#the very fine line between humor and comedy!

[hetn-3]

dazai w a gf who wears glasses ?!

Hi ! I reassure you I have not fallen into a hole in the meantime I was just looking for inspiration and I am finally back the other requests I will process them very soon and apart from that come send writing requests to me everything and open I take everything

good reading

Dazai Osamu, this enigmatic seducer with a casual smile, had done the unthinkable: he had a girlfriend, and her name was Y/N. This young woman, who wore glasses, happened to be the unfortunate accomplice of this man with unbearable humor.

One day, while they were walking around the city, Dazai couldn't help but tease Y/N about her glasses. “You know, dear Y/N, even glasses can’t hide the splendor of your face. But maybe without them, you would see how irresistible I am.” Y/N rolled her eyes behind her glasses, momentarily regretting her decision to associate her fate with that of the master of questionable humor.

Despite his infuriating nature, Dazai always managed to make Y/N laugh with his offbeat comments. He would throw lines at her like: "I'm like medicine, Y/N. A little bitter, hard to swallow, but in the end, you realize that I'm good for you." Y/N, although annoyed, couldn't help but smile. It was Dazai's evil magic.

Another day, Dazai decided to engage in a series of bad jokes. He claimed to have become an expert in "the art of absurd romanticism". "You know, Y/N, flowers and chocolates are too cliché. I decided to offer romantic riddles. If you solve the riddle, you will find where I hide my love for you." Y/N, raising an eyebrow, wondered if he was serious or just testing his patience.

Daily life with Dazai was a constant mix of laughter and exasperation. He boasted about his "talents" as a boyfriend, saying his humor was a cure for boredom. "Y/N, I'm like a living comedy. You don't need TV as long as you have me." Y/N sighed, sometimes wondering if she should have taken precautions before embarking on this relationship.

Yet, despite all his questionable jokes and insufferable attitude, Dazai had a way of making every moment special. He could be surprisingly caring when you least expected it. One evening, he had prepared a romantic dinner, leaving Y/N speechless. “I told you I could be serious, didn’t I?” he whispered with a smirk.

Dazai and Y/N's relationship was a fine balance between love and madness. She couldn't help but wonder how she got here, with this master of absurdity for a boyfriend. But deep down, she knew that life with Dazai would be anything but boring, even if she had to endure his jokes and eccentric humor.

So, Y/N continued to wear her glasses with grace, facing each day with Dazai as if it was a comedic adventure she didn't want to be left out of. And although she often sighed at his antics, she couldn't deny that love, with a touch of unbearable humor, made their story unique and unforgettable.

open request 🙄🙄

[shinesurge]

ok nobody asked but i've been chewing on it and i think my own personal reasons for immediately hitting 11 when i see the Carbon Monoxide Detector bit is because i'm one of those socially inept weirdos whose coping mechanism of choice is "basically doing stand-up comedy," and the carbon monoxide people are some of the most exhausting audiences you can run into

most of the time you get people who are unimpressed by your humor OR they're completely unused to it so you're getting laughs and a good grade in socializing (both are Fine) OR if you're really lucky someone is catching the ball and throwing it back (The Ideal). But there's a secret third thing where someone is acting like you couldn't POSSIBLY have said The Joke on purpose, whatever you just said was SO fucking strange or clever or whatever that you, tragically afflicted in some way that makes you too stupid to choose your words intentionally, must not be aware that what you just said could be taken as a joke

But it's okay! this helpful audience member is going to stop everything, take your hand and look in your eyes, and inform you in the most lukewarm way possible that not only do they think you're not smart enough to be funny, but your primary way of communicating comfortably isn't going to work here! they will be undermining you and ruining your punchlines for the rest of the night, the ball has been intercepted and confiscated

if you're not a comedian here's another angle; were you a teenage girl surrounded by people who had to halt everything to point it out anytime anything you said could MAYBE be taken as an innuendo, because a teenage girl couldn't possibly have made that kind of joke on purpose? remember how annoying it was trying to talk about shit with someone who had to pause every other line to collect themself about the alternate universe where you're very embarrassed about whatever basic thing you said that they couldn't handle? and it felt like being stuck on a tightrope where you had to decide between being boring but maybe listened to or constantly have your autonomy called into question because even your own weird personality isn't allowed to belong to you?

idk i can't speak for everyone obviously but i keep seeing people Bewildered about why some folks get irritated about it so here's a possibility. LIKE it's fine to think someone's not funny and it's fine to think they are but these kinds of comments come off more like "i thought what you said was funny but for reasons i'm not going to examine i'm embarrassed for thinking that, so i'm gonna flip it on you and act like you didn't say it For Real." it's frustrating and i think people are justified to feel frustrated about it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[kinetic-elaboration]

November 24: The Menu

Decided to watch The Menu in the middle of the night because why not. Nothing could go wrong there. (This isn’t even sarcastic; I am and will be fine other than being up this late.)

I… feel like I have many thoughts and feelings but also no way to put them into words. I did really like it. I thought it was very well made. I really, really liked Ralph Fienes as the Chef, his mixture of utter sadism, cult-leader like charisma, unbearable pretentiousness and narcissism, and true pain and even vulnerability (as in the making the burger scene) that somehow all made sense together to form a coherent and very watchable character. He would be the rewatch element for me, should I ever decide to rewatch it.

I know it’s hard to put genre-straddling films in boxes because they’re pretty much always more one thing than another, but the idea of calling this a black comedy/horror is very strange to me. It had a couple jokes where I laughed out loud, in a snort sort of way (in particular, the yes-man to the critic agreeing with her when she said they were all going to die, and “No student loans? You’re going to die” and I think there was another but I forgot it already), and I suppose the introductory part was “funny” in the sense that the characters were being introduced as SO fucking annoying that I was impatiently awaiting their deaths, but generally I was not laughing. I was not finding this funny. Straight-up horrors should be funnier than this (see my reaction to Longlegs), which isn’t a complaint about the level of humor just my opinion that there was nothing in this that would warrant putting the label ‘comedy’ on it. Even black comedy—I mean I get that there were ‘so outrageous it’s funny’ aspects to it, especially as I went on, but…mmmm.

In general I actually found it incredibly horrific. Maybe it just hit my fears better than some of the other horror I’ve been watching, but really the whole middle part had this unpredictable and claustrophobic feel that just made me feel like I was losing it a little bit. The contrast between the incredible violence and the general acceptance of that violence by the characters. The calm and cult-like devotion of the staff. The smallness of the set. The slow ratcheting up of wrongness, from ‘wow that’s pretentious’ to ‘pretentious and off-putting’ to ‘subtly threatening’ to EXTREMELY VIOLENT. Tyler’s character in particular really sat on either side of the line of unbelievably over the top in his cliché foodie attitude (has the pretentious foodie lifestyle rotted his brain THAT much?) (yes) and evincing an attitude of such extreme wrongness, behaving in such an absolutely bizarre way even versus other characters, that he was frightening. I guess he was the black comedy all along.

There were also parts where I wondered if there was some degree of hypnosis (the clapping) and/or drugging (you must eat for the menu to work) happening, that was the level of psychological torture/horror I felt like I was witnessing.

This horror part, I think in retrospect, reached its peak with Tyler’s death and then started to go downhill at the fight in the Chef’s house. I sort of zoned out a little at that point, and though I don’t think the movie was too long—I think its slow pace allowed for building dread and I wouldn’t want it to rush itself—if I were going to cut it, say bring it down to 90 minutes, it would perhaps be in this section. From that point it was more thriller than horror, and I was primarily invested in seeing how it all turned out. I’d gotten the concept, so there wasn’t any more of that disorienting ‘what the fuck is that next turn’ feeling really left, and the torture was fairly out in the open. Was the last psychological trick, the asking for help that won’t come, really necessary? I mean, I suppose to explain why they all stayed. Emotionally it hit the least hard for me I’d say. And I thought the speech about the burger was a little expository and unsubtle, though I didn’t hate it. I mean in general I would call the film subtle as a horror but unsubtle as a movie with a specific message about foodie culture specifically and wealth/entitlement/service more generally. And it certainly played with some old-school, familiar tropes of locked-door mystery/horrors and retribution on the sinful and so on.

I did like the ending and found it satisfying. And that burger looked really good except for the onions. I laughed at the list of ingredients of the s'mores including ‘staff, guests, restaurant,’ so, yeah, there was another comedic element I guess.

[jade-kyo]

Red vs. Blue season 15-17 retcon pros and cons:

Season 16

Oh sweet 16…. Yeah I don’t like this season so expect a very long list of pros to this potential retcon as there are a lot of things I’ll be more than happy to say goodbye to

Pros:

No time travel bullshit

No Donut is Jesus

No gods

Everyone is so unnecessarily mean to Doc. I get that they’ve never exactly been nice and Doc did betray them but somehow they managed to push it to the point of feeling ooc

Oh god the absolute butchering of Tuckers character

The absolute butchering of Sarges character

I’m serious I will never forgive what they did to my boy Tucker

Painfully bad sex jokes

Grif straight up tries to kill himself???? Bro I think I blocked this from my memory 💀

The Tucker and Kai stuff is painful

The whole Sarge recruiting historical figures thing

Jax’s entire movie thing

NO FUCKING GODS

That fucking cyclops

Just… the entire cyclops thing.

I feel like animation is overused in this season

I forgot there was a second cyclops

Trying to explain time travel. Just give up, only one series has ever successfully done it and that is Steins;Gate and you’re not Steins;Gate

The way certain jokes would actually be funny if they were said by different characters. The whole bit where Jax is telling Sarge to hide in the closet but Sarge keeps saying his choice out loud would be way funnier if it was Caboose instead of Sarge. That kind of humor just fits way better for Caboose

King Tucker. I refuse to comment further on this.

Gods

Saying the word penis and seeing if people laugh is not comedy

The whole carwash joke. I get it’s poking fun at how the fans reacted to the “take off your suit” line, believe me I know, I was one of them (shhh I was 15 give me a break) but now it’s just awkward. I’m pretty neutral towards the ship now but I just don’t really care for making jokes this directly about any ship that isn’t canon

Again saying the word penis and hoping people laugh is not comedy. There is an art to a good dick joke.

This weird insistence on explaining the jokes

Saying your super powerful gods that can blow up moons, summon swords from nothing, change peoples physical sizes etc, are AI does not change the fact that functionally they are still basically gods with like one or two limitations. If they’re going this route they should’ve made the gods as powerful as Church was in the floaty ball with just a few extra powers since he never fully unlocked everything he could do with it. Or just follow whatever rules Halo canon has for the floaty ball thing.

Like I get it the aliens worship technology but if you didn’t want them to be actual gods then don’t give them god like powers on that scale

However on a funnier note, all of this being Church’s simulation is VERY funny. Especially when you think about how often he either jokes about being god or has actually been worshipped as a god. This makes everything much more entertaining that’s for sure.

The way Tucker basically just completely redoes his Chorus character development. The scene between Tucker and Kai on the space balcony thing is fine on its own until you realize it’s basically just a rehash of a scene between Tucker and Wash in season 12

Time travel bullshit (can you tell I really don’t like time travel)

Cons:

No Tucker wanting to bring Wash a whole pizza

No Donut is Jesus

That one cop voiced by Jeremy Dooley

Tucker being the one who shot Flowers. I actually didn’t mind that one (can you tell I’m desperate for things to put on the cons list)

there’s actually this really good conversation between Tucker and Kai about missing when things were silly and fun and they didn’t have to worry about messing up. That was nice.

Docs whole sad past with his brother like damn okay I can vibe with that. Was not expecting the tragic backstory from Doc.

I forgot Tucker killed Hitler that actually got a good laugh out of me

Wash and Carolina. That is all.

Wash’s disability

You know what? I like Grif and Huggins dynamic.

Caboose not knowing that women have butts (again I’m desperate to find cons and that joke made me laugh)

Caboose beating monkeys with a stick

As much as I despise what this season did with Tucker, Kai calling him out was very girl boss of her

Donut

Everything with Wash

Wash’s entire speech

Carolina telling Wash the truth about his disability. The entire scene is so good.

“My brain is fuzzy and I do good” Caboose says this line and I have always thought it was an absolute crime that we didn’t get some good Wash and Caboose moments about this

Muggins speech at the end. It’s very good.

DONUT

Donut vs Doc is actually a pretty cool fight

Verdict:

If the retcon is real I am truly not sad to see this season go. I really can’t stand it. Tho I do want to say that if this stuff had happened in the Blood Gulch Chronicles I probably wouldn’t mind it. I’ve always said that you can retcon the goofy stuff but once you do you can’t go back and that’s what this feels like. It feels like it’s trying be Blood Gulch again with how ridiculous and absurd the whole thing is and very simply you just can’t go backwards with this stuff. It doesn’t work.

However this all being Church’s simulation is a VERY entertaining thought and it makes this season much easier to watch that’s for sure.

[justanothergeneralkrow]

Thoughts on the UKvsTW s2 Talent Show

Choriza May, Lip Sync Performance (Party in Hell) She opened the show really well. Probably the best song we heard that night alongside Marina's Amafilipina. The outfit was designed by mr.oystr and looked spectacular. Her energy was vivacious and infectious as she performed. Though I did feel like I was having more fun listening to her song rather than having fun by her performance.

Scarlet Envy, Live Singing Performance (Bad Advice) I actually quite enjoyed Scarlet's performance. When she was kept on stage I thought they were going to praise her but instead she was mostly negatively critiqued. Though I don't disagree with the critiques I thought she did well enough to be safe. I just think her mistake with the talent show was that the song's humor was a bit lax. Some of the bad advice was more nonsesical than bad or too general. I feel like if she had referenced herself and her drag race run more the performance would've been much better. The line I laughed at the most was: “Keep losing like me and soon you’ll be, Invited back more times than Jujubee.” Nevertheless she looked stunning so it's fine.

La Grande Dame, Soundboard Comedy Performance Truly frustrating that someone that gorgeous is also that stupid and funny. She stepped on that stage in an LBD, a blonde human hair unit and a mic then proceeded to laugh, grunt and press buttons. It was a phenomenal performance and my favorite details were the reference to her first talent show with the saxophone and at the end when she put the mic under her dress and laughed one more time. Definitely the second best performance of the night.

Gothy Kendoll, Lip Sync & Fire Performance (Inferno) I was really rooting for Gothy here, I love seeing early outs get an opportunity to return but this performance was just not it. The song wasn't very good which made the start of her performance hard to watch. When the fire tricks came out my interest was piqued again and while the tricks were impressive her lack of confidence really brought down the performance. She just looked uncomfortable on stage, even the way she walked looked a bit off. I am glad she got to stay though I hope she's able to build up her confidence and really perform.

Marina Summers, Lip Sync & Silk Poi Performance (AMAFILIPINA) "Born in an island and raised by the seas, Gold in my skin I'm the Filipina queen, I'm a Filipina, Filipina Winner." I loved her performance, pure pinay pride, pure pinay talent just amazing. I could keep talking about how amazing she is but the performance speaks for itself. I will say her doing her own version of AMAKABOGERA by Maymay Entrata sent me into a laughing fit of pure entertainment and joy. (Also that song was a lip sync on her original season and resulted in a double shantay between Minty Fresh and Brigiding).

Keta Minaj, Lip Sync & Gymnastics Performance (Yay2theK) I was so excited for Keta to return, she remains the only queen to garner 3 wins and not make the finale. Truly a robbed queen. She's super talented and her Holland talent show was amazing. Unfortunately she did not live up to the hype. I was expecting a lot from her and I was disappointed. I wasn't enthused by her song it was weird in a forced kind of way and her performance wasn't the best. I'm convinced her gymnastics got her the safe placement but I think she should've been in the bottom 3.

Mayhem Miller, Meditation ijbol

Hannah Conda, Live Singing Comedy Performance I feel like she could've been in the top 3 over Choriza. Her performance was really funny and she sounded great. The false piano playing to the false reveal. It was all really well conceived and showcased her personality really well. As someone who didn't watch Down Under this talent show was a great introduction to the Hannah Conda and I'm excited to see more.

Jonbers Blonde, Lip Sync Performance (In Fashion) A really fun performance from Jonbers. Her personality is just so bright and captivating and it's great to see it shining through her performance. I will say this is like the third "fashion" song in a talent show. (AS3 Milk & AS4 Naomi) So it's a bit of a tired thing to do for a talent show, in my opinion. I did love her look at the start of the performance. The coat played well with the dress and she looked really good, less of a fan of dress' bodice though.

Arantxa Castilla La Mancha, Comedy Performance It was funny when she called them idiots but I felt like the performance went on for a bit too long without a punchline. She just kept saying her name and there is comedy in the absurdity of that but personally I just felt a little uncomfortable. Love her though and while I was uncomfortable I was also laughing and giggling.

Tia Kofi, Live Singing (Read my Lips) I didn't like this performance. It reminded me of Megami's and Ginger Minj's talent show. It was sincere and subpar, to speak a bit bluntly. Her vocals weren't that amazing and the performance felt a bit stilted. I feel like this performance needed dancers or something that could help Tia keep the energy up.

[adultswim2021]

Squidbillies #46: "The Big Gay Throwdown" | June 22, 2009 - 12:00AM | S04E06

Dougal County is hosting a “Big Gay Throwdown”, and I guess by that they are just having there be a gay bar in town (Early’s beloved Jiggle Hut doing a one-off) where gay dudes can come and gay out and be nice to each other.

Early, of course, is pissed off about this. Granny is perverted about it. And Sheriff? Well, he seems to be hiding a cheeky secret. He’s clearly pretending to be invested in this from the same perspective as Early; wanting to arrest the gay guys and all that for being gay guys. Of course he is just going to kiss on some dude that looks exactly like him, but with blonde hair. When Sheriff is confronted, a demon pops out of his chest. The demon’s parents show up and he comes out to them, heightening the absurdity of thinking gay people are evil… I guess.

I’ve talked a lot about how comedy of this era kinda operated on a certain (perhaps misguided) level by having gay jokes perpetrated by writers who, when asked about it, will play it off as treating homophobia as being inherently absurd. So, having your characters engage in it or portraying gayness as disgusting is CLEARLY, ACTUALLY absurdist humor. Usually this involves ignoring the fact that actual homophobes can not get the joke and still laugh at it just fine. They can even hold stuff like this up in some politically motivated way in some anti-woke crusade.

I only note that because it does supply a little bit of context for those mostly-younger people who are confused how 2009 can still seem antiquated in it's gay humor. Not trying to scold the show for telling jokes, really! I personally just didn’t find a lot of this to be particularly funny. I don’t think it was meant to be cruel or bigoted or whatnot; I just didn’t think any of the jokes in this hit particularly well. 

"The Fine ‘Ol Solution" was pretty easy to draw a line from it to the "Goobacks" episode of South Park, and this one has a similar parallel to South Park’s “South Park Is Gay!” episode (or really all their gay jokes from any given episode). In both cases, there’s a significant multi-year gulf between South Park and Squidbillies’ companion episodes. “South Park Is Gay!” aired in 2003. This one aired in 2009.

I’ve been critical of The Simpsons for pivoting to a South Park style for certain episodes back in the late 90s/early 2000s. I’m less offended by Squidbillies doing that, because Squidbillies often feels inessential. The Simpsons used to be the greatest show on television, and it hurt to see it become a pale imitation of the shows that were created in its wake. But this episode in particular felt a little pathetic and inessential to me.

MAIL BAG:

@handbananad asks!

hello! I recently bought the baffler meal box set and I’m very disappointed in the lack of commentary—they don’t list any of the episodes that have it, you just have to go one by one, and it’s exhausting! Do you have a list of the ones you know of?

I usually wind up scrambling for a list myself! But I think usually the best way to go about it is the Aqua Teen wiki, which is usually better about noting which episodes have commentary.

[unnursvanablog]

The movies I watched in 2023

and what I thought of them....

See How They Run: It was a pretty solid movie to start the movie watching for the year. It had fun characters, a nice mystery and just had a really good style to it that I really enjoyed. Just charming overall.

Pinocchio (2022): I loved all those old-feeling special effects, all the props, scenery and costumes in this film. The film felt sincere and imaginative, which I would expect from an Italian film that was almost reclaiming its own fairytale from Hollywood.

The Menu: Some of the speculations and comments that the film presents might sometimes feel a bit stilted at times, but the film certainly offers a fun black comedy with interesting plot twists that you can't exactly foresee as you watch it, and the cast is wonderful.

Troll:  the action was fun, and I enjoyed the folktales and myths features of the story, but damn the plot was so predictable and the clichéd dialogue was so heavily styled from some heroic Hollywood movie that doesn't work in a Nordic film.

Banshee of Inisherin: An incredibly personal, quiet and interesting film that ends up being slightly lengthy at times.

Mr. Malcolm's List:  I adore being immersed in this kind of costume-drama and this movie kind of checked most of the boxes I want to be ticked when it comes to a romance costume drama of this kind. A very fun watch.

Good Luck to You, Leo Grande: A sincere, humorous, and interesting character story about an older woman experiencing her own body and such things for the first time in her life.

Wakanda Forever: I just thought it was nice, and it's certainly not as formulaic as most of those marvel movies that are coming out right now. But it didn't move me as much as I thought it would.

Viking Wolf: everything about this movie was pretty predictable and typical of such a monster movies. I was a bit bored.

Volaða Land: A rather slow, bitter and sad film, which is totally in the spirit of the subject matter and there are a few humorous scenes in between to break it up, but I still thought it was a bit too long.

Sisu: Incredibly fun action and bloodshed and although the scenarios often felt a bit unrealistic it does feel part of the fun and the film is very exciting and time flies by while you're watching it.

Coccaine Bear: The trailer for this film made it look a lot more fun than it turned out to be. I was tired of the humor present there after about half an hour.

Dungeons and Dragons – Honor Among Thiefs: funny and just the fine little adventure film. I didn't expect it to go super deep on the characters or anything. It is just such a fun popcorn movie, and I was happy with that.

The Last Kingdom – Seven Kings Must Die:  I watched this one with one eye open, not really caring about any of it, but I was just trying to finish it off so I could finally see how the tv show that preceded this movie was going to end.

Nimona: Followed the comic very well and expanded on it and just was one of the most entertaining animations I have seen in a while. There is good humor in it, and the characters are awesome. Loved the animation as well.

Indiana Jones 5: This is just a fun Indiana Jones movie. That’s pretty much it. Maybe the third best Indiana Jones movie in my opinion. You basically get everything you want from Indiana in this one, even though Ford is getting a little tired and it shows.

Hansan – Rising Dragon: It's a grand and spectacular visual film that puts a lot of effort into everything but ends up being a little too long in my opinion.

Dream: While the film certainly has heart and humor, it still felt like the story was in a bit of a hurry to get to the finish line before it's completely earned it.

Harry Potter 7 and 8:  I started watching the first movie with my little niece and then she got into the books (before Rowling went full on terf) and I have sort of just allowed her to enjoy the world that I once found solace in. Now my little aunt had finished the last book and I kept my promise to her to watch the movies it with her once she did.

Lord of the Rings 2: My little niece was once too afraid to watch Lord of the Rings but before the summer she had watched the first one – just not with me. But she wanted to hold on to this until I came over to her part of the country in the summer so we could watch it together. Also this is my favorite of the Lord of the Rings movies.

Polite Society: a strange mixture of Bollywood splendor and very dry British humor that works so fantastically well. A cool action-comedy with very charming characters and all sorts of fun shenanigans and wonderful female friendships.

Zom 100 - Bucket List of The Dead: Japan and Korea seem to be far better at making zombie movies than the Americans. This one was so much fun, before it lost its steam.

Barbie: The only movie of the year I watched twice because it was just excellent entertainment. Colorful and campy yet with a big heart and seemed to have something to say about the society we live in – although through a very narrow lens. Interesting and thoughtful, but sure was interesting that the one that got the most hype from the internet of such a female-centric film the main male character of the story. But that’s also telling of the society we live in.

Downton Abbey – New Age: Although I find the formula that these stories follow little tired now and you tell that from this film how some of the conversations and jabs and almost don’t come natural sometimes, I do think the characters are awesome and I've followed most of them for so long that they do have a dear place in my heart. Downton still makes me cry.

Ehrengard - The Art of Seduction: This film has its funny moments, and it is a fun little period piece. But Ehrengard, the title character, is more of a plot device than a character for most of the film, which I thought was a little silly.

The Last Voyage of the Demeter: A very good horror movie that made me cover my eyes and cry out as I sat alone in the movie theater watching it. Good horror, interesting characters, and thrilling storytelling. Great fun.

Sister Death:  It's has a really cool style to it, but that's kind of the only thing I thought the movie had going for it. There was something about it that made it difficult to follow the story, in my opinion.

The Marvels: It felt like another draft of a script that had been written with the same old story structure that Marvel still hasn't updated in a long time. It still somewhat works, but it's also really predictable and tired. I knew almost what each character would say before they said it, because Marvel has become a real cliché.

In Love and Deep Water: Just a really adorable Japanese romcom movie. Cute characters with a funny little murder mystery lurking around in the background. Just good fun.

We have a Ghost:  a fun idea and the cast was awesome, but wow this script felt stilted.

The Hunger Games – the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: Followed the book very well – I haven't read in years, so therefor I didn't do a proper review. There's a lot crammed in there in a rather short period of time, but I thought they were able to deliver Snow's character so the message of self-satisfaction and the promise of comfort and power trumps everything else for many people in this a position of privilege, even if other people suffer because of it. Did everything they needed to do.

This is Christmas: a cute little Christmas movie that, in a sense, is just a traditional romcom set around Christmas. But still it does manages to have a little more going for it than just two strangers falling in love around Christmas and I did enjoy the characters a lot.

1000 Miles from  Christmas: romcoms like this don't usually have the structure of pining and the buildup that I enjoy in a romcom. I thought things were happening a bit too fast here, but the story was adorable and the characters were fun though predictable. And although I thought all the little fact that one of the main characters 'hated Christmas' was a little overdone he didn't seem to be cured too swiftly of that ‘ailment’. But I would have liked more depth to it all, but there just wasn't time for that.

Monster: A heartwarming and heartfelt Japanese film where the three changing perspectives of the film keep surprising you until the very end without feeling too dramatic. Very attentive and compassionate.

[princesssarisa]

Character ask: Maurice (Beauty and the Beast)

This is for the character from the animated version and the stage musical only. I consider the 2017 live-action Maurice a different character in all but name.

Favorite thing about them: His eccentricity, his bumbling humor, and above all, his love and support for Belle and his brave resolve to rescue her from the Beast. So often for misfit protagonists like Belle, their parents are part of the problem; I love that Belle's father is a misfit too, who fully embraces her as she is, just as she does for him. And since the father in the original tale of Beauty and the Beast has been disparaged by critics for agreeing to trade his daughter's freedom for his own (albeit reluctantly and at her insistence), I love the fact that Disney's version takes the decision out of Maurice's hands, making it entirely between Belle and the Beast, and from then on has Maurice make every effort to get back to the castle and save his daughter, even at risk to his own life.

Least favorite thing about them: Well, he can be clueless and a little inconsiderate now and then. For example, when he plays around with Cogsworth's key and pendulum (to be fair, he hasn't fully realized yet that Cogsworth and Lumiere are alive and not just automatons) and then sneezes in Cogsworth's face, or earlier, when he suggests Gaston as someone Belle could talk to.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I'm a little eccentric.

*I'm chubby.

*I love my family very much.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I don't have a daughter.

*I'm not an inventor.

*I've never managed to grow a mustache.

Favorite line:

His response when Belle asks him if he thinks she's odd, which he says as he emerges from under his invention wearing goofy goggles:

"My daughter? Odd? Where would you get an idea like that?"

When he begs Belle not to trade her freedom for his:

"No, Belle! Listen to me! I'm old, I've lived my life!"

After Gaston and his friends toss him out of the tavern:

"Will no one help me?"

And the lyrics to the song "No Matter What" from the stage musical.

brOTP: Belle.

OTP: His late wife. Though I can also imagine shipping him with Mrs. Potts some time in the future.

nOTP: Belle.

Random headcanon: Since we see that he and Belle have chickens and goats in their yard, I imagine that their main source of income is selling milk and eggs. He probably insists that this is just a "supplement" and that inventing is his real career. But so far, all their money has come from the chickens and goats, as well as odd repair jobs where he puts his knowledge of mechanics to good use.

Unpopular opinion: I prefer the original Maurice to the live-action remake's Maurice. Not that I dislike 2017 Maurice; he's a perfectly fine character in his own right and Kevin Kline gives an excellent performance. But I like the character better as a funny, warm, endearingly kooky inventor than as a melancholy bohemian artist. I don't think the original Maurice is the annoying "man-baby" that so many fans of the 2017 version disparaged him as being. I like his balance between comedy and pathos. And I wish the remake hadn't taken the "overprotective father" route by making Maurice afraid to leave the safety of the village. The original Maurice supports and shares Belle's dreams of a new life – that's his motive for seeking fame and fortune as an inventor – and I prefer that.

Song I associate with them:

"No Matter What."

Favorite picture of them:

[ramblrthebloghog]

Total Eclipse ‘Review’

Just like with Shadow Fall, I will be going through Reboot Archie’s ‘Total Eclipse’ arc to see if Ian is in the right regarding Shadow or if maybe he just isn’t great with him. While I’m primarily looking at Shadow, I’ll also be looking at other things that stood out that I found incompatible with game lore or with game characterizations. Not posting a page means I didn’t really find something worth bringing up or praising. I did read through The Great Chaos Caper since that arc comes between Shadow Fall and this one, and I can safely say it was pretty good aside from the quirks of handling Tikal and Chaos, and having to sit through Ian’s Deadpool Bean. But I’m not really interested in talking about that one critically.

I addressed Team Brand and GUN last time, but in short, my stance is that there’s no problem with them working for GUN as a team here, but it’s also not bad or wrong for Sega to reject it today. Shadow is off to a good start. Omega isn’t. I can see and understand the easy comedy, but like, scroll for a minute through something like Colors DS’ script. Omega does nothing there but speak factually in his robotic way, yet the situations and scenarios are still funny, like Orbot and Cubot panicking. The comedy is placed on them in that instance. Him muttering the way he does in this page could be argued as humanizing, but it’s anti-Omega in my book. What’s interesting is that a comedic panel later with Fixit describing his function achieved this pretty well. As I’ve gone through Shadow Fall and now this story, I realize I probably should’ve gone back and added from the start that this was going to be a criticism of Ian’s Omega as well. Sorry if this gets redundant. As for Snively… I don’t particularly care for Reboot Snively, because Preboot Snively was more interesting, and I know that Reboot Snively had to be different from previous incarnations, so it would be kinda silly to judge him for “not matching up to SatAM Snively” or something. So I guess we can mostly ignore him unless it’s in regards to another character that matters. 

Which comes up in the page after as he tries to order Shadow around. I appreciate Shadow’s response both to Snively and to the implication of needing Knuckles’ cooperation. Rouge is done pretty good. I can appreciate the meta humor of Omega destroying the Barrel of Doom, or the cool factor of seeing Shadow’s legs spin like Sonic’s running or Shadow zooming across water. The next few pages are all pretty good so far, actually. Knuckles is done well. Relic is one of my favorite Archie OCs, she’s a cute and lowkey addition and gives Knux someone to bounce off of.

The Omega and Fixit panels I was referring to earlier. This is good comedic Omega.

This page could go either way. Shadow would usually not have anyone sway him in his goal (as seen earlier in this very issue), but Rouge IS one of the few people who can wrangle him, I suppose. Even IDW works off of this logic during Chao Races and Badnik Bases. So it’s not bad per say, but walking a fine line on interpretation. Eclipse is also great in the next few pages. I enjoy how much he cares about the Dark Arms, and I chuckle at him calling Rouge and Omega “Shadow’s minions.” Great little imp. He once again is able to play some mind games on Shadow, but it’s excusable as part of his anti-Shadow repertoire, I suppose. 

Onto Issue 2, and there it is. The page starts off strong with a heartfelt plea from Eclipse, and then just goes down the drain as Shadow recites yet again that his reason for fighting is Gerald and Maria. That extra reference box down there really throws salt in the wound by adding “Shadow the Hedgehog”. Adding it in there is almost thoughtless, like either the writer/editor did not understand Shad05’s ending if they knew of it, or simply didn’t care because their perception of Shadow is strictly “Maria”.

Rouge and Knuckles begin to have a conversation about Knuckles’ being shackled to Angel Island and the Master Emerald, a hot topic amongst the fandom for years that persists even today. In our present 2023, Sonic Frontiers has come out, and the English script pushes the notion that Knuckles will be more open to taking breaks from his duty (the Japanese script doesn’t align with it, but that’s irrelevant to my larger point). This itself is in-line with the idea that Knuckles is envious of Sonic’s free adventurous lifestyle despite his commitment to his duty.

I’ve always considered Ian someone that understands Knuckles and does him well. And I’m not expecting this 2014 comic to be in line with the ideas from a game that came out 8 years later. But the arc right before this one referenced that Knuckles is a treasure hunter, although rather jokingly. Knuckles does want more for himself, but he answers to a higher calling. And this page isn’t treated as him coping, either. He’s portrayed as content. And don’t get me wrong, Knuckles doesn’t dislike his job or staying on his island. But to say he doesn’t want more is wrong.

I like Monster Form and all, but it’s just dumb to have Shadow try to use Chaos Control when he knows he can’t in Eclipse’s presence. And then they go out of their way to have Eclipse explain that “it wasn’t the new Black Comet”, but that was literally not in question.

This page from the second issue of Shadow Fall shows us everything we need to know. Shadow is made aware that it’s Eclipse’s doing and asks how, and Eclipse gives him an explanation. If this was about portraying this power to a potentially unfamiliar audience, which I doubt it was but whatever, then you could’ve simply had either one of them say a line about Shadow not being able to rely on his Chaos abilities when fighting Eclipse as he usually would, as opposed to him trying, failing, and getting punished for it. To be clear, I’m not mad about the optics of Shadow jobbing to Eclipse. I’m mad that this is the manner they chose to execute it, where Shadow is stupid instead of just overpowered, which I would’ve had no problem with because I liked their clash in Shadow Fall.

This page is mixed. On the one hand, the Master Emerald isn’t for just anyone to use. It’s not just a giant Chaos Emerald, contrary to popular belief. That’s why Sonic can’t actually go Super off of it. Sonic can’t use the Master Emerald, and Knuckles can’t use the Chaos Emeralds. That being said, this *kinda* feels like it’s in the realm of possibility, since it’s using Chaos Control. And there’s no denying the pure cool factor. So I wouldn’t be opposed to giving this idea another shot with modern, hands-on Sega. Though, Shadow’s Chaos Blast doesn’t line up with what it’s actually supposed to be like, but I guess we can say they were working off Chronicles or something and didn’t know better. This also establishes that Eclipse’s block can be overpowered if Shadow has a big source like that, which is neat confirmation to have.

Onto Issue 3. I don’t love the cocktease of this cover, because Eclipse doesn’t end up using the Master Emerald. I know it’s comic’s industry, but still, that would’ve been cool to see.

Shadow decides the Master Emerald needs to be moved. I enjoy that callous pragmatism from him and it’ll of course lead us to Shadow vs. Knuckles. I also enjoy that Shadow initially tries not to waste time fighting before he’s forced back into it. Beyond the earlier speed bumps, Shadow and Knuckles have mostly been pretty good. And Rouge as well, seen now.

Rouge has been great the whole time. And she’s not bad in IDW either, so it’s funny how that works out. Omega on the other hand… yeah. And while Knuckles and Shadow’s fight is nothing short of awesome, with Knuckles’ determination, sensing Shadow’s Chaos Snaps, and setting him off with a Sonic comment, Omega continues to be… yeah.

First Monster Form, now Dark Arms, and that’s on top of Chaos Control and anti-Shadow power. Eclipse is stacked and I’m here for it.

Anyway, Omega here is powered by a Chaos Drive. In the games, his power source isn’t revealed, which is pretty common for character robots like Metal Sonic or Gemerl. I would’ve preferred they kept it vague and just had Eclipse tear him up, because either way, Fixit was going to fix him. Omega debuted in Heroes, so having a Power Core might not have been out of place, but I assume he was given a Chaos Drive to match GUN’s other robots, which are all powered by Chaos Drives.

Onto Issue 4. This page is an ambitious one. Knuckles delves into his purpose, and Shadow says he can find a new one. And it’s ironic because Shadow isn’t consciously written like that in this take on Sonic. He’s written like his purpose is still Muhria’s wish and keeping her promise, as seen in this very arc, which means that this otherwise decent effort comes out hollow.

I think it’s safe to say this is just inaccurate fanfic, though I’m sure this was part of some bigger plan or something.

There was no need to use Tikal’s Prayer here. I get it was just trying to be cool or focus his energy or whatever but when Knuckles punched the Master Emerald in SA2, it didn’t need all that. I see the appeal of Shadow questioning if it was Chaos Control, but it’s ultimately kinda forced. That being said, the statement and apology he tells the Emerald itself is sweet.

A minor nitpick, but it’s annoying to see them reference ‘Sonic 3&K - the game’ as if Snively was a part of it. I get he was part of that adventure in this verse, but it’s just kinda disingenuous and tacked on. Otherwise, I’m glad Rouge comforted Knuckles here. 

Last thing I wanted to say, but I think the decision to shatter the Master Emerald was incredibly smart on Ian’s part. Nowadays he complains on the podcast about “getting him off the island” (because Knuckles palling around with Sonic is just top priority for his character and the story), but this was an excellent compromise that allowed him to travel and adventure around while maintaining his duty and purpose. A lot of times, when people say that Knuckles should ditch the Master Emerald and Angel Island, or he should just get someone to watch it for him, it makes me feel that these supposed fans don’t truly value Knuckles and just want him as a toy in the box. If that’s the case, so be it, but don’t pretend it’s a matter of critical discussion at that rate.

In regards to Shadow, this arc was slightly a step up, but as a whole, I think I enjoyed it a lot more and it overall had less “problems”, or at least, what I considered to be problems as listed here. I guess that’s obvious from the difference in lengths between this review and Shadow Fall’s.

[jjraderftw]

Genshiken (ep.1,2,3,9)

Genshiken was definitely a show. It indeed had characters who talked and interacted somewhat…yup that's for sure. Jokes aside, this style of anime was not my forte. I’m all for comedy and slice of life anime but this one just felt too bland for my personal enjoyment. Most of the humor came from silent/awkward scenarios which just didn't land with me. Nevertheless, the anime presented some interesting insight into the minds of older, college age otakus. As someone who helps run the UF equivalent of the club the anime presents, it's interesting to find parallels with the real world in terms of the behaviors and ideologies modern diehard anime fans have. Similar relations are a sense of awkwardness, interests in online games, and large collections of things like cards, figures, and manga. In term of a modern critique, the show presents ideas that this week’s readings (Otaku: A Japanese Database Animal & Cultural Economy) convey such as otaku’s seeing their interest as a lifestyle, the parallel development of fan culture that influences the source media, and the obsessive (and potentially harmful) lifestyle that too much devotion could have on a person.

All members of the Genshiken club have a passion for anime and manga. They’re lives are filled with these interests and they enjoy their time with friends and at school by partaking in this interest. Whether it’s playing games, reading manga, watching anime, or talking about the former, they’re main social interactions are filled with otaku culture. To them, a defining characteristic of their person is their love of the media they consume. It's a cultural identity. For characters like Madarame, he no longer feels ashamed nor self aware of his interests. He lets people think whatever they want of him because part of his identity is the media he consumes. All the friends in the club come together because of common grounds. This shows that otaku culture is a form of binding. It may be a slight obsession, but that is okay in life. In order to pass the time we have enjoyably, we find things that bring us interests and otaku culture is very much that. An interest can be incorporated into our personalities and bring people closer together. This has its extremities however. Extremists may draw fine lines between who is considered a fan and who is not, making inclusion a bit hard at times. Fans can also help develop the source material. The amount of doujinshi created that either add to or complement existing works are numerous. Fan theories and original creations based on existing media is a huge market this show helps demonstrate by showing the convention scene.

Sometimes, however, this interest can turn into unhealthy obsession. Kousaka is the embodiment of this. His interest in otaku culture has made him neglect his girlfriend and non anime related life. He makes Saki suffer neglect when all she wants is to spend time with him. Instead, he cuts her off at every point in time and goes out to wait overnight in lines or compulsively shop for large quantities of merchandise. This can be seen in the real world and it's an unhealthy problem. Any obsession can be taken too far. You may neglect your studies, job, friends, and family and fall into a rabbit hole that is hard to return from. At this point, your person is no longer complimented by the media you consume, but it is the media you consume. Without your obsession, you are nothing and become neglectful person for the other facets of your life.

[twistedtummies2]

Top 6 Easter Bunnies from Movies & TV

Happy Easter, everybody! In honor of this special day, here’s a list that I’ve been sitting on for a good long time. It’s time to talk about Easter’s favorite mascot, the Easter Bunny. The Easter Bunny is sort of an odd duck when it comes to the mythical icons of various holidays. On the one hand, I think you could argue he’s the most popular after Santa; unless you count Jack Skellington or the Great Pumpkin (and I don’t), Halloween doesn’t have any one wrote mascot to speak of, and I’m not sure if Leprechauns count when it comes to Saint Patrick’s Day. And there are dozens of other holidays that don’t really have mascots, either: essentially, it’s always been Santa and the Easter Bunny, at least in American culture. The weird part of this is that, between the two, you’ll find the Easter Bunny tends to get the short end of the stick. There are dozens of books featuring the character or about him, but none are as popular as the Christmas books, and when it comes to movies and television, the Easter Bunny has precious few cinematic outings, and most of his TV specials are less successful than the ones released at Christmastime featuring Jolly Old Saint Nick. Why this has occurred is likely a discussion better suited for smarter folks than I, but with that in mind, I think it’s high time everyone’s favorite rabbit got at least a little time in the spotlight. Finding good Easter specials and great takes on the Bunny was more difficult than I thought, but I think I’ve managed to narrow down my personal favorites nicely. So with that in mind, sit back and enjoy some chocolate eggs, whilst I present My Top 6 Favorite Easter Bunnies from Movies and Television!

6. Rabbit, from Winnie-the-Pooh.

Confused? Then you probably haven’t seen the special “Springtime With Roo.” I don’t know the special is called that, incidentally, since the main character of the film is actually Rabbit; Roo is really just a supporting player. But I guess Roo was just more marketable. (shrugs) Anyway, “Springtime With Roo” is, weirdly enough, an adaptation of “A Christmas Carol,” but with an Easter theme and featuring the characters from Winnie-the-Pooh. The story features Rabbit as our Scrooge surrogate, as it’s revealed Rabbit is actually THE Easter Bunny…but because of past events, he’s decided to call the holiday off. In Dickensian fashion, adventures through the past, present, and the future all give him a chance to change his ways and bring Easter back to the 100 Acre Wood. This is a surprisingly clever, sweet reimagining of the Carol story, and the idea of Rabbit BEING the Easter Bunny is kind of cute to me. I felt it would have been cheating, though, to place Rabbit in the Top 5, hence why this only gets an Honorable Mention.

5. Todd Tolces, from Claymation Easter.

“Claymation Easter” is a somewhat forgotten special nowadays, created by the mighty Will Vinton: a legendary animator most famous for his work with stop-motion, and the creator of various animated mascots for advertising products, including the California Raisins, the Noid for Domino’s Pizza, and the M&Ms (no, I’m serious, he made the M&Ms, too, look it up). In 1992, Vinton directed and co-produced an Easter Special made in his signature style, which featured Todd Tolces as the Easter Bunny. The plot tells the story of a villainous pig, Wilshire, who plans to take over Easter as part of an elaborate money-making scheme. Simple enough, but what makes the special so…well…special is its style of comedy and its animation credit. The special has a very absurd, bonkers sense of humor, riding a fine line between playfully whimsical and satirically mean-spirited, which gives it a unique identity among specials for this holiday. There’s also an underlying current of a theme of tradition vs. expansion: the Easter Bunny in the story is an upholder of old standards and ideals, while Wilshire is a villainous cad who uses massive machines to get what he desires, and speaks with a lot of modernized lingo and subtle innuendos and jokes. In the middle of all this Spike Rabbit, a psychologist who becomes the true hero of the story, and essentially plays the role of the middle ground: he’s got more modern sensibilities than the Easter Bunny, but he’s nowhere near as diabolical as Wilshire. Whether you see it as just a silly romp or something more, “Claymation Easter” is a hidden gem, and it’s Easter Bunny one of the more interesting and integral parts of its story.

4. Bob McFadden, from The Berenstain Bears’ Easter Surprise.

This is one of three Easter specials I used to watch all the time as a kid (the other two will come later), and it’s still got a special place in my heart. Featuring the classic Berenstain Bear Family, the story of this special focuses on Boss Bunny - the Easter Bunny himself, voiced by Bob McFadden - deciding to retire, and calling off Easter for good. This is a problem, because in this universe, Easter is also the beginning of Spring: if Boss Bunny doesn’t do his job, winter will go on forever. When Papa Bear’s plans to replace the Bunny and save the holiday fail most spectacularly, Brother Bear takes it upon himself to try and convince Boss Bunny to go out once more. What’s interesting about Boss Bunny’s role in the story is that he’s the only Easter Bunny I’ve encountered who’s outright an antagonistic presence: he’s grown tired and bitter, and wants to call off Easter not so much because of any philosophical issues, but simply because he feels overworked. He feels he’s doing a thankless job, being taken for granted, and he’s so old and worn out he’s not sure he has it in him to continue doing the job. Of course, in the end, good sense prevails for the old timer, and he gets back to his regular duties…and it turns out chocolates and colored eggs aren’t the only surprises Brother Bear has to look forward to on Easter Morning…but I mustn’t say more, or I shall spoil the rest of the story.

3. Hugh Jackman, from Rise of the Guardians.

I don’t know what crazy person came up with the idea of the Easter Bunny as a fluffy boomerang-toting Crocodile Dundee action hero voiced by freaking Wolverine…but whoever decided that was an awesome idea deserves ALL of the candies this year. (pauses) That’s it. I’ve…I’ve got nothing else. This one speaks for itself. Moving on.

2. Skip Hinnant, from The Easter Bunny is Comin’ to Town! Both of my top two choices are the creation of Rankin/Bass; they’re the other two specials I used to watch every year as a kid, and these two I actually make a point of STILL watching every year. Easter just wouldn’t feel complete without them. The first up is the sequel to the popular Christmas Special “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town,” and in many ways, this Easter-themed follow-up is sort of the same basic story. It chronicles the origins of the Easter Bunny - voiced by Skip Hinnant, and named Sunny - from his birth to his role as the icon of the holiday, explaining how many of the Easter traditions were born in the process. While it follows a lot of the same beats from the previous special, it changes things up enough to still have its own identity, and Sunny is a wonderfully fun, sweet, smart character. It’s just as good as its Yuletide predecessor, in my opinion; if you haven’t seen it before, take a peek.

As much as I love sweet little Sunny, however, there’s one Easter Special - one Easter Bunny - I like even more…

1. Casey Kasem, from Here Comes Peter Cottontail!

Rankin/Bass actually made three Easter specials, and of the three, this one is the most popular, and my personal favorite. In this story, we don’t just focus on ONE Easter Bunny, however…we essentially have a story of SEVERAL. The tale takes place in April Valley, which is basically to Easter what the North Pole is to Santa Claus. Here there lives an entire species of talking rabbits, who all work to make Easter run smoothly; the Chief Easter Bunny is the leader of them all, and the one responsible for delivering all the goodies on the big day. One year, the old Chief - Colonel Bunny - decides it’s time to retire, and chooses a young upstart, Peter Cottontail (voiced by Shaggy himself, of all people, Casey Kasem) to be his successor. Peter is a boastful, rash, and occasionally prone-to-fib bunny, so others doubt he’s suitable for the job, but the Colonel sees himself in Peter, and it becomes clear that, for all his faults, Peter does have his heart in the right place. Unfortunately, his main rival does not: the villainous Irontail (voiced by Our Lord and Savior of Villainy, Vincent Price) decides to challenge Peter to a contest…which Peter, thanks to his laziness and Irontail’s scheming, loses. With help from a time machine (yes, a time machine, just run with it) Peter decides to go back and try to find a way to fix things, and in the process, learns to shape up his act and become a responsible Rabbit. All three of the main bunnies in the story are wonderful (especially Irontail, mostly because this is Vincent Price at his absolute hammiest; he is to Price what Dr. Mystico is to Tim Curry, in my opinion), but Peter is the main character and obviously our Easter Bunny Prime for the purposes of the tale. It’s a very fun special, one of Rankin/Bass’ best productions, in my opinion, with great music, charming characters, and glorious voice acting. While I’d be lying if I said Peter is my ideal Easter Bunny (that honor actually belongs to a book, and that’s rather a different story), this is, without a doubt, my favorite Easter Special, and Peter, by extension, my favorite take on the Bunny from onscreen outings. He is more than deserving of my number one spot.

[rachel-langella-author]

Anna and the Apocalypse

Shudder has a lovely curated collection of holiday horror movies, so I'm going to watch (and in some cases, rewatch) the entire collection over the remainder of this month.

Tonight is night one! I've chosen to start with Anna and the Apocalypse (2017), which is a holiday horror comedy musical set in Scotland during a zombie apocalypse at Christmas. I'll be posting my reactions while watching it, so there will be SPOILERS.

Okay, we're starting off with strong teen angst vibes. Anna wants to take some time to travel before going to university, but her father doesn't approve of the idea. We have the obligatory "I can't wait to get away from you!" Also the obligatory "teen boy in love with his female best friend who has no idea" trope.

Oh, we are drenched in irony-laden foreshadowing with Anna looking straight at the camera as she sings, "this isn't what you expect" (or something to that effect. The "Not a Hollywood Ending" number is catchy, but I do wonder if Lisa and Chris collapsing on the floor at the end is giving us a clue as to whether they'll survive until the end or not.

I know Headmaster Savage is supposed to be unlikeable, but I think he might be my favorite just for the "Withdraw your tongues!" line aimed at a couple making out in the hall. Clearly, he's been broken by long years of teaching. Or he's just a dick. Either way, I'm amused by him and his unconcealed disdain.

Anna and John singing about what a wonderful day it is while smoke from a distant house fire billows and zombies lunge after terrified neighbors behind them. "Subtle" commentary about how unobservant people can be, especially when they have their ear buds in? It's a funny juxtaposition, at least! Also, the movie really hammers home what the viewer is in for when Anna kills her first zombie with a seesaw. Its head flies off, and we're treated to a close up of a Monty Python-esque up-spray of blood from the neck.

OMG #evacselfie Okay, I officially love the scathing dark humor.

"Tay-tay's fine. She's FINE."

John kills a zombie by bashing its head between two bowling balls so hard that the skull erupts. So we have pretty graphic gore, but it's so over the top, I'm not grossed out by it. The visual juxtapositions are interesting: one scene shows us a deserted residential street and zooms in on someone's limp hand in a pool of blood against the backdrop of the dismal, grey winter sky. Visually striking and poignant! Not long after that, a scene shows us Steph shoving a zombie's head into a toilet and beating it to death with the lid. Tinsel and garlands are everywhere, and red and green lights shine down on bodies sprawled in empty streets. A bloody apocalypse festooned with colorful holiday decorations pretty much sums up this movie.

Of course the local group of dudebros are hunting zombies and looting, led by Nick the dick, who bursts into an "Eye of the Tiger"-sounding solo about being "a soldier at war."

Voice-over narration of "The Night Before Christmas" while Anna and her ragtag band of survivors fight their way out of a Christmas tree lot in slo-mo. Anna's weapon of choice? A candy cane lawn decoration with a spiky bit at the end. Steph is wielding a mannequin leg, which could be a nod to A Christmas Story? Nick is swinging a baseball bat because he's basic.

Oh shit, Savage has straight up snapped. The actor playing him is a brilliant scenery chewer in the fine tradition of Alan Rickman in that Robin Hood movie.

Nick gets a redemption...moment? I can't tell if it's going to develop into a full-blown arc. Nice bit of concise character development, but he's still a dick.

"BOOM! Saved your life." Steph is my favorite.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Okay, so lots of blood, but most of it is very Monty Python, so it's not that bad. It's not scary, and there are minimal jump scares (thank goodness). It mixes social commentary with dark humor in the way that I like, and while there are some poignant moments, they don't delve into pathos. You get two seconds to have a feeling about it before the movie does something to make you laugh in that "OMG I'm going to hell for laughing" way.

If you like Shaun of the Dead and musical theater, you'll probably like this movie. 4.5 out of 5 zombie Santas.

[mistmaya]

Finally got around to watching Puss and Boots: The Last Wish… my head is incredibly full of (extremely positive) thoughts that I just have to unleash on the internet. **INCOMING SPOLIERS**

The premise of the movie already held plenty of promise- a hero down to his last limbs, the classic humbling of an egotist. In this case, a cat on his last life. It´s a set-up that´s honestly quite easy for writers to embrace with a straightforward theme: don’t take life for granted. So Dreamworks could’ve settled for the basic and still produced something pretty good but they did. Not. Settle.

Rather than a slow decline towards a humbling, Puss becomes vulnerable within the first 15 minutes when he encounters Death. From there, his identity-burial and trip to retirement set up the story for not just a lesson on appreciating what you have, but also what you can have if you’re willing to change for the better. It´s sweet, and it gets better with the introduction of Perrito.

Ngl, I was a bit skeptical about El Perrito when the movie began. I’m not a fan of perfect gag characters who simply exist for forcing life lessons upon the main characters and a quick laugh. El Perrito could’ve been one of those guys, but he absolutely wasn’t thanks to the way the writers walked the fine line between taking him seriously and as a joke with excellent balance. The scene where he comforted Puss through his anxiety attack was such a fantastic way of not only acknowledging the tangible effects of mental health issues but also the value of mental health care. (Go therapy dogs! <3) Also the humor drawn out of his backstory was absolutely foul in the best way. I probably busted a lung when he started cussing out the Bears.

Speaking of comedy, Big Jack was an unexpectedly hilarious villain. He really reminded me of how refreshing it can be to have a bad guy without a complex backstory, just some grade A asshole who’s never going to be satisfied even if he’s lived the most privileged life. We’ve got plenty of those assholes out here in the real world so its plenty of fun watching their downfall. Loved him and Jiminy´s interactions.

I already knew from the trailer and plenty of tweets that the animation was going to be impressive, but man, there’s nothing like seeing it in person. The fight sequencing was extremely creative and fun from the start. (Puss vs the Sleeping Giant absolutely had to have been inspired by Attack on Titan and we love to see it.) The detailing form Puss´ goosebumps to Goldí´s necklaces made the whole viewing super immersive. And man. The aesthetic choices (like holy cow that one red and black scene were Puss was running from Death in the Cave of lost souls??) were basically perfect. Pretty, intense, the whole package.

The romance between Puss and Kitty was just zesty enough to not be cringe. Tension, pining, sweet interactions… I’m sold. A solid found family with Perrito, but we can’t forget the most lovable and heart wrenching family: Goldi and the Three Bears. The sibling dynamic was both very real and hilarious to watch. But more importantly, Goldi’s gradual realization was a super engaging side plot that added a great parallel to puss. 10/10.

As for Death… goosebumps man. That wolf whistle was chilling- you can’t help but get the same raised hairs as Puss. A damn good take on the Grim Reaper archetype. Everything about him from his design to his lines had me running mental laps in the theater.

Overall, it’s such a relief to see Dreamworks genuinely valuing creative animation and powerful storytelling- they´ve been changing the game ever since Spiderverse came out. They didn’t really have to put their heart and soul into this movie seeing as it´s already part of one of the most cherished franchises ever made, but they did! And the fact that the movie was rooted in earnest passion really shows!

[tabbyclaw]

I did warn you all that I was going to post my exchange letter here. Under the cut so it’s not interrupting those who aren’t interested.

(note: As with all of my fanfiction and AO3 activities, I’m signed up under ‘hematitebadger.’)

Hello, assigned creator or person who is considering creating for me! Thank you for reading this; I look forward to seeing what you make and I hope you enjoy making it. This is the first exchange I've done in many years, and thus the first exchange letter I've written in many years, so forgive me if it's a bit unpolished and feel free to ask for clarification if I've been hazy or left unanswered questions. General Likes: humorous stories, happy endings, casual physical affection between friends/family members, banter, unexpectedly romantic moments, imitation of canon style (but don't feel like it's required!), low-stakes/personally important adventures, "what if [canon event] had happened differently?" AUs, character exploration, mutual pining. First and third POV both welcome. I signed up specifically for fanfic, but I am open to treats in any medium! DNWs: porn (implied/referenced sex is fine, but no detailed on-screen sex), unrequested non-canon pairings, non-canon character death, tragic/bleak endings, mundane/modern/setting change AUs, non-canon severe illness/injury (canon-typical comedic, non-permanent injuries in comedy canons are fine), animal harm. Fandom-specific The Murderbot Diaries This is one of those canons where I really like the narrative voice, so stories that imitate that are always appreciated. I love how prickly Murderbot is, and the way it expresses itself when it's being emotional and trying to pretend it's not, and the way it gets annoyed at how much it cares about the people around it. I would love to see something with Murderbot settling in on Preservation, and the survey team trying (with varying degrees of success) to help it acclimate and feel included. Maybe something about the documentary, as well? If you're writing about Murderbot and ART, possibly something about Murderbot going on extended missions with ART and its crew, and the little adjustments to their relationship that come from interacting while having other people around for an extended period of time. My prompts for this fandom are less specific than most of the others, but it's not because I'm any less interested in it! I just love these people in a very broad and general way and want to see more of them interacting with each other. Miraculous Ladybug PLEASE NOTE THAT AS I WRITE THIS I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY OF SEASON 5 YET AND MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CATCH UP BY THE TIME THE SIGNUP PERIOD ENDS. I know a little about what's happened so far, because this is the internet and spoilers are inevitable, but it's a vague knowledge and I've been avoiding leaks about the series bible and episodes that haven't yet aired, so I'm writing these prompts without taking any of what I think I know about the new season into account. As is probably clear from my requests, the complicated dynamics of the Agreste household are my favorite part of the show. All the adults involved have done terrible things but I love them dearly (including Emilie, if you choose to include her), and so I'm hoping for a "flawed but sympathetic" portrayal of them. I would love to see what the household and the people in it were like before canon, the kind of parent Gabriel was as Adrien was growing up and there was someone else there to act as a buffer between them, and I'd like to see him trying to be better at it. I would also be interested in a scenario in which they have to work together in their Miraculous identities, and the tension that arises from both their adversarial relationship and from the things they're saying to each other unwittingly hitting home a little harder than expected. For Gabriel and Nathalie I would be equally happy with &, /, or something that blurs the line between the two. Once again I'd love to see a pre-canon story showing the evolution of their relationship over time, and its translation into the working relationship between Hawkmoth and Mayura. For a more shippy route for these two I'm less interested in an established relationship than I am in sexual tension, pining (mutual or otherwise), and/or an emerging relationship. What was the moment when Nathalie realized she was in too deep, and what will it take for Gabriel to have his own realization? And when are they going to notice the other person's feelings, as well? I would also be interested to see an exploration of how this interacts with their secret identities, where maybe it feels "safer" to flirt as Hawkmoth and Mayura and they're more willing to take risks and cross lines. And while I would hope for something hopeful for these two and I don't want one of them to unilaterally reject the other, I wouldn't consider a mutual acceptance that they can't act on their feelings because of the complicated situation they're in to be a violation of my 'tragic endings' DNW. Megamind Roxanne and Megamind were already pretty flirty in their first interaction in the movie! I'd be interested to see a pre-canon take on that, with the two of them gradually getting bolder and more flirtatious in their interactions as Megamind starts to develop an interest in Roxanne and Roxanne realizes that a) Megamind is basically harmless and b) it's really fun to push his buttons. Possibly even an exploration of what they would have been like if "Bernard" had never happened, and if they would have ever gotten to an 'openly interested in each other' stage on their own. Alternately, post-canon it would be fun to see the two of them learning to live in each other's worlds, with Roxanne helping Megamind get used to being around people and interacting with the public like just another citizen, and Roxanne getting used to being with someone who approaches romance with the same level of drama and spectacle that he approaches villainy. Even when they're in conflict in the movie there's a level of familiarity and sincerity between them that I love, and that's what I'd love to see reflected in a fic. Oxventure These incredibly silly people and the incredibly silly ways they solve their problems while still being lovable and sincere and that special mix of antagonistic and caring towards one another. I would be equally happy with a canon-style problem or mystery they need to solve, or just all of them having some down time and bothering each other. Maybe something goes wrong with the dragon eggs and one or more hatches early, and these people who should not be trusted with anything are now responsible for a baby dragon for a while. Or maybe the less murder-y members of the Guild decide it's finally time to have some kind of intervention with an unrepentant Merilwen regarding her various crimes. For Prudence/Corazon specifically I love them being terrible people who are trying very hard to pretend not to care and failing at it. Anything that involves accidentally realizing and/or revealing their feelings for each other would be great, but specifically I think these two would be perfect for a fake dating plot (as part of a plan that made sense at the time? To piss off Corazon's dad?) that gets more real than either of them ever intended it to. BBC Ghosts I love how sweet and ridiculous this show and its characters are, and it's one of those canons where my prompts are more like "Really, I just want to see more of them, whatever it is they're doing." Alison trying to come up with some new kind of enrichment for the ghosts, both for their sakes and so they'll give her a little more time alone and not bother the guests. Mike doing his best to keep them happy while Alison is out of the house for a couple days (with Julian attempting to communicate their needs via the laptop keyboard and other small gestures), or maybe temporarily gaining some ability to perceive them and trying to rearrange his perceptions of them now that he knows a little bit more. I also think it would be fun to see Alison try to use the ghosts as an excuse to lie to Mike to get out of something she doesn't want to do, but that's entirely because I want to see it backfire on her in some ridiculous way. I have never in my life known how to end a letter gracefully, regardless of the context, so I'll just end this one by thanking you for reading it again. I hope your exchange experience is awesome.

[thekingofwinterblog]

what would you change in MHA, or do you think it's mostly perfect?

Change?

Holy shit there is a lot i would change about My Hero Academia if i had been writing it, or been Hori's Editor.

and for this one, im not even going to touch the final arc, which is saved mostly by the fact that every climax ultimately worked(with one exception) and it was just the road getting there that needed some mayor overhauls.

anyway, in somewhat chronological order.

Bakugo and Izuku's Relationship.

One of the most contentious aspects of My Hero Academia, is the relationship between Izuku and Bakugo.

However, i actually thought this relationship as it was written was fine innitially, as though i came to despise Bakugo's ultimate role during the final battle, for the most part i Really liked his character... But looking back on the series, i ultimately have to agree with the haters.

This relationship was a trainwreck... or at least after a certain point.

See, it's painfully, obviously clear that Hori had an idea of how he wanted this relationship to go all the way up until their fight at night on the school grounds.

After that though... While there were moments where Bakugo showed that he had grown, ultimately Bakugo's interaction with Izuku did not fundamentally change, the only thing that changed was that now Izuku had finally stopped having a mixture between disdain and admiration for him, and now just admired him, which makes for some incredibly hard and frankly depressing reading.

there is one comedy gag page that perfectly illustrates EVERYTHING bad about this relationship post a certain point.

This page... is funny. it's very much a crossing the line twice kinda humor where something is just so wrong that it goes right back to being hilarious.

The problem... is that this page takes place AFTER that big rematch between Izuku and Bakugo.

Thus what could be very dark comedy, instead just hammers in the point that Bakugo hasnt changed. ironically enough he's changed with a lot of his classmates, but not izuku.

He is still an abusive cunt towards izuku... only now it's not treated as a horrible flaw of his character, and instead just a wacky quirk of his.

I hate it.

I dont know what caused this direction, wheter it was Hori not having any idea of how to take bakugo after this fight, or his editor not wanting bakugo to change too much, or whatever... but whatever it is, it is terrible.

it is the worst direction you could have taken these two short of hooking them up.

There are ways to make Izuku ultimately forgiving bakugo and moving on compelling... but this sure aint it.

why is is the depressing tale, of Endeavor's storyline about trying to make up for superpowered eugenics, raping his wife to produce his third and fourth child, beating and abusing his sons, and all of their various reactions to all of it, given infinitly more depth, nuance and frankly more compelling dynamics and outcomes than izuku's most defining relationship outside of his relationship with All Might?

SERIOUSLY, WHY???

There are SOOO many BETTER ways to do this, wheter Izuku actually forgives bakugo or not, this frankly is one of the worst directions MHA ever went.

and speaking of Izuku's "most important" relationships...

Izuku/Uraraka

People joke that Izuku and uraraka has way more dynamic relationships with their respective rivals and theyre not wrong.

At all.

This relationship, is boring. very, very boring.

And that's withouth taking into account that it never gets off the ground(and frankly speaking, i DONT CARE if it does during the last few chapters.), and though they have a few nice moments during the series that shows they are good friends, ultimately they never reach even the bare minimum of the kinds of dynamics that makes "Will they or wont they?" stories fun to read.

Honestly Hori should either have gone all in of actually making their relationship a defining aspect of Izuku's journey, he should have paired izuku up with someone else, or he should have never opened the can of romance in the first place.

I honestly dont care which, so long as he had stuck to it.

I read about this exact relationship in the main pairing of Hajime No Ippo, and it was about as interesting there, as it was here.

none whatsoever.

More Arcs to let Class 1-a Develop.

one of the biggest issues MHA has, is that Hori wasted the potential 3 years the main cast had at school, during which he had more than enough time that he could have developed his characters.

He did not need to make this series as long as One piece, but he had plenty of potential for getting more out of his school setting before he tore everything down during the first war arc.

and the biggest casualty of this rushing of the story, is that half of class 1-A never really got an arc to shine, before everything went to hell, so their development had to be crammed in at the very end.

Ultimately that worked for Aoyama, but not anyone else.

So just for fun, i decided to make a chart of every member of 1-A who never really got any real development or arcs or at least mayor parts of arcs devoted to their development, by the time the final battle came(not counting aoyama who worked pretty in his role), and it had to be rushed, rushed, rushed.

mina, tsuyu, ojiro, Kaminari, Kouda, Satou, Shouji, Sero, Hagakure, Mineta.

10 all in all.

im not saying that all of 1-A needed the kind of arc dedication Todoroki got, but the fact that half the main cast was horribly underdeveloped with little exploration of their backstories is a travesty(i dont think we ever even learned WHY Tsuyu became a hero, which illustrates the problem quite well.).

There were room for more arcs, given Hori could have had Shigaraki's transformation period last for way, way longer.

Star and Stripe

I really liked star and stripe, and given how her little arc ultimatly amounted to nothing, and just how broken Shigaraki ended up being during the final arc, i have NO idea why the hell her swan song wasn't there instead.

Seriously, just from a thematic standpoint, it would have made so much more sense for her final sacrifice to happen during the great climactic final battle, rather than a scirmish in the sky that had no real plot signifigance whatsoever.

Have Izuku and Eri spend some time together before she goes back.

i dont really get this one.

From a basic storytelling perspective, izuku should would need to develop at the very least some kind of actual bond beyond bumping into her, for her going back to have its full impact.

and it wouldn be hard either. Have Izuku and mirio pick her up as a lost child, have her pal around with them during the patrol for a chapter or two, have them bond with her and us getting some idea of her personality... then boom, her going back home has WAY stronger impact as we at the very least actually know the girl.

It would be an easy, simple and effective change.

Develop the Paranormal Liberation Front

the whole, rushing to the war arc didnt just hurt class 1-A, but also their opposition.

Hori could have devoted an entire arc to Hawks infiltration of the front, and learned how it's main non league members actually ticked, how they ended up here, and what their actual personalities were at the bare minumum.

If he had, at the very least the final arc could have had better minor antagonists who we had some connection to, rather than a bunch of nameless filler characters.

would have given a lot of the final arc's lesser fights a lot more omph thats for sure.

Im sure there is more, but at the moment i cant actually think of anything.

Anyway, there area lot of issues with MHA that could have been fixed with a redraft.

[adultswim2021]

Metalocalypse #34: “Dethsources” | July 7, 2008 - 12:00AM | S02E14

Dethklok want new management, so they take on a second manager on some kind of trial basis. He’s a “cool” manager, unlike their stick-in-the-mud current guy. He has long hair, for instance, and smokes freaking JOINTS while working. He’s also voiced by Brian Posehn from comedy. Dethklok really like this guy, because he’s chilled out and parties with them. It becomes very clear that the new guy intends to get rid of the old guy (side-note: I really wish that this show had simple-to-remember-and-type names, because I despise having to copy and paste character names so gosh darn much with this gosh darn show). 

The source of the conflict is Dethklok’s dwindling cash. They haven’t finished their next record, and their money is running out. They never feel this crunch for even a second, because they are stupid idiot dumb-dumbs. They simply can not learn lessons or be nice.

This one has a lot of great scenes that have little to do with the main plot. It’s bookended by scenes of new Kloketeer recruits (their hooded servants). First we see them being weeded out by a fight to the death in the opening (not actually shown). We also see them being sworn in and branded during the show’s climax, which involves a fencing match between the two managers. The ending didn’t completely work for me, but it was fine. They had to get out of the episode somehow! 

The aforementioned “great scenes” include a pretty simple gag where Nathan texts Toki an incredibly lame joke. They are clearly extremely enchanted with texting technology. Their easily-impressed laughter is infectious, and Nathan being so proud of himself for pulling off such mild humor is so great. It’s all about the performance and the character animation (as limited as that is). There’s also a great bit with the health inspector who keeps asking if various terrible things happening due to their health code violations are “metal” or not (asked indignantly as a way to scold them) and they just shrug and go “yeah” because they all sorta are. This is the first scene in which their new manager pulls out a joint and starts smoking it and they are all childishly impressed by it. Any episode that drives home the point that Dethklok are all big dumb babies is doing it's job. This episode is doing jobs.

MAIL BAG

Remember the lady who screamed in her car for Joe Biden. She was screaming like BUCKO and CHAMP and shit like that. Well I just found out they died. Self-inflicted. See you later, sport.

This fake message caused me to find they/them on tiktok and after seeing them with various hairlengths and different outfits and stuff uhhhh, would. Please stay alive for me babythem. I need you

Have you seen skibidi toilet? it's what all the kids are into these days. makes adult swim look like barney the purple dinosaur

my friends (twitch streamers who don't know I exist) forced me to watch it (they played it on their reaction stream) and to quote my favorite racist cosmo kramer "that's spooky, man"

Quymn wasn't that good but I still find myself quoting "Go Team Boobies" from time to time

To be fair to that line, I actually did write that line down in my notes but I failed to highlight it in my write-up.

another tasty tuesday doon the fookin drain

I simply will not abide your terroistic mail bags. I'm calling the military on your ass pal. EFF YOU