#hood dragon ball

[chiarrara]

hood jjk living in my mind rent free

[rennebright]

18号 by Hood/후드 [Twitter/X] ※Illustration shared with permission from the artist. If you like this artwork please support the artist by visiting the source.

[vodrae]

Red Hood doing Red Hood's thing, cutting heads, delivering them to locals mafia leaders, tasing people in the eyeball, probably hanging mafiosi in Crime Alley.

Batman: I'm quite sure Goku and Naruto wouldn't be proud of you.

Talia: Beloved !

Jay: YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SPEAK IN THEIR NAMES TAKE IT BACK NOW !

[kiteou]

He’s like android 18

[gothamite-rambler]

"Stop treating me like Gohan!" Jason shouted avoiding a baseball to the eye.

Bruce: Dodge!

Bruce tossed a soft ball toward Jason, aiming for his arm, hoping he’d catch it.

Jason: Dodg—SHIT!

The ball struck Jason's arm, making him wince in pain as he gripped it, glaring at Bruce in annoyance.

Jason: Remember when we talked about Dragon Ball Z and the abridged series back when I used to train with you as a kid?

Bruce: Yes. We should definitely watch that show again.

Jason: Exactly! So yelling "dodge" without any context is not a warning! It’s not like I’m expecting you to throw a soft ball at my arm—or a book—or that weight that one time!

Bruce (nonchalantly): But you never got seriously hurt.

Jason (raising his voice): I’m not Gohan!

Bruce: True, but Gohan is a strong fighter. The dodging clearly worked for him, and it can work for you too.

Jason (in disbelief): Oh my God, that’s your takeaway from this?

Bruce threw another softball at Jason.

Bruce: Dodge!

Jason caught the ball with his good arm, gripping it enraged.

Jason: Stop throwing baseballs at me, Piccolo!

Bruce (calmly): Then dodge, Gohan. You caught that, you have to dodge it.

Frustrated, Jason angrily threw the softball he was holding at Bruce, but the man easily sidestepped the oncoming object. He crossed his arms, smugly.

Bruce: See? Not that hard. You didn’t even need to say the word. Good job.

Jason: Okay, how the hell did you dodge like that? I hate this word!

Bruce (calmly): I’m Batman.

With that, he walked out of the Batcave, leaving Jason standing there, bewildered by his response.

Jason: That’s not an answer, you lazy ass!

Rubbing his bruised arm, Jason grumbled under his breath.

Jason: Sometimes it’s frustrating to be his son.

[nemo-of-house-hamartia]

Ok imma make a list of my fave animes and manga from when I was growing up., because I can. And if you are an Italian that grew up in the late 80s/early 90s watching TV, you'll find a crapton of those cartoons that were aired on Bim Bum Bam (so, Italia 1, Canale 5 and Rete 4 lolol) and on the smaller television channels (especially the one from the 80s ).

It's going to be A LONG ONE, probably divided in a couple of reblogs, because I am not kidding you all, I DEVOURED manga and anime when I was a child/teen lolol

As usual, they are in no particular order of preference: I am just writing them down as they come to my mind.

So without further ado, you will find the list beneath the "keep reading" lolol

-LADY OSCAR

When I say that this story shaped me as a person, I am not exaggerating. I always LOVED reading shoujos, but I never felt like I could relate to any of the heroines. I felt like I was never sweet enough, or feminine enough. Then, Oscar François de Jarjayes came along and dear gods, it was EVERYTHING my heart desired. I wanted to be her so badly: brave, strong, just and never afraid to be who I am. This story is my everything.

-X-1999

(the way Seishiro and Subaru's story had me BY THE THROAT even as a teen,I just cannot begin to explain. Gods, it was so twisted, but so SO GOOD. Seishiro and Subaru were just MY EVERYTHING. And do not let me start with Kakyou and Hotaru, my heart was WRENCHED. tbh, it would be fair to say that everything connected to the Sumeragi just grips my heart , especially after reading Tokyo Babylon. Gah, my heart).

-SLAYERS

RINA WAS MY EVERYTHING. Poweful, Sassy, independent, reckless and with a short temper??? like HELLO?? I connected to her so much fml (and child me shipperd her hard with Zelgadis, fml.). The Italian Theme song was just SO BEAUTIFUL, it was one of the many reasons I adored this anime so much.

-ROBIN HOOD

*takes deep breath* ok. I have a lot to unpack on this because I have this CLEAR core memory from when I was still in preschool and was watching this anime at my grandparents' home and I was just lost for Robin. COMPLETELY lost, and while I am known to have a penchant for being rather theatrical, now I am totally serious. fml this cartoon had such a huge influence on me, that I am still feeling it to this day, even in the way I design characters (like, I never realized how much Maid Marian actually resembled Dottie dear gods.)

- MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM WING

I usually do not care much for the Mecha genre tbh, it was never my favourite, but Mobile Suit was one of the few that I actually loved. And this was the Anime that made me go "yes, I love men with long hair fml (Duo, you bastard, I had such a huge crush on you. So yes, I am looking at you) and I love magnificent bastards (Treize I hate that I love you so much)", so I already knew there was no going back lol).

-SAILOR MOON

I talked extensively yesterday about HOW MUCH I love Sailor Moon, but dear gods let me reiterate. Sailor Moon IS my childhood. The amount of time I played pretend in school with my group of friends cannot even start to be counted. Adore. just ADORE.

- CHOBITS

(prepare yourself because you will see A CRAPTON of stuff from Clamp. They were my go to, along Rumiko Takahashi, Naoko Takeuchi and Ai Yazawa).

-CARD CAPTOR SAKURA

(this story was *everything* and i coveted so badly her card deck. like, the amount of time I redrew the card of Fire, Water, Light and Darkness because fml i adore Mokona's style so much, especially the one she had during that period of time).

-TSUBASA RESERVOIR CHRONICLE

(I am still trying to recover from THE HUGE HEADACHE this freaking manga caused me, with all the cross referencing and whatnot, but fml I was *living* for all the characters from Clamp´s previous work being included everywhere. It was amazing, I adored it so much).

-MAGIC KNIGHT RAYEARTH

I WANTED TO BE UMI SO BADLY. SO BADLY. BLUE HAIRED HEROINE, ELEGANT, CONNECTED TO DRAGONS, WITH ONE HECK OF A RAPIER AS SWORD?? WHY YES. YES. And Emeraude, oh gods, the way I loved Emeraude and Zagart's story. Just let me sob in silenceeeee).

- GODCHILD

What can I say about this, aside from the fact that this was my descent into the Visual Gothic Genre?? It had everything! fucked up story-lines (Victorian Gothic literature was filled up with that), the AMAZING pencil of Kaori Yuki, and Cain. ESPECIALLY CAIN.

-DRAGON BALL

(Z/GT, you name it. Mandatory watch with my lil bro, as soon as I got back home followed, of course, by a fight between me and him because we couldn't agree on who was stronger, Vegeta or Goku - and I still stand by my man Vegeta, idc. Also, Freezer's saga lasted FOREVER. A WHOLE SUMMER OF WATCHING IT, AND IT WAS NEVER ENDING.).

- NARUTO

this is THE MANGA. The one that, alongside The Crow caused me and my husband to meet and fall in love. We were both following Shippuuden as it just came out and was airing in Japan, and my hubby had a Sasuke fpf. Aside from this though, I just love Kishimoto's work so much fml.

- LITTLE POLLON

A whole ass anime about the daughter of Apollo, busy trying to prove herself a Goddess and making SO MUCH CHAOS?? My cup of tea as a child (I was probably 4-5 when I watched it) and my own personal gateway to Greek Mythology lololol

-WOLF'S RAIN

DO NOT SPEAK TO ME ABOUT THIS ANIME, I AM STILL CRYING THINKING ABOUT IT, DEAR GODS. THIS ANIME FUCKED ME UP IN SO MANY WAYS, I CANNOT EVEN START TO COUNT THEM. FML. But dear gods, the way I adored it and tickled all my wolf spot in the brain. BEAUTIFUL.

-GALAXY EXPRESS 999

I have the fondest memories of this anime, because I used to watch it with my grandpa who actually happend to be a train conductor. He always made sure to record it on the VHS when he had shifts where he would not be able to be home and watch it with me, so this has anime has so many memories conneced to it. Also, I loved Maetel, she alway looked so elegant to me (infact, I had half an idea of drawing Dottie as her for halloween, but didn't have the time lolol). Hilariously, this anime would subsequently be the one to open the doors for me to Captain Harlock lol.

-INUYASHA

I CANNOT START BLABBERING ABOUT INUYASHA, BECAUSE OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE A 50K ESSAY LONG TO PRESENT HERE. But I remember approaching it after I read Urusei Yatsura and Ranma 1/2 (Rumiko Takahashi is a fucking genius, I will take no other opinion on her. She carried this side of the manga industry on her shoulders alone fml), and I fell SO IN LOVE with the Sengoku Era and with the whole youkai mithos that I just tuned on MTV whenever I could just to watch it fml. Also, this cemented my love for the "Magnificent Bastards with long hair" that Gundam Wing started (am looking at you, Naraku, Sesshomaru and Inu-no-Taisho fml) (also no, I don't want to hear about Yashahime. I love the characters design they had for the children, but as far as I am concerned in regards to the story, that thing never existed for me and will never exist).

-SAINT SEIYA

I CAVALIERI!! I CAVALIERI!! I CAVALIERI DELLO ZODIACOOOOOOOOOOOO!! *ahem, sorry. I had to. The Italian opening by Giorgio Vanni is so fucking catching, it alwys put me in such good mood. I adored Lady Isabel but also wanted her to end up with Nettuno, I just couldn't find a freaking compromise lol. AND FML, my heart belonged to Ikki. He was such a spunky, arrogant son of a bitch, I loved him so much. But truth is that I also ADORED Seiya's Italian VA (Ivo De Palma, fml, you magnificent man).

-YU YU HAKUSHO

This was the beginning of my love for short kings who are also emotionally constipated TO THE MAX and a bit of a bastard. AND YES, HIEI, I AM TALKING ABOUT YOU. I was never a great appreciator of Yusuke tbh, but I always shipped him with Botan because they were just SO ADORABLE together. But I was just much more interested in Kuwabara being all over the moon for Yukina and Hiei having to deal with it lololol that was so much fun.

-FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST

BEST. MANGA. AND. ANIME. EVER. I have YET to see to this day a story AS GOOD as this one. Like, seriously, the amount of research that Hiromu Arakawa did for this anime is something that needs to be praised. Seriously, if you have never seen this, GO NOW AND DO SO. You are missing out on SO MUCH.This manga shaped me as a writer and artist, tbh: it had such profound impact on me on a creative level (also, Maes Hughes is living a long life with his family after he retired from service, had 3 more children, and they are all living in a cottage by the sea fml).

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OK I FINISHED PART 1 FOR NOW.

Part 2 will come soon lolol

[z0-ne]

Hi there 👋,

My name is Mohammad, and I’m reaching out in a moment of desperate need. I’m a father of three young children living in Gaza, and we are caught in the midst of a catastrophic war. Our home is no longer a safe haven, and the future here seems increasingly uncertain. 💔

I’ve launched a fundraising campaign with the goal of raising $40,000 to relocate my family to a safer place where my children can grow up in peace and have a chance at a brighter future. 🕊️🇵🇸

Unfortunately, my previous fundraising efforts were abruptly halted when my account was terminated without explanation. However, I remain determined to keep fighting for my family’s safety and well-being. 🫶

If you could take a moment to read our story, consider donating, or simply share our campaign with others, it would make an incredible difference. Every act of kindness, no matter how small, brings us one step closer to safety and a new beginning. 🙏

Thank you for your time, compassion, and support. ❤

https://gofund.me/fd1faea2 🔗

PLEASE, please go and donate to this family in need if you're able, if not, share this, repost the gofund m, ANYTHING helps. I'm sorry about the fake tags but im using what i can to get this out to as many as possible.

[bliss-wily]

king cold as a grandpa please. headcanons or drawing.

Headcanons for now, simply because I’ll only draw when I’m home alone because I’m weird like that.

King Cold as a grandad, so I’m framing this as King Cold and Kuriza mostly but with a side of Cooler and Frieza, so King Cold as a parent too? Anyway~

•I imagine this begins with King Cold badgering Cooler about when he’s getting grandchildren or whatever, while needing successors or whatever.

•In reality he wants more kids to spoil rotten seeing as his two sons are adults.

•I think he would be more shocked that Frieza is having a child first, insert concerned father mode - his little princess is becoming a father!

•More concerned than he lets on due to Frieza’s lack of maturity, probably expects that the elites and advisors would be watching the baby more often than not.

•Once warmed up to the idea he would be coddling Frieza the entire time as his youngest goes through early parenthood.

•Takes a massive shine to Kuriza, the little boy with his pointy head.

•Would be the grandpa who’s constantly wanting the baby to stay with him, imagine glass of wine in one hand, tiny Kuriza in the other.

•Cue Frieza getting super jealous of Kuriza…Cooler being highly amused.

•Kuriza would be spoilt rotten by King Cold, I think. The kind of gramps who would do ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner if that’s what the young Prince wants. Kuriza would have everything new from any planet desired.

“My boy wants a hooded vulture?”, cue someone being sent to earth to go find one.

•Hooded vulture is totally called Kevin, for no obvious reasons. Why a hooded vulture? First animal that came to my mind for some reason.

•Frieza wouldn’t be the favourite anymore…probably. The emperor of the universe would become the biggest brat of the universe.

•King Cold would treat everything Kuriza does as an accomplishment. Accidentally death beam Frieza in the face? Manage to break an expensive bottle of wine? Learns to bite Vegeta in the arm? Gets lost in Raditz’s hair? All accomplishments!

•The walls of any base/ship/palace are adorned with pictures of the three boys. His sons and his grand baby.

Im sorry these aren’t great. Very random and all over the place but it’s nearly 4am and I can’t sleep so…

[bones4thecats]

Bones' Favorite Video Game: Twisted Wonderland / Movie: Puss in Boots - The Last Wish / Band(s): Slipknot and Five Finger Death Punch / TV Show: FRIENDS / Cartoon: Gravity Falls / Anime(s): Demon Slayer and Dragon Ball / Book: Little Women / Superhero: Spider-Man / Supervillain(s): Red Hood, Scarecrow, and Killer Croc / Celebrities: Sydney Sweeney, Keanu Reeves, and Ryan Reynolds / Comedian: John Mulaney / Hobby(ies): Drawing and Writing / Dessert: Pumpkin Bars / Location: Kyoto, Japan / Animal: Dogs (Shichon) / Dragon Ball Character(s): Piccolo, Zen'o, Frieza, and Gammas 1 & 2 / DC Villain: Deathstroke / Film-Related Youtuber: DerekFDB / Art Youtuber: OwONekko / Ranking-Related Youtuber: WatchMojo / Social Media: Tumblr / Childhood Show(s): Blue's Clues and My Little Pony - Friendship is Magic / Fandom: Scooby-Doo / Favorite Character of All Time: Discord from MLP-FiM

[theotherbackgrounder]

Sparrow gets burnt: YEOWCH! MY ASS IS FLAMMING!

Cupid sighs: I miss Heath.

[nevermoresart]

HUGE ASS pseudo-manga page that really isn’t like, a starter for anything like that I just felt like doing this because I’ve been affixed with Dragon Ball brainrot and that super awesome fanfilm, Legend, and this just, TOOK ME OVER

(featuring @flowerthornsart‘s Cress!!)

[luc-elementix]

My Top 10 Ever After High Dolls! - Video by Faery Tale Dolls on YouTube

Watch also her other EAH videos: - Roasting the Worst Ever After High Dolls - Ranking Every Ever After High Doll (Part 1) - Ranking Every Ever After High Doll (Part 2) - Ranking Every Ever After High Doll (Part 3) - Ranking Every Ever After High Doll (Final Part)

[roseunspindle]

Princes

[fanzillajacket]

Mark Your Shonen Weeb Memories With This Dbz Future Trunks Jacket

Trunks has been an impressive influence on the casual cosplayer’s list. In fact, despite his look being a bit too simple, his Dbz future trunks jacket has to be one of the most popular outerwear in the Dragon Ball series. 

After all, it was pretty epic when he made his first impression by destroying Frieza’s whole career by dicing him with his sword. For one thing, the battle between Goku and Frieza was one of the longest in anime history. Yet, this dude owned the alien lord within one episode. So yes, it’s obvious why the hype is worth it. On top of that, the female version of the getup is becoming a bustling trend due to the lush allure you can give off from it. 

However, if you research enough, you might have stumbled upon how the creator admitted that Trunks was inspired by the Terminator movie. And, of course, it is pretty accurate since the Android and Cell Saga show it. Not only that but Akira Toriyama is one of the most influential mangakas in history. And yes,  he'll will still be known as the legendary father of shonen anime. 

The Influential Anime Legacy Will Follow On

The Creator of this anime was an artist whose creativity was ahead of their time. On top of that, the creator of Hunter X Hunter admitted that they were dimensions ahead of them. And yes, because of Dragon Ball, we have One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach. There’s no argument as to why Akira Toriyama was like the grandmaster of the anime world. 

What’s more, is that it is a tragedy and the jolt to the fanbase has caused such a shock regarding his death. But personally, It is even more of a shock when he admits before his death that he didn’t like anime. Yet, a few fans think he felt his identity was mainly known for creating dragon ball when he wanted to be acknowledged as a respectable artist. Consider how he created Chrono Trigger, Dragon Quest, and Blue Dragon. The mentioned franchises are pretty enticing in their own way, but none have reached Dragon Ball's peak.

But still, his name will always be an example, and he was a human with his own natural flaws. So, in a way, it’s understandable if you look at their motives in a wider perspective for feeling that way.

The Valorant And Vivacious Leather Jacket By Future Trunks

This Dbz future trunks jacket gives you a feminine grace while wearing it. Sure, the appeal is prissy, but it could very well suit a tomboy with this underrated charisma. On top of that, the Full-Length Sleeves are pretty figure-hugging and elevate your boldness further. You can style this in many ways for those festive occasions you have in mind. But yes, you might need some styling tips to enhance your vogue move.

A Birthday Party To Dive Into

The First tip we have for you involves you wearing a black turtleneck sweater, a yellow necktie, and beige khaki pants. With this look, you would look attractive, charming and emboldeningly feminine. And that would make you ready for a Birthday party that you have in mind for your friends. Moreover, it would be that occasion when you can enjoy the food, the music, the people and take some selfies for your vivid memories.

The Bar Night With The Girls

The Second tip we have for you involves wearing a blue jeans that suit well, as you wear white loafers. Furthermore, you would look captivating and cute as hell, and you would be ready for that Girls’ Bar night. On top of that, it would be one of those times when you can help your sisters in case they have personal conflicts. Because the ambient bar night is where you get to lighten the chest with your social pack.

Live On, Stylish Weeb!

The festive appeal of this Dbz future trunks jacket is too enticing. Furthermore, if you style with this better, you will be that aesthetic eye-grabber of the week. 

Lastly, we are glad you’ve reached this far with the book and wish you the best of days to come. 

[kitchfit]

Year in Review: Movies Pt 2

No longer promising consistent posts. From now on, these come out "bi-weekly," which means whatever I want it to, and written by your weekly bi. I am the only person to have ever thought of that joke.

Robin Hood (2010)

This is the one with Russell Crowe. I honestly don't know how I finished this one. I guess because my dad wanted to watch it. This is supposed to be a gritty, realistic take on the classic Robin Hood story. Or at least, I think that's what they were going for, it feels like the director can't decide between gritty realism and the goofiness that comes with the concept of the Merry Men. They're constantly cracking off one-liners and stealing from rich people with goofy disguises that feel more like pranks, but there's also an entire bloody battle scene between "Robin of the Hood" and King Richard that I cannot for the life of me remember the context nor conclusion of. I guess you could say it has both elements wrapped in one neat package, but it doesn't do either of those aspects really well.

Two most memorable scenes for me involve a blind man kicking surprising amount of ass in a sword fight, though ultimately unsuccessfully, and Little John clarifying to the bee-keeping Friar Tuck that NO! He does NOT have a "Little John." (as in small penie). The cast is kind of stacked in this movie, (Cate Blanchett as Lady Marianne, Oscar Isaac as King Richard, the Crow-man as The Hood) and they all give great performances, if that's what you're after, but overall it's kind of forgettable.

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

The rest of this entry's list follows a second movie marathon I had with some friends as we prepared for a showing of "Across the Spider-verse" we were watching the morning after. Why does that mean two anime movies and a classic Eddie Murphy comedy? I don't know! It was fun though. And that's all I can really say about this movie. It was fun! Nothing amazing. The plot follows the tertiary return of the Red Ribbon army, who are once again on that robot shit, and Piccolo trying to get his foster son, Gohan, to stop being a nerd (having a secure, well-paying career as an entomologist? Apparently?) and be a martial artist again. He does this by constantly putting his foster son's daughter (foster granddaughter?) in mortal peril to make Gohan snap and break stuff like he did in the old days. This is, hilariously, played as a uncritically good deed and that Piccolo was right to do this. I love Piccolo though, so he can do whatever he wants, Pan seems like she's having a great time being in peril.

The animation is fantastic, as per usual with high-budget anime movies these days. They opted for a 3D style that blends in nicely with the artstyle they've been using for Super. The fight scenes are choreographed in a way that reminds me of the Dragon Ball games they've put out in recent years, and I wouldn't be surprised if some of the Fighterz team worked on this. Oh wait, I have the power of the Internet in my Grasp.

...

WOW! Trying to find a comprehensive list of animators is hard as fuck! Cool! I ended up pausing through a video of the credits for both pieces of media. God I wish I could ctrl+f on a video. There may have been some overlapping names I overlooked, but I guess it wasn't largely the same people, oh well! If anyone knows a better way to find this information, please let me know!

Jujutsu Kaisen Zero

Our second anime movie of the night had a bit more depth to it. My watch through of Jujutsu Kaisen season one was bombastic, beautiful, and well-executed. It felt like a modern, more competent rewrite of the dynamics found in Naruto, though since I haven't read any of the manga that may be presumptuous of me. This movie didn't feel like Naruto. This movie felt more like Uzumaki (okay I haven't read Uzumaki yet, but I could resist the pun lol). A more straight-forward animated horror film that only leans into its shonen side towards the final act. You don't need to have read or watched any of Jujutsu Kaisen to appreciate this. In fact, I guess you could start with it, since it acts somewhat as a prequel.

The plot follows a boy possessed by the ghost of a woman he witnessed die in a car accident when he was a young kid. She was very close to him while he was alive, and in death she is an obsessive, over protective monster who maims anyone who might come close to her liege. It comes to light that her possession was actually (spoilers) the result of the boy's own psychic abilities, who brought her back from the grave on accident while distressing her death. It's an interesting statement on grief. An emotion can be so powerful as to tear open the fabric of the pale, and holding onto the negativity of that emotion for years only serving to hurt oneself and everyone around them. And then making peace with that grief so you can *checks notes* use your dead loved one to kick ass in a cool anime fight sequence. This movie NEEDS to be in schools./j

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse

Modern media has been a bit over-saturated with Multiverse stories as of late. Its a pretty common story trope in science fiction, done to death in Star Trek, DC comics, the comic this movie was based on, the video-game that comic was inspidered by, among other things. Rick and Morty's entire premise is basically built on the back of that concept, but I think we can trace its recent burst in usage to the success of this movie.

I love Spider-Man. I love Peter Parker. I think his story has such a strong foundation that nearly every adaptation I've seen has been compelling in one way or another. I love most of the Avengers super-heroes, but I can't really say their characters are as relatable, funny, or impactful as our arachnid enhanced boy. There's a reason when Sony was offered the entire Marvel ensemble, they opted to just take the wall-crawler at a discounted price. This movie uses the Multiverse to deconstruct the Spider-Hero narrative and show exactly why this character premise is so compelling.

Miles Morales is not Peter Parker, but he is Petersimilar. A nerdy kid who loves science and wants to be liked and most imporantly: wants to help, no, needs to help others. Because great power + conscience = responsibility. The same is consistent with the rest of the cast. It's a cheesy formula at this point, maybe, which is why its so effective when they play it so straight-forward with all six members of the cast. Different backgrounds, different histories, different universes, but all have seen what their inaction can affect, and all of them have the heart to keep going, to help people even when it gets tough. Miles is a particularly effective introduction to this Super-Hero for younger kids, being relatively less known and thus a fresher narrative than Peter, not to mention more black representation in popular media. It makes me smile when I see kids excitedly bring a stack of Miles Morales easy readers to the check-out desk. He's definitely The Spider of the next generation.

The Nutty Professor

This movie is. Definitely something. Still not sure why we ended our marathon on it. For those unaware, this is an Eddie Murphy comedy about an obese biology professor who concocts A Serum that makes him not only thin for short periods of time, but extremely charismatic. The thin version of himself essentially acts as a second personality who's kind of an asshole, and his coworker ends up caught in a love triangle between Fat Murphy and Thin Murphy.

This, naturally, comes with an endless cavalcade of fatphobic jabs typical of the 90s, but ultimately has a somewhat half-hearted message about toxic masculinity and body positivity. A lot of the jokes that aren't aimed at "haha fat people" do land with relative frequency, because well, Eddie Murphy Is Kind Of A Funny Guy, but for the first time I noticed a structural similarity in his comedy and Adam Sandler's. Remember Chuck and Larry, where the writing is extremely homophobic for the majority of its runtime, and ends with Sandler saying, "Don't be a homophobe"? No? No one has thought of that movie in 10,000 years? Well, this movie feels like that but with fat people, to slightly less offensive degree. But a low effort Murphy movie is still better than a mid-effort Sandler flick, I guess.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse

I already ranted about how much I love Spider-Man earlier, and how the original deconstructs him as a concept, so I won't do that again, but I do want to draw attention to the inherent meta-fiction in Multiverse stories. It is, by its very nature, a story discussing storytelling. By showing different universes you are showing the audience how a story could have gone differently, how characterization can fundamentally alter a narrative. Multiverse stories that understand and recognize this principle tend to lead to a more cohesive and engaging plot. AtSV understand this principle, and follows more closely the original Edge of Spider-verse comic run, reintroducing Spider-Staples like Spider-Punk and Pavitr Prabhakar.

I like that Miguel O'Hara takes center-stage as the antagonist in this film, as he is largely left out of the Spider-verse stuff in the comics, and also I love Spider-Man 2099. One of my friends is obsessed with him. It is his recognition of the patterns in the Spider-Man narrative that drives the conflict in the second act, and it is him who decides those patterns are Fundamental to the Structure of All Things, which not only fits with his character, but provides a much better explanation for the existence of Spider-Society compared to the Spider Gods and Fate Totems from the comics. Miles is once again trapped in a typical Spider-Man conflict, but ironically has his status as Spider-Man called into question. All of existence is collapsing, a science experiment gone wrong turned a scientist into a monster, his dad is in peril, and all of it is getting in the way of asking out the girl of his dreams. Can none of the 100,000 Peter Parker's sympathize? Well yes, they can, but most still hold O'Hara's goal as the larger responsibility.

Speaking of the girl of his dreams, I adore Spider-Gwen. She is the comic book character I will follow to the ends of the earth, even though most of her comics lately suck ass. This film does a beautiful job bringing Robbie Rodriguez's artstyle to life in our brief time in Earth 65. The colors... THE COLORS!!! This animation team once again changed the landscape of animated films, but sadly this came at the cost of some pretty gross labor violations. This is extra damning as AtSV is apparently the fourth longest animated movie ever and doesn't even have a conclusion. All that abuse for an incomplete story? They clearly could have taken their time with this, and not every scene needed to make it to the final cut. This is why we have deleted scenes! So a studio doesn't lock a bunch of animators in a box and force them to work an unreasonable amount in record time. I hope the next movie has more union reps and give everyone as much time and space as they need to make something good. I want movies with people paid more to do less, dammit!

Okay, my soap box has been discarded. I've placed it neatly in the drawer with my toothpaste and hairbrush. I have one more list of movies to get through, but rn I'm moving onto the latter half of my reading list, since with my track record I probably won't finish anything else before the end of the year.