Animation and Comics

[Dragaros]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLALHbB3iXU

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGsIdoHDnnU

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgKuTDf2NF0

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2CD3Q8A8I0

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y_eKiT-irU

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H9U6SugSzk

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk7QSGwupPA

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHimPkAq5V8

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pRKJl-d4hk

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHElv9Kk9gY

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvqx3-1G9Rw

King Kano... with Shang Tsung as Kingmaker.

[Dragaros]

https://www.warhammer-community.com/202 ... warhammer/

https://www.warhammer-community.com/202 ... al-realms/

[Dragaros]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOkeB4ZTjFM

[Dragaros]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ITi8ce_uHc

[Dragaros]

Well, I went into tonight's episode of Primal expecting to be surprised, and in that regard it succeeded. I was surprised. Unfortunately...

► Show Spoiler

...its was not a surprise I liked.

No Spear and Fang. No prehistoric hijinks. No lost worlds or ancient empires. No dinosaurs or ape-men or megalodons or wholly mammoths or vikings. Based on the limited description we got of the episode, I was expecting a deep dive into Primal's lore, exploring the mythology of things, showing dark gods forging a hellish primordial world and creating early humans along with it, only for some to rebel against their creators, leading to the Scorpion to start this massive slave campaign to bring humanity to heel by force for those who won't comply, giving his mortal followers the secrets of more advanced technology or magic to aid them or something. Clearly my expectations were massively overblown thanks to dishonest marketing. The hype betrayed me.

Instead we got a quasi-gothic horror story set in 1890 England, with a bunch of scientists and scholars discussing theories in their mansion before they're attacked by a cannibalistic psycho who's escaped from the local insane asylum, and it becomes a metaphor for the "strip away the veneer of civilization, and modern man can be just as beastly as his distant ancestors, and when pushed, killing is as easy as breathing, for the primal survival instinct still beats fiercely in man's heart" trope. I understand what Genndy was going for, but this feels like wasteful, disjointed filler when you look at this as part of the whole show.

Taking this episode as its own thing, it wasn't bad. I quite enjoyed it. I'd happily watch a whole show like it. But as part of Primal... this is so radically disconnected from everything else. We're no longer in some "Hyborian Age/1 Million B.C./Frank Frazetta" mash-up fantasy world. New characters, who I do not care about. I care about Spear and Fang. I watch this show for them. There's modern talking, and lots of it. Jarring to hear English dialogue in Primal. This episode has the tone and violence you expect from Primal, but it doesn't have the soul. It lacks its beautiful simplicity. And it didn't progress the story or explore the relationship of our main characters in anyway. And what pisses me off is this means we have one less episode to conclude this season's story, one less episode to share this journey with the characters we've grown attached to. We're already halfway through this season. Not much time left. Perhaps this could have worked as an epilogue episode, maybe show Spear and Fang's fossilized remains in the English lord's study, or have the madman feature the Scorpion mark tattooed on his flesh, to have some connection, but placing it right in the middle of this season like this was a mistake in my eyes. And if the final episode this season is terribly rushed, I'm going to blame this episode for detracting from it.

Is this Genndy's backdoor pilot to making Primal an anthology series set in different eras with different characters? Is this some weird but brilliant 4-D chess move that's going to pay off in the end because its foreshadows something in the finale? Did Genndy get bored and wanted to do something different just to try something new? I don't know. And at the moment I don't care. I just feel like I got burned and trolled at little. Maybe I'll change my mind with time, but at the moment I'm just disappointed. Worst episode of the whole series for me. Again, it's not a garbage story all by itself, but it's a vexing distraction from the saga I'm already invested in.

[Dragaros]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czLhriAB8L8

Next week...

The viking chief proves his badass credentials and is hungry for revenge.

Fang is sick to death of arrows.

[Alienmorph]

I dunno. I liked the latest episode. Sure, it was... unexpected, but as a self-contained story it was really neat. And I'm not so sure it was just a random, self-contained story. We'll see.

[Dragaros]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLls1jWT2AQ

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQKxp-RhCAc

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGB00mEVf8M

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkq2JvMBrcM

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgjcbIi2x38

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdMelBpVA18

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSHzr5V4fYQ

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDUtSrm7_3g

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPdluD2cJVg

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVXR8OlED0s

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAnUxNMoWHo

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWF9UIccm0k

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MHfoE8thuM

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mH7nJgTszyw

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD2D4uYqQNs

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpPyPguzafU

[Dragaros]

Tonight on Primal... I sure hope somebody picks up that phone, because I fucking called it!

► Show Spoiler

Spear and Fang are still recovering from the wounds they suffered from the Viking village.

Mira's integrated herself into Spear and Fang's company well, I won't lie. She seems genuinely really grateful for all the effort they went through to rescue her and wants to return the favor. She could have run away with her people into the forest, but she choose to go back and help our duo and leave with them. She brings more brains to the table, which is good. She lacks Spear and Fang's raw power and savagery, but she makes up for it in her smarts and adaptability. We'll see how long this dynamic lasts.

Viking dad and his son Eldar lose round 1 though they put up a much better fight than their fellow villagers did. Eldar is no match for Fang, though his armor saves him from being killed instantly when she gets her teeth on him. Viking dad seems an even match for Spear, especially with his heavy armor to protect him from weapon strikes that would normally be lethal, but is forced to abandon the battle to save his son when he gets thrown overboard and starts to drown in the river.

Fang and Red fucked theory=confirmed. Fang is indeed pregnant from her brief time with Red and is close to laying eggs. She starts building a nest, and when Spear puts 2 and 2 together, he's overjoyed and congratulates her and is eager to help her be a mother again. Haven't seen Spear this happy in a long time.

Viking dad saves his son, and seems unsure of continuing to risk his only remaining child in this pursuit of retribution, but then he has a vision in the flames later that night... and AN UNSPEAKABLE EVIL gazes back. The dark horned god, our "Scorpion King", can feel his hatred echoing through the void, and seems to encourage/intimidate him to keep trying for vengeance.

While not as big as a battleship, viking father & son discover a nest of Giant Claws, and force two of the giant ugly birds into service to aid them.

Fang lays 3 eggs, and we get an up close look at it, too. Way, way closer than I was expecting. Nature documentary close up.

Between what happened with Red, her first batch of kids, and her motherly instincts at full blast right now, Fang understandably doesn’t want Spear touching the eggs. She's thankful for his assistance and appreciates his support but only trusts herself with her unhatched progeny right now. But after Spear later shows that he’d do anything to protect her eggs, she changes her mind. Mommy Fang and Uncle Spear. Wholesome feels to go around.

Viking duo attack again, and Fang wants to help, but can't bring herself to leave her nest unguarded.

Air battle in the sky follows, and Spear and Mira win by knocking viking chief and Eldar off their mounts. Viking dad miraculously survives his fall, but his son does not. Consumed with despair, he allows the river current to wash him away, alive but wishing he were dead instead of his last remaining child. I'll wager that after he mourns this latest loss, with nothing left to live for and even more reason to hate our heroes, he'll sell his soul to the Scorpion King completely and go full daemon prince in the finale for one last chance at vengeance. Blood for the Blood God, Skulls for the Skull Throne!

Next week, the Egyptian/Assyrian/Babylonian dudes attack. Complete with a super-sized warship.

Oh man, Fang’s death is looking more probable after this. I wouldn't be surprised to see Fang dying in the finale with Spear raising her new babies. Gotta start bracing for the likely sadness to come so it won’t sting so much in the future.

[Dragaros]

"One Punch Man TV anime will receive a third season. Chikashi Kubota, the character designer for the anime’s first and second seasons, drew the above teaser visual for the third season."

[Dragaros]

The One Punch Man manga showing off what happens when Saitama has an opponent that can actually get him to start trying.

[Dragaros]

The Granolah Arc in the Dragon Ball Super manga wrapped up, and there was one last twist before the end:

► Show Spoiler

Freeza finally shows up and retakes the Big Bad position by killing Gas and the Heeters without even trying, reveals that he's gotten 10 years of training by using his own Hyperbolic Time Chamber equivalent, and has unlocked a new transformation, one that's so much stronger than Ultra Ego Vegeta and Ultra Instinct Goku he can one-shot them effortlessly. You were used to Golden Freeza. Now say hello to Black Freeza!

























All hail Lord Freeza. Your move, monkeys!

[Dragaros]

I saw the Dragon Ball Super: Superhero movie. In short, it is a really fun experience, but I don't think its the best dragon ball movie ever or that its borderline flawless like I'm seeing a lot of folks saying online. Worth seeing in theaters if you can for sure, though. The pros outweigh the cons by a huge margin. A big screen and a loud sound system really makes it pop.

Some thoughts:

► Show Spoiler

The cgi art style is good, though it takes getting used to you adapt to it very quickly. It's more noticeable when the characters are just standing around talking, but during the action scenes it soars, especially with the dynamic camera work. I miss a more traditional art animation, though.

The film takes a while to get going, but once it does it doesn't let up, though it does pause to catch its breath on occasion to let things settle, though it could have done it a little more to provide some more characterization.

The film is very funny, probably the funniest Dragon Ball has been in a long time. It also gets a little meta, almost DBZA levels at times.

Gamma 1 and Gamma 2 are great new additions; I really enjoyed them. I only wish the movie spent more time fleshing out their characters. (And I want to see the look on Vegeta's face when he finds out someone made new androids!) Gamma 2's sacrifice was done well. Not as impactful as 16's, but still good.

Dr. Hedo is a strange character for me; he's likable in some aspects and annoying in others. I need more time with him to make up my mind about him.

Pan is really adorable here. Keep her like this in terms of personality instead of GT's version. (Though having seen her fly as a baby makes her learning to fly here feel like a really unnecessary retcon, but fine, whatever.)

Piccolo and Gohan are the real stars here and are in top form; the film is basically an apology for anyone who's been mad that they haven't been important to the plot since the Cell Saga, putting them back in the same league as Goku and Vegeta and making sure they won't fall behind again.

Piccolo and Gohan's new power-ups are pretty cool, I won't lie, but they do feel like major asspulls from a narrative perspective. Beast Gohan feels like an attempt to recapture the magic of seeing Gohan go SS2 for the first time but without the emotional weight and build-up to sell it, and Piccolo getting his boosts in strength by wishing for them on the dragon balls instead of achieving them through hard work feels cheap. But it's not like the series isn't a stranger to this sort of thing, and at this point, I'm fine to just roll with it since we're undoing the damage of letting Piccolo and Gohan fall to the wayside for so long. It may be lazy as fuck, but I'm desperate enough to take it. And the fact that Orange Piccolo has a Gigachad chin and the Gohan Blanco memes pretty much came true is hilarious.

In order to make sure Freeza doesn't try to use Earth's Dragon Balls again after the Broly incident, Bulma has been collecting them and using them non-stop, wishing petty wishes just to start the whole process over again. (If they ever recycle the Shadow Dragons idea in the future, there's going to be SO MUCH negative energy built up in them its not even funny.)

No Broly training match with Goku, Vegeta or Beerus. He still has a hard time controlling his power.

Beerus befriending Cheelai and Lemo so easily is amusing. Cheelai is his type; apparently he likes his women short, green, and sassy. And he loves Lemo's cooking.

Vegeta beat Goku fair and square. About time they gave the Prince a win. Suck it, Kakarot!

Goku has gotten even dumber; whereas we saw him meditating in Z often, to great beneficial effect in his training, here he's mocking Vegeta for his meditation to help him focus his ki, acting like he's never done it before. Or the writers couldn't be bothered to remember...

A really weird point that the movie tries to make is that Jiren's best advantage wasn't that his power was so far beyond what Goku and company had, but rather in how he could utilize his energy in efficient and focused ways that they couldn't. Based on the Tournament of Power arc that I watched, that seems like titanic amounts of copium, as the kids say these days. I don't even like Jiren, but I'll defend him on this.

The most recent events the film references are the Tournament of Power and the Broly movie; no mention of the Moro Saga or Granolah Saga whatsoever.

Nice to see Goten and Trunks finally look their age, even if they don't amount to much.

The failed fusion dance gag has run its course for me. It's not funny anymore, it's just tedious.

Buu gets shafted AGAIN; he's once again sleeping when he could have been very useful in the final battle.

Tien, Yamcha and Roshi are no shows.

Krillin and Android 18 represent. And they're still the best couple in DB.

Missed opportunity to not bring in Android 17. Where's the MVP of the ToP?! In a story all about androids, Gero's legacy, and the Red Ribbon Army's return?!

The elephant in the room: Cell Max. It feels like a huge waste to not resurrect the original Cell; this psycho rampaging kaiju version is just boring. He's a mindless brute to provide cool action beats, but he's not a character, just a plot device, and a lazy one at that, to cheaply go for nostalgia points without doing anything with it. And having the face of Cell's semi-perfect form doesn't do him any favors, either. Also, he lacks the regeneration of the original, has a major weak spot on his head, and his self-destruct ability isn't a planet destroying move either. Having Gohan, Piccolo, 17, 18, and Buu fighting a reborn Cell ready to pick up where he left off would have been epic as fuck, but alas, it was not to be. If all the movie wanted was a strong final boss with no characterization or personality, they could have recycled Janemba or Hirudegarn with little difficulty. Or hell, tie it into the whole Red Ribbon/Gero/Hedo plot by just having Android 21 fill the role, but have her be completely hunger crazy so there's no sanity left. That way you'd at least get the pathos of Hedo realizing his grandmother has been turned into a monster and must be put down for the planet's sake and to end his grandfather's evil legacy for the harm its done both to the world and his family for good. They make 21's human-self canon in this film, so they were half-way there already.

[Mazder]

The Granolah Arc in the Dragon Ball Super manga wrapped up, and there was one last twist before the end:

► Show Spoiler

Freeza finally shows up and retakes the Big Bad position by killing Gas and the Heeters without even trying, reveals that he's gotten 10 years of training by using his own Hyperbolic Time Chamber equivalent, and has unlocked a new transformation, one that's so much stronger than Ultra Ego Vegeta and Ultra Instinct Goku he can one-shot them effortlessly. You were used to Golden Freeza. Now say hello to Black Freeza!

























All hail Lord Freeza. Your move, monkeys!

I miss the days when GT was the most insane shit in DB.

Can we finally just let this story actually evolve?!

► Show Spoiler

Let me guess, on Beerus's planet they'll train more, Freiza will be the new threat, again, and some form of bigger bad will come out after they just barely defeat him, and Whis will smirk and say "there's the universe's strongest" and it's actually just fucking Broly?

I never thought I would say this but Dragon Ball is getting boring.

Not seen the latest movie yet (oddly enough piracy this year has been shit and the theatre prices over here are ludicrous), but if it doesn't rekindle my love for DB I might just have to find something else to enjoy.

[Dragaros]

We're getting a Planet Hulk sequel.

[Dragaros]

Also getting a Secret Invasion sequel.

[Dragaros]

Oh dear, who could have POSSIBLY predicted that letting genocidal tyrants and monstrous psychopaths onto the island would blow up in their faces?

[Dragaros]

Huh, someone at Marvel remembered and brought back Shathra. Possibly the only entity in the multiverse that wants to eat Spider-Men more than Morlun.

[Dragaros]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_c-0YinV8I

[Dragaros]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35V2cyEngP8

[Dragaros]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ63ETW0Izc

It's like if Khorne, Crom, and Aku had an unholy love child.

[Dragaros]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcTUBES6TD4

[Dragaros]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPmaTYLbUqE