Friday, September 28, 2012

Doctor Who: "The Power of Three" Live Reaction Podcast! (The Repodcasting)



Why the 'repodcasting,' you ask? Because we love the show so much we had to talk about it twice (and not because of technical difficulties that occurred during the first recording)? Sure! Let's go with that. Tomorrow's episode, as all Whovians know, is when the Ponds say farewell. So, naturally, in this podcast, we couldn't help but dip into an ocean of Pond feels. Even Mrs. Hughes from Downton got in on it. It'll make more(?) sense when you listen.

Here's the rundown!

00:00~06:43  A quick recap and a Quotes Quiz! Which Doctor Who character said what?

06:44~12:31  General reactions/Our favorite parts

12:32~20:11  Lea blows Jenni's mind with a Doctor Who theory. More theories abound soon after.

20:12~26:32  A Spice Girls mention followed by the beginning of our Pond feels/ General companion commentary/ a discussion of the lonely Doctor

26:33~27:01  Spoilers?

27:02~31:27  A chat with Mrs. Hughes and more spoiler talk

31:28~31:53  Funniest scenes in "The Power of Three"

31:54~42:03  Favorite episode so far/General thoughts on this season as a whole/What kind of episodes appeal to us

42:04~44:44  A brief discussion about cardiac arrest

44:45~46:50  The Doctor vs. Rory: Who has better hair?

46:51~53:59  Our attempts to emotionally prepare for the Ponds' farewell episode

(50:48)           Lea does a spot-on Dalek impression

54:00~58:09  Comparing different companions' departures

58:10~1:07:59  Top Amy/Rory moments; Plus, a discussion of the dynamic between the Doctor and the Ponds; Basically, all the Pond feels are belong to us.

1:08:00~end  Wrapping up!


Are you prepared to say goodbye to Amy and Rory? Excited and/or terrified to encounter the Weeping Angels again? "The Angels Take Manhattan" airs tomorrow on BBCA at 9:00 p.m.!

Is it possible to cry from Pond feels and not blink for fear of the Weeping Angels at the same time? I guess we'll find out.



Friday, September 21, 2012

Television for the Week of September 16th


This is where I talk about all the tv I watched during the week. Featuring Boardwalk Empire, The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Project Runway.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Our Doctor Who: "A Town Called Mercy" Live Reaction Podcast!!



Last night's episode of Doctor Who brought out some interesting reactions, Pond feelings, and, yes..."Gangnam Style" interludes.

Here's the rundown!

00:12~12:24  General Reactions

12:25~15:43  Thoughts on Isaac's death, the Western theme, and the main baddie

15:44~18:16  Residual thoughts on the "Ganger" episodes with a brief shootout to Susan, the horse

18:17~18:52  PSY/Gangnam Style Break!

18:53~22:16  Favorite parts of the episode, or lack thereof

22:17~27:34  Thoughts on the Ponds and next week's episode. Also, Lea shares her ominous dream.

27:35~31:01  How long the Ponds have traveled with The Doctor; the motivation for the Ponds' exits compared to previous companions

35:29~39:07  What scares Steven Moffat? / Who's scarier: the Weeping Angels or The Silence?

39:08~42:06  The age old Companion's dilemma: Would you choose to stay with The Doctor, or would you live your own life?

42:07~50:57  Randoms and Possibilities: Is Amanda a "ganger"?; "Ganger Style," Professor Who, A Community/Who Crossover, Female Timelord

50:58~58:05  What we're looking forward to for next week's episode, "The Power of Three" (cont.)

58:06~59:44  This episode's side characters vs. those in the past: what makes them memorable?

59:45~1:00:15  Amy, Rory, and the Doctor as Hermione, Ron, and Harry

1:00:16~end  Wrapping up...with Gangnam Style!!! If you're unfamiliar with this song, be unfamiliar no longer:


Due to the Ashitaka's Angels incredibly tight, jet-setter schedules, next week's podcast will be postponed a couple of days. We can't wait to watch and talk about "The Power of Three"!




Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Doctor Who "A Town Called Mercy" Teaser Clip


Some stray thoughts:
  • I'm getting serious Terminator vibes from our mysterious gunslinger. Unfortunately, he doesn't have an Austrian accent. Fortunately, unlike Ah-nold, it looks like he won't be back for 3 sequels, the first of which was great; the other 2...meh.
  • For a second, I thought the word 'Exterminate' flashed in aforesaid gunslinger's crosshairs and became immediately annoyed because it made me think of the Daleks. I then remembered how to read and became annoyed at my brief illiteracy. 
  • Spoiler-alert, the guy gets shot and says, "Am I the last one?" The last what, pray tell?? 
Anything you're wondering about from the previews for episode 3?

See the answers unfold in "A Town Called Mercy," which airs at 9 p.m. this Saturday on BBC America!  

Monday, September 10, 2012

this is a post

A post where I post things. It's been since January since I last made a post of my own. So here's some of the things I've missed posting about or just have on my mind:


True Blood Season 5
  • Yes, this is still a thing that I watch. 
  • Yes, it's still as trashy and ridiculous and as not good as ever.
  • Yes, I still kind of enjoy it for its trashy ridiculousness and cheesy badness.
  • I think this season was better than season 4? Most of the seasons kind of run together for me at this point, but the main storyline with the Authority was pretty interesting and I even kind of liked the faerie stuff for once.
  • I've come to the realization that Jason Stackhouse is the only character on this show that is always enjoyable and wonderful even if his storyline is horrible. Not that Jason's storyline was horrible this season (I can't even really tell you what his storyline was, tbh. Something about visions of his dead parents), but there are some characters who crumble under the weight of shitty writing (Tara and Sam come to mind). But not Jason. If he was just in every scene ever that would be fine with me. Seriously, gosh I love Jason.
  • Speaking of Jason, the resolution of the Hoyt/Jessica/Jason storyline was the absolute best part of the season and one of the very few times I can remember True Blood ever making me cry! I've been really pissed at this show for what it did to Hoyt and Hoyt/Jessica, but the resolution was so beautiful and heartbreaking and if Hoyt/Jessica wasn't going to be endgame, than this is the perfect way to end it. Way to surprise me, True Blood!
  • This is the most I think I've ever liked Sookie. Mostly because she didn't have a lot to do. Except get drunk and complain about her life. Which was kind of hilarious.
  • Vampire!Tara was better than I expected, but Pam is starting to annoy me.
  • THAT ENDING WAS SO RIDICULOUS WTF BEEL?! W T F.

The Legend of Korra
  • Why do I do everything out of order all of the time?!
  • I still haven't finished watching Avatar, but I watched this show because I was bored one Saturday morning.
  • I liked it a lot! The animation style is gorgeous and the characters were really fun! Also, the action scenes were kind of incredible.
  • I can't compare it to Avatar too much since I've only seen the 1st season of that show, but I liked how the characters in Korra are more grown-up. As such, the storylines seemed more sophisticated, especially with all of the politics revolving around the benders vs. non-benders.
  • The look and feel of Republic City reminded me a lot of Fullmetal Alchemist.
  • I have to say though, the finale was kind of disappointing. Hated how easily things got resolved for Korra.
  • Bolin is definitely the best character.

 Game of Thrones Season 2
  • Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
  • I can't believe I didn't post about this season at all this year! Besides Breaking Bad, it was probably my favorite tv thing I experienced.
  • I'm not going to say this season was better than season 1.  I think season 1 had the benefit of a more linear story to tell, so the episodes fit and ~flowed better than this season. But at the same time, I think season 2 was a lot more confident in its storytelling and was able to delve into the characters in more interesting ways.
  • Season 2 definitely had more divergence from the book than season 1, but it was still quite faithful. There are a few changes here and there where I was wondering what they were thinking, but for the most part, I think they did a good job at the adaptation.
  • And Clash of Kings is kind of a transition book anyways, so if some of the storylines were boring or didn't go anywhere, well...they were probably boring and didn't go anywhere in the book too (See: Daenerys Targaryen).
  • Fucking hell, but I hated Theon so much in the book when I read it, but good lord, did they do a fantastic job on his storyline this season. You understood him so much more in the show and I genuinely felt badly for him on numerous occasions. Kudos to Alfie Allen and the writing for giving Theon so many more layers than I ever thought. Just thinking about his conversation with Maester Luwin in the last episode makes me want to cry.
  • Speaking of Maester Luwin, his death and Ser Rodrik's probably affected me more than any death on the show thus far. Why are these minor characters making me love them so much?! I pretty much openly wept at Rodrik's execution (I'll never forget you Beard Burns!) and forlornly shouted 'noooooooooo' at the screen while Luwin was dying. Although maybe I was so affected because I can't handle seeing my little Bran-Flakes and Rickon-King upset (holy crap y'all, Rickon has lines! And that little actor is actually acting! And doing a really good job! Future King of Westeros!).
  • All of the new actors were phenomenal. How amazing were Davos, Melisandre, and Stannis?! Every time Davos was onscreen, I think I screamed from joy.
  • Every time Jorah has said 'Khaleesi' on the show.
  • No lie, ever since the show was first announced, the thing I've most been looking forward to seeing onscreen is Jaime's storyline with Brienne from Book 3. And it's here! It's already here!!! And it's so perfect I could cry! In fact, I believe I did cry whilst watching the first scene they had together. He was being so mean to her!! It was so beautiful! :')
  • LOOK AT ALL THIS BEAUTIFUL SEASON 3 CASTING! The Reeds, you guys! THE MOTHERFUCKIN REEDS! And Blackfish!!!!!!!
Mad Men Season 5
  • I'm gonna be honest, I don't really remember a lot of individual things about this season.
  • I do remember being kind of disappointed by it though?
  • Maybe disappointed isn't the right word. I think I might just be losing my interest in it a bit.
  • Because most critics are calling this the Best. Season. Ever. And I don't see it? 
  • It was very good, don't get me wrong. Still one of the best things on tv, but eh...I think I miss Betty too much. And there was just too much Megan!
  • I miss not feeling guilty about loving Pete. 
  • I was reading through some of my old Mad Men posts and I was struck by just how much joy Pete brought to me. Even when he was acting slimy, I still found everything about him so utterly enjoyable. 
  • It was HARD being a Pete fan this year. I still love him, but man, I was pretty disappointed with all of his choices.
  • I realize that this is a very specific issue that probably only I have.
  • The best (and probably worst) thing to come out of this season of Mad Men:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXoILGnHnvM.
  • Actually, years from now I'm pretty sure that's the only thing I'm going to remember about this season of Mad Men.
Downton Abbey

  • Here's a preview for season 3
  • Season 2 of Downton Abbey was.....ridiculous!
  • Sometimes in a good way, often times in a bad way.
  • Mary/Matthew was still wonderful though.

Breaking Bad Season 5.1
  • Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
  • 'Whee' is probably not the right reaction to this show, but ahh I can't help it, I love it so much!
  • This was the first season of the show I got to watch 'live' and it was awesome yet painful having to wait weeks between episodes.
  • I loved the first half of Season 5. Absolutely loved it.
  • I do think it started off a bit slow. But I think that's par for the course with this show.
  • I think those early episodes work though because they felt like they were all leading up to that moment where Todd shoots that poor kid. Everything seemed to fall apart after that happened.
  • And what a moment that was! I was so preoccupied with the train heist (which was awesome, btw) that I had completely forgotten about the kid on the motorbike from the opening scene. And then...
  • The last 3 episodes of the season were amazeballs. It was kind of similar to season 4 for me, where the first part of the season was good, but kind of slow, but as soon as we got to the last 5 or so episodes it became truly amazing.
  • This season further cemented my hatred of Walter White. I've hated him for a while, but seeing him in full Heisenberg mode made me loathe him. He's still a fascinating character and I love watching him on the show, but I really know that I can never root for him again (even though I pretty much knew that since the end of season 2).
  • And a lot of that had to do with him killing Mike. Who was a character I always really enjoyed. Mostly because he was always so grumpy! But I felt like we got a lot of good Mike stuff this season and I really liked the relationship he had been building up with Jesse since season 4. I had a feeling something bad was going to happen, but I was still shocked at the reactionary way Walt killed him. Mike did end up getting a great last line though.
  • If there's one thing I do think this season was missing was more Jesse-focus. Of course I'm always going to want more Jesse since he's my favorite. But I feel like in every season we are right there in Jesse's head along with Walt's and this time, we didn't get that as much. Or maybe I didn't like the direction Jesse was going in - obediently following all of Walt's plans to further the business. I think that's why I really loved the last 3 episodes because we got a little more from Jesse and what he was going through. We saw the toll the murder of the little boy was taking on him, and his ultimate decision to quit the business made me so proud of him! All of his scenes with Walt in the last 3 episodes were brilliant (and occasionally hilarious like that scene with the Whites at dinner), especially their fight in "Say My Name". Jesse is the one character I most want to be happy at the end of this crazy mess, but his life has been just one big tragedy and I'm afraid it's going to end that way.
  • I love the notion that Hank is really the hero of the show, so the last scene of the mid-season finale was awesome! I think I was expecting Hank to find out in a "bigger" way, but that's why it was so great. It was very unexpected. I can't wait to see what will come of it!
  • To end I'll start at the beginning. With a Walt with hair celebrating his 52nd birthday and buying a gun to do, well, we don't know exactly! But I love this glimpse into the future and I love that Breaking Bad is still taking risks in its 5th season. 
  • Basically I just really love this show!

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Doctor Who: "Dinosaurs On A Spaceship" Reaction Podcast!!!




Once again, thanks to the Internet, the Ashitaka's Angels (and friends of the blog) got together on Saturday night to discuss our favorite time lord in the latest episode of Doctor Who, "Dinosaurs On A Spaceship"!

Full disclosure: there are a lot of tangents, but they enhance the discussion. Naturally :)

If you want to keep the whole podcast for yourself, you can actually download it by pressing the 'Download' button on the player.

If you want to skip around, here's the rundown!

00:00~09:27  General Reactions

09:28~13:00  Speculation on the Ponds' farewell

13:01~19:31  Our dream guest stars for Doctor Who
                      ...followed by a quick discussion of the Bifrost from the movie, Thor

19:32~22:05  How many times we thought of Jurassic Park during the episode;
                      ...Also, a clarification of the term "Goldbluming"

22:06~26:16  Thoughts on the relationship between Rory & his dad (played by Mr. Weasley!)

26:17~33:38  Our reactions to the Doctor letting Argus Filch die (Solomon in the episode); a discussion  of the Doctor's personality

33:39~38:53  Thoughts on the trajectory of future episodes based on "Dinosaurs On A Spaceship"

38:54~42:17  On whether or not Eleven's dark side will emerge

42:18~47:44  Lea's dog, Sonny, pays us a visit/ our favorite moments from the episode

(45:12~46:20  Technical difficulties, which made Lea, Jenni, and I sound like Daleks)

47:48~50:13  Clarification on what happened to the dinosaurs at the end

50:14~53:22  Wrapping up

Enjoy. And join us next week when we discuss Season 7, episode 3, "A Town Called Mercy". Same bat time, same bat channel :)


September Ya'll

Happy September!! September not only means Labor Day and the start of Autumn  mostly means the return of television series and good bye to talent(less) summer shows. I am very excited for September finally being here. And here's a list of all the programming I missed with the included start dates.

September 11 Parenthood 
September 13 Glee
September 17 Bones & The Mob Doctor
September 20 Up All Night & The Office
September 24 HYIMY & Partners
September 25 New Girl, Ben & Kate and The Mindy Project
September 26 Guys with Kids, Modern Family & Criminal Minds
September 30 Once Upon A Time and Revenge
October 4 30 Rock
October 8 Gossip Girl 
October 10 Arrow
October 19 Community and Nikita
October 23 Happy Endings

Here's a heads up on what I'm looking most forward to and what new. The show that I am most excited about returning would most definitely have to be ONCE, the writers moved quickly in the first season and the truth and questions everyone had including the characters were promptly answered. But as soon as they gave us that resolution instantly another problem was given. That being the return of magic. 

With Regina/The Evil Queen finally defeated Mr.Gold/Rumpelstiltskin brought magic to our world. It will be interesting to see if it leaks further into reality or is contained to the little, humble town of Storybrooke. Also it will further be of intrigue to finish the story of Mary Margaret/Snow and David/Prince Charming/Prince James. We've seen the beginning and now the end but the middle may just be the meaty-est and most savory of all.

 We'll get a chance to see how their love grew from such desperate measures of always chase one another down, forgetting each other or even become so changed as to commit murder. It will also be interesting to see how their lives will change with the truth--with every one know who they are and others are in relation to them (i.e. James and Snow having a grown child). Finally I want to see more of Henry's child-like enthusiasm and maybe a bit about his dad and of course the elusive son of Rumpelstiltskin. Of course what other fairy tales the show will undertake or pull from the very rich and extensive Disney Vault. One thing remains unknown whether the second year will either break or make my love for the show. I can only hope for the best



The new shows I'm looking forward to are The Mob Doctor, Partners and The Mindy Project. First I have to say that the Mob Doctor looks like it has possibility because she will have to balance her principles and morals against chooses that will save her family--thus excellent fodder for conflict. I'm really excited for Partners because I really love Sophia Bush and my guts telling me that only hilarity can ensue from a gorgeous girl, nerd guy with a gay bestie. Finally, The Mindy Project seems like the single girl's answer to the 2010 blues, so to speak; and they couldn't have picked a better spokes model. Mindy Kaling is one hilarious human being and I really am excited to see what she comes up with outside the world of cubicles and office hijinks. 


Wow that is  a lot but there are no promise from me that I will blog on every single episode, but I do promise to give you the important stuff, the Cliff Notes as it were. Media has the ability to impact many things in our lives maybe even every once in a while present a little magic; And the TV shows/episodes that produce this feeling will get their well deserved space. So until then, Happy Watching. 

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BLOG!!!!111!!!!!


Yesterday, for some reason, I was perusing the Ashitaka's Angels archives and stumbled upon the blog's first post. Turns out it was posted on this exact date 4 years ago:

Crazy how time flies. Even crazier is that this blog's name is based on a Princess Mononoke reference. (Or is it just awesomer?)

Anyways, in honor of the blog's 4th birthday, here is a picture of the Ashitaka's Angels official mascot, Domo, domo-ing at a TV:

Classic.
And here's Domo wishing us a happy birthday!

Does anyone know if Domo can actually speak?

Here's to more blogging, TV watching, and general (and entertaining) flailing courtesy of your Ashitaka's Angels!

YAY, TELEVISION :)








Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Ashitaka's Angels Doctor Who Live Broadcasts!



Friends, Whovians, general TV-lovers, lend us your ears!
The Ashitaka's Angels are shaking things up for September and the new fall season of television. As you can see above, one new thing we're trying out is live podcasting our reactions for Season 7 of Doctor Who.

After the premiere last Saturday, the Ashitaka's Angels and a couple friends of the blog got together (thanks, Mixlr.com and The Internet!) to have a roundtable that was chockfull of timey-wimeyness, laughter, insights, loud noises, and expectations for the new season. We had such a good time that we're hoping to do it again. And who knows? Maybe we'll get a few more Whovians to join us. More details to come on that front soon.

There are 3 ways to listen to the podcasts:
1. If you don't like waiting, and you want your Doctor Who commentary quicker than the time it takes a Weeping Angel to attack a blinking person, you can listen live on the Ashitaka's Angels Mixlr player located on the blog. We'll tweet on @ashitakasangels when we're about to broadcast.

2. If you kind of like waiting, you can listen to a saved recording of the broadcast on our Mixlr page: http://mixlr.com/ashitakasangels. These will post on the night of. This is the LINK

3. If you enjoy waiting a whole lot, we'll also post the recordings on this here blog via sound cloud usually a day or two after we've broadcasted live.

We'll be on-air next Saturday to talk about "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship," or as I like to call it, "Motherf***in' Dinosaurs on a Motherf***in' Spaceship."

Until then,

zozizzle