Has an MFA, an M.Phil in ELT, learning about data analysis, strives to become a therapist, was a Managing Editor for Zelda Dungeon, and is a freelance editor and writer.
Contributor III
2000s Anime and its Theme of JusticeThe 2000s had quite a few anime that dealt with what it means to "become" justice, in a sense. Fate Stay Night has a protagonist who tries to fight for his sense of justice. Claymore examines the topic in a more brutal way that also deals with what it means to be human, and, of course, Death Note and Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion both examine what would happen if their protagonists were given a means to end the wrongs of the world in which they live, only to pay a price for it later. The topic taker should examine each of the anime listed, if possible, and compare and contrast how each anime dealt with the theme of justice it wanted to convey. How did each anime handle the toll it took on its protagonist? What could be gleaned from the outcomes of the individual anime surrounding what it means to be a savior figure, even if that ideology is subjective? Furthermore, the topic taker should delve into whether or not the sense of justice being displayed is entirely subjective to the protagonist of the anime, or if it tackles the idea of objective justice and the toll that takes on groups as opposed to the individual. The topic taker can include other anime that they feel may fit this idea, so long as it was released between 2000-2009, as there seemed to be a trend with anime around that time that shared a certain thematic work and aesthetic which is to be examined in this topic specifically. In this regard, the topic taker could also deepen the topic by looking into what was going on in Japan and/or the world in general at the time to see if current events or recent history evoked the theme of justice being culturally relevant to its viewers. The topic taker may also include, briefly, how anime from the 2000s with this theme of justice may have influenced other anime to re-examine the themes later on, such as with 2012’s Psycho-Pass or more current day anime. |
Has Achieving a Platinum Trophy or Equivalent in Games Become too Time Consuming?Most games, since the rise of the PS3 and Xbox 360, have introduced some kind of trophy system that marks completion progress. Some trophies or achievements provide some challenge, while, depending on the age of the game and if multiplayer is involved, some trophies are nearly impossible to obtain. In more current generation consoles, particularly if a game is known to be difficult, like Dark Souls, or long, like the Persona franchise, there is usually a tedious nature to obtaining that coveted platinum trophy or other mark of completion. However, especially in older games that received a remaster or port from a time when there were no trophies or achievements to mark progress, a lot of the added in trophies can become a little ridiculous and suck the fun out of the game until you have that one flawless run. The topic taker should examine whether or not platinuming or otherwise achieving a maximum achievement score has become too tedious for players, given the example above. Clearly, completing any game to that level is a matter of choice, so that aspect should also be touched on. In addition, the topic taker should consider whether or not achieving such feats adds or detracts from the fun of gaming, if it may add too much bloat to the game, and, as the title suggests, if it forces a causal gamer to feel more like a let’s player or streamer at the end of the day. For resources to start with, the topic taker should consider the list of achievements for platinuming or reaching the most achievements with a variety of games, some remasters or ports that did not have trophies or achievements when they were released, such as the Kingdom Hearts 1.5 and 2.5 releases, as well as more modern games, such as Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla where the trophy/achievement system is innate to the product, for example, focusing particularly on any trophies or achievements that seem to not make much sense in the list, or clearly have a lot of players complaining about the difficulty to achieve the trophy or achievement–likely resulting in a low trophy or achievement percentage–that bars them from 100% completion. Using these starting points, the topic taker could then jump into the phenomena of completing a game and what it means at a societal, within gaming communities, and/or psychological level and then from there determine if completing games for the reward is worth the time put into it or not. |
A Perspective on Banned Books in America versus Other CountriesRecently, a lot of books have been making it onto the infamous banned books list in America, due to containing such themes as "strong female leader" in the case of Wizard of Oz, "racism", especially with children’s books that tend to point to the systemic nature of racism in America, and of course, "sexuality and gender" that basically gets slapped on anything that even remotely hints at an LGBTQ relationship or gender expression outside of the cisgender spectrum. Most of these entries to the ever-growing ban list seem to be coming from conservative areas. It might be good to take a small sample of the banned book list from the past 2 years or so and see how it would compare to, say a European banned books list, if the idea of a banned books list isn’t something that is wholly limited to America in the first place, and see if there are any overlapping topics between the lists to see what trends might exist cross-culturally. If this cross-examination is not possible, the topic taker could instead talk about whether or not book bans should exist, and the reasons why they do, and could choose to take a few selections from the banned books list and make an argument as to whether or not the themes presented in the literature truly merit a spot on a banned books list. Banned Books list for America: (link)
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What Makes a Good Video Game to Film Adaptation?From Tomb Raider (2001, Angelina Jolie) to Sonic the Movie (2020, Jim Carrey), there have been quite a few games likewise adapted into movies, though to varying degrees of failure or success. Tomb Raider was somewhat considered a flop when it first came out, and it currently has a 5.8 on Imdb: (link) a 20% on Rotten Tomatoes from the critics, and a 47% by audiences: (link) and a 33% on Metacritic: (link) though some consider it underrated: (link) By contrast, the Sonic the Hedgehog movie had a 6.5 on Imdb: (link) a 63% critic rating and a 93% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes: (link) and a 47% on Metacritic: (link) The success of the Sonic movie garnered it not one, but two sequels. The topic taker should analyze the trends of adapting a video game to a movie, including the history of it, and what makes so many of the adaptations fail. The topic taker should really dive into what made good video adaptations good and see what trends their analysis reveals. The topic taker may also consider the future of video game to film adaptations and whether they think there will be more successes or failures as well. To help the topic taker, consider looking into the following films to start forming trends based off their reception via reviews/to start forming the history of video game to film adaptation as they see fit: Tomb Raider (2018) in order to compare/contrast it with the 2001 film
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Shifts in YouTube and the Rise of Short Video Media Like TikTokFollowing the departure of the creator of channels The Game Theorists, Film Theorists, Food Theorists, and Style Theorists, MatPat, from YouTube, there has been discussion about the changes of YouTube’s platform and if viewers of the platform are going to see other long-standing YouTubers leave. In MatPat’s goodbye video, he references other YouTubers who have decided to leave the platform and notes that "the platform is changing". We have also seen the trend of short-style videos in the vein of TikTok rise in popularity. The topic taker should address what changes they see taking place, possibly using the host of recent goodbye videos as a jumping off point, for the web-video platforms and analyze what those trends might mean for others looking to get into the content creation space. The topic taker is free to include the psychological impact of content creation, especially with the constant stream of short-form videos, has on a person. In addition, the topic taker can compare and contrast the platforms of YouTube and TikTok on multiple levels, such as monetization strategies and algorithms if they wish in order to predict where the trends might be going and indicate what those trends suggest for viewers and creators alike. MatPat’s Farwell: (link) |
games Write this topicWhy We Play Video GamesI think it would be interesting to see why we play video games on an intellectual level. What do the mechanics of the gameplay influence in the player’s surroundings and what influence does the setting of the game have on the story that may teach the player through the immersion process games tend to have? Sure, video games are fun, but what more do they have to teach us? I recommend looking up Game Theory on Youtube to see what is out there on this topic, though I’m coming at this topic from a more philosophical nature versus a scientific one.
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writing Write this topicWriting and Health BenefitsI would like to see what writing does to people on a psychological, emotional, and mental level. I know of a study that suggests writing about an issue we are facing in life helps us heal, but I’m wondering about writing in the realm of fiction and creative nonfiction, rather than just journaling about the issues in life. I’m also wondering if other studies exist on this subject and encourage any takers to go deeper than the surface for this topic.
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Web-Videos Write this topicAre web-based cartoons/shows successful?I would like to see an article on whether or not web-based cartoons or shows like "Bee and Puppycat" and "Video Game High School" are successful, and if they will mean anything in terms of competition for TV cartoons and shows in the future as a result of their success/fanbase, etc.
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Kill Bill's Enduring Impact — Two Decades of Echoing Retribution | |
Bad Boys: Dark, Dangerous, Disturbing… and Delicious | |
Bad Boys: Dark, Dangerous, Disturbing… and Delicious | |
Thank you! I have been, and the current goings on regarding trans rights makes it difficult sometimes. I sobbed at that part, because it was all right there, beautifully done, with the reaction I wish everyone coming out could have. All the positive representation we can get helps soothe some fears, and I hope you stay safe in Florida! | Spider-Man: The Trans Advocacy |
Mean Girls — 20 Years of Sass, Pink, and Cultural Rule | |
For me, it’s less that “Gwen *is* trans” and more that there’s enough subtext in her story/color scheme/character–especially the subtle things in it that give her the trans coding–for a trans interpretation to also be validating for people who identify with it. I think that does a lot for viewers who need that representation to be available to them, even if it’s just headcanon for them and not necessarily official canon per say. In any case, thank you very much for the comment! | Spider-Man: The Trans Advocacy |
I agree, which is why I tried to make it clear that she is not necessarily trans herself, but, she can also easily be interpreted as having trans coding, which, to people who understand that, can then make the connections between her narrative and a potential trans narrative as well. As a trans person, that subtext really helped me feel seen, helped me be able to contextualize my experience to my cis friends and family, etc., which was so nice to have as an example. Thank you for the comment and insight! | Spider-Man: The Trans Advocacy |
Good point! I certainly didn’t catch that aspect of things at first. I think you have a point about what the parents go through with a trans child, to a point. Accepting that someone is different from how you hoped, possibly expected, or even dreamed they would be can be very difficult. Sometimes, that kind of transition, especially when things start to potentially physically change can be…hurtful to the parent in a way, but, I think it’s also important for the parent involved to process that pain without taking it out on their child. We certainly see Gwen’s dad make that mistake when it comes to her identity as Spider-Woman, and, importantly, Gwen’s dad does what he can to make it right for her as his daughter. That kind of acceptance can, sadly, be hard to come by for most children, I feel, which is why I love that, yes, that pain is there, and it’s handled, and then there’s the acceptance. They even handled the flip side of that in Miles’s story, which was hard to watch as someone who went through a similar, lifelong, in more aspects than the trans one, rejection from his parents, but it’s so great that both depictions are in the film. It makes it more real, I think, and it definitely makes an impact on the viewer as a result. | Spider-Man: The Trans Advocacy |
Great article! It was a pleasure to edit, and, it’s great to see it on the site! Very thought provoking look into Kill Bill and what makes it different from similar movies.