#she deserved a worthwhile villain to fight against and she deserved to be more involved in the search fo HM's identity so the final fight

[kikigeh]

Miraculous had 5 seasons to try and turn Gabriel/Hawkmoth into a good, interesting or at the bare minimum a convincing threat but I feel like, even despite all of the brand new lore and backstory, his impact is pretty meaningless when at the end of the day he is going to be facing off against Ladybug and not someone else who'd make infinitely more sense for him to be battling against.

Hawkmoth really has no business thinking Ladybug is his greatest enemy when his own incompetence is the only thing he has ever battled against and Ladybug's gripe with Hawkmoth has more to do with the fact that she can't live her normal teenager life because she was chosen to be responsible to stop him. There's absolutely nothing that connects the two besides the fact that Hawkmoth wants her miraculous and the fact that they are both connected to Adrien somehow.

There's no clashing ideologies that are put at the forefront, they are in no way foils, Hawkmoth's "noble" motive of resuscitating his wife is impossible to root for because he spends the rest of the show being utter shit to his son so you can't convince anybody that he's a good person who deserves to be rewarded. The fact that at the end he's going to be rewarded with anonymity, a wish come true and his son never once being able to learn about anything about his deeds, all to make the showdown about how Hawkmoth and Ladybug have always been destined to fight against one another... it's just so silly.

The show really is a monument to wasted potential because how do you miss the chance to make it at least the kind of show that you'd recommend wholeheartedly because at least "the ending is good", and instead opt for the silliest kind of undeserved ending for the bad guy? It's seriously kind of depressing.

And to top it all off, the show actually gave Ladybug a formidable foe in Felix/Argos but then tossed that storyline away over... Lila??? Man.

[ladyloveandjustice]

Fall 2020 Anime Overview

I started out watching the a ton of anime for the Fall 2020 season, but then ended up not being caught up with most of them by the the time the end rolled around. I still pretty much intend to catch up with Yashahime Princess Half Demon someday (I do like the three leads, it just the plot’s been dull as dirt and the fights aren’t very inspired either) and though I dropped Wandering Witch after bad press started rolling in (I CANNOT deal with pointless tragedy in my current state of mind) I might check out a few more episodes someday just to from my own opinion. For now, let’s just quickly review the anime I DID manage to finish on time this season.

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle is exactly what it says on the tin: Princess Syalis isn’t too bothered about being captured by demons and locked in their castle, but she does value a good night’s sleep, and she is absolutely ruthless when it comes to getting it- so ruthless, in fact, that the demons realized it might not be that she’s trapped in here with them, but that they’re trapped in here with her.

Sleepy Princess is top tier comedy comfort food. It rarely got a huge belly laugh, but it always but a smile on my face and was a great thing to watch before going to bed. Syalis’s single-minded search for some shut eye is a joke that could have gotten old very quickly, but the show consistently found creative ways to expand on the gags and build it’s world and a fun cast of characters along the way. 

Though Syalis is downright brutal to the demons when it comes to getting what she wants (and has a knack for getting herself killed at well), thanks to a demon cleric that offers easy resurrections, you never feel too bad for anyone involved. In fact, the demons and Syalis form a strangely heartwarming bond over the course of the show , and it’s clear by the end that Syalis definitely has the ability to come and go if she damn well pleases and just finds this castle a fun place where she can find respite from her princessly responsibilities. 

A nice bonus for those of us who like a little subversion is that the show has a lot of fun playing with standard adventure tropes- the demons often lament that Syalis is not at all what they expected from a captive princess, for one, but my favorite fun little twist is how Syalis feels about the hero currently on a (seemingly endless) quest to rescue her- she manages to both hold him in contempt AND consistently fail to remember his name. That level of disregard takes some impressive effort.

The show has the same director as the Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun anime and as such has a similarly nice comic and visual flourishes throughout. It definitely gets two sleepy thumbs up for me.

Jujutsu Kaisen

Jujutsu Kaisen follows a young man named Yuuji Itadori who, after tangling with a demon, ends up with one inside him. With a death sentence hanging over his head, he’s inducted into a school for “jujutsu sorcerers”, and begins training to use his newfound powers to defeat demons and curses.

Jujutsu Kaisen quickly tells you on no uncertain terms it is Action Shonen, introducing a huge cast of a characters and powers and super high stakes and hey there’s even gonna be a tournament arc soon. It is really, really pretty to look at, with a killer opening and ending, some seriously great animation and cool visuals for the fights especially. But is it particularly memorable otherwise? Noooooot really, so far. The sea of technobabble it tends to descend into when trying to explain how the various powers work often has me zoning out and wishing they’d just let me watch the pretty punches. The villains and the general plot isn’t particularly compelling. The characters are nice enough, but haven’t given me much to be attached to so far. Though I do appreciate this one dude who is the embodiment of millennial ennui:

I’ll keep watching though, because it is a visually stunning, action-y thing to my turn your brain off to and god knows I want to turn my brain off all the time lately. 

And the characters do have potential- the One Girl of the main group, Nobara, has a really fun personality in that she’s a total shitlord doofus brawler who can thus doof around with our equally dumbass protagonist, which is an pretty fun, unusual personality for the One Girl to have! Her interactions with Maki, the weapons expert senpai girl, are promising too. I’m just waiting for her to actually, you know, DO something that really shows off her skills- I’m told she DOES eventually get to (gasp) win fights on her own and do cool stuff, but so far show has kind at that of failed miserably and underused her like most action shonen underuse their girls. Plus, taking Yuuji out of the group for such a long stretch seems like a weird choice, we’ve been deprived really seeing him for relationships with his peers. The pacing seems off. But maybe the upcoming tournament arc will make up for that and actually be worthwhile!

Talentless Nana

In a world where kids with superpowers are sent to island schools to fight mysterious “enemies of humanity”, one class of such kids is thrown into chaos when they find themselves targeted by a deadly force.

It’s pretty much impossible to talk about Talentless Nana without discussing how it deviates dramatically from what its premise appears to be in episode one, so I’ll just say if you like stories with superpowers and intrigue, you should definitely sit through that first episode and see if the plot that’s eventually revealed is something that you’re here for. But if you want to avoid spoilers, DON’T GO BELOW THE CUT, because I’m about to get very spoilery.

Basically, Talentless Nana pulls a bait and switch, starting it’s first episode posing as generic superhero anime where the protagonist appears to be your standard meek-but-powerful anime boy (Nanao) who just needs some support and encouragement from a pink haired mind reading manic pixie dream girl (Nana) to unlock his self-confidence and ~true power~ (ugh)...only to take SHARP swerve when  Nana ruthlessly murders Nanao and reveals she’s been sent by the government to take out the superpowered kids one by one because THEY are the considered the true enemies of humanity. Oh, and she doesn’t have any superpowers, or “talents”- she was just able to sus out everything Nanao was thinking through basic deductive reasoning because he was so flippin’ obvious and basic.

As my love for a certain character in a certain game may have clued people into, I am ALWAYS delighted when what appears to be a generic, underwritten girlfriend character is then revealed to be an interesting, ruthless mastermind. And having an anime appear to be about a bland boy with a Dream Girlfriend but then actually turn into a show about a deeply cynical, morally dubious girl who’s clearly holding down a lot of messy feelings as she considers everyone her enemy...well, it may be a cheap trick to some, but it also feels a little bit like justice for all the underwritten female characters sacrificed to bland male leads. It’s still rare enough that I dig it when it happens. And the metatext of Nana zeroing in on this kid as the most standard of main character boys, assessing him as the biggest threat because of it and knowing the perfect way to take him out, is pretty inherently funny to me.

But if the show JUST banked on that twist and was about Nana brutally and cynically slaughtering these kids, it would get boring quickly and Nana would be a bland character herself. Fortunately, it doesn’t go that route. Nana struggles and grows a lot over the course of the show. She finds opposition in transfer student Kyoya, a stoic (and socially awkward) young man who pretty quickly becomes suspicious of her. A lot of the tension from the early episodes comes from her sweating as she tries to outmaneuver him and she makes plenty of mistakes along the way. She also slowly but surely starts to question her mission, and we get an idea of her backstory and how the government specifically has groomed her into believing people with powers to be evil. That belief is one that’s challenged by her friendship with another girl, and it’s pretty rewarding to watch Nana’s feelings and world expand little by little.

The show is definitely a little schlocky-some of the plots (as well as the general premise of the government thinking this is the optimal way to get rid of their superpowered kids problem) fall apart if you think too much about them, and some of the kids Nana goes up against are sleazy and unlikeable in over the top ways (which makes it easy for her to stick to her convictions all these kids deserve to die at first). In particular, I have to give a heads up for some sleazy guys doing and saying sleazy things, though the show never gets too overbearing or graphic with it (and the gore is generally PG-13 level as well). 

Basically. There are some truly ridiculous happenings in this show. But how ridiculous and pulpy and over the top it is can be part of the appeal, and it’s fun to just sit back and watch the spectacle of Nana and her peers head-scratching machinations. 

So, while certainly not an anime with airtight construction or flawless quality and depth, I found Nana an overall entertaining watch, especially as a fan of cat-and-mouse murder-y shenanigans, and thought it has a very compelling main character and managed to end on a heartwrenching (but earned) note. I definitely wouldn’t say no to a second season and would be interested to see where things go from here.

[wazafam]

If anime fans start watching a long-running series, or one inspired by a manga still being published, there's one thing they know for sure: there will be filler episodes. Filler episodes do, as their name implies, fill in the gaps between major storylines. Sometimes, however, the intention of filling in the gaps doesn't go over with fans.

RELATED: 15 Best Episodes Of Naruto According To IMDb

In the case of Naruto, running for hundreds of episodes alongside the publishing of the manga means there is a whole lot of filler. In some cases, dozens of episodes at a time. While some fans might want to skip the episodes that don't seem important to the overall plot, or find the filler episodes boring, not every episode deserves the hate aimed at them. Naruto actually has a lot of really great filler episodes that help to expand the world or spotlight sidelined characters.

10 Follow My Lead! The Great Survival Challenge

Quite a few episodes tease the future relationship of mentor-mentee between Naruto Uzumaki and Konohamaru Sarutobi. This filler episode is one of them as it places the young shinobi in Naruto's Academy class in charge of younger shinobi teams for a training exercise.

Naruto is the leader of Konohamaru's group, and though he doesn't have all of the answers as he works with them, the team bands together to help their leader. It's also fun to see other young ninja, like Rock Lee, enjoy being sensei for the day.

9 Laughing Shino

When Naruto's anime writers focus on comedy, they excel. Most fans wouldn't expect Shino to appear in one of, arguably, the funniest filler episodes of the series.

Shino and Naruto go on a mission that involves standing in for a man at a relative's funeral. The catch is that the man won't get his inheritance if he laughs during the service, which is why Shino in particular is chosen. Unfortunately, Shino is poisoned on the mission with a substance that leaves him unable to control his laughter, and Naruto is left attending the funeral alone and repeatedly tempted to laugh at the antics of the man's relatives. It's fun for the audience to see another side of Shino, and see Naruto attempt to get serious.

8 Multiple Traps! Countdown To Destruction

A lot of the filler episodes involve Naruto befriending characters the audience never sees again. In this particular instance, however, his new friend is an older man named Gennō that Naruto comes to believe is out to destroy Konoha.

Naruto and his friends face off against Gennō, and the older man eventually loses his life. It's a fruitless battle, however, as it turns out he had no intention of actually destroying the village, but was really just playing a game - creating a scavenger hunt. It's pretty dark, even by Naruto standards, and acts a bit as commentary on the cycle of war and violence present in the series.

7 Run! The Curry Of Life

This episode sees the always interesting filler team-up of Naruto, Neji Hyuga, and Rock Lee. In it, the three are incapacitated during a fight and need a special recipe curry to revive them.

RELATED: Naruto: 10 Questions About Rock Lee, Answered

Unfortunately, the curry doesn't work on Neji since he can't tolerate spicy food, so he spends the episode out of commission. It does, however, work really well on Lee - along with the bottle of wine spilled in the curry while it was cooking. It spotlights the rarely seen Drunken Fist fighting style with Lee, giving some screen time to a fan favorite in a unique story.

6 Gotta See! Gotta Know! Kakashi Sensei's True Face

For any fan who wonders what Kakashi Hatake really looks like, this is the episode for them. Since Kakashi always wears a face covering in public, his students start to wonder why. They want to know what's under the covering.

As the episode unfolds, the kids come up with elaborate ways to uncover Kakashi's face as well as speculate about just what's covered up. Kakashi eventually takes pity on them and uncovers his face to reveal another mask underneath, much to his own amusement.

5 Blaze Away, Byakugan! This Is My Ninja Way

One filler arc after Sasuke defects from Konoha involves Naruto teaming up with Hinata, Shino, and Kiba to find a rare beetle that can detect Sasuke's scent. This particular episode lands in the middle of the arc and finally gives Hinata Hyuga her due.

Hinata is one of the shyest anime characters to ever exist. Her own anxieties tend to get the better of her despite how much training she puts in. Here, Hinata perfects her very own new technique with the aid of her Byakugan and uses it to save Naruto, Kiba, and Shino. It's one of the few times she gets to show just how strong she really is.

4 The New Chunin Exams Arc

The longer name of this particular arc is "In Naruto's Footsteps: The Friend's Paths." It covers nearly 20 episodes, and it's hard to pick just one. Which episode is worthwhile depends on just which character the audience member is most interested in.

RELATED: Naruto: Every Relationship Ranked (& How Long They Lasted)

That's because this arc is set during the time skip between the two Naruto series. While Naruto is away training with Jiraiya, his friends take their Chūnin Exams again. The exams, however, are a joint effort by Suna and Konoha to lure out the Akatsuki. It allows all of Naruto's former classmates a chance to shine, brings back the Sand Siblings, and explores new dynamics as Sakura Haruno has to take her exams with Ino and Choji since they're down a teammate and she's down two.

3 Genjutsu Or Reality?

This episode is set in the middle of a filler arc focusing on Kurenai. The sensei of Team 8, Kurenai is mostly a background character - even when it's eventually revealed that she's pregnant with Asuma's child at the time of his death. This arc fleshes her out a bit, but she's still not a huge player in this episode. Instead, this episode messes with the heads of Naruto and his friends as well as the viewer.

When Naruto, Sakura, and Team 8 arrive in Konoha, they find their village destroyed. As it turns out, they're actually caught up in a massive genjutsu that envelopes the entire village. They have to find a way out to get to Kurenai. It's the first time the audience sees a genjutsu of this magnitude and it really sets the stage for the Infinite Tsukuyomi's effect in the final season.

2 A Clash Of Fate: You Can't Bring Me Down!

This episode brings the series full circle. It provides for some pretty lovely parallels to the beginning of Naruto's journey.

For one thing, it features the return of Mizuki. Mizuki is the first villain Naruto encounters at the start of the anime - and the person his first teacher Iruka saves him from. Naruto has the chance to return the favor as he and Iruka battle Mizuki. Naruto saves Iruka's life and the two are eventually able to stop him.

1 Kakashi's Anbu Arc

Much like the arc concerning the new round of exams, it's difficult to pick just one episode of this arc that stands out. It's entirely devoted to Kakashi's backstory, but it gives the audience so much more than that.

There are more explanations as to just how the Anbu work, there are hints at Yamato's backstory, and there are also more hints at Itachi and Orochimaru's pasts. This arc is dark and allows the audience to better understand the man Kakashi is before he becomes the teacher for Team 7 when the series begins, but it also fills in a lot of the gaps in the series' history.

NEXT: 10 Most Adorable Anthropomorphic Animals In Anime, Ranked

10 Naruto Filler Episodes That Don’t Deserve The Hate from https://ift.tt/3s3VqCF

[justanotherdumpingground]

Chapter Reviews: February 19-23, 2019 + Thoughts on Nightbound and Wishful Thinking

High School Story: Class Act Chapter 2:

I've always suspected that Morgan will be a candidate in the school presidential elections, and I take it as a bad sign that she's running. I can never forget how cruel and unapologetic she was back in Book 2 of the first trilogy. Not to mention she nearly accepted Max and Kara's bribe in Book 3. Anyway, she better remain a lost cause, and the same goes for Lorenzo, who has no platform to speak of.

Once again, Skye shows valid concerns about the school presidential elections and the drama it will cause. I also admire Rory for seeing the elections as ultimately fun and games. Regarding Ajay, why does he have to see almost everything as serious business? He needs to be knocked some sense that his overcompetitiveness is alienating people.

It always warms my heart to see my old MC and Aiden together. And it's nice of them to lend their sled to new MC and Skye. Might pick the premium option to go sledding with Skye and visit the Silvas.

As to who I will support, I'll most likely support Rory. Her priority in encouraging the arts is much needed, especially with the heavy emphasis on sports at the expense of other activities. Not to mention that the twin's being too rash regarding her decision to run for president. I might support Myra, but time will tell if I will favor her.

The Heist: Monaco Chapter 12:

I think this Tristan Dumont fellow is shady, even after he conceded to the MC and Fabien. I mean, he has an illegal and dangerous race track that has seen many deaths. Not to mention that people play dirty all the time. I certainly do not enjoy seeing Gino again, especially since he played dirty as usual. Good thing I beat him in the race.

OH HAI Tillie! Nice to see you again! I might pick her over Fabien if I replay this series. I heard she's more interesting. I mean, I couldn't fully immerse myself in Fabien's backstory about him switching to street racing after losing to a street racer as a professional racer.

Okay, so the next chapter's title cracked me up and made me cringe at the same time. I have zero love for #LoveHacks, especially since the first book's completely aimless. The second book's a bit better, but the ending felt less satisfying than I thought because Martin and TJ's reactions at their defeat weren't shown. Bah! That aside, I look forward to know my hacker Anton better.

America's Most Eligible Chapter 6:

Holy cow! Slater is definitely a snake! Using Eden as a human shield and tripping Mackenzie over are some of the examples I've seen of his foul play. Fortunately, the popup I got said that I won fair and square. Well, my MC did, not Slater. I was just careful with the choices I picked. Nevertheless, I'm going to keep him at arm's length. He's definitely playing to win.

After seeing Slater cheating to win, I've come up with a new theory. What if he and Vince are the co-antagonists but with different agendas? After all, they're playing to win, but have different ways of interacting with the MC.

Seeing Ivy, Vince, Adam, and Mackenzie in the bottom four felt bittersweet. I like Mackenzie and am okay with Adam (partly because I roleplay my MC as gay and having a weakness for hot men). As for Ivy and Vince, I'd love to have them eliminated to save my skin and feel more secure. Now I just need to have Slater eliminated and focus on winning.

It's ridiculous that I have to spend diamonds to meet with Natalie despite her potential as the reason why Mackenzie's competing. I didn't pick the option to meet her because I'm saving my diamonds for now. I definitely will pick the option to meet her with Mackenzie.

A charity date at a high school prom sounds interesting, but please don't let my MC do anything dirty to Adam or Derek. High schoolers do not need to see that kind of stuff.

A Courtesan of Rome Chapter 16:

It's about time I get to kill Aquila. That scumbag finally got what he deserved when my MC intoxicated him, interrogated him, and finally killed him when he was begging for mercy. Pathetic of him. I still have to say that even though Caesar is the big bad of this series, Aquila is still the one executing his orders, and he likes feeling powerful.

Yay! Sabina's finally a free woman! I didn't pick the premium option to go to her house and trash Aquila's stuff, but the sight of her free from her abusive husband was just awesome to behold.

Victus fighting in that premium armor I bought when he was in Rome was awesome! I had him spare the gladiator because I envision him as compassionate if necessary.

Darn, the next chapter will involve Victus and Syphax fighting at the arena? What a nightmare! If there will be an option to determine who to live, I'd say Victus because I roleplay my MC as concerned with family. This is gonna be a dilemma.

Open Heart Chapters 1-2:

These are way better chapters than Ride or Die's first two. I enjoy how agonizing I felt when I struggled with the two patients. I was fully immersed at the tension, dynamics of the characters, and atmosphere.

Aurora already intrigues me with her anger at being compared to her aunt and desire to make a name for herself. Seeing her acting nice towards patients despite her aloof behavior proves that she's professional at her job. Reminds me of Anton Edison, but with a guarded personality. I'm curious to get to know her better and hopefully watch her slowly warming up to everyone else, but knowing this is an app where the writers have a tendency to lapse into thirst-fests for male love interests, chances that Aurora's story will progress at all will be slim. And in case anyone's wondering, Aurora doesn't qualify as a "mean girl" because she's already professional towards her patients and ultimately wants to prove her worth as her own individual, outside her aunt's shadow.

Ethan Ramsey's a tough boss, though his attitude comes across as too harsh at the same time. He could be weighed down by years of his job and wants newbie doctors to actually do their best, but that doesn't excuse his initial behavior. What irks me is that he's the cover LI, so I'll probably have to see him more than the other LIs, and there will be little to no progression with his character.

I like Jackie, Bryce, Sienna, and Elijah already. Jackie's tough on the MC but also has a soft side when it comes to her co-workers. In fact, she's tough at the right moments, and I respect that. Bryce is the big bundle of energy I sorely need after a stressful day at work. Sienna's perseverance at her job gives me optimism. Elijah's Harry Potter references are guaranteed to brighten my day.

So far, I'm moderately enjoying this, but time will tell if I'll like it or not. Here's hoping the writers keep up the good work.

Ride or Die Chapter 6:

I'm so helping MC's dad with his job, so that's why I circled the Verratti Motors manufacturing plant, in case the Mercy Park Crew or some other crew steals from it. However, I told Mona because she's my love interest, so she can stay. As for Colt, I didn't tell him. Oh, and I told Jason about the MPC heading to confront the Brotherhood. I like the idea of playing both the MPC and Brotherhood.

So the MC easily got her driver's license even though the instructor pointed out her many flaws when doing it? Ugh! A driver's test shouldn't be that easy, especially since you have to achieve a near-perfect score. I swear, this story is a blatant wish-fulfillment fantasy that defies common sense, but that's already obvious.

Logan and Colt arguing again. I swear, Pixelberry better give us players the option to set them up together, especially since I have no interest in pursuing either of them.

Surprisingly, this chapter sucks slightly less than the previous ones, mainly because I get to help the dad with his investigation and line of duty, and I don't feel forced to be with Logan. I even get to kiss Mona on the cheek.

The Elementalists Chapter 19:

It feels so satisfying to see my MC receiving various honors from Professors Kontos and Englund, and Dean Swan. Not to mention that I get praised by Atlas. Nice.

I'm so happy for Aster when she finally gets accepted to Penderghast. I hope this means I'll see more of her because she rarely shows up throughout Book 1 despite the lore she mentions behind paywalls. Seriously, there's a lot of potential she and the things she has said can bring to the story. Pixelberry better not waste their resources on Book 2.

Honestly, the new villain looks ridiculous. His weirdly colored suit, equally weird top hat, and evil-looking mustache make him look so over the top that I can't take him seriously, even when he was killing the poor hiker with a tornado. He looks like Discount Dorian Pavus, but with horrible fashion taste.

Anyway, I think The Elementalists is enjoyable at first, with its worldbuilding early on and the clues I receive. Pity it degenerated into a Beckett thirst-fest since Chapter 9. I mean, he's okay as a character, and I'm fine with pursuing him with my MC, but he has too many premium scenes that make no sense or even move the plot and his character forward. It's like Pixelberry has wasted their limited time and resources on certain love interests they think the silent majority loves that they squeeze other love interests and the story out in order to make way for their cash cows. At least the few moments I get to learn about the setting and other characters are worthwhile.

What do I want from the next book? I want to see the interactions between the different races, and Aster's enrollment into Penderghast is a good start. I hope to see more races, however, and the dynamics between them. Like, what are their histories, priorities, and approaches to the world around them and how they affect the way they see the world and other races? I also wonder how this new villain will factor into this engrossing setting. He could be someone who tricks one race into turning against the others.

Thoughts on Wishful Thinking and Nightbound:

I'm kind of wary that Nightbound will only let us play as a female MC. Bloodbound lets us play as a female only because Pixelberry was saving funds for other books, and it's possible Pixelberry will do the same thing to Nightbound, being a spinoff of Bloodbound. It could be good, but the possible lack of gender options will be a wasted opportunity.

As for Wishful Thinking, I honestly have no opinion on it so far. I think it has a higher chance of providing gender options, but it doesn't guarantee that the story will be good. So far, I'm not super excited, considering the declining quality of most of the stories as of late.