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daleisgreat · 3 years

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30 Years of Super Nintendo - Flashback Special

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) recently celebrated its 30th anniversary of the North American launch, so it seems the perfect time to post a Flashback Special honoring it! Suppose you have not perused a past Flashback Special of mine (all linked at the bottom of this entry). In that case, they are essentially my history with the platform over the years, with a little bit of history thrown in, and recounting all my favorite games, accessories, memories, and moments with the system.

Odds are for the average gaming enthusiast reading this, and you probably are familiar with the core details of the SNES launch stateside (if not, then I highly recommend CGQ’s video on it for a quick breakdown). The SNES launched in 1991 when I was eight. I did not have a subscription to any gaming magazines yet, so I most likely first found out about the system around that time from classmates at the time at school, the infamous Paul Rudd commercial, and the fourth season of Roseanne that transpired from 1991-92. I vividly remember the Roseanne episode with her son, DJ, pleading with his parents for the brand new SNES for his birthday gift and how his parents dreaded not being able to afford the system. I covered that episode when I did my Roseanne complete series re-watch here in the year leading up to the relaunch of the show several years ago. It brought back memories of how that was the story with my parents also denying me the much sought-after SNES, saying it cost too much and that I already have an NES to tide me over. ”But mommmmm, the SNES is 16-bits!!!!” Yeah….playing that angle got me nowhere. Kiosks & Friends The first couple of years for the SNES, I mostly remember playing at store kiosks. Super Mario World blew me away from the brief time I played it with it being such a leap from the NES installments. I always ate up the precious few minutes I could procure at a store kiosk if no one were playing Super Mario Kart. One last store kiosk memory was eye-gazing over the impressive WWF Royal Rumble. I loved WWF WrestleFest in the arcade, and for a couple of years, it was the only WWF game that offered up WWF’s marquee over-the-top rope elimination match, the Royal Rumble, and it was endlessly fun to play in the arcade. Fast-forward to playing it on console kiosks around its 1993 release, and I could not eat up enough of that game’s Royal Rumble mode either, and at the time, the graphics seemed like a huge step up from the wrestling games on NES. One of my favorite issues of Nintendo Power is the 50th issue that did a several-page spread on WWF Royal Rumble that I must have thoroughly re-read at least a dozen times.

I read this NP spread of WWF Royal Rumble many times, and it was one of my initially most desired SNES games! Around 1993/94, a couple of friends and classmates started to get the Super Nintendo. An early SNES memory that stuck with me all these years is my grade school friend, Jon-Paul, having me over for his birthday where he rented a SNES console and Street Fighter II: Turbo from the video store, and we played it for several hours straight. Another is spending a lot of 1994 at my neighborhood friend’s place, where we played countless sessions of NBA Jam and Mortal Kombat II. Both games were big on codes and secrets and perfect two-player games. I was just regularly getting into video game magazines at this time and ate up issues of Tips & Tricks, Game Players, and Electronic Gaming Monthly to see what kind of hidden character and other much-rumored codes were making the waves each month for both of these games. Mortal Kombat II especially dominated the code-fervor that season with trying to uncover how to face off against secret characters like Jade, Noob Saibot, and Smoke, and trying to memorize all the input sequences for the game’s infamous Fatalities. Fast forward to late 1995/early 1996, and I still did not have a SNES, but a new neighborhood friend, Rich, just got one and the next several months at his place introduced me to so many SNES games. Rich kind of got me somewhat into RPGs at the time, and while it may not sound fun on paper, there were many times I recall just kind of embracing the role of “armchair gamer.” I did this for games like EVO: Search for Eden, and Eye of the Beholder while keeping an eye out during gameplay to offer whatever suggestions seemed viable.

FFVI was eye-opening to me at the time of what video game narratives were capable of, and I devoured the latest secrets for FFVI discovered in the latest issue of my Game Players subscription that was delivered. The RPG I felt like that I contributed something to was the game that was originally released as Final Fantasy III. That game featured two-player support for battles only, so it was refreshing to help Rich with progressing through the game finally. My two favorite characters to use were Sabin and Cyan. That game especially blew me away with its larger-than-life story with two different game worlds, the momentous opera scene with Celes, the dazzling mode-seven graphics when traveling via airship or Chocobo, constantly getting irked at Shadow whenever he deserted the party, and so many other priceless moments. Over the years, I tried restarting the GBA version on a couple of occasions and regrettably have yet to finish it. Finally Owning a SNES….in 1996

Growing up with divorced parents put me in a unique childhood when it came to gaming. I lived with my mom, who provided for us as best as possible for the three siblings I grew up with, so we only had an NES for us for the longest time. However, when visiting my dad on weekends, he would always be big on hitting up as many garage sales and second-hand stores as possible and would acquire whatever he thought seemed like a bargain. Games-wise, this usually meant he lagged behind a generation because everyone was offloading their Atari VCS/2600s at garage sales for cheap when the NES was king, so I could have a great couple of years to become familiar with the pioneering-era of games on Atari. He then got into the NES scene when the SNES hit in 1991. Sure enough, the same month the N64 launched in America in September 1996 was when he bought a Super Nintendo for the family used at our local Premiere Video. The game we picked up with it was Street Fighter II: Turbo. My dad instantly remarked upon booting it up the noticeable jump in graphics. We played nothing but Capcom’s second Street Fighter game on SNES for a few weekends. I could only finish that game by button mashing into a victory against the final boss, M. Bison, once….with M. Bison. I still have a lot of love for this era of Street Fighter - whether it be for the roster, every character’s stage and theme music, and receiving Nintendo Power’s strategy guide for the game for Christmas and studying it regularly to improve.

After a few weeks, we realized we needed something else than a fighting game, and after another trip to Premiere Video, we came home with Super Mario All-Stars. It felt like the easy choice to go with 16-bit remakes of all four 8-bit versions of the core Mario Bros. games. Every game felt like a whole different game with all-new graphics and sound, and more importantly, being able to save progress midgame. This was a bigger hit with the entire family, and it provided many days of taking turns in its alternating two-player mode to see who could get the farthest in the four Mario games included.

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Make sure to have some tissues by your side as you witness FFIII/VI's infamous "opera" scene. Seriously, this was mind-blowing stuff to 13-year old Dale in 1996. 16-bit Sportsball Fun

After playing a lot of those first two SNES games, I went into this stretch for the next several years, where most of what I played was sports and wrestling games. I attribute this to many multiplayer sessions with Rich, my brother, Joe, and my dad. I know my dad was not all that into sports other than a passing interest in rooting on hometown Minnesota pro-sports teams. Still, I have to give him credit for spending as much time with us and taking the time to learn and become a pretty solid player at teaming up with me in many sports games. It is worth noting that I feel the 16-bit era is probably the last-gen where most of its library of sports games had a relatively simple pick-up-and-play feel that NES games had. That changed a little bit in the final SNES years, where it was usually EA’s games that started to incorporate more realism in their sports games and make use of most of the buttons of the SNES controller. For football, Madden NFL ‘97 was the one I played the most. I played plenty of the Genesis version at Rich's place, so much so that I noticed too many little differences with the SNES version to make it stand out on its own. For 16-bit sports nuts that want to know, the Genesis version had the better playing version, but the SNES had a better overall presentation and more popping audio and visuals. I was part of a small slice of sports gamers big into NES Play Action Football, and the 16-bit version played almost exactly like the NES version, but with a 16-bit upgrade and also has a nifty feature to play games at the high school, college, or NFL level.

NBA Jam and NBA Hangtime dominated my 16-bit sports lineup. The code scene for these games were so intense at the time I had to keep my own binder of notes on them all that I still have today as seen above! As I alluded to earlier, when it came to hoops, I played way too much NBA Jam the first year it was out at my friend’s place. However, the arcade hoops game I played the most on SNES was NBA Hangtime, which was developed by the same people who made Jam. I got that game new for Christmas in 1996 and must have played it regularly with Rich for nearly a year straight. I do not hear that game receive the same level of praise as Jam, but it added a few new fun layers to freshen up the gameplay, like being able to do co-op dunks and earn “Team Fire,” and being able to create players. For more simulation-focused hoops, I played a lot of NBA Live ’96 with my dad, in addition to Nintendo’s NCAA Basketball which appeared like a technical marvel to me that was ahead of its time with the mode-seven camera allowing constant 3D rotation whenever possession of the ball changed and foreshadowed what would become the go-to camera perspective for the next-gen of basketball games. Finally, I will cherish my time with Bill Laimbeer’s Combat Basketball for it being the only hoops game I ever had to consult a guide to figure out how to shoot the damn ball….and for its surprisingly rocking soundtrack. Find out all about it when I broke that game down with the Your Parents Basement crew on their penultimate podcast.

Nintendo incorporated the same camera style into its hockey game, NHL Stanley Cup. Its graphics also impressed me, but it was rather challenging to score a goal, and I did not have as much fun with it. I played EA’s hockey games more on Genesis than SNES, but EA’s baseball game, MLBPA Baseball, was the hardball game I spent the most time with on Super Nintendo. Many years later, I picked up Nintendo’s Ken Griffey Jr. Presents: Major League Baseball, and had some fun with it, but already played the Game Boy version of it to death by the time I picked up the SNES version, and thus did not invest as much time with it as I did with EA’s game. Wanna Wrassle!?

I must have read through this review of WWF RAW countless times in my youth, and seeing how this essentially is a bigger and better version of Royal Rumble only increased my desire to one day own a SNES! The North American wrestling library was a significant step up from the bottom of the stairwell where most of the NES games hung out….but on the SNES, it only made it roughly halfway up the stairs. The aforementioned WWF Royal Rumble provided many hours of fun for its day, but it has not stood the test of time with the button-mashing grapple meter it featured that will obliterate thumbs on the normal difficulty level! Its sequel, WWF RAW, was noteworthy for having more match types available and being one of the first games to have a selectable female wrestler in Luna Vachon, but it too used that same ill-fated grapple meter that has not aged well. WWF Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game is a fun little hybrid of Mortal Kombat and wrestling, but the SNES version is notorious for lacking two wrestlers compared to all other home versions.

For non-WWF games, WCW SuperBrawl Wrestling is rather unremarkable….except for its exceptional wrestler select screen.There were a few interesting unlicensed wrestling games in America. Natsume Championship Wrestling featured a solid wrestling engine but removed/altered the AJPW wrestlers from the Japanese version of the game. Hammerlock had a promising concept of having part of the screen dedicated to nonstop Tecmo-esque cinematics. In contrast, the other half of the screen featured 2D gameplay, but the cameras constantly flipped on screen, to which half was dedicated to cinematics or gameplay. It resulted in it being a jarring mess. Saturday Night Slam Masters is no such mess, however, and is a better hybrid of fighting game meets wrestling game, with this one done by Capcom. It features larger-than-life character sprites, full-on ring entrances with laser lights, and is a fun-playing combination of wrestling and Street Fighter. To top it off, Slam Masters has Final Fight’s Mike Haggar on the roster to boot!

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Joey Pink does a fine job detailing why Capcom's "Street Fighter" in a wrestling ring should not be missed! Ensuring RPGs are here to Stay Aside from watching Rich play some of the RPGs I listed above, and of course, playing Final Fantasy VI with him, I did get a chance to play a few other RPGs on the SNES over the years, and it was not until the last few years that I finally finished a couple of them. In the late 1990s I first started two RPGs that stood out to me at the time because they broke out of the medieval fantasy mold most other RPGs at the time took place in. Shadowrun on the SNES was drastically different from the Genesis version I first encountered at Rich’s. This one still had the same futuristic cyberpunk world setting and terminology, but there were many more dialog options with NPCs that were pivotal in asking the right questions to progress the story. Additionally, the hacking games played out differently and had more of a puzzle theme to them than the action-oriented ones in the Genesis version, and the combat had kind a PC interface where a cursor had to be dragged across the screen on which target to aim at. I still wound up being totally into it and became stuck in the back half of the game before my save data became corrupted. I thought that would end my days with Shadowrun…

SNES Shadowrun remains one of my all-time favorite RPGs as of this writing! The final gauntlet tower was an ordeal and a half to work through, only to face off against a dragon as the final boss! …until nearly two decades later in 2016. I mentioned on past flashback specials how I occasionally guest host on the Your Parents Basement podcast, where they cover a random retro game per episode. In 2016 they asked me if there were any games I had in mind to cover, and Shadowrun felt like worth revisiting and possibly knocking off the “must beat this game” bucket list. I progressed until about a little over halfway through by the time we all met to record and broke down the game, but by that point, I just started to make further progress than my last effort and was determined to see this one through! I was playing on actual SNES hardware and was surprised that the battery still held a save but ran into trouble in the final tower with a gauntlet of enemies on each floor to overcome before the final boss. I looked up a walkthrough and discovered an exploit to grind experience to beef up my character. Eventually, I managed to persevere and finally conquer the final boss, a fire-breathing dragon, to cross finishing Shadowrun off my bucket list! I had a riot podcasting with the YPB crew about it too, so please click or press here to give it a listen if you want to know more about this under-the-radar 16-bit RPG.

Fast forward three years later in 2019, and the awesome YPB hosts of Steve, Huell, and Todd helped me once again restart and finish another SNES RPG that I came close to finishing in the late 1990s before evil corrupt save data reared its ugly head again. This time the game of choice is the uber-expensive Earthbound. Like Shadowrun, that game stood out to me because its setting went against the grain of fantasy settings and instead took place in modern times as grade school kids. The opening levels felt like getting lost in your neighborhood and using childlike items as weapons like Yo-Yos and baseball bats. I do not own that ridiculously expensive game, but by 2019 I did own a SNES Mini (more on that in a bit) that I made sure to abuse the save state and the rewind functions it provided to overcome some troubling bosses in the back half of the game. That final act of the game certainly goes places with its sci-fi twists and feels like an entirely different game, but I still loved it all the same! It felt exhilarating to finally knock this one off my “to do” list as well, and I had just as much fun dissecting it to pieces with the YPB crew that you can check out by click or pressing here. Unfortunately, this is where my extensive hands-on time with SNES RPGs comes to an end. I played a lot of FFIII/VI, and finished Earthbound, and Shadowrun. Sure, I dabbled in several other games but did not put more than an hour or two into them. One of those games is the much-heralded, Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and I have no excuse for never sticking with it because I loved the NES original. It was the GBA re-release I played, and I think I was spreading myself thin while playing and reviewing too many games simultaneously. Lufia and Breath of Fire II were another pair of RPGs I put a couple of hours into that both left me with promising first impressions, but there was a whole other reason why I did not go back to those again, and that is because then I was waist-deep at the time in….. Discovering Emulation Right around the time my family acquired its first computer in the fall of 1997 was when I found out about emulation. It seemed way too good to be true to easily download and play games right on the computer, especially when factoring in the SNES was at the tail end of its lifecycle, and there were still new games releasing for it. As an unemployed 9th grader at the time, I sampled countless 8- and 16-bit ROMs with the SNES games I was the most curious about. A few of the RPGs in the previous paragraph being prime examples of the ones I invested the most time into. It proved to be overwhelming with so many choices, but I took a long sabbatical after a year or so of taking in the emulation scene after the family computer crashed and I lost all the save data I had amassed in so many games.

It has been interesting to see how emulation has evolved over the years from programs like SNES9X and Retroarch to being incorporated into machines like the MISTer, RetroPi, and Retron 5. Nintendo has learned to embrace official, legal emulation over the years with purchasable digital classic games on systems such as the Wii, WiiU, and 3DS. Having a stable income as an adult now many years later, I feel guilty for embracing the emulation scene so hard in my teenage years, so much so that whenever Nintendo re-releases one of its classic hits several times over, I choose to purchase it again (well…usually at a sale price) to redeem myself. Keeping SNES Alive Today

Over the years, I find myself diving into retro games versus the latest and greatest coming out. I am a fan of the various SNES hardware updates/clones, both officially from Nintendo and unofficially from other companies, which has kept my SNES and other retro game fandom blood flowing over the decades. I am unsure if it feels right to lump it in here, but the Super Game Boy lead to me getting a lot of extra life out of my SNES. Playing Game Boy games on the big screen was a big deal to me back then, considering it was always a pain to make out what was happening on the non-backlit handheld. For some reason, those special border screens that would eventually have funny animations after being left idle for so long made an impression on me. Game Boy games with the “Super Game Boy Enhanced” logo on the front of the box usually have their own exclusive border and special color palette. I loved the Mole Mania and Donkey Kong Land borders the most! I thought it was rad that around 15-20 special enhanced Super Game Boy titles featured multiplayer support with two SNES controllers. They consisted almost entirely of Bomberman and fighting games, but it was still a cool feature nonetheless. The handheld Hyperkin SupaBoy is the unauthorized SNES take on the Sega Nomad by having a portable SNES. It is a bit on the bulky side, but it has a rechargeable battery, and its support has been flawless with my entire SNES library. Another Hyperkin product I got a lot of use out of is the Retron 5. I know that particular clone system is controversial with retro game enthusiasts based on the unauthorized emulators it implements. However, the user interface and emulation support made it possible for me to make record progress in many SNES games by taking advantage of save states and its optional Game Genie-esque cheats library. The SNES Classic Edition is an excellent official piece of hardware from Nintendo that has the pint-sized SNES pre-installed with 21 SNES games, one of which is previously unreleased Star Fox 2. It has an adorably intuitive interface and supports game rewinding and save states, which made it the way I was finally able to finish Earthbound. It was also surprisingly not-so-difficult to plug into a PC and import a bunch of SNES ROMs into. Other companies like 8bitdo made that system extra convenient by making their recommended wireless controllers compatible with it!

If you did not grow up with the SNES, then both of these options are great entry points for those looking to move on beyond emulators. The Analogue Super NT may have been pushing it too much price-wise. When it comes down to the nuts and bolts of emulation tech, I am not a wizard by any means, except that by all sources, it sounds like the Super NT offers the best hardware emulation with its FPGA technology. It makes SNES games appear as pristine as possible on an HD/4KTV without any or as minimal of the fuzziness that happens whenever I try plugging in the composite/RCA cables from a base SNES system into a 4K/HDTV. For those unfamiliar with the Super NT, this video from the My Life in Gaming crew does a thorough dissection of everything it has to offer. The list of options in there is intimidating to mess around with, but this sounds like the way to go if one wants to keep playing their cartridges……although I have to admit I am pretty satisfied currently with the Retron 5 and SNES Classic Edition.

Odds are some of you are quite a bit younger than me and grew up post-SNES lifecycle. Not interested in going down the pricey road of hunting down old cartridges and hardware, and do not want to dabble on the dark side of illegal emulation? Then a terrific alternative is if you have a Switch with Nintendo’s $20/year online service membership and taking advantage of the Nintendo Switch Online and Super Nintendo Switch Online digital game portals. It has unlimited access to the slate of games on there, along with save points as long as your membership remains active. The implementation of save states and the user interface has also improved noticeably over the emulation used for NES & SNES Classic Editions. More importantly, it adds the feature to play online with a friend. Last year I played online SNES games with my nephew, who was wrapping up 6th grade at the time, and this was his first time playing SNES games. He loves Mario Kart 8 on Switch, and so when the first game we played was the original Super Mario Kart, I could not help but crack up when he instantly remarked, “Dale, this looks old!” He eventually came around, and then we had some fun playing co-op , Joe & Mac . A couple of years ago, on my Genesis Flashback Special, I made sure to reminisce of my fond memories of the summer I spent playing nonstop Sega Channel. These NES/SNES Switch portals are essentially the Sega Channel, but far better because it does not cost $15 a month (in 1994 dollars which equals $27.63 today per Google), offers multiple save states, and ability to play online for only $20 a year!!! Kids, get your parents to hook you up now!!! Miscellaneous Quick Hits

SNES games were the most common denominator on six of the 13 episodes I guest hosted on the retro game podcast, Your Parents Basement. Check out their full archives by click or pressing here. -Turns out I did quite a few guest hosting spots on Your Parents Basement Podcast for SNES games. For those that are podcasting fiends and dug the three episodes I linked to already, then I will link you to three more SNES themed episodes I appeared on where I breathed in the Mode 7 skies of Pilotwings, embraced Capcom’s action-platformer prowess in X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse, and made sure not to miss any Gatorade and Wheaties health pick-ups in Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City.

-The SNES controller is my favorite pre-disc console era controller. It kept the similar button layout of the NES controller but rounded off the edges into its iconic “dog bone” feel so the controller no longer cramped in your hands! Throw in the two extra face buttons and two additional shoulder buttons, and it opened up all kinds of deeper gameplay possibilities! It made it perfect for most fighting games that used almost all the face and shoulder buttons. I found the shoulder buttons were also smartly implemented in NBA Jam/Hangtime for being assigned to use for turbo speed functionality. As far as other SNES controllers/peripherals go, since I loved the NES Zapper, I always wanted to try the Super Scope, but as a kiddo, its bazooka-sized proportions were kind of intimidating. It still kind of bums me out all these years I never got to experience it with epics like Yoshi’s Safari, T2: The Arcade Game, and Tin Star. I never had an opportunity to use the SNES mouse either, which I kind of regret all these years later after seeing all the marvelous creations from experts at Mario Paint, and it was cool to see some PC ports like Civilization, Doom, and Wolfenstein 3D take advantage of SNES Mouse compatibility.

-The 16-bit era was when fighting games exploded, and as you can tell above, I spent a lot of time with Street Fighter II: Turbo, and the first two Mortal Kombat games. Other than that, though, the only other fighting game on SNES I put significant time into was TMNT Tournament Fighters. It was released at the tail end of the TMNT-mania when the cartoon peaked at its popularity. The game itself was a surprisingly competent licensed fighting game from Konami, and tried its best to feel like a solid Street Fighter-clone. Speaking of them pesky turtles… -…TMNT IV: Turtles in Time was the only beat-em-up brawler I put considerable time into on the SNES. I have vague memories of trying others out once or twice like The Peace Keepers, and Super Double Dragon, but Turtles in Time was the one I frequently revisited over the years. It is a superb rendition of the arcade game, with SNES-exclusive levels like the Technodrome that had a fantastic first-person boss fight against Shredder, where lowly Foot Soldiers had to be chucked right at him to defeat Shredder. The soundtrack is one of my favorite SNES scores, so much so that I went all-in to get the for it! I have so many great memories of this game, with the highlight being my friend Matt and I revisiting this for complete runs of it once every year or two for about a dozen years.

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Turtles in Time and FFIII/VI are my favorite SNES soundtracks, but Turtles in Time I own on vinyl so I will embed it here in all its glory for you to enjoy as well!

-The SNES library had a quality slate of racing games. Super Mario Kart quickly rose to the top of the ranks and was always fun to bust through a GP with a friend. Street Racer was one of the first kart-clones to hit in 1994, and for some reason, that one always stuck with me. As did it being one of the few games to have four-player split-screen support with all four screens being horizontal! Rock ‘n Roll Racing is another killer arcade racer on SNES; think of a more beefed up RC Pro-AM, but with a good dose of heavy metal mixed in. This past year saw it re-released as part of the Blizzard Arcade Collection for everyone to experience it! I remember trying out F-Zero at a store kiosk around SNES launch, but was too young at eight years old at the time to fully grasp its style of futuristic racing (or that the name was a riff on F1 racing until a couple of years ago). I was more into a game similar to its style that was the trilogy of Top Gear titles. Uniracers was a quirky racer I enjoyed with its unique aesthetic and one-wheeled racers taking advantage of their nature in races filled with jumps and loop-de-loops….too bad about Pixar holding a grudge against Nintendo and legally forcing them to yank it off shelves. Nintendo’s other racer, Stunt Race FX, was ahead of its time with the polygonal FX-based graphics running pretty chunky on the SNES. Still, it is a commendable piece of 16-bit tech they were just barely able to keep running at a passable-enough framerate. Another FX-chip game that did not originally gel with me was…

-…the original Star Fox. Being 10 when it released in 1993, I thought those polygonal graphics looked blocky and horrendous and would have none of it! Many years later, I would revisit it and rightfully come around on it! -Another Nintendo-published game that received a lot of hype was Donkey Kong Country with its cutting-edge 3D models. They were plastered all over gaming mags at the time. I briefly recall trying out the first and second of the three Donkey Kong Country games on SNES. However, I did not put more time into them because I beat Donkey Kong Land on Game Boy before our family got a SNES, which was just a watered-down port with some remixed levels for the handheld. I enjoyed my time with it, but its disappointingly blunt “congratulations” ending left a bad impression on me, and I never felt like giving the other entries a serious go all these years.

-Some may be wondering why there has yet not been anything dedicated to the pair of Super Mario World titles and Super Mario RPG? Super Mario World was probably one of the first SNES games I tried when I visited my older brother at his first apartment in the early 90s. I think the heavy-duty graphics and trying to comprehend attacking with Yoshi proved to be too much for eight or nine-year-old me at the time. I played it a few other times in my 20s, hanging out with coworkers on retro game nights, and had fun with it, but I think since I was exposed to the NES trilogy more and played the hell out of All-Stars, that those were the versions I preferred more. I appreciated how Nintendo stepped up to Sega’s edgier marketing at the time with Nintendo’s “Play it Loud” marketing campaign. Unfortunately, I think their ad for Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island was a bit too extreme for 12-year old Dale at the time. That ad (click here for it if you are feeling daring)was forever planted in my subconscious and always crossed my mind and indirectly caused me to avoid Yoshi’s Island for all these years. I did pick up Super Mario RPG and it is on my “bucket list” of games to play as well. I am holding off on it all these years because I was hanging out with Matt one day, and he explained how he was having a tough time with the final boss, Smithy. Well, he wanted to give me a quick demo to show how unforgiving of a challenge the boss was….but for some reason his clutch gaming skills kicked in right then, and he beat Smithy and was exposed to the ending right then and there!

-As far as other tough SNES games go, the two most challenging for me are easily Contra III: The Alien Wars and Zombie Ate My Neighbors. Contra III is like the first two games on steroids. I love the boss battles and intense walk-n-shoot chaos, but do not love constantly dying in one shot! Zombies Ate My Neighbors is another fun action-platformer that is also equally tough to make it farther than a few levels in unless you seriously dedicate yourself to it. Hey, both of these games also saw re-releases this past year on current consoles with the Contra Anniversary Collection and Zombies Ate My Neighbors & Ghoul Patrol set for those wanting to experience 16-bit nail-biting difficulty (but with save state support!).

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I hope this excellent video review from the quintessential retro video game source, Jeremy Parish, suffices for my lack of any meaningful Super Mario World memories here. -In 1997, I was hyped for a late SNES release, the original Harvest Moon. The farm/life/dating-sim series is still around today from publisher Natsume (as well as the original developers parting ways with Natsume and delivering their own competing Story of Seasons series). During the SNES era, I spent several summers out on a farm. I appreciated rural life's solitude and free spirit lifestyle, and that first Harvest Moon game perfectly encapsulated that. Trying to determine the best way to spend the day tending to the fields, livestock and managing a social/family life was surprisingly fun and engaging! Harvest Moon remain one of two games that I submitted a blurry Polaroid photo to Nintendo Power’s “Arena” high score section. I cannot recall if my score got posted or not.

-The original Sim City port on SNES received a lot of love around the SNES launch window, with Nintendo giving it a unique makeover with bonus Nintendo characters in it and an exclusive tutor in the form of Dr. Wright to ease everyone into the simulation gameplay. I never played too much of that version, but one night at Rich’s, the game we decided to rent that night was Sim City 2000. That one was released way late into the SNES lifecycle and lacked any Nintendo extras the first SNES game had. Still, we stayed up all night playing it and looking at our daily news recap and mayor approval ratings and trying to figure out where to stop underwater pipe blockages! It ran slowwww on the SNES, but we tolerated it fine enough at the time because I had yet to play the PC version. Eventually, I would check out the PC version and came away surprised with so much I had to put up within the SNES game. -For those wanting to dare the Super Famicom scene, there are a plethora of great games that never made their way stateside, and better yet, a hearty chunk of them have received English fan translations. I am partial to the FirePro wrestling games that never made it here that are vastly superior to all the American wrestling games I broke down above, BS Out of Bounds Golf is an addicting take on miniature golf, the original Star Ocean, and the Back to the Future platformer that was not a five-star classic by any means, but blew away the poor NES and Genesis games that did release here. If you are not that familiar with the Super Famicom library, this top 50 list from RVG Fanatic is a great place to start your research and very much helped clueing me into a bunch of Super Famicom games I had little-to-no knowledge of. Conclusion

If you are around my age reading this, you may be wondering why I have not gone on about the fabled “16-bit Wars” by now. Rest assured, I experienced it in the lunchroom and at recess and in gaming magazines at the time. I devoured all the side-by-side screenshots in gaming mags of dual-platform releases to see if I could spot which version was better. I want to say back then, I sided with the SNES because I grew up with the NES, but that does not seem like a fair choice since I did not own a SNES until 1996. Reflecting on it, although I experienced a fair amount of RPGs and other games on SNES with Rich, I primarily played endless hours of Genesis games with him back at the time. So whenever I hung out with Rich, I considered myself a Genesis fan, and when I finally got a SNES and grew my SNES library, I considered myself a SNES fan and avoided a lot of the “console wars” trash talk. For younger readers here who want to learn more about the fervor of the 16-bit wars, the book, Console Wars, and its corresponding documentary (which is currently only available on Paramount+/CBS All Access sadly) are my recommended ways to absorb all that hoopla. I will cherish all of the past 30 years of SNES memories and hope you have enjoyed reminiscing with me for the last several thousand words. If you want to hear more of my SNES memories in podcast form, I have a few SNES-centric episodes of my old podcast I recently un-vaulted and have embedded below for your pleasure. They have some of the friends I repeatedly mentioned above as co-hosts that share their SNES experiences and memories, so please load up a random SNES “podcast game” and boot one of these podcasts up for fitting background noise….

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10 years ago I did a 20th anniversary SNES special with Matt!

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Here is the history of RPG series episode dedicated to the 16-bit era.

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Finally, here is Matt and I hosting the 16-bit installment of our history of comic book games series. Bonus Overtime

It would not be a Flashback Special without one random oddball bonus story to wrap it up with. The only Kirby game I ever finished receives that honor. One day, my brother and his friend Jake were over at my place. We were discussing SNES games at some point, and Jake mentioned how Kirby Super Star is his all-time favorite. I said how I never played it and did not think anything of it at the time, but the next time I met up with him and my brother, Jake had the copy of that game with him and insisted on borrowing it to me and said not to give it back until I finished it. I felt this sudden obligation to play through it as a priority, so I did not feel like I was keeping his game hostage. Luckily, Kirby Super Star is a damn fun game, which the front of the box labels as “8 Games in One!” Most of the games are abbreviated-length adventures of only a handful of missions in their unique theme of levels, and a few of the games are mini-games like a race against King DeDeDe. Regardless, almost every game provided that trademark Kirby lighthearted fun and was hard to put down! Kirby’s Dream Course is also a lot of fun on SNES, and is an interesting take of Kirby meets miniature golf! With that anecdote, I will wrap up yet another Flashback Special. Thank you for sticking with me this far, and If you dug reading about my trials and tribulations with Nintendo’s 16-bit machine, please take a look at the other Flashbacks I have linked below!

My Other Gaming Flashbacks Dreamcast 20th Anniversary GameBoy 30th Anniversary Genesis 30th Anniversary NES 35th Anniversary PSone 25th Anniversary PS2 20th Anniversary PSP 15th Anniversary and Neo-Geo 30th Anniversary Saturn and Virtual Boy 25th Anniversaries TurboGrafX-16 30th and 32-X 25th Anniversaries Xbox 360 15th Anniversary

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yurimother · 5 years

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Top Yuri Anime Poll Results

Whether it is subtext or explicit, cute or sexy, school love or gay action thrillers I love yuri anime. These series either focus on or contain elements of female same-sex relationships. Pride month is the perfect time to look back and reflect on the best of this genre. I teamed up with OG Man of The Yuri Nation (yurination[dot] wordpress[dot] com/) and together we put out a poll asking what you thought the top yuri anime series were and over 1000 of you responded submitting almost 5000 different entries. We spent hours combing through the data, analyzing and commenting on the results and we would like to share our thoughts with all of you. Enjoy the reflections of me the yuri critic and OG the dedicated yuri fan!

These are the Top 20 Yuri Anime as voted by you

1. Bloom Into You - 692 Votes

OG: Be it East or West the YagaKimi took the world by storm. Citrus and BiY once again taking the top two spots remains unsurprising.There is something undeniably fascinating about our leading ladies consisting of an asexual slowly coming to love her senpai back but restraining herself for various reasons. The biggest one being said senpai having a deep case of self-loathing and a fear of romantic reciprocation, also for various reasons. She is like “I love you but please do not love me back”. Then there is one of the most popular “cursed” lesbians of all time in Sayaka, the fantastic adult side-couple (The world needs an anime starring lesbian adults/mothers) and the various other characters who have their own interesting tales to tell. The series absolutely deserves a spot in the Top 10 though it would not be in my personal Top 3. Oh and as Yurimother said the presentation was fantastic.Visually stunning from start to finish in my opinion. Special mention goes to the criminally underused first-person “camera”. So cool.

YuriMother: I agree with this series deserving a spot in the top ten even if not the number one slot. For me, it was good but not great. Moments such as the aforementioned adult couple as well as stellar art and a phenomenal score made this series enjoyable but they were not enough to overshine the problems of the narrative. For the love of the Yuri Goddess, this series is crying out for asexual representation but insists on carrying on with its confused romance. Enough complaining though, many people love Bloom Into You despite its faults and I agree. The characters are interesting and lovable and it manages to tell a yuri story more real and complex than the typical fluffy girl meets girl narratives.

2. Citrus - 452 Votes

YuriMother: The presence of Citrus and Bloom Into You prove two things to me, the importance of recency, as both anime aired only last year, and the sheer popularity of these series. Both had established and extremely successful manga runs which were adapted into English by the publishing masters of yuri, Seven Seas. Citrus is a contentious series, to say the least, as it includes elements of (non-blood related) incest and non-consensual actions as part of Mei and Yuzu’s “relationship.” However, if you possess the magical power to turn off the part of your brain screaming at you that those aspects are deeply problematic or if you seek a different interpretation then Citrus can be downright WONDERFUL. I actually loved this anime series for its characters, amazing animation, and salaciousness. As OG said, it is an operatic concussion of emotion (seriously everyone in the series needs therapy) but my is it fun to watch. The Citrus anime also holds a special place in my heart, as the first serious piece I ever wrote was a review for it over on Okazu (nice plug)! Citrus is certainly not for everyone but those that stuck with it and overlooked some of the problems ended up loving it.

OG: Here we are again with Citrus at #2. My thoughts on the series remains the same as in the previous two lists I discussed (the Akiba Research and goo Ranking Japan lists), overrated. Good soap opera/telenovela-esque series but my feelings on the cast are mixed (which I imagine was the writer’s intent). My main issue has always been the obstacles repeatedly challenging Yuzu and Mei’s feelings for each other instead of it focusing on “Hey. We like each other but our parents got married. What do we do? Can we keep our desires for each other in check?”. Instead it is one newcomer after another who want to eat either Yuzu or Mei and Yuzu repeatedly asking herself if she really wants robo-stepsister patties? I will give the anime adaptation credit. The story was easier to enjoy animated than drawn. It also helped that I grew up in a telenovela loving family. The characters’ actions, reactions and emotions were depicted better in the anime. I still consider the show’s greatest accomplishment being the humanization of Mei-Tron. In the manga it took a post-epilogue continuation to show readers “Hey everyone. Mei-Tron was human all along.” whereas in the anime I sensed the small bit of humanity quicker than in the manga where I continued seeing her as a block of wood with a brain up to the point where I dropped it. Harumin though is the greatest regardless of anime or manga adaptation. Bless her. Regardless of how I feel about the series I get its massive popularity. After all, were the rest of the story to get an animated continuation I would gladly pick it up...Not the manga though.

3. Sakura Trick - 342 Votes

OG: There are fans who understandably would disagree with Sakura Trick’s praise but I will always defend it and the anime as one of the very best in the genre. First off it aired at a time where animated on-screen close up kisses (specifically consensual ones) between ladies were rare. Haruka X Yuu’s relationship was believable for the most part. Even their season finale resolution, them not getting what being “in love” meant at the time, made sense though I get why it left some scratching their heads. Probably not the best “manga lure/bait” end I suppose. On the bright side Kotone X Shizuku’s story definitely did not have the two doubting their true feelings for each other. I do hope Kaede X Yuzu eventually hooked up in the manga as they too had potential to be a lovely couple.

YuriMother: Sakura Trick has no real narrative, no great insight, and offers little intellectually. As a teacher, it makes me furious, as a fan of yuri, elated. The anime is beloved for its plentiful soft service, presenting a plethora of kisses, cuddles, and awkward thigh shots (ew). However, it was one of the first anime to include this much explicit yuri service without being pornographic. All the characters were cute and fun, even if there was little in the way of development or complexity, it worked for the series. If you want something to make you think or to learn about yuri, pass over this one. But, if you want a cute and meaningless anime definitely watch it.

4. Yuru Yuri - 337 Votes

YuriMother: OG may not be a fan of Yuru Yuri but I certainly am, which is fairly obvious to anyone who observes that a solid 20% of my communications occur in the form of gifs from this series. It is hilarious, cute, and playful. Just like Sakura Trick, this anime is an easy watch with ultimately little substance. However, the part of me that is not rolling of the floor laughing every time I watch Yuru Yuri lives in a state of pained existence with the knowledge that this work of all things ended up being so popular when people are telling interesting stories about queer women and people in actual relationship that manage to still be funny and adorable while having something to say.

OG: The undisputed most mainstream friendly yuri series there is. It is also one of the funniest. My one gripe is that excluding a select few the main draw of the show besides the comedy and yuri is the ship wars, meaning (almost any girl can be shipped with each other). Not a fan of that but hey, it brought Namori the big bucks so who am I to judge? In any case not much else to add. It deserves all the adulation it gets but the free for all shipping irks me. Reminds me of how they botched Chika X Riko in the Love Live! Sunshine!! Anime. If you were going down the Riko X Yohane route from the start then why give us Chika X Riko in the first half? Ship wars yo. Tch. Hopefully I properly explained myself..

5. Kase-san and Morning Glories (Asagao to Kase-san) - 289 Votes

OG: Still wish this got a 12-13 episode anime. The glorious movie showed how much it deserves one. Whether it will happen or not remains to be seen. In any case the beauty of Kase-san X Yamada is how simple their romance is. No strings attached whatsoever. It is as straightforward as a self-proclaimed “ordinary” cutie, Yamada, having a crush on the super cool school beauty Kase-san. Said beauty is revealed to be just as “adorkable” as Yamada. The other highlight is their story not ending once they officially started dating (as is the case with many romance stories) but that being only the beginning, like real life. From then on, side-stories aside, the two biggest challenges for the two is Yamada accepting that it is okay for someone as “ordinary” as her to be the “cool babe”s girlfriend and Kase-san finding different ways to express her love/hunger for the cutie. As for the OVA, cramming the second part of the first series in an hour definitely had the downside of excluding some important moments, yes, but it at least covered some of the best moments in the manga. The first half of the story was summarized in a five-minute music video. One last thing. The animation, though a bit too brought for some, was glorious. It also had some long pauses which were effective (The bus stop scene being the most infamous) but while I did not mind them at all even I will admit some pauses went a bit too long. A small nitpick all things considered. Fingers crossed one day we either get that 12-13 episode anime for the first series, the sequel or both. That is one of my dreams.

YuriMother: At last, an anime that I do not have to react cynically to! Kase-san is one of the single greatest works of yuri animation to ever to be created and its glory is rivaled only by the manga from which it originated. Despite being only a one hour long OVA this adaption told such an engaging and realistic (finally) story of romance and personal growth. We get to skip the meatless girl meets girls arcs and get into the depth and complexity as Yamada and Kase work to further their relationship. They struggle with the fact that they are two different people who want different things out of life and love and have to actually work on their partnership. Kase-san also includes signs of physical affection and love that are never lewd, immature, or gross, I do not even think I could refer to them as “service”. However, for me, Kase-san’s greatest victory (both the anime and manga) is in its escape from school romance, which in this genre is often a shelter from reality, allowing for women to be in relationships without actually being queer. Kase and Yamada instead make an effort to continue their romance and build a life that includes their relationship once they graduate in a triumphant final act. This anime is a slap in the face to the class S stories and sloppily sexualized works which proliferate the yuri genre. Asagao to Kase-san shines as a holy beacon for the greatness that this genre can achieve.

6. Puella Magi Madoka Magica - 286 Votes

YuriMother: Hurray!! For two entries in a row, I get to talk about series that I wholeheartedly adore without having to constantly attach caveats. Puella Magi Madoka Magica is not considered by all to be yuri, and that is certainly not what it is best known for. PMMM is however famous for twisting the tropes of the magical girl genre and creating one of the most cohesive and thoughtful narratives ever put to screen. This series summoned a new era for the magical girl genre (what OG humorously referred to as the “Moepocalypse”) but no other title managed to top Madoka Magica’s runaway success. Every aspect of this work is highly polished including character designs, a phenomenal soundtrack, and superb writing. This is not only the definitive work of its genre but of all postmodern anime. Whether or not one is a fan of yuri every anime fan should give Madoka Magica a watch.

OG: Meduka Meguca. Its impact in the “Moepocalypse” (Shows where cute and sexy girls consistently suffering physically and emotionally. These are usually dark magical girl shows.) genre and legacy are undeniable. It deserves all the praise it gets. It scarred many unfortunate souls, Homura is a legend in yuridom, Kyouko X Sayaka are glorious (Especially in Rebellion), Meduka’s Mom Junko is a Top Tier Sexy Mama, Charlotte the Witch is a very strange girlfriend and of course Hitomi is a walking anti-fun meme. The animation, especially the creepy doodle like monsters known as Witches are memorable. However, it is not my favorite Moepocalypse show. That honor goes to Yuki Yuna is a Hero.

7. Strawberry Panic - 224 Votes

OG: Like it or not Strawberry Panic is a yuri classic. I have a strong feeling that like many readers around my age (31 during this writing) this was their first 100% yuri anime. The cheese is real but it is the yummy kind of cheese and I loved almost every minute of it, except Amane X Hikari. That was the weakest of the love stories going on. Poor Yaya trying too hard (Not saying this in condescending way. She literally tried too hard). It is like a young adult lesbian novel but more fun. I mean Nagisa X Shizuma might as well be “Lesbian Twilight but not crappy”. Let us be honest, Shizuma is a vampire. Chikaru is an undisputed goddess and Kagome is the cutest.

Oh and I will repeat this statement till my last breath…

#TamaoWasRobbed.

YuriMother: I may be almost a decade younger than OG but even for me Strawberry Panic was my first yuri and it more than earns its nickname as the “gateway yuri,” although last year’s Citrus and Bloom Into You may be presenting serious contenders for this title. If for no other reason than nostalgia, Strawberry Panic remains my favorite yuri works but this ridiculous soap-opera of an anime does deserve a fair amount of recognition. I see Strawberry Panic as the culmination of the S subgenre revived by Maria Watches Over Us. However, this work succeeds at both parodying many of the tropes of S and yuri while breaking a few. However, its greatest accomplishment is introducing many of the young western fans of yuri to the genre. Strawberry Panic, you are an overly dramatic mess but thank you for all you have done.

8. Revolutionary Girl Utena - 176 Votes

YuriMother: Another gem of the yuri genre, actually scratch that, if works like Kase-san are gems then Utena is the minerals from which gems form. I think that is how it works, I am not a geologist. My poor analogies and subtle nods to Steven Universe aside, Revolutionary Girl Utena is one of the single most important works of yuri anime, possibly even more so than Sailor Moon. These two works were the dawn of the current age of yuri, an era spurn on by social progress and the internet into a place where more yuri works featuring honest depictions of homosexuality are flourishing. Utena laid the groundwork for queer representation in anime and for that I remain forever grateful to this masterpiece.

OG: I must confess. While I saw the movie long ago and thought it was cool I have yet to sit down and finish watching the main series. I cannot say much about this show other than it is another yuri classic. Possibly one of the biggest. I think I will leave this to Her Holiness because even if I had seen it I do not consider myself someone who possesses the sufficient intellect to properly explain why this is a legendary show.

9. Flip Flappers - 132 Votes

OG: I would need an essay to explain why this show is legendary. Let me see. It is a story of a girl who discovered her gayness thanks to her growing attraction to a lovable idiot/genki. There are references to Western media, dimension hopping (including Class S Hell), self-discovery, a sexual orientation journey, a tree, armored wedding gowns, crazy third wheels, Ku Klux Klan stand-ins…You know what? Just watch Flip Flappers. It is a hot mess of random, crazy, creative and thought provoking awesomeness with a wonderful dose of gayness. Glory be to PapiCoco. However, as Her Holiness mentioned this is essentially Ikuhara-san levels of weirdness (though not as complicated I feel) but as the plot thickens it all (sort of) starts making sense...eventually. That tree yo.

YuriMother: Flip Flappers was almost too strange and abstract even for me, and that is saying something. However, upon further examination, one of the most interesting works of yuri is revealed. This heavily stylized anime delves deep into the sexual maturation of its protagonist while examining the yuri genre and representation in media. Flip Flappers is the perfect marriage of heavy visual style and intellectual substance. Definitely give them one a.. err better make that three watches, as you will want to be sure to get everything out of this beautiful series as possible.

10. Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid - 131 Votes

YuriMother: This series is the closest anime fans have to a lesbian couple having a family that we have, and that is a shame. I LOVE family narratives, outside of the yuri genre Usagi Drop is my favorite anime. To me, seeing women balance life, a relationship, and children is some of the best queer representation there is. However, for every point in Kobayashi’s favor, there is also a glaring fault. Kobayashi is a modern woman in the workforce providing for herself and her “family,” but is borderline abusive to Tohru. Kanna is an inquisitive child being raising by two women, but there are weirdly sexual scenes featuring her. As previously mentioned on this list, if one can silence the reasonable part of the brain this work becomes enjoyable, hilarious, and adorable. Unfortunately, its faults prevent it from being more than an amusement and I seriously doubt that they will fade in the second season. But hey, it sells a ton of figures so… YAY!

OG: This series is one of the closest yuri fans have to a series starring a lesbian couple with a daughter and it is wonderful. Is the tale of an eternally grateful dragon who wanted to repay the human who saved her life, albeit drunk, by becoming her live-in maid. Tohru being a dragon girl had incredible power and could easily crush everyone in sight but preferred to try and understand humanity so she could live in peace with the woman she loved. It of course was hard at times but thanks to Miss Kobayashi slowly growing to accept her back (romantically she had a ways to go) and the two raising the adorable bundle of mighty puff known as Kanna they became a happy family. How long this relationship will last and whether Miss Kobayashi would come to fully love Tohru back romantically remains to be seen. I have high hopes it can and will happen. Kanna X Riko is precious (Yes. Even that scene). We even have a potential BL couple, which is nice. Not a fan of Lucoa X Shouta the shota. Not because of the age gap but it not being my kind of romantic comedy. It is the same reason I have a hard time buying Tsubame X Misha from UzaMaid. Mya-Nee X Hana from Wataten...maybe. At least Mya-Nee showed she is patient. Back to Dragon Maid. Great series. Naughty of course but great.

11. Sweet Blue Flowers (Aoi Hana) - 119 Votes

OG: Megane girl falls for a cutie but has a hard time confessing to her to the point she gives a relationship with another girl a try. Said other girl has troubles of her own courtesy of her own views on what love. Do not get me started on the OTHER girl who likes megane’s girlfriend. I did not even mention megane girl’s first love interest who she herself eventually begins questioning her feelings for the glasses wearing maiden. While this is well known throughout the history of yuri anime Aoi Hana made it clearer than ever that Yuri + Classical Music go hand in hand. Plus the show is quite pretty. Ultimately enjoyment of this series depends heavily on viewers’ patience.

YuriMother: Aoi Hana was ahead of its time in many regards. Most yuri during the early twenty-first century was unrealistic and melodramatic, especially with the revival of S stories. Aoi Hana instead presents a calm and realistic story that we still rarely see in yuri anime today. Instead of relying on tricks like service or comedy Aoi Hana presents a serene and character-driven story which is matched by equally calming scenery. It is certainly not the most thrilling watch, but a slow and beautiful slice of real life that remains one of the all-time strongest yuri works.

12. Yurikuma Arashi - 99 Votes

YuriMother: Yurikuma Arashi is strange, to say the least, but this is not out of the ordinary for legendary director Ikuhara, who also directed Utena. Parallels are easily drawn between this work and Flip Flappers, as they are both complex and encoded with enough symbolism to drown a bear. Yurikuma is one of my favorite works in the yuri genre and I have had more than a few heated discussions about interpretations of the work, including one memorable occasion when I was visiting a college professor and we ended up in a shouting match in the middle of the hall. However, while Flip Flappers holds a high degree of polish the same can, unfortunately, not be said here. Yurikuma Arashi has more than a few scenes of fanservice many of which overly fetishize the characters and relationship and some of the symbols, particularly lily flowers and the word “yuri” are practically beaten to death with an object I refuse to come up with because I am starting to have my fill of symbolism. However, despite some of its sloppiness, Yurikuma is one of the single most interesting and well-formed anime out there and analyzing it is practically a right of passage for seasoned yuri fans.

OG: Yurikuma Arashi is my favorite of Ikuhara-san’s series. To me it was the least complicated of his works but even so I needed help to understand the show. Luckily I had plenty of assistance. The meat of the story is more complicated but put simply it is about a war between a group of bear girls (and some human girls) who want to freely express their love and/or desire/hunger for each other and another group that amounts to Right to Censor from WWF. Like I said it is far more complex than that but that is the gist. The anime is quite ecchi and it has good reason for it. Again the gay bears are the more liberated of the groups and them getting more sexy scenes is meant to showcase that. Our heroine has good reason to be grumpy and a divine entity was introduced alongside a certain someone from a certain dark anime we already discussed.

In the end it is a show starring lesbian bear girls. I love love stories between women and i love bears. It was obvious I would end up enjoying this one. Like other complex stories it is not for everyone. Shows like Flip Flappers, Utena and Yurikuma have something of a learning people will have to get accustomed to in order to enjoy them.

13. Whispered Words (Sasameki Koto) - 88 Votes

OG: To me Aoi Hana and Sasameki Koto were always connected despite the former being a drama and the latter a comedy. Both star a female protagonist struggling with how to best tell the girl she likes her true feelings whereas their love interest for one reason or another makes it all the more challenging to get their feelings across. Both shows aired during a time yuri was not as popular of a genre as it would become over time. Perhaps if they had come out a little later when yuri was becoming more popular in the mainstream they would have fared better…Then again they may have helped set the groundwork for future yuri shows so it’s just as well they came out when they did. In any case both good shows worthy of “best of yuri” lists. SK has the dynamic of the megane in love and her somewhat airheaded love interest who specifically likes “cute girls”. Poor megane has a hard time figuring out what the airhead defines as “cute”. The show also features an amusing side-couple of an ojou-sama and her tsundere girlfriend. Not to mention the somewhat controversial side-girl who plays a more prominent role in the 2nd half of the anime. Heck, even Mr Crossdresser himself is cool. Let us not forget Miss “Ha Ha Ha!” Another really good show that I would love to see the rest of the manga get animated someday but considering most anime are essentially manga commercials and the SK manga ended the odds of a 2nd season are close to 0.

YuriMother: 2009 was a great year for yuri anime, with both Sasameki Koto and Aoi Hana, among other works, airing. But while Aoi Hana sought to resist many of the common tropes of the genre and tell a simple grounded story Sasameki Koto appears to have looked a the list of every convention possible and say “yeah I can do that.” It has melodrama, comedy, one-sided love, friend love stories, I worship this genre but even I think there is a limit. However, Sasameki Koto is one of the most competent yuri anime works of the current era. While all the tropes are present most of the problematic aspects of the genre are not. The story is well written, characters enjoyable, and art that is really well done for the time. I enjoy every watch and if I ever want to quickly download the genre’s tropes into another person's head I need only duct tape them to a chair and throw on Sasameki Koto.

14. Riddle Story of Devil (Akuma no Riddle) - 77 Votes

YuriMother: Akuma no Riddle was highly anticipated back in 2014, sporting a premise of student assassins that, while certainly not unique, was outside the norms for the yuri genre. It promised a dark and thrilling take on the yuri genre that would not become popular until the yuri horror trend a few years later. At first, it looked like this would be successful with an excellent setup and some pretty compelling characters but ultimately Akuma no Riddle fell flat and became more derailed as it continued. The monster of the week style of episodes left little room for complex plots and plans or proper character development, which is a shame because of how engaging so many of the assassins were upon original presentation. However, this show still has some of the best action in the yuri genre, placing it alongside series like Cannan and Utena despite its flawed storytelling. If nothing else, the anime may compel one to read the manga, which expands the story and characters more than the show was given time to.

OG: Professional assassins secretly gathered at an academy in an attempt to take the life of a seemingly innocent cutie to win the ultimate prize, one of whom wishes to protect the adorable redhead. Yes the manga, which is pretty much a Director’s Cut, is better and the anime would have benefited from having 20+ episodes instead of 12 and a delightful beach OVA but the show did a good job of showing viewers what each assassin was like, their motivations (though many of their origin stories were summarized in written biographies during commercial breaks viewers needed to pause to read) were clear enough and the duels, as brief as some of them were, had enough spicy goodness in them to be memorable, especially the ones in the latter half of the show. Oh, and although the manga wrapped up after the anime it had a very similar ending.

15. Revue Starlight - 72 Votes

OG: Gay theater girls who strive to become the top star, meaning the best actress or lead actor of the cast. How do they do it? By working hard and overcoming their personal hardships? Yes. That. What makes this show so wonderful despite being almost a year old as of this writing is not only do the ladies all have interesting stories to tell but so does the stage. Every song, prop, movement, dance, gesture etc. It is like the performers and performances are united. It is like in Spongebob where not only does the person in the boots tell a story but the boots as well.

Oh yes. I almost forgot to mention the mysterious underground theater and talking giraffe. Never forget the talking giraffe from Hell. #Wakarimasu.

Super cool and super gay.

YuriMother: Bushiroad continuously gets better at what they do, creating media franchises of cute girls filled with music and making mountains of cash from smartphone games. Inspired by the likes of Love Live, they created BanG Dream and last year Revue Starlight. However, where these franchises fell short Revue Starlight success. It never twists its characters to tell a story but rather creates compelling arcs around them. I thoroughly enjoyed and agree with its place on this list.

16. Konohana Kitan - 68 Votes

YuriMother: I know of Konohana Kitan for its constant presence at yuri events more so than the anime or even the manga. It is adorable, relaxing, simple, and fun. While it does not add anything super substantial to the genre it does not take anything either or present any objectionable material. The “plot” is nonexistent but that does not matter, as it is not trying to tell a story or make commentary, just be fluffy and simple.

OG: Konohana Kitan to me is a Girls Club (Cute girls doing cute things) and iyashikei hybrid anime. It is visually stunning as it is relaxing with Yuzu pretty much one of the cutest demigoddesses in existence. She of course is a chick magnet but her heart will forever belong to Satsuki.

17. Destiny of the Shrine Maiden (Kannazuki no Miko) - 65 Votes

OG: The other stuff on the show is still not that great but ChiMeko will forever stand the test of time as far as I’m concerned. Top 10 for their love story alone. Yes. I know THAT ONE SCENE continues being controversial and talked about every time curious new yuri fans witness greatness…but I will forever defend Chikane because I get where she was coming from. Would I have done something different? Yes. The thing is you need to put yourself in her shoes and understand what she wanted to accomplish and how far she would go to get it done. Kotoha is best side-character and Souma Ogami is real man’s man who does not deserve the hate. He was an honorable warrior to the end. He fought well and accepted defeat like a man. Plus his yell is inspirational.

YuriMother: My feelings on Kannazuki no Miko are incredibly mixed. It has many of the worst facets of early current era yuri anime, tropes include S, rape and… am I reading this correctly, demon mechs? Worst of all it presents a cycle, a never-ending loop that haunts the characters in the overarching plot and it does not resolve it. If a work ever presents such an element, like Puella Magi did, it must be overcome or confronted at least. Its presence makes the already cringy story feels cheap and lazy. However, I love the two female leads and their difficult relationship. I love the music, especially the hauntingly beautiful ending theme, and the final moments of episode 11 are some of the greatest seconds I have ever seen in an anime. I cannot wrap my mind around my view of this series but at the end of the day, I understand it. I do not believe that work like it would ever be warmly accepted today but for its time it does stand as a breakout piece of yuri anime.

18. Princess Principal - 61 Votes

YuriMother: Princess Principal is one of the best anime of the past few years. It had everything, an interesting premise, great characters, an incredible soundtrack. Alongside all this is the sharp writing and thrilling story. Princess Principal did everything Akuma no Riddle wanted to with an intriguing and action-packed story featuring strong characters. On top of all this, the animation is top notch. A six-part movie sequel is planned which has me somewhat concerned, but I am glad to see that it is being continued as the ending to the series was one of its weakest aspects. Now if you will excuse me, I need to listen to some jazz.

OG: Cute and sexy gay spies in a dramatic British Steampunk setting. What more do readers need? Allow Her Holiness to elaborate a bit further. Currently waiting for the multi-part cinematic continuation.

19. Izetta: The Last Witch - 60 Votes

OG: I am known for loving shows people do not think as highly of. Izetta: The Last Witch is no different. I love this show so much. Besides how certain events transpired some complained about the depiction of WW2. Basically think about people ranting about storylines and content featured in certain Call of Duty and Battlefield games. Here however, it is clearly a fictional great war inspired by WW2. I was invested in the following:

-The cute and sexy ladies.

-Seeing two badass lesbians lead an army against an evil empire.

-FiZetta’s romance. This of course being the major highlight. I love FiZetta so much. My sexy lesbian babies and Anne X Grea’s mentors. They taught them everything they know after all.

It is similar to how I felt watching Kannazuki no Miko where my focus was primarily on the leading ladies’ developing romance. The difference is that unlike Kannazuki I was also somewhat entertained by our heroines’ enemies along with their allies. Basically viewers’ enjoyment of the show depends on how seriously they take their history and are willing to overlook the liberties this story takes with its depictions of the weapons, military and the familiar evil empire. FiZetta are one of my favorite lesbian couples of all time.

By the way, in that famous scene, yes they did. Viewers just have to squint their eyes to see “it”.

YuriMother: Another show that I consider to have squandered its potential. I know that lots of people enjoyed this one, including OG but I could not bring myself to finish this constantly mediocre series. Perhaps I am tired of alternative light-fantasy European-war inspired plots. Trying to stand out in this bloated genre is difficult and Izetta fails. Izetta started strong and hooked many viewers with its amazing visual and auditory polish but this was quickly lost in the plot which, while set up well, struggle to gain any ground of pay off what had been established. On the yuri side, it did not really do anything interesting or satisfying, with plenty of scenes feature the character’s standing next to each other looking cute and one or two moments of actual yuri. I am glad that some of you were able to enjoy this one more than me at least.

20. Maria Watches Over Us (Maria-sama ga Miteru) - 57 Votes

OG: Like Strawberry Panic this is a “Like it or not” classic. Despite being a Class S show it did its own thing and became a pioneer for . It’s also responsible for the many yuri jokes related to all-girl schools in anime.Shimako X Noriko best Grande and Petite Souer! Yumiko X Sachiko were great too as the two grew to better understand each other. Most memorable scene for me was the panda costume. Even Sei is a sleeper icon in all yuridom. Yoshino X Rei had a very interesting dynamic. I actually think they are the real pioneers of relationships between cousins. Thank you YoshiRei. HaruKana, Kaede X Sara and several others owe you two much appreciation.

YuriMother: Another great and significant series, Maria Watches Over Us, took the tropes of early yuri works, Catholic schools, a lack of men, piano scenes, and emotional relationship rather than physical ones and turned the dial up to 11. For better or worse, it single-handedly revived the Class S genre and was copied (and parodied) endlessly for over a decade. However much I complain about S I actually do not think that we would have the current age of yuri without its popularity and proliferation at the beginning of the century so I owe a big thank you to Maria Watches Over Us for that. Ignoring its historical importance and literary significance the anime still presents an engaging plot with wonderful characters and more butchered French than my last trip to Europe. It is certainly worth a watch and worthy of a place on this list.

What do you think should be on this list?:

YuriMother: As I previously said, this is a pretty perfect list. As far as missing titles I can think of the following.

Simoun - not the greatest in terms of plot or animation but it had cute service and a fun action-packed plot.

Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl - This series may be strange and present the dreaded love triangle but it did its best to tell a transgender narrative in 2006, naturally this involved aliens, and I applaud it for its attempts.

Cannan - This series is light on the yuri but heavy on the suspense, action, and amazing character designs. The terrorist plot is exciting and the final train fight featured in the series is one of the greatest action spectacles in anime that somehow manages to remain grounded.

OG:

-Harukana Receive: Best all-female sports anime ever made. Plus the gayness is not subtle at all.

-Mikagura Gakuen Kumikyoku: Eruna Ichinomiya is an underrated yuri icon. While not the first of her kind (That honor, I think, goes to Galaxy Fraulein Yuna) she set the standard of cool and inspirational badass lesbian protagonists who are proud of who they are and...also happen to be super perverts. Eruna made it cool to be such a protagonist. It is nice seeing a lesbian lead who does not care what anyone else thinks. She is hungry for cute girl booties. While she often loses her control in the presence of pure beauty she, as an inspiration for others like her, has enough self-control to not go overboard (most of the time).

-Symphogear: Symphogear is love, Symphogear is life. Hopefully Season 5 will keep up the good work.

-Rinne no Lagrange: My favorite mecha anime and the reason I embrace OT3s when the signs are there. Not the greatest but man was it fun. Plus Madoka Kyouno is still sexy.

-Yuki Yuna wa Yuusha de Aru: My favorite Moepocalypse anime of all time. Yuna X Togo taught me to love and trust some people outside my closest family again.

-Mouretsu Pirates: If someone were to ask me “Hey OG. What to you is the perfect anime?”. I would tell them Mouretsu/Bodacious Space Pirates.

-Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl. Thanks to the first fan commenting and reminding me of it. Definitely worthy of a spot. #HazumuWasAlwaysFemale

Final Thoughts:

OG: Pretty good list and close to what mine would look like were I to make one. Reason I have yet to do so is because I do not feel confident enough to pick a favorite yuri anime of all time. Favorite yuri manga and couples? That I can do, but anime always seems to give me a hard time choosing my absolute favorites. Like I said though, a potential yuri list of mine would look something like this. I also found it interesting how similar the Top 10 are among both our respective fanbases and visitors to the poll conducted by the Akiba Research Institute.

YuriMother: I may have done most the complaining and left the praise to OG but I actually and really happy with this list. I think that every title presented is a worthy addition and while I would certainly move some higher or lower than their current placing I do not believe that these are too far off from my own opinions, which is surprising for a popularity poll. More than anything I am thrilled to see that works I dislike that I thought to be popular did not make this list. Perhaps I should have more faith in people and their opinions. Everyone did such a wonderful job voting and I am so grateful!

Thank you so much everyone for reading and for voting in the top yuri anime poll. To see the full results of the poll and to support yuri news, reviews, and content, check out the YuriMother Patreon. Happy Pride Month

#yuri #lgbt #lgbtq #lgbtq+#pride #pride month #queer #gay #anime #cartoon #tv #lesbian #lesbians #girls love #wlw #gl #poll #manga

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somegirlsnerdywords2 · 3 years

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Favourite Anime 2020

1. Fruits Basket 2nd Season (Rating: 10/10 - 25 Episodes - Spring 2020)

Genres: Slice of Life, Comedy, Supernatural, Drama, Romance, Shoujo

Synopsis: A year has passed since Tooru Honda began living in the Souma residence, and she has since created stronger relationships with its inhabitants Shigure, Kyou, and Yuki. She has also grown closer to the rest of the Souma family and has become familiar with their ancestral secret, having helped them with many of their personal issues. The closer Tooru gets, however, the more she begins to realize that their secret holds a darker truth than she first presumed. Summer is approaching and Tooru is invited to spend her days with the Soumas, mainly Kyou and Yuki. Tooru wishes for an easy-going vacation, but her close relationships with the two boys and the rest of the Soumas may prove to cause trouble. As they grow more intimate, their carefree time together is hindered by older hardships and feelings from the past that begin to resurface. The Eternal Banquet also dawns on the members of the zodiac, and they must tend to their duties alongside the unnerving head of the family, Akito Souma. With the banquet approaching and a plethora of feelings to be solved, will Tooru's life with the Soumas remain peaceful, or will she find herself in a situation from which she cannot escape? [Written by MAL Rewrite]

2. Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun (Rating: 10/10 - 12 Episodes - Winter 2020)

Genres: Comedy, School, Shounen, Supernatural

Synopsis: The famous "Seven Wonders" that every school seems to have are a staple of Japanese urban legends. One of the most well-known of these tales is that of Hanako-san: the ghost of a young girl who haunts the school's bathrooms. Kamome Academy has its own version of Hanako-san's legend. Rumors claim that if one successfully manages to summon Hanako-san, she will grant her summoner any wish. Lured by the gossip, many people have tried to call upon her, yet every attempt has failed. However, when Nene Yashiro, a girl hoping for romantic fortune, dares to summon Hanako-san, she discovers that the rumored "girl" is actually a boy! After a series of unfortunate events involving Nene's romantic desires, she is unwillingly entangled in the world of the supernatural, becoming Hanako-kun's assistant. Soon, she finds out about Hanako-kun's lesser-known duty: maintaining the fragile balance between mortals and apparitions. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

3. Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shiteshimatta... (Rating: 9.5/10 - 12 episodes - Spring 2020)

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Fantasy, School

Synopsis: Most people would prefer being the protagonist of a world full of adventure, be it in a game or in another world. But, unfortunately, a certain girl is not so lucky. Regaining the memories of her past life, she realizes that she was reborn in the world of Fortune Lover—one of the games she used to play.

Unfortunately, the character she was reincarnated into—Katarina Claes—is the game's main antagonist, who faces utter doom in every ending. Using her extensive knowledge of the game, she takes it upon herself to escape from the chains of this accursed destiny.

However, this will not be an easy feat, especially since she needs to be cautious as to not set off death flags that may speed up the impending doom she is trying to avoid. Even so, to make a change that will affect the lives of everyone around her, she strives—not as the heroine—but as the villainess.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

4. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 2nd Season (Rating: 9.5/10 - 12 Episodes - Summer 2020)

Genres: Psychological, Drama, Thriller, Fantasy

Synopsis: A reunion that was supposed to spell the arrival of peaceful times is quickly shattered when Subaru Natsuki and Emilia return to Irlam village. Witnessing the devastation left behind by the calamities known as Sin Archbishops, Subaru sinks into the depths of despair as his ability to redo proves futile. As the group makes their way to the Sanctuary in search of answers, Subaru has an unexpected encounter with the Witch of Greed—Echidna. Subjected to her untamed rhythm, he is forced to dive into the spirals of the past and future. At the same time, several mysterious threats set their sights on the Sanctuary, heralding a horrific fate for the hapless people trapped within. Everlasting contracts, past sins, and unrequited love will clash and submerge into a river of blood in the second season of Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu. Pushed to the brink of hopelessness, how long will Subaru's resolve to save his loved ones last? [Written by MAL Rewrite]

5.Chihayafuru 3 (Rating: 9.5/10 - 24 Episodes - Fall 2019 Leftover)

Genres: Game, Slice of Life, Sports, Drama, School, Josei

Synopsis: Winning the high school team tournament was a great accomplishment for the Mizusawa members. Each of them has made great strides in improving themselves, and the victory symbolizes how far they've come. But after accomplishing one goal, their individual aims are within reach. Chihaya Ayase has her sights set on Wakamiya Shinobu and the title of Queen, and now that Taichi Mashima has made it into Class A, he can finally compete against Arata Wataya. Everyone in Mizusawa wants to get better, and there's no telling what the future holds if they keep trying. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

6. Boku no Hero Academia 4th Season (Rating: 9/10 - 25 Episodes - Fall 2019 Leftover)

Genres: Action, Comedy, Super Power, School, Shounen

Synopsis: After successfully passing his Provisional Hero License exam, Izuku "Deku" Midoriya seeks out an extracurricular internship with a professional hero agency. At the recommendation of his mentor All Might, Midoriya lands a position under All Might's former sidekick, Sir Nighteye, now a famous hero in his own right. As Midoriya's classmates further their own abilities through various internships, up-and-coming villain Kai Chisaki utilizes his terrifying powers to gather favor in the criminal underworld. Known by the moniker Overhaul, Chisaki's ambitions collide with the League of Villains and its leader, Tomura Shigaraki. Through his work with Sir Nighteye, Midoriya discovers Chisaki's crime syndicate and the villain's hostile relationship with a mysterious young girl named Eri. Fearing for the child's safety, Midoriya and his upperclassman Mirio Toogata must work together to put an end to Chisaki's reign of terror. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

7. Haikyuu!!: To the Top 2nd Season (Rating: 9/10 - 12 Episodes - Fall 2020)

Genres: Comedy, Sports, Drama, School, Shounen

Synopsis: Karasuno enters into the second half of Nationals with brand-new opponents: Inarizaki High. The long-standing powerhouse team includes a few familiar faces, namely Miya Atsumu. Named Japan's "best high school setter," Miya previously rubbed elbows with Kageyama at the All-Japan Youth Intensive Training Camp. Karasuno will have to overcome a setter that outranks their own, and Atsumu's twin brother is on the team, too. (Source: ANN)

8. Haikyuu!!: To the Top (Rating: 8.5/10 - 13 Episodes - Winter 2020)

Genres: Comedy, Sports, Drama, School, Shounen

Synopsis: After their triumphant victory over Shiratorizawa Academy, the Karasuno High School volleyball team has earned their long-awaited ticket to nationals. As preparations begin, genius setter Tobio Kageyama is invited to the All-Japan Youth Training Camp to play alongside fellow nationally recognized players. Meanwhile, Kei Tsukishima is invited to a special rookie training camp for first-years within the Miyagi Prefecture. Not receiving any invitations himself, the enthusiastic Shouyou Hinata feels left behind. However, Hinata does not back down. Transforming his frustration into self-motivation, he boldly decides to sneak himself into the same rookie training camp as Tsukishima. Even though Hinata only lands himself a job as the ball boy, he comes to see this as a golden opportunity. He begins to not only reflect on his skills as a volleyball player but also analyze the plethora of information available on the court and how he can apply it. As the much-anticipated national tournament approaches, the members of Karasuno's volleyball team attempt to overcome their weak points and refine their skills, all while aiming for the top! [Written by MAL Rewrite]

9. Kakushigoto (Rating: 8.5/10 - 12 Episodes - Spring 2020)

Genres: Slice of Life, Comedy, Shounen

Synopsis: Kakushi Gotou is a somewhat popular manga artist whose works are known for inappropriate content. Because of this raunchiness, when his daughter Hime was born, he vowed to keep his profession hidden from her, believing that she will be disillusioned if she finds out. This paranoia-induced belief leads Kakushi into hectic situations. Despite being a single father, he does his best and often resorts to extreme ends just to protect his secret, such as guising as a salaryman every day or holding emergency drills in case Hime somehow finds her way to his workplace. Kakushigoto tells the story of a father and daughter living side by side, maintaining their peaceful existence as the father attempts to preserve the status quo. However, there is a saying: "there are no secrets that time cannot reveal." In time, Hime must learn the reality behind the things she took for granted as she grew up. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

10. Fire Force Season 2 (Rating: 8/10 - 24 Episodes - Summer 2020)

Genres: Action, Supernatural, Shounen

Synopsis: After his confrontation in the Nether with his younger brother Shou, Shinra Kusakabe's resolve to become a hero that saves lives from the flame terror strengthens. Finding a way to turn the Infernals back into people, unraveling the mystery of the Evangelist and Adolla Burst, and saving his mother and Shou—these are the goals Shinra has in mind. However, he has come to realize that attaining these goals will not be easy, especially with the imminent danger the Evangelist poses. The Evangelist's plan is clear: to gather the eight pillars—the individuals who possess Adolla Burst—and sacrifice them to recreate the Great Cataclysm from 250 years ago. Having been revealed by the First Pillar that the birth of a new pillar is approaching, Shinra is determined to protect his fellow pillars from the Evangelist. Thus, the fiery battle between the Special Fire Force and the Evangelist ignites. Together with the Special Fire Force, Shinra's fight continues as he uncovers the truth about the Great Cataclysm and the nature of Adolla Bursts, as well as the mysteries behind human combustion. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

#fruits basket 2nd season #jibaku shounen hanako-kun #Toilet-bound Hanako-kun #Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shiteshimatta #my next life as a villainess #re:zero season 2 #chihayafuru 3 #boku no hero academia #haikyuu to the top #kakushigoto

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comicteaparty · 4 years

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Webcomic Recommendations

Check out this plethora of webcomic recommendations archived from Comic Tea Party’s Webcomic Recommendations Channel!

Nutty (Court of Roses)

Children of Shadow: Ashes https://spiderforest.com/comics/children-of-shadow-ashes/ Genre: Anthro/Horror/Urban Fantasy Trigger Warnings: Rated Mature for blood, gore, and intense scenes Reasons: Some of the most lovely pencil work I've ever seen, well-rendered animal art and a compelling world!(edited)

Heirs of the Veil https://spiderforest.com/comics/heirs-of-the-veil/ Genre: Drama/Urban Fantasy Trigger Warnings: Rated PG-16+ for transphobia, dysphoria, mental illness, blood, trauma, body horror Reasons: Absolutely gorgeous artwork, really compelling illustrations of the lgbt experience

Aloe https://spiderforest.com/comics/aloe/ Genre: Adventure/Drama/Sci-Fi Trigger Warnings: Rated Teen for violence and blood Reasons: I'm normally not into sci-fi but this comic is so bright and colorful, I really love it a lot. Also the main character is non-binary!

Millennium https://spiderforest.com/comics/millennium/ Genre: Adventure/Fantasy/Sci-fi Trigger Warnings: Rated PG-13 for Mild Violence and Mild Language Reasons: Lovely art, fun characters, and an engaging space world! I love it so so much.

Sombulus https://spiderforest.com/comics/sombulus/ Genre: Adventure/Comedy/Fantast Trigger Warnings: Rated Young Adult, no warnings Reasons: An absolute blast, super fun story and characters, with a nice long archive too!

Arbalest https://spiderforest.com/comics/arbalest/ Genre: Fantasy/Horror Trigger Warnings: Rated Mature for partial nudity, blood/gore, sex, themes of abuse Reasons: A really compelling story in a non-traditional narrative style, and super spooky to boot.

And finally, to top this off, I'll drop in my own comic as well! Court of Roses https://spiderforest.com/comics/court-of-roses/ Genre: Adventure/Fantasy/Comedy Trigger Warnings: Rated Teen, for Fantasy Violence and Alcohol Use Reasons: Because this is my comic and it's my pride and joy and I love my bards a lot. :3

AntiBunny

Dead Winter http://deadwinter.cc/ Genre: Zombie Apocalypse Trigger Warnings: Violent Reasons: Well it's a straightforward zombie survival comic. What's impressive is how well the artist has studied comics as an art form and put thought and purpose into every panel.

HiddenElephant

http://welcome2earth.webcomic.ws/ Snarky alien crashes onto Earth. Not enough people are reading it in my opinion.

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

Super Galaxy Knights Deluxe R: http://sgkdr.thecomicseries.com/ Genre: Action, Comedy Trigger Warnings: Blood, Dismemberment Reasons: A recommendation for @Goobatron . It's my comic. The creator is me. Super Galaxy Knights is a story about Mizuki Sato, who goes on adventures through a strange world, making friends along the way. The dialogue is like... 70% banter, 30% total non-sequiturs. The art style uses 3D models, in like a weird cel-shaded style that's meant to be reminiscent of games like Wind Waker and Dragon Ball FighterZ. And there's also a bunch of animated panels/pages. There's also a ton of really strange characters. Like there's a dude whose power is that he always wins knife fights. There's a wizard who shrinks hot dogs and carries them around in capsules. Etc. One warning - the early pages are a bit rough-looking. Some have been redrawn recently, but others haven't yet, so it can be a bit jarring to go back and forth between styles.

Cap’n Lee (Flowerlark Studios)

Clockwork http://www.clockwork-comic.com/ Genre: Fantasy / Drama CW: Some language and violence Clockwork is a comic about Cog Kleinshmidt, a moody teenager with an uncanny talent for repairing machinery. He feels he’s a nobody, but is swept into the turbulent world of politics, and is forced to learn magic in a world where magic is strictly forbidden. The art in this comic is incredibly polished and lively, and the characters are all instantly endearing. The writing is also top-notch. The first time I read it, I was completely sucked in after only a few pages. It’s currently on hiatus while the creator prepares the next chapter, but it’s well worth the wait.(edited)

Moral_Gutpunch

Micheal Morbius: Freelance Vampire http://freelancevampire.thecomicseries.com/ Genre: Drama, comedy Trigger: mentions of death and violence, talk of abusive relationships, mention of rape. It's all in dialog. Micheal Morbius, from Marvel comics, struggles to adjust to a as normal a life as a vampire can have. He helps a friend get back on her feet, he goes through therapy, and he's visited by Spider-heroes, this time a new one. Meanwhile, a true monster lurks int he shadows. The art isn't good, but the story and dialog are worth it. It's my comic. I hope after I get a few more pages going people will enjoy the story. It's a story I've been wanting to write for ages and I figured I'm not going to write for Marvel anytime soon (yes, I checked copyright law, Marvel allows this). Dedicated to Stan Lee.

Pakky

The Boy Who Fell http://boywhofell.com/ Genre: Drama, Adventure, Action, Comedy TW: Violence, blood, fighting, ptsd, suicide, death Synopsis (from the website): The Boy Who Fell revolves around an innocent, softhearted and almost-spineless boy named Ren who suddenly finds himself in Hell after accidentally falling off a school rooftop. He is then forced to partake in a tournament full of powerful and vicious beings in order to attain his only way of going home: an all-powerful wish from the ruler of Hell himself. As the story progresses, lines between allies and enemies are blurred, dark pasts are revealed, political issues come to light and all the while, Ren slowly realizes that in order to survive this journey, he might have to give up the very things that make him human I love this webcomic and have been following this artist for over 10 years now and recommend their work to anyone who will listen haha! Super long running webcomic with a well developed storyline and world.

Shizamura 🌟 O Sarilho

Broken http://broken.spiderforest.com/ Genre: Horror Trigger Warnings: Military, death, monsters Reasons: Broken offers a very interesting twist on the concepts of fairies, presenting you with a fairy general on the battlefield fighting against corrupted abominations. The concepts and worldbuilding here are very interesting and the battle/action scenes are great. Often makes use of animation and some HTML/CSS for extra effect. Of Magic and Muses https://xiicomic.com/magic-and-muses/ Genre: Magical Girls, mystery Trigger Warnings: There's a big monster at some point? Reasons: It's a magical girl story! Except nobody knows what's happening, the powers the girls get are maybe not of a friendly nature and they wear armor? The escalation of events is suberb. It has a large (and growing) cast, but each character has their own unique personality, making them super easy to follow and love. Ghost Junk Sickness https://www.ghostjunksickness.com/ Genre: action, sci-fi Trigger Warnings: violence, limb loss, death Reasons: There's a lot to be said about this comic! I really like the characters, who are deeply flawed and charming and make a lot of mistakes (the main duo having an especially interesting, yet sorta problematic dynamic). The worldbuilding is interesting and quirky to match. The mysterious bounty The Ghost is a looming presence, and apparently we'll be learning more about them soon. Super exciting and fun action scenes too!

Desnik

https://monsterhead.net/ Genre: LGBT+ American rural occult fantasy Trigger Warnings: Animal death, mild body horror Reasons: The author/artist is an OC-loving member of the LGBT+ community, and her work deals with self-love in the face of weird circumstances. Love the colors, Carter is an appealing and relatable main character, and the worldbuilding is something I've never seen before.

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

http://www.phantomarine.com/ Genre: Fantasy, Supernatural Trigger Warnings: Death, Mild Body Horror, Mild Violence, Mild Language Reasons: ...This is my comic! (edited)

Phantomarine is a spooky-but-sweet fantasy webcomic about a ghostly princess and her perilous journey across a haunted sea, hoping to save her soul from a devious, shapeshifting death god known as the Red Tide King. Expect all manner of maritime mysteries – monstrous sea creatures, sacred lighthouses, strange afflictions, accursed marauders, feuding gods, grand sea battles, and a heaping helping of humor in-between.

eliushi [Keyspace]

https://tapas.io/series/KEYSPACE-A-Winged-Tale/ https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/keyspace-a-winged-tale/list?title_no=322364 Genre: YA Science Fantasy, LGBT+ Trigger warnings: Mild body horror/violence/monsters, death Reasons: My comic Blurb: Florence thought her idyllic life living with the winged beings would last forever. However, when her mother disappears from a mysterious expedition, she fears for the worst. Through exploring hidden laboratory tunnels beneath the forest, facing Machines from a century-long war against humans, and seeking guidance from the Lost people from a civilization gone by, Flo and her winged friends must piece together the past in order to save all those they love.

Shizamura 🌟 O Sarilho

O Sarilho https://www.sarilho.net/en Genre: Post-Apocaliptic/Sci-fi Trigger Warnings: War, military, death Reasons: I make it Short description: A small team goes on a mission to enemy territory to find the remains of an ancient satellite and they end up finding a lot more. There are computers and dams and electricity-worshipping future romans (edited)

GGY

Tile: Over 8 Miles https://tapas.io/episode/859067 Genre: Drama, Comedy, Slice of Life Reasons I make it: Cause its fun and I enjoy sharing the existence of my characters and their life outside my brain

Emma (Friends or Lovers?)

Dreamwalker Felix by KT and TK https://tapas.io/series/Dreamwalker-Felix and https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/dreamwalker-felix/list?title_no=182487 Genre: Fantasy/Supernatural Trigger Warnings: There's some body horror in there Reasons: The art is just beautiful, and it has tons of funny moments Friends or Lovers? by yours truly https://tapas.io/series/friendsorlovers and https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/friends-or-lovers/list?title_no=49520 Genre: Romance/school slice of life Trigger Warnings: Mentions and depictions of bullying Reasons: It's my comic, so I'll just quote a reader: "Your comic is more accurate to real teens in love in high school than most. It's really good stuff"

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Earth in a Pocket http://earthinapocket.spiderforest.com/ Genre: Retro Sci-fi, Iyashikei Trigger Warnings: none Reasons: This comic posted its final page very recently! It's a relatively short read; very gentle and hopeful without being cavity-causingly sweet. The creator has put together such a heartwarming story that I've been adoring for a while. One of my faves, now complete!

renieplayerone

O Human Star https://ohumanstar.com/ Genre: Scifi, Robots, Drama TW: Dysphoria, Depression Reasons: The characters are so well written and emotional, plus I love the simplistic color palette. They get across the journey of self-discovery in such an interesting way.(edited)

carcarchu

Arcane Flames https://tapas.io/series/Arcane-Flames Genre: Fantasy Trigger Warnings: death? Reasons: I've been following kutty sark for many years now and I've really been looking forward to this comic which I'm pleased to say even exceeded my expectations. Fantastic art and the tone of the story is just lovely, i adore al'vis

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

https://sfeertheory.com/ The art is incredible. Every character, even the background ones, is full of personality. I love a good underdog story, and Luca's speech in chapter three made me scream into my hands and tear up. I can't recommend it highly enough

Tantz Aerine (Without Moonlight)

http://secondcrimeanwar.thecomicseries.com/

The Second Crimean War is a powerful and fun story in an alternate 1990s decade in Ukraine. The art is black and white and improves in leaps and bounces as you move on in the story! The story itself draws you in from page one. There's suspense, there's (black) humor, there's atmosphere and adventure. Highly recommended if you like war/action/suspense.

varethane

Have you ever read Nasty Red Dogs? https://nastyreddogs.com/

oh golly, haha

yeah, it's a fun and twisted and surreal little tale, the early parts especially are like walking through a really bizarre dream that if you describe it, it ought to be called a nightmare, but at the moment you're in it, it doesn't FEEL like one lol

the creator also does a comic called Feast For A King, which I think is more well-known but I haven't read yet (will at some point tho): https://feastforaking.com/comic/

kelly-zine

Title: Zyra Slash Genre: Sci-Fi, Comedy, Slice-Of-Life TW: None (for right now at least, it just started!) Reasons: I love Alex and their characters so much! ZS is a project I’ve been following and chatting with them about for a long time and it’s amazing to see it come to fruition. I think you’ll like it too. (Note that it’s on hiatus at the moment!) https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/zyra-slash/list?title_no=373763

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

Title: Ark https://www.arkcomic.com/ Genre: Fantasy, Drama, Anthro TW: violence (nothing heavy yet, but my Spider Senses are tingling) Reasons: A 1920s-inspired, extremely believable fantasy setting. Hints of racial tension and a possible war brewing on the horizon. It's pretty early in the story, so hop in and claim the front row seats for this gorgeously illustrated comic! (edited)

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

Tamberlane https://www.tamberlanecomic.com/ Genre: slice of life, heartwarming, Anthro It has a cast of colourful characters. Charming story of a clumsy bat named Belfry who adopts a little human. Various animal neighbors to love

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

I found one of the Chinese webcomics I use to follow, is now on Webtoons. They rename the title to: The Emperor's New Body because it's about body swapping and has interesting depth while some silly hijinks https://tapas.io/series/the-emperors-new-body(edited)

trinketfox

May as well rec my first ever favorite webcomic! Warrior U! https://warrior-u-thecomic.tumblr.com/ It's so expressive and funny that I've always wished it would become a show on cartoon network or something. Only the first few pages are still up on this tumblr since the official site is down, but all chapters are on the artist's gumroad!

It's an episodic comedy fantasy that goes from page-long gags to full episodes. Reccomended for it's humor and a really fun art style.

SteffieMusings

Nebula Beings https://tapas.io/series/Nebula-Beings Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror/Thriller Trigger Warnings: Violence, scary imagery (especially in chapter 7), talks/implied past abuse Reasons: It's a fun series and the two main characters learn to overcome challenges during their travels.(edited)

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

http://humoncomics.com/elftaken-1

Very short comic about the fae!

shadowhood {SunnyxRain}

For anyone who wants really strong character development/plot/art in general, I’m recommending Heir’s Game https://www.webtoons.com/en/drama/heirs-game/list?title_no=1445 For slapstick humor and characters with strong platonic bonds I give you Waffles and Pancakes https://www.webtoons.com/en/slice-of-life/waffles-and-pancakes/list?title_no=1310 And because why not, and if you like Victorian romance with a cute bickering couple, I give you Miss Abbott and the Doctor https://www.webtoons.com/en/romance/miss-abbott-and-the-doctor/list?title_no=707

LadyLazuli (Phantomarine)

Encephalon Genre: Sci-Fi, Horror Trigger Warnings: Blood, Gore, Strong Language A rescue crew sent to an abandoned space station comes face-to-face with a bio-computer experiment gone horribly wrong. A sci-fi webcomic with body-horror elements. Very creepy stuff! It's just getting started, but after seeing the rest of the story in thumbnail form (my IRL friend is the making it), it's going to AWESOME places. Please check it out! https://encephalon-comic.com/

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

This is: Mirror Mirror for 'Brain' short story contest entry. The 1st ep caught my eye and I'm invested in it https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/mirror-mirror-b/list?title_no=427186(edited)

carcarchu

https://www.lezhin.com/en/comic/freak Genre: fantasy Trigger Warnings: violence? Reasons: sakon's art is brilliant and incredibly consistent. season 1 is now available to read for free!

sagaholmgaard

Genre: Supernatural, urban fantasy, slice of life Trigger Warnings: Maybe abusive parents? idk i feel like it will be explored in the future Reasons: I love the art style and the latest chapter have some CHAOTIC ENERGY and im living for it!! https://tapas.io/series/bygonesbe

GGY

Just got back from hiatus! If y’all are interested in some slice of life + comedy drama I’d like to share my webcomic Over 8 Miles: https://tapas.io/series/O8M/ep39

carcarchu

Veni Vidi Vici https://vevivi.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-1.html Genre: slice of life, comedy Reasons: reading this comic feels so comfy and it reminds me of being in roman studies class again. you can really see the love and care that Ruby has put into this comic and her passion for ancient rome is really on full display in this work

Joichi [Hybrid Dolls]

This is the comic books for Cafe Suada I used to read way back. It's a fun slice of life about a teahouse shop keeper rivals with a coffee shop manager https://tapas.io/series/Cafe-Suada The artist used some traditonal tea staining for the textures. The story inspired me to draw my own slice of life series(edited)

sierrabravo (Hans Vogel is Dead)

The Strange Tale of Oscar Zahn https://www.webtoons.com/en/fantasy/the-strange-tales-of-oscar-zahn/list?title_no=685&page=1 Genre: Paranatural Investigation with just a dash of Cosmic Horror Kinda spooky, some light/fantasy violence From the website: Follow the journey of the world's greatest paranormal investigator - Oscar Zahn. Friend to lost souls, enemy of evil, he may lack a body but that doesn't mean he's missing a heart! The art is INCREDIBLE, the tone is really fun with some neat Hellboy vibes, it's complete and it's a good binge read. I really enjoyed it!

carcarchu

Short story about a cat, make sure you've got tissues ready https://akimiya.tumblr.com/post/129049384624

boogeymadam

just caught up with wychwood and it's such a huge treat!! there's some amazingly fun worldbuilding, a lot of intrigue about how the protagonists came to have the powers they do, and the motives behind the things that made the world the way it is * _ * it's also got soooo many pretty derelict environments, cool creature design and fun training montages! http://wychwood.sevensmith.net/comic/1

Yung Skrimp (Carefree)

I started reading Cloven Hearth, it’s interesting and has a really cool art style

https://twitter.com/ruinationcomics/status/1254126660007399425?s=21(edited)

carcarchu

Hana and Mr. Arrogant https://www.ciayo.com/en/comic/hana-mr-arrogant Genre: romance Reasons: Easy breezy read, with nice art and a super likeable heroine! Nothing we've never seen before, but delivered with genuine heart that makes it stand out

LabsZach

This one esp, with the greenery shifting into dirt, roots, and mushrooms, and how it compliments the figures on it is just aces. https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/cloven-hearth/touch-of-the-divine/viewer?title_no=396780&episode_no=14

boogeymadam

recently binged malverav's comic Love and War and it is sooo satisfying, about 2 competitors in a medieval tournament involving jousting, archery and more! The banter between Svanhildur and Marinelle had me grinning a lot. Also, it's a wlw rivals-to-lovers romance aka a GREAT kinda love story!! (my favorite kind ) it's on tapas https://tapas.io/series/Love-and-War/info

carcarchu

cronaj's sports comment got me thinking about this and how damn good it is https://tapas.io/episode/968762 Genre: Sports, drama Reasons: it's insanely creative and the art is so intense, i found it extremely memorable and powerful to read(edited)

carcarchu

Came across this stunning webtoon today. It was originally published on taiwanese webtoon and the author has decided to tl into english to share with a wider audience https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/intertidal/list?title_no=371176 Really gorgeous traditionally drawn comic and a lovely poetic writing style

carcarchu

the winner of this year's eisners awards for best webcomic. definitely worth checking out! https://friedricecomic.com/

#ctparchive

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glapplebloom · 4 years

Photo

Combining two better sequels than GT into one...

Part 0 – Details

Dragon Ball Multiverse is a Fan Manga that is the creation of Salagir and others. It is their attempt at creating a better sequel series than Dragon Ball GT. And for a time, it was considered much better as it featured the concept of a Multiverse Tournament pitting numerous what if universes against each other. But over time, people are questioning that since of a few issues I won’t mention. But before Super, it was definitely the better Sequel.

Dragon Ball Super is the OFFICIAL sequel series to Z that takes place in between the last episode of the Buu Saga and the final episode of the series. This was created after Multiverse but it does have similarities to the Fan Manga, but you could argue improved over it. But what if Dragon Ball Super was in Multiverse and their various interpretations of numerous characters. So here is how its going to go...

I am going to replace Universe 10 of Multiverse to insert Super. I originally was thinking of Universe 2 being mostly Toriyama's other works, I went with 10 since basically all of them were fodder. 8 fighters and whoever didn't lose forfeit before entering the ring. Also, for this story, Super as a whole will be represented, so I am bringing others from the other universes into this. I'll explain the in universe reason, but I feel it would be neat to see how some of these concepts would interact with each other. Also, this will follow the Super Anime continuity since I know that better than the Manga.

Part 1 – Before the Tournament.

On Whis' planet, Goku and Vegeta were training when they got a visit from the Vargas. Whis allowed them to arrive as he was curious. These creatures were not of this Universe and he suspects not even from the ones under Zeno's Control. They explain to Whis and the others about the concept of Multiverses when Whis corrects them on it being specific timelines. Goku hears this and wishes to participate, but before they could Whis must get permission from Zeno.

Both Zenos are curious of these other Universes not under their control. They wonder if they are something worth keeping or something they will destroy. So they allow Whis to create a team to participate and show the might of Zeno through their selected picks. Goku tells his friends and family about it and while there are no stakes, those who have the time to do so will come along to see the fun. Goku also gives this invitation to Broly and his friends. While Broly refuses to participate, Cheelai does convince him to at least watch the action.

Thanks to Frieza's spies, they overhear this tournament and how the prize is a wish from a Dragon Ball. And seeing an opportunity to possibly beat Goku, he volunteers to take part in the event. Whis, knowing Goku's wishes, asked for volunteers from Universe 6 and Universe 11. From Universe 6, Hit, Cabba, Caulifla and Kale all wish to participate. Hit specifically being hired to do so by Champa to get him that wish. From Universe 11, Toppo volunteers while Jiren and Dyspo will come along. Jiren, learning the power of team work, wishes to better himself in that aspect by trying to provide emotional support to Toppo.

So the participants of this Universe 10 will be as followed: Cabba, Goku, Frieza, Caulifla, Toppo, Vegeta, Kale and Hit. Spectators will be Beerus, Whis, Bulma, Bra, Trunks, Goten, Chichi, Gohan, Videl, Pan, Krillin, 18, Maron, Broly, Cheelai, Lemo, Berryblue, Kikono, Jiren and Dyspo. When they enter the Tournament Universe, they are surprised to see the competition.

Universe 1 featuring nothing but Supreme Kais. To Whis' surprise and Beerus' frustration, they don't seem to recognize that they're an Angel and a God of Destruction. Universe 2 has weird looking creatures, one of them even being Arale that both Goku and Vegeta remember during the World Convention Conference. Knowing her, Vegeta was worried that they're all from Gag Mangas. Universe 3 has some person with a sword and what looks like a scientist on a floating ball.

Universe 4 is only represented by the second form of Majin Buu. Despite looking the same as when they fought him, they can feel his immense strength. Universe 5 seemed to be a no show, but the organizers confirmed they are there. Universe 6 featured an alien gang while a group of earth females are next to them. And Universe 7 features a lone Namekian. Caulifla has a feeling of dejavu when seeing him, as if he was familiar to her. Universe 8 was what looked to be the full Frieza Force. Frieza looked at them intrigued to see his old forces once more. But was confused of the third figure he doesn't recognize.

Universe 9 featured nothing but humans. This surprised Krillin to see himself like the Old Turtle Hermit. Universe 11 featured Babidi and his two minions: Majin Buu and Dabura. Cabba recognized that Majin Buu from the Inter-dimensional Tournament Universe 6 and 7 had. Universe 12 had Future Trunks, but not the Future Trunks they know. Universe 13 has Vegeta with Nappa, Raditz and what seems to be Goku but working for Vegeta. And Universe 15 featured a lone woman who seemed to be pregnant.

Both Universe 16 and 18 look eerily similar to each other, but there are some differences. The biggest surprise is seeing Vegetto there. He informed them that the Portra Earings kept him together forever when Whis informs him that they were supposed to last an hour for a mortal. Vegetto seems surprised to hear this. Universe 17 featured Cell and a Cell Jr. Goku wonders if he got a Golden form like Frieza. Universe 19 have these weird looking humans with what seems to be high tech armor. And Universe 20 featured Broly in an ice cube.

Universe 16 and 18 are surprised they haven't heard of Broly, and more so when Universe 10 informs them that Broly is right there. They're also disgusted that Frieza is part of their team for all the horrible things he has done, but Goku tells them about how he helped save their universe in the Tournament of Power. Frieza is quick to reply it was only because of a promise of his resurrection and will eventually defeat Goku once and for all. And then the tournament begins.

Part 2 – Round 1

If they are not mentioned, the fights happen exactly as they do in the original Fan Manga. But these are how the matches will go when Super is included.

Universe 13 Nappa Vs Vegeta

Nappa asked Vegeta what happened to his Nappa. Vegeta responded that like Universe 18's, he destroyed his Nappa. He then went on to go Super Saiyan. Seeing that he's no match for Vegeta, Nappa forfits.

Universe 18 Goku Vs Frieza

While Goku saw Universe 8's Frieza to be weak, he can sense this Frieza to be much more powerful. Goku goes Super Saiyan, which surprises both Universe 16 and 18 because they expect Frieza to lose. The fight goes terribly for Goku. He's putting a lot of effort into it yet Frieza is playing around like back on Namek. Even going Super Saiyan 2 and 3 fail to bridge the gap. Frieza decides to end it as he has Goku by the neck. Frieza remarks that he dreams about this exact moment, but throws him out of bounds instead. He comments that while it would have been fun, it wouldn't be as satisfying as the real thing.

Universe 8 Reacum Vs Toppo

It begins as a pose off as they try to out pose one another. Recoome is impressed because all of Toppo's poses end in an explosion. Toppo offers to explain how its done if he forfits, but Recoome tells him no. Toppo one shots him.

Universe 18 Vegeta Vs Cabba

This Vegeta is closer to Cabba's power level, so it is a close fight between the two. Cabba has the edge in terms of strength, but with Vegeta's cunning he manages to defeat Cabba. Universe 10's Vegeta said it was a good try, but he's still a long way to becoming a true Saiyan elite.

Universe 18 Pan Vs Goku

Goku is impressed that Pan grows up to be a fighter. Pan knows she can't win, so she gives up. But I can see it being a nice talk between the two.

Universe 3 Tapion Vs Kale

Tapion doesn't want to hurt Kale, but knows he has to fight to win. Kale wasn't confident but with Califla cheering her on she got the confidence to defeat Tapion, even after using Hirudegarn. Universe 16 and 18 sees her Saiyan Berserk form and think its eerily close to the Broly they know.

Universe 20 Broly Vs Universe 16 Vegetto

As the fight goes out of control, Whis protects everyone from Universe 10 and offers it to anyone else. Broly looks on horrified that this creature who shares his name is more like an animal than a person. Bulma asks them why they aren't out there fighting and Vegeta informs them that this is still a tournament. So this is Vegetto's fight. Despite the power showing, none of Universe 10 are impressed.

Universe 5 XII Vs Hit

Since there is no bye, XII sends his Avatar into the ring. He tries to do the whistle trick like he would have done to Vegetto, but because of Hit's own time manipulation abilities he kills XII the moment they hit the ground. XII decides to wait until the Dragon Balls arrive before making his move.

Universe 2 Nekomajin Vs Caulifla

Basically his fight with Gotenks but one round earlier. So he takes a dive when everyone betting thinks he would win.

At night, before the Colds can execute their plans, Universe 10's Frieza and his associates arrive. He informs them to not bother as the Dragon Balls are not here. He also begins to ask about the whereabouts of Captain Ginyu. Universe 8 Frieza begins to bad mouth Ginyu as Cold shows no obvious signs. Universe 10 Frieza begins to compliment Ginyu about his loyalty, regretting that Vegeta had killed him. They leave as Berryblue and him confirm that Cold is Ginyu.

Part 3 – Round 2

Universe 8 Frieza Vs Vegeta

Wasn't even worth the time, as Vegeta wins with one hit.

Universe 14 Android 17 Vs Frieza

Even easier than when Goku fought Android 17. Frieza was disappointed since the Android 17 he fought alongside him won the Tournament of Power.

Universe 18 Uub Vs Toppo

Toppo takes it easy on Uub because he sees a nice kid. Uub does his best, but Toppo is still much stronger and more skilled than the reborn Majin.

Universe 13 Kakarotto Vs Goku

Goku is confused about how he got like this. Kakarotto goes all out, even in Super Saiyan Form, but Goku doesn't even go Super Saiyan to fight him. Goku eventually wins showing how much of a gap of power is this Goku to a Super Saiyan.

Universe 9 Kulilin Vs Kale

Krillin tried his best, but Kale was just too much for him. So he decided to go with a sob story to take advantage of what seems to be her good nature. It works as Kale gives up so Kulilin can advance. Caulifla is upset while Krillin thinks that maybe not all Saiyans are bad.

Universe 16 Vegetto Vs Hit

Vegetto is the most powerful fighter in his universe, but despite everything he just can't seem to hit Hit. There was nothing to study in the previous fight because it was over in an instant. Vegetto believes he can win if he just lands a hit, but its basically a repeat of Hit Vs Vegeta. The exception is Hit is using his Assassination Skills like when he did against Goku in Round 2. No one can tell how Hit is capable of doing so, but Majin Buu of Universe 4 seems to have a theory. Vegetto tries as he might, even going Super Saiyan 3 like he did with Broly, but Hit eventually lands a knock out blow. It normally kills but his fusion physiology kept him alive. Since Vegetto doesn't wine like he did before, Buu doesn't go nuts later on.

Universe 18 Gotenks Vs Caulifla

Caulifla does have difficulty fighting Gotenks since his fusion does put her around her level. But once he defuse, she easily takes them out. Kale asks the other Gotenks about how to do the dance.

Majin Buu decides to try to help Universe 10 in the night, but Whis and Beerus are there. Beerus destroys the Buu piece completely.

Part 4 – Round 3

Frieza Vs Vegeta

This is the other universes first chance at seeing the true strength of Universe 10. Frieza shows off his Golden form. Everyone is shocked and amazed at such power coming from Frieza. Even Buu wonders if he has the ability to defeat him. It is then Vegeta's chance to show off Super Saiyan Blue. Those who can't sense energy are amazed at seeing a Super Saiyan that isn't the typical golden form. Those who can are confused. Vegeta is showing no signs of energy. But the Supreme Kais recognize it as God Ki. They felt it was blasphemy for Vegitto to exist. But now a mortal wields the power of a deity. The fight is more intense than anything the other universes has seen. But Frieza eventually used the rules against Vegeta to get the victory.

Universe 18 Vegeta Vs Goku

Vegeta asks Goku to show him that power. Like Vegeta before him, Goku goes Super Saiyan Blue. The Supreme Kais once again are upset at the fact a mortal can wield God Ki. Vegeta admits defeat as even he knows at his state he can't beat Goku.

Universe 17 Cell Vs Universe 9 Kulilin

Krillin tries, but Cell is just too much for him.

Universe 14 Android 18 Vs Hit

Hit once again wins in one blow. But luckily due to her Android body she lives.

Universe 4 Buu Vs Caulifla

Like against Gotenks, Buu tries out the armor. She dodges the Carbonite unlike Gotenks. But once that runs out of juice, he tries something different. Buu tries to mimic Hit's fighting style. He tried to use speed, but it doesn't seem to be exactly like hits. Its still effective, but not enough to win easily like Hit. Eventually Buu out lasts Caulifla as she tires herself out.

Universe 16 Son Bra Vs Universe 8 King Cold

Happens exactly the same until the Change. Instead of going to Universe 16 to pretend to be Bra, he goes to Universe 10 to pledge his loyalty to Frieza. Seeing the return of Ginyu with a stronger Frieza, all of Frieza's forces leaves Universe 8 to go to Frieza. Frieza, Cooler and Vegitto are upset but since each of them transferred to Universe 10, they're now part of that universe. And anyone who attacks another universe outside the tournament are immediately dispelled.

Whis decides to end this farce as thanks to his own abilities, he restores both of them back to their proper bodies (well, Ginyu to Cold’s). While Frieza is glad to see his forces back to almost full force, they still need to catch up with everyone else. But Berryblue and Ginyu can help them with that.

Part 5 – Babidi's attack

Every participant who can't be controlled by Babidi is teleported away. So everyone in Universe 10 was taken away, including the newly instated Captain Ginyu. Due to his reignited loyalty to a Frieza who appreciates his contribution, Babidi is unable to bring anything out of him.

Frieza's forces seem to be under Babidi’s control, but Berryblue's authority overrides it. She commands them to not fight, which they do. One does try to say otherwise, but she proves why they should listen to her. With a lot of reduced allies, Babidi does not have a leg to stand on. Even Cell decided to drop the act when he realized there's no real need to carry on. Eventually, only Buu and Bra are still standing for Babidi's side.

Buu tries to go for the attack, but Jiren decides to step in and stop him from hurting others. Bra went after Universe 10 when she got punched a great distance. She made Broly angry.

Jiren Vs Majin Buu

Jiren is a lot more powerful than Majin Buu, but thanks to his physiology Buu is hard to destroy. Luckily the others who had experience fighting him warns Jiren of his abilities to absorb, turn people into candy and the like. Jiren thinks the only way to defeat Majin Buu is to completely destroy him. But to do so would destroy everyone around him. Dyspo then volunteers to fix that problem by grabbing him by the ponytail and bringing Buu very far from the arena before he noticed. Dyspo went back as Jiren fires a beam that completely annihilates Majin Buu.

Bra Vs Broly

She's confident that she can beat Broly since her father can do so as well. The Majin Boost even allowed her to go Super Saiyan 3. But this Broly is not only a lot stronger, but able to adapt to her tactics at an alarming rate. One moment she thought she has a tactic to give her the upper hand, the next Broly counters. Even the Senzu Beans she uses aren't helping as Broly is a superior fighter all around. With one last hit, Broly sends Bra flying back into the Arena knocked out. As he goes down to finish him, Cheelai stops him. By this point, Babidi is dead and anyone who was under his influence are back to normal.

And since that’s where Dragon Ball Multiverse is at this moment, that’s where I’ll stop. What will happen in their future? Who knows?

#Twist of Fate

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monkey-network · 4 years

Text

Good Stuff's Best of 2019

WARNING: Just wanted to say cheers to you for making it through another year. I send you best wishes for next year to be fruitful. Thank you, take care out there, and enjoy. (Best of 2017) (Best of 2018)

Dedicated to Russi Taylor, John Witherspoon, Rip Torn, Tartar Sauce, Caroll Spinney, Peter Matthews, and the many of KyoAni lost in the arson incident. You all did wonderful; rest in peace.

Welp, I figured the last year of this decade would be the most chaotic one by far, then again everything peak after 2012. As for now, I am counting down the best cartoons/animations/comics I’ve seen and loved this year in no particular order other than #1. Same rules apply: No sneak previews of future projects, no repeats, and this time anything goes.

Runner Ups: Superman Smashes the Klan, Marvel’s Aero, Infinity Train, Enter the Florpus, Amphibia, Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart, Helluva Boss, Meta Runner, Lego Movie 2, Forky Asks a Question

Anyways, Badda boom bang whiz, let’s do this shizz...

10. Super Mario Bros GT

Nostalgia can be quite a mystery, especially one that can come out of nowhere. Super Mario Bros Z kicked so much ass as a kid that now, it still frustrates me to this that it got a cease & desist from Nintendo, even the reboot from the same person couldn’t last long. But the gods have offered a slight miracle in the form of this new spiritual successor that has heart and soul put into every pixelated frame. There is much to celebrate with Youtube animation, where many say it’s dying due to the algorithm and all of the site’s corporate bullshit, but it’s stuff like this which helps me understand why we should celebrate. Against all odds, channels like Smasher Block willfully put their works out their for the people and continues to because on top of getting a little dough, it’s what they want to do.

9. DC SUPER HERO GIRLS (2019)

Awwwwww yeah, this is She-Ra and the Princesses of Power done right. Diverse female squad, each given a quality screen time to truly shine (Beecher especially) on their which makes the episodes where they’re all together feel earned and joyous to watch. Certainly reminds me of Friendship is Magic, which is coincidental since they were created by the same woman. I’d like to think this and MLP G4 were the answers to Faust’s cancelled project Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls where multiple personalities collide to one extraordinary superhero team of girls capable great feats that are lifted from their insecurities or drawbacks. And on top of this being a fun series to kick back to all around, it’s a comforting, somewhat aspiring thought to consider.

8. JOKER

I am somebody that rarely goes to the theaters to watch a film; you have to hook my tight just for me to even think of buying a ticket, no less plan to. But honestly, Joker was worth the hype, the ticket, and the fact that it wasn’t the incel uprising that buttfuck normies tried to make it out as. It’s lower on the list because in thought, there definitely could’ve been some tweaks to the dialogue and a couple scenes that I felt didn’t work in the long run. But really, this movie to me worked because of the escalation that leads to a cathartic climax and ending that left me in actual tears. I don’t give a shit if it “doesn’t fit”, having Frank Sinatra sing the film's credits put me in shambles. Joaquin Phoenix was phenomenal as Arthur, and this movie felt authentic in its many details. This is definitely up there with my favorite comic book films of all time. Good thing, too, Spider-Man was taking up most of that shelf.

7. TUCA & BERTIE

This series being what I can’t help but say is a spin-off to Bojack Horseman, a show I respect, was enough to pull me into watching it. But it being like Bojack where it’s tight-roping between a bouncy comedy and a grounded drama was what kept me around for more. It is a damn shame this was cancelled after one season (while 13 Reasons Why gets FOUR seasons like what the fuck), because while this did feel enough like a complete series, I was certainly interested for more because I really enjoyed it all. I have my issue with a couple choices in the show, but I am sure this series would’ve addressed them later down the line. I can see why some women would find this personally endearing, it felt like the personal stories of actual people, and it deserved better. Either way, I enjoyed this series and I recommend it just as much as Bojack.

6. PRIMAL

Genndy Tartakovsky is that kind of cartoon creator where you feel he’ll go beyond if you give him the right amount of space. He’s not a perfectionist like John “Dirty Diddler” Kricfalusi, but with things like Hotel Transylvania and Samurai Jack, he certainly has proven to have the range in animation where you know how he plays. Primal showcasing his noted skill in dialogue-less storytelling and dynamic action scenes, able to convey everything clear with its ruthless yet careful protagonist and his dinosaur friend, all on top of the most luscious backgrounds. This is a series that definitely feels like Genndy’s taken what he’s used from his previous works and putting it together for a brutal yet passionate look at the prehistoric life. He truly brought us an adult series to enjoy and to look forward to more in the coming year.

5. SPINEL

Bet you didn’t expect a character to be on this list, eh? Spinel is the best thing to come out of Steven Universe in general; makes me wish she was in a better movie. The crew certainly did their darndest to make her not only an enjoyable and connectable character through and through, but a very versatile character that the fandom could take in any which way. Call it corny, but Spinel perfectly represents SU as a whole: a lovable goof that can certainly mean business but deep down is deserved of a hug because of what she’s gone through. Wish she had a more satisfying resolution in her respective debut, but really it’s the balance between those three elements mentioned that makes Spinel almost eternally wonderful.

4. MOB PSYCHO 100 II

As someone that doesn’t like reading, I’m a firm believer that the best animations or visual medias elevate the writing to a memorable degree; the visuals hook to the point where you want to think about what you saw and how it was conveyed. Mob Psycho 100, for two seasons now, does this in spades where Studio Bones throw them bones in animating one of the most dynamic animes of the modern era, providing the writing and characters a proper chance to flex its muscles. The characters are especially what makes this and MP100 as a whole work so well, the story being about a boy learning to be more sociable as well as emotionally stronger all while helping others understand maturity and empathy. For more on this, I recommend Hiding in Public’s video(s) on Mob. But with the animation, Bones was able to provide a sense of impact and immersion to the moments that matter, not making it an overstimulating mess, and putting some respect on ONE’s webcomic art style.

3. KLAUS

Hands down, this is a great Christmas movie. Take away the animation and you have a charming, wanna say ground and authentic, story about the makings of Santa Claus. With memorable and likable characters, a nice escalation in terms of the plot, and moments that are/can be so satisfying, they can bring you to tears. A couple overdone tropes in the road that doesn’t make this the most perfected story, but those sincerely minor compared to everything else that makes this story the best. Now. Add in the animation, and you have a gold, nay a platinum animated story of the year where the visuals definitely enhance the story to a degree where they’re undoubtedly inseparable. The visuals alone is enough to check this movie out and it’s eye-opening when you learn of how it’s all done. Klaus is a film that did it’s job and then some, and I hope this will be well remembered as a classic holiday film for it deserves that status.

2. BEASTARS

I’ll be fair, I’m mostly referring to the manga and not the anime but since the anime premiered this fall, it counts. Because be it the anime or the series overall, Beastars has such well intricate world building all while offering a little something for everyone (violence, romance, slice of life). The story is well paced and even when we aren’t focusing on the main characters momentarily, Itagaki is surprisingly able to make every supporting/side character we come across memorable in their own way; like I said before, the city is much a character in this story. Oh yeah, and the mangaka is the daughter of Keisuke “Grappler Baki” Itagaki, that in itself is a treasuring bit of trivia for this. Everything about Beastars is enticing and Studio Orange certainly helped in giving this series more of a following.

1. GREEN EGGS & HAM

Well, well, well. Guess Netflix is three for three in terms of bringing its best foot forward among its few steps back each year. The best term to describe this series is surprising. Surprising that this is a Dr. Seuss story that got expanded a 13 episode series, that has fleshed out characters, fun hijinks, an easy story, lovely emotional, more quieter moments... on top of being 2D hand drawn animated. I mean, what else is there to say? Green Eggs and Ham is to Dr. Seuss what Seven was for Final Fantasy, what Friendship is Magic was for MLP, what watermelon was before a nice menthol cigarette. This definitely took the top spot because to me, it was able to bring many good elements from the previous entries and knot it all together into a well kept bow that I never knew I wanted until now. I’m genuinely glad this show got to exist the way it is and I am hoping, praying, that the second season keeps that momentum up.

That leads us to the actual number one which is

1. STEVEN UNIVERSE FUT-

Total Dramarama is now the two time World Heavyweight Champion, babey. Will 2020 give us a quality contender? Will the streak last another year?

Stay tuned, and always seek out the Good Stuff.

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reconhq · 4 years

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Do you have any advice for someone who wants to make a (very LGBTA positive) webseries of her own?.

oh boy! I sure do. I’ve actually been on a couple other projects other than Recon, all after the first season was written & mostly after the first season was shot, and ya girl has learned a lot because of and since season 1!

i am so sorry but this is going to be SO long. i am kinda obsessed with web series & digital content and it’s my actual professional career now so just… get ready. sorry 😅 i’ll add a TLDR at the end.

(p.s. this is just advice from me, Emma, and not the rest of the Recon team who may have different/additional advice, maybe someone will add on after the holidays)

write your bible before anything! depending on if you’re co-creating or just co-producing/writing, this should be done before you bring on additional folks. if you’re co-creating, this is obviously a collaborative process. when i created recon, i did it on my own. i pitched the original idea to some dear friends (one of whom makes a cameo as a security guard in ep 20!) and got their opinions, adapted from their advice, and once i had a solid format, main character, and general plot, i started on the bible. it took probably a month of fucking around before i felt ready to write a bible.

the basic components of a bible are a log line, short season overview, character breakdowns for your characters (mine are ~paragraph or two for main characters, with shorter ones for less central characters), a summary of the show’s main themes, genre and tones, and the format of the show (if you’re mapping out multiple seasons, it may be relevant to do this for each season as well as the overall show), as well as the most important part of your bible– the episode breakdowns. i’ll touch on those in a minute.

i do all my original brainstorming on paper, because i am adhd as fuck and it’s easier for me. your bible isn’t the place to brainstorm. separate them out. not saying you have to write on paper, but have a separate doc for brainstorming so the formatting for your bible can be easy to follow.

if you’re co-producing or having someone else produce your work, it makes sense to have your co-producer or producer right there with you as you work on your bible to give feedback. does this mean they’re writing it? no. is it useful as hell? yes.

my partner-in-creative-crime justice and i tend to share bibles and brainstorm docs with each other when we’re working together on a project. depending on which roles we’re playing on each project (e.g., i’m producing his podcast COSMIC under our company name but not co-creating or writing, so i mostly gave notes on his bible. we’re also working on a series called Inked, and we’re more like co-creators there, so we both write in the doc.)

your bible is the holy doc of your show; it’s what you show to any writers, producers, designers, any creative working on your show so that everyone is on the same page. it is your main reference and guiding light through the whole season; make it clear, organized, and as easy to read as possible. i personally use google docs for my bibles, and use the hell out of the outline function. highly recommend, but everyone has their own system.

break your ENTIRE story before before you write a single script, before you write your pilot, before anything. it’s part of your bible.

if you’re not super familiar with tv/screenwriting, breaking a story means figuring out the beats. the breakdown of reason s1 started as messy af writing on whiteboards, and turned into this:

this is absolutely not what your first outlines or final drafts will look like. we changed…. a ton while writing our scripts. you can see even in this sequence– episode 8 and 9 got blurred, and we barely touched on ava’s past because there wasn’t room. regardless, this doc & breakdown served as the basis for all our writers and kept us all on roughly the same page. when we disagreed, we could go back to this and sort it out from there!

find your people. two roles were crucial to me when we made recon: a mentor, and collaborators. having good people behind me was so so important; i could have never done this on my own.

i got…….. so lucky with my mentor, bernie su. he not only gave me incredible advice, read scripts, and reviewed cuts, he purchased the damn show, accounting for 75% of our funding. i feel like it’s important for me to acknowledge the luck and privilege i have here: the show would not happened without him, and i only got that chance because i live in LA, went to USC, and applied for the right job at the right time. HOWEVER, aside from the funding that made recon possible, bernie’s expertise seriously helped. after principle photography, we were left feeling lackluster, and bernie gave me advice that led me to make changes that transformed the show. having someone with experience– whether in tv, film, web series, any sort of writing– is invaluable.

while i created recon on my own, i did not develop or make it on my own. the episode breakdowns? half me, half other people (mainly justice lol). the look of the show? EP/DP christa, production designer amanda, graphic designer hal, and justice as costuming lead. i did not write season 1 on my own. i recruited friends from USC and even one from high school to write episodes i didn’t think i could do justice (no pun intended).

once you’ve found your people, trust them. there will obviously be cases where you disagree enough with someone’s creative opinions that you shouldn’t, but except in extreme cases, trust your people. try to only chose people you trust in the first place. letting go was so so so hard, but many of the best parts of recon happened because i got over myself and trusted my cast and crew. episode 16, player vs player, was justice’s baby, and i almost didn’t let him roll with the animations because i was too nervous. holy fuck, i’m so glad i trusted him. same with reflections (ep 15), written by my now-fiancé, which no one else could have written. hal was a bit unsure going in, but the episode is phenomenal. my production designer’s choices were amazing, and i had little to do with them other than being like “yes that is so cool let’s do it”

seriously. trust your people. watching bernie on artificial & emma approved trust us, his crew of mostly 20-somethings, with creative decisions taught me a huge lesson. i was 19 when he hired me, 19 when he bought the show, and he actually fucking trusted me and the rest of his team to do things. my initial reaction was what the fuck, but it worked. it also let him focus on the big picture while giving us the space we needed to feel creatively and emotionally fulfilled. trust your people.

this also applies to your actors. we had a google drive specifically for our actors to throw up ideas/backstory for their characters, and we’d read through it and give feedback and contributions. it led to better performances and characters with more depth. we also met with actors where we could to discuss their ideas for directions for their characters– video game nerd taylor came from convos with joré.

katiemichal and kat were just like, the same people as their characters, so there was less of this, but there is definitely value in casting the irl versions of your characters as them.

edit your episodes individually, then read through the WHOLE SEASON at once to edit. repeat that until you read it and it’s cohesive.

keep track of your timeline and your canon, even canon that’s not explicit in the show. there’s so much recon lore that we kept to ourselves that informs several decisions in the first season.

unless your character’s race/ethnicity (even gender) is a key part of their character or the show, cast with an open net. ava was originally a white girl name jody. ana, the actress who played her, originally auditioned for riley, and we changed the character’s entire backstory for her, which added an amazing dimension to the show we get to see in reflections (and an upcoming podcast shh). lesson fucking learned on my part– almost too late. don’t be like me.

ren, on the other hand, we were 100% sure was non-binary, and although we opened auditions to all genders, we specified from the start it was a non-binary character and we’d give priority to queer/nb actors. it was the right choice.

PRODUCTION DESIGN IS FUCKING IMPORTANT. cinematography is great, and we obviously focused on it a lot w the style of our show, but PD tells so much of your story without saying a word or taking up a second of airtime.

sound is the single most important thing on set. you can make an ugly shot work, ugly sound will bring people immediately out of the show and possibly abandon it. we fucked up scheduling for Punching Bag, and had to delay its release (it was originally episode 13, not 14), hire a sound editor, and put a goddamn disclaimer on it because we didn’t have time to get good sound because of our own mistakes. arguably my biggest regret of the season, because the script and acting for that episode is so good, and we low-key ruined it. GET GOOD SOUND.

only exception to this is probably coverage and continuity; although those can be fudged a lil more. get a script supervisor or have your AD do it so you don’t miss anything crucial. always get your masters first.

schedule more than you think you should. like, down to the 15-minute block. it won’t work, but it will work worse if you don’t. do your best to stay on schedule (hint: AD/producer on set)

trust your gut. this is your baby, and your choices should service the story you want to tell. let that be your north star, and while you should let your story evolve with time and the contributions of your cast and crew,

TL;DR: write your bible & break your season first. find a team you trust, and trust them with their choices (both cast & crew). if you can, find a mentor/someone with experience to give advice. edit your show both as individual episodes and as a whole season, multiple times. continuity is crucial, backstory is crucial, coverage is crucial, scheduling is crucial. GET GOOD SOUND. and always keep sight of the story you want to tell.

i am so sorry. this is a fucking essay.

#Web series #queer webseries #lgbtq web series #webseries #web series writing #lgbtq writers

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teenybeanielinguine · 5 years

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Outlander S4 - A Reflection

With that explosive finale behind us and a long Droughtlander ahead, I’m taking a moment to look back on this season and reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly.

(I’ve had some time to unpack and process, so be warned: this is a LONG review, with mild spoilers for The Fiery Cross.)

The Good:

I understand that this was a divisive season for many fans, but I personally loved it! I could write a whole book about everything I loved, but for the sake of time, I’ll confine my praise to the best part of this season: the amazing cast of actors who bring my favorite characters to life.

Caitriona Balfe reprised her role as Claire Fraser with stunning success, and really sparkled when she shared the screen with her fellow cast members; her most powerful moments this season were definitely the mother/daughter conversations she had with Bree and Marsali. Though she handles tragic scenes with ease, I hope she is given a chance to enact lighter, happier sequences in Season 5; Jamie and Claire need more laughter and teasing, less heart-felt speeches and drama.

As our leading man, Sam Heughan played Jamie to perfection; he managed to tell entire stories with his eyes alone. Same as with Balfe, he captures tragedy easily, but I want him to stretch out a little and show off his acting chops. There will always be drama in Claire and Jamie’s lives, but please sprinkle in some more fluffy moments, so we can see Heughan laugh! Jamie’s roles as patriarch and leader are also going to be significantly expanded in the next season (the last few moments of the finale teased that a bit), and I can’t wait to see Heughan tackle that challenge.

I’ve been tentative about Sophie Skelton in the past; after all, Brianna is one of my favorite characters, despite her polarizing nature, and I was worried about her portrayal. But Skelton nailed everything (the rape scene and its aftermath, in particular, were deeply chilling), and I have complete confidence that Bree is in safe hands. In the finale, we saw Bree finally become a mother and reunite with her husband (not gonna lie, I’ve had that reunion on a loop ever since it aired); these two events are going to play major roles in her character growth (so excited for next season!).

Richard Rankin was a tour-de-force as Roger; I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the screen every time he appeared. Any issues I had with his character were purely a result of writing and production choices, and despite those issues, Rankin still managed to make the character wonderfully, emotionally, lovably human (for further evidence, please refer to the idiot hut). Roger’s journey is one of the most difficult transformations in the series, and next season will be challenging for Rankin; I’m particularly interested to see how he handles Roger’s growing relationship with Jamie.

All the leads were supported by a strong set of secondary characters, from Duncan Lacroix as the miraculously resurrected Murtagh to David Berry as the fabulous Lord John Grey. John Bell was one of my absolute favorites, with his spot-on portrayal of Young Ian (that proposal! the emotional goodbye!! running the gauntlet!!!). Ed Speelers played Stephen Bonnet in a way that brought back shivery memories of Black Jack. Honestly, there was no weak link in this cast. Special shoutout to Braeden Clarke (Kaheroton) and Tantoo Cardinal (Adawehi/Nayawenne in the books); hopefully we’ll be able to see even more powerful and complex First Nations characters in the coming season (to this effect, may I humbly suggest showing Young Ian’s time among the Mohawk? Would love to see that first-hand rather than having the character describe it after the fact; also, you can never have too much John Bell).

This Season’s MVPs: Lauren Lyle and César Domboy. Marsali and Fergus are never more than side characters in the books; you never hear the story from their POV. Thankfully, the show saw a chance to expand their roles and took it. And oh boy, did Domboy and Lyle deliver! Their nuanced performances just blew me away (”If Not For Hope” comes to mind). I hope that we see even more of them going forward.

The Bad:

No adaptation is perfect (although if you have found one that is, please message me immediately). It is especially difficult when the adaptation in question has to fit an 880-page book into a mere 13 hours; to put it into perspective, the audiobook version of Drums of Autumn is a whopping 45 hours long! Though I like to nitpick and criticize, I am not so arrogant as to think that I could have done a better job, and I am very grateful to the writing and production teams who tackle this impossible task. I am also strangely content with most of the deviations they’ve made from the source material (Murtagh as a regulator is particularly genius, with really interesting implications for next season).

That being said, there is some room for improvement. And one area that definitely needs some fine tuning is Claire and Jamie. This year, some very vocal fans found issue with the fact that we didn’t see our main lovebirds enough, and there weren’t enough sex scenes, and why weren’t they in this episode?! For me, none of those things were an issue, especially given that we saw Jamie and Claire way more than any other characters this season. I don’t think we need more J/C time; I think we need better J/C time.

I wish the show would stop beating us over the head with Jamie and Claire’s epic love; we know their love is deep and everlasting, that’s why we keep coming back! (That, and the kilts.) But we need to move on from soap-operatic speeches and tender love-making; those were more interesting in the early days of their marriage, when their love was a new, fragile thing. Show me instead the easy comfort of a long-married couple: the teasing, the laughter, the bone-deep happiness. Balfe and Heughan have such great chemistry when it comes to that kind of thing, but we’ve only gotten snippets of it this season! Rather than another over-the-top, tear-jerking scene where Jamie and Claire reassure each other and reaffirm their love (again), give me Claire cuddling up to Jamie under a snowbank after his back gives out and telling him stories. Or exchanging amused looks with him when Young Ian does/says something silly. Or Jamie teasing Claire about that time she hit him in the head with a fish while he was trying to fight off a bear (true story). Or Claire teasing Jamie with her new breeches (I’m not going to say no to sex scenes entirely). Get rid of the excessive drama (this couple already has more drama than they know what to do with); bring on the fluff!

Speaking of moving on, the show needs to let Frank Randall go. By this point in the series, he’s been dead for a few years, and quite frankly, good riddance (pardon the pun). His character was cast in a sympathetic light for narrative purposes; the producers wanted to make him the antithesis of his ancestor, Black Jack Randall, so they carefully omitted the fact that he was at times a racist ass with a string of mistresses (my apologies to any Frank fans; as you can see, he’s not one of my favorite characters). The problem is that they took it too far, painting Frank as a martyr and putting first Claire, then Jamie, at a big disadvantage. Despite this mistake, I’m fine with using Frank to flesh out Brianna’s character (his only redeeming quality is his aptitude for fatherhood), but that should have happened very early on in the season, before Bree makes the journey through the stones. That journey is a pivotal point for Bree; she is driven not only by a need to save her mother, but also by a deep curiosity and longing for this birth father that she’s never met. In the book, she even goes so far as to abandon the name “Randall” and adopt “Fraser” for the journey. But that sentiment was lost entirely by the decision to have Frank accompany her on the voyage, narratively speaking. We no longer get the feeling that she’s eager to meet/bond with Jamie; even worse, the writers had her casually dropping Frank’s name into every conversation! No matter how great Tobias Menzies is, we have neither the time nor the will to keep devoting so much energy to a deceased character (who isn’t that critical to the future story, btw). Heading into Season 5, we need to make our final, belated goodbyes to Frank Randall.

One 20th century man we should have seen more of instead was Roger Mackenzie. As we dove into Season 4, I was so excited to see his developing relationship with Brianna; remember when they were super cute together, a million years ago in Season 3? But too much focus on exposition meant that we didn’t see them until three episodes in, and instead of the slow burn I had anticipated, we got a lot of unnecessary drama. Why on Earth is Roger a misogynist all of a sudden? What happened to the sweet proposal where they both decide they’re not yet ready for marriage? The lack of screen time meant that Bree and Roger’s entire relationship development was crammed into one episode; coupled with poor writing choices, the result was a shaky romance that was hard to root for. I was lucky enough to have the books as a safety net; I know exactly how deeply they love and respect each other, despite the mayhem onscreen. But the fans who hadn’t read the series (and even some who had) didn’t understand why these two were an endgame couple, and I don’t blame them. That last reunion scene helped cement their relationship a little, but not enough; unfortunately, Season 5 is going to have to waste some of its precious time rectifying this misstep.

Which brings me to my last point: the pacing. With so many new characters and so little time, it is more important than ever that the show learn to juggle all the storylines more smoothly. The pacing of this season was so uneven, it gave me whiplash. Gone are the days when Claire and Jamie were the only focus; from now on, their ever-growing family is going to continue complicating matters. Outlander needs to evolve to meet this need if it wants to keep up. (Also, could we revert back to a 16-episode format, like in Season 1? Please and thank you.)

The Ugly:

I will readily admit that I am new to this fandom. I got hooked on the show during summer 2018 and devoured the books shortly thereafter. When I joined Tumblr in the fall, it was because I wanted to celebrate this story with likeminded people and geek out over the upcoming season.

The actual experience was a bit more jarring (suffice it to say, I didn’t know hate-watching was a real thing that people did). I don’t want to chastise or implore certain fans to adopt a more positive outlook; I’ve seen a lot of posts about that already, and I’m not inclined to add to them. Instead, I’d like to share some of the guidelines I impose on myself when I contribute to any fandom (I’m not saying these will or should work for everyone, but they have worked for me):

Love, not hate. To me, a fandom is a community that comes together out of love. Knowing this, I try my best not to express any feelings of hate within that community; I don’t think it’s an appropriate place to share those feelings, and I don’t want to diminish the fandom experience for anyone else. If I find that I no longer love or even like the show/book/movie that the fandom is centered on, I disengage from the community entirely, because I no longer consider myself a fan. And that’s perfectly fine; there is no rule that says that once you’re in a fandom, you’re in it for life.

If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. Despite the fact that I love the subject matter, it is not an absolute, unconditional sort of love. I often find myself disliking certain aspects or getting frustrated by opposing views (this is doubly true when it comes to adaptations). I let myself express these dislikes and frustrations only if I can see the silver lining; in other words, I allow myself to say a few negative things about a character/scene only if I can supplement them with a good dose of positivity as well. Too much uninterrupted negativity borders on hate.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T. I’m a very anxious person with self-confidence issues, so I have a hard time expressing my opinion online, even anonymously. That’s why I’m never going to tear anyone else down for doing so. I may disagree with you, or dislike the way you expressed yourself, but I’m going to be respectful even if it kills me, because that’s how I would want other people to interact with me. Even with the Internet as a buffer, I think it’s important to remember that we are all human, and all equally capable of hurting others and being hurt ourselves.

Again, these guidelines work for me, but it’s completely subjective. And even though my experience in the OL fandom hasn’t been a bed of roses so far, I’ve still met some amazing people with incredible things to say. My favorite fandom moments of the season? @futurelounging‘s beautiful thoughts on episode 12 and @breefraser‘s hilarious criticism of Roger’s sartorial choices.

I’d love to hear from other fans! What worked for you this season? What would you have changed? Favorite fandom moments? If you choose to reply, please be kind and respectful.

#just a few thousand thoughts #i'm rambling a bit over here #feel free to stop me #or come ramble with me #Outlander #outlander season 4 #drums of autumn

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love-little-lotte · 5 years

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My Ranking of Outlander Season 4 Episodes

Season 4 is over, and now I’m experiencing my first Droughtlander. I found out about the show last November, when the fourth season just started. It seemed like it was only yesterday, and now I can’t believe that thirteen episodes had passed since then.

As most shows with more than three seasons, Outlander had its ups and downs. The show has been running for more than four years now, so I understand that the producers and writers are going to have a hard time making sure the viewers stay. Plus, it’s difficult to fit a really long book in just thirteen episodes.

There were times I wasn’t impressed by it, as many fans have ranted in social media. I can’t count how many times some moments felt forced. But, of course, there are also swoon-worthy scenes that took my breath away. This is Outlander we’re talking about.

So, here is my personal ranking of Outlander Season 4 episodes. This is my opinion, and my list. If you don’t agree with my choices, then you can leave a polite message about it. Just don’t be mean. We’re all entitled with our opinions, aren’t we?

And on a side note, let me just say that I haven’t read the books so I may make comments that will go against it. I’ve only read the first two, Outlander and Dragonfly in Amber. But I’m writing about the show, not the book, and yes I should take the source material in consideration but I guess I’m still free to talk about the show without reading it.

#13: Episode 8 - Wilmington

First off, I just want to say I really try to like Bree and Roger. There are times I’m so infuriated by them, and sometimes I feel their pairing is super forced. However, they’re kind of starting to grow on me. Especially at the last part of the season. This episode didn’t really help, though.

This was the show’s 50th episode, and I had such high hopes for it. Also, this was Bree and Roger’s first reunion episode! I thought there was going to be more of it. More spark and chemistry, I guess? The handfast scene felt off and rushed, and in my opinion, their first sex scene really tried hard to sample Claire and Jamie’s wedding night scenes. Actually, a lot of scenes were super rushed in this episode, and it really pissed me off. I get that they want to fit in more scenes as possible, but it just came out super wrong. And I’m really trying to like Bree and Roger, believe me, but their scenes in this episode didn’t do much for me.

Claire and Jamie were the only highlights of the episode, and I may be really biased because I really love the both of them. Claire fangirling over George Washington is funny (and quite creepy, too, if you think about it). Plus, Claire being the iconic feminist boss that she is was a delight to watch. Jamie rushing off to save Murtagh and friends was also fun. Sadly, not even Claire and Jamie could save this episode.

On the other hand, Bree and Bonnet’s scenes were difficult to get through. I’m not really good with scenes like that (as I have mentioned a lot of times), so I was kind of relieved that they didn’t actually show the whole attack. Still, I felt really sorry for Bree in this episode.

#12: Episode 11 - If Not For Hope

Lord John Grey appearing is my favorite thing in this episode. I just really love that guy! As Bree quoted once in this series, “It’s impossible not to like you.” (Or along those lines.) And I couldn’t agree more. He saved Bree from a forced marriage, even though she blatantly blackmailed him about his secret (which she apologized for later on).

Anyway, this episode is all about Bree coping with her pregnancy. We finally get to see her and her pregnant belly! It was delightful to see the men Jocasta invited fighting passive-aggressively for Bree’s attention. I’m also surprised to see a familiar face: Billy Boyd from The Lord of the Rings franchise. I was half-expecting him to ask about the second breakfast.

Fergus and Murtagh was also very good to watch in this episode, as well as Fergus’ devotion for Marsali and their bairn. It’s very Jamie-like, and I love that about him. Milord will be very proud of wee Fergus.

And of course, we get to see Claire and Jamie forgiving each other. Their apology to each other was sweet and tender, and it was good to see that their communication is still present, even though they’re an old married couple. I love how that they can still open up about their insecurities to each other.

However, this episode was just a bit draggy for my taste. The pace was very slow, and there were times I was bored out of my mind. I know the show doesn’t have to have action every time (this is a drama, of course), and I understand they need some “filler chapters” to build up the plot.

#11: Episode 12 - Providence

A lot of people had negative feelings about this episode, but I actually thought it was okay? Probably because I lowered my expectations after the previous episode. Yes, we only had glimpses of Jamie and Claire in this episode, but I’ve finally accepted the fact that this time, it’s not just about them. There are other characters now, and I just have to live with that.

First, let’s discuss Roger. I understand his anger and frustration in this episode. I mean, who wouldn’t? I get that he regrets most of his decisions because he suffered a lot from it. Thankfully, Fr. Alexandre was there to make Roger reflect more about his decisions. Fr. Alexandre’s story was actually really, really sad, but also really annoying. I mean, I get that he’s a religious guy and that he wants to do the moral thing. But he’s going to die if he won’t baptize the child. ANYWAY, Fr. Alexandre’s death scene was brilliant, though. Because of it, I discovered the musical score “Adagio for Strings” and it’s super beautiful and haunting. I love listening to it now.

Moving on! Bree and Lord John’s scenes are really cute, to my surprise. Their friendship may seem really unlikely to a lot of people, but I don’t know, Lord John’s just really drawn towards Jamie’s kids for some reason. *shrugs* Hats off to Bree in this episode as well. It takes a lot of gut to talk to Stephen Bonnet after what he did to her.

My favorite scenes in this episode was actually Fergus and Marsali. Especially Fergus. I wish there were more scenes with Fergus and Marsali. Their relationship is kind of like Jamie and Claire, but less problems thrown in their way, I guess. And that little scene where Fergus was leading the Regulators to rescue Murtagh? ICONIC.

Maybe the only fault that I can see in this episode is that it’s the penultimate episode of the season, and it’s just treated like it’s a normal episode. There was no build-up for the rescue. I guess I expected more.

#10: Episode 3 - The False Bride

We have two parts of the story in this episode. This is probably the first episode Bree and Roger showed up in this season. Let’s talk about that first.

Though I’m not a big Bree/Roger fan, this episode actually did justice for them. At the beginning of this episode, at least. I get to see more of their bonding, and I love how playful they are with each other. Their festival scenes were cute, and Roger singing while looking at Bree was actually really sweet! But then, he had to ruin it by proposing to her and Bree turned him down because obviously, she’s not ready. Ah, if Roger just didn’t open his stupid mouth. But he’s a guy from the 70s, and yes, times were different so I half-forgive him.

Claire and Jamie had a more uneventful night, as they leave River Run. There was a storm, and friggin’ Clarence the Mule got frightened and ran away. Claire chased after him and got lost, but found some weird things - like a skull that might belong to a time-traveller, just like her, and will probably be more important in the later episodes.

But it was actually destiny that they got separated because when Claire and Jamie finally meet each other again, they discovered their future home: Fraser’s Ridge! It reminded them of the Scottish highlands, and it felt immediately like home. It was a beautiful moment, and no one can do forehead-touching better than Claire and Jamie.

Nothing really bad in this episode, I guess. There are just better episodes.

#09: Episode 5 - Savages

I feel like I should put this episode more high up. Probably because one of my favorite characters returned: Murtagh! He’s one of the best supporting characters in the first two seasons, and I was really sad when I thought he’s not coming back. But due to popular demand, he did! And thank you Outlander producers for that.

However, it was not an easy reunion. Murtagh’s part of a group of Regulators, something like an organization against the redcoats. It’s what he does best, I guess: fighting off redcoats like they did back in Scotland.

Claire and Jamie talking about Bree in this episode is really sad and sweet at the same time. Love how Jamie talks about Bree to Murtagh, though! Like “my daughter’s in college and she’s super clever and all!” Ah, Jamie as a proud dad is indeed very appealing!

This was also a very devastating episode for Claire and her friend, Adawehi. When I saw how they interacted in the previous episode, I thought that they were going to be really good friends all throughout the season but nope! This German dude had to kill Adawehi for revenge. Which, of course, wrecked Claire.

This was a good nostalgic episode. Love Murtagh whistling the Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy when he met Claire in the last scene.

#08: Episode 2 - Do No Harm

Finally, we get to meet Jamie’s Aunt Jocasta in River Run. One episode in and you’ll definitely see the MacKenzie trait in her. She’s manipulative and cunning, just as Colum and Dougal was. They’re undoubtedly related. Needless to say, she was an interesting character. It’s always nice to meet Jamie’s relatives. They’re full of surprises and Jocasta didn’t fail.

Jocasta planned to leave her estate to Jamie. Though Jamie deserves it, since he proved to be a great landowner, he and Claire is not too happy with the fact that they’re going to own slaves. They tried to talk to Jocasta about freeing them and paying them for their work, but, of course, this was frowned upon by Jocasta. They also tried to save Rufus from an unlawful execution, but that didn’t really go well for them.

This episode is probably the most controversial (not sure if that’s the right word, but it sounds fitting?) episode in this season. It tackled slavery, which is a very sensitive topic even now. Some people said the show could’ve done better. However, I think the show handled it as best as they could. They handled it very well and very carefully.

Also, you can’t blame Jocasta for her actions in this episode. Remember, this was the eighteenth century and she was only acting like a regular woman in her time. She was just doing what she thinks is the best for her estate.

Jamie and Claire had agonizing choices to make, and I can’t blame them, too. Jamie inheriting the estate is good, but I also understand Claire’s hesitation in keeping slaves. I also get that they want to help Rufus but it wouldn’t be easy, given the circumstances. Everything’s just very complicated. But in my opinion, I think the show handled showing both sides (Jocasta’s views vs Jamie and Claire’s views) fairly.

#07: Episode 7 - Down The Rabbit Hole

Without a doubt, this is Sophie Skelton’s best episode yet. I have to admit that I was not a big fan of Sophie’s acting in the previous seasons, but this episode (and most of this season), she got better and she’s starting to feel like Bree.

A lot of fans don’t like Frank, and I get that. I, too, am not a big fan of him. But I understand Frank and Bree’s relationship and why he was included in this episode. He was a bad husband to Claire (she’s also not a good wife to him, might I add), but there’s no denying that he was a good father to Bree. He was her father for most of her life, and she looked up to him. And that little scene in the port where she turned around and saw him and they did that nodding thing? That really touched me. It’s as if she made peace with him, and promising him that he will always be his father, even though they’re not really blood related.

Though I don’t like the part that they showed Frank knew about the fire and didn’t tell Claire anything! Like, umm, you should’ve told your wife about that, Frank. It was good to see Tobias Menzies again, though. He’s a wonderful actor. (Can’t wait to see him in The Crown!)

Also, a lot of fans were not happy to see Laoghaire (hopefully I spelled that right). It didn’t stay true in the books, and Bree didn’t get to spend enough time in Lallybroch like she’s supposed to. Again, as I haven’t read the book, I’m going to let this pass. Laoghaire and Bree’s interaction at first was all right, until the former found out that the latter was Jamie and Claire’s daughter. This, of course, made Laoghaire flip and start spewing lies to Bree. Thankfully, Bree’s smart and finally realized that this was the woman who tried to kill her mother before. Ahh, I can’t stress enough how I was thrilled to hear Bree tell Laoghaire that Jamie never really loved her and he was never hers. Yes, gurl, tell that bitch the truth!

It was great to see Old Ian again because Steven Cree’s amazing. But it was sad that Jenny wasn’t there. I would love for Jenny to see her niece. Plus, this is probably the first episode (ever?) that Jamie and Claire didn’t make an appearance so that was also really sad, too. I missed them in this episode.

#06: Episode 10 - The Deep Heart’s Core

Did somebody say family drama? Because this episode definitely delivered a good family drama. I mean, this is Outlander we’re talking about! No one creates good family drama more than Outlander. Well, probably Downton Abbey.

This episode started off really well, with more scenes of Jamie and Bree bonding. I especially love their conversation about Bree’s pregnancy, and how they opened up to each other’s trauma. Jamie was able to comfort Bree, telling her about how he coped after what Black Jack Randall did to him. (Side note: I wonder what would Bree think about Frank if she knows he looks exactly like Black Jack.)

And just as Jamie and Bree’s relationship began to flourish, it was finally revealed that the Jamie attacked the wrong man. All because of friggin’ Lizzie. I know it’s not entirely her fault, but ugh! Anyway, Bree just started screaming and slapping Jamie and Young Ian, which really stressed me out. And telling Jamie “you’re nothing but a savage”? That’s a tad too harsh, Bree.

Claire’s also felt helpless because she doesn’t know what to do. She’s mad at Jamie, but she can’t really blame him for acting like a normal father. (But she gave him the cold shoulder, which annoyed me because they could just talk about this.)

So, yes. I was more or less frustrated the entire episode. But it made me feel things, so I ranked it higher. The episode actually delivered all the drama and I just love it.

#05: Episode 1 - America The Beautiful

Outlander started the fourth season very strong. It had romantic cute Jamie and Claire moments, thrilling action, and of course, a very sad ending that gutted me. I couldn’t ask for anything better.

After they were shipwrecked in the Season 3 Finale, it looks like the Frasers and their company were well-adjusted in America. Though their friend was executed for a crime, which was very sad, life goes on. Fergus and Marsali announced they’re expecting a child, which is thrilling for them. Jamie’s been offered a land by Governor Tryon, which is quite problematic because if he accepts, he’ll be swearing loyalty to the English Crown, and, as Claire reminded him, the English would be defeated by the American Revolution in the near future.

We also finally get to meet Stephen friggin’ Bonnet. If you think you can’t hate on another Outlander character more than Black Jack Randall, then think again. This thief is just an ungrateful asshole who, after being saved and shown mercy by the Frasers, decide to rob them and even kill one of their companions.

And despite the weird CGI in the river scenes, we are given a cute Jamie and Claire moment as Jamie gifts her a medicine box for their wedding anniversary. It was just so cute and romantic and aahhh, Jamie knows how to make a girl swoon after being twenty-four years of marriage. Claire is one lucky gal. Actually, this episode had a lot of cute Jamie and Claire moments, like the one when they were talking about the American Dream. The one with the medicine box was my favorite, though.

And even though the ending was really dark and horrifying, I just want to point out that Caitriona Balfe’s acting was exceptional. The expression she made when she realized that the ring Bonnet took was Jamie’s ring was so heartbreaking. Honestly, Stephen Bonnet is such a piece of shit.

#04: Episode 4 - Common Ground

Remember Tryon’s offer? Obviously, Jamie accepted it, and they - him, Claire, and Young Ian - start to build Fraser’s Ridge in this episode. It may sound really tiring, but it was great family bonding, trust me. It’s amazing how it only took them one episode to build their cottage because in the next episode (Savages), they already had furnitures and other house stuff.

So, as the Frasers begin to settle in their new land, the Cherokee were still wary of them. I can’t blame them, though. I mean, it’s their land, too, you know. Jamie tried to earn their trust, offering them goods through John Quincy Myers, one of Jocasta’s friends, who is close to the Native Americans.

Book readers were also surprised to see a major difference from the source material. There was a scene in the book in which Jamie wrestles a bear. However, the show changed it into a man wearing a bear get-up. Apparently, this man was banished from his tribe, lost his mind in the woods, and began to attack people like a bear. This guy is feared by the Cherokee but when Jamie killed him and brought the corpse to them, they dubbed him “bear killer” and finally formed a truce.

As much as I want to see Jamie wrestle a bear (how cool would that be???), I understand that TV shows don’t have enough budget like a blockbuster film. So, it was definitely all right for me to see Jamie wrestle a regular guy. I’d choose that rather than see him wrestle a bad CGI bear. Ugh. Also, I miss seeing Sam Heughan in action sequences, just like in the first season.

I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. Especially when Jamie carried Claire princess-style and told her about his plans for Fraser’s Ridge. It was so romantic and sweet.

#03: Episode 6 - Blood of my Blood

Lord John Grey’s first appearance in this season! Ah, that guy really knows how to make an entrance. In this episode, he said he “happened” to pass by Fraser’s Ridge, but of course we all know he just wants to see Jamie. You’re not being subtle there, Lord John.

He also brought Willie along, who prefers to be called William now. Of course, William doesn’t know about Jamie being his father, which is probably very torturing for Jamie. As they were about to leave the next day, Lord John fell ill and Claire tends to him, as Jamie takes out William so he can’t catch the measles, and of course, to spend quality time with each other.

Jamie and William are so cute together and it makes me wonder what could happen if Jamie was the one who raised him. It’s sad to think that Jamie never really gets to raise any of his children. He didn’t even get to see Faith before she was buried. And to think, all he wanted was to have a big loving family. (Wait, I’m straying away and I’m getting emotional.)

ANYWAY, Lord John and Claire also has a heart-to-heart talk with each other. I actually love the both of them so much. Caitriona Balfe and David Berry work so well with each other and it’s amazing. I know what’s going to happen to Claire and Lord John in the future (I accidentally read it in a comment thread ugh) so it’s good to see that both actors know what they’re doing.

The ending with Jamie giving Claire a new ring is so romantic and just plain swoon-y. I love it so much. Jamie and Claire romantic moments will never get tiring, I swear.

I also love the title of this episode because it could mean both things. First, it could mean Jamie and William because he did mention that “his blood is my blood” when the Natives was about to punish them because William took fish from their waters. Also, it could mean Jamie and Claire’s wedding vows because he presented her another ring as a symbol of his love for her.

#02: Episode 13 - Man of Worth

It was totally worth the wait. One of the best finales Outlander ever did. It had just the right amount of action and romance and drama. Everyone did a good job, and I’m so happy with it I can almost cry. I wasn’t too happy in the previous two episodes, so it was relief that the ending was just so good.

They finally rescued Roger, even though they had to exchange Young Ian for him. Young Ian’s actually one of my favorite characters, and he’s such a sweet goofball that I’m so sad to watch him go. It was the brave thing to do, and it was so good to see him grow up. He’s no longer a boy; he’s definitely a man of worth.

The whole scene with Jamie, Claire, and Roger in the woods was definitely fun to watch, all because of their exceptional acting, particularly Sam Heughan. His protectiveness and devotion for Bree was very apparent, as he wanted Roger to accept her, even though she was pregnant and all. It was such a Jamie thing to do, and I love that about him.

I’ve also read a short excerpt that’s been going around Facebook - the one when Bree gave birth during Drums of Autumn. Turns out her parents were present in the book, and it was such a sweet scene, and I’m kind of upset that it didn’t make it in the show. I’d love to see her and Jamie as she was giving birth. Still, I’m okay with how the show did it. Would’ve been nice, though.

Murtagh and Jocasta was a surprise, but it was a good one. Let’s throw in another major couple, shall we? I think Murtagh deserves a good love story, so I approve of this pairing! Wish to see more of this, too.

Love Roger and Bree’s very dramatic reunion. Of course they’re going to run to each other as music builds up. This is Outlander, after all. I just hope that they have better scenes together in the future seasons.

#01: Episode 9 - The Birds and the Bees

I mean, seriously. This is what we’re all looking forward to in this season. Jamie and Bree was the major highlight of this episode, and I love every moment they share. It was just a beautiful first-meeting scene. And I’m just so happy for the both of them! Finally, they get to meet each other! Sam Heughan and Sophie Skelton actually had good chemistry. They play the father and daughter duo perfectly.

I also love Jamie talking about Bree to Claire. This is what he’s wishing for a really long time: to actually get to spend time with his wife and his daughter. He gave them up so they can be spared from the Battle of Culloden, and now he finally gets to be with them. I’m a wreck in this episode, to be honest. Especially when he took her hunting and Jamie told Bree to call him “Da”. It was honestly the best thing ever. Can you just imagine the possibilities if Jamie actually saw her grow up? (Actually I can, and now I’m sad because it’s not true.)

Claire meeting with Bree was also sweet. Claire’s reaction when she first saw Bree was so pure. She’s been missing Bree for a really long time, too, and she thought she’s never going to see her again, so it’s just a miracle for her to see her daughter in the eighteenth century.

Though it’s quite sad when Bree admitted to Claire about being raped, it was a good mother-and-daughter scene. Claire’s maternal instincts kicked in, and she’s honestly just destroyed that she couldn’t protect her daughter from all the dangers in the world.

Ah, yes, this episode ended quite badly, as Lizzie (friggin’ Lizzie) had mistaken Roger for Bree’s attacker. Because of this, Jamie beat him up and Young Ian sold him to the Mohawks. I’m not a big fan of Roger, sure, but he does not deserve those punches.

Still, this episode was well-executed. It’s my favorite in this season, all because of the reunions, the smiles, and tears.

There you have it! Season 4 may be messy and rushed, but I was entertained and I had fun for the most part. It was fun looking forward to Monday (I watch it in Netflix, and it arrives a day later in my country) and now, I have no idea how to spend my Mondays.

It’s not the best season, in my opinion, but I’m glad that they have expanded the story to other characters. As I said earlier, this is not Jamie and Claire’s story anymore. It’s now going to be about their extended family, too. I’m honestly looking forward for the next seasons, though I wonder how they’re going to make Jamie and Claire look like real grandparents.

Your grandparents could never. I mean, look at them! 👇

#outlander #outlander season 4 #outlander series #outlander starz #sam heughan #caitriona balfe #jamie fraser #claire fraser #jamie x claire #sam x caitriona #outlander season 4 ranking #outlander episodes

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kyojuuros · 5 years

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Zeke, Eren, Hanji :D

I’m gonna throw these under a cut since there are three of them! haha

Zeke-

Why I like them: 420 stoner older brother meme daddy who just wants a damn pony. Okay but seriously, I love that he’s a very complex and sympathetic antagonist. His backstory really tugged at my heart and I can’t help but feel badly for him despite everything that he’s done. All the while, he continues to be a giant dork, always burning himself on something or trying to make heavy situations seem lighter. I enjoyed the mystery he was shrouded in for much of the story, and I was happy to find that he actually wasn’t some infallible 4D chess master genius all along, that his goal is rather simple and born from a place of hurt. He’s very interesting, and I can’t wait to see how his story ends.

Why I don’t: Despite being best meme boi, he has done some pretty awful and unforgivable things to characters who absolutely didn’t deserve it. He is sympathetic and I still have some hope left for him, but his treatment of the Eldian people, the notion that he doesn’t wholly view them as humans worthy of dignity, but rather poor creatures who need to be pitied and whose fates he’s decided on his own, is something quite terrifying and unsettling. Even if he has redemption in the end, it’s good if the narrative doesn’t actually forgive his crimes entirely.

Favorite episode (scene if movie): Chapter 114, absolutely. Seeing what makes him tick and how he was raised broke me.

Favorite season/movie: The final arc is currently the one I’m finding I enjoy him in the most.

Favorite line: “I will inherit the beast titan. Not for Marley’s sake. I’ll successfully retake the founder, steal the Founding Titan from Marley, and save the world. I’ll free the people of the world from the fear of the titans, and free Eldians from their suffering.” (Chapter 114)

Favorite outfit: I actually like the comfortable hoodie look he had going on in chapter 77. But also I can never complain about his shirtless scenes, so…

OTP: I actually don’t feel strongly (in a serious) way about any Zeke ships, so probably nothing?

Brotp: Zeke/Yelena, Zeke/Pieck, Zeke/Reiner… the latter two in a more ideal world. And of course Jaegerbros, in a more ideal world haha

Head Canon: He was probably shocked to find out that he had a brother on Paradis, and he was probably very nervous about seeing him for the first time. When he did finally see him, he probably projected an immediate connection and desire to help Eren “see the light” so to speak.

Unpopular opinion: I love his character and have always found him enjoyably fascinating.

A wish: I hope that Zeke is able to atone for the lives he’s taken by the end of the story. Self sacrifice seems to be the most fitting way to do it, but ultimately I hope that he can see and understand why his goal is heavily misguided and harmful, and that neither he nor the people of Eldia’s lives were ever meaningless. I hope that of all people, it is Eren who makes him understand.

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: I don’t want him to die believing that he never had any worth or meaning in the world. I don’t want it to turn out that Eren never felt anything toward him as a brother or a fellow suffering Eldian.

5 words to best describe them: Tragic, dorky, manipulative, misguided, sympathetic.

My nickname for them: Beast daddy B)

Eren-

Why I like them: I think we’d be here all day if I named every little thing. But Eren has always been a character who I’ve loved since the first time I saw him. He was always a perceptive character with a bigger understanding of the circumstances he lived in than the people around him. His insuppressible desire to be free has always resonated with me and his blatant dislike for complacency in the world is extremely easy for me to relate to. He’s passionate about the things he fights for and the people that he loves, and his will to fight is admirable and inspiring. Through his highs and lows I’ve always felt I could understand him well (rip me @ 112) and even through his mistakes and poor judgement calls I’ll always find myself in his corner holding out hope and faith that he will be in the right place in the end. He’s always inspired me and I hope that he will always do so.

Why I don’t: I’m just begging Isayama for his POV at this point because not knowing what’s going through his head has been the most depressing and painful experience I’ve had to go through since I became a slave to this series almost 6 years ago.

Favorite episode (scene if movie): I’m… supposed to choose just one? I guess if I have to pick one, I still love him in episode 13/chapter 14 the best. His speech in that scene is still my favorite quote from him in the entire series and it always gives me chills and makes me tear up. The imagery of him pushing forward with the weight of everything pressing down on him is so powerful and still so relevant. And he pushes and pushes through until he’s finally able to lift that weight and use it to solve the immediate problem. I hope that the final resolution touches my heart in the same ways.

Favorite season/movie: It’s not animated, but I absolutely love Eren in the latter half of the Marley arc. To see him grow and learn to understand the greyness of the world, to talk about the realities of the effects of war to Falco, to see him extend an understanding to Reiner, to see how much more competent he’s gotten with his powers, to see him take a seemingly dark turn, it was such a cool thing to experience for the first time. I’m hopeful that with all the answers, I’ll find his development in that arc all the more fascinating and understandable.

Favorite line: “When we’re born, all of us are free. People who reject that, no matter how strong they are, don’t matter. The burning water, the land of ice… anything will do. Anyone who saw those things would be the freest person in the world. Fight!! Who’d value their life over something like that? It doesn’t matter how terrifying the world is. It doesn’t matter how cruel the world is. Fight! Fight!! FIGHT!!” (Chapter 14)

Favorite outfit: I’m weak for his black hoodie/black pants combo. Absolutely and totally weak for it. Shirt, no shirt, idc. Black hoodie and pants. Yes. Very, very yes.

OTP: ereri, eremika, erehisu, ereani

Brotp: erejean, eremin, jaegerbros, erecon

Head Canon: I still have this idea in my head that he cleaned himself up in 106 as a result of Levi telling him he looked like shit. I also like to think (at least, I hope) that he feels very bad for Zeke. He still loves his friends more than anything. He probably saw some of himself in Falco. If him and Gabi met under different circumstances they would adore each other.

Unpopular opinion: Eren’s so polarizing I have no idea what the unpopular opinions are anymore. lol But in any case, I still love and support him and believe in the best of him.

A wish: That he will be the one to truly save the Eldian people and help them move forward, just as his titan allegedly is meant to do. That he will be able to reconcile with his friends and repair his relationship with them. They he will find peace by the end of the story (and even taking it a step further, that he will actually get to live out his life to an old age if the curse can be lifted).

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: That he dies with his loved ones forever resenting him. That it turns out he actually does agree with Zeke’s plan and thinks Eldia’s only hope is its own demise. That he dies by the story’s end (let me dream ok).

5 words to best describe them: Passionate, hotheaded, determined, compassionate, inspiring.

My nickname for them: Best Boi, Hobo Boi, Love of My Life, My Sunshine, Moon and Stars, Edgelord, Bae, Ereh, Precious bby (honestly I could go on forever I love him so much it hurts).

Hange-

Why I like them: She’s super smart and good at coming up with strategies on the spot and creates amazing weapons for the Survey Corps to use. Super passionate about her field of work and super compassionate to the suffering of others. She never gives up no matter how defeated she might feel. She has some very funny moments in the manga, and I love the scenes where she Gets Serious™ and takes no shit.

Why I don’t: I personally don��t connect with Hange as a character very well so I can sometimes struggle to relate to her or enjoy her antics. That being said, I see and appreciate what she brings to the story and I hope to see her really come into her own as a commander soon.

Favorite episode (scene if movie): I love her moment when she talks down Mikasa during the serumbowl and I still find it one of the most touching parts of that chapter. Like, Hange just gets it and for the first time someone is truly there to talk Mikasa through her suffering and console her in a way that helps her to accept the tragedy that is befalling her and it’s something I feel is so important to her character growth. Hange delivering that speech also had such good thematic importance about learning how to let go of the people you love and keep moving forward without them, no matter how much it might hurt to do so. Ugh I’m gonna die when it’s animated. Romi Park is gonna nail it.

Favorite season/movie: Hange shines the best during the Uprising arc and she’s always a delight to watch throughout.

Favorite line: “I have people I wish I could bring back too. Hundreds of them. Ever since I joined the Survey Corps, every day has brought a new farewell. But you understand, don’t you? Everyone you meet will be parted from you one day. I know it’s difficult to accept. It’s hard to stay sane, living like that. It’s painful. So painful. I know that. But even so… We need to move forward…” (Chapter 84)

Favorite outfit: idk what it is but I actually love Hange in the classic Survey Corps uniform the best.

OTP: mobuhan, eruhan

Brotp: levihan, mikehan, aruhan

Head Canon: I think that despite saying she’s lost all trust in Eren, she still wants to have faith in him and hope in him, which is why she’s trying to be understanding of the Yeagerists’ position. But she cannot support what they’re doing and so it’s something she’s very much struggling with.

Unpopular opinion: There are some times where Hange’s excitable antics annoy me a bit rather than make me laugh.

A wish: I want to see her come into her own as a commander and really show what she’s worth. She can’t be the same as Erwin, but I want her to show the readers and the characters her worth, and see and understand what it is that Erwin saw in her that he thought would make her a good commander in the first place. She’s been shrouded in self doubt from the beginning. I want to see her gain the confidence she needs to come to the correct answer.

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: I really hope that Floch/the Yeagerists don’t end up hurting her because she won’t give them the info they want. And I also don’t want to see her succumb to “filling the role” that she dethroned Sannes from (although I doubt the latter happens, she doesn’t want that to happen).

5 words to best describe them: Intelligent, passionate, visionary, creative, insecure.

My nickname for them: Hanjo

#the-not-so-dark-age #reply #ask meme #snk spoilers //

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bizarre-dollhouse · 6 years

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My Top 10 Favourite Anime (And Why You Should Watch Them)

This is normally something I would put on my main blog, but I wanted to celebrate a follower milestone and also I know this will reach a significantly wider audience on this blog.

Consider this both a list of recommendations and a *get to know me* thing, I guess.

Honourable Mentions:

Bakemonogatari: A really stylized show about a semi vampire helping people with their supernatural afflictions born from emotional issues. The subsequent seasons get a little questionable, but this is definitely a standalone story with great dialogue and visuals. (15 eps)

Shiki: Creepy story about a small town infested with vampires. Really brutal and sick, but it has fascinating themes. The pacing is a bit slow and it has a kind of bad scene towards the end, but the show is 100% worth it. (24 eps)

Cardcaptor Sakura: Because this is mostly aimed at younger viewers, I would only really recommend this show for either magical girl fans, or people who watched the extremely altered dub as a kid. That being said, its a cute, fun show about magic with a likeable cast and surprisingly creative and original ideas, especially towards the latter half. (70 eps)

Jojos Bizarre Adventure 4: Diamond is Unbreakable: Full disclosure, I have not seen the first 3 jojo series, but its not necessary to enjoy this show. This is a super creative and really fun series about superpowered badasses in a strange city fighting each other and trying to solve a murder mystery in the background. Weird, but in the best way. (39 eps)

Kuroshitsuji: Book of Circus: This should be higher on the list, but in truth I would recommend the manga way over the show. But, if you want to watch a supernatural horror/comedy without reading a 138+ chapter manga, OR you were a fan of the original Black Butler seasons and want to see something way better, give this a watch. (10 eps)

*drumroll*

10. Trigun

So Trigun takes place is this old west, yet mysterious science fiction-y world where, through a bunch of complicated scenarios, a pacifist is the most wanted criminal known to man. Due to his status as a “natural disaster,” two insurance workers are tasked with reining him in to save their business. It’s an incredibly charming series, and the protagonist is really likeable. It’s extremely creative, funny, and emotional near the end. I do have some problems with the ending because it almost seems like the final conflict just...solves itself, but that’s a nitpick. The first episode is basically a short film, so give that a watch and see how you feel. (26 eps)

9. Paranoia Agent

This was directed by the late and great Satoshi Kon and has his usual themes about the blurring between fiction, dreams, and reality. It’s about a string of mysterious assaults committed by a kid with a baseball bat, and how these assaults seem to solve the problems of the victims. It’s very arthouse and has a twist that makes me ball my eyes out even though it’s not sad it’s just...odd and overwhelming. It drags a bit near the middle, but if you like kind of surreal stuff that’s also just really good, you have to watch this show. (13 eps)

8. Baby Steps

The amazing thing about this show is that its premise is specifically designed to make me hate it. It’s about a nerdy teenager who starts to play a sport for the sole sake of getting fit and having a more well rounded life style, and also he has a crush on this really popular girl. That sounds fucking awful, but the main character is actually really likeable (he reminds me a lot of Deku from BNHA) and I swear to fucking god every time I thought this show was going to do something awful and cliched with its romantic comedy plot, it doesn’t. The beauty and the geek trope is still there, but all of the bullshit that comes with it is omitted in a way I feel was kind of self-aware. The sports aspect is really good too: it’s well paced and there’s lots of tension even though the show as a whole is really upbeat and pleasant. I had a blast watching it, and if you can make it past the fact that is has god awful animation, give it a watch.

7. Higurashi: When They Cry

Yet another great show with absolute garbage animation. Anyways, this show is about a group of teenagers in a small town who are unknowingly trapped in a time loop. In each loop there’s a bunch of new mysteries, as well as some extremely brutal murders and tortures experienced my the main cast. I’ve seen a number of Western shows (Orphan Black, BBC Sherlock, Lost, Supernatural, etc.) fall apart because the writers want a really clever and intricate mystery to play out, but they don’t want to actually put the time into crafting one, so it’s just a bunch of cliffhangers with no answers or pay off. THIS SHOW SUCCEEDS AT WHAT ALL OF THOSE OTHER SHOWS FAIL AT. While not all of the answers are great (the second season isn’t as good) the original author somehow made the world’s most ludicrously complicated mystery story work, with a lot of it relying on the audience to put all of the pieces together even when the characters can’t. Its very clever in doing that: it makes its audience feel smart. It also has themes that don’t really show up in other horror stories, even though they’re incredibly relevant to fear and violence. Great show, go watch it. (50 eps)

6. Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

Everyone knows about this show, everyone says it’s great, and everyone’s right. If you’ve been living under a rock for ten years: the show is about two brothers who break an alchemy taboo, which destroys their bodies, They’re on the hunt for something to restore them to normal and along the way they meet like 8990354578579 characters with interesting stories. It’s tightly written and really gripping. It’s fun, but also really dramatic and emotional when it needs to be. My only problems with it are that the ending is reaaaallllly convoluted, and there’s a minor plot point earlier on that gets weirdly dropped, but everyone kinda forgets about those things because the show’s so good. Also the brotherly bond makes me cry. (64 eps)

5. FLCL

I honestly don’t even know where to start with this show because it has the unique property of being the only show I have ever seen that I have literally no problems with. Not even nitpicks. There is nothing wrong with this show; it’s perfect. The only reason it’s not number 1 is because some other shows have more ideas or more fleshed out characters. So this arthouse spastic comedy is about a boy who is disappointed with all of the adults in his life, then some chick hits him in the face with a guitar and giant robots from a secret facility start coming out of his head. It’s fucking wild and has like 30 different aesthetics and I love all of them. It’s the best looking show I’ve ever seen and one of the best directed. It feels like someone read a really weird poem and turned it into a 6 episode show. It’s funny, it’s emotional, it’s cartoony, it’s beautiful, it’s raunchy, it’s poetic, it’s silly, it’s creative, and it’s got strong themes. The wtf visuals, the nonsensical plot, and the amazing soundtrack make an aesthetic experience more than anything. (6 eps)

4. Princess Tutu

I already made a post about this show and why it’s good, which you can check out here, but the gist is it’s a meta fairytale about a duck that turns into a girl to help a storybook prince find his emotions. I used to love stories that were “twists on fairytales” or whatever, but after watching this show I realized that the genre is pretty derivative. This show is so amazing it honestly made me reevaluate an entire genre and come to the conclusion that this is the only member of that genre worth watching. It’s truly creative and well crafted with fantastic characters. (26 eps)

3. Hunter x Hunter (2011)

This show is basically a bunch of creative ideas, unique set pieces, and interesting characters stacked on top of each other in a trench coat disguised as a narrative. It’s about a perky shonen protagonist and a child assassin becoming friends while also trying to become hunters (a position involving vast wealth and adventure). It’s in a modern fantasy setting so literally anything can happen. In one arc they have to play life-or-death dodgeball against robots, and another is an insanely epic tale about the intense evil that people are capable of (feat. a 25 episode climax). I can’t even talk about all of the themes or ideas because there are just too many. Because of it’s wild, sprawling story, it has a lot of ass pulls and retcons, but in the grand scheme of things they don’t really matter. It’s long, but super easy to watch in huge chunks. (148 eps)

2. Neon Genesis Evangelion and The End of Evangelion

The most efficient way to describe this show is to say that it’s the most interesting show ever made. It’s about an apocalyptic future in which emotionally disturbed teenagers must pilot giant bio-machines to fight monsters which are referred to as angels. It’s got deep characters, a creative story, and is probably the most well directed show I’ve ever seen. The ending infamously fell apart due to production problems, so there’s a movie called The End of Evangelion to conclude the story. It’s a very disturbing arthouse movie, so watch out for that, but the show as a whole is moooosssstly more straightforward and fascinating, This is an absolute must watch. (26 eps and 1 movie)

1. Baccano!

Baccano! takes place in 1930s New York, and is about thieves, gangsters, criminals, terrorists, alchemists, and immortals interacting in this nonlinear comedy/action thrill ride. I felt like I was on a rollercoaster while watching this show. It’s the perfect blend of action, comedy, romance, drama, horror, and creative storytelling. It’s fantastic to rewatch since the first episodes barely make any sense without context (but are still an absolute joy to watch). It’s got great characters and it’s a great story. Go watch it. And then watch it again. (13 eps and 3 OVAs)

That’s it for this list! Check out my MAL page for more recommendations if you’re interested and have a great night!

#neon genesis evangelion #hunter x hunter #fmab #higurashi no naku koro ni #trigun #flcl #princess tutu #baby steps #paranoia agent #baccano!#not kuro

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wazafam · 3 years

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Galaxy Quest is a hidden gem but it's a science-fiction comedy movie that is loved by die-hard fans and a worthwhile watch for new viewers. Complete with action, drama, aliens, comedy, and Alan Rickman, the 1999 movie is still a masterpiece to behold. It centered around a has-been, washed-up cast from a popular sci-fi show from the '70s.

RELATED: 10 Underrated '90s Sci-Fi B-Movies, Ranked

But the cast is mistaken for the real deal and is tasked with helping to save an alien race from extinction against their mortal enemy. Galaxy Quest is loved for not only its comedy but for its realistic portrayal of characters who are no longer in their prime. There's also the fun nod to die-hard Star Trek fans and other science fiction nerds.

10 The Impeccable Cast

The lineup for the movie is top-notch and made up of some of Hollywood and even Broadway's most famed actors. The lead character of Jason Nesmith is none other than the voice of Buzz Lightyear, Tim Allen. Alongside him is Sam Rockwell, who is well recognized for movies such as Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

The movie also gained notoriety for the portrayal of Fred Kwan by Tony Shalhoub, who became famous for his role in Monk. Alien star, Sigourney Weaver, joined the cast in the role of Gwen DeMarco. Last but not least is the esteemed Alan Rickman as Alexander Dane. Fans can't get a better cast than this.

9 The Reason Why The Aliens Chose Them

The reason why the Thermian people seek help from the cast of Galaxy Quest is comical yet realistic in some way. In the movie, Galaxy Quest was an immensely popular sci-fi show from the '80s with a big fanbase. Somehow, however, the show's episodes were transmitted across space and viewed by the Thermian alien race.

The Thermians truly believe that the episodes are an account of real events on Earth. Facing their mortal enemy, the evil warlord, Sarris (Robin Sachs), the Thermians kidnap and seek help from Jason and the show's cast to save their people.

8 The Villain Alien

Sarris is a reptilian general who leads his humanoids to destroy the Thermians and he is quite fun to watch on screen. The character will give any viewer the creeps, as he had green scaly skin, antennas, and grotesque reptile armor and skin.

His character arc plays out well, as he's a big bad villain who actually executes the majority of his plan. At one point, he even takes over the Thermians' ship and learns that Jason and the crew aren't actual space heroes. Sarris even manages to survive his ship's explosion and attack the main characters, fatally wounding them.

7 The Heroes Aren't Heroes

The main characters in the movie are initially not the greatest heroes, by any means. But this is what gets the audience hooked. These characters were depicted as space's mightiest heroes on the television show and still loved, years later, by their fandom. When the Thermians come to ask for their help, they are also under the impression they are heroes.

RELATED: 10 Best Hidden Sci-fi Gems On Netflix

In reality, the characters are far from it. They're mundane, ordinary actors who were once in their prime and are now struggling in the industry. It's only through the bizarre intergalactic mission that they rise to the challenge to save the Thermians.

6 Each Character's Personal Struggle

Being once in their prime, each character of Galaxy Quest has their own struggles to face that might seem relatable in some way. Jason was the main character and captain who thrives on the endless attention fans give him. This leads him to be conceited but also to somewhat resent how the fans see him.

Gwen was the communications officer on the show and had all the sex appeal amongst the characters. Alexander Dane played the science office and member of an alien race. Alexander is done with the show and its demands and the fans' constant need to talk about his show and character. While the show made them successful, they all resent Jason and the show in some way.

5 A Redemption Story

As the main characters are all down on their luck in their lives and careers, they have their own story arc and resoultion by the end. Having to go on a dangerous mission to save the Thermians, they each rediscover their worth. Jason realizes how important it is to be a team player and how conceited he was towards his castmates.

Alexander gets a new fresh look at just how important his character is to his fanbase and embraces his newfound purpose. Guy Fleegman (Rockwell) gets a status upgrade, as he's no longer seen as the short-lived, one-episode character and the cast's convention handler. In the new series continuation, Galaxy Quest: The Journey Continues, he gets a new main role.

4 A Fun Love Letter To Fans

Galaxy Quest was made to pay homage to fans of the sci-fi genre. And the movie did it successfully without making fun of the fanbase. It showcased just how much a show can mean to its audience and how attached they can get to the characters, even years after its end.

In the movie, there's a select group of Galaxy Quest fans that the characters come to rely on, at some point. These fans embody what's seen in reality. They're close-knit friends who have passion for the show, share common interests, and dress up for conventions. Not to mention, they have such an immense and detailed knowledge of the show and ship that they help the characters figure out the ship's core and abort the self-destruct sequence.

3 The Lines & Comedy

The movie has many iconic lines. Ironically enough, the main characters are forced to reiterate a lot of the lines that their characters in the show became known for. In the beginning, it's comical to see the characters have to say them with little enthusiasm and progress to being proud when they do the new show.

RELATED: Star Wars: 10 Sequel Trilogy Spoilers We Wouldn't Have Believed Five Years Ago

Throughout the movie, audiences will have a laugh as the Thermians try to act as human as possible. There also heartfelt moments and lines as a Thermian is shot and tells Alexander that he always saw his character as a father. Alexander recited his character's recognized speech as a farewell.

2 The Special Effects

Fans of the movie. love the array of special effects used in the movie. After all, it does mimic a lot of what's seen in sci-fi shows. For example, the way the Thermians transport the character to the ship is by covering them in a gel-like substance that beams them up to space.

Add in some cool alien monsters and the effect used to demonstrate super speed, and it's a sci-fi marvel. Fans couldn't help but also be impressed by the effects used to bring to life the Omega 13. The Omega 13 is a superweapon that resembles floating blue molecules.

1 Star-Trek Parody

One of the main reasons sci-fi fans gravitate towards this movie is because it was specifically made to mimic, parody, and pay homage to the famed Star Trek series. The similarities are easy to spot, from the ship, the ship's crew and titles to the alien villain. The movie itself gained good praise from the actual cast of Star Trek.

Sir Patrick Stewart commented in an archived BBC interview that he thought the movie was brilliant and laughed wholeheartedly. Above all, Stewart was impressed that the ship and characters were saved, "simply by the fact that there were fans who did understand the scientific principles on which the ship worked ... and it was both funny and also touching in that it paid tribute to the dedication of these fans."

NEXT: Star Trek: 10 Reasons Beyond Is The Most Underrated Film

10 Reasons Why Galaxy Quest Is A Classic Movie | ScreenRant from https://ift.tt/3bY83sZ

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wonderfulworldofmichaelford · 7 years

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Michael After Midnight: The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy

Ah, October, a month where the internet becomes obsessed with ghosts and goblins in preparation for Halloween. And really, can I fault the people for that? The dark, macabre, and spooky make for great entertainment! Plenty of great scary movies out there for the adults to enjoy to get into the spirit, but what about kids? Well, there’s Goosebumps and all those other shows like it, but what about a dark, macabre cartoon filled with spooky shit?

Enter The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, one of the best Cartoon Network cartoons ever made. Released in August of 2001, it came just in time for that year’s Halloween, and lasted six years, with seven seasons under its belt. During that time, the show endeared itself to audiences with its combination of dark comedy, grossout humor, and just plain weird situations…though weirdness is par for the course when you’re pals with the Grim Reaper, I suppose.

So what is the plot of this cartoon? Well, one day a hamster owned by a stupid boy named Billy was about to die, and the Grim Reaper came to take him. Billy’s cunning, evil best friend Mandy decided to make a bet with the Grim Reaper; they have a game of limbo, and if he wins he gets the hamster… but if THEY win, he has too be their best friend forever. Of course, he loses, and then he becomes the put-upon pal of these two kids as they boss him around and force him to entertain them. Much hilarity (and chaos) ensues.

This show’s greatest asset was its variety. With Grim onboard, any sort of plot could be possible, from sci-fi stories where the gang fought aliens or mutant chickens to more horrifying stores where they fought demons, monsters, and other denizens of the underworld. And sometimes they would do something really weird, like the episode-long dream sequence in which Billy imagines he’s in the Wild West confronting the cowboy Tooth Fairy. This helps most of the episodes feel fresh, because going in you don’t know if you’re gonna get a story about a killer tricycle or an episode-long reference to Suspiria. Speaking of which, the show is pretty clever in its references, slipping in TONS of content for adult fans, from numerous dirty jokes that will fly over kid’s heads to references to movies no kid would see, such as the aforementioned Suspiria or Hellraiser. As there’s not much continuity here, this show is super easy to jump into at any episode and just watch and have a good experience, which is another plus; sometimes it’s nice to have a simple show driven only by its desire to tell jokes rather than tell an overarching story. And thankfully, the jokes here are mostly good, and have as much variety as the episodes themselves. One memorable episode is just an episode-long series of fart jokes, while another episode gets its laughs from giant mutant chickens and cannibalism. It’s THAT kind of show.

Now, none of these situations would be quite as good if the protagonists weren’t entertaining, so how are they? Let’s start with the guy whose name comes first in the title (technically speaking): Grim. Grim, the personification of Death with an inexplicable Jamaican accent, is bizarrely the straight man in this show… well, usually. When he has to deal with Billy, he plays the role with ease, but with Mandy, Grim can sometimes get a bit silly, though rarely to Billy’s level. As he is typically what allows the strange and supernatural hijinks of the show to occur, be it on purpose or inadvertently, he’s easily the coolest main character, and due to his put-upon nature and how sympathetic he ends up being due to the shit Billy and Mandy put him through, he’s also the most likable.

Billy is up next, and he is the stereotypical idiot comic relief character cranked up to 11. He’s stupid to the point it is stated by his principal in one episode that a shovel and two candy bracelets actually scored higher on an IQ test than he did (they got a positive 17; he got -5). Think Ed from fellow Cartoon Network cartoon Ed, Edd n Eddy, only with a bigger nose and voiced by Richard Steven Horvitz of Invader Zim and Psychonauts fame. Unlike Ed, though, the dangerous and supernatural experiences they faced combined with an occasional lack of empathy and his tendency to be a jerk can make Billy a bit of a divisive character; I tend to enjoy him quite a bit, but there are a few episodes where even he tried my patience. Still, overall he’s an enjoyable dope.

Then we have… Mandy. I’m just gonna say it: by the time the show came to an end, Mandy was easily the worst main character, maybe even the worst character on the show period. She’s typically portrayed as the Ultimate Evil, this epic child chess master who always comes out on top and never faces any sort of consequence for what she does. It’s a rare episode that sees her punished for her actions. However, in episodes where she’s not trying to pull off some evil scheme and is just reacting to the madness around her, she’s a solid character. The fact she’s voiced by Grey DeLisle does help things a bit.

As I said, there is very little continuity between episodes, but there is some, mostly in the form of reoccurring characters. In a show like this, the ensemble cast as well as one-shot characters really need to be on point, and boy oh boy are they ever in this show! This show may have one of the best and most enjoyable ensemble casts in a cartoon ever. The big standouts are Hoss Delgado, the buff monster hunter who is basically a combination of Ash Williams and Snake Plissken, with all that badassery that implies; Eris, the sexy and tricky goddess of chaos; Jeff, a gigantic spider (voiced by Maxwell Atoms, the show’s creator) who is Billy’s ‘son’ and just wants his spider-hating father’s love; General Skarr, a character from Evil Con Carne who is a cunning evil man who wants to usurp power and rule the world… or he used to be, now he just wants to tend his garden in peace; and, last but definitely not least, motherfuckin’ Dracula, voiced by Phil LaMarr and based visually on Blackula, who is basically a nonstop fountain of hilarity. Each of these characters is fantastic, funny, and able to fit into a variety of weird situations the show pops out. And this brilliance and hilarity extends to one-shot characters as well, such as the much-loved singing evil meteor and Jack O’Lantern, characters who had one appearance each but easily endeared themselves with fans. If there’s a weak link in any of the ensemble cast, it would probably be Fred Fredburger; while he’s not devoid of funny moments, his schtick was really overplayed and he ended up becoming an unofficial mascot for the series in the ads, which led to overexposure. It leads people to think he had a bigger part in the show than he did, when he had a few episodes and then appeared in a few of the specials.

Interestingly, Billy & Mandy is probably one of the few shows that really benefited from getting wackier as the show went on. The first season, when the show was Grim & Evil, is, for lack of a better word, a bit grim. The episodes still have comedy, but a lot of them just aren’t as funny as later episodes, and not many of the series mainstays pop up here, aside from Nergal, Eris, and Hoss. That’s not to say there’s nothing memorable here – “Little Rock of Horrors” is in the first season, after all – but the first season just doesn’t stack up quite as well to later ones. Season 2 introduces Jeff and Nigel Planter and has the legendary Halloween special, while season 3 has classics like “Here Thar Be Dwarves” and brings in Grim’s school bully Boogie. They only get better from here, save for season 7, which is easily the least memorable season of them all (though it does have its exceptions, particularly “Wrath of the Spider Queen").

Now, normally this is where I would wrap up, but first, I want to do something a little different. I’m going to list the 25 episodes I think are essential viewing for the best Billy & Mandy experience. I’m not going to review each episode or even detail them, because it would basically be me explaining jokes and how they’re funny. These are just the episodes I think anyone getting in should see. So without further ado…

25. Attack of the Clowns

24. One Crazy Summoner

23. The Loser from the Earth’s Core

22. Toadblatt’s School of Sorcery

21. Wrath of the Spider Queen

20. Home of the Ancients

19. Nursery Crimes

18. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

17. Giant Billy and Mandy All-Out Attack

16. Nigel Planter and the Chamber Pot of Secrets

15. Modern Primitives

14. Prank Call of Cthulhu

13. Duck!

12. The Secret Snake Club

11. Jeffy’s Web

10. Fear and Loathing in Endsville

9. Here Thar Be Dwarves

8. Goodbling and the Hip-hop-opotamus

7. Billy and Mandy Moon the Moon

6. My Fair Mandy

5. Keeper of the Reaper

4. Little Rock of Horrors

3. Wishbones

2. Billy and Mandy’s Jacked-Up Halloween

1. Billy and Mandy Save Christmas

Now this is by no means a definitive list (though I certainly believe the Halloween and Christmas episode are the two best episodes of the show), but I do certainly think that these are some of the funniest, most memorable, and most enjoyable episodes the series produced.

This show is unarguably a classic. Funny, dark, witty, and filled with jokes for people of any ages to enjoy, this is the sort of cartoon that helped Cartoon Network be truly great in the early to mid-2000s, prior to their descent into madness with live action shows. It actually spawned a pretty solid TV movie, an incredibly bizarre crossover with Codename: Kids Next Door, and a failed spinoff movie called Underfist; I’d go into more detail, but honestly, that stuff is worthy of their own reviews, so I’ll save it.

Needless to say though, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy is one of the best cartoons of the 2000s, a real gem and definitely worth watching, especially its holiday specials which are among the best holiday specials, if not THE best (that Christmas episode is a strong contender). I kinda wish this show would get a revival of some kind, because even with the glut of comedy shows we have these days, as long as Maxwell Atoms is at the helm, I can’t see this show failing to stand out in the crowd… no show with such ballsy dark comedy and radar-dodging innuendos could ever be unwelcome.

#Michael After Midnight #Review #TV show review #the grim adventures of billy and mandy #Billy & Mandy #Grim #Grim Reaper #Maxwell Atoms #Cartoon Network #comedy #dark comedy #animation #animated show

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henshinhistory · 6 years

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A retrospective on The Skull Man (2007)

...now that Henshin History’s coverage of it is complete.

Van here! I don’t know if I’ll do this for every series we cover, but! I wanted to sit down one last time and try and piece the plot together, given how disjointed the anime ended up being.

Because, seriously: Who is Tatsuo Kagura?

Tatsuo Kagura in the 1970 manga was an amoral, gleeful killer. In the 1998 followup, he’s a more pentient antihero (though still an arrogant brat). In the 2007 anime reboot, he’s gone. Tatsuo’s face and his deeds from the original manga play through the opening animation; a blink-and-you-miss-it flashback shows a young boy with a concealed face escaping the destruction of his home — and that’s it, your only on-screen confirmation that Tatsuo ever really existed. At the very end, Maya calls out for her brother, but at that point, both Maya and the man she’s calling to are so distorted and confused that you can’t trust what either of them are saying.

Yet Tatsuo’s presence haunts the show. The city officials either scoff at the legends of his ghost, or they fear his reprisal. The head of Ootomo Pharmaceuticals, Gozo Kuroshio, uses Tatsuo’s legacy as a cover for his hired assassin. The foundations of Ootomo City are built on the Kagura family’s works — literally. Various buildings and business bear the Kagura name, or they used to. The cult that has Ootomo City in its grip originates from an artifact that Tatsuo’s father, Tatsuyuki Kagura unearthed; the Gagou, the monster-forms that the cultists take, all originate from the skull mask.

(It might have been Ootomo’s treachery that turned Tatsuo into the original Skull Man and inspired his desire for revenge, but it was the Skull’s power that turned Ootomo into what it is.)

So where did that little boy go?

The anime starts out with this mystery: Who is the Skull Man, if he’s not Tatsuo? And in that case, where is Tatsuo Kagura?

The show eventually answers the first question (discarding candidates like Masaki, Akira, Jin, even Tatsuo’s actual ghost) with Father Yoshio Kanzaki, a priest traumatized by his experiences as a wartime chaplain. This reveal comes with… very little fanfare, almost overshadowed by the military coup and the introduction of Van Vogt and his killer clownbots.

As for the second question…

Maya’s stepfather Gozo tells her that “Tatsuo died when you were very young [...] he’s not your brother anymore.” This tells us nothing — Gozo is either lying or mistaken about the former, and as for the latter, Gozo thinks the Skull Man is his illegitimate son. Maya is becoming more detached from reality at this point, and Gozo may just be trying to gently bring her back to earth.

Akira Usami claims for a hot second that he is Tatsuo Kagura, but (I suspect) Akira has been driven mad by the Voice of God (something that ends up a bit glossed over, but it appears to be an audio waveform based on the sound created by the White Bell pendants, which is beyond human hearing and affects the minds of people who have been turned into Gagou). Akira also dies basically immediately.

The boy in the flashback was taken in by a priest, who was Kanzaki’s predecessor at the church. Kanzaki was raised in the church orphanage and given guardianship of the Skull mask by his predecessor, and took up the mask to kill the Gagou created by the White Bell cult. He also has a close friendship with Maya. So, obvious, right?

Except there’s Hayato. Hayato’s memories are inexplicably blurry, but he was also raised in the church orphanage. From the eavesdropped conversation, Hayato’s adopted father was also working for the pharmaceutical company, and also secretly assassinated… just like Tatsuyuki. Gozo goes out of his way to protect Hayato, and — looking back… why is Hayato so obsessed with the Skull Man legend, really? The other two people who appeared to be seeking the legend (Kiriko and Tachigi) both had additional agendas; could Hayato have subconscious reasons of his own?

(And if Hayato is not an amnesiac Tatsuo, then why is he amnesiac at all?)

And there’s the Skull itself. The Skull has a will and personality of its own — the moment Hayato takes up the mantle, he begins to experience flashbacks and memories that don’t belong to him, and to say things that an illiterate thug like Hayato Mikogami would never say. The Skull has an iron grip on its wielders — Kanzaki wanted the curse to die with him, but how much of that was Kanzaki wanting to bear this burden so nobody else would have to, or because the Skull wouldn’t let Kanzaki be free?

Could Tatsuo have been consumed by the Skull, several years ago, and his ghost is now haunting the mask and its wielders?

The show gives no definite answer.

Our problem with the show is not that it doesn’t have an answer. Our problem is that it shoots for subtlety — and misses the mark completely and lands right in “completely obtuse.” The anime cuts abruptly from scene to scene, setting up the city politics and the behind-the-curtain scheming and some truly baffling alternate-history details, while the main characters and their own development fall by the wayside.

You’re expected to be able to follow multiple different threads running at once, yet you rarely get solid introductions for half the cast — people aren’t clearly namedropped, several male characters look like each other to set them up as candidates for Skull Man’s alter ego. You aren’t allowed to get a sense of knowing who the major players are.

The most prominent villain of the show, the one who gets the big might-makes-right speech and turns into the big muscle monsterman at the end? We never know for sure what his deal is. On my first watch, I barely knew who he was even into the final episode. Was Masaki legit once, and learning about the Skull’s power seduced him into evil? Did his resentment over being the unrecognized son turn him against Gozo, and his involvement with the military was meant to ruin Ootomo City and topple Gozo’s house of cards? The answer is, “Yes, probably — but the show refuses to connect these dots.”

Then the show makes the jarring transition from “supernatural murder mystery” into “military political thriller” in the last quarter, leaving the initial overarching mysteries in the dust. It falls into the trap of using cameos as prominent characters: Suddenly, the references overtake the work, and if you don’t pick up on every easter egg, good luck trying to follow what’s going on. And it’s not even that easy to follow even if you do recognize these characters! You really should not need to watch a show frame-by-frame to get any understanding of its basic plot.

The thing is: The show could have made all of these elements work. Its failing was trying to pack all of them into a 13-episode-long can of sardines. Hayato’s downfall, and his alienation from Kiriko and Shinjou, doesn’t hit as hard as it ought to, because everything is so incredibly rushed. Part of the reason I flipped my lid over the Akira Usami episodes was because, if given enough space to breathe, they could have been fantastic at foreshadowing the events of the finale and drip-feeding more hints about Tatsuo Kagura’s true fate. Instead, once Akira was killed, all you got was a sense of wasted time.

And there’s more things that could have been fixed, like Kiriko’s characterization. Kiriko’s history as a resistance member could have been interesting — if only it ever came up in any capacity whatsoever aside from as leverage to use against her brother Jin.

And Kiriko’s status as Joe’s mother is… just silly? And super gross because she’s so young? If you really needed a cameo, a better reveal would have been for one of the younger church orphans, perhaps a little boy who always lurked in the background and revealed at the epilogue to be tiny kiddo Joe. Or if he has to be Hayato’s son, how about have Nami survive and escape the city? Anyway...

The question, “Who is Tatsuo Kagura?” goes unanswered, because the show’s intent was for his fate to remain murky.

Unfortunately, the rest of the story is just as opaque.

#the skull man #henshin history #cyborg 009

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cecillewhite · 4 years

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Podcast 30: Learning From Customer Conferences – With Tristan Jordan and Tara Pawlak of Community Brands

WELCOME TO EPISODE 30 OF THE TALENTED LEARNING SHOW

To learn more about this podcast series or to see the full collection of episodes visit The Talented Learning Show main page.

EPISODE 30 – TOPIC SUMMARY AND GUESTS:

Today I’m thrilled to welcome two executives from Community Brands – EVP and General Manager, Tristan Jordan, and Director of Marketing, Tara Pawlak.

Tara and Tristan are joining us fresh on the heels of their annual customer conference, Xperience. With more than 1800 attendees, this is the largest forum of its kind in the association and non-profit world.

What exactly makes this conference so successful? Why does learning play such a critical role? What insights emerged from this event? And what’s ahead for association technology? We cover it all…

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

For rapidly growing companies, strong customer communication is vital – not just to help users gain value from your products, but also to keep them onboard with your evolving roadmap.

Community conferences are a powerful way to build a brand – strengthening relationships while you celebrate customer successes and explore common challenges.

This year’s Xperience conference revealed that associations have reached a pivotal point in their commitment to innovation. They realize that member interests have changed and they’re ready to transform continuing education programs, accordingly.

Q&A HIGHLIGHTS:

JOHN: First, maybe we should introduce Community Brands. With mergers and acquisitions over the last few years, a lot of people may know you by other names…

TRISTAN: Sure. Community Brands is an umbrella organization with different complementary technology products that serve common audiences – associations, nonprofits, schools and faith-based organizations. Our portfolio currently includes 59 companies.

JOHN: Impressive. I had no idea your portfolio spans 59 brands!

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TRISTAN: Yeah. It’s a broad scope – more than we expect any individual customer to digest.

However, many associations and non-profits are served by lots of disparate technology vendors. Those vendors are often under-funded and under-resourced. And historically, their products don’t integrate well.

As a result, many customers spend a tremendous amount of time, money and other resources trying to build custom implementations between disparate solutions.

That’s a headache. Plus, it doesn’t capitalize on the promise of unified data, unified reporting and a seamless customer experience when moving between systems like an AMS and an LMS.

JOHN: True…

TRISTAN: Customers deserve better. So with all these different complementary technology products, we try to bring the best in each niche under our umbrella. The goal is to offer an ecosystem of products that work seamlessly together.

And because we make these products available in a way that’s smarter, more automated and more frictionless for end-users, it’s easier for customers to expand the services we provide to them, overall.

JOHN: Makes sense.

TRISTAN: So that’s why our annual customer event is so large. It brings together a great collection of minds from across that broad, diverse ecosystem.

JOHN: No wonder your conference is so popular. So after this week’s event, are you feeling exhilarated? Exhausted? Or both?

TARA: Coming off this big event, we’re energized by everything we learned from our customers and what they learned from each other. It’s especially valuable when people make connections and share their stories and ideas in the same forum.

JOHN: No doubt…

TARA: This year, we moved the event to November, so we’ve been anxious to see how that would play-out. But it’s actually great timing, because everyone’s getting ready for next year. Planning and budgeting are in full swing and January 1st will be here before we know it.

JOHN: Yep. And the cycle begins again…

TRISTAN: I have to say that the conference preparation process is really anxiety-ridden. But watching our colleagues talk about advances we’ve all been working on for months is energizing. And seeing customers talk about how their vision is coming together is hugely rewarding.

JOHN: I bet!

TRISTAN: You know, among technology vendors, there’s a cliche about serving customers as a true partner. I think every vendor aspires to that.

But having the opportunity to see long-standing customers talk about shared goals and progress we’ve made together through the years is really amazing. Especially in today’s digital world, when we communicate online with customers all the time, being able to sit side-by-side with them builds a whole different kind of chemistry.

JOHN: Yep. There’s nothing like good old face-to-face communication. What other benefits does the conference bring to you, your customers and the association community at-large?

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TARA: Because the conference spans all of our various brands, it brings together industry executives, IT professionals, marketing specialists, membership professionals, fundraisers and event planners.

This diverse mix of interests gives attendees exposure to a rich learning and networking opportunity they can’t find elsewhere. People from very different environments can talk through similar challenges and learn from one another.

Plus, by connecting directly with our team, they can be at the forefront of product innovation.

JOHN: That networking aspect is really important. Do you just let it happen naturally? What’s your strategy?

TARA: We really want to let people network in their own style. Some people prefer a happy-hour event. Others just prefer to have one-on-one interactions in a session breakout, or through natural conversations in the hallway.

JOHN: Do you use your products to facilitate social learning?

TARA: Absolutely, we leverage our technology to encourage interaction. One popular example is a kind of badge flair concept. A lot of attendees love to check-in online and identify the various products they use. This makes it easy to find others with similar interests, and it helps them strike-up organic conversations.

JOHN: Good idea…

TRISTAN: We also have an event app called TripBuilder that we use pretty extensively. It includes a social feed for event-specific content. People can search profiles, connect with other attendees and add them to their LinkedIn network. Or they invite others to meet-up at conference activities.

But just bringing like-minded people together in one room to discuss thought-provoking, relevant topics is very effective. We strive to make sessions interactive, not just lecture format.

Also, we make sure there’s ample break time between sessions, so the conversation can continue around the water cooler or coffee stop. That’s where I see some of the best networking. It’s a kind of “conversation after the conversation,” where people actually shake hands, trade business cards and things like that…

JOHN: Sure. And do attendees with common interests tend to share best practices about how they do X, Y, or Z in an application? Does that happen?

TRISTAN: Yeah, tons of that. The nonprofit/association space is full of people who are trying to do good or support a cause or further an industry. By definition, associations are niche. They rarely compete head-to-head for the same members. So our customers are super keen to share best practices.

They actually find a lot of value and comfort in talking with peers who are facing similar challenges – whether it’s about how to make the most of a particular product, or just the pressures they face from competing with other sources of information, like social networks.

JOHN: Cool…

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TRISTAN: Actually, one association’s issues are usually the same for others. As people talk about challenges and solutions, the dialogue takes on a life of its own.

When someone has a great idea, we see lots of people taking notes as we talk through it. That’s because so many of these topics are relevant to all.

JOHN: What are the most important insights you’re taking away from this year’s conference? Anything surprising or new?

TARA: This week, we released a new study focused on member engagement and loyalty. A key finding is that 93% of association members want personalized content.

In fact, members ranked personalized continuing education course recommendations as their number one need across all career stages – early, middle and late. Yet only 13% of associations are actually delivering it.

JOHN: Wow. Big gap there…

Our technology teams have been working hard to support personalized content, so this is a good opportunity for our customers to deliver what members want. And conference attendees told us that they’re actually ready to embrace new technology so they can meet members’ expectations.

So there’s no more resistance to change. In fact, associations are really eager to bring this to life for their members. This means that personalization and the idea of a “customer of one” are here to stay.

JOHN: Seems like it took a long time for this to happen. Why do you think associations are finally embracing personalization?

TARA: I think it’s a couple of things. Definitely competing forces are coming into play. Technology advances have created other places for members to go, like LinkedIn and Lynda. Also, associations are taking a closer look at their value, and they understand that it comes from knowing their members and offering what they want.

JOHN: Great news!

Another insight from the study focuses on why members join associations. In the past we found that many people joined out of obligation. They felt it was necessary to be part of an association in their industry.

But this year, we saw a shift toward the desire for networking and continuing education. A lot of associations are starting to recognize this shift, and they’re trying to pivot their value propositions based on things that interest and engage members now.

JOHN: Any additional insights about continuing education? How about content strategies like video or microlearning or gamification?

TRISTAN: Yes. During the conference, we hosted a client council meeting, where we discussed learning products. In one exercise we asked, “What’s your big bet? What do you believe will drive the biggest impact on your learning program in the next year?”

This prompted four important takeaways:

1) Many associations are becoming more comfortable with moving traditional classroom programs online. It sounds like an obvious move, but for some associations, these classroom-based learning programs are their biggest revenue drivers. And some have been around for decades. So change does not come naturally there.

2) Programs with a clear learning path are gaining traction. Associations like using technology to assess individual knowledge, sync it with information from other learners, assign a clear path forward and prompt learners throughout their journey.

In other words, let’s say the goal is to pass a high-stakes exam where failure could mean that members can’t practice their profession. Healthcare certifications are one example.

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It’s helpful to send learners periodic messages about their progress. Those little nudges seem to be a productive way to keep people engaged with their course of study.

3) Personalized exam prep is important, particularly for high-stakes exams. Time is precious for medical practitioners and other professionals. So study guides are moving from one-size-fits-all books to more personalized education programs with prescriptive learning based on an individual’s strengths and weaknesses.

With digital technology, study guides can focus effort where a learner’s competency is lacking, so exam prep becomes much more efficient. Busy professionals like surgeons will pay a premium for this. So it represents a big revenue opportunity.

4) Just-in-time learning. This shouldn’t be a surprise, but it really jumped off the page for us. The focus isn’t on just-in-time learning to earn a credential. Rather, it’s about driving competence.

Associations want to provide a searchable library of digital knowledge assets with really low access barriers. That’s because members want to be more competent, but they don’t want to dig through hour-long courses to find 10-minutes-worth of information that helps them solve an immediate problem.

JOHN: Exciting feedback! So how do you document all of the input you receive during two fast, furious days? Is it formal or informal?

TRISTAN: Great question. It’s both formal and informal. Of course, we rely on formal surveys tied to the sessions. But this year, we also used some super cool new technologies.

For example, our employees all use our Expo Logic product. This includes a little scanner on their mobile phone, so they can point it at someone’s badge and take notes about conversations with that person. It’s a great way to capture input and ideas that happen informally over lunch or whatever.

JOHN: Nice…

TRISTAN: We also use another innovative product called PropFuel. It’s a cool “voice of the member” platform that basically lets attendees participate in micro surveys. So rather than sending out a traditional 20-question survey that people might ignore, we’ll send just one question prior to the event.

We’ll ask something like, “What’s your primary reason for attending?” They can answer in a free-form narrative. Then we use technology to analyze responses, so we can see the most common reasons, overall.

With a traditional pre-event survey, you’d never get a high response. But with this micro survey – the response rate was 51%.

JOHN: Excellent!

This kind of tool is helpful after the conference, too. For example, in the next few days, attendees will receive a follow-up question from us. Something like, “Would you recommend Xperience to a peer?” They can answer yes or no, and explain why if they wish.

So this micro survey concept of questions and answers is a great way to capture feedback over time in a frictionless, conversational way. Next month, we’ll ask, “Have you put into practice anything you learned at Xperience?” It’s an easy way to keep in touch, while gathering intelligence along the way.

JOHN: Anything else you would add, Tara?

TARA: As Tristan said, we “eat our own dog food” in that we use our technology to scan and capture information before, during and after the conference. And we consolidate that data in segments, so we can analyze it and share it effectively with everyone on our teams.

This is really important because each of us has only a limited impression of what happened at the conference. We’re all in different sessions throughout the event. So it’s super important to consolidate, interpret and share this information from a bigger-picture view.

JOHN: Fantastic. It’s one thing to host a massive forum where many different attendees can learn collaboratively. But the fact that you gather intelligence, analyze it and learn from everything that happens really takes it to a different level.

TARA: Thanks, John!

JOHN: So, imagine you’re talking with someone who wants to plan a similar conference, but they’re just starting out. What advice would you share…?

…FOR COMPLETE ANSWERS TO THIS QUESTION AND MORE, LISTEN TO THE FULL 30-MINUTE PODCAST!

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Inside the Customer Learning Lifecycle

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With countless ways to promote and package instructional content, what’s the best investment of your time and budget?

Join our Lead Analyst John Leh and Tiffany Mack, Senior Marketing Manager of Careers & Education at Community Brands, as they explore solutions. You’ll find practical ideas and real-world examples, including:

Must-have elements of a marketing-led learning strategy

Motivational techniques to engage new and existing participants

Methods for improving content quality and relevance

Tools to scale your audience reach and involvement

How to measure marketing’s impact on program performance

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