The Souls games have been talked about to hell and back. Forget the Souls Games. From Softwares’s whole catalogue has been picked apart. Dissected and analysed from so many angles that its cadaverous body seems to have nothing else to show. From Demon Souls to Sekiro, from Lore to character design, it is undeniable that Hidetaka Miyazaki’s games leave a profound effect on the player.
But as a self-proclaimed fan of the series, it may surprise you to learn that I have never played the main Souls games before. In fact, I skipped them entirely, beginning my souls-like journey with Bloodborne and continuing with Sekiro, both of which I have completed and both of which left me feeling almost changed. I speak a lot more about my experiences with Bloodborne here, if you’re so inclined to check it out. But moving on.
You’d think that after having those experiences, one could count me among the veterans of the genre. A seasoned warrior who would shrug off any attack and carry on like nothing, happily chuckling “git gud” to myself after being defeated by a boss for the umpteenth time. Well, you are unfortunately dead wrong dear reader. If Bloodborne is the frenzied breath of the Beast trying to escape its cage and live free, then Dark Souls…Dark Souls is the empty blackness of a sludge-filled depression, pulling you into the abyss. A mire of pain, frustration, despair, and at times, unforgiving torment. In a way, Dark Souls, ironically, embodies life for me and many others in a way that other From Software games simply don’t. Almost mirroring the soul-crushing depression one feels in everyday life. The endless repetition, the sorrow, and the heartbreak. That lingering question that always remains at the back of one’s mind when faced with such a dilemma.
“If this is all there is, why the hell am I even here? Is it not enough by now”.
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But the more I’ve played this damnable game, the more I seem to realise, to learn and to even understand why I and so many people continue playing despite the odds. Despite the minimal returns and despite the unfathomable odds., in my own way, I’m trying my best not to go hollow.
Suffer Digitally, to Live in the Physical
It may surprise people (or not), to find out that I have intense depression and anxiety. It’s more just a constant reality of my every day rather than anything concerning, to me at least. I remember feeling a morbid sense of finality at 13 when I realised that for better or worse, this was most likely going to be the rest of my existence. And much like a cancer patient coming to terms with their fate, so too did I. Misery became normality and fatalism became as easy as breathing. Even though I knew there were, realistically speaking, treatments that could make life more bearable or joyous for me, I found them to be a waste of time in the long run. If the neverending cycle was that of brief periods of normalcy and extended periods of angst, self-loathing and suicidal ideation, it made more sense to hunker down and get used to the program.
It was, perhaps, that feeling of a loss of control, like a ship spiraling into a whirlpool, that made me just let the currents take me where they would. That only applied to the physical, however. In the digital space, it almost felt like I had a modicum of agency, no matter the odds. That my choices mattered, no matter how small. In time, this became a way to vicariously live and experience life.
The older I get, the more I hear the advice, “you can only get better if you fail and try and try again.” Or, “the only way to grow is to rise up after being knocked down, so keep trying.”
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Putting aside that we don’t chop trees down, trunk stem et al just to get them to grow, I believe this method of growing might be completely unsuited for those who are completely and entirely averse to venturing outside. To being exposed, for lack of a better word, to the harsh realities of life outside the proverbial cave, where there isn’t just the lack of sunlight to contend with, but the harsh changes of the seasons. Other creatures, other animals taking resources, hunters and woodsmen galore, the outside world is terrifying, and some people can’t face it unless pressed to by great need.
Admittedly, I’m the latter, one who does not venture out of the cave or spread my vines to seek sunlight no matter how crowded the cave may be. How then, when one does not experience the realities of the outside world, do they grow?
Well for me, at least, I’ve come to gain those experiences through my many failures in the world of Drangleic. Despite there being days on end where I might not even leave my house, where my life consists of purely eating, sleeping, and isolating myself almost entirely, I’ll still try and find the strength to challenge even greater enemies. To memorise enemy patterns, rage against fate and battle against ever-increasingly difficult odds with little to no room for missteps. Perhaps Dark Souls is my pathway to achieving that with as little interaction with the outside world as possible. But why does it feel so satisfying to do this rather than face the outside world like a normal human being? At this point, I have a few ideas on why, though it may take a bit more practice and research. But I suppose I’ll leave it for the next post, if possible. Or at least, until I git gud.
‘Till then, don’t go Hollow, everyone.
-MeV
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*Writer’s Notes Well, It seems that I have returned, at long last, and it has been far too long, for lack of a better word. I started this blog years and years ago and after pretty much abandoning it for the longest time, I think I’m just about ready to continue updating it with more of the same content that I used to post. Hopefully of a better quality though, though you’ll have to forgive this first post. As much as it is a rambling, I’m still far from peak writing mood, but it’ll be fun to regain those skills once more I think. To every one still reading, thanks for sticking by. And to all those who are new to the blog, welcome to the Anarchist Site. I’m glad to be back. Expect a few changes to the blog in the future, but in the meantime, I’m just going to be writing as is.
And also, I’ve been away from the game for so long that I am sorely our of practice, so any comments, feedback and opinions would mean the world to me. I probably need all the help I can get at this point haha. Anyways, MeV, signing off.
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Before I got into movies, I was into anime almost religiously. Every piece of spare time I had was spent absorbing seasonal anime as well as binging long-form shows and revisiting shounen classics. I’m glad that I had the time to do that then because there are a ton of classics I had to watch for the first time once I left home. Still, the 2010s were a special time for me when t came to anime because I was finally in boarding school and away from the influence of my family 24/7. No more whining that “anime was from the devil”, or that it would rot my brain or some such ridiculous notion. I was finally around people who shared my passion, many of whom became my dearest friends. And through this ultra-geeky match up, I discovered tons of passions and hobbies. Many of which I wouldn’t have found out without anime.
For this list, I’ll be including anime that had seasons that were defined by one or more multiple long arcs, eg the second season of Kaiji, remakes and reboots such as Dororo, and continuations of longer, older anime. So here’s to all the outstanding anime that made staying alive worthwhile these past 9 years.
Also, I’m going to try and leave the obvious ones out of it. Yeah, I’m talking about you Boku no Hero Academia and Kimetsu no Yaiba. With shows like that taking even the normie world by storm, they were clear contenders but I decided to omit them
Kill La Kill(2013)
Studio Trigger has made quite a lot of waves recently in the anime world with their film Promare. But before Promare, and many of their other notable shows, there was Kill la Kill, an over-the-top action…mahou shoujo anime? Ok, before you walk away, let me explain. Studio Trigger was founded by Hiroyuki Imaishi and Masahiko Ōtsuka of Gainax fame. You know, the guys who made Neon Genesis Evangelion and Gurren Lagann, Imaishi specifically was the director of Gurren Lagann, and it’s clear that Kill la Kill was a homage to that same type of hectic energy. It’s hard to explain to someone who hasn’t been initiated in the type of madness that comes from this style of action. The premise itself is ridiculous, and all of these insanely powerful people exist in one school where they battle with their clothes, essentially.
But below the weird as all hells plot lies a visually stunning anime that has enough great fights to make you cream multiple times. It has its own sense of stand-out fun and takes it’s self seriously enough to make it really funny at some points, and really engaging at others. I ultimately enjoyed it for the pure spectacle of it all, and it definitely makes it to the top of the “gotta get stronger” shonen formula that a lot of us grew up on. Oh, and fan service too.
Dororo(2019)
If you’ve never heard of Osama Tezuka, don’t worry, you’ve probably seen one of his many works. This guy is considered Japan’s Walt Disney, and his body of works include Astro Boy, Black Jack and my personal favourite, Phoenix, which was unfinished. Dororo tells the story of a cursed boy named Hyakkimaru who goes on a quest to find his organs and body parts which had been given to demons by his father to fulfil a pact. On the way, he meets a young thief named Dororo and together they travel together, slaying demons and rebuilding our rōnin’s disfigured body. It’s hard to believe that such a disturbing premise could exist in such an innocent-looking cartoon back in the 60s, but demon-slaying media was very popular at the time.
In 2019 we were greeted to a modern retelling of the original tale of Dororo. One that makes great strides in adapting a very old story while keeping its own vision. The show can get extremely heartbreaking at times while exploring multiple character interactions, the dynamic between Hyakkimaru and Dororo, and the state of the realm. It’s ultimately a tragedy of course, but it definitely goes on to question both the motives of the main character and the antagonists. At the end of any road, no matter how righteous your cause, how important is what you want? Is it worth your humanity, pride, tears? Well, I’m sure you can make that decision after watching Dororo.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures (Every Bloody One)
I love Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures, and I’ve loved every single JoJo that’s taken the mantle of hero. One short paragraph won’t do it justice but I’ll try, at the very least, to convince you to watch this show. It is a strange, almost absurdist anime that takes so many different forms of shounen that it’s hard to define. Later Jojo looks more like Hunter x Hunter, while early Jojo would more closely resemble DBZ. But that’s the beauty that lies at the heart of this glorious show. It’s constantly changing, ever adapting to the time. From the personalities of our protagonists, to the types of companions the have, to their wardrobes. One glance will tell you that it’s a series that has had life poured into every page.
And that’s not to mention the fact that it has some of the best villains in anime, all of whom are explored in great depth in order to characterise them almost to the same level as our protagonists. There’s a reason Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures has been going strong since 1987, and why memes, cosplay and references from the show permeate throughout our world almost every year. It is a damn good show and you should watch the hell out of it.
Made in Abyss(2017)
I actually put off on watching this one until the middle of this year. It was sitting on my watch list for ages, although I was extremely sceptical since the art looked plain and rather childish. Boy was I deceived. Made in Abyss’ simple art belies the true nature of it’s dark and sinister knowledge, while the beautiful backgrounds and exceptional animation fool you into thinking it’s just another adventure story. It’s far from that, dealing with concepts like exploitation, eldritch horror, obsession and the loss of humanity. In the port town of Orth lies the Abyss. In the centre of this town lies a hole so deep that no one has reached it and lived long enough to reveal what lies at the bottom of it. Expeditions into the Abyss have discovered fantastical items and strange creatures, and Riko, our minuscule protagonist is determined to find her mother at the bottom of this chasm.
I think by focussing on such young characters the viewer is thrown on a wild ride as tragedy and misadventure befall our heroes. But more than that, the story explores how a singular goal can lead people, mainly the other characters we find, down a spiral of corruption and darkness. And it’s this comparison between our main characters who cling to their humanity, and the other characters they meet along the way that provide an interesting contrast of ideas and personalities. Ultimately, it’s as real as it gets when kids try to follow their dreams to the bitter end. With all the heartbreak and misery that accompanies those dreams.
Sakamichi no Apollon(2012)
This anime made me fall in love with Jazz. There, I said it, but don’t blame me, or think that it’s shallow. The extremely talented Kanno Yōko was the composer for this iconic music anime. Admittedly my knowledge of music anime was extremely low (I have yet to watch Beck) but this made me curious about Soundtrack music in general, especially anime OSTs. She’s worked on the music for multiple other notable anime including Wolf’s Rain, Cowboy Bebop, Zankyou no Terror, and Macross Frontier, to name a few. The show itself is a highschool drama, with a slice of romance and a love triangle. It’s hard to describe why I love this show so much, apart from the OST. I mean, the OST accompanies the show great, but there’s a hidden layer of sadness in the show as you watch this trio tackle highschool life together and slowly drift apart for multiple reasons. Perhaps that’s what life is, and perhaps that’s what we have to learn to accept, but it’s refreshing to see them fight against this fact nonetheless.
All in all, it’s a well-done highschool drama that I enjoyed, and that got me emotionally attached through its music. I think that’s a tiny bit of magic in and of itself.
Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works(2014)
Ufotable has been cemented as a studio with incredible action anime under its belt, but perhaps Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works is the show that brought them to the fore. An adaptation of Fate/stay night’s Unlimited Blade Works story route, the studio do an impeccable job of bringing this series to life all while providing a bit more depth to the original story. The result was a critically received anime that was a critical and commercial success both inside and outside of Japan. Even though their adaptation of Fate/zero was amazing, it’s impossible to deny the impact this show had from the get-go, because it hit the ground running and made waves for years. I would argue that this is one of, if not the most visually appealing anime from the last decade thanks to how Ufotable animate their shows, and it’s easy to tell when you compare it to other Fate series. If you haven’t jumped on the Fate train, this might be the one to start with.
Youjo Senki(2017)
Youjo Senki is an isekai, but not your typical isekai. It seems similar in tone to a series like Overlord, but I personally find it to be so much more. Whereas Overlord is about someone who unwittingly becomes a god and goes with the flow, Youjo Senki is an anime about a man who can’t bow down to anyone, not even a god. Being turned into a little girl, sent to an alternate reality and thrust into a conflict worse than our own Great Wars does nothing to change Tanya von Degurechaff’s mind about god. It’s this analytical and stubborn mindset from this former salaryman that turns the nation she’s been born in, into a great military might who’s strength terrifies everyone. She is undeniably the villain of this story, a war demon in the body of a child, and one who has no reserves about the path she’s taken.
Aside from the general premise and our main character, the show looks great with its magical aerial battles animated splendidly. The action is fun to follow but not too hectic and the art style accentuates the fluidity of it, being neither too hyperrealistic or cartoonish to follow. If you’re into isekai anime, but you’d like a consistent twist, give this one a watch. It makes you root for the villain from the get-go, and you’ll be defending her every action before long.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans(2015)
I’m a pretty big Gundam and mecha fan. I build gunpla, collect figurines, explore different mech shows and compare the different metal monsters in every shape way or form I can. Before watching IBO I was at least a tiny bit educated in Gundam…ok, that’s a lie, I had only ever watched Gundam Seed and Destiny, and my pre-teen brain thought it was deep. I was, therefore, in for a huge shock when I finally watched IBO. It was dark. Darker than I had expected it to be, and that was a good thing for Gundam in my opinion. It goes to places that Gundam hasn’t really touched on in detail. The aftermath of such devastating space warfare, the people left behind, the rise of crime, exploitation of children and the search for meaning. The main character isn’t some idealised golden boy with powers. He’s a tool, almost, trying to fulfil a pact even if it means his death. He’s only strong out of luck, and because of that, he may have sacrificed a lot of what made him human.
And one might be disappointed that there aren’t mech battles for half the episode, every single episode. Well, the upside is that the character development and pacing is incredibly well done. So when a character death occurs or a plot twist slams into us, it hits hard. Hells, I might just have to give it another watch soon.
Hunter x Hunter(2011)
It’s hard to measure the cultural impact that Hunter X Hunter had on shonen media, especially since it was riding the high from author Togashi Yoshihiro’s previous work Yu Yu Hakusho. Hunter x Hunter is something of a cult legend in the anime community, with some considering it to be the darn closest thing to a perfect shonen series as you can get. Despite its long hiatus’ and shaky future, it’s been moving forward. Crawling, but moving forward nonetheless. The 2011 adaptation is a bit lighter in tone overall than the original 90s adaptation, but I find that it makes it more palatable overall and creates better contrast between the more serious moments and carefree moments.
Juggling superb character development with a stunning musical score and all the atmosphere you’d expect from a legendary series, this is the adaptation to check out if you still haven’t seen HxH yet.
Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui!(2013)
Watamote, despite being well received by the community in general, seems to have a very polarised opinion from critics and fans. Rightly so since it’s one of those rare hit-or-miss shows that you either love or hate entirely. If you’re as socially awkward as I am, it’ll either make you feel like shit or make you feel like shit with a smile on your face. It seems to take pleasure in ridiculing and torturing this young girl who just wants to be popular after a life of antisocial behaviour. Introducing her to more misery, laughing at her failures, most of which are her own fault, and watching her slink back home to repeat the cycle again is the bread and butter of this show. And like I said, you’ll either absolutely love it or hate it. I watched it, even though there was a sharp pain in my gut as my own personal memories were brought back. But I found it worthwhile to watch. As for you. You’re gonna have to decide whether you can accept it as comedy or not.
Mob Psycho 100(2016)
I feel like Mob Psycho 100 has surpassed One Punch in multiple ways since it’s debut. While OPM had an incredibly disappointing second season, Mob Psycho kept the thunder rolling with an even better second season. It paced itself well and allowed itself to flourish enough for us to notice the subtle changes in its hilarious characters. I often consider the show to be a parallel to One Punch Man, since one is about finding meaning past the illusion of talent, and the other is about finding meaning after achieving your highest goals. Both are amazing, but Mob Psycho 100 takes this to a more personal level with many of its characters, leading to a more personal and emotional experience.
And that’s not even going into the stellar animation work. It’s a treat to watch, and when the action does start you know that you’ll be in for a good time. This is a show that might just surprise you in all the best ways, and for me, that’s enough confirmation as it is.
Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji: Hakairoku-hen(2011)
Kaiji is a show that makes the losers heroes. What do I mean by that? Well, Kaiji is a loser by all definitions of the word. He’s lost games, lost in life, lost his dignity and when he thinks he has nothing else to lose, he loses his freedom. That’s basically the premise of the second season of Kaiji, a high stakes gambling anime where human life is as disposable as a billionaires’ income. What makes the show so cool is the lengths to which the characters go to survive. They’re desperate and more desperate than most people will be throughout their entire lives. That desperation and madness shine through the show’s art and animation direction. Simple actions like rolling dice and turning a slot machines’ lever have the kind of weight you’d expect in a top-grade battle anime.
Of course, people always tell me that the art style turns them away, but that honestly upsets me quite a bit. The art style in this show is the perfect companion to the show. It discards the pretence of general attractiveness and aesthetic to give characters a visual personality. Whether it’s cowardly, crafty, menacing or insane, it’s very easy to tell what the character is like, and that makes any change of character that much more surprising. If you can get over the art style and the fact that it’s a gambling anime, you might have one of the most nail-biting experiences of your life.
Drifters(2016)
If you’re familiar in any way with Hirano Kōta, you’ll know exactly what to expect from this show. Profanity, blasphemy, gore, senseless violence and a healthy dose of fantasy. But if you have watched or read any of his works, you’ll also know how good he is at flipping real-world events on their head to create outlandish stories. In Drifter’s case, it’s an isekai but with famous people. So heroes from history are taken to another world to fight on the ultimate battlefield. From the get-go, you realise how interesting the premise is; for example the fact that typically “good” characters like Jeanne d’Arc and Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova are on the side of the baddies. The Ends, who are the bad guys are also the only ones who have magical abilities, whereas the Drifters, who are the good guys rely on natural talent. It’s what I’d consider a more mature and grounded isekai.
But for me what gets me is the art. I’ve always been fascinated with Kōta’s art style, and how it lends a fluidity and vibrancy to the horror depicted on screen. Heavy lines, ringed eyes and that angular quality to the art lend itself greatly to the action scenes as well as general depictions of unsettling things. And there’s always the soundtrack. I’ve had Hellsing’s soundtrack by Ishii Yasushi on constant repeat since it came out but Drifters’ OST is definitely in my top ten anime OSTs.
Drifters is definitely a more grounded option for the action enthusiast, but it doesn’t shy away from humour. If you want an exciting time with a few laughs and you haven’t watched Hellsing before, this might be a little easier to stomach.
A special shoutout to Super Eyepatch Wolf whose videos inspire me to keep writing and perhaps even one day start my own Youtube Channel. Please check him out here for YouTube and here for Twitter.
If you liked this list I’d appreciate a like and a share to spread the word. I write purely for fun and nothing helps more than letting others know about it. And if you want me to cover a specific topic or piece of media, leave a comment down below.
It’s never a bad time to watch movies, and this decade has been no different for the world of film. It’s been a time full of triumphs and failures, franchise resurrections and destructions. So I thought that I’d kick off my “End of a Decade” series with the films that defined my decade. As a reminder and quick disclaimer though, this is in no way a definitive list, or a ranked list. I am not a professional critic and I try my best to not paint myself as such. Furthermore, this is based on films that I’ve seen and not merely read about, so while there might be a lack of super artsy films or super trendy films, I hope there’s still something interesting for you to check out before the year is done.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
This movie came out a while before I became an absolute Wes Anderson nerd and as such it completely flew over my head thanks to my rather limited tastes at the time. However had I known, I would have been the first through that cinema to sit down and be immersed in his craft. Anderson is an auteur, and nothing less. He is able to tell a story in so many different ways that it’s an absolute pleasure to watch every moment of it. With snappy dialogue and a solid cast including long-time collaborator Edward Norton and the darling Ralph Fiennes. Ultimately, the movie is a tale about friendship and the trials and tribulations that come with it. Bittersweet, hilarious and at times, rather tragic it was a film that deserved an Oscar and one that I actually regret not seeing sooner.
Blade Runner 2049
I am a sci-fi nerd, and my sci-fi credentials are only growing stronger, a fact I’m immensely proud of. With that said, it’s rather embarrassing for me to say I had never heard of Denis Villeneuve before, although I had watched Sicario before. I also only had vague memories of the original Blade Runner movie when I heard the sequel was coming out. Luckily, I refused to be bested and read the novel it was based on, ultimately deciding that I loved the novel enough to watch Blade Runner 2049 during its premiere with some other nerds. To say I was blown away would be an understatement; I was almost shaken to my core. Blade Runner 2049 was a movie that focussed more on atmosphere than on pure spectacle, although that is present in hefty amounts.
Beyond the gorgeous shots, the return of Harrison Ford and the introduction of Ryan Gosling as a deeply endearing protagonist, Villeneuve does something rather frightening. He gives us a main character who, in essence, does not matter. And if you haven’t watched the film, I won’t be spoiling it for you, but for those of us who have, I have no doubt in my mind that all the twists and turns were worth it in the end.
Seemingly out of the blue, Marvel crafted a cinematic universe the likes of which had never been seen before. Since then there have been attempts to match it. There has been Universal’s Monsterverse, DC’s Extended Universe and Sony’s attempt at a Spiderverse. None have come close and for good reason after all. Marvel perfected the formula for movie enjoyability, and that ensured that even mediocre movies would be fun to watch. But Infinity War was a different beast altogether, and one that brought together over a decade’s worth of superhero continuity. Sure, we would be missing a few key players like the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and Inhumans but the beauty of that is the level of attachment we had with our small group of characters.
So in the end, we’re left with a gripping movie, and one not afraid to kill as many people as they could(even if it wasn’t permanent). And that’s probably the primary reason I rate Infinity War that much higher than Endgame, it had an amazing villain, loss and the fracturing of the greatest assembly of heroes. And the beginning of Endgame perfectly exemplifies Infinity War’s greatest asset. Thanos winning so hard that he resigns himself to life as a farmer and eventual death. Had Endgame not reset all of the damn deaths, perhaps it would be here instead of Infinity War, but as it stands, it’s Infinity War that sits atop the peak of superhero films and shared universes.
Parasite
Bong Joon-Ho officially entered my sights when I finally watched Snowpiercer earlier this year, an experience that left me pleasantly surprised. Being the n00b of Korean cinema and culture that I am, I was pretty excited to watch Parasite and managed to catch it on one of the final days that it screened here. I was impressed, disturbed, but most of all, questioning the entirety of the film. While I, of course, praised its cinematography and the parallel shots used to mirror the two families, I often found myself in the shoes of our protagonist’s family. “Would I be immoral for doing this”, or, “if it’s for survival, it’s not so bad.” At the end of the day, I was left with multiple ethical questions to answer, some of which I’m still pondering today.
But Joon-Ho manages to give the audience, especially Western ones, a good look into general class division, as well as Korean culture and economics (at a cursory glance, naturally). This makes it easier for everyone to relate to and understand the two families and the actions they take during the film. A solid drama with a good shake of bitter tragedy, Parasite is a movie hell-bent on delivering a dreaded message we hear loud and clear, even if we don’t want to.
How to Train Your Dragon 2
How to Train Your Dragon was an interesting film that admittedly made me a little curious about the world of Berk and its dragons. But I never gave it much thought after that and it faded into my memory. But the sequel, How to Train Your Dragon 2 did what the first movie couldn’t do. It made me a fan. I was in love with everything from the premise to the character conflicts to the villain. But most importantly, I was in love with the score by John Powell, who had worked on a multitude of other works. It perfectly accented the turmoil that was present in the film, and it was riveting to feel that emotion well up inside of me in a way that very few films have done before.
While it didn’t have stiff competition from other animated flicks in the year of its release, it set itself apart as a film that could be watched by both children and adults. It encapsulated both the heroes journey and coming of age tale, mirroring them in dragon and rider, and making for a highly enjoyable watch.
Mad Max: Fury Road
Tom Hardy is in my top 10 actors of all times for his ability to play a wide variety of roles as well as emote incredibly well. Look no further than 2013’s Locke from director Steven Knight which had Hardy as the sole character on screen. However, Locke fails to make the cut simply because it’s not nearly good enough in all areas and is more of a speciality film for the niche film enthusiasts. Fury Road is a balls-to-the-wall high octane testosterone trip through the desert with a star-studded cast and George Miller at the helm to continue his vision for the post-apocalyptic nightmare world its set in. It’s a pure action fantasy dream that was made possible thanks to an amazing blend of special and practical effects, stunning cinematography, and great performances.
One thing I’ve always argued with people about is the fact that it’s shallow and nothing more than a jet-fueled mess. But I beg to disagree. The film does an amazing job of developing its characters, creating its setting and fleshing them out without a large number of words. And when there is a monologue, it feels even more impactful because of this. We can see the state of the world, we understand what’s at stake and we don’t need backstories or obvious dialogue to let us know what our protagonists are fighting for. The world of Mad Max: Fury Road is fire, blood and motor oil, and it shows that brilliantly with some amazing gems for those who keep their eyes open for long enough.
Hereditary
Hereditary broke me. There, I said it. It did to me what all the slashers and found footage films couldn’t do. Come to terms with family trauma and cyclical abuse, the kind of grime that exists in every family. After watching it, I was much more appreciative of the family I had.
Ari Aster is a relative newcomer to the horror scene, and this film made waves and did things most Western films were avoiding for one reason or other. It’s a slow burn, that’s for sure, but once the match is lit, the game is on, and the emotional torment you have to go through is heart-breaking. And that’s especially true because of Toni Collette’s harrowing performance as a mother of two and faithful wife. I heard her soul-wrenching scream in my dreams for a good while after the film, and thinking back on it, it’s not surprising why I did.
Logan
If Avengers: Endgame was the rallying cry of a cinematic universe at the height of its power, Logan was the quiet requiem of a franchise that chose how it wanted to die. Not with a bang but a shudder, and maybe a promise of hope. By the time Logan premiered, Hugh Jackman had been playing our clawed friend for 17 years. A massive amount of time for any actor playing a recurring role. And while not every X-men film was a gigantic success, Jackman himself couldn’t play him forever. He is ageing, and so are we, and it was all too clear to see sometimes. Perhaps we all knew it couldn’t go on forever, but when Logan was announced with that heart-breaking song by Johnny Cash playing in the background of the trailer, my heart broke and I knew I had to go see Logan’s final stand.
What we got was a superhero film uninhibited by so the restrictions of family-friendly corporate superhero cinema. Logan was dark, gritty, bittersweet and the perfect send-off for Jackman. It seemed to deal with the concept of passing on the torch to the next generation with more grace than most could manage while grappling with the internal conflict of keeping something you love alive or laying it to rest with as much care as is possible. It would be a disservice to not mention Dafne Keen’s strong performance as Logan’s charge, and it was this along with Jackman’s performance that solidified the passing of the torch on. Stories will move on, but the memories will never truly die.
Logan is a beautiful film without a doubt, and it’s made even more beautiful by the note it ends on. It leaves everything with the hope that something greater rises from the ashes, no matter how long it takes.
10 Cloverfield Lane
A vastly different film from its predecessor Cloverfield, this movie shows just how effective horror can be the longer the audience is left in the dark. More psychological than anything, this movie appealed to all of my tastes with a nefariously small cast and a tiny set to work in, the fear sets in deep in our hearts from the get-go. With so little to go on, it’s pretty fun to jump at shadows, until you realise how sinister things become. It’s the true definition of from the frying pan and into the fire, but it’s also something more than that. Is it worth it to face the fire when you don’t know what else is in the frying pan?
That dread remains ever-present no matter how good things look as the film progresses. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman and John Gallagher Jr. all deliver great performances and it’s this that really drives the film home for me. If you have to watch a Cloverfield film, I’d go for this one, hands down.
Moonrise Kingdom
Ok, another Wes Anderson film, but it’s the last one, promise. This is a weird film, and one that I’m not too accustomed to watching. A coming of age story that deals with discovering love as an outsider. It’s a whole beast of a narrative, juggling from the main characters, Suzy and Sam, and their families, one a traditional home and the other, a group of boy scouts. Their resolve to run away from home and live their own lives is as hilarious as it is touching, especially if you’ve been in a similar rage at your family, which I’m sure most of us have. Watching Sam use his surprisingly well-honed survival skills while Suzy brings a host of sentimental, but ultimately useless items. It feels like a couple’s road trip, with all the appropriate nagging, and hiccups ensuing.
I found it touching, but light-hearted, and a nice little distraction from a lot of the other heavier stuff I was watching around that time. It’s in no way simple though, so be ready for amazing exchanges and snippets of dialogue from legends like Bruce Willis, Edward Norton and Tilda Swinton to name a few.
Rango
Rango, Rango, Rango, what can I say about this gorgeous film that you may or may not have heard before? Well, it’s directed by Gore Verbinski, the director of Pirates of the Caribbean, and it stars Johnny Depp as the lead. It’s a great Western that plays a lot on the strengths of the Western as well as some funny tropes that are painfully overplayed, all while delivering its own unique take. This movie actually won an Academy award in 2011, the first non-Disney or Pixar film to win it since 2006, and the only one to win until Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse won it in 2018.
Although it’s painted as kid’s movie, it’s a little more than that, providing genre commentary and references to popular Westerns in an incredibly fun way. I love it when movies don’t treat kids like total fucking idiots, Not only because they’re smarter than that but because they open up the kid to critically learning and appreciating even kids movies, instead of consuming all the 2-bit trash that releases all the time. Go give Rango a try. Even if you don’t find it deep or moving, you’ll have a pretty good time nonetheless.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
Every decade has it’s cult films and Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World was one of the first for the 2010s. Michael Cera is the insanely likeable, but still scummy Scott Pilgrim, on a mission to defeat the evil exes to get with the girl. It sounds incredibly corny, and it is, but it’s accented by a musical score that matches really well with scenes as well as some catchy hits that stay in your head a little longer than you’d like. The plot and story are fun, but it’s the visuals, cinematography and comedy that really got to me. From transitions to cheeky videogame-esque special effects, it felt like we were secretly mashing the buttons to hit the combos as Scott conquered each evil ex.
Edgar Wright is no stranger to comedy. In fact, I’d argue that you’d recognise an Edgar Wright film after a few minutes due to his unmistakable style of visual comedy. You might have heard of Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead and The World’s End, all with their own distinct style of visual comedy. Telling jokes…without telling jokes. But showing them. It’s hard to explain since I’m not really big on comedy, but you’ll have to give me the benefit of the doubt on this one.
The Raid
I hadn’t had a martial arts obsession since halfway through primary school, and like many other things, I grew out of it. Martial arts movies just didn’t do it for me, and since primarily Chinese and American martial arts films were all but the norm for me, I didn’t hear about The Raid until late in highschool. And let me tell you, this film reinvigorated my passion for the art of the fight. Directed by Gareth Evans and starring Indonesian actor Iko Uwais as the leading role, this Indonesian movie bared its fangs at its competitors and showed us that it could carry a hell of a punch. It’s brutal, it’s gripping and it leaves you with a sense of desperation I haven’t felt in many action movies.
Overwhelming odds? Check. Stoic protagonist? Check. But Uwais is what makes the film truly a treat. As a choreographer, stuntman and martial artist, his scenes had this impact that had me wincing at every crunch, every hit and every fall. It’s more engaging than I expected and it harkens back to Jackie Chan’s early days filming incredibly dangerous scenes himself. If you’re a fan of watching people brutalise each other in a strangely beautiful way, watch The Raid.
These are in no way the only amazing films I watched this year, as there are many others that blew me away but couldn’t make it onto this list such as Joker and the Irishman. But I’ve had way longer to ponder over the films I’ve mentioned here, so I feel more content recommending them. Hopefully, you’ve seen most of them before, but if you haven’t then it’s never too late to check them out.
A lot of people predicted how bad this film would be since the leaks surfaced a few weeks ago. Amidst all rumours of reshoots and tension on set, one thing stood out: the leaked plot. And boy was it bad, and comically so to boot. But reading a leaked plot and watching a movie are two different things entirely, so as a long-time Star Wars fan, I hauled myself to the first screening of the movie. My expectations weren’t high and I couldn’t see a way for the franchise to dig itself out of this slump, at least in the realm of cinema. While Star Wars has made a few good steps forward with The Mandalorian and improvements to Battlefront 2, it’s taken far too many steps backwards. So I’ll try and give my opinion on the final film in the Rey saga because, despite its title, it does nothing to build on the Skywalker mythos.
Let’s dive right in.
Plot and Writing
Finally, more interaction between these two
Taking place after the destruction of the Rebe-I mean, Resistance,Rey has resumed her Jedi training under Leia. The Resistance is in a tight spot, with no reinforcements and a growing First Order to fight against. While she battles with her own inner turmoil, Kylo Ren is pursuing a lead on Emperor Palpatine who was thought to be dead after the destruction of the Second Death Star. After finding him, Palpatine promises him his throne as the true ruler of the Sith, along with a fresh fleet of Star Destroyers that will rain hell and fury on the galaxy. The only catch is that he has to kill Rey, who is the last Jedi and the only real threat to his power. From there, we embark on a treasure hunt essentially, to find the homeworld of the Sith and destroy Palpatine and the fleet he has under his command. Poe, C-3PO, BB-8, Finn and Chewbacca accompany Rey as they follow the trail Luke was on. They meet some old allies, make a few new ones and Rey discovers that she is, in fact, Emperor Palpatine’s granddaughter *gasp*. After dealing with this revelation, she meets Ren in the ruins of the Death Star where they have a final confrontation. Just as Kylo is about to strike her down, he is…force touched by Leia, I think? This provides Rey with enough of an opening to mortally wound him, however, she realises the sacrifice Leia has made and heals Kylo, who is now Ben Solo once more.
Not a bad duel, but far from the best
After some encouragement from ol’ daddy-o Han, Ben hightails after Rey while Poe and Finn step up as the new generals of the Resistance and launch one last-ditch attempt to destroy the Sith fleet, all while hoping that aid arrives from the rest of the galaxy. Finally. two battles occur, one in the skies above the Sith planet, Exegol, and one below the surface as Rey and Ben attempt to kill the Emperor. Palpatine does not mind death, as he believes that if he is struck down his spirit, and every other Siths will pass into Rey, and the Sith will never die. But after being confronted by both Kylo and Rey, he decides to just suck them dry (their force essence, not, well yeah), and become stronger than he ever was. Strong enough to single-handedly deal massive damage to the Resistance fleets. But after an all too silly anime moment of hearing the Jedi of the past, Rey enters the Avatar state and kills Palpatine with his own lightning, finally vanquishing the Sith and ending their reign once and for all. Unfortunately, this leaves her dead, but only for a brief while since Ben transfers his essence over to Rey and takes her place, reviving her and redeeming himself. In the end, Rey travels to Luke’s home on Tattoine, burying his and Leia’s lightsabers and taking the name Skywalker, while gazing at the twin suns, much like Luke did not too long ago.
Hells, wrong movie
Now that we’ve got out of the way, let’s discuss if you couldn’t tell I was rolling my eyes throughout the whole movie. But let’s start with the things I did like. The gang is finally together. This was meant to be the dream team all along, Poe, Rey and Finn, teaming up and using their skills in tandem to achieve their goals. It completely stumps me as to why they kept them separated for so long because now that the final film is here, it still feels like watching strangers, even if they did do an admirable job. But the feeling wasn’t present in me. We had three films to see the chemistry between Luke, Han and Leia, and understand their motives and goals. So even when Luke left for Bespin it felt justified. Finn’s wild goose chase with Rose did nothing for his character, and Poe was basically on his own for the whole film. But that aside it did feel like watching three good friends on an adventure, if only slightly.
So much wasted potential…
Kylo’s scenes were also pretty good, although he had to work with a less than adequate script. It was hard to see the inner conflict in him like we did in the first and even second film, but it was refreshing to see him assert himself and finally show his power. Like when he disciplined an admiral early on a-la-Vader, or when he taunted Rey about her past to bring her closer to the dark side. In the end, maybe his redemption arc would have worked way better if it wasn’t so hamfisted and Rey focussed. I also honestly would have loved to see more of the Knights of Ren but they were ultimately useless. Completely, and utterly useless. And it sucks because, like I said, we had two whole films before this to work on things like this. It would have added so much more character dynamic to Kylo to see him leading these troops and interacting with them instead of just berating Hux every time they’re on screen together. But of course, the film just tries to fulfil every missed opportunity and mistake made by bringing in characters from the Sequels (Like Lando) and giving characters like the Knights some screentime.
More set decoration than anything else really
The dialogue isn’t too bad, and it looks like Star Wars decided on the good ol’ Marvel formula. Some humour woven in here and there to get a giggle out of everyone and make the movie a bit more fun to watch. And that at least made me feel somewhat better when watching it, after all, I couldn’t take the movie seriously. There were times when a serious moment was playing out and then giggles and laughs would erupt from a few people in the crowd. Even during Rey and Kylo’s kiss, there were some audible groans around me. I think it shows the disconnect between the fans and the filmmaker, especially with them shoehorning Finn’s confession after building up his thing with Rose. But ultimately the biggest disconnect was the attempt at bringing Palpatine back as the final boss after failing miserably with Snoke. The writing team didn’t have the guts to make the fight against Rey and Kylo final so they appealed to nostalgia to get everyone curious and hyped. With multiple books, movies and comics delving into the infamous Emperor, it makes the very plot of this movie fall apart. But I think there are deeper reasons for why this movie failed to save Star Wars, and I’ll dive into that in the next section.
Palpatine, The Force, And Why The Film Fell Flat
One of the underlying plot points in the film is the return of Palpatine. In the original trilogy, we were quite happily teased with the mysticism of the force, the Jedi and the Sith, and other events like the Clone Wars. In the prequels, a lot of that mysticism was revealed to mixed reception, however, it opened a look into the world of the Old Republic and the traditions and historic events that made the world of Star Wars, Star Wars. With that came a lot of established fact alongside theory and speculation, such as the nature of lightsaber colours, the use of force abilities, and the different positions in both orders. We learnt why there were only ever two true Sith at any one time, and why there were thousands of Jedi at some point. Most importantly though, we learnt how each of the main characters took their ancient teachings and used them, such as Obi Wan’s mastering of Soresu after Qui Gon’s death, or Quinlan Vos returning from the dark side out of love, something the Jedi strictly forbade. And even in Legends, we saw how those teachings changed and evolved, the Sith Rule of Two becoming the Sith Rule of One, and Luke’s new Jedi Order having to start from scratch.
Darth Bane and his apprentice Zannah from Legends continuity
Darth Sideous became the Sith who inherited the will of his masters before him, not in spirit but in teaching. The Sith hoarded knowledge jealously, only accepting the purely strong. Of course, there were reasons for taking apprentices, such as Palpatine choosing Anakin because of his raw force ability and despite him being the so-called “chosen one”, something made a little more possible thanks to his trip to Mortis. I’m sure had Dooku killed Anakin above Coruscant he would have adjusted his plans. In Star Wars: The Force Unleashed we see Palpatine offering Galen Marek a spot at his side if he kills Vader and his rebel friends. So the idea that Palpatine would merely sit and wait for a granddaughter who might not be nearly as corrupted or powerful as Palpatine seems incredibly spurious. There was also the revelation that Palpatine had “created” Snoke who was his puppet all along, despite Snoke being physically inept. While Palpatine knew that no blade could match the power of the force, he knew how useful a blade could be. I don’t see why he wouldn’t just corrupt Ben himself, especially when he would be way more impressionable and vulnerable.
Source: Star Wars Dark Empire
While a true Star Wars fan would dissect all of the canonical conflicts and loose points, (such as force ghosts manipulating the living world), the main point is this; in this film, Palpatine is an idiot. In the Sequels, we saw him as the dark overlord who only revealed his hand in person when the axe was falling over the neck of his victims. In the Prequels he was an all-knowing and all-powerful manipulator who put all the pieces into motion before taking his enemies by storm, leaving no loose ends and no weak links. In this trilogy, he’s an old fool who lets his enemies surprise him before being defeated by a far weaker opponent than his former eternal nemesis. This ultimately leads to a film that becomes frustrating for old-school fans and confusing for people who just got introduced to the franchise. It’s one thing to have a new vision (albeit one that’s poorly executed) like with the Last Jedi, and another to pull one of cinema’s greatest villains out of his hyperdrive grave in an attempt to save a franchise that was handled poorly.
Failure Among the Leaders
In recent years Star Wars has garnered a bad reputation among fans for their abrasive comments and downright attacks against fans. Loyal fans who spend their hard earned money on cinema tickets and merchandise even after 40 years. That doesn’t mean that filmmakers and writers should bend over backwards to satiate fans. The Prequel Trilogy was highly polarising for a long time, but fans could accept their differences and move forward for the sake of their beloved franchise. This led to some amazing things like The Force Unleashed and The Clone Wars series. But once Kathleen Kennedy became head of Disney Star Wars, there have been so many gaffes and failures on the part of the management that it has irreversibly tarnished Star Wars image, especially at a crucial time where a new generation might become attached to the iconic space opera. No one was on the same page, and it was clear from the get-go, with Abrams creating a fanservice-filled movie followed by Johnson’s attempt at subversion and Abrams return to save a dying ship. It was as if the upper echelons at Disney forgot all the Legends stories and leaps forward made in the past few decades. And there are tons of video essays breaking down how bad these films are whether it’s as a whole or certain elements within them. Not everything can be a win, but when you regress so far backwards, it can only be called a failure.
I’ll roast them another time
And maybe that’s what the corporate elite over at Disney forgot. Star Wars was meant to be a mythos, and that’s the way it was always meant to be. A collection of tales spread out across a galaxy in a whimsical past age. Much like how 40K evolved passed it’s Rogue Trader days and created hundreds of unique tales both good and bad, Star Wars was reaching that level of interwoven mythos from multiple fronts. Instead, the corporate wheel knew that the surest way to rake in the sweet cash was to stoke the flames of nostalgia without making any progress. By pushing agenda and inflating the ego of singular creators over a fully realised story, they have inadvertently damned themselves. And honestly, good riddance too. Although I don’t hate Kathleen Kennedy as a producer, I think she’s worked on some amazing films, Dave Filoni should have been the head of Lucasfilm Creative after Lucas took a step down, period. Nonetheless, I hope this is a wakeup call for the gaudy suits up there. They might make their billion, but the toys won’t sell, the theme parks will empty out and the torch won’t be passed down.
I bury my beloved Star Wars with a heavy heart today. And I really do love Star Wars, despite how toxic I may be called, or how many ists and isms are thrown my way, I don’t think I’ll ever stop loving it. But this was one of the very very few times I finished a Star Wars film and felt absolutely nothing. I doubt I’m the only one either. The claps in the cinema after the credits rolled were painfully absent, and the pang of mediocrity was in the air. More than anything, I’m painfully disappointed, not in spending my money but in holding on to hope for so long. I suppose this is how Star Wars dies, with a sad whimper. Despite this upset though, we do have a few things to look forward to in the coming decade as concerns the realm of sci-fi. A Dune adaptation, hopefully a continuation of The Mandalorian and the return of Seth Macfarlane’s The Orville. But let’s not put our hopes up for any groundbreaking Star Wars films just yet. Perhaps it needs this break. I know I would.
A fanservice-y mess rife with story conflicts, inconsistent storytelling and character destruction, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker becomes my least favourite Star Wars film of all time. More disappointed than angry, I give it a solemn
4.5/10
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I read a lot. I spend a good portion of my time reading books, manga and lore. Quite a few people often ask me what my favourite books are before I break into a sweat at having to recall and rate every book I’ve read. But I figure it’s high time I discuss a few books I’m extremely happy to have read and why I think you should give them a shot if you haven’t already.
1984 by George Orwell
Perhaps one of the most quoted and misunderstood books of the past few years, it has remained relevant since it’s release. The best way to describe the emotion you feel at the end of it is…despair. There is no hope, there is no revolution or future, nor will there be. Every year is 1984, there will always be a Goldstein, there will always be perpetual war and freedom is cruelly crushed under the heels of those that can’t be rightly called human anymore. If Star Wars is an epic detailing the fight for eventual freedom thanks to the neverending and eternal spirit of humanity, 1984 is the antithesis of that. It is the detailed and thorough destruction of anything that makes us human besides our wanton destruction. Love, indulgence, happiness or resistance. It is the knowledge that the human spirit has been methodically and systematically crushed and that any aberrations are quickly made an example of. That this might be a straight road to a much quicker, much more terrifying extinction.
The implications of this lack of freedom are appalling. Unlike Fahrenheit 451 which only has books destroyed, 1984 explores the global consequences of a far more terrifying future. Those in power will do anything to hold that power, from keeping a whole group of people placated with basic animal needs, to keeping the world locked in a state of perpetual war. Through this war and the industry created to fuel it, the planet will die much much sooner rather than later, and if any world power decides it wants more than the predetermined cut, MAD will ensue.
Earlier I said 1984 was misquoted and misunderstood by many people who seem to either refuse to apply it realistically or honestly. More often than not, I hear people on the left-wing of the political spectrum using it as a tool to bash anyone on the right. And less often by those on the right to bash people on the left, each blaming the other for being dystopic overlords hell-bent on crushing the freedom of men. However, the truth is simply that Orwell wrote 1984 as a response to the cruelty and terror tactics that occurred during the Russian Revolution. He witnessed the amount of power anyone could wield with the creation of the atom bomb, the dangers of mass media influencing the populace and the easiest way to enslave a people. But in the end, 1984 is simply a disaffected man’s response to the totalitarian threats of his time. It isn’t a ray of hope or an instruction manual in defeating it. It’s simply a warning on what to look out for in order to avoid the end of all we love in the face of uncaring totalitarianism.
Candide by Voltaire
One of the first philosophical books I had truly read, and one that frustratingly had me coming to terms with the heavy disillusionment and disassociation that I was experiencing. Candide is a tale of despair and overwhelming optimism. But sometimes, optimism isn’t suitable, Sometimes, things keep getting worse even though we pray for better. The universe can right and truly piss on us and it might be important to understand that some people suffer simply because suffering exists. You might be one such person suffering, and there are plenty of people who have it better and worse than you. Most of Candide’s friends such as the love interest Cunégonde, the slave Cacambo and the philosopher Pangloss go through trials and tribulations that would make Ramsay Bolton shudder.
Candide, the titular character is seemingly snatched from the jaws of death only to be put in just as miserable, if not worse situations. He clings to a philosophy that does not reconcile his position in the world as a scapegoat for its wanton cruelty. He rationalises the real and shockingly terrifying acts of man and nature as part of a greater plan to arrive at something better. An idea that many religious figures in Voltaire’s time held, and which saw it banned to various degrees and in many places until the 20th century. But what makes Candide so great is it’s satirical nature. Despite the fact that the book can show terrifying acts of cruelty, depravity and hatred, it still makes people laugh at the absurdity of reconciling irredeemable evils and hurt with an ideology or agenda. It may leave people asking why we are created only to endure such suffering as Cunégonde survives disembowelment only to be passed on from misery to misery throughout the tale. But perhaps that is a question answered best by Camus.
By the end, after all the trials Candide rejects the notion that all turns out for the best by necessity. Now that he is in his own space, with his own power, he states “we must cultivate our garden.” After knowing only optimism, Candide finds himself starkly pragmatic. Although we never figure out what philosophy he has adopted, I think that’s the beauty of it all. In the spirit of pragmatism and in the face of unending suffering, we must be realistic with what assails us. Whether that’s moving onto a new philosophy, rejecting the evils of this world or seeking out the knowledge of others we truly must cultivate our own gardens.
The Silmarillion by J.R.R Tolkien
The deeper you get into fantasy and high fantasy novels, the more you come across Tolkien, and for good reason. Tolkien was an interesting bird, and you can see some of the quirks that make him unique in his first novels, the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. It’s easy to see some of his favourite literary devices and lore concepts in these early books. Unfortunately, his magnum opus is rarely discussed, and that is, of course, the Silmarillion. A High Fantasy mythological epic inspired by multiple tales, stories and thoughts. For those of you who consider themselves Tolkien aficionados, you will know that The Silmarillion is essentially the lay of Middle Earth, from its creation to the Third Age. In LOTR we get to hear snippets of the greater lore of Tolkien’s world. The Numenoreans, Beren and Luthien and who created the Ents to name a few. In the Silmarillion we get to experience them.
The Silmarillion isn’t mean to be a prequel story. Don’t think about it like Rowling’s Crimes of Grindlewald or Lucas’ trilogy of prequels. They aren’t individual tales and stories meant to relate specifically to later events. The Silmarillion is a history book through and through, detailing many major and minor engagements, settlements, treaties and occurrences. Heroes, villains and gods abound but customs and cultures are also established. Nations are explored and central locations previously mentioned in earlier works are given life. I feel like it perfectly embodies the nature of the myth, our ancestors using their great power and ability to perform near miracles. Think about our own world, the Völsunga saga, Beowulf, the Epic of Gilgamesh and Ramayana. We relate the greatest tales of individual heroism and bravery to our ancestors and it is these stories that shape the way forward for many cultures. As cool as it is that humans have managed to get to the moon and back, a far more interesting story, as far as stories go, is to see Psyche overcome trials and tribulations for Cupid. In the same way, as fun as it is to see Legolas killing orcs left and right, it does nothing to compare to the sheer exhilaration and horror of watching Gwindor follow Hurin to his ruin.
For sure, it is a weighty book. So weighty in fact, that three famous tales, The Children of Hurin, The Fall of Gondolin and Beren and Luthien have become fully-fledged novels. I sincerely believe it is the bible for Geekdom, simply because of it’s classic and genre-defining status. It set the standard for writing the history of a fictional world, what to consider and what to discard. All in all, if you’re someone who has no problem reading dense mythological encyclopedias or history books, you’d probably adore the Silmarillion.
It was a chilling thought that rippled through me as I went home. Something so abhorrent I shuddered in disgust. “What a shame, today’s kids won’t really know what it’s like to game or progress without instinctively approving a monetary transaction.” It’s practically become second nature to make those Google Wallet payments or link your PayPal. It’s also revolting because I know full well that the games industry continues to do this despite the backlash, despite the vitriol, knowing their pockets will only swell further in 5, or even three years. Kids are big spenders. They have a massive amount of buying power, but how kids are socialised, how they view money and the exchange of it can also shape their spending habits into their late teens or adulthood. By the time a kid reaches 16, they may have already spent thousands of pounds on microtransactions in one game alone. Once they start making their own money and have more freedom, that number can easily grow as we’ve already seen in some cases.
How the Gaming Industry Propagates Harmful Behaviour
Gamers have, for years, defended the merit of games as potential mediums for high art. We’ve defended games from politician’s scapegoating, media smearing and pitifully uninformed parents. Hells, we even defend gaming from ourselves when a schism opens up in our community, something that can reasonably lead to a cataclysmic aftermath. In return, the executives of these companies prey on gamers, no matter the platform or genre, as long as it can garner some sort of profit. Disregarding the fact that there are many developers who take the flack for the greedy decisions that trickle down from the upper echelons, Despite multiple instances of boycotts, vitriol, hateful attacks and negativity towards these shady practices, they continue to be pushed. And they wouldn’t continue pushing them if they didn’t see some sort of long-term gain. Of course, they’re looking towards the future, why wouldn’t they be? A future where every kid is so deep in microtransactions that if they’re not breaking their own piggy banks to get that chest of gems in Clash of Clans, they’re sure as hell gonna max out mummy’s credit card.
And while as gamers, we do have a list of our own most hated greedy companies, even our favourite companies can sink into the mud for a bit of loot. Nintendo recently launched Mario Kart Tour, a game available to play for all ages. One that is rife with microtransactions (the first thing you do is a loot box-like motion to unlock a character). Nintendo is not usually in the business of microtransactions in their first-party games. For all intents and purposes, it seems like they steer clear from anything that might seriously damage their public image, as compared to other companies. But sure enough, they’re digging deep to find a way to keep core fans while getting that sweet monetisation. You see, many of these companies are playing a game that will definitely come back to hurt us in the future. One that most people, I believe, have not seen.
Mobile Gaming, the Scourge and the Future
Mobile gaming is the future. It’s undeniable, it’s a fact that I hate admitting as much as the next guy. But, it might look very different from what we see now. In the far off future, we might see huge mergers or buyouts as companies integrate themselves into a self-sustaining ecosystem. Other companies might simply go the way of the dinosaurs, with others taking their place. One company might provide internet, hardware, software and a variety of exclusives, and there will only be three or four of those companies. Your phone will be your gaming device which will connect with your integrated home theatre system allowing you to stream onto your other screens. Sure there might be multiple high-quality games, but there will be even more of the usual time-wasting, clickbait type of games we’ve come to be familiar with.
Now let’s also be honest because handheld gaming (not to be confused with mobile gaming) was dead and gone for a while. The 3ds was becoming outdated, the PS Vita shot its shot and was killed by Sony (never forgive. Never forget) and the WiiU was a complete failure. The vacuum that followed was quickly filled by mobile gaming whose bosses realised just how lucrative a market it could be. And as phones became way more powerful, we saw accessories designed to make mobile gaming more comfy and bigger titles popping up on our phones like Mobile Legends. Truth is, the Switch and its handheld/docked technology might be the only way we can keep our games out of the realm of the mobile game market. One that arguably has far more egregious monetisation practices, an industry that can get downright predatory. But at the same time, I don’t see the separation of the home console, handheld and PC spheres existing for that much longer. One of the only things keeping fans loyal to their home console of choice is the library of exclusives available, but as the reality of cloud streaming and cross-platform play comes in…well… let’s say that might not be enough anymore.
Are Gamers to Blame at All
Well of course, no side is truly blameless. In cases where companies use clearly predatory practices to take advantage of gamers who might be more susceptible to gambling-esque mechanics, the answer is clear. They are knowingly employing tactics that they know are sure to generate more buzz, more money to put into mechanics that generate more money. It’s a vicious cycle. Take FIFA, a game that releases every year, sometimes with big changes, sometimes with small changes. However, each year in Ultimate mode you have to earn your favourite characters again, spending even more money on top of the base game. That, to me is an unacceptable stance for these companies to take.
On the other hand, there are also gamers and publications out there that do defend shady monetisation. Look, Warframe is a solid AAA-grade game that ships for free. I know the premium currency can be pricey, but there are ways to get it for free. With a great community and a constant slew of free updates, you can actually see your progress and enjoy the game without coming up with an empty wallet. I’ve had the game for 5 years and never spent a cent, but if you really wanted to support them, what’s £50 or even £100 during that time? But for games where one might end up spending over £1000 in one year because of predatory monetisation? I’m sorry, that’s not ok.
No, the solution isn’t to stop fighting. I doubt that gamers will ever really stop fighting microtransactions in their games. After all, when you watch a movie, its up to you whether or not you go and watch it again. When you subscribe to Netflix, you get what you pay for and unsubscribe if you don’t like it. But with games, you might spend hundreds of hours playing. I don’t even know how often you might have to be faced with buying a lootbox to make the already difficult progression actually manageable. Where you might spend a few pounds on a movie, you pay an initial 50 quid for a retail copy of a game, and then depending on different factors can potentially pay hundreds more. And that’s for a base copy. What about digital deluxe editions. special editions, collectors editions? Those can go up to £200, easily.
So, the solution? Well, boycotting, or rather, denying bad behaviour and rewarding good behaviour is quite strong. TakeAnthem, a game EA thought would do well because of the fabled “Bioware” magic. It’s not even brought up in EA financial reports because it did piss poor. As bad as I feel for the dev team, they allowed this to happen, and the game is probably going to lose all support in the near future. Reward good behaviour, if the game does well or owns up to and fixes its mistakes. Maybe go back and give it a play. Update a review you made if you can. Show the publishers and devs that this is what you want. A balance if nothing else. Personally, I also try not to give attention to things I don’t think are worth talking about. Sure, the microtransactions in FIFA 20 are terrible, especially on the Switch version, which is basically a carbon copy of FIFA 19. But hey, what else is new? That’s right, nothing. If you buy it, don’t play Ultimate Team, if you don’t buy it, well then, that’s your choice. Unless it’s a rare circumstance, I can’t really force people what to buy. I’m not the ultimate authority on what to play or not to play. There’s a lot more to talk about but I think I’ve covered some of the most important things.
But if you’re my age, remember simpler times where gaming was a little simpler, a little purer. Remember, that if you allow this to go on, your kids, nephews and nieces will grow up playing games, mobile or console, filled to the brim with practices that teach them that it’s alright to empty your wallets on games. As for me, well. I hate kids and I don’t plan on having any. But sticking it to megacorporations that don’t give a fuck about fans and players? Yeah, I can get behind that.
I’ve been rewatching Hunter × Hunter recently, perhaps in a vain attempt to recapture some of the old childhood nostalgia I’ve been yearning for. In fact, seeing the enthralling innocence of Gon almost makes me hate myself more for the adult I’m becoming, rather than the kid I wished to remain. But that’s a topic for another day. As I stand on the threshold of the climax of the infamous Chimera Ant Arc, a thought came to me. One that usually plagues shōnen media. The progression and escalation of the main character’s power, and how that influences the show moving forward. And dare I say, how that makes it perhaps the most influential and interesting shows in Shōnen history, bar a few exceptions.
For this piece, I’ll try keeping it short without going into some of the much longer themes like the in-depth Nen system and how character development plays a part in all of this. With Togashi-sensei in ill health, we may not ever have the chance to see exactly how far our protagonists are able to blossom and showcase their growth and strengths. However, with the mangaka’s establishment of the power structure, scaling and feats, we can more easily gauge just how well Togashi-sensei handles these issues.
So let’s dive in.
Clear Categorisation of Power
At the very beginning of the show, we see an 11-year-old Gon Freecs who has been camping and camouflaged, for hours, if not days, reel in an absolute behemoth of a fish, al in order to become a Hunter. From there, he mingles with many other people who also possess either incredible athletic capability, endurance, strength, intelligence or a combination of them all.
After seeing their clear displays of power, we discover each category has its own subcategory which each character uses to his or her advantage. Is it sustained strength, or explosive but more powerful bursts of strength? When discussing intelligence, is it the conventional intelligence one gains from years and years of absorbing knowledge, or wisdom, or strategic thinking? This gives each encounter and each arc a dynamism that a lot of other series lack. We know that Killua can lift metric tons with little to no effort, but when he is stopped in place with only a cursory glance, that shows the gap between him and his opponent, and how they apply their own power. It also makes us ask, “how the hell did they manage that??” What skill or power was used? Was it just experience, or some crazy technique we know nothing about? It doesn’t take massive and epic battles to show the difference in power like in Dragonball Z for example. Simple interactions can have the same effect as a three or four episode battle in some anime.
This further extends when one factors in Nen and the various abilities that one is granted. It is clear from the onset that a solid base is the only way to become one of the best. One of the first trials during the Hunter Exam, in fact, is to complete an ultra-run of over 50 km. Anyone who completes this is most likely at the peak of human endurance and stamina, but it merely becomes a far more impressive task for our pre-teen protagonists. That’s why their interactions with other characters are so exciting. Despite their accomplishments at such a young age, they are still fledgelings compared to older characters who can most likely do everything they can, and more. So even when we see the monstrously strong Gon, we know he might scale badly next to the incredibly technical Kurapika. Not everything is about strength, and even when it is, if there are other factors at play, it becomes a battle of multiple combinations of factors, and not just a greatest strength or weakness.
Everyone wants to become a Hunter, but out of the whole human populace, there are only roughly 600 Hunters at any given time. Only the cream of the crop can become the best of the best, and that means that even your worst must trump the average person’s best.
Consequences
The consequences of mistakes, losses or differences in strength and experience are felt very clearly in Togashi’s world. Main characters can have grievous injuries inflicted upon them. Of course, due to the nature of Nen there may be a way to downright fix the problem entirely, but there’s also a risk on the person doing the saving. It reminds me, in a way, of Fullmetal Alchemist’s law of Equivalent Exchange-but another time, maybe. I didn’t want to go too deep into Nen until I catch up to the manga. But as far as consequences, the repercussions of certain actions and decisions made, even by non-essential characters. Perhaps this is made more palpable when a minor character is given some development or backstory only to be brutally murdered.
But these consequences extend even to supporting characters and main characters, with the severity of the consequences perfectly framing the situation they’re in. Even though Goku’s self-sacrifice when dealing with Raditz is admirable, any later sacrifice means much less to the viewer as the show moves on. In Hunter × Hunter, knowing that Gon and Killua only escaped thanks to the machinations of Killua and Pakunoda’s decision makes their plight that more deadly. We know how ruthless the Troupe are based on their countless actions. Similarly to how Gon is only alive because Hisoka has a massive sado-boner for him. There are very few things that can reverse any sort of damage, at least not without major repercussions for the plot.
So when a fight, even a seemingly simple one occurs, you can’t help but be on the edge of your seat eagerly anticipating more, and the consequences that might show up in a future arc.
Emotions
Emotions don’t necessarily apply to power scale as much as it applies to Nen directly, and Nen is the driving force of most battles. See, depending on someone’s emotional state, a battle could have a radically different outcome than expected. Say, if a conjurer or manipulator panics during a battle and their ability goes haywire during the battle, or an enhancer experiences an unparalleled sense of rage at seeing a loved one die. “Emotion” doesn’t mean “git angry and git gud” only. Throughout the show, we see different emotional states in relation to power, grief, determination, righteous anger, and a vengeful spirit. In fact, Feitan’s strongest shown technique seems to have a condition around pain and the emotional state he’s in. And we’re given very detailed explanations on the character’s state of minds by the ever-present narrator. This omniscient narrator doesn’t seem out of place, and it’s more often than not refreshing to hear him break down the state of things, rather than having every character micro-analyse every little detail and aspect of their emotional state. Something that can often be a tiring trope.
All of this really does make for interesting and nail-biting battles, because we know that for all the training, for all the preparations, a simple emotional state of mind can change everything.
Experience
What does experience mean in Hunter × Hunter? Bloody, almost all of it. Whether it’s through world experience or multiple battles, the more travelled, the more versed someone is in the world, the more powerful we can expect them to be. Although it’s not explicitly stated, getting a Hunter license isn’t a prerequisite part of the test in the Zoldyck family. To further cement the fact, they’re only ever referred to as a family of “assassins“, not “hunters” and not, “Hunter Assassins“. Despite that, Illumi is acquaintances with arguably one of the most dangerous members of the Troupe, and Zeno is seemingly close old friends with Netero. Even though we’ve been introduced to Hunters as these extremely exceptional beings, it is precisely those who exist outside of the association itself that show just how little titles can mean.
Experience means strength, and this is shown all throughout the series. Strength doesn’t just come from mere training or talent. And this is incredibly apparent when Gon gets wrecked by Hanzo or Killua is unable to fully escape from Phinks. We see their physical strength, their natural talent crumble next to more experienced Nen practitioners, and they aren’t even assumed to be prodigies. Hell, even Genthru can manhandle Gon, an enhancer, quite soundly(yes he is a child, but he’s the 1 in a billion talent child who would put most adults to a shame). So when we see our characters train, we know that the advance they make might not be anything compared to actually encountering obstacles along the way. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the Greed Island training arc was fun because the whole island was basically created to train Gon. But at the end of the day, we all somewhat knew that Gon wouldn’t win through physical and battle expertise alone, not against Gentrhu at least. When he went with his own plan, he very nearly lost his life. It took meticulous planning and a lot of experience to win the day, and the experience that would ultimately matter most was from his fight with Genthru.
It is this experience that allows Netero to calmly accept his death and not allow his hubris as the “strongest Nen user alive” to jeopardise the mission against Mereum, instead opting to take him out with a bomb laced with a highly potent poison. And it is this experience that ultimately secured humanity’s victory against the ants when no one else was answering the call, and when the world leaders were too cowardly to face it head-on.
Nen
Nen is the final wildcard in understanding how well power scales in Hunter × Hunter match up with other anime’s power scales. It’s a hard power scale system, complete with rules, subtypes, conditions, aberrations and exceptions. And much like language, it takes all of this nuance to make this power system any good. Think of a soft power system anime, like… Fairy Tail. Ok, you have your energy currency, magical energy, and your different mage classes. You also have a few subclasses and spells, but it’s all too broadly defined, and so within the story and setting of Fairy Tail, it feels a little bland. That’s not to say that soft magic or power systems are bad. After all, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures has a soft power system, but a story and a battle system that takes perfect advantage of it.
But Hunter × Hunter is on a whole other goddamn level. You see, I’m not even going to explain Nen fully, that’s something for another time. However, I’ll try to give you the basics. Nen users are broken down into 6 categories based on different tests, some of which are predetermined by personality, but verified through other means. AS they learn, they must understand and work to master four fundamentals, after which they move on to exponentially harder advanced versions of the fundamentals, of which we currently know of. Mastering the basics is essential, but working to strengthen the advanced techniques is incredibly important. Furthermore, your strengths and roles in battle lie heavily with what you can strengthen most and what you can combine and successfully employ in battle. A scout, for example, would have strong En, which is the application of Ren and Ten simultaneously. Having a wide En radius and holding it for extended periods of time and even in your sleep can mean the difference between life and death. Even having a 6-metre En radius means that a skilled Nen practitioner can react to deflect or even block the attack.
And that’s not even counting the crazy amount of variety and conditions that have to be set in order to create one’s special ability, and then how one uses them in battle. One can create a vastly powerful but overly-simple attack, meaning that it may have less variety and become easier to counter in battle. If one sets too many, or too few conditions, it can result in the ability’s power being halved or not being met at all during battle. Do you see where I’m going with this? An underlying and ever-present factor in determining one’s Nen ability is both creativity and practicality. So the amount of variation one can imagine in a fight is gigantic. How many people, in fact, would have expected Netero’s strongest ability to be 100-Type GuanyinBodhisattva? Almost no one, that’s who you prats. Nen shakes up the power system so much that an almost predictable match can be called into question in a second. And that’s where all the other factors play in; your experience your emotions, and all the different strengths and weaknesses the characters exhibit.
Conclusion
Given enough time, Togashi could have made the power system in his magnum opus absolutely legendary, or at least, more so than it is now. There’s no doubt that a huge number of mangaka take inspiration from him. However, even in its current form, it’s something that has been analysed and taken apart for years on end. Very rarely do we see a power system so nuanced and intriguing shape the very nature of the story and characters in such a well thought out way. And of course it’s not perfect, but despite its shortcomings, it keeps people coming back for more and more. With the Dark Continent Arc looming, people are going crazy trying to discover what this could mean for the power system as well as the character’s fates. It’s hard to imagine that he hasn’t thought this through over and over again, and I have no doubt that whatever he delivers will be talked about for decades. But even if he doesn’t get that far, he’s given us a gem. Something that people will be talking about for ages, with or without a conclusion. And I personally think that’s something special.
I’m a casual gamer, for the most part at least. Apart from FIFA and the occasional friendly competition in a CoD game, there was never really a competitive gaming scene in my country. And even if there was, the tariffs are so high it made multiplayer gaming impossible for the longest time, and most people didn’t have systems that could run anything but the most standard games with anything resembling decent. So I, and a lot of people grew up playing games casually, for the most part. There were those of us who either became perfectionists with our games to stretch out the time we had with our single player games or pseudo-reviewers. I was a bit of both, taking a great interest in story, narrative and aesthetics while looking for as many challenges to keep me occupied for as long as possible.
Knowing this it shouldn’t then be so surprising that I would gravitate to From Software titles. and other similar games. From do this really interesting thing where they take the game’s story and weave it directly into the mechanics, which in doing so allows the players to experience the story a little slower, with more caution and admiration. The story isn’t just in narratives, it’s in the weapons you discover, the enemies you face, the trinkets you collect. All of it lends itself to the overall quality of the game that I find pretty amazing.
Unfortunately, there’s a barrier keeping the masses from appreciating and experiencing this interesting genre of games. Difficulty. And for some people, this might seem like a personal attack on them, mainly for not accommodating them. But I want to delve into how I think the difficulty in games actually adds to the experience rather than detracting from it.
Games are not movies, or series, even though they can often seem that way. While many games have magnificent cinematic sequences or gorgeous locales that do nothing but take your breath away, they are still meant to be played, and not just watched. And therein lies the beauty of games, the personal experience that the player gains as they go through a game from start to finish. In many games, the traditional story structure is present, the culmination of tension, the climax and cooldown (in short), but many other elements are present. In a movie, you can’t tell the main character to walk over to the shopkeeper and ask him a set of questions. You can’t decide that the gun the main character is using is trash and he should switch to a dagger. You take in visual input and that’s it, no change, no modification. The closest I’ve seen to anything else is Black Mirror’s Bandersnatch and even then, the idea is still in early infancy.
Adding Weight to the World
Games give you a lot more control. Control enough that most people think that they’re living out a power fantasy. If you’re playing a simulator, it’s much easier than in real life unless you go to great lengths to make it as realistic as possible. You forgo a lot, and I mean a lot of the skill it takes to do game actions in real life. This definitely ups the enjoyability factor in a sense. You can experience amazing things with a fraction of the effort which can be utterly exhilarating. To top it off many games offer difficulty meters which can make them practical walks in the park.
And I’m not saying that’s an issue mind you, everyone has different skill levels and difficulty is a personal choice. But there are many cases where games pretty much kick your ass. And I’m not talking about the increased difficulty of old-school games and arcade machines that had to do everything to keep kids coming back or forking over tokens. I mean a sense of difficulty tied to the world. Metal Gear Solid V isn’t a hard game because they programmed it so. When you play, it feels hard because you’re told that as a one-man army the enemy is adapting to your tactics, and you have to one-up them. Bloodborne isn’t hard only because “fucking OP mate”. It feels hard because you’re a mere human facing off against eldritch horrors and daemons. Facing off against something so horrific a normal man would die at the sight. So you have to be something greater than the average man. Something deadlier, more tenacious, more cunning.
When I play these games, every action I take, every move I successfully complete carries weight. It feels heavy, not only because you have just accomplished it but because you understand the difficulty of it. Not just from yourself but from your character as well. You’re no unstoppable force or immovable object, but you can be someone who survives all odds through tears grit and sweat. I think as a gameplay mechanic it lends itself well to the overall story and feeling of the game. Considering the narrative and circumstance, if Bloodborne or Sekiro were a little easier or had a difficulty slider, the effect would be greatly minimised. The artistic vision of creating a visceral and brutal world with an unforgiving array of enemies would be lost. And I think that’s what many people don’t seem to get. The game isn’t there to coddle you. Its intention is to unflinchingly punish you, and I think that’s pretty fucking awesome.
Acknowledgement
I think one of the greatest things about difficult games is the feeling of devastation when everything doesn’t go according to plan. That realisation that maybe this isn’t just your run of the mill adventure. There’s definitely a lot of that at certain points in different games. Moments where something is a bit harder than usual, like a mini-boss or a puzzle. But, that’s rather standard in most games. It’s something we’ve all come to expect after all. But what happens when an entire game is based around that. The devastating feeling of getting absolutely wrecked, much to your surprise. And then the feeling of getting wrecked again, and again, forcing you to sit up, clench your controller and lean forward. There’s always that initial feeling of frustration that kind of gives way to this silent, seething rage. “This is no simple task,” you think. “This is no ordinary game”. And it’s those feelings that lead to the need to adapt, the need to get better, and the feelings of respect you get for a game. It’s no longer an obstacle or a simple challenge, it’s an opponent that’s doing everything within its means to bar your way. And there’s no simple cheat, no workaround. You’re pretty much on your own.
I think the acknowledgement is a great thing, after all, you gain a new perspective on the whole game. It practically forces you to reconsider your approach. To change the way you play and learn something new, or sharpen up on what you already knew. And hey, it’s a game, so failure doesn’t dictate the rest of your playthrough after that. But it does give you a new perspective on the game, whether that’s being inquisitive, cautious or tenacious. Hell, I had almost forgotten the joy of unfettered exploration and discovery or that little heart-jerk as an enemy jumps out of a corner at you. But playing Bloodborne gave that back to me, and so did Sekiro and Dark Souls.
Appreciating Skill
With games that have a high difficulty bar, most people have this perception of the wired gamer chuckling “git gud” to a crying newbie. While there are a few people like that for sure, which is true for almost anything that requires a decent level of skill, I’ve found that the people who espouse this git gud mantra are actually pretty friendly and helpful. Once you recognise the level of skill and hardship it takes to become good at a difficult game, a lot of people become both empathetic and helpful. Whenever I played Dark Souls or Nioh I had tons of awesome people helping me out, giving me tips and generally being great people. Sure, I may have heard the occasional git gud but in games so based around skill, there’s little else I could have honestly been told. The core essence of the game, no matter how many guides you read, or strategies you watch, is to become good enough to surpass a challenge. Whether that’s by recognising attack animations, improving your reaction speed or choosing the best loadout for the task at hand.
I think that the recognition of skill goes a long way, not just from other people but oneself, and when that skill is recognised it can lead to some pretty awesome stuff. It’s not so much a physical triumph, but a mental one, and since for many people skill can be interpreted in many different ways. For example, I found the Moon Presence from Bloodborne to be easy pickings, but All Hells did Father Gascoigne kick my ass for the longest time. What others find hard, might not be hard for you, but it’s about you clearing your own mental hurdle in the first place, and that’s where it counts.
Perseverance and Reward
Something I definitely learnt from the multitude of difficult games I played was fortitude. That and how to expand my compendium of swears, becoming the colourful and verbose young man you know today. But I think that the difficulty also taught me perseverance. Something I severely lacked for a while. Save a few things, I rarely kept one concrete hobby. If something got too hard for me, I was out. If it didn’t seem like it would reap some bountiful and amazing reward, I’d have no part in it. But I think after playing Bloodborne and really being dragged through the mud, I felt a sense of satisfaction after beating the game. So much so that I subjected myself to that horror again, and again when I played Dark Souls 3, and again when I played Sekiro, and Nioh. I wouldn’t call it addicting, but it felt amazing. Knowing that it was me and only me responsible for my own triumphs, and achievements.
And that leads to the reward, the reward being purely personal. Whatever insight or skill, or emotional journey you gleam from these games is your own. It’s crazy what some people can realise after sitting down and playing for hours just to achieve a goal. Sometimes, it’s fun to sit back, put your feet up and just chill. But other times, you need to get a boot to the face to push forward.
The featured image above is from Kentaro Miura’s renowned Berserk manga. In the scene, a mercenary band encounters corpses hung from the tree. Underneath one of the corpses lies a baby Guts, our main protagonist, literally birthed from his dead mother and waiting to die. It is only by the mercy of the mercenary leader’s wife that he is saved, only to be handed a lifetime of misery and uncountable horrors. And while we’re not going to look into the masterpiece that is Berserk just yet, I wanted to turn you to this particularly disturbing manga page. The heavy cross-hatched shading, the contrasting black and whites, the barren landscape, and the multitudes of corpses. Everything is extremely unnerving in this panel, and it is done with an unnerving level of detail. And this is far from his most disturbing page.
You see, Eastern media has a particularly terrifying way of showing horror. The pure undiluted stuff. I badly wanted to put a panel from Junji Ito as the feature image, or a particularly disturbing Silent Hill image, but that would probably just get me reported and banned. Ultimately, Eastern media has substance rarely seen in the West for more than one reason, and that’s why the West is so fixated on it, constantly adapting Eastern concepts for Western audiences. However, it is this focus on adaptation that ultimately makes most Holywood grabs bland in the end. So let’s take a moment to look at Eastern horror, and what makes it so damn good.
Medium
Medium is something which greatly enhances the quality of horror. It is quite a different thing to watch horror than it is to play it, and reading a horror novel is vastly different from reading a comic. Japan, besides having films, books and games have manga, a very different experience from what most people are used to. The black and white images on the page create a very stunning contrast, and good manga authors use this, plus the nature of flipping a page to their advantage. With manga, you’re creating a visual representation of something scary, not just describing it in words. So now, the readers have to force themselves to turn the page, leading to a glimpse of something horrifying. Tension has been built up, but you never expect what you’ll see, and because of this, manga authors, like Junji Ito have drawn some pretty disturbing shit. Take the image above for example, straight out of one of Junji Ito’s most famous manga, Uzumaki, literally meaning spiral. Imagine turning the page to see something as uncanny, visually striking and yet horrifying as that. All his skill has led him to draw an unforgettably terrifying image. One that is so visually unappealing in a way that Western readers, who are used to more violence, blood and gore, find disturbing.
But there are other mediums besides that which the Japanese have taken advantage of, most notably being video games. Playing a video game feels fundamentally different from watching a horror film. Now the player is in control, he has a chance to fight back…or die. And that makes his experience much more personal. The Japanese understood early on that it is this hope for survival that made horror games so frightening, which is why games like Resident Evil by survival horror legend Shinji Makami and Silent Hill by Konami’s Team Silent set so many lofty bars. The player, who usually feels like a demigod, is now put at the mercy of the game and has to use not only his intellect but quick thinking to stop from dying a horrible death. Take the first Evil Within for example. A more recent example, it displays the ingenuity of placing players in truly tense situations. Limited ammunition, enemies that can’t be killed, horrifying bosses and puzzles that kill you in brutal fashion leave the player in constant terror with their guard constantly raised.
And while I haven’t watched many Japanese horror films, I have heard very good things about South Korean horror films. A Tale of Two Sisters is a mortifying psychological thriller/horror with an emphasis on the supernatural and a twisted family, sure to give a few nightmares despite its age. And Death Bell is a movie that does well as gore fest, but ups the ante by making it a death carnival between high school students. The East has a good grasp of the medium, and that translates well into their work.
Culture
Eastern horror falls into slightly different veins than Western horror due to the many cultural influences of both societies. While the West was doused in gory spectacle, the East focused more on cultural issues, social problems, the psychological and supernatural. Urban horror stories are a big part of Asian culture, like the above pictured kuchisake-onna, and the South Korean Red Ink belief. And this shows within all the different mediums, with Asian writers and creatives much more willing to adapt popular urban tales of horror into something more relatable with everyday life, compared to, say, a chain wielding maniac in the American outback. Comparatively, I doubt we’ll ever see a Hollywood adaptation of the Slenderman, or Jeff the Killer.
And boy, are Asian urban legends terrifying. Asian culture is focused on discipline, respect, honour and other things besides. It can be rigid compared to what Westerners are so used to. Therefore, it stands to reason then that the East would focus on things like mental health, snapping minds and the downs of living in urban metropolises with millions of other people. Claustrophobia and urban internet myths and hauntings, as well as creepy things that not only haunt old homes, but forums as well.
And all this terror is wrapped up in a veil of finality. Ordinarily in Asian horror movies, there is no “survivor” at the end of the gory tale. If it is a curse, it is indiscriminate and final, affecting not just the adults, but children and even pets. And that’s something Western audiences cannot stomach or appreciate most of the times. They expect a “win” at the end. A small victory. Look at 2002’s The Ring. Despite the main character and her child being put into the most immediate danger, they escape unscathed, albeit a little scarred, with the solution to their problem seeming cheap. A famous scene from the Ju-On: The Grudge, which was faithfully put into the Western adaptation, shows a girl in bed. She raises the sheets to be the greeted with the face of Kayako, the ghost who plagues everyone in the film, and she drags our hapless victim down in after her, another casualty of Kayako’s curse. There is a sense of sacredness to being in the bedroom, and a sort of sacredness to hiding under the sheets, and this sacredness is utterly torn apart by the directors.
Exploration
This scene is from Audition, a 1999 Japanese film by director Takashi Miike. One night, my mate Tinashe and I had a horror night, being huge horror fans ourselves. We were astounded by the tension of the movie, moving from just unsettling to full blown horrifying by the final act of the movie. We see the girl, Asami’s true nature, and the gore that follows, which is sometimes way too hard to watch. The movie is a stunning example of psychological horror done right. No over the top madness, and nothing supernatural. Just the sad victim and the depraved psycho. But I only saw this modern horror classic last year, and I wouldn’t have seen it at all unless I decided to break out of my comfort zone and explore. There is an abundance of amazing horror all around the world, and the East is no exception. Watching media is a good way to glimpse a small bit of other people’s culture, and horror is a part of that. The orient has produced some truly stellar horror, and it’d be a shame if you went your whole life without seeing any of it.
As Shinji Mikami said, “Whoever first thought of killing someone with a chainsaw was a genius!”
Bloodborne was one of the most critically acclaimed games of 2015, arriving exclusively on PS4 and setting the internet ablaze. From Software, the same studio behind the infamous Souls franchise decided to go all out in developing a new, but familiar take on the genre so annoyingly named “Souls-Like“. And it is this familiarity, mixed with its Lovecraftian influence and new gameplay switch-ups that make the game so memorable, action-packed, and harrowing. I managed to buy it in the summer release, it being my first experience with a Souls-Like, however, it took me literally the whole summer to finish the game. And I promise you it wasn’t because I suck at videogames (I really don’t, honest), but because I was instilled with fear. Two primal fears, to be exact. The fear of death, and the fear of the unknown. And I think it’s just about time I get over my PTSD and begin to tell the tale of how Bloodborne straight fucked me up.
In the Beginning…
I admit freely that growing up I had a major fear of the dark. It may have been a product of my overactive imagination but even reaching my teen years, I could freeze up in abject horror when alone in a room and thinking of how something sinister could be just about to wrap its claws around my neck. Needless to say, I was a wreck for a long time, and I couldn’t get over it until I realised something important. That I wasn’t afraid of the dark itself, but that I was afraid of what might be lurking within it. It was imposing to say the least, and it scared the hell out of me. And with time, I got over the fear, but Bloodborne brought that fear back. See, Bloodborne was developed by From Software, the crazy guys behind the Dark Souls Franchise. A franchise known for its punishing difficulty and imposing enemies. The series had, by the time Bloodborne was developed, achieved notoriety for its no hand-holding policy. You’ll probably die within the first 15 minutes of playing and be introduced to the despair, pure and unadulterated. People played Dark Souls on the defensive, biding their time and extending encounters with enemies and bosses. Essentially, playing it very very safe. So From Software decided to switch a few things up when developing Bloodborne, and that was the best decision they could make for the project. Enter game director, Hidetaka Miyazaki, the person behind the first two Souls games and someone who has been with the company since 2004. Miyazaki is one of those Japanese directors who gains a lot of inspiration from Western works, such as Dracula, and A Song of Ice and Fire. It is also clear to see how European Architecture inspired him, and this shines through in the level design of the Souls games, with high towers and the harsh facades of medieval castles. More on that later, however one influence on Miyazaki that he had never used in his games. The works of H.P. Lovecraft, the progenitor of Cosmicism, and The Unknown, and this as we will soon discover, created an unforgettable atmosphere.
The Hunter’s Tale
Bloodborne does a great job of introducing its plot and setting before plunging you into a world of mystery and malevolence, and while I won’t be discussing all of its points, I sincerely suggest you watch VaatiVidya, a Souls Series loremaster. You are a Hunter from out of town. A slayer of beasts and monsters, and you arrive in the fictional town of Yharnam. A not so subtle nod to, most notably, 19th Century London with its Gothic architecture and cathedrals. Your character arrives on the night of the hunt, where the inhabitants band together to purge the city of everything evil and inhuman, and after receiving a blood transfusion from a local, you are plunged into a neverending nightmare. After this point, Bloodborne does very little to actively tell a story. It presents hints and links to the lore of Yharnam itself, the role of the hunters, the Church, and the people themselves, as well as the hunts and beasts. And the truly observant will begin to piece together a small semblance of a story, even though there is no official ending or plotline, so to speak. The game merely gives you the pieces and allows you to craft your own story, which is a brilliant way to tell a story while allowing the player to put just enough of themselves into the character.
And the various characters the player encounters on his or her journey definitely contribute to the feel of the world of Bloodborne. They offer insight into what is going on, what the people think of you (they hate you), and what you might expect. And the fact that they offer information sparsely and in intervals or after you reach a plot point, making you even more interested to hunt for information. Some characters, like Father Gascoigne, make you feel the feels, while others, like Queen Annalise only appear randomly after doing something not directly related to the main quest. However, many of them can just as easily be antagonised or killed for items or to unlock another plot point, meaning that being the “good guy” means you miss out on plot points or items. My favourite NPC function, however, is how they each tell their own tales from their own perspectives. Whether it be a hunter watching over Old Yharnam, to a Healing Church cleric, to a prostitute. All of it can be considered incredibly important, or meaningless, depending on the player.
If it wasn’t made obvious by now, Bloodborne has a morbid obsession with blood. In fact, blood is the main driving force and currency of Yharnam, and at the end of the game, the blood will be all you think about. As you progress through the game, you discover story details that paint Yharnam as even more sinister than its creepy architecture suggests. The blood in Yharnam, distributed by the Healing Church, contained special properties. The ability to cure sickness and plague through blood ministration, essentially the letting of blood and blood transfusion became very useful, and the church restricted the knowledge of the different types of blood and how they were used. And in time, the inhabitants of Yharnam became addicted to the high the blood afforded them. But as the city became addicted, a plague hit the town, and turned the men to beasts who became less and less human. Of course, this was most likely all because of the Healing Church, but they conveniently came to the rescue, setting up the scene for modern hunting and continuing the use of blood ministration. This was of course, due to the knowledge that they guarded. That the secrets of blood ministration came from the Old Ones, Lovecraftian aliens who had visited Yharnam long ago and brought with them many secrets. So basically you, and everyone in the town is hunting things that were once human all because of their addiction to something that is, by all means, not normal, and this is brilliant.
It gives a certain element of repugnance to the player, especially knowing when the player realises just how much they rely on the blood. To heal themselves, to replenish their ammo when they have nothing, to upgrade skills and weapons and to buy items. Therefore, by the end of the game, just like the poor inhabitants of Yharnam, the player is just as reliant of the blood.
Yharnam, Sweet Yharnam
Ah, the setting of Yharnam, dark, imposing and infintely frightening, Hidetaka Miyazakireally outdid himself on this one. While previous Souls games were centred around medieval architecture, with quiet barrows, decrepit castles and lofty towers, Bloodborne went forward in time. Bloodborne’s architecture heavily revolves around Victorian-era architecture, with Gothic facades and elaborate masonry. Stairs rise for many a step, and doors to new areas of the game are heavy and slow to open, creating an atmospheric reveal.
As far as level design goes, not only is the world stunning, but it has the effect of weighing down on the player. There are very few open areas where one can see the horizon. It is instead dominated by towers and steeples. You must run through courtyards and narrow corridors, be assailed on stairs and prowl through gaols. And lurking within these frightening locations, sometimes silent, sometimes causing a ruckus, are the various enemies you will encounter. Despite being coined as an action game; the game certainly does its best to throw the most terrifying enemies it can at you. Whether you have a fear of spiders, snakes, slimy things or hags, Bloodborne will take those fears, twist them into something worse, and throw them back at you. And the cramped and dark environment of Yharnam does its best to either keep you from running away or trying to find an advantage.
It should be noted that Bloodborne does well in relaying religious imagery with its level design, the heavy orchestra found in the soundtrack replete with organs. And the locations are both varied and true enough to themselves, that each one feels rich with a long forgotten culture despite usually not being filled with a sane populace. There is always an indication of worship to some terrible and unseen force, and it is only, in the end, do you see what exactly everyone reveres.
Some areas can only be found after a loss, such as being kidnapped by the watchers and being taken to the Hypogean Gaol, which unfortunately results in the permanent loss of your blood echoes. I think such choices in regards to level design are both risky, but exciting because once the player experiences, they realise how screwed they are. The developers are a bunch of sadistic pricks who are not above using death to advance the story, and this id only heightens the players level of unease considering death is such a significant element in the game. One could even say that, story-wise, the game revolves around it.
A Fear Oh So Lovecraftian
Even though Bloodborne is penned as an action-RPG game, it is obvious that it has not-so-subtle elements of horror within it. And this horror, despite not being specifically labelled a horror game, is so palpable for multiple reasons. The first, being rather obvious in that it is a Souls game. Dying is easy and every victory is hard-earned, with the risk of losing all your precious blood echoes (the currency), or having to face the same enemy that initially killed you, only know that it is supercharged and tougher. In a sense, Bloodborne very early on fills the player with the fear of death. The prospect of having to face the same enemies, with fewer resources and the risk of losing all your hard earned money is no doubt, fear-inducing. The fear of death is primal and perfectly normal, but the fear of having to die horrifically at the hands of beasts multiple times simply to achieve a task, sometimes minor? Now that is panic-inducing and a fear that most people will never have to deal with. And coupled with the fact that Bloodborne is much more aggressive than Dark Souls means that players will constantly be in a state of panic, trying their hardest not to die.
The second obvious fear, is the typical fear seen when we see something scary or disturbing. Think Resident Evil or Dead Space, if you need something to envision initially. The enemy designs in Bloodborne are horrifying consisting of normal horror tropes like witches and, to more creative takes on classic characters, like the fishing village inhabitants with writhing snakes for heads. And every seemingly “normal” enemy is warped in some way, like the feral and decaying dogs, or the slowly transforming townsfolk with their elongated limbs, fur-covered faces and torches. It’s the cosmic enemies that really stand out however, slimy, icky, and with all sense of humanity long gone. Ebrietas comes to mind with his outlandish character design and otherworldly appearance. And for all this, we have Ryo Fujimaki to thank for the twisted and sinister character designs. And the more you delve into the game and explore the lore, the more the character design feels relevant. The character’s strange changes from raving humans to true beasts has great relevance the more you play, and those like the Healing Church bosses grow to extreme sizes due to their adherence to the blood.
And the final and perhaps most disturbing part of Bloodborne’s horror is the Lovecraftian cosmicism that seeps into every aspect of the Bloodborne’s world. Lovecraft delved into veins of horror that were both outlandish and unexplored. And Bloodborne has enough of that to keep the Player both intrigued and fascinated. The idea that we as humans are but specks of dust in the grand scheme of the universe, and that there are no gods or beings above that love us or treat us as special. We are infants, and nothing more, and that makes us insignificant. This and many more revelations such us the true nature of the Hunter’s Dream, a game mechanic that has you travel to a safe area to heal and buy items and weapons, which is revealed to be far more sinister. There also exist Nightmare Realms, areas in the game that hold the consciousness of a Great One, or a baby Great One, and these realms are truly nightmares in themselves. However, one truly interesting mechanic is “insight”, something that allows you to see through the veil that separates the “normal” world from its maddening reality. And as the game progresses, and your insight reaches a new level, the true world is shown and although it is the same old Yharnam, it is given a new, evil light and old levels are filled with new and terrifying enemies as well as new paths and new areas to explore.
Journey’s End
So with that, we come to the end of Bloodborne, a terrifying but exciting game. One that, I think, everyone should play at least once. Not only for the mystery and combat, but for the lore and the hidden frights you might encounter. Yharnam is big and full of enemies and hidden treasures, and you might craft your own story at the end of it.
As usual, to end the post with an insightful quote from the game from a doll who serves the hunters in the hunter’s dream. She says, almost nonchalantly, “hunters have told me about the church. About the gods, and their love. But… do the gods love their creations? I am a doll, created by you humans. Would you ever think to love me? Of course… I do love you. Isn’t that how you made me?”
Finally, more interaction between these two
So much wasted potential…
Source: Star Wars Dark Empire
The Anarchist Site 