I felt it would be fun to give a bit of a spoiler free blurb about what media I've been watching/reading over the last half a year or so. Below I will give a tiny bit of input on what I think of them (or think so far).
Star Trek: The Next Generation: This watch has been inspired primarily by my wife, but I always heard praise about this show from critics I trust. It has been fun so far, although most of what I have seen has been from the first season (which I am reliably informed is the weakest). Character writing is solid so far. The show is watchable and does well with its episodic format. Some episodes have tackled interesting moral and philosophical topics and handled them thoughtfully. The show's world building is also cool to me, though don't watch it expecting Star Wars style action. The two franchises deal with a very different niche, but I find myself craving TNG more and more as I progress through.
Andor: While slow paced, this show has EXCELLENT payoffs. Really great character writing. The narrative is actually really thoughtful and grapples with rich ideas, so much so that some of the biggest moments are speeches (despite the show having some excellent action moments). I liked Casian Andor as a lead and I especially liked Luthen. Even the handling of the politics was excellent and riveting. It is a thoughtful show and, I would say, by far the best thing Disney Star Wars has made. You won't find lightsaber fights in this, but you will find an intelligent and very human and gripping story in a much more grounded feeling Star Wars.
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End: I have watched the first two seasons. It is a beautiful and charming show. Both leads (Fern and Frieren) are really well fleshed out, and they have a super sweet relationship. The show, despite being calm and thoughtful for most of the episodes, definitely has some great moments of action and tension that I wasn't anticipating. I think my favorite thing is how Frieren is written to actually feel timeless, not just old. That element of mortality is explored quire well.
Elden Ring: Shadow of The End Tree: Haha, I'm currently stuck on the final boss of this one. The new map is really cool... with one hidden area being my favorite area in the whole game. Some of the new bosses (Midra) are contenders for my favorite in the game, and most of the DLC bosses are more difficult to defeat than the base-game baddies. That being said, I think the final boss is the only one I have truly gotten stuck on, and that has often been a complaint I have for Elden Ring. With the great diversity in what is available to the player (compared to a game like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice), I have often found that Elden Ring bosses sort of feel like a rush to cheese or be cheesed. Their attacks are massive and cover huge areas. Many bosses have attacks that could be one-shots depending on your build (and how many Scadutree blessings you have). But with that the mimic tear and bleed builds still make me feel like I am not really ever mastering a boss. But I am also not the type of person to play a game "sub optimally" in order to make it harder for me. Hence my generally liking single-difficulty games. So while this final boss I am stuck on is challenging, it doesn't feel as rewarding as some of Fromsoft's other offerings. Still, overall, the DLC has been a blast to explore and I hold it in high regard.
Darkest Dungeon II: Years ago a good friend gave my Darkest Dungeon. It is a semi-rougelike strategy game. Usually I despise these types of games as they feel like a loop to me, and I dislike doing things for fun that don't offer me a sense of progression or achievement. Darkest Dungeon became one of my favorite games I have ever played because it balanced the gameplay loop with vicious costs for failure, but it also had really solid ways of progressing. The second game has leaned more into the rougelike elements, which is not necessarily something I enjoy. However, I do love the cosmic horror elements, art design, and the combat (which has become deeper, richer, and harder). As such I have really been loving the second game so far. Whether I will continue to be drawn into the darkness to face my failures again and again... remains to be seen. (Haha, my wife has had to put up with me narrating normal little day to day things in the prose of the Ancestor)
Ilyon Chronicles: Resistance: My wife and I read this book aloud to one another. It is Christian fantasy and strikes me as being inspired by the persecution of the early Church by Rome. I have not usually enjoyed Christian fantasy, as I have felt balancing how faith is portrayed in a fictional setting can get awkward if it is handled very specifically. I think Resistance did a good job with this. The stakes were well balanced with some real moments of tension. I started to pick up on some fun quirks of the author's writing and overall enjoyed the story. It definitely feels like this story will grow in scope as it moves into the sequels. Overall it was fun, but I really want to see the end of some of the character arcs that have been set up.
Demon Slayer: The Hashira Training Arc: I have read the Demon Slayer manga. It is one of my absolute favorite stories at this point. I think this last season was an excellent adaptation of the source material. It is a season with a good deal less action. However, the focus on the characters is appreciated by me even in the quieter moments. I really liked some of the addition material given to Muichiro Tokito (my favorite of the Hashira), and I think this season serves a good "last deep breath before the plunge". The combat animation we do get is absolutely fantastic. As usual, music, visuals, and voice acting are top notch. Ufotable continues to deliver outstanding quality, and this season will likely be my favorite tv season of the year, even with its calmer plot. If you haven't been watching the show, I really do recommend it. I'd say it is a pretty good starter anime even if you've never tried watching something from Japan. The narrative is deeply heartfelt and human, focusing on a lot of meaning connections we share with family and friends. But the show is also intense and high stakes, and that only escalates as you progress. Enjoy this calm season; the final arcs of the story are gonna be a wild, heart pounding, tear-filled ride for me!
Jujutsu Kaisen: I have kept current with the manga. There have been lots of elements I have enjoyed. The current battle that has been going on for ages has had some absolutely wild moments. Sadly, ha, Sukuna is my favorite character. Which is a shame. I think it speaks to the way the story was set up subversively from the beginning, putting Gojo as the strongest in the world and making it seem like Sukuna was an underdog. While I've enjoyed keeping up with the manga, I can't say I think it's flawless. I definitely feel less emotionally engaged than I'd like.
Chainsaw Man-Part 2: I'd say, out of the current manga I am reading, this one is my favorite. That being said, the content is pretty mature so I wouldn't broadly recommend it. Compared to part 1, I feel like part 2 is less focused. Part 1 felt like a masterpiece to me. Part 2 feels like an unpredictable rollercoaster. It's a thrill, and some of the themes explored are still incredibly well constructed, but overall it doesn't feel as beautifully manipulative and focused as the first part. The expansion on the world building has been very cool, with promise of a major villain with a truly terrifying name. The core cast of part two is also less likable than the core cast of part one, with focus being placed on a new main character, Asa. She is well done, but it feels like attention being split between her and Denji somewhat robs them both. There have been a few scenes that have made my jaw drop, and some really striking panels, but nothing on par with "All Out Halloween" or "Darkness" in part one. The arcs of the second part also blur together much more. All that to say, while I am still very hooked and always trying to guess what will happen next, part 2 has yet to reach the heights of part 1. I really should do a part 1 review...
My Hero Academia: Much to my surprise, the finale which has been drawing on forever actually fulfilled the major goal that was set up for a protagonist way way waaaaay back. The manga is a fun read, but a bloated cast and a hesitancy to kill off characters the audience actually care about has hurt MHA for me. Still, overall I would say it is a worthwhile read, and I am glad I kept up.
One Piece: I am current with the manga. Ha. Blame my brother. Then blame the Smash Bros player Tweek. The world building and layout of some of the big conspiracies and reveals is absolutely mind boggling when you realize just how massive the story is.
Vinland Saga: I am almost to the end of the first season. So far it has kept me engaged. It is brutal in its violence which is rather stomach churning. But there is a cool seed that has been planted concerning living at peace vs living to die in the glory of battle. Characters are suitably treacherous... since they are Vikings after all. I have heard that season 2 blows the first one out of the water. They have dealt with ideas of Christianity, with a Christian woman being very selfless and Christians being victims to horrible cruelty from the Vikings. However one character has now taken a very anti-God stance... so I am interested to see where this goes. I am hoping his journey isn't eventually portrayed as good, but we shall see.
Anyway, that's my quick report!
No comments:
Post a Comment