#Wolf and crystal reboot

[saranootnoot]

ILOVEITSOMUCHOMGAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH

Made for @saranootnoot :D I wasn't planning to post it but I like how it turned out

[saranootnoot]

I'm probably going to give up on writing the wolf and Crystal, I haven't even gotten to writing it☹️👎

And I always end up getting burnt out in the process

I don't know for sure... we'll see what happens

[therobotmonster]

My Retro-Cartoon Ramblings, Part 5

I am not going to insult anyone by telling them they need to watch Gargoyles. This fact is self-evident.

Taken series-by-series rather than by franchise, it is the king of the Battle Animal Genre, even if they're not technically anthros.

Great characters, great story, great animation, a fan-frikkin' tastic voice cast, as deep of lore as you could hope for. The fact that it has yet to be rebooted or resurrected or turned into a movie is baffling.

In my book, the way you reboot a kid's franchise to work for a sophisticated audience is you "Gargoyles-it-up". Rich characters, a sorrowful undertone, scenery-chewing villains and a satisfying lore.

But Will Riker in a robot Gargoyle suit is also here. (He represents capitalism.)

Now taken by franchise, the TMNT of course rule the battle animal roost.

They made the genre, even if there were others who were scrapping for that place at the time. I can't tell you the kind of switch that went off in kids heads when we first saw this:

You can not understand what the initial TMNT wave was like unless you were there to get caught by it. Context doesn't help. A nation of children botched our save VS ridiculous but extremely fun bullshit, and my kidvid/toy aspirations crystalized just a bit more.

What gets lost is just how bonkers the show actually was. While remembered more like an AdverTtoon in the Has/Ken model, with wisecracking action figures going on sci-fi capers, the reality was way more Looney Tunes. An old lady pulls an assault rifle on the boys in episode 1!

The whole thing is exceptionally cartoony, though not in the way a lot of latter-day crossovers would have you believe. The world is less wacky-for-wackiness's sake, and is more the exact kind of world where "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" make sense.

It's the one thing that makes OG Fred Wolf TMNT unique among all its other variations, reboots and predecessors. Everywhere else, the boys are the barometer for weird. They're the out-of-place thing in a (more) sane world.

In 87, they might live underground, but the turtles are cool-kid everyman characters. They're normal New Yorkers compared to the tourists from Dimension X and the horde of mutants, robots, robot-mutants, and a grown man calling himself the Shredder that show up each week.

Coming out of the first major wave of turtlemania was like awakening from a fugue state.

[cleverhottubmiracle]

The 2011 supernatural series Teen Wolf took a bite out of the werewolf and vampire craze that occurred after the release of Twilight in 2008, and it paid off. The show was a phenomenon, particularly for the tween crowd and women up to their mid-30s, drawing an audience of nearly 2 million weekly. From the sweet brotherly bond between Scott (Tyler Posey) and Stiles (Dylan O’Brien) to the addictive will-they-won’t-they storyline between Stiles and Lydia (Holland Roden), Teen Wolf is a series you don’t want to miss. Check in with the stars and see what they’ve had to say about their time on the show. Entertainment Teen Wolf’s Holland Roden on Hallmark, Fandoms & New Beginnings (EXCLUSIVE) For years, Holland Roden stole hearts on the hit supernatural drama series Teen Wolf as Lydia Martin. The red-headed actress became a fan-favorite thanks to her character development, her “will-they-won’t-they” relationship with Dylan O’Brien’s character of Stiles and her ultimate loyalty to the pack. These days, she’s shifting away from the darker roles she’s become […] Tyler Posey Tyler Posey (2025) Michael Tullberg / Contributor Character played: Scott McCall Born: October 18, 1991, in Santa Monica, California Best known for: Maid in Manhattan (2002), Scary Movie V (2013) and Truth or Dare (2018) Thoughts on Teen Wolf: “I’ve been the biggest fan of Teen Wolf since it happened, since it came out. I just loved everything about it,” Posey explained. “It was a perfect scenario for me, and I loved every second of it, and I never wanted to let the role die. So, I was always excited to come back to it in whatever capacity. Finally, when the call came, I was just extremely grateful and floored.” Entertainment 'The Vampire Diaries' Cast: Catch Up with the Supernatural Drama's Stars 'The Vampire Diaries' cast just might be supernatural, because they look just as good as they did back in 2009. See the stars seven years after the show ended! Dylan O’Brien Dylan O’Brien (2025) Neilson Barnard / Staff Character played: Stiles Stilinski Born: August 26, 1991, in New York City Best known for: The Maze Runner franchise (2014-2018), Not Okay (2022) and Saturday Night (2024) Thoughts on Teen Wolf: “I love Teen Wolf, [my character] Stiles and so many of the people that I worked with. It was my first job ever, so that show will always tug at my heartstrings.” Entertainment Check-in With the ‘90210’ Reboot Cast — Beverly Hills High Class of 2008 Beverly Hills, 90210 was full of delicious drama, relationships and chaos that kept us satisfied for ten years, and the 2008 reboot, 90210, is no different. Based off of the 1990 series, 90210 follows siblings Annie and Dixon Wilson, who move from Kansas to Beverly Hills, California and experience major culture shock as they quickly […] Holland Roden Holland Roden (2025) Robin L Marshall / Stringer Character played: Lydia Martin Born: October 7, 1986, in Dallas, Texas Best known for: Follow Me (2020), Escape Room: Tournament of Champions (2021) and Teen Wolf: The Movie (2023) Thoughts on Teen Wolf: “… History is not lost on me and the success of Teen Wolf is not normal,” Roden shared. “I mean, I’ve gone on to do pilots that didn’t go forward. Other people have done their shows. I’ve done other shows, but it’s not the same. And so, that is lightning in a bottle and lightning will rarely strike twice.” Crystal Reed Crystal Reed (2025) Michael Ostuni / Contributor Character played: Allison Argent Born: February 6, 1985, in Detroit, Michigan Best known for: The TV shows Gotham (2017-2018) and Swamp Thing (2019), as well as the movie Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011) Thoughts on Teen Wolf: “When you are doing something that you know is going to be great, there’s this kind of magical energy on set,” Reed explained. “I think that I would definitely be open to something like this [a reboot]. It looks great; it has a great message; and it would be a challenge for me, so yeah, I would never say never, and it would be something that if done the right way, with the right people, could be really exciting.”  Tyler Hoechlin Tyler Hoechlin (2025) Alexander Tamargo / Contributor Character played: Derek Hale Born: September 11, 1987, in Corona, California Best known for: The TV shows 7th Heaven (2003-2007), Supergirl (2016-2019) and Superman & Lois (2021-2024). Also known for the movies Road to Perdition (2002) and Can You Keep A Secret? (2019) Thoughts on Teen Wolf: “The audition was at the end of 2009, and this was right when Twilight was really out and popular…” Hoechlin said. “Going in to read the script for Teen Wolf, I was expecting it to be that. But I read the pilot, and it was great. It was such a well-written script; the characters were so great. I loved the Romeo and Juliet of the whole thing; this forbidden love between these two characters.” Linden Ashby Linden Ashby (2024) Paul Archuleta / Contributor Character played: Sheriff Stilinski Born: May 23, 1960, in Atlantic Beach, Florida Best known for: The movies Wyatt Earp (1994), Mortal Kombat (1995), Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) and Purple Hearts (2022), as well as the series The Young and the Restless (2003-2024). Thoughts on Teen Wolf: “It’s so much fun, the Teen Wolf set. And I think that starts with Dylan and Tyler… When they first came on, we said, ‘You guys are the hosts of the party. When you’re the lead of a show, you set the tone.’ And they set a great tone.” JR Bourne JR Bourne (2019) David Crotty / Contributor Character played: Chris Argent Born: April 8, 1970, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada Best known for: The TV series The 100 (2019-2020) and Mayans M.C. (2021-2023). Thoughts on Teen Wolf: “We’re all pretty dang close,” Bourne said of the Teen Wolf cast. “We really are. We enjoy coming to work every day, we enjoy seeing one another, we all hang out outside of work as well. There are definitely days that are stressful, but that’s all part of it.” Melissa Ponzio Melissa Ponzio (2024) Tristar Media / Contributor Character played: Melissa McCall Born: August 3, 1972, in New York City Best known for: The TV series The Walking Dead (2013) and Chicago Fire (2014-2024). Also known for the movie Thunder Force (2021) Thoughts on Teen Wolf: “The fandom that we have kept our characters alive and well on social platforms. The fact we have been able to come back has been a dream come true for all of us.” Shelley Hennig Shelley Hennig (2024) Vivien Killilea / Contributor Character played: Malia Tate Born: January 2, 1987, in Destrehan, Louisiana Best known for: The soap opera Days of Our Lives (2007-2017), as well as the movies Unfriended (2014), Ouija (2014) and When We First Met (2018) Thoughts on Teen Wolf: “Malia [Hennig’s character] is so important to me… I thought she was a really unique character, and the way that I got that role was really special,” Hennig explained. “It was just an offer to do a guest star, and then Jeff Davis [series creator] asked if I would stay as a series regular, and I was like, ‘I’m sorry, what?’” Dylan Sprayberry Dylan Sprayberry Jesse Grant / Stringer Character played: Liam Dunbar Born: July 7, 1998, in Houston, Texas Best known for: The movies Old Dogs (2009), Spooky Buddies (2011) and Malibu Horror Story (2023) Thoughts on Teen Wolf: “My first day, we filmed from 6 PM to 6 AM, so we did a night shoot, I was like 16 years old… it was the scene where Scott bites me… I get knocked off the roof and he has to bite me and then he turns me into a werewolf.” Colton Haynes Colton Haynes Dimitrios Kambouris / Staff Character played: Jackson Whittemore Born: July 13, 1988, Wichita, KS Best known for: Arrow (2012-2020), San Andreas (2015) and Triumph (2021) You can catch all seasons of Teen Wolf on Hulu and Teen Wolf: The Movie (2023) on Paramount+ now! Keep reading for more entertainment! ‘The Big Bang Theory’ Cast: Where Are They Now? Meet the Cast of ‘My Life with the Walter Boys’—From Hallmark Vets to Teen Drama Newcomers Meet the Cast of ‘The Paper’—See Who Will Star In ‘The Office’ Spinoff Mockumentary Premiering This Fall Source link

[saranootnoot]

REBLOGING THIS AGAIN

OKAY LISTEN.. ON DISCORD.. I SENT YOU THIS?.. WELL.. CAN YOU PLEASE DRAW THIS

(ignore this if you don't wanna)

i am really really poor with comics. This ask reminded me I need to finish my other IBVS oc

[norajworld]

The 2011 supernatural series Teen Wolf took a bite out of the werewolf and vampire craze that occurred after the release of Twilight in 2008, and it paid off. The show was a phenomenon, particularly for the tween crowd and women up to their mid-30s, drawing an audience of nearly 2 million weekly. From the sweet brotherly bond between Scott (Tyler Posey) and Stiles (Dylan O’Brien) to the addictive will-they-won’t-they storyline between Stiles and Lydia (Holland Roden), Teen Wolf is a series you don’t want to miss. Check in with the stars and see what they’ve had to say about their time on the show. Entertainment Teen Wolf’s Holland Roden on Hallmark, Fandoms & New Beginnings (EXCLUSIVE) For years, Holland Roden stole hearts on the hit supernatural drama series Teen Wolf as Lydia Martin. The red-headed actress became a fan-favorite thanks to her character development, her “will-they-won’t-they” relationship with Dylan O’Brien’s character of Stiles and her ultimate loyalty to the pack. These days, she’s shifting away from the darker roles she’s become […] Tyler Posey Tyler Posey (2025) Michael Tullberg / Contributor Character played: Scott McCall Born: October 18, 1991, in Santa Monica, California Best known for: Maid in Manhattan (2002), Scary Movie V (2013) and Truth or Dare (2018) Thoughts on Teen Wolf: “I’ve been the biggest fan of Teen Wolf since it happened, since it came out. I just loved everything about it,” Posey explained. “It was a perfect scenario for me, and I loved every second of it, and I never wanted to let the role die. So, I was always excited to come back to it in whatever capacity. Finally, when the call came, I was just extremely grateful and floored.” Entertainment 'The Vampire Diaries' Cast: Catch Up with the Supernatural Drama's Stars 'The Vampire Diaries' cast just might be supernatural, because they look just as good as they did back in 2009. See the stars seven years after the show ended! Dylan O’Brien Dylan O’Brien (2025) Neilson Barnard / Staff Character played: Stiles Stilinski Born: August 26, 1991, in New York City Best known for: The Maze Runner franchise (2014-2018), Not Okay (2022) and Saturday Night (2024) Thoughts on Teen Wolf: “I love Teen Wolf, [my character] Stiles and so many of the people that I worked with. It was my first job ever, so that show will always tug at my heartstrings.” Entertainment Check-in With the ‘90210’ Reboot Cast — Beverly Hills High Class of 2008 Beverly Hills, 90210 was full of delicious drama, relationships and chaos that kept us satisfied for ten years, and the 2008 reboot, 90210, is no different. Based off of the 1990 series, 90210 follows siblings Annie and Dixon Wilson, who move from Kansas to Beverly Hills, California and experience major culture shock as they quickly […] Holland Roden Holland Roden (2025) Robin L Marshall / Stringer Character played: Lydia Martin Born: October 7, 1986, in Dallas, Texas Best known for: Follow Me (2020), Escape Room: Tournament of Champions (2021) and Teen Wolf: The Movie (2023) Thoughts on Teen Wolf: “… History is not lost on me and the success of Teen Wolf is not normal,” Roden shared. “I mean, I’ve gone on to do pilots that didn’t go forward. Other people have done their shows. I’ve done other shows, but it’s not the same. And so, that is lightning in a bottle and lightning will rarely strike twice.” Crystal Reed Crystal Reed (2025) Michael Ostuni / Contributor Character played: Allison Argent Born: February 6, 1985, in Detroit, Michigan Best known for: The TV shows Gotham (2017-2018) and Swamp Thing (2019), as well as the movie Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011) Thoughts on Teen Wolf: “When you are doing something that you know is going to be great, there’s this kind of magical energy on set,” Reed explained. “I think that I would definitely be open to something like this [a reboot]. It looks great; it has a great message; and it would be a challenge for me, so yeah, I would never say never, and it would be something that if done the right way, with the right people, could be really exciting.”  Tyler Hoechlin Tyler Hoechlin (2025) Alexander Tamargo / Contributor Character played: Derek Hale Born: September 11, 1987, in Corona, California Best known for: The TV shows 7th Heaven (2003-2007), Supergirl (2016-2019) and Superman & Lois (2021-2024). Also known for the movies Road to Perdition (2002) and Can You Keep A Secret? (2019) Thoughts on Teen Wolf: “The audition was at the end of 2009, and this was right when Twilight was really out and popular…” Hoechlin said. “Going in to read the script for Teen Wolf, I was expecting it to be that. But I read the pilot, and it was great. It was such a well-written script; the characters were so great. I loved the Romeo and Juliet of the whole thing; this forbidden love between these two characters.” Linden Ashby Linden Ashby (2024) Paul Archuleta / Contributor Character played: Sheriff Stilinski Born: May 23, 1960, in Atlantic Beach, Florida Best known for: The movies Wyatt Earp (1994), Mortal Kombat (1995), Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) and Purple Hearts (2022), as well as the series The Young and the Restless (2003-2024). Thoughts on Teen Wolf: “It’s so much fun, the Teen Wolf set. And I think that starts with Dylan and Tyler… When they first came on, we said, ‘You guys are the hosts of the party. When you’re the lead of a show, you set the tone.’ And they set a great tone.” JR Bourne JR Bourne (2019) David Crotty / Contributor Character played: Chris Argent Born: April 8, 1970, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada Best known for: The TV series The 100 (2019-2020) and Mayans M.C. (2021-2023). Thoughts on Teen Wolf: “We’re all pretty dang close,” Bourne said of the Teen Wolf cast. “We really are. We enjoy coming to work every day, we enjoy seeing one another, we all hang out outside of work as well. There are definitely days that are stressful, but that’s all part of it.” Melissa Ponzio Melissa Ponzio (2024) Tristar Media / Contributor Character played: Melissa McCall Born: August 3, 1972, in New York City Best known for: The TV series The Walking Dead (2013) and Chicago Fire (2014-2024). Also known for the movie Thunder Force (2021) Thoughts on Teen Wolf: “The fandom that we have kept our characters alive and well on social platforms. The fact we have been able to come back has been a dream come true for all of us.” Shelley Hennig Shelley Hennig (2024) Vivien Killilea / Contributor Character played: Malia Tate Born: January 2, 1987, in Destrehan, Louisiana Best known for: The soap opera Days of Our Lives (2007-2017), as well as the movies Unfriended (2014), Ouija (2014) and When We First Met (2018) Thoughts on Teen Wolf: “Malia [Hennig’s character] is so important to me… I thought she was a really unique character, and the way that I got that role was really special,” Hennig explained. “It was just an offer to do a guest star, and then Jeff Davis [series creator] asked if I would stay as a series regular, and I was like, ‘I’m sorry, what?’” Dylan Sprayberry Dylan Sprayberry Jesse Grant / Stringer Character played: Liam Dunbar Born: July 7, 1998, in Houston, Texas Best known for: The movies Old Dogs (2009), Spooky Buddies (2011) and Malibu Horror Story (2023) Thoughts on Teen Wolf: “My first day, we filmed from 6 PM to 6 AM, so we did a night shoot, I was like 16 years old… it was the scene where Scott bites me… I get knocked off the roof and he has to bite me and then he turns me into a werewolf.” Colton Haynes Colton Haynes Dimitrios Kambouris / Staff Character played: Jackson Whittemore Born: July 13, 1988, Wichita, KS Best known for: Arrow (2012-2020), San Andreas (2015) and Triumph (2021) You can catch all seasons of Teen Wolf on Hulu and Teen Wolf: The Movie (2023) on Paramount+ now! Keep reading for more entertainment! ‘The Big Bang Theory’ Cast: Where Are They Now? Meet the Cast of ‘My Life with the Walter Boys’—From Hallmark Vets to Teen Drama Newcomers Meet the Cast of ‘The Paper’—See Who Will Star In ‘The Office’ Spinoff Mockumentary Premiering This Fall Source link

[here-there-were-dragons]

god this just reminds me of. like okay, back on spore? in the 2010's, during the same time as the deviantart oc boom there was a HUGE population of furries, warrior cat girlies, and most relevant to today's lesson, younger teenage girls overwhelmingly obsessed with the edgy 2000's reboot of spyro the dragon, on there.

i say, without exaggeration, that every single one of them had their own legend of spyro oc, who was ALWAYS a Special Legendary Rare Dragon, always a teenage girl that looked 100% like an mspaint recolor of a screenshot of teenage cynder, always had human hair with That One Specific Forwards-Sweep Scene Hairstyle Every Furry Always Had, always had the exact same green sparkly seductive anime girl eyes part, always had crystal horns and flower parts on them, always had a name like "crystal" "candice" "lydia" or "skyler" (all of which are real, direct examples of actual popular users at the time's ocs), always was wearing a "collar" with a crystal or flower or something on it for literally no apparent reason, always had an endless parade of identical spammy wolf head template spaceships themed after them to announce inane things like "i'm online" and "i was thinking about broccoli and OMEHGAWD" in lieu of an actual proper social media element to the game, always had a weirdly mundane and lame boyfriend who quite often had a genderswapped cynder backstory, nearly always had one of the legwarmer-like creature paint styles, if they were not just another purple dragon then they nearly always had a color scheme based heavily on neon green, light blue, cyan, or red, always had a "trilogy" of 50+ part adventure series-es named "The Legend Of (oc name)" featuring them as the chosen one protagonist (if not MULTIPLE "trilogies") and for whatever reason the main big bad in the second series on the trilogy would always be a giant evil crazy lady dragon with a name like "Umbra", and most importantly for today's story, always had-because Dark Spyro exists, so of course they needed one too- an "evil dark side" alter ego with a name like Darknessia (yes really) or Eclipse. Every. Single. One.

There was a standard pattern everyone unquestioningly knew they had to follow when making this obligatory Dark Other. the default model of their precious sparkledragon girl would be taken, their colors set to black, and the detail colors set to red, purple, or green, all with zero regard to how such a color scheme would actually render on the finished product, and often, zero regard for the bug that makes it so when you set a creature's base color to 100% black it makes all the other colors render in an unpleasant chalky neon. Feathers would be removed, frills and horns would be replaced with the exact same long, thin, pale, sharp bony spines, and the eyes would be replaced with the exact same angry red evil eye part from the creepy&cute pack, or, if they were feeling spicy, the lizard eye part from the same. Clothing and jewelry would be inexplicably transformed into sharper, spiked-collar-like affairs. The scene hair, of course, remained the same. it all looked quite like the result of coldsteel the hedgehog taking a dip into open furrydom.

Unlike Dark Spyro, these "evil sides" would nearly always be depicted as fully sapient, separate people of a spirit-like nature who were created by the villains, and would "possess" the main character periodically with the sole motivation of causing chaos in their life. They had their own names, personalities, and motivations-even of those personalities were invariably just "i'm so manipulative and i love chaos and evil and hurting people lol", and those motivations were always just "serve main bad guy because uhhhhh evil".

because i was a fucking edgelord, my primary spyro sparkledragon oc at the time (though not my FIRST primary one-my original primary spyro sparkledragon girl oc is a story for another time) was ALREADY a dark dragon (or, sometimes, "twilight" dragon, which was a class of element type i made up that was basically "dark dragon but not inherently evil and light element dragons make them oppressed because they think they're dark dragons :(" and i waffled back and forth on if dark dragons were actually evil and consequently if said oc was an actual dark dragon for the next 8 years) with necromancy breath powers, who already had the evil lizard eye part in her default form, was not a teenage girl but was instead based on the adult cynder model, had no hair because even to this day the idea of human hair on a dragon makes me unreasonably angry, already had the long thin bone horns, had a color scheme consisting primarily of dark blue and red, was not the chosen one, DID have completely inexplicable shapeshifting powers, was kind of an ass, had a lot of lolzsorandomxd "humor", and instead of a mediocre spyro recolor boy husband she dimension-hopped and dated* kowalski the penguin. Yes, really.

despite all this, i still gave her a dark form. i gave the dark dragon who already had half the evil dark form tropes by default, a dark form. independent inexplicably malicious conscious identity, zero-thought black and red color scheme, bony sharp spine frill replacement, cartoonishly overdone edgy evil red eyes part, i think i even turned the downturned horns up like shadow the hedgehog, and i named this dark form fucking Daedrus V'yarii.

that's what this picture looks like, to me. it looks like a humanized daedrus v'yarii.

*and, as the end result of a plotline in which she brought her penguin boyfriend back to the legend of spyro dimension and it turned out he and all the penguins had secretly been dragons cursed into lesser form all along-mind you, not even fucking spyro dragons, i decided that kowalski was secretly a D&D PLATINUM DRAGON and the other penguins were golds and bronzes-she had kids with kowalski the penguin. said kids went on to go star in their OWN planned trilogies i never got around to making, but that featured among other things the tragic death of a dragon-transformed version of megamind.

Minecraft Youtuber: omg,,,, I have an evil Demon twin 🫢🤯😱😱😱 this is so scary!

The twin:

[hrkingston]

Eleven Favorite Women in Video Games

Women in video games are as many and varied as the worlds they appear in. Here are eleven of my favorites from over the years, in no particular order!

Claire “Lightning” Farron (Final Fantasy XIII, XIII-2, and Lightning Returns) Lightning makes this list because not only is she a dynamic character, but she’s a badass. While having pink hair and being overwhelmingly attractive, Lightning is not a pushover of a character by any means. She’s a soldier first, then something of a goddess, and her progression only escalates from there in Lightning Returns. I love how she started as a practical character and stayed a practical character, even when weirder and weirder stuff is hurled her way. She knows how to think, she knows how to fight, and in XIII, she touts one of my favorite weapons in all of Final Fantasy: a gunblade that actually makes physical sense. Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)

I will admit, I got into the Tomb Raider franchise rather late and there are still a lot of games in the series that I have yet to play. However, in many people’s eyes, Lara was the “original” female protagonist in video games. She was smart, she was strong, she was daring, she could fight, and, as we all know, she’s not bad to look at.

I myself am partial to the rendition of Lara found in the 2013 reboot of Tomb Raider from Crystal Dynamics. It was the first time that I felt completely comfortable playing as Lara, because while she was beautiful, I didn’t feel like the male gaze was being directly pandered to. This was a Lara that I had an easier time relating to, and is what really drew me into the series. So yes, while I was very late to the Tomb Raider party, Lara has claimed a special place in my heart. Commander Shepard (Mass Effect) Few people have kicked as much intergalactic ass as Commander Shepard, and the fact that you can get it done as a woman makes it twice as satisfying. Some might view this as cheating, since Shepard, while she does have her own base personality, is very much informed by the decisions the player makes. But no matter how the player steers Shepard, she is never any less awesome, and the fact that you can personalize her adventure only makes her that much more likable and easy to relate to. Yuna (Final Fantasy X and X-2) While Yuna was only playable very briefly in X, I always felt that she was the true protagonist of the story. Anyone who knows me well knows that I complain about Final Fantasy X a fair amount, but despite any and all of that, it was my first Final Fantasy, and Yuna my first heroine. Despite some character flaws and inconsistencies that I still question to this day (Yuna is relatively smart but makes some unfathomable decisions, her fashion sense changes beyond all recognition between games, etc.) she is still a wonderful character with a lot of heart. While she can fight through the use of her aeons, her truest power is her strength of character and strength of heart. She is brave, selfless, loving, and fiercely protective. I admire her greatly years after picking up my PS2 copy of her game at a flea market. Okami Amaterasu (Okami) Okami will always and forever be one of my very favorite video games with its gorgeous cell-shading, unforgettable characters, and wonderful storytelling. One of the things that may be a little off-putting to certain people about Amaterasu is that she doesn’t speak a single line of dialogue. Amaterasu takes the form of a wolf in this game, and all of the dialogue that advances the plot from her perspective is done through Issun, he sidekick. However, Ammy is loveable and memorable in her own right by getting her thoughts and points across through primarily canine actions, such as growls, whines, barks, and iconic postures such as the confused head tilt, the coil before an attacking spring, and even biting or headbutting people. She’s a different kind of protagonist and a model example of non-verbal storytelling, and will always be one of my favorites. Miranda Lawson (Mass Effect 2 & 3) Miranda isn’t the protagonist of Mass Effect, obviously, but a party member. However, she still deserves to be on this list because she’s so dynamic. It took me some time to warm up to Miranda, but the more I got to know her in-game, the more of a shine I took to her. She is tough, she is vulnerable, she is smart, she is emotional, she’s a leader and a follower, a hard-ass and a friend, and it’s these oxymorons and more that showcase exactly what a multifaceted and real character Miranda is. She’s complex, and getting to know all of her different sides was an absolute pleasure.

(I also may or may not have a massive crush on her and be bummed that you can’t romance her as Femshep.)

Fran (Final Fantasy XII) Fran is an almost frosty, aloof character due to how old she is and will be. Fran is one of my favorites because, despite how collected she is, you really get to see into her layers when she interacts with her sisters, and when she interacts with Balthier the sky pirate. Fran’s relationship with Balthier is not only one of my favorite aspects of her character, but also one of my favorite aspects of the entire game itself. Unlike how things normally seem to go, Fran is not Balthier’s sidekick, or subservient to him in any way. Fran and Balthier are partners, and I really love the camaraderie that all but oozes from them. Also, Fran by default is an archer, and I have a weakness for a good ol’ bow and arrow. Aloy (Horizon Zero Dawn) What did I say about archery? Guerilla Games has essentially delivered us a neo-Mesozoic Merida simulator and I could not be more pleased. But despite the lush world and intuitive gameplay, one of my favorite aspects of the game is our star herself, Aloy. Aloy is a perfect example of the coming-of-age narrative, as she spends much of the game trying to discover her origin and save her world with the information. She’s fiercely motivated and incredibly capable, using a combination of strength, cunning, and finesse to take on everything the world throws at her from prejudiced humans to deadly bandits to giant killer machines. Oerba Dia Vanille (Final Fantasy XIII) When XIII first came out, I couldn’t stand Vanille. Her voice bothered me, her personality bothered me, her in-game animations bothered me, everything about her bothered me. But then one day (I kid you not) I woke up and thought “Why did I hate Vanille so much? I really like her! What was my deal?”

Vanille was one of those characters I had to warm up to first. I see a lot of myself in Vanille, which is perhaps why I was so harsh on her in the first place. We are our own biggest critics, and I believe that I had been unknowingly using Vanille like a mirror. The fact that she tries to be so hopeful in the face of adversity is a trait that we share, as well as trying to cheer others up and make them see the bright side. Vanille and I, we can be annoying in our tactics, but we both mean well in the end.

Vanille has a good heart and is a lovely person, and the fact that I relate so strongly to her has given her a permanent spot in my heart. Elizabeth Comstock (BioShock Infinite) Elizabeth Comstock is, in herself, a journey. The story of BioShock Infinite is largely focused on her, and she really does propel it forward. One of my favorite things about Elizabeth, besides the mystery and intrigue that surrounds her character, is how much she changes as a person over the course of the game. In the beginning, she reminded me very much of Belle or Rapunzel, but by the end of the game, without giving too much away, she seemed like she was about a thousand years old, too wizened and tortured for her years.

Elizabeth is a very real character, and in a game where you play a protagonist that you never really see, she does a wonderful job emoting and making you really feel both for her and for the world around her.

Elizabeth is a masterpiece inside a masterpiece; both she and her game have resonated very deeply with me. Kasumi Goto (Mass Effect 2 & 3) Kasumi is a downloadable character, and the fact that not everyone experienced Mass Effect 2 for the first time with her on the team makes me sad. We don’t get to see as much of Kasumi as we do other characters, but what we do get to see is very well done. Bioware had the task of making people care about this character in a relatively short amount of time, since she isn’t technically “in” the story, and so most of her character development occurs during her loyalty mission.

Kasumi is one of those characters that I wanted more of, and I found myself bringing her on many missions just to hear snatches of her dialogue if I took her certain places or did certain things. Even during the final climactic mission, I found myself snickering at her quips. She was an optional character that, for me, didn’t feel optional, and that’s when you know a character is very well done.

(I also remained disappointed that the bug in her mission in Mass Effect 3 was never fixed.)

[amplesalty]

Halloween 2023 - Day 5 - Freddy vs Jason (2003)

Voices in the air I hear 'em loud and clear Telling me to listen...

OK, so I know I've been slacking this year so far but it's Friday the 13th and I sure as hell wasn't going to miss this. I've been building up to it since last year after all and, whilst I might not have documented it on here, I capped off the original run of Friday the 13th movies with Jason X back in January. Having the done the same with New Nightmare last year, all that's left (aside from the reboots) is this, the ultimate showdown…Freddy vs Jason. Given that I wasn't into horror back when this came out, it wasn't really on my radar so I don't recall any of the build up around it or how much anticipation there was from the general public but I can't imagine anything other than this being one of the biggest events of the year. It's Freddy vs Jason, man! You don't even need a trailer at that point, that name will sell you on the movie more than any sneak peek at moments from the film ever could. It harkens back to those school yard debates about who would win in a fight or the golden age of 'versus' movies in horror like Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man or the House of… films.

Right out of the gate we find out that Freddy has been banished to Hell but is unable to come back to wreak havoc upon the next generation of Elm Street kids because he's been forgotten. No one even knows who Freddy is anymore and if's not remembered, there's no fear. No fear, no powers. But luckily there's someone else down there that he thinks he can use…Jason Vorhees. Jason can never truly die and is just buried somewhere, suddenly given fresh impetus to rise up when he sees visions of his Mother demanding his go take care of those naughty kids down on Elm St. Sadly, the role of Mrs Vorhees is not reprised by Betsy Palmer but Paula Shaw does a good job as this angry, Freddy-inspired version as she berates Jason. Given the name of the movie, we all know this alliance isn't going to last forever but I really love this idea. It brings this whole extra layer of danger to proceedings, this dual threat of being targeted in your sleep as well as when you're awake. Plus it gives a plausible reason to allow Freddy a route back into the dreams of his victims and it adds this extra edge to him. He's not just this violent killer, he's manipulating Jason for his own nefarious needs. It helps play in to this odd sense of sympathy the movie seems to be trying to elicit for Jason. He's being used here, there's a flashback to his mistreatment by the other kids and councilors back at Crystal Lake and he's often taking a beating during the later fight scenes with Freddy. Kinda weird to think of Jason as the good guy in any situation but when the guy is a half melted nonce with Wolverine claws, Jason is the lesser of two evils.

We soon meet said Elm St kids and amongst them, for some reason, is Kelly Rowland. I guess I never had her pegged as an actress. It's funny because I've been looking at a Japanese movie called Kairo recently which was then remade in America as Pulse which starred Christina Milian. Again, AM to PM is a banger but I didn't realise she did acting too so I guess having that on my mind made this Kelly Rowland appearance catch me even more off guard. She's fine here though, the role is just standard slasher movie fare as the friend of the final girl who doesn't quite make it through the whole show so there's not much you can do with that. Her character does refer to Freddy as a 'faggot' at one point which is a bit…of it's time to put it politely.

It doesn't take long with Jason to show up and start bumping everyone off, including one gruesome kill where he stabs a guy half to death whilst in bed, then folding him up in said bed like a sandwich. This first kill takes place at the old Thompson house so when the cops show up and see where it happened, as well as the violent nature of the murder, murmurs soon start about it being 'him', murmurs that are very quickly shot down. The local Sherriff isn't keen on people talking about he who shall not be named (not Voldermort) and with the kids being asked all sorts of strange questions about their dreams rather than who might have just massacred their friend, it does lend the whole thing a bit of a conspiracy vibe, like the parents are covering something up. Kinda brings full circle because the original had that as well.

Conspiratorial would be accurate given that one of the kids dad is killed and I did a double take thinking it was Alex Jones.

There's these other characters as well who are in a psychiatric ward who keep making references to 'dream demons' and being kept away from their families so there's a lot of moving parts in play here but it really adds to the whole atmosphere and I like the angle they're going for, it was something I really wanted in Freddy's Dead.

It's easy to tell this is an Elm Street sequel because only hours after the death of two of their friends, the kids are quietly ushered off to school where they're gawked out by their classmates. Aren't their regulations in place for this kind of stuff? Give the kids some time off at least, maybe a passing grade. You know, that 'passing by catastrophe' kinda thing, Dead Man's Curve? Maybe given all the killings they had to abolish it because they were having to pass everyone given how prolific Freddy was.

But it's not just subtleties and world building here, this movie can deal out some action when it wants to. Such as when Jason's 'fun police' alarm goes off and he breaks up the kids party out in the cornfields. Someone tries to fight back by setting him on fire, which only seems to make him stronger especially when he starts wielding a flaming machete. The power of the Charcoal Pine Resin strikes again!

Or a vicious scene where one of the kids is haunted by visions of his brothers suicide, the brother played by non other than Scut Farkus himself, Zack Ward. Scut Farkus staring out at us with his red wrists! So help me God, red wrists!

And when this movie promised Freddy vs Jason, it duly delivers. Multiple times in fact. You get the best of both worlds, with one fight taking place in the dream world after Freddy possesses one of the kids and uses tranquilisers to put Jason to sleep. Then, in the finale, Freddy is draw into the real world. It allows both of them to play to their respective strengths; Freddy with his powers and use of misdirection in the dream world and Jason being able to use his strength and invulnerability in the real world where Freddy is weaker.

It's a cool touch that Jason ends up being reverted to his child form in the dream world fight, obviously ties in to Freddy being a child murderer but also brings back that origin story of Jason as well. The actual ending, whilst it doesn't sour the overall movie in the slightest, I'm not overly happy with. I get that it's ambiguous and doesn't necessarily undo what came before it, plus are these characters ever really dead? But I think with the hindsight of this being the last big send off for both characters, it was nice to have this Double-KO as a way to write them out and send their franchises off into the sunset before their reboots several years later. The original ending was apparently disliked by those at initial test screenings. It featured one of the characters suddenly turning violent and wielding the Freddy glove as a final sting which doesn't seem out of place with the franchise. After all, right back in part 1 we had the false finish of everyone thinking they'd beat Freddy only for him to re-emerge. And whilst we're talking about endings, this apparently had all manner of different possible endings including a giant hand pulling both villains back down to hell to play out a Sissapyhian battle for all eternity to the amusement of onlooking devils and demons. Or one where they both run into Ash from Evil Dead, supposedly shot down because Sam Raimi insisted on Ash winning. Or, Freddy and Jason waging bloody war on one another, only to be suddenly pulled apart by hooked chains before Pinhead emerged from the shadows.

Maybe some people could argue that not having a definitive winner is a bad thing, I think it would have been cool if they'd done something where Jason wins in certain showings and Freddy wins in others. Probably wouldn't have worked even back then due to the growing prevalence of the internet, whilst not as widespread and immediate as today since it was before social media and the like, news would have travelled fast and it wouldn't have been able to get that sort of urban legend feel. How cool would that have been though, you're talking to your friends about the movie and you're like "Man, I can't believe Freddy won." and they're like "What are you talking about, Jason killed that motherfucker!". Think of the repeat ticket sales! As it is, I really loved this one. Certainly the best Jason movie out there, even if the likes of Part VII and Jason X had their charms (we'll get back to them one day). Certainly up there with the best Elm Street movies too. I just really dug the city wide cover up going on to try and suppress Freddy, really fleshed out the story and allowed it to be more than just padding whilst we waited for the main event showdown.

[saranootnoot]

Grrrrr

Dennis and Ivy:DD (shout out to @unagidevi for making the refs of them for me, definitely check them out:DD)

[agenericplaceholdername]

This is definitely a more negative take on Jay than I have, but on the other hand I'm certainly not gonna defend Jay's actions in Rebooted through the end of Skybound. It did make me think of something though -- what does "shattering goodness" mean?

We get two explanations, one from Hantro and one from Cinder. Hantro says that "once you shatter your goodness, you can learn all kinds of evil things ... Fighting techniques, mystical powers, all the stuff your goodness was holding you back from." Cinder says that he "can feel the gong resonate inside [him] shattering the parts of [his] soul that hold [him] back."

These aren't non-explanations - the lore established is that people can't learn certain techniques because of their innate "goodness," but the Gong fixes that. But beyond being able to learn Shatterspin, how might losing one's goodness affect them?

Ex. 1: Cinder

We barely know what Cinder was like before the gong, but even after he uses the Gong, he's still not totally evil -- see him being concerned after Ras announces five monks will be sacrificed to the Blood Moon.

(The Spell at the Waterfall)

We only see Cinder briefly before the Gong is first used, when he fights Arin and Sora in the season premiere. Does he act meaningfully different (nicer?) in that battle than later on in the season? No. And when he says the Gong is shattering the parts of him that hold him back -- what parts of him? When does his moral compass stop him from doing something?

Ex. 2: Jay

Jay has a bigger difference, namely that he goes from being a decent human being (at the end of Crystalized) to a villain. But how much of that was his memory loss and being trained by Ras, and how much was it the Gong of Shattering?

Memory-less Jay is certainly nicer to Bonzle after she starts talking to him, but he still wants to carry out Administration orders to arrest Bonzle and agrees with the Administration that Zane is a piece of equipment.

Ras is also an expert at persuasion (see Beatrix, Jordana, Arin), so I assume he convinced Jay to join him without forcing a wolf mask on him and hitting the Gong. Maybe he's more vicious in his fight against Nya, but given that he has no memories and has been trained to distrust anything the Ninja say, I don't think his "inner goodness" being intact or not is particularly relevant.

So where does this leave things? To go back to the original post... it's even more disturbing to think that these in-show actions are coming out of Jay independent of the Gong's effects.

Had she always been living with such a monster?

There are obviously questions of whether you're still "you" without your memories (long running philosophical debates) but it seems like the answer to Nya’s question here (contingent on believing that memoryless Jay is still "Jay”) is yes.

Conclusion:

Is it a missed opportunity that the true effects of the Gong of Shattering are never explored? Absolutely - maybe the Shatterspin comics will provide more. But if it's true that all the Gong does is enable you to use Shatterspin, but your actual personality is unchanged, not only does that have big implications for DRS3, but it means that "evil Jay" is a lot closer to this darker take on him than the show wants us to think (or will actually ever show).

Dragons Rising gives us evil Jay, but it's not that he's the bad guy, it's that he's just an awful person.

He breaks free of Ras's whole cohort, even joins the ninja in their fight. Everyone's excited, cuz you know, Jay's back! He still doesn't have his memories, and maybe we're back to square one on everyone's relationships with him, but he's here, fighting by their side once again, and everyone's glad to have him.

But things feel different. He's got even less of a filter than he used to, and things tend to get uncomfortable around him fast. All the underlying entitlement, and self serving tendencies he had before are on full display. He complains a LOT. Was he always this much of a buzz kill? And after they've spent some time trying to get him acclimated back into the group, the friction grows even more. All his sexist, unrepentant, self pitying mental manipulation boils to the surface, and the team has stopped trying to actively engage with him.

And Nya. Boy do they regret ever telling him about Nya. After finding out they used to be together, he's oddly pushy about it. He thinks he's discovered a short cut to getting a girlfriend. He already won her over once, it's as if he's earned her already. Why is she being so resistant about them?

She gives a definitive no to this version of Jay, several times, and he simply can not process it. He's caught on this stalker-like obsession with getting her to love him again, even though he knows almost nothing about her. Eventually he takes it a step too far. Crosses some physical boundary, or gets into some obscenely misogynist argument, and that's it. Nya doesn't even have to do anything, the team runs him off for her, Kai nearly kills him.

Everyone tries to comfort her by assuring her "it's not your fault, we should have dropped him sooner, he's clearly not who he used to be" and Nya is just left sitting there in terror like... "isn't he?"

She's seen this all before. His blatant disregard for her feelings and opinions, the refusal to apologize, his entitlement complex around her specifically, none of it is new. It's just so much more obvious coming from a mind that doesn't know her. He had done all of it, and she had still loved him.

Had she always been living with such a monster?

[onlydylanobrien]

❝We’ve heard your howls, and we’re howling back! 🐺 A Teen Wolf MOVIE is coming to Paramount Plus in 2022.❞

🎥©: teenwolf

‘Teen Wolf’ Revival Movie Set at Paramount Plus as Creator Jeff Davis Inks MTV Entertainment Studios Overall Deal (EXCLUSIVE)

A movie revival of the “Teen Wolf” MTV series is in the works at Paramount Plus as part of a new overall deal series creator Jeff Davis has signed with MTV Entertainment Studios, Variety has learned exclusively.

Davis’ multi-year deal will see him write and executive produce the film, with talks currently underway with original series cast members to return. The news comes on the four year anniversary of the original “Teen Wolf” finale on MTV.

In addition to the “Teen Wolf” movie, Davis will also develop a new series for the streamer based on Edo Van Belkom’s “Wolf Pack” books, with Davis serving as showrunner on that series. Finally, the previously announced “Aeon Flux” live-action reboot — on which Davis will serve as showrunner and pilot director — has moved over to Paramount Plus after originally being set up at MTV.

Davis’ slate falls under the purview of MTV Entertainment president and CEO Chris McCarthy, who has previously laid out a strategy of using existing IP within the ViacomCBS ecosystem while also building out new franchises to boost the company’s programming and streaming efforts.

In addition to developing “Teen Wolf,” Davis also served as executive producer and showrunner on the series throughout its run. He is also known for creating the hit CBS procedural “Criminal Minds,” which ended its time on the broadcaster in 2020 after 15 seasons and over 300 episodes.

He is repped by WME, Authentic Talent & Literary Management, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.

In the “Teen Wolf” movie, a terrifying evil has emerged in the town of Beacon Hills. The wolves are howling once again, calling for the return of Banshees, Werecoyotes, Hellhounds, Kitsunes, and every other shapeshifter in the night. But only a Werewolf like Scott McCall, no longer a teenager yet still an Alpha, can gather both new allies and reunite trusted friends to fight back against what could be the most powerful and deadliest enemy they’ve ever faced.

Tyler Posey starred as McCall in the original series, with the cast also including Dylan O’Brien, Crystal Reed, Tyler Hoechlin, Holland Roden, Colton Haynes, and Arden Cho. It was loosely based on the 1985 Michael J. Fox feature comedy of the same name. The show aired on MTV from 2011-2017 for six seasons and 100 episodes. In December, the full series will be available to stream on Paramount Plus.

In “Wolf Pack,” a teenage boy and girl’s lives are changed forever when a California wildfire awakens a terrifying supernatural creature and drives it to attack a highway traffic jam beneath the burning hills. Wounded in the chaos, the boy and girl are inexplicably drawn to each other and to two other teenagers who were adopted sixteen years earlier by a park ranger after another mysterious wildfire. As the full moon rises, all four teens come together to unravel the secret that connects them – the bite and blood of a werewolf. There are four books in the “Wolf Pack” series, which were released between 2004 and 2008.

Source: Variety.com

[mh-midnight-wanderer]

{part 1} {part 2} {part 3}

Checklist of G2 characters that return for G3 reboot.

1. Ari Hauntington

2. Silvi Timberwolf

3. Moanica D'Kay

4. Raythe

5. Gob

6. Bonesy

7. Skelly

8. Crystal

9. Woolee

10. Treesa Thornwillow

11. Thorna Thornwillow

12. Harriet Wolf #

13. Clawdeen's younger siblings #

14. Alivia Stein

15. Fangelica VanBat

16. Cleo's younger sisters

I don't know if I should include Monster Celebrities like Zomby Gaga or Madison Fear

If they mention or made appearance in the show I will add them later

[twisting-echo]

Wooo!!

Queer Ladies of Sonic the Hedgehog

The Sonic franchise doesn’t have a whole lot of romance.  There’s the occasional ship tease, and that’s about it.  And there definitely isn’t a lot of queer content.  

However, there are some Sonic characters who have been confirmed to be LGBT+ in some way.  It’s usually just a behind-the-scenes comment from someone working on the series, rather than representation in the story itself - but hey, it’s better than nothing.  

I was interested in the women and girls in particular, so here’s all the (almost) canonically queer ladies associated with Sonic the Hedgehog.  

Look under the cut to see the full list!  

Keep reading

[lady-and-lyon]

So, I made one post a while back about how awesomely feminist the show Wild Kratts was, with how its two main female characters were women of color in engineering and deserving roles of power, female villains who weren’t motivated by spite or quest for youth, etc, but today I wanted to talk about something slightly different, that I’ve wanted to cover for a while now, because I also think it’s very good - and that’s how the show portrays masculinity, in a way that’s really positive!

First, we have our two main characters, Chris and Martin Kratt. Keep in mind these two are basically self-inserts - and there are plenty of creators, especially males, who have used self-insert characters in really scummy ways - all I have to say is Powerpuff Girls reboot and you know exactly what I’m talking about. Even if they weren’t literal self-inserts, male characters, superheroes especially, oftentimes serve the male power fantasy, being just the strong, stoic, all-powerful person so many boys are told they’re supposed to be. I could get into a whole discussion about how the male power fantasy is present even when males are not (ever look through a fashion magazine and wonder why there are so few men? Sure, part of it is that the industry thrives off exploiting women’s insecurities, and men aren’t as concerned for their appearance, but another part of it is so that the guy, looking through it, can feel like he has no competition for these women - there’s a reason so many comedians have jokes about fashion magazines being their sexual awakening as kids. It’s really scummy) but that’s not what this is about. So, the bros had every opportunity to do just that - make themselves these traditional heroes who aren’t actually really good role models, like batman or what have you. It’s certainly not uncommon for celebrity cartoons to do stuff like that. But Martin and Chris chose a different approach. They’re pretty strong standouts for positive masculinity. They’re openly affectionate - both with eachother as brothers, and with their friends. They cry, sometimes over little things - most of the time when big superheroes cry, it’s ‘cause they lost the girl they loved or their mentor or something like that, only in the big, most agonizing moments do they shed a tear. But here, Chris or Martin will cry just because they’ve had a bad day, or because they’re overwhelmed and overjoyed that someone named a mantis after them! In a lot of shows or movies when a guy cries over something little, it’s usually played for laughs, or to emasculate him, but here it’s casual without being unreasonable or overdone. The brothers cry just ad much, maybe even more (haven’t gone back and counted or anything) as the girls do. Not to mention, it’s a very nice depiction of a loving, healthy sibling relationship. As the youngest sibling myself, it’s refreshing to see a pair who don’t abuse eachother with noogies or cruel and snarky remarks. When they do fight, it’s never a screaming match, and also because they had a conflict of interest or disagreed over a fact, not because, say, one of them stole the other’s shirt or is neglecting the other’s feelings. Kids, being very impressionable, get exposed to a lot of abusive sibling relationships played as normal in media, and start thinking this is how siblings are and should act. For instance, my sister (who is now my best friend and has gotten over all these bad habits over time) when she was younger watched a lot of Kim Possible, a show that is great, but has a bad family dynamic with Kim and her little siblings. The “tweebs” as she calls them are always irresponsible, destructive, and making Kim annoyed to no end. My older brother was one of the most polite, reserved, kind little kids, but she still treated him like he was a brat and a nuisance, because that’s what shows like Kim Possible taught her little brothers were. Additionally, I was always treated like a spoiled crybaby who just wanted attention and got away with everything - I was not any of those things, ever, but that’s what shows teach you little sisters are. Sure, Wild Kratts has a smidge of that, with Chris seemingly being the stereotype of the know-it-all little sibling, but instead of being constantly looked town upon for being too “perfect” like with Hailey Long in American Dragon, Martin often praises his brother for his abilities. Sure, Martin gets annoyed when Chris tries to correct him on things, like in the episode Wolf Hawks, but everyone else does too, so it feels more like a take-down of mansplaining than a sibling spat.

I talked too in the feminist post about how refreshing it is that Chris and Martin more or less willingly put themselves under the authority of Koki and Aviva, two women of color. I don’t think it’s possible to say any one character is the “leader,” they all work as a evenly balanced team, but it’s safe to say that Koki and Aviva make the more responsible decisions. The bros try to get out of their calls a few times, but the show plays it more like they’re being irresponsible, and less like they’re renegade cool dudes who don’t take nothing from nobody, especially not two girls. They are pretty much always punished via karma for their reckless choices, most especially in To Touch a Hummingbird, where their arrogant attitudes blow up in their faces rather spectacularly. We also never see the narrative most present in sitcoms, where the male leads mess up and go out of their way to cover it up and ultimately gets away with it - after all, you have to root for them, right, because sure they messed up and had no consequences, but aren’t they just so lovable? No, here Martin and Chris always have to fix their wrongdoing, and it’s always deserved when they get comeuppance. Another aspect of the show I like is that, many times, when the bros get captured or are in peril, they are saved by the women - and most refreshing of all, there’s never a moment of “wink wink nudge nudge wow I can’t believe I had to be rescued by a GIRL” or even “wow you saved me you’re pretty good honey guess I shouldn’t have underestimated you, you go girl!” No, when the girls save them, it’s just - you know, relief? Because they were saved? It’s never a scenario played as an exception, or any more dire than when the bros need to rescue eachother. The bros are genuinely happy to have them as teammates. The show even did the standard “boys vs girls” episode in the form of When Fish Fly - but instead of being actually girls vs. boys, it’s engineers vs. adventurers. There’s nothing really gendered about it - the girls happen to be engineers, and the boys happen to be adventurers. And the episode doesn’t end with the boys being “wow gosh darn I shouldn’t have doubted you girls are better at everything,” it’s a mutual agreement that both parties have hard jobs. Basically, the bros are very naturally respectful of women. That plays more into their feminist narrative too, but either way, it’s refreshing.

Then, we have Jimmy! Jimmy, the lovable gamerboy pizza man. At first glance Jimmy seems like the stereotypical cowardly, pathetic, emasculated loser. He’s frightened of most things, as of yet has no power suit, and he BAKES for crying out loud! But none of these things are framed as terribly bad traits. Sure, we laugh when he screams and runs from an animal, but though it happens over and over, the crew doesn’t get sick of it. They don’t berate him or belittle him because he’s so gosh darn cowardly. There’s a great scene in Rattlesnake Crystal where Jimmy has to deliver something to the bros alone, in the middle of a spooky desert. He is terrified the whole time, sprinting off after he delivers the goods. When Martin and Chris run into him, they don’t laugh at him for being spooked, they just greet and then bid fair well to their friend. To them, this is just Jimmy, and there’s nothing wrong with it. Jimmy isn’t coddled, but he is reassured many times that he’s a valuable member of the team. I love that little message, that you’re just as important of a person even if you can’t do as much or have greater limits. When his friends do try to get him over his fears, it’s not because they have to, that the day will somehow be ruined by Jimmy’s incompetence p, but because they’re his friends, and want him to experience fun and wonderful things that he would otherwise miss out on. But what Jimmy CAN do is just as important! Jimmy is a gamer, which in a lot of shows, is portrayed as a lazy, useless, mindless hobby. But here, because he plays video games, it makes him essential for piloting the ship and teleporting important items. There’s always the joke that video games improves your hand/eye coordination, but recent studies have shown it has much better effects. It can make you much better at keeping track of multiple moving objects and processing technical but variable information- two traits which, fittingly enough, are really really important for air traffic controllers and airplane pilots! He also demonstrates a lot more courage behind the wheel of the Tortuga, which makes sense - in an impersonal setting, he would have more sense of calm and control and courage, because it’s so similar to a video game world. It’s not all too different with how I feel more emboldened to pick fights with people on the internet, but get crazy anxious if a real person so much as looks at me. So Jimmy’s love of video games isn’t because he’s irresponsible, it has real benefits. A quick last point - Jimmy also eats a lot, but they thankfully don’t make him fat or greedy or anything like that. He never takes food from people, he actually bakes, and shares it with others! Having the baker be a boy is a lovely touch.

I might do another post about the toxic masculinity of the two villains, (or four villains, I guess, if I wanna discuss the minions) but I’ve got other work to do, and this post is long enough already, so I’ll get around to it later. I’ll sum it up with this - Wild Kratts is a show that teaches boys it’s not only ok to be kind, but essential. The brothers protect defenseless animals, advocate for things “icky” and “weird,” like bugs or snakes or worms - not because they’re boys, and boys like icky things, but because they genuinely see the beauty in all life, and are encouraging us to slow down and do the same. The Wild Kratts are heroes who save the world not by being the strongest or smartest or coolest, but by looking after those who are exploited and vulnerable, who are essential to the world, even if they can’t always do everything. In Wild Kratts the only weaknesses a man can have isn’t what he can’t do, but what he does do that he shouldn’t have. Sure, it’s a cute show about two funny guys who have cool powers, but it’s also a show about accountability, compassion, respect and trust. The show says “boys will be boys” in all the right ways - Martin is a lovable goof with a heart of gold, but he still has to get his act together when he messes up, and he’s still creative and smart and openly sensitive. Chris is a bit of a know-it-all show-off, but he can also mess up as much as his brother, and is still bold, brave, adventurous, and can put his money where his mouth is. Jimmy is a cowardly, napping, eating machine video-gamer, but he’s still a valued member of the team, has incredible skills and talents, and will always help his friends, even if he is really, really scared. It is so important to have role models like these, in a world dominated by unhealthy machismo. The Wild Kratts are heroes who save the world - both animated, and real.

All they need now is a canon queer character, and I’ll stan them forever! My money’s on Aviva!!

[unfortunatelydead]

SO I am a really big Adventure Time fan and I made a decision for all the people in my life who wanted to watch the show but didn’t want to watch unnecessary episodes: to create a watch guide.

Surprisingly whenever I talked about it, a lot of people were interested. 

So, below the cut, my Adventure Time watch guide:

*Not a lot of episodes could, in my opinion, be cut. My reasons for not cutting an episode could be because it has a character that comes back later in the series, a certain character needed more screen time, or as simple a reason as I personally feel like it shouldn’t be cut. However, some episodes that I think just enhance the series or are particularly memorable, but aren’t necessary, are labelled as “not necessary but fun/cute”

Adventure time watch guide: The necessary episodes Season 1: 1.) slumber party panic, episode 1  2.) trouble in lumpy space 3.) prisoners of love 4.) tree trunks 5.) enchiridion 6.) the jiggler 7.) Ricardio 8.) business time (not necessary) 9.) my two favorite people 10.) boom boom mountain 11.) wizard school (not necessary but fun) 12.) Evicted 13.) city of thieves 14.) the witch’s garden 15.) what is life 16.) fear of the ocean 17.) when wedding bells thaw, ice wedding (not necessary) 18.) dungeon 19.) duke of nuts 20.) magic man, freak city 21.) Donny 22.) henchman aka marceline pt 2 23.) bmo cuteness, rainy day dream (not necessary) 24.)what have you done (not necessary) 25.) BILLY THE HERO 26.) gut grinder Season 2: 1.) it came from the nightosphere 2.)horse eyes 3.)nice king (not necessary) 4.) blood under the skin 5.)storytelling (not necessary) 6.)snail love (not necessary) 7.) power animal 8.)crystals have power 9.)royal tart toter (not necessary but fun) 10.) beautiful hair 11.) chamber of frozen blades 12.) her parents 13.) the pods 14.) a silent king 15.) the real you 16.) guardians of sunshine (not necessary) (different animation style episode) 17.) death in bloom 18.) Susan strong 19.) mystery train (not necessary) 20.) go with me 21.) belly of the beast, party bears 22.) ancient psychic tandem war elephant 23.) video makers (not necessary) 24.) mortal folly, the lich king 25.) mortal recoil 26.) heat signature (not necessary) Season 3: 1.) conquest of cuteness 2.) ghost gladiators (not necessary but fun) 3.) memory of a memory 4.) hitman 5.) baby pb, lemongrab 6.) the monster aka lumpy space princess (not necessary) 7.) still (not necessary) 8.) wizard battle 9.) fionna and cake pt 1 (not necessary but fun) 10.) what was missing 11.) Apple thief, the pig 12.) murder mystery dinner party 13.) zombies, again (not necessary) 14.) beautopia, return of Susan strong 15.) no one can hear you, THE DEER EPISODE 16.) jake vs memow 17.) snow golem and fire puppy 18.) cosmic owl croak dream 19.) holly jolly secrets 20.) holly jolly secrets pt 2 21.)marceline’s closet (not necessary) 22.) paper Pete (not necessary) 23.) another way, clown nurses (not necessary) 24.) ghost princess’ story 25.) dad’s dungeon 26.) incendium, intro of flame princess Season 4: 1.) hot to the touch, more flame princess 2.) five short graybles 3.) stuck in spiders web (not necessary) 4.) dream of love 5.) return to the nightosphere 6.) return to the nightosphere pt 2 7.) in your footsteps 8.) hug wolf (not necessary) 9.) princess monster wife (not necessary) 10.) goliad 11.) beyond this earthly realm, (not necessary) 12.) gotcha 13.) card wars 14.) princess cookies 15.) son of Mars 16.) burning low 17.) bmo noire 18.) king worm 19.) lady and peebles 20.) you made me 21.) who would win (not necessary) 22.) ignition point 23.) the hard easy, mega frog, (not necessary) 24.)reign of gunthers 25.) I REMEMBER YOU 26.) The Lich Season 5: 1.) Finn the human 2.) jake the dog 3.) five more short graybles 4.) up a tree (not necessary but fun) 5.) All the little people (not necessary) 6.) jake the dad 7.) davey (not necessary) 8.) mystery dungeon (not necessary) 9.) all your fault 10.) little dude (not necessary) 11.) bad little boy (Fionna and cake pt 2) (not necessary but fun) 12.) vault of bones 13.) the great bird man 14.) Simon and Marcy 15.) a glitch is a glitch (not necessary but fun) (different animation style episode) 16.) Puhoy <3 17.) BMO Lost 18.) princess potluck 19.) James Baxter 20.) shhh! (Not necessary) 21.) the suitor 22.) party’s over (not necessary) 23.) one last job (jake jr’s episode?) 24.) another more five short graybles 25.) candy streets 26.) wizards only, fools 27.) jake suit 28.) be more 29.) sky witch 30.) frost and fire 31.) too old 32.) earth and water 33.) time sandwich (not necessary but fun) 34.) THE VAULT 35.) love games 36.) dungeon train 37.) box prince 38.) red starved 39.) we fixed a truck (not necessary) 40.) play date 41.) the pit 42.) James 43.) root beer guy 44.) Apple wedding 45.) blade of grass 46.) rattleballs 47.) the red throne 48.) Betty 49.) bad timing (not necessary) 50.) lemon hope part 1 51.) lemonhope part 2 52.) Billy’s bucket list Season 6: 1.) wake up 2.) escape from the citadel 3.) James 2 4.) the tower 5.) sad face (not necessary) 6.) breezy 7.) food chain (not necessary but fun) (different animation style episode) 8.) furniture and meat 9.) the prince who wanted everything (fionna and cake pt 3) (not necessary but fun) 10.) something big 11.) little brother (not necessary) 12.) ocarina (Kim Kil Whan’s episode) 13.) crabapples (not necessary but fun) 14.) princess day 15.) nemesis 16.) Joshua and Margaret 17.) ghost fly (not necessary) 18.) everything’s jake (not necessary) 19.) is that you 20.) jake the brick (not necessary but fun) 21.) dentist 22.) the cooler 23.) the pajama war 24.) evergreen 25.) astral plane 26.) gold stars 27.) the visitor 28.) the mountain 29.) dark purple 30.) diary (tv’s episode) 31.) walnuts and rain (not necessary but fun) 32.) friends forever (not necessary) 33.) jermaine 34.) chips and ice cream (not necessary) 35.) graybles 1000+ 36.) hoots 37.) water park prank (not necessary) (different animation style episode) 38.) you forgot your floaties 39.) be sweet 40.) orgalorg 41.) on the lam 42.) hot digging dam 43.) the comet Season 7: 1.) Bonnie and Neddy 2.) varmints 3.) cherry cream soda 4.) mama said 5.) football 6.) STAKES, part 1 7.) STAKES, part 2 8.) STAKES, part 3 9.) STAKES, part 4 10.) STAKES, part 5 11.) STAKES, part 6 12.) STAKES, part 7 13.) STAKES, part 8 14.) The more you moe 15.) summer showers (viola’s episode) 16.) angel face 17.) president porpoise is missing (not necessary) 18.) blank eyed girl (not necessary but fun) 19.) bad jubies (not necessary) (different animation style episode) 20.) kings ransom 21.) scamps (not necessary) 22.) crossover 23.) the hall of egress 24.) flute spell 25.)the thin yellow line (not necessary but fun) Season 8: 1.) broke his crown 2.) don’t look (not necessary but fun) 3.) beyond the grotto (not necessary but fun) (different animation style episode) 4.) lady rainicorn of the crystal dimension 5.) I am a sword 6.) bun bun 7.) normal man 8.) elemental 9.) five short tables (fionna and cake pt 4) (not necessary but fun) 10.) the music hole 11.) daddy-daughter card wars (Charlie’s episode) 12.) pre boot 13.) reboot 14.) two swords 15.) do no harm 16.) wheels (bronwyn’s episode) 17.) high strangeness 18.) horse and ball 19.) jelly beans have power 20.) Islands pt 1 21.) Islands pt 2 22.) Islands pt 3 23.) Islands pt 4 24.) Islands pt 5 25.) Islands pt 6 26.) Islands pt 7 27.) Islands pt 8 Season 9: 1.) orb 2.) elements pt 1 3.) elements pt 2 4.) elements pt 3 5.) elements pt 4 6.) elements pt 5 7.) elements pt 6 8.) elements pt 7 9.) elements pt 8 10.) abstract 11.) ketchup (different animation style episode) 12.) fionna and cake and fionna (not necessary but fun) (fionna and cake pt 5) 13.) whispers 14.) three buckets Season 10: 1.) the Wild hunt 2.) always bmo closing 3.) son of rap bear 4.) bonnibel bubblegum 5.) seventeen 6.) ring of fire 7.) Marcy and hunson 8.) the first investigation 9.) blenanas (for some reason this episode is separate on Hulu?) (not necessary) 10.) jake the starchild (out of order on Hulu, this one comes before temple of Mars) 11.) temple of Mars (out of order on Hulu, watch this one after jake the starchild) 12.) gumbaldia 13.) Come along with me Adventure Time: Distant Lands- 1.) BMO 2.) Obsidian 3.) Together Again (not yet released) 4.) Wizard City (not yet released)