RJ Writing Ink

Rick and Morty Season 8, Ep 6 Review

Back in the season three episode, “The ABCs of Beth” we learned from Rick that when she was a kid, Beth was kind of nuts. Besides leaving her friend in the imaginary world her dad made for her, she apparently had a penchant for violence and a desire to hurt people. Since we’ve never met a kid version of Beth, we had to take Rick’s word for it…until now. Not only do we seethe Beths become kids again, but they’re every bit as psycho as Rick claims.

At least, most versions of Beth were like that. We don’t know what Rick’s original Beth was like.

Beths Become Kids Again

The Smith family is going on a day trip to this alien-made amusement park that Rick claims is a hilariously bad version of Earth. However, Beth and Space Beth are in too foul a mood to want to go and stay behind. That leads them to discussing when they were last genuinely happy, and that leads them both to turn themselves back into kids using a device on Space Beth’s ship. Unfortunately, the device also reverts them mentally as well as physically. As a result, both Beths become psychotic, bloodthirsty kids who terrorize anyone they come across, like their neighbor, Gene.

I’m a kid at heart myself, so I understand the appeal of wanting to return to being a child. After all, life was simpler when most of us were kids; ergo, it was happier. However, I’m also smart enough to understand that nostalgia has a tendency to blind us to what the past was really like. I loved being a kid, but that also meant dealing with my growing body, going to school every weekday, and the stress of homework. In Beth’s case, we see that Rick was not exaggerating when he said his daughter was nuts as a kid. Rick’s aren’t always the best dads, but at least they had the common sense to make sure their daughter couldn’t hurt anyone…most of the time.

Aww, Rick Really Does Love Beth!

Meanwhile, Rick is also dealing with his nostalgia crisis when he discovers that the theme park he loved, Earth World, has become cleaner and more gentrified. It’s more like how Earth is, at least in America, and it irritates him to no end. He’s the kind of person who thinks a park of inaccurate rides and rusty nails everywhere is hilarious. That leads him to seek out the park’s creator, voiced by Danny DeVito, which leads him to what’s left of the original park. In keeping with the warning about nostalgia filters, it’s not as cool as Rick remembers, and he opts to bail on it to fix the crisis the Beths have started. They end up turning the tables on him, though, and age him up to 360 years old! Those implants of his mean he’s going to live for a long time.

As messed up as the entire thing is, it does lead to a heartfelt moment between Rick and his daughters. The Beths vent their anger at how they were abandoned by Rick (their Rick), and Rick admits he’s proud of both his daughters. It’s another small example of how their relationship has become healthier as the series has progressed, and it’s nice to see.

Another Disastrous Theme Park

Meanwhile, things go downhill for the rest of the Smiths. Morty almost gets it on with an alien, only to realize she’s only into him because he’s human. Summer and Jerry discover that the park owner is insane and sics its mascots (humans with giant heads) on the park to kill everyone. Why? Because that’s what happens in movies involving amusement parks. The trio are barely able to escape with their lives, and in the end, they all agree that the place sucked.

This was a fun episode of Rick and Morty. It’s not one of its better episodes, but it was still entertaining enough to watch. Plus, I really liked how it satirized all those horrible amusement parks we see in movies. The fact that it overtly references Jurassic Park is funny.

“The Curicksous Case of Bethjamin Button” a 3.5/5

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One Piece Chapter 1152 Review/Recap

Ever since we met Loki, we’ve been hearing about the crimes he’s committed against Elbaph. The one that led to his imprisonment, though, was apparently killing his father, the beloved King Harald. However, many fans suspected that there was more to the story than what the Giants knew. Many even went so far as to theorize that Harald was, in fact, an agent of Imu and the World Government. Not only does this chapter prove that we were right, but that there’s even more to the story than we realized. Harald was a complicated figure!

Recap

Now that they’re aware of the danger Elbaph is in, the Monster Trio and New Giant Warrior Pirates prepare to return to the Sunland. As they do, Gaban confirms that the only way to injure the God’s Knights is to use Conqueror’s Haki, even confirming that Zoro also has it. However, saying that he wants to help them, Hadrujin still refuses to let Loki go. He doesn’t trust his brother. And when Luffy asks Loki to join the Straw Hats to get around this, the giant refuses. As Hardujin reiterates Loki’s crimes, though, Gaban asks him to release his brother, saying that they may not have the whole story. Reluctantly, Hardrujin and Luffy tell the others to head out. They’re going to let Loki tell his side of the story. Loki, though, doesn’t want to remember that awful day.

Fourteen years ago, Loki and Jarul were summoned to Ouest Castle to meet with King Harald. Loki was in the middle of complaining about how his Dad’s policies had led to their children becoming soft when they felt an ominous Haki from the throne room. Elsewhere, Gaban is spending time with a visiting Shanks, saying how he wants to speak with Harald about something. Unbeknownst to them, at this moment, Loki and Jarul enter the throne room to find Harald being skewered by his guards. A horrifying massacre that we dont see unfolds before the clock gets turned back another ninety-four years, when the Giant Pirates ran wild on the seas. At this time, Harald, King at only forty-five (fifteen in human years), also ran wild, acting like a scumbag!

Review

This might be the most significant chapter of the Elbaph arc yet, and for good reason. In the span of a single chapter, Oda confirmed that several of the theories fans had come up with were right. The God’s Knights’ ultimate weakness is Conqueror’s Haki, as many suspected it was. And with three Knights, that’s one for Luffy, Zoro, and Loki. The jury is still out on Sanji, though. More importantly, this chapter not only confirmed that Loki didn’t kill his father, but that Harald was working for the World Government in some capacity. Could that be why his guards apparently killed him? Did they see it as an act of betrayal? Furthermore, the final page of the chapter revealed that Harald acted much like Loki when he was his son’s age. So how could Harald turn from a scumbag into a benevolent king, and why was he killed?

I actually have a theory that I’ve come up with based on everything we’ve learned throughout the arc. And it has to do with the power of the giants and their legendary Devil Fruit.

Did Imu steal the Gum-Gum Fruit from Harald?

We know that Shanks stole the Gum-Gum Fruit from a CP9 ship years ago, but we dont know how CP9 got their hands on it. There’s a fan theory saying that the Gum-Gum Fruit was the legendary treasure of Elbaph that Loki was accused of stealing. If that is true, then that would explain why Harald was made to do the World Government’s bidding. Not only did they want the power of the giants, they also wanted the Gum-Gum Fruit. Rather than let his people be used as weapons and to keep their treasure out of Imu’s hands altogether, Harald sought to ensure the giants would be a non-factor in the final war. It was his way of ensuring they couldn’t be used to hurt anyone else.

Furthermore, Shanks mentioned speaking to Harald at Mariejois about something. Something that they could only safely talk about in Elbaph. Is it possible Shanks planned to ask Harald for the fruit?

If all of this is true, then that would explain why Harald was killed. Imu must have used Domi Reversi on him or his guards to ensure they died. And when Loki stumbled upon the scene, he might have done the same to him to force him to steal the fruit for Imu. Loki gets framed for everything, Imu gets the fruit of their hated enemy, and Elbaph will be theirs one day.  

It’s Crazy, but it could Happen!

It sounds unbelievable, but this is One Piece. We’ve seen crazier things happen before. The fact of the matter is that there is more to the story about Harald than we thought. I’m not sure if my theory will remain accurate, but I’m looking forward to discovering the truth. The flashbacks in One Piece are some of the best parts of the story, helping to flesh out the story on a greater level.

Also, leave it to Zoro not to realize he had Conqueror’s Haki!

I Give “An Awful Day” a 4/5

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My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Ep 12 Review

When you’re a dad, you want to be a good dad to your kid. And since there’s no universal manual for being a parent, that means most of them are going to make mistakes. But no matter what, a good dad will do whatever it takes to make sure their kid is safe. And for Knuckleduster, that means pulling out all the stops to save his daughter from Queen Bee!

Narufest Lives!

Thanks to Queen Bee hopping Pop’s Eel-fan on more Trigger, there’s a blackout in Naruhata, putting Narufest in danger of being shut down. And since the heroes have to prioritize the crowd’s safety, there’s not much they can do to fix things. Thankfully, Koichi manages to come in clutch for everyone by grabbing Pop’s mic. If Pop can keep everyone calm until they get the backup generators (thanks, Captain Celebrity), they can salvage Narufest.

Pop Step's song "My Hero" was so very good #heroaca_a #MHAVigilantes#Anime #ヴィジランテ #ヒロアカ pic.twitter.com/kHhw7vtGJf

— W9AHEE8D (@WAHEE8D_88) June 23, 2025

Its actually a pretty gutsy move having Koichi openly call himself by his vigilante name in front of Mic and Midnight. Then again, they probably know by now that he’s capable and well-meaning. Whats even gutsier is the fact that Pop fights to overcome her stagefright to get in front of such a big crowd. But once she gets past her initial fears, she gets to show off how good she is at working a crowd. And once she starts singing…the magic begins.

Pop☆Step’s singing has always been a highlight of Vigilantes, but in this case, it’s even more special than normal. Koichi and the audience may not understand it, but viewers should know right away that her new song is about how Koichi inspired her as a kid. It’s almost like her love song to him. It’s really sweet, and its only the opening act. The remix of the Marukane Department Store’s theme song turns really good! Who would have thought? Guess J-Pop can make anything awesome!

The real focus of the episode, though, is on the fight between Queen Bee and Knuckleduster. Or rather, the fight between Tamao and her Dad.

Knuckleduster Fullfills his Dad Role

As the last episode revealed, Queen Bee’s true identity is Tamao Oguro, Knuckleduster’s daughter. Or rather, Tamao is the person who Queen Bee is using as a host. Queen Bee is actually a parasitic Quirk that jumps from body to body, turning it into a hive for her bees. She possessed Tamao after the latter stormed off following a heated argument with her dad. Being the good dad he is, Knuckleduster won’t let his daughter stay the puppet of a villainous bee, and he pulls out all the stops to rip it out of her. He was even willing to stop their hearts to make sure that they could make it back together!

👊Knuckleduster Vs Kuin Hachisuka🐝 Pt. 3#MHAVigilantes #MhaVigilanteSeason1 #MyHeroAcademiaVigilantes #bokunoheroillegals #MyHeroAcadamiaIllegals pic.twitter.com/f3ngNnznqT

— PaTTWorks #ReleaseByeByeBunny (@Branion7651) June 24, 2025

Knuckleduster might act tough, but he’s a big softie at heart. He’s a good dad. When his kid was in danger, he did whatever it took to save her. He did have to stop her heart to force Queen Bee out, but he started it right afterward. And the resulting parasite was disgusting to look at! Thankfully, Queen Bee is not going to bother anyone for a long time. And I only say that because a mysterious man manages to capture a single bee and take it away to places unknown.

For now, though, it seems the threat of the Instant Villains has been stopped. Naruhata should become a more peaceful place from now on, but that does beg the question: what will the Naruhata Vigilantes do now? Because it looks as though Knuckleduster might not be sticking around. Only time will tell, as apparently, next week is the final episode of the season, not this week.

I Give “Goodbye to Dad” a 4/5

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Rick and Morty Season 8 Ep 5 Review

Sometimes, the best episodes of a show with serialized storytelling are the one-off ones. The silly ones where nothing of real consequence happens and viewers can enjoy the ride. Granted, this is still Rick and Morty, so whatever they do has consequences; if not for them, then for someone else. In this case, those consequences are felt by the residents of a cryoship they find, leading to a wacky class war that turns into Wacky Races in space!

Oh, and Rick experiences what it’s like to have loving parents, broh.

Rick and Morty Wake up a Cryoship…

While Rick and Morty are cruising through space one day, they stumble across a cryoship, full of sleeping refugees fleeing their destroyed world. The two proceed to get into an argument, with Rick wanting to rob them blind while Morty wants to take the high road. Naturally, this leads to the ship waking everyone from cryostasis. Rather than run for it, Rick doubles down by having them posed as two (apparently) dead passengers. Rick gets mistaken for the son of two wealthy passengers, while Morty is stuck on the lower decks doing cleaning work. Chaos ensues as both wind up in positions of power on opposite sides.

#RickAndMorty pic.twitter.com/weNdxhWPmf

— Badgerclops 3.0 Deluxe Edition (@beeclops2) June 23, 2025

At first glance, the episode makes it seem like the plot will be about Rick and Morty coming into conflict with each other. Morty leads the lower class known as the “Makeys” while Rick throws his lot in with the elites, AKA the “Takeys.” However, it doesn’t take long for the episode to subvert this expectation. Morty quickly realizes that he’s in over his head, but it’s too late to call the workers’ revolution. Meanwhile, despite deceiving the couple, Karen and Doug, he genuinely grows to care about them for the love and pride they give their “son.” It’s been hinted that Rick never had the best relationship with his parents, so this experience is something he enjoys. Sadly, the episode makes any epiphany or lesson learned a moot point halfway through the episode, as its revealed that the vault is empty.

…And it Turns into Wacky Races in Space

Plot-twist time: it turns out that the two passengers on the cryoship that Rick and Morty were posing as, Jimmy and Chachaco, weren’t dead. Not only were they alive, but they had already robbed the vault of all its resources and bailed. And Jimmy put a dead monkey skeleton in his pod to fool his parents because he thought it would be funny. What a little brat!

From then on, the entire episode shifts gears, going from being a class war on a cryoship to what can only be described as Wacky Races in Space. Everyone starts racing for the treasure in this increasingly silly sequence that people will either find hilarious or incredibly stupid. The show itself even lampshades how nonsensical the situation is, and I dont blame it. Rick and Morty even fly through a space coop, and Rick rolls down the windows to have the full experience. That should have killed them in the process!!

#RickAndMorty pic.twitter.com/pAKjZNVnET

— Badgerclops 3.0 Deluxe Edition (@beeclops2) June 23, 2025

In the end, though, Morty decides enough is enough and shoots the treasure out into deep space. In true Rick and Morty fashion, though, people keep fighting over the loot in space suits. But at some point, everyone decides to call it quits and go back into cryostasis. Rick helps Karen and Doug wrangle their bratty son, and installs compliance chips that will force everyone to get along. No one ends up walking away with anything, and it seems like Rick doesn’t learn his lesson, as he opts to go after a medical cryoship minutes later. And Morty? All he does is ask Rick to share the drugs.

What a Silly Episode

This was a very silly and pointless episode of Rick and Morty with no impact on the series as a whole. However, I find that it is often the one-off episodes of a show that I end up going back to rewatch the most. And given how silly the wacky race was, I think that this qualifies for the occasional rewatch. It’s not as strong as the last episode, but they’re not all going to be winners.

S8E6 promo!
WE'RE GOING TO EARTH WORLD!#RickAndMorty pic.twitter.com/0Ye7Xm40Hm

— Badgerclops 3.0 Deluxe Edition (@beeclops2) June 23, 2025

I Give “Cryo Mort a Rickver” a 3/5

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My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Ep 11 Review

Many people don’t like bees. They may be important to the global ecosystem, but the sight of an angry swarm of bees can terrify a person. And given how the bees used by Queen Bee are spreading Trigger amongst the people of Naruhata, there is good reason not to like these bees. With Narufest approaching and Pop☆Step getting a real shot at a big break, Queen Bee can’t be allowed to ruin everything. But can Knuckleduster stop her in time?

Let the Training Begin

Having agreed to take part in the upcoming Narufest, Pop☆Step and Koichi are introduced to the rest of the performers by Makoto. Unfortunately for Kazuho, she gets off on the wrong foot with some of them when Feathers, a pop duo, mocks her for her appearance, making her feel even more nervous than she already was. Thankfully, they’re the only ones who are of any issue, with the rest, being either indie band members, or a high school group, all act professionally. Beyond one of the high schoolers and band members falling for each other on the spot, everything seems to go smoothly.

Go, Pop!

Makoto’s strategy for the actual performance is fairly straightforward, as it will have Pop take center place amidst the song and dance routine. However, while this means she’ll get the most attention, it also means she won’t be able to move around much. That effectively denies her the use of her Quirk, which is one of the main reasons she’s gotten so popular. She does take to learning the music with gusto, though, but then everything changes when one of the members of Feathers injures her ankle. That’s when Pop makes a big decision. For the sake of the performance, she agrees to let the injured member take center stage. She will help cover her with her bouncing around during transitions.

This can be seen as a moment of maturity for Pop☆Step. She wants to be a successful idol more than anything, but she’s able to recognize her own limitations and is willing to work around them. That, in turn, endears her to the other performers, and by the day of, everything looks set for a memorable performance. Some familiar faces like Present Mic and Midnight even show up to make guest appearances, a move that makes fans of the main series very happy!

There’s just one problem: Queen Bee.

QUEEN BEE MUST BE PUNISHED!

Underneath her laid-back demeanor, Queen Bee has proven that she is very much a ruthless villain. Working with All for One was a dead giveaway, of course, but the last two episodes really cement how ruthless and cold-hearted she can be. Even if one doesn’t count the fact that she’s injecting people with Trigger against their will, the last episode revealed that she killed a couple. And to make matters worse, she kidnaps that Eel fan of Pop, and injects him with even more Trigger, turning him into a mini Kaiju. Thanks to that, power in Naruhata goes out on the day of Narufest, and not even Eraser Head is enough to contain the crazed fan!

That’s not even the half of it. The climax of this episode reveals just why Knuckleduster has been so obsessed with hunting down Hachisuka. She is actually his daughter, Tamao Oguro! To be more precise, Queen Bee is the name of the person who possessed his daughter. And like any good dad, he’s determined to save his kid. So determined, in fact, that he brought a stun gun to get rid of Queen Bee.

Get Queen Bee

It might seem overkill, even for Knuckleduster, but given how dangerous and elusive Queen Bee is, it really isn’t. And with the villain willing to wreck Narufest for the heck of it, she needs to be taken down now! Koichi and Kazuho are counting on Knuckleduster to come through for them!

The next episode is likely to be the last of the season, and if it is, I hope that we get to see a good show get put on. Knuckleduster, it’s time to play exterminator! End this!

I Give “The Day of” a 4/5

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My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Ep 10

Plenty of people want to be famous for something, but few ever do. They might not have the talent they need to stand out, or they don’t get the right chances to stand out.  Pop☆Step has had plenty of chances to stand out and she has the talent, but she can’t keep doing street performances forever. So when an opportunity to build her reputation comes her way, she’s facing her biggest hurdle yet: her own insecurities.

Knuckleduster Has a Soft Side

This episode of Vigilantes doesn’t focus on one plot, but two, each one taking up half of the episode as a whole. And both plots are focused on the other two members of the Naruhata Vigilantes, Knuckleduster and Pop☆Step. In the first half of the episode, Knuckle, through the now-reformed Soga, is continuing his search for Kuin Hachisuka, AKA Queen Bee, AKA the girl with the bee quirk. His search almost gets him killed, though, when a student under her control sics her bees on him. It’s a moment made scarier considering how the bees come out from underneath the girl’s skirt. The implications of where they were hiding are very unsettling!

Knuckleduster is Closing in on Queen Bee

The experience isn’t a total loss, though. Knuckleduster is able to use the information to help his investigation of Hachisuka, who he’s shown to be very focused on tracking down. At the same time, though, we see that there is a softer side to him: he has a wife. She’s in the hospital and left in a catatonic state, courtesy of Queen Bee, but he’s still there for her. Showing that he’s caring enough to have a wife demonstrates that he is, in fact, more than the trigger-happy vigilante he tends to be. He’s like a version of Batman that’s fallen on hard times, but strives to keep doing the right thing.

As if to emphasize that point further, we get a scene of him training, and it feels like it was taken straight from Batman’s own training montage from Batman vs. Superman. Say what you want about that film, but that moment showed why Batman is the peak of human physical strength. Unfortunately, we don’t see his confrontation with Queen Bee until the next episode.

The real focus, though, is on Pop☆Step, who might be getting her big break.

Pop☆Step Gets her Big Break

During Captain Celebrity’s fight with that Kaiju-sized villain, several buildings in Naruhata got damaged. One of them, the Marukane Department Store, is undergoing renovations before reopening, and theyre promoting it by hiring new talent to perform. And Pop☆Step has been invited to do just that.

Despite how used Pop☆Step is to performing in front of crowds, this marks the first time she’ll be performing in front of a large group. In addition, she’ll be performing alongside other people. With how insecure she is, this is her toughest battle yet. And since Koichi is lacking in the ability to provide emotional support, he calls in someone who can actually help her: Makoto!

After the incident with the cat bus exposed Koichi’s secret identity to her, it didn’t take long for Makoto to figure out that Kazuho is Pop☆Step. Despite her jealousy over seeing the older woman as competition for Koichi, though, Pop☆Step can’t afford to let this help go to waste. And not only is Makoto a good choice due to her organizational skills, she also agrees to keep Kazuho’s vigilantism a secret. Pop may not like Makoto, but there can be no denying that she’s trustworthy.

Go, Pop☆Step!

So, thanks to Makoto, Pop☆Step is able to move forward with participating in the upcoming Narufest. She’ll go out there and sing the Marukane Department Store’s theme song alongside some other artists, and Makoto even got Captain Celebrity to make an appearance. All told, this looks like it could be Pop’s big break!

Assuming that the Bee Girl doesn’t show up to wreck everything. Which we know she will try to do!

This was a quiet episode overall, but not every episode needs to be a banger. Pop☆Step, knock them dead!

I Give “Event Announcement”

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Rick and Morty S8 EP 4 Review

For a show mainly focused on sci-fi adventures, Rick and Morty manages to have a lot of holiday episodes. The Christmas episodes can be some of the best in the entire series, and the Thanksgiving episode was insane. When the first teaser for Season 8 revealed that we’d be getting an Easter episode, though, I’ll admit I was skeptical. How could a special about Easter end up being as crazy as what fans have come to expect? As it turns out, all it took was Jerry, a few movie references, and the not-so-wholesome origins behind Easter icons like the bunny and eggs.

Easter Ruined by Jerry

It all starts a few days before Easter Sunday, and while Jerry is wholeheartedly embracing the holiday, his family couldn’t care less. Until Jerry accidentally runs over and, apparently, kills the Easter Bunny. This curses him to transform into a were-rabbit in a plot straight out of The Santa Clause, forcing Rick and Morty to go in search of a cure. In doing so, they uncover the true meaning of Easter: it’s a war between aliens.

Someone on the Rick and Morty team must have thought it would’ve been funny to satirize the entirety of Easter, because this episode doesn’t hold anything back. The opening has Jerry acting like Easter is Christmas, complete with hanging up decorations and singing a retooled version of “Deck the Halls.” At first, it looks like he’s just being overly into the holiday, the show wastes no time in having his family call him out for his love being based on shallow commercialism. The fact that he can’t even name what day Easter is only cements this. That’s a big jab at how capitalism has turned the holiday into one less about Christ or pre-Christian traditions, and more about selling candy. The show’s not wrong, either. Unless you’re a kid looking forward to the candy and eggs, or are actively religious, most people have no reason to care about Easter.

The satirization goes even further, though, as the main plot of the episode tackles the opposing aspects of the holiday. And it does it through aliens.

Easter Ruined by Aliens

Like several other major holidays, Easter started as a pre-Christian celebration. In this case, it celebrated the arrival of spring, with the rabbit and eggs serving as symbols of fertility and renewal. Christianity co-opted it like it did with Christmas and made it into a more wholesome holiday. And as Rick and Morty discover, the reason for these different versions of the holiday are because of interference from aliens.

It turns out, the Easter Bunny is an alien sent by other aliens to act as a living aphrodisiac. This would compel a population to breed until overpopulation brought about their collapse, with Earth being one of their targets. The Easter Aliens rivals opposed this by sending their best warrior to kill the Bunny on Earth, only for him to get crucified as Jesus and start Christianity.

That’s not even the craziest part. While the Easter aliens (who look like Easter Island heads with bodies) are never given a motivation, the Christian aliens reason for oppossing them is because…they don’t like s**. They think it’s gross and hate it.

The Less you Know about Some Holidays, the better

Honestly, this is a hilarious take on the different versions of Easter. The idea of two alien races fighting a war over chastity vs lust for the sake of it is so dumb, it’s funny. Rick and Morty sum up how the show wants the audience to react when they acknowledge how dumb it is. And by the time they manage to stop the Easter curse, the entire family is dissillusioned with Easter altogether. As the last Christian alien crawls away missing half their body, Morty tells his mom that it’s not worth knowing. What it does do, though is lead the family to spend the rest of the year destroying decorations for all holidays. And somehow, they forgot about Summer, forcing her to spend the last eight months on Spring Break!

If last week’s episode was the best-written episode of the season right now, then I think that this episode is the funniest. It’s stupid, nonsensical, and completely skewers Easter as a holiday. I loved it, and my only regret is that it didn’t release around actual Easter. I’m going to have rewatch it next year when the time comes!

I Give “The Last Temptation of Jerry” a 4.5/5

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How to Train Your Dragon (2025) Review

Would DreamWorks and Universal please take a bow for How to Train Your Dragon? Not only did they manage to do the original film justice, they managed to utterly embarrass Disney in the process. The House of Mouse is going to be smarting from this for a while!

As a teenager, I never saw the original How to Train Your Dragon in theaters. I would see bits and pieces of it and its sequels, spin-offs, and specials over the years, though, so it’s safe to say I’m a casual fan. However, when I heard that DreamWorks and Universal were doing a live-action remake, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. I was never on board with these remakes to begin with, and years of hits and misses by Disney haven’t helped matters. It doesn’t matter if they have nostalgia bait or try to add something new to the story. At the end of the day, if people dont think that a remake measures up to the original, then what was the point of making it? If the recent failure of Disney’s Snow White is anything to go by, more and more people are starting to realize this. That movie is so bad, it usurped Dragonball Evolution as the worst-rated movie on IMDb.

So, with people turning on live-action remakes, how does the one for How to Train Your Dragon prove itself? How does it justify its reason for existing? The short answer: it doesn’t…because it knows it doesn’t need to.

How to Train Your Dragon had nothing to prove…

Loosely based on a book series of the same name, How to Train Your Dragon could be considered a timeless animated film. It centered around Hiccup, a scrawny outcast in a village of brawny Vikings who spend their time fighting dragons. In a society of jocks, he’s the lone nerd who wants to win everyone’s respect. Yet when he gets the chance to kill a dragon no one’s gotten close to, he realizes he can’t do it! That act of kindness leads Hiccup to discover that everything his people thought they knew about dragons was wrong, leading to a great change in how they view the world.

The reason why How to Train Your Dragon could be considered a timeless film is because, at its core, its a coming of age story. Hiccup is an awkward teen outcast who can’t fit into his people’s norms even when he tries. When you’re a teen trying to find your place in the world, that can be the scariest thing. It’s only when he chooses to accept himself for who he is and quits trying to be something he isn’t that he becomes the badass he was meant to be. It’s a well-written, well-executed story!

So if it ain’t broke, dont fix it.

…And DreamWorks and Universal knew that.

Someone at DreamWorks or Universal must have been taking notes on everything that Disney was doing wrong, because they avoided the Mouse’s pitfalls. It didn’t try to add any overly preachy, woke messages like Snow White. It used CGI only when necessary for the dragons. And best of all, the characters and their motivations more or less remained the same. While they did tone down Hiccup’s sarcasm to play up his angst and insecurity, it never reached insufferable levels. If anything, Mason Thames’ earnest performance endears him to me all the more. Everyone seemed to bring their A-game.

It also helped that the director of the original film came back for the remake. That meant that they knew what they were doing.

Remaking a film can often be like walking on a tightrope. You have to balance between being faithful to the original and trying to improve on it. How to Train Your Dragon, though, didn’t need to change much. It already knew that it had a winning story that people would love. It knew it had nothing to prove, and that allowed it to soar to new heights. It’s likely the first big hit of the summer, and I might end up seeing it a second time.

As for Disney, maybe getting embarrassed by their rivals will be the wake-up call they need. We dont want another Snow White incident!

I Give “How to Train Your Dragon” a 4.5/5

Rick and Morty S8 EP 3 Review

For almost as long as there has been Rick and Morty, there was the Citadel of Ricks. The idea of an entire society being made up of variants of two people was one of the show’s strongest aspects, and some of its best moments have had to do with the Citadel. So when it was ultimately destroyed by Evil Morty at the end of Season Five, it was the end of an era for the show. Ricks and Mortys would continue to exist, but they no longer had a place where they could gather, leaving many stranded in whatever dimension they were in. While this wasn’t the first time the Citadel was seemingly destroyed, there was always the chance that it could be rebuilt in the future. However, the third episode of this season confirms that this time, the Citadel isn’t coming back.

Exit, Stage Left

The episode starts off with our Rick and Morty forced to make an emergency landing while scavenging the wreckage of the Citadel, leading them to discover a few stragglers still hanging around. The episode teaser made it seem like our Rick and Morty would be getting into conflict with these other Ricks and Mortys. However, the episode quickly makes it clear that it tricked us. Our Rick and Morty exit stage left and don’t appear again until the aftermath of what goes down.

The Citadel of Ricks Tries to Rebuild

This episode serves as a spiritual sequel to the Season Three episode “The Ricklantis Mixup,” which focused exclusively on the Citadel of Ricks and its populace. It was one of the series’ best episodes, showing just how good a story could be gotten out of a society essentially made up of two people. Now that that society has fallen, though, we get to see what its population has been up to. In this case, that population consisting of clones of Rick and Morty created by the Citadel to maintain its population. When Rick reset portal travel, they were left stranded due to not having a home dimension to return to. In true Rick fashion, most of the surviving Ricks are trying to rebuild the Citadel under a Rick created to be a mascot for a gumbo restaurant. And they’re kidnapping any Mortys they can find, hoping to use them to restart the cloning process to gain more slave labor. The sole exception to this is Farmer Rick, who serves as the focus of the episode. When the other Ricks try to kill him in their latest raid and torch his homestead, he goes on a path of revenge.

The Citadel in the Wild West

Like it’s name implies, this episode is pretty much a fusion of space westerns and John Wick, with Farmer Rick serving as the John Wick. It’s revealed that he was in charge of cloning at the Citadel halfway through the episode, but like our Rick, he’s come to see the place as a failed experiment. He knows that bringing it back will only cause more pain and suffering, and, while he flat-out denies it, it’s obvious he stuck near the Mortys as a form of penance. It doesn’t make it a good person, but it demonstrates how Rick has always had it in him to be a better person. Case in point, while he doesn’t have to do it, he winds up saving the surviving Mortys and helping them escape the Citadel while he stays behind to finish the job. And by the time he’s done, what was left of the Citadel of Ricks is a smoldering crater with presumably no survivors.

While it’s possible that another version of it might come about down the road, the Citadel as we’ve known it is gone for good. If the destruction of the actual Citadel isn’t enough to hammer that home, it’s the fact that the remaining Morty clones decide to go their separate ways. They each find new lives based on their own interests, away from the usually toxic relationship they have with Rick. The sole exception to this is a Morty called Arcade Morty, who chooses to live in Farmer Rick’s homestead. He has no other place to call home, and as the episode ends with him watching how much healthier our Rick and Morty’s relationship has become, he’s even denied that.

Great Ending to the Citadel Story

This might be the best episode of the season thus far. It not only closes the book on the Citadel, it does so by fusing John Wick with sci-fi westerns. If shows like The Mandalorian have shown in recent years, there’s still an audience for the western genre, even if it’s acting as sci-fi. Even if the show does bring the Citadel back, this episode is still pretty solid.

I Give “The Rick, The Mort, and the Ugly” a 4.5/5

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One Piece Chapter 1151 Review/Recap

All right, Imu. This has gone on long enough. The God’s Knights have been running rampant across Elbaph for less than a day, and they’ve already managed to do so much damage. They’re holding the future of the Giants hostage, have unleashed a horde of nightmares, and are trying to burn their schools and libraries to the ground. And now that Imu themself is getting involved, they’ve turned most of the Giant Pirates into their personal demon army. But now that Oda has established how royally screwed everyone is, its time for Luffy to move out.

Recap

Everything in Elbaph is falling apart thanks to Imu. Most of the Giant Pirates have been turned into demons and are running wild and without care. What’s even worse is that when the nightmares created by Qillingham die, he just recreates them. There’s now an entire army of monsters and demons burning Elbaph to the ground, and Imu is not going to stop. Not until they break Elbaph’s spirit and ability to fight back whatsoever.

Unbeknownst to Imu, they missed a spot.

Minutes earlier, as Gaban was falling to what looked to be his death in the Underworld, Chopper decided it was not his day today. Without thinking, he had jumped down after Gaban and, using his Guard Point, managed to save them both from what could’ve been a fatal fall. Their arrival in the Underworld did not go unnoticed, either. The Monster Trio and New Giant Warrior Pirates are watching over Loki when they sense Chopper’s fall and investigate.

After dragging him and Gaban back to their location, Luffy freaks out when he learns the latter was one of the Roger Pirates. However, Chopper quickly fills them in on the chaos that’s happening up top, right as they all feel a massive burst of Haki from Imu. That one blast was all the warriors needed to know, though. Taking charge of the situation, Luffy and Hadrujin tell everyone that they need to move out immediately. Elbaph, its people, and their friends are in danger, and they need to save it!

Review

Imu, you done fucked up. After all that time you spent berating Saturn for letting Luffy escape, you’ve made a mistake just as big, if not bigger. Not only did you choose to invade a country full of people that the Straw Hats consider their friends, but you’ve held their kids hostage, tried to destroy their history, and turned many of said friends into brainwashed demons. And you did this all while Luffy was already present, and you didn’t know about it. And by the time the Straw Hats are done, you and your idiotic minions are going to be eating through tubes!

And me and the fans are going to be laughing and eating popcorn while we watch.

All hyping up aside, I think most fans already realized that with the way things are going, only the strongest fighters in Elbaph have a chance of stopping the God’s Knights and Imu. And its doing it in the best way possible, to boot. While the Monster Trio will inevitably focus on each of the Knights, the demonic giants will have to be handled by another group. And with Hadrujin and the New Giant Warrior Pirates representing the next generation of Elbaph’s warriors, they are in the best position to do so. Not only will this show how strong they truly are, but it could also demonstrate that Hadrujin is worthy of being the rightful king of Elbaph. The Straw Hats will need the giants on their side if they want to win the coming war, and this will cement that.

The God’s Knights are Going Down

As for the God’s Knights themselves, its, again, obvious that the only ones who can stop them are the Monster Trio of the Straw Hats. Zoro will be pitted against Qillingham, matching sword for sword. Sanji, with his haki and enhanced body, stands the best chance of taking down Sommers. However, the real fight that everyone will focus on is between Luffy and Imu. Whether they’re one of the original founders of the World Government or the actual Devil, Imu is the ancient nemesis of Joy Boy. This could be the first time in eight hundred years that the two have faced off! Granted, Imu is only using Gunko as a puppet, but the point still stands. Next to Blackbeard, Imu is the person I consider the most worthy of being the ultimate big bad of One Piece, so a clash between him and Luffy will be legendary. Luffy will need to push himself harder than he ever has before if he wants to win.

We might have a break for the next chapter, but when we get back, we’re in for the fight of the century. This is going to be so much fun!

KICK THEIR BUTTS, LUFFY!!!!

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