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https://nerdist.com/article/tiktok-ban-updates-supreme-court-decision/
TikTok swept into the social media landscape with an enviable force. It seemed to totally capture the hearts and minds of the youngest generations among us with its addictive platform that offers you short-form video after short-form video. Even millennials are not immune to TikTok’s wiles. For some, influences and artists alike, TikTok has also been a lucrative place to grow a business and make a living. But now, the TikTok ban threatens to outlaw TikTok from the US. If the ban becomes an active law as planned, TikTok will be banned from the United States beginning on January 20. Currently, only the Supreme Court stands between the federal law being enacted and not. But what’s the state of the TikTok ban? Well, here’s the current State of the TikTok ban Union.
Quick Links:
- Latest Updates on the Supreme Court’s TikTok Ban Deliberations
- The Current Overall State of Affairs Regarding a TikTok Shut Down
Latest Updates on the Supreme Court’s TikTok Ban Deliberations
After its first day of deliberations, the Supreme Court appears to lean toward upholding the TikTok ban, but did not conclude discussions. TikTok’s lawyer Noel Francisco seemed optimistic, however, noting “This country has never taken a step of shutting down a speech platform, much less such an important speech platform. You don’t shut down a speech platform because you’re worried about speech that’s dangerous.”
The Chinese embassy meanwhile criticized the ban, noting in a statement, “The U.S. has never found evidence that TikTok threatens U.S. national security, but it has used state power and abused national security reasons to unreasonably suppress it, which is not fair or just at all. The U.S. should truly respect the principles of market economy and fair competition, stop unreasonably suppressing companies from other countries, and provide an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for companies from all countries to invest and operate in the U.S.”
The Current Overall State of Affairs Regarding a TikTok Shut Down
On January 10th, the Supreme Court will hear opening arguments in the case of the TikTok ban. There’s a lot of legalese involved, but in short, TikTok and ByteDance are arguing that the TikTok ban/shutdown is unconstitutional because it violates the First Amendment rights of its 170 million users. While some Supreme Court justices acknowledge the truth of this, the opposition argument is that TikTok does not have to shut down, it simply needs to divest of its owner ByteDance. ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok is a concern to the United States government, which believes the company is using TikTok to spy on Americans for the Chinese government, as well as to spread Chinese-centric propaganda. At this point in time, the court seemingly leans toward upholding the law and allowing the TikTok ban to take effect.
The Supreme Court has not yet arrived at a final decision, but it feels expected that they will move quickly to achieve one. We’ll be sure to update this piece as new information becomes accessible. You can listen to the arguments on YouTube via PBS NewsHour.
On April 24, 2024, President Biden signed the TikTok divest-or-ban bill into law, which also passed in Congress. If the Supreme Court does not strike down the TikTok ban, the law will go into effect on January 20. That means the use of TikTok will be illegal in the United States, and TikTok will no longer be available at the time.
The post TikTok Ban Updates: Supreme Court Leans Toward Upholding Ban and Shutting US TikTok Down in January appeared first on Nerdist.
TikTok swept into the social media landscape with an enviable force. It seemed to totally capture the hearts and minds of the youngest generations among us with its addictive platform that offers you short-form video after short-form video. Even millennials are not immune to TikTok’s wiles. For some, influences and artists alike, TikTok has also been a lucrative place to grow a business and make a living. But now, the TikTok ban threatens to outlaw TikTok from the US. If the ban becomes an active law as planned, TikTok will be banned from the United States beginning on January 20. Currently, only the Supreme Court stands between the federal law being enacted and not. But what’s the state of the TikTok ban? Well, here’s the current State of the TikTok ban Union.
Quick Links:
- Latest Updates on the Supreme Court’s TikTok Ban Deliberations
- The Current Overall State of Affairs Regarding a TikTok Shut Down
Latest Updates on the Supreme Court’s TikTok Ban Deliberations
After its first day of deliberations, the Supreme Court appears to lean toward upholding the TikTok ban, but did not conclude discussions. TikTok’s lawyer Noel Francisco seemed optimistic, however, noting “This country has never taken a step of shutting down a speech platform, much less such an important speech platform. You don’t shut down a speech platform because you’re worried about speech that’s dangerous.”
The Chinese embassy meanwhile criticized the ban, noting in a statement, “The U.S. has never found evidence that TikTok threatens U.S. national security, but it has used state power and abused national security reasons to unreasonably suppress it, which is not fair or just at all. The U.S. should truly respect the principles of market economy and fair competition, stop unreasonably suppressing companies from other countries, and provide an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for companies from all countries to invest and operate in the U.S.”
The Current Overall State of Affairs Regarding a TikTok Shut Down
On January 10th, the Supreme Court will hear opening arguments in the case of the TikTok ban. There’s a lot of legalese involved, but in short, TikTok and ByteDance are arguing that the TikTok ban/shutdown is unconstitutional because it violates the First Amendment rights of its 170 million users. While some Supreme Court justices acknowledge the truth of this, the opposition argument is that TikTok does not have to shut down, it simply needs to divest of its owner ByteDance. ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok is a concern to the United States government, which believes the company is using TikTok to spy on Americans for the Chinese government, as well as to spread Chinese-centric propaganda. At this point in time, the court seemingly leans toward upholding the law and allowing the TikTok ban to take effect.
The Supreme Court has not yet arrived at a final decision, but it feels expected that they will move quickly to achieve one. We’ll be sure to update this piece as new information becomes accessible. You can listen to the arguments on YouTube via PBS NewsHour.
On April 24, 2024, President Biden signed the TikTok divest-or-ban bill into law, which also passed in Congress. If the Supreme Court does not strike down the TikTok ban, the law will go into effect on January 20. That means the use of TikTok will be illegal in the United States, and TikTok will no longer be available at the time.
The post TikTok Ban Updates: Supreme Court Leans Toward Upholding Ban and Shutting US TikTok Down in January appeared first on Nerdist.
We’re living in a golden age of true-to-source-material video game adaptations for film and TV. From The Last of Us redefining emotional storytelling to Arcane flexing its animation muscles and storytelling, we’ve come a long way from the days of Resident Evil movies that completely ignore almost all source material. How is it that Secret Level dropped on Amazon Prime, and the streets are this quiet about it? I have to search for it on my socials because it’s not coming up on my timelines, and ionlikedat.
Released on December 10th, this anthology series—created by Tim Miller (Deadpool, Love, Death & Robots)—is a love letter to the storytelling of video games. Each episode serves as a fitting homage to the games that shaped us, from beloved classics to forgotten gems, all brought to life with stunning visuals, sharp writing, and a voice cast that’s straight-up iconic. I’m talking Keanu Reeves bringing the intensity, Temuera Morrison delivering that boss energy, Kevin Hart adding his signature flair that we know him for, and Arnold Schwarzenegger reminding us why he’s still the king of action with a dash of comedic relief for good measure.
The animation? Fire. The voice acting? Pure gold. I was hooked from the jump and knew this anthology was going to be special. I need nominations for this show, STAT
Secret Level: Hooked From Episode 1
Episode 1, titled “The Queen’s Cradle,” transported me straight back to my D&D roots, like I was rolling a d20 for initiative all over again. This episode perfectly exemplified how organically your group in D&D forms—everyone falling into their roles, often stumbling into just the class or character you needed to make the party complete.
I loved the Dungeons & Dragons movie, but Secret Level felt like something entirely different. Where the movie leaned into comedy and blockbuster tropes (and did it well!), this felt like watching someone’s actual campaign unfold, more in the vein of The Legend of Vox Machina. It wasn’t trying to crack jokes every five minutes—it was about the adventure, the plot twists, and the unique chaos that only a D&D campaign can deliver. It gave us characters that we see in all of our own campaigns—like Tally, the gnome wizard, who was just so gnome-coded that it hurt but only in the best way. She embodied everything you’d expect from a gnome: clever, chaotic, and undeniably charming.
I’ve been hungry for more video game-related content to consume, and Secret Level came in clutch, like that one homie who mains the healer. Episode 2 takes us back with Sifu, delivering a poignant lesson about the cost of vengeance. Episode 3, meanwhile, is a hilarious meta dive into New World: Aeternum, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in a comedic, MMORPG-flavored fever dream with Groundhog Day-style storytelling. And don’t even get me started on Episode 8, where Keanu Reeves takes the cockpit in the Armored Core universe and annihilates—not just with his mech, but with his flawless voice acting. It’s gritty, brutal, and one of the standouts of the series and I’m so sad that it was such a short episode!
But one of my absolute favorites? “Warhammer 40,000: And They Shall Know No Fear”. Listen, this episode had me ready to hop on my PC and load up Space Marine 2. This episode follows Captain Demetrian Titus post-Space Marine 2, and when I tell you this episode is brutal, brilliant, and so quintessentially 40K/Space Marine, I mean it. By the end, I was yelling, “What’s in the box?!” like I was David Mills in Se7en, only to nod solemnly and say, “Yep, that tracks for 40K.”
This episode has made me even more hyped for Henry Cavill’s upcoming live-action Warhammer 40K series and movies, also coming to Amazon Prime. While I know the two projects are unrelated, the sheer quality of this episode sets a high bar. I can’t help but hope Amazon maintains this level of excellence when it’s time for Cavill’s series to roll out.
Pac-Man’s Dark Side and Easter Egg Mania
Episode 6, though? Oh, y’all ain’t ready for Episode 6. If you know me, you know I live for hyper fixating on video game lore, and Pac-Man is one of my favorite rabbit holes. This episode wasn’t just a trip—it was a journey. Taking cues from Bandai Namco’s extensive library, it blended elements from Xevious, United Galaxy Space Force, and the upcoming platformer, Shadow Labyrinth.
And let me tell you, this episode was DARK. Like, “Why am I whispering ‘What the fuck?’ at my screen?” dark. I spent hours afterward diving into Reddit threads for easter egg confirmations because the lore runs deep. If you’re into theory-crafting, this episode is for you.
Hidden Gems and Forgotten Classics
What makes Secret Level so special is its range. Alongside heavy hitters like Mega Man and Unreal Tournament, it shines a spotlight on lesser-known titles like Concord, a game that had its plug pulled a month after launch and now only lives on in this series. There’s even an episode featuring Spelunky, Honor of Kings, and Crossfire.
And then there’s Exodus, based on an upcoming game from Archetype Entertainment set to release in late 2025. While the game hasn’t launched yet, its episode left me intrigued and eager to dive into it when it arrives.
Tim Miller didn’t just create an anthology—he built a shrine to gaming’s past, present, and future.
Why Aren’t Y’all Watching?
Even if you’re not a hardcore gamer, Secret Level is worth your time. The series doesn’t expect you to know every ounce of lore from these games, it gives you just enough to get invested while leaving room for curiosity. You might even find yourself wanting to pick up a controller or dive into PC gaming after watching.So, if you’ve got some time off this holiday season, do yourself a favor and check out Secret Level. All episodes for season one streaming now on Amazon Prime, and I promise, it’s the gift gamers didn’t know they needed.
Naliaah Castro is a NY-born blerd, gamer, and grad student juggling parenthood, work, and co-paneling on New Blerd Order. With a love for horror, RPGs, sci-fi, and fantasy, she’s probably either deep into a video game or rewatching Lord of the Rings for the hundredth time.
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The post Not Enough of Y’all Are Talking About ‘Secret Level,’ and It Don’t Sit Right with My Spirit appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
It’s been over ten years since gates that lead to another dimension have begun appearing across the world. The battles between the magic beasts inhabiting the dungeons through the gates and the human hunters who have awakened the abilities to fight them show no signs of ending. Ordinarily, a hunter’s abilities do not change upon awakening, with their rank never increasing. However, the low-ranked Sung Jinwoo, known as “The Weakest Hunter of All Mankind,” gained the ability to level up through battle during a raid on a double dungeon.
Jinwoo has become a formidable necromancer with an army of loyal shadows at his command. But he must master these abilities while keeping them hidden from other hunters, all while racing against the clock to save his mother. As he faces humanity’s toughest foes, Jinwoo pushes his body and mind to the limit, and the full extent of his newfound power is revealed. Having completed a job-change quest that earned him the job “Shadow Monarch” and command over an army of shadows, Jinwoo heads into battle seeking the ingredients for the Elixir of Life to save his sick mother.
Crunchyroll, in collaboration with Aniplex, is bringing the world the eagerly awaited second season anime adaptation of the Korean manhwa sensation, Solo Leveling. (Our site’s review of the first two episodes of Season One) If you were lucky enough to catch Solo Leveling -ReAwakening in theaters last year, it featured a great recap of the first glorious season to prepare you for this new season airing this year.
Here’s a mostly spoiler free review for the first episode of Solo Leveling, Season Two which premiered on Saturday, January 4, 2025 on Crunchyroll. A big thanks to Crunchyroll for the early access!
You Aren’t E-Rank, Are You?
This second season of Solo Leveling drops the audience back at home with Jinjwoo–he’s in bed resting and recovering from the epic battle that he had with Igris–that’s worth rewatching. His first call to action was to pop up at Jinah’s, his younger sister, school for the parent/guardian teacher meetups. This is a great anchor to remind the audience of who and what our protagonist is doing all this for, this part of the emotional tether to his mission–providing for his kid sister and doing what he can to heal his ailing mother. He’s gone from the “Weakest Hunter of All Mankind“ to a force to be reckoned with, a man on different hunter’s radar, and also someone transformed starting with his own will. Sung, Jinwoo, you are that dude. You are exactly who you think you are.
But in Jinwoo’s case–there’s another task added to his ever mounting mountain of duties. By request of a teacher at Jinah’s school, he is asked to talk to one of her classmates, Han Song-yi, who has been working as a hunter. She may be familiar as the high school student who we saw in one of the motley crews hastily put together last season to make the required hunter quota when Jinwoo and Yoo Jinhoo were mining dungeons for treasure. This teen, while determined, is a low level hunter, who will ultimately have a difficult career ahead of her. Attempting to show her the harsh reality of the job, Jinwoo takes her to a raid designated for new hunters of the White Tiger guild. Things do NOT go as planned–as you can guess.
Can we stop and appreciate the new opening animation and song combo here for season two of Solo Leveling? The opening song is a BANGER! I did not know that LiSA and Felix of Stray Kids would sound so great on a track together, and the song gets me hyped. The new animation sequence for the opening opens to Jinwoo walking away with what looks like a bloody mouth and as he does we see a pomegranate fruit on the ground. The literary nerd within me instantly thought about what the symbolism could represent here. Depending on what part of the world, the pomegranate can represent a great number of meanings. My mind went to Greek mythology, and how the pomegranate is known as the “fruit of the dead.” This feels on par as last season Jinwoo leveled up and changed his job class, picking up a undead army.
Starting with that pomegranate, I followed the color red through the opening: from the red colored enemies of Jinwoo’s undead army to the tassel of Igris’ helmet all the way to the dying reddish light of the day where the country’s top hunters battle against creatures. There’s the red squares of the blackjack/roulette wheel to the red gem of pendant that Jinah–Jinwoo’s younger sister holds up to the light. There’s more red colored enemies that our main characters face off with, the red color of the slashes on impact from his weapon’s attacks ending with another pomegranate towards the end. I also first leaned on Greek mythology once seeing the fruit as I thought of the story of Hades and Persephone and how one was led into the underworld. We see a glimpse of the past Jinwoo–laying with a bed of lilies surrounding him–resurrection? A trade off? A sacrifice? This is a very intentional piece of animation with some hints and foreshadowing- I bet for the rest of the season.
Back to this review: This first episode of Solo Leveling’s second season really helps establish Jinwoo’s new status after all the training and grinding he did last season. Yes, he’s that dude, yes, he’s a force to be reckoned with, and yes, he’s a problem. He’s back home and leaning on his newfound strengths and knowledge and he’s moving forward with the plan. He gets to perform on a stage and that will include a boss baddie that will challenge him…whom I’m guessing was the short glimpse we had at the end of this episode. Jinwoo is rising to the occasion of his powers and his growing presence in the hunter world–he’s made use of his E-ranking as a hunter to fly under the radar and carry out his business, for sure.
The rising action off the battlefield really drives home the point that Jinwoo is on the radar of many more people now–hunters, hunter management, and more–for better or worse. He’s become too powerful and the timeline of his rise of power and him being at certain locations has pushed some to hypothesize that he’s reawakened. This comes in the form of dangerous and vindictive hunter Hwang Doongsoo who is looking to avenge his older brother, a hunter who lost his life last season. This also comes in the form of hunters who want to turn on him as their circumstances change as we probably see more in the following episodes this season.
“Solo Leveling Season Two arrives on the scene with much spectacle and substance: reminding us what drew us to the anime adaptation of the web-comic in the first place. A solid start for a new season, grounding us in Jinwoo’s purpose and presence in this latest chapter of his adventures.”
Verdict
While the pacing of the first episode of the first season bothered me, this time around the studio got it right with the first episode of the second season. We start off with Jinwoo and a piece of his emotional center: his family via his sister. And we’re reminded of some of the major players on the board who have or will soon have a greater interest in Jinwoo and his abilities. The gate incident brings him and his mission forward with much hinting about power and where his path leads.
I do love that this first episode of Solo Leveling does not disappoint on the animation quality side. Yes, we can gas up the fight scenes–which I am a fan of. (Shout out to the new opening sequence for season two, embedded above in this review!) Seeing Jinwoo’s new powers manifest in this new dungeon is a feast for the eyes, of course. These battles are only as appetizers for the main dish in the upcoming episode for next week, I’m sure. I am really loving the more subtle details from this episode like how this new version of a gate manifested and the brilliant scene where hunter Hwang Doongsoo is confronted by another hunter upon returning to Korea.
As amazing as it was to finally see Solo Leveling‘s first animated season, it feels just right having it return and be among the first in the Crunchyroll Winter 2025 Anime lineup. We are starting off strong with this action-packed series complete with so many little complexities and a protagonist we’ve been emotionally invested and rooting for. Solo Leveling Season Two arrives on the scene with much spectacle and substance: reminding us what drew us to the anime adaptation of the web-comic in the first place. A solid start for a new season, grounding us in Jinwoo’s purpose and presence in this latest chapter of his adventures.
Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-
Streaming on Crunchyroll in January 2025
– SEASON 2 PRODUCTION STAFF –
Original Story by
Chugong
Original Illustrations by
DUBU (Redice Studio)
Directed by
Shunsuke Nakashige
Series Composition by
Noboru Kimura
Character Design by
Tomoko Sudo
Monster Design by
Hirotaka Tokuda
Art Director
Yasuhiro Okumura
Director of Photography
Daichi Iseki
Music Composed by
Hiroyuki Sawano
Animation Studio
A-1 Pictures
Motion Graphics
Production I.G
– SONGS –
Opening Theme Song “ReawakR” Performed by
LiSA (feat. Felix of Stray Kids)
– JAPANESE VOICE CAST –
Taito Ban as Sung Jinwoo
Reina Ueda as Cha Hae-In
Daisuke Hirakawa as Choi Jong-In
Hiroki Touchi as Baek Yoonho
Banjo Ginga as Gunhee Go
Makoto Furukawa as Woo Jinchul
Genta Nakamura as Yoo Jinho
Haruna Mikawa as Sung Jinah
Miyu Tomita as Han Song-Yi
– ENGLISH DUB VOICE CAST –
Aleks Le as Sung Jinwoo
Michelle Rojas as Cha Hae-In
Ian Sinclair as Choi Jong-in
Christopher Sabat as Baek Yoonho
Kent Williams as Gunhee Go
SungWon Cho as Woo Jinchul
Justin Briner as Yoo Jinho
Rebecca Wang as Sung Jinah
Emi Lo as Han Song-Yi
Solo Leveling is animated by acclaimed A-1 Pictures (Sword Art Online). The series is directed by Shunsuke Nakashige (Sword Art Online Alicization War of Underworld).
Watch the first season of Solo Leveling only on Crunchyroll.com.
About Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is the global anime brand that fuels fans’ love of anime. With the ambition to make anime an even bigger part of pop culture, Crunchyroll offers fans the ultimate anime experience and destination centered around a premium streaming service. Crunchyroll has the largest dedicated anime library, an immersive world of events, exciting theatrical releases, unique games, must-have merchandise, timely news, and more. Anime is for everyone and is accessible to stream across territories through Crunchyroll—whether on the go on mobile, through gaming consoles and big-screen devices at home, or on desktops anywhere.
Crunchyroll, LLC is an independently operated joint venture between U.S.-based Sony Pictures Entertainment and Japan’s Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., both subsidiaries of Tokyo-based Sony Group.
Cover image: ©Solo Leveling Animation Partners
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The post Spectacle and Substance: ‘Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-’ Episode 1 Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Let’s start off with a tangentially related fact: Netflix has managed to cultivate an aggressively comprehensive anime library over the last few units of time. As far as Winter 2024 anime, they gave us the simuldubs of Dandandan, and Ranma ½, as well as one of the most thrilling historical fiction animes I’ve seen in a minute, Orb: On the Movement of the Earth. Over the last year, I watched Hajime No Ippo: The Fighting and Captain Tsubasa, to say nothing of how they started 2024 with Dungeon Meshi (which you may know as Delicious in Dungeon). It’s impressive that I watch more of anime on Netflix than on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and HiDive (that said, Crunchyroll is where I still get my One Piece fix as well as Solo Leveling and things like, and I’m not quite as familiar with HiDive’s library like my friend Carrie, and Hulu’s Medalist is making a really strong play but that’s a different article).
Based on the pilot, Sakamoto Days is going to continue that trend because it is so much fun and is going to be a perfect weekend watch harkening back to good old Saturday morning cartoons in the best way possible.
The basic premise of Sakamoto Days is that a legendary hitman, Taro Sakamoto, fell in love and gave up being a hitman to be a convenience shop owner and loving husband. However, when you’re that good, you’re not exactly able to leave, so Sakamoto still occasionally has to deal with hitmen. For example, Shin, a hitman with inexplicable ESP, who is the main instigator in the pilot episode.
Right from the introduction and the OP, one of the first things that jumps out is that Sakamoto Days feels like it has more in common with anime from two to three decades ago than its contemporaries. While it’s premise and sensibilities are in line with series like Spy x Family (another series with inexplicable ESP and an assassin living a normal life, except with a spy) and The Way of the House Husband (Yakuza turned doting husband), its aesthetic feels different. While watching, my immediate benchmarks were Black Lagoon for the clean gun animation and Full Metal Alchemist, mostly because Shin reminds of Edward Elric (it’s the blonde hair, the kneeling poses, and exaggerated facial expressions).
Hell, in a slightly different timeline, The Legend of Taro Sakamoto would have been a beloved early 2000s action anime that could have kickstarted a whole genre, not unlike John Wick. But instead, we live in the one where Sakamoto Days is about a guy who really loves his wife who has impressed onto him that he needs to help which he is also insisting upon impressing upon anyone willing to listen.
Watching Shin, the telepathic assassin, try to eliminate Sakamoto and ensuing shenanigans is just straight up joyful. It’s this wonderful tale about how sometimes you meet your heroes and have your life changed for the better. It’s about the fact that a simple boring life is worth protecting. It’s embracing the very 2020 trend of built in Anime Music Video energy. The dub cast was phenomenal between Kirk Thornton’s narration, Matthew Mercer’s Sakamoto, and Dallas Liu’s Shin, and honestly a good dub is a very good sign. It shows investment and belief in a series.
If it’s not clear, I like this series a lot and I think Netflix has another hit on their hands. I had picked up the manga last year and fell off quickly due to the nature of life, but after watching the pilot, I immediately hopped on the Shonen Jump app to pick up where I left off because I was so invested in the life of a man who just wants to exist and also happens to be skilled in several kinds of combat. We got ten more episodes in part 1, and we’ll get part 2 in July. It’s gonna be a really fun time y’all.
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The post 2020s Sensibilities with Early 2000s Aesthetics: ‘Sakamoto Days’ Pilot Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.