#and i wasn't a new fan of the new style despite adoring the cast on it

[lucifer-kane]

thinking about the rt shutdown again just for the sake of since the final rvb season was announced last year and now it's just. up in the air.....

[littlevices]

Finished Mob Psycho 100

Spoilers below cut, as well as a lot of gushing and a very long post, just in case anyone needed the warning, lol.

My heart is full. So, so full.

I was not expecting to lover this series as much as I did, had no plans to watch it, let alone read it.

Now here I am, finally finished the series, and I feel so full.

Every episode hit so well, said so much, and had something important in all of them, no matter how small a moment.

So much character development, so much great music, amazing action and animation.

Would you believe me if I told you I didn't care about the art style? That I thought it looked over hyped? That when I heard the first opening back when this was new I didn't like it much? That almost nothing about this show interested me?

The only thing that kept me connected to this show at all was the first ending song, it's animation, and the english fan cover of it by Dima Lancaster on youtube. Despite everything else not catching my eye at the time, this song by itself was the one thing that kept this show on my radar at all.

Years later, and I do mean years, I finally bit the bullet after rewatching all the opening and endings and even a few scenes on youtube to decide if this show was something I really wanted to watch. Why? Well, why not?

Obviously, I was spoiled in some things cause of this, but that didn't stop me, lol. I'm not easily deterred by this, but I did want to be transparent about that before going further. I still had no idea about character personalities and things like that, so I still had plenty of surprises in store. Plus, a number of these things hit way harder with context than they did without. For anyone interested, I knew about Reigen's confession, about the Touichiro fight, that Mob was trapped in Mogami's world for six months. However, none of that was enough to make me wanna watch the show 'right here right now' because without context I had no idea how Mogami's world worked, why Reigen's confession was important, nor how it would fit into the show proper, and there was absolutely no context for Touichiro.

Hopefully this doesn't deter you from reading further, but, again, I wanted to be transparent about those things as I now know how important those particular moments are to the series (and yes, the context made them so much better after finally watching it myself).

You still with me? Shall we continue then?

I fell in love with Mob near instantly in Episode 1. Watching him try his hardest at gym while still failing was so adorable and gave me a D'aww moment.

Reigen, however, not so much.

I know you know where I'm going with this. He was clearly a liar, fraud, underpaying Mob, and using him. He wasn't terrible, so to say, but his treatment of Mob in episode one made me wonder if I would be able to tolerate him for the whole season, seeing as I knew he was going to be a staple main character.

However, I too, have fallen into the sweaty rat man's trap and he is now one of my favorite characters in anime along with Mob and a few others.

Actually, I fell in love with nearly the whole damn cast, lol. But more about that later.

The art style grew on me quickly. It also helped that it's simplicity made it easy to make stellar animation and camera shots. Obviously, there are some episodes where Bones went way harder than they needed to. Episode 8 of season 1 (Mob vs Koyama), and episode 5 of season 2 (Mob vs Mogami) are obvious picks along with the finals of both those seasons (1000% Reigen vs Claw and Mob vs Touichiro). However, Mob vs Teru in 1x5 and Serizawa fighting in 3x2 are some of my favorites along with the more obvious choices. Plus, anytime Dimple possesses someone and proceeds to backflip and jump around despite nobody asking him too was always a treat (seriously, how old is he really? Where did he learn that shit?).

Reigen's special attacks were a highlight, especially when he starts showing off his own fighting style as well (I was not expecting this man to be able to fight and, later, parkour, what the hell).

Which brings us back around to the writing and characters doesn't it?

What can I say that hasn't already been said? The writing is great. Humorous and heartfelt. Sure, I felt like every once and a while it was a little too heavy handed when delivering it's message, and I didn't think the narrator was needed in some scenes, but it didn't really take away my enjoyment.

Also, can I just, take a moment to show some interesting details I noticed in the final episodes.

These details were very neat to witness. Small callbacks to earlier in the series it feels like.

However-

"But I guess it's true. . . I'm your brother, Ritsu. Hey, Ristu. Half of that is true, right?"

"So there's no reason to be scared. There's no reason to tremble at the sight of it. Because I'm. . . Your younger brother."

I can't even with this scene between Mob and Ritsu in the second to final episode. It just calls back so well to 1x8 and the alley way confrontation that it makes me tear up. I might make a separate post for this alone, lol.

This is what really made the story for me. The characters and the development they gained. I didn't love nor hate Tome when meeting her, but episodes 3x7 and 3x8 added a grounded element to her, along with that little scene in the marathon episode where the scolded her friends for faking ill when Mob had been working so hard. Serizawa getting over his admiration for Touichiro and working at Spirits and Such was a fun dynamic, even if late in the game so to speak. Ritsu learning to accept and not be scared of Mob's power, Teru going from being a bully to a genuinely a nice (if still somewhat overconfident) guy, and even Onigawara and the Body Improvement Club. I was not expecting to fall in love with a snot bubble, but here I am. So many wonderful characters, such a wonderful cast.

However, I can't mention character development with mentioning my favorite boys, can I?

Mob's growing confidence, learning not to rely on Reigen so much and coming to terms with his powers and himself as a person, what this whole show was about, was wonderful. The way he slowly became more expressive over time (like the screenshot above says), and him going from not wanting to use his powers at all to slowly realizing that sometimes he may have to protect what he cares about (even though Reigen tries so hard to protect him from that).

Reigen won my heart by the end of season 1, so when the seperation arc came I couldn't help but wince and cringe. I came to love his character and his relationship with Mob so much, that seeing this low point gave me so much second hand embarrassment. I felt bad for him, in a way, but this cringe was very much needed. Reigen needed the wake up call and I was so glad to see him take that lesson to heart in the next episode. I had heard his relationship with Mob got healthier, and I had heard whispers of the separation arc, but I was not expecting to be so wonderfully surprised by the way it worked. Reigen didn't fall immediately, he managed to do well for a while. It was only after being tricked, and, frankly, growing overconfident that his words and actions hit.

Which is the context I needed to make his confession in the final episode so important. Him finally coming clean, proving to Mob's other half, the doubts Mob had always harbored about Reigen, that he did indeed care about him. That he would shed even that lie, his biggest one arguably, if it meant helping Mob. That him finally being forced to realize how much Mob meant to him in the separation arc, and seeing, slowly, the feelings Mob had been holding back and how much it affected him, gave Reigen himself the courage to finally shed the final lie between the two of them if it meant Mob could finally heal (at least, that's my feelings anyway, lol.). It says so much about the relationship between these two, and their dynamic has become a favorite of mine (if you couldn't tell ;)).

Also, that opening that I didn't like before? The first one? Yeah, I've grown to love it and the other songs as well. The fact that they were made specifically for this show, and the context of the lyrics and show together, add so much to them. I'm not sure if the endings are in the same boat, but I love them too.

However, I think I've rambled long enough. If you got to the end here, well thank you very much for your time. This show has become a favorite so quickly, that it made even my head spin, lol.

Also, yes, you can bet I'm reading that Reigen spin-off, because more Reigen is always a good thing in my book. Love that shitty conman so much. <3 (I might even read the original manga too)

Edit: Read the Reigen spin-off. That post can be found here. Beware of spoilers, though!

[shadowfreak98]

❤ TF ONE STORY TIME! #2 ❤

So for this story time, I am going to share my thoughts and opinions BEFORE I ended up seeing the movie. These were my raw, unfiltered opinions before seeing the movie! First impressions and then expectations, all that jazz. Let's get into it!~

So I had prior knowledge of Transformers One around June, 2023... Just after the release of Rise of the Beasts, my brother had told me that our local theater was going to be showing TF One the following year, late 2024. I was... skeptical to say the least. I didn't really know how to feel about it, and I didn't really look into much on it.

December rolled around and he spilled more news about TF One being an animated feature, as well as having a cast of big name actors. This had my hopes lowered even further. Rumor had it that Optimus Prime was going to be played by Chris Hemsworth and NOT Peter Cullen, etc. etc. I have a track record of having a rather severe distaste of actors playing voice roles [COUGH COUGH... Chris Pratt... COUGH COUGH]... However, I am also willing to give it a chance despite my complaints. So, ultimately, this wound up getting shrugged off.

April 18th, 2024 - First trailer drops. I watched it... and I have to admit... I hated it. [Who thought "Start Me Up" by Rolling Stones was a good trailer song for this movie? Fire them. Every AD, and trailer tries this 80s Nostalgia Bait, and think it's clever. It's not. PLEASE STOP.] Immediately, I wrote it off as another generic kids' film that was going to leave me feeling empty as both a movie-goer and a Transformers fan. I didn't like the art style (at first!!), the music was a god-awful choice to try and hook me, and overall it didn't grab me one bit. I felt so let down after it... but not hopeless.

Despite all of this negativity and disappointment I had in it... I had this shred of hope deep inside me. I had this feeling like... something just wasn't adding up. That... maaaybe, by some miracle this movie was going to be decent at best. Call it blind optimism.

My brother, on the other hand, had zero faith in this film. He was certain that it was going to be a trash movie for children, and was adamant when I tried to show hope in it. So, we agreed to disagree until the movie came out...

TIME SKIP aaaall the way to September... I had skipped out on all the trailers to come after that awful first one. I had forgotten the movie even existed, until my brother came up to me the night of the test screening. He told me that he was gonna cave and go see it, then report back to me...

3 AM - My brother comes home from work... and he was BEGGING me to go an see it. A small part had me felt triumphant, as I had held out hope for the movie... and here my brother was imploring that I go an see it with him; insisting that I was going to LOVE IT.

The next Monday, we go and see it... and I fell in love with Transformers all over again. I blew it up my group chats, to my oldest internet buddies, EVERYONE I KNEW was going to know how much I love and adored this film! I watched it as many times as I could, despite my limitations. I have not been that passionate about a movie since Sonic the Hedgehog 2 [a movie I went to see 7 times in the theater].

Though I couldn't go and see it as many times as Sonic 2, Transformers One beat it as one of [if not] my favorite movies of all time. [Sonic 3 has a hard contender now... We'll see what my verdict is when December rolls around.]

HAA... I am content now that I have finally shared my tidbits on this movie. I perhaps have one more story I could tell about it...? Not sure there is really enough talking points tho. It would mostly be me ranting and raving to my family about the movie, and driving them insane. Nothing too noteworthy.

BUT ANYWAY, I got some stuff to do. So I should be off to do that before my hands fall off from typing so much Ha.

Love y'all!~

[moviewarfare]

A Review of “Arcane: League of Legends Season 1 & 2 (2024)”

I am no League of Legends fan. I played it a long time ago but I wasn't particularly into the lore or story or anything. When I first heard of an animated project based on the game, admittedly, I wasn't that interested. Not until I saw the first trailer that my curiosity was peaked.

Firstly, the animation is phenomenal! The style has this unique hand-painted look to it that makes every frame look stunning! The characters have incredible facial animation that easily allows us to see the nuance in their feelings. The excellent mix of 2D and 3D animation is done in a way that makes the animation here so incredibly unique. I also adore the steampunk meets fantasy world of Piltover and the grimy gloom of Zaun. The show is also elevated by the amazing soundtrack. Every song choice feels purposely chosen to illustrate and elevate a scene to even greater heights. There are many action scenes in the series that are exceedingly well-choreographed and just a blast to watch!

What makes this animated series a near masterpiece is how compelling the story and characters are. The story delves into many themes you've seen before, such as rich vs poor and the dangers of creating new technology. However, it is done in such a wonderfully endearing way that it all feels new. The main plot line of sibling rivalry between Vi and Jinx is extremely engaging, as you like both of them. The captivating lore and the magnificent world-building, keep you engrossed in the world of Arcane. The writers do a phenomenal job in making the lore of the world so easy to digest that even someone with no understanding of League could get it. The story also benefits from being an animation aimed at adults. This allowed them to explore darker storylines and violence that made it stand apart from typical fantasy stories. The characters are also very nuanced and have many layers. None of them were one-dimensional archetypes and even characters closer to that of an antagonist were easily sympathetic in many ways. The likeability of the characters was also thanks to the terrific performance from the voice cast which is stacked! Special mention goes to Ella Purnell as Jinx who I believe nailed the performance of the unhinged yet sympathetic nature of the character. Season 1 alone is a masterpiece and I would easily give it a 10/10.

However, season 2 takes quite a dip in the quality of the writing department. What is most noticeable is how the pacing is way too fast. Characters will do 180 in personality within a couple of minutes, constant time jumps throughout the season, and a bunch of random things happening without much explanation. There are some interesting developments for the world and characters in season 2 but they just aren't explored enough. Many plotlines and developments needed more room to breathe to let it sink in for the audience. They just immediately jump to the next crazy thing or straight up forget about things. The series also does some weird things in my opinion. It introduces a group called the Black Thorns which was easily the most uninteresting plot line in Season 2. They are just introduced with minimal foreshadowing and don't even get a satisfying wrap-up by the end. It feels like they were there to set up a future Arcane sequel or spinoff show. They also gave screen time to a certain character that Vi meets that seemed like they would be important as they had a mysterious vibe. However, they end up doing nothing relevant and don't even get a backstory so I wonder what exactly was the point of them? On that note, Vi who was one of the most important main characters in Season 1, doesn't have much to do in Season 2 which is such a shame. The ending is also quite rushed.

Overall, even though season 2 is disappointing compared to the first, it still maintains the amazing soundtrack and art style with great direction. Episodes 6 and 7 in season 2 are phenomenal even despite the whole season's shortcomings. Arcane is no doubt one of the best-animated shows to come from the West. It is also one of the best game adaptations I've seen. With a near-masterpiece season 1 and a pretty good yet flawed season 2, the show is no doubt a Legendary show. I hope we get more future animated shows of this calibre!

For more reviews like this visit:

https://moviewarfarereviews.blogspot.com/

[chuuyagum]

♡ Winter 2021 Anime Watch List ♡

i've always wanted to make watch lists and reviews of anime i'm watching each season so i thought now's a good time as any to start! below are the anime i'm watching this season, at some point i'll make lists of the anime i've dropped or put on hold as well ♡

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♡ Current Season;

Beastars Season 2

although i thoroughly enjoyed S1, i'm not currently keeping up with the manga so S2 will be full of surprises for me. so far the pacing and tone is keeping up with the 1st season so i'm looking forward to how this will progress. in particular i'm enjoying seeing Legoshi tackle the murder on school grounds, and Louis's gripe with his morals.

Dr. STONE: STONE WARS

another one where i absolutely adored S1! granted i'm pretty biased as this anime got me through a dark time when it was first airing, so i'm very excited for S2. i'm not keeping up with the manga, however i do know most of what to expect so i'm interested to see how it'll be adapted. the tense struggles with an environment so fragile that the Kingdom of Science could be sent back to square one easily, and the Tsukasa empire looming around the corner is riveting. what always stands out to me is how hopeful and driven Senku is in his pursuit of a better future which always has me rooting for him at every turn

Kemono Jihen

so far pretty good! i went into this one blind, so i'm not sure what to expect and don't plan to pick up the manga at the moment. i'm enjoying the found family set up and hope to see more of the world our protag has been brought into! i'm curious what cases will come the way of the main characters, and to learn more about the kemono world sitting just under the surface of the human world

Tenchi Souzou Design-bu / Heaven's Design Team

i haven't watched a comedy anime in a while that made me laugh this hard! the topic of God outsourcing the creation of life on earth is hilarious on its own, but the cast of characters and pace of the story as they brainstorm new animals is just the right balance! its lighthearted enough to be a pleasant break from the heavier series i'm watching this season, but still clever and witty in a unique way

Urasekai Picnic / Otherside Picnic

setting aside the fact that i keep misspelling this, honestly it's not that great. plenty of other people have said it, but i will too - the animation is horrible. you can tell the budget for this was really really low, all the CGI creatures our protags run into look campy and awkward instead of creepy which takes away from the setting a lot. this story is being carried by the characters and the romance, which i don't necessarily mind and i am still enjoying this, but it's not the best watch of the season

Wonder Egg Priority

i'm convinced this is going to be one of the best anime of 2021 hands down. the animation, pace, tone, character design, voice acting, everything is simply that spectacular! i wasn't sure what to expect, and i finished the first episode in awe. i'm so excited to see what the future episodes will bring! although we've already seen some really heavy topics bubble to the surface, it's clear our girls have a lot of trauma to heal from that we haven't seen yet. i anticipate it's going to be addressed in a way that feels liberating and cathartic, if the Wonder Killer's we've seen faced are anything to go by

Yakusoku no Neverland 2nd Season / The Promised Neverland Season 2

another 2nd season, and honestly what can i say? this one is living up wonderfully to the 1st season! although our protags have been thrown into a new and much more uncertain environment the air of mystery, tension, but also family and hopefulness ties everything together. it's interesting to see what the world outside of the farm is really like, and unravel what lies Ray, Emma, and co have been told all their lives. looking forward to seeing where things go!

Kai Byoui Ramune / Dr. Ramune -Mysterious Disease Specialist-

not really sure how i feel about this one! it's another anime i started watching without knowing much about it. the character designs are interesting and i'm into the art style, but besides reminding me of MP100 there's not much i can say about it yet. the premise is interesting, sure, but the "weekly problem" style episodes right from the beginning feel a little offputting.

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♡Past Seasons;

Jujutsu Kaisen - Fall 2020

just like everyone else, i'm having a ton of fun with this anime even though its tugging violently at my heartstrings! the writing, animation, characters, and tone are all spot on. although there are serious moments, the humor doesn't burst those bubbles and everyone's reactions feel realistic despite the less than realistic scenarios. from what i've seen manga fans are pretty satisfied with the adaptation, and while i won't be jumping into it any time soon i'm excited to see how well the anime captures everything

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