Geek Culture
Fans Are Not Pleased with The Magic School Bus Rides Again’s Animation
Earlier today, Netflix released the trailer for the upcoming remake/reboot of The Magic School Bus, titled The Magic School Bus Rides Again, and fans are not having it. While I expected some fan backlash, because there’s always fan backlash, I never expected the cause to be the show’s animation.
I grew up with The Magic School Bus. I read the books; I played the games (the dinosaur-themed one, anyway), and of course, I watched the show. The characters, their voices, and their appearances are as much ingrained in my mind as Mark Hamill’s laugh as The Joker in Batman: The Animated Series or Grimlock’s grammatically incorrect speech patterns in Transformers. I learned a lot about science, the natural world, and countless other subjects from both The Magic School Bus or Bill Nye the Science Guy, and the reboot of The Magic School Bus is a godsend; it gives parents my age the opportunity to show a new generation of children one of the best edutainment shows ever created. However, since The Magic School Bus Rides Again is as much a continuation of the original series as it is a reboot, some changes were inevitable. Quite frankly, when the trailer revealed that the quirky and irreplaceable Ms. Frizzle — voiced by Lily Tomlin — was being replaced by her younger sister — voiced by Kate McKinnon — I half expected people to complain and make “#NotMyFrizzle” memes. But no, most people railed against the animation and stated how ugly it is, and I am embarrassed to say I somewhat agree with these displeased fans.
The original The Magic School Bus cartoon tried to emulate the book series’ art style but has supplanted the book in the minds of audiences as the definitive Magic School Bus look. The animation was, at times, cheap, but it had a certain charm that has remained in the collective unconscious. But Rides Again doesn’t try to look like the original books or the cartoon, and instead adopts what can only be described as a generic Flash animation look. Why do I call it generic? Because all the children look alike. Right now, I’m staring at the paused video, so I can confirm the children look similar, and quite frankly I’m creeped out by how homogeneous they look. Moreover, most of the children do not resemble their original show and book counterparts. The only ones I can identify immediately are Ralphie, Dorothy, and Arnold, and that’s because Ralphie is the only student wearing a hat; Dorothy is the only blonde girl, and Arnold is, well, Arnold. As for the other children, I stared at the screen for a minute before I recognized Carlos, Keesha and Tim are almost completely unrecognizable, and Wanda and Phoebe have been replaced by two new girls, assuming the show’s makers didn’t decide to change Wanda’s race and Phoebe’s hair color and style. And Ms. Frizzle, dear god, she looks as if she got a botox injection. That is not a good sign. Now, don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Flash animation. Like the Unity game engine, Flash gets a bad rap for being the choice of lazy showrunners who want to put as little effort into making a show as possible, but plenty of cartoons made with Flash are good, if not spectacular; The Venture Bros., Archer, Gravity Falls, and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic come to mind as standout shows made with Flash. Heck, The Venture Bros. and Gravity Falls. don’t even look as if they were made with Flash. But, unlike The Magic School Bus Rides Again, these shows do not look cheap. For all we know, The Magic School Bus Rides Again isn’t made with Flash animation, but that doesn’t change the inescapable fact that it looks as if it was made on the cheap with Flash.
I am hoping beyond hope that The Magic School Bus Rides Again makes up for its cheap-looking animation with clever, informative, and enjoyable writing. I’m not expecting anything on the level of Steven Universe or Avatar: The Last Airbender, but at the very least Rides Again should be on the level of the original show. And even if The Magic School Bus Rides Again isn’t a good show, the theme song is still as catchy as ever.
Gaming
The cast of the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 film has added an exciting new addition with the inclusion of Shadow, who will be voiced by the talented Keanu Reeves
After a long wait, it appears that the search for a capable Hollywood actor to bring the brooding Shadow the Hedgehog to life has come to an end. Keanu Reeves, a renowned actor known for his iconic roles in film franchises such as The Matrix and John Wick, as well as his involvement in the highly anticipated game Cyberpunk 2077, has officially been cast for the role.
Speculation has been running wild lately, but The Hollywood Reporter has officially confirmed the casting, citing reliable sources in the know. News of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 being showcased at Cinemacon has quickly spread. Reeves is sure to bring his own special touch to the role, but it’s uncertain how well he will mesh with the mustachioed Dr. Robotnik, as Jim Carrey is set to reprise the character.
What are your thoughts on Keanu Reeves being cast as Shadow the Hedgehog in Sonic the Hedgehog 3? Please avoid sharing fan art in the comments section below.
ATLUS has just announced their latest event, the “ATLUS Exclusive: Metaphor: ReFantazio” broadcast. Fans can look forward to an exciting 30-minute showcase of never-before-seen gameplay from the publisher/developer. How exciting is that to anticipate?
According to Gematsu, director Katsura Hashino will serve as the host of the broadcast, which will debut on YouTube on April 22. The English version will include dubbed audio and English subtitles, and we have also expanded the list of timezones available.
- North America: 3 pm PDT, 4 pm MDT, 5 pm CDT, and 6 pm EDT.
- UK/Ire: 11pm BST
- Europe: 12am CEST / 1am EEST
- Asia/Oceania: 7am JST, 6am AWST, 8am AEST.
Additionally, there is a scheduled stream for the next day, April 23rd, with the specific times listed below. Get ready for the “ATLUS Exclusive Debut Commemoration Special—Metaphor: Stalkers Club Final,” where fans can indulge in the captivating presence of hosts Mafia Kajita and Tomomi Isomura. They will thoroughly analyze and delve into all the information disclosed during the initial broadcast. Sayawaka, a visitor who is the author of the associated manga’s story, will be with them.
- North America: 7 am PDT, 8 am MDT, 9 am CDT, and 10 am EDT.
- UK/Ire: 3pm BST
- Europe: 4pm CEST / 5pm EEST
- Asia/Oceania: 11pm JST, 10pm AWST, 1am AEDT
What are your thoughts on the influx of information about Metaphor: ReFantazio? Are you planning to watch any of the upcoming broadcasts? Share your authentic thoughts in the comments section below.
Despite the numerous praises players have showered upon Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, there is one particular aspect of the game that has garnered nothing but criticism: the perplexing wording of its retry screen, which players encounter when facing a Game Over. Fortunately, the developers have discreetly resolved this issue in the game’s latest patch. They have fixed the Platinum Trophy progression, resulting in a slightly less confusing experience for players.
If you don’t possess exceptional combat abilities, chances are you’ve come across the game’s notorious four options: “Retry from Current Battle, Retry from This Battle, Retry from Before Battle, or Resume.”. As an avid gamer, I must admit that I’ve experienced the frustration of losing precious time due to my own foolish mistake. In this particular instance, I found myself engrossed in fine-tuning my matrix and equipping my party, only to have it all go to waste when I encountered a formidable enemy. To compound my error, I made the ill-advised decision to retry the battle, resulting in an hour of agonizing repetition. Lesson learned!
The “Retry from This Battle” option has become a source of frustration for players who are struggling with the game’s final boss encounter, leading to a significant number of rage-quits. Without giving away any surprises, opting for that choice after being defeated would result in players being sent back to the beginning of the final boss encounter, needlessly forcing them to forfeit approximately an hour’s worth of hard-earned progress in battle.
After the update, players now have the option to select “Retry from the Current Phase” instead of “Retry from Before the Current Battle.”. It’s worth noting that this change is only slightly improved. It’s rather disappointing that the screen is overly convoluted, which may lead to players feeling frustrated. While it’s better late than never, we can’t help but wonder if this issue will persist in the future.
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