Lurker > AuthenticZac

https://twitter.com/DMcIntyreWWE/status/1777114915678937236?
Someone posted this on the PWB. Apparently Drew sent out a tweet while Seth was doing his entrance

ScazarMeltex posted...

Honestly, even if he loses and Drew comes out on top I want DP to cash in. Dude has had the briefcase long enough, let the dude cash in.

Looking at the MitB history, as of today, Priest now has held it longer than Edge at 281+ days

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Money_in_the_Bank_ladder_match

I've heard Nexomon is pretty good (my niece loved it, at least)
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1191580/Nexomon/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1196630/Nexomon_Extinction/

There is also Cassette Beasts, which has a 96% approval rating on Steam
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1321440/Cassette_Beasts/

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1 Trial
2 Alive
3*

#5 - Kiki's Delivery Service

There isn't much to write about this one, but it was a very cute and charming movie. The dialogue was well written (especially the sarcastic one-liners from Jiji), and the entire cast of characters were a joy to see, from the artist to the grannies (<3). Even the baker himself had some cute moments, like trying to impress Jiji at the beginning. The only characters that didn't lend themselves to the sweet nature of the film were the spoiled youngins who Kiki had to deliver the packages to, which actually served as a nice balance to the rest of the film.

All in all, I found myself smiling the entire time.
Kiki's Delivery Service - 10/10

(Side note: I was not expecting japanese Doo-wop at the beginning, but it was a pleasant surprise, and now I find myself looking for more in that style on youtube)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJwtKY_iWkM

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1 Trial
2 Binge
3 Pinch
4*

Phantom_Nook posted...

here's a funny story about Nausicaa.
https://cinema.wisc.edu/blog/2016/09/06/when-nausica%C3%A4-became-warriors-wind

Days later, famed Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki sent a katana sword to Weinsteins office, with an attached note reading No cuts.

Hah, that's actually kind of metal (no pun intended). More artists need to protect their work, to prevent it from having its image ruined for years afterwards (Looking at you, 4kids!)

#4 - Nausica of the Valley of the Wind
After this movie, I've definitely gained a new respect for the influence Miyazaki has had on both the gaming and anime industries. Within the first minute of this movie, there are creatures that are clear inspirations for what would become Chocobos, and just a little bit later, large titans who could have easily served as the blueprint for Attack on Titan ("Seven days of Fire" had definite Rumbling vibes). I've always heard how far Miyazaki's sphere of influence has been over the decades, but it's one thing to hear about it, and another to see it first-hand. Now, I could keep making comparisons throughout this topic, but I feel like that might get old, quick, so instead I'll just leave this comment on the matter - "Miyazaki/Ghibli have helped to put down the foundation for many future creators"

On to the rest of the movie, I find myself a little conflicted. One the one hand, it tells an interesting story about the conflict between an encroaching threat on humanity, and the choices they have to contend with it. Warring nations want to destroy it, but the protagonist wants to co-exist. On the other hand, however, I don't find myself agreeing with Nausicaa's line of thinking. These insects have been shown to enrage at the slighting perceived threat, and lay waste to entire cities. The toxic spores have been shown to spread at an incredibly fast rate, rooting themselves into trees and poisoning entire forests. It's idealistic to think that humanity can just peacefully co-exist with something so volatile

It's even worse when you factor in the human element. You can try to say "As long as we prune the spores and refrain from attacking the bugs, we will be all safe", but humanity isn't going to play ball for long, if ever. All it takes is one rogue person kicking a bug, and suddenly a stampede of Ohms is at your front door asking for tree-fiddy. One person decides they want to "experiment" with the spores, and now your entire village is Seattle. This is a trope seen all-too-often in zombie movies, where one person/group can ruin it for everyone, leaving no safe place to live. So yes, I found myself agreeing far more with Kushana and her Giant Warrior/"Earth Defense Force" plan than with Nausicaa's "Give peace a chance" plan. Miyazaki just wanted his film to go a different direction.

It's because of that ending that I can't give it a 10/10. Still a stellar film, and there was a big laugh when she got knocked 20 feet into the sky from the stampede (For a brief minute, I actually thought he would go for an apocalypse ending), but in the end, I'd have to say

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind - 8.5/10

(Side note: Despite being a pacifist, she is a capable badass, taking out multiple soldiers in a few seconds)

I'm 36 and will regularly forget where I park at the grocery store that I've been going to every week for years. Thankfully it's not a big parking lot, and it's just a matter of looking down the different lanes to spot the old pollen-covered car.

If I ever had to find it in a parking structure, I'd be SOL.

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1 Trial
2*

Nope. I almost went to a Craig Ferguson show for my birthday weekend last year, but anxiety over going alone kept me home.

Final Fantasy VII (Original only) - Blockbuster rental: Made it to the final boss fight, but couldn't beat it before the rental was up

Super Metroid - Beat it

Dishonored - Beat it

Dragon's Crown - Beat it with the Elf-girl (not like that)

Celeste - Made it to chapter 3, iirc. One day I'll go back

#3 - Castle in the Sky
First thing's first, HOLY SHIT, IT'S LUFFY! As soon as I heard the voice of Pazu, I had to pause the movie to verify the actress, and yes, it was in fact our favorite straw hat. Having him work with the Big Mama pirates a decade before creating his own crew just seemed poetic.

Second, as if the familiar voice wasn't enough, I actually got hit with a major dose of nostalgia for music that I'dnever heard before. Reason being, the composer for the movie was the same guy who did the soundtrack for Ni No Kuni, and his work here felt like it came straight out of the game (or really, vice versa).
Example: Ni No Kuni https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrL5WYCnQyc
Castle in the Sky https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNoIbYvJR5k

I was aware of Level-5 collaborating with Ghibli back when I initially played Ni No Kuni, but it wasn't until today that I finally got to see/hear the designs and songs that would help to shape it (far more obvious here than from Grave of the Fireflies and Totoro). I'm sure I'll be seeing a lot more of that influence in the coming weeks, but having forgotten about the game (despite loving it), it wasn't exactly something I was looking out for.

The adventure itself was structured perfectly as well. So much so, that I couldn't help but want to play a game set in this world, expanding on the various locales. The mining town, the underground caves, the military base, Laputa itself, all seemingly ripe for more exploration. It wasn't just the regions either, I wanted to learn more about the characters. The pirates stood out obviously, but how about the residents of the mining town? The crazy cave-hermit definitely had some stories to tell, especially after he so nonchalantly referred to the kids as demons.

This is why I favor longer series over movies, because after I was done, I was left hungry for more. 2 hours just wasn't enough!

*Sidenote* Pazu 100% has Nathan Drake luck (Or, Drake has Pazu luck). The kid couldn't climb a structure without it crumbling under him

Castle in the Sky - 10/10

And as per some of y'alls suggestions, tomorrow night will be Nausicaa

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1 Trial
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3*

SomeLikeItHoth posted...

How are you watching these movies? HBO Max has all of them and their license renewed so they'll be there for a few more years.

Good to know. I started off with amazon, but if HBO max has them, it might be worth a one-month sub - it'd be cheaper in the long run

Phantom_Nook posted...

didn't do Castle in the Sky first?

Castle in the Sky is next. I wanted to do the Grave of the Fireflies/Totoro double-header first, but from here on out, it will be chronological.

I forgot to give an actual rating for Grave of the Fireflies, but it was easily a 10/10

#2 - My Neighbor Totoro
So, this is kind of what I was afraid of, but I was severely underwhelmed by Totoro. I have no issue with the slice of life genre, but it really felt like nothing happened until the final 15 minutes of the film; After opening some windows in their new home, the children learn that forest creatures exist, they find a couple in the woods/bus stop, and then do a dance with those spirits to grow some seeds. It's only in the final act that there is any sort plot progression, but just as suddenly as the letter about mother's extended hospital stay arrives, it is also resolved thanks to the magic cat bus with a literal tracker to the runaway child.

Most surprising of all, is that while Totoro is more or less the mascot of Ghibli, he only ever appears a total of 4 times throughout the entire film. First while asleep in his hidey-hole, second at the iconic bus stop, third to do a seed-growing dance, and then finally to call for an uber the cat bus. Given that he is featured so prominently in the poster and other promotional material (seriously, where was the fishing scene?!), I would have expected him to have a much bigger role than what he ended up with.

I'm not saying it was a bad film, but it definitely wasn't for me (Despite there being a giant cat bus).

My Neighbor Totoro - 7/10

I've been watching anime for about 20 years, but for one reason or another, I've always avoided the Studio Ghibli films. Partially because I've focused more on longer-form series over movies, but in larger part because of hype-aversion. The movies have been built up as this pinnacle of anime, so I've always feared that I wouldn't enjoy them as much as I felt I was supposed to. In fact, the only time I did see a Miyazaki movie (his pre-Ghibli movie, The Castle of Cagliostro), I wasn't a fan. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more in a vacuum, but after binge-watching a bunch of Lupin, I couldn't get over just how different it was to the show I was used to.

Well, I've decided it was finally time to just ignore all expectations and watch through as many Ghibli films as I can, and if CE cares, share my thoughts about each one here. My goal is to get through one per night, but if time permits, I might be able to squeeze in a second.

#1 - Grave of the Fireflies
I was going to start with a double-header, pairing this with My Neighbor Totoro, as it was when it originally released, but I didn't get started until late last night, so I had to settle for a downer with no upper. Now, despite all the hype surrounding his movies, I've actually managed to stay blind to the theme/premise of all of Miyazaki's films, so outside of a few movie posters and a promise that this was supposed to be a sad story, I didn't actually know what I was in for until it started. Once I realized it was about orphans of war, I kind of knew where it was headed.

That said, this movie was a perfect example of the journey being more important than the destination. It didn't matter that I could see the aunt being a selfish bitch ahead of time, or that it would end with both children starving to death, it was more about Seita's struggle to just keep his sister happy during impossible conditions. It would have been easy to just depict the aunt kicking the children out, but it was far more impactful to have Seita personally make the choice to leave, just so his sister wouldn't have to be around an emotionally abusive person. It takes strength to give up the "certainty" of a roof and food for mental stability. Though, let's be honest, with the aunt taking more than she was giving, that safety net was really just an illusion. (Also, fuck her for telling Setsuko that her mom was dead)

The VO of Setsuko was also really well done - those giggles reminded me of my niece when she was young, which just made it hit harder. They did a good job depicting the few moments of joy she had, despite the tragedy all around them. They also ended the movie on just the right note. I feel that a lot of films nowadays would have tried to force an extra act, showing the final days of Seita before he died in the train station, but they made the right call to not stretch it out.

I had a few more paragraphs typed up after I watched it last night, but I didn't want to bring current events into this "Current Events" watch-a-long. Suffice to say, the movie definitely holds up well 30+ years later. Children starving because of war isn't something that only exists in a time capsule. We are actively seeing aid trucks getting blown up.

On a brighter note, movie #2, My Neighbor Totoro tonight!

Technically, the Sinister Shadowblade, but yes
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/f/f5293498.jpg

Wordle 1,019 2/6




1 Trial
2*

One of my quickest twofers.

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1 Trial
2 Shore
3 Super
4*

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1 Trial
2 Proud
3 Crowd
4 Brood
5*

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1 Trial
2 Taste
3 Tacky
4*

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1 Trial
2 Shore
3 Forge
4*

It's also already on Steam, and has glowing reviews (96% positive)
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2575900/Corn_Kidz_64/

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1 Trial
2 Flare
3*

Congrats to Karate! Hope you find a good game(s) to spend the winnings on!

And positive thoughts again for your cat, Crimsoness!

#30. A nice round number of entries, and should be my last.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/d/dfabb984.jpg

#29
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/a/a26e6155.jpg

#28
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/a/ad530c20.jpg

#27
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/7/7b1c8056.jpg

Entry 26
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/2/2517967f.jpg

Entry 25
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/7/7bf6cfea.jpg

entry 24
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/4/4f6119d9.jpg

#23
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/2/206a5a06.jpg

Entry 22
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/f/f8d30438.jpg

21
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/7/7be64fcc.jpg

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


Apparently mine does a whole bunch of game nights, including for the One Piece TCG and Lorecana (the Disney TCG). They keep a pretty busy schedule.

#20
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/4/4be444b9.jpg

#19
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/0/049b5620.jpg
There's actually a game shop down the road from me that hosts weekly D&D sessions, but I'm too introverted to ever attend

#18
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/0/038c5768.jpg

The town in Wales called Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

I'm the sidequest in an Ubisoft game that has no substance and is just there to pad the game with "extra content"

#17https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/e/ebd384bb.jpg

#16.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/e/e7f712eb.jpg
I have heard about the bear cutscene

#15, back to the D&D memes
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/a/a71e4615.jpg

Wait until it arrives in your city, then decides to go all the way back down to Florida, before coming back to your city again. Happened to me multiple times this year

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/c/c059c02f.jpg

Crimsoness posted...

My cat had a tooth pulled today so send her good thoughts

:( Aww, hope she isn't in too much pain, and recovers well.
Also, there's some good liquid treats that she might love (Churu, Delectables) if she refuses normal treats.

AuthenticZac posted...

I don't have too many crossover pics between my cats and D&D, but I do have this.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/9/9fe4c4a9.jpg
My little Trinket deciding to "help" me put together a Critical Role puzzle.

And another, this time of Trinket checking out her namesake
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/0/0932c675.jpg

Crimsoness posted...

If you post pictures of cats you might get better chances.

Not really but I like cats

I don't have too many crossover pics between my cats and D&D, but I do have this.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/9/9fe4c4a9.jpg
My little Trinket deciding to "help" me put together a Critical Role puzzle.

Entry 11
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/b/b4ab20d6.jpg

Entry #10.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/f/fb6f47ff.jpg
Gotta befriend 'em all!