The Sopranos (Season 2)

Following up one of the greatest (if not the greatest) debut seasons ever made would be a tough task, so Season 2 is the point where The Sopranos starts to experiment a bit, to slightly mixed results.

Season 2's arc revolves around Janice Soprano and Richie Aprile, both of which appear early on in the season and upend Tony's life. Janice is an especially great antagonist, easily one of the most lovably hatable characters in the series. She's toxic and manipulative under the guise of a loving sister, and does a great job at worsening the tensions between Tony and Livia. Meanwhile, Richie's entitlement to the role of capo makes for one of the show's stronger villains, and the penultimate episode does a great job at resolving the main conflict for both antagonists. The other major storyline of this season is about Sal (Pussy) being an FBI informant, something that Tony learns in the finale. While this type of storyline has been done many times over, Season 2 probably executes it the best as it emphasizes just how unavoidable Sal's death ended up being. The moment he became an informant, Sal was going to die at some point or another. While Janice and Richie are generally the more important storyline, I think Sal's death left a larger impact and definitely felt deserving of being a season finale. Season 2 also just introduces a bunch of important characters to the show, even if not all of them get their due. Furio and Bobby first appeared in Season 2, and Janice ends up reappearing a lot of times throughout the show.

However, in terms of episode quality, Season 2 felt a lot more uneven and inconsistent compared to the first. The show starts to experiment a lot with this season, and it doesn't always work out. On one hand, the Jon Favreau episode D-Girl is a ton of fun and the dream sequence finale Funhouse is one of the best and most creative episodes in the entire series. On the other hand, the Italy-centric Commendatori feels like it could have been one of my favorite episodes but it's just so unexciting, and The Happy Wanderer being nearly entirely about a poker game also felt somewhat dull. It doesn't help that both of those aforementioned episodes come near the start of the season, resulting in much slower start. I feel like Season 2 didn't quite know where it wanted to go at times, maybe since the first season ended things on a fairly concrete note. At times, it felt like the show was stalling until Chris got shot, kicking the plot into  high gear. Still, I don't want it to seem like I'm too harsh on this season. Even though it's my personal least favorite, there isn't a truly bad Sopranos season (except maybe 6A?, I'll get to that one). Season 2 is still a satisfying season with some soaring high points. Speaking of which...

At its best, the highlights of Season 2 rank up as some of the best in The Sopranos:

From Where To Eternity: While the episode where Chris gets shot was mostly just alright, it's the episode that deals with the aftermath that really got me. When Chris claims he briefly went to hell, it leaves the members of the family wondering if their crimes will result in them going to hell as well. It's such a thought-provoking concept that lets the cast be a bit introspective for a bit. 

The Knight In White Satin Armor: This episode ends the Richie/Janice storyline on a pretty shocking note, with Tony's plan to kill Richie stopped short by an argument that results in him dead anyway. It's a great twist, another instance of Tony being denied any sort of catharsis, and a pretty much permanent shift in tone for the series. Season 2 is one of the more light-hearted seasons, but from here on out, The Sopranos gets dark.

Funhouse: Similarly to Buffy's Restless, a large portion of this finale is devoted to dream sequences, all of which are shot strangely and stuffed with symbolism and foreshadowing that I can't even begin to unpack. It all builds to that aforementioned scene where Sal gets whacked, it's a sickening scene as you slowly realize the inevitability. Sal is stuck on a boat and there's nothing he can say or do to stay alive. Aside from that, Funhouse still works pretty well as a finale, with other big changes like Meadow's graduation and Chris becoming a made man. The Sopranos implements many dream sequences throughout its run, but Funhouse did it the best while still feeling like a satisfying and climactic finale.

Overall, Season 2 of The Sopranos really just boiled down to diminishing returns for me. It has a solid main storyline and some truly amazing and creative episodes, but it also has some shaky ideas and a slow start.

3/5 Stars

The Sopranos (Season 1)

With the announcement of The Many Saints Of Newark, a prequel to The Sopranos, I thought it would be time to finally review this influential series. There are so many amazing series like Breaking Bad and Mad Men that we just wouldn't have gotten if not for The Sopranos and its iconic villain protagonist (no, he's not an antihero!), but looking back, I think its first season got it the most right.

The Sopranos is a show about the DiMeo crime family, a group of mobsters from New Jersey at the end of the millennium, so during the middle of the mob's decline in power. With so many mafia films and stories taking place far earlier on, this new time period feels really fresh even today, as the characters reference The Godfather, struggle with far more aggressive police crackdowns, and just the generally unsure vibe of post 9/11 America in later seasons. As a whole though, Season 1 is about a fight for power as the previous boss of the family dies a few episodes into the season, as the main protagonist Tony wars with his Uncle Junior, ultimately spiral into an attempted assassination by the end of the season. It's a simple but effective mobster story that slowly builds in intensity as the season progresses, ending with my personal favorite finale of the series. The other big draw of the series is seeing Tony have to go to a psychiatrist (Dr Melfi) in secret after having panic attacks. I always thought that Tony and Melfi's interactions are some of the best parts of the series, giving us a unique insight into a mobster's psyche, and Season 1 definitely has the most of them.

Sopranos has a massive cast thanks to its large crime family, yet most of them are pretty memorable in their own right thanks to great acting and writing. Christopher, Carmella, Livia, Silvio, Meadow, and of course Melfi, are all amazing and interesting characters that get just enough time to shine throughout this first season, while still not overshadowing the main attraction, Tony himself. Tony Soprano is an amazing protagonist because he plays around with your expectation of who a protagonist is. On a surface level, he feels affable enough and the fact that he has to go to therapy drums up a bit of sympathy. However, this show also doesn't let you forget that he's a temperamental mobster who does some really awful things. He's not an antihero, Tony isn't heroic in the slightest, but he is an incredibly compelling and nuanced character that's still really fun to watch, especially thanks to James Gandolfini's amazing performance. His iconic smirk, the way he builds to his outbursts and panic attacks, the sheer acting on show is easily one of the best acting performances in television.

While the entire season is pretty consistently strong, these were the highlights for me:

The Sopranos: This pilot feels like an excellent mission statement for the series, using Tony's first session with Melfi to introduce us to the show's cast and setting. It's not all exposition though, with plenty of dark mob-related violence to emphasize the fact that these characters are not good people. Oh, and that duck scene is iconic.

College: Given how many people Tony ends up killing throughout the show, it's easy to wonder why his first kill was such a big deal. At the time, having the protagonist commit cold-blooded murder was pretty much unseen, making this one of the most important episodes of TV. Nowadays, however, if you don't know the context, College might not seem as special. Thankfully, this is still a really well-crafted episode with two compelling parallel storylines, a tense cat and mouse game between Tony and the victim, and some great cinematography.

Nobody Knows Anything: Kickstarting the amazing final stretch that ends off the season, Nobody Knows Anything lays the groundwork with Junior and Livia's alliance against Tony. But aside from that set-up, this episode focuses on the constant suspicion the members of the mob have towards each other as Tony and Silvio try to figure out if Pussy is a mole, and it's not the last time he's going to be suspected of this... 

Isabella: The first of several dream-y episodes of The Sopranos, Isabella initially seems like an episode about Tony hallucinating the titular idealized girl. And then the assassination happens, easily one of the most tense scenes in the series and one of Tony's nearest-to-death experiences. Thankfully (and obviously), he survives and prepares to get revenge in the next episode.

I Dream Of Jeannie Cusamano: This is my favorite finale in The Sopranos, Jeannie Cusamano resolves the main storyline, ties up all of the loose ends, and gives some set-up for Season 2. Every character gets something to do, even minor characters like Phil and Artie, and the decision to deny Tony of the satisfaction of revenge is one of the best instances of anti-climax in the series. By the end of the finale, Melfi was sent out of town, Tony is made capo, Junior is put under arrest, and Season 1 had just solidified itself as a very tough act to follow for Season 2.

Overall, Season 1 is still my favorite Sopranos season. It lacks any low points and slowly builds to an amazing conclusion, while remaining centered and focused around one of the greatest characters in television history.

5/5 Stars

Touhou (6-16) First Impressions

As a fan of the Touhou series, it really was only a matter of time until I actually started reviewing some of the games. So far, I've played ten Touhou games, 6-16. Some of them I've finished, some of them I almost finished and died at the final spell, and some of them I just haven't been able to beat. However, I do have a lot to say about all of these games, so here are my impressions on Touhou 6-16:

Embodiment Of Scarlet Devil: Out of all the Touhou games, this is the most iconic one that everyone knows about. Its music and characters definitely helped to bring me into the series. More than any other game, this one gives me those early 2000s vibes that just generates so much nostalgia. However, this is also probably the worst Windows game in the series because, wow, is this one janky. It definitely feels like ZUN hasn't quite figured out how to make his bullet hells fair yet, because many of my deaths in EoSD felt... not that. The lack of a shown hitbox when you focus is the most well-known issue, but even more than that, the hitboxes in general just never felt quite right (looking at you bubble bullets). Deaths felt random, it's like I died when I shouldn't have, and didn't die when it looked like I was smack dab in the middle of the bullet. The bullet patterns also felt a bit off here, spell cards were undefined, and many entirely different patterns are being thrown at you at the same time constantly regardless of whether or not they work together. Not to mention some other issues like the somewhat grating soundfont, the chunky graphics, the easy mode that doesn't let you fight the final boss, and the point of collection line only being usable at max power. I love this games' characters, composition, and story, but it just hasn't aged well gameplay-wise. I think a full-on remake with the new engine could help it achieve its full potential.

2/5 Stars

Perfect Cherry Blossom: This was the first Touhou game I played, and it was a pretty great impression. I highly recommend it for new players since it really feels like the quintessential game, not too hard and not too easy, and lacking any intrusive gimmicks or insane boss attacks that might throw you off. The music and atmosphere is great, many of the characters have since become iconic, and the addition of a Phantasm stage adds some extra content. The gameplay has been polished up since EoSD, with the patterns feeling more well thought-out, the hitboxes making more sense, and the focus move actually showing you what your hitbox looks like. I especially love this game's last two stages, with the insanely fun Youmu fight and mind-blowingly tense Yuyuko fight. I definitely get why a lot of people love Yuyuko, she's easily one of the best and most intense final bosses of the series. I really don't have much else to say here, PCB doesn't really get anything wrong. Each character is fun to play, the bosses are entertaining to fight, and the difficulty curve is pretty on-point (Stage 4 isn't that bad, EoSD's is way worse), it's a nearly flawless Touhou game.

5/5 Stars

Imperishable Night: Imperishable Night is a very worthy sequel to PCB and a strong ending to that initial Windows trilogy. This one makes a bunch of great additions like the team system (which allows for some of the funniest dialogue in the whole series) and the introduction of spell practice adding a ton of replay value. The multiple paths give IN the most boss fights in the whole series, and I feel like this is the game that starts to add fun little gimmicks to spice up the bosses in general. Wriggle has fireflies, Mystia makes the screen darker (a surprisingly fun fight, by the way), Marisa has the master spark, Reisen has lunacy, etc. The whole game has this great fast-paced feel bolstered by the frantic piano-heavy soundtrack, and it results in a ton of fun set pieces. That chase scene at the end of Stage 4 genuinely caught me off guard and is still one of my favorite moments in the series. The atmosphere and general presentation is also stellar, the night-time vistas are so stunning, and the soundtrack is one of the series' best. Imperishable Night really did have all the makings for one of, if not the best game in the series... if it hadn't dropped the ball at the very end. Gameplay wise, the final stage and bosses are perfectly fine, but the way they work is too convoluted for its own good and just isn't explained properly. The game doesn't really tell you how many half-hours you have left before you automatically get a Bad Ending, nor the fact that Time Points are a thing, nor how to face each final boss, nor the fact that you lose all your continues on Kaguya's stage, nor the fact that you can't fight Kaguya until you beat Eirin. Aside from that gripe, I think IN is an incredibly fun entry in the series and another really solid starting point, but I can't help but feel a bit sad about how close it came to perfection.

Side Note: Imperishable Night introduces a minor recurring issue I like to call "Stage 6 Syndrome". Some of my favorite Touhou games are the ones that stick the landing and nail the finale, but there are also plenty of games that kinda peak around Stages 4 & 5 and fall off in the finale. This is the first instance of this, but it won't be the last...

4.5/5 Stars

Mountain Of Faith: I really wanted to love this one more than I did given that it has one of my favorite soundtracks in the series and some of my favorite characters. And at its best, this game is great, with Stages 4 and 5 being genuinely awesome. Some of the bullet arrangements take old bullets and rearrange them in cool waves to create shapes like waterfalls, stars, and waves, which I thought was really cool. However, out of all the games in the series, MoF kinda felt the most rushed. The game didn't have much of a variety in bullet types, and it ended up having some of the most notorious glitches in the series like MarisaB and the micro-dodging hell that is easy mode. I also found Kanako to be a bit of a disappointing end to the game compared to Aya and Sanae who came before her (Stage 6 Syndrome? So soon?!), with her basic attacks and nearly impossible Easy Mode variants. MoF also implements some new mechanics that I didn't quite love like tying bombing to power (though the buffer helps) and forcing you to retry an entire stage whenever you use a continue, though 11 and 12 also have those mechanics too. On the other hand, the lack of grazing is inexcusable and was a decision I hope ZUN never makes again. It all just added up to a game that, while not a bad title in the series, left me kinda disappointed. Still, I love the tengu and Moriya Shrine, the backgrounds are beautiful, and the soundtrack will always be a series highlight. Similarly to the 6th game, I think a remake that irons out the kinks could bring this game up to Top 5 level for me.

3/5 Stars

Subterranean Animism: This is my favorite game in the series, which may sound odd given its difficulty and similarities to MoF (the bombs and continues work the same way). However, I think there are so many things that SA gets right in spite of all that. The patterns are some of the coolest in the series, from Yuugi's partial rings to Parsee's flowers to Koishi's roses to Utsuho's giant suns. This game constantly throws new things at you without feel too gimmicky, resulting in some of the series' best boss fights. I also love the way weapons work here, with each weapon being tied to another character giving us the closest thing to IN's teamup system (doubly so in terms of dialogue). Despite most of the game taking place underground, ZUN went wild with the biomes here as well, particularly the big town in Stage 3 and the beautiful stained glass palace in Stage 4. And of course, the music is so good, easily my favorite soundtrack of them all. SA's biggest sticking point is the incredibly tough difficulty, but the difficulty curve is really well-balanced (each boss is harder than the last), and the easy mode feels far more well thought-out than Mountain Of Faith's. As a whole, ZUN fixed most of the issues with the previous game and ended up churning out one of the series' most creative titles with Subterranean Animism.

5/5 Stars

Undefined Fantastic Object: I'm very split on UFO because it was so close to being a game I genuinely enjoyed. The difficulty is tricky but not too painful, and the game throws in a ton of cool, new mechanics for the boss fights even if some of them like Unzan's giant hands and Zhou's curvy lasers might be a bit too gimmicky for their own good. The music's great, the story is interesting, Sanae is probably at her most powerful here, and I adore the final boss. However, it's that UFO mechanic that drags the game down for me. This is already one of the harder games in the series, but having to chase down UFOs in the middle of all these tricky patterns feels intrusive and artificial. But what if you decide not to use the UFOs? Well, you'll pretty much be starved for resources for the entire game, not to mention that this is one of those games where continues take you back to the start of the level. The thing is, though, the UFOs aren't poorly implemented. This is a very well-polished game that could have been really fun with simpler bullet patterns and maybe a bit of a UFO buffer (apparently Wily Beast does something like that). However, the combination of the tough bullets and the intrusive mechanic make this game feel more unfair than it should be, and it was the only game where I had trouble even making it past the third stage.

2/5 Stars

Ten Desires: I know this one is a bit divisive, but I genuinely really love Ten Desires. Oddly enough for a Touhou game, it feels calming, probably due to a combination of its easy difficulty, ethereal atmosphere, and experimental soundtrack. The new engine is easily the most polished yet and it shows in every game that comes after this. The spirit mechanic isn't the most well thought-out (auto Trance and the fact that the spirits don't fall towards you), but I never found it as intrusive or frustrating as something like the UFOs. I do generally like the concept of Trance Mode, though, especially with the way it modifies the soundtrack. The variety in the characters' shot types was also incredibly unique, especially Youmu, who uses a charged sword slash to attack. It's tough to learn, but satisfying to master. The boss fights all utilize gimmicks not unlike the previous game, but I don't think it's all that bad. As a matter of fact, I think TD is the only game in the series to really pull off boss gimmicks in a way that doesn't come at the cost of gameplay, as I loved nearly every fight in the game. Yuyuko gets the longest first boss fight in the series as she brings back watered-down versions of all her PCB attacks, Kyouko has a bubble mechanic that she can use to box you in with a ton of bullets, Seiga uses Yoshika as a shield to block you from hitting her while forcing you to deal with two combatants, and Futo uses her boat to move around quickly. I also think Miko is one of the better final bosses for her spectacular attacks, particularly the one where she brings in a bunch of her allies to fight, and the extra stage with Mamizou is really cool as well. The only weak fight was the Yoshika fight, whose healing teetered a bit on the gimmicky side, but even that could have been fixed by changing the way spirits worked. While this one might be the easiest game in the series, I still have a massive soft spot for Ten Desires, especially since it was my first 1CC.

5/5 Stars

Double-Dealing Character: Let me start by getting this out of the way, on a story-telling and presentation level, DDC is one of the best in the series. The concept of bewitched weapons is super cool, Sukuna's plight is compelling, Seija is flat-out my favorite character in the series (let alone antagonist), and the cast as a whole is incredibly varied, memorable, and fun. Not to mention the incredibly dramatic soundtrack which might just be the most overlooked in the series. On a gameplay level, DDC is fantastic too. It balances out all of the playable characters and weapons by just making them all super overpowered, leading to a lot of options for tackling the stage. Best of all, though, is the addition of one of my favorite mechanics in the series: The point of collection bonus. Rewarding you for going to the point of collection line with items and bombs was such a good idea, and while I never felt like I was starved for resources, I was also always at fault if I ended up wasting all of them. Stage 5 was especially great as it encourages you to use the point of collection line as much as possible with how it spawns enemies near the bottom of the screen. The bosses continue the trend from the previous game of being gimmicky but not intrusively so, setpieces like Raiko's barrels, Seija's antigravity, and Sekibanki's multiple heads were both memorable and fun. The only exception is in the fight with Sukuna (Stage 6 syndrome again?!) and the infamous "You Get Bigger" spell. If you've played the game, you know what I'm talking about, there's some awful hitbox resizing at play that really ruins an otherwise great idea. Still, though, even with that blunder I found myself really enjoying DDC. It's nothing amazing but the strong story, fun stages and bosses, and fantastic core mechanic made for a very fun time.

4/5 Stars

Legacy Of Lunatic Kingdom: I didn't think I'd love this one as much as I did, I mean the difficulty in LoLK is absolutely unreal (and maybe goes a bit too far in the micrododging hell that's the Junko fight), but there is a lot I really love about it. The addition of Pointdevice Mode is a really cool change of pace for the series, as it replaces lives with a checkpoint system that encourages you to navigate a pattern or spellcard perfectly before moving on to the next one. This allows ZUN to throw in some truly crazy attacks that can be very satisfying to master, leading to some very fun boss fights. The only exception is Junko, the final boss that might be the worst instance of Stage 6 Syndrome, though the presence of Pointdevice Mode did lessen the sting a bit. LoLK also has this general sense of intensity to it that really makes it stand out. The soundtrack is epic, and the plot is darker and more mature than any other game in the series (I especially loved seeing Reisen fight the Lunarians she escaped from). My biggest issue with this one is Legacy Mode, which forces you to get through LoLK without checkpoints. This is way too much of an insurmountable task for most Touhou players (let alone a novice like myself) and might have used a bit of balancing. Otherwise, I love this one. Learning to master Pointdevice Mode is a ton of fun, and the emphasis on intense arcade-y difficulty takes the series in a unique direction. While I totally understand if its flaws are too much (and I'd probably say 14 and 16 are better games in general), I found LoLK to be a very refreshing and unique experience.

4.5/5 Stars

Hidden Star In Four Seasons: I wasn't expecting much from HSiFS, but I was pleasantly surprised by just how well-crafted this game ended up being. It's almost like the polar opposite of MoF in that aspect. The first thing I noticed in this title is just how much customization there is, with four characters and a whopping four weapons per character, resulting in 16 different combinations! That adds so much replay value to the game, and it was super fun to see how differently each of the characters play. The difficulty is on the easy side, but the curve is excellent, slowing ramping up every boss. The real highlight though is the final boss, one of my favorites yet. Okina takes you back through each of the first four stages, using spell cards based on the four main seasons. Originally I found the locations to be a bit generic, but I really did grow impressed with how much the season mechanic ties the whole game together, from the biomes to the weapons to the boss fights. The final spell has her steal all your power and your weapon, forcing you to dodge one of four incredibly tough attacks, it was so jaw-dropping. And while the lack of an original extra boss is a bit disappointing (it's just Okina again), the drive to get revenge was such a cool feeling in a Touhou game. As a whole, this one is a bit on the generic side and its soundtrack introduces those awful Elementic drums, but it's otherwise just so polished and well-crafted, and the great customization gives HSiFS a ton of replay value.

4/5 Stars

Now it's time for some rankings. Here's my ranking of the games:

1. Touhou 11: Subterranean Animism - Creative biomes, memorable patterns, flawless soundtrack, and awesome boss fights make for a rewarding experience despite the difficulty
2. Touhou 13: Ten Desires - While the spirits mechanic is a bit flawed, the atmosphere, inventive boss fights, and banging soundtrack win it over for me
3. Touhou 7: Perfect Cherry Blossom - Nothing flashy, but probably the most well-crafted entry in the series. Perfect difficulty curve and phenomenal second half makes for a great jumping-in point. 
4. Touhou 8: Imperishable Night - Borderline perfect, has the most contest, best presentation, and some amazing bosses, but it just doesn't fully stick the landing
5. Touhou 15: Legacy Of Lunatic Kingdom - As long as you don't play Legacy Mode, this is a thrilling Touhou rage game with some bonkers boss fights that are very satisfying to beat
6. Touhou 14: Double-Dealing Character - "You Grow Bigger" aside, I adore the story and characters, and all of the gameplay additions and changes are fantastic
7. Touhou 16: Hidden Star In Four Seasons - While a bit bland, HSIFS is easily the most polished in the series up to that point, with lots of shot combinations and one of the best final bosses easily
8. Touhou 10: Mountain Of Faith - While I love the cast, music, and general vibe, MoF is probably the buggiest and most unpolished main Touhou game and shows in the worst places at times
9. Touhou 12: Undefined Fantastic Object - There was so much potential here especially in regards to the final boss, but gimmicky bosses and an awful UFO mechanic just do not mix
10. Touhou 6: Embodiment Of Scarlet Devil - As iconic as its presentation is, EoSD hasn't aged the best. The RNG attacks, the hitbox issues, the incomplete Easy Mode, it's all a bit hard to go back to

Here's my ranking of the game's different gimmicks:

1. Point Of Collection Line (Double-Dealing Character)
2. Team/Partner Mechanic (Imperishable Night/Subterranean Animism)
3. Pointdevice Mode (Legacy Of Lunatic Kingdom)
4. Seasonal Weapons (Hidden Star In Four Seasons)
5. Graze Auto-Collect (Subterranean Animism)
6. Supernatural Border (Perfect Cherry Blossom)
7. Trance/Spirits (Ten Desires)
8. Time Points (Imperishable Night)
9. UFOs (Undefined Fantastic Object)

And my ranking of the final bosses is:

1. Utsuho - Bombastic, climactic, thrilling, one of my favorite characters and fights ever
2. Okina - Went so hard, a perfect cap on the game with a shocking twist in the final spell card
3. Yuyuko - Just so satisfying, so intense, so perfect in its difficulty without resorting to gimmicks
4. Byakuren - Sullied a bit by the UFOs, but the climactic nature makes it the highlight of the game
5. Miko - Such a fun and colorful fight, and the previous bosses returning was so cool
6. Remilia - The blood-red visuals are so striking and the patterns are nice and tough, bubbles aside
7. *** Stage 6 Syndrome really shows here ***
8. Sukuna - Most of this fight is really solid and tough, but "You get bigger" sucks
9. Eirin/Kaguya - Fine but nothing special, though made worse by the convoluted systems at play
10. Kanako - Basic attack patterns and a final spell that's flat-out broken in Easy Mode
11. Junko - I love LoLK, but this boss is a piece of micrododging monochromatic shit

Overall, actually getting to play the Touhou games led me to a few interesting conclusions and realizations, and I feel like I have an entirely different mindset when approaching the series now. I used to just bask at the pretty bullet patterns whenever I saw gameplay, but now my mind races to try and figure out how I would try to navigate it. I realized that just because a Touhou game has a particularly great soundtrack doesn't ensure that it'll end up being one of my favorite games (looking at you, Mountain Of Faith). As much as I love the atmosphere of the early Windows games and as much as they brought me into the series, I also realized that the games from Ten Desires onward ended up being my favorites for the sheer level of polish most of them have. As a matter of fact, while I used to claim that the stretch from 10-12 was my favorite era of Touhou for the music alone, now I actually think it's the stretch from 13-15 (which I called the "Techno era" in my soundtracks post) since all of those games are genuinely great on top of also having fantastic soundtracks, stories, and characters. Finally, I realized just how important it is for a Touhou game to stick the landing with its final boss, since I came out of several games like Imperishable Night and Mountain Of Faith feeling a bit bummed out thanks to their weak final acts. Overall, though, I did really enjoy a lot of the Touhou games and I'd be perfectly willing to replay pretty much any of the games above 8th place. I always loved the music and characters, but consider me a true fan now.

Schitt's Creek (Season 1)

Schitt's Creek made a pretty bad first impression on me when I first watched it, and for a while I didn't quite think of the show as anything more than pretty decent, even by its legitimately great last few seasons. However, upon rewatching it, I realized I may have been selling this show short, even if you might have to watch it a few times to fully appreciate it.

Schitt's Creek is a show about a rich family that loses all their assets and has to move to a small off-the-grid town that they own called, well, Schitt's Creek. There, the patriarch of the family Johnny desperately tries to sell the place to no avail, and the spoiled children Alexis and David have to learn how to get a job, make friends, and enter an actually genuine relationship. As the show progresses, all four members of the family go through some great character development as they become better people and further integrate into the town without losing what makes them special, but you wouldn't know that when watching Season 1 for the first time. As a matter of fact, while most of the show falls in line with Parks and Rec in tone, Season 1 is actually fairly cynical and resembles Arrested Development a lot more. Even the romantic drama feels far more trope-y with love triangles, drunken sex, and accidental proposals compared to the more mature and supportive relationships created in later seasons. As a result, without the show's distinct wholesomeness that made it so popular, Season 1 feels a lot more crass, cruel, and frankly generic. 

It doesn't help that the writing isn't the funniest in this season, as many of the running gags like Bob's run and Twyla's dark stories haven't been fully established yet. Before my rewatch, I thought that this was one of the unfunniest comedy seasons I ever seen (might have been a bit of an overexaggeration given Community Season 4 though). When read as a script, this first batch of episodes isn't anything amazing. However, this is a show where I can definitively say that the actors elevate the material higher than it has any right to go. The cast in Schitt's Creek is phenomenal, especially the main four. Catherine O'Hara as Moira is the obvious standout with her odd inflections and hysterical breakdowns, but Dan Levy (David) and Annie Murphy (Alexis) both give their characters these unique quirks that really bring them to life. Even outside the core four, though, there are a ton of likable characters that appear so often that it makes Schitt's Creek feel like a real small town. As mentioned before, the character development is really good too, and while bigger strides are taken in later seasons, I like the baby steps a lot of the characters take to socialize and lead lives. I used to find the more static characters like Roland to be a bit weak at first, but now I really like how they spend the season actively trying to help the Rose family feel a bit at home.

Despite my gripes with the season, there are a few episodes I really liked:

Wines And Roses: As a whole, this episode was pretty decent, with some funny material in Twyla's yoga class along with Ted's first appearance, but the real highlight is Moira shooting an ad only to botch up most of the words (and it gets even worse when she's drunk).

Honeymoon: In its later seasons, Schitt's Creek becomes one of the gayer shows I've seen, but this episode laid the groundwork with its positive depiction of pansexuality that managed to be funny ("isn't it that cookware fetish?") and genuine ("I like the wine and not the label"). Even outside of that, this was just a very funny episode with high Johnny and Moira and that hilariously awkward dinner party that pokes fun at just how ridiculous this season's romantic drama is.

Town For Sale: Town For Sale is the only finale in the series to be a bit of a downer, and one of two to end on a big cliffhanger. However, it still feels climactic as the family tries to tie loose ends after thinking they're finally going to be able to leave. Alexis was especially funny as she accidentally gets engaged to Ted, but the cliffhanger with David driving away was also pretty great.

Overall, Schitt's Creek's first season makes a weak first impression with a cynical tone it can't quite nail and some unremarkable writing, but the acting is amazing from the get-go and it holds up really well on a second viewing. 

2/5 Stars

Justified (Season 1)

Well, this was an incredibly pleasant surprise. Justified is a modern western that absolutely won me over with its interesting characters, sharp writing, satisfying structure, and great sense of fun.

Justified is a show about Raylan Givens, a US Marshal who had to relocate to his hometown after shooting a guy in public. Season 1's main storyline is about the Crowder family, between Raylan's girlfriend Ava who he's trying to protect, his old friend Boyd who has seemingly became a bigoted white suprematist (at least in the first episode), and Boyd's father Bo who's starting a drug empire and is willing to kill anyone who gets in his way. The whole season is crammed with interweaving threads that all get payed off by the end, with Raylan and Boyd teaming up to take down both of their fathers by the end of the season. I really love how this season is paced and structured, it's a perfect balance between episodic and serialized. Each episode has its own main storyline, yet the overarching story slowly builds and gets more prevalent throughout the season, slowly building up to an amazing finale (I think TV Tropes calls it a Half-Arc Season). My only gripe is that it can be a bit hard to tell where the season is going until the events of episode 7, at which point the show becomes genuinely great.

Based off of Elmore Leonard's westerns (which I haven't read), Justified feels like a western in terms of tone, with cool fedoras, tense quick draws and gunfights, and southern accents aplenty. However, it also manages to stand out in its own way with some incredibly well-realized characters. Raylan is a charismatic protagonist who acts cool and fun to watch on the outside, while also being a bit of a mess internally. Arlo, his father, feels like a darker version of Raylan, using his own charisma to commit crimes. I also really liked Winona, her deep and mature relationship with Raylan is one of the most positive depictions of a divorce I've ever seen, though the love triangle with Ava is probably the weakest storyline here. But the real highlight is Boyd, whose unpredictability and moral complexity is so compelling. While his first appearance leaves you to believe he's a neo-Nazi who had a religious awakening, there's this lingering mystery throughout the season that he's faking it all somewhat, and his bro/foemance with Raylan is so much fun. Justified also manages to stand out with its incredibly sharp and witty writing, elevating the material with some genuinely fun and clever dialogue, not too unlike Buffy. Apparently it's an emulation of Leonard's writing, though while I haven't read it myself, so for me, it feels more like if Tarantino wrote a TV show. 

While this first season was pretty consistently strong, these were the highlights:

Fire In The Hole: I adored this pilot, it was a damn near perfect start to the series. The initial shot of Raylan in Miami drew me in, but his complex and compelling conflict with Boyd kept me hooked throughout. I loved the parallels between the opening and climactic quick draws, Raylan's character development, the sheer unpredictablity of Boyd, and the fact that it felt like a complete story. Raylan and Boyd's inevitable confrontation wasn't draw out to the end of the season, it happened in the very first episode, which is pretty big given how important their dynamic is to the series.

Blind Spot: This was the point at which I really started to understand where the season was going. Ava survives an assassination attempt (in a really intense and memorable scene), Bo makes his first appearance, and Raylan's trigger-happy actions are starting to backfire on him again. The main storyline about Sheriff Hunter being the assassin was also pretty fun.

Blowback: I feel like nearly every show under the sun has had some sort of hostage crisis or bank robbery episode at this point, but Justified manages to make it entertaining with its typically smart and witty writing. It also sets up a ton of big future developments like Bo's scary threat towards Ava, Winona learning Gary's in danger, and best of all, Boyd being let free from prison.

Bulletville: This was an amazing and tense finale, with all of the lingering tension from the last few episodes finally coming to a head, while also finally giving me a bit of a clearer image of Boyd. Maybe he didn't really have a religious awakening, but he definitely believed he did, and I genuinely felt bad for his loss of faith. Bo and Boyd's confrontation in the forest was terrifying (even moreso what happened to the latter's followers), the big teamup between Raylan and Boyd was very much worth the hype, the big shootout in the final third was phenomenal, and that final shot was just perfect (got some Bebop vibes from it, though). I will say the ending felt a bit on the abrupt side, but otherwise, this episode ended Season 1 on a very strong and action-packed note.

Overall, Justified's first season is an incredibly fun and satisfying modern western with sharp writing, great characters, and a perfect structure, even if it takes some time before the overarching story actually reveals itself.

4/5 Stars

Psycho-Pass (Season 1)

Well, I guess since I'm this far in, it's time I watch the last of Gen Urobuchi's three big anime. I'll just be watching Season 1 for now, but Psycho-Pass...

Psycho-Pass is a dystopian anime about a world where the police monitors everyone's mental states to arrest latent criminals before they commit any crimes, kind of a cross between Minority Report and Equilibrium. This so-called Sibyl system has a lot of flaws, but not in a way that you might initially expect. The first half of the series feels like a procedural, with rookie detective Akane solving cases, and the flaws of the Sibyl system only being hinted at. It's a fine start, though fairly lacking in amazing episodes for a while. Still, it lays out some great world-building so what happens next hits so much harder, because starting around halfway through, the tone and structure changes. Psycho-Pass becomes a serialized show about stopping a (great) villain from demonstrating the system's many flaws to the entire world. This second half is where the series really gets good, characters start to die, the uncomfortable truth of the Sibyl system is revealed, and the city starts to completely fall apart. While many dystopian stories try to deconstruct how their own systems are flawed, Psycho-Pass feels like it goes just a bit further than most. The Sibyl system isn't just flawed, it's filled with loopholes, oversights, corruption, and genuine horror, and part of what makes the story here so compelling is watching how the characters deal with it.

Psycho-Pass's greatest strength is probably in its characters, boasting one of the better anime casts I've seen so far. I'm a big fan of naive rookies getting their beliefs shaken and being forced to mature (after all, Ahsoka is my favorite Star Wars character), so I thought Akane is a great protagonist. I like that the show actually focuses on the fact that her naivety and faith in a flawed system could cause her to make a dangerous decision. Kogami is also great, his cynical opinion on the Sibyl system makes him a great foil for Akane, and he gets some of the best fight scenes. I also loved the villain here, Makashima. His rivalry with Kogami, cruel nature, and great fight scenes reminded me a lot of Cowboy Bebop's Vicious, though the increase in screentime and stronger motivations made him a much better villain, in my opinion. The rest of the cast has some pretty solid material, from Ginoza's character development, to Masaoka's calm and reflective attitude, to Yayoi getting a full on backstory.

Oddly enough, my biggest issue with Psycho-Pass lies in the presentation. While there some cool fights, frames, and backgrounds, the animation was a bit weak across the board here. There were some obvious budget cuts especially later on, the character movements were stiff at times, and the use of bloom was a bit overwhelming at times. I do really like the world and character designs though. Akane, Kogami, and Makashima all have striking and interesting designs, and elements of the world like the police drones and especially the Dominator definitely stand out. The music was also pretty uneven at times. Some of the jazzy background music from the first half was alright, but during the more serious moments, it was fairly generic. As for the OPs and EDs, they were fine at best (I did like ED 2), but at worst, the first OP might be one of the worst I've heard yet. Thankfully, the voice acting is great for both the Japanese and English dubs, and the writing and excellent world-building still make up for the otherwise weak presentation.

Psycho-Pass has some great episodes, especially in its second half:

Saint's Supper: This episode was the big game-changing "that one episode" of the series. The first half was entertaining enough, with Senguji getting a very satisfying kill from Kogami, but it was the painful second half that really made it for me. The reveal that Makashima has a "pure" crime coefficient is shocking, and what happened next with Yuki is the Urobutcher at his most heart-wrenching and compelling. The combination of plot twist, shocking death, great performances, and massive belief shaking for Akane made that one of the best anime scenes ever.

Sweet Poison: This episode had one really insane scene that made it memorable for me. The scene where the girl gets beat up on the streets in front of a shocked public and an unhelpful police drone is an amazing scene, painfully demonstrating the faults and loopholes with the Sibyl system. And the ramifications it had on the city was massive and wide-spreading.

The Gates Of Judgement: Similarly to Saint's Supper, this is one of the big episodes of the series. We get that big fight between Kogami and Makashima from episode 1, which definitely lived up to the set-up. Akane arresting Makashima was a surprising turn even though I knew he'd escape soon. And the big cliffhanger where a cyborg Kasei kills Kagari to cover up the Sibyl system's secrets is shocking.

Iron Heart: While this episode was a bit more exposition-heavy than the last few, it does come packed with the big reveal of how the Sibyl system works, being a supercomputer of asymptomatic criminal brains. It's a really creepy reality, and Kasei's attempts at covering up the events of last episode are pretty hard to watch. Makashima destroying Kasei's body was also a pretty shocking end.

Blood-Stained Reward: This episode is the first half of the season's big final battle, reunited the cast and setting the stage for Kogami and Makashima's last fight. But the real highlight is Masaoka sacrifice himself to save Ginoza, an emotional and heartbreaking resolution to both characters' arcs.

Perfect World: This was a pretty great finale for the season, both tragic and kinda satisfying. The final battle with Makashima was tense and exciting, and his death is kinda heartbreaking given the ramifications. The Sibyl system still won. I also like how the second half focuses on tying up loose ends for most of the cast, with Ginoza being an enforcer, Akane getting promoted, and Yayoi and Shion being together all making a lot of sense.

Overall, Psycho-Pass overcomes a slow start and some weak production with its amazing exploration of its world, strong cast, and insane twists.

4/5 Stars

Favorite Episode: Saint's Supper

Favorite Video Game Genres

The title pretty much sums it up. This is going to be a list of my Top 10 genres from video games where I'll try to explain why I like each genre as much as I do. It'll also be a chance for me to talk about games that I haven't quite talked about on this blog yet.

1. Platformers

Examples: Super Mario Bros, Kirby, Klonoa, Freedom Planet, Banjo-Kazooie, Spyro The Dragon, Yoshi's Island, Celeste, Crash Bandicoot, Super Meat Boy, VVVVVV

This shouldn't be much of a surprise, so many of my favorite games are platformers or have platforming elements. These intricate obstacle courses can be so fun to navigate especially when the game has great movement or a ton of exploration involved. Puzzle platformers can be enjoyably devious, collectathons have an addicting gameplay loop, precision platformers can be brutally difficult in the best way possible, and action platformers like the ones on the Genesis keep the adrenaline pumping. There's so much variety in this one genre alone, to the point where my examples list barely scratches the surface of amazing platformers. I think it's the defining genre of video games in general, and it's my personal favorite of all time.

2. Action-Adventure/RPG

Examples: Legend Of Zelda, Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, Undertale, Pokemon, Trails In The Sky, Mario RPGs, Xenoblade

No game genre tends to offer quite as much as a great adventure game. Large worlds to explore, environment puzzles, in-depth combat, great stories, and usually fantastic soundtracks make for easily the most all-encompassing game genre. Personally, my favorite types of adventure games are the Zelda-likes since I prefer real-time combat to turn-based combat and adore the ways dungeons are structured, but I also can't say standard RPGs aren't fantastic as well. The best RPGs feel like a labor of love, like how Omori took 6 years to make in spite of developmental issues, or how Chrono Trigger and Xenoblade were made by dream teams of game developers, or how the Trails series spends so much time on world-building alone. I may not be able to bring myself to fully finish most of them, but I also can't say this isn't one of the best video game genres out there.

3. Metroidvania

Examples: Metroid, Hollow Knight, Ori And The Blind Forest, Touhou Luna Nights, Iconoclasts, Shantae, Wario Land 3

The core gameplay loop of a metroidvania is just so inherently addicting, running around a massive open world and finding items that you can use to explore even more of the world. Whether it's Metroid's fast pace where there's something hidden in nearly every room or Hollow Knight which makes you earn new abilities, slowly accumulating a massive moveset and combing the entire map for collectibles just feels great. It helps that a lot of these games have great and fluid movement that only feels better to play the more moves you get. 

4. Rhythm

Examples: Guitar Hero, Osu, Cytus, Stepmania, Friday Night Funkin', Taiko No Tatsujin, Rhythm Heaven, Beat Saber

If you've seen how much I rave about music in a lot of these reviews, this shouldn't come as much of as a surprise. I love listening to music, so it's only natural that I love playing rhythm games. Guitar Hero III was one of the first games I owned, and I've been a fan of rhythm games ever since, even now that the Guitar Hero craze has kinda died down. While I wouldn't quite say I'm amazing at any of these games (though I find FNF pretty easy), I really enjoy the rhythm genre especially when it's involving songs that I enjoy listening to. It may seem like there's only so many ways you can interact with the game to the beat of a song, but there are so many unique rhythm games with their own varied control schemes that all feel super satisfying to learn. And I didn't even highlight the games like Geometry Dash, Crypt Of The Necrodancer, Sayonara Wild Hearts, and Just Shapes & Beats that combine the rhythm gameplay with other genres entirely!

5. Bullet Hell

Examples: Touhou, Undertale, Cuphead, DonDonPachi, One Step From Eden, Bullet Hell Monday, Ikaruga, Mamorukun-Curse

It's hard for me to really articulate what I enjoy so much about bullet hell games aside from the fact that they're just so satisfying to play. Usually, you're faced with a seemingly insurmountable onslaught of bullets that you have to try and navigate around, and doing so feels so rewarding. While this depends on the game, there's a sort of puzzle element to bullet hells where you have to find the most efficient and safe way to dodge the bullets that make them so enjoyable. It's not just top-down shooters though, I'm also a fan of games with bullet hell elements like One Step From Eden and Cuphead even if they tend to be a bit more fast-paced and action-packed. It helps that nearly all of these games have phenomenal soundtracks.

6. Kart Racers

Examples: Mario Kart, Crash Team Racing, Kirby Air Ride, Diddy Kong Racing, Super Indie Karts

While racing games in general can be fun, I especially love games like Mario Kart for their fast-paced arcade-y gameplay, colorful visuals, and especially their insane tracks. You just can't get stages like Machine Passage, Hot Air Skyway, and of course, Rainbow Road in your standard racing game. I also love that kart racers tend to be derived from some of my favorite video game series like Mario, Kirby, Little Big Planet, and Crash Bandicoot, though there are still tons of great original ones too. Kart racers aren't realistic in the slightest, but that's what makes them so unabashfully fun.

7. Party Games/Minigame Collections

Examples: Mario Party, WarioWare, Nintendo Land, Wii Series, Jackbox, Bomberman, Crash Bash

This is probably the most guilty-pleasure genre on the list, but having grown up with the Wii, I'm a sucker for a good party game, and especially minigame collections. Just the simple premise of having a sizable amount of short-but-sweet multiplayer games all in a single package can be incredibly alluring if done well. Mario Party is obviously the highlight here, a series that I'm beyond passionate about, but there are so many fantastic and underrated party games out there of many different styles, from more arcade-y fare like the addicting Bomberman series to online-centric packs like the Jackbox games. My love for party games also shows in some of the other picks on this list, particularly Kart Racers and Platform Fighters, which take a tried-and-true genre and turn it into more of a party game.

8. Arcade Puzzlers

Examples: Tetris, Puyo Puyo, Panel De Pon, Petal Crash, Dr Mario, Magical Drop, Peggle, Lumines

While I really like the puzzle genre as a whole as well as high-score-chasing arcade games, this genre feels like the best of both worlds. The best arcade puzzlers are easy to learn but hard to master, sure anyone can form a line in Tetris or a link in Puyo Puyo, but these games have so much depth and clever tricks that encourage me to learn and improve. It helps that a lot of my favorite arcade puzzlers are jam-packed with a ton of game modes to keep me playing, from level creators, to story modes, to puzzle modes, so it rarely ever feels repetitive. Arcade puzzlers are incredibly addictive pick-up-and-play games that leave me more engrossed than most arcade or puzzle games I've played.

9. Platform Fighters

Examples: Super Smash Bros, Rivals Of Aether, Shovel Knight Showdown, Towerfall

While standard fighting games like street fighter can be a bit too slow-paced for my tastes, I love just how ridiculously fast and frantic games like Smash Bros can be. Each character tends to have an entirely different moveset from one another, there are usually a ton of intricate moves and hidden exploits, and the dynamic stages that utilize the Y-axis add a cool new layer to fighting games. And then there's just Smash Bros with its insane roster of characters and stages from a ton of different games, easily the greatest crossover in gaming history. I don't even care about the competitive aspect all that much, though it can be a draw for a lot of people, platform fighters are just always a ton of fun to play with friends.

10. Puzzle Game

Examples: Portal, Braid, Picross, Baba Is You, Fez, Human Fall Flat, The Room, Opus Magnum

I really admire all the effort that goes into making a good puzzle game. Between nailing the difficulty curve, preventing any softlocks, and coming with new mechanics to keep things fresh, it feels like an incredibly difficult task. But at its best, the puzzle genre can lead to some of the most satisfying video games of all time. Games that give you that perfect "ah-ha!" moment every time you figure out a solution, games that force you think outside the box in the most clever ways possible, games that take a simple premise and flesh them out as far as they can go. And then there's Baba Is You which does all that and amps it up to eleven.