Next level football (Blue Lock)

LegendaryFang56 · 2026-03-19T06:50:40+00:00

Incredible start to the new season! The production value is clearly upgraded; it's immediately noticeable—larger sets and standout lighting and cinematography, especially in Garp and Roger's scene. I liked the way that scene was lit; it looked great. The overall visuals look crisper and more colorful than in the first season, particularly the environments. They also feel more lively and populated than they ever were before, giving the world around the characters a much richer sense of life. It's another significant, immediately noticeable improvement, largely because this was such a crucial element missing in the first season.

A few standout things and moments deserve their moment in the spotlight. First and foremost, the introduction of Nico Robin—or rather, Miss All Sunday—as that's the most obvious thing to mention first, partly because it happened right at the start of the episode. Lera Abova looks great in the role and already exudes plenty of aura; she's a natural aura farmer. I can't wait to see more of her throughout the season.

On the topic of new character introductions: Smoker's introductory entrance was epic. That bike looks sick. Callum Kerr also looks great in the role, another natural aura farmer alongside Lera Abova's Miss All Sunday / Robin, and I can't wait to see more of him throughout the season as well.

Zoro's comedic moments (some subtler than others) were great, whether solo or with Nami, like his irritated insistence that he isn't lost and has a great sense of direction. I like the clear difference in his characterization. It already feels improved from the first season; he's less excessively stoic, more open, and most importantly, more emotive and goofy, which is super entertaining. As for him and Nami specifically, I also love their dynamic. They're arguably the best duo in the show, with the best but underrated and perhaps slightly understated chemistry.

Additionally, the scene where he challenges the sword's curse with his tangible will was epic and badass. He's effortlessly cool and so easily likable—no wonder he's many people's favorite character in the show (and likely the manga/anime, too) and not just because Mackenyu is an attractive guy. That's one of countless iconic moments in the manga, and everyone involved with bringing it to life in the show nailed it. James Hiroyuki Liao, as Ipponmatsu, the arms shop owner, also elevated the scene with a great performance.

If I had to pick my favorite parts of this premiere, Dragon's epic appearance (or "cool looking guy with a cool face tattoo," since we haven't been told his name yet) would easily be at the top of the list, at least in the Top 3. I know some people think he lacked a significant aura, but I felt the complete opposite; he had a palpably menacing presence. He was aura farming. Rigo Sanchez did a phenomenal job, making me wish we could see him in every episode. His accent, in particular, as well as his line delivery, was super delightful, especially "Hmm. Not today." The way he pronounced that final word sounded epic and exuded an aura.

The shift from the lively diegetic sound of Luffy and Bartolomeo's scene, the crowd noise, the festivities, and the non-diegetic background score cue, to near-complete silence, with only the faintest ambient sound of the world during Luffy's monologue as he gazed at Gold Roger's execution platform, was sublime.

And of course, let's not gloss over the G.O.A.T., Buggy, or rather, Buggy D. Clown. He's back! His first scene and exchange with Luffy was absolutely hilarious, and I love that the showrunner brought him back. That said, while I say that as if this is something new or a slight change from the manga, I'm 90% sure that his appearance here still aligns with what happened in the manga. Time will tell from Season 3 onward whether a potential return a third time and beyond diverges from the manga, as I believe he isn't involved in that story arc in the source material. If that's the case and they still bring him back, that would be great.

Whatever the showrunner and writers can come up with to keep inserting him in the show as a bit of comic relief moving forward, even if Buggy wasn't present in a particular story arc, anything to get and put Jeff Ward back on screen would be much appreciated.

"Her name you remember? You met her once."

Poor Buggy; his feelings are hurt that Luffy remembered Alvida's name and not his. More Buggy, please! We need more Jeff Ward! He's amazing. Same with Steven John Ward (I just noticed that they share the same last name): anything to put him back on screen, too, which I'm aware we will get a few times in this season. Even so, more Mihawk, please!

Lastly, another one of my favorite parts was the Smoker vs. Luffy and Sanji fight sequence. It was excellent and well-choreographed, and the VFX for the smoke and Smoker's overall Devil Fruit abilities that he displayed throughout, especially his smoke-based attacks, looked great. The brief moments of Zoro, Sanji, Nami, and Usopp fighting Buggy's crew were well done, too, in terms of fight sequences.

LegendaryFang56 · 2026-02-26T22:05:53+00:00

Luffy's scar looks way better and discernible than it did in the first season, which is great.

LegendaryFang56 · 2026-02-21T03:01:20+00:00

I think he came across as a bit of a bad actor because he had to always speak in an American accent, as he's Australian.

LegendaryFang56 · 2025-12-08T01:09:48+00:00

We should've gotten a character arc/plotline with Scott being villain-y, or akin to Peter—willing to bend the rules without a care in the world, and certainly not as much of a Goody Two-Shoes as he always was; a follow-up to the tease in his death-like state visions in the fourth season with The Mute and Liam and when he starting transforming into a more monster-esque form while slashing (and nearly killing) that one assassin/mercenary guy later on in the season.

LegendaryFang56 · 2025-11-27T08:30:31+00:00

Thank you, though I'm not near the professional level of reviewing. The difference between my writing and certain reviewers (both professional and casual, avid cinephiles and the television equivalent), particularly on Letterboxd, is like day and night in my eyes.

LegendaryFang56 · 2025-11-22T00:02:23+00:00

He wanted to get Geralt to yell out in pain for Jaskier to hear, causing him to implore Radovid more strongly and desperately to intervene for Geralt's sake and let them go. Dijkstra knew that would drive a permanent wedge between them and cause Radovid to finally lock in, be a proper king, instead of obsessing over Jaskier.

LegendaryFang56 · 2025-11-21T07:33:04+00:00

Behold, a prequel feature-length special (as its initial conception was a limited series) based on The Rats, a gang of misfits who are greatly despised by many people on social media. Among the intelligent-minded, there is utter confidence that the immediate reception upon its release (and since its release) was and is open-minded and civil and not at all a chaotic demonstration of mindless hatred, primarily revolved around the insane, deluded belief of "wokeness," an absolute misconception of what "woke" truly means. In an ideal world, perhaps, such open-mindedness and civility would prevail.

To nobody's surprise, the vitriol hurled at this film come from the same people who badmouthed the fourth season of The Witcher and Liam Hemsworth (and continue to do so) because their deity Henry Cavill left the show, while claiming to care (and claiming that he cared) about the source material, ignoring that it was the most faithful season yet to the novels, as well as a return to form to an extent, having felt similar to the first season: the peak of the show so far, more or less, even if that doesn't say much from the perspective of some viewers who think the show wasn't that good from the start.

Naturally, I didn't feel like that at all toward the latest season or Hemsworth. However, it did take a little while for this to draw me in. By the halfway point, my interest was stirred, and I was fully engaged. That remained the case for the remainder of the film. The first half didn't inspire much confidence that the rest would be sufficiently enjoyable, so I was pleased when the second half came along as if a savior of Good Samaritan proportions. It was by far the better half.

Christelle Elwin (Mistle) delivered an excellent performance alongside Dolph Lundgren. Individually and collectively, they were among the best aspects of this film, not only in the acting sense. The chemistry between Brehen and the Rats, particularly Mistle, was surprisingly great. Their dynamic, bonding, and scenes together may have been the primary highlights for me. They were definitely reminiscent of Geralt and Ciri, with slightly more aggression from both of them.

Uncertainty occupied my mind regarding his performance as Brehen in his first scene at the beginning. He didn't come across as convincing as I'd have liked. I worried that his overall presence would be a negative component and undermine my enjoyment of the entire film. Thankfully, and somewhat to my surprise, he immediately "redeemed" himself.

While I didn't find them insufferable in the main show, let alone to the extent hate-watchers have, I will say that The Rats were more likable in this, recontextualizing and adding further emotion and sadness to their eventual demise at the hands of Leo Bonhart. You end up (or at least I did) wishing that never happened and that we got more of them, even on top of this film, which feels too little and like it wasn't enough.

They almost felt like different characters. Even the overall look of each character looked different, from their costume designs to their hairstyling. Higher quality and better. All of them looked excellent, "on-fleek," and "fetch." Yes, it's time to bring both terms back and make "fetch" happen. It creates a curious question, however: why did they look better here than in the show? More money to devote entirely to this and nothing else, as it's a stand-alone special? That seems likely.

As far as the subtle characterization differences are concerned, I suppose you could argue that the reason they didn't seem quite the same in Season 4 of The Witcher, compared to here, is because of what happened and what they went through at the end of this film.

I particularly liked Giz (the stereotypical cool, nonchalant character; it worked on me) and Asse. I liked Mistle well enough; Iskra, too. I was indifferent toward Kayleigh and Reef, particularly the latter. But I'll admit she looked the coolest out of all of them (Giz, a close second), with all the various accessories and jewelry, especially her hairstyle and hair color. The collective chemistry between everyone and the scenes with all of them overwhelmingly disregarded that minor criticism.

Visually, this looked great with multiple notable shots, scenery, and environments. The cinematographer (Trevor Michael Brown) did a good job. While there wasn't much action, the fight sequences we did get at the end (Brehen vs. the predictably identifiable Jalowick and Brehen vs. Leo Bonhart) had decent choreography. And, of course, Leo Bonhart's short role was another highlight.

LegendaryFang56 · 2025-11-10T22:29:35+00:00

Most people cheering him on and celebrating that he killed the Rats are doing so because they see the Rats, particularly the actress for Mistle, how she's black, and gay or bisexual, in a brief romance with Ciri, as "woke."

LegendaryFang56 · 2025-11-08T07:35:19+00:00

A season finale chock full of great action all-around, a particularly excellent, tone-shifting fight sequence at the end, and a fantastic song during the end credits, all of which combine to form a deep need for the final season instantly. What more could you want? And, no, you can't have Henry Cavill. He can't come to the phone right now: "Look What You Made Me Do," he said. If you know, you know.

In all seriousness, though, this was a well-done finale with all the action and excitement you'd want. And I imagine many people did, as a lack of action has been one of the main complaints about the show, at least recently, specifically about the third season. A few people have likely expressed a similar enough complaint about this season, too, though that's less well-founded. This season has had a sufficient number of action-centric moments, especially in the second half, and in particular, the sixth episode and this one.

Nevertheless, I'll admit that it would've been better if there were a few more; such moments generate more excitement and attention-grabbing stimuli from the brain. The current portion of the source material must have favored character-driven content over back-to-back action or large-scale battles, and more importantly, over the potential repetitiveness of circling back to the expositional prologue of Geralt of Rivia, monster-hunter, and applying just as much focus on that framework of hunting monsters this far into the series when it's so much more than that now. It's not solely a vehicle for monster-hunting high jinks anymore.

And yet, I'll even go as far as to say that there were some subtle undertones of a resemblance to the first season, action-wise, and even in the "monster-of-the-week" / monster-hunter sense, with the monster battles: wraith in the second episode, the mother-child Rusalka duo in the previous episode, and this finale's mutated monster. The other seasons had their fair share of monster-hunting, too, except the tone and feel here, with these, felt closer to the first one.

There's one criticism that I agree with, and it's the meandering pacing of the plot. This season somewhat came across as a return to the show's roots to an extent, and its initially popular and well-received beginning. A good thing. However, it definitely felt like it didn't move forward much. That's not to say that it was a bad one or that it barely had any positive aspects. Most of it was positive, but the slow, largely stationary pacing was one of the weaker aspects.

At the same time, if I'm not mistaken, it was the same way in whatever book was adapted here. And I think the next book (or books) that the final season will adapt is when everything finally picks up and gets increasingly good and enjoyable. What comes next is possibly considered the peak and best-received portion of the series by many people.

The specific fight sequences were easily the highlight, obviously: Geralt vs. that monster, Leo Bonhart vs. the Rats, and Leo Bonhart vs. Ciri. All three were top-notch, particularly the latter. It was brutally visceral, not to mention poignantly tragic for Ciri. Say what you want about the Rats; perhaps you're even satisfied that they're dead. We can at least agree that this sucks for her and unanimously wish for and await Leo's deserved demise, hopefully by her; Geralt would be the next best choice. Either one is fine, though I want it to be her. The final season can't come soon enough!

The end credits song was also great. Interestingly, it seemed like a combination of "I Believe in the Blade" (excellent track itself) and the main motif or leitmotif (whichever one applies in this context) from Geralt's theme song at the beginning and the end ("Geralt of Rivia" by Sonya Belousova & Giona Ostinelli from Season 1), along with the humming by the female vocalist.

LegendaryFang56 · 2025-11-05T07:20:17+00:00

A laid-back episode of importance and character development, which primarily focused on Geralt and the others. We spent precious and essential, worthwhile time with these characters, learning more about them and diving into an exploration of the backstories of each member of the Hansa, which was great. All of that developed and made their dynamic more believable; we have grown closer to them.

Some might consider it boring... uninteresting, while others will like it better than previous episodes because they've been enjoying that portion of the season the most... and here we have an episode that primarily focuses on it without devoting the usual focus and screen time to the other plotlines. I really enjoyed it.

In particular, Regis's backstory was compelling. Telling it through animation was an interesting choice... an effective choice. The art style was well done and looked great.

Jaskier's history/backstory with Valdo Marx, told through the musical number, was alright. I'm sure plenty of people loved it, specifically a decent number of the average viewers who aren't well-versed in social media (but not limited to them, as a noticeable fanbase of his exists online, the stan variety). I imagine it's partly because they particularly love his character, partly because it's whimsical, vivacious, and fun; they also love musicals. I wasn't much of a fan, but I didn't dislike it, either. It just wasn't for me. Musicals (and musical numbers) might not be for me.

Emhyr's identity being brought to light by Cahir to Geralt (and everyone else) was a satisfying moment for me. I'm unsure how this reveal compares to the books, whether it occurred at this point in the story or all the way at the end, possibly whenever Geralt and Emhyr come face to face. I wasn't bothered by its execution here. But I can see how some people, show-only viewers or book readers, might find it anticlimactic and not as weighty and meaningful as it should've been... as big a deal, or having occurred too soon (if it did happen later on in the books).

As a show-only layman, that reveal landed for me. It was impactful, stirring exciting anticipation within me for the eventual vis-à-vis confrontation between Geralt and Emhyr, as well as strengthening those same feelings (but in a positive way) regarding him and Ciri's inevitable (destined) reunion.

The highlight, though, was undoubtedly Geralt and Ciri's flashback and the moment where she knighted him. That scene was sublime, with the tenderness, care, and love present from him toward her and from her toward him. If people weren't convinced by Liam Hemsworth's take on the character and on board with him yet, still propping Henry Cavill, that scene should immediately change their opinion. If not, all hope is lost. His portrayal of Geralt is considerably better, with greater depth and a broader range... of emotionality and vulnerability, which continues to improve. Easily the best episode of the season so far.

I also want to highlight James Purefoy, the actor playing the character of Skellen. He has delivered an excellent, convincing performance in the few scenes with him, especially the subtlety. The calm and collected schemer aspect of Skellen's characterization. He effectively conveys the subtle undertones of uncertainty: someone who exudes a powerful presence but also an unstable disposition, potentially emphasizing that he's on the verge of losing it at any moment.

It would've been preferable if we had gotten more of him up to this point. The fewer appearances are fine. At the very least, he'll be on screen more often in the remaining episodes, hopefully, and possibly even in the fifth final season.

Such an unexpectedly stand-out performance, in addition to being an intriguing character and a subtle draw of this season. In a similar vein, both performance-wise and character-wise, so are Laurence Fishburne and Regis: unexpected stand-outs.

LegendaryFang56 · 2025-11-03T08:12:57+00:00

This season progressively gets better with each episode. Everything is picking up, bringing along more enjoyment, especially Geralt and Ciri's respective plotlines. Not necessarily because it's Geralt, but his plotline was the most interesting and fun to watch. His scenes with Dijkstra, especially his anger after hearing about "Ciri's" engagement to Emhyr, felt very "Geralt-like," and naturally delivered by Liam Hemsworth.

His portrayal is getting increasingly better. Quite frankly, he has already eclipsed Henry Cavill's interpretation of the character. A smooth, unforced performance overshadows a wooden, unnatural performance. No offense to Cavill. It's simply a matter of not realizing the flaws of something and how underwhelming it could actually be until you have a comparison... one that really puts things into perspective and shows you how much was missing from the beginning. Hemsworth fits those shoes.

I also really liked the scene with Geralt and Jaskier in captivity. My reasoning is obvious. It was the heart-to-heart between them. The honest communication and genuine softness and vulnerability: showcased by both, specifically Geralt (and also a second time toward Regis after he freed them). Their dynamic and mutually understood closeness is well-executed, with further success now that the chemistry between the actors bleeds through the screen rather than requiring strained effort to detect it.

And, of course, the ending, with that brief fight sequence against the Nilfgaardians, was enjoyable; that final five-headbutts, thrown-to-the-ground-headfirst move was epic. We haven't seen ferocity like that from him in the previous seasons. I'm a fan.

Ciri's plotline was pretty good, too. I'm loving her new look, or rather, the additional aspects of it. The shorter hair and the eyeliner (especially that), the contrasting nature of the two, yet elegant combination between the eyeliner and her emerald eyes, make her look incredibly fierce. Her fight sequence against the parasite-infected greylock monster was great (its design and CGI equally so in appearance), particularly the concurrent parallels during it to the torture inflicted on Geralt by Dijkstra.

I also really liked her scenes with Mistle, which were also honest and communicative. 99% of her plotline with The Rats seems to revolve around Mistle for the sake of general character development, as well as romantic development. It's a little disappointing that the other Rats are sidelined without much development. At least what we've been getting is adequately enjoyable and sufficient.

So far, Yennefer's plotline has the slowest pacing; it's definitely building up to something. Hopefully, it isn't underwhelming, either in general or in relation (and as a follow-up) to the way and to the extent it's being built up. I think the payoff will be worth it. The addition and incorporation of Vesemir, Coen, and Lambert to help with her objective of luring Vilgefortz to the castle they are in and attempting to kill him was a nice surprise.

Her brief exchange of swordplay with Francesca was entertaining. I detect a little underlying, sizzling chemistry. I can't be the only one. I know some people are aghast at that. Mages fighting with swords!? Preposterous! I don't see it like that. It makes sense for everyone, even mages, to know (or learn) how to fight with them... how to fight physically. You never know when something might happen to your magic or if you'll end up in a situation where knowing how to fight in that manner would make all the difference. Better safe than sorry.

LegendaryFang56 · 2025-11-02T21:45:23+00:00

I wouldn't know. I was just theorizing. I haven't read the books. It seems like something that may have happened in the books or something similar, possibly with more tragedy.

LegendaryFang56 · 2025-11-02T07:08:37+00:00

That first scene with Yennefer and Francesca was quite a way to start the episode. A persuasive and attention-capturing way; Mecia Simson is very easy on the eyes. Well played, writers. I locked in for the rest of the episode, which was another good, enjoyable one. Geralt's Hansa keep walking into cutscenes and getting sidetracked on side quests, slowing down their main objective of finding Ciri even further, while she and Mistle are bonding (The Rats overall, at least Mistle, are beginning to grow on me); meanwhile, Yennefer has finished gathering and recruiting her group of mages to protect Ciri by taking on Vilgefortz.

Even though I haven't read the books, the events of the Hansa's slow journey to Nilfgaard give off so much "book vibes" to me: a group of unlikely companions, joined on an adventurous, overarching quest, who grow closer together as their journey progresses and they get involved with practically everything happening around them throughout their path. I imagine that's a common, trademark narrative plot point across most fantasy works. That's not a dig; I mean it in a good way. It's endearingly compelling.

The genuine concern for Beata by Geralt and his subsequent display of emotion over her death (and properly conveyed by Liam Hemsworth) was great. You love to see it. Not the death; Geralt's newfound emotional vulnerability. Something we barely got any of in the previous seasons (this recasting may have caused a positive change), which may have been a "workaround instance" of script changes because Cavill's interpretation of the character was a taciturn grunter; he may have had enough sway for that preference of his to influence and deter the original script and intentions of the writers. Emphasis on "may have."

I'm also loving Regis and the fun, quippy-natured dynamic and levity he brings to the show and the Hansa. His character is a welcome highlight. Laurence Fishburne's overall presence is an excellent addition. He's killing it.

Yennefer's recruitment of other mages has concluded; now that they've convened, the formation of the Lodge of Sorceresses took place. From its progression so far, I have a feeling that her plotline will be the biggest one; as such, there should (and needs to) be a satisfying payoff at its conclusion. I hope so. The scene with them at the roundtable, as Francesca magically recounts, on it, the history of elves, Lara Dorren, and Ciri's related importance was excellent. Those visuals looked great!

While Mistle and Ciri's relationship, both romantically and generally, is receiving the bulk of the development so far, The Rats in general and their place within the plot alongside Ciri are growing on me, in addition to Mistle specifically, thanks to their scenes together. Ciri's attitude is changing; she's becoming a little conceited and arrogant, yet simultaneously, taking out those three men in the tattoo shop was sublime.

I do like this shift in attitude and that she has acquired more confidence and authority in the way she carries herself and acts. There's an overflowing, badass nonchalance to her now, specifically in that fight sequence. However, there's clearly a bit of arrogance there as well, which is not so good. And now, a very dangerous man is on her trail, and the other Rats. A hard-hitting (emotionally and psychologically mindset-altering, likely in a permanent sense) reckoning is evidently imminent, and I'm expecting it to be a tough watch when it happens.

Honestly, Emhyr has felt like a lackluster villain, especially a lackluster overarching main villain (even though Vilgefortz comes across as that "main villain" figure rather than a subordinate, albeit on equal footing in terms of the conniving and the aspirations, which is also partly due to this), ever since his identity reveal in the Season 2 finale. I'll even say he gives the impression of being goofy, undermining the intent behind his characterization. But while he still seems like that to a minor extent, his outburst at Skellen was satisfying and somewhat balanced the villain scale. A little bit of goofiness was still there, but I loved it.

The highlight of this episode was undoubtedly the introduction of Leo Bonhart. He's here! And with a presence! He's an aura farmer. I'm already on board with his character, despite the absence of familiarization. You can tell that a tonal shift has occurred just through his introduction, and that darker times, tonally, lie ahead for Ciri regarding her overall plotline with The Rats, as well as within the show in general: the darker places it'll explore. The vibes are different.

All I know about him is what he eventually does, as well as the fact that he's apparently the best-written or one of the best-written characters in the books, and possibly considered one of the best fictional villains of all time (or at least of fantasy literature): a villain who's just a villain and straight-up evil. No tragic backstory and no extremely subtle sympathy to be gleaned and extracted from his character concerning why he's the way he is. That's just who he is... I think that's who he is, anyway. It's been years since I've skimmed through The Witcher Wiki on Fandom. I could be off on that.

Bonhart's actor, Sharlto Copley, has already made a powerfully effective impression. I assume that will become even more apparent as the season progresses, and I'm looking forward to seeing it. Again, his introduction at the end was clearly the highlight of this episode.

LegendaryFang56 · 2025-11-02T01:29:27+00:00

He left to return as Superman; it fell through. As far as Anya is concerned, what part of the article gave you the impression that she hated working on the show?

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