In my defense, I did read The Hobbit as a kid. I’m not a total Tolkien freeloader. I remember quite a lot about Bilbo and his silly adventures despite not having read the book in 16 years. Tolkien had an unmistakable way of evoking wonderful warm feelings that stick with you for a very long time. Of course, I also watched the movies (not all of The Hobbit ones as those kind of disappointed me). And I have absorbed an absolute plethora of The Lord of the Rings stories through speaking with friends, online discussions, video games, etc.
My name is Michael and I am from St. Joseph. I like stories...
This week I’m here to unravel the web of connections in Kara no Kyoukai, or, The Garden of Sinners. A series of supernatural semi-horror seinen movies that revolve around a trio of paranormal investigators solving murder mysteries. It’s based on light novels written and set in 1990’s Japan. A visceral, often disturbing series that I feel only truly crosses the line a couple times in its impressive 8 movie length. The 5th movie subtitled, “Paradox Spiral,” I see as the absolute peak of the series and one of the most mature, patient, and rewarding movies I’ve ever seen.
My name is Michael and I am from St. Joseph. I dislike copyright…
BUT upon further investigation I have found a handful of exceptions that justify the controlling of ideas. I don’t think intellectual “property” is the best umbrella term for these exceptions, but for the sake of simplicity I will refer to them as such for this discussion. Also, I have found ways in which the common understanding of the public domain does not exactly align with what I was trying to articulate in my videos last year. For this reason I will be moving all my future work away from immediate dedication to the public domain and to a different form of open licensing agreement, beginning with this video.
My name is Michael and I am from St. Joseph. I like stories.
This week I’m here to unravel the web of connections in Arcane, the latest and greatest of a growing list of quality video game adapted animated features. When I say greatest, I truly mean it. The narrative of this clockwork science fantasy story is so tightly woven I almost choked on the threads. But I was saved by the ensemble cast of characters who clawed their way out, each on a desperate bid for survival. Episode 1 titled, “Welcome to the Playground” will be our primary subject of focus simply because I couldn’t find a foothold anywhere else in the series that wouldn’t have me talking for hours on end.
My name is Michael and I am from St. Joseph. I like stories...
This week I’m here to unravel the web of connections in Ergo Proxy, a post-apocalyptic philosophical science-fiction mystery set in a dead world. A dead world barely populated with test-tube humans relegated to dystopian dome-cities, their entourage robots known as AutoReivs, and the elusive god-like creatures called Proxies. Episode 13 titled, “Wrong Way Home” stood out to me the first time I watched this show about 10 years ago and it has stuck with me upon re-watch. I would like to go scene by scene and analyze this episode to explain why it is so well written and share the love I have for this mid-2000’s punk anime original.
This list was not compiled by online internet searches, dutiful research, or any sort of premeditated concerted effort. Instead, it is a list compiled over years of listening. A personal list of over 600 words I want to share with you.
Put up your dukes! Pump blood! Adrenaline! Even the pacifist enjoys a good fight so long as it stays fictional. But narrative excitement is not only from a chin to check. As much as I dislike drama in my own personal life, it drives a powerful motivation. An unfortunate accident! A terrible rumor. An unfathomable monster. Or even a spectacular celebration. All these ride the highs of climactic reward so desired from a dutiful audience who rode a narrative journey to this high place.
If you may indulge me for a moment, I would like to share with you a great victory I have achieved. I have written a story. A complete story, albeit only the first Act of a grander narrative, a complete story nonetheless. It was through this process of writing from August of 2021 to August of 2022 that I discovered so much about myself. A quarter-lifetime of hesitation, of doubt, of weightlessness was cast aside. In retrospect so much anxiety in my life was self-inflicted. An untamed imagination with no outlet to out-pour vivid dreams!
Soul Burst is a pen & paper RPG where the Gamemaster helps outline and track events as the players interact with the adventure. The game itself consists of 4 simple items; pen, paper, 20-sided die, and a calculator. Our Gamemaster is part secretary, part mastermind using rough sketches and improvisation to keep the stories going. Suggested player count would be 2-5, a minimum of a GM and 1 player. One player could also command several characters.
