Brace Yourselves, Kingdom Hearts III is Coming

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The wait is finally (almost) over. The renegade of the anime world, a Disney favorite and a (now) classic gaming series is closer than ever to revealing the third installment of the Kingdom Hearts franchise.

It’s been almost 15 years since the first release of Kingdom Hearts (2002) on Playstation 2 and 10 years since the sequel, Kingdom Hearts II (2005). While there have been remixes, remasters and small side stories available on handheld devices, the true third installment is right around the corner. The following games have all been small steps towards the upcoming release of the third game: Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts coded, Kingdom Hearts 258/2 Days, Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep and Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. Most were considered to be flops, but the gems that stand out (Birth By Sleep, 3D: Dream Drop Distance, HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix) have been quietly stalling the hunger of fans for the third game for quite some time.

It’s apparent the Japanese have an affinity for all things Kingdom Hearts as the Square Enix company holds KH, Final Fantasy, Hitman and Tomb Raider as their most coveted franchises. But, most importantly, the team at Square Enix are revving up their engines to bring audiences the best quality of the games they’ve grown to love over the years. With new and improved versions of the games we grew up with, Square Enix is taking the phrase, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” to a whole other level.

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In addition to Disney characters and worlds, there are rumors that the team behind KH might take gamers into Marvel and Star Wars territory. With the third installation, the game will also be available for Xbox One, not just Playstation. According to the Square Enix conference this past week, the team is looking into sharing some exciting news about the game in November.


Emilia Clarke in Game of Thrones

10 Life Lessons From Current Women in Television

The women of television have a stronger voice now more than ever. With hit dramas and comedies that host stars of both sexes as the protagonist, women in television are sharing the spotlight. In some cases, they’re even stealing it from their male counterpart. While we’ve seen some of our favorite shows come to a conclusion this season, there are many ongoing ones that deserve praise; especially for their female stars. These are some life lessons we should learn from current female characters in television.

(WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS)


Logo for Jurassic World

[Playlist of the Week] 5 Songs About Dinosaurs

Oddly enough, there are more songs about dinosaurs than you’d expect (we expected zero). In preparation for the upcoming blockbuster hit of the summer, Jurassic World, we’ve compiled a short list of five songs related to dinosaurs. We definitely ran the spectrum of genres to compile our list. Of course, we definitely left some off. If you have a favorite dinosaur-related song we missed, let us know!


blink-182: Take Off Your Pants and Jacket

Why "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket" is blink-182's Best Album

I was 10 when blink-182’s Take Off Your Pants and Jacket came out. Back then, my mother was still buying me Spice Girls and Aaron Carter CDs. Ready to take the plunge into pop-punk/punk (because what was cooler to a pre-teen girl than rebellion), I borrowed the CD from a neighborhood kid and never gave it back. TOYPAJ has without a doubt molded me into the person I am today and hopefully will be forever. I never put the album down, even now. To this day, they’re still one of my favorite bands, and if it wasn’t for them, I could very well be a total lame who listens to country music or worse (reggae). This album is not only my favorite blink-182 album, it’s their best album.

From start the finish, the record is an ode to adolescence life and rebellion. If you’re anything like me, you were a rebellious young punk too. This era is where the modern day scene started to develop into what it is today. This certified double platinum album set the standard of pop-punk and most importantly, made the genre accessible for anyone who wanted to be "different." I strive to critique music for a living, the alternative scene especially, and this record is the crème de la crème, the pièce de résistance; TOYPAJ is the Great Bambino of blink-182.

The songs “First Date,” “The Rock Show” and “Stay Together For The Kids” were all huge hits. While they weren’t as big as their previous record, Enema of the State, they were more refined and more mature (though, the first two not by much) than their predecessor. With catchier bridges and bolder, cleaner guitars than their previous albums, the trio still bring in hints of this record to some of their newer material.

Join us next week when Geoff shares his reasons on why Dude Ranch is blink-182's best album.


Pet Symmetry:

[Review] Pet Symmetry: "Pet Hounds"

The Chicago three-piece of Pet Symmetry have their music slightly more under-the-radar than their folk-punk, punk rock counterparts, but with their newest release of their first full-length, Pet Hounds, that will likely change. With their comical puns (get it, Pet Hounds? The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds... you get it) and lengthy track names, it's apparent the group are in it for the fun of things. Yet, the members of still active bands such as Kittyhawk, Into It. Over It. and Dowsing have shed their former selves for the debut record of Pet Symmetry; even for only a moment (Into It. Over It. is already out on tour for 2015).

Starting off with the opening track “My Exhausted Month (of May)” sets the precedent for the rest of the album: an emo-revival structure (if emo ever left, that is) with a punk rock roof and a pop punk floorboard. Together, Pet Symmetry have a place to showcase their talents and their ability to reach out to more than one genre in the scene; Pet Hounds fits comfortably in anyone’s record collection.

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The single “Give Thanks (Get Lost)” is a perfect blend of heavy melody, clean vocals and guitars that don’t muddle with the lyric prowess of the song. Like a punk tribute to any Green Album song from Weezer, “Give Thanks (Get Lost)” is flawless. “Go Outside (Stare At The Sun)” is reminiscent of bands similar to Pet Symmetry (e.g. other bands on Asian Man Records like Joyce Manor, Antarctigo Vespucci, etc). “Class Action Force (Useless Tools)” brings punk highlights back to Pet Hounds and showcases the go-to of pop punk (e.g. lyrics about sad boys walking around the park), but in a mature state of affairs. “Gone, Gone, Gone (Even Further Gone)” is a ballad-worthy parting song on the record before the outro and longest track, “Salad Daze (Seein’ Cred).” A play on words of Minor Threat’s popular song, “Seein’ Red,” the track is very shoegaze-y and has a Death Cab for Cutie vibe with heavier guitar breaks.

A solid record, I advise anyone who enjoys punk, pop punk, emo or folk punk to pick this album up. It’s unclear if the group will be going on tour anytime soon (other than fests), but when they do, go see them. This is a side project I hope to see turn into much more. With less than 7,000 fans on Facebook (and more than 50,000 for their more notable bands), Pet Hounds should add to the band’s low hype, as it is much deserved.


Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow in The Avengers

Damsel in Distress: The Lack of Female Superheroes in Hollywood

In the '90s, my parents encouraged my tomboy ways and let me play with the boys toys, as if back then letting girls play with boys toys was taboo. They’re just toys, right? Almost 20 years later, I went to Target to grab some superhero merchandise for the opening night of The Avengers: Age of Ultron. To my dismay, all of the merch was located in the boy's toy section; including the female superhero items, which wasn't more than a pen-sized action figure or two. As I picked up the last Captain America mask, I passed the bright pink aisles where all of the "female-friendly" toys were. There wasn’t a superhero Barbie, plush toy or action figure in sight. What gives, Hollywood?

After seeing the film, I walked out disappointed. Scarlett Johansson played Black Widow in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, a former USSR assassin trained from a young age who uses her skills for her own gain and later on for the good of mankind. As a big Marvel fan, I was excited to see the return of the strong, female superhero in a Hollywood blockbuster (besides the X-Men). Unfortunately, her backstory was watered down as her relationship with Bruce Banner (e.g. Hulk) in the film grew into a sappy "woe is me" superhero complex as she revealed she was unable to bear children. As if in the year 2015 this was the number one, sure-fire way to humanize a former Soviet-bred killing machine to American women. Why does her mystery have to be washed over by pointless sentiments of humanity? They’re superhuman. Then, in the end, it’s Banner who ends up leaving her behind, despite their plans to run away together. Whether or not this was an accuracy issue from the comics to the big screen, why couldn’t Black Widow be the one to leave? Left at the altar, even in fantasy, the woman is still portrayed to be more vulnerable than her male counterpart.

I’ll admit, there’s the occasional female powerhouse (e.g. Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy, the ladies of the X-Men and Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises), but the damsel in distress routine is getting blase to say the least. These are the women who know they’re needed for a team to function and most importantly, vital in saving the planet if not the universe. In X-Men: Days of Future Past, without the women of the X-Men, the people of Earth would live forever in chains and the mutants of Earth left to be brutally murdered by robots. Without Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy, Star-Lord wouldn’t have been able to save the planet. In the comic book world, there are plenty of women superheroes, but until those books come to life in a way that empowers us mere mortals on Earth, it’s a man’s universe; real or fantasy.

When comics started in the '20s, it was a man’s world. While the comic book universe is booming with female leaders, it's Hollywood who pass over these women like they're minor characters. But, in 2015, something has to change. The question is: what is Hollywood going to do about it?


Marvel Women

10 Badass Superheroines and Supervillains in Comics

Recently, there has been tension in the superhero world over the lack of strong women in comics. While there is a huge gap between the number of men versus women in the comic book world, there are powerhouse superheroines fans seem to phase over. Don’t be fooled, some of the names that you might recognize are bigger in the comic book world than their blockbuster film roles have lead you to think. Regardless of your gender, here are 10 female comic book characters that kick ass harder than their male counterparts.


[Playlist of the Week] 10 Anticipated Albums for the Spring

The year started off with a bang when it came to record releases, but in the next coming months the saga of choice new albums will continue. While there are a bunch of anticipated records with TBA titles and release dates, these are the upcoming releases you have to get.

Which release are you looking forward to the most?

*In order from earliest release to furthest release*