It's been quite the week for me personally, completely derailing my upload schedule, so in the off chance anyone was expecting new posts from me earlier in the week, I apologize. Worry not, however, as it's gonna take a lot to break my still perfect "once a week" upload streak. Keeping said streak alive is this fun Five Comics theme I've had planned since last year. THE THEME: Marvel has its Wolverines and Captain Americas, but on the other end of the popularity spectrum, there are some super weird heroes and villains. One such heroine is Squirrel Girl, whose inherent silliness as a concept has earned her quite a cult following over the years. For today, I have five comics featuring Squirrel Girl as a lead character. THE COMICS: THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL (2015) #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Ryan North Artist: Erica Henderson - Doreen Green is taking a bit of time off from being Squirrel Girl to go to college. This issue sees her try to keep her secret identity under wraps (not as serious as it sounds) while also fighting a few baddies in silly fashion. Has hilarious writing from top to bottom. - Comixology link THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL (2015–2019) #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Ryan North Artist: Erica Henderson - This continues from the above series (because having two issue #1s in a single year isn't confusing at all), and sees Doreen in her second year of college. In this one, Nancy and Doreen (now close friends) meet up with Doreen's mom, and somehow get into a fight with a villain. - Comixology link THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL (2015–2019) #36 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Ryan North Artist: Derek Charm - In this "silent" (i.e. no dialogue) issue, Squirrel Girl and Iron Man team up to take down... the ghost of a librarian? It's a rather hilarious premise that somehow escalates to involve the rest of the Avengers, and ends in a wholesome way (like most Squirrel Girl encounters). Really like the art in this one. - Comixology link THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL (2015–2019) #37 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Ryan North Artist: Derek Charm - Squirrel Girl is... dead? This issue is all about exploring that very question, and if you've read enough comics/seen enough adaptations, you probably already know the answer. Nonetheless, it's a fun little mystery with all the quirk and charm the series has offered thus far. - Comixology link MARVEL RISING: OMEGA #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Devin Grayson Artists: Georges Duarte, Roberto di Salvo - This is more of an emsemble affair, featuring other heroes like Ms. Marvel and America Chavez, but Squirrel Girl is nonetheless a staple character in most Marvel Rising stories. Here, she and her allies are trapped in a video game-esque hellscape concocted by Arcade, who exploited Ember Quade's (AKA Emulator) Inhuman powers in order to achieve this goal. As with most stories invovling Arcade, it's a wild ride. - Comixology link As silly as a squirrel-themed hero sounds, Squirrel Girl is a geuninely enjoyable character in the many appearances she's made over the years. Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (the series I primarily covered here) doesn't shy away from the inherent silliness of the character and dials up the charm and humor, and while there are still the usual superhero antic to be had, her stories lean more towards making the villain undergo a change of heart as opposed to simply beating them down. It's a fun, wholesome all-ages affair that makes for enjoyable reading, and I can't recommend it enough. PANEL(s) OF THE WEEK: - end -
0 Comments
Switch Online's NES service is still getting games in 2020 somehow, and today, I'm checking out the newest pair of additions to the library. THE GAMES: SHADOW OF THE NINJA - A short, but decent platformer that allows for simultaneous two-player action (quite uncommon at the time for platformers), Has a pretty basic story, simple but fluid controls, small but passable weapon variety, and manageable enemies/bosses. Significantly easier than Ninja Gaiden. ELIMINATOR BOAT DUEL: - A racing game where, you guessed it, you race boats across water. There's not a lot of variety to the tracks, but the visuals are pretty decent, and the game itself is actually fun. There's a few cool elements, like a money aspect where you can earn cash to upgrade your boat, the weird characters, and the occasional switch in perspective from top-down to from-behind during races. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. Just when I thought Nintendo's run out of games for this service, they pull out a couple more out of their ass, and their selection is actually pretty good this time. At this point, I should probably give them more credit, but the drip feed of content is really starting to hurt.
- end - SNES Online only got two games this update, which is kind of a bummer, but this second one was a one I was very excited to try. BACKGROUND:
I played the NES version of TwinBee via NES Online and enjoyed it immensely, so when I heard that this game was coming to SNES Online, my mild disappointment at the update not being substantial was quickly replaced by anticipation. SUMMARY: Pop'n TwinBee is a vertical shmup. You play as the eponymous TwinBee (an anthropomorphic ship thing) and fly around the skies, shooting down enemies and avoiding their shots. If you've played any other games in the genre, you'll understand this one just fine. TwinBee's main offense is the regular shot, which takes down most enemies. However, there are enemies you can't shoot down with your regular shot, and that's because they're on the ground and not in the air. For those enemies, you can drop bombs to dispatch them. This adds a layer of strategy to what otherwise would just be mindlessly holding the shoot button. You have to weigh which enemies onscreen are the biggest threats, and figure out whether to prioritize airborne enemies or ground-based enemies, because you can't shoot your regular shot and drop bombs simultaneously. The screen gets very hectic for most of the game, as dozens of enemies fly in on all sorts of weird formations and assault you with a bullet hell of projectiles. Thankfully, Pop'n TwinBee isn't like most shmups; instead of you dying in one hit, you have a health bar that allows you to take some hits before losing a life. Enemies you destroy occasionally drop hearts that restore health as well. Many people find shmups frustrating because of how easily and quickly you die, but this game gives you a fighting chance, allowing you to enjoy the game for longer than ten seconds. If you do die, there are continues, but they are limited, and I assume you earn more by building up your score. Your main power-ups are the bells that fly out of clouds when you shoot them. You can shoot these bells to juggle them in the air, which, when done enough times, makes the bells change color. Depending on the color the bells change to, you gain a different ability for your ship. These range from a shield (which allows you to take more hits), different shot types (like a spread shot or a large, high-damage shot), ammo for a powerful screen-clearing attack, or mini companion ships that fire additional shots. These upgrades aren't much, but they're more than enough to tip the scales in your favor. Plus, it's just fun to juggle the bells around for as long as possible. At the beginning of the game, you can choose the formation your companion ships fly in. You can have them tail you Gradius-style, orbit around you, or patrol the sides of the screen. Overall, the companion ships don't really do a lot of damage, but choosing a formation that works well for you helps a lot for clearing enemies you may happen to not kill. The game has seven levels that are decently long, each culminating in pretty wild boss fights. On the default difficulty, it's a respectable challenge, but you can adjust the difficulty to your liking in the options menu. Also available in the options is something called Couple Mode. This game can be played in two-player mode, and toggling Couple Mode on allows Player 2 to have an easier experience compared to Player 1. It's like playing as Tails in Sonic 2; you still get to contribute to the game in a meaningful way, but it's more casual-friendly in the sense that you don't feel the full extent of the game's difficulty. Compared to other games in the genre, TwinBee has a more vibrant, cheery vibe to it. The backgrounds are colorful and scenic, the enemies look cute and silly, and the victory screens feature anime-style characters (who presumably are part of the game's plot, which I do not understand) making all sorts of funny expressions. One may find this more appealing to get into as opposed to other shmups like Gradius or Ikaruga, which have more sci-fi designs and feel a little more "serious." Next to this game, NES TwinBee (which looks decent on its own) looks archaic by comparison. The backgrounds and sprites feature an impressive amount of detail, and the music is vastly improved. VERDICT: Pop'n TwinBee is as fun, if not more fun than its predecessor, with its tried-and-true shmup gameplay with a fresh coat of paint. If you're new to shmups, this is perhaps the friendliest one you can start with, and not just in the sense of its aesthetic and setting. - end - It's been a good two months since both NES and SNES Online for the Switch have been updated, and as I write this, each service just had two games added to their respective libraries. I decided to take a look at one of the Super Nintendo titles first for now, so expect the blog entry on the NES Online update a little bit later. BACKGROUND:
I've never heard of Smash Tennis in my life. The only thing I could say when this was revealed to be coming to SNES Online was "what's the point of this game when we already have Super Tennis?" SUMMARY: Don't let the fun-sounding name fool you: this is just a typical tennis game. In fact, there's very little that's different with it gameplay-wise to Super Tennis that I'm just gonna link my blog entry on that game and save myself some time. The only notable differences that make Smash Tennis stand out from Super Tennis are the slightly expanded player options (which adds the ability to spectate CPU vs. CPU matches, four-player doubles, and almost every other permutation of player-CPU matchups), a different, more cartoony pixel art, a wider selection of courts to play on (which don't really change the game, but look very nice), and some extra effort on sound design (many of the courts have ambient sounds matching the location as opposed to Super Tennis's deafening silence). Other than that, it's pretty much the same. I will say that I found this easier to play than Super Tennis, so there's that. VERDICT: Smash Tennis is a decent tennis game in its own right, managing to differentiate itself from the more grounded Super Tennis with its more stylized sprite work and more fun and varied courts, but at the end of the day, it's just another tennis game. I personally like it more than Super Tennis, but much like that game, I likely won't be playing this all too often (if at all). If you're into sports games, it's worth checking out, but for me, the few matches I played on it are enough. I'm kinda bummed out that, out of the many amazing games the Super Nintendo is known for that aren't already on the emulator, this managed to make it into SNES Online first instead. The game itself is perfectly fine when evaluated in a vacuum, but as one of two new additions to a service that gets a drip feed of new content, it's rather disappointing that this is what we get this month. It's obviously not the end of the world, or anything worth erupting into a fiery rage over, but I can't help but wish that Nintendo would handle the rollout of games on their emulator services better (especially since they've been doing this for over a year at this point). Anyway, that's enough of that. This is just one of a few games added with the update, after all. Best to look forward to those instead of getting hung up on fucking tennis. - end - After 150+ hours of playtime spread across a little over a month, I've finally finished my latest playthrough of Three Houses. With that, I can finally finish writing this blog entry. Strap yourselves in, because this may be a long one. BACKGROUND:
As I explained on my post talking about Byleth as Smash DLC, my interest in the Fire Emblem series began like nearly everyone else: it was rooted in the curiosity Smash piqued within me. I've only played a few games in the series since then, but I've played enough to say that I'm a fan of the franchise's gameplay. As for Three Houses itself, my interest in it specifically wasn't all there at the beginning. I was initially worried about the game being delayed, and I was skeptical of the whole "school" aspect of it. My tune changed a little after release, when I got to see a little more of the game and had a chance to talk with trusted friends who were playing it extensively at the time. I'm several months late to the party, but I did eventually get to buy the game. PLOT: Three Houses is set in a continent called Fódlan, a land split into three different nations: the Adrestian Empire, the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and the Leicester Alliance. All three factions are governed by a nobility system established by the Church of Seiros, the main religious organization of Fódlan. Nobles are defined by something called Crests, mystical markings that grant the bearer unimaginable power, including the ability to wield legendary weapons known as the Hero's Relics. It is said that these Crests were gifted by the goddess to a number of legendary individuals in Fódlan's history, and that they have been passed down across the generations, manifesting within the nobles of present day. Your player character (default name: Byleth) is the son/daughter of a renowned mercenary, and during a fateful encounter in battle, is thrust upon the complicated status quo of Fódlan. You find yourself in Garreg Mach Monastery, the central body of the Church of Seiros. Within this monastery is the Officers Academy, where students from the Empire, Kingdom, and Alliance gather to learn. For whatever reason, Byleth is entrusted with the mission of becoming a professor in the academy, and that is where the story really begins. At the beginning of the game, you are asked to choose between the eponymous three houses of the Officers Academy: the Black Eagles (students from the Empire), the Blue Lions (students from the Kingdom), and the Golden Deer (students from the Alliance). Whichever one you pick decides your roster in battle, and will decide the story route you go through in your campaign. There really isn't a right choice: just pick the one with the characters you think you'll like. A big deciding factor in this regard is each house's leader, who each end up being prominent characters in the story. Regardless of which story route you pick, the story will be divided into two parts. The first part is your time as professor in the academy, and the missions will be more or less the same no matter which house you pick. The only differences you'll be experiencing in this first half are revolved around the students you're mentoring, as their dialogue varies even if the events that transpire are mostly the same. At the tail end of this first arc, a pivotal event occurs that completely changes the story's complexion. Outside of it being a shocking reveal, this sets the stage for the second half of Three Houses, which is centered around the consequences of this event. The students you've chosen and Fódlan at large change significantly during the second half, and it is here where the story diverges depending on which house you picked at the beginning. There are four story routes total in Three Houses. The fourth route is actually a "secret" branching path that can be accessed by picking a specific house at the beginning, and while I wish there were more branching paths in the other houses, it only really makes sense in this specific instance. Each route feels different and features unique endings, but on multiple playthroughs, you'll notice that there's a lot of overlap across specific routes. This didn't bother me that much (the game does well to present similar things under different circumstances), but if you're looking for a truly different experience every time, you may find this irksome. I played through every story route, which is why this blog entry took so long to write. For the most part, I enjoyed them all, as they each tackled some serious themes (race, religion, class disparity, etc.) while also providing compelling character arcs for each house leader (who each end up becoming the lead during the second half of their respective story routes). My only issue is the lack of payoff for the antagonists of the first half, as they're either forgotten or abruptly dealt with depending on the story route. I wish they were established a bit more in the story, because they end up feeling like an afterthought when the story's big twist is revealed. It can also be argued that some of the endings don't quite work, but I didn't find them to be egregiously terrible or anything like that. This is an aside, but I liked how they handled multiple story routes in this game. The choice is given to you right at the beginning, which means setting up multiple playthroughs isn't a slog. And while the first half is mostly the same regardless of your choice, it still feels different because you're interacting with different characters each time. Best of all, I didn't have to buy a separate game to experience everything (glares angrily at FE: Fates). CHARACTERS: Though this game's story is pretty solid, the heart of any FE game lies in its characters. Here, you have around 40 characters total to get to know, so there's plenty of possibilities in terms of interaction. Getting to know each character lies in the support conversation feature. During certain activities (such as battling), support levels between two characters build up. Once they reach a certain point, you unlock a support conversation, which is a cutscene of the two characters interacting with one another. There are multiple levels to support conversations (starting from C, eventually ranking up to A), and by working towards the top rank, you're getting a sort of mini-story where the two characters are the main focus. These support conversations are both a great way to connect with the game's many characters, see fun or profound interactions, and even add a bit of world-building Fódlan's already rich lore. In my many hours building up support levels between characters, I've discovered interesting tidbits of lore not otherwise shown in the main story, connected with characters I didn't initially like, and come across interesting or funny relationship dynamics between two characters. Through this, the characters felt more than just units I use in battle, and keeping them alive in battle had more weight to it than just "I need them for the next chapter." Barring a few one-note exceptions, every character feels like a fully-fledged person as opposed to a personification of a singular characteristic. Sure, they each have that one "defining" trait, but once you build up certain support conversations or get to certain parts of the story, most of them have something more to show. Some of the characters with clear flaws reveal their humanity, seemingly "perfect" characters make mistakes, others open up about tragedy, and a few even share their hopes. Much like in real life, these people have multiple facets to them, and discovering them via support conversations ended up being more than worthwhile, and enriched my experience as a whole. Perhaps the only characters that truly falter are some of the villains (who you don't get to spend a lot of time with) and the player character themselves (who is mostly a silent protagonist). The latter baffles me a lot, as Byleth does show emotion and has voice-acted lines, but a lot of their character is established by other characters talking about them instead of exhibiting a personality outright. In a few previous FE games (Fates is the go-to example), the nature of many support conversations (especially the ones with your player character) were derided as matchmaking, dating sim bullshit, and thankfully, that was reduced significantly here. For one, only a few interactions really lean towards romantic, which I truly enjoyed. For another, child units were no longer a thing, so I didn't have to stress out about "sensible" pairings (this was genuinely something I dealt with during Fates) or some such nonsense. The dating sim elements are still here in the form of support conversations with the player character, but it's mostly just the S-level support you get at the end of the game (which decides who you marry, which is totally not weird at all given most of the characters were your students....), so I don't really mind. There is also the tea party feature, but that's completely optional, so if you really hate waifu/husbando shit, you can get through the game without ever having to deal with it. In addition to support conversations, you can also play through Paralogues, which are self-contained side missions you can play through outside of the main story. These are often centered around specific characters, and it's a great way to learn about their backstories. PRESENTATION: This is the first time Fire Emblem has been in HD, and it mostly looks good. The 3D models don't look 100% clean, and there are weird clipping issues, but overall, everything looks fine. The only thing that looks really off to me are the character animations, which cycle through the same 10 lackadaisical, unnatural movements, as well as the hit-or-miss lip syncing. Maps and backgrounds are the most detailed they've ever been, but given the overlap in the story routes, you don't get too much variety in terms of overall aesthetic. You also spend a substantial amount of time in the monastery, and while the monastery looks impressive, it kinda gets old on the fourth playthrough. Character designs are solid, with everyone having a unique look or feel to them (a challenging feat to pull off, given the students wear uniforms that look mostly the same). Outside of a handful of characters, no one outright screams "I'm hot, I'll be your waifu" with their outfit, which, after living through Camilla from Fates, I'm relieved about. The more interesting design elements in my eyes lie in the more mystical elements of the game. The Hero's Relics have this unique, bony aesthetic to them that stood out to me, and as I found out, there's a story reason to that. It's always cool when visual design and story go hand in hand, and we do get a bit of that in Three Houses. In big moments during the story, there are fully animated cutscenes that look like they could be their own anime. These look absolutely fantastic, and they make me wish Fire Emblem anime was a thing. Whereas the 3D models occasionally falter in expressions, the voice acting in this game is second to none, with the cast giving in their all in even random dialogue. There is so much expressiveness and emotion in the voice acting that looking at the less expressive 3D models felt super weird. Like most FE games, the music in the game is phenomenal. The battle themes are among some of my favorites in the entire series, and the music in certain big moments are as epic as they come. Some of the tracks even have an EDM vibe to them, which doesn't sound like it would work in a game like Fire Emblem, but it does. GAMEPLAY: Fire Emblem is a turn-based, tactics-style strategy RPG. It's a game where you move units on a grid-based map (much like a board game) and engage in battle by interacting with enemy units on the map. Think of it like chess, except when you try to capture a piece, the two pieces battle each other before someone dies. Your units are none other than the students you chose at the beginning of the game, plus yourself. Each character has a character class (which dictates their abilities, among other things), weapons, and stats (from HP to Strength to Charm), all of which can be altered or modified as you go through the game. It seems like a lot to manage (multiplied by how many characters you have to keep track of), but the game eases you into it, and you can always view info on specific things at your leisure. There are multiple weapons in the game, ranging from the typical swords, lances, and axes, to ranged weapons like bows, as well as magic. Each weapon has their own stats (like damage) and may have special abilities, so it's best to explore your options. As you use these weapons, the character's proficiency levels up, allowing them to use more powerful weapons, as well as unlock new abilities. Unlike before, there is no weapon triangle (the rock-paper-scissors rule in every other Fire Emblem game), and depending on what your expertise is in games like this, you may find that this either simplifies or trivializes the game. Certain weapon types are notably absent, like daggers and beast-type units. Magic also works differently, as they're no longer a physical item that must be in one's inventory, but are simply just accessible and equippable as long as you've learned them. Healing staffs/staves have been reworked to be white magic instead, and are treated similarly as attack magic. There's also an all-new weapon type called Brawling, which consist of the unit literally punching enemies to death. Magic staffs still exist somewhat, but they're an equippable, non-weapon item that simply gives you buffs (such as increased range or healing). Other such items exist in the game, such as shields (pretty self-explanatory) and rings (which increase stats or provide other passive buffs). Character classes also work a little differently this time around. As you play, you can gain the option to change a character's class. This allows you to change them to, say, a cavalier, which puts them on a horse and grants them significant movement and a different stat spread. Most of the classes in this game are from older games, but a few are unique. Three Houses is a little more lenient with classes in terms of weapons this time around, as before, your class used to determine what kind of weapons you can use. Now, it's a little more freeform, for as long as your character is proficient in a certain weapon, they can use it regardless of class. There is only a restriction when it comes to magic, as those can only be used by classes where magic is explicitly stated to be usable. In addition, classes also have a sort of "proficiency" you have to level up, and doing so unlocks new abilities that you can equip to your character. As such, it may be to your benefit for a character to master different classes, so that they have access to good abilities. Weapons and magic have a set durability, which decreases for every use of the weapon. Once it hits zero, your weapon breaks, and you'll need to repair it to be able to use it at full strength. This adds a layer of strategy to combat, as you can't spam Heal or use the same weapon over and over. Each character has a personal inventory with which you can have them hold multiple weapons — it's one of many ways to work around this limitation. New to Three Houses is something known as Combat Arts. Leveling up weapon proficiency unlocks these Combat Arts for use. Most of these Combat Arts are attacks; in exchange for a significant amount of a weapon's durability, you can unleash a powerful attack, or an attack that does something special (like increase Crit rate or Dodge rate). A few Combat Arts aren't combat based, like the movement arts (like Swap, Reposition, etc.) and stuff like Healing Focus. I got by not relying on these Combat Arts, but they're useful in a pinch. Another new element to Three Houses are Battalions. You can equip these Battalions to characters in order to give them buffs, but more importantly, they allow the equipped character to use Gambits, powerful moves that can do things like deal massive damage or heal. You can get by without ever having to use these, but they're really handy to have, especially in tougher maps. The Crests I mentioned before also factor into gameplay. Certain characters possess these Crests, and there are many kinds to speak of, each with various effects. These effects are activated at random, so while they can tip the scales in your favor, you can't really rely on them. The most important thing about Crests is that they allow the characters who possess them to wield legendary weapons (like the Hero's Relics). The effects of these weapons can only be activated if they are held by a character with the corresponding Crest, so it's more than worthwhile to give them to their respective owners as soon as you get them. Three Houses does away with the Pair Up mechanics from previous games in favor of Adjutants. When you get to a certain point in the game, you can "equip" any units not currently deployed to active units. Doing so can activate certain effects in favor of the lead unit depending on the Adjutant's class (ranging from healing, to follow-up attacks, and damage reduction), and resolving battles with the lead unit also grants the Adjutant experience. Building support between characters provides benefits in battle as well. Units with a good support level gain stat boosts when they're next to each other on the battlefield, and Adjutant effects are more likely to trigger the higher the support level. The reverse is also true, as good map positioning and the use of Adjutants raises support levels. There are three difficulty levels: Normal, Hard, and Maddening, as well as two play modes: Classic (which means permadeath for any character of yours that dies in battle) and Casual (characters who die aren't lost). I played primarily on Normal/Classic, which was manageable (but not a pushover). Based on my past experience with Fire Emblem, Hard is probably quite rough, and Maddening would probably piss me off. Choose your modes depending on what you wish to get out of the game (whether that's experiencing the story or challenging tactical gameplay). THE MONASTERY: Battling is the main hook of Three Houses, but what do you do in between battles? That time is spent in the monastery, and there is plenty to do there. Each story chapter takes place over the course of a month (denoted by a calendar that the game shows you). The main mission is often at the end of the month, so that leaves you some time to do other things. You can do these other things on Free Days, of which there is one per week. One of the things you can do is explore the monastery. Here, the game enters a third person exploration mode where you can wander Garreg Mach and interact with people. You can talk to the various characters, clear some fetch quests, go to the marketplace for some shopping, manage your inventory, and look at support conversations during this time. The most important thing you can do in Explore mode are Activities. Some of these activities (like fishing) can be done at your leisure, but the rest can only be done once a week. These range from sharing meals (which raises support levels), planting seeds (which can be harvested the following week for items), receiving training from faculty (which increases Byleth's proficiency in weapons), going on tea parties (also raises support levels), and more. These seem like a waste of time, but a lot of these activities do help you improve in battle. In addition, performing these activities increases your Professor Level. Doing so allows you to perform more activities per free day, among other things. During free days, you can also go on a set amount of battles. You can get in some extra training for your units this way, as well as acquire rewards like money and items. It is also here where you can access the aforementioned Paralogues, and completing those often gives you unique rewards. Once the free day is over, the following week starts anew, and that usually means Lecture Day. During this phase, you can instruct your units on certain fields, and doing so levels up their proficiency in the chosen fields (like weapons or magic). Your ability to instruct your units is dependent on their Motivation, which is increased when you build support or participate in Activities with them on free days. Instruction is the best way to improve your units outside of battle, and doing so efficiently will make them stronger/allow them to reclass into better classes faster. Nothing actually happens during the rest of the calendar days, save for the occasional random event (like support conversations and such), so in truth, your time at the monastery is actually just a few free days and a couple of lecture days. That said, I still really like this approach of dealing with downtime, as doing shit in the monastery actually benefits me in battle down the line. It's also just fun to interact with people in the monastery, so much so that I went out of my way to check out the new dialogue for everyone every free day. VERDICT: Fire Emblem: Three Houses has ascended to become my favorite FE game so far. The changes to the gameplay ended up being for the better, adding new twists to an already-satisfying tactical formula. The game also strikes a perfect balance with the character interaction aspect and the battles, with the monastery segments aptly demonstrating how one can complement the other. Take all of that and mix in a compelling narrative set in a lore-rich world that tackles heavy themes, a solid cast of interesting, three-dimensional characters, brilliant music and voice acting, and you have yourself a damn near perfect package. Although I had to play the game multiple times to see everything, I thought it was worth it, as every playthrough featured character interactions I've never seen before, bits of lore that expanded upon or clarified shit I saw in previous playthroughs, and combat with a new cast of characters allowed me to try new things in battle. Even with all that said, there's still stuff in the game I haven't seen and done (and that's not even taking into account the DLC). The fact that I went out of my way to experience as much as I can should speak to the quality of the game, no? The month I spent playing through this game was absolutely worth it, in my mind. Three Houses is excellent in nearly every aspect, and I highly recommend it, especially to RPG fans. If you've never played a Fire Emblem game before, this is the one to start with. - end - Well, this is weird, isn't it? We have an NXT Takeover today, but it's not on a Saturday (US time), and it doesn't precede a main roster PPV. Also, the card had an additional sixth match. Let's talk about that (and every other match) below.
After a bit of a hiatus, Five Comics is back! I apologize for the unannounced break, but I've been spending a fair amount of time reorganizing my to-read list, as well as preparing new themes for this series. As such, I decided to hold off on writing more of these until I had a more organized game plan. If anyone was worried that these types of entries were gone, worry not, as they won't be going away anytime soon. THE THEME: It's Valentines Day! I personally don't care for this "holiday", but I have nonetheless prepared five romance/romance-focused comics to mark the occasion. It is also common knowledge to people who know me that I also don't care for most romance stories, but I am far from opposed to giving them a chance. The title is a reference to this song. Valentine's Day happens to fall on a Friday this year, so the nod felt appropriate. THE COMICS: ALEX + ADA #1 Publisher: Image Comics Writers: Jonathan Luna, Sarah Vaughn Artist: Jonathan Luna - This story is set in a futuristic world filled with all sorts of advanced technology, including androids with advanced AI. Alex, a 27-year-old still reeling from a breakup, receives one for his birthday (against his wishes), which leaves him with an interesting dilemma: does he get rid of it, or does he play things out? - Comixology link AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963-1998) ANNUAL #21 Publisher: Marvel Writers: Jim Shooter, David Michelinie Artists: Paul Ryan, Vince Colletta - This massive issue sees Spidey do his usual thing of fighting crime and taking photos for the Bugle, but more importantly, he's preparing for his wedding with MJ. It's not as smooth as it sounds, as Peter goes through his usual financial struggles, debates getting close to people when he leads a double life, and reminisces about Gwen Stacy. MJ and Peter are an iconic pair, and this comic is an essential read when it comes to exploring their relationship. - Comixology link BOYS OVER FLOWERS SEASON 2 (CHAPTER 36) Publisher: Viz Media Writer: Yoko Kamio Artist: Yoko Kamio - Boys Over Flowers S2 follows Oto Edogawa, a girl who lives in poverty yet studies at Eitoku Academy, a school of the rich elite. One of these wealthy students, Haruto Kaguragi, has taken a liking to the girl, but in this chapter, they get into quite the disagreement. - this chapter is collected in Vol. 6 OUR LOVE IS REAL Publisher: self-published Writer: Sam Humphries Artist: Steven Sanders - A strange comic where love and sex have rather... liberal definitions. Probably not a comic for everyone (for various, potentially controversial reasons), but I enjoyed how bizarrely different it was. - has disappeared from digital, but here's info on it from the writer's website SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE (2005-2007) #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Sean McKeever Artist: Takeshi Miyazawa - This comic focuses more on MJ, as she tries to date.... Spider-Man. It's important to note that this is during her high school days, and that she doesn't know Peter Parker and Spider-Man are the same person. Her antics are hilarious, and the manga-esque art style is great. - Comixology link Whether you have someone to keep you company today, or you're a perennial lone wolf like I am, I wish you well on this otherwise ordinary Friday. Hopefully you enjoyed my selection of comics, but these barely scratch the surface of the realm of romance comics, so if you're interested, don't be afraid to explore further.
PANEL(s) OF THE WEEK: I'm on the homestretch of my Fire Emblem: Three Houses playthrough (which means the blog entry for it will be coming within two weeks), but before I proceed with that, I took some time to play today's game. BACKGROUND:
I've already discussed my familiarity with the Half-Life series in my blog entry for the first game. No need to reiterate here. PLOT: After the wild ride that was the Black Mesa Incident, Gordon Freeman has apparently been in stasis since the first game, and he's just been reawakened. During his absence, the entire Earth has been conquered by an interdimensional force called the Combine, and they've enacted a police state on the entire planet, oppressing and subjugating the human race. Freeman encounters members of the Resistance, a group of people taking the fight to the Combine. Apparently, Freeman's actions in the first game have gained the man some renown among the Resistance, and his arrival is taken as a sign of hope against the Combine menace. With the help of a few prominent Resistance members, Gordon Freeman once again picks up a crowbar to take down some goddamn aliens. Though a lot of the details are left to the player to piece together via NPC interactions and such (like majority of Half-Life 1's story), Half-Life 2 features a more focused plot that establishes the main conflict right off the bat. The goal is clear from the start: take down the totalitarian shitheads. It's more of an action movie in that regard compared to the first game, which leaned heavily on the sci-fi + horror aspect. I thought this story was fine, but I definitely prefer the first game's plot, even if it was more esoteric. Since you already know what the goal is, there isn't really a sense of mystery to the game, and because most of the focus is on taking down Combine, there isn't a lot of room to get into world-building (for example, Vortigaunts, which were enemies in the first game, now coexist with humans, but there isn't an outright explanation for why). Half-Life 2 gets one up on the first game by featuring an actual supporting cast. You get to know Resistance characters like Alyx, her dad Eli, Barney (who was a security guard in Black Mesa), and more. In line with the more focused objective of the game, the villain of Half-Life 2 is also an actual character by the name of Dr. Breen. Since Gordon Freeman himself is still a silent protagonist, it was really nice to have actual characters who had personalities. Even if you spend most of the game by yourself, the occasions when you get to interact with the characters were enjoyable, and it is through them that Gordon gains a sort of character, as many NPCs speak very highly of him. The game tells its story is the exact same as Half-Life 1: no textboxes, no cutscenes; everything happens in the game. You figure out what's going on by actively interacting with NPCs, or by getting to certain points and triggering scripted sequences. As I said before, having this sense of agency within the game's narrative adds a deeper level of immersion, and I enjoyed this the second time around. PRESENTATION: The visuals are more polished than that of the first game, with more polished 3D models and nicer-looking textures. Effects like explosions also look a lot better. In the case of NPCs, there are actually more than three character models, and they're all pretty distinct. Music still leans more on the ambient side, but in big moments, the tracks that play get your heart pumping like nobody's business. Sound design is still impressive, as audio cues are instantly recognizable, and distinct sounds (such as a zombie's wails when you set it on fire) are truly memorable (in my example, it's memorable in how upsetting it is to hear). The only really new elements in terms of design are the Combine. The soldiers are pretty much faceless totalitarian state enforcers (not unlike Stormtroopers), so there isn't much to say about them. They do have some cool-looking vehicles, like bulky APCs and gunships that have an alien insect aesthetic. GAMEPLAY: Half-Life 2 is an FPS, much like its predecessor. Run, aim, shoot, don't die. You know the drill. Like before, the game takes you on a journey from point A to point Z as the story unfolds. There are places where there's room to explore and find secrets, and there are sections where you must backtrack, but for the most part, the game is linear, and it's all one seamless experience. The second game differentiates itself from the first with a simple, but incredibly significant addition: a physics engine. This engine allows Gordon Freeman to do one seemingly basic thing: pick up objects. You can go up to most loose objects (e.g. soda cans, boxes, small crates, etc.), pick them up, and either drop them or throw them a short distance. This seems stupid to highlight, but this one simple addition actually opens a floodgate of possibilities within the game. Can't reach a high place? Stack some boxes and get up there. Pool of acid in your way? Use garbage as stepping stones. Can't find the way forward? Try clearing some debris. Puzzles are now more exciting thanks to this physics engine. In addition to my earlier examples, you can use objects in more complex ways in order to progress. For example, there's one section in the first half of the game where you have to put counterweights on plywood in order to create a ramp. In another puzzle, you take advantage of the buoyancy of plastic barrels to raise a lever from underwater. With a little creativity, you can even bypass certain sections of the game by bringing in objects from earlier areas, which adds an open-ended component to how to solve problems. You can even take advantage of the ability to interact with objects in combat. You can set up temporary cover with random debris, or exploit gravity and roll an explosive barrel down an incline towards enemies. You can set traps by placing said barrels in specific locations. You can even destroy raised platforms and make objects fall on enemies. There's plenty more you can do, but I'll get to that in a moment. Your arsenal this time around is mostly the same. You still have a crowbar, a pistol, a revolver, a shotgun, a scoped crossbow, an SMG (which still has a grenade launcher), a rocket launcher, and grenades. Everything works mostly the same, except for the rocket launcher, whose shots you can now manually guide to targets using its laser sight. Pretty useful. There is a new weapon called the pulse rifle, which is functionally just a powerful assault rifle. Its secondary fire launches a pulse grenade, which bounces against surfaces before exploding. Not really breathtaking, but it is an effective weapon. Explosive ordnance is sadly reduced in this game. You only have access to the standard grenades, so no remote bombs, trip mines, or anything of the sort. Alien weapons have sadly been axed as well, but you do get what's called "bug bait," which, when thrown, summons aliens called "antlions" that gang up on nearby enemies. It's easily the second most fun "weapon" in the game, but it's only usable in one section in the entire campaign, which is incredibly disappointing. The "sci-fi tech" weapons have also been reduced, but the one you do get is more than enough. The most fun weapon in the game is, of course, the Gravity Gun. With it, you can pick up objects from a considerable distance (even heavy ones like tables, which you can't pick up normally) and fire them as a projectile. This essentially weaponizes a good chunk of random objects in the game, because flinging objects at enemies can hurt (or even kill) them. Hurling specific objects with the Gravity Gun can also result in some fun interactions. For example, launching an explosive barrel will make the barrel explode on impact. Another fun one is throwing saw blades; anything unlucky enough to be in its path is sliced in two. The Gravity Gun is also useful for solving puzzles, as you can use it to move heavy objects, position platforms for yourself, interact with something you can't physically reach, and more. It can also be used to interact with special objects, such as automatic turrets and mines, which serve to expand your combat capabilities. All it does is pick up and throw objects, but it blows my mind how much you can do with that one concept. The Gravity Gun certainly has to be one of the most fun and versatile weapon in any video game ever, right? Though Black Mesa featured interesting locations, Half-Life 2 feels like an even bigger journey. You go across the city, through sewer tunnels, on beaches, in farm houses, on a bridge, through buildings, and more. It feels more varied than the facility, and you get to do a bunch of different things and interact with all sorts of people to get through the game. One of the new things you can do involves lengthy vehicle sections. One part has you control an airboat across a radioactive river, and another has you drive a buggy across several miles of road, beaches, and train tracks. These sections were pretty enjoyable, as not only could you a) run over enemies, b) shoot them with each vehicle's mounted gun, and c) occasionally make jumps off ramps, but the vehicles didn't feel like they were just there for the sake of it. You had to step out of the vehicle at times to solve a puzzle on foot, which then opens a way forward with the vehicle. It felt like an organic part of the game, and best of all, they controlled (mostly) fine. Another thing this game has you do is be accompanied by NPCs in certain sections. It's an expanded take of what Half-Life 1 does, where you can have guards follow you around. This time, the people accompanying you are either important supporting characters (like Alyx or Barney), or a squad of Resistance fighters. In the case of the former, you need them to progress through certain areas, so it's pretty much an escort mission. Thankfully, they can adequately defend themselves, so it's rarely ever a problem. As for the latter, you can command the squad to go to a certain location if need be (usually to get out of the way, because they will get in your way), and on occasion, you'll have a medic on your team who will periodically heal you. The added firepower is helpful in many areas, but navigating areas with four assholes constantly tailing you can certainly get annoying. In terms of platforming sections, there are a couple of "the floor is lava" areas in the game. It sounds fun on paper, but the novelty quickly wears off when you realize you constantly need to pick up objects to create stepping stones. Enemy variety is a step down from the first game, which I thought was disappointing. You get returning enemies like headcrabs and zombies, and they each have upgraded versions (e.g. there are zombies that are fast and sprint at you, and zombies that continuously spawn poison headcrabs, whose bites reduce your health to 1). For the most part, however, you'll be fighting Combine soldiers, and while they do pose a challenge in combat, it's ultimately not exciting from a variety standpoint. You do get to fight some cool things, such as enemy gunships and giant Striders (alien walkers that are essentially Combine's answer to AT-ATs), but actually fighting them isn't interesting (the strategy for both is literally "just use your rocket launcher"). There aren't any boss fight like the ones in the first game where you actually have to solve a puzzle to kill the boss (as opposed to "shoot and hope for the best"), and I found myself missing that here. I suppose it fits with the more action-oriented approach this game seems to be going for, and it does excel in that regard. VERDICT: Despite my personal issues with some of the choices made, I still hold Half-Life 2 in high regard as a more than worthy sequel to an already stellar game. With its one simple addition of the ability to interact with objects, it turned what would otherwise be a good FPS game into a memorable adventure that granted me a sense of freedom in my approach to puzzles or combat. Though it takes away a number of things that made the first game fantastic in my eyes, what is here is expanded and improved upon substantially, and what was added left its own unique impression on me. As with Half-Life 1, I'd argue that Half-Life 2 is an "essential" that must be played at least once, but I will insist that you play the first game first. Here's Half-Life 2 on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/220/HalfLife_2/ - end - The first of many comic book movies in 2020 has arrived, and per usual, I had to go see it opening day like the absolute loser that I am. Birds of Prey is one of my favorite superhero teams ever, and I'm here to talk about its first big screen adaptation. As all the promotional material leading up to this movie has established, the focal point of the movie is not the Birds of Prey themselves, but Harley Quinn. She and Joker have split, and as the Clown Princess of Crime struggles to find a new place in the world, she ends up tangled in the criminal enterprise of one Roman Sionis, AKA Black Mask. Black Mask's activities end up affecting the soon-to-be Birds of Prey, eventually leading to the main cast crossing paths in the story. It's not exactly a revolutionary story (how many "team-ups due to happenstance" movies have you seen?), but it's not contrived (I don't feel like it is, anyway), and it doesn't take itself too seriously, so this does not really bother me.
I've been a fan of the Birds of Prey since I was a kid, so the initial news of this movie becoming a thing really excited me. But as trailers and such started coming out, it became clear that they seemed to be focusing heavily on Harley Quinn instead of the actual team, which made me worried that we wouldn't see much of the others. That turns out to be the case for most of the movie, as a huge chunk follows Harley's antics, and she also narrates the thing all throughout. As much as I wish that the team got most of the spotlight, Harley Quinn is an absolute delight of a character to watch on screen with her unbridled, almost captivating wackiness, so I can't be mad at all. In addition, she serves her purpose well as the anchor connecting every plot thread and the familiar face to introduce these new characters to an entirely new audience. I probably would have felt better if this had just been sold as a Harley Quinn movie instead of Birds of Prey, but at the end of the day, her being the big focus ended up not being much of a detriment, so I'm happy. It takes a little bit for the movie to get going and actually introduce the other characters, as it spends a bit of time establishing Harley herself and setting up the plot (done so in a slightly jarring, but humorous non-linear fashion that features hilarious narration from Harley). Once they get to the other characters, they get pretty much the bare minimum of backstory, but it ends up being sufficient, as the main plot gives them just enough room to be interesting or otherwise charming characters. Ensemble casts tend to have the unenviable task of trying to get audiences to like multiple characters in a short amount of time, and for a movie that features an already established character taking up most of the screen time, I think they did the best they could. The Birds of Prey roster in this movie is pretty solid. They have the two most important members in the team's entire history (Black Canary and Huntress), a semi-obscure but brilliant addition in Renee Montoya (the most prominent cop in Gotham not named Jim Gordon or Harvey Bullock), and not-really-a-member Cassandra Cain (who's still just a kid here, but becomes Batgirl in the comics). Though they don't get too many chances to grow as characters (not as much as Harley does, anyway), they all have pretty distinct, striking personalities, and they all get to do something funny and badass throughout the movie. Huntress was my personal favorite in this movie, as she immediately had this badass aura around her the moment she arrives. The way they handled Black Canary was interesting, as they kept her grounded but didn't shy away from her status as the only metahuman in the group (plus they also hinted at some interesting elements surrounding her origin). Montoya was a fun take on the classic "grizzled cop" character, and Cain wasn't insufferable and actually got to do cool things despite not yet being the hero comic fans knows she can be. Black Mask, while not having the most groundbreaking villain motivation ever conceived, is as entertaining to watch as Harley Quinn. He switches from charismatic and flamboyant to the trademark sadistic the comic version is known for on a dime, making his presence onscreen rather commanding. As a physical threat, his henchmen do most of the heavy lifting, with the most prominent being fellow Batman villain Victor Zsasz. Zsasz is mostly the silent enforcer-type character in the movie, but he does get to show his deranged serial killer side (with a dash of humor) from time to time. Everything else about this movie captured the chaotic energy Harley Quinn is known for in the best way possible. The action is both frenetic and stylish, with each member of the main cast having an approach to combat that separates them from the others (e.g. Harley fights with both an over-the-top and acrobatic style, Huntress is no-nonsense and brutal). The soundtrack had some choice tunes that fit all different kinds of moods, the silly editing (which ranged from funny text on screen to the use of fully animated sequences) went hand in hand with the humor (though perhaps at the cost of coherent storytelling at times), and some of the set pieces (especially the final act) were simply bonkers. Harley's wardrobe was also chaotic in this sense, as she wore threads that were eye-catching on many levels. The references to both the DCEU and the comics in general were kept to a decent minimum in this movie. Suicide Squad gets one or two quick nods, Batman is mentioned once in a throwaway line, and that's about it. Most of the comic book stuff is just origin-related material (Huntress's backstory, Harley narrating her own origin, even a bit of Black Mask's backstory), a few obvious visual references (Victor Zsasz's "defining trait", and Black Mask's... well, mask), and setups that may or may not pan out in the future (the hints at Black Canary's origin, some of the stuff that happens at the end). There were some things where I kinda went "oh shit, that's awesome," but it's not anything on the level of "they're setting up Darkseid" or anything big like that. Despite my initial skepticism over this becoming the Harley Quinn Show, Birds of Prey (and its tremendously long subtitle) satisfied me as a longtime fan of the team from the comics. It was able to do a lot with a little in terms of the actual members of the Birds of Prey, featured both a main heroine and villain that were fun and interesting to watch for the entirety of the movie, and presented it all with a zany, bombastic style that starts slow but goes full throttle once it hits its stride. What a way to kick off a new year of new comic book movies! (Please make a sequel, DC. And also please add Barbara Gordon, preferably as Oracle. Thanks.) - end - If you were wondering where the usual weekly read was last week, I decided to take an unannounced break to shuffle some stuff around. I apologize if you were looking forward to it, but worry not, I'm back with a little something this time around. BACKGROUND:
I'm revisiting Locke & Key because this week, its TV adaptation is coming to Netflix, and I'm excited to watch that. I read this first volume a number of years ago and was really fascinated by its lore, but I never got around to reading some of the later volumes. In an effort to a) refresh my memory in preparation for the show, and b) push myself to read more Locke & Key, I've decided to redownload my digital copy of Vol. 1 and get to reading. THE WRITING: Locke & Key follows the story of the Locke family, primarily that of its three children: the eldest Tyler, the middle Kinsey, and the youngest Bode. The family used to live in San Francisco, but after their father Rendell was murdered, Nina (the mother) and Duncan (Rendell's brother) take the kids and move them to Lovecraft, Massachusetts to live in Keyhouse, Rendell's childhood home. As the family tries to move past their tragedy and readjust in their new environment, it becomes apparent that Keyhouse harbors plenty of dark secrets. While the first volume doesn't reveal the full extent of Keyhouse's secrets, it shows enough to keep me interested. The first few issues start out slow, switching back and forth from the perspectives of the Locke children, establishing their characters and shedding light on life before their father's murder. Things get interesting when Bode (the youngest of the three) finds a mysterious key that opens a door, as that's when the supernatural elements of Locke & Key's story start to reveal themselves. As it turns out, the aptly named Keyhouse is a mansion filled with magical doors, all of which require special keys to open. Going through each of these doors causes all sorts of bizarre things to happen to whoever walks through them (e.g. one door separates your soul from your body, another makes you older when you walk through, etc.). Only one of these doors is featured in the first volume, but many doors and their respective keys are hinted at, which made me excited to read more of the comic. Though it seems that the comic would simply revolve around various shenanigans involving these doors, the magical properties of these doors are framed in a decidedly sinister manner. As it turns out, there's a malevolent force making its home in Keyhouse, and that force is trying to get out by manipulating people from the shadows. Again, it's another slow burn situation where the first volume doesn't show much, but it's revealed that the initial murder that sets up the story is connected to this unseen evil, and that Rendell Locke had a storied past with Keyhouse that's begging to be explored. The whole door and key business really captured my imagination the first time I read the book. I suppose it scratches that Pokémon itch in my brain where there's all types of doors/keys within Keyhouse, and I want to "catch 'em all," so to speak. I also like how the horror aspect of the comic is tied to these elements; it's clear from the start that there's something eerily strange about Keyhouse, and all the uncertainty surrounding the keys, doors, and the aforementioned unseen evil established a persistent sense of unease throughout the book. After what they've been through, you just want to see the Locke family move on and get back to their normal lives, but knowing that there are unknown supernatural elements lurking about in the place they now call home seeking to further upend what little normalcy they have kept me tense as I read the comic. THE ART: While the setting of Locke & Key leans more into the supernatural side of things, the art leans more towards a grounded, somewhat realistic aesthetic. Few things (even some of the actual supernatural elements) look outlandishly stylized, and none of the things that are meant to be frightening look like freakish abominations, which I feel adds an element of "nothing is what it seems" to the horror aspect of the comic. The colors are rather nuanced as well, with everything being in this muted, grayish filter that would probably feel boring if the story weren't so interesting. I found the way that the artist drew people to be rather interesting and noteworthy, as the style in which they're drawn is one that I can't quite describe. There's nothing outright striking about their designs, but something about how their faces are drawn and detailed feel so unique to me. It's hard to explain and put into words, but long story short: I like it. There is some gore and violence depicted within Locke & Key's panels, and while it's nothing bordering on absurd like Mortal Kombat, the visuals are almost equally upsetting. The way some characters die can be rather gruesome, but what really sells it is the disturbing expressions the corpses have. I find that more unsettling than whatever Eldritch horror an H.R. Geiger-type artist could ever come up with. VERDICT: Locke & Key is a horror comic the likes of which I haven't experienced before. Its many mysteries both feed into your curiosity and fill you with dread, and its more subdued art fits the vibe quite well. I've read plenty of critical acclaim online about this comic series, and I find it difficult to disagree. I hope the show captures even a little of what makes the source material an enjoyable experience. Buy and read Vol. 1 on Comixology: https://m.comixology.com/Locke-Key-Vol-1-Welcome-To-Lovecraft/digital-comic/18409?ref=c2VhcmNoL2luZGV4L21vYmlsZS90cmFkZUl0ZW0 - end - The back half of BoJack Horseman's final season is finally here, which means I must say a bittersweet goodbye to another show that I've enjoyed over the past few years. I talk about S6 as a whole and look back on the overall series in this blog entry. The first half of S6 picks up where S5 left off, as BoJack begins his time in rehab. As time went on, it looks as though BoJack actually can turn his life around, and by the time the first half ends, it feels like he's figured himself out. However, the end of the first half teased a painful reality: that BoJack's happiness may not last as long as he thinks it would.
The second half follows through on that tease, as some of BoJack's most grievous sins finally catch up to him. Now, he must deal with the consequences that those past choices will bring to his career, his relationships, and his own psyche. It's a tough journey to watch, and it left me feeling truly ambivalent: on one hand, BoJack's had a rough go, and I was glad that he was making progress with himself. But on the other hand, some of the things he did throughout the series were genuinely terrible, and it didn't feel right to not have him take responsibility. In an online climate that thrives on absolutes, I think such conflicting emotions should be seen as perfectly natural and human (as opposed to grounds for condemnation), and the show does a good job not leaning too heavily on any one side of the scale in terms of rooting for or against BoJack. It's not just BoJack who gets to grow (or regress) as a character, because the rest of the main cast go on their own, equally compelling journeys. Diane struggles with and confronts her trauma, Todd slowly but surely grows up (but is still no stranger to shenanigans), Princess Carolyn's quest to "have it all" in life continues, and Mr. Peanutbutter comes to terms with the tumultuous nature of his relationships. Some characters get more to do than others, but for the most part, they get pretty satisfying resolutions. A few minor characters show up, but a lot of their stories are left open-ended. The most notable culprit is Hollyhock, but given the circumstances presented in the story (which I will not spoil), I feel that her reduced presence in the closing episodes makes total sense. As far as finales go, this one was more nuanced and somber, compared to most other finales, which go out of their way to hit a high note. It delivers this weird mix of closure and dissatisfaction with how it resolves (or doesn't resolve) plot threads, which definitely feels intentional given the abrupt nature of this show's cancellation. Even though the show itself is over, there's this underlying message that, in the case of BoJack's struggles, nothing ever ends. It's a truly bittersweet goodbye. In terms of other standout episodes, I would say that the penultimate episode is an easy contender for one of the series' absolute best. To talk any more of it would require massive spoilers, so I will just say that I found it absolutely haunting and, at times, quite distressing, which is something I rarely feel when watching stuff. If online engagement with the show is any indication, this is a show that means a great deal to a lot of people. I first watched this show out of curiosity (friends of mine were raving about it), and I came in expecting a goofy cartoon with some great humor. Now, granted, BoJack is indeed a show with some brilliant humor and fantastic art, but as I continued watching, it was clear that it was so much more. It went into a deep dive into some uncomfortable subjects, explored sadly relatable struggles, and looked into the troubled psyches of various characters, all the while peppering in some brilliant jokes and visual gags. I connected with the show on a level so few shows ever manage to do, and it imparted just as many lasting lessons on me as it did hilarious jokes. I'd like to think many other people feel similarly. As with all shows coming to an end, it's a shame to see BoJack go, but for what it's worth, the brilliant minds behind it got to end it on their terms. In a day and age where perfectly decent shows are axed without warning all the time, that's all I could really ask for. BoJack Horseman is one of the most captivating, hilarious, relatable, haunting adult animated series I've ever had the pleasure of watching, and if you haven't already, you owe it to yourself to see it. - end - |
Categories
All
Archives
June 2024
Derryck
|