Agents Of SHIELD (Season 1)

I used to love Agents Of SHIELD. I watched up to Season 4 while it was airing, but I stopped at Season 5, around the same time I stopped watching the Arrowverse. Though unlike with those shows, it's not that I stopped being interested, I was just tired of all those superhero shows at time. So I decided to go back, watch the whole thing, and see what I missed, starting with Season 1, which is almost unanimously considered to be a slow start for the show. I, however, think that's being a bit harsh.

Agents Of SHIELD is a spinoff of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though like the Netflix series, it eventually becomes its own disconnected thing. After the Battle Of New York, a revived Phil Coulson creates a taskforce of SHIELD Agents to deal with unusual people, technology, and cases. The first half of the season is fairly procedural, focusing on one-off baddies and episodic situations. I think that's why a lot of people find much of this season pretty dull, and I will admit that there are some rough episodes at points, especially the Thor crossovers. However, even the early episodes have some compelling mysteries, like how Coulson came back to life, what the hacker Skye's origin is, and pretty much everything about Centipede. Sure the season starts episodic, but it slowly becomes more serialized, not unlike one of my favorite shows of all time: Person Of Interest. Personally, I think the midseason finale is a big turning point, as the stuff around Coulson's backstory is actually really intriguing. But even when the season is weak, it helps that the main cast is likable and has a great banter with each other. Coulson and Skye are great leads, May is just incredibly badass, and Fitz and Simmons are adorable. The only weak link in the cast for much of the season is Agent Grant Ward, but that changes in the final third. 

Because while I do actually enjoy much of the first two thirds of the season, everyone knows that Agents Of SHIELD gets a massive boost in quality around Episode 16, as we learn that Hydra has been fully integrated into SHIELD, and that Ward is a Hydra agent. This was actually a crossover with The Winter Soldier, but it actually helps the series really come into its own. The Ward twist is one of my favorites in all of TV, as it was surprising without being completely out of character. Rewatching the first two thirds of the season knowing Ward is a Hydra agent gives his character a bit more depth, and while I don't know how well it was planned out ahead of time, I think it fits perfectly. In addition, SHIELD being pretty much taken over by Hydra gives the show a much needed sense of urgency, forcing the agents to go on the run for the final third of Season 1. It leads to a phenomenal last batch of episodes that really does blow anything the show has done out of the water, managing to tie a lot of the season's more disparate plot threads together in an impressively satisfying manner.

This season had a bunch of strong episodes, especially in the final third:

T.R.A.C.K.S.: This was a nice change of pace for the series, an experimental episode about the agents attempting a train heist that quickly goes completely off the rails (get it?). The perpsective jumps were super creative and led to a lot of strong comedic moments. This was easily the funniest episode of the show so far... at least until Skye gets shot kicking the show into second gear.

End Of The Beginning: While "Turn, Turn, Turn" is the more iconic episode, I think this one rivals it in terms of sheer twist-y ness. Because Ward kills the Clairvoyant in this episode, the season should end here, right? But then Skye realizes the Clairvoyant is a mole in Shield, and then Fitz discovers May's encrypted line, and then the Bus starts heading to the Hub so that Hand could slaughter everyone, and it's really starting to feel like the agents are really starting to fall apart.

Turn, Turn, Turn: This is still one of the best episodes in the series, it's a nonstop series of twists and turns that turns Agents Of Shield completely on its head. I actually really like the chaotic opening where everyone is turning against each other and screaming like crazy, and it just so happens that Skye is the only one not being accused of anything. In any other episode, that would be the best scene. But then there's the reveal of May being the one to make the team, and the reveal that Hydra has taken over Shield, and the reveal that Garrett is the Clairvoyant, and of course, the shocking ending where Ward shoots Hand four times revealing he's also an agent of Hydra. Just, what an episode. Even when I know what happens, it's nail-biting as hell.

Nothing Personal: It's been a long time since Skye's first mission, and Nothing Personal is a showcase of how much she's grown and improved. While Skye managing to survive under Ward's watch until the fun rescue mission is already great, this episode also manages to pack in the most screentime Maria Hill has ever gotten, the agents dealing with learning Ward is part of Hydra, the attack on the Providence base, and the big reveal that Coulson was in charge of Project T.A.H.I.T.I.

Beginning Of The End: This is a pretty great finale, pretty much giving everyone a chance to shine. May and Ward got the best fight scene in the whole season, Coulson defeated Garrett in a hilariously satisfying manner, Fitz and Simmons's subplot continues to be emotionally wrecking, and Skye got a great chance to show her growth. Not to mention Nick Fury's appearance, as well as the bucketload of cliffhangers that cap off the episode.

Overall, I still really like Season 1. Admittedly it does have a pretty slow start and a bunch of really weak episodes early on, but the characters are likable, the mysteries are compelling, and the final batch of episodes once Hydra takes over are absolutely fantastic. Also, given that later seasons would delve into Inhumans, outer space, and time travel, there's a charm to Season 1 simply being an espionage show about SHIELD agents.

3/5 Stars

Little Witch Academia

I'm so used to seeing these really, for lack of a better word, edgy shows from Gainax and Trigger. The depressing Evangelion, the innuendo-heavy FLCL, the nudity-heavy Kill La Kill. That's not a bad thing, Trigger is one of my favorite anime studios in the business and they've definitely carved out their own niche, but I can't say I wasn't surprised to find that Little Witch Academia is uncharacteristically really wholesome and uplifting.

Little Witch Academia is an anime about a girl named Akko who gets to attend a prestigious magic school called Luna Nova, but she's also an absolute novice who struggles to learn magic. She spends much of the series trying to become a wizard like her idol Chariot, who has disguised herself as teacher at Luna Nova named Ursula. For me, the heart of Little Witch Academia is the mentorship between Akko and Ursula, the one teacher who treats Akko with kindness and actively tries to help her learn in her own way. The whole cast is great though. Akko's friends Lotte and Sucy are lovable, the bully character Diana is pretty interesting, and the whole school is filled with colorful and charming individuals. The first half of the series simply focuses on Akko struggling to learn magic, and is otherwise very lighthearted and episodic. While not every episode is great here, I found it to be a really wholesome and heartwarming batch of episodes that does a good job of establishing the characters and their relationships with one another.

The second half of the series is far more interesting for me, however, as it introduces an antagonist named Croix, who wants to bring out negative emotions to create a new energy source, even if it could lead to the destruction of the world in the process. While I liked the more slice of life first half, it was really cool to get an overarching conflict, and a really well-told one at that. As much as I love Kill La Kill, its pacing and story can be a bit messy, and I thought the Croix arc did a much stronger job of balancing a slowly-developing myth arc with the episodic storylines from the first half of the season. Croix's relationship with Chariot was fascinating, and their parallels from Akko and Diana are great. I do have a few gripes with the storyline, like the fact that Ursula keeps her true identity a secret from Akko for too long, Lotte and Sucy getting the short end of the stick, and the fact that I'm not entirely sure what side the show is taking on its core theme of tradition vs technology, but overall, the second half of Little Witch Academia was a ton of fun and ends on a killer final batch of episodes that were emotional and action-packed.

In terms of production, I mean it's a Trigger show. Little Witch Academia looks absolutely outstanding from start to finish. The character designs are varied and expressive, the movement is consistently fluid with smear frames all over the place, the action scenes are filled with stunning sakuga moments, and everything is just super colorful and energetic. The voice acting is also really good across the board, with the highlights being Sucy's incredibly distinct and recognizable voice, as well as Akko's hilariously over-the-top screams. The background music was also really good. I'm a sucker for a good orchestral score (Super Mario Galaxy is my favorite video game soundtrack after all), and I think it fits Little Witch Academia pretty much perfectly. The music is beautiful, calming, and as hopeful as the rest of the show.

This show had a lot of strong episodes, especially in the second half:

Orange Submariner: This episode really tackles Akko's struggle to learn magic, and it can be a bit hard to watch at times. However, it's all worth it for the ending where Ursula defends Akko to Mrs Finnelan, an incredibly satisfying moment that solidifed her as my favorite character of the anime.

Samhain Magic Festival: This was a pretty heartwarming ending to the first half of the season. Akko manages to learn how to use metamorphosis, Diana starts to warm up to Akko, and we get our first hint at Croix. And this episode is even more important in hindsight as we learn Akko learned one of the Seven Words here.

New Age Magic: Croix's first episode was a ton of fun! It was pretty obvious that she was a bad guy, but I like how her introduction puts Akko at odds with the school. But what really made the episode was the incredibly creative fairy strike storyline, especially once Akko joined in. 

Stanship Take Off: I just had a big dumb grin on my face for this whole episode. It wasn't enough that we got an entire episode focused on Constanze, it wasn't enough that this happened to be the funniest episode in the show to date, we also had to get a goddamn Gurren Lagann reference, and it was glorious. The dramatic poses, Akko's hilariously Kamina-esque speech, the finishing drill move, this was a true love letter to Trigger's past and I adored it. 

Things We Said Today: It took some time, but it finally happened. Akko now knows that Ursula and Chariot, and as it turns out, that's just the tip of the iceberg. This episode also reveals Croix's plan, as well as the twist that Chariot's magic shows stole magic power from everyone in the audience, which includes Akko. Talk about a broken pedestal.

Yesterday: Continuing from the previous episode, Yesterday gives the full history of Chariot and Croix, revealing that the former is a bit more sympathetic that she's made out to be in Things We Said Today. But while it was great to learn more about those two characters once and for all, my favorite part of Yesterday was Akko's friends all looking for her, culminating in a heartwarming diner talk between Akko and Diana.

Changing At The Edge Of The World: Just like with Kill La Kill, I like that Little Witch Academia ends on a mostly really happy note, especially considering how many anime tend to have very bittersweet endings. The final chase with the missile boasts some of the best animation in the series, and I like how pretty much every character shows up at one point. It's a great balance between Trigger's bombastic action and Little Witch Academia's hopeful tone, easily one of my favorite endings in an anime.

Overall, Little Witch Academia is just plain adorable. The characters are likable, the animation is colorful, and even when the series gets dark in its second half, it still remains optimistic and heartwarming. While I think I still slightly prefer Kill La Kill despite its messiness, but Little Witch Academia was an absolute joy to watch and an impressive evolution of Trigger's story-telling skills.

"Season" 1: 3/5 Stars

"Season" 2: 5/5 Stars

4/5 Stars

Favorite Episode: Yesterday

Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil (and how it compares to the first game)

Klonoa is one of my favorite video game series of all time, and while the first game is already amazing, the second entry in the series Lunatea's Veil is also an absolutely fantastic game of its own. As a matter of fact, it's so good that I can't really decide which of the two is better, so this review will double as a comparison of sorts to hopefully finally determine which Klonoa game is best.

Story: Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil generally has a lighter story than the first game. Klonoa arrives at the dream world of Lunatea, where he teams up with priestess-wannabe Lolo and her sidekick Popka to find elements from all of Lunatea's kingdoms before they fall in the hands of a pirate named Leorina. I feel like there's a strong team dynamic between Klonoa, Lolo, and Popka that we just don't see in the first game, and the world of Lunatea is much more fleshed-out than Phantomile was. We get a world map to see how all the kingdoms tie together, as well as several descriptions of the different kingdoms. Granted, the story does get pretty dark in its second half, with Lolo getting a pretty tragic backstory, Leorina getting cursed with the power of the elements, the ultimate antagonist being the literal King Of Sorrow, and of course, Klonoa having to leave in the ending. However, I think in terms of emotional impact, the first game still prevails. Nothing beats having to see Klonoa lose everything he's ever known and loved, learn his life is a lie, and be sucked away to another world against his will. Lunatea's Veil is more Lolo's story than Klonoa's, and she is really well-developed, but she still ends the game a lot better off than Klonoa did in the first. Which game has the better story? Well, I think the story of Lunatea's Veil is generally better told, but Door To Phantomile had the stronger impact.

Winner: Tie

Gameplay: As described in my review of the first game, Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil is a 2.5D platformer where you can grab enemies and throw them at stuff. While the gameplay is pretty much exactly the same as the first game, there are enough improvements made that I can categorically call Lunatea's Veil the better entry in this regard. For starters, Klonoa only has three hitpoints instead of the first game's six, making for a generally harder entry. This was a good change since Door To Phantomile is admittedly really easy, to the point where I could breeze through it without losing a single life. In addition, Lunatea's Veil adds a bunch of entirely new enemies that you can grab, including Kitons you can use to fly, Erbils  you can use to blast to higher areas with a powerful electric stream, and color-changing Likuries that lead to some really clever puzzles. Even more, this game introduces hoverboarding segments that are legitimately a super fun break from the standard gameplay that appears just enough to feel fleshed out without overstaying their welcome. However, this is one gameplay addition I don't quite love and that's the cannons, which can shoot Klonoa to another part of the level, usually in the background. What I love about the first game is the fact that you can see an area in the background and just physically walk there, but in this game, you'd really just need to find a nearby cannon. Granted, these cannons do lead to some pretty great puzzles, usually involving bombs, but they do limit the awe factor that the first game had. Outside of that, though, Klonoa 2's gameplay is generally a lot better compared to the first game.

Winner: Lunatea

Level Design: The levels in Lunatea's Veil are generally a bit more well-designed than the ones in the first game, at least to a degree. Each level is focused around a bunch of gimmicks and mechanics, and they take the time to fully flesh them out. The first game's levels do this at times, but not nearly as well as Lunatea's Veil does. The second game's stages are also a lot more setpiece-heavy, with each stage including a ton of unique areas and things to interact with. For example, Joilant is an amusement park level that lets you play around with nearly every ride and tent in the park, even taking a brief detour in a haunted house. It's the type of platformer that constantly leaves you guessing what you're going to be having to deal with next. However, I also think these levels just don't quite have the same maze-like feel as the first game's stages. I frequently compared Door To Phantomile's levels to Zelda dungeons, with keys and locks, central hubs, and even some instances of nonlinearity. Lunatea's Veil's stages feel a bit more straightforward when it comes to navigation, and even their more complex levels focus more around one-room puzzles than figuring out where to go. In addition, Lunatea's Veil has a bunch of levels that are modified versions of previous stages, which I've never really been a fan of. These levels are still fun and all, but I don't love having to retread old ground. Still, Lunatea's Veil generally does have a lot of fantastic stages (Both Ark stages, Joliant, Maze Of Memories, Kingdom Of Sorrow, all the hoverboard stages), but it and Door To Phantomile have different strengths when it comes to their level design. 

Winner: Tie

Bosses: The boss fights in Lunatea's Veil are almost all better than the first game's. The bosses in Door To Phantomile are mostly great, but the first four can be pretty short and easy (looking at you Baladium), and the fight with Joka is a weak spot in an otherwise fantastic game. Lunatea's Veil, on the other hand, gives all of its boss fights multiple phases and attacks that make them a lot more dynamic than the first game's. The fights with Polonte and Cursed Leorina in particular are both easily the best in the series, they're epic, exciting, emotional, and very lengthy. However, just like in Door To Phantomile, Lunatea's Veil does have a weak boss of its own, and it's the last one. The fight with the King Of Sorrow isn't a bad fight and I think the character himself is really interesting, but the fight itself is both disappointingly lacking in flair and scope, while also being oddly irritating. It has a neat hoverboard phase, but it kinda comes out of nowhere and feels tacked on to the start of the fight. Compared to the massive final battle with Nahatomb, I can't fault anyone for feeling a bit let down. Outside of that, though, the bosses in Lunatea's Veil are categorically better than in the first.

Winner: Lunatea

Replay Value: Okay, I'm a bit split on which game is better in this aspect. On one hand, Lunatea's Veil has the longer campaign, with not only more levels but longer levels. While I never felt like the first game felt too short, there's definitely nothing wrong with a longer Klonoa game and it still never feels like it overstays its welcome. In addition, the optional content includes an extra bonus level, a boss rush, and a scrapbook you can unlock by collecting Dreamstones. However, this is where things get a bit iffy, because you don't just have to collect Dreamstones. You have to collect every Dreamstone, all 150 in each level, to unlock all the Scrapbook pages. With most of the levels being at least 10 minutes long (or hoverboard stages), doing this is an absolute pain and makes 100% completion not all that fun. In addition, those aforementioned modified stages do feel like padding, which leaves me wondering whether or not the added length of Lunatea's Veil is all that much of a good thing. Sure Lunatea's Veil does have more content and replay value, but when some of that content is repeated levels and a pretty major completion objective is just plain tedious, I think Door To Phantomile might be the more replayable game for me.

Winner: Phantomile

Art Direction: This is probably the one aspect that I can say Lunatea's Veil doesn't quite stack up to its predecessor in. Now don't get me wrong, Lunatea's Veil is a beautiful game with creative and colorful environments, fantastic texturing, and some really amazing backgrounds, especially in Joilant. However, it lacks the thing that made Door To Phantomile such a striking game: 2D sprites on 3D backgrounds. I repeatedly mention that the 2.5D element is what really makes the Klonoa series stand out, and the fact that Klonoa is an entirely flat and 2D character in the first game makes the 2.5D perspective that much more awe-inducing. It's also why I don't love the visual style of the Wii remake nearly as much. Still, I don't want to say that I don't like how Lunatea's Veil looks. I still think it looks amazing to this day and the dreamlike aesthetic is something I really want to see more of in video games. But Door To Phantomile's unique art direction still makes it my favorite-looking game in the series despite its age.

Winner: Phantomile

Soundtrack: This is the part that I am the most split on, because both soundtracks are fantastic. The score for Lunatea's Veil is predictably a lot larger than the first, and is arguably better-crafted, using leitmotifs for all of the areas and characters incredibly well. Just like in Door To Phantomile, the music slowly gets more intense and darker in tone as the game progresses, leading to some absolutely phenomenal endgame music-wise. Songs like Cursed Leorina, The Ark Revisited, and Mirage are some of the best in the series, and that's not even including the fantastic earlier songs like Going To Lunatea, Path Of Goddess Claire, Make Believe Ver 2, Jungle Cruise, Volkies Song, and Maze Of Memories. In addition, Lunatea's Veil has a wider variety of genres and instrumentation, and the lack of PS1 compression means it sounds a lot better than the music from the first game. However, there's just something so beautiful about Door To Phantomile's ethereal and somewhat medieval-sounding compositions. Songs like Sad Forest Drum, Count Three, Dawn Over Dawn & Dark Into Dark, The Closing Encounter, and Red Head Coronia are just so unique and unlike anything I've ever heard in a video game. And I think overall, aside from Cursed Leorina, the boss themes in Door To Phantomile are generally better than the more ambient boss themes in Lunatea's Veil. If I had to say which soundtrack I preferred, it would probably be different each day, it's just that hard.

Winner: Tie

Final Result: Tie

Overall, I hope this review illustrates why picking a favorite Klonoa game is so damn hard. Both entries have their own strengths and weaknesses, and when I usually say an entry does something better, it ends up being with an asterisk. If I had to give an answer, I'd say Lunatea's Veil is the better game, but Door To Phantomile left a stronger impact on me, probably because it was the first I played of the two. Still, Lunatea's Veil is a phenomenal platformer with fantastic gameplay, a compelling story, creative level design, fun boss fights, great art direction, and a beautiful soundtrack. It's everything a sequel to the first game should be and more.

5/5 Stars

What We Do In The Shadows (Season 3)

Season 3 of What We Do In The Shadows takes some big risks by trading some of its laughs for more drama and character development, and what ensues is not just the most uneven season so far, but possibly the best?

Season 3 starts with a pretty massive status quo shift. Now that most of the vampires in the Tri-State Area have been killed off thanks to Guillermo, the only people left who can run the Tribunal are the main cast. Thus, a lot of this season focuses on Nandor and Nadja trying to lead the Council, to predictably mixed results. It's a really cool storyline that slightly expands the scope of the series, and culminates in the reveal that the Baron is actually alive. I always thought he was wasted so it's nice to see him back. Meanwhile, Laszlo and Colin spend the season hanging out. It initially seems like they're just paired together because everyone else is busy with the Council, but we eventually learn it's all because Colin is dying, which leads to a really emotional last two episodes. And just like Season 1, each character has their own arc or subplot that leads to a surprising amount of development, like Guillermo's feelings for Nandor, Nandor having a mid-"unlife" crisis, and Nadja wanting to be a leader of the Council and not just a co-leader.

But while this was easily the best season to date in terms of its story, it's a lot more hit and miss in terms of its comedy. On one hand, this season allows the characters to get out of the mansion a lot more often, with the highlight being their trip to Atlantic City. Once again, I really feel like the series's scope is being expanded here. And at its best, this season is as funny as any prior What We Do In The Shadows season, with more high points as well. However, Season 3 did get to a pretty rough start, with The Cloak Of Duplication being easily my least favorite episode in the show to date, but even at its best, it felt like there were a few more jokes than usual that just didn't work for me (Colin's poop jokes from the premiere especially). It also doesn't help that with a lot more drama and character work, this season as a whole had a lot less comedic moments than the last two, so outside of some especially funny episodes, this season just wasn't as laugh-out-loud as the others for me.

Still, at its best, Season 3 had some of my favorite episodes so far:

The Casino: This was easily one of the funniest episodes of the show, from Nandor's obsession with the Big Bang Theory, to the vampires essentially getting drunk, to Sean wasting all of his money, to Nadja thinking a Rat Pack tribute band is the real thing. But what really made it is the fact that all the plotlines are resolved in an Ocean's Eleven style heist.

The Escape: This episode felt so big to me. It was a madcap chase across the city to track down the Sire, the first vampire ever, with the high stakes of every single vampire potentially dying if he isn't found. I wouldn't call this one of the show's funnier episodes, but it's definitely impressive.

A Farewell: This was a fantastic bait-and-switch in so many ways. Nandor going into Super-Slumber, Laszlo trying to give Colin attention, it all led to the incredible reveal that Colin is dying. But even more, this was just one of the season's funnier episodes, from the guest stars from the Supreme Tribunal, to Guillermo continuously waking up Nandor, to the ending where Colin accidentally gets his head destroyed.

The Portrait: While the first two season finales were alright, The Portrait was absolutely insane, completely fracturing the cast by sending Nadja to London with Guillermo, Nandor on a world tour alone, and keeping Laszlo home to take care of a reincarnated Colin. Laszlo sending Guillermo off to London stung the most, since he missed out on the one chance he got to become a vampire, and now Nandor thinks he ditched him.

Overall, while a bit uneven and not as funny as the prior two seasons, Season 3 of WWDITS manages to expand the scope of the series with a compelling main storyline, great character work, and some of the best episodes to date.

4/5 Stars

What We Do In The Shadows (Season 2)

For a show's second season, there are two routes the writers can take. They can expand on the show's world and take the characters to entirely new places, or they can just keep doing more of what they do well. Season 2 of WWDITS is very much the latter, which isn't entirely a bad thing.

Plot-wise, Season 2 of What We Do In The Shadows is pretty heavily focused on Guillermo. After learning that he has Van Helsing DNA, Guillermo spends the season dealing the fact that he might be destined to kill the vampires, as well as becoming more aware of how mistreated he is as a familiar. Most of this season's episodes have some sort of subplot relating to this storyline, as Guillermo joins a vampire hunter's club, briefly switches masters, and in the finale, leaves Nandor for good. It's a really strong throughline for the season and gave the show a bunch of great emotional moments. However, the heavy focus on Guillermo means the rest of the cast doesn't quite have the same balance of screentime, as the season lacks the many subplots that the first season had. The finale does bring back the Tribunal, but that's pretty much it.

Thankfully, in terms of the comedy, Season 2 is far and away an improvement on the first. For starters, it doesn't have the slow start that most sitcom first seasons do, managing to maintain a high standard right from the premiere. Once again, I think the best episodes are around the middle, but the overall level of quality is just a little bit better than Season 1. In addition, I think this season does a better job of experimenting, from having episodes focused on characters like Colin and Laszlo, to introducing a bunch of new species like ghosts, zombies, and witches. I wouldn't exactly call it world-building since many of the species are one-offs, but it does add a nice level of variety to the show that I really enjoyed. I also think this season had a lot less gross-out humor than the first, no projectile vomiting sequences this time around. 

Once again, most of the episodes are great, but there are some highlights:

The Curse: This episode really just had two great storylines that it managed to balance between incredibly well. On one side, there's the vampires receiving one of those "you're cursed" emails and thinking they're actually cursed, with a genius premise executed very well. But even better is Guillermo spending time with the vampire hunters club only for them to end up having gone on a disastrous mission that leaves half of them killed.

On The Run: This episode was absolutely hysterical, by far the best in the series. It's a showcase of Matt Berry's brilliant comedic timing that's so bizarre you can't help but love it, from the toothpick gag, to Mark Hamill as the bad guy, to the bar fight, On The Run is just nonstop hilarity. But my favorite thing about it is how it feels like the best unintentional Ted Lasso parody you could possibly make.

Nouveau Theatre Des Vampires: While not one of the show's funniest episodes, this was a great finale that changes the status quo in some pretty massive ways. The vampires know pretty much all of the secrets Guillermo has been hiding from them all season. They know about the assassins, all of Guillermo's kills, and after watching him slaughter most of the Vampiric Council in the course of a few minutes, they know he's a vampire hunter. Granted, they don't really seem to care, but I doubt they're going to let it slide. 

Overall, while its overall plot is still a bit lacking, Season 2 of What We Do In The Shadows is just as fun as its predecessor, with even stronger writing, funnier comedy, and a finale that shows a lot of potential.

4/5 Stars

What We Do In The Shadows (Season 1)

What We Do In The Shadows is an adaptation of the Taika Waititi film of the same name, which I haven't actually seen. However, the series manages to do a great job of taking the film's premise of a vampire documentary and expand on it.

What We Do In The Shadows is a mockumentary about a bunch of vampires (Nandor, Nadja, and Laszlo), who are tasked in taking over Staten Island... or the world... Well, actually they're not all that sure, but they have to do it before a Baron sleeping in their house wakes up. The series pokes fun at how out of place the vampires feel in our modern world, meaning that the main cast tends to fail at actually making any headway. While this feels like a good plot to sustain an entire series, the Baron actually wakes up six episodes in and manages to get himself killed. It's a hilarious comedic twist, but leaves the season's actual story feeling a bit aimless for the last few episodes. Thankfully, there are still a lot of great subplots, like a college student named Jenna learning to be a vampire, Nadja reuniting with her reincarnated love Gregor, and the familiar Guillermo trying to get himself turned into a vampire, only for the finale to completely wreck those dreams in the best way possible.

Right from the first episode, WWDITS is a very funny show, partially because of its poking fun at vampire tropes and partially because of its pitch-perfect cast, with the highlight being Matt Berry (Laszlo), whose comedic timing is just fantastic. There are a lot of great instances of irony, subversion, and anti-climax, and the show hardly actually takes anything seriously. However, being a comedy about vampires, WWDITS does also have quite a bit of gross-out and toilet humor, which I've never been a fan of. Those are definitely the weakest comedic moments for me, but the sharp writing and great acting even manage to elevate those parts a bit. Like most comedies, WWDITS does have a bit of a slow start, with the first half of the season definitely being weaker than the second, but the show is still really consistent in its quality to the point where even the weakest episode (Animal Control) isn't all that bad.

While the whole season was great, there are some especially great episodes particularly around the middle:

Baron's Night Out: While the Baron being killed off was a bit of a disappointment plot-wise, it led to a fantastic episode comedy-wise. While the show is already a bit of a fish-out-of-water story, the Baron feels so out of place in Staten Island that he makes the main cast feel like... well.. normal people. I love how Baron almost dies in nearly every other scene, but it only happens when Guillermo (foreshadowing?) opens the door on him.

The Trial: What a lineup of guest stars! Aside from the cast of the original WWDITS film (which includes Taika Waititi), we got Dave Bautista, Tilda Swinton, Danny Trejo, Paul Reubens, and Wesley goddamn Snipes! But even outside of the guest stars, The Trial resolves a pretty massive storyline as the vampires manage to get out of having killed the Baron, and Guillermo accidentally killing two vampires in the course of a day is both great and hilarious foreshadowing for the big finale twist. Unfortunately, this episode is so good that the rest of the season kinda suffers in comparison.

Ancestry: While not as large in scale as The Trail, this finale did have two pretty great twists. First is the reveal that Guillermo has Van Helsing DNA, a brilliant bit of irony and an exciting hook for next season. Second is the reveal that Laszlo is responsible for all of Gregor's deaths, another great twist that ends his storyline on a funny and satisfying note.

Overall, What We Do In The Shadows is great and its first season is a lot of fun. While it has a bit of a slow start and The Trial is a bit of a tough act to follow, the writing is great, the casting is fantastic, and all of the characters are very lovable. 

3/5 Stars

Steven Universe (Season 5 + Movie)

Well, Steven Universe really saved the best for last, didn't they? While rushed at times, Season 5 has everything I want from a final season of the series. It's emotional, satisfying, and filled with strong episodes. Oh, and the movie's great too.

Being the end of the series, Season 5 of Steven Universe covers a lot of ground, starting with a fantastic four-episode-long arc about Steven and Lars escaping from Homeworld. Not only did it finally gives Lars some much-needed character development, it changes the status quo in some big ways and lays the groundwork for the season's main theme: The fact that the story of Rose shattering Pink Diamond has some pretty glaring holes in it. After that opening arc, the show calms down a bit, with much of the first half being composed of Beach City episodes. However, between the Rose Quartz mystery, Lars being in space, the conflict between Steven and Connie, Lapis leaving, this half of the season is still really emotional and surprising. I actually really liked a lot of the Beach City episodes in this season, as a lot of the characters really start to go through big changes like Sadie leaving her job and Nanefua becoming mayor. As a whole, I think the quality of episodes in Season 5 was just really strong. Even the light-hearted and less plot relevant episodes had a great emotional hook that made them worth watching.

After a lot of foreshadowing, the second half of the season is kicked off when Steven discovers that Pink Diamond and Rose Quartz are in fact the same person, a massive and shocking twist that simultaneously makes the season better and worse at the same time. On one hand, this reveal makes Rose a super interesting character, as she went from a slightly shady big good to a Diamond who tried to switch sides and protect Earth, only to seriously mess up. Seeing the cast deal with this reveal is compelling, and it does a great job of setting the stage for the final confrontation with the Diamonds. And much of these later episodes are really emotionally impactful, tense, and filled to the brim with action, twists, and satisfying payoffs. However, the Diamonds aren't exactly great villains, as their major conflict kind of boils down to being a dysfunctional family. As a whole, I'd call them the weakest part of the show, and that leads to the elephant of the room: The main antagonist, White Diamond.

Steven Universe ends with White Diamond being brought down pretty quickly and pacifistically, which I'm kinda split on. In its defense, I think people are generally misinterpreting how White Diamond is taken down. There's this sentiment that White Diamond had a super quick "redemption arc" when that is not at all the case. Redemption involves making up for the sins of your past (Zuko), forgiveness involves someone else determining whether or not said person did so (Catra), White Diamond just changed her mind, corrected her course. If she's headed towards a redemption, this is just the start of it. And I do think a pacifistic solution fits the show's themes the best. You can resolve a conflict nonviolently and do it in a satisfying way, and I actually really like the confrontation between Steven and White. However, considering she's a genocidal tyrant, I do feel like White Diamond came around a bit too easily and quickly. I'd believe Steven can prompt a turnaround without throwing a single punch. I don't believe he'd be able to do it in five minutes. I'm not going to hold this too much against the crew or the show as a whole, Cartoon Network canceled Steven Universe pretty abruptly and forced them to rush an ending out of necessity. Most subsequent Steven Universe media makes it clear the Diamonds still have a lot of work to do before they make up for what they've done, so I believe the crew did the best they could with the time they were given.

Speaking of which, Steven Universe didn't quite end with Season 5. There's also the movie and Steven Universe Future. Now, I'm not going to review Future because I'm really not a fan of the direction it took, once again sidelining much of the cast so we can watch depressed Steven for twenty episodes. However, I did want to talk about the movie because it was ridiculously fun, quite possibly one of my favorite "episodes" in the series. I criticized Mr Greg for being too short to be a musical episode, but now we got a whole movie's worth of musical numbers, and they're all fantastic. Happily Ever After, Other Friends, Independent Together, Drift Away, Who We Are, they really saved the best for the feature film. The Movie was also a lot funnier than I expected, like the jokes landed for me so much more than they usually do in Steven Universe. But easily the best thing about this film was the main antagonist Spinel. For starters, her rubberhose animation style looks absolutely phenomenal, Sarah Stiles's performance was fantastic, and she ended up getting the two best songs in the movie (Other Friends & Drift Away). But even more, Spinel is just a genuinely complex and fascinating villain. On one hand, you feel for her getting abandoned by Pink and want her to find happiness. But on the other hand, she's a pretty toxic and clingy friend and a terrifying villain. Spinel feels like the type of villain that you actually want redeemed, and the feature length really lets the writers explore her character in depth. Steven Universe: The Movie does have its problems, like the sheer amount of time spent recapping the cast's development and the fact that it feels oddly small-scale for a movie, but otherwise, it was pretty much 90 nonstop minutes of pure unbridled joy.

There is, however, one issue I have the film, though that's more an issue with the series (but especially these last few seasons) in its entirety. So anyone else find it weird that in a series about looking for the best in people, Pink Diamond ends up the only character considered "irredeemable". Like yeah, she was awful to Spinel and Pearl, not saying she's perfect, but she's also the first Diamond to realize Homeworld is shit by a huge margin. She took on the role of protecting Earth entirely on her own, and grew to genuinely care about the people she met there. The show would not have happened if not for her, Earth probably would've been taken over years ago. I think this is the point where that Steven's perspective issue I've been rambling about is at its worst. I get being angry at discovering your parents aren't perfect, or even that they've done some awful things. That's a compelling, relatable issue that everyone has to deal with when coming of age. But you also eventually have to accept that your parents aren't perfect and reconcile the things they've done, both right and wrong, and Steven never does that. Pink, or should I say Rose, did redeem herself. She grew up in a position of dictatorial power, willing broke out of it, and fought back against it. I'm more fine with how the movie touches upon this issue since Pink ditching Spinel is objectively a shitty thing and I get being mad at her for it, but as a whole, it really doesn't sit well with me how Pink is ultimately treated by the end of the show.

But okay, going back to Season 5, there were a lot of memorable episodes, way more than is usual for Steven Universe:

The Trial: This episode was probably where the Diamonds were at their most intense. Given that this was the first time Steven really spoke to them, I was at the edge of my seat the entire time, wondering how he could get out alive. Thankfully, Steven manages to escape, but not without learning the reveal that the story of Pink Diamond's death has so many holes that there's no way Rose could have killed her.

Off Colors/Lars' Head: Lars's character arcs in these episodes was just fantastic, as he turns from a wimp to an utter badass that sacrifices himself to save people he barely even met. The titular Off Colors are really charming and likable side characters, and I'm glad they got a lot of focus this season. Lars's death and subsequent resurrection was shocking, and ending the season's opening arc on a fittingly surprising note.

The Big Show/Letters For Lars: Easily two of my favorite Beach City episodes, The Big Show focuses on one of my favorite human characters, Sadie, as she holds her first big performance in her new band. It was really heartwarming to see Steven and Greg help her prepare, and the documentary format was very charming. Meanwhile, Letters For Lars does a good job of exploring how the residents of Beach City have changed throughout the first half of the season, and is filled with charming interactions and great comedic moments.

Can't Go Back: Lapis got a song, and it's really good too! That Distant Shore really hit me hard, and definitely ranks up as one of my favorite Steven Universe songs to date. But even outside of that Can't Go Back does a great job of exploring Lapis's struggle over whether or not to stay on Earth, and the ending serves as a great hook for the next episode.

A Single Pale Rose: Rose Quartz is Pink Diamond, one of the greatest twists in television history. Sure it's a bit predictable and a lot of people saw it coming (though I doubt anyone expected Pearl's role in the whole thing), but it works really well and fits her character perfectly despite turning the entire series on its head. The reveal itself was executed perfectly through little hints, slowly getting more obvious until we see Steven's gem turn and reveal it's actually a diamond. The show only doesn't shy away from the ramifications of such a reveal, and from here on, Season 5 goes from great to fantastic. Easily my favorite episode of the show.

Reunited: Ruby and Sapphire got married! I don't think I need to say that Reunited's big wedding was a pretty huge moment for children's animation, as not only did it show two female characters get married, they also managed to get in a kiss. But that wasn't all, we even got a bombastic fight scene with Yellow and Blue Diamond, filled with big twists like Rose's sword being destroyed, Lapis returning only to get poofed with Peridot, and the Cluster fighting on the side of the Crystal Gems.

Change Your Mind: Look, I won't lie, this episode was pretty rushed and crammed with stuff, and that doesn't drag it down a bit. But I generally still thought Change Your Mind was a really action-packed and satisfying ending. Between all the returning characters, the new Fusions, and the big reveals about Steven and White's Pearl, I'm fine with the sacrifice to pacing as long as it means that everything gets a fairly satisfying resolution. And that final confrontation between Steven and White Diamond boasts some of the best animation in the whole show. Yeah, you know which scene I'm talking about.

Overall, Season 5 isn't perfect, it is definitely rushed at points and White Diamond being brought down so easily probably wasn't the best call. But that doesn't mean you can't tell the crew really brought their A-game to this one. This season was packed with tons of phenomenal episodes, stunning twists, great character developments, and ended the series on a truly satisfying note. And the movie was a fun, light-hearted coda filled with fantastic musical numbers and great character moments. 

Season 5: 5/5 Stars

Movie: 4/5 Stars

My ranking of the seasons of Steven Universe (including the movie) is:

5 > Movie > 3 > 2 > 1B > 4 > 1A > Future

My ranking of the finales of Steven Universe is:

1B > 4 > 5 > 1A > 3 > Future > 2

Favorite Episode: A Single Pale Rose

Favorite Songs: It's Over Isn't It?, Other Friends, That Distant Shore, Stronger Than You, Here Comes A Thought

I also wanted to just give my general conclusion on Steven Universe because my opinions on this series are pretty mixed. For starters, I don't think this is a bad show. I actually think it's pretty good, and at its best, it's amazing. The characters are all likable and complex, the plot is compelling and full of strong twists, the musical numbers slap, and the show's ambition and willingness to take risks, deal with serious themes, and break new ground for children's animation should always be respected. I feel like everyone has an episode, character, and/or song that really speaks to them (for me, it's Mindful Education and Lapis). However, I think the whole show taking place from Steven's perspective really hurt it for me. With its short episode lengths, many of the characters didn't get as much screentime and development as they should have, and I already ranted about the Pink Diamond stuff. Overall, I'll still think of Steven Universe fondly for what it did right, but I will also remember it as a fairly flawed show. With how divisive it is online, I feel comfortable leaving it at: pretty good.

Steven Universe (Season 4)

I feel like each season of Steven Universe prior to this one has added something big to the series. 1A introduced fusions, 1B introduced Homeworld, 2 introduced The Cluster, and 3 introduced slightly gray layers to Rose and Steven. But Season 4 doesn't really add anything. It's still a good season, but it feels kind of directionless.

For the first time, this season of Steven Universe doesn't quite have an overarching storyline to it, rather there are two pretty big arcs around the middle and end of the season, both of which are pretty good. The first big arc is the Zoo arc, which involves Greg being kidnapped by Blue Diamond and the Crystal Gems staging a heist to rescue him from the Human Zoo he's being kept in. This is a fantastic storyline, filled with strong world-building that fleshes out Homeworld and even some of the Diamonds, as well as fun heist shenanigans. It also plays into Steven's character arc throughout the season, as he deals with guilt from what he did back in Season 3 as well as frustration towards Rose Quartz after learning what she did to Pink Diamond. The other major arc is in the last few episodes, about some of the Beach City residents being kidnapped by mysterious gems. It's an intriguing mystery that ends in another great season finale, but the fact that those gems are only built up in the last few episodes makes most of the season feel like it lacks direction, and it gets worst.

As per the usual, each season of Steven Universe has its episodic stuff, which is unfortunately very hit or miss this time around. On one hand, we got fantastic episodes like Mindful Education, Room For Ruby, and Last One Out Of Beach City. However, this season also contains some of the worst in the series, like Onion Gang, Rocknaldo, and the bafflingly double-length Gem Harvest. The former two are interesting because it made me realize that each season has an episode for pretty much every major Beach City character. Each season has a Ronaldo episode, a Lars episode, an Onion episode, and that takes up a large chunk of the season because each episode is short and focuses entirely on Steven's perspective. And that leads to the realization that not much has really happened for the characters outside of the main four after all this time. A big example here is Lars, who finally got character development four seasons in because he appeared so rarely. And a lot of times, characters develop off-screen, like how we never see Lapis and Peridot become friends, or Amethyst bond with the gems at the Zoo. It all adds to the general feeling that nothing really happened in Season 4. 

Still, this was a solid season of Steven Universe, and with it came some great episodes:

Mindful Education: Even with my complaints about the season, Mindful Education is my favorite episode of Steven Universe to date, dealing with anxiety and guilt in a very concise and hopeful manner. Garnet's song was already fantastic, but the scene where we learn Steven is guilty for what he did to Bismuth, Eyeball, and Jasper really pushed it to the top for me.

Steven's Dream: The Zoo arc starts with a bang as Steven and Greg go on a trip to Korea to solve a mystery surrounding a dream he had. Just like in Same Old World, I love to see the characters leave Beach City for a bit, but the best part was when Greg meets Blue Diamond and sympathizes with her only to get abducted in a painful cliffhanger.

That Will Be All: The Zoo arc ended on a pretty fantastic and satisfying note with That Will Be All. For starters, we got to spend some time with Yellow and Blue Diamond, finally getting the chance to learn more about the two major antagonists. But also, the final sequence where the Crystal Gems escape the Zoo and humiliate Agate in the process is incredibly cathartic.

Storm In The Room: This was a really dark and intense episode that served as a strong epilogue to the Zoo arc. Steven's frustration towards his mom really comes to a head here, culminating in a fantastic and emotional scene where he calls her (or at least an image of her) out.

I Am My Mom: Even the weaker seasons of Steven Universe have fantastic season finales, and this one is hands down one of the best and most intense yet. Aquamarine is a fantastic villain. She's terrifying, sadistic, and brutal. I love that such a random moment in Marble Madness ends up becoming really important to the plot. Steven letting himself be taken to Homeworld is not only a fantastic cliffhanger but shows him finally trying to fix the problems he and his mom caused, and I love seeing Lars finally start to face consequences for his cowardliness. And overall, it was great to see the Beach City folk take part in the finale's major conflict and I hope Lars being taken to space means this shift will continue into Season 5.

Overall, I enjoyed Season 4 of Steven Universe, as it contains some strong individual episodes, a great finale, and a fun Zoo arc in the middle of the season. However, it also suffers from a lack of direction, and the fact that the series feels like it's stopped trying to better manage its time.

3/5 Stars

Daredevil (Season 2)

Coming after the really solid first season, Daredevil's second outing is a bit more uneven. It's definitely an improvement, with both higher high points and lower low points.

The first four episodes of Daredevil's second season is some of the best stuff the series has to offer. The season starts with the introduction of Frank Castle (also known as the iconic anti-villain Punisher), and he is just amazing. He works as both a fascinating and morally complex character on his own right, and as an antagonist that shows what Matt could have been like if he did slaughter criminals. The conflict between Daredevil and the Punisher is gripping, juggling both fantastic action that tops most of the stuff from Season 1 as well as compelling moral dilemma. There's an episode that's almost entirely the two having a mature conversation, and it is some of the most gripping material in the entire series. Jon Bernthal's performance is also one of the show's best, he embodies Punisher so well. Even more, since the arc is only four episodes long, it's also incredibly well-paced. Daredevil's second season actually has three arcs, which makes for the most brisk pacing out of any Marvel Netflix show, let alone just Daredevil. 

However, once the Punisher arc ends, the season can't quit reach that same high point. The second arc revolves around Elektra, and the third revolves around The Hand, both of which are antagonists that aren't nearly as interesting or charismatic as Kingpin or Punisher. Elektra is an iconic villain, but she lacks the chemistry with Charlie Cox that makes her plot essential. And while The Hand sounds cool in theory, a simple gang of ninjas just seems a bit too lacking in depth for a show built on these grounded and complex conflicts. It leads to a pretty average rest of the season, at least if it weren't for the fact that the characters remain incredibly gripping. Frank Castle is still a major player in the rest of Season 2, as he gets put on trial, sent to prison, and comes face to face with Kingpin. Additionally, Karen gets a lot more focus this season as she plays a pretty proactive role throughout, and the finale where she learns about Daredevil's true identity. As a whole, I think the finale does a good job at bringing the three arcs together to end the season on a satisfying note, which helps make the season feel a bit less disjointed.

At its best, this season has a ton of absolutely fantastic episodes:

New York's Finest: This was the aforementioned "conversation episode" and it really is as great as I hyped it up to be. New York's Finest is impeccably written and acted, and makes me kinda want more superhero stories where the hero and villain just discuss morality for a bit. It's not all talk though, the episode also ends with the season's big long take as Daredevil escapes the building where the Punisher imprisoned him. It's not as good as the Cut Man fight, but still easily one of the best in the series. 

Penny And Dime: This is a nearly perfect end to the Punisher arc that starts off Season 2. The scene where Castle reveals his backstory to Matt is phenomenal, easily the best showcase of Jon Bernthal's acting in the whole season. But even outside of that, Penny And Dime boasts some great fight scenes, brutal sequences, and the first appearance of Elektra.

Seven Minutes In Heaven: In the middle of the Elektra/Hand arcs, we get this fantastic gem of an episode that finally brings back Kingpin. It's great to see Fisk back, and his scene with Punisher is absolutely electric, but the true highlight of the episode is the brutal prison fight that manages to usurp the season's long take fight as my favorite of the season.

A Cold Day In Hell's Kitchen: While the final battle with the Hand isn't quite as satisfying as the one with Fisk last season, this is still a great finale that does a lot more to change the status quo than the previous one did. If you take Daredevil as a trilogy, this is very much the "Empire Strikes Back" ending. Elektra dies, Castle fully becomes the Punisher, The Hand is still around, and biggest of all, we get that amazing cliffhanger where Karen learns Matt is Daredevil

Overall, I'm a bit stuck on the general quality of Daredevil's second season. Its first third is nearly flawless, the final two episodes are great too, and there are some really solid episodes around the middle, but when the Elektra and The Hand stuff is as bland as it is, can I really say that this season is better for the first? Personally, I think it's better than the sum of its parts, and the first four episodes alone make the season more than worth watching.

4/5 Stars

Steven Universe (Season 3)

Even on its third season, Steven Universe really feels like it's trying to improve on itself, take risks, and go beyond most children's shows. While this season is a lot more uneven than than previous one, it's hard to fault the crew for trying.

Season 3 of Steven Universe is primarily about Jasper, an antagonist who was also introduced back in Season 1. After finally being separated from Lapis in the season premiere, Jasper looms over most of the season like a spectre, frequently popping up around the second half collecting corrupted gems. She's a much different threat compared to Peridot and The Cluster, being less of a looming danger and more of a dangerous force out in the wild, but manages to result in a fantastic payoff in the final few episodes. Jasper doesn't even show up too much, but her sheer presence leads to the season's big subplots, all of which are great. Amethyst's self-confidence issues compared to Jasper is some of her best material yet, the Ruby Squad who wants to retrieve her are hilarious and memorable antagonists, Steven's philosophy on forgiveness getting repeatedly tested, and best of all, Lapis dealing with the trauma of being trapped in Malechite with her. Lapis easily became one of my favorite characters, she's a realistic and complex depiction of PTSD and depression, and her sweet dynamic with Peridot is just adorable. If only she appeared a bit more often, though.

On an episodic level, this is by far the most experimental season of Steven Universe. Not all of these experiments paid off, but I'm glad the writers tried to keep things varied and interesting. At its best, we got an adorable Initial D homage, one of the most brilliantly bizarre season premieres I've ever seen, and a musical episode that would've been an easy highlight if it wasn't too short. At its most mixed, Season 3 also started to deal with some really complex and dark themes in episodes like The New Lars (consent), Alone At Sea (abusive relationships), and Bismuth (violence), all of which ended up becoming some of the most divisive in the series. And at its worse, we got a long stretch of Beach City episodes with pretty much no plot direction. Season 2 did a great job of sprinkling in those more low-key episodes throughout and struck a nice balance, but having eight entirely standalone episodes in a row really messes up the pacing. Thankfully, it does at least lead to a second half to the season that's pretty much nonstop plot and twists.

At its best, this season had plenty of fantastic episodes:

Same Old World: With Lapis freed from Malechite, we can finally start to delve into her backstory a bit. Same Old World does a great job of introducing Lapis's character arc, about adjusting to Earth and dealing with literally thousands of years worth of trauma. I love how supportive Steven is being here, and it was really cool to see Earth locations other than Beach City for once.

Hit The Diamond: This was a hysterical end to the season's strong opening arc. There's always something charming about episodes where the cast has to play baseball against an opposing team (DS9 had a great one too), but the decision to revolve the issue of the Ruby Squad with a sports game was just genius. Between Ruby and Sapphire's inability to keep their hands off each other, Lapis's sheer apathy, and the Ruby Squad being idiots, Hit The Diamond is easily one of the show's funniest episodes.

Monster Reunion: Centipeetle really is one of the best and most tragic characters in the series, isn't she? I definitely didn't expect to get a full-on backstory for what was previously just Steven's pet, but it gives her a lot more depth and leads to a really powerful ending.

Alone At Sea: Alone At Sea is another great Lapis episode that takes a really big risk. The show could have easily took the easy route by leaving Malechite as a badass heroic sacrifice, but Alone At Sea not only depicts the fusion as an abusive relationship, said relationship isn't entirely one-sided. Lapis is shown in a pretty unflattering light here, and both her and Jasper spend the episode dealing with some pretty rough Stockholm Syndrome. Alone At Sea hammers it home that Malechite is beyond unhealthy, which is why it's super powerful to see Lapis say "no" to Jasper and hopefully end the cycle of abuse.

Earthlings: This was easily the most intense episode of the show to date, with a great blend of humor, drama, and shocking twists. Steven finally fuses with a Crystal Gem, the badass Smoky Quartz is introduced, Pink Diamond is name-dropped, Jasper gets corrupted and bubbled, and the Ruby Squad has returned. It's insane how much was compressed into these 11 minutes.

Back To The Moon: This episode was incredibly funny, until it wasn't. Much of it had Amethyst pretend to be Jasper in an attempt to drive the Ruby Squad away, which not only led to a ton of fun jokes but a satisfying end to her character arc. However, the reveal that Rose shattered Pink Diamond and the cliffhanger where Steven gets sucked into space works as a great set-up for the finale. 

Bubbled: Bet you didn't expect this one to be a highlight. Given how much I ramble about season finales, you'd think an episode about Steven floating around in a bubble would be a very disappointing ending to Season 3. Instead, I think it's tense, emotional, and a perfect encapsulation of the season's themes. Bubbled lets Steven cope with the Rose reveal, and the fact that he can't redeem everyone. The moments of silence as Steven floats in space are eerie, Eyeball is a legitimately terrifying villain, and the ending where Steven reunites with the Crystal Gems is just beautiful. Somehow, I found myself loving this finale.

Overall, Season 3 does a good job continuing the myth arc and developing the main characters, but it also takes a lot of risks with its episodes that don't always pay off. At its best, though, this season of Steven Universe is challenging and manages to stick the landing in spectacular fashion.

4/5 Stars

Steven Universe (Season 2)

While I definitely enjoyed the first season of Steven Universe, it definitely had some growing pains, especially with its pacing. Season 2, on the other hand, is a massive improvement, and is far more confident to boot.

Season 2 is primarily about the redemption of Peridot, who was the main antagonist of the previous season. When Peridot got stuck on Earth during the Season 1 finale, she reveals that there's an apocalyptic geo-weapon buried in the center of the Earth that can destroy everyone, including herself. While much of the season has the Crystal Gems and Peridot fight with each other, they eventually team up to stop the Cluster from destroying the world. Peridot's development this season is fantastic, watching her slowly get along with the Crystal Gems and adjust to Earth is really fun, and the penultimate episode has her finish her redemption in a satisfying and surprising way. The Cluster is an imposing threat, especially knowing that it could get bad pretty much any second.

Season 2 has a lot more serialization than the first, with nearly every episode having some sort of major impact on the overall plot and plenty of subplots, like Pearl and Garnet having an argument that spans several episodes. As a whole, the pacing is a lot stronger both on an episodic and season-wide level. It hardly ever felt like the episodes ended abruptly anymore, and there's a nice amount of light-hearted and standalone breather episodes to break up the main story arc without any of them feeling aimless. However, I don't think the season quite sticks the landing. While the penultimate episode is fantastic and a strong end to Peridot's arc, the actual finale is pretty standalone and doesn't resolve the other major plot threads like the Cluster and Lapis being trapped underwater. Considering Season 3 starts by immediately resolved both, it's odd that the writers chose the ending they did.

With a much stronger overall quality, this season had a lot of fantastic episodes:

Sworn To The Sword: This episode feels like a blend between Steven The Sword Fighter and Rose's Scabbard, but it's so much better than both of them. I love the main theme of how Steven and Connie are equals and not sidekicks for each other, the sword fights are fun, the musical numbers are fantastic, and Pearl gets some great development.

We Need To Talk: Alien-human interspecies relationships aren't entirely rare in fiction, but the species difference tends to be hand-waved over in favor of "they just love each other". So it was really fascinating to see Greg and Rose deal with the fact that the former isn't a gem, most likely can't fuse, and fears that Rose is just using him.

Friend Ship: The "Week Of Sardonyx" was a solid story arc about Garnet getting pissed at Pearl for using her to fuse, but Friend Ship was the big finale to the arc, showing the two gems finally make up and get over their issues. It's funny, heartwarming, and just plain satisfying.

Catch And Release: The big turning point of the season, Catch And Release has the Crystal Gems finally take down Peridot and lock her in their bathroom. Between the introduction of the Cluster, Steven's predictable compassion towards Peridot, the dark atmosphere, and Peridot just being a hilarious gremlin, this episode has a lot to like.

The Answer: This episode could have just been a standard flashback episode about how Ruby and Sapphire met, but the presentation elevates so much. The Utena-esque shadow people (this show really likes Utena, doesn't it?), the beautiful fantastical visuals, it's like a gay fairy tale and I love it.

Message Received: Great and lovable Peridot, indeed. This was a fantastic cap to her redemption arc because the events of this episode were entirely her decision. Peridot decided to contact Yellow Diamond to ask her to spare Earth only to call her a clod when she decided to leave Earth to die. Even when everyone thought she was going to betray them, Peridot did what was right, and that's why everyone forgave her. 

Overall, outside of an unsatisfying finale, Season 2 was another big improvement for the season, with stronger pacing, a great central story arc, and plenty of great episodes. 

4/5 Stars

Bomberman Jetters

So, here's a review that might seem a bit out of left field. Bomberman Jetters is an obscure anime that only released in Japan and is based on one of the most controversial games in a video game series that, while one of my personal favorites, isn't really talked about all that much. It really does seem odd that I'd suddenly decide to review such a show. It's even more odd that said show is actually really good. It's funny, charming, surprisingly dark and emotional at points, and really well-paced. While still not Arcane levels of amazing, believe it or not, Bomberman Jetters might just be one of my favorite video game adaptations to date.

Bomberman Jetters is about White Bomber (who I'll stick to calling Shirobon), that main protagonist you see on the cover of every Bomberman game. His brother Mighty is part of this intergalactic force called the Jetters, who travel around the galaxy trying to stop the criminal Mujoe and his clan of cute bandits called the Higehige. However, in the second episode, Mighty disappears, so Shirobon decides to join the Jetters to try and find him. Seems like a basic premise for a kids anime not unlike Pokemon or something, but there's the added wrinkle of Shirobon being an inexperienced and immature little kid who kinda messes stuff up for the rest of the Jetters. Right from the get-go, there's this great character arc established for Shirobon as he grows up, learns how to master his "bombing powers", and becomes a great asset to the Jetters, making for a really compelling protagonist. I ended up loving the whole cast though, and they all have a strong rapport with each other. Gangu is hilarious, Bongo's a total sweetheart, Birdy gets some of the most powerful moments in the anime, Louie/Rui is adorable, and Shout's bickering with Shirobon is always a treat. Even the side characters are great, especially Misty, who somehow managed to be one of the most fascinating members of the cast despite her limited screentime.

That leads to the first pleasantly surprising thing about Bomberman Jetters, it's actually really funny. While the anime has its weird elements like Bomberman's vaguely defined powers, the fact that there's pretty much just one of every item in the universe, and the bizarre Bomber designs, Jetters approaches all of it with a nice sense of self-awareness. The main cast constantly trades snark with each other, Shirobon and some of the baddies make some hilariously idiotic mistakes that fall perfectly in line with their character, and tropes and expectations are subverted in some pretty hilarious ways. I think a moment that really sold me on the series was in the third episode, where the big fight scene starts and Shirobon needs some time to charge up his bomb. So what does the bad guys do? They just sit around and play cards until Shirobon's attack is ready. There's definitely an "abridged series vibe" to Jetters that I'm definitely a big fan of, but it also never goes too far as to mess up the emotional moments either. 

Speaking of which, the next pleasantly surprising thing about Bomberman Jetters is that it's surprisingly emotional. While much of the show is fairly lighthearted, it's not afraid to get genuinely dark, angsty, and plot-heavy. The seeds are planted with the debut of the robotic Max as a major antagonist, as well as a team of Bombermen for Shirobon to take down, but the biggest turning point is halfway through the series where it's revealed that Mighty didn't disappear... he died. This transforms Jetters into a series dealing with grief, as pretty much the entire cast is forced to cope with Mighty's death in different ways. It also makes Jetters substantially more serialized, with plot twists that completely recontextualize the series, genuinely emotional sequences, and a final third that completely drops any episodic structure for a shockingly well thought-out series of twists that fit into the earlier episodes like puzzle pieces. I'll admit it takes some time to get there, but by the emotional end of Jetters, I was left feeling incredibly satisfied.

While most of this review has been pretty positive, I do still have a few problems with Jetters. While I think the pacing is generally pretty good and we don't go too long without some major plot progression, this is still a 52-episode-long anime that naturally has some low stakes episodes where not all that much happens. As much as I hate the term, they can be a bit "filler-y", especially when the plot kicks in later on in the series (looking at you, Episode 36). And while it's still fairly entertaining, the first third of the series does boast some pretty bland and unoriginal storylines, most notably the one where the Jetters have to return an elephant to his mother (a very stock kid's show plot). The show also does suffer from some standard anime tropes that I'm not the biggest fan of, like fight scenes that have a lot of standing around, reused footage of attacks, lots and lots of flashbacks, and most irritating of all, the characters constantly screaming each other's names ("Birdy!" "Max!" "Birdy!" "Max...").

As for the production, it's alright. The animation isn't super impressive or detailed, but the character designs are cute and expressive, and there are admittedly some really cool fight scenes. It definitely looks better than most of Deen's stuff from that era. The voice casting is also pretty good, especially when it comes to the comedic material. Characters like Mujoe and Mechadoc really get the chance to ham it up in the best way possible. But the best voice performance is definitely for Shirobon himself, who's played by Tomoko Kaneda (Chiyo-chan from Azumanga Daioh). She's able to channel Chiyo in the comedic moments, but is also able to do an amazing job with the darker and more emotional moments as well. The background music is pretty solid too. It's fairly standard anime music fare and gets a bit repetitive at times, but it's catchy enough and fits the scenes well... except for one particular piece that sounds almost exactly like the Seinfeld theme. I don't know how the hell that managed to make it into the anime, but it sure is bizarre.

With a total of 52 episodes, expect a lot of episodes in the highlights section:

White Bomber's Defeat (ep13): While there are some signs of greatness in the early episodes like the first appearances of Max and Misty, I think this was the first huge boost in quality for Jetters. Aside from the episode's title spoiling the big twist, it was pretty impactful to see Shirobon's misplaced confidence actually have consequences, and Mujoe finally starts to feel like a more intimidating villain in this episode. The introduction of the Bomber Shitennou is also the point where the anime gets a lot more serialized.

The Glorious Hige Hige Bandits (ep14): This was definitely one of Jetters' best comedic episodes. It's pretty much a fake documentary of the Higehige clan by the Higehige clan, and it's chock full of hilarious sketches, Higehige propaganda, and clever gags (the best being Shirobon being replaced in the credits with a Higehige). It's a great showcase of the series' offbeat style of humor, and works especially well as a breather right when Jetters starts to get more plot-heavy. 

White Bomber Returns (ep16): Ending the minor story arc started in Episode 13, White Bomber Returns is a bit of a training episode as Shirobon goes through a bunch of challenges to finally start improving his skills, and it culminates in him beating Flame Bomber in a spectacular rematch.

Shout's Tears (ep23): This was an uncharacteristically subdued episode of the series. There was no fighting or adventuring, and almost the whole thing focused on just the Jetters and no one else. It's also one of my favorites in the series, sandwiching a legitimately really funny storyline about the Jetters trying to cheer Shout up between two massive gut punches at the start and end of the episode (not unlike Tabula Rasa, one of my favorite Buffy episodes). The reveal that Mighty was dead all along is a massive turning point in the series.

Electric Thunder Bomber (ep24): If Shout's Tears wasn't sad enough, Lightning Thunder Bomber is one of the bleakest episodes in the whole anime (along with Episode 25). While Shirobon sneaking into the Higehige Clan is a bit funny, most of this episode has him struggling with the denial that Mighty is dead, made even worse when Max reveals he killed him. Add in Shout resigning and revealing her mom died in the Bomberman equivalent of the Titanic, and Thunder Bomber wanting revenge for the rest of the Shittenou, and you get a heartbreaking episode about dealing with grief.

We, The Jetters (ep26): Ending the first half of the series on a big note, We, The Jetters boasts great showcases of teamwork between the titular team, a bombastic final battle with Max, an emotional reunion for Shout and Shirobon, and a intriguing cliffhanger hinting at Zero. I think this would've been the perfect moment for Shirobon to get a bomb star, but otherwise I thought this episode was great, and at least we got to see the face of Shout's dad.

B-1 Tournament Arc (ep34-35): This story arc was incredibly fun on so many levels. It was a great way to bring the entire cast together for a funny and action-packed tournament, even managing to bring back all the Bomber characters from early on in the show. While the moments where Shirobon get a bomb star can seem a bit random at times, I think he really did earn it here. This is also one of the last truly comedic episodes of the series, shown by Episode 35's bleak cliffhanger.

The Suspicious Health Checkup/A Coup d'etat Erupts (ep39-40): These two episodes are absolutely insane, and permanently change the tone and structure of the series. First we learn that those times Birdy didn't come alone the Jetters' missions were because he was looking into Mechadoc. Then we learn Mechadoc has been the real villain all along. And finally, we watch as Mechadoc brainwashes the entire Higehige clan, kicks Mujoe out, and puts Bagura in prison. It's such a shocking twist that marks the point where Jetters becomes fully serialized.

Rebirth Of The Dark Higehige Bandits (ep41): While it's pretty easy to pick up on, this episode forms another massive turning point as we learn that Zero is Mighty, or at least he has Mighty's memories. It's a fantastic twist that puts everything his character does into context, and makes such a massive impact that the OP permanently switches following this episode.

Head On Collision?! Planet Jetters (ep48): I think the Jetters learning Zero is Mighty was handled a bit sloppily, but this episode managed to balance a massive world-ending threat with Shirobon reckoning with the fact that his brother is potentially alive. His reaction to Zero revealing that he was the same MA model that killed Mighty is mature and cathartic, showing just how far he's come since the first episode.

Planet Jetters' Last Day (ep51): Easily one of the biggest and most climactic episodes of the series, the big final battle with Dark Force Bomber is spectacular and gives Shirobon yet another chance to show off his development. However, the big emotional punch comes in the ending where Zero reveals Max injected his data into him, and that he's going to have to die. 

Keep Going, Jetters (ep52): While the way Shirobon stops the two planets from colliding is a bit confusing and the seventh bomb star stuff is a bit of a cop-out, I don't think that's entirely the point of this finale. Keep Going, Jetters is an emotional final episode of the anime that focuses on giving all of the characters a truly satisfying ending, and it absolutely works. Outside of Zero's heartbreaking death, Shout and Shirobon finally deal with their grief, Misty presumably joins the Jetters, and everything is pretty much back to normal. An incredibly sweet series finale.

Overall, while it does fall for some of the formula's trappings and doesn't boast outstanding animation, Bomberman Jetters makes it clear it's not just a simple kid's show nor a simple video game adaptation. Its narrative is twisty and well thought-out, the characters are lovable, the comedy is sharp and witty, the emotional moments hit hard, and it does a fantastic job of dealing with its themes of grief.

4/5 Stars

Steven Universe (Season 1B)

As mentioned in my previous review, this is the second half of Season 1, and is thus a lot stronger than the prior half. It's a bit more serious, a lot more fun, and definitely has a stronger grasp on its characters.

Despite still being a part of the show's first season, Season 1B of Steven Universe does have an entirely new central storyline about a Homeworld gem named Peridot looking into Earth and the Crystal Gems. There's a great sense of dread to this storyline, as many of the Crystal Gems are just counting down the days until they're found and Earth has another Gem war. This storyline doesn't get too many episodes, but it's enough to establish Peridot as a cold antagonist. In addition, we also get some more additions to the lore, like the reveal of a few more fusions, and a lot more episodes that delve into the backstory of the Crystal Gems. Steven is a lot less annoying and a much more likable protagonist, with the finale showing how much he's subtly grown since the first episode, and the general episode quality definitely took a step up.

There's definitely a much stronger sense of confidence in Season 1B. From the big artstyle shifts in episodes like Garnet's Universe, to the stronger focus on emotion in episodes like Lion 3 and On The Run. The animation, while still at times inconsistent, also looks way nicer and more lush. However, while this season was generally an improvement, I still have some problems with the series, most notably the episode lengths. I think a show can tell strong and fleshed-out stories in an 11-minute time span. Infinity Train is probably the best case of this, never feeling rushed despite its short length. However, I think Steven Universe can feel a bit pressed for time with some of its episodes, with episodes ending on a pretty abrupt note that leave me thinking "that's it?". It's not a massive issue and I don't think the series needs to extend its episodes, it just needs to manage its time a bit more effectively.

With a much stronger season comes a lot more great episodes:

Garnet's Universe: While not having anything to do with the overall plot, Garnet's Universe is an adorable love letter to shonen anime with charming animation and a general sense of fun. One could argue that it's a filler episode but it's hard to really care it's just so damn entertaining.

Lion 3/On The Run/Rose's Scabbard: I'm grouping these episodes together because they all try to accomplish a set of goals. They give us more info on Rose Quartz and the gems as a whole, and they want to make you cry. All three of these episodes are emotional impactful, from Sadie and Steven watching the tape of Rose, to Amethyst's heartwrenching backstory, to Pearl's complete and utter breakdown. These are all some of the best episodes the season has to offer.

Alone Together: This is an odd episode, as it doesn't really have much of a conflict outside of Stevonnie briefly getting hit on. Steven and Connie fuse, they run around a bit, go to a rave, and then split apart. But despite its simplicity, Alone Together is also just groundbreaking. Stevonnie isn't just one of the first nonbinary characters in a cartoon, but in TV period. The whole episode just exudes queerness, and it knows this. Alone Together is a joyous and powerful episode and I couldn't be more happy it exists.

The Test: While this could have just been a standard "protagonist goes through challenges to prove themselves" episode, The Test does three things that really made it one of my favorites of the season. First, it brings back the events of Cheeseburger Backpack and reveals that they were a test, which does actually make more sense in retrospect. Second, it reveals that the Crystal Gems know they don't actually know how to be parents to Steven, a fact that I never thought the show would bring up, especially not this early. And finally, it has a hysterical Evangelion reference that is by far the funniest joke in the season. 

The Return/Jail Break: This was a great finale. The Return is a dark and tense episode as Peridot's ship looms, but Jail Break is far and away the best episode of Steven Universe to date, and it's not even close. It puts the characters in a new and uncomfortable situation, it has the fantastic reveal that Garnet is the fusion of two gay gems, it has the show's best fight set to its best musical number so far, and it ends on a dramatic and personal final confrontation that left me stunned. This is how you do a finale, even with its short length, Jail Break is impressive on so many levels.

Overall, while still not incredibly well-paced, Season 1B shows Steven Universe continue to improve, with a solid main storyline, plenty of great lore stuff, some creative episodes, and a fantastic finale.

3/5 Stars

On Filler (And Long Seasons As A Whole)

I've written about this in a lot of my reviews, but I did want to compile my general opinions on the matter in a single post so I don't have to constantly reiterate it whenever the topic comes up. I don't like the term "filler", or at least how it's been used lately. I constantly see the term used to describe episodes that don't contribute to the overall plot, episodes that the viewers don't like, and even episodes that do contribute to the plot but aren't those big "Wham episodes" that really push the story forward. And look, I get that. I love big plot developments and climactic season finales as much as the next person, but they wouldn't be nearly as impactful if the show didn't have any room to breathe. And with TV seasons being so much shorter nowadays, it really feels like the medium is losing that breathing room that really makes it special.

So what really is filler? For me, it's when a TV show is blatantly padding itself out for one reason or another. It's most obvious in the case of an anime, especially when it's adapted from a manga. If an anime caught up to the manga it's adapting, or just started an entirely original arc, that's probably filler. In the case of live-action TV, the necessity for filler is usually warranted by a lack of budget. That's how we get stuff like clip shows and bottle episodes. And then there's the weird cases, like the first season of 24, which was originally intended on having 13 episodes before ultimately getting the full 24. It's pretty obvious the showrunners needed to find ways to extend the season's conflict, which is why we ended up getting that godawful amnesia plot. Still, this doesn't technically mean that filler can be bad, per se. For every TNG's Shades Of Grey, there's also a Breaking Bad's Fly, an episode that uses the show's limitations to great effect and is so gripping and well-shot that I tend to forget it mostly takes place in a single room.

Addendum: Sailor Moon had an entire filler arc in the Makai Tree arc, 13 straight episodes of anime-exclusive content. However, the fact that it is filler doesn't make it bad, it's still a really solid streak of episodes with fun villains, creative episode premises, and some of the best utilization of the side cast.

However, I absolutely do not think that just any episode that doesn't have any big plot developments can be classified as a filler. The term filler implies that the reasoning for an episode to be made is to pad out a show or season, so the only real way to know if an episode is "filler" would be to look at the production behind it. But I think my biggest issue with the term is that it's used derogatorily, as if to describe any episode that the viewer doesn't think is good enough. Once again, I love big plot-heavy episodes but episodes that don't progress the plot all that much still have a very important place in TV. The existence of these types of episodes allow more chances to flesh out the characters and the show's world itself. For example, I love it when TV shows start off episodic but slowly get more serialized over time. I wouldn't get as attached to the plot stuff if I didn't have all those standalone episodes to get attached to the cast and learn more about the world.

But most importantly, standalone episodes like these gives the cast and crew a chance to experiment, which usually leads to some of the best episodes in all of television. For example, Avatar's Tales Of Ba Sing Se and The Ember Island Players are some of my favorites in the series despite being almost entirely standalone, with the former especially being one of the most beloved by fans. The X-Files' Monster Of The Week episodes are often considered to be even better than the Myth Arc episodes. Not to mention Buffy's Dopplegangland, Psych's Last Night Gus, Farscape's A Constellation Of Doubt, Fringe's White Tulip, and of course, The Sopranos's Pine Barrens (often considered to be one of the best episodes of TV period). An episode not progressing the plot doesn't make it bad at all, it lets the crew develop the characters and experiment a bit. I've seen some people describe these as "good filler" but, I'm sorry, that just doesn't make sense!

Still, those are all legitimately great episodes. What if an episode doesn't progress the plot and I don't like it? Well, I still wouldn't call it filler. I'd just call it a bad episode. For example, the Ronaldo episodes in Steven Universe suck, but it's not because they tend to not progress the overall story, it's because they focus around an unlikable character (I actually really like most of the Beach City episodes, by the way). Passing off every episode you don't like as filler feels like an easy way to undercut any genuinely interesting and productive discussion on the quality of an episode. Since I'm probably in the minority when it comes to this topic, TV seasons have gotten a lot shorter, with many being around 6-10 episodes nowadays. And honestly, I kinda hate that. Sure, now every episode develops the overall plot and the pacing is usually really tight, but I feel like we're losing a core part of what I love about TV. And that's being able to invest a lot of time in a show's world and the characters that inhabit it. These "filler episodes" can help me learn more about characters I previously didn't like or found under-developed, they can let the writers take risks and do things that they wouldn't be able to with just a few episodes, and they feel like an integral part of their respective shows regardless. Shows like Star Trek, Buffy, The X-Files, Farscape, Agents Of Shield, and Person Of Interest wouldn't be what they are without their Monster Of The Week episodes, I don't even think I'd love them as much.

Once again, there are definitely many cases where the showrunners have to pad out a season due to concerns over a lack of budgeting, adaptation of the source material, or an obligation to reach a certain amount of episodes per season. But calling every episode that doesn't progress the story a "filler" episode implies the cast and crew didn't put the same effort and care into it that they put into any other episode, that it's a throwaway they had to do out of obligation rather than an artistic choice, which is rarely actually the case. Maybe they wanted to develop the characters, do something different, or just give the show time to breathe. And if you still don't like an episode beyond it not having any plot progression, then just explain why it's bad. As for me, I'll continue to watch every episode and take them all as they are, regardless of whether or not they have a big impact on the plot.

Steven Universe (Season 1A)

I've been wanting to watch Steven Universe for quite some time given how much of an impact it's made. Apparently it's had a bit of a shaky airing schedule, so being able to binge-watch it should help me be able to see it as it was intended. And speaking of intention, while Season 1 is composed of 52 episodes, it's actually split into two parts. So I'm going to review both halves in their own reviews, starting with the simpler (and weaker) Season 1A.

Steven Universe is a show about the titular kid living with a bunch of anthropomorphic gems called the Crystal Gems, who try to protect the Earth by stopping these monsters. Since his mom was a gem, Steven potentially has powers like all the other Crystal Gems, but until he can reliably use them, he spends the season mostly causing trouble for his friends. Believe it or not, I actually think Steven is the weakest part of Season 1A, at least for most of it. While his compassion is admirable, he feels a lot like the "obnoxious Cartoon Network protagonist", not quite meshing well with the more serious Crystal Gems and more quirky residents of Beach City. It doesn't help that the show is centered around Steven, meaning that there are plenty of episodes where it feels like the other characters are doing way more interesting stuff but we have to focus on Steven lounging around the house or goofing off. There are a bunch of just weird aimless episodes, and they tend to be the ones that focus exclusively on Steven. If you add in the fact that it takes some time for his voice actor to truly figure out his voice, it all just doesn't really make the best first impression.

Thankfully, the rest of the cast is great. The Crystal Gems are all incredibly interesting and likable in their own ways. Amethyst's chaotic energy is so fun to watch, Pearl plays off of pretty much every character really well, and Garnet... is just so damn stylish. I was also surprised at how much I liked the humans who live in Beach City as well. Steven's dad Greg is a pretty big sweetheart, Connie is a fantastic side character especially as she learns more about the Gems and magic, and the banter between Lars and Sadie is some of the sharpest writing in the show. And thankfully, Steven's character does improve throughout the season along with the general quality, his voice sounds less grating, and it really feels like he grows by the finale. But probably the most fascinating thing about this season is the slowly unveiling lore about the Crystal Gems, most notably when we learn about fusions and what happens when gems die. However, these moments are still fairly few and far between, and the show never fully picks up until the finale. Apparently Season 1A was meant to be the prologue and that the show really starts with Mirror Gem, but I don't know, it shouldn't take 26 episodes for a show to "get started". Just to briefly talk about the production as well, Steven Universe's art direction is really clean and expressive, though the characters can look pretty derpy at times. And the music is absolutely fantastic.

This season does have some notably episodes, however, especially at the end:

Steven The Sword-Fighter: Steven The Sword-Fighter felt like a standard "combat training" episode for much of its first half, and then Pearl gets stabbed and the tone suddenly gets a lot darker. The sword fights are also really great. This show wears its Utena inspirations on its sleeve, but it's especially neat to see some shots recreated here.

Monster Buddies: While it's mostly a standard "protagonist gets a pet" episode, there's definitely something really impactful about getting to see the main antagonist of Episode 1 be recontextualized as an adorable acid-spitting puppy. The bait-and-switch at the end was also a massive gut punch, even though not every episode has ended on a happy note yet, I did not think the Centipeetle would get stabbed by an icicle.

Mirror Gem/Ocean Gem: I'm pleasantly surprised by how well-crafted this whole season has been, and this two-part finale is easily the best episode of the bunch. It's packed with big lore reveals, from Lapis's debut, to the reveal of Garnet's eyes, to the show's scope expanding to outer space, but the biggest shock was the fact that all the monsters the Gems have been taking were corrupted gems. Lapis is an interesting antagonist with a compelling motivation, the big fight scene is cool especially once Steven gets his shield, and the shift in tone is incredibly effective.

Overall, Steven Universe's first half of its first season is an incredibly slow start for the series and it takes some time to really get a grip on Steven's character, but the side cast is fantastic, the lore is interesting, and the finale is one of those types that makes the whole season better in retrospect.

2/5 Stars

Cobra Kai (Season 4)

In my last review of Cobra Kai, I lamented the show's transformation from a loving homage to the original trilogy and 80s sports movies as a whole mixed with the exploration of characters who are stuck in the past, to a melodramatic teen drama about karate gang wars with action scenes that feel like they'd fit in the Scott Pilgrim movie if they weren't so lacking in self-awareness. While Season 4 does bring the focus back to preparing for a tournament, it still keeps the "over the top" factor that has made the series so tiring.

On a basic structural level, Cobra Kai's fourth season worked great. The decision to focus the whole season on preparing for a big tournament was a good one, as it gave the series a direction. There was a lot of great training montages and sequences focused on the tense build-up towards the All-Valley Tournament. Best of all, the fact that the characters were mostly focusing on the tournament meant that there were hardly any forced fight scenes with Cobra Kai (prom fight excluding), which is very much a good thing. I also really liked seeing Johnny and Daniel try to get along in the first few episodes, particularly when they were trying to learn each other's fighting styles. It really emphasizes how they're two sides of the same coin and if they can unite, they can easily destroy Cobra Kai (which makes it a shame they broke it off, but that's for later). And of course, the big tournament at the end of the season was once again spectacular, and the decision to split it up into two episodes made sure nothing felt rushed or underdeveloped.

However, this is Cobra Kai, and there are still a lot of things that held this season back for me. There's smaller stuff like Miguel's lack of focus and the baffling tone shifts whenever Kenny is on screen, but probably the worst decision this season made was to not have Johnny and Daniel stay working together for the whole season. Sure, we get the "long-awaited rematch" between the two, but at this point in the series, I don't want a rematch anymore. I want them to get over their issues and start working together. It feels like Cobra Kai stretching the series out, especially considering that the All-Valley Tournament could have been a perfect way for the show to end things. It's also frustrating how petty the reasoning for their split was to begin with, which is honestly a problem I had with a lot of the major conflicts this season like Robby's utter refusal to listen to anyone's warnings about Cobra Kai, or Sam claiming that Tory's tragic home life is a "sob story". As a whole, I feel like Cobra Kai struggles at making me feel like any of these conflicts warrant being solved through dramatic fight scenes, karate gang wars, and giant tournaments. I can't help but feel like Amanda is one of the few really sympathetic characters, the only one that realizes just how stupid all of this really is. 

Even with my complaints, this season still nailed the final few episodes:

The Fall: Outside of that bizarre Carrie Underwood sequence, this was still a pretty great start to the season's tournament ending. It was exciting, dramatic, and everyone got a great chance to show off their skills. The cliffhanger where Miguel injures his back is also a shocking place to leave the episode off on.

The Rise: Cobra Kai continues to miraculously nail its finales, as this episode did a lot of really cool things. Hawk's great redemption arc ended on a fantastic note, Kenny's beatdown of Anthony was shocking, Chozen's appearance in the cliffhanger is exciting, and I like that Robby and Tory are finally started to be aware of the problems with Cobra Kai. There was still some weird soap-y elements like Kreese getting framed and Miguel leaving to find his father, but this was still a rewarding ending to the season.

Overall, this season of Cobra Kai did have a lot going for it. The tournament storyline was a nice way for the series to go back to basics, the finale is once again spectacular, and some of the redemption arcs were great. However, the series still struggles with cheesy fights, petty conflicts, a melodramatic and over-the-top tone, and the fact that it's starting to feel like it's stretching things out a bit.

2/5 Stars