After a fair amount of anticipation, the next chapter in both the MCU and, more specifically, the Defenders branch arrives as the first season of Luke Cage hit Netflix today.
While there was some benefit to having Luke appear in Jessica Jones beforehand, I think this episode does a pretty solid job of giving viewers an idea of who he is. Despite his powers, he's still more interested in just laying low and working odd jobs to make rent (or to try and make it anyway.) His explanation of his back story could be viewed as a little clunky, especially considering I have a feeling that we're going to get a more in depth look at his origins through flashback as the series progresses, but for now it gets the job done.
The supporting cast also really shined. The opening scene in the barbershop was rather enjoyable. The Netflix shows are notably darker, but it's always good to see that they aren't completely devoid of humor.
Stokes, the antagonist du jour, also gets a fairly strong showing. There are some echoes of Wilson Fisk, but he has his own mannerisms and quirks that make him feel like a distinct villain as opposed to a complete rehash. Mahershala Ali is clearly having fun with the role as he gets to put on a confident, quasi-friendly air while also showing a penchant for violence when people dare to cross him.
Oddly, it's almost immediately made clear that he isn't the biggest fish in this particular lake. You'd think that they'd want to build him up as a power player, given that he seems to be the main antagonist for the series as a whole, but he seems to be strapped for cash and one scene has him deferring to someone known only as Diamondback, who sends one of his lackeys to let Stokes know that he isn't happy when a deal goes south. Whether this is just a traditional fight between rival gangs or a hint to something regarding the Defenders has yet to be determined. I'm, of course, hoping for the latter, though the specifics of how that would work elude me.
There are a few nods to the larger MCU. Both Jessica and Daredevil are indirectly alluded to when the barbershop owner is nudging Luke into becoming a hero, we see someone selling video of "the incident", and Fisk is even directly name dropped when a politician is talking about Stokes' enterprise. The fact that the weapons being sold were made by Hammer Industries was also a nice touch.
We also get a few subtle winks to the comics. Luke himself is referred to (jokingly) as "Power Man". Near the end of the episode, someone offers to hire Luke to protect them from Stokes' goons on a recurring basis. Given that he's literally a "hero for hire" in the comics, I was surprised to see him turn the offer down, though this is, admittedly, the more noble route.
The episode is largely stage setting, but it all works well. Even though the episode is fairly light on action, the character moments are pulled off effectively enough that it isn't to the episode's detriment. There is an extended shootout sequence that was fairly well done, though I think the musical accompaniment helped on that front significantly. It's a fairly old trick to put violent scenes to more upbeat music, but it can still work and it did here.
It's kind of weird that this takes place before the second season of Daredevil. I know the timeline for these shows is somewhat nebulous, but you'd think that they would want to release them in the order that the events occur. It just seems easier. On the other hand, it does yield some benefits, as the Sokovia Accords aren't a problem just yet. Even if you were just looking at the Netflix shows, Frank's crusade would have created waves that would have made it more difficult for Luke to do his thing, so it also works to the show's advantage on that front as well.
Overall, this was a strong start for the series. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the rest of the season plays out.
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Friday, September 30, 2016
Monday, September 26, 2016
'Dragon Ball Super' episode 59: 'Protect Supreme Kai Gowasu! Destroy Zamasu'
You'd think that the heroes returning to confront Zamasu would lead to a dramatic confrontation. This episode takes a different tact as the group almost immediately backpedal and decide to leave, saying that their visit was due to Goku's desire for a rematch, but they'll do it later as they don't want to interrupt tea time.
Even Goku himself is confused by this course of action, but it makes sense. As Beerus notes, Zamasu's an upcoming supreme kai, they can't just kill him without physical proof of his nefarious scheme. True, both Beerus and Whis note his ill intent is palpable (to them anyway,) but that's not enough.
As such, they decide to watch to see what Zamasu is going to do. It's a tough situation, as Goku repeatedly says that he wants to go help and stop the murder from happening, but Whis is playing the long game.
Sure enough, Zamasu does kill Gowasu, though surprisingly, it isn't by poisoned tea. The show did a good job of making you think that the tea was going to be the means of murder. The ending of the last episode heavily implied it and even here, Gowasu notes that the tea has a strange odor before he takes a sip. When Gowasu offers Zamasu some, the latter declines, further suggesting that something is up.
It turns out that the tea is fine and Zamasu kills Gowasu by chopping off his head with the ki blade. It's lacking in subtlety, but it does give hard proof that Zamasu has fallen to the dark side.
With the proof they need, Whis uses his rewind time ability and the group jumps in to play the big damn heroes. You'd think that someone would have grabbed Zamasu's arm before he could begin the swing or that they would have yelled, but instead, Whis just puts an oven mit on Zamasu's hand. As a strategy, it's a bit on the sillier side, but it does manage to save Gowasu's life.
It's here where the aforementioned dramatic confrontation goes down as Gowasu learns of Zamasu's plan, not only to murder him, but to kill all mortals. Suffice it to say, he's mortfied.
Where the past couple of episodes showed Zamasu as completely unhinged, he seems to have regained his composure here. It's actually much creepier in my opinion, especially in the early scenes where he's still putting up an affable front despite the fact that we know how far gone he is.
Even when he's exposed, Zamasu never loses his cool. On the contrary, he's impressed when the heroes reveal his intent and even takes comfort when he learns that they made a trip to the future, as it supports the idea that he's going to succeed.
Time being linear and all, you can't fault Zamasu for thinking that his future success ensures his present day survival. It isn't long, though, before Beerus puts an end to that notion.
It was nice to see Beerus jump into the fray, something he normally doesn't do. It isn't so much a fight between the two divine beings, as Beerus destroys Zamasu with a killing word. It's no less awesome or satisfying because of it, though.
With that settled, the group returns to Earth, where Beerus announces that the matter is taken care of. Bulma isn't so sure and even Future Trunks notes that changes in this time line don't necessarily mean that his timeline will be free of Black and the iteration of Zamasu that they confronted there.
Beerus is surprisingly dismissive, saying that when it comes to gods, time line changes work differently than it does with mortals and it's all done. To be fair, even Whis confirms this.
That being said, as a viewer, you can tell that it's not quite done yet. For one thing, there's a scene that takes place in the future (I really rather liked the episode's transition by the way) where Black and future Zamasu discuss the next step in their plan, namely making Black immortal the same way Zamasu is and then implementing the "Zero-Humanity plan" which, for whatever reason requires a human to implement.
If that alone weren't enough, the teaser for the next episode shows that the characters return to the future to check, only to see that Black is still very real. "Goku"s dialogue suggests that the next episode will reveal Black's identity. We've heard that before, though. At the very least, it seems that there is more to it besides just being an evil copy of Goku that Zamasu wished into being, so that will be interesting to see.
The episode isn't without its lighter moments. We see (future) Mai interacting with the two children as they bring her some food. She vows to keep fighting to ensure their happiness.
Speaking of Mai, the present iteration of her is intent on cheering future Trunks up when he starts brooding over their retreat from the fight with Black.
Once again, Pilaf and Shu try to aid her in her efforts by telling her to go comfort him so that he'll instantly fall in love. It's cute and funny, but it shows Pilaf as being rather manipulative. His efforts to help Mai are genuine, I'm sure, but the way he talks about it sounds more like a chessmaster giving another player advice on what moves to make in order to win. It's played for laughs, but I still got that vibe as that scene played out.
It's moot as young Trunks beats her to the punch. Following in the footsteps of his father, the kid takes a more drill sergeant approach to comfort and challenges his older self to a fight. That would have been interesting to see, but it's probably a good thing that the future iteration didn't really fight back. Given how much more powerful he is, that probably would have been quite short. Oddly, it does "cheer him up". Saiyans are weird, but it was still kind of a nice moment between the two.
Overall, it was a strong episode. There was a nice emotional balance between drama and levity. If there was a weak spot, it was the attempts at humor, which fell flat quite a bit. Oddly, Pilaf wasn't the problem. On the contrary, his scene was fine, but the aforementioned oven mit wasn't exactly hilarious and the bit where Whis says that Zamasu's ill will smells like Beerus' fart (and the ensuing argument about how bad his farts smell) was forced and unnecessary. Still, that was a minor quibble in the grand scheme of things.
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Even Goku himself is confused by this course of action, but it makes sense. As Beerus notes, Zamasu's an upcoming supreme kai, they can't just kill him without physical proof of his nefarious scheme. True, both Beerus and Whis note his ill intent is palpable (to them anyway,) but that's not enough.
As such, they decide to watch to see what Zamasu is going to do. It's a tough situation, as Goku repeatedly says that he wants to go help and stop the murder from happening, but Whis is playing the long game.
Sure enough, Zamasu does kill Gowasu, though surprisingly, it isn't by poisoned tea. The show did a good job of making you think that the tea was going to be the means of murder. The ending of the last episode heavily implied it and even here, Gowasu notes that the tea has a strange odor before he takes a sip. When Gowasu offers Zamasu some, the latter declines, further suggesting that something is up.
It turns out that the tea is fine and Zamasu kills Gowasu by chopping off his head with the ki blade. It's lacking in subtlety, but it does give hard proof that Zamasu has fallen to the dark side.
With the proof they need, Whis uses his rewind time ability and the group jumps in to play the big damn heroes. You'd think that someone would have grabbed Zamasu's arm before he could begin the swing or that they would have yelled, but instead, Whis just puts an oven mit on Zamasu's hand. As a strategy, it's a bit on the sillier side, but it does manage to save Gowasu's life.
It's here where the aforementioned dramatic confrontation goes down as Gowasu learns of Zamasu's plan, not only to murder him, but to kill all mortals. Suffice it to say, he's mortfied.
Where the past couple of episodes showed Zamasu as completely unhinged, he seems to have regained his composure here. It's actually much creepier in my opinion, especially in the early scenes where he's still putting up an affable front despite the fact that we know how far gone he is.
Even when he's exposed, Zamasu never loses his cool. On the contrary, he's impressed when the heroes reveal his intent and even takes comfort when he learns that they made a trip to the future, as it supports the idea that he's going to succeed.
Time being linear and all, you can't fault Zamasu for thinking that his future success ensures his present day survival. It isn't long, though, before Beerus puts an end to that notion.
It was nice to see Beerus jump into the fray, something he normally doesn't do. It isn't so much a fight between the two divine beings, as Beerus destroys Zamasu with a killing word. It's no less awesome or satisfying because of it, though.
With that settled, the group returns to Earth, where Beerus announces that the matter is taken care of. Bulma isn't so sure and even Future Trunks notes that changes in this time line don't necessarily mean that his timeline will be free of Black and the iteration of Zamasu that they confronted there.
Beerus is surprisingly dismissive, saying that when it comes to gods, time line changes work differently than it does with mortals and it's all done. To be fair, even Whis confirms this.
That being said, as a viewer, you can tell that it's not quite done yet. For one thing, there's a scene that takes place in the future (I really rather liked the episode's transition by the way) where Black and future Zamasu discuss the next step in their plan, namely making Black immortal the same way Zamasu is and then implementing the "Zero-Humanity plan" which, for whatever reason requires a human to implement.
If that alone weren't enough, the teaser for the next episode shows that the characters return to the future to check, only to see that Black is still very real. "Goku"s dialogue suggests that the next episode will reveal Black's identity. We've heard that before, though. At the very least, it seems that there is more to it besides just being an evil copy of Goku that Zamasu wished into being, so that will be interesting to see.
The episode isn't without its lighter moments. We see (future) Mai interacting with the two children as they bring her some food. She vows to keep fighting to ensure their happiness.
Speaking of Mai, the present iteration of her is intent on cheering future Trunks up when he starts brooding over their retreat from the fight with Black.
Once again, Pilaf and Shu try to aid her in her efforts by telling her to go comfort him so that he'll instantly fall in love. It's cute and funny, but it shows Pilaf as being rather manipulative. His efforts to help Mai are genuine, I'm sure, but the way he talks about it sounds more like a chessmaster giving another player advice on what moves to make in order to win. It's played for laughs, but I still got that vibe as that scene played out.
It's moot as young Trunks beats her to the punch. Following in the footsteps of his father, the kid takes a more drill sergeant approach to comfort and challenges his older self to a fight. That would have been interesting to see, but it's probably a good thing that the future iteration didn't really fight back. Given how much more powerful he is, that probably would have been quite short. Oddly, it does "cheer him up". Saiyans are weird, but it was still kind of a nice moment between the two.
Overall, it was a strong episode. There was a nice emotional balance between drama and levity. If there was a weak spot, it was the attempts at humor, which fell flat quite a bit. Oddly, Pilaf wasn't the problem. On the contrary, his scene was fine, but the aforementioned oven mit wasn't exactly hilarious and the bit where Whis says that Zamasu's ill will smells like Beerus' fart (and the ensuing argument about how bad his farts smell) was forced and unnecessary. Still, that was a minor quibble in the grand scheme of things.
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Tuesday, September 20, 2016
'Attack on Titan' episode 5: 'First Battle: The Struggle for Trost part 1'
This episode is structured very strangely. It picks up right where the last episode left off, with the second wall broken and the titans approaching. We even see Eren do fairly well in his attempt to slay the monster. Granted, it doesn't work, but it's not his fault. It seems the titan's heavy hitters have defense mechanisms so that their weak point can't be attacked.
Technically, Eren did hit the colossal, as he was met with a gust of hot air, but rather than die, the creature simply vanished. You'd think Eren would be severely burned by this, but he's fine. He also seems to benefit from Looney Tunes gravity as he hovers in mid air for several seconds before finally using his pack to grapple to a wall before hitting the ground. It won't be the last time humans shrug off serious injuries in this episode.
Whether the ineffectiveness is a sign that the titans are evolving or that is just a trait of the colossal has yet to be determined. Eren does deduce that the titans are capable of thought as he notes that they they attacked the canons and disabled the gates first.
Despite the fact that the other titans are still storming the city, the group is called back to HQ. It gives the characters a chance to get introspective as they contemplate and mentally prepare for the oncoming battle, but the battle's already here. It's just very strange that they talk about what could happen if the second wall falls when it's already been breached and the titans are already in the city.
It does give Eren a chance to show that he's not the same pushover that he was when the show first started. He is able to stare down other characters and angrily chides them when they try to give him grief.
I also liked the flashback to the classroom lecture. It's an exposition dump and it seems like a scene that should have been included when they were still in training, as opposed to time skipping (multiple times at that) and then flashing back after the fact, but it does give us more information about the titans and how they function.
There are, of course, still a lot of question marks, like where they came from, but mankind has been able to learn quite a bit about their physiology and noted patterns in their behavior. For example, they only seem to target humans. Also, while chowing down on humans seems to be their primary purpose, they don't do it to feed, as evidenced by the fact that they have been able to survive even when humans weren't around to be eaten.
It's said that they're driven by bloodlust, though that is contradicted by the fact that the titans have a specific target. Either they have an endgame, they don't value human life, or they enjoy eating humans because it's fun. Either way, it's a pretty unnerving development that they are eating people because they want to. If they were doing it to feed, it would still be horrifying, but there would be some potential empathy there. In this case, there is none.
We also see the king, who was talked about a bit last episode. He's not particularly likable, though that seems to be the point. When he is informed that the second wall came down, he's more concerned about his own fate. He even flat out says that the lives of the people outside the inner wall don't matter.
You'd think, at the very least, that he would offer whatever resources were necessary to aid in the fight, but he can't even be bothered to do that. I figure he's going to be getting eaten in a bit of karmic retribution, though character growth is also an option.
Eventually, the episode remembers that a city is under siege and that the characters should probably go fight. To be fair, there is a line about how the fight is occurring off screen, though that just begs the question of why they weren't sent in sooner as that team didn't fare particularly well.
Of course, this team doesn't fare too well either, so it could be moot. You'd think that Eren's training and fury would combine to create a devastating enemy who tears through the monsters that killed so many people. It doesn't.
You could call it a case of reality ensuing as many fighters note that getting angry actually works against you. Such is the case here, as Eren loses an arm (and later a leg) and ends up skidding and bouncing across a couple of rooftops after one of the titans counters his attack. It's pretty brutal.
Also brutal is the shot of one female soldier who has her rope tugged as she is lunging forward, causing her to slam into a brick wall. Considering the velocity she hit and the thud that came from the impact her head made against the wall, you'd think she'd be dead. Oddly, she's still conscious. She just shrugs it off and gets back up. With shows like this, writers usually have to take some liberties when it comes to human durability, but I wasn't expecting it.
Armin doesn't do much better. While he isn't horribly maimed, he is paralyzed by fear. This was actually foreshadowed earlier in the episode and is portrayed rather sympathetically. While it is satisfying to see characters do badass things in the name of saving humanity, this sort of reaction is perfectly natural given the circumstances.
That doesn't stop Armin from almost getting eaten. Even he wonders why he's not moving when the creature is grabbing him and dangling him over its mouth.
It's a shame this world only has access to medieval technology. Lobbing a hand grenade down that thing's throat would have been an interesting tactic. Considering the titans have regenerative abilities, it probably wouldn't work unless the grenade got lodged in the creature's throat. At the very least, it would hurt enough for it to drop Armin, but this is a moot hypothetical.
Luckily for Armin, Eren is able to save him. It was a great heroic moment, even if the logistics of how it could have been done aren't clear. It's undercut by the fact that Eren appears to be swallowed.
At face value, this should be a lame cliffhanger as we know that the main character is going to survive. Even the "anybody can die" argument is undercut by Armin's rescue. He actually had a much greater chance of dying from a narrative standpoint.
Still, the scene worked well. Not only does Armin get to show his fury over the death of his best friend, but we also cut to Mikasa, who seems to sense that something has happened to her adoptive brother.
Even if Eren does survive, as noted, he loses another limb as a result of this, so there will still be consequences.
Strange structure aside, this was probably one of the stronger episodes to date. There is a nice balance of character moments and wham moments to keep you engaged in what's happening. Investment in the peripheral characters is still a problem, but it does seem like the show is picking up steam.
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Technically, Eren did hit the colossal, as he was met with a gust of hot air, but rather than die, the creature simply vanished. You'd think Eren would be severely burned by this, but he's fine. He also seems to benefit from Looney Tunes gravity as he hovers in mid air for several seconds before finally using his pack to grapple to a wall before hitting the ground. It won't be the last time humans shrug off serious injuries in this episode.
Whether the ineffectiveness is a sign that the titans are evolving or that is just a trait of the colossal has yet to be determined. Eren does deduce that the titans are capable of thought as he notes that they they attacked the canons and disabled the gates first.
Despite the fact that the other titans are still storming the city, the group is called back to HQ. It gives the characters a chance to get introspective as they contemplate and mentally prepare for the oncoming battle, but the battle's already here. It's just very strange that they talk about what could happen if the second wall falls when it's already been breached and the titans are already in the city.
It does give Eren a chance to show that he's not the same pushover that he was when the show first started. He is able to stare down other characters and angrily chides them when they try to give him grief.
I also liked the flashback to the classroom lecture. It's an exposition dump and it seems like a scene that should have been included when they were still in training, as opposed to time skipping (multiple times at that) and then flashing back after the fact, but it does give us more information about the titans and how they function.
There are, of course, still a lot of question marks, like where they came from, but mankind has been able to learn quite a bit about their physiology and noted patterns in their behavior. For example, they only seem to target humans. Also, while chowing down on humans seems to be their primary purpose, they don't do it to feed, as evidenced by the fact that they have been able to survive even when humans weren't around to be eaten.
It's said that they're driven by bloodlust, though that is contradicted by the fact that the titans have a specific target. Either they have an endgame, they don't value human life, or they enjoy eating humans because it's fun. Either way, it's a pretty unnerving development that they are eating people because they want to. If they were doing it to feed, it would still be horrifying, but there would be some potential empathy there. In this case, there is none.
We also see the king, who was talked about a bit last episode. He's not particularly likable, though that seems to be the point. When he is informed that the second wall came down, he's more concerned about his own fate. He even flat out says that the lives of the people outside the inner wall don't matter.
You'd think, at the very least, that he would offer whatever resources were necessary to aid in the fight, but he can't even be bothered to do that. I figure he's going to be getting eaten in a bit of karmic retribution, though character growth is also an option.
Eventually, the episode remembers that a city is under siege and that the characters should probably go fight. To be fair, there is a line about how the fight is occurring off screen, though that just begs the question of why they weren't sent in sooner as that team didn't fare particularly well.
Of course, this team doesn't fare too well either, so it could be moot. You'd think that Eren's training and fury would combine to create a devastating enemy who tears through the monsters that killed so many people. It doesn't.
You could call it a case of reality ensuing as many fighters note that getting angry actually works against you. Such is the case here, as Eren loses an arm (and later a leg) and ends up skidding and bouncing across a couple of rooftops after one of the titans counters his attack. It's pretty brutal.
Also brutal is the shot of one female soldier who has her rope tugged as she is lunging forward, causing her to slam into a brick wall. Considering the velocity she hit and the thud that came from the impact her head made against the wall, you'd think she'd be dead. Oddly, she's still conscious. She just shrugs it off and gets back up. With shows like this, writers usually have to take some liberties when it comes to human durability, but I wasn't expecting it.
Armin doesn't do much better. While he isn't horribly maimed, he is paralyzed by fear. This was actually foreshadowed earlier in the episode and is portrayed rather sympathetically. While it is satisfying to see characters do badass things in the name of saving humanity, this sort of reaction is perfectly natural given the circumstances.
That doesn't stop Armin from almost getting eaten. Even he wonders why he's not moving when the creature is grabbing him and dangling him over its mouth.
It's a shame this world only has access to medieval technology. Lobbing a hand grenade down that thing's throat would have been an interesting tactic. Considering the titans have regenerative abilities, it probably wouldn't work unless the grenade got lodged in the creature's throat. At the very least, it would hurt enough for it to drop Armin, but this is a moot hypothetical.
Luckily for Armin, Eren is able to save him. It was a great heroic moment, even if the logistics of how it could have been done aren't clear. It's undercut by the fact that Eren appears to be swallowed.
At face value, this should be a lame cliffhanger as we know that the main character is going to survive. Even the "anybody can die" argument is undercut by Armin's rescue. He actually had a much greater chance of dying from a narrative standpoint.
Still, the scene worked well. Not only does Armin get to show his fury over the death of his best friend, but we also cut to Mikasa, who seems to sense that something has happened to her adoptive brother.
Even if Eren does survive, as noted, he loses another limb as a result of this, so there will still be consequences.
Strange structure aside, this was probably one of the stronger episodes to date. There is a nice balance of character moments and wham moments to keep you engaged in what's happening. Investment in the peripheral characters is still a problem, but it does seem like the show is picking up steam.
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Wednesday, September 14, 2016
'Attack on Titan' episode 4: 'Night of the Graduation Ceremony: Humanity's Comeback part 2'
While uneventful, this was a rather convenient episode. Not only does it open with a brief summary, but we also get a time skip and a voice over narration where drill instructor Shardis gives a run down of the various cadets, showing their pros and cons. Not only does it help act as a way to introduce a few new characters, but it helps better establish ones that we only saw briefly in the last episode.
From there, the episode starts to slip downhill. Even after two years of training, Eren can't seem to catch a break as he gets owned by Annie, one of the aforementioned new characters introduced. Between her and it being stated almost verbatim that Mikasa is awesome and the best at everything, you get the sense that the writers are trying too hard. Fortunately, it's made up for by Mikasa's general good nature and Annie's cold demeanor, which comes off as rather creepy at points. Said demeanor also allows Annie to come off as surprisingly astute as she notes the paradoxical nature of the organization's set up.
The best cadets are moved inward, suggesting that the aim isn't really to fight the titans. This seems confirmed by the cadets themselves, who say that they just want to live peacefully behind the walls. Some even go so far as to say that the titans can't be beaten and that fighting is utterly pointless.
This allows Eren to shine as he delivers a speech, calling BS on that mentality. The fact that he manages to sway so many may come off as corny or heavy handed, but it worked out alright.
I can't say the same for Sasha, though. I figured that her madness seen in the last episode was the result of exhaustion and hunger, but it seems that even after two years, she's still suffering from the effects. Either that or it didn't stop there and her misfortune was perpetual. As glossed over as some of these plot points are, it's hard to tell.
One of the areas where the episode really shines is in the final minute or so. After five years, a titan returns and attacks the second wall. The scene was effectively shot and it made for a great wham moment, but you do have to wonder how nobody spotted or heard the giant monstrosity until it was right there.
Honestly, I was expecting some sort of fake out. Having it just be a hallucination or dream on Eren's part would not have surprised me. The looks on the other character's faces made it clear, though, that stuff was going down.
At first, it seems like Eren is relapsing, as he starts to flashback to the last attack and looks like he's going to freeze up in panic. However, he screws up his courage and actually takes command of the situation, leading the others to attempt a counter-attack.
Granted, it's still early in the fight, but it seemed like he knew what he was doing. It's a far cry from what we had seen previously. I figured that this sort of evolution would occur, though I admit, I figured it would be a more gradual arc. Having it done through time skips is faster, I guess, but it has its drawbacks.
From what I glossed over on wikipedia, the next arc is going to play out over nine episodes as the characters try to fend off the titan siege. It should be fairly action heavy. Hopefully, it makes for a more gripping watch, because so far, it's been a bit of a struggle to get into this series.
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From there, the episode starts to slip downhill. Even after two years of training, Eren can't seem to catch a break as he gets owned by Annie, one of the aforementioned new characters introduced. Between her and it being stated almost verbatim that Mikasa is awesome and the best at everything, you get the sense that the writers are trying too hard. Fortunately, it's made up for by Mikasa's general good nature and Annie's cold demeanor, which comes off as rather creepy at points. Said demeanor also allows Annie to come off as surprisingly astute as she notes the paradoxical nature of the organization's set up.
The best cadets are moved inward, suggesting that the aim isn't really to fight the titans. This seems confirmed by the cadets themselves, who say that they just want to live peacefully behind the walls. Some even go so far as to say that the titans can't be beaten and that fighting is utterly pointless.
This allows Eren to shine as he delivers a speech, calling BS on that mentality. The fact that he manages to sway so many may come off as corny or heavy handed, but it worked out alright.
I can't say the same for Sasha, though. I figured that her madness seen in the last episode was the result of exhaustion and hunger, but it seems that even after two years, she's still suffering from the effects. Either that or it didn't stop there and her misfortune was perpetual. As glossed over as some of these plot points are, it's hard to tell.
One of the areas where the episode really shines is in the final minute or so. After five years, a titan returns and attacks the second wall. The scene was effectively shot and it made for a great wham moment, but you do have to wonder how nobody spotted or heard the giant monstrosity until it was right there.
Honestly, I was expecting some sort of fake out. Having it just be a hallucination or dream on Eren's part would not have surprised me. The looks on the other character's faces made it clear, though, that stuff was going down.
At first, it seems like Eren is relapsing, as he starts to flashback to the last attack and looks like he's going to freeze up in panic. However, he screws up his courage and actually takes command of the situation, leading the others to attempt a counter-attack.
Granted, it's still early in the fight, but it seemed like he knew what he was doing. It's a far cry from what we had seen previously. I figured that this sort of evolution would occur, though I admit, I figured it would be a more gradual arc. Having it done through time skips is faster, I guess, but it has its drawbacks.
From what I glossed over on wikipedia, the next arc is going to play out over nine episodes as the characters try to fend off the titan siege. It should be fairly action heavy. Hopefully, it makes for a more gripping watch, because so far, it's been a bit of a struggle to get into this series.
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Monday, September 12, 2016
'Dragon Ball Super' episode 58: 'Zamasu and Black - The Two's Mystery Deepens'
Sure enough, the three saiyans are given senzu beans to heal them from the injuries they suffered in their fight against Black and Zamasu. For those wondering why they didn't bring any (a question which Bulma herself asks,) it turns out that they were going to, but Goku forgot. Honestly, that makes sense. It seems like something he'd do.
Goku wants to go back and take another crack at Black, but the others have none of it. To be fair, all three of them are now stronger than they were before, though that doesn't solve the matter of dealing with the invincible god.
Speaking of Zamasu, he's not doing so well. You'd think that there would be some contrast between the Zamasu we saw in the future and the present day one, as it didn't seem like Zamasu had gone stark raving mad yet, but from what we see here, he's already gone bugnuts insane. It's especially jarring as his descent had been somewhat gradual, but all of a sudden, he plummeted off the cliff.
His attempt to garner information about the super dragon balls takes a few cues from Jack Bauer as he quickly gets violent. It does yield results, though.
Interestingly, even the viewers learn some new things. While the dragon god Zalama has a block in the characters' section for the show's TvTropes page, this is the first time he's been mentioned as they are his creation. We also learn that there is only one set of super dragon balls that exist within the sixth and seventh universes. The way Beerus explained it before, it sounded like each set of "twin" universes had their own. He's not omniscient, so it could just be a mistaken assumption on his part. I actually like this way better. It's simpler and makes the super dragon balls more unique.
The funny thing is that Zamasu probably would have been better off just using the regular dragon balls. A lot is made about how impatient he is and using Shenlong/Shenron would have been much easier. For one thing, that dragon can grant multiple wishes, unlike the super dragon, meaning he would have only had to go on one hunt. It also shrinks the territory that needed to be searched, making said hunt even easier. While Shenlong/Shenron has limits, I don't see how either of Zamasu's wishes fall outside his limitations. Immortality, easy, that's been done before. Maybe it depends on what Black is. If it's just a copy of Goku, that should be fairly easy. If it's his reanimated corpse, that could be trickier.
Actually, couldn't Zamasu just wish to become more powerful than Goku or to wish for all the mortals to be killed? Man, Zamasu's dumb as hell.
In stark contrast, the heroes act fairly intelligently as they hold palaver. Whis, Beerus, and Supreme Kai come to let the team know that Zamasu is looking for the super dragon balls after Zuno tells them of his encounter.
By that same token, the saiyans let the deities know what went down in the future. I said in the last write up that I was expecting an exposition dump after the future Zamasu arrived. It turns out that this is where that narrative device comes in. It isn't by villain monologue, but rather by a team meeting where the characters exchange notes, recollect what they know so far, and start to put the pieces together.
I actually really liked the scene. It's always good to see characters using their heads. Heck, even Goku gets a chance to show that he's not always a complete idiot as he picks up on the theory that Whis was about to put forth. It also gives the episode the feeling of a breather after the action-centered episodes that preceded it while still keeping the plot momentum going.
Given that one of the strong points about Black's status as villain is the mystery surrounding him, scenes like this are intriguing to watch as we are given more of the information that we want. True to form, we don't get everything. There are some questions that remain, though I think we have enough information at this point that the rest might not even matter. I could be wrong there, but one could make the argument that we shouldn't be given the answer to every question in scenarios like this. Of course, depending on the twists, we could still be in for some real doozies, so we'll see.
At the very least, the heroes conclude that Gowasu's life may be in danger, as he would have to be removed if Zamasu is going to ascend to Supreme Kaidom so that he could use the time rings. It's also suggested that Gowasu and Black may be linked, but that might not be the case.
Fortunately, Gowasu is alive, though he's convinced he assuaged Zamasu's doubts about mortals. I don't know if he's really gullible or just in denial, but we know that this could not be farther from the truth. It comes off as especially naive as he notes that he hasn't seen Zamasu in a while.
As it happens, though, the episode ends with Zamasu returning. He even has a fresh pot of tea. There is nothing suspicious about this at all. The look on Zamasu's face and the way he says it confirms this.
....
That was sarcasm. It can be hard with text sometimes, I know, but yeah, Zamasu's totally trying to poison his master.
All in all, this was another strong episode. It's more dialogue driven but the plot still advanced significantly on a couple of fronts. It was weird to see Zamasu being the weak link where he was the show stealer in several of the earlier episodes. Given his obsession with justice, perhaps it's fitting that he balances himself out.
I have no idea what's in store for the next episode (I usually pass on watching the previews), so it'll be interesting to see how this confrontation plays out. On the one hand, stopping Zamasu now before he can accomplish his goals seems like the best way to win. It might not be the most satisfying from a dramatic standpoint, but it would certainly be different. However, it's also clear that changing events in their timeline doesn't change Trunks', so pulling the timey wimey ball might not work. It would also lead to a mess of paradoxes, and that could end up being an even bigger threat to existence.
This arc continues to be a blast and I'm really looking forward to seeing where it goes.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
Goku wants to go back and take another crack at Black, but the others have none of it. To be fair, all three of them are now stronger than they were before, though that doesn't solve the matter of dealing with the invincible god.
Speaking of Zamasu, he's not doing so well. You'd think that there would be some contrast between the Zamasu we saw in the future and the present day one, as it didn't seem like Zamasu had gone stark raving mad yet, but from what we see here, he's already gone bugnuts insane. It's especially jarring as his descent had been somewhat gradual, but all of a sudden, he plummeted off the cliff.
His attempt to garner information about the super dragon balls takes a few cues from Jack Bauer as he quickly gets violent. It does yield results, though.
Interestingly, even the viewers learn some new things. While the dragon god Zalama has a block in the characters' section for the show's TvTropes page, this is the first time he's been mentioned as they are his creation. We also learn that there is only one set of super dragon balls that exist within the sixth and seventh universes. The way Beerus explained it before, it sounded like each set of "twin" universes had their own. He's not omniscient, so it could just be a mistaken assumption on his part. I actually like this way better. It's simpler and makes the super dragon balls more unique.
The funny thing is that Zamasu probably would have been better off just using the regular dragon balls. A lot is made about how impatient he is and using Shenlong/Shenron would have been much easier. For one thing, that dragon can grant multiple wishes, unlike the super dragon, meaning he would have only had to go on one hunt. It also shrinks the territory that needed to be searched, making said hunt even easier. While Shenlong/Shenron has limits, I don't see how either of Zamasu's wishes fall outside his limitations. Immortality, easy, that's been done before. Maybe it depends on what Black is. If it's just a copy of Goku, that should be fairly easy. If it's his reanimated corpse, that could be trickier.
Actually, couldn't Zamasu just wish to become more powerful than Goku or to wish for all the mortals to be killed? Man, Zamasu's dumb as hell.
In stark contrast, the heroes act fairly intelligently as they hold palaver. Whis, Beerus, and Supreme Kai come to let the team know that Zamasu is looking for the super dragon balls after Zuno tells them of his encounter.
By that same token, the saiyans let the deities know what went down in the future. I said in the last write up that I was expecting an exposition dump after the future Zamasu arrived. It turns out that this is where that narrative device comes in. It isn't by villain monologue, but rather by a team meeting where the characters exchange notes, recollect what they know so far, and start to put the pieces together.
I actually really liked the scene. It's always good to see characters using their heads. Heck, even Goku gets a chance to show that he's not always a complete idiot as he picks up on the theory that Whis was about to put forth. It also gives the episode the feeling of a breather after the action-centered episodes that preceded it while still keeping the plot momentum going.
Given that one of the strong points about Black's status as villain is the mystery surrounding him, scenes like this are intriguing to watch as we are given more of the information that we want. True to form, we don't get everything. There are some questions that remain, though I think we have enough information at this point that the rest might not even matter. I could be wrong there, but one could make the argument that we shouldn't be given the answer to every question in scenarios like this. Of course, depending on the twists, we could still be in for some real doozies, so we'll see.
At the very least, the heroes conclude that Gowasu's life may be in danger, as he would have to be removed if Zamasu is going to ascend to Supreme Kaidom so that he could use the time rings. It's also suggested that Gowasu and Black may be linked, but that might not be the case.
Fortunately, Gowasu is alive, though he's convinced he assuaged Zamasu's doubts about mortals. I don't know if he's really gullible or just in denial, but we know that this could not be farther from the truth. It comes off as especially naive as he notes that he hasn't seen Zamasu in a while.
As it happens, though, the episode ends with Zamasu returning. He even has a fresh pot of tea. There is nothing suspicious about this at all. The look on Zamasu's face and the way he says it confirms this.
....
That was sarcasm. It can be hard with text sometimes, I know, but yeah, Zamasu's totally trying to poison his master.
All in all, this was another strong episode. It's more dialogue driven but the plot still advanced significantly on a couple of fronts. It was weird to see Zamasu being the weak link where he was the show stealer in several of the earlier episodes. Given his obsession with justice, perhaps it's fitting that he balances himself out.
I have no idea what's in store for the next episode (I usually pass on watching the previews), so it'll be interesting to see how this confrontation plays out. On the one hand, stopping Zamasu now before he can accomplish his goals seems like the best way to win. It might not be the most satisfying from a dramatic standpoint, but it would certainly be different. However, it's also clear that changing events in their timeline doesn't change Trunks', so pulling the timey wimey ball might not work. It would also lead to a mess of paradoxes, and that could end up being an even bigger threat to existence.
This arc continues to be a blast and I'm really looking forward to seeing where it goes.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
'Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition Starter Set' review
You can read my review here.
Pros
- Very easy on the wallet
- Set comes with an adventure, five pre-made characters, and a set of dice; making "pick up and play" very easy.
- Everything is condensed into one set
Cons
- No maps
- With the intent being new player friendly, the system seems more convoluted than it needs to be. Especially coming on the heels of the much more straight forward "Essentials" system.
- Provided classes are basic, which is good for newbies but can also be seen as underwhelming.
Overall
This is a mixed bag. For people who are curious about the game, this gives you a good way to test the water. It's also designed so that players can get right to the game. The system isn't the best in my opinion, but that's subjective and it still has useful material. I don't know if I'd run a game in this edition, but I'd still play it.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
Pros
- Very easy on the wallet
- Set comes with an adventure, five pre-made characters, and a set of dice; making "pick up and play" very easy.
- Everything is condensed into one set
Cons
- No maps
- With the intent being new player friendly, the system seems more convoluted than it needs to be. Especially coming on the heels of the much more straight forward "Essentials" system.
- Provided classes are basic, which is good for newbies but can also be seen as underwhelming.
Overall
This is a mixed bag. For people who are curious about the game, this gives you a good way to test the water. It's also designed so that players can get right to the game. The system isn't the best in my opinion, but that's subjective and it still has useful material. I don't know if I'd run a game in this edition, but I'd still play it.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
Sunday, September 4, 2016
'Dragon Ball Super' episode 57: 'God with the Invulnerable Body- Zamasu's Advent'
With this title, I figured I would make some sort of joke relating to Christmas. Alas, it is still only early September, so it's a lot more difficult. Besides, regardless of whether you've been bad or good, the only thing Zamasu wants to bring to your house is death, so it really wouldn't fit.
I figured that Zamasu's arrival would make for an exposition heavy episode as he lectured the heroes on his grand plan. Surprisingly, such was not the case. The only comment he makes is clarifying that he and Black aren't allies, but kindred spirits, which doesn't really help a whole lot. He does make several comments on how inferior mortals are, but that's to be expected. Black also has a line noting that "his body" really wants to fight Goku, lending credence to the idea that something is inhabiting Goku's body (maybe even his corpse,) but it's still pretty vague.
Instead, we're given the show's biggest and strongest action set piece to date. Not only does Zamasu get his rematch with Goku, showing that he can now hold his own against a super saiyan blue, but Black gets in on the action to boot.
I'm a noted sucker for 2 on 1 fights, but this did seem like overkill. Goku had his hands full with just one, so going up against two opponents really puts him on the defensive. That is until Future Trunks jumps into the fray.
That's right, we have a 2 on 2 battle royale. It's not often the show does this. More often than not, it's the heroes taking turns against a single opponent, so this was a real treat. It upped the scale, the pacing was appropriately fast, and it was all very well animated. It's a highlight for the show all around.
Granted, the fight still doesn't go particularly well. Black is formidable on his own, and only getting stronger with every punch that Goku does manage to land. It's made worse by the fact that Zamasu seems invincible.
Normally, this wouldn't be that big a shock, Zamasu is a god, of course stabbing him won't do any good. However, with the established rules of the mythos, yes Zamasu should be hurting and he isn't.
It's a problem to say the least.
Credit to Trunks though, he still gives the kai a run for his money. He even uses his father's patented "final flash" attack. It doesn't have any real effect, but it was still an awesome moment and I thought that it was a nice touch. Just as he pays homage to his former mentor by using the masenko, so too does he do the same for his father.
Speaking of, Vegeta himself gets a moment to shine when he uses the last of his strength to blow up Zamasu and Black's death sphere. Even the two are amazed that he had enough energy left to do that, especially considering he still has the hole in his chest.
Was it just me or did Vegeta's wound move? It seemed like Black's blade went through the center of his chest, where here, it was lower and off to the side. I'm guessing they're using that to explain how he's still alive. In the grand scheme of things, it probably isn't that big a deal, but I did find it amusingly strange.
Ultimately, the heroes are forced to retreat, though it does give both the resistance and Yajirobe a chance to shine as they are able to distract the two villains long enough to get the saiyan trio away and back in the time machine. I'm not sure what the long term plan here is, but at the very least, they'll be able to get Vegeta a senzu bean for that pesky impalement wound.
I'd commend the episode for the sad goodbye between Trunks and Mai, but I'm pretty sure they'll be coming back, which robs the moment of a lot of its poignancy. Even the idea that Mai could get killed in his absence doesn't make a whole lot of sense as he has a time machine and would likely appear back seconds after he left. I get what they were trying to do. It was executed well enough, but the circumstances negate it, making it something of a head tilting moment.
Speaking of head tilting, the return to the present means that we also check in on "present day Zamasu". It seems that Zamasu's journey isn't over. I'm guessing we're going to see how he became more powerful (and more specifically invincible) making that the focus of the next chapter of his arc. Although, I'm not sure what else there is. He's told of the super dragon balls after seeing Gowasu watch the Goku/Hit fight on "Godtube"....yes, Godtube. Gowasu even makes a joke about wanting to become a "Godtuber", it's very strange. It seems like that answers that, but where Black comes in remains a mystery.
Granted, if it's immortality Zamasu's after, the regular dragon balls would certainly do the trick. Of course, they may not exist in his universe. Besides, with the title "Dragon Ball Super", they had to keep the Super Dragon Balls involved somehow, so this works well enough, I guess.
Overall, this episode worked really well. As noted, the action was top notch and we got some interesting developments on Zamasu's front. Black took a bit of a backseat, but that was alright. It still did a good job of giving every character a moment to shine. It's not easy to do with so many players, especially when a few vastly outclass the rest, but this did that well.
This arc continues to show itself as the best one to date. I'm really looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
I figured that Zamasu's arrival would make for an exposition heavy episode as he lectured the heroes on his grand plan. Surprisingly, such was not the case. The only comment he makes is clarifying that he and Black aren't allies, but kindred spirits, which doesn't really help a whole lot. He does make several comments on how inferior mortals are, but that's to be expected. Black also has a line noting that "his body" really wants to fight Goku, lending credence to the idea that something is inhabiting Goku's body (maybe even his corpse,) but it's still pretty vague.
Instead, we're given the show's biggest and strongest action set piece to date. Not only does Zamasu get his rematch with Goku, showing that he can now hold his own against a super saiyan blue, but Black gets in on the action to boot.
I'm a noted sucker for 2 on 1 fights, but this did seem like overkill. Goku had his hands full with just one, so going up against two opponents really puts him on the defensive. That is until Future Trunks jumps into the fray.
That's right, we have a 2 on 2 battle royale. It's not often the show does this. More often than not, it's the heroes taking turns against a single opponent, so this was a real treat. It upped the scale, the pacing was appropriately fast, and it was all very well animated. It's a highlight for the show all around.
Granted, the fight still doesn't go particularly well. Black is formidable on his own, and only getting stronger with every punch that Goku does manage to land. It's made worse by the fact that Zamasu seems invincible.
Normally, this wouldn't be that big a shock, Zamasu is a god, of course stabbing him won't do any good. However, with the established rules of the mythos, yes Zamasu should be hurting and he isn't.
It's a problem to say the least.
Credit to Trunks though, he still gives the kai a run for his money. He even uses his father's patented "final flash" attack. It doesn't have any real effect, but it was still an awesome moment and I thought that it was a nice touch. Just as he pays homage to his former mentor by using the masenko, so too does he do the same for his father.
Speaking of, Vegeta himself gets a moment to shine when he uses the last of his strength to blow up Zamasu and Black's death sphere. Even the two are amazed that he had enough energy left to do that, especially considering he still has the hole in his chest.
Was it just me or did Vegeta's wound move? It seemed like Black's blade went through the center of his chest, where here, it was lower and off to the side. I'm guessing they're using that to explain how he's still alive. In the grand scheme of things, it probably isn't that big a deal, but I did find it amusingly strange.
Ultimately, the heroes are forced to retreat, though it does give both the resistance and Yajirobe a chance to shine as they are able to distract the two villains long enough to get the saiyan trio away and back in the time machine. I'm not sure what the long term plan here is, but at the very least, they'll be able to get Vegeta a senzu bean for that pesky impalement wound.
I'd commend the episode for the sad goodbye between Trunks and Mai, but I'm pretty sure they'll be coming back, which robs the moment of a lot of its poignancy. Even the idea that Mai could get killed in his absence doesn't make a whole lot of sense as he has a time machine and would likely appear back seconds after he left. I get what they were trying to do. It was executed well enough, but the circumstances negate it, making it something of a head tilting moment.
Speaking of head tilting, the return to the present means that we also check in on "present day Zamasu". It seems that Zamasu's journey isn't over. I'm guessing we're going to see how he became more powerful (and more specifically invincible) making that the focus of the next chapter of his arc. Although, I'm not sure what else there is. He's told of the super dragon balls after seeing Gowasu watch the Goku/Hit fight on "Godtube"....yes, Godtube. Gowasu even makes a joke about wanting to become a "Godtuber", it's very strange. It seems like that answers that, but where Black comes in remains a mystery.
Granted, if it's immortality Zamasu's after, the regular dragon balls would certainly do the trick. Of course, they may not exist in his universe. Besides, with the title "Dragon Ball Super", they had to keep the Super Dragon Balls involved somehow, so this works well enough, I guess.
Overall, this episode worked really well. As noted, the action was top notch and we got some interesting developments on Zamasu's front. Black took a bit of a backseat, but that was alright. It still did a good job of giving every character a moment to shine. It's not easy to do with so many players, especially when a few vastly outclass the rest, but this did that well.
This arc continues to show itself as the best one to date. I'm really looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.
Click here to join our Patreon campaign
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