deerstalker

https://www.thenerdelement.com/2024/07/11/sdcc-2024-paramounts-the-lodge-returns-to-san-diego/

Paramount+ is bringing The Lodge back to San Diego Comic-Con for a second year with more titles, iconic franchise celebrations, and immersive activations than ever before! Located at the Gaslamp’s Happy Does (340 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101), this interactive fan experience will be available to the public starting July 24 from 6–10pm, July 25-27 from 12–10pm daily, and July 28 from 10am–7pm.

Paramount+’s The Lodge has reached tens of thousands of fans this year during its second cross-country tour. At the seventh stop in 2024, The Lodge will offer the ultimate fan experience featuring themed activations and swag to take home for fans of all ages from popular titles and franchises like STAR TREK, TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, IF, SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS and many more. 

Additional details on Paramount+’s The Lodge coming to San Diego:

*Note: The Lodge is not an official SDCC activation, therefore no badge is required for entry.  

Create a Custom T-Shirt on a STAR TREK Starship

Stepping onto a STAR TREK starship, fans can customize their very own “Starfleet swag.” Utilizing a replicator, visitors will be able to place an order via touch-screen tablet and customize their t-shirts with options from a curated list of STAR TREK franchise-inspired insignia. This experience is available exclusively at The Lodge, and gives fans the chance to take home completely unique customized merch.

Olfactory Atelier Inspired by GHOSTS

In the CBS Original GHOSTS, scents are one of the strongest connections ghosts have to the living world. The Lodge will feature Woodstone Manor’s Olfactory Atelier, where guests are invited to step into the enchanting ambiance of ‘The Livings’-own living room workshop (filled with easter eggs from the show). Essence Chemists will entice them to explore a collection of specialized perfumes—each perfume displays a unique homage to the ghosts in the series. Fans will leave with a scent of their choosing, allowing them to carry a piece of the Manor’s mystique with them throughout the living world at SDCC and beyond.

Solve a Case for CRIMINAL MINDS: EVOLUTION Behavioral Analysis Unit

For all the CRIMINAL MINDS: EVOLUTION lovers, The Lodge will have an in-world office inspired by the series’ Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), filled with a chaotic spread of evidence, paperwork, unpredictable clues, and more. Guests can dive into their own investigative work to help BAU agents connect-the-dots to the ongoing case.

IF‘s Cozy Ferris Wheel Photo Op

The Lodge is bringing the whimsical world of IF to SDCC. With the inviting Luna Park marquee complete with carnival lights galore, guests can line up to “ride” the ferris wheel. While in the queue, fans can play a game of hopscotch before they get onstage with a magical button that brings the Memory Lane Retirement Community Register to life and auto-pairs the guest with their very own IF companion for the photo op.

TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES–Themed Pizza Parlor

The Lodge will bring the love story between pizza and TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES to life with the tastiest slice in town: Turtle Power Pizza. The pizza parlor will be decked out with illustrated stylings to welcome guests into the world of the new series. SDCC-goers will be able to fuel up for their next adventure with a slice of ‘za accompanied by beverages inspired by the colors of the four Turtles, perfect for heroes in a half-shell of any age.

Jellyspotting in Bikini Bottom

Nickelodeon and Paramount+ are celebrating the 25th anniversary of SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS and guests are invited to join the fun and immerse themselves into a day-in-the-life at Bikini Bottom’s Jellyfish Fields. Partake in “jellyspotting” throughout the day and catch jellyfish using “Ol’ Reliable,” SpongeBob’s most trusted jellyfish net. Upon entry, special jellyspotting gear will be handed out so fans can see the world through a joyous sponge-colored lens.

INK MASTER Tattoo Parlor

Expanding from last year’s INK MASTER-themed space, The Lodge will include a tattoo parlor set where high-brow modern meets edgy. The activation will allow guests to step inside the series, with an opportunity to get a temporary airbrush tattoo done of their choice from the stencils inspired by Paramount+’s featured shows & films. 

BRED2BUCK Saloon from TULSA KING

TULSA KING will take over the Happy Does indoor bar with a themed ‘BRED2BUCK Saloon.’ Taking elements from the series with props, graphics, neon lights, as well as exciting Season 2 references for fans, guests will be able to enjoy in-world drinks that’ll knock their boots off. The saloon will also feature games that take guests into the world of CBS Sports including the hook and ring toss and UEFA Champions League themed soccer ball kicking challenge. 

The Lodge Ski Pass sponsored by Walmart+ 

On the back of each Lodge Ski Pass this year, guests will receive an exclusive offer for a 3-month Walmart+ subscription as well as other surprise rewards while visiting The Lodge.

The post SDCC 2024: Paramount+’s The Lodge Returns to San Diego appeared first on The Nerd Element.

July 21, 2024

SDCC 2024: Paramount+’s The Lodge Returns to San Diego

https://www.thenerdelement.com/2024/07/11/sdcc-2024-paramounts-the-lodge-returns-to-san-diego/

Paramount+ is bringing The Lodge back to San Diego Comic-Con for a second year with more titles, iconic franchise celebrations, and immersive activations than ever before! Located at the Gaslamp’s Happy Does (340 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101), this interactive fan experience will be available to the public starting July 24 from 6–10pm, July 25-27 from 12–10pm daily, and July 28 from 10am–7pm.

Paramount+’s The Lodge has reached tens of thousands of fans this year during its second cross-country tour. At the seventh stop in 2024, The Lodge will offer the ultimate fan experience featuring themed activations and swag to take home for fans of all ages from popular titles and franchises like STAR TREK, TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, IF, SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS and many more. 

Additional details on Paramount+’s The Lodge coming to San Diego:

*Note: The Lodge is not an official SDCC activation, therefore no badge is required for entry.  

Create a Custom T-Shirt on a STAR TREK Starship

Stepping onto a STAR TREK starship, fans can customize their very own “Starfleet swag.” Utilizing a replicator, visitors will be able to place an order via touch-screen tablet and customize their t-shirts with options from a curated list of STAR TREK franchise-inspired insignia. This experience is available exclusively at The Lodge, and gives fans the chance to take home completely unique customized merch.

Olfactory Atelier Inspired by GHOSTS

In the CBS Original GHOSTS, scents are one of the strongest connections ghosts have to the living world. The Lodge will feature Woodstone Manor’s Olfactory Atelier, where guests are invited to step into the enchanting ambiance of ‘The Livings’-own living room workshop (filled with easter eggs from the show). Essence Chemists will entice them to explore a collection of specialized perfumes—each perfume displays a unique homage to the ghosts in the series. Fans will leave with a scent of their choosing, allowing them to carry a piece of the Manor’s mystique with them throughout the living world at SDCC and beyond.

Solve a Case for CRIMINAL MINDS: EVOLUTION Behavioral Analysis Unit

For all the CRIMINAL MINDS: EVOLUTION lovers, The Lodge will have an in-world office inspired by the series’ Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), filled with a chaotic spread of evidence, paperwork, unpredictable clues, and more. Guests can dive into their own investigative work to help BAU agents connect-the-dots to the ongoing case.

IF‘s Cozy Ferris Wheel Photo Op

The Lodge is bringing the whimsical world of IF to SDCC. With the inviting Luna Park marquee complete with carnival lights galore, guests can line up to “ride” the ferris wheel. While in the queue, fans can play a game of hopscotch before they get onstage with a magical button that brings the Memory Lane Retirement Community Register to life and auto-pairs the guest with their very own IF companion for the photo op.

TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES–Themed Pizza Parlor

The Lodge will bring the love story between pizza and TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES to life with the tastiest slice in town: Turtle Power Pizza. The pizza parlor will be decked out with illustrated stylings to welcome guests into the world of the new series. SDCC-goers will be able to fuel up for their next adventure with a slice of ‘za accompanied by beverages inspired by the colors of the four Turtles, perfect for heroes in a half-shell of any age.

Jellyspotting in Bikini Bottom

Nickelodeon and Paramount+ are celebrating the 25th anniversary of SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS and guests are invited to join the fun and immerse themselves into a day-in-the-life at Bikini Bottom’s Jellyfish Fields. Partake in “jellyspotting” throughout the day and catch jellyfish using “Ol’ Reliable,” SpongeBob’s most trusted jellyfish net. Upon entry, special jellyspotting gear will be handed out so fans can see the world through a joyous sponge-colored lens.

INK MASTER Tattoo Parlor

Expanding from last year’s INK MASTER-themed space, The Lodge will include a tattoo parlor set where high-brow modern meets edgy. The activation will allow guests to step inside the series, with an opportunity to get a temporary airbrush tattoo done of their choice from the stencils inspired by Paramount+’s featured shows & films. 

BRED2BUCK Saloon from TULSA KING

TULSA KING will take over the Happy Does indoor bar with a themed ‘BRED2BUCK Saloon.’ Taking elements from the series with props, graphics, neon lights, as well as exciting Season 2 references for fans, guests will be able to enjoy in-world drinks that’ll knock their boots off. The saloon will also feature games that take guests into the world of CBS Sports including the hook and ring toss and UEFA Champions League themed soccer ball kicking challenge. 

The Lodge Ski Pass sponsored by Walmart+ 

On the back of each Lodge Ski Pass this year, guests will receive an exclusive offer for a 3-month Walmart+ subscription as well as other surprise rewards while visiting The Lodge.

The post SDCC 2024: Paramount+’s The Lodge Returns to San Diego appeared first on The Nerd Element.


July 21, 2024

Media For Mental Health: How Samurai Jack Overcame Suicide

https://blacknerdproblems.com/media-for-mental-health-samurai-jack-seppuku/

“I didn’t come this far to sink so low” – Slipknot

Image courtesy of Adult Swim

Mad years ago, in another life, I was talking with my friend Connor. Connor mentioned something and I instantly asked him if he’d seen a particular movie (Be Kind Rewind) because there’s a scene that correlated with what he was talking about. He hadn’t seen the movie so I began to describe the scene to him. I’ll never forget how playfully fed up Connor was as he threw his hands up and asked, “why do you always do this? Whenever we’re talking about something, you always think of a movie or a comic book (that you know I haven’t read) to compare it to!” I thought about it but didn’t have an answer – I wasn’t even aware I was doing it. Finding a piece of media to juxtapose with real topics or events is just something I did naturally. If I had to answer the question now (sixteen years later, in this life), I’d say that media, or pop culture specifically, provides a compass to help navigate life. There’s no road map for life; we all doing this shit raw.


Lifehacker editor-in-chief and BNP staff member Jordan Calhoun wrote a whole memoir (Piccolo is Black) talking about how key moments in pop culture from tv shows and movies helped him navigate through his teen years. Much like someone looking through a Bible for a verse to find inspiration, advice, solace or comfort – it’s the same thing for me but instead of a verse, it might be a comic book panel, or a scene from a movie, maybe a line from a tv show. When I’m going through something, or facing something so much bigger than me, I tend to become obsessed with scenes that reflect what I’m dealing with. I’m saying I become obsessed with it but honestly, it feels like the scene haunts me until I either talk about it or write about it. Which brings us to Samurai Jack‘s final season where Jack’s struggle with survivor’s guilt and shame had him contemplating – then committing himself to – the act of seppuku. This act of taking one’s own life was considered honored among the samurai class.

Trigger Warning: Suicide

I come from a long line of “I don’t wanna talk about it,” which is a difficult thing when you’re also a writer. So this is the part of the essay where I’ll talk about something I was going through. I’ll make jokes about it because it’s my nature and how I deal with things, but what it is specifically isn’t necessary for you to know. All you as a reader need to know is the feeling, and the feeling is grief. The feeling is loss. Frank Ocean put it perfectly as I was trying to “swim from somethin’ bigger than me.” Problem is I suck at swimming. Bad. My breaststroke? Trash. Me treading water? Laughable.

The last time I had felt grief to this level was when my mother had passed. When it happened… it felt as though the grief had given me a few thoughts. The first was a thought based in anger that the wrong parent was taken. Then came a thought based in survivor’s guilt – that I was still here and she wasn’t, which is how any parent would want it but name me a child that did everything their parents wanted. I then thought but what if I wasn’t here? I could feel her anger from the further side as she pushed the thought out of my mind. The second time, grief brought the gift of shame and I could only think of how much easier things would be if I wasn’t part of the equation anymore. How I didn’t want to be here anymore. A selfish thought some would say but I thought it selfless cause it’d also make things easier for others, not only myself. The thought entered my mind and this time, I didn’t feel my mother’s hand reaching over to push it away. This one was on me, and my mind did what it always does, find the media to correlate this feeling with. Which brings us to Samurai Jack

I Was Gone, But How Was I To Know?

Samurai Jack preparing to commit seppuku with The Omen as his second
Image courtesy of Adult Swim

When Samurai Jack returned for his swan song in 2016, 12 years after the final episode of the original series aired, this wasn’t the same samurai we knew before. My man was on Cartoon Network fighting Aku in the future where Aku ruled. Jack was showing up to call Aku out for all the smoke. When we meet Jack it’s been 50 years. 50 years where he hasn’t aged and hasn’t put a dent in Aku’s reign. We come to find out that Aku destroyed the last time portal, Jack’s lost his sword, and is feeling like all hope is gone. Jack’s got intrusive thoughts pulling at him every which way. His survivor’s guilt is cranked all the way up as he envisions his father’s disappointment in him – scolding him that while he’s there in the future, he and everyone else Jack left behind are stuck suffering under Aku. Jack sees his mother in the fallen leaves asking why he hasn’t saved them yet. He sees all the citizens and people suffering floating in the river in front of him.

The constant voice in Jack’s mind is saying that he has failed his task, that he’s brought dishonor upon himself and his family, and that they’re in the endgame and lost. Continuing on is only prolonging the torment. The thoughts tell Jack that he wants this to end and the only honorable thing to do now would be committing seppuku. Jack fights these thoughts, but all the while the manifestation of death is in the distance, wearing samurai gear and sitting on top of a black horse. The figure is called The Omen and not only is he in agreement with Jack’s intrusive thoughts, but he’s ready to take Jack to the cross streets of the crossroads Bone Thugs N Harmony were talking about.

Samurai Jack about to commit seppuku
Image courtesy of Adult Swim

Jack ain’t thinking about the countless good he’s done, all he sees is the failure. Never mind that he managed to undo the brainwashing that Aishi, one of the Daughters of Aku (assassins raised to hunt and kill Jack) was under. Jack managed to show her that the benevolence of Aku (that she was raised to believe in) was all a lie of Aku’s own doing. Aishi turned to Jack’s side, but when they tried to save some kids under Aku’s influence Jack and Aishi split up. Aishi stopped the transmission of the frequency making the kids feral but Jack, who was with the kids and doing his best to restrain them in their wild attacks, saw them all pass out and die from being freed of their brainwashing. This was the final straw for Jack.

The grief, the shame, the hurt, and the hopelessness took over. When Jack sees the kids die, he gets them 808s & Heartbreak beats ready cause he now has the resolve to do what needs to be done: Jack is going to end his own life through the act of seppuku in order to silence the shame, guilt and regret. The irony of all this is that while Jack makes his way towards his end, Aishi finds the children laid out with no sign of Jack.

She takes a child’s lifeless body in her arms and is then surprised to find life springing from them. The child is alive. All the children are alive. Aishi then rushes to find Jack and along the way she meets countless people that Jack has helped, freed, and given the power to fight back against Aku’s tyranny throughout the years. Each person watching Samurai Jack’s back, each person ready to ride for the nicest samurai rocking the meanest white gi. Where Jack feels he’s been stuck in 50 years of failure, Aishi sees 50 years of hope that Jack has given people. Listen, they don’t throw up statues for oppressors here in this world. It’s liberators only round these parts.

Aishi comes across a statue of Samurai Jack
Image Courtesy of Adult Swim

It’s rare to see a protagonist experience what Jack is going through. Sure, Aku is the Big Bad to defeat here and the main problem to punch but the grief Jack is dealing with isn’t something he can simply hit his way out of. Therein lies the problem. 

Human Resources, the spin-off of Netflix’s Big Mouth, has a character called Keith from Grief. He’s a grief sweater that helps people get through their rough patches and he constantly lets his clients know, “the only way out is through.” That being said, the most interesting stories come from how a character reacts to conflict. When Samurai Jack made the decision to kill the Daughters of Aku (as there was no other way), he reflected on the words of his father, who said, “the decisions you make and the actions that follow are a reflection of who you are. You cannot hide from yourself.” That shit hits entirely differently as Jack was now no longer contemplating having to take another human life, but instead having the resolve to commit seppuku to take his own.

Now me, I only had the thought and then the desire of not being here. When friends would ask how I’m doing, I’d answer honestly and say, “feels like I got a Nerf gun to my head and I’m ‘bout to squeeze that trigger – but I don’t.” Obviously, I emphasize a Nerf gun to let friends know that my humor is still functioning and running as a coping mechanism. A friend had told me not to joke like that and my response was, “it’s worse if I don’t.” Again, I wouldn’t have done anything, but to not at least joke about it would’ve meant that I had no way of trying to make this feeling smaller or into something that I could handle. Days later when I was with my brother in a Walmart, I walked up to his cart holding a knock-off Nerf gun. He asked me what I needed a toy gun for and I told him that I’d use it as a prop for a future TikTok video. Then I told him, “I mean, I might also put it to my head, contemplate pulling the trigger, and then pull it away from my head like, ‘not today.’ I’m too much of a punk to use a real gun so..” 

My brother looked at me and let out a slight chuckle. I then tossed the toy gun into his cart and when it landed, it let off a sound effect unexpectedly. “Ughhh, I didn’t want it to make an actual noise. That’s a bit much,” I said. Then I looked at my brother, holding onto the cart with one hand, and holding his stomach while doubled over in laughter with the other. I looked at him in confusion for a moment, then laughed with him as if joining him at a table. Then I put the toy gun back on the shelf. Much like our sister, my brother understood that I was dealing with something, but trying my best to joke my way through it – it’s something the three of us do often and recognize with one another. A friend told me that when they had thoughts of no longer being here, they thought of who they’d be leaving behind.

Aishi arrives in time to see Samurai Jack preparing himself for seppuku in a graveyard, surrounded by great warriors from the past and The Omen acting as his second (in seppuku, a second is a person who assists by cutting the head off the subject so as not to prolong the suffering). The Omen tells Aishi that she can witness but she can not interfere. In shock, Aishi abides, but once she recognizes what Jack is about to do, she does what anyone that calls themselves a friend would do if they saw someone they care about dwelling in a hollow: Aishi intervenes

I’ll Never Kill Myself To Save My Soul

Aishi interfers to save Samurai Jack and interrupt his act of seppuku
Image courtesy of Adult Swim

Aishi tries to reach out to Samurai Jack and pull him back from the brink but Jack’s in a mental space that she can’t break through yet. Jack’s resolve is set and as he struggles to invite the blade inside himself, Aishi does not stop trying to reach him. The Omen, this manifestation of death that’s been haunting Jack begins to fight Aishi. There’s something symbolic in that. A friend tries to provide a light in order to pull another friend out of the darkness, but then that darkness lashes out and tries to consume the person helping. The Omen now not only represents Jack’s longing for an end in death, but the guilt and shame he feels upon himself. Jack is in this state of torment and simply put, he’s stuck in “a prison of his own mind, problem he don’t mind.”

Samurai Jack has always been a person of great resolve. When he steels himself to do something, he commits. Jack is putting his father’s words to action and in his grief, Jack has made his decision; what we’re seeing are the actions that follow. However, Aishi’s presence isn’t allowing Jack’s actions to follow through. She is literally fighting The Omen, Jack’s intrusive thoughts, all while in the eye of the perfect storm of grief, shame, and guilt that’s so much bigger than Jack. Aishi tells Jack that she’s seen all the good he’s done over the years. All the people that rep Jack because of the decision he made to fight Aku. 

The actions that Jack followed through with for the past 50 years have built a community. Aishi then tells Jack those kids he thought dead are alive and now part of that same community that he built. This is what snaps Jack back to life and back to the reality of the situation. That reality being that Jack hasn’t come all this way just to say he got this far.

I’m Finally Holding On To Letting Go

Image courtesy of Adult Swim

We then see Jack come to the aid of Aishi, holding back The Omen. But this is not Samurai Jack cheating death, laughing in the face of death, or bargaining with death – this is Samurai Jack facing death, grief, shame, and all the actions that follow. Aishi was able to bring Jack out of the darkness with community. Community is what stopped Jack from taking his own life and what gave him the strength to face something so much bigger than him. Jack spent his life doing good and trying to do good. He is connected to so many people, those that he has helped and those that have come to his aid as well. Jack was suffering by himself, trying to keep so much inside him, until he reached a breaking point.

Jack adheres to the code of Bushido that governs the samurai class, and in this moment we see him put the shame and feelings of dishonor aside in order to choose life. I wonder if that’s what made my mind drift to this scene to obsess over. Seeing Jack go from compliant to non-defiant and then seeing all the people that cared about him. I can’t tell you why this is the piece of media I go to in times of grief but what I can tell you is that it helps pull me out of the hollow. 

So here’s where I’ll reveal the prestige of the magic trick behind how I write an essay. Whenever I do a write-up that I’m passionate about or that’s personal to me, I find specific lyrics of a song to use as headers. The lyrics reflect an aspect of what I’ll be talking about in each paragraph. It’s rare that I’ll use lyrics from the same song all the way throughout, however, that was the case for this essay. The lyrics are from Slipknot’s song “Unsainted”. I said all that to say this: the most important line of the song for me is hearing frontman Corey Taylor say, “I’m finally holding on to letting go.” I love the way that line is set up, as there’s something to be said about freeing yourself of all weight of guilt and shame.

At the heart of the matter, that’s what we see Samurai Jack do. In cutting down the Omen, this manifestation of death, Jack is now surrounded by warriors of the past that at first came to witness his end and now witness his rebirth. There’s something to be said about the way grief has us hold onto shame and guilt as if it is a penance, this weight that feels like it must be carried in acknowledgment of the measure of sorrow. There’s also something to be said about letting that weight go. Seeing Samurai Jack choosing to hold onto letting go of grief instead of letting go of his life is a simple but meaningful reminder that I can choose to do the same

Image courtesy of Adult Swim

If you also come from also come from a long line of “I don’t wanna talk about it”,
you should still talk about it. Here are some resources to do so:
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline + Black Mental Helath

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Sign up here! Follow us on TwitterFacebookYoutubeTwitch, and Instagram!

The post Media For Mental Health: How Samurai Jack Overcame Suicide appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.


July 20, 2024

Crunchyroll Goes for the Gold: 20 Sports Anime Added to AVOD this Summer

https://blacknerdproblems.com/crunchyroll-20-sports-anime-added-this-summer/

Starting today, Crunchyroll is coming in clutch with the addition of 20 heavy-hitting sports anime to its available AVOD roster – free for anyone to watch with ads without a paid membership plan.

From soccer to volleyball, climbing to water polo, and golf to boxing, Crunchyroll is in your corner with some of the most fan-favorite titles that inspire audiences to go the distance, including HAIKYU!!, BLUE LOCK, Run with the Wind, Tsurune, Kuroko’s Basketball, RE-MAIN, Ping Pong the Animation, and more.

Every title in this promotion will be available to marathon in this limited-time offer from July 16 through August 15. This includes every season of each show, excluding any movies or OVAs (original video animation), in every language available.


  • For a limited time, audiences around the world can stream these titles for free with ads on Crunchyroll without a paid membership plan. Availability may vary by region or territory.


Sports anime
Sports anime

HAIKYU!! (Production I.G) Volleyball

HAIKYU!! is a slice-of-life sports anime revolving around Shoyo Hinata’s love of volleyball. Inspired by a small-statured player known as the “Little Giant,” Hinata creates a team in his last year of middle school. His team is unfortunately matched up against “King of the Court” Tobio Kageyama’s team in their first tournament, inevitably losing. After the crushing defeat, Hinata vows to surpass Kageyama. Entering high school, he joins the volleyball team only to find that Tobio has also joined, making his once rival his new teammate.

BLUE LOCK (8bit) Soccer

Japan’s desire for World Cup glory leads the Japanese Football Association to launch a new rigorous training program to find the national team’s next striker. Three hundred high school players are pitted against each other for the position, but only one will come out on top. Who among them will be the striker to usher in a new era of Japanese soccer?

Ping Pong the Animation (Tatsunoko Production) Table Tennis

Makoto Tsukimoto (nicknamed Smile) is a quiet high-schooler who’s been friends with the loud and energetic Yukata Hoshino (nicknamed Peco) since childhood. They’re both in the local table tennis club and both have a natural talent for it, although Smile’s personality always enables him from winning against Peco. The club teacher, however, notices Smile’s talent and tries to make him gain some sportive tenacity.

BIRDIE WING -Golf Girls’ Story- (Bandai Namco Pictures) Golf

Fore! After Eve’s first meet up with Aoi on the grass left her in defeat, she’s had her eyes set on a rematch to return the favor. Both these up-and-coming golfers are highly skilled, highly unique and most of all, highly competitive. With dreams of making it pro, a rivalry is getting in full swing as they both battle it out in the biggest tournaments.

Free! – Iwatobi Swim Club (Kyoto Animation and Animation Do) Swimming

Nanase Haruka loved to be in the water – loved swimming. In elementary school, Nanase Haruka, Tachibana Makoto, Matsuoka Rin, and Hazuki Nagisa attended the same swimming class together. Time passed, and as Haruka was living an uneventful high school life, he suddenly encountered Rin again. Rin challenged Haruka to a race and showed him how much stronger he had become. Soon enough, Makoto and Nagisa also rejoined the group, and along with a new classmate, Ryugazaki Rei, they established the Iwatobi High School Swimming Club.

Hajime No Ippo: The Fighting! (Madhouse) Boxing

Ippo Makunouchi’s gentle spirit and lack of confidence make him an easy target for the bullies at his high school. Rescued from a beating by Takamura, a professional boxer, Ippo aspires to learn the art of boxing, and attempts to join the Kamogawa Boxing Club. But, to find his fighter’s spirit, Ippo must first spar with Miyata, an extraordinarily talented and skilled boxer. Can Ippo even survive the first round?!

Run with the Wind (Production I.G) Long-Distance Running

One chilly, March day, Kansei University fourth-year Kiyose Haiji (Haiji) encounters Kurahara Kakeru (Kakeru) running uncommonly fast through the streets at night and forces him into living at the Chikusei-so (AKA Aotake). Haiji has a dream and ambition. He became discouraged after suffering an injury in high school, but he wants to run again. He wants to participate in the Hakone Ekiden and show off the running ability he’s been pursuing. He has only one year left to turn that dream and ambition into reality.

SK8 the Infinity (BONES) Extreme Sports

High school students Reki and Langa are hooked on one thing—a dangerous, top secret, no-holds-barred downhill skateboarding race called “S.” When Reki takes Langa, a transfer student, to the mountain where “S” is held, Langa finds himself sucked in. These colorful skaters will take you through a thrilling story of skateboard battles and unlimited possibilities!

Kuroko’s Basketball (Production I.G) Basketball

An up-and-coming power player, Taiga Kagami, is just back from America. When he comes to Seirin High School, he meets the super-ordinary boy, Tetsuya Kuroko. Kagami is shocked to find that Kuroko isn’t good at basketball, in fact, he’s bad! And he’s so plain that he’s impossible to see. But Kuroko’s plainness lets him pass the ball around without the other team noticing him, and he’s none other than the sixth member of the Miracle Generation.

HANEBADO! (LIDENFILMS) Badminton

Despite her great potential, Ayano Hanesaki would rather avoid badminton than play it. But, when she meets Nagisa Aragaki, a third year who spends every waking moment perfecting her game, she’s inspired. Encouraged by their coach, Tachibana Kentarou, Ayano, and Nagisa will hit the court and rally against opponents and rivals with amazing skills!

Harukana Receive (C2C) Beach Volleyball

Oozora Haruka is a high school second-year who’s just moved to Okinawa. Haruka is generally cheerful and optimistic, but there’s one thing she feels insecure about: she’s taller than most other girls. Higa Kanata, her cousin of the same age who meets her at the airport, also has one hang-up: she had to quit her beloved beach volleyball in the past because she was too short. Through some twist of fate, these mismatched cousins find themselves paired up as a beach volleyball team. How will this duo play together in a sport where the presence of one’s teammate is more important than anything?!

How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift? (Doga Kobo) Weightlifting

Hibiki Sakura’s love for food is starting to affect her size, but training at her local gym is pretty intimidating! After meeting her handsome personal trainer, Machio, Hibiki bites the bullet and starts her quest for a hot bod!

Iwakakeru -Sport Climbing Girls- (Blade) Sport Climbing

Sport climbing is a sport that makes use of both the body and the brain to climb walls. Kasahara Konomi, a master at puzzles, just happens to discover her school’s climbing wall, and it looks almost like a colorful sort of puzzle in her eyes. This fateful encounter brings big changes to Konomi’s life! With her teammates in the Hanamiya Girls’ High School Climbing Club, Konomi races for the top in this passionate climbing story!

number24 (PRA) Rugby

Natsusa Yuzuki was expecting to be the ace on his college rugby team but due to unexpected circumstances, had to sit out. Six months later, he’s back. Along with his best friend Seiichiro, prodigy senior Ibuki Ueoka, and a few others – they’re going to represent the Kansai University team. He may still be figuring out life, but he’s got some new brothers to help him. Time to join the scrum!

Backflip!! (Zexcs) Gymnastics

The final summer of middle school, Shotaro Futaba discovers boys’ gymnastics and is completely enamored by it. Shotaro ends up going to Soshukan Private High School (aka Ao High) and decides to visit the boys’ gymnastics club. He’s greeted by very unique senpais and a star gymnast named Misato Ryoya. Dedicating your life to something you love during your fiery days of youth… Of course, there is frustration, and fights, but see how these boys work together as a team towards a similar goal in this drama about sports and youth.

RE-MAIN (MAPPA) Water Polo

Just after winning a national water polo title in his third year of junior high, a car accident left Minato Kiyomizu in a coma for nearly a year. Now in high school with a fresh start, he leaves the sport behind, but a promise has him returning to it.

The Prince of Tennis (Nihon Ad Systems) Tennis

The classic franchise continues! After Atobe and corps build a new tennis court for Keigo Atobe’s Hyotei Academy, Yukimura and the rest of the Rikkai team are nominated to face them for the very first time. Can they dethrone the reigning champs? Game on!

Tsurune (Kyoto Animation) Archery

When Narumiya Minato joins Prefectural Kazemai High School, he is quickly invited to join the archery club by the club’s advisor, Tommy-sensei. His childhood friends Takehaya Seiya and Yamanouchi Ryohei swiftly agree to join, but Minato is hesitant at first.

Yowamushi Pedal (TMS Entertainment) Cycling

Onoda Sakamichi is a rather timid, anime-loving first-year student at Sohoku High School. Upon entering high school, he tried to join the anime research club, but after meeting Imaizumi Shunsuke, a renowned cyclist since middle school, and Naruko Shoukichi, who swept the Kansai cycling championship, he ended up joining the competitive cycling club.

WAVE!! -Let’s go surfing!!- (Asahi Production) Surfing

We’re free when we’re riding these waves! Masaki was born and raised along the Oarai Coast in Ibaraki Prefecture, where big waves hit the coast all year round. One day, he meets the prince-like transfer student Sho and learns about the ultimate sport where you face off with the world with just a single board beneath your feet: surfing. This was the beginning of the never-ending story about boys who discovered the allure of surfing.


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The post Crunchyroll Goes for the Gold: 20 Sports Anime Added to AVOD this Summer appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.


July 20, 2024

Breaking Limits: Black Skydivers Soar On World Skydiving Day

https://www.blackenterprise.com/black-skydivers-challenge-stereotypes/

World Skydiving Day was celebrated on July 13, and while skydiving has traditionally been a fairly homogeneous activity, some Black skydivers are breaking barriers and fostering community and representation in the sport. A common theme among those building these communities is challenging the stereotype that skydiving is an activity predominantly for white people, thereby encouraging more Black individuals to join the sport.

In 2020, The New York Times featured a profile on Danielle Williams, a Black woman skydiver and outdoor sports enthusiast who has played a pivotal role in carving out spaces for Black women, and Black people in general, within the skydiving community. This sport has long been perceived as predominantly white. Williams shared with the outlet that whenever she went for a jump, or as she described it, visited a drop zone, people often assumed she was a beginner — an assumption she attributed to her race and gender.

Williams told The Times, “As the years went by, I realized it had nothing to do with being new — it had everything to do with my race being the salient factor that people hyperfocus on. We joke about it, but it’s very frustrating.”

Eventually, Williams created several groups intended to bring Black skydivers and hikers of color together, Team Blackstar, for skydivers, and Melanin Base Camp, an online community for Black people interested in adventure sports, like hiking and climbing.

According to NBC News, Willis Cooks, much like Williams, has established his own space for Black skydivers with his group, Fresh Heir Boogie. This initiative, similar to Williams’ efforts, started on social media and evolved into a real community. Cooks founded the group in 2020 after noticing the lack of Black skydivers at drop zones. To celebrate its fourth anniversary and World Skydiving Day, Fresh Heir Boogie held an event at Skydive Spaceland Houston.

Despite the sport’s high costs, skydivers find something invaluable thousands of feet in the air: peace.

David McCrea, a sommelier and hospitality consultant who first jumped in 2021, described the feeling he gets when skydiving to NBC News. “When you get to that door, everything in your body says, ‘Don’t do this,’” McCrea said. “Then you’re out in the sky. It is the most liberating, exhilarating thing I’ve ever felt. You reach terminal velocity and it feels like you are floating. I was immediately in love.”

In 2021, Brenton Lindsey became the first Black person to skydive over the Giza pyramids in Egypt. Like others working to increase the visibility of Black skydivers, Lindsey aims to dismantle the stigma and stereotype that skydiving is a sport only for white people. Speaking to Travel Noire in 2021, Lindsey said, “There’s this huge stigma that skydiving is a white people’s sport. From both sides, I’m frowned upon, but I take pride in that because it opens the eyes of other people of color that we can do it too. So why are we limiting ourselves? We dominate in everything else, so why not this?”

RELATED CONTENT: Redman Shares Video Of Himself Skydiving After Earning His License


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