The End of the Power Rangers

Over the course of two weeks, I binged season 2 of Dino Fury and Cosmic Fury. Maybe that wasn’t the best way to do it, because I mostly felt empty. Even after 30 years, it’s hard to believe it’s over for the final time. I don’t know if I’ll watch the rebooted series when it comes out.

‭Thoughts on Dino Fury Season 2: I had compared Tarrick to Mr. Freeze in season 1, but Santaura is like Nora from the Harley Quinn series cranked up a notch. It would’ve been better if the Voids showed up in the episode with the wish charms so that Amelia’s wish technically came true even if she didn’t know it. Zayto is the first and only Ranger to die, be brought back to life, and then die again (Cosmic Fury). And as I’m writing this, his catchphrase “Cool, cool, coolio” hits different once I consider that Coolio is dead.

‭Cosmic Fury: People are complaining that Amelia shouldn’t have been the Red Ranger, that it could have been Izzy or anyone else. Well, if it could have been anyone, it was still her, so deal with it. Ten episodes was not enough time to fully flesh out this story, and I’m surprised it didn’t get a full season order. I also heard the actor playing Ollie had scheduling conflicts, so that’s why he was evil for most of it. I liked the father-son dynamic between him and Zedd. I liked the look of concern on Billy’s face when he found out that not only was Ollie evil, Amelia’s parents had been evil too. If the season had been longer, we probably would have seen Amelia start to crack under the pressure. Tarrick, while not a Ranger, still had his badass dad moments. Did not like/was confused by Zedd, Robo Rita, and Billy often referring to Rangers on a last-name basis. Heckyl’s debut as Dark Ranger did not last too long and ended in defeat, which sucked, but at least we got to see him at all. Him morphing again next to Billy looked great. Did not like them taking Squillia as a hostage and then killing her, which felt like an icky thing for the heroes to do. Mucus and Slyther being good didn’t have much buildup, but I’m glad they were in it because they seemed like such fan favorites. I hope they survived the vacuum of space. I couldn’t help but notice that two of the monsters were named after Joe Exotic and Tommy Wiseau, or that Zedd kept saying “sad” like Trump; that weirded me out in ways I can’t put into words. Dino and Cosmic Fury did quote memes and reference pop culture a lot, with Izzy being the main perpetrator, but as another reviewer pointed out, this show was probably written by Millennials/Gen Z.

‭Additional thoughts about Once & Always: It also felt too short. The one-year time-skip made the emotional development uncertain. All it took for Minh to forgive Billy was for Zack to tell her that Zordon was a father figure to them. I’m also unclear on when this takes place. Does Billy try to bring back Zordon before or after finding out that Aiyon spoke to him inside the Morphin Grid? I didn’t even think that was Zordon at first - I just thought it was the personification of the Morphin Grid itself. If the special takes place before Cosmic Fury, then it’s Minh in the cockpit with Billy and the series ends on a cliffhanger with Billy renewing his search for Zordon. If takes place after, then it’s Trini in the cockpit and Billy’s looking for remnants of the Z-Wave because he has confirmation Zordon’s consciousness survived. It’s probably the former since Once & Always released first, but the renewed search for Zordon should be explored even though there most likely won’t be any more content aside from Amy Jo Johnson’s Pink Ranger comics.

‭Side note: I recently saw a couple videos explaining Jennika and Venus in the new Ninja Turtles comics. Anyone criticizing these characters or their artist (who recently left) seems to have a “no girls allowed” stance when it comes to Turtles. These characters were created by men too. I may not be a fan of this particular universe, but I understand it better now and can appreciate what they were trying to do.

Unhappy Campers (Again)

I forgot to mention another aspect of Unhappy Campers I’d thought about. Barbie Wire was only in the episode for about three minutes, and that was definitely not enough time (for the fans). Another way it could’ve gone was that Millie refused to wait and play Moxxie’s game and took the guy out immediately, which pisses Moxxie off. Then Barbie bursts in complaining she’s out of a job now, confusing M&M until she drops her human guise. They explain that it was their job to kill him, and she asks to see their boss, who is none other than her own brother. Blitz is happy to see her until she starts yelling at him about the mission, which he doesn’t even remember sending M&M on. At the same time, M&M are fighting about the mission (with their client still awkwardly in the background, and maybe their fresh kill showing up too). Everyone splits off, and in the quiet, we get a proper flashback to Blitz and Barbie’s childhood.

The 20th anniversary of Rooster Teeth ended with the series finale of Camp Camp. However, it felt like it was too little too late. The main plot revolved around the trio overhearing that the other campers found them annoying and tried to subvert their personalities or be passive-aggressive about it. Because standards and practices are different now that Time Warner Media is in charge, the swearing was mostly censored. Dolph needed to get a makeover offscreen (although they used Charlie Chaplin as a stand-in for that other guy he was modeled after). Because Michael, Barbara, and I assume Lee are white actors voicing “ambiguously brown” characters, they were replaced with actors of the appropriate ethnic backgrounds. They were fine, but to only do this for a series finale which we otherwise wouldn’t have gotten (I assume it was quietly canceled because of these issues) seems wrong. If Max was written with Michael’s personality in mind, especially as a draw due to Rage Quit, why didn’t they make him the same ethnicity so people wouldn’t complain (because clearly someone finally did)? BK was spot-on except for there being no spit in her voice. Miles came back as David like he had for Jaune, but he didn’t sound as happy in the role. He [David] didn’t have Jaune’s aging and trauma as an excuse. Too much has happened at this company, and too much time has passed. It was a nice attempt, but it was sad and should’ve been done sooner. I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it - representation is important, but how you sound in animation matters more than how you look. When you act with your voice, you can be anyone - as long as it isn’t a racist caricature. On the other side of things, there’s a new ethnically-appropriate actor voicing Amy’s dad in the new Futurama, which is great. Billy West doesn’t need more roles on that show. The only problem is that the new guy doesn’t sound old enough.
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Unhappy Campers (and Others)

Survivor - While I miss the Ponderosa videos, I appreciate how recent Survivor seasons’ cast members support each other in-game. They even take time out just to enjoy the fact that they’re in Fiji. I also miss the live reunion shows, but there’s something so raw about reading the votes right away like in the old days.

‭Helluva Boss - While Unhappy Campers isn’t my favorite episode, “Regular Joe” is a banger. I was worried that people wouldn’t like Millie being good at everything at camp, that they’d call her a Mary Sue. Fortunately, that was not the case. If anything, people want more of Millie being awesome and less of Moxxie being a petty bitch. It would’ve made more sense for Millie to ask about the target since she was made the center of attention, but Moxxie was committed to the bit and possibly method acting. If it was supposed to be a mirror of what happened between Blitz and Barb, it wasn’t worth it, especially that freeze frame of Moxxie’s crazy eyes. Maybe Richard Horvitz blew out his voice doing Moxxine’s over-the-top valley girl voice, and that’s why he sounds weird in Once and Always. Not sure what the drama is surrounding Erica Lindbeck - Loona not speaking or someone making an AI clone of her voice without permission. I know there have been AI clones of other people’s voices, but I didn’t know if they’d given permission or not - Sam Riegel being one of them. The only episode it was weird she didn't talk was Western Energy, but I guess the idea was that Loona was too scared of getting the shot to back-sass Blitz about it.
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Critical Role - The group is reunited and the plot is starting to move forward again. Imogen and Laudna finally defined their relationship. How are they going to get to the moon?

Media I'm Consuming

 ‭Ascendance of a Bookworm - I’m currently collecting the manga now that Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card has finally come to an end. I figured it would be a faster read that way, since I don’t have a whole lot of time to myself, but it looks like it’ll be more volumes than the light novel series. I was interested in the angle of restarting the printing industry from scratch, but the issue of mana and political intrigue made it take off in a whole other direction. I just finished watching Trash-Tier Waifu’s videos on part 3, and this has still just been the setup. Apparently parts 4 and 5 are massive. The anime had better continue. Clear Card is already getting a reboot so it can have a proper ending as well.

‭RWBY vol 9 - I had my doubts about this season, but the ending was kinda nice. Neo took the peaceful route in the end, accepting that her conjured version of Roman wasn’t real and that she had to reinvent herself even if she has no longer has any ties to Remnant. Not only that, but the Tree told them that the Brothers aren’t gods and they had actually been kicked out of the Ever After. So despite all the terrible things Salem has done, she had been right about the Brothers and summoning them may not be the worst idea if they can confront them with this new information? I don’t understand how Alyx died and that gifting Jaune her dagger would undo the aging he’d accidentally done to himself upon his arrival. At first I thought Miles had actually quit and they had aged Jaune up to recast him, but I’m glad I was wrong. As per usual, Robbie Daymond’s character seems friendly at first but ultimately can’t be trusted. This is why I like Dorian the best out of his characters. It’s funny that both he (Akechi) and Max Mittelman (Ryuji) both voice versions of the Cheshire Cat, Max voicing him in Alice’s Wonderland Bakery (my daughter watches it).

‭Critical Role - I’m not really interested in what’s going on in Campaign 3 right now. Since I don’t have time, I’ve been reading the recaps, and I’m not impressed. I know Marisha’s doing Creator Clash 2, and I can’t help but wonder if that’s why the party had to be split so she wouldn’t have to actively play. She still shows up for opening announcements. Matt misses her, but Marisha mentioned that in a way that made it sound like Matt was being selfish, and I get it. I can't help but wonder if all this extra stuff is going to pull the group apart during this campaign, as they are a far cry from doing it for fun at this point.

‭Power Rangers Once & Always - I’m not wild about the idea that Robo Rita was Billy’s fault and Trini died protecting him (and it cost them Alpha 8 as well). He never really struck me as that much of an ego maniac or particularly inclined towards hubris, and since I’ve seen both Full Metal Alchemist anime, trying to bring Zordon back isn’t anything new. In fact, he should’ve gotten Andros in on it too, and sooner. I don’t know how I feel about Trini being a single mom, but Richie’s dead too, and I don’t know who else it would have been. ‭I still have to get caught up on Dino Fury (among other things), and I’m cautiously optimistic for Cosmic Fury.

Jason David Frank is Dead and I'm Pissed

 ‭First let me say that Billy Kametz, voice of Ferdinand von Aegir, was only a couple days older than me and died of stage 4 colon cancer. It was a tragedy. We lost Chadwick Boseman and even more recently Kevin Conroy to cancer too. Thuy Trang died back in 2001 in a car accident because she wasn't wearing a seat belt. Irresponsible, yes, but still tragic. Earlier this week, we lost Jason David Frank to suicide, and I'm angry. He was not the first celebrity to do so, and he won't be the last. Like everyone else, I couldn't believe it at first, but then it was confirmed from multiple sources within twenty-four hours. But I didn't burst out bawling like when I was 14. I was livid. “What are you doing, you stupid asshole?!" was the first thought that came to mind. “Was nothing in your life good enough for you anymore? Was there nothing here worth sticking around for?"

‭The truth is, like many others, he was fighting a mental battle that no one else could fight for him. He'd already lost his mom and brother, and he just wasn't feeling the next Power Rangers anniversary that many of his co-stars are participating in, some for the first time since splitting from the show back in the 90s due to various reasons (pay, discrimination, etc.). Fame can be hollow, but he was perhaps the most famous of all the Rangers, and he seemed to like what he did. He wasn’t a perfect man, and he didn’t get along with everyone. I certainly thought he was overrated at one time or another. He leaves behind a wife and child in real life (though as of editing this I’ve learned there was a divorce pending and he hanged himself in a hotel after an argument), and Kat and J.J. in the Ranger-verse. They already had to deal with the fact that Trini can’t be in the anniversary and cast someone to play her daughter. Now they have this to deal with as well. Which is not more important than a man’s life, but killing yourself right before Thanksgiving and after passing on a big work event is kind of a dick move.
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What all of my anger really stems from is this: I used Power Rangers as an escape from these issues, and having them flung back in my face feels like a betrayal. When I was 8 years old, my mom attempted suicide and then spent some time in rehab. The Power Rangers were my role models. Their strength of character made me want to do better, to be better, than my mom. I couldn’t trust the adults in my life to be okay, but I shouldn’t really count on these people who are just actors to be okay either. JDF left behind his wife and child to be with his mom and brother, just like my mom was going to leave me and my little brother and our dad to be with her father, and that shit hurts.
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So...yeah. My Kingdom Hearts OC Sayuri is me if my mom had succeeded. Also, here's your Thanksgiving reminder to cut ties with your toxic family members if at all possible. As I mentioned in my previous post, I don't want my daughter to have to deal with or even know about all the crap my mom and her siblings have put me and each other through. They can go to their graves hating each other, and one of them already has. I'm done with them and I'm done with my hometown.
 

‭Farewell, “Tommy." I hope things are better for you on the other side.

Let's Talk About Encanto

 Like Steven Universe, this movie convinces me that my family needs therapy. My grandfather also died tragically early, but instead of my grandmother forcing everyone to be perfect, it was my mom’s older sisters. There are more of them, and instead of magical powers contributing to the community, it’s about being successful and not a burden to the family. But that shouldn’t be the grandkids’ problem. Or great-grandkids'. I'm certainly not going to expose my daughter to it, though I would like to watch this movie with her someday.

Pepa seems like a bridezilla, and her distaste for her brother has rubbed off on her son Camilo (who reminds me of Wybie from Coraline for some reason). Felix loves his wife as much as Sigurd from Fire Emblem does. Like most people, I identify with Mirabel and also like Luisa a lot. I also like Dolores, and Isabela reminds me a little of Rapunzel. And of course the songs are good (and reminiscent of Moana) because Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote them. “I’m pretty sure I’m worthless if I can’t be of service.” Girl, same. I did pick up on the references to Wreck-It Ralph and Maui in “Surface Pressure,” unless those were just coincidences and not reused animations. They could’ve used Herc’s character model from Kingdom Hearts (or made a new CG model themselves), but they went with an original design that has nothing to do with that IP.
 

I know the Miracle was trying to prove a point by not giving Mirabel a gift (or at least that's the going theory) as well as Luisa's gift fading as she's overworked, but that's kind of messed up. Isabela was beauty, Luisa was brawn, and Mirabel was set up to be brains. It's kind of like what the third fairy's gift would've been if she hadn't had to change Maleficent's curse. Of course, Mirabel is perfect the way she is. They all are. Luisa needs a vacation and a hug. And a pet unicorn. There's no one I really dislike, but I do like Julieta and Augustin as a couple and would like to see more of them together if they do a series like Tangled. With him being accident-prone and her being a healer, I'd be interested in seeing their meet-cute in a flashback.

One Last Time

I probably won’t make another top 10 list for Random Encounters, but Bendy and the Wolf was awesome.

When Catherine O'Hara wasn't in Oogie's Revenge, she was replaced by Kath Soucie. When she wasn't in the 2021 Halloween concert, she was replaced by Billie Eilish and Weird Al. That was a choice. It looked like they were all having fun. I especially like that Greg was wearing a fez. Seeing Ken Page on stage singing Oogie's Song reminded me of when he played the Walrus in Adventures in Wonderland. Greg even got to be Santa.

The cantina taco is hands-down the best taco I've ever had. I got the black bean version, and it was amazing! Once the Doritos Loco Taco came out, I wasn't going to eat any other hard shell taco ever again (I prefer soft tacos anyway), but this was the exception. 

Ignatz and Manuela got into Fire Emblem Heroes on the holiday banner! Yay! Seriously, though, Santa Athos when?

 I'm having a baby in May, so I'm probably not going to be doing a whole lot from now on.