#each person has their own humor and strengths and own flavor of comedy and i really appreciate how the writers make sure to highlight

[danerom]

i think its so special how the prompts on make some noise are personalized for each contestant to perform their best

[collegemomchronicles]

Roshumba Mason

Professor. Due

AF-AMER 112A

Oct 19 2024

Blog Post #2

My personal thoughts on Dewayne Perkins film “The Blackening” is that it is a refreshing and Black horror-comedy film. I remember this film coming out during the Covid-19 pandemic quarantine, and me being inside needing something to watch that keeps me occupied. Perkins' unique perspective resonated with me. “The Blackening” separates itself from other films by embracing Black culture and Black experiences. The theme of friendship is displayed with the dynamics and strength of Black friendships. The friends share laughs and stand together when they are faced with tension, fear, and uncertainty. The film reminds me of other movies such as “Saw” where a game of survival is needed to stay alive. The characters must navigate through life altering situations. What I think makes “The Blackening” unique is that it blends culture, commentary, and a bit of uncertainty. To me it is like “Saw” meets a bunch of Black folks who crack jokes on each other. The satire in “The Blackening” was thrilling, sharp, and intriguing.

Perkins found the ability to balance laughter and scares showing his clever writing and direction. The characters feel like individuals I have come across in my life before. I can see them being a friend group based out of LA, because their mannerisms were very authentic. I also think that every character has their own personality and brings their own unique flavors to the storyline while providing both comedic and scary situations. I remember this film feeling particularly fresh during quarantine because it blended shared experiences within the Black community. The film also touches on stereotypical tropes such as the Black character dies first,but this is difficult to happen because all the characters are Black. The concepts of the death game is an important element because this game focuses on Black references and Black experiences. There is a lot of satire throughout this movie, but they are flipped and used to bring awareness to societal issues involving Black people. The characters add some self awareness to the film,but also talking about the type of Conversations of Black people in the media. The chemistry between the characters feels genuine, bringing the audience into their world. It's a pleasure to watch a film where the bonds between characters are as strong to the story as the horror parts. This relationship strengthened the narrative, making the moments of fright and humor more impactful.

[ghostmartyr]

Avengers: Endgame Thoughts

SPOILERS, obviously.

So I figure I’ll babble enough to keep all the genuinely spoilery content under an appropriately timed cut. Even though everything after this statement is full of expectation spoilers. The few key things that I can think about to mention are that I really appreciated the movie and enjoyed the highs and teared up aplenty.

Also that I think this is going to be a primarily negative post. Whoops.

Not because I think it’s awful. I want to emphasize that I don’t think it is awful, because I am very worried that I’m going to forget to say that.

There’s a base level of quality you can sort of expect from MCU movies, so I don’t generally feel the need to move beyond the role of passive audience member for them. Then Infinity War really impressed me, and I couldn’t wait to see how everything was going to wrap up when they really left the movie there, so my investment level piqued.

As a result, there are more thoughts than usual. About a movie I really did find to be of high quality, and probably would see again happily if planning to sit still for another three hours didn’t make me twitchy.

I liked the movie.

There are just some character decisions and plot mechanics and overall writing decisions that... really?

First thing that I don’t have much to say about but can’t rationalize having a complaint post with no mention of: Thor and Hulk.

People in charge of the movie, you had no problem including Captain Marvel when you had no earthly clue what to actually do with her. Her smile warmed my heart in every scene she graced, and while I was criminally disappointed she was not more involved, none of the material she was given made me feel like the people writing her didn’t care about her.

...

Actually, now that I think about it, this should not have just a Thor and Hulk complaint section. Like that was the idea, because I didn’t have much, because I don’t care (slightly different than the writers’ level of don’t care), but the whole...

...

Oy.

Here, once for flavor, with the knowledge that I’ll get back to it and repeatedly whine about it this whole post.

I find the fucking time skip wanting in too many ways for me to really forgive the film for.

Anyway, Thor and Hulk.

In short, no.

In less short, what are you doing.

Hulk I don’t have a serious gripe with, except my main complaint about Infinity War was how Banner (I should probably change how I name him based on which character I’m talking about, but I really just mean the entity represented by a particular actor so I can’t care that much) got used up as comedy relief. You can have comedic moments and characters. If you have transformed your character into a comedic moment, you’ve fucked up.

(See Thor in too much of this movie.)

But one of the interesting parts of Hulk’s general arc in the MCU was how Banner and Hulk were starting to negotiate for their place in their body.

Cue Endgame, cue time skip, cue completely glossing over how they make their peace with each other.

Avengers franchise, why?

I am not attached to Hulk or Banner or any of that section of the plot, honestly, but the potential of that entire element is shot and left for dead in the water. Then the floating corpse gets up and starts walking around as part of a cog of the story.

Hulk’s most interesting plot point basically happened in another movie that doesn’t now, and probably won’t ever, exist, and considering what Infinity War put the guy through as a character, my writing senses are hurt and sad all over.

Then there’s Thor.

I think he might fit into the whole thing I will soon get into about character resolutions that hit the right emotional keys solidly enough that you forget they’re playing the wrong song.

Mostly he picks up the “hole” (wrongly perceived as something that needs to be filled) left by Hulk leaving the walking gag scene party. Drinking himself into oblivion and disregarding self-care in the aftermath of an immense trauma is one of the film’s chosen humor mainstays.

My impression is that I’m the only person in my tight corner of the internet who doesn’t really like Ragnarok because its silliness felt like it was trying too hard. It’s my favorite of the Thor movies, but a bunch of the humor didn’t feel natural to me. Better than Infinity War’s handling of Hulk, and better than Endgame’s handling of Thor, just not my favorite tone.

Endgame sort of takes that element, jacks it away from its surrounding strengths, and rolls out a keg for it to drown in.

When the movie remembers to empathize with Thor instead of mocking him, there are some great moments. But he draws one of the shortest straws of the movie.

And the character resolution is...

Good fuck this is why I had to say I liked the movie. Because when I actually sit down and think about my problems with it, the rest of my brain just lounges to the side in horror, wondering what could possibly have been entertaining if such elements were included.

The very beginnings of my problems with the movie is that they kill Thanos.

I think he’s dead ten minutes in.

Then they skip five years.

Five years.

Ooooh my everything.

Okay so like, you know how you start reading something, or watching something, and your head immediately takes note that oh, this must be a dream sequence. The couple in a romance is suddenly way too hot and steamy for where the story has them in their development, a random bomb goes off, the guy who destroyed half of all life in the universe because no one can stop him in the last movie is killed in the first ten minutes of the next--

There’s like.

A rhythm. There’s a rhythm to how stories work.

When that rhythm is disrupted, the audience is left with a tangible feeling of wtf. Either that feeling enhances the other quality stuff going on, or it enhances the other Quality stuff going on, if you catch my drift.

You step into a vacuum.

It’s great for recreating that sense of absence. The world is irrevocably changed. It’s emptier. The heroes are broken. Their revenge doesn’t fix anything. They just. continue to exist, with losses they aren’t equipped to handle.

FIVE YEARS OF IT.

I have probably a longer list of things I want stories involving time travel not to do than is perhaps healthy. But maybe stories involving time travel should keep their act together better or I don’t know.

Bad Future ends are not something I appreciate, because often, they go grimdark just because they can, because they know it’s not the final future, so anything goes. You don’t have to treat it like any reality that matters, because it isn’t permanent.

This story... I would say it toes the line there, but in ways that grate on me thoroughly enough that it presses all the same buttons.

Thanos can die in the first ten minutes, and it doesn’t matter. We know it doesn’t matter, because it happens in the first ten minutes. ...Maybe twenty, to be safe. It’s early. But you have this villain who’s built up to a ridiculous degree, bizarrely succeeds in living up to his own hype, then you kill him off so that a younger version of himself gets top billing in the final battle.

Why?

I get why as far as the story is designed, but at some point in the process, this story is designed by humans. Humans who could have stopped and asked themselves if they were really telling the best version of this story they possibly could.

Thanos is defeated while his blight remains. I love saying that. I love that I can describe a story with those words.

But the initial defeat is so unsatisfying and bereft of life. All the energy of him as an external force for our heroes to unite against is bled out early, and to get it back, they really do just ship in a younger model.

Which does make sense. Younger Thanos’ motives are fine and reasonable. Just, as far as the plot design, the whole presentation of the movie’s setting feels like a dream sequence. It feels, very early on, like this will never be allowed to be forever.

Then that feeling lasts for five years.

Getting into the time travel thing.

Time travel is really hard to get right in stories. You want to change something, but the people doing the changing are products of what they’ve lived through. How do you honor that while still fixing the unspeakable evil that happened? How do you change the world while keeping the threads that made us care alive and relevant?

One thing I very much like is that Tony fights to keep what he’s gained alive. Good. The volcanic soil grew him something irreplaceable, and it’s perfectly reasonable for him to want to hold on to that, and I’m glad he does.

But then you have the other half of the story, where no one is able to move on.

My preference for time travel correcting things is for characters to either be trying to change their own future that they have yet to live through, or for them to trying to fix something that is so recent the characters are still wrangling with it as a piece of their present. I have more than a touch of “humans should not mess with these things they don’t know what they’re doing,” past a certain point.

In case it weren’t obvious, five years is pretty far past that point for me. It hits this awful uncanny valley sweet spot of people wanting to change a reality that never should have been vs. people who are willing to fuck up the world because they can’t let go.

I like superheros. I like correcting injustices. Save all the people. I like people fighting tooth and nail to fix things set in stone because these are their people, dammit.

I also hate seeing people so stuck in the past they refuse to make a future.

This movie screams both of those elements so loudly that it’s hard for me to really piece out how I feel about the story in its entirety.

I like that they don’t simply hit an undo button, and do bring everyone back in a way that lets the future that has already happened continue.

But then there’s Steve and Nat and just... fuck, dude.

Gun to my head, I’m a happy person. If everyone could be alive at the end, that would be my preference, I don’t care if it’s cheesy. But you have the choice between Hawkeye and Black Widow. The man who’s lost his family, and the woman who’s lost purpose.

Or something. I don’t do MCU meta.

The sense I get from watching is that Natasha feels like her life works better as a sacrifice. If they succeed, she doesn’t have children and a wife waiting at home. So clearly it makes sense for her to be the one to die. Her road ends to bring back the happiness of others.

Which...

I don’t know how to articulate my problem with this without moving on to Steve first.

So let’s do that.

Steve.

Steve, whose story ends with him going back in time and staying there.

Forget about how the story criticizes every movie that does time travel better than it. Forget about all the levels of not caring went into designing the time travel elements. If possible.

I do not like how Steve’s story is essentially about how there’s only one time and place for him to experience a fulfilling life.

It is the nature of writing stories that we want to encapsulate things. The perfect moment. The perfect set of emotions. The perfect time. Everything falls into place, and that’s how we want it. We’ll never get it better than that. Keep retreading that dead horse, because it was so good.

Steve and Peggy are beautiful together.

What I hate about them ending up together is that... there’s this obvious, painful belief that the world of the future doesn’t have anything left for Steve. Bucky’s there. Sam’s there. Billions of people have just found there way back. Steve’s lived in this century for years.

Reclaiming the past is more important than building a future.

Even though the story’s driving plot is about keeping their past maintained so they can have this future. Or something.

Steve doesn’t have a future. Natasha doesn’t have a future. So the story removes them from it, and calls that a clean, happy (if bittersweet) ending. They’re pieces that don’t work in this world. Their chances are gone. They can live in the past or die.

I hate that. I’m a sap who will read a million stories about someone having a single true love they can’t be without and no one else could ever compare and blah and blah and blah, but that somehow feels different from watching a character’s life play out for years, and seeing them come to the conclusion that they can never belong in this place.

Building a new home never compared to the old one.

That’s depressing as fuck.

Thor gets a piece of this as well, becoming more of a knight errant than a king. After going to so much trouble to become his people’s king and just. Geez.

I don’t think that this is a thing the movie as a whole is really trying to encourage. I think the people working on it just had different visions for what would be cool as a sendoff and so on. Tony’s insistence that they don’t undo the five years they’ve had, and Nebula’s... everything--those aren’t elements of a story that says you can’t grow and find a new place. You don’t have to keep on repeating what you know and nothing else. You really don’t.

But that feels very twisted around for some of these characters’ personal journeys, and as happy as I am for Steve getting his dance with Peggy, the idea that this is a person whose true happiness could never be in the future...

That lingers in a way that I can’t like, and colors a lot of the other resolutions.

.

.

I really enjoyed the movie?

Yay?

Even though no one cared even a little at all even once except to attempt to drag other movies about time travel.

This movie’s time travel mechanics are terrible.

They’re just bad.

When you drop the titles of that many other things that have time travel.

And say this isn’t like that.

You should. you should hope. that your thing could at least make a convincing case for making more sense.

This does not succeed in that.

How could you watch enough of those movies to know they had time travel, yet fail to learn anything about how to write time travel. How. Why did you. why. Dragon Ball Z has more internally consistent time travel.

Three hours well spent. The hours on this, maybe less well.

[justanothercinemaniac]

Epic Movie (Re)Watch #219 - Anastasia (1997)

Spoilers Below

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: No.

Format: Blu-ray

1) The prologue.

The very first few musical notes of the film’s score establish a key element which we will see throughout: a light and playful darkness which helps to accent the film. It fits the fairytale tone well, for that is what Anastasia is: a fairy tale. I’m not too familiar with Imperial Russia or the revolution which marked its end, but as I understand this film is FAR from historically accurate. I think that decision works well for the filmmakers, as making this more of a fairytale with fantasy elements allows for more room to play around (while also not being beholden to history).

Another reason the prologue works - other than setting tone - is that it establishes all the necessary backstory the film needs in a sleek and easily digestible way. We understand what happened to Anya/Anastasia, we understand Rasputin’s anger/motivations, we understand the pain that Anastasia’s grandmother will feel, we see Dimitri’s role in it all, everything comes through clearly. I like that.

2) Okay, question: Why does Rasputin only care about killing Anastasia and not her grandmother if he vowed to kill all of the Tsar’s family? Wouldn’t the grandma be a part of that equation?

3) Here is how it went the first time I saw this film:

[Music builds to a swell as we see St. Petersburg] Me [sarcastically]: “Oh GREAT, a song about how wonderful communist Russia is.” Lyrics: “St. Petersburg is gloomy, St. Petersburg is bleak.” Me [after a moment]: “Oh.”

4) “A Rumor in St. Petersburg”

Whereas the prologue established the world of the past, this song establishes the environment the characters are currently in. We understand really quickly the stakes which motivate Dimitri, why he wants to get out of St. Petersburg, and just how much of a hubbub is around the rumor of Anastasia’s return. Beyond that though, the opening is an appropriate first taste of the film’s original songs. St. Petersburg is a big opening number befitting of a Broadway show (which this film now is) and is greatly enjoyable, much like the rest of the songs will be.

5) Anya/Anastasia.

When it comes to the performance of Anya (I’m just going to call her Anya moving forward since that’s what the film does), the credit must go in equal parts to Meg Ryan and Liz Callaway. As her dialogue actress, Ryan is Anya’s actress the majority of the time. The actress is able to infuse her character with warmth, humor, heart, strength, resilience, and a little bit of sadness all in a captivating way that fits the character design. But Callaway must get the credit she deserves as well, for she is able to take all of the qualities Ryan gives Anya’s dialogue and match it in her singing. This is no easy task, as sometimes having two performers doing voice and song CAN be distracting. But the pair blend beautifully and are able to support the character to the her fullest.

6) “Journey to the Past”

As “A Rumor in St. Petersburg” acts to set up Dimitri’s motivations, “Journey to the Past” sets up what drives Anya. Her search for who she is, for who she was, and any family that may come with that. While that subject matter (Anya confronting the unknown) could be bleak, the song is wonderfully uplifting and inspiring. You ROOT for Anya because of it. You’re invested in her and honestly I think its the best song in the piece. I just love it.

7) I get “Frosty the Snowman” vibes from the ticket seller saying, “No exit visa, no ticket!” Is that just me?

8) Dimitri.

With much less singing (and certainly less solos), John Cusack plays much more of Dimitri than Jonathan Dokuchitz. Dokuchitz contributions are crazy important and well done, something which he deserves due credit for, but it is Cusack who has the responsibility of developing Dimitri more. Cusack’s through his voice is able to expand on Dimitri’s lovable rogue quality, but when he develops into a much more caring person it seems natural. Cusack through his performance is able to blend these two aspects perfectly, showing Dimitri’s heart and vulnerability in an interesting way as the film continues.

9) “Once Upon a December”

A hauntingly beautiful number, this tune always felt befitting of a ghost story to me. As at home in Phantom of the Opera as Anastasia. This is one of the songs which best demonstrate the dark flavors this film dabbles with and it fits perfectly with the rest of the soundtrack. Its wonderful, slightly creepy, and very fascinating.

10) The chemistry is great between Anya and Dimitri, specifically when they’re bickering. Their initial bickering is wildly fun to watch and it translates into trust, love, and respect much more than some live action film couples. It’s an important aspect to nail in getting the audience behind their relationship and the filmmakers do this well.

11) Kelsey Grammer as Vlad.

I like Kelsey Grammer in most things, and this film is no exception. As both the speaking and singing voice for Vlad, the experienced actor gives the rotund figure an incredible amount of life which helps us as the audience get invested in him. I just like it.

12) Hank Azaria as Bartok.

It’s Hank Azaria for crying out loud, what more do I need to say? The veteran voice over and character actor enables the lovable henchman to steal every scene he’s in. Bartok doesn’t even interact with any of the main heroes, just Rasputin, but that alone gives him enough comedic material for Azaria’s vocals to carry us away. All in all, it is an incredibly fun and entertaining part.

13) Christopher Lloyd as Rasputin.

Back to the Future is my favorite film, so having Christopher Lloyd in anything is a treat for me. His vocals as Rasputin are INCREDIBLE! He’s playful evil, having a ton of fun in the part which means the audience has fun too. Rasputin is a brilliantly entertaining villain (especially considering he’s stuck on the sidelines for most of the movie), with the physical humor brought about by his decaying corpse leading to some gross/great comedy bits! Rasputin is one of my favorite non-Disney animated villains of all time (if not my favorite). He’s great and has an incredible villain song!

14) “In the Dark of the Night”

Lloyd doesn’t song this song, instead its performed by legendary veteran of voice over work Jim Cummings (Darkwing Duck, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Ed from The Lion King, Ray from The Princess and the Frog, and MUCH more). Cummings KILLS IT with his vocal work, making Rasputin both fun and threatening in the number. The tune is dark, epic, and evil throughout. One of the best villain songs in animation because - more than above else - the threat just amplified considerably. We understand Rasputin is not someone to mess with and this song establishes that in a wildly entertaining way. I love it.

15) The scene which best shows Anya’s and Dimitri’s chemistry has to be when they’re on the train.

Anya: “Dimitri, do you really think I’m royalty?”

Dimitri: “You know I do.”

Anya: “Then stop bossing me around!”

Vlad: “She certainly has a mind of her own.”

Dimitri: “Yeah, I hate that in a woman.”

16) I really enjoy this film, but one of the things in it I found odd is that the main protagonists go almost completely unaware of the supernatural elements which threaten them. Not until Anya and Dimitri face Rasputin at the end are they conscious of it. If I were to change one thing in the film, it would be that.

17) I always found this little bit of dialogue funny, because Dimitri does think Anya convincing people she’s Anastasia is a lie but we as the audience know better.

Dimitri: “You don’t know if it’s a lie! What if it’s true!”

18) “Learn To Do It”

The Pygmalion elements of the film could easily have been dull filler until we reach the end, but by condensing it to a charming and fun number Anya’s evolution into Anastasia is an interesting and integral part of the story. The number is one of pure joy, life, and entertainment, speaking to the relationship this trio develops on their long journey to Paris. It holds up against the other song quite well.

19) The waltz between Anya and Dimitri is a key turning point in their relationship. It’s the most vulnerable they’ve been with each other up to this point. I like that.

20) Anya’s dream.

There’s a nice sense of heightened reality in the dream’s visuals which (with a unique color palette) helps make it feel beyond reality. While cheerful in appearance, mixing the scenes with Newman’s score means we understand there’s danger even before we see the monsters in Anya’s head. The way the film cuts between dream and reality also works well, as the flow of the scene is never disrupted. All in all, it just works.

21) Angela Lansbury as the Dowager Empress.

Our first encounter with the Empress in modern setting shows her off as grumpy, jaded, and impatient. But what’s important is that we understand WHY she’s this way. The audience sees the tragedy in her not only through the film’s prologue but also through Lansbury’s performance. That heartache is wonderfully present throughout and when it turns to joy at finding her Anastasia the effect is wonderful. But more on that later.

22) Bernadette Peters as Sophie.

A broadway legend, Peters actually objected to Sohpie’s curvy appearance since she herself had actually lost weight. Despite this, the actress (much like Grammer with Vlad) breathes a wonderful amount of life into Sophie. It’s hard to imagine anyone performing the charming and energetic character since she just feels so natural/alive. While relegated to the third act, Sophie is definitely a memorable part of the film and Peters’ performance is an important part of that.

23) “Paris Holds The Key To Your Heart”

In terms of how the tune serves the story, it stands to set up Paris as a location much like “St Petersburg” did in the opening with its titular city. But beyond that, it allows us to juxtapose how far the characters have come. This is it, their final destination, which results in a joyous night on the town. Anya is the happiest she’s been in a while and Dimitri has grown up a lot, ready to let go the woman he cares for so she can have what she wants. Like many of the others, the tune is wildly entertaining and just takes you on this wild night in Paris wonderfully.

24) The fallout between Dimitri and Anya when she finds out his INITIAL motivations is particularly heartbreaking, largely because those are no longer his intentions. For the first time in his adult life he’s actually trying to do the right thing, which creates incredibly high stakes for him (which we see when he freaking KIDNAPS THE DOWAGER EMPRESS! Also in how he turns down the reward for finding Anya). It’s a wonderful if painful moment.

25) When the Empress first meets with Anya she’s guarded and dismissive, which makes sense. It’s self preservation at this point. But that just means it is all the more wonderful when she realizes it IS Anya, that neither of them are without family anymore, and she can finally let herself be open to happiness. (Although, it’s kinda weird that all of Anya’s memories come back at once.)

26) If I ever go to a high school reunion (which I don’t plan on doing), I gotta use this line.

Rasputin [upon seeing Anya]: “Look at what the years have done to us. You a beautiful young flower, me a rotting corpse!”

27) I talked about this a bit more in note #16, but I wish Rasputin took a more active role in the plot. That there was more interaction between him and the heroes. I really like the action of the climax, where Anya and Dimitri go at it with him, but I wish I’d had a bit more of that in the film.

28)

Rasputin [thinking Anya died]: “Finally, the last of the Romanoffs dead!”

You know, except for her grandma.

29) I love happy endings which aren’t really endings (when they’re done like this, not so much when they’re cliffhangers).

Sophie [when she learns Anya and Dimitri eloped]: “Its a perfect ending!”

Empress: “No, it’s a perfect beginning.”

Anastasia is one of the more underrated animated films out there. It’s got all the hallmarks of a classic - great music, memorable characters, an awesome bad guy, strong voice acting, a strong story - but not nearly the following of Beauty and the Beast or Aladdin. If you haven’t yet, I would recommend putting in Anastasia.

[recentanimenews]

INTERVIEW: So I’m a Spider, So What? Lead Voice Actor Aoi Yuuki

  The upcoming Crunchyroll Originals series So I’m a Spider, So What? will be making its way to Crunchyroll in January 2021, and to celebrate the upcoming release, today we are publishing some exclusive interviews with the voice cast of the show! If you want to check out the original Japanese interview, you can do so right here. In this interview, voice actor Aoi Yuuki (Madoka Kaname in Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Diane in The Seven Deadly Sins) talks about what it is like voicing a spider, all the internal monologues she voices in the series, singing the ending theme, and more! 

  Also be sure to check out the interview with voice actors Shun Horie (Shun) and Kaito Ishikawa (Hugo) right here!

  The translated text follows.

  �� “I” was reincarnated in another world... as a spider the weakest of all creatures. How will “I” survive in a dungeon filled with fierce, powerful monsters?!

  The TV anime So I’m a Spider, So What? is set to begin airing in January 2021. We’ve interviewed the main cast for a special program to be aired right before the series premiere. For our first interview, Aoi Yuuki-san, the voice of “I (Kumoko),” will tell us about the highlights of the series as well as some behind-the-scenes stories!

  I’m sure you never expected to be reincarnated as a spider.

  Yuuki: That’s for sure! But another character I voiced not long ago, Gwen in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, was also a pink and white spider, so I guess I actually have a bit of a connection with spiders. I’m definitely not into bugs or anything, but since Kumoko and Gwen had such cute designs, I’ve slowly grown to like spiders a little more.

  Do you remember your first impression of the novel series?

  Yuuki: Mainly that it had a lot of words (lol). I first came into contact with it in the form of the manuscript I used to audition, and I remember being surprised by how great each sentence was. Another interesting thing was that it had a much harsher setting than most stories about being reincarnated in another world. Usually, the protagonist starts out at a high level and immediately gains really strong powers, but this one reincarnates as the weakest of all monsters, in a really tough environment and with very little room to develop her abilities, so that made it seem new and unique.

  Kumoko does seem to just barely squeak through all her battles.

Yuuki: That’s the interesting thing about a story that’s specifically about how she survives as a spider. In many isekai stories, the protagonist’s knowledge from their former life aids them in their new world, but in So I’m a Spider, So What?, she has to both learn and mature as a spider.

    Was it easy for you to grasp what kind of character Kumoko is?

  Yuuki: Yes, I could tell right away that she was a very positive girl who recovered quickly from setbacks, and when we started recording, the director said we’d be fine as long as I had those two qualities pinned down, so it was easy to grasp what her personality was like.

  So you would sum it up by saying she’s very positive?

  Yuuki: This sort of connects to that, but she really likes to eat, and one of her fondest hopes is to eat lots of good food. When someone is surrounded by enemies and doesn’t even know where they are, I think they’d want to give up. But not only does Kumoko fight and never give up, she also finds the hope to stay alive. I think that’s really amazing.

  Looking at the original novels, she seems to eat a lot of very strange things.

  Yuuki: Thanks to that, I now know some new ways to spit up food (lol). There aren’t a lot of titles that include so many ad libbed spitting-up scenes, so I’ve been trying some different variations. But as the story progresses, she starts to find some monsters that taste good. Before I knew it, I started to think they looked delicious too, even though I’m playing a monster myself, so my mental strength has been improving along with Kumoko’s.

    Kumoko is just a small spider in the story, and seeing how she fights monsters that are much bigger than her, some in large groups, is one of the highlights.

  Yuuki: I guess she must be really smart. There’s something philosophical about how she develops a spider’s quick wit, and it helps her persevere in battle. I think it’s really cool how she thinks quickly while also moving quickly.

  Something tells me she’ll have a lot of internal monologues, too...

  Yuuki: The sheer number of words in this story makes it a challenge!

  So your initial concern carried over into the recording?

  Yuuki: It’s physically difficult to fit so many words into such a limited span of time. I thought I was actually pretty good at speaking quickly and working various kinds of expressions into a single sentence, but a lot of moments in this title shook my confidence a bit... That just makes it even more fun when everything fits just right, though. I often compare voice recording to rhythm games, so when particularly difficult recording sessions go well, it feels like I just landed a great combo and hear a long string of “Perfect! Perfect! Perfect!” And if a “Great” or Good” makes it way into that, I get annoyed and want to do it over (lol). So I feel a particularly strong sense of accomplishment after a successful recording session for So I’m a Spider, So What?

  It sounds like the recording has been pretty harsh.

Yuuki: It might be because I get too eager, but there have been moments when I had to ask for a break due to low oxygen levels. It’s rare that I get so out of breath during a recording, but that has happened at least once per session with So I’m a Spider, So What? It’s rough, but I know it’ll pay off in the end.

    How do you prepare for the role?

  Yuuki: Everything she thinks and feels is expressed in her lines, so even without trying too hard to understand or add flavor to them, I can clearly tell what kind of character she is and what she’s thinking. I owe that to the original novels and the scripts. Kumoko is very good at explaining things about herself, meaning all I need to help me understand her more is the script, so it hasn’t really been necessary to give too much thought to preparing for the role.

  Did the director or sound director give you any particular instructions?

  Yuuki: The one that left an impression on me was that they wanted the battle scenes to look really cool. I was asked to include comical battle cries as well as calmer, more serious reaction sounds. In particular, when she’s concocting a strategy or engaged in a do-or-die battle, even I’m surprised by how cool she is. That said, about 80% of it is silly gag humor!

  It sounds like the recording sessions are going smoothly.

  Yuuki: Yes. I’ve come to understand what kinds of reactions the director wants and the right timing for them, and it feels like we’re on the same wavelength now. Since it’s a comedy series, it’s important to know how its ups and downs should flow as well as where and how to insert punch lines, and sharing ideas until everything fits together perfectly is important since everyone interprets things differently. But we’re in a place now where I can offer suggestions as to what the director might want from me, so it’s fun thinking about what I’ll do in the next session.

  Incidentally, the original novels follow the hero’s side of the story concurrently with Kumuko’s. How have you viewed that?

  Yuuki: To be honest, I haven’t touched on any of the hero’s side of the story at all. Of course, I’ve read the scripts, so I know what happens, but they’re handled separately in the story, and given the current state of the world, all of us voice actors have been recording separately. I currently have no idea what kind of acting the others are doing right now, so I’m also looking forward to how their two stories will eventually connect.

    You also sang the ending theme, “Theme of Kumoko-san,” from Kumoko’s perspective. What kind of song is it?

  Yuuki: At 400 BPM, it’s a super high-tempo song! And the lyrics are fitting for a 400-BPM song, so I hope everyone will listen to the effort that went into them. Even I was shocked by how far a person can stretch their own limits. And the lyrics are representative of the story, so I think people will be able to imagine the various expressions of Kumoko when they hear it.

  It sounds like a very tricky song.

  Yuuki: It has a level of excitement that I had never seen or heard before. But learning that I could actually sing such a difficult song gave me a lot of confidence. Of course, I got through it with help from lots of people, though. In that sense, both the anime and the ending theme made me feel like I was seeing things I’d never seen before.

  Finally, please share a message for the fans looking forward to seeing the anime.

  Yuuki: It’s a pretty dark, harsh story about how Kumoko struggles to survive in a world filled with monsters, but at the same time, it shows off Kumoko’s sillier side with gag humor, making it a very unique series. It somehow comes across as comical even though the main character is completely serious, so I hope everyone can relax and enjoy it for the fun series it is. It also offers different tastes by following both Kumoko’s story and the hero’s story, so I think people who like to speculate will also find it satisfying. Also, I hope everyone will remember that acting out Kumoko consumed tremendous amounts of oxygen (lol).

      Kyle Cardine is an Editor for Crunchyroll. You can find his Twitter here.

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[kitsunesbooks]

How Anime is Reviving Comedy

The true definition of a comedy is a lighthearted or cheery story featuring characters overcoming unfortunate circumstances and ultimately achieving a happy ending. But it seems in the modern era, this definition has been more or less lost. Nowadays comedies seem to focus on jokes and only that. It seems that this premise is even more prevalent in western comedies to an almost unhealthy extent. This is especially true for comedies here in the west that focus solely on dysfunction or unfortunate circumstances that the characters don’t overcome.

This of course brings me to anime. One of the reasons I am so attracted to anime as an art form or medium is that it often can be more realistic than things filmed and animated in the west. While shows like Adventure Time and Steven Universe earn praise across the board, I cannot vouch for them simply because I’ve never watched them. This Winter season brought two amazing series that help to revive the literary definition of comedy. Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid is an incredibly cheery gag fest that is far more subtle with its aspects of overcoming misfortune. However, on the other end of the spectrum Interviews with Monster Girls is far more upfront by presenting us a fantastical lens in which we view the day to day struggles of everyday people in the real world. But there is a third show that I would like to lump into this article. While it aired a few years ago, a spin off was announced to air in the upcoming Spring anime season. That show is by far my favorite anime comedy, Is it Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon. All three of these shows truly embody the form of the literary comedy and help to revive comedy as a whole. While comedy isn’t exactly dead either, these shows lift it from the darker place it seems stuck in. I hope to explain how each of these shows contributes to this revival.

The biggest reason to back up my rather bold claim is the theme of all three of these amazing anime. Each one in their own way tackles growth. Whether it be growth as an adult, overcoming the obstacles you are born with, or developing strength and courage, each show presents the stages of growth in its own unique way. Growth is a key part of any comedy, and while humor itself is subjective, it is not the focus of at least two of these great series. In fact, if we continue to go by the literary definition of comedy, humor is unnecessary. Humor is merely a device to perpetuate that lighthearted and cheery tone these kinds of stories portray. But, humor is more than present in all three of these shows and it helps add characterization as wells as a unique flavor to each show. This is especially true due to the subjectivity of humor itself. Its subjectivity lends itself to be a malleable concept. The creators have their own ideas of what makes a good gag and it’s translated into the various episodes of these comedies and that in turn adds to the charm of the shows. But I intend to go deeper than just humor alone, because you simply can’t build a literary comedy on only jokes.

The first show I want to dive into is Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon, or Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, in English. The show is about a group of dragons leaving their fantasy world of a home and traveling to the human world and fitting into human society. But the beauty of this reverse isekai (Japanese for "other-world") show is in our human cast. Kobayashi, our protagonist, is for all intents and purposes a stagnant human being. While she has a well paying job as a programmer. (Which, by the way, props for including actual freaking lines of code in your show as opposed to cyber gibberish.) However, Miss Kobayashi’s life consists of work and bar outings with her co-worker Takiya. When Kobayashi gets a visit from Tohru, a powerful green dragon that Kobayashi inadvertently helped while in one of her drunken stupors, Kobayashi’s life is flipped upside down. While she still sticks to her typical routine, being around Tohru and having her work as her personal maid means she now has a mouth to feed and is no longer living by herself. Being with Tohru, and eventually welcoming the young and frankly adorable Kanna into her home, gives variety and spice to Kobayashi’s ultimately stale life. The show often makes jokes about how hard it is for dragons to blend into our world given their immense power and wide array of magic abilities. But the real hilarity comes from Kobayashi’s interactions with Tohru and Kanna and the ongoing gag of her reminding them to keep things to “her standards.” All in all Kobayashi is very similar to Yoshikage Kira from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. She is a simple girl who wants to live a quiet life. But the inclusion of Tohru and Kanna changes her perspective if only slightly. Her quiet life was intruded upon by these two dragons and she learns to adapt her views accordingly. It’s subtle, yes, but it doesn’t change the fact that Kobayashi learns that a quiet life doesn’t necessarily mean one that is static. It means one that is just simple and uncomplicated. Even with the addition of the dragons, her life still sticks to a routine while occasionally throwing some change into the mix and it’s those minor changes and new events that bring a smile to Kobayashi's face.

Another amazing facet of Dragon Maid is that it shows that Kobayashi and all the other human characters, and in some extent the dragons as well, also live that ideal quiet and calm lifestyle. There are a lot of moments where the show exposes us to a variety of individual cultures and subcultures that remind us of just how diverse the world is. Take the scene when Kobayashi wakes up in her new apartment to a cornucopia of sound from her neighbors. Instead of making a huge fuss about everything, Kobayashi has everyone meet up together and they come to solution. We see a variety of cultures represented here that adds that spice of life I was talking about. One neighbor is a simple woman who likes to cook, the other is an old man who is a wood carver, and thirdly there is a young metalhead who is also in his own band. These are people that you never thought would ever interact with each other because we often separate people into a variety of categories. This separation removes us from the simple fact that no matter what categories you fit under, we all still live in this world and the lines between cultures are often blurred in a variety of situations. It is a such a minor scene but it adds a layer of characterization that makes the show special. It also breaks a huge misconception in our world, that misconception being that our passions should remain just simple hobbies. One character in the show completely destroys that concept. That character is Takiya. Takiya is a closet otaku. His house is covered in moe posters and nerdy memorabilia. More often than not, a person like this would be shunned and considered an antisocial outsider. But, Takiya has a job alongside Kobayashi as a programmer. He pays bills, he lives a comfortable life. While most of us may be turned off at the way they give him a very stereotypical otaku personality, I feel like it was done on purpose in order to show the message behind his character. Takiya is extremely passionate about video games and anime. But that passion is not an addiction. He uses his passion to fuel his desire to work. He works so that he can satisfy his hobby. He is an example of using your passion as a motivation. He more than likely chose a programming job simply because of his love for video games. Hell in episode 6, we see that Takiya is using the skills he knows as a programmer to make his own games. His job essentially serves as a way for him to learn more about his passion while also maintaining a healthy living and earning side money through his independent projects.

Dragon Maid lightly touches on difficulty in blending in and merging with society with its more fantastical characters, the dragons. But, Demi-chan wa Kataritai, or Interviews with Monster Girls, takes the idea and makes it the core theme of its plot. The show is all about monster girls that live in human society. It is kind of similar to Boku no Hero Academia and its Quirk abilities. But in Interviews with Monster Girls, those individuals are still quite rare. Our main protagonist, Takahashi, simply wishes to learn more about Monster Girls or Demis for his college thesis. This leads us into a much more emotionally driven comedy with a powerful message of overcoming or embracing the things that you were born with. The show does an amazing job of using cute monster girls as symbols of real world issues ranging from physical and mental health to things like depression and anxiety. The show is all about these issues and how we deal with them in day to day life. To understand this we have to look at the girls themselves. Firstly there is Hikari, the vampire. While she has no issues dealing with her vampirism, she definitely has issues dealing with anything remotely sexual. Her character is bombastic and happy-go-lucky but she also gets incredibly shy about sex due to her age. Hikari is at that teenage year where sex is still a strange concept, but fascinating nonetheless. This all comes about when she goes into detail about her desire to drink the blood of one of the other Demis. Takahashi remarks that her description is rather erotic, but during another interview they explore this idea and the connotations of such an assumption. However, Macchi, the dullahan, is the character that makes things far more interesting. Macchi is a dullahan, which means that her head is separate from her body. Her being a dullahan can easily be equated to a physical disability, as she often can’t do things in ways that are considered normal. One of the things that I think captures this is when Takahashi speaks to the high school’s principal about allowing Macchi to use a backpack so she isn’t carrying her head in one arm and a bag in the other. The Japanese school system, and in some ways the school system here in the States, emphasizes conformity as a means of eliminating differences. As small as that moment is, it shows that even though eliminating difference can put students at an equal level, it doesn’t change the fact that many differences can slip through the cracks in that system. Macchi’s nature is one of those things. Having to carry her head everywhere she goes makes things a bit difficult and sometimes she even leaves her body behind in places. Macchi represents the kind of person who is scared to interact with people because they never seem to want to address their predicament. Takahashi’s solution for this is that Macchi should be the one to make the first joke. It demonstrates how humor can be an icebreaker and a coping mechanism. Laughing about yourself is a trait that is common in many people. Even I make jokes about autism that some might consider offensive. But I almost always direct them at myself as a way of showing my comfort. Joking about oneself allows us to grow more and more comfortable with our bodies and minds. It helps to reassure of us of our identities. Uncertainty with one’s identity is another big issue that is focused on by another of the girls.

Kusakabe is a yuki-onna, or a snow woman. While for western viewers the translation is kind of strange, the show seems self aware and explains the myth of the yuki-onna as if the creators knew they would have foreign viewers. Kusakabe is very unsure of her identity and is scared that her unique abilities could cause someone harm. This, coupled with the move from the country to the city, creates a large amount of anxiety for Kusakabe. She distances herself from everyone because she is scared of her own nature. When she finally reveals her nature in an albeit panicked state, she retreats further into her solitude. This even causes other girls to gossip about her situation which throws another real world theme into the mix. No one can truly understand what another person goes through in their day to day lives and that in turn is reflected in Kusakabe’s small story arc. Kusakabe hears two girls gossiping about her and she is thrown even further into her depression. But Takahashi uses his maturity as well as his knowledge of science to help Kusakabe grow into a sociable and cheery young woman. Through Takahashi’s simple experiment we see these three outlandish high school girl’s become incredibly close friends and seeing the three of them interact is a sight to behold. It is something that warms your heart’s very core. But there is one monster girl that I think stands out as my favorite. That girl is Satou-san, the new teacher in the school who happens to be a succubus. This show did something that I thought was amazing. It made a complete 180 on the succubus trope. While Satou-san has moments where she herself can be overbearing, she does all she can to suppress the natural aphrodisiac effect that she has on people. All she wants is a real relationship with someone who can resist her temptations. It takes the concept of the succubus and instead of fetishizing it, it puts it under a microscope of realism. Satou is probably my favorite character in the show and I do hope to see her get that relationship she has been pining for.

Relationships and romance are a difficult thing to grasp. But, as in anyone’s life, we always come across one person that seems to feel different from anything we have ever experienced. We all have had at least one crush that made us feel warm and fuzzy inside and forced us to grow as people in order to pursue it. Is it Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon, simply referred to as Danmachi, is a story all about those kinds of romantic feelings. It’s a story about slaying monsters and getting the girl. It takes classic fantasy tropes while also playing a little off the success of video game based stories like Sword Art Online. Through video game metaphors we see our main hero, Bell, grow into an immensely strong, god-like character. But unlike Kirito, his strength comes from something. That being said, I am not going to spend my time ranting about why Danmachi is different from SAO. Bell’s crush on the Sword Maiden, Aiz wallenstein, is a hopeless dream. It's the kind of crush that you know you have zero chance of actually getting. But, that doesn’t stop Bell from attempting to impress her. He pushes himself further and further to become stronger. In that sense the show is about self improvement. It’s about acknowledging your faults and fixing them so you can become a stronger human being. But the show also makes the point that you can’t just get strong on your own. More often than not you need friends to back you up and keep you moving forward. You need friends who will fight beside you while also exposing your flaws and weaknesses so that you can become that much stronger.

The show utilizes shonen tropes in a very interesting unique way that helps to paint the show as a very relatable comedy with amazingly fun to watch characters. Not only that, but it is a show all about the human condition and how we act as social creatures. The whole premise of the show is about gods coming down to the mortal world and creating Familias with humans. This whole concept establishes the social aspect of the show and how each Familia works together to achieve common goals. It paints the Familias as separate entities, until the end of the first season. At the end we see multiple familias, parties, and guilds, all working together and supporting each other to take out a super powerful foe. In terms of actions scenes, it is incredibly moving. Action sequences where you see previously contentious groups working together always seem to make my heart flutter. It is the beauty of humanity. With the spin off series Sword Oratoria being released next Spring, I am super excited to see more of what makes Danmachi an amazing comedy. While it isn’t season two, I’ll take what I can get over crappy fan service OVAs.

All in all these shows embody comedy in there own amazing ways. Some just focus on the jokes with the true message hidden in small scenes or background information. Others try to make those messages the main focus while using humor to keep the show cheerful and prevent it from being too much like a drama. Then there are the shows that blur that line between drama and comedy and throw elements of tragedy and romance into the mix to create a truly human story. Humor may be subjective, but the idea of a literary comedy is more or less eternal. It is something I hope to see embodied even more in the future. I hope you enjoyed this article and would love to hear your thoughts on the topic. What shows, books, movies, or even video games do you think embody the literary definition of comedy?