Pinkie's Paradise

Pinkie Plays on eBay: Weird Pokémon Listings

It’s time to search for more Pokémon. Since Jason Paige told us to search for them far and wide I have decided to go to the nooks and crannies where you do not normally find pokémon. Now eBay is not a weird place to search for Pokémon as there are plenty to be found. But today we will look in categories where you do not expect them. Like Antiques, Specialty Services and eBay Motors. We will look at odd items that will make you wonder, why do they exist.. how did they get tagged here or what does this have to do with pokemon?! The search rules, I can only use the tag pokémon in the search bar and can only select from the first 10 pages of hits. In each I’ll find something I would buy.. something I would not buy and something I wonder if anyone buys!

Category 1: Health and Beauty

Pokémon is not something I would connect to health items… sure I bet there is some makeup .. which happens to be tied in to the item I really DO want. Yet there was a surprising number of health items as well. Items like Pikachu Bandages or heatable of coolable rice packs. So you can create your own pokémon heat or cold pack. A shout-out goes to the Pokemon Bath bombs, who thought it through that children would not like to see Pikachu dissolve in their tub but instead they made bath bombs that release little pokemon. Would buy if I had a bath.

Item that I do want: Eveelutions Eye Brush Set

I am a bit messy with makeup, my eye brushes keep getting lost, and when I do my big make up I usually lose something. I have very poor vision -5, and 4,75 so I am blind as a Zubat when I am in front of my make up mirror. With the flesh shaped blob that I assume is my hand blocking my view applying makeup properly can be a struggle at times. I would wear contacts but they made my eyes deteriorate even further so now I have pink glasses.
Anyway with the Eeveelutions make up kid not only I would get a set of brushes I want to treat with actual care. I would also gain a much more lengthy brush which would actually help me with my nearsighted application blobby shape troubles! I would also buy the “thunder shock* eyes, eye shadow set. The Brushes are about 25 dollars and the eyeshadow about 9, it has some nice zippy colours I could actually use like lilacs and such.

Item that I do NOT want: Pikachu Electric Toothbrush

Now I do like the idea of an electric Pokémon being used for an electric toothbrush but just look at this thing it is super unpractical. Not only do you get a brush that you can’t find anywhere else, the way you attach it also seems rather unpractical. The toothbrush looks extremely flimsy as well but is acompanied by a massive chockachu. How do you even hold this thing I wonder. It’s cheeks will light up which is cute…but how will you see it if you are brushing your teeth? They clearly did not think this thing trough.

Item that I think Nobody wants :Pokemon Ball Orthoptic Eye Patch Amblyopia Lazy Eye Occlusion Therapy Treatment

Does your kid have a lazy eye AND does he wear glasses? Did the doctor not put a patch on the eye or you want to cover it up with a mediocrely sewn Pokéball? Than this item can be yours for the amazing price of 9 british pounds. You can have your pokeball sewn up to sock for your kids glasses in both a red OR a black patch… in two sizes of choice. Yet I wonder how many lazy eyed bespectacled children would think.. let’s go and see if eBay has something that makes me look a lot cooler! With a pokéball?! I really wonder.

***The pokéball kinda looks like a freaky eye like that!***

Category 2: eBay Motors

So apparently pimping your ride out with some pokémon decalls is fairly popular. From bonnet .. I think that is the word, stickers shaped like an evil gengar too a Ducati Motor Riding Bag with cute little pokemon on them.. and a lot of ornamental number plates. This category had a lot more stuff in it than I thought. Unfortunately no Pikachu car.. so for my wishlisted item.. I had to be creative. I am not allowed to drive anyway so meh!

Item that I would buy: Pikachu Steering Wheel Cover

I have really sensitive palms, in the driving lessons I took I always found a steering wheel to be a rather uncomfy thing. Luckily on eBay I can get the softest looking steering wheel cover I have ever laid my eyes upon and it’s shaped like Pikachu as well. I did not know people wanted to have their steering wheels resemble a Pikachu.. but I totally can get behind the sentiment. In fact it’s that hard to get a complete Pikachu upholstery for fairly cheap. Like for 200 bucks you can pretty much have the electric mouse, all over your interior. I think that would look kinda cute with the pink car I would hypothetically get.

Item that I would not buy: Sexy Misty Window Decal

I originally selected this item as the trash I think nobody would buy! Because this has very little to do with pokémon. We see a misty that looks like her outfit is being possed by Senketsu from Kill la kill. Creeping up her outfit to the max. She has a lusty gaze in her eyes and the word cock written all over her tank top. Why she would write that on I am not sure?! There is only one avion pokémon in that criteria.. Blaziken (and kind of Combusken) and that was not a pokémon she ever used nor seemed to desire. So I do not get the shoutout. She must hold some serious airbags underneath that shirt as well because there would have been plenty of room to write Rooster as well, at least there would not be any misunderstandings. Why is it not on the nobody will ever buy this list then? Because it was the only item that was being watched during my research by no less than 34 people even! Vagrants!

Item that I think Nobody Wants : Trucker gear stick with Pokeball Gear Knob

There were a lot of Gear Knobs shaped like Pokéballs for Honda Civics during my search.. which makes sense because from what little understanding I have that stay at home tuner car. Like the Vin Diesel wannabe’s all get a Honda Civic. It’s one of those cars that is driven by people who put weird shaped body parts underneath them and make it look cooler.. then they go to Mcdonalds and play music really loud from their subwoofer things. I haven’t really heard of pimping out one’s truck though. I mean I saw some pretty pimped out ones.. but that’s usually not really something akin to pokémon. I just don’t see many truckers liking the franchise. I might be stereotyping here.. but I honestly dont see anyone taking out their entire gear shifty thing to put on in that has a pokeball nob.Surely if someone wants this.. there are easier ways.

***Is it even a gear or is ithat other thingy that makes the Wruh-huh sound?***

Category 3: Music Instruments

So obviously the Pokéflute is a thing.. however that instrument is actual more like a toy..that based on conventions though.. can still produce a catchy tune. Most of the stuff found in this category is sheet music though.. and some kind of tuning device that features Bulbasaur… it’s nice to see that my boy gets some love. Yet it’s boy.. starters have a very low female encounter rate so we can assume! Of course there where a few interesting other items in this category as well

Item that I do want: Pikachu Electric Guitar

I do love when things come together. An Electric Pokemon.. and an Electric Guitar.. that is pretty neat. It’s like one of those videos where people cut styrofoam things in equal slices or how playdough is made into on big non breaking string.It works. Since the pokemon theme is excellent to play on an electric guitar it works even better. The design of this thing is pretty stunning as well. They even placed the Pika head and tail in positions so you could play it and still show of the pokémon without covering it with your hands and all. That’s neat. Still if I would have it I would not play it.. I would hang it on my wall. It would just liven up any room and does not deserve to be in a guitar case or something… also I can’t actually play any instrument let alone electric guitar. For a wall ornament though $1250 dollars is a bit pricey.. given that that is almost three months worth of rent for me. If I ever win the lottery or become a famous cewebrity though….

***Now I would love to see an Electric Guitar with Galarian Zigzagoon***

Item that I would not buy: KORG MA-2, Pokémon Metronome

This is a case of solid idea, bad execution. It’s that styrofoam video again but this time they slice unevenly. Its that playthrough with two mixed colours smudging up destroying the clay. The “electric item” so Pikachu works thing .. for my feeling doesn’t apply. It feels like a rhythm computer is always electric anyway even if we also have analogue metronomes.. it feels like the difference between a car and a bike. Pikachu on a gameboy is meh.. Pikachu on a electric car is clever. There is a difference..to me. For a metronome they simply picked the wrong pokémon.. obviously it should have been the one pokemon that made metronome a signature thing in the first series, clefairy..or that thing that stole the idea and made it his.. in the form of togepi. If you make a pokémon themed Metronome… use an actual metronome pokemon!

***This should have been Clefairy! It would have been Pink! PIIIIINK!***

Item that nobody should want: THIS pokéball Ocarina

First of all, why would you even make a pokeball Ocarina. We already have the pokéflute made into an actual playable instrument. That is a canon game item made into a real item that sounds and looks iconic. Never did an Ocarina feature in the series nor does this thing actually look like an ocarina. It doesn’t even look that much like a pokéball either. It’s badly painted with some jaggedy lines. Which geek is geeky enough to think.. I would like the pokémon ocarina while for less money they can have the actually Iconic Ocarina in video game lore. A hardcore pokémon fan would rather want the flute because that’s an actual thing and the hardcore geeky ocarina player would want the Ocarina of Time as it looks much more like an actual instrument.. plus people at cons wil recognise it. To me this feels the same like putting that “mug” your son made on display..without the emotional undertones. For almost 40 dollars there are better ways to spend your pokédollars.

***Just so much wrong for me.. But I am sure at least the maker had fun! Which is what counts***

Now with that out of the way we shall take a break from eBay for now. Yet there are still plenty of weird pokémon practices going about that I haven’t told you about yet. To find out more about the treasure trove that is eBay and Pokemon please follow the blog so you will not miss the next episode. If you wish me to do the same with your favorite anime show..let me know in the comments. With that I will be off, I love you all, keep on smiling!

XO

Pinkie

*Should you wish to help me buy any of these click the cute picture*!

Preview Sutorandopinki: Pinkie’s Very own Manga

I felt like doing something different today and so I played around a bit in Photoshop. Even if I am not using any original art, I managed to “collage” my way into a concept for a Manga. It is Called. Suturandopinki: I stranded in Paradise now I have to save the internet with smiles. Today I want to give you a preview.

Plot Summary

A young woman is shipwrecked..hearing the mysterious voice of a woman she calls Bean the girl wakes up on a tropical Island. Soon she befriends a beach ball and a duck who tell her all about the evil lord Shikamettsura, who is trying to destroy all the happiness of the way bigger.. and much more crowded “Internet Island. Since the evil Lord banishes everything happy.. and it ends up on the island of the girl she decides to build a resort with i, which the citizens of internet Island can visit to experience happiness still. Now a thorn in Shikamettsura’s sight, the woman nicknamed Pinkie and her friends have to discover the magical power of smiles to face the dark minions and to keep happiness alive.

The plot is obviously based on my website and what it stands for. Taking inspiration from both elements of my real life and my blogging life and topping it with anime sauce and plenty of renames. It might feature spoofs of other bloggers, youtube personalities and other things. All in good spirit of course. My wordpress journey.. the imaginative Manga retelling is what this will be.

Art

As I am not an artist this is all repurposed art I found elsewhere. Most characters will be done in a simple and easily to mimic style and I will make sure to not include detailed OCs or art in it. I will try to stick to to chibi maker characters and basic art as much as possible. Should you want your OC feature in this feel free to ask. I do not claim any of this art as my own I simply wish to express myself in a way that might be enjoyable for my readers as well as be fun for me to make. Again everything I do I try to do in good spirit and to have fun.

Release Schedule

When will I release it? I am not yet sure! I think I will release it on my blog in ten page episodes as each page does take a long time for me to make. So it will be done when it is done and I will work on it whenever I feel inspired. So you will all just have to wait and see when it will be released….surprise! To get you in the spirit a bit however I have a three page .. and title page preview for you all. Like any Manga you read from Right to left.Enjoy the preview! And remember to keep smiling!

Preview

Pinkie Playing as Evil Minion Hero: Underhero

We have all played through our classic RPG’s . Find the Three Crystals of the elements than you can access the castle to defeat the final evil. We have all been that hero and we loved it. Yet how did that world come together? Why is the crystal there? What happens to a magic world after the main character gets a game over? Questions like these are answered in the game Underhero.

Hero-Villain-Hero

Underhero is an RPG that mimics the gameplay of the old Paper Mario RPG’s. To a certain extent. It was gifted to me by a multifaceted ocelot, which is a close friend of mine. So keep in mind that I did not spend $15,- dollars on it. Which may make me a bit more positive as I REALLY got my money’s worth. Is it worth 15 dollars? I’d say yes.. probably. This game can start out a bit rough, especially when you do not have an Xbox controller to hook up o your laptop like me. Still perseverance pays off , after having finished this game, up to a point where I only missed on a few achievements simply for not wanting to backtrack for stat upgrades I no longer needed. I did most what this game had to offer and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I guess one facet of that ocelot is giving me good games.

In Underhero you take on the role of a noble hero who is ready for the boss fight against the evil boss Mr Stitches. I figured he would whoop my ass and I would have to level.. much like what happened in the first Paper Mario. Yet two steps in and you die. A Masked Kid.. which is something like a Koopa or Goomba compared ot the mario universe..thinks outside the box and drops a chandelier on the hero. Now that the hero is dead your Boss Mr Stitches thinks he can finally conquer the kingdom of man.. so he sets the captured princess free as he doesnt need her anymore and assigns the masked kid.. which is now you.. to return the three magical stones that the hero needs back to their original bosses. When looting the dead hero though, the kid finds a talking sword hilt named Elisabeth IV who tells the Masked Kid he is now the hero who must defeat the dark and evil lord Stitches. And so begins your reverse quest that shows the logistic side of video games.

In Stitches, laughing out loud.

Underhero is not a serious game, it’s lighthearted and fun and spoofs yet embraces RPG traditions. We never knew but the evil rulers in video games have a complete business set up that deals with how to get certain minions at certain places. We see how the castle houses the evil monsters in tiny apartments, we see they have a cafeteria and even unions. There are work meetings, office party and they even have Taco Tuesdays.. which are very beloved by the employees. If monsters are born with a different colour they either get send to another area or become a Miniboss. This castle functions as your main hub from which you begin your adventure to return the stones for a new hero to come.. but to still defeat the bosses there so you level up.. that’s what really matters anyway. Elizabeth IV the talking hilt functions as your Navi you can even talk to her by pressing a button…but she gets very annoyed if you do this a lot.

Elizabeth gets annoyed a lot because she has been through this a lot of times already. Each time you have to find a key she is annoyed, especially when things turn out to be more complicated as you originally thought. Like when you enter a dungeon and can take an elevator to the boss floor.. but a fuse is blown, the fuse lays behind a door which of course is locked.. and the key gets hidden behind a racing event. The little hilt is annoyed how this always keeps happening to her and constantly berates any unoriginal events that happen in the game. As Masked Kid you are unsure where your loyalties lie.. Will you follow Elizabeth or your widely beloved boss Mr Stitches. Not long after the first dungeon, Mr Stitches has become aware that the game is lasting longer than originally.. he now can actually start to siege the hero town hub.. but well since they never go on this long.. there is no more money. Budget cuts have to be made…. Taco Tuesday gets cancelled. Now that you realise how evil Mr Stitches truly is.. he really must be stopped or this cycle will continue forever. I truly enjoyed the corporate humor, this game offers and was oftenly laughing out loud. It’s silly but it really works.

Not very Heroic

Not playing a heroic character comes with a few advantages. A fair few enemies are skippable because they do not think you are a threat.. after all you are a minion as well. If you want something from them you can always reason with them. Even when engaging combat you can small talk with them before you hit them. They will tell you rumors about treasures or maybe some lore.. which you may need later on. Enemies , except for smart enough sub-bosses will never attack you first.. you as the hero need to defeat them but they don’t know you are a hero. You might be a hero but your still you , you still served evil.. so if you do not feel like smacking your coworkers down or if you are running low on health and do not wish to start a fight you can always try to bribe your opponents. Just toss a few coins at them and they will usually let you go… this is just a job to them after all. Since Elizabeth is just a hilt she can take on the form of several weapons. Her main form is a sword, for quick clashing action, a hammer for big damage or a slingshot to hit enemies that are far away.
Masked Kid is no slouch himself…. he can jump to avoid attacks or duck to avoid attacks. Outside combat he can climb vines and hover using his cape.. he is also pretty good at figure skating. Yes our little guy is an ice dancer. That’s……..

*Gameplay, Control, Story.. seems about right*

The game balances, sort of turn based, battles with puzzle platforming and exploring. With just a hint of adventure gameplay. A combination that works out reasonably well. When controlling Masked Kid with a keyboard you will definitely notice you are dealing with an indie developer. Paper Castle Games made a very good game but in terms of control and subsequent gameplay I had a few gripes. Jumping feels very floaty and when platforms are on multiple levels you can always walk through platforms even if the ledge you are standing on seems to have a solid edge. Key mapping to using potions on <- arrow made me waste a few potions, and the level up system is kind of off. Each level I could choose between three stat boosts, health, stamina and damage. Health upgrades are completely useless as they are found in abundance, stamina recovery you get trough dodging a lot which means you do not have to take a lot of them. As a result the game has this “unpolished” feeling throughout. It’s nothing that you can not overcome but since this game mimics Paper Mario so much you will notice this sure ain’t no italian plumber game.

Saving the world

I finished this game in about twelve hours and like I said I only missed some shield upgrades, as I mastered the art of parrying (and thus did not need a high hp shield) and one weapon upgrade stashed in the apartments. The difficulty curve of this game I’d say is pretty perfect for what it is. Each time an enemy defeated me, a hindernis stopped me in my tracks or I died through a setback , I learned to understand those enemies better, discovered how a mechanic worked better and got closer to defeating the game. Except for a certain rival battle , i dd not need more than three attempts maximum to get around anything. Which is perfect for me for a game like this. A funny and lighthearted game like this.. in which coffee works as a full restore and where punching clocks work as save points you should not have to dig to deep for results. It’s not a breeze but not a slog either. The final battle is incredible the whole idea that that final level a hero goes trough is only a certain area of the castle is hilarious to me as well. All in all just a very good but clunky game.

The five worlds you visit in this game are cleverly designed varied, though stereotypical, forest, haunted house, volcano, a sci fi water level, and the evil castle. There is lot of fun to be had in each world. Along with some classic tedium and fetch quests, but that is part of the heroes life. Each world has their own unique little things,mostly show from their clever writing. An Ice Skating Party and House party in the ghost world, A moth with a split personality constantly showing up, a road block of labourers that want more Fedora’s or a Salsa Dancing spanish speaking enemy who is implied to maybe have a romance with the boss. This game is best in it’s flavoring, it’s dialogue , it’s story and its general sense of humor. I thoroughly enjoyed this game, but less for for the gameplay and more so for everything else. It was a unique and charming adventure that can be a true delight if you are well versed in classic game tropes, this game’s world be very charming to you and you can surely enjoy it despite its flaws. If you do not care about story, do not read dialogues and just want a game to beat.. I suggest you look elsewhere. For a game filled with cute enemies there was not enough pink things though.

*A bit lighter on berries than my usual cocktails but still good!*

Blue Blur , Green Hills, Happy Pinkie: Sonic The Hedgehog The Movie

I have always preferred the red plumber over the blue hedgehog. Sonic has never been my defacto platformer hero. Sonic Adventure 2 changed that because I had my Chao Garden. After that it would take me until Sonic Mania to fall in love with a Sonic game again. When the movie was announced I and many people to expect a disaster of the likes of Sonic 06. Yet what we actually got was one of my favorite Sonic products ever.

*Why Are Asian Movie Posters always the best?*

Rolling around at the speed of sound

As a kid sonic always confused me, the multiple path to the finish were something I did not particularly enjoy. No matter what route I took it all felt kinda samesy and the jumping felt stiffer than Mario to me. The two player mode in the second part felt odd to me and it took me until the third installment to thoroughly enjoy the blue bluer. I liked the first two just fine but I played better. As a result I mostly grew up with the old cartoons. Yet I can happily say that no matter what incarnation of sonic you grew up with, if you have had any encounter with OG sonic you can get behind the hero in this movie. So maybe for those who grew up with that scarf wearing monster from Sonic Boom this might feel a bit odd but if you play some Sonic Generations this Sonic will suit you just fine.

The movie opens with a young sonic back in his homeworld. Through some forces of evil in his homeworld Sonic is forced to flee. Since he has a lot of power evil will always be drawn to him. It’s made clear to us that Sonic has been bouncing around many worlds and Earth is the first planet he really seems to have taken a liking too. However Sonic is also very lonely using his speed to be undetected. In a moment of loneliness, sonic runs away his sorrows.. causing an EMP pulse of immense power. The Army sends the weird Doctor Robotnik played by Jim Carrey to investigate and within the first 15 minutes the movie sets up their entire plot, shows us the motivations of all the major characters It makes clear that this movie like sonic will move fast. Like it should be. The story is very basic like a sonic story should and it doesn’t linger or pad out screen time with exposition. We are here to watch sonic go fast and maybe see Jim Carrey be Jim Carrey.. and that is exactly what we get.

(I always knew Jim Carrey was a Fun-Guy)

It’s Hedgehog not Edgehog

Sonic is a delightfully light hearted movie aimed at the young but with enough visual jokes to entertain those who grew up with Sonic as well. It takes them back to their childhood trough visual jokes, nostalgia and old school cartoon humor. We don’t really get inside jokes that us adults will get but the kids won’t. No innuendo jokes, no weird looks between actors that we as adults can respond to with. “Oh he ain’t gonna get anything tonight!” Sonic’s comedy is all about going over the top. Sonic is a kid..which is in line with how he was in the 90’s cartoon and the earlier games. Humor comes usually from movement. Fast movement or the fact that Sonic is so Hyper he rarely ever shuts up.

(There goes the saftey deposit for that room)

The 3D Sonic.. the one we have known since Sonic Adventure , is a minimalist he acts all cool through minimalism. A rocket is launched at him and he will just take a quick sidestep in the split second before he is hit. Movie Sonic is much more a kid, when a missile is fired on him he plays with it, rides it for a bit, uses it as a drumstick or runs to the other side of the world just to find a silly item to use in a convoluted plan to stop all attackers , kinda thing. It’s a bit like how Dante from Devil May Cry would yawn when a train is derailing moving to him as a projectile. He kicks his chair against a brake while taking his jacket off the chair and putting it on. DMC Dante.. you know the black haired kid would flip his sword 27 times in the air, would do an acrobatic jump create explosions and other and somehow the train is stopped. Movie Sonic is like the later.. stuff is done in access and whether that is sonic or not sonic to you is what will make or break this movie for you. Sonic has zero edge in this movie. This IS Sonic but it will not be everyone’s Sonic.

Clearly they Played the Games

Sonic is a nineties movie trough and trough. It uses tropes from that era, it uses storytelling of that period it even uses actors from that period. Jim Carrey plays Jim Carrey in this movie and he is great… Wait.. he plays Ivo Robotnik? Nah! Jim Carrey plays Golden Age Jim Carrey and he is just called Ivo Robotnik. We get Jim Carrey from his classic days. He shines in this role like he did in Ace Ventura, The Mask or Dumb and Dumber.. mostly because it’s that exact same type of character again…but evil. Which in my opinion works even better. Like the Mask for example it gives Robotnik a sense of loonesy it makes him more unpredictable and dangerous. In his own way a villain as weird as this can be menacing.. in a child friendly and funny way. For example if we go back to the Edgehog universe, Eggman is made out to be some kind of dark brooding evil genius.. which makes no sense on account of how easily he needs to be defeated. Jim Carrey’s variation is an incredible nutjob. While potentially very dangerous his weirdness makes him flawed and credible to be easily defeated. It really worked for me in this movie.

*I can easily imagine Jim Carrey shouting PINGAS*

This feeling of understanding is met throughout the entire movie. They know what game elements do work and do not work. Robotnik in a Ufo with a giant Wrecking Ball would probably not work. So they made him a master of drones. Which is up to date and makes the “boss fights” still against him.. but more credible. Sanic is there! The meme drawing that is rather beloved and took on a life of it’s own! Yes they put Sanic in this. A boss fight against robotnik where Sonic has to hit the cockpit of his flying device? It’s in there. Logically you can’t have Sonic lose all his rings when he gets hit… but believe me it’s in there. Of course it’s not as in the series that as soon as he gets hit his rings scatter anywhere, no they are an important plot device this time and each time Sonic happens to get hit he has a good reason to hold them at that time. It’s great that little things like this are woven into the plot. I really loved the creative ways they managed to do this. Of course they will not be able to keep this up in sequels if there will be any, but darn they sure went all out in making this feel Sonic. These people love the orginal games…they do almost completely ignore the 3d era though, they must not like them. The opening flashforward would have been the perfect place to play City Escape.

Gangsta’s Paradise

After having seen the movie I do get why they made the first trailer with the Gangsta’s Paradise music. This like I said earlier is not a product of the current times. It celebrates the age of Sonic’s glory days in its fullest. From it’s road trip comedy roots to 90’s superhero is final act. This movie hits that nostalgia beat for beat. Doug Walker the Nostalgia Critic reviewed this and told the movie came out 30 years to late.. and I think that he misses the point. No it’s not 30 years to late. It takes you back 30 years to the mindset where Sonic was the hottest thing. Where Sonic was cool. Nowadays Sonic’s name isn’t exactly stain free. All those years ago he was new and hip and there was no Sonic 06 and no Sonic Boom, and no .. Werehog.. and .. well I can go on for a fair bit more but you all get my point. Genesis Sonic was the best sonic or at least the untainted one.

Yes the story of this movie is extremely basic.. to a point that it is barely existent. “Sonic gets detected and has to go to another world.. but he lost his rings because he got hit and now he has to find them before the evil guy can get to him” That is it.. and yes it’s predictable, we all know Sonic will face off against Robotnik.. whom he calls eggman because because guy uses numerous egg shaped drones all the time. Yes the human characters are super predictable as well.. blablabla critique , critique ,critique. Yet again.. that’s kind of the point. The Sonic 2d games never had a deep story. Yes Edgehog Era sonic games do have intricate plots about ultimate life forms, falling in love with a princess and being cursed to turn into a sonic with an incredibly annoying companion but what this is based on was simple. Get from point A to B and beat a boss. This movie nails those beats so is it a valid point of critique? I did not like that Sonic does a Fortnite dance when he is happy.. because I HATE Fortnite , but I will not expand that on my blog. Does that mean I should say this movie is bad because he doesn’t do his traditional finger waggle thing instead? This movie is intended for younger kids so obviously there will be childish jokes and I am sure some gamer kids will like that reference.

*Crazy Carl definatly made my favorite refferance*

Super Sonic Rating

Sonic by no means is a perfect movie but clearly it is not trying to be either. It won’t win any oscars and the human characters, except for Robotnik are a bit throw away but that again is partially intended. We do not go see a sonic movie for the story of officer Tom. We want to see Sonic fight Robotnik, that’s what we get. If you you want to see a modern superhero movie this flick may be something you pass on. In fact I could come up numerous reasons why this movie is not for you. That’s not how this movie is made. This film not made to to be larger than life. It’s not made for people who think the first h in hedgehog is silent. Will you like this movie can be answered in three simple questions.

1.
Did you ever play and at least liked a 2d sonic game? (Spinball and the slow one don’t count)

2.
Do you like Jim Carrey in his classical roles like Ace Ventura, Dumb and Dumber and the Mask?

3.
Do you still enjoy 90’s movies along with their cliché’s and despite their flaws?

If you at least said yes to one of these questions Sonic will be a fine movie to visit. If you selected at least two I am sure this movie will be something that you will thoroughly enjoy from beginning to end. This might not be the best movie ever.. but I am pretty sure it is the best Olive Garden commercial ever. If you answered yes to all my three answers with yes.. the conclusion is very easy. You GOTTA go so see it… and you Gotta go fast.

*How should sonic look like? Take your pick and find out rating for this movie!*

Am I a Mysterious? The Mystery Blogger Award

I have done a fair share of blog awards but never did I ever do a Mystery Blog award. Now I do not really think I am particularly a mystery as I try to be open and share bits and bobs of real life with you as I really like to give you a peak in my head. 7Mononoke seems to think I am a mystery though.. because from their site Anime Rants I was nominated for this reward.. time to get things done! And thank you Mononoke for the Award. Hopefully I can clear some of my deep mysteries.

Display the Blog Tag Logo

I encountered a few logos for this one so let’s look at these and appreciate them. The majority seems to focusses on the infinite of space and spherical shapes. After some research I found that the blue orby one is from the original creator. The Ravenclaw blue rendition of space does also emit some twilight zone like feelings so I get it. The font seems to be one that was used in classical mystery novels. It’s a bit chunky for my taste but it gets the job done. It is definatly the rendition of the logo I like best! So way to go creator person!

Thank the blogger who nominated you
and provide a link to their blog.

I could just thank Mononoke by saying thanks.. but I kinda already did that in the intro. So how about a little thank you poëm.

Chocolates feels like too much, but Rocks are to hard
How do I thank Mononoke for nominating me for this award?
Their site speciality is analysing the anime mind!
I am too poor to give Mononoke a gift so perhaps I’ll just be kind.
So read this they are awesome , a blog so unique.
So visit their site and don’t you dare offer critique.
Now there is one more thing this poem must entail.
I have to provide a link….so please click this cute cocktail.

Mention the creator of the award
provide a link.

Hmmm I had to google this. This rule seems to have been forgotten a bit. Apparently this tag was created by someone named Okoto Enigma. A Fashion, Lifestyle and Travel Blog I was utterly unaware about until now! So yay for this tag teaching me new things. I could not manage to get the site work properly for me but I did find out it has a bit of everything. Like how to maintain the tires of your car but also a lot of stuff about lamps and home decoration. How to have a wardrobe with less garments facinated me..but I could not access the blog. Still click the cocktail to visit their site.

Tell three things about yourself

I am stupidly unlucky

My real life friends oftenly tell me I am cursed. I attract bad luck like a magnet. This can result in all sort of things. Most oftenly I have incidents of excessive bad luck. A Pinkie Day, or Elle Day as my friends call it. It often starts with a small bit of bad luck and increasingly gets worse. What starts with stumbling out of bed ends up with me throwing a knife in my own feet, me setting my hair on fire, or me breaking stuff.

An example of one of these streaks in the recent past. I got up and bumped my tiny toe, after that I managed to block my atm card by internet banking stuff and misremembering the atm code.. when I went to unblock my pass to bank had a massive system crash so they could not unblock anything. This resulted in me missing my train because I could not charge my travel card. I decided to risk it.. because the I had an important meeting later and usually no one patrols that short bit of route I am on.. I got fined because this was the one day.. they did check. Later I would burn my hand with a pan and deleted a bunch of save files for my tabletops.. I cried and went to bed at like 7:30 pm without dinner.. I just wanted the day to be over.

I adore pet ducks

Even since I saw that tame duck in Friends there has been a desire slumbering inside me.. someday I want a pet duck! A duck to call my own. I will name it Fish.. or Pitpat… cause thats the sound it makes when it walks. I do not know why but I just love the little creatures, they can emote their emotions so well, they make such adorable sounds and they can be fairly affectionate as well. They are just the right size for a pet.. as they look cute on a couch and in the tub.

Cats don’t get along with me.. I am twitchy and can move uncontrolled and cats in my experience do not like that. The first association I make with cats would be “painful” . I do like dogs and dogs like me but my condition makes it so that I can’t always walk them so I would feel bad. A fish is not a pet.. so i will just have a pet named Fish.. and the idea pet.. would be a duck!..After I move out of a home with carpet though.

Perfumeがだいすき😍😍😍 pic.twitter.com/w5J90IO97D
— 癒しの時間 (@iyashi_no_time) March 3, 2019

I am super afraid of wasps

Ducks are cute, cats are painful, dogs are adorable and wasps… wasps are evil. Whenever I see one I want to run away.. I can’t sit still and when one is close it feels as there is a vice around my heart asking for me to scream. Why do I fear these animals so much.. well it has to do with my bad luck. I have been stung in so many horrible ways. Mostly due to misfortune and the action of my dad. We had this electric fly swatter and he hit one with it.. instead of killing it..he set it on fire..(it was a big one) it flew to me still and stung me.. while it was burning. Not a pleasant experience. He also knocked one under my baby but when I was just about to sit on a plastic seat in my bathing suit after swimming… it’s like sitting on a tack..that pushes some itchy poison in your system.

Once in a theme park I got stung by a wasp twice.. one inside both ears. I could not ear anything anymore as my teacher was yelling at me why I did not show up after she called for us. I was practically deaf..for a bit and I got into trouble for being stung twice… I ran away upset to cry a bit.. just to be stung on the nose by a wasp. The have not been stung by a wasp in over 20 years but the fear remains.

5 Questions from Mononoke

What fields of study in science do you love?

I am very much a dreamer, I talk to my plushies because I think on some level they are real, I believe that smiles can conjure up rainbows and that one day it might rain chocolate. I am not a very scientific minded girl. While Psychology and Noetics, as well as History sort of interest me, I do not love any science. It’s too black and white for me. Just because something is quantifiable as a rock doesn’t mean it is just a rock. For someone it might be a treasure, to the other something used to deal with that pesky bully.. to another it might be that thing that makes them trip and ruin their day. To a geologist it’s however always tha certain type of mineral and a rock. Overexplantion or to much knowledge makes the world less magical. I am glad there are scientist to make things better but sometimes ignorance is bliss.

What Anime Really made you think and struggle emotionally
more than any others.

School Live is a weird little anime.. I did not know what it was when I watched it and I will not spoil it for those who still don’t know.. it is really something you should watch. Yet for those who know.. there is a scene where the main character is struggling with a radio. The moment the scene started I knew exactly where it was going. The implications of that scene I saw coming. I was yelling at my screen. DON’T YOU DARE DO IT! DON’T ! YAMETE! When Yuki asks for help the answer feels like a gutpunch. By now in this show you know exactly what that answer means. The camera exits the room just to tell us what happens inside trough noise.. we know exactly what we will see if we get back into the room.

Watamote is another show that got under my skin, the choices that Tomoko makes can feel very confronting if you are a bit like her. It holds up a very comfortable mirror that feels like it is mocking you specifically at times. There were several instances where I really hated Tomoko for making a choice, realising it would be the one I would make at well. Watamote can be like a whirlpool. There is a clear sign of misery at times but you can’t help but being drawn in and relate.

Does Mononoke (and others) have permission to call me a nickname on WordPress or Social Media?

I prefer the name pet-name over nickname, as it shows it’s meant in an endearing way. Nicknames can be good or bad but a pet-name is always something positive. As long as it’s positive I do not mind. In the past my former friends have given me nicknames for my weird movement. Stuff like Lady-Limps-Alot, Droppy (I got dizzy a and weak a lot due to my being sick but not yet knowing it was me being sick, but I fell a lot) or other stuff of that nature. No nega-nicknames! Or I will destroy you! I have a stand and a zanpakuto and soon more!

Do you have nickname suggestions?

Honestly I think Pinkie is already pretty much a good nickname. It is short, my character and my blog are super pink, and it has the right amount of floatiness and happiness and love that is in my blog theme. One can not mess with perfection. It’s the same in Japanese as Pink becomes Pinku.. so we can’t really weeb it up either. I am rather unlucky and clumsy but that could easily result in a negative nickname but we might be able to craft it into something cute. Pinkie is not my real name of course though I kind of wish it was. In real life I am mostly known and referred to as Denise but that is only part of the full name and than there is babetised named yada yada.. So Pinkie D is cute and retro. Still if you can improve on Pinkie I think you are very smart. Luckilily I know a bunch of guys that can help!

Weird Question Time: What is the most ticklish part of your body?

I don’t really like being tickled, I have less body control than others so triggering a tickling reaction usually has me flailing all about. I kind of panic at that loss of control because I have slapped children in the face by accident when losing motor control, I have destroyed a friend’s glasses for tickling me and there was nothing I could do. So for your own safety do not tickle me. I do not really get tickeling either.. when do you tickle?

I am not particularly ticklish either like my reaction is more to a people manipulating my body to make me feel something weird.. as to enjoyment or aversion to tickling. My hand palms are super sensitive though. Carrying shopping bags can be a real problem as it really hurts and tickling my hand palms does something similar. Too much input ! So weird.

Nominate 10-20 People

Thats a lot of people but sure here we go:

Hitari Otaku Station
Secluded Observations
Fanficton Anime World
Geek-Nabe
Master Mix Movies
Al’s Manga Blog
Geek Girl Joy
Inskime
Blerdy Otome
Lita Kino (When back from Hiatus)

Ask your nominees 5 questions
Including one weird or funny question.

1.
What is your favorite board game/tabletop game.

2.
What is your favorite (anime) companion “creature” or general mascotte.
(Examples Happy, Pikachu but also BB8 from Star Wars)

3.
What is an overused trope in fiction you still like no matter how often it is used? If you don’t have any.. pick the one you mind the least.

4.
Zombie Apocalypse, Alien invasion or A.I. revolting against man which one will happen and whose side will you be on? Doing what?

5.
The weird question, this one had to be at least a bit tricky to answer so this is a TAG question.
Step 1: You have to set up a date for Pinkie ,which blogger do you set her up with? (tag the blogger you )
Step 2: Pinkie will set you up for a date in return which blogger would you like to be set up with. (tag the suggestion)

Put Up A Link to your Best Blog

This rule of the blog tag is the one I will be breaking. I am not in a very confident mood about my writing, nor do I think that my best post in my own eyes would hold any value. So I would like to ask my dear readers which one of my posts is their favorite. What do you enjoy reading? That would help the blog out a lot more than me promoting something you may not like right. So I would like to conclude on that. At the very bottom of this post those who got nominated can find a copy pastable version of the rules. I look forward to seeing all of your blog posts and your comments! Love you al l and enjoy your stay in Paradise.

Bonus Feature: Copy Pastable Blog Tag Rules

Rules for the Mystery Blogger Award

Display the award logo on your blog.
Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
Mention the creator of the award and provide a link.
Tell your readers 3 things about yourself.
Answer 5 questions from the nominee.
Nominate 10 – 20 bloggers.
Notify your nominees by leaving a comment on their blog.
Ask your nominees 5 questions of your choice, including 1 weird or funny question.
Share the link to your best post.

Pinkie Watches Through the Grapevine: Kyousougiga

Frasier Crane told us “I am listening” which is a nice and relaxing message to hear. That someone is there to hear what is on your mind. Well since I would like you all to know I am reading. I will most likely have seen less anime shows than most of you lovely ani-bloggers so I decided to let you inspire me! Like how other bloggers do their weekly shoutout post, I want to acknowledge you all as well. So I will watch (short) anime series I heard from through the grapevine. Series whose name I have never heard before but someone gives an amazing review about. A while ago Irina Senpai recommandent Kyousougiga to me and that post really captured me.. I really wanted to see that show but did it live up to what Irina said?

Trough the looking Glass

Kyousougiga has 10 main episodes, but also feature an episode 0 , 5.5 and 10.5. That last episode basically is a summary of the story in which they explain what actually happened.This perfectly highlights how odd this world is. Explanation is offered for those who need it.. because they thought people might need it. Episode 5.5 explains some of the imagery, because it is based on actual Japanese temples and each window, at those temples tell a tale. That same tale is applicable in this series and tells a tale of the scenes as well. Seeing a scene with a dialogue between husband and wife (sort of ) where one is looking through the window that allows them to see into the future and the other sitting at a window that lets them only see a delusion telegraphs clues those with insider knowledge in how far apart this family already is from each other. Giving the story an even more inevitable turn. Yet at first you do not know.. you wonder what that weird conversation was about and only five episodes later , in the optional one, you suddenly begin to connect some dots.

*Inuyama is such a good boy , the show explains that he is a dog!*

Irina did not dare to describe the plot thinking she could not do it justice. She was completely true about that.. but to make my point on the series I shall try to explain it anyway. A black rabbit with red eyes by the name of Koto drawn alive by the priest Myoue falls in love with the young priest and makes a wish upon a Bodhisattva to lend her a human body.
They start a family when the priest brings home a boy. Two siblings are drawn into life by the father as well. A Demoness named Yase and a super asian looking kid named Kurama. When their family gets threatened by a mysterious force the priest paints a world for his family to live in safely. A totally utopian world in which nothing stays damaged, and no one ever dies. All seems well, humans , monsters and cardboard blippy things all live in peace together. Ruled over by Lady Koto and Myoue Senior. Yet since Lady Koto only loaned her body she has to return it.. and her husband decides to go back wit her leaving their children behind to lead the world behind the looking glass.

*Nothing like nice familyt walks trough the void between worlds.*

This drives a wedge between the three siblings who all want their parents back for other reasons..but none of them are able to exit this new world to search for them. For years they live in disharmony with each other.. when suddenly a girl with a huge hammer shows up. Her red eyes just like those of their parents, she even bears the name Koto and was following a black rabbit with red eyes?! Could this mysterious girl be the key to reunite the three siblings with their parents or will she drive them even further apart and destroy the family? If that plot seems weird to you already.. be prepared my island guest because we have only taken our first few steps into madness.

*Those blinkies remind me of Kill la Kill*

It works

Now I have very similar tastes in anime as Irina but I watch far less, she is more patient than I am and can watch a show with more focus. So I would say her recommendations have a 50% chance to land but if they land.. they really strike home. Kyousougiga struck gold for me. I absolutely love this show. So much that it is close to being a top-10’er for me. This series is the perfect chaos. In essence it’s about reconnecting with family, accepting changes and letting go of the past. It’s also about duty versus the heart. Will you do what you want to do, or will you do what you must? Neither is necessarily good. These are fairly heavy themes that mostly play inside the mind of characters. How do you translate this into an anime?

*I love this style so much! Fangirling each time things go trippy*

Kyousougiga decides to tell this tall trough reality shattering hammers, A Mecha Buddha called Bishamaru that is controlled with a PSP.. Uhm excuse me I mean PZP, rampaging tea sipping demons, a priest with an odd relationship with an 8 year old girl and stick figures whose coloured ball head is so heavy they all slump over. Oh and did I tell you that the giant Robot has his own TV show? Oh and the world sometimes expands when people tell they don’t need items anymore so it just floats off elsewhere. I would have never thought to tell a family drama like that.. but it works. This show has some strong things to tell about what love really is and how it should really works, It tells us something about what is a blessing to you.. could be a curse to others through rather extreme plot twists, and on the spot flipping moralities.. yet it works. This family is so twisted and out of whack and unbalanced in disfavor to the world.. yet that is what makes it work. The anime uses extremes to retell a tales as old as time in a very unique way.. yet that perfectly encapsulates what it means to be loved and what it means to be family. After all to most people, family is their entire world.

*Aww don’t hurt it’s feelings! Just whack it with your hammer!*

Exorbitant Sparseness

This show I would describe as a minimalistic plethora of stimuli. There isn’t a single scene where there is “rest” during dialogue we see a world rebuilding effect.. or spinning ornate shapes. Each building has a crowd going about their daily business. Each screen is moving , changing colour or changing artstyle all the time. It’s almost as if we are watching an Escher painting. Yet there is a simplicity to it all. Civilians that have no dialogue or interesting action are depicted as brightly coloured “plastic” standee with some vectors on them as if you could “insert character here” If they need more animation to their movement they become stick figures with heads to heavy for their bodies so they slump over.. representing people who are stuck in a rut. Except for some mafia like chronies that are as generic as Rita’s and Lord Zed’s Putties in Power rangers, we never really see people who are unimportant to the story. To be animated into this show you have to have an action or a line of dialogue. The rest is just “clutter” weirdly these plastic cut outs.. give you that exact same feeling as seeing normal faceless people walk.. but now they stand out a bit more.It’s an odd sensation where plenty of stuff is happening but rarely does an animation feel wasted.

*All the beautiful people! Yes these coloured shapes are people!*

The council of three room is another good example for this. While it seems filled with junk. .like spinning moons, twinkly stars and odd geometric shapes it is a perfect analogy for the family that recides in these chambers. To the world they pretend to be a happy little family that rules in perfect harmony.. thus the room looks pretty as fudge! Yet it also feels cluttered.. there is always something happening.. something distracting. That is a match with how their actual communication goes. A lot is lost in translation.. each has their own agenda. One of them thinks highly of himself and he is literally put on a higher pedestal. The one with the lowest self esteem gets a super tiny platform to represent him.. he also shows the least amount of effort. There are a few ways we can deal with loss.. deal with the painful memories with the past. Each sibling represents another way of dealing with it. Kurama the oldest brother.. who flies on a saké saucer by the way, tries to move on.. leave it all behind him in a cold manner. Never dealing with anything ..just moving on. Yasé the middle sister who is a size shifting demon girl that loves the colour pink.. collects monsters and loves nothing more than tea parties with her friends. (jeesz I wonder who my favorite character is ) However Yase can not let go of the past.. she clings to it..all she wishes is for everything to go back the way it once was. Myoe Junior the youngest and most normal of the three wants to give up. His goal is to die..to relief himself of his burdens .. he just wants to quit.

Throughout the show this stays extremely consistent. Myoue gets extremely depressed or bogged down by the little things. If he can’t get the one drink he wanted.. his second choice is disgusting. Nearly every setback we see Myoue have is met with self hate. Yase can’t deal with change, so misses her childhood plushie, she dislikes it when her world changes and her story arcs involve her losing control over the loss of a teacup that was her favorite. Kurama is the most intelligent one and places himself above the other two… he moves on but can not see at all how his two siblings are in pain. The tree are incompatible.. so the room is shrouded in darkness.. with clutter scattered throughout. It makes no sense it’s disjointed. Yet everything is just simple shapes.. because it does not matter what it actually is.. it’s there to pass on a message so it’s just a shape.. in a colour.. that’s enough.

*Three childeren, three ways of dealing with problems, three people who are wrong.*

A picture is worth a thousand words

The real Chousougiga is a drawing made inspired by the real priest Myoue in which we can see animals like frogs, bunnies and monkeys interact with one another. Having fun with each other. Despite being different. They dance together and sing together and in the real Chousougiga lies a big part of the intention of Kyousougiga. Love transcends everything, it transcends species, it transcends logic, it overcomes pain it is stronger than Duty. In this weird dysfunctional family no one is the same race. Like not a member of this family shares a species with another. Yase and Kurama are both drawings but one a demon and one a buddha. No one is the same species after that. Koto is not the same race as Lady Koto, Myoe might have his father’s DNA but is not the same type of being is his father Myoe. Inari is but a rose called by another name yet non in the family share his race. Yet there is true love among all these fantastical creatures. Yase loves her monsters, Kurama cares about his things and Myoe has love for several people who are not like him either. To depict how far this goes and how much imagery is to this show.. each sibling has more or less their own little graphic style. Myoe moves through a town with faceless people , but has very fluid animations. Kurama employs a team that does have a generic face.. but their animation is very wooden and almost stop motion like. Yase’s beloved are her monsters who are much simpler drawings with a much more childish design and art style to reflect her more childish nature.

Through all the episodes of this show I was mesmerised by the hotchpotch of style and tone. From shouting Shounen like boys to a more dramatic tone. The show manages to get away with balancing joke moments and light hearted comedy with dark scenes like suicide attempts trough chapter cards that show between scenes. Each episode is build around one character and we balance between their past and present to explain their behaviour in the present through memories of the past. A simple transition that prepares us for a shift in tone. Because each episode is balanced between past and present .. things never become to much. The over the top present is balanced out with the more somber past, both in visuals as well as i narative. It keeps the show digestible while also highlighting the importance of the past. Yet it also shows how the past is perceived differently by people. What Kurama sees as a great step to seeing their mother again, might be one of Yase’s saddest memories. What Myoe senior remembers as a beautiful moment, Myoe junior might see as a burden.. a curse that was place upon him. We need the big picture to understand them and the show doesn’t shy away from letting us see all the angles. I feel like I got to know all these characters, even the minor ones because everyone with a face is given attention. Everyone has a role in their world. Like the artwork the show is based on each element has its place in the story or it’s not there.

*(Yase is Childish and deludes herself with the past.. so her style reflects that)*

From talks filled with exposure (plot explanation) that show how long they last by it simply being characters walking from right to left on the screen as if a loading bar, to the way a rosary curls up like a strand of DNA to symbolise a deeper meaning of exchanging an item.. to explain what the magic really does. This anime is super well crafted, very imaginative and it had a very powerful message. It shows us the strength and extend of love.. but also the smokescreen we can put up with it. How we can delude ourselves with it or how it clashes with what is right for everyone. It has an amazing story to tell..yet it is also one we all really know by heart.. Love conquers all..or so we think. Love is all or nothing situation we have to keep fighting for. We have to accept the feelings of others important to us because we may not always see eye to eye. Love can change over time but to keep that love alive sometimes we have to accept change. Sometimes we move further away from each other, sometimes we have to share the ones we love with people we do not like. Yet by clinging to the past .. we only end up ending loving something that is no longer there.This show paints a beautiful surreal picture, like the original Chousougiga did so many years ago. While it changed and got way more extreme over time the message is still the same.

(*Such a weird little family.. but one that gave me a beatuiful show!)*

Love has the ability transcend every boundary we set for ourselves. It is something we all want and need. Yet if we do it wrong.. it can destroy us as well. I love this show in all it’s weirdness. It clearly is not for everyone, but for those who think a family themed surreal roller coaster ride that is filled to the brim with Japanese lore and Alice in Wonderland vibes sound like a sweet idea this is definatly your anime.

**Kyousougiga was a blast from beginning to end and thats why I rate this anime:**

So what Other anime must I watch?

I will keep checking everyone’s blogs to find out about the anime you really like . Finding a common ground or discussion point always makes for great conversation, so if you want me to talk about a show you think I will like! Write a comment, tweet me a bloglink or write me! Love is best when it’s shared!

Love you all

XX

Pinkie

Pinkie’s Guilty Movie Pleasures: Galaxy Quest

When Ross asked Chandler, Rachel claims this is her favorite movie, Chandler answered Dangerous Liaisons. When Ross asked what her actually favorite movie was Joey answered Weekend at Bernies. It was a great scene from Friends that does show truth. We all claim “Spirited Away” or The King’s Speech or some at least well acknowledged movie is our favorite movie while there are plenty movies that might give us more joy. Movies that make you laugh each time and we can’t help but to secretly adore. Yesterday one of mine was on local television and so it is time to start my captain’s log and confess about those movies I love but never talk about! Mission 1… Galaxy Quest

Glory Days

The movie came out in the Netherlands in august of 2000, very lowkey it flew under the radar for me until I finally rented it someday it might actually be really fun. In a way it can be seen as the Star Trek counterpart for Spaceballs which spoofed mostly Star Wars. Where the way more famous latter movie had characters actually set in the sci-fi world but being able to break through the fourth wall plenty of times, this movie is basically the exact counterpart of it. In this movie the crew of an old sci-fi show gets called into space to deal with an evil tyrant named Sarris. However since they are only actors they don’t really know what they are doing. Everything is based on a lie and they are in over their heads. It doesn’t seem like a very original plot but it has the heart in the right place and has some very nice messages about fandoms throughout.

*(The Thermians are actually Squids this is just how they see us)*

Jason Nesmith , played by Tim Allan, used to play suave captain Peter Quincy Taggart on the tv show Galaxy Quest. Along with his fellow actors Gwen DeMarco , portrayed by Sigourney Weaver, the elitist Alexander Dane, brilliantly depicted by sir Alan Rickman, the always cheerful Fred Kwan, played by Tony Shalhoub and grown up childhood star Tommy Webber, Darryl Mitchell, all he has left now is a handful of gigs to relive their glory days.These gigs vary from constant fan conventions to opening electronic stores. Galaxy Quest is clearly inspired by Star Trek and is focussing on the world of the Trekkie rather than the world of Star Trek itself. The actors in the movie can not find other gigs because they are to connected to their respective roles, an issue that still feels quite relatable.. looking at some careers.Their magical days of succes are over now. The movie deals with what is left for these actors when the golden days are over, what becomes of star trek ..or galaxy quest past it’s runtime which is where the movie really shines for me.

*(You can just smell the Gorn being close by)*

Conventional

Jason is the only one about his crew that is super excited to visit these conventions. He loves how people look up to him, think he is a real Starship Captain, he takes on any gig he can find to be with his fans. Much to his crew’s dismay. He treats them like lesser elements of the show and they hate him for it. They hate him for taking this so seriously while they are tired of gig. Alan Rickman’s character is so fed up from using his catchphrase he has a little panic attack every time he has to go on stage. At first the show seems to depict fans as your typical geek depiction of movies. Cosplayed, unhealthy looking way to shy and insanely obsessed with even the tiniest of details. Think Stewart of the Big Bang Theory.

When a group of actual Aliens show up at a convention of course Jason thinks they are just another bunch of weirdo’s taking things way to serious like that one kid who ask them about how computers of level 2 could operate something, while seventeen episodes earlier it was clearly show those computers do not have that function. It’s a funny and sort of credible scenario, between the cosplayers it’s something hard to distinguish what is real and what is not.

*(I can get why he thinks the ship is a set.. but that haircut!)*

When Jason visits the bathroom though he hears some convention goers talk doodoo about him and he realises how much everything is a charade. He now knows the crew hates him and how he is a terrible person for allowing people to believe he is a real captain..just so he can feel cool. Now at the same low his colleagues are.. The hurt captain has a falling out and resorts to drinking The next day he wakes up to four crazy fans at his house.. telling him he has to help them stop an alien warlord. Thinking this is some crazy larping gig he will get payed for Jason agrees.. only to quickly find out ..now things are real. Again the premises doesn’t feel original at all yet on an emotional side this one connects to me so much more. It’s the standard “in over your head” plot.. but the build up for this one is perfect.

*(Is it weird that I feel hungry for Takoyaki right now?)*

A Fake Reality

It takes a while for Jason to realise what he is doing is real.. after all he has been desensitized to all the sci-fi stuff by doing these sorts of gigs for 18 years. Yet when he finds out this is real.. something changes. He finds a drive to finally do something real.. he can make a true difference, it pushes him to take risks he normally would not have taken. He needed to realise his world was fake ..to realise this was real, to be able to step up to the plate and take on the challenge the movie presents. When he can get his crew involved he becomes super excited. Finally they can be the heroes they really are. The next few scenes have them revered as heroes.

(*The galaxy is filled with dangers, like edgelords, frogbabies and piglizards)*

After all the alien race they are helping led by Mathesar have found their footage, they saw their historic tellings and think this is the greatest crew of space adventurers that ever lived. Their race does not have a concept similar to acting. Everything they film is true.. so by their logic so was this. To get the crew to help them they reconstructed the ship to every minute detail. Tommy can fly the ship just like he would in the show. Alexander gets the food of the race he played and Gwen…has to say what the computer says because that was her job on the show.

*(She kinda looks like Claire from Modern Family)*

No matter how hard the crew tries however, it doesn’t take long for cracks to appear in this reality. Gwen’s role of repeating the computer, isn’t very practical or even useful, it’s just how female sci-fi roles were written in that time. She doesn’t know what else to do. Tommy over 18 years forgot what he used to do on set to control the spaceship, even then he was just busy with acting not actively thinking on how to steer a ship. Things did not happen because of his piloting skills, things happened because of plot. So when he steers into a minefield this time.. things go bad very fast.

*(Why are missles always more effective than lasers anyway?)*

Fred was just saying lines on the job he has no real idea how a beryllium engine sphere works, so his reports to the captain are filled with doubt. Jason doesn’t realise he is not actually Peter Taggart.. and expects they have plot armor..but this movie tells them .. you don’t…. well of course they don’t die which would have been the most likely outcome..but still they suffer a big loss. I really like that they don’t actually have the skills and acting out the part is not always enough.

*(1/10 Villian not Edgie Enough add more SKULSS PLOX)*

A Real Lie

The third act of the movie is focussed on the actors fessing up to their lies and coming to a realisation that they are not the actually heroes of Galaxy Quest. They are not what keeps it alive. In truth it is the fandom. The show is over.. so it’s not the writing or their acting that keeps them having their job. It’s people who love their adventures.. much like these aliens they were trying to help. It’s those crazy sweaty guys that cue up for you and ask you stupid questions about terminal 125B-Q, it is those people who see you as a real captain.

(*I would open a hairsalon on Themaria)*

Galaxy Quest is not made by the actors who love being praised.. it is made by the people who praise it. These aliens made their ship.. and trough communication with some hardcore fans on earth the group is able to get stuff done. We see them come to terms with thinking as a fan.. treating this like it was real.. like the characters are real.. because in the hearts who made this ship.. they are real. At a certain point Rickman has to say his catchphrase to a dying Thermian..who just wants to here “By Grabthar’s Hammer You Shall be Avenged” .. because it means so much to him. Thus for the first time the phrase really gets meaning! It became real! Such a nice scene!

To me Galaxy Quest is not just about the jokes and the dry humor. It’s not about it’s predictable plot.. it’s the motivations that drive this movie. It’s not about the fight against some generic alien. Sarris is pretty generically designed.. if you think evil alien. you probably have one or two features of Sarris included in there. He is green, Lizardlike, Has warpaint, evil looking armor.. he speaks exactly like you imagine him to to do etc. Galaxy Quest is in essence NOT a movie about a Actor getting in over his head, even if that is the plot. It’s about how fans can make something made by others greater. How they can understand it better and elevate it to another level. It’s about how an adventure did not have to actually have happened for it to be real. It’s a message to never stop loving!

(*If you stop loving what you love Saris will kill you!)*

I really love and watching this movie always makes me happy to be a geek. Loving a show isn’t a bad thing.. even if a story is fake it can inspire us. Maybe one day a Trekkie will actually discover warp speed based on the show, maybe one day aliens will read my blogs and use technology to give me anime powers.. because I inspired them.. who knows! Fiction can touch us in different ways and respecting it’s fandom is key. We as fans do not create shows.. or movies.. or have a say in what type of game we get. It’s our duty as fans to keep alive what we love!

Which Popcorn flick is your Guilty Pleasure? What movies are you overly positive about? Let me know in the comments and spread some love!

Chocolate Marshmallows Beans and Blood, Valentine’s Day in Asia

Hello Island Guests. At the time I am writing this and posting this , it is valentines day. The day of love. A perfect little day for such a loveable and loving little Weeb like me. Yet in the western day also a sad day. Pinkie tends to celebrate Valentine’s by herself. I love the amounts of heart in the store though when I go on a little walk about so I still love the day. More so I love the days after.. in which heart shaped chocolate gets discounted. But did you weebs like me know that Valentines is a lot different in Japan? It’s not just about that one true love! It’s about all love! And I love it!

Gimme Chocolate!

(No valentine’s Ddy would be complete without this)

Valentine’s day in Japan is basically nothing like we know it. Where the western world puts the focus on the guys providing something nice for their girls most and foremost in Japan it’s the girls who have to cough up the gifts. Valentines day in Japan is very much focussed on chocolate. So not a lot of heart plushies, no giving expensive gifts. You give chocolat. But not just to your lover. Valentine’s day is about giving chocolate to those who matter to you. In any sense of the word. This means your family gets chocolate, your boss gets chocolate and all your coworkers get chocolates for your classmates.. chocolates for everyone!

(*It took me a while to find a picture that actually showed a Chocolat Rain)*

The funniest part about this whole thing came to be due to a translation error. I guess the Japanese misunderstood the point.. kind off.. Even though the message is lost here as well. I know that my best friend Bean is giving her boyfriend like a 500 dollar gift.. (he would have been so fudged if he lived in Japan). Now in Japan this would be a REALLY stupid idea.. well or kinda smart.. but more on that later.. you are just supposed to choc it up! And of course there are rules! It’s japan after all!

You have to give everyone chocolat that is a rule.. but you can give them gradations of chocolates. There are levels of chocolateness which will tell a person how close you are to them. So let’s take a look at all the gifting types!

Cho-Giri Choco is the cheapest to give.. the most toxic to get. Giri stands for obligation and Cho.. I think in this context stands for being far away from the gift giver. It’s the cheapest chocolat that you give to people.. not to exclude them. The thing you give to the female colleague who keeps showing your pictures of her cat, that woman who keeps hosting her Grey’s Anatomy watch along.. where no one ever shows or that blogger you kinda always just leave a like for but that you never really read because she is just to weird. Cho-Giri is basically the chocolate for the Meg Griffin’s of society.

Giri Choco is the social obligation chocolat you don’t actually mind giving.. for example to the colleagues you like and of course something extra for your boss, your mother or your teacher. Even if you don’t like your boss you do not give them the cheapest Giri.. because he will know! You give them something just a bit fancier because otherwise they will destroy you! Basically it’s a treat for anyone who is on the “wedding guest list” in the “we have to invite them” part of the list rather than the “I want them to be there” list.

Tomo Choco is a treat meant for friends and those who have a non romantic place in your heart. While it is still okay to buy them chocolate this has to be more luxurious than that of the obligated ones. There has to be some love into this gift. This means you have to write them a handwritten note, or spend a lot of time making, some cool gift wrapping and a real tomodachi would go through the effort to hand craft chocolat for their friends as well. Still Tomo Choco can still be pretty relaxed in some circles as long as it shows at least a bit of a personal touch to really showcase your affection.

Honmei Choco is the chocolate made for that special someone. Traditionally Valentines Day in Japan was used as a way for shy girls to confess their love to boys by offering them a tribute of chocolates. Of course also that special someone you deeply care for also had to become included so somehow this ended up being the highest gradation of chocolat. Looks are very important for Honmei. When bought it has to at least look expensive and fancy and it has to show very much care. Yet in the more traditional interpretation you really have to make this one yourself. You have to put your love into it while making it .. and it is believed that if a boy likes your chocolates maybe you can get together.. but we will return to that subject in a bit. Let’s start looking at what the guys have to do in return first.

*If you love Chocolate should you give Chocolate chocolate?*

I love you three times over! The white day story!

One month after Valentines Day it’s the turn for boys to treat the girls. On the 14th of March Asia celebrates White Day. It started out as an invention of the marshmallow industry in an attempt to up their sales numbers like how the chocolate industry did. On this day guys return gifts to the girls who gifted them stuff. This started out with paying them back with marshmallows but as it turned out, girls did not enjoy marshmallows as much as they did chocolates. So the whole Giri thing got replaced by flowers, cookies and chocolates.. anything would do as long as the packaging at the very least was white.

Now I am unsure if this is an invention of the marshmallow industry because that would seem rather unpractical.. but there is a rule of three for white day. At least for Honmei class gifts as far as I am aware, a boys gift has to at least cost three times as much as the gift the girl gives. See now how Bear.. the boyfriend of Bean would be in trouble if he had lived in Japan?! He would have to spend more than I get in two month’s of income on a gift for her. On White Day the girls are treated by the boys. Restaurants are overbooked and basically all that stuff we get here on V-Day. There is a lot less focus on crafting and a lot more focus on commercialism. You have to make sure you spend more than your girlfriend.

(*White day when your girlfriend gave you an expensive gift)*

As far as I am aware White Day mostly seems about reciprocating gifts. While Japanese Valentine’s Day is about confessing feelings, White Day is much more about reciprocating feelings. You do not ask people to celebrate the day with you.. you just return a favor….. how romantic. Though I do think it might be for the best.. otherwise Yaoi couples would end up in an endless loop of gifting. Guy 1 gives boyfriend a gift.. who has to gift back something three times as expensive.. than guy 1 has to get a gift that is three times as expensive as that other gift and so on!…Maybe they did think about this more than I thought .

*This system kinda does make sense! But now I’ll never get expensive gifts!*

A Day for the unloved: Black Day

South Korea even has a THIRD Holiday in the season and this one is called Black Day. I know South Korea isn’t japan so you all probably care a whole lot less but it is kinda cute and sad at the same time. Black Day is unofficially celebrated on the 14th of April. Black day is for those who did not receive any gifts on Valentine’s Day or on White Day. It brings people together to fairly cheap restaurants or places and everyone of these single people than eat Jajangmyeon together. This is Korean Dish filled with Chinese Noodles, Vegetables and Pork.. it all gets covered in a thick black bean sauce hence the name black day. From Chocolats to beans is quite a downgrade!

There is something oddly charming to an event like Black Day. It allows singles together and support each other in their “loneliness” and maybe even acquainted with one another.. perhaps even planting some affection and love to harvest in the next season of love. From what i have seen though this is still mostly a guy thing!

Still I will make sure that in two month I have some noodles with pork and black sauce! Ever since I learned of it .. I actually have made black sauce noodles every 14th of april that i am single. (Which basically was all of them..after learning of this holiday). I haven’t always used chinese noodles or pork though! No one notices anyway. Now Black Day isn’t the only Black chapter in the book that is Japanese in 2011 some tweets began to circulate the internet… for a handful of girls in Japan.. Valentine’s is about BLACK MAGIC.

Uhm You can keep your Chocolates… Arigato Desu!

Now we all know that putting a little love in the dish makes it taste a lot better. Mothers home cooked food tastes better because she puts in her love for you when making your favorite pasta or your beloved sunday roast. We can almost taste that bit of personality she puts into it.. taste her essence… and to a select few girls in Japan Valentines day has a ……………similar connotation. For the most part putting your love into a dish is good enough for the girls, yet in 2014 a message became very trending on Twitter. While blown out of proportions I unfortunately can pretty much confirm the legitimacy of using black magic in Valentine’s Day candy. Luckily only from second hand experience. A friend of mine (At the time) had some enchanted candies. (Not the really really bad kind fortunately) The Black magic of Valentines believe that if you put something of yourself into the candy,(Homei only) it will help those who eat it fall in love with you.I do not mean this in a spiritual sense.. there are some Honmei out there in Japan each year that contain.. physical personal essence.

Now my friend was lucky and he found a hair in his chocolat. At first he thought it was an accident as if it just dropped in there by mistake. later he realised the girl was actually very superstitious and believed he would fall in love with her. Unfortunately the 2014 tweet popularised putting other parts in as well. Pieces of skin, .. the type of hair that is less likely to land in the chocolat by accident but also stuff like tears or finger nails. Alas… that was also not what the 2014 tweet was about. They talked about how to add your blood to the chocolat. Adding your blood to the chocolate made with love would make those who eat it fall for you almost certainly. Among all the types of blood one would be the most potent and that is the blood of a girl on her period… Now again I do know the reactions on the tweet were exaggerated but three people I know personally who lived in Japan have confirmed to me that it does in fact happen in rare cases. The one guy targeted himself. A gal pal who studied there a little while before the tweet.. but after it’s popularisation in 2011 asked around on her school and some told her they would consider it had they been in love. Could still be a joke but she believed it. The third told a very convincing story to.. so if your girlfriend is on the Yandere side…. ?!

While probably mostly an urban legend it’s not that weird to think that in a country where they sell second hand panties from vending machines (or used to before they got outlawed) stuff like this could be real to. Regardless Valentines is pretty different in asia than it is here in the west. There is positivity about it that all forms of love matter not just that one true love. It’s also about loving your friends family and everyone in your live as well. Even those you normally would show no love at all.. get a little token of affection. Which really charms me. I tried to make chocolate for my friends one but in the end I ended up with a ruined bowl, some minor burns.. a very filthy kitchen counter and some broken chocolat unicorn parts that looked like they had been an accident ..prior to being broken. Still for those who are alone today.. think about the Japanese meaning of the day.. somewhere out there there must be someone you love.. in some way! Be it your friend, your senpai or your family! Hey your even reading my blog today.. so maybe you love me as a blogger too.. I am sure I love you as a blogger as well so in a way this is our day as well. If I could I would make you all Tomo Candy. Just to be safe though.. only eat pre packaged candies!

A BIT of History (Part 1) E.V.O. The Search for Eden

Hello again my island guests. Today is the official kickoff of this new series I will be hosting on my blog. I talked about what this would be in Part 0 but today we will finally start time traveling. E.V.O The Search for Eden was a game I rented. But it was an american game so I had to rent an adapter with it. I remember really liking this game so I planned to revisit it. After I finished this.. I am pretty sure young Pinkie was either more insane than I am right now… or just really loved the idea of using the adapter. The first destination of the TALDIG… 4 BILLION years ago.

(For Some reason this guy stole my theme! But hey it fits for me as well as for him… we are kinda alike even….)

The World Before Land

This 1993 SNES game places you in the shoes of a nameless protagonist creature somewhere in between 4 billion and two billion years ago. The world is ruled by a naked woman with blue waving hair named Gaia who tells you to evolve. Apparently she lost a bunch of crystals across the earth and some creatures where doing bad stuff with it. I never really heard about Gaia in history.. but it might have been a cover up affair given how much she kind of screwed up. With the lewd goddess being completely incompetent it is up to you to save the planet. Yet from the get go.. you are a simple fish. I could not tell what kind of fish.. maybe a Tuna or some Primal Salmon.. Not exactly a heroic creature. So you begin to swim around and try to figure out what you do! You encounter a nice Jellyfish who helps you along who says you can evolve by eating. You thank the Jellyfish by eating him.

*(Watching out Protagonist eat friendly Jelly Fish)*

That is right Fish Hero can.. .and kinda should.. eat his friends. By eating friendly sea creatures the protagonist can shop for new evolution parts.. which happen through the passage of time! Luckily we don’t actually have to wait in game and our fish just glows yellow and changes shape. Almost as if a pokémon evolving..but with several customisable body parts. Being used to pokémon I decided it was a good plan to grind up for the best parts and create THE ULTIMATE FISH HERO. That cost me about thirty minutes of blob turtle fishie things. So I guess we nowadays do not have green turtle blob fishie things because an ancient times a fish send by gaia ate them all to evolve.. this does make a lot of sense.

Grinding is completely unneeded though..at least for now. With just a few parts you can make fair progress in the game and it did not take me long to reach the final stage on the map…. Apparently I had to go on land to evolve further. But did you know this historic little factoid? Sharks apparently where evil who blocked creature,from going on land! There was one particularly evil one. Which shows the biggest flaw of this game. While the most of the game is a moderately enjoyable grindy game to equip better parts to your creatures..the boss fights are COMPLETELY broken. Hitboxes are awkward, bosses deal way to much damage and the player gets no clear invincibility frames after a hit.. but instead a few stun frames. Thus instead of not taking damage for a bit .. you keep taking damage and are unable to move! FROWNY STORMY! CRAB CAKES! ANGRY BOMB EMOJI!

The Age of the Amphibian

Let’s get this out of the way. E.V.O. is not a fun game, it is awkwardly paced, boss fights are all incredibly unfair and stages feel completely uninspired. Evolving your creature is not as fun as it could be. Most of the times you end up grinding for new teeth just so you can use those teeth to grind up faster somewhere else. It’s a game of settling for something just to get better parts faster afterwards. Horns are horrible and a waste. They break off after sprinting to much into an enemy, and since default walking speed is slower than internet explorer you break them constantly. Difficulty isn’t in how you beat the stages but its about how you cheese fights and soft cheat. Not fun to play at all.

*(This thing moves even slower than it looks!)*

Of course that doesn’t mean I can’t be positive about the game as well, this blog is all about loving, even the bad things, and this game does have some things to love. In all it’s unfairness it has become a great time capsule to simpler times. Where we would still play incredibly unfair games. It has fairly stiff controls, short time loops for music, it doesn’t communicate what you need to do very well to the player and movement is so incredibly slow it feels like walking from left to right takes forever. It had some original ideas but it had no idea what to do with them. It clearly does try very hard to be charming and inspiring but it kinda fails. It kind of reminds me of when one of those miniature humans finishes playing with crayons colouring in a picture totally outside the lines and off colour. Somehow their smile makes it cute still and you say “very well done tiny tim” even though had that been on your computer screen you wonder if someone took a big magnet close to it.. or if your graphic card got busted. This game is that colouring book page.. yet through the effort we can still see the kid.

*(My Fully evolved frog seems like something a kid would draw as well)*

Ironically this feels a bit like..”my first action RPG” and since it’s set even before the age of dinosaurs ..it timewise is probably the earliest RPG ever as well. Upgrading your parts does feel satisfying. For example as an amphibian I can choose if I become a jumpy one or a tanky one. When buying the parts though you have no idea what part buffs stats by what amount though so you never know if an upgrade is worth anything. Also if you build the wrong animal boss fights go from near impossible to flat out impossible. Tanky Dragon Toad for example can’t defeat the Bee bosses as it still deals insane damage and it always hits you before you hit it. If you can jump to the sky at least you can get in a few free shots. Luckily as an Amphibian I had grinded up plenty of EVO points so when I evolved into the next stage I could skip the slow start….. oh.. when you become a new creature all your evo points reset…….FUUUUUUUUUDGE COLOURED CRYING ICECREAM!

(*Sorry about all the profanity this game made me swear a lot)*

The Age of Flipping Darwin the Bird

First I was a fish which became an amphibian.. which kind of became a tiny dragon, which became a dinosaur, which lept of a mountain and thus became a bird. That bird could become a mouse or mammal that could eventually evolve into a human. Which means that basically your progress in evolution is reset…Had they simply added higher damage numbers across new forms rather than resetting stats (yes you start dealing 1 damage again each time you transcend species) I might not have minded as much. Getting the ultimate parts does do nothing per species other as speeding up the grind. You can take everything down fairly easily with low tier parts… but for the bosses you need to be maxed out just to have a fair chance. Very frustrating. So when my Dino hurled itself of a mountain and it grew wings.. it became a bird.. and it could stay a bird. Becoming a mammal is an option. So I glared at little Charlie D and showed him a picture of my bird now! This is me and this is how I’ll stay! Evolution is not the answer.

*Here I am.. And Here I Stay!.. Evolution be darned! The game never intrested me anyway!*

After grinding my bird up to maximum I discovered weird historical facts. Like how King Bee and Queen bee had prevented the land from getting vegetation.. and to make plants grow the amphibian had to beat them… okay that one happened before the bird but still.. they didn’t teach you that in history class.Still this game is set in far history so it must be true. Surely they did their research right? So here you have it! In ancient times there lived evil bees who did not like plants! The “story” only gets more insane after that. From weird owl men ruling the world from their sky fortress, to a Yeti family whose member you slaughtered one by one in the eyes of the littlest one who comes back as a monkey evolution thing.. to exact his revenge millions years later. We can side with the eil guys and get one of four sub endings. Which do not give you credits but boot you back to the map screen…. which is kind of annoying because to progress you will still have to do it the right way and you can start all over again.

*The pinacle of evolution!.. It can walk on water!*

This game goes completely insane in it’s ending stages, facing off against aliens, gelatinous creatures and laser ball throwing weird creatures. Apparently the age of man was highly contested. The final boss fight and the final stage are a hell but there are ways to cheese it. Upgrading or Downgrading your size does nothing significant throughout the entire game except for altering your hitbox and attack zone a bit.. however evolving always fully heals you.. so in the end we can grind for near infinite health. It doesn’t feel fair, i doesn’t feel fun and it does not feel like time well spent but at least this way we can say glare at mister Darwin and tell him he is wrong. Evolution was not caused by adapting for survival over time.. it was caused by a fish that was enchanted by a blue haired lewd lady who tried to make you do tedious chores over and over again. Sharks, Bees, Frog-lizards and Yeti where the worst enemies.. if we don’t count the megalomaniac owl priest and blobby endboss guy.

This is not a fun game to play, stages are super boring and easily skippable with the right parts. The only reason you have to do anything is to deal with the bosses that remain virtually impossible even after some grueling grinds. Yet there is also something about this game that I can not help but smile about. There is a passion and a love to it.. there is an originality to it, that may or may not have inspired Spore. It’s a game that I want to buckle down on so I can finish it.. as if I owe that to it’s maker. It’s a perfect metaphor what we had to endure as gamers of the past. So at least it was a very good game to start our little adventure.. and since I am in the age of early man anyway let’s see if there is something really fun here to Yaba-Daba-Do.

***But Remember! Everything deserves a little love!***

More History:

-Part 0: What is Pinkie Doing Now?

Pinkie Gets Anime Powers: My Zanpakuto

Anime powers are cool and plenty of us are dreaming to have one. When I watch Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures I ask myself.. what Stand would I have? When I watch a magical girl show.. I ask… what would be my thing? Ever since that people have been trying to defeat me I decided, I best write down all these powers just in case they are coming after me! Today I became a shinigami and will look at my Zanpakuto

Koyubi Paradaisu: THE SHINIGAMI

Character Name: Koyubi Paradaisu
Zanpakuto: Ryōmen Daisu
Race: Visored/Vizard
Age: Keeps celebrating her 21st birthday. Real age Unknown
Allegiance: Soul Society
Role: Gotei 13, 8th division luitenant
Fighting Style: Fast light attacks, momentum control
Quirks: Dojiko, Otaku, Plushie Collector.

Unlike Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures, a character I make in the universe of Bleach has to be a bit overly Japanese. So we trade in my name Pinkie for the Japanese Koyubi.. which is kind of cute still and it means little finger.. or Pinky.. of course in the dub the character would just be called Pinky Paradise. Like all the cool kids in Bleach , Koyubi would be a Vizard/Visored Shinigami. I would be Captain Lisa Yadõmaru’s geeky friend. She can put on a mask as well.. so I should be able to as well. Koyubi got made a lieutenant a little after the 10 year time skip. Returning from a secret mission which basically involved getting those Josei Erotic Novels that my captain likes to read. For a little over ten whole years Koyubi has done nothing but visit conventions and train by herself. So when she returns t soul society she is a bit …off. Speaking like an utter weeb she can’t be understood by more than just Lisa.

Koyubi is a bit of a loner type character. She is really unlucky and keeps breaking things or hurting herself. As a result she isn’t very popular in soul society. Lisa has a soft spot for her and sees potential in Koyubi big brain through. She gives Lisa great advice and sees things in her own weird ways ..but often quite accurate. Kolyubi is also very adequate in battle would it not be for her incredibly low mobility and physical strength she might even have been on captain level. Her ability to use Kido is among the greatest in Soul Society and she works best as a stationary fighter. Either by using her Kido arts.. or her stationary Zanpakto. Koyubi isn’t all that capable fighting with her Katana. She needs to unleash her Shikai to stand a chance in combat. Due to all her bad luck Koyubi is very durable though and Lisa to her amusement oftenly tasks Koyubi with training the newbies.. by being their training dummy

(*My battle data! It looks so professional! Much Wow!*

Like most Lieutenants Koyubi has customised her uniform. Unlike the standard Koyubi wears a pink Shitagi instead of the standard white one. She could never keep the white ones clean enough. Her Kosode and Hakama are the standard edition black ones still. However Her Kosode is filled with an increasing number of pink patches. This isn’t as much a fashion statement as it is Koyubi ripping her Kosode that often that she mends them with patches instead of keep requesting new ones. Much like Rangiku she wears a pink scarf, but in my case it is a short one with a bit of jewelry on the bottom. Koyubi is really sensitive about her age and her neck.

While she claims to be 21, her captain says that Koyubi has celebrated her 21ste birthday at the very least 21 times already, but she might be hundreds of years old. The captain won’t spoil it beyond the birthday thing. Rangiku is friends with Koyubi and tries to make her flirt a bit more.. and teases her with innuendo often to no avail. Her zanpakuto has a pink hilt to which a earthly phone strap is attached. Each time Koyubi visits earth she gets a new phone strap of whatever catchable creature series is popular at the time. She actively hunts for rare gatha. The scabbard of the blade is pink as well. Like her captain Koyubi wears glasses.

Ryōmen Daisu: THE ZANPAKUTO

My Zanpakuto would wear the name of Ryõmen Daisu, which literally translates translates into twenty sided dice. The English Dub would however translate this sword’s name into Miss Fortune. It’s spiritual manifestation would be that of a Maneki Neko girl holding a heart shaped 20 sided dice. The personality of this spirit would be that of a fickle young girl who laughs at her owners misfortune and someone who loves mischief. When Ryomen Daisu and Koyubi are communicating the spirit oftenly tries to trick her owner with some petty pranks or sometimes even whispers some false gossip.The blade looks incredibly clean. Never Used straight out of the factory. Koyubi never uses her unreleased blade. She is not very capable with the Katana style of fighting and is taking Kendo lessons to get better. She usually begins fighting using Kido as her first line of defence.

*(At least there is one consistent element between all my OC”S and powers!)*

Shikai

To unleash her Shikai, Koyubi removes her phone strap from pommel of the sword inside a closed fist after slightly shaking that fist she utters the unleast phrase. “Saikoro o korogasu, Ryōmen Daisu” Which literally translates to “Let’s Roll the Dice , D20!” In the dub the phrase would most likely be “Test our Luck, Miss Fortune.. or simply, “Roll the Dice, Miss Fortune” The method of awakening the saber mimics the effect of rolling a d20 trough whatever currently is her phone strap. If she misses to hit her katana with it the Shikai is not achieved. She never misses though. In it’s Shikai state the blade takes the shape of an ornate pink fencing rapier. Featuring some floral designs. It has four luminescent leafs near it’s hilt. When Shikai is activated all four fleas glow. As to be expected for a fencing saber. This one is best utilesised if the user stands still. Defensive and evasive movements are minimised to optimise the chance of parrying.

Powers and Abilities:

Ryomen Daisu’s Shikai is all about Tycho Kinesis. The power to manipulate luck.In which it has two functionalities. The most noticeable ability is to drain the luck of enemies that get hit by the blade. In other words getting hit triggers bad luck for the blade’s victims. For example after getting stabbed, the ground may collapse under one’s feet, your next strike accidentally jams your blade into a tree or it starts to rain making your terrain more slippery. The bad luck CAN harm it’s master as well but ONLY if it is still disadvantageous or, unfortunate for the opponent. For example one could miss their next strike on Koyubi and hit a beehive. As long as this is more disadvantageous to her opponent Koyubi can still suffer bee stings and other effects. An opponent can never bend misfortune in their favor as it bestows absolute bad luck. Hitting her opponent causes one of the four floral ornaments to illuminate (if not illuminated already)

Alternatively Koyubi can also use the blade to inflict harm to herself. This would afterwards trigger a fortunate event or surge of luck for herself. This technique is mostly used defensively, though in the right context it also has offensive possibilities. A way you can imagine this technique being used is Ichigo launching a Getsuga Tenshou towards us. By cutting her own hand before the blast reaches her she might create the luck of a wall collapsing in front of her to safeguard her from the attack. This effect wiill never cause direct misfortune to an enemy.. so it will never make an enemy slip to enable her to get a cheap shot in it will only safeguard the user with good luck. By using this ability one of the four leafs is extinguished. She can not bestow herself luck if there is currently no luck inside the blade (if all four leafs are extinguished)

*(Ability Two: Good Luck..but not with google images! So all the bad guys be like…)*

Bankai

As long as all four the leaves of this saber are in Illuminated the Bankai for this saber can be activated. In A rainbow coloured explosion the leafs detach themselves from the rapier and attach themselves to Koyubi’s back forming butterfly wings.. and a shorter more western style fencing outfit that is more favorable for her preferred type of movement. Koyubi seems a bit more giddy in this state. Less tense, feeling more free. As a result her attention can sometimes slip up in thise mode.

Powers and Abilities

While in this mode there is a vast increase in Koyubi her movement abilities. She has access to flight but the more free outfit also allows for a greater level of movement speed. While this is still not nearly as fast as Ichigo’s Bankai or Soifon’s Shikai the mostly negates her physical weaknesses bring them to a more average or slightly above level. By flapping her wings she can create wind bursts to destabilize her opponent. The main ability of her Bankai however is an extremely potent one which has allowed her to rise up to the ranks of vice-captain/lieutenant so fast.

On Both the left and the right upper wing of this form one can find a glowing circle of light. In actuality these function as a scoreboard. Each time Koyubi hit her opponent with her rapier the number of the left wing goes up. If she is hit the number on the right wing goes up. If the opponent reaches 7 hits before that Koyubi does the wings are violently ejected from her body attaching themselves to the blade going back into Shikai mode while creating a dome of wind.. to safeguard Koyubi briefly. Allowing some room to recuperat or flee. All leafs of the Shikai state are now extuingished and she can not go into Bankai again before hitting her opponent four times.

*(Failing the Bankai Expels it with a lot of kinetic force so I get rest)*

However if she is able to hit her opponent 7 times before they hit her seven times the Bankai grants her a wish! This wish can be anything she desires as long as it only influences the Bankai user or the ones she hit with her saber to gain her score. In other words Koyubi can simply wish for your defeat if she manages to hit you seven times in this form before you hit her 7 times. After being granted the wish she once again exits to Shikai with four extinguished leafs. The wish can never be used to influence others that are not made part of this duel.

*(Winning the Bankai results in this but … Instead of Shenron Imagine like a Big Maneki Neko Butterfly )*

Hollowfication

While rarely used, like all other Vizard,this 8th squadron member can call out her hollow mask to gain a modifier to her abilities. In this case the mask is shaped like a Fencing mask. The middle seems like a gauss like area behind it however is just everlasting darkness. On the gauss a thick black thorn goes from top to bottom, from which eyes and a boney mouth seem to be growing as if the brambles produce a bony growth from which the she can see and speak. Behind the eyes there is yet another infinite darkness from which pink fires burn forming her eyes.

While in this form her behaviour changes.From being a stationary fighter she displays a level of showmanship in her moves. In shikai mode oftenly using the ability to bestow herself luck by harming herself. Her fighting style changes from Raphael.. from Soul Calibur, to that of Jack Sparrow…but more remorseless. While normally my character would go for the non lethal blows, in lethal mode her Rapier is aimed for the heart with every strike she makes. A combination of both her intelligence going into overdrive, taking reason over emotion.. and thusly trying to finish of an opponent she had to push herself so far for quickly, as well as the darkness of the hollow inside. Koyubi hates her hollow mask compared to that of others because of the lack of colours that so many of her peers have. Thusly she will never use the mask unless captain Lisa orders her to use it. Should she be robbed of her colours no one can tell if she would be able to control the hollow or go into a monster like state like when Ichigo faced Ulquiorra.

And that is my Bleach OC done! What would your Zanpakuto be? Would you have other powers in the realm of Bleach…do not say Fullbring or Dolls because I will come for you! What anime power should I think about next? Write something cute and fun in the comments and please enjoy your stay at Pinkie’s paradise!

Other Pinkie Get’s Anime Powers:

My Jojo Stand