#collection: karen fukuhara

[tippenfunkaport]

I'll never not be mad at Target and Mattel for how badly they botched the rollout of this toyline, but please look at these adorable pictures of ND Stevenson and the voice actors seeing the dolls for the very first time!

[erebusvincent]

November 6th warranted a double little treat, if ever a day did.

[ghibli-collector]

For anyone who’s already seen Boy and the Heron i found this really interesting article where Ghibli Boss/Producer Suzuki was interviewed recently by indie wire and explains the background of the characters from the new Ghibli film, I’ve copied the full article below or you can click the link to go to the interview but once again it contains so many spoilers

‘The Boy and the Heron’ Is So Personal, Hayao Miyazaki Needed a Year to Grieve Before Pivoting in a New Direction

Miyazaki came out of retirement for his first film in a decade, about his friendships at Ghibli with the late co-founder/director Takahata and co-founder/producer Suzuki.

When Hayao Miyazaki pitched “The Boy and the Heron” (GKids, now in select L.A. and NYC theaters) to Studio Ghibli co-founder/producer Toshio Suzuki in 2016, he asked permission to make the story about himself. This took Suzuki — his friend of nearly 40 years at the time — by surprise; the legendary anime director isn’t known for getting so personal. And yet this aligned perfectly with the notion that Ghibli films are devoted to reliving memories.

“I agree that it is Miyazaki’s most personal film because he actually told me,” Suzuki told IndieWire over Zoom through an interpreter. Not only is “The Boy and the Heron” inspired by Miyazaki’s childhood (he endured the firebombing of Japan during World War II and his father was director of the family’s aircraft manufacturing factory), but also his career at Ghibli with his two closest friends: the late studio co-founder/director Isao Takahata (“Grave of the Fireflies”) and Suzuki.

“Miyazaki is Mahito [the 12-year-old protagonist voiced by Luca Padovan in the English-language version], Takahata is the great uncle [voiced by Mark Hamill], and the gray heron [voiced by Robert Pattinson] is me,” Suzuki added. “So I asked him why. He said [Takahata] discovered his talent and added him to the staff. I think Takahata san was the one who helped him develop his ability. On the other hand, the relationship between the boy and the [heron] is a relationship where they don’t give in to each other, push and pull.”

Collectively, it’s a lot to unpack: Miyazaki came out of retirement for the second time after “The Wind Rises” (2013) to make his 12th feature — the semi-autobiographical, hand-drawn fantasy for his grandchildren. It’s about destruction, loss, and rebuilding a better future through imagination, inspired by the novel he adored as a child (“How Do You Live?”).

Mahito loses his mother in the firebombing of Japan and relocates to the countryside, where his father (voiced by Christian Bale), who runs an air munitions factory, marries his sister-in-law, Natsuko (voiced by Gemma Chan). Traumatized, angry, and confused, the boy encounters a talking heron (part bird, part man), who tells him that his mother is still alive and guides him to an alternate world in a magical tower shared by the living and the dead. There he encounters his great uncle, the architect of the tower, and reunites with both his mother (voiced by Karen Fukuhara) and Natsuko.

At first, Suzuki resisted green-lighting “The Boy and the Heron” because of Miyazaki’s age (he’s 82) and the great expense (it is arguably Japan’s most expensive film but has made the equivalent of nearly $80 million at the country’s box office). Yet Miyazaki wore down his resistance with his enthusiasm and impressive storyboarding. The film took seven years to complete, and Suzuki needed to hire some of Japan’s most talented animators outside of Ghibli to handle the task (including supervising animator Takeshi Honda of “Neon Genesis Evangelion” fame). With diminished stamina and failing eyesight, Miyazaki was unable to oversee the production in the same manner as when he was at the height of his creative powers and relied on Honda to draw, redraw, and review under close advisement.

But with the death of Takahata in 20018, a grief-stricken Miyazaki was forced to scale back the role of the great uncle in the story, who had previously been more central to the boy’s life. “After Takahata passed away, he wasn’t able to continue with that story, so he changed the narrative and it became the relationship between the boy and the Heron,” Suzuki continued. “And in his mind, initially, the Heron was something that symbolizes the eeriness of the mansion and that tower, even ominous, that he goes to during war time. But he changed it to this sort of budding friendship between the boy and the Heron.”

Miyazaki first toyed with the idea of exploring the theme of friendship in “The Wind Rises” (inspired by real-life fighter design engineer Jiro Horikoshi during World War II) before abandoning it. “So this time around, when the Heron became the centerpiece of the story, and he came with the storyboards, I was careful for him to not portray me in a bad way,” Suzuki said. “Having said that, I’ve known Miyazaki for 45 years. I remember everything about him. There are things that only I know. There are things that only the two of us know. And he remembers all these small details, which I was very impressed with.”

For example, when Mahito and the Heron sit and chat at the house of Kiriko (voiced by Florence Pugh), a younger, seafaring version of one of the old maids, it is a recreation of the way Miyazaki and Suzuki would meet. “The place that we do our meetings, where we have our conversation is at his studio, his atelier,” he added. “And he has this like large table, but we don’t sit facing each other, we sit next to each other, and we never look at each other when we talk. And what we discussed was very similar.”

During production, Suzuki became impatient to see the new storyboards with the great uncle. It seemed Miyazaki was intentionally stalling while grieving about Takahata. “My question was: ‘So when is the great uncle going to appear?'” said Suzuki. “He built this great character, but he never appears in the storyboards that he would bring me. But it took him actually about a year after the passing of Takahata that he was able to draw that character into the storyboards in the second half of the story.

“And the most surprising thing for me was when I saw the storyboard where Mahito was asked by his great uncle to carry on with this work, this legacy, and he says no — he declines the offer. Miyazaki was someone who followed the path of Takahata for so many years, and I thought it was a huge thing for him [to follow a different path].”

Meanwhile, Suzuki confirmed that Miyazaki has not retired. The film has given the director renewed confidence to keep working on other stories. However, Miyazaki can’t focus on new ideas while “The Boy and the Heron” remains in theaters. “He needs to empty his mind again,” Suzuki said, “and then when he’s emptied his mind with a blank canvas, he usually comes up with new ideas. So we have to wait a little more.”

[buttherainbowhasabeard]

The Boys: Why the Gruesomest Show on TV Is Also One of the Greatest

Brash. Brazen. Bonkers. Brutal. Bloody. Bawdy. Bizarre. On the surface, 'The Boys' is a show I should absolutely loathe, yet I love it. Why? Because it’s like nothing else I’ve ever seen before, and that makes it exhilarating! 

In this day and age of remakes, reboots, sequels, and prequels, 'The Boys' is a revelation. It takes everything we’ve come to know and love about the superhero genre and turns it on its head. Actually, it smashes its head in and flies off, covered in blood, with a big grin on its face. 

This alone is a great antidote to the "superhero fatigue” that so many of us have been suffering from. With the DC Universe currently in a Chapter 1 reset, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the midst of a very busy Phase 5, ditching the genre (and all the films, TV shows, and spin-offs you have to watch to keep up with it) has been beyond tempting.

In showrunner Eric Kripke's cleverly subverted script for 'The Boys' (based on a comic book series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson), each superhero, or "supe,” as they are dubbed in the show, is a satirical spin on a classic DC or Marvel character, even down to their collective name, The Seven (based on the Justice League).

However, unlike the more moral idols it takes its inspiration from, 'The Boys' is an R-rated romp that explores the ramifications of giving ordinary humans superhuman powers. Behind all the muscled supersuits and PR-manufactured wholesomeness, our heroes have become outright antagonists, and the so-called vigilantes have become our (anti)heroes.

Soldier Boy is an angry and arrogant take on Captain America. Homelander is a narcissistic, sadistic, and volatile version of Superman. Queen Maeve is Wonder Woman, if she were reduced to a cynical sidekick. All-American girl Starlight is an amalgamation of Mary Marvel, Stargirl, and Dazzler. Kimiko possesses a feral quality akin to that of Wolverine. Tek Knight is a BDSM-obsessed Batman. Black Noir is a masked mercenary in the same vein as Deadpool (minus the sass). The Deep is a dumb, perverted parody of Aquaman, and A-Train is a reckless Flash or Quicksilver. They even have their own Nick Fury of sorts, in the form of Vought International SEO Stan Edgar.

In the era of corruption, celebrities, and social influence, real-life supes would definitely abuse their powers and gaslight the public into believing every bit of righteous bullshit that came out of their mouths. They only (and begrudgingly) do good deeds to get more follows and likes, and most don’t like each other either, viewing teammates and partners as competitors rather than comrades.

This dark, disturbing, and at times hilarious take on the genre is what makes the show stand out amongst the rest. It easily offends, distresses, traumatises, titilates, and grosses you out. But it’s not just done for headlines and shock value. Every single chaotic, cruel, and unpredictable action is there for a reason. It forms part of a character’s motivations, it propels the plot forward, or it sets up a new and exciting direction.

Casting is another ingenious ingredient in the supe soup that is 'The Boys'. Household names (Antony Starr, Karl Urban, Giancarlo Esposito, Jensen Ackles, Simon Pegg, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, to name a few) are mixed in with relatively new names (Erin Moriarty, Karen Fukuhara, Tomer Capone, Dominique McElligott, Aya Cash, and Colby Minifie). However, all performances are stellar. There isn’t one specific actor who carries the whole show or steals every scene (although Starr can be the most mesmerising). As an ensemble, they all have a role to play, and they play it scarily and consistently well.

Every episode is an intense mix of gratuitous violence, gore, sex, nudity, language, and drug use. Characters engage in orgies, bodies are mutilated and torn apart, heads are blown clean off, religious views are ridiculed, and political agendas are exploited. There are supes who are sexist, supes who are homophobic, supes who are racist, supes who are ableist, and supes cloaked in woke ideology purely for the purpose of infiltration and manipulation.

That being said, and for a show that always feels one scene away from being banned, 'The Boys' has shown incredible restraint when it comes to its ending. Five seasons was what was planned, and five seasons is what it’ll be. Despite top ratings for each season, a loyal fanbase, rich source material, and the potential to introduce dozens more supes and storylines, 'The Boys' can clearly see the value of quitting while it's ahead, and I salute them for it.

I’m confident that the fifth and final season will be f**king diabolical, and I can’t wait!

[bibaybe]

Miyata Rika

FANDOM: Alice in Borderland

FIC SERIES: Knife's Edge

ENTERS: S1 EP2

FACE CLAIM: Karen Fukuhara

CHARACTER TYPE: Main Character

AGE: 24

GENDER: Cis Woman

SEXUALITY: Pansexual

LOVE INTEREST: Daikichi Karube, Morizono Aguni, Shuntarō Chishiya(endgame)

All Rika wanted was to grab a book from the libaray. Should have been a simple task, but all she did was blink and, all at once, she was alone. All the people she'd been slipping her way through were gone in an instant. Suddenly alone and without any electricity, cell signal, or hearing aid, Rika began the search for others in this alternate Tokyo, desperate to find anyone. Soon enough she stumbled upon, and won, her first game, beginning to learn the rules of the Borderland. But the basics weren't enough for her - she wanted to understand how, and why, she was here. So when a man calling himself the Hatter invites her to a place called the Beach, touting its luxurious lifestyle and goal to collect all the cards, Rika is quick to take him up on his offer. But the Beach is dangerous for a woman, especially one who's hard of hearing, and Rika quickly decides she needs someone to be her ears, to want to protect her with her limitations. Seducing the stoic military leader Aguni is a strategic choice, with his high standing and close relationship with the Hatter. But when she starts to notice Chishiya around the Beach, he piques her interest in a way no one else has. When she approaches Kuina and him about being a double agent so they can steal the cards and get out themselves, the two are surprised but accept her offer. Working with Chishiya bring up unbidden emotions, feelings she can't risk showing when she's with Aguni. But when it comes down it, all Rika wants is to get back home and she'll do whatever it takes to get back there. No matter who's in her way.

Pinterest / Playlist / Tag

If you have any questions about Miyata Rika, feel free to drop an ask! 

[noxtms]

dear allie ; we are pleased to inform you that your applications for SAKURA NAKAMURA & ADAH LAL have been accepted to 𝐧𝐨𝐱 ! karen fukuhara & sobhita dhulipala are now taken. you have twenty four hours to submit your account/s, or else your role/s will be reopened !

⧼   karen fukuhara, non-bio, she/they   /   THE GREY by bad omens + the blood runs cold in your veins, sharp as the edge of a blade. the nakamura legacy whispers through your bones, a heritage of power that cannot be denied. / your hands are weapons, your smile a calculated invitation. you've learned early that charm is just another form of manipulation, and you wield it with surgical precision. every gesture calculated, every word a potential trap. the dark mark on your skin is not just a brand, but a promise — to yourself, to your lineage, to the cause that burns within you. / the night is your canvas, and chaos your preferred palette. you move with a predator's grace, understanding that true power lies not in volume, but in the quiet moments before the storm breaks. your eyes — inherited, inherited, inherited — they hold secrets darker than the depths of forbidden magic.   ⧽   ━━   hey, isn’t that SAKURA NAKAMURA? i read a daily prophet article on them, once ; the 26 year old pure blood WITCH is a SLYTHERIN  alumnus who has gone on to be a ARTIFACTS DEALER. i’ve heard they can be quite CHARISMATIC  & INTELLIGENT, but i don’t know… they came off very MANIPULATIVE  & IMPULSIVE in that interview. it really is hard to know what to believe these days though, isn’t it?  [   allie, 21, est, she/her ]

⧼   sobhita dhulipala, cis female, she/her   /   WORK SONG by hozier + the edges of your identity are sharp as obsidian, carved by calculated precision and quiet rebellion. ravenclaw taught you that knowledge is a weapon, and you've learned to wield it with surgical expertise. your mother's wisdom whispers through your veins—strategic, uncompromising—while your father's restless spirit dances beneath your skin. / constellation of contradictions: soft-spoken yet thunderous, analytical yet wildly unpredictable. the order saw in you not just a witch, but a tactician—someone who understands that true power lies not in grand gestures, but in selected silence. / your laugh is rare. your trust, rarer still. you collect secrets like some collect artifacts, understanding that information is the most dangerous magic of all. every calculated movement, every measured breath—a deliberate choice. you are not defined by the expectations pressed upon you, but by the boundaries you choose to demolish.  ⧽   ━━   hey, isn’t that ADAH LAL? i read a daily prophet article on them, once ; the 28 year old pure blood WITCH is a RAVENCLAW alumnus who has gone on to be a CURSE-BREAKING SPECIALIST AT GRINGOTTS. i’ve heard they can be quite ANALYTICAL & PRINCIPLED, but i don’t know… they came off very DETACHED EMOTIONALLY & STUBBORN in that interview. it really is hard to know what to believe these days though, isn’t it?  [   allie, 21, est, she/her ]

[portumhq]

hi! if it's not too much to ask, could the members + admins please share their mwf? poc preferred, thank you!

okay,  i  took  my  sweet  time  to  collect  these  names  from  our  members  and  this  is  what  we  have !   some  of  our  most  wanted  fem  fcoc  are   :   aditi  rao  hydari,  alexandra  shipp,  alisha  wainwright,  amita  suman,  angela  sarafyan,  anna  lambe,  antoinette  robertson,  anya  chalotra,  bae  suzy,  baifern  pimchanok,  brenda  song,  brianne  tju,  camille  hyde,  chase  sui  wonders,  coco  jones,  bruna  marquezine,  deepika  padukone,  dewanda  wise,  dichen  lachman,  eva  noblezada,  geraldine  viswanathan,  gina  torres,  jessica  henwick,  jane  de  leon,  jodie  turner - smith,  jung  hoyeon,  karen  fukuhara,  karruche  tran,  kathryn  bernardo,  kerry  washington,  kim  doyeon,  lucy  liu,  lupita  nyong'o,  maddison  jaizani,  maggie  q,  maris  racal,  ming  xi,  minnie  mills,  moon  gayoung,  nadine  lustre,  namtan  tipnare,  natasha  liu  bordizzo,  nathalie  emmanuel,  nathalie  kelley,  ni  ni,  pallavi  sharda,  patti  harrison,  phillipa  soo,  sandra  oh,  sherry - lee  watson,  sofia  boutella,  sofia  carson,  sonoya  mizuno,  summer  bishil,  sydney  park,  tati  gabrielle,  tessa  thompson,  tripti  dimri,  wakeema  hollis,  yandeh  sallah,  yaya  dacosta,  zion  moreno  &  zorzo  natharuetai.

[nottinghillhq]

welcome to notting hill artemis & rachael, we’re super excited to have you here, you’ve got twenty-four hours to send in your account!

⸻  KAREN FUKUHARA. SHE/HER / have you ever heard of BUBBLEGUM BITCH by marina, well, it describes HIKARI SAITO to a tee! the thirty one year old, and EMPLOYEE OF HOLLY’S SWEET TREATS was spotted browsing through the stalls at portobello road market last sunday, do you know them? would you say SHE is more unhurried or more FOLKSY  instead? anyway, they remind me of a near insatiable sweet tooth, late night discord calls, untied shoelaces and sleeping through your alarm, maybe you’ll bump into them soon! [ ARTEMIS ]

⸻  JOHN GALLAGHER JR. HE/HIM  / have you ever heard of I WISH I COULD GO BACK TO COLLEGE by avenue q obc, well, it describes JAMES ‘JIMMY’ BRUMEIER to a tee! the thirty seven year old, and DESK CLERK was spotted browsing through the stalls at portobello road market last sunday, do you know them? would you say HE is more unproductive or more BOYISH instead? anyway, they remind me of crooked ties, coffee ring stains on a nice desk, unruly hair no matter how many times you comb it and never really wanting to grow up, maybe you’ll bump into them soon! [ ARTEMIS ]

⸻  LAURA HARRIER. SHE + HER / have you ever heard of eyes closed by ed sheeran, well, it describes GUINEVERE ‘GUIN’ JUDD to a tee! the thirty-three year old, and kindergarten teacher was spotted browsing through the stalls at portobello road market last sunday, do you know them? would you say she is more sheltered or more poised instead? anyway, they remind me of a different sundress for every day of the week, quiet voices to calm down the entire room, freshly picked flowers displayed on her desk, and the chaos that comes with arts and crafts, maybe you’ll bump into them soon! [RACHAEL]

⸻  CHRISTIAN SERRATOS. SHE + THEY / have you ever heard of show me what i’m looking for by carolina liar, well, it describes ARIZONA NAVARRO to a tee! the thirty year old, and self defense and boxing instructor at knock out gym was spotted browsing through the stalls at portobello road market last sunday, do you know them? would you say she/they are more guarded or more strong instead? anyway, they remind me of boxing gloves tossed to the floor in frustration, baggy shirts with the sleeves cut off, tears wiped away without being noticed, and the smell of burning incense, maybe you’ll bump into them soon! [RACHAEL]

⸻  GRACIE ABRAMS. SHE + THEY / have you ever heard of something that i want by grace potter, well, it describes BRIAR MORRIGAN to a tee! the twenty-three year old, and bartender at hammond’s pub was spotted browsing through the stalls at portobello road market last sunday, do you know them? would you say she/they are more reckless or more driven instead? anyway, they remind me of broken guitar strings curling back and snagging at your skin, uproarious laughter at inappropriate times, beaten up hi-top converse that need to be tossed out, and dramatic eye rolls, maybe you’ll bump into them soon! [RACHAEL]

⸻  MIKEY MADISON. SHE + HER / have you ever heard of august by taylor swift, well, it describes AUGUST ‘AUGGIE’ HENSON to a tee! the twenty-four year old, and ticket taker at electric cinema and aspiring screenwriter was spotted browsing through the stalls at portobello road market last sunday, do you know them? would you say she is more reclusive or more outlandish instead? anyway, they remind me of empty bags of popcorn abandoned on the coffee table, a collection of DVDs sorted alphabetically, a typewriter on its last legs, and empty movie theaters, maybe you’ll bump into them soon! [RACHAEL]

⸻  RACHEL ZEGLER. SHE + HER / have you ever heard of go the distance by roger bart, well, it describes WILLOW CORREA to a tee! the twenty-two year old, and musical theater student was spotted browsing through the stalls at portobello road market last sunday, do you know them? would you say she is more overly-optimistic or more bubbly instead? anyway, they remind me of music blasting for a random dance party, notebooks half-full of lecture notes, a collection of stuffed animals, and disney movie marathons, maybe you’ll bump into them soon! [RACHAEL]

[vminvisiblestring]

its been over a year but theyre finally coming back to me in 10 days 😭

[yagodichjagodic]

▫️Mon Coeur▫️

Because I love Frenchie & Kimiko 🖤

IG: theidolcollective

[vilmublue]

I'm still salty how underrated Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts (2020) is and how a lot of people don't even know it exists. It has great characters, music (really, it's a bop!) and story as well as POC and LGBTQ+ representation. It's based on Radford Sechrist's comic, which story was adapted and continued in cartoon form.

The story takes place over 200 years after the apocalypse (which specifics are intentionally kept largely a mystery) that mutated animals and forced the surviving humans into hiding underground. The animals have mutated in a variety of ways, some sapient and some not, some with extra body parts and some kaiju-sized. Collectively they are known as Mutes and the humans fear them.

Kipo Oak, a cheerful 13-year-old science-loving teenager (voiced by Glimmer's VA Karen Fukuhara) ends up on the surface for the first time in her life after her hidden home underground gets attacked. She befriends a tough and independent 10-year-old orphan girl who could kill a bitch Kipo dubs "Wolf" for the pelt she wears, and a 16-year-old music-loving boy Benson who like Wolf survives on the dangerous surface but has a much more laid-back outlook and is even best friends with a seemingly immortal bug Mute named Dave (who thanks to some bizzare biology repeatedly keeps switching between baby, teen, adult, super adult, elderly and cocoon forms.) Kipo's goal is to find her way back to her dad and people, while avoiding Mutes who want to hunt down any humans they can find, as a mysterious villain really wants to collect remaining humans for some purposes. On the way, it's starting to seem like Kipo isn't entirely human herself...

Some of the many colorful Mutes include mobster frogs, lumberjack cats, dupstep bees, science-nerd wolves, rocker snakes, biker skunks and K-pop narwhals (yes, K-pop narwhals.) The massive non-sapient ones are known as Mega-Mutes, including for example, bunnies with 8 legs and 10 ears, and your usual playful dogs except that they just happen to have multiple eyes and feet and are 50 feet tall.

Rad Sechrist planned a sequel movie about 17-year-old Wolf, but unfortunately Netflix's been a massive dick to him from the start and pushing back. He's made a platform with some other creators known as Project City, described as "like several small creator owned studios banding together", and currently has an animated movie project named The Brave War.

[cherryfinolahobbes]

Emmy Wu || OC || NPC

Emmy Wu

Birth place: Kamar Taj

Parents: Unknown

current FC *subject to change* - Karen Fukuhara

Strengths: eldritch whips, ancient language/spell casting

Signature (weapon created from magic) : Sickle and chain

***

Emmy Wu is one of the few natural born citizens of Kamar Taj. Raised in the traditional communal ways of the Heavenly Kingdom, Emmy trained to be a sorceress since she could practically walk. Her mother died during the Kaecilius Rebellion and her father was never revealed. As most natural descents, she is a highly gifted magic user and becomes the apprentice to the Sorcerer Supreme Wong, where she leaves Kamar Taj to begin duties at the New York Sanctum.

She has a special ear for language, both human and otherworldly and it aids her in casting powerful spells since she was young. It doesn't she's had access to two of the largest mystic libraries since the destruction of Cagliostro's (Kamar Taj's and Stephen Strange's personal collection).

***

Emmy has a very close connection with Cherry Hobbes. When Wong learned the difficulty Cherry was having with Pepper's pregnancy because of her own infertility, he took to her Kamar Taj and the younglings where she quickly became an adopted mother by the children.

There she met Emmy when she was three.

After Tony's death and during her healing, Cherry would spend several weeks in Kamar Taj and bond even more closely with the young Sorceress. While Emmy was raised by the old Masters with the other children on Kamar Taj, she definitely would consider Cherry as a mother figure in her life.

Wong has been Sorcerer Supreme since Emmy could remember. She wants him to be proud of her and is very excited at the chance to serve as his apprentice and learn under him and the Sanctum Master, Doctor Stephen Strange and to see the world beyond the Heavenly Kingdoms.

She is aware of the rumors that the Sorcerer Supreme could be her father, but she's never been able to screw up the courage to ask him. Wong himself honestly doesn't know, although if he was hard pressed, he'd admit that the timing of his last time with the young girl's mother and her birth are very very close.

***

Emmy is a muse that most of my partners meet if Wong takes them to Kamar Taj. Emmy is a curious and talented 8 year old Youngling who wants to be the best sorceress and mighty warrior Kamar Taj has seen. (I am still hunting for a proper child FC, but haven't found any yet. Any suggestions are welcome!).

I'm not interested in bringing her on as a playable character (I enjoy child muses in small doses, but playing them for extended periods of time drains me) but I enjoy having her appear in my threads as she brings a lot to the table for Wong and Cherry. Cherry who sees Emmy as a psudo- daughter but tries to respect the boundaries Wong places and Wong who tries very hard to keep his distance and authority with Emmy, wanting to preserve the culture he grew up inside, but finds a paternal bond with the young sorceress he doesn't have with the other younglings.

I haven't played her any older than eight and haven't done anything with her going to Kamar Taj and becoming Wong's apprentice (as that would happen almost three to four years in the future)

[walkwithheroes84]

The Boys: Season 2 Thoughts

I had to wait eight weeks (though I’ve been checking out the tags and reposting gif sets), but I was finally able to sit down and binge season two of The Boys. I have to be honest: I’m not sure I loved - or even liked - the directions they went with certain characters/stories. However, it was a solid season and it felt like the closing on an arc in a comic. It felt complete enough that we could end there - at least for a year or so - and still have plenty to come back to in 2022/2023.

Spoilers for Season Two Follow!

The Seven:

-I have to start with Stormfront. I have never read the comics, but I have read the Wikipedia, so I went in knowing that - despite the changes - Stormfront is a Nazi in the comics. And, she was a Nazi in the show. She (smartly) changed with the times - building social media followers, playing on the weakness of others, using an ‘us vs. them’ story for almost everything. She was savvy. I’m 100% sure she was using Homelander and that her plan was to use Ryan and all her lab!Supes to form a new Nazi party. When Maeve (a bi woman), Kimiko (a WOC), and Annie (a woman whose assault she mocked) ganged up to beat the shit out of her? Poetic Justice. Only made better by the fact that it was Ryan, her “White Savior” who basically destroyed her. (I don’t want to say kill, because I think she could be alive.) The only thing that would have made it better is if someone in that group was Jewish. (Side note: The fact that Aya Cash is Jewish, but played such a convincing Nazi - that speaks to her talent.)

-We can’t talk about Stormfront without bringing in Homelander. We know he craves love above all else. He wants to be worshipped. He feels he deserves it. In many ways he is a spoiled child. Stormfront played him like a fiddle, in my opinion. Do I think he cared for Ryan? Uh, only because Ryan is his son and appears to have his powers - Ryan is someone he could have molded to be a Homelander 2.0. But, I don’t think Homelander is capable of real - selfless - love. I just don’t. 

- I can be totally honest. . . as much as I love Antony Starr and Aya Cash - there was just way too much Homelander and Stormfront this season. I understand why their stories took up so much screen time, but I didn’t care for their characters and I actually am starting to find Homelander a little one note. He wants to be loved and will do anything to be loved. He also feels that he can do anything he wants. Again, he’s a child. I feel they will need to do something fresh with him in season three or give him less screen time to keep him from getting stale.  

-Let me briefly touch on  the Church of the Collective. I suppose, in the end, it was a season-long set up to explain how the Boys got the Nazi information on Stormfront. Though, woman is keeping her memorable and photos in her room...so, it didn’t really seem like she was trying super hard to hide her past. I thought they might be being set up to be some kind of major player in season three - they do have dirt on Supes and they work with Vought International  and the government - but,  Alastair Adana is dead and the Deep is there. . .so, unless the plan is for the Deep to take over the church...? 

-Speaking of The Deep, in my overview/review of last season, I mentioned that the show could either try to redeem him or have him go fully dark. And, the show surprised me by having him go in-between. Like, he still knows he’s a screwup and he still wants back in The Seven. He’ll do anything to get back in. However, I don’t seem him redeemed in any major way nor do I think he’s intelligent enough to be considered a dark character. Guy is just a mess. I have to be honest - I do wonder if the writers know what to do with the character. 

-A-Train may have only helped Annie and Hughie for selfish reasons, but he still helped. . . so, okay. I’ll give it a bit of a pass. As he said: Hugh saved him in season 1 and he gave them information in season 2 - they are even and it goes back to square one. They aren’t enemies, but they aren’t friends. I liked A-Train more during this season, but he really wasn’t given too much to do. 

- Maeve got more screen time! Her relationship with Elena was explored! She, as a person, was explored!  I understand that she isn’t going to suddenly become a true hero. She’s become too jaded for that. However, she will still try and do the right thing and I love that about her. 

-I really grew to love Annie this season. That is all. I still am not a huge shipper of Annie/Hugh, but they are very sweet together. 

- Lamplighter should not have been killed off so soon. I would have liked to his his guilt and his character explored more. 

-This truly was the season of The Seven with Homelander, Stormfront, Maeve, and Annie being moved to the front of the storylines. I liked it, but I REALLY missed....

The Boys:

-I’m sorry, but  Marvin T. "Mother's" Milk (MM) is a wonderful human being. He still needs more screen time and a bit more development, but I love that they used him a bit more this season. When he went home to his daughter? Please let him be with his family until the end of 3.01/middle of 3.02. Just let the man watch his shows and make his dollhouses and be happy. 

- Hugh came into his own this season, and that was wonderful. I am interested to see where his working for his working for Victoria Neuman will go. Especially as he is trying to take down Vought in a legal way, but his new boss is secretly exploding heads.

-Kimiko! My heart ached for her so much this season. She found her brother and found that he had become so brainwashed and full of hate and than she lost him. She pushed Frenchie away and became an assassin for the mob. Her truest friend, Frenchie, pulled away from her. But, in the end she helped take down Stormfront and she and Frenchie literally danced off together. Kimiko didn’t get that much screen time after 2.03, but what she did get -  Karen Fukuhara used. 

-Frenchie also got some great development this season. I’m still going to call him Frenchie, even if his name is  Serge. It was great that he realized that a part of the reason he focused in on protecting Kimiko was because he has failed to protect others. When he told her he would leave her alone? Aw, no - just back off a bit. And he did, and she taught him her language! 

-Frenchie x Kimiko are my couple on this show and they need to dive into that “It’s not sexual and it’s not quite romantic, but it’s way more than friendship/family” thing they have going on. 

-Let’s talk Butcher. He’s selfish. He is. He was willing to give up Ryan to get Becca back. But, he’s not heartless. He couldn’t separate his wife from her son. And, while I think he might have killed Ryan if Homelander hadn’t shown up - he gave Ryan to people who will try and keep him safe and shape him into a good person. Do I think he’ll go dark because of Becca’s death? Probably. If they follow the comics (which they aren’t anymore, but they may want to follow overall character stories), he’ll have to go dark.  I’m sad they killed Becca - she could have just gone with Ryan. But, it will be interesting to see if Butcher takes up the offer to work secretly for the government. 

Season Three Predictions/Hopes:

- I think the show will fast forward a bit. We’ll see The Seven as heroes in public, but all facing their own issues in private. We may see other Supe teams. 

- I think The Boys will be separated for a bit: Hughie working for Neuman, MM with his family, Frenchie and Kimiko off on their own, Butcher doing his own thing. And something will happen that will cause them all to come back together. 

[ty-talks-comics]

The Boys Season 1 Review and Comparison

This was so cathartic.

In an age where we’re inundated with superhero media on all fronts with their bright colors, cheery jokes and positive outlooks, it’s easy to slowly become sick of it, feel the “superhero fatigue” as it were. Where Marvel ruins some stories with far too many jokes (looking at you Thor: Ragnarok) and DC is far too dreary and serious for its own good with a lack of levity, where can one turn to for a GOOD happy medium?

Well, in comes Seth Rogan and Evan Gold, the brilliant minds behind the amazing adaptation of Preacher with yet another brutal and slightly more cynical series. The Boys absolutely stuns not only by being a genuinely compelling series, but also by being one of the few adaptations that improves on the original medium in a few aspects.

Story

The story centers around Hughie Campbell and the titular Boys as they work to expose the horrific deeds of The Seven, a collective of the world's greatest superheroes, and the company that sponsors them, Vought American.

In this world, superheroes are everywhere. They're on breakfast cereals, TV shows, movies, pretty much every piece of media and entertainment imaginable while also protecting America from crime. Sounds familiar, huh? The kicker here is that, much like every asshole celebrity that lets the fame and fortune go to their heads, these heroes are massive cunts. They take performance enhancing drugs, routinely cause accidents that hurt or kill people, sexually harass people left and right and just lie to their adoring public like they’re children.

Unlike the books, however, The Boys team isn’t the well oiled machine that’s been taking down and blackmailing superheroes for years and the first four episodes are spent introducing the different team members.This is likely due to wanting to give people time to care about them individually and the limited number of episodes in the season. This definitely works in also retooling the characters themselves for TV since they may not have seventy-two issues of character development ahead of them

For the most part, the show follows the initial story beats of the comics with a few select differences before splintering off in an entirely new direction. Hughie’s girlfriend still gets blown apart by A-Train, he denies Vought America’s hush money which draws the attention of Billy Butcher and Starlight joins the Seven after the “death” of the hero Lamplighter. 

This also means that there's less time to focus on smaller plotlines and teams that are referenced to in passing dialogue like the Teenage Kix, a pastiche on the Teen Titans, or Payback, the number two group of superheroes to The Seven. While seeing the team take these guys down on the small screen would have been fun, I like the idea of keeping the plot focused on just the core group of antagonists. This way, we don’t have to slog through three or four seasons of small fry and get the big bads in the last few.

After the first half, fans of the comic may start to feel a little bit of the familiar, but then things start to take a drastic turn when Billy's pride and the rest of the teams sloppiness gets them all burned and branded wanted criminals. This never happens in the books because The Boys are funded and protected by the CIA, but here they’re just another group of concerned citizens that are completely in over their heads, adding to the tension and keeping everyone guessing as to what will happen for the rest of the season and in Season 2.

Themes

The original series was written during the latter years of the Bush Administration. Tensions were high and America was still embroiled in the Iraq War. The president was a simpering fool and companies were fucking people over left and right in the name of patriotism. Reality TV and the awful personalities on our screens were on nearly every channel and all of this only fueled the anger that is Garth Ennis’ pen and Darick Robertson’s pencils. It was a product of its time and it was perfect.

We’re now in the Information Age where superheroes and social media are the only things that matter in everyone’s mind, where women’s empowerment is stronger than ever and our leaders speak bombastically with shit eating grins full of lies. Rogen and Goldberg have kept the series modern and take everything to task.

Media. Marvel and DC are everywhere nowadays with some indie companies managing to scrape up their own part of the pie. The Boys makes fun of the seemingly endless cycle of sequels and the goody-two-shoes images of America’s favorite heroes. Everything is carefully managed and curated by a media team, similar to how Disney micromanages even the smallest details of their properties to make everything so sickeningly squeaky clean. 

Not only do the heroes stop crime, but they star in their own movies about themselves as well, some have sponsorships for shoes and have to compete with each other for everything. Almost everything is done for the cameras, even intimate moments whenever Vought can find a way to make it work. The heroes are never too far from the spotlight even when they want to be and oftentimes their acts can go viral without them knowing.

Sexual Assault. In the comics, Starlight is sexually assaulted by Homelander, Black Noir and A-Train in a gross scene to establish that there’s nothing good in that world. It was good for its time in its own dark way, but today there are absolutely consequences to such things as there should have been back then. In the show, Starlight is assaulted by The Deep, her childhood crush, alone. 

It’s dark and makes use of the imbalance of power as The Deep threatens to have her kicked off of the team. Soon after, Starlight comes forward with what happens to her, not allowing herself to let what happened stand and unlike in the books, The Deep gets his comeuppance. Though this also unfortunately leading to him getting assaulted as well. It’s powerful and allows for Starlight to move what could have been an image of weakness, though Vought uses this to their advantage as well, painting her a feminist icon. Best for business right?

Politics. While not everything has to be an allegory for Trump, it’s hard to say that Homelander isn’t just that. He’s what the president thinks he is, a strong, blonde haired man that the entire country loves. Homelander has the people eating out of the palm of his hands and he’s only feeding them shit. He hates the common man and will just as easily let many die if it can somehow serve his interests. He’s not above a little sexual harassment himself and he is just an evil bastard.

There’s also a subplot of military application of superheroes that I feel mirrors the discussion on the use of drones in war. Drones are absolutely deadly and have caused the deaths of hundreds, even innocents when things have gone really wrong. Even President Obama was criticized for how reckless and dangerous their use could be. The world could only imagine the hell that would rain down if superheroes were allowed to duke it out over national security.

Characters

The Boys as a comic series was an unrepentantly cynical take on the superhero genre in an established universe of heroes. The creator, Garth Ennis, didn’t grow up with many superheroes and actually felt disrespected by a few of them, like Captain America. He brought on the amazing Darick Robertson and other artists to realize this horrid world of drugs, hardcore sex and brutal violence. Many of the stories are fun and hilarious, but with the unfortunate feeling of a lot of them feeling one note due to the one dimensional nature of a lot of the “heroes” and the ever escalating level of black humor to the point of being cartoonish.

Our main character cast is absolutely fantastic. Jack Quiad’s Hughie is much like his comic counterpart, aside from being like six feet tall and not Scottish. He’s surprisingly smart with a lot of awkwardness about him. He has a good heart and doesn’t see ALL superheroes as being evil, but does have a slight sense of justice that wants to see The Seven and Vought taken down. 

Karl Urban’s Butcher was the absolute perfect casting choice. He’s got that wry British wit, the fury to capture Butcher’s rage against supes and can play a manipulator like nobody's business. His character arc is one of the few regressions that I can actually appreciate for how it's done, especially as things become more fucked because of him and how he chooses to blame everyone else.

Everyone else is a slight bit of an improvement over the comics versions. The Frenchman, played by Tomer Capon, is similar to his comics counterpart, but we’re given reason to care about him and The Female. In the comics, Frenchie and the Female knew each other prior, but I don’t think it’s ever revealed how they met or became close. In the show Frenchie frees The Female, played by Karen Fukuhara, from thugs that had been keeping her prisoner and he slowly gains her trust over the course of the next few episodes after her introduction. We see their friendship grow, learn a little bit of her backstory and get a better understanding of what she wants versus just following Frenchie around and being terrifyingly adorable.

Annie January aka Starlight, played by Erin Moriarty, is probably the second best change in character in the series. She starts out as a bright eyed, bushy tailed hero looking to do good, but after being sexually assaulted on her first day in The Seven, decides that it will never happen again. In the comics, Annie stays around in The Seven and takes the abuse for a little while before speaking out and fighting back against the rest of them. What makes things even better, not only does she challenge her uber Christian beliefs during an event sponsored by Vought, but she does so while also getting Vought to force her abuser into giving a public apology at the mere thought of her causing their stock prices to crash.

Consequently, Mother’s Milk, portrayed by Laz Alonso, one of the most layered characters in the comics isn’t made better, but the more ridiculous aspects of is character have been toned down. We don’t hear of his disabled mother and his addiction to her breast milk that fuels his own superpowers, nor is his wife a crack addict that makes pornos with their daughter. He’s simply a reliable member of the team that loves his wife and will give Butcher the truth when he’s acting like an asshole.

The series actually brings a lot of grey to most of these characters. A-Train never once shows remorse for his actions in the books, but in the show he's painted as kind of sympathetic, while still being seen as a monster for what he does and the reasons behind them. The Deep could go either way after his actions with a redemption arc or a full turn to villain, but is shown to be knowingly aware of how little regard there is for him. He calls himself a "diversity hire" and acknowledges his own ineptitude, but he's still an absolutely terrible person.

Queen Maeve may be one of my favorite changes that manages to be even more sympathetic than her already pretty great comic counterpart. She, much like Starlight, did want to change the world, but she let the apathy and jaded nature of the job take her over. She's an alcoholic that sees a bit of herself in Starlight. The change comes in how she reacts to what I think might be Homelander's most heinous act in the show. She shows far more remorse and guilt over what happens than she does in the comic, showing us a side of her makes you want to root for her and to see her get better.

The best character… dear Lord, is Homelander, played by Anthony Starr. Homelander is a bastard. The worst thing imaginable because of his sheer strength and power. He’s a sociopath with all of the powers of Superman and none of the goodness. In the comics he’s simply just another asshole. 

He’s the most powerful of the Seven and absolutely revels in the hedonistic lifestyle that he’s accustomed to while also hating being under the rule of Vought. In the show, he’s shown as being supportive to Vought, especially it’s current Senior VP of Hero Management, Madelyn Stillwell. He has something of a mommy fetish as shown with his interactions with her and later in the series actually expresses emotions over learning of his own tragedies, but instead of trying to change for the better, he doubles down on his hatred and anger to become an even bigger monster than before. 

In the comic he just wants all of the superheroes to conquer the world, but here, he just wants to hurt everyone who hurts him. He plays games like a child, threatening and revealing secrets to toy with people before absolutely breaking them. He's horrible in a very personal way and his sneering smile only makes him so much more hateable. He knows there isn't a damn thing you can do to stop him and he revels in that fact, I love it.

Pacing and Direction

Coming in at an hour for each episode, the first two to three can feel a bit slow. Getting all of the story elements to sit just right can take time, especially as new things are introduced every few minutes. This slow burn approach easily helps to build the tension before things get really crazy by episode four. By that point, the story is unfolding at a perfect rhythm, the team is mostly together, they’ve made their plans of action and it’s all so smooth.

Thankfully each episode is directed by different people to avoid each feeling so similar. The common humor and tone is kept the same, but some episodes are very hopeful almost before being met with one that absolutely makes you hate certain characters and the actions that they take. In particular, the episode where Hughie and Butcher visit a group therapy session and Butcher flies off into a rage about the weakness of the attendees as they basically lick the balls of the heroes that have maimed them was amazing. The director pulls so much emotion out of that scene and continues on as the episode moves along in a far more dramatic fashion than some of the others.

Some others lean heavier on the debauchery such as the episode where Hughie and Butcher venture into a superhero sex club and watch as these guys do some pretty amazing feats with their abilities in some really gross ways. There’s a good balance of levity and drama that makes neither feel too overwhelming.

Overall

With a great cast, impeccable acting and an unpredictability that I actually enjoyed, The Boys absolutely blew me away. I was wholly prepared to rip it apart if I felt like it didn’t do the story justice, but Rogen and Goldberg are fans and knew what we all wanted. It’s unabashedly a comic book show, but still has enough to it that people who have never heard of the series will be floored by how much they can find to enjoy.

It’s for the nihilistic and jaded comic book fan. It’s for the casual watcher who’s gotten enough of Marvel’s colorful displays of happiness and it’s absolutely for the happy person who just wants to have some fun with what they watch. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this season of The Boys. So much so that I’m aching with anticipation to re-read the comic series in preparation for Season Two. It’s unlikely that it’ll follow the plot much, if at all after the ending, but with Stormfront (as a woman) being announced as the new Hero joining the Seven in the next season, I’m excited as to who else they might pull. This first season absolutely earns a high recommendation from me.

[vanaglori-ah]

Pass the happy! When you receive this list 5 things that make you happy and send this to 10 of the last people in your notifications 😙✨

aslmdfkfdg thanks so much fuji!! so here are 5 things that make me happy.

01. films / tv - i absolutely LOVE films to the point that it's my major. and i love watching them. i love watching new ones, bad ones, great ones. yesterday i saw bullet train and the amount of serotonin i got from watching? AMAZING! i came out of the theater so much happier than when i went in lol found my new antidepressant

02. video games - but particularly, rpgs, visual novels, gacha, and tactical based games. some of my favorites are litg (obviously), twisted wonderland, fire emblem, spider-man ps4, and genshin impact.

03. mystery boxes / smiskis - they're a waste of money but i absolutely love collecting little trinkets and toys! i have spent a lot of money on smiskis in particular (they look like this). they are absolutely the CUTEST and they glow in the dark too!! i love putting them around my bed and they just hang out there.

04. color coding - whether it's my notes or organizing my classes into certain colors in my planners. i have so much fun color coding! plus it looks better visually to me and it becomes an easy system to figure out which assignment or reading is for which class.

05. ocs - i love ocs and i particularly love making them!! i have so many and i always make an oc for a particular media i am currently into. my most recent one is my oc for the boys because the boys writers don't know how to write asian characters so i need to make an actually good asian character to make up for it. :') don't get me wrong, i love karen fukuhara and her character kimiko. but i can go on a whole rant about why kimiko is still problematic after her development and why people need to stop defending the writers and using excuses to shield them from criticism with how they handle kimiko (before and now).

[cinemasentries]

Universal City, California, October 16, 2020 – Get ready to laugh and bounce along with a family of misfit bobbleheads who must defend their home and themselves from scheming humans in the brand-new hilarious and heart-warming animated action-comedy, BOBBLEHEADS: THE MOVIE, premiering exclusively on Digital, DVD and On Demand on December 8, 2020 and streaming soon on Netflix from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

Presented by Universal 1440 Entertainment, a production arm of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, and produced by Threshold Entertainment, the fun-loving and uplifting adventure features an all-star cast of voices including Jennifer Coolidge (A Cinderella Story), Luke Wilson (Old School), Khary Peyton (“The Walking Dead”), Brenda Song (“The Suite Life with Zack & Cody”), Karen Fukuhara (“The Boys”), Julian Sands (Warlock) and Academy Award

®

-winning Cher. Get ready for a big shake-up when misfit bobbleheads take on trashy humans and a slobbery dog who crash their home with plans to swap a new baseball player bobblehead for a valuable one of them. With some guidance from Bobblehead Cher, they find the courage to bobble-up for an outrageous battle of wits and wobble.

Introducing fun and lovable feisty characters that fill the story with thrilling moments from beginning to end, BOBBLEHEADS: THE MOVIE is from Beauty and the Beast director Kirk Wise and Mortal Kombat producer Lawrence Kasanoff and will be available to own just in time for the holidays. Packed with heart and silly hijinks, this exciting all-new original film is sure to become a family favorite and fulfill a bobblehead’s simple purpose: to bring joy.

Produced in partnership with Microsoft and NVIDIA, the beautifully realized CGI animated film was created with NVIDIA GPUs on Azure Cloud, a state-of-the-art platform that allows for improved 3D-rendering and worldwide collaboration. The team behind the visual masterpiece was comprised of remarkable animators from across the globe including Los Angeles, Nepal, Mumbai and Kolkata.

Featuring new original score and songs written by Greg O’Connor and music supervised by Michael Lloyd, the BOBBLEHEADS: THE MOVIE soundtrack will be available digitally on December 4, 2020 from Back Lot Music.

With the purchase of BOBBLEHEADS: THE MOVIE on disc or digital, fans are eligible to earn points towards special rewards via the Universal All-Access Rewards program. Members can redeem their points for digital movies, signed collectibles, box sets, win exclusive prizes and more! For FREE registration and details please visit

www.MyUniversalRewards.com

.  

BOBBLEHEADS: THE MOVIE will be available on DVD and Digital.

DVD offers the flexibility and convenience of playing movies in more places, both at home and away.

Digital lets fans watch movies anywhere on their favorite devices. Users can instantly stream or download.

Movies Anywhere is the digital app that simplifies and enhances the digital movie collection and viewing experience by allowing consumers to access their favorite digital movies in one place when purchased or redeemed through participating digital retailers. Consumers can also redeem digital copy codes found in eligible Blu-rayTM and DVD disc packages from participating studios and stream or download them through Movies Anywhere.