Summer of Steven - Greg The Babysitter Review

 

 Greg The Babysitter is the last episode of the 2nd Week of the Summer of Steven event and gives another look into the life of young Greg Universe.

In this flashback episode, after Greg parts ways with his former manager Marty, he spends most of his time hanging out with Rose, in spite of the fact that he neither has a home, let alone money. When it becomes an issue for him, Greg becomes a Freeloader in Vidalia's home, much to her chagrin.

A situation forces Vidalia to reluctantly ask Greg to babysit Sour Cream while she goes to work. (Worth noting that as Vidalia threatens to kill Greg if anything happens to Sour Cream, she cannot say the word 'kill' and instead used the word 'destroy'. Again because of the policies Cartoon Network and other networks has made with regards to programming for kids.

As Greg takes Sour Cream to the beach, Rose drops by and is surprised at seeing a human baby. After spending some time together with Greg and Sour Cream, Rose then gives remarks on how humans grow and age and forge their own paths, whereas the Gems are merely created and lived out their entire lives based on the roles assigned to them - or to put it more bluntly, their 'programming'.

Seeing Rose's remarks as inspiration to write a new song, Greg shortly leaves to get his guitar, only to find Rose and Sour Cream missing when he returns. After searching desperately around Beach City, he ends up at Funland where Sour Cream is sitting on top of the Ferris Wheel. Greg climbs up and grabs Sour Cream, but is unable to climb back down and asks Rose for help. Rose however makes this worse by destroying the controls and causing the Ferris Wheel to go haywire. We then see Rose's superhuman strength by stopping the Ferris Wheel with her hands, and throwing the carriage to the air to catch a falling Greg - all while Sour Cream remains completely calm the whole time.

Realizing he has as much growing up to do as Sour Cream, Greg returns Sour Cream to Vidalia and stops freeloading her stuff. He then stumbles across the Car Wash and applies to work and live there. When Steven asks what became of baby Sour Cream, Greg replies that no one knows while Sour Cream walks by them, ending the episode.

Greg The Babysitter is one of those 'Moral of The Story' episodes. In this case, the moral here is you have to make up your mind on what you want to do with your life at some point. You don't get any younger and things can't stay the same forever. It remains to be seen how this lesson will apply to Steven, as he is a half-gem and not only is his aging process slightly altered, but his behavior as well. It's why even though he's 14, he looks and behaves like a 10 year old.

I said before that I do want Steven to show some maturity as the show progresses, in part due to his age. And the episode suggests the show is just as aware that Steven can't stay 'a kid' forever. Technically, he can thanks to his Gem powers. What I mean is as I said before, Stevens need to mature one way or another. Also in part due to his voice actor Zach Callison also getting older. He can't sound like a young Steven forever, and you can only do so much with autotune.

It does make me curious as to how an older Steven will see the world around him, and how he will see the Gems in this manner. Rose says it herself - "You're SUPPOSED to change! You're never the same from moment to moment. You're allowed and expected to invent who you are.". It reflects another lesson I learned from my college professor that what you are and how you see the world changes from time to time. Think yourself back a decade or more and you will notice with near certainty that, how you view the world and the kind of person you were back then, is totally different from today. And your persona and your view of the world will once again change many years from now. Change is inevitable no matter how much you want things to be the same. In a way it adds some variety to your life. Nevertheless, we all need to come to terms with these changes the moment they arrive.

Rose further remarks how the Gems are simply created, already aware of both their existence and role, and played out their role for the rest of their lives. Seeing how humans live their lives, Rose wants to show that Gems can as much live out their lives the way the want to, rather than what they are assigned, or 'programmed' to do.

I'm saying 'programmed' because the way Rose, and the show, discusses about the Gems goes back to the theory I mentioned earlier that the Gems are somehow a form of Artificial Intelligence - all of their data is stored within the Gem and they form physical manifestations of themselves based on the role they are given. I would bet that part of the reason the Gem War happened is because of a rising number of these Gems behaving outside of their programming, as is the case between Ruby and Sapphire.

Now I REALLY want to know more of the history of the Gem Homeworld and its origins. I do hope Sugar and the crew somehow make a compendium that provides the detailed history of the Gems.

Going back to Rose, it is suprising that despite being on Earth for 5000 years, she and the other Crystal Gems know very little about humans in general. The fact that she asks Greg if he created Sour Cream shows Rose having little to no knowledge about reproduction, which is likely why she allowed herself to become pregnant with Steven, in spite of the risks, for the human experience. And like the moral lesson of change I said earlier, in Rose's message to Steven, she has a more motherly and compassionate persona than when she was with a younger Greg.

So Greg The Babysitter is a good episode. Has a great moral lesson in it, and gets us even deeper into the show's lore. Other than the Kiki episode I didn't like, the 2nd week of Summer of Steven turned out a little better.

A number of screenshot and info leaks have come out recently and what we can expect from the third week is more of Jasper encountering Steven and the gang. We don't know if this is going to give Jasper her redemption path, or we'll be seeing more of her as the show's version of Team Rocket.

3rd-4th Week Summer of Steven Episode Titles + Screenshots (UPDATE 2)

Steven Universe S03E17 - Gem Hunt
US Airdate: August 1st, 2016 at 7PM
Synopsis: Steven and Connie track a Gem monster through the wilderness but its tracks lead them to mystery.
Steven Universe S03E18 - Crack the Whip
US Airdate: August 2nd, 2016 at 7PM
Synopsis: Amethyst is left in charge of Steven and Connie, and there will be no training while she's around!
Steven Universe S03E19 - Steven vs. Amethyst
US Airdate: August 3rd, 2016 at 7PM
Synopsis: TBA
Steven Universe S03E20 - Bismuth
US Airdate: August 4th, 2016 at 7PM
Synopsis: TBA
NOTE: Half-hour episode listed as one episode in the production codes (E99).
Steven Universe S03E21 - Beta
CA Airdate: August 5th, 2016 at 7PM
US Airdate: August 8th, 2016 at 7PM
Synopsis: TBA
Steven Universe S03E22 - Earthlings
US Airdate: August 8th, 2016 at 7:15PM
Synopsis: TBA
Steven Universe S03E23 - Back to the Moon
US Airdate: August 9th, 2016 at 7PM
Synopsis: TBA
Steven Universe S03E24 - Bubbled
US Airdate: August 10th, 2016 at 7PM
Synopsis: TBA
Steven Universe S03E25 - The Kindergarten Kid
US Airdate: August 11th, 2016 at 7PM
Synopsis: TBA
Steven Universe S03E26 - Know Your Fusion
US Airdate: August 12th, 2016 at 7PM
Synopsis: TBA
Steven Universe S03E27 - Buddy's Book
US Airdate: August 18th, 2016 at 7PM
Synopsis: TBA
Steven Universe S03E28 - Mindful Education
US Airdate: August 25th, 2016 at 7PM
Synopsis: TBA
Steven Universe S03E29 - Future Boy Zoltron
US Airdate: September 1st, 2016 at 7PM
Synopsis: TBA

UPDATED WITH NEW SCREENSHOTS

 

NEW SCREENSHOTS BELOW

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Star Butterfly, Zootopia Comics Announced

At this year's SDCC, Disney announced upcoming titles for their Disney Comics line. Disney Comics will differ from Marvel (which Disney also owns) in which the former will cater to a younger audience while also featuring Disney-exclusive characters.

As such, Disney Comics's adaptation of Star Wars Episodes IV-VI would be toned down to be more kid-friendly. They've also announced titles based on Star vs The Force of Evil, as well as Zootopia.

Summer of Steven - Alone at Sea Review

Alone at Sea is another anticipated episode from the Summer of Steven event, as it is not only another Lapis-centric episode, but will also feature the return of Jasper. This is also an episode of which Rebecca Sugar herself is among the storyboarders.

The episode starts with Steven inviting Lapis back to travel to the sea, riding a yacht rented out by Greg using his leftover millions. Much of the episode covers Steven trying to cheer Lapis up, but she still suffers from PTSD, in a sense, because of her prolonged fusion with Jasper as Malachite. At one point, she actually misses being Malachite to Steven's surprise.

In the last few moments of the episode, as Greg tries to repair the yacht from the Engine Room, Jasper appears and literally begs for Lapis to fuse with her again, seeing the true power Lapis has inside her during their time as a fusion. When Steven tries to intervene, Jasper attacks, but is easily knocked airborne by an enraged Lapis. Unfortunately, it caused a huge hole in the yacht, causing to sink, and costing poor Greg some money. However, Lapis is happy as she flies Steven and Greg back home.

Much of the key points of it is in the last 3 minutes, while the rest is primary focused on the Universes cheering Lapis up. Nevertheless, the scenes with Lapis does reflect on how people deal with PTSD. While I personally never had such an experience, the same somewhat applies when having other emotional or psychological issues like depression or dealing with verbal abuse and others. The episode does have a few light momens, with the yacht named the 'S.S. Misery' and Greg and Steven simply covered it and renamed it 'Lil Lappy'.

What does strike me is the fact that Jasper acknowledges Lapis to be even more powerful than she appears, describing her as a monster in terms of strength. It does explain how Malachite, a fusion of two gems, easily overpowers Alexandrite - as Lapis has a very a hidden power in her that possibly makes her the strongest of the gems we know so far. Expect Lapis to give her maximum in a future episode, but it remains to be seen whether she does it while she's on the side of Steven, or turn heel.

As for Jasper, I was expecting a start of her getting redemption and eventually joining Steven, as it was rumored since last year's Comic-Con. However, not only was this episode has Jasper only around for a brief period, but also gets the receiving end of Lapis's rage. Also, because I'm so used to Kimberly Brooks voicing as Allura in Voltron: Legendary Defender, I had a bit of trouble with her as Jasper, even though Jasper came first.

Shortly after this episode aired on Cartoon Network, Tumblr user 'sedorna' posted the following you see here. The short version is that Steven's view of the world is very much black and white, or very simplied, without a shade of grey in between. Personally, I don't have a problem with this. Most kids Steven's age or younger do have a black and white view of things and unless they are in the same scenario as Shinji Ikari from Evangelion, their view of the world is just as much black & white as Steven is.

Through my research online and based on my own personal experience, I learned that young minds really aren't prepared to process the complexities of the world around them. And even as we grow older, there are certain things we simply cannot understand. So to make things easier, our brains, and ourselves, just simplify things, even if it may not be accurately correct, at least until we learn and understand these complexities.

So high points for this episode - Lapis possibly being a Super Gem of sorts, but the rest is mainly a slice-of-life episode. I'm not a fan of that genre, but overall, not a bad episode and I enjoy it.

Summer of Steven - Monster Reunion Review

Monster Reunion is one of the hyped episodes of the Summer of Steven event as it features the return of Centipeedle after being bubbled by Steven many episodes earlier.

It begins with Steven gaining his healing spit back and wishes to use it on Centipeedle. Garnet objects as Centipeedle is a corrupted Gem and not a broken Gem, but gives in by Steven's cuteness. Steven used his healing spit on Centipeedle, and she gained a part-human form, but is unable to recognize Steven at first and is hostile. As the Crystal Gems were about to put Centipeedle down, Steven asks that he be given a chance to teach Centipeedle so the two can communicate.

Eventually, Centipeedle does remember Steven and the two communicated using Crayon and paper. The two began communicating through writing at first, but Steven was unable to read Centipeedle's, so they went with pictures instead. It is here we learn of Centipeedle's history. She was the leader of a team sent to Earth under orders to build Kindergarten. The Gem War later happened and as the battle intesifies, Centipeedle receives new orders to make a retreat, but was unable to find her ship, or her crew and was hit by a blinding light caused by the Diamonds.

Then Centipeedle undergoes a change, reverting back to her monster form, seeing that the healing spit is ineffective. Communication with Steven sort of broke down as she tries desperately to find her ship and crew before the transformation is complete. It took awhile for Steven to figure it out and they finally find Centipeedle's ship. Centipeedle however, compeltely reverted back to a monster before she could enter her ship. Steven opens the ship's hatch and Centipeedle is finally reunited with her crew. The Crystal Gems saw everything and is able to know what's going on through Centipeedle's doodles, which were actually Gem writing. Steven then asks Pearl to learn how to read and write the Gem language as he reads each writing from Centipeedle, ending with the one she drew of the Diamonds.

Even though Centipeedle is a minor character, her presence in this episode brings a lot of attachment to her character. Design-wise, I suspected it's yet another Anime reference, either to the Monster Girls series, or from Ryo-Oh-Ki from Tenchi Muyo. Unlike the previous episode, the reference here is subtle and the focus is more on Centipeedle's history and despair to find her ship and crew. The very presentation of the narrative of this episode harkens back to the show from Season 1, and it has quite a nice ambience to it. And because the episode looks and feels like it's from Season 1, the visuals appear just as such, so your tastes may vary in terms of character design and flow of animation.

And because of what I said earlier, I'm a bit confused as well with regards to Steven's behavior, as it appears he acts like he's still 10 or something, despite already in his teens. Never mind that him being a half-Gem sort of altered his aging process, but it's been a few years now, so I expect Steven to have some sort of maturity in his character at this point.

What is definitely a fact here is Centipeedle is adorable. Almost as adorable, if not more so, as Peridot. And you really do symphatize with her ordeals. Also a masterful performance by Dee Bradley Baker, who provided the voice very well.

After watching this episode, I stumbled upon a post by a user from Tumblr providing a theory that the corrupted Gems may actually mean that their data is corrupted by an EMP-like system designed by the Diamonds, as a way to quell any possible insubordination and/or to prevent the Gem War from happening again, after Homeworld's control of Earth is lost to Rose Quartz. This is likely what became of Centipeedle and the other Gems on Earth. The Crystal Gems were unaffected thanks to Rose's Shield, and Lapis, being trapped in a mirror, also protected her from being corrupted. It does shed some light on what the Gems are as a species, not to mention it has a Digimon-like vibe to it.

So are the Gems not just space rocks, but also a form of artificial intelligence? Have they reached a point that they are aware of their own existence and lived in the way Isaac Asimov imagined, a world where machines have a life of their own and live, breathe, die, and even possibly procreate like any other mammal? That will be for another time.

All-in-all, a good episode from the series, and I guess this marks the very end of Centipeedle's story - at least for now. There is still a chance we will see Centipeedle and her crew aiding Steven at some point. And when that happens, here's hoping Steven can help Centipeedle and her crew achieve human forms this time.

The Killing Joke Film Review

By now, you probably have seen the animated adaptation of The Killing Joke, or at least have heard of it for some time. Otherwise, I will provide a brief summary of The Killing Joke, it's legacy in the Batman mythology then and now, and my quick thoughts on the animated adaptation.

The Killing Joke is, of course, one of the most famous, or infamous stories of the history of Batman, depending on your point of view of it. Written by Alan Moore, the creator of Watchmen, the one-shot graphic novel provided two significant scenarios in the Batman mythology - the first being a look into the life of The Joker before being the Clown Prince of Crime we know today. And the second on how he cripples Barbara Gordon aka Batgirl, which led to the latter becoming the Oracle.

Although Barbara's involvement in The Killing Joke is very short, she becomes the Oracle in the aftermath, who oversees much of what's going on in Gotham and gathering info for members of the Bat Family, to compensate for her paralysis. It's similar to the role of Felicity Smoak in the Arrow TV series. Barbara would continue playing Oracle until the New 52 era, of which she resumes the role of Batgirl.

The Killing Joke is praised for its psychological analysis of Batman & The Joker and how the two handled their tragedies differently, becoming the very characters we know today. Both the graphic novel, and Moore himself has won accolades since its release. However, it is also heavily scrutinized, in particular by feminists groups, for its brief, yet violent depiction of Barbara by The Joker. The criticism of this is very much loud nowadays that the story itself was virtually erased by the writers of the New 52 Batgirl comic. That may change, however, with the ongoing DC Rebirth Event.

The synopsis of The Killing Joke goes like this - after escaping Arkham Asylum, The Joker wants to prove a point to Batman that anyone can unleash their inner madness with the right trigger scenario. All it takes is, as Joker puts it, "One Bad Day". To accomplish this, he invades the Gordon home and critically shoots Barbara, paralysing her from the waist down. He then kidnaps James and tries to mentally torture him by stripping him naked, placed in unsanitary conditions, and then on a ride showing pictures of a naked, and bloodied Barbara - all to drive the Commissioner to insanity.

Ultimately, James persevered and retained his sense of morals. When Batman finally arrives to rescue him, James blatantly tells Batman that, in spite of everything that's happened, Joker must be apprehended, not killed. After The Joker is defeated once again, Batman tries to reach out to him in hopes that they don't end up killing each other, as the two are kindred spirits somewhat. The story ends with The Joker telling a joke, to which Batman laughs at.

Alan Moore once said that the reason he never liked Watchmen ever getting an adaptation is because the story is best told in comic book format than anything else. The same applies to The Killing Joke. Even though the adaptation is almost 100% directly from the comic, the actual presentation failed to live to the hype. In fact, at some points in the film, it actually got boring.

Bruce Timm said in an interview he's not particularly a fan of The Killing Joke, but rather than put his own spin on it, he presents it like it is. Nonetheless, he did self-censor himself with regards to what happened with Barbara. While some may think Timm should present the Barbara scene in which she was sexually assaulted by The Joker, and not just shooting her and strip her naked, to me in won't make much of a difference because of how small her role is in the film, and that virtually everything else just falls flat.

Speaking of Barbara, prior to the story proper, we are given an original story by Bruce Timm that serves as a prequel and to allow the audience to form an attachment to Barbara before her inevitable tragedy. To me, the prequel was completely unnecessary and is just "filler" material as nothing in the prequel ever transcends to The Killing Joke proper. So I'm with the notion that the implied sex scene between Bruce and Barbara is completely way off.

I mean, it would make sense if Batman got pissed over what happened to Barbara because the two had sex in an earlier story, and that would drive him to really beat the crap out of ThE Joker. But because the two are totally separate stories, it never works.

Historically speaking, Bruce and Barbara were never romantically involved and Bruce always sees Barbara in the same manner as Dick Grayson, the first Robin. The only time in DC's history where it depicts otherwise is in Bruce Timm's animated universe. In the movie "Mystery of The Batwoman", it is heavily implied that Bruce and Barbara had a history together as the latter flirts with the former on the phone and Bruce avoids her advances.

In the comic book version of Batman Beyond, which officially continues where the animated series left off, Barbara reveals in a flashback that she was seven weeks pregnant and she and Dick only got back together for three weeks. This pretty much confirms crystal clear that Bruce is the father. When Dick finds out the truth, he violently attacks Bruce, while Barbara intentionally forced a miscarriage by letting a local thug hit her hard in the stomach. It's, no pun intended, gut wrenching to see this happen and leads to the dissolution of Bruce and Dick, which is portrayed in the Batman Beyond series.

The R-rated part of The Killing Joke is due to the amount of blood and death. The blood understandably from how Barbara was shot, but it's mainly in the prequel where one of the thug's head gets shot on-screen. No F-bombs, no on-screen nudes, no on-screen sex. I mean c'mon. If this movie isn't supposed to be for kids, you might as well throw those in. But because it's Batman and how much of a huge brand it is, it can never be done.

So in closing, the prequel is completely unrelated and totally unnecessary. Whatever Bruce Timm intended to do with that prequel, either to give the audience an attachment to Barbara, or to appeal to feminists, or whatever, it just didn't work and is made worse by making Barbara and Bruce go totally out of their character. And The Killing Joke itself, despite being a virtually direct adaptation, and with much of the Batman: The Animated Series staff producing it, it wasn't as good as I thought it would. You're better off enjoying this story in its original comic format than anything else. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give the animated version of The Killing Joke, a 2 out of 5.

Summer of Steven - Kiki's Pizza Delivery Service Review

This is perhaps the shortest episode review of a Steven Universe episode I have ever done. This is because the best way to describe the episode "Kiki's Pizza Delivery Service" is "We're just gonna make an episode that references all our favorite anime and not care too much about the plot".

There IS a plot in the episode, though. The short version is that Jenny takes advantage of Kiki's kindness and lets the latter fill in for her delivery job while she goes do stuff lasting several weeks. Kiki then suffers from a recurring nightmare that is a metaphor of her refusing to say 'no' to her sister. Steven, by communicating with Kiki through their dreams, persuades her to draw the line to end the nightmare.

On that note, either I never knew or forget that Kiki and Jenny are actually twins. I always saw Kiki as the older sister. Well, that does explain why both are played by the same voice actress - The Cleveland Show's Reagan Gomez-Preston.

The rest of the episode is just one Anime reference after another. If you're an Anime enthusiast, you can easily spot them. However, this is the third episode in a row that the show references to Anime and, in the words of Johnny Bravo "It's gotten really old, really fast".

It's fine to reference things once in awhile, or if you're gonna do it frequently, do it in the name of comedy. But otherwise, you have to be really good in making the narrative entertaining with all these references. To the best of my memory, the only series that does reference things a lot without sacrificing quality is JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. The franchise has references many famous people, music, film and art, yet didn't suffer in terms of the narrative and remains popular to this day. I'm betting this is just a coincidence and the staff just wants to express their love of Anime. But if they are trying to emulate what JoJo has done, well, they flunked.

Some people may like this episode because of those references, but for me, this one is even worse than The New Lars episode.

Summer of Steven - Restaurant Wars Review

Hello and welcome to the second week of the Summer of Steven event. First up is Restaurant Wars. Steven wants something a little different from the usual Fry Bits he gets at the Fry Man Fries restaurant, so Peedee discovers some breaded cheese sticks and serves it to Steven. Kofi, the owner of the Pizza restaurant next door, discovers the sticks which came from the Fry Man shop and two restaurants declare war on one another.

The war got so insane that much of the Boardwalk area of Beach City is in ruins, sort of, With people downed by the huge amount of fries and pizzas all over the place. Steven asks for some fries at Fry Man's store, only to learn there were no fries at all and are serving Pizza instead. Steven's reaction to it resembles the Abridged Code Geass skit where Suzaku was looking for clothing at a soup store.

Steven then goes to the Pizza shop for Pizza, but is stopped by Koffi who demands he must sign papers and be branded to pledge his loyalty. What immediately popped in my head was "YOU'RE BRANDING YOUR OWN CUSTOMERS?! WHAT THE FRAK?!"

In an attempt to end the war, Steven proposed Ronaldo and Kiki to have a fake love relationship Romeo & Juliet-style. Ronaldo protests as he claims to have a girlfriend, but is persuaded to do so anyway. Ronaldo and Kiki do their thing and declare their love for one another in public. Kofi and Mr. Fryman were about to end their war seeing this until Ronaldo's girlfriend ACTUALLY shows up. Down the drain it goes for Ronaldo.

In another attempt to end the war, Steven invites Kofi and Mr. Fryman to the temple, which was turned into a makeshift restaurant. Steven and the Crystal Gems then serve fries and pizza bagels, and in the anime-style fashion, the two rivals were shocked at the flavors of the dishes and pleads Steven to close the restaurant in return to end the war for good.

Restuarant Wars is a stand-alone episode that has no ties to any story arcs. However, this is one of the funniest episodes I've seen in the show, and it's what the show actually needs - comedy. Yes, the show is loved for its characters and emotional plotlines, but the show could use more humor like this as it makes it more entertaining. The whole episode is one wacky situation into another and I haven't laughed this hard since the Uncle Grandpa crossover.

The crew of Steven Universe are well known to be huge Anime fans and this episode is inspired greatly by another Anime series - Food Wars or Shokugeki no Soma. Unlike the Beach City Drift episode, which parodies Initial D, Restaurant Wars does so much better with their Food Wars parody. It also has a few easter eggs thrown in for observant viewers, such as the cameo appearance of Ian Jones-Quartey. All in all, great start for the second week of Summer of Steven, and I'm looking forward to the next episode.

Rick & Morty Re-enacts a Real and Bizarre Court Case

SDCC Rick & Morty Animatic Skit where Justin Roiland reads a transcript of the Denver Allen court trial.



FYI: Denver Allen was put on trial for the murder of an inmate at Floyd County Jail. However, Allen demands Superior Court Judge Bryant Durham to replace his current public defender with a new one due to the said lawyer insisting to perform oral sex on him. This leads to a series of extremely bizarre exchanges between Allen and Judge Durhamn that the entire transcript was released to the public just last month.

You can read the actual transcript here.

Summer of Steven - Beach City Drift Review

Beach City Drift is the episode I was looking forward to, because it pays homage to "Initial D", a popular street-racing anime that came out in the 2000s. Others would see this episode as being something taken out of the Fast and Furious franchise, but that's ok. This is also the 2nd episode in the series that focuses primarily on Stevonnie.

In Beach City Drift, Greg still has some money leftover from the $10 million he got from Marty and bought a used car called the 'Dondai Supremo', which he's been wanting to have for several years.

Later, Kevin arrives in his sports car, the Himitsu X-12, to be cleaned by Greg in preparation for the local street race, and Steven completely lashes out. When Greg learns on what happened between Stevonnie and Kevin, he advises to not put too much on Kevin as he's totally not worth it. This advice from Greg not only plays a major part of this episode, but probably from behind the scenes as well, which I will explain later.

Still can't get over Kevin, Steven and Connie fused into Stevonnie and challenged Kevin to the street race using Greg's new 'used' car. Kevin recognizes Stevonnie, but thinks of it as Steven and Connie standing on top of each other while wearing a trenchcoat. Yeah, it's weird thinking coming from him as it's nothing like that at all. But whatever.....

At the race, Kevin continuously throws insults at Stevonnie as he easily takes the lead. It makes no sense that two drivers have a conversation while in the middle of race - with lots of tight cornering. In any case, Stevonnie got the best of Kevin and spun out. Following Greg's advice, Stevonnie finishes the race on her own terms, taking the time to enjoy the view of Beach City as Kevin wins the race. Kevin is confused as to Stevonnie's reaction to her loss and got a taste of his own medicine, as Stevonnie drives home and ends the episode.

As I said earlier, Beach City Drift is an homage to the Initial D anime series, and there's plenty of references to it. The Dondai Supremo is based off the iconic Toyota Trueno AE86 from the anime, while Kevin's X-12 is based off the Mazda RX-7 FC3S also from the series. The downhill race off the mountain pass is also from the anime as well.

While I do enjoy the references to Initial D, and seeing more of Stevonnie, Beach City Drift wasn't as entertaining as I thought it would. For one, the execution of the race itself is poor, in my opinion. I can understand that the Steven Universe staff aren't exactly well known for action sequences, even in scenes like in Initial D. Still they should've made more effort in making the race itself more interesting visually. And I just don't get the part where Kevin and Stevonnie have a conversation WHILE they're racing.

Second problem is the soundtrack itself. Being an Initial D homage, I expected Aivi & Surasshu, who performed much of the Steven Universe soundtrack, to do a Eurobeat-style track for the race scenes, just like in Initial D. Instead, they went for a generic techno track that just doesn't suit well. It's so disappointing that I can take that entire race and slap in one of the Eurobeat tracks from Initial D and it actually makes it look better.

The one thing I do enjoy about this episode, other than more Stevonnie, is the moral lesson Greg gave to Steven and Connie earlier, which is the primary focus of the episode. Simply put, don't let trolls get the best of you, as they're not worth it. It's great advice, but  hard to follow when you get ridiculed, mocked, and insulted by several people and groups all the time for whatever the reason. We all get that a lot, and we have to learn to deal with it while not letting pride get in the way.

Greg's advice in the episode may likely be the show's response to the Zamii incident several months back. This may also be a reflection of rumors that Rebecca Sugar was recovering from suicidal depression after receiving verbal abuse by groups belonging to the LGBT and/or the Feminist community over her being a bisexual, which she herself revealed to be as such at this year's San Diego Comic-con, to the cheer of the audience and others. I personally cannot confirm if that is true or not, but if it does, I really do feel bad for Sugar for being a victim of such vitriol while the accused hides under the banner of political correctness and civil rights for protection from any, and all sorts of criticism, while having the priviledge of attacking everyone else with virtually no consequences.

As for the Beach City Drift episode, it's not as bad as The New Lars, but it is underwhelming compared to the other episodes this week, despite Stevonnie and the Initial D reference. All in all, not bad for the first week of the Summer of Steven event.

Summer of Steven - The New Lars Review

In "The New Lars", Steven is at the Big Donut shop asking Lars and Sadie who is better - the Koala, or the Sloth. Lars is just being Lars and is rude as usual, going as far as to refusing Sadie's offer to hangout at her place. Steven then tries to convince Lars to go to Sadie, but Lars tells him off.

That night, Steven in his sleep, wishes to help change Lars so he and Sadie can finally be together, when he wakes up in Lars's body. Obviously a new power. Realizing this, Steven, in Lars's body, does several changes to make Lars more likable by everyone.

Steven, still is Lars's body, visits Sadie and the two hang out. When Steven, as Lars, expresses his love for Sadie, the whole thing backfires and Steven had to let it out that it was him all along. The two then realized that Lars may be in Steven's body and they rushed back to the temple, with Lars's family and gang following suit.

We then see Steven's body still lying in bed and remains in a sleep state. Steven, in Lars's body wakes him up and the two switched themselves back. Lars screamed in panic when he finds out what happened.

In the aftermath, Steven apologized for what happened to a miserable Lars, but the latter then was anxious on Sadie's reaction when Steven said he, as Lars, loved her. Sadie arrives and Lars acts like his usual self, and Sadie was glad it's the real Lars. Lars then asks Sadie out and the episode ends.

This is perhaps my least favorite of the episodes for this event because it explores something that's been done before a number of times already - that of Sadie and Lars. We get it. Sadie LOVES Lars and vice versa, but Lars is playing the 'Mordecai'* and we see this happen yet again. It's starting to get awfully annoying and this should really be over with.

* a reference to the term used in Regular Show where Mordecai fails to express his feelings for Margaret, and later CJ, because of his insecurities.

The only reason it seems we're getting this episode is to demonstrate yet another one of Steven's new power, which is entering and controlling other people's bodies. I suspect this is something Steven will likely be doing in a future story arc, along with the rest of his newfound powers. This would've worked if we're still in the first season, but this is the 3rd season now (or originally, the 2nd half of the 2nd season) and a few years have passed, so this just doesn't work for me anymore.

I do give kudos to Lars's voice actor, Matthew Moy, who had to pretend that Lars is Steven in this episode and he pretty much nails it there. There's also a couple of neat stuff you see in some of the background images. In the scene where Steven (as Lars) looks over the numerous titles, the word 'Hell' in 'Hellhound' is omitted by the $1 sign. Obviously, it's because of a policy that such words like God, Devil, Hell, and the like are not allowed in a kids cartoon. There's even references to the Evil Dead and Robocop franchises.

Still, this is a weak episode, because it explores what we know already and still ends with a tease, rather than a resolution. Which also means somewhere down the road we will have another episode like this. I do hope the next time they do this, they really get it over with, once and for all.

Some info on Justice League Action

Some highlights of the Justice League Panel from SDCC. These are just bunches of information all over the place, so apologies for not sorting it right:

    >The Justice League returns to Cartoon Network this Fall in a new quarter-hour animated series, but fans at Comic-Con International in San Diego are getting an early look at the upcoming show from Warner Bros. Animation. Producers Alan Burnett and Butch Lukic, voice actors Kevin Conroy and Diedrich Bader, and character designer Shane Glines are on hand to answer fan questions and reveal the pilot episode of "Justice League Action." Warner Bros.' publicist Winson Seto CBR will have live updates throughout the hour, so keep refreshing your browser!

    >The panel began with a screening of the debut episode of "Justice League Action."

    >The show opens with Superman and Wonder Woman fighting off giant toys -- dinosaurs and stuffed animals respectively, while batman takes out some flyers. Meanwhile, Cyborg sits on the couch playing video games.

    >"Aren't you supposed to be guarding the tower?" Superman asks.

    >No surprise, the villain behind it all is Toyman, who arrives on the scene to subdue the heroes -- and transport them into a video game. Batman seems oddly familiar with it...

    >"Robin plays it all the time."

    >Cyborg makes his comrades a bit uncomfortable with how much he's into the Toyman's scheme.

15:06

Numerous characters included in cameos images included Plastic Man, Lex Luthor, and more.

15:07

Cyborg controlled Batman's moves, making him say "I...AM...BATMAN" over and over.

15:07

Fans of Injustice will find many easter eggs in this episode when it airs.

15:08

Unlike Injustice, the focus is on blending action and comedy with fluid, sharp animation based on designs from Shane Glines, who will also be present on the panel.

15:08

Batman defeated Superman with a Kryptonite ring. Superman is shocked - "You just... Carry that with you?"

15:09

Batman now has to take on Wonder Woman, who seems pleased with her video game catchphrase.

15:10

Wonder Woman hurled a Batmobile at Batman that resembled the car from the '66 TV series.

15:11

Wonder Woman won by knocking Batman all the way to Apokolips. Batman chided Toyman saying "Robin's better!" at the game.

15:11

Lobo and Firestorm also seen in cameos.

15:12

Cyborg defeated Toyman by taking over some of his toys.

15:14

Mongul, Joker (voiced by Mark Hamill), Red Lanterns, Hippolyta, Firestorm & Dr. Stein, Lobo, Lex Luthor, Plastic Man, Harley Quinn, Vixen, Mr. Freeze, and more were seen in a sizzle reel that is funny and action packed.

15:17

Burnett said that the goal for Justice League Action was to bring top notch action that appealed to both younger and older viewers.

15:18

Burnett made it clear the focus is on action, and that the comedy is a natural extension of the format. They'll focus heavily on the characters as well.

15:19

Krieg said that they like putting serious characters in zany situations, and silly characters in serious situations. "The threat is always real, but there may be a few left turns." Sometimes the action is precipitated by "Something ridiculous."

15:20

Lukic said some episodes will have more humor than others, but that there will always be serious stakes.

>A preview also showed characters like Firestorm, Luthor, Dex-Starr, Hawkman, Lobo, Brainiac, Grundy, Plastic Man, Vixen, Mr Freese, Booster Gold, and more.

    >The audience loved the show. The panel is now kicking off with moderator Eric Goldman taking the stage. Goldman invited the panelists to the dais, including designer Shane Glines, producers Alan Burnett and Butch Lukic, and voice actors Kevin Conroy and Diedrich Bader. Both Conroy and Bader have voiced Batman previously, but Bader voices Booster Gold in Justice League Action. Also joining the panel is Jim Krieg.

    >Burnett said that the goal for Justice League Action was to bring top notch action that appealed to both younger and older viewers.Burnett made it clear the focus is on action, and that the comedy is a natural extension of the format. They'll focus heavily on the characters as well.

    >Krieg said that they like putting serious characters in zany situations, and silly characters in serious situations. "The threat is always real, but there may be a few left turns." Sometimes the action is precipitated by "Something ridiculous."

    >Lukic said some episodes will have more humor than others, but that there will always be serious stakes.

    >Glines said that his designs started with Bruce Timm's classic animated work, combined with his own stylized ideas.

    >Conroy said part of his challenge as Batman is keeping his voice consistent, while also finding fresh angles for new iterations of the character. "Batman's audience is wildly loyal. They know him inside and out like I do, so if there was a false note, they'd hear it. Batman is so dark, and so screwed up, that if you just tweak it a little bit, there's real humor there. They find little tweaks in the story, and Batman will just raise his eyebrow or something, and it's really funny. For 20 years, you've been fantasizing about his sense of humor, and you get it."

    >Burnett says the only time Batman smiles in the whole series is when he "Kicks Mr. Freeze's ass."

    >Bader said the writers gave him a lot of rope for Booster Gold.

    >"I made him French. I'm gonna change accents every episode. The Slovenian one is a lot of fun," he joked.

    >Bader says Conroy is his favorite Batman. Bader said he had a good time because he got to do the jokes, as opposed to The Brave and the Bold where he had all the set up lines while other actors got the punchlines. Booster looks up to Batman, and feels hurt when Batman chides him. Bader praised the character designs, and Conroy said he loves that they found a sense of humor without sacrificing the action or character development.

    >Burnett said the episodes will almost always start with action, and that the details of the Justice League will be filled in as the series goes on.

    >Burnett's work on DC animation began in 1983 with Super Friends. "All the things I couldn't do on Super Friends, I can do on this show...It's better than I ever expected. It's like coming home."

    >Krieg said they manage 15 minute episodes by "cutting out act one," and jumping right to the action stories.

    >Lukic talked about bringing in a wide variety of characters, saying they were able to bring in a lot of new guest stars that previous Justice League series hadn't capitalized on.

    >Glines said he only read Marvel Comics as a kid, but that he went deep into DC history to synthesize different design elements from various eras of the characters for his designs.

    >Conroy talked about working with Hamill as the Joker again, saying "I wish people could see him in the booth. He becomes so animated, he becomes the Joker."

    >"It's a little over the top when he actually attacks you," joked Bader.

    >Conroy said Batman and the Joker define each other. "One wouldn't be complete without the other." Conroy said working with Hamill is perfect. "He's very generous as an actor. He gives me so much, and I try to give it back." "When you have that history, it's like seeing old friends. We get a script and we go in the booth, and it's like we never left. It's a very fresh relationship." Conroy joked that Bader only "played" Batman. "There's PLAYING Batman, and there's BEING Batman."

    >Bader said Conroy is the real Batman, so he doesn't feel weird working with him, though other Batmen have put him off. "My Batman was just a bad impression of Kevin's Batman." Bader said he loves how Justice League Action reaches into "the lexicon of DC," and will appeal to deep comic book fans.

>James Woods will voice Lex Luthor.

>Dana Snyder is playing Plastic Man, while Patton Oswalt is on the show as well.

>Several other voice actors are in the audience.

>Hannibal Buress plays Mr. Terrific.

>Patton Oswalt will play Space Cabbie

>Burnett cited the original Teen Titans cartoon, saying they took some influence from that show's action. Several Teen Titans animators are working on Justice League Action.

>A fan asked if there would ever be a musical epsiode of Justice League Action.

>Conroy joked that Batman would have a solo musical episode, clarifying that there were no plans for a musical episode.

>A fan asked about Ted Kord, but Krieg said he does not appear in season one. "He can appear in season two, when you demand him in season two, when you demand that there be a season two."

>Conroy is singing his Batman song from the "This Little Piggy" episode of Justice League Unlimited.

    >Krieg said that the 11 minute format didn't leave as much time to focus on large casts, so they single out a few characters each episode. He said the Legion of Doom could show up in a potential movie.

    >Skeets shows up in a Booster Gold episode, but that he may not have any lines - though he does have sound effects.

    >A fan asked Conroy and Bader to each order lunch as Batman.

    >"I'll have a roast beef on rye," Conroy intoned in his famous voice.

    >Krieg said Terry McGinnis could show up "down the road."

    >Conroy deflected questions about his role in The Killing Joke animated movie to tomorrow's panel. "I'm not bad in it, but Mark Hamill is incredible."

    >A fan addressed "Mr. Batman," with Conroy and Bader joking "Which one."

    >Conroy said he doesn't voice every DC animate Batman movie because different directors want different takes, and different movies call for different styles. "80% of the time I get to do it, other times I don't. It's just directors making that choice."

    >Lukic said if the show gets a second season, "a couple different Robins."

    >Patton Oswalt's Space Cabbie might be a full member of the Justice League.

    >Conroy said Hamill's Joker and Luke Skywalker couldn't be more different. "Luke Skywalker was this nice young man. But there's so much more to Mark than that - he's basically a character actor."

Hey! Arnold on SDCC

Just a Tweet for now, but here are the production models from the upcoming Hey! Arnold movie at the Nickelodeon panel in this year's San Diego Comic-con

Summer of Steven - Too Short to Ride Review

Too Short to Ride has a very simple plot line with a really good execution that leaves leaves a feel good.....feeling.

It all begins with Steven handing Peridot a Tablet device, to which Peridot is more than happy to fiddle. She even took over the official Cartoon Network account on Twitter along the way prior to this episode.

Steven and Amethyst then take Peridot to the Beach City theme park to hangout. To make things interesting, Steven and Amethyst used their shape-shifting powers to attend rides and cheat at the local games. Peridot however, is revealed to be incapable of shape-shifting at all.

Steven and Amethyst then try to help Peridot do shape-shifting, but to no avail. Peridot laments not having any powers and explains that it is due mainly to her design. We also learn a bit more about Homeworld in that, the planet was extremelely low on its natural resources, which explains them taking over several planets.

Amethyst, a bit annoyed at Peridot's behaviour, grabs her Tablet and throws it away. A desperate Peridot reaches for her Tablet, and lo and behold, she has the power to move metals, like metalbending in Avatar: The Last Airbender. Peridot used her new powers to cheat her way through the Ring Toss game and claim her desired prize, and hugs it so tightly in such a cute-sy fashion as the episode ends.

Like I said, it left a feel good 'feeling' or whatever with this episode. It's also a lot more comedic in tone of all the episodes we see in this event so far. And it was a clever marketing plot by Cartoon Network by letting their Twitter account get 'hacked' by Peridot. We also learn more about Homeworld and its status, though a bit cliched, but nothing to really complain about.

And yes, Peridot is officially a metalbender now. I honestly don't like labelling Peridot in this manner, but that's how the rest of the fanbase sees it. Indeed, when I see Peridot do it, Toph from the Avatar franchise comes to mind, and not someone else like Magneto, for example.

So cutesy metalbending Peri for the win in this one! I expect to see more of Peri's powers put to use in the episodes to come.

Summer of Steven - Mr. Greg Review

Mr. Greg is the second episode of the Summer of Steven event and follows up after the "Drop Beat Dad" episode. It turns out one of Greg's old songs was used as a jingle for a burger commercial, which landed him the $10 million. The two then decided to spend the money by visiting Empire City, with a reluctant Pearl tagging along.

Obviously, both Greg and Pearl feel awkward being together because of their past history concerning Rose, but Steven insists. As the Universes dance and sing at the Le Hotel (it is a musical episode, by the way), Pearl eventually warms up and joins in. In the heat of the moment, Greg asks Pearl to dance with him, and she vehemently refused, pretty much killing all the mood.

Later, Pearl in her solo performance makes it even more clearler that up until now, she still hasn't gotten over the fact that Rose chose Greg over her. Greg overhears this and feels even more guilty and depressed. A determined Steven forces the two together and through his own solo, addresses that two have more things in common than they realized.

As the two finally talked, they've settled their differences and slowly began enjoying their time together to a delighted Steven. Unfortunately, Greg used up all of his money at this point, so they all return to Beach City. Steven slowly goes to sleep as he watches a happy Pearl and Greg talking to each other.

This is actually one of the best episodes of the current season, so far. It's not easy to make a musical episode and do the musical cues that advance the narrative without being so forced. Rebecca Sugar and her staff really worked hard in making sure you enjoy the episode and follow the story through the musical acts, while not getting the impression you're watching a Disney flick, so to speak.

What is probably a well-heated discussion is the current relationship between Pearl and Greg. From what I hear, this episode serves two purposes -

1) This is to settle Greg's strained relations with the Crystal Gems over Rose, especially with Pearl. Greg and Amethyst have come to terms many episodes ago, and now we see Greg and Pearl, which leaves Greg and Garnet. Though I would think the Keystone Motel episode may have mended that relationship already.

Former Steven Universe director Ian Jones-Quartey once joked that the series was a sequel to a previous work called "No Need for Greg". This was a reference to the anime series "No Need for Tenchi", one of the earliest known Harem-style animes that feature several female characters fighting over the male protagonist. One can assume what Jones-Quartey meant was that they plan to feature several episodes of Greg forming ties to the Crystal Gems, and perhaps others as well like Peridot and Lapis, over the fact that they all care about Steven.

2) The episode is meant as a message by the staff towards fans to encourage their own relationships, or shipping, with the characters. So in this manner, it implies the possibility Greg and Pearl end up as a couple. Personally, I'm all aboard on this. Pearl is of course the motherly figure for Steven, and Greg being his dad.

However, this concept may cause some tension for some fans of Pearl who prefer Pearl's romantic feelings remain toward Rose, and no one else. For her to potentially have feelings towards Greg sounds like a betrayal to her character of sorts.

Many times from the show itself, and by the staff, the Gems aren't exactly gender specific and that they are just 'gems'. But for the sake of simplicity, they do have the appearance and tone of that of a female. So the part that the gems will have a female appearance no matter what, even if they appear rugged or butch, has this implication that if two gems have feelings for one another, and because they have a female appearance, therefore, they must be lesbians. But if someone like Pearl somehow ends up being with Greg, some of those Pearl fans will raise pitchforks.

Not to talk like an old man talking of the old days, but I remember my psychology professor in college once said that "there are matters of the heart that only the heart can understand". If two people fell in love and are completely devoted to one another, no matter how odd it seems, who are we to judge who should and shouldn't be together?

Besides, this episode is to settle once and for all Greg and Pearl's relationship over Rose, rather than let that linger on for the rest of the series. The important thing is that Pearl and Greg no longer feel awkward towards one another and the two can interact and work together when the story calls for it.

This is also by the way the final episode storyboarded by Joe Johnston, before he moves up to becoming series director, replacing Ian Jones-Quartey who now helms OK, KO.

So again, great episode. Great music. And glad Greg and Pearl have come to terms with one another. If they ended up a couple, that's great. If not, but remain friends, that's ok. The important thing is the two no longer have any ill will towards each other and can move forward and work together.

There's just one complaint I have in this episode - HOW THE HELL COULD YOU LOSE $10 MILLION AT A HOTEL IN ONE NIGHT?!

Pearl's Solo Piece Lyrics

I was fine with the men
Who would come into her life now and again.
I was fine 'cause I knew
That they didn't really matter until you.
I was fine when you came
And we fought like it was all some silly game
Over her, who she'd choose.
After all those years, I never thought I'd lose.
It's over, isn't it? Isn't it? Isn't it over?
It's over, isn't it? Isn't it? Isn't it over?
You won, and she chose you, and she loved you, and she's gone.
It's over, isn't it? Why can't I move on?
War and glory, reinvention
Fusion, freedom, her attention,
Out in daylight, my potential,
Bold, precise, experimental,
Who am I now in this world without her?
Petty and dull with the nerve to doubt her?
What does it matter, it's already done.
Now I've got to be there for her son.
It's over, isn't it? Isn't it? Isn't it over?
It's over, isn't it? Isn't it? Isn't it over?
You won, and she chose you, and she loved you, and she's gone.
It's over, isn't it? Why can't I move on?
It's over, isn't it? Why can't I move on?

From the Steven Universe episode "Mr. Greg". 

Summer of Steven - Drop Beat Dad Review

Drop Beat Dad is the first episode of the Summer of Steven event and begins with Steven helping out Sour Cream for his show until Yellowtail comes in, and an argument ensues. Yellowtail doesn't approve Sour Cream being a DJ and prefers he becomes a fisherman instead. It's either I don't know or I forget that Yellowtail speaks gibberish, yet anyone can somehow understand what he's saying.

Later, we see Greg's old manager Marty returning to Beach City for some unfinished business with Mr. Universe until Sour Cream shows up. Turns out the two do know each other as their biological kin, to my surprise. After learning that Sour Cream is performing as a DJ, Marty decides to help out as his promoter, and as a means of family bonding after not seeing each other for 9 years. Steven remains suspicious of Marty's actions, but Marty assures it's to help Sour Cream with his career, and throws a bone by being an official roadie.

On that note, Steven apparently has a wee bit of superhuman strength, being able to lift a case of heavy equipment all on his own. I guess it's another one of gem powers, or he's really that motivated on being a roadie.

We then see Marty's true intentions and that he's at Beach City to heavily promote a guacamole-flavored soda called "Guacola", with Sour Cream only providing music for the promotion.

Ok, to be fair, there are a bunch of incredibly weird Soda flavors out there. Japan in particular has a bunch of them. Just look at this photo of the various flavors from the Ramune drink line from left to right:

Curry, Octopus, Salted Watermelon, Corn Soup, Kimchi, Sesame-Oil and Chili, and Shin-chan Bubblegum flavor. So I wouldn't be surprised if there is such a thing as an Avocado-flavored Soda.

APPARENTLY, THERE IS! This one actually exists in Brazil!

Back to the episode, Guacola turns out to be pretty awful and it's causing panic among the crowd, except Onion who appears to be the ONLY person who likes it. Sour Cream confronts Marty as he's upset that it's not about him and his show, but about a soda. Marty then leaves, but not before handing Greg a sealed envelope.

Yellowtail then arrives with Sour Cream's DJ Gear and he and Steven help set-up again for Sour Cream's show. Sour Cream restarts the show and everyone joins in. The envelope that Marty handed out to Greg was apparently a check for $10 million, and the episode ends here.

While I am familiar with the character designs from co-storyboarder Lamar Adams in this episode, I still find it a bit odd that Steven looks a whole lot smaller in this episode, almost as small as Shin-chan, so you'd almost mistook him for a 5-6 year old rather than someone who's at least 12 (or 14 in the show). Plot-wise, this can be seen as a stand-alone episode, but it does tie-in to Greg's backstory as a wannabe musician, as well as the Yellowtail family with Marty's return.

 

As for Marty, he's pretty much the guy you'd love to hate and wished for his comeuppance. However, we see Marty instead become a very successful, and extremely wealthy businessman, which is evidenced with the check he gave to Greg. Somehow, this coincidentally refers to a famous person, but let's not delve into that territory.

You know, thinking about it, Onion and Marty may do very well together, considering how incredibly freaky and evil Onion is. Plus, he likes that Guacola.

Speaking of the check, it does lead up to the musical episode "Mr. Greg" where the Universes lead a glamorous life as millionaires with Pearl in tow. $10 says it's not gonna last very long and everything returns to the status quo, just like comic books. All-in-all, not a bad start for Steven Universe and I like it, and I'm looking forward to the next one. 

One Punch Man Toonami Easter Egg

US Dragon Ball fans will either be pleased, or pissed with this revelation.

Summer Anime 2016 First Impressions

It is already the middle of July and since the start of the month, or even a week before that, a bunch of new Animes premiered as part of the Summer season. Now due to my rather busy real-life world, and getting addicted to Pokemon Go, I had to be awfully picky on what new series to watch. Aside from Berserk, of which I am a fan of and will watch the series to the end, I've picked three other new series and here are my first impressions of them.

 First up, we have Taboo Tattoo, based on an ongoing seinen manga series by Shinjiro. The story is about a war between the United States and the fictional Kingdom of Selinistan (which is strangely based in Japan) over a series of tattoos that grant whoever has them superhuman powers. When martial artist Seigi Akatsuka saves a homeless man from a bunch of thugs, he is given a powerful Tattoo embedded onto his palm, and becomes the target of interest from both the armies of the US and Selinistan alike.

Taboo Tattoo is developed by J.C. Staff, the same animation studio behind metaseries like Slayers, A Certain Magical Index and A Certain Scientific Railgun, Shakugan no Shana and Food Wars. Others include Ikki Tousen, Hayate The Combat Butler, Prison School, Shimoneta, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, and many others. So J.C. Staff has plenty of credentials under their belt.

Watching the first two episodes, I can say it does have potential to be good. I'm just not yet drawn to its story nor its characters, as well as the numerous fanservice that may one day end up in someone's Ero or Hentai collection. However, I do love the action sequences, as they are detailed, fluid, and fast. If you're a fan of martial arts flicks, you will enjoy this even though it's purely animation. So Taboo Tattoo is just right down the middle for me and I need to watc h the rest of the series to see how this goes.

 Next up, we have 91 Days. Set in the Prohibition Era where the mafia rules the streets, a man under the alias Avilio Bruno and his friend Corteo, use their skills of preparing Moonshine, and Avilio's sheer cunning, to be recruited into the Vanetti family, where Avilio secretly plots revenge against the one responsible for the death of his family many years earlier.

The series is developed by Studio Shuka, who worked on the Durarara!! x2 series, and unlike other series, 91 Days is one of the few anime that is an entirely original work, similar to Kabaneri of The Iron Fortress.

I will say 91 Days is the kind of show made especially for people like myself. It's mature, it's dark, and the plot is something you would normally find in shows like House of Cards. It impresses me so greatly, I forget it's entirely done by a Japanese staff. Yet the story, atmosphere, and characters are very much American (or Italian-American, in this case).

91 Days is, in a nutshell, like watching an anime version of The Untouchables, or The Godfather, or even The Sopranos. It's definitely not for those who watch anime such as Dragon Ball Super or Attack on Titan. But like a Wine connoisseur, if you have a unique taste for quality, 91 Days is a must-see.

Last is Mob Psycho 100. This is one of the anticipated anime of the summer as it is from ONE, the creator of One Punch Man. In a world where ghosts and other evil spirits run rampant, psychics are called upon to deal with these entities.

We are then introduced to Mob, real name Shigeo Kageyama, a middle-schooler who is an extremely powerful psychic. Mob is under the tutelage of Arataka Reigen, a self-proclaimed professional psychic who offers to exorcise evil spirits for cash. Unbeknownest to Mob, Arataka is a con artist who swindles his customers while letting Mob do all the dirty work.

Like Saitama of One Punch Man, Mob is stoic and emotionless for the most part, but he does have a reason. As the story progresses, you will also see Mob's progress of his stress slowly climbing. When that progress reaches 100%.....

Unlike One Punch Man, which was produced by Studio Madhouse, Mob Psycho 100 is produced instead by Studio Bones, which was also behind My Hero Academia. Furthermore, the character designs closely resemble to ONE's from the webcomic, whereas the anime version of One Punch Man is based on the manga remake also by ONE, but illustrated by Yusuke Murata.

If you're expecting Mob Psycho 100 to be anything like One Punch Man, don't. Mob Psycho 100 is a completely different show from One Punch Man. You still get some comedy thrown in, but the series is more akin to Ghostbusters with psychics. Coincidentally, Mob Psycho 100 is airing just as the Ghostbusters reboot is being shown worldwide. Mob Psycho 100 nonetheless, remains a very interesting series and I'm looking forward to the next episode, as well as digging deeper by reading the webcomic.

TTG vs PPG Review

Last time on this podcast, I made my remarks on the Powerpuff Girls Reboot on Cartoon Network. I say the term "remark" instead of "review" mainly because the rest of the season hasn't aired yet, I'm not really that invested in the Powerpuff Girls at all. So as a result, I'm not going to give PPG a rating.

Now with that taken of, here's the synopsis of the crossover episode "TTG vs PPG"

Mojo Jojo learns that there is a universe where the villains aren't apprehended by the heroes. In this case, the world of Teen Titans Go, and teleports to Jump City with the Powerpuff Girls following suit. Mojo then recruits Beast Boy and Cyborg to build his robot monkey army, of which the two are more than happy to comply - because talking monkeys are cute.

The girls meanwhile deal with Robin, Starfire, and Raven, who doesn't take them seriously as heroes because of their small stature. The two teams then has a 'competition' of sorts to see who's the better hero, with the Powerpuff Girls winning it hands down.

Mojo learns that Beast Boy and Cyborg, who were building his monkey robot army, misunderstood his intentions and built an army of partying robot monkeys instead. Mojo used the two as bait to lure the Powerpuff Girls in and drain their power using a special repellant. As the Narrator explains the situation, Robin hears it (as he's the only one who can do so), and relays the information to the group.

Robin, Starfire, and Raven then disguised themselves as the Powerpuff Girls to be hit by Mojo's repellant to no effect, and Mojo gets beaten down by the girls. When Robin acknowledges the girls being true heroes and Blossom replying they couldn't have defeated Mojo without the Titans' help, the latter then used Blossom's statement as basis to declare themselves as the winners of the competition earlier. The Narrator does his usual "And so, the day is saved....no thanks to the Teen Titans." and ends the episode.

This episode just plain sucks! And I'm not saying it because I'm not with those in the bandwagon that has nothing but contempt for TTG and PPG. I'm saying it sucks because as it is, it does!  Compare it to the "Let's Get Serious" episode that was the crossover between TTG and Young Justice and I made it clear that episode really made me laugh and I loved it. There is nothing in the "TTG vs PPG" episode that made me get even a chuckle.

To be clear, the crossover is essentially a Teen Titans Go, episode. And watching the episodes of The Powerpuff Girls Reboot, not a single one of that show was ever funny. So I was hoping with Teen Titans Go having some funny episodes, they can pull it off here with the crossover. They didn't.

One thing to note is although it is a Teen Titans Go episode, the writer for this crossover is Emily Brundige, one of the writers of the "Horn, Sweet Horn" episode in PPG. And the negativity of the narrative in that PPG episode is seen here with the crossover.

To be fair, Brundidge also worked on Devil Buster Star Butterfly as a Staff Writer. A Staff Writer is different from a Story Writer in which the former is among a group of other people brainstorming ideas on the narrative, and the latter lays it all on that one person to do virtually everything about the narrative. No pun intended, this is Brundige's first "go" with Teen Titans Go, and critically speaking, it didn't work very well. The only thing that is good about the crossover at all are the designs for the Powerpuff Girls as it is done by Warner Bros. Animation than Cartoon Network Studios, so the girls do look more like their designs from the original cartoon.

Having said that, when the crossover aired on June 30th 2016 in the US, it garned 2.4 million total views, according to Showbuzzdaily, making the episode the 2nd most watched in the show's history, behind "The Mask" episode. So for what it's worth, a lot of people watch it, and regardless of anyone's opinion on the matter, it was a hit for Cartoon Network.

Personally, other than the animation, nothing in this crossover is anywhere remotely likable and you're better off watching the Young Justice crossover, or the "Say Uncle" episode between Steven Universe and Uncle Grandpa. And because this crossover is a ratings hit for Cartoon Network, I'm not going to bother giving it a rating, but I assume you already know what it is if I do.

Thoughts On The New PPG Seres

So it's been a few months since the Powerpuff Girls reboot aired on Cartoon Network and reactions from both critics and fans of the show have been, well, below average. There's so many articles on news sites, youtube videos, and social media that pans the show than praising it that you can easily look them up on Google. And then there's that episode that's supposed to address transgender issues that got the LGBT community all riled up, and it's no secret creator Craig McCracken and the original voices actresses of the girls aren't happy with the current reboot.

And in spite of all that, ratings-wise, the show is doing quite well, averaging at around 1.2 million total viewers. The target demographic of young girls is around 0.4 in average, which is pretty high for a show like the Powerpuff Girls, or PPG for short. As for the main demographic of adults, it averages at around 0.27, which is not bad. Word has it a second season is already in production. All this gave me the impression that the Powerpuff Girls reboot is, in a nutshell, the second Teen Titans Go.

Speaking of which, the crossover between the two is aired recently and I've actually watched it. Before I give my thoughts on the crossover, here's my thoughts on the PPG reboot in general.

 

First off, kudos to whoever did the theme song and the opening animation as it's really cool and hip and I love the arrangement. Furthermore the way the girls are drawn and animated in the opening does reflect their original designs and makes it a very nice transition.

Watching the first episode onwards, I can't help but notice the change in the personas of the girls themselves, with the exception of Buttercup. Blossom is always the leader of the group and behaves as such, but in many occasions, she places herself beneath her sisters even in times of crisis. Bubbles, meanwhile is shown to be just as intelligent, if not even more so than Blossom and often acts as the voice of reason.

As for the new voices, it's a little hard for me to get used to not because that I prefer the original voices of the Powerpuff Girls, but rather their voices sound a bit 'off'. At some points, the girls sound as though they are teenagers than elementary school kids. Granted, the show did mention that they have gotten older from the original. But at others, they sound like they belong in an episode of Dora The Explorer, which made me cringe.

And then there's the episodes that are simply just questionable. Take "The Stayover", for example, which is a total parody of "The Hangover" movies, which were R-rated by the way, so it's not like kids have ever seen them. Then again, a heavily edited PG-13 version was released on cable, so go figure. And then of course the infamous twerking scene of Blossom and Bubbles in the episode "Painbow", that got many riled up, especially considering this episode was co-storyboarded by Julia Vickerman, the creator of Twelve Forever. 

On that note, Vickerman also co-storyboarded "Horn, Sweet Horn", the infamous transgender episode. After watching it, I have to say, if they're going to make an episode where the moral lesson is "it's what inside you that counts", while also giving a positive message towards LGBT people, wouldn't it be better if they just make an episode loosely based on 'The Ugly Duckling'? Strangely, the more the unicorn in the episode calls himself 'Donny', the more I think of him as the Donny from Adventure Time.

Sad to say, the negative reactions for these two episodes alone may have hurt Vickerman's reputation - and the chances of Twelve Forever to even have a shot of a full series. I just find it hard to imagine how a kid would view the 'Horn, Sweet Horn' episode and whatever influence it may an affect on that said kid. To be fair, Vickerman isn't solely responsible for this, as the writing staff also pitched in. One of the writers of the episode, Emliy Brundige, has since issued an apology on Twitter towards the LGBT community for this incident and explained that it was the producers' idea to market "Horn, Sweet Horn" as an empowering LGBT episode. But the damage is already done.

The show also appears to can't make up its mind on whether it wants to be episodic, or have an actual plot. At the same time, it also can't make up its mind on whether the show is meant for the newer audience or the older ones. If the show is meant for the new audience, why include an episode that basically removes a beloved character like Ms. Bellum?

There are also some episodes where the scenery doesn't make sense. Obviously the answer would be "because it's a cartoon, so it's not supposed to make any sense". But The Powerpuff Girls is not like Looney Tunes or Animaniacs, so it doesn't apply here. Even the zanyness of The Amazing World of Gumball doesn't use that blanket to explain what's going on in each episode.

And then, there's the NUMEROUS animation errors. I thought the people reporting these were just exaggertating, but it turns out, these errors are quite noticeable and oftentimes so bad, it makes the horrible animation in Dragon Ball Super tame by comparison! The show is even accused of using stock images on their backgrounds, often without permission from the copyright owners. 

I really would like to say the Powerpuff Girls has its moments where it is a decent watch. Teen Titans Go, despite being hated, does have some good episodes. I just find it very difficult to name one in the case of the Powerpuff Girls.

And yet, despite all my rants, and everyone elses's, the show has as much viewers as Teen Titans Go. For me to explain, in the nicest way possible, why this is the case, The Powerpuff Girls Reboot is as much a stagnant pool of filth as Jammers and Bottom's Butte. Yet, the latter two does have an audience who really enjoy whatever muck those shows have. Same with the Powerpuff Girls, but with larger numbers.

So yeah, like Teen Titans Go, you can hate The Powerpuff Girls all you want. But as long as it's getting high viewer ratings, which means more money for Cartoon Network, like Teen Titans Go, expect it to be around for the long run. As for me, if I want some nonsensical comedy, I'll stick to Gumball.