Welcome everyone to a brand new challenge for the blog – Mae’s 31 Day Series Challenge for 2024! Similar to what I did with my gaming posts last month, this will be more of a monthly celebration of all things – well series related. Originally I was going to focus it solely on my favorite TV shows but then…I kept thinking about the shows solely on streaming services, as well as web series on platforms like YouTube – all of which I watch regularly. So I decided to combine them all in this month’s celebration 🙂 so don’t be surprised if these posts go all over the place as I talk about some of my favorites, some that may have strong impacts on me, or maybe even some coming down the pipe. Who knows! We’ll see where the night takes us haha. I’ll likely revisit the gaming challenge at some point and continue talking about even more games but for now let’s celebrate series media!
Day Twenty-One: Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure
So Tangled is one of my favorite Disney films to date – Rapunzel is such a fun princess and yes – I still cry during the lantern scene. So when I heard that they would be doing a series that takes place between the first movie and the short that shows us Rapunzel and Eugene’s wedding, I was already on board. Get the main cast back in the saddle and set it as a musical animated adventure – YES PLEASE!
The series kicked off with a television movie where six months after escaping Mother Grothel, Rapunzel is trying to get used to being…well, a princess. Her father is in constant protective mode and she’s struggling to find who she is and what she’s meant to do. However, when she encounters a mysterious rock, we find Rapunzel’s locks return in full force, filled with magic. Together with her friends, she must discover the reasonings behind her hair returning and what it all means – and face danger and chaos along the way. If you didn’t know this show – I wouldn’t blame you. They kept changing the names of the branding so it was a little all over the place. But you should definitely check it out on Disney Plus if you have it!
I really don’t want to spoil this show…but I’m gonna post some of my favorite songs that fully have spoilers in them. So watch them at your own risk I guess lol. The cast and music in is series is top notch. We see Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi reprising their roles as our leads but we also see Eden Espinosa, Clancy Brown, Julie Bowen, James Monroe Iglehart, Jeff Ross, Paul F. Tompkins, and Jeremy Jordan bring their excellent acting and singing chops to the front lines. And the animation ❤ oh my goodness, it’s so whimsical and fun but the technical work is really great (check out Nothing Left to Lose to see some amazing shots because YES PLEASE!). Seriously – amazing job to the team that brought us this show – it was a wonderful continuation to an already wonderful story!
Ready As I’ll Ever Be from Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure
Crossing the Line from Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure
Nothing Left to Lose from Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure
Video from user Negative Legend
Video from user ElectricDragon505
Video from user World of Meli
Thanks for reading today’s post! We should be all caught up now for this month! Here’s hoping I can keep this train going ❤ lots of love and stay safe out there!
Welcome everyone to a brand new challenge for the blog – Mae’s 31 Day Series Challenge for 2024! Similar to what I did with my gaming posts last month, this will be more of a monthly celebration of all things – well series related. Originally I was going to focus it solely on my favorite TV shows but then…I kept thinking about the shows solely on streaming services, as well as web series on platforms like YouTube – all of which I watch regularly. So I decided to combine them all in this month’s celebration 🙂 so don’t be surprised if these posts go all over the place as I talk about some of my favorites, some that may have strong impacts on me, or maybe even some coming down the pipe. Who knows! We’ll see where the night takes us haha. I’ll likely revisit the gaming challenge at some point and continue talking about even more games but for now let’s celebrate series media!
Day Twenty: Dimension 20
I’m a big fan of Dropout and the cast and crew that make their content. But I think my top show has to be Dimension 20 in all its iterations. Generally hosted by the amazing mind of Brennan Lee Mulligan, the show goes into various types of campaigns from Fantasy High, Misfits and Magic, A Court of Fey and Flowers, Neverafter, and more! It’s an actual play show where a cast comes together to play a Tabletop Role-Playing Game, with a host acting as a game master overall to keep the story going.
Now I’m a sucker for DnD and tabletop gaming in general, especially in my more recent years and having more friends that are into it and want to play. The visuals of this show, including the set design, sound design, and the effort that goes into the physical properties used to help tell the stories are absolutely phenomenal. Because these shows aren’t typically live, they put a lot of effort into production of the episodes, going into detail when it wants to focus on the mini fight scenes on the table or focus in on the individual players and game master. It almost feels like you’re at the table, sitting there with your friends focusing in on the story you’re crafting together. It’s a lot of fun!
I guarantee you there’s a campaign so far for everyone. From space odysseys, pirates, fantasy, horror, and more – the team has explored many different story types with an array of cast members. I can listen to Fantasy High over and over again and never get bored because the cast is phenomenal and makes me bust out laughing every single time. And when the serious moments are happening, these cast members ACT THEIR ASSES OFF! I’m fully invested in their characters and want them to succeed no matter what.
Some of the series are actually available on YouTube, with all of them for sure having their pilot episodes for those seasons available for folks to dip their toes into. Want to catch every single episode of Dimension 20? You can watch them on Dropout!
The full playlist of Dimension 20’s Fantasy High Season One!
The full playlist of Dimension 20’s Fantasy High Seaon Two!
A Court of Fey and Flowers is one of my favorite seasons so far of Dimension 20!
Misfits and Magic is basically Harry Potter but not written by a terrible person ^_^
A Crown of Candy made me audibly gasp quite a bit – this Candy Land adventure is actually quite dark!
Neverafter is Dimension 20’s first horror themed campaign, taking fairy tails and turning them into unspeakable horrors!
Video from user Jabletop RPG, which dives in with Brennan on how Dimension 20 came to be!
Thank you so much for reading today’s post! Sorry I couldn’t get this one out yesterday but I’m glad we could work it out today! I absolutely adore every single campaign the crew has done for this show and we’re just getting started. I can’t wait to see what’s next! Lots of love and stay safe out there!
Welcome everyone to a brand new challenge for the blog – Mae’s 31 Day Series Challenge for 2024! Similar to what I did with my gaming posts last month, this will be more of a monthly celebration of all things – well series related. Originally I was going to focus it solely on my favorite TV shows but then…I kept thinking about the shows solely on streaming services, as well as web series on platforms like YouTube – all of which I watch regularly. So I decided to combine them all in this month’s celebration 🙂 so don’t be surprised if these posts go all over the place as I talk about some of my favorites, some that may have strong impacts on me, or maybe even some coming down the pipe. Who knows! We’ll see where the night takes us haha. I’ll likely revisit the gaming challenge at some point and continue talking about even more games but for now let’s celebrate series media!
Day Nineteen: Bojack Horseman
When Bojack Horseman first hit the streets on Netflix in 2014, I had to admit I wasn’t pulled in immediately. Don’t get me wrong – the animation looked pretty quirky and fun but there was something about the advertising, the strange proportions of the animal-people versus the people-people, and with the plethora of adult animation hitting the streets at the time that were just…meh when it came to story, I wasn’t too sure about this one. However, I knew I would jump on the train eventually….and after one of my friends told me I had to check it out, I finally put on the first episode of Bojack Horseman and began binging the first season.
The story follows Bojack Horseman – a literal horse man who is a washed up comedy actor who was once the star of the 90s sitcom Horsin’ Around. Now living in obscurity in the Hollywood Hills in his home, this alcoholic/drug addict wants to make his comeback into the world – and follows the urging from those closest to him (I’m hesitating to use the word ‘Friend’ here – and if you’ve seen the series, you’d understand why) Bojack decides to write a novel about his life…actually, he hires a ghost writer named Diane Nguyen…and thus the series follows those adventures of Bojack and those around him as he tries to stay relevant in a world that has no problem ignoring his life. Seems pretty tame right? Ha, if only it were.
This series is pretty damn funny in the writing but don’t be fooled by the comedy. Even the opening sequence can show you the darkness that hides behind this series (btw if you never noticed before, the opening changes in every season of the show and showcases what will happen within that season – there’s a lot hidden in plain sight in this series – definitely recommend you keep your eyes peeled). There’s trigger warnings for suicidal thoughts, heavy drug and alcohol use, physical and emotional abuse, explorations into mental illness…this is just scratching the surface of what is talked about here. And yes, like most American television series – it can seem like there isn’t a continuous story going on in this show but despite the separate adventures, there’s always progress in the main goals of each season happening in each episode. And things that happen in previous episodes LAST in this series. Something happens to a character in season one? You better believe that will be shown and possibly even explored more in later seasons.
Bojack Horseman’s story…is pretty tragic all things considering. And this goes for many of the other characters we highlight. There’s a lot of trauma within their journeys, a lot of mistakes they’ve made or made against them affecting them in huge ways. But I do feel that as we watch the show and see where storylines in, there’s a lot of satisfying conclusions for almost all of them. But let’s be clear – just because Bojack is the main character…doesn’t mean he’s someone you should necessarily root for or look up to. He’s meant to be seen as an antagonist for those around him. He’s meant to be seen as trouble. And even in his growth, which is TOTALLY FINE TO ROOT FOR, you should understand that Bojack is very self-centered and continues to make many of the same mistakes. And sure, it’s never too late for someone to make a change in their life to do better; however, that doesn’t erase mistakes they did make and how those mistakes affected people, especially those that cared about him most. People like Princess Carolyn, a literal cat-lady who spends a good deal of time as Bojack’s agent (and also on-and-off again girlfriend/sex buddy) and forcing her into disappointing situations regularly even though he knows what he is doing hurts her deeply; Todd, Bojack’s roommate who came to his house for a party five years ago and never left – and Bojack tries very hard to keep Todd depending on him so much and sabotaging his growth as a person on a regular basis (sidenote: Todd’s also excellent asexual representation – I salute this as an ace myself!); Diana, whom Bojack fully has a crush on despite knowing she’s in a relationship with someone who desperately wants to be friends with Bojack – Mr. Peanutbutter, a dogman and also a 90s sitcom star. There’s are just the four main pulls but there’s PLENTY OF CHARACTERS we could look to and see how much Bojack has affected them. But then…I want people to watch this series more than anything. Because damn, this show is excellent and portraying such real behaviors and how there are consequences to actions. I fully hope more people see this show since it’s already completed and ready to watch on Netflix.
Bojack Horseman can be a hard watch at times, especially the later you go into the series. I have contemplated doing a rewatch and honestly…I don’t know if I can handle it knowing where some storylines go. It’s dark and I hope more people understand that going in instead of just turning on a show because it’s bright and colorful. But all in all, this is one of the best adult animations in recent years in my opinion. And if you can make it through the darkness, I promise you there is some light in the end. Maybe not completely in the conventional sense you’re used to in a story tied off in pretty ribbons – but still, it’s a pretty real ending overall.
Here’s the full six-part retrospective (plus the xmas special) by Schaffrillas Productions in one convenient video!
Video by user viedo gaems
Here is the complete timeline playlist done by Johnny 2 Cellos. He’s big in the commentary circuit when it comes to Bojack Horseman. Seriously, check out his content if you’re a fan of animation. I find a lot of his commentary excellent!
Not sure if this captures all of Johnny 2 Cellos’ Bojack videos, but these are lot of some good content here.
Thank you for reading today’s post! I really love this show and do hope people have been able to check it out. The designs can be a bit off-putting for some but honestly the story makes up for it. Lots of love and stay safe out there~
Welcome everyone to a brand new challenge for the blog – Mae’s 31 Day Series Challenge for 2024! Similar to what I did with my gaming posts last month, this will be more of a monthly celebration of all things – well series related. Originally I was going to focus it solely on my favorite TV shows but then…I kept thinking about the shows solely on streaming services, as well as web series on platforms like YouTube – all of which I watch regularly. So I decided to combine them all in this month’s celebration 🙂 so don’t be surprised if these posts go all over the place as I talk about some of my favorites, some that may have strong impacts on me, or maybe even some coming down the pipe. Who knows! We’ll see where the night takes us haha. I’ll likely revisit the gaming challenge at some point and continue talking about even more games but for now let’s celebrate series media!
Day Eighteen: The West Wing
In high school, one of our history teachers gave us extra credit to come to a viewing party at school after hours and watch this political drama called The West Wing – and before that time, this show was 100 percent not on my radar AT ALL! Political shows weren’t really my vibe (still technically aren’t) – but ya girl is an overachiever so I was down to basically have the equivalent of the TV cart day and just having to watch a movie to get a good score for the day. We watched a couple episodes of the first season…and I couldn’t help myself. I was hooked on the show for the brief couple of hours we watched at the viewing party. After the viewing party was over, my classmate joked on me because I went up to the teacher and meekly asked if I could borrow the first season DVD from her. Without hesitation, she handed it over with a smile and that weekend I breezed through that first season and audibly gasped at the season finale and knew I needed more.
I’m pretty sure The West Wing was the first show I had the complete collection for – beating out Scrubs in that regard. It’s in a gorgeous presidential boxset – and each season is set up as files with extra bits about what goes on that season. It’s a lot of fun. Thanks to my parents for grabbing me it while grabbing my sister Friends lol. They called that one pretty well haha.
But I guess what I really liked about the show in particular was the cast and the writing. I found the writing incredibly smart but not afraid to be witty and downright hilarious. Even the jokes at the expense of politics, I was onboard. Also, I saw C.J. Cregg in action, played beautifully by Allison Janney, a true badass in the acting world and one of my favorite actresses. Seeing her dominate in the Press Room – I think it triggered me to seek out a path in news and media and finding a career for myself beyond school. I thoroughly enjoyed how this team worked together to service the country – overcoming even the most basic obstacles such as writer’s block to coming up with the best course of action for the country in a battle scenario that could lead to war. It was an interesting perspective to say the least with clever writing to boot – and also made me appreciate not being in such roles of power because I don’t think I would have been able to make those tough calls.
Currently The West Wing is on Max and I’ve been binging the series again while I’ve been working out at home. I recently got into Season Two and that first season finale and the two-part season return of one and two still make me gasp. If the show hadn’t already hooked me before, those episodes would have ensnared me and never let me go.
Video from user Joshua Hathaway
Video from user Film Flux
Thanks for reading today’s post! I think after that I will rewatch Scrubs for lots of giggles…that is, unless another show hooks me in to rewatch first that I will be talking about in the coming days 😉 you’ll know when we get there hahaha. Lots of love and stay safe out there!
Welcome everyone to a brand new challenge for the blog – Mae’s 31 Day Series Challenge for 2024! Similar to what I did with my gaming posts last month, this will be more of a monthly celebration of all things – well series related. Originally I was going to focus it solely on my favorite TV shows but then…I kept thinking about the shows solely on streaming services, as well as web series on platforms like YouTube – all of which I watch regularly. So I decided to combine them all in this month’s celebration 🙂 so don’t be surprised if these posts go all over the place as I talk about some of my favorites, some that may have strong impacts on me, or maybe even some coming down the pipe. Who knows! We’ll see where the night takes us haha. I’ll likely revisit the gaming challenge at some point and continue talking about even more games but for now let’s celebrate series media!
Day Seventeen: The Amazing Digital Circus
Indie animation has been booming in the last couple of years and I, being a huge fan of the animation circuit, couldn’t be happier seeing the success of projects like today’s series we’re talking about – The Amazing Digital Circus. It’s pilot is one of the most viewed animation pilots on YouTube and continues to grow, especially since the recently released Episode Two came out – which had one of the most audible gasp “WTF” moments in an animation in recent years in my opinion.
Created by Gooseworx and produced by GLITCH Studios, this series follows a cast of “humans” who were trapped inside this virtual reality game, the digital circus, where they must follow the instructions of the ringmaster Caine, who is an artificial intelligence. Pomni is the latest addition to the cast, popping up in the pilot and sort of acts as our main character for the most part. She’s trying to come to terms with being trapped in this world, seeing into her anxiety and deteriorating mental health as she is forced to embrace this new life. The “human” characters include Jax, a purple bunny man who is known to prank and bully others (this man is chaotic evil – we will get back to him lol); Ragatha, a kind rag doll who is motherly towards the other characters and tries to maintain the optimistic attitude towards their situation; Gangle, a ribbon-bodied individual whose mood is shown as the comedy and tragedy masks (I love her – she needs a hug); Kinger, a king chess piece whose paranoid and forgetful who’s been said to be trapped there the longest; and Zooble, an irritable individual whose body is made up of mix-and-match blocks (she is a vibe – I love her).
What I love about this series is its inspirations fully on display in the series. You see a lot of 1990s computer-generated imagery as well as homages to things such as the old school Raggedy Ann and Andy movie and the story I Have No Moutch and I Must Scream. There’s more I’m sure – and all of them are appreciated!
What’s been interesting about this series though is the fan reception and it’s jump…on Jax (amongst other things). Remember the purple bunny man I mentioned above? Well, when the pilot launched, the internet went crazy for this man. Perfectly portrayed by Michael Kovach, who’s a big name in the indie animation VO world (Hazbin Hotel Pilot, Murder Drones, Lackadaisy to name a few), Jax came into the pilot fully showcasing his bullying personality and how he does things to keep the chaos and not be there for his friends. Even so, the internet was in love with this man – he was a wacky guy who was a bit mean. And then the second episode came out…and the internet was surprised this man…was a dick haha. Insert Surprised Pikachu Face here.
Ya’ll – Jax is unhinged. He wasn’t rewritten to be more chaotic, Gooseworx confirmed that the scripts were already written for the first couple episodes when the Pilot was released. His character hasn’t changed. It’s ok to dislike a character for the way they are written or how they are portrayed – but perhaps don’t lash out at creators because you don’t like how the characters are written. This is a good example of headcanons vs. canons – and how in this digital age, sometimes the lines can be so intensely blurred. Hell, if you search the show, you’ll likely see fan submissions above the actual show…and a lot of those submissions are a bit risque to put it mildly 😉 hey man, if you aren’t actively hurting anyone, you do you. But there’s a reason things are headcanons – and there’s a reason there is actual canon from the creators themselves. And you getting mad at the creator because whatever you thought up in your head isn’t canon is not the way.
Through all the drama and chaos of the internet – I still really enjoy The Amazing Digital Circus and look forward to all the create things coming our way. And yes, I audibly gasped in Episode Two. Dare I say, I cried. I’m an emotional person – let me live lol. I can’t wait to see what comes next for our little circus family – and discover the mysteries behind why they are there, what really happens to the abstracted characters…and what’s Jax’s story 😉 there’s theories out there, some that may get mentioned in the videos I link down below. I’m following it all – I’m a theorist at heart and I’m loving the fan theories! Let’s see what happens next!
The pilot episode of The Amazing Digital Circus by GLITCH
The second episode of The Amazing Digital Circus by GLITCH
Video from user FootofaFerret
Video from user GTLive. I’m a theorist at heart – of course I’d be sharing something from MatPat!
Video from user GTLive. This is part one of their watch of the second episode.
Video from user GTLive. This is part two of their watch of the second episode.
Video from user The Film Theorists. Yay MatPat!
Video from user The Film Theorists. Yay MatPat!
Video by user Saberspark
Video by user Saberspark
Video by user Saberspark
Video by user Saberspark
Video by user Saberspark
Video by user Cartoonshi シ
Video by user Cartoonshi シ
Thanks for reading today’s post! Lots of love and stay safe out there! I’m looking at jumping into deeper dives for some of the posts remaining for this month! I’m also debating keeping this train going next month or taking a small break to dive back into more creative writing like I’ve been trying to do for a bit now. We shall see! ^_^
Welcome everyone to a brand new challenge for the blog – Mae’s 31 Day Series Challenge for 2024! Similar to what I did with my gaming posts last month, this will be more of a monthly celebration of all things – well series related. Originally I was going to focus it solely on my favorite TV shows but then…I kept thinking about the shows solely on streaming services, as well as web series on platforms like YouTube – all of which I watch regularly. So I decided to combine them all in this month’s celebration 🙂 so don’t be surprised if these posts go all over the place as I talk about some of my favorites, some that may have strong impacts on me, or maybe even some coming down the pipe. Who knows! We’ll see where the night takes us haha. I’ll likely revisit the gaming challenge at some point and continue talking about even more games but for now let’s celebrate series media!
Day Sixteen: Galavant
The introductory song of the series Galavant!
Have you heard the tale of Galavant? Heh, honestly from the struggle to keep it going for even two seasons – you probably haven’t. Galavant was a 2015 fantasy musical comedy which follows the dashing hero Galavant who is down on his luck and aiming to reclaim his reputation and his “happily ever after” by going after the “evil” Kiing Richard, who kidnapped the love of Galavant’s life, Madalena, who ended up staying with Richard for his money and power (get it girl). Alongside his faithful squire, Sid, and the lovely Princess Isabella, whose kingdom of Valencia has been conquered by RIchard and she seeks the help of the noble hero of legend. There’s also a sideplot that follows King Richard as he tries to win over Madalena alongside his henchman Gareth and his chef Vincenzo.
There’s a lot of great characters we meet along the way, including Weird Al, Ben Presley, Ricky Gervais, Kylie Minogue, and more as folks who aid in the storytelling and our hero’s journey. Of course, there’s great leads in it too – with Joshua Sasse as Galavant, Vinnie Jones as Gareth, Mallory Jansen as Madalena, Karen David as Princess Isabella, and Luke Youngblood as Sid. The best of the best though to me comes in the form of King Richard – one of my favorite actors of all time, Timothy Omundson (a name you’ll see again this month, you know it ;P) who even in the “evil” role, you can’t help but root for him because he’s so damn charismatic! They all play off each other so well – making for a lot of laughs while also managing to catch some feels. Seriously, this show was ahead of its time and it’s absolutely tragic that it only lasted for two seasons.
What really sells this show is the musical numbers composed and written by Alan Menkin and Glenn Slater. It takes on all the musical tropes, especially for those who were raised on the Disney formula, and puts it into a comedy adventure filled with magic and musing. Malloy Jansen called the show, “the bastard child of Monty Python and The Princess Bride,” and I’m fully in agreement. It’s got the laughs. It’s got the songs. It’s got the action and adventure that you love to see in a fantasy series.
So what happens in the show? Oh absolutely not 😛 you know how much I hate spoilers and spoiling the fun for others. Besides, this is one show I push everyone to watch it if they can. The show lasted for two seasons but I can assure you that room was left for more should it live on in some way. Whether it be in a revival of the series proper…or even on the stage as Alan Menkin has stated the aim is to somehow get it to the stage. I hope there’s a resurgence for this one because my god, this show was fantastic and deserves to see the ending the team envisioned.
Video by user Gilbert Gaz Grogan
Video by user Jenny Cook
Video by user LockerPunch
Thanks for reading today’s post! I finally broke the fever and feel I’m on the mend so hopefully I’ll be able to crank out some longer posts I’ve been working on for certain shows I’m going to gush a lot about here soon. Lots of love and stay safe out there!
Welcome everyone to a brand new challenge for the blog – Mae’s 31 Day Series Challenge for 2024! Similar to what I did with my gaming posts last month, this will be more of a monthly celebration of all things – well series related. Originally I was going to focus it solely on my favorite TV shows but then…I kept thinking about the shows solely on streaming services, as well as web series on platforms like YouTube – all of which I watch regularly. So I decided to combine them all in this month’s celebration 🙂 so don’t be surprised if these posts go all over the place as I talk about some of my favorites, some that may have strong impacts on me, or maybe even some coming down the pipe. Who knows! We’ll see where the night takes us haha. I’ll likely revisit the gaming challenge at some point and continue talking about even more games but for now let’s celebrate series media!
Day Fifteen: Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
As you’ve already been able to tell by other posts I’ve made – I have a love for the Scott Pilgrim franchise. So when they announced that they would continue the Scott Pilgrim story as a Netflix animated series, I was ready to hop in! And boy, was I surprised but what we got! It sure wasn’t what the world was expecting – but that’s ok, because I absolutely loved it! And good on them for having the balls to take that familiar storyline and turn it on its head for a new medium!
Now, I’m not gonna spoil it completely for you all – go binge it like I did – but I will say again that you need to go into this expecting…the unexpected! Give it a chance if it doesn’t resonate with you right away. If you were a fan of the source material, there’s going to be something for you here. And seeing it told in such a colorful animated way is absolutely amazing.
I think one of the best things about this series is we literally got the movie cast on board for this show. And it all started when Michael Cera responded to a nine year old email that everyone was looped in on. And everyone started getting into discussions about what the future of the series held and if they could be part of it. AND HERE WE ARE!
Also let’s give a huge shoutout to Anamanaguchi for producing the music for the series as well – they did the music for the video game and we’re a huge fan of them in my corner of the world ❤
All in all, this show was a wild ride and showed that the showrunners really wanted to take a chance with creating something completely new while still finding that balance with staying true to the characters themselves. Plus we get a chance to have more time with the other characters as well and see the world from their perspective, and not just focus on our two protagonists Scott and Ramona.
I absolutely loved it and I know there’s probably not gonna be a season two for the sake of it…but there’s always a possibility for something to happen, especially in the world of Scott Pilgrim!
The opening credits to Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
Video from user Johnny 2 Cellos
Video from user Saberspark
Video from user KimBee
Video from user NerdSync
Video from user Negative Legend
Video from user Sarcastic Chorus
Video from user Hiding in Public
Video from user Comic Drake. This is more about the franchise itself, mainly the graphic novel
Video from user Cartoon Universe
Video from user Veridis Joe
Video from user Unleash the Ghouls
Behind the scenes look at the studio behind the animation – Science Saru
Thanks for reading today’s post! I’m recovering from a fever right now but I did want to get out a post before the day was gone. Lots of love and stay safe out there!
Welcome everyone to a brand new challenge for the blog – Mae’s 31 Day Series Challenge for 2024! Similar to what I did with my gaming posts last month, this will be more of a monthly celebration of all things – well series related. Originally I was going to focus it solely on my favorite TV shows but then…I kept thinking about the shows solely on streaming services, as well as web series on platforms like YouTube – all of which I watch regularly. So I decided to combine them all in this month’s celebration 🙂 so don’t be surprised if these posts go all over the place as I talk about some of my favorites, some that may have strong impacts on me, or maybe even some coming down the pipe. Who knows! We’ll see where the night takes us haha. I’ll likely revisit the gaming challenge at some point and continue talking about even more games but for now let’s celebrate series media!
Day Fourteen: Aggretsuko
When Sanrio announced they would be making a character franchise on a red panda (one of my favorite animals) who also happens to be a tired office worker who loves scream-o music – I immediately fell in love with Retsuko. Now – I know I mentioned before that probably wouldn’t feature anime series for this month’s post challenge due to wanting to focus on anime series later on – but I decided I would add Aggretsuko here since I just feel I wanted to talk about it since I relate to her character so much nowadays and a lot of the more realistic struggles she’s faced in the series – I’m facing as well (not the pop idol one though lol – that’s never happening).
So what’s the story? Retsuko is a 25-year-ld and single woman (anthropomorphic red panda in a world of anthropomorphic creatures) who is working in the accounting department of a Japanese trading firm called Carrier Man Trading Co. Ltd. In the first moments, you see her opening day, full of joy and excitement at the first step of her new carrier – and then you see her a couple years later struggling to get out of bed, the woman trying her best to navigate through the typical problems encountered by young adults in 21st century Japan (like money issues, satisying work-life balance, dealing with difficult bosses and coworkers, and trying to determine who romantic life and what she should do next). In dealing with her frustrations, Retsuko often goes to a karaoke bar to sing death metal and release the emotions she built up throughout each day.
Originally, there was a show by studio Fanworks that released from 2016 to 2018 in Japan – with 100 more short-form episodes that follow Retsuko through her day-to-day antics. As popularity with the character grew, they developed a Netflix series with longer-form episodes that premiered April 20, 2018 – running for five seasons up to February 16, 2023. Each season, though having episodes that range in themes overall, all had an overarching theme that it touched on in some way in every episode. For example, the first season was heavily aimed at Retsuko seeking someone she could love and marry – so she could also escape her mundane life. Season two focused more on Retsuko’s meeting and relationship with Tadano and how it affects her overall. Season three is the pop group season – Retsuko finds herself joining the ranks of pop group “OTM Girls” and how that affects her life. Season Four is actually a broader look at her coworkers and the company as it goes through changes in management and how it affects them overall. And the fifth season is about Retsuko running for a seat on the National Diet (one of the weirdest seasons overall imo because it truly felt like it came out of left field lol).
The series itself as well as the Christmas Special bring me a lot of joy, because as I said, I relate a lot to Retsuko as a character. I’m still fairly young into my career and find myself dealing with many obstacles that threaten my sanity and mental health at every turn. Work is especially a struggle as even though I very much enjoy the work I do in my career, I find myself stagnent in my current workplace and dealing with obstacles at every turn. Sometimes when I get home, I have to scream to let out a lot of the stress from the day. Then I take the time to hang out with my dog, go to the gym, visit with friends, read books, listen to records, watch a show, or play video games to mellow me out from the stress and get me right before I head off to bed. This is a common occurence for folks like me – many of us trying to find some sort of glimmer of hope that what we do has meaning and if there’s a reason to the grind. I’m hoping that through applications and bettering myself through training, I can find a new setting for my career that will sort of give me something new to look forward to – a desperate change of pace that I’m starving for.
Retsuko is like me – and that’s why I resonate with her so much. We have problems to deal with in every day life. But we have our tribe, we have our quirks, and we do what we can to get through each day feeling like we had a purpose. And that’s why I’m so glad we have media with her to enjoy!
Video by user Mother’s Basement
Video from user Gentle Mushroom
Video from user Westside Otaku
Video from user Shady Doorags
Video from user Gaijin Goombah
Thanks for reading today’s post! Though these series are over I do hope to look into the graphic novels soon. And I hope we see more of Retsuko and her friends later down the line. Lots of love and stay safe out there!
Welcome everyone to a brand new challenge for the blog – Mae’s 31 Day Series Challenge for 2024! Similar to what I did with my gaming posts last month, this will be more of a monthly celebration of all things – well series related. Originally I was going to focus it solely on my favorite TV shows but then…I kept thinking about the shows solely on streaming services, as well as web series on platforms like YouTube – all of which I watch regularly. So I decided to combine them all in this month’s celebration 🙂 so don’t be surprised if these posts go all over the place as I talk about some of my favorites, some that may have strong impacts on me, or maybe even some coming down the pipe. Who knows! We’ll see where the night takes us haha. I’ll likely revisit the gaming challenge at some point and continue talking about even more games but for now let’s celebrate series media!
Day Thirteen: Dead End Paranormal Park
Dead End: Paranormal Park is a Netflix series from the mind of Hamish Steele. The series was originally kicked off with Steele’s animated short that was released on Cartoon Hangover’s YouTube Channel June 24, 2014. Following it’s release, Steele began work on the graphic novel series Deadendia published by Nobrow Press, which as of now is fully out for purchase 🙂
The original short on Cartoon Hangover
So what is Dead End? The story follows our main characters – Barney, Norma, Pugsley, and Courtney (among other characters throughout the series). Barney Guttman is a gay, Jewish, trans boy who is seeking a place of his own as he experiences some family troubles and wants somewhere where being trans isn’t necessarily all to his identity. Norma Khan is a Pakistan-American girl who is autistic and hyperfocused on her passion of the works of actress/drag queen Pauline Phoenix. The two meet (though Barney quickly relays that they live in the same neighborhood and were lab partners before) on evening traveling to Phoenix Park which is based on the multiple properties of Pauline to interview for what they think is a job. Once they arrive at the Dead End haunted house, they soon meet with Courtney, a demon who seeks a flesh vessel for the demon Temeluchus so he can take over the mortal plane. In order to save his human, Barney’s dog Pugsley jumps to his aid, being possessed by the demon and gaining the ability to speak and learn magic. Together, this team of characters work as security for the park and investigate the paranormal horrors going on inside the theme park, which also trying to get a handle of their own lives.
This dark fantasy, horror comedy, supernatural series is a fun time in my opinion and really emphasizes the representation of LGBTQ+ as well as representation of various cultures, mental and physical capabilities, etc. Viewers can relate to the characters on screen, especially Barney and Norma who’s storylines are very intriguing and work to showcase the hardships many go through while on their individual spectrums. There’s a lot of great writing at large and I find that many of the jokes hit well with the viewer, providing laughs while not straying away from the spookiness going on within the park. If you’re an avid horror fan as well, you’ll see a lot of references to some of your favorites in the genre.
I think another thing that really sells this show to me is the animation. From the original short, to the graphic novels, and to the series on Netflix – animation and character design has grown exponentially while still staying true to those original visions Steele had for this ragtag team.
Probably one of the biggest things for me though is the absolutely excellent voice cast and crew who has joined the prject, with a heavy emphasis on the same representations Steele has captured with the characters in his story. Alex Brightman, well-known for his time on Broadway in School of Rock as well as currently Beetlejuice, is both Pugsley and Temeluchus – playing these combatting personalities encased in one fluffy body. Miss Coco Peru (drag persona of Clinton Leupp) plays Pauline Phoenix. Emily Osment is Courtney. Zach Barack and Kody Kavitha play Barney and Norma. There’s so many voices attached to this series and everyone gives their all in their performances, everyone showing their passion for the story they are helping to share with the world. And guys…let me spoil it for you now…there’s a musical episode in this series…and it’s FANTASTIC!
The series only lasted for two seasons – and it’s true it somewhat ends on a cliffhanger so I highly recommend checking out the graphic novel series to get the complete view on this amazing story Hamish Steele’s created. I adore it personally and I feel there’s something for all to enjoy!
The first episode is fully available on YouTube – and Seasons One and Two are on Netflix for your enjoyment!
Video by user Break Room of Geeks
Video from user Break Room of Geeks
Video from user J.C. Alexandre
Video from user Jenny Cook
Video from user Alpha Jay Show
Video from user thethirdbill
Video from user thethirdbill
Video from user Unleash the Ghouls
Video from user Unleash the Ghouls
Video from user Oakwyrm
Thanks so much for reading today’s post! If Dead End interests you at all, both seasons are on Netflix and the graphic novels can be purchased across platforms. Lots of love and stay safe out there!
Welcome everyone to a brand new challenge for the blog – Mae’s 31 Day Series Challenge for 2024! Similar to what I did with my gaming posts last month, this will be more of a monthly celebration of all things – well series related. Originally I was going to focus it solely on my favorite TV shows but then…I kept thinking about the shows solely on streaming services, as well as web series on platforms like YouTube – all of which I watch regularly. So I decided to combine them all in this month’s celebration 🙂 so don’t be surprised if these posts go all over the place as I talk about some of my favorites, some that may have strong impacts on me, or maybe even some coming down the pipe. Who knows! We’ll see where the night takes us haha. I’ll likely revisit the gaming challenge at some point and continue talking about even more games but for now let’s celebrate series media!
Day Twelve: Final Space
Final Space is a testament to the fanbase putting in the work alongside the creator to rise it up from the ashes – as well as a warning to the world that animation should not be judged solely on its appearance – and be given a chance, especially for more adult content. Created by Olan Rogers and David Sacks, this story originally was created as a short-lived web series on Olan’s YouTube channel. They eventually created a pilot episode which caught the eye of certain comedian and talk show host – Conan O’Brien.
The original pilot on Olan’s YouTube Channel
With Conan and the network’s backing, the first season of Final Space aired on TBS (eventually shifting to air on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim for the later seasons). It follows our main character Gary Goodspeed, a dimwitted astronaut living out the last of his sentence on the prison spacecraft Galaxy One alongside a whole lot of bots (including KVN, the worst lol) as well as the AI of the ship HUE. Everything seems quite smaller scale at first. A little green alien literally runs into Gary as he’s out in space, and the two form a friendship. However, this new alien, named Mooncake, brings with him intruders desperate to that the creature into custody by any means necessary. That jumpstarts Gary into the adventure of a lifetime – with not just Earth but the entire universe and time space continuum in the balance.
Ya’ll – ya’ll slept on this show. It’s a damn shame that so many people are only discovering it’s magic nowadays. The animation is gorgeous and the writing is actually quite good (especially in the parts the network didn’t screw up with their notes and allowed Olan to actually create the story he wanted to make). What’s more – Olan has showed time and time again as a creator that he listens to feedback, is always willing to have discussions and learn, and grow. He listened to the fanbase for a lot of feedback, like in Season One pulling back some of the more outlandishness of Gary’s character to make him more likable to the fans. Olan has a dream to share his stories and he gets it done!
Alongside the animation and writing, the music score and casting is top notch. Olan takes on the lead role, and we also hear amazing performances by David Tennant, Tom Kenny, Steven Yeun, Cory Galloway, Tika Sumpter, Ashly Burch, Ron Funches, and – you know I love this man so much – KEITH DAVID! It gets better and better with each season too…which brings us to a pretty crappy end to the story – well, not really the end but for a while there – it certainly felt like it.
Final Space, after ending Season Three on a cliffhanger, was cancelled by the network on September 10, 2021 – all thanks to the merger with Warner Media and Discovery Inc. – the merger which has killed many different projects and is the bane of many’s existences at this point. Seriously – what a way to destroy your fanbase and bungle so many precious franchises at the same time. For a long time, we had nothing – though this was not for lack of trying from Olan. He was fighting tooth and nail behind the scenes to get something – anything – any way to finish the story he longed so much to share with the world. He had originally planned out six seasons – and he only got to tell half of his story. What about the rest?
And then…it happened…
On April 24, 2023 – Olan announced that he was able to strike a deal and was able to self-publish a single graphic novel to finish his story. The fanbase rose up and altogether he’s sold more than 25,000 copies of the graphic novel ON HIS OWN with weekly updates coming to the fans to see the progress of the creation of this final chapter – of Final Space. You can pre-order your copy and learn more about the graphic novel here.
There’s hope – even in the darkness brought on by executives that have way too much power in the creative world. Final Space will get it’s ending and Olan and his team are trying desperately to make it the vision they had hoped for. Do we think with the success of this project, we’ll see Final Space live again in animated form? Probably not…but we can certainly dream. And while we dream, we can help make things a reality what’s there – this graphic novel to end the story.
Video by user Toon Universe. This is a literal relay of the series from start to finish across three seasons. So yeah – spoiler warning lol.
Video from user Lavender Coffee
Video from user Johnny 2 Cellos
Video from user The Blockbuster Buster
Video from user Rowan J. Coleman – be sure to check out the comment section of this one because Olan actually talks with the creator and shows his appearance for the honest feedback and explaining the process of making the show with the executives.
Video from user The Doomer Den
Video from user Kameno-o
Video from user Raytobe
Video from user Kimbro Entertainment
Video from user dvdreviewsstudios
An amazing fan trailer of the trilogy seasons of Final Space by user MrCUrchin alongside Fuzzeke
Thank you all for reading today’s post! Final Space is really special to me – and honestly I invite folks to check it out but also – just visit Olan’s channel and listen to the man talk. He’s an excellent creator, brilliant and so eloquent with his words. He’s a storyteller through and through – and he deserves all the love and support. Lots of love and stay safe out there!
*~Mae's Corner~* 