I've finally gotten around to watching It's a Wonderful Life, which is revered as one of the best Christmas movies of all time. It plays on television around this time of year and I've never given it much attention because it was always just there.
On Christmas Eve I was alone and figured it would be a fun night to see it on the big screen. The film really engrossed me until the 3rd act when the angel intervened during George Bailey's suicide attempt. I left the theatre upset because the entire tone of the film turned too quickly. I think the ending is a bit of a cop out.
The 3rd Act Didn't Fit
I would classify It's a Wonderful Life as both a comedy and drama. The drama stems from George's desires and failure to follow through with his plans and the comedy mostly from everyone around him. It's fair to expect both cheer and bitter-sweetness in a Christmas movie, but there wasn't a good transition from a realistic drama to super naturalism.
The moment Clarence the angel is introduced, I felt the entire film cheapened. Minutes prior, I was crying as I felt George's dread to suddenly cocking my head.in confusion as Frank Capra pulled the emergency breaks on a deeply meaningful moment for our disturbed, suicide-driven protagonist. I almost wished we got to see George die and perhaps have a conversation with himself or God to help transition to the super natural element of the film.
Forced Values
George sacrificed everything that would have made him happy to support those around him, which in turn paid off during his darkest moment. I both agree and disagree with the values of this film, but it is overall too chipper for my tastes.
There is literally nothing wrong with marrying and having a family. However, I think George was never meant to be a family man. He resisted Mary as a child, both after high school and college graduation and even on the day of their wedding! What Mary likes that he is a good man, but I don't think his heart was ever fully in the relationship. Also, did George only agree to have children to make Mary happy??
Is George really a family man??
George consistently expresses his desire to travel and forget about Bedford Falls. He only wants experience just a small bit of freedom but never allowed himself to actually pursue his dreams. The ending of It's a Wonderful Life upset me because I see it as an acceptance of mediocrity. It only indicates that George will forever be stuck in his town, running Building & Loan until he dies. I don't think that's what he truly wants... but as a people-pleaser, he's going to let everyone boss him around until his end.
Although I disagree with how family and community values are presented in this film, I do wholeheartedly agree with Clarence's note he leaves George: "Remember no man is a failure who has friends." George is socially wealthy by having so many people around him, who have his back. His life didn't turn out the way he ever wanted, but at least he has an entire community behind him.
No Consequences, No Rewards
Who can lose $8000 in the 1940s, let alone today????
I think the ending of It's a Wonderful Life would drastically improve if someone learned a lesson as for there are no consequences or rewards. George is the only person rewarded with friendship, but Uncle Billy and Potter, the culprits of completely screwing George, don't have any solid conclusion.
Although Uncle Billy is a forgetful, but well-intentioned character, he is never reprimanded or demerited for his constant mishaps at Building & Loan. Good-guy George blames himself and doesn't follow up with Billy's dumb-assery.
As George's enemy, Mr. Potter nearly manages to sabotage George's entire life, but there is nothing to prove he is going to stop his dastardly activities. Do the police investigate and crack down on Potter stealing George's cash? Does he continue to own the town? Potter doesn't receive any sort of punishment or any acknowledgement at the end of the film, which is quite a let down. No retribution.
Bedford Falls will become a Pottersville with the ending we got.
In my opinion, the best ending would result in Potter being taught the values of the community in a way he is able to open his heart. This in addition to the townsfolk giving George and his family enough money to pay the bank and enough to send them off on a vacation. George needs a break from his work and really deserves to travel for once...
Signing Out for the New Year,
Alrighty, peeps. I hope you all had a good 2017. Please have a wonderful 2018. More blogs will be coming your way, always soliciting my ridiculous opinions.
My final question to you... what is the BEST Christmas movie? I'd say it's Die Hard, but what do I know? I didn't like It's a Wonderful Life with it's cheesy ending.
I'm not a huge fan of superhero movies. Nu-uh. Batman is the extent of my liking. The rest are... not very enjoyable. I may be harsh on superhero movies, I do like the DC universe. Occasionally I'll pick up the comics. I've had interest in watching all of the films preceding Justice League but haven't gotten around to it yet.
I intended to see a special showing of Howl's Moving Castle a couple weeks ago and invited a friend out... but I lost my marbles and mixed up the day. We ended up seeing Justice League because why not? Initially, I resisted since I haven't seen the recent DC movies, but overall Justice League brought *ahem* justice to both women and those new to the DC movie franchise.
My Beef with "The Avengers"
I'm erecting my flame shield:
I hated The Avengers. I thought it was boring, I didn't know what was happening and I didn't like the heroes. With so many characters, I didn't understand the history of anyone and I felt there wasn't much context of what happened in the previous films. Before I ever saw The Avengers I tried to watch the Iron Man movies a few times and fell asleep on multiple occasions.
Let's not forget that Black Widow sucks as a super heroine in the Marvel movie franchise. She didn't serve any purpose beyond being a hot piece of ass. Can someone tell me if she has any superpowers??? I'm so confused because it seems her superpower is only being the token female.
Character Introduction
Although I love Batman for it's darkness and quirkiness, I expected Justice League to be campy like any superhero movie (which isn't my style) but there was no plot confusion. Going into the movie knowing virtually nothing, it's immediately established that Superman is dead, emphasizing the grief of losing such a paragon.
Negative: not enough
Supermanin this movie.
Batman v. Superman is summarized in the first few minutes. Good. I'm caught up. Wonder Woman is the only other hero with a feature length film. Unfortunately I couldn't really collect what happened during her movie. I can forgive that since I didn't feel lost during her development. The most welcoming aspect of Justice League is the introduction of new characters.
The Flash made a few brief appearances prior to Justice League whereas Cyborg and Aquaman make their official debut. I think Cyborg has the most intriguing story of any of the heroes due to the pressure from his father, who pushes Cyborg's ability and blends the boundaries of humanity and machinery. The Flash is well explained when Batman recruits him. His personality shines as he twitches and fumbles during this exchange. Aquaman is a mysterious character because he refuses recruitment, but I think he is being saved for his own film set to be released in 2018.
Inclusion
I'm tired of the male gaze and the bullshit gender politics of Hollywood. Justice League pleased me because I felt included in superhero culture, which I've always considered to be a boys club. On the surface level, Justice League is not shy when it comes to showcasing handsome men (which is basically the entire movie). Aquaman is definitely the biggest hunk of meat to hit the screen, usually shirtless.
Both costume sets are cool... so why are we arguing over this?
Probably the biggest controversy is the Amazons' costume change between Wonder Woman and Justice League, where they wear skimpier outfits. People are pointing fingers at Zach Snyder for feeding patriarchy-- that the Amazon's are more exposed because a man directed the film. Let's be real, I wasn't a bit distracted by their costumes nor did I feel the women were sexualized in any manner. After comparing the Wonder Women costumes, I thought the Justice League costumes nicely showcased the Amazons' muscles.
There is sexual tension between Batman and Wonder Woman, but I think it played off well. One particular scene I loved was after a battle when Batman is taking off his gear. Wonder Woman enters and you think she's going to help remove it to only grab his arm from behind. She *twists & cracks* his poor back instead.
The two spend a lot of time together out of costume.
I'm not sure how deep their relationship will go in the future of the DC film franchise, but the moments shared between Batman and Wonder Woman were more funny & sweet than they were cringey. I love that Wonder Woman was not used solely as Batman's object of desire. She managed to equally contribute, if not prove herself to be more useful than other members of the Justice League. Wonder Woman even admits she was passive earlier in the film, which she realizes is weakness within the group. She embraces her power and asserts herself more by the time they revive Superman.
Self Awareness
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the awkward duck
of the Justice League.
Justice League is not only a well constructed action film, but self-referential and knows what it is. From the flood of Batman jokes to jabs at Aquaman, Justice League winks at the audience. It knows when to be cool and when to be corny. It is a well balanced movie that never took itself too seriously, but was still intense. That's a big part of why I like it.
It's not a perfect movie, but only a few things bothered me. There was too much blatant product placement, which takes away from almost any film. Nobody likes product placement.
What are your feelings? Did you enjoy Justice League?
If you were a character in the Justice League, who would you be? Ideally I'd like to consider myself Wonder Woman (my affinity for the Bat plays into this too)... but I'm totally the Flash when it comes to this movie. He's super awkward, dweeby and underestimates himself only to totally save everyone's asses.
It's been a while since I've discussed cosplay. How awkward, considering I started this blog with the sole purpose of discussing the subject. It has also been a million years since I've sewed something. This could be due to being busy graduating college or moving across the country... but a lot of it has to do with glamour, vanity and self-esteem involved with cosplaying.
The Fear and Pressure of Dressing Up
This isn't a well sewn dress...
but I made it, so that's cool.
I've been a little afraid to cosplay over the last year or so. I was frustrated because someone near to me consistently told me that cosplay was too expensive and made me feel it wasn't worth my time or effort. I asked for help with my projects and was left with little enthusiasm. Today I still consider myself a n00b-level seamstress. The fiscal pressure made me feel like I couldn't sew anything without the expectation of the clothing coming out perfect.
When I cosplay, I literally become whatever I want and feel the prettiest in the room-- even during the lowest peaks of my self-esteem I became a queen for a night.
Although it should be celebrated, I'm really bothered by the uprising of "thicc" cosplayers in the mainstream. It wasn't cool to be chubby or have a big butt years ago. It's refreshing to see bigger girls get the recognition they deserve, however female cosplayers of all shapes sexualize themselves and I think it is distasteful.
Aware of my own assets, I felt I wasn't good enough to be a "thicc" cosplayer. Thoughts like "Are my boobs big enough?" or "omg how do I afford a little bit of lipo with my insurmountable school debt?" were trapped in my head these past couple years. The toxicity of money and sex-appeal ate my cosplaying spirit.
I am so sick of thicc...
Just a Bit Character
The hours I slave over cosplay are recognized when I'm complimented. My last entirely homemade cosplay didn't get much buzz, which totally bummed me out at ACen last year.
Hnnnnghhhh why am I so in love with Johnny?? Is it the cape?
I cut week of classes prior to ACen 2016 in order to make Johnny, who is just a guy featured in a single episode of Space Dandy. As a one-shot character, he charmed me with his dashing good looks and his dream to be a rock star-- even though he's already the emperor of the most powerful army in the universe! I knew I had to replicate his glittering cape and be a she-version of Emperor Johnny.
The sparkles from the sun.
The Johnny Dilemma
Unfortunately cosplaying bit characters or creating weird interpretations of even a mainstream character nobody knows who you are. That is the Johnny Dilemma.
Proudly toting my heavy, sequined cape, I rocked Johnny upon debut. But nobody got it. Hell, I even bumped into people who were wearing the t-shirt of the band that Johnny and Dandy formed and didn't get a reaction. Oh, and actual Space Dandy cosplayers??? I don't think any of them watched the anime because nobody got my character.
Most of ACen 2016 flew by, Johnny didn't get any love from the 30000+ attendees until I browsed the vendors hall for overpriced anime. A young woman approached me from behind and stroked my cape. She stuttered, "Are... are you... Johnny?!"
The moment I uttered "yes" this woman excitedly asked for photos and exclaimed "I never thought I would ever find a Johnny."
Upon reflection and being in a better place than I was last year, I finally learned this is what cosplay is about.
Eradicating the Johnny Dilemma
Although the characters I cosplay are extremely niche or are taken in a unique direction, the people you meet matter more than the vanity or competition. I don't get a ton of attention at convention for my cosplay, but the interactions and relationships I've built as a result of bonding over a character or piece of media is invaluable.
I found the right people by cosplaying things dear to me.
My buddy, Aeron, is dressed as Space Dandy from Anime Midwest 2016.
We had such a broment when we bumped into each other.
There's nothing wrong with wanting to be sexy and cosplay either. I've determined that if I'm going to make a sexy cosplay, it's for me, not to impress and garner the attention of anyone else. All of the outfits I make are for me to express my love of some cartoon, comic, game or movie.
Revisiting Old Cosplay & Looking to the Future
I want to make my Johnny cosplay again... I want to remake all of my old cosplay, I harbor so many good feelings for these characters and want to take what I've learned and improve. Hopefully I can go into remaking and creating new costumes with the spirit of community and friendship that I hadn't recognized before.
Cosplay is meant to be fun. Take pride in every piece you make or buy. Embrace the character and what attracts you to that imagery or personality. I really can't wait to show you what I'm working on right now. I'm in the middle of a few new costumes, all at various stages. My goal is to debut 2 or 3 solid cosplays by the time ACen 2018 rolls around.
The candy-striped cover of My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness caught my eye this summer. In that moment I knew I had to get my hands on this manga. My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness is the most relatable story I've read in a long time-- minus the lesbian part. Please allow me to explain how it came into my life at the right time.
tldr; MLEWL
Author and artist, Nagata Kabi, uses this manga as a reflection of her depression and how social anxiety impacts her life. Nagata begins the narrative after high school:
Nagata dropped out of college quickly and worked a slew of part-time jobs, in hopes of being unconditionally accepted by others. Her depression spiraled and it became difficult to even hold a part time job. Over some 10 years it took Nagata to find herself by stepping out of her shell and admitting she really wants to make manga and that she fancies women. A little braver than before, Nagata hires an escort and divulges the details of losing her virginity and the joy of accepting herself.
It's Not About Sex
Although Nagata and I come from completely different backgrounds, I feel like we completely understand each other. She managed to achieve her goal of making the story relatable by keeping every bit honest. If a detail is a little fuzzy, she tells the reader and moves onto what she does recall about her past.
Putting the soft art aside, I found myself sharing in Nagata's pain through her words. This isn't a story about being a lesbian or experiencing a slew of mental health illnesses-- it's rather a tale of a woman with a prolonged coming of age. My heart ached and I admittedly cried nearly the entire time I spent reading this book.
Select Passages That Spoke to Me
Although I try not to get deeply personal with this blog, I think it's best to exercise some self-reflection in order to be honest, like Nagata, for myself and you too, of course. Throughout this entry, I selected a pages that I feel comfortable sharing and elaborating how it relates to my life now.
For a while now I've felt unloved-- which I realize is clearly not true. If you found yourself reading this blog, you're more than likely a friend of mine supporting my creative efforts. Thank you. I appreciate it.You are so precious to me.
I want to make all of you happy. I'll do anything for you, provided you are my friend. But I really can't promise that anymore. In the process of trying to please the world, I've compromised my own happiness. I haven't been the real me in a long time.
Somehow I was brainwashed by the world when I graduated high school and thought that in order to become a respectable person I had to follow a certain path to be happy. I chose a very comfortable route. I'm tired of being comfortable.
It wasn't until earlier this year I identified that I've left good bits of my soul behind to feel safe. That sucks. To retrieve bits of my soul, I've been making huge changes in order to improve my everything.
By changing nearly everything, I'm the happiest I've been in ages. I can't remember the last time I've felt this free. I removed myself from the magnifying glass of society from which I was being burnt under by the sun of shitty expectations. Taking small strides to learn to love myself and work on what I want to do has lead to a major improvement in both my physical and mental health.
It wasn't until about a month ago that I figured out I didn't love myself. And I've been working hard to correct that. I want to be the kind of person I looked up to when I was a child. That seems to be the right path no map can guide me through.
So, yeah. I love you. And hopefully you'll keep loving me as I be me. I think I'm starting to find my own sweet nectar.
LATER, DWEEBS!
I promise the next entry won't be so depressing. I'll go back to being a cheerful, Loverly Liz.
Me going to a movie I want to see for the
first time in FOREVER.
So I have this awful movie watching complex. Either everyone has already seen a movie before I get a chance to visit a theatre or nobody wants to go with me. When it comes to watching movies at home, the conditions must be right for me to dedicate my full attention.
Growing up, I've probably seen the entirety of Casablanca in small pieces due to my father's affinity for classic films. It wasn't unusual to hear the ringing of "As Time Goes By" from my parents' bedroom on any given day.
A couple years ago there was a special showing of Casablanca in a local theatre... nobody wanted to go, so I allowed that to dictate the decision of whether or not I watched it. Stupid, right? Determined to finally watch this classic in celebration of its 75th anniversary, I took the scary plunge of entering the geriatric ward of the cinema all on my own.
Casablanca is definitely worth every bit of hype. I'm not going to spend my time summarizing the movie, so Google it or something if you're not familiar.
Not a Moment is Wasted
I've observed that many people don't give older movies a chance because they're "boring." I gather many don't give films during the Golden Age of Hollywood a chance because of a lack of flashy action and actually having to rely on character dialogue to gather a sense of what's happening.
I'll take a ride with Humphrey Bogart any day...
For being an "old, boring" movie, Casablanca is busy with little rest between scenes. With so many subplots and supporting characters, there was no time for me to be bored as refugees hustle to escape while the powerful & corrupt manipulate them. Rick's flashback of Paris is the only break from the scurry of the city and his cafe, which is vital to introducing Ilsa and explain Rick's character. The lack of fluff I consider to be the strongest aspect of Casablanca.
I find it hard to focus while watching movies is simply because of poor pacing. I'm going to sound like an ass and potentially dismiss the creative endeavors of filmmakers, but there are far too many pictures that waste my time with scenes that don't contribute to the story. Like, montages can majorly suck. A montage is not an inherently terrible storytelling device, but I feel they're sometimes abused and can overstay their welcome... this is just one example of how a movie can lose my interest for a period.
The Art of Cinema
Rick's profound sadness is amplified by darkness.
As much I would like to defend every "old, boring" movie that exists on the planet, there are plenty of lackluster films that exist from the Golden Age. I like to consider myself a student of film and felt spoiled by the artfulness of Casablanca.
It's difficult to make dramas feel interesting. Good editing and cinematography carries this dialogue driven story. The camera fit as much reasonable action as it can in the frame (take note: a fantastic way to make every second of a movie worth it). I don't know how much Casablanca is considered film noir, but some of the best shots in my opinion occur in the darkness of the cafe, especially when beautiful Ilsa's face is almost always illuminated.
With the challenges of using single camera, I'd say 99% of the movie has superb audio editing, with an occasional jerk in dialogue to continue the action in a new shot. This jerkiness comes with the hurdles of technology, so I can't really hold this against the editing team.
Some films benefit from a constant source of ambient noise and background music, but I like how Casablancasparingly used music. The performers featured in the cafe provide the bulk of the soundtrack much like you would hear musicians in a small venue. Music holds the viewer's hands through a journey of emotion, however the absence of bold music amplifies the meaning and significance each time "As Time Goes By" is played.
The Most Conventional Unconventional Ending
If you're not rooting for Ilsa and Rick to be together by the end of the film, do you even have a heart?? Although I claim to have basically seen the entirety of Casablanca, all I knew was that Ilsa manages to leave, but didn't know with whom. The suspense of the climax made me question if Rick or Laszlo would board that damn plane!
A busy frame makes a happy Liz.
I think it's honorable Rick puts Ilsa and Laszlo before himself. This ultimately secures his status as a "good guy." Shooting a Nazi on the other hand, marks Rick a greater hero to the film than Laszlo, who dedicates his life off-screen to stopping the Third Reich. Although it's unfair to compare the heroism of these two men, Rick's determination to make a decision than stay neutral demonstrates tremendous character growth.
tldr; My Mind Was Blown
In no way do I think this film is overrated, but hopefully I demonstrated why I think Casablanca is good. I haven't seen a movie crafted so finely in a long time. Of course, I bawled once it was all over and I didn't know what to make of it. This is when the fun of character and story analysis comes in!
Who are your favorite characters? I loved Captain Renault due to only covering his own ass by scummy methods. He and Rick share similar goals, but Renault approaches the situation as a "corrupt bureaucrat" (his words, not mine). I'm glad Renault became a bit of a hero himself by choosing to not arrest Rick and we can only assume he starts living a bit more of an honest life.
Do you think Rick and Ilsa belong together? I don't have a good answer... but I think Rick makes the most realistic and respectful choice.
Does Casablanca live up to the hype? What are your thoughts?
LATER, DWEEBS.
This is quite possibly the best snap I have
and ever will produce. Plz appreciate it with me.
I've been dreading today's entry... Recently I watched the Death Note (2017) feature film on Netflix. Death Note was my favorite manga about ten years ago and I still think it holds itself as a phenomenal crime and thriller series. Ohba and Obata are geniuses who continue to cultivate amazing manga (i.e. Bakuman), but the American Death Note movie barely manages to replicate their creative ingenuity. Although I'm not in love with the movie like I am with the anime and manga, ya'll need to stop picking on it.
It's Called "Adaptation"
Even though I didn't like Death Note overall as a film, I do feel the need to defend it. One of the greatest complaints I've seen about this movie is that the actors are not Japanese. Why does it have to be a full Japanese or Asian cast? Does that actually matter?
Adaptation is a concept that should be celebrated. It is a compliment to another culture. Death Note (the manga) doesn't rely on being Japanese to advance the story. Maybe if this was a detailed story about Oda Nobunaga adapted into an American Western with a bunch of white actors... perhaps that would be a nonsensical and culturally inappropriate.
If we're crying about how disrespectful Death Note is as an American movie based off a Japanese series, we may as well banish the American adaptations of Shall We Dance?, The Ring and Edge of Tomorrow. Oh, and let's take backMy Fair Lady, Ghost and Sideways from the Japanese. THEY ARENOT ALLOWED TO BORROW OUR IDEAS IF WE CAN'T USE THEIRS!!!1!!!11
Oh, and don't get me started about Memoirs of a Geisha amidst this outrage. Let's focus our rage in the fact that a Japanese-oriented film hired only a few Japanese actors. This is an example of a film to actually be upset about. Focus your energy elsewhere.
They worked well with what they had
I've had this dream of creating an American adaptation of Death Note for years. After running the various arcs and characters through my head, I think it's best suited as a television series. Death Note simply has too much content that cannot be boiled down to a single feature film. Its charm relies on the philosophy and psychosis of Light and L.
I was bothered most by the setting of the movie-- but to their credit, they didn't do a horrible job. The manga spans over Light's young adult life whereas the adaptation is just a moment in high school. I do feel Light's character could have benefited to be placed in a college setting to create a mature character, but they opted for an angsty teen.
I'm certain Light is aware of his own cringe.
I think the creators portrayed Light well as an generally disliked teenager with plenty of insecurities. To be honest, I loved the scene when Ryuk was introduced and Light was spilling boogers and hiding in detention. Later when Light was faced with a decision to kill his father, the choice of leaving his father alive was realistic, considering he actually cares for his father and he has no other family left. I was left heartbroken when Soichiro died in the manga, but that Light has different motivations than "movie Light". "Manga Light" is definitely a full-blown sociopath and "movie Light" has more (ahem) "innocent" intentions.
This isn't the Misa I love... How does that feel, Mia??
Misa-Mia?
Misa is misunderstood as a character by a large number of people in the manga. Either you love or hate her for her cutesy, goth appearance, but she is quite an intelligent character. She sought the attention of Light and was able to manipulate the most powerful man in the world into getting what she wants: his heart (except he didn't actually love her).
Despite how "high-school" the Death Note movie is, Mia resembles Misa in the way that she manipulates Light and proves to be a real threat. Yes, the corny montage of them writing names after school and making out makes everyone cringe, but Mia was (er, almost) brilliant sabotaging Light so that she could become the next holder of the note. It did hurt just an itty bitty bit when Light wrote her death and into scenario proving her love... At least she got what she deserved since she never did like him in the first place.
Best Acting Goes To...
Ryuk and L are the best characters in the Death Note movie. The way Willem Defoe portrays Ryuk and the way he was written is near-identical to the manga. L is portrayed in a way that makes him feel like an outlandish genius, minus him being an unattractive character.
Perhaps the sweets are, but L is not an attractive character in the manga.
I never liked L because he was too weird in the manga. He also never felt real and was almost too smart. Lakeith Stanfield takes L's quirks (like his love for sugar and the way he perches a chair) but expresses more emotion than his manga counterpart. I loved that L was vulnerable and showed heroism, such as chasing Light and the note. Admittedly, the end was wonderful when L was removed from the Kira case and he is tempted to write on Mia's page of the Death Note...
A Part 2?
Honestly, I kind of hated watching Death Note since it was originally never designed as a movie and didn't resemble the manga like I wanted it to. However, it's not a completely awful movie and I think critics are too harsh because they compare it too closely to the manga or anime. Looking at Death Note as just a movie, separating it from the original work, the emotions, philosophies, weaknesses and intentions of the characters make sense. I think that's what really matters in a movie.
I wouldn't mind seeing a sequel. Considering it received a lot of buzz, there may be another. I think the movie-rules of the Death Note could extend into another interesting story and I'm curious to see the consequences of Light and L's actions. Let me take your hand for a moment and be truthful with each other: the Japanese live action Death Note movies are definitely worse than the American adaptation. And there didn't need to be two disastrous films made in Japan.
What's the point of this movie if they aren't handsome?? That's all it needed to be an okay set of movies.
Death Note was a fun watch, but it's like any summer blockbuster film: It's a bit ridiculous and isn't terribly meaningful-- a movie meant to sell popcorn. What do you think of it? Were you able to enjoy it? Which characters did you like the most or least?
LATER, DWEEBS!
Loverly Liz
P.S.-- You should really watch Shall We Dance... kind of sort of the best movie on the planet you'll make fun of me for the rest of my life for loving. It's a wonderful American adaptation.
I have fallen a bit behind on blogging due to Hurricane Irma. Things are slowly turning back to normal, but my home and household are completely fine. Before the storm, my roommate and I played Life is Strange, a title I've been itching to play since episode 1 released (Please remember it takes me five-ever to get around to every game I play).
Our protagonist, Max Caulfield, is always snapping pics.
tldr; Life is Strange
Life is Strange follows Max Caulfield over the course of a week at a prestigious high school. She studies photography and suddenly acquires the ability to reverse time. Max discovers this ability after witnessing a boy shoot Chloe, her childhood best friend, in the women's restroom. Drama ensues once Max finds a way to save Chloe. Going forward, you can make decisions that will prove consequential as the story progresses while a tornado threatens Arcadia Bay.
If you're looking to play for the first time, turn away now! I don't want to spoil Life is Strange to you because it will be most fun going in and knowing nothing. Otherwise, hang out if you've already played or don't care to be spoiled.
The Weight of Decision
You honestly can't help everyone. (Cannot find artist, please tell who this is if you are familiar so I can give credit!)
Choice is probably the most exciting element in a video game to me. Most folks play games for action, whereas I normally play for story. Many titles fail to bear any weight of a player's decision, but I found the choices in Life is Strange delightful, shocking and terrifying-- a sign of a well-crafted, story-driven game.
My greatest fear in a game of choice is not knowing the consequences. Max's monologues provided useful information and developed her character after making an altering decision. I like that I was able to rewind almost every scenario and pick another option, testing my decision before advancing. Having the ability to rewind was a relief, but ended up being more stressful when there is no inherently "good" choice. I learned that ignorance can truly be bliss.
For example, in episode 2 Max has a choice to shoot Frank as he threatens her and Chloe. At first I chose to not shoot because I didn't want blood on my hands, but Frank ended up taking the gun from me. Rewinding and choosing to shoot, I found out there was no ammo but I pissed off Frank more than he already was. Neither scenario was pleasant, but I rewound one last time and let Frank take the gun, upsetting Chloe. She wasn't responsible with it in the first place and I didn't want to risk angering an antagonistic character.
Secrets
The detail in Life is Strange is impeccable! There were times where I spent exploring a level for 15-20 minutes before actually taking any action to progress the story. Because investigation is so important, Max is frequently called nosy and you can wind up offending somebody if you don't cover her tracks (e.g. rewind powers).
You can unveil the secrets of students and faculty, which can be used to your benefit. The most rewarding instance of snooping was in Kate's room. By reading every shred of paper and sifting through her personal belongings, I discovered important details about Kate that aided me in coercing her to not commit suicide-- an irreversible event.
Yes, I still kind of love you, Mr. Jefferson, but let's rewind and figure out a way to not drug, expose and kill young women.
I reveled in every room I snooped, but wasn't surprised when Mr. Jefferson was revealed as the mastermind. It wasn't much of a shock because he didn't have any secrets until the big reveal. Aside from Victoria schmoozing the professor one night, that evidence is used more against Victoria than Mr. Jefferson. I was quite disappointed in Mr. Jefferson's secrets and disturbing desires, but this twist cracks me up since my roommate's first impression of the game was, "Damn, Mr. Jefferson's HAWT!" (She is not alone in this sentiment...)
Chloe or Warren?
Both Chloe and Warren annoyed me for an extended period of time. At first, I thought Chloe was super cool. She does what she wants and is unapologetic about being herself. However, she is emotionally immature and I felt I had to often babysit her. Don't get me wrong-- I don't hate Chloe. I enjoyed the development of her and Max's relationship. Despite all the bullshit, their feelings were are so sweet and raw.
Warren initially weirded me out. I dismissed him as a total dork that was obsessed with Max, but he eventually proved how awesome he is when I didn't stop him from beating the snot out of Nathan. Looking back at his texts and Max's journals, Warren has a great heart and my feelings for him did a 180. During the climax, the only comment that made me feel attacked was when "Dark Warren" commented that I was two-timing him and Chloe... cuz I kissed them both.
A wonderful image I found on the Tell Tale Games forum... don't know who to credit for this, but I laughed my ass off!
Between Chloe and Warren, I can see Max being a better couple with Warren. Although the game implies that Max and Chloe are attracted to each other, their romance (if you'd like to call it that) happens all too quick. I don't think Chloe is completely over Rachel Amber either and that her and Max's relationship runs off adrenaline.
How was your playthrough?
Since there are so many variables, what happened in your game? Based upon your experience, do you disagree with any of my opinions? Who was your favorite character? Any scenes make you sweat? Did you choose to save Chloe or Arcadia Bay? It was difficult for me to choose because the hype of Irma was building when I finished... I picked Chloe and the dread of the disaster followed me as an actual hurricane hit my house.
I'm kind of sort of obsessed with Persona 5. What better way to unleash my passion than to blog about it? Just to cover my ass, there are baby spoilers briefly mentioned, but I think you're okay and probably won't notice them.
For those who don’t know, I absolutely love Megami Tensei games. I discovered Persona 3 when I was just a freshman in
high school and bought it at launch solely because I was thirsty
for more thematically dark or horror video games. Little did I know Persona 3 would be one of the most
influential games I would play during my adolescence.
As a fan of both role-playing and simulation games, Persona 3 instantly gained a spot in My
5 Favorite PlayStation 2 games. Not only do I enjoy P3, but I was satiated by
the delicious Persona 4 just a little
over a year later, forcing my mother to drive through a snow storm to pick up
my preorder.
To add to my Persona
fangirl craze, I was thrilled to play the upgraded in addition to the numerous
spinoff series… but the P3/P4 fatigue grew. After waiting over 8
years later for another title and exploring the rest of MegaTen, Persona 5
released right in time for my birthday.
Design
Am I allowed to cosplay every Phantom Thief? . . . Nah, I'd rather be one.
I can genuinely say that Persona
5 is the best entry in the series, the art design impressing me first. MegaTen
games typically have unique character and demon designs, but sometimes the menus and levels appear
bland. However, Persona 5 takes its
design everywhere—even the loading screen. I admire every bit of dust particle
floating in the game world air to Ann’s cute clovers.
When I select my class, I’m rogue in any RPG. I
knew going into P5 that the theme was
thievery, but my mind was blown by the main characters’ personas themselves.
The moment Arsene Lupin was revealed, I felt shivers down my spine. Being familiar with Maurice LeBanc’s character, there couldn’t have been a better
thief selected for the main character... except Robin Hood, which is a discussion for another day.
One of my biggest gripes with the previous Persona entries are how awful the
characters are. Most of the women of P3
were unpleasant and as the P4
universe grew, I began to dislike everyone
since fan service was pushed further than actual character development. To be
honest, the cast of P5 didn’t annoy
me beyond Morgana telling me to sleep.
Going out on a "date" with Yusuke.
Characters
My favorite characters are Yusuke, Makoto and Akechi. This
is going to sound corny, but I spent my entire in-game summer going on “dates”
with Yusuke than I did with any girls. Of all the confidants, he felt the most
dedicated to the main character, not to mention he's quite poetic. His messages remind me of my sweet, real boyfriend who I saw a lot of in
Yusuke. I relate to Makoto through similar struggles and share a similar
relationship with my older brother. And Akechi. lol. I don't have a good reason.
The various messages of P5
strongly resonate, especially rebellion. Through my senior year of college,
teachers asked for introductions each quarter and I consistently described
myself as a “low-key rebel.” I love how this theme grew with confidants as they rebelled against an oppressive, controlling figure.
LATER DWEEBS!
I don't feel the need to go into detail about the gameplay, but battles are exciting for a turn-based game. My first playthrough was set to hard and a few boss battles made me sweat!
Did you like Persona 5? Are you a fan of MegaTen? Which are your favorite titles?! I dig the Devil Survivor games on DS and 3DS. It's basically Fire Emblem--but better.
My love for manga and horror never wanes. For those who don't know me, I collect new books and it takes me forever to actually get around to reading it. I recently embarked on a journey to Kurouzu-cho... a place I've been wanting to visit for years. Since turning the first page, it took me a couple months to finish Uzumaki because the spiral infiltrated my own world.
tldr; Junji Ito's Uzumaki
Uzumaki is a tale of sickness and obsession about spirals.Residents of Kurouzu-cho slowly become entranced with the motivation to create more and more spirals. The protagonists, Kirie and Shuichi, are the only people to resist the power of the spiral as their town deteriorates. If this sounds cool to you, you can purchase a fancy hardcover copy published by VIZ Media.
One of my favorite chapters is about
blood sucking pregnant women...
Trust me, it's amazing.
How Spoopy?
What makes Uzumaki creepy is not necessarily the visuals. I don't want to discredit the artwork, but Ito doesn't waste space. He makes fantastic use of screen tones to create more to look at than your average manga. Hell, sometimes I got a little dizzy after admiring his beautiful lines! Repulsive imagery.
Each chapter is carefully paced. making me cautious to turn the page, knowing there will be an abomination. I was disgusted by the behavior of victims as they descend into madness, feeling dirty as a witness to their crimes. As townies become hideous creatures, I feel the protagonists are the most (no pun intended) twisted.
Kirie & Shuichi
Kirie unsettles me. She narrates the story and casually accepts the strange events. Her boyfriend, Shuichi, is the first victim of the spiral when father dies from collecting spiral paraphernalia. After his father's death, his poor mother suffers from spiral paranoia. Identifying the curse, Shuichi urges Kirie to escape with him early, but neither take action.
Kirie (left), not giving a shit about her spiral hair.
Why do they stay in Kurouzu-cho? That's what really freaks me out. Neither of them have motivation to stay but aren't seemingly cursed by the spiral. Kirie wants to stay with her family but doesn't bother trying to get them to leave town. Poor Shuichi is clearly mentally disturbed, so I can dismiss his lack of response just a tiny bit. Kirie is so... nonchalant. That's where I draw the line.
I often think about how I would react to a situation out of a horror movie and know I would miserably die... probably give up once I'm too tired to move. Either way, I cannot grasp Kirie and Shuichi. They choose to resist, but don't escape?
LATER, DWEEBS!
For those who've read Uzumaki, do you like Kirie and Shuichi? Do you think they are mentally unstable for staying?
What do you think your reaction would be in a horror scenario?
To get an idea of games I love, I figured compiling a list
of My 5 Favorite PS2 games—in my opinion one of the best consoles to exist.
It was tough to choose which of the best games are truly the best, but I decided a series
cannot be listed more than once. I confidently believe that additional titles from
each series are fun as well. If you’re a close friend of mine, you will not be
shocked by this selection.
5) Sly Cooper and the
Thievius Raccoonus
Platformers are the bomb dot com. Among the gems of the PSOne
and PS2 era, Sly Cooper is my favorite on PS2. I distinctly remember
receiving a copy for my 11th
birthday and it consumed all my free time.
I revisited the Sly games
and picked up a copy of the SlyCollection on PS3. Unlike most 3D platformers, the games surprisingly still
play well. As a child, I never owned Sly 2 or Sly 3 and
playing the Collection as an adult, I
think Sly 1 is the best in the
series.
Don’t get me wrong—Sly
2 and 3 are awesome games that
add more depth to the gameplay, but I just don’t like playing as Bentley and
Murray. Sly handles more smoothly
compared to his companions and you must combine strategy and action. On the
other hand, Bentley and Murray are heavily focused on either strategy or action.
The constant running and brawling becomes repetitive and Sly is a perfect
hybrid.
Even though Sly 1
is easier than its sequels, I think the level design is the cleanest because
the game is only tailored for Sly’s play style. The collectables and side
quests were equally enjoyable as the main story. Mostly importantly, Carmelita Fox’s voice is sexiest in the first game.
4) Silent Hill 3
The PS2 has a plethora of horror games, both good and bad. I
began my journey into Silent Hill as
a preteen and don’t understand how I got away with playing it around my parents.
The rust, blood and subtle terror excited me as I navigated the foggy streets
of SH1 and SH2, but there’s something extra special to me about Silent Hill 3.
Playing video games since practically birth, I always
longed-for games with female protagonists. I thought Heather Mason was brave
and rare female specimen. Recently
replaying it, I noticed she reacts to the disgusting nature of the environment
like an actual teenager would.
Around the same time I first played SH3, I played Resident Evil 4.
Oh, how I giggled about the similar designs of Heather and Ashley Graham. Ashley,
mind you, the daughter of the POTUS, is completely useless and untrained during
a similarly high-stress situation. Heather
is much cooler by comparison.
I prefer games that are more linear, I like that I cannot
get lost in SH3. One of my
frustrations with some other SH titles
is that it is difficult to know where to go because of the expanse of the town
and dense fog. A lot less time is spent outdoors and the claustrophobic
buildings make it feel as if there is no place to escape.
Heather never knows what's lurking around the corner...
The last I played SH3
was on the PS3 HD collection. If you want to play two awesome PS2-generation
horror games, I suggest downloading the patches before playing. I rarely
experienced any issues, the most being an audio delay in a couple of cutscenes
near the end of SH3.
Allow me to preface my Dark
Cloud 2 obsession: I more than likely played this game more than any other
PS2 title in my life and even went as far as 100%ing it on the PS4 port. Don’t
believe me? Look at the insane trophy guide roadmap…
I’m a huge fan of Level-5’s games, starting with the Dark Cloud series, 2 released as Dark Chronicle
abroad. As the studio’s first game, Dark
Cloud is a pretty solid action RPG and town-building simulator. Once 2 released, I demanded nicely asked my
mother to take me to the store. Believing
that DC1 was one of my favorites games, DC2 blew me away.
The beautiful cell-shaded graphics were a considerable
upgrade compared to the first. I didn’t buy a GameCube because of the “kiddy”
cell-shaded graphics of The Legend of
Zelda: Windwaker. If I could, I would take a trip back in time to smack my
10 year old self over the head as for I thought cell-shading was completely
acceptable on PS2. Either way, the audio and visuals of DC2 created a deep atmosphere.
One of the most improved aspects of the game is the Georama
feature. I heavily invest time playing simulation games such as The Sims, Animal Crossing, Style Savvy,
etc. The Georama feature is a hybrid of such games. Every village you visit is
completely decimated and it is your job to rebuild it.
By dungeon crawling, you
gain small pieces of information to city plan according to the wants/needs of
the villagers in addition to knowing who you should move into the houses. The
story revolves around time travel. By placing the proper buildings, environments
and people in a village, you gain the ability to progress the story and sweet
bonuses if you complete all requests.
Our protagonists, Monica & Max.
The dungeon crawling aspect of Dark Cloud 2 is also challenging. As a seasoned Dark Cloud veteran, there were at least
a few stages in each dungeon that made me go mad. This is good, considering I
cruise through most RPGs. Let’s not forget the side missions either: I genuinely
enjoyed playing Spheda and beating the dungeons with strict restrictions. There
are plenty other side missions I could mention, but screw fish breeding. Too slow for my tastes.
2) Shin Megami Tensei:
Persona 3 FES
So. I love JRPGs… and I love simulation. Oh, did I forget to
mention I have this sick disease called Banjo-Kazooie Fever? I love in-game
collectibles. Persona 3 is the love baby
of all the above.
A great introduction to the Megami Tensei series, Persona
3 is a phenomenal dungeon crawler where you must manage your daily
activities in order to unlock perks to make yourself stronger when you combat
at night. By creating bonds with your classmates, teammates and townies, you
strengthen the abilities of the personas. Personas can be collected and fused
to create bigger, badder ones as you progress through the game. The urge to
collect all Personas, complete Elizabeth’s requests and max out my social links
feeds my illness.
Everything is blue... and dreary. I love it.
Many of you may be wondering: Why do I like P3 better than P4? Mostly because I like the characters and premise more. To avoid
spoilers, nearly all characters in 4
become more annoying and I feel the spin off titles cater too heavily towards
fan service. Not to say that P3 doesn’t
cater to fan service, but I think the characters are more mature. I don’t have a
better reason than to say that I just like them more as a whole and that the
stakes of the P3 seem much higher and
more dangerous. It is a darker game aesthetically and thematically. That’s what
I’m into.
The FES expansion includes
The Answer which… do I need to
explain? Sans spoilers, it helps explain gaps in the main story and the
difficulty is cranked up. When I first played P3
vanilla, it was tough to learn some of the lingo and rules of MegaTen. Now that I’ve explored most of the
series, playing The Answer involves more strategy on my behalf, therefore the combat was enjoyable. Although most characters are jaded because of the events in Persona 3, Aegis and Metis hold a
special place in my heart. Aegis is my waifuuuuuu
1) Final Fantasy X
SURPRISE!!!!!!!!! My favorite PS2 game is Final Fantasy X. Do I consider myself a
fan of Final Fantasy? Not really. I’m
quite fond of X series, XII, XIII
series and the Tactics series. Shame
on me, but FFX is not just a nostalgia trip from my
youth.
The game plays well and the rules are fair for a turned based game. If you screw up, it's your fault. The only thing I truly hate is that in the original version, there are unskippable cut scenes. Putting my gripe aside (aka: watching a long-drawn Seymour scene ten times before I beat him), major battles are still nail-biting and still pose some challenge, no matter how many times I've played it.
While playing the remastered version, I spent about a year to 100% it, a feat I couldn't accomplish as a kid. Even if I used a guide to find miss-ables and prepare for secret bosses, I enjoyed almost every part of the process to fully complete the game. Admittedly, some of it is tough. I feel that I got more out of FFX in the last few years than I did when I was younger.
Most critics dislike the characters and story of FFX, but I think it raises intriguing questions about religious organizations, which totally flew over my head when I was 10. The game design was inspired by South Pacific and Thai cultures, creating a universe I am absolutely in love with. There is a sense of oceanic romanticism that gets me every time...
What are your favorite PS2 games?
You may disagree with me, but these are my favorite games just because they are. Do I need a reason?
I'm really interested in your favorites. Share this blog and mention your favorites while you're at it!!
