Sci-fi science
Nov. 6th, 2023 10:54 pmOkay, so good news for me: in episode 46 of Ultra Seven, when Dan confesses the secret of his "Ultra Beam" (presumably the Emerium Beam), what he's saying is complete gibberish, not a chemical formula like the wiki says.
Under torture, he gives the following: "MGSH 3GW FB1." Assuming it was a chemical formula, it would logically be MgSH3GWFB1. So, magnesium, sulfur, 3 hydrogen atoms, "something," tungsten, fluorine, and 1? atom of boron.
Except that first, there's no "G" in the periodic table. Ga, Ge, Gd, yes. No plain "G," nor a "Gw." Furthermore, why would you add that 1 after boron? The rest all already have 1 atom per molecule, so it doesn't make any sense.
Best guess is that it's a code that the Alien Salome have already cracked. Dan just trying to resist one last time, but too bad, they already know. Or it's just how it translates into Japanese from the space language or whatever.
Better question, though: why the FUCK does he just calmly go along with his kidnappers? Like, just goes ahead and follows them to get strapped to the "no, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die" bed? And on top of that, WHY does he always lose his Ultra Eye? This dude has NO business picking on Leo or Zero for their fuck-ups.
Under torture, he gives the following: "MGSH 3GW FB1." Assuming it was a chemical formula, it would logically be MgSH3GWFB1. So, magnesium, sulfur, 3 hydrogen atoms, "something," tungsten, fluorine, and 1? atom of boron.
Except that first, there's no "G" in the periodic table. Ga, Ge, Gd, yes. No plain "G," nor a "Gw." Furthermore, why would you add that 1 after boron? The rest all already have 1 atom per molecule, so it doesn't make any sense.
Best guess is that it's a code that the Alien Salome have already cracked. Dan just trying to resist one last time, but too bad, they already know. Or it's just how it translates into Japanese from the space language or whatever.
Better question, though: why the FUCK does he just calmly go along with his kidnappers? Like, just goes ahead and follows them to get strapped to the "no, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die" bed? And on top of that, WHY does he always lose his Ultra Eye? This dude has NO business picking on Leo or Zero for their fuck-ups.
About THAT episode of Ultraman Leo...
Oct. 15th, 2023 12:38 pmSo one of these days, when I have the time, energy, and the ability to parse out JUST how much I can talk about it without risking confidentiality, I'd love to go in-depth on THAT episode of Ultraman Leo, specifically the apparent timeskip and how everyone just complains, "Oh, it's back to status quo," etc. But...that's genuinely how traumatized kids are. And I know from seeing it.
I went into it a little bit in my retrospective, but I think at some point, I need to write about that episode alone. Narratively speaking, it may not be satisfying--you, the audience, have just experienced this horrific moment and lost a massive chunk of the cast. You are in shock, you don't have time to deal with it, and now all of a sudden, here are Gen and Tooru living with a new family and apparently doing all right. But that's actually what happens in children with trauma. When they finally get to a safe place, it starts to come off of them and they begin acting like kids again. At the same time, you'll see moments when it's clear they are not used to being kids, and that's there with Tooru. I honestly think that's there with Gen. He's 20, not a child or a minor anymore, but he's definitely not ready to be an adult. He has twice been thrust into a position where he has to grow up before he's ready, and this second time he's barely hanging on. He doesn't have someone older to help guide him into it (even if impatiently and violently), and he's responsible for a child now.
Given how melodramatic 90% of Showa Ultra--especially Leo--is, this is a shockingly realistic moment, but I also see why nobody's going to see it that way (see my explanations of PTSD being pretty damn accurate in Ankh in OOO and Dan in Leo).
I went into it a little bit in my retrospective, but I think at some point, I need to write about that episode alone. Narratively speaking, it may not be satisfying--you, the audience, have just experienced this horrific moment and lost a massive chunk of the cast. You are in shock, you don't have time to deal with it, and now all of a sudden, here are Gen and Tooru living with a new family and apparently doing all right. But that's actually what happens in children with trauma. When they finally get to a safe place, it starts to come off of them and they begin acting like kids again. At the same time, you'll see moments when it's clear they are not used to being kids, and that's there with Tooru. I honestly think that's there with Gen. He's 20, not a child or a minor anymore, but he's definitely not ready to be an adult. He has twice been thrust into a position where he has to grow up before he's ready, and this second time he's barely hanging on. He doesn't have someone older to help guide him into it (even if impatiently and violently), and he's responsible for a child now.
Given how melodramatic 90% of Showa Ultra--especially Leo--is, this is a shockingly realistic moment, but I also see why nobody's going to see it that way (see my explanations of PTSD being pretty damn accurate in Ankh in OOO and Dan in Leo).
Ultraman 80 and jumping the shark
Sep. 24th, 2023 04:44 pmSo they dropped the school element, all of the relationships that Yamato built with his students, and the ship tease with the gym teacher from Ultraman 80 by about the 13th episode.
I mean, the show is still good. It has some damn good episodic plots, like a murder mystery that is honestly some of the best writing since Ultra Seven 12-13 years prior. But the story now just feels so basic it's disappointing.
So far, my feeling on the Showa era series are this:
Ultra Q - Sometimes feels like the writers don't want to keep doing this, but mostly has some good stories about monsters and living in a weird-ass world.
Ultraman - Fun, not generally super-serious. Essentially getting on its feet, feels kind of like Star Trek TOS in terms of tone and inventiveness.
Ultra Seven - Knows what it's doing, really evolving the concept, showing an alien who wants to be human learning that sometimes humans aren't the greatest. Good for fans of later Star Trek and more serious plots of Doctor Who.
Then Eiji Tsuburaya dies. This is kind of a major issue, because the next seasons:
Return of Ultraman - Kind of struggles to stand out. Sometimes overly forces the point of Go being an outsider. Doesn't really seem to be able to bridge the divide between "I'm both human and alien" from Hayata/Ultraman and "I'm an alien and I can't understand humans as well as I'd like" from Dan/Seven. Also just has some forced tragedy.
Ultraman Ace - Blows its premise by writing out Minami. Hokuto NEEDS her to play off of, and it's painfully evident that he's missing his other half. They're like Sherlock and Watson, guys. Forces in a "the Ultras are all brothers" element that wasn't in the original seasons, doesn't really bother to make it make sense. Definitely trying to respond to the success of Kamen Rider but without really understanding why it was a success.
Ultraman Taro - ...I have no idea how this works, tbh. But it sticks the landing somehow, even though the cast is kind of a revolving door and sometimes the show can be really fucked up. Still REALLY forces the whole "we're all brothers~" element but has decided it does not give a shit about explaining anything. Basically just decided to go big or go home.
Ultraman Leo - Also decided to go big or go home, but in the exact opposite direction. Rocks fall, everyone dies. Some fun episodes, but largely fucked up. Probably shouldn't work, but it's really good if you take the time to understand that it is about grief and trauma. But it really lives up to its potential after the "rocks fall, everyone dies" episode and Gen has to fight alone. Appropriately enough, takes place in Kamen Rider's hometown because Gen and the Riders could share some stories, man.
Ultraman 80 - Non-fighter comes to Earth with a preventative approach to monsters by teaching and mentoring children to reduce the amount of minus energy in the world that fuels monsters. And then they just drop the element altogether.
I mean, the show is still good. It has some damn good episodic plots, like a murder mystery that is honestly some of the best writing since Ultra Seven 12-13 years prior. But the story now just feels so basic it's disappointing.
So far, my feeling on the Showa era series are this:
Ultra Q - Sometimes feels like the writers don't want to keep doing this, but mostly has some good stories about monsters and living in a weird-ass world.
Ultraman - Fun, not generally super-serious. Essentially getting on its feet, feels kind of like Star Trek TOS in terms of tone and inventiveness.
Ultra Seven - Knows what it's doing, really evolving the concept, showing an alien who wants to be human learning that sometimes humans aren't the greatest. Good for fans of later Star Trek and more serious plots of Doctor Who.
Then Eiji Tsuburaya dies. This is kind of a major issue, because the next seasons:
Return of Ultraman - Kind of struggles to stand out. Sometimes overly forces the point of Go being an outsider. Doesn't really seem to be able to bridge the divide between "I'm both human and alien" from Hayata/Ultraman and "I'm an alien and I can't understand humans as well as I'd like" from Dan/Seven. Also just has some forced tragedy.
Ultraman Ace - Blows its premise by writing out Minami. Hokuto NEEDS her to play off of, and it's painfully evident that he's missing his other half. They're like Sherlock and Watson, guys. Forces in a "the Ultras are all brothers" element that wasn't in the original seasons, doesn't really bother to make it make sense. Definitely trying to respond to the success of Kamen Rider but without really understanding why it was a success.
Ultraman Taro - ...I have no idea how this works, tbh. But it sticks the landing somehow, even though the cast is kind of a revolving door and sometimes the show can be really fucked up. Still REALLY forces the whole "we're all brothers~" element but has decided it does not give a shit about explaining anything. Basically just decided to go big or go home.
Ultraman Leo - Also decided to go big or go home, but in the exact opposite direction. Rocks fall, everyone dies. Some fun episodes, but largely fucked up. Probably shouldn't work, but it's really good if you take the time to understand that it is about grief and trauma. But it really lives up to its potential after the "rocks fall, everyone dies" episode and Gen has to fight alone. Appropriately enough, takes place in Kamen Rider's hometown because Gen and the Riders could share some stories, man.
Ultraman 80 - Non-fighter comes to Earth with a preventative approach to monsters by teaching and mentoring children to reduce the amount of minus energy in the world that fuels monsters. And then they just drop the element altogether.
So I'm sitting here working with Edith, my brother's dog, and she's taking a nap while I play the Orb soundtrack.
Apparently, she really liked one of the tracks, because her tail started wagging while she was dreaming.
Follow-up: The Ultraman Zero soundtrack on the other hand...
Apparently, she really liked one of the tracks, because her tail started wagging while she was dreaming.
Follow-up: The Ultraman Zero soundtrack on the other hand...
So I decided to post some thoughts on three entirely different things I've watched/read lately, and at some point later, I'll do my thoughts on Power Rangers: Once and Always, the 30th anniversary special. I want to hold off on it because, to be perfectly honest, I feel like it may or may not need to be a dual review with another 30th anniversary special, Babylon 5: The Road Home. And that literally just came out this week and I haven't gotten it yet, so...
So anyway, let's discuss the rest.
( Ultraman 80: First Impressions )
( Ultra Q )
( Boom Comics: Power Rangers Hyperforce #1 )
So anyway, let's discuss the rest.
( Ultraman 80: First Impressions )
( Ultra Q )
( Boom Comics: Power Rangers Hyperforce #1 )
Lack of hype
Jul. 17th, 2023 10:44 amSo I'm not sure if it's just that I'm burnt out, that it's too damn hot, that I don't have the time to enjoy my hobbies, or if Blazar is simply just not appealing to me, but I'm not particularly excited about it. And the day after watching Shin Ultraman, which was a good movie and I did enjoy, I don't feel the typical post-movie excitement or anything.
Part of this may come down to Regulos, to be perfectly honest. The miniseries was very good, and I would have preferred it to be a full-length movie, with more resources at its disposal. I doubt it would have done as well as a series, but maybe something a little along the lines of Mega Monster Battle would be nice to see again.
What got me with Regulos, however, was that it was a sequel hook. And First Mission, its sequel, really had no point and was a major letdown. Despite having a bad guy I have been wanting for AGES.
Blazar I'm two episodes into now, and while it's good, it's not...there's something lacking that I usually drift towards, and I can't explain it. But no matter what kind of series it is, it's something where I go "Yes, this is my show."
And again, it's all right. But I've been starting to feel this way since Decker, and there really isn't anything from Kamen Rider or Sentai that's catching my eye either. So it kind of sucks, especially because it's not like that 1/2 hour of viewing time is even making it back into my schedule so that I can write or anything.
Part of this may come down to Regulos, to be perfectly honest. The miniseries was very good, and I would have preferred it to be a full-length movie, with more resources at its disposal. I doubt it would have done as well as a series, but maybe something a little along the lines of Mega Monster Battle would be nice to see again.
What got me with Regulos, however, was that it was a sequel hook. And First Mission, its sequel, really had no point and was a major letdown. Despite having a bad guy I have been wanting for AGES.
Blazar I'm two episodes into now, and while it's good, it's not...there's something lacking that I usually drift towards, and I can't explain it. But no matter what kind of series it is, it's something where I go "Yes, this is my show."
And again, it's all right. But I've been starting to feel this way since Decker, and there really isn't anything from Kamen Rider or Sentai that's catching my eye either. So it kind of sucks, especially because it's not like that 1/2 hour of viewing time is even making it back into my schedule so that I can write or anything.
Father's Day sneak preview
Jun. 18th, 2023 12:54 pmSo in honor of Father's Day, I decided to go ahead and put up a little preview of my Zero fic, "Hard to Love."
Enjoy, and have fun spotting all of the Star Wars references that somehow made their way in to chapter 1.
( Do you have any other family? For instance, on your father's side? )
Enjoy, and have fun spotting all of the Star Wars references that somehow made their way in to chapter 1.
( Do you have any other family? For instance, on your father's side? )
( Read more... )
So going forward, my plan is to finish off at LEAST Ultraman 80 and maybe Tiga before resuming the Orb reviews, and go back into the comments to add some commentary that I missed before when I didn't have as complete a view of the franchise. Mind you, Orb doesn't have prerequisites, but I appreciate it more now that I've seen, say, Ultraman Leo and how that has completely changed the entire Black Star Cafe episode forever. There's a part of me that also feels like maybe I should watch Dyna and Cosmos before I do The Origin Saga, even though Gaia is definitely enough to work with, but I'll have plenty of time to get to that anyway. I'll also be reviewing the Zero chronicle before Ultra Fight Orb because SURPRISE, ZERO AND ORB'S LEGACIES INTERTWINE IN A LATER SEASON, and then go into Geed, Z, and the UGFs somewhere in there. Not sure if I'll review Regulos, but I might do some select episodes of Seven and Leo because they're helpful with all of the series I'm doing anyway.
But anyway, yeah. Check out the dub on Youtube or Ultraman Connection. That's all.
So going forward, my plan is to finish off at LEAST Ultraman 80 and maybe Tiga before resuming the Orb reviews, and go back into the comments to add some commentary that I missed before when I didn't have as complete a view of the franchise. Mind you, Orb doesn't have prerequisites, but I appreciate it more now that I've seen, say, Ultraman Leo and how that has completely changed the entire Black Star Cafe episode forever. There's a part of me that also feels like maybe I should watch Dyna and Cosmos before I do The Origin Saga, even though Gaia is definitely enough to work with, but I'll have plenty of time to get to that anyway. I'll also be reviewing the Zero chronicle before Ultra Fight Orb because SURPRISE, ZERO AND ORB'S LEGACIES INTERTWINE IN A LATER SEASON, and then go into Geed, Z, and the UGFs somewhere in there. Not sure if I'll review Regulos, but I might do some select episodes of Seven and Leo because they're helpful with all of the series I'm doing anyway.
But anyway, yeah. Check out the dub on Youtube or Ultraman Connection. That's all.
(little) Astra fic
Feb. 13th, 2023 04:08 pmSo I really wanted to write Astra/Regulos for Valentine's Day tomorrow, but without Regulos's series airing yet, I really don't know enough about him to be able to do it.
The good news is, without Regulos's series airing yet, I can write whatever I want and nobody can tell me it's not canon. :P (since when have I ever cared?)
Title: Something Lacking Words
Summary: Spoilers (kind of) for Ultra Galaxy Fight: The Destined Crossroad. If Astra had words for what he was feeling, they would probably be jealousy, fear, and embarrassment. He just knows that he really, really hates how Regulos is perfect at everything and how much Leo wants to hang out with him all the time. If Astra had words for what he was feeling, he probably wouldn't have thrown either one of them through a wall. (to be fair, they did it too)
References:
Illyrian
Ashlesha
Itonda
Fafnir
31 Lyncis, formerly known as Mabusthat
Title is because it is unsurprisingly impossible to come up with a proper title for a story all about lacking the words to express a feeling (yes, I know that's technically alexthymia, but neither that nor aphasia really fit what I was describing).
The good news is, without Regulos's series airing yet, I can write whatever I want and nobody can tell me it's not canon. :P (since when have I ever cared?)
Title: Something Lacking Words
Summary: Spoilers (kind of) for Ultra Galaxy Fight: The Destined Crossroad. If Astra had words for what he was feeling, they would probably be jealousy, fear, and embarrassment. He just knows that he really, really hates how Regulos is perfect at everything and how much Leo wants to hang out with him all the time. If Astra had words for what he was feeling, he probably wouldn't have thrown either one of them through a wall. (to be fair, they did it too)
References:
Illyrian
Ashlesha
Itonda
Fafnir
31 Lyncis, formerly known as Mabusthat
Title is because it is unsurprisingly impossible to come up with a proper title for a story all about lacking the words to express a feeling (yes, I know that's technically alexthymia, but neither that nor aphasia really fit what I was describing).
Ultraman Zero birthday ficlet
Dec. 12th, 2022 09:53 pmSo it's Ultraman Zero's 13th anniversary today, during his dad's 55th anniversary celebration, so I decided to put words to a fragment of a thing ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
drunkenpandaren and I talked about a little while ago. It's not going up on AO3 yet, since it's in the future compared to the fic I'm actually working on, so I'm not ready to get there yet. But enjoy.
( Read more... )
drunkenpandaren and I talked about a little while ago. It's not going up on AO3 yet, since it's in the future compared to the fic I'm actually working on, so I'm not ready to get there yet. But enjoy.( Read more... )
Stuff that annoys nobody but me
Nov. 2nd, 2022 05:35 pm( Spoilers/Announcements for Ultraman Regulos series )
Edit, 11/18/22: Messed up some HTML and the last part of Kaizaki's name. Don't know why I put in "Kaizawa." Must have gotten thrown off by her first name.
Edit, 11/18/22: Messed up some HTML and the last part of Kaizaki's name. Don't know why I put in "Kaizawa." Must have gotten thrown off by her first name.
Fragment: The Impossible Dream
Sep. 28th, 2022 07:38 amSo October 1 is supposed to be Ultra Seven's official 55th anniversary. I'd planned on posting this fragment from my Zero fic, "Hard to Love," then but some asshole named Ian decided to show up and become Category 4 and hit my state (though a few counties south), and I'm probably going to spend the actual anniversary cleaning up, so...
There's a chapter early in the fic called "Unreachable Stars." It's a reference to my favorite song from Man of La Mancha, a musical adaptation of Don Quixote. The song is called "The Impossible Dream (The Quest)," despite the constant repeat of "this is my quest" and "to reach the unreachable stars" throughout. This scene is kind of a counterpoint to that chapter, showing what Seven finds unreachable and impossible, and how that ties to his son. And so, while his chapter has a very different title, I like to think of this particular fragment as "The Impossible Dream."
( Happy birthday, Seven )
There's a chapter early in the fic called "Unreachable Stars." It's a reference to my favorite song from Man of La Mancha, a musical adaptation of Don Quixote. The song is called "The Impossible Dream (The Quest)," despite the constant repeat of "this is my quest" and "to reach the unreachable stars" throughout. This scene is kind of a counterpoint to that chapter, showing what Seven finds unreachable and impossible, and how that ties to his son. And so, while his chapter has a very different title, I like to think of this particular fragment as "The Impossible Dream."
( Happy birthday, Seven )
Who needs "canon" anyway?
Aug. 22nd, 2022 10:13 amThe Ultraman Regulos trailer just dropped today, along with some information about his origin, namely that he's an amnesiac who woke up on D60 only knowing his name. Which is roughly the exact backstory of Rei from Mega Monster Battle and Dillon from Power Rangers RPM, but I only have icons of one of them and Dillon has the fridge cannon, so yay.
This means I do have to hurry and write that cute little fic that I wanted to do about him and the Leo Brothers as shitty little kids, because you can't contradict canon until it comes out, am I right?
It's not like I don't already write half a dozen AUs for fun anyway, so...
This means I do have to hurry and write that cute little fic that I wanted to do about him and the Leo Brothers as shitty little kids, because you can't contradict canon until it comes out, am I right?
So, in "Akino is no fun again"...
Aug. 2nd, 2022 04:08 pmI realize I'm getting really bored of the Absolutians in Ultraman. I don't know, I just don't find them particularly interesting after two Ultra Galaxy Fights and a two-parter of Trigger. It's just a bunch of smug assholes who mess with time and space because they think they're better than everyone else. I mean, I have literally co-described the Time Lords from Doctor Who and Q from Star Trek, and both of them are far more fascinating.
So Diavolo, who I keep renaming "Juggernaut" in my brain because of his fighting style and overall aesthetic, has no personality other than "fight-happy asshole." Titan has a possible hint of a personality, but there's not enough for me to grab onto--I like the idea that Ribut is trying to point out to him that Noa has chosen the both of them, so why won't he join the Ultras and do good? But I like it on Ribut's side, since it gives him a refreshing bit of innocence that continues along the development he's gotten through the voice drama and his appearance in Trigger (where his human form and dancing absolutely makes him come off a lot younger and more energetic than his first appearance in New Generation Heroes).
Tartarus? Smug douche-hole, and I'm really tired of this kind of personality. Especially when it follows him wiping the floor with the Ultras (including the originals) in his first appearance, and the asshattery involved in trying to train Zero to defeat him (as I've pointed out elsewhere: Ribut has leveled up one Ultra and one mystical human through the power of dance. LET HIM TRAIN EVERYONE.)
Just...give me someone fun. Someone who has an interesting personality. Or a cool motivation. Or someone who's just so lovably awful. I don't need another Belial or Tregear (and dear lord do I not want another Tregear), but I just need SOMETHING to interest me with these guys. I just don't get how so many people can be so enamored with particular characters just because "they're strong/powerful/sexy/etc."
Give me a Xanatos. Someone who may not be physically imposing, but he's sharp and even when he loses, he spins it into a win for himself, even if it's just that he's gotten the experience of losing and knows what to avoid.
Give me an Ecliptor or a Darrgon. Someone who is evil, but noble and honorable, and perhaps has someone they care about almost enough to make them do the right thing.
Give me an Azula. Someone who's clever and ruthless, but you also realize it comes from being in the same horrible boat as one of the heroes. A motivation.
So Diavolo, who I keep renaming "Juggernaut" in my brain because of his fighting style and overall aesthetic, has no personality other than "fight-happy asshole." Titan has a possible hint of a personality, but there's not enough for me to grab onto--I like the idea that Ribut is trying to point out to him that Noa has chosen the both of them, so why won't he join the Ultras and do good? But I like it on Ribut's side, since it gives him a refreshing bit of innocence that continues along the development he's gotten through the voice drama and his appearance in Trigger (where his human form and dancing absolutely makes him come off a lot younger and more energetic than his first appearance in New Generation Heroes).
Tartarus? Smug douche-hole, and I'm really tired of this kind of personality. Especially when it follows him wiping the floor with the Ultras (including the originals) in his first appearance, and the asshattery involved in trying to train Zero to defeat him (as I've pointed out elsewhere: Ribut has leveled up one Ultra and one mystical human through the power of dance. LET HIM TRAIN EVERYONE.)
Just...give me someone fun. Someone who has an interesting personality. Or a cool motivation. Or someone who's just so lovably awful. I don't need another Belial or Tregear (and dear lord do I not want another Tregear), but I just need SOMETHING to interest me with these guys. I just don't get how so many people can be so enamored with particular characters just because "they're strong/powerful/sexy/etc."
Give me a Xanatos. Someone who may not be physically imposing, but he's sharp and even when he loses, he spins it into a win for himself, even if it's just that he's gotten the experience of losing and knows what to avoid.
Give me an Ecliptor or a Darrgon. Someone who is evil, but noble and honorable, and perhaps has someone they care about almost enough to make them do the right thing.
Give me an Azula. Someone who's clever and ruthless, but you also realize it comes from being in the same horrible boat as one of the heroes. A motivation.
Let's do the timeline again?
Jun. 28th, 2022 08:35 pmSo early into my writing process on this Ultraman Zero fic, I decided not to worry too much about what the timeline was, the way I did throughout my OOO fics (particularly "Kings and Vagabonds" and its universe). There were two reasons for this: first, I started this fic in 2020, and I don't know if you noticed, but it was a bit of a year. The whole damn 20s are a bit of a decade, really.
So the second reason is ultimately the most compelling: The Ultra timeline makes no goddamn sense.
( Herein lies madness (and Destined Crossroad spoilers) )
So the second reason is ultimately the most compelling: The Ultra timeline makes no goddamn sense.
( Herein lies madness (and Destined Crossroad spoilers) )
