If you listen to our Ravenclaw podcast episode, you’ll know that Phineas is an easy Ravenclaw. He’s the brains behind the operation. He’s witty and curious. All hallmarks of an ideal Ravenclaw.
In our podcast episode, I first thought Ferb fit well under the Hufflepuff banner. But Michael pointed out some very Ravenclaw traits. Ferb is the hands behind Phineas‘s inventions. Very clever in his own right and his one-liners are basically the definition of wit.
Her brothers are set in Ravenclaw, I can’t exactly say the same about Candace. She has a lot of stereotypical, Hufflepuff tendencies, like being a spaz and a goofball. She’s certainly hard-working, trying to bust her brothers every day, even though she fails. At the same time, she’s also very loyal to her family and her friends, as seen when she gets protective of her brothers
This was a tricky one. Isabella could easily go into Slytherin just as much as Gryffindor. With her determination to get her patches, she sells very Gryffindor traits. Her cunning (and sometimes ruthlessness) are the type that could easily place her in Slytherin. So like with Harry Potter, she would do well in either house. But I think she would choose Gryffindor at that point, like Harry.
I think this one should be pretty straightforward. Buford was a bully who became their friend. (while still having some bully tendencies). He’s cunning and ruthless. And his loyalty to his family and his heritage, even if it’s just a goldfish, could easily place him in Slytherin.
You might think that Baljeet belongs in Ravenclaw because of how academic he is. Hear me out. This boy is the definition of determination, cunning, and ruthless. Frequently his studies are not for the love of learning, but for the sake of achievement and ambition. Also, there’s a certain amount of self-preservation, which is typical of Slytherin, while dealing with Buford as his best friend.
You might think that Doof belongs in Slytherin because he’s a villain. I disagree. Not only is he a poor villain, but he’s loyal to a fault. He will give up any scheme for the sake of his daughter, and even showed loyalty to Perry, the platypus, as his Frenemy. Also, his goofiness is very stereotypical Hufflepuff.
Hey. Where is Perry? He’s in Gryffindor. Or he would be if they let a platypus into the school. They don’t do much. But this semi aquatic mammal has shown determination and a fierce sense of right and wrong while battling Doof and taking care of his host family.
T'Challa had barely begun grieving in processing his fathr‘s death, as seen in Civil War, when he was duty bound to accept any challenges of ritual combat. Most of the tribes in Wakanda conceded to him as the rightful king and Black Panther. But naturally someone had to challenge him: M'Baku
Something struck me during their fight during my recent feeling of the movie. While fighting M’Baku, the queen mother shouted at T’Challa, “ Show him who you are!” For whatever reason, this line hit me differently. In many ways, it defined the rest of the movie.
Learning that his father was instrumental in his uncle’s death, our beloved Black Panther was conflicted about what it meant to be king and what to do about Killmonger’s plan. In the end, I suppose he realized that Killmonger's motivation wasn’t completely flawed, though obviously the execution of that plan was dangerous and cruel to many innocent people.
I think it’s amazing that T’Challa, while respecting his father‘s memory, decided to do more. By reaching out to the rest of the world, providing technology and resources, mankind would never be the same. If nothing else, the Avengers wouldn’t have had so many allies in the battle against Thanos (granted, they lost the first round of that battle). Their king gave the Wakandan people a chance to show the world who they were.
"The Enemy fears you. You are dangerous big-time. If you are ever really got your heart back, live from it with courage, you would be a huge problem to him. You would do a lot of damage…on the side of good."
Just as the Wakandans left their isolation and began outreach to the world, we are expected to be disciples of Jesus Christ, rising out of obscurity. Like the Wakandans we have so much to offer the world, but it’s easy to stay in our own little sphere. I’m praying and pondering almost constantly on this subject, as I tried to “[get] my heart back” and understand my relationship to our heavenly father on a deeper level. As each of us develops and deepens that relationship, I believe outreach will come naturally and powerfully. Like Moses, it's up to us to respond to the adversary, "Who art thou? For behold, I am a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten;"
--Spencer
Listen to Episode 57 on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube
Check out Spencer's recent blog posts: click here
Check out Russell's recent blog posts: click here
00:12 - Introductions
01:57 - Spencer's Recommendation: Citizen Soldier
Listen on Spotify
04:27 - Russell's Recommendation: "Gratitude" performed by BYU Vocal Point
Listen on Spotify
06:22 - The Hork-Bajir Chronicles
13:57 - #23 - The Pretender
21:51 - #24 - The Suspicion
28:31 - #25 - The Extreme
39:54 - Conclusion
Follow along: Animorphs Book Club Reading Schedule
Animorphs Re-Read Podcast Series:
This may come across as harsh, but I’ve been an anime fan since before it was cool. I still get embarrassed showing this nerdy side of myself because, growing up, you were made fun of for watching anime. Times have changed, though, and now it feels like an entire nation suddenly watches anime—like it’s somehow cool now? I still don’t get it. But one thing I do understand is that the quality of isekai shows has been steadily diminishing. They turned a beloved genre into a cash grab, because who wouldn’t want to watch a story where the protagonist is transported to another world, gains magic, and becomes powerful enough to save everything? And yet, somehow, they keep taking an interesting premise and making it boring, dare I say, even lame.
I recently tried watching a show called “My Gift Lvl 9999 Ultimate Gacha.” Technically it’s not an isekai, since the protagonist doesn’t come from our world, but it still hits all the typical isekai problems. So, for this post, I’m going to talk about why I didn’t finish this anime and what changes could have made it unique and actually good. Honestly, this applies to most isekai anime. So while I’m ranting about this specific show, know that the same issues plague the genre as a whole.
For context, I’ve written about isekai problems before, but in this post I’m focusing on different issues than the ones I covered in “When Power Fantasy Animes Become Weak.”
Why in the world do we need a plot summary for the name of a show? What is going on with anime titles? We’ve got things like “I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense,” “Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon,” and “I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level.” No one asked for this. We could simplify these to “Max Defense,” “Vending Machine Reborn,” and “Slime Killer.”
Even “My Gift Lvl 9999 Ultimate Gacha” could easily be shortened to “Gacha Is My Gift.” We already know the protagonist is going to be maxed out, it’s basically a requirement for isekai‑adjacent shows. We don’t need it spelled out in the title. Can anime studios and manga authors please put a little more effort into naming things?
Boring Side Characters
Let me just unload the biggest problem with “My Gift Lvl 9999 Ultimate Gacha.” The side characters are painfully boring. After the first episode, the protagonist, Light, gets a level‑9999 servant named Mei. She could kill him instantly. She seems completely independent from the start. And yet, instead of leaving, she wants to be his servant simply because she’s a maid and “that’s her role.” Then, in the next episode, three years have passed and Light has created a whole town full of high‑level gacha characters—all of whom share one single trait: how much they adore their master. They even get upset if they don’t see him.
That is such lazy writing. Why can’t they have different personalities? Why do they all have to love Light so much? It’s never explained. They’re all willing to go to war for him for no reason other than “he summoned them.”
To fix this, they could have hinted at the end of episode one that Mei is compelled to fixate on Light—trapped in a magical or psychological bond that forces her loyalty, while secretly wanting to escape. That would mirror Light’s own trauma from being betrayed by his former party, but in a darker, more personal way. If they had planted that seed early on, the show would be far more interesting because it would introduce tension, moral ambiguity, and actual character conflict instead of blind devotion. Instead, we get mindless, lustful drones.
Plain Protagonist
I’m not going to go into too much detail here, because I’ve talked about overpowered protagonists before, but I do want to point out one thing: why do they all look the same? Short dark hair, pale skin, generic face. We don’t need to copy Sword Art Online’s Kazuto every single time. There’s room for variety.
Conclusion
Sometimes I wonder why I still watch isekai‑like shows. Why am I still watching anime at all? It feels like since COVID, there hasn’t been a truly good isekai. Maybe the best so far is “Lord of Mysteries,” but even that show jumps around a lot. I could easily be wrong—I might have missed a gem or two—but most of them seem to suffer from the same problems I’ve talked about here.
Please comment with your favorite recently released isekai. I’m genuinely looking for something good.
Thanks to some unfortunate insomnia, I've had some time to finally work my way through more Classic Doctor Who. Though I'd rather sleep, maybe it's Heavenly Father's way to forcing me to take some self-care time (I'd rather self-care with sleep, but He knows better than me). Recently I watched "City of Death" and had some more random thoughts about it (even more random than usual).
The "time slip" was an interesting mechanic. I kind of wish it had been used more throughout this story. Or maybe a story centered around it, a la Groundhog Day. With how the humans didn't seem affected by it, maybe this is the explanation of human Deja vu?
As if it weren't convoluted enough that Da Vinci painted about half a dozen copies of the Mona Lisa, modern viewers of Sarah Jane Adventures will remember when she came for revenge. Connecting the two stories, I have to wonder if all seven portraits used oils from sentient meteorite or if it was just the one that Sarah Jane's crew would encounter. Seven vengeful portraits is significantly more intense than the single.
I enjoyed Duggan tagging along with the Doctor and Romana. I kind of wish he'd become a companion to the Doctor. I don't know that we've had a detective on the TARDIS team before. Plus can you imagine the Doctor scolding Duggan across time and space for his impulsive fists. Though maybe after Duggan threw the most important punch in history, maybe the Doctor would've allowed it--kind of like how he would allow Ace's explosives (even though he'd say she couldn't have them).
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| This episode is also the origin of this iconic Fourth Doctor meme template. |
I saw and shook his hand when he visited my mission. The take away for me there was “the spirit is still and small and does not compete” or that’s how I remembered him sharing it. At my Grandpa’s funeral in 2018, the bishop who spoke said he received a call from Elder Holland while he, the bishop, was at Disneyland with his family. Elder Holland knew this bishop would be speaking at my grandpa’s funeral and it turns out Elder Holland and my grandpa were home teaching companions at one point. Talk about an unexpected plot twist! My grandpa had not mentioned that small detail during his life.
It seemed like Elder Holland was always pounding the pulpit about something. I loved his passion and fire when he spoke. But he was also quite funny. “You shouldn’t be serving tea anyways” was quite the unexpected remark in an analogy portion about the dangers of lust. Who knew we would be getting a Word of Wisdom narrative in the midst of a bridle your passions sermon? Not to mention his commentary about “Monday is coming,” “Hit me one more time, I can still hear you,” “I’m the only thing standing between you and your ice cream Sunday tradition,” or “General Conference is boring, why do we have to do it?” followed by a ploy to have people remember him as “Kearon, Elder Patrick Kearon” which may or may not have been a low key homage to the British spy (“Bond, James Bond” just made that connection). He taught and testified of the Savior. He loved his family and especially his wife, Pat: “True love we are absolutely giddy about—as I am about Sister Holland; we shout it from the housetops.” People seemed to sit up and listen when he spoke because falling asleep was usually not an option. He testified of the Book of Mormon and of the Bible in a series of talks. He spoke of the First Vision. He spoke of the Holy Ghost. He spoke of angels. He gave new interpretations and meaning to the parables and to interactions of the Savior with his apostles.
In his later addresses, it seemed to me at least, President Holland spoke frequently of the love he had for his sweet wife, Pat. He spoke of how he missed her. I am glad they are reunited again. In his final address, at the First Presidency Christmas Devotional, he spoke about missing his wife for the past three Christmases. He also spoke about the song, “I’ll be Home for Christmas.” How fitting that he is now home with Pat again.
It was his testimony and his teachings that I enjoyed the most. His passion and love made him memorable for sure. It was always apparent to me that he loved the Lord and that He wanted to serve and testify of Him. I will miss him, but I am glad we have access to his talks from General Conference, BYU and other college devotionals, and CES firesides from which we can continue to learn.
--Spencer
Listen to Episode 56 on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube
Check out Spencer's recent content: click here
Check out Michael's recent content: click here
Show notes:
00:12 - Introductions
01:02 - Michael's Recommendation: "Make Your Bed" by William H. McRaven
Purchase on Amazon
02:35 - Spencer's Recommendation: Stranger Things
Available for streaming on Netflix
03:53 - Ravenclaw House overview
"Our Hogwarts Houses" by the LDS Geeks Team
06:51 - Favorite Ravenclaws
Spencer: Quirinus Quirrell
Michael: Gilderoy Lockhart
10:31 - Least Favorite Ravenclaws
Spencer: Marietta Edgecombe
Michael: Moaning Myrtle
13:35 - Ravenclaw Best Friend
Spencer: Luna Lovegood
Michael: Sybill Trelawney
17:12 - Ravenclaw Theme Song
Spencer: "Into the Unknown" (Frozen II)
Michael: "Rondo Alla Turca" by Mozart
19:19 - Ravenclaw from Other Fandoms
Lois Lane (Superman)
Katara (Avatar the Last Airbender)
Elsa and Anna (Frozen)
Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher (Phineas and Ferb)
Phoebe Buffay (Friends)
21:20 - Analysis of Ravenclaw House
25:37 - Conclusion
Extra Credit - The Marvels
Say what you will about this movie (and it making Carol Denvers into a Disney princess) but there's one big thing from this movie to address leading into Doomsday: The X-Men. After getting her superpowers in WandaVision and teaming up with the Marvels in this movie, Monica ended up thrown into another corner of the multiverse where she met Beast and Binary from the X-Men universe. Plus I swear I'm one of the few people who wants to see Ms. Marvel back.
A number of mixed emotions during this series but I think we were all happy to have this adventure during the pandemic. I'm not sure it was the best received Marvel project, especially after the energy surrounding WandaVision (that was a hard act to follow). It was an emotional adventure transitioning Sam Wilson from the Falcon to being Captain America, but it also introduced our new Falcon, US Agent, and of course Val.
Extra Credit - Captain America: Brave New World
If you went straight from Falcon and the Winter Soldier and straight past this movie on your way to Doomsday, you'd probably be alright. There's no indication that Red Hulk or Sterns will play a part in the next Avengers movie. That being said, this movie serves to further establish Sam's role as Captain America and Joaquin's role as Falcon (I had honestly forgotten there was a new Falcon).
We can't have a multiverse movie without addressing the Loki who triggered the multiverse. After this variant escaped in Endgame, there was humbling to happen and some Kangs to be discovered. If it weren't for this Loki, we wouldn't have the X-Men universe, What If, Tobey's Spider-Man, or any of the parallel worlds. Last we saw of Loki, he was woven into the fabric of the multiverse, so I'm curious what his role will be in Doomsday.
Extra Credit - Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
This movie was underwhelming for many people (especially since the Kang storyline was scrapped). However, it attempted to connect the threads of our Avengers to the big bad of Loki. I'm curious what would've happened with this movie and Loki if Kang Dynasty were still happening. I heard rumors we'll see something of Kang being taken care of off-screen in Doomsday, but we'll see.
On the grand scale of things, this show probably won't have much impact on the events of Doomsday (especially since Jeremy Renner isn't confirmed to appear). However, it does feature Yelena, previously seen in Black Widow, who would become a major player in Thunderbolts. Plus, I also just adore her character interacting with Kate Bishop.
Extra Credit - Black Widow
Like Hawkeye, this movie doesn't look like it will have direct impact on Doomsday. That being said, this movie introduced the aforementioned Yelena and her adopted father. Both these powerhouses (Red Guardian for his strength and Yelena for her wit) reappeared in Thunderbolts. It's hard for me to decide if this movie or Hawkeye are more crucial.
Slim chance of any of these characters appearing in Doomsday (except perhaps a variant of Captain Carter), but this hit series gave us a glimpse of what a multiversal epic could be. Three seasons and three epic finales. I think it would be a shame to let this series fade into obscurity, despite the release of Marvel Zombies, so I'd love to see Kahhori or the Hydra Stomper again.
Extra Credit - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
If we're going into a multiverse grand finale, we ought to include the epic (and horrific) journey that Doctor Strange took across the worlds. This movie isn't exactly what I'd envisioned from a multiverse hopping story, but it was the first (aside from Loki) so it would be a fun (and traumatic) one to revisit.
