Watched The Old Guard on Netflix last night, and fam, it isĀ SO GOOD
Short synopsis, the leader of a group of immortals - Andromache of Scythia, also known as Andy - is dealing with the disillusionment of spending centuries upon centuries fighting to help the world, only to see it get filled with more hate and violence everyday. Then, just after she and her group are betrayed and exposed, a new immortal is called for the first time in ages. This new immortal is a young black woman named Nile who is a Marine serving in the Afghanistan. Nile is brought into the fold, but struggles with the thought of abandoning her family. Things come to a head, and an unexpected turn of events pulls Nile into the conflict she had been trying to avoid.
Now, the reasons I loved this movie:
Canon mlm interracial couple who are literally the epitome of true love and the absolute sweetest (and who both survive! No Kill Your Gays!)
Gorgeous action scenes. Beautiful mix of ancient and modern weaponry being used by people who make it seem effortless.
FOUND FAMILY
LIKE SO MUCH
Seriously, these guys love each other so much and have spent centuries together and it shows
Well rounded characters who are flawed and multifaceted and actually written like real people
Flashbacks give a real sense of time and history and depth, but also donāt clog up the storyline
When one of the characters hurts, you hurt
Seriously, I cried like five times and it was beautiful
Directed by a black woman! First superhero movie (The Old Guard is based off of comics bearing that same name) to do that! And she did a fantastic job!
Lack of stereotypes! The sniper is a warm sweetheart, the Middle Eastern man is effusive with his love and happiness, the tortured drunk never uses his trauma as an excuse to be an overt asshole (honestly, when he talks about it, my heart hurt for him), the young black woman talks about how much her family loves her and how she will be missed and is sickened by the carnage she sees
The Big Evil Plot is kinda secondary to the emotions of the characters. Lots of emphasis on how immortality has effected them and the different ways these different people have dealt with it.
Disillusioned warrior woman is shown how to hope again by the young black woman and their relationship is precious
(and also a very cute queer goth cashier who deserves the world)
Literally folks, the whole movie is about drawing strength from your loved ones (and not just romantic partners!) and how we are stronger together and that one small act of kindness can change the world.
Long story short, best movie Iāve seen all year and absolutely now in my top five favorite action movies. And they did a set up for a sequel! So if you have Netflix and enjoy the movie, please drop a line to them and tell them how much so this great franchise doesnāt get buried!
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MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD MY FRIENDS!!! if you havenāt had the pleasure of watching, go see it rn, and then read on. or if youāre like me and canāt ignore spoilers, continue on. but if you read and get pissed because of the spoilers, donāt say I didnāt warn you
IT WAS FUCKING AMAZING.
I literally was in awe of how wonderfully Ryan Coogler incorporated culture, family and country but also had humour and love!! TāChallaās connections with his mother and Shuri were so beautifully written, but were also realistic. Shuri, being a girl my age, was definitely a standout character for me, but everyone was so! good!
The visuals are just STUNNING (sorry Asgard, I wanna live in Wakanda now) and the costuming is on point!! Especially TāChalla shoes ;))) (those who have seen the movie know what I mean). Erik Killmonger was a great villian, and Iām really happy with the way he died. I mean, it would have been nice if he had stuck around for Infinity War, but itās not like they could do much else with his character (because it already had been developed so well throughout the film)
And itās official. Iāve become TāChalla x Nakia TRASH. The handholding!!! The way he looks at her!! and of course that scene!! I love it how usually it would be Nakia being in awe of TāChalla in any other movie but it was the exact opposite in this movie! Black Panther is the pinup movie for powerful female characters that ARENāT over-sexualised or scantily clad or any of that shit. Okoye, Nakia and Shuri were well developed, powerful in their own right (when the Dora Milaje came on the screen for the first time I choked on my food) and just all-round badasses.
The after credits scenes were also really great! Iām glad they didnāt actually put Bucky in the movie (as much as I adore that man) and I like the relationship they implied between Shuri and Bucky (the fact that Shuri is becoming a friend that Bucky can trust).
All in all, Black Panther is one of my favourite movies Iāve EVER seen, and is up there with Thor: Ragnarok (and you all know how much I loved that movie). Definitely worth seeing. I give it a 9.5/10.
LIKE A TON.... @rubyventure Ruby Reviews! I know you're busy babe but we freaking miss your wonderful support and insightful comments on our stuff. Reblog if you agree.
This is something a bit different for me but I always look for these before I start a game/route, so I hope this will be informative/helpful to someone else!Ā
Game Overall - The game overall is really fun and one of my favourites for sure! It operates much like every other Arithmetic game but you can really tell they put a lot more into this one. The addition of the voice actors is really cute and interacting with them multiple times a day made me very giddy (the voice actor for Minami is the same as Yuri from Yuri on Ice!!!). This game has everything I look for when deciding if I love a game and whether or not I recommend it to others. Those being:
1. Good Stories/Plot - Absolutely! There is a great mix and variety of funny and devastating moments with real relevant issues being addressed at times. I looked forward to my 5 tickets every day and there were several occasions where I spent because the cliff hangers were too intense! I just had to know what happened next!
2. Good MC -Ā with the exception of Murayamaās and Minamiās MC - This MC is one of the best Iāve ever played!Ā
3. Interesting/Hot Guys - Yessss! The art in this game is amazing! Every guy (even the evil dad!) is gorgeous. I will say that the secondary sprites are just blue and pink outlines and that seems like a waste opportunity.Ā
4. Sex? -Ā Iām not shallow enough to say this makes or breaks a game for me, but as an adult playing a game with adult love interests, this matters to me. Yes there is sex, but only with some characters in their main story (Event stories differ in that they often feature sex with every character).Ā Iāll tell you below who has sex in each route description because thatās something that helps influence my spending.
5. Can I have a good time if I donāt spend any money/Will they force me to spend/make me wait weeks to progress? - Absolutely you can have a great time and achieve all endings without spending money! I played 3 full routes before I decided to spend money and the money I spent was on story tickets and an event after ending. As for having to build up free cash/experience/skill points for road blocks -Ā it happens very easily and as long as you do it at least once a day you should never have to wait long to advance past checkpoints.Ā
TLDR - You need to play this game! Itās so well written and fun! Youāll find the perfect mix of romance, comedy, angst, and sex within this game but the best part is the MC who feels refreshingly modern and truly representative of a young woman of this time. There are other incentives like generous daily logins and frequent events that arenāt impossible to full clear without spending so you really feel valued as a player and a person. I highly suggest starting with Chiaki or Mei and then moving onto the others.The game is alive and well and new routes are still being released.Ā
Full breakdown of each guy and route spoilers below!
The MC - The MC is what made me fall in love with the game. She is HILARIOUS and she has motivations and dreams of her own. She is still my favourite MC ever despite her behaviour in Minamiās route ( much more on that later). She is just a super funny, goal oriented, mature (for the most part but arenāt we all) woman who speaks her mind and isnāt afraid to put the men in their place. I felt like she was a good representation of a real woman in an otome game.Ā
In order of release:
Chiaki Kira Route
- Chiaki was my first route! I chose him based on appearance alone really - Tall, dark, handsome - giving off real Jumin Han vibes you know? Chiaki is an adorable lazy idiot who says offensive things but is really sweet. He will also give you lots of attention which is something I look forward to! His route is very similar to Juminās in the sense that it centres around his resentment of his father but itās a good story that really develops a good relationship between Chiaki and the MC. Sex? Unfortunately not but itās still super cute! In the happy end they have confessed their love and are finally able to give themselves to each other fully. (The ending CG involves Chiaki climbing on top of you telling you he loves you and asking you to not give him blue balls lmao).
Sequel to Chiaki - This is a real fire & ice route. When itās hot, itās very hot! But when itās cold, itās freezing! This route suffers from the typical MC doesnāt speak up when sheās depressed and being bullied which drives a wedge in her relationship. Chiaki isnāt exactly innocent here, he can be a total dick when times get tough but the route overall is great and the ending CGs are GORGEOUS! Use your gacha tickets on his epilogue... a CG ofĀ Chiaki wearing a wedding ring as he licks your wrist? GIRL IāVE GOT THE VAPORS!Ā
Pick Chiaki if you love attention, romance, and a witty/sassy relationship between love interests. (Think of characters from other games like SLBPās Nobunaga, MM Jumin + Zen, TCC Claude, Ikemen Nobunaga + Masamune)
Toma Kira Route - Toma was my second route and while Toma is drop dead gorgeous - he is kinda dead inside? His story is a dark one but it is very interesting and the climax is intense! Excellent character development here from both the MC and Love Interest. Sex?Ā Hell ya! Toma does have sex with you towards the end a couple times and they are DETAILEDĀ scenes (The happy ending CG has a naked MC and Toma in bed after a night of sex as they are about to have even more sex!). But! He does something super hurtful to the MC during a sensitive time, so you have to have a bit of a thicker skin to play through this. Thankfully, he apologizes and more than makes it up to you! I\ll be honest, I wasnāt enjoying Tomaās route as much as Chiakiās initially, but his ending retroactively made everything better!Ā
Pick Toma if you like a challenge, donāt need constant attention, donāt mind a teacher/master relationship, and you enjoy good smut. (Iām still shook from Tomaās sex scenes). (Think of characters from other games like Ayato from 7HAMH, Isuka + Asena from TCC, SLBPās Kojuro + Masamune, Ikemen Hideyoshi).
Minami Kira Route - Ugh...let me just tell you based on every event and item scenario I got of Minami, I was REALLY looking forward to his route - like a lot a lot. It started off alright, but I quickly realized there wasnāt going to be much of a plot which was really disappointing. Minami is a fun and intelligent yet immature guy. Heās constantly pulling pranks and showering you in false affection. Unfortunately Minami does something completely unforgivable (Iāll write the spoilers at the bottom if you really want to know) and because of this and the combination of the lack of character depth and the worst iteration of the MC in the entire game - I canāt happily recommend his main route. His event routes are fun but his main route is the one of the most disappointed I have ever been in an otome game and Iām not sure how Event Minami and Main Story Minami can be so different. The MC in Minamiās route is completely different than the MC in Toma, Chiaki, and Meiās routes. She has no ambitions of her own and she never puts Minami in his place even though he deserves it and needs it the most. Sheās so scared of hurting his feelings and making him not like her that she becomes a shell of her former self and that was seriously disappointing. Minamiās past was very sad and dark but it wasnāt really fleshed out. Itās confusing. There was so much potential and it feels like it all amounted to nothing. I would have rather seen a route where the MC teaches Minami how shitty it is to treat women like toys and have her fix him, or a route where the MC helps Minami accept and control the darkness and anger within him instead of just pretending to be a happy prankster all the time. Sex?Ā Yes but at this point I was screaming āDonāt do it!ā to MC through my screen. It didnāt feel like anything good was going to come from it and surprise, surprise it didnāt.Ā
Do not pick Minami unless you have the thickest skin and an infinite amount of patience.Ā
Mei Tarantino Route Ā - Meiās route reminds me of why I fell in love with the game in the first place. Mei is the sweetest tsundere there ever was and Iām still smiling about his Happy Ending. His story was wonderful (motivational and inspirational) and the relationship that develops between him and the MC feels natural, believable and is absolutely beautiful. They really support each other through their trials and tribulations and work to achieve both their dreams. There is a tragic past that explains a lot but doesnāt try to justify poor behavior in the present. His route is far superior to Minamiās and has even helped wash the bad taste Minami left right out of my mouth! Mei is everything you want from the perfect Tsundere route. The MC is funny as ever and back to her intelligent strong self. Sex? No but thereās a lot of satisfaction to be found elsewhere in this route.Ā
Pick Mei. Just pick him. Heās so sweet. He has creative insults but the more creative they are the more you realize heās falling in love. Plus the red blush on this boy is TO DIE FOR!!! (Think of characters from other games like SLBPās Mitsunari, DTLās Takasugi, RB Aito, Ikemen Ieyasu)
Rei Shindo Route - Okay this is seriously one of my favourite routes I have ever played in any otome ever. It is extremely emotionalĀ and the Sweet End is the most beautiful thing - paired with an absolutely BREATHTAKING pair of CGs that I think about on the daily. This route has angst, romance, comedy, and tragedy in HEAPING spoonfuls. I genuinely SOBBED twice.
I canāt write much as I donāt want to give too much away because you genuinely need to experience this route and see how fantastic and touching otome writing can be. Basically, you are roped into a revenge plot by a version of Rei that is far different than the man you have come to know in the other routes. The more time you spend together, the more you find out his reasons and what his end game is. It is A LOT TO TAKE IN but it is so rewarding! Please play it and tell me all of your thoughts and feelings.
Save him for last (if you can wait that long) because I feel like if you start with him, the other routes wonāt look as good in comparison - and they donāt deserve that (except you Minami).Ā I will say itās important that you achieve his Sweet ending. I did not like his Normal ending at all in comparison. It was fine but it was much different and lacked all of the emotional depth of his Sweet End, so in playing Sweet first - I had high expectations of his other end as well but that was unfortunately not the case. Sex? Oh god, forgive me but I really donāt remember! I was so stressed out and emotional during this route that sex was the last thing on my mind!)Ā Ā
Pick Rei if you have a thick skin and donāt mind being put through an emotional ringer. (Think of characters from other games like SLBPās Ieyasu, + Saizo, TCCās Lugar + Yuri, MMās V + Saeyoung, 7HAMH Soichiro + Ayato, Ikemen Mitsuhide)
Shizuka Kira Route - Okay I loved Shizukaās route, I really did BUT it is the most hollow of them all. Shizuka is a sweet heart but his story isnāt very exciting or memorable (Save for the sex scenes!). Itās not a bad route by any means! It it full of genuinely funny and romantic moments so I really enjoyed it and him as a love interest, the problem is that it is the most formulaic and predictable so itās not necessarily a unique story. One of the best parts of Shizukaās route is the more mature and level headed MC compared to the other brothersā. She was also very in touch with her sexual wants and needs which I really appreciated and found refreshing! The biggest surprise in this route for me was how big of a role Minami had and how amazing he was in it! This is the Minami I want to romance!Ā
Rintaro Murayama Route - Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I didnāt think I could hate a route more than Minamiās but HERE WE ARE. This route was so so so bad! Iām shocked! I took a week off from thinking about to to see if I was just being dramatic but Iām still just as mad as I was when I finished it.Iām so mad that I went back and CHANGED MY MIND about Minamiās route. Thatās how bad this was. The thing about this route is everything is bad. The story makes no sense and they make NO ATTEMPT to make him a desirable love interest! The MC starts off strong and I felt for her inner struggle but then she just becomes flat-out stupid and not the fun loving hilarious witty MC this game has offered us from day 1Ā #notmymc. Murayamaās motivations make 0 sense and contradict themselves often. Heās supposed to be doing everything he does for his sister but heās also supposed to not know anything about her these past 10 years?! So then why is he ruining little events that the hotel runs? To get back at his sisterās adopted brothers even though he might need them to be organ donors? What? And then that Happy Ending. No. ThatĀ āHappy Endingā made everythign the MC did and put up with worth NOTHING. I have no idea how someone approved this. Murayama blackmails you constantly and at one point - late into his route - he starts trying to raping you while recording it. Not only that, he insists heās going to show the video to her bosses and everyone else at work. Like - enough is enough in general but Murayamaās route was enough by chapter 3. It was like a cycle of dumb that just kept repeating.Ā Ā
Murayama route is inexcusablyĀ bad, donāt play it.Ā
Sex? Another great part of Shizukaās route is that it has the most sex and all of it was free sex (I also got to view the CGs for free? Iām not sure if this is a bug that may be fixed by the time you read this). The sex scenes were all INCREDIBLY HOT and I was sweating and taking screenshots while trying to remind myself to breathe. Out of all the Kira Brothers - Shizuka has sex with you the most. I believe it is 3-4 sex scenes vs Tomaās 2.Ā
Pick Shizuka if you want a romantic route with a plot straight out of a romantic comedy and/or if you like sexxxxxxxy routes. (Think of characters from other games like DTLās Haru, MMās Zen, 7HAMH Haruto + Shizuki, Ikemen Shingen).
***Minami route spoiler*** Minami goes on a bender after kissing you where he stays out for days getting drunk and not coming home. One night a random guy brings him home and they accidentally end up in your bedroom instead of Minamiās. Minami flops down onto a chair by your bed and then gives permission for the guy to start raping you - he even says he doesnāt care. Only after the guy has began his rape of you and like the equivalent of 6 story tickets later - does Minami stop and actually do anything about it. This was seriously disappointing and youād think that would be the end of Minamiās bullshit but itās not - not even close. I just found it so unforgivable that near the end of the game after you both have fallen in love, that something like this happens and itās not even vague/implied - itās full on clothes tearing & body violating and Minami watches the whole thing!!! His apology after doesnāt even make up for it. The writerās really disappointed me here. It would have been just as hurtful for Minami to say he didnāt care if the MC slept with the guy but for him to sit back and watch her get raped wasnāt something Minami could come back from for me, especially with such a lackluster plot. Minami also never really apologizes or makes up for referring to women as his toys and he treats women really poorly overall. There is a really heart wrenching scene where a woman who was in love with Minami confronts him politely and he screams at her and belittles her and the MC just kinda forgets about it.Ā
I recently played the prologue for the new unnamed (as far as I know?!) (UPDATE: The title is Kings of Paradise!)Ā Ā Voltage game and I really loved it! The writing is so fantastic! It was almost painfully real and relatable at times to the point where I had to remind myself itās supposed to be a game (LOL), but I genuinely love when these games get real on us, so bring it on!
This is one of the first prologues that made me want to play all 4 of the introduced potential love interests. Based off the prologue alone and through my eyes, you have:
Taki - The Alpha Male type I like to callĀ āCare-ogantā (Caring x Arrogant). Pictured here as the shirtless stoic on the right. Reminds me of guys like Chiaki Kira, Kakeru Yamagata, and Eisuke Ichinomiya.Ā
Yosuke - The Sweet One typeĀ - Iām going to predict that he will be the Yandere or dual-personality type (or both!? Yum!) (Update - WRONG lol).Ā Also pictured shirtless here on the left or stoic. Reminds me of guys like Celis Valentine, Kento Orihama, and Shizuka Kira.
Kiyohito - The Strong Silent type and A MAKE UP ARTIST! Iām weak for them! He was soft spoken and has that delicious gentle intensity. Pictured here in the hat. Reminds me of guys like Taisuke Nadauchi, Andrea from TCC, and Soryu Oh.
Shun - The Womanizing Playboy type. Famous director, only dates actresses, etc. Pictured here with the shaggy dark hair in the stripes. Reminds me of guys like Rudy from POTM, Keisuke Udo, Sid Arnault, and Omi Kitazawa,Ā Ā
Iām also really curious to see if the husband (Tomohiro) gets a route like Koichi from In Your Arms Tonight. Thereās something about him - maybe itās that mole or the clothes he borrowed from Jumin Han but whatever it is, itās got me hooked!
Speaking of IYAT, this reminded me of the angst and heartache from that game combined with the humor from Several Shades of Sadism and itās a combination that is exciting and WORKS!Ā
The prologue is free for VIPs in the Love365 app right now! If you were waiting for the right time to subscribe, I say strike now! You also get to fill out a short survey after you play to give your feedback and potentially help shape the game before launch which is so cool!
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RUBY REVIEWS THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN (1963) #1 I was a bit surprised with how well written the comic is overall for a 60's comic, characters for the most part actually having personalities is not something common in this era. Peter trying to do weird circus acts as Spider-Man to get money for Aunt May is not somerhing I hear usually in most Spider-Man origin stories. Neither, is Uncle Ben being killed in a house robbery. These little things help color the Peter of this time. The art is amazing for the time, but a lot of it has not aged well. A lot of awkward poses and hilarious facial expressions that can detract (or enhance) the experience of reading it. Overall, it's not a bad first issue, but it is still a sixties comic and with that comes all the baggage and okay writing. Worth looking Into, but would not recommend reading the whole original run going off this issue at least. 6.5/10
So like I said I would I'll write what I thought of it! First of all, I'm two years late on watching this or getting into it. I actually watched the first three episodes when it was still insanely popular, but I was too preoccupied with Homestuck at the time so I didn't bother finishing it. I waited long enough and sort of convinced myself I didn't care about anime much, so that's how I avoided it. However a few days ago my friend @lightningflash55 convinced me and as a college student with no friends and life I decided why not, so here we are. So let's talk about my favorite parts to this show: how human the characters are. I know that sounds a little funny considering the show is about humans versus these monsters, but there were times when the characters would say or act a certain way that felt very natural. I especially loved the little details on them in the animation with certain things, like for example the way Mikasa would hold Eren's hands for comfort and just other little tid bits you can pick up. I love that because it shows that effort was being put into it. The animation itself is REALLY good too. The action scenes especially flow very nicely and the angles that are used really make it unique and fun to watch. The characters themselves are also pretty great. They aren't one-dimensional and have goals in mind and even serious ones will show extra sides to them that you wouldn't expect to see. With that being said, was there anything I DIDN'T like? Oddly enough, a nit pick I do have is the fact that some characters could've used more screen time. For example, Jean and other characters were mourning Marco's death but we barely saw much of him besides a few scenes being nice and I would've liked to see more scenes with other characters too. Then again... You could argue that's sort of the point. You have these characters that weren't fully developed because they died suddenly, which is what happens in wars obviously, and there are some you don't see often because they're just in different locations and I understand that, so that's why I called it a nit pick, really, because it's understandable. This is going to sound weird, but I think I could've used a little bit more funny scenes? The first few had a couple and I think if there were just a few more scattered here and there it would've made the show even more enjoyable. Again, weird thing to say coming from a show about a war basically, so I could be wrong on that, but that's how I felt, although this is, again, a nit pick. Overall, I LOVE the show and I'm glad I finally watched it. I'll have to read the manga and watch that spin off show and I can't wait for the second season... Whenever THAT'S coming out... But yeah, I'm glad I watched it.
