*watches*

...

RAGE.

-.-

O.O

Nearly 500 fav+ and 300 comments. Wow. For a page without any fanservice even. I love how many people are invested in the story.

^.^ Well done DaiGaijin!

Alright, so it's not secret I'm KFP obsessed. Have been ever since I saw the first film.

DaiGaijin is probably publishing (for free!) one of the biggest and (In My Humble Opinion) well drawn comic on KFP ever made.

I have a lot of respect for him, not only because he's feeding my obsession - but with what he puts up with.

How mean are people who bag the comic on his page. I'm all for freedom of speech and expression - but save it for an image board or some other place where the comic is posted. Even write your own journal on how awful it is or how it's so badly made. Belittling the comic on the artists own posting is just plain mean and nasty.

As if that's not enough, I've even seen DEATH THREATS posted to him on his shouts. Some coward hiding behind a 'sock puppet' account telling him to change the comic story or else.

I just drop my head into my hands. What's wrong with these people? Have they no sense of decency and decorum? It's a free comic, by most accounts a damn good one and posted in good faith for all to enjoy (or ignore).

Fortunately these people are in the minority, by far. But what sorry lives they must live to be motivated to behave in such a way.

Yet, DaiGaijin continues to post pages twice a week, without fail. Just doing that, without melting down under the pressure is worthy of praise. I don't honestly know how he does it.

To quote part 1:
Deus ex Machina means implausible and unexpected. It's not always a bad thing, for instance - War of the Worlds. Where Deus ex Machina is used for dramatic effect to 'wrap up' the story.

But generally, it means 'lazy writing'.

The events in my favorite comic right now seem to be heading towards a resolution that looks like Deus ex Machina, smells like Deus ex Machina and tastes like Deus ex Machina.

Yet, I am not concerned. Sometimes the odd spot of 'by the hand of God' is a relief.

So, if we have a new power/skill to solve an otherwise unsolvable situation... not referenced earlier - so the reader could not have seen it coming, so be it.

Lazy writing? Yep. No doubt it's heading towards a plot weakness. But all things considered, I think it can be forgiven.

Que Sera, Sera.

I feel like going on a multi-page rant. About shallow storylines, shallow character writing where emotions are turned on and off like a switch with little or no background or justification.

+10 Internets for anyone who guesses what I just watched.

-.-

Spoiler alert on KFP LoA s02e07 'Enter the Dragon'
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I wish I knew if the writers of LoA were communicating with Dreamworks regarding the cannonity of their cartoon show. Enter the Dragon was an epic episode, for sure - and it hinted at so much.

I read elsewhere that Lord Shen was mentioned, but I missed it. If that was the case, then it's a mistake by the writers. Shifting the timeline to after the second movie is such a bad idea, given the plot holes the cartoon generates.

Yet again, we have a mystical power taking pride of place... I hated it in KFP-1 (Tai Lungs death was a cop-out IMO) and I hate it in the series. It just feels like 'cheating'. Arg.

Tigress's actress is no Angelina Jolie... I do wonder if she knows that, or if she's happy with the way her character comes across. The emotional stuff just didn't feel like it was from the heart. Maybe it's a combination of the writing and the acting, each not quite hitting the spot. I found it frustrating, it could have been so much more.

I don't think the more 'plastic' looking models used in the cartoon have the same ability to deal with extreme emotions - I think of Tigress's expression while chained up with the five in the second film, when she thinks Po's dead and Monkey said 'Hardcore - Right Tigress?'. The character model really showed the silent despair, where it just doesn't seem to work as well with the cartoon model.

Naturally, my TixPo hormones went nuts when she hugged him.. but it was over so quickly... *sets up auto repeat on her video player!* XD

Tigress knowing more than anyone about sacrafice... it all seemed so stilted.. like the actors just weren't feeling it. So much potential there, and the lines just weren't delivered like they could have been.

*Sigh* I have to remind myself this is a kids cartoon, my expectations are way too high. Still, is it ok to dream?

Grrrrr....

I hate people misusing Deus ex Machina. I don't know if it's poor teaching of English and Latin in schools, or it's just become a 'cool thing to say'... but as a writer, being accused of Deus ex Machina is about the biggest insult you can summon.

It means resolving a plot or situation 'by the hand of God'. In other words, the author pulls out of her ass a new power/skill or character that appears at just the right time so an otherwise unsolvable situation is fixed. This power/skill or character would not have been referenced earlier - so the reader would not have seen it coming.

It does not refer to the hero turning up 'just in time' when you know they're on their way, and you're hoping they will make it. (Like in The Matrix when Neo arrives in the helicopter just in time to stop Mr Smith from killing Morpheus).

It does not refer to an accident (such as a rope breaking, or a knot coming untied) that allows the hero to escape, when it's plausible it could happen. (Such as in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, when Markus is pushed off the tank when Indy goes to punch someone)

It does not refer to an awesome skill a character may have that's special to the character. (Like in 'True Lies' when Arnie picks the handcuffs - it's a skill you would expect a secret agent to have).

Deus ex Machina means implausible and unexpected. It's not always a bad thing, for instance - War of the Worlds. Where Deus ex Machina is used for dramatic effect to 'wrap up' the story.

But generally, it means 'lazy writing', and that's insulting. I wish people would use it properly.

/rant!

I've watched Sabrina Online forever... since the beginning almost. For many years, it was my only knowledge of the Anthro fandom.

Having seen this months update, I hope it's not about to end.

3:08 into KFP-2, Viper faints. I only just noticed. I am amused.

I can't get anyone else around here to listen to my ranting, so I'll rant online instead.

Alright, so I'm obsessed with Kung Fu Panda. No secret there. My immediate friends also like it, but not with the passion I have for the series and it's wonderful star. (I'm not talking about Po!)

The problem with being truly obsessed is that you transcend from liking something, to what is perhaps an unhealthy level of dedication. For instance,  [Koh] showed off his KFP figurines the other day, and I just got jealous. I didn't say anything, of course.. but all I could think of was how annoyed I was that such toys weren't readily available here.

I don't like negative emotions like jealousy coming out. Erg. You should have heard me go psycho when I found out Secrets of the Masters wasn't going to be released here while the USA gets it for free with the KFP-2 bluray. But anyway, I went to see Ice Age 4.

Honestly, it felt flat to me. Like, recycled. More of the same - it wasn't fresh and new. Even the new characters lacked any real interest for me. I mean, it was beautifully animated, amazing arty work. But even Shira felt like a vehicle for the voice actor, rather than a strong female lead character I could get interested in. Mammoth teen angst... oh god. Kill me now.

I'll admit, I want to see Diego and Shira gettin' it on! Some nice cute romantic interaction. But I always do that. It's a curse.

This is what scares me about Kung Fu Panda. #1 was a good fun film. Some sloppy writing, but on the whole well executed and cast.

#2 was awesome. Beyond awesome. It just resonated with me and held me every second. The depth of the main players was amazing. I adore it.

How will #3 keep that momentum? And what about #4 and #5... will it all seem 'more of the same' by then? The people at Dreamworks have their work cut out. Maybe they'll pull a 'James Bond' and keep it fresh and engaging. I hope so.

I just don't want to repeat the feeling I got with Ice Age. To walk out of a KFP film and have to say, "More of the same" would break my heart.

/rant.