Sidequest Corner: Remembering Sonic The Hedgehog

Yes, I am still alive.

Yes, I am still typing my other stuff.

Yes, I have been busy with a few other projects to the point where I can't keep this blog updated with a bunch of cutesy-poo “sorry too busy check back later” nonsense.

So what exactly has been holding me up? Well a combination of being on The Game Fanatics Live show on Twitch, writing several opinion pieces and reviews on stuff like Tacoma, Agents of Mayhem, and Telltale's Batman: The Enemy Within, and trying to play through the forty hour monster that is Yakuza Kiwami for review, which you can read here.

Don't worry, things should hopefully even out soon. Hopefully.

Animation Deviation: Samurai Jack Episodes 2 and 3 Review

Well...Tartokovsky's not slowing down anytime soon.

Today in Diversity: Autism in Power Rangers 2017

Don't worry, we'll get to the Samurai Jack review soon but I just want to take this moment to bring up a semi-recurring post that will be recurring here at the Cybertavern.

As I mentioned before, I do lean towards progressive inclusion in all media, mostly from a desire to see interesting, or at the least unconventional creative expression happen in said media. This is a place where anyone can take their mind off of things after all. But sometimes that can lead to tokenism, a piece of crap with one person who identifies as a tree is still a piece of crap after all.

So I like to take this opportunity to bring up some good examples of diversity that has come to my attention recently and whether or not I think it's good representation.

Our singular topic for the day is found in the recently released Saban's Power Rangers directed by Dean Isrealite.

Animation Deviation: Samurai Jack's Revival

So this past weekend saw the return of a beloved nostalgic animated series. It ran back in the 2000s on Cartoon Network, had and continues to have a staunch dedicated fanbase, and was known for bringing sophisticated and complex storytelling to a medium that more often than not written off as children's fare by the broader community.

And considering Cartoon Network's track record with bringing back critically beloved animated shows from the 2000s for a new audience while paying respect to the original run, they are basically tap dancing barefoot on broken glass while ritualistically peeling off their own skin with a superheated potato peeler in that regard, I was beyond worried about what would become of this series.

And this is after a lot of mollification came my way. The original creator was involved and had a plan for what he wanted to do. Most of his creative team returned, including most of the voice-actors. And the suits overseeing production weren't actually Cartoon Network but the notably more lax and gonzo mature animation branch of Adult Swim.

I am of course talking about the return of Genndy Tartokovsky's Samurai Jack.