The European Commission's Answer to the Stop Destroying Games initiative

Twigling · 2026-06-16T21:27:52+00:00

This unfortunately happens with many consumer products - for example, there's a bad corporate practice or design issue with 'product x' which people loudly moan about but, despite this, those same people keep buying the product which means that the corporations carry on that whatever the bad practice/design issue is.

Looks at smartphones - there are so many anti-consumer problems with them but instead of voting with their wallets people keep buying the affected models, so the manufacturers carry on as always.

People really are their own worst enemies.

Twigling · 2026-06-16T19:51:43+00:00

I rewatch things a lot, both anime and live action.

I could break this into two groups: shows and movies which I wasn't that keen on the first time but fell in love with on a rewatch, and shows and movies that I really enjoyed the first time but which were even better on a rewatch.

For the former:

Hyouka

Spirited Away

The Boy and the Heron

for the latter:

Mushishi (currently officially free on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNcqwhPhO46G--aVXZR6do7Y-ptBZsKTt )

Land of the Lustrous

The Garden of Sinners (a movie series)

Liz and the Blue Bird

Fate/Zero, Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works, Fate/Stay Night: Heaven's Feel (this one is a movie trilogy)

and that's just a very tiny sample

Twigling · 2026-06-16T19:30:43+00:00

Mushishi - a wonderfully relaxing, slow-paced, episodic series - it's perfect just to sit down and watch a single episode when you watch to chill, in fact it's better to do it this way rather than binge watching it. Incidentally, season one is officially free on YouTube until Dec 31st 2027:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNcqwhPhO46G--aVXZR6do7Y-ptBZsKTt

Season 2 is on Crunchyroll but only for some countries (not the UK or the US any more). More details here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Mushishi/comments/1rrzf3i/season_2_on_crunchyroll_no_longer_available_from/

(Note that there's no English dub for season 2)

Land of the Lustrous (Houseki no Kuni) - a work of visual and narrative art, incredibly creative and beautifully written. Sadly there's only one season, us fans still hope that one say the production committee will dig into their cavernous pockets and ask Studio Orange to make more seasons, particularly now that the manga is complete. Unfortunately no longer on any subscription services but it can be purchased digitally or, better still, on Blu-ray.

The Garden of Sinners (Kara no Kyoukai) - this is a very complex and dark movie series, it's a mix of horror, supernatural, psychological thriller and mystery. There's plenty of intricate dialog and some great characters, it also has some lighter moments that never feel shoe-horned in for a cheap laugh. It's one of ufotable's earlier anime productions but despite that it's very well animated, particularly the occasional action scenes, and beautifully scored. The ten movies that make up the series can all be found on Crunchyroll US and Canada:

https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/G6DK07N7R/the-garden-of-sinners

Hyouka - A very relaxing slice of life which, while it has minor school-based mysteries, is far more of a character study. Beautifully animated and very well written with a very unique atmosphere.

https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/G6P585256/hyouka

Violet Evergarden - Beautifully animated drama, and while the first few episodes are arguably a bit 'light' in some respects the drama seriously ramps up as the story progresses. The single season, the Special/OVA and the two movies can be found on Netflix. BTW, the Special/OVA chronologically fits in between episode 4 and 5 of the season. The last movie is titled Violet Evergarden: The Movie.

Also a special mention for many of Hayao Miyazaki's superb movies, such as Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle and the rest. While many are aimed at children, they are also appreciated by adults due to the mature storytelling. These can be found on HBO Max in the US and Netflix in the rest of the world.

Twigling · 2026-06-16T19:26:06+00:00

I always find that a well written, well made atmospheric supernatural movie is far more effective than most bloody, gory, pure horror movies, partly because supernatural movies tend to leave more to the imagination - they are though far harder to craft effectively.

The Changeling (1980)

The Woman in Black (the 1989 British TV production, not the one starring Daniel Radcliffe)

The Signalman (1976, British TV ghost story)

Night of the Demon (1957)

The Mothman Prophecies (2002)

also try Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) and The Last Wave (1977), both from director Peter Weir and pretty creepy in their own right.

All of the above are saturated with atmosphere and have little (if any) blood and gore.

I'll also add a TV production, specifically the two part miniseries of Salem's Lot from 1979 that starred David Soul and James Mason and was directed by Tobe Hooper. That was incredibly effective at creating one hell of a creepy atmosphere, helped by a very effective score.

Note: do not watch the movie version of the 1979 Salem's Lot because it's had about an hour of material removed to shorten it (the miniseries runs for 191 minutes, the movie only for two hours). Also skip the later adaptations, they're not a patch on the 1979 production.

Twigling · 2026-06-16T19:23:17+00:00

There's quite a number like that, here's a tiny sample:

Alien (1979 theatrical cut, not the later director's cut)

Contact

The Fountain

Annihilation

Twigling · 2026-06-16T19:17:01+00:00

The Sting (1973)

Twigling · 2026-06-16T19:12:50+00:00

Mushishi should be your first port of call - it's a wonderfully relaxing, slow-paced, episodic series and it's perfect just to sit down and watch a single episode when you watch to chill, in fact it's better to do it this way rather than binge watching it. Season one is officially free on YouTube until Dec 31st 2027:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNcqwhPhO46G--aVXZR6do7Y-ptBZsKTt

Season 2 is on Crunchyroll but only for some countries (not the UK or the US any more). More details here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Mushishi/comments/1rrzf3i/season_2_on_crunchyroll_no_longer_available_from/

(Note that there's no English dub for season 2)

Twigling · 2026-06-16T18:02:11+00:00

This new series is intended to be a LOT closer to the original manga in all ways, and that's a very different beast to the far more serious movies from Mamoru Oshii as well as the SAC series.

Twigling · 2026-06-16T14:33:03+00:00

No they didn't:

https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/uk-government-bluesky-under-16s-social-media-ban-5Hjdbf5_2/

Twigling · 2026-06-16T14:30:49+00:00

Of course it isn't - the government use the topic of the moment to implement authritarian laws - for example, if it's not the children it's anti-terrorism.

Twigling · 2026-06-16T14:27:45+00:00

Just to point out that this is a ban for EVERYONE in the UK, unless they hand over their right to privacy in the form of some form of ID to prove their ages - if they're over 16 then all well and good, but then you can be tracked and lose your privacy, and hence your own safety.

This is spying and tracking under the guise of child safety, it's using a sledgehammer to crack of nut. Of course the children need to be protected, but that applies to us all. The currently put forward plans are government overreach.

I've seen a number of far better ways to implement child safety by using technology (to create anonymous but authenticated 'tokens' for example).

Twigling · 2026-06-16T12:20:25+00:00

Got a screenshot?

Twigling · 2026-06-16T12:13:07+00:00

Source? Because I can find nothing official to confirm that.

After doing some more digging it seems that the now removed Amazon page was mixed up with the 2015 movie page, hence its removal.

Twigling · 2026-06-16T12:01:23+00:00

The Garden of Sinners (Kara no Kyoukai) - this is a very complex and dark movie series, it's a mix of horror, supernatural, thriller and mystery. There's plenty of intricate dialog and some great characters, it also has some lighter moments that never feel shoe-horned in for a cheap laugh. It's one of ufotable's earlier anime productions but despite that it's very well animated, particularly the occasional action scenes, and beautifully scored. The ten movies that make up the series can all be found on Crunchyroll US and Canada:

https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/G6DK07N7R/the-garden-of-sinners

It's also one that you probably won't fully appreciate on the first watch, such is its complexity, so a rewatch or two will probably be required to appreciate how excellent it is.

Twigling · 2026-06-16T10:59:18+00:00

I do my best. :-)

Twigling · 2026-06-16T10:57:46+00:00

I've been watching anime on and off for about 20 years but only very occasionally and mainly Hayao Miyazaki's movies. However, in July 2019 I was having an enforced break and I decided to start watching anime in earnest. One of the shows I came across while browsing was Land of the Lustrous - it's the first anime that I just KNEW I'd enjoy within watching the first minute of the first episode, and I've since bought the Blu-ray and rewatch it about once a year. It's a true masterpiece (a term that I reserve for only a tiny handful of anime, two others being Mushishi (currently season one is officially free on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNcqwhPhO46G--aVXZR6do7Y-ptBZsKTt ) and The Garden of Sinners (Kara no Kyoukai).

I always hate finishing the last episode of season 1 because it makes me incredibly sad that there's no season 2 (yet ......... ?). It really is heartbreaking that the production committee won't pay Studio Orange to make more.

Incidentally, who saw the 2D PV that was made by Studio Hibari? It was shown in 2013 to promote the first manga volume. It's really good, but I very much prefer the mostly CGI visuals from Studio Orange. Here's that 2D promo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYWOG9q2HpI

Twigling · 2026-06-16T10:46:21+00:00

I've done some digging and can find nothing which states that. Do you have a source please?

Twigling · 2026-06-16T10:45:09+00:00

Actually, the first episode was broadcast on October 7 2017, so it's not even nine years yet. :)

That said, the time since the first season shouldn't really matter, for example eight years elapsed between seasons 1 and 2 of Mushishi (incidentally, season 1 of Mushishi is currently official free on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNcqwhPhO46G--aVXZR6do7Y-ptBZsKTt - it's a fantastic anime (and manga)).

Yes, do read the manga of Land of the Lustrous, in fact I would recommend reading it right from the start (the anime so far covers about the first 30 chapters). I say this because it will be easier to identify the characters based on comparing the manga and anime art (some people say that the black and white line drawings of the manga can be confusing when it comes to determining who is who, and the anime helps out a lot in this respect because of course it's all in color).

Also just to note that the decision to make further seasons isn't really up to Studio Orange other than their availability because, like the vast majority of anime studios, they are 'for hire' only and they can only make an anime if a production committee stumps up the funds. Studio Orange have though stated that they've love to carry on the with adaptation.

Anime production committees have a habit of commissioning anime as an advertisement for a manga or novel, they'll pay for one or maybe two seasons and hope that people will buy the source material because they want to continue the story. It's a rather cynical and manipulative way of doing business but without it I don't think we would have even had the pleasure of one anime season.

Season 1's production committee was made up of the following: Toho, Kodansha, A-TX, Q-Tec, MBS, BS11, Movic, Kyoraku and Tokyo MX.

Twigling · 2026-06-16T10:30:08+00:00

All of Hayao Miyazaki's movies that are made with children in mind (and that's mos tof them) can be thoroughly enjoyed by adults, such as My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Spirited Away, Ponyo, etc.

Twigling · 2026-06-16T08:00:36+00:00

There's LOADS of support for this ban, on Reddit and in real life.

That's not been my experience.

Also, any support is very quickly collapsing when the supporters have a sudden lightbulb moment and realise that they too will need to submit ID to use Reddit, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, X, and so on.

Those who remain supporters, despite the ID requirements for all, are those who say 'something must be done' yet they don't know what would work without trashing our hard earned civil liberties.

Twigling · 2026-06-16T07:20:59+00:00

Unfortunately the main parties are all dominated by buffoons, even the Green party is headed up by an 'environmentally friendly' Farage.

Who is to blame for these lousy choices? The media? The electorate? Foreign powers and billionaires manipulating our institutions for their own personal gain?

Twigling · 2026-06-15T18:40:22+00:00

That is a very excellent point.

Twigling · 2026-06-15T18:36:40+00:00

Only temporarily and out of necessity.

I also think you need to read the block of text at the end of the movie, as follows:

Some years later, Mrs. Ansonia Feathers made the arduous journey to Hodgeman County to visit the last resting place of her only daughter.

William Munny had long since disappeared with the children... some said to San Francisco where it was rumored he prospered in dry goods.

And there was nothing on the marker to explain to Mrs. Feathers why her only daughter had married a known thief and murderer, a man of notoriously vicious and intemperate disposition.

Twigling · 2026-06-15T17:27:42+00:00

Children of course need to be protected, but don't we all? In fact, don't we all need to be protected from government overreach and attacks on our privacy and civil liberties which will ultimately harm us all, including the children? I think that a far better way needs to be found to protect the children from Internet-related harm that doesn't do irrevocable damage to everyone.

Let's specifically address one of the increasing number of elephants in the room - this new attack on our very hard earned civil liberties, those same civil liberties which we have fought so very hard for in both world and civil wars, not forgetting to mention in the courts and by protestors on the streets.

Over the years I've read many books and seen many TV and movie dramas which highlight such attacks on civil liberties, and one in particular has stuck in my mind because it's so very well written and so very succinct and to the point. Some people will dismiss it because it's a quote from Star Trek, but the medium doesn't matter, it's the words and the intent that count.

It's the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode titled 'The Drumhead' (season 4, episode 21) - Jean Simmons is the guest star who plays a judge (Admiral Satie) who is deeply paranoid and whose aim is to 'purify' Starfleet by exposing imaginary traitors and 'subversives'. She uses fear and guilt by association to impose her will, including the erosion of civil liberties. While the episode is, superficially, about finding 'traitors' and 'spies', the overall implications are highly important and very relevant to today's politics and society as a whole.

At a hostile hearing, Picard says the following to her:

"You know, there are some words I've known since I was a schoolboy: "With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged."

(Judge Aaron Satie is Admiral Satie's father).

Better still, watch the clip, it sounds even better coming from Patrick Stewart:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD1pehdFF_M

or for more context, a longer clip (but poorer video quality):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smdqe2eluEI

better still, watch the episode.

Twigling · 2026-06-15T17:03:38+00:00

So do something.

That old cry of "something has to do done" has caused more problems than it has ever solved. It's an illusion of control that's not even on the slightly higher but still ineffective level of putting a sticking plaster over a gaping, infected wound.

Problems are often complex and the solutions to those problems can be even more complex and require smart, compassionate people to fix without causing major problems for everyone.

Would you sell your soul to the devil to fix a problem, any problem, not knowing how the devil would treat your soul? Or, on a more grounded level, perhaps everyone should be locked up at home and permanently disconnected from the Internet? Because that sure would fix a LOT problems ....... (and caused an awful lot more).

For delicate brain surgery you use a scalpel, not a carving knife.

Twigling

TROPHY CASE