#but like it was good! it felt like a truly live action cartoon in an actually good way

[marsixm]

my main criticism of barbie is that i just wish the very direct stuff said by america ferreras character didnt feel like them reading off a buzzfeed feminism 101 blog post then going “see look we did the thing” like yes keep the sentiment in there and even the specific quotes i just think it could have been written/integrated in the script in a way that felt more diegetic

[aeonmagnus]

https://newsroom.hasbro.com/news-releases/news-release-details/hasbro-announces-til-all-are-one-transformers-40th-anniversary

40 YEARS. ONE LEGACY.

Relive the Magic of the 1984 Animated Series Featuring an Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Table Read with Peter Cullen, Frank Welker and Other Original TRANSFORMERS Voice Actors – Only in Theaters Starting May 15

PAWTUCKET, RI — April 3, 2024 — Hasbro Inc., a leading toy and game company, announced today a special cinema experience to celebrate four decades of the TRANSFORMERS franchise with ‘TIL ALL ARE ONE: TRANSFORMERS 40th ANNIVERSARY EVENT. Honoring the brand’s legacy in bringing continuous action and adventure to fans of all ages, the theatrical event will provide limited screenings of episodes from the classic 1984 animated series “THE TRANSFORMERS.” Screenings will be available in select cinemas across the US, UK and Mexico, along with select territories in Europe, Latin America and Asia starting on Wednesday, May 15. Tickets for the TRANSFORMERS 40th Anniversary Event will go on sale at Transformers40thCinemaEvent.com on Wednesday, April 10 at 9.30am Local Time.

This special cinema experience will take fans back to the very beginning as some of the TRANSFORMERS original voice-over talent, including Peter Cullen (original voice of Optimus Prime) and Frank Welker (original voice of Megatron), team up for the first time in decades to revisit their characters and recreate the enduring magic of the classic 1984 animated series. An exclusive behind-the-scenes table read appears on a split screen for the pilot episode, More Than Meets the Eye, Part 1, followed by a traditional screening of the next three episodes of the series. Fans can experience the original Saturday morning cartoon on the big screen and get a glimpse of its evolution with a sneak peek of the new season of the original animated kids’ series TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate 40 years of TRANSFORMERS action, humor and legacy at an anniversary event that is truly... More Than Meets the Eye!

“For decades, the battle between the Autobots and Decepticons has come to life in movies, comic books, innovative toys, live experiences and digital media, elevating the TRANSFORMERS brand to a global powerhouse franchise with millions of fans around the world. To celebrate 40 years, we’re bringing fans back to where it all started,” said Alyse D’Antuono, Vice President, Global Franchise Strategy & Management, Action Brands at Hasbro. “THE TRANSFORMERS animated series captured the imagination of fans of all ages when it premiered in 1984, introducing a timeless battle between good and evil fueled by action and adventure. Ask any longtime fan, and they can probably tell you where they were when they first heard Optimus Prime’s iconic phrase ‘Autobots, roll out’ or what it felt like when they first converted a bot character into its alt mode. With exclusive content featuring the series’ original voice actors, this theatrical event is truly for our fans and invites audiences to experience the fun that started it all.”

Distributed by Trafalgar Releasing, the global leader in Event Cinema distribution, this is the second time the company has partnered with Hasbro, Inc., following Peppa’s Cinema Party that screened in cinemas worldwide in February 2024.

For the latest information on the TRANSFORMERS franchise, including toys and entertainment, follow @TRANSFORMERSOfficial on Instagram, @TransformersOfficial on Threads, @TRANSFORMERS on Facebook and @TRANSFORMERSOfficial on TikTok #40yearsonelegacy.

[hello-nichya-here]

Some Peter Pan 2003 edits, enjoy.

(Nichya, do you agree with me by thinking this movie is the few examples of a live action Disney remake being as good if not better than the original?)

I agree and there's a very good reason why that is the case: it wasn't made by Disney, but by Universal, who wanted to be more loyal to the original story - and like Jason Isaac's himself said, that was the thing that made this movie so different from most adaptations of it.

I'm gonna be real, I used to hate basically every version of Peter Pan, mainly because of the Disney cartoon being my introduction to the story. I just never understood why Wendy liked him, or why he liked her, or how Neverland was in anyway special/different from any generic "Magic place", or why I should care if any of these characters leave it behind or stay. And keep in mind, this was coming from a child that was all about the Disney formulas. Peter Pan, as a concept, just REALLY felt hollow to little me.

... And then I watched this movie.

Let me tell you, 6-year-old Nichya was OBSESSED with this movie (and with Jason Isaac as Hook). 24-year-old Nichya too, even more so actually, because EVERYTHING ABOUT IT is perfect - including the thing that aged "poorly", aka the special effects.

Neverland doesn't really look real and that's good. The dated effects, the epic music and the very colorful lighting make it look like a place that could only exist in dreams, so when Wendy and her brothers are in awe of it, I totally get it. Today's tendency of films in which every scene look super dark and/dull makes me appreciate it even more.

The lighting also does wonders for the storytelling, showing Peter's magical connection with Neverland as it changes based on his emotional state, or in moments like Wendy seeing Hook for the first time, with the extra focus on his eyes - you can practically hear the book quote of Wendy being fascinated instead of frightened.

Speaking of the book, the fact that this adaptation had the guts to go with THE thing that could end making it far too corny and silly, aka the "kiss" Wendy has on her lips and that shows she's starting to grow up and become interested in romance is SUCH an important plot-point and key aspect of her character arc, and is delightful to see an adaptation that goes "We already have a magical land, fairies, mermaids, and a boy that stays a kid forever. How is the 'kiss' going to make it less realistic? It's fantasy already!"

And I love, love, love how they make sure we know who Wendy is outside of romance (a storyteller that wants adventure, a child that is both really mature and responsible, but also activelly trying to escape that role, someone who is very motherly but has a ton of anxiety about the prospect of eventually being the adult in charge) - but without ever downplaying how much her romance with Peter means to her.

He was the boy that was giving her everything she was looking for at the moment: friendship, adventure, excitement, and, more importantly, a way to escape any responsibility she didn't want - forever. He really is the hero she had been waiting for, and that, as a consequence, makes her realize that growing up and eventually having a family is not that scary after all, as long as she finds the right person, someone who understands her and that she trusts.

Obviously, she doesn't want to get married and have a ton of kids NOW, but she wants the promise that this will happen - when they're ready for it, when they're older. But Peter Pan is no ordinary boy. It's not just that he's too immature to fully embrace his feelings for Wendy right now, and could truly allow himself to love her later. He is NEVER going to reach that point, he's far too afraid to allow himself the chance to even try. And that breaks Wendy's heart.

And it breaks Peter's heart too, because he WANTS to be loved, and he already cares for Wendy in a way he never cared about anyone else. But because of who he is, she, and everyone else, will inevitably leave him. Because ALL children grow up. He is the only one who was blessed, and cursed, to be the exception.

He'll never be a husband and father. He will never be someone's child or sibling. He's the true lost boy, out of reach forever. He is truly free from everything and everyone, but the price is the knowledge that, sooner or later, he will find himself completely alone time and time again. And Wendy, the girl he loves, will one day either forget him or grow old and die - after having lived a full life with someone else, because Peter couldn't, and wouldn't, grow old with her.

He's doomed to be lonely forever... just like Hook. But unlike Hook, when he is immature and selfish (like when he closes the window at Wendy's house in the hopes that she'll believe her parents stopped waiting for her and her siblings), he does it out of pure desperation, because he's a child that genuinely doesn't know any better.

Hook however, is coming from a place of malice. When he "pursues" Wendy, he does out of jealousy that Peter managed to find true love, while he will never have that. He does it to steal that from him, to hurt him, to make him endure the pain of knowing that, of all people that could have replaced him in Wendy's heart, he was the one who did it.

And, of course, while he never really does anything to Wendy, the constant implication that, at any second, he might, looms large. Their dynamic is inherently predatory, with Hook exploiting the fact that Wendy is mature enough to want a romantic connection, but is still too naive to understand all the implications behind it, and, more importantly, that no adult that wants to be with her like that could possibly be someone she's safe with it.

He is an intriguing, tragic figure like Peter and thus can "seduce" her rather easily too (the fact that Jason Isaacs is really fucking hot doesn't hurt either), but he is doing it through constant manipulation, reminding her that she can never have the boy she actually wants and exploiting her childish need to have some form of petty revenge against him for it, by "befriending" the person he hates the most in the whole world.

But there's another thing that brings her closer to Hook: the fact that, despite being the complete opposite of her father, he still LOOKS like him, is the real adult authority figure around, and he is offering her advice and comfort when she experiences her first heartbreak. He represents both her adolescent impulse to rebel, to proove she's grown already, and her childlike instinct to just run to the arms of her parent and let him call the shots because she's afraid of making mistakes and wants someone who can tell her what to do, how she's supposed to act.

There is a recurring theme through the movie of Wendy's mostly innocent fantasies being read through an adult lenses (see the teacher's concern and offense at the drawing of Peter above her in bed - because he's FLYING, not touching her in anyway). Much like when she was the "mother" of the Lost Boys, when she is by Hook's side, Wendy is a child playing pretend. But the threat Hook poses is very real and his intentions are downright evil. Because Wendy ran away from the flawed, but well-meaning adults she could trust, she walked right into the trap of a very dangerous man that is taking advantage of her need for a protector, a mentor.

And that's why the kiss scene is the perfect climax for the movie, as it concludes three character arcs at once. It shows us Wendy choosing true love, however fleeting, instead of Hook's lies, and indulging in one last childhood fantasy before growing up. It gives Peter the only form of closure he could ever have, knowing that even if he can't be with Wendy, he will always be "the one" for her and won't ever be forgotten, just like he won't ever forget her, because they mean too much to each other. And Hook is forced to accept that, because he can't connect with anyone without manipulation, which could never last, his life truly is void in a way even Peter's never would be.

So yeah, it's a great movie with serious guts, and everyone else can just quit trying to make a new adaptation, reboot, sequel, prequel or whatever because they're never getting anywhere near this level of quality.

[headcanonsandcupcakes]

My Thoughts on NATLA :)

Sorry that this wasnt posted yesterday as I had promised, but life got in the way and I wanted to write it without feeling rushed. And I want to preface this by saying that I am not the biggest blogger on ATLA, nor does my opinion truly matter, however, ATLA has meant a lot to me since I discovered it 4 years ago. It is the reason I reopened up my Tumblr since not touching it since 2015 (I know, I'm old). In addition to this, I have also been closely following the live action coverage since 2020 (thanks to the Avatarist on YouTube), so I feel the need to say something about it.

Now with that out of the way, below are my thoughts: The biggest criticism that I have seen is that the plot felt rushed, and most people that are using this point to criticize the live action are not noting that the show was only greenlit 8 episodes. In addition, the show was only greenlit for 1 season, making the writing process incredibly hard to make sure that fans were happy but also getting the main points across. Book 1 of ATLA appears to be considered the weakest season by many of the fans. And as someone who started watching this show back in 2020, I completely agree. There were many filler episodes, and there were some writing aspects that appeared to be all over the place. It should also be noted that Bryke was unsure if they would get another season, so they also had the same struggles as the NATLA showrunner/writers had. However, it appears as though many are holding the live action to a higher standard than the cartoon instead of realizing that both had their challenges. Another point that seems to be criticized is the acting. I think people seem to forget that most of the main cast were kids/teenagers that did not work in many roles besides this one. So of course, we arent going to get an outstanding performance. Lastly, another point that I have seen around the internet is the argument that, "this is why the creators left". Okay, I get it, to not have the creators involved in the series could be reflected as troublesome for sure, however, I think those making this argument seem to forget that Bryke are not perfect either. For one, they executive produced the abomination that is the 2010 film, and were gassing the movie up until the movie was released and was received poorly. Additionally, they also were heavily involved in Legend of Korra and look at how that turned out. So, what do I think of the show? Well, perhaps it is because I found this show later in life and I am not blinded to the nostalgia factor, but I personally loved this adaptation. To me, the changes that were made felt so necessary in order to get the plot moving, as well as please the OG fans, and also ensure that new fans can understand the lore. I also feel like they did capture most of Book 1 and you can tell that they cared about the source material. I also went into watching this with a very open mind and understood that this was an adaptation, not a carbon copy (which was constantly hammered by the showrunner multiple times but still seems to surprise people). I also feel as though you cant make everyone happy. The best analogy I can think of is the Lion King live action. People were upset that it was a 1:1 adaptation and didnt make any changes. I cannot help but think that if NATLA did take that 1:1 route, people would be upset that no changes were made. The SFX and the fan service that was given to us was so good, and it was nice to see Koizilla in live action. Now, I wont say the show was perfect. There were some clunky aspects and the dialogue could use some work, but to me I think they did a good job for what they were given (episode lengths and unsure of a season renewal). I think should they get a season 2 (fingers crossed), Netflix needs to give it at least 10-12 episodes. I mean, if somehow Orange is the New Black had 13 episodes for most of their seasons, why cant an exception be made for this franchise?

My favorite episode was by far episode 6. As someone whose favorite character is Zuko, I guess I'm biased, but I loved everything about this episode and the Pohuai Stronghold escape was so cool to see. I also think that Bumi's characterization made sense in this live action - I know this is a hot take but I feel like realistically, someone that has dealt with 100 years of war would be jaded and angry and hold some resentment. Again, maybe its because I am not blinded by the nostalgia but I thought it made sense. Additionally, I think it was very smart to include Azula in this version. We have to remember that Azula is a teenager just like Zuko and is manipulated by Ozai. To see her struggle and feel insecure doesnt inhibit her character to me. In fact, I think it sets the stage for when she eventually has that mental breakdown, it will make more sense and people will sympathize her more.

I know this is all over the place but I really hope we get a season 2. I think that all the criticisms aside (if you weed out the nitpicking), the NATLA team can make a great season 2.

[school-sanctioned-movie-bullying]

Since the new live action Avatar is apparently out on netflix, I figured now is an excellent time to remember the last attempt at a live action this series got.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of the most beloved TV shows of all time, with amazing writing, world-building, and characters. Conversely, The Last Airbender (no avatar in this title) is one of the most detested and worst movies of all time. I doubt that I have anything new to say about it because it has been getting dragged since it was released 14 years ago, but that won't stop me from dragging it some more.

As is the trend with many live action reboots, this movie hates fun. The original show was colorful, funny, and charming; the movie is none of those things. The color palette seems to have been taken directly from a Saw movie, with not a warm tone to be found. For comparisons sake, here's a side by side of the gaang from the movie and from the original:

Isn't it incredible how they managed to sap all the color out of the original character designs?

One of my favorite things about the original cartoon was the expressive animation. I don't expect a live action movie to have expressive animation, but I do expect expressive acting, or even just regular acting. Unfortunately for myself and the world at large, the main actors did not get the memo that they were supposed to do that, so instead they delivered their dialogue stone faced with weird pacing. I don't want to hate on the actors too much, as many of them were children when this movie was released, and who knows what sort of direction M. Night Shyamalan gave them. However, I will say that with maybe the exception of Dev Patel, who played an okay Zuko, the cast did an awful job of capturing the magic of the original characters. I am willing to give a pass to Seychelle Gabriel, because she voiced Asami in The Legend of Korra, and I am nothing if not an Asami supporter. But the rest of the cast is on very thin ice. 

Another fun thing about this god-forsaken movie is the way it manages to make the viewer feel incredibly uncomfortable. It has an aura about it that I can only describe as constipated. The feeling I got watching is reminiscent of the time I was roped into listening a coworker at McDonalds talk about his crypto scheme, except that only lasted about 15 minutes, and the movie is 103 minutes long.

Truly the only good quality of the movie is its ability to bring together so many people in hatred. There aren’t too many things we can all form a near-universal opinion on, but we can all agree that this movie is a dumpster fire. 

Unlike some of the other movies I have hated on this blog, I don’t think it is controversial for me to hate this one. It has already been so thoroughly hated on that all the points I make here are hardly likely to be original. Regardless, I felt it necessary to kick this dead horse, both for the opportunity to complain (one of my favorite activities), and because I need to choose one movie to hate per week for the class this blog is for, and this one is so so hateable. I didn't even list everything wrong with it and this post is already so long.

I haven't watched the new live action show yet, and I don't really have high hopes, but given how low the bar is, it would have to limbo into hell to disappoint me.

[lumiereandcogsworth]

hey lumi! I just thought of another question I wanted to ask you, other than batb, which live action remake do you think is the best? I haven't seen any and I want an expert opinion 😄

oh my gosh!!!!! i’m so honored. and i’m also SO autistic so i did so much more here than you asked. but anyway i wanted to wait to answer this until today because the little mermaid (2023) just dropped on disney+ and i JUST watched it for the first time. so i can include it in my list!!

of course prefacing with these are all my personal opinions, im not a film expert (and i pray to God i never am) i just like what i like! so without further ado: my thoughts! also this is just in chronological order, not ranked.

alice in wonderland (2010) - dude!! this was SUCH a hyperfixation for me when i was a kid. somehow, batb 2017 is NOT the first live action disney movie i’ve been utterly obsessed with. this movie is so good. i love the lightly gothic, mysterious fantasy aesthetic that is has. i love the wardrobe, i want to wear every outfit alice wears. i love how dark it is, like there’s such an edge to it while still being pleasant and fun enough to respectably be a disney movie. johnny depp does a fantastic job of course, (purely discussing his acting abilities here) he truly brings the madness into the mad hatter. all the acting is fantastic though. i highly recommend this film. you don’t really need to have seen the 1951 cartoon, i hadn’t, but it doesn’t hurt to! (i don’t recommend the sequel, alice through the looking glass, though. they really should’ve quit while they were ahead on this one)

maleficent (2014) & maleficent: mistress of evil (2019) - i enjoyed both of these!! i actually liked the second one more, but either way, it’s such a fun take on sleeping beauty. and this is coming from someone who LOVES sleeping beauty 1959!! it’s different obviously but it really is a good time, absolutely worth watching.

cinderella (2015) - beautiful! lovely!! not the most exciting film honestly but i do love the aesthetics and wardrobe. it’s a really pretty, pleasant movie. i’d love to rewatch it sometime! if only disney+ had it! which it doesn’t! for some inexplicable reason!!

beauty and the beast (2017) - i know you said besides my wife but obviously i have to still list it because. that’s my wife. anyway perfect film no notes!

the nutcracker and the four realms (2018) - i wanted to like this one so much more than i did. but it was just, so weird. it derails from canon in a way that isn’t enjoyable. ah. twas a let down, for me.

christopher robin (2018) - i don’t remember much honestly but it’s cute!! certainly worth a watch, but i don’t recall anything too special about it. it did make me cry though (that’s not hard for me to do at movies, to be fair)

mary poppins returns (2018) - CANNOT RECOMMEND ENOUGH!! THIS MOVIE IS LIKE IF JOY WAS TURNED INTO A FILM!!!! AAAHHH!!! :) SO LOVELY SO WONDERFUL!!!

the lion king (2019) - :/ genuinely not worth your time. it was TOO similar to the cartoon in terms of storyline, so it felt incredibly pointless to me. plus, it’s kind of boring that they look like real lions. i felt like i was watching animal planet but then pulled out of reality whenever they spoke or sang afjskfj

aladdin (2019) - ever since i saw this, i’ve only ever had three takeaways, and i’ll say them like a compliment sandwich. 1. visually STUNNING. the colors and the choreography, the people! all very beautiful. 2. the romance was… very flat? i honestly kept forgetting there was a love story going on. when they kiss at the end i was like “OOOHHH RIGHT!!” lmao. there’s just so much other stuff going on, jasmine & aladdin’s love story really fell to the wayside for me. 3. i LOVED that they gave jasmine her own song. she’s like the only disney princess that didn’t have her own song, somehow, so i was happy they gave her one and it was SO good. i remember it giving me chills on the first listen. — so, all in all, it was fine. not the worst but also not a personal favorite. worth a watch.

mulan (2020) - BLEGH sorry i almost threw up a little. maybe the worst live action remake of all time? let’s think: what are the best parts of mulan 1998? the music? mushu? shang’s bisexuality? shang, in general?? WELL LOOK NO FURTHER BECAUSE THIS HAS NONE OF THAT!!! :) it’s genuinely just… so bad. they took the basic concept and turned it into a freaky ass action movie. they make it so mulan was like, gifted from a young age with superhuman abilities (calling it chi, which, i don’t know the full story but i believe there was some major cultural appropriation that occured) instead of just being a normal badass human!!! and it wasn’t the villain from the cartoon it was a random witch. nothing made sense and it was stripped of everything that makes mulan one of the greatest disney films of all time. *godfather voice* look how they massacred my boy.

the little mermaid (2023) - so honestly i never really liked the original cartoon. it just never clicked with me. but i had every bit of hope that this one would maybe bring it to life for me!! and… well, it wasn’t bad! it was visually lovely and the music was fun. i just don’t think i’m a “love at first sight” kind of person. but eric was an incredibly likable nerd boy, sebastian the crab was funny, and ursula was SCARY. especially at the end oh my gosh???? anyway. worth a watch, but not my personal cup of tea. ariel and eric get points for dancing a bit AND they hugged at the end which was really sweet. couples Do Not hug enough in media.

lastly, i can’t comment on: peter pan & wendy (2023), the jungle book (2016), dumbo (2019), lady and the tramp (2019), and cruella (2021), because i have not seen them. i will absolutely note though that i despise cruella 2021 in solidarity with my friend @freakwiththeknifecollection because it blatantly disregards the canon of 101 dalmatians 1961 and they couldn’t even like?? train the dogs?? for ONE scene?? huge huge mess. i’m just scratching the surface. if you want a live action cruella, look no further than 101 dalmatians 1996. top tier live action that i loved as a kid!!

[sonicphobia0601]

Nostalgia hit me in the face.

I remember a time where having a lot of Silly Bands were the rage. Where owning Heelys and slap bracelets automatically made you cool. Where Nokia was Indestructable. And a time where remembering your family's landline was cruicial. And twirling a phone cord between your fingers. 2D animation being popular before dying out sometime in 2009 (only to be revitalized on YouTube in the late 2010s).

Yes. I'm a 2000s kid. I was born in 2000.

Some of the stuff we did would make zero sense to this generation. Such as blowing on a disk and wiping it on our shirts to make it work in a CD player. Or having that Metal Slide.

And no, LGBTQ stuff wasn't really noticed or talked about. And video games used to be for boys ONLY. I used to really want a Wii or a handheld gaming device as a kid. Mom constantly told me no because it was a boy's thing. Jokes on her. Now I play video games and make memes for everyone to enjoy. And having any sort of disability got you shunned big time. Stimming? Got you publicly mocked as a kid. Talking about autism or being LGBTQ in the early 2000s was seen in the same vein as [redacted]: very taboo.

It brings joy to see characters be much more diverse in both disability and LGBTQ+ standards. Seeing Billie Bust Up and learning that the cast of characters have good representation made me really heckin happy.

I got a new favorite gif. And surprisingly this is the first time I felt truly connected and relating to the characters. Before Billie Bust Up was even a twinkle in the devs' eye, all I had for representation was Sheldon Cooper... who I don't even like because his autism is played FOR LAUGHS.

Barnaby/Aristotle/Fantoccio feel like actual autistic beings who I can see interacting with. And Barnaby's overall design hit me right in the nostalgia. 2D looking? Check. Rubberhose feel? Check. Strong personality? Check! A motif that tickles my inner goth? Check! And the best part? These characters really feel authentic to me and not just cariactures.

That does explain why I like Lackadaisy, Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss (even though I'm not too fond of the creator), Chikn' Nugget, and all 2D animation I found recently. Even Ramshackle reminded me of really old Cartoon Network cartoons.

Don't get me started on how the live action Scooby Doo movie would have been different. That's a whole other post entirely.

[belletroxa]

an easier one for you: sam or max and you can only choose one and it will be as if the other never existed

⚠️ WARNING ⚠️

⚠️ LONG ASS POST ABOUT SILLY CARTOON DOG AND RABBIT ⚠️

⚠️ I'M LOOKING WAY TOO DEEP INTO THESE BASTARDS SOMEBODY SAVE ME FROM OVERANALYZING THESE BITCHES ⚠️

🚨⚠️ YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. ⚠️ 🚨

"an easier one."

"an. easier. one." is what he said

how do you feel after ruining me huh.

do you feel good.

bet you do.

DO YOU KNOW HOW THIS CHOICE PHISICALLY HURTS ME. I'M NOT EVEN KIDDING, I'M SO PARASOCIAL ABOUT THEM THAT I LITERALLY FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN STABBED RIGHT HERE IN MY CHEST AT THIS VERY MOMENT. I LITERALLY DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO START CHOOSING. BECAUSE I'VE SEEN BOTH SIDES OF THEM BY THEMSELVES AND LIKE. DUDE LET'S JUST START WITH THE FACT THAT MAX IS CANONICALLY DEPRESSED AND LITERALLY HATES HIMSELF. BRO IGNORES HIS SUICIDAL URGES BECAUSE SAM EXISTS AND IS THERE FOR HIM. HE CANNOT STAND TAKING LIFE SERIOUSLY AND WOULD LITERALLY BE A DEPRESSED HOBO LIVING ALONE IN THE STREETS WITHOUT SAM. HE WOULD LITERALLY PROBABLY HAVE A CRIMINAL LIFESTYLE AND STILL FEEL PURPOSELESS BECAUSE THE WHOLE REASON HE FEELS HAPPY IS BECAUSE HE HAS SAM'S COMPANY AND CAN COUNT ON HIM WHENEVER FOR ANYTHING AT ALL. THERE'S NO MAX WITHOUT SAM DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME I MEAN THAT LITERALLY HE WOULD NOT HANDLE IT WITHOUT HIM AND EVEN IF HE DID HE WOULD NOT BE HAPPY HE LITERALLY IGNORES HIS MORALS AND HIS POTENTIAL TO BE BETTER BECAUSE THAT WOULD NOT MAKE HIM HAPPY, WHAT TRULY MAKES MAX HAPPY IS JUST HANGING OUT AND HAVING FUN WITH SAM. HE IS ALWAYS MAKING JOKES BUT HIS ACTIONS SHOW THE OPPOSITE OF THE OVERCONFIDENT PERSONA HE PORTRAYS THROUGHOUT THE GAMES AND COMICS, ALTHOUGH HE ACTUALLY IS INSANE THE FACT MAX IS NEVER EVER CONCERNED FOR HIS OWN SAFETY IS BECAUSE HE LITERALLY DOES NOT CARE OR HAVE APPRECIATION FOR HIS OWN LIFE, THAT IS LITERALLY SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR, THE ONLY REASON HE STILL IS NOT DEAD IS BECAUSE OF SAM AND THAT IS SHOWN SEVERAL TIMES THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE FRANCHISE, HE STILL ONLY PUTS HIMSELF THROUGH THESE DANGEROUS SITUATIONS IS BECAUSE HE KNOWS (AND EXPECTS) SAM TO SAVE HIM, AND HE IS A 100% CORRECT. MAX LITERALLY ONCE SAID, AND I QUOTE: "I KNOWN YOU'D TAKE A BULLET FOR ME SAM", AND HE COULD NOT BE MORE CORRECT. MAX NOT CARING FOR HIS WELLBEING IS LITERALLY NOT BECAUSE OF SELFISHNESSS OR THINKING HES UNTOUCHABLE, IT'S BECAUSE OF HOW SAFE SAM MAKES HIM FEEL, SOME COULD SAY "OH BUT HE IS BEING SELFISH BECAUSE HE THINKS SAM'S LIFE REVOLVES AROUND MAX", BUT THE IRONIC PART IS THAT THAT'S KINDA TRUE!!! THEIR LIVES REVOLVE AROUND EACHOTHER!!! BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES WHO MAKE TEMSELVES TRULY HAPPY AND ACCOMPLISHED!!!

OH AND. HAHAHAH. FUN FACT. BUNNIES CAN DIE WHEN THEY'RE ALONE. THAT'S RIGHT. THEY GET DEPRESSED AND DIE.

ha. hahahah. ooooh but that's still NOT JUST IT. SEASON 3 SHOWS A LOOOOOT OF MAX, EVEN THOUGH WE MIGHT NOT REALIZE IT....

WARNING:

⚠️SAM & MAX TELLTALE/SKUNKAPE SEASON 3 THE DEVIL'S PLAYHOUSE SPOILERS AHEAD ⚠️

ONE MIGHT SAY MAX "DOESN'T CARE FOR SAM BECAUSE HE IS SELFISH", AND EVEN THOUGH THATS WHAT MAX WANT US ALL TO THINK, IT IS NOT TRUTH. IN FACT, HIS BEHAVIOUR AND ACTIONS SHOW THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE. A LITERAL PROOF OF WHY MAX IS NOT SELFISH IS BECAUSE HE LITERALLY SACRIFICED HIS LIFELONG DREAM OF DYING WITH SAM FOR SAM'S OWN LIFE AND WELLBEING! AND NOT ONLY FOR SAM! FOR THE ENTIRE CITY! WHEN MAX CHOSE TO SACRIFICE HIMSELF, HE SHOWED THAT HE CARES, WHICH IS THE LITERAL OPPOSITE OF WHAY HE WANTS EVERYONE THE THINK, BUT HIS ACTIONS ARE LIVING PROOF THAT HE'S NOT THE OVERCONFIDENT SELFISH LONE WOLF HIS PERSONA PORTRAYS, BUT ACTUALLY THE OPPOSITE!!! CAN YOU THINK OF ANYTHING MORE SELFLESS THAN A LITERAL SACRIFICE FOR OTHERS' LIVES??? WELL I CAN'T. LIKE BITCH HE LITERALLY NOT ONLY SEVERED ANY CHANCES OF SAM SAVING HIM, BUT HE LITERALLY GAVE UP HIS DREAM OF DYING WITH SAM AS WELL!!!!! AND REGARDLESS OF IF MAX COULD COMPREHEND THE SITUATION, HE FELT SO SAFE WITH SAM IN THE MOMENT HE REALIZES SELFLESSNESS!!! MAX COULD ACTUALLY COMPREHEND THE SITUATION A LITTLE BIT AND AGAIN, HIS ACTIONS ARE WHAT SHOWS THIS, FOR ANSWERING SAM'S CALLS, FOR SMILING WHEN SAM BROUGHT UP MEMORIES THEY SHARED IN THE CITY... AND. MAINLY. I THINK WHAT SHOWS HOW MUCH HE CARES ABOUT SAM, IS THE NEED THE ALTERNATE-DIMENSION MAX HAD TO LITERALLY TIME TRAVEL TO ANOTHER REALITY TO FIND A SAM FOR HIM, BECAUSE HE LITERALLY WOULD NOT STAND LIVING WITHOUT HIM, AND DOESN'T TAKE THAT AS A PLAUSIBLE CHOICE.

⚠️ SPOILERS OVER! ⚠️

you can go on now! :)

anyways... the center of everything that surrounds max:

sam.

sam is essentially the reason why despite everything, max is still happy. sam is the one and only person that has always been there for max. the one that always knows what he's thinking and the only one that truly understands him. while max is portrayed to be the more extroverted of the two,sam is the one who is actually able to actually talk to other people and even befriend them! i know this seems like an useless fact considering the current topic, but if we actually consider how max is supposed to be kind of an extrovert (which i seriously doubt he is), let's just see would would be his social life without sam: oh that's right, HE BASICALLY WOULDN'T HAVE ONE, THAT'S RIGHT, THE BITCH WOULD HAVE NO FUCKING FRIENDS. SAM IS LITERALLY THE ONLY ONE MAX CAN COUNT ON! and the only friends max ACTUALLY made WERE BECAUSE OF SAM. but if you consider that if max didn't keep playing thevideogame SAM made at prom night, and considering the fact sam wouldn't exist if i chose max, max would've become way more social after that prom, as it's shown in his flirty behavior when talking to momma bosco, he would probably attract dozens of girls and be so popular amongst everyone, but would he be happy?

not really... :(

anyways, i think sam might have made max more introverted than he could've been (and pls let's thank him for it, I CAN'T IMAGINE the possibility of max being a straight rizz-and-bitches-haver motherfucker in an alternate reality...), and we know that, when max suffers from lack of sam, he becomes lonely. theres nobody there for him anymore.

if we look back into the cartoon for a second, we can see that sam and max's relationship means a LOT to max. the cartoon max is UNDOUBTEDLY the sweetest version from the rest of the medias max appears on, and therefore, probably the most expressive one as well, that way we can see max express how his relationship with sam means so much to him, to the point that if they weren't friends, max's life would be PRETTY GOD DAMN TERRIBLE!-

DON'T GET ME WRONG! sam WILL be depressed without max aswell, but to some extent, he can go on. meanwhile, max is basically not able to function properly without sam, and ends up in bad places.

AND AGAIN: DON'T GET ME WRONG! that does NOT mean sam loves max ANY LESS! he cares about max just as much as max cares about him, and, as sam is way better than max at portraying his emotions, since in the games we always play from HIS point of view and know HIS perspective about basically EVERYTHING. and it is CLEARLY shown in LITERALLY EVERY PIECE OF MEDIA OF THIS FRANCHISE, JUST HOW IMPORTANT MAX IS TO SAM, they both end up being open about how they love eachother, even if they arent open about ALL of their stuff, there isn't a single moment where these two doubt that the other cares about them. they openly know how much the other cares about them. sam just expresses it better in every media, while max is a little more close in relation to that, because he doesn't like taking things seriously and showing empathy, he thinks of love as a weakness, hence the persona he portrays being a complete sociopath that does not care for anything that does not involve being hilariously unhinged, he portrays his mental instability as a complete joke, because that's what he thinks he is, a pure comic relief, which is not wrong, but he takes that role too seriously, to the point that he thinks showing humanity can be considered as unfunny, and, therefore, not relevant. but still, as i said, his actions show how important sam is to him.

more the devil's playhouse spoilers later in this section because it is literally SUCH A COMPLEX SEASON i'm literally OBCESSED with it i could talk about it for HOURS, this season literally changes the perspective of the characters completely, we see a WHOLE NEW SIDE OF THE PROTAGONISTS THAT WE HAVE NEVER GOTTEN SO INTO IT BEFORE, hence the reason this fucking game rented an apartment in my fucking mind since like i think two years now and it refuses to get the FUCK out. it makes you think and it makes you care SO MUCH MORE about the characters and it's SO WELL WRITTEN UGH I LOVE SEASON 3 SO MUCH. and c'mon, it's clear the main focus of season 3 is sam and max's relationship (hence why i love this season so much, besides it being really good of course), this game explores how much they help, care and generally NEED eachother. and this is done both in a subtle and in a direct way, you've gotta look a bit more into max to truly understand him as a character, in special, you've gotta look a bit more into his super-ego, which reveals a WHOLE other side of max we didn't know before. meanwhile, the way they portray sam's point of view about max is generally the same as this franchise does in every piece of media.

he's openly very worried about him, worried he'll lose him, he does everything to save max every time, because he also cannot be truly happy without his little buddy... :(

in every piece of media, sam is portrayed to go through basically every stage of grief every time he's separated from max (god they're so codependent they literally joke about it themselves LMAO), in the unfinished comic where max dies for example (please purcell finish that comic i'm desperate), sam seems completely purposeless at the final panel. (which happens SO MUCH THROUGHOUT THIS FRANCHISE, I SWEAR THIS MOTHERFUCKER DIES SO MUCH---)

oh and by the way:

⚠️ MORE SEASON 3 SPOILERS AHEAD!!! ⚠️

⚠️ BEWARE!!! ⚠️

ok so, speaking about max's deaths, i GOTTA talk about season 3, and how it expresses the loneliness of sam PERFECTLY to whoever's playing. it portrays how much sam misses max, because WHOEVER'S PLAYING STARTS MISSING HIM TOO!! i mean, two whole seasons of this duo, to suddently be separated for a whole episode, go back to normal, then spend ANOTHER WHOLE EPISODE WITHOUT MAX TOO?? HOW CAN WE NOW MISS MAX! how can't we miss their conversations, miss their jokes, and just miss their relationship in general! it just feels... wrong, to not have max be there around sam. and that's probably what the game wants us to feel! it makes us understand the rage he feels after losing his little buddy in episode three! and it makes us understand the depression and panic sam goes through episode 5, and the NEED to bring him back NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCES! it's not JUST to save the city. sam NEEDS max back. you play the game and care about them because they made you laugh, but, when things get serious, all the player wishes is to go back to normal, so you can have the good time you had with these characters before, you NEED sam to get max back, because you KNOW sam NEEDS him. you want them to be together. you want them to be okay. you want a happy ending, because c'mon THEY'RE SAM & MAX! THEY DESERVE A HAPPY ENDING! c'mon, every episode ends up with sam saving the day (max helping of course, but mainly there to be a funny little guy who also serves as a prop), and then they both end up happily ever after! but... this season is a little more complicated. sam's main priority this season was to have max be ok. he wanted to protect him, max went through such bad stuff in this season that weren't even max's fault, so all sam wants is for him to be okay! max doesn't deserve to suffer! and sam feels as if he HAS to protect him. since max doesn't seem to be able to do that by himself.

but... the twist is...

for the first time in this franchise

sam fails.

he fails to keep it all together as always, he fails to solve it all in a way that would make everyone happy.

he fails to save his little buddy. (fuck i'm getting teared up)

and BOY...

does sam feels guilty.

they saved the city, but... at what cost?

max's life, and, consequently, sam's happiness.

max is sam's sun. he wants him to be okay... he needs HIM in general. and he's always sure he's managed to make sure his partner's fine. he literally made a solemn vow to protect max at whatever cost.

but not this time.

then...

the credits roll.

he lost his little buddy. and he thinks it's his fault.

....

nAH SIKE MAX FROM AN ALTERNATE DIMENSION WHERE SAM DIES USES THE TIME MACHINE TO GO BACK TO A REALITY WHERE SAM IS ALONE SO THEY CAN BE TOGETHER AGAIN

but... when max tries to joke about it and treat like it's all a joke...

both remain silent. and max realizes it's not a joking matter. its probably the toughest situation both had to go through. and they know it.

usually they joke about things, since that's their way of communicating, they never take anything seriously, they're always trying to be funny to make the other laugh (insert banang gag here) because their partner's happiness makes them feel achieved.

but this time it's not like this.

they keep quiet for some really long seconds...

theeeen they come back to normal!

the relief that comes to everyone, sam, max & the player, when they come back to joking and just being silly goofy little guys, i can't even begin to explain how relieving it is to have sam & max back! their dynamic! their conversations! their chemistry! it's just immaculate.

one could say "they're repressing their emotions! they should talk about everything they went through! not just ignore all of that and move on!"

but i don't think so.

even though sam is known for comically over-explaining stuff, and max is known to need stuff being explained to him, due to his fish memory and alienation of everything that surrounds him...

they don't need to talk now. they both know what they went through. and both know how awful it is.

they know themselves so well to the point the don't need to talk about how much they love and care for eachother...

they already know. :)

oh i just remembered i was being angsty about them being separated so hey fun fact after the season 3 finale sam is forced to live the rest of his days knowing that his max is dead! and live with an extremely flawed alternate timeline copy who doesn't remember anything from the last three years of their lives! but he's fine with it because he was genuinely about to snap without max so he can't do much about it lmao that's how much he needs max and doesn't complain about the alternate version because he know his little buddy ALSO has been through a LOT.

lmao sorry i couldn't resist i had to be angsty for at least a bit more

⚠️SPOILERS OVER!!⚠️

back to normal programming! >:3

ok not gonna lie i'm kinda tired of writing about how much they love eachother because COME ON MAN we ALL KNOW how they both care and need for one another.

oh wait i had an ask didn't i?

ok lemme check it again wAIT FUCK NO-

THERE CAN'T BE SAM WITHOUT MAX THEY BOTH ARE MADE FOR EACHOTHER THEY'RE A TWO IN ONE PACKAGE THEY CAN'T BE TRULY HAPPY WITHOUT ONE ANOTHER

DO YOU KNOW WHAT SAM'S PERSONAL HELL IS? YEAH THAT'S RIGHT. BEING WITHOUT MAX. SAM WOULD DO ANYTHING TO HAVE MAX WITH HIM FOREVER AND MAX WOULD TOO. MAX LITERALLY DREAMS THEY CAN LEAVE AND DIE TOGETHER. BOTH CANNOT IMAGINE LIFE WITHOUT EACHOTHER. AND EVERY TIME THEY'RE SEPARATED THEY PANIC AND FREAK OUT.

i love how i don't even have to speculate how would sam be without max as i did with max before in this essay, SAM LITERALLY SAYS THAT HIMSELF! AND I QUOTE:

"without max, i'd be just another grim loner, skulking through the seedy armpits of the city, assaulting crooks and assorted crook-like punks in a humorless, over-narrated fashion. sure, it’d probably sell like granny panties in a nunnery, but would I be happy? not really..."

AND PEOPLE COULD SAY "OH BUT IN THE CARTOON SAM GETS OVER MAX-" SHUT UP SHUT UP YOU DON'T KNOW THEM LIKE I DO!!!! SAM HIMSELF SAID HE WOULD NOT BE FUCKING HAPPY WITHOUT MAX!!!!!! THEY NEED EACHOTHER!!!!!!!!

...

anyways imma pretend i didn't receive this ask and you pretend you never asked this capiche? sam and max need to coexist and wouldn't be able to keep their shit together if eachother didn't exist &/or live with them

anyways i quoted sam before i feel the need to quote some max sentences!!!

"don’t be such a worrywart, sam. if it makes you feel any better, I PROMISE to take you with me when I merge with the godhead!"

oh and there was that one time where they had this dialogue that still kills me to this day:

sam: "if you die first, promise to wait up for me, okay little buddy?"

max: "oh sam! when i die, i'm taking you with me!"

i swear they're so- *gunshots*

anyways have some photographic evidence of why they need eachother to be happy if you're still not convinced:

buh bye :3c

[monkey-network]

Good Stuff: The Super Mario Bros Movie

A fan shouldn't always sugarcoat it. Even if you get something you never figured you'd ever want but appreciate a lot, that doesn't mean a bias should bury any deeper feelings. What I'm getting at is Illumination's Super Mario Bros Movie can be so awesome and it was worth going to the theaters to see personally, but I can't get over the crippling flaw it has to say it was as great as I could say now. Better to be honest now than get increasingly unfulfilled later. First, though, I gotta give the props where they are due.

First, Bowser was The Best in this and I want him

For real, the animation was what I waiting for this whole time, no problems here. The film is fun. If it wasn't fun, that means Disney would've made it and it'd never come out anyways because of "creative differences". Illumination I found can make animations that are really bouncy fun, and it's best shown here. Plus the characters look incredible, DK especially, and there are moments where, in the best way, it felt like a cutscene from a video game I would want to play. Not to snipe at the Sonic movies, but this is seriously what I've wanted from video game movies since... Angry Birds 2? Like enough with the hybrid live-action crap, make a cartoon if the sourced game is about a CARTOON universe. "You mean like Ratchet & Cla-"

We do not... talk about that one.

This leads to something tricky I had in mind to discuss, and that's "faithfulness". Not long ago I watched the 1993 Mario Bros movie, a fiasco that one can argue was unfaithful to most of the source materials even with the few things they got right. Did we get something more suitable here? Well, I definitely wasn't annoyed with the fucking stupid discourse surrounding Peach's characterization and Mario's voice that's for sure. Many will cite this as having a great fuckton of references but I enjoyed the liberties they took whether or not they were references. The fact it starts out in Brooklyn made me already smile but the final act had my booty jiggle with unhinged glee. There's some corniness to it, especially with the certain musical needle drops they do, but even then it felt like they reveled in the corniness of those moments. This made me believe Nintendo and Illumination were looking to just make it excitable and enjoyable regardless of what fits where. It pains me though, knowing that there is that crippling flaw I mentioned at the beginning because while this film was fun, it went by fast. Ludicrously so... disjointedly so.

It was the Apex Cinema Speedrun, if you will

Many negative reviews claim this has a very thin plot and I honestly didn't consider that a wholly bad thing. A thin plot doesn't mean it wasn't cohesive or focused, or that there weren't any arcs to be had. The real problem comes in that certain moments don't feel earned when we barely get any time to cherish them. The pacing of this was kinda atrocious, the tight runtime truly being a detriment behind ideas for characters getting brought up well only to have shallow payoffs. Peach and Luigi especially had something about them I wanted to see more of, but before you got to see the plant blossom, they keep chugging and you're like "Ah, that's it?" They didn't need to spell everything out but let the characters breathe.

Bowser and DK felt like the exception

If this was the only movie we ever got again (knocking on wood), the fun of it all would soon subside for increased disappointment in the long run. I could say "This needs more movie" as a compliment, but that would mean I was fine with what we got. The live-action film, batshit as it was, felt consistent with everything it wanted to show and tell whether or not you saw the director's cut. That's why it became a cult hit, you remember how batshit it was. I genuinely enjoyed the film, but even with its many stand-out moments, it's gonna be hard to remember this film as much as I want to.

Except for Lumalee, I don't ever wanna forget them

I won't tout this overall as mid or "playing it safe" because they did so much right with this. When I say they stuck the landing with the Mario brothers themselves, that genuinely got to me. When we got the adventure, I relished the adventure. Like for the love of god, give me more of all this PLEASE! However, I won't give it a pass and call it perfect just because it tickled the Nintendo fan in me. Illumination's great when it comes to being in the moment, that's why I stopped hating on them, but in terms of their films having staying power this being a Mario film is carrying it hard from being a potentially forgettable one. For me, this is the movie adaptation of the Super Mario Super Show I never knew I wanted but looked forward to and felt was worth it. At the same time, my mind is fighting my heart strong knowing this Mario movie could've definitely been stronger. My final say is that it's a 6/10 movie with 10/10 moments. If you're looking for fun, this delivers no doubt, and don't let this review stop you from calling it a personal masterpiece.

What matters is that Mario finally made the Range

[orcinusorca2236]

My overall thoughts on the live action adaptation of ATLA by Netflix.

While it definitely has its flaws. I do find that for the most part I enjoyed it.

The bending for me is rather good and I definitely felt they translated the bending from the show to live action well. The costumes, architecture and the visuals in general for me are just amazing. And one of the strong points of the show.

The cast did an overall decent job and anything that felt lacking to me is due to the script and not their fault.

The first episode to me while full of impressive visuals and action scenes felt too heavy and rushed. I would have preferred if the episode had followed the cartoon since for me they did the introduction quite well and did the reveal of the Air Nomad genocide well.

The live action series portrayed it incredibly well in my opinion. You could truly feel the terror and brutality in watching an entire culture get wiped out all due to the selfish interests of one man. And I like the fact that they did show that the reason the Air Nomads were all wiped out at once was because they were all gathered for a festival which makes it so much more brutal.

But I would have preferred if it was shown a bit later in the episode or even the season. It would have been built up much better if it did, much like in the cartoon.

I did like that they showcased Aang's guilt and regret throughout the show, far more than the cartoon. And his scene with Gyatso was well done in my opinion.

Katara for me could have used a bit more work and character building. I felt they didn't do her character as well as the OG cartoon did. But I did like the change with her and Pakku.

The fact Pakku only changed his opinion on women's role in the North only after finding out Katara was his former betrothed granddaughter always felt a bit off for me. I like the change they did in the live action, by having Pakku change his ways when he realised it was only setting his people back and doing more harm than good.

But my overall favourite for me would be Iroh and Zuko. I loved their dynamic and the additional scenes the show added (Lu Ten's funeral/Iroh choosing to join Zuko/The regiment Zuko defended becoming his crew) all for me added to the depth and beauty of their relationship. Zuko's trauma was done well, and his need to regain his father's affection was as well.

Ozai and Azula were phenomenally done as well. You can truly tell how manipulative and cruel Ozai is. Him and Zuko fighting while it strayed from the cartoon I felt was decently done. The way Ozai manipulates and treats Azula and pits her against Zuko constantly comparing the two and Azula's need to please her father and gain the trust and affection of the only parental figure she has left in her life is amazingly done. And showcases the pressure and fear she faces due to her father.

Overall I'd rate the show a 7/10

[emmacornell]

What is your favorite animation style and why? :3

OH MY GOD HOW DO I PICK THERES SO MANY

also this got so long i’mma put a readmore here 😹

It’s actually easier to say what animation style I DON’T like.

Motion tweening.

I cannot STAND motion tweening on most days and it’s mostly because a lot of furry art became over saturated with it and because a lot of people are real lazy with it?? Like some people attempt motion tweening art and they don’t put in the extra work to build their in between frames or clean up their transitions or just make sure the body parts aren’t clipping through anything c’mon if your gonna animate put in the work to make it not an eye crime.

Now when motion tweening animation is done right it can look great! I’ve seen some motion tweening animation that looks almost comparable to hand drawn animation! You can still pickout the mechanical squash and stretch motion tweening does but that can be masked better when you actually put in the work.

In my opinion motion tweening is best meant for subtle or background animation. Like falling leaves or that shoulder movement meant to simulate breathing that Live2D used to oversaturate their marketing with 😹

I guess if I really had to choose a favorite I’d pick traditional hand drawn animation but especially the style that blends 2D on 3D environments! Think those super late 90s early 00s animated movies like Treasure Planet and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmaron. I miss this style of animation cause it felt so unique seeing standard cartoon figures suddenly zoom out to a sweeping shot of this elaborate stage with all these parts moving independently and with such depth it makes a nice mouth feel for the eyes.

Stop motion is also pretty near and dear to my heart for the genuine dedication you have to have for this craft and the time you spend on it to get everything just right 👌🏾👌🏾 Like I’m always down to watch Coraline or Chicken Run or Paranorman or Kubo or Isle of Dogs

Also this style of using 2D effects on 3D models and environments has me losing my mind over how GORGEOUS it is Into the Spiderverse my absolute BELOVED like I deadass saw that in theaters three times because it is so BEAUTIFUL on the big screen trust and believe I’m going to se the sequel in theaters even if theaters in a post pandemic era still scares me

Rubberhose animation is good of course but very few that try to emulate it truly put in the work for it. Rubberhose is supposed to be all wiggly and bouncy but some that try to emulate it only go as far as extreme squash and stretch. Cuphead actually GETS it and the work they put into that game’s animations paid off. (I know Bendy and the Ink Machine has some tiny animations too but eh)

Lord this post is long 😹 I’ll finish by saying CGI can be great but too many sources focus on the high fidelty of the graphics and less the quality of the animation. I don’t care if you can see the character’s pores or the individual strands of their hair and I don’t want animation to be indistinguishable from Live Action I wanna watch the silly cartoon men. Hotel Transylvania is so pleasing to the eyes in how it manages to emulate 2D squash and stretch with 3D models and the extra work the animators put in to sculpt those additional models for the inbetween frames to create the squash and stretch we expect from cartoons is big brain.

I can and will talk forever about animation I didn’t even get to named styles like Don Bluth or Genndy Tartakovsky or Ghibli or Studio Trigger 😹😹

[plusultranumber1]

My Thoughts on Mobile Suit Gundam Ep 1, 2, 8

This series felt like a much needed breath of fresh air from the previous couple gut-wrenching watches. I like the whole 70s cartoon aesthetic, and the show’s storytelling is quite advanced for its time. Its portrayal of female characters and concepts of morality in wartime give it a modern feel, while the animation style and intense action sequences give it a nostalgic vibe. That being said, it still heavily focuses on war and conflict, militarism, and featured numerous civilian casualties. At the heart of the story, it deals with the consequences of space colonization and the use of new military weapons in a war between independence and order. I look forward to seeing how the story develops.

The series deals with the concepts of the moral gray area that arises during times of conflict. This series heavily plays into a militaristic mindset, and the chess moves each side takes against one another in order to gain an advantage, such as destroying material so it doesn’t fall into enemy hands. In this futuristic society, there is technology capable of being highly effective in combat without the need of many on the ground troops. However, it is also a weapon that is nearly indestructible and can be used to attack civilians. This predicament begs the question of whether or not the usage of such technology that is capable of such destruction outweighs the possible loss of human life. Other moral questions displayed in the series so far is the responsibility of the civilians contributing to the war effort, as many of the characters on Site 9 are used in the fight against the enemy, such as Amuro piloting the mobile suit. Due to the low number of military personnel, regular people must step up in the fight and risk their lives to continue fighting the war. Morality of what is good and evil is a constant in this series, and it makes it compelling to see the choices the characters make in tough situations. 

Another aspect the series depicts is the trauma of war. In the early episodes, many characters are seen struggling to deal with the harsh fighting and loss they’ve incurred; Amoro’s friend is clearly shaken during the attack on their home colony when her entire family is killed, Amoro has trouble getting past thinking that he is killing other people when he destroys the mobile suits, Kai freaks out when he is fighting for his life in the mobile suit. The civilian reaction to war is relatable, and truly shows the impact war can have. In the episode where the refugees are escorted to a new settlement, the toll the war takes on both sides is evident. The enemy pilots tasked with escorting the refugees during the cease-fire go out of their way to protect the lone child and mother, disregarding their own orders for the sake of helping out their fellow man. At the end of the episode, it is revealed that the settlement the mother wants to go to has been reduced to a crater, a solemn reminder of the collateral damage of war. The series does an excellent job portraying facets of warfare that affect both sides in a conflict, and shows that while their respective sides may be in disagreement, they are still people.

[therese-lokidottir]

When it comes to comic books to live-action that has always had success. It's not guaranteed to work, but it's always had more than enough success to be worth giving it a shot. Animation whether it be Western cartoons or whatever qualifies as anime rarely works out. At best, they tend to get some cult status. But I don't think I know any cartoon to live-action adaptation that the majority of people think is a truly good and needed product. Never have I heard that people watch an amazing cartoon and say this would be better in live-action.

The idea that live-action is something better or inherently more mature is such a terrible opinion far too many people have. Because 19 years later people not only still love Avatar: The Last Airbender, but they make analyses and people are inspired by it in their art. I don't know a lot of other 2005 live-action "grown-up" shows that have made the same impact on people.

ATLA never talked down to its audience, it never felt like it was just dumping exposition and it built a world people wanted to see more of. Didn't need to be live action to tell a good mature story.

[popculturebuffet]

Before we get to Disney, I'm gonna make a little detour with Total Drama. Since you talked about Island 2007 and Action in the late 2000s Cartoon Network shows ask, may as well try for the other seasons (not including the two reboot seasons since you haven't seen them yet). Who is your favorite character from each of these later seasons/spin offs: World Tour, Revenge of the Island, All Stars, Pahkitew Island, Ridonculous Race, and DramaRama? And as a bonus, I'll also throw in 6teen as well since it shared a lot of staff with Total Drama and it's implied to be in the same universe as Total Drama (plus Jude being a main character on DramaRama, with Nikki getting a cameo and mention in one episode of that show as well).

Oh i've seen most of the first reboot season just not the second yet (I'm waiting till we get a us airdate. I might still binge it , but I want to have it synch up with the us airdate to put it on my best of list. ) So it's included. Also big thanks for including 6teen 6teen: Used to be jude but I think it might be Jonesy.. while he coudl be an ass, he was an entertaining ass who had a lot of style and his realtionship with Nikki was just.. pure greatness. The best. The show itself is great and one I need to watch again, a nice slice of life that uses the mall setting well. Honestly wouldn't mind a revivial just maybe update it to a more modern outdoor mall or have the mall not doing great. It also had a stand in for christopher walken so that's always good. A funny, fun down to earth slice of life show.

Stoked: Dont' really have a faviorite character but since you included 6teen why not. I never quite vibed on this one. I have friends who did and I like the CONCPET, teens working at a fancy resort ala that one arc of saved by the bell.. but the cast felt mostly like copies of the 6teen cast just transplanted to a surf setting. The oppistes attract couple, the chill as hell guy, the sporty girl, the heriess forced to work.... it felt like a weak rehash and that they could've done way better.

World Tour: Noah and Tyler. I was going to say noah with tyler as a tie but.. fuck it they both get the gold as World Tour took two fan faviorites who had a good moment or two in island, but not much else : Noah left very early and tyler was primarily there to cause tension between heather and lindsay that never really payed off as while Island is still excellent it does have a habit of setting up things that never go anwhere (See the whole idea of a tribal council type thing during brunch of disgustingness.

Noah was great, getting to be sarcastic surrounded by mostly idiots, and getting a fun odd couple friendship with Owen. Action hadn't been exactly kind to owen, having him stay around way too long only to come back for boring subplot that didn't really pay off, only serving to get best boy harold eliminated when Duncan and Harold made the most sense for the final two. So instead we got Owen being stupid, and Noah reacting to it while still being supportive of his pal, a perfect foil for Tyler's dumbassery and dj's weird runner, and overall a character who should've stuck around a bit longer.

Tyler meanwhile was just adorable. The running gag with lindsay was great, but also got a truly heartwarming payoff, while his tendencies to fall on his face got nicely exagerated making him nature's perfect butt monkey.

As for world tour itself it's a decent season and one of the franchises best... but is a bit overhyped in hindsight. The first half DOES live up to said hype: a good cast, the series best antagonist, Heather in a fresh roll stuck on a team that dosen't want her while combatting a villian she has both great chemistry with and who is running circles around everyone. It has some stupidity like Leshawnas and Bridget's cheating on their partners, but it largely works. The second half, while having a great finish and some good songs.. is a step down. The gwen and duncan and courtney drama drags on WAY too long and elemnates gwen for so reason as with Blanely getting added post merge, we didn't need three antagonists and without the gwen friendship she was firmly back in that roll. Cody dosen't really get any devleopment despite the clear room for it, Sierra is one of the worst contestants in the shows history and her one gag is awful, and that gets only worse as the show goes on and there's less people to protect cody from harassment. It's still a solid season, the songs are great and even the second half has some good jokes, but it's one that looses steam as it goes. It's still one of total drama's best, a solid fourth place for me and third beofre the reboot aired... but it's still a tad weak like action, if still an improvment over it.

Revenge of the Island: Is excellent. It's not perfect, a cast member or two dosen't work (looking at you sam and ann maria), the depection of DID with mike is messy as all hell (though I still LIKE mike DID should not be a throaway joke or quirk) and the Ezikel thing continues to be dumb.. but it's flaws.. don't overshadow a great season. It's challenges may be forgetable, but it's cast is fantastic, with Scott being an easy second faviorite antagaonist as his team killing strategy is unique and fun, standouts like Dawn, Cameron, Brick and B, and easily the best final challenge in the shows history: brains vs brawn. Faviorite is Cameron. He's shy, hilarious and his friendship with mike works REALLY well: the two have great chemistry and trying to help mike with his mpd is a nice subplot and one of the few times it's not used to have WACKY CHARACTERS ABOUT YUK YUK. He also gets good character developments, going from a shy scared guy mostly carried by having good friends or working with one of the main villians out of necisity, to a truly self reliant young man who wins the million (In the verison I watched and frankly my canon) and earns his victory.

All Stars: Scott again, whose turned into a down bad butt monkey and it works: he can't team kill again, there are better villians who outclass him, so having him be a comedy asshole not only gives him the buckets of karma he deserved from Revenge, but also makes him oddly adorable and I wish they hadn't half heartedly broken him and courtney up. They worked. The season itself.. is the series worst so far. and of the franchise. I may not like Pahketew or Dramarama and have some issues with action and world tour... but their at least.. watchable. All Stars is a series of bullshit elimeinations, recycled jokes, plots that make no sense, sinking duncan and gwen which while not a ship I liked is taken to stupid lengths here, and a one note villian. Not to mention the finale which while having easily my faviorite total drama line ever

Wastes a good obstacle course on possibly murdering old contestants and the bullshit RESET BUTTON. Just.. the reset button. So much stupidity, not enough fucks to give to go into why pressing a button to cure mental illness is fucking embarssing. I do like Gwen and Cameron's relationship, it's somehow the most healthy she's ever had which I admit is both bogus and sad, but it's really sweet and that cheek kiss is adorable. Pahktew Island: Is boring. It has a few great contestants in Shawn, Ella, Amy and Samey... and not much else. Most of the cast is kinda boring, the sky and dave thing can eat my entire ass in a bad way, the challenges are forgetable and sugar just fucking sucks, taking the problems with ann maria and sam of just being a giant refrence and compounding it by also being the main villian and thus far more prominent. All Stars is far worse.. but I have more to talk about. I forgot Pahkitew soon after it aired and have no real desire to go back for a refresher.

Ridonclous Race: Ridonclus Race is , putting it with the others, my third faviorite season. I didn't think to include it when I was talking about world tour earlier but since it didn't get a second season (though I hope it does get revivied one of these days) and functions similar writing wise, I lump it in these days. Race was a MUCH needed breath of fresh air after the awful production season before it, and if brought back ever has a nice way to bring back old contestants now their all older thanks to the time skip. My faviorite character is hard as the goths are great, Noah and Own once against slap... but I give it to Kitty and Emma, the two have a great dynamic, kitty being adorable and fun to follow and Emma being driven, and their later hooking up with Noah and Owen not only provides great chemistry (Emma and Noah are adorable as hell and Kitty and OWen could work once she's you know, legal), but one of the seasons best subplots. Overlal the show is just solid: While the best friends and daters suck, their pretty much the only long standing teams that are a pain to watch: everyone else works, the shakeups in both a new format of reality to parody and a new host whose not a monster, tons of great arcs and jokes. This season is an easy faviorite of mine and the series third best.

Dramarama: Jude. including him is weird as fuck but i'll take it. The show itself.. I saw a few episodes, coudln't get into it and while it's readily avaliable on max I have no intention too. Why they coudln't be in elementary school, which would provide a bigger cast and most of the same stories is beyond me. Or just have a continuity reboot with everyone from all three generations at the same high school and also the 6teen cast is there why not. This ones more annoyign for the wasted potential of a fresh total drama continuity with whoever they wanted to pick and choose from the series massive cast> it's not as bad as all stars but ceases to make me give a fuck either.

Reboot season 1: God this is good. Faviorite is the hockey players, though a lot of the cast is good (I also like damien, scary girl, and bowie), my love of letterkenny means I can't.. not love these guys as they have a LOT of riley and jonesy energy, but without their accidental jackassery> Their just purehearted jocks with suprising strategic game, and Raj and Bowie's romance is great, as is Wayne hoping Raj will tell him soon so he can ship them openly. THeir just the best. The season itself is my second faviorite, though RR i still closely behind it. The new cast is almost all bangers and even ripper, who annoys the fuck out of me, is at least entertaining as his jackassery goes SO over the top sometimes it's funny. Chase is the only one I really TRULY hate, being an abusive asshat who won't shut the fuck up and adds nothing comedicaly, which says something. The cast is just great filled with good ideas, great chemistry and some all time standouts.

The challenges are also a step up as I hadn't realized till this season that aside from RR (That had the beneift of both going global again like world tour and the amazing race format).. the challenges were just forgetable. Revenge had maybe three that stuck out. In contrast all the challenges for the reboot are pretty good. Id idn't care for the farting episode with real life dinosaurs or the puking challenge, but I can at least give that one points for chef's cooking show style intros that while gross were hilarous, and the rainbow vomit.

It's a solid season, lots of fun to watch and a sign that even if season 2 hits some rough waters the show can still go and the time off for spinoff babies may of been good. It gave the show time to refocus, think of new ideas, and update it for the modern era and it's payed off wonderfully.

[fierylittleniece]

🦁 my favorite ships

From @theeclipse

//Are these my favorite ships from fandoms or favorite ships for my OCs? I can kinda do both since I have the time.

OC Ships (These are just some or else I'd be talking for HOURS):

JohnnieXLucifer: Johnnie is actually an OC inspired by the song The Devil Went Down to Georgia. I think it's a really perfect pair to have her accidentally fall for the man who tried to make a deal for her soul. It's very much an enemies to lovers situation.

RoxyXBen Reilly: This one was full of angst because I used to have a verse where Roxy dated a Peter Parker who passed away. Seeing Ben was like getting a second chance but also a completely clean slate because Ben was a completely different person.

DarrenxMayday Parker: A longggg time ago I had a partner who played Mayday. She was probably the first person I ever got to use Darren with and they were just so cute together. Just two kids in love with family members who knew each other from crime fighting.

Normal Fandom Ships

Marvel Shame Column:

Stucky: As a Cap 2 Groupie, I will not be explaining myself.

SamBucky: As a Sam Wilson groupie, I will not be explaining myself.

Black Hill: I should be able to explain this one. Yet I can't. They're coworkers. It's just too good.

Shuriri: A new one that is just very very cute. I hope we get some more content for this in the comics or something. I'll take table scraps at this point.

Amerikate: This one is much bigger in the comics and we'll likely NEVER see it in the movies. .

Carhodey: Another comic one that I think is tasty and deserves a little hintage in the movies. Not likely but a girl can dream.

Thororo: *screams* That is all.

Claire Temple and Matt Murdock: I do not know why this has no ship name. There was tension here and I guess I'm the only one who saw it that way.

DC:

WonderBat: The cartoons really seal the deal on this one for me. There's something about Diana being the one constantly trying to break past his broody boy shell that scratches an itch in my brain.

Harlivy: Sometimes healing is dating that hottie that has similar hobbies as you (doing crime in Gotham) and that's beautiful. A wonderful ship truly. So nice to see something that started off as a crackship in the fandom bloom into fully canon.

Star Wars:

FinnxRey: I wanted this. I wanted this so hard. And I got...NOTHING

FinnPoe: We all wanted this. Everyone liked this. And here we are. We were fools.

Weird Fandom Ships (Under Read More because I talk for a longggg time.)

Disney Ships

TianaXMulan: No I cannot explain. In like 2009 there was this massive community of people on YouTube who would edit Disney princess characters together like they were in love with all sorts of music and whatever. I honestly think this foundation of YouTube edits is what transitioned into all those Rise of the Tangled Brave Dragons edits that plagued the 2010s. Anyway there were a LOT with Tiana and Mulan and it just felt right.

TianaXSteve Rogers: Similar vein of Disney content but later. After the 2012 Avengers movie came out the Disney Youtube editors were shipping these cartoons with the live action Avengers. Hilarious but I genuinely think they would've had good chemistry. When I started rping as Tiana on Tumblr I did have some really good threads with a Steve Rogers rper who I don't think is active anymore.

TianaXCharlotte La Bouff: I promise these are not all Tiana ships but the Tiana ships are the ones I remember so vividly in my fandom life. This one is so good and honestly I'm fine with them in a throuple that has Naveen in it too. I think Tiana just deserves all the love she can get her hands on.

OUAT Ships

Swan Queen: I stg I was robbed. All OUAT ever did was piss me off and spit in my salad. You wanna talk about enemies to lovers you COWARDS? COPARENTING POTENTIAL? ABC WHEN I FIND YO- I have only once exception to my love of this ship and that one is below.

SwanFire: listen JUST please. I'll never forgive ABC for this one. Neil was the most interesting original character and they just fridge my man like that. There was so much potential for forgiveness and growth with these two. And they just REFUSE to let good men win.

[enbetweenisaurus-flex]

Thank you so much I felt like I was living in the Twilight Zone with everyone saying how much they like it and I'm like ??? The dialogue writing is truly abysmal and that's the worst part I think. It's like they took the dialogue of the cartoon and transplanted it into the live action. The simplistic dialogue works in a cartoon but not in a live action. Similarly, the dissonant tone of serious violence mixed with the g-rates rest of the show is also accomplished better in the cartoon that ebbs and flows with the tone shifts much more slowly and respectfully. The acting (whether the actors' faults or the director or the dialogue) is reminiscent of a high school play because it seems like they did everything in one take. The outfits are cool, but they look like they were freshly minted and never worn before the moment you see them and they never get dirty. Finally, the pacing is absolutely BREAKNECK, merging up to four stories in a single episode in locations that don't make sense. The exposition is insulting and delivered horribly (Grangran is absolutely savage to Aang which was the only time I genuinely laughed). And the CGI can be good but then sometimes it is really not.

I think in some ways it captures the cartoon's art style and feel (they took zero liberties on creature and costume design and the actors are very close approximations to their cartoon counterparts in appearance at least) so maybe the reason people are loving it is because of a nostalgia pull. But man I feel so weird when I'm like... This is REALLY bad... Isn't it? And it's not as bad as the movie for sure. But it's spectacularly bad.

I have to blab

Im on episode 2 of the live action ATLA and this is hot garbage. Im really trying to be open minded. I intentionally didnt rewatch ATLA so that I wouldnt be comparing it the OG show but even without that this show is horrible omg. The acting sucks especially the Gaang they cannot act. They are also just awkward around each other like they don’t have team chemistry they’re wooden at best. Sokka’s the best outta the three but still not good. Katara though is BY FAR the worst actress omg its bad where did they get her?!? The pacing is bad, narration, script, I can see why the OG writers left.

Positives: Zuko and Iroh are the best by a country mile. The others don’t even kinda touch them in terms of acting and chemistry. For the most part the fight scenes are good altho I wished they used more fighting styles. They spent all their makeup money in the kyoshi makeup and literally none of it on Zuko’s scar omg what is that. (This list is becoming more negative)

Im not even listing my complaints that are related to the OG show. This is just my complaints from a writing/directing/casting, etc standpoint. I am finding it hard to keep watching this.