Podigious! A satisfying, critically thoughtful podcast about Digimon

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Disclaimer: Podigious! briefly referenced my blog on one of their episodes which was awesome.  In critically reviewing this podcast, I’ll try to be as unbiased as possible.

Review Summary: Podigious! is a Digimon podcast which critically reviews the entire animated series, arc by arc, and analyzes various aspects of the show.  The hosts’ great chemistry and contrasting personalities liven a podcast that would otherwise be bogged down by its own geeky fandom.  Unfortunately, the fan feedback and Digimon news update that accompanies the beginning of each episode can drag on but luckily, you can easily skip that section and jump into the episode’s stronger portions of engaging debate.  If you cannot deal with people both positively and negatively critiquing Digimon then you should move on.  But if you can realize that not everything in our childhood was perfect then you’ll have a pleasant time listening to this “interesting” podcast.

Full Summary: I’ve listened to Podigious! for more than a year now but it wasn’t until the past few months that I have been able to (mostly) catch up to its latest episode.  I mainly listen to podcasts in the car and since I have done a lot of driving this summer and fall, I was able to burn through episodes rather quickly.  In doing so, I have become rather familiar to the show as if the hosts, Jeff, Ashley, Asher, and Andrew, were right there in the car with me, talking about Digimon while I silently listen to them.

Podigious! is everything I wanted in a nerdy podcast.  The hosts, particularly Jeff, the ringleader of the podcast, are very earnest in their love for Digimon and want to talk about Digimon simply because they can!  I like that.  What’s more, the episode-by-episode discussion of the Digimon anime series is great as you can jump into any podcast episode you want and listen to certain arcs without missing a beat.  I personally did this when I skipped the Devimon Arc and jumped right into the Etemon Arc and it worked just fine.

Of course, a good podcast needs good hosts and luckily, Podigious has them.

Three of the four hosts are very close to my age and in fact, they went to high school the same year I did as well (and the only reason why I know this is that they talked about when Harry Potter 7 came out in one of their episodes).  Because of their age, I highly, highly, identify them as they have the same Digimon nostalgia factor that affected me as well for these past 15 years.  And that actually plays into a big part of their show as they are critically evaluating the show and trying their best not to have nostalgia cloud their reviewing senses.  Sometimes, they’ll even mention how a particular scene has stuck with them for all these years and their reaction to that same scene may now be different due to a more adult perspective on it.

And it basically works.  The hosts point out certain inconsistencies or problems with the show and offer suggestions on how they could have improved the scene and the plot.  A few that stood out to me was the use of prophecies in season 1, how Yolei should have gotten the Digiegg of Knowledge and Cody should have gotten the Digiegg of Love (mind blown btw), and why in God’s name did Tai give Davis’ his goggles and not Kari or T.K.?  These inconsistencies are great as they point out what could have been on a show that surprisingly stuck to certain tropes passionately.

I don’t know what Jeff looks like so here’s Donald Duck from Kingdom Hearts. Image from http://kingdomhearts.wikia.com/wiki/Gallery:Donald_Duck

Of the four hosts, Jeff is probably the one I identify with most and represents the hardcore nerd in a fandom. Jeff is the like the heart of the show as he edits the episodes, he’s in charge of the discussion topics, and he talks, a lot.  Which is unfortunate as he dominates the conversations, especially in the podcast’s early episodes.  Sometimes, he would go on and on for a particular topic, such as, and especially, real life geography, and the other hosts would only respond minimally.  Luckily, the other hosts have found their voice and have been participating more and more in the episodes which is great.  Jeff has certainly relaxed as the series progressed as he used to be a little more uptight but now he’s kind of taking it more easy for the discussion topics and the “Follow Up” portions of the show.  Also, he should get a Word of the Day calendar.

Again, I don’t know what Ashley looks like so here’s Riley from Inside Out. Image from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3suT-csNs9U

Ashley represents the casual fan of a franchise and let me say, it’s nice to hear her be so verbally confused about certain aspects of Digimon as it sometimes takes a sane person to point out the rather weird and contrived world of Digimon.  She’s definitely been more vocal as the series progressed and it’s nice as she points out the gender B.S. that Digimon portrays.  It’s also funny how she can be just so fed up with Digimon at times, especially towards Kari.  Her playful frustrations towards Jeff also add a light touch to a show that can be bogged down at times by its own geekery.

You get the drill, how about Joe and Gomamon? Image from http://hero.wikia.com/wiki/File:JOE_Kido_%26_Gomamon_(ADVENTURE_51).jpg

Asher represents the shipping fan of a franchise and he is just like Ashley in that he points out Digimon’s gender B.S.  Asher also found his voice fairly early on and, again, like Ashley, talked more as the podcast progressed.  It’s always nice to hear Asher tear down Jeff’s nostalgia-filled world and make Jeff verbally uncomfortable with the stark, and let’s face it, unfair, reality Digimon has towards boys vs. girls.  From what I heard, Asher is the favorite host of the four and I believe it (he’s my favorite too).  Asher’s grounded, and sometimes apathetic, nature, contrasts nicely with Jeff’s enthusiastic and almost intense personality.  Jeff would have notes upon notes detailing certain aspects of an episode and then he would ask Asher what he thought about the episode/topic and Asher would respond that he didn’t write anything down (lol).  His shipping knowledge is very humorous as he would gush over scenes involving Davis/Ken or Matt/Tai.  I know appreciate Davis/Ken pairing more thanks to him.

Gundam! Okay, I’m done. Image from https://sddude.wordpress.com/tag/sd-gundam/page/3/

Unfortunately, Andrew, Asher’s brother, is the weakest of the four hosts.  Briefly mentioned in the podcast’s season 1, he became a part-time host in season 2 and unfortunately, he does not add a lot to the other hosts’ great chemistry.  It seems to me that Andrew barely mentions anything, even when compared to Ashley and Asher’s initially reserved nature, and does not fully pay attention to the conversation at hand.  I wouldn’t mind it as much if he had anything worthwhile to say but a lot of times he would just react awkwardly to the other hosts’ sometimes personal interactions or he would mildly insult Jeff and his nerdy nature.  He is kind of…stiff I want to say?  It doesn’t bode well with the more playful side of this show.  I shouldn’t be too hard on him though as a lot of times, he can contribute to the conversation by incorporating his Japanese and anime knowledge.  His status as a hardcore nerd can match Jeff’s knowledge which is nice that it’s not just Jeff talking in-depth about some esoteric thing about Digimon.

The weakest portion of the show is by far the aforementioned “Follow Up” which is Jeff and Ashely responding to reviewer feedback and questions, talking about Digimon news, and revealing who won the Ridiculous Dialogue Draft (RDD).  This section is at the beginning of almost every episode and man does it drag ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon.  This is the part of the episode that I usually let my mind wander.  And, truth be told, the Digimon news update kind of hurts the “timelessness” of the show as the main portion of the podcast episodes focuses on things that happened 15 years ago while the news update tells us things that we already know by now.  Sometimes, this scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail would play in my head during the Follow Up:

I shouldn’t be too hard on the Follow Up though as you can skip it easily.  It kind of begs the question why I even listen to it in the first place.  Good Question.

…

I have no reasonable answer.  Maybe I just like hearing Ashley and Jeff talk (it does get lonely in the car at times when you’ve been driving 4+ hours by yourself).  Although, I have to say that it’s nice to hear Jeff and Ashley go out of their way to respond to reviewer feedback and respond to questions viewers may have about the previous episode’s content.

If the Follow Up is the weakest portion then by far the strongest is the RDD that is at the end of every episode and I love it.  God, listening to how…ridiculous…the DUB could be is amazing although I wish they threw in the occasional “touching” line since there can be a few in the show.  Maybe they’ll throw some in when they get into the heart of season 3 cause man, that season is an emotional roller coaster.  Anyway, I appreciate Jeff editing in the original lines of the show and give us the full (no) context it deserves.

The gender studies portion of the show is perhaps the most (in)famous section of the podcast.  Here, emotions can run a little high as the hosts break down Digimon’s less appealing gender aspects.  Ashley, and in particular Asher, go at the show strongly and tear it apart while at the same time offering constructive criticism on how the show could have made it better.  Although the hosts dominantly talk about the role women have on the show, they do occasionally focus on the guys and the show’s conservative take on what it means to be a man.  I admit, I was at first frustrated at listening to Asher and Ashley criticize one of my favorite childhood animated shows but I soon could not help admit that a lot of Digimon’s take on gender is indeed, Bullshit.  It definitely makes the podcast not just a simple fan gushing and instead, treats it like an actual show that has its flaws.  In general, I just love how Asher is so unapologetic about her opinions and it sharply contrasts Jeff’s desire to try and offend the least amount of people as possible.

Also, and on a side note, the hosts sometimes talk about the Legend of Korra and other cartoon shows during the gender segment which is nice as Korra is particularly strong when it comes to gender representation.  One show that they have surprisingly left out of the conversation is Steven Universe and it got to the point that I finally tweeted them and asked if they had seen the show.  I am relieved that they have (that show is great in all aspects of animation, plot, and, of course, gender representation).

This is actually a nice segue to my last point about the podcast in that the hosts are very responsive (well, Jeff is at least, Asher just doesn’t give a shit) to fan feedback.  It actually makes up a large portion of the Follow Up.  Jeff and Ashley respond to feedback whether it’s on twitter, reddit, or itunes.  I like how they bring up critical feedback and admit when they are wrong.  It’s nice for creators, of any kind, to respond to both negative and positive feedback and it shows they are not afraid to change things up and try to constantly improve the show.

As for the future of the show, I’ll definitely continue listen to them for their Tri and Tamers segments but after that, it’s hard to say as I really don’t like Digimon Season 4.  Regardless, Tamers is, and will be, fun to listen to as it’s Jeff’s favorite season and it has a super crazy plot that is neatly combined with its more mature vibe.  I’m hoping for more endless driving so I can become reacquainted with them once again.

Oh yeah, and I’m looking forward to this scene.

How “Fringe” can Hint to the Future of “Steven Universe”

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Two shows. One is a live-action, cult hit, drama-oriented show starring three protagonists and their adventures into the slightly strange along with the occasional drug trip. The second is an ongoing, animated show starring a boy, his three alien mentors, and their adventures in the fantastical along with the occasional song. These two shows, Fringe and Steven Universe, are so different from each other that making parallels or comparisons between the two would be difficult if not nonsensical.

Yet both of them have a strong focus on parenting and in particular, Fringe deals with fatherhood while Steven Universe concentrations on motherhood. I want to dive in to how both of these shows deal with their respective parent and discuss if the now ended Fringe can tell us the future of the still ongoing Steven Universe.

Image from http://teachmix.com/emagination/content/playlist-0

Let’s start with Fringe. Fringe’s attitude and theme towards fatherhood is at first quite subtle. Our main source is Peter and his dad Walter who are two of the three main protagonists of the show. Season One focused greatly on Peter and Walter amending their very rocky relationship which culminated to Peter finding a newfound love and respect for Walter. As the series progressed, new fatherly relationships are expanded on such as Astrid Figglesworth’s uneasy relationship with her dad and Olivia being abused by her step-father when she was a child. The big kicker though comes in the reveal that Peter is from an alternate universe and Walter kidnapped him when he was a child when his Peter died. This catalyzed most of the series’ events including one of the show’s main antagonists, Walternate, or the Walter from the alternate universe, and his quest to get his son back. Super trippy and balls awesome, yes, but it does highlight the lengths both Walters had to go through in order to save their son. Fatherhood was ratcheted up a notch in the final season (and this was when my roommate and I noticed its prevalence) when Peter went to great lengths to avenge his daughter’s death and September was willing to sacrifice his life for his son Michael. It was also the season where Walter sacrificed his life for his son Peter in a very bittersweet ending. This article does a great job summarizing Peter and Water’s relationship and I highly suggest you read it if you are a Fringe fan.

Image from http://steven-universe.wikia.com/wiki/Rose_Quartz

Steven Universe’s themes of motherhood are starkly more apparent than Fringe’s initial dip into fatherhood. First off, Steven basically has three moms and a dad that we only see every four episodes or so. Steven’s own mom also gave up her existence to bare her child and to symbolize her love for Steven’s dad, Greg. Season 2 has also been giving us a lot of great mom episodes involving Connie’s mom, Sadie’s mom, and, of all people, Onion’s mom. Already, we have seen themes of nurturing (Onion’s mom), protection (Connie’s mom), and encouragement (Sadie’s mom) that make up a big part of motherhood. I wouldn’t be surprised if we get more mom episodes in the future from other supporting characters along with a more detailed look at Steven’s mom, Rose Quartz, and her love for Greg.

Okay, so is there a connection between these two, vastly different shows’ approach towards parenthood? Well, there is but both of them handle it differently.   Boiling down plot elements to their purest form, we see a strong sense of sacrifice from both mothers and fathers. As mentioned before, the fathers in Fringe go to great lengths to avenge, protect, or preserve their offspring from harm no matter what the costs. In Steven Universe, Rose Quartz sacrificed her life to bare Steven while the Crystal Gems defend and protect Steven even if they are harmed during the process.

Now granted, Steven Universe is still an ongoing and continuously evolving show so we have yet to witness the full potential of it. This idea of sacrifice may play out more or there may be other themes of motherhood that would be touched on instead (like the aforementioned nurturing, encouragement, and protection). Nonetheless, Fringe could give us a clue into the future of Steven Universe, a future where things aren’t as rosy as they currently are.

As situations will likely become dire, we should expect the characters on Steven Universe to make tough decisions that would ultimately change the current standing of the show. This show is not afraid to challenge familiar tropes and the status quo. Other Cartoon Network shows, mainly Adventure Time and somewhat Regular Show, have done the same thing to their setting and characters and it’s not surprising that Steven Universe is already doing it despite its still young lifespan. Likewise, Fringe is similar in to Steven Universe due to its plot setup, its embracement of the untypical trope situations, and how every season is unique due to dire changes that happened at the end of the previous season. What I’m saying is that Steven Universe is changing and will continue to surprise us in ways we won’t expect, the days of status quo continuity, as seen in Powerpuff Girls, Dexter’s Laboratory, and Ed, Edd, and Eddy, are long and forgotten.

Image from http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/fringe-observers/images/31145815/title/observers-33-fanart

First off, if we were to be directly inspired by Fringe, there might be a global invasion of Homeworld Gems. If the Cluster, whatever that is, does not work out. Yellow Diamond may take it upon herself to call a massive invasion onto Earth, and establish a matriarchy on the planet. Steven’s home could be destroyed, his city would be forced into curfew, and Homeworld Soldiers would patrol the streets looking for him and the Crystal Gems. This happened in the final season of Fringe when the Observers took over the protagonists’ universe and basically established a fascist patriarchy. This comparison between the Observers and the Homeworld Gems is not farfetched as they are characterized by their mysterious nature, their power, and their preference towards one particular gender. Both forces were hinted at since near the beginning of their respective shows and we’re only given teases and glimpses into their world as their series continued. And now, it will only be a matter of time before the Homeworld Gems make their true, and world-shattering entrance.

As fan theories go, this one is kind of out there so if you were looking for something easier to swallow I present you with this. Fringe’s final season was intense with emotion, action, and payoff. Steven Universe will likely emulate this on both the positive and negative notes. If sacrifice does come into play in the show’s final moments, we will likely see some of our favorite characters pass away (and not just reborn) for the protection and preservation of Steven.

While Fatherhood, both in Fringe and in general, may be categorized by bravery, morality, and wisdom and Motherhood may be categorized by the aforementioned nurturing, protection, and encouragement, both are ultimately link in self-sacrifice. What lengths would any good Father or Mother go to in order to preserve their child? Fringe knows this and embraces this. Steven Universe will likely go the same path. Pearl loves Rose Quartz and her child Steven. Pearl has sacrificed herself so many times in order to protect Rose. Whose to say that she won’t do it again but this time, end her life permanently by doing so? What effect will this have on Steven’s psyche when that time comes?

Perhaps Steven will become hardened by his loss and take on the role of both a father and a mother figure to the rest of his family and friends. We saw a glimpse of this in the premiere of season 2 when he tried to shut Connie away from his troubles. He wants to protect those he love. If a true tragic loss were to occur, he may go more extreme than this and take on a role similar to Peter when his daughter died in the final Fringe season. If that were to occur, he’ll need Connie, similar to Peter’s significant other Olivia, to pull him back and embrace his true humanity, once again.

This could work: Star Wars KotoR and One Piece mash up

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Surprisingly, I played Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic for the first time this year after some pressure from my friends and Mary. Despite a few buggy issues, the game was marvelous (even if I was spoiled). The characters are funny, complex, and memorable, and the combat system is neat with a diverse range of upgrade options. This game has convinced me to try out the Mass Effect games sometime in the future as not only does the same company make them but they also have been highly praised as well.

Now with that said, wouldn’t it be cool if there was a KotoR-style game in the One Piece universe? Imagine it, you are a captain of a pirate crew and you travel the world of One Piece while recruiting members, fighting the marines, and establishing yourself as King of the Pirates! Now, you could do a game following the Straw Hat Pirate crew but that can be limiting in terms of story and character development (plus the story is not even done yet). Instead, this game should follow KotoR’s path and establish itself far in the past, free from all the restrictions of Luffy and his crew’s main storyline.

Of course, the immediately clear benefit of this is that all the Devil Fruits are ripe for the eating! All the Paramecian, Zoan, and Logian fruits would be available for yourself, your crew, and the variety of enemies you can fight! Maybe at the beginning of the game, while you are designing your character, gender, and so forth, you can choose (or Hell just forego completely!) a certain selection of Devil Fruits for your captain-to-be. Afterwards, you can name your ship, your crew name, and the design of your flag.

After you pick your character and his fighting style, you can then recruit characters as you sail the four seas and the Grand Line. Maybe certain characters would want to be a great brawler, swordsman, or sniper. As they level up, put skill points on the variety of fighting styles to improve their profession.

Leveling up would also give you noncombat skill points for carpeting, navigation, cooking, music playing, and first-aid. Navigation I think would be especially important as every crew needs a good navigator to get through the seas with their wild and crazy storms. Certain islands would need a navigation skill level, and of course the required log post, in order to reach them. Especially high would be islands in the New World. Likewise, carpeting can improve your ship’s sailing and battling capabilities as well as needed repairs. Carpeting could also improve your ship’s accessibility to treacherous waters that would otherwise capsize or demolish it. Cooking would give you handy healing and morale-boosting items that would otherwise be unavailable during the game while first-aid training would serve as your standard “Healer” role in RPGs. As for musician training, you can do your standard morale-boosting spells but also incorporate music into your attacks, that would be great!

YOHOHOHOHOHOHO

Now your crew members, I think, should already be their own characters in the same vein as Mass Effect and KotoR. They were what made KotoR so great, all the great characters like HK-47 and Jolee really made the game fun to play. Likewise, having kooky characters with a variety of personalities or traits would bestow a real charm to your crew (plus the bickering would be quite amusing).

One important aspect of KotoR that would also be incorporated into this One Piece game would be the moral decision making. Do you choose to be honorable pirates or pirates that do whatever the hell they want or pirates who burn, pillage, and kill anyone and anything in its path? One Piece has certainly given us a variety of pirate crews that vary considerably on this sliding scale of morality. Key scenes such as whether or not to kill some captive marines, stealing a poor town’s treasure, or a simple good deed can reflect your popularity (and notoriety) with citizens, the marines, and other pirate crews. The same could be said with your actions whether it’s finding a little girl’s mom or toppling an island’s ruthless dictatorship. This would be very similar to Red Dead Redemption’s morality and popularity scales.

Speaking of which, bounties in the game can be interesting as depending on your actions, yours and your crew’s bounties could increase over time. The marines are very bias (and corrupt) though so certain actions, like sinking a marine ship, could raise your bounty faster than stealing a town’s gold. I can only imagine how that will affect your performance during the game as what would happen if you got caught or lost a battle? Maybe it will reset to your last save point but I haven’t come up a good way in handling bounties yet in this One Piece RPG.

Image from https://otakuorbit.wordpress.com/tag/grand-fleet/

Something that also could be incorporated into the game is having your own fleet. Once you achieve a certain amount of popularity, you could recruit other pirate crews to be your division commanders and that would be AWESOME. Having a fleet means you can storm guarded bases like Impel Down or Enies Lobby or even topple an entire country! You could have an army of ships, ready at your beck and call and take down any pirate crews who stand in your way!

There are still other potential ideas that I have untouched like bounty hunting, ship customization, and haki training. Aaaaaah. Just writing this article makes me so excited even though this game doesn’t exist. This game should be made, I would play the hell out of it!

Fossil Butte Article for National Fossil Day

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Hello everyone, it’s been awhile since my last update but I figure I’ll show you what I’ve been up to.  My assignment here at Fossil Butte National Monument was to write an article about this place for National Fossil Day.  This year, every month, a Cenozoic park is featured on the National Park Service website.  September is Fossil Butte’s month and I wrote the article for it!  Check it out!

https://nature.nps.gov/geology/nationalfossilday/cenozoic_fobu.cfm

Consider this my usual Monday update.  I’ve been busy in the meanwhile working at FOBU doing the standard stuff I mentioned before such as manning the front desk and preparing fossils.  It’s still been fun here and I’ve been enjoying working with my colleagues.  I’ve also been writing some articles for the blog in the future so stay tuned for that.  Until next time!

The Lake’s Shore

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The Sun rises upon the Lake’s shore
The Sun settles upon the Butte’s face

Animals stir from their slumber
Now they can seek cool relief

Fish chew on the spongy algae
Rabbits munch on the lush sage brush

The boa sleeps on the tree tops
The garter slithers by the roots

Trees wave gently from the Lake’s shore
The grass waves back

Bats stalk silently overhead
Badgers dig diligently below

A horse browses the dense underbrush
A deer grazes the sparse grasslands

Lunge, lunge, the crocodile snaps at its prey
Pounce, pounce, the lion tackles its prey

Stocky birds walk the muddy lake’s shore
The sage grouse hide beneath their namesake

Schooling fish scatter from a slight disturbance
The lone prairie dog stands alert from foes

Over the landscape loom palm fronds, they see all
In the hillside huddle aspen groves, they see few

Blue, smothered with green and unknown colors
Brown, blended with green and freckled with flowers

Larger, wetter, call her Begetter
Smaller, drier, call her Harbor

I see it now

A gar swims through the tall grass
And a turtle wades through the dry ground

A chipmunk rests on a lotus leaf
And a pronghorn laps at the lifegiver

Are they one and the same?
This butte that towers over its dry land
And this lake that rests at its bottom

The animals and plants
From two different times
From two different habitats
Yet share the same landscape

They may be dead but they’re still alive
The Begetter may be gone
But the Harbor remembers
She holds tight to what is once was
And reveals to those who only look

I only have to peer outside
And experience their lives implied

The Sun may be setting on the Lake’s shore
But the Sun is rising on the Butte’s face

Stand upon thee

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Stand upon thee o great Butte!

This land I see is a mixture of hills with painted strokes upon their flanks and ark pine trees dotting the palate

The only thing above you are clouds who even they and their shadows are small enough to be seen

Their shadows creep along the landscape like an amorphous amoeba, covering everything in its path

I shout, but no one can hear as the wind overbears my voice and drown it in the hillside

Below me is a hidden trove of fossils who lurk in anticipation to be discovered

They do not mind me walking on them as rock and rock and rock has already smothered them

The grass is sparse but the stones are free from all trampling temptation

Burnt lichen cover them in hopes of a passing rain cloud

I am only me up here-the deer just leave prints, the ants do not march, the birds do not fly, and the rabbits just hide from their blazing oppressor

Still, I am just me up here, sitting and thinking, thinking.

How on Earth do I get down?

Ghost Fish

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Ghost fish Ghost fish

Tee dum Tee dum

Trapped in the purple Hillza

beNeath the grassHoppers Trillza

Ghost fish Ghost fish

Bazaw Bazaw

Backbone Missing

Ostracods Twistings

Ghost fish Ghost fish

Bazaw Bazaw

Living PostParaDise

Nothing’s here Nothing nice

Ghost fish Ghost fish

Tee dum Tee dum

Dismal Life-like

Salty Bleak-life

Ghost fish Ghost fish

Chip chip Chip chip

Stare Right with the Whita

Stare Back with the Blacka.

Ghost fish Ghost fish

Tee dum Tee dum

Ghost fish Ghost fish

Chip chip Chip chip

Chip

chip

What ABC did right (and what they should improve) on Battlebots

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The ABC Battlebots’ season may be over but the good news is that a new season has been renewed for the following year! ABC has done several major changes to the franchise while still keeping true to the series’ roots. Many of these changes were surprisingly for the better and should definitely be kept for next season. Let’s take a look at the good changes and what more could be done to push this robotic sport to new heights.

Image from battlebots.com

Things I want to see again in Season 2

Filler Time-One of the most critical cries I’ve been reading a lot of on Reddit is the amount of filler present in all six episodes. The general consensus is that there is too much filler and there should be more screen time on the battles. I disagree as the filler gives us a great look into the builders and their robot. One of ABC’s main focus points was how diverse the builders were whether it was their home state/country, their occupation/background, their age, and their gender. It gives us a real anyone-can-build-a-robot attitude. And in the later episodes, we got to explore the builder’s floor and look at what kind of damage the robot sustained and how the builders were planning to fix them. Very cool. The show’s creators even said they want to get more technical next season and not dumb down the material for the audience, I can definitely appreciate that.

Bracket Tournament-Battlebots has done brackets before but never to this degree of detail. At best, we would only see the quarter final and beyond match ups and that doesn’t happen very often. ABC’s bracket gives us a real March Madness-style gameplay and we can get hype for the following episodes and predict, such as yours truly, who would win and who would lose. I loved it.

Veterans and Newcomers-The show’s creators specifically stated they would like to expand the Battlebots pool and have more people participate along with more episodes. This season was great as not only did we get to see new robots of various types but we got to see veteran robots and veteran builders. Nightmare and Warhead, Team Whyachi and Team Dissector, these are veterans that people should fear. Let’s get more of both for next season!

Things that could be improve for Season 2

Image from abc.com

The Seeding-I have so many questions about the seeding. How was it determined? How were the pre-battle stats determined? Why were some robots ranked higher than others? I feel like this should be elaborated on greatly, especially the pre-battle stats. The announcers always looked at these stats before each match up and every time they do I’m left wondering how they were set up. The stats also seemed very…uneven such as when you have Witch Doctor’s weapon stat of a 91 compared to Tombstone’s 100. Hm, I dunno, I would like some elaboration on all of this.

The Wildcard-Wildcard was a great addition to the series as it brought back robots we liked but have fallen. This should be kept again next season as it can bring a great series of redemption battles like Witch Doctor and Overhaul. However, again, like the seeding, there should be some elaboration why some robots were selected and others weren’t. Many of us were surprised that Nightmare didn’t make the cut despite him being fully functional while the so-so Warhead got a pass.

The Battlebox-Screws were surprisingly effective at KOing opponents while the saws buzzed away at their normal speed. But the launch boards, or whatever the hell they are, were barely used and one time got one of the competitors stuck underneath them. Point is, get rid of them. Also, the Pulverizers, although awesome, didn’t seem to dent the robots. Add some weight to those suckers and they’ll be as threatening as they should be!

The Announcers-Eh, they were warming up to me near the end but they still seemed so stiff or fake. I generally believe they’re nice people but they seem kind of out of place. Truth be told, I want to see more of the Builder’s Arena interviewers as they seem dorkyly cool. But in the end, at least they’re not as annoying as the original CC hosts!

Judges’ Decision-In one of the few instances that ABC made a step back in, we didn’t get to see the final judges’ score for the three-minute battles. This was especially needed for that close Overhaul vs. Biteforce battle. How did the judge’s decide Biteforce won that battle? I really want to know!

Battlebot Diversity-Although it is ultimately the builders’ decision to decide what to build, I read that the showrunners picked which robots to showcase in this season of battlebots. This season can be summed up with horizontal spinners and clamp bots, we need to see more lift/launch bots, vertical spinners, full body spinners, rammers, and yes, even wedges. There’s a definite rock/paper/scissors aspect to Battlebots and we need to see that in action.

Things that really need to change for Season 2

SHOW ALL THE BATTLES-Seriously, this is in all caps how badly this needs to change. It was a super bummer that we didn’t get to see the qualifying battles for quite a few of these robots. Stinger, Hypershock, Overdrive, I really wanted to see their battles! Especially for Stinger! Granted, this is probably because they had limited episodes but why cut the Stinger fight?? That looked so good in the preview clips!

THE BOX IS LOCKED, THE LIGHTS ARE ON, IT’S ROBOT FIGHTING TIME-Enough said, bring this back.

Reaction to Battlebots Episode 6

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ABC has delivered a satisfying conclusion to this season of Battlebots.  An awesome semi-final match, a close final match, and a surprise rumble match ended the season on a high note.  Let’s dig in and talk about these matches!

Bronco vs. Tombstone

Kenny Florian was right, if you want to beat Tombstone you have to be aggressive and Bronco was not aggressive.  True, lining up your shot at the corner made Tombstone come to Bronco but Tombstone was still spinning that ferocious blade of his at full speed.  Even if Bronco landed a good shot, he would have gotten hurt badly.  Still though, this fight was pretty good and seeing Tombstone get flipped around out there along with Bronco was great.  Even though I predicted Bronco winning the match, I find it funny how I still predicted that Bronco could lose by Tombstone peeling away his wheel armor and then disabling one of his wheels and that’s exactly what happened.  Tough luck for Bronco but hopefully he’ll be back for the next season!

Biteforce vs. Ghost Raptor

Ghost Raptor’s ingenuity finally couldn’t save him and I’m not surprise that he lost here.  GR was made to be a horizontal spinner, not a lift bot.  He did not have the traction needed to push Biteforce around like he could with Icewave.  I admire GR’s builders though in coming up with strategies in fighting off Biteforce but they were ultimately futile.  Biteforce got an easy win that gave him a moment of relaxation before going on to the final match.

Robot Rumble

I’m sad that there weren’t more robots involved in the match like Stinger, Plan X, or Icewave but I still appreciate this nice tussle between three formidable opponents.  I also like how none of them have fought each other yet in the ring so it gave us a fresh match with fighters we thought were long gone.  I have to say though, I found it both hilarious and sad how WD just ended up being pounded by the Pulverizer while her minibot was doing its damnest to flip her over, better luck next time there….But I’m happy that Nightmare got a good win and gave Overhaul a nice uppercut to his jaw, that was satisfying.

Tombstone vs. Biteforce

Be aggressive, be aggressive, be aggressive.  Sure, Biteforce may no longer be the clamp bot that it once was but you can’t argue with that strategy.  Charge, charge, charge.  You have to admit at first, I thought Biteforce got it but then it became a little close near the end when Biteforce struggled to move and Tombstone was pushing him around.  Regardless, Biteforce eked out a win against the most formidable bot in the entire competition and take home the giant nut.  Biteforce will go down in Battlebots history as the winner of Season 6, sharing the mantle with other Battlebot legends like Hazard, Biohazard, Ziggo, and Dissector.

 

Sorry for the short article but I’ll be back next week when I look back at this season of Battlebots, how was it, what could be improved upon, and more! (Spoiler alert, this season was awesome!)

Predictions for Battlebots Episode 6

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Tonight’s final Battlebots episode will have a hard time surpassing last week’s episode in terms of grandeur and setting. What’s more, with only three battles instead of the usual four, tonight’s episode will be unfortunately not-up-to-par unless ABC has a special trick up its sleeve that we do not know of yet. Nevertheless, we are guaranteed at least one good battle that will decide who will take home the giant nut. Of course, I’m talking about…

Image from http://battlebots.com/robot/bronco/

Bronco vs. Tombstone-Bronco wins by KO in two minutes

This semifinal match is going to be amazing considering both bots are now the highest seeds left in the tournament, have delivered some awesome KOs, and have both shown to be not fully invincible. A flipper vs. a spinner is a classic match up in Battlebots history as both kinds of bots are effective in delivering the KOs and bringing home the nut. They seem like archenemies in a way, like Montagues and Capulets, and Germany and France.

For this match, I give it to Bronco who has armor covering his vulnerable wheels from Tombstone and a simple extension on the flipping arm will allow Bronco to get under Tombstone and deliver a mighty flip. A few flips into the hazards, and maybe outside of the arena, will bring home the win needed for Bronco.

For Tombstone to win, he needs to be cautious, go around Bronco and not from the front. The wheels are where its at as one good hit can take care of the armor, which looks fragile to me, and another can incapacitate the wheels. However, I believe Bronco will be too quick for Tombstone and be able to toss him around like a ragdoll. Either way, this is the match to watch because not matter who wins here, I’m willing to bet they will win the nut.

Image from http://battlebots.com/robot/bite-force/

Biteforce vs. Ghost Raptor-Biteforce Wins by Judges Decision

Biteforce and Ghost Raptor’s road to the Final Four has been tough on the both of them but they have shown they are able to win their battles no matter what. Ghost Raptor has shown that ingenuity can save the day while Biteforce has shown that control will rake in the victories. Two different strategies will now come to this interesting battle. Biteforce, I think, has the better chance of winning because of his magnetic treads, his nice clamping arm, and great driving skills. It might be difficult to get under Ghost Raptor or control him but I think Ghost Raptor won’t be able to push back Biteforce and his strong traction. Ghost Raptor’s original forte of a horizontal spinner is gone leaving GR a mere figment of what he once was. He can’t push Biteforce around, he can try, but I doubt he will succeed. Biteforce will control the match and go on to the final four to meet Bronco.

Image from http://battlebots.com/robot/bronco/

Bronco vs. Biteforce-Bronco wins by KO in two minutes

As said before, no matter who wins the Tombstone/Bronco match, they will win the final round and bring home the nut. Tombstone can destroy Biteforce easily and, unless GR has another trick up its sleeve, will also finish off GR. But Bronco has that amazing flipping arm and he is also a big bot. I can’t really imagine Biteforce lifting up and taking Bronco for a ride because of how awkwardly big he is. Bronco will put in a few good flips, leave Biteforce incapacitated and take home the nut.

 

Now, as much as I would like to say that tonight’s matches will be predictable. I have been wrong many times before, so it’s safe to say that at least one of the three battles will not go as expected tonight and if that’s the case, I won’t be disappointed because it wouldn’t be Battlebots without a little excitement, can’t wait for tonight!