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popculturebuffet · 4 years ago

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Simpsons Review: Simpsons Comics #102 “Uncle Burn$” or Homercore Nudity!

Whelp out of all the commissions Kev has thrown me this one’s kind of a curveball. I mean it makes sense why cover it: It’s a pastiche of Donald Duck Comics done in the pages of the Simpsons long running comics. I cover duck stuff on here, and not only do I love the Simpsons but I tend to reference it for jokes a LOT. I just genuinely never thought of reviewing it till now, likely because earlier on in my new career of reviewing animated shows, I wasn’t really convinced I could do pure comedies. With my regular reviews of Darkwing Duck and as it comes out coverage of the Loud House (I still need to get around to Band Together), that’s no longer a real issue and I should consider doing the show in the future, especially since I have an unabashed love for the first 10 seasons and a few episodes beyond that.

As you can tell, I love the Simpsons. While I do genuinely wish it would end and have no real intrest in the current seasons, though if you’d like me to take a look i’d be willing to. The show in it’s prime was funny, witty and each episode was crammed with jokes. And refreshingly for an adult cartoon show of it’s time, the show genuinely wasn’t afraid to mix things up: Milhouse’s parents divorced and stayed that way for so long that them apparently getting back together decades later is itself a huge status quo shake up. Lisa went Vegetarian which stuck thanks to sir paul mcartney, and then went Buddhist, both of which have never wavered since and both fit her well. Skinner and Krabbable started dating. Barney went sober for a few seasons. Apu got married. These are minor changes but the show does have things happen occasionally and doesn’t just snap everything back and it adds genuine tension to plots knowing they might stay the status quo They usually don’t but the occasional change gives things stakes. I could go on for days, but I couldn’t go on for 8 weeks, point is the Simpsons are awesome, and deserve the praise they get early on I just wish they’d stop as by this point people really have stopped carring and it’s time to pass the torch and Let Bob’s burgers be the wholesome family comedy that runs forever.. and even then that one should stop at 10 seasons. Or if not at least let the kids age dammit. But that aside, while many of you simpsons fans looking at this probably have at least seen the comics, or a collection of them over the decades, many of you like me are wondering what the hell Bongo Comics is and how they managed to last so long. Bongo was founded by Simpsons Creator Matt Groening in 1993. Matt Groening had noticed that at the time there just weren’t any funny books on the shelves, funny books being comedy based comics primarily targeted for kids, with Archie and Disney being really the only ones left at the time. So he founded Bongo to rectify that, and given Fox naturally liked the sound of more merchandising dollars, the publisher was primarily used to produce simpsons comics, though looking at wikipedia there were one or two that weren’t including, of all things, a Coldplay comic tying into their album. Why did Coldplay publish a comic book at a primarily simpsons comic book company?

Though most series seem to be either short lived or one shots, there were a few exceptions: Naturally the company put out an annual Treehouse of Horror issue, there was a Bart Simpson ongoing focusing on him and the other kids of Springfield, I had a trade for that one once, and once Futurama premiered it too got a comic book that held through both cancelations. But standing above them all was Simpsons Comics, a 245 issue long runner that ran all the way up to the company’s closing, likely due to a combination of a lack of profits and the then upcoming Disney-Fox merger depriving them of the very heart and soul of the company.

Naturally being a Simpsons fan I have a connection to these comics having gotten the trades out of the library multiple times as well as the collection of Bartman’s solo series, which was my favorite and I might cover some day. In addition to the Free Comic Book Day issues i also picked up scattered issues over my life since, much like Archie, Simpsons comics were a mainstay of bookstores and super markets and the decline of both comic markets is likely why the Simpsons comics started to peter out in the first place. The quality and memorability of the stories varied but they were a fun thing to have around and it’s sad to see them go, as well as see Disney not even make a remote attempt to bring them back or at the very least republish the vast library they now have access to. Also finally if your wondering yes, there indeed was a Simpsons/Futurama crossover. And no I have not read it. So with that history, most of which I just learned some of which I already knew, in mind, it is very fitting the comic’s did a tribute to the Uncle Scrooge comics. Though it does feel very weird that I have yet to cover any Donald Duck or Scrooge comics.. yet i’ve already covered one of the Ducktales tie in comics and a Simpsons homage to it. I’m going to have to correct that but until then, join me under the cut as I dive into adventure with the Simpsons.

This issue was written by Ian Boothby and drawn by John Delaney, I feel mentiong the writers and artists should be important in comic reviews and I kick myself for not having done that or gone into them as much before. Boothby was apparently the Ian Flynn of these comics, writing more simpsons comics than any other writer according to wikipedia and winning an Eisner for his work on the comic if sadly not this issue. He was nominated for an outstanding Canadian Writer award for it though so that’s good. Point is the guy is a decorated vetran of this series and it shows in how good this issue is and I felt he deserved some recognition as most Comic Book Readers, myself included up till now, likely weren’t aware he even existed nor took over the comic in the 2000′s.

We open with Burns getting attacked by a mummy! Gotta say wasn’t expecting this as where we started out but the simpsons have started with wonkier premises to end up somewhere. I mean there was the time a bag boy strike ended up with them in Africa. Also i’d say Burns should call the police, being the kind of privileged white guy they actually care about protecting and all, but frankly the Springfield Cops don’t have the best track records with Mummies:

But no it’s just Smithers, who dove in heroically to save the company 15 dollars after Homer took a bet to see how many fire crackers he could jam in his computer’s disk drive. Lenny said 20 but he proved him wrong. And yes those are all actual jokes from the comic, this issue is very funny and feels very much like a Golden Age Simpsons episode. They also all gather to sign Smither’s cast.. which naturally is a legally binding contract. Burns takes his loyal minion to get some quality medical care only to find an arcade because he traded the Medical Bay in for one during an outbreak of Pac Man Fever... again I really can’t top that and there may be a good reason why I haven’t covered the Simpsons till now. But yeah as Buns gives Smithers a roll of Pennies, he wonders who to have replace Smither’s on their annual summer treasure hunt.. which would come out of nowhere but we genuinely don’t know what they do most summers. I assumed Burns just road Smithers like a horse to play cricket while Smithers enjoyed it way too much. But a stray comment from Homer getting a Krusty Doll from a crane machine about being king of the treasure hunters leads to this.

I mean it’s an easy joke but damn if it didn’t get a laugh out of me. So later at the old Simpsons place, because this comic is fantastic, Marge and Homer talk things over, but Homer insists Burns said he’d split the treasure, and Lisa wishes she could come along. And Marge says he should, especially for his own saftey.. and when Bart complains, says all the kids should go, she already packed their bags, she’s heading to Rancho Relaxo byyyyeeeeeee. Once again, this comic is amazing, and I would say this is out of character for Marge, but frankly that’s the whole point. Plus it really isn’t when she has to deal with 4 children on a regular basis, and her sisters, and a town gone mad.. yeah can’t blame her here.

The next day at Burns Office, Homer is wearing his navy outfit.. or rather Donald’s Navy outfit. But given I did a quick google and found him having at least 4 different outfits during his time in the Naval Reserves, it’s not a stretch to assume the Simpsons Version of the Navy gave these out too. Seriously Ian Boothby has put more thought into continuity than most writers on the show proper. Also Simpsons Tide, season 9 episode, still very memorable and hilarious and not due to childhood nostalgia. Just looking up this bit had me laughing hard.

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I now want to watch that episode sometime soon so thanks Kev. Anyway Homer seems to have misplaced his plants. Now I could spare you the image since I don’t do things panel by panel anymore and only use panels from a comic when relevant. Buttttt

This traumatizing of my audience brings me to a point about this issue and why it works. While there are tons of nods to the Donald Duck comics and what their homaging is very clear, the issue doesn’t REQUIRE you know them to enjoy it. Knowing them I obviously enjoy it more, but most of the jokes aren’t reliant on you knowing anything about the barks comics and even someone with a passing knowledge of the Original Ducktales can still get the reference if not why Donald is here. It helps this is less of a parody, with the exception of some jokes, and more of an homage, using stylistic elements of those comics while telling i’ts own story as a loving tribute to it’s predecessors. Speaking of one of those jokes poking fun at the source material, Burns is delighted Homer brought child labor, which kept me laughing for a good minute, and when the kids introduce themselves we get this bit.

Not only am I 100% sure every version of Donald or Della did this to make sure they could tell them apart, very much including the reboot with Donald, but it’s a genuine hilarious bit. Donald’s response as they head off is “there’s somehting hooey Dewey and screwy about this. “ Also I will criticize the fact Bart isn’t the one wearing a blue outfit. For those wondering why, after all Maggie wears blue shouldn’t she get it, who haven’t seen this a LOT of merchandise early on had Bart in a blue shirt, due to early Merch being rushed out pre-show and since he wore one in some earlier concept art, he got to wear blue. He also wore it late into the 90′s.

Sidebar: I just found this and while it isn’t a bad joke given his character it is questionable to have a fourth grade boy tell you to buy him. Just saying. But the reason I bring it up is partly because the show itself referenced it at one point.

As well as it’s sister show Futurama

And you remeber that Bart Simpson solo I mentioned? That one frequently, both in and out of story, had Blue Shirt bart show up for some variety.

Also why yes each issue does have it’s own fun “Superman’s Pal Jimmy Oleson” Esque subtitle. And I love it so. Point is Blue Bart is part of the series legacy and this very comic company, so it’s VERY weird to not have that here. That being said there were a few Green Shirt barts apparently as a printing error, so he could just as easily be 80 steps ahead of me. I just don’t know.

Back at the plot Burns and the Simpsons show up at Frink’s lab, Frink rather obviously filling in for Gyro, with his own version of little bulb named F.L.O. who gladly shakes Lisa’s hand.. and releases a Pterodactyl but hey you can’t win em all. It’s a nice nod, though one only fans of the source matieral will really get, but the pterodactyl bit right after helps distract from it. Frink slotts into the roll well, as Frink has no reall affiliation with anyone and is basically, much like Gyro, there for various characters to go too when the story or joke needs him. Frink has two gadgets for them: Some Scuba suits that can go to any depth and a grappling claw that accidently gets him gripped to the pterodactyl. Also homer accidently switches suits with maggie, so we get an adorable shot of her serenely sleeping in a diving helmet while her daddy chokes to death.

So the next day it’s out to the open seas where The Simpsons are doing all the work while Burns lounges.. which yeah this is a typical uncle scrooge adventure all right. While the man unlike Burns does work hard and do things for himself, he spent most voyages talking about the destination while putting all the hard work on Donald, in case you thought there was at least one universe where Donald isn’t miserable most of the time. Lisa wonders what he’s doing and we get this lovely bit.

I just.. can’t stop finding that hilarious or a nice way to get the Uncle Scrooge bit in there while still fitting the Simpsons, and it at least explains what happened to Herb, whose been mentioned all of once in the 30 seasons since he last showed up. I checked. And yes for those unaware, which is fair, or who just now remembered Homer does indeed have a brother, one his dad had out of an affair who showed up twice, once with Homer unintentionally, and largely due to Herb’s own foolishness, ruining his life, the other time with Maggie helping him get back on top and him and Homer reconciling. He’s also voiced by comedic legend and your friend and mine, Danny Devito, whose still making us all laugh to this day and is a wonderful person from all accounts. Rock on Danny, here’s the only way I can think to honor you.

But yeah it’s a good gag. Burns claims to be watching for a Giant Squid.. and turns out to be right. So it’s up to the simpsons to fight the giant squid, a sentence I genuinely didn’t expect.. I thought like the Griffins they’d just ignore it.

I miss that show.. oh i’m aware Family Guy is still running but much like the Simpsons the show it USED to be is long gone. Anyways Bart tells a worried homer octopus suck out the innards and drink it first quipping “It’s not like you haven’t been drunk in the morning before homer. Homer chokes bart only for the squid to choke him which is easily the second best “Homer getting choked after Choking bart” gag i’ve seen.. the best being this one I found on youtube.

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Though personally my faviorite part of that whole bit is Bart’s proud “THAT’S BECAUSE I SOAKED HIM IN SLIME!” Anyways Lisa figures out a way to beat the squid, painting the likeness of each of them on it’s tentacles and letting the thing devour itself. Lisa lampshades it making no sense PHysics wise but with that she reluctantly accepts calling Mr. Burns, Uncle Burns and we’re off to our next location. Next up is Mt. Donrosa, a very clear nod to Uncle Scrooge maestro Keno “Don” Rosa, an avid fan of Barks work who expanded on it and turned it into a solid continuity, most famously, and what got me into the ducks in the first place, with the epic “Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck” which I proudly own and.. well I did say watch this space didn’t I? Enough hinting at the future as the Simpsons scale the mountain with Homer carrying burns up on a rickshaw. Burns however looses his lucky #1 penny, SUBTLE, and cuts Bart down to get it. We then get the best line of the issue:

Bart thankfully survives and we find out the Penny, much like Scrooge’s Dime is how Burns started his fortune.. for this issue and nowhere else but that’s standard for the Simpsons. Specifically loading it into a gun and threatning to kill Jasper’s grandfather with it during the gold rush, a nice twist. At the top of the mountain they find the fabled key of Strobl, which comes from the Taliaferro tribe.. more refrenes this time though I didn’t know them and had to google. Tony Strobl was an artist on the Duck Comics at one ponit and Al Taliforino id forgotten about. He did the Donald Duck comic strip which I had heard of and weirdly hasn’t been collected yet despite Fantagraphics covering mickey, as well as reprinting barks and rosa’s respective works.

The key is suspended in the air by what Lisa suspects to be magnetics, and while Burns plan is naturally “Have Bart swim in it and see if he surivives”, Bart, still pissed from the penny and not wanting to die today, grabs the Penny and uses his slingshot to fire it at the Key. The bad luck from the penny casues an erruption, but Bart once again saves the day and has them surf down, with naturally tons more great jokes. The family enjoys some steamed Seafood, except Lisa whose eating Seaweed, while Homer enjoys a sting ray “It tastes as good as it stings, Ow, Ow.” ON to Goddfrodson Trench, an odd choice given Floyd Goddfrodson was barks equivalent for the Mickey Mouse Comics and not really a duck writer, but he still deserves the honor regardless. Under the Sea, no accusations just friendly crustaceans here.. our heroes are close to the treasure but loose the map to the Jailbird Boys, aka Snake and his cousins, who found out due to Lisa’s blog. She didn’t want to loose any more readers to Sheri and Teri’s Olson Twin’s Fan Page.. which.. it’s 2004.. weren’t they dead by this point? Nope still alive? Still are today in fact? Alrighty then. Also this bit, and some of the other references are a bit heavy handed, I will admit that, but the jokes are high quality enough otherwise that it just comes off as a bit of an adorable wink more than laziness.

Snake and co cut their air with Starfish used as throwing stars.

The gang tie their air suplies to avoid dying, and Maggie, in a clever bit, talks with the starfish, since they communicate via sucking, to attack the Jailbird Boys. Again..

I genuinely don’t know, but our heroes find the fabled vault of Barks Billion.. named after Bark Barks, that polar bear from the sonic games.. no of course it’s named after Disney Duck God Carl Barks, who created the Duck’s share of Donald and Scrooge’s supporting cast: Uncle Scrooge himself, Daisy Duck, a fact I just learned but given he created her first short “Mr Duck Steps Out, shouldn’t of surprised me, The Beagle Boys, Magica DeSpell, Goldie O Gilt, Flintheart Glomgold, Gyro Gearloose, Gladstone Gander, The Junior Woodchucks as a whole, Neighbor Jones, John D. Rockerduck, The Number One Dime, Gus Goose, April, May, June and Whitewater Duck. Just the sheer impact he’s had on the comics on all continents cannot be overstated. He is also the one who refined Huey Dewey and Louie from hellraising little shits to the good little boys they are today.. well okay they were, thankfully the reboot has created much better versions. Point is what a man, what a man what a mighty good man, he is truly missed. We get two great homer gags in the same page, one where somehow he’s put the giant key on a key ring and still can’t find it.. with Bart helpfully taking it from him, and then we get this, which I missed on my first read through.

Naturally Burns betrays them, using a Gold Magnet, kay, to suck up all the gold and naturally planning to leave the Simpsons for dead to no one’s surprise. But thanks to Bart teaching Maggie how to use the spittoons, Homer gets one stuck on his head.. and starts getting sucked up with the Simpsons using them to escape. Naturally Lisa’s first instinct is obvious.

But Burns weasels his way out by promising them free gold after their free lunch. Naturally the next day this turns out ot be a trick as their lunch came from frinks and thus, for now, their weightless.. but Karma gets Burns when he tries swimming in his new gold vault... only for the natural result of what happens when am an who never exercises and who doctors once described as having so many diseases packed into his body at once they tripped each other off and that a strong wind could kill him, trying to do with a similarly aged but still physically fit and well trained at swimming in money man does on a daily basis.

We then close on a quick gag of weightless homer getting caught on fire and we’re out.

Final Thoughts: This was a really excellent comic. It captured the tone of the Simpsons at their best and while stiff in a place here or there, it’s mostly just really funny, entertaining and a nice and warm tribute to Donald and Scrooge’s long comics history, not really mocking it but instead just homaging it, while still throughly feeling like the Simpsons. It honestly feels like the Treehouse of Horor Segement on the shining, a bit that parodies something, but for the most part the jokes still feel firmly rooted in the simpsons and their cast. This was a treat to review and i’m glad Kev comissoned it and I may take a look at more Simpsons in the future. If you guys like this review, you can follow me on patreon at patreon.com/popculturebuffet, or if there’s a specific simpsons or ducktales episode or a specific comic you want me to review, you can comission your own review for just five bucks. Just send me a direct message on here through Tumblr, or take a look at my ask box or submit. However you want to do it. I take payments through paypal and until next time: Happy Days are Here Again.

#scrooge mcduck #the simpsons #carl barks #simpsons comics #montgomery burns #homer simpson #bart simpson #lisa simpson #maggie simpson #don rosa #professor frink #bongo comics #waylond smithers #reviews #ducktales

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rayveos · 4 years ago

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Why ‘Guilty Crown’ Remains To Be My Favorite Anime

HELL YES THIS POST IS DEDICATED TO GUILTY CROWN.

And before you tell me how many flaws this anime have and how unsatisfying the ending was, I want to remind you that this is an appreciation post for this underrated anime. No hate comment could change my mind since I’ve watched it back on 2016.

Shall we go back to the main point now?

PLOT. Alright. Like any other animes, Guilty Crown had its flaws too. However, I’m sure you can’t deny that a character who started as a coward (in the beginning of the anime itself) obtaning a ‘Power of Kings’ is something. And it’s not your usual power that you can match on other abilities of our favorite hollywood heroes and comics champions. His power is basically drawing people’s hearts out and materializing them into voids which can be useful weapons and necessities. And these voids reflect its owners’ fears, personality, and character.

***VOIDS. It’s like, “what will your heart look like if it was an object?” Personally, I’m in love with Inori’s beautiful Singer’s Sword while the explanation behind Shu’s always breaks me. They didn’t specifically elaborate why Inori’s is a sword but let’s remind ourselves that Inori was originally created as a vessel to contain Mana’s mind. So, I guess the Singer’s Sword is also an animation of Mana’s heart too.

What I find interesting about the Singer’s Sword is that it contains strong abilities such as being a protective barrier for its carrier and as the sharpest longsword. I can’t help but always fangirl on the first episode wherein the sword is too powerful that it could create a huge flash of light up to the skies. There’s also one in the fourth episode wherein it can destroy anything it will touch onto, regardless of the direction of its attack.

ANIMATION. I’m not that of an expert, technically speaking. You may hate or bash this anime you want but dude, it’s one of the prettiest animations you could ever see. I don’t know if it’s just me but the waves coming from anyone who possesses the power of the Void Genome and Inori when she’s singing are like the black transparent tapes on cassettes. The colors are wonderfully chosen too as they’re not flashy or painful to watch.

If I’m going to choose my favorite episodes that contain the best animations of it, I would choose the first, second, fourth, nineteenth, and the last episode. The place where there is like a flower garden, the one where Shu and Inori spends their alone time after taking leadership of the school, is also gorgeous. The glow on that scene emphasizes how genuine their love is and how beautifully flawed Shu’s character behind his fierce leadership (of course, Hare).

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. Sure, there are characters that go back and forth from being good to bad and vice versa. It may be uncomfortable to some but as for me, I think it’s pretty realistic in some aspects. Yes, this is supposed-to-be an anime. Nevertheless, it doesn’t invalidate the creators’ desire to put more reality in it. Sometimes, I think the other viewers are reacting the way they did on Akame ga Kill.

In wars, just like how the setting of the Guilty Crown is post-apocalyptic and on the verge of having another one, casualties are quite understandable. Student Council President Kohouin also had her change of heart when she fell in love with Gai and when she ended up envying the studentry’s support to Shu after he proposed an action plan. It’s natural that an elite daughter of the family who has been the center of attention for a long time to turn to the bad side when the spotlight was taken from her. Ayase’s moving on moment is also a strike. She didn’t succumb to her guilt and sadness for losing Gai. Instead, she asked help from Shu to prove to herself that she is indeed useful.

The best character development award goes to Shu, obviously. When he was a kid, he’s this jolly person who encourages others to be courageous and brave. After the tragedy the Lost Christmas inflicted, there’s no doubt that it will traumatize him and became this isolated person we get introduced on the first episode. Living in the shadows like that for years, there’s a tendency that they get well-attached to the first person who gave them attention and faith, hence his growing affection to Inori.

The naivety on Shu’s side during Gai’s planning of operation is on point too. That would be the first reaction of ignorant people who believes that everything should be solved with peace and diplomacy. Again, on their time, it was chaotic and there are abusive officials that plan on bringing the next apocalypse. The way he stood up for the Funeral Parlor members after Gai died fell on the right place too. He was influenced by Gai and I’m sure that after everything what happened and after remembering his past, he won’t let others get harassed or hurt too.

Hare’s death remains to be the biggest turning point for me. Given her strong belief to Shu’s kindness, she’s like a symbolism of Shu’s good side, the part that kept Shu’s inner struggles in check. When she died and Shu declared to become king, I clapped until the episode ends. The subsequent display of his flaws as a human is wonderful. His wrath, the cold treatment, the way he controlled the school and its students. I’m not saying they are nice things. BUT they kept his development moving. It’s not about embracing the bad side but accepting it as a part of you. It’s an ugliness that even Inori recognized as beautiful because in the end, the world has both its beauty and flaws, like a human being.

MUSIC. I will fight anyone who tells me that this anime’s soundtrack is not good. All of the songs they used in the anime are in my playlists! My personal favorite is Bios and Departure Blessings though. I remember I have a friend who has a similar voice to Inori’s voice actress. We became friends because we’re both in love with Guilty Crown. She would sing Departure Blessings a lot when we walk together.

ENDING. As much as I’d like for Shu to die with Inori, the ending didn’t disappoint me or anything. Actually, when I read its summary and explanation, it made sense. It was an unexpected sacrifice from Inori as she have always preferred to be together with Shu. Even so, we have to admit that they are the most unfortunate pair. Inori is human-made vessel for someone else. Someone who is supposed to be emotionless and everlastingly obedient. Meanwhile, Shu is the Adam that Mana appointed even he was still on their mother’s womb. He was already destined to yield the power of the king. I think the reason why Gai is furious when Shu took the power on the first episode is not because he wants it to be his. He’s only making sure that Shu won’t suffer the fate he is destined to have due to Mana’s mind deterioration back then— which is to be the next Adam and bring forth the next generation and its evolution.

That is why them being the couple in the center of all chaos, taking back all the virus’ traces and giving back the voids he used, made perfectly sense. The song ‘Release my soul’ is also a tribute to their love story. Since Inori is not really supposed to exist via natural means, I understand how she chose to allow Shu to continue living instead of dying with her. Shu is still young, after all. He has a future waiting for him, one that Inori can’t possibly have naturally because in the first place, she is not human. You do remember that part when she went berserk, right?

As for the blindness, it came from Inori who was on that time was consumed by Mana. Mana being affected by Inori’s interference on the final battle, the physical body they share was greatly infected by the virus that it caused blindness. When Shu decided to take everything on his hands to end it once and for all, he also took Inori’s blindness as a part of sacrificing themselves. It’s Inori’s last minute sacrifice that mattered. The red threads which are symbolism of destiny/fate are also the same object that tangled Shu’s and Inori’s fates forever. By taking this, Shu also took Inori’s soul before it can also be destroyed along with her physical body. The blindness is simply a reminder that Inori was there. It was Inori’s blindness. It’s a bittersweet ending. The body no longer exists but her soul remains with the one she loves. Together, in the inner mind and consciousness, they are on each other’s arms.

Credits to the owners of these photos. I do not own anything except for this long appreciation post.

#guiltycrown #oumashu #guilty crown #inori #anime #appreciation post #dedication #underrated #fangirling #gai #ayase #funeral parlor #analyzing #voids #power of kings #animation #arts

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malaysiankpopfans · 4 years ago

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MEET THE CAST OF VINCENZO + WHERE YOU’VE SEEN THEM BEFORE

The much anticipated series Vincenzo has finally premiered! The unique story of a Korean-Italian mafia lawyer giving a conglomerate a taste of its own medicine is sure to become a favourite. With that said, it’s high time to get acquainted with the talented cast! From the “good” guys to the bad guys, many of the actors might be familiar given their talent and breadth of experience. Find out more about the skilled actors and their characters here.

Song Joong-ki

As an extremely popular Hallyu star, you might have seen a few of Song Joong-ki’s dramas and movies. One of his most famous and swoon-worthy roles is Captain Yoo Si-jin from Descendants of the Sun. In Vincenzo, Song Joong-ki’s character is decidedly different and closer to an anti-hero. As a consigliere to an Italian mafia, Vincenzo Cassano has questionable ethics and no qualms about using evil tactics to punish evil people. You’ll be able to enjoy a different shade of sexy from Song Joong-ki in Vincenzo.

Jeon Yeo-been

Vincenzo is Jeon Yeo-been’s third drama, but she’s actually been in over 15 films. She rose in acclaim following her award-winning turn in the movie After My Death. Also, she acted with Ok Taec-yeon before through Save Me. However, drama fans might recognise her from rom-com Be Melodramatic. Her nuanced portrayal of a woman who has post-traumatic stress disorder following her boyfriend’s passing proved she can be an absolute gem in a drama too. In Vincenzo, Jeon Yeo-been plays lawyer Hong Cha-young who prides herself in her ability to win cases. She’s a very strong and confident character, and her quirks will win us over.

Ok Taec-yeon

Ok Taec-yeon is more known for his masculine and caring characters who often fight against malicious characters or even ghosts like in Bring It On, Ghost. The boy band member turned actor will be able to showcase a cuter side of himself through his character Jang Joon-woo in Vincenzo. Jang Joon-woo is an intern lawyer who works with Hong Cha-young and has a huge crush on her. He’s a bit clumsy and ditzy, so there should be some funny and adorable moments to enjoy. It’ll be interesting to see if a love triangle will ensue!

Kim Yeo-jin

There are plenty of formidable opponents facing Vincenzo and Hong Cha-young. Among them is prosecutor turned lawyer Choi Myung-hee, who is portrayed by Kim Yeo-jin. Choi Myung-hee ends up becoming a senior partner at the law firm Hong Cha-young works at. She’s not above breaking the law if it means she can achieve her goals. While she will be an aggravating foe in this drama, Kim Yeo-jin has acted as plenty of warm-hearted characters, like the thoughtful police officer Lee Hae-gyeong in Extracurricular.

Kwak Dong-yeon

Having debuted as a teenager, Kwak Dong-yeon usually portrays kind characters like friendly and compassionate teaching assistant Yeon U-yeong in My ID Is Gangnam Beauty. He also recently showed a comical and touching cameo in It's Okay to Not Be Okay. We’ll see a 180-degree turn with his character Jang Han-seo who is Babel Group’s CEO. The head of the conglomerate is infamous for being a bit crazy and obsessed with winning. He’ll do anything to get revenge and what he wants, even at the cost of someone’s life.

Cho Han-cheul

Rounding out the group of evil opponents is Han Seung-hyuk who is the head of the law firm Hong Cha-young works at. Having strong ties with the prosecution and the media, Han Seung-hyuk is accustomed to winning cases for his wealthy clients. He utilises underhanded methods to turn people who oppose him into dust.

While his character might not be your favourite lawyer in Vincenzo, actor Cho Han-cheul has played a wide spectrum of roles and you might recognise his sympathetic poetry-loving character from Romance Is a Bonus Book.

Now that you’re familiar with all the main players, you’re definitely ready to enjoy Vincenzo! Don’t miss out on the epic story when Vincenzo premieres on 20 February at 10PM MYT with new episodes every Saturday and Sunday available two hours after the Korean broadcast, only on Netflix.

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spotlightsaga · 7 years ago

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Kevin Cage of @spotlightsaga reviews... GLOW (S01E08) Maybe It's All the Disco Airdate: June 23, 2017 Ratings: @netflix Original/Privatized Ratings Score: 9.75/10 TVTime/FB/Twitter/Tumblr/Path: @SpotlightSaga **********SPOILERS BELOW********** I don't like to start reviews or articles at the end of an episode and backtrack... And if we did that here it would start everything on such a dark tone, which would make it extremely hard to recover. One of our biggest priorities is to match what we write in these articles to the emotion that is evoked from the screen. 'GLOW's 'Maybe It's All the Disco' literally bounces through a myriad of emotions, each one felt with an incredible intensity. We just got through the last episode literally fawning over the writing of Rachel Shukert, even nominating her work as a writer for our end of the year Spotlight Saga Awards that we'll be polling across TV Time and other social media outlets (obviously TV Timers' votes will weigh the heaviest 💯)... But here we are again, just one episode later, doing the exact same type of fawning over 'GLOW's 8th episodic entry, not only with Award Worthy writing by Nick Jones, who made our list last year with OITNB S4E07 'People Persons', but also powerhouse, natural director Sian Heder, who literally captures everything that Jones has written and is able to find the perfect way to funnel each emotional bullet-point from scene to scene... Leaving the audience feeling the exact way that Ruth must feel as the credits role. It's brilliant. It's 'GLOW' showing that it's only going to continue to get better & better... And for that, Nick Jones is the first writer to make back to back yearly SS nominations for Achievement in Writing and Sian Heder gets her first Achievement in Direction nom from us, directly after an episode of 'GLOW' that we didn't think could be topped. Tanya Sterling, don't think we've forgotten about you. You're editing here was a marvel. As far as 30-Minute 'dramadies' this year, 'GLOW' and FX's 'Baskets' are taking the cake. Each series has done phenomenal work capturing as much of these characters and their growth, both in life's often tricky timeline and existentially... As well as giving us solid story arcs to sink our teeth into, all in such a short period of time & low number of episodes. See, Big 4 Networks, you don't need 22-25 episodes to make such a monstrous impact! Netflix and FX are literally schooling those fools! The camaraderie of these women is really taking center stage. At first it was like a hodgepodge of diverse misfits, none of which complimented the other in any way. Now, here they are breaking Sheila the She-Wolf (Gayle Rankin) out of her shell by celebrating the birthday that Sheila never wanted to celebrate in the first place. All of this is spearheaded by Jenny aka Fortune Cookie (Ellen Wong), who nabs a huge chunk of the episode's spotlight by taking us through her family's past in Cambodia 🇰🇭, and showing us exactly why she's so desperate to hang on to any part of American Culture that she can, having been deprived of things like birthday parties herself. It all suddenly makes sense, and it was so heartwarming to see just how much Sheila has warmed up to Ruth (Alison Brie), even looking to her for a 'way out' and clutching to her for dear life at the beginning of their amazing scene in the roller rink. Sheila has been so 'stone-faced' and comically dry, that seeing the women ban together and make her feel important, putting a smile on her face, even getting her on roller skates and participating with everyone was one of my favorite scenes of the series so far. Rankin is very close to clinching a piece of my heart forever as Sheila in this series. Obviously, not all is peachy and smiles & skates. Rhonda (Kate Nash) and Sam (Marc Maron) are on the fritz. Sam is embarrassed that their relationship has gone public and in true Sam Sylvia fashion, he treats her like shit after a friendly conversation about Bond films... One that goes a little awry when 'A View to Kill' & the pigeon double take in 'Moonraker' come up. Sam even makes her wait outside so they don't walk in together, even tho all of them are already very much in the know that they are screwing. The cherry on top is when Sam then scolds her for coming in late. He plans on breaking up with her, and goes out venue shopping with Ruth when Bash (Chris Lowell) goes MIA, for reasons only Carmen (Britney Young) knows at the time... Leave it to Cherry Bang (Sydelle Noel) to pull it out of her, though. Should be interesting to see just how she uses this newfound information in the very near future. As Ruth tags along with Sam, while he venue shops with the likes of a space owner played by Brooke Hogan (yes, the infamous daughter of Hulk Hogan and star of the VH1 show that you probably don't remember), Rhonda is doing exactly what her character Brittanica would do... Think things through. This gives her the home court advantage and she breaks up with him upon his return to the hotel. Sam is left stunned & ironically vulnerable as she breaks it off while he's completely nude, dropping the bombshell that she DID actually like him. Upon hearing this news Sam attempts to salvage the relationship, but Rhonda is ahead of him... And she's right. Sam doesn't like Rhonda, not the way she deserves to be liked & loved, anyway. His sudden change of heart is brought on by the terrifying idea of infinite loneliness, so shouting out that he had 'period sex' with her, in an attempt to prove some sort of love or loyalty, simply won't cut it. The great part about seeing all this asshole-ish behavior from Sam through most of the episode? It doesn't last. Sam IS an asshole, don't get me wrong, but that doesn't mean he's a completely unlikable one. One of the biggest 'drama bombs' of the season is dropped when Ruth discovers she's pregnant after literally setting up a chemistry set in her bathroom just to find out, positive or negative. It's a gut-wrenching moment, an impossible one. We've seen Ruth slowly mend things with her former best friend and main event opponent, Debbie (Betty Gilpin)... As we have also seen Debbie patching things up with Mark (Rich Sommer), sort-of anyway, at least making something we could refer to as progress throughout this episode. Imagine destroying all of that and more by adding the extra slap in the face that not only has Ruth slept with Debbie's husband, she's also now carrying his baby. Just as Ruth accompanied Sam on his venue hunt, Sam accompanies Ruth on a mission so distressing & so polarizing among the human race that we can only look at Sam in a different light. Ruth is terrified, but very sure... She's having an abortion. Sam adds some much needed levity to the situation and improvises as Ruth's husband at the abortion clinic. In turn, Ruth faces her traumatic experience and swivels back & gives Sam a 'Zoya The Destroya' line as she heads to the procedural area... "In Soviet Union, abortion is the only thing there is no line for." Her fading smile, sad doe eyes, & nervous laughter provides one of the most poignant & affective scenes in the entire series. She heads back, lays down, assures the doctors, assures herself, and fades into the blue-skied nothingness painted onto a single tile of the clinic's grid, dropped ceiling.

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rebelthroughreading-blog · 6 years ago

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V for Vendetta by Alan Moore

Vigilante V will not stand for the injustice of London’s fascist government and will stop at nothing to make his point.

Quick Information

price: $9.22

number of pages: 296

ISBN: 978-1401208417

publisher and date: Vertigo; New edition 2008

author’s website: None

genre: graphic novel, fiction

main subjects: Totalitarianism, Resistance to Government, comics, graphic novels, Great Britain, vigilantes, politics, dystopias

Plot

In London, a fascist government reigns where exact weather reports and events are spoken to the people every day, and they are no longer allowed to think for themselves. However, someone is unhappy with the way the world is run. V, a vigilante who uses terrorist-like tactics, commits crimes against the government to make a point with a young accomplice, Evey, who is only sixteen.

Who’s reading it?

Due to the nature of graphic novels, the writing is on a level close to 9th grade; however, the book is considered adult fiction, and thus would most likely appeal to older teenagers through adult ages.

Why did I read it?

I neglected to read the book until my graphic novels class while working on my undergrad. For the longest time, I thought that it was one of those anti-government movies made from an anti-government book that was just going to make me doubt everything that I thought I already knew. In a way, I was right, but the book was more than that. When we discussed the book in class, my professor chose it because of its many great qualities, both for being a graphic novel and also having great literary merit. With an eloquent protagonist who was also a villain, the book warned London against a possible future and in turn, also warned the rest of the world of what could come and who could fight back.

Evaluation

One of the most thought provoking graphic novels, and really stories, that I read as a young adult, V for Vendetta created a protagonist who was not necessarily a good guy. With a fascist government, a terrorist against the government, and citizens with the likability of cockroaches, readers have little choices as to who to choose when picking sides. Whereas no one wants the government to continue as it is, no one can necessarily get behind a person who kills innocents as well as guilty individuals and tortures children. How are readers supposed to feel when their options are one evil and another? That is the beauty of the graphic novel. In reality, only on rare occasion are sides black and white. So often, there are problems with both sides, negative aspects, evils. In the real world, no script makes the world exactly perfect. In the real world, people have to consider every part of a situation before making an informed decision. There is no easy choosing between a terrible government and a terrorist.

V, who now works for his own twisted justice, feels no qualms in destroying entire buildings, large amounts of the city, and killing many. If someone is in some way impeding, he kills without hesitation. He keeps to himself except for Evey. Evey is a sixteen-year-old girl who has no money or purpose until she meets V. She sees him as not just a murderer or a terrorist but someone who cares about his city and justice. Justice is a reoccurring theme. Everything is about some sense of justice that may be a bit skewed depending on the person speaking. For Evey, she wants to see that justice, but she does not agree with murder. In fact, she insists on helping but does not wish for him to murder. However, he does, because this is what he does.

Evey goes through a particularly traumatic time when V abandons her in the street to survive on her own, which she does not know how to do, and once she finds someone to take her in and love her, which is all that she really ever wanted from V, he is taken away. Then, when she is at her wits end, considering murdering those who took away her only love left, she is taken away to a terrible place where someone shaves off all of her hair, puts her in ratty and nasty clothes, and keeps her locked away in a cell where the only comfort she has is a rat and a note from someone who too was locked there once before.

But then it is not real. It was all a sham. It was all V doing this by himself. He put her through Hell to rebuild her into someone better; someone more capable. He subjects her to this and then expects her to be a new person, okay with his own actions. She is right, and she and the readers cannot help but somewhat be on the side of this terrorist who tortures children as well.

The Issues

Anti-government

terrorism

protagonist vs. antagonist

sexual content

torture

murder / death / violent

inappropriate for young adults

The title of the book is V for Vendetta. He goes by V, which is one short for his actual name - Victor- but two, standing for Vendetta. He has a vendetta against the government which he so passionately despises. They wronged him, tortured him, and made his life the worst kind of life it could possibly be. He was kept in an internment camp, locked away as a freak they could test, and now he is taking out his vengeance in the most violent of ways. His acts against the peace are dramatic, and in his mind, poetic as they are as drastic and brutal as the government itself. The government can do nothing but make life worse - willing its people to become mindless pawns and controlling their every action. Especially for London, the government is portrayed as definitely going to become this terrible thing that creates its own doom. The book acts as a warning of governments in reality and how they could get eventually.

V is the ultimate protagonist. Though the story follows several different characters, he is the closest to a main character. Yet, despite being the protagonist of the book, he antagonizes the city. He is not necessarily a good guy despite being the “good” role. The government is the antagonist, but is not necessarily “bad” either. They do not fill the roles as neatly at all. There is a question as to which is the protagonist and which the antagonist. Perhaps the readers see it differently, and everything is switched. Whatever the case, they are not cookie cutter characters or organizations.

V takes in Evey who starts off trying to seduce some men into sleeping with her for money. She is not usually a prostitute. In fact, this is the first time starting, but it was not her intention to stop if she was paid well. As the story continues, V and Evey plot to take down a priest who has been raping young girls. V murders him. V murders many, especially those who are “bad” and oppressing others. This goes back to his roots when he was held in a camp and tested on.

The book is classified as an adult graphic novel. It has plenty within it that is inappropriate for younger readers and may be disturbing.

So why should we read it?

There are a plethora of reasons people, especially parents and caregivers, would want this book away from their young adults. The pages contain scenes that children should not read; however, when are you a child in the sense of a book? Though this book would be inappropriate for children in middle school and younger, high school ages are learning more about the world and discussing important things like government, past events, and more. While reading about the Holocaust and World Wars, this book becomes relevant to these younger ages.

How can we use it?

Hand this book to young adults who are beginning to form their own opinions about the presidency, politics, and those sensitive government and life-issues that are occurring around him or her. This book will make them start reconsidering their parent’s opinions and looking at the facts to form their own. They can see the situation and determine what is the most important part and what they can overlook. Considering the protagonist vs. antagonist may give them a better sense of what the world really looks like. It may even help them to understand people that they know and themselves.

Booktalk Ideas

V wears a mask at all times. The mask is of Guy Fawkes. Who is he and why would V want to don his face while enacting his justice? Is there a true significance or is it just a mask?

Evey goes through a journey that leads to her ultimate transformation. It appears to have worked due to her ending involvement to keep V alive. What is the transformation exactly and was the means to it necessary? Did V have to do what he did in order to transform her so completely? Does this make him reprehensible or should he be forgiven as Evey says.

What else can I read?

Watchmen by Alan Moore

Remember, Remember by J. Sharpe

Maus by Art Spiegelman

Awards and Lists

Prometheus Hall of Fame Award

Nominated Best Novel for Prometheus Awards

Nominated Best Script in 2007 for Nebula Awards

Professional Reviews

Jennifer Feigelman (2006), School Library Journal - https://search-proquest-com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/docview/211820250?accountid=10361&rfr_id=info%3Axri%2Fsid%3Aprimo

#ya #young adult #female main character #male main character #graphic novel #v for vendetta #alan moore #vigilante #London #England #government #fiction

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