#its more of an Alternate Version of the pilot episode

[dovewingkinnie]

my very mixed up tadc au some of the concept art i made for it

[payphoneangel]

Supernatural: The Showrunner's Challenge

A writing challenge/exercise

I saw this post and thought it would be really fun to make a SPN specific version. Some of these I tweaked from the OG post, some are the exact same, and others are brand new. If you like this, please give the OG post some love for the creators great idea!!

Think you can write better than the showrunners of Supernatural? Let’s find out! This prompt is a writing exercise/challenge to create a ‘season’ of Supernatural via fanfic. Each chapter functions as an episode.

Prompt:

To start, think of what you would change about SPN if you were its showrunner. Would you scrap everything and start from new? Keep the series going with a new season? Pick a spot in the show and diverge from there? Ignore all the plot and play dolls with your favorite characters? 

Write a chapter that works as the Pilot of the show you want to see. At the end of each episode, roll a d12 to see what you must include in the following episode:

Roll a d12:

1. Everything at once: Roll twice, use both. If you get 1 again, keep rolling. Your only way out is to stop getting 1s. 

2. TMWWBK: Give every character in the previous chapter a number. Using a dice roll/random number generator, the character whose number is selected is now the main subject and POV of the next episode. 

For a greater challenge: include any character mentioned by name and any character with dialogue. (i.e. If Sam mentions Bobby, give him a number. If the waitress at a diner talks to Dean, give her a number)

3. Fan favorite: Your most recently mentioned character (or named object) is now beloved by the audience. You must give them a bigger part in the story, a special destiny, or an important new romance or friendship. 

If you roll 3 again; the character must get killed off to motivate their friends/allies/love interest or to serve the plot.

If you roll 3 a third time; either start over OR they come back from the dead.

4. High Concept Episode: Due to plot/MOTW/meddling gods/whatever, the characters are trapped in a different genre than usual. Roll a d6. 

High Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Apocalypse/Alternate Reality 

Time Travel/Time loop

Sit-com/Meta

Crossover/Stuck in a video Game

Slasher/Death Game

5. Filler episode: The next chapter must be completely low stakes and set you at ease. 

For a greater challenge: Flip a coin for each main character. 

Heads: Their filler is full of thoughtful inner world building and characterization

Tails: They are interrogating the milves (i.e. doing something silly and stupid)

6. Mothership: The next chapter must include the characters making references to/listening to/arguing about/having a feelings jam accompanied by... Classic Rock. 

Bonus: If you roll three 6’s in a row, introduce a Lucifer plotline (If you were ALREADY writing about Lucifer.... kill him).

7. Fallen Angels and Special Children: If the last character mentioned in the previous episode has special abilities, they lose them. If that character does not have special abilities, they gain them.

8. The Focus Group: The execs created a focus group to see if audiences would like more romance in the show. Flip a coin to determine the outcome:

Heads: The audience is into it and so are the execs! The next episode needs to involve a deep, sappy confession of either love or admiration between two characters that have not previously been romantically involved. 

Tails: The audience is into it but the execs aren't so sure... The next episode needs to introduce a budding romance between two characters that is only ever alluded to, but never stated outright.

If you roll 8 again:

If you got Heads on the previous flip: The characters have a messy breakup/divorce.

If you got Tails on the previous flip: One character dies right after outright stating their romantic feelings for the other.

9. Familiar Faces: A character from a different season is (re)introduced and becomes plot relevant. (ex: if you’re writing early seasons, include Kevin, Rowena, Ketch, Dagon, ect. If you’re writing late seasons, include Rufus, Cassie, Ava, Bela, ect.)

For greater challenge, assign characters a number and select via dice roll OR

Use a tumblr poll to have followers select

10. J2 Fallout: The two most recently mentioned characters' actors have, IRL, gone through a VERY messy divorce or friend breakup. You cannot put them in the same scene, but they must both remain relevant to the show. 

If you roll 10 again, they reconcile. 

11. Deep Analysis: Roll a d6. The next episode must include the theme of:

Grief

Bodily Autonomy

Family don’t end in blood

Family is Hell/Absent Fathers and Absent Gods

What makes a monster monstrous

Love

12. Are we ever really done? The most recently mentioned character's actor has decided to leave the show. Kill off their character. 

If you roll 12 again for another episode, the character returns.

There's a few bonuses to a character returning, so if you so choose, Flip a coin. 

Heads: the actor chose to come back and the character looks the same. 

Tails: the actor did not reprise their role so the character has a "new vessel." 

The other bonus flip:

Heads: upon return, the character is on the side of the protags 

Tails: upon return, the character is working against the protags

Have fun and happy writing <3

Please feel free to tweak this game however works best for you. And if anyone does actually end up writing and posting something based off this, PLEASE tag me bc I wanna see lmao

Tagging a few writing buddies who might get a kick out of this: @kerryweaverlesbian @shallowseeker @bloodydeanwinchester @gryptids @kingflups

[measlyfurball13]

Seeing as your one of the only people I know who is into Transformers, would you mind info dumping about it?

I know very little of anything about it besides the old "Micheal Bay!" Joke, and that it was initially made to sell toys, but that doesn't really mean anything.

So tell me, is there "more than meets the eye" to this franchise?

HOOOOOOOOO BOY

The single most important thing to know about Transformers is that there is no singular canon. Rather, there's a TON of different continuities, or basically alternate versions of the same universe. Transformers is a franchise that basically tells the same story over and over again, altering each time while keeping some very basic core themes and characters.

Optimus Prime is the leader of the Autobots. Megatron is the leader of the Decepticons. The Autobots are the good guys, the Decepticons are the bad guys, and they have been fighting a war for millions of years. It is rare for continuities to change these core facts. They might be modified, but they will never be unrecognizable.

In one continuity, Optimus might be a younger, more inexperienced leader. In another, he may be old, wise, and powerful. In some continuities, Optimus and Megatron have personal beef with each other through their backstories, making them almost lost brothers of a sort. In others, Megatron is a stranger and Optimus is an impersonal victim of his cruelty. Each time this story, the story of Transformers, is told, little details like this change.

Generally, continuities try to keep a certain "feel" to them. While sometimes a continuity will completely reinvent a character, most of the time it will try to keep a character within a few (arbitrarily chosen) character traits and/or role.

So, if this story has been told over and over again, and there's certain established expectations for characters, what was this all based on? The answer is the original 1984 animated cartoon! This cartoon is referred to as "Generation 1", or just "G1" for short. This is the cartoon made to sell toys. The animation quality is poor, the dialogue and music are cheesy, and I absolutely love it to pieces. I would highly, highly recommend that you watch the first three episodes, which basically acts as the pilot for the whole show. It really writes the characters at their most iconic and introduces the setting.

Now that you understand that G1 is the base, you can go from there and explore other continuities! Remember, continuities don't connect across different mediums (with the very distinct exception of one specific continuity, which I'll get to right after this) so feel free to find one that interests you. In general, each cartoon (or close series of cartoons) is a continuity. Allow me to list some of the more popular ones:

Transformers Beast Wars. This is arguably the continuity that follows the established G1 pattern the least, since this is the cartoon that followed right after it. In this one, the transformers turn into animals and battle on a prehistoric earth. This one is well-renowned for its surprisingly deep character writing, but the antique 3D animation is the biggest hurdle to enjoyment. It's kinda the continuity that's the most forgotten.

Transformers Armada, Energon, and Cybertron. Also known as the Unicron Trilogy (no, not "unicorn"!), this one was made in Japan and then dubbed and exported. They introduce a lot of anime-inspired features into the lore such as powerups and the like. Armada is regarded very highly with good writing, the other two not so much. The continuity between them is fairly loose. You could absolutely get away with watching just that one. Here's a link to Armada.

The Michael Bay films. You already know this one. These live action films are in a continuity of their own. In all absolutely fairness, the first movie is pretty good, barring Bay's more childish flairs. If you don't mind the U.S. military being portrayed as the absolute good guys, I think you'll genuinely like it.

The Bumblebee movie. Special shoutout to this one! This live action movie is in its own continuity that's really fun. This is an excellent movie and I love it so much, please watch it at some point.

Transformers Animated. This is one of the most widely beloved continuities in the entire franchise. People really, really like this show. It takes the franchise in a refreshing new direction, with the first season feeling almost a bit more like a superhero cartoon than a "traditional" transformers cartoon. The Autobots are the absolute underdogs in this one and it's hard not to root for them. Here's a link. This one's a good one to start with.

Transformers Cyberverse. This one is a web series that was focused for a younger audience for the first season, gets decent in the second but then gets absolutely and insanely fucking unhinged in season 3. I. . . don't recommend this one for any beginners? It's a trip. That first season is pretty unbearable. The second season starts out feeling like you missed something, and then gradually gets kinda better. Season 3 is insane. Look, just tackle this one after you've tackled the others. Don't start here.

Transformers Earthspark. The newest of the bunch, this one is releasing on Paramount Plus. I've really enjoyed what I've seen of it! It's a much more down-to-earth approach to the story. It changes some characters but in interesting ways. The new characters are excellent as well. You can definitely start with this one.

And finally, without further ado:

Transformers Prime.

I fucking LOVE this one.

This one is my favorite and was what really got me into the Transformers fandom. This cartoon takes the good innovations from the Michael Bay movies and then actually tells an amazingly competent story with it. It's the Transformers cartoon with the darkest tone by a long shot, and it really sells that this story is about a war. Characters die! The serialization is suuuuuuuper tight- one of my favorite examples is that injured characters have to spend time onscreen healing back up.

This cartoon also gives a significant amount of focus and exploration of the Decepticons as a faction as well, which is rare for the franchise. Both the Autobot and Decepticon characters will charm their way into your heart.

This show is equivalent in quality to Avatar the Last Airbender to me. I know that's probably overhyping it. You may not like it as much. But I really really really love it.

Here is a link to the first season.

But wait! There's more. Welcome to the Aligned Continuity!

Transformers Prime is actually part of the franchise's first attempt to really connect a story across media platforms. The result was. . . mostly successful? Definitely a lot of plot holes/errors, and some of the continuity is trash, but I want to highlight two videogames specifically:

Transformers: War for Cybertron. This game is a third-person shooter by High Moon studios. They do an absolutely stellar job with this one. Taking place on Cybertron, the home planet of the transformers, this one acts as the first part of an indirect prequel to Transformers Prime.

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron. If the first game is good, then this game is amazing. The devs layer on more amazing mechanics to those introduced in the first game, with some of my absolute most favorite moments in all of gaming happening in this one. It acts as a second part of the prequel to Transformers Prime.

The writing in both of these games is so amazing, and the gameplay is so much fun. I know you love videogames, so that's why I'm recommending these two you. HOWEVER, the cost is that these games are stupid difficult to get ahold of. You'll most likely have to sail the high seas, yo-ho-ho, if you catch my drift. I play these on my Xbox 360. Best of luck to you!

Anyways, there are other entries into the Aligned Continuity. There's a set of three novels that I've heard are stellar. If you're looking for a show for young kids but that is also fun for you to watch, you could always check out Transformers: Rescue Bots. That one has a small but devoted fanbase of older fans.

But do NOT touch the cartoon in this continuity called Robots in Disguise. Do not. It's marketed as a sequel to Transformers Prime. It is not. Not really. It's like the Halo 5 of Transformers. Every day I am reminded that it exists I am in pain.

---

And there lies the end of my introduction! If you actually did read all of this, congrats to you. Ironically, I'm not sure that you've really ended up more knowledgeable than you started. I didn't really go over anything specific about characters or plot or lore or anything. But I hope I've illustrated my point that to do so would be fruitless- this story exists in so many different iterations that you just have to go out and find the one that resonates the most with you, y'know?

My recommendation for getting acquainted with the franchise is to start with those first three G1 episodes, then move on to either Animated or Prime. You could also pick Beast Wars if you're looking for something with a more retro 90s charm, which I know you like from Marathon.

[ordinaryschmuck]

What I Thought About The Owl House Pilot

Huh. Never thought I’d get to do this again, but oh well.

Salutations, random people on the internet! I’m an Ordinary Schmuck! I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.

And, above all else, I LOVE talking about The Owl House. I have an entire masterpost dedicated to talking about every single episode of the show and I’m halfway through a six-part review discussing everything that I love about it (Part Four's coming when it’s done. Let’s say…late June. Early July at the latest). I figured that after I’d finished that whole deal, I wouldn’t have anything left to talk about when it came to this series. Then, out of nowhere, the show’s original pilot leaked online…Sort of. It’s just an animatic with the show’s original voice cast voicing MOST of the lines, but it’s very much the pilot episode. It’s just not a finished product and I won’t share a link because I don’t think it’s exactly…legal. BUT I will at least share my thoughts about it because, well…Look at my blog. The Owl House has become the BIG THING that I obsess over for a reason and I love that I got to see what’s basically an alternate version of the show that I love. What do I mean?

Well, a pilot is MUCH different from a first episode. Where the first episode is meant to sell the show to the audience, a pilot is meant to sell it to a STUDIO. It can happen at any point of the story or act as the show’s first episode. Just as long as it shows off the characters, concepts, and tone, a studio can look at it, greenlight it, and allow the show to continue, BUT with some extra notes. Sometimes, those notes can change the rest of the series where others can keep the pilot good enough to stay canon. Some best examples off the top of my head are the pilots for Regular Show and Rick and Morty. You can tell that not much changed from the pilots of those shows and what was initially pitched, but there are clear changes in tone, animation, and even personality. Skips sounds a little more illiterate and Benson being more informed of the consequences of something as simple as rock, paper, scissors in the Regular Show pilot and Rick is noticeably more reckless and unprepared for situations in the Rick and Morty pilot. Nothing is set in stone with a pilot episode, even the ones that are canon. For the case of The Owl House, it’s pilot is no exception. A lot of it is just the same as “A Lying Witch and A Warden” at least in terms of plot and themes, but there are so many changes that show off what the series COULD HAVE been instead of what it was. How different? Well, let’s go through it all.

But real quick, I’m not going to do the “Like/Dislike” format I’ve done for previous reviews. Instead, I’m going to look through this pilot, note the changes it has, and share my thoughts on them. There’s also going to be a few spoilers to what happens in this pilot, so if you haven’t checked it out then I suggest giving it a watch wherever you can find it. It really is interesting to get a peak into what’s basically an alternate version of my favorite show.

With that said, let’s get into it.

Some Things Stayed the Same: Like I said, it’s basically an altered version of “A Lying Witch and A Warden.” The plot is that Eda uses Luz to get King back his “crown of power,” with some bits and pieces carrying over. Certain jokes that must have been too funny to get rid of, specific lines of dialogue that hit just the right notes, and some aspects of the characters’ personalities being just the same, proving that they're already perfect the way they are. It’s the changes, however, that makes for something more interesting. For one…

There’s More of an Emphasis on Comedy: As much as I love The Owl House, I’ll always admit that humor isn't its strong suit. It CAN be funny, really funny. But the jokes don’t land as well as something as Gravity Falls or Amphibia. I can say that a part of that could be because Dana Terrace wanted a more serious show, and we definitely get a sense of how serious it could be later in the series. Here, in the pilot, it definitely seems like there was more of an attempt to make the show comedic. King’s crown isn’t in a warden’s cell held within a magical barrier that only a human can get through. It’s in a Principal’s high school, locked in a human locker that Eda and King treat as something devious. Amity’s friends aren’t preppy mean girls who seem like they could cause conflict to Luz and her friends. They’re characters used for jokes who are amazed by Luz standing up to Lilith. There’s less of an edge and more of a lean towards cutesy fun, waiting until the very end to reveal something heavy. To me, it makes the pilot feel MORE like a Gravity Falls clone than the final product. Because while Gravity Falls has its serious moments, it makes it clear that it was a comedy first, both in the pilot and final product. Any moment of heart or drama was overshadowed by one hilarious joke after the other. Now, “A Lying Witch and A Warden” had a lot of jokes too, but there were also these moments that hinted at something more. You have the oppressive looking prison, the grand beam of light hiding human collectibles, a crazy chase from a threatening looking warden. And yes, the reveal that Warden Wrath was trying to go out with Eda was hilarious, but a warden who tortures a prisoner for speaking her truth gives a hint of how dark this world can be. Meanwhile, a principal sending a student to demon detention feels more like a joke, exaggerating how strict some principals can be.

And keep in mind, I’m not complaining about the pilot leaning more towards comedy. I actually laughed a lot more with it than I did with “A Lying Witch and A Warden.” I’m just trying to explain how the tone is definitely going for something different than the full series. It might have that darker twist in the end, but even that is nothing more than a surprise. I'll get into why later, but while it has darker implications, it doesn't detract from the fun times to be had. Not by much. From what I can gather from the pilot, it’s definitely going for a series with goofy, fun adventures with a bit of heart to it. It’s just missing that personal touch that’s in The Owl House. One good example of how?

There’s Not Even a MENTION of Camila: Before you say anything, this has nothing to do with me being Camila’s number one fan, to the point where I almost made a side-blog dedicated to her (I really should get on that, though…)

I bring up this change because Camila grounds the story in “A Lying Witch and A Warden.” She draws Luz close to reality and is the first thing that comes to Luz’s mind when in real danger, saying, “If I die, my mom will kill me!” More than that, though, Camila is the one real connection Luz has to the human realm. She has no friends nor adventures, but Luz always has Camila, with even the first episode hinting that. So when Luz starts getting herself into trouble or choosing to lie and stay in the Boiling Isles, it lets the audience get ready for the inevitable drama that could unfold when Luz finally tells Camila everything. By removing Camila, though, the anticipation of Luz telling her mom goes away with her. At least, it tells ME that there’s less of a worry about Luz basically running away from home. Either this version of the show is holding off from that for a future episode or that Luz and Camila’s relationship isn’t close enough where it matters. This is speculation, of course, but I still stand by that a sense of something personal with Luz is lost for the sake of having fun and epic fantasy adventures with entertaining characters. It’s still good and entertaining, and the pilot does offer something else that’s personal, but it’s not the same as The Owl House we all fell in love with. Though, it’s notable that our main cast stayed the same.

Luz, Eda, and King: Overall, I’d say that these three, personality wise, didn’t change much. King’s probably the least altered, being the exact same character he was in Season One aside from MAYBE having a design change (It’s hard to tell through storyboards). As for Luz and Eda, they’re more or less the same. There’s a BIG change with Eda (That I’ll get to later), but her devil-may-care attitude is very much the same, as well as her snark and soft nature towards Luz and King. It’s her magic that gets the real boost, being able to do more like teleport across the Isles and turn into a…softer version of the Owl Beast at will. It’s pretty cool to see the power that this alternate Owl Lady has. And then there’s Luz, who’s still the lovable weirdo we all know. Though, this version seems a lot more dim and I’m not really a fan. How does she mistakenly give a book report in geometry class? How did it take seeing Amity’s witch ears to realize that she belonged in the demon realm? Luz had her dumb moments in the show too, but not to this extent. There was still a sense of maturity and cognitive understanding that made Luz feel like someone that seemed weird but intelligent enough to think herself out of a situation. This Luz seems more weird and focused on using brute force on a problem. In a way, it makes Pilot!Luz more of an…emotionally driven Star Butterfly. A fun and capable character, but not the same kind I had made several posts and reviews talking about how much I love/personally connected to her. But, comparatively, I guess it IS the most minor change that could be done to this character. Now let’s move onto BIGGER changes.

The Boiling Isles: The look and feel of the Isles remains the same, but the fact that it’s more connected to the Human Realm is intriguing. From what I can tell, the Demon Realm treats traveling to the Human Realm like it’s going to a new country. You visit, make some memories, and, for some, send your children over to be a foreign exchange student of sorts. Except that racism seems to be encouraged in this regard as the demons and witches don’t see humans worth breathing the same air as them. And some think it’s more than okay to hunt down and kill if one human trespasses into their realm. And the reason for THAT is implied to be Belos’ doing. Er, I mean–*Checks the leaked pitch bible*--Emperor Pupa? Uh…I’ll just stick with Belos. 

And that’s extra fascinating to me because Belos being a witch hunter was a major twist that spoke VOLUMES of the kind of people he represents. To find out that this version is more anti-human makes me curious of what kind of angle the show would have taken. Would Belos have been your bare-bones fantasy villain or would the writers find a different way to tackle his symbolism? And is the reason why the Demon Realm is more open up to the Human Realm because he hopes witches and demons can report about their enemies for a possible invasion? There’s no way to know for sure because that version of the story will never come to be, but it’s interesting to think of all the things we COULD have gotten. The same goes for other characters.

Amity: To think, Amity was considered important enough to be included in the original pitch pilot alongside our main trio. It makes sense. Dana Terrace has gone on record in saying that Luz and Amity’s relationship was something she wanted from the get go, so it’s smart to establish it as quickly as possible. Though the route they take is definitely different. Instead of being enemies to lovers, Lumity, in the original pitch, went for the friends to lovers trope…kind of.

Luz, in this version, is someone so desperate for positive attention and respect that she latches onto the first person in school that was nice to her. Except that Amity was looking for some quiet and just so happened to look like she was supporting Luz when telling everyone to leave her alone. It was an act of kindness, but not one done in generosity. It still meant the world to Luz, though, making her go ALL IN with friendship. Only to be a little too forward and creeped Amity out to the point where she was polite enough to say “Thank you,” but you could see the desperation in her eyes to be anywhere but next to Luz. Yet Luz doesn’t see that. She’s still too focused that someone was actually nice to her that she blindly follows Amity into a new world just to return a weird looking passport. Because Amity’s Luz’s friend now and friends do nice things to each other. Only for Amity to accidentally reveal that she couldn’t care less for Luz and shatter her hopes and dreams in one fell swoop.

In a weird way, I’d say Luz and Amity are off on a better first impression here than in the original series. There’s no attempted dissections or witch’s duels. Just…Amity trying to be polite in Luz’s presence only to act like your typical mean girl when she THINKS Luz isn’t around. Tossing away the drawing is harsh for sure, but here’s the interesting thing: Amity didn’t know she was talking to Luz at that moment. She didn’t even get rid of the drawing until someone drew (haha) attention to it. If anything, it’s worth noting that Amity still kept the drawing on her. Almost like, despite being weirded out by Luz, Amity felt as though the drawing WAS cute and only got rid of it when she thought someone would question her for having it. Can’t have that Little Miss Perfect status shatter over something some human gave her.

Am I reaching as a Lumity shipper? Oh, most certainly yes. But we all know the inevitable conclusion between these two. We know where they’re headed. Dana has been pretty adamant about wanting it from the start and this pilot sets the groundwork well. Knowing where these two will end up, it’s easy to make connections and hypothesize what means what. Plus, look at the face of shock and amazement on Amity’s face when she sees Luz standing up to Lilith. That looks like a girl who’s…feeling things for this human weirdo. They’re not off to a ROARING start, but I can see how things could improve between Luz and Amity. And who knows, maybe this version of these two might end up dating sooner with how quickly they seem interested in each other. Again, am I reaching? Most definitely, but I went without any new Lumity content for over a year so LET ME REACH!

The point I’m trying to make is that this version of Amity definitely seems a lot more chill and polite at the start, even though it’s likely she still has issues of even being FRIENDS with a human. But not everyone starts off polite.

Lilith: Crazy to think that Lilith started out as…basically a one-off villain like Warden Wrath. At least, that’s what I gathered from the pilot. The pitch bible hints that there COULD be more to her, but at the same time she gets sent to a fire dimension and loses a hand. That’s one-off villain energy if I’ve ever seen it. But if she is meant to be something more, I would love to see what differences could come of her being the headmaster of Hexside instead of Bump and how she could either develop into someone better through Luz’s influence as a student or regress into someone worse as she makes Luz’s school life a living hell. Whatever could come from her, it was kind of fun seeing Lilith act as more of a threat with her…out of nowhere ability to turn into a bat monster. It’s a pretty cool design and I love that it was brought out due to Eda’s constant pestering, proving that Lilith is still the same insecure nut that I love. And it is pretty great that this pilot confirmed that Lilith really did dye her hair to look more serious. You CAN’T tell me that’s not why the Lilith we know ditched the curly red hair.

But that’s about it when it comes to changes towards characters and locations. Let’s talk about the potential differences in the ongoing story.

Luz Stays Trapped Instead of Choosing to Stay: I mean, technically she chose to stay by breaking that key for no reason, but that’s more of a consequence of not thinking things through. She didn’t NEED to break the key, Luz could have just as easily pulled it out. Instead, she kicked the dang thing, leaving herself trapped in this new world. And it’s here that I would like to once again point out how this makes Pilot!Luz different and what’s lost by not including Camila. The Luz WE know would have been more careful. She always felt like someone who fought smarter, not harder, even in that first episode. Luz didn’t fight Wrath head on, she rallied a prison riot that distracted him long enough for her to hit a firework ball into his mouth. She’s intelligent and resourceful, where this one…kind of is? It was smart to send Lilith to the fire dimension, but again, not a great plan to break the key. Plus, without Camila, this doesn’t feel like as big of a deal as it could have been. Camila was the first person in Luz’s mind as she destroyed the portal door in the Season One finale. In the pilot, with no Camila, it feels like a non-sacrifice or even that big of a deal. She’s stuck, sure, but Luz doesn’t really seem to care that much. She feels happy being with Eda and King and doesn’t seem to be in that big of a rush to get home. Plus, it’s not exactly complicated to get back. There was a whole line of portal doors in the beginning that Luz could potentially sneak through and there’s not yet an established cannon that makes it seem like getting a new key would be difficult or even complicated. Once more, it gives the impression that this version of The Owl House would be focused less on personal stakes and more like giving Luz that fantasy adventure she’s always been craving for. It would make for a fun show, but not the SAME show. However, it is worth noting that there could be some potential drama. Especially for one twist that was a JOLT to my system.

EDA WORKS FOR THE EMPEROR?!: WHAT?!

I’ll admit, I feel like the reason why this is so shocking is because of the Eda I know and the Emperor I learned to fear. I mean, Eda, the woman who would sooner eat her own fist before even CONSIDERING helping Belos, even before the witch hunter business, was originally meant to HELP him. Of all the changes that the series could have made, this was by far the biggest. Everything that I thought to be constant turned out to be a lie and I was NOT prepared for it!

But again, the reason why I got that big of a reaction is because it goes against everything I knew about Eda. If this was my first introduction to her, it’d be less of a shocking twist and more of a…hook. Like how Invincible’s first episode (Don’t watch if you’re a baby) ends with a character you THOUGHT you could trust doing this intensely dark thing. The rest of the season is leading you to figure out WHY this was done and how the other characters would react, making you want to see more as the show inevitably leads up to this big conclusion that changes everything you once knew. The same applies here, with the reveal making me wonder why Eda would do this, how long she’s been doing it, how it will affect her relationship with Luz, and whether or not it’d be an easy fix. And much like the ending of Invincible’s first episode (Seriously, NOT meant for babies), this hook makes me interested in wanting to see what comes next. Except I never will know because that came from a version of The Owl House that will never exist.

The pilot is interesting because it shows me what The Owl House COULD have been. I wouldn’t say that it’s better than what we got or even that it’s a better first impression than “A Lying Witch and A Warden.” It’s definitely FUNNIER, I’ll give it that, but it doesn’t make the original pitch better, it makes it different. Everything looks the same and sounds the same, but the overall feel of this pilot makes it something that would have had a different story, tone, and ideas on how to develop these characters. Would I have liked it? Absolutely. It seems like a fun time. But that doesn’t mean I like the show we got any less. This was more like…getting a peek into an alternate universe where a show I already love would have been vastly different. And after over a year without any new Owl House content aside from stuff that fans have made, this was a very pleasant surprise that leaves me excited for the NEW fan content that springs from all this.

But that’s enough talking about a show that could have been made. Time to get back to a series that came into existence and I still love so much. See you all then as you all milk this gift that the internet has given you.

[hisui555]

Hazbin Hotel thoughts : Pets 2

"How are they with pets ?" Vees and other Overlords edition

(Pets 1 (Hazbin Hotel crew) here)

(Pets 3 (Heaven's side) here)

Masterpost here.

Aaaand my titles are still as creative as a rusting cheese grater on sale. Anyway, let's jump to it.

The Vees !

Vox did have an (now archived) Instagram that's also now loosely canon, where he put pics of his cute pet hammerhead landshark Vark (that's probably not in the show the same as it was in the Instagram, but made it in with another form : might be the hammerhead bio-shark we see in the tank in ep 2 and why do I get the feeling we got robbed from something ?) and given his interactions with it, he clearly loves it with all his heart, calling it "baby" and posting what he brought for him (in a handbag), so it's safe to say that Vark is spoiled. One pic even shows it jumping on Velvette with Vox doing a fist-pump, another has an out-of-focus one with Vox being the one jumped on, so the critter can be safely described as rather enthusiastic (and giant. Hell fuck is it big). Which, based on this, gives a rather good idea of how he would interact with a pet : it's kind of a special, non common animal of specific interest (shark), that he will coddle and spoil to high heavens, basically a pseudo-kid. Expect tons of affection, letting it run around to its heart's content with a whole room (or more) dedicated to the beast, and a Never Could Do Any Wrong attitude that might be even worse that Lucifer's in the previous post. He will also train and teach it tricks, complete with lots of praise and treats, and given his management skills vet appointments are no problems (well, for him. Given the animal, very much not so for the vet), even cooing to the tyker that I know, you don't like it, but we'll have to go. I know, I know, I promise it's not for long. Touch it and you're dead, your reputation is dead, your whole family is dead up to the 10th ancestor, even your ashes are dead.

Alternatively, given how Vox is in the show now (still secretely hoping we see that side of him I admit, but I wouldn't place any bets on it), he has multiple shark-like creatures in a GIANT fish tank (at least two of them recognizable as sharks, I've counted four beasties that are seen on the opening of Stayed Gone), which look impressive and silently drift by. So while there's still the affinity for sharks, they look less goofy and more dangerous than Vark by some metric magnitudes and go quite well with his cunning CEO image, even emphazing it ("I think I have... just the one." Ep 2). So it paints a picture of power and silent intimidation, grinning like a shark and tempting to trade into the waters, smelling weakness like blood in the waves and drowning people under false hope : which is pretty much how he'd probably like his pets - hunting, powerful, highly unusual ones, that make him think of, well, himself and his empire. He'll keep them well-fed, cares for them, and likes to watch them swim around, maybe to calm his nerves after a Valentino tantrum or whenever Alastor so much as breathes wrong, more like status pets than coddling pets like his Instagram incarnation with Vark (again, shame*).

*While I do go awww, too bad, the producers, animators and whatnot had to work with an 8 episodes season. Characters also evolve (5 years between the pilot and the first episode), and things get dropped or picked up considering the needs of the show, and the intends behind the characters. The retired character Instagrams (and the pilot) paint the big lines, but smaller details are either contradictory or true-but-in-a-sideways-way compared to the final product, hence why "loosely canon". Vox with Vark would've been adorable, but he's probably not supposed to be that likable in that precise way, and it would've probably not brought the show itself much. I can only speculate why they dropped Vark's previous version (if he's indeed in the show at all), but don't take it as me faulting the show's creators and workers for it : my word is far from being gospel. Or else I'd make a really shitty deity.

Velvette would probably like a small, handholding pet that she can customize and that accords to her tastes, but also cute, photogenic and personable, so expect something like Hell's version of a chameleon, a pug or a Yorkshire (wait scratch that, I said "cute and photogenic"), or something that other people would find hideous but she'll make it work (nevermind, this fits) to show off how good her fashion skills are. She'll parade around with it, and if it has the same bitchy disdainous attitude as her, gladly welcomed bonus. She'll train it to obey only her (to Vox and Valentino's consternation and frustration), but also perfectly : every command is fulfilled within the snap of her fingers, but if the pet does outstandingly well, she won't hold back the treats. In private, she might be softer and more affable to it, praising and baby-talking it, but at the very least it'll have a luxurious corner to live in, and when she's away, her assistants are given the tasks of taking care of it (however not to a keep-an-activity-journal point unlike Pentious in the previous post). Unlike Angel, she might go for multiple pets at once (again, they're taken care of by a whole flock of staffs - good for testing interns and all that), and bank fashion lines and trends on them, associating with Vox to push out new product lines about animal care and fashion.

She'll also have pretend "dialogues" in public with one of them (switching favorites often following her moods - Velvette likes to have a wide choice fan of options) about how ugly or stupid she finds something and what's that you say Pookie ? Yes, absolutely, this dress looks like colored by sewer waters, ugh, good thing someone agrees with me. Think we should fire her ? to someone she particularly despises or deems unimportant enough and won't address directly because she'll estimate it beneath her, or sometimes to have an outlet of her own to vent. Rarely if ever goes to the vet unless one of the critters ate something it really shouldn't, since she's counting on her assistants to be skilled in healthcare, and they better be. Naming will be themed after what she likes, supported by tons of nicknames, and only her will know which one is named what because no one can keep up. Will be more annoyed than sad if one of them is hurt or died, but there will be a pang of sorrow for her favorite ones.

Valentino, well, also had a loosely canon pet queef (those half chihuahua half horsefly thingies, which are two abominations put together to make a third one - kidding, Fizzarolli's are kinda endearing), named... Queef (worse than my title names, good job bud), and emphasis on had, since he shot the tyker dead because it annoyed him, according to his archived Instagram. A safe bet is that it didn't even lasted very long. Which... paints dead-on (...sorry) the picture of how Val would treat pets : it's like a fancy that strikes from time to time and goes away just as quick, the second he's bothered by the critter. He's atrocious with naming them (though Adam beats him for sure in terms of naming things), sometimes can't differenciate one from another because oh right, I killed Queefie last week, you're actually Queefrey (...look at what you've made me do, stupid moth), and doesn't really care in general. Vet ? What's that ? Seriously the only time he'll go to a vet it's to enrol them in his studio if he finds them sexy enough and uses the critter for it. To him, they're not animals, they're trending accessories : something that goes nicely with the fishnet stockings and mink coat for an evening or two, not longer - or a tool to pick up chicks and chucks. If it dies, either he's the reason for it, or he'll just be annoyed.

He might just give them away if feeling generous or in a good mood, mostly to Velvette or his employees (he was the one who gave Fat Nuggets to Angel canonically - which was when Hell probably got a sudden cold wave or something. My sarcasm is having a stroke today, damn, sorry. Often happens when I'm writing Valentino's section, wonder why...ah, shit.), but hates if it disobeys or doesn't do what he wants it to do. Given that he doesn't train them either and expects it to behave like he wants right off the bat, this happens often. The longest any pet has lasted by him ? I'd say a week, two tops.

The other Overlords !

I don't peg Zestial for a pet owner, but again, let's pretend. It'll probably be something silent and creepy, ancient and powerful just like him - I mean, can you see him pick up any sparkly eyed kitten ? Me neither. It would make for a hilarious image, though. But nope, he'll be more like Hagrid than Umbridge in that sense : the most horrifying the better. Given his motif of spiders, he'll have his own Aragog, or some giant chiropteric monster from the dawn of times, with its own gregorious Fancy Name The Nth, something that even Lucifer thought died out ages ago. It's more a mutually respectful companionship than anything else : there's no "owner", no "pet", it just happens to live in Zestial's basement (or wherever he hangs his spindly, spidery legs from) and hunt down nuisances for him, in exchange of the occasional chin scritches. Might also know how to play chess, because why the hell not. Zestial won't like it being hurt, but will let it lick its wounds on its own and wait for it to ask for help, and it'll show up to show support in a fight and some extra manpower if needed. It doesn't obey squat, just agrees with you from time to time. No vet is crazy enough to go near that beast.

Carmilla will probably not have a pet either (too bothersome), but her daughters just might, and she'll allow it (somehow). Strict rules, the animal can't go wherever it pleases, better be damn well potty trained, and girls, if you want a pet, I'm not the one taking care of it - and she will stand by this, unlike some Didn't Want The Damn Cat Parents who melt at the first purr (welcome to the club of cat lovers, I'm the self-proclaimed president, what can I do for you ?). However, she's not against the affection, enjoying some relaxing moments with the pet at her side. Also, just having it around sleeping while she does work is nice and stress-relieving enough. She appreciates whatever "help" it can provide (fetching stuff), and simply talks to it like she would to an everyday person, only repeating words to make it understand what it should or should not be doing. She doesn't like cruelty to animals, and will make very clear what she thinks of someone who does that, but otherwise won't blow a gasket (like Vox or Angel might do). Might favor guard pets to protect her loved ones.

Rosie would be more about some old fashioned and elegant pets like poodles or whatever frizz-furred (or hairless, or scaly, as long as its classy) critter this side of Hell has to offer. However, since Alastor doesn't like dogs, she'll either keep it at home, or simply have another pet altogether, but case in point, it's a home pet, not something to parade around the Emporium with. Having it on a leash in the streets, fan in hand (her, not the tyke), and taking a strut around while waving for her fellow citizens or stopping to chat with other pet-owners is really picturesque, and exactly what she'll do. She'll make sure it's well-behaved, and will just have to softly utter a single command for it to obey. The most questionable thing would be the... diet. One sure thing, that beastie is well-fed.

Part 3 will be Heaven's side. Hope you enjoyed !

Again, Masterpost here.

[wordsandrobots]

IBO reference notes on . . . the battle at the low-orbit station

So. According to Gundam Wiki (citing an official Twitter message that's cited in turn without a link on an English-language message board), the shoulder-mounted bazooka that Akihiro uses in his second deployment in the Graze Custom was acquired during the battle in Mars orbit that forms the bulk episode 5, 'Beyond the Red Sky', when Tekkadan manage to run rings around Colonel Coral Conrad and shady trader Orcus (remember Orcus?). This struck me as rather curious, since I couldn't remember a point in that fight where it would have made sense for anybody to mug a Graze for its weaponry, much less a bazooka-equipped Graze actually appearing among the Gjallarhorn forces.

Being a diligent sort of obsessive, I decided to go back and watch the episode in full, to check my memory. This led to noting a number of (to me) interesting things and since nobody can stop me, I'm going to jot them down here.

First up, the Graze contingent for this episode mostly consists of the rather nice blue models labelled alternatively in secondary material as the 'Ares type' or 'space type'. The latter seems the most useful term since we see this livery repeat at various other locations later on, most significantly as part of the Dort Colony garrison and Gaelio's intercept squadron in Earth orbit. We can assume this is the general-purpose colours for Gjallarhorn 'suits operating in space, outside of elite units like the Arianrhod Fleet or those under the Seven Stars direct control (e.g. the yellow/gold versions the Issues use in Urdr Hunt).

Like a lot of the Graze's design, this seems to be a callback to the Leos from Gundam Wing, which featured a similar green/indigo distinction for ground/space (although space Leos are much more purple).

This episode is the series' first major space battle and it showcases some brilliant shot composition. There's so much to love about how this fight is story-boarded, from the mobile suits flying at weird angles to one another, to the way in-cockpit views are used.

The right-hand image here is from the perspective of Ein Dalton's Graze, and his appearance demonstrates a small detail that's easy to miss if you haven't poured over the the concept art. While this is still the green Graze that Ein was piloting in the opening episodes (its arm having been replaced in the meantime), the waist-mounted boosters have been swapped for blue shoulder-mounted units, like the rest of the squadron deployed from the Ares space station.

This is because the space boosters are slightly different from the ground-use ones, featuring extra vernier jets. However, I'm not sure the gaps for those ought to have been drawn in the left screenshot here, since they're supposed to be at right angles to the main thrusters. You can see the correct rendering on the left, below. In a great bit of continuity, Ein is later shown assisting this particular Graze after it's lost one of its boosters. Good boy! (For all that he turned out to be a mite unbalanced, Ein begins as a very diligent soldier.)

Oddly enough given its ubiquity in the merchandising, the shot on the right will be the last time the green Mars-branch Graze is seen in action in the show. After this, Ein switches to using Gaelio's Schwalbe Graze, and opposition to Tekkadan comes from different Gjallarhorn units using other colour schemes. The Arianrhod Grazes that will become the mandated 'green enemy type' for Season 2 are a notably different shade and colour layout (left), and the next and final time the 'Mars green' Graze appears, it will be in the rather ignoble aftermath of Hashmal's rampage across the Chryse Planatia (right).

[EDIT: I belatedly realised the above is not quite true: Mars-green Grazes do in fact participate in the final battle of the show against Mikazuki and Akihiro, and the machine Iok commandeers after McGillis wrecks his custom model is painted in these colours. So that's actually a nice bookending. I was misremembering because most of the action is handled by the Graze Schild variants.]

Anyway, that's enough Graze appreciation.

Time for some blatant Eugene Sevenstark propaganda.

Up to this point in the show, Eugene has been positioned as something between a joke character and the obligatory Doubting Thomas. He's clearly got an ego, clearly has a chip on his shoulder regarding Orga's leadership, and his main contribution to a battle previously has been to run away (very effectively, saving Orga's life in the process, but still).

Then, with Gjallarhorn and Orcus bearing down on Tekkadan's spacehsip, Orga comes up with a plan to use a nearby mining asteroid to perform an insanely sharp handbrake turn in order to gain altitude over their pursuers. This involves launching an anchor into the asteroid and sling-shotting the Isaribi through a tight orbit before using an explosive charge to blow the anchor and release them. Given the speed with which this must be enacted, the charge has to be placed manually, using a mobile worker. Orga originally intends to do this himself but Eugene brashly volunteers in his place, saying that as leader, he shouldn't be doing everything himself and grumbling that the others let Orga have his way far too easily.

Both these will be important charaterisation for later.

What I want to talk about, however, is how this manoeuvre goes off. It starts reasonably enough, with the anchor being fired into the rock and Eugene racing down the cable to, uh, shoulder-barge the bomb into position.

He shoots the charge and it detonates, but the anchor struck deeper than expected and doesn't come free. Now, based on past expectations, one might expect Eugene to panic over this. He's certainly not seemed especially level-headed up to now, and perhaps even a bit of a paper-tiger.

Instead, he backflips the mobile worker to launch his fuel tank at the recalcitrant anchor.

I just -- this is the first time we have seen any of these boys operating in space and he just . . . does that. Split second decision-making, zero-g environment, no problem. And it works! The extra blast from the tank frees the anchor.

It's brilliantly rendered too, with Eugene's shots going wide for a long few seconds before he finally gets the range and blows the tank.

If that wasn't enough, we then get a moment of 'oh shit, what happened to Eugene?' as the screen whites out, the cable snaking in silhouette, before coming around again to show that he's managed to latch on to the anchor to ride it back to the Isaribi.

Not only is this a fantastic action sequence, showcasing the weight and physical interaction that IBO excels at, and not only does it cement Eugene's position as 'the guy you really want flying your spaceship', it also serves as excellent set-up for where his griping about Orga's leadership is eventually going to go. Because yes, Eugene complains about Orga charging ahead and raises some legitimate objections. But at the same time, he is fully prepared to take incredibly risky actions on Orga's say-so, both recognising the strategy is sound and trusting Orga enough to follow his lead regardless of personal friction.

This will pay off later in perhaps the worst way it could, when Eugene proves incapable of properly pulling Orga up on his 'I must do everything' tendencies until it's much too late, precisely because of this trust. For now, it's just a wonderful piece of showing-against-telling, highlighting that Eugene is a true part of the team -- whatever he says -- and a damn skilled one at that.

Also, and this is me stretching for interesting reads, but the fact he is *this* good in a mobile worker and in zero-g in general despite being canonically not great during ground battles or when using mobile suits is something I place in the 'neurodivergent Eugene' column. I mean, if that's the right term when we're talking about fighting ability using a human/machine interface. Basically I think there's the basis to argue Eugene just copes better in space, where he can move any way he wants, rather than being stuck under gravity and following a human template. Partly this is inspired by how he gallops his mobile worker during the battle at the CGS base, as if he's trying to jump into the air to escape Orlis Stenja's attempt to kill him and Orga. Mostly, it's this scene, and what it shows us about Eugene's skill level once the gang gets off the ground.

What was I supposed to be talking about?

Oh right, Tekkadan swiping Gjallarhorn components. Well, this episode does give us the Saga of the Schwalbe Cables, as McGillis and Gaelio use their souped-up Grazes against Barbatos and its newly painted shoulders (those are bits of Orlis' Graze. RIP).

McGillis manages to snag Mikazuki's forearm quite soundly, forcing Mika to eject the armour from the frame to make his escape. Bye-bye weirdly out-of-place buckler.

This tussle between the two pilots prompts the beginning of their mutual respect in combat, as they each recognise the other's skill (with some lovely framing to boot).

Meanwhile, Gaelio shouts a lot and generally makes a right nit of himself, also latching on to Barbatos and even making a good try at dragging it on to a lower orbit, before getting maced for his efforts.

His grappling cable remains latched to Barbatos' leg afterwards and Mika will later use this self-same claw weapon during the fight with the Turbines in a couple of episodes' time.

There is a slight animation snafu here, in that while the gauntlet from which the cable is launched is clearly still attached in the shot where we see Mika's mace hit Gaelio's Schwalbe Graze, it's missing from subsequent frames showing Barbatos on the Isaribi's tail. However, the intention is obviously supposed to be that the gauntlet remains connected, since it will replace the ejected forearm armour and be used to allow Mika to keep pace with Lafter's Hyakuri. This glitch aside, the connecting logic is extremely clear, as Tekkadan once more incorporate battlefield debris in place of missing parts of Barbatos' outer shell.

Speaking of continuity, this episode also establishes the unique nature of Ahab reactor signatures, not only by having Ein recognise the signal from Tekkadan's new Graze Custom as belonging to Crank Zent's Graze (see the second screenshot in this post) but also by showing one of McGillis' subordinates pattern-match Barbatos to an official database.

The entries here are fairly meaningless in terms of wider canon details but for posterity, here's a breakdown.

Barbatos aside, each frame number takes the form of a letter followed by a three, four or five digit number. Examples include 'E-978', 'R-3908' and 'C-09067'. These are shown to be equivalent to 'ASW-G-08', so presumably identify the specific frame/'suit. The second term appears to indicate the kind of mobile suit listed, since Barbatos' is 'GUNDAM TYPE'. Outside that, however, they don't accord with the more commonly used terms like Rodi, Graze or Geirail. We've instead got things like:

NORMAL WR-09

NORMAL PR

NORMAL 26 WW

NORMAL GERA

AUTO MUG

AUTO MUG 2

ANTI 809

And so on, with variations of these general formats. As I said, this isn't especially meaningful, though it does give us a code for Barbato's database entry (186.390.20) and, together with Ein's POV, establishes that Ahab signals take the form of bar graphs -- although, here at least, there is little in the graphics to indicate much difference between Crank's single-reactor Graze and the dual-reactor Gundam frame, a distinction described by the dialogue.

While we're on the subject of screens, we may as well take a look at the following two as well, which provide a little bit of additional world-building.

First we have the display from Orcus' ship, showing an overview of the battlefield. Interesting, it indicates Barbatos' frame code in full, suggesting this is broadcast as an IFF signal, which is rather funny given the extended search sequence that follows on Gjallarhorn's side.

We also see the Grazes in play identified using codes such as 'EB101', 'EB102', 'EB103' and so on. Now the Graze frame's model code is 'EB-06', indicating it is the sixth mobile suit Gjallarhorn have developed since the Calamity War (predecessor Geirail is EB-04). We can infer therefore that 'EB' is a standard designator for a Gjallarhorn 'suit, making it likely these are just generic IDs assigned from Orcus' perspective.

More interestingly, this screen picks out one of the structures in the vicinity of the battles as an 'orbital mass driver'. This is presumably the large satellite the shuttle skims past as it tries to evade the first three Grazes to come after Tekkadan.

Together with the mining asteroid, this is gives us a brief indication of industry going on in Mars orbit. What exactly the mass driver is being used to launch and where is never made clear, although we are told that Mars' main export is the 'half metal' used to dampen Ahab reactor emissions, so it's plausible this forms some part in that. It's a pretty nice design at least, using the same spherical core as Gjallarhorn's space stations and the larger space dock, but with an unusual asymmetric rotating boom and a stationary rectangular module on the end.

The second screen shown above is the attitude control program running aboard the Schwalbe Grazes, shown as McGillis commentates about Gaelio's inability to hit Barbatos. I love how this highlights that standard mobile suits are doing a lot of computing in order to enact what their pilots want. This is something that's been made explicit in Gundam shows right from the very start, but it's rarely more than a passing detail. In Iron-Blooded Orphans, by contrast, it's part of the central conceit that the Alaya-Vijnana allows people to operate machinery much more effectively, by making it a direct extension of their bodies. Gaelio can't hit Mikazuki explicitly because his Schwalbe's software struggles to predict Barbatos' more instinctive movements. We see the program cycling through different patterns as it attempts to lock on, and might infer this must go both ways, with the program analysing an enemy and deploying a corresponding attack or defence response.

We've seen before that Barbatos moves far more fluidly than the Grazes; this nicely underlines the point and provides a bit of technobabble to quantify the advantage that will carry Tekkadan so far. Gjallarhorn's mobile suits appear more robotic because they are -- something with interesting implications given we eventually learn that an excessive degree of weaponry automation caused the Calamity War, and that will provide a moment of sharp dissonance when the Graze Ein appears during the season finale, fully emoting with human-like gestures.

Alas, in all this, we never do get any hint this is where Tekkadan acquire the bazooka, if that was indeed the intention all along. To be fair, we don't see what Akihiro is doing after a certain point in the fight, so there's plenty of room to posit a missing scene. But I have to say, from a continuity management perspective, I would personally have had them recover it after the ground battle in the opening two episodes. For one thing, the alternative shoulder armour is painted dark green, in line with the land-based Grazes rather than the detachment from Ares. For another, that initial battle is one Gjallarhorn soundly lose, as opposed to 'merely' failing to stop the Isaribi escaping. Wouldn't it have made slightly more sense for the boys to happen upon an abandoned equipment module once Gjallarhorn's mobile workers had cleared out?

It's a very minor detail; the bazooka isn't even especially plot-relevant (more 'let's sell more toys!' relevant; yes I am writing this while building the Graze Custom kit, why do you ask?). There's a much more obvious continuity problem in 'Beyond the Red Sky' that you might already be aware, where after being visibly winged by one of McGillis' shots, the sub and dub script have Mika say "that would've hit me," as if the bullet had missed (not quite sure if that's confusion caused by the original Japanese in some way?). But this is just a case of the script or versions of the script not keeping pace with the animation, or simply being ambiguous -- and anyway, it can be rescued as part of the point being made by assuming that since Mika hasn't yet adjusted to treating Barbatos' thrusters as an extension of his body, he's treating this hit as a near miss.

The bazooka thing stands out far more in an episode that otherwise effectively sets various things up or builds on already-established details. It's a case of something going unjustified in the text, which is quite unusual for materiel in this show. Usually, we can trace exactly where each of piece of military hardware the boys use has come from, highlighting the persistent through-line about how important logistics are in the fight for survival.

I'm not surprised there were queries about it at the time, and while the answer listed on Gundam Wiki is serviceable enough, it does still rely on finding a convenient void in the action, rather than being textually established.

[Index of other writing]

[literallysatanofficial]

I know this is probably a long shot, but I was looking on the wayback machine and (as I suspected) there are a bunch of now-deleted trailers for season 7 that don't exist anywhere online as far as I can tell (they do now!). "The Weight of the World" is the only one still on YouTube, but "The Gift of Giving", "Wings", "A Miracle Encounter", "Me", and "Leaves" -- while they are still linked on the wiki -- are completely dead, and not archived on the wayback machine aside from their thumbnails in this snapshot from 2012. I'd love to start an archive (I have one for WWDITS, but IASIP is significantly harder to manage due to its age) so if any of you guys have come across any archive.org compilations (the only one I know of is this one, but they're mainly DVD extras) or have any Google drives or anything, please let me know. It seems like someone's gone wild with copyright striking recently (it's Disney on my end, but not sure if that's Canada-specific) and like 90% of the extras have been completely obliterated.

UPDATE: Someone on reddit compiled all of the season 7 promos (lower quality than I'd like, but they're not too bad), and there are individual dailymotion links as well. "The Gift of Giving", "Wings", "A Miracle Encounter", and "Me". I believe "Leaves" is still missing, but it's hard to tell which is which.

More stuff I'm hoping to find mirrors for under the cut:

Archive of Paddy's Pub Blog; everything seems to be locked behind a broken age restriction button. I'm specifically interested in checking out the "Dennis' Erotic Memoirs" section (not the episode) or anything written by Dennis on the blog, but if anybody can figure out how to bypass the age restriction in earlier captures or has a mirror of the site before it was taken down that'd be even better.

Extras, promos, behind the scenes specials for all seasons. There seem to be quite a few for S1 out there still because it's mostly included on the DVD, but there are a couple that seemingly aired on TV that actually feature cut scenes. This one here has extra footage of Mac and Carmen, as well as Dennis in his day man costume without the codpiece. I have a feeling that there may be similar "outtakes" or alternate/extended scenes in other deleted videos.

Any additional scenes from the unaired pilot (I believe all we have is pulled from this behind the scenes footage, but worth a shot).

A high quality rip of the season 9 bloopers. I did manage to dig up an unwatermarked version from the wayback machine, but it's extremely low quality.

High quality version of the promotional music video "Going Back to Philly"; there's a relatively HQ version on YouTube that's been cut up, and a full LQ version, but it would be great to have a full HQ version. FOUND ONE!

Anyone willing to rip DVD/Bluray extras from their own copies. I can only find partial archives of S1-6's DVD extras, with some from later seasons being uploaded to YouTube at one point, but the majority of the links are dead now. I'm planning on buying a full set of DVDs/Blurays myself at some point, but they're either extremely expensive or extremely hard to find, so it'll probably take some time.

[fostersffff]

I'm still doing my big write-up post for the second half of Gundam Wing but I'm gonna separate this complaint out to its own post because I think this may be the most perfect example of "there are too many fucking characters in this cast for anything to meaningfully pay off". A lot of text below the break:

On paper, this scene is really cool! After nearly losing a war of attrition against a seemingly endless horde of mobile dolls operating with way more efficiency than they're used to (because they're being controlled directly by Dorothy), the Operation Meteor boys are rallying and functioning as a team for the first time, thanks to Quatre gaining full control of the Wing Zero's ZERO System and taking the lead as field commander. Both sides are confused: Dorothy doesn't understand how the Gundam pilots suddenly started working as a team, and Quatre is surprised the the dolls are trying (and failing) to adjust to his tactics. And as they keep fighting, they both realize, across the battlefield, that the other has taken charge.

The general setup for this scene is also pretty good! While Dorothy hasn't been shown to have any meaningful combat or tactical experience, you can buy that she would be able to overwhelm the Gundam pilots with whatever strategies she may have picked up through her admiration of war and the sheer number of mobile dolls available to her. On the other side, we know just enough information available to make this whole thing a really great showing for Quatre. Of all the Gundam pilots, he's the most qualified to lead the team because he's actually had experiencing in leading the Maganac Corps. It's also super dramatic for him to have to overcome the ZERO System after being the first of the Gundam pilots to nearly succumb to its influence.

The critical problem is that these two characters have not met. There is literally not only no reason, but no way, for either of them to recognize the other as the commander of the operation. The only Gundam pilot Dorothy has interacted with at all is Heero, and otherwise almost all of her time has been spent with Relena or within the Romefeller Foundation. Even if they had met, the only people who know Dorothy is onboard the Libra are people onboard the Libra! Conversely, even if Dorothy had dossiers on all the Gundam pilots and knew Quatre had experience as a commander, she doesn't indicate that she notices Sandrock hanging back and puts 2 and 2 together.

If there were fewer characters in the cast, maybe there would have been time to build up to this moment. Consider the following alternate version of Gundam Wing: while they were both in the Sanc Kingdom, maybe Quatre developed a crush on Dorothy, and she just rejected him flat out, because choose between A.) he's the softest softboy of the Gundam pilots B.) she's gay for Relena C.) she only has eyes for War. Then later, during one of the skirmishes in the Sanc Kingdom, Quatre saves the day by leading some of the refugee soldiers in battle against Romefeller, winning a battle that shouldn't have been won, and Dorothy makes a note of Quatre's talent for leading. Then in another episode, they're in a history class or something and the topic of old wars comes up, and Quatre takes note of Dorothy's enthusiasm for war and familiarity with battle strategies despite being a student in a kingdom advocating for total pacifism. Later he finds out she was a Romefeller spy and everything clicks into place that she's very sneaky and is almost certainly going to wind up an enemy. With just that little bit of setup, this scene makes perfect sense and is a super satisfying payoff that can then build into an even bigger climax later!

But there was no time for anything like that, because we also had to see what Duo was up to, and Trowa, and Wufei, and Sally Po, and Zechs, and Treize, and Catherine, and Hilde, and Relena's butler Pagan, and that dude who kept trying to speak out against Duke Dermail, and that weird old man who was keeping the White Fang warm for Zechs, and...

[landofanimes]

My 2023 Anime Watchlist

Anime (and related media) I've watched this year

Tokyo Mew Mew New Season 2 (2023)

Second (and final?) season of the Tokyo Mew Mew reboot! Always here for some good magical girls! I never finished watching the original series, so it was nice to see how the story goes. I wouldn't call it amazing, but it's a cool series. I wish they would make a third season for the A La Mode arc which came out later, but it seems they might be ending it here, Idk (I've never read the manga either)...

Subs since there's no dub.

Saint Seiya: The Beginning a.k.a. Knights of the Zodiac (2023)

Live-action movie adaption. Would I watch more if they do it? Yeah. Was it good? Not really... I'm not saying it's horrible, but eh, it was weak. The absence of 3 out of 5 boys is definetely felt. I mean, I didn't expect much of it, so it's not like I was dissappointed! ^^' I'm a SS fan, so I was in to see what they cooked.

I watched it dubbed at the cinema (there wasn't a subbed session but it's fine!).

One Piece: The Series Season 1 (2023)

Live-action adaption of the first arc. My first contact with the franchise! Charismatic group, the power of friendship, adventure in a new world, fun pirate crews... I loved it. Still pondering if I should get into this giant beast of an anime. It's just...So long. Never-ending. I'm sure I would like it but dear lord, is it long. Anyway. For now I'll content myself with waiting for the second season.

I alternated between dubs and subs! I think I prefer subbed but I wanted to check out the dub and it was also very good.

Porco Rosso (1992)

A Ghibli/Hayao Miyazaki oldie! I was keeping an eye out for the Ghibli Fest going on in the US this year and I realized this was the only movie in the list I hadn't watched yet, so. It's definetely not among my favorites, but it was a good movie. A Pig-faced bounty hunter pilot in and adventure through Italy. Needed a little more Gina thought!

Subs cause there's no dub.

Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac Season 2 (2022)

Second season of the 3DCG reboot of Saint Seiya, covering the first half of the 12 Temples arc. It's definetely still way below the classic series, but the battles had quite an upgrade from season 1! Also no time spent on original characters I don't care about :) And of course it's always a pleasure to see the Gold Saints... and the scenes the classic series didn't adapt! I'm glad season 3 is coming next year!

I watched it dubbed (sadly they changed the og cast in my country, but the new one did a good job too).

YashaHime: Princess Half-Demon Season 2 (2022-23)

Second (and final?) season of the Inu-Yasha spin-off sequel. Look, Yashahime has a lot of flaws, but it has its qualities too and personally I enjoyed it. Nice to travel around the feudal era in this world with familiar and new characters. I would watch more but I think that was it? Would definetely want them to make some changes... I heard the manga is different, so...food for thought!

I didn't have access to the dub when I watched s1 but this time I did! (I'm not very fond of parts of the dub, but overall it was good).

Spy x Family S1 (2022) and S2 (2023)

After seeing gifs since last year I finally sit down to watch it! It's cute, it's funny, and it's cool! Spies, assassins, school, AND family shenanigans! Loved it. Bring me more. Looking forward for the upcoming movie and for the s3 announcement.

I watched most of it dubbed but the dub is a few episodes behind the subbed version so I finished season 2 in Japanese.

Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning (2023)

I didn't even watch Kizuna but I heard it wasn't necessary so might as well go, specially since they actually put this movie in theaters in my country and got most of the og dub cast... Sadly I wasn't impressed by the movie. I thought it was pretty meh. Could have given more for the group to do (it was mostly about the new character). Anyway... PS: The opening sequence was LOVELY though!!! ^^

Yu Yu Hakusho (1992-94)

I used to watch it back in the day, but never watched all of it until now! Good stuff. Not perfect, but it's a great series!!! Charismatic group, cool friendships, cool big bads, spirit detective shenaningans, youkai, and of course, battle tournaments!

Watched it dubbed, of course (except for the specials, since they weren't dubbed here). The series was in my watchlist for years but I guess knowing there would be "new" content is always a good push, which brings me to:

Yu Yu Hakusho Season 1 (2023)

Live-action adaption of the first 2(!!) arcs. A pleasant surprise! The biggest problem here is definetely that it's too short. There's other flaws too, sure, but still! I had my doubts but turns out I really liked it, overall positive impression. I really hope they make more in the future!

I've watched it twice, once dubbed and once subbed!

[space-blue]

36, 17, 15, 37 and 8 for the 40 questions ask meme please!!

8- Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

Oh no, this is SO hard. I pride myself on my dialogue, and 'dialogue heavy' is one of the more common tag on all my works. Some of my favs have been emotional, heavy moments between characters, but I also write real stupid banter which I enjoy a lot, especially when it lands for readers. It's very hard to share a good dialogue snippet without the context that makes it funny or emotional though.

I also published 157 works, so there's choice galore! Here, have a bit from an Elden Ring fanfic, in which you, the reader, are the mate of one of the bosses, and the player character (the Tarnished) is a non-gendered character coming in and out of your life (as they do in the game), helping restore your hubby's memories and health by giving him death root. Just having fun with the way games send you on perpetual quests.

————

'I have seen you bring deathroot tirelessly,' you say, 'and wanted to thank you myself. It can't have been easy.'

'What ails him?' they asks, changing tack.

'An old grief,' you answer, the half-lie coming easily. 'Turned to madness.'

The Tarnished cocks their head sideways, a little like a curious wolf. 'I couldn't help but notice that the deathroot seemed to help? Like he's regaining memories… What affinity does Gurranq have with death?'

'You're a curious one, Tarnished.'

They look down and kick a pebble, swaying on the balls of their feet, now more like a child than a wolf.

'It's rare…' they say. 'For anyone to talk to me, or talk intelligibly. I miss it. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry.'

'That's alright,' you say with a smile. 'No harm done, and I understand you. I miss many things. I think if I saw a honey roll right now, I might cry.'

'Do you want me… to get you some?' the Tarnished asks, uncertain.

You laugh hard enough to nearly fall off your perch.

The Tarnished crosses their arms, defensive. 'What?' they ask. 'I've been sent on stranger quests.'

'I don't doubt it! Strange quests for strange times… But no. I would have no reward for your work, Tarnished, and Gurranq and I are not to linger here, so don't worry yourself.'

————

15- If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose?

In Odd Company, my personal take for the Book of Boba Fett series, before it aired. Not like it's a high bar to clear, but I'm convinced my version is far superior, and it'd be the pilot episode. It was done for the BoBF Big Bang and has bonkers good art by Roventum.

17 was answered here!

36- Which is your favorite site to post fic?

AO3. I don't post anywhere else.

37- Talk about your current wips.

That is… a lot. There are a lot. I have so many unfinished works, I'm just the most blessed writer as I've received a stunningly tiny amount of "Update WHEN???" messages. For Avatar alone I have

Two chapters in the works for the Five is an awful number fic (which was always intended to be a one shot, I hate you all) Next (and final???) chapter of the Trail of Crumbs Quaritch fic A fic focusing on Quaritch and Spider as Spider adds a bead to his songcord for meeting him The Ronal and neytiri have a chat chapter of the Ronal fic Kiri x Rotxo date followed by the arrival of Spider…

In Arcane I need to finish Fathers and Daughters, and all the rest is suspended till the blue people mental illness subsides.

For Star Wars I am sitting on a finished chapter for the double time travel fic but I got concrit on it that demands a complete rewrite. Tarkin and Soka sitting where they always do, overshadowed by Pandora and its delights… I also have a bunch of unfinished Andor bits, which I might honestly yeet into a blog post instead of leave to rot on my laptop.

I'm not even going to list things in SW… I have WIP disease and I kind of hate it for myself.

40- Write an alternative ending to [insert fic title] (or just the summary of one).

I wouldn't know how. I've never felt the need to write alternate endings. I also almost never know "where the characters go" after I finish a story. If the ending is open and vague, it's on purpose. I'm not withholding anything.

There isn't a single fic I'd look back on now and want to change the ending. My endings are rare but I'm happy with all of them.

Sorry x'D

Thanks a lot for the asks! <3

[tokensbossh]

What You Need to Know About What If...? Season 3: Release, Trailer, and Key Revelations

The much-anticipated third season of Marvel’s animated series What If...? is set to premiere on Disney+ on December 22, 2024. This season promises to take viewers on an exciting journey through alternate versions of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), where iconic characters make unexpected choices that reshape their worlds in spectacular ways. The season will consist of eight episodes, with a new one being released daily until December 29, 2024. Fans of the MCU will see familiar faces in entirely new roles, including Storm as the Goddess of Thunder, and the Avengers in unexpected team-ups. As Marvel fans eagerly await the arrival of this new season, the first trailer has already revealed some thrilling twists. Among the surprises, we’ll see a mech-suit Captain America, Shang-Chi in a cowboy persona, and Moon Knight as part of the Avengers. Storm, traditionally known for her weather-wielding powers, is shown wielding Thor’s Mjolnir, taking on the mantle of the Goddess of Thunder. What If...? Season 3 promises to explore these alternate universes in a way that fans of both the animated series and the MCU movies will love. The series is part of Phase Five of the MCU and offers a fresh and imaginative take on the Marvel superheroes we know and love. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umiKiW4En9g

What’s New in What If...? Season 3?

Season 3 will explore a variety of alternate scenarios that could have played out within the MCU. One of the major revelations from the trailer is the appearance of Storm as the Goddess of Thunder, a role usually reserved for Thor. In this reimagined reality, Storm wields Mjolnir, creating a new version of the character that fans are eager to see. Additionally, the trailer hints at a crossover with the X-Men universe, with the possibility of characters like Wolverine and Cyclops making an appearance. The excitement doesn’t stop there – the Avengers are seen teaming up with characters like Shang-Chi, who is reimagined in a cowboy persona, while Captain America is shown piloting a massive mech suit. The What If...? series has always delighted fans with its alternate takes on well-known stories, and Season 3 is no different. In fact, the season promises to answer the question: what would happen if classic MCU characters made radically different choices? Fans will have to stay tuned to find out how the show reimagines the stories they know and love, adding a new layer of depth to the MCU.

When Does What If...? Season 3 Premiere?

The official premiere of What If...? Season 3 is set for December 22, 2024, on Disney+. This season will run for eight days, with one episode being released daily until December 29, 2024. The decision to release episodes daily is a strategy Marvel has used in the past to keep audiences engaged and talking about each new episode. With new storylines, characters, and twists, the series promises to captivate both longtime Marvel fans and those new to the franchise. For fans who want to stay ahead of the curve, be sure to mark your calendars and get ready for some unexpected twists in the MCU. Trailer and Major Reveals: What to Expect The What If...? Season 3 trailer gives fans a glimpse of the alternate realities that the series will explore. One of the major highlights is Storm, traditionally a weather-wielding mutant, now taking up Thor’s mantle as the Goddess of Thunder. Additionally, we see a mech-suit version of Captain America, which adds an exciting new layer to the hero’s persona. Another exciting reveal is the appearance of Moon Knight as an Avenger, offering a new dynamic to the group of Marvel’s mightiest heroes. Fans also get a peek at new versions of other characters, such as a cowboy version of Shang-Chi, adding more variety and fun to the season. What If...? continues to offer a fresh take on classic Marvel stories. The third season promises to push boundaries even further, showing how small changes can have huge impacts on the fate of the characters and the world they inhabit. If the trailer is any indication, viewers can expect plenty of action, drama, and jaw-dropping moments that will leave them eager for the next episode. For more details about What If...? Season 3, be sure to check out official Marvel sources like Marvel's website and the Wikipedia page for What If...?.

What You Need to Know About What If... Season 3 Release, Trailer, and Key Revelation

Is What If...? Season 3 the Final Season?

Yes, What If...? Season 3 is expected to be the final season of the series. This has been confirmed by Marvel Studios, which hinted that Season 3 will wrap up the storylines explored in the previous seasons and provide closure to these alternate realities. Fans who have followed the series from the beginning may feel bittersweet, but there’s no doubt that Marvel will deliver a satisfying conclusion. Whether the show will continue in another form or leave room for spin-offs remains to be seen. What’s Next for Marvel Animation? While What If...? Season 3 marks the end of this particular animated series, it’s unlikely to be the end of Marvel’s animated adventures. Marvel Animation has many projects lined up, including series and movies that could explore similar alternate realities, new characters, and untold stories. Keep an eye on upcoming announcements from Marvel Studios as they continue to expand the MCU in new and exciting ways. If you want to dive deeper into the multiverse of What If...?, stay tuned for the full release in December 2024. Fans can expect a season packed with surprises, fresh takes on beloved characters, and thrilling new worlds. As always, Marvel knows how to keep us guessing and excited for more. 1. When is What If...? Season 3 being released?What If...? Season 3 will premiere on Disney+ on December 22, 2024. The season will consist of eight episodes, which will be released daily, with the final episode airing on December 29, 2024. This will be the final season of the series.2. What characters or storylines can we expect in Season 3?Season 3 of What If...? will explore alternate versions of well-known Marvel characters. Some major reveals include Storm wielding Thor’s hammer, a mecha Captain America, and Cowboy Shang-Chi. The show will continue to reimagine pivotal moments from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and create spectacular alternate realities.3. Will What If...? Season 3 be the last season of the series?Yes, Season 3 is confirmed to be the final season of What If...?. According to Marvel, it will conclude the animated series that has offered viewers alternative takes on iconic MCU events. The third season will wrap up the series with fresh and unexpected twists on beloved characters and storylines. Read the full article

[magpiejay1234]

Watching first episode of ZEXAL feels weird. Some observations:

**Number 17: Leviathan Dragon's Japanese is Levias Dragon, but due to its Katakana spelling, it is supposed to reference the previous Vice Dragons, Jack's Vice Dragon, and Fujiwara's Clear Vice Dragon. This sets up Shark's role as one of major rivals, and technically being one of the final bosses.

***The "Vice" Katakana would also be referenced in Number C32: Shark Drake Veiss.

**Yuma's parents being archeologists is likely based off popular fanon about Yugi's father (Bakura's grandpa, was, of course, an actual one).

**Though the early ZEXAL runs on the idea of Numbers possesing people, later series retcon suggests the voice in Shark's mind was Don Thousand, hence purple lightning when Leviathan Dragon attack.

***This is also likely the lore behind Rebarian Shark.

**Though the early series has Yuma releasing Numbers from The Door of Contract, we later find out that these were scattered around already. This is obviously a retcon from the pilot, though a necessary one, otherwise the plot would be weird.

***I can't count all the Numbers, but I'm guessing there were around 50 ones surrounding Yuma, which explains the later reveal/retcon of half of Numbers belonging to Don Thousand, at least in the animé continuity (since OCG side will likely make alternate versions of manga Numbers eventually).

**That one Emperor's Key throne that keeps popping around fanart was apparently from ED1, obviously doesn't appear in the show itself.

***Yuma's pose there is supposed to reference Atem in Memory World, but in the series proper, that pose is of course used for Nasch instead.

**OP1/ED1 doesn't spoil much, it doesn't seem like they had a big idea on how the show would work initially. Most of the shots are just concept animation.

***Considering the Seasonal structure of the show, first Season (ie. first 25 episodes) was likely written in one go, then the next 24, and then the next 24. So outside of Kaito, there isn't anyone that is a big deal, except Number 96, who won't be relevant until ZEXAL II.

****We will discuss this more in detail, but apparently Shin Yoshida wrote 14 of the 25 episodes of first Season, Yoshifumi Fukushima wrote 5 of 25 episodes (Tokunosuke/Flip two-parter, Yuma & Shark tag Duel, Number 96 debut with Tetsuo), Yasuyuki Suzuki wrote 4 of 25 (Cathy episode, Yamikawa two parter, Oobomi episode), and Kenichi Yamashita wrote 2 of 25 (Jin/Fortuno two-parter):

**Yuma's VA really doesn't have the voice for the character in the first episode. It will get better, of course.

Either way, I wonder how many dropped plot points that people speculate are, and how many more we won't ever know. Since ZEXAL was supposed to be a soft-reboot, I expect tons. Emperor's Key throne thing takes the cake for now though.

Anyway, ZEXAL I sort of examplifies Shin Yoshida's preferred method of dealing with plot issues, just throwing even more characters in to distract the audience. ZEXAL II would try to avoid abusing this (since it will have less writers than ZEXAL I, as some of the writers of ZEXAL I will move on to ARC-V instead of ZEXAL II) to instead throwing even more lore, and backstory to distract the audience, which is Shin Yoshida's second preferred method.

[cyberbenb]

Bloomberg: Romania expands capacity for Ukrainian grain transit

Romania plans to expand its capacity for transiting Ukrainian grain as Russia’s unilateral termination of the Black Sea Grain Initiative blocked the sea corridor for Ukraine’s exports, Bloomberg reported on July 28.

The country plans to open new border crossings and increase staff working on the transit, Romania’s Foreign Minister Luminita-Teodora Odobescu told Bloomberg in an interview on July 27.

“We are in close contact with Ukraine to identify the best options to increase and speed up this transit,” the minister said.

“The security situation of course is not easy, but we are very much committed to continue to help Ukraine."

According to Bloomberg, Romania has increased the capacity of the Constanta port for shipping out Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea. The country has also re-opened a closed railway link with Ukraine and seeks to hire more ship pilots for transporting Ukrainian products via the Sulina branch of the Danube River, the newspaper added.

As Bloomberg noted, the country has already facilitated the transport of 20 million metric tons of Ukrainian grain, which is almost half of the produce shipped via the EU’s solidarity lanes.

According to von der Leyen, more than 45 million metric tons of grain, oilseed, and other products have been exported through the solidarity lanes since they were instituted in May 2022.

Facilitating the transit of Ukrainian grain may stretch Romania’s transport capacities, as the country itself is also a major grain exporter, Bloomberg commented. Bucharest was among the five EU members who asked the EU to institute a ban on the domestic sale of Ukrainian grain products in those five countries.

While the measure is currently set to expire on Sep. 15, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Hungary said they will ask the European Commission to prolong the measure at least until the end of the year.

Another potential obstacle are Russian attacks against Ukrainian river ports, which, according to Bloomberg, deter some of the Romanian ship crews.

On the night of July 24, Russian forces launched Shahed-136 drones at the Danube River ports of Izmail and Reni, located in Ukraine’s Odesa Oblast. The ports are only 200 meters from the Romanian border.

After Russia’s one-sided termination of the Black Sea Grain Initiative on July 17, Ukraine has been seeking alternative ways of exporting its produce. Several EU countries, including Bulgaria and Croatia, suggested using their transport infrastructure to support Ukrainian exports.

This Week in Ukraine Ep. 17 – Black Sea grain deal is dead. What can Ukraine do?

Episode #17 of our weekly video podcast “This Week in Ukraine” is dedicated to the Black Sea grain deal, how Russia weaponized it, and ultimately killed it. Host Anastasiia Lapatina is joined by the Kyiv Independent’s reporter Alexander Query. Listen to the audio version of the podcast on Apple, S…

The Kyiv IndependentAnastasiia Lapatina

[moonshotpods]

Moonshot Network is opening for YOUR podcast pitches this Friday! But who even ARE we? What does that mean? How do you even send a pitch????

Good news: we’ve made this handy slideshow in order to answer all those questions, and also questions you didn’t even know you had! It’s a condensed version of our official pitch guide, to save you the trouble of clicking through to the GDoc link! You can also find the full plain text below the cut here.

What is Moonshot and why should I pitch you my podcast, anyway?

WHO WE ARE

Moonshot is a podcast network built on creative collaborations and far-out ideas. Some of our work includes: podcast seasons recorded in 24 hours, a dunk tank fundraiser stream, amateur Pokemon competitions, fanfiction actual plays, and deep media analysis of things like Saw, Christmas music, Harlequin romance novels, and the Halo 3 alternate reality game.

Our primary goal  is to be a home for out-there ideas, shorter and seasonal projects, and experiments in the podcast medium that might not fit in anywhere else. We aim to provide the enthusiasm, the structure, and support for our members to work on their dream projects.

Our second goal is giving first-time and early-career creators the tools they need for a successful start. We feel strongly that podcasting should not be a gatekept medium, and aim to support new creators with the funding and guidance to make their show a success.

WHAT WE HOST

Here are some examples of shows currently on our network:

ARGonauts Podcast: Andrew and Marn do deep dives into the niche world of alternate reality games and the people who create them.

Riley Hopkins and Their Amazing Friends: Short-form actual play series and one-offs that focus on transformative fanwork and crossovers of established shows/franchises/characters.

I’ll Be Pod For Castmas: A seasonal podcast released in July and December where Juliet and Katherine pick a piece of holiday pop culture and discuss it through the lens of a piece of topical classic literature.

After School Anime Club: Max, Max, and Stevie take a nostalgia trip back to the anime of their youth, and play game shows about it along the way.

The Podcast Mines: There But For The Grace Of Pod Go We: Riley and Andrew pitch each other podcasts, talk about the medium of podcasting, and sometimes do neither of those things.

WHAT WE OFFER

We offer network members a lot of perks, including:

Coverage of hosting costs, plus access to Pinecast's advanced analytics

A pre-existing community of fans and listeners to introduce your show to

Collaborative network shows with monthly spots for guest hosts

Other podcasters to talk shop and collaborate with in our creators-only Discord

Assets for streaming, a Twitch channel, and (time permitting) a stream producer

Subscriptions to Soundstripe (royalty-free music ) and Otter.ai (transcription services)

Optional participation in large group charity livestreams

OKAY...HOW DO I PITCH?

If you’re a creator looking to pitch us on a not-yet-published show, send us:

A strong pitch of your idea - what the base premise of the show is, an introduction to the regular hosts, what topics you hope to cover, and anything else that feels relevant. For audio dramas, feel free to send us an outline of the plot alongside the basic pitch!

A recorded and edited pilot episode.

OPTIONAL: More sample episodes, if you’ve already recorded them.

OPTIONAL: More scripted episodes, if you’re making an audio drama.

Examples of your past audio work. If you don’t have any, don’t worry! As long as your pitch is solid, you don’t need to have prior experience.

If you’re a creator looking to pitch an ongoing/established show, you’ll need:

A link to your feed.

Links to 3-5 episodes that exemplify what your show is about, and what it sounds like at its best.

If you’re a creator that has a pitch that is outside of these two options:

3-5 episodes in some format.

A solid pitch for why we should take on your show!

Please send these things to MoonshotNetwork@gmail.com with the subject line PITCH: [Your Podcast Name Here]. The body of your email should include a brief introduction of yourself, your podcast, and any cohosts; followed by links to the above requested content.

If you’re a new creator and have any sort of roadmap for your show, including an outline (for fiction shows) or a list of content you’re going to cover in future episodes (for nonfiction), we’d love to see those too! Please also include links to your and your cohosts’ social media.

Our inbox opens for pitches on November 25th! We hope to see you there!

[intuitive-revelations]

Ok, party ended early so a bunch of immediate thoughts on The Halloween Apocalypse, before I rewatch it:

I noticed that a LOT of what we saw in the trailer comes from just this episode, which means we have very little idea of what's coming up.

I'm also sure there's a lot of interesting details in the snippets we did see, hence why I want to comb through it later.

Immediately noticed that those Division agents had the same gun as Ruth!Doctor. I think the holograms might have shown circular gallifreyan, but it was hard to tell as the writing was quite pixelated.

Swarm described his transformation as 'renewal' which immediately sets off early-Who / Morbius continuity vibes.

He also spoke about the agents' work towards 'division' not 'the Division', which makes me wonder just what the word means. Something related to the Anchoring of the Thread and its effect on spacetime maybe, dividing the 'Dark Times' universe from the new? Makes sense with him supposedly having been imprisoned since the beginning of the universe, but that also likely being hyperbole, that we may well dig into some more ancient Gallifrey lore.

Actually the fact that a crystalline creature experienced its own version of regeneration kinda makes me think of Eldrad?

@doctornolonger said it already, but yeah, Karvanista being a Division agent feels VERY Wardog-y. Makes me wonder if its a bit of a reinvention of that bit of lore to avoid stepping on Marvel's toes.

(Side note: I love Karvanista)

On the other hand his line at the beginning about the 'final hours of planet Earth' while technically true, feels like a bit of lazy writing making him seem menacing to start with, given the reveal that his species are trying to rescue humanity.

Outpost 'Rose' is interesting. Not sure what to make of it yet.

The TARDIS spawning new doors. Could that be related to how it's failing to track the multiple incursions? Like it's literally trying to materialise in multiple places at once.

Actually, the TARDIS seems kinda sick in general, especially with regards to that leakage (which now that I think about it, reminds me of the timeship leak in The Pilot that took over Heather).

When the Doctor checked under the TARDIS console, was she using the chameleon arch headset in some way? I guess it could just be a reused prop, but with what she said about a 'glitch' I'm not sure...

CORRECTION: just checked it, I didn't catch that she said it was an MOT on her mind, implying the glitch was her connection to Swarm. She's DEFINITELY using the chameleon arch for it, though hopefully it's just jury-rigged for another purpose?

"Thirty Trillion Light Years Away" is actually surprisingly far for the Sontarans to be. It's not too surprising they'd get so far away given their tech level, but usually they're a very Mutter's Spiral/Milky Way and the rest of the Twelve Galaxies centric species. Makes me believe that these ones, at least, must have little connection to the Sontaran-Rutan War.

OK, the 'Flux'. The description of it actually makes me think about the theoretical idea of 'vacuum decay' where a quantum field is able to decay to a lower energy, effectively creating an expanding bubble of spacetime where the laws of physics are different to what we're used to, most likely tearing apart atoms. It's pretty much the closest thing to a universal weapon in real life physics we have.

This is also quite similar to Davros's reality bomb.

Now that I think about it, the effects on molecular structure also kinda remind me of the effect of the Eye of Harmony being left open in the TV Movie. Maybe something similar connects the flux to the TARDIS's ill health?

The idea of the laws of physics changing also, again, kinda ties back to the early Time Lords?

It seems either to be intelligent, given how it seems to have very specific targets, however, rather than being an expanding sphere. Alternatively, there's something attracting it to its targets, including the TARDIS. Maybe something to do with importance to the Web of Time? Or Artron energy?

Small detail I found amusing: when the Doctor takes evasive action we see the Flux destroy a blue gas giant, not resembling any in our Solar system, despite just having been on the edge of it. Was that the real life hypothetical 'planet nine', or another one of the extraneous planets (think Vulcan, Marinus, Mondas, Planet Five etc.) from Doctor Who lore sometimes said to be in the Solar System?

Alternatively, maybe the evasive action briefly took the TARDIS to Alpha Centauri?