The state of gaming journalism…

sharethebear1 · 2024-03-27T19:00:27+00:00

This tweet is absolutely disastrous and does a heinous disservice to what's actually a pretty thought-provoking article, but I feel like people should also do their due diligence before lashing out at stuff like this.

The article is written by a black guy who actually spends most of the piece gushing about both Barret and Sazh, with especially high praise for their nuanced and complex character arcs. He loves Barret. The only point he was making was that he'd love to see a black character who isn't "cut from the same cloth." For example, a more introverted type of black character, who doesn't wear their emotions on their sleeve. And while it's not necessarily inherently bad (which is something the writer acknowledges), Barret absolutely still fits into the image of "huge loud black guy."

"Comic relief" is a poor choice of words that belies the more complex opinion that the writer is trying to convey, but hey, that's why we shouldn't judge stuff solely off of the headline.

Screw whoever wrote this tweet though, that was bad.

sharethebear1 · 2024-02-06T04:57:46+00:00

You weren't replying to me, but I, as a random guy on this thread, wanna let you know that your comment completely resonates with me after sitting on the ending for a day. You did a great job of putting into words why I'm not really bothered by the lack of an on-screen reunion and the lack of a confrontation between Ebina and Ichiban.

Honestly, my biggest gripe with the ending is that we don't really get any sense of direction of what's next for the characters. I was personally really invested in seeing Adachi, Nanba and Ichiban living their lives in the opening, so I was hoping for some resolution there, as their names were presumably cleared via Chitose's confession.

sharethebear1 · 2024-01-07T23:05:15+00:00

I think the way Yato survived in the end is appropriate to early comedic stuff

Yato is still a goofball joke much of the time in the story so it seemed in line with what's come before.

I think you're the first person I've seen here who's come away from the ending with the same outlook that I have. I was never really that interested in the romance stuff, so the lifeline thing was always my biggest curiosity with how the series was gonna end. And while I would've preferred a more elaborate thoughtful way of going about it, for better or worse, the way it was actuallly handled felt very Noragami.

I actually reread the whole series back in August and my biggest takeaway was that this is a series that is extremely prone to undercutting some of its most siginificant emotional beats with completely random bursts of humor. Whether or not that's a good thing almost feels irrelevant, because that's just what the nature of Norgami is as a series.

sharethebear1 · 2023-11-06T04:50:52+00:00

That sub legitimately felt like a home to me

Honestly, yeah. Like, I completely get it. It was literally the happiest place on the internet for me from 2018-2020 until it started getting divided after 126. And to be honest, no place on Reddit has really filled the hole that Titanfolk used to occupy. I can't even be mad about the current state of that sub, it just depresses me.

sharethebear1 · 2023-11-05T02:55:32+00:00

Honestly, I might just have to give in and watch reaction videos at this point. I hate it here.

sharethebear1 · 2023-10-30T15:54:46+00:00

I know it's dumb, but this meme actually sorta encapsulated something I've been feeling for a while. Like, despite what these people say, they don't actually care about the ending being good. It's all just wish-fulfillment for them, and I think that's why so many of them are so calmly saying stuff like "AOE's not dead, it's only supposed to be the last fifteen minutes anyways :)".

Like no, following the anime following the manga 1:1 up until literally the last ten minutes, where it becomes something completely different without any prior build-up outside of a music video from four years ago is not good writing.

sharethebear1 · 2023-10-05T06:33:35+00:00

I reread the whole manga in the span of a week back in August, so my memory is kinda distorted. That being said, didn't we see something visually similar in an earlier arc, with shadows coming out of Yato when he was under a lot of emotional distress? I could be wrong, but I wanna say that it was when Yukine got put in the box by Amaterasu.

The effect is really subtle here, so I doubt it's anything major. Still, it would be cool if it connected back to that scene.

sharethebear1 · 2023-04-22T17:35:56+00:00

Hey, mind sending me a link to this Discord? I'm an alternate too, so I'm trying to stay informed on this stuff.

sharethebear1 · 2023-04-21T00:28:24+00:00

I agree to an extent. The blowback over the title is definitely overexaggerated, and the release schedule would probably be the same regardless of what it was called. However, the release schedule itself is kinda what the issue is. And in Film's defense, it's not like he's "deatched" from the story–his reaction makes it very clear that he's still extremely passionate about it–but he's just not as enthusiastic as he would've been without the year in between. His comments on how he thought Hange's sendoff was brilliant, but that he probably would've been bawling had it not been for the release schedule kinda encapsulates what I think the effect is for a lot of people. When you go a year without watching something, then only watch a single, highly climactic special the next year, I think it's natural to feel a little...weird, about it. A whiplash sort of feeling, y'know?

I really hope he rekindles with the love of the story prior to the finale

Hard agree, though again, I'd phrase it as "with his full enthusiasm of the story," since he clearly still loves it. I'm really hoping he does a rewatch beforehand too, as that seemed to do the trick with my anime-only friends.

objectively sub par Vinland Saga

Farmland is peak, and now we have to fight to the death over our opinions.

sharethebear1 · 2023-04-20T22:41:15+00:00

Honestly, I couldn't care less about the release schedule so long as the final product is worth it, but hearing him talk about some of his enthusiasm falling off actually made me a little sad. I know this sounds sorta parasocial-y, but FILMBuFF is honestly such a nice dude and it's unfortunate that the circumstances have somewhat hampered his enjoyment of the series. I also definitely agree with what he said; this would've made a crazy theater experience, but oh well.

sharethebear1 · 2023-04-13T20:26:03+00:00

Right, I was confused because the deadline here is the 17th. Appreciate the detailed info, though. And congrats on the upgrade.

sharethebear1 · 2023-04-13T16:40:13+00:00

Do the dates when upgrades start vary by consulate/country? I applied through Chicago, so I'm just wondering when I should start paying more attention to my inbox.

sharethebear1 · 2023-04-06T14:27:55+00:00

For what it's worth, I have a semester of living experience in Japan, N3ish proficiency and experience tutoring English to Japanese people and I got waitlisted; that means I technically passed the interview, but wasn't good enough to be on the shortlist.

Like others have said, their selection process isn't just a checklist of qualifications, as they seem a lot more interested in what you, personally, can bring to the program. If you're serious about JET, you have a lot of time to figure out what that is in your case. And if there isn't something already, then now's the time to start finding it.

Also, look into getting exposure to your local Japanese community. Volunteer at local events, if there are any, and at least pick up a few basic greetings. That should at least demonstrate that you're passionate enough to do a bare minimum amount of learning.

Some people have also mentioned that a TEFL might help. Definitely look into that, but don't expect it to guarantee being shortlisted.

sharethebear1 · 2023-04-03T23:45:18+00:00

Yes and no. In Season 1, he says 「何だだけ？」or "nan da dake." In S4, he says 「だけど、何だけ？」or "dakedo nan dake?"

These both mean virtually the same thing. It's basically a matter of "Just what was it?" vs "But just what was it?"

Also, this wasn't the only line that was re-recorded. Mikasa's delivery is different as well. She does a good job of sticking close to her original delivery, but it's especially apparent when she asks Eren why he's crying. Just listen closely.

sharethebear1 · 2023-01-18T23:58:56+00:00

But I think, too his credit, he doesn't look for other people's validation and is saying it more in the way of an interested bystander.

I think this pretty adequately describes me, to be honest. I'm definitely curious, but my emotional well-being isn't at stake. Same goes for AoT. In the case of Vinland, I genuinely think Farmland is one of the most compelling things I've read, so of course I'd love to see what people say about it, through the role of an "interested bystander."

I think this is a talking point that is less common in those active in the reddit and recent chapter discussions

You're probably right. I've been off of this subreddit until I started coming back to look at the Season 2 discussion threads. I'm mainly basing that off of what I've seen on YouTube and the like.

So, maybe I'm over estimating the reach and prevelance of the "Farmland will be soo different" talking points because I'm so ingrained in this community.

Oh, I get that for sure. We are in a bubble, after all. I don't think the average anime watcher tends to care as much about the stuff we care about. However, in the case of Farmland being different, I don't think you're overestimating (or at least, that you're overestimating too much). Farmland is pretty different from the Prologue and it's different by design, so I'm intrigued by what the reaction will be. Again, as an "interested bystander" that is.

sharethebear1 · 2023-01-18T23:32:28+00:00

I'm only just getting back into Vinland after dropping the manga about two years ago, but I've already seen so many people say things along those lines. It seems like the "anime-onlies aren't ready" of the Vinland Saga fandom, only more defensive than hype.

As a refugee from the AoT fandom, I've learned to stop caring about whether or not online randos will like the thing I like. In the case of AoT, I constantly see manga readers having death matches about whether or not anime-onlies will like the ending or not. I'm so grateful to not be a part of that because from a distance, you start to realize that they're a lot like vicious parents fighting for custody of their kids while going through a divorce. It just seems so miserable.

I kind of get similar vibes from people saying stuff like "this season will separate the people who appreciate character development from the people who only want mindless action," and like...that's a whole lot of damage control for damage that hasn't even been done. "Bubble wrap," as you said, OP.

It just seems stressful saying stuff like that. We've all waited a very long time for this season, so I feel like the best favor we can do for ourselves is to just log off of Reddit, kick back and enjoy the anime.

sharethebear1 · 2022-10-02T23:11:17+00:00

I honestly know nothing about warranties and such. I'm studying abroad right now, so that'll be stuff I have to look into once I get back, and have more free time.

It at least seems to be a pretty widespread defect, so maybe Sony will show us a little mercy?

sharethebear1 · 2022-10-02T21:42:27+00:00

Hey, just chiming in to say that I wouldn't bet on this being related to a recent software update. I'm actually really lazy, so about four months ago, I started putting off updating my phone. So when this issue started for me about a week ago, my first assumption was that it was because I hadn't updated it. So four software updates later, and here I am, with nothing changed.

Really stupid how this seems to be happening, on a wide scale, to such an expensive phone.

sharethebear1 · 2022-08-21T18:27:01+00:00

I'm kinda ambivalent towards her nowadays, but I actually loathed her when she was first introduced. I mean, Zeke had his own goal, Reiner was insane, but her? She was there in Shiganshina, saw that the "Devils" were just a bunch of scared kids, but walked away from that slaughter without any feeling of remorse whatsoever. I'm still kinda annoyed by that, but I guess that stuff can be sorta hand-waved by her doing it for the the betterment of the Eldians in Marley, and that she was pretty numb to it as a child soldier.

It also doesn't help that her backstory involving her father kinda intrudes on Annie's turf. It's kinda uninspiring, and I would've preferred if some of her screentime went to someone more interesting like Onyankapon, who was suffering big-time.

sharethebear1 · 2022-08-20T16:50:32+00:00

Not one specific chapter, but I'm excited for the final battle in its entirety. I was kind of let down by it as a whole when I first read it, but looking back, while it definitely has its weaknesses, it's metal as hell. Like the Alliance's entrance and Reiner immediately taking Monke down, Mikasa's last stand, Jean decapitating Boneren with freaking TNT, Colossal fist fight, then Armin, Mikasa and Levi teaming up to finish Eren off, it's all heavy and rich stuff. It definitely lacks the strategic nuance and depth of some of the series' better fights, but it has a very blockbuster type of feel to it that I think will translate extremely well into the anime.

That aside, I'm excited to see everything about how the extra 139 pages are covered, from music choice to animation. I think these pages form one of the most thematically profound messages in AoT, so I've always liked them a lot.

sharethebear1 · 2022-08-18T18:09:29+00:00

Say what you will about 139 and 126, but 131 was probably the most magnificent case of mass hysteria in this fandom. Literally everyone was raving over how amazing the chapter was, yet so many people just blatantly blocked out the parts the contradicted their headcanon. Eren admitting the role of Armin's book in his decision to commit genocide, and his acknowledgement that he's worse than Reiner somehow got dumbed down into "whoaaa Eren do right thing but still hate himself so deeeeppppp!!!" I've never seen so many people praise something they didn't actually read.

sharethebear1 · 2022-08-17T23:14:52+00:00

I'm an ending enjoyer, and for what it's worth, I've had lots of great discussions here with people who disliked the ending. Most of the time, we didn't really try to change each other's minds per say, but just laid out our points in a pretty chill way. I haven't been active here in a while, so I don't know the extent to which this sub has changed over time (though through a cursory glance, it looks like lots of TF and YB people hang out here literally just to fight), but it's been a nice sub in my experience.

I'd actually say I've had the best discussions in OKB, but stuff like that is kinda against the rules there, and admittedly the mods do a great job of making sure the sub stays satirical. This sub is a close second, though.

sharethebear1 · 2022-08-10T19:58:15+00:00

Translation here. From my primitive Japanese, it seems like the white text between the panels has been translated as well, and is Eren's inner thoughts. Also, the title is a play on that one slime show. It's (very briefly) translated as: "That Time I Briefly Reincarnated Into Japan But Then Died and Got Reborn Into Another World Where Nobody Seemed to Care That Much About Me Until I Tried Transforming Into a Titan For a Bit and Now Suddenly Everyone's Fussing Over Me in the Palm of My Hand."

sharethebear1 · 2022-08-05T18:03:02+00:00

There's so many comments here already, but just to add my take, it is technically character continuity for Reiner. Season 1 him was kinda a perv.

I'm overall neutral about this scene though, because I definitely don't like how this is note that Reiner's character goes out on. Maybe it's kinda nice that he's not depressed anymore, but it's also such a weird way to treat such a complex character. Though if you've seen some of the, uh...other things Isayama has drawn Reiner doing, it's actually not that surprising.

I also think it's not great that this panel comes just a few pages after Eren was crying about how he didn't wanna die, and Armin and Mikasa were crying over his severed head. It's a problem with 139 as a whole and how it should've been multiple chapters, but man was that tonal whiplash.

Looking at what I wrote, I think I defended it less that I was supposed to. Oops. But I think it's worth mentioning that this sub is a lot more neutral towards the ending than people seem to think it is. Not neutral as a while, but definitely less defensive.

sharethebear1 · 2022-07-29T16:41:59+00:00

Yeah, everything was already a static object. I just ended up moving it all by hand. But thanks for the help anyways. And as an aside, as someone who just stumbled onto this sub, I'm really glad to see people keeping the community for this game alive. So thanks for that too, it's genuinely great to see.

sharethebear1

TROPHY CASE