Drabble Geeks

Geeks…Being Total Geeks.

Tag: family

An Entirely New World Pt 7

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I have officially done it; I have finished a series that I guess I could technically say that I’ve been reading since I was a child. That’s right, I have officially finished the Chronicles of Narnia. I honestly believe that this last book, The Last Battle, is one of the best books of this series and does not hold back with the religious allegory. If you weren’t sure before, well, you’re sure now.

Overall, I think the series is… okay. Some books are definitely more memorable than others, while some I sometimes feel were not worth my time. And because I don’t want you to waste your time, I’ll tell you the ones I think are worth it. You may disagree, but you’re allowed to. My top books of the series are the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, followed by the Magician’s Nephew and the Last Battle. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is a great introduction to the world and the magic that surrounds it. The Magician’s Nephew is a wonderful prologue that delves deeper into the creation of the. Finally, The Last Battle is a fantastic ending. Yes, if you are only reading those books, you are going to miss some information on some characters, but I think it’s worth it if you just want the main sense of what Narnia is. There are some interesting series of events that occur across the other books, but I think those three are “the books” to read in this series.

While I may not have enjoyed some of the plots, I loved the world development and the thoughtfulness Lewis put into everything. I had to go back through some of my religious knowledge to catch on to everything. Also, because I read the series in publication order, there were some call-backs that would make me gasp as I remembered the stuff from the previous books and put some of the pieces together. Maybe some fans will disagree with the order I have read everything in, but I definitely enjoyed my travels into this new world.

The New Charon

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It’s been a while since I’ve posted about a game on here, and I think it is time. I have just gotten through what I would consider my absolute favorite game for the sixth time. Spiritfarer has a lot of what I absolutely love in a game: beautiful animation, amazing story, personable characters, and a fishing minigame. (I’m not joking, I love a fishing minigame. In Spiritfarer, you follow Stella and her cat, Daffodil, who are the new spiritfarer after Charon passes through the Everdoor, where souls go to their final resting place. Yes, this game is quite literally and figuratively about death, but it is still one of the most moving and heart-warming games I have ever played.

This game, on top of the amazing story, there is a bit of a resource management game as you race across the map trying to keep your passengers as happy as possible. Do I forget to feed them? Yes, but they’re fine; trust me. Also, along with the subject of death, you eventually don’t get a choice but to let some of your passengers go. It’s a requirement to continue the story. Even though I’ve played this game several times, for some characters, this choice does not come easy. I’ve tried to keep them, but the game forces this choice upon you sometimes, and letting them go is the best choice.

Anyway, please check out this amazing game. Grab some tissues for your journey across the sea. I truly believe that you are going to love it.

Patterns on Our Skin

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This will probably be the only time that I admit that it took me too long to watch something. Usually, I stick to my gigantic list to “Want to Watch” and the time comes when the time comes. I will admit that I was completely and utterly wrong about K-Pop Demon Hunters. I thought it was being overhyped, but it wasn’t. If you search around my blog you know that I love Japanese media. When my dad said I should watch it, I blew it off because obviously he confused the two countries. He may have had a point.

K-Pop Demon Hunters may quite possibly be my favorite movie of the year, and not just because I don’t really watch new movies. It has everything. Amazing animation, lovable characters, action, drama, and a dash of romance. Going further than the understanding of three Korean pop-stars who fight and save the world from a demon takeover through song who be too many spoilers for this amazing story. I am also sometimes skeptical of in-universe soundtracks, but the songs are beautiful and heartwarming. I’ve either had them on repeat or stuck in my head for days now. Check it out, if you haven’t, because at this point it is a complete sin. Seriously, drop everything and run, don’t walk, to your nearest Netflix account.

Another thing that I’ve done since watching this movie is find the Korean translations and a couple of people who are speaking on some of the aspects of Korean culture that I, as an American, would not get. It’s been really interesting how much deeper the story gets with some of the extra background people are supplying. I would explain it, but again, spoilers… Just know that I am expecting some amazing cosplays for these characters. I make no promises, however, since my cosplay game is sorely lacking.

Come On, Grab Your Friends

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Recently, I’ve been having a blast watching cartoons from a couple of years ago that I didn’t get to watch. I was probably too busy watching something else, but I have finally gotten back to them. They are a great way to decompress after spending hours in the lab running experiments. This week’s addition to that list is Adventure Time.

I remember not really watching this show because it was advertised as very much episodic with no throughline. I don’t know who told me this, but if I find out, I’m going to tell them they’re a big fat liar. Moving on, this was a very enjoyable show. It was nice to wrap myself in a blanket with a cup of tea and binge-watch a season… or two. My favorite duo is definitely Princess Bubblegum and Marceline, the Vampire Queen. Their ever-evolving friendship was just enjoyable to watch. There were also some very deep episodes and plot lines, which are always surprising to watch in a children’s show. If you look past the surface for this supposedly silly show, there is a lot going on, and I think anyone would enjoy this. I just enjoyed every minute of watching it.

One Crazy Week in New York

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I’m back to reading more of the classics, because I want, not because I’m being forced to for some high school class. I don’t know why, but I hated every single book I was forced to read for school. Now that I’m reading some of these “perfect high school reading material,” I feel like maybe I would have been slightly wrong about my hatred. Maybe it’s not trying to find every single little hidden meaning or being able to take my time. Mainly, for this one book, I would not have been able to keep up with whatever schedule my teacher would have decided. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger would have been one of my nightmare books.

Don’t get me wrong, it was a good book, and I enjoyed reading it. I’m usually not a fan of stream-of-consciousness writing, but I think it really works in this case. Instead of the thoroughly laid-out endeavors of a protagonist, we have the dirty ramblings of a teenage boy. I did have to put the book down a couple of times from the intense secondhand embarrassment. I feel that every page had the hair standing up from my neck, me constantly thinking, “Yeah, I can definitely see a teenage boy stupidly doing all of this if they had the time and money.” Cringe aside, it was a very intriguing read that kept me involved with the story and coming back to it. I enjoyed how the conscious stream altered over the course of the book. Don’t think someone who have taken this short amount of time to have the transformation held within, but who knows with teenagers. I could change my mind at the drop of a hat when I was our protagonist’s age. But, feel free to dive into the mind of a teenager again. I really hope that I won’t have to for a while longer.

How Does It Hold Up: Jurassic Park

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I almost feel ashamed to say this, but I think this is the best platform to say this. This is the first time I’ve ever seen Jurassic Park. I know, “how did I go twenty-six years before seeing this movie? Surely, you’ve seen some clips, right?” I went into this movie being told that it has some of the best CGI of an older movie, it was way better than the trash that was Jurassic World, and there is a book series. So now, this being the first time I’ve seen this movie, I’m here to say that this movie holds up very well.

Being a scientist, I’ll admit that I went into the movie trying to find problems with the science. I can’t help it; it’s what I do. Other than the one time they mentioned DNA and showed a picture of RNA, pretending someone can handle liquid nitrogen with their bare hands, and the slightly weird conversation about default sex, the science was pretty solid and believable. Yes, I did suspend my disbelief knowing that the science of bringing extinct species back to life had come this far in the 1990s, but it is still fascinating to look at the past understanding with where science currently is. Also, some of the ethical questions brought up in the movie are some of the same ethical questions we are looking at now with genetically engineering extinct species. Current conversations include bringing back the dodo, Woolly Mammoths, and some ancient type of tiger. I will admit that I am of two minds on this conundrum, in case anyone was wondering. I think if we can, we should bring back species that are extinct due to human influence, but those from natural selection, I don’t really see going too well. I have no justification or reasoning really, but that is currently where I stand.

Now, let’s talk about my main problem with the movie: Why did Dr. Sattler not get a gun? There was an entire locker full of guns as she was running around outside where we knew the dinosaurs had started escaping, yet they were thinking that only the men should have guns. There was a point where they bring up the sexism of the situation as the only physically-abled person available, but they still decided to run with this. Yes, it’s super minor in the scheme of everything, but that really pushed my buttons. You can give Dr. Sattler a gun and have Goldblum have his “French Girl” moment and have nothing about the movie change.

After seeing this movie, I am finally giving in to my exclamations that I will eventually see the eventual series and then eventually read the books. So, be on the lookout for my reviews of those. I’m actually really excited to see this series. Let’s see where this goes. I am skeptical about the number of sequels considering there are only two books, and there was a pretty solid out for any other movies. We’ll just have to see.

A Romantic Cop Drama?

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I’ll admit, I may have a problem with constantly reading Nicholas Sparks novels. I found two I loved to death, to the point where the covers are falling off. Now, I’m treating his books like Pokémon, and I need to read them all, for better and worse. This book, A Bend in the Road, falls squarely in the middle. Reading the description, I was expecting an adorable romance about two people from previously failed relationships, for very different reasons, coming together and finding love again. That was true for the first half of the novel. The second half was a terribly written cop drama that made no sense.

The second half of the book was a beautiful description of police brutality when of course, the only recourse for the protagonists’ actions was suspension with pay. Other things could have been happening, but I was just so mad. A message to Sparks:

Stop writing cops! You are terrible at it! Just because you made the cop the main protagonist doesn’t mean we will forgive his insane actions!

And by trying to make us forgive him, he did try by having our cop protagonists do a cute flashback to when the book was a romance novel. I one hundred percent support just stopping and the middle and pretending that the ending didn’t happen; you will be much happier that way.

Escaping the Underworld

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Imagine this: you are trapped in the underworld with your father, but what to do anything to escape, including taking down hordes of enemies in the way and getting help from your estranged family members. That is Hades in a nutshell. This is an action-packed room-based procedurally generated game taking place in the Underworld of Greek Mythology as you follow Zagreus, son of Hades, in trying to reach the surface.

Not only is the game gorgeous and amazingly voice-acted, but the action is also very seamless and responsive. It could be because I’m used to crappy computers, but I am used to playing action games that do nothing but stutter and take seconds before a response from the on-screen character. I recently got this game on the switch, and now I am saving up all my money possible to buy a better computer so I can feel this fantastic playing an action game in the future. I just don’t want to stop playing because of the fantastic gameplay and heart-touching story I wasn’t expecting. I would highly recommend anyone picking up this beautifully made game.

Life’s Treasure Hunt

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Seeing the world in the eyes of a child can be both magical and heartbreaking. Especially when you are aware of how heartbreaking the entire story may be. As a millennial, at least I think I am one, my life was revolved around the after-effects of 9-11 and the most recent War on Nouns. This book contains one such tragic story.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer tells the story of Oskar, a child who is trying to find meaning and some way of connecting to his dad after his tragic’s death. Through this child’s eyes and as he connects with others to try and figure out the one mystery that may “complete” his life, you are left with heartbreaking moments as you discover other “childish” characters who seem to be unable to let go of that past. Because that might be the meaning that we are all looking for: a way of trying to live after the darkest of times.

Just Trying to Live Your Life

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I think a lot of people have their niche in which they may or may not feel that you fit in with the outside world, but it’s your world. For me, that world included anime, manga, and books, which eventually lead to the blog that I’ve had for a couple of years. I’ve even been judged for not being “girl” enough, whatever that means. I then found The Wallflower by Tomoko Hayakawa that felt too close to home in so many ways. I am in fact protagonist Sunako Nakahara without having my privacy invaded by a bunch of dudes.

This manga, in so many ways, is a crazy rollercoaster ride from beginning to end. We follow four, super-attractive guys, as they move in with the expectation of turning Sunako into a “lady,” filled with all the stereotypes imaginable while Sunako is just trying to live her life watching horror movies and true-crime documentaries: something that everybody is doing nowadays.

Also, for everyone’s well-being, the characters are all eighteen. I don’t care if it says everyone is in their first year of high school. That was a mistake, and we are not questioning it. Just remember 18, mainly for this one character who can’t keep it in his pants. You’ll know who I’m talking about.