UNSTABLE LIVING POWER

“I refuse to carry a king who’s weaker than me and get cut to ribbons with him. If you’re weaker than me, then I’ll destroy you, and take your crown for myself.”

Hollow Ichigo, Bleach

I have noticed that there are various anime/manga protagonists who possess an inner power with a mind of its own. Every once in a while, this sentient inner power would possess the protagonist and give them a tremendous boost in power that gives them an edge in a desperate situation. Such examples include Ichigo Kurosaki and his inner Hollow, Naruto Uzumaki and the Kurama the Nine-Tailed Fox, and Asta and his devil Liebe. As their respective stories progress, the protagonists gradually learn to bring their unruly powers to heel and make them their own. In my new fantasy books, I am planning to give the main character a similar sentient inner power. His struggle to control this power will further contribute to my protagonist’s character development as the series progresses.

AN INNER WORLD

“The greatest battle lies within.”

For my new fantasy books, I am planning to depict an inner spiritual world that my main character visits from time to time throughout the series. I am envisioning this inner world to be similar in nature to that of Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach. In terms of appearance, my main character’s inner world will look like a mixture between Exegol and Mustafar from Star Wars as well as the aftermath of a medieval battlefield. It will be an inner world that symbolizes power, conquest, and the thrill of battle. Within this plane of existence, my main character will experience extreme inner conflict that will add to his character development.

A LEGEND IS BORN

I love the first few scenes in The Legend of Vox Machina, specifically when we were first introduced to the main characters. The Legend of Vox Machina begins as all great legends do: with an epic bar fight! Before the fight begins, we learn that Vox Machina are a bunch of heavy-drinking party animals who are struggling as mercenaries. Then they get antagonized by the other patrons, resulting in the bar fight in question. One of the members of Vox Machina, the half-elf rogue Vax, manages to sneak an extra drink before resuming his fight. The half-elf druid, Keyleth, was so hideously drunk that she even used her own vomit as a weapon. The human gunslinger (and only gentleman in the group), Percy managed to catch some patrons off guard with his gun, but his weapon malfunctions. The half-elf ranger, Vex, has her bow’s aim thrown off by the gnome cleric, Pike, before resuming her fight. At one point, Vex summons her pet bear, Trinket. Grog, the goliath barbarian, tries to come to his friends’ aid only to exacerbate things further. Finally, the gnome bard, Scanlan, was busy seducing an inhuman woman with both sex and music. After a while, the bartender breaks up the chaos and throws Vox Machina out when it turns out they do not have any money to pay for either their drinks or the damage done to the bar. With no money and a mountain of debt weighing on them, the group starts to question their purpose in the world. Thanks to the antics of Scanlan, the group found a notice from the crown that was hiring mercenaries to fight a great evil that was unleashed upon the land. The group answering this notice is how their true adventure begins and it all started from this one bar fight. Overall, I love this introduction because it shows a band of flawed characters and unlikely heroes who are funny and relatable. It is like Game of Thrones but with a bit of comedy thrown in.

JURASSIC WORLD EXODUS

As mentioned in a previous post, I noticed some Biblical references in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. I have developed a keen interest in the references to the Book of Exodus. It starts with the cloned dinosaurs and how they symbolically represent the Israelites. Like the Israelites, the cloned dinosaurs were enslaved. Based on this, mankind in general represent the Pharaoh since they not only enslaved the dinosaurs but continue to find new ways to use and exploit them. Since the day they were born, the dinosaurs were forced to be theme park attractions, living weapons, and other products of science. When Isla Nublar was destroyed by its volcano, the few surviving dinosaurs were to be auctioned off to the black market. Even though they cannot speak, I can imagine the dinosaurs were asking for freedom and deliverance in their heads. Their salvation comes from the most unlikely source imaginable. Maisie Lockwood, the first human clone, symbolically represents Moses. As the dinosaurs were about to die from poisonous gas, Maisie pushed a button that released them into the world. Since she was a clone herself, Maisie had more of a kinship and connection with the dinosaurs than with the rest of humanity. As such, she said, “I had to. They’re alive like me.” This can be interpreted as her way of saying, “Let my people go.” Just as Moses was born an Israelite yet raised as an Egyptian, Maisie was born a clone yet raised as a human. When the basement door of the Lockwood Manor opened so the dinosaurs could escape, this could be seen as a representation of the parting of the Red Sea so the Israelites could reach the promised land. Therefore, like Moses before her, Maisie freed her people to a promised land. Due to its multiple references to the Book of Exodus, I often think of the songs from Prince of Egypt whenever I think of the scenes and characters that are connected to the Exodus references.

THE FIRE THIEF

I am so glad that we will be seeing other species of raptors in Jurassic World: Dominion, especially the Pyroraptor. The Pyroraptor in Jurassic World looks achingly gorgeous with its feathers. The last time I saw the Pyroraptor was in the documentary series Dinosaur Planet. Apparently, like the Velociraptor, the filmmakers have supersized the Pyroraptor. In real life, Pyroraptor was about the same size as Velociraptor, which was roughly the size of a turkey.

THE EGG THIEF

I love the design of the Oviraptor in Jurassic World: Dominion. Like the other feathered dinosaurs seen so far, it is achingly gorgeous to look at like a primeval bird of paradise. I thought the sounds that the Oviraptor made were kind of cute. I remember when I first heard of this animal when I was a kid and now I get to see it on the big screen. What a treat!

THE LEGEND OF VOX MACHINA

I have been watching a new fantasy show on Amazon Prime called The Legend of Vox Machina. It is based on a web series where a group of voice actors play a campaign of Dungeons and Dragons. In this show, those same voice actors play the same characters they used in the game. The show revolves around a band of misfits, outcasts, and unlikely heroes. When the story begins, they are the laughing stock of the mercenary industry until they are hired by the kingdom to defeat a dark evil. The characters are funny, relatable, and badass in their own way. Anyone who is a serious Dungeons and Dragons fan will notice the various Easter Eggs that are scattered throughout the show. Even if you are not a Dungeons and Dragons fan or are knowledgable about the franchise, you will enjoy this show. I have known the existence of Dungeons and Dragons for years, but I never played it. This show makes me want to play the game. I highly recommend this show to anyone who likes fantasy, action, and crude comedy. Also, this show is definitely not for children!

RETURN OF THE PLAGUES

Easily one of the greatest examples of God’s wrath are the ten plagues of Egypt from the Book of Exodus. When the Pharaoh angered God by enslaving the Israelites, a series of plagues were unleashed upon Egypt. The plagues consisted of the following:

1.) Turning water to blood

2.) Frogs

3.) Lice or gnats

4.) Wild animals or flies

5.) Pestilence of livestock

6.) Boils

7.) Thunderstorm of hail and fire

8.) Locusts

9.) Darkness for three days

10.) Death of the firstborn son

As my dinosaur book series, The Kaligen Experiment, progresses, I am planning to include a number of Biblical references to the story. Among those references will be the 10 Plagues of Egypt. These new plagues will not be the same as the ones that struck Egypt nor will they be the result of divine intervention. instead, these new plagues will be similar to the original plagues and have the same impact, but they will be happening on a global scale. The original plagues all but crippled Ancient Egypt as a civilization. Can you imagine how modern civilization who be affected by plagues that are global? These new plagues will be triggered by unpredictable technology that mankind has no idea how to control. Overall, this is going to be apocalyptic in nature.

MY OPINION OF DARK STORIES

I like dark stories because they are more thrilling, mysterious, and strangely alluring. Because of that, there is something deeply attractive about the darkness. Dark stories seem more real than any of the sugar-coated stories that are excessively optimistic. It enables me to venture into the abyssal id of the human mind. Dark stories give us access to the unfiltered side of our psyche that never sees the light of day due to the mandates of social conformity. To a degree, dark stories enable us to peer into the animalistic face of our true selves instead of the false masks we are forced to put on in order to fit in with “decent” society. Because of these factors, dark stories are far more appealing than stories about light ever will be.

CONFLICTING FUTURES

“The future does not exist in a single path. The future exists as countless grains of sand scattered before me. Every single one of those seemingly isolated grains of sand is the future. To put it another way, you can call them possibilities.”

Yhwach, Bleach

Throughout my new fantasy books, my main character will be plagued by visions of the future. Some visions are positive, some are negative, and all will have a serious impact on the main character’s psychological development. Can you imagine how it would affect a person if they could see every conceivable future? That is a question I will be exploring.