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cleverhottubmiracle · 18 days ago

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norajworld · 18 days ago

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ellajme0 · 18 days ago

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chilimili212 · 18 days ago

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oliviajoyice21 · 18 days ago

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ncaatech · 9 months ago

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Kung Fu Panda 4 Movie Watch Online for Free Now!

"Kung Fu Panda 4" is the sequel to the very famous DreamWorks Animation creation, and it makes everyone, regardless of age, smile at yet another part of its epic story of Po and his kung fu punches. Uttered by none other than the one and only Jack Black, the beloved Po still amuses the audience with his limitless fun and demonstrates impressive progress in his mastering of the martial arts.

In this movie, the topic is Po, who is standing up to the task of serving as the spiritual leader of his home, the Valley of Peace. Putting across a poignant message of sharing the responsibilities while retaining the trademark comedy and balancing the role of the Dragon Warrior, the movie features a blend of heart, action, and drama. Despite the character of the original plot that is still a mystery, the film will be as wonderful as the other parts with the perfect animation, the cast of star actors, and a storyline that should continue the tradition of the film.

DreamWorks Animation guarantees the show's true spirit and creates a franchise for admirers of all ages as well as newbies who just want to have a little fun. The universe is populated with memorable characters, both old and new. A storyline that hinges on the dynamics of these characters is the signature of the franchise`s success. Yet again, the animated feature, as it always does, creates a plot that jokes around at the same time as it offers insightful messages for its viewers.

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Synopsis and Plot

"Kung Fu Panda 4" charts a journey of growing up with Po, who has embraced his panda identity and radiates strength and integrity as the valley's spiritual leader. He now becomes a trainer, mentoring the Dragon Lord's heir, which goes smoothly until he faces a new villain, The Chameleon, that raises old enemies and brings confusion to his mission.

Star-Studded Cast

The movie has the voiceovers of the returning characters, like Jack Black, who is voicing the part of Po, Dustin Hoffman, who is Shifu, and Angelina Jolie, who is the voice of Tigress. The new franchise also includes Awkwafina and Viola Davis in the cast, who are marked by different features that have not been in the franchise before. Therefore providing new dynamics to the beloved franchise.

Behind the Scenes

Firstly, the story conception is handled by the talented Nathan Greno, with help from the scriptwriters Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger. It is then potently constructed by DreamWorks stars, namely the director Mike Mitchell and the story artist Nathan Greno. Under which of Bebe Wood's The Cobb is handled, the movie gets credited for its gift of having a combination of sentimentality and humor.

Release and Distribution

The movie was released in the US market on March 8, 2024, with the code name Chapter 4. Universal Pictures collected worldwide box-office revenue while getting distribution in the UK before people could watch it at home on Netflix, Prime Video, and Apple TV.

Critical and Fan reception

Reviewers have given contrasting points of view, and although a section of them feel the sequel is less interesting than the original counterpart, fans keep pushing for narrative and comedy. The actual audience reception is arguably the most crucial factor in determining the franchise's long-term popularity, as well as its ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, which make us aware of the disparate commentary.

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Cultural Impact and Franchise Future

"Kung Fu Panda 4" settled the series in the cultural background of American society as well as that of China. The movie's success, its worldwide fame, and the talk it generates prove that there is a great prospect of other sequels.

#KungFuPanda4 #KungFuPanda4Movie #KungFuPanda4FullMovieFree #Movie #Watch #Online

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takerfoxx · 3 years ago

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Speaking of things that are remarkable, things that shouldn't work but absolutely do:

The Sonic movies.

These ought to be a disaster. I mean, video game movies basically suck in general, with Detective Pikachu being nothing short of a miracle just through being pretty good, and that also had the good sense to set in the Pokemon world.

Here, they've done the predictable thing: take the well-loved cartoon/video game character, and instead of having them do stuff in their really cool and interesting world, they send them to our world. So, basically like the Smurfs. And they go on a road trip with a brand new human character played by a famous actor. And there's pop culture references, slapstick humor, and even the expected dance off scene. It's straight out the playbook for live action kid movies based upon established properties, one written by committee rather than actual fans of the franchise.

And then they dropped the original design for Sonic, and we were like, okay, call it in. It's a disaster. Like, what the hell was even that thing?

But then...they listened? And fixed the design into something really good? And then the movie came out, and sure, all those tropes we expected were there, but also they just seemed to work with Sonic. I mean, Sonic is pure nineties, so the goofy jokes and pop culture references have always been part of his schtick. But also, the writers just seemed to get Sonic as well. Like, they were given a list by the studio of things they had to include to make it more appealing to a wider audience, and they were like, okay, but we're still going to write the best Sonic we possibly can.

And then you get Jim Carrey as Robotnik, and again, Jim Carrey being Jim Carrey just works here, because Robotnik has been kind of a real goofball of a villain for years, so it just worked! It was like a weird marriage of goofy Robotnik, threatening Robotnik, and narcissistic Robotnik, all filtered through Jim Carrey's unique energy.

As such, Sonic fans came in already having accepted the silly kid movie tropes and weren't that bothered by them, but were also treated to a refreshingly good Sonic vs. Robotnik movie, where all the corny stuff just worked when it shouldn't have. It was a good time!

And then the second movie was announced, and the writers, who again just get Sonic, were like, okay, we made the studio a ton of money, so we have more freedom to eject more Sonic stuff in here. So give us the list of kid movie tropes we need to include, and let us handle the rest.

And they do it. They give us like the best possible version of these characters. Casting Idris Elba as Knuckles was just inspired, and they found the perfect way to combine the funny Knuckles we've seen lately and the more gruff warrior of the past to give us possibly the best Knuckles we've ever seen. We get a fantastic Tails, with his actual voice actress no less! And when fans complained about her name missing from the poster, they went and added her! We got an even more accurate and threatening Robotnik that was still Jim Carrey being unleashed, we got the Death Egg Robot, we got the Tornado, we got the Chaos Emeralds, we got Super Sonic, we got freaking Labyrinth Zone (and hey, was them using the owls in the first movie specifically to set that up? You know, considering that it actually has owl statues in the original game?), and we even got that promise of Shadow. And hey, I'm no Shadow fan, but I understand that he's one of the most beloved characters in the franchise, so I can't be mad, and I trust the writers to make a version I can get into.

It's like these movies have two completely different demographics in little kids and grown up Sonic fans and somehow found a way to please both. There's all of the gags and jokes for the kids, and since the grown up Sonic fans have already accepted that they're going to be there, we can also enjoy some really great interpretations of our favorite characters on the big screen. Like, you wanna have a dance off and silly slapstick? That's fine! I get Idris Elba having the time of his lifer playing Knuckles, I'm happy!

#sonic the hedgehog #sonic movie

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twistedtummies2 · 3 years ago

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Top 15 Portrayals of The Joker

Due to a certain play I’m involved with, I’ve been in a major Batman mood. (Not that such a mood is uncommon for me, mind you, but I digress.) I thus had a notion I thought would be fun: the play features four of Batman’s chief villains, and I thought it would be fun to discuss my favorite interpretations of all four. I may also cover Batman himself and possibly a couple of other side characters or villains that don’t show up in the play, but we’ll see.

For starters, let’s begin with the Dark Knight’s arch-nemesis: that Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker. The Joker is my favorite Batman villain, and arguably the single most iconic of them all. He’s also the one who has been adapted the most times out of any take on the character. The interesting thing about Joker, in my opinion, is that there are very few interpretations of him (outside of comics) that don’t work: maybe it’s just my own personal bias for the character, but there are only a small number of portrayals of the Ace of Knaves I’m not especially fond of. Most incarnations I like at least a little bit. But which Harlequins of Hate are the most nefarious? Here are my personal opinions: these are My Top 15 Jokers!

15. Zach Galifianakis.

In “The LEGO Batman Movie,” Zach Galiafianakis plays a wildly designed Joker who, while just as devious and maniacal as other versions, has a different bend with his schemes and plots. We all know the constant theme of interconnection between Batman and Joker, and some versions have even toyed with the idea of the character having a sort of one-sided romantic interest in his nemesis. This version does the same, but it’s played up for laughs: the animosity between the two characters is very literally treated like a love relationship, and the glorious irony speaks for itself. The film’s story basically treats the Joker almost like Batman’s ex-boyfriend or something, trying to get his beloved to see how much they truly need each other…and the hilarious thing is, in THIS movie, Batman actually DOES realize he needs Joker, and the results throughout are kind of hilarious to me. I know some people didn’t like this Joker, or even this movie, but I feel you have to go into this picture with a certain mindset: it’s ultimately a parody, and if you go into it understanding that fact, you can have a lot of fun.

14. Brent Spiner.

Spiner - famous for playing Data from Star Trek, among other roles - first played the Joker in the series Young Justice, where the Joker showed up as a member of Vandal Savage’s Injustice League. I have to be honest, at the time, I didn’t particularly care for his Joker, and neither did a lot of people, to my understanding. HOWEVER, Spiner has since handled the character a few more times, not only reprising the role in more recent seasons of Young Justice, but also playing the Joker in the Batman Audio Adventures you can find streaming now. Now, I’ve only listened to the first episode of those Audio Adventures (my ability to watch HBO Max is on the fritz), but between both that and his return on Young Justice, Spiner has REALLY kicked it up a notch. He’s gone from a version I’m not really fond of to one I actually want to hear more often, and that’s definitely deserving of some praise.

13. Christopher Corey Smith.

Galifianakis voiced Joker in the LEGO Batman Movie, but for most of the LEGO Batman games (and the first of the direct-to-DVD features), this guy has been the voice of the Clown Prince of Crime. Smith is a wonderfully zany, childish Joker - fitting for the off-the-wall universe of LEGO - who I can only describe as “delightfully obnoxious.” To the other characters, he’s often an annoyance, but he manages to be the right kind of annoying where the audience can enjoy his madcap antics. On top of that, he’s consistently shown to be smarter than he often seems, his humor belying a dangerous and cunning mind - perfect for any version of the Joker. Other people have played the character in the LEGO franchise, but Smith is the single most consistent, and I would argue the definitive LEGO Joker voice.

12. Richard Epcar.

Epcar first played the Joker in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, and his Joker was, in my opinion, my favorite character in the game, and the best-voiced of the entire DC side of the cast. It’s no surprise that Epcar would reprise the role in the MK-esque “Injustice” video games, which allowed for further depth and danger to the character, and allowed Epcar to further hone his vocal chops with the role. What I love about the Injustice Joker is that you can sort of blame the entire Injustice universe ON Epcar’s character: it’s because of the Joker’s actions that Superman ends up going…well…off the rails, to put it mildly, which in turn leads to the twisted, dystopian universe of the games. Since then, Epcar has reprised the role in other places, as well, further cementing himself as a particularly special portrayer of the part.

11. Troy Baker.

Troy Baker’s Joker is one I have a bit of an odd relationship with. Baker first played the Joker in the game “Arkham Origins,” where he was specifically set to play a younger version of Hamill’s Joker. While I thought Baker’s Joker was okay in that game, I had a few niggling issues with the use of the character there, plus I felt that Baker was trying so hard to follow in Hamill’s footsteps that it was hard to really find HIS Joker. HOWEVER, as time has gone on, Baker has reprised the role several times in numerous other versions, and I honestly and earnestly feel that, with every passing performance, his handle on the Joker becomes more uniquely his, and while his voice is still decidedly Hamill-esque, it feels like with every new rendition he gets more solidly into the role. On top of that, he has a lot of versatility with the character, from playing more comedic interpretations to more nasty and gritty ones, and nails it every time. I still can’t say he’s in my Top 10, but it’s a VERY close eleventh place here.

10. Joaquin Phoenix.

A lot of people will probably be upset with how low I’m placing Phoenix, but do not construe this to mean I dislike his portrayal. The issue here is what it’s always been, ever since I saw “Joker”: I do enjoy the film, and I think this might very well be my favorite of all of Phoenix’s performances. I also feel that this is truly a fascinating reimagining of the classic character we all know and love…but this is both a pro and a con. It’s a pro because it works really well, and the movie is truly a mindbending little piece of madness to behold, in the best possible way. But it’s a con because, in several ways, I think Phoenix goes too far against my personal grain: this is a great reinvention of the Joker, but it’s not by any means MY Joker. I also have to admit I’ve never been TOO big a fan of the design. It’s enough to get this Joker into the top ten, but not any higher: a brilliant performance, an interesting movie, a neat new take on the character…but perhaps a little too different from the norm for its own good. Again, this is MY opinion, and to those who feel differently, I can hardly blame you: there’s plenty to admire with this rendition.

9. Cesar Romero.

The one that started it all. I’m sorry Joaquin Phoenix, but when I think of the Joker, it’s this guy and his painted-over moustache that I tend to think of before thee. While Romero is obviously not by any means my definitive Joker, I do think he earns a lot of credit for being the first to play the role. While the character, of course, got started in the comics, so many of the traits and ideas we recognize in the character today, through various other actors and portrayals, really got started with Romero’s enthusiastic interpretation. On top of that, I think a lot of people underestimate just how good a performance this actually is: coming from someone who’s actually seen other Cesar Romero movies and roles, his Joker is really one of a kind: he’d never really played a character like this before, and never really would after. But to this day, we recognize him better for this part than any other, and you can’t deny he sinks absolutely and completely into the evil clown’s shoes.

8. Kevin Michael Richardson.

In several ways, I’ve always felt the early 2000s animated series “The Batman” was a sort of “60s Batman 2.0.” Something about it’s sense of style, in terms of writing, color choices, action-themed style, and the portrayals of several of the characters, reminded me of the 60s era…but with some more modern touches that more contemporary audiences would quickly recognize. Kevin Michael Richardson’s award-winning take on the Joker is a key example of that: while the character design is certainly way out there (the designs were a common issue of polarization among fans, with this show), it’s still recognizably the Joker, and the hyper-energized, at times childlike depiction of the Clown Prince of Crime - one of the most cartoonishly kooky of the past couple decades - definitely brings Romero’s comedic leanings to mind. Despite that, however, this Joker could be far more menacing than Romero’s, with a much more homicidal and depraved mindset. It’s even implied that some twist on the infamous storyline of “The Killing Joke” takes place in this universe, which only adds to the threat level this Joker could potentially provide. And if that wasn’t scary enough, there was the animated spin-off film “The Batman vs. Dracula.” Two words: Vampire Joker. It is as mortifying and marvelous as it sounds.

7. Michael Emerson.

A lot of people really seem to love the animated film adaptation of Frank Miller’s seminal classic, “The Dark Knight Returns.” My feelings about the movie are, coincironically, the same as my feelings about the graphic novel: I don’t think it’s a bad Batman movie, but I do feel it’s overrated…but with that said, I absolutely LOVE the Joker in both. Miller’s Joker is played absolutely perfectly in the animated feature by Michael Emerson, an actor who has quite the reputation for playing unhinged scoundrels and depraved monsters. So, naturally, the Clown Prince of Crime was excellent casting for him. Emerson’s Joker is very different from most, just as Miller’s is in the book: this Joker, in some ways, feels more disturbingly real. A detached, cold-blooded, crafty, deeply unsettling psychopath with a sassy, sexually ambigous side to his personality. This is, in my opinion, one of the scariest versions of the Joker ever put to film, and that alone earns him high marks.

6. Anthony Ingruber.

Telltale’s Batman games had some ups and downs, in terms of character portrayals: some takes on the characters were unique and delightful, while others were sort of underwhelming. If there’s one thing I personally think Telltale did brilliantly, though, it was the way it handled the Joker. Referred to for most of the series as “John Doe,” this game REALLY played around with the interdependence of the characters in a new and fascinating way: we don’t know where the Joker comes from, really, and if he’s ever encountered Batman or Bruce Wayne before becoming the mysterious and demented John Doe, but what matters in the games is how his relationship with the Dark Knight and his alter-ego ends up creating who he will someday be. Depending on how you play your cards (so to speak), while John Doe will inevitably become Joker, he may not necessarily become your eternal and fated nemesis. You can actually finish the game with Bruce and Joker as friends! But in most endings, the rivalry we all know and love is completely unavoidable, though even why and how that rivalry happens can be different depending on what you do. Ingruber brings this new take on the character to life brilliantly: he’s funny, twisted, and perhaps more sympathetic than any other portrayal of the nefarious supervillain ever created. It’s long been said that Batman and the Joker created each other, in some way, shape, or form: perhaps nowhere is that taken more literally than in these games.

5. John DiMaggio.

DiMaggio actually used to be one of my Top Three Jokers for a time…but after careful reflection, I don’t really think that’s true. I do love DiMaggio’s take on the Ace of Knaves, but there’s one key problem with his Joker compared to the four above him: focus. DiMaggio first played the Joker in the animated movie “Under the Red Hood,” a movie in which the Ace of Knaves is a VERY important part of the story, but he’s actually not onscreen for that long nor is he the true focal point of the conflict. Similarly, DiMaggio would play the Joker for two LEGO movies, but in both cases, once again, the Joker really wasn’t the major antagonist: he had to share screentime with SEVERAL other villains and was never the main baddy in either case. Most recently, DiMaggio appeared as the Joker in the interactive feature “Death in the Family,” and once again, while Joker is a major player in the PLOTLINE, he’s not the main source of all the problems Batman and his allies face in the tale. In other words, DiMaggio’s Joker turns all have the same issue: the Joker is an important contributor to the story each time, and he’s brilliantly depicted, but the actual stories themselves do not revolve around him solely. This doesn’t make DiMaggio’s take on the Joker any less wonderful; he brings the same theatricality and psychotic zeal to the part so many others have done, but gives the voice a rougher, sort of unsettlingly jagged edge, not usually found in other depictions. It surprisingly works well with his interpretations, in my opinion, and his Joker is often equal parts hilarious and horrifying, just as the character should be. It just doesn’t seem fair to rank him higher any more when other Jokers simply get more of a chance to shine, comparatively speaking.

4. Jack Nicholson.

Well, you can’t put this guy low and be considered a real Joker fan, some would say. For many people, Jack Nicholson remains one of the definitive takes on the Joker outside of comics, especially in live-action. Whenever people talk about who the best Joker is, he is ALWAYS among the contenders for that title. It’s easily one of Nicholson’s crowning performances as an actor, as he delivers probably one of his most quotable and acclaimed characters in cinematic history, and sinks completely into the role of the Clown Prince of Chaos. He steals the show from top to bottom (to a fault, some might argue), and the makeup and costume is as iconic as anything else. Much like Telltale, the Tim Burton movie also toys with the interdependence of the Joker and Michael Keaton’s Batman, but in a different way: in the universe of this film, it’s revealed that Jack Napier (the Joker’s true identity in the film) is the one who killed Bruce Wayne’s parents. And it’s because of an encounter with Batman later on that Napier falls into the vat of chemicals and becomes the homicidal Harlequin of Hate. It’s a vicious cycle of the truest sort, and it makes this version of the Joker particularly unique: whether you like or hate the idea (fans seem polarized about it), it serves its purpose well within the film.

3. Jeff Bennett.

While the aforementioned John DiMaggio is a Joker I’ve actually come to like less over time, Jeff Bennett is a Joker I’ve come to like more. I never understood why some people apparently DIDN’T like Bennett’s Joker from the animated show “Batman: The Brave and the Bold”: pretty much from frame one, this became one of my absolute favorites. Not only does Bennett’s take on the self-proclaimed Clown Prince of Chaos have one of my favorite designs ever - a gloriously animated version of Dick Sprang’s take on the character from the comics of the Golden and Silver ages - but his episode appearances were always great. From his two-part debut where he teams-up with Batman to take on evil versions of various DC heroes, to an entire episode from his point of view (based on a very underrated Joker comic, I should add), to him becoming Ruler of the Universe thanks to the antics of Bat-Mite, the episodes where Joker took center stage were always a treat. And even when he WASN’T center stage, such as in episodes like “Death Race to Oblivion” or “Chill of the Night,” he always seemed to steal the show whenever he popped up onscreen. While the series was lighthearted in tone, it actually didn’t stray from Joker’s more monstrous side, either, as he remained the homicidal maniac so many people nowadays identify him to be. Contrariwise, this didn’t prevent him from being a wonderfully funny interpretation of the Crazy Crime Clown, and one who I think doesn’t get enough appreciation.

2. Heath Ledger.

The amount of influence Heath Ledger has had on the popularity of the Joker can hardly be exaggerated. In Christopher Nolan’s much-acclaimed motion picture “The Dark Knight,” Ledger brought to life a newer, slightly more realistic take on the character, which held true to the key points of the villain established over the decades, and for some people, reinvigorated an interest in the character that had not been seen in years. Ledger’s take on the character is a psychopathic and mysterious anarchist, whose singular goal is to show the world what he believes is the true and natural order. That being, that deep down, human beings are a barbaric and savage race. Why, exactly, the Joker does what he does - whether it’s just for his own sick pleasure, or if he has some deeper purpose - is hard to determine. Ledger’s portrayal proved highly popular, and is one of the most lauded and impersonated portrayals ever put to the screen, and arguably one of the most chilling. He’s hardly the definitive take on the character, but he’s certainly an impressive one; every time I revisit this performance, I notice something new that makes it all the more interesting, and for that reason above all else, he has earned his spot at second place.

1. Mark Hamill.

Heath Ledger may be the greatest live-action Joker to date (at least in my humble opinion), and he was certainly a fascinating reimagining of the classic comic book baddy…but in my opinion, Mark Hamill simply IS the Joker. Alongside perhaps Ledger and Romero (the latter due to the fact he was the very first, and that can hardly be ignored), I think Hamill has been one of the most influential Jokers of all time. Whenever you ask someone to do a “Joker Voice,” it’s usually Hamill they attempt to impersonate, and nearly every actor who has played the Joker in animation since this guy has basically done some variation on his voice. Hamill has also played the Joker more times than any other actor, through all kinds of interpretations, from the more morbid and macabre to the more campy and comical, and everything in-between. And every time he plays the character - and I do mean EVERY time - it never ceases to impress and amaze. He steals the show whatever he’s in, and it’s telling that Hamill’s career as a voice actor has, in many ways, been defined by this character: he pretty much uses that “Joker Voice” for everything nowadays, and to be honest, I don’t think anybody minds that much. Bottom line, when you’ve been playing the Joker almost non-stop for THREE DECADES? You have definitely earned your stripes and the right to be heralded as the Number One Clown Prince of Crime. Case closed.

#top 15 #joker #batman #portrayals #actors #acting #movies #film #tv #animation #live-action #video games #best #favorites #list #countdown #batman villains

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aion-rsa · 4 years ago

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Sailor Moon Crystal Recap: What You Need to Know Before Netflix’s Sailor Moon Eternal

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Sailor Moon is one of the most well-known anime from the last 30 years. Based on a manga that first launched in 1991, the series has been adapted into a beloved 200-episode anime, several films, a live-action drama, and more recently, an anime reboot called Sailor Moon Crystal. And if that legacy weren’t enough, we can now add another film to the franchise: Sailor Moon Eternal.

What Is Sailor Moon Eternal?

As previously mentioned, Sailor Moon Eternal is the latest addition to the Sailor Moon franchise. It’s a two-part anime film based on the Dream arc of the original manga. Despite this, the production has officially dubbed this portion of the Sailor Moon saga the Dead Moon arc, named after the antagonists the Sailor Guardians face.

The film was first announced in 2017 as part of the franchise’s 25th anniversary. It’s meant to be a direct continuation of Sailor Moon Crystal, the anime reboot that concluded its third season in 2016. After some pandemic-related delays, Sailor Moon Eternal hit Japanese theaters in early 2021 before Netflix picked up the films for streaming release a few months later.

How Does Sailor Moon Crystal Connect to Sailor Moon Eternal?

Sailor Moon Crystal is the anime reboot that commemorates the manga’s 20th anniversary. The anime industry loves celebrating anniversaries of its most famous and enduring properties, in case you haven’t noticed. Typically by releasing more anime.

While the original 1990s anime took some liberties with plot and characterization, Sailor Moon Crystal stays true to the original manga. It consists of three seasons totaling 38 episodes, with each season covering a different story arc: Dark Kingdom, Black Moon, and Death Busters. While Season 3—aka the Death Busters arc—ended on a satisfactory note, it set the stage for the film with a solar eclipse that presages the arrival of a major character from the Dead Moon arc.

Think of Sailor Moon Eternal as Sailor Moon Crystal Season 4, if you like.

Do I Need to Watch Sailor Moon Crystal First?

It would probably help. There are many characters, so if you have no familiarity with Sailor Moon at all, you might have a rough time. On top of a sizable main cast, this series loves reincarnation, time travel, and multiple dimensions. Things might get confusing if you’re coming at this franchise as a brand-new viewer.

That said, if you’ve read the original manga, you should be fine.

If you’ve only watched the 1990s anime, you’ll generally be okay. The big caveat here is that some of the characterizations and relationship dynamics are different in Sailor Moon Crystal. For example, Rei Hino, aka Sailor Mars, is more aloof and serious in the manga and Sailor Moon Crystal versus the original anime where she loves chasing boys and constantly fights with Sailor Moon’s heroine, Usagi. But as long as you’re aware of those differences, fans of the first anime series can skip watching Sailor Moon Crystal if they’re short on time.

I’m adventurous and know nothing about Sailor Moon. What basics should I know?

How brave! The biggest thing to know is that the entire series revolves around the concept of Sailor Guardians. Sailor Guardians are teenage girls who are given special powers connected to planets throughout the universe. For the Sailor Guardians protected by planets from our solar system, sometimes the powers are elemental in nature. Other times, the powers are related to classical mythology.

The other major thing to know is that our heroine, Usagi Tsukino, is royalty. She’s the reincarnation of a princess from the Moon Kingdom. That’s right. Sometime in the past, there existed a kingdom on the moon. In the future, she becomes the guardian queen of Earth that ushers it into a sort of golden age. These past and future identities serve as focal points for plotlines throughout the entire series.

Can You Give Me a Sailor Moon Crystal Recap?

As mentioned earlier, Sailor Moon Crystal is divided into three seasons.

Season 1 covers the Dark Kingdom storyline. This arc introduces us to Usagi Tsukino, who discovers she’s both Sailor Moon and the reincarnation of Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom. It also introduces us to the inner Sailor Guardians—Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Venus—who are Sailor Moon’s closest allies. In addition, we meet Usagi’s love interest, Mamoru Chiba, who happens to be the reincarnation of Prince Endymion. Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion had a tragic, star-crossed romance and you better believe that influences their present incarnations. Together, they all fight the Dark Kingdom, which was responsible for the destruction of the Moon Kingdom in the past and wants to take over the Earth in the present.

If Season 1 focuses on preventing a repetition of past tragedies, Season 2 is about averting future annihilation. After the events of the Dark Kingdom arc, Usagi and her friends are living their best, peaceful lives. That changes when Chibi-usa, Usagi and Mamoru’s daughter from the future, appears. She’s traveled back in time to find the means to save her mother. Hot on her heels is the Black Moon clan, who destroyed the future Earth that Chibi-usa came from. The Black Moon arc also introduces us to Sailor Pluto, a Sailor Guardian with the ability to control time.

The Death Busters arc, or Season 3, adapts the Infinity storyline of the manga. Chibi-usa has stayed in the present day to train to be a Sailor Guardian. Here we meet more Sailor Guardians from our solar system: Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. After sacrificing her life in the previous story arc, Sailor Pluto has also incarnated in the present timeline. Along with Sailor Moon and the inner Sailor Guardians, they fight the Death Busters, alien invaders from another dimension. Central to the plot is Hotaru Tomoe, who is the key to the Death Busters’ invasion plans but also happens to be the incarnation of Sailor Saturn, who has the ability to destroy the world.

How Does Sailor Moon Crystal Lead into Sailor Moon Eternal?

After using her abilities, Hotaru has been reincarnated as a baby. Sailors Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto leave to raise her as the coolest queer family unit ever. Having completed her Sailor Guardian training, Chibi-usa is ready to return to the future. But before she goes, she accompanies Usagi and Mamoru to watch the solar eclipse. As the moon begins to cover the sun, however, both Usagi and Chibi-usa hear a mysterious bell, setting the stage for Sailor Moon Eternal.

Expect to see all these characters return for Sailor Moon Eternal, along with a whole new set of villains plus one notable ally.

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Sailor Moon Eternal streams on Netflix on June 3rd. All 3 seasons of Sailor Moon Crystal are currently streaming on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Amazon Prime.

The post Sailor Moon Crystal Recap: What You Need to Know Before Netflix’s Sailor Moon Eternal appeared first on Den of Geek.

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#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

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lord-squiggletits · 3 years ago

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Watched this video and a short survey of the comments bothered me enough that I felt like making a rambling personal post about it.

It’s funny how much my perspective on G1 is similar to the situation I experienced in one of my previous fandoms, Star Wars. I left SW for specific and probably obvious reasons, but I’m going to be talking about certain elements of it as my personal interpretation/what I hoped for rather than what we actually got from it. Also, this isn’t some sort of formally researched thesis statement but rather observations based on my subjective fandom experience.

Both Star Wars and Transformers are huge science fiction franchises that originated from American creators (at least as far as the G1 cartoons are concerned). They even came out around the same time (in the 80′s) and both became extremely famous and well-liked in popular culture. Both of their original incarnations (A New Hope/the Original Trilogy for Star Wars, and the Generation 1 cartoon for Transformers) continue to be extremely culturally relevant and used as inspiration for new media despite being decades old.

In addition... they also have the same trait of... shall we say, having a large portion of the fanbase heavily focused on nostalgia for the original version?

Going back to my experience in Star Wars, the Sequel Trilogy was the first trilogy that was made during a time that I was old enough to experience it (I was barely even in kindergarten when EP III/the Prequel Trilogy was released). As such, since I had recently binged all of the OT and PT, I was really excited to get into the ST, because finally here was a Star Wars series that was made “during my time” where we were getting new characters and-- literally and figuratively-- passing the torch from the older generation of characters to another.

...Except the issue with the ST is that it was not only made with basically no plan for a cohesive story arc, but the people who made it-- and the fanbase!-- were so blinded by nostalgia for the OT that they cared more about their favorite characters being cool and beloved than they did about making a coherent, next-generation story with new characters. (And that’s only one of the issues the ST had!) For example, there was a TON of fandom hate-wank about “How dare Kylo Ren kill Han Solo!” because everyone was mad about their precious favorite being killed off, and even MORE hate-wank about “#NotMyLuke! How dare Rian Johnson write the Most Loving And Best Jedi Ever as being fallible and having moments of fear and weakness!” Any discussion about the narrative reasons for killing Han/making Luke flawed was constantly derailed by angry accusations of “ruining characters” as a personal middle finger to the original fans. And then of course it culminated in the writers of TROS thinking “Rey Skywalker” was a good idea, as if the family name of Skywalker was nothing more than a toy to be bestowed upon a new character and not... A FAMILY NAME owned by the CENTRAL FAMILY who the entire Star Wars soap opera revolved around! Screw having your new generation character have her own identity (or making the actual Skywalker child Ben Solo get to reconcile with his family)-- let’s make her related to an old villain for no coherent reason and then slap her with the family name of the old heroes! Because being a carbon copy of the original protagonist (right down to being a desert orphan in white with a dark side parent) is the only way to make new characters cool of course!

(Deep breath) Anyways... the point that I’m trying to make is that the Star Wars ST-- a series that I had high hopes for as being a story for “my generation” where new characters would get to take the lead-- fell apart due to both the creators’ and fandom’s obsession with nostalgia and placing the “original” version of the media on a pedestal. The story was entirely catered to a middle-aged audience obsessed with the characters they loved from the OT. The characters were not allowed to be CHARACTERS, narrative devices that are subject to flaws and mistakes in the pursuit of a wider thematic vision, but PARAGONS. None of the new characters were developed to stand on their own, but rather to be cheap copies of the OT characters.

So...how does this relate to Transformers, and the G1 cartoon specifically?

Well... I honestly get the same vibes off of the Transformers fandom about G1 as I do from Star Wars fans about the OT. (Except at least the Transformers fandom isn’t as full of hate, nerd-wanking, and drama.) I always see people talking about G1 Optimus Prime as if he’s the best thing ever and how every other Prime is “boring” or “too stoic” in comparison, and I... honestly disagree with it?

It’s not that I think G1 Optimus is bad at all. He’s definitely fun and charming, and the G1 cartoon, for all its cheapness and painfully obvious flaws, is still worth watching even if all you’re after is some fun entertainment. The only thing that bothers me is just... the veneration for a cartoon that’s what, 40 years old or more at that point?

Sorry if I sound like a snot-nosed, entitled young brat who’s ruining beloved franchises by demanding everything cater to me, but... why? I get that people older than me watched different Transformers media at different times, but...why is the nostalgia for G1 more important than every other possible interpretation of Optimus, or the story in general, out there?

Let me just be frank. I’m a young 20-something. In this franchise that’s decades old, why must the “original” version always be viewed as best simply because of nostalgia? G1 isn’t “my” Transformers. A cartoon that came out 40 years ago with shitty production values that was basically made only to sell toys doesn’t represent the kind of media that I’m interested as a person living in current year. I understand why people would love G1, but... to say that it’s the best iteration of Optimus Prime or the franchise as a whole? Really? You want to travel so far back in time and put on nostalgia goggles so thick that you think a story from 40 YEARS AGO is the pinnacle of writing for this franchise?

I just... I don’t get it at all. Am I just “too young to understand it”? Am I crazy for thinking that we should be enjoying newer stories and creating new molds for the franchise instead of recreating/wishing for G1 over and over again?

I left Star Wars because I was tired of the shitty writing and tired of the shitty nostalgia bias in the fandom/among the writers. Yet it seems I have also joined a fandom that has the exact same problem with nostalgia and comparing everything to the original. Literally the only thing Transformers does better is that the fanbase is less toxic.

#squiggposting #a really really long post #honestly if i were to talk more about my experiences in the SW fandom i think my current perspective on transformers #and fandom in general #would make a lot more sense to everyone who follows me #i once saw a set of graphics that showed the number of movies that were original stories vs remakes over the years #you could literally see the number of original movies shrinking until everything was a sequel or remake #i guess i shouldn't complain when i'm literally a transformers fan... but #as a young person i'm really tired of reading stories that live in the shadows of media that existed decades before i was born #when will franchises start making new stories instead of relying on decades old formulas that primarily appeal to an aging audience #i really don't think it's that hard to ask for #just because it's first doesn't mean that it's best #nor does it mean that every story should be exactly like it

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repentantsky · 4 years ago

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5 Franchises That Should Have Warriors Games

I don't know how new anyone who read this is to Warriors/Musou games. Maybe the game I'm about to reference was a first for you, or maybe you've been with the franchise since it moved to the style it uses today with Dynasty Warriors 2. Whatever the case, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity showed just how capable the style of gameplay is, and I think it would be a massive missed opportunity to not make more spin-offs in that style to bring new fans in. With that said, let's take a look at 5 Franchises that deserve their own Warriors/Musou games.

5. Pokemon.

Pokemon, while it does have some experience with action combat in some spin-off games, most notably it's Mystery Dungeon entries, it's never really gone full in with the idea, but imagine what a success it could be. With so many Pokemon to catch, and so many options for the basis of a story, be it something more serious like the theorized "Pokemon War" that's not mentioned in X and Y, but something more recent, to something more simple, like your team trying to earn it's way into a special tournament by beating rival teams in Warriors style battles, Pokemon is primed and ready to go combat where Pikachu takes out thousands of Mupkip's or Charizard gets to burn a grassy plain full of Roselia. Whatever Pokemon would do with the idea, it could be a lot of fun.

4. Just, everything Atlus.

Atlus has a history of many great characters, and many dark settings, but possibly nowhere could the type of games they like to make be made darker than by the idea of thousands of it's famous, or infamous demons prowling the streets of Tokyo, or the hell, go world wide and capture everything from the Golden Gate Bridge to Big Ben, to the flipping pyramids. An easy story to write would simply be that the God's who have done nothing while their kind of have been murdered by protagonists and their teams over the years are finally going to try to end earth, but their all converging to the planet, caused all the timelines to blend together, and the hero's of each Persona, each Shin Megami Tensei, Last Bible, Etrian and everything beyond all need to work together to put an end to the evil and return to their own homes. It's a plot that could be interesting, and practically writes itself, so get on it Atlus.

3. Castlevania.

The Castlevania series hasn't been the most active as of late, for obvious reasons, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't make for a great Musou experience. Finding yourself, a Belmont in a castle that causes you to see things that aren't there, this Belmont could find power in the illusions they see to create false, but functioning versions of protagonists in their family line, even making up a few to better fill up the roster. From there, it's just fighting the many hoards that are blocking your way through the castle. To create more content, there could even be a second castle that you have to make your way through with harder enemies, much like many people's favorite game in the series, or make it a somehow improved Demon Castle, and simply have it restore itself faster than normal. Regardless, taking on Dracula's supernatural army, sure sounds fun.

2. Final Fantasy.

We already know that Square has dabbled in the Warriors style of combat with it's two entries Dragon Quest's two Hero's entries. Both games were solid, and people love to see their favorite allies from across this legendary series fight together, or against villains from other entries in the franchise. It could even be the next step in the Dissidia franchise, as another round with Chaos himself would be something fans would love. Regardless of what would be done, Final Fantasy is full of iconic characters, iconic monsters, and has more than enough lore to make a fantastic (pun intended) Warriors game. Chaos would be the perfect reason for all the characters to be fighting alongside one another, and the fact that some Warriors games can have a long run time, it gives the potential game plenty of chances to really play into it’s roster of character’s stories, and their abilities to really mess things up, or save the day.

1. Legend of Heroes/Kiseki/Ys

Of all the developers that have really been coming up in the world, Nihon Falcom or NIS America for some, has been making spectacular games for 40 years now. Of all of those, the Kiseki, or Legend of Heroes franchise, is probably their most beloved at this point, and for good reason. The first entry, named Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes, came out way back in 1992, which hello to the 30th anniversary next year by the way, and has had so many fantastic characters it could bring to the a Warriors style game. With action combat something the company is already well versed in thanks to Ys, espeically Y’s IX, and a number of great characters to pull from both franchises, a Warriors game is begging to be made, and hey, maybe Dogi can finally be playable again huh? That would be nice. Jokes aside, it really should be something worth considering.

And that’s my list. Can you think of any other franchises that the Warriors/Musou style of games can fit well into? Let me know in the notes below, reblog this list if it got you thinking, and have a fantastic day!

#warriors #hyrule warriors #Final Fantasy #ys #ys ix: monstrum nox #pokemon #atlus #persona #persona 5 #persona 5 strikers #shin megami tensei #etrian odyssey #the last bible #castlevania #musou

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365days365movies · 4 years ago

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March 1, 2021: The Hobbit (1977) (Part 1)

In a hole in the ground, there lived a Hobbit.

When I was 9, my school let us read a very special book, originally meant for kids, but beloved by everyone. My folks and I went to Borders Books (FUCK ME, I miss Borders), and we got an illustrated copy of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. I can’t find that book, but if I ever find it again, Imma buy it IMMEDIATELY, I tell you what. And...oh shit, it’s on Amazon for $12?

Well. I just made that purchase, I guess. But yeah, I loved that book when I was a kid, and this was during the same year that Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy began, with Fellowship, of course. And I wouldn’t end up watching those until a few years later, but I loved those too when I saw them. And I’ve NEVER seen the abridged version, by the way, I’ve only ever seen the extended editions.

Although, I can’t call myself a hardcore fan. I’ve never read the Silmarillion, for example. Although, weirdly, I wanted it as a kid at some point, so I was almost there. But no, I ended up getting into comic books hardcore instead, so I can’t tell you the history of Tom Bombadil, but I can tell you about at least one of the fuckin’ 87 tieles that the Legion of Super-Heroes has been involved in. I’m not gonna like it though.

...Yes, I will, who am I kidding, I love the Legion. Anyway, I’ve still always been a fan of the franchise, and I was extremely excited when Jackson announced that he’d be doing an adaptation of The Hobbit! Seriously, I WAS FUCKING PUMPED, you have no idea. I re-read the book, I was super-excited...and then Harry Potter changed EVERYTHING. Kind of.

See, Harry Potter’s development as a two films made from one book seemed to kick off a trend. Breaking Dawn and Mockingjay are the two that immediately come to mind, as does this film. However, to be fair...that’s probably a coincidence. Yeah, this film was originally developed as two parts, WAY before Deathly Hallows got that treatment. And even then, Jackson and Del Toro had difficulty breaking it up into two parts, and three ended up being easier. Still...the change from two-to-three does feel a little connected to that trend.

Anyway, in celebration of that decision, I’m gonna break this review into three parts! Yes. Really. I want to see if it works. And so, let’s talk about the other most famous adaptation of this book by talking about its creators.

Yup. Rankin-Bass did 2D-animated cartoons, too! And this was one of their most famous ones, dating back to 1977. But wait! There’s more! This was followed by Ralph Bakshi’s version of Lord of the Rings by a different studio. You know, this one?

Yeah, that one. It was only based on the first two books, Fellowship and Towers. But it was technically unconnected to the Rankin-Bass version. Which is why it was REALLY weird when Rankin-Bass came out with an adaptation of the third book, Return of the King, right afterwards!

BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE. Because both of Rankin-Bass�� specials were animated by a Japanese studio called Topcraft, who’d actually worked with Rankin-Bass for years. But then, they went bankrupt a few years later, and was bought by Isao Takahata, Toshio Suzuki, and...Hayao Miyazaki. And it was renamed as...

So, this is a Hobbit adaptation produced by the Rudolph people and animated by the people who would eventually become Studio Ghibli. Well, uh...holy fucking shit. Let’s DO THIS BABY. SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Recap (1/3)

As we’re wont to do in this story, we head to Hobbiton in the Shire, where we meet Bilbo Baggins (Orson Bean). A simple Hobbit in a simple home, with a happy and simple life. But one day, he’s approached by Gandalf (John Huston), who seeks a burglar to help with the mission of a group of dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield (Hans Conried).

We also immediately start off with two songs from the original book, and I have to say that I like them a but better in the Jackson movies, but they’re still well performed here. Anyway, after dinner, the true goal of their quest is given. Beneath Lonely Mountain, the ancestral home of the Dwarves, there was a kingdom ruled by the King Under the Mountain, Thorin’s grandfather.

Through reading the lyrics of the song “Far over the Misty Mountains,” Thorin tells the tale of the takeover of the Dwarves’ great golden hoard by the dragon Smaug. Bilbo is tasked to help the Dwarves steal back the treasure stolen from them. And, while he’s extremely reluctant to be a part of all this, Gandalf basically forces him to, the pushy bastard. And Bilbo’s Greatest Adventure now lies ahead!

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Speaking of, here’s the song “The Greatest Adventure”, sung by Glenn Yarborough, who is the living personification of vibrato. Fuckin’ seriously, this guy’s voice is ridiculous, but I love it so much. As the night passes underneath Glenn Yarborough’s hypnotically shaky voice, and uncertain, Bilbo stares out at the moon. Once it’s over, we’re on our way to the Misty Mountains.

Bilbo’s having a tough time with the long journey and rough weather, and it doesn’t get much better when they encounter a trio of trolls. They send out Bilbo to try and steal some mutton from them, but he’s IMMEDIATELY a failure, and also manages to tell the trolls that the dwarves are present. Nice one, Bilbo. The trolls catch all of the dwarves, although Bilbo manages to escape.

The trolls argue about how to cook the dwarves, but before they get to do anything, Gandalf shows up and summons the dawn, turning the trolls into stone and saving the dwarves. While they’re initially quite frustrated by Bilbo’s failure, he makes it up by discovering a horde of goods and weapons stolen by the trolls. This is also where Bilbo gets his classic weapon, Sting.

Gandalf, cheeky bastard that he is, suddenly reveals a map that he’s kept secret from Thorin, its rightful owner. Bilbo, a classic cartomaniac, is able to interpret the map. But there are also runes that they can’t quite read. And so, Gandalf brings them to his friend, Elrond (), who’s wearing a sick-ass glittery tiara that’s hovering off his head. How come Hugo Weaving didn’t have that?

Anyway, Elrond identifies the swords that Thorin and Gandalf grabbed as Orcrist, the Goblin-Cleaver and Glamdring, the Foe-Hammer, because FUCK YEAH, BABY, those are some fuckin’ NAMES! WHOOOOOO!

Anyway, he also points them in the direction of the mountain, and shows them hidden features to the map. They head through the mountains after this, and rest in a cave. Unfortunately, this cave is on Goblin territory, and the group (sans Gandalf, who’s disappeared to make out with Cate Blanchett or whatever) is quickly ambushed by a group of now-horned Goblins, who chant their song as they go “Down, Down, to Goblin-Town”. Which is a song that I love, unironically. It compels me to sing along.

The Goblins nearly kill them when they discover Orcrist in Thorin’s possession, but they’re saved by the sudden appearance of Gandalf with the glowing sword Glamdring. He kills the Great Goblin, and the group run out with the Goblins in hot pursuit. Well, except for Bilbo.

Yeah, Bilbo falls into a cavern below the mountain, and the dwarves think him gone for good. However, he’s miraculously safe on the ground, having landed in an underground aquifer, in which lives THE GREATEST CHARACTER IN THE MIDDLE-EARTH FRANCHISE FUCKIN’ AT ME I DARE YOU

And just so we’re clear, I’m not talking about the film version only, I’m talking about Gollum/Smeagol in general. Granted, I don’t want a film starring him or anything (coughCruellacoughcoughMaleficentcoughcoughClaricecoughcough), but I love this dissociative little dude so much. He’s one of my favorite fantasy characters in general, and is also maybe the best example of a sympathetic villain, in film at least.

OK, to be fair, I love Andy Serkis’ version of the character a LOT, like a LOT a lot, and it’s a great version of the character. OK, so what do I think of this version? He’s...interesting, actually. If I’m honest, I kinda like him. This is similar to how I always pictured Gollum when I was a kid.

I mean, listen to this description from the book, yeah?

Deep down here by the dark water lived old Gollum, a small slimy creature. I don't know where he came from, nor who or what he was. He was Gollum - as dark as darkness, except for two big round pale eyes in his thin face...He was looking out of his pale lamp-like eyes for blind fish, which he grabbed with his long fingers as quick as thinking.

I dunno, that does sound more like this version of Gollum to me, just saying. Anyway, while Gollum is off fishing in the water, Bilbo gets up on the shore, where he finds a little golden ring Not important, just a ring, definitely means nothing at all, NOTHING AT ALL, NOTHING TO SEE HERE.

The hungry Gollum (Brother Theodore) happens upon Bilbo, precious, wonders if Bilbo would taste good, and is basically about to kill him for his sweet hobbit meat, before Bilbo takes out Sting. Now afraid, Gollum offers a game of riddles. The two make a deal: if Bilbo wins at a game of riddles, Gollum will show him the way out. But if Gollum wins, precious will eat him raaaaaaaw and wrrrrrrrrrriggling!

The riddles commence, in a super-fuckin’-classic moment, and also ends with maybe the most bullshit moment in all of fantasy lore. After clever riddles with answers involving eggs, wind, and time, Bilbo’s last riddle is “What’s in my pocket?” The fuck, Bilbo, that’s absolute BULLSHIT!

Not that it matters. Bilbo wins, but Gollum goes to find his ring to show it to Bilbo before he takes him away. Thing is, though, that’s what was in Bilbo’s pocket, which Gollum quickly figures out, my precious. He’s about to kill Bilbo to get back his birthday present, precious, but Bilbo discovers the secret trick of the ring: it turns the wearer invisible, AND THAT WILL NEVER BE A BAD THING EVER.

Gollum thinks that Bilbo’s escaped and runs after him toward the exit. This, of course, leads Bilbo towards the exit inadvertently, and he follows Gollum, then jumps over him to get back. To which Gollum screams the following:

Thief! Thief! Baggins! We hates it! Hates it! Forever!

I hear you, buddy. I hear you. Well, once Bilbo escapes, he reconvenes with the rest, and shares his adventure in the cave, but leaves out the ring. And Gandalf seems to know, based on his dialogue. And I checked, and he figured it out in the book and Jackson movie, too. And I gotta say...WHAT THE FUCK GANDALF

I mean...DUDE. CHECK UP on that shit. Do you wizard job, man! If you’d been like, “Dude...you didn’t find a magic ring that turns you invisible, ight, because we’re FUCKED if you did”, NONE OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS WOULD’VE HAPPENED, AND BOROMIR WOULD STILL BE ALIVE

Everybody talks about the fuckin’ eagles, but WHY DO I NEVER HEAR ANYONE MENTION THIS SHIT? Gandalf the Grey: Middle-Earth’s most irresponsible asshole, I swear...

This seems like a good place to pause, actually. See you in the next part!

#the hobbit #the hobbit 1977 #rankin-bass #orson bean #bilbo baggins #thorin oakenshield #john huston #gandalf #otto preminger #cyril ritchard #brother theodore #gollum #don messick #paul frees #glenn yarbrough #j.r.r. tolkien #rankin bass #hans conried

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kdtheghostwriter · 5 years ago

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Building A Better Protagonist

Yes, predictable I know. But it’s me after all. You should have expected no less. Jokes to the side, though, this fella is in the upper crust of main characters. Certainly of the main characters named ‘Jack.’

A good protagonist is the fuel of any narrative. A bit obvious when broken down like that but many do forget. The audience is more or less stuck with this character for the duration of the story - in some cases for years - so it’s important to give them a good reason to follow along.

There are several ways to do this. The most practiced and effective method is with a dynamic character arc that moves the protagonist both physically and tonally. The wider the arc, the more interesting the story (with other variables added of course).

I almost wrote a similar piece about Kylo Ren, but I don’t feel like tempting Stan Twitter today, so I’ll stick to more familiar waters.

Even in a fictional world, the first impression has to count. It’s different in this context because in real life, someone’s initial opinion of a person is often enough to shape their view of them going forward. When crafting a narrative, one has the advantage of steering that opinion, even changing it from scene to scene.

When we first see Jack, our impression of him is that of every Devil May Care action hero of the era. He’s a mile in the air, about to cross into hostile airspace, and is openly smoking a cigar with minutes left until his base jump. Further on, we get a close up of his shit-eating grin as he spots beehive hanging above an enemy soldier. Functionally, this is just the game directing you toward the easiest way to clear a path without engaging in combat. On top of that we get to see how different this Snake is from the established series protagonist, Solid Snake.

Naked Snake: Slapstick Comedy Enthusiast

Fast forward a bit (past the superhero landing and intro card) and we see something different entirely. Jack is speaking with his mentor for the first time in five years and his demeanor changes. No longer confident and aloof, he is pensive and anxious. Annoyed at the woman known as The Boss for leaving without a proper goodbye. We don’t know who this person is but we know what affect she has on our protagonist. Put a pin by this point.

Jack’s mission is to retrieve a Russian scientist who defected to the States but was transferred back GBA style after the Bay of Pigs. You see, because Jack is a CIA agent during the Cold War. He is devoted completely to the cause of the US Government - observing his directive without protest. This is where his thematic journey starts, so to speak.

The Boss warns him that the Mission is all that matters in war. Your comrades today could be your enemies tomorrow [foreshadowing!!] so it really isn’t worth it getting attached to anyone in the field of battle. This is Jack’s first lesson and the first obstacle he must overcome as his teacher defects to Russia and throws him into a ravine.

(Quick aside here as this piece is about Big Boss and not The Joy and while I think her character is fascinating and complex in equal measure, it would also require another essay entirely. So, quick notes here. She didn’t actually defect. She was a double agent deep undercover trying to intercept a nuclear weapon. The mission went sideways so she had to defect for real to save her cover.)

This is a clear turning point, both in the story and in the character. The warning of The Boss has come true. Your beloved mentor is now the antagonist. Literally the Final Boss: the last person you fight on your journey. Jack spends much of the runtime processing this. He is also told by multiple people on his path (including Ocelot, a triple agent working for your CO) in basic layman’s terms that he has to kill The Boss. She’s an enemy of the State and directly opposes his objective. The bulk of the game is Jack building up the nerve to do this.

We’re a long way removed from the guy smiling and cracking one-liners. Over the course of the story we see him traverse the aforementioned arc. It’s more than just the superficial journey of Point A to Point B. We see Jack move emotionally, becoming more cynical and unsure of his mission. He physically changes, too. Losing an eye halfway through, he spends the rest of the game in the eyepatch he would later become famous for.

Movement of any sort is inherently dynamic. It’s well enough to simply have a character move from one end to another. To add texture to the narrative, though, there should be questions. How long will this journey take your protagonist? Where will it take them? Is the end of their arc the end of the story? Will the journey change them? If it doesn’t, why not? How will the other characters react to them? These are all minor things that add up over time as the audience keeps track of the different moving parts. In this example, it’s important to remember that Snake Eater was the third numbered installment in the Metal Gear franchise. Essentially, a look back in time to see the first steps of Big Boss and his descent from war hero to series villain. To do that, we have to ask questions.

Why did The Boss betray Jack and why does he care? As mentioned before, she had a mission that was compromised. As a double agent in enemy territory, there was no backup to speak of for her. In order to protect the US Government from being implicated in this very covert, very illegal operation she was forced to take the fall as an international terrorist and this is not even the saddest part of this story.

Jack is understandably distraught by this because in addition to being his mentor, it is heavily implied the two lived together for some time. His feelings for her are complicated, but they are obviously quite strong. Once it becomes clear what he has to do, his psyche begins to falter.

How does this change him? To answer that, we get to the real saddest part of this story. The Boss is true to her word from the beginning of the story. Devoted to the mission until the end. She tells the story of her child being born on the battlefield in WWII. She is still a US soldier, but in spirit only. In the interest of avoiding an international catastrophe, The Boss becomes a Russian asset and to make the Heel Turn more convincing, her best student is the one sent to stop her.

In killing her, Naked Snake becomes Big Boss and is so traumatized by the experience, he leaves the Green Berets, goes AWOL in South America and attempts to found a nation-state composed solely of mercenaries. But that’s another game entirely. I don’t need to say this, but Snake is fucked up for life by this. The naïve, bright-eyed soldier we start the game with is crushed by the system he swore to protect and it turns him against it full stop. Big Boss spends the rest of his life warring against it.

Recall if you will what I said about “steering” opinion. We are sympathetic to Snake because we identify the shock and hurt of the betrayal; we want to follow him to victory because of his personal charisma. Then we discover the truth. Worse still, we see the truth through his eyes. That is, the eyes of someone who remembers the exact day they lost contact with their loved one. Five years separated from your favorite person, and you’re reunited in order to end their life. The Boss is no longer the mean woman that tried to kill you in the Act One finale. She’s a tragic figure, specifically because of how we view her through the lens of our main character.

It’s such a powerful weapon in prose. And so, it never fails to astound me to see paid professionals – people in charge of multi-million-dollar franchises – do little or even nothing to exploit this totally free, always effective method of storytelling.

“This is the main character! Clap for them!”

“They’re not doing anything.”

“Clap pls!”

“They haven’t even said anything interesting.”

“They’re tall and have a chiseled jawline! That is worth one clap!”

As the kids would say, make it make sense.

#metal gear solid #mgs3 #snake eater #big boss #the boss #character study #should be working on the batman #but this wouldn't leave me alone

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that-shamrock-vibe · 5 years ago

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D23 Dissect: Emma Stone Is Cruella De Vil

First of all I want to make something quite clear, this is going to be a slightly biased post for the pure and simple reason that Cruella de Vil is not only my favourite Disney Villain but in many regards I feel my spiritual mother.

That being said, I am still going to try and present a balanced view as to why I feel this is a bad idea not just in terms of casting and creative choices over the character, but also just the movie in general.

Background:

I made a post way back when in January 2016 when the announcement that a live-action origin movie based on Cruella de Vil first surfaced, however in the three and a half year time span between that announcement and this first look, nothing has been mentioned so I genuinely believed the idea had been scrapped.

Turns out it was either just shelved in favour of their big live-action remakes, because this at least can’t be a remake due to being a prequel to The Hundred and One Dalmatians, but I desperately wanted this to just be a scrapped idea, yet this is the reality we are now in.

Also to date the character of Cruella de Vil has had three live-action incarnations with Glenn Close, Victoria Smufit and Wendy Raquel Robinson all giving their own unique interpretations to the fur-loving socialite who was first introduced in the original 1958 novel by Dodie Smith and then made famous by Betty Lou Gerson in the 1961 One Hundred and One Dalmatians animated movie.

Cruella is also one of the most well known Disney Villains, she is up there in the top tier along with Maleficent, Jafar, Ursula, Captain Hook and the Evil Queen. So any re-imagining of these beloved characters will always be under a microscope to ensure that whoever is handling them is honouring the legacy of the character, just look at the reactions to the latest trailer for Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.

Disney Live-Action Renaissance:

Well it has finally happened, I strongly feel that everyone has a cut off point when it comes to franchise and brand loyalty and for me the Disney Live-Action Movies have finally reached saturation point for me.

Now again, I know that the remakes are technically a different category to the original movies, but when the movie is drawing inspiration from original material then you have to always compare because you can’t help not to.

Just to clarify, I love the live-action Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and Maleficent and I enjoyed Dumbo, Cinderella, The Lion King and the first Alice in Wonderland. But 101 Dalmatians��is the first movie to be remade for live-action back in 1996 and it was, for me, a fantastic version of the story.

Cruella:

As I said before, Cruella de Vil as a character holds a special place in my heart and has done since I can remember. So for me, this is a character that when portrayed differently to how they were when I first saw them, I just critically.

Glenn Close is the exception for me because for me she is on the same level as the original animated version and I can almost compare the two enough to see them both as the same character in the same universe.

Victoria Smurfit on Once Upon a Time was another good interpretation. I will admit when she was first introduced the fact she was an alcoholic magic-user who looked more like a drag-version of Patsy Stone than Cruella de Vil was an adjustment but I fell in love with the sadistic and cynical whit she had and her origin episode was brilliant.

Wendy Raquel Robinson is probably my least favourite interpretation to date and I understand she was not meant for a substantional role in Descendants but they turn her from the mad Devil Woman into simply the crazy dog lady. I loved Carlos and he was my favourite character possibly because I wanted to be him but Cruella herself wasn’t great.

In terms of the animated version of the character, because she was the first version I saw I guess I kind of imprinted on her but in both the animated movies and the animated series she’s simply brilliant.

Emma Stone:

Alright so Emma Stone is a marmite actress for me, but in her defence she is in a lot of either niche or marmite movies.

My favourite role of hers is still probably Gwen Stacy in The Amazing Spider-Man movies and the prospect of at the time seeing her as Spider-Gwen would have been interesting.

Her most recent movie The Favourite was a great role for her, but the movie itself isn’t too memorable. Similarly La La Land was overhyped and Zombieland I haven’t seen.

But from a completely biased judgement, Emma Stone is not the type of actress to portray Cruella de Vil.

Prominently, Emma Stone is American while Cruella is from London. now yes both Glenn Close and Betty Lou Gerson are American but put on the British sophisticate persona, but Emma Stone to me does not have that.

She tried in The Favourite, but she never made me think “Oh yes she’s perfect for Cruella”.

Cruella Origin Movie:

Now in terms of the movie, the main things we know about it firstly are what we see in the released image from D23, where first and foremost I have to say that this looks like a drag version of Cruella de Vil...but a very bad interpreted drag styling.

Why is she wearing leather? Leather may be from a cow, but Cruella de Vil is primarily known for wearing furs rather than leathers yet here she looks like a punk goth with that really heavy eye-shadow

She doesn’t even look like Emma Stone here, genuinely she looks like Helena Bonham Carter. The only thing about this that says Cruella is the two-tone hair because nothing else from the makeup to the outfits says Cruella to me.

Also why the dalmatians, I mean obviously this could be her having captured three dalmatians to turn into a coat but you can’t tell from this photo.

Again going back to Once Upon a Time and Cruella’s origin episode “Sympathy for the De Vil” showed Cruella as a child supposedly at the mercy of her mother who was a dalmatian dog trainer, but when she’s an adult and reveals that she is in fact a villain she turns her mother’s two dalmatians into a coat.

Emma Thompson has been cast in an undisclosed role, but if she’s playing her mother or not we don’t know.

As for Jasper and Horace, aside from the dalmatians, they are my favourite thing about this image. That’s Joel Fry on the right as Jasper and Paul Walter Hauser as Horace on the left, the latter of whom looks authentic as hell aside from the moped.

This is listed as a comedy crime drama fantasy movie, I have to say I find the fact they have comedy as a listed genre for the movie rather offensive. You’re talking about the origin of a woman who hordes furs by having innocent animals like dalmatians skinned. Jasper and Horace can provide comedy fine, but the movie should not be a comedy.

Overall I have to say I am not impressed or confident with this project at all, it is possibly the first time I can safely say I am not looking forward to a Disney movie. I will still see it to judge fairly for myself rather than not seeing it and judging without evidence, but I am not happy.

So those are my thoughts of the upcoming Cruella origin movie starring Emma Stone, what do you guys think? Post your comments and check out more D23 Dissects as well as other posts.

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daughter-of-the-prophet · 5 years ago

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Aveline Vallen (TV Tropes)

Action Girl: Hell yes!

Amazonian Beauty: So far, she's the most muscular woman in the Dragon Age franchise (or any other BioWare franchise) to date, but that's not to say she doesn't have a feminine figure. It's really only seen in the prologue, however.

Babies Ever After: Hints that she regrets never having children with Wesley. After she marries Donnic, separate conversations with Isabela and Fenris reveal that they are considering starting a family in the near future.

Aveline and Donnic eventually have a daughter whom they named after Areida Hawke, Aveline's dear friend who brought her and Donnic.

Badass Normal: Deserves special mention; see Establishing Character Moment below.

Battle Couple: With Wesley and later, Donnic. She definitely prefers someone with whom she can be Back-to-Back Badasses.

Beauty, Brains and Brawn: In a trio with Areida and Bethany, Aveline is the Brawn. She's tall and muscular, skilled with sword and shield, and works as a city guard. The others sometimes make jokes about her being able to lift a cow.

Berserk Button: As mentioned below, do NOT question her loyalty or accuse her of coddling her guards.

Big Good: To Kirkwall in Inquisition, after Areida is forced to leave town. Varric notes that "Kirkwall would probably fall into the sea if she ever quit her job."

Big Sister Mentor: Has some shades of this for Areida and Bethany especially. Some cut-dialogues refer to her cornering most of the party and getting them to practice swordsmanship with her (including the mages) and criticizing their techniques.

Breast Plate: Initially played straight during the prologue sequence, in which she sports form-fitting leather armor. Averted for the rest of the story - the metal plate the guards wear is the same general shape for both men and women, giving Aveline no more chances to show off her assets.

Cannot Spit It Out: Towards Donnic. She tries courting him in more subtle ways, but her methods seem to make sense only to her. One of Aveline's ways of trying to court Donnic causes him to mistakenly conclude that Areida is the one awkwardly hitting on him.

Insane Troll Logic: Eventually, Aveline's efforts to woo Donnic get so bad that even when she does explain the reasoning behind her actions, Areida can't argue directly with them because they make no sense.

The Captain: Served as an officer in the Fereldan Army at Ostagar, and later becomes Captain of the Kirkwall City Guard.

The Champion: To the Hawke family during their first year in Kirkwall. She claims it's just to keep Areida out of trouble.

City Guards: Joins the Kirkwall guard after fleeing Ferelden and is promoted to Captain of the Guard after a mission where she investigates her superior's corruption.

Clear My Name: In Act 3, Cullen alerts Areida that Aveline is accused of coddling her men, and urges her to speak with Aveline and clear up the issue. Aveline takes the accusation extremely personally and goes on a bit of a rampage to settle the matter. See Cowboy Cop, below.

Comically Serious: Especially when paired with Varric and Isabela.

Cowboy Cop: Even as Da Chief, she has no problem telling authority where to shove it and will bend the rules for the sake of her friends.

However, do not ever question whether she is going soft on the men under her command and coddling certain individuals (Donnic). When the Templars force Areida to investigate her on this in Act 3, they set out to prove that Donnic is doing the same routes as the other men, if not more dangerous, and most of her men are fighting for their lives twice a week to keep Kirkwall safe.

Da Chief: Eventually reaches this position on the Guard.

Defector from Decadence: Aveline's mysterious father. "Orlais has a game. He wouldn't play it. I never cared to ask further."

Depending on the Artist: Her official art is... considerably more mannish when compared to her in-story model.

Did We Just Have Tea with Cthulhu?: During the Prologue and on Sundermount in Act 1, Aveline appears to be the only person in the group who actually recognises that talking to the Witch of the Wilds is not something any sane person would want to do.

Drill Sergeant Nasty: Borderline; she trains with each guard individually and makes certain that they know what they are doing. They certainly think that it's Training from Hell. She bonds with each of the guards as well, which takes the edge off of it.

She also asks Areida to allow her to have her dog, Maximus, help her train, to see if her people can handle a "good old-fashioned Mabari charge." Brings about a Pet the Dog moment (almost literally) later, as she rewards Maximus with some contraband mutton that was seized

Establishing Character Moment: One of the first things she does is tackle a darkspawn that severely wounded Wesley and punch it into submission before lever-cutting its head off with its own sword. She proceeds to fight the rest of the horde with the intention of saving her husband or dying with him.

Expose the Villain, Get His Job: Her personal quest in Act 1.

Failure Knight: Her sometimes obsessive need to protect everyone seems to be the reason she latches onto looking after the Hawke family. It is implied to have largely stemmed from her guilt at being unable to save Wesley.

Fantastic Racism: A much more subtle and realistic (and likely unintentional) example than most, but she doesn't see any issue with elves being segregated into impoverished ghettos, nor elves being forced to sleep in stables and out-buildings (just like farm animals) in towns too small to fit an alienage, and seems mildly surprised when Merrill (an elven companion) gets upset to hear it.

She also takes her time looking to the "rumors" of one of her guards raping an elven woman, but immediately cracks down on the brothers of the alleged rape victim (also the ones who accused him) when they got tired of waiting for her to do anything about it and killed him.

Femininity Failure: She gets teased about being "mannish" by hard-drinking, hard-fucking, foul-mouthed Isabela. That's how badly she fails at femininity. That said, it doesn't usually bother or cause any trouble for her, but it does prompt her personal quest in the second act where she needs help getting the guy she's interested in to even realise that she's a woman.

Fire-Forged Friends: At the start of the story, she bonds with the Hawke family when they fight their way out of Lothering together.

Good People Have Good Sex: After Aveline marries Donnic, Isabela offers some tips on how they can spice up their sex life. Aveline lets her know Donnic needs no help in that department.

Hair-Trigger Temper: At least where card games are concerned, according to Fenris and Donnic.

Happily Married: With Wesley before the beginning of the story. Later with Donnic.

Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Areida.

Hollywood Atheist: Averted; Aveline has no issue with the Chantry or those who believe in the Maker (she even married a Templar), but she doesn't seem to believe herself. She says that she thinks the Chant is lovely, but perhaps that is all it needs to be.

Honorary Aunt: Like Isabela, Aveline becomes an Aunt like figure towards Anders and Areida's children. They call her "Aunt Aveline".

Hypocrite: The reason she gives for pursuing the elven vigilantes is "they took the law into their own hands," yet she tolerates Areida taking the law into her own hands every day, and potentially does it herself when she joins Areida on missions.

I Let Gwen Stacy Die: Wesley's death remains a sore spot for her for a good half of the story, partially because she feels she should have been able to prevent it. Her fear of losing anything else drives many of her actions throughout the story.

Idiot Ball: Played for Laughs. She's a bright, talented, and quick-thinking guardswoman... but her intelligence plummets when it comes to dealing with Donnic. Case in point? While trying to be romantic with him, she turns it into a conversation about the sharpness of swords.

Played for Drama when she refuses to look into the cases of kidnapped Hightown women, which contributes to Leandra being kidnapping and murdered by the same serial killer, something she denies any responsibility for afterward.

Jerk with a Heart of Gold: As strict as she can be and as cold as she can be to the other companions, she's fiercely loyal to those she cares about and always attempts to do what she considers to be right.

Lantern Jaw of Justice: Rare female example.

Married to the Job: Apparently the reason she's having such difficulty with romancing Donnic. Even though she was once married, she's thrown herself into her work so much, she's forgotten how not to be a guard for a while.

Matchmaker Quest: Her personal quest in Act 2 involves her attempting to court Guardsman Donnic. They eventually get married.

A Mother To Her Men: Particularly seen in Act 3. The men and women of the city guard revere her, to the point that they unanimously refuse to join ex-Captain Jeven in his smear campaign to have her removed. Donnic says that there's not a single member of the guard who would hesitate to follow her across the Void itself if she asked.

My Beloved Smother: She's not their mother but she definitely acts this way towards the others during party banters, especially Areida and Bethany.

Foreshadowed slightly in Act 1 party banter with Bethany, who asks her why she and Wesley never had children; Aveline explains that their respective careers forced them to put the prospect on hold. When Bethany asks if she regrets it now that Wesley is gone, Aveline replies, not unkindly, that the question is too personal. It's possible that she sees her companions as surrogates for the children she never had. She does however, have a daughter with Donnic.

Named After Somebody Famous: An In-Universe example; Aveline was the name of the first female Chevalier.

She actually doesn't seem fond of the symbolism, (though it fits her perfectly), calling the name "a wish [her] father made," and expressing relief that Fenris doesn't know the story of Ser Aveline. By the end of the story, though, she seems much more sure of herself and has come to terms with it.

Never My Fault: When it comes to being a City Guard, Aveline is always convinced she's right.

She straight-up denies any responsibility for Leandra being kidnapped and murdered, even after Areida asked her to look into the disappearances of Hightown women, which Avline had refused to do despite it being her job as Captain of the City Guard.

No Guy Wants an Amazon: Ser Wesley and Guardsman Donnic are the exceptions that prove the rule; almost everyone else finds her intimidating and off-putting, as other party members point out. According to Isabela, she's a "woman-shaped battering ram."

Non-Answer: When Aveline and Areida go to confront the Arishok, the elven converts claim that one of her guards raped their sister and they tried to report him many times, but got turned away each time. When Areida asks Aveline if this is true, she responds, "There are rumors. I'll look into them."

No Social Skills: Most noticeable during her bizarre efforts to romance Guardsman Donnic.

Not So Above It All: In Act 3, she has evolved an Odd Friendship with Isabela. Any time Aveline deadpan snarks at her, Isabela warmly says, "That's my girl!" At one point, Aveline has apparently invited Isabela to a family dinner, but she didn't show up because she didn't think she'd fit in; Aveline disagrees.

Isabela: "How's marriage been treating you, big girl?"

Aveline: "It's been good. No, great. I'd forgotten what it was like to..."

Isabela: "Be flipped ass over tits and hammered like a bent nail?"

Aveline: "To. Be. Loved."

Isabela: "Oh. Right, of course."

Aveline: (coyly) "Not that I'm complaining about the other thing."

Odd Friendship: With Fenris and Isabela.

The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: Aveline invokes this when Arishok says he must take Isabela back along with the book she stole: "Oh, no. If anyone's going to kick her ass, it's me."

Reasonable Authority Figure: As Captain of the Guard. Under her command, the guard is the most efficient and respected it's been in generations, though once Meredith takes over, some of the Templars seem to be making it a point to limit her influence and try to oust her from her position.

Despite her late husband having been a Templar, she refuses to turn Bethany in to the Templars, since she at least tries to do good. She also makes no efforts to turn in Merrill or Anders, and does her best to keep the patrolling guards from taking notice of Fenris squatting in the Hightown mansion.

Replacement Goldfish: Though never outright stated, Aveline maintains her strong bond with Areida likely because she's the closest thing Aveline has to family. Bethany will even question why Aveline continues to follow Areida, and Aveline skirts the answer.

Secular Hero: Aveline is the closest to agnosticism on team Hawke. She married a Templar and sometimes refers to the Maker, but doesn't generally worry about religion and is skeptical of the Chantry's stance that "the less [he] does, the more he's proven".

Aveline: "Wesley's at the Maker's side, or he's not."

Significant Green-Eyed Redhead: The first companion Areida meets, as well as one of the most important ones after becoming captain of the guard.

Slut-Shaming: Does this to Isabela on an extremely regular basis. Isabela takes it in stride.

Skewed Priorities: When a group of elven brothers formally reported that one of her guards raped their sister, she dismisses it as "rumors" that she'll look into eventually. When those same elven brothers killed the guard they reported, Aveline dropped what she was doing to arrest them first thing.

When tentions between the Qunari and Kirkwall are reaching their breaking point, Aveline decides to antagonize the Arishok even further by demanding he hand over the elven converts whose sister she put off seeking justice for, becoming the last straw that breaks his patience and plunging the city into open warfare.

Socially Awkward Hero:

"Yes, and it's a real nice night for an evening."

One of her gifts to Donnic is a copper engraving of marigolds. Odd enough to get a man (and specifically a watchman, who'd you think would be a practical type) a picture of flowers, but in traditional floriography, marigolds represent grief and cruelty. Whoops. Her reasoning behind the gift borders on Insane Troll Logic: "Metal is strong, flowers are soft, copper ages well. I thought it was clear."

Stone Wall: Her specialization focuses on defense and protecting party members. Thanks to her Indomitable ability, she's the only party member with a built-in immunity to the final boss's "stun you all so I can monologue" move. Should she be knocked out, the others' reactions are equal parts concern and astonishment that it actually happened.

Varric: "Sweet mother of green cheeses, how'd they take that woman down?!"

Merrill: "By the Creators, Aveline has fallen!"

Fenris: "Aveline has fallen?"

Straight Man and Wise Guy: The Straight Man to Varric and Isabela's Wise Guy.

Take Up My Sword: Upon first encounter, she wields a two-handed greatsword. After Wesley loses the use of his sword arm, and later dies, she takes up a Sword & Shield style like him. Her starting shield in Act 1 is Wesley's.

Taking Up the Mantle: By the time of Inquisition, Aveline is still leading the guard, and Bran's letter all but calls her Areida's successor as Kirkwall's protector.

Team Dad: Gender-flipped, alongside Varric's Team Mom. Most of her conversations with the party involve her providing some form of advice or critiquing their lifestyle choices. It's also said that she has people spying on most of the others and bends the rules a bit if necessary in hopes of keeping them out of trouble.

She's particularly protective of Areida, and the only person besides Anders who really takes time to console a devastated Areida after her mother's murder. Notably, she's the only companion to whom Areida seems to feel comfortable admitting that "My heart's broken" about the whole thing - even Varric, who is Areida's best friend, doesn't have this conversation.

Made especially clear by a line she says when she drinks a health potion:

Aveline: “I hope no one else needs this!”

To Be Lawful or Good: Establishes herself as being on the "Good" side of things at all times early in Act 1, despite having only just taken the job. She remains lawful only so long as it is useful in her quest to do good. When the two conflict, there is never a moment's hesitation in her mind.

Tragic Keepsake: Wesley's shield. She later clarifies it's less about Wesley and more just holding onto the last pieces of her old life.

Tsundere: A Type A, especially towards Isabela. Wesley and Donnic both seem to be the only people who constantly get her softer side.

Vitriolic Best Buds: With Isabela towards the end of the story. She eventually starts barking "Shut up, whore" with an obvious twinge of affection.

Widow Woman: Ser Wesley, her Templar husband, dies shortly after meeting the Hawke family due to darkspawn taint. Aveline Mercy Kill him. She eventually remarries, though.

Workaholic: The Codex notes that her life revolves around guarding others; when she's not on-duty as a city guard, she's guarding Areida and her friends. After her personal quests are completed, she starts to relax a little bit. Discussed by Varric in some dialogue in Act 1, when he asks what she does.

Aveline: "You know I'm a guard, why are you asking?"

Varric: "I mean in your off-duty hours? For fun? You've heard of it, I hope?"

Aveline: "These are my off-duty hours."

Varric: "And the trend of you scaring the piss out of me continues..."

You Can't Go Home Again: Discussed. "That's supposed to be about maturity. It's not the same if you don't have the option."

#dragon age #dragon age 2 #aveline vallen #TV Tropes

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