Golden Kamuy (2024) and Reality Z

Changing up the format.

Golden Kamuy

Set in the late Meiji period in Japan, this live action movie focuses on an "immortal" soldier who apparently still needs money and stumbles upon a crazy treasure hunt involving map pieces having been tattooed onto people. There are some really nice action sequences here (though it's hard to feel worried for the immortal guy) as well as loads of world building and... bears? Yeah. Lots of bears. Anyway, I didn't realize this was based on a manga and worse: it simply ends with a ton of plot threads hanging because it wants a continuation. Sure there was an action / many action bits at the end but... none of them felt like a climax. All up this movie just introduces people and sets up the world. Don't bother watching it until there's a Golden Kamuy 2 (and possibly 3-5 at the rate its going).

Reality Z

In this one season show it's time for another zombie outbreak, this time in Brazil - with a strong focus on their version of a "Big Brother" reality TV house and production studio. Yep, there's jump scares (often happen after long boring shots of people walking slowly down an empty corridor), gore and people making idiotic decisions as per standard fare but this series has a super odd format, and is probably a lesson for me on why some people should always have plot armor. If I was to recommend a cut down version of the show (like I did for Helluva Boss) I'd say just start from episode 6. That said, I don't actually recommend watching it as it goes nowhere.

Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge and Battle of the Realms

"FIGHT!"

Scorpion's Revenge

This ultra violent animated martial arts film is based on the Mortal Kombat game franchise and somehow fits in a ton of characters, a decent story that has a decent script and character growth along side great and bloody action sequences which is a surprise coming from the Warner Brothers Animation studio. Highly entertaining an excellent film to occupy you for 80 minutes even if you know nothing of Mortal Kombat. Recommended!

Battle of the Realms

This sequel film continues with the ultra violent animation but loses a bit of ground in the plot department as there are a few things happening at the same time, which tries to mash together the tournament, a side quest involving robot ninjas, demons and a kaiju style fight for the finale. Yeah, they did this to include even more named characters but the result is the story isn't as tight - and as ridiculous as some of the Mortal Kombat stuff is to begin with, there are bits here that are really hilarious like: jumping off to certain death counting on a random gust of air to save you and "oh, this magic door needs a key to open so lets spend the whole movie getting the key to get in. How to get out? Easy, just shoot a hole in the ceiling and fly out! So... why didn't we do that to get in? ..."

Still, if you enjoyed the first one you'll most likely enjoy this not quite as good sequel. Still recommended. :)

Pathfinder: Lamatar

[Part of the Party Time journal]  

The first two Kreeg guards at their cavernous mountain top fortress manage to KO Ezren, but are put down soon after by the rest of the team so for the next two guards who also have a hill giant assisting them, Ezren doesn't hesitate to hit them with ice storm which really messes them up. In the nearby mining and forge chamber with a dozne more ogres, Ezren and Kyra annihilate almost all of them with fireballs while Razmus helps(?) my throwing boulders but missing each time!

The next chamber has a trio of hags that manage to force cage Kyra and Ezren while also blocking Razmus and Shay, but are taken down by Valeros, Kyra's summoned bear, and Merisiel's ultra deadly backstabbing. Then the team finally comes across the remains of Black Arrow Captain Lamatar who is now a frost wight and absolutely the scariest foe they have faced so far. He's very fast, shoots three times and every time he hits drains a level! WTF!? As the team is only level 9 and reaching level 0 is death, they throw everything they have against this guy and finally succeed but only end with Ezren and Shay not being level drained.

Low on spells the team then rests at the entrance of the fortress just long enough to get spells back and heal but not recover lost levels before a returning patrol of ogres interrupts them, though Stolas gives early warning for the heroes to strike first. Ezren opens with cloud kill which basically ends the majority of the enemies, and once that's wrapped up the crew decide to press on to a huge throne room with two giants: a throne sitting necromancer and his guard.

Merisiel's giant-slaying bow and Razmus' hammer efficiently deal with the nameless guard while the necromancer hits the team with fireballs and magic missiles. Comedically Razmus finally lands a hit with a thrown boulder but the necromancer catches it and throws it back, smacking him in the face! Ultimately the bad guy, who was more of an HP sponge rather than a threat like Lamatar, is slain.

A note in his treasure pile suggests he too answered to someone else, but first the team return Lamatar's finger (as requested) to the undead nymph who revives him, restores everyone's missing levels, then fades away to the spirit realm making the forest a normal one again. Lamatar is unable to get over his failure and instead of returning to Fort Rannick decides to become the new protector of these woods.

Pathfinder: The Best Type of Friend

[Part of the Party Time journal]  

With the situation at the dam resolved, Eye Patch, Kibb and Shay return to Fort Rannick while the main party reports in back at Turtleback Ferry - passing by a wagon of criminals being sent there as new recruits, one of whom is Orik who apparently has the worst luck but Valeros is certain the Black Arrows will be happy to have him.

Back in town the team experiences some hag induced nightmares and are further interrupted by a little fairy guy who asks for help for his angry mistress. He leads the way to some evil twisted forest where they make quick work of tree blight enemies before finding said mistress, a now undead nymph who was once the main squeeze of the Black Arrow Captain Lamatar, and reduce her anger down to sadness by agreeing to find what's left of him up at the Kreeg fortress in the mountains.
 
Having heard tales of giants being active in that region, the team decides to make a detour to Claybottom lake to retrieve a giant-slaying bow of one Robin Cloakley, who went down with the gambling / pleasure barge everyone at Turtleback Ferry talks about. Ezren stays on the boat while Kyra, Merisiel and Valeros dive down using water breathing magic and collect the magic bow which involves Valeros being temporarily swallowed by a giant fish!

Now headed back up the mountain (again? seriously?) and passing Fort Rannick the Black Arrows are eager to join in to take the fight to the Kreegs but the team decides to only bring Shay (because more people = longer combat). As they continue the ascent they find an badly injured hill giant surrounded by the corpses of wyverns. Not wanting to fight an enemy who isn't at full strength, Valeros heals him up with potions and discovers this giant, Razmus, isn't a bad guy at all!

The big guy has claimed this section of the mountain for himself and is unhappy with recent competition that's moved in so he is more than willing to not only lead the team up the mountain to the Kreeg fortress (bypassing extra encounters), he is also willing to help smash them! Isn't that the best type of friend?

Shadow and Bone

This two season young adult fantasy show follows assistant cartographer Alina Starkov (played by Jessie Mei Li) as she joins an expedition through the Fold - a dangerous, dark place with demons - only to discover that she's "the chosen one" in this setting. Life for her changes quickly as her status is elevated immediately, being prized by friends and foes alike.

The B plot usually focuses on one such outfit, a small criminal gang, hired to kidnap her and strangely enough their stories are usually more compelling than her own. Very good world building here and there's usually a decent amount of action per episode. I would have liked a season three but it does wrap up well enough for its two season tenure.

Kardboard Kings and Outliver Tribulation

I did not last long in these.

Kardboard Kings

This shop attendant simulator sees you managing a playing card shop of all things, where everything is on a timer. It doesn't matter if you're listening to the tutorial cockatoo or trying to buy more product to sell on one of your very few spaces, if its opening time there'll be customers. With its odd art style and game loop of basically "managing fires" all the time I really didn't get into this one.

Outliver: Tribulation

In this horror game you play as a capable female soldier trapped in an otherworldly maze of trials with a distinctive African theme and somehow is both cool and very amateurish at the same time. For instance, the voice acting is poor and the maze is designed to force a lot of back tracking so that as you find or earn colored circles, you can unlock doorways to find more colored circles.

On the flip side when the lights go out and you start hearing footsteps chasing after you, that really gets your heart pumping. Especially since the enemy mooks pretty much cheat and teleport via lightning strike near you if you get too far. Then boss fights are ho hum (at least the first two I reached) but there's some major rendering issues with some graphics cards like the one I'm using that makes you lag. Yeah, in a single player game. Might still be worth a try if you can grab it for free.

Citadel: Diana

This spin-off from Citadel continues the world wide spy game and is set in Italy with titular character Diana (Matilda de Angelis) as the protagonist, who is employed by Citadel's rival group Manticore! While her unique hair-do grew on us during the six episode season, its funny that a spy would want to stand out.

Short one side, long on the other.

Despite that there is actually an OK story in here with alright acting and action, though Diana loses and needs to be saved a lot for a protagonist. Worth a watch especially if you enjoyed the original Citadel and we'll definitely watch a season two if it comes about...