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It is that time of year again: the gift giving holidays! In recent years, I’ve made anime themed gift guides spotlighting small businesses and brands. I did this in an attempt to share some hopefully unique gift ideas that are hidden gems and also have some fun. This year I continue that tradition with a short gift guide with some picks I stumbled upon that are bound to catch some eyeballs as you scroll and hopefully make someone’s day when they open it. I also wrote this with support and acknowledgement of the boycotting and alternative gifting ideas in support of Sudan, The Congo and Palestine. Carry on!
1.) Suku-Ita (NO CHEEKS) Reversible Bucket Hat
JJK fandom, stand up! (Or you can be like me and live in delulu land and pretend those awful things didn’t just happen to one of your favorite characters–join me!) I found these really neat reversible bucket hats that are 100% Cotton with Embroidery to represent Itadori and Printed for Sukuna’s side! The listing mentions how the hat is “perfect for going outdoors but never in Shibuya.” Excuse me, while I go cry into my pillow. See the hat’s listing here.
There’s also a cuter version with little anime cheeks on the Itadori’s side set as a pre-order item that will ship in January of next year. If you’re looking to go bold and big, consider one of these Christmas Advent Boxes at two different price points which include a number of goodies: beanies, washi tape, air freshers, key chains, enamel pins and more!
2.) Hawks Christmas Tree Topper
I love how creative anime fans get with holiday decorations, especially Christmas. This Christmas Tree Topper featuring the high-flying Pro-Hero Hawks is a holiday exclusive designed & illustrated by Felice Regina! The tree topper is 10″ tall, printed on 69lb semi-gloss paper and features a gold foil topper cone. Packaged flat with cardboard backer, this listing mentions that you can “Add a spicy angel to your Christmas tree…or Simp-mas tree,” which you can see online here. If you’re not keen on BHMA’s Best Flying Boi, consider these double sided acrylic ornaments with different MHA characters like Eri & Aizawa and Deku and All Might (and Bakugo!) that might be a better sell to put on the tree with your family.
3.) Golden Kamuy Keychains!
Golden Kamuy is one of my favorite manga series. In the early 20th century in Hokkaido, Japan, a treasure hunt between various parties takes place for a hidden stash of gold. One of my favorite relationships in the entire series that perfectly illustrates the found family trope is the one of Sugimoto, an ex-soldier, and a young Ainu girl named Asirpa, who is a capable hunter. They bond over cooking and eating good food a lot in the series which is a lot of fun to read and watch via the anime adaptation.
A sort of inside joke is when Sugimoto and Asirpa time and time again, exclaim their love of finding poop and what food items look like poop! (Osoma in Aspira’s native tongue!) These hand-made charms from AstralZombieShop feel like a treasure to me. The Sugimoto keychain measures 3″, and the Asirpa keychain is 2.5″ long! I would highly suggest not splitting up the family and buying them both, you know–for the discount. Check them out here online. If Golden Kamuy is too obscure for you, check out the other keychains from other favorite series like Cutie Honey and My Hero Academia.
4.) Studio Ghibli: 100 Collectible Postcards
So Chronicle Books has a great collection of postcard and note card and other stationery collections from some of our favorite universes, Studio Ghibli included. I especially loved this one hundred postcard collection of several offerings from the beloved Japanese animation film studio. Housed in a keepsake box with a lifting ribbon, these gorgeously detailed, full colored images will delight Studio Ghibli and animation fans of every age.
I loved that the box serves as a sort of time capsule: showcasing final frames from all their feature-length films from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) to When Marnie Was There (2014). See this item here on their website. If postcards aren’t really what you’re looking for gift wise, consider one of the many movie specific journals or pencil and eraser sets that are sure to be a winner for the writer or artist in your life.
5.) Various Anime Sticker & Car Decals
Chibi Servin’ specializes in “𝗠𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗵” which translates to anime merch like stickers, poster, tumbler cups and other goods with diverse takes on some of our favorite characters. In the case of the car decals like this Hijabi Chibi Moon holographic one which is a waterproof sticker that is 4.5 x 5 inches and has a Glossy finish. More on that particular design here and Hijabi representation here.
I love the variety of the stickers–presenting popular characters with DBZ’s Vegeta with textured fro and a Desi version of Shinobou from Demon Slayer. These stickers and other items are just fun all around and meant to be collected, gifted, and shared as noted by the artist: “It also helps anime creators see that diverse characters will be enjoyed by everyone and not just the intended audience.” If these particular stickers aren’t your thing, I’d suggest checking out some of the brand’s new releases that are Naruto themed that are sure to catch some eyes.
6.) Anime Themed Enamel Pins
According to her website: TealTeacup “makes everything CUTE & relatable with her funny chonky enamel pins inspired by memes, moods, anime, food, ghibli, and her favorite animals! “. I think her anime themed enamel pins are especially worth looking into as she has mini collections for Pokémon, Demon Slayer, and even Studio Ghibli films. With pin sets and several enamel pins that run more intricately with glitter and even moving parts, these are a dream!
If you’re looking for a bigger gift that will complement some really neat enamel pins for an anime fan in your life, consider one of TealTeacup’s gorgeous Ita Bags. Remember I briefly talked about them here. No Ita Bag is built the same and yet I adore this particular one from Howl’s Moving Castle fans as it is a double sided backpack with a cross body feature.
7.) Anime Themed Sweaters
I stumbled upon KOIKAY, as I’ve been slowly inching my way back to Instagram from my hiatus from the app. There are so many cool gift ideas that I almost did not know where to start! First, these anime themed sweaters that Naruto fans will clock on first glance to some really fun sweaters via collab with another creative that go just as hard. These threads could be worn to the office or classroom or even used for very casual cosplay as you go to and fro.
If the sweaters aren’t what you’re looking for gift wise, consider all the neat little anime themed bags on deck: from our favorite little piece of emergency food, I mean Deer Doctor to some really striking bags from other series that stand out. I let out a high pitched noise when I saw the black and pink strawberry bags–NANA fans–where you at?! See the rest of this seller’s nags and other accessories here!
See my guide gift for the manga lovers in your life here.
See our gift guides from previous years here.
Fancy Disclaimer: I have not received any of these items in consideration of making this shopping guide. Cheers! Shout-out to small business owners! Be sure to support them this holiday season if you’re looking to spend some coin!
Want to get Black Nerd Problems updates sent directly to you? Sign up here! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram!
The post Holiday Gift Guide for the Anime Fans in Your Life appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
It is that time of year again: the gift giving holidays! In recent years, I’ve made anime themed gift guides spotlighting small businesses and brands. I did this in an attempt to share some hopefully unique gift ideas that are hidden gems and also have some fun. This year I continue that tradition with a short gift guide with some picks I stumbled upon that are bound to catch some eyeballs as you scroll and hopefully make someone’s day when they open it. I also wrote this with support and acknowledgement of the boycotting and alternative gifting ideas in support of Sudan, The Congo and Palestine. Carry on!
1.) Suku-Ita (NO CHEEKS) Reversible Bucket Hat
JJK fandom, stand up! (Or you can be like me and live in delulu land and pretend those awful things didn’t just happen to one of your favorite characters–join me!) I found these really neat reversible bucket hats that are 100% Cotton with Embroidery to represent Itadori and Printed for Sukuna’s side! The listing mentions how the hat is “perfect for going outdoors but never in Shibuya.” Excuse me, while I go cry into my pillow. See the hat’s listing here.
There’s also a cuter version with little anime cheeks on the Itadori’s side set as a pre-order item that will ship in January of next year. If you’re looking to go bold and big, consider one of these Christmas Advent Boxes at two different price points which include a number of goodies: beanies, washi tape, air freshers, key chains, enamel pins and more!
2.) Hawks Christmas Tree Topper
I love how creative anime fans get with holiday decorations, especially Christmas. This Christmas Tree Topper featuring the high-flying Pro-Hero Hawks is a holiday exclusive designed & illustrated by Felice Regina! The tree topper is 10″ tall, printed on 69lb semi-gloss paper and features a gold foil topper cone. Packaged flat with cardboard backer, this listing mentions that you can “Add a spicy angel to your Christmas tree…or Simp-mas tree,” which you can see online here. If you’re not keen on BHMA’s Best Flying Boi, consider these double sided acrylic ornaments with different MHA characters like Eri & Aizawa and Deku and All Might (and Bakugo!) that might be a better sell to put on the tree with your family.
3.) Golden Kamuy Keychains!
Golden Kamuy is one of my favorite manga series. In the early 20th century in Hokkaido, Japan, a treasure hunt between various parties takes place for a hidden stash of gold. One of my favorite relationships in the entire series that perfectly illustrates the found family trope is the one of Sugimoto, an ex-soldier, and a young Ainu girl named Asirpa, who is a capable hunter. They bond over cooking and eating good food a lot in the series which is a lot of fun to read and watch via the anime adaptation.
A sort of inside joke is when Sugimoto and Asirpa time and time again, exclaim their love of finding poop and what food items look like poop! (Osoma in Aspira’s native tongue!) These hand-made charms from AstralZombieShop feel like a treasure to me. The Sugimoto keychain measures 3″, and the Asirpa keychain is 2.5″ long! I would highly suggest not splitting up the family and buying them both, you know–for the discount. Check them out here online. If Golden Kamuy is too obscure for you, check out the other keychains from other favorite series like Cutie Honey and My Hero Academia.
4.) Studio Ghibli: 100 Collectible Postcards
So Chronicle Books has a great collection of postcard and note card and other stationery collections from some of our favorite universes, Studio Ghibli included. I especially loved this one hundred postcard collection of several offerings from the beloved Japanese animation film studio. Housed in a keepsake box with a lifting ribbon, these gorgeously detailed, full colored images will delight Studio Ghibli and animation fans of every age.
I loved that the box serves as a sort of time capsule: showcasing final frames from all their feature-length films from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) to When Marnie Was There (2014). See this item here on their website. If postcards aren’t really what you’re looking for gift wise, consider one of the many movie specific journals or pencil and eraser sets that are sure to be a winner for the writer or artist in your life.
5.) Various Anime Sticker & Car Decals
Chibi Servin’ specializes in “𝗠𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗵” which translates to anime merch like stickers, poster, tumbler cups and other goods with diverse takes on some of our favorite characters. In the case of the car decals like this Hijabi Chibi Moon holographic one which is a waterproof sticker that is 4.5 x 5 inches and has a Glossy finish. More on that particular design here and Hijabi representation here.
I love the variety of the stickers–presenting popular characters with DBZ’s Vegeta with textured fro and a Desi version of Shinobou from Demon Slayer. These stickers and other items are just fun all around and meant to be collected, gifted, and shared as noted by the artist: “It also helps anime creators see that diverse characters will be enjoyed by everyone and not just the intended audience.” If these particular stickers aren’t your thing, I’d suggest checking out some of the brand’s new releases that are Naruto themed that are sure to catch some eyes.
6.) Anime Themed Enamel Pins
According to her website: TealTeacup “makes everything CUTE & relatable with her funny chonky enamel pins inspired by memes, moods, anime, food, ghibli, and her favorite animals! “. I think her anime themed enamel pins are especially worth looking into as she has mini collections for Pokémon, Demon Slayer, and even Studio Ghibli films. With pin sets and several enamel pins that run more intricately with glitter and even moving parts, these are a dream!
If you’re looking for a bigger gift that will complement some really neat enamel pins for an anime fan in your life, consider one of TealTeacup’s gorgeous Ita Bags. Remember I briefly talked about them here. No Ita Bag is built the same and yet I adore this particular one from Howl’s Moving Castle fans as it is a double sided backpack with a cross body feature.
7.) Anime Themed Sweaters
I stumbled upon KOIKAY, as I’ve been slowly inching my way back to Instagram from my hiatus from the app. There are so many cool gift ideas that I almost did not know where to start! First, these anime themed sweaters that Naruto fans will clock on first glance to some really fun sweaters via collab with another creative that go just as hard. These threads could be worn to the office or classroom or even used for very casual cosplay as you go to and fro.
If the sweaters aren’t what you’re looking for gift wise, consider all the neat little anime themed bags on deck: from our favorite little piece of emergency food, I mean Deer Doctor to some really striking bags from other series that stand out. I let out a high pitched noise when I saw the black and pink strawberry bags–NANA fans–where you at?! See the rest of this seller’s nags and other accessories here!
See my guide gift for the manga lovers in your life here.
See our gift guides from previous years here.
Fancy Disclaimer: I have not received any of these items in consideration of making this shopping guide. Cheers! Shout-out to small business owners! Be sure to support them this holiday season if you’re looking to spend some coin!
Want to get Black Nerd Problems updates sent directly to you? Sign up here! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram!
The post Holiday Gift Guide for the Anime Fans in Your Life appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
I forget how I found out about the Scott Pilgrim books. What I do remember is that one volume would come out each year. It was 2010, the sixth and final volume had come out, and the movie was to follow a few weeks later. Time makes us forget the details of certain moments, but I never forgot the feeling reading the Scott Pilgrim series gave me. The series was a beautiful ode to different eras of pop culture, video games, and all things nerdy. Scott Pilgrim spawned a movie, video game, and a fan base that’s been loyal for near 20 years. If Scott Pilgrim is a coming-of-age story, then Netflix’s Scott Pilgrim Takes Off series shows how hindsight can be an amazing editor and narrator to create an even better story.
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is written by series creator Bryan Lee O’Malley and BenDavid Grabinski with Abel Góngora as the director. I got my first glimpse of the show at New York Comic-Con 2023 at a panel. Bryan and BenDavid showed some scenes from the show along with the official trailer for the show which remixed the Mortal Kombat ‘test your might’ song. Fam, I saw that shit and my body was ready. I loved the book, the movie was fine (ending should of followed the book’s), and here I was hoping we’d get to see a series adaption of the book where we saw more slice-of-life situations between the characters between fights as well as some moments of self-realization.
I was wrong…
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off in a new direction
And… I have never been so happy to be so wrong in my life. When watching episode one, we see the show follow the book to the T. We’ve seen Scott and Ramona meet in two occasions (book and film) and even here in this third iteration, it’s as charming as the first times. For that, I gotta give Science Saru all the credit. They did not come to fuck around with this animation. The characters feel like an amalgam of their looks from the book enjambed with an anime influence. The visuals take risks by making these characters and Toronto stand out in their own way. Every character looks so clean and stylish from the way that they move to the way that they fight. I love how much of a staple this animation feels for the look of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.
The music of the show is its own character as well. From songs we heard in the movie to original tracks, the music curated for the series bangs. There’s a scene of Lucas Lee skating to ‘United States of Whatever” and hearing that track took me all the way back to my senior year of high school in 2003 playing Tony Hawk Underground. The fact that that song was also in T.H.U.G. and used as a trailer for a game, let’s me know that Lucas Lee shredding around town to the track is no coincidence. No sound is wasted in any scene. The music, animation, and characters are all connected. Oh, and speaking of characters…
Another thing that makes this series feel like a homecoming moment is that we got the original cast back together to do the voice acting which feels so natural and in peak performance. You can tell they had fun while also understanding there can’t be a weak link on the mic in this iteration. The bedroom scene between Scott and Ramon in this iteration comes off as this mixture of sexy and charming that I didn’t feel in the movie. It worked, but this shit just felt so different even though I know the scene by heart. That’s an amazing thing for a piece of art to do.
I was fully prepared to watch this series, expecting to see the story going beat for beat. I knew there would be some variations, like seeing Gideon Graves inform Matthew Patel about Scott Pilgrim and how he’ll be set out to throw down with him. I just thought we were getting some small extra details, but when we see Matthew Patel and Scott Pilgrim throw hands, what we actually get is a brand new story…that I am entirely here for.
Okay so beyond this point there are going to be spoilers ahead so, you should go watch the series, then come back so we can discuss the detail and nuance of the new themes brought to the table by Scott Pilgrim Takes Off…
SPOILERS AHEAD
Ramona Flowers’ Finest Hour
What makes Scott Pilgrim Takes Off so different is that when Scott and Matthew Patel clash… Scott loses. Scott gets turned into toll fare, and my jaw became an open draw bridge. Soon as I saw this happen, I realized that everything we thought we knew means we don’t know shit for this show. When Ramona gets a small inkling that Scott is still alive and has proof of him being teleported before Matthew’s punch connected. The show unveils itself as a whodunnit mystery with Ramona as lead detective. What I love about this twist is that in this version of the story, Ramona has more agency now. Our girl gets is center stage in the fighter select screen of her own story. This time instead of Scott Pilgrim fighting to win Ramona, Ramona is choosing to find out what happened to Scott and confront all her exes in order to do so. Your girl felt sparks with Scott Pilgrim and decided he was worth following up on, even if it meant having to confront her past and the person she used to be.
This serves as a brilliant twist. Although, in the books and movie, it was dope seeing Scott Pilgrim fight the evil exes on some Street Fighter II shit. This makes Ramona seem more like an object to be won when we really think about it. Sure, Ramona is aware that it’s something the person she is dating has to go through, and Scott is comfortable with it. Looking back in hindsight, this feels like a fight that Ramona should have been doing herself because this is her life. Whereas in the book, Ramona couldn’t do that, she is fully able of doing so now in this version. Confronting her exes, isn’t something that Ramona wants to do, but she is willing to. The dope part about it is we see that it doesn’t always have to be a fight when confronting or meeting an ex. In some of the relationships Ramona was in, she was the villain. This is something that she has to reconcile with.
In her fight with Roxie, we see them throwing all of the hands in a video store and the fight moving through different cinema backgrounds (genius). They’re fighting but talking is at the root of the matter and the truth is Ramona made Roxie feel like less than nothing. Ramona is aware of this and in the end does what needs to be done to truly put this fight, Roxie, and her own feelings on the matter at ease. Ramona apologizes… and fucking means it. It can all literally be that simple. Roxie doesn’t have to accept the apology as is her right but, here, in this instance we see it is what she needed. We’re seeing Ramona’s actions outside of Scott Pilgrim being around and outside of Scott’s point of view. This is the side of Ramona we didn’t get to see in the books or the movie.
This is Ramona and her exes getting a chance to handle things as adults instead of as enemies or as opposition to for a potential partner to get through. It’s moments like this that make me love how hindsight feels like an editor making revisions for the retelling of this tell. Sometimes things won’t end well with an ex, but I do not think that has to be the case each and every time. Sometimes, all that’s needed is a conversation when both parties are in a better place and willing to own up to the part they played in how thing went or ended. This series gives Ramona’s exes a chance to be something more than just obstacles. They get to become characters with more story and development given to them.
After the fight, Roxie is still trying to test the waters with Ramona, even as friends with benefits. When that’s a bust, she makes out with Kim Pine to see if there’s anything between them. No sparks. It might feel a little male gaze-ish, and I can see that; however, to me, Roxie is just looking to be in lesbians with her. It’s here where Scott Pilgrim Takes Off gives us the other underlying theme that people are looking for or wanting someone that they have sparks with. It’s those same sparks that Ramona felt with Scott that sent her on this journey, even as she finds out, that Scott was seeing a Knives Chau at the same time… and that she’s a high schooler. Ramona still wants to see how things play out with Scott cause that himbo gave her sparks when they kissed and she wants to see things through. This iteration of Scott Pilgrim does a good job at displaying how messy feelings can be. How we connect with people who may have had a relationship with someone we know. How things don’t have to be that weird when a break-up is talked out and everyone can go about their lives.
Writer’s note: I’m sorry, but the whole Scott dating a high schooler thing is still wild. I’m surprised Knives wasn’t aged up to 20 to make it only a 3-year difference. I know it’s implied that nothing happened cause all they did was hold hands. That shit is still grooming, man. It’s noted a lot more in this iteration as well as a “what the fuck” moment, and Scott addresses it later on as well. It would seem that Scott was moving toward being a certain type of dude and we could say oh he’s, so charming or he’s harmless. It’s still a big ick. I’m glad for this iteration that, he sees the error of it, even if it was brought up as a running gag (due to folks real world gross reaction to it.)
Representation Redemption…?
I do love how with Scott Pilgrim out of the way we get to see these characters who didn’t get much time before become something more than one night. Matthew Patel was basically the first of Ramona’s evil exes to catch a fade, but this time around because he “beat” Scott, and realized Ramona wasn’t going to get back with him even though he won. We see Matthew have the confidence to take on Gideon for a change of leadership, win, and take over as the new owner of Gideon’s billionaire estate. Let’s keep it a buck too. We know the Scott Pilgrim series is white as fuck. The creator even apologized for it.
In the series, Matthew Patel is the only dark skin character with lines. We see some Black background characters in this show and Lucas Lee’s agent is Black with some speaking lines but Matthew Patel and Knives Chau are the two prominent people of color in each iteration of this series. This time around Matthew gets to have not only one of the best fight scenes in the show but a journey towards what he thinks he wants that he didn’t get before. Knives in the other iterations gets to have her apology from Scott but here, we see her given much more as we discover she is not only good at marketing, but she’s a fucking musical prodigy on instruments. There’s a sweet scene between Knives and Kim having a jamming session, and we witness the vibe that they create.
This isn’t a scene we get in any of the other iterations. This is a big moment for both Kim and Knives as it doesn’t involve Scott and is a moment for them to share with music being the binding agent. This is one of the rare times we see Kim smiling. This is also big for Knives as she is getting something of her own outside of being a romantic interest. Knives goes from idolizing Sex Bob-Omb’s sound, because Scott was in it to being the missing link that the band needed in order to not suck. Both Knives and Matthew get the time to show another side of themselves thanks to this iteration and most importantly, thanks to Scott not being around.
Everybody in Together Now
Though Scott Pilgrim Takes Off changes things, the changes happen in a familiar way. When Scott Pilgrim comes home, and makes his amends, we see it’s not an evil ex in his way this time or his Negative Scott but the future version of him that’s stopping him and Ramona from moving forward (since he’s trying to make it so Scott and Ramona never get together). I thought this reveal was not only wacky, and out there, but fucking brilliant as well. Before, Scott’s negative side was the thing he had to reconcile with in order to become a better person. This time around he got to be better by seeing what Ramona was going through in order to rescue him and even future Ramona sets a plan in motion to save Scott from himself (his future self) getting in his own way.
Future Scott wanting to never meet Ramona instead of actually doing work on himself and trying to fix the issues with Ramona that lead to divorce feels like Scott’s anxiousness getting in the way. Even all these years later, I love how present Scott wasn’t deterred by what could go wrong because he wanted to work it out. He saw Ramona in the past going out of her way to find a way to rescue him and seeing that changed him. Look, I love fighting and I was excited to see Scott throw hands in this series. I also love when fighters find themselves in a situation where there is no one else to punch and the fight is with themselves. When Future Scott came back to fight. I love how now no one is Scott and Ramona’s enemy. Everybody is on the same side (well for the time being at least). The exes have their own things going on and were actually glad to see Scott and Ramona together.
Look, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is the superior version. I said it. There’s time travel involved, but this banger is canon and the fandom is all the better for it. The writing for this shows the growth of the author Bryan Lee O’Malley as well. My man was 25 when the first Scott Pilgrim volume dropped, and 19 years later, he’s 44 for the Netflix series. O’Malley and BenDavid really did some fine combing with the plot, story, and character development for this retelling. Creators don’t always get a chance to tell the story again, and there aren’t many creators that would take such a big risk instead of playing it safe with a sure bet. Scott Pilgrim takes a back seat to his own series, but my man got three different versions (books, movie, video game) where he’s Mortal Kombats to defeat the League of Exes. This version with Ramona taking the helm is exactly what the fandom needed.
I love it here even more now.
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is streaming now on Netflix.
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The post ‘Scott Pilgrim Takes Off’ Gives Ramona Flowers Her Flowers appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
The time most never thought was going to come is here. Aqua Teen Hunger Force is rebooting itself in matrix style. Although, I don’t know if this qualifies as a reboot but more of a continuation. It’s been eight years since the last season, and they promised it would never come back; however, it looks like they lied, and the die-hard fans have never been happier. But how does this continuation stack up to the flood of reboots, reversions, and redos? Should ATHF have stayed in our head movies just as we remember it, never to be tarnished? Or are we ready to take the MFS (Meatwad, Frylock, Shake, aka Master Shake) cinematic universe past the Mooninites? Let’s use these first two episodes as our case study. Are we launching it, or stannin’ it to an uncomfortable level?
My Name Is…
Before I jump in, there will be very light spoilers. To be fair I have no idea how to spoil a show with no rhyme or reason for any of its actions. (aww – It’s the best.)
It is important to mention I am an ATHF super fan. I randomly break into “Alabama Alabama Alabama…” yell “Juice!” when I’m excited, and my ringtone will forever stay the iconic theme song. This also means I will be critical AF and also have the time of my life celebrating the show’s return. Let’s begin.
ATHF starts off without skipping even a Meatwad beat. The opening comes in, and the sweet serenade of a theme song smacks me square across the face with new upgrades. The lyrics are the same, and the beat is almost the same. It just feels a little off. For all of the upgrades needed, I’m sure they felt like tweaking the theme song was the least risky, but for a stickler for nostalgia, I was less than enthused by the updated tune. After that, we’re thrust into the absurdity we remember. Shake is in a magic land where he has like a 12-pack and minions worshipping him. He’s playing some sort of game that is pretty much a one-year-olds Tetris where you put two squares together to make a rectangle.
Shake Zula
You might be asking yourself, WTH is going on, but if you’ve ever watched or loved ATHF, you never ask that question. Never. It doesn’t matter because it turns out Shake has been playing a VR game for Lordt knows how long, and Frylock is relegated to smearing lip balm on his chapped lips and Meatwad to graffiti his crotch with superheroes. ANNNND, we’re back. Everything devolves as usual. I can’t remember if the TV explodes at some point, but I am 100% sure it probably does.
At first, I felt a bit scared, and I was present at the New York Comic Con premiere of the Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm. That film took you to the edge of WTF and pushed you off the cliff. I like to think that panel began the rumors of a ATHF return and spawned this new season. There is also a chance they already knew the show was coming back. Or they said we’re never going to get another go at it. Let’s make this the wildest episode of ATHF anyone has ever seen.
After seeing Plantasm, I wasn’t sure if what I watched of the new season was good or just weirdly modern grotesqueness. The animation was a bit sleeker and less blocky, which I was fine with. I was more critical than ever because I didn’t want it to fall into the realm of Futurama continuations. Let me explain before the Futurama fans get upset (because I am a Futurama fan, of course). Futurama was a late bloomer to the rest of the world. It came out just around the time that people were still experiencing The Simpsons like new and not numb enough to Family Guy yet. People just didn’t get it. Only until it made its way to Adult Swim did people really start to catch on to its expert writing, entertaining storylines, and phenomenal characterization. That means it felt like a resurgence. Futurama then began making new episodes to continue the genius, BUT nothing lasts forever. Once it was canceled, people were sad. We were sad. Then they brought it back! And it was not as great as its former self. After a little while, it returned to its former glory. Then got canceled again. Then came back and was meh, and now it’s back again. Do you see what I mean? It’s concerning that ATHF might go down this path. Dying and coming back to life over-and-over again. Instead of taking that anxiety trip, I gave in as usual to the stream-of-consciousness trip that I know and love. After the initial drop, the rollercoaster started to feel a bit familiar.
The Mic Rula
This brings us to episode two. Now that I’ve settled in and put my petty criticisms to the side, I still don’t like the remastered theme song, and the ending credits are equally upsetting. BUT the episode was excellent. It begins with Meatwad asking Shake if he’s practiced his sign language, and Shake literally uses his middle fingers to say no in so many obscene ways. I immediately knew it was A Quiet Place parody, and I was all in. The debauchery continues, and this time including classic Carl with some oomph, a nasty beard, and a fart to end all farts. I watched with much needed laughs and intrigue. This is starting to shape up to be the Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem or The Incredibles 2. It is a long-awaited return of our best friends. Puss in Boots waited eleven years to give us a second film. Not third or fourth a SECOND film. When we all thought, oh, I guess Puss in Boots in a one-hit wonder they said so sorry for the wait, here is your mf-ing gem. When we thought – oh do we need a one millionth reboot of Ninja Turtles? Not that the reboots have been bad, but there’s… so many. Mutant Mayhem gave us Yerrrr and a gaggle of the most adorable mutant turtles, and an April that inspired Blerd girls everywhere (and offended people because… racism.) So ATHF gave me the warm fuzzy feelings of hilarious disgust it had done before.
The Old Schoola
The episode continues with a repulsive ear alien who landed on the wrong planet, and of course, Frylock does his logical deed of fixing the mess while Meatwad, Carl, and Shake form a really well-done rock band. Trust, none of this is really spoilers because, take it from a superfan, there is nothing like experiencing ATHF through your own eye holes, no matter how much of the story you think you know.
In the end, this redo, reboot, continuation, or whatever, is worth a rewatch. Plus, I think I can get over the new theme song and terrible end credits to have my favorite demented lunch crew back.
Season 12 premieres on Adult Swim on Sunday, November 26 at 11:30 pm ET/PT. New episodes of Aqua Teen Hunger Force will also be available the next day on Max.
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The post Let’s Try This Again: New ‘Aqua Teen Hunger Force’ Early Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.