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shuttershocky · 1 year

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Out of all the curses of modern gaming, it's season passes / battlepasses that saddens me the most, because what I am fairly sure is its origin is really close to my heart.

One of the most notable things about Dota 2 is that (even now) it's the only MOBA (games like League of Legends, Heroes of Newerth, etc) on the market where every single one of its playable characters was immediately free for the player, no money or grind required, unthinkable for a free to play game. That means a player completely new to the game was actually on even footing access-wise to players with thousands of hours: everyone had access to the same cast, there were no upgrades you could get to amplify your favorites before a match (unlike the rune system League had back then, though I hear that's gone now), nothing. You were theoretically on even footing with everyone at all times, your only difference being your experience.

In its early years, Dota 2 didn't even have lootboxes for its cosmetic microtransactions yet (even when its sister game Team Fortress 2 did, and it does now). You browsed through the online store and paid 2.5 dollars to give your favorite character a cowboy hat.

All in all, there was very little way the game was actually making any money. The only reason it was even designed that way is because the original DotA was a Warcraft 3 mod faithfully updated for years with the free labor of community modders. When the lead was hired by Valve to make Dota 2, they insisted complete parity between the two versions: they would have the same updates, no gameplay can be locked behind monetization, Dota 2 should be able to run on crappy computers, etc.

Now Dota 2 has an annual tournament called The International, famous for holding the single largest prizepool in the history of Esports (back then, 1 million dollars), with the money contributed by Valve. However, they knew pumping millions of dollars into the tournament every year on a game that was not monetizing its playerbase was a great way to go bankrupt eventually, even if at the time Dota 2 was acting as a gateway for many people in third world countries (where DotA remained supremely popular) to get into Steam.

So for the third International in 2013, Valve had an idea that would plague live service games for the rest of time.

They called it The International Compendium, a way for the community to support the pro scene. You paid 20 dollars (or was it 30? I no longer remember) to get a whole set of missions to unlock exclusive cosmetics, you could make predictions for how the tournament would go and if you were right your compendium levelled up even further, you could play Fantasy Dota the way people do Fantasy Football (I still have no idea how that works) and collect cards of your favorite players then watch as their performance in the tournament gave you points, and 25% of all sales went straight to The International 3's prizepool.

People loved it. Dota 2 didn't charge you for anything but hats that could also be gained by random drops from playing anyway, so the playerbase at the time saw it as a fair deal, and besides, 25% of it went back to "fostering the community".

They sold like gangbusters. The tournament's final prizepool was $2,874,380, with 1.6 million of that being contributed by Valve.This meant that the 25% sales added by the community totaled $1,274,380, so if you multiplied by 4 to get the money the TI3 Compendium made, you had almost 5.1 million dollars, for what was the earliest battlepass in PC gaming.

So of course, everyone else followed suit.

10 years later and everyone's doing a battlepass, even games that aren't free to play. It's format of a virtual passport that levels up as you complete its task with rewards for every level gained is one of the most psychologically effective player engagement systems, keeping players hooked on a game by constantly giving them a checklist to work on. World of Warcraft perfected the skinner box design for grinding to keep players hooked, but Valve introduced an idea that could be used by any game, in any genre, of any size.

And it fucking sucks dude. This was originally designed for a game that charged you nothing. No grind, no unlocks, no free rotation because everyone is free, no daily mission checklist to keep you hooked because it was supremely confident you were playing for the love of the gameplay (and even now 10 years later where Dota 2 has caught up with the rest of the world in providing dailies, I still ignore them because I only play for the love of the game), it felt fair.

It wasn't attempting to seize all my time, it wasn't disruptive to normal gameplay, it was on a game that charged nothing, you could ignore it completely if you didn't care for the pro scene, back then the idea felt reasonable.

And now for most online games that don't feature some kind of battlepass system, I see complaints that the game does not give them a reason to play. Players NEED this checklist now, because there are other games they can play that give in-game rewards by accomplishing their checklists. You cannot make a game whose ONLY engagement system is an enjoyable core loop anymore, you will simply be buried if you don't keep up.

I always knew something like gacha was coming and it was going to be a thing that affected the industry. When I was still studying around 2012 and attended all these talks from the local game industry, the ideas always centered around monetization, and designing games to hook whales into spending, discussion around designing a core loop was how to make a player spend money in order to stay inside that core loop they were engaged in rather than creating a core loop that would impress a game designer. Mobile games back then were beginning to truly emerge as the new goldmine that the AAA industry ignored until even Call of Duty was threatened by the sheer profits made from the casual space. Even if nobody mentioned gachapon/trading cards /whatever, it was obvious the future of game design was towards monetizing addiction.

Battlepasses though, that one hurts. I really didn't see it taking over live service games the way it did. I remember seeing it crop up in other games and going "Why are they making their own compendium, they don't have a tournament to base it around?"

oof

#making this unrebloggable because Im not about to engage in discourse lmao i just wanted to share

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gale-gentlepenguin · 1 year

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Gale Ranks: Miraculous Ladybug Classmates

Thats Right! I am going to be ranking Marinette and Adrien's classmates from my Least Favorite to My favorite.

Rules:

I will be judging based on Bustier's Class. So No Zoe, Kagami, or Marc. Even if they hang out.

Marinette and Adrien will be Excluded from this list (Think of them as Honorary 1 and 2 if included)

I will be using all of the episodes that have come out as reference. And there will be potential spoilers up to Episode 20 of season 5.

This isnt about which classmates are the best or worst. Its about My personal like or dislike of a classmate.

Including Marinette and Adrien there are 15 students. So this will be out of 13.

____________________________________________________________

13th. Sabrina Raincomprix

(She doesnt deserve a gif.)

Yea... after the recent episodes I really cant bring any sort of desire to like you. Oh sure Chloé is cruel and Lila is a manipulator... Sabrina is just a spineless worm that lets others get hurt or even ASSISTS in it. There is a corrupt cop joke here but its too easy. Also even with that she has no personality outside of Chloé Lackey. Chloé wouldnt be able to pull off most of her evil schemes without someone doing the dirty work and sorry Sabrina, thats you.

12th. Chloé Bourgeois

A moment of silence for the wasted Character potential... Okay. So yea Chloé sucks. Granted the season 4 and 5 have gone so over the top with showing that season 2 and 3 were not actually important that it causes massive whiplash. I cant find myself hating her like I can with sabrina. I just pity this character. And that is even AFTER I saw what happened in Derision, though at this point I have no interest in seeing a redemption. The writers could have made her heel turn back to evil more believable IF they did it gradually with more effort. But its clear that there was no effort to do so.

11th. Lê Chiến Kim

This man went from top 4 on my list to BARELY missing the top 10. Just goes to show how much one episode can change one's view on a character. In some ways I actually would say I like him less than Chloé now... but Kim at least did apologize and did say he would make an effort to be better. But MAN, when I found out what he did I was watching Chat noir BEAT HIS ASS ON LOOP. You know I was about to give that boy THESE HANDS for that s***. Derision really shifted everyone's view on this once lovable himbo, now he is a dumbass.

10.Rose Lavillant

I just dont like her design that much. Her personality is the stereotypical bubbly girl. And while she does get some exploration on why that is... its never touched on again. Also I am a touch salty about Migration. Juleka was expecting to hear a confession but WE ALL GOT BAITED AND SWITCHED. Guess the show cant have any girl confessing to another girl unless that girl being confessed to is Marinette.

9. and 8. Ivan Bruel and Mylène Haprèle

So to me these two are basically interchangable in terms of ranking. Ivan is the gentle giant that is misunderstood. Mylene is the soft scarred cat that wants the world to be a better place. If I had to pick, i would say I prefer Myléne more, but thats because she gets more character development.

7. Lila Rossi

So Lila always struck me as a character with huge potential. The problem is the writers have no idea how to write a cruel, calculating and manipulative character without dumbing down everyone else to make her seem smart. Now in season 5 I have found myself starting to like her more. Is it because the writing got better? F*** no, its just been more fun with her in it. She is just clearly having more fun with it, and just seeing how the ridiculous plans somehow work almost makes it funny. Also its clear she is being set up as the next big bad, so I cant wait to see how convoluted the show makes her to make her WORSE than Gabriel. So unlike Chloé whose cartoonish evilness feels like a waste, with Lila it feels more fun to watch.

6. Max Kante

He built Markov. Plus after Gamer he has been a pretty solid character. I also do enjoy his support of his Idiot Friend Kim. Even if Kim doesnt deserve it. Also, he has the best transformation sequence. Boy goes WAY too hard for it. I also just think he is a charming character.

5. Nathanael Kurtzberg

Tomato son. While it took me some time to forgive him for Reverser. He is basically a shipper with Marc and its a fun time. I enjoy their plans and adorable antics. But part of me still misses season 1 Nathanael, wonder if he still had a crush on Marinette. Not much else to add, just that he is fun to have on screen and his english dub voice is still dope.

4. Juleka Couffaine

She has my favorite design of the Classmates. She does develop more as the show goes on, I would say she has the most consistant development of the classmates outside of the top 3 contenders. Juleka is now the lead of Kitty Section, and has some incredible Lyrics within her. She wants to stand out and wants to stop being a wall flower. I can respect her guts and attempts at growing and improving.

3. and 2. Alya Cesaire and Nino Lahiffe

The respective best friends of Adrien and Marinette. They are likely the most known about classmates of the Miracuclass. Well Alya is. Nino sadly doesnt get as much delved into. That being said, both are supportive friends and go to great lengths to help them. Nino is surprisingly the more chaotic of the two resulting in him thinking Chat noir was stealing his girl OR forming a resistance against Monarch. Alya learning her best friend's identity and being her emotional rock. Now I thought I would put Alya higher than Nino, but Nino's charm and antics make it hard to dismiss and so I have them both as a tie. Though they also had some moments (Thanks to bad writing) that make me cringe a bit.

1. Alix Kubdel

The most consistently written character in the entire class. The Time travel hero, a character that in my opinion is slept on a lot more than she should be. While I am not crazy about time travel, I do enjoy Alix as a character. She is fun loving and ready to call people out on their BS, also she gets some great lines. She also shows how much of a supportive friend she is to nathanael, Marinette, Ladybug and Chat noir. Its sad she had to go into the time stream to hide from monarch, but it is still a fun way to send a character off for a time

#ml #miraculous ladybug #miracuclass #ml spoilers #gale ranks

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judgybitch · 5 months

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Podcast: Ghost Wax

Episode Count: 49 (45 numbered episodes, 1 episode that's not numbered, 2 episodes that seem to be part of a patreon series, and 2 Q&A's, I have not subscribed to the patreon)

Last update: Season 1 finished on Halloween and the the last Q&A followed soon after. The most recent update to the podcast in general was on December 6th to notify listeners of a kickstarter for a kickstarter from the creator that is unrelated to the podcast.

Brief synopsis taken directly from apple podcasts is: Ghost Wax is a horror fiction podcast following the work of the last "reclaimer", investigating a series of unnatural killings by raising the dead and committing their final statements to wax cylinder. The synopsis from their official squarespace website though is: Ghost Wax is a Fantasy Horror Podcast: Owen Voncid is the last Reclaimer. The last person able to wake the dead and hear their tales. To combat the darkness of the realms beyond, even the black art of necromancy is a line worth crossing.

I'm personally not sure why the synopsis is different across platforms and am unsure if there are any further changes on other locations but this does kind of annoy me. Not enough to change my rating, but enough to make me side eye the creators a bit.

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

TL;DR: Even with the length of the show, I'd love to recommend it to people, but I can't without caveats. And most of those caveats have nothing to do with the script writing, sound design, the voice acting, or even the character design. My worries are for its worldbuilding, which is already at a level where I'm worried about them being able to maintain it as time goes on, and I am deeply concerned that this show isn't exactly accessible. Most don't have trigger warnings which can be okay since it's a horror show so approach with caution, but there's also a severe lack of transcripts available on their website. Less than half have them in fact. So there's a group of people I would recommend this to, but many where I can't.

Full review after read more.

Ghost Wax was another horror podcast that I went into knowing literally nothing about it. The cover art intrigued me, as did the first episode I was recommended by another podcast. And instantly I was intrigued. The idea of creating something that gives the dead a way to tell their last moments isn't new, it's something people have been dreaming up in fiction and searching for in real life for an extremely long time. Some versions of this fictionalized idea can be grotesque, dragging a long suffering soul from a pit of despair just to wring out their last moments for something unseemly, or they can go the Ghost Wax route.

Voncid, despite being a curmudgeonly creature (and I do mean creature in a more literal sense since while I don't fully understand what he is, he's not 'human'), is compassionate to the dead. He cares extremely deeply about the dead's comfort and how they feel. He wants answers about how they died, but he also wants them to know they can tell their story at their own pace. Combine that with a warm old man voice and you've got a recipe for moments that can be achingly beautiful amidst the horrors around them.

And so despite having no skin in the game going in, I ended up feeling extremely excited about the show just within a few episodes. I wanted to know more about Voncid, Luca, Pip, Charlie, and Jinx the cat. I cared about how they were doing and I looked forward to each new story from the deceased. That's not to say every episode was a banger. V.ideo H.orror S.tory has kind of a goofy ending for my taste. Not enough to make it bad, but enough to make it nowhere near my favorite episode. Hilariously enough though, according to the Q&A part 2, an episode a lot of people hated was The Final Countdown. And honestly, I know this is gonna sound ridiculous, but I think the campiness of the episode actually works with the premise of a traveling New Year's party that consumes its guests to be in an eternal party.

The reason I believe the episodes mostly work is a credit to the writers, the soundscaping, and the performers. The writing usually had a good flow to it and when there needed to be strong characterization, there would be. Parts of their personality and aspects of who they are, including their queerness, feel seemlessly woven in instead of an afterthought or a case of tokenism. This is both because of the main writer and the performers (who I believe are either predominantly or entirely queer) treating their characters like avatars that they could fiddle with and make into whole people. Even Jinx the cat feels like it has a tangible personality within the story. We get enough of the characters, actually, that most are going to pick up on Charlie's duplicitous nature at some point before the reveal when he finally turns on the others.

This isn't a failing of the show though. I love the dramatic irony and I love that people had different moments where they realized he was the traitor. My moment was how he treated the more gruesome aspects of the Ardent, as if they were toys he could play with instead of aspects to be treated seriously. Others just thought he was too damn chipper, which is also valid. He was extremely chipper.

The other characters not picking up on it though, despite being shown to the audience in a myriad of ways, doesn't ring false. After all, there's been dozens of murders and their lives have been overturned and they just have their own shit going on. So it's understandable when Voncid and Pip do not pick up on anything beyond 'Charlie's a little weird, oh well, got shit to do today', because really, that's kind of like how most of us are in situations like that. Hindsight and being on the outside looking in are two powerful tools in noticing duplicity.

The soundscape especially adds to all of this to create moments that range from intensely creepy to hilarious to truly fucking heartbreaking. Voncid unleashing untold horror because he doesn't want to let go of his lover's soul, and that lover reminding him that this isn't the way he's supposed to be, did actually make me sob at my desk. I could feel the ache of hundreds of years, that desperation to keep that last bit of someone so precious. I could hear the betrayal in Pip's voice after Charlie takes her eyes. I could feel the cold dread in the soundscaping of In the Snow. These moments all stuck with me and I truly adored them.

That being said, I must be honest and say there was exactly 1 moment in the show that has stuck to me as a 'you should have probably redone that', and that's unfortunately in the season finale part 2. In that episode, Charlie has turned on everyone and caused absolute mayhem and destruction in the Ardent. And because of this, we get a lot of named and unnamed characters dying in the episode. Like a lot. A lot. And so we get a lot of screams in the background. Some of those screams are funny. Like as in they come across less 'horrifying death wail' and more 'wilhelm scream'. Also, while I like the episode The Final Countdown and am fine with the voice actress doing an annoying drunk girl voice since she is an annoying drunk girl, it's very obviously not a performance everyone's going to adore.

Having that few negative moments in a 46 episode season with dozens of voiced characters involved though is, in itself, an achievement. I know shows with a small percentage of that and they've failed way more. There were times though, especially when I had to take breaks in listening due to personal issues, that it became hard to differentiate between the the extended cast and to remember who everyone was. It wasn't egregious enough for me to deduct a ton from my rating, but it is something to keep an eye on. An easy way they could have helped this out is transcripts.

There was no commentary on it in either Q&A, so I have no way of knowing but the missing transcripts are something they intend to fix as time goes on or if that's dead in the water, but currently less than half of the episodes have transcripts on their squarespace website. That's a problem for me, both in terms of consistency but also accessibility. I know plenty of people who require transcripts. I myself have trouble with audio sometimes and have to double check what I heard against a written version, which is why subtitles are always on in my household. So right off the back, not doing this means I can't recommend this show to some people I know. There not being trigger warnings consistently on episodes is also an issue, but not nearly as bad as the transcripts is for me. Especially because I think it will hinder them in the future with how big the story is.

This world is huge. The creators themselves have stated both out of character and through Voncid that everything is real in this world. Everything. And while that's fun and it's okay that not everything gets answered in season one since that's typically how season 1 of any show works, I am truly worried about the future. While these writers are good, they are running a real risk of making it both hard to write and hard to follow with how much is in there. Transcripts of every episode would at least help the audience refer back to things a bit easier as well as follow along with the number of characters involved. At the end of the day though, the writers just have to pinky promise me they won't pull a George R R Martin and fall off the face of the earth with their main project because tying together 32893472 loose threads is actually a bitch and a half to do.

I'm giving this show 4 stars out of 5 stars as it currently is. I'm extremely worried about the future of this podcast, but am also excited to see where it goes. Hopefully they get better about making it a little easier to tell extended cast apart, do better about death screams, and are better about accessibility in general. And I really struggled with if those reasons should rank this a 3.5, but at the end of the day, I really loved the characters, the main performances, and the hidden world yet to come. I looked forward to every single episode. And I'm terrified of Dottie Jean Barlowe and her weird taxidermy henchmen. If I don't review season 2, it's because it either never came out or because she thought I was a judgy bitch and killed me for my skin. Both seem like really sad options.

#podcast #podcast review #ghost wax #4 stars #ghostwax podcast

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bamf-jaskier · 1 year

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What do you think of Witcher Blood Origin?

Well, if you can't tell from my recent posting I am massively in love with it.

I got the chance to live chat through it in a sever @spilledbutter set up and I had so much fun live-reacting.

Reasons I enjoyed it:

The Seven are amazing characters because not only do they have very distinct personalities and character design but they also all have great chemistry together

it's hard to balance a large main cast like this show had but I think they did a great job

it reminded me a lot of Heroes, which was one of my favorite shows when it was coming out

Each character has interesting motivations and is fleshed out really well for a show with only 4 episodes

the costume design is just gorgeous. At this point Merwyn is carrying the witcher universe when it comes to fashion. I just know I'm going to be reblogging so many posts of her outfits.

The music is also amazing, I haven't really made it a secret but I was massively let down by the season 2 soundtrack and it's great to see them have super good musical backing and the original songs are fabulous and I have been listening to them a lot

Eile and Fjall were a big reason I got as invested in the show as I did

twn is sort of infamous for how little screentime and build up Yennefer and Geralt have as their main romance so it was really great to see a relationship that actually felt like they got a good amount of plot attention, screentime, and chemistry

the whole Larkstone (Eile and Fjall) relationship really kept me going and the actors did such a good job

I think their relationship is easily one of my favorite parts of the show

the friendship between Meldof and Callan (Brother Death) is also something I didn't expect to love as much as I did

which goes back to what I was saying about the chemistry of The Seven

They just fit perfectly together and complimented each other

it very much had Hansa vibes in the best way possible

and even the characters like Scian who had these previous connections to characters (Scian helped teach Eile) were able to add new dynamics

I was so impressed with the chemistry the show was able to create with so little time. I'm super sad they cut it from 6 to 4 episodes because I just know those other two episodes contained amazing stuff

there is so much more I could say but I'm just going to tell you all to watch it yourselves. At this point it's a rambling train of thought more than an easy list.

It's only 3.5 hours to watch it all and it has really revitalized my interest in The Witcher and it was just super well done.

#asks #anon #the witcher #blood origin #spoilers #myposts

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artbyace · 5 months

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15 questions, 15 people

except no 15 people because tagging gives me anxiety ~

ty @jaylienpotter for tagging <3

1. are you named after anyone?

yes ! my middle name is after my moms childhood best friend. in a drastic change of tone, my first name is from a murder victim. my mom saw her name in the paper when in the hospital giving birth to my older sister and just decided that was it

2. when was the last time you cried?

11/26, i finished good omens and sobbed. Yes i keep track of my crying

3. do you want to have kids?

ideally? yes. realistically? no. i’m also only 17 so we’ll see how that changes

4. what sports do/have you played?

i played hockey for years!! and still love to skate :) i also did softball for like one season

5. do you use sarcasm?

always

6. what’s the first thing you notice about someone?

i think i usually notice/look for how people treat others. it’s a telltale sign to their character

7. what’s your eye color?

i think it’s blue. i’ve been told it’s green. i don’t know .

8. movies with sad or happy endings?

i’d be a liar if i didn’t say sad endings. i love a good cry. i have a hard time regulating and expressing emotions so i use movies/books/songs as a way to trigger emotions and crying

9. what talents do you have?

i do the art :) ig thats a talent. also , im p good at ice skating and roller blading and shit. other than that. i am useless .

10. where would you like to live?

ideally anywhere other than the US

11. what are your hobbies?

i like to read when i can and draw !! and watch gay shows or read gay books .

12. do you have any pets?

i have THREE dogs and a cat and a lizard and a bird. i am allergic to 4 of those animals but we ball

13. how tall are you?

4’11. yes. i know .

14. favorite subject in school?

BiOLOGY OMG ITS MY LOVE. do you know how hard it is to not infodump on people. i keep trying to figure out how to fit facts like “did you know you can drink so much water that your brain cells become lysed and BURSt” into normal conversation

15. what is your dream job?

i would love to be a designer , like a graphic designer or anythjng in that realm. additionally, i want to be able to continue making art and maybe selling it on the side :) i love to create

feel free to pretend i tagged u <333

#txt #tag game #tag games #15 questions

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purplekoop · 6 months

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Things I Love #2: WATCH OJAMAJO DOREMI.

Okay so. context.

A while back, way earlier this year if memory serves correctly, my friend Dyna (y'know from the streams) found a peculiar song in the girl idol band rhythm game they like. Upon investigating, they learned that was an official cover of the theme song for a 1999 magical girl anime with a very niche cult following here in the states. They looked into it further, watched a video explaining why the show is so great, saw it for themselves, and after becoming thoroughly obsessed, convinced me somehow to watch the entire 200+ episode run with them.

And it. was.

Worth it.

I say it without an ATOM of hyperbole that this is genuinely one of the best shows I've ever seen. Like. Seriously, no bits no laughs no nothing, this silly little pastel-colored show is utterly phenomenal in more ways that I can do it justice. It's genuinely that good. It's hilarious, it's intense, and it made me cry and intensely hilarious number of times. It's legitimately a show that makes me happier to be alive when I think about it.

And one of the main cast members looks like this for the majority of the show.

...Okay maybe it deserves a little more context.

So, okay, plot summary:

Doremi (the pink one) is a silly, short-tempered, and chronically unlucky grade schooler who kind of sucks at... most things, to be frank. And one thing she sucks at that actually bothers her is her inability to muster up the courage to one day confess to a boy she likes. Logically, the only way she'd be able to confess is if she had magic, so she's also obsessed with witches, and one day becoming a witch herself. (Good news for her incoming.)

One day, she goes to a mysterious old house, and finds an equally mysterious woman inside with a cat. Just kind of, y'know, as a hunch. She accuses the woman of being a witch, which causes her to spontaneously turn into the green creature seen above.

This is Majo Rika, a genuine article but short-tempered witch, and the cat is secretly her fairy companion Lala. When a witch's identity is found out by a human, they get cursed into being a silly little creature known as a Witch Frog, and the only way to turn back into their original form is for the human who found them out to become a witch themself, and then use their magic to turn the witch frog back to normal. This, very conveniently, means Doremi now has to become a Witch Apprentice, learn magic, pass the apprentice exams, and eventually earn the honor of becoming a full witch herself.

Along the way, some of Doremi's friends get caught up in the secret, including her childhood friend Hazuki, the soft-spoken sweetheart (and my favorite of the apprentices but quite not my favorite character outright), and the new transfer student Aiko, the cool-headed tomboy who rocks the blue. Together, they all train to be witch apprentices, learning under Majo Rika, and working at her house, which is turned into a magical crafts shop, the Maho Dou. A few more witch apprentices join them along the way, but aside from them they have to keep their witchy business a secret from everyone else.

Now that we've established the basics, I think I'll continue the tradition of posting the show's theme song in each of these. Doremi has a 4-ish season run, with each season getting its own OP in standard anime fare, but I think the first and most iconic opening, Ojamajo Carnival, should suffice:

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Oh yeah, might help to explain what "Ojamajo" means. It's a pun that roughly means "bothersome witch", since "Majo" is "Witch" and "Ojama" means "bothersome" or "annoying." So the title would more directly be "Bothersome Witch Doremi" but literally everyone prefers "Ojamajo" so. yeah.

Anyways, theme song shows a lot about the show that's great.

For one is the art style, which I'd say is "pleasant" in the most intensely delightful sense of the word. The designs themselves are all nice, soft, and delightful, with hardly a sharp corner in sight and a real sense of childlike whimsy permeating through it all. The general color palette and style of the show also just has a nostalgic fuzziness, even after the show's technical quality improves over its 4 year run. And the animation I adored as soon as episode 1, with characters frequently deforming to goofy faces and round nub hands right out of Animal Crossing. Hey, I don't blame them, I wouldn't wanna draw full hands for over 200 episodes either.

Another thing is the soundtrack. I don't know what terms to describe its genre, but beyond just the bombastic opening, with its cheery violin, twangy guitar, and overall exuberant joy, the soundtrack for each episode is also full of bangers. There's upbeat jazz to stir up excitement for energetic scenes, pleasant standard background tracks, and even some unexpectedly tense tracks for some dramatic scenes. This is also a show that will make you cry, and that includes even just from the ending themes. Here's season 1's:

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That plays during an episode and I become a sopping mess without fail. Gets me every time.

The other big thing is arguably the show's biggest strength: its cast. While I won't go in-depth on the main cast, both for the sake of spoilers and because people have done that better than me already, I will give the show its due respect for its more broad cast. As the intro implies, the girls' entire class are notable side characters. While a good number of episodes focus on magical trials and hijinks, the majority of the show actually has the girls encounter a problem their classmates are facing, and then secretly use magic to help solve that problem. It's a formula that not only keeps things fresh with making different side characters the spotlight of an episode, but also rewards following along as the show progresses. Even the most obscure background classmates (save for I think ONE exception) will be the focus of an episode, and remember how Doremi and the gang helped them out. You can even see characters from past episodes in almost every group shot, and get to go "oh hey it's that kid!" in a really satisfying way. It really helps add to the childhood feel of the show, since... yeah, back then, your classmates were the stars of each day's adventures, and even if you weren't close friends you still knew their names would hang out every day. The teachers are also great characters in their own rights, again hearkening back to elementary days where teachers really were there for you. The cast isn't limited to the classroom though. The girls' families often factor into their more personal episode plots as well. And the magical side of things has its own small recurring cast. Witches actually reside in, another dimension known as the Witch World, a pastel-colored world with a striking visual appeal of its own right, and is also home to a cast of additional witch characters that get introduced over the course of the show.

Of course, the only important one is the underhanded saleswitch who barges into the Maho Dou with a smile and a song:

Dela.

Yeah no she's the best character and nothing's changing that.

Not kidding about her song by the way:

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Literally every single time she appears, she sings a unique (shorter) version of this song to announce her arrival. It's fantastic.

So yeah, that's the basics of what makes this show great, but like... again, this show is insane, and there is SO much more I could say but won't, I'd rather people just experience it for themselves.

Which... brings us to how you experience this show yourself.

I should explain first that Doremi didn't take off in the west. Unlike her home country, which still has a dedicated fanbase who remembers the show fondly, English-speaking countries were stuck with...

*dramatic lightning crash*

the 4kids dub.

The dub, otherwise known as Magical DoReMi, is widely considered to be a downgrade from the original by fans. Look up the opening compared to the original and you'll see what I mean. Though the quality is one thing, the real way 4kids screwed the show over was by greatly limiting its airtime due to it being "another boring girl show", kneecapping its potential popularity severely. They only ever dubbed the first season, and the second half of that was limited to an online-only release if I remember right.

Now, while the show itself was a relatively failure over here, apparently toy sales didn't do too bad actually. And I know that specifically, because when I told my partner I was watching Doremi, they went "Wait WHAT" and proceeded to show me pictures of their childhood Doremi toys. Apparently they even came with a bonus DVD, though only for one episode. My friend Seven also had Doremi toys and a bonus DVD of that one episode too, so uh... small world, huh?

But yeah, with this in mind, it shouldn't be surprising that Doremi has such a limited english-speaking fanbase, and thus should be even less surprising that there is no official way to watch the show here. There is no newer dub of the whole show, and no official subtitles. I managed to watch the show thanks to the efforts of fanmade subs, and though there's some unfortunate dated language early on, it's otherwise an extremely commendable effort that I can't thank enough for making it possible. As for how to access this subbed version... I mean come on, if you're reading this, you're an adult on the internet, you can figure out how. I know pity for corporations is comically low on this site but if you need help feeling better about it, remember that there is no way to officially watch the show as an english speaker. If they do make official subs and stream the show somewhere, I'll let you know, but that seems extremely unlikely.

As for what you watch then, Doremi has 4 main seasons of roughly 50 episodes each, and then one weird bonus season. Each season after the first one has a subtitle: season 2 is Ojamajo Doremi Sharp, 3 is Motto, and 4 is Dokkan. There's also Naisho, a shorter set of about 17 episodes that takes place during the same time as Motto, but was made years after the main show originally ended. I watched episodes of Naisho sprinkled in with my watchthrough of Motto, but there's also merit to watching it in release order, at least the final episode. There are also two episode-length "movies" that take place about midway through a couple seasons: one for Sharp, and one for Motto. Finally, made for the 20th anniversary back in 2020, there's the feature-length film "Looking for Ojamajo Doremi", which was the final thing of the show I watched, and just finished tonight actually. It's not directly in the same "canon" as the show itself, but I highly recommend it as a great finale to a watchthrough of the show as a whole.

It's a long ride, but it's worth it. I genuinely wouldn't skip any episodes, as again, even minor characters are worth remembering for later. It's not a show with "filler", because what you're there for is a simple and relaxing slice of life style show that takes it easy to appreciate the mundane joys of just being nice and helping others. Plus, it makes the absolutely fantastic gut punch of a finale all the more worth it.

I really can't say enough about this show. It's genuinely better than I can put into words. If you have the time (and a soul) then please, PLEAAAASE consider giving it a watch, I swear it's worth it.

So that's this Things I Love. Not sure what the next one will be actually. These won't all be shows, so maybe expect a game next? Could also be a show that I'm due to finish a watch or rewatch of too, like a certain other show where a weird girl stumbles into a witch and her creature companion, and then learns to be a witch herself. We'll see though. In the meantime, uhhh... Rabbids? I think I was talking about Rabbids for some reason.

#things I love #koop's things i love #ojamajo doremi #doremi #Youtube

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westworldparty19 · 2 years

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I’m gonna post the things I like about Strange New Worlds because I did enjoy it even if I criticize it!!

1. I love all the new characters! La’an, Ortegas, and Hemmer are all so much fun and I’m excited to learn more about Ortegas next season (hopefully)!

2. I love a lot of what they did to flesh out the characters we only meet briefly in TOS! Una is a great first officer and really meshes with Pike’s style. I think they complement each other really well. M’benga gets his chance to shine and I love his lil fishing hat. I liked it when Sam Kirk got knocked out immediately by that meteor.

3. Love Celia as Uhura! She has such a different approach to the character and I love her enthusiasm for the series. I love it when Uhura gets to save the day and she was able to a few times this season!

4. Captain Angel, I LOVED them. Probably my favorite character of the season and I can’t wait to see them again. When they changed costumes every scene I was like there’s no way they’re not a villain and I’m so glad they were, very fun. Also love the talk they have with Spock about not being one or the other or both but being more.

5. I loved that first scene of Pike riding his horse with a beard in the snow, very cool.

6. T’pring! I am an T’pring apologist. She’s never done anything wrong in her life! I support womens’ wrongs! She does a good job at being in Spock’s body and she’s really trying her Vulcan best in their relationship. All of her costumes are amazing.

7. Loved the costumes in the Elysian kingdom and Chrissy’s dog licking her lmao. Also loved Una and Ortegas’ characters having a past.

8. My baby boy Spock in an apron! “I’m arming us with knowledge” made me laugh out loud.

9. I love how much most of the cast seems to love the series!!

10. Paul and Ethan saying Spirk! And Chrissy saying Kock!!

11. That giant picture of Kirk in Spock’s eye line while Pike is telling him about his best destiny!!

12. I like that it made me watch season 2 of Disco! Spock and Michael’s goodbye really got to me and I think about it a lot!

13. I love that I was able to watch this as it was airing and interact with content about it in real time

14. I like following the set designers and seeing their process

If these seem a little surface level…well!

Also…I’ve gotten a few “you’re an idiot” “you’re the problem” “touch grass” and worse comments on my posts but only on posts where I criticize SNW…let’s reflect on that! I’m not attacking anyone personally by having some critical things to say about the show but I’ve been gettin personal attacks back! Fascinating!

#star trek #snw #spock #strange new worlds #ethan peck #spirk #chrissy chong #celia rose gooding #star trek strange new worlds

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macgyvertape · 8 months

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D2 Season of the Deep thoughts

Gameplay:

The seasonal bonuses seem to be the start of the pivot to weekly challenges and no pinnacle grind. I'm glad the power cap wasn’t raised this season and won’t be again next season.

What’s the point with creating a hidden mechanic that requires the whole team to initiate it in a matchmade activity?! I never ended up doing a Tier 7 pressure trial, because matchmade with random people it never worked out and doing it with LFG or friends we never got past tier 5.

Deep dives with ingame matchmade were toxic af after the release of the exotic quest and a waste of time, because there was often someone trying to do the exotic mission then leaving when no one else joins them. It really bad design to have the matchmaking mode set like this when people are trying to do it 3 different ways, and I don’t know why it was designed to not have backfill from the beginning.

I like specific exotic armor focusing, new fun form of gambling and the stats are very generous. At the same time getting new seasonal exotics still feels like you waste a lot of time.

Being able to buy past season Iron banner armor makes me actually want to grind Iron Banner more in the future.

Should be easier to get focused fishing, I never ended up finishing all the fishing challenges. Overall I thought fishing was fun at the beginning of the season when I could do it and chill with my friends, but I found the lack of obvious audio cues meant it wasn’t fun to grind out by myself when watching a show.

Deeply appreciate how you could skip so many seasonal challenges this season, that way I’m not grinding out hours spent in playlist activities and then burning out on the game. At this point I’m one of the people burned out on the seasonal model, the less I have to play things I don’t want to do to get my pile of bright dust. the more I like Destiny.

Speaking of not spending time in playlist activities, I didn’t reset any vendor rank twice and Vanguard I only reset once because I farmed Sepiks GM during double loot week. Deeply ironic that Gambit is officially not a dev priority considering that I find it the least aggravating playlist to grind.

I knew I didn’t play as much this season but wow “27 minutes underwater”

Story:

Opening mission: Fun to watch Saint lose his shit when Xivu-Arath mocked Sagira’s death. Her line about being the hand around my throat, I hope all those who are into the Hive enjoyed this season

I’ll really be upset if Sloane dies this season, I never really cared that much about her until Arrivals and when she stayed behind so I’m enjoying she gets to be the focus of a season (glad she didn’t die making it 3/3 focus characters dying)

Really appreciate Zavala, Drifter, Sloane, and Saint as a cast of characters who haven’t really interacted much onscreen but who have history getting to interact.

Drifter’s radio message about The Nine and Gambit felt more like pre-WQ Drifter, I have a lot of thoughts about this has been some of my favorite onscreen Drifter writing since Arrivals & Beyond Light and feels like the missing arc he should have gotten in Beyond Light to reconcile his views in Arrivals vs Plunder

Week 2: Saladin and Saint arguing about who is being overbearing to Sloane was great; a sense of how do these characters get along, how do they react to a circumstances, both voice actors seemed to be having fun with it

Week 3: I feel very much like a floating camera but the cutscene with Drifter and Saladin was fun and is the pinnacle of what I’m enjoying about this season in terms of “these two people are some of the oldest guardians and have kept crossing paths in lore” so we finally see them in a scenario in game

Week 3 Drifter: enjoying the heavy implication that Drifter’s ears are doing the Hive are whispering at me bleeding thing.

Week 4 Drifter: “they didn’t go so quite not until I shut them up” … “I did what it took to get offworld now I’m here” …”somethings you carry with you forever” DAMN where was this writing for Drifter in Season 18 vs wacky woohoo gambit man

This season really cements that while I might not have the plot around why Saladin became Valus Forge, I really like him being in the story with fresh things to do other than rehashing the Iron Lords Legacy yet again

As Immaru’s #1 fan excited to see Saladin mention him by name, hope next season is Immauru vs Saladin as rival tacticians

#destiny 2 #mac play video games #seasonal model burnout has come for me and all my friends #season of the deep

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fixated-frenzy · 2 years

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Short-Lived series

There are a few tv shows/ series that I’ve gotten into over the years that I find really entertaining. These shows either have short episodes, less than 3 seasons, or were cancelled after one season. Unfortunately, a lot of shows on Netflix or other streaming services happen to not get good advertising or they just simply don’t do well. But I’m here to show you the ones I wish that they continued. Here’s my list of my favorite short-lived series for a quick watch.

1. I Am Not Okay With This

This show was very short lived with 1 season. It is available to stream on Netflix and is definitely worth a quick watch if you don’t want to commit to a long series. The show is about a teen girl struggling with finding herself dealing with family issues, sexuality and her new found powers. Sydney is a very relatable character and even if the show was short, you go through a rollercoaster of emotions just like Sydney does. It gets funny, dark, relatable, awkward, and serious all just in one season. I definitely recommend this show to anyone who just wants someone to relate to 10/10

2. The Hollow

Now the hollow is interesting, it would have been great at 1 season, but they had a second season. I still enjoyed the show, however they cancelled it after season 2! There was so much to unpack after season two that we were just left on a bit of a cliffhanger. I’m a bit upset that it’s cancelled, but I will say the show is still worth a watch. I was able to finish a season in a day, so it’s pretty short. It is about these 3 teenagers who wake up in a strange place not knowing where they are, but once they figure out what’s going on, there’s a twist ending. There’s a lot of theories as to what happened after season two, so if you want a series that will really make you think, this one’s for you! 8/10!

3. First kill

First kill is a show that really stuck with me, however, Netflix cancelled it after one season. It really makes me mad because it’s allegedly the marketing teams fault for it being cancelled because of not advertising it much, thus low viewership. But let’s not get into what makes me mad about it, let’s talk about what’s good about it. First kill is a story about a vampire and a vampire hunter who fall in love. Well, it’s not exactly that simple. There’s death, passion, sacrifice, and plot twists what make this series great. If you’re looking for a show with action, spice, and relationship drama, then this one’s for you! 9/10!

4. Twelve Forever

Cancelled after one season, twelve forever us a very memorable series to watch if you want something quick. Twelve forever is about a girl named Reggie who doesn’t want to grow up so she creates a key to a fantasy land for her to visit whenever she wants to escape. This show has lots of comedy, relatability, and great character designs. If you love cartoons and escapism, this show is for you! 9/10!

5. Red band society

Red band society is a great show to watch if you want a slice of drama and sadness. Aired in 2014 and cancelled after one season, red band society captures the stories of 6 kids who live in a pediatric ward and (almost) all of them become friends. Though, this show has some triggering content such as eating disorders, surgeries, death, and obviously, hospitals. But if you can handle that sort of thing, I definitely recommend this show! 8/10!

And there you have it! These series will always live in my heart no matter how short they were! :) 💕R

#red band society #twelve forever #first kill #the hollow season 2 #i am not okay with this #cartoons #animation #tv

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postalninja · 8 months

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Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love❤

Ooo, thank you for the ask! But how will I choose?? I definitely have a recency bias with my writing, partly because I know that I've gotten better over time so some of my older fics aren't really up to my current standard in terms of things like pacing, especially. But setting that aside, there are still some of my early fics that hold a special place in my heart, so I'll try to pick from across the board. 1. Starting with an old fic, actually, The Measure of a Man (Octopath Traveler, Rated E) is still a favorite of mine, even after 3 years. I just really enjoyed the deep dive into Olberic's sense of self and exploring how, after getting married and starting a family, he would still have some struggles in terms of his purpose and his worth. It was kind of like taking his canon story and bringing it full circle (by the gods I love that man!) 2. Next, Sins of the Father (Skyrim, Rated M), my first novel-length longfic! I put a lot of work into this one, and it was the first time that I managed to successfully develop a plot with, like, a story arc and whatnot. Still very proud of how this one turned out, since it required a lot of playing with lore and developing the backstory of characters who didn't get much of one in the game (including my first fully fleshed out original character who really stole my heart) 3. Another favorite is Fashion Party Confidential (Drawtectives, Rated T) I had so much fun putting together what is essentially meant to serve as a bonus episode after season 2. I structured it similarly to a real episode, complete with drawings made by each of the characters and an original NPC for them to harass help. I re-watched the series before I started writing and felt like I had a really good grasp of the character voices, and I'm very happy with the dialogue and how in-character it feels. And I had fun with the fashion theme of the story, given my background in fashion design and the fact that it fits in canonically with York's story, as well as the opportunity to reflect the players' fashion knowledge - or lack thereof - in the drawings (sorry, Nathan)

4. Next is Would She Love Me If She Knew? (Octopath Traveler, Rated M) I debated including this one on its own or combining it with the sequel (which, spoilers, is also on this list), but I feel like they are different enough thematically that I can talk about them separately. This fic was me diving headfirst into the royal/guard trope and essentially writing an entire romance novel, lol! It took me 9 months to write and was (at the time) the longest thing I had written. By this point I was starting to get the hang of pacing things properly without rushing them, letting the story breathe and take its time getting where it wanted to go. And I have to admit that this is my favorite version of H'aanit and Olberic that I've written so far - I absolutely loved making them face adversity before they could get together, putting obstacles in their way so that they would pine and despair about ever being able to have a relationship. Oh, that delicious angst! This fic set a new bar for me, and I've become a better writer because of it. 5. And of course, the as yet unfinished (but so close!) The Head That Wears the Crown (Octopath Traveler, Rated T). More than two years in the making, and I'm still stuck on the climax of the story, argh!!! Nevertheless, crafting this one has been so rewarding, given that it ties into WSLMISK but uncovers all of the sinister hints that I left in that story of a bigger issue to come. There's a mystery to solve, a conspiracy to uncover, and so much goddamned trauma to deal with! Some of my favorite character development to date is in this story, and I can't wait to (somehow get through this writer's block and) hopefully give this whole thing a satisfying ending. I've learned so much about plot and how to do foreshadowing and developing a complex villain while writing this fic. And as a bit of a bonus... I'll just say that I have a new Octopath Traveler 2 fic that I am *nearly* ready to start posting (just waiting on feedback from my beta, which *should* happen today) that I am currently in love with. Recency bias may play into this, of course, but I can't wait to share it! It's a Castti/Osvald Gothic Romance AU titled Memories Seep From My Veins :)

#fic authors self rec ask #thank you anon!#octopath traveler #elder scrolls skyrim #drawtectives #octopath traveler 2 #postal ninja fanfic

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mliter · 11 months

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Fortnite Chapter 4, Season 2: MEGA

Or Fortnite MEGA for short. This is the season following up the previous one. Knights and dragons have left the spotlight and we've immediately been thrusted into a neon, cyberpunk japan. This season introduced a lot of stuff looking back. It's almost unrecognizable to 3 months ago. We're first shown MEGA city alongside some of it's inhabitants, through a really flashy and stylish trailer.

The inhabitants of MEGA city are quite colorful. I think this is one of the most out there battle passes I've ever seen. I love all of these characters. Highwire, Renzo, Thunder, Mizuki are up there for me.

Especially Imani. I think she is very pretty. She takes the #1 spot for me.

With the hammer gone, a new movement item had to take it's place. meet the kinetic blade. A 3 use epic rarity weapon that allowed you to dash forwards, or do a two step slash that could knock people from high places. The smart pistol also showed up. A pistol that could lock onto somebody and fire at them with guaranteed shots, with the last one being a nasty headshot. The havoc line of weapons also showed up. The havoc pump is a nasty shotgun that was able to one shot (even in zero build!) at mythic rarites. You could get these in the vaults that returned from the event from the previous season. And most busted of them all, was the pulse rifle. At a point during the match, the mythic pulse rifle would spawn. This isn't slone's. This is fires off like a modded GTA weapon. It's easily one of the most broken weapons in this game's history. It was cool when you had it, but it sucked when you didn't. I dont think i'll miss this thing.

Also, collab items returned. With the ODM gear, spiderverse gloves, grind rails, and the kinetic blade, this really was the season of movement. They're trying to please both zero build and build players here and strike a balance. I really like it and i think they're doing a good job. Zipping around with both of these feel great. I prefer the ODM gear the most. You can even attack with it!

A good chunk of the map was redesigned. The entirety of the bottom right was crushed under MEGA city and it's surrounding locations. Kenjutsu Crossing, Steamy Springs, Knotty Nets all took it's place, making the map bigger.

MEGA city lives up to it's name, by being the biggest POI in fortnite history. It makes tilted towers look like a small town. It was designed really well in my opinion, cause the interior of the buildings have like 2/3 floors instead of staircases one could camp in. There were just ziplines making combat a bit easier.

The story was quite lackluster. Characters like Evie return, as we learn that this is the city she's from. She works under Thunder, the lizard man. He's Evie's boss and even owns a resturant that you can find on the map. Someone's causing trouble amongst the syndicates and its up to you to stop them and unite them. We did. I mean i guess. I hope this leads into something crazier in the future.

I had a lot of fun with this season. Wasn't my favorite, but i enjoyed it even more than the last.

#fortnite #game log #best of 2023

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adamwatchesmovies · 1 year

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Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003)

Even though it disappointed repeatedly, the Star Wars prequel trilogy was worth it for 2007's animated micro-series Star Wars: Clone Wars. If you want to see a young Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan in awesome action sequences with character development and sights even the best special effects would struggle to bring to life, this offers it in spades. Stylish, action-packed, and teeming with memorable moments, this is the Star Wars you’ve been dreaming of.

From Genndy Tartakovsky - creator of Samurai Jack, Dexter's Laboratory, and the animated segment of Priest (the only good part). Clone Wars is an animated anthology series that bridges the gap between Episodes II & III. Anakin Skywalker (voiced by Mat Lucas), Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor), Mace Windu (T.C. Carson), and Grandmaster Yoda (Tom Kane) battle the armies and minions of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. As armadas of ships, legions of droids, and underwater militia clash, special op covert missions, fiendish monsters, ominous visions, and terrifying villains shape the future of the universe.

If you haven't heard of this series or dismissed it as a kid’s cartoon, you have no idea what you’re missing. This is no mere children’s entertainment, it’s Star Wars going back to its roots with a series of short adventures that tie together to make a gigantic story. There’s no way real-life actors or stuntmen/women would dare to pull off the moves we see here. They'd wind up digitally rendering people on digitally rendered background and at point... why not simply animate it all? This is the kind of story that shows what animation is best suited for. Atmosphere is generated through Tartakovsky's simplified color pallets and character designs. Nothing stands out as artificial, because it's entirely artificial. If you thought General Grievous was a pretty cool character in Revenge of the Sith, you haven’t seen anything yet, at best he’s a mere shadow of what you will witness here.

When it first aired, I fell in love with Clone Wars because of the cool villains and visual carnage. These depictions of Count Dooku, Darth Sidious, and the new foes introduced are instant favorites. The battles are varied and dynamic. This time, I was struck by the character arcs, particularly Anakin Skywalker's because of how much is done with the visuals. This is a confidently directed piece by someone who understands the power of silence. It’s so much more impressive to see a group of Clone Troopers take down an opponent by communicating with only hand signals than it is with them shouting orders at each other. Instead of actors, it's the animators doing the storytelling through the characters’ body movement. Anything extraneous has been trimmed out and tossed away to deliver a lean and satisfying epic.

This is a “movie” that no one will be able to agree upon because inevitably, the question of “What was the best part” will come up and everyone will have a different opinion. Will it be Mace Windu standing alone against impossible odds? The first encounter with General Grievous? The space battle whose uneven odds are tipped in the underdog's favor thanks to superior strategy? How about Kit Fisto in a prolonged underwater war, Anakin in a mission that would test his strength like none other before, or that part where Count Dooku and… well I don’t want to spoil it.

I do have some criticisms, and I know they’ll sound unfair. Technically, this is not a movie, but I’m judging it as if it was. It’s because it’s that good. Other television shows would struggle to stand next to it because it accomplishes so much in so little time. Star Wars: Clone Wars is only 2 hours long but it packs in as much as my favorite series’ do in an entire season-spanning arc. (On DVD, December 4, 2015)

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honeybeekao · 2 years

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top 5 or 10 mlp characters your choice

i'll top 5 since im tired

1. princess cadance - sidenote i prided myself as a child about being able to spell her name right? merchandise would spell it wrong and i thought i was sooo cool. okay anyway i think she's so lovely, her episodes are the best and i think a canterlot wedding is one of the best 2 parters Ever. they outdid themselves there, plus i believe the first mlp thing i ever saw was when it was airing (this and winter wrap up i definitely saw when they aired, but then i went and started from the beginning on netflix i think. fuzzy memory) she's lovecore and sooo sweet and she has the prettiest voice and i love her design..her purple gradient wings are Everything. sunshine sunshine ladybugs awake <333

2. applejack - i love big sibling characters this is very obvious anyway OUGH i love her element, i think it was characterized really well and she's so caring. apple family episodes make me nostalgic and i REALLY love her rivalry with rainbow dash. i dont think they tokenized her honesty i think it was natural and fun and also shes so pretty Love her design. thank you ashleigh ball for your genius

3. the CMC - putting them all because i genuinely cant pick one on her own if that makes sense. i love sweetie belle and think she's really relatable, for whom the sweetie belle toils is one of the Best mlp episodes ever and i stand by it. her learning that not knowing the full story can lead to dangerous assumptions and impulsive behavior is uh. yeah. <3 also her singing is soooo beautiful michelle creber i looove you. theyre all relatable actually, scootaloo oughfh i know exactly what it's like not being able to do something because of being disabled and god. flight to the finish is a heartbreaking episode because she's just pushing herself nonstop to try and achieve something she'll never be able to. and her relationship with rainbow dash also means everything to me, DUDE. "i'm so proud of you little buddy" in we'll make our mark is one of the lines that makes me Cry. the cmc getting their cutie marks DID make me cry and continues to. I LOVE APPLE BLOOM i used to voice her in my little voice acting friend group when i was 13! she's still fun to do a voice for, once again i adore michelle creber! her leadership skills are so cool i always got the sense that she wanted to be like AJ while also very much valuing her individuality. she's intuitive and she vents out her frustrations and i think she's really well written. the duos in the cmc is also really interesting to me.. apple bloom and scootaloo wanting to cause trouble while sweetie belle is their one voice of reason is one of my favorite dynamica. it's a mess, theyre a mess. but theyre also kids and should be allowed to be a mess, theyre wonderful characters. also they have the best songs truly

4. twilight - i dont think i realized how much i liked and related to twilight until like, 2020. i think she's a really good protagonist and i personally had no issue with her getting wings. if u hate it that's cool but im built different. her special interest in reading/learning is soooo good and her hyperlexia coming in handy when they needed to gain information fast was always cool to see. the crystal empire episodes are amazing oh my god i remember watching the pilot to season 3 and losing my MIND king sombra felt Very high stakes and i get heavy nostalgia from any mlp episode with snow in it. i think twilight sacrificing herself is a very important trait in her, because she'd do it a thousand times if it meant saving and protecting others. she's a really good teacher and i really liked the episode where she helps the cmc with their hobbies!! also her getting RD into books is everything. i love twilight i love her conversations with spike, i love that she kinda goes insane sometimes. i love owlicious and her tree library (i dont really like her castle. it's pretty but doesnt feel very . home to me..make this castle a home felt like the writers knew my thoughts HDJSHDJ)

5. rainbow dash - aha okay so RD was my favorite my entire childhood and i think i was justified on that. she's so cool and adhd of all time, but i think at some point i just found more joy in when characters are really thoughtful. not to say she isnt thoughtful, but she's a bit airheaded. ive Loved the wonderbolts costume for as long as i can remember i think it's very gender. also RD's friendship with everyone is important to me. i love that she's able to pull fluttershy out of her shell, i love that her and pinkie have the most energy out of everyone in the show (pinkie pride is a really good episode and also breaks my heart. pinkie pie RSD episode of ever) fall weather friends is one of my favorite episodes, i could watch it over and over!! i love her and AJ's dynamic theyre so fun theyre so cool once again love ashleigh ball. her support for scootaloo makes me weep, the way she cares for tank also puts me in tears. i love her design I LOVE THE WHOLE LORE WITH THE SONIC RAINBOOM. the fact the mane 6 are connected by this One event is bonkers and so rad. i think her loyalty could've been written better, but that's like my only real problem. sometimes the elements are just..not very real feeling cough cough rarity cough

sidenote i love like everyone in the show, mostly. i think discord is so entertaining and a disaster. his friendship with fluttershy is special. also luna ohhh luna is so lovely. her story makes me feel many emotions!! and i love sunset shimmer

#not proofreading this #mlp #lav 🎨

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pop-punklouis · 2 years

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speaking on strangers things; i am happy hop is alive, but they way the wrote him surviving was too obvious of plot armor. oh he just jump onto the lower level, no major injuries or burns??? Like there was always another level below the machine, in the season 3 finale you literally see like 4 of the bad guys in hazzmat suits on that lower level be turned to dust. Also it would been more interesting to see him stuck in the upside down instead. But i did enoy that plotline over all, specially the prison breakout, betrayal, and monster fighting. The hawkings crew had the strongest arc, but i did genuinely enjoy all of them. the Bullyying though...... that was fcking extreme man and hard to watch ngl. Like who on earth bullies someone for grieving their dead father 😭 the skating rink...... like i dont condone violence but like somebody had to put her down. Also the van and dinner scene right after that were so fcking funny to me. also least favorite character this season is that one dude thats basically the archice andrews of hawkings. i know they want me to find him cute, but he just bothers me ksjdhfhdh. Also i liked vecna as a villian more when we didnt know who he actually was, like idk i just like itd be better if he originated from the upside down, but i do see why the connected it the way they did. My adhd brain doesnt mind the 294848 different plots tbh and long episodes, but i do hope the last two episodes is everybody coming together and staying together for more than that one group scene they have every season. Also i know its likely someone will die, i just hope none of the kids, i cant handle that, srry to the adults but yeah... anways i rewatched the first three season after finishing the 4th and season 2 remains my favorite

i agree. i think it would've been more interesting to have him stuck in the upside down, but I'm not sure how good the CGI would've been able to hold up having him there practically the entire time. but his plot was one of the more interesting, in my opinion! i liked it a lot, and as I've said previously, i still think the prison break where he fights the demagorgen is one of the best scenes in the whole season.

the bullying was SUPER extreme like it made me hate angela with a burning passion of course lmao and i did not feel bad one bit when she finally got knocked in the face with the skate but the dramatic reaction from the cops? it was almost funny because it felt so absurd to me after everyone saw what was happening to her on that rink. like talk shit you get hit sorry :/

NOT ARCHIE ANDREWS pls its so real. every time he was on screen (that poor actor... his line deliveries were so bad) my mom and i cracked up lmao

and yes?? i was way more intrigued with vecna as a character when i assumed he was just another monster. not a great villain, in my opinion, as his presence did not rock me the same way the demagorgen, the demadogs, and the mind flayer did in seasons past, but he was alright. him being a human who morphed into this demon/monster hybrid that... preys on teens regrets and trauma or some shit is so dumb I'm sorry like what's the point. i wanted more also i wanted a better monster design he kinda just looks like a similar design to Predator

people keep speculating that steve might die, but unless joe keery wants to leave the show and pursue other opportunities, i don't see that happening. the blowback from fans would be unreal, so i think it might be a main character that isn't as present (like jonathan jesus he doesn't even exist here anymore tbh) but i don't think it will be one that's TOO beloved just for the shock factor idk

i actually was planning on going back and watching the first three seasons as well! season 2 will always reign supreme in my mind, but I haven't watched the seasons back since I did the very first time so it will be cool to watch it all over again knowing where the story is in S4

#stranger things spoilers

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pansexualtimcurryvampireelf · 2 years

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Just finished Part 5. Man, that was a trip! I really enjoyed it, but I didn't think it was quite as strong as Parts 2 or 4.

A few of my complaints are similar to other complaints I've had with other parts of JoJo. One is that almost every season has had the same problem - really strong beginnings and ends with a kinda slow middle. Maybe it's just because I'm way more interested in characters and plot than battles, but I'm curious if others feel this way as well. However, I did feel like the middle of part 5 did not lag too terribly bad, and the battles didn't go on for ungodly amounts of time like they have in the past. My other complaint is that I feel like I came out of this with far more questions than answers. There were some moments there towards the end where I wasn't completely sure what was going on, and I felt like they contradicted things that had been established about the arrows and stands in the past. Why couldn't King Crimson hold the arrow? Why didn't the arrow work on him? Maybe they did explain this and I just missed it somehow, but I got a little lost.

I felt like the stands in part 5 really stood out. There were some really creepy ones as well as ones with some really cool abilities. I was a little disappointed though that Purple Haze and Spice Girl were so underutilized, and I could say the same for Fugo and Trish in general as well. In fact other than the fight with Man in the Mirror, Fugo and his stand seemed kinda pointless in the story to me. There could easily have been opportunities to explore him coping with his rage (which we never really see, only hear about in flashbacks), but instead he was just kind of a throwaway character.

You have no idea how happy I was to see my boy Polnareff come back, and I am so glad that he ended up sticking around with the crew in the end as a weird turtle key ghost thing. For a bit, I really thought they had brought him back only to kill him a few scenes later, and I am so fucking glad they didn't do that. Turtle Polnareff was one of the highlights of Part 5 for me.

Not gonna talk about it much but just wanted to mention how the prophecy rock thing towards the end seemed really random and out of place and unnecessary and I didn't really like it.

Giorno has quickly become one of my favorite JoJo's. I would say he is now my 2nd favorite, right after Joseph. I can't quite pinpoint what it is that I like - I just think he's cool as fuck and he's loyal to his friends. I would have liked to see more exploration about him being Dio's son. I kinda feel like they made him Dio's son just so they could have a blonde JoJo and there could have been a lot more there.

I love the villain in this part. He is by far the most menacing one that I've seen in JoJo at this point, and I ended up liking him even more than Kira from Part 4. My only issue is that they never explained how he's lived for so long looking like a teenage boy. That's really my number 1 issue for part 5 is plot holes and not explaining things. Things just happen and are not explained very well. We also never really know why Bucciarati is able to keep walking around and fighting as long as he does even though he's dead (you bet your ass I thought of Ethan Winters btw lol).

I love the main characters from this part, though I wouldn't say they were quite as charming as part 3's main cast. Narancia is definitely best boy, and I have watched that torture dance so many times now that I can't count. Bucciarati was a fantastic character. I love how he started out just being a weirdo who licks people and then ended up being the team dad and a damn good one at that. His design is also just fucking iconic. Love that man. I also really liked Mista and Abbachio, as well as their stands. The little Sex Pistols are adorable.

Here are my rankings now that I've finished part 5:

Worst to Best (Critically): 1<3<5<4<2

Least to Most Favorite (Personally): 1<4<5<2<3

Least to Most Liked JoJo: 1<4<3<5<2

Now on to Part 6!

#ash watches jojo #jojo #part 5 #review #thoughts #jjba #jojo's bizarre adventure #golden wind #vento aureo #giogio #giorno giovanna #narancia is best boy

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