#despite having pretty much nothing to do with what makes their site enjoyable. everyone is performing as jesters in their court of

[pinkfey]

tumblr’s merchandising team and the parasitic relationship they have with their userbase 😔

[putschki1969]

2022/09/06 Blog post by Wakana 雨の中ありがとうございました！〜楽しい大阪滞在記〜

❗This is Fan Club EXCLUSIVE content❗ ❗PERSONAL USE ONLY❗ Do ❗NOT SHARE❗ on other sites ❗Join her FAN CLUB! Check out my detailed TUTORIAL ❗

Thank you for coming despite the rain! 〜An Enjoyable Stay in Osaka〜

I got some pears a little while ago! (°▽°) There’s someone who always sends them to the agency, they are super delicious every year (*^^*) Thank you! One of them is this big(°▽°) Crazy, right?? It’s quite heavy too! But funnily enough, I can easily eat a whole fruit in one sitting 🙄← I can’t help it, I end up eating too much. This makes me feel like autumn is close…🎑 [Note: YAY, we got our pear pics just as expected. Wakana is quite vague about the generous donor but I wanna believe that these pears are from Hikaru]

Hello, this is Wakana (0￣▽￣0)／

It's going to be a little cooler from now on~. I'm super happy that because lately the air has been fresher and more comfortable in the evening😚♪

Well, last week I held my Billboard Live in OSAKA! I felt a strong urge to rattle the glittery curtain at the back of the stage. And this is what the venue looked like in the midst of preparation ♪ I was happy to see everyone being able to relax while attending both of my performances that day. I am truly grateful that we were all able to gather in this amazing venue, spend precious moments together, and share our love for music. I think it's nothing short of a miracle to be able to stand on stage together and perform with such talented musicians. I want everyone's faces to be engraved into my memories. I hope you can all treasure these memories forever in your hearts to look back on them fondly.I wanna come back to Osaka soon to see all of you again! Thank you very much for coming!! (*'▽'*)

And here we have the delicious Billboard meal I had after my performances (´ω｀) This time they had a buffet so I was greedy and put a ton of stuff on my plate! ! \\\\٩( 'ω' )و //// It was delicious〜〜〜〜❤️ I wonder what everyone else got to eat and drink? I got a glass of beer for myself. Even though I don’t usually drink it😂 I thought it was the most delicious drink in the world! It's amazing... wheat beer... 🥺🥺✨

Since my Osaka performances started pretty late in the day, we decided to stay overnight and return the next day. The next day, I wanted to use the opportunity and do some sightseeing! I was so excited that I asked all the members in the audience to tell me their recommendations. It was quite sunny the following day in Osaka even though there had been a big thunderstorm on the day of the event! 🌞 (Why is the weather like that...??!!) However, heavy rain was predicted for my shinkansen route and there was a high possibility of delays so we decided to take an early train home. Unfortunately that meant that I didn’t get a chance to check out any of your recommended places😭😭*sobs* There were a lot of people who took the trouble to send me a lot of recommendations on my social media, some of you even included a bunch of photos. I'm really sorry that I didn’t get to go to any of these places...😢 But next time!

By the way, I was thinking of going to this exhibition here [It Went Extinct For Some Reason] Sounds like a lot of fun! ? ! ? ? They apparently have a large collection of fossils and specimen...! Seems like it was a limited summer exhibtion ←So I am too late. I randomly found this little flyer in the taxi on my way to the train station and immediately thought, "This must be a message from God!" It’s very disappointing that I missed this, I really wanted to go😢 Oh well, I will continue to live my life dreaming of the day when I can eventually come back to Osaka! !

Well, next up is my Billboard Live YOKOHAMA this Friday, September 9th! I'm looking forward to seeing everyone in Yokohama! ! Please be patient a little while longer! (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o))) 

Until next time☆(*'▽'*)/

＊＊＊Wakana＊＊＊

[argumentl]

The Freedom of Expression, radio version - Ep 43, July 2016 - Inadequate election coverage by media, Increase in motiveless crime.

Kaoru starts this episode by saying how its still really hot. Joe mentions that its only going to get hotter over the next few weeks, and asks Kaoru if he hates Summer. Kaoru says he hates Summer and Winter. He prefers Spring and Autumn, and will absolutely not be attending any summer fireworks displays or other such summer events. Everyone has summer vacation time, so not matter where you go, its hot, and there are people everywhere. He hates this.

Kaoru then moves on to talk about the new single Utafumi, in particular the special site that has been set up for it. Upon entering the site, the phrase 3分10秒間の痛み (3mins10secs of pain) appears on screen. This short phrase gives off a kind of instant power, but Kaoru wonders what Joe actually thinks of the song. Firstly, says Joe, the song contains an effortless feel, and does have an instantaneous power to it. For some inexplicable reason, he also feels like the song is enjoyable to listen to. Joe also picks up on something that he said during his Rolling Stone interview with Kaoru the previous week, which is that Dir en grey is very multifaceted when it comes to expression. Just as there a many different angles from which to view a Picaso painting, Joe views Dir's music in the same way. He fell in love with its multi-dimensional sound after seeing the last tour and listening to Utafumi, and wants to delve deeper into it. Kaoru expresses his thanks at such words, and explains that Utafumi is a kind of step in the direction towards the new album. He asks everyone to look forward to that.

Next they welcome Tasai for the Tokyo Sports corner. The first thing Tasai does is apologise for Hiranabe bringing a young woman with him on the last show. To Tasai, its unthinkable to bring a girlfriend to work. Kaoru says he was honestly pretty shocked.

Tasai's first topic relates to the House of Councillors elections, and how all TV stations run election specials on the night after the election has finished. The tv personality Dave Spector has questioned why Japan never shows such election specials on TV before an election. Surely it would be better to get all the info out there to the voters before the election takes place? Joe elaborates on this problem by bringing up the movie 'Pacchigi!/Break through!', by director Izutsu Kazuyuki. Joe had talked with the producer of the movie, who is a Korean resident of Japan. The movie deals with the conflict between a Korean school in Japan and the local Japanese teens. The producer told Joe that advertising the movie was very tough. He had paid a lot of money to a certain tv station for a CM spot, and wanted to use a clip from the one of thr climaxes of the movie where the Korean female lead character (played by Sawajiri Erika) says to the Japanese boy who likes her, 'If you and I were to be together always, can you become Korean?'. Despite being approved by the ethics committee, the tv channel wouldn't accept it. When the movie was promoted on the radio, the director and producer pushed really hard to be able to play the Korean song 'Imjin River', which appears in the movie, but at the last minute, the radio station refused to play it. This illustrates that the media are the most conservative ones out there. Japan needs its media to change first before other change can happen. Tasai adds that there is no law forbidding detailed coverage before an election in Japan, this is entirely self imposed control. Although the likes of Ikegami Akira play an important role in bringing political issues to the forefront, there is still a large build up of frustration surrounding elections in Japan. Kaoru states that if the media did cover elections thoroughly before voting took place, they would be much easier to understand. Joe agrees, saying that if people developed an interest in the small details of the situation, it might be a catalyst for them to check out the actions of political parties in more depth. Kaoru replies that a lot more fishy businesses would come up to the surface if that was the case.

Tasai admits that there are other ways to get information, for example on the internet, but TV is still currently the big one. The only rule is that they are not allowed to tell viewers directly to vote for or not vote for a specific candidate. But there is nothing stopping them from presenting all the information there is, and telling viewers to make thier own decision before an election. Joe wonders which media outlet will ever be the first one to take this step. It will be a very important move if it happens. Tasai thinks it is currently still quite difficult for a tv station to be able to do this. He  also thinks that another important point in relation to the recent election is that young people didn't vote. Kaoru agrees, and says changes in the media would make everything easier to understand for them. Tasai says that in one previous House of Councillors election, the number of voters over age 60 was 12 million, wheras the number of voters in thier 20s in the same election was only 4million. The politicians are therefore always talking about the interests of the elderly..pensions etc, which people in thier 20s don't connect with. Tasai makes a plea for any listerners of this show who are in thier 20s to please go out and vote at election time. Kaoru echoes this sentiment. Joe say politics needs to be more future facing, and brings up the case of a country who did an experiment giving voting rights to 0 year old babies. Thier parents would vote for them in a way which they thought best represented thier future interests.

Kaoru coments that an online voting system is also needed to meet the reality of this younger generation. Tasai thinks that online voting will become a possibility in the near future. Joe comments that given the advanced state of technology in this day and age, an online voting system should not be that hard to organize. At the same time, Kaoru says he does enjoy going to vote in person at the local elementary school (*voting stations are often set up at elementary schools in Japan*), because he would never have any other opportunity to go into such a building, and he finds it quite nostalgic.

Tasai's next story is about a strange incident where a ballet teacher had her thumb cut off by a man. The man knew she would be alone at the ballet studio in the morning. He entered, strangled her till she passed out, and then cut off her thumb with a chisel. He must have had some kind of reason to do this, but no-one knows why. He apparently admitted he had wanted to cut off the little finger, but the ring finger got in the way, so he cut the thumb instead. Tasai doesn't understand why anyone would do this. No-one in the man's neighborhood knows anything about him, which makes him all the more odd. Kaoru comments that even though Japan is known for being a safe country, this kind of thing still happens. Joe asks Tasai if he has seen an increase in this kind of random crime in recent years as a reporter. Tasai says he definitely has. Crimes like murders etc used to be more clear cut in thier motives, such as wanting insurance money etc, but these days there seems to be a lot more thoughtless, maningless crime going on. Joe adds that a lot of these crimes have no apparent motive or end goal. Cases are also on the rise where crimes are commited against unrelated people. Tasai says this must have something to do with the environment people grow up in these days, but what exactly it is, he can't tell. This is unlike Hiranabe, who definitely had a motive for bringing that girl to the studio last week. *wink wink*.

To finish, Kaoru plugs the new jingle campaign, and says he might play some more entries on next week's show. Lastly, he wonders how Dobashi is doing in Rio and makes the realisation that if Dobashi never returns, Hiranabe will have to appear more often instead.

Songs - Dir en grey/Red Soil, Bauhaus/Hollow Hills, Dir en grey/Utafumi.

[zghostreviews]

Review of Soul Eater(2008)

Soul Eater is an anime/manga by Atsushi Okubo. The manga started in 2004 and ended in 2013 and the anime ran from 2008-2009 with a total of 51 episodes.

Summary(in my words): Soul Eater is anime that revolves around 7 students that go to DWMA, a school in Death City, Nevada, USA. DWMA is a school that weapons and meisters attend. Weapons are people that can turn into weapons (ie scythes, guns, swords) and meisters are those that can handle the weapon due to their soul wavelengths being compatible with each other. If a weapon devours the souls of 99 demons and one witch, they are able to become a Death Weapon, which proves proves to be difficult to achieve as we follow in the SE crew’s adventures.

Let’s get started with the review.

Ah,….2011…a time where it was just so, so, great to be a child. Everything was still so new around me, majority of sites hadn’t desolved into the clusterfucks they were yet. And YouTube wasn’t garbage yet. 9 yo me had just gotten their first laptop, which they’d gotten 2010 of Christmas day. I’d woken up very early in the cool morning and decided to just look around on YT a bit, there, I found it, the Soul Eater This Is Halloween AMV, and it was the original, and not one of the many reuploads that there are now. I watched it immediately fell in love just everything about it. I HAD to watch it. I searched up the show on YT and found episodes, some the entire episode, some divided the episode in parts. Wanna know what I felt?….

 PURE HYPE BOI!!!!!!

But 9 yo me had NO CLUE what a wild ride Soul Eater would be since this was their first time watching something they knew was anime, and not stuff I’d seen on TV like Dragon Ball, Yugioh, Beyblade, or Bakugan. Lemme just tell you it was indeed a wild ride, I became OBSESSED with Soul Eater. I memorized the OP Resonance, and my daily thing to do when I woke up? Go to the kitchen, grab a broom, go to dining room, start spinning broom around like Maka while yelling things like “Let’s go Soul Resonance!” or singing the opening theme…at 7 in the morning. I look back at that specific thing now and think, ‘wow my grandfather and uncle must have hated me for all that tbh’

Characters: 9/10 Probably would’ve been a 10/10 if I just didn’t despise Black Star as much as I did, looking back now, I think he was kinda okay as a character, I don’t him aaaaas much as I did as a kid.

But anyways here’s my reason for such a high score. The characters all had such distinct personalities, that just made them all seem so realistic, they act the way teenagers would in real life. There’s just something I love about that tbh.

Fanservice: The fanservice in this anime ngl made me realize I am very much gay. In the first episode, Blair had me like

And characters like Misune in her human form, and Medusa and Arachne I-

Listen y’all, I rewatched Soul Eater 3 times, and my thoughts are still the same. I had the biggest thing for these 4 characters as a kid, and I as a whole adult now, would probably simp for them despite 2 of the being literal scum of the earth.

Music: 10 outta fucking/10 Literally ALL of the music in this anime was a fucking BOP, like have y’all heard So Scandelous, or either of Death the Kid’s themes??? To this day it’s still so GREAT! It just fits the anime SO WELL!

Backstories: 8/10 The  backstories are pretty great, and some, pretty fucking depressing. HOWEVER, the anime does NOT delve into much of it at all since it ended before the manga finished. Plus we have the Gorgon sisters whose pasts are not all that touched upon living mysteries like “who the hell is Crona’s father” and “where were the Gorgons before now” to be asked

Ending: [Everyone Disliked That]/10 Just know that the last few episodes were fillers, they ran out of source material due the fact that the manga hadn’t gotten to it’s closure yet. Though that’s not the problem here. The problem was how they executed the ending as a whole. There was all this intense fighting against Asura only for it all to be ended simply with Maka just punching him square in the face. Nothing more than that, then boom, basically show ends right there, Asura, dies from the blow of the punch or some shit, and everyone goes on with their lives. 

Is the anime still worth watching regardless of the ending? Hard yes. Despite everything, the fillers actually served in making the series more enjoyable. I’d still recommend reading the manga as well since a lot more stuff happens and you’ll get the official closure which is MUCH better than the anime’s.

Quick Review:

Soul Eater NOT! (2014)

Rating: 4/10

Th…There was no purpose to this. Nobody asked for this. I read the manga AND watched the anime in its entirety. I have absolutely no clue what the fuck this was supposed to be aside from a prequel to Soul Eater??? 

Basically it was just a yuri slice of life with some mediocre drama with a new gorgon sister that was never mentioned anywhere in the original series. The original kids from Soul Eater DO make an appearance but it’s not really at all significant…. The 3 main girls who I can’t really remember the name of except for one of them is named Meme are all mediocre, and were in some sort of love triangle(?) The only reason I even continued was through the pure power of gayness.  Everything was so….bland with this one….the characters seemed flat too….idk what happened but this definitely was NOT it….get it?? ahaha

This was genuinely a disappointment for everyone in the fandom. I remember the fandom started getting hyped over hearing about new Soul Eater stuff  but then this….turned out to be the result….

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Michael After Midnight: TGWTG Anniversary Crossovers

I think enough time has passed where I can talk about these films without looking like I’m jumping on a trend.

Back when it was, you know, an actual thing, Channel Awesome would every so often gather together and make a big-as anniversary film to celebrate the site. The movies would always be these massive doorstoppers where everyone would be running around in Halloween costumes of whatever character they liked the most that fit the theme and fighting some random villain. None of this ever really tied in to their work, and none of this even remotely had anything to do with reviews. It was all just hanging around with friends and having dumb fun, and when I was younger I kind of just accepted that.

But certain revelations have made that dubious. No one was having fun making these. Everyone was miserable, except perhaps Doug Walker, who was just utterly oblivious to the plight of his coworkers. There was seedy stuff going on, people were pretty much being tortured and abused, and it’s a wonder anyone was ever able to feign enjoyment in any of their scenes. And looking back on these movies I used to remember fondly, I have to say… they kind of really, legitimately suck ass. These three films – Kickassia, Suburban Knights, and To Boldly Flee – are just legitimately painful and depressing to sit through, for reasons both meta and writing-wise.

The biggest problem with all of them is their humor, which is a pretty big problem when you’re starring a bunch of comedians, some of whom can be legitimately funny. The worst bits tend to revolve around the mind-boggling number of references they cram into each script; To Boldly Flee and Suburban Knights are much worse in this regard, as they have all of the actors literally dressed up as their favorite characters, but there are two examples of this sort of thing that shine as the worst examples of all. The first is Lindsay Ellis doing a Sarah Palin impersonation in Kickassia; Palin was such a flash-in-the-pan politician that it instantly dates the whole movie, and I don’t know if it was just bad writing, lack of direction, or what, but Ellis just fails to make this joke work at all. Like I know I can’t expect this to be as funny as Iron Sky’s Palin riffing, but still, it’s just sad.

The absolute worst, however, is JO in To Boldly Flee as Ed from Cowboy Bepob… at least that’s who I think he’s supposed to be playing. I know nothing about Cowboy Bebop and have outright refused to ever watch it because if Ed is anything like how JO played her, I’m going to fucking hate the whole show, Steve Blum and Melissa Fahn be damned. JO’s portrayal is whiny, hyper, annoying, manic, obnoxious… there’s not a single positive thing that can be said. His performance of the character is pretty much the poster child for just how absolutely awful these movies could get.

There’s also a lot of jokes where the punchline is basically just “this guy’s body/genitalia is funny, teehee.” Suburban Knights and To Boldly Flee have some truly awful examples of this, such as the numerous upskirts Doug Walker gets as Link and the infamous Spoony Dune scene. But even that isn’t the worst of it. The worst of it comes from the frequent states of near-nudity that Justin “JewWario” Carmichael would find himself in throughout these films. To Boldly Flee has him channeling George Takei and fencing without his shirt on, which is bad enough, but Suburban Knights has perhaps the worst scene of all, in any of these films, though only with hindsight.

For those of you not familiar, JewWario was outed as a creepy sexual predator during the whole #ChangeTheChannel fiasco. The guy groomed young women and did god knows what else during his time on the site, with none of his coworkers any the wiser and the management doing their best to cover it up; in fact, everyone only found out because the suits who owned CA made a huge blunder during their rebuttal of the claims of its former employees. With all of that context, please try and rewatch Suburban Knights’ climax in which JewWario helps save the day by revealing his penis to everyone. This right here is Keyser Soze levels of “uncomfortable in hindsight.”

The stories aren’t much better, and often fall into the same sort of issues that The Angry Video Game Nerd movie fell into, in that nothing in these films really showcases why we love the reviewers; Kickassia infamously has the Dr. Insano twist, as one example of how they botched this. All of these movies just feel too epic in scope and don’t really try to incorporate anything that we love about these reviewers into the films. Only To Boldly Flee really does anything right in that regard, as it throws back to everything from oneshot Nostalgia Critic villains to the Todd-Lindsay-Lupa love triangle to Phelous dying… the real problem is you have to actually sit through To Boldly Flee to see that. The movies go for these epic plots where the reviewers do cool shit like take over micronations (Kickassia), quest for powerful artifacts (Suburban Knights), or deal with extremely heavy-handed and hamfisted allegories for internet privacy bills (To Boldly Flee). You’d think maybe throwing a bunch of comedians into an epic plot like any of these could lead to some funny jokes, or maybe some sort of Monty Python-esque parody, but no, instead these comedians decide to revel in melodrama and try to genuinely act, with EXTREMELY mixed results. It doesn’t help that some of these people just aren’t even remotely funny when they’re trying to be.

Here’s the thing with The Angry Video Game Nerd’s movie, in comparison to these, though: it may have had this epic, ridiculous, goofy plot involving Area 51, kaiju, aliens, and crappy Atari games buried in a landfill, but the entire plot was building up to, and ultimately delivered on, the promise of the long-awaited review of the E.T. game. For all the film’s flaws, Rolfe knew what we loved about the Nerd, he knew what the fans wanted, and by god did he give it to them in the silliest, most epic way possible. Even if I didn’t love the film, the fact Rolfe knew why we’d want to see a feature-length Nerd film in the first place speaks volumes about how he understands that he can do what will make him happy artistically and still show the fans what they want to see.

These movies from the Channel Awesome crew don’t seem to get that at all. They don’t build up to a review. They don’t build up to them discovering the worst movie or song or whatever they review. They’re all very straightforward genre comedies where they can make a bunch of shallow, Seltzer & Friedberg-esque “Look at this thing that exists! That’s a joke right?” references. Aside from seeing your favorite reviewers in a goofy plot like this, where is there any bit of the reason you watch these people in the first place? Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if they were playing characters instead of them playing themselves, in their internet reviewer personas; at least then you wouldn’t be watching Brad Jones stumbling around in a Darth Vader helmet and think to yourself miserably “God I wish that poor guy was watching another E.T. porno.”

So there are some positives in these films, shockingly enough. Brad Jones is consistently good across the entire ‘trilogy,’ especially in Kickassia where he has the good sense to walk out on all the bullshit for a while. Maybe it’s just because these films got me interested in him, but I definitely think he does a good job. The same can be said for a lot of the actors, such as the bad guy in Suburban Knights and Ma-Ti’s actor; they manage to deliver at least solid performances in spite of the films. And then there are the James Rolfe cameos, and it’s just always good to see Rolfe in general.

To Boldly Flee, despite its reputation, actually has a lot of genuinely good bits. For instance, the distraction song is actually a really solid musical number. Linkara, Doug, and Spoony actually play really well off of each other, so when they have their three idiot villains team up they at least get some decently good moments. And other reviewers I generally like such as Phelous or Todd do a solid job, and frankly in To Boldly Flee Doug Walker does show some impressive dramatic acting… but it’s in service of a character who has previously been portrayed as a petulant, whiny, self-serving, egotistical manchild, so it almost feels like he’s playing a totally different character. Still, credit where credit is due.

None of these films succeed at what they want to. Ostensibly, they are supposed to be celebrating the site and the friendship of the reviewers, but as I mentioned, there’s no reviewing, there’s nothing that indicates what the site is about, and they all just come off as ego-stroking self-congratulatory wanking. None of these films were worth the pain and suffering that the cast and crew had to go through to produce these, and watching them at all these days is especially hard knowing that a lot of these people are smiling and joking through pain, stress, and abuse. It’s sick.

Kickassia may be the most competent, but that isn’t saying much at all. Aside from the whole Palin bit, this one has a simple, straightforward plot and is relatively down-to-earth, and it almost feels like it really was just a bunch of friends making a shitty low budget action movie in the desert… something sadly undermined by reality. Suburban Knights is probably one of the most uncomfortable to sit through due to jokes like Film Brain saying he’d eat Kinley Mochrie’s “pea-ness” (this was before she came out mind you) and the numerous jokes surrounding JewWario’s junk, but it almost works, like it nearly comes close to being a dumb epic fantasy comedy, but it just frequently shoots itself in the foot with the bad writing and acting and its overreliance on references.

To Boldly Flee is, to put it absolutely simple, a hot mess. This film is an utter trainwreck from start to finish. It is the Battlefield Earth of internet review movies, a bloated, messy, overly long dumpster fire with some of the most nightmarish behind-the-scenes stories and horrendous financial mismanagement you could ever imagine. But where Battlefield Earth is at least unintentionally funny, this film… is not. This film just makes you feel bad for everyone involved, it makes your heart ache for all the poor reviewers who had to suffer under the miserable conditions, it makes you question Doug Walker’s sanity in thinking he could turn his screeching manchild of a reviewer into some tragic martyr in a total 180 from how he had always been portrayed prior. None of these three films are worth sitting through, but I think To Boldly Flee is, with hindsight, the one least worth sitting through, which is a truly incredible accomplishment.

It’s kind of tragic. I still like a lot of the reviewers who took part in these – Todd, Linkara, Phelous, Brad Jones, and even Doug to some extent (though that’s an unpopular opinion these days) – but I just can’t muster up any forgiveness for these films anymore. And I don’t blame any of the people in it (except maybe Doug); most of them were there out of obligation or friendship or what have you. These films are just a monument to hubris, ignorance, broken friendships, horrible management, and wanton cruelty to those who called you friends.

See that picture up there at the top? With all of them gathered together like friends? God, how I wish that were the reality. How I wish that picture accurately reflected life, that they were all pals having a good time and that these films were something they were proud of. But behind that picture are stories all of them could tell of hurt, betrayal, resentment, anger, contempt, and some very unspeakable things in Carmichael’s case. I wish the sort of world a surface level glance at that picture shows you existed, where the crew of TGWTG all had a blast making these shitty movies together, because at least in that case I could find a sort of ironic enjoyment in them. But reality has gone out of its way to undermine any of that. 

[putschki1969]

Wakana Spring Live ～magic moment～ 2021 Review

Note: I FINALLY got my package. Now that I watched the full live in HD, I thought I would share m thoughts and a little present below the cut ^_^ As always, I would like to encourage everyone to SUPPORT Wakana by BUYING her Blu-ray!!! Her sales numbers aren’t the greatest which is a huge shame since this is a solid release.

Overall thoughts: I got the Limited Edition of course since I couldn’t resist the pretty sleeve packaging, the bonus documentary (so insightful) and the photobook (scans coming up soon). It is quite pricey but totally worth the money, especially if you are among those fans who liked “Magic Moment” much more than Wakana’s debut album. The release comes with a gorgeous clearfile as tokuten so be sure to get it! Try going for the Regular Edition if you want to save money. As for the live itself, it was a pleasure to watch and I can see myself rewatching it a lot (skipping a few songs though :P). Wakana’s voice coaching lessons are definitely starting to pay off. She has so much stamina these days. Can you believe that this was her SECOND live performance of the day? Her vocals were solid, even during her high-demand power ballads. At rarely any point did she sound overly-screechy to my ears, there were certain sections that didn’t sound 100% smooth but those parts definitely didn’t take away from my  overall enjoyment. On a side note, this live was a feast for the eyes, Wakana looked absolutely beautiful in her white dress and I even liked her encore outfit even though it was a little “out there” XD During the more up-beat songs, her smile literally lit up the entire hall. Seeing her have so much fun on stage is healing. I feel like they may have gone a little overboard on the blurry filters from time to time but I guess that was on purpose. 

1.揺れる春: 6/10. This is obviously the perfect cute intro for a Spring Lives so I understand why Wakana put it here but I would have much preferred “breathing” as a grand entrance. Still so sad that this is the only song from the “magic moment” album that didn’t make it onto the setlist of this live. I know, we already got an official audio recording but I would have loved some video footage to accompany it :P Anyways, back to Yureru Haru. I haven’t really warmed up to the song yet. It’s not bad and I honestly love the verses since they are super precious and feel kinda nostalgic but the chorus doesn’t stand out imo. Also, her singing style during parts of the chorus isn’t my favourite and not overly flattering. 2.where: 4/10. Oh no!! I was hoping Wakana would be singing the “ohhhohhhs”. She could have easily done it during the start and middle part of the song since it wasn’t overlapping with her other vocals. This seems so rushed? Is it just me? I haven’t listened to the studio version in a while but I know that I quite enjoyed that and it definitely didn’t make me feel as fidgety as this. Don’t know what it is exactly but it keeps me from getting into the song. I guess this is the biggest disappointment for me because I wanted to like it. 3.君だけのステージ: 4/10. I will admit it, this is not my favourite song. It’s just way too long :P But it is a very good and energetic performance, really no complaints when it comes to Wakana. But experiencing it live at the venue would have made it so much better for me. Oh well, nothing that can be done about it. The scat part at the end was a pleasant surprise. Would have loved to hear more of that. 4.442: 100/10. Honestly a masterpiece. One of Wakana’s best solo songs up-to-date and so very perfect to show off her vocals. Hearing it live like this with a band arrangement is a revelation. I love the wailing in the beginning and all the strength she conveys throughout the rest of the song. 5.ひらり ひらり: 3/10. Another song I haven’t warmed up to yet. No real thoughts. It’s one of those songs that’s just very forgettable, not bad per se but there is just nothing at all that attracts me to it. :-( As you can tell, I wasn’t entirely happy with some of the setlist choices. Wakana obviously wanted to include all the album songs but some of them are just not my cup of tea T_T 6.夕焼け: 6/10. This is one of the pieces that gets better every time I listen to it. And the latter half of the song is generally much nicer. I am always surprised by how much I actually like it when it’s over :P 7.アキノサクラ Acoustic ver.: 7/10. I am distracted by that harmonica sound-alike thingy Satoshi Takebe is playing XD Still, I have come to really like this song last winter so it is always appreciated, especially the acoustic version. Wakana is struggling a bit during the ending but nothing too bad. 8.myself: 100/10. Utter perfection. So much better than the studio version. And I am not saying this because I disliked the studio version, quite the contrary actually, I LOVED it but these two versions are honestly miles apart. Wakana’s live performance feels so much more raw and emotional. And her vocals in this are pretty much flawless, I can’t even begin to describe how this song makes me feel. A perfect ballad for Wakana. 9.メロディー (Cover): 8/10. My first reaction was boring. But by the third listen I was totally smitten and now it’s among my faves from this live. Be sure to give it a few tries, it really grows on you. I can tell why Takebe would choose this for Wakana. 10.元気を出して (Cover): 8/10. Ahhhhh, so freaking cute and old-school. Nothing beats a nostalgic, fluffy pop song from the 80s. I am here for this content. The “lalalas” at the end are LOVE. 11.オレンジ: 6/10. I like the song but I have to be in the mood for it. And here we have that fake harmonica thingy again. I enjoy the sound of a harmonica about as much as the sound of an accordion (which means not at all :P) but it fits the vibe of the song so I am okay with it. The bridge is usually my favourite part but Wakana’s delivery wasn’t as smooth as I would have liked. It was nice to have this right after “Genki wo Dashite” because both are encouraging pick-me-ups. 12.恋はいつも: 10/10. One day I wanna hear her sing the “baby, baby” part!! Please! Another absolutely highlight, you all know that I ADORE  this song, I could listen to this FOREVER. It’s such a shame the corona guidelines do not allow the audience to sing along because the ending is so much more powerful if everyone is actually singing instead of just clapping. 13.Happy Hello Day: 8/10. Such a feel-good piece. Initially I didn’t like it much but seeing it performed with an audience during her Music Party and now here, has really made me fall in love with it. I have mentioned it before in my initial reaction to the YouTube leak but I wish she would have sung some lalalas at the end just as she did during her Music Party. 14.magic moment: 9/10. I KNEW I would love this song more once I got to hear it live. I still feel like the composition is a bit choppy and thus not as flowy as I would have liked from a power ballad like this but OMG, Wakana’s live performance is EVERYTHING. Blown away by her powerful vocals, she OWNS this song 15.時を越える夜に: 10/10. Two power ballads back to back. What more could I ask for? I know not many people liked Wakana’s solo debut but I personally always thought it was perfect for her. I consider this to be one of her best songs. Say what you will about Takebe but he certainly knows how to make Wakana shine, at least in my opinion. And the song has only gotten better with every live performance. Although I think I preferred the version from her Voice Tour. So very glad we got at least one track from Wakana’s first album. The original setlist actually included Kinmokusei and Kioku no Hito which are two of my faves (they were later exchanged with the two covers). 16.春を待つ (Kalafina Cover): 8/10. Despite this being one of Keiko’s favourite Kala-songs I never could bring myself to really appreciate it. It’s just an okay song for me. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy it quite a bit but I don’t go out of my way to listen to it. However, I very much loved Wakana’s cover though, she does a good job singing everyone’s lines and since the original doesn’t have any harmonies her solo performance doesn’t feel too lacking. 17.あとひとつ: 10/10. Always a treat. Can’t believe this STILL hasn’t gotten an official release :P  But I understand Wakana’s reasoning, she wants to keep this song a unique live experience and it really is. I can’t help but tear up whenever she is singing this.

Documentary: I haven’t watched all of it yet but OMG, this is so cool. The first 20 minutes are dedicated to rehearsals. I love seeing Wakana like this, just being her cute dorky self. But poor baby, it was hard seeing her this exhausted after the big studio rehearsal (that’s what the gif is from - being her overdramatic self, she literally dropped dead to the floor). The second half of the documentary is Wakana talking about the production of the live and the different songs of the setlist. 

*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:

Wakana Spring Live ～magic moment～ 2021 Google Drive (3,11 GB) 🎁

Documentary of Wakana Spring Live ～magic moment～ 2021 Google Drive (1 GB) 🎁

Wakana Spring Live ～magic moment～ 2021 MP3s Google Drive 🎁

FOR ❗PERSONAL❗ USE ONLY DO ❗NOT SHARE ON OTHER SITES WITHOUT PERMISSION❗  

[love-takes-work]

Steven Universe Graphic Novel Too Cool for School (2016) - Outline & Review

We finally have a full-length graphic novel for Steven Universe and it's just lovely! It was so much fun to go to school with Steven, and in this longer format, the authors were able to take their time with it and make it feel almost like it could be an episode of the show.

There are things they could have done better, but overall the enjoyment overshadows the disappointments. The characters we know and love were almost always right on with their characterization, and though the background characters new to the story here were pretty one-dimensional (and sometimes caricaturish), I could deal with it getting to see Steven in a new setting. Some of us had wondered about his school situation, since they never do explicitly state in the show that Steven's been educated at all, and this clears that up if it can be considered canon. The art is cute, with the characters' body language feeling appropriate despite the slight lean off the show model (the characters look sort of lumpier and sketchier), and as always the backgrounds are lovely to look at. 

And while I don't quite think the comic will stand on its own for readers who don't watch the show, I think it's fantastic to have a volume like this for those of us who love little in-between snacks. This book contains two full-color stories: The main story is "Too Cool for School," and then there's a little side story at the end called "Yard Sale." I'll examine "Too Cool for School" first and outline what I liked, what I didn't like, and what I thought was notable. What I liked: 1. Steven is so dang melodramatic about no one wanting to entertain him in the beginning. He talks just like this in the show too, infusing everything with drama when he's overwhelmed. It's so Steven. 2. Connie brings Steven to school for show and tell and quickly makes a mess of explaining what Gems are. Her awkwardness was precious. I have personally tried to explain what Gems are to people who ask me about the show and it kinda sometimes goes a little bit like this. And he's so excited and eager to tell the other kids about being a half-Gem and enthusiastically admits he has no idea what exactly he is. He's just cute.

3. Steven starts obsessing over whether the Gems might have seen dinosaurs and it's really nice how the dialogue sounds like what real kids sometimes say. 4. When Connie and Steven get sent to the principal's office, you can just see the weight of Connie's parents' expectations pressing down on her shoulders as she wails about her permanent record. It's very true to her character.

5. Connie's resentment of Steven getting her in trouble evaporates relatively quickly when she sees him all wide-eyed about cafeteria lunch, and it's so perfect that she just can't stay mad at him. It reminds me a bit of their actual dynamic on the show during the episode "Fusion Cuisine." 6. When Connie set out to explain lunch cliques to Steven, I was expecting the sort of trite jocks/nerds/slackers dynamic, but they came up with some pretty unusual groups for the lunchroom. They have social media stars hanging out together, along with some board game enthusiasts, an anti-clique clique, and the Junior Safety Patrol. I figured they'd be portrayed as NERDS but Connie super respects them and isn't dismayed that Steven picks them to sit with (and of course he would; he'd love to be with people who appreciate protecting others!). I'm glad she wasn't like "no Steven they're unpopular," though she's even less popular so it works out. I like their design--I'm not sure what gender a couple of them are being portrayed as (which is nice ambiguity), though I'm sad they don't seem to have names.

7. I just love that Steven's chattering about school during his Gem mission. That's one thing I've always loved about the show: Steven is thrilled to talk about Gem stuff with everyday people, but he's also just as excited about mundane stuff that's new to him. 8. Pearl's comment about how Steven enjoys pummeling children his own age in dodgeball has the Pearl Tone exactly right. The way she humors him has a particular flavor and this nailed it.

9. The bickering between the Gems regarding whether Steven should go to school is just classic. Pearl is in her typical frame of mind--that only Gem education is important and he's already learning what's necessary--while Garnet is firmly on Team Trust Steven, insisting that if he wants to do it then it must be what he needs. And what Garnet says goes, so there. Perf. 10. The very mundane issue of getting a phone call through to contact the Gems when a snail monster started attacking the school was pretty entertaining. 11. I love when Pearl goes full Gem Dork on the principal when she's bragging about how cool her race is. It's accurate to TV Pearl--she loves telling everyone how great Gems are.

12. Steven wants to be called "marsh periwinkle" after a cute snail species. Connie objects but he seems adamant that he deserves this adorable name. YOU BET YOU DESERVE IT STEVEN. YOU ARE A MARSH PERIWINKLE FOR SURE. 13. I think it's cute that Connie feels so honored at being accepted onto the Junior Safety Patrol, and she's happy that some people like her and know her name, but then she finds attention at school overwhelming when everyone's treating her like a hero and happily reclaims her lunch nook in the library. Too many stories like hers have the introvert being saaaaad because she doesn't have friiieeends and then everything is solved when everyone suddenly loves her. But Connie ISN'T happy with that and never wanted it. Respect for introverts is rarely seen in plots like this and I loved seeing Connie withdrawing from the social attention and not being spun as a loser for doing so. What I didn't like: 1. The front cover depicts Steven looking out the classroom window at the Temple. Nothing I've seen in the show suggests a school with that view would be possible, considering where the Temple is. 2. Connie's catching the bus at a stop that is apparently close enough to Steven's house that he happened to run into her. Connie doesn't live in Beach City, so I don't know why she's catching the bus there. She claims her dad's car is busted and that's why she's riding the bus, but then she even continues to ride the bus the following year. Not sure this was actually thought out. 3. I don't like how nobody wanted to hang out with Steven at the beginning but they didn't seem to have a reason. Amethyst literally said she was too bored to do anything and Pearl appeared to be ever so busy with . . . calisthenics? At least Garnet disappeared into her room and she could have been doing something important, but she didn't say what. I wouldn't mind if they volunteered a reason they couldn't pay attention to him right then, but this almost felt mean, and weird. 4. The teacher and the principal talk really cartoonishly (not in a good way); they say stuffy adult things and sometimes speak in ways that sound like a kid wrote what they think grown-ups sound like; they're unreasonable and use unnecessarily complex words in very awkward ways ("None of you are from space! That is highly improbable."). 

I also have a pet peeve about "adult who doesn't believe in fantastical story takes care to mock magic children who are telling the truth" tropes, especially if they immediately flip into starry-eyed awe when the proof arrives. The principal especially has some circular, repetitive, tortured-sounding scolding, particularly at the end (e.g., "With accidents of this magnitude disciplinary action is our only course of action"). The background kids are sometimes stuck in a sort of cruel hivemind too. Throwing erasers and paperballs at the new kid because he told a weird story about being a superhero seems exaggerated. 5. When Connie and Steven get called into the principal's office, Steven's dad is summoned but you never see the Maheswaran parents. Don't know why that is. I like that Greg points out that he didn't even know Steven was going to school, though. 6. I'm confused about why the second snail monster appeared. When they hunted down the first one, they found its Gem and bubbled it. Then the Gems said it was fine for Steven to take a snail shell from the site, only to find it turning up as a monster later. In other situations, mother monsters sometimes leave behind parasites after they've been defeated, but those parasites don't have Gems. This one did, so it must have been an identical second monster that the Gems didn't know was still there? I don't really understand how that happened. 7. The principal refers to Pearl as the "legal guardian" of Steven. Which she is not in any way. She's an alien from space with no legal standing of her own. 8. I think the principal deciding not to expel Connie because she got a good exam score is bizarre and nonsensical reasoning. It doesn't seem connected to the principal's reasoning about her endangering students by leading them to fight the snail. 9. Pearl protests the concept of "giving a ship a gender" when Steven's teacher talks about the mothership. She seems completely baffled by this, even though Gems don't have actual genders and THEY do this too. (They have called Gem monsters "mothers" if they spawn clones, and they called Rose Quartz Steven's mother even though she is technically not a woman.) I usually like when the Gems are confused about Earth stuff but this doesn't seem like it should confuse Pearl. 10. I fundamentally do not understand the ending of this story. Connie was almost expelled (and nonsensically saved through her exam score), and she was scolded and her friend kicked off the property. And yet when she returns to school in the fall (and has the same teacher), everyone is wearing glasses like hers to celebrate "Connie Day" and she's praised for "saving the school" (even though the building literally fell down) and Steven is also honored by the principal even as his expulsion is upheld. It just felt like a very strange and nonsensical way to end the story. Notable: 1. The Gems are wearing their latest outfits in this comic! Amethyst has her black stars on her knees. BUT! In the frame when they warp away from fighting the snail monster, Garnet's colors have reverted to her first outfit. Just that one frame. Weird. 2. Pearl is oddly not drawn with blue eyes in "Too Cool for School." Her eyes are actually pretty important to her aesthetic, so it was weird to see her with black filled-in eyes in the first story. She has her blue eyes again in the short! (And in the first story, Sour Cream's blue eyes are filled in blue, so I'm not sure why Pearl's aren't.) 3. In a summer shot of the Cool Kids, Sour Cream is wearing his Pants Become Shorts in shorts mode. Nice callback. And Sadie's maybe flirting with a boy in the Big Donut, and Lars looks jealous! 4. There were unfortunately tons of language errors, punctuation glitches, and misspellings--which is a shame because this is a professional publication but it made me feel a little like I was reading a fan creation online. My list: * Connie asks Steven why he's up so early with no question mark. * The teacher says she'll send Steven to the "principals office," no apostrophe. * Connie misspells her own last name in her talk bubble while discussing her future. * Greg asks about signing something and doesn't get a question mark. * Steven's handwritten sign misspells mustard as "mustart" and leaves a word out of "the fizz some lemon lime soda," which is odd for a kid who aced the final exam at the end. * The coach asks the students to "gather round" with no ending punctuation in his talk bubble. * Pearl refers to "chilren" in one talk bubble instead of "children." * Steven asks about show and tell with a period instead of a question mark. * The principal uses the word "unfortunetly." * The principal utters this inexcusable sentence: "There are an order to things Miss Maheswaran that we must obey." * The principal misspells "receive" as "recieve" in one talk bubble. * And she uses the word "undoutably," spelled like that. * Pearl's dialogue has "?!" at the end of a comment that wasn't in any way a question. * Pearl uses the word "spacefairing." The word is actually "spacefaring." * Pearl talks about Gems having "trancended" rigid structures instead of "transcended." * And she uses the wrong its while talking about Steven's space family. * The principal leaves an article out of this sentence: "Steven is never ever ever come to this school again." * Connie manages to spell the Latin name of littoraria irrorata correctly, but then her talk bubble uses the word "reffered" instead of "referred." * Connie asks a question about what makes Steven think he deserves a cute nickname but she leaves off the question mark.

And then there was the second story (which I may like even more than the main story!): the short "Yard Sale," in which Vidalia has a yard sale and Steven buys something special for each of the Gems, but then he lacks money for an old game system he wants to try. After some failed attempts to barter with Vidalia, they promise her babysitting for Onion, and Steven feels this is terrible because nothing is worth that. Stuff I loved: Amethyst has no idea why anyone would want to sell their stuff because she is a huge hoarder and I love her wanting to buy a purple guitar because it has two "thingies." I CAN'T EVEN DEAL WITH GARNET WANTING THE MOM SQUAD SWEATER. IT IS THE CUTEST THING IN THE WORLD.

The mention of Vidalia knowing Amethyst well enough to know she does NOT want anything in that room was hilarious. And we have Pearl offering car repair and Garnet offering to break the car first. Garnet is just an incredibly special kind of funny and I just love it.

[SU Book and Comic Reviews]

[dearsadgoat]

recovery

recently, there was a major fire in my city. a little before the fire happened, i went through probably the lowest point in my life i’ve been in thus far. it culminated into one night of forcing myself to break down a number of walls and fake fronts i put up around me. these stood for about 5 years.

during that 5 year period i lied to myself and tried to trick myself into thinking i was something else so i could fit in with my rapidly changing friend groups, both online and in real life. i started distancing myself from a number of things, including shows, interests, and friends. i pushed away mlp for fear that my friends who were now falling out of it would ditch me if i were still into it. i pushed away my desire to learn music because the relationship between my brother and i only got worse as high school went on. i pushed away old friend groups for reasons so stupid i dont remember anymore.

instead of doing videos for fun and my own enjoyment, i started making them with the intention of becoming popular. i was never good at those and i wasn’t willing to learn to make myself better because i only wanted the success. the worst part about this was the fact that i did it for so long i managed to make myself believe that this was what i wanted, to be making low effort gaming videos on youtube well past its peak. because that’s what I thought I was going to “make it” doing. it should be noted i pushed away a group of youtuber friends before this, who may have been able to talk sense into me.

to this day i have only met one other person who makes videos.

fast forward to a few months ago. back in june, i started a new job, the one im currently working, doing lifeguarding at a pool. in july, my friends and i did our annual trip to anime expo, and aside from some incidents it was fun. i went on vacation with my family to arizona, and we saw a number of beautiful sights. i enjoyed it a lot.

however, this is the end of the fun.

anime expo, as always, brought me the panic of being around so many people. it isn’t the volume of people however, im relatively comfortable in a crowd. its the idea that i can look around in any direction and see people probably way happier and in better places in life than i am. look one way, i see a group of attractive people in cosplay that’s way better than mine. look the other way, i see a group of friends all laughing and clearly have shared interests, unlike my friends where we all have kinda splintered tastes so we don’t spend all the time together at conventions.

i spent a good amount of the convention wandering it with my friend mike. we went as Haru and Rin from Free, him being Haru, me being Rin.

around that time i was having major self image issues. i gained a good amount of weight the months prior, and i couldn’t lose it no matter what i tried, and consistently going to the gym, doing workouts given to me by professionals showing me no change killed my motivation. i couldn’t get myself to even go anymore come june.

so when mike was stopped by 10+ people (i stopped counting after a while) for pictures and to compliment him on his cosplay, meanwhile outright ignoring me, i started feeling like my image issues weren’t just “in my head” like i’d been told. despite this i tried my best to ignore it and move on. except i couldn’t.

the other cosplay i did was a crossplay of Mako Mankanshoku from Kill la Kill. I actually had the right length/hair color for Mako’s hair, so I saved money on a wig and got it cut like hers. the hair actually looked fine in context of the cosplay, however the cosplay in the context of anything was atrocious.

i couldn’t fit into the seifuku i bought, despite being sure to buy a size much larger than what you’d expect. trying to ignore my brain telling me im a fat fuck i improvised with a white shirt and a light blue neckerchief. with the wrong color shoes, basic shirt, neckerchief, basic skirt, and my hair cut instead of a wig, i was the definition of awful cosplay.

i hyped up finally being able to crossdress in public to myself for months. i’ve wanted to crossdress publicly since i was 15. at no other convention in the past did i have the courage. i got rid of pretty much all body hair, and upon finally being able to do so, i thought it was everything i wanted.

looking in the mirror showed me i was nothing more than an ugly fatass trying to look cute. i was the fucking person people at conventions take candid photos of and post on tumblr to make fun of. im sure im gonna one day come across a picture of me in that “cosplay” accompanied with some text about how embarrassing i was.

so with now both my cosplays fun sucked out of them by myself, the rest of the convention went on, but i couldn’t fully suppress the idea that i was unhappy.

the arizona trip i’ll save for another post, it’s a complete offshoot with it’s own backstory.

these are nowhere near all of the events i feel caused enough problems for what happens later, just the major ones. also there’s no way i can write every single thing that’s happened to me and contributed to my sad demeanor over the last 21 years.

after that though, the rest of the summer is a blur, i dont remember anything i did, and i don’t remember starting school again. i just know i’ve been going for almost 16 weeks now.

for some reason, a lot of things that didn’t use to bug me have been bugging me. stuff that I thought i’d grown accustomed to seeing, like the ever poisonous anti-male rhetoric that this site likes to parade. i’ve been on tumblr since i was like 13, i’ve seen it, i should be used to it and know to ignore it, right?

i guess not. every post i see related to something meant to make me feel shitty for being a guy takes another chip at me throughout the day. despite my best efforts i can’t forget them.

i just don’t have the energy to put up with stuff anymore, and it really feels like im out of energy to put into caring about things. i’ve been feeling like this since the beginning of the above five year period of not knowing why i wasn’t happy with what i was supposed to be happy with.

eventually we get to one saturday at work. two pools are being used for an event, the third is being rented out for a kids birthday party. im on the tower supervising the party when my best friend kaylie comes to rotate me. we chat for a sec, and as i start to walk off, she says my name. i turn around and she points at the water. no more than 3 feet from where im standing, two kids are wrestling in the water. except they weren’t wrestling for fun, they were wrestling to get on top of one another and drowning each other in the process. mind you, this is the deepest part of the pool and it’s only like 4 1/2 feet deep. I slide in, hoist up both of them, and launch into the caring procedure bullshit.

i get them out, tell kaylie im going to get a towel, and eventually other guards start asking me what happened. all of the sudden people are toting me as being a hero for making my first rescue withing my first year. you’d think that’s something to be proud of, right?

yeah you’d think that.

i felt nothing. all i had was that i was doing my job, and if it were like ten seconds earlier kaylie would’ve got them. i didn’t do anything special.

of course that ended up as a conflict in my mind, and on the way home i bought alcohol and spent the night drinking alone.

fast forward a few more days, and i get home from work. it wasn’t a particularly hard day, or any major thing happened, just a lot of small little things that chipped away at my patience, a few comments made by coworkers that really weren’t asked for, and this and that ultimately led to me driving home at the end of the night upset.

i get home, and think to myself im going to unwind with some video games. i dont remember what happened or what i was playing, but some major thing happened that led to me calmly turning off the game and turning to my computer to stare at it for the next two hours, only occasionally clicking to something new.

nobody tells you what it’s like to break. partly because, they cant. the way i see it everyone breaks differently. every breakdown i’d had up until that point had been loud, angry, and full of jerky motions through teary, blurred eyes. they were like someone kicking over something i was making in one fell swoop.

this time it felt like i watched someone pick away at the foundation until it all started to slide down like sand.

i broke, at first without tears, questioning what i was doing at that moment, and what i was doing in general. nothing made sense. my head couldn’t keep a thought for a moment. i felt like my chest was caving in. i didnt end up eating anything that night. i honestly can’t describe how i felt and what i did, it was such a blur.

i started going on a nostalgia scavenger hunt. something i had seen recently drove me to want to search out the mlp meetup group i used to be a part of. i found pictures of me and my friends at different events back in 2011, 2012, and i started doing what i can only describe as motioning a whimper. as in, whatever you picture when you think of whimpering, only without sound.

I saw pictures of me being happy, truly happy. i hadn’t been truly happy in the last 5-6 years since these pictures were taken. at least not for more than the occasional time.

as if on queue, a friend from one group of friends i changed myself to fit in with messaged me. i asked him if he wanted to take a trip with me, and i spilled everything.

i confessed to being a liar, a poser, a shitty person who couldn’t even tell his friends that he wasn’t everything he said he was. i told him at one point in my life i had actual ambition and ways to achieve success outside of being the scummy piece of shit i’d become when i became friends with them. (please dont misunderstand, they’re good people, i just had a warped sense of what i needed to do to be their friend back then)

he let me angrily type and rant and have a major breakdown to him without interruption for almost an hour, and finally he paused me and started trying to talk me through this.

after he gave me his piece on the matter, i turned to another one of my best friends, jacob. jacob was one of the irl friends i went to meetups with, and we’ve been friends since middle school. we’re closer than anyone else i know i’d bet, even closer than kaylie and i.

because of time differences, our conversation lasted the next two days, basically telling him everything, that i wasn’t happy with myself, that i haven’t been happy with anything for a long time. the only thing that mattered to me in his response was that nothing was different between us. he said he was going to a therapist soon, and said that i should try it. i have not, and i dont plan to for fear of what i might find out. still, everything he said i took to heart and i thank him for it.

at this point, i decided that i could fix all of this, that i could make myself someone i’d like to be. i was going to work hard and no matter what i wasn’t going to break like that ever again. nothing was going to stop me, no matter the odds.

someone up there must love testing my patience.

a week later, the fire happened. within the span of an hour i had gone from coming home from a test, to helping my mom with the recycling, to rushing home because the sky over our house was brown. the next few hours was me running on no food, a sweaty, ash-covered mess, to get everything of importance out of the house. everything that was too hard to replace was taken. as painful as it was it meant leaving behind just about everything that had value to me, as i took only the things that mattered in a worldly view, not a personal view.

God listened to my prayers that day, and the fires burned half a mile from my house, but no closer. The trail i walked a thousand times growing up was no more. it’s about 4 houses down from mine, to give perspective. everything was black and soot, trees stood with burn marks and missing leaves. The creek was dried up. everything is a mess. i walked out and took pictures of it a few days after, just for memory sake.

that day was a test to see whether or not I was actually going to keep my word. i didn’t break that day, despite wanting to often, and i did what was most important for my family.

since then, i’ve shuffled around a lot of different aspects of my life. a lot of things are changing, and im not comfortable with a lot of them. however, these are good changes. i have to make myself uncomfortable to be able to find what i belong to once again.

and i hope and i pray that this is going to be the time i prove to myself i can break out of this

[anonymoustoddler]

In Which I Get Stoned And Bitch About Work

Yesterday I worked for nine hours checking patients in with a weird system we had to make up on the fly due to the large number of people who came early and kept coming for seven straight hours. I ran hundreds (literally) of people through a software system and set of procedures I never got a full training in and could only practice with twice.

It was really really hard. And it wasn’t as fun as it was half a decade ago, the energy and the excitement and the teamwork. I stood directly behind the CEO for the media focused ribbon cutting. I welcomed hundreds of excited, mostly happy people into a brand new, gorgeous facility with flashy displays and top quality product.

I have been through this sort of experience so many times. So many iPhone and iPad and every other Apple product launches. I’ve clapped in guests and had little chats to make each quick transaction a bit more enjoyable for both of us. I’ve swapped stories with coworkers, joked around with managers who feel accessible, gotten frustrated and got mouthy for a minute about the inevitable mismanagement and poor planning for big turnout. For god’s sake, I’ve literally been photographed with and chatted with the CEOs of BOTH companies. And F****** is small now but... in a year, you’ll all be smoking their shit and a lot of you will be visiting them for medical and recreational. They’ll create more local jobs. They’ll be a leader in Michigan cannabis.

But I’m not the same person I used to be. I know so much more now. I know how shitty their consideration for their bottom rung employees is. Which really really matters when you watch THOSE employees literally building the guts of this business. Painstakingly unboxing, pricing, properly labeling, stocking, and creating displays of each and every product - and it’s medical weed so like let’s not forget that this is a process that you HAVE to pay attention to and be careful about.

It matters when you see a team stretched way too thin because it’s way too small, learning so much in such a short time (maybe that’s just me though honestly... I did learn two jobs instead of one, and I started at least a week after everyone else who got hired around the same time).

When there were still five or six hours left of the business day, I was informed we’d already done $20,000 in business since we opened that morning.

Twenty. Thousand. Dollars.

Not even a full day’s total.

And I get one half hour lunch for an 8 hour shift, no benefits, and I don’t even get time and a half pay for holidays unless I go full time.

I have to cap my hours at 17 a week because if I work more I’ll lose my medicaid and both my doctors expect to see me every three months and my meds cost money. I have to schedule another upper endoscopy, do you want to guess how much that would cost out of pocket, with the scope, the anesthesia, the gastroenterologist’s read of the scan and the after appointment, etc etc?? I don’t.

The Corporate team was swarming yesterday. Most of them didn’t even acknowledge us. Most of the people who did treated us with the unintentional condescension of people who feel they’re inherently better, smarter, and more deserving than you. They don’t mean to. They think they’re being kind.

But at the end of the day, they make annual salaries with solid benefit and possibly bonus packages, and you make an hourly rate higher than min wage but not even close to what you deserve considering you MAKE the company work. I mean, jesus, almost all the positive reviews I’ve seen so far specifically mention the great customer service/awesome employees. And yet, even with such disparity, they tried to cut our discount. There was an actual hours long discussion two days before grand open when Corporate wanted to cut our employee discount (for legal med patients working there) to almost nothing. They openly tried to take back a discount policy we ALL knew about, so they could charge US more despite working for the company. And we’re not a shady hole in the wall op in some creepy spot in Detroit that has dirty carts for half the usual price. This is higher end shit, and we’re the only game in town so prices can kind of be set with some flagrancy. Why would you want to make money off your employees who are not even getting what they deserve to begin with? How can you want MORE???

I’m not trying to shit on this place, really. With the company headquarters setting up in the same building, the growth plans of the company as a whole, and the potential doors this could open for me in the field of legal cannabis, this job is still a great opportunity. I’m learning a lot and after years out of the loop, it’s kind of nice to have a “real job” again. The team working on site are all nice and fun and pretty chill. I like and feel comfortable with everyone on the management team, but I also know I can’t get away with bullshit callouts with them so I have to practice the choice of either sucking it up and getting out of bed or making peace with potentially losing my job in a bad way. Those external consequences are the only things I can respond to anymore. It feels terrible and I’m still a miserable mass of depression, but.. I’m getting out of bed. 🤷🏻‍♀️

As usual, I got pretty far off track. My original point was, I think, that.. I miss my innocent days. I miss when I was 23 (hell, when I was 26, 27) and didn’t understand the evil of corporations or the exploitation of the workforce. I miss the days when I felt excited to be making almost $XX an hour because I’d never made more than that and it was a few bucks over minimum wage and I got really good insurance for not too much of my paycheck. I miss feeling like I mattered. I miss being ignorant enough to believe that anyone cared about me, that anyone could see how much I had to give and how smart and capable I was even if I also was sick more days than average. That I wasn’t just disposable chattel to make money for the people at the top and their investors. I miss living in the delusion that we were a family. It was a really powerful motivator, honestly. When you believe The Boss cares about you, is on the same team you are, is paying you a fair wage... when you don’t understand how bullshit that is.. Work feels a lot more bearable, I guess.

Yesterday I made it through nine chaotic, messy, Learn As You Go and Make It Work, non-stop, exhausting hours. I still have my job, and I intend to keep it for as long as possible. But I’ve also been forced to see just how much I’ve changed over the last decade. I’ve learned and seen and experienced so much that has affected how I see money, work, the world, being alive at all. I don’t think I can ever be enchanted anymore. I can’t be magicked into believing a dumpster of garbage is a treasure chest ever again. And as much as it matters to me to know the truth... I was a lot happier when I still saw a treasure chest instead of a rotting pile of trash. It’s just not as inspiring, you know?

[globalsource-blog]

The Taiwan Correspondent - Episode 1

It’s been a while since I’ve written a piece on here about my travels. Since moving to Taiwan I’ve been busy to say the least, but the time is now, and here I present to anyone who cares to read it my attempt to distil into writing some sense of what I’ve been up to in my first two months on this Illa Formosa.  

I arrived here, by way of Dubai, on the evening of the 31st of August. When I’d reclaimed my bags and passed through immigration without having to present any of the many documents, photocopies and extra passport photographs which I’d brought like magic charms to ward off evil spirits, I caught the airport train into the city of Taipei. I was headed to a hostel right by the main train station, which was a welcome thought as my bags were weighed down with books, my tent, sleeping bag and camp stove… I’d had a hard time deciding what to bring, and in the end decided on pretty much everything, stopping short of a skateboard. I caught the train at just the right time to watch the last half hour of golden daylight washing over hillsides whose wooded slopes were interspersed with small brick buildings, the occasional temple and gradually more and more concrete as we came closer to Taipei. On arrival, I shouldered my bags and set out to find my hostel.

Unfortunately, the universe had decided that I should first make a brief tour of the neighbourhood with the help of an energetic man who spoke bad English, worse Chinese and claimed to be called Henry. He also claimed to be from Portsmouth despite his strong and distinctly non-English accent, and was evasive when I asked what he was doing in Taipei. Anyway, he was keen to help me find my hostel, and proceeded to do exactly the opposite by leading me in every possible wrong direction, bags and all, in the heat of the Taiwanese evening (around 30 Celsius at the time). Eventually he seemed to lose interest, and with a vigorous handshake, passed me off onto a pair of local girls, insisting that they help me. Bemused and a little relieved, I was not unhappy to see that strange and enigmatic individual stride away into the night. Free to make my own way, I soon came to the hostel, passing by at least five convenience stores, a temple (Taipei’s streets are home to many Taoist and Buddhist places of worship) and many of the small, family-run restaurants open to the street which are characteristic of Asian cities. I had booked into Flip Flop Main Station Hostel, whose slightly strange name, according to their website, reflects the “flip flop philosophy”, which seems to have something to do with a laid-back travelling mentality and also their no-shoes-inside policy. In all honesty I could take or leave the philosophy, what I required was a cold shower and a bed, and after checking in I took full enjoyment in both. After hours of breathing recycled cabin air, trying to escape the Duty Free maze in Dubai and tramping around Taipei like an overladen pack mule, I was ready for a long sleep.  

I’d discussed doing a work-exchange program with the hostel management in the weeks prior, with the aim of earning free accommodation in return for some kind of work on my part. I’d billed myself as a kind of human Swiss-army knife – translator, artist, vegan chef, blogger – casting a net wide enough to hopefully catch myself a job and save some money on rent. I managed it, but not quite how I’d imagined… I was signed up as night receptionist at Main Station’s nearby sister hostel Flip Flop Garden, working 10pm ‘til 4am, three times a week, keeping the place ticking over by checking in guests, giving out towels and sending booking confirmation emails, to name only the most exciting aspects of my new profession. Nothing beats free stuff, though, and even if it was just for the first couple of months (I’ve since arranged to only do one shift a week), I wanted to save some money to set aside for travels during the rest of the year. I’d decided against living in university accommodation because I didn’t want to live surrounded by other foreign students, speaking English all the time and inhabiting a self-imposed bubble. I have no regrets about this choice; even despite my slightly vampire-like schedule, I get to practice speaking and listening to Mandarin every day with the other staff here, and being the only staff member on shift at night means often having to use my Chinese under pressure.      `

With my accommodation sorted, next on the agenda was exploring Taipei, and getting set up at National Taiwan University, my academic home for the coming year. The first of these was a lot of fun; I spent the first few weeks wandering all around the city whenever I got chance, walking the streets and exploring different neighbourhoods on the public rental bikes. I’ll write more about Taipei itself in another post, as it deserves more than a quick mention to do it justice. However, suffice it to say that it is a thoroughly modern, well-ordered and bustling metropolis, occupying a natural depression in the landscape, meaning it is surrounded by lush, tree-covered hills. One of these in particular became a frequent spot for me to visit in the evenings; with an incredible night-time view over the city’s skyline, close to the one-time tallest building on the planet, Taipei 101, Elephant Mountain is popular with both tourists and locals. While the view isn’t quite as breathtaking as that from Victoria Peak above Hong Kong, it’s still a beautiful cityscape and helped me to build a mental map of Taipei.

As much as I’d have liked to come to Taiwan with nothing to do but take photos, eat dumplings and explore, I had also come to learn Chinese, and after several months off from my studies I was ready to jump in to whatever NTU had to offer. I first went to the campus a few days after I arrived, and was thoroughly impressed by my first sight of it. The day was hot and the air shimmered as I walked through the gates and down the main boulevard, lined with the tallest, straightest palm trees I’ve ever seen. Like seriously, forget those near-horizontal ones you see on holiday brochures, these things look like they’re on military parade. This broad avenue (imaginatively named Palm Boulevard) led straight to the main library, with red-brick faculty buildings off to either side. I was one of the few people walking around campus; since the site is so big (about twenty minutes from end to end), most students and staff get around on two wheels, and with over 30,000 students, that makes for a lot of bikes. My intention had been to not only to check out the campus but to get ahead of the game by completing my registration early. No dice. When I finally managed to find the right office in the right building, my presence caused chaos for a good fifteen minutes while several members of staff talked agitatedly into telephones and everyone appeared thoroughly confused. A consensus eventually emerged from the voices at the end of the phones: I was a week early, I must register on the same day as everyone else, and there was nothing to be done. So much for my attempt to sidestep the honoured Chinese tradition of bureaucracy which had first been exported to Taiwan back in the Qing dynasty.  

I won’t go further into the details of registration, class timetables and textbook purchases, as I would like to keep the attention of those readers who have somehow made it this far into this piece. Suffice it to say that all the right forms were filled, all my paperwork checked out, and I even managed to somehow navigate the incomprehensible online student system to download my timetable. Ten hours a week of Chinese class, with no English spoken in the classroom and around twenty new characters to memorise before each class… my wish to return to some serious Chinese study was well and truly granted, no two ways about it. Between the workload and my duties at the hostel, I haven’t been free to do as I liked; to simply take off into the unknown and get acquainted with the furthest corners of Taiwan, whether on two wheels or by thumbing lifts (a Czech friend managed to make the tour of the island by hitchhiking only a few weeks after arriving), and this has admittedly been a little frustrating, not to mention my confused body clock and occasional need to sleep for 6 hours in the library after an 8am class (thankfully this does not seem to bother anyone in the slightest.

However, it hasn’t all been late check-ins and vocab tests; I’ve made the most of being in Taipei, and you don’t have to go far to experience something incredible. One of the highlights so far has to be the Pingxi sky lantern festival, where I stood with a damp crowd in the rain and watched hundreds of giant sky lanterns defy the elements to fly majestically up and away into the sky, a genuinely uplifting sight which took me a little by surprise. A couple of weeks ago I also took the train out to a village in the mountains to the East to go swimming with some friends at a beautiful waterfall – I will be heading back for sure. After buying a decent road bike a couple of weeks in, riding through the parkland along the banks of the Keelung River has also been a pleasure, and I’m signed up to do some serious cycling with the staff team from the shop where I got my new wheels. Maybe the single biggest factor that has made my recent low-key lifestyle much more enjoyable is the amazing food that I’ve been eating, but here again I need to defer to a later post… there’s no way I can describe the wonders I’ve eaten without the attention they deserve.

Anyway, I hope this post has gone some way to illuminating what the past couple of months have been like for me. I have been busy, I have been deeply immersed in a foreign language daily, and I have eaten a lot of 7-11 noodles (actually surprisingly good). It hasn’t exactly been a highlight reel of Tripadvisor’s highest rated tourist hotspots, but my goal in coming here was and is first and foremost to come out of this year having genuinely experienced life in Taiwan, not to treat it as a year-long opportunity to take the same photos in the same places as every other exchange student. To that end, working in the hostel has been a real success, not necessarily a lot of fun but with the constant practice combined with my studies, I have already seen my fluency in Mandarin develop dramatically. Besides that, these two months of rent-free living have let me save a decent chunk of money, and equipped with tips and recommendations from friends as well as a whole lot more free time, come November, I will appreciate my newfound freedom.

I will be trying to keep on top of these posts a lot more in the coming months, so they won’t be quite so long – I’ll probably write them each with a focus on a particular topic rather than long-winded retrospectives like this one. I hope that anyone who’s still reading has enjoyed this post, and look out for the new Global Source website launching soon!

H 

[otisoverturf]

Parklife Festival 2019 – live review

Parklife Festival Manchester 8-9 June 2019

David Edwards reports back on a soggy, occasionally baffling but ultimately life-affirming Parklife Festival. Even if that life is one significantly older than the attendees he shares the experience with…

I turn 38 this summer. I attended my first music festival a full two decades ago; therefore, as I find myself walking into Heaton Park in the steady but determined rain, I am in no doubt that I am way too old for Parklife Festival. And not just slightly too old. No, I am so far out of the demographic that it might as well be on a different time zone. Everyone around me looks fresher than me, trimmer than me. Better dressed than me (not difficult) and filled with a sense of unbridled confidence and optimism that belies the tumultuous and potentially terminal state of our nation at this particular time.

And yet, by the end of the weekend, I’m seeing things through their eyes and understanding. From the initial bout of Fear And Loathing In Heaton Park – doubtful of my own kin and my own skin – I come to realise that to blindly scoff at the festival is to expose oneself as the sneering and snooty person we despised in our teenage years; mocking our music and trends. There is much that can be constructively criticised about Parklife but it is also important to acknowledge for many people, this weekend is a highlight of their year. And despite the rain, the drop-outs and the incessant sound bleed it just about manages to pull it off.

Saturday

First up on the main stage is Col3trane who does a decent line in floaty, jazzy hip-hop. He’s a charismatic sort and does his best to get everyone excited and involved as the rain continues to lash down. However, George Fitzgerald’s Sounds From The Near Future set is the weekend’s first standout moment – beautiful, delicate and floating electronica with hypnotic visuals and a powerful female vocalist over the top. It is a gorgeous thing to behold and the first reminder that this festival has some truly superb acts bubbling just underneath the main bill.

Little Simz struggles with a field only half-full: most of the crowd have decided to head into the cavernous Hangar tent to escape the incessant pummelling from the heavens above. Nonetheless, her set is taut, sharp and on point; trying to encourage the bedraggled crowd with a series of eclectically-inflected tracks, with recent single Selfish and a stunning Boss being particular highlights. Recent record Grey Area is one of 2019’s strongest releases to date.

Slowthai, in the Sounds Of The Near Future tent, is absolutely spellbinding. Following up on the release of his tremendous Nothing Great About Britain record released just the other week, he is a furious tornado of energy, anger and sheer kinetic force. Spitting as much as speaking, ranting as much as rapping, yet eloquent and brilliantly capturing the fissures running through British society, it is the work of a genuine breath of fresh air on the scene. Raps about poverty, Grenfell, Brexit and crime (as well as a savage expletive-filled broadside against Theresa May) are met with a mixture of cheers, applause and sheer amazement from the crowd – yet much of his message is also greeted with nods of the head and murmurs of “yep”. Tyron Frampton is genuinely one of the finest new talents of 2019 and on the back of this, the sky is his limit. This is punk in 2019. Stupendously good.

Earl Sweatshirt seems to be here for the party. Clad in a black rain jacket, he seems thrilled at the long catwalk set up for Christine and the Queens later – persistently roaming up and down and insisting that “you’ve gotta try this sometime”. As he reminds us on several occasions he is a veteran of Parklife, yet he genuinely looks delighted to be here. Many of Earl’s performances can be defined in terms of whether he can be bothered, yet today his mumbles are intense and well-refined and the beam on his face tells its own story.

We come out and it is STILL raining. So we dash inside the faux-greenhouse that is The Palm Stage to hear Ben UFO b2b with Call Super. It’s a flow of deep, floaty house cuts that may be better suited to the early hours of a dazed morning than 5pm on a Saturday afternoon, but it is endlessly enjoyable and a chance to recharge for Loyle Carner back at Sounds From The Near Future (we mostly camped out there all day). There is an element of familiarity to Loyle Carner’s music in that his format is somewhat tried and tested from song-to-song, but there is a genuine joy and warmth to him and you cannot help but get swept along in his charisma. Ain’t Nothing Changed could come straight out of a smoky jazz club and No CD is an absolute riot, with a cheeky reference to “Some Cardi Bs…” being thrown in to acknowledge the bizarre and farcical absence of today’s original headliner after having cosmetic surgery (I’ll say no more, but SERIOUSLY?). It’s a familiar journey, but a profoundly enjoyable one.

There is however, nothing familiar about Christine and the Queens‘ live set, which as ever is an utter revelation in every way. Heartbreakingly, the enormous tent is 70% empty by the time she and the band arrive – the majority of attendees having drifted off to see Mark Ronson or Disclosure. Those who do stay however, have their minds and souls suitably rearranged. I’ve written recently about the ability of Héloïse Adelaide Letissier and her songs to gloriously invert sexuality, sensuality, gender and love into the origami-form of perfect electronic pop songs, but in a live setting this truly comes to life. “This is a safe place for you all to be what you want to be” she implores to the adoring crowd who remain – tied to every word and every note. To do this at your own gig is one thing but to do it to a festival crowd who are hardly the demographic for such strange, obtuse music is something close to alchemy. The cheer that greets Tilted makes you think for a second that the crowd has suddenly packed the tent behind you (they haven’t) and a stunning cover of David Bowie’s Heroes brings tears around me. By the end, there are a new set of converts to this glorious modern pop star. A girl next to me – muddied, bruised and somewhere over Saturn – turns to her friend on the way out and says “that’s the best f**king thing I’ve ever seen”. As a way to round off the day, it’s pretty hard to think of anything more perfect.

Sunday

There are still frequent outbursts of rain around the site but patches of sun are fighting their way through and although the site is boggy, organisers have clearly been working hard overnight to put down woodchip and make the site walkable. First up on the Sounds From The Near Future tent (sorry, I know it’s repetitive but the line-up was just so damn good!) is Pusha T, which is going off in all directions. There is a palpable excitement in the tent as the DJ primes everybody up for the set with much hype and hyperbole, which then proceeds much in the same way. It’s an excellent set with Pusha’s tight flow and panning drawl dragging everyone forward over a series of swirling samples and incessant skittering beats. The tracks from last year’s excellent Daytona are greeted with rapturous acclaim and the whole thing skips past in the fervent blink of an eye. One thing notable from this year’s Parklife is how much live rap has cleaned its act up in recent years – from half-baked and shambolic sets only a few years ago, this year’s crop of live sets are on-point and so much more thrilling for it.

As we walk past the main stage, Blossoms have a huge crowd – telling the crowd how delighted they are to play a “home festival”. That’s cool, and the fact that the crowd are enjoying it so much is a fine thing to behold, but their music is absolutely nothing to write home about so I’ll skip on. Much more impressive is Todd Terje in The Bunker – a man who can seemingly do no wrong. His sets always bring a wicked sense of humour and a total lack of any pretentiousness meaning that a party is almost guaranteed. Highlights include a huge singalong when he drops John Paul Young’s Love is in the Air and of course, everyone goes bonkers for Inspector Norse. Fantastic fun, communal joy and a reminder that there are few who do this kind of set as well as Todd Terje.

The last time I saw The Streets was 2011. It was off the back of that year’s desperately disappointing final album Computers And Blues and the “farewell tour” was stilted, pallid and lacking in any of the energy and enthusiasm that made Mike Skinner and his crew’s early shows so life-affirming. As someone who holds that band dear in his heart, it was such a sad way to bow out. I am therefore highly unsure about whether today’s set will alleviate the miserable memories of that time.

I shouldn’t have worried.

Tonight, The Streets are ours. And bloody hell, they are magnificent. Mike Skinner genuinely seems a man reborn – trim, full of his old geezer enthusiasm and yelling at the crowd like there’s no tomorrow. “I brought the f**king sun out for you” he yells, as indeed he does (he paid God apparently), before leading us through a short but highly potent greatest hits set. They open with four tracks from 2001’s Original Pirate Material (Turn the Page, Let’s Push Things Forward, Don’t Mug Yourself and Has it Come to This) that still sound timeless and peerless, before everyone sings along tearily to Dry Your Eyes as if it is an old friend. A stunning and throbbing Blinded By The Lights sends a chemical ripple through the crowd before we get not just one, but TWO pogoing renditions of Fit But You Know It. Skinner swigs champagne throughout and looks genuinely delighted at the reception he gets, though his influence is felt so clearly through the festival and everyone clearly knows this. It’s a rebirth and a reformation that doesn’t feel tacked on or cynical, but actually necessary for resurrecting the legacy of what made The Streets seem so vital in the early 00s. An absolute joy, a triumph. Welcome back Mike.

It is therefore left to Solange to bring us home. Backed with a full band and brass section, she emerges onto the stage with a broad hat on. Initially she struggles somewhat with the sound drowning her out, but once this is resolved it is a captivating set of dark and light – rumbling and rolling bass lines balanced out with gossamer layers of vocals, synths and melting brass. It is dynamic, thrilling and emotionally healing – messages of solidarity, self-love and empowerment ringing all around. In a similar way to Christine and the Queens last night, you feel that for many unaccustomed to the glorious live show she puts on, tonight is a revelation. And to those who have seen before, it is still uncompromisingly brilliant. Her sister may get the headlines, but there is no doubt that Solange Knowles is currently making some of the finest, most fascinating pop music on the planet.

So as I walk back through the crowds to the already bulging Metrolink queues, what have I learned? Parklife is one of these divisive lines within the older and younger generation of the Manchester party scene. And it’s certainly true that I fall on the older side of that line, by a long way. But you know what? Strip away the cynicism, delve into the setlist and there are some utter gems to be found. And that is what Parklife does so well. For those who just want the mainstream, it delivers. But for those who want to seek out electronic and hip-hop nuggets within the smaller stages, there is much to admire. And more than that, why would you laugh and sneer at people who are clearly enjoying themselves. The cynical and jaded side of me does hope that one day, the kids will go and explore other festivals to make them aware of what else a music festival can provide (it’s certainly true that aside from the music and a single Ferris wheel, there is little else here to entertain) but the carefree side of me looks at everyone having a great time and thinks that isn’t my place to judge – they are here, they are happy, they are living their damn life the way they want to. Parklife is what it is, and it will never be to many people’s taste. And I did spend the entire weekend wishing that I didn’t look so conspicuously older than pretty much everyone else there. But as I walk away, I ask myself one simple question: did I have fun? And the honest truth is, yes I did. And aside from some tremendous sets, there is an important lesson in not pre-judging. People have always, and still do sneer at me for going to festivals in my holidays rather than finding time on a beach somewhere, and I think they’re absolute snobs for doing thinking that. We shouldn’t make the same mistake with those who go to Parklife. Each to their own in this world. It may not be for us, but for a generation of kids this is what they look forward to all year. And frankly, good for them.

Photo credits courtesy of and copyright to Joshua Atkins, Richard Johnson Justine Trickett, Steve Turvey, Giles Smith and Andrew Whitton from Fanatic Creative 2019 https://fanaticcreative.com/

 ~

You can read more of David’s writing for Louder Than War in his archive

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[listoriented]

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel

bAUderlands: straya

Where/When/Why: Borderlands: the Pre-Sequel is the first of the series that I didn’t run through with friends at launch. Instead, I got it during a steam sale in July last year for US$16.50 as part of a finish-your-Borderlands-collection package/bundle, with an eye to playing it when I got to it. Apparently I bought Rocket League at the same time? Momentous.

What/Who: It’s in the title, hey - a Borderlands game set between Borderlands 1 and 2. I’m struggling to think of other game and movie franchises that have done this, which perhaps why there isn’t a better descriptive term for it. The newish Baldur’s Gate expansion maybe? Rogue One? Anyway, instead of being set on Pandora - the fictional frontier planet where the previous two games were set - Pre-Sequel is set on Pandora’s moon, Elpis.

Elpis is a noticeably Australian place; it’s inhabited by Australian NPCs and full of parodies of Australian animals and stories (the main characters are all still American though - don’t worry). This is probably because the game was made by the 2k Australia branch [official site], based in Canberra, and so apparently it just kind of happened that way. The Pre-Sequel came out in October 2014. Sadly, 2k Australia shut their doors in 2015, which means there’s no AAA games development happening here for the time being.

Time Spent: 23 hours.

Completed: Yep, finally - we managed one. 19 of 63 achievements ticked. Oh that’s not a lot, hey. Oh well.

Notes: We had a pretty good time. That should probably be the main takeaway. The day after we finished it, Lauren said that she missed playing it. The mindless shooting, looting and questing loop of Borderlands 2 is well repped again here. The flow of it is quietly addictive.

We found the going a bit tough for a while, though, there at the beginning. We spent a lot of time hunting for mission waypoints through the larger moonscape areas of the game, which are not intuitive to travel around in vehicles (lots of dead ends, crevices, mountains, barriers), and awful to travel around on foot (too many things that want to kill you and/or distract you). A few times we went to bed mad at each other after having our patience stretched thin (**n.b. it should be added that while we did often end up playing this in the last hour or two before bed over the past few weeks, this game, like the other Borderlands games, is not something that actually benefits from being played while tired, despite this seeming like the natural state to play it in). One particular semi-optional mission for urchin NPC Pickle nearly drove us to the brink with its arduous navigational requirements.

The quaint fugue that Borderlands draws you into can be a hindrance too: if you don’t pay attention you can be tricked into fighting scores of creeps that could easily be avoided, and which don’t offer much in the way of endorphin release or in-game reward. The next time you come past they’ll all have respawned anyway, making the intervening grind feel particularly pernicious. Things improved immensely once we had more fast travel unlocked, and as we got better at paying attention to who we were meant to be fighting. 

Pre-Sequel also has a couple of particular gameplay gimmicks. At first we were like “???”, but we came around to them. The game is set, as mentioned, on Pandora’s moon, Elpis, which being a moon has low gravity. As such, you can jump higher and further. Because the moon surface lacks breathable atmosphere, you carry oxygen tanks, referred to forever as “Oz kits” because Australia lololololol. These deplete when you’re out in the open (which you are for maybe half the game), causing you to lose health, but we found after the first half hour it’s something you only have to be slightly mindful of, so far as annoying gameplay factors go. More importantly, you can use these “Oz kits” to boost mid-air to reach far-off platforms. It’s pretty good! Any excuse to be able to jump a long way is an acceptable one: thanks, videogames.

The Australiana accents/jokes/parodies that pervade the game are, like, pretty cool...I think? I enjoyed the ironic Australia-for-market shtick tempered by its necessarily cringeworthy over-the-topness. Cliches and stereotypes can be funny too, sometimes. I’m also aware how rare representations of anything Australian are in games, good or bad, particularly home-grown ones; a feeling which is enhanced by knowing this was made by a studio arm that no longer exists. O’, state of thy industry. It’s not that I’m at all patriotic, and the construction of this nation and its cultural identity is as problematic as any other post-colonial state, and there are issues which this game, with its frontier-Western representations of “Australianness”, attempts to avoid altogether, leaving the giant wombat very much in the room. On the other hand is the essence of the game and its uncritical light entertainment sheen, a series of good-enough jokes that beg not to be looked at directly in the eye, the fact that this is what it is, the last of its kind, no more big-budget gaming in Australia or about Australia (no Forza Horizon 3 I’m not talking to you), no Australia at all; and that’s upsetting too. Lauren and I both particularly enjoyed the foul-mouthed shotgun, Boganella, who somehow never stopped making us laugh, and who I kept equipped all the way to the end. I certainly didn’t expect to get that much mileage out of it. 

Lauren played as Athena the gladiator, while I played as Nisha the lawbringer. Neither of us particularly liked the special abilities of our characters. I found the auto-aim of Nisha’s “Showdown” a bit glitchy, with it sometimes locking on outside the enemy’s hitbox. We made do anyway without relying on them too much. Neither of us had played the DLC the Athena appears in, and I hadn’t remembered Nisha from Borderlands 2, so while playing we were unaware of these character’s other roles in the series. 

One thing I did find surprising was how ‘epic’ the Pre-Sequel became in the final act. It almost seemed like it was speaking out of turn, I mean…it’s called “The Pre-Sequel”. That’s a title that screams incidental and unimportant if there ever was one. “This game is just setting the scene for the more important game that was worthy of a real number in its title”, is what it suggests. And for the most part as you play it, it feels that way too. You’re playing on the moon, for instance (and everyone knows moons rate lower than planets on the astronomical bodies ladder). And you’re helping the bad guy! Surely, none of what you do here should be as big, important or ‘epic’ as in the numbered Borderlands titles.

But then, as you approach the finish line, you find yourself fighting multiple boss battles (“surely this is it” I said, erroneously, each time), delving into a massive cavernous space with funky, brilliant colours, into a galaxy-esque background, fighting the forerunner guardians, while the stakes seem to go up and up. The ending is basically prophesy-esque, all bigger picture feels. It’s an odd match.

This is mirrored by the length of the game. We played for 23 hours, which was longer than my playthrough of Borderlands 2. Again, I find this surprising, not least because it also feels smaller at first, with the player limited to the same few compact (if difficult to navigate) areas for quite a while. I’d initially figured it for a 15 hour romp, maybe. This isn’t a complaint necessarily - the game was enjoyable enough for the most part to justify the time spent in it - it just seems structurally unsound to me that a “pre-sequel” should be as big or bigger than the game it’s foregrounding. 

As for the story itself and how it goes about setting up the Borderlands 2 plot, it seems... well I guess it seems cohesive enough, not having recalled many details about Borderlands 1 & 2. You’re basically helping Jack, arch-villain of Borderlands 2, but he’s not evil yet - maybe. He just wants to stop the moon being destroyed by a group called The Lost Legion, while perhaps finding a vault and turning a profit for Hyperion in the process. You watch him do his Anakin Skywalker -> Darth Vader transformation as the game progresses, but because the protagonist vault hunters themselves are morally suspect, they/you don’t seem to mind too much. It's an unusual situation, to be playing the bad-guy, and it’s handled pretty effectively by the writers, if you take this game in a vacuum. That being said, it's also kind of...contradictory, if we do consider background events of Borderlands 2, where Jack’s evilness is established as being a more endemic, long-term thing. Whether the whole coheres depends on what you think/who you listen to, but I've enjoyed reading some forum-posted opinions on the matter anyway. 

And so: This brings us to the end of our Borderlands sojourn. We finally finished one - hooray! Promises well kept. Paradoxically, finishing the Pre-Sequel took less time than it took to pass on Borderlands 2. All up, to sift, avoid and play through these three games has taken nearly the entire winter, which is...sub-optimal. My wish is to be done with the B’s by the end of the year. The letter grows stale; I yearn for a fresh beginning. As of now we've got fifteen games to go. Four months. Hmm.   Addendum: My multi-talented friend Caro started a Tinyletter. It doesn’t have much to do with games but I’ve been enjoying it very much. Consider signing up! It will cost you nothing except your time. 

up next is Botanicula

[tigerlover16-uk]

You and all the other people that enjoy anything about dragon ball super disgust me. You fake fans are enabling the ruination of Dragon Ball and you should all hate yourselves for DARING to think that garbage is as good as DBZ. Pathetic shill. You and all the other worthless, spoilt, brain dead scum need to get off the internet and stop worshipping garbage.

(Insert gif of Frieza sipping his wine)

I’ve left this and the other angry ask insulting me for liking Goku sitting around in my ask box for a while now, because I honestly didn’t have the energy or patience to deal with this nonsense at the time you left it here, and after that I just didn’t think an obvious troll was worth giving the time of day. But you know, whatever, I’m up for it right now.

First off, way to be ableist with the brain dead scum comment, that and all the comments about how us fans who like Super should hate ourselves make you sound VERY reasonable and intellectually superior. Bravo, good chap.

Second… explain how I’m a shill who “Worships” Super? True, I’m more positive about it than some people on this site, but that’s because I don’t really care to complain about the flaws in things I enjoy when I could instead be having fun with them. If it’s something I hate, like GT or the DCEU movies before Wonder Woman, then oh boy I’ll be harsh if I have to talk about them, but I do prefer to avoid talking about them lately unless I’m directly asked.

I’m not a person that cares for discourse. The times I do get involved I often end up saying stupid things and don’t handle it well, so I prefer to maintain a “look on the bright side attitude” where I can involving the things I like. And that includes Super. I think there’s honestly more than enough negativity directed at it by the vocal minority of fans who dislike the series already, so I don’t think I need to bother chiming in complaints when there are others who could do that, and I can instead be having fun and gushing about the things it does right (And yes, I believe it does plenty more right than bad).

But that doesn’t mean I think it’s perfect. I’ve been honest about the fact that the show is flawed plenty of times and I’m not afraid to comment on them where I have to. The animation in the second half of the Resurrection F arc was HORRIBLE. Majin Buu, even if I loved the fight with Basil and the fit Buu thing, has been shafted way too many times and it’s getting really annoying. Gohan’s character arc is progressing really well this saga, but it’s been annoyingly stretched out and inconsistent before that. And the ending to the Future Trunks saga, while I don’t find it irredeemably awful like some, was still nonsense.

I acknowledge that the show has flaws. It’s just that for the most part, I actually think the show is really fun to watch and does a lot of good things, and many of it’s issues have been ironed out over time especially with the current saga, and I think it still has a ton of potential going forward. So I just prefer to wait and see what comes next and enjoy myself now.

So I don’t let the flaws ruin Super for me, any more than I let the flaws with Z or the original Dragon Ball take away my love for those shows. Heck, if I did I would have cut my rewatch of og Dragon Ball last year short the minute I got to the horrific homophobia that was General Blue, the misogynistic gay pedophile drawn to look like a Nazi (Still the worst thing the franchise has ever done, by the way).

I think Dragon Ball Super is a good show, that does a lot of good worldbuilding, tells some fun stories, gives some interesting development to several of it’s characters like Krillin and Gohan, is usually very funny, has tons of adorable and touching moments, and while it’s action’s not as good as Z’s, it does have some great memorable fights here and there.

It’s not as good as Z, but I never expected it to be. Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z were a masterpiece, the kind of on the job miracle that only happens once in a lifetime, you can never fully recreate everything that made it so magical. And you don’t need to as long as you make something else that’s enjoyable in it’s own right with the property. I’m just glad I finally get to see more of these wonderful characters and this universe I love so much. And for now I’m pretty satisfied with that.

So no, pal, I’m not an entitled shill. That would require I put the show on a pedestal and declare it God’s gift to Dragon Ball while beating down any criticisms I find with unintelligible whinging. And clearly I don’t. I don’t agree with all the criticisms the show gets, but while I’ve occasionally said something stupid but then immediately apologized (Something I don’t expect from you at this point if you bother to read this anon), I don’t have an issue with people personally not enjoying it. Heck, I’m a guy who thinks Batman is an uninteresting character and the Dark Knight Movies were boring and awful, while liking the Star Wars Prequels more than the original trilogy, which I find just okay. We all have different tastes and opinions, who am I to judge.

You know what would make me a spoilt, entitled scumbag? Telling the people I disagree with that they’re worthless, disgusting fake fans and they should hate themselves for having the AUDACITY to like a fictional show! And trying to chase those people off the internet with petty ramblings in their personal space just so you don’t have to hear opinions you don’t like (Man, I’d hate to see how you react to political debates).

Also, how is Super “Ruining” Dragon Ball? Here’s the thing pal… Dragon Ball had a complete story. The manga is the only definitive canon in this franchise, and it ended two decades ago. The actual, classic story of Dragon Ball is complete, any other works based on it, whether people choose to view them as canon or not, are supplementary at best. It’s not actually possible to truly “Ruin” the franchise.

If anything, Super has helped in keeping the franchise from falling into relative obscurity, considering how in the latter half of the last decade Dragon Ball in general outside of it’s fandom (And in some cases, IN it’s own fandom) had become a bit of a laughing stock among much of the anime fandom and the internet. It’s been down to Kai, the Xenoverse games and other spin offs, the two Toriyama penned movies and yeah, even Super that the franchise has started getting more recognition again and more support. They’ve brought in new fans, and brought back many lapsed and casual fans.

And yes, that’s come with it’s own share of problems, particularly on the fandom side of things. But TFS is FAR more responsible for creating the toxic atmosphere of much of the modern Dragon Ball fandom, the toxic underbelly of which had been growing larger for years before Super debuted, so I don’t think it’s fair to blame Super specifically for the fandoms current state when at worst it’s responsible for bringing back a flood of casuals who absentmindedly buy into fandom stereotypes a little too heavily. The current atmosphere of the fandom would have been largely as bad whatever the quality or kind of new show we got.

So no, I don’t think Super has “Ruined” the franchise any more than GT did years ago. Anyone who wants to argue that Super ruined Dragon Ball for them as a whole is either being melodramatic, taking it too seriously, or maybe even never cared about Dragon Ball beyond being a casual fan in the first place.

I mean, I still love Spider-man even despite the abomination that is One More Day, and I’m still watching Boruto despite hating the majority of Naruto Shippuden with a burning passion. And I didn’t let GT lessen my love for the Dragon Ball franchise in the slightest, if anything it just made me appreciate the stuff I love about it instead a lot more.

If anything is ruining the Dragon Ball franchise for people, it’s jerks like you who feel the need to attack and insult people for liking stuff about it that you don’t. You’re no better than the scummy anons who harass the Gochi fans on here, or the people who constantly lie about, demonize and demean Goku’s character to prop up and shill other characters like Vegeta and Piccolo, when it’s completely unnecessary and stupid to try and undermine other characters to prop up others who are already great on their own.

It’s okay if you don’t like the show. I’m sorry if you feel it’s somehow ruining Dragon ball for YOU specifically, and I encourage you to go back and watch the previous series to remember WHY you like Dragon Ball so much. But buddy… NOTHING gives you the right to act like a ravenous jerka## to the people who DO enjoy it. Screw off with that elitist, childish nonsense and grow the (Bleep) up, child!!

This goes to EVERYONE who’s feeling even the slightest bit resentful to the people who are having fun with Super, or any other base breaking series connected to a franchise a lot of people like (Did I mention I prefer the 3D era Sonic games to the genesis classics? Oh boy, do I not get along with the Sonic fandom). You not liking it doesn’t make you superior to other people, nor does it make you objectively right while everyone else is just a moronic fake fan. to heck with that line of thinking.

I could go on, but it’s late and I’m tired and you’re not worth any more effort than I’ve already spent here, anon. Don’t bother coming back into my inbox with this nonsense unless you want to do the mature, adult thing (Assuming you’re an adult, and not a kid) and apologize. Good night.

[saturdayam]

Saturday AM Movie Review: WONDER WOMAN

So, last week...I peeped a pre-release for the WONDER WOMAN film.

It's a major event for several reasons not least of which it's the first major female heroine in this latest generation of big budget, inter-connected film universes, the first blockbuster planned film directed by a female director and the latest film in the critically-panned DC Extended Universe (aka the DC Vs. Marvel movie challenge) which is positioned as the SAVIOR of that potential multi-billion dollar franchise gamble.

So, you know, Wonder Woman is a BIG DAMN DEAL.

No pressure or anything...

The movie is directed by Patty Jenkins and stars Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Chris Pine as Steve Trevor and a diverse cast of men and women representing both World War 1 era soldiers and citizens as well as the mythical AMAZONS. In fact, it's the women of THEMYSCIRA that just OWNS this film. While I was glad to see the diversity (both ethnically and orientation-wise) of these warrior women was pulled from George Perez's remarkable run - I still wish they had gone even more ethnic GREEK (Perez preferred the idea that Diana was not an American nor native English speaker).

That is a minor issue because as I said, the AMAZONS are literally the BEST PART OF THIS MOVIE! Connie Nielsen is serviceable as a pensive, mother to Diana (aka Wonder Woman) and former Warrior, Queen Hippolyta but Robin Wright as the grizzled aunt to Wonder Woman and still a bad-ass warrior, Antiope just OWNS this segment of the film. Everything right with Wonder Woman as a film deals with this portion. Not only does it give us a young Diana as an isolated yet seemingly happy (thankfully angst-free) figure who simply wishes to protect everyone as the sort of warrior she idolizes amongst the strong, beautiful women she calls sisters but we get a cool 'animated' sequence that demonstrates the history of these women complete with Greek Gods (something I thought DC/WB would certainly shy away from to protect the middle-American Judeo-Christian sensibility). For the hardcore comic nerd like me, there is such a joy that this is the first time that this legendary group of characters is on the BIG SCREEN and with a sizeable budget so that the island, Themyscira, looks as gorgeous and as historical as I'd have hoped (something I've never both with Marvel's Asgard)!

When the story sets up its' second act with the battle breaking out between Man's world and that of the long-hidden Amazons, it's a pretty epic moment and makes me very excited for Justice League's rumored depiction of a previous war between the Amazons and the New Gods of Darkseid's Apokolips.

So, I LOVED the AMAZONS and honestly, the film is worth the price of admission for the first part alone. Afterward, it's hit or miss and this is where the film is fascinating to me because despite the film being a very paint by the numbers experience with one or two strong performances -- nothing in the rest of the movie is exceptional and yet it is EASILY DC'S BEST MOVIE SINCE THE DARK KNIGHT. Don't take it from me -- literally, EVERY REVIEW from most of the major Geek sites is saying the SAME THING.

This would seem to be high praise but folks...the reality is that the film is decent, not GREAT. The plot is relatively contrived, acting is passable in most cases without anything being transcendent, and the special effects run the now-familiar look of computerized cut-scene level graphics impersonating the actors during the more superhero-ish action-sequences. Man of Steel, Batman V Superman, and Suicide Squad were so GOD-AWFUL that a competent Ambush Bug movie would DC's best film since Dark Knight. 

What works in WONDER WOMAN is what eludes the other DCEU films...simplicity. The film is not attempting to be some teenager's version of high-octane, action-melodrama ala Zach Snyder nor is it trying to posit scholarly philosophical vigilantism theory ala Chris Nolan. This is a story in a nutshell about a woman who truly cares about people and who must confront the idea that cynicism has driven the rest of the world in violence that cannot be solved just from punching something.

When she meets Chris Pine's Steve Trevor, (his intro is pretty accurately depicted from the comics), the film shifts tone a bit more into a comedic-action fantasy. Pine is fantastic in his role. He has the looks, the charm, and the heroics to properly deliver on the idea that this Spy is tough but focused on the lives that will be lost if he takes no action. While one wonders if a grizzled spy wouldn't seem more realistic, Pine's charm brings the character an everyman quality that provides the appropriate response (one of awe) to Gadot's Wonder Woman. One could argue that it's a thankless role as none of the characters in Wonder Woman are written with more than a one-note personality and motivation but still, I found it worked more than not.

Likewise, Gadot is pretty fantastic. I have to admit that I found her physically unimpressive when she was first announced for the role during BvS. I felt weird as my commitment to diversity is pretty clear and yet I found an online "body-shamer" meme popping up occasionally whenever folks questioned Gadot's very slender frame. I think the idea of a toned and muscular woman warrior on the screen for everyone to appreciate especially as a major hero is not only obvious but profound. Think about it...how little do we get to see that style of physique profiled on the silver screen? Hell, Melissa McCarthy's body type has done more to normalize the non-model thin frame and with success and yet with Gadot it's kind of back to the status quo. That said, she clearly wants this to work. She's fully invested in the role and really brings the "warrior for peace" aspect of the character to life.

These two have real chemistry and it plays out in some of the film's best moments with great comedic scenes (Diana and Gadot are at their best when they are taking what Trevor says LITERALLY without subtext) as well as some cool action moments (the alleyway, bracelets scene is aces!). There is no denying this relationship is believable for the most part and smartly written. 

In fact, the second act which features Diana's introduction to "Man's World", is a solid continuation of the excitement from the 1st act. Many folks are going to really enjoy the first big action sequence during "No Man's Land" - an area of trench warfare that forces Diana to action once she sees man's depravity. While the sequence is pretty awesome, I couldn't help but feel a bit been there done that as well as the costume change for Diana coming across a tad cheesy. Many reviews make this moment seem like some religious experience but perhaps it's my age but I can honestly say that aside from excitement for seeing WONDER WOMAN in her costume in a battle for the first time (in this movie) - this scene seemed more mildly entertaining more than revelatory.

That said, it played well and the CG interludes while obvious were more than serviceable but it ultimately established my most disliked aspect of the film. The villain(s) were underwhelming, cheeseball, and lacked the menace that would have allowed Diana's earnest commitment to peace so profound.

This is not a DCEU problem, mind you.

As entertaining as the first IRON MAN film was the villain and the ending were every bit as lame as this film. Still, the acting and minor twist to the ending of WONDER WOMAN really elevate the film's writing to something rather enjoyable.

Simply put, I can't wait for a sequel. Seeing this crew, with the shackles off and more experience, and the CHEETAH??? Awww yeah!

WONDER WOMAN frankly works and when it's really firing on all cylinders...it's a JOY!

Is this DC's best superhero film of their new DCEU film slate?

Unquestionably -- YES!

Is this better than Bruce Timm's DC ANIMATED MOVIE Wonder Woman film?

NO -- NO and NO! Folks, if you've not seen THIS version then you're missing out. More GOD's, better writing (especially the Steve Trevor scenes), and some brutal, BRUTAL action scenes. Wonder Woman in that film is more feminist and bad-ass than hopeful as she is in the live-action.

Is this better than Marvel's Cinematic Universe movies?

Not really. I mean, it's nowhere close to Civil War, Iron Man 1, Winter Soldier and/or the first Avengers film, however, it certainly can live with the rest of Marvel's nearly dozen films.

I recommend folks see this movie for many reasons. We need more DIVERSE superhero movies (hell and more comics/ manga/ anime - but that seems to be a trigger nowadays to young folks who don't know any better) and this film could be the catalyst for such. I can only imagine the scenes in the film that showcased Diana's empathy and strength (both literal and figurative) will truly speak to young women and inspire them in much the same way that I hope Black Panther does in 2018 for young men and women of color.

WONDER WOMAN OPENS IN THE USA on JUNE 2nd, 2017

[poutineandgreencurry]

Day 4 - the day I decided to stop counting days

Today, a few important facts dawned on us as we started our last full day in Bangkok. So, let’s start with those.

We have yet to be sunburned and we have made no effort to protect ourselves in that respect. I don’t know whether it’s the humidity or what but we’ve been completely spared somehow.

No travellers stomach issues. This is now day 4 of diarrhea watch and still nothing. Pretty pleased about that one.

Toilet paper is a hot commodity. Hotels will only give you one at a time, so it’s basically a very risky game of chicken.

The police are extremely friendly. They did their best to answer any question we had and we saw a few at the temple joking around and taking pictures of each other. Pretty adorable police force here.

An alley you may use may also double as someone’s living room. A naked kid maybe taking a bath or 8 to 10 people may be sitting around watching a tiny tv with Thai soap operas on it, while you wander right through the middle of it all.

I don’t understand how anything gets built here. I’ve been mesmerized watching the build site next door. At any given time you will hear one hammer and some things shuffling. No order. No plan. They will be laying a new piece of concrete foundation next to the last piece which is already cracked and broken. It’s amazing that any buildings exist here at all.

You’re basically going to be sweaty and gross all the time so stand next to garbage often so people assume the smell is the garbage and not your thoroughly disgusting self.

People are never really mad here. Everyone is so used to people be in their space and the traffic is constantly crazy but everyone is somehow relaxed all the time and always friendly.

With that out of the way, let’s move on to the day.

It was much more low key than our others in bangkok. A little breakfast and these green tea milkshakes, which are quickly becoming a part of my religion.

Maggie spent some time working and I spent some time looking into our next options.

We broke for lunch and decided to get something other than Thai fare today. We went in search of Japanese. We learned that a ton of places are closed on Sunday and it’s a crap shoot as to which those will be.

We did find a Japanese restaurant which we discovered was also a travel agency somehow. Don’t ask me how it works, it just was. This Japanese restaurant, much like every other we had seen, also served any other kind of food up to and including Schnitzel and Pizza. They actually had 8 big pictures on the wall of dishes they served featuring not a single Japanese dish. It was amazing. Carrot also shows up in a lot of dishes. You may think based on the picture that it’s yam tempura rolls you just ordered but, trust me, you did not.

Best advice, eat Thai food. Anything else, be prepared to pay Vancouver prices for it.

7-11, which seems to be a cultural mainstay here, will serve you nearly anything. You can even get a chilled burger in a bag should you ever really desire that diarrhea we talked about. They do also have some important stuff you’ll need. We got our SIM cards and data plans there and the fellow behind the counter set them up for us entirely. They also have a pharmacy in some of them for no particular reason.

To finish our day, we went through a walk through a quiet little park by the river and settled in for dinner on a rooftop patio to watch the sunset.

We had a wonderful meal and really enjoyed the view. It was great to get above the bustle for a bit and see it all from a different perspective for a while. That said, a few take aways of note.

Rum and coke is oddly rare. If it’s not on the menu, they can’t comprehend that it’s an option. Separately they make sense but not together for some reason. You can get a pretty solid “Moe-Jai-Toe” if you are willing to say it like that.

We took another walk through the park on our way back. It was beautiful and quiet despite being fairly full. Everyone seeming content just to take in the serene setting, so far removed from the city which was less than a block away. That said, we discovered some bats flying around some trees by the water and Maggie used me as a human shield. She’s loving like that.

Bangkok was made of chaos but pretty enjoyable. Lots to do and lots to see. It was definitely exhausting and frustrating at times, but well worth it.

Tomorrow, on to Chiang Mai. Maggie is taking over. Enjoy

[nyxcharliechaos]

Christmas Carol Parody

Ok so here’s a little story parody of a Christmas carol i wrote with my oc’s for fun it wasn’t read by a friend so I’m sorry if my grammar’s bad I tried anyways if you want to give constructive criticism go ahead it’s greatly appreciated IDK about posting full stories to this site so if you have anything to say about that uhh go ahead anyways I hope you can find some enjoyment out of this. also sorry the endings a bit rushed I wasn’t sure what to do with it.

“Merry Christmas!” shouted the carollers outside, after a double take the carollers appeared to be Ricin’s classmates from his drama class, this only served to make his mood even worse “Bah Humbug” Ricin said realizing just how obvious of a quote that was, *KNOCK KNOCK* they must be here to spread ‘Christmas cheer’ ,Ricin was sure one of his siblings would answer, the door knocked again wanting them to leave but not have to talk to them the hybrid called for one of his siblings “Cyanide, Botox, Arsenic, Mercury!” none replied a third knock  “damn it” Ricin gritted his teeth as he opened the door almost immediately started to sing “we wish you a merry Christmas we wish….” the lyrics annoying him more and more  “ FUCK OFF!” Ricin shouted as he slammed the door in his classmates faces returning to his room with the coke he had grabbed  “this was not worth having to hear those assholes” looking out his window he saw they were still there,  “great”.

“You ok Nyx?” Courage asked pulling out a spare handkerchief from his vest pocket  “yeah yeah I’m fine...huh guess stopping here was a dumb idea” Nyx replied and the group just shrugged, Ricin scoffed at them  “Chaos’ fault for getting their face to close to the door...what idiots” Ricin decided to just try and enjoy his drink.

Hours later Ricin was getting ready for bed switching his day clothes for PJ’s, as he put on a pair of pyjamas with nuclear symbols on them on he heard an odd noise followed by the sight of his usual poison apple tee floating in the air a voice booming  “ok you scrooge you know how this game works you’ll be visited by 3 spirits to try and make you less of an asshole” Ricin only reacted with confusion  “what?” he asked the spirit in confusion  “well judging by the look of your room you’re a theater kind so I thought you knew how this whole christmas carol thing goes, or are you just that much of a scrooge?” the spirit asked back, Ricin blinked twice before replying  “well in the actual story isn’t it usually someone the scrooge knows that warns them?” “oh yeah no not when it’s these spirits...yeah sorry you’ve got the back ups” the spirit explained “ok seriously heed my warning though” and with that, the stranger left.

Ricin while taking this seriously knew the story well enough to know he can still get some sleep...or at least that’s what he thought “greetings lil’ toxin time to see your past” the face of confusion and shock wasn’t what this new spirit had been expecting,  “hmm oh I’m Jack Holidayz now seeing as this is a pretty old story” Holidayz that name was so familiar but Ricin couldn’t put his finger on why not that he had time to figure out why before being dragged out his window and affected by some sort. “Welcome to your childhood are you ready to see why you hate this holiday so much” before Ricin could even reply  “oh wait I almost forgot” with a boop to the nose Ricin was changed into an animal form looking like a bird snake same as him though something seeming off most likely due to his phantom heritage. In the window of Ricin’s old house was a young him, his mom was gone as per usual, no dad, his siblings that aren’t out fighting, and there was him a scowl on his face just wanting this damn holiday to end. A silence grew between Ricin and Jack  “is this how it always was? Lonely with fights?” Ricin turned his head and nodded  “ok i’m not supposed to show you others past but I’ll make an exception” Ricin once again confused opened his mouth to question the spirit but before he could he got his answer  “I think seeing some others past so you can see how they reacted different to their negative experiences, maybe that can help you rethink this” and they were off again. “Welcome to Courage's past” Ricin had to do a double take  “that mutt from my class, the one that always hangs with that weird hybrid Xzim?”  ‘mhm’ hummed Jack, looking in the window Ricin saw the scruffy mutt looking surprisingly less scruffy then he did at current day, Courage looked at the tree curled up covered in blankets on a pillow fort,  “his dad’s always extremely busy on Christmas to this day this is how most of his Christmas’ look like...it’s an improvement from before his adoption sure but it’s hard to get much worse than no holidays and being thrown against a wall” Jack was taking very bluntly and his tone reflected that but the look in his eyes showed sorrow and empathy for the mutt  ‘ahem’”next up” stopping at another house in the trailer park the two looked into the window again  “you know Lucy from your theater class” Ricin nodded  “this is her cousin she’s in one of the local street gangs I think” that last bit surprised Ricin who’s eyes widened  “oh that has nothing to do with this I’m just saying, anyways you see she did have a decent Christmas probably the best out of the few I’m showing you” Ricin noticed that the girls mom didn’t appear to be anywhere  “her mom’s neglectful but that’s for the best in this situation since her moms also homophobic ,not the best situation for a lesbian, however she also wasn’t aloud to see her other family” Ricin became increasingly more concerned but before he could ask he was whisked away to the last stop. “And here we have Frankies” Ricin immediately noticed that they weren’t in Arcania anymore this neighbourhood was to white even for December all the houses looked the same white and light blue, Ricin be lying if he said it didn’t creep him out at least a little, moving his head back to the window he saw Frankie much younger and with what looked like a buzz cut and a scowl across their face, they were almost unrecognizable from the long haired happy green mamba Ricin had seen at the school, at first Ricin couldn’t tell what was so off but then Jack simply said “Their parents are christian extremist, a non-binary bisexual with some sort of mental health you can see the problem” it was then Ricin took notice of the crosses located every where and who he assumed was Frankie’s father reading the holy bible, he knows not all christians are that bad but the use of the word extremist gave him an immediate understanding of why. 

“so that’s why they runaway” Ricin whispered under his breath, everyone knew Frankie was a runaway so was Addison but know one really knew why other than their friends.

Ricin turned to see himself in front of Nyx’s mansion with a new spirit in front of him, the spirit ran up to him and grabbed his had jumping up and down as she shook it and him  “I’m Candy Holidayz ,are you ready to see how those three are treating this Christmas despite those” Ricin face said it all, Candy pulled him up to his feet which cause him to realize he had returned to his normal form, no time to figure that out though looking in he saw the three along with Nyx, Gene, and a student he recognized as she often spent time with Lucy’s cousin but he didn’t know her name, and last was Addi the other runaway, the teens were joyfully singing Christmas songs, the two sat quietly until the song was over  “So who else is ready for Black Christmas, Krampus, and candy cane cult” Nyx asked to cheers from their friends “Why are they watching horror movies and some cheesy slasher from the eighties?” Ricin questioned  “Everyone has their way of celebrating not all of them even celebrate Christmas but they’re all having fun and making the best of the situation sure not everyone can do that but if you have the option to then go for it” Ricin went quite in thought, it took him a minute to realize he was at Taylor’s house looking in he saw the sporty gator his best friend having tons of fun, he thought about how she had invited him to hangout so he wouldn’t be alone this Christmas and how he had gotten her a gift but in the end decided against it. “Do you have anything to say?” he questioned the spirit...no response.

Rather suddenly he saw he was back in his room but something seemed off he looked and saw the picture of him and Taylor at a sports game of some sort Taylor had insisted he joined her to go to wasn’t there nor was any proof of their friendship,  “Shit” Ricin said under his breath “Is this what’ll happen if I don’t improve?” ‘Yep” a familiar voice said, Ricin turned around to see the third spirit “ASH?!” Ricin yelled in bewilderment, “you’re the I guess spirit of Christmas future” “Yeah? Who did you expect?” seeing Ricin’s face Ash continued a bit more annoyed ”I’ve mentioned multiple times in class my parents are the spirits of Halloween and Christmas and the last name Holidayz should have been a dead giveaway” Ricin felt rather dumb now for not realizing that sooner “So if I don’t improve I won’t have a friend anymore” the thought of losing his only friend almost physically hurt,  “Yes, though admittedly my siblings and I may not have been who you needed to see, you don’t have much reason to hate the holiday but you already hate everyone and act like an ass” Ricin looked as if he was about to punch Ash in the face” ...ok my point is our visit was to tell you you need to be more positive I understand not everyone can but you have an opportunity like my sister told you earlier so go take it” Ricin in a rare moment took this to heart “Thank you” “Now before I leave” Ash’s smile became creepy and sinister as they grabbed Ricin and threw him out the window, falling head first.

Ricin woke up screaming, funny he didn’t remember falling asleep regardless he called Taylor and asked if he could hangout or if have a sleepover.

“Wait so why did we do that?” Ash asked their siblings, the two stared at each other before shrugging “Well” standing up Ash yelled “MERRY CHRISTMAS”.