Current State of Hollywood: Franchising, Demographics, Season Length, Quantity over Quality, Originality, Breather Episodes, and Critical Thinking

 

The entire debacle with the Mario movie before and after its release is just exhausting and stupid. 

On one hand, the critics were right about the hollowness of a cinematic experience in that it didn't necessarily lean into its cliches to show how tongue-in-cheek it was but at the same time, some reviews are stupidly mental. Then there's the contrarian audience who seemed determined to call them out simply because the critics are seemingly insane about their words and siding with reviewers who like the movie because it validated their opinion. 

The Rotton Tomatoes debacle was something to put up as some aggregator when it failed at even that because RT was paid by studios hence the confusion of its scoring. Letterboxd is a far better audience aggregator site than RT could ever be because it's all about the audience. I don't have a Letterboxd account as I failed to keep up with MAL. 

There is nothing wrong with having a simple movie and a movie with themes pushing the story and characters. 

With Elemental marketed as a 'kid's movie' above a 'family movie' or an 'adult profound animated movie', it also brought up the question of originality. 

Yeah, Elemental is original but derivative. Not everyone would support something original just because it's original nor should they have to. If that were the case, we should support all the trends that came out of the multiverse movies just because they are making original stories around the basis. 

Personally, the way people hammered about Elemental made it seem like it came out already. To most people, it was just fine or okay by Pixar’s standard but not more groundbreaking. While people aren’t reacting to it the way the Mario movie somehow provoked, Elemental’s initial release was not good and deemed average. Nobody hates the movie but it's just nothing spectacular by Pixar's standards. 

I mean the Mario movie trailers spelled out everything one needed to know about the movie with nary an emotional aspect. Sure, there's the motive of saving his brother, and the brotherly love was there but it's nonexistent compared to Luigi who got a relatively smaller role but his character arc is just barely there, hooking as he had more of a character than his brother. Fuck, Toad was supposedly wanting to prove himself to Peach but we didn't go into his headspace much unlike Luigi. 

A lack of originality doesn't make something bad. Leaning into it and being tongue-in-cheek in a world that demands cynicism could be the way to make it work. 

People do want originality in the abundance of IPs. Newer IPs are spaghetti thrown at the wall and hoping something sticks. Witch Hat Atelier, Oshi no Ko, and Ron Kamonohashi Deranged Detective are a few examples that have done a great job as popular IPs are ending soon. 

Animanga had always been that way, hoping to throw whatever ideas and just hope which one would gain popularity. In the West, it’s greenlighted ideas that managed to break past but then that show had to deal with the shareholders and CEO who wanted to save money only to lose much more because of refusal to pay living wages to union writers, holding the shows over the audience’s head even though they’re the ones canceling the shows that could give them so much money and loyalty. Not to say the industry is much better in the East too but compared to here, what they’re doing is normal. 

When people are demanding realism and fewer plot holes in response to the CinemaSins and angry video reviewers just pointing out by the end of the day nitpicks, then that's where it becomes the problem. 

Honestly with angry video reviewers and CinemaSins being outdated yet their influence reign outside the internet and video essays being popular (though that had been under criticism. See Pinely’s video for that. I have also seen criticism aimed at way too long video essays but TRO aren’t one of them.), it showed that these nitpicks are just nitpicking. 

I have seen more people come in defense of movies than I have seen before. In the heyday of the Nostalgia Critic, we wouldn’t see that. 

It’s a side effect of the safe franchise remakes we are getting but it’s hard to miss the change from people saying that these studios seem to never watch the movies or even the source material. 

Demanding sincerity and going along its sparkles eyes with a nary of cynicism is hard for nihilistic cynicism. 

There is nothing wrong with that, especially when the narrative has to make sense in an obvious at the end of the day it’s still idealism. But when people are trying to push nihilism into an ultimately idealist work is those people's problems when the genre spelled out that it's going to end up relatively happily. 

Idealism is apparently too hard to comprehend in genres like Shounen. I’m looking at the MHA fandom who really believe certain characters should die even though a character already died to represent that and to kill off those two characters will set back the themes, character development, and so forth. MHA is a deconstruction but it’s still a reconstruction. Conventions of shounen are still used such as major flashbacks and thoughts prior to a character’s death and should’ve been a flag to know in MHA that these characters won’t go out. I mean when one character goes out the usual way Shounen usually goes out with a character's death (see Jiraiya for instance), then the characters won't really die. If they know the conventions, then it should be easy to know what will happen, particularly if you know critical thinking and reading comprehension so that's why I scoff at these people even having those nihilistic thoughts. Seriously, Star Wars was definitely one of its biggest inspirations with all the location names and even symbols being on there. The hometown of UA and Midoriya and the Todorokis is named after the planet Anakin lost most of his limbs and burned rendering his need for the life-support suit! Seriously, Dagobah Beach is the closest thing you are going to get to the original meaning of the location disregarding the Dark Side. 

That Star Wars is ultimately a fairytale about a son saving/redeeming his dad and toppling an empire out of love and compassion that is idealistic at the end of the day is apparently too hard for people to comprehend. I can't believe Kohei Horikoshi's MHA - in which the themes are just so tightened by characters and plot as it should be and comprehensive but no, people want nihilism - understood what Star Wars OT and PT stood for more than Rian Johnson and anybody working on the ST by rendering ST and ultimately SW a tragedy when it has never ever been that way in OT. 

Man, imagine if the Prequel Trilogy of Star Wars was released first rather than the hopeful Original Trilogy. The Prequels and its companions, Clone Wars, revel in dramatic irony as a tragedy which is a legit way to tell a story. The point of the Prequels and Clone Wars is to tell a tragedy with one ultimate bad guy while gray everywhere else, unlike the Original Trilogy which is more straightforward hope good vs evil. 

People think that the magic is lost because we already know what is going to happen when the Prequels and anything related like Clone Wars are steeped in dramatic irony. It's a fucking tragedy. 

If the Prequels had been released first, then there'd be arguments about the good vs. evil thing rather than the tragedy and dramatic irony the Prequels have to deal with a nonsensical argument. 

Dramatic irony is a legitimate way to tell a story. Titanic wouldn't have worked the way it had when everyone knew it and yet the story still worked. 

At this point, it's reading comprehension and critical thinking that failed so hard to understand the basics of literary techniques. Fuck, conventions of genres are bashed precisely because people failed to understand that. I have seen this with MXTX's MDZS which is a deconstruction of xianxia and people failed to understand that when the story is a deconstruction and deconstruction means that people already know the conventions of that genre. 

Like, people complain about how obvious Palpatine is Sidious of OT and how that made them seem smart when no, the Prequels utilized the literary technique of dramatic irony. Those people are idiots. 

Kids aren't a bad demographic to target. 

While animation is hard enough to fight for its place as a medium, kid's animated movies and shows do not detract from the argument. It has its place in this world. 

Flash animation is used primarily for Edutainment shows. Animation with regular outsourcing which is par for the course by the way is used in substitution for live-action shows. Just look at Wild Kratts and Zambomafoo which starred the Kratt brothers but existed in different times. 

Because outside of seeing kids or the cast interact with the real-world animals in segments in between or after episodes, it’s just not a full-time episode with that sort of thing. 

Bluey has been praised as a great show for preschoolers and its demographics. There is adult stuff in there that is handled tastefully, but it's still a preschooler show. It's not a dark show or a saccharine world with dark undertones. 

Kids are much smarter than anyone realizes. Mr. Rogers wouldn't have tried so hard to make people understand even that. 

Kids are also just as good a moneymaker as women are. Animation's easiest target is kids hence why a lot of shows are animated. 

Elemental is aimed at kids. That's what the marketing says its demographic will be. Depending on the marketing of which Pixar flick we do see, Soul says it's reaching a more different audience than Elemental. 

There is nothing wrong with Pixar aiming for the kids' crowd. There is nothing wrong with animated films aiming for kids as their main demographic. 

I know Pixar's repute had been called into question even before and with Lasseter's departure. Lasseter's comeback with Luck said he should retire at this point and live out his days peacefully. 

I know the critiques about Pixar's lack of emotive work even though Cars 2 had all but said so honestly. I don't know why Turning Red and even Brave getting the scrutiny that they certainly don't deserve that hard. 

There is nothing wrong with going out of that space but it seemed people were expecting so much despite knowing Disney is their reigning overseer hence we got the announcements of all those sequels. 

While I do think Pixar should expand more than just thought-provoking emotional pieces, the way people are going about their critiques seems to more reside with Disney on the state of things. Hell, the major works under Lasseter are largely Americana so it's a relief they tackling parts of the world outside that. 

They're the overseers of all the properties they bought out. It's obvious Pixar had to do the sequels because it's the easiest way to make a buck when original products are make-or-break in this franchise-nostalgia-safe heavy film industry. 

Disney after the Fox acquisition needs the money to pay off the debt that they paid way too much money for because Fox certainly does not deserve to cost that much but given how everything played out with the opponents not even wanting Fox... Yeah, Disney has everything coming for them with Iger's bad decision just to have the Simpsons. 

Because most of the problems Pixar is having can be drawn back to Disney. Moana the live action was only made because of the Rock because the original VA for the title character is not returning and gave the idea of Disney a win-win. Imagine we get an announcement of live-action Frozen and Tangled and Wreck-it Ralph and Princess and the Frog... 

Comparably, TLM is just a tad better even when it was bogged down by the nitpicks that Disney took so seriously. Really, Halle Bailey and Ariel/Eric chemistry romcom middle all of a sudden which is nice carried the film. Hey, we got Halle's personality and her rendition of the classic TLM songs which compared to the lack of personality of the previous remakes of the classic songs. I mean nobody even heard of Cinderella 2015's soundtrack including Lily James. I think Patrick Doyle's work overshadowed the covers anyhow. The fashion was just there - no complaints about it - but there were no 'the dress' moments for a Disney Princess. While I'm not crying about the fashion like the way I did Cinderella 2021, at least Belle got The Dress moment that Ariel just didn't have which Halle Bailey's Ariel deserved. No wedding dress, no pink dress, or even the glittery dress. I like the peasant dress enough but I'd rather want to see Halle Bailey's Ariel look spectacular. If I was a Disney Princess and didn't have The Dress moment, then what am I? I would be so mad. 

Remarkably, it's higher than expected on the list of Disney remakes which is not hard but unexpected. The cons still outweighed the pros but watchable, enjoyable even. As long as TLK 2019 lost its status, it's fine by me. The worst remake still goes to that or Mulan because Pinnochio is bad but so rushed and lacks understanding of the source material that not one good thing from it could save it. Peter Pan and Wendy were just dull. At least there is stuff TLM 2019 that can be enjoyed, even ironically like the poor rap that is so disconnected from Menken and Ashman's usual Broadway style. LMM's innovative Broadway style does not mesh well with the older style at all, to say the least. And not every character should rap too. Why is Scuttle rapping? 

We're gonna get a long list of Disney remakes in the future and who knows when it's gonna stop. Disney classics are there but if we're dreading modern classics that were only released for nary seven years, then who knows at this point?

Really, it's all a symptom of safe moneymaking in franchises and nostalgia. This also feeds into popular brand names including Mario and Spider-Man; hate to admit it but as much as either film is good, there is no denying that part of it was the brand names. For better or worse MCU set off the franchising of the movie landscape for decades, I mean we got Robert Downey Jr returning in a big way and people welcome that but the whole world does not have the same mindset of having comics put into the large screen with animation being a major difference in this case. DCAU has been heralded because it kept its consistency and it's not like everyone is expecting to watch every last of it but this is for television and this was long before we got at least ten episodes at best rather than a full 26-episode season. 

Franchises had also sapped the magic out of something bit by bit just with yearly releases too. With the MCU being the biggest one here, the magic is just gone. 

At least with Star Wars in the aftermath of the sequel trilogy that severely damaged it, the yearly releases will do the job. 

It's bad when people just aren't feeling anything with the announcement of fan-favorite Ahsoka Tano getting her own show. 

It's just depressing and I'd rather have the releases spaced out or not at all. Just let fans do the job of fanworks and it's all good at this point. 

Actually, with the mention of Star Wars, the fact that the energy has lessened and turned to apathy made it very clear brand name does not equal money necessarily. 

DC and Star Wars are two of the highest-grossing franchises yet the DCEU and SW Sequel Trilogy fail to sell any toys that are remotely selling well as OT and PT. It was that bad to the point that even though SW ST is recognized as part of the Skywalker Saga (let me laugh and cry in despair for a moment. OT and PT are the true Skywalker Saga and the potential or even just specks of the mythologies and politics that enveloped the first six films, the last three have no such connection and if I were to accept, it’s the characters, not including Kylo Ren who I’m seeing as this nebulous character rather than what could be told with the Neo-Nazi imagery and the politics that failed to take in consideration of the Old Republic and apply it to BIPOC characters. Saw Gerrera and Ezra Bridger vs. Mon Mothma and even Leia's realization in Bloodlines that people like Darth Vader aren't made evil shows that racism, classism, and white privilege are reflected better than anything done to any of the sequel BIPOC characters. I have deleted the ST from my mind and only used the characters but I will emphasize that ultimately SW is a myth with politics and bureaucracy that includes the Jedi Order who had grown too dogmatic - which is the problem because it's asking everyone to be too narrow when there is nothing wrong with the dogma itself when used in moderation. The issue is when it became dogmatic. It’s not the Disney retcon bs of possessive selfish love when a nine-year-old was denied even the basic worries and fear for his enslaved mother. Anakin is not an idiot and using the Disney retcon bs to say that made the Jedi even worse because Anakin was outright denied and forbidden contact with his mother by the council. Jedi was forbidden to love hence Obi-wan’s inability to express his brotherly love for Anakin in a healthy manner except for insults that are way too critical. The Jedi are open to casual sex but to say Anakin wouldn’t know the difference between possessive love vs compassionate love is cruel to Shmi, Anakin’s younger pure self, and intelligence. Anakin has many issues but one of the main problems is his inability to let go and move on. The Jedi aren’t bad people but we are supposed to read they meant well in spite of their missteps and the need to reform their stagnant ways that are helping the festering corruption and turning a blind eye to the slavery of the Republic including the clone troopers and being so far removed from the common people they could only understand superficially. While they aren’t corrupt, they are sure as hell not savvy and refused to play the game. Yeah, Palps need to die but that plan is so stupid because Palps is a popular leader. The Jedi Order as a bureaucratic organization is the issue, not the individuals. Now that rant about Yoda is deserving to him as he was the one who participated in the war instead of remaining neutral. They have so many options but they dealt in absolutes with what they think they see given to them by Palps. Reform! Grow with the times! That’s what the Jedi Order of the Old needs. Blaming the Jedi as easy scapegoats for the Republic Senate's failure is just so common when fucking Palpatine easily knew both sides of the issue. The Senate has just in the hand of the Republic's failure as much as the Jedi. The Jedi were the scapegoat while the Senate could just wash their hands off and Palpatine's ugliest legacy was the people can easily sweep away the corruption without realizing the corruption was from the Republic that Palpatine only used in his rise to power. - and refused to adapt to the changing times and hypocrisy that does not negate their religious inspirations. The ST tried to say they moved forward but showed they failed to understand OT and PT beyond acknowledging the Jedi failed Anakin - in part, they are the guardians of a little boy whose mother was still enslaved and the Jedi really did nothing about the slavery part because at no point and even Qui-Gon scoffed off the slavery in the Hutts-occupied Outer Rim, self-aware he was not - and that’s it. And even then, why did Luke create the same thing while knowing that?! The point of OT was Luke ignoring his Jedi mentors and becoming the new Jedi! Because Yoda is there and he hasn't learned anything at all in OT, just going crazy with grief! Fuck you, for the failure thing just for Yoda! My disappointment knows no bounds. Rian Johnson’s weakest work is definitely TLJ and I don’t care. The Benoit Blanc series shows he moved on and can make better works with an understanding of the systemic abuses but less so around the time he made TLJ because let’s be honest it’s clear he does not like these characters and made them in service of lack of agency, failure to understand OT, and cynical nihilism. I ignore the crap out of ST in particular and just don’t care much about SW anymore my consumption of SW fics is only in junction because fanfics used them nebulously with the characters only appearing in a happy universe or just there yet no active role in the plot just as much as Mara Jade but actively avoid Reylo and ST events as a whole. I utterly loathed that the Skywalker legacy is reduced to dust with the newer characters taking up what Luke had done instead of ya know actually having Luke and Leia's legacy remaining throughout instead of having nothing of their legacy in the end. Don't give me crap about Rey continuing on that legacy. She never has her potential fulfilled as her own character thus the Skywalker legacy is literally reduced to nothing. The ST is never ever going to be part of the Skywalker Saga because it was never was and never should be. Thank the fucking Godoka that I got the original Lego Star Wars that completed PT and OT and that's it and I'm happier for it. I could just play it again and not give a shit about the ST era at all. I do not see the ST at all and go 'sequels? What sequels?') and DCEU is now under the hands of James Gunn. Zack Synder, who I’m not a fan of, left the projects for his own sake, and that is how his view of superhero comics left much to be desired. 

Name brands could really lose steam and might kill off enough interest in the normies. That’s the main problem, not the people who partake in the hobby of fandoms who are well aware of the rampant -isms. Yeah, daily updates as the fandoms will continue as I know this very well. Declaring the diehards as the enemies is just bad even though yeah there is a nerd-to-fascist pipeline that exists in the Manosphere as well as nerds getting the nice guys from pop culture that promised them women. Attacking what came down to a small vocal portion as well as not acknowledging the -isms do persist in fandoms in more ways than one (oh, you should’ve seen the racism and so much in progressive shows or just straight up not acknowledging leftism in Andor for an example). Seriously, the people who decried that this moment in Disney Star Wars is not culture are just stupid at this point after what these same people say about PT and lack of understanding of OT. Well, we got Lizzo in all her fabulousness as Padme’s fashion icon. Luke’s ROTJ costume will reign supreme even with Anakin’s numbers but Anakin is less likely to wear couture than Padmé and his kids. 

It had to be a good crowd-pleaser for a franchise to even start and not the least studios outright say that it’s a new cinematic universe. The Dark Universe crashed and burned hard. The MonsterVerse was just there even with Bear McCreary’s best works on there. 

Just don’t expect name power = easy money as well as Hollywood superstars just dying out. Even in the franchising of movies, the entertainment of the masses reigned over critical analysis and not even that. 

It boiled down to quantity over quality essentially. Unlike MHA and anime which are released every few years or wait just enough to fulfill certain arcs while the manga will still continue and the gacha games will just make events line up, the superhero franchises of the West demand yearly releases as if they see the audience as having an attention span of a goldfish or fear losing interest because of the binging thing we got. It was so bad enough that people are revisiting the older seasons of more than twenty episodes the breathers and so on. 

At least anime remains the same with a 12-episode count. The landscape over here changed way too much to allow even a 26-episode season with streaming and all. Look at the difference between Star Trek Picard, Discovery, and Lower Decks with Enterprise. Heck, look at Star Wars Clone Wars 2008 series season episode count till the last season. 

I'm actually wondering what if Stranger Things has a 26-episode count. Would that force them to develop further? Not that's happening because Netflix won't go that far continuously. 

In this case, it’s a mix of quality and marketing. Well, quality is focused on the plot with no breather episodes, just comedy and heartfelt scenes interwoven rather than an entire episode of craziness. You won’t see a modern Star Trek episode with DS9’s Our Man Bashir aka the episode where the senior staff were tapped as holosuite characters because a human dumped a transport buffer into the station’s core memory and hoped it worked out somehow! With binging and money thrown at GOT, it isn't any wonder that it changed. 

However, I also heard it's also a case of trying not to pay the writers and actors. In that case, I want more episodes! 

But at the same time, the fact these ten-episode runs can just be dropped on streaming, and the general audience has the attention span of a fruit fly and move on instead of keeping up with a show that is released on a specific date and time weekly lasting a season or more that provide loyalty. 

I mean wasn’t it any wonder I can keep up with animanga and want to stay for the theories and fanart? 

Just can I please get back the 26 episodes run anyway? Instead of the ten that can be just dropped after filming and streaming? Because we need loyalty back. 

I’m going out of my way to get physical media and outright piracy now because streaming once killed piracy and physical media has now made it pivotal that piracy and physical media are now revived after three years. 

It does make me miss breather episodes which is a requirement. Getting to know these characters before the storm is a piece of writing advice that people should understand. Fillers and breathers are different except fillers add nothing while breathers do add characterization and breathing room before the storm. 

I just wish that instead of having plot and plot and just having breathing room before the pain, ya know. Get to know these characters when they feel more relaxed away from the plot, just on a vacation or resting, or in the middle of a break. 

At this point, even the capitalist shopping mall from other characters while others trying to solve a riddle in Stranger Things count as a breather even though it doesn't. 

Can I just have an episode of Steve and the kids just going to the movies together or camping? At this point, the Coca-Cola Stranger Things collab counts more as a breather as we do see Steve and Dustin relax before watching a movie together. 

I just really miss breather episodes, okay?! Just plot all over with levity still there but no breather episodes! What is wrong with a beach episode or just something relaxing for these characters to go on before the big adventure or in the middle of said adventure? 

Really, can I get a Steve and the Party bonding on a trip to Indy to buy some DND stuff or a concert? 

That's apparently too much to ask for in the streaming age. 

Even when anime itself is cutting back on fillers, breather episodes are now only in recaps or in original episodes at best. Just look at MHA where we see the swimming pool episode that is the first episode of a season. It's a rare episode of anime-original only but MHA also took breaks to get arcs so they could adapt. 

Heck, I'm perfectly fine with SK8 having the summer beach episodes. I want that! Those are breathers! 

I'm just gonna cry over here that not even anime cutting back on breathers because of the fillers thing that is understandable but breathers shouldn't be the casualty. 

I'm not asking to bring back fillers when all I want is breathers that allow levity and plot and character development in a different form, showcasing and advancing the plot in ways people just don't understand. 

Again, fillers and breathers are totally different but one actually has an impact on the story while allowing breathing room for levity while the other is fluff. 

There are lots of problems with media that is failing to understand that while we don't want everything to return to what it used to but to adapt while showing that it doesn't need to have all plot rather than have it while critical thinking is failing so hard due to Twitter and nihilism. Not everything is made for one person nor should it be done that way. 

A lot of the Hollywood movie industry's problems boiled down to the expenses that breaking even is way too much for an event film that is not even an event film at this point consumers after the pandemic are now choosing wisely because of inflation mostly. Just because it was made just a little over the budget does not mean it's a success; it needs to break even by double that amount or more which is just terrible. 

At this point, mid-budgets do deserve to come back and franchises would be back but only in returns. As much as I hate to admit it, The Super Mario Bros Movie and Spiderverse have popular IPs on them. 

Then again, The Flash which had Batman prominently and surprise Supes cameos failed epically. Blue Beetle succeeded but not as a box office success. 

Franchises and popular IPs still remain a significant problem. When it started to infect many other media like video games and shows, it's not gonna stop for a while. 

Budgets for movies will be cut down while television budgets will go up even if it's just a particular project that might get its money back. 

I don't know about One Piece but one of the goals of the live-action was to reach a mainstream audience outside of Japan where it's almost a religion there. In the West, although OP Red was a success, I don't know if anyone outside of the anime community is watching it because unlike Demon Slayer which is a gateway anime for many, it's unsurprising that Demon Slayer movie will make that much money. Demon Slayer isn't my favorite shounen as I found it too clean of the genre for my tastes but it's understandable DS was a wild success. The live-action of One Piece due to its initially poor dub job and overall cartoony nature that is more in line with Looney Tunes and extensive length puts people off so this live-action was a one-last shot to the Western audience before the series ended and certainly succeeded. 

Netflix's goal was a cash cow in the likes of GOT because many studios have yet to find their GOT when GOT's fanbase was able to recover just a tad in The House of Dragons while the crew and cast behind OPLA are passionate about bringing the heart and soul of the story and characters to a new audience that otherwise might not get into One Piece for a variety of reasons. 

While One Piece might just have a bit of an edge over Sandman, Sandman was still Neil Gaiman and even among the general public, pop culture had adapted his works successfully as seen in the case of Good Omens so his works are a goldmine. Sandman still got renewed for a second season even if their budget was decidedly lower than OPLA's. 

IPs for live-actions will still happen but as seen in the best adaptations, there must be a balance of the camp/whimsy with the serious. Essentially, take the work seriously but don't make it serious. There are times an international cast is best - looking at you, AOT, and FMA as OPLA depict this brilliantly as Oda made it clear that everybody in the Strawhats came from different nations - and sometimes it's best with a Japanese cast - look at Bleach for example. MHA strictly takes place in Japan with some darker-skinned Japanese members in there but it benefits mostly from a Japanese cast because MHA deals with the Japanese system just as the Persona series and Death Note which again I would point out failed to say anything about the American system whereas the original did have something to say about the Japanese system. 

When Jungle Book and Cinderella were the best of the bunch, it said a lot that no matter how successful the remakes are there is gonna be a point where a faithful adaptation that its own thing that justifies its own existence is going to be better received than a bad adaptation that makes a mockery of the source material and what people actually love about it with people who are only doing their job or just don't like the material to even respect it. 

While the floodgates are certainly open with One Piece's successful success, who knows what is going to happen in the future of IP in the live-action format? 

With remakes being lampooned and the best ones seen as the best of the bunch, it's hard to argue that IPs moving forward is still gonna be profitable. 

Demon Slayer Mugen Train, Haikyuu Movies, and Anime Arc Films

This has been on my mind lately. I am only counting onward from Mugen Train so no Digimon Adventures tri here as it ended the pre-release of the anime film that kicked off the trend. 

This is specifically about arcs adapted into films, not canon-adjacent films like One Piece Red and MHA Two Heroes though the cameos I have seen in the latest chapter as of writing all the movies are basically canon now while characters are canon less so the timelines. While MHA World Heroes’ Mission was released after Mugen Train, that MHA is the very last MHA film at this point so honestly I don’t count it any more than a side adventure that featured Rody, a movie-only character that prove so popular to the point of ranking in the popularity polls that his fellow movie-only characters never had a scratch of. There is a difference between making cameos from movie-created characters and making them relevant after all. Detective Conan is notorious for taking movie characters and making them canon like Shiratori no ever which way. MHA just confirmed those movie events as canon whereas DC/CC made them plot-relevant but in no way have I heard the movies are canon as I heard from many including official sources and fans these are canon; I think I heard Rody became so true to Horikoshi that he wanted him plot-relevant but I don’t know about that honestly. I mean Takagi was just some background character until the voice actors improvised that using the seiyuu’s name is a must now albeit Gosho Aoyama changed the meaning of the names with some character changes to best for the detective theme. The whole police force with the exception of a few were created first for the anime or the movie and is now used to tell stories. I don’t think we would’ve gotten the Sato x Takagi love story if it weren’t for the improv and Gosho even liking the character to the point Takagi had a connection with a guy who got a connection to a very plot-important Amuro Ray reference character. Hey when Shuichi is the Char Aznable reference, I can like all the Gundam references I want. 

I’m digressing but arc films, prequels, finales, and entire canon arcs squeezed into a one to a nearly two-hour film. Mugen Train was nearly two with an hour and 57 minutes of runtime to be exact. And even then Mugen Train was adapted into episodes including a deeper look into the events including Rengoku, acting as a bridge to the future arc and complimenting the film.

Mugen Train’s method of using the film is totally new. Usually, anime films are compilations (by the by, I don’t recommend watching the Code Geass compilation films because outside of some good scenes, the way it made Lelouch be the fanon version rather than the canon is horrid and it’s better to watch the series than the movies), anime originals, adaptations, or non-canon. Sure there might be references or just taking the characters from there and then utterly ignoring the events or canon-adjacent because of mangaka’s involvement or liking the films or characters so much they made it canon. 

And I can’t stress this enough: They still made it into episodes and used it as a bridge point for a future arc and complimenting the film version. 

Haikyuu is essentially making the films the finale, with over 100 chapters compressed and even cut less than important scenes to fit two two-hour films. 

Jujutsu Kaisen made a film based on the prequel and for all intent and purposes, it was a success though criticized for the underdevelopment of some characters. 

Just to be clear, there is a difference between this and YOI Adolescence. YOI is an anime original and thus follows different rules than a straight-up adaptation. 

Since Haikyuu had announced the finales to be movies as previous seasons had been impacted by the pandemic, are other studios watching? Are Bones watching Haikyuu to see if they could make the final arc of MHA movies too, considering they said S7 but not the final season? Attack on Titan made the final season into batches of parts rather than movies. Would Bones take that route instead?

Haikyuu split up the first movie as the Garbage Dump match while the second movie will cover the entire time skip. Just why? Make it three films because covering over a hundred chapters for a barely two-hour movie would not cut it. I know Haikyuu anime while still loved had been in a spiral since the pandemic that hit its quality. 

I mean the P3 movies were exactly three parts but split into four. Even then, they made the social links background while concentrating on the development of SEES and the other plot and character development stuff. P3 movies are decent according to the fanbase. 

I haven't even mentioned the Kaguya-sama movie and the SAO Progressive movies. I heard good reviews for the latter, particularly in the West, when the anime itself is so notorious for just bad storytelling. Both are canon although SAO Progressive was more of a retelling. 

It’s more in line with the EVA movies where it’s a new timeline where we see Hideaki Anno’s process from his depression that still occurred to the happiness he has for himself at a better place. 

However, EVA is entirely dependent on Hideaki Anno’s mindset rather than a new retelling. It’s still the same story but much happier. For the most part. 

Just of note, SAO is immensely popular. I don't think Trash Taste realized just how popular SAO is in Japan because their hatred of it clouded why a salaryman can just buy a bulk of Kirito figures. 

I have mixed feelings about entire arcs adapted into films when it’s still so new. Batch releases kind of make sense but with the whole Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures and Attack on Titan, that is still new. 

Everything about this whole thing is new, canon-adjacent, and canonical arcs, are primarily the targets here. Apparently, as long as it’s canon, adaptation into a film is a must when it has lots of material to work with. 

Non-canon films to big IPs can and will happen. Sure the characters are canon but less so are the timelines. Detective Conan isn’t bothering with the trend as I heard nothing about the upcoming film even being canon in any capacity. Yeah, the characters are canon but you can watch or read the original without ever knowing those characters were movie originals. Shiratori was a movie original yet here he was playing a role in the Sato x Takagi love triangle and the blossoming relationship with Kobayashi. I haven’t heard any of the BO members' movie originals were ever remotely hinted as canon or even adjacent like a name drop. 

Even Pokémon didn’t bother. We haven’t gotten a side adventure movie featuring a legendary and/or a popular Pokémon since Kalos. Yeah, there’s a Galar one but it was after years of a remake of an alternate timeline and CG of the first movie. Even then in the miniseries finale where Ash didn’t seem to have fond memories of his dad or any memory of him but was still excited to meet him especially juxtaposed by a father who dearly loved his deceased son whereas the Galar movie had that fond memory. Really after the finale miniseries, Ash fans were decidedly not happy with Ash’s dad as they had mixed feelings about him beforehand even after the seeming retcon of Ash’s memory of his dad in the movie. 

The movies are canon as that's not disputed. The Lucario Aura references had been made canon since Sinnoh and especially Journeys. Drew was from LaRousse City thus Destiny Deoxys is canon. 

Hey, unlike Gon with Ging and Usopp with Yasopp, Ash wanted to meet his dad after so long and was disappointed by him. Ash just wanted to meet his dad and experience the fatherly care Haruto had. At least the anime knew that Ash’s dad had never been great, effectively leaving Delia to run the restaurant and raise Ash alone. They just continued on that instead of that seeming movie retcon. 

I know fans were disappointed there was no SuMo movie. Instead, legendaries were involved since the beginning of the series so yeah… I don’t think anyone expected a Galar movie after so long with the soft remake films. 

Hell, the Legends Arceus specials are just specials, not a movie. Yet it was Zarude who got the movie. By the by, released two months after Mugen Train and we don’t know if Liko and Roy will star in their own movie. 

So even with the release of the new series of Pokémon with our new leads, we don’t know the movie future of Pokémon. The miniseries finale ended and now the start of a new series and chapter in Pokémon anime history. 

So I don’t this counts. The Galar movie and the miniseries finale contradict each other just by the mere mention of Ash’s dad in its context. We just haven’t had a Pokémon movie that was something we would see usually that isn’t a soft remake. 

Anyways, canon films. 

One Piece Red got into the trend by essentially making it canon. That means it’s not just a side adventure in the creative world but a genuine canonical event that happened at the very least. Unlike the other Oda-involved movies, this is close to the canon you can get. The others have canon characters but the timelines are off. Yeah, Red couldn’t possibly be taken after Wano due to events but it’s still the closest thing we got, more so than Strong World, Z, Gold, and Stampede. 

I don’t know about any other IPs getting into the action of adapting entire arcs yet. It’s still too new when popular IPs are more outliers. 

Given the popularity of the films adapted, it’s more outliers that they even achieved the box office they have, much less the limited theaters. 

Of course, it’s gonna be released in the United States here because the market here is large. Anime demand had increased after all. 

For what it’s worth, while the anime community is divided about the batches release and the arc movies, all people see is money from up top. 

Would it last or it’s just a phase? 

Anime is changing for better or worse. This new change would go on for so long and not just the streaming services and all their ways even though we are still getting simulcasting and simul dubbing. The entire issue of Union voice actors and the whole live-action anime push is another thing. I’ll rather watch any of the anime musicals than any Netflix live-action anime. You know it’s bad they’re using animation for a live-action adapted from animation in just the opening alone of Cowboy Bebop the live action. There’s the live-action of Your Name in development apparently and I have so many mixed feelings. 

Yeah, we’re getting live actions from Attack on Titan to FMA. This is utterly hilarious now that we have the live-action Moana to deal with as those live actions are in the span of two decades. The Disney Renaissance remakes were made in the late 2010s which is an obvious close. 

Seriously, all the advertisements that anime and celebrities have in East Asia are seen as good. BTS’ faces are literally everywhere in Seoul which fills me with glee knowing B-free will see them no matter what. It’s why I wasn’t surprised to see the collaborations with BTS at all. 

We have anime reboots with FMAB kickstarting them. Don’t watch the first episode of FMAB, just go to the second or watch FMA 2003 the canonical expansion but not when it departs from the manga canon. I seriously don’t want people watching the basic foreshadowing and it’s a weak episode too even though at first glance it’s an action to have the foreshadowing pieces. Also, listen to FMA 2003 anime OST over FMAB OST because even to this day, nothing from the latter’s soundtrack stuck with me. It was just so common rather than the emotional pieces that provided more iconic music. 

There had been great ones (Fruits Basket, Trigun Stampede) and not-so-good ones (Sailor Moon Crystal, Tokyo Mew Mew). It’s still a mixed bag.

Not to mention Bleach returning where it left off, showing canceled shows can make a comeback. This is still too new. While KHR is at the forefront of speculation, we don’t know. Black Butler is continuing with the school arc after so long. 

I would have to mention a movie-like premiere of the first episode of the series. Yeah, I’m talking about Oshi no Ko. ONK had been anticipated for an anime adaptation with the prologue being the main point of interest for the manga even reaching the status it has. 

Whether or not studios want to follow especially when the premieres of longer episodes of 50-70 or so minutes felt more like two or more episodes mashed together. A starting premiere of the first episode of a highly anticipated series might set the fires off for similar projects of that caliber. 

This one is still new and whether or not it will kick off a new trend or just a fad or for special occasions we just don’t know yet. 

CGI anime is still new. All of Studio Orange’s works so far are a labor of love but it’s hard enough to make it work to expand more than just openings, scenes, and objects. Notice I just say Studio Orange and not other studios that use CGI animation extensively. Demon Slayer uses CGI a lot of the time. When anime uses CG, it’s incredibly obvious so when these guys praise Demon Slayer yet criticize Studio Orange and other CG-focused anime studios for doing something even though they have their own creative visions that allowed the CG to work. These guys have no grounds to stand on and it’s laughable for them to think so. Anime and any East Asian studios for that matter still haven’t reached the levels of Western 3D animation or even the levels of the animation revolution we’re having with many different styles and frame rates and all that jazz. Spiderverse didn’t invent as much as they innovate (nobody thought making a comic book movie in all its glory was possible as now we got TMNT Mutant Mayhem as taking the comic art into the film) and make people aware of the techniques of animation. I love Spiderverse but I’m fully aware that it was mainstream enough outside of a growing niche and a medium often derided as for kids even if it’s an animated movie that is aimed at kids yet is simply it’s derided as not being this or that when the medium doesn’t have to be all serious to be accepted. Sometimes it can be a fun ride but in others, it can be a serious exploration. Seriously, does anyone expect the same thing out of the comedy genre? There are dramedy and tragicomedy for a reason. Why is Western animation have moving goalposts when animation is a medium that deserves respect? 

Seriously, Promare has quieter and slower moments to show character moments and progression but at the end of the day, the plot is very simple albeit convoluted. It’s not the best but it’s not the worse. 

Why is the Mario movie suddenly the breaking point? Sure criticize the thin plot and characters as they don’t create the cinematic experience but sometimes thinness can be worked with if shown just enough sincerity. At the same time, white knighting a movie simply because the critics hate it and aggregate sites ranks it as mediocre at best with bizarre rants that hit the score, not the least RT is not trustworthy. As a film with a story, it’s minimal but as a Mario movie, it’s a fun flick. Why is it so hard to understand? The entire mess was just eye-rolling to sit through before and after release as if a singular movie will make or break something. Seriously, why people are trusting RT scores when it’s manipulated? Letterboxd is far more accurate in audience rating. 

I don’t count sequels such as CCS Clear Card but honestly, I don’t count those. 

Hunter x Hunter is finally returning, not in anime obviously but the continuation at last for an arc at least. 

The anime competition has been changing. Some things are still way too new while others had been going on for years. 

Mini-Review: One Piece Live Action

When I made my OFMD review post, I commented that pirate media wouldn't come back in a big way. While I still think that, pirate media is having a comeback this year with OFMD season 2, Assassin's Creed Black Flag is remaking into a new game, and the One Piece Netflix live-action show. It's not huge but there is strong word of mouth. I mentioned One Piece in my OFMD review because normal people would see the length and drawbacks against it, not knowing they would fall down the rabbit hole. 

The One Piece Red movie was a rounding success here in the US due to both the strong fanbase and word of mouth so I hope the same would do for the live-action adaptation. 

I do watch the live-action adaptations of animanga. I want to see how it would adapt and do the source material justice. I even managed the bad ones despite knowing they were the bad ones. Of course, low expectations aside, I was still gonna watch the live-action Netflix show adaptation of One Piece. 

I want people to get into animanga but the stigma still remains even with the rising popularity. As much as live-action adaptations tend to just be there (looking at you, FMA), a good adaptation could draw people into the source material to check it out at the very least. A very bad adaptation can at worst tell people nothing and make them avoid the source material thinking that it would be just as bad as the live-action adaptation they just watched. 

Now the show only adapted barely past Arlong Park but not Loguetown because according to one of the interviews, they would need more money and time to film. They wanted to but considering this show is as expensive as Game of Thrones at this rate, they need to stop at one point for now because if it's a success, then they can go all out. The show is even more expensive than any original shows on Netflix combined. 

Initially, I was wary about it when the script presented a seemingly heroic Luffy. However, as the cast, trailers, teasers, and especially the clips came out, it made me excited though I try to tamp it down because I want to keep my expectations that as long as it feels like One Piece, then I'm happy. I was trying to keep my expectations low because when anime adaptations that do great can wow me, it's great. I mean the Death Note live-action movie Netflix bored me because at one point I kept half an ear while scrolling through my phone. 

If it really worked out well and proved a critical success among fans, then it would hopefully teach Hollywood and any entertainment monopolies that with time and the right people involved, it will pay off for them and for the fans. One Piece Netflix could walk so future live animanga adaptations could run. 

I know Rurouni Kenshin exists because it has been deemed as the best of the live-action animanga adaptations ever. Please note that the movie series doesn’t have Watsuki’s influence at all outside of providing the source material (the fact so many including Oda support him after Watsuki used his influence and connections to escape punishment. Yeah, still disappointing because Kohei Horikoshi wouldn’t support Watsuki but Horikoshi has his own flaws such as Momo and Hagakure…ugh, that cover… I mean Horikoshi still has Oda’s support in the final leg of MHA because Horikoshi is tired just not as bad as Kishimoto who bends to the executives and editors. That’s why I don’t really try to care about authors, especially after the JKR debacle but we shouldn’t hold them up as idols either, simply as a creator. At least the ones who haven’t done crimes or shown themselves to be asses to everyone.). If One Piece could do that, then it could mean anything. 

When video game adaptations are working very well now with the latest of the lot doing well, the curse has very well ended though people argued that there have been good video game adaptations even if they are more on the low-key reception. That’s the same with animanga adaptations too since Alita had done pretty well but it’s low-key. If it’s for an IP that isn’t well-known or made in a foreign country, unless it does Squid Game and Stranger Things numbers on a streaming platform, it’s not gonna be known or registered as part of a curse.

Even now the Bleach live-action movie while received nicely is low-key nowadays. The One Piece live-action have huge promo even in the strike through weird promos. 

Tumblr promos are pretty bad but hating on the show, the animanga, and their fans will get them nowhere. The adverts are ridiculous even by the standards of Tumblr adverts but people shouldn’t shout at the people who made the show or the fans but yell at the staff instead. The One Piece fandom on Tumblr is lowkey especially when Zosan scored around the 60s on the AO3 ships. I should add that they aren't crossing the picket line when they aren't even in the industry itself, just advertisers. It's still pretty bad though they seem to be siding with Netflix so it's best to send them disapproval about the adverts during the strike. I want to ask: Why are they bending over backward over a silly clown that amounts to a billboard because Tumblr isn’t actors and actors aren’t coders? They went so far to defend Barbie’s adverts but when it comes to One Piece, it’s pitchforks. I’m asking why they’re more upset about One Piece. 

Also, I can't believe I have to say this: One Piece content creators are gonna make reviews about the show because the work itself is not struck when again the people behind them would've said something by now about not seeing it. The point with the strikes is that they want people to see and give positive reviews to the stuff they made, just not work with the struck companies. The OP content creators and other random people online aren't gonna take the side of Netflix when all they're doing is reacting to the one thing that has been anticipated for years, especially in the times of the strike. The content creators aren't scabbers because they aren't with the unions but they side with the unions by giving positive reviews and demanding a second season with rightfully paid actors and writers. The strike will say something about what not to watch and One Piece is not one of them because that's jumping the gun on something that had been in the works for years and the ones that the strike will say to boycott have not even been released. The strikes are important but please understand the nuances instead of taking everything negatively in the worst possible way when the media that are released nowadays have been made years prior. 

Fuck, people are so fucking excited for OFMD which is not struck because the cast and crew would've said something by now, and fucking HBO is a fucking struck company but no, people don't understand that because apparently, it's best to jump to conclusions that by watching Netflix and Max, they are basically supporting the struck companies when these had been worked on prior to the strike and isn't counted as a struck work but the struck companies are. What people are doing and spreading misinformation is hurting the cause rather than helping. 

The struck shows are the ones ongoing in production. The Drew Barrymore mess is one such thing. One Piece S1 was done well before and isn’t struck.

Actually, I think I should talk about that. The people involved and the strike did not say to boycott shows that are already made. Netflix in their video promos made it clear that it was filmed before the strike and the producer and team involved had interviews with people who aren't involved with the industry to promote. If the strike said which show to boycott, it's definitely not this show because they would've said something about it by now. Stephen Amell is a scab willingly when his coworkers definitely aren't. The people involved with the strike will tell people what to strike and to jump the gun on One Piece made me question you because it seemed you hate One Piece in particular while saying nothing about Barbie and Oppenheimer at all. 

It would be amazing that One Piece out of all things would get a good live-action adaptation out of this. Now two of the Big 3 have good adaptations, Bleach, One Piece, and now it's Naruto's turn. I'm waiting for Naruto's turn now because One Piece turned out to be solid. 

There is just so much passion and love for One Piece in every nook and cranny. Easter eggs and everything feel One Piece. On that note, I was not expecting references and foreshadowing to future arcs at all. As a hint, Noland. Holy fuck, I wasn't expecting Noland to be referenced as far back as the East Blue Saga which I should be expecting now that I think about it because One Piece is so far along that later arcs should be foreshadowed at this point because why not? 

Besides the easter eggs leave tantalizing hints for newcomers who are utterly unfamiliar to One Piece's famous foreshadowing. It's so fun to see newcomers speculating whether or not Shanks got a Devil Fruit because that is how much the fandom used to speculate too. It's not only a great recreation but also a great way for newcomers to get invested in mysteries that won't be revealed until later. Besides, I'm cackling at newbies and casual watchers wanting to know the basic structure of Reverse Mountain because they got their first taste of the world and want more. I cannot wait to see their faces when season 2 happens and we get to the Grand Line! 

The characters, the writing, and the world feel One Piece which is more than I say about Cowboy Bebop which the world feels not like the anime at all. On its own, Cowboy Bebop live-action might be a story that could do well even if it's doing more telling than showing but as an adaptation, it's piss-poor. They actually kept the world and characters campy. It felt like a good mix of Hook, Muppets Treasure Island, and Pirates of the Caribbean. 

The Strawhats are the Strawhats. The found family comes through strongly as well as the individual characters even if there are changes. I felt like I was back reading and watching One Piece all over again and falling in love with the characters. They definitely aren’t 1:1 (I can tell you flat the OPLA Luffy is not animanga Luffy but it’s not a bad thing because the essence of Luffy is still there; Animanga Luffy is selfish but he is kind and a great judge of character. He’s just not good-good, you get what I mean, right? A lot of things got lost in translation as well as making it friendly to Westerners. The core of the characters in addition to acting the shit out of these characters does not detract from that.) but they are close yet their own spin. 

The actors are fantastic as they have done a great job making the characters their own but not losing the essence. Special mention goes to Jeff Ward as Buggy who is a wonder to watch; he doesn’t overstay his welcome too as a bonus. Please if people are surprised about Buggy fuckers, they haven’t seen his Impel Down arc yet; whether people like it or not, Buggy fuckers have always been a thing. Buggy isn’t even my favorite character in any incarnation but Jeff Ward’s performance certainly deserves an award. Godoka, I want him to interact with so many characters and Impel Down and to see Jeff Ward as Buggy the Warlord. The Failing Upwards as Buggy always is per the guy. 

The music is definitely an A plus. The We Are motif and Bink's Sake in the background made me so happy. 

There is a mix of practical and CGI but it will get more CGI-heavy given this is One Piece we're talking about here but since we haven't reached the Grand Line Paradise yet, we have yet to see how they are going to continue that mix. 

The costuming looks natural, not too cosplay but natural enough. I cannot believe Zoro’s green hair looks so natural. In some parts, it could’ve done better but when Mihawk looks like an utter badass, I don’t know what to say? Please we are in a world of merpeople, fish people, furries, islands that are stuck in one climate or have the ability to have wild stuff, and so much more. 

I definitely like the expansion of a tiny Transponder Snail that acts as a Bluetooth earpiece. It’s both modern yet it still feels like One Piece. The sets are beautiful like Going Merry and Baratie; the bar at the fish’s mouth makes me want so bad to visit and eat there. If possible, they could make a museum out of the sets because I want a damn theme park. 

It does say a lot just how fantastical the series is because of course Baratie needs a dock and uses as much space as possible for the restaurant-boathouse for living space and the restaurant itself. Of course, Going Merry is gonna be small with just enough room to relax because it’s a caravel that is meant for simple cruising in the East Blue, not the treacherous waters of the Grand Line. 

The story can get wonky and could do better in some parts. There are parts where I think the original is better. Not once did I think it was ever going too fast or too much going on. In fact, I think I was enjoying it outside of thinking parts of the story could've been better or the original was better told. If that isn't a mark of an adaptation instead of a 'everything sucks' that I see often, then I don't know what is? 

I think that because of time constraints, they couldn’t let the arc breathe in just a tad to build the arc just a little. The emotional moments didn’t feel impactful. Then again I had this same problem in the Episodes of Nami/East Blue too so there. I just hope that come season 2, they are allowed to breathe in just for a while since unlike East Blue where you can skip Gaimon, you can’t skip the entirety of the Alabasta saga because Little Garden is so important. 

But the live-action adaptation cut too much of Nami, Usopp, and even Sanji's pivotal moments in East Blue Saga to the detriment of uplifting Koby as the future of the Marines and Garp. I have no problem with the Marines getting a B-plot as a concept but when it cuts into the pivotal moments off, it felt not necessary, particularly with Cocoyashi Village as a whole. Genzo getting demoted really does not help that secondary parental figures for the Strawhats are not getting the screen time with the exception of one character probably due to another character's status as being raised by said character. At least those who are interested and want to start over would look at the differences with clear eyes as to why fans aren't major fans of those changes even if it was signed off by Oda. 

If I do have a major criticism, it’s that the world doesn’t feel lived-in enough. In the manga, the cover and background made the world feel so much. Because of the show cutting the minor characters, that lived-in aspect is going towards those who know the Strawhats. The sequel book on the final episode of season 1 shows a wider world than the endings of the Strawhats leaving the islands.

There are changes to be streamlined and made palatial for casual fans. I understand that but sometimes I miss some parts of the story that I love so much that ended up being easter eggs. 

At the end of the day, it's an interpretation of the story that it respects in a live-action format that works so well because it's still One Piece. It has a reason to exist which I can't say the same about Death Note 2017 where those changes made it no reason to exist on its own such as the constant thought of why the fuck is this happening? Those story changes made no sense to the themes if they had any because Justice never made any examination except surface level. For CBLA, they spell out the themes without showing them. 

In the end, it felt like the Strawhats were heading to Reverse Mountain. However, since producers had stated they wanted to make Loguetown, it's still likely we'll see Loguetown in the second season until just past the Alabasta arc where Robin joins because Alabasta is so expansive that it's needed to fill that much. It's just that this time Smoker will have more of an idea when Luffy finally arrives in Loguetown and the execution where he will get the feeling Luffy will become Gol D. Roger's successor. It's likely Logetown will be reduced to one episode instead of two episodes unless Netflix agreed to let them have more episodes this time around. 

God, I want to see so many characters in the second season: Ace, Laboon, Chopper, Robin, Vivi, Smoker, Tashigi, Crocodile... It makes me so happy because aside from Enies Lobby being my favorite arc of Paradise, I just want to see the Alabasta arc in all its glory and why fans love this arc in particular. As for the New World, it's a fight between Whole Cake Island and Zou; again, I haven't watched/read Wano in its entirety yet so that's why it's not in the running. 

The thing I could see biting them in the ass is the non-existence of Hachi. Given how important Hachi is later on, it's necessary they still need him around if they plan to finish the entire series in live-action. 

The colors are muted which is compared to OFMD which is basically Muppets. OFMD didn't exactly try to build every single ship or village. It's expensive surely because of the period wear but they still use virtual production. I just wish there were more colors in this rather than the color grade we ended up getting. There are still colors but more dull except when it’s in the bright sun. It got better but the color grading can be pretty bad at times. 

The show still feels like a swashbuckling adventure mixed with Looney Tunes. While I was still disappointed in the color grading, at least it feels like that. 

I don't jive with all the changes but every aspect still captured the spirit of One Piece and it's solid enough to stand on its own. 

If I have to give it a score, a decent seven out of ten straw hats is pretty good for an anime live-action adaptation. While no Rurouni Kenshin, it still squeezed out the score that is by all means a C plus. 

Honestly, the Rotten Tomatoes Score for both critics and audiences are pretty good parameters. Just a heads up, the few negative critic reviews are pretty bad, saying that it’s too close to the source material which is just nuts when that’s a good thing. I haven’t seen the East Blue Saga in years but I recognize the story beats as it’s second nature and I can tell them upfront that the adaptation is an adaptation and definitely not 1:1 as they imply. 

It makes me laugh that One Piece out of all things managed to get a good adaptation and will make other future adaptations run. The curse on the Western anime adaptations has finally been broken because now Netflix found the formula to help future adaptations. Notice I said Western because the curse on Japanese anime adaptations was broken long ago by Rurouni Kenshin. However, there are just bad adaptations released before and after the trilogy but the fact still remains: there are still good Japanese anime live-action adaptations as long as they give the story its dues. 

Really, when Cowboy Bebop and Death Note, the latter of which is grounded in reality, couldn't be adapted properly, then what about One Piece? How is it possible that the cartoony One Piece managed that? 

As it turns out, a balance of realism and fantasy, a central story that respects the source material while changing it to fit the live-action medium. 

I am going to say this especially when I saw it during the leadup to the release: Do not mess with people who just want to have fun and enjoy something. Sure, you might dislike One Piece or think the live-action might be good or just think the live-action looks bad but that does not mean you can be mean to others because you think your opinion means more to someone's enjoyment. 

Also, One Piece fandom, don't even try to gatekeep. Fans of the live-action have their first exposure due to this. They aren't gonna be 'true fans' just because they haven't read the manga. Give them room to explore the animanga without spoiling the fuck out of the rest of the series. We want to introduce them to One Piece and the live-action can provide as a mediator until they choose to explore the wider world. With One Piece drawing near its end in a couple years, the live-action should act as the same core story but in a different medium. 

I am endlessly entertained by non-readers/watchers of One Piece getting introduced to the world, seeing the wild clothing with regular and historical clothing, and snail tech with weirdo captains with hyper fixations that crews just went along with, falling in love with the Strawhats. If they think the East Blue is weird, then they haven't seen anything yet. They haven't yet witnessed the craziness that is the Paradise and that's nothing compared to the New World. 

No, really I've never been so proud to see newcomers cry about Shanks and Luffy and the backstories. 

With One Piece ending in a few years, the live-action opened itself and the source material to a whole new audience who never considered watching/reading One Piece, either uninterested or put off due to its length and art style. I was there since Dressrosa around 2015 because I was waiting for Zou's chapters. Just like I know I was there for the MHA Dormitories arc because it was just after the Kamino arc when I got into MHA. This is the only way I knew when I actually got into manga I was interested in was when an arc was either just still ongoing or starting a new one. I mean how else did I know when I got interested in KHR during the Future Arc when I knew I was waiting for the Inheritance Ceremony Arc? 

I am here for it. 

Actually, the live-action is a great litmus test for newcomers. If they like it, they should check out the series from the beginning since the live-action changed just enough that there will be confusion. If they don’t, they just don’t vibe with the series. That’s how it is. 

The show isn't without criticism but taking that length to gatekeep and hate others when one should ignore the live-action piece out of respect for the people who are passionately involved. 

The people who made the series still deserve respect for their art. It’s not perfect but it’s hell a lot better to give credit when it’s due. The people are on strike but this is a work before the strike began and deserve that.

With the success of the release, animanga will definitely be fast-tracked to film and television soon after the strike is resolved with writers and actors getting their dues. One Piece Live-action Season 2 would definitely be greenlit but until the strike resolves, there is no one going to work on it. 

However, there should be a completion rate and making GOT/Stranger Things numbers. Hopefully, with strong word of mouth, the completion rate might be done within weeks. From what I heard, while Sandman did have great reception, it didn’t pull great numbers on par with Stranger Things. Squid Game was the most-watched show but I haven’t heard if I pulled Stranger Things numbers considering the stretch between seasons. OPLA has to make those numbers and continue to make those numbers every single season if it has the chance to make it to even Enies Lobby and at best the final saga. 

Netflix wants to make money and adapt animanga into a live-action format. If it all goes well for all parties, we might reach Enies Lobby. At worst, it would be canceled due to not making the numbers.

A lot of potential merch would be OPLA-themed. While it is still Oda’s work, they would like a slice of the cheese of their own products. 

Because that’s the final obstacle: it needs to make and continue making GOT/ST numbers. 

Besides, Netflix has a lot to lose if they cancel it now. Not only did they spend so much money, but they also wanted to have a good reception for a live-action animanga adaptation. After having earned it, they want to keep that given the positive reception from newbies and casual watchers, especially from the fans and animanga watchers in general. They after all cancelled CBLA after the backlash and they want to try again with Death Note. 

Considering this is GOT money here, these seasons might be enough for the entire series if each season made Stranger Things numbers. I mean judging by that, it's up there with GOT in terms of seasons, just with more episodes, let's say twelve episodes seasonally. Twelve is too generous but ten is a good bet too considering that Loguetown was originally supposed to be the last two episodes of S1, a ten-episode season is a chance for future seasons if it comes to that. I don't see it going for the double digits here, folks, just within the GOT seasons. The bigger arcs should get multi-parters like Alabasta. 

I would love it to get that far with the cast since all the material is there. I want OPLA fans and casual watchers to understand there is just so much more. Unfortunately, I don’t see it going that far maybe Thriller Bark but when non-fans like Dan Murrell suggest that it wouldn’t end up like GOT, he’s still a non-fan who doesn’t know that the budget would go over GOT and needs more budget than even the most expensive show now to realize the world. I just hope that non-fans hope that we might get a start to finish OPLA from East Blue to the Final Saga.

At the moment, they might have surpassed Wednesday and ST S4's premiere numbers but that's all it is, premiere numbers within the first days of release. From what I'm hearing, there are good numbers so far but it needs to do more than enough in its second week to secure its renewal. And it was renewed not even two weeks later. 

Getting good reviews for the cast and crew would make the big studios reconsider and actually pay everyone. That's the point of the cast and crew's excitement to announce the second season through Oda. The team wants to get a good reception so that they can continue that success all the way through because the work itself is not struck but the company is! The team so desperately wants to promote but only those who aren't actors and writers can promote it hence the costume and set departments give interviews on BAFTA. 

Don't work with the studios in any capacity but review the show from the outside and give the cast and crew the support by praising their hard work that is beneficial to the strike. 

Because the strike would've said something about boycotting an anticipated work already if this is the case! One Piece and OFMD are releasing during the time of the strike as we're heading into the Autumn of the Strikes. Why are you not supporting One Piece and supporting OFMD when they are the same case of 'support the cast and crew by watching and giving praise to review, don't partner with the studios until we say which TV/Movies with actual scabs and AI which is years to come by the way'? Again, they would've said something by now to boycott any of these releasing now but no, the strike said nothing about boycotting what has been released!

Considering that the strike is going to end soon, OFMD may or may not be a so-called boycotted attack from people who don't consider that the cast and crew want good reviews and want to celebrate the success alongside the fans. I will forever loathe how people who want to help are unintentionally hurting the cause by hurting productions that had years of development behind them and were just released during the time of the strike. 

It’s the writers’ strike that is ending soon, have not heard anything from the actors’ strike yet. OFMD is releasing on Thursday from Monday where negotiations are gonna be made for the actors so is OFMD gonna still air during the strikes or not? So it probably still is going to be released during the initial talks. 

Don't hurt the movement by jumping to conclusions just because a work is being released in the times of the strikes when said work had been anticipated for a long ass time. Get your head out of your ass!

Because it's the second season's success that will determine the show's continuation. We might even get all the way to the final saga with Enies Lobby being the one to pull the big guns that will show just how emotional and dark the series can be because Enies Lobby to this day remains many people's favorite arc. 

Now I heard apparently from a producer of the show that at best they hope to make it to Enies Lobby where they might end on a high note which...come on, considering how much I love Enies Lobby, I don't think fans of the live-action and newcomers will be satisfied after that. The moment I heard Enies Lobby was like 'Uh huh, yeah, good luck with that' because Enies Lobby is a fave arc for many people even to this day, and stopping it there for non-animanga fans who only watch the live-action would only make them crave more what happened next. 

I know everyone is worried about shows getting canceled due to the whole writers not getting paid enough to live by studios canceling shows anyway and tax write-offs. It hasn't been that long since Batgirl was trashed hence all the worries of the shows released on streaming services getting cancelled. I know people fear OFMD season 2 might be the last season due to all the LGBTQA+ media on HBO Max or Max now getting canceled. The strike will ensure the writers and actors will get paid from then forward and fave shows won’t be canceled so easily. 

We are likely going to get multiple seasons. Considering CBLA was intending to be multiple seasons with John Cho moving to New Zealand just for that alone, I think we are getting that for OPLA...just Eventually it might get canceled. There is a chance of getting to the end but it's a slim chance only. 

The producers are hoping to make it to twelve seasons with six and six being both pre and post-time skip. It depends if the second season stuck the landing and made people more ravenous. 

It’s not the best season and series right now but the series has the chance to grow as fans know the story only gets better from here. Why else am I hammering about Alabasta and Enies Lobby or hell Wano right now? However, it still opens the door to getting the parts it needs to be the best series ever or what could’ve been had it stuck to the themes. ST and Wednesday are new stories that started off great but then try to recapture with innovations and occasional good storytelling with the skeleton there. 

If we somehow made it a complete story from the East Blue to the Final Saga, I would cry ugly tears of joy worthy of One Piece. 

As for awards, while I don’t care even though they give prestige however artificial but sometimes deserved, I don’t think we’re gonna get more than VFX and set design. Sorry but even with all the praise, it’s not gonna happen for more than that. 

As for me, I should get back to reading and watching Wano because like Whole Cake Island, Wano needed to be finished first before I could do that. As the anime is now relatively finished with the Wano arc as Gear Five and all, I can now go on that route motivated with the live-action to finish Wano at this point. With the final stretch in reach, the TV show will benefit because Game of Thrones did not when not even they have insider knowledge of what the author wants. 

Pokemon AUs and Crossovers Fic Recs

Pokemon AUs are really malleable. You can drop whatever crossover into the said world or fuse it. It’s one of my top AUs to catch my eye alongside Cardcaptor AUs. Like, I’m mostly eh on popular AUs like a coffee shop, modern, and mafia. 

The fun part is the selection of Pokémon teams. For nearly every fandom I came across, I saw fans put together Pokemon teams. 

Developing Pokemon teams for fictional characters is fun. Most of them have themes. For example, I saw a team for Wei Wuxian being Ghost Pokemon or yokai inspired teams like Ninetales or Absol. Another would be Lan Wangji with his Flying Pokemon, specifically Altaria. Not surprising given the cloud motif. 

The Pokemon world is an open sandbox for headcanons. I have my headcanons on how trainers manage to maintain their livelihood as trainers with their bank accounts and so forth. 

Step To The Left: In one world, the Tenth Generation escapes to the world of Heroes. In this reality, they flee to a world of Pokemon. 

This one is more comedy-based with the point of having these KHR characters react to the world around them. Unlike the other crossover fic the writer did for KHR, this one was happier and they could go under the radar because the Pokemon world is far more accepting of weirder things. 

Ryohei screaming Extreme and having training montages every morning? Normal. They got extraterrestrial Pokemon like Deoxys. Which is recorded in the Pokedex. Gokudera must be awed, knowing that for the people in this world, aliens are true and even lived among them in the form of supposedly the Cleffa and Elgyem/Beheeyem lines. And that's not getting into dragons. 

Hibari being a Pokemon Master team build cute Pokemon with his fighting skill to match theirs? They got Legendary Pokemon capable of wreaking havoc in their world due to their connection to it. For the love of Arceus, they got Celebi and Jirachi, a fucking time-traveling and a wish-making Pokemon respectively. Mew is the original Pokemon created after and by Arceus in-universe. On another note, Hibari is now the Pokemon Protag, competing against trainers and bad guys alike in his trek to become a Pokemon Master. 

What makes it hilarious is that only Gokudera, Fuuta, and Hibari are the only ones who actually look through the Pokedex. Meaning they know what Teddiursa and Magikarp evolve into. The Magikarp part is in which only the people in the Pokemon world and the three aforementioned kids know it when the rest of the people at Takesushi don't. Magikarp is not normal, Tsuna and Tsuyoshi! A normal Pokemon to choose as a starter or even a second Pokemon would be an Eevee or a Caterpie even! I'm sure after the Gyarados incident, they will be careful about it, helped by the fact they could look it up anytime and the daycare is filling up with many different types. 

I mean they are interested in learning new things to adapt like seeing Pokemon in everyday life. Training isn't the only thing used. Breeding, Doctor, Researching, etc are common in regards to Pokemon. I can see Gokudera considering going into Pokemon Researching and studying under a Professor of his choice. Since he's basically living in the world of UMAs, he would want to learn more up close. I like his Eevee to evolve via Friendship or Love which means Espeon, Umbreon, or Sylveon. Since Sylveon is taken by Hibari, he can have Espeon with the Psychic skills to help with his research. 

As for future Pokemon for Hibari, I can see catching Corsola as one of his many Water Pokemon. Maybe it's because my Misty love is going, but it fits with his image of the adorable Pokemon team builds. About three of his team are pink - Sylveon, Wigglytuff, and Skitty. I can see him picking sweet-based Pokemon - Milcery, Slurpuff, Vanillite, etc - since they look non-threatening but he will train them. I can see him getting Goomy and Swablu for one of his many Dragon-types (maybe it's my love for Swablu there since, in my headcanon, May eventually catch the Swablu she befriended, and why not? Maybe Swablu after talking to the flock went off to find her in the Johto region after her trek to Sinnoh). I can actually see him catching more Fairy and Normal types since most cute Pokemon are there. 

Because Hibari is so gosh darn happy in the Pokemon world. It's his dream come true. Animals including the fucking God of the world are capable of fighting and the many competitions in the world required training them to battle each other! And I think he really has no regrets about leaving Namimori to Kusakabe and his disciplinary committee. 

The Pokemon world is really a place he can abandon his Namimori for. I can see him getting all those special transformations like Mega Stones, Gigantamax, and Z-Crystals.  Maybe consider sending a Gyaradosite to Tsuna because he evolved a Magikarp without training. And Gokudera would like to research there too since most transformations rely on bonds. I'm sure he could find academic papers and videos by the Professors as they discuss them. 

I wonder whether or not Dino, Shouichi, and Spanner would ever go to visit via Byakuran. I can see Dino getting both Ponytas later evolved into Rapidashes - Kantoian and Galarian. Shouichi getting Psychic Pokemon and Spanner getting machine-based Pokemon. If Bianchi was there, she would love the Poison and food-based Pokemon a lot. 

Outsiders: When Louise attempted her summoning, the last thing she expected was being brought face to face with an angry God. Now forced into an unknown world vastly different from her own, she must prove herself to be the very best like no one ever was. 

I enjoy outsider POVs a lot. For the Pokémon world, outsiders tend to be in awe albeit dubious about the fact children as young as ten are allowed to roam the world. Ten-year-olds in the Pokemon world are more mature and likely to know basic stuff to travel the world on foot if they can. 

This time, Louise was reverse summoned instead. It was kept ambiguous whether or not Saito was supposed to be dragged there or if he even was one. 

Now with Henrietta joining them, it's all the more fascinating a fic. 

While I likely won't bookmark the story until at least I see more of Henrietta's path because we won't be seeing back at Halk for a long time, it's in the lead above those in my Marked For Later. Icarus' Dilemma is in my Marked For Later to see updates. 

I like the exploration of the Pokemon world. While the show had shown not just battling but also coordinator as a viable route as a competitive route should go that route, the fic is dedicated to worldbuilding and showcasing the bond between Pokemon and humans. 

As a fact, the world of Pokemon is designed for travelers so public transit is free. It's understandable why when trainers are such a large faction with the League and all. Tourists will have an easier time not spending the most ridiculous amount of money to travel. Even a cruise ship for trainers is considerably less expensive. 

It’s still a capitalist world where monopolies are very frequent. Even with well-intentioned guys, I think there aren’t enough laws in place to prevent them. Yeah, Silph is great he is our primary inventor of modern things but then we get Cosmos who runs so many things. 

It’s still a utopia despite its problems I think people are far more willing to solve the ills of the world or at least prevent stuff from repeating again. It still has its own history while still paralleling our world. 

Platinum Pirate: "Looks like we're going to be partners from now on. Together, we'll see all this world has to offer." When Incumbent Champion Lucas was called in to investigate a mysterious buildup of psychic energy in the Solaceon Ruins, he didn't expect his wish from so long ago to come true, in potentially the worst (or best) way possible.

An OP crossover which is surprising really. The modernity of Pokemon clashes with the golden age of piracy steampunk of OP. 

While OP has its own BS medicine, it's still not Pokemon medicine in which medicine could heal flesh wounds of any kind. It might not cure cancer but it's enough for an emergency patient. 

I wonder how long this story will last? Would Lucas go to the New World before the Strawhats or he’ll go home before the time skip? 

Lucas and his team are comparable to Warlords and on par with Vice Admirals. They can hold their own against Admirals. 

I’m pretty sure Lucas and the team won’t take kindly to Akainu. Hey, one of the authors of This Bites is assisting this author with this fic. I don’t like Akainu either but I really want to see it just because TB left on the cliffhanger about Punk Hazard and the Fleet Admiral thing. Godoka, OP is so juicy and the changed stuff in TB and this fic will be so awesome. 

Lucas and Co changed a lot. Crocodile escaped. 

Honestly, I want to see how the Pokemon world wrecks the One Piece world. Arceus has been hinted at for a while now and holy Godoka, I want more minds breaking.

Call Out The Difference: After Ingo's impromptu journey to Hisui (and back again), the Subway Masters has had enough of space-time shenanigans for a lifetime. Unfortunately, they're due for another set, in the form of an entirely new universe crashing into theirs. One without Pokemon. On the other side, the Avengers are definitely not ready to face the Masters of the Battle Subway and the chaos of their world.

I'm not a huge superhero fan. Though I technically kept up with MHA and T&B, I haven't been up to date with the MCU since Spiderman No Way Home with the return of Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire. I haven't seen most of Phase 4 outside of the only Spiderman movie on that phase. The only other thing I saw was Wandavision. 

That said, this fic is a good entry for people who don't know that much. I only have basic knowledge of what happened in the first Avengers movie and I was able to pick what happened so far in the textual information the author gave us. 

I enjoy a world that only knows the Pokemon world as fiction suddenly crossing with just as technologically advanced and more open-minded due to having lived with them for so long. The culture clash was interesting, seeing as we're only getting twenty chapters. 

Just to be clear, the MCU got a wholly different Pokemon franchise with anime first then the games created later. Apparently, they got up to Unova but not much farther or close to Nimbasa. That means they don't know the craziness of later series including PLA's battle styles. The games universe doesn't have Ash Ketchum and Pikachu isn't as popular which means it takes place in-game, not in the anime universe. 

Honestly, I don't want to spoil it. Just read it.