WRITTEN BY SAMARA CHAVEZ
Rated by Author: 4.5/5 The Buddies, a series loved by many on Disney channel, was an American television series most popular in the early 2000s. Buddies became a nine part franchise due to its popularity. This kid-friendly series followed a group of puppy siblings and their adventures as they grew. These travels consisted of things from looking for treasure to solving a ghost dog’s grudges. One of the most memorable of the series, in my opinion, would be “Santa Buddies”. “Santa Buddies” has the typical conflict most Christmas movies have, the fading of the Christmas spirit. This movie, however, is led by talking dogs, making it a unique approach to this storyline.This already separates it from most Christmas films. The movie follows a puppy from the Santa Claus family, and the already well known Buddies puppies, as they work together to save Christmas. “Santa Buddies” is the perfect film for children and adults during the holiday season. It teaches kindness, compassion, and the ability to change for the better. Near the end of the film, the antagonist, who has been spoiling the Buddies’ plans, has a change of heart and learns to treat them and other dogs with more kindness. This storyline teaches children important life lessons. The discussion over the beliefs of Christmas also brings up the importance of tolerance of different beliefs. The Buddies are told by a wise dog that although they may not believe in Christmas, they should still treat it with respect. Overall, “Santa Buddies”, the fourth installment of the “Buddies” series, is a well meaning movie. It teaches children positive messages while also approaching it in a unique way. It was a movie I loved as a little kid, and I’m sure it would be one that many others would enjoy as well. WRITTEN BY AIDEN ORANTES
My Chemical Romance is one of, if not, the most influential pop punk and emo bands of the 21st century. With 4 albums currently under their belt, multiple tours with people such as Mindless Self Indulgence, Thursday, and Bon Jovi, it's no wonder that people were upset when they broke up in March of 2013, but they came back in 2019. In honor of their recently finished reunion tour, I decided to rank their current albums by my own criteria: Cinematic Universe (comic books, music videos, Twitter accounts), album sales (UK), outfits during each tour, and the cohesiveness of each album, as well as CD album designs. Ranked 4th is Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, which was released in 2004. It’s the least cohesive album because you can’t pick up the main theme of it, and it’s sort of all over the place. In the UK, it was 34th in the weekly charts, which is less than Bullets (the album in 3rd place), even though this was the album that got them major acclaim. Although the single “Thank You For The Venom” was good, it couldn’t do anything to bump up the abysmal score. Not even the CD design, which consisted of a drawing of the demolition lovers on the front, the pamphlet containing all 5 members of the band, as well as a rosary on the disc. Next, in third place, is I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, which came out in 2002. It barely has a story to speak of; it's considered an unofficial concept album, although fans do often connect it to Sweet Revenge. There’s more cohesiveness to this album than Sweet Revenge. Within the UK, it ranked 31st on the weekly charts, which was a higher ranking than the album after. It has my favorite single out of all of MCR’s discography, with “Vampires Will Never Hurt You”. Although the album CD art is a bit basic, with a man hanging by his ankles, and some text mentioning how Gerard will suck your blood out, if you pirate this album, it’s more experimental than the albums after it. In second place is Danger Days: The True Lives of The Fabulous Killjoys, coming out in 2011. It has the best cinematic universe, with a set of comics, Twitter accounts for two of the characters, and music videos. In terms of cohesiveness, it's a little less cohesive than the next album on this list, since there are technically two timelines presented by the music videos and album. In the UK weekly charts, this album's highest place was 14th, which is pretty impressive, considering this is the last album before the breakup. For the tour, the outfits were a little basic, but when they did have outfits on stage, it looked decent. Out of all the singles for Danger Days, the best one was “SING", but not enough to dethrone “Vampires Will Never Hurt You.” The album's CD design is interesting, because it looks like an overplayed vinyl record, with the iconic spider on it. The pamphlet inside has multiple pictures of different characters from the album. In first place, there’s The Black Parade, released in 2006. In terms of cohesiveness, it tells the story of The Patient as he dies from cancer, and goes through meeting everyone in the Black Parade, from the Conductor to Fear and Regret. On tour, the band also ends up wearing their outfits representing the Black Parade, and even went as far as wearing skull makeup for some of their shows. For the cinematic universe, there isn’t as much as Danger Days, but there are videos to show the recording of the “Welcome to the Black Parade” video. In the UK weekly charts, it ended up ranking 1st place. The album's best single has to be “Famous Last Words”, because of the rawness of the vocals, the intensity of the video, and the fact that Gerard nearly broke his leg, and the drummer burned his leg from the fire in the background. The album’s CD has the rest of the cast of the Black Parade, including The Patient, Mother War, and many others in the case, while the disc has the band’s logo at the time. WRITTEN BY: NATALIA JACKSON
Rated by Author: 5/5 Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles is a beautifully written and emotionally powerful retelling of the classic Greek myth of Achilles and Patroclus. The novel is told from the perspective of Patroclus, a prince who is exiled to the court of Achilles' father and forms a deep bond with Achilles. Miller's writing is lyrical and evocative, bringing the ancient world to life with vivid descriptions and rich imagery. The characters are well-developed and complex, with Achilles, in particular, being portrayed as a fully-realized human being, with flaws and vulnerabilities as well as strength and courage. The novel explores themes of love, loyalty, and sacrifice, as well as the brutal realities of war and the price of fame. The relationship between Achilles and Patroclus is at the heart of the story, and Miller masterfully portrays the depth of their love and the sacrifices they make for each other. Overall, The Song Of Achilles is a beautifully written and emotionally powerful novel that is a must-read for fans of Greek mythology and lovers of epic literature. It’s a stunning retelling of the classic story that will leave readers breathless and heartbroken by the end. WRITTEN BY AIDEN ORANTES
Rated by Author: 4.5/5 On January 20th, Måneskin released their second album, RUSH!. With 17 songs and a runtime of 52 minutes and 50 seconds, it’s certainly more packed than their first album, Teatro d’ira - Vol. I, which contained 8 songs and a runtime of 29 minutes and 8 seconds. But is bigger always better in this band’s case? Most of their songs in the new album are filled with energy, although there are some slower ballads. A couple of the songs were written from different places of inspiration, like the days after “Eurovision” (2021), when they made fun of some accusations. They also used for inspiration old guitar riffs that were made by the band's lead guitarist, as well as the feeling of touring around the world, but wanting to return home. The combination of fast paced music, like “Mark Chapman”, which is their fastest song at 178 BPM, with songs like “The Loneliest”, which in Damianos own words, “...is a power ballad, fully 90’s style. …It is what you would say to your loved ones when something beautiful is coming to an end” This is what makes this album stylistically beautiful; there's many themes hidden behind each song. There’s only one minor drawback to this album. A few songs are exclusively in Italian, but you can easily find English translations on the internet. Overall, this album receives a 4.5/5, because while it’s stylistically beautiful, sometimes the changes in between the fast paced music to the more slow, sad songs can be a little jarring. WRITTEN BY: NATHANIEL TKACH
Rated by Author: 3/5 For good reason, One Piece is hailed as one of the finest anime series ever. The popular anime, which has been airing for almost 20 years, tells the tale of Monkey D. Luffy and his band of Straw Hat Pirates as they explore the globe in search of the mythical loot known as One Piece. While Luffy makes gradual progress toward becoming the Pirate King, they come up against some of the most formidable pirate crews in the world and take on the World Government. Due to its distinctive world-building, vibrant characters, and epic plot, One Piece has become a global sensation. The show centers on the exploits of Straw Hat Pirates leader Luffy and his band as they encounter a diverse range of people while touring the globe, from the emperors of the Grand Line to the nobles of the World Government. They encounter a variety of difficulties along the route and meet some formidable foes. Due to its distinctive animation and graphic style, One Piece stands out among other anime. The series stands out from other shows thanks to its distinctive art style, which is incredibly detailed and colorful. The animation is also quite well done, with smooth transitions between scenes and exciting action. The series is notable for its compelling characters and narrative as well. Each member of the Straw Hat Pirates and supporting crew, including Luffy is immensely likable, and their interactions with one another add to the appeal of the narrative. With a variety of plot twists and surprises, the story is also highly captivating and keeps viewers coming back for more. Overall, One Piece is a fantastic anime series that has gained international acclaim. It is simple to understand why this series is so well-liked, given its distinctive animation and art direction, strong characters, compelling plot, and epic adventures. It’s the ideal moment to watch One Piece if you haven't before and immerse yourself in the world of the Straw Hat Pirates. |
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