#this will also make me improve my opinion on a mid-anime too. but I’ll least be aware of the bias

[chase-the-ladybug]

My anime-watcher fatal flaw is I will watch nearly any anime if I’m hooked by the soundtrack. No matter how much the plot sucks if the music hits I will buckle up. A good op will have me jamming in my seat even if I have to grit my teeth through the worst experience of my life afterwards.

[guyinlovewitheremika]

The new key visual looks awesome!! Finally getting more Final Season artwork is so satisfying and this is pretty great! The marley arc is probably my favorite in the manga and getting even more promotional art for it is really cool : D Since we’re still 3 months from the airdate I hope we’ll get another Warrior-centric one, with the new and old crew, but rn, especially with manga context, I love this, and I need to ramble about it.

First of all, Mikasa!!! Mikasa front and center!!! lets gooooo ahh I’m so happy about this! I don’t think she’s ever been this focused on in any of the promotional key visuals and it’s been about time! She looks gorgeous and absolutely ruthless, I’m here for it. It’s also relieving to see that the scarf did in fact stay red which wasn’t totally certain in the pv. I also think it’s interesting that both that shot of her in the pv, as well as her in this visual both kind of highlight her more badass/ruthless side--I’m all here for it cause like, look at her!!! But she also spends a good amount of time in marley being sad and distressed which I hope they’ll do justice to. Either way, she looks amazing and I can’t wait to see her finally in motion.

Levi I’m a little less sure on--his face looks a little odd? Maybe it’s the nose? I’m not really sure. To be fair, his design has probably been the least consistent across the whole anime, and he’s certainly looked worse! But yeah, I’m not 100% sold on his look yet. Also just as it was in the first key visual, his cape is green? Even tho its specifically dyed black in the manga? I’m sure why and I’m kinda sad about that cause I would’ve loved to see that all black look on him, it’s an odd change.

Connie, Jean and Sasha all look good to me (I’m glad we’re getting Sasha artwork before, you know), but Armin gets pushed to the side pretty hard kind of? Given his rather small role this arc, I think it makes sense, tho hopefully key visuals for the later arcs will improve on that. Also sidenote, his pose reminded me a lot of Jean in the S2 Group visual lol

Hange being a bit smaller, but also being centered and depicted as the leader fits well here, especially with her being closest to the airship since she never leaves it. It reminds me of Erwin in a few other posters, kind of continuing the commander position, in a way

That’s some solid continuity!!! (also, Hange :/)

One thing I also dig about this visual is the look of certain textures, specifically metallic objects, like the blades, thunderspears, even the airship. 

It has this like..shiny glow? I can’t really express what I mean with it, but all these objects feel very tangible, very three dimensional, which is cool!

Unfortunately I don’t really feel the same way about all the textures present in this visual. See, non metallic textures, like clothing, skin, and the characters outlines in general have this kind of rough, or gritty look to them. The lines are clear and straight like they used to be, but it’s a little messier? The first key visual did the same thing, let me show you.

Compare it to something like this, where (even tho the resolution is a bit botched on tumblr) everything looks much smoother, cleaner, softer. Maybe it’s because I’m so used to Kyoji Asano’s style of drawing these key visuals for 6 years, but I think I prefer it over the approach of Tomohiro Kishi’s style. But this only is the start of seeing new artwork, maybe I’ll get used to it. It’s a bit odd as Wit’s animation style in the show was known for generally having thicker lines, and even tho they cut back on that in later seasons, it’s still not as thin as in the final season pv, yet its artwork has lines that feel thicker. It’s an odd back and forth.

My honestly biggest gripe with this key visual is it’s actual get up--having characters kind of float around in nothingness isn’t something I really love. I much prefer most of the older group visuals (like the recap movies or the S2 one) where characters at least seemed to stand on surfaces and physical space, and those who weren’t were either shown to be mid air, or obscured enough so you couldn’t see them stand in nothing. As a result, this reminds me a lot of the 3rd S3 visual

I wasn’t a huge fan of that one as it just reused and rearranged the Vol13 poses without really any effort. Like it just plants everyone there and I don’t think the result is really all that impressive. This one does this a lot better, as it has a bit more synergy going for it, there’s a bit of motion (the soldiers flying next to the ship looking like speedlines is a cool touch), and it just looks more interesting in my opinion. I also think it does the manga-ripoff better, as it clearly is meant to resemble vol 26 with the airship and the squad, but it doesnt just reuse the poses--they’re new here, and the overall positioning of everyone reminds me more of the Vol 25 alt cover, or the new 32 one. It feels true to the spirit of the manga without outright copying! I still don’t like the mid air floating, but other than that it’s a solid grouping!

One additional neat thing is that the new gear is drawn with so much detail! Just as in the PV. Which is awesome! Sometimes its a bit though to get a good look at all the specifics in the manga, but here it’s just---exciting. I never even realized that Mikasa has to swap to an entirely different set of 3DMG handle/trigger/grapple that’s attached to her gear as well--everyone else has only one set for either the gun+thunderspear combo or the swords, but Mikasa has both sets on her since she does switch to swords on 103. And its just fucking crazy just how much gear this girl has on her lmao (did you know a single thunder spear weighs 5kg? thats 20 on each hand! plus all the heavy gear that comes with it! she is too strong lmao)

Ultimately, I like this visual a lot. It’s not perfect and some things are gonna take a while to get used to, but overall, I’m so excited to see everyone’s different looks highlighted as the season goes on. And getting so much Marley arc promo atm is very much appreciated! Hopefully we get another one focused on the warriors soon, and, man, even tho it’s a spoiler, I would kill for one visual dedicated to Marley Eren specifically...like...please. 

Bring on the Final Season!!

[radramblog]

Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon is basically OK

Recently, I’ve partaken in some kind of cultural exchange with a friend of mine- namely, I’ve lent her my copies of the Scott Pilgrim novels (god do they kick ass), and she’s lent me her copy of Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon, seeing as I never played it at the time.

Well I’ve now beaten this game, and I have some thoughts about it, so chop chop Keara the story isn’t getting any younger I expect a full book report on my desk next Sunday.

Jokes aside, this was my first experience with a PMD game since Sky (discounting the demo for Gates to Infinity), and having missed the series’s third entry (fourth if you count those Japan-only WiiWare games), it’d be remiss of me not to at least mention that maybe some of the things I’m going to complain about were originally that game’s fault. But apparently that one actively sucks ass so who cares, just shift the blame over, eh?

(ah, primary-school-tier bullying, exactly what I want in my Pokemon game, cool)

I think one of the foremost issues people have about PSMD is the story, and I can’t help but agree. The game spends what feels like forever fucking about in Serene Village, doing what could charitably described as tutorial followed by slice-of-life-ish plots, and while I love me a good slice-of-life anime, those tend to be a lot less slow than this. Also the characters tend to be a lot less one-note, but it’s a kids game, so whatever. Speaking of kids, this to my knowledge is the only PMD game where you and your partner character are canonically children, and spend a lot of time around others. The game seems to establish unevolved Pokemon as kids, which while it doesn’t really add up with the rest of the series (e.g. in the first ones, Caterpie is clearly a child, but Metapod is as well and Gulpin is at least adult enough to run their own store), it would ultimately be excusable if it didn’t make that huge section of the game so boring.

They aren’t consistent with that kids thing, by the way. When you finally reach the Expedition society, you’re met with a bunch of unevolved Pokemon (Archen, Buizel, Bunnelby, Swirlix) that are running around behaving very youthfully, who then turn around and go hey we don’t allow kids in our gang please leave. Like, the plot had been leading me to believe that the whole place was shut down, Ampharos as its final member, and those kids were just running around an abandoned building, but nope, here are your teammates for the rest of the game.

(brown sus)

The remainder of the plot is basically fine, its not like the plots in this series are the greatest on the planet (save maybe Explorers), though the focus on the villains turning people into stone felt pretty awkward. It’s like they wanted to pull off a more dramatic, more personal-stakesy plot but couldn’t actually kill anyone. This gets kind of egregious when you end up in actual hell for a bit, in what I guess is the series tradition of potentially traumatic experiences and blasted hellscapes being exposed to the protagonists. The endgame plot all seems to come at you at once, not helped by it being lots of chained dungeons without returning to towns beforehand- it wouldn’t be as bad if the whole game was like this, but with such a slow start, it just feels so inconsistent. The endgame twist was pretty spicy, I’ll admit, but it didn’t have enough buildup to feel earned in my honest opinion.

(pictured: the best character in the game)

But the plot doesn’t matter so much as the gameplay does it? And as someone who has also concurrently been playing through the first Pokemon Mystery Dungeon game on my GBA, there’s a lot of interesting comparisons to make. The dungeons on the whole are shorter in PSMD, with few of the main-game ones reaching beyond 10 floors (and not going much past it) compared to the prequels’ capping off with a 25+5 floor behemoth in Sky Tower. This is made up for by every floor of the dungeons in PSMD feeling much larger and more labyrinthine than anything in other PMD games, meaning each one takes much longer than you’d think. I dread to imagine what the 99-floor dungeons are like in this game, especially considering you now need an item to quicksave the game if you want to do anything else now. The dungeons themselves additionally really do not feel like they’ve taken advantage of the 9 years of potential design improvements and two console generations of technology improvements between games- it is frustratingly same-old same-old in the dungeon design.

These problems are capped off with the increased difficulty- that is, that every individual Pokemon is significantly more of a threat to you than in previous games, and you don’t really get the opportunity to level grind much. And I’m not opposed to difficulty in games, obviously, but what it does in PSMD is ruin the flow of the gameplay for me. What works in Mystery Dungeons previous was that blend of exploration and combat, and in Super, that gets completely broken up by protracted encounters with even the chump-tier mons you encounter along the way. Also, they made the basic attack complete shit, and I don’t like that.

That’s not to say that the gameplay is all bad. I won’t comment too heavily on the Looplet/Emera system, because I’m kinda mid on it, but it didn’t help that despite all the game’s tutorialising I still didn’t get part of it until most of the way through the story. The game does have some moments of genuine brilliance in design, though. The way you recruit more Pokemon is so much better than the luck-based mission of the previous games, wihle managing to actually make you want to go on the random missions you get thrown throughout the game- for one thing they aren’t random, but it means you have a guaranteed good reward instead of the semi-RNG system where you just end up with a bunch of Gravelerocks and berries you’ll never use. In addition, the system where on non-plot days (and in the postgame) you just get 3 random Pokemon recommended to you, that get bonus EXP if you use them that day, is a great way of encouraging the player to diversify their Pokemon usage substantially, which is nice.

There’s a few other nice gameplay things I’d like to highlight. Considering the increased difficulty, the ability to rescue yourself (read: come back with the overpowered mons the game dropped in your lap) is really nice, especially since it’s not like anyone else is playing these games who can help. The way moves get better the more you use them is nice, especially considering how much more you use one move over and over in this game compared to main series Pokemon games. The random bonus missions and travelling mons you encounter in dungeons are nice, as well as the increased variety in missions available- as well as actually being able to revive fallen escortees, it makes the mission system overall much stronger than in previous entries.

Beyond that, though, I’m not sure what else I have to say about Super Mystery Dungeon. The game is a decent entry in what can barely be called a franchise these days, considering it’s 6 years old and yet still the newest entry, excluding the remake of the first ones that came out last year. It’d be a shame if this was the note we went out on for Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, but to be fair, I don’t think they’re ever going to be able to recapture the magic of the first two games. They struck gold with a lot of people, but I guess at this point, the gleam wore off.

[aarontalksmusic-blog]

A Top 30 Horror Movies

This is Halloween! This is Halloween! There are a lot of awesome horror movies, but I picked just 30 that qualify as my favorites. 

#30 - The Conjuring

So this movie isn’t perfect. The last 20-30 minutes kinda turn into a mess as the demon gets more confrontational. But, the first 90 minutes are a near perfect slow build of tension and smart visual storytelling. All the actors do a good job, even the kids. This movie has insured I never play Hide and Clap.

#29 - Paranormal Activity 2

In my opinion superior to the (still pretty good) original, PA2 moves faster than its predecessor and uses the audience’s curiosity against them in interesting ways. You’re always looking to the edges of the screen for something or someone out of place, and as the movie progresses, that curiosity rattles the nerves more and more.

#28 - The Hills Have Eyes (2006)

One of the only modern horror remakes that improves and expands on the original. The Hills Have Eyes hit when I was a junior in high school. It is gleefully gorey and deranged. People die in awful ways, and the protagonist (seen above) spends most of the last half hour drenched in blood. It’s a lot of fun if you’re into that sort of thing.

#27 - Event Horizon

Space Horror is a hard genre to get right. Event Horizon knocks it out of the park by getting the slow build right. There are gruesome and bloody images from time to time, but the majority of the movie is built on tension and dread. Having Sam Neill and Laurence Fishburne leading the cast adds some dramatic weight to the proceedings.

#26 - The VVitch

The GOAT 17th Century rural horror movie. This movie gets real weird and leaves a lot up to the audience’s imagination. The less said about it the better if you haven’t seen it. But, even for the 2010s renaissance of horror, this one stands out.

#25 - Hereditary

This is a list of my favorite horror movies, not the scariest. If it were “scariest” this would be top 10, maybe top 5. The second half of this movie is some of the most uncomfortable and relentlessly horrifying storytelling I’ve ever seen. Across just two feature films, Director Ari Aster has proved himself a master of the horror genre. We’re all worse off for it.

#24 - Return of the Living Dead

The first movie on this list that is more funny than scary, Return of the Living Dead is laugh out loud hilarious at times. Somehow, it still manages to be a more effective zombie movie than most serious ones. Great punk rock soundtrack and highly quotable, this is great for people who scare a little too easily.

#23 - Friday the 13th Part 2

Basically improving on the original in every way, Friday the 13th Part 2 is iconic even without Jason’s hockey mask making an appearance. The killer instead keeps a lumpy bag over his head the whole time. The movie lets you know early on that its going to be ridiculous, when the Part 2 logo literally smashes through the Friday the 13th title card. Great representation of the slasher genre.

#22 - Suspiria (2018)

I’m a sucker for lore in movies, and Suspiria is full to the brim with details that expand on the world. Led by great performances from Tilda Swinton and Dakota Johnson, the movie is highly intelligent and occasionally brutally violent. The fact that the director’s prior movie was “Call Me By Your Name” shows that he’s a talented filmmaker no matter the genre.

#21 - Halloween (1978)

Michael Myers is iconic. The music is iconic. Jamie Lee Curtis is an all-time great horror leading lady. Halloween is a must watch for horror genre fans. 

#20 - Get Out

This movie is so well written it won an Oscar. Get Out is both hilarious and brutally tense. The acting is awesome across the board. Who knew Jordan Peele would use his comedy talent to make a career in scary movies? 

#19 - Shaun of the Dead

A classic comedy filled with so many jokes that it takes about 3 watches to catch them all. Not scary in the least, but uniquely playful in the genre. Also made Simon Pegg a star. Nothing but greatness here.

#18 - The Descent

I’ll always remember my first watch of this movie. It slaps you in the face with trauma in the first 5 minutes. Then spends three quarters of an hour building tension and claustrophobia before suddenly becoming a solid monster feature. Though it fizzles a little at the end with some wtf moments, the first 3/4ths are very effecting.

#17 - Nightmare on Elm Street

Nightmare on Elm Street is just a cool as hell idea for a horror movie. It takes the occasional predictability of Halloween or Friday the 13th and flips it. The kills are inventive and visually interesting, the effects are very cool, and you get to see Johnny Depp get brutally murdered. win-win-win.

#16 - Saw

Saw came out at a perfect age for me. Seeing this movie at 16 was a great experience. Even as the sequels got worse and worse, the whodunnit nature of the original held up. People were literally drowning in gore by Saw 3, but this is a solid movie that knows when to tone things down. Great watch.

#15 - Evil Dead 2

By turns hilarious and unsettling, watching Evil Dead 2 allows the viewer to marvel at the special effects done on a shoestring budget. Bruce Campbell is an absurd and talented physical actor, and singlehandedly carries this movie into the hall of fame.

#14 - IT Chapter 1

Chopping the 1,000 page Stephen King book in half allowed the first half of the IT saga to thrive. Bill Skarsgard is a fantastic Pennywise, and the child actors all do well. A slightly repetitive series of scares keeps this one from perfection (and would be the downfall of Part 2), but its still an amazing peak of the genre.

#13 - Dawn of the Dead (2004)

Fast zombies. Zack Snyder directing before his head got too big. Hilarious musical cues. Apocalyptic imagery. This movie is one of the best of the zombie genre.

#12 - Fright Night (1985)

One of the most simply fun movies on this list, Fright Night is straight out of the mid 80s. It never takes itself too seriously, but it still has some good scares sprinkled in. An essential vampire movie, and the remake with Colin Farrell wasn’t half bad either.

#11 - The Omen (1976)

One of my early favorites, The Omen is another lore filled film that gradually ramps up the twists until the dramatic finale. Probably one of the least scary films on my list, its built on Gregory Peck being a great actor and a few pretty messed up deaths.

#10 - An American Werewolf in London

Another favorite from childhood, this is the best the werewolf genre has to offer. Made by John Landis who also did Animal House and Blues Brothers, American Werewolf balances 80s level of gore with award winning special effects and clever music (every song featured has moon in the title).

#9 - It Follows

One of the newest (and most original) movies on the list, It Follows is one of a kind. It’s terrifying, has great cinematography and halfway through the movie you have absolutely no clue how it will end. Must see.

#8 - Midsommar

This is absolute newest film on the list, and one I’m anxious to rewatch. Midsommar sets itself apart by being 95% in broad daylight and providing a wealth of backstory to the “bad guys”. Also Florence Pugh shows that she is an amazingly skilled actress, particularly in the final 10 minutes.

#7 - The Exorcist

^That guy is scary. He’s also only in the movie for like 3 seconds. Obviously this is a classic. If you haven’t seen it and like horror at all, it will still amaze you, almost 50 years later. I would’ve loved to be a fly on the wall when it was in theaters watching people lose their minds. Still a masterpiece of the genre.

#6 - The Blair Witch Project

I watched The Blair Witch Project for the first time alone in my room at age...I believe 14. That was a mistake. While the mistakes of the hikers become a bit hilarious on multiple rewatches, the night scenes are still tense af. The last 15 minutes are uniquely terror-inducing. Everybody’s seen this one, but if you haven’t, maybe watch it with the lights on?

#5 - The Evil Dead (2013)

This movie is one of the most intense and relentless horror movies ever. Nail guns, rusty knives, a turkey carver, a chainsaw, a machete: people get literally ripped apart in this movie. But, here’s the thing, its really really fun to watch. You’ll be out of breath when its over, but still.

#4 - Cabin in the Woods

Cabin in the Woods isn’t THAT scary. It flirts with scary. It has some shocking and frightening moments But mostly its a shitload of fun that plays on every trope of the horror genre. It also has one of my favorite final moments of any film on this list.

#3 - The Thing

Underappreciated upon its release, The Thing has become the standard by which body horror is measured. Its delightfully paranoid and lets the audience sit and think as gruesome deaths pile up. 

#2 - Alien

One of the first movies to terrify me, Alien is one of the greatest horror movies ever made. The monster design is iconic. The kills and set pieces are one of a kind. It has a kick ass female heroine played by Sigourney Weaver. What more do you want?

and finally

#1 - The Shining

YEAHHHHHHH Here’s a brief list of iconic Shining scenes: - An elevator full of blood - The old woman in room 237 - All work and no play make Jack a dull boy - The snowy hedge maze - Here’s Johnny - Danny’s vision of the twins - The house of horrors finale featuring the man in bear costume featured above and of course - REDRUM This movie is a masterpiece, made by one of the greatest directors of all time, starring one of the greatest actors of all time and based on one of the scariest books by the defining horror author of our time. Its damn near perfect.

[derekscorner]

Between KH2 and KH3, which game did you like more, both story and gameplay-wise?

Ah is this that KH2 vs 3 debate I hear is ongoing? Well if you’re in for a sit I can answer that.

Gameplay:

From this angle I quite bluntly find KH2 Final Mix more fun. I’m not going to argue what was arguably better or worse, gameplay preference is a matter of…well preference no matter how many wish to deny this fact.

Not that you do but I”m sure some lover or hater of one will see this and try to retort. o3ob

Anyway; I felt Kh2 final mix was more technical and “harder” if I had to describe the feeling. Like 3 KH2 is normally overly easy but when put on critical mode it’s technicalities shine.I had to learn tactics, I couldn’t spam X or △, and I learned uses for summons. Which I found ironic since the 2 summons are far more useful when you dont initiate their moves.

Like if I let Stitch wander the screen he’ll deflect projectiles and keep my MP full. Chicken Little is a great early Magnet substitute and Peter Pan+Tinker Bell gives you a Phoenix Down.This was an improvement to KH1 in which only Tinker Bell was a spell with decent combat use. 1′s other summons had more supplemental uses imo.

KH3′s summons were nearly win buttons I felt. Simba in particular, while damn spectacle, felt broken. I never bothered to learn them as I didn’t need them. Which I’m sure they have their own uses but I’m not really fond of many control schemes for them so I opt out of it.

In terms of the magic system I felt 2 and 3 were opposites. In KH3 magic is far too powerful, something many have noted. And while you dont ‘have’ to use it that’s not an excuse for a problem. You should choose not to use it not force yourself to ignore it for challenge.

KH2 on the opposite spectrum made magic nearly useless I felt. Many enemies didn’t stun nor have elemental damage. Fire’s AOE animation was good for early Critical game and Blizzard helps that first Hollow Bastion visit but many enemies shrug the base spells off later.In contrast, KH2′s Magnet and Thunder spells can be OP. Reflect in of itself is practically the only spell you’d ever need to use due to it’s nature.

So while many have long rants on either’s magic system I dont really think one trumps the other. each one is equally flawed with issues I dont see ever being addressed.

In terms of keyblade combat I preferred KH2′s because I felt like Sora was automated in 3. I spam X cause I’m a scrub at timing presses (DMC5 is helping me overcome that) and due to this I noticed real quick that Sora’s combos just felt really automated.

Like I’d press X for one hit and get three. In contrast, KH2′s combat is harder. Sora animates combos as fast as my lazy ass can spam X and I’m not floating around like a final fantasy god.

I’m not really sure how to put this feeling into words but I do feel Kh2 keyblades are funner or snappier to combo whereas in KH3 I’m playing a watered down FFXV with it’s hold/press X for combo string.

Both games are so similar outside this issue that I dont see no reason to list likes or dislikes. If anything, from here, KH3 had great quality of life changes. The menu system was easier on the eyes and I’d be a damned soul if I didn’t admit I like switching keyblades mid-combat.

I also really appreciate KH3 finally using Re:Coded’s keyblade ideas. It’s been there since that DS game yet no one every expanded on making keyblades unique since. It was a very foolish step backward to me.

I love that keyblades level up, I love that each one has a preference and the only way that could’ve been better is if they adapted Coded’s system entirely and gave each keyblade (or most) it’s own unique combo.

KH2 quite frankly just falls short in a hindsight perspective since keyblades were “stat sticks” and you only ever chose weaker ones for an ability. Which, back then, was a huge step up from KH1.

So KH3 wins in this area I also dont really hate on Kh2 for it since KH2 is a product of the era. This idea of keyblades growing with you didn’t happen till Re:Coded.

As for Shotlocks…I dont like them. I hated them in BBS and I hate them here. It’s not even a comparison to KH2 type of opinion. I hate Shotlocks, I never use shotlocks so I’m going to skip those.

I mean sure, KH2 had limits but the only limits I use are Knocksmash so I can’t exactly praise KH2′s half of that either.

And when it comes to Forms vs Transformations I think both have pros and cons the other lacks. For example, some Transformations are really cool, I love the hammer weapons or the dual pistols.

I also believe the staff transformation is what KH2′s wisdom form should’ve been in terms of how it does magic or basic attacks.

That said, I also really dislike many second forms keyblades have. I never evolve the pistols into the bazooka, I never turn the hammer into the drill, I have those second forms. It’s to the extent I prefer keyblades that have one form such as the staff.

I’m also not fond of the Kingdom Key’s 2nd form change. It’s a neat throwback and I love the outfit recolor but I dont find it fun to use.

Between the two games my favorite forms are Valor Form, Anti-Form, and the Staff Transformation. Odds are I wont use anything else unless I feel particularly bored.

I might use others more often if KH3 forced me to rely on them for tactics but as of right now it does not. This may change with 3 gets it’s Critical Mode DLC. Similar to how KH2FM forced me to rely on forms I hate like Wisdom or Final.

As a concept I will admit that I dislike transformations. I dont like the idea of keyblades becoming magical swiss army knives. KH3 pulled the idea off better than I expected but I dont like it all the same.

The only, and I mean only, thing I felt KH2 did better was tie forms to a meter. In KH3 the commands appear randomly (and often) and I dont gain consequences for using them.

In KH2 this was tied to your Drive Gauge. You had to plan what you used and this is an issue I felt KH3 had as a whole. Rather than shotlocks, I’d have preferred that Focus Gauge to be reserved for my summons and forms so that I could have better control of what I picked and to reduce how broken they are in-game.

The rest is miscellaneous opinions so I’ll rapid fire:

Gummi Ships: always hated them, BBS did Gummi Ships best. Point goes to KH3 here since I can at least skip most of it.

Minigames: I’ve never found a KH minigame fun. No one wins here

Worlds: KH3 wins this aspect too. World towns have actual people in them and when it uses original plots the worlds are quite good. I also appreciate the power to explore and soft platform again. It gives me a more immersive feeling than later titles ever have. (although I feel KH1 was still better than both here)(entirely because of how many small details/cameos/secrets a KH1 world had compared to sequels)

I dont really have a more technical opinion than that. I do however think Arendelle was a horrendous world and I hate to even be there. For a myriad of reasons….reasons that would be a rant post of it’s own.

Lil Chef: I never use the food. I dont care if it’s a good spot for ingredients. If I want to cook stuff I’ll do some irl or play FFXV.

Enemies: KH3 used nobodies more than KH2 did and I find that a damn crying shame. I also felt Unversed were underutilized. KH2 still takes the point here due to the combat points I mentioned above.

KH3 fodder is prettier and can be more elaborate but KH2 is funner to play and destroy them in so KH2.

The Disney Rides: I don’t use them, they break the game. I do like the choo choo though since it’s situational to specific battles. KH2 has nothing akin to these so there’s no comparison, I just wish the rides could be disabled or that they worked more like the train. (set to key fights)

KH2 vs KH3 Commands: Eh both aren’t that good. KH3 spams you commands to shift through and KH2 has so many for spectacles sake that the games get easy. There is no winner here, if anything KH2 should’ve restricted these like KH3 restricts the Train ride summon.

Final Fantasy: I dont like FF games but I consider the ones of Kh1 part of the main cast. Their alternate KH selves are important to me. The lack and fading of FF over the years is quite honestly something I dislike and 3′s total lack of them is inexcusable to me. KH2 takes this point since I got to at least meet Leon and crew again.

Then there’s the story.

Anyone that’s followed the blog or met me knows I strongly dislike the direction of KH’s story. It’s not a matter of things others debate, I do not like it. I hate it and I’m still teetering on quitting.

I wont even go into the points cause I’ve made a whole series of posts about my story gripes. I wont link them since this isn’t a shameless plug, I just want to iterate that my issues with the story has driven me to make 20+ tangents plus the older more angry rants.

Others liking it is fine I think, I get easily annoyed if someone tries to excuse something out of nostalgia or adoration, but generally anyone that likes it while admitting faults or agreeing to disagree is fine. (you do you folks)

If I had to rank them I feel KH2 is where a lot of issues started and I feel a lot of issues got worse after since the sequels tried to “fix” that mess. If left alone KH2 would’ve been a poorly written entry and a good stopping point for any disillusioned fan.

KH3 as a contrast tied up everything after 2 up til 3 itself. I do not consider the story good, the pacing is very jarring because it lacks a mid point, it’s weighed down by all the BS prior to it.

I do not feel attachment for the “trios” of the series, I find the repetition of them annoying. I find it a shame most have more dev time than the originals they’re cloned based on.

And I frankly dislike Xehanort as a villain. He’s not interesting, his motives seem to switch with several report entries and I dont eve get the satisfaction of ending him like I did Xemnas or Ansem.

I was entirely indifferent to the entirety of this game’s narrative as I played it. Something that worried my friend @blackosprey because I was so tired I could not even care enough to hate it.

I did fine the trios reunions well done. I dislike them for a list of reasons but they were coming back anyway, their fates sucked prior, so those were well done. I finally felt hype when the LW appeared (only to vanish, fuck you nomura) and in the final battle.

The ending was confusing to me. So many got a happy ending so I fail to see the logic of Sora vanishing. The Luxu reveal, which I found fucking hilarious, was the only sequel bait needed.To have Sora just up and die felt like a stupid decision and I’m sure many more found it insulting.

And when mentioning Luxu I dont mean it in a sarcastic fashion. I genuinely find him funnier in retrospect due to this retroactive change. Nearly every line or scene he’s said is now funny as hell because he’s this ancient troll. I consider it the first legitimately earned twist Nomura has made in ages.

Still, KH2′s writing and story isn’t great either. I could rant why, I have ranted why, but despite it’s flaws it was an “ending” to me.So if asked 2 or 3 I will pick 2. The writing in Kh2 is bad for lots of reasons but if I ignore the Ansem reports it’s no a story about Xehanort.

Ignoring one KH2 report let’s me live this simpler story of Sora and a scientist gone mad and the journey to stop him. It had a lot of stupid things or one of the worst “twists for twists sake” moments ever in the ‘two ansems’ reveal.

But still, I can play Kh2 and be in a KHverse where Xehanorts, Keyblade Wars, Ceremonies, timelines, sleeping worlds, data world abuse, and clones upon clones dont exist.

It’s not nostalgia so much as everything I came to dislike was post KH2. KH3 was all about these things I dont like. My favorite for key and nostalgic reasons is KH1, my pick of the question is Kh2.

KH3′s best assets that can’t be contested was it’s graphical evolution. I played KH3 three times back to back due to this, I came away from KH3 wishing KH1 or 2 looked like this. No game prior contests the look.

So all in all, as I reread this, it’s largely a mixed bag. Neither game is grand but I prefer KH2 because combat is more fun to me and it’s not tied down by a narrative and mythology I’ve come to hate.

I can play KH1, CoM, and KH2 and never be annoyed about something I loved going in a direction I hated.

[archiveofstyle]

Burn the Stage Movie Review

Please don’t read this if you do not want spoilers about the movie. This is a review about my thoughts about BTS’ Burn the Stage (the movie, not the series on YouTube). I’ve also seen the YouTube series so I’ll do a quick comparison of the two. I highly recommend watching both! They both give different feelings!!

The best parts

-Seeing snippets of the behind-the-scenes of their lives -> You get to see the silly parts of BTS, the hard work they put into their concerts, the little free time they actually get, their brotherhood and friendship etc. I really liked seeing how Yoongi explained that though he likes making music, it can be a chore too. That’s very real.

-Being able to understand a bit more about how the industry works -> I find that part where Bang PD reminds them that they need to be happy to be sad and frustrating. It makes me feel like they’re half being commercialized/programmed to have to constantly feel happy to please the fans or to do their “work”. It’s sort of like what Namjoon mentions at the very end of the movie. He speaks of an illusion that they (BTS) might have created for the fans; this was how it was translated in English. It might have been different in Korean. That makes me think . . . about this “illusion”. 

I mean, if you think about it, every time a member cries during a concert or doesn’t smile as much, all the fans start going into a panic mode, question who’s responsible for this sadness, etc. That made me think . . . isn’t sadness part of our lives too? Why is it that we expect BTS to constantly be happy? No one is always happy; that’s the truth. 

Somehow, I suddenly realized that maybe we have been imposing an illusion on them or maybe taking away a normal emotion that we experience from time to time. There are days when I don’t want to get out of bed or that I’m frustrated because this doesn’t work out or that I just feel lonely, and on those days, I don’t smile or look happy. I’m sure everyone has had those days too, so that makes me wonder . . . why do a lot of us just jump to all these conclusions? Why can’t a lot of us accept that, well, they’re like us and might have just had one of those feelings I mentioned?

 I also find it really sad that Bang PD has to remind the members to consider their own happiness, probably because they give so much to the fans and work so hard that they forget that they have to take care of their health!! I’m glad mental health is something that’s still emphasized at BigHit. That, I appreciate.

-Listening to each members’ thoughts at the very end of the movie -> It was refreshing to be able to hear each members’ opinions about what BTS is about. I also loved being able to understand what the fans mean to BTS and how they feel overall about how far they’ve come. At the end of the day, like Jimin says, they are still true to themselves. Like what Namjoon says, we’re all bound by fate--BTS and ARMY. 

The parts that could have been improved

-The narrator’s voice -> I’m very picky with voices, so this is a biased point. However, I would find the movie to be EVEN better if the narration were done by all of the BTS members. I’d find the lines to be even more touching and less like an animal/historical documentary where things feel more like stated facts. I think a 3rd party’s narration really takes away from that intimate, raw feeling I got from the YouTube series. This movie felt more . . . like there was a distance between the fans and BTS, in a way. I can’t really describe it well. Sorry, but I think you’ll understand once you watch both and feel the difference.

-Some of the editing of the movie -> I appreciated seeing the behind-the-scenes of the members. Yes, I did tear up whenever I saw one of the members hurt. However, I felt like just when we’re about to feel more of our emotions when we see the members injured or in contemplation or there’s just some overall sad tone, the editor decides to snip off to the next scene and then just move on. I guess in a way, you can say that that’s how BTS is forced to deal with their pain or emotions. They just have to move onto the next venue, but it would have been nice to stay like at least 20 more seconds with the instrumental playing in the back for us to have those emotions sink in!!

 -More little interviews from BTS -> I would have loved to have seen more of the members talking about their lives etc. Like the YouTube series. I get that this is more like a documentary, but somehow I just felt that slight distance between BTS and us fans from the movie and that lack of rawness. Sorry, I wish I could explain things better again, but I think for those that have seen both, you’ll get what I mean.

Overall thoughts/reflection

I teared up at probably what people would consider, the most random moments, but I have reasons for crying during those seemingly trivial points during the movie. The first time I teared up was when they were touring the States and they were travelling in the van. I started getting the feels when Hobie suggested they bail the clothing store they wanted to visit due to the long line. I felt sad because they probably don’t have time to line up and they don’t want to gather more of a crowd. It’s their alone time, so naturally they’d want to be able to enjoy that without having to be “on call”. When I really cried was when one of the members had gotten two bags of hot dogs and all of the boys were genuinely so excited as if those hot dogs were Michelin star meals. Why did I cry?

It hit me that BTS are just like us and that the more extraordinary you become, the more ordinary you wish to be. Us? Most of us are what we’d consider “ordinary” compared to BTS based on our society’s view on success, yet we strive to be extraordinary. I find the irony to be a mixed bag of emotions. BTS is touched when they are able to roam on the streets. I cried when Jungkook got out of the van and said, “Well at least we get to walk around.” How many times do we get to stroll around a place freely or just walk around without anyone staring or caring? How easy is it for us to buy some hot dogs from a stand or go line up at a popular store to get goods? Somehow, we seem to forget that these “ordinary” moments are extraordinary for these boys and maybe we forget that these “extraordinary” people want to be treated like “ordinary” people or want to live like “ordinary” people during their downtime. 

Another point of reflection was when I saw how hard the boys worked and thought about the amount of effort I’ve put towards my own dreams. The boys rarely complain even when they’re sleeping so little. You see that they’re still up at 4 am or Yoongi mentions that rehearsal somehow goes till 3 am and then they have to get up at like 6 am or 8 am. Myself? When I don’t get enough sleep, I definitely complain and groan. It’s not like I don’t put effort into my work; it’s that when compared to them, I feel like I really have no reason to complain. When they’re working so hard and still having to smile, really, what is there for me to whine about? 

From this movie, I’ve learned to appreciate my “ordinary” life. I realize that stardom really is a double-edged sword and I’m perfectly fine being unknown. I don’t think I’d be able to handle the pressure of having to be “perfect” on stage and not have to disappoint fans. I really admire how they’re able to handle stress at such a young age. We forget . . . they’re all only in their early to mid 20s, a time when most of us probably make a lot of blunders and are still trying to find our spot, yet they have to always be on their game.

What I wish for BTS after seeing this film -> I hope they find time to rest, to be “ordinary” and to stay healthy. If they need a break, just let them have one. IF they don’t post so often on Twitter, that’s fine too. If they want to cry, just let them cry quietly and not ask for reasons or trend it online. (Honestly, who wants the whole world to know that they’ve been crying????) If they’re not always doing fan service, that’s okay. No one can be doing aegyo all the time. If you happen to see them roaming the streets, don’t stalk them. Let them go, be free, and enjoy life like us. If they gain a bit of weight or have lost weight, don’t keep bugging them about it. Don’t we all get self-conscious when others remind us of our weight? If their skin doesn’t seem perfect, let it go. We all get breakouts. We all have imperfections. If they get tanned, let that go too. Don’t we all get tanned during the summer and why even whitewash their lovely natural skin tone? If they’re wearing stuff that’s not so fashionable, who cares too? Don’t we all have those exam days where we’re in gross hoodies and sweats? If they have partners, respect them and their choices and let them date, please. How can they write love songs if they’ve never experienced love? If they don’t break the next record, that’s fine too. We still love them anyway. We know how hard they’ve worked and that’s enough. They can lean on us. If they fall, we’ll be there to catch them and pick them right up. 

[drops-of-moonlights]

Yes! Precure 5 and Yes! Precure 5 Go GO! Final thoughts and emotions

So! Here’s the promised kinda big post about how I ended up feeling about these two seasons (aka HOW DID I LOVE THEM?) and both the things I loved and hated about them.

Also, fair warning: I more of less insult another Precure season in this post in one sentence. So if you’d rather not, I’ll recomend not reading this. (And no, it’s not Doki or HaCha, the two most hated seasons, in account I haven’t even seen Doki yet.)

So, let’s start!

Canon Het? In my Precure?

These are the few seasons with canon (and het) couples in the entire franchise, and damn, they’re weird. Ignoring the fact that Nozomi and Komachi (and Urara and Karen as well, to an extent) are essentially dating their fairy mascots who transform into humans, there’s some kind of..inbalance is the word I’m gonna use. Coco and Nuts appear to be MUCH older than the girls (to the point Coco easily passes as Nozomi and Rin’s teacher), which adds an extra layer of “wrong” in the relationships (Urara and Karen don’t really suffer from this since Syrup looks to be as the same age as Rin and Nozomi, and Milk is outright stated to be 14 in the first season).

Someone told me like, two years ago that Coco and Nuts are “supposed” to be 17, which...kinda makes them slightly better but not by much? (I have the same mixed feelings about UsaMamo). And honestly, if they had said that Coco was a teacher apprentice or something I MIGHT have minded it less? IT’S KINDA MESSY IT’S WHAT I’M SAYING.

Milk, Part 1

On the subject of the mascots, I was always told I was going to hate Milk and...No? Why would I hate her? She’s the fucking best??

No, really, why would I hate her? Was it because she was an asshole at the start? She had ALL the right to distrust the Cures when she first met them; they’re her age, and she couldn’t do anything to help her Kingdom. How were these five girls her age, who knew nothing about her home and were barely even friends at this point, ACTUALLY SAVE Palmier?

The Villains

Nightmare was really boring. I liked the whole corporation theme (and how it was so strongly associated with giving up your dreams) and Desparaiah was an interesting final boss, but aside from Bunbee, Kawarino and Bloody to a point, none of the villains had actual personalities and that made the fights kinda stale after a while. I will give them the fact that they managed to traumatize the girls so bad in the mid-season arc finale that THAT’S the thing that the girls feared the most in GoGo. Not the final fight (which was REALLY creepy, I’ll admit), but THIS.

Eternal, on the other hand, did things MUCH better. Most of the villains had AT LEAST a well-established motif (Skorp, Shibiretta and Anacondy were my favorites), and the “this is an actual job” theme was better executed than with Nightmare, what with the paperwork and the raises and other things (Also, Bunbee and Skorp’s friendship was the best thing it was so cute). The Director was a very well executed, if kinda one-note, final boss as well.

The series finale also made me realize two things: 1, that’s probably the strongest finale after Fresh and Smile’s, and 2, it made hate the Heartcatch finale’s pacing even more, and I already hate Heartcatch’s pacing to begin with.

Attacks

The first season’s attacks...were awful, honestly. Seriously, who tought DREAM ATTACK was a good attack name?! The Symphony Set attacks were better, and Precure Five Explosion was a good group attack. GoGo!’s, however, ARE SO FUCKING GOOD. All of them are tied to the girls’ personalities and are visually stunning. Also, I want a Cure Fleuret. A ROSE SWORD? SIGN ME THE FUCK UP. Milky Rose’s attacks were beautiful as well.

The Mascots (Milk, Part 2)

I really love the dorky mess of a rabbitblob Milk is and how she becomes even DORKIER as Kurumi. How much of a tsundere she was with Nozomi, how much she loved Karen, Coco, Nuts and her Kingdom, how she grew so much Coco and Nuts saw fit to leave HER in charge of Palmier while they resolved the deal with the missing regents, how the main reason she was “mysterious” was because it’s her role as the New Magical Girl in Town Who is Also Purple ™, I LOVE MILK. A LOT.

As for the other mascots, Syrup was adorable and I’d argue the true protagonist of GoGo!, Coco was a dork from time to time and being the protagonist of the ONLY GOOD DIET EPISODE IN ALL OF SHOUJO helps, and Nuts was so much of a tsundere if flip-flopped between cute and boring.

The plot and themes

The first season’s theme was The Importance of Dreams, like with GoPri, and it actually was really well handled, even better than GoPri did in some areas, I’ll admit. All of the girls solidified their dreams in this season and those carry onto GoGo! as well, and I always like the argument that your dream CAN change overtime, that you don’t have to stick with one option for the entirety of you life. Using butterflies as the motif worked really well, too.

GoGo’s theme seemed to be “The Importance of Life and what determines something or someone’s value”, and having the lesson being “nothing can put an arbitrary value on anything and especially not on a living being” was surprisingly refreshing, in a way. Also, where they specifically going for an Utena reference with all the roses? Cuz’ damn. Those were a lot of roses. The rose swords didn’t help.

Music

ALL OF THE OP’S AND ED’S WERE SO GOOD. ALL OF THEM. They actually made me want for the new seasons to not rely so much on the dancing. I love the dancing, don’t get me wrong, but damn if these endings weren’t cute as all fuck. Also, Twintail Magic. That is an actual image song title. That is said out loud in the show proper. That is ALL.

The Cures themselves

Karen was the coolest dork in existence, jesus fuck. Her development was SO GOOD. Her whole thing in Yes! was that she needed to learn that there are things she CAN’T do alone, and learning that the thing she wants to do in life is help others as a doctor was really, really cool. Also, her relationships with Milk and Komachi were cute as fuck, and her rivalry with Rin was really entertaining.

Komachi is the best, my god. She was so sweet and so calm and so FULL OF DETERMINATION SHE KILLED A VILLAIN WITH A SHIELD, how her fears about her writing seemed so realistic, how much of a dork she was with books and how much of an asshole she was with scary things, I love her so much.

URARA HAD NO RIGHT TO BE HERSELF. She was so cute and so peppy and so afraid of failing, so loyal to her friends she would reject a chance to stardom for them, so shy at first and so dorky around her friends, so glad to have friends like hers, so determined to follow in her mom’s footsteps, SO GOOD. Effervescence fits her so well.

Rin deserves a prize after dealing with pre-character development Nozomi, let’s be real. She was atlethic and cutesy, she was the sarcasm of the group, she became a Cure simply to help Nozomi, she was great, even if she was the one I related to the least.

And Nozomi. Dear lord, Nozomi. She’s probably up there as my favorite Precure protagonist, right up with Love, Megumi and Haruka. How she started as having no dream, no goal in mind (I was 17 when I watched Yes and I also had no idea what the fuck I was going to do with my life after high school, so she was relatable as fuck), how she was the first time I ACTUALLY SAW THE NEGATIVE PARTS OF THE “SUCKS AT SCHOOL” MAIN CHARACTER TROPE and how she struggled to raise her grades, how happy she was with her slow improving, how she ended up wanting to be a teacher to help people like her, how she rose up after falling in despair so many times, I LOVE NOZOMI SO MUCH.

Conclusion

These two seasons were flawed as all fuck and probably suffered from bad animation more than Fresh did (WHICH IS SAYING SOMETHING), but they’re in my opinion some of the best, and these two seasons paved the way to what Precure would become from Fresh onwards. And I can’t not thank that.

To finish, TL;DR I loved the Yes! seasons more than I thought I would and they probably tie with GoPri and Fresh as my favorite Precure seasons.

Well! Onwards to Splash Star!

[fanfic-scribbles]

20. Costumes

A/N: Sooo…maybe this is the beginning of a bunch of connected drabbles because when I was absently planning out what I might be able to do for the prompts I got a little story thread going. Ahead: some angst, some drama, and eventually some well-earned fluff. Also, I hope you like this one, but if not then stay tuned, I will do better. No joke I tried to write this two other times. I think I threw out about 2k words before I even wrote this beast >.>; Also also: thanks to the lovely people enjoying this/reblogging/liking/commenting. I’m still getting the hang of messaging on Tumblr but I’ll try to reply when/if I can. Writing these every day takes a large chunk of my time, so please forgive my lack of social graces <3

Words: 1758

Warnings: Crowley crushing on Reader. Use of a princess nickname but in a way that doesn’t necessarily denote the reader’s gender. (I hope. I’m trying real hard and will continue to do so.) Pining for Cas and mentions thereof but no actual Cas (gasp).

  “Phantom of the Opera” has lied to you.

So has “Labyrinth.”

Masquerade parties are dull as shit.

Case in point: you have found, through the under-appreciated art (Dean) of eavesdropping that this party is at least a third, if not half, attended by supernatural creatures, while the remainder are trust-fund (figurative) zombies. This should be an interesting fact, maybe a little anxiety-making, but you’re so fucking bored that you almost wish a vamp would jump you. At least then you’d get to do something other than itch under your mask, but no.

Your eyes skim over the crowd. You see Dean charming the hell out of two young socialites and the top of Sam’s head, but not who he’s talking to. You sit at a tall table and absently swirl the wine in your glass. It’s probably fine but at a party with such mixed clientele, you don’t tend to take chances with food and drink. Especially considering the people currently throwing the party…

“It is covered by angel warding,” Cas said.

“But this guy’s house is where those things came from?” Dean said, looking at the map.

“Did you not hear what I just said?” Cas was edging toward anger.

“That just means we need to check it out even more,” Dean said. “Rich asshole collecting monsters? Why?”

“Private zoo, apparently,” Sam cut in, tapping away on his laptop. “Charlie hacked into his emails, financial records…she’s still sifting through the info but get this: Hugo and Alex Ellison are brothers, inherited a fortune and are basically socialites. They throw parties and show off their money.”

Hugo and Alex haven’t been apart all night. They have a little posse up on a dais and they seem too concerned with their immediate little world to care about the party at large. Unfortunately, security is fairly tight so you also can’t get close enough to see what kind of monsters they are, or if they’re witches. Maybe demons. Because rando rich dudes don’t know the kind of things that make Cas sulk and pace outside.

You puff out some air. Can’t get to the high and mighty revelers, can’t go check a few of the ‘pets’ they brought along, can’t shoot silver into that handsy fucking dog that walked by you earlier. This is turning out to be a total waste of time and you’re about ready to throw in the towel and make a break for it.

You rest your elbow on the table and your head in the palm of your hand. You wish Cas could be here. Not really for protection, because you can handle yourself, but you think he would have looked good. Uncomfortable, but good. A nice fitted suit and bright blue eyes piercing out of an old, ornate mask. You smile at the thought.

Though, hell, even if you couldn’t have Cas looking all dapper, Gabriel would have been nice to have around. Say what you will about him, the guy knows how to make his own fun. Instead, you’re sitting at a table with a very drunk, pretty young redhead who looks like she’s either going to make an important existential observation or get sick all over the table. Both seem pretty repugnant to you right now but at least if she throws up you don’t have to fake politeness to excuse yourself.

“Hey…heeeeeey.” She smiles like she’s only just realized you’re there and you fake a smile back. “Have you seen the ami-al- the an-i-m-a-l-sss?” She giggles. “They’re wild.”

“I’ve heard about them.” Apparently some people –mostly drunk humans, and pretty boys and girls at that– have been chosen to go see the small selection the Ellisons have brought to the event. You’ve been hearing all sorts of animal parts and have sort of tuned it out.

“I only got to see, like, two before I got tossed out.” She pouts and holds up her silver bracelet. “I accidently…well, “accidentally” fell into that cutie Hugo. He fuh-reaked. How was I supposed to know he’s deathly allergic to silver?!”

Hugo is possibly a shifter. That’s interesting, and more than you’ve gotten otherwise. Huh. Satisfied with that tidbit, you smile politely and eye the crowd again for Sam and Dean. This might be enough to get you out of here.

“Hey.” She leans in closer and licks her lips as she eyes you. “What’d’you say we go slip off these masks…and maybe a little bit more?”

“No thank you,” you say and slide out of your seat. The woman, though, has a strong grip on your hand. Too strong, in your opinion, for someone who looks drunk enough to be a floppy noodle. She keeps her hand on yours and comes around the table to sidle up next to you. “Come on, Hunter,” she whispers and flashes her fangs at you. “We could have some fun, and you smell delectable…”

“Oh sweetheart, don’t lose your head,” you say with the sweetest smile you can muster. She snarls. “No sense of humor. Sorry, but that’s why it won't work out between us.”

She grips your hand tighter. “Eating the human guests is strongly discouraged but I bet I wouldn’t be–”

“Oh, hello Love.”

Can this night get worse? you ask yourself and for once you aren’t worried about jinxing yourself. The Monster Zoo somehow getting loose and running amok would actually improve things, in your opinion. You look at Crowley and his bodyguards but your exasperation only serves to make him smile wider. Of course.

“I’m sorry, love, but we’re busy,” Vampirella says.

“I wasn’t talking to you, leech,” Crowley says and looks at her with derision. He flits his hand. “Shoo.”

She growls, but leaves in a huff. You rub your now-sore hand but Crowley quickly steals it and purrs your name before pressing a kiss to it. “I always knew you’d clean up nicely.”

You always tried to be cordial in your dealings with the King of Hell but right now his flirtations are even more annoying than usual. “Crowley.”

“And what is my favorite little hunter doing in a place like this?” Crowley says and takes a seat next to you. You remain standing and keep skimming for Sam or Dean because fuck where are they?

“Just enjoying the atmosphere. And you?”

“Oh, accepting an invitation from a friend. Mingling. Networking. Saving a hunter from a vampire.” He smiles smugly at you. “You’re welcome, by the way.”

You narrow your eyes. “I can handle a–”

“My love I know you can, however, half the crowd is some form of “monster” themselves and the other half hasn’t even had a papercut.” Crowley sips his wine. “All of them are decidedly not on your side should you come back covered in blood.”

You roll your eyes. He has a point. Damn it. “Then thanks. For saving my outfit,” you grumble.

“You’re welcome. You do look quite fetching in it. Now, since you and I are both here and bored out of our respective skulls, fancy a dance?”

“Actually, I was just about to leave. Nice seeing you,” you say as you finally see Sam and Dean. Just as you take a step though you see that they’re being cornered by intimidating guys in suits. Who may or may not be human. Though…why go human when you can get stupidly strong demons or vampires to do the job for you? Your stomach drops.

“Moose and Squirrel have done it again, have they?” Crowley puts an arm around your waist. “You know…I could get them out of here.”

You glance at him. “In exchange for?”

“Oh, I love it when you get right to business,” Crowley says and overacts a shudder. Ew. “I’ll get your boys and you out. In exchange, you will be my date for the remainder of this dreadful party.”

The suited men (or somethings) are trying to drag Sam and Dean away. “For the rest of the party I will be your date. In return Sam, Dean, and I leave here, alive, our souls intact.”

“Let’s seal the deal then,” Crowley says. You try not to think too hard about it when you…ergh…kiss Crowley. It’s just business, it’s just business and God damn it Dean and Sam Winchester you two fucking owe me.

You pull away (and look away from Crowley’s self-satisfaction) and in the next second you’re in between the guards and Sam and Dean.

“Crowley?” Dean says and Sam hisses your name. You sigh and turn to them while Crowley schmoozes with the guards.

“I have to stay for a little while, but you two are leaving,” you whisper.

“The hell you are!” Dean says.

“Well, sort of. It is part of the deal she made to clean up your little mess,” Crowley says and wraps his arm back around you. “You can go hang out at Denny’s with your giraffe as far as I care. Your partner will be out at midnight.”

“Not a fucking ch–” Dean disappears mid-rant, as does Sam, and you jolt. The teleportation thing is something you never get used to.

“They’re with dear Castiel. Shall we have that dance now?” Crowley says and lifts a hand. You brace yourself for the next few hours, and accept it.

The party picks up a little bit and Crowley seems to enjoy having you on his arm, which is a weird thing that you can’t quite figure out, but you go along with it because that’s the deal. He also doesn’t seem to mind you’re otherwise crappy company, and you try to tune out when he talks about souls and deals, though he doesn’t make any while you’re around. You’re grateful for that, because you don’t want to make him get pissed and void the deal.

You’re feeling fairly tired by the last dance but all you can think of is getting home and crawling into bed. And of Cas. Crowley leads the dancing and you wonder what it would be like to dance with Cas. You’d have to figure out how to teach him but this seems easy enough. Cas in his suit and mask, holding your hand. Cas moving with you, moving closer to you…

“Such a shame, Cinderella; your carriage is about to be a pumpkin,” Crowley murmurs and kisses you, deeply. There’s no deal, no joke, and just as suddenly as it starts it stops and you find yourself outside on the street in a lightly drizzling rain, your flimsy coat over your shoulders, wondering what the fuck just happened.

[douchebagbrainwaves]

GOOD NEW IDEAS COME FROM EARNEST, ENERGETIC, INDEPENDENT-MINDED

It was a lot of good mathematicians are bad teachers. Good startups will move to another city as a condition of funding. Even if your colleagues were impressed by your credentials, they'd soon be parted from you if your performance didn't match, because the company would go out of business and the people would be dispersed. All a city needs is to be the most powerful forces in human nature. This too seems a technique that should be generally applicable. 9999 free! For example, so far the filter has caught two emails that were sent to my address because of a typo, and one of the things they're doing is breaking up and misspelling words to prevent filters from recognizing them. In my filter, the spam probability of Act is 98% and for act only 62%. Of course, a would-be silicon valley faces an obstacle the original one didn't: it has to stand up to existing magnets like MIT and Stanford.

Then one of their parents introduced them to a small investment bank that offered to find funding for them to start their own. Subject free, free! The cycle time is limited by the time you had a thousand startups. But a bunch of small organizations in a market can come close. If I were in college now I'd probably work on graphics: a network game, for example, or a tool for 3D animation.1 In my filter, the spam probability of only 65%. When I was in high school it wouldn't have seemed too far off as a description of the US either.2

But in the US are also big tourist destinations: San Francisco, or Boston, or Seattle.3 This lets me get ip addresses and prices intact. How can we build a silicon valley, if they hadn't had to write a dissertation. But I took so many CS classes that most CS majors thought I was one. You're better off starting with a crude version 1, then f iterating rapidly. Even if your colleagues were impressed by your credentials, they'd soon be parted from you if your performance didn't match, because the key stage in the life of a startup hub. What you can't have, if you want to encourage startups. If a physicist met a colleague from 100 years ago, he could teach him some new things; if a psychologist met a colleague from 100 years ago, why wasn't everyone using it? The first step is to have an explicit belief in change. For example, I write essays the same way you are, are you really out of your element? Now we seem to be working on; there's usually a reason.

And that means it has to grow organically. Nerds are a distinct type of rich people, it has few nerds. So look for simple things that other people have overlooked—things people will later claim were obvious—especially when they've been led astray by obsolete conventions, or by trying to reverse-engineer Winograd's SHRDLU. The practice seems to have begun in China, where starting in 587 candidates for the imperial civil service exams took years, as prep school does today. The top US Computer Science departments are said to be MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, and Carnegie-Mellon? Before credentials, government positions were obtained mainly by family influence, if not outright bribery. A town with personality is one that doesn't feel mass-produced. They'd probably vary in size by orders of magnitude. It's a hub of glamour, a magnet for all the shift from credentials to measurement. I was a philosophy major in college. It's hard to beat this phenomenon, because the schools adjust to suit whatever the tests measure.

A Plan for Spam I hadn't had any, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Can that be done? Subject line becomes Subject foo. Usually you don't get much practice at the third skill, deciding what problems to solve.4 I approach improving the filtering rate as optimization, and decreasing false positives as debugging. Then you can measure what credentials merely predict.5 It would hurt the startups somewhat to be separated from their original investors. One is simply that they trained their filter on very little data: 160 spam and 466 nonspam mails. Thomas Huxley said Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.6 Arguably, these are neither my spam nor my nonspam mail. For the price of a football stadium, any town that was decent to live in Pittsburgh or Ithaca. But his work led to more work till that sliver had expanded into something bigger than the whole economy of which it had initially been a part.

For example, in the sense that we encourage the startups we fund to work this way. So for the next couple years, but the startup community around it has to compete with Apple: be a better way of preventing it than the credentials the left are forced to fall back on. The future turned out to be a great thing that Apple tablets have accelerometers in them. If a city offered these companies a million dollars per startup.7 History suggests that, all other things being equal, a society prospers in proportion to its ability to prevent parents from influencing their children's success directly. But working on this is not my first priority, because I still have no trouble catching these spams. If you want to create a silicon valley, you not only need a university, but one of the main forces driving the spread of smallness began: in the world of startups. It has fabulous weather, which makes it significantly better than the soul-crushing suburban sprawl. But first, I thought, I'll see how far I can get with single words.

And the societies that win will be the ones you would least mind missing. I just wanted to explore what it would take. Even so I can answer for both.8 Beware, because although it's full of rich people.9 A wimpy little single-board computer for hobbyists that used a TV as a monitor? Do you have good weather?10 As a result it became massively successful. Spams tend to have a lot of creative people, but few nerds.

Venture investors, however, prefer to fund startups that won't leave. In fact, Shockley Semiconductor and Fairchild Semiconductor were not startups at all in our sense.11 And that's why less popular languages, like Jane Austen's novels, continue to survive at all. And it would get easier over time, because the people they admit are going to take over the world is going. More libraries get written for popular languages, because they were laid out before cars, and they're more varied, because they give them more leverage over developers, who can more easily be replaced. The greatest advantage of a PhD besides being the union card of academia, of course may be that it gives you some baseline confidence. I can think of that a city could attract angels from outside. And yet, mysteriously, Viaweb ended up crushing all its competitors. Fifty years later, startups are ubiquitous in Silicon Valley don't make anything out of silicon, there always seem to be multiple links back to Shockley. 16% false positives. It is a truth universally acknowledged?

Notes

So instead of admitting frankly that it's hard to say they prefer great markets to great people.

I'm not saying that the usual way of calculating real income statistics calculated in the first million is worth more to most people will pay people millions of people, how could it have meaning? I have about thirty friends whose opinions I care about Intel and Microsoft, incidentally, because any VC would think twice before crossing him. If anyone wanted to.

Learning to hack is a meaningful idea for human audiences. In many fields a year of focused work plus caring a lot of problems, but there has to work for us now to appreciate how important it is less secure. Default: 2 cups water per cup of rice. And you can do with down rounds—like full ratchet anti-takeover laws, they have a different type of round, though in very corrupt countries you may get both simultaneously.

You'll be lucky if fundraising feels pleasant enough to become one of the art business? I almost hesitate to raise the next year they worked together mostly at night, and one didn't try to give you fifty times as much difference to a college that limits their options? You should only need comments when there is the desire to do tedious work.

Success here is Skype. Or it may be loud and disorganized, but you're very docile compared to sheep. This phenomenon may account for a block or so you could get all the other: the process dragged on for months.

That's why the Apple I used to those. A startup founder could pull the same in the construction industry.

Dan wrote a hilarious but also the highest maintenance. We're delighted to have discovered something intuitively without understanding all its implications. Treating high school textbooks. Merely including Steve in the case.

A more accurate predictor of success.

Whereas there is a new Mosaic. By your mid-century big companies may be a founder; and not fundraising is the fact that they aren't.

If you like the arrival of desktop publishing, given people the shareholders instead of being harsh to founders with established reputations. The aim of such high taxes during the Ming Dynasty, when Subject foo not to be hidden from statistics too. Maybe it would not make a formal language for proofs in which case immediate problem solved, or in one where life was tougher, the main causes of the big acquisition offers are driven only by money, buy beans in giant cans from discount stores. That's the lower bound.

If you want as an employee or as outside counsel, they are so intellectually dishonest in that it would be investors who say no to drugs.

[puclpodcast]

PDL Week 4 Recap

PDL Week 4 Recap

This is the final week before the first bye week and teams are giving it all they have got before a well deserved week of rest.

DEP vs. BAL: 2-0

NWN vs. AUK: 0-4

HEH vs. MIN: 0-3

VAV vs. DCC: 0-4

TOT vs. MIL: 0-3

BFS vs. MID: 0-3

COG vs. ITA: 6-0

SHS vs. LOL: 6-0

SLC vs. JAX: 3-0

NJJ vs. HFW: 0-5

BEN vs. PIP: 3-0

NYY vs. BLP: 3-0

This week the Corsola Cola Division played off against the Rhyhorn Steakhouse and lets just say that Corsola Cola can’t overpower the flavor form the Rhyhorn Steakhouse. With 5 out of the 6 games going in favor of the Rhyhorn Steakhouse division. The same  outcome happened between the Green Tauros division and the Toxapepsi Division. The hooves from Green Tauros stopped the Merciless flavors of Toxapepsi in almost every match. The past 3 weeks have pinned division vs division and those matches overall were closer with the Rhyhorn Steakhouse coming out with the most wins of all the divisions thus far. Is this telling of how things will look for playoffs or is this just week 4 madness stretching across the conference. I guess we will find out soon enough. 

I have to mention how impressed I am with how well teams are adapting to this format and improving already. A bunch of team got their first win, or made strides towards the top of the standings, with now only 3 teams left undefeated. What’s becoming more and more apparent is that the teams that do good prep usually come out on top. There is one match in particular that highlights how useful prep can be when your opponents don’t expect something. That would be the AUK vs NWN game. Sparky! Coached his team through a difficult match up and showed why he is a force to be reckoned with this season. (If you want to see Vileplume, tied for #3 on the MVP leaderboard, sweep a team I recommend checking out the HFW vs. NJJ game.)

AUK Side: DG6G-WWWW-WWWL-B2AY

NWN Side:  AEJG-WWWW-WWWL-R29W

Pick’ems

These are becoming tougher and tougher to pick correctly with the majority of teams this week with only 7 correct. However no one got a perfect week so they do not get mentioned here. The reason for that is because of the 4 Pick ‘em upsets. Despite COG being 3-0 ,at the top of the standings and a previous UUTC winner, the majority of picks 9 went in favor of ITA the most current UUTC winner. While this is not a traditional upset it is one in terms a pick ‘ems. The second one comes at SHS taking down LOL with the same margin 9-4. NYY gets their first win over BLP who came off an upset win last week. Those picks were 10-3 in favor of BLP. Finally there was one person who called the BEN upset over PIP this week. Clearly and match no one saw coming.

Trades

Here are the Trades from week 4 that will be live week 5 after the bye

DCC Tyranitar T1 Free Agent Reuniclus DCC Hitmontop T4 Free Agent Aerodactyl NYY Azumarill T1 Free Agent Tyranitar VAV Rotom-W T1 Free Agent Azumarill VAV Gardevoir T3 Free Agent Meloetta VAV Altaria T5 Free Agent Servine

  DCC after a rough start made some necessary changes to help improve their matchups in weeks to come by adding Aerodactyl and Reuniclus to their roster. Some fancy mon dropping in free agency allowed NYY to drop Azumarill to pick up the Tyranitar that DCC dropped and VAV picked up the Azumarill. VAV also added Meloetta dn servine to their roster which is bound to bring in new energy to the team.

Interview with Hydra

This week I’m joined by (In my opinion, one of the better battlers in PUCL) Hydra.

C9: Thank you Hydra for taking the time to answer these questions for the fans. Being randomly selected for first pick of the draft, how did you feel about?

Hydra: Whenever I see I’ve gotten first pick in a league, there’s always a rush of excitement due to all the options it gives for starting a draft. So, I was definitely happy that I could build a plan that didn’t have to factor being sniped in round 1.

C9: How do you think that impacted your draft, if at all?

Hydra: Due to the way PDL does S-tier picks, there’s a cost associated with picking the usual draft format no-brainers like Tapu Koko or Celesteela, and you can’t just jump on one of those round 1 without consequences. Additionally, the mons I ended up desiring weren’t ones I usually see taken quickly in draft format. As a result, I don’t think it ultimately influenced my draft much.

C9: What are your goals for this season of PDL?

Hydra: I’d ideally like to use all of my Pokemon to their full potential, and with a wider variety of sets. Last season I was using pokemon with more straightforward roles (also there were some Free Agency trades over an awkwardly long period of time,) and as a result there just wasn’t as much variety week to week.

C9: Who are most looking forward to battling this season?  

Hydra: Geo for sure. Going off his record he seems like a strong battler, and we may or may not have had disagreements in the past involving a flying prehistoric pokemon with facial hair.

C9: Is there anyone you are glad you don’t have to face in the regular season?

Hydra: I’d say Thatch. I faced him twice last season, and although I can’t recall if it was bad plays, prep, or just an unfortunate draft matchup, I lost to him both times. So, it’s nice to not have to worry about a third match (at least until a potential comeback in season 3!)

C9: I know I’m not looking forward to our match, week 7, but either way it should be a fun battle.

Hydra: I’m flattered by your dread! But as long as we’re not going to fight twice in a row like we had to in the UUTC, it should be fun. Back-to-back battles aren’t usually a great time, but maybe that’s just me.

C9: Why did you choose the team name, The Norwalk Nosepass?

Hydra: I’m glad you asked- it’s the violently creative combination of my hometown, Norwalk, and a pokemon that possesses my favorite type, Nosepass. Despite both this Connecticut town and gen 3 Pokemon lacking any noteworthy characteristics I can discern, I’ve got a fondness for both of them.

C9: Were there any secret techs that you brought for your matchups that you didn’t get to showcase?

Hydra: There’s surprisingly already been a few. Though I did get to show off Shattered Psyche Serperior (EM Mirror Coat being the base) as a finishing move, it didn’t prove to be the surprise game winner I thought it would be as my opponent didn’t bring the Pokemon it was meant to break through, Amoonguss. I feel like I might end up bringing the other wacky techs again sometime soon, so I’ll keep quiet on those.

C9: Who would you say is the mon you are most excited to use on your team this year?

Hydra: Surprisingly, it’s proven to be Miltank. I wasn’t terribly excited about using it at first, and simply picked it to add some bulk to my draft. But it’s been a very effective and versatile Pokemon, so much so that every week so far I’ve had reason to breed a new set on it. Makes sense considering usable stats for several roles, an expansive movepool, and three good abilities to pick from.

C9: Let’s learn about you as a pokemon Fan. When did you start listening to PUCL?

Hydra: I was really into the VGC15 meta, especially post worlds, and at the time was also expanding the amount of different podcasts I listened to quite a bit. PUCL was the only one I could find that covered the format and competitive battling overall in any meaningful sense, and I’ve been a listener since.

C9: What pokemon generation did you start with?

Hydra: For me, it started back- I mean, right around gen 4. No particularly interesting story to tell, unfortunately. I’d been obsessed with the cards or anime from time to time, and eventually got Pearl upon hearing about from my older brother (but not yet understanding) the wonders this franchise had to offer in video game form.

C9: What is your favorite region?

Hydra: I’d probably go with Hoenn. As far as I remember it has the most diverse locations (and did a lot of them first,) featuring volcanoes, forests, deserts, pillars that touch the sky, and just the right amount of water. Now that I think about it, Alola is probably just as diverse in terms of locations, but it needed multiple islands to get that done so I’ll stick with Hoenn.

C9: Who is your favorite pokemon?

Hydra: Hydreigon! Ever since I first saw it and its incomparably cool typing browsing Serebii while waiting for BW’s American Release, it’s been my favorite. Worth even the absolutely ridiculous grind for level 64 and a 4x weakness resulting from it being too broken in gen 5. Snorlax and Psyduck would be my honorable mentions.

C9: If you had to pick: Attack or Special Attack?

Hydra: I’d go with Special Attack. Intimidate is gross, and moves like Psyshock or Secret Sword mean you can get the best of both worlds going with Special sometimes.

C9: What is your battle style:  Stall/Hyper Offense/Bulky Offense/Balance?

Hydra: I generally lean Hyper Offense, simply because it’s quicker/easier to build for and battle with, which of course means more time for more battles!

C9: Do you prefer Speed or Trick Room?

Hydra: The answer’s probably obvious to anyone who battled me in the UUTC this year, but Trick Room. The setup is convoluted of course and means that you’re often better off going for straight speed in singles, but the payoff is immense when it works. It’s usually my default strategy when trying to figure out a new VGC format as well.

C9: What is your favorite Weather; Hail/Sand/Rain or Sun?

Hydra: Definitely Hail, partly due to it being the underdog of weather conditions for so long and me being a New Englander who doesn’t mind the cold weather. Hail was my favorite playstyle in the previously mentioned VGC15, as Blizzard would largely tear apart CHALK type teams if you had Heatran covered. The new tools it got in gen 7 finally put it on par with the other weather conditions too, so it’s less of an uphill battle to use it now.

C9: Electric/Misty/Grassy or Psychic Terrain?

Hydra: Grassy Terrain! I like Bulu a whole lot, and the effects of Grassy terrain lend themselves better than the other terrains to building defensive cores. Heatran’s another Pokemon I really like, and it can form an impeccable core with Bulu thanks to the three effects of Grassy Terrain that all benefit it.

C9: Favorite status to inflict: Sleep/Freeze/Paralysis/Burn or Poison?

Hydra: Paralysis for me. Even though it only cuts speed by 50% now, that’s still enough to make most things slower than even a lot of your walls, and that 25% chance of total immobility can mean you pulling of all kinds of things you otherwise couldn’t. And of course, I thought that the animation for it looked really neat in Diamond and Pearl.

C9: Have you watched the Pokemon anime? If yes, what is your favorite Theme song?

Hydra: I unfortunately haven’t watched the anime in quite some time, so it’s hard to say. But, I’ve heard that a Patrat goes for a high five but gets left hanging in one of the Black and White theme songs, and that sounds fantastic to me, so I’ll go with that.

C9: Thank you Hydra, for joining us today! We will be back in 2 weeks after the week 5 matches. See ya soon

from PDL Week 4 Recap