It's pride month. I'm reheating @angelgesic crisp nachos and give utena a try who recommended me look back and madoka magica, surely third try is a charm. (Also because my church peers strap me down to watch it please help me the baklas has kidnap me and feeding me their mother's adobo for dinner)
Epico revolutionary girl so confusing utena watch party telesrye rated SPG striktong patnubay ang kailangan : Charli xcx beep beep Let's ride.
Also caution this is a blind reaction, anything I say and interpret isn't my final thoughts and a lot i say are jokes in the comments. I saw how ya'll move i don't want smoke nor ash and not even a spark okay? Okay...Okay....olè? 🦬🚩🚩
So i just went and watched Iron Lung. With no prior information, haven't seen any gameplay, haven't heard Markiplier or anyone else I know ORL talk about it before. And this is my opinion
Oh I also just want to start this off by saying it wasn't scary? Like it was full of suspense and I was afraid but it wasn't like...it's not going to give me nightmares. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it I think I just overestimated how bad it would be and how much of a pussy I am.
- I'd like to start with the biggest paranormal plot from the end of the movie. My understanding is that the voices Simon was hearing were the voices of the people who died going on dives. Those voices were coming from some sentient parasite that seemed to either already have a consciousness or grow one after the discovery of humans and adapted to take them. It was using their voices to lure divers away from safety knowing they would die, the light would stop flashing and it would have another source of food.
I also think it was part of the reason the Silent Rapture happened, or at least it was alive enough to understand the cause. My understanding of the light is it was some form of secondary big bang, where instead of the universe dying it exploded and killed everyone too close to it
- Now onto the rest of the film. Marks character Simon, who I assume is also the main character of the game was excellent, he was an excellent performer throughout the entire movie. His facial expression paired with the camera angles were perfect. Giving the audience deep insight into exactly how Simon felt even before his descent into madness
- Talking to the voice at first was such an excellent red herring because you really did think that the woman from WS8 was alive only for him to realise she wasn't when she revealed information he hadn't seen. Now I know he was most likely hallucinating but I think he did have actual contact with "the light" which is how he survived those extra days. But I also think that event made the sentient bacteria able to track him better because he had a trace of something palpable.
- In the first third I really loved how almost normal the movie seems. Other than him diving in ocean of blood with primative technology it just seemed more or less normal. He comes back up and his story is very very clearly set in stone from the start
- I love the scary scar lady and I love the incident with Jack. Sorry dude but your radiation was such a good plot point. It shows that even when things are at their "finest" so much can still go wrong.
- The way Simons ability to think waxed and waned as well as his drive to live. At first he was doing what he had to, just serveing his recommence even though he knew he was down here for what he was apart of on Filament. Then he seems to loose hope, he gets hurt, he makes stupid choices out of desperation. But then he tries again, even after the line was cut he did what he could to work on surviving. He wanted to live!
But then everything comes crashing down he starts hallucinating and things stop making sense and hope seems lost again. He manages to remake contact but it isn't long before it's all over again even if he is determined
- I hated some of the choices he made, made me want to slap the man but it's also what made him feel real, feel human. He wasn't making classic horror movie mistakes like going into the dark basement but human mistakes. Like drinking all the water when he was desperate and the alcohol instead of cleaning his wounds (which honestly might have saved him)
- Going into the underparts of the haul is what really fucking got me. I am terrified of closed spaces and it was bad enough when he went when it was empty and with a light. But then he went when it was full of blood??? No fucking thank you
- Also him ripping his arm off was amazing, love me some limb loss and body horror. Thank you very much
- As much as I want to more about Filament Station I kinda love how so much was left vauge. Just like Simon we were only told the barest minimum of what we need to know..I don't know if we don't know more in the game but it was just good, in my opinion to focus on what was happening right in front of Simon. Even if his backstory was still brought up.
My hypothesis was they meant to take over the station; like pirates, or to sabotage it just enough to then pose themselves as the hero's and get some sort of reward out of it. I'm not sure but that's my theory.
- Obligatory Mark was hot...like...in his words "break me off a piece of that KitKat bar" I couldn't help myself. I know it was a horror movie but having him take his shirt off had to be a little bit of fan service. Because yeah he hurt his ribs and maybe his back but as far as I saw he didn't do anything about it medically. He fixed his arms instead.
- My one question is what were those things moving around? First there was the thing behind him, that hid in the tiny alcove and then vanished. Then there was the shadow that was moving over the photo light when he was in the hull. Then it was sitting in the chair, it looked like a mutated person. Was it the parasite that had somehow snuck its way onto his ship using the body of another dead diver? Or was it purely his imagination?
- I really like how in the end he knew he was going to die and he still did everything he could to make sure the black box made it up. His final thing he did in the world, if found, could have saved everyone.
- I need to know though why the fuck were they on that planet? Was it the only one left? How does it exist in a world without starts? Did it have an orbit? What did those creatures survive off of? (Each other? The blood other forms of mucosal membranes or something similar?) Was the space station parked near the planet and this was just some sort of temporary ship? I need that answered and I don't think I'll get it.
- Overall 10/10 movie, good cinematics, good use of light and sound. Audio and visual were so crisp I honestly don't think I've ever seen a close up shot that clean. Especially the one of his hand with the blood that was amazing. So crisp so clean. Amazing. Fucking loved it and now I'm definitely going to watch Mark play the game when I get the chance.
You know it’s crazy when it gives a warning for flashing lights
"The grid. A Digital frontier. I tried to picture clusters of information as they moved through the computer. What did they look like? Ships? Motorcycles? Were the circuits like freeways? I kept dreaming of a world I never thought I'd see. Then one day... I got in!" (Daft Punk’s Tron theme plays)
It's going to be a flashback, isn’t it?
How AI gets its data
It’s almost like watching a zygote produce more cells to grow and develop into a full-on human baby. Fascinating stuff
Aibel, the real one, confirmed?
Yep, it is
And thus the circus was born
Hey, we get to see the official designs of some of the abstracted members. For some reason, I thought the dog character (Scratch, if that's him?) was... on all fours or at least not dressed. Don't know why
CHECKMATE!!!!!! We get to hear Queenie's voice!!!!
Would You Fall In Love With Me Again coded big time
And of course, the love confession is cut off like that. How dare you, Glitch and Gooseworx
Giving the end of the infamous short story the series is based on. Wandering the simulated creation alone, no mouth, no reason to speak or scream
Ragatha!
So she was with a group. I guess with a large office building, it would make sense that there'd be a couple of realtors and maybe electricians or construction workers to check the condition of the building. Though that does raise the question of exactly how did everyone get pulled in? I still have my idea/theory (the program fully sucked them in, mind, body, and soul, leaving nothing but the headset behind), but is she just comatose? Is the digital copy theory applicable? At this point, who knows if we'll ever get an answer
"I was hoping new minds would show up!" Aw, does that mean the digital copy theory is the real deal? awww, but my theory...
Brah, is anyone doing ok?
Not now Jax
But he's not wrong in that, in the grand scheme of things, it didn't matter. You could ask what if about a thousand things, but it ended up being the same regardless. It was fake. It was an adventure. The choice wasn't real.
Existentialism, gotta love it
Pomni as the voice of reason, as always. That girl has quite the level head on her. It's kind of impressive all things considered.
Unfulfilled dreams, gotta love that feeling
There was an impact made. In a friend in a place you never thought possible. In a way, it reminds me of It's A Wonderful Life; which, if you haven't actually seen it in its entirety, absolutely do. But the point is you make an impact and a difference in other people's lives, even if you don't realize it all the time. Or at all. We can't know for certain what Zooble had in mind as making a mark, but the fact that they made one to someone is still really significant.
We only have each other, it’s just you and me
I legit thought Zooble was going to say, ‘You’re a pain in the a**, but you’re our pain in the a**.’ I said it before with the previous episode, but it’s nice to see Zooble being the more mature one of the two and taking Jax’s feelings into consideration. Just because he’s a jerk doesn’t mean they have to be one as well. Plus, at this point, I think most everyone realizes petty feelings and arguments don’t matter as much anymore. If this reality is all that there’s ever going to be, it's better to make the most of it and try to have peaceful relations with everyone.
Face your humanity, boy!
You technically already had one, but yeah
Oh, Caine, you sweet summer child
You know, over the course of the series, I’ve grown to like Caine as a character. Wanting to impress and be adored, but having such trouble comprehending anything outside of his own sphere of vision. He’s considering the reality of the others wanting to genuinely leave, but he’s scared of being abandoned. He considers himself benevolent and considerate, but he’s more self-centered than he realizes. It’s also interesting to note how he parallels some of the other characters and their worst traits, like Ragatha’s people-pleasing and fawning tendencies and Jax’s selfishness. I’m half wondering if he’s like an AI that adapts to and feeds from information around, and thus he’s gaining the traits of the circus members. That makes some sense now that I think about it
Intrusive thoughts that will not leave, no matter how much you pop them. I know that feeling
Really does have Cane and Abel allegory in this.
Oh no, not Caine glitching
AM arc?!?!?!
Oh boy. Been waiting for this, his crash out leading to a god complex
Or not?
No, no, still there. Just conceal, don’t feel; it’ll be fine
Thinly veiled threats from the guy who’s been happy all the time. up until now of course. It’s always the happy ones you have to be worried about…
Musical number time!
You have no mouth so you can’t scream at me to stop
Did Caine just say damn?
Hey, Caine has something different on for once. Black suits him.
So have the songs/music videos by ZAMination been canon this whole time?!?!?!
You know it’s bad when even Ragatha has had enough
There’s a café?
That looks a lot like cocoa from another adventure you had, eh Jax?
The teaser trailer. “Don’t worry my dear, this is only going to hurt immensely!” or something I don’t remember it exactly
Maybe, but now’s not the time to be starting something Jax. No one has the energy for it
Pomni: “This. Is a bucket.” Gangle: “Dear god” Ragatha: “There’s more.” Jax: “No…”
You know I thought about this before this episode, but the last episode, while disproving some common theories about the show, it didn’t necessarily disprove Kinger as an admin/programmer theory. Because it was just way to obvious he knew a thing or two about how it worked to make, say, butterflies that restored health. It’s incredibly validating to see one theory be true
And it’s also validating to finally be getting some straight answers on what this place is. I do vaguely remember Goose saying something like this series isn’t lore heavy, but there were still some things that needed to be cleared up or at least somewhat explained.
And, and, also remembering Goose said a theme they like to explore is immortality. Brain tumors are not fun. And if someone with one was trying to make something to possibly avoid the fall out of it…
Ooooh, it’s happening. Finally, an abstraction. But what does Jax mean by this is real? Did he forget everything before? Did he play into his role too much he forgot what reality really is? I really hope it’s not something related to the NPC theory. Probably not, but still
So the cast can manipulate or ‘conjure’ things in the circus. minor in scale to Caine most likely, but being in control of the world they’re in more than they realize
So do I…
Recurring motifs and scenes from the first episode. The mirror scene specifically is nice seeing how much the animation improved. And you can also tell time has passed as the mirror is filthy now. Also that Pomni isn’t as shocked at her appearance. She has some acceptance of it at least.
There it is….
Remind me, what is out in the void?
Wha- he- Stop baiting us with the false abstractions!
Maybe in the same way that the cast has to accept being unable to leave, we have to accept an abstraction isn’t going to happen. As much as we would love to see Jax go
And what is going on, exactly. Do I want to know?
Oh, that’s where Jax’s car went
Not a bad idea on distracting Caine. Especially as how desperate he is for validation
Wait, I actually wanted to hear what they came up with though
Less crazy and stressed but still a lot to go through
So is this whole office space part of the circus or Pomni’s imagination?
Oh, the computer isn’t dirty anymore. Interesting…
Conversation Piece makes a return as well
It needs another branch, or some sort of bobble in the center
Time to hack into his mind
Just now realized Caine is… bigger. He used to be roughly Pomni’s size and now he’s not. I’m sure it’s nothing
Oh no he’s getting bored. Not good
Did… did Bubble give birth? What was that flying off him?
He’s catching on…
Wait, not like that!
Actually. Give it to him Pomni! Getting right to the heart of it as always! You go girl! (If Jax won’t say it, I will)
If he actually took the time to listen, maybe things could have gone differently. But now…
… without me you will see, how awful it could be!
Now we get the psychological horror!
Not gonna lie guys, I’m a little scared
Very likely the scene is reflecting their darkest fears to them. Pomni is either feeling helpless or friends turning on her. Ragatha is the unresolved trauma from playing perfect daughter for her mom (and did here mom cause the right button eye, or equivalent of, in the real world?)-
Faster Kinger!
-Gangle’s is her emotions getting the better of her, and very likely to the point of attempted suicide because we see that freaking truck again. Zooble and their obvious body issues, but now I’m also wondering about if there’s struggle for expectations, whether self-inflicted or put on by others (thinking about the earlier scene of wanting to make a mark) and not living up to them. Jax being out of control of his situation and being mocked, especially by those he trusted; and also a little about his identity as well with the skin peeling. Wonder if it’s like, who he really is would make him even more mocked and ridiculed.
Why am I not good enough for you?!?!
Oh no
Oh no…
Kinger!
Not the pillow fort….
Appropriate response
Gangle’s face! Surprised Pikachu!
Real anime ending feeling especially for this one, guys
I don’t know if they did this before or they did it now for this episode, but right before the long splash card of the cast, the credits say ‘This episode was made completely by Humans!’ how cute
The final episode is coming out around my birthday! Let’s go!
Episode is exactly what I expected and yet still surprised me. Kinger just casually deleting the god of the world they reside in is such an unexpected power move. He didn’t mean to but the fact he could is still impressive.
Obviously the question that’s on everyone’s mind is, what now? Will the circus gradually fall apart until there’s nothing left? Will bits of code and data from Caine take sentience and try to destroy everything? Will the cast be able to survive or… actually escape? Or will everything just get swallowed by the void of nothingness as the program holding it all together is no longer around? At this point, anything can happen.
To the person who linked me that playlist, you are LOVELY.
(So how im reacting is watching this playlist i was linked BUT i may not stick to it if i feel like im missing out on content or if the pacing gets weird. Currently im watching every episode 1)
I have reached ep 1 of Rendog's pov, having watched ep 1's of Legun, Avid and Pearl.
Love how each pov uncovers more layers and perspectives, and mystery! For example, because I watched Legun first, and hes such a man of science and "realism", Avid was made out to be an impulsive, violent, delusional madman. But then watching Avid's pov, i discovered that his impulsive and brash behavior is due to his lived experience, having not only faced vampires, but having lost a friend to one, and then being the one to kill them. He is mourning, filled with a want for revenge or justice, and is filled with a panicked urgency due to the amount of strangers about, and the odd events occuring.
With Pearl I was able to see a more neutral party in all of this, tho even her pov had its own secrets
Also really neat that with Legun (i think) we gor to see her and the other one running off from the castle, and there was this whole mystery, and then when i got to her pov i got to see what went down!
Sorry if this all seems obvious. But im just really excited and enjoying my blind reaction so far! :D
Cue Danny Motta-style intro: How’s it goin boys, girls, and squirrels, what the fuck is Madoka Magica? I know it’s infamous, I know it’s traumatizing, and I know it’s about cute anime girls, and I’m terrified to see how all of that gets put together into 12 episodes (and Rebellion, which I will watch but this reaction will be solely the episodes; any movie thoughts will get chaos-posted directly to the dashboard later if and/or when they occur). So without further ado, let’s get into it:
In conclusion, Madoka Magica is just a realistic depiction of how it feels to be 14.
