ALL AGES OF GEEKAttack on Drip — A Refined Selection of Rohil’s Favorite Anime And Video Game Memes (Part 1) (May 2021)
These made All Ages of Geek producer and staff writer, Rohil, laugh (audibly).
NEWS: What is DC FanDome and Why is It BACK?!
Okay, seriously. What the heck is this DC FanDome thing-y and why haven’t I heard one word about it? Yea I’ve been living in quara-limbo for what feels like the past century (it’s only been a year), but c’mon, I thought at the very least massive nerdom news such as this would trickle down to my depression lair.
Chances are, the majority of you are already in the know about this event (heck, you probably attended the event last year didn’t you?). Well, go ahead then. Roll your eyes at me all you want, and then after that please skip the following background information and go to this year’s update at the bottom half of the article.
But for those of you like me, who’ve been mentally checked out since March 2020, let me explain a little background information about this “dome” and how you, too, can enter.
In June of 2020, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Entertainment created the DC FanDome, a virtual event platform, to broadcast highlights of their upcoming projects across a multitude of media. It was first announced in response to the cancellation of San Diego Comic-con’s in person event due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Divided into two parts, the FanDome conventions featured pre recorded panels, interviews, sneak peaks and showings, all of which could be accessed for free by the public. The first half debuted on August 22, 2020 and its continuation shortly followed a few weeks later in early September. The virtual platform has since been used to stream the virtual premier of Wonder Woman 1984 in December 2020.
DC FanDome was lauded for the high quality of its online experience. Similar to 2020’s virtual San Diego Comic Con, it featured pre-recorded content. DC FanDome’s presentation, however, set it leagues apart. Warner Media, the parent company of Warner Bros. and DC Comics, fully utilized the editing opportunities that a pre-recorded virtual presentation afforded them, and thoughtfully programmed the event into a well coordinated spectacle.
The convention’s first part, titled “Hall of Heroes”, featured eight hours of content broadcast three times in a row back to back, making it a full 24 hr event. The programming consisted of sneak peaks and exclusive reveals of the newest and biggest titles to hit DC’s film and TV production, comic stands, game studios, etc. The convention’s second part, titled “Explore the Multiverse”, allowed fans to choose their own schedule from over 100 hours of on-demand content including screenings, panel sessions and interviews, and unseen content from the DC multiverse.
The key factors that set DC FanDome’s convention far apart from other virtual conventions were its cohesive visuals and staging. Whereas conventions like San Diego Comiccon were streamed across multiple Youtube channels, all of the FanDome events were broadcast across in-house DC Comic specific portals. Not only did this guarantee smooth transitions and prevent potential video playback errors from copyright (which happened a few times to the San Diego ComicCon panels due to YouTube’s stringent copyright laws), it made the event feel structured and purposeful. It truly felt as if it was an other worldly portal teleporting you to the DC realm.
DC took the feeling of uniqueness a step further by filming its content in a green-screen space constructed especially for occasion. Unlike the typical panel rooms one would see over many a Zoom call, the FanDome’s green screen capabilities allowed for guest streams to be projected side by side along the Dome walls, imitating an in-person interaction. The space helped the event appear much grander across the screen, reinforcing the feeling that this was something for audience members to get excited about. Spliced in between the convention’s most highly anticipated events were quirky sketches, speedy interviews and q&a’s, and tributes to the many years of the DC Universe. These spurts of stimulation broke up the monotony one would usually feel from attending never ending zoom calls and allowed the audience a moment of reprieve. Again, like everything else, these bites made the event feel specific, and much like extravagant commercials commissioned especially for the SuperBowl, it made DC’s online convention all the more a spectacle.
As you can pretty much expect, the DC FanDome 2020 was an absolute smashing success, exceeding 22 million views across the globe, presented in nine different languages (Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish) across 220 countries and territories. Thanks to its overwhelming popularity, DC Comics has officially announced the event will come back for its second year, so y’all better mark your calendars for October 16, 2021!!
AHHHHHH!!!
But wait. Before we all get too excited, what exactly is going to be revealed at this year’s convention?
…Well, it’s not exactly clear. DC is keeping it pretty hush, hush as of now to increase suspense and intrigue. Figures.
Buuuut… we do have some possible predictions thanks to the good ole rumor mill and past announcements. I’ve included a short list of possible titles of which we can potentially hope to see sneak peaks.
Predicted titles of panels/teasers:
1. The Batman: Will Robert Pattinson finally get his day in the not-so-sunny sun? Jk. But actually can we get some long awaited panel action?
2. Sequels and Triquels: Wonderwoman 3 💪 and Aquaman 2 🧜♂️
3. New Titles: Blue Beetle, Cyborg, and Zatanna … holy heck am I excited for magical girl Zatanna!
4. The Flash: Finally! The film starring Ezra Miller we’ve all been waiting for?
5. The Green Lantern Corps: Hal Jordan AND John Stewart, babbbiiii!
6. Stargirl: It’s on the bubble for a season 3 renewal…
7. More Arrowverse shows: who else besides our newest DC hero Naomi will gets an adaptation?
8. Batgirl: BABSSSS!!! ‘nuff said.
9. Animated goodies: Batman: The Long Halloween Part Two, YOUNG JUSTICE: Phantoms, Harley Quinn, etc.
10. The Other Batman (???): Idk y’all, but there be some rumors of two different Batmen moving forward. Is Affleck actually keeping the cowl? It may actually work if Pattinson’s Batman is going to exist in a stand alone universe anyway. Honestly, if you ask me, it sounds like baseless rumors, but who really knows at this point with the multiverse…
Now, as far as unannounced projects go… those we can only pray for the good DC gods to grace us.
If you are interested in keeping up to date with DC’s live announcements should check out the DC community here and sign up for their newsletter here.
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Need coverage? Please send an email to allagesofhr@gmail.com.
T. Wu is a contributing writer at All Ages of Geek. You can follow T. on Instagram @kata_the_clown.
G4 Returns With New Host Kassem G
On 19 April 2021, something miraculous occurred… an upload on the iconic O.G. Kassem G YouTube channel. Not just any upload, but an upload of the beloved Ask Kassem format.
Ask Kassem was a comedic interactive Q&A show, with host Kassem G thrown against a greenscreen of brilliantly janky animations, hitting its peak of popularity between 2010 and 2012. The brief return of the show features favorite, Director of Photography, John “Fucking” Na.
The episode serves as an even larger announcement for the return of another dearly missed entertainment property, G4tv, with Kassem G stepping in as a new host.
G4tv was a geek-culture channel for the early 2000s, possibly most known for its original programming Attack of the Show! and X-Play. G4tv made it to approximately 61,217,000 American households by 2013, unfortunately ending all operations the following year.
On 24 July 2020, the Twitter accounts of G4, Attack of the Show! and X-Play were reactivated to announce a revival of the network. Finally, in January of 2021, we got the G4 relaunch announcement trailer, featuring Gus Johnson as G4’s “stand-in CEO” and confirmation of returning hosts Adam Sessler and Kevin Pereira, Ovilee May, and Froskurinn.
The channel has already posted videos with guest appearances from ProZD, The Completionist, and Ron Funches.
On 19 April 2021, Kassem G’s official host announcement video went live on the G4 YouTube channel, followed by a pinned comment with Kassem expressing his gratitude for the warm welcome, as well as his intentions as a host.
“Thanks for the warm reception so far everyone! I’m a G4 fan first and foremost! I want to see a lot of the old G4 stuff I remember watching on television in the early 2000’s but also very excited to see and help make new content and shows that reflects how gaming and pop culture has changed over the last decade. I’m very thankful for the opportunity and will do my best not to let you down! Plus I’ve already been paid so there’s no backing out now!”
Kassem G is already all over the G4 channel, participating in live streams as well. His sardonic, spicey wit is a welcome addition to video game commentary — almost perfectly timed for the current games media landscape with many critical of games journalism and craving a more self-aware, non-gatekeepy ethos.
G4 will bring back versions of Attack of the Show! and X-Play, along with Gaming News, Let’s Plays, Community Live Streams, and the occasional sketch — all with a digital-first approach.
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Need coverage? Please send an email to Allagesofhr@gmail.com
Rohil Aniruth is a producer and staff writer at All Ages of Geek. You can follow him on Twitter @yorohil & see his portfolio at rohil.work
A Few Tips For Animal Crossing: New Horizon
Introduced in 2001 by Nintendo, Animal Crossing was a fascinating social simulation game. All ages can play and go about creating clothing, design a house or fishing in the ocean. This is only a small part of the options offered. When released in March of 2020, Animal Crossing: New Horizons went gangbusters. Possibly due to the start of the Pandemic where there were lockdown’s, one option was to play a game that would allow socialization. Of course, no Animal Crossing game can be successful if it didn’t have new villagers, islands to discover, and musical guests like K.K. Slider. In addition, there are so many tips for Animal Crossing. A few include how to grow rare flowers, how to use the Nookphone, and obtaining golden tools.
One tip to boost the landscape in Animal Crossing is to grow flowers. The standard flowers an island starts with are different than the next island, but to make unique and rare flowers it will take finesse. It is called cross-breeding, plant two different colors of the same type diagonally from each other. As in, a red rose and a white rose will make a pink rose. Rain helps water the flowers, of course, but watering them from a watering can boost them to grow even faster. A key reason to crossbreed is that Island evaluations can earn more stars when there are diverse flower collections.
Via[EuroGamer]
The Nookphone is a feature in Animal Crossing with a few helpful options. Push the ZL on your remote or hand-held Switch, and the Nookphone will open. This is very similar in layout to a personal phone. There is a camera, Critterpedia (this has every insect, fish, or sea creature you have caught), a map of your island, and DIY recipes. One tip to individualize a villager is to use clothing, rugs, or art that has been picked from internet searches. It will take a few steps to get there. If dressing a villager in Pokémon shirts, or an Anime rug outside the house is the look you are going for, be sure to check out items from the internet search. First, download the Nintendo Switch Online app on either an Android or iPhone. Once this is linked to the game go talk to Tom Nook on the Home screen. Tom will make sure that the app is linked appropriately to the game by answering a few questions. In the Nookphone there is an app called custom design. This is used to choose any image that would fit your motif for outfits or art. By accessing this tool it creates a unique look to any island.
Animal Crossing users do numerous real-time activities to improve their island. One way to pass countless hours is to Fish in a small pond or catch insects to donate to the museum. Unfortunately, the majority of tools that make money or will be used to work on a hobby are going to break over time. This will cost a villager resources to be able to obtain them. One tip is golden tools, which include an ax, shovel, watering can, fishing pole, slingshot, and a net. Obtaining each tool is not an easy task. After breaking 100 normal or flimsy axes a golden ax is available to make in a DIY recipe and to get a golden slingshot pop 300 flying balloons prior to a recipe. The fishing pole and net require one of every fish or insect on the island, whichever is appropriate, to be caught. The shovel is the hardest golden tool to acquire. A downed seagull, Captain Gulliver, will wash ashore. The objective is to talk to him 30 times with 10 separate times helping him to get off the island. After those steps are taken a DIY recipe will be sent. Golden tools are an arduous task to achieve even a few of them, but once built they are meant to be used for quite some time.
Via[Animal Crossing World]
Whether you need additional tips on how to obtain stars to boost an island’s standing or how to make money for new items, there are many features Animal Crossing: New Horizons offers. The outcome of each discovery is completely up to how one approaches the game. For example, a villager can travel to other islands, fill up a museum with beautiful butterflies, or just sit and listen to music when the fireflies are out. Each season and holiday is highlighted and occasionally there are small touches and details that pop up. Animal Crossing will offer additional options the longer it is played which creates a smart and interactive way to play any simulation game.
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Need coverage? Please send an email to Allagesofhr@gmail.com
Katie Bolin is a writing intern at All Ages of Geek. You can follow her on Twitter @KatieMarie5Fly.
Review: Loki Trailer, A Return of Loki And His Mischievousness?
Loki is back as the Trickster, in his new self-titled series on Disney Plus. The much anticipated 6-episode run sees Tom Hiddleston’s Loki in the hands of the Time Keepers. There is much to unpack from the latest preview, and I have faith this will be an enjoyable series.
If you are a Marvel fan, you have seen Loki since the first Thor movies. He was somewhat darker, occasionally corrupt and cruel. It wasn’t until The Avengers movie, when Loki was smashed by the Hulk did audiences start to see a lighter side to this character. In Thor: Ragnarök, we see the “God of mischief” come to his brother’s aid. These moments have made Loki a fan-favorite villain in the MCU.
In this trailer for the Loki series, we’re instantly introduced to the Time Keepers facility and the character Mobius M. Mobius, a seemingly welcoming agent played by Owen Wilson. It’s quite obvious the Time Keepers know everything about everyone, Including Loki, making them a fascinating next step within the MCU. We can only hope additional revelations will be explained in the upcoming episodes. Researching the Time Keepers’ lore takes you down a historied rabbit hole of comic book fandom, so the MCU perceptive should be interesting.
The flow of time had changed due to Loki grabbing the Tesseract Tesseract Fandom.com in Avengers: Endgame. Now it is his responsibility to put everything back together again. Anyone that has seen Loki evolve through the years knows one thing that rings true for him, he will always be mischievous and cannot be trusted.
The ending scenes bring on amazing tidbits of visual eye candy. “Is that Black Widow holding Loki’s hand in Vormir? Or did Loki travel back in time to Asgard, possibly to finally sit on the throne?” At the end of the trailer, it appears that Loki has not changed his ways, you see him with his blades and his collar turned up in defiance of the Time Keepers. The true Loki is still lurking underneath, and it will be exciting to see him again. This next chapter in Marvel promises an adventure with one of the most fascinating characters they have ever produced.
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Need coverage? Please send an email to Allagesofhr@gmail.com
Katie Bolin is a writing intern at All Ages of Geek. You can follow her on Twitter @KatieMarie5Fly.
Netflix Adapting Gundam Into A Live-Action Film
The world of Gundam is making its way to live-action thanks to Netflix. The big streaming platform has announced their intentions adapting the popular Gundam series into a film with Kong: Skull Island director Jordan Vogt-Roberts helping bring the feature version to life as a director and producer
The immensely popular mecha anime franchise was announced by Netflix as their next project for their movie library. In a press release, the streaming giant will be teaming up with Legendary to tackle Gundam into a live-action film. Comic book scribe Brian K. Vaughn will be writing the script for the potential film and also serve as an executive producer on the project. Legendary’s Cale Boyter will be overlooking the film alongside the Sunrise creative team.
No plot details were announced for the live-action version, but Gundam has become a priority for Netflix since it was picked up. It was back in 2018 when the project was revealed at the Anime Expo with both Legendary Pictures and Sunrise collaborating on it. Netflix will be releasing the film worldwide except for China, where Legendary will be distributing the film theatrically. Launched in 1979, the Gundam franchise has amassed a huge multi-billion-dollar property that helped popularize the mecha genre with its different types of media.
The original Gundam series takes place in the Universal Century, an era where humanity has spread across space and created colonies outside of Earth into the star system. Eventually, a war breaks out for humanity’s independence against those living on Earth. The film tackles war, loss, and innocence among its themes throughout the different series they have released over the years. The story heavily involves soldiers piloting robots known as mobile suits into huge epic battles. Much of the franchise is popular for their popularity in the mecha genre and bringing it into the West. The Gundam universe has spawned over 50 series, films, and OVAs as well as expanding into mangas, novels, and video games.
Vogt-Roberts has been known for his work with Legendary in the monster hit Kong: Skull Island. With such incredible credentials, the director is no stranger to epic fights with big set pieces, so it seems like the perfect fit. The MonsterVerse has been successful with Godzilla vs. Kong and Legendary has already been in the business of creating movies about giant robots with the Pacific Rim film series. Audiences got a brief glimpse into what a live-action Gundam would look like thanks to Steven Spielberg’s film Ready Player One.
No date has been given for when the Gundam live-action feature would release, but it isn’t the only anime that Netflix is working on. They are currently tackling a live-action TV series based on Cowboy Bebop, which should arrive sometime this year. This does increase the ever-expanding library of anime properties that the streaming service has at its disposal.
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Need coverage? Please send an email to Allagesofhr@gmail.com
Mufsin Mahbub is a contributing writer and Host at All Ages of Geek. You can follow her on Twitter @mufsinm
Winter Anime Wrap Up: You Need to Watch Heaven’s Design Team
Have you been desperate for a rush of endorphins to lift your zombie brain out of its quarantine haze? Perchance you’ve been craving a sprinkling of some good ole’ wonky Japanese humor to break up your monotonous life? Or maybe you are a disgruntled employee in need of reprieve from dealing with the all-too-vague demands of your stress inducing higher-ups? Or perhaps you are a wildlife enthusiast who loves looking at cute cuddly animals…as well as slimy ones… and scaly ones…and even downright creepy ones?
Listen, if any of the aforementioned qualities even slightly applies to you (honestly, even if they’re completely irrelevant it doesn’t matter ) you need to watch Heaven’s Design Team. Oh, goodness, for the the love of Kami-sama and all things holy, please do yourself a favor and watch this lovely show if you haven’t already!
To give you all a little background, the anime is based on a manga of the same name written by Hebi-Zou and Tsuta Suzuki and illustrated by Tarako.
The story’s premise revolves around a team of ethereal creatives known as Heaven’s Design Team. God, too tired from building an entire world by himself to make its inhabitants, outsources the design of the animal kingdom to an eclectic group of designers. Shimoda, the angel assigned to oversee the designers’ enterprises (and our designated audience surrogate), relays God’s often vague yet specific descriptions to the designers. Hijinks and shenanigans ensue as Shimoda attempts to help (though more often than not, he just ends up standing by dumbstruck) as the designers scramble to actualize a functional design that meets God’s outlandish descriptions.
Last night, high on the laughters from watching this season’s finale, I compiled a shortlist of all the fantastic reasons why you need to start watching this show — right now:
9. Easy-breezy Episodic Episodes
You know how sometimes you just need the kind of show where the plots are by and large wrapped up within the span of one episode? The storylines of Heaven’s Design Team are what one could call “inconsequential” — the conflicts of the story do not carry over into multiple episode encompassing arcs, nor do they have long enduring consequences on the characters’ psyche. Instead, they are pretty easily resolved despite how complex they seem to be initially. Seriously, the tension is borderline nonexistent that it’s almost farcical… which is exactly what makes this show so fantastic!! We all need a feel good piece once in a while, and oh, does Heaven’s Design Team deliver! You’re able to sit back, relax, and enjoy the wild antics and even wilder ideas of the designers scrambling to fulfill one order after another.
8. The art style and animation
Wow, wow, WOW! The animation in this show can be summarized simply by three words: bold, bright, and beautiful. The characters are drawn in a style of lineart that’s noticeably thicker than your typical anime, giving them a distinctive, more cartoon-like quality that just pops right off the screen! Coupled with the heavenly (pun entirely intended)backgrounds and vibrant color schemes, you get this gorgeous amalgamation of images that one would expect to cause sensory overload. But actually? It’s really soothing — like taking a hypnotic stroll through a candy store.
7. Charming Cast of Characters
So the reason why this show is so adorably funny? It’s not only due to the humor and the animation style. The cast is quirky and charming — and what a diverse bunch they are! The characters all have their own quirky traits that make them distinctive from one other, whilst also complementing each other when put into a group. And seriously, watching these characters collaborate and compete with their designs is what makes this show so fun to watch! There is no dynamic duo situation; you end up enjoying the unique interactions and rapport between all the different character combinations.
6. R-r-r-r-representation?!
This show already subverts gender expectations by creating a well-balanced, gender-norm defying cast, but it goes the extra step in including a transgender character. One of the designers, Venus-chan, happens to be a trans-woman. The show never goes out of its way to outright state it, as it is incidental to the show, but it does highlight it through the clothes she wears and the pronouns with which the other characters address her. It’s just… lovely that there is this open, unquestioned acceptance of her identity. There is never a moment of othering when it feels as if it needs to be justified or explained ad infinitum; her gender expression doesn’t define her character. Honestly, I feel like I’m doing the show a disservice here by even mentioning this tidbit, but it’s truly a wonderful thing to watch a character simply exist as they are.
5. Productive Edutainment!
If you ever needed justification for watching anime, here is one! There’s hardly ever a moment you’re not learning something new from this show. The designers dive deep into the biology of real life animals, providing detailed explanations of why they are structured the way they are, illustrating how certain traits benefit their survival and how other traits impede it. They also break down the illogicality of mythological creatures like unicorns and dragons…with SCIENCE! Oh and in addition, all of this information gets presented in a demonstration of the designing process, featuring concepts such as prototyping and testing!
4. The animals UwU…But also…the animals o_0 :
By God, is the drawn otter freaking ADORABLE. Yes, there is a river otter. If that isn’t enticing enough, I don’t know what else will be. Also, animals are freaky, dude. Just freaky. I definitely can’t look at some of them the same way again…like, did you know there is an animal that eats its own poop???
3. Warm and Funny
This show just makes you feel happy, dude. What’s so interesting is that the comedy is simultaneously straightforward and easy to understand but also mind boggling with the downright weirdness of scenarios characters find themselves in. Usually, the weirdness stems from seeing God’s inconceivably strange descriptions come to fruition… life is weird, y’all…
2. Catchy opening:
For all you J-pop fans out there, this one is for you. Why is this so high on the list of reasons, you ask? “It’s just a song,” you say? No, no; it’s not just a song. Seriously, the opening to this show is the peppiest, the cutest, the most adorable opening song out there! I actually think its humanly impossible to resist smiling like an idiot when listening to this song. For anyone out there who is looking for new music to improve their mood, this is the one (and therefore this show is alsothe one because if you end up liking the opening, then you’re gonna have to watch the rest of the episode to get to the adorable ending)!
…P.S. I also recommend this as a less annoying alarm clock.
1. Comedic Slice of Life Escapism:
I think this is the most obvious reason for watching this show, and it basically encompasses all of the aforementioned points.
Look, in such wild and crazy times as we are in now, we’re all in need of some good old binge watching and escapism from our boring two bedroom apartment. Whether it be the bright colors, the zany humor, or the adorable animals, I guarantee there is something in this show that’ll bring you joy. Either that, or the low stakes will relax you into a meditative mood right before bed.
Oh, and also, Heaven’s Design Team features vacationing to the Galapagos islands, so at the very least, look at this as an opportunity for you to travel vicariously. 😉
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Need coverage? Please send an email to allagesofhr@gmail.com.
T. Wu is a contributing writer at All Ages of Geek. You can follow T. on Instagram @kata_the_clown.
Review: Shotgun Boy, Bustin’ in With a BANG?!
**TRIGGER WARNING – The following content may not be suitable for young viewers. The following webcomic contains implied depictions of school shootings, gun violence, body horror, and other disturbing scenes. Reader discretion is advised. **
Isolated in the wilderness of the mountains, a school retreat becomes the perfect target for a grisly disaster.
By the darkening twilight, Gyunhwan, a high school student, makes a desperate escape from his abusive bullies. As he runs for the backwoods bordering the school retreat, he happens upon an abandoned shotgun and just enough shells for his heartless classmates.
By the looks of it, we can all guess how this will end.
However, an unexpected turn of events spells a drastically different type of tragedy for our bully victim Gyunhwan. What awaits him when he returns with arms to his school retreat?
His classmates, possessed by brain-eating monsters!!
INTRODUCING…
SHOTGUN BOY…the newest webcomic written by Carnby Kim and illustrated by Hongpil has arrived.
For those who don’t recognize the name Carnby Kim, you might recognize one of his previous works: PIGPEN, Bastard, and Sweet Home — all of which can be read on Webtoon.
Shotgun Boy marks Kim’s fourth webcomic featured on Webtoon and comes as a prequel to Sweet Home, arguably his most renowned work. Sweet Home follows a disparate group of personalities fighting human-turned-monsters in order to survive a post-apocalyptic world. Netflix has recently adapted the webcomic into a live-action original series.
Shotgun Boy vs. Sweet Home
So how does Shotgun Boy compare to Sweet Home? Following suit to its predecessor, Shotgun Boy takes on a similarly dark, horror-esque tone. Readers be forewarned: this story is not for the faint of heart! There are depictions of violence and other disturbing imagery, giving this comic a solid PG-13 rating (or up).
Although Shotgun Boy and Sweet Home are illustrated by different artists (Hongpil and Youngchan Hwang respectively), Hongpil pays homage to the original and keeps the style relatively cohesive. However, they also add slight twists that set Shotgun Boy apart.
Both comics employ muted color schemes, as expected for a horror manhwa. However, Shotgun Boy’s uses a palette primarily composed of blues and grays, whereas Sweet Home’s uses a palette primarily composed of browns and reds.
Sweet Home‘s color scheme casts the scenes in an eerie glow resembling dried blood. It sets a dire mood that is befitting to an ongoing apocalypse. By comparison, the cooler palette Hongpil uses in Shotgun Boy, sets a more foreboding, mysterious atmosphere. As this story takes place before the apocalypse, the shadowy atmosphere must build readers’ anticipation. While the red tones create a constant state of panic, the dark colors leave readers curiously unsettled; it plays with what is actually shown versus what is left lurking unseen. We’re not supposed to know what’s coming around the corner, but we want to find out. The more the shadows leave us wondering, the more our imaginations run wild with all the possibilities of what is to come.
My Impressions of Episodes 0-4
Right from the get-go, you can tell Kim is a master at suspense: he keeps his chapters short, but effective, ending at the point highest tension. He begins the webcomic with a particularly evocative and violent prologue that immediately catches the readers’ attention (and boy, does it work to set the tone for what is sure to come). The pacing of the next few chapters is quick; the story picks up in medias res, without much explanation to the MC’s backstory. Kim chooses to ‘show’ characterization rather than ‘tell’ it through lengthy exposition. This leaves room for readers to discover the characters’ full backstories over time through their actions and dialogue.
As of now, the story focuses on an entirely new cast of characters, although, it may make reference to Sweet Home‘s characters later on. It is still too early to fully determine the trajectory of the webcomic, but the beginning chapters suggest a potentially similar set up to Sweet Home: an odd crew of individuals fighting for survival. Gyunhwan likely will band together with a small group of classmates who’ve survived the monsters’ onslaught, battling for their lives within the area of their retreat’s encampment.
It will be interesting to see how the plot and character arcs play out. My hope is that the author will continue balancing character and story equally, developing characters in relation to each other whilst propelling the action forward. The first few chapters seem promising, and I believe, at the very least, we’re in for one entertaining ride. For those of you who are into the horror/thriller genre, I urge you to check this webcomic out!
Shotgun Boy updates every Wednesday on Webtoon. Currently, 0-5 Chapters can be accessed for free. For those who have Webtoon accounts, episodes 6-8 can be purchased at 5 coin per episode. Click HERE to read today!
I’ll catch y’all at the next review! Until then….back to binge-reading.
Signing-off,
T. Wu
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Need coverage? Please send an email to allagesofhr@gmail.com
T. Wu is a contributing writer at All Ages of Geek. You can follow T. @kata_the_clown on Instagram.
RWBY: Grimm Eclipse is Coming to the Nintendo Switch
RWBY: Grimm Eclipse Definitive Edition will indeed be coming to the Nintendo Switch. This is awesome news for those who have never played it or those who want to hunt Grimm on the go. The original RWBY: Grimm Eclipse was released on April 1st, 2014. The game is a hack and slash, like Dynasty Warriors. In those seven years since then some outfits and Team JNPR were added as DLC and that’s about it. Since then there were two mobile games that were released: RWBY: Amity Arena (which was a Clash Royale style game) and RWBY: Crystal Match (a RWBY Chibi match three game). Amity Arena shut down their servers on January 28th, 2021 and Crystal Match seems to have not had an update since 2019.
Until recently, it looked like the only RWBY game there was to look forward to was the one being made by Wayforward (The studio behind Shantae) and Arc System Works (The studio behind the Guilty Gear franchise and the Blazblue franchise). Then on March 25th, 2021 Nintendo dropped the RWBY: Grimm Eclipse Definitive Edition trailer. What separates the Definitive Edition from the original? All the DLC comes with the Definitive Edition for free and there is a new costume set too Power Armor.
From personally experience, this is a fun game to play with friends. Just kick back, relax, and slay some Grimm, and just have fun! RWBY: Grimm Eclipse Definitive Edition come out on May 13th 2021.
Folks of the Feywild: A Look at New Unearthed Arcana
Personally, I love playing as new and unique types of characters in any campaign for Dungeons and Dragons. When I heard about Unearthed Arcana‘s newest addition Folks of the Feywild, I had to check it out! Folks of the Feywild introduces four new race options: Fairy, Hobgoblins of the Feywild, Owlfolk, and Rabbitfolk. Let’s take take a look at them, starting from the top with Fairy.
Fairy
Fairies are small folk, but not as small as pixies or sprites. They are also considered fey. Their characteristics can be from having multicolored skin to smelling like fresh brownies. Fairies are small and have a walking speed and flight speed of 30ft. One cool thing is that they don’t need to use their wings to fly. They can also use druidcraft and faerie fire without using a spell slot but can only do it once per long rest. For those spells, you get to pick the spellcasting ability from either: Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. Also, fairies are able to fit through spaces that are 1 inch minimum.
Hobgoblins of the Feywild
Now, this is not the first time hobgoblins have been a playable race in Dungeons & Dragons. The first time (in fifth edition) was in the book Volo’s Guide to Monsters. In Folks of the Feywild, they are different, they get some nice bonuses. Hobgoblins are considered Medium sized humanoids with a walking speed of 30ft. They also get a great ability in Darkvision, which lets them see up to 60ft of dim light like it is average light and darkness as dim light. Also, thanks to their fey ancestry, they have advantage on saving throws in getting and ending the charming effect. They also can use the Help action as a bonus action equal to your proficiency bonus. At 3rd Level you can add one of three to your help action: Hospitality, Passage, and Spite. Hospitality lets you and the target of Help get temporary hit points (1d6 plus proficiency bonus). Passage lets you and who you are helping get an extra 10 feet of walking speed until the start of your next turn. Spite lets you or the person you are helping give disadvantage on the next attack roll on who they hit. They also get Fortune of the Many which means if they fail to hit, an ability check, or a saving throw, for each ally they see they get to add a plus one to it, but it has a maximum of plus five and they can use it as much as their proficiency bonus is per long rest.
Owlfolk
Owlfolk are Small or Medium Humanoid, it is up to the player. Their walking and speed is 30 feet. Also they get darkvision which is 90ft of dim light like it is average light and darkness as dim light. They can also sense the presence of magic and be able to cast Detect Magic as a ritual. Since they have wins, if they are falling, they can make a Dexterity saving throw (DC 10) to stop falling. They also are proficient in the Stealth skill.
Rabbitfolk
Rabbitfolk are Small or Medium Humanoids, it is up to the player. Their walking speed is 30 feet. One of their abilities is called Hare-Trigger, where you add your proficiency to your initiative. Next ability is called Leporine Sense, which gives them proficiency in the Perception Skill. Then there is Lucky Footwork, where when you fail a Dexterity check, you get to roll a d4 and add it. Last is Rabbit Hop which lets you roll a d12 and they jump the result in feet in a direction you want; you cannot have them Rabbit Hop if their speed is at zero
In closing, I like what new race options they added. Personally, I think the Rabbitfolk are my favorite, but they are all great possibilities. Below, is a link to Folks of the Feywild, so you can check it out for yourself.
https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/unearthedarcana/folk_feywild
Recent Comments