(Sorry if this isn’t the best way I could’ve made a celebration picture, I’ll try to answer your questions in a bit)
October 1, 2022 - CN 30:
HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY, CARTOON NETWORK!
I remember when I started watching CN religiously (alongside Nick, Disney Channel, and others) back in 2009 (yes, it just so happened to be that year), and I stuck with the network for at least 6-7 years.
While I rarely watch CN (or watch TV at all) nowadays, it still holds a magical place in my heart for all of the fun I had watching their content.
If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have gotten into Ed, Edd n Eddy. It was the 1st time that I came up with stories based on pre-existing properties because they seemed easier than being completely original (don’t worry, very little (if any) of those fan-fictions involved ships). Me and my brother never would’ve drawn a face on a piece of cardboard and called it “Plank.” I wouldn’t have gotten into Mixels back in 2014, nor would I have ended up getting back into Mixels around Christmas of 2017 (it was actually summer 2018, but just pretend that cartoon me is talking). I wouldn’t have had such a strange relationship with Amethyst from Steven Universe, to the point where we even became friends. I never would’ve become friends with Bloo despite his flaws.
There were so many other shows that I absolutely loved to watch too: Adventure Time, Gumball, Camp Lazlo, We Bare Bears, you name it! Even Teen Titans Go I liked watching when it first started (I don’t really care for that show anymore now, but I did like it back then).
Alright, onto the questions:
1. Why didn’t you include anyone else in the picture?
Currently, these are the only CN characters I’ve drawn digitally. I wanted to draw someone like Eddy from Ed, Edd n Eddy (due to how special that show is to me), but I haven’t drawn much from that show in a few years, so I felt a bit uncomfortable and out of practice.
2. Why does Lazlo look older?
Never been sure why, but it’s apparently natural in the cartoon world for some characters to stay the same age, and others to grow up. Lazlo just so happens to be a part of the latter.
3. Aren’t you and Amethyst still stuck in Camden? How did you take this picture?
Actually this isn’t a photo, it’s a drawing. That’s why it’s not colored.
4. Why didn’t you use Amethyst’s current outfit?
Well, it just seemed right to have her in the outfit she wore when SU first premiered back in 2013.
So once again, have a wonderful and wacky 30th Birthday, Cartoon Network!!!
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How 'She-Ra' Delivered on Queer Promises and Helped Revolutionized LGBTQ Representation
DreamWorks's She-Ra and the Princesses of Power has already cemented its place among the short but rapidly growing list of children’s animated shows with impactful LGBTQ representation. Showrunner Noelle Stevenson made it a point to push and fight for more diverse characters in every aspect from race, to personality, to sexual and gender identity. However, the finale of the GLADD Award-nominated program delivered on a revolutionary promise built up throughout all five seasons and completed one of the greatest queer narratives ever seen in children’s media.
As She-Ra progressed, Stevenson became more encouraged and inspired to pressure executives to allow more and more explicit LGBTQ characters and relationships. While ever-present in the series, season one only featured a background couple, Spinnerella (Noelle Stevenson) and Netossa (Krystal Joy Brown), and of course, the famous dance sequence between Catra (AJ Michalka) and Adora (Aimee Carrero). While this amount of representation is comfortably leagues ahead of the vast majority of cartoons, the show only upped the ante and the amount of representation from there. Season 2 introduced viewers to George (Chris Jai Alex) and Lance (Regi Davis), Bow's fathers. The series presents them in a normalized fashion as a happy gay couple in love that built a family together. Jacob Tobia's non-binary Double Trouble featured heavily in season four, making them one of the first non-binary characters in children's animation and one of the first to holding an integral role in the show, a major step in representing such identities.
The many achievements and strides She-Ra in LGBTQ representation featured in She-Ra will doubtlessly affect other projects in the industry and help further programs walk a similar path. However, the greatest queer story inShe-Ra is the spectacular series-long arc exploring the relationship and dynamics between de facto antagonist Catra and protagonist Adora. The former friends, who grew up together in the ranks of the Horde, turn enemies at the start of the series after Adora gains the power of She-Ra and betrays Catra, joining the Rebellion.
Fans quickly began speculating on the nature of Adora and Catra's relationship during season one, mainly because of the Princess Prom dance scene. After the young women shared a charged and sinister dance, fans quickly began supporting and analyzing "Catradora." The next three seasons would gradually and gracefully define both characters' complicated feelings for each other. Initially, Catra attempts to rationalize Adora's leaving as a relief or else forces herself to appear apathetic towards it. She continuously uses the excuse that she is no longer living under Adora's shadow to gradually build up more power, rising through the ranks of the Horde while stepping on those who helped her.
While Catra's motivations are appropriately layered and complex, it becomes clear that she is attempting to win approval, to be less alone than she has felt since Adora abandoned her. She seeks others' approval, including her abusive maternal figure, Shadow Weaver (Lorraine Toussaint), and the cruel Hordak (Keston John). However, Catra does not realize until confronted by Double Trouble's gut-wrenching and emotionally resonating analysis of her psyche. They inform Catra that the reason she is alone and abandoned, she pushes others away. The realization that her problems and loneliness are by her own doing combine with her guilt for betraying her allies Scorpia (Lauren Ash) and Entrapta (Christine Woods), leads Catra to an emotional breakdown.
Thee fifth and final season of She-Ra opens with Catra still plagued by loneliness and self-doubt. She starts to form a bond with Prime's captor Glimmer (Karen Fukuhara), seeing her guilt reflected by Glimmer's regret for trying to use the Heart of Etheria's power. Eventually, Catra learns about Adora's impending rescue attempt and the villainous Prime's plants to capture her once she arrives. Ultimately, all the feelings and circumstances surrounding Catra clash together as she remembers a childhood promise that she and Adora would always be friends. The revelation that she loves Adora finally causes Catra to turn and do "one good thing," protect Adora. She frees Glimmer to prevent Adora from walking into Prime's trap; thus, Catra becomes the Horde's prisoner.
Adora's character arch is much less tragic than Catra. The "frenemies" clash multiple times throughout the early seasons with an ever-shifting dynamic that hints at their intricate relationship and confused romantic feelings. But, at the end of season three, Catra's reckless plan against Adora almost leads to Eternia's destruction. As Catra taunts and blames Adora for her suffering, Adora seemingly ends their conflicted relationship, noting that Catra's misdeeds are all her own, "You made your choice, now live with it."
In the final season, Adora has lost the powers of She-Ra. But, she continues to charge into battle headfirst, exposing herself and her tendencies to put other's wellbeing before her own. This tactic mirrors why Adora left Catra's side in the first place all the way back in the first season. She places more importance on duty and service to others than herself and her friend. Later, while Adora, Bow (Marcus Scribner), and Entrapta are traveling towards Horde Prime, Catra sends a signal to their ship, apologizing for everything she has done while teleporting Glimmer to them. Adora decides that she cannot leave Catra behind, and the Best-Friend Squad hurries to rescue Catra from the Horde. Adora saves Catra not only from Prime's vile clutches but her loneliness too. Adora's exclamation "You matter to me" is a powerful and victorious moment, as the two friends turned enemies unite, and acknowledge their connection.
Unfortunately, even after the Adora and Catra are together again, conflict continues to rise between them and with themselves. Catra feels unlovable because of her past and so convinces herself that Adora will not accept her feelings. She continues to struggle with abandonment, especially when Adora willingly takes the responsibility of a suicide mission to destroy the Heart of Etheria, yelling, "It doesn't always have to be you." Sadly, Adora again abandons her, putting the good of everyone else above herself and Catra. Acknowledging that Adora, "Always sacrifices everything for everyone else," Catra runs away. However, upon realizing that Prime is moments away from taking control of the Heart and killing Adora, Shadow Weaver and her run to rescue the girl she loves.
As Adora journeys to the Heart, she sees and an illusion of Catra, envisioning that her friend meets her to approach the suicide mission together. Soon, Adora faces a vision of Mara (Zehra Fazal), the previous She-Ra, who tells her that she does not always need to sacrifice herself and is deserving of love too. She becomes trapped without her powers by a first-ones' guardian until Catra and Shadow Weaver save her. Telling Adora to go on, Catra stays to fight the beast in vain. Moments before destroying the Heart and herself, Adora finally chooses to return to Catra, to put Catra and her own happiness over her sense of duty.
As Adora and Catra approach the Heart, the former almost succumbs to Prime's power and has one final vision. Adora dreams of living a life in peace in Brightmoon alongside her friends, Glimmer and Bow, and with her loving, playful partner Catra by her side. In the apparent final moments before her death, Catra reaches out to Adora. At last, the two confess their love for each other and embrace in a momentous kiss, restoring She-Ra's power to Adora. Renewed in strength and standing beside her beloved, Adora finally destroys Horde Prime. The series ends as Adora and Catra plan to travel together and restore magic to the universe and fades to black as the couple prepares to take their next journey together.
as Adora and Catra plan to travel together and restore magic to the universe and fades to black as the couple prepares to take their next journey together.
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power has always been a powerhouse of LGBTQ representation, especially the final season. For example, it heavily features former background characters and married couple Spinnerella and Netossa in leading roles, as Netossa attempts to recover her wife’s mind from Prime. However, the relationship between Catra and Adora is not only the series highlight but a revolutionary in LGBTQ representation in children's television.
LGBTQ history in children's media and cartoons is disappointingly brief and, at times, unpleasant. Early examples mostly featured coded queer characters with harmful and stereotypical traits, such as the Silver Spooner from Dexter's Laboratory. Some works were able to include less harmful depictions. Networks allowed characters like Richie from Static Shock, who is gay, to exist as long as their identity was kept extremely subtextual.
Slowly some more limited progress was made, and a few less offensive or hidden characters were permitted to appear in one-off and minor roles. Nelvana's Canadian animated sitcom, 6teen included many vague but most neutral references to homosexuality and eventually a one-off character Jean, who says that she is "gay" and has a girlfriend. Notably, this 2009-episode marks not only one of the first moments of a character confirming their sexuality but also using the word "gay." This feat is so rarely replicated even in LGBTQ family media that even giants like Steven Universe do not include it. Outside of pedantic educational programs on minor networks, it may be the only time someone said "the-G-word" in such media until 2019's Kippo and the Age of Wonderbeasts (live-action sitcom Andi Mack on Disney Channel also used the term that year). Sadly, American showings cut 6Teen's references to homosexuality, and the episode featuring Jean never aired at all outside Canada.
When most people look back to the beginning of the recent small boom in cartoon LGBTQ representation, they point to The Legend of Korra. In 2014, the series finally ended with female leads Korra and Asami taking hands and going on a private vacation in the spirit world. The Korra moment set the LGBTQ fandom on fire. Even so, the show faced incredible resistance and backlash. After the final episode aired, creator Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino had to go online to confirm that the somewhat ambiguous finale indeed depicted a same-sex romance. They then began to face backlash from a section of the fandom who believed bringing this badass bisexual moment to television was only for fanservice or to forward an agenda.
The Legend of Korra was a revolution in modern children's television, putting cracks in the oppressive dam that kept such dynamics out of the limelight and slowly pushed back against the status quo, allowing for more LGBTQ representation. Now, over five years after Korra, numerous children's programs feature queer characters in minor and supporting roles, often more explicitly than Korra was able to do. The Loud House includes a main bisexual character, and there are queer characters and couples in multiple works, including but not limited to Gravity Falls, Adventure Time, and Craig of the Creek.
The most notable LGBTQ representation in a children's cartoon comes from Rebeca Sugar's incredible creation, Steven Universe. As with She-Ra, LGBTQ characters make up a large portion of the cast and it features several groundbreaking LGBTQ scenes, including the iconic wedding of Ruby and Sapphire.
Sadly, many of these works had to fight tooth and nail or suffer through horrific backlash because of their dedication to diversity. Alabama banned an episode of Arthur that featured a gay wedding, and the depiction of lesbian mothers in Clifford the Bid Red Dog caused some parents and organizations to speak out against it. Perhaps most famous of all, Rebecca Sugar had to struggle to put LGBTQ representation on the small screen. Ultimately, to make the wedding scene happen, Sugar had to lay everything on the table and was willing to see themselves separated from the show and have it end to bring their vision to life. Unfortunately, many other countries censor the show to remove LGBTQ content. Still, Sugar's tireless work has pushed the boundaries of LGBTQ representation in children's media so incredibly far, allowing shows like She-Ra to exist.
The recent rapid progress of LGBTQ representation becomes apparent when comparing She-Ra to the "originator," Korra. The series share similar themes and mutually place importance on diversity in its main cast. At the climax of both programs, two female main characters became romantic partners for the other. However, the differences are what truly sets them apart and highlights the progress representation has made. Back in 2014, holding hands and staring into each other's eyes was the most action Korra could feature.
However, a myriad of queer characters and identities perforate She-Ra, all of which are more apparent and obvious thanks to actions including kisses, confessions, and other actions. This difference is especially true in season five, where even the title cards feature Netossa and Spinnerella engaged in a passionate kiss. Of course, the main couple was permitted a full on-screen confession and kiss, as Catra and Adora locked lips in the final episode. Finally, many "critics" complained that Korra and Asami's relationship came out of nowhere, despite it progressing the show’s last two seasons. If one were to assert the same claim about She-Ra, they need to completely ignore how Stevenson built Adora and Catra's romantic relationship as a fundamental aspect of the show from the very start.
She-Ra's depiction of queer characters was deliberate, explicit, and incredible. Not only did LGBTQ side characters express their identities in a variety of ways, but the main couple also got to show their love with both words and a kiss. Furthermore, and perhaps even more importantly, the main couple in She-Ra got a happen ending and a future for them and the viewers to imagine and look towards with excitement. Sadly, many LGBTQ characters and couples do not get to experience such conclusions. For decades, queer relationships ended in tragedy, often with the death of one or more queer characters killed off as part of the "bury your gays" trope. Even if the characters live, narratives rarely provided a happy future for those with queer identities. Sadly, this trend is alive and well. Recent examples include Adam from Voltron: Legendary Defender and Annika and Neha from The Dragon Prince.
Stevenson actively set out to avoid this trope in She-Ra, telling the Los Angeles Times, "I can't see another gay character die on TV for the moment." Not only did she not kill Adora and Catra, or any of the show's other queer characters, she gave Adora and Catra, the two lesbian leads in love, a happy ending. The show even offers viewers and Adora a glimpse of one possible future for the couple in the final vision of domestic bliss in Brightmoon. Both Adora and Catra struggle and suffered greatly, but they were allowed a happy ending and the opportunity to look forward to a life together. For the two main characters of a children's cartoon to achieve such a fantastic ending in such an explicit way is a genuinely revolutionary moment of representation, proudly standing alongside defining scenes like and Ruby and Sapphire’s wedding in Steven Universe. Importantly, both shows are made by queer creators, showing young viewers that people like them can achieve and create great things and that there are those out there fighting for them. For these reasons, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is one of the single most significant works of LGBTQ representation in children's media.
Queer representation in children's media matters so much, likely more than it does in any other medium. It normalizes LGBTQ identities for families and sends a powerful message to all LGBTQ children who may be feeling sad or alone or sacred: 'You are not alone, you matter, and you are accepted.' These words, implied with every positive depiction of queer identities, save so many children and young adults from unnecessary suffering and sometimes even saves lives. Noelle Stevenson and She-Ra will likely create giant waves in the medium just as Steven Universe did before it, and generations of queer people, myself included, wait with bated breath to see what results from it.
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Cartoon Comparison: Craig of the Creek
Honestly, I really like the idea behind Craig of the Creek. The idea of kids basically making their own society by the creek is really fun and imaginative, especially when there’s basically a friend group for every hobby and interest. While I’m grown now, it’s not hard to imagine if I’d seen this as a kid, it would have been fun trying to figure out which group of kids I might have hung out with. The tone is really relaxing and cute, but I love the use of unreliable narrators because in some of the best episodes, it creates really great uses of misunderstandings to create two different stories. A perfect example is “Doorway to Helen.” Craig finds his math homework done by a girl who writes in cursive and who he never meets face-to-face. She talks of the creek as always deserted, and has a special place that’s warm when she’s there, but is cold when Craig and his friends go. It’s clear to an adult watching that Helen is homeschooled, and goes to the creek while the other kids are in school, thus why it’s abandoned. But Craig and his friends believe that Helen is in another dimension. So, the story is set up where a child watching likely things the same thing, that Helen lives in another dimension, but can come back to the show years later, and realize Helen never lived in another dimension, she was just homeschooled. That sense of whimsy and innocence, coupled with the idea of playing as whoever you want to be makes Craig of the Creek really smart as a cartoon.
ED, EDD, ‘N’ EDDY
I don’t know how many (if any) of my followers are younger, but if you grew up on Craig of the Creek and want to watch similar shows, one good starting place is Ed, Edd, ‘n’ Eddy, a Cartoon Network cartoon that ran for 6 seasons from 1999 - 2009. The show starred the Eds, three young boys with the same name, Ed, Eddward, and Eddy. Like Craig of the Creek, the Eds are imaginative and creative, building elaborate sets, props, and even entire cities. The tone is different, much more of a whacky slap-stick style that thrives of surreal humor. Adults are rarely seen in the show, making the Cul-de-Sac kids feel like their own society, free from the demands of parents and school. Most of the series takes place in the summer, with the kids going back to school only in the later seasons. The Eds are more antagonistic, as they are constantly trying to scam the other kids out of their allowances, so they frequently get their comeuppance. But it’s still entertaining to see what crazy thing the Eds will try next to get money for candy.
CODENAME: KIDS NEXT DOOR
Whereas Ed, Edd, ‘n’ Eddy matches Craig of the Creek’s carefree days outside of school vibe, KND leans heavily on the society of children angle. It aired on Cartoon Network from 2002 - 2008 for 6 seasons. The comedic action adventure series stars Sector V of the Kids Next Door, a secret organization of child agents who work together to combat the tyranny of adults and the teens who side with them. The show features whimsical inventions like sticking a pepper in a jar, taping it to a hairdryer, and somehow turning it into a heat ray, or turning a bottle of mustard into a gun. If you liked the trading tree or all the side groups and the little societies they made, then KND will likely scratch that same itch, though KND only has the one gimmick as a secret organization of child super spies. Sector V has 5 main characters: Numbuh 1: Nigel Uno, Numbuh 2: Hoagie Gilligan, Numbuh 3: Cookie Sunbun, Numbuh 4: Wallaby Beetle, and Numbuh 5: Abigail Lincoln. Craig of the Creek is very diverse, and similarly, all five of the main characters are the children of immigrants. Numbuh 1 is British-American, Numbuh 2 is German-American, Numbuh 3 is Japanese-American, Numbuh 4 is Australlian-American, and Numbuh 5 is African-American. They have a number of memorable villains, including Mr. Boss, Grandma Stuffem, Captain Stickybeard, The Cat Lady, The Common Cold, Father, and the traitorous Delightful Children From Down the Lane, a group of kids who conspire with the adults and brown nose them for favoritism. Compared to the other two shows, this one has the deepest plot, as Craig of the Creek and Ed, Edd, ‘n’ Eddy are more episodic, while KND has a larger story at play. It’s not as serialized as modern cartoons, but there’s still a progressing story in KND that the other two don’t have.
Likewise, if you’re one of my older followers, and grew up watching Ed, Edd, ‘n’ Eddy or Codename: Kids Next Door, you should give Craig of the Creek a chance, I think you’ll like it. It’s not as absurd as Ed, Edd, ‘n’ Eddy, but it’s just as imaginative, and has a similar spirit to the show’s atittude toward school and parents. It doesn’t focus on one gimmick as much as KND, but it’s also kind of cool seeing all of the unique societies that use the creek as their playing grounds. All three shows are available on HBO Max if this piqued your interest in any of these shows, or you just want to relive a childhood classic.
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If Only...
I’m not a man who overly enjoys change in his life, in his television, even less so. I can appreciate the need for it, and I even, on occasion, understand it, however, that doesn’t mean I have to accept it.
As a keen rewatcher of shows from my past, I often throw myself into a binge watching frenzy for one show or another. It was following one such binge-fest that I decided to put together this list, a list of shows that I believe could be resurrected for today’s market and still out perform many of the offerings on television today.
Feel free to let me know what you think, or even offer your own suggestions for shows that are missing from the list. Also, you may have guessed it, but I love Science Fiction.
10. Futurama (1999-2013)
This beloved cartoon series will most likely feature on many lists like this one. It fought through several cancellation attempts before finally succumbing in 2013.
From the same creative mind as its sister show The Simpsons, many hoped that it would get a reprise one day but as yet it has not materiallized. Its stupid humour and outlandish tales made it one of my all-time favourites, this is why it’s on the list.
The show was closed off beautifully after seven seasons. The final episodes were beautifully written and the show was signed off with all the love and care it deserved. It’s for this reason that I don’t want it brought back. I know, I know, this is a list of shows I want brought back; Let me explain.
When a show reaches a natural conclusion and has been given enough time to explore the confines of its universe, it comes as less of a jolt when it’s finally time to say goodbye. That doesn’t mean that parting is any less sad.
So, if Matt Groening decided to write another season, I would welcome it, but the fact that he’s not only strengthens the beauty and genius of the episodes that us fans all know, love and can repeat verbatim. And if you don’t agree, you can “Kiss my shiny metal ass!”
9. Stargate... Maybe Universe? (2009-2011)
SGU was the third incarnation of the much loved Stargate Franchise. Three films and five television shows, comprising three mainstream, one web series and one animated, Stargate was one of the biggest franchises of the late 90′s early 00′s. If you’ve not seen it, “WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN”, but also, “that’s cool, it’s not for everyone”.
In summary, providing you can supply the correct coordinates of a remote destination, the ‘Stargate’ allows instantaneous travel from one gate to another. The gate network was created by an ancient race of beings, and throughout the various shows we learn that various Gods of old were in fact aliens who came to Earth either as benevolent beings or to enslave humanity.
Stargate SG1 and Atlantis were both, for the most part, cheap and cheerful. That’s not to say that the storylines didn’t have their darker plotlines with ethical or moral dilemma’s, but they were fun, enjoyable shows. The beloved characters became household names, and I can’t help but think of Teal’c everytime someone says “Indeed”.
Hand on heart, it felt as if the franchise was running on fumes when Stargate Universe was released. The darker, grittier concept of SGU felt like a drastic step from the previous shows and may have contributed to its demise. Now, however, I’m not so sure. Television has got darker over the last decade. Shows have had to portray more realism in their production and storyline. I can’t help but think that SGU was ten years too early, but maybe it’s not too late.
With a cast list including Robert Carlyle, Louis Ferreira and Ming-Na Wen, it has the star-power. The ending of the series saw the cast go into cryogenic sleep pods for a crossing between universes, who’s to say it didn’t take ten years? I say, dust off the cobwebs and bring us back a slice of Stargate we can get our teeth into.
There have been many rumours recently of a new reboot being released, which I’m not a huge fan of, especially with Stargate. With so many shows, movies, and games, the Stargate universe has already got a huge back story to draw from and a reboot would destroy so much of what came before it. An extension of the work laid out before, however, could be a great way to breathe fresh life and energy into this amazing franchise.
8. Legend of the Seeker (2008-2010)
Based on the novels of Terry Goodkind and created by legendary director Sam Raimi, this show has the pedigree. This show can be likened to Hercules or Xena, but it didn’t reach a similar level of notority.
I have not read the novels, and I probably never will, but I enjoyed this show. At the time there weren’t many shows like it on television, so it filled my quota for Fantasy/Adventure quite nicely.
With a small cast of regular characters, it’s easy to pick your favourite and cheer them on from the sofa. It falls into the bracket of “Bubblegum for the Brain” television, but endlessly watchable. Although I’ll admit it is a little dated now, the only reason this one comes in at 8 rather than 10 is because this show was never really given the ending it deserved.
I suspect that resurrecting this show would be impossible now. With the high-budget, polished shows like Game of Thrones, Wheel of Time, The Witcher, the new House of the Dragon and even the recently finished Outpost, Legend of the Seeker would find the fight for audiences too hard, however, I for one would welcome some lower budget, character driven fantasy shows like this one on our televisions.
7. Space: Above and Beyond (1995-1996)
A cross between Battlestar and Starship Troopers, Space Above and Beyond is another show that was ahead of its time. The effects and production of such a series was too expensive to maintain in the 90′s, which inevitably led to the show being cancelled 4 seasons earlier than planned.
The show centres on a group of space pilots known as the Wildcards, these untested pilots, fresh out of training academies, are the last traces of the Earth’s navies in a defence against an little-known about race called the ‘Chigs’.
I grew up watching shows like Buck Rogers and Battlestar Galactica, so a show like this with epic(ish) space battles and cool planes doing death-defying manouvers was cool, I just wish it lasted longer. This is definitely a show that could do with a second chance, even on a lower profile network such as Sci-Fi, I reckon it could do well filling a void in the genre.
6. Firefly (2002)
Firstly, 2002? Wow, it doesn’t feel that long ago does it? It especially doesn’t when you watch the show. The production value of this show alone should have kept it alive, not to mention the storylines, cast, acting, comedy, meloncholy, emotion and beauty that it contained.
Even if you’ve not seen this series, and I know there will be many who haven’t, you will recognise many of the faces from TV shows and film over the years following its cancellation. Not to mention the creator/director, Joss Whedon, who I know you will have heard of. If you haven’t, think Buffy, Angel, Avengers Assemble and you’ll get an idea of how big he has become.
Normally, when you consider a director as notable as Whedon, shows don’t get cancelled early, unfortunately, this was still early in his career and the power available to him was probably not as abundant as it would be today.
There has been a steady outcry from fans ever since 2002 to have it reinstated, and in 2005 we received the movie Serenity. Named after the “Firefly” class ship, Serenity caught up with our favourite hapless crew and saw them off on their last mission. It’s because of this movie that Firefly finds itself at #6 and not #1.
This show probably sits at #1 of many people’s ‘bring it back’ lists, but for me, the movie Serenity closed the door on most, if not all, loose ends from the show and gave it a fitting send off. As a result the available storylines from the series have been deminished significantly. If Serenity hadn’t been released, I would put this show as #0 or #-100, however, as it is, it was given closure by the movie, and although, I can imagine the cast coming back and reprising their roles aboard the Serenity, it may do more harm than good to my memory of Firefly.
5. Defiance (2013-2015)
Television shows that create a world you could see yourself living in are a beautiful thing. They captive your imagination and draw you in fully. They create neighbourhoods, similar, yet so vastly different from your own that it becomes hard not to yearn for them. Defiance did that for me.
At a time when distopian Earth seemed like the go-to for many television networks, we found ourselves in a futuristic St Louis, where we meet Joshua Nolan and his adopted daughter. This is the setting for the show, and more exactly, the town of Defiance. The Earth has been inhabited by seven new races, known as the Votan’s. Irisa, Nolan’s daughter, is also a Votan.
The series centres on Nolan as he tries to keep his daughter safe from the intrigue and back-stabbing politics rife in Defiance, as well as, over-bearing military organisations and her own mysterious destiny.
A show such as this has a great atmosphere. The town was built from shipping containers, so the large infrastructure is real. Sure, it’s still a film set, but it has an authencity to it. As a viewer you can really put yourself in the town and it makes you feel included; At least, I do.
The characters and acting was of a strong television standard, and personally both Nolan and Irisa are two of my favourite characters from any shows in this list. I found myself truly invested in their futures. The perils and decisions they had to make brought me concern and sympathy for both of them. When a show gets you that emotionally tied in, you just have praise the writers.
I always had the feeling that the creators tried to tidy up the loose ends in Defiance. I think they knew the end was coming and worked towards a resolution of sorts by the end of the third season; but rushed it. I never felt that it was truly ‘put to bed’ as it were. It may be too costly of an undertaking to recreate the Defiance sets now, but it’s doable, and certainly something I’d like to see.
4. EUREKA, A TOWN CALLED (2006-2012)
Since the show’s cancellation in 2012 I’ve watched it eight times, yes, that’s once a year, religiously.
Another in the line of ‘fictitious communities I want to live in’, Eureka portrayed a world of wonder, fun and unity. The town, Eureka, was home to some of the greatest minds. Working together, but individually, they were responsible for making the world a better place. However, as Jack Carter, the new Sheriff of Eureka found out, it wasn’t always plane sailing.
It is because of Jack Carter that I enjoy this show so much. Constantly derided for being not as intelligent as the residents, Jack never gives up; mostly never. He puts himself in harms way time and again to rescue the hapless scientists when their inventions go astray. There is a reason that he’s front and centre in the shows banner, because that’s exactly where Jack Carter stands in the show.
Eureka will never get you pondering the eternal questions of morallity or life, but it is a heartwarming, funny and often exciting show. For me, it inspired me to learn languages, take up electronics, and just invest in myself and my curiosities; and it still does. The premise for this show was ingenious, and it’s not something I believe to be out of the question to bring back. So much so, that this is only stopped from being higher on the list by the pure quality of the next three entrants.
3. DARK MATTER (2015-2017)
From the legendary creator of the Stargate TV Franchise, Dark Matter was a brilliantly devised show, cancelled on a nightmare of cliffhanger.
Six crew wake from cryo-sleep with no memory of who they are or where they’ve come from. Each with their own demons chasing them we followed the crew of the Raza for three seasons before it’s untimely cancellation; Something I’ve come to expect from the SyFy network.
There was a deeply familiar atmosphere in Dark Matter, born from the creators influence. Whether it was the ship architecture or the actors appearing in cameos, reminders of Stargate could be seen throughout. This didn’t, however, diminish the show’s appeal, only added to it. Regardless of where the details came from, you knew you were in safe hands.
The cast were well established actors, and have since moved on to other great shows. Add this to the storylines, and the obvious future adventures the show had in store, it becomes very hard to see why SyFy made the choice they did. Unfoturnately, and very much like Joseph Mallozzi’s other show, SG-U, Dark Matter was left unfinished. However, unlike the former show, Dark Matter was left on a huge cliffhanger; One of the biggest I can recall from any show.
SyFy seem to like taking Space-faring shows and cancelling them early, with the current success of The Expanse, which they also cancelled in 2018 before bringing it back, they won’t want another science fiction, ship-based show on their books, but I’m nothing if not an optimist. I will keep hoping and praying to the television gods that a network somewhere will inject life into some of these forgotten gems, and I truly hope that Dark Matter is at the top of the list.
2. TERRA NOVA (2011)
As unique show premises go, this must the uniqueiest of all unique premises, premisai... whatever, it’s unique.
Using a wormhole a group of explorers go back in time to the Cretaceous Period in order to start again, leaving behind the rapidly dying Earth of the 22nd century. If coming face to face with dinosaurs 85-million years in the past wasn’t tricky enough, the colony of Terra Nova must also battle against unseen forces whose only goal is to stripmine this new world for their own benefit.
This falls into my ‘Community’ band of shows, but also, who doesn’t love dinosaurs? I know I do. I know someone else, too; Steven Spielberg. It would be easy to assume that with such a name as Executive Producer this show would run for twenty years unimpeded, unfortunately, it only managed a single season.
Ratings were strong, and appeared to be ranked highly for many demographics, but it still got the boot. It’s hard for me to understand sometimes, I know TV is still a business, but with an average of 7.5 million viewers, I find it hard to see why something like this was canned so early. There was a rumour that Netflix would take it on, but that sadly never materialized. This is perhaps where Camp Cretaceous came from, and Netflix realised they could get what they wanted without the large pay out.
With the recent Jurrassic World movies it’s clear that dinosaurs sell, they always have and always will. This is why I’m so disappointed that nothing has been done with this show for a decade. I still hope that one day we see Terra Nova back on our screens as I believe this series had miles (or millions of years) left in the tank. Please unearth this fossil and give it life again!!
1. SANCTUARY (2008-2011)
There is one thing I Google more often than any other, “Sanctuary Season Five”, alas, so far I have not received any good news.
Sanctuary was unapologetically cheap and cheerful, I hope the creators don’t mind me using that term, but I feel that if some of the greenscreen effects weren’t done in that way, we may not have gotten the four seasons we did.
The beautiful array of characters, pulled from all genres of literature, folklore, myth and legend, gave this show such a breadth of content unlike any show I’ve ever seen. The writers reinvented tales of old putting flesh to the characters we would only ever have seen in our own minds while leafing through a good book.
Jack the Ripper, Nikola Tesla and Dr. Watson are just a few of the legendary characters you get to meet, and not in the guise you may expect. Each with their own unique history and stories to tell. If you’re a fan of things that go bump in the night or howl at the moon, this show is for you.
As I said previously, it’s cheap and cheerful. I don’t believe the budget was ever too extensive for this show. As a concept first broadcast as webisodes, and bought by SyFy, I don’t think much was changed as far as the effects budget. That, in part, is why I would love this show to be given another shot, but properly. This show was beautifully written. The stories were rather intricate, but they were weaved in a way that brought nice closure, except for the ending.
As the final credits roll, you will find yourself screaming, “What happens next?” You’ll follow all your favourite characters on their ups and downs until all looks to be over, until our dear Dr Magnus pulls an ace out of her sleeve for the umpteenth time, only, we don’t get to see what happens.
Compared to many shows, the ending to Sanctuary is such that you can accept it, reluctantly. What gnaws at you, however, is what might the future hold. There is massive scope that could be explored in future seasons if only it was given the chance. It’s a show I’ve watched twenty or thirty times, and I expect it will always be on my playlist until the day I die. And, although many of the shows above could be switched back and forth, this one is exactly where it belongs.
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MERCH!
Hey everyone! @duncan-loves-skulls reached out to me and gave me a great idea! Let’s talk about the merch I’ve acquired throughout the years 😇
Duncney “Pop Figures” and Rock “Skull”
This had to be one of the first things I made outside of fanarts and fanfics. This had to be in 2009-2010; I remember I walked outside of my house and picked a rock that was somewhat shaped like the skull Duncan made Courtney. All I did was draw the details on it lol. The “pop figures” are obviously not the best but for the time, they were great! The paint chipped off but I did the best I could. I remember I went to Office Max and found these little figures and just made them into Duncney.
Duncney Shirts
I made two of these; the first was a tshirt I made down the sore, probably in 2010. I wish I had a picture of it but sadly it’s only in my memories. I specifically used this picture (below) and had it in the center of the shirt. The fanart is by TDI-Exile. The next one is a cropped little hoody that says “#duncneyrights”; I made that in 2018? Something like that. I still have it and wear it from time to time.
I also have the Duncan sweater (bc I love sweaters more than tshirts) and I have a Courtney long sleeved shirt. These are from the official TD website. My Abuela got me those for Christmas of 2019.
Duncney Cakes
These were so much fun! The first cake was for my 14th birthday. I went into acme and asked for a custom cake of Duncney. The lady was like, “No. we can’t use someone else’s art or a tv show bc we have no rights.” 1) that’s fucking bullshit bc they use disney and other shows with REAL people and celebrities all the time 🙄 2) I was like fuck it I’ll draw my fav fanart of them and just put it on my cake. So that’s what I did lol. It obviously isn’t as beautiful as the original but I tried my best. The original was done by hermitchild on deviantart. (I’ll add their original pic on here too) My second TD themes cake was just of Duncan. I made a collage of him which I might still have somewhere but sadly a picture of the cake is gone. Third, this wasn’t really something I made but my one friend at the time made me TD cupcakes for my TD themed party. So that was pretty cool!
Duncney Phone Case
Next is one of my favs! My Duncney phone case! I made this is 2019 and I love it so much! I need to make a new one for my new iPhone but can’t remember the website I used. Definitely 10/10.
TD Jewelry
I so wish I still had pictures of these BUT I do still have them (somewhere in the attic with all my old jewelry boxes). Do you remember those jewelry kits you could buy back in the early 2000s? I’m sure they still have them but I just don’t look anymore. But I made bracelets and necklaces that said “duncney”, “duncan x courtney”, “killer bass”, and one bracelet that said “dxc ❤️ gxb ❤️ txg” they were so trash but cute if you think about it.
TDI DVD
Oh course I have the TD S1 DVD!!! The SECOND Cartoon Network made a commercial that TD was coming out on dvd I RAN to MovieStop (rip) and preordered it. I remember the clerk was like, “Idk what that is and it’s definitely not coming out on DVD.” And I was like, “All due respect, but it IS coming out on DVD, August 18, 2009 to be exact. So I would love to preorder it, thank you.” The guy just rolled his eyes, checked the system, and let me preorder LMAO. (Omfg the fact that I just looked up the exact release date to make sure I was still correct and it was! My brain 🔥)
TD CD
Back in 2010 Novie Edwards sent me her CD, which was autographed. My mom says she still has it somewhere but I remember she thought Novie was lying about who she said she was (understandable, but I am friends with many of the voice actors on social media). My mom made me give Novie her work address to send the CD, when my mom received the package she gave it to me and I was freaking out.
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tell us about your headcanon that Rin and Kohaku are Kagome's ancestors??
This headcanon goes back to the very first episode of Inuyasha that I ever watched. This was back in maybe 2009 or so; I was watching adultswim on cartoon network and episode 96 “Jaken Falls Ill” was playing. I had never watched this show before or even heard about it so this episode was my first impression of the series.
One thing that really stood out to me and that I remembered for all of these years was that Jinenji compared Rin to Kagome several times.
Given that this was my very first impression of these characters, I just assumed that Rin and Kagome were connected in some way and possibly even related. As I watched more episodes and learned that Kagome was a time traveler, I figured that Rin was one of her ancestors.
Once I finished the whole series, I was honestly really surprised that Rin and Kagome were never shown to actually have that connection. In fact, these remarks by Jinenji are never brought up again iirc.
Though there isn’t any canon proof, this is a headcanon that I’ve kept for many years. As for who Rin could have married and had kids with, the only boy around her age that she had any real interaction with was Kohaku. I don’t necessarily ship them, because shipping children is kinda weird especially for an adult like myself, but I do like their friendship.
Also, I love the idea of Kagome being related to Sango. And there is a lot of support in the fandom of Kagome being descended from Sango and Miroku (which I think is a nice theory in and of itself). So with my headcanon, Kagome and Sango can still be related because Kohaku and Sango are siblings.
Anyway, this is just a headcanon that has no real baring in canon, especially now with Yashahime but whatever. I’m gonna stick with my own canon because Rin/Kohaku isn’t at all gross like Rin/Sesshomaru.
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I am SHAKING right now because I’ve had WAAAAAY to much coffee and
I just saw a post about Generator Rex on my dash and here’s the thing:
I had completely forgotten it existed.
I LOVED that show. It was legit one of my first real fandoms? HOW did I entirely fucking forget about it? I literally cannot even remember anything about the show right now except that I was constantly lusting over Agent Six?
And when I went back to look at my fandom timeline on my old archived tumblrs, I also was reminded that I was into Ben 10. Not quite to the degree I was into Gen Rex but enough that I remember reading obsessive!darkfic of Kevin/Gwen back on DeviantArt BEFORE Ben 10 made him into a good guy in Ben Ten: Alien Force.
(Yes, I have apparently always liked creepy ships--even in early adolescence.)
Ben 10 started when I was pretty young, to the point I was watching with intrigue whenever I saw it on cartoon network but not YET able to keep track of a schedule well enough to not miss episodes.
But by the time Ben 10 Alien Force hit?
Oh FUCK yeah--my ability to actually follow fandoms developed!
So my fandom timeline looks like this:
Fanfic.net and DeviantArt accounts started in 2007. I was liking futzing around on these sites a few weeks/months before breaking down and making accounts. I distinctly remember Quizilla being somewhere in there as well. This was right as I ended middle school/started high school and really started getting into fandom as a regular hobby. Main fandoms were Harry Potter, Naruto, Bleach.
I discovered Livejournal a year or two later and sadly made an account in 2009 right as the site was exploding but I enjoyed the short time I spent there. I was introduced to the Star Trek reboot movies, GenRex, and Ben 10 Alien Force during this time. I futzed around in communities for those fandoms (and the aforementioned fandoms) for a year before I gleaned everyone was mid-exodus and followed to tumblr. I made my first tumblr blog in summer of 2010 but didn’t really start using it regularly until 2011.
I was immediately sucked into the SPN fandom! The pretty blue eyed angel standing in a shower of sparks won my heart and I’ve been in hell ever since. (Even when you leave the SPN fandom you never really leave.)
Simultaneously, Young Justice started and I enthusiastically jumped in--unearthing my early childhood love of Batman: TAS, Justice League/Unlimited, Batman Beyond, and Teen Titans in the process. I proceeded to rewatch all of those shows. When rewatching JLU I distinctly remember flashing back to the memory of me sobbing over both Solomon Grundy and the Flash nearly/outright dying in their respective JLU episodes when I was roughly eight years old. This is the first time I can remember contemplating death and experiencing empathy for a fictional character. I’m still wrecked if I watch those episodes! (Really DCAU as a whole is pretty heartwrenching and will wreck my ass.)
Also around that time I also was introduced to Ao3 and spent many months just casually reading fic there before I finally wised up and created an account in the summer of 2011.
Iron Man and Thor were my gateway to the greater MCU. I experienced peak tumblr from 2012-2015. Superwholock was everywhere and you can hate it as much as you want but it got me into Doctor Who and I am so, so fucking thankful for all of those fandoms. They were so sincere and enthusiastic and wanting to see the next episode/season and liveblog it along side everyone else were sometimes the only reason teenage me had for not wanting to kill herself.
I made it through the worst of it in my personal life. College happened. I stayed on tumblr even when the Purge happened in 2018. I mourn the loss of p0rn and had to fan myself when I rediscovered the old sideblog I made just for hardcore lemony fanart that I forgot existed until I started making this post.
I’m an adult in a much better place. I’m anxious sometimes about what will happen next in fandom and sometimes nostalgia for what came before makes me feel gloomy/overly pessimistic--but regardless of what comes next, in the end I believe it will be an adventure and full of exploration! I will adapt and I will thrive and I will squee along side everyone else as new and wonderous fandoms emerge!
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20 Years of Digimon - for me.
I was introduced to Digimon late in the game. I was a pokemon fan first. My cousin twisted my arm to watch Digimon. I resisted for a long time. But sometime in the middle of summer 2001, I gave in. I very quickly became a bigger Digimon fan than even my cousin was. Even though I was just seeing random episodes of 02.
Just when I was getting familiar with everything, Tamers started. Tamers was such a different thing - in a good way. I understand why some didn’t like it, but I loved the slow build. Some of the eps in Tamers where nothing happened - or next to nothing happened - are some of my favorites. I related to - and still relate to Takato SO MUCH. I was just an average kid. (Though Takato had more friends than me.) Just the biggest fanboy making fan art. (I was writing fan fiction before I knew it had a name.)
Really, I see pieces of myself in all the Tamers cast. Except I guess Ryo and Suzie. (But I still like Ryo, even if I can’t relate).
I remember in September renting Digimon: The Movie for the first time. Loved every second of it, though the middle part, Our War Game, is by far the best. I also loved the soundtrack. Still listen to them all to this day, occasionally. (BTW If you are reading this and didn’t know, the dub version of Matt’s song from the TV show, “I Turn Around” that was used in the Christmas ep and one other, is on youtube in full!)
The next spring ABC family started showing reruns and that’s how I got to see Adventure and 02 from start to finish.
Once in early 2002, I got a Saturday detention, and missing Tamers was the worst punishment I could ever have!!! (Glad the VCR didn’t fail...)
Another Saturday I worked (Started working when I was 15) and I worked with my sister, who had her own house. So I recorded the two new eps, 28 and 29, at her house. When we came home, she went in the other room, and I watched the eps. Now, I had been trying to convince people Digimon wasn’t ‘just a kids show’ that it was deeper than you’d think. She could have came back in the room when they were talking about being lost... no. She could have came back in the room when Takato was reading the letter from his mom... no. She came back in the room, just as Calumon started to sing “I was having a yucky day but now WOO HOO I get to play! Other Digimon were so mean, the nastiest you’ve ever seen! .... “ I was SO embarrassed!!! Of all the scenes XD. I do love that scene but when you are trying to convince people it’s deeper than it seems, that’s NOT the scene you want them to see!
I did give Frontier a chance - and several chances since then - But I just can’t get into it. Ironically, “FIRE!!” and “Innocent” by Wada Kouji continue to be my favorite Japanese themes, and hearing them take me right back to the summer of 2002.
I could go on and talk in depth about every single experience I had with Digimon... (And I want to! I already skipped great memories.) But I figure no one wants to hear all that, but here’s the short version of the rest:
I never had a lot of friends, and Digimon made me so many friends. I made a great friend in another state that I would actually buy phone cards and CALL and talk to for hours! Shortly before we lost touch, I made another amazing friend and that friendship lasted 5 years or so. (Though we are still friends, not as close as we used to be.) A year later, I made another friend who is STILL my best friend! I have an amazing artist friend that I used to do art trades with, and I still feel so lucky that this amazing artist wanted to trade with me. :) (And we still are friends!) But in 2009, I met my boyfriend, which we are still together. He had his arm twisted to watch Digimon too. But we started talking and we got together. It’s been 12 years, and I am so happy with him. :) He lives in Germany (I’m in the US) and I’ve flown there to see him 4 times, and he’s flown here many more. Long distance is hard but we make it work, and it’s worth it for us. Never would have happened without Digimon.
So many more memories I feel bad not typing... okay here’s one anyway - I looked all over for a D-Ark when they came out and I only ever saw ONE in a store. THE ONE I BOUGHT!!!! :D. - But I dunno where I’d be without Digimon. I feel weird saying that because it’s “Just a TV show” but... Digimon got me to join message boards and write fan fiction. If I stayed with Pokemon I’m not sure I would have ever gotten into the fandom. I looked at fan sites and stuff with Pokemon but I never got involved. I don’t think that I would have even become an anime fan with Pokemon. - Especially since I didn’t get the WB where I was. I could only see Pokemon on the VHS tapes I bought cheaply at Odd Lots (Later Big Lots), or a local Fox station playing them at 6 AM (Which when I was in Junior High I got up earlier than I had to to watch it...). But watching Digimon on ABC family led to Beyblade, and talking to the friend I called led to Yu-Gi-Oh! (Which I also had to wait until Cartoon Network reran) which led to Megas XLR (I know that was US but it was anime style so that helped) Which led to Adult Swim, and before you know it, I’m an anime fan!
(And for the record since I didn’t mention: I do love Savers/Data Squad and LOVE Applimon! That was SO much better than expected!)
Thanks for the memories Digimon, and all the friends I’ve had along the way. :).
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How do you know Total Drama in the first place?
I first discovered it back in c. 2009, on Cartoon Network. I was obsessed with the theme song (to my mum's annoyance) and I loved watching fanart compilation and custom elimination videos on YouTube. I watched all of Island, but missed Action and the first half of World Tour, returning to the show on the Serengeti episode. After the 3rd season ended, I never watched any other season on a regular schedule.
I rediscovered my past flame last May of 2020, while browsing the show's page on TVTropes. I found a nifty fanfic called "Total Drama Underdogs" that highlighted Ezekiel as a main character, and I was sold! I've been hooked up ever since, joining Reddit and Discord almost full time, engaging with the community, making new friends and so many cool things.
It's interesting because every time I've returned to the show, it's because of Ezekiel. In Island, I was intrigued by this pale little guy with a fluffy mullet and blue beanie; in World Tour I was absolutely perplexed about this green feral creature they called Ezekiel, and it broke my heart knowing he was the sweet boy I used to "love". Now, 2020, this two-year-old fanfic completely grabs my hand and pulls me into this plane wreck of a fandom. And I couldn't be more grateful. 2020 has been the most recent annus terribilis in human history; I got hit by a car just one day before lockdown started in Mexico, my grades plummeted like never before, and my girlfriend broke up with me one month after rejoining the fandom. I think it's safe to say Total Drama is the only thing that keeps me afloat right now.
Quite an experience, eh?
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Star Trek Disco Prologue
CBS will air Season 1 of Star Trek: Discovery starting this Thursday at 10/9c.
Before the season begins, a Tribble Triple Feature! Each of these episodes are available on Netflix, Hulu, or CBS All Access. Probably Amazon too, but I didn’t check ‘cause truly is there anything less utopian than Amazon?
TOS 2x15 “The Trouble with Tribbles”
TAS 1x05 “More Tribbles, More Troubles”
DS9 5x06 “Trials and Tribble-ations”
Star Trek launched in September 1966. Writer Gene Roddenberry had pitched the series as a western set in outer space. But he also wanted to comment upon current events, like war and sex and religion, without attracting the ire of network censors. Season 2′s “The Trouble with Tribbles” lays out a lot of the core ideals of Star Trek that carry over the decades.
The characters hail from different backgrounds, collaborating to solve big problems — in this case, an ecological crisis. Despite their varied perspectives, they share camaraderie, respect, and a surprising amount of snark. They’re also very competent, but that doesn’t prevent disasters from happening, or the crew from simply making mistakes. This isn’t a show about space. This is a show about people who work in space.
And the people out there aren’t all friendly. We meet some adversarial aliens, namely the Klingons. We’re told they’re ferocious, brutal warriors — but Koloth actually seems quite cordial and crafty, less like a warrior and more like a spy. Rather than wage open war, they genetically modify one of their own to appear human. Which is pretty silly, ‘cause the budget constraints of the ’60s mean that Klingons already look human! These aliens seem remarkably familiar and accessible. The far more frustrating adversaries are self-important administrators like Nils Barris, or destructive capitalists like Cyrano Jones.
Star Trek features flawed heroes, frustrating villains... and a lot of moralizing. Uhura advocates on behalf of the tribbles, saying they’re “the only love money can buy.” Kirk retorts, “Too much of anything, even love, isn’t necessarily a good thing.” The bold colors and witty quips can make the morals feel reductive, even cartoonish. But for me, that’s kind of the point. Star Trek presents ethics and philosophy in a simple, accessible way. I won’t claim they’re right 100% of the time, and some of its attitudes shift over the decades — but even this early on, Star Trek stands for harmony, cooperation, and inclusion. And those are perspectives that should be cartoonishly simple.
Speaking of cartoons, I took a swing with “More Tribbles, More Troubles.” I’m curious how people feel about the pacing and the primitive animation. This is one of the funnier and more action-packed episodes of The Animated Series. If folks tell me they struggled with it, I’ll cut the remaining handful of cartoons from the schedule.
I’m tickled that they bring Cyrano Jones and Koloth back; and that writer David Gerrold returns, building upon the tribbles’ previous ecological threat by introducing an ineffective predator, the glommer. I also just really enjoy the gag of Kirk repeatedly shoving an ever-growing tribble out of his chair.
Once again, the Klingons are up to crafty business, slowing down the Enterprise with an immobilizing ray and targeting some drone ships. We see more space combat than we did in live action, but it’s still more strategic than open warfare. And again, I suspect it’s a budget issue — the recycled shots of photon torpedoes suggest more action would’ve been too expensive. The result is that the Klingons just don’t seem that ferocious yet. Ultimately Koloth doesn’t even want to punish Cyrano Jones, he just wants his useless science experiment back.
So let’s see how the Klingons change over the decades! Thirty years after the original series, Deep Space Nine uses time travel to explore Star Trek’s history. “Trials and Tribble-ations” was a 30th anniversary celebration for Star Trek, utilizing the same technology that inserted Tom Hanks into historical footage for Forrest Gump.
Integrating two versions of Star Trek across time poses some aesthetic and continuity challenges.
The Klingons of ’90s Star Trek have a much more elaborate make-up design — forehead ridges, wigs, sharpened teeth, etc. They also act more ferocious than the old Klingons. So when 24th-century Klingon Worf shares the screen with the budget-constrained 23rd-century Klingons, fan culture almost demands an explanation. This anniversary episode obliges with a throwaway joke: “It is a long story, and we do not discuss it with outsiders.”
Not every aspect of style needs an onscreen explanation. “Trials and Tribble-ations” was lucky that its visual style adapted so well to the classic series. TOS (The Original Series) and DS9 both used a square 1:33:1 aspect ratio, ’cause that was the shape of everyone’s TV. The DS9 production crew built retro sets, mimicked the same lighting, and were able to insert their actors into the original shots.
This technique is no longer possible, because the technology we use to make TV has changed so much. Even the shape of the frame is different -- we’ve all got widescreen TVs now. If 21st century Trek wants to revisit its past, it must fundamentally re-conceive how those spaces are constructed, lit, and framed.
In 1996, Star Trek was free to engage with nostalgia, caressing its old tricorders and uniforms, admiring it old performances and sets, even reliving the same story points. There’s a certain degree of pleasure and comfort to this, but it makes me a little nervous.
Roddenberry intended for Star Trek to comment upon the world we live in. While “The Trouble with Tribbles” is a comedy about ecological dangers, “Trials and Tribble-ations” is simply a comedy about old Star Trek. It’s a much more limited perspective. And it’s a limited perspective that’s broadly affected pop culture for the past twenty years.
Since 2000, we’ve seen a huge rise in reboots and origin stories. (eg. Batman Begins, Casino Royale, Battlestar Galactica, Man of Steel, etc.) We usually hear that studios only trust audiences to pay for something familiar. I’d like to frame it more charitably and say, in the wake of 9/11, we’re collectively reviewing the stories that defined our culture and deciding which values and lessons are still relevant to us. Star Trek did this too.
In 2001, we got the prequel series Enterprise. 100 years before Kirk and Spock, it follows a pioneer crew on an experimental ship called Enterprise. Season 2 invokes 9/11 when an alien attack destroys Florida, and the grieving crew embark on a mission of vengeance. It was a way to comment on the invasion of Afghanistan. By season 4, the current events commentary was replaced by stories to revisit Star Trek’s lore, including a two-parter to explain Worf’s throwaway joke in “Trials and Tribble-ations” about Klingon appearances.
After Enterprise ended, we got the J.J. Abrams reboot movies, which tell an alternate origin story for Kirk and his classic crew. In the 2009 movie, an alien attack destroys the planet Vulcan, and a grieving Spock seeks vengeance. He’s still grieving in Into Darkness, but gets distracted by a character from Star Trek’s past...
If all Star Trek can do is comment upon itself, it’s no longer serving its purpose. Star Trek must be aware of the cultural, economic, and political challenges we face, and it needs to offer a vision for how we could overcome them.
We’re about to begin Star Trek: Discovery, a show drenched with contemporary awareness and semiotic significance. It takes place 90 years after Enterprise, 10 years before Kirk, and therefore has a peculiar relationship with time — both within its story, and within our world beyond the show. Discovery is Star Trek finally breaking free of its origins and serving the purpose Trek should: envisioning a way forward into a utopian future where there’s space and freedom for us all.
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TV DIGEST
August 9, 1952
On August 9, 1952 Lucy and Desi were featured on the cover of TV Digest, a competitor of TV Guide as part of their inside story “Visiting The Stars on Vacation”. The Digest was eventually absorbed by TV Guide when it went national in March 1953.
The Atlanta edition of TV Digest used this same cover image two weeks later, on August 23, 1952. The back cover is a full page ad for Atlanta’s Pat Murphey, an appliance business. Coming on the heels of the July presidential conventions, Murphey is pitching renting or buying a DuMont TV in preparation for the November election between GOP incumbent Dwight D. Eisenhower (IKE) and the Democrat challenger Adlai Stevenson.
The three bathing beauties also gracing the cover are not identified. This is a composite photo and the Arnazs’ and the three women were not photographed together.
Both magazines feature this Jerry Doyle cartoon “How TV Stars Take Vacations”.
Lucille Ball is depicted with knitting needles and a stork with a doctors’ bag nearby, anticipating the birth of her baby in January 1953.
Abe Burrows was a Broadway and radio author who spent the summer furiously writing (hence the sweat) and appearing on the TV panel show “The Name’s The Same”.
Bob Hope and Sid Caesar, two of radio and TV’s most prolific comic actors, spent the summer of 1952 playing golf.
Bert Parks is probably best remembered as the emcee of the Miss America Pageant. During 1952, Parks had several TV shows ending in the spring and beginning in the fall. He spent his summer boating.
Red Skelton later talked about his summer vacation in the mountains and the beach on the September 28 episode of “The Red Skelton Show”. On the October 5 episode he talked about an earthquake that summer. On July 16, 1952, Central California was rocked by a 7.5 earthquake with 12 casualties. Skelton was hospitalized for an undisclosed ailment in the summer of 1952, explaining his depiction carrying a large bottle of prescription medication.
Sam Levenson was a panelist on the CBS series “This Is Show Business” along with playwright George S. Kaufman and Abe Burrows. On the same date this issue of TV Digest was published (August 9, 1952) Levenson was featured on the cover of their rival TV Forecast. Levenson spent the summer being a new father.
Perry Como was joining other recording artists of the time by transitioning to television. The summer of 1952 looks to have been spent on outdoor activities like fishing.
Jimmy Durante was a vaudeville comic and film star who, during 1952, hosted “All Star Revue”. On July 28, 1952, Durante was featured on the cover of TV Forecast, a rival publication of TV Digest.
Donald O’Connor was a song and dance man who had two films in release during the summer of 1952: Singin’ in the Rain and Francis Goes To West Point.
Of the above celebrities, only Sam Levenson and Abe Burrows (both basically writers) never appeared on television with Lucille Ball.
Other articles, ads, and features in this edition of TV Digest:
Bob Hope Exhibition Golf Tour with Jimmy Demaret ~ Both Hope and Demaret appeared on “I Love Lucy” as themselves. Golf was a favorite pastime of Desi Arnaz.
Perry Como & Ed Sullivan ~ Lucy and Desi made several appearances on “Toast of the Town” aka “The Ed Sullivan Show” starting in 1954. Como appeared on the show in 1950 and 1956.
Sid Caesar’s Family ~ Caesar married Florence Levy in 1943 and they had three children together. Caesar guest-starred on “The Lucy Show” in 1968.
Arthur Godfrey (below left) ~ Hosted the lead-in program to “I Love Lucy” in 1951. He guest-starred on “The Lucy Show” in 1965. He was also an aviator.
“Guiding Light” (above right) ~ The soap opera began airing on CBS on June 30, 1952. It was canceled in 2009. In 1977, CBS stopped network reruns of Lucille Ball sitcoms in order to allow “Guiding Light” to expand to a full hour.
Guy Madison & Andy Devine (below left) ~ played Wild Bill Hickok and Pete ‘Jingles’ Jones in the TV series “The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok” (1951-58) on CBS.
“Racket Squad” (above right) ~ was a CBS crime drama from 1950 to 1953 originally sponsored by Philip Morris, just like “I Love Lucy.”
Robert Montgomery & Angela Lansbury (below left) ~ were then collaborating on a second installment of his NBC show “Robert Montgomery Presents” (1950-58) which aired in 1953. They first collaborated in 1950. Lucille Ball later played the role Lansbury made famous on stage in the musical Mame.
The Dave Garroway Story (above right) ~ Dave Garroway was then the host of the new NBC morning program “Today”. In 1952 he also hosted the first five episodes of “All Star Summer Revue” until it was taken over by Jan Murray on August 2. He interviewed Lucille Ball on his short-lived series “Garroway” in 1970.
Lucille Ball was also seen on the cover of TV Digest in October 1951 (her first on such a guide), May 1952, October 1952, November 1952, and December 1952.
The cover photo was part of a larger photo shoot of Lucy and Desi in a motorboat.
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Jimmy Cliff
James Chambers, OM (born 1 April 1948), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, is a Jamaican ska and reggae musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor. Along with Bunny Wailer he is one of only two living musicians to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honour that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievements in the arts and sciences.
Cliff is best known among mainstream audiences for songs such as "Wonderful World, Beautiful People", "Many Rivers to Cross", "You Can Get It If You Really Want", "The Harder They Come", "Reggae Night", and "Hakuna Matata", and his covers of Cat Stevens's "Wild World" and Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" from the film Cool Runnings. He starred in the film The Harder They Come, which helped popularize reggae across the world, and Club Paradise. Cliff was one of five performers inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.
Early life and education
Jimmy Cliff was born in Somerton District, Saint James, Jamaica. He began writing songs while still at primary school in St. James, listening to a neighbour's sound system. In 1962 his father took him to Kingston to go to Kingston Technical school, where he ended up sharing his cousin's one rented room in East Kingston.
Career
1960s and 1970s
Cliff sought out many producers while still going to school, trying to get his songs recorded without success. He also entered talent contests. "One night I was walking past a record store and restaurant as they were closing, pushed myself in and convinced one of them, Leslie Kong, to go into the recording business, starting with me," he writes in his own website biography. After two singles that failed to make much impression, his career took off when "Hurricane Hattie" became a hit, while he was aged 14. It was produced by Kong, with whom Cliff remained until Kong's death from a heart attack in 1971.
Cliff's later local hit singles included "King of Kings", "Dearest Beverley", "Miss Jamaica", and "Pride and Passion". In 1964, Cliff was chosen as one of Jamaica's representatives at the World's Fair in New York; and in the same year Cliff was featured in a program called "This is Ska!" alongside Prince Buster, Toots and the Maytals, and Byron Lee and the Dragonaires. He soon signed to Island Records and moved to the United Kingdom. Island Records initially (and unsuccessfully) tried to sell Cliff to the rock audience, but his career took off in the late 1960s. His international debut album was Hard Road to Travel, released in 1967. It received excellent reviews and included "Waterfall" (composed by Nirvana's Alex Spyropoulos and Patrick Campbell-Lyons), which became a hit in Brazil and won the International Song Festival.
"Waterfall" was followed in 1969 by "Wonderful World, Beautiful People" and "Vietnam" in 1970, both popular throughout most of the world. Bob Dylan called "Vietnam" the best protest song he had ever heard. Also during this period, Cliff released a cover of Cat Stevens' "Wild World" as a single, but it was not included on his Wonderful World, Beautiful People album.
In 1972, Cliff starred as Ivanhoe "Ivan" Martin in the classic reggae film, The Harder They Come, directed by Perry Henzell. As the film tells Martin's story, he is a young man without funds. Arriving in Kingston from the country, he tries to make it in the recording business, but without success. Eventually, he turns to a life of crime. The soundtrack album of the film was a huge success that sold well across the world, bringing reggae to an international audience for the first time. It remains one of the most internationally significant films to have come out of Jamaica since independence. The film made its debut at London's Gaumont cinema in Notting Hill on 1 September 1972. In 1975, Cliff sang on the first season of Saturday Night Live, episode 12, hosted by Dick Cavett. After a series of albums, Cliff took a break and traveled to Africa (the Nigeria-based Jamaican writer Lindsay Barrett was instrumental in Cliff's first trip there), and subsequently converted to Islam, taking the new name: El Hadj Naïm Bachir.
1980s and 1990s
Cliff quickly returned to music, touring for several years before he recorded with Kool & the Gang. In 1984, Cliff appeared at the Pinkpop Festival in Landgraaf, Netherlands. During The River Tour, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band added Cliff's previously little-known song "Trapped" to their live set; it achieved great prominence when included on 1985's We Are the World benefit album. The follow-up, Cliff Hanger (1985), won a Grammy Award for 'Best Reggae Album', though it was his last major success in the United States until 1993. Also in 1985, Cliff contributed to the song "Sun City", a protest song written and composed by Steven Van Zandt and recorded by Artists United Against Apartheid to convey opposition to the South African policy of apartheid. Cliff then provided backing vocals on The Rolling Stones' 1986 album Dirty Work, and appeared in the comedy Club Paradise, co-starring with Robin Williams and Peter O'Toole, and contributed several songs to the soundtrack, including "Seven Day Weekend", which he sang with Elvis Costello. In 1988, his song "Shelter of Your Love" was featured in the hit film Cocktail.
Cliff appeared in the film Marked for Death in 1990, performing "John Crow" with the Jimmy Cliff Band. His recording of "You Can Get It If You Really Want" was used as a campaign anthem by the Sandinista National Liberation Front in the 1990 election in Nicaragua. In 1991, he performed at the second Rock in Rio festival in Estádio do Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He continued to sell well in Jamaica and, to a lesser extent, the UK, returning to the mainstream pop charts in the U.S. and elsewhere (#1 in France) with a version of Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" on the Cool Runnings film soundtrack in 1993. In 1995, Cliff released the single "Hakuna Matata", a collaboration with Lebo M, a song from the soundtrack of the film The Lion King. In 1997, Cliff was a guest star in a 1997 episode of the Cartoon Network talk show Space Ghost Coast to Coast.
2000 to present
In 2001, Cliff became an inaugural member of the Independent Music Awards' judging panel to support independent artists. In 2002, Cliff released the album Fantastic Plastic People in Europe, after first providing free downloads using p2p software. This album featured collaborations with Joe Strummer, Annie Lennox, and Sting as well as new songs that were very reminiscent of Cliff's original hits. In 2004, Cliff completely reworked the songs, dropping the traditional reggae in favour of an electronic sound, for inclusion in Black Magic. The album also included a recording of "Over the Border" with Joe Strummer. Cliff performed at the closing ceremony to the 2002 Commonwealth Games and in 2003, his song "You Can Get It If You Really Want" was included in the soundtrack to the film, Something's Gotta Give. He also appeared in July 2003 at the Paléo Festival in Nyon, Switzerland. The Jamaican government under P. J. Patterson honoured Cliff on 20 October 2003, by awarding him The Order of Merit, the nation's fourth-highest honour, in recognition of his contributions to the film and music of Jamaica. Cliff, Bunny Wailer and Mervyn Morris are the only currently living figures from the arts to hold this distinction and he is one of only two living musician (along with Bunny Wailer) to do so.
In 2007, Cliff performed at the opening ceremony at cricket's World Cup. In the spring and summer of 2010, Cliff embarked on an extensive tour of the U.S. and Canada. In 2007, "You Can Get It If You Really Want" was adopted by the British Conservative Party during their annual conference. Cliff was quoted in The Independent as saying "One of my band mates called me this morning to tell me the news. I can't stop them using the song, but I'm not a supporter of politics. I have heard of Cameron, but I'm not a supporter. I don't support any politician. I just believe in right or wrong."
In September 2009, he was nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, following a campaign on his behalf by the American Charles Earle. Cliff reacted to the news by saying, "This is good for Cliff, good for Jamaican music and good for my country." On 15 December 2009, he was officially announced as an inductee and was inducted on 15 March 2010 by Wyclef Jean.
Cliff appeared in the 2011 documentary Reggae Got Soul: The Story of Toots and the Maytals which was featured on BBC and described as "The untold story of one of the most influential artists ever to come out of Jamaica".
In 2011, Cliff worked with producer Tim Armstrong, lead singer of American punk band Rancid, on the EP The Sacred Fire and the full-length album Rebirth. Rebirth was nominated for a Grammy Award for 'Best Reggae Album'. The album was listed at #12 on Rolling Stone's list of the top 50 albums of 2012, saying "There's ska, rock steady, roots reggae, a revelatory cover of The Clash's "Guns of Brixton" delivered in Cliff's trademark soulful tenor, grittier but still lovely more than 40 years after his debut." In December 2012, Cliff was named 'Artist of the Year' by digital newspaper the Caribbean Journal, citing his work on Rebirth.
On 25 June 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Jimmy Cliff among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.
Personal life
Cliff is not a member of the Rastafari movement, although he briefly was before converting to Islam from Christianity. He now describes himself as having a "universal outlook on life", and does not align himself with any particular movement or religion, saying that "now I believe in science". He is married and has a daughter Lilty Cliff and a son Aken Cliff. He is also the father of the actress/singer Nabiyah Be.
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681
What's the first thing you thought in your head when you woke up today?
I thought about calling Gab, which I did and which made me fall right back asleep.
If your best friend confessed that they can see the future, you would...?
I’d put likeeeee 15% trust in them because they’re still my best friend lmao, but I’d mostly be challenging them about their ~skill. I’d be curious to know when it started, what exactly is it they see, whether it’s been accurate the whole time they’ve had it, etc. Tl;dr I’d basically apply my journalism lessons irl lol.
Write a random quote that comes to your head:
“Tried to keep my eyes closed, I want you so bad, then I woke and it was so sad.” Idk if it counts as a quote but I’ve had this lyric by The Japanese House in my head for a few minutes.
What's your opinion on milk chocolate?
I like it, but it can get a little too sweet for me and I usually don’t like how too sweet feels for my throat. I’d take it over dark chocolate though.
What about Dark Chocolate?
I like it too, but I can probably only eat a block or two before finding it too bitter. Idk man, I’ve always been a white chocolate girl.
You do know that white chocolate isn't even really chocolate, right?
Yeah, but it’s just the right amount of sweet for me so it’s always been my fave.
Do you get annoyed when surveys mention a band you've never heard of?
I entirely skip those surveys so that I just don’t have to deal with them, because yes I do get annoyed lol.
What's your opinion about Katy Perry's song "I kissed a girl"?
Ahead of its time. It’s not one of my favorite singles but I wouldn’t change the station if it suddenly played – and I’d certainly make my parents sit through the whole song.
What's your least favorite pizza topping?
Pepperoni.
What would you do if you discovered the US was now drafting for the war?
Aren’t they always in war with some other country? As someone from a relatively poor country it’s always been a little laughable, surprising, and even a little appalling seeing how much Americans spend for WAR. We’re here wishing every school had an adequate amount of desks and chairs, and they’re out there buying bombs and tanks. Sad.
Are you even living in America, or are you from another country?
Last question should answer that for you.
What's your favorite social website?
I love Twitter. Everyone is a mess in there and it’s where people hang out for the memes. It’s great.
Do you believe in heaven? If so, what's it like? If not, why?
I don’t really believe in it but a part of me finds comfort in the idea of reuniting with my loved ones after death. Still, I mostly think of death as permanent sleep – it just makes the most sense to me.
What's your favorite video game?
Not a big video game gal but I always wanna play Grand Theft Auto just to be a law-abiding citizen HAHAHA
In your opinion, is Bzoink the best place to find fun surveys?
It’s been my go-to for the longest time, so yeah.
What kind of mood are you in right now, and why?
I’m a little more content than I’ve been in the last few days. I’ve recently been hanging out at our rooftop until very late at night because we have a pretty view of the city and the stars, and it’s sooooo peaceful up here; I dunno why I never hung out here before. I’m also more than halfway through the 1,500-word essay I need to do for one of my classes, so I’m feeling good and proud of myself.
What's your opinion of high school?
It’s all honestly so stupid with all the cliques, the proms, and the pressure to have high grades; but it’s also your chance to be dumb, make friends, make mistakes, and have fun. Some of my most precious memories, important lessons, and best relationships came from high school, so as stupid as it got sometimes, I’m always grateful for the four years.
Do you prefer the country or city?
CITY. I’m already too used to the internet, the nice restaurants, and the hustle and bustle of the city to be separated from it. That’s not to say I don’t like vacationing in provinces – I really do, but it’s only a matter of time before I get homesick for the city.
Texting: Is it fun, evil, boring, or none of the above?
It’s none of these things for me? It’s just convenient, lmao.
What email service do you use for your main (or only) email account?
Gmail.
What's your favorite dumb pick-up line?
Pass on here, I’ve never liked pickup lines.
What are your plans for the next 48 hours?
Did you ever read "Captain Underpants" when you were little?
OMG yes I diiiiiid. My parents didn’t allow to buy me those books cos they were a little immature, but I lived with a cousin who had the complete series. They were SO fun to read and so funny and the doodles were really entertaining.
What's better: The old Cartoon Network, or the new one? Or do you not care?
THANK you for the third option. I don’t care.
Disney Channel shows are all pretty cheesy, aren't they?
They definitely are now, but maybe that’s just because I’m older now. Older people in 2006 probably found That’s So Raven and The Suite Life corny too.
What's your opinion on the Jonas Brothers?
Crazy talented, both in 2009 and their recent comeback. I vibe with Sucker today the same way I vibed with SOS when I was 10 years old.
What are some of your favorite singers/bands?
I enjoy listening to Paramore, Beyoncé, Hozier, Ariana Grande, Hayley Williams as a solo artist, Coldplay, and Ben&Ben.
Why do the lead singers in bands always get the most recognization?!
Because they’re typically the most recognizable ones in the group. You have your guitars, basses, keyboards, drums... and I think people often recognize vocalists as the one that sets the band apart from others. Just my two cents though, and this is certainly not meant to undermine the band members who do play instruments.
Did you ever believe in the Tooth Fairy?
I did at one point, but my parents ruined any fictional character for me when I woke up not finding any money under my pillow.
What's your favorite type of weather?
Just any kind of weather that blocks the sun out is great with me.
What's your opinion on reading books?
If you have the time and passion for it then honestly good for you. I stopped being a bookworm a long time ago and I never got back into the groove.
You're given a chance to act in a hollywood blockbuster! Would you accept?
If I was a paid extra, sure lmao.
What it if it was a movie directed by Tim Burton? (He directed Sweeney Todd)
I know who Tim Burton is. Again, only if I were an extra lol.
How do you feel about Taco Bell?
It’s so good. I don’t care how unhealthy it is or what it’s actually made out of; it’s great comfort food for me haha.
Are you hungry right now?
Now that you mentioned Taco Bell I do want some cheap fast food right now lmao, but I guess I’m not having anything like that until the lockdown is lifted :/ :/
How often do you go on to YouTube?
Everyday. I watch at least one video a day.
It's possible to be addicted to anything... What are you addicted to?
Using my phone, I guess.
What's your opinion of Wallgreens?
I don’t have any, because I only see hear of it in American vlogs hahahaha.
Back when Spongebob Squarepants was famous, were you interested in it?
100%. Favorite cartoon as a kid. It’s still one of my favorites today.
What's your dream pet?
Any kind of dog except for chihuahua sounds like a dream.
You see a mermaid while relaxing on the beach with friends. What now?
Take a photo from afar and then share it with close friends. It’s up to them if they want to spread it on social media, but I’ll take a pass on that lol.
Who's been your favorite teacher growing up, and why?
I liked Ms. Ettie because she always made sure all of her music lessons came with an important life lesson. She always led the class with a lot of grace and poise and treated all her students with respect no matter how much they were struggling in class, and I admire her tremendously for it.
When you were little, did you ever like Pokemon?
I did. I had the books, video games, cards, and pogs.
How often do you get headaches?
Only when I’m really stressed from school and haven’t eaten.
Do you have any songs stuck in your head right now? If so, what?
Nope.
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2D Animation’s Past, Present, and Future
(Pencil test for Sleeping Beauty) (original video source)
Traditional animation, also called hand-drawn animation, classical animation, cel animation, or by its modern handle, 2D animation, was the main form of animation from the late 19th century up until the creation of the modern computer, when computer-generated animation became the norm. Thanks to animation programs, there’s now a new mode of animating called computer animation, also known as 3D animation, where a figure is rigged to move about in a determined stage, similar to how real-life programs and films are made – the only difference being that the actors are now the animators through a character. Many North American studios had started out with 2D animated movies, but then shifted to focus on creating 3D animated movies thanks to the ease of the technology.
(Gif from Toy Story 4) (source)
Today in our modern world with many technologies at our hands, 3D animation has become the favored animation style, as proven by how much gross they procure at the box office compared to 2D animated films. Disney has virtually abandoned 2D animated movies, seeing as how their last movie in the medium was The Princess and the Frog released in 2009. The movie did well at the box office, but not as good as other 3D animated movies released since then. Seeing as how Disney has monopolized the animation film industry, anything they do will be copied in other animation studios, most notably American ones: DreamWorks Animation, once a studio where both 2D and 3D animated films were worked on in harmony, hasn’t made a 2D animated movie since 2003, when Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas was released. 2D animation just doesn’t cut it anymore, and is the main reason why North American studios have opted to stop using it entirely in their films. Because of this shift in power, 2D animation can now mainly be seen in T.V. programs and commercials, with many programs being made from independent creators who’re not affiliated with any studio.
(Gif from She-Ra and the Princesses of Power) (source)
Since 2D animated movies have been booted out of the theaters, it seems that 2D animation will – and has been able to – find a home on the T.V. screen. Thanks to many streaming services available, the services are able to host a multitude of programs and movies, included in these would be 2D animated movies and shows, making them accessible to a larger audience. Independent, or indie, creators are creating their own shows and movies in this medium, examples including Cannon Busters, Urbance, Ernest and Celestine, Hullabaloo, among many others. Additionally, television channels such as Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon are creating and hosting majority 2D animated shows, these including Steven Universe, Adventure Time, The Loud House, and SpongeBob SquarePants. Even bigshot Disney, on their channel Disney XD, has been creating and hosting 2D animated shows like Phineas and Ferb and Star vs. the Forces of Evil. While there are T.V. programs that’re rendered in 3D animation – Miraculous Ladybug, Lego Ninjago, etc. – this goes to show that 2D animation isn’t going anywhere, it’s just migrated someplace new.
That being said, many indie creations aren’t able to access a large audience due to needing the economic support of traditional animation fans who want to see the content. Since indie creators are working alone without much support aside from their small teams, they’ve had to resort to creating Kickstarters in order to raise enough money to start working.
(Gif from Spirited Away) (source)
On the other side of the ocean, Japan has had a long history of 2D animation, so far as to say that it’s its only animation medium. Astro Boy, originally a manga – Japanese comic book – circulating from 1951 to 1981, was first made into an animated program that ran from 1963 to 1976. While the show has been remade two times, with a third adaptation being made, the first show was the one to set in motion what would become known staples of anime. Since then, innumerable animes have been made for every genre, ranging from robot and mecha anime Gurren Lagann to romantic comedies like Ouran High School Host Club. Anime isn’t just programs either, it boasts many exceptional movies such as Akira, Ghost in the Shell (1995), Ponyo, Wolf Children, and more. One of the biggest anime studios is Studio Ghibli, who can be said to be the Japanese Disney. Studio Ghibli has even collaborated with Disney to promote their movies in the North American venues, most notably with Spirited Away.
(Gif from Samurai Champloo) (source)
American audiences love anime. Everywhere you go, there’s anime: today’s kid’s cartoons are always making references to Sailor Moon or Naruto; Pokémon Go made a giant impact all around the world as people of all kinds are trying to catch Pokémons; millennials and Gen Z’rs keep using slang that relates back to anime, like “You are already dead/Omae wa mou shindeiru;” even Disney has been making references to anime, as seen in their films Frozen and Brave, which feature intrepid female leads, something that can be owed to changing gender attitudes, but ultimately “owe a direct line of thanks to Studio Ghibli’s humble hand-drawn animations of years past”. Anime itself was inspired by old Disney cartoons, so it has now come full circle. But why? Why are American audiences so captivated by anime? For one, anime is now more accessible than ever. In the early 2000’s, there wasn’t readily-available subtitled anime, much less dubbed anime, and what was subtitled was made by fans and hosted on YouTube, or it was a collector’s item that would cost a pretty penny. Thanks to new streaming services, especially ones that focus on animes, anime and manga is a lot more accessible now. Take for example Crunchyroll.com: it’s an American company created by university students that streams anime, manga, and dramas (what we Latinos would call “telenovelas”) for free and offers a paid subscription for an even wider access. The website has anime available in eight languages, and has offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chișinău, and Tokyo.
(Gif from One Piece)
Another reason why anime has been such a hit is that anime is as diverse as Western media: there’s something for everyone, and it’s just a matter of exploring and enjoying the content available. Part of that is the creative liberty authors are given, letting them be the one to decide how long the story will stretch for, an example being Eiichiro Oda, the author of One Piece, an ongoing manga and anime. He’s been stated to willing “die for One Piece,” a level of dedication “manifested throughout his series.” On top of that, the East doesn’t have the same sensibilities as the West, making for a larger range of topics that anime can touch upon that Western shows and films would be too frightened or just plain embarrassed to broach, especially given how nowadays people have many hang-ups about many things, and don’t seem to tolerate differences – just look at the outrage Starbucks caused in 2015 when they rolled out a new holiday cup that was just plain red. Every year since then, Starbucks manages to somehow anger everyone about their holiday cups. Anime isn’t made to reach a wider audience, it just wants to tell a story in its own way, and authors and content-creators should know what it feels like to want to tell a story that you know not everyone is going to understand. The movie Spirited Away blew everyone away at the 75th Academy Awards in 2003 where it beat Disney’s two films Lilo & Stitch and Treasure Planet for Best Animated Feature Film, and because of it, put Japanese animated film under the spotlight. Now everyone is informed that anime is not just for kids but can be a compelling medium for storytelling in films, enough to be able to win an Oscar.
(Gif from The Artist) (source)
Noticing how 2D animation is falling to grace in the West despite Western audiences clamoring for anime, a 2D animated medium, makes for a very interesting oxymoron. That being said, this could open up new – or old – doors for 2D animation in the entertainment industry. The Artist is a silent, black-and-white film released in 2011, directed by Frenchman Michel Hazanavicius, and it won Best Picture at the 84th Academy Awards. It was the first silent film to win an Oscar for Best Picture since Wings won it in 1927, and the first totally black-and-white film to win Best Picture since The Apartment won it in 1960. The Artist is mentioned here to demonstrate that old formats such as silent films and black-and-white films can still be successful in this modern age, even going so far to be the most awarded film in France. If silent and black-and-white films could make an astounding comeback, even if just for one moment, then surely the same could be said for 2D animated movies. It’s just a matter of someone driven enough to achieve it.
(Ramen from Gobelins, L'École de L'Image) (also here)
2D animated movies have started to lose their luster in the American film industry. Because of this, 2D animation has seen a new life in T.V. programs and commercials. Unlike their Western counterparts, the East has been producing a vast array of 2D animated anime and films, being able to even win the highest award a film can get in the West, an Oscar. This proves that 2D animation doesn’t have to be a lesser artform in film, because it can be revitalized and recontextualized just as if it were a silent movie being created in the modern age. 2D animation doesn’t have to be a medium of the past and can instead gain some of its grace again as a respected film mode.
Bibliography
Jozuka, Emiko. Japanese anime: From 'Disney of the East' to a global industry worth billions. Ed. Takashi Murakami. 28 July 2019. Article. 12 November 2019. <https://www.cnn.com/style/article/japan-anime-global-identity-hnk-intl/index.html>.
Macdonald, A.G. Why Western Culture is Beginning to Embrace Anime. 7 August 2017. Article. 12 November 2019. <https://the-artifice.com/western-culture-embrace-anime/>.
Mc Bain Jr., Everard J. Is 2D Animation Dead? Not Really. 2 February 2018. Article. 12 November 2019. <https://celflux.com/is-2d-animation-dead-not-really/>.
Morr. Why We’re Seeing Less 2D Animated Movies and Why They Probably Won’t Make a Comeback. n.d. Bloop Animation. Blog Post. 12 November 2019. <https://www.bloopanimation.com/why-were-seeing-less-2d-animated-movies-and-why-they-wont-make-a-comeback/>.
Riki, J.K. Why Should 2D Animation Be Abandoned? (Part 1). 2015. Commentary. 12 November 2019. <https://www.animatorisland.com/why-2d-animation-should-be-abandoned-part-1/?v=7516fd43adaa>.
Shutterstock. How Hayao Miyazaki Influenced American Animation with Spirited Away. 20 July 2016. Article. 12 November 2019. <https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/miyazaki-influence-on-american-animation>.
Smith, Brandon. Former Disney Veteran Explains Why Big Studios Have Abandoned 2D Animation. Ed. Kelly Conley. 27 February 2015. Opinion. 12 November 2019. <https://www.rotoscopers.com/2015/02/27/former-disney-veteran-explains-why-big-studios-have-abandoned-2d-animation/>.
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Hi, I'm curious, how and when did you discover Tintin ? You seem to love this universe so much, it makes me smile a lot because Tintin was a big part of my childhood ^_^
Hi! Well, it’s sort of funny… The cartoon was aired in the 90s in a local TV channel in my country, then I was a little child but I actually hated it (yes XD, I used to find Tintin and Milou a bit annoying, even though I always loved his latin spanish dub voice -venezuelan-). Then I had another interests.
Later at high school, in a Spanish grammar lesson, the teacher made us read some vignettes of “Tintin in the Tibet” that appeared in a lesson book, and I found really interesting the way of telling the story. I decided to give another opportunity to the cartoon, once I discovered that it now was aired on Cartoon Network (the 1960s movies actually, and sometimes the 90s serie), I started to like it, but not fan.
Years later, I decided to read more about the comic, and I finally bought the Tintin in the Tibet comic (nowadays, it’s still my fave), luckily, just two years later Spielberg came with the new movie, and then I think my love for this comic increased…
Even though I watched the serie and Movie on Netflix a couple of year ago, was in the almost end of 2019 when my love for Tintin came back. and this time seems to be stronger (in 2008-2009 also had a strong participation in the fandom, but then, I used to participate in forums, and so on… Now I’m not thaaaat in -basically because I see that the forums are quite inactive).
I have the “problem” that sometimes get obsessed with a new thing and I forget about the other love… Actually Tintin was always in a “second row” meanwhile, I used to be actively obsessed with another fandoms XD (especially in Anime), but this time and since September, I got a strong “Tintinism” and I feel that I can’t speak nor draw about another thing ^^U (even though I try to keep multifandom, but…)Not sure when this Tintinism will end, meanwhile, I enjoy it x’D ♥
Tintin was part of my childhood too, but I started to enjoy it as an adult :)
Sorry for the long answer ^^uThanks for the ask ^_^
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Dragon Ball Z Movie 10: Broly -- Second Coming
The tenth DBZ movie premiered on March 12, 1994 at the Toei Anime Fair, after the airdate of Episode 220, and before 221. So presumably there was some kid in Japan who watched Dabura turn Piccolo and Krillin into stone, and then this movie, and then the episode where the Saiyans enter Babidi’s spaceship.
The original title was “Dragon Ball Z: Dangerous Rivals” or “Dragon Ball Z: Dangerous Duo! Super Warriors Never Rest.” When Funimation dubbed it in 2005, they simply named it “Broly -- Second Coming”, emphasizing that this is a direct sequel to Movie 8.
For my part, I didn’t wait for 2005 to see this movie. Cartoon Network had finished airing DBZ way back in 2003, and I was getting sick of waiting for Funimation to release the last few movies. I think Movie 8 and Movie 9 were released a year apart, to give you an idea. So I downloaded the fansubs of Movies 10-13 and watched those. I didn’t watch them in order, though, because 12 and 13 were of greater interest to me, and I was curious about 11 because I knew nothing about it. Turns out Movie 11 was the third part of the Broly trilogy, so I kind of goofed on that, but we’ll get into that later. If anyone from Funi! is reading this, rest assured that I legally purchased all four movies once they became available. As a matter of fact, I bought them again on Blu-Ray around 2009, and again in 2019 because your shithead streaming service doesn’t have them, and I can’t take screencaps from the Blu-Ray editions. So I think we’re more than square. Support the official release, kids!
So let’s cut to the chase. This movie is about Broly coming back to get revenge, kind of like how Movie 6 was about Cooler coming back after losing in Movie 5. The difference is that Movie 6 at least tried to explain how Cooler survived certain death in the previous film. Movie 10... doesn’t do this. At all. When we last saw Broly, Goku punched a big hole in his abdomen, and I’m pretty sure he exploded (!!) and then the planet they were fighting on got hit by a comet. Movie 10 just stone cold doesn’t care about any of that. It opens with a Saiyan spacepod drunkenly heading for Earth, and then it crashes on a mountain.
And here’s Broly, still glowing green and muttering about Kakarot. He’s badly hurt, but he looks a whole lot better than he did at the end of Movie 8. So I guess he just didn’t explode after all? How did he heal his wounds? Dd he heal himself, like Cell? Where did he get the pod? We only saw three spaceships on Planet New Vegeta in Movie 8. Paragus had a pod, as well as a larger ship, and Broly destroyed them both. Then there was the Capsule Corp. ship Piccolo used to join the battle, and all the good guys rode home on that.
To be fair, it would make sense for Paragus to have had a few extra spaceships handy, except the whole point of his scheme was to keep Vegeta (the prince) on New Vegeta (the planet) long enough for the comet to hit it and kill him. This is reflected in Paragus’ final scene in that movie, where he tries to make a run for it and leave Broly to die, and Broly catches him in the act. Paragus claims that he wanted them to leave together, but Broly knows that there isn’t enough room for them both in the pod, so Paragus’ betrayal is clear. The tragedy of the movie is that Broly kills Paragus, who he had once saved, and then he dies in the same trap that Paragus had intended for their enemies.
Only Broly didn’t die, because he’s here in Movie 10. There was a spare pod on the planet, and Broly somehow crawled into it and escaped before the comet hit. Then he rode it all the way to Earth, and somehow survived the trip. To be sure the only part of this that really adds up for me is that Broly wound up on Earth. Paragus planned to conquer it after killing Goku and Vegeta, so it makes sense that the coordinates would already be laid in. And Broly would want to go there, because he wants revenge on Goku.
But then the crater around the pod gets filled with water and freezes. How did Broly not drown? How did he not freeze to death?
I mean, I get that they were going for this Captain America thing, except they show the crater filling with water, and then they cut to Broly gasping for breath as the water freezes around him.
And here’s the title screen. Okay “A Pair in Peril” makes a lot more sense than “Dangerous Duo”. I never understood who the duo was supposed to be. Goten and Trunks? They’re hardly dangerous at all in this movie. But they are in danger, so maybe this is a big translation mixup.
The story picks up seven years later, with Goten, Trunks, and Videl gathering the Dragon Balls. Continuity-wise, I assume this movie was intended to be set after the Babidi crisis wrapped up. It couldn’t be set before the 25th Budokai, because Videl and Trunks hadn’t met yet, and they’re awfully chummy here. We never find out how Videl learned about the Dragon Balls. For that matter, how did Trunks and Goten know about them? I think Toei just assumed that they would find out about them eventually, which is fair.
The big thing that disqualifies this movie from canon (other than being a sequel to Movie 8, which also wasn’t canon) is that Videl doesn’t know very much about DBZ stuff yet. She can fly, and she know about ki, but she still doesn’t know about Super Saiyans, etc. But she gets a crash course in all of that over the next fifty episodes of DBZ, and by the time it’s all over this movie just wouldn’t make sense. The post-Buu Videl has seen Gohan and the others transform, she’s been on a Dragon Ball hunt and seen Shenron, and she’s died and come back to life. But no one knew all that would happen when Movie 10 was written, so they made due with what they had.
As far as wishes go, Videl just wants to see Shenron, while Trunks plans to wish for his own amusement park so he won’t have to wait in line for the rides. Goten wants to wish for infinite chocolate, and he hasn’t seen that gif on Tumblr yet.
One sidebar on their quest are these naturally forming crystals that Videl finds in the area near the final Dragon Ball. Trunks and Goten don’t care, and I’m not really sure why it’s supposed to matter. Videl remarks that the people who live in this place could make money off of the things, but their village looks very poor, so something doesn’t add up. And there is something afoot in the village but the crystals never seem to have anything to do with it.
The trio enters the village to check it out and maybe get some food, but they find a ritual human sacrifice taking place instead. This is sort of the same deal as Oolong’s first appearance waaayyyyy back in the Pilaf Saga, where the townsfolk would hand over a bride to Oolong to save their community. Only here, the monster is supposed to eat the girl instead of marrying her.
The sacrifices are organized by this dude, who never gets a name in the story. The subtitles call him “Prayergiver-sama”, and I think the dub called him a “Shaman”. The Dragon Ball wiki identifies him as Maloja, but I have no idea where that name came from. I’ll run with it, though, since I need to call him something.
Basically, the deal here is that things were pretty cool in this village until about seven years ago (hmm...) and then the climate became harsher, which apparently caused the emergence of some monster from the mountains. When the local wildlife became depleted, the beast started attacking the villagers, and Maloja convinced them that the only hope for their survival was to appease “the mountain god” with these human sacrifices.
Videl dismisses the whole thing as superstitious nonsense, which is kind of rich coming from a girl who used ki energy to fly to this place so she could summon a magic dragon. I mean, she’s right, but for all she knows Maloja’s plan is perfectly sound.
The kids offer to defeat the best and save the village from having to do any more child sacrifices. Specifically, Trunks demands Maloja’s ceremonial necklace as payment, which seems kind of random to me. There’s a big orange sphere on the front, so when I first saw this I assumed it was the Dragon Ball they were looking for, but that shows up later. Maybe it was originally intended to be a Dragon Ball in one of the early drafts and they ended up changing it but keeping Maloja’s design. But now you have Trunks asking for the thing for no apparent reason. Does he really like it, or is he just looking to humiliate Maloja by taking his stuff?
So their big plan is to hide in the buffet the villagers left for the beast, and then whenever it shows up to eat, they’ll jump out and kick its ass. Videl seemed to think she could handle this alone, but Goten and Trunks wanted to be there to see her get eaten, or so they say.
But the boys are hungry, and there’s food sitting right outside of this pot they’re in, so Trunks reaches out and swipes an apple. When Goten tries to do the same thing, Videl smacks him in the face, and then he starts throwing a tantrum.
Eventually, Videl gives up and hands Goten a roll or something to shut him up, because she’s worried that Goten’s cries will give away her trap. Trunks tells her that Goten was only pretending to be upset, and she fell for it. I don’t want to give the wrong impression here. I’m not big on this movie, but Goten and Trunks are pretty awesome. I love these little shits.
But Goten’s wailing has unintended consequences. Somehow Broly heard him from all the way up in the mountain. Even though he was unconscious. And submerged in a frozen lake. Sigh...
Of course, as we all remember from Movie 8, Broly was traumatized as a baby when he heard Baby Goku crying back on Planet Vegeta, and just being near Goku as an adult was enough to drive him into a murderous rampage. So it does kind of make sense for Goten’s crying to be the one thing that disturbs his hibernation.
Moreover, Goten’s cries also remind Broly of when Goku wrecked his shit in Movie 8, so if anything, Broly’s original trauma was compounded by the events of that movie.
So Broly busts out and goes on another rampage, right? Wrong, first we gotta wrap up this “beast” subplot. Turns out it was just a dinosaur the whole time, and Goten and Trunks kick its ass.
Then they... eat it? Savage. I thought Trunks was only trying to punish the dinosaur and scare it away, but unless the villagers had some other dinosaur already curing in their smokehouse, they must have killed it and brought it back here for the victory feast.
Ok, this place is called Natade Village. Good to know.
And Trunks has Maloja’s necklace. See, I’m pretty sure this guy didn’t have a name in Movie 10 or 11, because Trunks refers to him by the chant he was doing during the sacrificial ritual.
But by the next morning, Maloja’s at it again, begging for the mountain god’s favor, because there’s some other disturbance in the village, and when Videl goes to check it out, she runs into Broly.
And they just star throwing down. Okay, so here’s where the movie really starts to get stupid. I like both of these characters, but it makes zero sense to have them fight like this. Broly spends much of this movie in Super Saiyan 1, as opposed to his jacked up “Legendary” mode. But that’s still strong enough to kill Frieza with one blow. Videl just learned what ki was a month ago, so how on Earth is she able to survive a hit from Broly?
To be fair, Mr. Satan took a hit from Perfect Cell and survived, but I think it was clear that Cell had no interest in killing him, probably because he wanted to terrorize him later. But Broly’s a deranged lunatic. He never showed mercy before, and he’s even more unhinged now. Even if he wanted to spare Videl here, I don’t know if he’d have the self-control to hold back.
Then Goten and Trunks show up, and Broly immediately goes after them, because he notices Goten’s resemblance to Goku.
So you might be wondering, where the hell is Gohan during all of this? Well, the movie doesn’t know either. We just cut to him in some far-off location, and he senses Broly’s ki and heads off to investigate. Did he just not want to join Videl on this Dragon Ball hunt? That seems a bit weird.
As for Goten and Trunks, they seem to do okay on their own, at least starting out. Their attacks have no effect on Broly, but they’re agile enough to stay one step ahead of them, at least while they’re in their Super Saiyan form.
But then Broly starts using stronger attacks, and the boys quickly find themselves outclassed. They land in this abandoned mine, which I guess was for those same crystals Videl found earlier? This is never explained. Did the villagers operate this?
The thing is, Broly clearly has these boys dead to rights, but he never bothers to finish them off. This is the same problem I had with him fighting Videl. If Goten and Trunks are in base form, Broly should be way out of their league while he’s in SSJ1. And yet he keeps tossing them around like ragdolls, and they never die and he never bothers to try harder. Is he just screwing around?
So then he just starts walking menacingly towards them, and the boys notice the seventh Dragon Ball lying nearby, so they devise a hasty plan. Trunks moons Broly to distract him, while Goten grabs the Dragon Balls and wishes for Shenron to defeat Broly for them.
So there’s a few problems with that plan, but besides all of that, Goten loses the ball in a pile of spherical crystals in the mine, so it takes him a while to find it again. During his search, he stops to take a whiz.
Meanwhile, Trunks does surprisingly okay fighting Broly alone. I guess the conceit here is that Goten and Trunks can hold their own against SSJ1 Broly, but they lack the stamina to maintain the form the way Broly does.
Eventually he has to take cover in a cavern behind a waterfall, and I guess Broly can’t sense ki or he would have found him a lot more easily than this. While he waits for Broly to leave, Trunks considers how his father would react to him hiding like this. So where is Vegeta during all of this, anyway? I used to think this movie might have been set after his death against Buu, but that hasn’t even come close to happening yet in the anime, and I’m fairly sure the manga hadn’t gotten there either. Are we supposed to believe that Vegeta just doesn’t know this is going on? He sensed Trunks was in danger in Movie 9, and he showed up in Movies 6 and 7 without an invitation.
Look, if they just didn’t want Vegeta to be in the movie, that’s fine, but they should have at least explained why he isn’t here. It doesn’t make any sense for him to sit this one out, and I have a hard time believing he would have no idea that Broly’s running amok on Earth.
Anyway, Goten finally tries to make the wish, but nothing happens. I don’t know if he just isn’t summoning Shenron correctly or what. Goten decides that he needs to move the balls out of the cave so that Shenron will have more room to manifest, and I guess that makes as much sense as anything.
So that leaves Trunks in the same bind he was in before. Broly starts doing... whatever this is supposed to be. Seriously, was this the most lethal manuever he could come up with? Even if he’s trying to hurt Trunks before killing him, there’s got to be better ways to go about it. Besides, why did he let Goten leave a minute ago? He’s the one Broly really hates right now.
Also, this screencap gives us a good look at the scar tissue on Broly’s chest. This is maybe the silliest thing in the movie. I remember in the Budokai 3 game, there’s a mode with a Red Ribbon Army theme, and Commander Red is there to introduce it, and he has a little bandage on his forehead, covering up the spot where Staff Officer Black shot him. That was a cute little joke, but this is supposed to be somewhat serious. Goku ripped Broly open in Movie 8. The scar tissue runs all the way up to his clavicles for crying out loud, and we’re supposed to believe that it just healed over like a hangnail?
Anyway, Trunks breaks the hold by peeing on Broly, and no, that’s still not as dumb as Broly growing back half of his chest.
Broly finally gets fed up with the boys and tries to finish them off, and then Gohan finally arrives to save them. Gohan’s surprised to see they lasted so long against an enemy as terrible as Broly. No, it’s not that amazing, Gohan, this movie just really sucks.
He tries to fight Broly... in his base form. Why? Why would that be a good idea? Then Videl shows up and kicks Broly in the head. Okay, so here’s why this movie is stupid.
To me, the whole point of bringing Broly back was to show how he’d fare against Gohan as a Super Saiyan 2. Movie 8 couldn’t deliver on this idea because it was made before SSJ2 was introduced. Then Gohan dominated Cell as a Super Saiyan 2, and he did the same thing to Bojack in Movie 9. Broly only lost in Movie 8 because the Z-Fighters donated their power to Goku, which made him strong enough to turn the tide.
But in this movie, it’s seven years later, and Goku’s dead and Future Trunks is gone, so it’s basically up to Gohan, with a lot less backup. But that’s okay, because he’s a lot stronger than he was in Movie 8. Sure, he’s slacked off on his training, but he still knows how to turn into a Super Saiyan 2, so maybe that’s all he needs. And Broly’s been out of action for a while too, so maybe the playing field is more even than it looks. Of course, Gohan would have to win against Broly, or the movie couldn’t have a happy ending, but most of the battle would be this suspenseful thing. Both Broly and Gohan have forms that surpass Vanilla Super Saiyan, but which one is superior? That’s what this movie should have been about.
But instead, Toei tried to do the battle from Movie 8 all over again, only it doesn’t work because most of the guys who were in that fight aren’t here for this movie. Goku, Vegeta, Trunks, and Piccolo have been swapped out for Goten, Trunks, and Videl, and they can’t look credible against a monster villain like Broly. That’s why they spend most of the fight doing comedy spots with him, and that’s why Gohan has to skip the first leg of the battle, so that he can rescue them here. In Movie 8, that was Piccolo’s job, but Gohan has to do double-duty because there is no Piccolo this time around.
The whole fight strains Broly’s credibility. He has to be at Super Saiyan 1 most of the time just to keep it from looking too ridiculous, and even that’s pushing it too far. If Videl can kick this guy in the face, why was he ever a problem in the last movie? You had four Super Saiyans fighting him at the same time and they couldn’t do anything to him. This movie has Videl survive his attacks and Trunks peeing on him. What was the point of bringing Broly back if they were just going to make him look like a joke?
So then, finally Gohan turns Super Saiyan 2, prompting Broly to whip out his Legendary form. I’m pretty sure Toei recyled the animation from Movie 8, since Broly’s clothes aren’t tattered like they are through the rest of this movie. But whatever, we’ve finally gotten to the part that I wanted to see.
And Gohan still can’t win. I wouldn’t have a problem with Broly being stronger, but Gohan can’t even get in some decent offense, which is all I wanted out of this stupid movie. If I wanted to see Broly clobber Gohan, I could have just watched Movie 8 again. I realize that this is kind of Broly’s deal, but thewhole point of doing a sequel set seven years later is to change things up.
Is Gohan using Super Saiyan 1 or 2 in this movie? You never see the lightning arc around him, which is kind of the tell or SSJ2, but the movies seem pretty inconsistent about this. Personally, I think this looks like SSJ2, but it’s open to interpretation, to say the least. My thing is, why would Gohan not use his strongest form in this fight? He knows how dangerous Broly is, and it’s not like he can’t use SSJ2, so why wouldn’t he? And this should have been clarified in the movie. This is where another character should have said “He’s gone beyond the Super Saiyan, just like he did against Cell!” Or if he’s not using that form, then someone should have made that observation instead.
Likewise, no one knows if Broly is stronger or weaker in this movie than he was in Movie 8. If he can dominate a Super Saiyan 2 like this, then maybe he’s gotten stronger. His power was out of control seven years ago, so maybe now that he’s finally recuperated from his injuries, his ki is increasing again like before. Or maybe he just got a zenkai boost from Goku nearly killing him.
On the other hand, he might be weaker. Look how lethargic he was against Goten, Trunks, and Videl. Movie 8 Broly would have slaughtered them without a thought. Maybe Movie 10 Broly is still suffering from the beating he took, and that’s why it took so long for him to ramp up to his Legendary form. And while he is dominating Gohan, it’s still a one-on-one battle. Broly never had this much trouble against a single opponent before.
I’ve lurked on message boards where fans tried to argue both sides of this, and I used to have opinions on the matter, but now I realize that it doesn’t matter. We shouldn’t have to ask these kinds of questions, because it’s the movie’s job to communicate that information. Nobody had to ask how strong Broly was in Movie 8 because they showed us. Here, it’s ambiguous, because no one bothered to go into detail.
I mean, this shouldn’t be so complicated. Each movie villain is supposed to be stronger than the last, mainly because the heroes get stronger as the story progresses. Logically, Broly ought to be stronger in Movie 10 than he was in Movie 8, and the selling point should be that Gohan is stronger too, but will it be enough? And then it is enough, because that’s what the fans want to see.
The closest we approach to this is when Gohan escapes a hold by kicking Broly in the face. I think this is one of the few times Broly actually experiences pain from an attack. From here, Gohan realizes that he can beat Broly by luring him into a river of molten lava, which was brought to the surface by one of Broly’s prior attacks.
So it seems to work, but then Gohan passes out on a patch of land right as it’s about to get swallowed up by lava...
And then Piccolo shows up to rescue him. Well it’s about time.
Only it’s not Piccolo, it’s Krillin disguised as Piccolo. Okay, that’s cute and all, but why isn’t the real Piccolo here? This stupid movie would have me believe that Krillin was sitting at home, sensed Broly’s ki, went upstairs to get out his custom-tailored Piccolo costume, put it on, and flew out here, but Piccolo and Vegeta have no idea what’s going on? This is bullshit.
I don’t want to give the wrong impression here. I’m pleased with Krillin’s cameo here, but it just raises more questions than answers. Broly’s kind of a big deal, and this movie seems to revel in the notion that less than half the cast would notice if he showed up on Earth. Where’s Tien? Yeah, he probably wouldn’t be able to help much, but he’d be one more guy for Broly to knock around. It’d make more sense than having him fight Videl.
Anyway, Broly survived, because he has the same force field he used to survive Planet Vegeta’s destruction as a baby. For that matter, Gohan used a similar force field earlier, so maybe this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to him.
So then Broly catches Gohan in a bearhug. Why are there restholds in a cartoon? Seriously, it’s like Broly suffered a career threatening neck injury after Movie 8, and he had to tone down his style so as not to aggravate it. Only that’s dumb because he’s an anime character who doesn’t exist. Just punch the kid already.
Then Videl wanders over and tries to help by throwing a crystal shard at Broly. Well, I can’t fault Videl for being all heart, but that’s not enough to save this turkey.
Broly swats it away, which gives Gohan an opening to escape. But why? Wouldn’t Broly just let the thing hit him? It’s not like it could hurt him anyway. This guy took a Kamehameha to the face.
So Gohan decides to end this now with a Kamehameha, and Broly decides to do the same with his.... Gigantic Meteor? Omega Blazer? Gleaming Sagitarius? The video games had all sorts of stupid names for Broly’s moves, even though they all look the same. This one is, “Toss some more green shit at things.”
So then we get to a halfway decent part of the movie. Goten runs over to help Gohan, and they do a beam struggle with Broly. Cool.
But it doesn’t look good, and in desperation, Goten prays to Shenron for help.
Then Goku shows up. Is this because Shenron heard Goten’s wish? That’s the general idea here, but the movie refuses to say for certain. What I do know is that Shenron never actually manifests to grant wishes. The Dragon Balls just glow, and then this happens.
Also, Goku doesn’t have his halo, so I have no idea what this means.
Meanwhile, Trunks gets up from wherever he’s been laying, and he fires one last ki blast at Broly, for spite’s sake. This turns out to intercept one of Broly’s attacks, which seems to give the Son family an opening. It’s basically like how Vegeta attacked Cell right before Gohan finished him.
Actually, now that I write all that out, this all seems pretty derivative. We saw a Father-Son Kamehameha in the Cell Games, and a lot of this “Goku returns to help” stuff was covered in Movie 9. Even so, I dig this version a little better, because Goten is here. I still would have preferred it if Gohan had just beaten Broly on his own, without all this overbooked nonsense.
So the triple-Kamehhameha manages to break through Broly’s bullshit armor and it sends him flying into the sun, just like how Cooler lost in Movie 5, only all this green crap spews out of Broly as he dies.
Then he explodes, and the blast comes out of the other side of the sun, so maybe that’s enough to finish him this time?
Then the sun turns green for a second, like it has to burn off the last vestiges of Broly’s Gary Stu ki.
After the fight, there’s no sign of Goku, although the Dragon Balls have scattered, indicating that a wish was granted. Then Videl starts questioning how Gohan beat Broly, and she chases after him, demanding a full explanation.
As the movie closes, the narrator asks how Goku appeared during the battle, but claims that no one can ever know for sure. That’s horseshit, frankly. We know how the Dragon Balls work, and we know they couldn’t bring Goku back to life, so none of what happened makes any sense. Goten didn’t even say the wish out loud. He just thought it and Shenron heard that? It’s dumb. You had the whole movie to explain these things, and you blew it on piss gags.
Oh, and Krillin’s still embedded in the rock where Broly hit him.
So yeah, this movie isn’t very good. Team Four Star ranked it near the bottom of the list of movies and specials, and they often talk about how everyone says Movie 11 is the worst, but they actually dislike this one more because it’s more boring. Personally, I think 11 is worse than 10, but I’d hate to live on the difference.
I’m pretty sure Movie 10 is the main reason people dislike Broly. That’s not to say that Movie 8 would be universally loved if Movie 10 weren’t around. But I think Movie 10 cemented a lot of the worst aspects of Broly’s character. He comes back, surviving what should be certain death, then he survives several other predicaments, and he just says “Kakarot” over and over again for the entire movie. The only other line he speaks is when Gohan gets ready to Kamehameha him, and he’s about to fire back. Otherwise it’s all grunts and “Kakarot!”
In Movie 8, the guy at least had a personality, even if it was twisted and cruel. In this movie, it’s like they were trying to imply that he suffered some sort of brain damage. It’s just so dull watching him fight. He moves like he’s in slow motion sometimes, and he never seems interested in actually defeating his enemies.
And this is a complete inversion of how they brought back Cooler in Movie 6. Remember Cooler? He came back as a cyborg with unlimited spare bodies, just so he’d be strong enough to cope with fighting Goku and Vegeta at the same time. Movie 6 is far from perfect, but at least it understood the need to raise the stakes. Movie 10 brought back Broly and took a bold step backwards.
But at least Broly was actually in this movie, and I think that at least puts it ahead of Movie 11. I’m not sure that should be the only criteria for rating Broly movies, but I think it should be a major one.
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