#with this new trailer...... I am going to be such a creature...... expect more of these fgdhfsdf

[phykoha]

fuck it we slay (I am mentally ill)

yall can use these jhsjgds

[miimo96]

Thoughts on V3NOM

This 1 feels very Rushed to say the least, like aside from all the cool backstory with Knull and the Symbiotes, this 1 feels the most Weaker Story wise, like Don't get me wrong it's a GOOD movie, but in my opinion, it could've been WAYY better.

Like there are so many things that I feel could've been expanded upon more if given more time, like the fact that Eddie doesn't even feel like a character anymore, instead now being a Plot device that is just meant to get “Venom” from point A to point B, to the fact that shit that feels like it's gonna go somewhere DOESN'T, to even the fact that Knull, THE MAIN VILLAIN OF THE MOVIE, doesn't even FEEL like a looming threat, which is really BAFFLING in my opinion; I haven't read King in Black o I don't  really know that much about him but if you tell  me that he's supposed to be the BE All END All type of Villain, than I expect to see it, like this is supposed to be the GOD of Symbiotes yet the “Scariest” thing this guy's done, is just sit in a chair Menacinly and send minions the entire movie. (I guess bro took a page out thanos's book on how to NOT be Menacing) like I wanna see what exactly makes him So terrifying to begin with. 

Another thing that bothered me is how WASTED everything feels, like this is supposed to be the FINAL Movie, yet things don't feel fulfilled or resolved, so many questions are lingering still, Eddie's relationship with Anne hasn't gotten better, in fact she feels like an Afterthought at this point, and characters and Plot points that feel like their going to have a Major impact, DON'T. Oh and does even get me STARTED on how the Symbiotes were handled in this movie, like here I was, ready to get excited to see Lasher, Toxin, and  the other Symbiotes make their Debut and hopefully kick some ass, and they all get Effing WASHED like yesterday's laundry, LIKE WHAT THE ACTUAL F%*K Sony!? Also how you gonna give us effing Agony before SCREAM, the better female and better looking Symbiote in my opinion.

And another thing, im sorry but am I the only 1 that seems to remember that the Symbiotes have the ability to make clothes, like there's a scene in the Trailer where Eddie's wearing a Black tux and i originally thought that this was their way of showing that the Symbiote made him clothes, which isn't really seen that much,other than a few cartoons incorporating it along the Insomniac Spiderman games, and I thought this would be the PERFECT opportunity for that, but No, instead it was just cuz venom knocked a dude out and Jacked him of his clothes, which IS funny but C'MON!

1 thing I absolutely Loved tho about this movie was how they Humanized The Symbiotes, like they actually feel like peaceful creatures who are just trying to look for a New home, and people tend to forget about that, like aside from OG Venom and Carnage the Symbiotes aren't really all that Evil, they're just misunderstood and I'm really glad Sony chose to focus on that, So ya earn a Gold star there Sony, however, I just wish they had more time to flesh out the Symbiotes because aside from venom, they LITERALLY almost all feel and act the same, Maybe if they had more personality I'd like them more but so far, they literally either all SOUND the same, or ACT the same, and that's kinda sucky considering each Symbiote in the comics Has their own personality, like Venom is a goofball who only really is Evil because of his Hatred towards Spiderman, other than that he's just a chocolate loving monster who loves surf the Web and Apparently Sing Strangers in Night, Meanwhile Carnage on ther hand is a PSYCHOPATHIC killer, who ENJOYS what he does, he enjoys KILLING just because he can, and it really shows if ya read Absolute Carnage; I didn't really enjoy how they handled Carnage in Venom 2 mainly because I'm So used to Carnage acting a certain way and because I mainly know Carnage through the original spider man Ps1 game and through the Original Spider man 90s animated show, but it was better than nothing I guess. ^^; (Still, I just WISH he didn't SOUND like that, because I'm sorry that's NOT Carnage)

The last 2 movies felt more like HOMAGES to whatever came before, mainly 90s stuff from Lethal Protector, to Maximum Carnage, all the way to the Life foundation, they all just really felt like something you'd probably see back then in the early to mid 2000s, just some fun movies to watch with Simple direction, and Ok Storytelling, you MAY not get it, but you'd STILL enjoy it, THIS ONE however, felt more like it was trying to be more modern, and trying to setup too many things as possible, while also leaving you kinda *Disappointed* to say?  I don't know it just felt like it was missing something and I don't really like that because while the last 2 movies felt complete and actually did resolve things, this 1 just felt more like that 1 spongebob scene in the lost episode, where patchy just looks at the Tv and says “That's it?” It feels like uh like a Hollow shell compared to the last ones. That isn't to say it's a BAD movie, it's just not a FULFILLING one, it feels like there's more left, especially with that Shadowy figure we kept seeing talk to general Strickland the entire movie, and we might Never see what that more left was, considering this is the LAST movie. If I had to Rank these films,  it would be in the most Bland and usual way possible,  with Venom 1 being in 1st place, Venom 2 being in 2nd place, Venom3 being in 3rd place, all movies are GOOD, it's just that this 1 feels the most Weaker compared to the others; But anyway that's just what I think, what about You, did you enjoy Venom the Last dance, or were you Disappointed ?

[my-dear-cassy]

I have to stop listening to Scylla for a moment to write this so please enjoy what comes out of my brain.

I waited for this moment since i was six and finally practiced reading enough to read my first book (important because it was a mythology book).

So we had a little Epic party yesterday. It was really difficult not to spoil anything since the new saga was already out but we somehow did it and i would like to make it everybody else's problem. So here are my toughts.

I'm pretty sure even my neighbours know by now that we got the sirens. I may have been a bit loud when i realized.

The part where Odysseus says "I'd be suffering trying to float the whole time" and as an aswer comes "I'd take the suffering from you". It sounds so loveing and stuff until you realize what is happening and i would like to say THEY ARE NOT LYING!!! They would really take the suffering away, just not in a cute way.

I have a whole ppt about sirens boob sizes and how they breath and stuff. So it makes my mithology nerd brain so happy that now we know that they have lungs (at least in Epic) because othervise they wouldn't drown.

I fell like the first "Captain" in Mutiny was in a very mocking tone (Yesssss pls i love it) and later when Eurylochus compares Ody (yes from now on i feel like we all have the premission to call him Ody, not like Eurylochus or the other crew members can stop us) to the gods like i feel he did when he become the Monster (even more yessss) and i think it's just so perfect.

I guess the "Enlighten me" is hereditary.

But my favourite part is that based on the trailer i thought that Scylla using "we" is about, you know, maybe her and her six heads or something. Wouldn't be the first time i see something similar. But the fact that it's her and Ody. Omg i'm screaming. I did not expect the song to turn out like this. I did not expect the part i waited for to be at the end of it. It just turned out in a very different way than i expected. And it's so much better this way.

Also they need the six torches (like specifically six) so Scylla can see who to eat right? Like a sacrifice.

Also also (i am not done, please sit back) i really really really like that Scylla ended up being this Fey/Fiend vibe creature and less mindeless monster. Like you can go trough her lair, there will be price, but se will take no more than that price. Please give me ideas for my Scylla cosplay because after this saga i NEEd to make one.

Sorry for the wall of text. Will happen again.

[wishfishy]

When I first heard that a new Endless Ocean was going to be released, I was incredibly excited. Just absolutely over-the-moon excited. You see, Endless Ocean 2: Blue World (also called Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep) is one of my favourite games of all time. Scratch that: it is my favourite game. It was far from perfect, but I loved it dearly and happily sank hundreds if not thousands of hours into it.

EO2 is a diving game for the wii that was released in 2010, and I have never been able to find a game quite like it. The main story was a bit cheesy, but charming and engaging, with a bevy of likeable if occasionally one-note characters, and the game itself had surprising depths (diving pun fully intended). The game had 12 different diving maps in 6 locations and while the specific areas were fictitious, they were based on very real places (the South Pacific, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Arctic and Antarctic Oceans, as well as a freshwater river in the Amazon) and this was reflected in the species found in each area, with a few exceptions here and there.  You could explore shallow coral reefs, a sunken castle, ancient temples, abyssal depths, a kelp forest, sandy beaches, riverbanks, hidden coves with murals, and much more. You also had a small private island as a hub location, a personal reef you could decorate, and a public aquarium which you could fill with any of the non-legendary species you discovered.

Speaking of which, the game featured 340 different species of marine and freshwater fish, sharks, rays, marine mammals, penguins, shore birds, reptiles, crustaceans, cephalopods and other invertebrates. Some of these also had different models for young or different genders. You could find truly miniscule species that most other diving games overlook entirely in zoom-spots (such as gobies and nudibranchs), and you could interact with most by feeding, touching or even riding in the case of large marine life. And on top of this you could also find legendary creatures, which could be individuals of extant species with unusual colouring or size, or even extinct species, and could be exceedingly hard to find but entirely rewarding.

This is already getting to be much too long but on top of all this you could customize your diver character, buy things for your island hub, decorate and populate a private reef to propagate and release fish, create various aquarium exhibits, discover a great many side-quests, upgrade equipment, take and sell photographs, heal sick animals, search for and sell salvage, find collectable coins, train dolphin partners, take requests for guided tours, dolphin shows, salvage and photos, dodge or placate aggressive sharks, and more that I am probably forgetting. It’s been a while since I’ve played the game, as I no longer have a wii and don’t have the first clue on how to emulate games on my PC. All this is to say that this game was something special, and I have never been able to find anything remotely close to it. And seeing as how the last one was released almost 15 years ago, I had long given up hope for an Endless Ocean 3.

And then lo and behold, a trailer dropped from out of nowhere for Endless Ocean Luminous! And it was releasing in a month! Holy Shit! What!? Yes!

But alas, the more information came out about the game, the more that excitement started to wane. A focus on multiplayer? Procedural generation? Only one map? The only character being an AI that sounded like all those awful tiktok voices? To be clear, I wasn’t expecting Luminous to be the next GoTY. I wasn’t even expecting it to be an exact replica of EO2, or continue the storyline. If it had even a fraction of what I liked about the previous game I was going to be one happy camper. I assumed that the marketing was focusing on the multiplayer aspect instead of the single-player story, that hopefully the procedurally generated map was exclusive to that multiplayer. Surely the single player mode would extend past what little was shown in the trailers. Some things seemed promising, such as an advertised 500+ species, and even more prehistoric marine life. But again, alas, what I have seen since the release is the barest and palest reflection of what I enjoyed about the previous game. I could understand cutting some content, such as the dolphin training and shows, considering the controversy of cetaceans in captivity. But it seems like there is no aquarium, no central hub of any type, no characters beyond the aforementioned AI and a single faceless diver, salvage reduced to a single click, an incredibly reduced story consisting mostly of scanning fish, no ability to feed or interact with fish and fish behaviour also seems to be quite reduced. At least photography still appears to be in the game, though its unclear to what point. Are there still photo requests? The ability for some critters to swim along with or attach to your diver looks cute at least. But everything I’ve watched so far just feels so… lifeless. Empty. As if the whole game was AI generated, which I’m at least %75 sure isn’t the case.

But I’m left kind of baffled by the direction that this game was taken in. I’ve been trying to find any information about it’s development with little to no success. Why the focus on multiplayer to the exclusion of a single player story beyond the bare minimum? What lead to the choice to have a single, procedurally generated map instead of separate, smaller, but more scientifically accurate maps? Or even a single smaller but purposefully designed map? Was this game more like the previous games at any point in its conception or development or was it always intended to be such a departure?

[talbot-larry]

Rant about Wolfman 2025 and the Whannellification of monsters

Ok so I've been doing some critical thinking about Wolfman 2025, and comparing it to Invisible Man 2020, if that can help predict what's in store for Wolfman fans. Honestly I can't remember which I saw first, 1931 or 2020 Invisible Man, while I haven't delved into reviews of 2020 by universal monster fans (scared it would be a wank about feminism in movies) I'm seeing how it was hardly an adaption of the original movie, they kept the name Griffin but that was it? So, I wasn't the devoted universal monster fan I was then as I am now, and thought the 2020 movie was brilliant. I'm sure there will be plenty of people who will view Wolfman 2025 the way I did Invisible Man 2020, because hey, Invisible Man had its moments and maybe Wolfman will too? It's ok to be inspired by the monster movies, but taking what makes them great (monsters) out of them and replacing them with more vaguely reality grounded/sci fi/frankly boring alternatives is well, boring. It may be a 'fresh new take' but is it enjoyable?

That's not to say the originals are perfect, inspiring, compelling master pieces, but I've watched the 2 og films mentioned a lot more than Invisible Man 2020 (might be because I lost the dvd tho) It's not as though the originals weren't trying to 'say something' about society, they just weren't so ham-fisted about it. Wolfman 2025 was written during quarantine, which influenced it to be a covid-esque film (trapped in a house, degenerative disease, losing loved one to said disease) which sure. Fine. As implied by Whannell, with how its influenced by 80s horror, particularly body horror there's probably a healthy dose of Cronenburg's The Fly and Carpenters The Thing in there. All of which there's nothing wrong with, I LOVE body horror and I love those 2 movies. But why make this mishmash combination a Wolfman movie? Why not a separate werewolf movie? 2010's Wolfman adaption, while flawed, was still a wolfman movie. I will say lycanthropy as a degenerative disease is a dope idea! I've been working on a story that follows a similar theme for a couple years now.

As for what I think we can expect, or rather not expect, I've been telling myself the following since the featurette. I am not going to expect a Wolfman remake. I am not going to expect even a good werewolf movie. What am I going to expect? From what Mr Whannell is promising, another 80s horror homage. A virus film. A film trying to 'say something'. I was watching a youtuber (nerdsquish) talk about the film and she said after the trailer and creature design reveal she's considering passing and waiting until streaming, unless there are rave reviews for it (tho I expect there will be from normies non-monster fans) and tbh I'm feeling the same way. I'll probably grab the first boot I find. I'll probably keep up with trailers and clips, hoping it will redeem itself and bitch about discuss it here. Which sucks cuz yall know I was looking forward to wearing that Wolfman shirt to opening night, but why give this movie money if its so...blah?

Closing remark, kinda last word here, Whannell's monster movies kind of bring that 'elevated horror' quote to mind, it goes something like 'Elevated Horror movies are for people who hate horror movies' (? I think?). Whannell's movie are for people who wouldn't be caught dead watching a movie with a rubber bat, a man covered in yak hair, Claude Rains in bandages. they're idea refitted into 'watchable' media, not 'remakes' but soulless 'fresh takes'. I'm PRAYING this doesn't become a trend.

As for my doubts, I hope Whannell can prove me wrong.

Rant over

[glowingvoid]

RAIN WORLD WATCHER TRAILER DROPPED

so I decided to write down my opinions

Section 1: The introduction

okay, the beginning of the trailer was not at all what I was expecting. The ripples and the cycles and the ponds all enforced my current idea that the Watcher is either a void entity or that the world is falling apart. This was super cool and weird at the same time. I really wonder if the Watcher is outside the cycle entirely (more on that later)

Section 2: The gameplay bits

So, first of all, we got confirmation that the Watcher can camouflage. This will be very fun to play with, but I hope it isn't too overpowered.

But the thing I really wanted to talk about was the blue voidspawn room, the golden rune room, and the fact that some of the rooms are moving and have some kind of strangeness going on, much like when you are in the depths

Blue voidspawn room: honestly no idea what's going on here. Looks really, and I mean really weird. Maybe we'll get more explanation on what actually are voidspawn

Golden rune room: looks like a room that the ancients carved symbols into. No idea about this room, but think it may be important

Ripple rooms: the introduction talks about ripples happening every single time a drop hits the water and that the ripples affect each other. This enforces my theory that something super weird is going on here.

Section 3: other notes

So at the end of the video, the watcher is emitting ripples. Maybe the watcher itself is some kind of strange entity that warps anything it comes into contact with.

Also there's a weird spider thing. Seems like videocult is actually going to give us new creatures!!

The ramps are super smooth. Also I may be wrong but it looks like camera smooth scroll is going to be implemented?!?! Could be just the trailer though

This trailer has eliminated all the worries I have about rain world being not so alien anymore

people thought that downpour explained almost everything. Now it's like a whole new game. I AM SO HYPED!!

[commenter2]

"Welcome to Heaven" review

Time for a change of scenery and to learn more about Heaven. Spoilers.

Nice to see Vaggie told the truth instead of attempting to lie. I am curious, would that have even worked on Charlie? Does Charlie have a power to tell if people are lying to her, since her father is the “father of lies”?

That was sweet of Vaggie, but there is a lining of “Vaggie sacrifices more for the relationship” idea in my Charlie/Vaggie trailer breakdown here. LUCKILY there hasn’t been much of that as I expected in this season. At least we’ll find out how Vaggie lost her Exorcist title.

CHAGGIE KISS! Wait why’d she kiss her on the eyepatch? Also I’m NOW just wondering if Vaggie DOES still have her left eye, but is covering it up Japanese anime style cause it contains a great Exorcist power?

Here’s Cherri Bomb making an “explosi.. eh I’m not going to finish that lame joke. I do like the new Australian accent they gave her.

I’m not liking where this is going. I feel like this is going to result in a situation like in the pilot where Angel and co. embarrass Charlie’s goal in front of everyone in Heaven. I mean (spoilers based on the HH S1 trailer) something is going to make the next Extermination happen, but I hope it’s something else.

You really should have told the others to behave themselves before leaving Charlie.

A new portrait of Charlie and her parents in the background. It’s hard to make out, so hopefully someone posts a proper version of it soon.

Charlie casually throwing Vaggie through portal XD.

(Pen sees Cherri) knew this was coming here we go. Bet Pen X Cherri shippers are going to enjoy that moment.

Anyone else think the eye symbol at Heaven’s gate is also a reference to the Sheikah Eye from Legend of Zelda?

Saint Peter? With her last name being Morningstar, you think he would realize she is Lucifer’s daughter.

Charlie Morningbreakfast

Cursing is allowed in Heaven. Interesting to know, you think there will be a gag for when someone curses, everyone else covers their ears “Harry Potter Musicals” style?

So angels can take on different forms. Also was it just me or did the old angel’s bird form look like Stella a bit? I did have this theory that touched on the idea of how after fallen angels went to Hell, they would evolve to become different from what those in Heaven look like and create subspecies, and it looks that is true.

The angel finally has a name, Sera. Oh she may sound nice now but wait till we see her evil side! Right there she says, “you are gifted to be here”, life if she wasn’t Lucifer’s daughter she would have been really rude to Charlie.

Even though she says she is the highest of the Seraphim (the highest rank in Heaven’s hierarchy if pic of said topic are any indication) I feel like there is going to be a moral Heaven thing where every angel is treated equal. I thought I bring this up now cause when Sera reveals herself as a villain, I hope later on she becomes an antagonist (replacing Adam) who fights against Charlie’s redemption plan but will have trouble when other Seraphim’s and Archangels side with Charlie.

Sounds like Emily is the Charlie of Heaven XD.

Got some interesting designs like a Hellhound looking creature with hooves and that…thing she is next to. There is also someone that looks a lot like Vaggie but with no mouth, who “COINCIDENLY” has a close eye where Vaggie has an eyepatch.

I think that was a FNAF/Chuck E Cheese mascot band refence there.

MOLLY HOLY CRAP! Looks like we found the motivation to get Angel to redeem himself! I was going to wonder why she was spider looking creature when you think Heaven only has people in human/cute animal like forms, till I saw that crab looking angelic being in the same scene. Also on the bottom right, I think that’s a Sara Bellum from PPG reference.

Again. Sera being rude, though Emily sounds very ally like.

Vaggie being jealous XD

LUTE? Wait does this mean Adam is wearing a mask/helmet/whatever too? I bet he’s fugly under it XD.

Damn the Amazon Prime pause button. It keeps making the video skip ahead instead of doing its job!

OKAY HUGE REVEAL THERE! HOW COME NO ONE ELSE KNOW ABOUT THE EXTERMINATONS? Do the archangels at least know? Either way this could actually be good but I’ll get into that later.

Okay so Sera seems to be one of those “doing bad to do good” kind of characters as she just wants to protect Heaven, explains why she looked so sad in Charlie’s story, but I feel like she will have prejudices too. It also sounds like Adam was the sole person who came up with the Exterminations.

FINALLY confirmation of Vaggie being a former Exorcist! :D… Wait… Oh crap! :(

ADAM GAVE VAGGIE HER NAME! CALLED IT!! https://www.tumblr.com/commenter2/718141081445957632/odd-theory-but-do-you-think-vaggie-got-her-name?source=share

That was a hellborn child! I had suspicions that Exorcist also killed Hellborn demons during the Exterminations (Viv did once say they kill anything that wasn’t indoors) but still its more shocking than knowing it was a correct fact.

I do like that the Extermination scene is a flashback and not taking place in the finale like I predicted.

Also as messed up as what happened to Vaggie, losing her eye and wings (more on that later) at least it led to her instantly meeting Charlie. Hey they are wearing their pilot outfits :D

At least we can look forward to a Vaggie vs. Lute fight in the future.

Since it was shown that Lute was able to wound Vaggie when she was still an angel, my idea from my “Overture” review of the dead Exorcist being killed by one of its own is a little stronger now. I still think someone else like the threat impersonating Lilith did it, but I'm still keeping that as a possibility until we learn more.

If the first human soul to arrive in Heaven doesn’t know what qualifies to get into Heaven, then Charlie redemption plan deserves a chance. It also makes me curious on what the other angels think qualifies. Also again how would Angel be any different than having Adam there.

WAIT WHAT ABOUT ABEL? He was murdered by his brother long before Adam died, what happened to him after he died?

See I told you we’d get another pilot situation, though at least it’s better than last time as Angel did resist for a time. Heck Husk and Sir Pentious should also be considered proof of being able to redeem since Pen was being nice to a degree and Husk was actually trying to help Angel.

Seriously, Adam has been cursing up a storm, yet you react to when Charlie does it? Maybe like us they were just surprised that she can curse, given how good she is.

Looks like I was wrong about the situation leading to pilot vibes. GOOD! Also great to see Angel stand up to Val.

Now that we know that Val’s shirt are his wings, it makes the scene of Niffty ripping a piece off hilarious XD.

This seems enough proof to me that someone can be redeemed, don’t try and change the subject Adam.

So no angelic being in that room properly knows how judging a soul works? While odd, I wonder if this is a result of after what happened to Lucifer, maybe soon after others got sent to Hell for minor things and eventually no one dared to question or go against God’s (or whoever else’s) judgment and now they are at this point where they don’t recall things or fear becoming a fallen angel like Lucifer. I’m (semi) counting this as another one of my ideas coming true, as I did bring the idea of Heaven not knowing how to loosen the restrictions to getting into Heaven.

Though a bit understandable from Charlie’s POV and thankfully she got lucky there, her ranting to Heaven is another time where Charlie should have taken up at least SOME of Vaggie’s words.

So glad to see Adam’s ego and stupidity finally leading to some good for the heroes, as it will be interesting to see how parts of Heaven will react to learning about the Exterminations.

Trailer screen shot. At least I’m glad that Sera isn’t what I thought she was going to be like.

Oh don’t phrase it like that Charlie! You’re making my “Lilith wants to destroy Heaven” theory sound like it could happen :(

Again when looking at that statue of Sera, she looks like Stella. Also if I’m right the other creature is Emily, who I guess can take on the form of a unicorn.

Aww crap Adam revealed Vaggie’s secret. I know I brought up the idea of Charlie and Vaggie’s relationship being tested, but I just meant personality wise not this, mostly cause I though Charlie already knew. Then again Charlie can be an idiot at times. Hopefully Charlie can be mature about this and thinking back to the trailer, the two do loving sing to each other, heck looks like Vaggie gets her wings back. So yeah, I’m guessing that they will be fine and their relationship will be stronger than ever.

Seriously Sera, after what you see your going to still allow Adam to do the Extermination. Then again she might not have a choice here. This is quickly confirmed with Sera expressing the “Angels scared of suffering the same fate as Lucifer” idea I brought up. Also obviously we need something to continue the series.

So Sera and Emily ARE mother and daughter, I was starting to wonder. Actually speaking of family and thinking back to “Queen Bee”, Bee brought up the question of how fallen angels and such are related, I wonder how related Lucifer and Sera are. Could Charlie and Emily be cousins? If they are, then Vaggie won’t have to worry about Charlie leaving her XD.

At least Charlie has her first angelic ally. I wonder if what Sera said and Emily clenching her fist IS foreshadowing her fate? If my idea of her being able to transform into a horse comes true, what if her demon horse form takes on the form of the horse at the end of the Spindlehorse credits.

Aw man we’re not going to see how Charlie feel about this or more importantly,

Whew that was intense near the end. We got to see Heaven and learned some big things about it like the residents such as Molly being there or how angels have NO IDEA how judging a soul works. Then there was a big reveal that no one before the events here even knew about the Exterminations, that was a great twist if not a bit odd.

It was also great to learn more about Vaggie’s now confirmed past and be introduced to Emily and how she agrees with Charlie’s thoughts instead, making the argument less one sided. It was also funny seeing how she and Charlie got along so well which led to Vaggie being jealous at one point. Hopefully for her, Emily and Charlie turn out to be cousins.

It was nice having Cherri be in the episode, even if she almost led to Angel doing bad things and getting Charlie in trouble again. Speaking of which, it was GREAT to see that Angel HAS changed since joining Charlie. Hopefully if he learns that Molly is there, a great cameo BTW, he will amp that up to 11.

I also personally liked how stupid Adam looked in it, and now that people know the truth about Exterminations, I think it could lead to him being demoted (both related to Heaven's hierarchy and as a main antagonist in the series) and my idea of Charlie being the “chosen one” to save everyone from a great threat or the idea I have for what season 2 could be about.

The only downsides were that this was kind of the expected outcome given the episode’s place. Maybe if this was the 2nd to last episode and the finale was an hour long, it could have helped but I’m not complaining.

It was also a bummer that we didn’t see more of how Charlie feels about discovering Vaggie was an angel. At least the S1 trailer makes it clear that thing between them will be fine in the end.

The things about no one knowing about the Exterminations, or what the qualifications to get into Heaven really are, but I’m not complaining. This is actually a perfect excuse for my season finale epilogue idea where after the Extermination, Heaven agrees with Charlie and they need to rework or explore the qualifications required to get into Heaven, and Charlie plans on having a big say in it so that more people can get into Heaven whether it be after they die or through her hotel. Of course some people of Hell and Heaven will be against Charlie’s ideas, so Charlie will have to go through a multi-season storyline where she needs to keep convincing more and more powerful people that this would be a good thing, eventually having to convince God himself. All the while evil forces will try and progress its/their agenda, leading to big fights.

Now we wait for the season finale.

As always let me know your thoughts about the episode.

[wainwrightjakobshammerlock]

behold! bl4 trailer speculation that isnt just "vault hunters bad"

according to some source i forgor there's apparently going to be, and i quote, "different bandit factions". for quite possibly the first time since bl2. are bandits going to be sympathetic and actually humanized this time? especially considering we basically see callis mind controlling them? will we see bandit allies fighting against her alongside us? will gearbox finally address the [i am killed before my bandit apologism shows itself in full]

the flower-shaped vomiting creature in the trailer is making me think if this will be the first borderlands game to introduce neutral critters (animals that don't attack you and are there for atmosphere). probably not, but a biology enjoyer can hope

the floating golden lady reminds me of the opulence that the elites had in the debt or alive novel - they're practically living in post-singularity Orokin-core "utopia", and it's not a stretch to imagine other similarly rich people in the Borderlands are similar. she seems to be floating in the air if we judge her pose. maybe she's the ceo of pangolin or anshin or something like that, and she's floating in the air thanks to being full of hyper-advanced cybernetics that give her "powers" like aurelia?

i think it's cool claptrap is more bulky and has replacement parts and a toolbelt. he was supposed to have that in bl3 judging by the artbook but they backtracked on that.

the new guns we saw up-close are recognizable as belonging to one or another manufacturer but they look waaaaaaaaaaay crazier. i expect the part system wasn't really overhauled from 3 but massively expanded.

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

Team Sky Anon: Chiaki what's your thoughts on the Minecraft movie trailer? I'm personally excited for it

Alright, I knew people were going to ask me about this...Strap in boys and girls. I'm gonna try and make this brief, but fair warning, you might not like what I'm about to say.

I'm going to explain something VERY CAREFULLY before I give my take on this movie.

Because more often than not, I don't have heavy, or strong opinions on things, especially games. I enjoy games, regardless of how good or bad they are, and the same applies to movies or TV shows based on those games.

But when I DO have an opinion on something, and people ask for me to explain it, I try to remain 100% completely honest when I give my takes, regardless of the risk of getting backlash, or starting arguments. I just straight up avoid these sorts of conflicts, like I should, but I'm never afraid to state what I believe.

Because at the end of the day, it's my opinion, and if you disagree, that's totally fine, because it's just a game/movie. We're not talking about genuine politics here.

This time is no different, so all I can request is that you hear me out, because it's of my understanding that the internet absolutely despises this trailer, and...it's not like I don't understand why. It's just another case of Warner Bros being stupid and problematic.

But...when I watched the Minecraft movie trailer for the first time...I really, REALLY liked it...!

And that's basically my take in a nutshell. I don't think this trailer comes anywhere CLOSE to how amazing the trailer for Sonic 3 was, but I still think it was a great teaser.

I definitely have some concerns and questions, like why aren't the human's blocky, why do the greenscreen effects look so...off, and why does Jason Momoa look like he's trying to cosplay a Barbie Girl?

But this is just a TEASER trailer. This won't give us any of the answers we're looking for. The OFFICIAL trailer will.

But besides the point, let me just try my hardest to explain myself, and explain why it is I like this trailer.

So, right off the bat, the first thing I love is the world. Minecraft itself. Everything in here looks so detailed, and the production design is fantastic.

Another thing I like is also the cast. The main 5 actors that we see in the trailer are Jack Black as Steve, Jason Momoa as Garrett, Emma Myers as Natalie, Danielle Brooks as Dawn, and Sebastian Eugine Hanson as Henry.

Sebastian is relatively new to the acting scene, and I know people have their concerns about the way this cast is presented in the teaser, but as a reminder, it's very rare for Jack Black and Jason Momoa to phone in a bad performance, Emma Myers is incredibly famous for A Good Girls Guide to Murder and Wednesday, in both of which she's awesome, and Danielle Brooks is an actual Oscar Nominee.

All in all, I like this cast, and I think they're gonna give us a really fun show.

And the last thing I love, as a gamer, is the Minecraft easter eggs in the teaser. Such as breaking down a block and having it turn small, crafting stuff on a crafting table...

E-Even if that looks a little funky...

And the creatures too. People keep dissing the sheep online, but I'm sorry to break it to you, if a Minecraft sheep was real, THAT'S what it WOULD look like. And the Creeper too! The Creeper gave me a huge smile!

But again, the hate for this trailer is astounding, and again, I understand it. But also, at the same time, I think it's a little overblown. All of this discourse and for what? Because people don't want a live action movie cast in an uncanny valley world made of cubes? Because the mobs look "ugly?"

I understand that I probably just look pretty simple minded right now, and for the record, I would prefer an animated Minecraft movie, but let me make it clear that I don't hate this.

And I am more than open to talking about this movie, and people's opinions on it, but my biggest question is...what exactly was everyone expecting? I know people are mad, but we got basically exactly what we were promised from this trailer, and this is exactly what it would be like if humans entered the Minecraft world.

[msgexymunson]

Oh my, there’s far too much choice for that WIP ask game, how on earth am I supposed to choose?!?!

OF COURSE I want some FF goodness (best series ever), but I’m not going to, and I’ll wait it out like a good girl… So instead I’m going to ask for either Midwest Monster or Scream For Me (or both, if that’s even allowed 🤭🫣), and if they’re both already taken then Professor Quinn is hovering very close (extremely close) behind 😆

Kittie 💋

Full disclosure, I went to take a snippet of the fic and ended up reading it all and falling into a 'what next' hole.

Couldn't pick a best bit, I'm like 6k in and not near the smut yet. Its my werewolf Eddie fic, and this is the beginning...

Mid West Monster - Intro

Eddie doesn't know how he got out of the Upside Down. All he remembers are throbbing flashbacks of those weird bat creatures sinking their teeth into him and the blood bubbling in his chest. The wet feeling of his life essence as it drained through all the bites, and the tears falling from Dustin's cheeks as he stared down at him hopelessly. He knew he was going to die. 

Darkness.

The next thing he knew, he was naked, lying on the floor of his trailer. His trailer; not that frightening, vine infested dark mirror. The place looked like a hurricane had ripped through it. The furniture was in splinters in the living room, mugs had been smashed, and hats ripped off of hooks. There were huge gashes in the very walls of the trailer itself, some so deep he could see daylight shining through them. 

He remembered looking down at his body, expecting to see horror and mutilation, a deadly game of tic tac toe played on his torso; but instead what he saw made him gasp in shock. There was blood, yes, but it was dried and crusted, flaking away at a fingertip touch. Underneath, a few light scars were all that remained of his apparent near death encounter. They looked decades old. As he had showered the blood and grime away, he noticed his body looked different, felt different under his fingers. His physique was toned, broader and more defined. He had a six pack without even having to clench and really try. His er… his manhood was bigger, thicker and somehow heavier. And he was definitely hairier.

The scars had all but disappeared a couple of weeks later, same with the murder allegations. Since Vecna's defeat and Hopper's return, all the carnage had been explained away, leaving Eddie to live a normal life. 

The only problem was, he was anything but normal. 

His hearing was incredible, listening to conversations halfway across a noisy Summer school classroom with no difficulties. He was stronger, faster, and so aware of his surroundings sometimes it was just downright painful. Dustin had tried to get him to go to the arcade a few days ago but it was just too much input for his heightened senses and he had to high tail it out of there. 

The biggest change of all though? His sense of smell. 

It felt as if he'd lived his whole life breathing in a gas mask with a pillow across his face and it had suddenly been removed. They were luminous scents, filling his nose with such strength that it was almost better than seeing. The grass, flowers, the path of an unseen wild animal. And the people! Oh God, the people. Everyone was a trail of smell, an orchestra  of aromas, some more distinct than others but all unique in some way.

Yesterday he could smell Uncle Wayne so strongly; a thick cloud of cigarettes, oil and metal from the plant, sandalwood, and, well, the words did not exist for all the rest. It smelled like a comforting, hazy navy blue, which he knows would only make sense to him. He'd even said 'hey' over his shoulder whilst he was sitting on the couch. The crazy thing was, Wayne had walked into their new trailer a few minutes later. 

There was something else too. Eddie's head felt… full. Not of information, he only wished he could get some answers right about now, but another presence. Someone, something was there, other than him. He often wondered if he was just losing his mind, trauma coming out in weird and wacky ways, but as soon as those thoughts came he dismissed them. There was enough evidence to show that he had changed. 

Eddie shuffles into the Summer school classroom, hunched over. He's grown at least a couple inches; that and his broader frame as well as his trademark metalhead look basically made him a moving target. For once in his life, he's trying desperately to not draw attention to himself. 

Jock dickheads will always be jock dickheads though, even when they're retaking English classes. Some 'mouth breather', as Mike would say, a brute of a boy in a letterman jacket and a blonde buzzcut, sticks his foot out and trips him up. Eddie's new lightning reflexes stop him from crashing to the floor, grabbing the edge of the desk at the last minute. 

He's about to just drop it, let it go, until he hears "watch your step, Freak." 

Bite him. 

The thought rings loud and clear in his brain. It's more than a thought though, it's a voice. It's not his, the cadence is different, voice deeper and husky, almost a growl. 

Eddie is shaken to his core, frozen on the spot. Every hair on his body feels like it's standing on end, hackles raising. He blinks the thought away; he doesn't have hackles. 

Standing up, he releases his hold on the desk. Four deep fingernail patterns are etched into the wood. 

This is too much. He turns on his heel and practically jogs to the restroom to splash water in his face. 

What the fuck was that? 

Eddie stares in the mirror, water droplets in his bangs coalescing and mingling to drip down his nose and chin. There's stubble on his jaw even though he shaved this morning. 

He's staring into his own eyes, seeking answers. Then it happens again. 

We should have bit him. 

"What the- who are you? What are you?" 

The mysterious voice doesn't answer; but there's a growl deep in his skull. Squeezing his eyes shut, he pinches the bridge of his nose until it stops. 

Fuck this. 

Eddie leaves school, racing toward his van. Mrs O'Donnells class can wait.

[rabbitholeresearch]

Pokemon Presents: DLC REVEAL

The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero has been announced and we don't really know anything about it! We know coming soon will be The Teal Mask, introducing a new area known as Kitakami in which the players will be leaving Paldea...to go to a Japanese Summer Festival?

This of course strikes me as odd considering Paldea is based on the country of Spain. But we are going to move on from that.

In the Teal Mask DLC, we will be traveling to Kitakami, which is a land "where a great mountain towers over the land and the people live at its base." The summary states that this is all a part of an annual school trip. Private schools be like...

Given the artwork presented, as well as the cinematic trailer, we can easily guess that this land is in the middle of a harvest season, and the festival is to celebrate it. This isn't uncommon, especially in Japan. In fact, coming up on March 15 is the Honen Festival, which celebrates fertility, rich harvest, etc!

The DLC presents us with old familiar Pokemon we know and love, such as Milotic and Metagross, but also a new legendary Pokemon and a new trio.

Our new legendary is the creature with the mask featured in the art named Ogerpon. Our trio are named Okidogi, Munkidori, and Fezandipiti. The synopsis states that these three are "beloved by the people of the village as heroes that protected the land of Kitakami in the past and stone statues were made in their likeness to express the people’s gratitude," according to the plot synopsis in the Nintendo eShop.

Guardian Entities in the Pokemon World is not uncommon, given the Swords of Justice as an example, but also within the real world. It is said that shrines are looked after not only by the shrine personnel (mostly Shrine Maidens and monks) but are also protected by the deities that are housed there. So for the Inari Shrines throughout Japan, that would mean that the kitsune kami housed there also protect it, which makes sense.

Moving on to Indigo Disk DLC. It's here. It's finally here. The disk Pokemon that Heath once saw. The disk Pokemon our professor has used to study Terastylization more effortlessly. The Pokemon we know will cause mass destruction to the land of Paldea. HERE IT IS:

Terrifying.

Okay but seriously, this is allegedly THE disk Pokemon we've been waiting for. As much as I love it and find it adorable, it's a bit of a let down. We were presented with a huge Pokemon that was lost to the ages because of the fading of text as well as Heath's reputation being destroyed because of his "fantastical" creatures.

The original entry by Heath as well as the following quotes from Research Station 1:

"We've determined that this energy crystallization is linked to the being we call ▊▊▊▊▊▊. The interlocking hexagonal plates that comprise ▊▊▊▊▊▊'s shell must somehow cause this phenomenon—which I've dubbed "Terastallizing."

It is rather fascinating to look at considering what we've all been expecting. However, Reddit user, u/Ageman20XX, posted in the Pokemon Reddit Page what they believed to be the true form of our disk Pokemon named Terapagos.

"I traced the image of the Disc Pokemon depicted in the library of Scarlet/Violet and shaded it to give us a better idea of what it looks like (maybe). Did I get it right or am I seeing its form wrong?"

Link to original post here

Probably one of the closest predictions regarding this Pokemon. Considering the themes regarding Gen 9 Pokemon story, I would hope that this remains its only form, as there is speculation already amongst fans that Terapagos is simply a Basic pokemon meant to evolve into Stage 1 (Note: Basic Pokemon refers to their first form in a line of evolution, such as Bulbasaur, whereas Ivysaur would be a Stage 1 and Venasaur Stage 2).

There's not a lot of information regarding this DLC aside from it being a facility in the water. Many fans, myself included, are hoping this is not some Battle Tower (Referring to the one Leon ran in the postgame of SwSh) that was locked behind a DLC as it has been stated the DLC is regarding a school focused on battling. As if the entire world isn't already obsessed with Pokemon battles, we finally have a school just for it and it's an elite facility much like Pasio in Pokemon Masters EX.

So that's it? Oh wait. Almost forget. Walking Wake and Iron Leaves have been revealed!

Admittedly, Iron Leaves I find to be disappointing purely because I liked the thought that this new paradox form was possibly created by someone who wanted to preserve the memory of the Swords of Justice.

As for Walking Wake...Suicunosaurus. I think it's silly and it's a dinosaur and I love dinosaurs. Fossilmons all the way. But again, we were presented with a paradox form that was a mixture of the three original Johto dogs.

With this in mind, it does bring to the question of what exactly a paradox pokemon actually is: Something that shouldn't exist in this timeline. I can't really go off of much regarding Future-Mons, but with Past-Mons, having Walking Wake is entirely impossible, especially given the origin story of Suicune. So what could this mean?

Considering the exaggeration of Scream Tail being a Jigglypuff from a million years ago but Professor Sada was able to pull it through, I do wonder if maybe, this raptor-like creature is what Suicune appeared as before evolution allowed it to become the graceful creature we know today! With this thought, perhaps the original concept for Virizion is actually just Iron Leaves 1.0, making the one we're seeing in our raids today the 2.0 version.

There's a lot of speculation still regarding Gen 9 but I still stand that it's fun to look up and research!

This is Professor Jo, signing off!

[miki-13]

Edit: Holy fuck, we have less than a week before RWBY premiers.

It’s been over two years and so much has happened since.

Am I still gonna discuss the episodes? Definitely!

Will it be ala live reblog? Maybe? I dunno rn. Edit: Absolutely!

- I was not expecting the vibe at the beginning half of the trailer, but it had me there ngl. The latter half takes the turn I was expecting.

- People have been describing this as Narnia meets Wonderland but it feels more like Wonderland to me. It also feels like the Nutcracker as well, from the mice+ wooden soldiers especially.

- I was half right about the mice capturing someone- just didn’t expect Weiss+ Blake to be caught by them. Or by vines.

- “And you got your arm stolen by a…?”

“By a talking raccoon riding a purple cart filled with trash -_-”

“._. → >_< →  <_>→ ._. … Yes, that.”

WELL WE DEFINITELY AIN’T IN KANSAS ANYMORE XD

- Some have suggested this is a dumping ground for the Brothers Grimm’s failed lifeforms/experiments. I could see that definitely, but I’m not sure the GOL would be able to make such fantastic creatures… unless they evolved into something new down there or were cast out because they evolved outside his expectations/rigid views.

- The Cheshire Cat stand-in (who is fabulous) making it clear the tree would come to RWBY is definitely a clue that they need to be ready to go home before they can go home… whether this takes more time than is shown in Ever After remains to be seen.

- Little disappointed that Yang doesn’t sound higher-pitched from her size, but it doesn’t detract from the scene or humor. I’d ask HOW WBY got short if I didn’t know it was a metaphor for Ruby carrying the team (and how bad that is for her psyche)

- “You never were the hero,” is fucking chilling, especially considering how many people theorized this was Summer Rose’s voice. Some theorize this is at Jaune, some at Yang, some at Ruby… I assume Ruby, simply because of how much doubt she has in herself.

- Younger Ruby asking Older Ruby what she’s gonna be is never not going to be hard-hitting. We never know what the future will hold for us and hindsight is 20-20 on past events. For her younger self, filled with hope and dreams and no idea of what awaited her, asking her older self who’s so broken but refuses to acknowledge that…

CRWBYYYYYYYYY (SHAKES FIST)

- Neo why are are you turning into Ruby? That hasn’t done you any good.

Seriously tho, I NEED her to turn into Roman Torchwick at least once. I’ve always fantasized her and Ruby fighting and Ruby flat-out asking her what the fuck her deal is (presumably when Neo has her by the neck hanging over a cliff) and then she turns into Torchwick, lets Ruby soak it in… and then drops her.

- “You seem to be carrying quite a heavy burden with you.” “I’m fine. I can handle it.” GODDAMMIT YOU CAN’T GIRL AND THE FACT SHE SOUNDS SO TIRED AND DONE WITH EVERYTHING MAKES IT WORSE

- The lines about “shedding Ruby Rose like an old coat” initially sound sinister… but when what follows is “what will happen if you don’t?” makes it clear that the speaker isn’t malevolant. She can see how much people’s burdens affect them and then help them shed what she perceives as hurting them.

With this, I’ve seen theories that the knight in flames is Jaune’s burden shed and I’ll go a bit further: it’s Jaune’s burden of feeling like he has to be the hero, that he has to save the day by himself.

- On that note, Jaune has appeared but it’s only a foot on a white beast that looks like a cross between a white rabbit and horse. Please let him keep it as a therapy mount.

- The scene of Ruby’s eyes widening and then falling down after Weiss’ tears… I’ve seen a post suggesting it’s when Weiss tells her Penny is dead and I’m very much inclined to believe it. Ruby struggled so much to keep Penny safe and just when she thought she had saved her dear companion… she finds out it was all for nothing.

That would make anyone faint, even if they didn’t have Ruby’s burden on their backs.

And she doesn’t even know Jaune was the one who killed her.

- CRWBY has been talking about this volume, how it was the first one they thought of even before volume 1, and that it would be focusing on Ruby the most… and I believe they can deliver.

It won’t be what anyone expects, it rarely ever is.

What I do know is that it’s going to move my heart in ways I didn’t think possible.

[soul-dwelling]

So, Ohkubo is doing character designs on a new anime.

...Meh?

I know I have been the no-fun person for going on ten years (...more like a lifetime...), but the trailer didn't do it for me.

I don't feel like Ohkubo has nailed a consistent style, or, rather, that his style was better right around the Baba Yaga arc, and even that style just doesn't compare to the "skull face / pig noses" designs Studio BONES did on the 2003 anime.

And I'm just burned out on cel-shaded 3D models that look like puppets...

...which, yeah, that is what 3D animation modeling is. But I've seen enough studios make the characters look alive, look animated, look appealing. Between Land of the Lustrous and Trigun Stampede, there is something lacking. When you can make me believe the Muppets are real living creatures and not just puppets alone, I know you can do puppetry that looks more lively than this. And, yeah, there is a difference between physical puppets and CGI animation, that being tangibility, but again, I've seen CGI animation that looks alive (Dragon Ball, Lupin). And then there's this, and it just looks dead. I get that this is a TV budget and not a major franchise. But even when I treat the art in those terms of that financial reality, it still doesn't look good to me.

And I'm looking at just a small trailer, not a full series, so, I'm likely exaggerating apparent flaws.

Plus, and I know it's tiresome to keep beating on Ohkubo when, come on, there are enough strengths to his work--but it's not here in CGI cel animation design. I have heard before, and agreed with this notion, that Ohkubo should be a character designer and illustrator--but those were about video game art, card game design, comics, not necessarily animation (beyond, again, video game art) and definitely not something this...whatever it is. It's another school story, with just typical designs. Maybe that is the point, that you get an illustrator who can go all out with bizarre content, and the trailer just isn't showing it yet, and by the end, you'll get to the stuff that makes you realize why they hired Ohkubo. (...Except, why should I wait to the end to get to the good Ohkubo art design, when I can pick up a manga and get to the good art design at almost any point?).

But this also feels so humdrum, a problem that has been part of animation for a long time, that everything has to be set in a school. I don't know how you top Soul Eater which feels like a series that broke the "it's a story set in a school" idea, especially in NOT, by just flat-out acknowledging, "This is just a conceit, we're not even taking this school stuff seriously, don't worry about it." And, no, a creator shouldn't be expected to just keep topping themselves ("Ugh, you should top yourself over what you did in Soul Eater, everything that comes after is boring!"). They should be expected to create what they want (within reason--*GLARING STILL AT CHAPTER 113*) and earn a living (as I sidestep a rant about capitalism and so on).

What am I trying to get at? What I'm trying to say is, I was hoping to see Ohkubo go all out on weapon designs, on monster designs, to get back to something that was more gothic and spooky like Soul Eater without having to retread that same ground exactly...and instead, it's some CGI school anime? "Ah, this character has sharp teeth, this character has pigtails--classic Ohkubo!" Ugh, spare me.

I hope I'm wrong. But after Fire Force and the still exhausting "REBOOT SOUL EATER!" crap, I'm burned out.

Still, at least Ohkubo is creating. It just isn't for me right now.

[itsavgbltpta]

Should You Watch The Marginal Service?

(Japanese title is in all caps: THE MARGINAL SERVICE)

A Brief Summary

The modern world is not inhabited by humans alone, but this fact is kept secret from the public.  Certain organizations keep track of Borderlanders - supernatural creatures and legendary beings - and keep them cooperating in secret with humans against a possible bigger threat from above.  But of course these Borderlanders don’t always stay in line.

Brian Nightraider, a former cop and bit of a loose canon, watched his partner die and wants to get revenge.  His goals happen to coincide with one of the agencies that watches over Borderlander actions - the Marginal Service.  The agency takes Brian on as a new recruit to find and battle any Borderlanders that get out of control.  He’s taken under the wing of Zeno Stokes, a grizzled older detective who prefers to follow the rules - which means of course he and Brian don’t get along as partners, but they need to get the job done anyway.

So, should you watch the anime?

No.  It pains me to say that as I was hyped about this show after seeing the character art and trailers, but Marginal Service does not deliver.

I am generally a big fan of team dynamics, but only when the team has good character interactions and development.  Team Marginal Service veers wildly between being best buds and acting like they barely know each other - or even downright insulting each other (and not in a joking manner).  That doesn’t make for fun watching in my book.

Some of the ideas Marginal Service has are interesting.  Borderlanders working with humans to protect the earth in secret is cool.  Humans treating the Borderlanders like second class citizens even though they are supernatural beings tracks with how that situation would probably pan out in real life.  The backstories of the team members are fleshed out somewhat and have thought put into them, even if they aren’t amazing.

I struggle to understand how this group became a team in the first place.  Marginal Service does give backstory episodes to each team member, and they do play into the overall plot, but they don’t serve to show why this team was put together with these members specifically.  Because they probably really shouldn’t be.  I struggle even more to figure out why they would recruit Brian when he is almost totally useless for basically the whole show (save for some lucky breaks).  I’m sure the writing team was trying to go for something like Brian’s dumb ideas are made from good intentions and will help change how his teammates think about things, but he could also be competent in the meantime.

I’m trying to keep spoilers light, but I did moderately enjoy a late-game moment where different Borderlanders the team interacted with came back into play.  It made the earlier “villain of the week” style episodes feel like they meant more.  I give the writers credit for having some idea of where they were going plot-wise at least.  Also the animation and character designs are good, so the show wasn’t hard on the eyes at least,

I think towards the end the show tried to appeal more to a fujoshi fanbase with some queer-baiting moments, but even that fell flat thanks to the tonal mood swings the show throws out.  You can’t have two dudes having a hug it out moment and follow it up immediately with them being cold as ice to each other and expect that to be enough.

…ok, so fujoshi will make a whole case manifesto for couples out of barely anything, so I guess this could be enough for some people.  But for me personally, it was like throwing cold water on a tiny fire that had just barely begun to smoke.

Brian and Zeno hog the spotlight for most of the show, but there are other members of Marginal Service and a few Borderlanders that actually matter, such as:

The older boss that keeps the office together and relays orders and missions to the team while usually staying in the base to admire his collection of mysterious artifacts (Theodore).

A former British spy and workout-fiend who likes to keep himself looking good and fashionable and who always argues with a certain teammate over who is better/stronger (Robin).

The other teammate who is even more muscle-bound and obsessed with protein intake, which is honestly the only character trait he has throughout the show (Bolts).

The token female of the team who is a very sexy tech support agent that is ace at hacking but also good at espionage when needed (Lyra).

An introverted and sarcastic doctor who prefers to keep to himself, but isn’t afraid to step up and make sure the team is bandaged/healed up when needed (Cyrus).

The mascot figure (and Borderlander) who looks like a beaver or woodchuck type creature and is very focused on perving on Lyra (Peck).

A famous pop musician who is a very pretty boy with some very mysterious powers who may or may not be behind a lot of events the Marginal Service gets called in to handle (Rubber Suit).

Plus more villain of the week Borderlanders that the Marginal Service takes interacts with, some humans higher up in the political sphere that hand missions to the team, and a dog!

Where does it rate on my personal scale?

S: I will buy it at full price (unless it’s released by Aniplex USA, because fuck their pricing).

A: I will buy it on sale sometime down the line.

B: I had fun watching it, but don’t need to own it.

->C: It’s not my cup of tea, but wasn’t awful.

D: Dropped it.

X: Finished it out of spite, but did not enjoy it.

Marginal Service only hits a C.  The art and animation are good, and there are a lot of individual pieces making up the show that are interesting, but the pacing and feel of the show never comes together into something really worth watching.

[ladyfogg]

Eddie Munson Fics Masterpost

Between the oneshots and two multi-chapters series, I figured it’d be easier if I put everything in one place for people to find. I am keeping the masterposts of the multi-chapter fics for taglist reasons and such. 

Please note I am NOT taking requests, imagines, or prompts. 

Oneshots 

The Audition - Eddie hears you singing in the shower and begs you to join his band. PG-13. 

Your Love - Vecna’s curse is upon you. To bring you back, Eddie plays your favorite song, helping you fight to get back to him. PG-13. 

Fantasy Section - You drag Eddie to the library to check out the newest fantasy book only to reveal you have a much naughtier plan in mind. 18+.

Lover’s Lake - A fun, innocent trip to Lover’s Lake turns into much more once you playfully suggest skinny dipping. 18+

Sleepover - After a late night of studying, you decide to sleep over at Eddie’s for the first time. Things take an interesting turn when you’re woken in the middle of the night by an aroused, but sleeping, Eddie. 18+

A Little Push - (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) Tired of watching you and Eddie dance around each other, Steve and Robin are determined to get you two together, even if it means slipping you some very special chocolates. 18+

Hands-On Experience - You’ve been bartending at The Hideout for months now, more than a little interested in the guitarist from Corroded Coffin. When you finally get a chance to talk to Eddie, he’s too cute to let get away and you suggest having some fun together. 18+

Multi-Chapter Fics

We Live for Love - Eddie is recovering in the hospital where you’re volunteering. The whole town may have shunned him but you refuse to do the same. 18+. Complete

Who Wants to be Lonely - After the ground splits and sends you hurtling into the Upside Down, you come face-to-face with the notorious, and injured, Eddie Munson. Lost and hunted by otherworldly creatures, the two of you have no choice but to stick together if you’re going to find your way home. 18+. Complete

Impulse - Tired of doing what everyone expects, Eddie convinces you to ditch school and do something impulsive for once. However, your impulse isn’t what he’s anticipating.18+. Ongoing/Standalone Chapters

Eddie Thoughts & Headcanons 

Virgin Eddie, Virgin Eddie 2

Eddie’s Fav Color

Eddie + Plus Size Women

Eddie Being Alone, Eddie Being Alone 2

Eddie Having No One to Talk To, Eddie Having No One to Talk To 2

Eddie’s Thoughts on Prom

Eddie’s Thoughts on a Threesome

Eddie Doesn’t Miss School

Eddie Being Super Stoned

Other Joseph Quinn Characters

The Arrangement - (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) Drowning in problems of his own making, Arthur Havisham seeks the aid of the one person in the world who knows him better than anyone else. But what will it cost him this time? (Dickensian) 18+, Complete

Windswept - (Part 1) (Part 2) Still getting over his breakup with Ruth, Tom notices a familiar face has returned to Cornwall. Lonely and unable to sleep, he shows up at your trailer late one night. But as eager as you are to have him in your bed, you’re not interested in only being his distraction. (Make Up) 18+

Words of Advice - (Part 1) (Part 2) Months after being so spectacularly rejected by Lauren, Ralph finds his interests being drawn to the pretty new maid. Having no idea how to approach you, and not wanting to repeat mistakes of the past, he seeks advice from everyone and anyone who’ll provide it, which is probably not the wisest decision. (Timewasters) 18+

[spinaroos-47]

Predictions for every 2B episode

Cant wait to see what i get right fjsmfmfm

This is just the main things that i am predicting for the episodes, i do think we'll get more Raine stuff after follies, for example) but i dont know when it could be (maybe on clouds on the horizon on this example i gave)

Follies at the coven day parade: as synopsis says, rescue mission at coven day parade. We WILL see Raine, maybe the other batts will be rescued. Not sure if Raine will, though. Hoping for Hunter appearance. Hopefully some continuation of what happened in yesterday's lie

Elsewhere and elsewhen: like it says on the synopsis, Lilith and Luz go search for more Philip info. Which seems like it will be time travel or even a mix of potions (scrying potion modified maybe?), oracle and illusion magic. Im leaning more towards them not actually time travelling but still managing to peek into the past. We will get some much needed Philip lore. Maybe even the appearance of him and his brother

Any sport a storm: Willow will be a fucking badass, can't wait to see her shine with her new hairstyle. My dear beloved. Also i cant wait to see what sport is it that she joins. Im not sure if the shot of her and her team with the abomination is from this episode or not.

Hunter will be on Hexside. Idk what could be his mission but i cannot wait for the stupid shenanigans. This episode probably will be really funny. Hopefully Flapjack and Hunter will have cute interactions

And VINEY IS BACK

Reaching out: hopefully Vee and Camila centric. Maybe she gets the messages and videos finally (which is a terrifying though since, yknow, that would mean that the portal got fixed). Besides that i dont know what else could happen.

That or maybe Luz tried to reach out to someone, maybe another attempt at her portal or she reaches out to the owlfam or someone else (maybe someone who does know how to help on making the portal)

Them's the breaks, kid: probably where the Lumity screenshot comes from. Luz trying to grasp on what to do and she and Amity go around kinda bummed but trying to know what to do about all this and spending time with one another. And something happens to make them gasp. Probably something Tibbles did. Tibbles could appear here since he was show being hit with an abomination fist

Hollow mind: somehow Hunter and Luz end up inside Belos' mind and it will probably be a really good episode. Expecting angst and at least one big reveal for Hunter. And a lot of lore hopefully

Edge of the world: King's dad plot line continues (maybe some other hints on the previous episodes happen) and they get on the place with a lot of the creatures that are the same species as King, maybe away from the Titan's corpse

Labyrinth runners: i have no idea. Maybe the sport Willow joined? Or even something to do with the looking glass ruins? No clue but i have a feeling this one isnt that Luz centric

O Titan, where art thou: this is a scary title. Also dont know what it will be. Probably Belos/Day of Unity related.

Clouds on the Horizon: just realized i never even read this episode title until now. Also no idea.

King's Tide: Very king centric, maybe the machine in the promo trailer will appear here? Emotional gut punch I'm pretty sure. Maybe a darkest hour moment