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Jay’s List of Some of the Best Things to Happen in 2021

When 2020 finally came to an end, people had more reasons to celebrate than normal; after all, 2020 was the year from Hell. However, if people were expecting 2021 to be when things reached a state of normality, it didn’t. First there were the people storming the US Capitol, the struggle to get everyone vaccinated, and now even more COVID variants setting us back. It feels like we’ve barely made any progress.

Despite COVID-19 being a major pain, though, 2021 felt somewhat better than 2020; at least entertainment wise. Don’t believe me? Here’s a look back on 2021 through the eyes of this blog, which shows that there was a lot of good to come out of this year.

WandaVision Started Off a New Year of Marvel Content

After more than a year in exile thanks to COVID-19, the MCU returned with a vengeance with WandaVision. This fusion of Marvel with sitcoms spanning from the 1950s all the way up to the present day, combined with the overarching mystery, kept fans guessing from start to finish. It was one of the best ways I could’ve started 2021, even if it did drag at some points.

In addition, it also set us up for the eventual debut of the Young Avengers.

South ParQ Vaccination Special Gave us a Laugh When We Needed It

Last year, South Park gave us a very bleak look at the world, even for them, with their Pandemic Special. The fact that the show was outright begging its fans to vote Trump out of office was an indicator of how bad things had gotten. Thankfully, they rallied with the South ParQ Vaccination Special, giving us some genuine laughs when we needed them most.

Besides poking fun at Q-Anon and storming the Capitol Building, the Vaccination Special also saw Mr. Garrison return to South Park to be a teacher once more, which also meant that the woman who was meant to be temporary got killed off by COVID; no one in South Park cared, though, as the entire cast celebrated getting vaxxed to “Down by the Lazy River.” Sadly, it looked like the four boys broship was over, despite my optimism about their future. I was wrong…before being right again.

DuckTales! Reboot Series Finale

I fell in love with the 2017 reboot of DuckTales! from the moment I saw it. I watched every episode, enjoyed all the adventures and drama, and just ate it up. This is the gold standard that anyone rebooting a beloved cartoon should aspire to measure up to. So, you can guess that when the series finale came around, it was a big deal for me. I honestly hope that Disney keeps these versions of the cast around for future projects, as I absolutely adored them. And that ending to the finale was just the icing on the cake!

The Owl House, Season 2

If you’ve read my blog, then you know that I’m a big fan of The Owl House. Thus, seeing the show return for its second season was a major highlight of the year for me. Having established its setting and characters, The Owl House hit the ground running in its second season. The stakes got higher, plot threads building since the start got connected, and did I mention that Lumity broke the Internet? Because it did!

The one downside to all of this is the fact that Disney refused to give the show a fourth season. They’re not even giving it a full third season; just three hour long specials. That’s not a lot to work with, but fans have come out to show their support for the show on social media, so maybe Disney will change its mind.

Speaking of showing support…

Amphibia Season 2 Finale & Season 3

Just like The Owl House, I was hyped for the return of Amphibia as it got set for the second half of its second season. To my joy, the show managed to largely meet my expectations, or even exceed them. Then…came the moment where Disney screwed up. Thanks to their monumental incompetence, they delayed the season finale hours before its release, and then let it leak onto ITunes. If that doesn’t get someone fired, then I don’t know what will.

The one pro to this injustice is that fans and people working in the animation industry spoke out in solidarity with Matt Braly and his team. It was truly touching to see people come together to support the team behind Amphibia when they were wronged like this, and when the finale finally aired on TV, it was everything fans wanted, and more. Just look at this!

And then, we got the first half of season 3…

Amphibia, you are one of the best cartoons out there, and you deserve all the awards.

South Park: Post COVID Specials Continued the Story

Earlier this year, Matt Stone and Trey Parker made a deal with Paramount+ to make a boatload of specials for the streaming service. Then, on Thanksgiving Day, we got the first special…and it gave us a dystopian look into the future.

Seriously, you have no idea how confused and bummed out I was when I saw how awful South Park was 40 years in the future. Everyone except for Cartman got a bad future!

Thankfully, this dystopian future got erased in the follow up special, much to my joy.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

I don’t need to say anything about this. It was the absolute best way for Marvel to end the year of their triumphant return, and it gave us one of their best films ever.

All right, everyone! Happy New Year, and I hope that this is the year where we kick COVID-19 to the curb. Or at least render it no more harmful than the Flu.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Edens Zero Chapter 172 Review/Recap

Sorry that this took so long to get up, but it was the Holidays, and I wanted to enjoy them. Now, if you recall, we were introduced to a Captain Connor back in chapter 49 of the manga, only for him to disappear when Rebecca used Cat Leaper. Then he turns up working for Ziggy. Now, he’s turned up again…except he’s not working for Ziggy this time, and is just someone who escaped from working for him. People are understandably confused about this, but the answer might surprise you: multiverse theory. One of fiction’s greatest tools, the multiverse lets a writer get away with a lot.

Recap

After rescuing Captain Connor from space, the man explains to the Edens Zero crew how he escaped from Ziggy’s factory. Except it’s not just any factory. According to Connor, it’s a living factory: the perpetual motion machine planet Lendnard. It constantly churns out new machines for Ziggy’s army, making it a death trap. Nonetheless, Shiki and the others insist on heading there to stop Ziggy for good.

Meanwhile, Rebecca and Happy call Noah and ask for an explanation about Connor and what happened. Noah then explains some more info about Rebecca’s powers and the multiverse. Save for when she used Cat Leaper to escape Drakken Joe, every time she uses Reverse, she remains in the same universe. However, the one time she didn’t, she didn’t just turn back time. She jumped into the past of an alternate universe. As of three years ago, they’ve been in Universe 3. It happened when Xiao Mei interfered with Shiki’s choice at Nero 66. Had she not, they would have all died. Connor is the only one who’s role gets changed because of the multiverse, though.

On Lendard itself, Ziggy and his four Dark Stars watch as their army grows with each passing moment. An army powerful enough to conquer the universe. Yet Ziggy intends to stay and wait for his grandson, ready to settle things once and for all.

Review

So, what some fans suspected has been confirmed. Edens Zero isn’t just messing with time; it’s messing with the concept of the multiverse itself. This would explain why Ziggy said that they had now entered World No. 31 three years ago. It would seem that they only change universes when someone meddles with the timeline on a major scale; i.e., preventing Shiki’s death.

As cool as this concept is, it also has some very dark implications. There’s still a universe out there where everything went horribly wrong: Shiki’s dead, the androids are likely dead, Weisz lost an arm, and Homura probably got sold into the sex trafficking ring. That’s messed up!!!

There’s also the implication that many of the relationships between characters might have changed in between universes; heck, their pasts could have changed. The fact that Connor’s the only one whose role has changed is also curious. Definitley something that needs to be explained down the line.

This was another one of those exposition chapters, but for an exposition chapter, it did a good job of keeping things interesting. I liked it, as it explained more about how the world of the story works. In addition, it also put to rest any notion that Witch could’ve been saved. Either she sacrificed herself, or everyone would die. Good way to silence people on that, Mashima.

I Give “Universe 3” a 3/5

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One Piece Chapter 1035 Review/Recap

After a week-long break, One Piece is back, and we are nearing the climax of the Wano arc. Most of the Beast Pirates officers are down, the enemy’s in complete dissarray. If Luffy can beat Kaido, then the Alliance will win. However, next to the Yonko, there’s one last obstacle standing in the way of victory: King, the enigmatic Lunarian swordsman. What is King, exactly, and why is he considered so valuable? Regardless, though, that’s not stopping Zoro from surpassing him and taking him down. The clash of the swordsmen reaches its peak!

Recap

After a long, grueling battle, Sanji manages to kick Queen to the curb…only to promptly pass out from the effort. Elsewhere, Sanji manages to land a solid hit on King, noting that without his flames, he’s faster, but his defense goes down. As a result, King’s mask falls off, revealing his face to Zoro and some nearby Beast Pirates. King slaughters the other pirates, before turning his full attention to Zoro.

With Enma continuing to suck his Haki dry, Zoro knows he’s got to finish this fight soon. Using his newfound knowledge to his advantage, Zoro puts King on the backfoot. With both fighters nearing their limits, they put their all into one last attack. Despite claiming that a mere human cannot defeat him, though, King reaches his limits. Using the last of his strength, Zoro cuts right through King’s final attack, breaking his sword and part of his right wing in the process.

Review

And another one bites the dust! With Queen out of the way, there are only three major enemies left for the Alliance to fight: King, Big Mom, and Kaido. I’m not counting Orochi, because at this point, I think it won’t take much effort to kill him. Also, until the manga says so, I’m not counting King as down for the count; though I think it might be the case.

In any event, I enjoyed this chapter for a number of reasons. The insight into King’s past and how he met Kaido at a World Government facility on Punk Hazard is a neat parallel to Zoro. The two are swordsmen for their captains, they were the first to join their crews, and they were rescued from bad circumstances. There really is no difference between them, save for the fact that the Straw Hats intentions are more pure.

That’s the end difference between Kaido and Luffy. Kaido only wants to be Pirate King for the power. Luffy wants it for the freedom and adventure. That’s why Luffy will win. And with all the major officers now beaten, we can focus on the main event: Big Mom and Kaido. I’m so hyped for the final fight between Luffy and Kaido. I hope Oda lives up to the hype about it. This will be a battle for the ages. In the meantime, Zoro’s one step closer to being the best swordsman in the world.

I Give “Zoro Vs. King” A 4/5

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Spider-Man: No Way Home Review Source-TV Tropes, Marvel Studios, Sony In a year that’s been jam-packed with MCU content, Spider-Man: No Way Home …

‘No Way Home’ is the Spider-Man Film 20 Years in the Making

Edens Zero Chapter 171 Review/Recap

Last week, Edens Zero got a timeskip three years into the future, and a lot of things have changed for the Crew of Edens. Shiki’s all grown-up and declared as one of the Oracion Seis Galactica; Rebecca’s a bigshot B-Cuber; and Ziggy’s start machine uprising’s all over the universe. The Crew of Edens stops him each time and frees the machines he brainwashes, but the Demon King’s harder to track down. That is, until they come across an old face from their past: Captain Connor. Except, he’s different from the last time we saw him.

Recap

As Rebecca and Happy finish their latest livestream, everyone compliments her on how good she’s gotten at being a B-Cuber. Now, she’s got 3.1 million subscribers! Meanwhile, Hermit and the others discuss how they’ve been hunting Ziggy for three years, yet have no clue as to his whereabouts.

Later on, the girls discuss the news that Shiki’s now one of the Oracion Seis Galactica, and how the Government made this decision because they’re afraid of Shiki’s power. That, and they’re jealous at how he always stops Ziggy whenever he starts something. The conversation’s cut short, though, when Hermit picks up a human castaway. Not just any castaway, though: it’s Captain Connor. However, no one recognizes Captain Connor, and he claims he doesn’t know about the Edens One, but fled from his factory when he learned what he was building. Shiki, though, sees this as the lead they’ve been looking for.

Review

There’s a few things that need unpacking. Firstly, I’m so proud of Rebecca for getting up to 3.1 million subscribers. She’s living her dream as a B-Cuber, right down to the creepy fans.

Secondly, it looks like the girls are the ones who have changed appearances the most during the timeskip.

Thirdly, I can imagine that everyone’s confused about Captain Connor now more than ever. When we first met him, he was a castaway, just like he is now. Then, he ended up working for Ziggy. Now, he claims that he wants nothing to do with him. It may seem confusing, but I think there’s an explanation.

If you’ll recall, Ziggy told Elsie that they were now in World No. 31, or a new timeline. Based on this, I can assume that the events of the Aoi War that led to this new timeline altered Captain Connor’s role within it. Now, he’s no longer affiliated with Ziggy. However, this raises even more questions.

All of this is mere speculation on my part, though. I could end up being wrong. Regardless, it feels like Connor’s role just changed. Too bad we have to wait two weeks for the next chapter. But at least we’ve got Sister’s love of Rebecca.

I Give “Wander in Space” a 4/5

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One Piece Chapter 1034 Review/Recap

Over the last few chapters, Sanji’s been experiencing some personal changes regarding his body. As a result of using that Germa Raid Suit, it’s awoken his dormant super soldier abilities. At first, this seems like a good thing, as it’s making him stronger than ever. However, Sanji worries that it’s at the cost of his humanity, as he seemingly attacked a defenseless Geisha. Resolving to deal with whatever happens to him afterwards, Black Leg Sanji prepared to face down Queen once more. In this chapter, fans not only see Sanji ascend to new heights of power, but confirm what we already knew. Sanji is not a monster, and he will never be a monster.

Recap

As Onigashima creeps closer toward the Flower Capital, Momonosuke changes tactics. Rather than make new clouds, he’s going to use the ones Kaido created to hold the island in place. Inside, the remain Beast Pirates desperately try to escape the island before it explodes. As for Sanji, he’s ready to finish his fight with Queen. Queen has some unexpected surprises up his sleeve.

Queen attack Sanji using all of Germa’s powers, revealing that he augmented himself with Judge’s science in an effort to one-up him, including Stealth Black. Sanji is not amused by this, though, and continues to beat Queen to a pulp. In the middle of this, Osome, the Courtesan Sanji “hit” before rushes out in search of her pet mouse. Queen hates her because she will not see him, and is about to turn his fury on the poor girl. Realizing that Queen was the one who attacked Osome, Sanji’s rage reaches new heights. Thanks to his stronger body, he unlocks a new power: Diable Ifrit, and uses it to lay waste to Queen in a very satisfying beatdown.

Review

I know I should be acting relieved to know that Sanji didn’t hit that poor girl, but I’m not. I already knew that Sanji couldn’t have done something like that, and that Oda only did it for the sake of drama. Even if he ended up changing in some way, the Straw Hat’s chef would never end up like his brothers, because he’s got the other Straw Hats to keep him grounded. Besides, his love of women is too great for him to just give that up now.

Regardless, this was an important moment in Sanji’s character development. Now that he’s learned to embrace his super-soldier body, his power’s skyrocketed to new heights. Considering how the Straw Hats will be closer than ever to One Piece after leaving Wano, they need all this power if they want to win.

As for Momonosuke, at this point, the best he can do is keep Onigashima from landing atop the Flower Capital. When Kaido goes down, the island will likely become a landmark right outside the capital. Which is pretty cool when you think about it.

The manga’s on another break next week, so we won’t know if Sanji took down Queen for good. If he did, though, that leaves Big Mom, King, and Kaido left. Victory is within the Alliance’s grasp at last!

I Give “Sanji vs. Queen” a 4/5

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Edens Zero Chapter 170 Review/Recap

The timeskip, one of the most useful narrative devices for storytelling. When a writer wants to show the significant growth of a character but doesn’t want to put in the time, they do a timeskip. It’s one of the most useful and recurring tools in the Shonen genre, and now the time’s come for Mashima to use it for Edens Zero. Three years have passed since the end of the Aoi War, and the crew of Edens Zero is ready to show off their gains!

Recap

It is now the Cosmic Year X 495; location: Planet Sweeds, Kaede Cosmos. Ziggy’s launched yet another machine uprising and taken control of the planet. However, Shiki and the others aren’t ready to give up without a fight. In an impressive display of coordinated power, the crew of Edens Zero fights its way through Ziggy’s army (he now has an actual army), and makes it to the cores controlling the machines, shutting them down. Their time during the timeskip has not gone to waste.

Later, Justice and Victory discuss how this is the 17th planet the crew of Edens Zero have saved. While Victory sees them as a deterrent against Ziggy, Justice and the rest of Interstelar see otherwise. To them, Shiki’s a threat to the universe. Thus, they’ve declared him Demon King Shiki Granbell, one of the Oracion Seis Galactica.

Review

Firstly, let’s talk about how everyone’s changed in appearance during the timeskip.

Shiki’s now not only super-jacked, his power’s also increased to the point where’s he one of the Oracion Seis Galactica. Odds are, that makes him wanted by whatever government’s in charge. Though given that Shiki’s a good person (let’s hope he stays that way), it seems like a case of bad publicity. That, and Justice thinks Shiki’s friends killed Creed. At this point, though, I doubt even telling him the truth would change his mind about them.

Pino looks adorable in that new robe!

Weisz, Homura, and Happy look exactly the same as before, but have likely gotten stronger.

Hermit’s gotten a wardrobe change that makes her even cuter than she already is.

However, after Shiki, it appears that the one who changed the most is Rebecca. Not only does she look way prettier than she already was, but she’s dubbed an “Ultra Popular B-Cuber.” I guess that she spent the timsekip improving her video-making skills. Combine that with her adventures with Shiki, and she might be as popular as Labilia now, if not more so. Also, she’s gorgeous.

This chapter was very brief, with not a lot of story being told. That said, it’s meant to show us what most of the heroes look like post-timeskip, with the rest to follow in the next few chapters. I can’t wait to see what Sister looks like!

I Give “3 Years Later” a 4.5/5

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