#second one is also just a closeup but now that i look at the og i dont really like the fulli mage

[maxlovespigeons]

With the return of my hyperfixation, have some art I've drawn in the past I don't think I've ever posted to Tumblr

[inkstainedhandswithrings]

TBB S2 EP 11: Metamorphosis

right from the get go already looks like cliché horror film intro (this initially made me dislike the ep, mainly bc we have too many bad horror films playing at the cinema where I work rn, but dw I came around)

the music was actually chillingly different than usually and continued into the scene in which Dr. Hamlock was introduced. I liked that, but in a bad way

the closeup on his hand confirms that the Zillo Beast ate it, no this is not up for discussion, Zillo Beast had himself a treat

I'm kinda coming around on Nala Se, ngl

Also for as uneasy Dr. Hamlock makes me, I feel like we're finally getting a high-quality villain on TBB and I'm here for it

BAD BATCH TELLING CID OFF BAD BATCH TELLING CID OFF BAD BATCH TELLING CID OFF

HUNTER WANTING TO CUT CID OFF HUNTER WANTING TO CUT CID OFF HUNTER WANTING TO CUT CID OFF

Cid, being a huge dick:

Me:🤨🤨🖕🖕🖕

I like watching Wrecker show off how smart he is. He knows all the weapons and how to use 'em. Yes. :D.

"Whatever did this wasn't human." <- I find that an interesting sentence, considering this is Star Wars. If this was a show that took place on earth, somewhere where it was unlikely for an animal to be, that line would've been chilling. In Star Wars? Not so much. Humans are only one of many species in that galaxy and while I do believe that clones = humans, via star wars lore, that doesn't apply. Clones are classified as their own species, meaning technically they aren't human. I'm probably over thinking this but whatever, the line struck me as oddly placed

"By yourself?" "Your concern is not warranted. I will be fine." <- ok, Tech ik you got the whole cool, logical, I-know-what-I'm-doing-vibe going on, but I gotta tell you, the person who says that in horror films dies first.

OFC THE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT IS KAMINOAN FCK

everytime tech checked what's going on in the hallway I yelled "nO" at him. and then he did it anyway. rude.

The second we first saw it I realised it was the Zillo. I've been wondering when/if it would ever come up again, since the Chancellor did order for it to be cloned when the og episodes aired and then we never saw it again, so the arc felt incomplete.

BUT I LOVED THE ZILLO BEAST ARC SO THIS MADE ME V HAPPY AND V SCARED AND I KNOW IT'S NOT CANON BUT CAN THE ZILLO BEAST PLS GO EAT PALPATINE NOW??? IT DESERVES A TREAT!!!!

Hunter grabbing Omega to protect her from the beast 🥺

Tech's slow "Fascinating." followed by his "Take cover."???? sir u already had me, u didn't need to go harder

Wrecker grabbing Omega to protect her from the explosion🥺

Tech casually causing the explosion

"It ate the crew?" MY POOR BABY

"I can help. I know my way around Kaminoan tech." hmmm omega tryna stay out of the fight? she scared? hmmm Tech whatcha do???

Omega being better with Kaminoan tech than Tech and him just going with it and trusting her expertise. Yes. :D

idk where the "Zillo Beast feeds on energy" thing came from bc that wasn't part of the original arc and kinda threw me off, but alright, they needed a reason for it to grow real fast, I'll take it

they're already fighting the beast and then the empire shows up hhhhhhhh whyyyyyyy

omega just casually pulling the plug on tech's research, I love her

Tech grabbing Omega to protect her from the explosion 2.0 🥺

yes, hello, I'd like to inform you all again that I hate the empire, thank you

Tech allowing Hunter to keep flying even though he is the designated pilot and clearly very skilled. Just shows how much he trusts his leader and brother to keep them save. Love that :))

When the Commandos began rounding up the villagers I immediately knew what it meant and GAH HONSLTY WHY ARE THEY LIKE THIS

The Empire only destroyed Kamino to control cloning, not to end it, hm? surprise surprise (these fcking motherfckers i swear)

"Send the data to Echo and Rex. See what they can find out."

....

........

............

YES HUNTER YES SEND THEM THE DATA YES GO WORK WITH ECHO AND REX AND SAVE THE GALAXY YES LET'S GOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

end of the ep confirms yet again that Dr. Hamlock is a bag of dicks :)

Prime Minister said f you and I'm here for it

and then he brought up Omega and I was not here for it anymore

finally the music during the last shot makes me think that this facility is going to come up again and it will likely be very traumatic and horrible and terrible and um ya. sucks man.

gonna tag @jealous-sloth77 and @saturn-sends-hugs bc I'd love to see their thoughts too :))

[sketchygainedyoursoul]

MCD SUMMARY: Aphmau Fucks Around

MASTERPOST

This will consist of Episodes 1 to 7

It kicks off with Aphmau in a little world of her own, talking about "season one of minecraft diaries" and putting a journal with a summary of the og series into an empty bookshelf. It's almost as if she expected the second season not to last long. lmao.

Before Aph spawns into the world of Ru'an, a handmade cutscene of two unknown guards (later revealed to be Zenix and Garroth) talking about how, after the death of their lord, the village has been having trouble, until they are interrupted by a noise. The scene cuts to an unknown person running away from a clearing.

Aphmau spawns into the clearing. She talk about minecraft stuff, then sees the same guy who ran away chopping a tree. Aphmau chases after him, and you can see his nametag reads "Vylad". Vylad leads Aphmau to a village- the village of Phoenix Drop.

Aphmau talks to the villagers and guards, finding out that the village lacks a lord. She falls into a hole 3 times and decides to stay and become the lord.

Honorary babe house mention- Aphmau rescues all the "babes" from a well and shoves them into a 3x3 with dirt floor

We witness at least three people die as night comes- I was wondering where those people went in the later episodes. Aphmau jesus you are not doing a good job at lording. (It's okay though the villagers that die dont have any significance)

Aphmau tries to get Emmalyn into the babe house- this backfires, Emmalyn lives with Aphmau now. This is probably significant, considering it was a plot point in the reboot. I dunno.

Episode 2 starts with Vylad- the guy who brought Aphmau to the village- and another masked man observing the village. And- oh? What's that? Aphmau got someone to voice them! Anyway, there is an ominous shot of Vylad looking at Aphmau, while the unfamiliar guy says that Vylad was just supposed to scout tonmake sure the lord was dead- not stick around. "Our lord gives me your rations anyway." Okay that was surprisingly funny for the situation-

Aphmau spent time off screen fixing the paths in the villages. Aphmau days she will do some more stuff off screen, except talk with the NPCs because she pissed off Emmalyn.

Garroth points out that Aphmau fixed up the streets, Aphmau confirms it.

"I'm calling the guards if you bother me again" dear god Emmalyn chill.

None of the villagers like Aphmau, lmao.

Aphmau finds two villages on the horizon of an ocean. The first village is over water and has no paths. Aphmau kidnaps Donna and goes to the next village and finds it in the same condition as the first. Donna disappeared, but she comes back.

Episode 3 starts with a greyscale flashback to the old lord's home- You can see Vylad come into the clearing, holding a flint and steel. A closeup shot through the window reveals someone with long hair and elf-like ears. It's pretty clear what Vylad does next.

Aphmau, over a stream, fixed up the town and got a lot of resources. Nice.

Aphmau interacts with Garroth and the first... err... conversation screen pops up. Garroth asks if Aph has talked to Zenix, and she says no, so Garroth requests Aph talk to Zenix.

Donna lives! In the babe house.

Aphmau talks to Zenix, and he thanks her for the work she has done on the town. After Aph breaks the fourth wall a bit, Zenix warns her about how being seen as a Lord is bad. Upon further prompting, Zenix backs out and says some bull about the world moving in directions that might not be good. Zenix you little sh-

After a while, Aphmau returns to talk to Garroth who explains that he thinks its a good idea for the world to change. Apparently, "The more [Aph does] for villages things will start to change. Events might happen around the things [Aph] build, although it might take some time... people in the world will become more "aware" - and that doesn't always attract positive attention." He also makes a fourth wall joke. Garroth then directs Aphmau to the previous lord's home- in the forest - for mote answers. Aphmau ends the episode there.

No cutscene begins episode 4, but Aphmau heads over to the old home immediately. It's burnt to a crisp, the only things left are some piles of ashes, a crib, and a diary/journal.

It appears to be a diary reminiscent of someone who spawned in the world for a survival adventure- just like Aphmau. Pages 1 through 3 are normal looking diary entries, while pages 4 through 25 have been ripped out. The last page, page 26, is viewed only briefly until Aphmau gets knocked out. The text reads, "Why...? This is my world. NOT his. Milfina..."

A cutscene begins. The man from episode 3's cutscene is there with a dagger. An unfamiliar girl is there as well. The man begins with saying that Aphmau doesn't look like a replacement, and that he doesn't know why Vylad is hanging out around the village. The girl lets out a manic giggle, and says that "I don't think it's her he's interested in. Vylad has a history with this place, I wouldn't put it past him if he's just here to relive that victory." The man laments that with her here, Garroth and Zenix will start to regain their memories. The girl wants to leave her there for the funsies, something about a king, and the man just leaves.

Aph wakes up, doesn't realize someone knocked her out, and the diary is gone. She steals the desk. Slay, ig.

Zenix intercepts Aphmau as she returns to the village, and is worried about her. He asks if she found anything, then retracts his statement and commands she get some rest. Aphmau then goes to find Garroth, and finds him missing from his usual spot at the top of a 3x3.

She locates Garroth, and turns out he is talking to man named Paul. Garroth has bought a lot- enough to fund Paul's journey home and to feed his family, but still has Aphmau look at his goods. It's a diamond block for a strawberry seed, one for an orange sapling, and one for a rice seed.

Turning her attention to Garroth, who asks her to hold out her hand. After accidentally slapping Garroth, Aphmau receives on of each of Paul's goods.

Aphmau spawns in her first do- Thorgi. This is important. Why? Dog.

Aphmau starts off episode 5 with Emmalyn slander.

Aphmau talks to Zenix and finds he likes Paul, but doesn't trust him. Understandable. Aphmau tells Zenix about what she found- Zenix is concerned, and decides to investigate.

Paul is all out of goods, a "mysterious fellow" bought him out. Apparently, there are docks. Garroth tells Aphmau about this.

Omg Brendan built the dock OMG VISCHER

WHY WAS THERE A SEX JOKE-

Listening to Jess talk about all the ideas when I know what happens is so surreal lmao

Aphmau ends the episode with a promise of a house on the hill.

holy shit she moved the well- well well well boys, the phoenix drop we(i) know and love is beginning to take form

Aphmau moves into the house on the hill, falls asleep at night, and Vischer FUCKING EXPLODES DUDE The cutscene shifts to show the girl from the cutscene in episode four to be looking over the docks. It's implied she did it.

Aphmau pushes an old and creepy guy away from her house (I'm pretty sure he has some significance later-) and heads down to the destroyed docks after seeing them in the distance. Zenix is down there, says he wants to keep this under wraps, says bastard, and directs Aph to Garroth. Also Zenix memory ??? Aph talks to Paul, Paul reveals that Vischer fukcin died. Garroth further explains that the village is small so it can't handle big issues. Garroth requests that Aphmau take Paul and Vischer's body back to their village.

Aphmau talks to Brendan, and tells him about the docks blowing up, but not Vischer, so Brendan goes to work on fixing the docks. The episode ends.

Episode 7 begins with Aphmau going to the well and finding someone new there- Kiki. She has a "hamster party"- that's really just a hamster give-away. I do not think we ever learn Kiki's real name- Oh yeah her brother is Brendan- Zenix refers to the hamsters as "Strange, adorable creatures."

CUDDLEZILLA IS BRENDAN'S??? well tickle my nose and call me sketchy it's been far too long since i've seen anything before Malachi's arc.

I just want to say Aph's perpetually full inventory pisses me off sorry-

Aph proceeds to build the ugliest fucking boat i've ever seen with just a chest for Vischer's body. By god.

2015

That is the end of the episode- and the end of this first arc, as Aph heads to Vischer's village in the next. I'm ending the first part of the summary here- hopefully the next one won't take too long.

Next

[wyrmmaster]

Is it just me, or does the animation style for NuHigurashi have Monogatari vibes?

IT DOES and that’s one of the big reasons I’m hyped now

It’s the hyper closeup on part of the face with the suddenly 150fps expression change (Rena’s smile at like 8 seconds for example), it’s perfect for Higurashi’s whiplash

The style looks like it’s Higher Quality OG Higurashi Anime, but also with Shaft-tier expression cuts to me, I love it

[cryptoriascollectiblog]

So does anyone remember when I was agonizing over a second Clawdeen doll? 

I finally found the perfect solution:

Boo York Clawdeen has my absolute favorite faceup: the purple+gold combination works so well together and really suit her! At least I think so. 

That said her clothes were so plain - Clawdeen is a fashionista! She needed an outfit to reflect that, as well as her personality. I tried talking myself into buying a doll with a more outrageous outfit but I just couldn’t let go of the Boo York doll. 

What I really wanted was Boo York Clawdeen + OG outfit but I’m not just going to look for her OG clothes on ebay without considering the OG doll and I don’t have that kind of money right now. 

Then I realized Clawdeen’s Ghouls Alive doll has a similar outfit...one that’s all gold+purple. 

And voila!

My only complaints - and they are very small - are that there’s a tear in the mesh lining of her skirt and she didn’t come with her boots. Also I stupidly didn’t realize the Ghoul’s Alive vest has a hole cut out for the lever that activates her “alive” feature but you can’t see it under this Clawdeen’s hair. 

Her Boo York boots work just fine when paired with her sunglasses so I don’t mind them anymore. Actually they tie her purse into the outfit as well. 

Here’s a closeup without the sunglasses:

Final thoughts:

The doll itself is in fairly good condition for being what...four years old now? Her hair is a little sticky and clumpy but looks much better after I brushed it out. I got her in-box so I’m assuming that’s why. 

Her hands are also made of rubber? Is this a new thing with the later gen1 dolls? I got the Scarnival Skelita for Christmas and her hands are also rubbery...

Overall though I am so excited about this doll and I can’t wait to take more pictures <3 

[forgemaster-defence-squad]

Isaac Theory Post

(The right and bottom pics are mine.)

Why Isaac will become the Isaac the OG fans are talking about

I am making this theorey post partly because it’s fun and because I love all of our Castlevania Isaacs. I did much research for it, and tried to include things that feel like Castlevania. I give credit to @solidfalcon for helping me write some of it, and sitting there listening to me babble on and on about him for HOURS, and credit to @lucien-lachance for MANY OF THE IMAGES. She has a huge collection of Isaac pictures from the games, I’m so pleased!! Thank you both!!!!

Now, onto Isaac: from games to screen, he would change, though only to tell a great story. Isaac is a complex character whose story needs to be told with care and delicacy. His story in season 2 of the show is only beginning. Being without luxurious crimson locks barely changes his story, it only begins it. And it can only grow from there. I’ve never truly seen him transform before, except in my own headcanon-filled brain, so I’m THRILLED to finally be seeing it on screen!

This is Castlevania, where the design of a character is laced with storytelling and meaning. If Isaac is meant to stay proper looking and professional, he wouldn’t be the same character. His appearance right now doesn’t take away from who he is, it adds to him, and I’m going to go into detail as to why.

Game spoilers below cut!

Animation Isaac vs Game Isaac

Game Isaac: Passion, Devotion To Dracula, ‘Evilness’, Knife Obsession, Vengeance, Wants to be the favourite, Uncomfortable to look at, Licks things.

Animation Isaac: Passion, Devotion To Dracula, ‘Evilness’, Knife Obsession, Vengeance.

I didn’t give animation Isaac the last 3 things that I put with game Isaac because we don’t know anything else. Season 2 isn’t even out yet. Therefore the rest of the post is where what we know about game Isaac becomes theory for animation Isaac. He’s an Isaac-shaped glass that is only a little filled, and it will continue to fill with more Isaac-ey goodness as the show progresses.

The Long Awaited Son

When some Christians hear the name ‘Isaac’ (with no last name) they think first, of Isaac:

(Credit to the creative photographer.)

Dracula’s story is sort of like an inverted Bible story, making it darker but also very clever if you know what you’re seeing. In Castlevania, although Dracula loved his first son, Alucard, he didn’t become the person he wanted him to be, a son who shared his views and would help him take revenge for Lisa. Now here we have Isaac who was taken in by Dracula as a child, the ‘son’ Dracula would have always wanted: Passionate about Dracula’s goal and willing do anything to make it happen. While Alucard cares for humanity, Isaac is passionate to destroy humanity, just like Dracula.

In the Bible, Abraham’s first born wasn’t what he wanted. His first born would become a person who was hostile, while his second son, Isaac would become everything he was promised, a great man who gave blessings.

Also: Isaac’s name means “laughter.” (Insert a gif of Isaac laughing here. I reached image limit in this post twt )

Child of Judas

Quote from Isaac’s page on the Castlevania wiki: “Isaac's name functions both as a hint that all isn't quite as it seems with him, and also as a reference to a particular bit of vampire lore. Biblically, Itzhak (Isaac) was the son of Abraham, who was almost sacrificed as a test of his father's faith. Unlike his namesake Forgemaster, however, Itzhak survived. The vampire folklore his name references appears in the short story "A Kiss of Judas" by Julian Osgood Field, writing under the pseudonym X.L. A principal character in this story is Isaac Lebedenko, who dies and, when reborn, becomes a type of vampire known as a Child of Judas in order to exact revenge on a deserving enemy. Interestingly enough, Children of Judas are said to have red hair.” Isaac’s name, as the quote says, is a hint that all is not quite what it seems, the same is true for his appearance.

Another quote from the same wiki page: “His clothing, too, is yet another hint as to his true nature. It appears as if Isaac is wearing only the remains of his former uniform. The Prelude to Revenge manga, packaged with the soundtrack sampler CD, uses Isaac's attire as a symbol of his mind unraveling. The madder he gets, the more tattered his clothing gets, until we see him in-game in purely ornamental armor bits and those strange pants. Thanks to Dracula's machinations, Isaac is only the broken pieces of the man he once was. Unfortunately, Isaac erroneously blames Hector for the destruction of his life.” ‘Only the broken pieces of the man he once was.’ What we are seeing right now IS the man he once was. We have yet to see him slowly unravel both outward and inward to become the person he’s fated to be. I’m looking forward to it!

My theory for why he could get his Castlevania appearance parallels both the Biblical Isaac and the vampire lore Isaac. Biblical Isaac was nearly sacrificed, then later became something great, while ‘A Kiss of Judas’ Isaac died and then returned to life as something terrible. Games Isaac was used as a vessel to become Dracula. Animated series Isaac is going to suffer, and go through a change, too, which may turn him into that same ‘vessel’ that he became in the games.

Isaac in games canon, after going insane from Dracula’s Curse, didn’t actually change physically, only his clothing melted away.

If in the animation he were to transform the same way as in the games, and physically as well, I think that would be stronger story storytelling. What changes physically is very easy to guess.

Blood Red Hair

Quotes from the Children of Judas page on vampires. com. (Which shows a picture of Isaac btw...) “This group of ruthless bloodsuckers were once found in Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania and you could recognize them due to their blood-red hair.” “These guys are known mainly by oral traditions.”

‘Mlem’

“Wicked vampires were said to have the power to drain their victim’s blood and life force with a single kiss or bite.”

Isaac isn’t a vampire in the game at this point in the above picture, but his kiss is still deadly~ (By that I mean he accompanies it with a knife stab). (Don’t worry, Trevor is ok, Isaac just wanted some Trevor blood.) Another thing that supports this theory is that the creators of the Castlevania series are very inclusive with their vampire lore. They want the show to be good, to be Castlevania, and also a great vampire story. So seeing as how we have yet to see the special ‘blood red hair’ of a ‘Child of Judas’ vampire, it’s safe to say Isaac may become one (in a sense). This is why game Isaac’s hair is redder and more beautiful than that of any other redhead we’ve seen in Castlevania.

Swoon~

The Dragon

As many know, Dracula’s name comes from Dracul which means ‘The Dragon’ or ‘The Devil.’ Dracula gets referred to as the Devil a lot in the animation, and in the games he also turns into a dragon when you fight him. Isaac is ‘a dragon’, and will become a vampire. This is true to games canon, as Isaac has, in fact become a vampire before, only, he became literally Dracula. The ‘Child of Judas’ similarities symbolized that the transformation would take place, as does his massive dragon tattoo that goes down his front, twists around his leg and slides up his back representing the Dragon. Animation Isaac does have tattoos, but none that we seen thus far are dragon-like. Not yet anyway~

(I drew the bottom right one for a closeup of the dragon face. The sketch to the left of it is official concept art.) When his clothing melts away and reveals the dragon tattoo, it symbolizes Isaac losing himself and becoming a dragon.

The Forgemaster crest displayed above shows two dragons. Both are Hector and Isaac. In the game, the Curse of Darkness attempts to transform the Forgemasters into Dracula. They both take on Dracula-like personality traits before Hector finally resists, and Isaac Is the one to lose himself.

In the games, all of this symbolism represented that he would be a mere pawn in Dracula’s scheme and become a vessel for Dracula. However, all of that symbolism is not yet present in animation Isaac, so this entire theory post is here to explain why it will become present.

The Biblical symbols of the Dragon and the Beast talk about the Dragon giving the Beast the power to return to life. The Beast that returned to life looked and spoke like a dragon. That would be neat if the writers parallel these symbols too! The Dragon being Dracula and the dragon-like Beast being Isaac.

Anguish

Dracula takes in both Isaac and Hector at a young age. Treated poorly by humanity, and taken in by Dracula, they probably saw him as their father figure. The Curse of Darkness that rips through the people during Castlevania 3, the same one that causes Isaac’s madness is probably going to be cast during season 2 of the animation. Right now we see him as a seemingly obedient, calm, collective but somewhat violent and angry individual. Someone led by his heart. When the curse is cast, bit by bit, much of that will begin to break away. When Dracula, his inspiration, his father figure, the one thing that gave him life and purpose, is defeated and taken away from him. And then, when Isaac is left for dead by Hector, the curse finally takes complete hold of him. Dracula's curse. Isaac transforms in appearance to reflect the change within. His hair has grown and become wild, his clothing has fallen apart and only ornamental pieces remain. He is only the broken pieces of what he once was. He is MAD.

So when I say he will become a vampire, I mean he will descend into madness and think that his desire for VENGEANCE AGAINST HECTOR will make it all better, but instead, he is just a vessel, a means to an end. He becomes Dracula, he becomes a vampire, a ‘Child of Judas’ in a symbolic sense. It is symbolic in that, he's not a vampire by any traditional sense, but simply because Dracula takes him over, and he becomes the vampire. The symbolism that the death and rebirth he faces before transformation is perhaps not his own death and rebirth, it is Dracula’s past death and rebirth through Isaac.

That would be super cool if he became a vampire himself, though, just a thought.

As you see, I fully expect to see our Isaac form before our eyes in ways I have only previously dreamed these past 8+ years of being a Curse of Darkness fan!

Fire Symbolism

I’ve read in other theory posts in other fandoms that fire in art and literature can symbolize many things. One of those things is death and rebirth. In Castlevania, this symbolism is definitely present, and EXTREMELY heavy-handed. Lisa dies, burned as a witch, from her dead remains ascends an explosion of flame. Who is in that flame? Dracula. So yes, they will use the plot point of Dracula dying and returning to life, and just like in the games, it will be through Isaac. I could go into more detail on fire symbolism as to why, but I think you get me by this point!

Red oni and Blue Oni

Another quote from the wiki: “Isaac and Hector together embody the "Red Oni and Blue Oni" trope. Isaac is denoted by red, and is emotional, temperamental and led by his heart. Hector, in blue, is the more logical and rational of the pair and is able to think things through, considers what he has been told, and in the end saves himself from an ill fate.” In the series, Hector is dressed in blue just as he is in the games, but Isaac has yet to show much red. To continue to fit this trope the way he’s meant to be, he HAS to go through his destined change. In the trailer, Isaac is seen in the past passionately crying with tears in his eyes as he’s about to take what I assume is revenge against someone.

(My poor boi q-q) He still very much embodies the trope with Hector, but not so much visually. He will transform most likely in the exact way I said he would. The series’ first four episodes did nothing but add to the series, not take away. Isaac is going to change, and when he does, he will finally truly mirror Hector, and he will fully become the ‘monster’ he was meant to be. By ‘monster’, what I really mean is: mistake-making, tragic sad boy who I want to cover in fifty blankies and pillows and give grilled cheese to.

TLDR: Isaac will slowly unravel to madness and become the heartbroken mess he was in the games. I’m super excited!!!

~End~ If we watch S2 and I end up wrong and got nothing right, then that’s okay cuz this whole thing was real fun to write. 10/10 recommended write up~

[pellicano-sanguino]

My mother likes Yuzuki Reon very much, so she's been very curious to see what she's been doing as an OG. Now that Reon Jack 2 got an actual DVD release, we were able to have a look into Reon's post-zuka career. After watching it together, I thought I'd write shortly about the show.

First let me get the negatives out of the way, so we can better concentrate on the good stuff.

It's not a musical, or even a revue, it's a concert. There are some dances, but most of it is singing. Now this depends on your music taste, but in my opinion, most of the songs are kinda mediocre and have forgettable melodies. Reon's voice is still amazing (and surprisingly close to her otokoyaku voice), so the songs are very pleasant to listen, even if they aren't musical masterpieces.

Some of the songs are...   sorry, I'm really bad at recognizing music styles...   kinda disco-ish pop songs. They have a fast beat and are very flashy, noisy, restless pieces of music. And the stage show and editing follows this style. There are a lot of bright, flashing disco lights, and my mother finds those irritating (it makes the stage messy to look and the dance moves hard to follow). I on the other hand was much more annoyed with the editing, which was like that of a music video; each shot lasts less than five seconds and the editing is messy and restless, making it, again, impossible to follow the dance choreography properly. The swiftly changing angles fit the fast-paced music, I get it, but I still prefer a bit calmer editing. Also, it's a bit weird to see the camera occasionally focus on the musicians. I know they are an important part of the show, but my mother bought this DVD to see Reon dance, not to look at some random guitarist (though she did like the violinist).

Last complaint: The male dancers. I feel bad for dissing them, because they are really good dancers, definitely true dance artists all of them. But they lack something that I got used to when watching Takarazuka – they don't act while dancing (or if they do, they do it poorly). For example, there's this one pair dance, that's very clearly supposed to be seductive in nature. For a dance like this to work, it's crucial that the dancers have great chemistry between them. For Reon, this is not a problem. She never performs dances purely mechanically, she always puts on a stage persona of some sort. During this dance, when she looks at her partner, the camera or the audience, her every movement and every look sells the idea of temptation and desire, just like the song itself is hinting at. But when her partner looks at her, I see no spark in his eyes, no emotions, not even a smallest hint of flirting. He's just doing the dance like a robot, move by move, and not putting on a stage persona (or if he is, he's not selling it good enough for me to notice.). I can't help but feel that if Reon had danced this number with any OG or current takarasienne, musumeyaku or otokoyaku, it would have been a much, much better performance. Because I could swear that TMS teaches whole lessons about how to look at your partner with adoring eyes, that's how good they are at acting while dancing.

Long story short, the dudes' stage presences aren't convincing me and I find them missing charisma.

Now, on to the good stuff.

Reon hasn't lost any of her charisma. When she enters the stage, she owns it. Her singing, dancing and acting are top quality as usual.

Some of the songs are rather catchy. I liked Witch's Mirror, and thought it had a pretty cool choreography, where the dancers mirror Reon's dance moves as her ”reflections.” I've seen this gimmick used in Takarazuka earlier, but even if it's an old trick, it still works. Pretty dance and a nice song (again, depending on your taste, I personally found this one to have a memorable tune.) Also, unlike the men in the pairdances, these background dancers actually had some acting going on, their performance had style and charisma. There was something wild about them, like they really wanted us to think about them as magical creatures/spirits that Reon conjured out of her Witch's Mirror. I liked them, though of course, they can't really compete with zuka actresses.

The restless editing is thank goodness left just for the more disco-style songs. In the middle part of the show, the dancing gets intense. The editing staff understood that for dances with complex choreography, they need to calm the cuts down and show us shots from angles where we can see all of Reon's body moving (and not just get closeups of her face and random musicians). The dances are long and very ambitious, as Reon keeps pushing the limit of her skills higher and higher, and all the rest of the dancers have clearly been chosen for this show particularly for their dancing skills. Even if I critizise their acting skills, I can't help but be amazed at their dancing. All of them are great dancers, easily able to keep up with Reon's skills.

When I started watching Takarazuka, the primary pull for me above all else was the dancing. I love dancing, both dancing myself and watching others dance. It's a great passion of mine, and so, it's naturally what I love most in zuka. I eagerly wait for the minirevues so I can be hypnotized by the actresses; when they begin to dance, I can't look away. And Reon was an exceptionally talented dancer. I am so very happy that she has decided to keep doing it even after leaving Takarazuka, because if such talent was lost, it would be a tragedy.

Basicly what I'm saying is, the dance numbers in this DVD are the highlights of the show and made purchasing it worthwhile.

I've already talked about the male dancers, so let's talk about the female one. Reon dances a pairdance with this incredible woman, who I imagine must be a professional ballerina (her dance moves look very ballet-like). She is amazing (though again, a bit lacking in the acting skills, but hey, she's a dance artist, not an actress). As someone who only watches zuka and not other theater forms, it was weird to see a woman without the usual zuka makeup, looking really natural.

After the pairdance, she gets to do a solo number, which was great, because we get to see more of her dancing and because we get an actual dance number while Reon is off-stage changing clothes (most of the time when Reon is off-stage the camera just zooms in on the musicians jamming. And I still think they are boring to look at. If I want to see people play their instruments, I'll go to a rock concert. I'm here for Reon and the dance numbers.).

One of the dance numbers involves Reon dancing with two guys, with a sort of jealousy theme, I think. As the men get more aggressive, even close to dance-fighting (I was a bit disappointed they didn't go that far, I love dance-duels), Reon gets worried (”Oh dear, I led them both on and now they are angry. Will they kill each other? Or me?”). The guys unfortunately don't act nearly as well, but Reon's face is full of emotion during this number. It ends with both men just...  pushing Reon around and lifting her. At one point one of them throws Reon to the ground so that she slides across floor to the arms of the other guy (”I don't want this anymore. You can have it! Here, catch!”).

At this point, I should talk about lifts. Most of my current dancing is reneissanse dances (they are mostly easy and don't require too much touching, good for an introvert that way). One of the easiest dances is called Branle Officiale, in which there is a part where the ladies will jump and the gentlemen are supposed to put their hands on the sides of the lady's ribcage and guide her to their left while she jumps. Most of the time I dance as a man, because there are more females among the dancers. But once or twice I was dancing as a lady and came across some tall guys who needed to show off how big and strong they are and instead of just guiding my jump, they would actually hold me and lift me off the ground and then place me gently on their left. That moment, when I felt that it wasn't my jump that made me airborne, but the guy's arms lifting me, it was magical. I don't know how to describe it, that feeling of weightlessness. Butterflies in the stomach I guess is what some use as a metaphor. I think it reminded me of that giddy feeling a child feels on a rollercoaster or some other theme park ride.

I am always excited when I see lifts in Takarazuka, because I feel that sensation again by just thinking about how it must feel like to be up there. But even so, I must admit that the lifts in zuka are, with few exceptions, all the same. Why not more variety? I know the common reasoning behind it would be, that it's very difficult to lift someone who weights about as much as you do, and so the lifts are left at the styles they feel are safe and managable. I'm no expert, but I do think with proper techniques they could safely perform more varied lifts. Maybe not the ”lift you up above my head like a trophy” thing, but they could certainly do the ”make you sit on my shoulder”-lift.

Last, I'd like to talk about the bonus number. At the end of the DVD there's an extra dance, with another female dancer, and whoa, this one is something completely different. She's a modern dancer, and I can't name her exact dance style, but it's amazing to watch. I usually don't like modern dancing, because a lot of it is lazily made, ugly and/or pretentous artsy junk. This is not artsy, not pretending to be deeper than it is and by no means lazy. The dancing is fierce and energetic, sometimes I have to wonder if they fastforwarded the film or if the movements really were that fast. I've never seen anything quite like this dance, so it's hard to describe. Reon joins the dancer and doesn't lose to her in style or swiftness. It's a really cool ending to the DVD.

[aion-rsa]

The 100 Season 7 Episode 8 Review: Anaconda

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This THE 100 review contains spoilers

The 100 Season 7 Episode 8

Anaconda is almost entirely a backdoor pilot for a prequel spinoff set during and shorty after the first end of the world, over on dear old planet Earth. It rewrites the Grounder origin story and answers some questions you probably never had about the Second Dawn from way back in season 3, but mostly it’s great to see Becca in action again, to catch some early show Easter eggs, and to meet a couple of compelling new characters who are actually trying to do the right thing, however hard that might be on a post-apocalyptic Earth. Sound familiar? Let’s dive in.

Cadogan’s story only occasionally explains how and why he is on Bardo, though of course the setup for these things is so rarely why they’re actually happening. Perhaps the biggest flaw is Cadogan himself. That this story is meant to be from his perspective strains at believability, considering how much of it was clearly a secret from him or even took place after he left planet Earth. But more importantly, I’m none too eager to spend time with him in flashback (or possibly in the present tense?) in the possible spin-off.

Once again, this season continues the theme of revisiting a story we thought we knew to reveal a new truth. Only, I’m not so sure all of it works. Much of Grounder culture is wiped away and retconned as coming from basically one person, Callie (Lola Evans). While she is a good person and a worthwhile character to follow, it changes the calculus of how The 100 treats Grounders to retroactively take their agency and cultural property away from them, instead ascribing much of it to a simple handoff. Perhaps just the language would have worked, but also having “Tree Crew” be an inherited name makes it feel like something has been taken from them. It’s hard not to picture the face Indra would make if she saw some punk rolling up his sleeve to show off a tattoo sand saying, “OG Tree Crew!”

It’s always good to see Erica Cerra again, especially as Becca. She makes an excellent foil for Cadogan, but as much as I loved her role here, it’s such a pity knowing that her ability to be in the prequel is limited to flashbacks. Callie and Becca had a great rapport, so it’s too bad that we’re losing that relationship in addition to Callie’s relationship with her best friend that opened the story – and seemed like it might be more than just friendship. If Callie is going to have women to hang out with during this prequel other than her mom, they’ll need to be established after the show is greenlit, because she’s surrounded by men. Her love interest, her brother and the other henchmen Tristan, her fascist father. It’s not enough to make a show starring an interesting young woman of color and call it a day – she needs to have others to interact with.

Callie’s mother Gemma (Crystal Balint) flies a bit under the radar, but she has the greatest potential. She makes three surprising, about-face decisions over the course of the story – to go to the bunker, to stay with Bill Cadogan, and to help her daughter escape – but each time it felt earned. That’s the kind of character I want to spend more time with, someone who can have a completely genuine reason for making each of those seemingly contradictory choices in the space of just one episode. I’m glad we saw her putting on a suit and not simply irradiated to death.

As villains go, Cadogan sits somewhere between Russell Prime and Dante Wallace, the spinal fluid-hungry son of the president of Mount Weather, which makes it hard not to feel like we’ve been here before. He fancies himself a genteel savior, but he’s clearly all underbelly. He doesn’t want his people to be safe; he wants to be their savior. The use of “Level 12s,” aside from being fun cult lingo a la Scientology, seemed to signify that to Cadogan, it’s not about saving his people, who became his through shared experience, but about saving some arbitrary definition of “the best” people, which likely translates to the usual unfair interpretation of elites.

It’s hard to say which is less interesting right now, Cadogan or the Disciples. But on a season where screen time feels precious and so much else pops, it’s hard to justify spending much more time with a snoozer of a replay villain like Cadogan and perennial CW re-hire Anders (Neal McDonough). If the prequel happens, we need more of the Beccas, Callies, and Gemmas, whether they’re heroes or villains, not reduxes of the same old thing.

As for the present tense, the decision to nix the cold open and instead allow the characters, especially Clarke and Raven, to mourn (what they think) is Bellamy’s death was a good one. Eliza Taylor and Lindsey Morgan do an excellent job here in overcome closeups that allow their grief to breathe before moving on to the business of the episode. Miller’s stuttered orders are a perfect character moment: holding the room is his way of affording Clarke and Raven that moment. He will mark his own later, privately.

One of my pet peeves is when shows don’t even pretend that a “dead” character is dead by allowing the others time to mourn them. The writers know it isn’t real so they don’t “waste” their time. It always takes me out, but it also feels like a missed opportunity to mark relationships and potentially move them forward. On The 100, a show that’s so run and gun, it’s a big deal to slow down and take a moment, but Bellamy warrants it. Now, even if he (inevitably) comes back, it will land differently, and we might even see characters respond differently than we expected, especially those who have had three months believing he’s dead, compared to those who just lost him.

Speaking of, on the other end of the episode there was a great reveal of Echo, Octavia and Diyoza as Bardo’s newest EDM warrior DJs. I’m sure three women as capable as them (a literal spy, a former navy hero/terrorist and a former commander) are playing along so they could train, learn about the Disciples, and do right by their people. Judging by the absence of Hope, she could be elsewhere doing another job, or perhaps being used as leverage against them. It’s easy to imagine Diyoza and Auntie O saying they would only fight if Hope was on the sidelines.

What I’m looking for moving forward, though, is the cracks in the façade for these three women. None of them are the hardened titles they once were. They had all grown beyond that in a positive way, but losing Bellamy could certainly turn Octavia or (more likely) Echo into someone a bit more hopeless, dark, and embittered. Octavia at one point seemed driven mad by what the Disciples had done to her. Diyoza has never been more vulnerable than she is now that she has a daughter that someone else controls. How have their mental states held up? What is Clarke really walking into? Is it the judgement day Becca saw?

Other notes…

Interesting that calling Clarke “the key” was actually very literal! Can’t wait to see how they deal with it when they learn she doesn’t have it!

Cadogan, babe, you were def a cult!

Of course Cadogan stole the Anomaly stone from under Macchu Picchu.

“I’m not 10, William, using my full name won’t stop me.” OK I quite like Callie!

What are the odds Bill stays over on Bardo once he leads his people through, and the prequel doesn’t follow them? Asking for a friend.

Finally, I want to send some love out to the fandom of The 100 as a whole, but especially to all survivors of domestic and sexual violence. As you may or may not know, actor Bob Morley was accused of abuse this past week. It was implied that Eliza Taylor played an active role as well. Take care of yourselves, whether that means stepping away from the show for a while, seeking comfort in the knowledge that Bellamy and Clarke are not the actors who portray them, or something else entirely.

The post The 100 Season 7 Episode 8 Review: Anaconda appeared first on Den of Geek.

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Chapter 33: "Exiting the forest is super simple: all you do is shoot that man in that house..."