So I'm posting this a bit early because I won't be home tonight, and I don't really anticipating taking too many pics today that I would post here, except for maybe one. For the most part, November was pretty good, though I personally would have liked to have watched more movies... and played more games... and read more books... you'll see just how bare those sections are, hahaha u____u'' December will be the crunch month... work-wise... resolutions-wise... everything-wise! I really hope I survive! x_____x
Outings/Events in November:
- Hung out with friends overall x2. - "Attended" Extra Life 2018 (watching StephenGeorg). - Stan Lee passed away... ;____; - Celebrated a friend's birthday. - Celebrated my boss' birthday with the team. - Donated a bit for Movember. - Helped my sister sell her buttons at a Japanese bazaar. - Got tipsy when a couple co-workers from the UK hosted a "Spiked Tea Party" when they flew into Toronto for a week. I did not know that gin was 40% alcohol... u___u'' - Spent way too much money during the Black Friday weekend / Cyber Monday. x___x; - Was lucky to get a Lieu Day. I got my hair done and did lots of shopping. - Will be attending the office holiday party later tonight. - Stayed over at my sister's place x2. - Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn achievements / news: -I haven't done anything since the Halloween event. I wish I had more time for this xP.
- Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius achievements / news: -My rank is currently 171 (yay I can leave the game alone for 14 hours 35 mins) -I went into full on "whale mode" for the Nier banner. I got my 2 A2s and 2 2Bs, though I won't say how much money I dropped just to get them... >__>;.
Exposures:
- (Game): The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild -- Whatever little I played of this was fun! I don't own a Switch (yet), but one of my friends got it recently. My friend was very amused by my "curious, can I do this?" play style. Here are a few things I learned: 1. Jumping from high cliffs will kill Link (or at least remove 3 hearts -- Link starts the game with 3 hearts) 2. Continuing to swim while Link's stamina is at zero will cause Link to "drown" and lose a heart 3. Using the magnetism skill, Link can drop objects on himself and it will hurt him 4. Link can't lift himself up with magnetism (ex. if Link is standing on the object he wants to move) 5. Opening treasure chests from anywhere other than the front will result in Link kicking the treasure chest open instead of crouching down and opening it with his hands
- (PS4): Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below - (PS4): iDOLM@STER: Platinum Stars - (PS4): Fez - (PS4): Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls - (PS4): Nights of Azure - (PS3): Borderlands 2 - (PS2): Drakengard - (PS2): Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis - (Xbox 360): Magna Carta II - (3DS): Story of Seasons - (3DS): Culdcept Revolt - (3DS): Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker - (GBA): The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition - (PSP): Persona - (Wii): Fortune Street - (PC): UnEpic - (PC): King's Bounty: The Legend - (PC): Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (When They Cry)
Watching:
- (TV Show): The Walking Dead (Season 7) - (TV Show): Orphan Black (Season 3) - (TV Show): Criminal Minds (Season 12 - Episode 22) - (TV Show): Six Feet Under (Season 1 - Episode 3) - (TV Show): X-Files (Season 11) - (TV Show): The Strain (Season 2) - (TV Show): Galavant (Season 1 - Episode 5) - (Anime): Log Horizon (episode 3) - (Anime): Attack on Titan: Season 2 (episode 8) - (YouTube): StephenVlogs (Day 342)
Reading:
- (Comic): Bodie Troll by Jay Fosgitt
That's it for November. Here are a few pics I took this month, plus a YouTube video. If I get a pic of myself at the office holiday party, I'll post it up next month.
One of my Black Friday weekend splurges. This was my first time ordering from Fangamer, and it was a pleasant experience!
Potato chips! <3 This came all the way from the UK as our UK co-workers flew into Toronto for about a week. I do love my chips! xD
A birthday gift from my team to our boss.
This is an entry from one of those 5-Year Journals I was trying to keep. For this specific journal, a question or something is prompted and you write your response. Then the next year, you answer the same question / prompt below last year's response. When I write in this journal, I do my best not to see my responses for the previous years. I just find this entry amusing -- I say the same thing for each year but word it a little differently, hahaha. I do love those shoes! :3
A2! Squeee! I wonder when I'll actually get to playing Nier: Automata.
"I Knew You When" by Marianas Trench.
While I find the music kinda generic... I think the lyrics are quite cleverly written at certain parts. Also Josh Ramsay's voice is great.
Thanks for reading! As usual, if you have any questions / comments about anything, feel free. :) Take care and until the next time (which should be in a couple days, hahaha...)! :3
Format Watched: In theatres (Saturday November 24, 2018)
Approx. Runtime: 112 minutes (2 hours, 2 minutes)
Language Watched: English
Type of Movie: Adventure, Comedy, Video Game
Overall Impression: It was great. Definitely worthy of being a sequel to Wreck-It Ralph.
SPOILER ALERT WARNING!!
This review will contain some spoilers -- or rather, there will be a "Spoilers" section at the end of the review to go into further detail about certain things. There may still be slight spoilers throughout the review, but I've tried my best to keep them at a minimum.
PERSONAL STANDING (Pre-exposures, thoughts, etc.)
I can't exactly recall how I first heard that Wreck-It Ralph was getting a sequel... but once I did, I knew I was going to watch it no matter what. I LOVED the first movie, Wreck-It Ralph, so... I just knew. :3
Speaking honestly, the teaser trailer made me a little uneasy. It looked like a light and fluffy adventure with superficial humour, and I just hoped that the movie would have more. I didn't watch any of the other trailers because I'm just like that.
The teaser trailer for Ralph Breaks the Internet.
This was the only trailer I watched before watching the movie.
JUST A NOTE: Since this is a review of the sequel to Wreck-It Ralph, there could be spoilers to the first movie, so be warned! I'll do my best to keep those to a minimum, though.
If you have watched Wreck-It Ralph and are curious at all, here is my review of the first movie: Here.
STORY
Ralph Breaks The Internet follows video game characters Wreck-It Ralph (whom I will refer to as Ralph for the rest of this review) and Vanellope as they go through the internet and try to find an arcade part to save Vanellope's game, Sugar Rush.
There. That's the surface plot and the main motivation for exploring the internet. It's a good motivation, too -- I didn't get that at all from the teaser trailer. Initially I was worried that Ralph and Vanellope were going to go through the internet just for the heck of it. I'm very glad that wasn't the case!
I call that the surface plot, because there's another plot in Ralph Breaks The Internet. Or rather -- there is an unraveling that happens throughout, and the surface plot does a good job of furthering that unraveling to a point where core ideas, character development, and themes come out and get addressed.
It was good. I really enjoyed it. :)
I'll mention the core ideas and themes in the "Spoilers" section.
STANDALONE-FRIENDLY?
To an extent, I think Ralph Breaks The Internet could be watched on its own and enjoyed, BUT... in my mind I would be thinking, 'If you can set aside some time to watch Ralph Breaks The Internet... why not spend that same time watching Wreck-It Ralph first?'
Thankfully not too much from Wreck-It Ralph is brought up in Ralph Breaks The Internet so Wreck-It Ralph wouldn't be spoiled... but at the same time, almost none of the character relationships are explained in Ralph Breaks The Internet, making it a little difficult to connect or understand the characters at times. For example, Ralph and Vanellope are best friends in Ralph Breaks the Internet, but we don't know how they became such good friends or why they care so much about each other.
So... even though I think Ralph Breaks The Internet could be watched on its own, I highly recommend watching Wreck-It Ralph first! Wreck-It Ralph is a great movie, too, so why not? :)
VARIOUS REFERENCES AND CROSSOVERS
Similar to Wreck-It Ralph, there are a lot of references and crossovers, though this time there were a lot more internet / pop culture references and crossovers. And again, just like in Wreck-It Ralph, they weren't overly used nor were they a distraction from the story, which I really like and appreciate.
I like that despite all the references and crossovers, Ralph and Vanellope still shine as brightly as they did in Wreck-It Ralph.
My favourite crossover moments and references will be listed in the "Spoilers" section.
ANIMATION
A+. Everything that I said about the animation in Wreck-It Ralph is true here, too, so I'll just re-post it:
The computer animation is awesome. Emotions are displayed on a character's face with subtle yet strong, telling expressions. The characters also move in very telling ways. Even though all the characters are in 3D, one could tell that some of them are from 8-bit era games because of their mannerisms and the way they move. Everything is very smooth and wonderful.
VOICE-ACTING/CHARACTERS
Another A+. Just like in Wreck-It Ralph, John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman were great as Ralph and Vanellope. The new voices were great as well, especially Gal Gadot as Shank.
CHARACTERS
One thing that I really liked about Ralph Breaks The Internet was that even though Ralph and Vanellope were already developed characters from the first movie, there was still room for them to grow in this movie. And that character growth, in my opinion, allowed for the movie to break away from being "just a sequel" to something... much more.
Ralph and Vanellope are still very likeable and relatable. And well -- while I couldn't get behind all of Ralph's actions... I understood them very well and could sympathize with his feelings.
Among the new characters, I really like Shank. She's such a bad*ss! But also thoughtful, wise, and kind. :3 <3
MUSIC
Just like with Wreck-It Ralph, I barely noticed the music... but I felt a variety of emotions, so I knew it was there working its magic of enhancing the scenes. If I could count all the times I cried during this movie, hahaha... ^__^''
And I'll also say: I really like "Zero", the song that plays in the credits. And also the song that plays at the very, very, very end! <3
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Ralph Breaks The Internet is awesome. It is hands down worthy of being a sequel to Wreck-It Ralph. Watch it. But make sure to watch Wreck-It Ralph first! :3 I'm going to list my favourite moments of Ralph Breaks The Internet in the "Spoilers" section.
Oh, and when you watch Ralph Breaks The Internet, make sure to stay till the very, very, very end of the credits! ;)
Thanks for reading! If you want some more input about something I didn't cover, feel free to ask. :)
Now I'll do the scrolly thing so you don't see the "Spoilers" section right away. Then I'll add some more scrolly things after the "Spoilers" section in case anybody wants to comment, but not see the spoilers.
If I'm wrong here, feel free to debate! But to me, the core ideas and themes revolved around friendships, and growing up.
I guess... it's nothing really ground-breaking... but for those themes to be in a kid's movie... and especially when the themes themselves are kinda painful to face (especially if you're a kid facing them)... I think it's really nice -- and brave. I kinda don't think anybody would want to think the best course of action for best friends is to be apart... but if it helps to achieve their dream / what they want... it just might be. It's a very honest and realistic approach to it.
About Ralph's jealousy / insecurity / not wanting to let Vanellope go... I completely understand it. Before Vanellope, Ralph didn't have any friends and was viewed as just a villain -- and that went on for 30 years. Vanellope was the first character to really appreciate him and see him as a friend and hero. Of course he would do whatever he could to not lose that bond. This is not me justifying his actions -- but I do understand them and can ultimately forgive them.
I'm glad Ralph was able to face his insecurities in the end, and to honestly voice "It's going to hurt a lot". In some ways, I kinda think that line was more for the audience -- for anybody who might be going through a similar situation -- to offer a bit of understanding / comfort, it that was possible.
---------------------------------------------
Favourite crossover moments and references
- The scene with the Disney Princesses and Vanellope was great. I loved that Disney was poking fun at its own "Princess" character type. Vanellope's reaction to all their questions was great, too. I also loved it when the Princesses got to relax in regular shirts and pants.
- I got giddy when I saw Baymax from Big Hero 6. Bayymaxxx!!! (>^w^)> <3
- I loved the interpretation of how Twitter works, with all the blue birds chirping the same things.
- Ralph as Bob Ross... hahahaha. That was completely unexpected xD
- Stan Lee... when I saw his cameo, my heart broke. This is what went through my mind: '...! It's Stan Lee! But he's gone now... did he get to see this before he passed away? ;_____;'. It's wonderful that he's in it, but at the same time, it makes me soooooo saaaaad, thinking that he'll never know he was in this amazing movie... *cries*
---------------------------------------------
Favourite moments
- When Vanellope hugs Ralph at the end before parting to Slaughter Race. Just like in Wreck-It Ralph, her expression with her eyes slightly watering, but voice not giving anything away, was so touching. Seeing Ralph reciprocate that expression did me in completely. And then the broken medal coming together like that... I cried a lot during that scene, hahaha... ^^''
- When Fix-It Felix Jr. and Sergeant Calhoun were sharing their secrets about good parenting. The joke became predictable in the end, but it was still really funny.
- The Rickroll scene at the very end... omg, that was soooo hilarious!!! XD
- When Vanellope surrendered herself to save Ralph from being crushed by the virus. It really shows how much she cares for him. *sniffle*
- If I remember more, I'll list more favourite crossover/references/moments. :)
If you read my spoilers, thank for reading! Now to finish with more scrolly things. If you disagree with anything or just want to say something, feel free to comment :D
This entry is a bit late, but... well... I couldn't find the right words to express myself then. Even now I am struggling to find the right words... I am saddened by Stan Lee's passing... but in it is also this thought: "He was 95 years old... He lived a full life -- he truly lived a full life." While growing up, I didn't really know Stan Lee all that much. I wasn't a comic book reader, although I was very fascinated with comic books. Even so, I was influenced by his creations via TV, particularly X-Men. When the X-Men cartoon series aired on TV while I was in Elementary / Middle school, I watched as much of it as I could. I thought all the X-Men characters were interesting and couldn't understand why they and other mutants were rejected by everybody else in society. To my young mind it just didn't make sense -- the X-Men used their powers for good and still couldn't be accepted. My young heart ached for them (hahaha, yes, I'm a dork). I know that X-Men dealt with other issues, but I didn't really understand them until years later when I re-watched the series. I think, in some small ways (or maybe big ways), the X-Men cartoon series helped me to become a better person. I won't go into details into what... but I strongly believe this. So... thank you, Stan Lee, for helping to create this wonderful world and characters, along with many others I would later experience! These days, I do know who Stan Lee is: a legend in the comic book industry. Whenever I attended Fan Expo Canada and saw that Stan Lee was a guest (until his last appearance in 2016), I thought 'This man is retired but still shows up to conventions -- he's so cool! :)' Thanks for reading! For those living the US, Happy early Thanksgiving! :) Take care and until next time!
Well, with about six more weeks left to the new year, I've been thinking a lot about my new year's resolutions. Similar to previous years, many of them are done, except for the same super time-consuming ones! The resolutions I am most concerned about are: -Spend at least 100 hours on learning Python -Spend at least 100 hours on learning Japanese -Find 500 hours and put that towards catching up on either the Atelier, Ys, or Shin Megami Tensei (SMT) series It seems I am always struggling with these three. Last year I was able to complete the last one, but I was cutting it verrrrry close! I am happy to say that this year so far I was able to complete one game from the Atelier series, one from Ys, and one from SMT, but I still have over 300 hours left to complete that resolution. Then, adding the remaining hours I need to complete my Python resolution and Japanese resolution, I need close to 500 hours to complete those three resolutions! Are there 500 hours left in the year??? This would be after taking into account all the time I have to spend for work and other engagements like friend hangouts and such. And even after this, there are still a couple more resolutions I have left to complete. u_____u I think... I might be able to do them all... if I got no sleep, hahaha. If you have any New Year's Resolutions, how are you doing with them?? :) If none of this was interesting to you, here's a song I've been exposed to recently:
"Happier" from Marshmello ft. Bastille.
I wanna sing this for karaoke one day!
Thanks for reading! As always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free. Take care and until next time! :)
So Extra Life is a charity event where participants stream playing video games via Twitch for roughly 20-24 hours while viewers can watch and donate. Some participants have a set playlist of games at certain times, while others play games based on the highest donation. It was my first time "attending" an Extra Life, and I have to say -- what an amaaaazing experience!
For this event I was watching StephenGeorg (surprise surprise, hahaha). I never would have even known about Extra Life if I didn't subscribe to his YouTube channel and had watched through some of his older videos and found his Extra Life playlist. This year him and his wife Mal (with the help of their friends Dan, Chaz, and their Twitch mods) were playing GameCube games, with the goal to reach $30,000 in donations. They started on Saturday November 3rd around noon EST and ended around... 4 AM the next day (today). With Daylight Saving kicking in the middle of it, the stream lasted for roughly 17 hours! The days leading up to this event, I was very determined to stay up all night with them. Unfortunately I woke up around 6 AM yesterday... so I ended up taking a nap around 1 AM. Then I woke up around 4:30-ish AM to find the stream offline. Initially, I thought this meant they had reached their ultimate donation goal and decided to call it a night. After a bit of snooping, though, I found out that their computer crashed and they couldn't continue the stream without the audio sounding very off (awwww... *pat pat pat*). Regardless, though, Stephen and friends reached their donation goals (their first goal being reached within the first 4 hours of the stream!) and I am so happy for them. :) Their playlist was based on the highest donation. The game would be played for roughly 30 minutes (then they would stop at the next save point) and then the next game would be played. When a game is played, the donation amount is reset to $0, but if enough donations put that game to the top, it can get played again. It was quite fun seeing some games neck-and-neck for top place, or a game shooting straight to the top spot after a very, very large donation. I made a donation as well, and left this note, which was read out during the stream: Hi
Stephen, Mal, Dan, and Chaz! This is my first time watching you guys in Extra
Life. I hope I'll be able to stay up through the whole thing. Please put all of
this towards Chibi-Robo, the most dark but wholesome game -- until seeing you
guys play Hello Kitty. Keep up the great work! :D Below was the playlist. Even though I took a nap close to the end of it, I did some snooping and found the full list. Unless I mention something, the games were played by either just Stephen, or Stephen and Mal. 1. Hello Kitty Roller Rescue 2. Mario Kart: Double Dash 3. Chibi-Robo (Mal played this!) 4. Hello Kitty: Roller Rescue 5. Piglet's Big Game 6. Harvest Moon: Magical Melody 7. Metroid Prime (Dan played this!) 8. Super Monkey Ball 2 9. Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door --Pizza Dinner Break-- 10. Time Splitters: Future Perfect (Stephen and Dan played this!) 11. Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness 12. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (Stephen, Mal, and Dan played this!) 13. Amazing Island 14. Mario Party 4 (Stephen, Mal, Dan, and CPU [which Chaz declared was him] played this!) 15. Ribbit King 16. Amazing Island (I took a nap after this one) 17. Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker (Dan played this!) 18. Super Smash Brothers Melee (I'm guessing Stephen, Mal, and Dan played this!) 19. Mary-Kate & Ashley: Sweet 16 - Licensed to Drive (Not sure at all who played this) 20. Gameboy Player Disc (No Game) ~ Caused the computer to crash so stream ended here Of the games played, Super Monkey Ball 2 made me a little nauseous with all the stage tilting, and Future Perfect's colour scheme was a little too dark for me. Besides those, everything else I watched was fun and entertaining, especially with Stephen, Mal, Dan, and the community's commentaries throughout the games. I really enjoyed watching Hello Kitty: Roller Rescue, Chibi-Robo, Piglet's Big Game (for the commentary), Harvest Moon: Magical Melody (I gotta play that game someday), Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, and Mario Party 4. The biggest highlight, though, was Amazing Island, this mini-game adventure with a monster creation feature. Stephen created the most creepiest, ridiculous monsters ever -- it was hilarious! I enjoyed it so much that I stayed up to watch them play it a second time, even though my body was already clocked out (I kinda nodded off through most of Ribbit King). You can find some fanart of his creepy creations (along with other fanart based on the stream) on Twitter. Below are some screenshots I took throughout the stream, and the final total raised since this morning (around 7 AM). If you like, click on the image to enlarge.
Mal playing Chibi-Robo. Stephen instructed everybody to take a
screenshot of that face and to make that their
social media avatar (on Twitter, Facebook, etc). Some people actually did it! XD
Stephen's reaction to the title screen of Piglet's Big Game.
Some viewers commented that Piglet was twerking, hahaha.
The start of the most amazing of amazing islands!
Stephen's first monster creation in Amazing Island. He named her Peggy.
Stephen's second monster creation in Amazing Island. This screenshot is not
his final work, hahaha. The final creation is wayyy more ridiculous.
He named him Todd.
Stephen's final donation total as of 7 AM this morning. $64,322!
I just checked and the total has increased by a bit since then.
And of course...
Stephen's "gathering cry" video -- to let people know Extra Life was happening.
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions / comments, feel free! I can't wait for the next one -- and I will stay up all through the night!!! The stream is over now, but to catch most of it, you can watch the video on Twitch here. I'm gonna watch from Ribbit King to the end, and then relax for the rest of the day... I never went back to sleep after waking up around 4:30 AM, hahaha... z.z Take care and until next time :)
