RJ Writing Ink

2019 will be upon us in a matter of hours, and there is already so much to look forward to. It is a tradition of mine every time the new year rolls around to look over all the things that I have to look forward to in 2019. Now that I have this blog, I thought “why not share it with everyone?”

Then I suddenly realized that a lot of the things I have to look forward to in the new year involve the end to stories that I have followed for years. So I decided to call 2019 “The Year of Endings”.

Dragon Ball Super: Broly

BROLY’S LEGEND FIRST BEGAN IN 1993, WITH BICEPS BIGGER THAN GOKU’S HEAD AND A HEART THAT LONGED TO BE FREE!

Broly Chronicles, Team Four Star

This is the Dragon Ball film that fans have waiting for. The reason can be summed up in a single, five-letter word: B-R-O-L-Y.

Debuting in the 1993 film Broly: The Legendary Super Saiyan, Broly has proven to be among the most popular villains in the Dragon Ball franchise. This is in spite of the criticism to his backstory, which Team Four Star has summed up as being “really dumb”. So when it was announced that a reworked version of Broly was going to be the main villain in the next Dragon Ball film, fans went bananas. It premieres on January 16th in the US, and I got tickets for opening night. And you can bet your bottom dollar that I’m going to write about it after I’m done! If the reviews are any indication, though, I am not going to be disappointed.

Kingdom Hearts III

To say that I have been waiting for this game would be an understatement. It has been six years since Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. That’s the same amount of time since Square Enix first announced this game. On top of that, it’s been nearly fourteen years since Kingdom Hearts II came out. So, I have been waiting for a long time.

I’m gonna get that game, then I’m going to play it until I beat it on the hardest difficulty. It’s as simple as that. And I hope that it is one of the best games that I have ever played, or I am going to feel an empty hole in my heart for the rest of my days.

Captain Marvel

First referenced in the post-credits scene of Avengers: Infinity War, she is going to be playing a big role in Avengers: Endgame. Before that happens though, Marvel is going to take us back to the origin of Captain Marvel.

Taking place in the 1990s, the movie is going to give us the origin story of the titular hero as she uncovers the secrets to her past as she protects Earth from an intergalactic war. It also shows more about the past of Nick Fury and how he came to know Captain Marvel. Plus, Phil Coulson will be coming back! He’s been plenty active in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but the last time he was on the big screen was in the original Avengers movie. This will be a welcome return.

With this being the only film left before Endgame, there’s a lot riding on this film. Knowing Marvel and Disney, I am not worried. It’s going to be weird seeing Blockbuster again, though.

Avengers: Endgame

Dear god, where do I even begin with this. There’s not enough time in the day. This is part two to the story that the MCU has been building up from since the very beginning. Everything we have seen, everything that has happened, has all led to this moment. Infinity War ended with the Avengers be completely defeated by Thanos as he wiped out half the universe. This movie is going to be about picking up the pieces and figuring out how to fix things. The stakes have never been higher.

I know that Thanos’ actions will be largely undone. The fact that there’s another Spider-Man film coming makes that clear. Still, there is no guarantee that not every hero is going to make it out of this movie alive, which makes it all the more agonizing to have to wait for. If you’ve read the comics this is based on, you can get a bit of an idea of how this might end, but I am still excited to find out.

This film is going to mark the end of the MCU as we know it, with a new status quo being set up afterwards. It’s the end of an era for Marvel. Perhaps the most bittersweet thing about this film is that it will be one of the final confirmed appearances of Stan Lee doing his cameo. Something in my gut told me that the story of Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet was always going to be Stan Lee’s final cameo, and I was right. It’s fitting that the finale to this stage of the MCU will include a final appearance behind one of the men who created Marvel. I think I might cry when I see him.

Game of Thrones Season 8

For nine years, Game of Thrones has shocked and captivated audiences around the world. I could spend an entire blog talking about how big the show has become. But the Song of Ice and Fire will be coming to its end in April 2019. And it is going to be one of the biggest events in television history.

So many questions are going through my head about the final season: who is going to live? Who will die? Will Westeros survive the White Walkers or not? Given the show’s history, I will not be surprised to see some of the remaining characters die, but we simply don’t know which ones will! Everyone is on the chopping block in the finale; literally everyone. While I wish for either Jon or Daenerys to make it out of the show alive, I am trying to make peace with the fact that they may not.

There’s only one thing I want more than anything in the final season: to see Cersei Lannister die. If she dies, I hope it’s by one of the following:

• Jaime Lannister kills her himself.
• Arya Stark kills her
• If she is pregnant, she dies giving birth to a dwarf.

While I’d love for her demise to be violent and painful (she deserves it), I’m hoping it’s option three for ironic reasons. The best kind of reasons. If Westeros freezes over, I’ll at least have the satisfaction of seeing her get what she deserves.

Star Wars: Episode IX

The new Star Wars Trilogy will be coming to an end in 2019. Disney is keeping a really tight ship in regards to that, though, so I don’t have anything to show of it. What I do know is that it takes place one year after Episode VIII and that it claims it will be the final chapter of the Skywalker saga. I don’t know about that, but if this is the finale to Star Wars as we know it, then it’s going to have to work extra hard.

I’ve been on the fence about the sequel trilogy since the beginning, to be honest. I thought that Return of the Jedi was already a great way to wrap up the story of the Skywalkers. That, and the franchise had been carried on by books, TV shows, and video games that spanned into the future of the original cast and thousands of years into the past. It felt like a waste to see most of that shoved to the side. So I have taken the sequel trilogy with a grain of salt.

I also didn’t like how they turned Luke into, in my own words, a whiny old man. He was almost the complete opposite of the Luke I watched and read about as a kid. I just hope that this is going to be good.

End of the Road

The end of the road is always a bittersweet moment, but one that we have to deal with, eventually. I have so many things to look forward to in 2019, and many of them involve endings to stories that I have followed for years. Mind you, they are not ending for good. Game of Thrones already has a prequel series planned. I think Square Enix will continue Kingdom Hearts someday. And I know that Disney is not going to give up on Star Wars or the MCU. They already have the next Spider-Man film set for July.

It’s going to be an interesting year for everyone, and I honestly can’t wait to see what 2019 brings us. So, from me to you, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The year 2018 was a huge year, as far as I’m concerned: superheros dominated the box office, we lost a lot of celebrities, and saw stellar game after stellar game released. It was also a big year for me personally, thought that is another story. With today being the last day of 2018, I thought I could look back on some of what I thought were the defining moments of 2018.

“Wakanda Forever!”- The Black Panther

I already talked about it in my post on superhero movies I saw for 2018, but I will say it again: Black Panther was one of the biggest hits of the year. Its success goes well beyond that, however. It celebrates the traditions and customs of African cultures while also showing what it can become. That’s what Wakanda stands for.

To outsiders, Wakanda looks like a third-world nation. In reality, though, it has the kind of technology and economic prosperity that would make America green with envy. They have hoverbikes, people! HOVERBIKES!

At the same time, Wakanda is in tune with African culture and traditions. People walk through the streets of the city wearing traditional garments alongside more modern clothing. Wakanda’s military rides into battle in warrior garbs that are laced with vibranium and holographic shields. The method through which T’Challa officially becomes King is through ceremonial combat. It’s an amazing blend of technology and tradition, and shows what African culture can be. I can’t wait for the next time we visit Wakanda.

The Ultimate Pop Culture Drug- Ready Player One

Oh my god, this movie was the absolute BEST. For someone who has spent their entire life surrounded by popular culture, this movie was like being a kid in the world’s coolest candy store. I would have to spend days looking through the entire movie to list every cultural reference in this game. I hope Ernest Cline is proud of how the movie adaptation turned out.

If you didn’t see the movie or read the book, here’s the synopsis: it takes place in 2045, where everyone has basically given up on fixing the world. Instead, they put on VR headsets and hang out in the OASIS, which is the ultimate VR hub-universe where you can do anything! It was co-created by this giant pop culture nerd and gamer James Halliday. When he died, he left a scavenger hunt for three keys in the OASIS. The player who finds them first gets full control of OASIS. So, it’s Willy Wonka meets Bill Gates. If you haven’t seen it already, see it now.

RIP Dr. Stephen Hawking

Dr. Stephen Hawking was one of the most brilliant minds of our time, but he was always living time. He was diagnosed with ALS in his 20s, but that never stopped him from living a full and happy life. It also didn’t stop him from make guest-appearances as himself on various shows. And somehow, he managed to live for fifty years with the disease. But, he passed away in peace on March 14, 2018. I think he would have found it funny that he died on Pi Day.

“I don’t feel so good…” The Snap of Infinity War

If you’re one of the handfuls of people that haven’t seen Avengers: Infinity War, then here’s a spoiler: Thanos wins and kills off half the universe. I watched half the cast of the movie turn into dust and fade away before my eyes, but the hardest part was watching Spider-Man die. I NEVER saw that coming.

At any rate, Tom Holland’s line “I don’t feel so good” as he turned into dust from what pop culture has dubbed “The Snap” became a staple of pop culture for 2018. All over social media, people started using the disintegration special effect to recreate The Snap and dusting. It was our way of coping with the genuinely traumatic sight of watching characters we never thought we’d see bite it die. My only regret is that I couldn’t find one of Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones turning into dust.

Seriously, I WANT to see her die in 2019.

End of Adventure Time

One of the greatest cartoons of all time, Adventure Time brought on a renaissance for Cartoon Network. Several awards, critical acclaim, and a fan base that spanned across all generations and nationalities, Adventure Time was a cartoon that only comes around once in a lifetime. But all good things need to come to an end. Or else they up like The Simpsons (that’s right, I went there).

On Labor Day, 2018, Adventure Time came to an end with the hour-long finale, “Come Along With Me”. But even though it ended its run on TV, it’s legacy has inspired other cartoons and helped to launch a new generation of creators, one that I think we have only begun to tap. Besides, it’s not like the show is gone for good: it’s still be continued in comic book sequels.

Marvel’s Spider-Man PS4

Never in my life have I have ever needed something so badly and never knew it until I got it. This was probably my favorite game of 2018, even if it didn’t win Game of the Year.

We Were Right About Global Warming

You know how all those people kept saying that global warming wasn’t real, in spite of the evidence. Guess what? WE WERE RIGHT! Global warming is real, it’s already here, and it’s dangerously close to the point of no return on it. And people are starting to wake up to the danger of it, despite the fact that Donal Trump insists that it is not real.

As more and more of the world begins to go green in order to reduce the effects of global warming, estimates are coming in. It’s believed that the demand for fossil fuels will peak in about 11-12 years, and then decline as green energy sources become widespread. That’s promising, but it still might not be enough to stop our planet from being irreparably screwed over. It’s never too late to try, though.

RIP Stan Lee and Steve Dikto

This one doesn’t really need any more explaining. I already covered my feelings about it plenty in my post about it.

In case people forgot, though, I would like to point out that Steve Dikto, who co-created Spider-Man with Stan Lee, died earlier this year. So I think it’s only right to mention him. Hopefully, those two are with Jack Kirby in that great comic book studio in the sky

RIP Stephen Hillenberg

Nor does this need any more explaining. RIP, Ocean Man.

Fallout 76

From the moment I saw the lackluster reaction to it at E3 2018, I knew that this game was going to have problems. Still, I tried to give it the benefit of the doubt and pre-ordered it for myself. So far, it feels like it was a waste of my money.

This game has been plagued with issues from the very start, and they have only gotten worse. Bethesda has repeatedly broken its promises and abused the trust of its customers with poorly made merchandise related to the game. I wish that this game would improve, but so far it doesn’t look likely.

ANIME IS NOW MAINSTREAM

Gentleman, let us mark 2018 as the year when anime was officially mainstream. For evidence, I provide this video: Goku’s balloon at the 2018 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

I watched that parade from start to finish just for this parade, and I think plenty of other people did as well. It was an amazing experience showing that we were no longer a niche group of fans but a full part of pop culture. I did groan in frustration when the host pronounced “Saiyan” wrong.

BTW, Pikachu doesn’t count. He was a video game character before he got his own anime.

So, what were your favorite moments of 2018? Let me know in the comments below! Happy New Year, and check out my other blog on what I look forward to in 2018

Eden’s Zero Chapter 25 Review/Recap

Sorry, it took so long to get this done. The holiday season, after all. Anyway, that brings us back to Eden’s Zero.

Shiki’s Got Skills

So, let’s review what has happened last chapter: Evil Sister showed up and started duking it out with Rogue Out, Rebecca went off on her own to find a missing B-Cuber, and Weisz and Homura found another Sister in the basement of Rogue Out’s Church.

Continuing where we left off, Shiki is being forced on the defensive thanks to Rogue Out’s gunfire. It seems he has learned marksmanship from watching Rebecca fight and has developed a way to compress is Gravity Ether into balls. And he’s good at using them.

Natsu probably would have just tried to brute-force his way through Rogue Out. Shiki, on the other hand, prefers to fight smarter. Both of them, though, do get furious when people attack the ones they call friends. Sister earns Shiki’s wrath when she uses Jin as a shield against his attacks. Yes, Sister can heal them no problem, but that’s not the point.

Meanwhile, Rebecca is looking for Copa the B-Cuber when she comes across Illega’s… collection

Rather than say it myself, I think it would be funnier to let Dr. Hojo from TeamFourStar’s Final Fantasy VII Machinabridged say why Illega kidnaps pretty girls and turns them into statues

Well, it’s true. And guess what? Illega is holding Copa hostage like the coward he is. And instead of turning her into furniture, Illega plans on keeping Rebecca as his toy. Which I can only assume is another way of saying “s** slave” or something dirty like that.

…. yeah, screw that.

Gravity Shot

Dang, Rebecca is really good with a gun! One shot and Illega goes down. Meanwhile, Shiki…

K.O.! Shiki wins in a knockout! And then, that other Sister shows up and declares that the evil sister is going to pay for using her powers without her permission. This all but confirms my theory that the one in the basement is the real sister, and the leader of Rogue Out is an imposter or duplicate. Next chapter we will probably see the evil Sister be destroyed or taken down in some way. Can’t wait.

Oh, and since I meant to put this up on Christmas, here’s a sketch of Rebecca in a Santa costume.

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