RJ Writing Ink

Edens Zero Chapter 69 Review/Recap

With their adventure on Sun Jewel behind them, the crew of the Edens Zero seems stronger than ever. Homura’s now taken Valkyrie’s role as the Sword of Eden, and Rebecca finally has her Ether Gear. However, events in this chapter seem to indicate a dark future. One that only Rebecca may be able to stop.

Also, Rebecca resumes her role as the fan-service poster girl of Edens Zero.

Recap

Rebecca’s estactic to show everyone her Ether Gear, Leaper, but Weisz thinks its a rip-off of Arsenal. The argument eventually leads to most of the group having a race to see whose the fastest. Pino promptly wins by using her EMP to shut down everyone’s Ether Gear. Afterwards, Rebecca relaxes in the baths, thinking of what she can do with Leaper.

However, Rebecca has a terrible nightmare. In it, she and a harsher version of Shiki are in a terrible battle. When she wonders where Happy is, Shiki harshly tells him that Happy’s dead. Rebecca wakes up terrified in Sister’s room/the infirmary, relieved that it was only a dream. Sister informs her that something big happened in the hour she was out.

After giving Drakken Joe’s ship the slip, they caught up with the Edens Zero once more. Since the ship couldn’t win a head-on fight, Shiki opted to launch a preemptive strike. He, Weisz, Homura, and Pino boarded Joe’s ship to do recon. What an idiot.

Review

Firstly, I don’t think that what Rebecca saw was a mere nightmare. Instead, it could be a vision of a possible dark future for Shiki. It sounds far-fetched at first, but we’ve already seen that Shiki has a dark and vengeful side to him. In addition to this, I remember Xiao Mei saying that Rebecca’s Leaper may end up saving the universe one day. Maybe she’s meant to help Shiki in his darkest hour or something.

While I didn’t get to it in the recap, this chapter had another big reveal: Valkyrie’s role on the ship. As the Sword of Edens Zero, Valkyrie maintained the ship’s armory and weapons, and it has enough for a war. The biggest weapon, though, is 3173: Etherion. If you’ve read Mashima’s other works, this is a reference to both Rave Master and Fairy Tail. Mashima’s fond of referencing his past works.

This chapter, though, has me worried that Shiki’s in over his head. We’ve caught glimpses of how dangerous Drakken Joe is, and in their current state, I don’t know if Shiki can win. If Shiki’s team gets captured, then Rebecca and Happy will be the best chance the Edens Zero has. One thing’s for sure, though: things are going to get dangerous next chapter.

I Give “Rebecca’s Nightmare” a 3/5.

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A Look at Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Disney’s Streaming Services

This past week saw a lot of big news regarding the ongoing streaming wars. First, Disney entered the fight with their new streaming service, Disney+. Hot on the heels of that, Nickelodeon announced their own long-term deal with Netflix. With Cartoon Network slated to join HBO Max’s lineup at launch next year, the message is clear. The Big Three have joined the streaming wars.

For an entire generation of kids, the Big Three of Animation were the ones who made the best cartoons on TV. As a result, the news of the trio joining the streaming wars was big news on social media. As a fan of shows made by all three of these entities, I couldn’t resist giving my two cents. So, I’ll be giving my thoughts and opinions on each company, their streaming service, and how I think they’ll do.

Nickelodeon and Netflix

When I was a kid, Nickelodeon seemed like the best place to watch cartoons; or rather, Nicktoons. They had so many great shows, like Spongebob, Fairly Oddparents, Rugrats, and of course, Avatar: The Last Airbender. Nickelodeon looked like a cartoon giant, but then they started focusing more on their sitcoms. After that, I lost interest. However, this deal with Netflix could breathe new life into the Nicktoons.

Unlike the other Big Three of Cartoons, Nickelodeon’s not using an in-house streaming service. Instead, they’re formally teaming up with Netflix, which is the best possible move they can make. Firstly, Netflix’s still the top dog in the streaming business, and with Disney+ up and HBO Max to come next year, they want to stay that way. By relying on the lineup of Nicktoons beloved by millions as kids, they’ll be able to compete with Warner and Disney’s bigger library of cartoons. Both Nick and Netflix will win.

Cartoon Network and HBO Max

I didn’t start watching Cartoon Network until later in my childhood. However, once I started, I couldn’t stop watching. They’ve been churning out good cartoons for the last twenty plus years. As a result, I kept coming back to Cartoon Network long after I left Nickelodeon. In fact, I credit shows like Adventure Time and Regular Show for keeping me interested in cartoons. It feels natural that Warner would put them on their roster for HBO Max.

Next to Disney, Cartoon Network has access to the biggest library of cartoons, and one that’s not limited to their original shows. As part of Warner, CN can use the works of Hanna Barbera and Looney Tunes. Technically, Adult Swim also falls under Cartoon Network. While its currently unknown if they’ll bring any shows, Rick and Morty’s confirmed to join HBO Max. In other words, Cartoon Network’s got a lot to bring to streaming. However, given how much the subscription for HBO Max is said to be, this may cause them suffer.

Disney and Disney+

The last of the Big Three that I got into, I didn’t start watching Disney cartoons in earnest until Phineas and Ferb. My timing couldn’t have been better. The 2010’s saw Disney create its fair share of great cartoons; several of which I’ve written about. From the looks of things, they plan on heading into 2020 with even more great cartoons.

Disney’s library of cartoon shows is as impressive as their films, and that extends to the new Disney+. I haven’t seen much of it yet, but it seems they got most of the classic Disney Afternoon block on there, so that’s a big win. I actually went on Twitter and found Darkwing Duck to be trending! In addition to their original content, Disney+ has shows from properties that Disney owns, like Marvel, Fox, and Star Wars. All of these hit shows, in addition to how a subscritption only $6.99 a month, make for a tough combination to beat.

Which of the Big Three Will Come Out on Top?

Given everything that we know, I think it’s too soon to tell which of the Big Three will win the streaming wars. They each have really good cartoons that they bring to their respective streaming service. It may not seem like much, but since the millenials are now adults with money to spend, the cartoons they watched as kids could be a big factor in their companies’ success. As much as I love all three, I think the one that may come out on top will be Cartoon Network.

While HBO Max will be far more expensive than Netflix or Disney+, it partially justifies this given how much content they have planned. Regarding Cartoon Network, though, I think they’ve done the best job at consistently making good cartoons. Their famous line of “Cartoon Cartoons” lasted from 1996 to 2009 with the finale to Ed Edd n’ Eddy. In fact, Ed Edd n’ Eddy lasted for more than ten years. That’s superhuman by cartoon standards. In addition, the channel’s unbelievably successful cartoons this past decade. Regular Show became their first property to have an official movie since the end of Ed Edd n’ Eddy; Adventure Time spawned a generation-spanning fanbase; and need I say more about Steven Universe?

Given everything I’ve seen, and despite the high price of HBO Max, I think that Cartoon Network may come out on top in the Streaming Wars. However, I personally don’t mind who wins, as its the fans who win in the end. The Big Three are giving us a chance to see the shows we loved as a kid again, and maybe give us hope for reboots. That’s enough to make me happy, and I hope it’s enough for others out there. Besides, I’ve learned to stay out of this stuff.

Do you agree with my choice? Which of the Big Three did you enjoy the most growing up? Who do you think will win the streaming wars? Let me know in the comments down below.

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Rick and Morty Season 4, Episode 1 Review- Edge of Tomorty: Rick, Die, Rickpeat

Wubba-lubba dub dub, Rick and Morty is back, baby! Last night, Adult Swim’s mega-hit Rick and Morty made its grand return. It’s been 770 days since new episodes came on, and yes, Adult Swim kept count. However, as the bumper the channel showed right before the season points out, it’s worth the wait. After watching the premiere episode, Edge of Tomorty: Rick, Die, Rickpeat, I agree. Whereas other shows may start to grow stale, Rick and Morty finds a way to stay fresh while also going back to basics. Only Rick could do that.

Same Junk, Different Day for Rick

At the end of the last season, Rick had his status upended by Jerry moving back into the house. Now Rick has to deal with the new status quo of having to ask Morty to go on adventures. Edge of Tomorty sees him taking it as well as a sociopathic genius who thinks he’s better than everyone else will. In other words, he considers the whole thing a huge pain.

I think Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon did this to address complaints from fans who want the show to return to its season one. As Rick would probably say, shows end up changing over time; everything does. It’s how the universe works, and eventually everything ends. Speaking of which, Rick’s adventure involves stealing crystals that show the user how they die. It’s a clever concept on paper, but in pratice, its hilarious. Since the future’s always changing, the crystal’s won’t work outside of being a cool hack in a fight.

However, Morty ends up addicted to the crystals when they show him a future dying old with Jessica at his side. So when Rick dies and he’s left to his own devices, Morty refuses to revive him so he can take the best route to this perceived perfect ending.

Morty Goes Akira (God I love that) and Wasp Rick

Longtime viewers are well aware of how ruthless and sociopathic Rick can be, and Morty can get pretty dark when pushed too far. However, I feel this episode drove home much like Rick Morty can be when he wants to. In a homage of the anime film Akira, which is pointed out in the episode, Morty goes on a rampage. He uses Rick’s inventions and the Meseeks boxes to stop anything between him and his dream death. If there was any doubt that anime’s now mainstream and that my generation rules pop culture, I think this eliminates it.

So, not only is Morty capable of being as badass as Rick, but just as ruthless and uncaring? For all the times he tries to hold the moral high ground, Morty turns out just as bad as Rick.

Meanwhile, thanks to a cloning project he did two seasons ago, our Rick wakes up in alternate realities. He then gets disturbed by the fact that a lot of them are fascist dystopia’s. It’s a nice, yet disturbing, running gag in the episode. In the end, the one reality where he’s safe is the one where people evolved from wasps. My mortal enemies, and this episode reinforces that mindset for me. They sting people, eat others alive, and lay eggs in others. However, as Wasp Rick points out, when something evolves to be that big a jerk, empathy goes a long way. Seeing his counterpart get along with his family helps make Rick realize that he may not have it so bad. Can’t say the same for Mr. Goldenfold, though.

Edge of Tomorty: A Lesson No One Understands

In the end, Rick gets back home and saves Morty from his enslavement to the crystal. Yet if there’s a moral to be found in Edge of Tomorty, Rick can’t find it. I think the whole thing’s meant to either be a jab at fans who want to return to the basics and at moving forward. Rick actually sums up what may be the lesson of the whole debacle: that you should learn to live in the moment and think ahead. That would have solved both of their problems.

However, given how Rick (and now Morty) go into the “Rick and Morty forever” rant, I think there’s another message. This season, Justin and Dan are going to try and mix the classic formula while trying to test out new material. Just like Rick, I don’t think they give two cents about what other people think.

Sometimes, I think it’s better not to worry about deeper meanings, though, and just enjoy the ride. Next to The Rickshank Redemption, Edge of Tomorty may be my favorite of the Season Premiere’s. The jokes, that range from Rick’s clone troubles to what the stinger shows about Morty’s “dream death” are enough to have me howling with laughter. It’s a real strong start to the season, and with 70 more episodes ordered, the next decade’s going to have plenty of Rick and Morty. Rick and Morty forever and forever a hundred years Rick and Morty some things! This was worth staying up till midnight to see!

I Give “Edge of Tomorty: Rick, Die, Rickpeat” a 4.9/5. Rick and Morty’s still got it.

Hilarious Observations

• In a hilariously blatant attempt to self-promote their work, we got a shot of an ad for Trover Saves the Universe, a video game made by Justin Roiland that came out on PS4 and PC over the Summer.

• I may hate wasps and want to shout the Dalek war cry at them, but I like Wasp Rick.
• My favorite scene: The Wasp Smiths casually eating Goldenfold.
• Green Portal Productions. That’s a thing now.

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My Hero Academia, Season 4, Episode 4 Review/Recap

After taking a break last week, My Hero Academia returns with another new episode. One that’s just in time for Toonami’s premiere of Season 4 of MHA. A chance encounter with a villain forces Midoriya to make a difficult decision. Not long after, he learns why All Might and Sir Nighteye split up, and All Might’s task of fighting fate. In other words, this season’s going to be amazing.

Recap

Claiming to be the father of the little girl, Eri, Overhaul tries to take her back with him. Picking up on how terrified she is, Deku’s very hesitant to let her go. However, Togata gets him to stand down. They can’t risk tipping Overhaul off about the fact they’re investigating him. Later on, Sir Nighteye grills him for almost letting his emotions get the better of him.

Unable to stop thinking about everything Nighteye’s said, Midoriya asks All Might what led to the two falling out. Back when he first beat All for One, All Might was in bad shape. Nighteye insisted that he retire and name a successor then; otherwise, he would die within six or seven years. All Might’s sense of justice was too strong, though, and he continued his work as a hero. Years later, Nighteye picked Togata as his successor, but then Midoriya came along. Nighteye called him a fool for giving up his quirk to Midoriya.

Deku’s shocked to hear all this. More importantly, it means that within a year or so, All Might could end up dying. However, All Might’s more determined than ever to continue fighting fate so he can see Midoriya live up to his expectations. In turn, Midoriya vows to live up to the legacy he carries on.

Meanwhile, we see more of Overhaul’s cruelty as he takes Eri back to his base, saying she’s important to his plans.

Review

I think that this episode delivered some pretty big bombshells. Firstly, we see just how cruel and evil Overhaul really is through the terrified reactions of Eri. We throw the word “evil” so much, it sometimes loses its meaning. However, we always think their’s something heinous about hurting a child. Seeing how scared Eri was made me feel genuinely disgusted at Overhaul, and I don’t blame Midoriya for wanting to say no. If someone like Luffy or Goku were in his place, they’d punch Overhaul’s lights out.

At the same time, I knew that Togata, AKA Lemillion, was right about standing down. The fact that he kept his cool under pressure speaks a lot about heroic he is. Even so, I knew he didn’t like letting Eri go, either.

Then we have the revelation of All Might’s possible fate. However, I don’t think Nighteye was talking about the people when he said All Might should retire. Knowing how much he admires All Might, I don’t think he could stand to see his hero in such a state. While he does care about the importance of the Symbol of Peace, I think deep down, Nighteye doesn’t want to accept the fact that All Might’s mortal. I could simply be over analyzing things, however. Regardless, in matters like these, I’m the kind of person who’d rather look fate in the eye and say “you don’t control me.” I hope All Might can fight fate and win, and I hope Midoriya can prove Nighteye wrong.

The next episode’s going to change focus to Kirishima and another one of U.A.’s Big Three. From the look of things, I think it will still tie in to Overhaul. Either way, I look forward to it. PLUS ULTRA!

I Give “Fighting Fate” a 4.5/5. Very good episode.

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Sword Art Online: Alicization- War of Underworld Episode 29 Review/Recap

I’ve noticed a recurring theme among stories that feature a climatic final battle between two opposing forces. Right before the big fight, there’s always a moment where the cast calms down and prepares themselves for what’s about to happen. Star Wars had their moment with Luke and Leia in Jedi; and Game of Thrones had a whole episode before the White Walkers attacked. Now SAO: Alicization goes through its own calm before the storm as the final battle for Underworld is about to begin.

LINK START!

Recap

Alice arrives at the Integrity Knight’s base with Kirito in tow, much to Eldrie’s dismay. However, Bercouli lets Kirito stay as he knows the boy’s aware enough to defend himself. In addition, since he beat Quinella and most of the Integrity Knights, Bercouli thinks he’ll be the key to victory in the final battle. To help protect him, Alice leaves Kirito in the care of Tione and Ronye, who have joined the Human Army. However, the two are guilt-ridden at Kirito’s state, believing that if they had been smarter, Eugeo would be alive and Kirito wouldn’t be in his state. Alice tells the two girls that they did nothing wrong, and that they should keep moving forward.

A day or so later, Bercouli calls a war meeting with the Knights present. The Dark Territory has around 50,000 warriors and sacred arts users on their side. On their part, the Human Empire has 3,000 soldiers plus the Integrity Knights, each worth a thousand soldiers. So their plan is to bottleneck them at the entrance and try and thin out their ranks.

The night before the battle, everyone prepares for what’s to come the next day. Alice takes the chance to reconcile with Eldrie, telling him to live so that he may reclaim his lost memories. The next day, the Human Army stands at the gate as it collapses, beginning the Final Load Test.

Review

As far as prelude’s to the final battle go, I can sum up my feelings to this episode in one word: meh. I mean, I think it did a good job of building tension up for the final battle, but it doesn’t really do much else. Game of Thrones did a better job with its episode leading up to the White Walkers arrival.

That said, I did like getting to see some of the other characters make their return. Bercouli shows off his leadership skills, and humorously, deals with the same kind of girl troubles Kirito has. We see that Fanatio overcame her insecurities over being a woman thanks to Kirito. In addition, unlike in the Light Novels, several of the Integrity Knights Kirito fought have cameos.

Now that that’s out of the way, though, I think we’ve all gotten to the point where we have one question: can we fight now? This is going to be an epic war that could not only decide the fate of Underworld, but affect the real world as well. If Gabriel captures Alice, then it’s game over. I only hope that it’s better than “The Long Night” was; and more visible.

Next week the War of Underworld truly begins! Can’t wait!

I Give “The Night Before Battle” a 3/5. BRING ON THE FIGHT!

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Edens Zero Chapter 68 Review/Recap

The battle for Sun Jewel’s over, and the Scarlet Women’s been sent to a fate worse than death. Even though Sun Jewel’s free, victory’s soured by the knowledge of Valkyrie’s death. Now Shiki must break the news of Valkyrie’s death. If anyone still doubts it now, I think this chapter proves for good that machines have hearts.

Recap

As Xiao Mei explains, with the fall of Kurenai, Sun Jewel will prosper by exporting its valuable ore. Combined with being a popular destination for treasure hunters, and the planet’s future remains bright. However, in the immediate time, Shiki and the others return to Edens Zero and inform the the machines of Valkyrie’s death.

Sister’s furious that Homura chose to leave Valkyrie’s body on Sun Jewel. With her powers, combined with the backup data of the Shining Stars, could restore her to life. Witch argues that this wouldn’t restore the feelings she felt for Homura, but Sister doesn’t budge. Ultimately, Shiki tells her of something Ziggy said once: that machines grow old and die like other beings. Therefore, machines have hearts. In other words, they have to accept Valkyrie’s passing, with Homura vowing to become the new Valkyrie.

Sister ends up storming off on her own to cope with her friend’s death. Witch meets up with her on the ship’s observation deck, and the two of them tearfully break down over the loss of their friend, comforting each other.

Review

I might be reading a little too deeply into it, but I think I understand the main theme of Edens Zero. At least, I think I understand what Mashima’s trying to say. In a world that’s rapidly developing advanced robots and AI, there are going to be questions of morality and rights. Can an AI learn to care about people and feel emotions? In other words, can machines have hearts? I think that Mashima’s answer is yes. It may seem silly to some, but if we develop super-advanced robots one day, they can learn how to have feelings. It’s either that or let them be run on cold-logic, and that can lead to Skynet or HAL.

Philosophy aside, I thought that this was a touching chapter. As I predicted, Homura has stepped up to become the new Valkyrie for Edens Zero. It’s not a moment too soon, either. Witch and the others were able to fool him using a holographic decoy, but Drakken Joe’s on the hunt for the ship. The confrontation between the Demon King Shiki and Drakken Joe is inevitable. I’m looking forward to how it turns out in the end, as this will likely be the crew’s biggest test yet. With Shiki and the Four Shining Stars in the fight, though, I don’t think Edens Zero has anything to worry about.

I Give “Valkyrie” a 4.5/5. Slow but emotional chapter

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South Park Season 23, Episode 6- “Season Finale” Review

In the first half of South Park’s 23rd Season, Randy Marsh became the Walter White of marijuana. He’s killed dozens of cows while high, murdered Winnie the Pooh, and worst of all, the Halloween Special. It looked as though viewers needed to wait until the end of the Season to see Randy brought down. However, last night’s episode “Season Finale” seemed to finally throw fans a bone. In addition, it did all this while tying together the plots of most of the episodes.

The episode starts off with Randy being arrested by the police. They figured out he blew up everyone’s pot gardens in “Mexican Joker”, and they have the footage to prove it. In addition, all of Randy’s other actions have essentially left South Park sick of Tegridy Farms.

I made my dislike for Tegridy Farms clear from the beginning, and it looks like Matt and Trey took notice of the fans dislike. I looked at the comments in the teaser for this episode, and a lot of them shared my disdain. It’s clear that Tegridy Farms wore out its welcome, and the writers know it.

The ones who are most excited about Randy’s arrest are, naturally, the Marsh’s. If Randy goes to jail, then they can move back to South Park and live their old lives again. They’re so happy at the prospect that they throw a party to celebrate. It’s at this point, though, that the town goes through its crisis of the week.

No One Cares About the Whites

While playing football in the park, a kid named Jason White gets run over by a cop car. In real life, this would be a horrific tragedy, but in South Park, few people care. Except for the Whites, who we last saw in “Splatty Tomato”. Mr. White uses his son’s funeral to complain about how no one cares about them. I think it’s supposed to satirize how Caucasians are becoming the minority in America, but I didn’t care. They also happen to be big supporters of Tegridy Farms, and they show up to ruin the Marsh’s party. Cartman, in a rare display of sympathy, offers to help the White’s move on from the loss of Jason. The place he sends them to, though, is one the show’s familiar with: the ICE detention camp.

The story involving the ICE detention camp never got resolved, so I felt surprised to see it brought back. However, this time the show knows what’s its bashing and doesn’t hold back on it. In this case, South Park tears into ICE’s policy of letting the kids of deported parents be adopted by American families. The fact that it’s portrayed like a pet center’s not only black comedy gold, but reinforces how inhumane the practice is.

At any rate, the White’s adopt a Mexican boy named Alejandro, and viewers see how harmful their actions can be. While they think they’re being loving and affectionate foster parents, Alejandro doesn’t see it that way. All he wants is to see his actual parents, which the Whites fail to understand. This ultimately leads to Alejandro snapping in the biggest way possible.

Randy Marsh Has a Sobering Realization

Meanwhile, Randy Marsh, now cut off from Tegridy Weed, starts to feel guilt for his actions. He calls President Garrison for advice and tries to use his “reverse-blame” tactic, but it fails. Fully sober, Randy realizes how big a jerk he’s been the whole season. At his subsequent hearing, Randy owns up to his actions and that he deserves to be in jail.

Considering how much of a bonehead Randy’s been this season, this moment feels almost cathartic. For a moment or two, it even looks like Tegridy Farms will be brought down for good. Then, the status quo steps in with a bang.

Having snapped over his anger at the US, Alejandro starts causing way more destruction than a normal boy should be capable of. Since the White’s covered him in sunscreen, he looks exactly like Mexican Joker. As a result, Alejandro gets all the blame as he flees the police, leaving Randy a free man. DRAT!

Tegridy Farms Future?

So, Randy Marsh got off the hook for everything that he did, and Tegridy Farms remains in business. I wanted to see his weed business go down, but “Season Finale” reaffirmed my belief that this won’t happen until the finale. That is, if it happens at all. For now, though, the show makes it look like Tegridy Farms’ done for the forseeable future. As in, the growing season for weed’s done. That’s where the title “Season Finale” comes.

It felt good to see Randy get a taste of karma, even if the status quo meant he got off the hook in the end. However, I remain skeptical over whether or not he’s learned his lesson. If the show’s smart, then it will stop focusing on Tegridy Farms. It’s been forever since we had a classic episode about the four main boy. If we’re lucky, it will focus on that in the remaining episodes. Howerver, I now want to see if they’ll do anything with Alejandro and the Mexican Joker plot. That’s too big a plot thread to leave by the wayside. For now, though, I think this was one of the better episodes of the season. Second only to “SHOTS!!!” in my opinion.

I Give “Season Finale” a 4/5.

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Sword Art Online: Alicization- War of Underworld Episode 28 Review/Recap

Sword Art Online has given us its fair share of villains over the years. While at are great hat sinks (*cough* Sugou and Quinella *cough*), I wouldn’t put them on a list of great anime villains. However, the exception to that has to be the big bad for War of Underworld, Gabriel Miller. I said that he’s a sociopath in my last post. However, it’s not until this episode that shows us how much of a gaming sociopath he is.

Link Start!

Recap

Through a series of flashbacks, we learn about Gabriel’s past. As a boy, Gabriel was fascinated by the idea of the soul, and longed to understand its power. This grew into an obsession as he got older, until one day, he murdered his best friend and childhood sweetheart, Alicia. As she died, he saw her soul leave her body, leading him to spend his life to experiencing that moment again.

In Underworld, Gabriel assumes the role of Vector and seizes power as Emperor of the Dark Territory. Playing off Underworld’s mythology, he vows to invade the Human Empire, promising its land for all in exchange for Alice. However, that night, a woman who’s opposed to his invasion tries to assassinate him. He kills her, and as she dies, witnesses her soul leave her body. Which he then eats.

The following day, Gabriel presents the frozen head of the woman to everyone, which leads to her leader/lover to attack Gabriel by incarnating himself into a storm. That storm’s then sucked into Gabriel’s soul, revealed to be a black void. Unphased, Gabriel then orders the invasion of the Human Empire to begin.

Review

It’s as I said: Gabriel Miller is a gaming sociopath. He’s got no ability to feel emotion, and his soul’s an all-encompassing void that devours everything. In other words, he’s the most evil person in SAO.

As good as the episode was at demonstrating how much of a sociopath Gabriel is, it leaves out some details from the web and light novels. Before he killed Alicia, he started taking insects apart so he could see their souls. That’s very disturbing! In addition to this, the light novel mentions how he becomes obsessed with Alice due to how she looks like Alicia. Even their names are the same. His ultimate goal is to steal Alice for himself and enslave her for his own, perverted goals.

Gabriel Miller’s the most dangerous enemy Kirito and his friends will ever face, and it will take everything they have to destroy him. I am personally looking forward to the fight between Kirito and Gabriel; we know it’s coming. If the show pulls it off right, this may be one of the biggest arcs anime has seen in a decade.

The war for Underworld is mere days away, and a gaming sociopath is leading the Dark Territory. They have 50,000 warriors to the Human Empire’s 3,000. Even with the Integrity Knights power, the heroes will need a miracle. Since Kirito’s in a coma, then maybe Asuna will do the trick!

I Give “Dark Territory” a 3/5. Getting better.

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One Piece, Chapter 961 Review/Recap

Last chapter of One Piece gave us our first look at the life and times of Oden Kozuki, and his life was crazy. His father couldn’t take it anymore, so he had to disown him. At that moment, though, the capital came under attack. By a boar so big, that it’s called the “Mountain God.”

Recap

Thanks to Kin’emon stealing its child, the Mountain God Boar devastates the Flower Capital in search of its kid. Entire sections of the city and its people get eaten, including Tsuru. Furious, Kin’emon tries, and fails, to slay the Mountain God. However, Oden then lures it in using its child, and with his two swords, he slays the Boar and saves everyone inside.

Even though he saved the city, everyone still blames him for the Mountain God’s attack. His disownment holds up, and thus Oden leaves the Flower Capital. He’s not alone, though: Kin’emon and Denjiro are so impressed by what he did that they choose to become his followers. Thus, the trio heads to stay with Lord Yasuie, where they meet his new servant: Orochi.

….what?

Review

If it were in any other story, seeing Oden slice the Mountain God Boar in half would be all kinds of badass. Considering how we’ve seen Zoro do similar feats before, and most of the heroes and villains have done crazier stuff. In other words, its not as impressive. It makes for one heck of an origin story, though, and this is Oden started to rise to world renown.

Now, for the elephant in the room; or rather, the snake. I’ve had theories about Orochi’s backstory, and now it looks like we have our answer. He was a servant of Yasuie. What puzzles me more, though, is what led him to betray his country and even kill his former Lord? Then again, he looks like the kind of person who would brown-nose anyone to advance in life.

While seeing the backstory for the Wano characters is fine, I felt it was a little unecessary to see Oden kill the Mountain God. We’ve seen crazier feats before, so we didn’t need the affirmation of how strong Oden was. I hope that this flashback doesn’t run for too long, as I want to see the war for Wano play out. Regretfully, we’ll have to wait two weeks for that to happen.

I Give “The Mountain God Incident” a 3/5. Cool, but not Amazing.

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South Park, Season 23, Episode 5, “Tegridy Farms Halloween Special” Review

If there’s one holiday besides Christmas that South Park’s big on, it’s Halloween. They’ve had plenty of Halloween specials over the years, and some of them have been my favorite episodes of the show. So even though I don’t like Tegridy Farms, I chose to watch their Halloween Special. After I got done watching it, I could think of one thing:

If there’s one holiday besides Christmas that South Park’s big on, it’s Halloween. They’ve had plenty of Halloween specials over the years, and some of them have been my favorite episodes of the show. So even though I don’t like Tegridy Farms, I chose to watch their Halloween Special. After I got done watching it, I could think of one thing:

What the hell were they smoking when they made this?

I Hate Tegridy Farms

I’m not joking. The Tegridy Farms Halloween Special made little sense to me, and could barely be called funny. The episode starts with Randy excitedly preparing the farm for the titular special; it’s a red herring, though. The “Halloween special” is what Randy and Towelie are calling their strain of marijuana.

I know I was disappointed, but that’s nothing compared to what Shelly feels. Like the rest of her family, Shelly’s fed up with Randy and Tegridy Farms, and makes her feelings known. Randy, being Randy, is so full of himself that he can’t comprehend why, though. His attempts to bring her around only make her angrier, and leads to her brewing a “witch’s potion” to kill Randy’s Halloween Special.

Unfortunately for Shelly, and the viewers (not sorry), her mixture only makes the plants mutate. The result is some bizarre plant abomination that gets people incredibly high.

I Don’t Want My Mummy

While all this is happening, there’s a b-plot with Butters getting cursed by a mummy. Rather than try and kill him, though, the mummy wants to be his friend. An obssessive, yandere type friend that overreacts when Butters seems to slight it. The crazy part is that everyone takes the mummy’s side.

I don’t understand `what Matt Stone and Trey Parker were trying to tell with this story, but it didn’t make sense; at all. It had little to no connection to the main plot, and seemed like a distraction.

Return of the Tegridy Farms Halloween Special

Thanks to the mutated plants, Randy’s Tegridy Farms Halloween Special becomes better than ever. In fact, it leads to what may be the only funny from the episode.

In a scene out of a horror film, it looks like the weed mutate’s people into plant zombies. Making matters worse, it appears that Winnie the Pooh and all the cows Randy and Towelie killed come back for revenge. Except they’re not really back; the Halloween Special’s making everyone hallucinate. 

What Did I Watch?

So in the end, Shelly saves her dad and Towelie with another brew, and the Mummy leaves Butters with everyone thinking he’s the bad guy. Randy wakes up three days later with his family hating him even more. As for me, I’m waiting for the day when Tegridy Farms burns to the ground.

The Tegridy Farms Halloween Special was, by far, the weakest episode of this season of South Park. The plot made little sense, it was barely funny, and I could barely pay attention to it. The only redeeming thing is that the show kept up with its jabs at China by bringing back Winnie the Pooh. You go, South Park. As we reach the halfway point of the season, though, my main motivation is to see if Tegridy Farms burns. 

I Give “Tegridy Farms Halloween Special” a 1.5/5. Waste of my Wedensday Night. 

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