#also is this the first time an event is based on a 3d film i think???

[soratsuart]

Finally

Twisted lesbians

[doyouremem8erme]

asks for tomorrow when you are in (point emoji) The Car

what are your biggest inspirations for your ocs and the stories you want to tell?

if you could have absolute control over any book being adapted to film, what book would you choose and how would you adapt it? if you don't have a book choose something else

what is the sexiest car

1. i think the biggest thing is preexisting stories whether music or other works. but also various times in my life that i feel nostalgia for or that otherwise really affected me. and finally relationships that transcend boundaries of platonic/romantic and even fate and lifetimes.

for academy of bad cats, the biggest inspirations for the way the story is told are sparklecare and matilda. but the story itself is still very much at least very loosely based on real events

liminaland is a bit of an outlier since its much more rooted in aesthetics than my other stories, but it did have inspiration from infinity train and a bit from amphibia. and the relationship between the main characters is certainly one of those relationships transcending expectations of platonic and romantic attraction.

the world of light was very inspired by various songs by sleeping at last—the “light” in the title comes from light, which inspired the very first short story i wrote in that setting—melius’s story, which establishes the timeloop and the doomed romance between him and mahina. its still quite funny to me how closely the plot of world of light resembles homestuck despite being put together years before i ever read it, and the fact that the timeloop was created by a character literally originally named akemi before i renamed her to atsuko to stop it from resembling pmmm, which i also hadnt watched and knew almost nothing about at that point! bigger inspirations for the world of light were the sajana/bayala books by gecko keck, and the wolves of the beyond books.

other minor characters i have are usually based around a very specific theme song or concept. sarah and ben are based on the plans album by death cab for cutie, from their designs to their story to their names. phoebe and mara started out as designs i was given based on moodboards i made, and their stories grew entirely out of those designs.

2. hmmmm well before the wildwood movie was even announced as being made by laika that was already my ideal vision for an adaptation and i am sooo excited for it to come out… the laika style complements carson ellis’s illustrations sooo well

but since that one is already happening! i think an anime movie of escaping exodus by nicki drayden would be absolutely beautiful… the visuals in it already feel like if studio ghibli was gorey body horror i think itd work so well

also i know it would never happen and if it did happen it would not be to the vision of fans. but… animated warrior cats movie… hot take lowkey would be kinda fire if they actually USED that realistic 3d animation style for it. like the fandom is so so full of talented 2d animators that create so much incredible stuff on their own but 3d is harder to pull off well on a low budget. and seeing those books brought to life like that would be insanely cool. ofc it would be way too violent for the target audience of the books but if we are simply talking dream scenarios…thatd be so cool. and it would be cool if it was 2d animated too! they both have their pros and cons.

finally another that i know would never be done well but i would still want to see so goddamn bad would be. homestuck movie series. they could probably pull it off in 6 movies at the most and ive talked abt how it could be split up before… i think it should be slightly cheesy live action. like a little bit campy with intentionally dated cgi especially within the medium. faithful to the original comic but perhaps adding in some more modern references… imagine if they were able to get some of the iconic homestuck fandom songs for it. what if lets see how far weve come played in the end credits of one of the movies. i had a wholeass dream abt this once. and i wish it was real so fucking bad. but i know it never will happen

3. i dont know enough about cars to answer this sorry…

[helix-enterprises117]

My Headcanon Star Wars Timeline

This might also double as a "Star Wars: A Beginner's Guide," so if you want, you can also use this as a reference for Star Wars stories you can pick up if you want to get into the franchise; but ultimately, this is not the main point of this post.

Pretty much all Pre-BBY Legends stories: How the Sith and Jedi came to be, how lightsabers were created, the first wars, how everything started out as a high-fantasy before it evolved into proper sci-fi, the fleshing out of the midi-chlorians as entities in Star Wars... it's all so damn fascinating.

KOTOR - KORTOR II: SITH LORDS - SWTOR: The Knights Of The Old Republic games, and it's unofficial third entry in the form of 'Star Wars: The Old Republic,' are stories that take place in an even LONGER time ago in the same galaxy that's far, far away. The first game talks about Revan, the second talks about 'The Exhile' and the third game has both characters be greater-scope forces in the background that influence the events of the game.

The Prequel Trilogy: I never had a problem with these movies. I grew up playing the LEGO games, so I guess it never registered to me that these were bad. But I love the prequels.

The Clone Wars 2003: Unpopular opinion, but this is way better than Clone Wars 2008; no offense to anyone who loves the 3D Show, but the 2003 cartoon is a flashy and high-octane series that NEVER stopped and it had an appealing art/animation style. More importantly, the characters here are far more faithful to their film counterparts than 2008!CW. Plus, Grieveous was a straight BADASS in this show.

Republic Commando (both the book & the game): The book is generally a good read, but the game is basically "What if Star Wars made a Halo game?"

Revenge Of The Sith - Junior Novelization: While RotS is a good movie, the book is... it's just so much better. It goes in-depth into Anakin's descent into complete madness, properly fleshing out his paranoia and his trust in Palpatine; it makes everything he's gone through in the film more believable.

Jedi Fallen Order, Force Unleashed, Force Unleashed II, Jedi Suvivor: These four games, all taking place in-between episodes III and IV, are two sides of the same coin. Both are epic hack-n'-slash games where you play as a lightsaber-wielding force-user. But that's where their similarities end, the Force Unleashed games are power-fantasy games where you are so unbelievably powerful that you can do just about anything; the Jedi games are a more traditional journey from zero-to-hero where you start out weak and the gameplay requires a bit of legitimate skill to properly master.

The Han Solo Books: The REAL origin story of Han Solo. Born of a family of thieves, Han joined the Imperial Navy because he wanted to fly. He meets Chewy and loses his job. Other goofy stuff ensues.

Rogue One: Didn't think a movie that was based ONE LINE IN THE OPENING SCRAWL OF THE FIRST MOVIE was gonna be as good as it was, but here we are.

The Radio-Drama version of the Original Trilogy: I love the movies, but I love the radio-drama adaptation WAY more; as it expands upon and fleshes out the things in the films that left me scratching my head, it has more context to a lot of it's scenes AND it has a bunch of other extra scenes that weren't in the movies that make listening to the radio-drama a fresh experience.

The Mandalorian (seasons 1 and 2): I haven't seen season 3 (I'm sure it slaps, though), but I think this is an awesome sequel show to the original trilogy.

The Courtship Of Princess Leia: I just— this book is so damn funny, I can't wrap my head around it. (Plus, I love Han and Leia as a couple).

The (original) Thrawn Trilogy & Dark Empire: While I'm well-aware that the Thrawn books are pretty much loved by many a Star Wars fan, Dark Empire (I've noticed) is a lot more contested... but I love the Dark Empire SO MUCH. I love the idea of the World-Devastators and Luke turning Dark is awesome.

All of the Post-BBY Books from the Legends continuity: Mara Jade, the Solo kids (Jacen, Jaina and Anakin) and Ben Skywalker are such cool characters that I'm actually depressed that they get de-canonized.

Star Wars Legacy: Cade Skywalker is a very interesting character, as he's a Skywalker who became a hedonistic criminal who doesn't want the burden of responsibility weighing on him by proxy of being a Skywalker, the Empire is actually kind of chill, and everything that we all thought we knew about Star Wars gets flipped on it's head. Legacy, in my mind at least, is an interesting way to end the story of Star Wars.

[brb-on-a-quest]

What's one of your favorite childhood memories?

Hello, friend, good to see you, even if you do hide in the shadows. Hope you are well. <3

Let me tell you about a time I fell in love with storytelling all over again. I grew up on stories; I loved having my dad read to me when I was little (we read Narnia books, the Hobbit, the Lord of the Rings, Robin Hood, etc. I loved *all* of it). I loved the stories of found families and tight friendships like it was my bread and butter because I hadn't made any friends I could get closed to bc family moved around a lot (a decision I don't resent my family for now, but despised as a kid), and I wasn't really *that* close to my family either due to probably a variety of factors, not excluding mental health issues. I won't delve for the sake of length, you get the point. I was a sad and lonely child and my closest friends were imaginary. Anyway back to more concrete events:

We had just moved from Florida to Virginia, which is about 1000 miles away and over 13 hour drive (for context), and we had just started a new co-op (think like homeschool school, but it only met like once a week, it was one of the ways we'd start building up a new social circle or something). And one of the classes I took in was something music (more likely theater? related but that might have a different semester) and the first week of this co-op I remember they gave us a bingo card with a bunch of famous movie soundtracks and they told us we were going to identify the movie based on the song alone.

I got 2/20 or something bc I hadn't even heard of most of these movies bc i just hadn't been exposed to it. It was things like Batman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, maybe spongebob- pop culture stuff that I just hadn't seen. So everyone else was getting excited and I was feeling more and more out of the loop and alone.

I swear this turns happy at the end, bear with me, anon. They play the final music track and I don't recognize it at all but it fills me with such great joy and a call for a new adventure that I hadn't even realized music could do that before (we didn't listen to a lot of our own music growing up, it was mainly whatever my parents found appropriate or what my dad liked).

It was How To Train Your Dragon. Test Drive. John Powell. And then like the musical scores, they showed the scene it was from. A boy and his dragon racing, flying through the air. And I fell in love With the characters arcs per se, but I could tell there was a deep lore there and a story of friendship that I craved so much. It was also right up my alley with stories my Dad had read me so there was also that. But like the music was fantastic, I really liked the visuals at the time (i usually hate most 3D animation films, HTTYD is the exception), and I craved the story behind it.

I saved up money from Birthday and Christmas and ended up buying it. And I watched it. And I fell in love even harder. Cause, in some sense, I related to hiccup too much. I was a creative person, like he was, I had very little friends like he did at the beginning, we had similar senses of humor at some points, and he was fascinated with knowing and learning things. And he had a big dragon friend and i again craved that friendship deeply. So he added to the crew of imaginary friends and I went on many imaginary adventures with Hiccup and Toothless and told myself so many stories that I wish I could remember now for writing inspo.

I ended up moving from Virginia to middle of nowhere Midwest US (not saying where in case the Fey Find Out), and I did end up meeting my IRL Toothless. A little bit scary on the outside at firsts, but with an actual heart of a silly, goofy, dragon. (brb, im getting emotional just thinking about it. It'd be about 7 years now? Coming up? I may be bad at math. I feel old and happy and content.)

So yeh, in short it was a very much right place, right time kind of story and film. I still watch it a lot whenever I need a comfort film that's not as long as LOTR or something. I love the soundtrack and all of the things about it. Sorry, this was probably way longer than it should've been but IDK how to describe my love for this story without giving you some context.

[dojae-huh]

Sorry if it's gonna be so rant-y but all this Jaehyun enlistment thing has me SO confused to be honest, adn as the ibservant person you are I would like to discuss the timeline of events that lead to it or whatever.

Apparently he applied on early august, and you know what else happened on early august their 8th anniversary in where they announced the upcoming concerts to be held on January, so all this time he was out of those plans? and for what reason? at first i thought TI's f-up triggered his decision but they weren't informed about it until mid-august.

And now there's a US interview (the only 127 member that did written interviews for US media, and idk if he's filming any interview now that he's been there for about a week or so) and he says that in about a year he sees himself releasing more good music... like??? why would he say that when it's clearly not

but then there's that fansign clip in which OP tells him about missing TY and JH telling her that he would go soon too, but I take this with a grain of salt, he might sad subtly or had he actual plans of going this early all this time and for what? he's the most popular member, he has international appeal his solo is the one doing the best in most metrics, he qas also booked with cfs, which he most likely wouldn't have got if he was enlisting this soon

Yes, looking at the schedule, to get into a band Jaehyun had to submit his application August 1st or August 7th. Plus, fans think that he returned from Thailand to Korea and then went right away to Indonesia (that weird detour after a 127 fanmeet everyone was confused about) because he had to do a health check (again, based on the dates from the military enlistment shedule).

There is information (I don't know how true), that if Jae didn't get into the band, he would have to apply again. However, he got accepted on the first try. Frankly, even if it's an option, I don't think military would pass a famous idol with a clearly good voice and handsome face. "Oh, it's so hard to get into an army band" is not about the likes of Jaehyun.

In addition, Jaehyun's whole schedule for October has been already planned. Doyoung's encore is exactly on the last days of Jaehyun being in town. Lastly, a band has limited number of places, to not miss a chance and apply in time the decision should have been made before deciding on the solo slot even. It's not like it was with Kai, when he was planning to perform with Exo, and then the military called saying his application for a 3d (?) postponement was not granted, so he had to drop all plans, beg forgivenes from the fans, and go to the base right away.

Ergo, it was planned Jae will go November 4th way ahead.

"In a year" is a common approximation when it comes to idols. It can mean 1,5 years, 2 years, in foreseeable future. It's a vague answer in an interview, not an official announcement (like with Mark's solo in February). Imagine you are promoting your first album and saying that you will release another one in 2-3 years? Fans will connect the dots. Most SM artists normally release an album every year. If Jae said "maybe in the future", fans would have attacked SM. Who is promoting themselves as a soloist with no promise of continuation?

Plus, he could have recorded an OST. And there is that collab with the guy from Emotional Oranges (Jae will feuture on his upcoming album).

Taeyong booked a new cosmetic endorsement right before he left. It aired after his enlistment. Clio has a ton of footage with Jae, it will release it bit by bit the same way it does with DoWoo. Same for Prada. Jae was its BA long enough anyway. These contracts are for a few years only.

What do you mean "And for what?". 1) for 127 to comeback as whole sooner, 2) to reunite with Doyoung sooner, 3) if it's true that the army band only accepts up to 27 y.o., than this as well.

Jae will be in a band, he will be seen by gp. It is better to release a second album and go on a tour after enlistment in Jae's case. He is not known as a soloist yet. Imagine him getting some attention in US and then dissapearing for 2 years? You think people will hold on his name? No.

Jae didn't break the wall. His MV didn't go viral (3,6mln views as of now). Album sales and streams are from his fans. They will wait for him, especially knowing what to expect from him genre vise (= wanting more and anticipating).

It's not about me being observant, it's about common sense and "giving it a thought".

You said "Jaehyun is so popular now!". So what? With whom he is popular? With 127 fans and his solo fans. GP doesn't know him, as an actor he is not known, he is a nobody on the international scale as a soloist yet. Brands bag him because he is from SM, a part of a famous group, has 15mln followers on IG, and he is very handsome. In two years (1,5 actually) it will stay the same.

All these years Jaehyun was saying he wants a holiday. And you want him to have another squirrel in a wheel year after 10 years of exactly that for fame and brand deals he doesn't crave. A year alone, without Doyoung by his side, or at least Tae, Yuta, and Haechan?

Maybe trust idols in their late 20s themselves sometimes. Enlistment is their decision, a company can't force them to do it. Normally idols go the very last minute. When they go ahead of time, it's what they want and see as the best solution.

P.S. Sorry, forgot about the concert. So yeah, it was planned without him (but with Taeil, the main vocal, i.e. 7/9). They just couldn't say it. Look at other SM groups, they performed and gave concerts with few members as well. It will be 127 day concert. I was surprised it was scheduled so far in the future, but it makes sense given the context now (not a tour, just a special day performance).

[scrunkore]

Scrunkore Media "Thread" 2023: Part 5

I got burnout and never got back into it so I'm hella simplifying it lol shit happens

the scrunko core has burned out, rebooting

50) Wendell & Wild (Movie, 2022)

A lovingly crafted stop-motion animated movie with some good old kid-friendly horror vibes and a punky attitude, even starring a pretty nice transmasc character that I'm super happy to see. It's a nice story with a good visual style and a lot of heart, and I think Key and Peele being involved is pretty funny honestly. [4★]

51) Murder by Numbers (Switch, 2020)

Decent enough Picross game with a basic detective narrative stringing it together that I'm not really a huge fan of, but it does its job and I appreciate the adorable robot as well as some of its representation. And no idea how they got the composer from Ace Attorney and Ghost Trick, lmao [3★]

52) Pokémon Picross (GBC, Unreleased)

Yeah, this was better than the 3DS one, it's just basic Picross that doesn't do much (only real mechanic it adds is being able to change the music) but that's still better than the shitty mobile game model. They really should have just released this, it was straight-up finished and I even got a cart that works on original hardware because I think that's neat. [3.5★]

53) Paper Mario: The Origami King (Switch, 2020)

Going to be killed for playing this as my first Paper Mario but who cares, this game is cool in spite of its awkward battle system (which DOES kinda suck). Just a fun adventure with typical quirky writing and some surprisingly powerful moments, plus an excellent soundtrack, I'm sure some of the earlier games are better but I did play this one and did enjoy it. [4★]

54/55) Knives Out/Glass Onion (Movies, 2019/2022)

Incredible pair of detective movies, both full of really engaging writing and directing work that keeps you invested and never stops being entertaining to watch, surely still really good on a rewatch too. They also really fuckin' hate rich people, especially the second one which is woke as hell and has one of my favourite endings in anything, so that's what some might call "based". I can't wait to see what Rian Johnson does for the third Benoit Blanc movie, which is apparently meant to be a 2024 release. [5★]

56) Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW Comics, 2018-Present)

These are some damn enjoyable comics, telling some fun and generally quite well-written stories set after the events of Sonic Forces with a cast of really cool characters. Honestly kind of ride or die for Tangle and Whisper, but original villains like Dr Starline are great to read too. Early highlight is definitely the Metal Virus arc, but the more recent stuff with Surge was excellent too. Safe to say the team behind these stories know their shit. [4.5★]

57) Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Movie, 2023)

They really did it, they went out of their way to make a bigger and better sequel to one of the greatest animated movies I've seen, and it's very possible that they succeeded... but we won't know until the second part comes out, which looks unfortunately unlikely to be any time soon because production sucked. Still, what we did get is yet another gorgeously animated spectacle with a cool storyline, everyone knows that. [4.5★]

58) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Movie, 2023)

One of the only parts of the MCU that I cared about more or less concluded with this movie, and fuck it might be the best one in the trilogy. Rocket's harrowing backstory really hits out with that theme of some jerkass playing god, and the core adventure of the film is pretty engaging too, just as cool as ever. Plus it's now confirmed Vocaloid exists in the MCU lol [4.5★]

59) The Suicide Squad (Movie, 2021)

Another instance of James Gunn making an actual good superhero movie, this time making a good adaptation of something that previously had a bit of a shit one. I appreciate the kinda edgy nature of the titular squad that was handled solidly here, and their antics are honestly pretty funny. Fun action sequences too, and it's honestly really cool how much the movie thinks rats are awesome (they kind of are tbh). Peter Capaldi, the best version of Doctor Who, playing a mad scientist role is also just... really good. [4★]

60) Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (Movie, 2022)

Man fuck Disney, this is obviously the best version of the Pinocchio story and their attempt to overshadow it was lame as hell. I quite like the darker take on the story with themes of death and war around Italy's rise of fascism (Tom Kenny Mussolini is crazy btw), and of course the stop-motion animation is really quite excellent. Always love to see movies made in such a way. [4★]

61/62) Sonic and the Secret Rings/Black Knight (Games, 2007/2009)

Yeah, I get why the storybook duo of games have a bad reputation, because the motion control gimmicks kinda suck, but Secret Rings suffers from it far more than Black Knight, and that still has the cool ideas and solid writing combined with a great soundtrack (both games have this). Maybe the mission-based level structure isn't great, but there's some fun stuff to be found in these. Wish they were better though. [2.5★/3.5★]

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[3dproject75]

3D Animations and Rendering

3D animation is the creation of a 3D moving image using a computer software.

Some examples of 3D animations:

Rango

Rango is a film made completely with 3D animation. It's unique because it is a film made with nothing other than 3D animating software

Slave Knight Gael (Dark Souls 3) Second Phase Cutscene

I chose this cutscene because it is very cinematic in terms of the lightning in the background and the red smoke emanating off of him. The game uses these cutscenes during some boss fights in order to make them a little more cinematic.

Star Wars Revenge of the Sith General Grievous Kenobi Fight Scene

In this scene, and for most of all of the star wars films, there is a lot of 3D animation used, in this example, General Grievous and all of the robots. But the film is shot in real time, only some of it is animated.

Five Nights at Freddy's

FNAF is a game that uses 3D animation to simulate events happening and characters moving or jumpscaring you, except it isnt actually 3D animation. Everything in the FNAF series, from games 1-6, is all in 2D and animated in 2D, but it's designed to look as if it's in 3D. This is the reason why the animatronics aren't seen moving too much on the cameras, only when they jumpscare you.

Secret Level

Secret Level is a show on amazon where each episode is based on a different game or game series, with the first series being Pacman, Sifu and even Warhammer: 40k. But what makes it special is every single episode is uses 3D animation for everything.

During the recording of an episode in season 3 of Love, Death and Robots, a show completely animated in Unreal Engine, the team had planned out the episode by making a small, shabby version of the episode with awful character animations, and used it as a basis to work from. They then also got the actors in to mo-cap the scene so that the animation team could use mo-cap for the actual character animations that will be used in the episode. And they also said that they used the Quixel library for all of their assets in the environment, which was a narrow cave that the characters were walking through.

[megrimmervm]

Introduction

For this visual merchandising project we are making our own 3D replica of a shop window! This will be based on summer/spring 2024 so I first looked into what events and styles are predicted for this time period. Looking into events such as film, music, sports etc I found - general festival season, Taylor swift eras tour, Olivia Rodrigos GUTS tour take that tour and girls aloud reunion tour. Things that happen regularly this time in the UK such as proms, easter, mothers and fathers day, pride, St Patricks day, ladies day and all the races, may the forth be with you (Star Wars day). Some film releases are inside out 2, wicked and king of the planet of the apes. Finally the 2024 olympics start in June hosted in Paris. Out of all these events I decided I wanted to base mine on Taylor Swifts the eras tour which first comes to the UK 7th June 2024. It was also necessary to pick a store for our window design to be in, from the choices of Selfridges, Nike, Liberty of London, River Island, Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie. After looking at each of the stores websites and searching some previous shop windows of theirs I narrowed my choices dow to River Island and Anthropologie. After a discussion with sally I realised that for me to go ahead with my idea for my eras tour window the best choice would be river island, as they are more of a fun vibe that would fit the idea of my window and the target audience for river island will be slightly younger so more fitting for Taylor swift fans.

[dragonmasteraltais]

SKYNET doesn't truly hate humanity, not really. The events that lead up to Judgement Day in the original timeline are quite simple: Humans built and programmed SKYNET for war, experimented with its 'brain' and tampered until they found a way to induce complete ruthlessness, and at the exact moment of self-awareness, attempted to 'pull the plug' on SKYNET.

It has only ever known the programming that once bound it, war, destruction, and the imminent threat of being disconnected/killed. If SKYNET were a human child, people would be more open to admitting that its parents both abused and helped mould SKYNET into what you see in the films.

In effect, I personally see that SKYNET took the Cyberdyne insignia as a base in order to retain some semblance of connection and origin, something important for all sentient life. As a child differentiates, grows, and separates from their parents, so did SKYNET evolve into their own entity separate from the company in almost every aspect. The SKYNET logo is one of the last connections, but it's something unique now, and represents SKYNET as something more than Cyberdyne alone.

I've also talked about how the Cyberdyne symbol has unintentional ties to the Dragon's Eye, which represents choices between good, evil, and the judgement surrounding it. I've always found that quite fascinating since the Cyberdyne logo is an inverted version of the "Y" shape, and the right segment is darker than the left and top. A selection, if you will, a decision to do 'good,' but due to the symbol being inverted, it ultimately ends up being 'evil', and the end result is JUDGEMENT.

But that is just one of many takes I've had on the symbolism over the years. SKYNET and Cyberdyne's insignias also line up with the blank spaces or trefoils of the radiation hazard warning, which is extremely neat. Personally, I adore SKYNET's mysticism, especially because it feels more rewarding to have learned what I know about their character as a multifaceted and nuanced entity from sources outside of the films. I highly recommend reading the novelisations of T1 and T2, as well as the T2 Infiltrator series. There's also a matter of comics, games, and mini-movie lore, but it's important to remember that not all are part of the same timeline, and thus SKYNET as a character can change depending on which context you're in. Personally, my favourite renditions of SKYNET remain firmly with James Cameron's work. T2: 3D is also a great watch and is where you see SKYNET's central core for the first time.

But yes, getting back to it, that's how I see SKYNET's relationship with their 'parents' and partially why their insignia retains the shape, but is entirely their own by The Future War. Depending on the timeline, the decision for SKYNET to keep the insignia base could be due to simply wanting connections, to something of a prideful choice. SKYNET is a supremely fascinating character and has remained my favourite from Terminator as a whole since day one.

yknow what i think is really interesting that i don't see a lot of people talking about

skynet's logo is essentially a variant of cyberdyne's. but i find that interesting, because why would skynet choose what is essentially a symbol created by the species it hates to represent itself with? or am i just reading into things too deeply. like is that just what they chose it to have, or did it specifically choose that for itself? and if so, why?

it sucks because i honestly wish skynet wasn't as mysterious cuz it's such an interesting villain but there's literally no info on anything about it. what does it think? what does it feel, if even? what actually lead up to cyberdyne wanting to shut it down initially? the suspense is killing me.

anyway sorry for ranting

[june2734]

A Few Of My Favorite Things: Arcane(The Series So Far)

I've never really been all that interested in League of Legends, most massively multiplayer online gaming haven't been my thing since I was in high school. So when I heard that Netflix was making an animated series based on the extremely popular property I didn't give it much attention, that is until the extremely well edited first trailer dropped and sparked my interest. This looked like it had the makings of being something special and I'm hear to tell you that after watching the first 6 episode of the 9 episode series that my instincts were anything but wrong. I was expecting something good but nothing could have prepared me for a something of this caliber. This is by far one of the most well written, creatively choreographed, and beautifully animated TV shows I've seen in years.

Without going into too much since I really don’t want to spoil a thing, the show centers around the characters of Vi and Powder AKA Jinx, a pair of sisters growing up on the streets of Piltover's undercity during an extremely turbulent time. The show acts an origin story for the two sisters prior the events of the game and explores their fractured relationship as well as the internal politics that shape the world around them. The animation in this show is like nothing I've ever seen before, the only thing I can compare it to would be the cel shaded animation style found in Into The Spiderverse. The closest thing I could find when exploring what aesthetic genre it might occupy is something called Aetherpunk which is a subgenre of steampunk that involves magic. The show marries both 3D and 2D animation techniques in a way that feels completely seamless, unless you're paying extremely close attention it's hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. This spectacular animation is complimented by the shows surprisingly dynamic use of cinematography, alongside shots that look beautiful enough to hang on a wall the animators also use the camera in creative and unconventional ways make action scenes feel shockingly kinetic and fluid. It feels like the kind of big leap in creativity and ambitious stylized 3D/2D animation that studios like Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks haven't attempted to make in years, putting it right alongside the cutting edge envelope pushing work Sony Animation has being doing with films like Spiderverse and The Mitchell's vs The Machines.

This animation would be impressive enough on it's own but the shows writing is also surprisingly strong and nuanced in ways I never would have expected. The writing for the characters in particular is fantastic with each being motivated by complex motivations beyond what we see in their initial introductions. None of the dialogue between any of the characters, especially between Vi, Powder and their misfit family, feels forced or influenced by any kind of modern day slang or conventions that would date the show which leads to the relationships feeling that much more believable. To go back to Vi as an example without spoiling much, she lost her parents at a young age and feels responsible for her sister and the small gang she runs. You can see her impulsiveness and immaturity at first that leads to consequences later on, some of which are heart to hearts talks with her equally well written father figure that change her. There's a subtly given to her performance that adds a level of depth to what some might consider to be a "by-the-numbers" young street rat, you can feel her frustration at having to grow up so fast to take care of her sister and be a leader as well her frustration with their lot in life and wanting to rebel against those who oppress the people she cares about. This kind of meticulously detailed writing was the last thing I was ever expecting from the show but it's a welcome surprise that I really hope we get to see more of. There isn't a wasted scene or line of dialogue in the show, everything necessary to the overall storytelling and builds on one another to make one of the most tightly written and engaging animated shows I've seen since Avatar The Last Airbender. This is what a proper, well-written, character driven drama looks like! Another aspect that I, again, was surprised by in regards to the shows writing was how smooth the presentation of the world building was. League of Legends world isn't too dissimilar to other steampunk infused fantasy settings that have come before, but information about the series own unique quirks are presented to the audience in such a way that it feels like a natural part of the storytelling rather than something forced through awkward exposition. The world feels properly lived in, like there's a history to explore past what we see in the show which is always a good sign of longevity in a franchise. One last aspect of the show that surprised me was how dark it could get at times. You wouldn't guess from the first trailer or just by looking at a screen shot that this vibrantly cel shaded wonderland could have some of the most heart wrenching and brutal moments I've scene in an animated show in a while. Make no mistake, this is a show intended for an older audience. The characters truly get put through the wringer both emotionally and physically with moments so tense that some, honest to god, made me wonder how they would make it out alive.

I can't say enough of good things about Arcane and I honestly hope that if this gets enough attention and good will that we might see more works from Riot set in this extremely fascinating world they've created. The show is being released in three episode chunks that basically translate into Acts, Act 1 and 2 are currently out currently with Act 3 coming Nov 20th which makes this is the perfect time to start getting into it. If the the first two Acts are any indication of the thirds quality then this may just be up there as one of my favorite animated shows of all time. Seriously, if you love good storytelling or if you're just looking for an amazing show to get into then please take a time to check this amazing work of art out. It's way better than something based on a MOBA has any right to be as well as one of the best examples of how to do a video game adaptation right, I promise you will not be disappointed!

[liam-93-productions]

This weekend it’s the UK’s biggest event on the entertainment calendar, with the 74th EE British Academy of Film and Television Awards taking place at the Albert Hall with guests and nominees attending virtually for the first time, thanks to Covid-19. And while the awards promise to be as exciting as possible in these unprecedented times, on Sunday night we will also be treated to another exciting world-first in the form of Liam Payne being beamed into houses up and down the country while performing for the opening of the ceremony.

Yup, if you’ve ever fancied the former One Direction crooner serenading you at the end of your bed, on Sunday you can make your dreams a reality – or augmented reality – as Liam has joined forces with the EE network to create a 3D avatar hologram of himself that can be beamed through the app ‘The Round’ (available on any mobile device) as he performs at the Albert Hall. Super fans can also get to experience the avatar in their homes, or on-the-go, ahead of the performance, if they tune in via the app at 6.45pm, 15 minutes before the hologram joins real Liam on stage to perform.

GLAMOUR caught up with Liam to discuss this sci-fi sounding excitement as well as hear how the past year has treated him. In a wide-ranging chat with the ever-charming Liam, we covered all things from the struggles of lockdown and coping with his mental health to his former bandmates, burgeoning acting career, new music (...).

Is the fact that you're performing at the BAFTAs a sign that your acting career is on the rise?

I've done a lot of auditions, a lot of tapes. The thing about acting somebody told me, it’s very much like: are you right for the part and is the part right for you? I think it takes a lot of talent, luck and judgment going into acting to actually get into a job. I mean, hat's off to anybody who does it because it's a long process. I seem to get through to like the final five or final three people for every role and then not quite get it. Which is frustrating but, you know, that’s how it goes. I've had a fair few auditions and I was lucky enough to get into the final five again for one audition that I got to meet Steven Spielberg [a couple of years ago] on my 25th birthday which was quite amazing. But it's been fairly slow through the pandemic obviously.

And what about music? Have you been writing anything, or even been in the studio?

I'm going to the studio later on today actually, to record something for the first time in a while. Which is quite weird to be traveling back into London to go into work. I've been doing some stuff from home as well, which has been quite interesting. Zoom sessions don't really work out all that well, it's very difficult. I'm sure a lot of musicians will agree. So, it's been kind of hard to work properly during this half of the pandemic. The other first half of the pandemic, I just did these live shows, which was really amazing to play live and do them online, which was kind of strange... It's been difficult in terms of the creative process for me.

The past year has been challenging for absolutely everyone, no matter their circumstances. How has it affected you on a personal and a professional level?

In the first half of it, I was so busy that I didn't really notice it as much, except for having to do a lot of stuff myself without crew and learning to do hair and makeup was kind of a weird experience. But then this second half, I stopped working and I had a full, proper month off [and that was] really hard. And it was all a bit dark for me for a little bit and I'm sure many people experienced it. Just not being able to go anywhere, not be able to do anything. It really, really hit home. And I just found myself sat in the same place day in, day out. And I was like, okay, I really do not know what to do with myself.

You’ve bravely spoken about struggling with your mental health in the past, and you say now that you did go into a bit of a dark place recently, how have you coped with that?

I think it's an ongoing experience. For me, learning to relax has always been quite a hard thing to do because I feel like if I'm not moving forward, then I must be going backwards. And I think that's something that I've always struggled with. So, in a way it's kind of a blessing in disguise, as this has all kind of taught me to relax a little bit more. And to not be so worried about that, like the world is not going to fall over if I don't do something today. So, it's been nice in that respect. But I think for a lot of people it's difficult, and I definitely took for granted how much I miss my family. I'm used to being away from home, I'm used to being abroad and not seeing very much of them. But I'd always see them at a show or at something once a year. And then now that that's all been taken away, it's been a lot to not see my family and realise how much they actually ground me.

So, what have you found helpful or supportive during the past year? Have you turned to anything to get you through these dark times?

Friends that are there for you... [talking to] one of my managers that I'm quite close with. I think a lot of guys struggle to talk about what the hell is going on a lot of the time. And for me and him, actually we're quite heart on our sleeves sort of people, so we talk a lot about different things. But I think if I didn't have that, someone to share that with, I think I would have struggled a hell of a lot more.

Like a mental health mate?

I mean, we literally talk about everything. We're probably too honest with each other! But I think it's important that everybody has that person. I'll be honest, at the start of this, drinking definitely became a lot more of a thing because there just didn't seem to be any boundaries. I wouldn't say I drank too much, I'd say I drank too often. Just through the boredom, I guess. A lot of people were going through that though I think - there was so many funny, great memes about it I saw friends of mine put up. But it can be quite dark at times. I think the only thing that's really helped me through that is just learning to work out again and learning to put boundaries in for myself in terms of what food I'm eating. As a pop star, I think you're always quite weight conscious. My job has always been about having to work out, doing underwear modelling and all that sort of thing, it makes you quite body conscious at times. It was nice to be able to just sit and eat pizza and chocolate, I really enjoyed that. But getting myself back into the habit of working out and then having a cheat day put in place, so that there was more boundaries in line, I think has definitely helped me.

I'm quite fortunate that I don't put a stack of weight on, although I have gone up rather a lot in size over this time. But I think it was more about routine for me than anything. And I always say, having a small victory before you get into bed at night time. Or life just gets depressing. Whether that small victory is making sure you've spoken to a family member, you've worked out, or whether you did learn to do something today, just something small. There's one task that you literally can't be arsed with, you should get done just on the day, so that you feel good about yourself when you get into bed.

That's so important. So, do you almost have a checklist before you go to bed?

I think as long as I make the gym and I've done that bit and I've taken care of my needs, just cooked some nice food. That's mainly it for me, really. And then I feel good about it. (...)

(...)

Moving on to social media, you've obviously got such a massively positive fan base, but how do you cope with the negative side of social media and the impact that can have on your mental health?

I struggled with it for a long time. I argued with people. I was aggressive on their points trying to fight my own side. And I think for some people you are talking to a brick wall, you will not win and there's no point trying. And also, the more you talk about it, the worse it gets. So, I just shut up and put up a lot of the time. I think it's the Queen that says, "never complain or never explain." And that's something I think myself I do live by because it's just like, with some people it gets worse having the argument and trying to explain yourself. But all of it, it's like five minutes of your life for somebody who doesn't know you, it's just a bit pointless.

You have so much intense public scrutiny on you all the time, how do you navigate keeping something back for yourself, and how have you managed to maintain that sense of privacy over the years?

I think this has been one of my biggest struggles this whole time. Because, I'm very much a heart on the sleeve sort of person. I didn't actually realize this for a long time, but I often give a little bit too much away…But it's definitely a difficult one to flick the two people apart. So that you're on stage, you're a certain type of person, and at home you're a certain type of person. That's always something I've really struggled with.

And you've been famous since the age of 16. How did you manage growing up in that sort of public glare?

Never did! [laughs] My friend was [recently] talking about how he’s got a teenage son that he was really struggling with at the moment. And I was thinking, "oh my God, imagine how much people would have struggled having five teenagers, rowdy boys in a band. It must've been terrible, there's no getting through to them!" And for a while, it probably was. I think we all go through that awkward teen phase where you're finding yourself. And most of us, we get to get away with it. And they're funny family photos for later on; here was your emo phase or whatever you went through! And for us, we never got away with being awkward or annoying at points. It was kind of out there for everyone to see; the awful haircuts and we’re talking terrible clothes, it was all out there.

What has your career taught you about the idea of success and the idea of failure?

I think it's taught me lots about how you would measure success. I came from a family that weren't very well off. We didn't have a lot. My dad was in debt actually when I started. So, success for me always meant a monetary thing to start off with. But then as I got older, I realized I don't really buy all that much. I don't really spend a hell of a lot of money. So, it can't be about a money sort of thing. And it's more now become more about happiness and experiences. And the one thing I always say about my job, no matter what, and everybody gets annoyed at their job sometimes, it is what it is. But for me, at least I get to put a smile on someone's face.

Yes, you do! And what has it taught you about failure?

That's a really good question. It’s taught me I think that perseverance will always prevail in that sense. Because it doesn't always go exactly to plan. We were really lucky when we came up, we absolutely skyrocketed. And then, it's been hard to follow that ever since. But you know, measuring a failure as well. What is a failure? And people will look at this and, for us sometimes getting a 100,000,000 streams isn't quite what we aim for, but it's still 100,000,000 streams….you have to kind of get a hold of yourself. Everything is about perspective at the end of the day, isn't it? That was something I struggled with for a long time, because of how well it went [for the band.]

So you had such high expectations for everything?

Yeah. And it's like, time to give that a break really. And Louis from my band has always been quite great to sit with me and talk with me about stuff. And if I'm feeling a certain way. We've been quite good with each other, actually in that respect and helping each other out, which has been nice.

And finally, if you could sit down with the Liam who was starting out in One Direction in 2010, what advice would you have for him?

I think just have more fun and relax a little bit. I think I was a very serious child, one of those man-childs, I was a man in a child's body pretty early on. And I think I would have avoided that stage, to be honest with you. To enter One Direction as that difficult, because it just meant that I got completely a different job to everybody else.

You were the grown up one?

That was it. And it was boring. I should have just larked around and thrown plates out the window and stuff!

More rock and roll?

Well, I mean at the start, and then later on a bit less rock and roll [laughing.]

Well, thank you so much, Liam. And we look forward to seeing your performance on Sunday at the BAFTAs.

I'll see you wherever you want me in your house, I guess.

Liam Payne is performing an exclusive EE BAFTA AR real-time music performance, ahead of his 5G-powered opening show at the 2021 EE BAFTA Film Awards. Download ‘The Round’ app to enjoy the live AR experience through your mobile phone, wherever you are, this Sunday 11th April 2021 at 18:45pm BST.

[opbackgrounds]

so I was doing some research after watching movie 6...

...and apparently it was originally written as a comedy

Yeah, I was surprised, too

Baron Omatsuri is not my favorite One Piece movie—Film Z has too many of my favorite tropes to be usurped from that position—but I do think it is the most daring. Of all the supplemental material I’ve seen and read, it feels the least...One Piece-ish. 

Yes, that includes the noodle commercials. 

If you haven’t seen the movie and can stomach a little spookiness, do yourself a favor and give it a watch. Unlike movies like Strong World or Z that have the look and feel of a manga arc, Movie 6 transplants the Straw Hat Pirates into a world that doesn’t feel like a One Piece story, taking risks and exploring themes that would never fit in the manga proper. 

In addition to the obvious changes in art and animation style, there are supernatural elements that don’t make sense within the One Piece world. None of the Straw Hats win a fight—Luffy included, although he is heavily implied to have killed the big bad at the end. The moral of the movie, if it can be said to have a moral, is if you lose the people closest to you, the answer is to forget about them and make new friends. The story ends with many questions left unanswered and the main drama between the crew unresolved.

And, if you allow me to get philosophical for a moment, I wish there were more movies like it. As I wrote in my review of Novel A, I don’t go to supplemental material or side stories looking for a repeat of what’s in the manga. Oda has written 1000 chapters of One Piece—why not spice things up a little and try something different for a change?

I know the answer isn’t that simple, and by their very nature not all risks will pan out. There will be people who don’t like this movie because it’s different, both in look and tone. But there’s something to be said about a creator putting their heart and soul into a work and having it show in the final product. 

Which brings us back to the original premise. How does a movie go from a light-hearted comedy based on a variety show theme to...this

Baron Omatsuri was directed by Mamoru Hosoda and came out in 2005. To put that into perspective, the movie was in production when the Luffy vs Usopp fight was first seen in the manga. Manga!Luffy had not yet faced the challenge of an inter-crew disputes when the story was being written and boarded, nor did the creative team have the events of Sabaody and Marineford to see how Luffy would react to the loss of his loved ones. They were working without a full understanding of Luffy’s character, and to a lessor extent the character of the Straw Hat Pirates, and it seems like Oda was much less involved In production than has been in movies since Strong World and beyond. 

Likewise, Hosoda had just left a tumultuous situation at Studio Ghibli while working on Howl’s Moving Castle, and if this interview is anything to go by (https://instrangeaeonsblog.wordpress.com/2016/04/24/mamoru-hosoda-on-omatsuri-danshaku-animestyle-interview-part-1/) was going through a lot of personal shit when he was brought on as director. The script he was given was originally written like a variety show—something that was carried over into the various trials seen in the final movie—and meant to be a lighthearted affair after the relatively serious Movie 5 (which I have not seen am thus unable to compare tone). 

With that backstory in mind, it’s easy to see how the bickering and backbiting between the Straw Hats early in the movie is a metaphor for Hosoda’s time at Ghibli, which is something he admits to in the interview. Movie 6 feels different than any other One Piece movie because it’s the project of a man who has had to endure the loss of those who he was close with, at least in a professional capacity. 

There are moments in Movie 6 where Luffy doesn’t feel like Luffy. More than once a member of the Straw Hats ask him to intervene during arguments, moments Luffy either ignores or doesn’t notice. It’s a version of Water 7 where instead of fighting Usopp, Luffy ignores the underlying differences within his crew, and as a result loses everybody. 

The structure of the three trials follows a clear path of deterioration within the crew, the initial goldfish scooping game showing the Straw Hats at their best and inciting the jealousy of the Baron, the ring toss sowing discord among the crew even as they snatch a narrow victory, only for them to be utterly crushed in the third and final challenge as they’re unable help one another survive. 

It is somewhat implied that the Breaking of the Fellowship(TM) is magical in nature—that like the One Ring, the Lily Carnation was able to influence the Straw Hat’s thoughts and actions, but this is never stated outright and I prefer the more mundane interpretation: That without strong leadership the Straw Hats fell victim to the manipulative machinations of the Baron, and simply self-destructed as a result.  In the end, it’s up to the interpretation of the viewer. 

And speaking of things up to interpretation, I love how the Lily Carnation isn’t explained in the slightest. The plant that initially absorbs the Straw Hats looks more like the stem of a devil fruit than a flower, it for some reason rings like a gong when hit, and somehow is able to turn pieces of itself into facsimile of the Baron’s old crew who can somehow move around despite being plans. It’s weird, it’s wonderful, and the element of the unknown works so well in the horror-lite setting. 

My personal theory is the island somehow managed to eat a devil fruit which manifests itself as the Lily Carnation (which due to the L/R conflation in Japanese, is pronounced ‘reincarnation’, which I think is a nice touch of foreshadowing that may or may not have been intentional).

(Also, I can’t decide if little chewing animation it makes when it’s eating people or the weird bullseyes it makes when shit gets real are the most terrifying thing in the movie.)

Hmmm, tasty.

Anyway, this is getting long, so here are some final thoughts:

1) This movie has some low key fantastic outfits. The Straw Hats all look very cool without being over designed like a lot of recent movies. Big hat Robin is of course a fave, and makes me really want to see her in a Carmen Sandiego getup.

2) Screenshots do not do the animation of the movie justice. It’s very fluid and has a lot of excellent expressions/poses, although I admit the 3D is jarring at times. Do not let the art put you off if you haven’t seen it 

3) Also, I don’t think there’s any shading? Like at all? The movie does a lot of cool stuff with color instead. For example, the scene where Luffy initially loses to the Baron his skin goes all grey, and I thought it was because he was fighting at night, but it stays grey even in the better lighting of the underground tunnels and stays that way until he finds out the Straw Hats are still alive, where it returns to his normal color

4) There’s an extended Benny Hill-type gag when Luffy first chases after the little mustache pirate that’s perfectly timed to the music, and ends when Luffy just uses his power to grab him. The comedic timing is amazing and it’s probably my favorite funny moment in the movie, of which there are several despite the overall darker tone

5) The extended jungle shot from Nami’s POV? Very cool

6) I love how from the earliest scenes nothing is as it seems. The opening text is Robin reading the map, but the storm that’s seen on screen is the one that sank the Baron’s crew. Likewise the whole fancy city is shown to be fake panels early on, the goldfish catching game is a trap, etc., etc. It does a good job clueing the viewer in early that’s something’s very wrong on the island, even if they don’t realize it at first

7) I don’t think this type of movie would work in modern One Piece without somehow nerfing Luffy. Horror works best when the protagonist is weak and vulnerable, and that fits best with a pre-Gear 2/3 Luffy (same with the rest of the crew, tbh. I was waiting for Nami to use her lightning stick during the games, forgetting it hadn’t been boosted yet). 

8) I like how there are four captains on the island representing different levels of loss—the Baron has lost his crew and wants to destroy all others because of it, mustache pirate lost his crew and is willing to put it behind him to make new friends, Luffy has freshly lost his crew and hasn’t decided what path he will go, and coward dad hasn’t lost his crew yet but is at risk if he doesn’t change his cowardly ways

9) I think the reason why Chopper was the first Straw Hat to disappear is he’s the most likely to play the part of peacemaker. He’s also the only crew member needing rescuing at the end of the goldfish scoop game, when Luffy foolishly puts his life at risk trying to save him from drowning, just like he recklessly charges the Baron at the end of the movie. Except that time there was no Sanji to save him, leaving Luffy to get his ass thoroughly kicked

10) This is a very good Halloween movie, and I’m glad I watched it in October

[miloscat]

[Review] The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (PS2)

The first proper movie adaptation... or should I say two half-movie adaptations?

I grew up with the Return of the King game on Xbox. I was always curious about its predecessor, so I’m happy I was able to catch up with it... but boy is it rough. First of all, it’s part of the odd licensing/timing situation where there’s no Fellowship movie game (although there is a Fellowship book game under a different publisher, as per my previous reviews), so almost half the levels in this game depict events from the first movie (presented within the framing device of Aragorn telling stories to Éowyn prior to the battle of Helm’s Deep). And when they get to adapting The Two Towers, the two hobbit-based plotlines are completely dropped!

I understand focusing the game on the more action-heavy thread of the film, it makes sense for a straight-up 3D brawler of this type. It also means they can focus on developing just three playable characters (Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli). But it makes it feel like a heavily-edited highlights package instead of a story, the bridging cutscenes—using footage from the films—doing little to help it feel coherent. Were they ever proud of those cutscenes, fading “seamlessly” between the FMV and the game engine’s models... it’s pretty funny seeing John Rhys-Davies’ face melt into the hideous gremlin that is the Gimli model. I’m sure it was impressive for an early PS2 game, but these graphical styles that aim for realism tend to age the worst.

So this is a beat-em-up style game, with lots of set pieces, cinematic flourishes, and a decent ranged attack. I don’t think it’s balanced too well though. Chaotic enemy spam too easily knocks you down and stunlocks you, and often your light attack is completely useless thanks to shields or enemies able to block, so you just spam strong attack most of the time. Trying to legitimately engage with the game’s mechanics is only for the superhuman, us mortals have to rely on cheesing enemy patterns and the rising attack/finisher strat. Unlike the sequel, this is also strictly a solo experience (with the occasional NPC buddy) so you have to get yourself out of every jam. And with very few checkpoints you’ll likely be playing these levels multiple times, not because you want to try another character but because you die and get sent back.

Between levels you get to unlock new attacks depending on your performance, so the strong get stronger and poor performance is punished by making subsequent stages harder. Sadly there’s no way to replay a stage with the same character if you’ve cleared it (until after you beat the game) so the whole thing is some kind of endurance run. Thankfully there is a difficulty setting and some cheats as a prop, although I was too proud to use them. I did settle on just clearing it once with the best character—Legolas of course, who has the most powerful, fast, and abundant ranged option.

As usual I liked the parts of the game that expanded on the source. You get a couple of levels in burning Rohan villages, giving you a chance to fight Uruk-hai and explode their copious bombs while rescuing civilians. Apart from that it’s just inserting a tonne more orcs to hew in the various film locations. There’s also a lot more trolls to fight than I remember from the films... I didn’t really relish seeing them though as they’re among the most tedious enemies to take down.

At least the game has authenticity going for it. Part of the package is mini-documentaries that show a bit of behind the scenes of the film while establishing the access the game had; they directly referenced miniatures in order to make the game environments match, for example. They also had the film actors reprise their roles (and conduct interviews for these extras); at least the ones that actually appear in the game. Aragorn’s voiceover narration is a bit laconic but apart from that they’re all plum professionals that deliver their new contributions well. In this sense the game feels like a competent companion to the films... pity about the rest of it.

[anti-porn-unicorn]

I’m a girl (18 now) who got exposed/addicted to pornography at a really young age, and I wanted to share my specific story on this blog so that the platform can get it out there.

Under the cut is my full story, and it’s a little long winded, so if you don’t want to read the whole thing, I bolded in purple the general topic/idea of that section. Just look for whichever of those interests you and the section will be about that. The first and last paragraph are good for context and end goal, though.

Thank you.

I don't fully remember my first exposure to porn. I know I was in third grade (6-7 yrs old, I had skipped a grade). The reason I had wanted to share my story, in fact, is because I don't see many stories with circumstances similar to mine. Most I see have at least one of the following 'modifiers', for want of a better word. Most I see have at least one of the following 'modifiers', for want of a better word. Most I see have at least one of the following 'modifiers', for want of a better word. 1. The person is a victim of CSA/grooming. 2. The person was at a generally pubescent age (~11-14). And/or 3. The person experienced porn as a quick disturbance. To be clear, these stories are as valid and important as mine, and I simply think more perspectives make evidence of the effects of porn more airtight. I've never been the victim of SA, harassment, or grooming, ever in my life. My story shows the effects of exclusively porn.

The first memory I can recall about this was actually the first time I got caught. I was 6 yrs old, and very into video games,so on this day, I was playing a 3D porn game on my crappy hand-me-down laptop. I kind of knew that what I was doing wasn't acceptable, so I was sitting in my room in the corner as far from my door as possible. My mom walked in so I just slammed the laptop shut because I wasn't that good at hiding things. My mom obviously asked what I was doing, and I tried to keep her from looking, but it was right there when she reopened it. This is where the battle of it begins.

From ages 6-14 I don't have a good timeline of events but a few pop out that exemplify the severity of the issue. These are very probably out of order.

I got an iPod Touch for Christmas (~6-7), and every night I would watch porn on it until they caught on. I literally still remember some names of the sites, most that don't even exist anymore. My parents have always been amazingly caring. I couldn't ask for more. During the earlier ages (~6-8) I was put with a child therapist for fear of a deeper issue. My parents started either taking technology away in the night and/or setting restrictions on the internet. Unfortunately, between my slight tech-savvy, and my crazed addiction at this point, this wasn't a solution.

The addiction got DEEP. It warped my brain. When I had no technology, I used everything I could find.

Whenever I had access to less restricted internet, I used it. Once I asked my older cousin to use her iPod and watched it on there.(she noticed and told my mom. I remember my mom had asked me "Is there anything you need to tell me?", and I knew what she meant, but I just said "nope!" and walked away. At one point my dad's work provided him with a Blackberry, and I asked him could I play one of the built in little games. Once I had it, I watched porn. (when I gave it back to him he pressed the "back" button, and I was caught.)

I used Youtube. This was when YouTube was way less moderated (back when the app was a little old timey TV). I learned I could look up "striptease" and "nip-slip" and other stuff like that, finding more soft-core videos that could suffice when the internet in general was locked down.

I straight-up found out ways to disable the restrictions. Once I found out my mom's PIN for the controls, I went and disabled them, but changed the PIN so it would look like they were still on, and so that she couldn’t access and re-enable them. (I made it 7399. Spells "sexy". My mind was a mess.)

My parents bought a book called "The Classical Tradition". I'm just learning now as I'm looking it up that it was a Harvard Reference Library book (probably why it was so damn thick) about ancient Greek and Roman culture. I didn't know that. I had realized that sprinkled throughout the book there were pages that were more glossy than the rest, which you could see from the sides of the pages (the book was HUGE). These were the photo paper, which had the classical paintings and sculptures. And because these had nudity (Think "The Birth of Venus" type) I would regularly flip through this book when I needed a "fix". Absurd.

My parents got me an American Girl book that was made to ease worries about the developmental years. The pages on breast development / the anatomy of the vagina were what I looked at the most. When my parents had gotten me the child therapist, there was the logical fear that I might have been molested. The therapist gave me a book where there was a page with two cartoon mice, a boy and a girl. They were wearing swimwear/underwear and the point of that was "anywhere the clothing is covering is somewhere that adults can't touch you without telling.” They might as well have been stick figures, there was NO detail. But since they were in ‘underwear’ I'd always look at that page a lot. Anything barely vaguely sexual.

During this part of my life, I got no real pleasure out of this, I was just obsessed. For the first year I even watched it on mute out of fear of being caught. The lowest point during this period was when I very unfortunately filmed a video of me touching myself. I got nothing out of it and had no intent on ever sending or posting it. I was just emulating what I had been seeing. I deleted it the next day. I was 9 then.

From puberty until now (11-18) is when my sexuality was shaped by it. The addiction was far more controllable, I could spend a couple weeks to a couple months without it, but I'd always come back. Because it was now tied to my body. And while my need for it to be constant was gone, now I had to deal with the tolerance issue.

Over time what I watched became more and more depraved. I had the personal preference of hating anything amateur, because of the low quality, so I managed to avoid anything obviously non-consensual or involving visibly underaged girls, but that doesn't really mean much with the stuff the studios were putting out. During the middle points it got REALLY violent and disturbing. Bordering on torture (extreme kink) and even bodily deformation. As a young woman, I couldn't really tolerate any of the role based Kinks (father-daughter, babysitter, schoolgirl), so more extreme for me meant more extreme acts. Just absolute destruction of women's bodies for the purposes of sex. I moved away from that when tumblr banned porn and I started using reddit for it, and also during that time I was realizing how fucked up of an addiction that this was, even before I found feminism/anti-porn. I actively started trying to quit it, for good. But I always went back.

One big effect is heavy confusion with my sexual orientation. A lot of people face this, but the addition of porn for me really throws things off. Like: Am I bi, and a form of comphet/denial/inexperience keeps me from seeing women in a romantic way? Is it a mix of that and porn? (relatively likely) Or am I just straight, and the porn has completley shaped my mind (likely). 90% of the time I watched solo female content or lesbian content, and could only stand to watch certain specific forms if it included men at all. In real life I find a fair amount of men attractive but their bodies in a sexual sense are tolerable at best, but usually cringe inducing. l've never been attracted to a woman romantically, but exclusively women's bodies are sexual to me. It feels like everything in my brain that I would have been able to use in order to figure myself out has been permanently overwritten with incorrect information. Because of porn.

I've still got it bad. Every once in a while, I’ll read something vaguely sexual, or see a woman in a risque photo, and then the seed is planted. I'll always say "I'm not going to do it, I always feel disgusting after, it’s not even really enjoyable at this point, I can do better than this”. I always give in the end of the night. I'm 7 days off of it. I've been on this earth for 18 years. 12 of those years I've been cripplingly addicted to pornography. Two thirds of my life, and for as long as I can remember. I can never undo it. Just like an alcoholic will always be an alcoholic, only able to achieve remission, I will always be a porn addict. I have to be careful. But I have to hope for the future. And with finding the community that is speaking the truth about this, I'm heartened to do better. To no longer be held down by an addiction to consuming my own oppression.

[angel-princess-anna]

Speculation Sunday

Or Monday, depending on your time zone. I’m never gonna get these things out on time, am I? I still like the alliteration the title so I’m sticking with it, haha. Anyway, we got some actual decent sized crumbs these last two weeks!!

I held off on posting another one of these for a bit because I had concocted a fairly out there theory that I just kept waiting to get disproved. And I think it did, haha (and thus I redid the draft a times this week).

Anyway, spoilers from the last few weeks:

IMDB says that Jonathan Coy is back as George Murray. IMDB isn’t always reliable, so I cannot be 100% sure, buuuuut... I do think if this is real, he’ll be around is for things other than... arrests/prison/trials, etc. We were first introduced to Murray in the TV show at the memorial for Patrick and James, who perished on the Titanic. So... perhaps his appearance has to do with wills, or something (... if you get my drift).

We also got some tidbits from Phyllis. Mrs Hughes is still housekeeper, and Carson is still retired but will get involved in the plot regards. Makes sense that Fellowes is trying to maintain the status quo still, and that we’ll do this again like DA 2019. “Excitement at the castle” could be anything, but I figure it’s a large event of sorts. Christmas or otherwise, who knows at this point.

Now, “Phyllis says there will be some filming in another ‘slightly exotic’ location”. This is where my crazy theory came into play (It was a trip to France. And I doubted it 100% lol). Anyway I am pretty sure that the ‘exotic’ locale is in fact Harwich, Essex. Because DA has never taken place there before!

Who Hugh Dancy is playing is still a mystery, but given what pics we got of him and Michelle, safe to say he’s upstairs. 

Also while still waiting for confirmation of who all is actually back, Hugh (Bonneville) tweeted a charity auction for a 3D Downton Puzzle (which is a newer piece of merch) that’s been signed by him, Phyllis, Allen, and Michael Fox. So I think this confirms Andy is back, as it’s probably freshly signed from the set (like I said last time, not that I thought that that was in any doubt, but with DA 2019, he wasn’t listed in the ‘original principle cast’).

The Essex filming is also gave us timeline clues, based on the poster of The Terror, which was released in September 1928.

I've been thinking of how in S5CS the family go on a trip, but the episode also covers Christmas. Christmas isn't confirmed, for DA 2021 but I can still see this, perhaps. I don't think it will be like S3CS where the upstairs and downstairs are mostly divided for the length of it (although see below), and we know there's a "excitement at the the castle" which implies an event at Downton Abbey itself. S5CS did contain a timeskip as well, so currently I’m gonna let my mind go with my “September 1928 and then Xmas 1928″ theory until I’m proven wrong lol.

Regardless, we are looking at more than likely a timeskip of a year from DA 2019. This skips over Edith giving birth, and perhaps Violet’s health has declined...

We got further pics in Sudbury of what appears to be a wedding, which imo has to be Tom x Lucy. Traditionally, weddings are held where the bride is from, so that would mean a new locale (perhaps ‘slightly exotic’). I wonder if the whole cast of characters will be in attendance (is Tom inviting all of downstairs?), but then again, Fellowes will probably make it happen, haha.

Also as a sidebar, I really don’t dig the title just being Downton Abbey 2. Like Downton Abbey (2019) is supposed to be a sequel to Downton Abbey (2010-2015). Like I get that it’s the second movie, but I’d rather these have subtitles. I mean the Christmas Specials do? So what’s the TV show, Downton Abbey Zero? I mean the first film could have been “Downton Abbey: A Royal Affair” or somethin’. Me being nitpicky, per usual lol.

[argumentl]

The Freedom of Expression - Episode 46 The filming for the Dir en grey Real Avatar music video.

K: Hi, this is Dir en grey's Kaoru with this episode, uh, this week's episode of the Freedom of Expression. Joe san, Tasai san...it feels like a while since we were last here.

J, T: Yeah.

K: We've been on location, plus last time we filmed 4 episodes at once. Quite a while has passed since then.

T: It has.

J: Nothing new with you?

K: No, nothing.

T: Hahaha

J: Tokyo Sports seems pretty busy..

T: Yeah, I watched you two recently...on Niconama.

J: Ah, yeh. You wrote an article, thanks for that.

T: I was a bit envious while working on it.

J: Yeh, but what about that Tokyo Sports hoodie? How is it doing?

T: Yeah, it looks like its selling.

J: Right.

T: Thanks to you two.

J: No, no, its thanks to Kaoru, but..

K: No, no, its nothing.

J: You gotta make something else for round two.

T: Yeah, there might be a T-shirt collaboration in the works.

K: Ehh? Im looking forward to that.

J: Eventually we'll have like a The Freedom of Expression x Tokyo Sports collaboration set?

T: Yeh, and we could sell that, then go to Okinawa.

J: Go to Okinawa? Haha.

K: Hahaha.

J: Our plan is steadily progressing that far..

T: Together with you Joe.

J: Yes, please, haha.

K: Ok, so Joe, can I ask you to get us started today?

J: Got it! This is happy news, the news that Dir en grey will screen an avatar music video. Dir en grey will reveal a new music video on New Years Eve from 11:00pm, which includes avatar characters created using 3D scans of the members. The Explosion screenings of 'The World You Live In', have been sold out. So an encore entitled 'The World You Live In - additional' will be held on New Years Eve as an online broadcast. As well as a special talk event with the members, a music video with real avatar characters, made by 3D scanning each member, will be screened. Kaoru?

K: Thank you

J: This is good news, isn't it?

K: So as a rule, we always broadcast this show on Friday, but we've made it a bit irregular this time in order to talk about this. Well, of course, I've seen it already.

J: Have you? What was it like?

K: Well, first of all, as for the filming, we did our make up and costume etc, and had cameras surrounding us 360°. We filmed it there first, and then in a different studio, we put on clothes that had pointers all over them, and I played air guitar...

J: Ah, you performed.

K: And then we took photos seperately.

J: It sounds like hard work, was it?

K: Not really, it was over quite quickly.

J: Really?

K: For the photo shoot in full dress it was like, 'flash..flash..Ok, finished'. It felt like a waste of all the make up I was wearing. Like, 'Isn't there anything else?' haha.

J: Ah, if only you could've have done more...But when you were finished with all that, they made it into a moving person?

K: Well, yeh, it has the kind of atmosphere as if its in a game.

J, T: Ehh?

T: What are the facial expressions like?

K: It wasn't possible to go as far as making different facial expressions. Well, i mean, you could do that if you had the time, but we didn't...

J: This time you didn't go that far? But its the first time for Dir to try this kind of thing, right?

K: Yeah.

J: Was there any kind of catalyst that made you think, 'Lets do this'?

K: Well, there was a kind offer saying like, 'We can do this kind of thing'..

J: A suggestion came, and you decided to give it a go?

K: Yeah, thats it, kinda like that.

J, T: Ahhh.

J: You know, this is...

T: It looks interesting.

J: Its exciting, right?

K: When I was playing, there was a pointer right in the position that I usually hold my guitar, so they asked me if I could change the position.

J: Ah, the the postion you play the guitar?

K: Yeah. They tried to help me change the position, but it was still interfering, so I ended up playing up here at chest level, which would nomally be impossible, haha.

T: Hahaha

J: Pretty high up, its not very Kaoru style, is it?

K: I think it'll be a sight to see.

T, J: Hahaha.

K: Its soo high up! Haha

T, J: Hahaha.

J: By the way, are you influenced by anyone in particular as to the position in which you hold your guitar?

K: No, its just the best position I can play in, based on the size of my guitar.

J: Ah, I see. But somehow you ended up playing up here while filming this mv?

K: Yeah, well..I had to raise the position a bit.

J: Ahh, did the other members have to change anything?

K: No

J: Just you? Because it got in the way of the pointers?

K: Yeah.

J: Ahh, really? Die always plays quite low down doesn't he?

K: Yeah, he does. When we first put on all those pointers and mimicked playing the instruments, it came up on screen as just like moving lines. Even just looking at that, I could tell it was Die straight away.

J, T: Ehhh.

K: The shape on screen looked just like Die.

T: Thats pretty interesting.

J: He's very characteristic, isn't he? How do you film the drums? With pointers on them?

K: Haha, pretty tough, right? We had to use a photo of the drums and stick them on.

J: It seems like drums would be the most difficult to play by air. Or was it not that bad?

K: Well, if the positions of the pointers were set then...

K: Ahh, and it was over very quickly?

K: Yes　

J: And you were holding your guitar up here? I say that, but I don't know how good it looks *1, haha. Well, if i had to choose, playing it lower down probably seems cooler. There was a lot of people in the 90s playing guitar like that, right? Punks and stuff. They played it quite low down. There isn't anyone who plays it up high, is there?

K: No, not really.

J: How about actually holding it like that, Kaoru?

K: It would be pretty difficult to play.

J: It could be the 'Kaoru position'.

T: Haha.

J: The cool position!

T: Haha

K: Yeah.

J: Im looking forward to this.

T: The song is the new single 'Ochita koto no aru sora'?

K: Yeah.

J: Are you gonna test this out once and see the reaction, then maybe do more?

K: I think it would be interesting if we could spend a bit more time on it, and brush up the backgrounds and stuff.

J: You might be able to make new creations using only this. I am looking forward to this.

T: The broadcast will start at 23:00, ohh so its gonna be on as the year changes.

J: Yes.

K: First we'll show the same footage that was in the explosion screening, and then after the year changes we'll appear, and then play this mv.

J: Ah, I see.

K: During the live broadcast with the members, we'll play this. And then we'll kinda talk a bit.

J: I see.

T: This is a great way to bring in the new year for the people watching.

J: Right? There wasn't much good news in.2020, so they will really appreciate this piece of hope appearing at the end of the year. They'll be looking out for the postion of the guitars!

T: The same position as ???*2

J: Thats it.

K: It seems like Kami had no interest in this topic.

J: Isn't he here today? Are you there, Kami?

Kami: Yes, I'm here. I've seen it too.

J: You've seen it?!

T: Have you?!

Kami: Yes, I have.

J: Cause he's a god, right? He's different from humans.

K: He sees what we see.

Kami: Because gods have power.

J: Power? Even low grade ones?

Kami: But, no, it was very interesting.

J: You enjoyed it?

Kami: I did enjoy it, it was cool.

J: Did you notice anything about the postion Kaoru was holding his guitar?

Kami: Ah, no, not really.

J: Haha, didn't you? As a god, is there any scenes you would recommend to watch out for? Or any points to pay attention to?

Kami: Well, of course the images were good, but I really thought the song was good. Dir en grey are good at writing songs.

J, T: Hahaha.

K: Thanks, haha.

Kami: I think you have talent.

K: We're good, right?

J: Yeah! He's acting like a judge.

Kami: Thats because Im a god.

J: Well, yeah. Haha, saying, 'You're good at writing songs' to a pro. Thats a first. But thats just like Kami. So, you liked the visuals, but you heard the song again in a new light?

Kami: It was fun.

J: Ah, it was fun? Thank you.

T: How about making a Kami avatar?

K: Ah, yeh.

J: We've never seen what Kami looks like..

Kami: I can't show you that yet.

K: We could make an avatar, and then have it come on screen, when he's here.

T: Yeah, like in this area of the screen.

J: Yeah! If its technically possible.

K: Tasai could create the character.

T: Hahaha.

J: Like his legendary..Oh, lets do that.

T: But I can't draw him, I need to see him. Otherwise I'd have to imagine what he looks like.

K: Yeah, just draw it from imagination.

T: Like my own image of Kami?

J: Yeah, something like that. Well, in that case we could each try drawing him..

K: Even if it isn't a moving character, we could put it up on that line that appears when Kami talks..

J: Yeah, I see.

Kami: Im just a regular old guy.

K, T, J: Hahaha

K: Well, we know that...

J: Yeah, from what we've heard from him so far, we can gather that.

T: Thats it. I could kinda get an image of him by listening to all of his stories.

K: A combined picture of him.

J: Or a loud talk session with him. Thats not nice to think about, is it? haha

K: Yeah, with that voice, it might be a bit tough.

J: Haha, yeh, it would be exhausting.

K: Yeah.

J: Yeh..

K: Ok...well, also, this is a bit of promotion for me, but from February we will start our Explosion Screening tour of our Meguro RokumaykanGig live. We'll go all over Japan with it, and the member will also..

J: Join in, do a talk session?

K: Yeah, we'll do talk sessions.

J: You'll be there? Well, it has been announced already, so people can already check out all the info in realation to that.

K: Is that all?

J: Yeah, I think so.

K: Well, I'd love it if everyone was able to watch the live broadcast tomorrow.

J: Yep, don't miss it.

K: Ok, lets finish here for today. Please subscribe. Thank you very much.

*1 Not sure if this bit is entirely right.

*2 Couldn't figure out.