The DangerDang Blogspot

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - The Return of Harmony, Part 1

2011-09-17T17:27:00.000-05:00

The episode everypony was waiting for, and it's finally here! Youtube stream below:

Hit the jump.

So was it worth it? Hey, yeah! Of course, any episode is worth it, so that's a bit of a silly question. It was still worthy of a season premiere, and although I feel like people may be disappointed by it, it still holds up the standard the other episodes have presented.

The episode starts with the Cutie Mark Crusaders on a field trip, where they come across a few statues as well as a statue of a Draconicus. The Crusaders argue about what it might represent, and the statue shakes and crumbles in response, though it goes unnoticed. Then, the theme song! It's the same as usual, though it's possible it may change later. If it doesn't, I'll be a bit disappointed, but no big deal.

Afterwards, Rainbow Dash tries to clear the sky. She comes across a cloud made of cotton candy that makes...chocolate rain? It's a phenomenon no one knows how to deal with, until Twilight concocts a plan that involves everypony and they hold off the onslaught of chocolate. Just the beginning, however...
Twilight is contacted by Celestia to go to the castle, and she explains the cause to be Discord, the Draconicus described before. He has taken the Elements of Harmony and our heroes have to go retrieve them. Discord has other plans. He sends them through a maze that they must each take on separately. All the while, he tricks them and manages to use his magic to make everypony act the complete opposite of their respective Element - Applejack lies, and Fluttershy is pretty mean, to put it lightly.

The episode ends with Rainbow Dash (supposedly) getting her wings and flying back to Cloudsdale, leaving the rest alone. Discord's rules were that if anypony used wings, the game would be over, and Discord would keep the Elements. Pretty intense.
------------------------------------
Well, I definitely liked it. Discord, while not nearly as imposing as Nightmare Moon, is a literal threat with his ability to hinder the protagonists so much. It was good to see the Crusaders as well as Cheerilee, as I imagine they'll have bigger roles this season.
It was a bit jarring for the episode to dive right into the conflict so early - season 1's opener gave time for the characters to be introduced. Of course, we should already be familiar with these characters, so it isn't inconsistency. I just have a hard time seeing this come after The Best Night Ever. The way the conflict was handled is also pretty neat, and there was enough new things in store that I never felt like the episode was a rehash of anything previous.
Oh, and that cliffhanger? Can't wait for next week is all I can say.
Overall, definitely a good start, with minor nitpicks that don't detract from the show's consistent quality. Wish I knew what the rest of the year's going to be like!
Score: 9/10

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Tokyo Game Show 2011 Trailer

2011-09-14T15:39:00.000-05:00

Who am I kidding, by now, you've probably seen it already. Still. Get hype.

This trailer reveals Vergil and Iron Fist, and later on in TGS there should be other character trailers. The game's also coming to Playstation Vita! Crazy.
Next blog post will be all about My Little Pony, for the record.

Kamen Rider Fourze - First Episode Thoughts

2011-09-04T21:14:00.001-05:00

The show's first episode, titled "Youthful Henshin", literally just aired this weekend. It wasn't the strongest opening Rider's ever had, but I don't think I was going to expect that much anyway. After having been pretty lukewarm to OOO, this wasn't a priority to watch. However, glad I did and it was just full of energy all the way through from the opening.

LET'S GO! FOURZE YEAH!

The starting scene is set 17 years in the past, and these astronauts are on the moon. One finds something, but then the moon base starts blowing up. Kinda seems like every Rider series starts with something exploding...can't say it isn't a good way for a kids' show to grab attention, though.

We are then introduced to Amanogawa High School, where Gentarou Kisaragi is a new transfer student from...wherever in Japan he's from. He wants to be friends with everyone, which is kinda cool, and he also recognizes Yuuki, a friend from grade school. The first half of the episode focuses on Gentarou's getting used to high school - naturally, he gets shoved around by the jock and his cheerleader girlfriend. But hey, high school is high school, right?

The rest of the episode is a treat with some really cool effects as well as a nice set for the heroes' space base. Fourze himself looks a little silly, but the Astro Switches work well and they're interesting if problematic to take out and use.
But yeah! I liked it, seemed like it finished a little quickly, but that's what happens when there's a new show. I don't know what to expect from the story but the action is good - being Sakamoto, man's so good at it. Will be keeping up with the show if only for the action. Recommended.

Why didn't I do this for OOO/Gokaiger? Well...um. Cause.

New Release List

2011-08-28T12:45:00.000-05:00

If you're a follower of the blog, I can only assume you're excited about up-and-coming releases of things, and I am too. This post will serve purposes. Should be updated semi-regularly.

Pony poster is happy poster.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Season 2 - September 17
The Avengers - May 4 2012
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (PS3/X360) - November 15
Super Sentai Battle: Ranger Cross (Wii) - September 8
Gokaiger Goseiger Super Sentai: 199 Heroes Great War (DVD/Blu-Ray) - November
OOO Den-O All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Riders (DVD/Blu-Ray) - October 21
Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger the Movie: Flying Ghost Ship - In theaters
Kamen Rider OOO: Wonderful the Movie: A Shogun, 21 Core Medals - In theaters
The Amazing Spider-Man - 2012
WiiU - 2012
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii) - November 20
Kirby's Return to Dream Land (Wii) - October 24
Kirby: Mass Attack (NDS) - September 19
Kamen Rider: Climax Heroes Fourze (PSP/Wii) - December
Good People Die (3DS) - Soon
Psych Season 6 - October 12
Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger: Collect, Transform! 35 Sentai! (NDS) - November 17
Batman: Arkham City (PS3/X360/WiiU) - October 18
Kamen Rider Fourze - September 4

That's about all I'm excited for that I know about...if I missed anything, feel free to suggest something!

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Season 2 Countdown

2011-08-28T12:39:00.001-05:00

It will update whenever you refresh the page. Alternatively, you can use ponycountdown.com. The airdate is September 17th.

Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger - Mid-Season Review

2011-08-19T13:05:00.001-05:00

Well, I said I would do it and we're on episode 25, 26 coming tomorrow. That's generally a good estimate of the halfway point. The show's been really great so far, and the first Sentai I've fully enjoyed in a few years. Great characters, music, just awesome. Let's make it showy!

This won't be lengthy like my other season reviews, by any means, but there's still a lot that's happened so hopefully if you haven't seen the show something interests you.
First of all, and probably most important to my like of the show, the characters. Each of the main cast does a really good job at acting how they need to, and no one really feels flat or bad, besides Gai who can get a little overacted at times, but he still fills out well.
Marvelous is a fan-favorite, and for good reason. I really like his devil-may-care attitude, plus he's also a damn good leader. Understanding everyone has their part while also being protective of their bond is a quality I can relate with, so that's really cool. He's also learning a lot and is the character with the most development in the show. It's a little unbalanced, but hey.
Luka and Joe are sort of the second-in-commands, and that's pretty apparent in the episodes. I do like how everyone else has gotten good episode for themselves, too. Really, each member is unique and that's important. I know other Sentai series have had their diverse teams, but I like how the Gokaiger play off each other really well, and their individual personalities are also really good.
The weak point of the show at the moment is the villains. They barely do anything, none of the commanding villains have even fought with exception of Barizorg, and that's cause he has a personal connection to another character!
Basco is a good villain too...but his tricks are gonna get old hat very quickly if the writers aren't careful. Hopefully they start pulling out the big guns soon, because if not, I'm afraid the show may fall flat, and I really don't want that to happen after such a strong opening.
Still, it's been a great show so far and I have good belief that it'll be remembered very fondly. Till next time!

Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Movie Review

2011-08-16T20:44:00.001-05:00

I know what you're thinking, another one? Hey, I like movies. I can't help that fact, and I wanna major in film. Deal with it. Anyway, this was surprisingly pretty good. I wasn't expecting much, good or bad, and I would probably get this on DVD so I could watch it again.

Me Tarzan. You Jane. Wait, wrong movie.

Plot
Points throughout are brought up and finished pretty well. It's more like a checklist, there aren't many things going on at once, and that's very good. I don't remember any twists that I was surprised by, but in the end that's not a bad thing either. The film also sets up a few things that will undoubtedly lead to other things, and as there are already other Apes movies, I guess that's where that comes in. Most importantly, the film knows its important characters and who to focus on when it needs to.

Characters
Caesar makes for an excellent protagonist. I can't put it into words, really. The CGI in this movie just shows how far we've gotten since the other Apes movies, and it's really something. Serkis is so good at animalistic body emoting, so the movie is really more about him than the human characters or the entire ape takeover. That said, Will's dad is acted very well, and everyone else is more or less a cardboard cutout. Thankfully, Caesar holds up the rest of the movie just fine. You really feel sympathy for him as he grows up, and after you become attached, the film does an excellent job at making his plight seem like something that needs to be done. Felton is...well, to be nice, a jerk. He dies, thank goodness.

Music
Nothing I really remember, but it's pretty good. There's also a few scenes where they know not to have music, and that adds to suspense a fair bit.

Action
The movie makes it feel like they're apes, which I think is very important and brings the contrast between apes and humans into that much more light. The film is also unafraid to show just what the apes are capable of, and those who get their comeuppance really take it hard. I was never bored by the movie, and for every good calm scene, there's a good suspense scene holding it together. All the action in the movie has a purpose, and isn't mindless.

Overall
I don't know if it'll win any big acting awards, but it's certainly worth a watch and might surprise a lot of people. It's a good popcorn movie, and certainly entertaining with a decent message. Recommended.
Score: 8/10

Green Lantern - Movie Review

2011-08-15T23:51:00.003-05:00

I will say that I have no bias towards GL, Hal, or sway either way towards DC or Marvel overall. In recent years, that's a little harder to judge. Hopefully that means a fair review. Just to make it clear, though, my favorite Earth Lantern is John Stewart, due 100% in part to the tv show Justice League Unlimited. Man, is that show awesome or what? But I'm not here to gush about it. Not this time, anyway. You know what to do!

Plot
Not my favorite part of the movie. There was a little too much back-and-forth for my tastes, and, like Hal, the movie sometimes doesn't know where it's going. The humorous parts were alright and fit with Hal pretty well in the movie, but I didn't feel like I should have cared about any of the other human characters. Parallax worked as a villain...sort of. He really only comes in in the last quarter of the movie and then he's taken care of in a way that, while good for intergalactic, is undeniably going to make the casual crowd tilt their heads.
Other than that, the movie is a very standard coming-of-age origin story, except for the few plot points built up on Oa. I really like the idea of the thousands of Lanterns in the Corps and I wish they'd expanded on that, even though this is supposed to be an origin story.

Characters
Hal is alright. The rest of the people on Earth? Not so much, except maybe Hector. I wasn't very attached to any of them and didn't get a lot of mileage in trying to care about Hal's family. His dad's importance only in a flashback? His nephew's birthday showing up for a scene that did...what, exactly? Not much. Still, there are a few saving graces. Hector, who gets possessed of sorts by Parallax, is very hammy and proud of it. The conflict between them is...childish, and settled way too quickly. I do like the rest of the Lanterns, though. They're a lot of fun and casted very well. I just wish they had more screentime than 15 minutes. Really, I think that's the heart of the GL story, intergalactic conflict, and there just wasn't enough between characters here. Time will tell based on the stinger, though...

Music
A lot of rock stock stuff here. Nothing special, but I don't really watch a lot of superhero movies for their music anyway. It's really more of a bonus.

Action
Not a lot of action in the movie, but the CGI shots are pretty cool when they're in space. With an enemy as big as Parallax, it's hard to come up with a satisfying end to him, and I feel that battle was rushed. The giant energy stuff is pretty cool-looking, and the action does feel like a GL-type sort of action, so I guess that's a point.

Overall
I'm getting lazy at this point. But I did enjoy the things I liked about the movie - duh. I didn't feel that the film did much particularly well, except have a good comic-book feel. Worth the money I paid to see it? Yeah, probably. Worth a DVD buy? Only if you're a big GL fan. If not, see if it you're really interested. Other than that, you may want to avoid it.
Score: 5/10

10,000 Hits!

2011-08-13T14:50:00.002-05:00

And exactly 3 months later...
Come a long way from the very first time I started this blog. And, of course, at least 70% of the visits I've gotten have been all because of my My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic review. But I think that just goes to show how much attention and popularity it's gotten in the past year! Hard to believe it's almost been a year since the first episode, too. Of course, I can't count out all the other content I've posted about here. If not for everything, I'd probably still be at a measly 5000. And yet, here it is. Thanks for the support, everyone!

No, we're not at 10000 Sentai Warriors yet. Maybe someday.

Metroid: Harmony of a Hunter - Album Review

2011-08-09T01:55:00.000-05:00

Time for something a little different! I don't claim to be a music expert, so excuse my opinion. Still, Metroid music is, has been, and will always be awesome, so it'd be good to go over something recent. All the major players are here as well as a good amount of remixers I've never even heard of! Truly a testament to how many dedicated fans there are to Metroid, even if Nintendo is focusing on Zelda's 25th birthday. With that, it's music time.

Well, there isn't much to split it up by, so this'll be short, sweet, and to the point. I can be concise too!

The remixes encompass every single Metroid game, as it should be. This is the 25th anniversary fan project, after all. The majority of remixes are electronic/techno-style stuff, so if you don't like that you won't find a lot to like here. Any fans of the original music will appreciate all the different melodies, though, and that's a good thing. The sign of a good remix to my listening ears is something that I can recognize but also enjoy as a standalone piece of music. The album largely succeeds in this regard, though with so many tracks, there are some that aren't as good. Stemage of Metroid Metal gets one remix here, and as is the norm, his stuff is stellar. Thankfully, there's a lot of other good talent here and that's all the better for my favorite game series in both music and atmosphere.

Which brings us to the last part and the most important. Does the album create the atmosphere that is so wonderfully rendered by the Metroid series' original music? Indeed it does. Most of the tracks generally follow the same pitch as its original counterpart, so it's nothing to get worked up about. I imagine there will be some who aren't happy with how it turns out, but for me? I always appreciate a good remix, and there's plenty of those to be found. Here's to many more milestone anniversaries, Metroid. Mission Complete.

Score: 9/10

All Kamen Riders: Rider Generation - Video Game Review

2011-08-07T23:10:00.002-05:00

The last boss was kind of not fun when he used his hax attacks. Can't imagine what it'll be like on hard difficulty.
Still, fantastic game. If you're looking for a solid Rider, tokusatsu, or beat-em up game, look no further. This is your kind of game. I enjoyed it even more than I expected to, and there's still more I have to do before beating the game 100%. The main story is done, though, and that means it's review time!

Graphics
The game is a 2D side-scrolling beat-em up, like I said before. There's a small plane where you can move up and down, but it's still straightforward. That said, the game's graphics are mostly sprites, as well as the backgrounds. Backgrounds aren't amazingly detailed, but there's a lot of different kinds and are indigenous to each world, which adds some individuality. The game also uses the 3D renders at times, only to display during finishers or Rider select, which are still pretty good. I think many would have preferred actual Rider portraits, but they're not bad.
The sprites are animated wonderfully for a DS game. Compare to Scott Pilgrim (PS3/X360). They're not as good, but still pretty awesome. You won't get confused between Riders, not even with those that look similar. Attacks are also wonderfully recreated, and fairly faithful. Bosses look great, and the game's original boss has some good design.

Plot
Um...Riders...kick bad guys? If I could read Japanese, I'm sure I could talk a little more, but with games like these it's an excuse plot anyway. All you wanna do is beat up bad guys, and that's what the plot gives you.

Music/Sound
Nothing real special here, though there are some good rockin' tracks that help the gameplay along. Sound effects are very good too, any and all sounds that were used in a Rider show are all here. There's no theme songs of any sort in the game, which is a shame, though Ganbaride pulled some good original music so it's not too bad. The game won't win any awards for its stellar soundtrack, but it's good.
Voices are also recycled from Climax Heroes, which is a pretty good thing if you got used to them. Sure, the majority of voices aren't the original actors, but if they're not gonna show up for a show, they're not gonna show up for a game. Still, there are some original actors voicing their characters, and the replacement actors aren't too bad. Considering how many characters there are, the sheer amount of people voicing is pretty good.

Gameplay
And yet, the most important part. Thankfully, it isn't too hard to do beat-em ups right. But do them well? That's another story. And this game passes with flying colors. It's a natural evolution of the 2D-based gameplay that everyone who's ever stood in front of an arcade should be used to, with some other new tricks to keep everyone happy. Again, like the Scott Pilgrim video game. You have basic weak and strong attacks, of course, and many of each Rider's signature moves are represented very well here in the special attack button. You can chain combos and even have a backstep in case things get messy. You can also heal your entire life bar a limited amount of times, and you're gonna need it.
Fighting is very easy, and the game throws a lot of enemies at you. There are also shop stages where you can buy health refills and powerups, as well as personal items for Riders which help in a lot of ways. Riders also have a unique special ability so there's no end to the amount of ways you can make teams. The game is played with a team of two, and sadly, no multiplayer as far as I can tell. Still, each Rider feels unique, even those without weapons, and that comes a long way in a game with almost 30 characters.
The lineup is what Climax Heroes should have had. Every single main Rider from each show and a few surprises. Wouldn't have had it any other way. Except if there were even more. Each one has their own special moves as well as different items and finishers, creating a system that is only limited by how you limit yourself. It's not the deepest system in the world, but it is very well done. There are separate difficulty levels, of course, and even more to explore.
You can play through the game with your favorite Riders after you've unlocked them, but it'll make the challenge of completing the game 100% that much more difficult. Each story mission has its own personal mission with a certain condition that must be met in order to unlock more characters or add more items. Not an easy task. Surely it must get repetitive after a while? But no, it doesn't, and that's the sign of a great game.

Overall
Set to be the best tokusatsu game ever, this is an experience you won't want to miss out on. Multiplayer isn't here, so it's not quite a complete package, but the mileage you get out of the game is something you have to decide for yourself, and for your two favorite Riders. An amazing game that shouldn't be missed by 2D and Rider fans alike.
Score: 9.5/10

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - Movie Review

2011-08-05T22:43:00.002-05:00

I'm so laaaaaaaaaaaate. I'd rather be reviewing Winnie the Pooh anyway, but this was a good movie. Very nice way to end what is the most popular series of this generation. We'll get to that in just a second...

Plot
Well, if you've read the book, you know what the plot is. I have, so I'll try not to have too much bias, but we'll see. It's pretty straightforward though. The idea is that Voldemort has gathered all his army and is trying to search for Harry by any means necessary. The only other part of the movie is the trio's search of the Horcruxes, pieces of Voldemort's soul that have to be destroyed in order for him to die. There's big battles and the heroes win, of course. There are a few costly deaths though, same as in the book. For the most part, the book is pretty well transitioned to the big screen. For a visual representation of the book, I was happy with it.

Characters
...What can I say? You should have seen Part 1 already, and every movie before this. There's no one new and nothing to flesh out given that this is the 8th movie in a series. I guess the kids weren't terrible? Dunno how I feel about the actors trying to be adults though, haha.

Music
The iconic music of the film series is in full effect here. The few times there were silent moments, it really helped the movie along a lot. The last song played is actually one of the first of the very first movie, a nice way to juxtapose the movies. I don't think I cried during it, but it was still pretty emotional and I understand all the fans who did feel something.

Action
Perhaps more important here than in any other Harry Potter movie. It seemed like the climax was a little rushed, but it wasn't bad. It didn't take up as much of the movie as I'd hoped, and there weren't too many scenes with minor characters, would have liked that. Neville had the best part, obviously. All in all not disappointing.

Overall
Like I said, a pretty great end to a pretty great series. Am I sad it's over? Well, yeah. But there's been a lot of great movies that I've wanted to see recently, so I'm glad this one is out of the way. Not my favorite Potter movie, but definitely up there and it's one of the best movies of the year. Go see it if you haven't.
Score: 9/10

100 Subscribers, a Wonderful PMV, and a Special Message

2011-07-31T17:02:00.003-05:00

After arduous hours of working, my top secret PMV is finally complete. Enjoy! I dunno if you'll love it, but I hope it gets some laughs.

My Little Mambo No. 5

Special message after the jump.

Without Friendship is Magic, I might not have come back to video editing so soon. I always talked about making tokusatsu videos, but never gave myself time to do anything. And now...look how far we've come. What an awesome show. HUGE thanks to the entire fandom, spreading across all kinds of media, not just videos. It's been a wild ride and I can only hope there's even more to look forward to during season 2. An even bigger thank-you to my friends and family, who've supported me even before I got into FiM. 100 Youtube subscribers is just icing on the cake. I really like this song.
Lauren Faust is a saint, especially with all her other shows she's worked on. It's honestly very refreshing to have a cartoon that doesn't rely on pop-culture references and instead creates very honest, very real characters. Couldn't have asked for a better cartoon made in the 2000s.

Well, till next time!

2011 Video Post [Update: 3 New Videos!]

2011-07-30T22:02:00.007-05:00

Here I will be posting every new video I make in 2011. All my old videos are alright, but I would argue that my Friendship is Magic videos are my best made, and for good reason - I love editing and I think it's my best skill when it comes to videos. The most recent video will go at the top of the post.
Let's rock:

Everypony Was Kung Fu Fighting

Marevel vs. Clopcom - Battle of Equestria

After Ponday

Psych: Fake Psychic. Real Ponies.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic: Mighty Morphin' Pony Rangers (New)

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - Black Sheep

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - 9 Hours, 9 Ponies, 9 Doors

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - Friday

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - Mighty Morphin' Pony Rangers

Enjoy!

Captain America - Movie Review

2011-07-24T21:21:00.005-05:00

LUCAS LEE LUCAS LEE LUCAS LEE.

LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

...Okay, you got me. That is not all this review is going to be. But it was worth a shot.

So. The last Marvel movie before the event of the year, The Avengers. Am I excited? Oh heck yeah, you better believe it. But that is neither here nor there. Except it is. Because the trailer was at the end of this movie. And it was rad.

ANYWAY. Let's get this show on the road.

Old poster blibbity blah

Plot
As a war movie, you pretty much know what to expect. As a Marvel and Captain America movie, I think it worked alright. It's a pretty unique story in their cinematic universe, so it helps expand the world more, which is always fun.

I had a few problems with the pacing - some things went by too fast, others dragged a little. Didn't ruin the movie, but the story beats were pretty easy to hit.

Really don't think Red Skull is dead, he went out through the Cosmic Cube, after all. Loki went sorta the same way and look at him! The only thing that made Skull a threatening villain were his weapons, though, and never was the Captain in more danger than those around him except for a few scenes. I kinda think a hero should be expected to dive into danger, because you know he's gonna get out okay.

Sets were fun, and the movie feels like the time period it's set in, which is good. Even though anyone who knows how the story of Cap goes knows what happens to him at movie's end, I still like the steady rise of how he becomes a hero and then the sudden drop - quite literally - at the end. I still like the vibe from Vs. Capcom 3's Captain better, but Evans does a fine job.

Characters

Lucas Lee is pretty great. Er, I mean, Steve Rogers is pretty great. Wait...no, the Captain is pretty great. Okay, last time I make that joke, promise. Either way, you get a good amount of time to sympathize with him and the choices he makes. He really is a war hero, built to fight for his country to the end. Tommy Lee Jones is fun too, and has a good amount of funny moments. The agent whatever-her-name-is is alright, and there are some moments for her. Everyone else is pretty much there to fill a quota, though. We're not given enough time with everyone, but it's still a fun ride to follow Cap's life.

Like I said, Red Skull isn't a very threatening villain physically, but his huge ambitions and such work well in the setting of World War II. It really feels like a bigger conflict, even if there were some hiccups. Some of the dialogue didn't feel that 40's either. Still, not terrible and our main cast puts in spirited performances.

Music

This is always my shortest section...well, it works. There's a lot of cool reggae-style stuff like there was in the 40's, and the Captain America anthem is pretty cool. There are also good tension-building tracks, though they're not exceptional.

Action

It's a war movie...thankfully, Cap gets plenty of times to shine. For a war movie, though, it's really just a lot of things we've seen before. Fights don't drag much, so that's good. I was a little disappointed in the final showdown, was hard to see. Liked it enough.

Overall

As a movie alone, it's alright, mostly average. As a final hoorah before The Avengers, this was a good one to end on. Filled with a lot of cool history-looking things and some good action and acting. A lot like Thor, with some good casting, but all-in-all, recommended. After watching it twice, I've decided it is definitely worth a viewer's time. Also, the post-credits trailer adds 2 points because it was that good.

Score: 8/10

With Avengers trailer: 10/10

Kamen Rider W RETURNS: Kamen Rider Eternal - Movie Review

2011-07-17T01:13:00.005-05:00

Just got finished watching this movie, and it did not disappoint. All-around really cool and the W team along with Sakamoto prove again that they can make an action movie that is more than explosions and women. But don't worry, there's plenty of that! Without further ado...

Plot

This isn't really a Kamen Rider movie, though it definitely feels like one, which is still a good thing. Thankfully, the movie avoids being an origin-story take and gets right into why NEVER does what they do. NEVER was the villain group is W FOREVER, and they were bad to the bone. Didn't take anything from anyone, except lives. This movie instead follows a mission they were on as mercenaries and the events that ensue. The movie begins with Daido, NEVER's leader, as he finds Reika, the girl of the group. She is set to be executed and she dies trying to escape. No problem for a NEVER, though. With a special serum, corpses are able to be brought back to life and essentially gain immortality.

In contrast to Accel's cop-mystery setting, this movie is a warlike which fits the characters extremely well. Of course, since the movie is not a mystery, the villain is revealed right away. I don't want to get into too much detail since the movie is really something that should be enjoyed while being viewed. I will say that it deals with a concentration camp of sorts and a certain event at the end will really tug at your heartstrings. Not a tearjerker, but pretty damn close.

Characters

Given that many of the characters in this film were already introduced in something prior, there needed to be characterization for each of them to make this movie interesting. This is one of the points where the movie is weak, I think. Daido is great and his motivations are made very clear throughout, though the small amount of time we get to see the rest of his gang's past isn't the greatest it could have been. Reika gets some nice time too, as she is with Daido the most.

The villain, Eyes Dopant, is someone you are going to loathe. And for good reason. Mina is also a good character, and she's a previous tokusatsu actor, which was cool to see.

Thankfully, there are no big mysteries to solve in this movie so that leaves more time for you to appreciate what happens to these people and why you should root for them in their own movie, because you sure as hell weren't going to in W FOREVER. Daido really is a hero, even if it's not the way you might think.

Music

There are a few new tracks I noticed, one a remix of one of my favorite BGMs from the show. Pretty cool. Other than that, it was all recycled tracks, but the music just works well and doesn't detract from the experience. cod-E ~E's Sophia~, the ending theme of the movie, is very good and details Daido's life and what he's been through. Just another good part of a great movie.

Action

One W scene here, at the very beginning. While it was cool, it won't be on your mind ten minutes later in the movie where the real action starts. As I said, this is a wartime flick and as such the action is top-notch. There is much less notable wirework in this film than there usually is in Sakamoto's movies, but this is only helpful because most of the characters use weapons. Would look really silly for someone to be shooting a gun and flipping at the same time. There is also a grand total of one Eternal scene. Kamen Rider or no, this movie will work for action and W fans of all kinds. Everyone gets highlights, including the new characters, and that's always good. The Quarks are the antagonist faction and they work alright as villains, but their action scenes could have done with less shakycam.

Overall

Like Accel, more than good enough to have warranted a theatrical release even if it didn't get one. Adds tons of depth to characters we've already seen, and contains enough originality in itself to be a really enjoyable piece alone. Hopefully the W FOREVER secret ending allows for something new to be created in the W-verse, but if not, then this is an excellent note to end the series on. Really, OOO doesn't hold a candle to W. I can only hope Fourze is half as good - there are some great series before it, but I'd be hard pressed to say I think we'll be getting something I enjoyed nearly as much as I have this over the past two years.

Score: 9/10

Go for it.

Ratings Explanation and Networking

2011-07-03T00:07:00.002-05:00

Given the amount of reviews I've got already and the ones coming up, it's probably a good idea to go over what each score entails. My PSN and Steam ID will also be added to this post so you can add me, etc. I'm always up for a few games.

10:
Perfect, without flaws. Pretty obvious. There won't be a lot with this score but I'm obligated to add it.

9:
Has everything it needs, as well as good things that it doesn't need. Will definitely fall into my "Favorites" category, but not absolute perfection.

8:
Not as good as 9, but worth a couple of playthroughs or watchthroughs. Still pretty great. There's probably something similar that is just enough to edge this out of a 9.

7:
Good. Has its problems but can still be fun and will be a good part of your repertoire.

6:
In comparison to other things from the same place (i.e. same show), it probably doesn't hold up excellently. By itself, however, it's not to be taken for granted and has strengths.

5:
Only really worth one or two looksies. Has a lot of problems, but if you can look past them then you'll find something you might like.

4-0:
Ehh, good points here and there, but you probably won't wanna take the effort to do anything about it. 0 is garbage and definitely not good enough to even be mentioned. Will also probably never happen, I like good things.

I hope that seems fair.

Twitter Update

2011-06-13T23:13:00.001-05:00

Yes, I sold out and got a Twitter. But all for My Little Pony toys. Anyway, if you've got one, feel free to follow me @DecaDang. Direct link: https://twitter.com/#!/DecaDang
If not, then you get to ignore this post and read my MvC3 review! Yay!
Thanks. Not sure how often I'll tweet, but hey. Good to use.

Obligatory picture

I will also be adding a button for those that miss this. We'll see how that works out.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds - Video Game Review

2011-06-13T17:58:00.003-05:00

I know, the game's been out for a few months and reviews are still pretty abundant. The general opinion is very mixed, though. I don't think it's the best it could be, but it's one of the best fighting games I've played in a while and I feel that's enough to try my hand at a review.

Update: Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 confirmed! I'm excited.

Graphics

The art style is very reminiscent of...well, a comic book. It's also sort of akin to Street Fighter IV which was a great game in its own right. The art used in the videos carries over to the fighting which also looks amazing, though there is much less shadows which works to the game's advantage. Hits are indicated with large "boom"s that are particularly flashy but do not distract from the fighting you will be doing. Hypers are also very cool and very unique. Alternate costumes are also very good, filled with references and diverse enough so you won't get confused between two characters.

Music

Everyone returning gets a remix of their theme to fit the game's style, and of course, all newcomers get their own theme as well. They're all fast-paced techno-like songs which work with the new and updated changes to the game very well. You won't hear the themes during fights until you change the sound to "Arcade" instead of "Dynamic", but thankfully both sound options are very well done. It's also good to have a choice. Stage themes aren't too memorable though that may be my fault for not paying as much attention to them as I could be.

Gameplay

So how does the fighting stack up when compared to the fan-favorite MvC2? For one, the controls are changed drastically. Instead of Punch and Kick buttons, the scheme is based on the Light-Medium-Heavy chain from Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. Whether this works to fans' advantage is up to debate, but for those who may not be familiar with the games, it's an easy control system to get used to. Still, this does not make the game easy and it definitely takes practice before you'll be able to get online and play. The netcode could be better, but overall online is pretty enjoyable when you're not lagging.

Back to controls and fighting. There is another control scheme in addition to the Normal setting, named Simple. It removes the attack chain in favor of only allowing special attacks and one Hyper combo. I've only used it once and didn't really like it, but I suppose it could be fun for a little bit.

The game also lacks a large amount of content, especially compared to Capcom's other recent outings. The online content which gamers are now reaching for are gone. There are a total of two downloadable characters that could have easily been included in the game without having to pay for them. Spectator mode is not included at all either. Matchmaking is rather flimsy and it's hard to find someone with the exact same skill level as you. Mission mode is fun but gets very difficult, but the only other modes included offline are Versus and Training. It's good to have them but there really needs to be more in a package people have been expecting for ten years.

Overall

Despite the lack of content, the game is extremely well-balanced and solid for fighting fans. It may take a while to get used to but it is still an amazing game that is just missing features that really should have been included. What you get is still good for the price, but not perfect. I'm still having fun with the game after a good while, and that's a good sign.

Score: 8.5/10

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - Movie Review

2011-05-31T21:52:00.002-05:00

I'm not the biggest fan of the Pirates franchise, but I don't really have any personal beef with them. I just find them kinda average, and it was the same with this one. However, I did have fun watching it and if you want to know more, just hit the jump!

Plot
The movie is easy enough to follow, with the groups all going for the same goal, the Fountain of Youth. The only problem with it is that it is three different groups. The Spanish could have very well not have been in the movie at all and no difference would have come out of it. When there are so many expendable characters like that, the plot doesn't know what to do with them. With a book, detail is fine, but too much can really hinder a movie, and I feel that it did here. The mermaid romance subplot also hurt the pacing a bit, and that really wasn't needed either. It was still better than the last movie but there's the problem of trying to do too much. Blackbeard has zombies because...why?

Characters
Jack is tons of fun, as usual. He reminds me a lot of Captain Marvelous where he'll do whatever he feels like, though he's definitely not the leader type. Angelica is alright as a counterpart to Jack, and Blackbeard was just selfish to the core - arguably, a true pirate. Everyone else...well, I just wasn't invested enough to care about them. The movie never leaves room to get used to anyone else and there are just too many people. There are also no real defining moments for most of them, so it's hard to feel bad whenever someone dies or something of the sort.

Music
That song you love is in there, of course. Many, many times. Hans Zimmer does as good of a job as you expect, and the music is large and booming. Probably the best part of the movie.

Action
Given that this is a Pirates movie, you want a lot of this. For what it's worth, it's very good and again better than the third movie. I would have been okay if there was a little more. The stunts were creative at times which really helped. I kinda wish there were more things than just swords clashing all the time, use guns or something...but I'll take it since I wasn't bored at any time.

Overall
Not really plagued by anything, but nothing special. A popcorn movie, really. It's not going to win any awards but for 5 bucks it was good enough. A good fun movie that really could have gone ahead and played without any dialogue and would have been just as good. Hopefully the end of the movies, as it was a decent end, but knowing the team...
And since everyone is expecting me to address this - I like Gokaiger a lot better. This pirate movie's gonna be nothing compared to 199 Heroes.
Score: 5/10

Preview: Gokaiger Goseiger: Super Sentai 199 Hero Decisive Battle

2011-05-30T13:37:00.004-05:00

You guys like Power Rangers, right? At least, I assume you have some semblance of familiarity with it. Here's a trailer you might be interested in.

As for the rest of you, my most dedicated readers who actually care what this is all about; the trailer is for the upcoming Gokaiger crossover movie. The movie will feature every mecha from the past 35 years, as well as a generous amount of guest stars, including the very first Sentai warrior, AkaRanger. As you might have guessed, this is a monumental event. Gokaiger is also getting its own summer movie in August, and hopefully we get another crossover movie later on. There's no better time to be a Sentai fan than now. I'm really hyped for the movie, though it's gonna be a while before it's available overseas.

Concerning Gokaiger itself, it's been a really great show so far, particularly last week's episode. I will, of course, review the series after it's completed and hopefully won't be disappointed with any events not revealed yet. The show's already tried some very big things and has been fairly successful thus far, so I have high expectations. Anyway, hope that got you excited at least a little, stay tuned for more news!

Preview: All Kamen Riders: Rider Generations Gameplay

2011-05-29T14:40:00.000-05:00

With the anniversary of a franchise, there's no better time to cash in! Luckily, the game looks great and I'm more than ready to play. The game itself comes out August 7th, I think. Anyway, here's a video so this post isn't too much of a waste of space, heh.

As is the same with Super Sentai. They're getting a game for the first time in 9 years, which is great. It's titled Super Sentai Battle: Ranger Cross and will be on the Wii. This Rider game is going to be on DS. However, I'm not complaining about either - the more games the better.

THOR - Movie Review

2011-05-28T11:15:00.001-05:00

I'm definitely excited for The Avengers, though that didn't have too much of an impact in seeing this movie in particular. However, I'm glad I did and it worked how it needed to. It's not the best Marvel movie, but as a Thor movie, it's definitely not bad.

Plot

It's fairly standard for a first movie; Thor comes to Earth, he's new and doesn't really know what's going on around him. The stylistic liberties of the Thor universe help make it into something that works in the Marvel universe at large, so that's always good. However, there are no large surprises, since you know who's gonna be named to be king of Asgard, you know who's gonna be the final villain - heck, you even know who's on who's side before anything big happens. Even still, the film balances its big plot points and I think that's what helped it the most. Nothing special, but not horrible.

Characters

Many characters are established simply or not too much at all. In the roles they need to be in, they're all alright. Thor himself is very good, and you get a real sense of contrast with him and the people on Earth. Loki was a pretty standard villain, but he does get some good parts and you can tell there was some fun in there. The supporting cast works for...well, just that. No one is obnoxious though, so there aren't any bad characters or acting. There are also good comedic moments on Earth with Thor being...well, Thor.

Music

Works for the moments it's in, and the Asgard parts really come out well with the score. Given that there's so many points of back and forth between the worlds, it's still a pretty okay soundtrack.

Action

There was...what, three big fights? Not a lot for Asgardians who supposedly like war. I guess it's explained through Thor being gone, but that's kinda hooey. The fights we got were alright but it was hard to see what was going on sometimes. Not that great, though hopefully he gets better scenes in Avengers. I also wish they'd use the lightning powers more - this is Thor, after all! Eh, not too hurt about it.

Overall

It was good, and I'm glad I saw it. I'm a little more excited for Captain America and the new Spider-Man, but it was still fun for a modern Thor story. I've never been real big on Thor as I have with other comic characters, so I may not be as nitpicky as other people. I still liked it and since I've been on a Marvel binge lately with Marvel vs. Capcom 3 this was probably appropriate to see. I know this isn't as long as some of my other reviews, but that's just the restrictions of the movie, I guess. I don't really have anything else to say. If you guys wanna see an MvC3 review lemme know.

Score: 7/10

Ultraman Zero THE MOVIE: Super Deciding Battle, Belial's Galactic Empire - Movie Review

2011-05-26T11:29:00.000-05:00

More movie reviews for your enjoyment! Yeah, yeah, I know, other stuff. But given that this year is also Ultraman's 45th Anniversary, of course there's going to be plenty of movies. I think there's another one coming later, as this movie is the second in a trilogy. But you don't care about that, you want the review!

Plot
Continuing from the first movie, Ultra Galaxy Legends, this movie follows Ultraman Zero as he goes to stop the reign of Ultraman Belial, a rogue Ultraman who has taken time between movies to commandeer an entire army and is destroying planets. Pretty standard for toku fare, though there's some other stuff with humans that's kinda sorta important. Of course, given that this is a space odyssey, everything is huge. As I said in my A-Z review, I really like it when movies take the stakes of what is normally found and turn it up to 11, and this movie succeeds.

Characters
Zero takes on a human host in this movie, and he's pretty okay, I guess. The way Ultramen work is that their consciousness is basically portrayed through the person, so there's not really any time for the actual human to get development. Zero does, though, and he grows from the anti-hero persona established in the first movie which is pretty cool. Ray is absent from this movie, though they were left on their ship. There's also Ran's (Zero's host) brother, Nao. His voice is a little grating sometimes but he's a big part of the movie too. The princess Emerana or whatever is alright, though she wasn't particularly memorable. These movies are about the Ultramen, anyway. This movie introduces characters who are sort of like them, but not completely. Glen Fire is fun, and he is fittingly hot-headed. There's also Jean-Bot and Mirror Knight, and everyone gets their own little highlight in the movie. Their designs are also very cool. There's a few others such as the pirate brothers who ham it up well. Ultimate Zero is good for what it's worth and Kaiser and Ultimate Belial are particularly threatening.
If you want a more Ultraman-dense movie, though, I'd go with the other one.

Music
Builds tension when it needs to, and the few vocal songs are good. Nothing too standout besides the ending, but hey. Works.

Visuals
This movie has some very impressive CG. Maybe Toei is budgeting what with their shows going on, or maybe Tsuburaya just has more money...but whatever the reason, this movie is a very believable space battle. It never feels like the settings are just movie sets, and there's nothing that looks fake. All-around high production values.

Action
But of course, tokusatsu is about the action - and this movie delivers on all fronts. It's not as technically impressive as Sakamoto's direction in the first movie, as he's not directing this time. I think I prefer this movie's action scenes a little more, though. The hand-to-hand stuff is very good here and the fights never feel like guys in suits. All very well handled. Each character has their own unique style as well which is a large part of why the movie works.

Overall
I don't know how discussion-heavy the movie is, but it's all-around very cool and edges out Ultra Galaxy Legends by a small but noticeable amount, at least personally. This one looks to be the best of the three, and given that I tried to spoil myself as little as possible beforehand, there were a lot of cool surprises. A very good Ultra movie as well as a great sci-fi movie. Recommended.
Score: 9/10

Let's hope the third doesn't suffer from second sequel syndrome, though if this trilogy is anything like Star Wars, it should be fine. I have faith in Tsuburaya even if Belial is ultimately destroyed at the end. Here's hoping! Reviews of All Riders and 199 Heroes will be here once they are made available overseas, hopefully soon enough.

1000 Hits!

2011-05-13T12:38:00.001-05:00

Seriously though, thanks for reading, everyone! This has definitely come a long way since the end of commonplaces. Thank goodness, too. There's plenty more where that came from!

And, okay, the UNT post is a bit more important than this, but this is a milestone for such a small blog!

Freshman Year at UNT

2011-05-13T12:13:00.001-05:00

Well, the year's pretty much over. I'll still be here for a while, but that's all for cleaning and whatnot. I'm waiting till after I eat lunch for that, so now's a good as time as any to get this done.

So how was it? I can't say there was anything too bad or devastating, personally. It was definitely tough. But all worth it, in the end, and I'm really excited to come back next year.

There's been a fair few people I've met over the year. Some I expected, some who were a little unexpected. But I can say I've had at least one good moment with everyone new, even those who really get on my nerves. Such is the life of Mark.

Of course, there have been the major players in my life this year, and that would be:

Eric, RTVF major and my long-standing best friend for the past 5 years.

Billy, history major, the white guy nerd. Cause Eric and I are very good at making friends like that.

Christian, art major, the scatterbrain and nerdy girl, until...

Emily, English major and the newest member in our circle of friends.

Everyone else hasn't been quite as close as we have, but like I said, it's been pretty okay with everyone.

I could recount the year, but that seems kinda boring since everyone has been through it in slightly different ways. We've still spent pretty much all of it together so details aren't too necessary.

Classes were definitely tough. I managed last semester alright, but one B. Did not like that. However, this semester was even harder for whatever reason. I had more time between classes, but the work was just more taxing and definitely not the same. Didn't help that I was stressed about other things at times.

Still, I think I did okay. I hope so, anyway. But who wants to read about classes? Bo-ring.

It's definitely been an interesting year. I think I've learned a lot about myself and also about the kinds of things that make people who they are. There's also been a lot of old shows that I've started watching again, since high school didn't give a lot of time. That really helped. I haven't really been in a bad mood this year, just sad for a couple of days, but in the end, I am better for it.

A big mainstay were the new shows that started airing, such as Gokaiger and Friendship is Magic. We also watched through W again, and that was really good especially since it's one of my favorite shows.

I can pretty clearly remember a lot of early memories from the year, and it's really cool to see how everyone's changed. I don't know how much I have, but there's definitely a difference from last year. Being independent has only made that stronger. I just hope I've made a lasting impression on those important people in my life right now.

It's also nice that our group of five has had a pretty good dynamic from day one. Sure, there was definitely a huge change between semesters what with all the drama-rama, but it's still been a pretty tight group and the best part of all this. Speaking of drama, I was thankfully not personally involved with any. I tried to help others but managed to avoid hitting snags. A certain someone might have acted like there was drama with me, but there really wasn't. I'm a very firm believer in that problems don't come up if you don't make them.

I guess you could argue I'm pretty mature compared to the rest of the group, but really, I'm just me - and that's enough, for now. I know I have plenty of room to grow these next few years. We'll see where that leads.

I haven't really been too surprised by any of the situations of the past year, either. I actually kinda expected things before they happened, so it was fun to see it all happen. I also feel like the past year has been a sort of test to see how I could handle certain things and being a certain way, and I'm happy with what I've gotten.

I don't know what I'm expecting from next year. There could be some major changes and there's always a big chance that we'll make more friends. However, I am comfortable with where we are now, so hopefully it stays at a good point from here on. With everything that's happened, I can definitely say there was no way I could have gotten through the year without you. All of you.

So yeah. That's pretty much the big points of what I've experienced in college, and it's been a learning experience with so much more.

Thanks, guys.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - Season One Review

2011-05-09T21:41:00.002-05:00

Well, the final episode of Friendship is Magic Season One aired Friday, May 6th, number twenty-six. Aptly named "The Best Night Ever", it was a very fitting way to end the first season. There was plenty of every one of the mane (main) cast, and it really shows how far the show has gone since its initial two episodes. This post will be an overview of the entire show, with my thoughts about each episode, and then what I thought about each aspect of the show in full. With that said, Let's Go!

Episode Reviews
Friendship Is Magic - Part 1 (Mare in the Moon)
Being the first, this episode introduces all our main characters and sets up a pretty intense cliffhanger for the second episode. This is the only story arc in the series, but it works very well. Nightmare Moon is a pretty threatening villain, and has a really awesome design. This episode may be a good litmus test for how well you'll like a certain character later on in the show, though they all go through a fair amount of development throughout the show. I really liked Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie from the get-go, personally.
Score: 9/10

Friendship is Magic - Part 2 (Elements of Harmony)
The Elements of Harmony are the major plot point of these episodes, but do not take an important role until this part. It is also in this episode where we get a glimpse of just how strong Twilight's magic is. There's also a cool fight scene and a lot of great animation. This one was definitely one of my favorites, even if a lot of people take less kindly to these than others. Maybe I'm just a sucker for Sentai-esque plots.
Score: 10/10

The Ticket Master
From here on, there are no more two-parters, the rest are all one shots. Thankfully, they are all up to standards and this one was another one I liked a lot. The character this episode helped me warm up to in particular was Applejack. Poor Rarity - though she gets some fantastic episodes later on. This episode introduces the Grand Galloping Gala, and it is built up to be a grand spectacle that everypony looks forward to attending. This was also one of the episodes that focuses on all the ponies together, and there's a good amount of friendliness and teamwork working at the end.
Score: 9/10

Apple Buck Season
This was the first episode to focus on a single pony more specifically - obviously, Applejack. She is currently my representative pony, and my favorite. There are a lot of good comedic moments in this one, especially when they make the baked bads. I really like the lesson here as well, I'm all about groups of friends that are very close.
Score: 9/10

Griffon the Brush Off
I don't mind Rainbow Dash or Pinkie Pie, but in my personal opinion, they don't work together in a pair as well as others do sometimes. This wasn't a bad episode, by any means, but in my opinion it's not quite as good as the first few. Gilda was just a jerk and it was good to see Dash grow a little from her initial days as a flier. Pinkie is pretty consistently a fun character, and that's still present here. Gilda is definitely low on my list of guest characters, because this show is definitely better when it's fun, and she just...wasn't.
Score: 6/10

Boast Busters
This episode gives us the guest character "The Great and Powerful" Trixie. She really hams it up here, and uses some very flashy magic. In my opinion, she was much more fun than Gilda, though this episode did give us Snips and Snails...not the greatest. Still, Trixie was rather funny since she was in conflict with most of the characters. The climax of the episode was pretty high-action, too. It came at the cost of Pinkie but this was the better of the antagonist episodes. Also a Twilight episode, we don't get a lot of those.
Score: 8/10

Dragonshy
The first Fluttershy episode, and for me personally, the best one. The Charlie's Angels/A-Team reference is definitely my favorite part of the episode. Fluttershy does great, and it was good to see the ponies going somewhere to do something even though I doubt the fate of Equestria was really in the hooves of our cast. Was still fun and gave Fluttershy some well-needed assertiveness.
Score: 8/10

Look Before You Sleep
Applejack and Rarity in this one. Twilight is blissfully unaware of how to handle a slumber party as she's only read about it, and that gives her some fairly funny lines, as well as the Headless Horse bit. The contrast is much more apparent with AJ and Rarity than it is between another pair of ponies, and their pillow fight is pretty intense. Although restricted by the setting of the rain and storm, it managed to get some pretty hearty laughs out.
Score: 7/10

Bridle Gossip
This episode features two lesser characters - one new one, Zecora, and Applebloom. Applebloom does pretty well and is a character I like a little better when she's by herself, though the Crusaders have gotten much better. It was blatantly obvious that the episode was about treating people differently, though it didn't end up too bad even with Twilight being a bit stubborn. The poison joke gave a lot of funny parts, Flutterguy in particular.
Score: 8/10

Swarm of the Century
This episode could have very well been resolved had everyone just listened to Pinkie, but...no. This is another of the lower points of the first ten episodes for me, though the end is very good and there are plenty of other good parts throughout. I didn't feel like the episode was focused on anyone in particular, though, and that makes it a little weak. I mean sure, Pinkie did great, but it didn't give anything else to her. Not that she needs it, there are plenty of episodes with a good focus on her.
Score: 6/10

Winter Wrap Up
Winter Wrap Up is one of the best songs we've gotten throughout the whole show, and everyone got to sing, too! There was plenty of good characterization for Twilight here. This is another one that gives a good amount of screen time to everyone, except maybe Dash. One wonders how long Ponyville has been late to spring, though...I mean, who's in charge here? Still, good episode and we saw a lot of side ponies too.
Score: 8/10

Call of the Cutie
Applebloom is probably my favorite Cutie Mark Crusader by a small margin, and this episode shows why. She really isn't much like Applejack at all, which is something I can really respect from the character as well as the writers. This one's just a lot of fun, and Cupcakes is one of my favorite Pinkie songs. I wished this had given more about Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, but they come into their roles pretty well.
Score: 8/10

Fall Weather Friends
SPORTS. That makes up a large amount of this episode, and it's really interesting to see how two ponies so similar being in such a large-scale competition. There are lots of good lines here, and more Applejack is always good with me. Of course, of the Dash-focused episodes, this is the weaker one. Still very good, and it highlights that even ponies that are very alike are still very distinct. The announcing was great too.
Score: 7/10

Suited for Success
Our first Rarity episode, and she gets a song! There's also a lot of everypony here, and Spike hams it up pretty well. Hoity-Toity isn't the best guest character, though I do like how often Rarity gets to interact with guests. The dress designs were really cool too. And yes, that is about as manly as I can say it. This also shows to what extent Rarity will go to make people happy, which is pretty important in a show about friendship. In the end, it all works out. Still, Rarity gets better episodes.
Score: 7/10

Feeling Pinkie Keen
This one is pretty darn controversial, and I can see why. The lesson is basically that you can believe in things that can't be proven, which many say is...well, the basis of religion. But hey, I can't argue that a religion based on Pinkie Pie is all too bad. Still, Twilight kinda takes backwards steps here since there have been plenty of time where there have been questionable situations. Not my favorite Pinkie episode, but the animations where she flips out are fun.
Score: 6/10

Sonic Rainboom
Here's one everybody likes, no matter what. Featuring everypony, and in particular Fluttershy, Rarity, and of course, Dash. We also see what Twilight can do some more, and we know why she doesn't often try to alter animals. While Rarity was a bit too prideful, she did cause Dash to attain her goal and got Fluttershy to cheer to the best she could, so that can't be too bad.
Score: 9/10

Stare Master
My least favorite CMC episode, since they're a bit too rambunctious to Fluttershy. I did like a lot of bits they did, and since they're kids you can forgive them. More Fluttershy being better than shy is good too. Odd how Opal isn't too keen on Rarity this time around, but we did get a good amount of Sweetie Belle and her relationship with her sister. Not great, but not horrible.
Score: 6/10

The Show Stoppers
The Crusaders really make up for Stare Master here. Sweetie Belle gets a lot of good singing in, and their theme song is a good way to give them more than just "they're here in place of the main six". It's a lot of fun to see them try all their different ways of getting Cutie Marks, even if they don't succeed. You feel a lot of heart for them and you really want them to get their marks, no matter how long it takes.
Score: 8/10

A Dog and Pony Show
If you like Rarity, this episode's great! If not, then you'll probably see her as pretty weak. Still, her voice actor gets to have a ton of fun and it's very impressive to hear how much her voice can change. Spike gets some good lines here too, and THAT CHIN. It's good to see that he does care for Rarity, weird as that is. The Diamond Dogs were pretty okay, and they give Rarity a lot of great lines and animation. Sapphire Shores is alright, though a little weird.
Score: 8/10

Green Isn't Your Color
More Rarity! With Fluttershy too! Photofinish is definitely my favorite guest character, and she'd better be yours too. Why wouldn't she be? It's fun to see how miscommunication can make friends get along so well, and the show never really focused on relations between the two before. They work well together and end up without much conflict. Pinkie gets a lot of fun parts too, though she doesn't really make anything happen, heh. Photofinish adds quite a few points in this one, so really, the episode is about her.
Score: 8/10

Over a Barrel
This episode features the most guest characters, including a tree. And for good reason, this is the first episode where the setting is somewhere that isn't Ponyville, the Everfree Forest, or Canterlot. Pinkie's song is rather silly, and it was quite a subversion to make it not affect anyone's stance at all, rather making everyone angry. Braeburn is pretty good, and the buffalo are fun while they last. Not the best Applejack episode, but not bad.
Score: 7/10

A Bird in the Hoof
Trollestia! Philomena is quite the guest this time around, but I'm not a huge fan of the guest animals since they don't talk and the writing is a big part of the show's strength. Rainbow Dash gets the funniest moment in this episode, personally. We've already had plenty of Fluttershy episodes too, so this one was a little on the weaker side. Trollestia was fun, though, and Philomena has a great design.
Score: 6/10

The Cutie Mark Chronicles
How does it get any more perfect than this? Well...it doesn't. This really is the show at its best, and it features every great main character. With fillies of the main six, if you don't like this episode you've probably got a deep-seated hatred for good things. Not only cute, but very tightly written and gives a new layer to the main six's friendship as well as adding character strength to the Crusaders. Hopefully they get a linking with their marks too.
Score: 10/10

Owl's Well That Ends Well
It's good that we got such a good episode before, because this one is also on the weak side. Spike is a good enough character, but he's not made much impact on the show as a whole. He has good lines here, and his disguise is pretty good. It's just that we've gotten the jealous story a fair few times already, so to do it with Spike is a bit of a letdown. Owlicious is good when he comes in to save Spike but otherwise doesn't do a whole lot.
Score: 6/10

Party of One
With a character as crazy as Pinkie, you need a crazy focus episode to keep up the standard. And what better time than when it's her birthday? More Gummy was fun, and it's interesting that his birthday comes right before. Crazy Pinkie is...pretty scary. Thankfully, it gave us plenty of faces for exploitation. I wish they'd dance to more than one song, but hey. There's also my favorite Pinkie animations here, so that can't be a bad thing.
Score: 9/10

The Best Night Ever
Here we go. The one everypony was waiting for. Twenty-three episodes of anticipation, and was it worth it? Oh yes. Yes it was. The lesson here is that you can't always let what you expect overtake what's important in the end, and in the context of the show, it's being with your friends. Hopefully that's the same for everyone else. A lot of great moments for everyone involved, including Spike. The Gala song was also one of the best, if not THE best of the bunch. Crazy Fluttershy might be even more frightening than Pinkie, though...
Probably the best way to have a season finale.
Score: 10/10

So now you know my favorite episodes and obviously I like the show a lot. But what about everything else?

Characters
They're all great, really. I can't pick a least favorite, though my favorite main is Applejack and my favorite CMC is Applebloom. Apples, apples, apples! I really love how everyone is distinct in personality and how they're not defined by the main tropes writers will use with female characters. It probably helps that the show is written by many females, but hey. I appreciate that humor can be taken from all of them, whether it is sarcastic or laughable just because.

Spike
While Spike is the black sheep for many, I think he's still got a lot of heart. I appreciate his sarcasm a lot of the time, and he does care a lot about Twilight.

Twilight Sparkle
My second favorite character, she's probably the driest when it comes to humor. (That's a good thing.) I like how she's a little naive because all she knows is books. I love reading too, so there's a lot of similarity there. Now, if only I had magical powers.

Applejack
I can always appreciate an honest character, and that's a big reason why AJ is my favorite pony. Determined and hardworking, always giving herself something to do. Respect. I also like how she has skills as an earth pony, without any outside help.

Pinkie Pie
My third favorite. I just love how crazy she is, for...well, who knows what reason? And who cares? I can always appreciate a good party. She is a large part of the funnest parts of the show, and it's easy to see why she's a fan favorite. Many episodes would be a lot more boring without Pinkie.

Rainbow Dash
In my humble opinion, Dash is the pony for guys that watch the show but are insecure about their masculinity. Sure, they say she's their favorite, but you know they love Fluttershy more. Still, I like Dash. She's brave and impulsive, but with the stuff to back it up.

Fluttershy
Fluttershy, on the other hand, is a big target for the creepy dudes who are into...that. If you're not a creeper dude and she's your favorite, more power to you! I think as far as pegasi go, Fluttershy edges it out just a bit. Scary as she is in the finale, Fluttershy is still a very strong character when it comes down to the wire.

Rarity
The most girly of the ponies, Rarity I think is one of those characters that the odd fan either loves or doesn't. I think she's great, and gets some of the best episodes in the later half of the show. Though, her fantasizing and hamminess can get a little overbearing. Slightly.

Applebloom
From the first episode, it was clear that everyone loved Applebloom. One line's all it takes. She's my favorite Crusader for being a sort of median between Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. Kung-fu is always a plus in my book, too. Being brave enough to go into the Everfree Forest alone is a big step from someone so little, which is pretty fun. She also stands up to her sister when she can, and that's pretty cool.

Sweetie Belle
I can respect a young sibling wanting to be like her older one, but still able to be herself - my sister's eleven this year, and we're fairly alike, but she's still unique and very intelligent for her age. Kinda like Sweetie Belle, of course. Singing helps. I think Sweetie is probably the most innocent of the three, and it gives her a different vibe than the others.

Scootaloo
Idolizing Rainbow Dash? Sure. Being annoyed with everypony else's Cutie Mark story? Not so cool. But hey, she's got sweet scooter tricks. I do like that she does seem a lot like a more impulsive young Dash. It means when she discovers who she is, you can appreciate her for who she is. It's also kind of endearing that she wants to be like Dash so much.

Princess Celestia
Is the Bestia! Seriously, she's like the coolest ruler ever. A lot of the show's good side character moments come from her, and she really seems like the kind of princess you could just hang out with and have fun. If she were as stuffy as the Gala ponies, then there would certainly be a much more boring Canterlot. After all, the best way to improve a party is to crash it.

Photofinish
DE MAGICKS.

Animation/Art
The art is very cartoony - as it should be. It envokes the very nature of the show, as it's best when it's being funny. It's rather unique, even compared to cartoons on now. You wouldn't be able to guess the animations were done in Flash, they're so fluid. Expressions are also done very well, and even if they don't look like ponies the show is still very well made.

Writing
The characters are very consistent with a couple of hiccups here and there. I also like that even though the episodes can basically be watched in nearly any order, there's still some continuity kept throughout like the Gala as well as small things here and there. The jokes are also not reliant on pop culture and satire - rather, the show takes its humor from itself, which is a very strong point when it comes to cartoons. It's something a lot of shows don't do nowadays and is very refreshing.

Music
The music in this show is fantastic. Composer Daniel Ingram and William Anderson really help the show come alive. Without the excellent instrumentation, the songs would probably be compared to those shoehorned into "educational" shows nowadays, but thankfully that problem is not present at all. It's also very remix-friendly, something I'll get into later. Otherwise, just all-around great.

Voice Acting
And how! We've got Tara Strong, who you might recognize as Bubbles of The Powerpuff Girls, another great cartoon, as well as some of the best voice acting in all of animation. There isn't anyone I think is bad, except for a few times the side characters are weird. But even so, guest characters are just as perfect as the main characters, and if the voice acting wasn't, this show definitely wouldn't have the impact it has had.

Staff
Clearly, someone at Hasbro was using their head, because The Hub - the network the show comes on - costs extra, and that's considering you have cable. Thankfully, they put the episodes up on their website, and are pretty good about letting them be available for watching on Youtube. The money the show generates is mostly about the toys, so they don't have a problem. The show's creator, Lauren Faust, is one of the main staff that was on The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, so it's no wonder the show has such a great quality to it. They also answer lots of fan questions and are very friendly at large.

Fandom
Speaking of fans, I haven't seen a fandom quite like this. There's new remixes, videos, art, and everything every single day. It's great to see a fandom that loves its show so much. Sure, you get those weird ones that like ponies a little too much sometimes, but they are thankfully few and far between. If you just glance at Equestria Daily, you'll see just how many people the show has caught. There's so much good original work, too. I've got plenty.

Merchandise
This is really the only low point of the entire show thus far. The show is supposed to be merchandise driven, but all the toys we've gotten are inaccurate in some way or form. Hasbro clearly just wants the money from them. Applejack doesn't even come with the right hat - given that she comes with a hat at all! Still, there are unofficial clothes and official backpacks, so clearly someone is doing something right. Yes, my friends and I have some of the toys. While they're not perfect, they're about as good as we can get on a college budget. If only the show was as wildly popular in Japan, where collector's toys are made on a regular basis. Make it happen!

Overall
I unashamedly love the show. It's one of the best cartoons ever made, and actually fairly complex for a kids' show. Since it's garnered so much attention, obviously it's doing something right. It's made it into my favorite television shows of all time, though where that is isn't 100% yet. Still, I don't think there's any going back now. I am greatly looking forward to season two, and I think the four videos on my Youtube I've made are a pretty good reason to say I've got pony fever. I'd go as far to say that if you enjoy Animaniacs, you'll enjoy this, and that's the highest honor I can give any show.

(Note: PICTURE FIXED, YAY)

Kamen Rider W - Series Thoughts

2011-05-01T00:31:00.004-05:00

Kamen Rider W/Double. Is it the perfect tokusatsu show? No, but it’s a damn good one, and I’d argue one of the best, old or new, with the ranks of DaiRanger, Liveman, and Agito.

I will say it’s the perfect Rider show. Does that make it the best Rider show? I haven’t seen BLACK and haven’t finished Kuuga, so we’ll just have to see. But for now, it’s my favorite Rider series of all time – and also one of the best television shows in general.

And for very good reason. Double is a show that wasn’t afraid to take chances and rip at your heartstrings, whether it was to cry or to feel good about how the characters interact. As you’ll learn quickly, each character is an important part of either their arc or the story at large.

You really do grow attached to the characters and when the emotional moments happen, they happen for a reason, not for the sake of inserting emotion. To give you the gist of the show, it’s about a detective and his partner, and together they create a team that rivals the best of friendships.

Is it a realistic show? No…but Transformers is not a realistic movie. So if you come into this thinking that stuff is gonna blow up and you can turn off your brain then yeah you’re pretty ignorant. This show will make you think, for better or…well, just better.

Double also has a lot of great comedy moments that never seem forced or overbearing, something a lot of Japanese shows lack. It’s smart comedy, and not there because it’s shoehorned in. It does have a bit of slapstick, but it’s smart slapstick - again, not found in 99% of anime.

Double’s strongest points are its themes of friendship and family, and most importantly, its narrative strength. The characters that need to grow develop so well that you feel sad to let them go. The writing was top-notch for what it was and more, and the plot points are developed so well that you don’t care whether or not it was obvious what was coming next.

I would have to say one of my favorite things about Double is that it sits very comfortably in its own world, without too much influence from other shows. Double can fit in to crossovers, but all its extras and movies are specifically tailored to Double, and they're all great. Double could even be a not-Rider series and it would work as an awesome show anyway.

At the end of it all, you feel good. You feel great, even. You never feel cheated or feel like you wasted your time, because it really is a show worth all the time you invest into it.

To sum it up, I’ll quote Lynxara:

“W built up strong characters and a whole new approach to setting in a Rider show, while also reinstating Riders as unambiguous heroes (for however long that lasts). It is a series well worth a viewer's time and, I think, among the first shows I would recommend to a friend who wanted to understand what Kamen Rider as a franchise was really about.”

There hasn’t been a tokusatsu show like this for a long time, but the writers managed to make a show consistent, entertaining, and fantastic.

Shoutarou and Philip will protect Fuuto for as long as they have to. And that is truly what it means to be hard-boiled. Oh, and the last three episodes? Absolutely amazing. Those are what Rider is all about.

So, it’s time to count your sins!

Verdict:

10/10

My favorite tokusatsu show, bar none.

Kamen Rider W FOREVER: A-Z - The GaiaMemories of Fate Spoiler-Free Movie Review

2011-04-19T17:51:00.004-05:00

Let's do this.

The movie, like the series, is a very linked film with enough importance placed on the twists to drive them home even if they are predictable. It uses the themes in the show well and has a lot of great moments for the main cast, as well as only having minor plotholes. It is a very well-done movie as well, and sits within the series canon comfortably. Other Rider movies tend to take an alternate-universe [AU] approach, giving a new story to old characters, or changing characters. I didn't really mind that, but I think W takes the show and ups the stakes to a level not seen in the show. It's okay when they do that in AU, but you can't really be as attached since the movie will have no bearing upon the show and if you don't know the characters in the movie, then you won't really care.

That said, W is a show that makes you care about the characters and how they interact. The exposition at the beginning is a welcome addition to let this be a movie that you can watch without prior knowledge of the episodes that border it or even the show itself. There is a cameo for many clients, every form, and lots of new designs. You know that this is going to be big, and it is going to be something to deal with. I find movie Rider villains, and even villains of series-based movies in general, don't really do any more than the antagonists of the shows would do. Sure, some have armies and whatever, but not any more power. The NEVERs, however, aren't afraid to do what they need to, and they're only a force of 5! They will kill, something W does not do in the show often, and kill hard. A terrorist group like this is not something you want to mess with.

The characters introduced in the movie are probably the weakest point. There are many, and W has not handled so many characters at once in an arc, at least not characters who turned out to be incredibly important. While the threat is large and real, I wish the movie was a little longer so we could have gotten some information about them. Maria is the one most fleshed out, and she is probably my favorite newer character. She's also got a good actress, so that helps.

The rest are, while not forgettable, not given enough lines for us to care about them. Then again, they are terrorists so I suppose that's part of the characterization and part of the point.

The music is a little higher than standard for W, which is really good. I enjoy the background music in W and I find it sets the mood here as well as it does in the show. The only song I'm not a huge fan of is W, which is, ironically, the movie's theme song. W-B-X, the show's theme song, is used to good effect, so that makes up for it. There's nothing I can think of that's really standout, but it does the job.

Eternal is a nice design, and his power is pretty threatening as well. Not much more to say about him, but I really like that cape.

Kamen Rider Joker, on the other hand, is the real new star as far as I'm concerned. While W was very good about bike fights and hand-to-hand combat, it was always with lots of special effects which are cool but distract a little since the fight choreography is somewhat limited. It was very nice to see a Rider do stuff the old-school way: ass-kicking with fists and kicks, and not too many flashy lights and form changes. He also pays a lot of homage to the Showa Riders of old, which is just more cool.

Speaking of the fight choreography, in here it is just amazing. Koichi Sakamoto does the directing for this movie and his action scenes are filled with awesome wire-fu and high-flying action. With a show like W, so steeped in its own history while showing small conventions of older shows, the wirework really stands out and brings the fight scenes to a level that Rider has not seen in a very long time. Thankfully, there are no large distracting explosions to take away from the focus of the fighting, and I think the choreography is a large part of the movie's feeling of grandness. The filming is really good too, with a dark style adding to the feel.

I had a few problems, but they are very minor. One is the characters, and after is the form changes in the last battle. They seem more systematic than strategic which is what W is good at, but I understand they wanted all the forms in there so it's not too bad. The plot is also kind of thin and doesn't use too much lore from the world of Fuuto. It's more like something of a side story than something that could conceivably affect Fuuto at large, at least until the later scenes.

Overall, W FOREVER was not a disappointment in any way. With a great cast, great characters, and an awesome action director, I have to recommend it to anyone who's a movie fan, and then some. It's one of my most favorite movies, and the best movie I've seen released in 2010.

Final Score:

9.5/10

You will like it, whether you admit it or not.

Pokemon Black/White - Video Game Review

2011-04-19T17:44:00.004-05:00

I said I would do this and I figure I might as well do game reviews alongside show and movie reviews. For those not in the know (somehow), Black and White are the 5th Generation Pokemon games on the Nintendo DS. After coming off a stellar duo of HeartGold and SoulSilver, how does the new generation stack up? I won't be going over the fundamentals of Pokemon besides the changes because I assume anyone who reads this is someone already familiar with Pokemon. That said, let's get started.

Sue me, I'm lazy.

Overworld Graphics

This game is pretty. Game Freak basically took it upon themselves to show how much power the DS can handle in one cartridge, and it really shows. The 3D models of the 4th Generation are fully realized in full 3D landscaping and it works really well. There are a lot of wide angle shots and moving camera shots too, and those really work well. The sprites aren't much different than previous games, but every single one is new in accordance with the new generation and they all look great. Every city is unique and each brings something different to the game which really helps it all come together. You no longer have to go through a city and just gloss over buildings because there's so many and they're all eye-catching, the Gyms in particular.

Speaking of, the Gyms are all unique-looking in this generation and all have some sort of gimmick you need to use to advance to the Gym Leader. These are all even more impressive than many of the other areas in the game and are a wonder to look at. Pokemon sprites aren't that improved but they get the job done.

Battle Graphics

Since the game uses so many wide shots, it only follows that they flow through to battles as well. Whenever you start a battle, the camera zooms out from whatever opposition you have and shows the trainer throwing the Poke Ball instead of it just coming out of the side of the screen. It didn't really need to be there, but is there anyway and doesn't feel intrusive or unnatural for a Pokemon game. You'll have the chance to look at basically every new Unova Pokemon sprite in the entire game, and they look good with a few exceptions. Post-game, you'll run into Pokemon from older generations and it's really cool to see how they look with the new animation. Sadly, they're not too much different from their 4th Gen sprites aside from that but they still work well. There are a lot of little touches like status making your Pokemon have a tint and stat changes being represented by bubble things instead of a coat over your Pokemon. In particular, Pokemon close their eyes when asleep, a nice addition. Every old attack is updated with new animation and all the new attacks are welcome and distinct. Backgrounds are pretty weak, and not really improved over the 4th gen, but you'll be too busy looking at everything else to worry about those.

Music

After HGSS and their remixes of the 2nd Gen music, it's a tall order to have some cool original music and sound effects that help the game along. Thankfully, the 5th Gen suceeds. The music is much more varied and strong throughout the game, and with the addition of the story, it really helps in crucial moments. Battle music is plentiful and nearly every distinct trainer has the own music. There's one for your rivals, one for N, one for regular trainers, and the list goes on. They feel and sound like Pokemon themes, and for a new generation they work perfectly. Not much else to say here, but this is definitely not a weak point.

Gameplay

And so we come to the big deciding factor of any Pokemon game, the gameplay. It's Pokemon, so you know what to expect. But what about what you don't expect? There are no longer the weather text boxes you have to scroll through, just a little window on the bottom screen that tells you what the weather is like. There are a plethora of Pokemon with new type combinations, and since you can't use your old Pokemon knowledge to beat the game for you, you have to experiment with new things. There are also many, many new attacks, some which change the way you're going to play overall. Nearly every new attack has some secondary effect you can make use of, while lots of old attacks have been improved and buffed so they can keep up with the changes. Battles have become much improved in both speed and smoothness which is very noticeable when playing alongside a 4th Gen game. There's a new experience system which isn't too hard to figure out - the higher the level of the opposing Pokemon than yours, the more experience you can get. This balances out power-leveling and ups the difficulty of battles. Each new area is also very appropriate for whatever level you happen to be at at that time, and doesn't feel like just another route to barge through. There are a few cons with the largely increased encounter rate, but given the difficulty of the trainers in this generation, you're going to need it. Pokemon also don't follow you around any more and there's much less touch screen interaction. This is to make room for the new item, the C-Gear, which allows the game to be in wireless search mode the entire time and adds lots of improvements on the interaction side of the game, so it's definitely not a bad thing.

In the end, this is still Pokemon, and still feels like Pokemon, so the changes all work to the game's advantage rather than towards its flaws.

Overall

Pokemon hasn't really changed all that much from the first generation, but it doesn't really have to. There are enough changes to make these new games while still the same feel, and that's been a successful formula for many other franchises. However, Game Freak has shown with these that you can overhaul many things that make the formula great and improve them without stagnating and staying in the past. Who knows what's in store on the 3DS? As far as HGSS goes, this gen won't replace them, but rather stand next to them as some of the best games in the series. Alone, however, these are definitely the definitive and strongest Pokemon games and well worth the time for anyone. For anything you're curious about...well, you'll just have to play the entirety of the game for yourself.

Score: 9.5/10

Keitai Sousakan 7 - Preliminary Thoughts

2011-04-19T17:39:00.005-05:00

I'm gonna do a sort of review of the first three episodes of Phone Investigator/Braver 7, a new tokusatsu show that I've recently come across watching. It won't really be a huge synopsis but more of what I liked overall and the more important plot points. There's not a lot I dislike about it at the moment that I can think of so let's not waste time. There will be no spoilers in this other than a few aesthetic things here and there.

From the show's title, it can probably be guessed that there are 7 somethings. The somethings in question here are 7 highly-advanced cell phones, named Phone Bravers, who were all made by the organization ANCHOR. In the first episode we are introduced to 07, 01, and 03, who have named themselves Seven, Zero-One, and Third respectively. Zero-One is a rogue Braver for reasons currently unknown. He is also, obviously, the first one ever made.

The protagonist of the series is Amishima Keita, a high schooler. Keita is lazy and very passive, even trying to run away from home with a friend. He gets lost and ends up on the receiving end of one of Zero-One's plans to control a bulldozer and rampage throughout the city. Takimoto, Seven's owner, appears and sends Seven to try and stop the bulldozer through the Bravers' power of Parallel Decentralized Link, which allows a Braver to control technology at will. He succeeds, at first, but Zero-One is able to reboot the system again and injures Takimoto. Seven tells Keita to throw him to the control box and he is able to shut down the bulldozer.

Takimoto is in the infirmary at this point, so it is Keita's job to take care of Seven.

The Phone Bravers are assigned to certain people to act as their Buddy. The Buddies are in charge of protecting the Bravers while they are using the Link power because they cannot move when in that position.

The next episode, Zero-One tries to hack into a large-scale system and break it apart. It is here we are introduced to the attachments for the Bravers, named Boost Phones. Zero-One's is unnamed as of this point, but Seven accesses Seeker, which allows him to use an augmented camera and increases his viewing power so he can see through walls. The Boost Phones can be accessed by any Braver, though most stick with one.

The two phones fight, and Keita rushes in to push Seven out of the way, getting cut by Zero-One's saw. Zero-One escapes and the heroes rendevous back at ANCHOR.

Episode three has Zero-One controlling people through the use of hyper soundwaves, causing a police officer to nearly shoot a child, two businessmen choking each other, and other disasters. It is in this episode where we get the biggest glimpse of Kirihara Daiki, Third's owner. Third has access to Speaker, which can shoot soundwaves strong enough to cancel hyper soundwaves and are also able to cause injury. The criminal is apprehended, with Zero-One getting away.

At this point in the series, Keita is still a greenhorn, and it shows. Everyone talks down to him because he is younger and inexperienced, but he's really trying. Seven is probably my favorite character at this point, just because of how he talks. It's kinda underhanded, but he's not mean or anything.

The show is also more of a coming-of-age story rather than a fight against evil like in Sentai or Rider. It's very fresh and is pretty cool to see. Another thing I really like about the show is how realistic it seems. This could very well happen in real life given the advancements of technology - maybe not now, but in the future. It's a little scary, but fun to think about. It's also a very different take on the agent-type story.

I'm greatly enjoying it so far. There's also a lot of old tokusatsu alumni in this show which is cool to see. It's definitely a little heavier than the Super Hero Time shows, too. Recommended for everyone.

Kamen Rider W RETURNS: Kamen Rider Accel - Spoiler-Free Movie Review

2011-04-19T17:34:00.006-05:00

Wow, it's been a month already and nothing new on here. Thankfully, our grades are in so I'm pretty sure I can just do whatever with this. I will be copying stuff over and any new reviews, etc., will be on here from now on. If you're keeping up, thanks for reading!

I won't be giving a plot synopsis this time around, to avoid spoilers in general. Plus given I just watched it I think I can do pretty well. That does mean it won't be quite as thorough as it could be, but hopefully this review does the movie justice. So, it's time to take a look at the phenomenal V-Cinema, Kamen Rider Accel.

To start, this movie and the next W RETURNS, Kamen Rider Eternal, are both directed by Koichi Sakamoto, famous for doing lots of Power Rangers executive directing, as well as directing Kamen Rider W FOREVER: A-Z - The GaiaMemory of Fate and Ultra Galaxy Legends: Mega Monster Battle, both also extremely good action movies. Sakamoto uses a lot of wires and slo-mo, and it shows, but he does it with such mastery that it's hard not to like it. This movie doesn't have quite as many flips and such, but the action still delivers on all fronts. Unfortunately, his work with PR is riddled with lots of explosions, as is America's standard, so it's harder to enjoy. Still, his work in Japan is not to be missed.

That said, let's get into the movie. I'll be breaking it down into parts to make this easier since my last movie review could have been done like this to avoid spoilers. Ah well.

Plot

Starting with this since it'll be simpler. Our hero of this movie, Terui Ryuu is Kamen Rider Accel, as well as a police captain in the city of Fuuto. He and his wife Akiko are newlyweds and are now living together. The movie starts with a night scene that introduces some of the characters of the movie, a group of pickpockets. One in particular, Aoi, sets up much of the movie to come. Afterwards, we get a look at Ryuu and Akiko's new living conditions which are pretty nice. Ryuu gets a call and goes to work on one of his biggest cases yet. Who is the Commander Dopant?

The main plot is only supported by one subplot, the case of Akiko getting angry that Ryuu is off at work so much and off with Aoi. No one knows the details of why they are running together, so naturally Akiko gets angry and even threatens to divorce Ryuu. It works pretty well for a love story and the main plot isn't too shabby either. It is fairly standard for W, though a lot of the stakes are raised so it definitely feels like a bigger plot.

Characters

There are a ton of new characters in this movie, as well as all the main characters and a couple of side ones. Many new characters are unimportant, though they each get some nice spotlight time and no one really feels left out. Commander Dopant is really cool, and you do feel for him until he does something really underhanded in the movie's climax. Still, empathy is not far.

The movie really highlights how far everyone's come since the series' end, and definitely feels like a new mission. Choosing to focus the movie on Ryuu rather than Shoutarou and Philip also really gives a lot of screentime to other characters that deserve it. Naturally, being a police movie, there are new officers from a special unit, and they're very good too. Akiko is hit-and-miss with a lot of people, but I think her reactions are all very natural and it doesn't feel like she's regressed into a nuisance at all.

Music

I can't tell if there are any new tracks, but if there are, they're used well. We get an opening akin to the show's, instead set to Leave All Behind, Accel's theme song. It's really nice and there are even some new shots in it and a logo to boot. It shows that the production team cares about the series at large and gives it a very independent feel. There are also some re-used tracks, some especially good ones. It's all very fitting, not much else to say.

Action

It's Sakamoto, what do you expect? This movie starts strong and ends even stronger. Every action scene is high-energy and some are really gritty. Accel gets a new form, Booster, which is really cool. We may never see it again, but for what it was needed for, it works really well. It's not just an aesthetic change - the movie actually uses it to its advantage and it doesn't feel tacked on at all. Jinno gets a really cool action scene and I kinda wish Makura had gotten one just to make it better. Still, it was really good. There's enough W to make everyone happy as well. I don't know if there's any way to describe the action, it's just...cool.

Overall

I am not disappointed with this movie at all. There was never a moment where I thought "Oh, this is boring" or "Man, I wish they had fought somewhere else". This movie felt like it could have been released in theaters - instead, it was direct-to-DVD. Thankfully, that lets us get it sooner. I understand why, too; they're just spinoffs and Toei has to pimp All Riders first and foremost. Still, I would gladly take more and more W spinoffs and specials if it means we get the cast and all this high-speed action with it. A lot of the choices made in the movie help it feel like an older, grittier production too. This is a cop movie more than a Rider movie, and it shows. It feels like a police drama. It's also got less comedy and is much more hardcore than a lot of action movies, so those are definitely pluses. For a W movie, it's fantastic. For an Accel movie, it is exactly what I wanted and more, and that makes it nearly perfect. I am really excited for the Eternal movie coming this July. Sakamoto has also said he wants to work on more W, and hopefully that becomes a reality. The more the better. It's movies like this that make me proud to be a tokusatsu fan.

FINAL SCORE

9.5/10

Watch it. And then again. And then a third time.

Henshin is Magic: The Meaning of Individuality

2011-03-10T15:55:00.006-06:00

What makes good entertainment? Is it wrong to like or dislike something that causes people to disagree with you? For a country so bound to the idea of freedom and self-made worth, I see a lot of Facebook posts about Jersey Shore and how great it is. That's not bad, but...

Last commonplace blog at #7.

AW YEAH.

I have probably addressed this before, and if I didn't, then now's a good time to start. The above image consists of the three major television shows I am currently keeping up with: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (MLP: FiM from here on), Kamen Rider OOO, and Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger. I know what most of you are thinking at this point: "Power Rangers? My Little Pony? What?"
But indeed, these are the main source of what I find entertaining other than being with friends and all that good college kid stuff. All three are good shows that I would probably recommend to anyone. By the same hand, there are shows that preceded these that I would tell others to avoid because I didn't like them. MLP: FiM is just a well-made cartoon, and rarely do we have those anymore. Sure, everyone likes Family Guy and whatever, but those get stale after a long while. Thankfully, FiM is a great show with tight writing and I don't have a bad thing to say about it. This probably won't get you to jumping up and watching the show, but if you don't, you're missing out.
OOO and Gokaiger are an even bigger deal, personally. Everyone likes the anniversaries of their favorite shows or movies, right? Well, 2011 is the 35th Anniversary of the Super Sentai franchise and the 40th Anniversary of the Kamen Rider franchise. That's a long time! And accordingly, both series are getting giant, big-budget movies with plenty for older fans as well as newer fans. For someone who's kept up with the franchises as long as I have, this is a big deal.
So from there, the main point of this blog is that people take pride in what they like, and that does not have to mean that they should be judged by that alone. Mrs. Laredo likes Jersey Shore, but I still like her class, and...I really don't like Jersey Shore. I do not see the appeal at all. Still, I think she's been a pretty cool teacher thus far and I'm glad I'm here. The same can go for people you meet as friends, too. I'm sure a good chunk of my friends think that the shows I like are "weird" or "not normal", but so what? That doesn't make us less of friends, it just means we have different interests that we can talk about and look at. I am well aware that the shows I have interest in have their share of problems, but given my level of enjoyment with them, they're a lot more tolerable than a show that brings up things and social constructs that I can't stand.
It's important to understand that sometimes, people don't like the things you do. It's what makes us individuals. When it gets down to it, I also reflect on how putting my time into these shows shapes my being. I know that these are the things people will characterize me by, but that's all fine and well. It just means that the people who like these shows themselves have a better chance of asking me about them, and maybe we'll have some nice discussion. I'd rather be different and memorable than normal and underwhelming. Willing to go past your comfort zone and try out new things, whether it's a television show, food, or movies means that you can expand your interests and find things you'll like that you might have never thought of trying before.
People should not be judged by what they like, but more by who they are. The friends that like the same things I do are my best friends, and everyone else I know is still pretty cool, even if I'm not jumping at the chance to hang out with them. Be happy with life, be adventurous, and you'll find something new, special and worthwhile.

Sir? Ma'am? He? She? It?

2011-03-03T00:25:00.005-06:00

Sometimes, miscommunication can cause the biggest misunderstandings. But with so many people to talk to, how do you know you're not saying the wrong thing? #6, for the record.

For some context, if you don't really know the characters of Peanuts (and shame if you don't), The brown-haired girl is Peppermint Patty, who has an unrequited crush on Charlie Brown. Here we can see that she is hesitant to ask him to the school dance, and does not even bother to tell his sister, only asking her to say she was thinking of him. However, Sally tells him "You almost went to a school dance." This, of course, is not the message Patty asked her to relay, leaving Charlie Brown confused.
This does not have much real bearing on the comic at large, but it is an ongoing theme that some characters cannot speak to others about how they feel.
This is not really an example of misconstrued messages, but it is miscommunication all the same. Sally is known for her twisting of others' words, not in malice, but because she does not know better. It's something that is sometimes expected of children, but what about with adults? Sometimes it's good to slow down and think about what you're saying ahead of time. It seems like everyone is an offender of "Speak before you think", something that can turn out to do more harm than good. As humans, we are all quick to judge, and when someone else has an idea or something to say, they can be interrupted quickly. These days, everyone has things to talk about, especially with the advent of electronic communication. While this can help you slow down and consider what you're saying, with so many others to talk to the rush to get things over and said with can be a little overwhelming.
As a recent example on Facebook, my friends and I are currently using one of our friends' profile pictures as our own to show how we appreciate him. Of course, he's that one friend who likes to take everything seriously and sometimes gets annoyed with the little things. We didn't really tell him about what we were doing, so once he had gotten online, he saw. It wasn't until we cleared it up that he joined in on the fun too.
Sometimes we can't always say what we need to or what we want to in the kairotic moment, but it's still important to understand and take in others' messages the way they want you to interpret them. The next time you might get asked to a dance, make sure you've got the right message, and not one you'll regret asking about later on.

TOUCHDOWWWWWWWWWWN!

2011-02-23T22:30:00.002-06:00

SPORTS. Blog time! For this one, I'm pretty tired out with everything, so if this isn't up to snuff, you know why.

The above comic is from Bill Amend's FoxTrot. Recommended for everyone, and there are a lot of nerdy in-jokes too. Alright, so maybe things usually never get this ridiculous around game-time, or any time that happens to be big for someone or something special. But what about those times that it does? In the heat of the moment, at the time when everyone's feeling great, sometimes people can lose themselves.
It's great that people are so into whatever it is. It really shows that each and every person is individual, instead of everyone being passive or everyone being gung-ho about every little thing. I won't judge based on what you like, I've already addressed that issue. What can be ridiculous is the intensity that people will go to in order to show their pride. I've always been able to really become invested in the things I like, but I really try not to scream out when something really awesome happens. It's cool and everything, but not life-changing.
Of course, we all know the people who DO get up and scream at their television when their favorite team scores a touchdown. It's both a celebration for them and all the other fans. The one thing I have to question is this; when is enough enough? As much as I love the things I do, it's still important to be mindful and keep attention on the surroundings around you. Sometimes it helps everyone out if you just calm down for a second. You may end up pushing people away if you ignore all your friends just for one little thing like a game. With all that the world is going through nowadays, it can be hard to just take a minute and slow down, but when you have the chance, take it. It's only one life per person, and stopping to take in a deep breath can make one's day.
People are always rushing, rushing, rushing. Maybe you're late for class or a date, or that new CD at the music store just came out. But what about the aftermath? The feeling of that initial listening can be great, but if the CD loses its novelty to you, where will that money have gone? It's important to look at what you're doing and what the core of your interests are. Maybe there's something you missed the first time because you were so ready to get to the next page of a book. There's always something new to be found if we go back and look at the past for a few minutes, but nowadays it seems like memories are just that, and not a true learning experience. Instead, the anticipation builds for one thing like Super Bowl Sunday while we disregard the truly important things in life.

Judgmental or "Boring"?

2011-02-16T20:45:00.005-06:00

Edit: If you didn't notice already (and it would be hard not to), you'll see new banners up on the site on rotation. It took longer than I would have liked but it was pretty fun. Will have more up later once I put the text on them.

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There is a fine line between making fun of someone to try and get along and insulting someone to cover up your own insecurity. It's Wednesday, and that means another blog for you to read! Woohoo!

The above image is from a webcomic called "pictures for sad children". It is fairly funny while being sort of straight-laced, as it forgoes the usage of periods and such, and there is not too much expression in the faces. Still, I recommend it if you like to laugh.
In particular, I want to focus on one line of this comic, the last one. "if she's not being racist then she is just boring". In context, the entire comic is obviously parodying a social construct and comes off as amusing. Out of context, this would sound pretty offensive.
And that is where the main point of this particular blog lies - mainly, the context with which things are said to people. As a personal example, my friends and I were playing Munchkin a few weeks ago. Munchkin is a card game but that is not important right now. While we were playing, someone (who will not be named to protect the innocent or not-so-innocent) passed by and said "Wow! That's really cool!" in what was probably the most insulting tone possible. Was there any reason for them to say that? Nope, not at all. They could have very well just passed by to talk to their friends without saying anything at all. Instead, they chose to specifically target us just for the heck of it.
I would be the first to make a joke. If I'm with friends, I make fun of them all the time. It's fun. I'd do the same with meeting a new friend too. But to go out of my way to make fun of someone I might not ever want to hang out with? I'm not sure that warrants the waste of breath. This is not a serious problem, by any means, but it is still one that is very much present in our society. People can be very judgmental, and for all the wrong reasons. Sure, you can try to cover it up by saying "Oh, I don't care what those people think of me", but let's be honest. If you're going to be a blockhead about things as simple as that, then I'd have to say you're just trying to cover up for your own insecurities.
Now, we all want to get along with at least someone in the world, especially in college life. So how does this come along? For me, I can be myself and make plenty of friends - it's how I've lived life all this time. But should it be said that you can pick and choose how you act around certain people just so you can get along with them? It's nice to think that it's possible to get along with everyone, but the truth is that not everyone has a personality compatible with yours. I know it's hard to believe, but there are people without a sense of humor. I dated one.
Anyways, back to the point. I think if you're going to make choices about who you trust and who you think you can be friends with, then make sure it's all you. I'm not going to act up all proper and nice guy just so I can talk to a girl, why should I have to? Just go with what's natural. All the same, I'm not going to pretend I lift weights and get with five girls a night just so I can make good friends with the muscly men. It's not who I am, and I think to be mature about life you have to understand what's important to you, not what's important to everyone else.
As I said before, there's a very fine line with talking about people. You have to be able to use tone well enough to make it a fun joke, and something people will appreciate you for. If you're just there to make a personal attack, then it probably doesn't look all that great except to people who would also personally attack that person. As for the rest of us actually confident in ourselves, I'd say that I'm pretty dang happy with life.

Should Women Do Housework?

2011-02-09T23:18:00.003-06:00

Meaning all the time, like a housewife, not like when they need to and have a real job. Obviously, the answer is no. That's right kids, it's time for another commonplace!

Well, I suppose the short answer is no. I realize this is a very easy commonplace to talk about and it's very likely that everyone else will have an entry addressing sexism in some way or another throughout the semester. With that said, I intend to talk about this my way, and if you've been keeping up, this one will keep the standard going.

Noticeably, the ad is advertising Kellogg's "Pep", whatever that is. Vitamins is what it says. I don't think it's too related to the issue that will be brought up here, but since it is what the ad is speaking about, I figured it should be mentioned.

Sexism has been an ongoing issue in the world ever since the first smart humans have been around. In the kingdoms of old, women were merely there to be the mothers of children, providing for them and not really being able to do any tasks that the men could do on their own. Fast forward to 2011, and sexism is still a current commonplace. There are times when women get paid less to do the job of a man, though those are getting scarcer. There are still many ways that society belittles women, and even if it is not in the workplace, it can still be present in the way people interact.

There is a much different reaction to a female celebrity doing something wrong than there is to a male celebrity, just based upon the very narrow opinion of what girls should and should not do. It is easier to say that a woman should be "innocent" and "pure" than it is to say the same for a man. This leads to bad opinions on both sides of the coin. If a man is told to be a provider to a woman, essentially doing what she wants to do (which I don't recommend, it doesn't work), then why is it so looked down upon for a woman to be told to be put in the place of housekeeper?

There are a few reasons for this, and that is that society is always growing. It should not be said that a woman must be doing the cooking and cleaning and nothing else while the man does all the earning, because we, as people, are all similar enough to be expected to be able to do the same things. This really has an impact when people react to different genders in different ways. An example I can think of could be when some guy at a school is hurtful to others - maybe not in a physical way, but in a verbal way. This is not necessarily expected, but it is less surprising than if a girl had done it. Why is this? I do not feel that there needs to be different treatment in how things are handled. To create a more specific example, let's say the two are a couple. It could be a bad argument that they just had, and they would post about it on Facebook. The two would get different reactions.

The guy and his guy friends would likely suggest to not worry about it and go out somewhere or something of the sort. On the other hand, the girl would be more heartfelt and open with how she felt about it, in turn gathering a whole lot more responses than the guy would. Is this because women are supposedly the more "vulnerable" gender? I really don't see why there is any special treatment required for a simple argument, no matter who is at fault. Continuing from this point, the girls would probably react the same way without context to both parties. They might ask what's wrong or what happened. In contrast, most of the guys would not ask these questions to the guy, but ask them to the girl. That seems innocent enough, but let's face it - there is no "good" part of sexism, and this in itself is pretty sexist. Essentially, the guy is giving up his dignity because he wants to make the girl feel better. While at times this could be genuine concern, he might say something to the guy that indicates that he doesn't really care for her at all. The only conclusion I can draw from this is that the guy who tries to make the girl feel better has a thing for her, but that's a whole other issue altogether.

I feel that either gender does not really deserve different treatment just because they are a man or a woman. Different people all have their ways of handling their problems, and different people want different things. There should not be a push for a man to be the end-all be-all provider for a woman, nor should there be a push for a woman to be a housewife. If that is what they want, then that should be their choosing. It all depends on the individual.

Taylor and Kanye - Encomium and Invective

2011-02-09T22:20:00.004-06:00

Alright, first of all, this isn't a commonplace blog (are we supposed to have one of those too? Wasn't in the email) so this is going to be a little different. I will probably have to end up doing a commonplace anyway, so you get two this week! Wow, how exciting.

Second of all, sorry there isn't a more interesting title this time. You'll see why in the next sentence.

Third of all, I am really dreading this assignment. The concepts we're supposed to address are interesting, but I am not a huge fan of either West nor Swift. Ugh. Oh well. Let's get this over with.

When it comes to rhetoric, there are two very contrasting sides a rhetor can take when writing about something or someone. These two sides are known as encomium and invective, as indicated by my blog's title. Encomium basically means that the rhetor's presented argument speaks about the good points of whatever or whoever the rhetor is speaking about, praising their good points. It only follows that invective is the exact opposite. Honestly, I would expect either from both the artists, but the songs' lyrics are pretty clear-cut so I guess it can't be helped. It should be noted that the songs were performed in reaction to the VMA awards, where Kanye rudely interrupted Taylor's acceptance speech without so much as a warning.

This comes into play since the two artists have very differing styles, and the kairos here is that they were performed when they were. They do serve their purpose for when they were needed.

I'll be starting with Taylor's song, "Innocent". Now, I know what you're thinking. "Doesn't she usually sing about her cruddy love life and how she can never keep a guy even though she's kinda pretty?" While that's true, this song is actually not about that. Not as much as some of her other songs, anyway. No, this one talks about how someone who made mistakes - in this case, Kanye, is still a good, kind-hearted individual on the inside, who is really an innocent soul who can change themselves to not make those mistakes again. Still pretty cheesy by...anyone's standards, but thank goodness it wasn't her usual fare. I might not be doing this if it was.

Alright, on to the song. It's set in an empty house most of the time, except for Swift and her backup instrumentalists. It sets a pretty calm and somber mood which goes along with the song pretty well. There are a few effects like the glittery words I can't read and the lighting is used for transitions.

The lyrics speak about someone who has lost their way and how they had an easier time in their elementary school days, standard cliched fare. She then speaks about how she still believes in them, with lines like "Your string of lights is still bright to me" and "You're still an innocent". She also sings about how everyone makes mistakes and that people can change. The rest of the song goes like that, as a song should, so it's not inconsistent.

But the main point here is that it serves its purpose as an encomium. She doesn't really say anything bad about the person, just that they've made mistakes, and that everyone is the same way. She assures them that it's okay, and that life can be tough, no matter who you might be. With these points in mind, she does an effective job at telling whoever this might be sung to that they're an innocent person in a hard life and that they still have possibilities ahead of them. There's a "32" in the lyrics, indicating Kanye's age, but then I have to question whether or not Taylor Swift knows too much about the 32-year old population. At 21...I'm gonna say not.

Our next artist in this comparison is Kanye West, of course. He decides to take a radically different approach to the situation, as seen in his lyrics to the song "Runaway".

Essentially, he just degrades Swift for being the way she is, and makes some pretty big assumptions in the process. He talks about her having to "put up with his ****" and that she is "so gifted at findin' what I don't like the most". Swift never really did that in her song, so maybe West's point of view is more than a little biased. He also says he "always finds something wrong" and suggests that she should just run away if she has so many problems with what he has done.

In this way, "Runaway" works best as an invective. It is also best viewed as a statement towards a woman, and in this case, Taylor Swift, since that is what it was intended to be. It's not particularly nice or tactful, and I feel that is what makes it work better as an invective piece. He also praises the polar opposite of who Swift is; that is to say the "scumbags who would never take work off".

With these two songs, it is incredibly easy to see the kinds of people these two are. While Swift handled her end very calmly as is her usual style, West's approach is much more negative and worse off for it. Since it was his fault to begin with, I can't say I care much for the way his song is written.

Links:
Innocent - Taylor Swift
Innocent Lyrics
Runaway - Kanye West
Runaway Lyrics

Commonplace 3 coming up OOO! I mean, next.

Dependence of Technology

2011-02-02T13:28:00.003-06:00

GLUG GLUG GLUG Commonplace Blog Post #2.

At face value, this is a pretty obvious piece of advertising. The man is holding his iPhone and there is an alcoholic beverage inside. Yeah, sounds pretty odd. But I suppose that would be part of the draw of this app. One has to wonder the positive uses of something like this as well.

Of course, as any commonplace I've written for college has gone, it is going to need a bit more analysis than that. Why go this far for beer? What does this mean for the world at large? My stance is that this can really drive home the fact that the world is becoming more and more dependent on the newest technology.

I don't own an iPhone myself, but the issue I present here will be supported by my own experiences, so it isn't like I'm going to be talking about something that is unfamiliar. We as people have been living in what has been called the era of technology for quite some time now.

It's everywhere. Computers, new phones, new movies, new everything. Not a day goes by where people don't take out their phones or don't check their email. The very nature of people is to look at and find out more about what the newest technological trend is. But why? Is it driven by the peoples' desire to take change like this? I see it as more of a way to keep up with the current news and advancements more than changing things, and I'm sure many would agree.

But my real point is that we are just becoming so interconnected with technology. As I stated before, we pretty much have to use it everyday to even get along in life. However, as this ad entails, how long will it be before we start using it for the most banal and boring things like this? A drinking app - really? Is real alcohol getting too expensive or something?

There are many simulations of life out there, especially for phones. It may come to pass that a calculator or a dictionary will become obsolete because of the new progress made in phone tech. There is a growing loss of need for paper, too. Sure, in school and for paperwork you might need it, but everything else can be taken care of from the safety of your desk and a keyboard. Then what would happen to all this "old tech"? It might be useful for the lower class who can't afford the newest thing, but there are still ways to help and costs will just get lower and lower for "cooler" technology than it will for the old things. I doubt there is work going into making a four-function calculator that can stand at the top of calculators anymore; there's not enough of a market there.

So how long until we start using computers for our everyday functions like drinking? What if we could do anything and everything we needed to from one central apparatus? The possibility may sound good, but in the long run it may lead to a future like the movie WALL-E, and I don't know about you, but personally, I'd like to avoid ending up like that as long as I can.

Desensitizing Tragedy

2011-01-26T15:20:00.007-06:00

While looking for a catalyst to comment on for this blog, I found a very interesting advertisement, pictured here:

I thought this was interesting because it introduces the idea that the horrible event that was 9/11 is likened to the threat of smoking. While smoking is a real problem many people face, I have a hard time believing that it is as severe or thought to be as severe as an attack due to terrorism. Sure, smoking is bad, but it's not something that can be necessarily forced upon an entire nation like a terrorist threat can.

This brings me to my main point - that a recent tragedy with great impact can be called equal in value to a health problem that only a percentage of the population faces. If this were to be taken as true, then would it be true that the recent shooting in Arizona could be equated to stealing from a grocery store? I would be hard pressed to say so. The entire idea is a fallacious argument, and quite frankly, ridiculous. There have been many different large-scale events recorded throughout history, and I have not yet seen any advertisements that use them in this way.

There is also the inherent problem of people who were personally involved in these events. For 9/11, most of the world was watching the events unfold on a screen, and not there in person. To say that those of us who were not there in person share the same emotional impact that the people who lost family members do is untrue.

Not only that, but the people who do not have a personal connection will likely not care enough about its anniversary each year to put effort into respecting those who were the heroes. We as a nation do not reflect upon other recent tragedies, so why even try to do the same for 9/11? Yes, it was terrible, but even bringing it up each year does not change anything about it. As I said before, there are many people who have a personal connection with the event and I am sure they do not appreciate that memory being brought up again and again. On the other side of the event, there are people who honestly don't care enough about it to give it more than the respect they think it might deserve. This could very well be a personal problem with not caring enough about the country of America and what it really represents, and I would hope these people do not take 9/11 as a joke.

This brings my main idea back full circle. Historical events should be reviewed and learned from, not compared to the problems of everyday life and people. Trying to prevent and lower the amount of people smoking is a noble cause, but I feel that it could have been handled in a much better, more tactful way, and I have my doubts that this will cause anyone to stop smoking within the week. This advertisement is probably rather offensive to all the affected lives of the event, and trying to present it as on the same level as smoking is not something I appreciate, either. Many who see this will not think that smoking can be equated to a bombing, and will probably just pass over it, making this a very ineffective advertisement, and showing that the idea that we can take horrible events of the past for granted does not help further the progression of society.

WELCOME!

2011-01-21T07:31:00.003-06:00

[/Missile]

Alrighty. Guess I'll give you the rundown. This is my blog. I am Mark. Here you will find commonplaces and my social commentary on them.
Later on, after English is said and done, I will be posting about lots of stuff, probably mostly tokusatsu and a more generalized social commentary. Also might do movie reviews and stuff like that. Hopefully this grows into something I can take care of for a while. I really like the idea, but my first experience with this was MySpace and...yeah, no one likes MySpace. I didn't think I had the time to keep up with a blog back in high school either, but at college I've got more time and more freedom so it works out fine. Till next time.

No labels. This is my first blog and no one will care to want to link to this anyway.