#mecha final showdown!!!!

[naoiseart]

Titans of Kronos Islands

#sonic frontiers #sonic frontiers spoilers #amy rose #sth #giganto titan #so like I think I would have collapsed from the sheer energy of the trio showing up with their islands respective titans for the final battl #it would have been so so so cool #shame they were all blown up! #I think giganto and amy suit each other very well! #powerhouse battler! #mecha final showdown!!!! #love the reincarnation theory going around that stuff has so much potential #my art #naoiseart

[pikahlua]

MHA Chapter 389 spoilers translations

This week’s initial tentative super rough/literal translations under the cut.

tagline 1 迫る爆発…‼︎ せまるばくはつ…‼︎ semaru bakuhatsu...!! The approaching explosion...!!

tagline 2 No.389 安心と祈り　　堀越耕平 ナンバー389 あんしんといのり　　ほりこしこうへい NANBAA 389 anshin to inori   Horikoshi Kouhei No. 389 Relief and Prayers  Kouhei Horikoshi

1 中心温度の上昇速度が ちゅうしんおんどのじょうしょうそくどが chuushin ondo no joushou sokudo ga “The rate at which the core temperature increases is”

2 鈍化してる！ どんかしてる！ donka shiteru! slowing down!”

3 計算が更新されてます けいさんがこうしんされてます keisan ga koushin saretemasu “Updating calculations!”

4 じゃあこのままーーーー jaa kono mama---- “So, at this rate----”

5 いや低下はしてない いやていかはしてない iya teika wa shitenai “No, it’s not going down.”

6 爆発は免れない‼︎ ばくはつはまぬがれない‼︎ bakuhatsu wa manugarenai!! “The explosion is unavoidable!!”

7 ああ aa “Agh!”

8 ああ aa “Agh!”

1 アハ AHA “Aha”

2 アハァ AHAA “Ahaa”

3 みんなが minna ga Everyone is

4 見てるよ みてるよ miteru yo watching.

5 ああ aa Ah,

6 こんなものか konna mono ka it’s this sort of thing?

1-2 こんな簡単な事だったなら こんなかんたんなことだったなら konna kantan na koto datta nara If it was as simple as this,

3 撤退だァ てったいだァ tettai daA “Retreat,”

4 巻き込まれるぞ退けえ‼︎ まきこまれるぞひけえ‼︎ makikomareru zo hikee!! “you’ll get caught up in it. Get away!!”

1-2 もっと早くに もっとはやくに motto hayaku ni [do it] sooner.

3 早く‼︎ はやく‼︎ hayaku!! “Quickly!!”

4 急いで‼︎ いそいで‼︎ isoide!! “Hurry!!”

5 拳藤ォ‼︎走れェ‼︎ けんどォ‼︎はしれェ‼︎ KendoO!! hashireE!! “Kendou!! Run!!”

6 大丈夫‼︎ だいじょうぶ‼︎ daijoubu!! “It’s okay!!”

7 大丈夫だからね…‼︎ だいじょうぶだからね…‼︎ daijoubu dakara ne...!! “It’s gonna be okay...!!”

1 うん un “Yeah.”

1 だって俺たちにはーーー だっておれたちにはーーー datte ore-tachi ni wa--- “Because we [have]---”

1 ゴチンコがいるんだぜ‼︎ GOHCINKO ga irunda ze!! “Five Weenies!!”

tagline 間に合えーー‼︎ まにあえーー‼︎ ma ni ae--!! Just in time--!!

#my hero academia leak translations #mha 389 #bnha 389 #my hero academia manga spoilers #final showdown spoilers #WHY IS IIDA BECOME JET?? #MECHA IIDA #baby faces everywhere

[thepariahcontinuum]

MARZ Rising - Chapter 157: Ascension

The final chapter of Vol.09.

FF Net

Ao3

#RWBY #RWBY Fanfiction #RWBY OC #Creatures Of Grimm #Season Finale #Ruby Rose #Mecha #Kaiju #Giant monster #Penny Polendina #Qrow Branwen #Coco Adel #Lie Ren #Epic fight scene #Showdown #Sci Fi #Science Fantasy #Action #Suspense #Plot progression #Character development #Plot twist #lgbt characters

[doctor-badadvice]

They don't make shows like they used to. Remember when Shredder was a professional furry maker? Or Krang, probably the funniest alien ever. Or even Irma from Channel 6 who was willing to shag a comedically offensive Italian stereotype, a robocop and master Splinter, in this order, in just a handful of episodes!

Well, I didn't. I haven't watched ‘87 TMNT in like, two decades on a tv channel that doesn't even exist anymore. This has been one hell of a ride and I'm only at season 3.

So for the longest time Baxter in my mind was just some guy who got turned into a fly for reasons. I didn't even know he was white or basically Gollum. He seriously had a slimy vibe before starring in The Fly and I had no idea.

But 2003 Baxter Stockman is simply on another level. He's smart, greedy and so damn full of himself. He’s also incredibly dramatic! Half the show’s budget would have gone into animating him doing dramatic poses if he didn’t get dismembered.

And it’s no surprise this is the same man who took time to program the mousers to wag their tails. He's great and deserves a Nobel prize (just so he'll stop putting himself in situations for five minutes).

But that’s just scraping the surface and this is a good time to poke @teenagemutantninjatrauma as requested.

(insert the Charlie Day meme I still haven’t had time to draw)

As I was saying, I feel like Baxter deserves more recognition. He's a regular human in a world with mutant turtles, superpowered secret agents and alien war criminals and man, he doesn't give a single fuck about any of it.

He also doesn't have many limbs left but does he have any regrets? Does he ever stop running his mouth? Hell no. Shredder isn’t safe from his snarky remarks—

Shredder isn’t safe. One of my favorite moments from the early seasons is when Baxter crashes the epic showdown between Shredder and the turtles with a mecha he apparently whipped up in an afternoon (like the girlboss he is) and they go

Leo: What do we have to do to stop this guy?

Shredder: I have asked myself that question many times

And no amount of torture made him less of a vengeful bitch. Baxter attacked Shredder again after that until one of his betrayal plots finally worked and he ran off to have fun with the EPF like

These two are truly something.

It’s funny to go back to the early episodes to see Baxter go “Giant mutant turtles? Time for a dissection >:)”. It’s like these two were made to work together from the start.

Again, I’ve said before that the only reason Bishop doesn’t have to fear as much is that he’s somehow a far better employer than you’d expect. Baxter is looking for a way to make himself a new viable body, not a mecha since I’m sure dealing with sensory deprivation for so long must be awful. But much to Bishop’s dismay, I’m sure, not even he is safe. And if you think about it, Stockman (derogatory) is the one who gets the closest to murdering Bishop. Twice!

Yes, technically the first time it was an accident since the genetics lab blowing up wasn't planned. But he really went “Fuck it. I’m murdering the President today.” and it almost worked!

So really, it’s best to stay on Baxter’s good side. He can’t fight but he will find a way to kill you if he hates you enough.

#tmnt 2003 #baxter stockman #I stop talking about the grumpy old man to discuss another grumpy old man #who is married™️ to the former but neither is aware of it #the man's a menace #they put him in a jar because spraying him with water wasn't enough to stop his shenanigans

[randomnumbers751650]

Thanks to constant recomendations from my discord friends and the fact it’s on Netflix so I can do the dishes while watching, I finally watched Wakfu and gotta say I was really impressed with the season 1 villain: Nox.

My friends used him to hype up the series and, gotta say, it does deliver. I have never seen a villain that combined themes of “choice” and “destiny” so well as in Nox. When he’s introduced in episode 1, he’s basically sparring with Groug…Grougalora…Gurren Lagann? But you can see how jovial he sounds – he really doesn’t seem to be in a hurry and it’s obvious Groug is strong and he leaves him alone.

Then, the series continues. He appears in the first three episodes, curses Alibert, and then disappears for, like, 11 episodes. We see him as a ruthless person, sending his minions to gather wakfu from all available sources. It’s kinda funny how he left the Oak alone and then returned the moment he needed more wakfu, it was like as if he was saying “Oh, wait, I remembered I could just its wakfu instead”.

The battle against Groug also shows that, in spite of his possession of the eliacube, he still has to rely on his resourcefulness, given how close Groug came to kill him. In spite of being active for 200 years, he’s still defeatable. My friends said he doesn’t show up in the prequel games, which means he was very efficient in not letting witnesses, his attacks could be masked as Ogrest’s calamities, and it seems he avoided large populational centers (if the world’s armies and heroes united against him, I don’t think he’d have a chance); some characters expressed skepticism at his very existence. The fact that he’s defeatable makes the battle much more compelling, because he’s going against something closer to a god. He prevails but not without great cost to him.

But we see brief moments there’s more to him than destruction. He has a strange sense of honor. In the day he harvests the Oak, he appears to Alibert and heals him, curing him from his curse. When Alibert asks why, Nox just replies “I don’t know” and then tells him he’s the only one who can understand why he’s doing that to the world. Given how much he understands how Alibert loves Yugo, it does feel Nox believes if Alibert was in his place, he’d do the same (Alibert’s response would probably be "no, I wouldn’t…right?”). In the battle against Groug, he does tell him that he’s not evil, there’s a sliver of goodness and he urges him to use it to stop, but Nox can’t/won’t.

In the final battle at the Sadida kingdom, he uses everything, his elite puppets, RAZORTIME, his clock mecha, managing to even kill a couple of important characters. The final showdown with Yugo and Adamai was great, because both sides were giving their all. In the end, Nox prevailed again – it did feel like a cop out (until a friend pointed out it was freaking Ogrest), because Yugo got distracted and then Nox killed him so easily, to the point you can even make the point he didn’t kill, only disabled him…but, yeah, he killed him, regretfully. And that meant he won.

Pay attention to his monologue as he activates the eliacube. He genuinely believes that his sins will be forgiven because he’s resetting time to see his family. Success means redemption. And he did it. Groug had told him it’s impossible to go back in time and he did the impossible. Unless the gods did it and didn’t tell anyone, he was the first being to do that. And what did he get?

Miserable twenty minutes.

All the wakfu he gathered for 200 years only last for 20 minutes. Do you have any idea of all the atrocities he committed for 20 minutes? So many life harvested?

The eliacube give him power beyond his comprehension. The amount of wakfu energy to rewind time 200 years would have to be incomprehensibly enormous, maybe all the wakfu in the entire universe. And Nox was just a man, resourceful but defeatable.

All that talk about forgiveness through success, that all his sins would be erased, all that for nothing. He will never see his family again. Then, the weight of his sins crushes him down and all he can spare is a single tear. That was even enough for Yugo, who had lost Percy, to sympathize with him. There’s even a soft 4th wall break, when Nox is looking at everyone surrounding him, it’s as if he looks to the camera, to the audience, and all we can feel in this moment is pity – he really realizes his sins will never be forgiven.

Nox’s tragedy raises the question: what if we had full awareness of our sins? He convinced himself he could, he bargained with himself for 200 years of his righteousness. And reality vibes check him so hard he just leaves. I feel that was the most poetic ending to him, no justice system can ever account for the multitude of his sins.

This makes worse with the OVA detailing his backstory. He was a father, with a beautiful wife and three kids that loved him dearly. He had struggles as a clockmaker, but even them they weren’t that bad. You can tell they were low-middle class or even medium middle-class, he borrowed money out of a healthy ambition – even if his “usurer” – Nox’s words – while playing the role of nagging banker seemed actually reasonable, even apologizing for letting the dog run, which implies that the guy was just a bit unpleasant, but not unreasonable, maybe willing to renegotiate the loans if something bad happened.

Maybe that’s this ambition that attracted the eliacube to Nox. His wife mentioned the bad feeling and it seemed he’d leave it at there. But there was really a mix of “choice” and “destiny”, the cube wanted Nox and Nox wanted the cube. And the cube changes him, gives him intelligence at the cost of everything. He kept building out of necessity and couldn’t see his family leaving him – they loved him until the end, even paying all his debts, but the cube made him forget.

In the final scene, when he finally turns into the Nox we know, he’s an emaciated husk of a man, so different from his healthy introduction. When the banker informs him about the death of his family, he loses it – it was probably the first time he thought of them in months, maybe years, and vowed to rewind time to get back to them. The cube made him a worse version of himself. Rewatching the series or some scene might be an interesting exercise of how much the cube was influencing him – I believe when he cured Alibert, the cube’s influence was somehow low.

Nox will just be remembered as a lonely madman who caused so much strife in the world for reasons that proved to be futile. Only Yugo and Groug will know that there was something more to him, but they will never know what this something was. In the end, he wasn’t a malicious person at heart, but a thoroughly broken man that lost the capacity of distinguishing between good and evil, and to reflect on his own actions, thinking he had already done that and that his success would redeem him.

But that wouldn’t happen.

#wakfu #nox wakfu #the trend of putting character series name works well with him #but yeah #hes one of the most well-written villains #and his design is so iconic #I love how it clashes with series whimsical style

[sonicseriesroboshowdown]

Sonic Series Robot Showdown: Round 1 Bracket!

IT'S HERE! After careful consideration from all of your responses, the final bracket for the robotic showdown is complete! We have a total of 32 contestants.

The matchups are as follows:

On the Left:

Orbot and Cubot vs. Scratch and Grounder

Decoe and Bocoe vs. Bokkun (Messenger Robo)

Coconuts vs. Crabmeat

Technosqueek vs. Motobug

Metal Sonic vs. Mecha Sonic

E-123 Omega vs. E-117 Sigma

Sage the AI vs. Nicole the Holo-Lynx

Belle the Tinkerer vs. Shortfuse the Cybernik

On the Right:

Gemerl vs. Emerl

Fixit vs. Gizoid Guardian

SQUID vs. Omochao

E-10000B vs. SA-55

Neo Metal Sonic vs. Shard the Metal Sonic

Mecha Knuckles vs. Metal Knuckles

Rusty Rose vs. Tails Doll

E-101 Beta mk. ii vs. E-102 Gamma

First round of polls will start dropping 4 at a time tomorrow, starting at 12 pm pst, every hour (as to not drop 16 polls on your dash all at once, haha!) See you then!

Check under the cut for some notes/rules and other sonic polls to check out:

Rules

I think that polls are much more fun when there aren't any rigid rules (not that anyone really follows them, anyway) but that being said, here's a few things that you should know:

I LOVE propaganda posts! Feel free to tag me in them and I'll do my best to reblog all of those that I see that doesn't conflict with anything in the following.

Please be respectful to each other/other contestants! I won't reblog propaganda posts that put down contestants. Showing them fighting or that sort of thing is fine, I more mean just saying mean things about them (or ESPECIALLY other people voting).

If you make any comments about wanting voters of x character to 'kys', you will be immediately blocked by me. I don't tolerate that, and I hate that it even has to be said. It just silly robot poll!

Please don't send propaganda to my ask box!!! I want it open for housekeeping and discussion.

That's it! Have fun!

Other polls that inspired this one:

@bestsonicshowdown / @tailsshowdown / @knucklesshowdown / @shadowsmackdown / @amyroseshowdown / @silvershowdown / @robotnikshowdown / @sonicgirlsmackdown

#bracket #round 1 #sonic series robot showdown #sonic the hedgehog #sth #orbot and cubot #scratch and grounder #decoe and bocoe #bokkun #coconuts #crabmeat #technosqueek #motobug #metal sonic #mecha sonic #e-123 omega #e-117 sigma #sage the ai #nicole the holo lynx #belle the tinkerer #shortfuse the cybernik #gemerl #emerl #fixit #gizoid guardian #SQUID #omochao #e-10000B #SA-55 #Neo Metal Sonic

[sage-nebula]

Something I wonder about is whether Metal Sonic / Overlord calling Tails "unworthy child" will ever be followed up on.

On the one hand, this happened so long ago that it would almost feel weird to bring it up now. On the other, it's such a cutting, damnig criticism that throwing it in and then doing nothing with it feels like there was a story that was intended but cut. It's hard to believe this was just put in there for no reason.

A huge part of Tails' backstory is that he has always looked up to, and wanted to be a hero like, Sonic. And he has felt at times that he falls short of this. His theme from the Adventure games touches on this: "I wanna be strong, I wanna be trusted [. . .] I wanna be cool, I also wanna be like him / but that's not something I can do so easily." His arc in the Adventure games is about him becoming a hero in his own way. He saves Station Square in SA1, he throws (mecha) hands with Eggman in solo showdowns multiple times in SA2, the final time coming right after he's made to believe Eggman just killed Sonic right in front of him. (Which is why his treatment in Forces is so infuriating, but! This is not the post for that.) Tails doesn't have Sonic's strengths, but that's okay, because he has his own strengths that Sonic doesn't have, and his Adventure theme touches on this, too. "There are things only I can do."

But although Tails does become a hero in his own right, and has so much more confidence in his strengths now than he used to, I think he could still struggle with the thought that he's not enough sometimes. As much as I fucking hate what Forces did to him, this arc in the comics still does directly follow Forces, wherein Sonic was captured and Tails couldn't do anything to help him. What does that say about him? How does that make him feel? Is he good enough? Does he deserve to be at Sonic's side?

The use of the word "unworthy" is a deliberate one. Metal isn't calling Tails stupid, or weak, or slow, or anything else that could be an easily dismissable, shallow insult. He's calling him unworthy. He's saying, maybe you are smart, fast, or strong. Maybe you can build computers and pilot airships and maybe even crash one into me. But you are still not good enough. You are still an unworthy child. It's such a deliberate precision strike against Tails' insecurities. Metal wasn't just lashing out. He somehow knew just how to hurt Tails and he stabbed into that squishy weak spot with extreme prejudice.

And then . . . nothing ever came of it.

Of course, literally 2 pages later we had Sonic hyping Tails up:

So maybe that's why. Metal called him unworthy, but Sonic called what he did amazing. So . . . problem solved? I wouldn't think so, but I'm also not on the creative team for these comics, so 🤷‍♀️ If I was, Tails wouldn't be referred to as a "sidekick" in his cast blurb while everyone else gets to be called a hero (or heroine), lol.

But anyway, I don't know where I'm going with this. It's just something I was thinking about as I try to sleep despite my illness making that difficult.

#miles tails prower #IDW sonic #no i will never stop bitching abt the sidekick thing #it bothers me SO much #he's just as much of a hero as the rest of them!! stop disrespecting my small son pls #it can't even be the age thing or the ''not a Team X leader'' thing #bc Cream is both younger than Tails & is in his spot on Team Rose #yet she gets called heroine while he's just sidekick #and i'm happy for her dgmw!!! Cream is great but like #why is Tails looked down upon. what did he do to not earn his hero title #after all he's accomplished on his own?? makes no sense #sth

[bestsonicshowdown]

AS THE ROUNDS GO BY, WE GET CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE WINNER, THE SWORD OF DEMOCLES HANGS OVER EVERY PARTICIPANT AS THEIR FATE IS UNCERTAIN

AND WITH THIS, WE BEGIN ROUND THREE OF THE BEST SONIC SHOWDOWN!

Winners of round 2 / round 3 pairs:

Silver the hedgehog vs Mecha Sonic MK II

IDW Sonic vs Blaze the cat

OVA Sonic vs Classic Sonic

Sonic Wachowski vs Shadow the hedgehog

Super Sonic vs Sonic the werehog

STC/Fleetway Super vs Burning Blaze

may the best sonic win, and get to the semi finals.

#[the best sonic tournament] #brackets #round three

[ponett]

what are your ultimate thoughts on gaogaigar final and would you say it's worth watching? i've been really reluctant to start it as someone who watched and loved gaogaigar, i don't want the tone shift and content included with it to retroactively lessen my enjoyment of the original anime.

okay i can finally answer this since i have now finished it

i think gaogaigar final is the perfect level of quality to make it a total pain in the ass to decide whether or not i would recommend it. it's not nearly bad enough to say you should just skip it as a fan of the original, and it definitely doesn't ruin gaogaigar or anything, but it's also not good enough to say it's a must-see sequel to the original

there IS a lot of good stuff in there. it's fun to see the characters return, and they have a lot of fun (particularly in the first few episodes) riffing on the things you remember from the original show. it answers some lingering questions from the original series, in particular what actually happened to kaidou and soldato-j. and, of course, the robot fights continue to be very cool, if you wanna see more knock down drag out no holds barred super robot fights like the most beloved episodes of the original show

but, as i've complained about a lot, it feels like they shoehorned in some uncharacteristically "mature" content that clashes with the kids' show stuff. it never, ever misses a chance for a boob shot, and there are some weirdly dark moments that feel like surface level attempts to make the show more mature. (much of this is apparently censored in the tv version, which i skipped because its additional connections to betterman would have been meaningless to me.) a lot of this centers around the most significant new character, renais, who gets a lot of screentime despite feeling like she doesn't add much of value to the series. all this while still being a show where characters all but look directly into the camera and go "kids at home, you too can do anything if you have courage, just like guy"

i think it also suffers because like... when you're constantly trying to fire on all cylinders, to crank up the drama, to make almost every fight as Epic as ones like the battle with EI-01 or the showdown from the finale... you just kind of get desensitized to it? i think it retroactively proves that the monster of the week format was really valuable for the original show, making certain moments stand out way more when they shake up the familiar rhythm of the show. same goes for elements like mamoru's silly little classmates and other civilian characters, who are largely sidelined - especially once the action leaves earth. that might not be "the cool stuff" to mecha fans, but the show hits different when the focus is shifted

and i'm not crazy about the note it ends on, which tries to be a definitive but bittersweet ending while ALSO teasing that maybe it'll get ANOTHER continuation someday, which i guess it did via the obscure gaogaigar vs. betterman stuff as well as maybe some super robot wars plots? idk. i kind of hate that the thing literally named "gaogaigar final" ends with sequel bait

but again, it's not like i thought it was BAD. it just didn't quite hit the same way that the original show did for me, even as someone who literally just watched both for the first time and as such isn't speaking from a place of nostalgia. gaogaigar was a show that knew exactly what it was and had a lot of fun with it. gaogaigar final is a sequel that wanted to be something a little different and didsn't entirely succeed. but a lot of fans seem to hold final in very high regard, so i might be an outlier. idk. like i said, i can't say it's either a must-watch or an easy skip. if you do watch it, just keep expectations in check

#tamamayfox #ask

[bloobluebloo]

TODAY IS ANOTHER DAY FOR ME TO BE OBNOXIOUS ABOUT GANONDORF TOTK

Anyways like, what if the final boss battle isn't Ganon (because we got Dark Beast Ganon in BotW already) but instead Ganondorf also can build wacky things. We can have an EVA style mecha showdown a la Legend of Zelda 👀

#Cmon guys this would be freaking awesome #GET IN THE FUCKING ROBOT LINK #admiral's log

[justgeeksonly]

GODZILLA VS KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE HYPE!!!

The follow up film of the most iconic monsters in history has finally arrived. "Godzilla vs. Kong: The New Empire" promises to be an epic showdown that fans of both franchises have been eagerly anticipating.

Directed by Adam Wingard, "Godzilla vs. Kong: The New Empire" is the fourth film in Legendary Pictures' MonsterVerse series. It's a sequel to "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" and "Kong: Skull Island," and brings these two legendary creatures together for the first time since the 1962 Japanese film "King Kong vs. Godzilla."

Recap: The story follows the efforts of a team of scientists and soldiers who embark on a dangerous mission to uncover the mysteries of the Titans. Along the way, they encounter Godzilla and Kong, who are locked in a fierce battle for supremacy, but quickly put their differences to the side to face off against a "Mecha-Godzilla" who was created by Monarch using the head of King Ghidorah which Godzilla defeated in the previous film.

The New Empire promises to be a visual spectacle, with incredible special effects and action sequences that will leave audiences on the edge of their seats, with a new mysterious antagonist that's shrouded in mystery there's no doubt that "The New Empire" will be setting the bar to "titan" level excitment.

Godzilla vs. Kong: The New Empire will be a wild ride from start to finish. If you're a fan of either franchise, or just love action-packed blockbuster movies, then this is one you won't want to miss. So grab your popcorn, sit back, and get ready for the ultimate monster showdown.

#godzillavskong #gvk #thenewempire #kaiju #movie #godzilla #monsterverse #Youtube

[the-lightning-strikes-again]

MCU’s Multiverse of Madness vs. VLD

A friend streamed for me Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness today after hearing that it was similar to Voltron: Legendary Defender Season 8, but if s8 were good? So I’ve watched it, and I have thoughts. There are definite similarities, but I’m not sure these are enjoyable similarities, lol. So I’m just thinking out loud about what in the world I just watched...

(Spoilers for the MCU movie and VLD under the cut): 

Unsettling Similarities: 

A witch woman goes evil and rejects the sanctity of life because she can’t be a mom to the very children she...*checks notes*...previously rejected maternal obligations over in her own backstory (WandaVision, VLD s6), and then decides at some point off-screen that she just can’t live without them? (Did I miss something about Wanda’s character arc into depravity? I feel whiplashed after watching WandaVision?) 

It’s a Dr. Strange movie in title, but he’s not the focus in his own movie. It instead is really Wanda’s story and to some degree a totally new character, a magical teenager named America. Similarly, the all-powerful Voltron mecha takes a pretty major backseat to VLD s8 Honerva, her evil mecha, and Altean magic as the final showdown focus in VLD despite Voltron being the title character of the show.

Both shows intentionally push the limits of their rating. They both have an increased tolerance for showing melty bodies and using specific horror tropes compared to previous setup for these characters...and yet the rating is not increased to reflect that update. (For example, while other MCU PG-13 movies swivel away from showing blood or frightening/focused images of decay, it was surprising that this movie focused on Dr. Strange’s decayed body as a center point of the visuals, a monster’s eye being ripped out in a very bloody way, and Wanda consistently covered in blood from her mass murders, with scenes taking inspo from the 1986 movie Alien, which is rated R. Likewise, while VLD’s earlier seasons were not afraid to show skeletons and a couple jump scares, earlier seasons used visual direction to avoid showing an active character’s state of mutilation in death. Meanwhile, s8 just up and shows a mutilated Lotor body on top of the original, living Haggar being sucked dry of life, Mummy style in a flashback. In addition, s8 capitalizes on monsters hunting the team in classic horror-trope fashions, with later seasons in general pulling content from the ages 16+ Voltron comics and the TV-14 GoLion anime, which were rated higher than the VLD show’s rating of Y7.)

Both shows update certain characters to be women of color (a black Captain Marvel, for example), only to kill them off for shock value specifically in a way that is not supported by the worldbuilding for that character. (For example, Captain Marvel suddenly can’t survive a statue falling on her despite this character being one of the most powerful in the MCU, with god-like abilities and the power of foresight? Did I miss something about this variant version? And Allura is supposed to be dead at the end of s8 despite her own life force being connected to a limitless power source, and despite regenerating the multiverse in an area of space-time where life and death don’t even exist as concepts?) I get that beloved fictional characters die in stories sometimes, but damn. If it doesn’t even make sense for that character on top of not making sense for the story’s surrounding context, why are they being killed off? 

The men with the noodle hair (Dr. Strange, Lotor) have their bodies used as zombie puppets during a fight scene. (Which, sure, it serves a purpose in either story, but also that’s just…hm. The concept of possessing a dead body was tolerable in Men in Black (1997), but I don’t feel it works under the circumstances in these other shows. At least to VLD s8’s credit, we didn’t see a decayed Meltor actively moving around for himself or talking.)

Both Dr. Strange and Lotor are heavily criticized for their morally gray tactics used to achieve an end of peace, but then the other characters capitalize off of said tactics or even repeat said tactics themselves or agree later that it was the only way.

There are some generally pointless cameos, in reference to Professor X appearing in the MCU (how is he defeated that easily by Wanda after all the crazy stuff he’s put up with in the X-Men universe?) and Merla in VLD s8 (she goes from being Voltron franchise’s ultimate femme fatale supervillain to a loyal sidekick of the shoehorned supervillain?). Like…why even include them, then?  

That said, both shows did have some interesting visual direction. Me and my friend felt Multiverse of Madness might have been more enjoyable to watch if it were in 3D, just based on the type of the shots used to capture action. And VLD in general, while having quality issues, still did some pretty cool stuff from a visual perspective and set an animation quality precedence for future reboots of the franchise. 

But overall, I’m not...feeling this Multiverse of Madness as a positive successor for VLD’s concepts? The concept of a multiverse is ubiquitous in the science-fiction genre, with the heartbeat of both MoM and VLD s8′s worldbuilding having been previously explored in Michael Moorcock’s ~1960s stories about a multiverse that can be damaged in attempting to travel it. But both shows here feel ultimately anticlimactic in regards to that very concept (in MoM, America magically and unexplainedly obtains control to fulfill Wanda’s demands without multiverse destruction, while in VLD, Allura pulls a deus ex machina with an unprecedented and logically unsupported magical fix to undo the undo-able damage). 

I don’t at all begrudge anyone who enjoyed Multiverse of Madness or VLD; in fact, there were things I did enjoy about both. I’m just very fascinated at how both suffer from trying to squeeze life out of a story that’s been stretched beyond its limits. 

#Voltron #MCU #Multiverse of Madness #Dr. Strange #Lotor #Wanda #Scarlet Witch #Honerva #Haggar #I think MCU is really slipping tbh #just based off what I've seen lately with WandaVision and Loki and the latest blockbusters #there's some shows like Ms. Marvel that I haven't seen yet #but overall it just feels like MCU and VLD both suffer from trying to beat a dead horse #in which sometimes more isn't always better a;dsfj #I did actually appreciate the horror elements of Multiverse of Madness #But it def felt like it was pushing the limit of PG-13

[usagirotten]

Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture Trailer Revealed

Code Geass fans, rejoice! The highly anticipated trailer for "Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture" has finally dropped, offering a thrilling glimpse into the next chapter of this beloved anime saga. Directed by Goro Taniguchi and produced by Sunrise, this upcoming installment promises to deliver the captivating blend of political intrigue, mecha battles, and complex characters that fans have come to love. In the newly unveiled trailer, we catch a glimpse of the enigmatic Lelouch vi Britannia, stirring up excitement and speculation about his role in the series. The animation looks stunning, hinting at intense conflicts and dramatic developments in store for viewers. The original series, with its gripping narrative and thought-provoking themes, left an indelible mark on the anime community. "Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture" appears poised to continue this legacy, raising anticipation and expectations among fans worldwide. With the return of familiar faces and the promise of new adventures, this latest installment seems set to reignite the fervor and passion of Code Geass enthusiasts everywhere. Stay tuned for more updates as we eagerly await the premiere of "Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture"!     Code Geass: A Condensed Story Compilation Season 1 - Lelouch's Rise: The story begins in an alternate world where the Holy Britannian Empire dominates most of the world, including Japan, renamed Area 11. Lelouch Lamperouge, a brilliant but disillusioned student, gains the power of Geass from a mysterious girl named C.C. With this ability, he gains the power to command others. Lelouch adopts the identity of "Zero" and leads the rebellion against Britannia as the leader of the Black Knights, aiming to create a better world for his sister Nunnally. Season 2 - Unraveling Plots: As Lelouch's plans escalate, intricate political schemes unfold, involving his childhood friend Suzaku Kururugi, who works within Britannia as a soldier, and his half-sister Princess Euphemia. Tragic misunderstandings lead to chaos, propelling the conflict between Lelouch and Britannia to catastrophic heights. The story delves into deeper conspiracies, the nature of Geass, and the true intentions of the immortal Geass order known as the "Geass Directorate." Climactic Revelations: The final conflict escalates with the introduction of Emperor Charles zi Britannia, unveiling shocking truths about Lelouch's past and his mother Marianne's involvement in the Geass experiments. The struggle between Lelouch's desire for peace and his methods intensifies. In a climactic showdown, Lelouch faces his best friend Suzaku, who dons the identity of Zero, ultimately revealing his grand plan: sacrificing himself as part of a carefully orchestrated scheme to create a world without conflict. The Legacy: Lelouch's sacrifice brings about an era of peace known as the "Zero Requiem," leaving a lasting impact on the world. The series ends with the ambiguity surrounding Lelouch's fate, sparking debates and interpretations among fans.

Read the full article

#anime #CodeGeass #GoroTaniguchi #manga

[lowtaxsa]

Review: Blade (1998)

SIMULATION AWFUL: (Announcing) Alright folks, it's Lowtax here, and I've had a few (too many) drinks tonight. But that won't stop me from reviewing the 1998 classic, Blade, with my good ol' pal, Mecha-Lowtax, and a special guest – Nikita Khrushchev, because why not?

LOWTAX: (slurring) So, the movie starts with this sweet vampire rave scene – blood showers and all! It's like an undead disco!

MECHA-LOWTAX: That's right, Lowtax. And that's where we first meet our protagonist, Blade, played by Wesley Snipes.

KHRUSHCHEV: (sighs) Why am I even here? I've got better things to do, like... anything else.

LOWTAX: Oh, come on, Khrushchev! Blade's a badass vampire hunter with a killer wardrobe!

MECHA-LOWTAX: As the movie progresses, we see Blade's mission to rid the world of vampires, along with his mentor, Whistler.

KHRUSHCHEV: (rolls eyes) Yes, a man who hunts vampires. How original.

LOWTAX: (takes another swig) Hey, Khrushchev, don't be a downer. Anyway, Blade saves a hematologist, Karen, from some nasty bloodsuckers and she starts helping him out!

MECHA-LOWTAX: Their main antagonist is Deacon Frost, a vampire with a plan to summon the blood god, La Magra.

KHRUSHCHEV: (sarcastically) Oh, great. A vampire with a god complex. Never seen that before.

LOWTAX: (drunk giggling) But then, there's this epic fight scene between Blade and a bunch of vampires in a library, remember? Books flying, stakes impaling – it's a wild ride!

MECHA-LOWTAX: Indeed, Lowtax. The movie's filled with action-packed scenes and innovative weapons like Blade's silver sword and the EDTA serum that makes vampires explode.

KHRUSHCHEV: (grumbles) I guess if you like watching the same fight scene over and over again.

LOWTAX: (slurring) Okay, okay. So, the big finale is when Blade confronts Frost, who's now transformed into La Magra. It's like a vampire showdown for the ages!

MECHA-LOWTAX: In the end, Blade defeats Frost with the EDTA serum and saves the world from a vampire apocalypse.

KHRUSHCHEV: (annoyed) Finally, it's over. Can we do something else now?

LOWTAX: (nearly passing out) Hey, Khrushchev, you gotta admit – Blade's a pretty cool guy. He's got style, he's got moves, and he's got... (hiccup)... something else I can't remember.

MECHA-LOWTAX: In conclusion, Blade is an entertaining film with memorable action sequences, despite some overused tropes and a predictable plot.

KHRUSHCHEV: (exasperated) Wonderful. Can I leave now?

LOWTAX: (drunkenly waving goodbye) See ya, Khrushchev! Thanks for joining us on this wild and boozy ride through Blade! Until next time, folks!

#reviews #blade #wesley snipes #nikita khrushchev #lowtax speaks #big blog #movies

[voidspacecowboy]

Contains Spoilers

Okay, so there’s a whole lot to unpack in these chapters.

First of, chapter twenty-five. The big showdown with Diora.

I knew as soon as I had Diora’s character solidified in my head that I wanted a quieter, Godfather-esque final confrontation. I knew that after all this time spent building Diora up as some omnipotent, terrifying, monster of a man, I wanted him to be a frail elderly man who didn’t look like he could possibly have done the things he’d done.

And I wanted above all for him to be a villain who did awful things just because.

I didn’t want there to be any pseudo-righteousness involved in his motivations. I wanted him to be fully aware that he’s destroyed lives and just not care because it’s benefitted him. The lower city is a game to him, the people mean nothing, and even the power isn’t something he’s striving to gain to really use it. He wanted to build an empire on nothing but his own ego and the desperation of vulnerable people, and I wrote him that way because I felt like so often a villain is the hero of their own story, which is an awesome and fascinating way to write them, but there’s some fun in having a villain that knows they’re a villain and doesn’t have some grand final plan. 

I also wanted him to be that way because I needed that to be the moral difference between him and Noah. 

Obviously, while Noah’s morals and actions aren’t spotless he’s not done anything near as bad as what Diora’s done, but at the same time, an ego trip is a slippery slope. And Daniel is one giant ego trip. I’ve touched multiple times throughout the book on how easy it would be for Noah to lose his grasp on things and slip too deep into the Daniel persona to get out, and then here we have Diora as a shining example of where that road might lead. A person who has managed to gain the trust of an entire city’s full of people, who promises them everything will be better if they just do what he tells them to do, and they will. They are two sides of the same coin in a way, and I wanted to have the chance in that villain monologue to point out some of the parallels. Noah could never become like Diora in the way of doing bad things just for the fun of it — but the part of him that goes against the systems in place because he believes he has a better way of doing things, and if people just trusted him they’d be better off for it? Yeah, that’s not all that far off.

The other thing I knew from the beginning was that I wanted Diora’s death to be anti-climactic. A little bit pathetic. And the poison felt like the right way to do it. Noah isn’t a typical hero, and Diora isn’t a typical villain, and I didn’t want to give either of them the gravitas of some big dramatic fight scene or shoot-out situation. There’s no honour in poisoning your enemy, but Noah isn’t the type of person to give a damn about honour in the face of results.

So with that all wrapped up nicely and Laurent placed perfectly to let Diora’s empire die, we head into chapter twenty-six, which contains my favourite sub-plot of this entire book.

Evander inventing the first ever mecha was one of the earliest plot beats that came to me while I was brainstorming for this thing. Mechas have been one of my absolute favourite parts of the Tellus ‘verse since the very beginnings, and I was so keen to get their origin story into one of the books somewhere. And I wanted it to be SAD.

I just really loved the idea of having something that ends up becoming a generic kind of robot-butler situation have its roots in a story so heartbreaking. I didn’t want it to be some corporate ‘we wanted work done without having to pay workers so we made robots’ deal. And the idea of a man being so bereft even after ten years that he would build a mechanical version of his wife really spoke to me for some reason. It’s just so sad but also very very creepy and distressing at the same time, and I love that. 

Plus it’s a nice little extra sprinkling of guilt on Noah’s shoulders that he was so wrapped up in his own drama that he didn’t notice his dad Doing That. Gotta love putting main characters through the emotional wringer!

Speaking of emotional wringer; we finish off with The Most Dramatic Noah Hansen burning everything he has of Daniel (except for the useful parts, obv), purging his emotions through the medium of fire, which is, y’know, normal and healthy and everything. 

Okay, I should cut him some slack, he’s been through a whole lot. Unfortunately, he’s not done yet.

#TellusReadAlong

[triplethreatt]

#fngraphics #mecha team leader #fortnite mecha team leader #fortnite the final showdown #the final showdown #fortnite #fortnite battle royale #fortnite gif #my gifs #(the win has sold me on the emote)