of the most underhyped books I’ve seen for a while. Redgate’s novel has diversity, it explores the complexity of gender in our society, it acknowledges bisexuality, it’s funny, and it has some fantastic quotable insights.

Also, if you liked She’s the Man, you’d really like this--though it’s a little more serious in tone and deals with music instead of soccer. 

I wrote a slightly longer review here and you can add it to your tbr on Goodreads here (you won’t regret it!). 

I gave this book 5/5 Stars.

Warcross by Marie Lu

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Indigo Books & Music Inc. in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: September 12, 2017

I haven’t added a review for Warcross on Goodreads because this book doesn’t come out until September and I know that it’s highly anticipated, so I’ve been a little wary of saying too much. 

For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. It was exciting, intriguing, and addicting. The premise is interesting, but some of the events were slightly predictable. There have been some instances where this has been compared to Ready Player One (which is one of my favourite books) and while I can KIND of see where the comparison is coming from, for the most part this isn’t really and truly like RPO, which was based on a society that basically lived online (for argument’s sake I’ll say that in Lu’s world, they escape to their digital world, but for the most part, they spend their days in the real world.) 

Basically, if in RPO the characters hunting for the easter eggs was a televised event then I would be more keen on comparing Warcross to RPO. If that even makes any sense.

You can add this book to your TBR on Goodreads here. 

I gave this book 4/5 Stars.

Things I’m Seeing Without You by Peter Bognanni

I received this book via Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: October 3rd, 2017

This book will forever resonate with me, not because of how it was written or because of the main character, but because I finished reading it during one of the most difficult times that my small family has gone through. The title itself has become a part of my daily thoughts because of what it stands for. 

What I liked the most about this book was the treatment of grief and how it can be such a hard-to-manage experience. 

You can read my review here and you can add it to your TBR on Goodreads here. 

I gave this book 4/5 Stars.

Missing by Kelley Armstrong

I received an unsolicited copy of this book via Penguin Random House.

I don’t know what it is about Kelley Armstrong but her books have not been my favourite. A few months ago, I tried reading another one by her and couldn’t really get into it and this one sounded amazing but the protagonist made it really hard for me to fully enjoy this book. 

I can’t even remember how many times I asked “Why?” while reading Missing. This is truly my greatest disappointment of the month. 

You can read my rant review here and you can add it to your TBR on Goodreads here.

I gave this book 2/5 stars.

Insert Coin to Continue by John David Anderson

I read this one on a whim because it made me think of a middle grade version of Ready Player One. All I can say is that this was extremely adorable because of all the middle grade issues explored: first crushes, nerdy shyness, and a storyline completely made for those kids who love video games and want an alternative to their every day life. 

What I was a little iffy on was the protagonist and how he treated his best friend. I mean, I get that they’re only twelve, but it always irks me when main characters get away with treating their best friends like idiots and don’t really change on that aspect by the end of the novel. But even with that, I still enjoyed the funny and absurd situations this kid got himself into. 

You can add it to your TBR on Goodreads here.

I gave this book 4/5 Stars.

A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting by Joe Ballarini

I received an e-galley via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

When I pick middle grade books to read on Edelweiss, I always go for the ones who look really interesting and adventurous. Ballarini’s novel did not disappoint! Taking place over the span of one night, this novel not only explores the creepy world of the boogeyman, but it also teaches its readers that one should never put anyone else down for being different and that it’s okay to not fit into the “popular crowd”. It’s okay to be yourself and if being yourself means that you have the power and knowledge that it takes to defeat the monsters under your bed, then why would you ever want to hide that? 

I think the only reason why I didn’t give this a full five star rating is because it had some unnecessary cruelty in regards to bullying and it felt like the story went on a little bit longer than necessary. 

You can add it to your TBR on Goodreads here. 

I gave this book 4/5 Stars.

Generation One by Pittacus Lore

I received an e-galley via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. 

I never finished the Pittacus Lore series and reading this book made me want to go back and read the rest of the series. From the first page, I was hooked on this book and its characters. I am putty for books with kids who get special powers and this one fell right into that category. 

The action and cool factor of this book was nonstop and I found that while there may have been some allusions to The Lorien series, it didn’t really throw me off the book. This could be read really well by people who haven’t read the previous series, they might just have to do a little bit of research on who the Lorien are beforehand. 

You can add it to your TBR on Goodreads here.

I gave this book 5/5 Stars

I See London, I See France by Sarah Mlynowski

I received an e-galley via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

I had a lot of mixed feelings about this book. While I loved the travel aspects and the humour, I was really frustrated with how much of a pushover the protagonist was. Also, her best friend reminded me of a negative friendship I once had, so that darkened my feelings for this book. 

With all of that however, for the most part I enjoyed this book and where the characters went and the romance. 

You can check out my review here and add this book to your TBR on Goodreads here.

I gave this book 3/5 Stars

And those are all the books I read this month! Have you read any of these books? 

I hope you all had a good reading month and I’ll be posting my July TBR soon!

Happy reading!