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What We Love About Mamoru Hosada’s Belle Movie

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Mamoru Hosoda’s new film, Belle, had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on July 15th, 2021. It was a last-minute rush addition and was announced less than two weeks before its debut. At the festival, Hosoda received a 14-minute standing ovation due to its excellence. 

When we first saw Belle, we were moved to tears. It was easy to see why the Film Festival audience was so impressed with it. The question is, what makes Belle so special?

A Film Set in the Present Internet Age

The story follows the heroine Suzu, who starts as a shy high school student. She becomes a participant in the online social media platform called “U” with billions of users. When Suzu becomes one of the most popular avatars on “U,” she meets a violent dragon avatar.

The film straddles with the imaginary and backdrop of the Internet to explore the process of overcoming one’s own demons. Through the story, Suzu finds inner strength and makes the best out of the scary real world, and comes to grips with how the Internet fits in her life.

Her Incredible Flowered Idol Dress

To everyone’s surprise, including hers, Suzu’s avatar becomes a sensation practically overnight with millions of followers. In one of her most beautiful sequences, she’s shown in a floor-length, red gown that’s adorned in red roses, lotuses, and gerbera daisies that float off of her.

As the dress morphs as she sings, the experience can only be described as “magical.” It’s hard to resist the urge to run out of the house and buy flowers just to mimic this part of the movie. If you’re interested in doing so yourself, purchase some from Bouqs discount flower selection.

A Remix on the Beauty and the Beast

The 18th-century French novel La Belle et la Bete (Beauty and the Beast) is effortlessly retold in a modern setting. It’s easy to see the parallels between the character literally named Belle as a stand-in for Belle and the dragon avatar shunned by online society as the Beast.

Mamoru Hosada himself stated that the Disney film “Beauty and the Beast” actually revitalized him and gave him the encouragement he needed to get back into animation. It’s likely that if he hadn’t seen that film, we wouldn’t have Belle, Digimon: The Movie, and Summer Wars.

Stunning Detail Found All Over

The world of “U” is a total feast for the eyes. There are so many screenshots that feature Belle staring across the Internet scape filled with chat balloons and technicolor. Viewers are immediately taken aback by the animation and the quality of the music and voice actors.

Music plays a significant part in Belle, who’s voiced by singer-songwriter Kaho Nakamura. The main theme, “Millenium Parade,” is so incredibly catchy it garnered 2.1 million views 3 days after its official release. The entire voice cast is stellar and brings their A-game throughout.

Technique From a Creative Veteran 

Mamoru Hosada has an animation technique that’s immediately recognizable by fans. His 2D design uses cel-shading, which has an absence of shadows. What it does lack in shading, it makes up for bright colors. Over the years, Hosada has added CGI to his repertoire. 

Hosada doesn’t follow trends and tries to break the mold where he can. In Belle, he marries hand-drawn 2D with CGI, motion capture, and a bunch of other techniques to create this unique, creative style. The final effect elicits warm, nostalgic feelings no longer found in western films.

Who doesn’t enjoy listening to a good story. Personally I love reading about the people who inspire me and what it took for them to achieve their success. As I am a bit of a self confessed tech geek I think there is no better way to discover these stories than by reading every day some articles or the newspaper . My bookcases are filled with good tech biographies, they remind me that anyone can be a success. So even if you come from an underprivileged part of society or you aren’t the smartest person in the room we all have a chance to reach the top. The same message shines in my beliefs. All it takes to succeed is a good idea, a little risk and a lot of hard work and any geek can become a success. VENI VIDI VICI .

Gaming

Exciting news for gamers! The highly anticipated PS5 game Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will be joining EA Play on Thursday

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Update: It seems that the PS Store may have acted prematurely, as it has now been officially confirmed that Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will be added to EA Play on Thursday, April 25th, 2024. Once the active members are in, they’ll have the opportunity to download and play the complete game.

Original Story: Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, released in 2023, has been added to the EA Play subscription service. This exciting action-adventure game is now available for download and play at no additional cost for active members. While EA has yet to provide any official updates, you can head over to the PS Store and find it listed as “included with EA Play.”

Adding to the mix is the recent announcement of a forthcoming price hike for the subscription, affecting both monthly and yearly payment plans. Starting on May 10th, 2024, the monthly subscription fee will be increased from £3.99 / $4.99 to £5.99 / $5.99. For those who choose the 12-month commitment, the price will be £34.99 / $39.99, which is a £15 / $10 increase.

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In April 2023, the highly anticipated Star Wars Jedi: Survivor made its debut on the PS5. After thoroughly evaluating the game, we are pleased to announce that it has earned an impressive 9/10 rating in our review. We praised the game for its ability to build upon the first installment’s foundations and improve upon every aspect. “The combat is highly enjoyable and provides a plethora of options, while the exploration reaches new heights. The incorporation of Metroidvania elements adds an extra layer of depth, resulting in captivating puzzles and rewarding experiences.”

Click the link to access a comprehensive list of all EA Play games available on PS5 and PS4. Are you planning to give Star Wars Jedi: Survivor a try on the service? We would greatly appreciate your feedback in the comments section.

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Gaming

Rest assured, the highly anticipated PS5 exclusive, Stellar Blade, will be available in its original, uncensored form across all regions

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Fear not; for those worried about potential censorship issues with the PS5-exclusive Stellar Blade, set to release on April 26th, Sony has got you covered. ShiftUp, the developer, proudly assures players that the game will maintain its uncensored content across all regions, including Japan.

We have to admit, we didn’t anticipate this as a potential issue or a potential selling point. The main character, Eve, and her revealing costumes have been heavily showcased in the game’s pre-release marketing. Nevertheless, it is pleasing to witness ShiftUp’s evident enthusiasm as their vision prepares to reach the hands of a vast number of players.

Regarding Stellar Blade, Yoko Taro believes it surpasses NieR: Automata, and we were pleased to learn that the game will be considerate of your PS5 storage capacity. The demo is now available for you to try, and it has nearly doubled the daily active users of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. This is quite impressive, especially considering it is the game’s first console showing.

Will you be there to experience Stellar Blade on its release day? It’s certainly a relief to witness the game remaining uncensored until the last moment. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Gaming

Sony is reportedly engaged in discussions to form a partnership for a potential bid on Paramount

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There hasn’t been much buzz lately about any new acquisitions in the world of video game intellectual property. According to a recent report, Sony is currently engaged in discussions with a well-funded partner to potentially acquire the renowned film studio Paramount, along with all the exciting possibilities that come with such a merger.

As reported in the New York Times (thanks, ResetEra), Sony Picture Entertainment is reportedly in discussions with Apollo Global Management, an investment firm, as per two sources familiar with the matter. In the past, Apollo had made an offer to acquire Paramount for a minimum of $26 billion, but their bid was ultimately turned down.

The terms of the joint bid are currently under discussion, and there is a chance that the two parties may decide against making a formal offer. Unnamed sources have revealed that Paramount is currently in exclusive discussions with Skydance, preventing any official offer from being made at this time. Investor opposition to the recent deal that Skydance brought seems to have been significant.

The potential impact of such an acquisition is immense. First and foremost, it would introduce adaptations of Sonic and Halo into the expanding media empire of the PlayStation platform holder. Following the announcement, Paramount’s stock experienced a significant 11% surge in after-hours trading.

What are your thoughts on the news? Is there a possibility of Sony acquiring Paramount? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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