We Are All Utterly Incomprehensible - Kill la Kill Review

It is not uncommon for anime to take refuge in audacity. I've watched enough absurd animes to pretty much appreciate anything at this point. Heck, I consider FLCL to be one of the coolest things I've ever watched. However, I found that Kill la Kill was a different breed of ridiculous. The laugh out loud kind of ridiculous that was unrelenting awesomeness from start to finish. There have been many animes that I have watched over the years but I don't think that any anime has ever given me as much enjoyment as this one. Let's get into it now.

Kill la Kill is the first project done by studio Trigger, a new studio created by Hiroyuki Imaishi and Kazuki Nakashima, who worked together of Gurren Lagann. Based on that fact alone one can probably figure out exactly Kill la Kill is going to be all about. The story begins at Honnouji Academy, a highly disciplined school ruled under the iron fist of Kiryuuin Satusuki and her Four Devas. The school and the surrounding town is structured in a very hierarchical way. Living conditions are based on class ranks and each student is ranked by the amount of stars on their uniform. This is where things start to get a little tricky. The uniforms that the students have are meant to augment their skills. In simple terms, the uniforms give the students powers, they are known as Ultima Uniforms. The more stars an Ultima Uniform has, the more powerful it and it's wearer are. However, the highly disciplined world of Honnouji gets turned upside down when a new transfer student named Ryuuko Matoi shows up at the school gates. It's not hard to tell that Ryuuko has a hidden agenda and that becomes clear pretty quickly. Ryuuko brandishes a blade that resembles half a scissor and is looking for the person with the other half. Why? Because the person wielding the other scissor is the person who killed her father. She believes that Kiryuuin Satsuki knows the answer to that question and may even be the person who did the act, However, Ryuuko is unsuccessful at getting the answers from her and gets her butt kicked by some of the academy's club leaders. Going back to the remains of her father's house she finds an unusual uniform there, the incredibly powerful and sentient Senketsu. Ryuuko goes back to the academy and finds that she can synchronize with her new uniform and turn herself into a powerful warrior. After laying waste to Satsuki's cronies, she then makes it her mission to get the answers from Satsuki somehow and thus the plot gets going. The two girls clash several times and it soon becomes apparent that there are many more factors at play here and that their meeting may not have been just coincidence. Ryuuko's search for her father brings her not only into conflict with Satsuki but also Satusuki's mother Ragyou and her fashion empire.

The battle between Satsuki (left) and Ryuuko (right) is just part of what is an incredibly entertaining and creative plot.

Kill la Kill's plot is absolutely insane and it's actually incredibly enjoyable. It's not a stretch to say that the show favors style over substance most of the time but even so, it remains extremely entertaining to watch. The plot actually does make sense despite the insanity of it all. In fact, everything is insane about the show, to the fact that the students transform their uniforms into battle armors in order to fight one another. Or maybe it's just how ridiculous that fight sequences are. Explosions are rampant, rules of physics broken over and over again, hot-bloodedness racing through the veins of the characters. Every fight is a bombastic affair with the character's involved laying waste to just about everything around them. This ridiculousness is not unexpected however, these are two guys who worked on Gurren Lagann and while that show also loved to be ridiculous, it seems as though Kill la Kill lives and breathes insanity. However, it never feels forced or unnecessary, in fact it's a nice change from the many animes nowadays that take themselves way to seriously. Kill la Kill is an example how one can combine the more fun aspects of anime with a good, entertaining, plot and characters. I often found myself laughing along with the characters in several scenes and when I finished the last episode I felt a sad feeling that there were not any more episodes. I can safely say that I have never had more fun watching an anime than I have had watching Kill la Kill.

Like I said before, I actually found the more serious moments of Kill la Kill to be very interesting as well. Gurren Lagann posited several ideas on evolution and the way that man moves forward, having somewhat of an environmental message to go along with it. It also embraced the rate that man evolves and was a reminder of the great things that we could accomplish. Kill la Kill posits similar ideas but in a different way. On the surface it appears to be a treatice or parody on how disciplined and rigid the Japanese school system can be. However, it also talks about the role of clothing in society and how it is actually symbol of man's evolution. It's certainly unconventional but I found it very creative and was entertained the whole way through.

Every moment in Kill la Kill is silly, even mealtime

With such a ridiculous plot there is a lot of room for the characters to shine. Ryuuko, the main character has definitely become one of my favorites. She's incredibly hot-blooded and she's the one who pulls off the majority of badass moves over the course of the show. In the times where she's not being ridiculous, she becomes even better. She's a very strong character as well and the show does a great job playing on her backstory. Her relationship with Senketsu, her uniform over the show is actually quite touching and their dialogues are actually hilarious. Senketsu himself is an interesting character in the respect that he's a piece of clothing, it makes the relationship between him and Ryuuko all the better. What really makes the show what it is however it the large crop of supporting characters who are absolutely ridiculous and hysterical. Ryuuko's first friend at Honnouji is this quirky and excitable girl named Makanshou Mako who frequently isn't entirely aware of what's going on around her. However, she's many times the character who speaks the most sense in the show believe it or not and it's not an episode of Kill la Kill until she's given one of her speeches. We're also graced by the presence of Akisuro Mikisugi, Ryuuko's teacher and mentor who is also undercover at the school as part of an operation by a resistance organization. He also has trouble keeping his clothes on. On the other side of things we have The Four Devas, the highest ranking members of Satsuki's empire. Each of them get their own origin story and their chemistry with one another is really something special. They're each great characters. Satsuki herself is a strong character and many times it's hard to tell as to whether she's the true antagonist or not. That job is filled in better by her mother, the sinister Ragyou, who seems to have a plot of her own.

Visually the series looks absolutely fantastic. The same art style that was in Gurren Lagann is also present here. In addition to being crisply animated the character designs are brilliant especially when they characters transform themselves. For example, one of the Four Devas is the the leader of the band club which gives her transformed state two giant loudspeakers with which to do battle with. The creators really follow the school club aspect down to the letter and all the designs are fantastic. The music is probably Kill la Kill's finest aspects, shuffling through a catalogue of absolutely fantastic songs. Each character has their own theme and blares in when they are in the forefront of the scene. The Japanese voice cast did such a great job here that I'm actually worried for when this show becomes dubbed. I really don't think any other group would be able to do it as well. Either way, a fantastic AV job done here.

Ryuuko quickly became one my of my favorite protagonists from any anime

It's safe to say that Kill la Kill is probably the most entertaining anime I've ever watched. It's far different from many of the other anime crop because it never takes itself to seriously and embraces that craziness that makes people love anime in the first place. Sure, you could probably find an anime with a more serious plot that gives you more to think about but Kill la Kill is a wonderfully animated and brilliant masterpiece of it's own kind. It's the kind of anime that I want to watch again and again because I enjoyed it that much. It's an instant classic for me and one that everyone should check out.

My Score: 5/5

A World With or Without Pyramids - The Wind Rises Review

It goes without saying that Hayao Miyazaki is up there with Walt Disney in terms of his success and influence on animation. Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and My Neighbor Totorro are just three examples of his massive appeal not just in Japan but in the West as well. Miyazaki can be credited with bringing the genre of anime eastward, telling a great story while conveying beautiful imagery and themes all at the same time. These are just some of the many factors that makes his retirement from cinema something especially tragic. That all being said, I had the pleasure of experiencing his final film on Sunday, The Wind Rises. While not the prototypical Miyazaki piece, it stands apart from his other works in an awfully unique and powerful way.

The Wind Rises is definitely not your regular Miyazaki film in the respect that this time he has decided to effectively make an animated biopic detailing the life of Jiro Horikoshi, a famous aeronautical engineer from the World War II era. However, despite not being a typical Miyazaki film, many of the themes present in his other other films make their way here. Unlike Spirited Away or Howl's Moving Castle we are not enveloped into a world of Miyazaki's design. Rather, through immense animation detail we are taken to a largely romanticized version of pre-World War II Japan, unspoiled and largely innocent. The film starts with Jiro as a young boy, making up his mind to become an aeronautical engineer. Frequently we are taken into the young Jiro's mind and into his dreams as we're frequently visited by famous Italian engineer Caproni. The dream sequences are the best parts of the film as Miyazaki is allowed to indulge us in the zaniness and the freedom that his other movies have. In addition to Jiro's dreams we see him play out his life in a way that almost represents a Japanese version of the movie Forrest Gump. In the same way that Forrest finds his way into almost every significant American event that happens in his lifetime, Jiro seems to be present for several extremely important Japanese events. The Kanto earthquake of 1923, the tuberculosis epidemic, the Great Depression, and World War II are all depicted here, each event shaping Jiro's life and painting a picture of what Japan was before the war left it in ruins. The characters frequently reference that the world outside is burning while this pristine depiction of Japan remains untouched.

Jiro's dream sequences are grand spectacles which brings the film's core premise to the forefront

One theme that is present in many of Miyazaki's films is the struggle of having pacifist ideals in a world that can be cruel. Throughout the film we see how Jiro's idealism clashes with the harsh realities of the world around him. His close friend, Honjo, is representative of a more cynical worldview and their discussions are indicative of their divergent thoughts. Jiro claims that he just wanted to create something beautiful and create beautiful airplanes. However, the world twists his creations into war machines. The film raises this question in a unique and interesting way as during a dream sequence, Caproni asks him "do you prefer a world with pyramids or a world without." Even if mankind may twist one's creation for something evil, the beauty of the creation never dies. Like I said before, the film seems to be a time capsule of Japan before the war and even as the rest of the world is burning, Jiro's remains pristine. Coming out of the theater, I wasn't entirely sure what to think of this movie, but the more I chewed on the themes present in the film the more I began to appreciate it's genius. While The Wind Rises represents a lamentation of how mankind corrupts beautiful things it also celebrates the beauty of what mankind is capable. The more I thought about it, The Wind Rises is less of a biopic and more of a though provoking film meant to make us lament and celebrate the beauty of human creations. This is especially true as the film ends after World War II, making us realize how that war truly changed everything.

While The Wind Rises is a beautifully made film, it struggles with focusing on certain plot lines. For example, the driving force of the film really should be Jiro's struggle to come to terms with the world around him. However, the film struggles mightily when it brings in his love interest Naoko. By the time the film ends it is left unclear as what exactly her importance to the film was. Perhaps their love was indicative of how Jiro could find something pure and idealistic in a cruel world. However, their plotline is rushed and never feels like it reaches much of a conclusion. The film flip-flops from scenes with Naoko and Jiro to Jiro's work on planes and then back again and it feels like two different worlds that we're being dragged in an out of without much time to appreciate either. Perhaps this was Miyazaki's intent, perhaps not, but either way it felt that the film was trying to balance two different plot lines with little effect.

The Wind Rises is a beautiful balance of both idealism and cynicism

It goes without saying that The Wind Rises, being a Miyazaki work, is absolutely stunning visually. Miyazaki is able to capture the unspoiled beauty of prewar Japan while simultaneously contrasting these scenes with a feeling that the rest of the world is burning. The film features scenes of planes soaring through the air at high speeds, rolling green hills, and the lush woods of the Japanese countryside. The romanticization of the period is clearly present and the animation is something to behold. Even if this isn't the typical Miyazaki film, the visuals are still captivating and suck you into the world. From an audio standpoint, the film's musical score is fantastic. Free flowing music conveying the freedom of flight as well as the more blunt sounds of when planes crash or when the tensions run high. In an otherwise calm film score, those more loud and explosive sounds are what stands out. The audio and visuals often combine into a work of art and this film is definitely one of the best movies I've ever seen in that regard. The writing however is somewhat disjointed especially in the English dub. It's very straightforward and some lines clunk like a CRT dropped out of a tall building. Even so, it's still cool to hear the voices of well-known actors like Joseph Gordon-Leavitt, John Krasinski, and Emily Blunt. Even Martin Short shows up to voice Jiro's short and very blunt boss. However, despite the star power, it's hard to say this movie is well written, with the exception of Jiro's dream sequences.

Overall, The Wind Rises is a worthy film to end the illustrious career of Miyazaki and a very fitting one at that. It seems right that Miyazaki end his career with a film raising deep philosophical questions about the world at large and the Japanese identity. Some of those who have seen Miyazaki's past films may be a little disoriented at first by the different tone and setting that he takes in this film. With a change in perspective however, it's clear that Miyazaki has created a masterpiece of a film that will leave you with several ideas to think about as you leave the theater. Even if the plot is sometimes unfocused and the dialogue stilted, we realize that there's something overarching here that's at times greater than the sum of it's parts. At times cynical but always remaining optimistic, The Wind Rises is an animated tour de force.

My Score: 4.5/5

Evaluation of the World Today - Captain America: The Winter Soldier Review

I've had a rather tenuous past with Captain America. His first movie was aggressively average in every way, doing nothing to impress me or make me angry. However, I could forgive this mediocrity because the movie was, in reality, just a conduit for Marvel Studios to introduce Cap so that they didn't have to do all that work in The Avengers and collect some money on the side. However, Cap promptly followed that with another boring appearance in Avengers where his only role seemed to be wagging his finger at the rest of the protagonists when they didn't conform to his 1940's worldview. Let's just say that Captain America had a lot to prove when his sequel, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, came out. However, I am happy to say that Cap finally proves himself to me in the sequel.

The story picks up just about where Avengers left off, we see what Cap (Chris Evans) has been up too since that massive battle in New York. He's essentially Nick Fury's (Samuel L. Jackson) errand boy now, playing the big rooms for S.H.I.E.L.D. alongside Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). The film opens up with Cap cracking jokes and kicking ass, taking back a ship from terrorists alongside a small squad of soldiers. It's pretty impressive seeing Cap clearing the entire ship by himself and even rising to the challenge when the head honcho of the operation goads him into fighting without his shield. However, during the operation, Cap walks in on Black Widow doing something off the books for Fury which once again leads us back to Cap's trademark finger-wagging. Early in the film we get brought back to Cap's trust issues with Fury; a strong hint here is that trust becomes a key issue in the movie. We also meet Secretary Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford), Fury's friend and a member of the World Council, those same people who belittled the Avengers even though they had just saved the freaking world. Pierce is heading up S.H.I.E.L.D's "Project Insight" in which they plan to take three giant helicarriers and exterminate threats preemptively. Of course, Cap is already skeptical of this project and begins to question his commitment to S.H.I.E.L.D. As he takes his time to contemplate this, the organization becomes compromised, starting with an attempt on Nick Fury's life. With nobody to trust, Cap goes on the run with Black Widow and are joined by ex-military man Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie). The three begin to unravel this conspiracy and have to deal with constant attempts on their lives by what they thought was S.H.I.E.L.D, who now appear to be led by a mysterious super soldier, The Winter Soldier, who has ties to Cap's past.

The Black Widow/Captain America shippers will go crazy here but in truth the film finally gives the characters the depth they've been missing.

The plot moves along at a pretty solid pace and there's plenty of action to boot. However, it's at it's best when they character's are left to themselves to develop. Cap's main storyline in this universe is adjusting to how the world has changed while he was asleep. While in Avengers he was mostly just there to be the idealist and his character never really went anywhere, here we finally get to see him adjust. Black Widow seems to be constantly bothering him to ask someone out on a date. Meanwhile, Cap's love interest from the first movie is alive, however she's elderly and on her sickbed. That scene in particular just hints as to how disoriented Cap is in the modern era. When Black Widow tries to help him move on, Cap comes right back with some armor piercing questions for her as well. The heroes of the film seem to get more light shed on their individual characters than they did in any of their other appearances in the Marvel universe. The real question is whether Captain America really even needs to adjust at all. The movie doesn't just bring up Cap's struggles with understanding the world of today but also that we ourselves may be missing some of that idealism that we had in the 40's. In this respect, The Winter Soldier is easily the most realistic and thought provoking of any of the Marvel Studios films as most of the others were just fun, mindless romps. This movie isn't just a strong superhero film, but it also gives you something to chew on philosophically when you leave the theater. Christoper Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy changed the expectation for what a superhero film should be and it's encouraging to see Marvel finally rise to that challenge. It's nice to finally get some character depth for Captain America and Black Widow. After seeing the movie it feels like we actually have an understanding as to who these characters really are underneath. Captain America is more than a guy who dresses in stars and stripes and Black Widow is more than just a badass agent. However, even with Captain America and Black Widow getting most of the screentime, the most memorable character in the film for me was Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson. While he never evolves into much more than "stock character who shows up to help the heroes", his lines were some of the film's best. It's clear that the actors all have great chemistry with one another.

However, this doesn't mean that The Winter Soldier is a perfect movie. The plot, while interesting, is a little convoluted (most comic book plots are so it fits) and there are a couple things that could be elaborated on. Robert Redford feels a little out of place in this film and as far as villains go, he's neither cunning or intimidating. If anything his character becomes a stock Knight Templar who seems a little too Ax-Crazy to be the savior he claims to be. In simple terms, there's not enough from the enemy side to make us understand their motives at all. In turns out that Hydra, the villainous organization from the first film, is behind the coup d'etat in S.H.I.E.L.D. and plan to use Project Insight for their own villainous purposes. It's a fine twist but it never feels more elaborated upon. So with the main villain of the film not really seeming too threatening of a person, that mantle should fall to The Winter Soldier right? I mean the film is called Captain America: The Winter Soldier, right? Unfortunately, while the Winter Soldier is sufficiently terrifying and badass in almost every way, he's barely on screen for most of the movie. The reveal of his identity doesn't come until three-quarters of the way through the movie and even then it feels like he's still in the background of the film. For a character who's name appears in the film's title, he never evolves into much more than a minor plot point. However, end credit scenes hint at him playing a bigger role in the future. This also begs the question as to where Hawkeye was during all of this. I mean, S.H.I.E.L.D. had another badass agent in their locker who could come right out and helped fight the turncoats. Perhaps that's just because I wanted to see more of Jeremy Renner's character since he's another one who still hasn't gotten his due in a Marvel film yet.

The Winter Soldier is a title character for this film and yet he's pushed to the background for most of it.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier isn't a perfect movie, but it's a very good superhero movie and that's all that anyone could (and should) really have asked from it. One of my biggest complaints about the Marvel movies is that there are rarely times when their characters are asked to question their own ideals and motivations. Captain America stands out because he's the one of the Avengers that you can definitely count on to stand by his ideals until the bitter end. Altogether, The Winter Soldier doesn't put it all together but it's wildly entertaining and it's calmer moments where the character's finally receive some depth makes it shoot up my list. Of the stand alone Marvel Studios movies I would say that it's the best one yet because of it's relevance to some of the questions that we ask ourselves today. Lastly, the film ends on a rather interesting note which makes next summer's Avengers: Age of Ultron even more exciting.

My Score: 4/5

The Ending Nobody Wanted

I'm not going to write a review of Season 9 of How I Met Your Mother like I had planned and I'm not going to write a traditional reaction piece to the finale. It's probably because I'm in such shock as to how a show that I treasure so dearly could have ended in the worst way possible. Let's get one things straight: I wanted HIMYM to end in the happiest way possible because I thought that it was the only way for it to end if the show wanted to display how their characters had evolved over 9 seasons. However, I also understood that such an ending probably wasn't going to happen even if my most honest thoughts were screaming at me otherwise. Nothing could have prepared me for what actually happened though. Nothing could have prepared me for Carter Bays and Craig Thomas to take almost 9 seasons of character development and plot lines and flush it down the drain in the last five minutes of the show's run. Basically, this is what us fans got:

Let's start with the biggest issue at hand here; The Mother (now known as Tracy McConnell) is in Ted's life for about 7 years before passing away due to what we can only assume was cancer. This comes after we've been given several adorable scenes, including the one where Ted finally meets her. It's every bit as good as we'd hoped and Cristin Milioti was the absolute best choice anyone could have picked to play The Mother. There was definitely a tug at my heartstrings as Ted began to recount all the times he had with the love of his life and with each moment I knew he was was leading to that inevitable end; "even when she got sick." As much as I didn't want this to happen, I could at least accept it. I thought that having her die was a rather cruel twist of fate for Ted. After all, he'd just found the love of his life after years of heartbreak and she just gets taken away from him like that? However, in the final 5 minutes, things went from bad to horrendous. Ted finishes his story and his kids are thinking somewhat of the exact same thing that we are: The Mother was barely in the story and the real point of the story is that Ted loves Robin. So what does Ted do? He runs right out of the house, finds a blue french horn and brings it to Robin's apartment where we can only assume that they spend the rest of their lives together: cue my outrage.

Cristin Milioti was the best thing HIMYM ever had and the writers promptly spoiled it

Ted ending up with Robin was the worst possible way that How I Met Your Mother could have ended because it destroys the entire premise of the show and everything that it had been building towards for the past 9 seasons. In just the last episode Ted claimed that he had moved on from Robin and that he didn't love her in that way anymore. It was sweet and it was perfect, exactly what was needed to finally move past the Ted/Robin storyline which was easily my least favorite part of the series. It was so obvious that the two didn't work and that Bays & Thomas were convinced that somehow, some way, they had to end up together is just inexplicable to me. The point of the show was that Ted had to persist through failed love and go through a lot of crap to find the woman of his dreams. In the first season, Ted was a hopeless romantic who thought that he was ready to settle down right at that moment. However, he still needed to grow up a lot and become someone worthy of meeting that woman. In Season 9 (more in the second to last episode of Season 9) we finally see him become that man. So what was the point of all that development if Ted was simply going to end up with Robin at the end? What was the point of even introducing The Mother in the first place? Everything that happens in the previous episodes gets completely discredited because now we know that Ted just ends up with Robin.

The final scene was shot during Season 2 so that Ted's kids would be the appropriate age for when the finale would air seven years later. However, one can't convince me that the writers felt that they were forced into ending the show they way they did because they were tied down to something they shot during Season 2. No, they wanted this end, they knew that some way Ted was going to end up with Robin even if such an ending is completely insane and would be a discredit to every character's development over the course of the series. Perhaps the show was trying to send a new message with this episode: nobody's life should end because another's does, Ted deserved to be happy after The Mother died. However, going back to Robin was completely wrong; what was the point of 9 seasons if Ted never progressed past the first episode of the first season? The saddest moments of the seasons were made better by us believing (thinking we knew) that everything was going to end up happy for these characters. Instead we find out that the writers were simply lying to us the entire time. Lastly, the theme of this series wasn't that one's life goes on after their one true love dies; it was Ted's maturation into a man worthy of true love. Maybe that theme could have been the direction of the show's first few seasons but by Season 9 the show had changed.

Second, Barney and Robin get divorced, spitting in the face of what was the entire premise of Season 9. The ninth season was the crowning achievement of the two character's development as the two characters in the show who couldn't handle commitment were getting married, to each other no less. Sure, there were a lot of things that didn't make sense about them getting married and even if it wasn't a perfect match the two had great chemistry with each other. We had just spent all of the ninth season at their wedding and within the first ten minutes of the series finale, the writers spit in the face of both characters. Even if the marriage didn't entirely make sense it was a powerful symbol of how far these characters had come. With the divorce both of the characters spiraled backwards. While I don't agree that them getting divorced was a good thing; there was no excuse for both characters to self destruct afterwards. Barney, who's development was the most palpable over the course of the show, went right back to his old ways. I don't need to point out that a man having a Playbook in his 40's is sad but at the same time I do. Robin meanwhile just ran away from her problems because she couldn't handle seeing Ted and The Mother together. It's insulting to see 9 years of character development get flushed down the drain because the writers were obsessed with this dumb notion that Ted and Robin had to end up together. Barney ends up having a child, a daughter who becomes the love of his life. However, Barney having a random child with a random girl who we never get to see was disappointing no matter how touching the scene with him and his daughter was. If Barney wasn't going to end up with Robin then why didn't the writers just have him stay with Quinn from Season 8, who was actually perfect for him?

Lastly, Lily and Marshall barely feature in the series finale and are the only one's who seem to get any kid of competent ending. Sure, we don't really get to see where Lily's career goes, we don't get to see much of them in Italy, and they're barely in the episode at all but at least we know that they end on a happy note. Lily gets pregnant with a third child, whose name we never find out which is a real shame. Marshall gets elected to the Supreme Court. Wait a second, these were almost all things that we found out earlier in the season through flash-forwards right? Marshall and Lily are the only two characters who seem to get out of this train wreck of a finale unscathed even if the end to their story is rather unfulfilling. We know Marshall becomes a judge but it's pretty unclear what Lily does with the rest of her life. It was definitely sad to Lily's desperate attempts to keep the friend group together. I could at least appreciate the theme that things change and people have to move on with their lives. While other characters didn't follow this, at least the part about the friend group felt real.

The finale proved that the show never progressed beyond this moment

How I Met Your Mother deserved a perfect ending, unfortunately it crashed in flames because the writers were too concerned with having their square pegged characters fit into the round hole that they had dug themselves into in Season 2. That ending was apparently so important to them that they decided to flush down the drain all the characters growth. So important to them that they threw away the best thing to happen to the series in it's entire run, Cristin Milioti, because they thought Ted and Robin should be together. Even though everything that they had written themselves was indication of why Ted and Robin shouldn't be together. Most of all, I can't believe that they would do this to the fans who have been watching for 9 years. Perhaps if the finale had just ended with Ted and The Mother under the umbrella with Ted simply saying "and that kids...is how I met your mother." We would be all set. What once was a touching story about a man and his quest to find the one became a story about settling for second best. I don't blame any of the actors here they were simply just victims of two writers whose egos got the best of them. Two writers who were so desperate for a twist ending that they ended up destroying everything that the series stood for. A twist has to have a point, there needs to be an end goal. Some finales succeed because they reach a predictable end but not in the way you'd expect. The twist in the finale here was cruel and served no purpose other than arrive at the terrible conclusion the writers reached in Season 2, to have Ted end up with Robin. But I'm done talking about this and I'm done with this show. Thanks Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, you could have had your show end the right way and go down as one of the best shows of the past ten years but instead you ruined it with your hubris.

A Tearful Goodbye - Psych Series Finale/Season 8 Reaction/Review

It's never easy to say goodbye to something that you've loved for a long time. On Wednesday that is exactly what I had to do to one of my favorite shows, Psych. Now I know that I had been harsh on Season 7 of the show in the past but as someone who has followed the show for so long it was rather emotional to see this hilarious series come to a conclusion. The finale itself is hard to judge; on one hand it is an emotional and teary eyed finale that brings the series to a solid conclusion. On the other hand, it feels a little empty and some characters don't seem to get their due. Anyways, let's get into it.

The episode opens up on a note I really didn't expect. When I reviewed Season 7, I mentioned that it felt that Shawn as a character hadn't really developed over the course of the show. Sure, he grew up in certain ways, but at his core it didn't really seem like much had changed for his character from Season 1 to Season 7. However, this episode opens up with no jokes, no shenanigans. Instead we get Shawn Spencer speaking from the heart; this is the real Shawn, not the one who hides away in his jokes and pop culture references. Season 8 of Psych has had a feel of finality to it, things have changed and it appears that all the characters are ready to move on with their lives. Speaking of which, the entire episode is centered around Shawn's futile attempts to tell Gus that he's planning to join Juliet in San Francisco. There is a case in this episode but it serves more to show us that Shawn isn't really needed in Santa Barbara anymore. He's now outclassed by the SBPD's new Head Detective Brannigan and she beats him to the punch for every part of the case. The case itself is rather boring and like I said earlier, serves more as a way to show us that Santa Barbara doesn't need Shawn anymore. However, there's some hilarious scenes throughout the episode like Shawn and Gus sharing a drivers ed car and some classic Gus screaming over a dead body. All the while, Shawn continues to fail to tell Gus that he's leaving which leads us to the end of the episode and the series.

The bromance lives on

Since Shawn cannot bear to break the news to Gus or any of the main cast in person he leaves them all video messages. All of them are especially touching and show how the relationships between all of them have changed over the years. In Lassiter's video message, Shawn finally decides to reveal to Lassiter that he's not a psychic after all, this coming after Shawn acknowledges that Lassiter is truly his friend. However, instead of listening to the words that he's wanted to hear for so long, Lassiter elects to eject the disk and break it in half, choosing to continue to believe that Shawn was for real. Shawn leaves one's for Woody and for a random Dobson character who is introduced simply so Val Kilmer could finally make an appearance on the show (much appreciated by the way). The most touching of them all however is the one that Shawn leaves for Gus which actually brings the main character to tears. Psych has often struggled with the writing for when things are supposed to be serious but they nailed it here. Shawn laments that their adventures together have prevented Gus from living the life he's always dreamed about and that if he hadn't walked into his office 8 years ago, Gus might have gotten a normal life. Gus isn't pleased with this however and after changing his mind about 3 times chases Shawn to San Francisco where he has surprised Juliet and Chief Vick at a crime scene. Gus arrives and chastises Shawn for leaving him and convinces Shawn that he'll move to San Francisco too and Psych will continue to operate. So with all of the main cast all tied up we could finally move onto the big surprise at the end (wasn't really a surprise). Shawn proposes to Juliet in a way that only Shawn Spencer could before a thief makes off with engagement ring. Shawn, Juliet, and Gus then pile into a car and the thief into the sunset as the screen cuts to black. So there, 8 seasons culminated into literally 20 minutes.

Psych's final episode does a lot of things right. It ties up several plot points from the season and the relationships between several of the characters. Seeing Lassiter break the disk rather than hear Shawn admit he is not a psychic was a really strong scene. It was nice to see that Lassiter, who detested Shawn for most of the series, finally give a show of respect to him. However, the finale also does a few things wrong. For one, the touching and heartfelt conclusion of the series is packed into the last 15-20 minutes of the episode, most of that time is spent between Shawn and Gus reconciling and Shawn proposing to Juliet. We get jerked around from one moment to the other that there doesn't feel like there is much time to digest what's going on. Most of these moments have been set up throughout the season so there's at least some pretense to build of off which allows them to move to each storyline quickly. Everybody seems to get a happy ending but even with this pretense it feels a little too crammed together. Maybe it would have been better to avoid having a case altogether and focus on the character interactions (asking Psych to put aside jokes and focus on characters? Please). To be honest, aside from from Shawn and Gus, there really isn't much time to close things off with the other characters. It was surprising we even saw McNabb's storyline get closed off with with clarity than Henry's. I suppose that the episode was mostly going to be about Shawn and Gus but there's no excuse for two characters of the main cast (Juliet and Chief Vick) to only be in the episode for about 15 minutes. Also, I can't say that I was too happy with the way Gus ended the show. After all, throughout the run of the show Gus has been looking for love and many times it has ended terribly mostly due to the writers screwing him over. (his "break-up" with Rachel in Season 7 was an abomination of writing). It was sad to see him end the series still attached by the hip to Shawn without a girl of his own. However, despite my grievances with the series finale there's not much I can do to change it and obviously a series finale never pleases everyone. Overall it's a happy ending that should leave the fans satisfied knowing that even though we won't see it, Shawn and Gus will still be together solving cases.

Shawn and Juliet get their happy ending even if the latter wasn't present for most of the episode...or the season for that matter.

So where does Psych's eighth season stand overall? I thought that it was actually a well-done season and a return to what made Psych so good in the first place. The opening episode of the season was a brilliant one with Cary Elwes coming back in to play the role of Pierre Despereaux. Seeing Shawn and Gus in England was absolutely hysterical. It felt as though this season was a throwback to the earlier seasons. The jokes were crisp, the shenanigans were refreshing, and overall it felt like the writers actually cared as opposed to their terrible job in Season 7. Sure, there were some forgettable episodes thrown in there (the Lassiter focused second episode comes to mind) and Anthony Michael Hall's character was poorly written. Trout was implied to be a very skilled policeman and yet the show turned him largely incompetent and overly strange. It's obvious you're not supposed to like him but he didn't even make a good straight man to Shawn and Gus. However, these bad episodes were counteracted by some really great Gus themed episodes. Also, this being the final season we got to see some heart warming scenes between each other the characters. Like I said before, the season clearly builds to it's end. However, like the finale, there are several key things missing. Juliet, Henry, and Chief Vick played very small roles in the final season which feels like a disservice considering that they are main characters. Since the show was canceled midway through the season and only consists of ten episodes things once again felt a little rushed and somewhat forced. Perhaps a better way to think of the show is a ten episode long farewell tour for the show. In closing, Season 8 is not the best season of Psych but it's definitely not the worst. It actually produced one of the best episodes of the show ever ("Cog Blocked"). It's an enjoyable final season even with it's imperfections; a 3/5 in my book.

Lastly, I suppose it's time for me to write my final words about Psych. I'm definitely going to miss this show which is something that I couldn't really say after Season 7. I'm really happy that Season 8 ended the show on an imperfect but good note. Psych stood out to me more than other detective shows because it was led by a lovable cast and had great writing. It suffered in it's later seasons but any show that goes eight seasons is bound to have some hiccups. Psych lasted eight seasons which is a very impressive accomplishment. It was the first live action show that I followed intently over the entirety of it's run and I'm going to miss tuning in every Wednesday to watch Shawn and Gus solve another murder with plenty of hilarious hijinks. It was always a unique blend of pop culture (mostly 80's) and bromance that made Psych work. I'm going to miss this show so much and I want to thank it for giving me so many memories over the years and catchphrases to use. There's some rumors out there that the show could be getting a big screen adaptation. Whether it does or not I'm always going to look fondly upon this show. Thanks for everything Shawn, Gus, Juliet, Lassiter, Henry, and Chief Vick; it's been a great ride.

Goodbye, I'll miss you all

The Champions League Final Eight: Who Advances?

Over in the states, the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament is up and running. In Europe, the "Elite Eight" of their most prestigious football tourney was set this morning. There weren't many surprises, other than the fact that the four principal favorites (Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and PSG) were spread across the four ties. Whether this is some wizardry by UEFA in order to get the final they want is up for debate but even so, the quaterfinals look to some of the best games of the competition.

FC Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid

Atletico have the tools; can they advance?

The last all-Spanish tie in Champions League came in 2011 when Barcelona defeated Real in the semis. The tie involves Barca and the lesser known neighbors from Madrid who have been causing problems for both La Liga heavyweights this season. This tie is difficult to call based simple off the fact that the three meetings between the two this season have been draws with a total of two goals scored. Atletico would appear to have all the things necessary to beat Barcelona, they've proven they could go toe to toe with them in an away leg. They have a star striker and strong back line, things that are invaluable in European competition. However, as a whole they still lack the European experience, the European experience of Messi, Iniesta, and Xavi. Barcelona is struggling in Spain but European competition is a different beast. Atletico has the tools to beat Barcelona, whether they'll be able to win has yet to be seen.

Prediction: Barcelona advances

Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund

The Bale-Ronaldo partnership is flourishing

Last year a strife-stricken Real Madrid team received a capitulation at the hands of Robert Lewandowski and Dortmund. However, this year the roles are reversed as it is now Dortmund who enter the game strife-stricken and Madrid enters in superb form. Rather than the bland, counter-attacking side that Jose Mourinho would put out each week, Carlo Ancelotti has turned Real into a maurauding force that has eased the burden on Cristiano Ronaldo. Real are rich with attacking options: Ronaldo, Benzema, Gareth Bale, Angel Di Maria, Luka Modric, etc. No team in Europe can match that level of attacking firepower. Madrid has been coldly dispatching everyone in their path. Dortmund meanwhile has seen their fortunes turn for the worse. Last years hero against Madrid, Lewandowski, is suspended for the first leg, robbing Dortmund of their attacking fulcrum. Also, if their display in the second leg against Zenit is any indication, the Dortmund defense might not be up to the task of stopping such a powerful opponent.

Prediction: Real Madrid, Dortmund will do enough to make things interesting but Real's form is too good at the moment

PSG vs Chelsea

The best strikers in Europe face their toughest test yet

Here we come to the most intriguing tie of them all. One one hand we have PSG who view this tie as a chance to prove that they are ready to make the leap into European royalty and claim the Champions League. For them, this would be proof that they have advanced under manager Laurent Blanc. For Chelsea, this offers Jose Mourinho a chance to go up against his former Inter man, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The press conferences before these two games will be absolutely absurd if these two are involved. However, on the pitch, Jose Mourinho has brought his "boring" counter attacking style to Chelsea and it is that style that gives Chelsea the edge in this tie. Ibrahimovic and striking partner Edinson Cavani still get in each others way too often and even if they didn't, Mourinho is a master of taking the other team's star player out of the equation. However, the real question is whether Chelsea have enough attacking quality to hit at PSG, something that Thiago Silva will look to negate. Chelsea still lack an elite striker, their current strikers are all shadows of their former selves. PSG has those elite strikers, capable of drumming up magic which defies the tactics which Mourinho holds so dear. With that in mind, PSG should take this one.

Prediction: PSG win what should be a tense two legs

Bayern Munich vs Manchester United

United will need something special from their stars to beat Bayern

The Manchester United fans who have been so dormant during their shambolic season were out in force after their comeback in the second leg against Olympiakos. United fans are so ecstatic that they're hoping that such a win will lead United down the path of that 2012 Chelsea team which fluked their way to the title. However, such hopes were probably dashed when they received Bayern Munich in the draw, the cup holders and undoubtedly Europe's best team. The real question here is whether United stands a chance over the course of two legs. Yes United were impressive at home against Olympiakos but it should also be noted how open at the back they were. The game was largely a back and forth affair, the scoreline hardly reflecting how close the game actually was on the pitch. Bayern Munich is not Olympiakos, they have a ruthless streak that will punish United if they are that careless again. To win against Bayern, United will need their team in top form and they'll especially need the van Persie who showed up against Olympiakos. However, given that United have been a massive wild-card this season, it's hard to give them much of a chance.

Prediction: Bayern wins handily

The Sad Story of Tottenham Hotspur

In Greek mythology there is the myth of Sisyphus, the man who was tasked with rolling a large boulder up an also large hill. However, every time the boulder would get near the top it would roll back down the hill without fail. It is such a story that relates to the woe of Tottenham Hotspur, that wee little club in North London that so desperately wants to get that boulder to the top of the hill but will fail every time. Yesterday, Tottenham watched the boulder come crashing down yet again this season as they were felled by their hated rivals, Arsenal. With the team now out of the race for Champions League and reeling in the race for Europa League, it's time for them to face some facts.

Arsenal and Spurs had their first match in 1887 but weren't considered rivals until 1913. It was then that Arsenal made the bold decision to move into North London, just four miles away from White Hart Lane, the home of Spurs. Since then each match between the two is known as a North London Derby, one of Europe's fiercest rivalries. The rivalry has continued on and off the pitch with one theme persisting throughout the years: Arsenal's ability to always beat them. For example, in 1919 the English First Division expanded by two teams and there was a vote to elect which teams would get those spots. The first spot was awarded to Chelsea, who despite being in a relegation zone were allowed to stay. This left one spot open and both Arsenal and Spurs bid on the spot. Spurs had finished in 20th and were confident of their chances. Arsenal however had finished 6th in the Second Division. Arsenal won the spot with 18 votes going in their favor while Tottenham was snubbed. Incidents like this have given Tottenham somewhat of a spurned younger brother feeling in that they have been without fail second to Arsenal throughout their existence. The statistics tell a similar story as Tottenham claim 49 league wins against Arsenal compared to Arsenal's 66. Tottenham's trophy cabinet displays 14 domestic trophies while Arsenal have claimed 25 (also Arsenal has 13 league titles while Tottenham can only claim 2. Their last one coming in 1961).

Spurs have had their share of great players over the years, like Gareth Bale. However, rarely has that turned into the success they desire.

Tottenham, despite this second rate status, have been trying for years to elevate themselves not only into England's elite circle but Europe's as well. They are a rather popular worldwide, the 12th most supported team in the world with numbers estimated at around 11m. However, every time that Spurs believe that they have elevated themselves to that level, they soon learn otherwise. Their rivalry with Arsenal has always been viewed as a benchmark game, one that would signify that they are ready to compete in Europe. This isn't exactly an ill-concieved notion, Arsenal have proved over the years that they can compete on an even level with any team in Europe even in recent years where they have lost many of their best players. Spurs have claimed victories against Arsenal over the years which are then followed up by crushing blows in the next game between the two. In the past two seasons, Tottenham has been locked in a race with Arsenal for a spot in the top 4. Last season in particular, Spurs enjoyed a 7 point lead in the standings at one point, which they then quickly bottled and found themselves out of Europe's top competition yet again. Driven by this failure, Tottenham then recommitted themselves to their European dream, which is how we come to the present.

Spurs success during the 2012-2013 season was entirely driven by superstar Gareth Bale. A typical Spurs match would have them play mediocrely for about an hour before getting a highlight reel goal from Gareth Bale to literally steal away the three points. Despite Bale's best efforts, Tottenham still found themselves behind Arsenal and out of a spot in the top 4 at the end of the season. Rumours swirled about Gareth Bale being courted by Real Madrid. Knowing that keeping Bale away from Madrid would be impossible, Tottenham then went on a spending spree to rebuild. The idea was that Tottenham would lose their star but would make the team as a whole better. The spending spree yielded Paulinho, Roberto Soldado, Nacer Chadli, Christian Eriksen, Vlad Chiriches, Etienne Capoue, and Erik Lamela. Spurs fans were ecstatic, their team had the financial muscles and seemingly the talent to compete with England's elite. There was even belief that maybe Spurs could win the league. Flash forward to the present: Spurs currently sit in 5th place, 7 points behind 4th place Manchester City who have three games in hand. Spurs goal differential is -1 and they can't claim a single win against any of the teams in the top 4. The seven summer signings have been abysmal, only Eriksen and Chiriches have made positive contributions. Soldado has struggled to find the net from anywhere except the penalty spot, Chadli and Paulinho have been ineffective on the field, and Lamela (a record signing by the way) has struggled with form, injuries, and just about everything since joining Spurs. The fact that Emmanuel Adebayor, an ostracized man at the start of the season, has been Spurs best player has been telling.

The summer signings were meant to signify a new era at Tottenham. Instead, they've led to greater regression

The signs were there from the beginning. In August, Arsenal, who hadn't yet made a single move that transfer window, beat Spurs team which had just had 100 million invested in it. Tottenham's losses to Arsenal have only been by one goal however. Their losses against Manchester City and Liverpool have been even more of a reminder that Spurs still can't compete with England's elite. A 3-1 loss to Benfica at home in the Europa League should be a reminder that they aren't ready for Europe either. All of this have made one thing abundantly clear: Spurs have no identity. Or perhaps they do, as second fiddle to Arsenal. All jokes aside however, this season has brought Tottenham's lack of a history and identity to the forefront. They lack the trophy cabinets of Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester United and they lack the cash reserves of Manchester City and Chelsea. The biggest part of their identity is their rivalry with Arsenal. However, results like the one yesterday prove that Spurs still lag behind Arsenal in not just talent but mental toughness as well. There isn't even a defined Spurs style of play. Arsenal is known for their fluid passing, Chelsea for their defensive discipline, City and Liverpool with their attacking flair. There is no pride in a player wearing the Spurs shirt, no loyalty to the club. Rather, Spurs represents a stepping stone towards bigger things. Spurs have rarely had a player like Tony Adams, Frank Lampard, or Steven Gerrard; a player who lives and breathes the spirit of the club. The players lack a pride for the shirt which could come from the fact the team is made up mostly of internationals. Manchester City makes that work because they have the money to afford any player they want and the collective individual talent seems to work out. Arsenal make it work because of international exposure, international players grew up supporting Arsenal and want to play for them. Spurs have no such cash reserves and no such international reputation. Spurs manager Tim Sherwood said after the Arsenal loss that perhaps Spurs need to sink to dark depths in order to come out well on the other side, using Liverpool's resurgence this season as an example. However, Liverpool will always be able to lean on their history and reputation even in dark times. There will always be players who will want to play for Liverpool because they grew up supporting them, even if they're not English. Liverpool also have a strong leader with a vision in Brendan Rodgers. Tottenham have yet to find a manager of that caliber.

(Here comes the part that is more difficult. I, an Arsenal fan, have to try and say nice things about Spurs)

Spurs need to build around players like Eriksen

What we have here is a matter of a small football club trying to be something it's not. Football is very much a traditionalist and elitist sport and it can be very difficult to break into that elite circle without huge financial backing or a once in a generation manager like Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger. So what exactly should Tottenham do? The first thing would be an acceptance from around the club that this team isn't Chelsea, Arsenal, or Manchester United. I'm not saying that Tottenham should just resign themselves to being a team that can't compete for silverware. The idea is to create their own identity, something that distinguishes themselves from the rest of English football. What they need is an innovator; someone who can bring something new to the table. It's not as if Tottenham doesn't have a talented side. They have a great goalkeeper in Hugo Lloris, a good rock in the defense with Jan Vertonghen, a creative genius in Christian Eriksen, and, as much as I hate to say it, a striker who can be brilliant when on-form, Emmanel Adebayor. What this team needs is a strong leader who can rally the troops and end this perennial culture of losing. Spurs do have some people they can lean on. Current Holland manager Louis van Gaal is a club legend and would be a great choice for Spurs. For one, he understands what it means to play for Spurs and could instill some pride in the shirt. Second, he's just a good manager.

(Now here's the part where I explain why that won't happen)

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your viewpoint, it is unlikely that Spurs' misfortune is going to end any time soon. After all, if Spurs do have a tradition it is one of falling short of expectations and finding some way to mess things up. I understand that I am an Arsenal fan and my viewpoint will be perceived as biased. However, there is truth to what I am saying. It depends on what Spurs do this summer. The first temptation, in classic Spurs fashion, will be to clean house and move the underachievers out. While this is a classic tactic and works at most clubs, it would only set Spurs back. Arsenal showed this season what continuity can do for a side and while some players in this Spurs side should definitely be sent packing, there are some who should stay. A clearinghouse would only upset the balance of the team more. The second temptation will be to spend again; after this past summer I shouldn't have to explain why that would be a bad idea. All of this obviously comes back to chairman Daniel Levy who was responsible for the summer spending spree. While most of the blame can (and should) be placed on the on-field performance; one can't ignore the fact that Levy wasted the Gareth Bale money and has only held back the team rather than advanced them forward. Until Spurs are able to shake off this legacy of failure and avoid such tragic boardroom errors, it is unlikely the team will ever move forward.