Welcome!
It's still the collected thoughts of JRTDB. From personal review articles, because I'm fond of writing my thoughts about anything, to chronicles of my art activities and what transpired during the course of my struggle. If there ever was any struggled to begin with.
To my reviews I am welcome to criticism on what ever kind just for the heck of progress, and so does my art.
If you intend to read, have fun!
Currently, before I proceed in working the new page for the comics project I'm currently in, I've decided to make doodle art of the characters. Since I noticed how I lack in illustrating them, which I should prolly be doing instead of overly idling around.
So for today, the discussion about my regret towards drawing in a not so fast pace. I've had this type of problem ever since I can remember. A paranoia that I can't take away from me, that in itself is my weakest point in being an artist. I can't make artworks that fast, so I go blunt with my clients that I take this number of days to accomplish something.
I have that low of a practice in such things. But I'm motivated and always trying to positively push myself and well if I can't really do it I just take a pause. And enjoy life. Because no matter what I do I will always be worried, because the solution to my worry is something that needs dedication and patience. LOL
Eventually this is a personal article with probably a low chance of anyone ever getting the content. So, I'm going to sum the content up by bullets, happy business like bullets that sums up any point in a professional like manner.
(I want to change that bullet...) Definite profession discovery, and if I truly belong in it. How far can I go without loosing my heart the least, or something akin to it.
Defying. Gravity. (yeah, that song from Wicked the musical) Sending feels in my heart like it gives a type of painful peace.
Romanticism and the sense of confrontation I wish I wasn't fearfully reckless of. As if I can solve anything by ever rushing in, on several context. But I cannot tell if I have rushed in or not if the other party just ups and dismisses you.
The fact that you're suppressing the pain of confusion. The strongest string of distraction pulls you away but you go back to the source and finding yourself not doing anything about it and you're the type of person that rather solve something quickly.
The desire to be patient, on certain things, even though you have had some kind of practice with a level of patience. Which might actually be just delaying tactics.
Why can't I hate or be angry or be annoyed for long? Why can't I hate as strong as anyone? Is there some kind of method to hate so strongly?
(by this point you can tell that the mentality and strength of the thoughts are gonna deteriorate in due time)
Being uselessly annoyed but pulls the emotions down quickly because there is something better to focus on than irrationally thinking about it.
Yet the pain of rebounding comes and you're back to square one.
Just listening to Defying Gravity, which I originally heard a rendition of Lea Salongga, gives you a nice pull in your heart. The right kind to feel so self absorbed in.
This song is such a keeper. Next time I hear about their local show in our theatres I have to go and attend it, even if I'm alone.
Yesterday (to clarify, July 21 21015) my mother wanted to spend her morning with a free movie in our local cinemas. Here in the Philippines, there are thousands (not really, but it sounds like it) of political rackets for every area and their method of treatment for the Senior Citizens. One of which is to give one or two days of free movies for them to view. Whatever movie in the cinemas the old 'uns want they're free for the whole day, just as long as they present their movie pass.
Well to cut the morning story short, I ended up treating my mother and we both watched Minions. Those yellow gibberish talking walking pills.
As everyone knows, or maybe some of, the Minions originated from the movie Despicable Me (starring Steve Carell as Gru, yes I need to state this, BECAUSE!). These seemingly "cute" pill shaped creatures are the "evil" minions of the "evil-villain" named Gru, and according to the story has been with him since he can remember (or maybe I missed the part where he explained how he got to have them?). On a side note, the movie DM is a commercial success majority of the reason is because of the Minions, is what I'm assuming, according to what I can sniff around marketing and media exploits.
Source I did not know this happened. Where was I when this happened!! He looks like Penguin from the Batman series...
Its quite a nice move to make a movie that explains the origins of the Minions, although I'm fairly satisfied just assuming that they were accidents made by Gru's scientist assistant. Discovering though that they were undoubtably natural causes (spoiler) from our own world (or their world) kind of makes you think how come they never really got to evolve. They were born the same way as anyone, through scientific explanations of course, and eventually watched the world evolve while they abruptly stopped evolving (physically that is, mentally a wee bit).
They were explained as creatures that sought the evilest being and make this evil being their "boss". The "boss" that they dreamed of following, (spoiler) which was actually shown from their conception through the eras I could not possibly know which (I'm not well versed with my sciences and histories). I could say they are affectionate towards the stronger, the one who can in any manner conquer by any means possible for psychological reasons maybe.
So goes the flow of the story till the moment they met Gru, (spoiler) kid Gru making a cameo by the end of the movie. Big things happened in the events before they met Gru, but I could tell that the simpleton plot of the movie would actually attract kids. Kids aged 8 below, or possibly lesser than 5. The story is so simple, the execution and scenarios completely random that you might say you paid to watch a Tom and Jerry show for 1 hour and a few minutes (not that Tom and Jerry doesn't deserve to have their movies be shown in cinemas and paid the same amount).
Just, as a simple person (ah yeah, simple, ah...hahaha), of course I was quite amused by all their antics and gibberish. Before I did watch the movie I've heard that the movie had negative reviews, guessing it would. The story seems so random and everywhere. Villain with a shallow purpose, and for some reason it felt like the Minions became icons of heroes even though its much better to just retain their "dumb" like stand as a character.
To a child's point of view its a good satisfying movie, simply amusing and childishly entertaining. But as an adult who seems to have acquired a critic self, my simple self says its amusing and considerable, critic however says its not worth to watch if your aim is to see the retention of the Minions character from the DM franchise.
Eventually I was desperate to try and blog through my mobile but the last time I checked the app for blogspot was only for a specific country. Luckily someone already invented an app for multiple blog use. This will be a short post as I am only testing the app, of course for future uses.
So lets enjoy ourselves. Not in the perverted way.
There was this "craving" of some kind, like a hole in my heart that I wanted to be filled in by any of the encountered titles I wanted to watch but never got the chance to due to <list reason and excuses that doesn't include laziness> before. Reviewing my sources back (that random video about the top list of things and stuff, from WatchMojo), I remember wanting to watch old school cartoons from way back or not so way back. Just any cartoon show that I can sink my teeth in. Eventually out weighing the number of candidates in my list, the top was won over by Clone High.
The story is about a society where several of the residents are clones of famous or infamous people of history. The setting of the series is in a typical American like town where theres that rural home living, several schools for each district, that usual school life works.
The whole idea was actually cool, even the blunt and satirical stereotype personalities and characteristic all given to the famous names in the roster of main characters. Abraham Linclon as an awkwardly dense teen of immense height proportions, displaying his sense of good in the most absurd of moments whilst mockingly displaying his great flaws as a teen in modern age. Joan of Arc nearly not as cool as her counterpart in history, gaining even a helpless romantic clinginess onto her best friend, Abe. And alot of other irrationally modern and parody like traits given to several greatly famous icons of history.
Obviously everything in the premise of this cartoon show is parody filled. From its genre to the use of the utensils of epic convenience and quick cash scheme proportion. The show however was short lived for various butt hurt from many sources reason. I can't blame them, having your countries well beloved icon in history sport a fucking brass on being highly stupid and high on several occasions of the show. There is however several redeeming glory for this cartoon show. Besides the awesome opening theme, that I just biased-ly like due to reasons of preference.
The show delivers absurd messages that many a youngsters would be able to drink well, even if the heightened sexual hormones all over the place concerns me for a very good reason. I am a well grown conservative of things, albeit a believer of letting things be if needed. The show had its moments of sanity and well thought of topics which concerns alot of what can be pinpointed as a problem in our society. Like eco-friendly topics on littering, drug abuse, emotional hormone conflicts, subtle sexual orientation preferences and beliefs, even a slight pinch of religion.
Yet what makes this show shine the most for me is how insanely relevant it is on a scale, and the question of "what if" on what the historical icons would have in our modern times. I know the show doesn't really answer the "what if", since there are several probabilities on what their lives would have been "if" they were cloned.
This show wins for me on a scale and for the future kids of this generation its an ideal show to force them to watch because of insane but fairly relevant beneficial for their brains development reasons.
Yesterday was a very bad time to have feels, due to the unceremonious head ache I acquired because of the lack of sleep I gained the night before. Slept 4 am and woke up just 6 hours after. Least of my funny feels reward was that I spent my afternoons resting slash watching a random movie in HBO.
The film I encountered was quite a ride, it was simple, and again it felt like there were loop holes but I couldn't see them to the blurry eyes I acquired at the end of the movie.
The title of the film: "The Odd Life of Timothy Green"
The movie was about a story of a couple and their experience of being parents to a child that randomly lived with them after some fantastical nature filled events one night. I'm missing the point of giving a point by point flow of the story so I'm going to make it plain and short.
*laugh laugh* *feel* *annoy* *feel* *laugh laugh* *awe awe* *annoy* *feel* *heavy feels* *cry in the corner*
That is the best synopsis I can give anyone due to the nature of the stories flow and events. It's not badly directed, in fact its very favourable. Like reading a book. Characters and their personalities are vaguely realistic, to a point of being over board. The most that hit me hard was the concept of Timothy Green himself, he was naive, and wise (plus he reminds me of my OC and a story I have yet to fix *ha ha*).
Innocence that could put any adult to shame. The adults I best refer to is the parents in the movie, which I can say is actually a very sane thing to do. Parents whose insecurities has built up that they couldn't even be honest even to their selves and the people around them.
The concept though of the parents taking care of a child for how many months and just saying its the back story of their reason to be good parents (something akin to proof of being) to the adoption agency they were telling the whole story about Tmothy to. It confused me at first mind you why they were retelling Timothys story to these two corporate looking people, just to reveal that they were some kind of agents from an adoption agency (assuming, due to the ending).
If it becomes a reality bite, I would say that everything in the story of Timothys life felt symbolical. As if it was true, but the way it was just portrayed was symbolical. Saying, in my own interpretation, that Timothy was born unexpectedly, linking it to the scenario of the couples family and how they felt about introducing him to them. The couple might not have showed young Timothy around because he was kind of sickly. Up until a point though, when young Timothy convinced them to give him a good childhood life. Lets say a trip to the doctors that supposedly went well.
The story goes along Timothy was diagnosed about something the kid accepted was inevitably leading to death, he felt more, however the parents were convinced that he shouldn't worry about it or it might get worse. Devising that instead to insinuate positivity in his life. A thing that might help him cure himself. Spending each time as if it were their last. Experiencing several things they used to not believe in but in the end have considerable and solid proof that they should believe in due to a miraculous proof as if an act of in-deterrable faith.
Until in the end when all things life could give them as a family was done, the sickness brought upon in time and stole the one thing that made them grow up as a family. The child the couple so wanted. That in the end, until Timothys death, was not something wasted but is an investment of strength emotionally gained. Something the couple couldn't have by just being themselves, thinking that maybe Timothy was an accidental birth.
I'm just saying anything can be the interpretation of the story or the truth behind the story of Timothy Green. There is of course no truth but only what the story could tell us.
Oh I wish Annette could be born the same way. Without drama, I wish.
Just what has been happening lately in our local world. One. Word. HELP.
Or Cringe.
I've just recently encountered some post through my facebook feed about an article mentioning that a group of girls are getting their lime light of fame. Honestly I don't really know who they are and frankly I don't care, or wish I didn't try and know about it. *cringe*
The brain of yours truly doesn't really have any profound knowledge of the local music industry, I'm talking about the music industry of the Philippines specifically. Further more focusing on the "entertainment" music industry, as usual, they pick fancy funny songs that more or less catches the attention of the masses by, between the two, being absurdly annoying publicity or fairly in the line of worthy catchiness publicity.
The song I've encountered is more on the absurdly annoying side of fame.
The song is in our native tongue, and I think this is not the original version of it(I...am not sure, further research are all in halt due to the cringe capacity we can only receive in one go, it. is. too. much!).
Officially in this version it was sung by a comedian actor named Vice Ganda(gay, in every fibre of his being), which is by the way the type of satire comedian that absurdly jokes about almost anything or everything and nonchalantly says apologies when someone gets sore because its just a joke. Don't get me wrong here, I like some of his acts, but to be honest he's a satirical comedian with an almost obnoxious air. What could possibly go wrong!? Ha...Ha...
The song is titled "Wag Kang Pabebe" which roughly translates to "Don't Be Spoiled", or something akin to that. Honestly, the lyrics itself, although slang and forcibly poetic, isn't that bad. The meaning is clear, and its "modernistically" sensible. Just, not my cup of tea for the whole composition.
Anyways, my purpose slash challenge for myself today is to translate the whole song in english. Not in the same poetic way as it was composed but in literal terms.
Because! I feel like its going to be funny, especially if one tries to sing it in the tune with the video.
Lyrics:
Tagalog (English)
ang puti ng powder sa kanyang mukha (overly white powder on the face)
ang lipstick ay pulang pula, labi parang namamaga (lipstick too red, lips as if sore)
maririnig maya-maya (hearing later on)
pa-english, tag-lish habang nagseselfie (speaking in english, tag-lish, while taking a selfie)
syang pa-side view at nakatitig sa kanyang ganda (facing side view and staring at her beauty)
biglang nagsalita (suddenly she spoke)
oh gutom pala! (oh she's hungry!)
kumakalam na ang sikmura kung anu-anung inuna (stomach grumbling, doing other things first)
mag mamon ka nga (you eat mamon)
nakaka turn-off ka (you are such a turn off
asikasuhin pag-aaral (study first)
sayang ang matrikula (tuition waste)
huwag kang pabebe! (don't be spoiled!)
huwag kang pabebe (don't be spoiled)
huwag, huwag kang pabebe (don't ever be spoiled)
(chorus) [repeat]
hey miss miss miss excuse me please!
dumadami na mga pabebe, boom panis! (there are already many who are spoiled, boom rotten!)
labi mong matulis para bang nang-iinis (already sharp lips that seems to tease)
oh, bebe jan sa singet mo baka kita matiris (oh, spoiled you, i might pinch your groin)
(verse 1)
miss miss miss excuse me please!
may inuutos pa ang nanny mo kaya bilis (you still have your mothers errand)
nu'ng kaartehan sinabog sa metropolis (when being pretentious was thrown in the metropolis)
bakit mo sinalo? tuloy daming katalo! (why did you catch it? there are alot of enemies!)
(verse 2)
(chorus) [repeat]
pabebe di lang pambabae (being spoiled isn't just for girls)
may lalaking makikita mo sa videong (there are boys you can see taking videos)
tume-twerk it parang "miley" (twerking it like "miley")
porma'y inaanggulo (posing in an angle)
gwapong gwapo (very handsome)
pero bakit pungay ng kanyang mata kakaiba (but why are your eyes different)*
ang taray ng dating (the effect looks arrogant)
oh teka ate! (oh wait older sister!)
ano ba talaga? (what is it really?)
akala ko ay macho, ba't nilalabas ang dila? (i thought you are macho, why is your tongue out?)
kuya! nalilito na ako (older brother! i'm confused)
pero kahit ano pa… (but what ever it is...)
papa bakit nagpapabebe? (papa why are you trying to be spoiled?)
(chorus) [repeat]
(verse 1 & 2)
(chorus)
oh bebe wag pabebe (oh spoiled don't be spoiled)
huwag umarte ng di tama (don't act incorrectly)
baka mabebe bebe bebe bebe be beh buti nga! (you might be spoiled...) <not translating the next part because its a tagalog term that doesn't exactly translating into anything but the action "bleh", can be compared to "bleh bleh bleh bleh bleh you cannot catch me!" but not exactly>
(verse 3) [repeat]
(chorus)
(verse 3)
manahimik kayo walang makakapigil samin! (shut up no one can stop us!)
Okay, it was not fun to do. I honestly felt like I racked my brain in just finishing the whole thing. Further more I salute all the linguists that specializes in translating Tagalog (slang or not) into English and vice versa. I had to ask help using this website "Tagalog Lang" for some of the terms I don't normally encounter any direct english translation.
This experience is quite exhausting to do. Quite exhausting that it diminished the food I ate an hour ago into sweat, or the weather is just crazily humid right now. *laugh*
Either way. End point. There really is something distasteful about the music our current generation is releasing or composing. I can't avoid comparing it to the music of the later years, the years where I explored my taste for music. Saying that the music nowadays cannot be in par to the music then is true and unjust at the same time, because in the first place each music being released these days are not targeted for everyone. Just for the ones who will appreciate it, like almost all genre or types of medias released.
Hypocrite as I may sound, I feel compelled to abhor this song and wish that its fame would die a young death.
The Philippine music industry is not entirely dying, its just changing for the damn worse.
Urusawa Naoki is one of the mangakas that really hit me in the spot. I know I've expressed something about his works before but I don't remember how thorough I gave my impression of it. Thinking, maybe I have expressed that over whelming "fuck you author you made me think, i love you" emotions I always have when I adore a work of fiction, but with a different titled book of his.
My only method of being a fan girl is common, again here I am going to express it by drooling over one of the afore mentioned mangakas work, and the focus is pointed out on one of the insanely coolest "doujin collaboration" I have ever encountered in my life as a netizen. PLUTO.
The manga has been listed in my head as one of Urasawas works that I needed to read, besides Monster and 20th Century Boys. I've actually started reading it multiple times but never got to finish it as I have the habit of having the best luck in deciding to read the manga in the wee hours of my desire to rest (or my body's sleep time clock). Recently I've just read and finished it, so far I've still got my feels for it albeit just expressing it lightly here.
The story is set in the universe of Tezuka Osamu's famous anime/manga Astroboy, with a little real life tweaking from Urusawa. Thus I dub it as "doujin collaboration", its a real grand doujin with actually having a famous author approved to use the characters of a legendary artist.
Story goes that a murderer is out to kill the most advanced AI's known to man in their current time. Its trace cannot be subjected to man as there is no traces of and neither a robot for no robot has ever disobeyed one of the greatest laws it was built with. To solve this case a highly sophisticated robot named Gesicht from Interpol was assigned to solve it and the mysteries that will intertwine deeper in the story. Its a very emotional chase, not that action packed, but like Urusawas style, strikes a chord inside your belly by his method of story telling.
Like most of his works, he highly focuses on the development of each involved characters into something you can surely sympathize on a scale of familiarity. They dissolve each mystery and insecurity upon the slow progress of the case into fairly dissected emotions and philosophical theories. Meeting up to this point or getting choked up into dying before even solving the case, you'd be caught analyzing even for them the rational and sensible questions even you yourself can relate highly.
His style is not focused on the action packed sense and almost all the fight scenes are limited to a quick shot put battle. The longest was at the end which was tasteful as seeing everything was beginning to make sense and has now a clear path to tread on for an actual purpose to fight. This reminded me greatly of Dianne Wayne Jones method of writing. There are so many moments of build up and release but never to a point that it explodes on your face because a new build up was going to catch you just in case.
This method of writing is captivating to me, albeit I clearly remember forbidding myself to read Urusawas works due to it being emotional to a pin prick point ouch to my heart. Giving a reader as much small leeway when it comes to the climax is like a good sex, and I don't know why I compared that to sex but lets just say thats that.
I don't know much about the characters histories in Tezukas Astroboy universe so I have little to compare to, except of course for Atom/Tobio. Tobio was the only robot that I clearly know, or a wee bit well than the others, due to me encountering a series about him in my childhood days. And he is basically the famous of Tezukas success.
Tobio was one of the reasons why I wanted to read the manga, although I like Gesicht as well. I was captivated on how he was portrayed in the story. Clearly a great contrast to his counterpart in Tezukas universe. Honestly, I can blame Urusawas method as most of the action packed thrill of the universe was mellowed down. Still it gave me a satisfying taste when I saw that he depicted Tobio as a completely normal boy.
Normal in every sense. He was a caring brother and child to the elders. Respectful and generous if given. The desire to yearn has built in his system like a good child should. Over all he was too perfect as an AI but imperfect as a human being. Which was one of the main points of the story. Urusawa built the concept of the plot towards the identity of an AI that can copy a human but never be completely human because they do not have that one universal concept man is greatly known for. The irresistible urge to hate.
Robots cannot innately hate anyone unless they were programmed to, and of course even in this universe who would want to implant something explosive in the body of a bigger threat against anything living. Hate was the one thing that, by concept of Dr. Tenma in the manga, would make a robot perfectly like a human. I quite agree in that, eventually it made me think if i compared a human specie against any creature from the category of the animal kingdom. Conclusion though, at some degree we are the same but for the reasons, which may contrast and greatly vary on occasions.
But implanting hate into a robots AI, is simply monstrous as it is clear in evident and even in fictional history that hate is the one thing that can burst human kinds bubble into a dwindling race of ashes. Running on it like an endless energy drink can bring the world or any creature into its end, especially if given the right kind of imaginative device of destruction. Something even the robot characters involved in the story shudder and regret the greatest upon their moment of death.
Clearly alot of people are aware of this, but are they competent and strong enough to fight one of the strongest and perfect imperfection of man called hatred?
Recently there was a local celebrity suicide and eventually she was still very young. I do not know who the actress was, and to put it honestly I'm very sorry for just discussing this one topic that got me related to her and artwork perception. On this note, even if her family will not see this, I will still say condolences to her family. But I believe that its injustice to myself if I don't say it out loud.
In my plurks list of friends there was one who posted saying that he/she was creeped out by the artworks this late actress drew. Eventually he/she sited the source of the artworks he/she has seen, view it here in this article. So I clicked on it and just found myself browsing to see how creepy everything was.
I was just curious about this said creepy artworks. However I was dismayed to see that several of the images listed in the site, artwork or not, included was to my opinion extremely normal and not even the least creepy. Truth be told I only felt creeped out because it belonged to a recently died girl. Mentally speaking I was psychologically hyping myself to how creepy it was if it belonged to a person that committed suicide, saying to myself "be brave young 'un". 'Lo and behold it was bad of me to expect highly of anything.
I'm not saying she is not talented. Believe me she has the skills, its even better than mine on several aspects. However to say in an article that these are "images were created due to depression" and such. I don't like assuming, and I know it is clear human nature to only see what we want to see. But there are so many things that could have happened AND is a possibility. IN THIS CASE, I will have to debunk my "not liking to assume" nature, because according to what I understand its the case of a misunderstood artist right here.
For one several of the featured artworks, according to my internet knowledge, are clear fan arts based from a popular internet franchise. One was even a clear fan art for Over the Garden Wall, which is by the way a good cartoon series, just don't let the creepy atmosphere deter you from the well executed story.
Theres even someone who explained what some of the said creepy depressing artworks were (and honestly I won't give a solid source because it came from someones facebook and I just hate linking it after it is now buried over all the other articles all those people in my list of friends just posted, oh que labour, too lazy) not her expression of being depressed but just honest to feels fangirl artworks. Talk about misunderstanding.
Those in the article are not depressing artworks, I felt though that those were well done fan arts and artworks that are in fact beautiful (love her style). I could not feel the depression in it, although those quotes might be a little misleading now that she's committed the suicide case. Damn circumstances.
Beyond that point only the unfairness of the misconception they have with her artworks and its bizarreness to me was the K.O.. A lot of people really thought her artworks reeked of depression because of this misleading article. Someones already trying to debunk it mind you, maybe a friend that knew what she really was. And I for one wish I could do the same.
My opinion about this case feels like a sore loser, but perception of alot of people cannot be changed. You can't blame the media for blowing up the whole thing just for a good story that would rouse up peoples opinions. Well played Mainstream Media. However it goes to show that there are several types of ignorance. My ignorance towards her life story is one of them. But you can also see how invasive the concept of Media is.
The ending will always be something we have no say at all. Honestly I feel dismayed because alot of people will be reading the article about her yet we truly do not know what happened or what she is. Except I will stand firm that those artworks do not say how depressed she is, but I won't assume she doesn't have any mental problems.
I've been excited to see a funny looking movie since I saw its trailer in the start of this year. The title, Strange Magic. Honestly I didn't even try to anticipate it in the local theatres, however I did want to see it be locally shown. But it seems like fate had a different plan for the movie. According to what I saw it didn't receive that positive of a reaction from the masses. Kind of did not expect that at first, but since I wanted to watch it despite the negative stuff I hear about it, I sought out a copy of it.
Summary, no spoilers, trust me. It's a story about a kingdom of Fairies and Goblins. Where the idea of a love potion is forbidden. Eventually some rules got broken and all hell broke loose. Someone became a hostage, three people tries to save her. Two actually feels responsible and sensible and heart wrenched for their mission, one just likes to be macho about it. Alot of lame puns and singing in the most weird mashup, but nice ring in it, ever.
Wait, I just felt like I said a lot of spoilers than I intended to keep? Totally do not trust me when I say "NO SPOILERS". Ever. In the near future.
Oh, well. It's not like its a big deal. Because eventually this movie has me going fifty-50. Fifty for being pun-ny and at some point cool in concept and art design, while the other 50 just made me cringe at several shallow concepts and loop holes in the story that I felt like I knew but forgot due to the pun-ny-ness.
Can't help it, I'm originally a shallow person. But it can't escape even the shallow me to notice a lot of potential gone down the drain if it was thought of well, in the story and the characters personality design I mean. Not piling it out is something bland that I shouldn't do, BUT, I'm going to do it.
I'm not gonna pin point every single what was wrong about in the movie, because I can't be a hypocrite by saying I did not enjoy the movie. I enjoyed it. All those pun intended moments, lame placed jokes that were obvious modern references of true to life societal personalities and the facts of life and what not. Plus the weird ship of the "villain" and "heroine".
Yes, I ship the Bog king and Marriane romantically. They're very existence in the story is an actual (or physical) representation of the idealistic concept of falling in-love. Both experiencing heart aches in their own, in the story, for rushing in love. However I did not ship them due to that fact, because they're going to heal each others wounds, etcetera. Shipping them was what I did even before I got the chance to confirm it by watching the movie.
I shipped them because they had a perceived contrast slash similarity in personalities. I only had the trailer for reference but they felt both spunky and hardened warriors. They have the impression that they would stand firm in their perceived conviction and morale. Eventually they were both sappy heart broken beings, that needed a whole gallant battle just to realize they love each other. Of course my guess of their personalities was still there so it like it wasn't a lost cause for me guessing, and my shipping their romance.
In the end I wouldn't recommend this movie, wished it was premiered in February instead of January due to sappiness and again I have encountered a use of a whole concept of a universe wasted by a simple shallow story that told of romance in the most musical action-fantasy "packed" way.
These days I opted myself to browse some manga's, which I often do and have been doing since my early college days. Spending those precious break time in the library to use the internet even for an hour or so just to read mangas online. I am not a very good supporter much of translation groups because honestly I don't have the guts how, see how unwilling I am to help them complete scanlations. In any case, however, I am truly grateful to them, so to the scanlators of Black Joke kudos to you.
Some days I try to see if I can find a good Seinen manga read, since I've loved those types of mangas. I also like the idea of browsing about ongoing or finished mangas in this genre for personal interests. So far it got me good, I stumbled upon one titled Black Joke by author Koike Rintarou and artist Taguchi Masayuki.
The genre is a mix of Seinen, Comedy, Mature (completely mature but still sellable as something to the market that doesn't border itself to porn, I think, because Hentai shows every nook and cranny of a males phallus and a females oyster, here its just all...blurred out...okay so maybe its borderline Hentai in many levels), Action, and Martial Arts (yes those were the tags included in the site I read the manga from). Its about a future where the U.S.A. wasn't content to just leave the world to its peace and prompted to legally own countries that are sellable and profitable on so many levels, so they made Japan their 51st state. Yep, I'm guessing this was an action of sorts prior to the end of World War 2 and instead of Japan never giving up against America, they surrendered and succumbed to their poor striving state. OR they just got bought by one of the most misunderstood, well portrayed douche, hero of the world, country called America.
The whole setting is portrayed in an island not far from the mainlands of Japan named Neon Island (or Nihon, sometimes the groups who scanlates have different versions of how they tranlaste things). This island is an irreconcilable nest for sins, or just simply stating the Sin City of Japan. Here anything can happen, and honestly feels like any kind of good thing doesn't exist here, like churches or good kept households and stuff. Just plain old vent your sin out toilet pig sty, which so happens to not look like a sty but a highly engrossed rich city better than Vegas, baby (sorry it rhymes, can't help but add it in the end).
Prostitution is hell legal, on some respectable level. Gambling and black market trading is one of the main sources of income. The usual stuff you see in Mafia movies and the likes, only highly perverted in so many cases and scenarios. Plus all the guns and some crazy martial arts action you can find.
The flow of the story goes along the lives of a group of people that works for a Hotel owner magnate named Kousuke Todome who is the director of the Onsen Hotel, and some other mentionable characters that are either related to the main characters from the Onsen Hotel or the head triads working in the folds of the island. The whole volume is the exploits and missions they do for the sake of their jobs.
These two are the ones you often chase around, hey they get into the best troubles and jobs. Talk about having trouble around, good thing they're the perfect combination of brawn's and brains.
Alot of considerable mayhem and upfront high in the sky lives living in he luxury of the churches so called Sins.
What I liked about the flow is my preference for just the most absurd action scenes in a Manga, comparable to the art style of Baki (and some other Seinen titles I've honeslty forgotten), the action scenes are honest and stylistic. All of which as an artist like me is a good reference. The muscle contortion, acrobatics, and even the impossible historical facts of the how or why of their techniques is just catchy for me.
Plus the gritty but trying to be suave perverted parts of the story is fine, its not over the top like the mushy fan service I often see but the type that is too open for the conservative mind. However, I can just say maybe its for a wee bit of adult fan service, eh? Well, it is an open world of sex and drugs, so what can you do about it but be obviously every where.
This manga is a good wait. Majority of the faces are obviously referenced from certain actors and actress which is catchy for me since I can imagine them in the role they are in the manga. Also there are several entertaining and engaging characters, often times exceeding their pre-scripted personalities which is quite a good balance. Down side I guess would be the history of how the place came to be. Its not well explained how or why on a level of historical basis, but thats just my preference.
she actually looks just like Kate Beckinsale!
Also its a generic Action Mafia Comedy themed manga, its got good classy scenes and absurd gritty ones. I'm not saying its lamely bad but its not overly exceptional, however I am basically praising this in art and somewhat in the composition of the characters and some scenarios.
If I were you, its best if you try reading it to enjoy some Action fun.
Currently did a conversation+doodle between me and a friend of mine. The conversation took place in Plurk (mine plurk, good material for stalking purposes LOL), that one social media site thats like twitter except its side ways and has cuter features. Anyways I posted it on one of my Tumblrs (plugging this shit) as well, I intended for that one Tumblr as my special art dump. Whether it was good or bad art, plus additional inspiring post that are awesome artworks from awesome artists!
Convoodle: Cat pats
The convo started as whats shown, and well it ended farther beyond the last part, but that was one of the cutest. My cat never nibbles my hair so its rational that that cat won't either.
Struggling to finish one damn page isn't a hassle, unless you have the same complex I have. Procrastination. Might as well hold onto it because I like doing it and its fun. Right now, in the comics I'm doing, on the inking process is page 8. Finishing each inking with the style I have is pretty absurd, sometimes I think its just easy-peasy, and majority of the times I'm too fucking annoyed at how long it takes me that in the end I scold myself. Strongly advising to not bitch around.
Fus-Ro-Da (or Hwatchah, which i prefer LOL)
But bitching around, not those tantrums, makes me enjoy the other stuff online. Like, sample, Kung Fury. That awesome 80's parody of famous action movies in that era. Complete with absurd martial arts moves and death defying satire of the movies that became attached to our kidneys that is the era of the 80's. I did not grow up in the 80's, I'm more of a 90's dude. And I swear its a good thing I still got the chance to experience the 80's goodness still lingering in those days.
The movie was good, honestly. Even though there were tons of absurd loop holes that should've been easy to point out, BUT the damn movie was that attention grabbing because of the absurdity that you won't even mind. Awesome production team, I mean, THEY ARE THE BOSS. They did so well that alot of people are giving good reactions and feed backs. Bias though, as I have yet to see a bad reaction towards the movie, still it is worth the 30 minutes. As alot of people say, the fucking short needs its full length feature.
On a side note I had to come back to reality and finish my damn page, so in lieu of my lack of motivation, I intend to fill it with awesome song covers like the ones from Pellek (TO HIS YT).
