Today is the last day to join, so if you want in on it, be sure to read over the rules and PM Shakespearicles!Grab Bag: New Fic, Songs, and FF7 Nerding · 7:43pm Oct 1st, 2019
Before I say anything, I posted a new fic. It's a little spin-off from What They Expect to Give that's just silly and not at all vital. Just kinda fleshes out my AU for EqG a little more. If you haven't yet, please give it a look-see. Don't forget to click the thumbs up if you enjoy it!
I've routinely used this blog in the past for feelz, anti-feelz, and... happy feelz? I like things in threes. I'm kind of trying to chillax after a rough morning, so if you want to pip in for some chatter I've got it aplenty. I stress chatter. (I also stress eat and stress buy, but I skipped the first, and barely kept the second in check, so blogging it is. EDIT: Er wait no, I carb-loaded hardcore. A triple whammy then.)
Chirren, I use colorful language.
I stress bought MLP season 9 off of Google Play because for some FUCKING reason, YouTube decided to spoil the final episode for me with a clip from The Last Problem, even though I've been purposefully avoiding MLP content so that their dumb algorithm doesn't ruin episodes I haven't seen yet. It didn't look fake, and it coincides with some of the shit I've been hearing about the G5 transition. I guess I'll be starting that this weekend. I also stress bought the Charlie Brown Halloween special because... I don't know. My inner child started whining for it?
I've been going through my old CD collection for the last few days. I've got some gems in there I'd entirely forgotten about.
Gogol Bordello is a frantic, messy, and above all, fun band. I have no idea why I stopped listening to them.
System of a Down have plenty of great tracks, but not enough people talk about the violent fever dream that is Know:
Horror rap usually brings to mind ICP, but before those clowns (nyuk nyuk nyuk) there were the Gravediggaz.
Fiona Apple is just a wonderful lyricist and singer.
The Ballroom Thieves are actually a recent find, but I was arrested by this song.
I've also got Pearl's first song from the Steven Universe movie popping into my brain at strange intervals. "My Um Greg Universe" and "Something is clearly wrong," keep taunting me.
I'm already starting to feel a little better. I could probably just sit here and share music all day, but believe it or not, the simple truth "NO ONE CARES" is never far from my mind. The void is my friend.
Last video. The latest FF7 remake trailer has me drooling. Husbando is still on the fence about how the combat looks. He's an old school RPG player that pines for the "good old days" of turn-based combat. I click my tongue at him. It looks fine to me. And it looks like they might make some departures from the original story? I'm actually more reserved about that than anything else. FF7 was a precious story to me. When they started rolling out the Compilation, I was... not pleased with it. At all. About the only thing I liked about it was the WRO (which seemed a logical development with Shinra's removal) and the city of Edge. Most of everything else was just... no. Why. Square y u do dis.
On a somewhat related note, I have a FF7 crossover bouncing in my head where Yuffie and Nanaki get dragged to Equestria via the usual hijinks I imagine HiE stories employ. (I don't actually read HiE, so I'm being vague on purpose.) They're an unlikely duo to deal with such an ordeal, and I was having fun imagining the shit Yuffie would say.
My one nitpick: Barret. That poor man. They had a chance to make him not be the raging stereotype he was in the video game, but it's pretty clear they aren't going to veer far from that.
I hope you guys are well. Thanks for sitting in with me. Don't be shy if ya wanna chat or just say hi. I like making new friends.
Like, I know that he's supposed to be a Mr. T joke and that worked better in the 90s but Mr. T ain't that topical anymore. They coulda easily dropped that part.
While Barret is a walking Mr. T joke that's a major part of his character arc. He starts out a loud person that thinks yelling and acting tough is the way to instill loyalty in his team. However, as the game progresses he softens while somewhat dropping the cliche. While I do agree they could have given him a different personality. They'd have to make subtle changes all throughout the game to support said change. If they dialed up his cliched personality though, that would definitely be a reason to nitpick him.
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This tweet had me laughing to the point of tears, but it's really, truly representative of just how ridiculously out of touch and stupid this situation is.
Japanese media has been plagued with racist caricatures of black people since forever. But even in the Japanese text it wasn't this bad. I read this article and it mentions how the original's English translation was apparently done by one guy in two weeks, and this Mr. T characterization was added after the fact. And then there's this:
Interesting. Interesting and sad.
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I'd not heard about that translation gaffe but Yikes.
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It's true, Barret shows a certain level of growth towards the end of the original game. That still doesn't take away the fact that his character is problematic. Character growth isn't the issue. Character portrayal is.
Projects have been pushed back for lesser things. The Sonic film is a recent example. Not that I think Square will do this. The game was already pushed back. It's full steam ahead now.
I'm still hanging on to hope that maybe the glimpses aren't showing the whole picture. I'm still buying the game, regardless.
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Honestly, I don't really have a reply. I feel this line of Barret's portrayal may lead to a discussion/debate that I'd rather avoid. On a lighter note, the game does look amazing, the only thing I see as problematic is the rampant spread of micro-transactions. I'm not saying Final Fantasy 7 has them but given that every game seems to get them eventually, well here's hoping it doesn't get any. While annoying, the release in chapters is understandable with all the renovation the game is going through.