Has anyone noted how similar Witch King is to Frieren: Beyond Journey's End?
Both stories follow a protagonist with a very long life span that played an essential role in the liberation of the people from the big evil generations ago. They retrace their original journey through a changed world and see the legacy of the deceased hero that they were in love with in every remnant of the past. They are incredibly powerful beings of a disappearing kind that don't properly fit in with society. Despite their age and wisdom, they feel that they are missing something essential in their life. They pick up children that offer a different perspective on the world and look after them. Their old friends are still around, if changed by the years. A yearning for a peaceful past that never was or a present with the people that are long dead lingers in every victory they achieve. At the same time, the impermanence of things makes them, and the reader, appreciate the beauty of life and their surroundings even more.
Going back and making notes for the first dozen episodes, since I downloaded the series! Here I have 1-6
"Gundam Fight Begins! The Gundam That Fell to Earth"
-some prime worldbuilding opportunities already!
-Domon’s first smile of the series is toward a child :)
-I wish we'd gotten more of Rain’s gadgets
-if these kids lost their parents in the last Gundam Fight, Sophia would've had to be just a baby. These boys raised a baby!
-we never get more on how the KoH title (and by extension the rest of the Shuffle Alliance) is actually known to belong to an elite fighter
-it's a shame that Michelo is such a hate sink because he's regrettably quite fashionable
"Roar of the Winning Punch"
-second episode, second instance of Domon in a bar. Is that whiskey?
-when the hell did he have time for 100 bouts? Even if you fudged his age, that doesn't make sense. They have to be counting practice or something
-Chibodee does NOT take embarrassment well
-and this is why they're rivals - that was a solid punch!
-ah, the shady government officials, who assassinate rival fighters and… hypnotize/brainwash people?
-little Chibodee!
-why is Mount Rushmore on the colony?
-the phallic sword positioning makes its debut
-”we'll eliminate you as well!” Damn, okay
-how can she know what Domon's suit-up sequence looks like and call Chibodee the showoff
-“Oh yeah”
-”why don't you just finish me off/I bet you pity me/my dream is now over” shit, the “Star of Hope” isn't very optimistic, though I guess that appellation was given to him to live up to rather than him choosing it
-he doesn't get why the crowd is encouraging him, let alone Domon. Oh honey
-”you're one of the good guys” hee :)
"Beat the Dragon Gundam"
-Sai, why are you sleeping in the road
-you little shit
-lol Chinese Gundams and water
-there's a lot of moving parts in this plot so I feel like I don't have much to say
-besides various versions of “you little shit”
-a draw! Nice to see Domon not winning handily
"Challenge! The Red Rose Knight!"
-They actually designed a Sand family crest
-ah, early installment weirdness, Raymond (or his lookalike) is with the princess
-DAMMIT DOMON
-is George psychically interfacing with his Gundam? Like, he's not in it, and he doesn't have a remote. Voice activation? And he's able to stand on it while it's moving, that's some A+ balance
-what is that bottle? Booze again?
-is he gently shooting her down or is he just oblivious? Probably the latter, since he's confused that she didn't want to listen to him wax poetic about his Gundam
-Marie-Louise how did you come up with this
-okay Domon going along with the plan is actually pretty funny
-who makes a toilet with an outside lock
-”I see nothing before me with the exception of this man” das gay
-he's not going to finish you, George, because that would mean you'd let go of the tower
-the French in that letter actually kind of sucked. And with @amplexadversary's headcanon that Domon is a polyglot, I wonder if he theoretically could have written it
"Great Escape! A Captive Gundam Fighter"
-“Why are there names of countries on this?” How do you know how to read Japanese?
-oh, this will be a huge scandal when it gets out
-for someone his size, Argo is quick as hell, being able to knock Domon out of the sniper's way
-okay, is Nastasha military or law enforcement?
-the eternal question: are suit-ups usually like this and just truncated for time, or is it only that difficult for Domon?
-Nastasha is a little turned on by being talked back to
-is it an asylum or a prison??
"Fight, Domon! Earth is the Ring"
-Kyoji shows more outright attraction to Rain than Domon does :P
-Domon gushing about Master is adorable
-saved by the mom! I'm guessing Domon didn't want to talk about the science stuff he could never get into
-so the finger snap activation is a Kasshu trait
-more early installment weirdness, with evil!Karato and an alternate explanation for Ulube’s mask
-uh yeah that Speedo leaves nothing to the imagination, by which I mean there's nothing there
-”but to be honest I'm getting a bit tired” yeah, anyone following Domon would
-I wonder if this guy is an early bird Schwarz disguise
-Chibodee like “did I get caught up in a government plot to assassinate a Gundam fighter again?”
-team nobody, man. Chico’s plan was short-sighted, but Domon's logic doesn't make sense
-okay, I can see where this feels a little weird for siblings
-Domon, you can't call Chibodee out for trying to butt in when you did the same damn thing to George
-so that conversation had to be within the cockpits, otherwise Chibodee just blew the whole plan
-”then I'll be reborn too?” okay that actually hurt
"Old Grudge: Revenge of the Space Police"
-how is it that Andrew changed so drastically in five years, but Argo looks the exact damn same? At presumably 21 years old??
-oh my god Domon and Rain are so immature at each other
-lol Domon likes being grappled
-oh my god Nastasha is so hot
-that was a stupid move, Rain. Noble, but stupid. Sometimes we get these glimpses of her being, well, 20
-I mean, the report being from your government isn't necessarily trustworthy, but on the other hand, they wouldn't have any reason to make Argo look good, so if they came to the conclusion he wasn't at fault, that does say something
"Powerful Enemy! Chapman's Heroic Challenge"
-George has a fairly sizeable butt, but it's not very shapely
-Domon, where and when would you have learned to play poker?
-he smiles when a gun is pressed against his face. Hmmm.
-George shows up in his trace suit, and then suddenly shirtless under a blanket, all seemingly without leaving the room. Uhhhh he stripped in front of Domon and Rain?? I mean, they probably turned around, and he had to take it off so she could patch him up presumably, but still
-why is he taking stimulants late at night?
-ooh, Chapman has chest hair
-the first and only mention of terraformed Mars
-the Chapmans sound like they're discussing inviting Domon into their bedroom
-Rain, why did you taste the unknown pill? And how do you know from taste that it's a stimulant?
-that is NOT how you take stimulants! Lord almighty, just chomping on a handful of pills (capsules, even, which you're supposed to swallow whole), what do you think is gonna happen?
-”that's how he can see through this dense fog” not how stimulants work!!
-what do you mean he doesn't know???
-damn, what a downer ending
"Terror! The Phantom Fighter Appears"
-man, I don't like this episode. It doesn't do Sai any favors
-I love Stalker
-ooh, survivor's guilt
-Sai, you're the one who suggested a ghost, how did Domon scare you?
-I guess he doesn't have to go anymore
-”That's nice, goodbye”
-crocodile tears from the monks, gotta love it
-”I survived, but don't ask me how” damn, Rain
-I find it hilarious that they built a whole damn pyramid for this guy
-it's not the fear that annoys me, it's that it's treated as comic relief and reinforcing the “little kid” image
-Domon took to the big brother role quite nicely
-okay Domon holding just the top half of Dahal’s body was actually kind of an uneasy visual, even knowing it's a cybernetic zombie at that point
"Reunion in the Falling Rain"
-I shouldn't find it funny that she recognized his voice by a grunt alone
-I'm not sure why I'm thinking of this now, but there's some digging to be done in a mechanic and medic preferring to dress in micro-miniskirts and heels, even on the job
-I wonder when/how she got her mech certification then
-”rain on earth is so inconvenient” it occurs to me that the Fight might be the first time Rain's ever been to Earth
-so was Rain's mom Anglophone? (Is Rain mixed race?) Or is English a lingua franca that's wormed its way into Japanese naming conventions?
-now I'm wondering how many fighters are scouted versus trying out, and if it differs by country
-hmm, I wonder how they'll treat Saette once he's healed. Neo Turkey is gonna have to be let into the loop a little bit, right?
-I forgot where I saw it, but apparently the proper Arabic transliteration of his name would be Sayit?
-I mean, she didn't lose interest then, but she seems content to leave it in the past now
Series totals: 30 expeditions, 16 countries, 612 filming days Everywhere there are wild cats! That means every continent except Antarctica and Australia. Bay cat – Borneo Black-footed cat – South Africa Bobcat – USA Canada lynx – Canada Caracal – Namibia Cheetah – Namibia Cheetah Science – Namibia Clouded leopard – India Fishing Cat – Bangladesh Iberian lynx science – Spain Jaguar – Costa Rica…
We’re starting a new series this week at our Victory congregations across Metro Manila called “Let Us…” for the next three weeks, we will be looking at various passages in the Book of Hebrews to learn the different “let us” exhortations found in the book.
(trivia: the book of Hebrews has the greatest cluster of exhortations that start with “let us”.)
This week, we looked at Hebrews chapter 4. Let me quote a portion of it here:
Hebrews 4:14-16 (NIV)
[14] Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. [15] For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—-yet was without sin. [16] Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
A few lessons i got from this passage as Pastor Paolo talked about this passage:
1) We can hold firmly to our faith because Jesus holds on to us.
- He is our great high priest, standing in the gap, interceding for us, understanding what we are going through.
- Isn't it amazing that He gives is the strength to hold on to our faith even in the most trying times?
2) Sometimes, we feel like letting go. During these times, those around us make a HUGE difference on how we respond.
- Someone told me before that friends are like highways. They get us somewhere quicker. The question is where our friends are highways toward.
3) When we walk together with other people who are holding on to God and, more importantly, whom God is holding on to, we are able to approach God with confidence.
4) We need to learn to approach God when we need to find mercy, grace, and help.
- Too often, I find myself approaching everything BUT God when I need help. I am so grateful for my godly wife, my Victory group, and my covenant friends who help me remember to go to God.
