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The Power Of Silence

There’s many things that go into making a game. What the player will be seeing, what they will be doing and what they will be hearing. In terms of sound design it might be simple things such as sound effects. However, depending on the scope of the project it might even expand to include things such as voice acting. Its importance can vary from genre to genre, however, at a certain point a game can get popular enough that fans will sometimes question why a game doesn’t have any.

Pokemon is one of the biggest franchises in the world with their games selling over millions of copies upon release. However, one complaint that fans have somewhat recently had is the fact that there is no voice acting in their games. Many fans feel that the franchise is big enough that it can afford to finally have some voice acting in it. But that’s just the thing; this franchise has grown this big and still continues to grow despite never once having voice acting in their games (aside from the Pokemon cries). So why is it that now fans want to have voice acting, especially when they don’t expect the same from other big franchises?

Mario and Zelda are two other big name game franchises that had essentially no voice acting besides character sound effects. In fact it’s only in their most recent games that they had any real voice acting, and even then the amount they have is very limited. What’s even crazier is the fact that despite being about as popular as Pokemon, fans didn’t demand for them to have voice acting. If either of the two were to go back to having none aside from what they were used to already, fans likely wouldn’t even bat an eye. And yet for whatever reason Pokemon is held up to a different standard.

So why is that Pokemon is looked at differently than other games? I believe that with most games that don’t have voice acting, they do their best to make sure it isn’t missed. While nowadays most big games are expected to have voice acting in them, the extent that is expected usually isn’t that great or even present. Most games can likely get away with having only a few voice lines here and there and leaving the rest blank. This helps players get a feel for the character, but not having the voice acting being a requirement. The problem with Pokemon however is that they’ve made it so that the lack of voice acting is felt.

Voice acting wasn’t really a requirement for Pokemon until Sword and Shield. In that game they had a character who would sing fairly often. The obvious issue with this is that in a game with no voice acting, how are you supposed to make a singer without it feeling awkward? This issue was made worse when they focused on these scenes. As a result the lack of voice acting was made apparent and caused fans to want it for themselves despite it not being an issue in the past.

Voice acting isn’t something that’s required to make a game good. Sure it can help, however at the end of the day it’s only an add-on to make the game better. The problem only acquires when lack of it becomes apparent. In order to move on without it, it’s important to understand the limits of your story now that it’s no longer there and make a game where it won’t be missed.

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Why Pokemon But Not Digimon?

The 2000s were the beginning of the West being introduced to anime. We ended up getting many of the big names that still are talked about today such as Dragon Ball, Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokemon. However, one series that isn’t talked about nearly as much that was also introduced around this time is Digimon. Sure there’s still fans of the series around, however, it’s nowhere near as popular here as the others. This is especially strange considering that Pokemon, a series similar to Digimon, is even more popular than ever here.

Pokemon and Digimon share a few things in common. They’re both serieses about kids using monsters to fight other monsters with power to evolve said monsters to make them stronger. However, once you delve a bit deeper you realize that these two shows couldn’t be more different. For one thing Pokemon is centered around a more creature capture aspect to it with characters usually having more than one partner at a time. Digimon on the other hand - aside from one season - focuses more on the bonds between pairs and thus characters will only ever have one partner. Then there’s the fact that characters in Pokemon are usually only fighting other trainers while in Digimon it’s wild Digimon they’re fighting.

Even with these differences though, it still doesn’t explain the difference in popularity. That’s why I believe it boils down to two factors. The first is the fact that Pokemon was more ‘relatable’. In Digimon these kids weren’t your ordinary kids; they were the Digidestined. These kids were the chosen ones who were said to be the ones to save the Digital World from danger. Ash Ketchum, however, isn't some chosen one, he’s just your ordinary kid. Sure he’s done some pretty incredible things, but technically speaking any kid in that world would be capable of doing the same. In other words, any kid watching at home could step into that world be as good of or even better of a pokemon trainer than Ash was without needing to be some chosen one. This ability to basically place yourself in that world so easily was just one of Pokemon’s appeals.

What really helped Pokemon and hurt Digimon though were their games. If you ask any Pokemon or Digimon fan what the best game in their respective series is, they’ll always have different answers. In the case of Pokemon the reason is because there have been so many great games it’s hard to narrow it down to just one. Digimon fans struggle though because of how different the quality of their games are. While there are good Digimon games, there aren’t a lot that have created as big of an impact as Pokemon. As a result fans of the franchise have at times felt burned because of them. And if old fans feel this way, how does the franchise have any chance of gaining new fans?

In terms of show quality I’d say that Digimon is just as good and has even surpassed Pokemon at times. But that’s unfortunately not enough to build up a franchise. While relatability was definitely part of it, I truly feel that had the games been better Digimon could be just as popular in the West. However, it’s instead a series that’s gotten to the point where people aren’t even aware that a new season came out.

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One Bad Ending

The main purpose of a show is to keep their watchers entertained. A good show will have its watchers be so invested that they’ll be wiggling in their chairs just waiting for the next episode or season. As time goes on people might even start to become obsessed with it. So now the question is: is it possible to lose all of this in an instant?

How I Met Your Mother

How I Met Your Mother is usually the first thing that people come up with when this topic is brought up. While not a perfect show, it is still remembered fondly by many and is seen as iconic as the show Friends. However fans all agree that this show was ruined by its finale. The entire final season was all about Barney and Robin’s marriage with us seeing everything that went into it. The show did everything that it could to show how perfect they were for each other. So when this couple is revealed to have gotten divorced in the finale, it felt like a giant slap to the face. In an instant all of the investment people felt and the build up to the wedding was made pointless. The hatred for the show’s finale got so bad that fans even started to consider the alternate ending of the show to be the real one.

With How I Met Your Mother fans at least had the rest of the final season to enjoy. 

Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones fans however weren’t as lucky. The final season has become notorious for being one of the worst things in television. This season took what was built up to be one of the most epic battles the series could have and instead made it into a weak one episode battle. The show then decided to make characters act in ways that didn’t fit them at all thus causing them to feel like completely different characters. And at the end of it all, no character got a satisfying conclusion. In the end this final season managed to change what was once a beloved show into a travesty.

Ozark

Even now some shows still suffer from terrible endings. A somewhat recent victim is the show Ozark. This show was a cult classic with some people even calling it the next Breaking Bad. With its thrilling plotlines and engaging characters it looked too big to fail. That is, until its finale happened. This was mostly due to the way they killed a beloved character. As a result of this the show gained a lot of backlash. Fans became furious at how the writers handled it and the show lost a lot of its audience. Some even speculate that their reactions are part of the reason the show didn’t get another season, thus making it so the finale killed something else.

In order for any show to gain fans it needs a good beginning. And in order to keep these fans it also needs a good ending. Many writers make the mistake of assuming that the fans they’ve made will accept whatever they create. However as these shows and many others have discovered, fans can be a bit more critical than you think.

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An Icon In Ruin

Think of a superhero. Chances are that the first one that came to mind is Spider-Man. Spider-Man is easily one of the most famous heroes- no, characters in fiction. While he is a relatively simple character, it’s in this simplicity that he is able to gain so many fans. Just about anyone can tell you his origin story off the top of their head. He is truly beloved by everyone. Everyone except his recent comic writers.

While most people know of Spider-Man from movies, tv shows or video games, he originally came from comics. He was just a normal smart kid who just so happened to be bitten by a spider and gain superpowers. As he learns how to use these powers, he also tries to handle the great responsibility that comes with it. As more and more comics came out people got to see him grow and struggle with many things such as managing a relationship and trying to find a job. Seeing this powerful superhero struggle with things that any other person would make him seem more relatable and thus becoming more endearing.

The problem is that for whatever reason Marvel seems to think that what fans liked so much was seeing him struggle. This is only partially true; what fans liked was seeing him rise above the challenges he faced and becoming stronger from them. Marvel, however, decided to focus more on the suffering as well as trying to do whatever they can to make him more “relatable”. And the way they go about it is very convoluted.

A long time ago, Peter had actually married his love interest Mary Jane (MJ) and even had a child with her. Fans were very happy to see this as they always wanted Peter to get the girl that he was constantly pinning for. His beloved mother figure Aunt May was even dying, symbolizing that he has finally grown up and is ready to be a man. Marvel, however, felt like this was too “grown up” and thus wouldn’t make him relatable anymore. So, they had the writer at the time create the notorious One More Day comic which effectively got rid of all his character growth. This comic had Peter willingly give up his child and break up with MJ to the literal devil all so that he could save his Aunt May. What made it worse was the fact that this was a decision Peter would have never made at this point in his life, making this an extremely out of character moment.

While the comics have had many controversial moments like this one, they were finally getting a bit better. Peter and MJ were finally back together and it seemed like things were looking good for them. That was until current mainline writer Zeb Wells introduced one of the most controversial characters in Marvel history: Paul. With the introduction of this character any goodwill that Marvel comics had in regards to Spider-Man was lost. Fans were furious that Wells had MJ break up with Peter in order to be with Paul, a man who they discovered help genocide his entire dimension. To make matters worse, Wells did whatever he could to ruin Peter’s relationships with other heroes and make him seem powerless. At this point, many fans decided to stop reading the comics altogether.

The main problem that comic Spider-Man has is that Marvel has seemed to have forgotten what made fans like him so much to begin with. They now believe that suffering is the best way to portray him in order to make him seem relatable. However, there is proof that this isn’t true. A spin-off comic called Ultimate Spider-Man has Peter Parker be a family man and Spider-Man at the same time. While it has only just begun, fans still absolutely love it with them saying how much they love seeing Peter happy. Until Marvel understands what fans actually want, it will only be a matter of time before mainline Spider-Man loses all of his fans. Let’s just hope they don’t give that other family one more day.

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Meme Or Masterpiece?

There’s no telling what will become popular and what will just be forgotten forever. A person could spend years on something and in the end gain nothing from it. However, at times that hard work will pay off with your hard work even becoming a cultural phenomenon. Whether this is for the reasons you intended though is a completely different thing.

Undertale is a game known for its many funny moments and great music. So much so that the song Megalovania has become an iconic piece of music. To further attest to its popularity, a mii costume for the character Sans was put into Super Smash Bros Ultimate with it being the only one of its kind to also have a music track. With a combination of memorable characters, great music and many, many memes this game has become famous across the internet with it being regarded as the number one meme game. But is that all there is to it?

For all the memes made about it, Undertale doesn’t have a lot of meme worthy moments. Sure it has many funny moments, however, only a few of these moments are actually used in memes. The internet has seemed to focus in on certain characters and moments with people being satisfied with just that. But what’s left if we stop focusing on those moments? An engaging story about survival.

With all of the memes about it, people tend to forget that Undertale actually has a plot. A human falls into the monster world with no idea how to get home. The actions that they take to survive this foreign land they’re in and potentially return home will drastically alter the game both in gameplay and the story as a whole. You must decide for yourself whether you will show mercy to your enemies or slaughter anyone who gets in your way.

People tend to forget just how much of the game is tied to players’ actions and their commitment. If you decide to be genocidal then you will be sitting there attacking enemy after enemy until there’s no more in the area. The game makes you act like the monster that you’re trying to be. The same is true in a similar vein when trying to be a pacifist. It actually feels like your choices have serious weight upon the world that you’re in. And with each route you also see different sides to the same character. Someone who was just a simple slacker in one route could become one of the hardest bosses in gaming in another.

A while ago, I heard someone say that you know something is popular if people are still making memes about it. And I have to say that I agree with that statement. While Undertale does have a lot of memes and jokes about it, they wouldn’t exist if the game wasn’t actually good. I am of the stance that if you take an actual look at Undertale you will see a masterpiece of a game. All it takes is taking time to look underneath the surface.

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The Vampiric Souls

Having your favorite manga adapted into an anime is always an exciting time. However, with adaptations comes the occasional filler with it becoming especially bad in long-running series. Bleach is also a victim with its filler sometimes derailing the plot. At times though the anime will try its best to integrate the filler into the plot. So let’s see how well they did in the Bount arc.

There isn’t really much to say about the arc. The Bount are an artificial species that were created by accident during an experiment on eternal life being done in Soul Society. This species has the unique ability to absorb souls from living creatures which in conjunction with their life long spans led to creation of vampires in human folklore. Due to their unique nature the Bounts were persecuted by humans and hunted to near extinction by the Shinigami. Seeking revenge the leader of the Bounts Jin Kariya leads his species in a war Soul Society in hopes of taking them out and securing their place in the world. It’s now up to Ichigo and his friends to stop them before their plans can come to fruition.

The Bount arc is regarded as one of the worst arcs in the anime. On paper, the arc has a lot of things going for it. However, ultimately it falls flat on its butt and fails to execute things properly. For one thing, the power system of the Bounts feels like they're just copying the Shinigami. There’s no problem with this in theory, however in practice it feels like the writers were struggling to find a way to make the Bounts threatening and just decided to copy the Zanpakuto with only a few differences. Then, there’s the fact that these characters that were hyped up and shown to be strong are effortlessly taken care of once they reach Soul Society. While this is a cool way of showing how strong the Captains are, it does take away a bit from the threat that the Bount are supposed to be.

In the end, I don’t think this arc does enough to warrant watching it. You won’t really miss much from not watching it and just skipping ahead. Avid Bleach fans will likely consider the arc fun to watch, however, for those not interested in sitting through boring filler then I definitely recommend skipping this arc.

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The VR Revolution - Shaping the Future of Gaming

Virtual Reality (VR) has transcended its status as just a mere technological novelty and emerged as a game-changer in the gaming industry. With its immersive experiences and boundless potential, VR is currently reshaping the future of gaming. In this post, we will go into the latest VR technologies, explore some of the most popular VR games, and discuss the profound impact VR has yet to have on the gaming landscape.

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Tasting Traditions - A Journey Through AAPI Culinary Delights

As May unfolds, so does the celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a time to honor and appreciate the rich cultural diversity of AAPI communities. One of the most delightful ways to explore this heritage is through its cuisine. From the fast paced streets of Asia to the fusion kitchens of the West, AAPI food offers an array of flavors and textures that reflect centuries of tradition.

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Streaming Sensations - Must-Watch Shows on Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+"

In an era where streaming services reign supreme, there's no shortage of binge-worthy content to devour. From gripping dramas to LOL comedies, the golden age of streaming offers something for every viewer. In this post, we'll take a closer look at some of the standout shows available on popular platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+.

Netflix

Netflix continues to be a powerhouse of original programming, with a seemingly endless array of shows to choose from. From the sci-fi spectacle of "Stranger Things" to the crime drama of "Mindhunter," Netflix offers something for everyone. For fans of fantasy, "The Witcher" delivers epic battles and complex characters, while "The Crown" offers a glimpse into the lives of the British royal family.

But the streaming giant doesn't stop there. With a diverse catalog that spans genres and styles, Netflix caters to every taste and preference. For those craving adrenaline-pumping action, "Money Heist" delivers heart-stopping thrills, while "Black Mirror" offers a chilling glimpse into the dark side of technology. And let's not forget about the groundbreaking animated series like "BoJack Horseman" and “Big Mouth”, which pushes the boundaries of storytelling and animation in exciting new directions.

With new releases dropping regularly and a commitment to fostering diverse voices, Netflix still remains at the forefront of the streaming revolution, setting the standard for quality content that keeps viewers coming back for more.

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Authenticity vs. Image - Understanding Celebrity Personas in the Age of Social Media

In this age of social media, the landscape of celebrity culture has undergone a deep transformation, reshaping the dynamics of fame and fortune in unprecedented ways. From Hollywood A-listers to internet sensations, the rise of platforms like Twitter and TikTok has democratized the world of celebrities, amplifying voices and reshaping perceptions on a large scale. In this overview, we quickly dive into the impact of social media on celebrity culture, exploring the rise of influencer culture and the evolving nature of celebrity personas.