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#endless cartoon intros
maybe-just-whelmed · 8 months
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Endless Cartoon intro’s: 21/♾
Dead End: Paranormal Park
2022
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honourablejester · 2 years
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Idle thought for a Spelljammer adventure:
One of the cartoons that defined my childhood was The Pirates of Dark Water, which was about … well, the intro explains it pretty well:
The alien world of Myrr is being devoured by dark water. Only Ren, a young prince, can stop it, by finding the lost thirteen treasures of Rule. At his side is an unlikely but loyal crew of misfits. At his back, the evil pirate lord Bloth, who will stop at nothing to get the treasures for himself. It’s high adventure with the Pirates of Dark Water!
This show seriously shaped a LOT of my views of, say, planetary romance, science fantasy, etc. The explicitly alien but extremely fantasy world of Myrr, plus pirates, really did a lot for me as a kid. And I still adore the concept of the Dark Water itself, this vast, creeping corruption of an oceanic world, this sentient acidic oil slick that corrupts and converts other things into itself. Or just devours them.
And I’m just … I look at the Dark Water now and a bit of me sees an ooze. Specifically, an absolutely gargantuan, globally spreading black pudding. A seed of Juiblex, maybe, a particularly intelligent and sentient and titanic black ooze, with maybe quite a few of Juiblex’ resistances and regeneration, who is seeking to spread across the world for the Faceless Lord and remake it in Juiblex’ image.
And while Myrr and that idea would make an excellent planetary setting for D&D as well, I feel like there’s also a thing you could maybe do by transferring it to the Astral Sea. It is, after all, fully Spelljammer’s vibe. You’ve still got the ships. You’ve still got the pirates. And there’s plenty of eldritch shit knocking around the Astral Sea.
Maybe that’s how the Seed of Juiblex became so powerful and intelligent, because the psychic winds of the Sea imbued it with knowledge and sentience and possibly magic, all of which combined with the endless hunger of Juiblex to create a terrifying threat that seeks to devour everything the Sea touches. And the Faceless Lord sensed it and was pleased, and bestowed further gifts to strength it, delighted by its miasmic presence in the Sea.
Just picture it. You’re sailing the vast silver void of the Astral Sea, the guardrail of your ship under your hands, your sails proud and arched above you. Suddenly you see something in the distance. A darkness. A vast, rippling obsidian shape. A colour pool, you think. It has to be, at that size. One of the black pools to Limbo. You think to say something, but already the helm has moved to avoid it. You’ve no business in Limbo right now.
But even as you turn, you realise that the shape has rippled. Moved. You realise it has turned to follow you. Whatever this is, it has sentience. It has will. It’s not a colour pool, it’s a creature. As large as the ship and larger, and it’s not slow either.
Maybe you escape. Maybe you fight it. Maybe you win. But when you next make port, you the hear the rumours spreading. You’re not the only one who saw such a thing. There’s a corruption, out there in the Sea, and it’s growing. It’s spreading. It’s not one creature. It can’t be. So many have seen it, or something like it. And some … have seen something bigger. Not the size of a ship, but the size of a city. The size of a port. A vast, obsidian blackness, spreading out across the silver sea, that whispers and speaks. Of hunger. Nothing but hunger. A vast, gnawing, incomprehensible hunger.
(I love oozes. I love oozes. Juiblex is as eldritch as anything the Far Realm could come up with)
And it cannot be destroyed. This vast, parent blackness. All the firepower of some of the greatest spelljamming vessels have died trying. If there’s a way to stop this, it has yet to be found. But someone, somewhere, must know how. This is the Astral Sea. There must be some fragment of a dream, blown by a psychic wind, that details how to defeat this creature. Some archive, that holds the knowledge of what this thing is, what it springs from, what force empowers it. And how to decouple it, how to detach it from the strength of the Faceless Lord, before it grows large enough to devour cities and ports and perhaps even planets whole. Some artefact, maybe, or artefacts …
I’m just saying. If, like me, you grew up with the Pirates of Dark Water. If you grew up with that space fantasy vibe. Spelljammer looks like such a good opportunity to live out the dream …
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cf56 · 2 years
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I’m getting real sick of just trying to look up some nostalgic cartoon on YouTube and getting confronted with droves of comments exclusively talking about how it compares to the cartoons of today, how everything made today sucks. I recently looked up the intro to Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, one of my favorite shows of all time. I wanted to go to the comments to see some other people’s good memories of the show, share in our fandom, but trying to find a single positive comment about the show that didn’t simultaneously mention and insult current cartoons was like searching for a needle in a haystack. (That specific video has since been deleted, so unfortunately I can’t link it to show what I’m talking about.) And it was all people like me, around my age, who grew up watching this show. I was quickly taken from an appreciative, nostalgic mood to a bitter one- they brought me down to their level. It was my breaking point on this issue.
I’ve never been able to understand this mindset. Has my generation already forgotten the endless smug mockery we suffered at the hands of 90’s kids, who insisted that nothing good was ever made outside that golden decade? It wasn’t that long ago- in fact, it still happens. Yet so many of us have turned around and begun doing the exact same thing to the current generation. I don’t get it. It wasn’t true then and it isn’t true now.
In my personal opinion, some of the greatest cartoons of all time have been made in the last 5-10 years. Even if you don’t agree, what’s the point in trying to put down today’s kids for watching stuff they enjoy? It doesn’t help celebrate the cartoons of our time. It just creates an aura of negativity, taking focus away from the good things we had and putting it on the things you dislike. The only reasons you think old cartoons were better are:
1. You only remember the good ones. Seriously, who remembers stuff like Coconut Fred’s Fruit Salad Island? No one, because it sucked. Sorry, Rob Paulsen, but even he agrees with me. Every decade has its fair share of bad and awful cartoons, but those are the ones that get forgotten the most as time goes on, making it seem like past decades had nothing but good stuff, which is never the case.
2. Pure nostalgia. Nostalgia is real, and, combined with the fact that you were probably just less naturally critical when you were a kid, of course you’re going to remember the things from your childhood more fondly than most things you watch as an adult.
3. Simply being out of touch. No generation shares exactly the same sense of humor as the last. That doesn’t mean that their shows are less funny, just that it’s more catered to its audience, which it should be.
Using the good memories we have from our childhood shows and using them to put down modern audiences does nothing but tarnish the legacy of the shows we revere so much. Why can’t we use our shared love of cartoons as a way to unite across generations, instead of divide them? We may not all like exactly the same things, but we can all relate to that feeling of sitting down and enjoying a show we love. The internet in general would be a much more tolerable place if we all focused more on the things we like rather than the things we hate.
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thesquidwizard · 1 year
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Theres a huge portion of adults who refuse to watch anything but children's cartoons
and weirdly enough theres a huge market currently for taking childrens cartoons/media and making quirky edgy messes out of them.
why do you all keep watching this shit, like i get it sometimes you cant escape teen led stories teens are an easy way to intro a new world
but like 70% of these shows are specifically coming of age style stories with a twist of some kind, you know for tween and teens maybe even 18-22 year olds
but what are 25-30- year olds getting out of an endless stream of coming of age stories
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t4tripsandtours · 2 years
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panikpanikpanik · 2 years
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Just remembered that I had a pirate disc of Hunchback of Notre Dame when I was a kid. I liked it and all, especially Intro song and hellfire (though that it was kinda hilarious when Frolo suddenly stopped to sing for a second when soldier came in, and then just CONTINUED), but... It didn't have the very end.
Like, good guys won, they come out from cathedral to the crowd, crowd cheers for Esmeralda and this knight guy, and then Quasimodo comes out of shadows and. Silence. And disc just goes back to main menu.
I understood that there supposed to be something after this, like crowd accepting Quasimodo, but on that disc there was nothing. Just endless silence of crowd.
I think it may very much be superior version from original Disney one.
(never rewatched this cartoon later tbh, besides a couple of songs because they're bangers, but now I don't think I'll do even that because fuck Disney on principle)
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dracereads · 2 years
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So I want to talk about a little bit about reviewing books. This one is a long-winded one, so grab a snack because I can talk your fucking ear off.
So I think the best way to get started with a reviewing process is to basically introduce who I am and what I know about books, authors, and writing.
So. Let's start there. Hello, my name is Drace and I'm an AG/NB person who is 28 years old as of the time of writing this intro at least. I use they-them pronouns primarily, but I'm not one to chew your head off if you use the wrong ones. Because It's probably not done with ill intent.
In this contextual world of books and academia, I define myself as a writer. I've written a full manuscript or two in the past. However, I never thought my skill was good enough to pursue publishing them, and it definitely wasn't. No Loss There, LMAO. I don't actively regret that choice either as I will explain later.
I consider myself to be obsessed with storytelling, and I've been telling stories since I've been able to talk. I was always making my dolls into different characters and putting them through various crafty and crazy scenarios.
My passion to tell a good story only grew as I got older, with my nose buried deep in books, or playing video games (especially RPGS), watching anime, cartoons, and movies. As I made friends, I found myself surrounded with creative types who loved to read, write, and draw as much as I did. Together we wrote fanfiction, made stupid comics, and spent countless hours role-playing original characters, canon characters... or whatever the hell stupid kids come up with.
I am not a stranger to a good story and the emotions that come with them. There is nothing more intimate than a story that resonates inside, and you hold onto it like fragments of a dream you accidentally woke up from in the middle of the night. But like... life has a tendency to happen, right? I'm no different from anyone else when it comes to suffering trauma, tragedy, and the pain of growing up.
However, I've never really had good coping or relationship skills due to my issues, and eventually when I turned 17 I had an extremely bad burn out. What's worse is that I had no idea what was going on, no real words to explain it, and nobody who had the ability to recognize the issues within me as I explained them.
I used to think that what I experienced was just... a deep depression. However, looking back on it. It was so much worse. To use words now; it was like being stuck at the bottom of an endless abyss where I genuinely thought I would never get out of again. There was a time where I thought I was not going to live to see my 20s, and I was prepared to die then and there.
I dropped my academic aspirations and I nearly flunked out of high school. I did NOT care anymore. About myself or the world around me, and I just. let myself be swept up in the current of my parents, teachers, counselors, and remedial educators dragging me along to finish school while I waited to die. I spent most of my time burying my nose in classic books like Jane Eyre or Pride and Prejudice to get me through work I didn't have the emotional or mental capacity to handle.
I ultimately chose not to pursue higher education because I didn't know what was wrong with me... or why what was happening did. I was always so afraid of the thought that I would get myself unstuck, only to end up sinking back into the pit because I didn't know what put me there in the first place. 
Also, this was also the time in my life that my chronic issue-- illness? I'm not sure what to describe it as. Also started to manifest. So I leaned into that because it was the justifiable excuse that everyone seemed to accept. Mental illness was unacceptable, but a physical illness? Wow that a lot. Please keep in mind that I grew up in a rather conservative area and household, and that mental illness is very stigmatized as a result.
Most people don't understand what burn out is exactly until it happens to them. I hope for your sake, dear reader. That you don't have to go through it and my words reach you in some way if that's the path you're on. I will try to put this in an allegory, but leave no uncertain terms. Think of your mind as a forest.
All your interests, passions, creativity weave together to form a tapestry of interconnected skills, values, aspirations, and dreams that form the trees, shrubs and canopy of your mind. That's what protects you from the outside world and helps you define your sense of self.
Depression in my experience is a dead tree or two, and in the worst case of it. Many dead trees that need to be clear cut away to help the ones still thriving remain. However even with the trees removed, you still have stumps, logs, branches and leaf debris to remind you that there was something there once. You can start again because you still have landmarks in your mind. Your brain will heal itself over time if you nurture it back to health. If you have dead trees in your mind, you need to take care of them. You need to take care of yourself to ensure that you still have plenty of living trees in your head.
Burnout is a fucking forest fire. Not only does it destroy dead trees, it ravages and eats away at the living ones. Eventually it will raze everything in your mind. You are left with nothing but an empty canvas. With barely any reminders of what existed before, and how it existed. You exist solely in the despair and blackened remains of who you were.
There is hope though. Even through all that. We all carry the capacity to heal. New things take root... and you work through it. You start over again. And I genuinely tried.
However, I quickly lost traction and fell back into despair. I had come to lose my mental acuity, one treasure I didn't know I had until it was gone. I had moved out of my parents home and lived a few sucky years trying to work through my burn out while working an adult job. One morning going to my shitty job resulted in a devastating car accident, which caused a traumatic brain injury.
Suddenly this world I was at least used to navigating had changed again. I lost all connection to who I was before my accident. I was an imposter in my own skin, barely recalling memories that supposedly belonged to me. It was like viewing your life as fragments of a dream you barely remember.
The stories that I could tell before and simple things like vocabulary and forming complete sentences or thoughts became excruciatingly difficult, if not impossible at times. I struggled to find simple words and circled my thoughts around and around trying to find coherency. It was agonizing. 
I tried to bury myself in familiar habits and places, essentially "faking it until I make it back to myself" sort of thing. However, it became clear to me that I was never going to be who I was again. It was time to let that person pass away. So I spiraled. again.
On my downward trend, I happened upon an editor's blog who recommended a book by Rebecca Syme called "Dear Writer are you in burnout?" And i bought it because why the fuck not. Maybe she could tell me why my stories had fallen out of my grasp and maybe give me tips on how to reach a little further than what I could currently.
To put it bluntly: It was the first time anyone had put my situation into perspective for me without hearing a damn word I had said. She described it to a tee. Believe it or not, she was also the first person who bluntly told me to go seek professional help for it, because it would be beyond my ability to recover by myself.
So I did. I've learned so much since then and I am open and willing to share that trauma with you all now. Because I'm in a better place and I feel like it's not oversharing to explain that I'm not exactly conventional in what you would expect behind a keyboard on a blog about books.
Part of my progress is bluntly just to rediscover and discover passions again. I know for a fact that despite it all, I'm still a slut for a good story.
I spent the better part of the pandemic studying my ass off with books about reading, about writing, about character crafting, about literary design. I took a few courses in what I could online for free. A lot of that work suggested I pick up reading as a habit and a hobby again.
The theory is that you start building up a repertoire of stuff you like and dislike. Eventually that stuff will spark a fire in my imagination and eventually reignite my creativity to write. Theone thing I want to do more than fucking anything.
So that brings me to reviews now. Given my struggles I absolutely want to stay the fuck away from brutual critique. I am not here to tear anyone down. This is especially coming from a place where I have done so in the past to myself and others. It's toxic and I'm not about it.
I can tell you from experience that writing is stupidly hard. Good writing is about 10 times as difficult as that! Cruelty should have no place in creative spaces meant for creators. That's what I strive to be. So we'll be having none of it here thank-you. However, that does not mean to say some authors and writers do not deserve a good kick in the ass from time to time. We're all human. We all make mistakes. I feel like most people deserve grace. So no brutality does not mean no critique.
I know for a fact there are some authors and writers that are real pieces of human feces out there, and they are actively seeking a punch in the face and I can get behind them getting what they deserve. I'm going to avoid the hell out of these people if I can help it.
However, this facet of writing is 1000% new to me. I don't have a discerning eye for bad apples and troublesome people yet. To be honest, the only time I ever researched authors, literary agents, or publishers was for school papers. I sort of read and consumed whatever the fuck without stopping to consider who wrote it and why for the majority of my life.
That has changed with the start of this blog. Here I am, jumping feet first into this part of the process. I am fairly confident in my ability to swim and I think I'll be fine. But please forgive me if I sink and drink a few times while I'm learning the ropes. Patience and kindness is much appreciated in advance. Thank-you.
So. Now I want to make a discernment in terms. I do not consider being an author and a writer to be entirely synonymous. They are two entirely different beasts.
I feel like the author tends to refer to the business side of writing. It's the stuff you do in order to market your book. It's the editing, publishers, agents, book-covers, interviews, jacket sleeves. It's about the person and their works as a brand.
Saying you're a writer refers to your skill at writing. This is your story itself, its characters. Its themes. it's the deeply rooted psychological trauma and biases that you slip into your work without your notice kinda stuff.
Now. You can be shit at being an author, and you can be shit at being a writer. They are two entirely different connotations.
Examples:
C.S. Pacat, the writer of the Captive Prince series is a SHIT author. She's doing much better now, but when she first came out. The books were hard AF to find, and there was next to nothing you could do in terms of research on her or her views. She was a damn ghost.
GREAT WRITER. SHIT. Author.
The reverse of that is Stephenie Meyer. Steph is arguably a mediocre and high-school level writer. I've met role-players who could logic circles around that woman and still use Linkin Park as an inspiration for a scene.
However, I think Stephenie Meyer is a great example of a kick-ass author. She had a superb marketing team who put her into the hands of her target audience, and had such a captivating presence with her fans that they took her viral. They were rabid. I still remember my sister going to the releases for Breaking Dawn when the book was published.
What I wouldn't give for Stephenie Meyer to write a tell all on Twilight... but like she could skip all her writing advice. I just want to know what it was like to be that badass of an author. Give me the deets on what you did after your manu girlie.
Anyway, I'm starting to digress from my point. Which was author =/= writer.
So while I may not know jack-all about the author side of this shindig, I can hold my own on the writing side.
Writing is a skill. I've worked with good writers, bad writers. I've read bad stories. I've celebrated good stories with bad writers who grew into writing them. I've won academic awards. I won amateur contests. I've tutored in writing. I've done peer reviewing. I've done brainstorming sessions.
There are probably a few people who would go "OMG NO. THIS BITCH AINT" and an equal amount of people who would go "OMG DRACE HAS FINALLY DONE IT. I'M SCREAMING" in a hypothetical reaction to this blog. I've been awful. I've been good. I've been here a long fucking time.
So. I love. love. love. writing. And not being able to do what I love kills me.
So when people write and especially get through the hell and tribulations that is getting a manuscript published, I feel like I need to be able to handle their artwork like it's fragile. I want to handle my thoughts with precision and care. I want to be able to tell you what I think without making it my mission to make it be the only thing you think about a piece. Just enough to pique your own curiosity without telling you how to think on it for yourself.
Oh. and another thing I should mention: I absolutely love bad books. It's always so fascinating to me to dissect them and figure out what went wrong. What is it exactly that's not working right? Is it just not to my taste? Am I just too stupid or too traumatized for this piece? 
Because of that, some things you would consider bad I might gloss over or not give a grievance to. I am very gentle with flaws, plot holes, and bad characters, and shit premises. Good writing is hard. They're making the effort to put themselves out there. I can be kind.
Don’t get me wrong though. There are some books out there that are so bad that even my kindness can’t save them. I’ve got plenty of 1 & 2 star books that have been finished. What I do with them is set it to the side and skip over writing about them. I’d rather push out 3-Star and above books at the moment. 
It is eventually my intent to start trickling “bad” books into the mix. Those are going to be books that are going to get a lot of written attention because those are going to be more instrumental in my own growth as a writer. That’s not to say that I’m not growing more powerful as a writer on the dopamine hits that the good ones provide. This is a good time to mention that when I read books, I actively take notes when I read. I have a notebook and pen with me all the time. If I don’t, I literally have a phone with a built in stylus so that I can start scribbling down plot points, arguments, and thoughts that I have at any time. Something funny? Annotate. A stupid meme idea? Write that shit down for later. Copy a sentence down and start riffing off of that section and be like “wait no what why” like a damn margin. Abso-fucking-lutely. 
Not only that but I do have some 5-star piece reviews that I have crafted and fully written out in my notebook. I sort of just slop them down in the same fashion as this piece you’re reading right now, and do a lot of editing, tweaking, and restructuring when I transcribe them digitally. However, I feel like I’m not technically qualified to share my opinion on some of those pieces without doing more research. I’d rather do the research and grow my opinion from reliable research than homebrew it from life experiences. So they’re probably going to be a lot different after the editing is over. And that doesn’t concern me in the slightest. I’m not really in any rush to just slam out work I’m not ready to share yet. However, everything that I’ve done so far has been so much fun. I don’t want to ruin that fun by trying to force myself through something I’m not feeling at the moment. 
I already wrote a piece about realistic expectations on this blog. However, the part I failed to mention is that I’m a bird with attention issues. So sometimes you’re going to get nothing at all for weeks. And then sometimes you’ll get a piece like this where my passion strikes me and Heat of the Moment by Asia blares in my head as I slam my fingers on a 3k before editing and altering monstrosity. I’m sorry, inspiration and motivation just infects me strangely. 
Anyway, I’ve had a blast working on this piece this weekend, from the writing, and now the editing.  Though really I  think I need to shut the hell up because like I said, this has already gone over 3,000 words. I absolutely make no promises, but these heart-to-heart deep talking things might become more of a thing. Especially if I get an example of something I want to think at length about. That would be something similar to that deep dive into All Boys Go To Jupiter that I did. I really do need more of that in my life. 
Tdlr; Drace gives you their tragic introduction as your narrator, I share my thoughts on authors vs writers and how they’re different. I also explain why I tend to seem “nicer” and most stuff I end up sharing gets 3+ stars, and that I’m a goofy goober who gets random spurts of inspiration for no real discernible reason. 
Peace and Love till next time, Lovelies!
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notatallgaystuff · 2 years
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Ok so this Is gonna be my intro
My name is Damian and I like a lot of things
Tho i do dislike a few things but who doesn't
Ok so I'll make a list of things I like or dislike
Things I like:[cats][cleaning][music][drawing][working out][reading][annoying my sister] [my mom] [video games][beating up bullies]
Cartoons/shows i like to watch: [the owl house] [amphibia][adventure time][inside job] [gravity falls][the boondocks][helluva boss][arcane][the waking dead]
Anime I like to watch:[naruto][one piece][demon slayer][beastars][tokyo ghoul] [attack on titan][my hero academia] [fire force] [bungou stray dogs] [jujutsu kaisen][seraph of the endless] [the promised neverland][mob psycho 100]
Things i dislike:[people who hate on others for no reason at all][my dad][little kids] [doing nothing all day][things that are dirty][bullies][people who hate or hurt cats]
Well that's it for now I might add somethings in the future but for now I'm fine with it
And if anyone wants to be friends or wants to ask me something go ahead and dm me trust me i don't bite :3
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alicornmoonstar · 5 years
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maybe-just-whelmed · 8 months
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Endless Cartoon intro’s: 20/♾
Kim Possible 2002-2007
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nyanyacore · 3 years
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( i decided to try my hand at making a fandorm! i hope y’all will be interested! follow @toontasma for funny cartoon dorm shenanigans! i will be posting stuff abt the dorm on both blogs tho!)
TOONTASMA
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“Founded on the zaniness and cunning of the Toontown Judge!”
The students in this dorm usually excel in the entertainment industry and are known to be quite eccentric. Most students in this dorm will spend their time improving their skills through events and lounge work and ,sometimes, they end up being scouted by agencies.
Toontasma also prides itself in having lots of fun! There are year-round events and games that the dorm has by tradition. Students are encouraged to participate, as they can reap some rewards and strengthen bonds.
UNIFORMS
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NRC
-the vest, magic pen, and arm band are all a bright yellow! for the arm band, the stripe colors to choose from are red, blue, or green.
TOONTASMA
-the standard uniforms can be adjusted in length and in style to a certain extent! hats are optional and available!
(fun fact! it is encouraged for all students to keep their gloves on in public, since taking them off is considered a great offense)
NOTEWORTHY STUDENTS
(individual intro posts will be made later)
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arma doomsday - toontasma’s cocky and money-grubbing dorm leader! the dorm prospers under his leadership and the way he’s running the ink and paint club, he’s giving mostro lounge a run for it’s money.
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sludge - the toothy vice dorm leader and bartender for ink and paint. that follows arma’s every command without question. he seems to have a strict diet for ink and ink only.
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vera million - a gorgeous and feisty second year and a frequent performer at the the ink and paint club! she’s more than glad to mentor her underclassmen and protect them from arma’s occasional wrath.
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raymond hopps - a clumsy first year with endless hope and a dream to make a whole room of people die laughing! if only he could get people to laugh with him and not at him :(
LOCATIONS
INK AND PAINT CLUB
- a jazzy spot modeled after 20/30s era speakeasies. it’s a place where students can come to be served special New Inkwell-style drinks and enjoy a variety of entertainment from jiving music to a comedy act. gossip says that there’s a secret room with a password ;)
NEW INKWELL
- a bustling city where some Toontasma students seems to come from. People from New Inkwell are often referred to as “Inklings”.
TOONTASMA ENTRANCE
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TOONTASMA LOUNGE
-a place where most students hang out and where the gag wall is!
TOONTASMA EVENTS/TRADITIONS
- SPLATTER PARTY
a tradition where toontasma first years participate in a paint battle, splattering each other with paint to decorate their uniforms and break the ice!
- GAG GALA
a fashion event held at the end of every month, where students dress their absolute best according to the given them. the best dress students wins a shiny award and gets the honor to be on the gag wall, located in the dorm lounge.
- PI (E) DAY
a competitive game day held on march 14th that takes place across the entire toontasma campus! students are split into two teams, tasked to chuck pies at each other for points. each student hit is 1 point while the vice and dorm leaders are worth 5 points each (because they’re not easy targets ofc). the team with the most points wins and gets a favor granted by the dorm leader. students from other dorms are allowed to play if they wish but will not be spared once they set foot on toontasma territory.
OTHER STUDENTS
lottie walters @azulashengrottoes
bonnie jones @toadodoki
hanswurst schlaff @peteza-mozzarella
vance spooner + mask @onlywished
mimi holland @leonasbitties
sophia sherwood @just-patchy
dieselle knark @circuscarnage
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK ME! ANY TOONS ARE WELCOME TO THIS DORM! IF YOU DECIDED TO MAKE AN OC, TAG IT UNDER #TOONTASMADORM
I HOPE Y’ALL ENJOY IT OR SOMETHING LOL! THIS POST WILL BE UPDATED A LOT :P
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nuttersincorporated · 3 years
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Brainladdin
Here’s my contribution to the deez-art’s Brainladdin au. Please check out their art. It’s awesome!
Thank you to cawareyoudoin for betering this. Any mistakes left are my own.
Prologue: The great and powerful genie, Yakko, breaks the fourth wall to argue with the author and introduce you to the Brainladdin au. Also, Arabian Nights has been rewritten for this au.
Fandoms: Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain and Disney’s Aladdin
Word Count: 1031
Warning: The fourth wall may never recover but other than that, nothing.
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Oh, you’ve heard of the tale Yes, Aladdin’s well known You’ve watched it and read it before There is magic and love And a carpet above It’s Disney and also folklore
But we’re mixing it up Animaniacs style The writer’s completely deranged Make yourself a hot tea Read this fanfic and see How the story you know has changed!
See fan art tonight! And read fanfic today! The writer has flipped And thrown out the script Hope this turns out okay!
Here’s fan works tonight Based on a cartoon A new role to fill Will Brain fit the bill? Read to find out soon
Hellooooooo, reader!
Tremble in fear, puny mortal! For I am the great and powerful genie, Yakko the magnificent!
Just, kidding! You have nothing to fear. I’m mean, I am a powerful genie but I’m also helping out the storyteller by introducing you to the Brainladdin au. The only thing you have to fear is my killer jokes!
Author's Note: He says he’s helping but really, I didn’t ask for this. I just wanted to start the story in a normal way. Personally, I think this prologue is too meta but Yakko insisted.
Go away! You get to tell most of the story your way. Let me do the introduction. The people deserve to know what they are getting into with this fic!
Author’s Note: Okay, okay! I’m going!
Thank you!
Okay, lovely reader, what’s that look for? You weren’t expecting this fanfic to break the fourth wall? Look, kids; this is Animaniacs meets Aladdin, the fourth wall was never safe here.
That said, don’t worry, it won’t always be this direct. This is just the prologue to set the scene.
Anyway, where was I before the author interrupted and you got all worried about the state of the fourth wall?
Oh, yes. That’s right!
Our story takes place in a place you might almost recognize. ACMEbah is the capital city of the desert kingdom, Warner-rabia. It’s a place full of magic, mystery and wacky animation.
Here are the players in this little pantomime:
Yakko: That’s me! The great and powerful genie of the lamp and star of the show! Outside of this prologue, I don’t turn up in the story until a few chapters in. Don’t be disheartened. It’ll be worth the wait. I’m funny and… -sigh- the author is telling me to get on with it. She also says I’m not the star but what does she know?
Brainladdin: A street mouse with big dreams. At the start of our story, he aims to escape poverty and change how ACMEbah is run. He wants to make it a fair place for everyone, including his young ward Wakko, who I’ll tell you about in a moment.
The guards think of Brainladdin as a petty criminal and public menace. The poorer inhabitants of ACMEbah think Brainladdin is a foolish dreamer who’ll never get anywhere in life. Brainladdin has not let others' assumptions stop him from trying. In fact, given a change of circumstances, Brainladdin might just get the chance to reach higher than even he’s ever dared to dream.
Wakko: I love this kid and so will you! Until a few years ago, Wakko was just another orphan trying to scrap out a living on the streets of ACMEbah. Then Brainladdin saved his life and more or less unofficially adopted him. Wakko now enjoys helping Brainladdin with his plans.
Wakko is a great kid with a heart of gold, a bottomless appetite and almost endless optimism. He loves making people laugh, has no respect for authority, and is extremely loyal to those he cares about.
Princess Jaspinky: Jaspinky has spent his whole life in the palace. He is expected to be the perfect Princess; keep quiet, not rock the boat and marry a suitable Prince to strengthen Warner-rabia’s power on the global scale.
Jaspinky desperately wants to make others happy. Unfortunately, he’s a lonely, clumsy ball of nerves who always seems to say the wrong thing. He feels like a disappointment. This isn’t helped by his distant mother or the fact that most of the staff remain completely professional around him so that he cannot connect to them. If he could admit to wanting anything for himself, it would be a chance to make more friends and to marry for love.
Sultan-CEO: She’s Jaspinky’s mother and the ruler of the kingdom. How does a seemingly human woman have a child that is presumably a mouse? Don’t ask silly questions! Jaspinky takes after his father of course!
The Sultan-CEO isn’t the nicest person, but she does want the best for her kingdom, or at least she wants to make the kingdom more powerful. She is often busy with matters of state and has little time or patience for those who disappoint her.
Dot: She’s a wonderful, cute kid, who’s so witty. Dot (don’t call her Dotty) is Princess Jaspinky’s personal maid servant, and his best friend.
If the Sultan-CEO knew of their friendship, she probably wouldn’t approve. Status doesn’t matter to Jaspinky and he thinks Dot is the best. However, according to Dot, her full name is Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca III, so in reality she and Jaspinky are equals anyway.
Snowballjafar: He’s the Royal Vizier and after the Sultan-CEO, he holds the most actual power in the kingdom. I’m sure he’s a nice guy and we don’t have anything to worry about when it comes to his intentions. The manipulation and casual cruelty he uses against everyone – other than the Sultan-CEO – is probably just your imagination.
Ralph: He’s the head of the palace guards. Ralph isn’t the isn't the sharpest tool in the shed but then, he doesn’t need to be. He’s paid to follow orders not ask questions.
Okay, now you’ve met the main players, and the stage is set! Click the link to move forwards and start reading the story proper!
Author’s Note: Okay, Yakko’s gone now. I just want to say sorry for this overly fourth wall breaking intro. I’ll keep him under control more from now on. The fourth wall will be much sturdier in Chapter One, I promise.
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arielmatosdraws · 3 years
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(WARNING: broken english, not my main laguage)
Also, special and high inspiration on: Miss Holoska(i write right, right?) With Underswap!MH and a but of Team Switched with TS!Underswap
So, you guys rembember me talking about how many takes of Underswap is out there but not many Underfell, well, guess what? I have a Underswap take
Character explanation
Chara: i made Chara design to look like how they look in the intro and flashback of Undertale, since i have a headcanon that Chara hair is like that because Chara didn't have time to brush their hair(why would they?), and so, the Dreemurs take care of them, and one time Chara have that hair that we see on genocide end(is just my headcanon), and since in this Underswap is the first time that Chara is in thr underground and not have time to brush their hair, i decided that should look like this, also, their personality depends of the routes, not only that but their personalities is just from the differents view of Undertale Chara, the neutral route, depending of what did Chara do, they have the personality that the "Neutral-Chara" believers think they have, the pacifist route, their personality can be either sarcastic, sassy, etc, to educated, angel, lawful good etc, and finally genocide, can be either sinlent, or, if Chara used cruel ACTs, can be the stereotype evil Chara
Sans: first of all, no, he is not a child, if was i could have drawed a stripe on his shirt, so, his clothes, is just thinked that his Undertale clothes are already perfect to exercice, so why change? The only thing that i changed was the sneakers with the shoes of Temmie Chang Sans concerpt art, and their hoodie with a scarf, he have a good relationship with Toriel like in Undertale, telling puns, talking about Papyrus, etc, the only people that know that Sans go talk to the queen is his brother, Mettaboo and Napstaton, but they doesn't mind and don't tell anyone, Sans doesn't use this as a excuse to enter the royal guard, he wants to enter with his skills(like Undertale Sans, he is just skilled, but not strong), he still have the shortcut, he like sci-fi and watched enough fiction movies to assume that Chara is a Time-Traveler, he, unlike Undertale Papyrus, actually is seen with Papyrus and his friends in some areas, however, if you killed someone, only Sans will be in other areas, he will say how his brother dissapeared after the battle bentween Chara and Sans, he doesn't kill you in pacifist and neutral, only captures you, but in genocide, he wants to do justice and he tries his best to kill you and he introduce his SECRET ATTACK, KARMA
Papyrus: i decided to just make he look different from his stereotype, well he is not drepessed like Undertale Sans, actually that bags on his eyes is because he suffer from insonnia, thats why he sleep many times, Sans not get angry about that, but, yes worried, since, unlike Undertale Sans thats just lazy, Papyrus suffer from insonnia and he have "other things" to treat and Sans is really worried about his younger brother, Papyrus doesn't mind puns, unless that too many, well, Papyrus is kind and sweet outside and doesn't want the people worry about him, he will not hate the person if killed someone like "you demon" but will be highly dissapointed, he will only hate you if you kill his brother, if Chara killed someone, he will no longer appear after Sans battle and only reappear in the judgement hall, he, unlike Sans, doesn't believe that The Fallen Human is some time-traveller and think thaf just Sans crazy imagination, but he notices that the Human act strange sometimes, he never made the promise to protect a human, in pacifist, he is just fine with Chara and never treath them about they "would be dead where they stand", in neutral, if any other monster was killed, he will be just disappointed, and if Sans was killed, he doesn't kill you because he will not be any better than you, but in genocide, the hate was so much that he take action, he is way stronger than Sans, both in attacks and status, but doesn't have karma, however, he is weaker than Undertale Papyrus because he not train and not sleep very well, but he have one thing that Undertale Papyrus doesn't have, the will to end you, he have bone attacks, have blue magic and blue attacks, he also use Gaster Blaster, however they eyes are angry cartoonish eyes, but if you could see, you would have a chill on the spine
Alphys: i always imagined a Alphys battle with a mecha, so instead of her being a close-combat warrior, she wears a mecha made by Undyne as a gift, the armor have a lighting canon and a robotic axe(with lighting aspect, yes, lighting will be exclusive to Alphys in this AU), she will not have a Undying form, but will use a upgrade of her armor that more hard, Alphys doesn't talk so much and not have a explosive personality, she is also not rude, but once that you make friendship with her, she shows her good side, she is a kind and sweet person, that just want the best to the people, she really like anime and loves Undyne, in battle, she uses her mecha and make you soul yellow, that is similar to Undertale, however she gives you a powerful teaser that you use to defend yourself from attacks, but you can use to overcharge her charge shot to make her mecha arm explode, after the two arms are destroyed, she will use a attavk that open their mecha torso reaviling the core, than you use all the enerhy of the teaser to stop the machine, than you can spare her or give the final blow, while she is inconsience, you can date her with Papyrus to be friends, the date involves you draw anime and watch anime, she is akward at first because she think that Chara doesn't like her, however, you can turn the tables and be really good friends, however, if you killed someone, instead of Papyrus, Sans will be in the front of the door to visit her, then he notices Chara and ask if you also want to pay a visit, and this version, Sans and Alphys go to her room to talk, Chara stay in the kitchen, than Sans go out, then the date with Alphys start, she is kinda reluctant in this version and in the end she doesn't really see you as a friend
Asgore: he is the one that stated that every human would die, however, Toriel banned them from the capital and he insolated himself in the ruins, he still the kind and good fluffy king from Undertale, i don't have much thing to talk about him
Undyne: even if US! Undyne hair is canon in Undertale, i decided that is just a pony tail, or, sometimes, a messy hair(without a pony tail), she is more determined than Undertale Alphys and go out more to visit Papyrus and his brother, she made Napstaton body and she like anime way more than Undertale Undyne, she knows that anime is not real, but, with her determination, she made robots, armors, etc, Napstaton is the only robot with soul, and is way stronger than that robots, this robots onoy follow their progamation ans don't give EXP, she upgrade Chara's chellphone and turn it into a deluxe U-phone, that phone have pretty much the same things from Undertale Alphys Cellphone, but, instead of a yellow mode, it have a "Cyan mode", in the cyan mode, the soul turn cyan, pressing Z make the soul make a really fast tackle that destroy or react some attacks, if missed the timing or used and doesn't hit nothing, the soul get way slower, so, be PATIENCE
Mettaboo(mettaton): He is not shy or melancolic like Undertale Napstablook, in the truth, he want to perform and be the famous star in the underground, he tries things like tearthes, pilot progams, etc.., but not many people like it, but he is not giving up! He doesn't attack using robots or lighting, but attack with things like flowers, other things that resemble, magic shows, cook lessons, pose, etc, he is cousin of Napstaton and he knows that they are cousins
Napstaton(Napstablook): they is the most famous musician on the underground, making sometimes collabs, music videos, etc.. they makes songs to progams, cartoons, games, etc.. but they is pretty shy, and have a TON(fingerguns) of fans not really help with their mental health, sometimes Undyne and mettaboo to giving them moral support, in thrir battle, the Cyan mode is really necessary, is a rythm battle, the objective is make a good song until have 10000 hearts, but, in genocide, they will truly battle you and use the whole area to attack you, and their "NEO" form is called Sonical Napstaton
Asriel: he is swappes with Mosnter kid, in this universe, he is not related in any way with the dreemurs, he have a more important role in this AU in pacifist, a little in neutral, but don't appear in genocide, Asriel have the same exact personality of his Undertale counterpart, he first appear when Chara ended up sliding in a endless ice path and ended up failing in some special crystal colors flowers, Asriel heard the sound of somebody grunting and he ended up founding Chara, and he heal them, he help them in some puzzles and guide them till Springout(Snowdin swap), then Chara can visit him in the local park, the two can go for the Muffet Café, the library, etc, after that, Chara gains Asriel phone number, if doing pacifist, Asriel can be found in other places since theres not "mysterious murders" going on, he normally will appear next to save points areas, because feel some sensation(determination)
Toriel: She is the queen of the Underground, almost everyone fear her, but, in the end, she just some poor old lady that have a whole kingdom to take care, have lost her two children, and their husband "is a horrible creature" to her, when encoutering her for the first time, she is silent at first, then proceeds to talk about all that her have face while walking to the barrier, she doesn't use anything to attack except their magic, she only attack Chara because Chara doesn't want to go away from her, making her feel guilty
Frisk and Monster Kid: [NO DATA FOUNDED]
So thats all that i have now about my Underswap, i tried to make the designs to look like their original counterparts and use almost the same style of clothes of the original Undertale, thats all, please, don't steal this idea,
Special thanks to: Miss Holoska and Team Switched, they are my inspiration to do this Underswap
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archive-archives · 3 years
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Coming in April!
NEW 2020 1080p HD masters                                                                               JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS IN OUTER SPACE
Run Time             352:00
Subtitles               English SDH
Audio Specs        DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English, MONO - English
Aspect Ratio       1.33:1 4x3 FULL FRAME
Product Color    COLOR
Disc Configuration 2 BD 50
 Rock stars Josie and the Pussycats are out of this world...literally! When the bumbling Alexandra accidentally launches Josie and the gang into outer space, they travel through the galaxy searching for a path back to Earth. Along the way, they meet cat people, robot monsters, evil dictators, space pirates and plenty of strange creatures, including their new companion Bleep, voiced by Hanna-Barbera legend Don Messick. Fortunately, everyone’s a fan of Josie and the Pussycats, including aliens! Rocket through the universe with your favorite superstars as they save the day, sing some songs and have a hip-happenin’ good time in a 2-disc, 16-episode Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space complete series collection that hits all the right notes!
                                                                                                                                NEW 2021 1080p HD Master Sourced from 4K scan of preservation film elements!       
GREEN DOLPHIN STREET
Run Time             141:00
Subtitles               English SDH
Audio Specs:       DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English, MONO - English
Aspect Ratio:      1.37:1 4x3 FULL FRAME
Product Color    BLACK & WHITE
Disc Configuration           BD 50
Special Features: Lux Radio Theater Broadcast;  Theatrical Trailer (HD)    
                                                                        The Academy Award® winner about star-crossed love that spans the years – and the globe. After her triumph as the lunchroom temptress in the crime classic The Postman Always Rings Twice, Lana Turner expanded her range with Green Dolphin Street. Set in 19th century Europe and New Zealand, this sweeping romance tells the story of two beautiful sisters, one headstrong (Turner) and one gentle (Donna Reed), and of the man (Richard Hart) who marries one even though he loves the other. The film’s riptides of emotion are matched by breathtaking physical tumult: a fierce Maori uprising plus a catastrophic earthquake and tidal wave that earned the film a 1947 Oscar® for special effects. With its dramatic story and spectacular visuals, Green Dolphin Street drew huge audiences for epic moviemaking, being one of the top-ten box office hits of the year.
 NEW 2021 1080p HD Master Sourced from 4K scan of Nitrate preservation elements!               
BROADWAY MELODY OF 1940    
Run Time             102:00
Subtitles               English SDH
Audio Specs:       DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English, MONO - English
Aspect Ratio:      1.37:1 4x3 FULL FRAME
Product Color    BLACK & WHITE
Disc Configuration           BD 50
Special Features: Making-of Featurette: "Begin the Beguine" (hosted by Ann Miller); "Our Gang Comedies: The Big Premiere"; MGM Cartoon: "The Milky Way" ; Original Theatrical Trailer (HD)
 The job – a career breakthrough – is supposed to go to hoofer Johnny Brett, but a mix-up in names gives it to his partner. Another example of Broadway hopes dashed? Not when Johnny is played by Fred Astaire. Sparkling Cole Porter songs, clever comedy and dance legends Astaire and Eleanor Powell make the final Broadway Melody (co-starring George Murphy) a film to remember. Powell’s nautical “All Ashore" routine (a/k/a I Am the Captain”), Astaire’s blissful “I’ve Got My Eyes on You” and Fred & Eleanor's elaborate routine to Cole Porter's classic "I Concentrate On You" are more than enough to please any fan. But they’re just a warm-up for the leads to tap one finale number into immortality: “Begin the Beguine,” introduced by Frank Sinatra in That’s Entertainment! with, “You can wait around and hope, but you’ll never see the likes of this again.”                                                                                     
 NEW 2021 1080p HD Master Sourced from a new 4K restoration of the last-known surviving nitrate Technicolor print!
DOCTOR X (1932)            
Run Time             76:00
Subtitles               English SDH
Audio Specs:       DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English, MONO - English
Aspect Ratio:      1.37:1 4x3 FULL FRAME
Product Color      COLOR; BLACK & WHITE
Disc Configuration           BD 50
Special Features: Alternate B&W version of feature; DOCTOR X (HD): UCLA Before & After Restoration featurette (HD); New documentary: "Monsters and Mayhem: The Horror Films of Michael Curtiz (HD); New feature commentary by author/film historian Alan K. Rode; Archival feature commentary by Scott MacQueen, head of preservation, UCLA Film and Television Archive. Original B&W Theatrical Trailer (HD)             
 Is there a (mad) doctor in the house? “Yes!” shrieks Doctor X, filmed in rare two-strip Technicolor®. An eminent scientist aims to solve a murder spree by re-creating the crimes in a lab filled with all the dials, gizmos, bubbling beakers and crackling electrostatic charges essential to the genre. Lionel Atwill is Doctor Xavier, pre-King Kong scream queen Fay Wray is a distressed damsel and Lee Tracy snaps newshound patter, all under the direction of renowned Michael Curtiz. The new two-color Technicolor master was restored by UCLA Film and Television Archive and The Film Foundation in association with Warner Bros. Entertainment. Funding provided by the Hobson/Lucas Foundation. Also includes the separately filmed B&W version (which has been restored and restored from its original nitrate camera negative) originally intended for small U.S. markets and International distribution, and which has been out of distribution for over 30 years.
 NEW 2021 1080p HD Master Sourced from 4K scan of original nitrate Technicolor negatives!       
ANNIE GET YOUR GUN (1950)
Run Time             107:00
Subtitles               English SDH
Sound Quality    DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English
Aspect Ratio       1.37:1 4x3 FULL FRAME
Product Color    COLOR
Disc Configuration           BD 50
Special Features: Susan Lucci retrospective & intro piece (from 2000 DVD release); Outtakes: Let’s Go West Again-Betty Hutton, Doin’ What Comes Natur’lly-Judy Garland, I’m an Indian, Too-Judy Garland,  Colonel Buffalo Bill with Howard Keel and Frank Morgan; Stereo audio pre-recording session tracks including There’s No Business Like Show Business featuring Judy Garland; Theatrical Re-issue Trailer (HD)
 Betty Hutton (as Annie Oakley) and Howard Keel (as Frank Butler) star in this sharpshootin’ funfest based on the 1,147-performance Broadway smash boasting Irving Berlin’s beloved score, including “Doin’ What Comes Natur’lly,” “I Got the Sun in the Morning” and the anthemic “There’s No Business Like Show Business.” As produced by Arthur Freed, directed by George Sidney, and seen and heard in this new remastered HD presentation, this lavish, spirited production showcases songs and performances with bull’s-eye precision, earning an Oscar®* for adaptation scoring. The story is a brawling boy-meets-girl-meets-buckshot rivalry. But love finally triumphs when Annie proves that, yes, you can get a man with a gun!                                                                    
 NEW 2021 1080p HD Master!                                                                                 QUICK CHANGE (1990)
Run Time             88:00
Subtitles               English SDH
Sound Quality    DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English
Aspect Ratio       1.85:1, 16 X 9 WIDESCREEN
Product Color    COLOR
Disc Configuration           BD 25
Special Feature: Theatrical Trailer
 The star of Caddyshack, Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day headlines and codirects this uproarious Big Apple heist-and-pursuit caper. Bill Murray plays Grimm, a frazzled urbanite who disguises himself as a clown – and sets out to rob a bank. Geena Davis and Randy Quaid play accomplices in Grimm’s daring scheme and Jason Robards is the blustery cop caught up in Grimm’s “Clown Day Afternoon.” Swiping a million bucks is a snap compared to getting out of town. Grimm and cohorts commandeer a car, a cab, a bus, a baggage tram and a plane (and encounter future stars Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub in hilarious supporting roles) to make what becomes a less-than-merry escape. But for comedy lovers, Quick Change is a ticket to ride!                                                                                                 
 NEW 2021 1080p HD Master Sourced from 4K scan of best surviving nitrate preservation elements!            EACH DAWN I DIE (1939)
Run Time             92:00
Subtitles               English SDH
Audio Specs:       DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English, MONO - English
Aspect Ratio:      1.37:1 4x3 FULL FRAME
Product Color    BLACK & WHITE
Disc Configuration           BD 50    
Special Features: Warner Night at the Movies including 1939 Short Subjects Gallery: Vintage Newsreel,  WB Technicolor Short: "A Day at Santa Anita", WB Cartoon: "Detouring America"; Restrospective featurette: "Stool Pigeons and Pine Overcoats: The Language of Gangster Films" ; Feature Commentary by Film Historian Haden Guest; Breakdowns of 1939: Studio Blooper Reel; WB Cartoon: "Each Dawn I Crow"; Radio show w/George Raft & Franchot Tone; Trailer for "Wings of the Navy" and Original Theatrical Trailer for Each Dawn I Die (HD)  
 Framed for manslaughter after he breaks a story about city corruption, reporter Frank Ross is sure he’ll prove his innocence and walk out of prison a free man. But that’s not how the system works at Rocky Point Penitentiary. There, cellblock guards are vicious, the jute-mill labor is endless, and the powers Ross fought on the outside conspire to keep him in. Frank’s hope is turned to hopelessness. And he’s starting to crack. Two of the screen’s famed tough guys star in this prison movie that casts a reform-minded eye on the brutalizing effects of life in the slammer. James Cagney “hits a white-hot peak as [Ross,] the embittered, stir-crazy fall guy” (Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide). And George Raft (Cagney’s friend since their vaudeville days) portrays racketeer Hood Stacey, who may hold the key to springing Ross.                               
 NEW 2021 1080p HD Master Sourced from 4K scan of best surviving preservation elements!                 
ANOTHER THIN MAN (1939)
Run Time             102:00
Subtitles               English SDH
Audio Specs:       DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English, MONO - English
Aspect Ratio:      1.37:1 4x3 FULL FRAME
Product Color    BLACK & WHITE
Disc Configuration           BD 50    
Special Features: M-G-M Musical Short: Love on Tap; Classic M-G-M Cartoon: The Bookworm
 Dum-Dum, Wacky, Creeps, Fingers: They’re just a few of the hoodlums in the world of amateur sleuths and professional bon vivants Nick and Nora Charles. And now there’s a new hood: parenthood. A birthday – make that boithday – party that some of da boys hold for infant Nick Jr. is part of the fun in this third film in the witty series. The case begins when the Charles family arrives for a weekend with a Long Island industrialist who fears someone wants to kill him. Sure enough, his fears come true. Nick (William Powell) is among the suspects. Asta scrams with what may be the murder weapon. And Nora (Myrna Loy) has her own ideas about the case and sneaks off to a nightclub to ferret out a clue. “Madam, how long have you been leading this double life?” Nick asks. “Just since we’ve been married,” she replies.
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brazenautomaton · 3 years
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Fixing Afterlives: Bastion, Pt. 1
As it is, Bastion doesn’t work. The Forsworn don’t just have a point, they are obviously, objectively correct. Kyrian discard all their memories and attachments in a way that is horrifying, in order to perform a job that a robot could do, in order to aspire to be something lame and boring. There is nothing cool about what they do and nothing good either; every single time they tell you about what they do it’s supposed to make you sad, not proud. A little of that is fine, it’s Death. But come on. The anima diverter daily for Bastion is a test where you judge if souls should pass on or not, and on WoWHead, the adequate summary of the right answers is “If one of the answers seems more evil or horrible, that’s the one you pick.”
In fact, Bastion can’t work as it is right now, because of Maldraxxus. The Maldraxxi are the defenders of the Shadowlands, right? So all the courage and martial prowess and avenging angel-ness Bastion wants to have cannot be what they are About, the presentation wants them to be glorious and valorous warriors but they don’t have to fight anyone. And the presentation wants them to be wise and impartial but their job requires no discretion, they’re ghost UPS. They can’t be About anything cool, and to be wise and impartial, they can’t be DOING anything at all!
So here’s the fix to their concept: Maldraxxus is the afterlife of warriors, the endless skeleton war, the unending conflict where there are always an infinite supply of fighters willing to leap to the defense of the Shadowlands. Maldraxxus is the Shadowlands’ defensive team. Bastion is the offense.
Bastion does not engage in army-against-army conflict, they have individual heroes. And they are out there in the mortal world, invisibly, serving as guardian angels, inspiring as muses, fighting invisible forces, tipping the scales of Fate to have the right outcomes. Fighting extra-dimensional beasts who prey on the mortal realm to invisibly protect them, fighting down incarnate ideas of malice and ruin, but also influencing things directly or by subconscious example. Every Spirit Healer is from Bastion and they are the ones who decided “your time is not yet up”. When we get really lucky to allow ourselves to triumph over the Legion or the Scourge, it’s because Bastion was ensuring it happened, fighting for us. Bastion is supposed to be affecting things out there, making things turn out Right, instead of being powerless observers. They are the muses of artists and the muses of battle. They inspire. They lead, invisibly.
That’s why they need to be wise and free of bias -- you cannot favor one side of mortals over the other. Mortal beings need to beat the Scourge, but the Horde does not need to triumph over the Alliance and vice versa. Your job is not to punish mortals for being bad, you damn well need to be boosting both sides when there are champions and the valorous in both. You cannot go out there and say “these Orcs up here in Redridge are all evil and shit and the Alliance deserves the win so I’m just gonna go all in on defending them,” that’s not how it works, you reward individual valorous efforts on both sides. How Fate Should Go does not include taking sides in purely mortal conflicts.
So obviously you cannot be biased. You are something Beyond the mortal realm which means you can’t take sides. You actually do have to discard these attachments, and while we’re here, we need to actually make that process empowering. Right now all it does is show you “hey, happy memories, well, fuck you, gotta get rid of them.” Make more than zero effort to make this make sense. Show the aspirant in pain and yearning because of those memories and the fact they can’t come back. Don’t make them forget who they were, make them become at peace and move on.
Now obviously that won’t be convincing to everyone. And that’s fine. It just means there’s some ambiguity instead of the Forsworn being obviously right about everything.
There are four races/types in Bastion: Kyrian, Forsworn Kyrian, Stewards, and Constructs. Only two are represented in Soulbinds: you have two Kyrian and a Steward. 
Kyrian are the expression of what Bastion IS, so we already covered their changes.
Constructs are anima robots. Why are there anima robots here? It’s really bad in the current version because the Kyrian job can be done by a robot so why not just make them do it? Instead, we take that idea and we make it About something: these machines aren’t Constructs, they are Principles. A Principle is a robot made of rules and ideals, the things that are thought by mortals but bigger than any mortal. Codes of honor and ideas that work beyond any of us as individuals. There, that’s it, that change of presentation is all you need to do to justify why robots are there. The changes to Bastion’s fundamentals are what makes them fit in.
Stewards are creepy. Really creepy. They serve the same role as dredgers, but the fact that dredgers bitch and moan and complain all the time lets us see them as individuals with goals and not creepy brainwashed victims. A dredger isn’t a slave, they are a worker; but work sucks and they wanna be at the pub. A steward, with one exception (Forgelite Prime Mikanikos who is busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest and also by far the best Bastion character) appears to have no personality and is a brainwashed slave. 
So, first off, make it clearer that they are helpful because they are The Desire To Aid, that’s the thing they’re About. With the way they speak and act, I think what they are supposed to be in story terms is lightly comic relief, also similar in role to Dredgers but with opposite implementation. The creepiness and one-dimensionality make this fail, all their hoots and hoos and silly talk isn’t funny. They need to be cheesier. They need to be 90’s Saturday morning cartoon sidekicks. They need to be a (much) less obnoxious version of Snarf.
They need to tell awful, awful dad jokes. Just the worst. The kind that are so bad they loop back around to funny again but you’re still groaning and they’re just there like “Eh? Eh? Geddit? Geddit?” By doing something that is helpful, that we recognize as an attempt to help and that some Steward characters can explicate to us really does help (it dampens anger and fear because all of your negative emotions are refocused to that HORRIBLE pun), but that clearly NOBODY would brainwash them into doing, now we can trust their helpful efforts are borne of sincere desire and carried out to the best of their ability by their own personal interpretation.
Forsworn Kyrian, right now, are only antagonists. The ideological change of giving up on the law of Bastion makes you turn a darker indigo color scheme (which is actually really good because these are creatures of Beyond, creatures who are on a fundamental physical level About something, their beliefs changing their physical makeup makes sense!) and then become a bad guy. Forsworn are all only antagonists. We’re going to change that. Kleia is going to become Forsworn. And still be a heroic character and your Soulbind, even though this isn’t a game balance thing and so Pelagos will still probably outclass her in every way seriously that Mastery buff is fucking bananas for anyone who cares about Mastery.
Not when you meet her, though. The existing storyline of Bastion is you go there because “hey what the fuck are these Kyrian doing in the Maw serving the Jailer” but in Bastion itself nothing much is happening other than kicking pebbles down the street. You get the intro from Kleia, you go see some very low-importance things, then the Forsworn attack for the first time, and you spend the rest of the zone quest on hold with the Archon’s hotline to tell her “hey there are Forsworn this is a problem”.
Now, when you get there to ask “hey what the fuck”, Kleia is still not doing much more than kicking pebbles down the street, bored off her ass, extremely enthusiastic about someone new so she can DO something. But the Forsworn conflict already exists: it’s just not relevant to her because she stays out of it, figures that it’s above her pay grade, and she hangs out at the Welcome Center which nobody gives a shit about because there’s nobody to get welcomed so it isn’t relevant. She just knows there’s been some discussions. 
We get the anima drought reinforced the first time we enter Bastion because we have to power down the other cores to get enough juice for the greeting machine, but then it isn’t really a good way to sell it because that’s the kind of thing we do all the time even when there’s no shortages of anything, that’s how WoW PCs interact with machines. So we have the player scrounge up anima from the other Principles to power up the greeting machine, and it’s not enough, it runs out of juice halfway through, and Kleia gets embarrassed and tries to finish the rest of the process by reciting it from memory (and not getting it all quite right, which is another chance to show us things about her).
Kleia is excited to have someone to run through the orientation process, and she explains that FIRST there was an anima drought, and then as if that wasn’t bad enough, THEN the Arbiter got conked out and the flow of souls to Bastion stopped. This is important, because in the story as is, the anima drought appears to be completely explained by the flow of souls all going to the Maw, since they are presented at the same time and the flow of souls is the flow of anima. When you find out the drought is because of ol’ Denny hoarding it, you go “wait how does he have any to hoard when it all goes to the Maw?”
So for right now you need to walk the Aspirant’s path to get an audience with the Archon because right now things don’t seem desperate and urgent. You go to Aspirant’s Rest and get the flight point, and you go to meet Kleia’s soulbind, Pelagos. Two things need to change right here.
One: something more needs to be happening here than “Pelagos was a dipshit and tried ascending alone despite that being not how it works at all, go in there and fight the monsters,” so do something instead of almost-nothing.
Two: Loath as I am to say something actually needs less representation compared to its original, Pelagos can’t be transgender. You find out later on, in the Kyrian covenant quest line maybe? That Pelagos’s mortal body was a woman, but his true spirit is a man. That’s great, that’s something that should come up. The problem is, Pelagos is also the fuck-up, the one we see fail all the time so he can (ostensibly) show resolve and get back up again. But Blizz didn’t show barely any details about Pelagos’s life for fear of backlash -- we don’t even know who played him -- and whether or not it is valid or invalid or that was a cover to avoid admitting this was to not offend China, Blizzard still won’t DO it. So we have this character who is battling this doubt and failure in his past but we’re not allowed to know what they are. Pelagos is cisgender so we can go into detail about what he fucked up. Kleia might be trans instead (why she is so gung-ho about Ascension), or we can have Kleia sell the Ascension process as good by mentioning that the Paragon of Wisdom, Thenios, was born a woman in life but Ascension made him into a true ideal. This can also justify a bit more screen time for Thenios and then something for Tim Russ to do. He was already Tuvok, he doesn’t need more humiliation. But whoever it is, their gender only comes up once and never again because now they’re the right way around and the former body doesn’t matter.
So what’s happening at Aspirant’s Rest? It’s a holding pen for souls. See, as it is now, you find out about the flow of souls into the Maw right away, but then all the way through the main quest and into the Kyrian campaign quest they apparently don’t know, and you don’t tell them, and then it’s a surprise when you finish the quest where you follow the guy in Redridge and have to take him to the Maw, and that’s dumb, they should know, you should have told them.
So now the Kyrian know that everyone is default-judged to the Maw. And they know this is what has to happen, this is the machinery of fate that drives the universe, but they are compassionate and know these souls do not deserve it. So they’re scamming as much as they can. Whenever possible (which they lament is not often enough, not nearly often enough), they find some loophole or corner case to count someone as not ready to be judged, and stick them somewhere in Bastion so they can wait until the Arbiter’s awake again to judge them. They can’t do much, but they can do a little, so they do that.
This guy, okay, you died, BUT, there’s a necromancer just two zones over, and your body is still intact since I dragged it to safety, and, I mean, he’s PROBABLY going to call back your soul and bind it to your body in service, so there’s no point in having you judged, you’re just coming back, right? And you, Night Elf! Okay, you got your head blown off, but, remember that angelic voice shouting “NIGHTELVESEVOLVEDFROMTROLLS!” a moment before your demise? And you know, Trolls who worship Bwonsamdi go straight to De Otha Side without being judged. Maybe you would have wanted to pledge yourself to older gods, but you never got the chance to make that decision, so, hey, you know, it would only be right to let you make that choice before you are given your judgment! And you, guy, did you know that all those patrons from the Slaughtered Lamb across the street who came into your business were warlocks? Yup, all of them, and they didn’t wash their hands either. Fel contamination. Can’t, ooh, you know, hey, might be a demonic stain on your soul, demons don’t have an afterlife like us, gotta be reborn in the Twisting Nether! Going to have to consult some demons to figure out where you go. Better wait here.
Aspirant’s Rest and the temple beneath are a soul refugee camp, and the souls within are scared and angry and don’t know what is going on and the Kyrian can’t explain it or they will all completely flip out. The Kyrian are trying as hard as they can in the limitations they have and this sells it. 
Pelagos is down there. The risk is not that he will be killed -- he is not mortal, he does not die -- the risk is that his well-meaning attempts to keep things calm might ignite the powder keg down there. And those souls can’t die but they WILL go directly to the Maw if fatally injured, which is why they have to be kept penned where Larion won’t eat them and Principles won’t drag them off. Pelagos fucks up here and you have to fix it but it’s not a suicidally stupid error while doing something that has no relevance to the player, it’s an understandable mistake biting off more than he can chew while doing something the player understands. Player, Kleia, and Pelagos go down to Aspirant’s Crucible to get certified as an Aspirant and get in line to talk to the Archon. 
In the existing story, you go and peer into a memory flame thing and have echoes of your heroic battles drawn forth, and you fight them while a character narrates your heroic deeds. They might be based on what expansions you played in, or might be random? Anyway, in this case, you gaze into the flame of memory, she starts to narrate your heroism, and… nothing. “Ah, there are supposed to be visions conjured here, so you can display your valor against them once again. It… it doesn’t… hang on, I might know what the problem is…”
A voice comes. “Then how about you display your valor against me, champion? A little sparring wouldn’t hurt, and I’m eager to see what you can do.”
It’s Uther, hell yes it’s Uther.
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ordinaryschmuck · 4 years
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What I thought about “Young Blood, Old Souls” from The Owl House
Salutations random people of the internet who probably won't read this. I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons. Today, I am reviewing the season one finale of The Owl House. And by the way, there are zero dislikes that I have for this episode. Any issues I could have are either petty nitpicks, or just not worth talking about. So, for the first time ever, I'm going to share my thoughts unfiltered. No likes. No dislikes. Just my thoughts on why I think this episode turned out as great as it did. And in case you couldn't guess, there are going to be enormous spoilers for the finale itself, and The Owl House in general. So consider this your last warning as we dive in!
The opening narration: I'm a sucker for fairytale esque opening narrations in stories, and that's the feeling I got when watching this scene. Sure, you could say that it's an exposition dump that tells us stuff we already know, but I don't see it that way. I see it as a technique to set the mood of the episode, while also reminding us how much of a threat the Belos can be.
And again, let's ask ourselves: How much is accurate in this small history lesson, and which parts are made up by Belos? Because who's to say that he isn't the one who wrote the book that King is reading?
No intro: This. Was a shock.
Usually shows shorten the intro to it’s first and last portions, or at the very least, flash the opening logo. Never, to my knowledge, has a series straight-up drop both the intro and the logo. To me, that is a good sign of a great episode. Because no intro tells me that the writers had so much to put in, that they didn't want to waste a single second to even flash a logo.
Not that many jokes: The jokes were another appreciated, albeit well missed, absence within the episode. Because this is the season finale. An event that, depending on what show you make, needs to be taken seriously. And while I say that The Owl House is a comedy show with drama on the side, that doesn't mean it shouldn't focus on the drama if an episode calls for it. And an adventure where Luz has to save her mentor from an emperor who turns people to stone? Yeah. That's an experience where drama has to take center stage for the time being.
Luz is serious and angry: Don't get me wrong. I love Luz for her endless optimism and her ability to find fun in whatever situation she's in. But this is not the type of episode that requires that personality. If anything, I was happier to see Luz act more seriously rather than stick to her quirky personality. Because this proves that Luz isn't some oblivious goofball who can't see the darkness in the world. It shows that she understands when to be serious if the situation calls for it. This also reveals that not only can Luz get angry, but she can get downright vengeful. Her desire to make Lilith pay is not only understandable, but it's absolutely justified. Say what you want about her now, but what Lilith did to Luz in the last episode was awful. So I can't really blame her for getting angry at the mere sight of Lilith.
Now, if Luz were to remain with this angsty personality, then I would be less than ecstatic. But it seems pretty clear to me that angry Luz is a situation-dependent side of her personality that will only come out in the more dramatic episodes. This is evident with the fact that Luz's optimism returns after Eda comes back safe and sound. So while I came to enjoy angry Luz, I'm still going to prefer happy Luz any day.
Owl Beast Eda sticks her tongue out: I love the idea that this was a part of the real Eda shining through, just because the thought of Eda fighting a curse to get under Lilith's skin is just funny to me. And Lilith sticking her tongue out too was just icing on the cake.
Belos’ is still terrifying: That's it. That's all I have to say. We get even more of a glimpse of Belos' power, and it just cements how he's the most terrifying villain that Disney has made in years. Because I saw his fight with Luz (more on that later) as Belos holding back. Which makes me wonder: WHAT THE F**K IS IT GOING TO LOOK LIKE WHEN HE'S ALLOWED TO LET LOOSE?!
And if I'm being honest with you guys, I'm a little scared to find out the answer to that question.
Eda is partially the Owl Beast: This was a cheat, but an effective one. It gives Eda a chance to have actual speaking roles, while also nerfing her, so she doesn't escape. Would it have been more tragic if Eda spent the entire episode as an unintelligent monster? Maybe. But it also means Eda couldn't give Luz the portal (the most important thing in the finale) and not get to say goodbye to Luz (the most gut-wrenching scene in the finale). Say what you want about Eda being partially cursed, but I think it was a smart decision.
We meet Gus’ dad!: This might not seem like a big deal, but I certainly enjoyed it. Hell, I always appreciate it when I get to know more about the lives of characters in my favorite media. And finding out that Gus' dad is a news reporter? That's a nice reveal, even if it's not the most important thing to happen in the show.
Petrification: Sooooo, this is basically the death penalty. Let that sink in for a second. Because the world of this show, that's aimed for children, actually has a death penalty. Sure, the writers don't actually use the d-word. But turning people into stone with no way to turn them back? They might as well be dead at that point. And I actually like that The Owl House is allowed to go this dark. It raises the stakes much higher than any episode once we find out that Eda could die if Luz fails. And that's a thought I'm sure no one appreciates. Especially Luz.
Luz and King stepping on the grass: Hey, there may not be that many jokes in this episode, but that doesn't mean it isn't allowed to be hilarious. And, yeah, this got a huge laugh out of me. Both from how King and Luz look as they commit their "crime," and because of the guard's over-the-top reaction to it. It gets me everytime.
Warden Wrath’s high-pitched scream: Not much to say here other than I just thought it was funny. Because what also gets to me is when a "big scary character" does something pathetic like what Wrath did. And if you didn't hear his scream, go back to play this scene again. It's well worth it.
“Draw me a map!”: I don't know why I love this line so much. Maybe it's because Sarah-Nicole Robles' delivery made me laugh, or because it preemptively shuts up nitpickers who would ask how Luz knew where the detention center is. Either way, this was a great line.
Willow and Gus help...sort of: In the grand scheme of things, Willow and Gus didn't really do that much when helping Luz and Eda. Sure they got a crowd to chant about letting Eda go, but that effort didn't do anything to stop the petrification. Even that brief moment of standing up to the Emperor came to an end the second he showed up. Which means that it's an issue that Willow and Gus didn’t really help Luz, right? 
That would true if it wasn't for the fact that Willow and Gus didn't immediately jump at the idea of backing Luz up if she needs them. That makes these two the perfect best friends that Luz could ask for, solely on that loyalty alone. Would it have been better to see them fight alongside Luz? Maybe, but I doubt Luz would actually want her friends risking everything for her vendetta. Besides, I doubt Willow and Gus would really be that much help compared to how quickly Lilith dismissed both of them in the last episode. So while they get a C for contribution and efficiency, they get an A+ for loyalty in my book.
Eda’s goodbye to Luz: Oh, man. And I thought Eda's goodbye in "Agony of a Witch" was painful. This? This actually got me misty-eyed. And I think the reason why it's more heartbreaking this time around is that Eda is fully showing her emotions in this scene. In my "Agony of a Witch" review, I said that Eda was trying to hide how dire the situation from Luz by smiling and playing the thing off as no big deal. She fails because her eyes and her voice cracks give away all of her feelings, but she still tried nonetheless. This time, however, Eda makes it clear how serious the situation is with both her expressions and tone of voice. Probably because the last time she tried to be gentle with Luz, her apprentice threw herself into the lion's den. So as a result, it comes off as more heartbreaking, given the fact that Eda makes it clear how serious their predicament is. And the fact that she not only says a real goodbye to Luz but practically pushes her away?! Add that with the fact that they share "I love you's" to each other, and you got a scene that just tears at the heartstrings.
Luz crying again: NnnnnnnOPE!!!
I already said that the single image of Luz crying was enough to break me. So seeing her just break down and sob her eyes out is more than enough to hurt the soul, man!
IT HURTS DA SOUL!
“Talk to the glyph, WITCH!”: You know for a FACT that if Luz was allowed to swear, she would use a very similar sounding word to describe Lilith. And I love that implication!
Luz can’t do magic in the human realm: Woah boy! It was one thing when we all predicted it. But to now have visual confirmation that Luz cannot, in fact, do magic in the human realm? Let's just say that adds a whole new level of heartbreak for when Luz has to go home. As well as an overflowing amount of angsty fanfics that plays with that idea.
Lilith’s backstory: ...
*DEEP INHALE*
I will hold off Fredrick Ulisinsburg for now. For. NOW. Because while Lilith's actions are nowhere near justified...it is clear that she does regret her actions. Lilith said it herself. She thought the curse would last for at least a day, and in no way intended for it to be permanent. It's still crappy of her to willingly curse Eda at all, but at least she didn't want her sister to live a life of torture. Plus, there's a sense of tragedy given the fact that Eda wasn't going to fight Lilith anyway. Lilith underestimating how much Eda truly cares must have made the guilt set in even more. And I hope that the show explores that in season two. Because while I think Lilith is on the right track towards redemption, what she did was awful, and I want her to actually earn her forgiveness. Not just hand it out because of a few acts of kindness (more on that later).
(Also bonus points for that foreshadowing with the sharing-the-pain spell. I did not think it would come up again in the way that it did.)
Baby Eda: Must. Protect. Baby. Eda.
Amity’s parents(?): It's yet to be officially confirmed (to my knowledge) that those students in the bleachers are Amity's parents. But if they are, then it's awesome that The Owl House crew snuck this reveal in the finale. They didn't need to do that, but the fact that they did just make schmucks like me happy.
Luz briefly looking out into the forest: So much is said about Luz with just these few short seconds. The fact that she hesitates going back to the Isles tells me that she's wondering if she should. Because right now, Luz has an out. She could say goodbye to her problems and run home to mami, especially given the fact that that's what Eda wants her to do. Except Luz would never do that. Because Luz has proven time and time again that she will not back down when it comes to helping the people she loves. Eda, Willow, Amity. These are all characters that Luz would do anything and everything for if it meant they would be safe. But that doesn't mean she won't briefly get tempted to escape. So while this moment of hesitation shows that Luz can have times of selfishness, her almost immediately running back proves that she will always choose the path of selflessness.
Lilith willing to be a double agent: This was the first sign of Lilith working her way towards redemption. Her willingness to still work for the Emperor's Coven, and to change it from the inside, is pretty admirable. It's almost a shame that she gets caught almost immediately. Because I would have loved to have seen Lilith's attempts to work against the Emperor to protect Luz and Eda from getting arrested. Not only for character growth reasons but because it would actually strengthen her redemption by having Lilith willingly risk everything for the right people.
Luz vs Emperor Belos: I could have never expected this. At least, not so soon. I always assumed Luz would fight Belos at some point, most likely in the series finale. Never would I have expected this confrontation to happen in the first season. And man, oh, man, what a fight! I'm sure some people are gonna complain how easy it was for Luz to fight back, but to those people: I have a few things to point out.
First off, Belos' line of, "I'll play," tells me that he's going easy on Luz. Nothing he does really looks like it would hurt Luz too badly-at least by his standard. And to me, it seems like Belos is treating the fight in a similar way a teenager lets a toddler "challenge" them. Because when you compare Luz's frantic movements to Belos' calm and calculated ones, it is clear who's the better fighter in this battle.
Second, Luz doesn't do that much. Sure she chips his mask with an ice spell. But that's the equivalent of how Iron Man's finishing move on Thanos only resulted in "a drop of blood." Every other glyph Luz uses during this fight was to protect herself rather than fighting back. And the fact that she barely got a chance to fight back, when the Emperor was going easy on her? Let's just say that it makes me even more terrified for Luz's safety when round two inevitably happens.
Lastly, Luz is someone who has what I like to call: Percy-Jackson-Syndrome. A character who's a bumbling idiot seventy-five percent of the time, a surprisingly good strategist for fifteen percent, and terrifying when angry in the last ten. And Luz has shown in the past that she has a sense of quick wit and strategy when fighting powerful foes. Her plan to beat Willow's inner-self, as well as Luz's plan of escape from Otabin, are two examples that come to mind that prove this. So it's not too much of a stretch that Luz is still alive after fighting Belos, because the one time she got the upper hand was by outsmarting him.
So again, good fight, and I'm terrified for round two.
Luz destroys the portal: This was a heroic sacrifice I didn't see coming, even though I really should have. If you've been paying attention to the episode titles, you'll notice that the first letter of each title spells out the phrase, "A witch loses a true way." A lot of people have been speculating what this phrase could mean. Even I dipped my toe in theorizing the right answer. It turns out the people who thought Luz would lose a "true way" back home were correct. But I don't think anybody could have thought that it would be Luz who would take away her only way back home. Not only is Luz being the one to destroy the portal tragic, but this sacrifice shows how much Luz cares about Eda. Luz is willing to say goodbye to everything she knows, for who knows how long, just so Eda can be safe. Plus, it's another moment of Luz defeating her enemy by outsmarting him. Which teaches kids that you don't need to fight harder. You just need to fight smarter.
Lilith shares the curse: This is another sign that Lilith is on the right path. While I still wouldn't say that I forgive Lilith, I will say this sacrifice makes me want to at least consider it.
Belos is fixing the portal: You want to know what makes a villain even more terrifying? The fact that every victory our hero has is more of a minor inconvenience towards the villain. Which is what this scene is. Because while Luz definitely won the battle, it looks Belos is planning on winning the war.
Eda looks different in the outro: I like this. You know why? Because it tells me that Eda being half cursed is not going to be fixed any time soon. Case in point: Willow was wearing her Abomination Track uniform during the intro and the credits, so as not to spoil the ending of episode three. For every episode after, Willow remained in her Plant Track uniform, and it looks like that's not going to change. So the fact that the crew is committing to Eda's design change, to the point where they change the credits as well, shows a great attention to detail. That also hints at a dynamic shift that will remain for the foreseeable future.
The finale makes me want more: To me, the best finales are the ones that resolve most stories but still opens up more for the next season. Because every narrative and conflict season one opened up has been closed. Lilith wanting to arrest Eda? Closed. Who cursed Eda? Closed. Amity's redemption? Please. That got closed, like, three episodes ago. And yet, this finale left me with more questions that I can't wait to get answered in season two.
How will the dynamic change now that Lilith is added into the main crew? What's the day of unity? Why does Emperor Belos want the portal to the human world? Who's that hooded figure that Belos sends to spy on the Owl House? How is being half-cursed going to affect Eda and Lilith? Can Eda still turn into the Owl Beast? Is Lilith going to turn into an Owl Beast now? Are we going to have an episode where Luz and King are going to deal with TWO Owl Beasts? And most importantly: WHEN THE HOLY F**K ARE LUZ AND AMITY GOING TO KISS ALREADY?!?! DO I SERIOUSLY HAVE TO WAIT DURING ANOTHER SEASON-which I'm totally fine with-TO SEE THESE TWO IDIOTS GET TOGETHER?!
I doubt I’ll ever know the answer to all of these questions, but it sure makes me more excited to see what happens next.
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So, yeah. "Young Blood, Old Souls" is a definite A+ of an episode. It had excellent drama, astonishing character moments, some closure to several stories, and even a few well-timed jokes on occasion. However, I wouldn't go so far as to say that it's the best episode of the season. It's definitely in the top five, for sure, but not the best. I'm more than willing to give that title to "Enchanted Grom Fright" just for the importance of it alone. Hell, I'd say that I enjoyed "Agony of a Witch" a lot more than "Young Blood, Old Souls." But, I'm willing to blame that on the same reason why Avengers: Infinity War is seen as the better movie than Avengers: Endgame. Whereas the first part did a great job at lifting up the stakes and tension, that part two pales in comparison from doing its job of giving closure. But that doesn't change the fact that "Young Blood, Old Souls" is a damn-near perfect episode that both hurts and heals the soul.
(And that’s it! It’s going to be another few months ‘til season two hits, and in turn, months until I’ll have to review episodes again...Unless I want to do something crazy like review the episodes I didn’t talk about. But that’ll never happen!)
(...)
(...Alright fine. I’ll review them. But not until The Owl House comes onto Disney+!)
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