WordsWhatever

Reviews, Theories, Whatever, Etc.

[whateverwords33]

Open Throat

Review

The POV of a mountain lion living under the Hollywood sign. That's the book. An intriguing tale that leaves you jaw-hanging by the end.

Now go read it.

The book is not that long; says 100+ pages, but the sentences are written as if thought of by the mountain lion.

They're short.

Spaced out.

not even punctuated correctly

And worth your time. Took me about 3 and a half hours in-total to finish. I started it at night, right after my previous book, to get a good sense of it. My partner recommended it to me with the premise of my first sentence, and I was... intrigued.

The first 10 pages. I read the first 10 pages that night and wanted to know more, so I saved it for my hour lunch break the next day. About 50 pages were read. Not trying to boast about how quickly I can read, but to reference how short each page is that I could read so many in one hour sitting.

After my second day at lunch, a Friday, I decided I would finish the book the next day, a Saturday. I usually read during my lunch break at work; one hour to myself and a book...and food. So wanting to finish the book on my weekend off, shows how hooked I was on the story. Finally on Saturday night, I completed my journey with the mountain lion.

Now on Sunday, I have to write about it. I was trying to read my next book but I kept coming back to Open Throat.

And now, Spoiler territory

Yes, P-22 is the inspiration, real mountain lion who lived in California.

But, when you think of the word lion, generally we think of the ones with the big manes of hair around their face. Symbolically important with the... antagonist of the book, the man with the whip.

When we think of whips and lions, the circus comes to mind. Used as a device to "train" animals such as the lion to do various tricks for a performance. In reality, a weapon. A tool used for torture to cause or infer the presence of pain.

Not in Hollywood, though. When we think of whips and Hollywood, we think of the heroic Indian Jones. A weapon used to fight bad guys and save the day. And what about lions with Hollywood? Well the MGM logo has the memorable lion roar before a movie plays. Having the lion live under the Hollywood sign hides the ugly reality of whips when it's introduced early on in the book. The man with the whip is cosplaying Indian Jones, which feels like a harmless act to the reader...but not to the lion.

When the man with the whip returns in the final act of the book, a smile started to form on my face. I knew what was about to happen. It led up to this moment from the beginning. The lion knew this man was a threat, further proof with the fire at the encampment/town. His bulging vein of life stirred the lion's dreams. They were destined to meet again, and when they did...pure bliss.

After the fateful encounter there could only be one way to end this story. No aftermath of the scene or insight to what happened to the other characters, but an abrupt ending with the passing of the protagonist.

TLDR; Mountain lion, puma, and cougar are the same animal...the more you know.

[whateverwords33]

Days at the Morisaki Bookstore

Review

"A book about being honest with yourself and to those around you." - My Bookmory review

A heartwarming tale that had more depth than expected. I went through a similar situation myself, adding a deeper layer of connection to the story. Sure I may not have worked at a bookstore, but I've experienced a life changing situation that resulted in a restart.

Spoilers start here.

I didn't expect them to go to the guy and confront him on what happened. They were definitely going to have some conclusion to the situation-ship, but I assumed he would randomly be in the area or a chance encounter. Having Takako go to his place by choice to resolve the matter was excellent. If it was by happenstance, the impact would be minor. Even though both instances could lead to the same conclusion, having her go to him adds depth. She is deliberately trying to resolve this and move on. Yes, she has help from her uncle who pushes her, but she does speak her mind in the end. If he had visited her, then he would be the one who grew as a person, and we can't have that because we don't like him.

Okay, now let's get personal. I was in a relationship where we broke up and I had to have my own restart in life. Not because I was so heartbroken, but because my living situation was about to drastically change. My ex and I lived together and my job at the time didn't pay as well. If I lived on my own, I would have either lived in a very poor area or would need financial help. My parents offered up for me to move back home, which I did. Just like Takako, I was lucky enough to have family who was able to support me to restart my situation. I felt like I was at rock bottom. Not only did I lose a partner and had to quit my job, I also moved three hours away from my friends. Moving in with my parents was the right decision, everything was just now drastically different. Eventually, I was able to get a job and move back out, but I was lost for a moment. Instead of books, I had Korean survival competition shows (Produce 101). After about a year and a half, I was able to move out and try again at life.

Back to the book, I was glad we actually got to meet Momoko and she turned out differently than expected. Her character shows you that not every relationship is what it seems. Takako had a relationship where the dude was totally in the wrong, but her uncle's relationship was complicated. At first it looked simple, his wife left him, we should be mad at her. Once we get to know her when she reappears in his life, we learn that there is more to their history. Firstly, communication is always key. Most relationship problems can be solved by talking things out...like...seriously. Secondly, perspective matters. Early on in the book we see people talk about Momoko and that's how our perception of her starts to form. We begin to think we know how she is even though we've never met her. So when she comes back, we begin to think negatively towards her, that she's planning something to hurt Satori again. In reality, she has been going through her own struggles that we don't learn about until near the end of the book.

Just like how Takako had to confront her ex in order to move forward in her life, Satori had to confront Momoko for them to restart theirs.

TLDR; Be honest with your partner, talk to them, communicate. Also read a book.

[whateverwords33]

Superman (2025)

Review & Theories

"This is a great foundation to establish the DC universe. Throw us in the middle of it, we don't need to see how it all began. Definitely wanted more things fleshed out with the Lois and Clark dynamic, but that can be shown in the sequel since we now know who these characters are. They're still in a fresh relationship so seeing how they are in the follow-up will be important" - DanielShrugs Letterboxd review

This movie drops you in the universe of the DCU and it's brilliant. When you're making a movie about a character/world that has existed for so long with already so many retellings/adaptations, we don't need to see how it all began again. By now, people already know his origin and if they don't, the movie pretty much gives an excellent recap/lore dump at the start of the movie. This movie isn't perfect, but that isn't what is needed at this moment. They needed to create a film that could lay as the foundation for their shared cinematic universe. In my opinion, they did that. This is a world I am excited to see more of— not just Superman, but all the characters within. You do not need to be a DC or superhero fan to enjoy this, it's a good movie overall so go watch it on the big screen while you can.

[Super Spoilers]

Yes, Ultraman is Superman— but a clone and not from another dimension. As soon as Lex invades Superman's fortress of solitude, which they did not name drop by the way, I knew Ultraman was going to be a Superman copy; glad they chose clone and not from another universe. The clone could be set up to be Bizarro in the future, being lost in space and finding himself. Or maybe Lex will make another clone and that will end up being the actual Bizarro after he tries experimenting differently. My main belief is that with all this cloning, we will be getting a Superboy in the future. We already know the DCU Batman movie, the non-Robert one, will include Damian, who is Batman's son. Now wouldn't it be interesting if Superman had a "son" of his own around the same age? Lex has already cloned Superman but he turned out dumb, so I wouldn't be surprised to see Lex do it again but include his own DNA to try and make him smarter. Plus make him younger to train/raise/mold him into the Superman he wants. Yes, Superman does have an actual son in the comics, but it'll be difficult to make that a reality unless they do a time jump.

The Hammer of Boravia is actually Ultraman in disguise. There was speculation it could be Supergirl since we knew she was going to be in the movie— which turned out to be at the end, but it was Ultraman all along. Superman's first loss technically being against himself also shows you how powerful he is in the universe. The only thing that could take him down was himself...literally. Also the fictional country has existed longer than its "real-life" counterpart. IYKYK

The dark spooky place is a pocket dimension. Not the phantom zone (yet?) or boom tubes (or is it?) but a pocket dimension. Now the way Lex treats this pocket dimension is very similar to both examples above. He stores his enemies in cages stuck in this dimension, similar to how Superman/Krypton held prisoners in the phantom zone. Lex also travels around the world quickly by having multiple portals set up, similar to how boom tubes work. Now when/if these concepts come up in the future, general audience members won't be as confused. If you try to explain boom tubes and the phantom zone to a casual person, it could take them a minute to wrap their head around the whole concept. Superman stores his enemies in a special dimension where they can't leave and don't age? Aliens have this teleporting technology that just lets them travel between places like it's no big deal? Introducing these concepts now and giving it a basic name of "pocket dimension" is easier to grasp.

In this pocket dimension, Lex has a chauffeur that I believe is a white martian. Lex mentions martians briefly when talking to Superman in the cage, so I'm assuming that's what this white alien is. Which gets me wondering...is J'onn J'onzz AKA Martian Manhunter already on Earth? What if he's already in disguise? What if he's a character we already met? They have an interdimensional imp, I wouldn't be surprised if he's already here. Or what if there's more? What if they try to do their own Marvel Secret Invasion but with martians? If I had to pick a character on who he could be, I would pick General Mori, the Asian government official. They could do it like the CW Supergirl show, have him in the system, playing it safe/dangerous on the inside. J'onn has usually been portrayed as a black actor, but this could be a chance to change it up since he's technically a martian and can be any race. They could still hire a different actor once he reveals himself to stay aligned with the taller and deeper voice people are used to.

Superman's Clark Kent glasses are technically hypno glasses. It was quickly mentioned by Guy Gardner in the Hall of Justice, a place we will definitely be revisiting. Also had a blink and you'll miss it mural of the old Justice Society "Gang" when they had a wide shot of Lois leaving. This is definitely all a set up for the future Justice League and it'll be interesting to see who they'll have as founding members. Mr. Terrific could be their tech guy instead of Cyborg.

Krypto is actually Supergirl's dog, which is a nice twist and hopefully means we will see him again in her upcoming movie. He was a nice inclusion that gave the movie a nice distinction since it's the first live-action version on the big screen. We have seen him animated, so fans were already aware of his existence. Him coming in clutch at the end felt justified and gave Superman a more relatable-feel with a pet. Superman also saved a squirrel, that is important as well.

I enjoyed the casting choices for the characters, no issues there. BUT, in the sequel we need more from the daily planet crew. We got bits of who they are and how they relate to Superman, but they don't feel fleshed out enough for me to care about them. The reason why this movie gets a pass is because they're not creating just a Superman movie, they're creating the whole universe in this film. They had to show you bits and pieces of everything to show you that this world is lived in— things have already happened, people are used to big Kaiju fights and city destroying threats. This movie is a shining hope for the future of this franchise, we can only hope now that they don't mess it up.

TLDR; Kindness is the new punk rock

[whateverwords33]

Tinykin Review

~Pikmin if it was a platformer~

To preface, I have only played Pikmin 1, but I have been meaning to go back and play the sequels. Instead, I tried out Tinykin. A similar style type of game with a few minor changes.

Sp-sp-sp-SPOILERS

So the point of the game is to collect different parts around the house to make a spaceship and return home. You play as a tiny humanoid-alien, interacting with talking bugs, and getting support from these tiny creatures who are the name of the game. You're solving puzzles by using the unique abilities of the Tinykin to help these bug citizens, who then help you get the components you need. This is very platform heavy. You're jumping around, gliding, riding a soap-board, akin to a skateboard/surf board, and exploring the house. The big difference from Pikmin, is that there is no deadline timer and there are a limited number of Tinykin to help you.

Playing the game itself was fun, but the story fell flat in my opinion. I love to explore in a video game, so I of course went ahead and collected everything I could to receive all the achievements. I did try out a speed course, but did not feel the need to try them all. Still a positive thing to add, because sliding around on the soap-board is actually fun, especially being able to grind on edges of furniture. I definitely see there being an audience who would want more from it, so a great addition. But the story....

Finding Ardwin at the end of the game felt acceptable. All the bugs hyped him up each level, so actually meeting the guy felt earned. Then to explain how he was originally human and the cause of Earth to end up this way and how our main character actually is human as well because the humans left Earth to his home planet felt...unnecessary. Like when the big reveal happened on how he's still alive because of all the robotic parts I was just like, okay...that's cool dude. It is a big reveal I didn't see coming, but at the same time, it did not resonate with me.

How would I have changed the ending? Well instead of having Ardwin actually be Ardwin, he could have been a pet to the original guy. This is how I would have done it. OG Ardwin is a scientist who could have been experimenting around with bugs and then the accidental humanity shrinkage happens. Ardwin then works with his experimental bugs who have started to mutate. They could work together to then create the Tinykin. Then Ardwin gets old and dies, but to keep his legacy alive, his main experimental bug friend could take up the mantle of Ardwin to keep hope alive for his new bug society. So then the guy we meet at the end of the game isn't actually the original Ardwin, but just the first mutated bug pretending to be him. This could explain how the bugs have mutated enough to talk and how the Tinykin came around.

TLDR; Ardwin, more like Ard-loser.

[whateverwords33]

Conclave Theory

What if it was all part of the plan?

Firstly, I highly recommend everyone go watch this phenomenal film. Even if you forget to come back to read this theory, the movie is a must-watch. The sound, visuals, acting— it's all stunning. There are moments where characters begin a deep conversation and the camera will slowly zoom in, literally pulling you into the conversation. Multiple visual shots that keep you in awe, like a top-view shot of all the cardinals walking with umbrellas. Ralph Fiennes shines as the lead with a supporting cast that keeps up.

∆ Spoilers ∆

Okay, so the movie suggests that the previous pope had planned for the downfall of Adeyemi and Tremblay. The Pope dismissed Tremblay, but died before officially announced, yet had him put in the order to bring in the nun who ruined Adeyemi's reputation to the other cardinals. But what if...it didn't end there? What if...the other parts were also planned?

On the third day, our manager Lawrence decides to finally vote for himself and it's suggested that he might actually win. As soon as he casts his vote, an explosion outside occurs and a part of the roof/wall (it's like an upper corner area that was repaired earlier in the movie) is broken. This postpones the current voting, giving the cardinals another chance to debate before voting again. Now what if...this was also part of the plan?

Symbolically, the scene looks like an act of God. A ray of light shines down at Lawrence/voting table and dust covers up the mural above. This looks like God's way of saying, "No, not you Lawrence." Which is crazy to think about because that explosion was caused by a suicide bomber. Are you trying to tell me God sent a suicide bomber, that ended up killing people in the process, to change the course of the vote? I like to believe it was all coincidental and Lawrence was "supposed" to be the choice. What the church needs at the moment is a restructuring and what better way than a "manager" type of leader to manage the cardinals. The "shepherd" type would not work because the cardinals of the church are divided and having someone continue to guide them along the same path would be detrimental in the long run. Now here comes the theory...what if Benitez was the end goal of the previous pope the whole time? How could he ensure their victory?

We already know how he handled Adeyemi and Tremblay, which leaves Bellini and Tedesco. For Bellini, he never really had a chance. Sure, him and the liberals tried, but during the voting process they were always on the lower end of the votes. I'm sure the previous pope would have wanted them to be a top candidate, but he knew they would never truly have a chance without the drive to do it. Lawrence came close, but he was never meant to win. So how do you deal with Tedesco and his backing of the old ways? By gassing him up to only tear him down in the end, which is what Benitez does after the bombing. Which means...the previous pope had planned the bombings himself.

Whoa whoa whoa— did you read that right? The bombings were also part of the plan? Well, throughout the movie the cardinals expressed how the previous pope had gone senile in his old age. Now we know he was smart enough to plan the Adeyemi and Tremblay debacle, but what if he was senile enough to make sure his plan worked no matter what? The previous pope needed to rile up Tedesco to speak up about religious war and the need to fight other religions, knowing Benitez would speak up against it. So, what better way than to have a suicide bomber go off during the middle of the voting process, close enough to the building where Lawrence would have to disclose what was going on outside. And this wasn't the first bomb, this was the second or third. The bombings were planned. What if...the previous pope had set in motion for these bombings to take place when the voting started?

A previous bomb went off during like day one, but Lawrence didn't tell the other cardinals at the time since they had to focus on the vote. Since he never told them, Tedesco doesn't make his speech about it being a religious attack, and Benitez doesn't speak up. Now I'm not saying the previous pope specifically planned for the bomb to go off at that exact time during day three, but he had planned for it to go off near the building. So when the first bomb was too far and made no impact, they had to send in another. Now you're probably asking, who is making sure this happens? Well Lawrence has a monsignor who helped dig into the other cardinals during the movie...what if the previous pope had a monsignor of his own making sure his last wishes/plan took place? The goal was for the cardinals to talk about war so Benitez could educate them and look like the best candidate to succeed.

Was it coincidental, the will of God, or the plan of a senile old man?

TLDR; the dead pope picked his successor... meticulously.

[whateverwords33]

One Piece Manga Review

Summit War Saga > Marineford Arc & Post-War Arc

~The double-spread galore~

For this review I've decided to combine the Marineford Arc with the Post-War Arc since they're so closely related. The end of Luffy's solo adventure. Also future spoilers will be mentioned.

• Spoilers •

Technically, Luffy succeeds. Yes, Ace does die, but after he's rescued. Luffy wins the battle/mission, but loses the war.

Ace is a tragic character. We learn about his childhood and the way he perceives himself during this arc. He grew up being told he shouldn't exist and when he's older, he still struggled with accepting his life, always fighting and pushing back. His final moments in Luffy's arms are when he finally realizes that he was happy with the life he was given. Oda killing Ace was the right decision. We've seen other characters like Nico Robin who had a terrible childhood/life who now have hope. Luffy has also been flying by the story, taking things as they come. This death is the realization that Luffy (and his crew) are not ready for the next adventure. There are people out there drastically on another level from them and they won't always be able to just figure it out. And this character's death had to matter to Luffy to make a massive impact.

This is the first time we see all four future emperors in the same place. Luffy and Buggy in the middle of the war while Blackbeard and Shanks arrive at the end. This is also when people started speculating about Shank's character. He was supposedly dealing with Kaido and is now here at Marineford. Now in the future we have confirmation that he has a brother, so his brother could have actually been the one dealing with Kaido.

We see Coby evolve as a character as well. I do believe at the end of the story Coby will be seen as a global hero, similar to Garp. From the beginning, I believe it was meant to be that Luffy is going to be the pirate king, while Coby takes the role as the hero of the Marines, a la Gol D. Roger and Garp.

I don't mind the retcon with introducing Sabo as a third brother. This brings more emphasis to the Revolutionary Army, keeping them relevant to the story and an even deeper connection with Luffy. During the flashback prequel, Sabo says how he feels like he's in a birdcage at home. Which is what literally happens with Dressrosa when he's introduced again in the future. Also seeing Bonney cry when viewing Kuma, oh that hits deep.

Law coming in to save Luffy could seem random, but now knowing that he forms an alliance with him to take down Doflamingo makes sense. During this war, Law can see that Luffy is crazy enough to pick a fight with the world government (as well as the celestial dragons in Sabaody).

When the war is over and the Marines make a global announcement, it's interesting that Drake is the first person we see listening in. Yes, we see all the supernovas react, but he ends up being a Marine, so him being shown first could be a foreshadow since he would be actively listening to what the Marines say. Brownbeard is also introduced, we'll see him again soon in Punk Hazard. Moria is also attacked by Doflamingo and escapes. We don't see what he's been up to since, but this could hint at him helping Luffy in the end-game.

Speaking of people helping Luffy, seeing how his crew mates all rush to be by his side is sweet. After they find out Ace dies, they know Luffy well enough that he would be in despair and would need a support system. Luffy also realizes this when Jimbei asks him what is there that remains for him...his friends.

When this arc ends, it feels like the ending of the first half of the story. A major event has shifted the world and our hero(s) must now pick themself back up. The next time we see them, will be in two years.

TLDR; instead of the strawhats meeting up in three days, Luffy decides he needs a two-year gap period to find himself.

[whateverwords33]

God of War Theory

I believe the next game will focus on...

Roman Mythology

To clarify, I believe this will be a one-off game and not their next major title. Similar to Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales or Uncharted: The Lost Legacy.

• Spoilers •

After what happened in Ragnarok and Atreus now doing his own thing, Kratos could make his way back home to Greece to reflect on everything. But on his way back...he stumbles into the land of Roman mythology.

In my vision, the Gods would resemble their Greek counterparts but be their own person, like twins. This would let Kratos interact with these Gods "again." The major conflict could be the Gods are worried when they find out who he is, because they have heard the story of their Greek twins perishing to their new God of War. While Kratos is trying to show them he's a different man now, they will attack him and Kratos will fight back in self-defense, but he's ultimately aiming for peace. He's trying to show them he's a different person, not the same God of War in the stories they know. This will let Kratos reflect on his past and come to terms with what happened and accept who he is as a person. He's grown, he's not just a killer; he can be someone worthy of praise, like the mural he saw at the end of Ragnarok. With this closure, he can move on from his past and not let it haunt him anymore.

Then he will go off to somewhere new...like Egypt for the next major title.

TLDR; Kratos visits family on his Dad's side

[whateverwords33]

Clair Obscure: Expedition 33

The many layers of art

"Owowow" (Monoco)

The game takes you on a journey...quite literally. A fresh take on the JRPG genre that shows love for the games that came before, while trying something new. Even if turn-based games are not your jam, the story, art, and music are such wonderful creations that will captivate you into staying.

§ Spoilers §

As of writing this, I have gotten all achievements on Steam. During act two, my main party was Verso, Maelle, and Lune (substituted for Monoco during non-boss fights). Funnily, right before Old Lumiere I was actually running Sciel, Lune, and Monoco to level them up as they were below Verso and Maelle. When they were split up for story purposes, I had a good chuckle when they were split up this exact same way. Then during act three is when my main party had shifted to Sciel, Monoco, and Maelle. I started utilizing Sciel as an auto-death (second chance) support and Maelle would dominate with Monoco as cleanup. Once Maelle gets her final set of skills, she really does tear through enemies like they're nothing.

Do note, if you're trying to get to level 99 and have already beaten the game, like I did, I would recommend just grinding at Renoir's Drafts until you reach it. I was level 96/97 when I started new game+ and I literally speed ran the main story to get back to Renoir's Drafts again. New game+ is great if you want to experience the story again, not if you're trying to level up.

I enjoyed the beginning of the game with how they don't outright explain the main issue with the world until it happens at the end of the prologue; for those who don't know the premise of the game. The trash can bit is great and shows you that comedy does have time to shine in this world of despair. And the mime mini-bosses are wonderful, can't forget that the game is French. They did get me with Gustave, not with him dying, but I really thought he would come back to life at the end of the game because of his locked skills. And because of a side-quest where he was needed. I was surprised at how big the expedition team was. They talked about how less people were signing up, but there was a whole bunch of people that got decimated at the start of act one.

When we got Verso, I was delighted to see a relationship level when interacting with your party. The game felt like they were hinting at it when you were Gustave, but there was no need for a relationship level when he's been with them for years. Introducing this new mechanic as the new character was brilliant. The whole dynamic with Maelle with Gustave and Verso is quite fascinating. Depending on who you side with at the end, the world is either destroyed (which is what I chose) or Maelle gets to be in control. The fate of Maelle's fake-real brother Verso was resolved due to Maelle's fake-adopted brother/guardian Gustave, who created the Lumina Converter (the in-game mechanic explanation on how characters can equip passive Pictos after they are learned). Gustave's creation is what gave this expedition team the advantage they needed to succeed. Even though the Verso ending where the painting is destroyed feels like the correct ending...I like to believe the Maelle ending where she stays inside is the actual ending. I believe this solely on how it ends with Verso playing the piano, the exact same melody we hear when starting the game, in the main menu. Bringing the whole adventure full circle in a meta kind of way.

Side-note, expedition 60 is my favorite journal log in the game. The fact that they figured out the truth of the Paintress and would have made it back by swimming, if not for the gommage timer, is extraordinary. They were the expedition that was just built different...quite literally.

I am quite fascinated with the "real" world outside the painting. The talks of Painters and Writers, who exactly is Clea, Maelle's real older sister, dealing with? Are there "real" versions of the human party members? Technically when Maelle went inside the painting she went through the whole process of growing up again. Are the people in the painting world based on people in the real world or are they all made up? If they do a sequel, I would be more interested if they focused on a different set of characters in the same world. This time focus on the Writers, but instead of someone inside of a painting, they're inside a book. Then the third game takes place in the real world, tying in the previous games. If they don't want to give answers on which is the definitive ending, the game can take place in the future, in the aftermath of the fight between Painters and Writers.

They made such a fascinating world that doesn't actually exist...but that's the thing about art. Even if the world inside the painting isn't real, how painting/art makes us feel is what matters.

TLDR; a work of art can change your life...quite literally.

[whateverwords33]

Aminé

13 Months of Sunshine

"You've grown yourself a flower"

When the singles were initially released, it felt like the instrumentals would be the powerhouse of the album. The beats are always on point, so the question becomes, does he earn the right to be the artist on them? For this album, I say he pulls through.

The quote above are the first lyrics we hear from the album. Right from the start he gets introspective, talking about the work he would put in at the start of his career and how even now, especially with his family, he continues to carry stress and burdens in their stead. He's been constantly tending to his garden making sure the flower he is continues to grow, watering and working hard constantly. But he realizes that water isn't the only thing a flower needs...there's sunshine. The warmth from the sun to remind you that it's okay to take it easy and enjoy some of the success. For Aminé, he needs about 13 months of it.

13MOS is my favorite track of the album. I feel like this song is the compilation of the whole album within. Instrumentals that don't miss, lyrics that you want to understand, and an album that feels replayable. Sure the beat change in the latter half helps, but it feels earned. The latter part actually feels reminiscent of his single Squeeze. This easily could have been a short one-off, but I actually like it combined with the first half of the song.

Before the release of the album, I saw a comment online that said it felt like Aminé has good beats, but just raps about smoking and sex, basic rap shit. And lately, it did feel like that a bit looking back. Yes, he does talk about sex and smoking in this album, but it's not all he talks about this time.

I continue to look forward to what he puts out next.

"And when the sun hits your skin I hope you know you belong where you been"

[whateverwords33]

One Piece Theory

Final Strawhat member (potentially)

Vivi

Realistically, I don't think anyone else is joining, but if I'm wrong, this is the character that would make sense to me. Unless it'll be someone completely new...which will have to be extremely compelling at this point.

So if it is Vivi, here's why:

• Spoilers •

1. Every lady member has joined, left, then rejoined the crew

Nami initially joined/formed an alliance, then left/revealed to be part of Arlong's crew, then rejoined once he was defeated.

Robin joined right after Alabasta, to then leave during Water 7, to rejoin at the end of Enis Lobby.

Vivi hitched along after Whiskey Peak, to depart at the end of Alabasta, and will rejoin once they rescue her/meet-up again.

2. Crew number, 11

She will rejoin as number eleven, the two I's represent that, V1V1. Since it was always definitely planned this way.

Especially, since her name as Roman numerals spell out her original crew number if she had officially joined earlier (before Chopper). VI = 6

3. Her crew fun fact details have been officially answered through an SBS.

A reader asked what her color/number/animal/food/etc would be if she was part of the crew, and Oda answered. Sure it was a fun thing for fans since she's number 5.5, but he could turn it around if he really wanted to...if you don't realize how, scroll back up a bit.

The details are already there, she's at least up for consideration.

4. Her role, Tactiction

Currently, she's in the sky with Wapol and Morgan. What if, by the time they meet up, she has convinced Morgan to use his ship for the battle against Imu. Vivi will be there, they have a connection because of her ancestor, it's destiny.

My theory on the battle, that's right a theory within a theory— it will be the four yonkos + revolutionary army vs the five elders and world government. Each crew will deal with an elder as they're all trying to get to Imu to claim victory. PvPvE. Vivi will act as the Straw Hat Alliance eye in the sky, helping give orders and relaying information. Then Sword will come in mid-way through the war to help as a sixth army, because they don't agree with Imu/elders. This will then give Luffy and whoever else plot relevant, time to go face Imu. Koby will help Luffy defeat Imu, which will lead Koby to be seen as a global hero, and the new face/hope for the Marines. They will be seen like the new Garp and Roger of their generation.

Like I said earlier, I don't think anyone else is going to join the crew at this point. Vivi will be important to the story, but I see no reason for her to officially join, she's an honorary member— good enough.

TLDR; No one else is joining.

[whateverwords33]

One Piece Manga Review

Summit War Saga > Impel Down Arc

Background:

Firstly, I'm a manga reader and I'm all caught up on the story. Big fan of the series and decided to re-read the colored version, but starting on an arc I'm not as familiar with. I've played many of the older games and have re-read the manga before, so I decided to skip the earlier arcs and restart my journey with Water 7. As I created this account after I started this, I decided I will just review the arc I have currently finished and go on from there. And when spoilers hit, that includes future spoilers— you've been warned!

~Luffy's solo, yet cast-heavy, adventure. The foreshadowing goes hard in this one~

Spoilers

This is the first time in the series Luffy is on his own, not counting the beginning when he literally was. Technically, this began in the previous Amazon Lily arc, but there was no major antagonist in his way. Impel Down gives Resident Evil 2 vibes. Luffy is trying to go through the prison while this unstoppable monster Magellan, won't stay down no matter how many times he gets hit. And what I love about Magellan is that he never actually loses. He wins every fight, yet ultimately loses the arc...but not the war if you really think about it. Marines do end up winning the war, even if it ends up a complete mess, but we'll discuss that later later.

I like how the prison is a different take on Dante's Inferno, each level represented by a different theme and housing stronger criminals the further down you go. And it's under the sea! That's such a smart move since the worst of the worst pirates/criminals could have devil fruit powers and are weak to sea water. Another layer of interest, each floor (mostly) re-introduces us to a character we've met previously in the story. Level 1 with Buggy, L2 Mr. 3 (Galdino), L3 Mr. 2 (Bon Clay), L4 Mr. 1 (Daz Bonez), & L6 Mr. 0 (Crocodile). Level 5 we don't meet anyone, except for Emporio Ivankov (L5.5), who will be important for the future.

If you're a manga reader, then you know by previous cover stories what led the former Baroque Works members here, but to see it actually pay off and come back up in the main story is phenomenal. We know these characters— they've played a major impact in an older arc, and having them end up in the most secure prison in the world makes sense. They're global criminals, they deserve to be here...and Buggy. Speaking of, three of the future four emperors acquire a new member(s) from Impel Down. Half of the major Blackbeard pirates are recruited here (we learn that later, we only really know Shiryu joins at the end of the arc while the others are name dropped). This is where Buggy and Baroque Works "team-up" to later form Cross Guild with Mihawk, and Luffy meets Jinbe who joins his crew later on.

On the topic of Luffy, do you think he's going to die by the end of the series? Or is he going to do a Gol D. Roger and learn that he's dying and turn himself in and start a new age of piracy? Maybe that's how the series will end...hmmm not a bad theory actually. Anywho, when Luffy's gear transformations get introduced we learn that they take a toll on his body and shorten his lifespan. When he gets an overdose of poison from Magellan, Ivankov uses ten years of Luffy's life to cure him. I didn't mean to make this into a theory post mid-review, but Oda may actually end the series with Luffy mirroring Roger's death. Legends are born after death.

Okay, back to why I brought this up in the first place, Bon Clay drags Luffy's dying body to level five. Yes, the reasoning is because he's looking for Ivankov who was last seen on this floor, but I think there's another layer to it. I believe this is Oda's way of saying that at his current state, Luffy would only be level five material. He's not at the point yet to be on the hidden sixth floor, not till after the time skip. Also a funny Pokemon reference, Luffy can't recruit Jinbe yet because his power level is too low and his new recruit wouldn't listen to his commands (this joke is for me). Jinbe is such a unique future recruit because he goes through his own character journey behind-the-scenes before actually joining. He's that character in the RPG you meet multiple times, doing their own main quest, before they finally join the party.

As a stand-alone arc, I think it's pretty good and quite solid. Looking back at it with all my future knowledge, this story hits even harder knowing how important this arc is for future character development. Cross Guild isn't randomly made, we see the groundwork laid out. We know how strong Blackbeard's crew is because we witnessed where they were recruited from. Future strawhat member shows how vital he will be to the group with his robust set of skills. And even in Hell, the flower of friendship blooms...okama way...~

TLDR; 3 out of 4 future Emporers go shopping for new recruits. Buggy looks for quantity, Blackbeard goes for quality, while Luffy finds someone who fits just right. Oh, and there's gonna be a War.

[whateverwords33]

Blue Prince, when red is no longer your color.

Spoilers

After beating the main objective of the game, I can see why people are calling this a game of the year contender. Roguelike genre is popular and this game does it with a twist. All the elements are there, just played out differently. Instead of health that decreases to death, you have a step counter that lowers until you're exhausted for the day. No random enemies to fight, just puzzles in rooms that need solving. You don't even have to solve every puzzle to finish the game, but you may want to if you want to understand the deeper lore within this world.

So I didn't open every safe to find every red letter and there's one permanent upgrade I never unlocked because I couldn't get the boiler room and laboratory together. I did make it to room 46, so I have rolled credits. Afterwards, I did look up guides and articles just to see what I did miss and if I was on the right track for some puzzles. To no surprise, I had the right ideas. For safes, I over thought the combinations and was right that the answers were technically in the rooms. Some might take some extra thinking power, but the answer is there.

Okay, let me breakdown how I was able to access room 46. I already had the pump room to lower the reservoir water down by one. You don't need the boiler room for this, but it would be easier if you can get that fountain water down as well. I could not. I did solve the four flame pedestal elevator problem earlier and the tomb puzzle with the secret passages. Including the one with the candles needing to be lit. Also the foundation basement puzzle secret entry. For me, this part was crucial because my manor floor plan was not successful. I had attempted to reach the antechamber, unlocking the great hall and the right doorway. Unfortunately, I was unable to connect to the foundation room, which was on my left side, and my rooms did not connect to the antechamber properly. I did however, have enough steps to go back outside and try from below. I go down the flame pedestal elevator and make my way past the gear puzzle to unlock the North door of the antechamber. All that was left was the hope that I could get there from the foundation room. With my access key in hand, I took the foundation basement elevator up and went to work. I luckily got a secret garden key, which I used to then unlock the right side of the antechamber. Made my way over and entered room 46.

I don't know if I plan to go back to unlock the other hidden secrets. I am satisfied knowing I could have solved the laboratory puzzle if my rooms aligned properly. I did most of the music sheet puzzle, and I do mean when you have to re-read them a second time. I just never got the workshop again near the end to see the final word and then go dig it up. I got most of the two painting puzzle, just stuck on the two upper right rooms, which turned out to be the word "we." I did have all the components to solve the cases, I found the clues in the book "A New Clue" but since I never finished the painting puzzle I didn't look into it more. I found one microchip in the vase before I realized what to do with it, and technically never knew since I didn't unlock that part myself. I was really close to solving all these puzzles, my rooms just were not aligned the way I would hope. So I don't mind stopping the game here, because I had the right ideas, I just need the time and luck to get them done. I'll probably watch some video essay about it months from now when someone has found all the hidden lore. The lore is interesting, there is an actual mystery going on in the background.

I'll leave my final thoughts saying, there is a significance that you are changing from the red prince to the blue prince. I think it has to do with the different countries since they all had a different color associated with them. Classroom and library books if you don't know. It's probably how you're now in charge of them as the new baron and blue is the new United color. Also a play on the word blueprints, but I'm sure you already knew that one from playing the game.

TLDR; you go from being the red prince to the blue prince, that's the secret.

[whateverwords33]

Theory

Marvel's upcoming Thunderbolts* movie has the asterisk because at the end of the movie it will be revealed that they're actually working for Hydra. Their name will then be revealed to be Hydra Force or something else Hydra related. This is a theory I had after watching the first trailer.

They just released the latest movie poster of all of them sitting around a table with their hand over an asterisk while Val is also present, hands to herself. This is because just like the Hydra logo, they are each a tentacle while she is the head.

Six lines for the asterisk, six tentacles.

[whateverwords33]

The Inugami Curse by Seishi Yokomizo, a phenomenal story.

Spoilers

What I enjoy from these books, this and The Honjin Murders, is how coincidence plays a factor. The ending explanation on how everything connected by chance, was marvelous. Even though it was all coincidence, the characters acted in ways that made sense. My early theory of Kiyo being Shizuma was correct, but how that actually worked out in the story was a surprise to me. I figured the real Kiyo played a role behind the scenes, but to that extent and the interactions that took place, were unexpected. His mother Matsuko being involved made sense to me with my Kiyo theory, but I first assumed just as a helper or assistant, not the other way around. At the end when she used different leaves, I knew what was going to happen...and to end the book on that? Phenomenal.

I was in such a meh mood earlier this week, but when I got to the final murder, I looked forward to my lunches (that's when I read the book). This is a series I highly recommend so far, and I plan to continue with The Village of Eight Graves.