It's the beginning of September at the time of writing, and I have no idea what I want to talk about. Im starting to think September is a curse month for me because I remember struggling with writer's block around this time last year too.
Part of it is that I don't have the mental capacity to do some of the ideas stewing in my head at the moment. And then, I thought of my Velma blog entry and realize what the direction of this entry is going.
The initial idea was to revisit the Star Wars sequel trilogy as Force Awakens celebrates its tenth anniversary later this year. I haven't seen those movies since they came out, and they have accrued a rather notable hate following since their release. And honestly, I never quite understood the vitriol. I will agree the sequel trilogy has problems, and they are certainly a case study in how not to prepare a trilogy. But in terms of quality, I don't think any of them are even close to being as bad as the prequels which have gotten almost the inverse reaction as it gets reevaluated by fans who grew up with it. The worst thing you can say about the Disney era Star Wars films are that they're boring.
I feel this is in large part to how large and diverse the Star Wars fan base is. The franchise has been around since the 70s. It's one of the oldest movie franchises that's still getting entries. The fanbase is literally generations old. And with generations, there comes VERY different sensibilities.
To me, Star Wars is first and foremost a movie series. Before it was this nerd religion, merch slop, or whatever association you make with Star Wars, it was just a really popular movie. And so to me, the series has always been something with more bad entries than great ones. It explains why I'm more indifferent to the new trilogy than hate them. Despite their flaws, they are better made than the prequels. They don't have green sets for every little scene. The cinematography aren't lazy shot reverse shots. There are so many problems that the prequels have that the new trilogy simply doesn't. I don't see how the hate for the new trilogy could be this intense while the prequels are walking free as if they don't have some of the most glaring problems Ive seen in a movie.
Granted, those sentiments could change in a rewatch, but that's the thing. How would I react to a rewatch? Chances are, I wouldn't have much to say about them at all, and I would be wasting my time. I have a Schodingers box where Im in limbo with the sequel trilogy. And honestly, Im comfortable with that at the moment. And frankly, the most interesting thing about Star Wars right now is the culture surrounding it. Well that and Andor, but that's a different topic entirely.
Of course, I will hunker down and watch them eventually. But if you don't see a sequel trilogy review, then yeah this section is about the extent I have to say about them.
Moving on, I guess this entry is going to be things that are having major anniversaries. The problem is that I just now realize the things I wanted to talk about had their milestone anniversary LAST year.
Like Kawai Complex which is now 11 years old. And normally, I don't feel my age when I hear a thing that was once very new to me suddenly turn into something that's older than most grade schoolers. But man, realizing this show is now 11 years old greyed my hair a little.
Anyway, for those who haven't heard of this show until now, this is one of my favorite anime. In fact, it was at one point my all time favorite until School Rumble displaced it. It's a very special show for me. It's the show that got me into anime, and it's one of my go-tos when I need a comfort watch. I even made a video essay on it back in the day.
I rewatched the show very recently since it's been a year or two since I watched it. And spoilers, it is still the greatest thing ever. I honestly don't have much to say on it that I haven't already said in that video essay. And if you watch my video essay, (first off sorry for the bad narration), but my thoughts are basically the same in 2016 as they are now, with one exception.
Kawai Complex had the tragic case of not getting a continuation. And while the manga would go on to properly finish, none of that will get the visual upgrade the anime provides. And for a while, that really bothered me, as expected if you are a fan of something that's canceled after one season.
But now, as a now greyed hair adult, Im honestly content with Kawai Complex only having one season.
The later chapters of the story don't quite live up to the first season. They're still solid, and there are a handful of plots I would have loved to see adapted, but it wouldn't be as phenomenal as the first season.
It's a case of quality over quantity. Kawai Complex is 12 episodes of near perfection. A second or even third season would bloat that even if they were decent. It would lose the comfort quality if I had to sit through 30+ episodes to get a complete story. It's brevity has overtime become a strength for me.
It's the lack of brevity that I love and somewhat hate about Persona 5. Persona 5 had a personal anniversary for me as it's been 5 years (in 2024; curse being off by a year again) since I started my first play through. Normally, people don't remember the exact year they played a game for the first time even if its for their favorite titles. The only reason I remember Persona 5 is because it was the last game I played as a student. I was in cap and gown for college graduation, and all I can think about during the ceremony was I rather be playing Persona 5.
It's strange, because Persona 5 is the only game I have this kind of relationship with. A game where I can pinpoint where I was at the time when I was playing it. Last year was also my tenth anniversary of my high school graduation, and I don't remember what the fuck I was playing at the time. Last year was also the tenth anniversary of discovering my asexuality. Do I remember what I played then? Nope!
But the reason why Persona 5 stayed in my memory is simple. It was long as fuck.
I don't typically play long games even during the days when I was a student with more free time on my hands. A game as long as Persona 5 is not something I normally play.
It took me a number of months to finish Persona 5 and was the background to an era of my life coming to an end and the beginning of another. There's a relationship I developed with Persona 5. It's not a game that's peak for me in terms of gameplay and story, but it's more special simply for being there during that pivotal time.
There are a lot of frustrations I have with long form media. There is an avalanche of media that exists in the world. I want to experience as much of it as I can, and I will never realistically experience all of it. It's frustrating then to see a piece of media that in order to experience it fully requires hundreds if not thousands of hours. It feels entitled for something to ask this much time out of my short life.
Of course, Im in the minority. Long form media simply wouldn't exist if there wasn't an audience clamoring for it. And if Persona 5 is any indication, long form media has the distinct power to stick with you in ways short media can't. I really wish I could get more sensations like Persona 5. But alas, there are only so many long ass games this old hombre can do in one lifetime, and that's assuming every game is worth my time the way Persona 5 was.
Well, that's all the rambling juice I had in me. We'll be back to our normally schedule structured ramblings next month. Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you again next time.
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