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(07/19/19 4:00pm)
by Tt Shinkan
When you hear “educational music” it probably brings you back to your kindergarten classroom. Sitting on the bright colored carpet, looking up at the teacher who’s teaching your class the latest color song.
As you got older, these songs started to seem “childish." Music is supposed to entertain people, not teach them. However, there are a few songs that slip in there and teach people important life lessons. Take one of my favorite genres, country. Sure, a lot of the more “mainstream” songs are about whiskey, love, and tractors but you do get some hidden gems that actually teach listeners something. Luke Comb’s song, “When It Rains It Pours,” basically teaches its listeners that, even though something bad might happen to you, it might have happened for a reason. John Rich’s song, “Shut Up About Politics,” is basically just that. He literally sings that even though he agrees with one political parties views, it’s still nothing but a “big pile of dirty tricks.” We can all still get along if we just put down our weapons and “shut up about politics.”
https://youtu.be/t_OynNTbd-Q
However, there’s one band that centers their entire career around teaching their listeners, and the genre they’ve decided to do it in isn’t what you would think. Sabaton is a power metal band from Falun, Sweden and almost every song they produce centers around battles and acts of heroism in history. Even their name, sabaton, is a historical reference, referring to the foot armor of a knight.
The band has been around since 1999 and consist of the members Joakim Brodén (vocals and keyboard), Pär Sundström (bass), Chris Rörland (guitar), Hannes van Dahl (drums), and Tommy Johansson (guitar). Since their formation, the band has released eight studio albums with a ninth set to be released on July 19th. Seven out of the eight all have the same historical themes to them, with “Metalizer” being an exception. However, their songs illustrate battles fought throughout history as well as telling stories of war heroes the history books didn’t teach us.
I first discovered them when I was a sophomore in college. One of my friends introduced me to them one night and I’ve been hooked ever since. I’m a huge history buff and sometimes find myself researching historical events in my free time. I’m also a sucker for good metal music, so Sabaton was the whole package for me. One of the first songs I remember listening to was about an American soldier whose grave I happened to see when I went to Arlington National Cemetery a few years back.
“To Hell and Back” is about the most decorated World War II veteran in America, Audie Murphy, who joined the U.S. Army at the age of 17 after forging his birth year by a year. The song details his time in the war as well as incorporating a poem he had written about it later in his life. The poem, “Crosses Grow on Anzio” is referenced in the song:
(06/20/19 9:00pm)
by Katherine Simon
The time has finally come. Eight months into the Vento Aureo anime’s run and it’s finally at its last story arc. Six more episodes and the Part 5 anime adaptation will finally come to a close, depriving fans of animated Jojo content until the inevitable Stone Ocean anime adaptation airs a year or two from now; unless, David Productions decides to do more Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe OVAs or a Purple Haze Feedback adaptation, whichever comes first. For now, let’s just enjoy the time we have left with Vento Aureo.
Seeing Bruno in critical condition, Doppio attempts to finish him off once and for all. However, knowing that he’s attempting to meet someone at the Colosseum, Doppio instead opts to help Bruno across the street so he can find out who this person is. Due to Bruno practically being a walking corpse, he’s only able to sense people through their spirits. Taking advantage of this, Diavolo is able to expose some of his energy to trick Bruno into thinking Doppio is Trish, since his energy is very similar to his daughter's. He’s able to take Bruno to the Colosseum, and shortly after Polnareff comes out to greet Bruno. Unfortunately for Diavolo, this means Doppio’s disguise will be compromised, as Polnareff is one of the few living people to actually encounter the boss.
This episode raises a lot of questions about the relationship between Doppio and Diavolo. While it’s intentionally left vague if Doppio knows that he shares a body with Diavolo, there are a lot of things that probably should tip Doppio off, such as being able to use parts of King Crimson and the ability to replicate Trish’s aura. You’d think Doppio would know about the situation between him and Diavolo when they’re able to both be conscious at the same time, but Doppio still seems to be convinced that Diavolo is a separate person.
On that subject, it’s not really made clear if Doppio and Diavolo are two souls inhabiting the same body or just one consciousness with a split personality. I personally lean more towards the former because that’s the only way to explain the drastic change in appearance between the two, but they also share the same Stand so the line starts to get a little blurry. There are a few theories thrown around such as the split personalities being the result of two embryos fusing during pregnancy, or one of the personalities developing so much that it essentially split into its own soul, but nothing is concrete, as their origins are left intentionally ambiguous.
I know some people aren’t too keen on Diavolo because of how vague his motivations are compared to the likes of Dio or Kira, but personally I find that his ambiguity makes him one of the more interesting villains to analyze. And it’s not like Diavolo’s origins are the most egregious examples of things being left vague in the series, as we still don’t know how Giorno got a picture of Dio or who the mysterious man who saved Josuke’s life in Diamond is Unbreakable was. Because so much of Diavolo’s motivations are left a mystery, there’s a lot of room for fans to fill in the blanks and come to their own conclusions for why he is the way he is. It also helps that there’s a lot of things implied about him throughout the story as well as some interesting psychology behind his behavior, so there’s no shortage of material for fans to work with when crafting their own Diavolo theories. I could go on about my own personal thoughts on the matter, but I’m not MatPat so I’m not going to bore you with my elaborate theory about how Diavolo is actually Sans from Undertale or something.
Back in 1986, Diavolo discovered six Stand arrows while in Egypt and sold five of them off to merchant and minor Stardust Crusaders antagonist Enya the Hag. Some time the '90s, Jotaro and Polnareff learn about the missing Stand arrows and decide to pursue the man who found them in the first place. Polnareff takes his search to Italy, which has seen a massive increase in drug-related crimes since the arrows were taken. This attracts the attention of the Passione boss, who, in an attempt to keep his identity a secret, attempts to murder Polnareff using King Crimson. Diavolo assumes Polnareff to be dead, not knowing that his attack only left the Stardust Crusader disabled until just now. Knowing that he’s the only living person to know the boss’ identity, Diavolo rushes over to kill him once and for all. Before Diavolo seemingly kills Polnareff for good, he stabs himself with an arrow as a last-ditch effort to stop the mob boss. This causes Silver Chariot to transform into a completely different stand that seems to operate posthumously, not unlike Notorious B.I.G.
If you’re a fan of Stardust Crusaders and were wondering what the heck happened to Polnareff after that, then boy is this episode for you. This episode has quite a few Part 3 references, from Enya being a huge catalyst for the events of this part to actually seeing the old cast in the current art style. Considering how Jojo has moved away from the hyper-masculine art style of the older parts, it’s definitely weird to see the Stardust Crusaders with a lot less muscle mass. A lot of people like to make fun of the fact that Jotaro looks like he’s been aging in reverse in later parts, but this episode really does prove that’s more of a symptom of the art style shift since he actually looks like a teenager in the flashbacks. Also, Iggy genuinely looks like a cryptid and I think it’s beautiful that David Productions managed to beautifully capture Araki slowly losing his ability to draw dogs as the series progresses.
The episode does a pretty good job setting up the final confrontation between Diavolo and Team Bucciarati. Most of the episode deals with the history between Diavolo and Polnareff and explaining how they play into the part’s main story. It’s interesting to see how those events changed Polnareff since the last time he was present in the series, both physically and mentally. This episode also helps to tie in events from Stardust Crusaders into Vento Aureo, which is cool to see from a part of the series that is otherwise pretty isolated from the rest of the Jojo canon.
It’s also going to be interesting to see what this new form of Silver Chariot is going to be like, since it looks so different from the original Stand and is operating without a living user. This isn’t the first time Stand arrows have been used to enhance a Stand, as seen with Yoshikage Kira in the last arc of Diamond is Unbreakable, but this is the first time a Stand has undergone such a drastic change because of it. Whatever happens, this new form of Silver Chariot is sure to play an important role in Vento Aureo’s final act.
(06/13/19 4:00pm)
by Katherine Simon
Disclaimer: The review contains spoilers for this episode and previous episodes of 'Jojo's Bizarre Adventure'
Last time on Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Giorno pummeled a psychopathic clown doctor for 40 seconds straight and threw him into the garbage disposal. This week, it’s up to zombified gang dad Bruno Bucciarati to take on a human pet guy and his dirt Stand that’s either a reference to Kingdom Hearts II or the “Wonderwall” guys depending on the subtitles you’re watching. At this point, the arc is less “Green Day and Oasis” and more just “Oasis,” which means we’re near the end of Vento Aureo’s last minor villain fight.
Now that Cioccolata is taken care of and the spread of Green Day’s mold has ceased, all that’s left is for Bruno to finish off Secco. Early on in the episode, Secco realizes that his master fell to his demise after receiving a message telling him that Team Bucciarati’s ally is in the Colosseum. Secco then denounces Cioccolata, claiming that he only stuck around because of his strength and wealth. Secco also reveals that he’s a lot more articulate than he let on now that he’s on his own, and begins heading towards the Colosseum to take out Polnareff. Bucciarati decides to pursue Secco by using Sticky Fingers to traverse underground.
One odd thing about this episode is that the fight between Secco and Bucciarati doesn’t have any music. A lot of fights in the series tend to be accompanied with bombastic, adrenaline-pumping musical scores, but other than the end of the fight where the main theme plays, music is almost completely absent from this fight. I can’t say for certain why this artistic choice was made, but if I had to guess, I’d say it was most likely for atmospheric purposes. Because a majority of this fight takes place in an underground void, it makes sense that there wouldn’t be a ton of sound. It’s similar to how a ton of underwater scenes in television have very minimal sound, and it really helps give the fight an almost kind of eerie vibe.
Secco is an inherently unsettling character, and the lack of music shows that this isn’t just any run of the mill minor villain Bruno is dealing with. Also, the fact that Secco has the upper hand for most of the fight gives off a feeling of despair, as if Bruno has been thrown into a seemingly unwinnable fight and everything he’s worked up to will be for nothing. It might not seem like a huge detail at first, but the sound design really works in this episode’s favor and does an excellent job setting the tone for the episode.
As he’s observing the fight, Polnareff decides that if Team Bucciarati doesn’t arrive to the Colosseum soon, he must destroy the arrow to prevent Diavolo from using it. Meanwhile, Bruno finds out that if he’s able to destroy Secco’s hearing, he can nullify Oasis’ ability to traverse underground. Since his hearing is impervious to any major damage, Bruno bursts a tire from one of the cars dragged underground, destroying Secco’s eardrums and rendering him deaf. Stuck on the surface with no way to avoid Bruno, he grabs a bystanding Doppio and uses him as a hostage. Unaware that the civilian is actually Diavolo’s split personality, Bruno uses Sticky Fingers to damage Secco while sparing Doppio. Secco then panics into the streets and trips into a garbage truck, ironically meeting the same fate as Cioccolata. As Bruno collapses from exhaustion, Doppio sees this as an opportunity to finish what Diavolo started during their first confrontation, leaving the episode on a cliffhanger.
Since we only got a short glimpse of Polnareff at the end of the previous episode, this episode gives him a bit more screen time to establish his role in the story. Though his appearance in this episode was still brief, there’s a lot that can be gathered from this appearance. Right off the bat, it’s clear to see that this is going to be a more serious, no-nonsense Polnareff. This is a stark contrast to his role as comic relief in Stardust Crusaders, but it makes sense considering his run-in with Diavolo left him disabled. Plus Narancia and Sex Pistols already fill the role of goofy comic relief, so another one really isn’t needed.
It’s also shown that he found out about Team Bucciarati from his own research, so it’ll be interesting to see why he called on them specifically to be the ones to defeat Diavolo. On a side note, I wonder if he knows about the whole Giorno being Dio’s son thing, because it’s definitely going to be awkward if he finds out that the kid he’s working with is the offspring of the man who’s responsible for the death of three of his closest friends and his sister.
The strongest aspect of the Bruno vs. Secco fight is definitely the atmosphere. Even though Secco didn’t seem like much of a threat without Green Day’s ability complimenting Oasis, this episode proves that he’s plenty intimidating on his own. While the fight wasn’t too creepy in the manga, the visuals and sound design in the anime really amplified the horror factor and recontextualized the fight into something more dreadful. It really shows how well the team is utilizing the medium of animation to convey things that can’t be pulled off as well in manga format.
Outside of slightly unnerving me, the episode also had a surprising amount of funny moments sprinkled throughout. I personally got a chuckle out of Doppio’s civilian getup, since he’s just inexplicably wearing a baseball cap with a “D” on it with no other changes to his outfit. He’s never worn that cap until this very moment, so it's just kind of funny to randomly see him wearing a cap with his initials on it. The dramatic irony of Secco meeting the same fate as Cioccolata, that being an eternity in trash purgatory, is also great.
(06/06/19 5:00pm)
by Emily Worrell
Having seen plenty of high school films ranging from The Breakfast Club to Juno to Superbad, I always find it interesting when a film of this genre comes along with a promise to bring something fresh and new to what is considered a supersaturated market. When Booksmart trailers initially dropped, I was intrigued: this, for once, genuinely looked like something actually new and interesting that would show a different perspective than the average high school film. Given that and its stellar rotten tomatoes score, I decided to see it and was surprised to discover that the film took place over the course of one night. My expectations automatically dropped drastically after that; before this film, I had never seen a one-night film that actually worked and didn’t think it could even be done. Booksmart proved me wrong.
So, what does Booksmart do so right that similar films do wrong? What puts Booksmart above other films trying to cash in on the trend of the one-night teen movie?
(05/31/19 10:00pm)
by David Kurzendoerfer
Disclaimer: This review is of the Nintendo Switch version of the game, played in both handheld and portable mode
The long-awaited third installment of the Sonic Racing series is finally here, this time with a new twist in its team-focused gameplay that helps solve many of the issues of traditional kart racers. Instead of having to rely on luck, players can finally leave the end result up to their skill. As a disclaimer, I played Team Sonic Racing on the Nintendo Switch, and I primarily played in docked mode with a little portable play sprinkled in when I was in bed. I found very little difference in terms of the amount of frame drops I experienced between both docked and undocked play.
Although the Sonic Racing series may seem like a Mario Kart knock-off at first glance (and it's undoubtable that much inspiration was taken from the wildly popular franchise), Team Sonic Racing makes the formula much more balanced. Team Sonic Racing includes many of the same items that are present in most every Mario Kart game (Blue Cube Wisp is a Banana Peel, Orange Rocket Wisp is a Green Shell, Crimson Eagle Wisp is a red shell, etc.). Don’t let that fool you, though. Team Sonic Racing is faster, more action-packed, and more strategic. With its team-based gameplay, even the most devastating setbacks can mean nothing in the grand scheme, which saves the momentum and leaves everyone feeling completely satisfied.
(05/30/19 4:00pm)
by Katherine Simon
Disclaimer: This review contains spoilers for this episode and previous episodes of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.
Before starting this review, I want to talk about a very interesting occurrence that happened with the Crunchyroll subs for this episode. Apparently, when the episode first went up on Crunchyroll, they accidentally used the subtitles from an episode of the currently airing Fruits Basket remake instead of the proper subtitles, which led to much confusion among viewers. With Fruits Basket being a shoujo romance and Jojo being an incredibly violent shonen action series, it should come as no surprise that the contrast to what was being shown vs. what was being said lead to much hilarity. Unfortunately, Crunchyroll fixed this mistake before I had the chance to watch the episode, but if the screencaps I’ve seen on Twitter are any indication, it was a sight to behold. If you’re part of the very small minority of people who wish Vento Aureo was a shoujo romance series or you’re desperately hoping for your Giorno x Mista fanfics to become canon, Crunchyroll answered your prayers whether they meant to or not. I, for one, am glad I’m paying $7 a month for this quality content and I hope this masterpiece is preserved for generations to come. Now, onto the episode itself.
As established in the last episode, Team Bucciarati has to reach higher ground in order to escape the effects of Green Day’s mold. However, that proves to be a bit difficult when Bruno and Mista find out that there’s another Stand user assisting Cioccolata. This, of course, being Secco and his Stand, Oasis, which has the ability to turn rock into mud and make its victims sink below the ground. Bruno tries to outrun Oasis, but Mista decides to take a more direct approach and go after Secco directly. While he initially struggled to land a hit on Secco due to Oasis’ ability to deflect bullets, he’s able to land a hit on him and distract him for just long enough for them to steal a car and get away.
Partner Stand users in Vento Aureo are among some of the part’s most interesting antagonists, mostly for their character dynamics and the synergy of their Stands. Boy are Cioccolata and Secco an interesting pair. Unlike the brotherly dynamic of Prosciutto and Pesci or the not-so-subtle romantic relationship between Squallo and Tiziano, Cioccolata and Secco take a… different approach in their relationship. By that I mean Secco is basically Cioccolata’s weird human pet. He gets rewarded with sugar cubes for capturing footage, he gets pet like a dog, and Cioccolata even gives him orders like one too. This is only made more messed up with the accidental Fruits Basket subs, because nothing is more unsettling that hearing a guy talk to his human pet like a lovestruck anime school girl.
Given that the two are the most depraved members of Passione, it makes sense for them to have such a disturbing relationship. This isn’t even going into how well the duo’s Stands compliment each other. With Green Day’s major weakness being higher levels, having Cioccolata team up with someone whose power is to make enemies sink below ground makes the ability way more threatening than it normally would be. Also, a bit of a tangent, but I love how the team Stand users in Part 5 all fit a specific genre theme with their Stand names. Prosciutto and Pesci are 60’s psychedelic rock, Squalo and Tiziano are 80’s new-wave, and Cioccolata and Secco are 90’s alt-rock. It shows just how much thought went into the music references and having them compliment their characters.
One of the more interesting developments of this episode is something that was foreshadowed all the way back at the end of the first King Crimson fight. When Giorno supposedly healed Bruno’s injuries after that fight, he was essentially brought back as a walking corpse. He’s slowly starting to lose all his senses and it’s only a matter of time before his consciousness fades away as well. Bruno urges Giorno not to tell the rest of the team about his current state. Once they approach Rome, they notice that the civilians are succumbing to Green Day’s mold and being terrorized by Secco’s Oasis. They then see Cioccolata in a helicopter spreading the mold all across the city. Now it’s up to Giorno and Mista to stop the duo from not only killing their mysterious ally inside the Colosseum, but from massacring all of Rome.
Even though the fight hasn’t reached its conclusion yet, it’s already shaping up to be one of the best in the entire series. Thematically, Green Day and Oasis works incredibly well as the last Stand fight before the final confrontation with Diavolo. Not only are the stakes the highest they’ve ever been in this part with the entire city of Rome at risk, but Cioccolata and Secco were also the main catalysts for La Squadra’s arc. Because they were heavily implied to be the ones behind the murder of Sorbet and Gelato, you could make the argument that they motivated the group to defect from Passione and attempt to overthrow the boss, thus setting the events of Part 5’s first half in motion. While La Squadra’s arc did technically come to a close after the Metallica fight, this fight feels more like the ultimate payoff of the group’s arc.
Visually, the latter half of Vento Aureo has been absolutely phenomenal. Considering the animation issues Diamond is Unbreakable had with its later episodes, it’s great to see Vento Aureo improving its visual presentation with each passing episode, most likely due to the anime going on break a few times so David Productions could have more time to complete episodes. The fight animation continues to be great and the cinematography is especially noteworthy in this episode. This especially holds true in the scene where Bruno reveals the condition he’s in, because the way that scene is framed and the use of lighting helps make it one of the part’s most impactful moments.
On the subject of great character moments, this episode had a lot of them. One highlight in particular being Trish’s conversation with Narancia inside the turtle, where she shows concern for how cold Bruno can be sometimes. Narancia responds by telling her that she should get to know Bruno a little better. This exchange does a lot to show not only how Trish is growing closer to the team by showing concern for Narancia, but also how the group’s dynamics still seem foreign to her despite becoming more acquainted with them after obtaining her Stand. Another great moment was the teamwork between Giorno and Mista towards the end of the episode, using Gold Experience to turn one of Mista’s bullets into a tree to trap the helicopter. Since the synergy between Green Day and Oasis is what makes Cioccolata and Secco so destructive, it’s cool to see Giorno and Mista counter that with the synergy of their own Stands.
(05/27/19 4:00pm)
by Savanna Keller
Going into The Hustle, my main fear was that all the best parts would be shown in the trailer and I would leave feeling slightly disappointed. This seems to be an issue that’s becoming more and more frequent in comedy movies these days. The film stars Anne Hathaway, an actress I have adored since The Princess Diaries, and Rebel Wilson, known for her role as Fat Amy in the ever-popular Pitch Perfect series. Despite my doubts, I was curious to see how these very different actresses would work together and I made my way to the theater. I found myself pleasantly surprised, for the movie had some unexpected twists and turns, and thankfully, not all the comedic bits had been previewed in the trailer.
The Hustle, directed by Chris Addison and written by Jac Schaeffer, is a gender-swapped remake of the 1988 film Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, which is a remake of the 1964 film Bedtime Story. Even though the movie is a remake, I do not feel like that takes away from the originality and value of the movie in any way. It might be because I have not seen the two remake movies, but in my opinion, the movie does not feel like a remake. On the contrary, it seems fresh and the chemistry between the two co-stars is fabulous, they work well together.
(05/22/19 4:00pm)
by Tanner Kinney
Picture this: the year is (roughly) 2007, or so. Nine-year-old Tanner Kinney and his family recently purchased a brand-spanking used PlayStation 2 Slim, along with Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves and War of the Monsters. A friend down the road has a few PS2 games as well, and he occasionally brings them over so Tanner can try them. One of these games was a PlayStation One game titled Final Fantasy VII (FFVII), an ugly looking game that I didn’t understand most of despite being a fairly competent young reader. But, it was loads of fun to play, even though we didn’t have a memory card for it and couldn’t make it past Midgar.
https://youtu.be/Ru9zzFEdGWk
A year or so later, another friend loans us a spare copy of FFVII and a memory card so we can finally experience the game in full without having to keep the console on overnight. I never made it past Disc 1 (I would always get lost after leaving Midgar), but my brother was able to play through the game and I experienced it with him. It was fantastic, at least what I remember of it. I especially loved Yuffie’s storyline and character arc, since she was (and still is) my favorite character in the game. Even when I got older and edgy in the “popular-thing-is-bad-because-it-is-popular” sense, I couldn’t deny that Final Fantasy VII was a great game.
Since then, I’ve played through nearly every single mainline Final Fantasy title in one (or multiple) of their various releases. I have my own personal favorites, of course, but other than Final Fantasy II (Japan) and the entirety of the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all of them. I subscribe to and even sometimes play Final Fantasy XIV, and I spent the entirety of the week after release of Final Fantasy XV just playing through the game in full, nearly non-stop. That was the first game I ever got a platinum trophy for (although, that’s without the DLC). Final Fantasy is a series that means a lot to me, even with some strange narratives and a nonsense understanding of time travel.
(05/19/19 9:30pm)
by Katherine Simon
As Vento Aureo draws closer and closer to its conclusion, the stakes keep rising higher. Not only are we at the last minor villain fight before the final showdown with the big bad, but the part also recently had its first major character death in Abbacchio. To quote a certain recent blockbuster that also features superpowered people trying to take down a murderous meme-spawning megalomaniac, “we’re in the Endgame now.”
In the aftermath of Abbacchio’s death, Giorno, Bruno, and Trish attempt to piece together the clues left behind by the impression Moody Blues left on the rock. After failing to trace the evidence back to anyone, an anonymous source calls them from their computer to tell them that he knows how to defeat the boss, who he refers to as Diavolo. While Team Bucciarati is skeptical at first, the mysterious man explains that he knows about Diavolo’s time-skipping abilities, which isn’t something he’d know if they were in cahoots with each other due to the boss’ secretive nature. They then agree to meet their new ally at the Roman Colosseum, but not before he explains the origins of the Stand arrows and how they can be used to defeat Diavolo. Essentially, Stands were discovered sometime in the late 1970s after a meteorite hit Greenland and a deadly virus was discovered within it. Those who survived the virus were gifted the power of a Stand, which leads to one person creating arrows from the meteorites in order to easily transfer Stands. It’s also explained that if used on someone who already has a Stand, the arrow could potentially develop the Stand into something much more powerful, which is how the anonymous man plans to defeat Diavolo.
One of the most interesting things about this episode is that this is the first time the origins of Stands were really elaborated upon in all of Jojo. When Stands were first introduced in Stardust Crusaders, their origins and how they were passed down was mostly unknown outside of a handful of characters just inheriting them. Diamond is Unbreakable did a bit more to explain how people got Stands in the first place by introducing the concept of Stand arrows, but it wasn’t until Vento Aureo that we really knew how the arrows came to be in the first place. It’s kind of weird that the origin of the series’ main gimmick was kept a secret until just recently, but honestly, that just makes finding out the mystery behind it much more fun. Also, there was a nice little nod to the Stardust Crusaders cast during the explanation of Stand arrows, which was cool to see since the Part 3 gang were the first Stand users we got to know and grow attached to in the series.
While Team Bucciarati is heading towards Rome, Diavolo, who was keeping tabs on the gang from afar, orders Doppio to call upon the two most dangerous and sadistic members in all of Passione: Cioccolata and Secco. When the gang arrives at a small village near Rome, they try to wait for the intoxicated men in the area to leave before moving any further. However, things start to go south quickly when the men are being eaten alive by a strange grey mold. Suspecting that this is the work of an enemy Stand user, Mista draws his gun and notices that his hand has also been infected. As the substance begins to spread to the rest of Team Bucciarati, it’s revealed that the infectious mold was the result of Cioccolata using the ability of his Stand, Green Day.
Do you remember what I said earlier about Cioccolata and Secco being the most sadistic members of Passione? Well, I wasn’t kidding. Before joining the gang, Cioccolata was a surgeon who enjoyed slowly killing his patients and also worked at a retirement home where he drove the residents to suicide. He enjoyed seeing his victims suffer so much that he would record their deaths. Secco was a former patient of Cioccolata, and after somehow surviving his torture, they ended up teaming up and eventually became one of the most destructive duos in all of Passione.
It’s clear that Araki was trying to write the most hateable villain he could with Cioccolata, and by golly did he succeed. In a series filled with multiple antagonists that have murdered animals on-screen just because they could, Cioccolata still manages to be one of the most despicable Jojo characters if only because of how much joy he takes in hurting his victims. Very few antagonists in the series actively get euphoria from the act of killing, which makes Cioccolata even creepier in contrast. Not to mention that medical malpractice and elder abuse are all unfortunately very real issues that occur fairly often in real life, so it’s much easier to get angry at him than some of the more cartoonishly evil Jojo bad guys.
If there’s one word I could use to describe this episode, it’s loaded. This is easily one of the most exposition heavy episodes in the part thus far, as a lot of time is spent explaining important plot details and backstory that will play a bigger role in the story later (mainly the stuff about Stands and Cioccolata’s backstory). While the info dumps are nowhere near as egregious as something like Naruto since the information is actually interesting and helps move the plot along, there is definitely a lot of information to process in this episode that might feel a bit overwhelming for some.
That isn’t to say the episode is completely lacking in action, far from it actually. There’s a lot of tension going on during the lead up to next episode’s Green Day fight, with the gang seemingly unable to escape the deadly mold until they find out getting to higher ground will stop it from spreading. Funnily enough, Green Day does share a lot of similarities with Fugo’s Purple Haze, both being Stands that infect their victims with flesh-eating organisms by spreading it through the air. Considering that Fugo was originally meant to be a traitor early on in the story, it wouldn’t be all too surprising if this was where the Purple Haze fight was supposed to happen and Green Day was made to act as a substitute. It’s very plausible given the circumstances surrounding the story, but we won’t know until Araki officially says anything on the matter.
Aside from that, there’s a lot of great little moments throughout the episode. Doppio’s phone ability continues to be comedy gold, and I absolutely lost it when he handed back a little girl’s toy phone after he used it to have a serious conversation with Diavolo. It was honestly one of the cutest moments in the series and it’s from the alter ego of the guy who tried to kill his own daughter. The visuals are solid as usual, with the effects on Green Day being a huge stand-out in particular. There’s something about the animation on the mold that works exceptionally well and the effects around the Stand give it somewhat of a grimy feeling that fit the creepiness of its user.
Though if I may go on a bit of a tangent, Green Tea might be one of the worst English Stand name changes ever in a part full of awful translated names. I get Viz Media not wanting to face the wrath of Billie Joe Armstrong, but you couldn’t have picked a less threatening name for this thing if you tried. Though on the plus side, changing Oasis to Sanctuary might be one of the best things ever because now instead of being a reference to the band Oasis, it’s now a reference to the main theme of Kingdom Hearts 2, which to me is a far better association because Utada Hikaru actually makes good music.
(05/01/19 7:24pm)
by Olivia Weinzapfel
Neotheater, the third full-length album from AJR, provides its audience with equal doses of grand symphonic energy and lyrical introspective dread. Like their other albums, the themes focus on self-reflection, but Neotheater revolves mainly around growing up and going through the trials and tribulations of young adulthood. They’ve outdone themselves yet again with their signature beats, unconventional themes, and hard-hitting lyrics. This album is light-hearted in its sound and heavy in its meaning. It’s pleasing not only to ears but also to the maturing conscious, as the music helps us dance through the troubles many of us are facing as we get older.
AJR’s contortion of electro-pop is hard to get tired of, and Neotheater definitely keeps that trademark alive and well. With this album, AJR puts a new twist on their arrangements; this time they lean a little harder towards orchestral sounds. Trumpets, stringed instruments, and more piano sneak their way into the upbeat pops that define AJR’s sound. They infuse these two styles perfectly, and a great track to exemplify this is the very first one, “Next Up Forever.” The compositions in this album are modern on a surface level but have very musical-like undertones. The theater-like music clashes with their contemporary pop, which almost directly defines Neotheater (neo meaning new, and theater meaning… well... theater).
(04/30/19 4:00pm)
by Katherine Simon
I consider myself a pretty strong woman when it comes to handling depictions of violence in movies and TV. I’m generally unphased by most graphic imagery in media and even enjoy myself a good bloody action romp now and again. However, very few things are able to make me cringe as much as the Metallica fight in Jojo. Even as someone who isn’t very squeamish, I found the fight very difficult to stomach when I first read Part 5 three years ago to the point where I had to look away from the artwork just to finish reading the chapter. In spite of that, the fight is still a fun romp that gives a spotlight to the mysterious boss and his alternate persona Doppio.
In the last episode, we finally got a glimpse at the boss’s alter ego, Vinegar Doppio, and his dark origin. We found out that he was born in an all-women's prison and was taken to live in a village after his birth. During this time, he was raised by a local priest and fell in love with Trish’s eventual mother, Donatella Una. One day, when Doppio’s adoptive father checked his room, he found Doppio’s mother buried alive under the floor. The village burned down that night and Doppio was assumed to be dead from the fire. This episode begins where the last episode left off, with the final confrontation between Doppio and the last remaining La Squadra member, Risotto Nero. Doppio uses King Crimson’s Epitaph to see how Risotto will attack next, and he sees a vision where he uses Metallica to create a pair of scissors inside his throat. This next action subsequently occurs, and Doppio reacts by immediately pulling the scissors out from under his skin. Risotto then figures out what Doppio’s ability is and makes sure that his next attack kills, but Doppio is able to avoid the attack and sever Risotto’s foot in the process.
As the fight progresses, Risotto begins to piece together that Doppio is actually the boss’s alter ego and, in an effort to avenge his fallen teammates, he strikes Doppio multiple times to the point where he suffers from iron deficiency and struggles to breathe. However, this actually works out in Doppio’s favor, as Narancia’s Aerosmith had been scouting the area the entire time searching for nearby enemies. Since Risotto is the only one breathing, he’s detected by Aerosmith and immediately gunned down, finishing him off in an unexpected turn of events and allowing Doppio to escape undetected.
One thing that was incredibly surprising about this episode was the lack of censorship. For those who aren’t familiar with the standards and practices of Japanese television, blood and gore are seen as much more inappropriate than sexual content, so more violent programs are often censored to meet the standards of Japanese TV networks. If you were wondering why shows like Tokyo Ghoul were so heavily censored during their initial airings, that’s why. Given how much censorship Jojo has gone under in the past for less violent moments, I fully expected this episode to be heavily edited to the point of being borderline unwatchable, but there was surprisingly very little, if any, censorship. I don’t know if the network that airs Jojo has gotten more lax with violence since Diamond is Unbreakable or what, but it’s nice to see that I won’t have to wait a year for the dub to air on Adult Swim for a watchable version of this episode.
On the topic of gore, let’s talk about why Metallica is one of the most disturbing Stands in the entire series. While it could be argued that Purple Haze or Notorious B.I.G are even creepier in their destructive power and designs, Metallica is much more brutal than either of those and has the potential to kill its enemy much slower and more painfully than any of those Stands. At least Purple Haze’s virus kills within seconds of infection, unlike Metallica, which can make its opponents slowly die of iron deficiency after being torn apart from the inside with razors and other sharp objects. Add that with Risotto’s invisibility and the fact that iron is such a common substance and you’ve got one of the most terrifying Stands in all of Jojo.
Also, fun fact, Metallica’s design is loosely based on the Hattifatteners from the Finnish comic series The Moomins. Yes, that one European kids' series with the scarecrow guy and white cow thing that’s been getting really popular on Tumblr lately. Funny how one of the most brutal stands in all of Jojo, named after one of the most recognizable heavy metal bands ever, was inspired by something as wholesome and innocent as Moomins.
Copious amounts of gore aside, the Metallica fight was honestly a great change of pace from Vento Aureo’s usual structure. As much as I love the Bucci Gang, it’s nice to have a break from them for an episode and focus on another character, especially if that other character is the part’s mysterious main antagonist. The existence of The Boss/Doppio has been shrouded in mystery throughout the entire part’s run, and now that we’re getting ever closer to the climax, it’s nice that we’re finally starting to piece together parts of the Boss’s origins and figuring out who he really is, even if Doppio is the bigger focus than his main personality. Speaking of Doppio, his use of random objects as phones to contact the boss will never be unfunny, especially when it’s frogs.
The fight itself was also really good. Thanks to the lack of censorship the visuals really get to shine in this episode and we get to see some really smooth animation during the fight. I really like how Narancia’s Aerosmith ended up playing into the fight’s conclusion and how Doppio was able to use his limited breathing to his advantage in that situation. Not only was it a really clever resolution, but it was also an interesting way to tie Team Bucciarati into the next episode without having them be too prominent and still having The Boss/Doppio as the focus of this episode.
(04/25/19 5:52am)
[embed]https://soundcloud.com/user-519363288/special-episode-professor-discusses-she-ra[/embed]
Welcome to this special interview with Professor Morgan Leckie, an Assistant Lecturer of English, in which we discuss the latest She-Ra series! How does this series compare with its old predecessor? In what ways did it differ from similar shows like He-Man? Find out this and more on this special episode!
Hosted by: Emily Reuben
Edited by: Eli Sokeland
Graphic by: Daley Wilhelm
Thumbnail by: Alexander Smith
(04/24/19 9:00pm)
by Katherine Simon
If you’ve been following the popular media climate in the past decade or so, you’re probably at least somewhat aware of the push for more and better representation of underrepresented groups. Hollywood has been shaky at best when it comes to portraying people of color and LGBT people, and although things are still far from ideal, there have been great strides made for better representing marginalized groups. However, one group that always seems to be left out of the discussion are people with disabilities, specifically people on the autism spectrum. Although arguably not as much as a hot-button issue as queer or POC representation, autistic people still suffer from a lot of similar misconceptions that could be easily remedied with better media representation and general visibility. With April being Autism Acceptance Month and me being on the spectrum myself, I thought it’d be a good idea to look at how popular media has been handling neurodiversity, both the positives and the negatives, and seeing how the industry can improve going forward.
(04/18/19 5:01pm)
by Anthony Herring
The science-fiction based Star Wars franchise has been going strong since May 1977, and it shows no sign of stopping anytime soon. In the years since Disney bought the franchise from its creator, George Lucas, we’ve seen the creation of a sequel trilogy–with its final installment being released this December–two new video games in the popular Star Wars Battlefront series, two new TV shows, and a slew of new novels and comic books. However, there is one aspect of the franchise that has been around since the pre-Disney days: Star Wars Celebration.
This convention first began back in 1999, where it celebrated the release of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Approximately 12 celebrations have occurred since then, with this year’s Chicago-based one being the 13th. This year’s celebration was held from Thursday, April 11th to Monday, April 15th in McCormick Place, a convention center south of downtown Chicago.
https://youtu.be/n8OwhmRaTNA?list=PL148kCvXk8pDbF6fs3PUYRcVaqx7Z2Z3r
Since Thursday acted as a sort of introductory day for attendees to get acclimated to the convention, panels did not occur until Friday. On that day, the first panel was for Star Wars: Episode IX. The host of this panel was The Late Show host Stephen Colbert, and he asked questions to the cast and crew of Episode IX, which included director JJ Abrams, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, actress Daisy Ridley, actor John Boyega and more. At the end of the panel, the film’s teaser trailer was shown, revealing the title of the film to be The Rise of Skywalker. The two remaining panels that happened were the ones for Vader Immortal, a virtual reality game where you play at the famous Sith Lord. The other was Lucasfilm Publishing, which announced many new novels that will be releasing over the course of the year.
Saturday also had three panels, beginning with one that discussed the upcoming theme park Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The panel was hosted by actor Josh Gad, who also hosted the panel for The Last Jedi at the 2017 celebration. It discussed how the park actually has a substantial place in Star Wars canon, as the park is set on the planet Batuu and connects to novels that will be released later this year. Later on that day, the next panel was held, with this one discussing the upcoming video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. At the panel, a trailer was shown, revealing that the game will follow young ex-Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis, who is trying to survive after the events of the Jedi Purge (which was depicted in the 2005 film Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith). The final panel was labeled as Rebels Remembered, which acted as a look-back on the show Star Wars Rebels, which ended last March.
Sunday’s panels began with one about the upcoming The Mandalorian TV show, which will debut on Disney’s new streaming service, Disney+, this November. The panel saw the likes of creators Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, and cast members Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano and Carl Weathers, who revealed new details about the show, such as that it’ll be set five years after the events of Return of the Jedi, and will be set on the outer fringes of the galaxy. Later on that day, there was a panel about the return of the popular show, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, where its seventh and final season will also see its debut on Disney+ this November. Hosted by frequent Star Wars actor Warwick Davis, this panel saw Dave Filoni in attendance again, this time accompanied by cast members Ashley Eckstein, Sam Witwer, Dee Bradley Baker, James Arnold Taylor, Matt Lanter and more. Certain details were revealed about the season, including story arcs that involved a squad referred to as the “Bad Batch,” and the “Siege of Mandalore,” a very important part of Star Wars canon.
Monday saw only two panels. The first one celebrated the 20th anniversary of The Phantom Menace, with Warwick Davis once again hosting. Cast members Ian McDiarmid, Ray Park, Anthony Daniels, and Ahmed Best were in attendance, where they shared stories about their experiences while shooting the film. This panel was quite humorous, as Daniels and Davis joked around with each other quite a bit. The final panel of the day–and of the celebration itself–was one that shared a preview of the second season of the Star Wars Resistance TV show, with cast members such as Donald Faison and Bobby Moynihan in attendance.
Now, despite the high coverage of panels at this year’s celebration, that wasn’t the only thing present at the convention. In between panels, the hosts of the popular The Star Wars Show, Andi Gutierrez and Anthony Carboni, held interviews with many famous Star Wars icons, such as Dave Filoni, Ian McDiarmid and Ahmed Best. Celebration also had booths where attendees were able to meet their favorite authors, such as Claudia Gray and Timothy Zahn, who wrote the new Star Wars books Master and Apprentice and Thrawn: Treason, respectively. Stores were present as well, where attendees could purchase memorabilia, such as posters, costumes and toy lightsabers. Last but certainly not least, attendees were more than welcome to actually dress up at their favorite characters, such as Luke Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Padmé Amidala and more.
This Star Wars Celebration was a rousing success, having a variety of panels that covered many facets of the Star Wars franchise. It appears that 2019 is a great year to be a fan of this franchise.
(04/17/19 5:51pm)
by Brandon Carson
Back in 2018, Alaria Spurling, lead guitarist and vocalist of Four Fates, needed three people to back her up for a tiny music festival in Bloomington, Indiana. This led to the formation of a band. Some of the songs they performed at this festival would end up being on their EP. After playing a show at the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, the band began working on Realms, which released April 6. On this EP, a completely unique sound emerges as Spurling sings about sadness and trouble. Ian Chambers brings his own flair to the songs with his excellent drumming, Evan Tusing adds an Alter Bridge style to the guitars, and Adam Schaefer completely nails his bass lines. However, Realms’ faults lie in the production and a tiny bit in the structure.
(04/12/19 9:00pm)
by Katherine Simon
After multiple episodes of hinting at it and the second opening just straight up spoiling it– among many other things– Trish’s Stand finally makes its anime debut. This is when Trish really starts to prove herself as a member of the gang and where she starts to come into her own as a character.
After noticing Giorno’s brooch that he used to create a new hand, Trish decides that she has to retrieve it without moving too fast and attracting Notorious B.I.G. She notices that the recliners on the seats move fast enough to distract the Stand, so she reclines one of the seats as she slowly approaches the hand. However, when she reclined one of the seats, a drink spilled on her foot and the movement of the liquid automatically attracted Notorious B.I.G to her. Luckily, since the drink only spilled on her boot, the enemy just took that instead of going after Trish.
Suddenly, Trish hears a voice telling her to carefully grab Giorno’s brooch without wasting any time, and this is when Trish’s Stand is finally introduced. Trish takes her Stand’s advice and grabs it, but not without alerting Notorious B.I.G and having it target her. Hiding behind a seat, Trish uses her Stand’s ability to turn the seat behind her into a rubber-like material and fling the enemy onto the other side of the plane. This is when it’s revealed that Trish’s Stand has the ability to soften any material it touches, causing it to be virtually indestructible. The Stand later reveals its name to be Spice Girl (one singular Spice Girl, not to be confused with the popular '90s band Spice Girls) and as the episode progresses, Trish begins to gain control over her Stand. She utilizes it to get Notorious B.I.G off the plane permanently and return Giorno’s arm so he can heal Mista and Narancia.
One of the best things about this episode is Spice Girl itself. With the exception of Moody Blues, all of the Stands in Team Bucciarati are all combat-oriented and are used to deal direct damage to their enemies. Even then, Abbacchio is rarely put into any combat scenarios without Bucciarati or Giorno by his side, so we never really get to see how Moody Blues would be utilized in an Abbacchio-only fight. While Spice Girl not being a particularly powerful Stand might be a bit of a bummer for some people, it allows it to get creative with utilizing its abilities to the fullest and take down opponents through unconventional means. Its utility especially comes through in the Notorious B.I.G fight, where its not only able to use her ability to protect itself from the stand, but distract it by softening objects to a point where they’re constantly moving. One cool detail about Spice Girl is that its battlecry is actually a reference to the Spice Girls’ debut single, “Wannabe." I always like it when Stands have little extra nods to the songs or artists they’re referencing, and this is no exception.
Earlier in the review series, I stated that Trish was my personal favorite Jojo girl, and this episode solidifies that opinion. While she might not be as popular in the fandom as her male contemporaries, or even other female characters in the series, she goes through one of the most compelling character arcs in the entire series and is easily the most fleshed out female character up to this point. When she first tagged along with Team Bucciarati, she felt so divorced from everyone else because she didn’t think anyone actually cared about her aside from using her to reach the objective that is her father. Sure, they protected her life, but mainly out of obligation since she was considered an important asset to the boss.
It’s not until the confrontation with King Crimson that Trish starts to open up about how she’s feeling to the rest of the gang, and even then she remains distant from everyone except for maybe Narancia when he reached out to her. It was all building up to this episode, where Trish not only proves herself as a useful member of Team Bucciarati by controlling her Stand, but also by beginning to open up to her teammates and becoming more confident in herself.
This is perfectly exemplified when Trish copies Bruno’s “Arrivederci” after beating Notorious B.I.G. This symbolizes how she looks up to him as a father figure, since children inheriting their parents’ catch phrases is a common trend in Jojo (Giorno inheriting Dio’s “Muda” battlecry is an example of this). Trish’s relationship with Spice Girl in this episode is also representative of her growth as a character. When the Stand first appears, it’s the one giving orders to Trish and telling her what to do, but by the end of the episode she’s become one with her stand and has full control over it just like any other Stand user, symbolizing how she’s become a more confident person throughout the series.
Developments with Trish aside, “Spice Girl” is a really good episode. The fight with Notorious B.I.G was really fun and was a great introduction fight for Spice Girl. The end of the fight was especially hilarious, since it’s not only another instance of a villain facing endless punishment like Kars or Angelo, but the idea that Team Bucciarati inadvertently causing the Tyrrhenian Sea to become inhospitable due to Notorious B.I.G constantly going after boats in the water is so messed up but hilarious at the same time. There’s also the unfortunate implications of how the area’s ecosystem might’ve been affected by Notorious B.I.G constantly going after the fastest things in the water, but let’s not dwell too much on how Team Bucciarati may or may not have accidentally committed an act of eco-terrorism.
Another highlight of this episode is the soundtrack. Trish’s theme is really unique compared to every other theme in the show in the best possible way, and I really can’t wait for the full OST to drop so I can listen to it. Also, the use of Giorno’s theme during the fight’s climax is absolutely perfect and got me super pumped up. Now that the gang is about to reach Sardinia safe and sound, it’s time to finally find out about the boss’s origins and be introduced to the mysterious Doppio, who may or may not be related to the boss in any way, in the next episode.
(04/11/19 6:00pm)
by Eli Sokeland
Mob Psycho 100 isn’t a normal anime by any standards. While it does show common anime tropes such as a high school setting and overpowered abilities, these are spun with unique characters. Mob demonstrates this through his submissive behaviors in the first season, despite the amount of power he possesses. However, the characters undergo massive changes within the narrative of the second season.
(04/10/19 8:21pm)
by Tanner Kinney, Jack Gillespie, and Trevor Sheffield
Frog Baby Film Festival 2019 was another excellent showing of a variety of expertly crafted student films. These films show a number of varied perspectives, many of them taking risks on the ways we tell stories. From dramas about just trying to get home, to comedies about purgatory, to even experimental films that feel like Twilight Zone episodes, this festival had it all. Although some films were stronger than others, all of these films were deserving of the honor to be shown at Frog Baby this year. This year truly highlights the creativity of Ball State students in crafting narratives that have never been seen before.
(04/09/19 9:00pm)
by Katherine Simon
2018 was a somewhat disappointing year in anime for me. Despite finally giving me the Vento Aureo anime adaptation I’ve waited so long for, and offering plenty of cute comedy shows, there wasn’t really anything that blew me or the rest of the anime community away, especially when compared to 2017’s standout shows such as Made in Abyss and Land of the Lustrous. However, 2019 seems to be making up for this right out of the gate with The Promised Neverland, a 12-episode anime adaptation of the ongoing Shonen Jump manga of the same name.
The show covers the first arc of the manga and is directed by Mamoru Kanbe of Elfen Lied fame. Unlike its action-heavy Shonen Jump contemporaries, Promised Neverland has more of a focus on horror and mystery elements, not unlike the publication’s other popular thriller series, Death Note. Add this with the anime adaptation airing on the Noitamina block in Japan–which is usually reserved for more experimental adult animation far outside the typical Shonen Jump demographic–and it’s clear to see that this series is quite unique for something that’s aimed at the same target audience as My Hero Academia and One Piece.
(04/09/19 3:28pm)
[embed]https://youtu.be/R_eK28FEXRw[/embed]
This week on Pop Tabs Matthew, Sam, and Eben discuss Jordan Peele's controversial statement, Five Nights at Freddy's fan art ethics, and Cardi B's past.
Time Stamps:
Jordan Peele: 0:23
Five Nights at Freddy's: 8:47
Cardi B: 19:25
Pop Tabs is Byte's news commentary podcast, focusing on popular culture and how it relates to issues in the media world.
Host: Matthew Yapp
Guests: Sam Smith, Eben Griger
Executive Producer: Phil Akin
Video Editing: Kyle Crawford
Audio Editing: Tyler Wheatley
Graphics: Daley Wilhelm, Sarah James, Tt Shinkan
Music: Jack McGinnis