Digimon's 15th Anniversary

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

This year marks the 15^th anniversary of Digimon. Digimon, a show that competed against Pokemon in the 90s, was about eight kids who were sucked into a digital world and given a Digimon to fight with. Along the way we saw the children grow, their Digimon digivolve, and some excellent battles. It’s been fifteen years since we watched the original program, collected the toys and cards, and played the video games. So naturally, we should expect some sort of anniversary special, right? Well, right we are.

Just announced last night, “Digimon Tri” will be a new addition to the “Digimon Adventure” series. It features the original, iconic kids we know and love as seventeen year olds with their digital pals. However, it won’t be just one special; instead, it will be spanned out into a six part theatrical release. So far we’ve seen a bit of character artwork, but now we have a full preview of what’s to come.

As a fan of the franchise, I’ll admit I only watched the original program and the one after it. When the third one was aired I attempted to keep up, but I was too distracted by life and video games. I still have the action figures of the first Digimon series stored away in the attic and Digimon World for the PS1. The last Digimon I raised on there with my neighbor was a Skullgreymon. We thought that particular Digimon was about as cool as a glacier and looked incredible. However, for whatever reason it kept dying on us. Since we didn’t want it to die, we would immediately reset the game every time just before it passed on.

I also have Digimon Rumble on the PS1, a game no one wanted to play with me because I always won with Renamon. Renamon is one of my favorite Digimon from the later series because of how fast she is, how her digivolutions revolve around Japanese culture, and how she is modeled after a fox – one of my favorite animals.

As you can tell, I’m pretty excited about this anniversary project. I can’t wait to see how the original cast has changed and the future of the Digiworld.

Thanks for reading today’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to comment, share, and critique.

So tell me, what was your favorite Digimon and why?

Let's Do the Christmas Time Warp Again!

Greetings everyone and welcome to The magical Mystery Blog.

Just yesterday was the start of December and with it came the onslaught of holiday movies. Like a cluster of corniness and cheer, the Christmas flicks appeared on various television stations. One channel in particular, ABC Family, started its 25 Days of Christmas yesterday.  Tonight, that same channel has aired two Christmas specials that sent my back to my childhood within sixty minutes.  Some of you are probably familiar with these shorts entitled Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too and Mickey’s Christmas Carol. Followed by these two specials, ABC pushed me even farther into the past with its traditional screening of A Charlie Brown Christmas.

While these three specials are produced with different plots, they share a few things in common. These concepts are tied in with the holidays and reveal the ideals of Christmas to audiences everywhere.

Christmas Doesn't Have One Meaning

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Ooooooooooooh....shiny....

Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too tells the story of Pooh bear believing he failed to deliver his friends’ letters to Santa. To make up for his actions, he dresses up as Santa, and travels throughout the Hundred Acre Wood delivering presents to his friends. In the end, he receives a present from Santa but realizes that he doesn't need gifts for Christmas. Rather, he wants his friends and nothing else because presents are worth nothing when compared to his many friendships.

Mickey’s Christmas Carol retells the Charles Dickens classic. In doing so, it shows what happens if you do not seize the day and be kind towards others, regardless of how much heartbreak and loneliness you’ve encountered in the past. Life has its challenges, some more terrible than others, and yes, they do shape a person. While Scrooge was molded for the worse, he should have attempted to see things in a different light, and Christmas is just the joyous season to bring out the best in a person. This special shows that Christmas is a wondrous time of the year to embrace the positive spirit and share the goodness with others, just as Scrooge does when he awakens.

A Charlie Brown Christmas shows a more religious meaning of Christmas. This is shown by the iconic scene of Linus explaining the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem and how joy is brought unto the world. This trumps Charlie’s idea of how Christmas is wrapped up in commercialism and presents to him a new meaning: that Christmas is a time of joy and celebration.

Gifts Aren't Everything

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In the three specials, we see the characters interact with their friends, and sometimes bestow gifts to each other. In the Winnie the Pooh special, we see Pooh bear go out of his way to be “Santa” to fulfill his friends’ Christmas lists. The following day, Christopher Robin comes to them, giving them gifts from Santa himself. While the gang enjoys the presents, it is Christopher Robin and Pooh who show us in one mere moment that gifts don’t make up everything. Rather, it is the people who you spend it with that make the holiday magical.

In Mickey’s Christmas Carol we witness Scrooge turning over a new leaf and visiting the Cratchit’s house.  The only gift in this scene is where he tells a boy to buy the fattest goose and deliver it to the Cratchit’s house. Once he arrives at the house, we see him present his transformed self to his coworker’s family, and engage in Christmas dinner with them. It is implied that the goose is delivered but the meaning of spending time with friends and family dominates the scene.

Lastly, in A Charlie Brown Christmas we see no gift distribution whatsoever. Rather, we see Charlie Brown faced with the ideals of consumerism that’s often featured during the holidays. By the end of the special, we see that he has overcome the commercialism and embraced a new meaning of Christmas, where gifts are nothing when compared to the joy Christmas gives us all.

It Really is the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

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Oooooooooh.....more shiny....

These three specials show events and items associated with Christmas: the decorating of the Christmas tree, falling snow, lavish holiday parties, and other scenes of merriment. These wonderful experiences cannot be replicated any other time throughout the year because they do not embody the wonderment of Christmas. Christmas emits a certain type of warmth that cannot be felt by the summer sun or experienced by a kiss. Christmas radiates a special type of feeling when the lights are illuminated, like the Christmas tree in A Charlie Brown Christmas. This particular holiday also tends to bring out the best in people, even if it’s something small like donating to Toys for Tots, or sharing a meal like Scrooge in Mickey’s Christmas Carol. Lastly, this time of the year also shows us that sometimes we don’t need material items to make each other smile. Rather the company of good friends and family makes our holiday magical, just like Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too.

These elements culminate a feeling and experiences that no other holiday can share.  Christmas is a wonderful day of the year where all the winter warmth comes together and embraces you in a tight, comforting hug. The moments shared especially during this time of the year are treasured away in your mind for many years to come.

What Christmas special taught you something about the holidays? Feel free to leave your thoughts below and as always, feedback and followers are welcomed.

The Day of the Doctor

Hello everyone and welcome to a wibbly wobbly timey wimey version of The Magical Mystery Blog.

This past weekend we have received new looks into the upcoming Doctor Who 50^th Anniversary Special. We were given two new trailers that show us more footage than we could have ever imagined. On the screen Daleks exterminated before our eyes, 10 and 11 complimented each others’ glasses, Gallifrey was being destroyed, and Rose and Clara were reunited with the Doctor once more.

So what does all of this excellence mean?  We won’t know until November 23^rd in theaters and on television screens. Until then, here are some homemade theories regarding the 50^th Anniversary.

WARNING, THE FOLLOWING FAN THEORIES BELOW CONSIST OF SPOILERS, SWEETIES. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK OR RETURN FROM THE DIMENSION FROM WHENCE YOU CAME.

John Hurt’s Doctor

Let’s examine this new Doctor. He appears to be much older than 10 and 11, but I wouldn't say older than the future 12^th Doctor. If anything, he seems younger than the 12th Doctor and even the very first Doctor. We see him somehow involved in the Time War, where Gallifrey was exterminated by the Daleks. Gallifrey is sealed away in a time lock so that the Doctor can never return to it again which leads us to the following question: if Gallifrey is inaccessible, how is the new John Hurt Doctor there?

We only see him there and not 10/10.5 or 11. If anything, we see 10/10.5 and 11 roaming about a forest, sitting in a control room, and in variations of the Tardis. This brings me to a rather, crazy idea of: what if John Hurt was the first Doctor and not William Hartnell’s character? As far as I’m concerned, John Hurt’s Doctor is the only one able to get to Gallifrey. However, if he was there to begin with he could well be the first Doctor, especially since we see him involved with the Time War. The images of Gallifrey being destroyed are what he could be seeing during his time there. Furthermore, we see him at the heart of his planet staring a ruby like button with fire locked inside. 

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Don't push the button, don't push the extremely tempting button.....

Throughout the trailer he also claims that great men are forged in fire – this could mean the fires of war. We also hear the 11^th Doctor claiming that there is a life he wishes to forget, which we are then presented with an image of the John Hurt Doctor. He wants to forget that life because it is when he was a part of the Time War. In the last seen episode of Doctor Who, he claims what he did was in the name of peace and sanity. Since we saw him on Gallifrey, standing before an ominous button, he could have brought an end to the Time War to spare the lives of his fellow species.  

However, if this theory is true and John Hurt was the very first Doctor, then wouldn't Clara remember him? Clara has secretly been there for the Doctor throughout his regenerations.  When we last saw her, she was in the Time Vortex and asked the 11^th Doctor who the shadowy figure was before them. That mysterious person was the John Hurt Doctor – someone she never met before. This also brings a halt to everyone’s speculated idea that John Hurt is the 9.5 or 8.5 Doctor. Clearly Clara would have remembered him as she did the others.

Crossing the Streams

There are different scenes in the trailers: the forest, Gallifrey, and variations of the Tardis (10/10.5’s, John’s, and 11’s). In other clips promoting the special, we are also shown modern day London (burning and unscathed by fire), a mountainous terrain, and a private chamber. The overall plot of the special is something terrible arising in London’s National Gallery, in 2013. Meanwhile, a murderous plot is unraveling in Elizabethan England, and somewhere in the galaxy an ancient battle is coming to a close.

From how it appears, the 10/10.5^th Doctor is dealing with a young queen Elizabeth in a forest while the 11^th Doctor is conflicted with the John Hurt Doctor. I can imagine 11’s plot picks up right where we left off – in his Time Vortex, rescuing Clara, and encountering the John Hurt Doctor. That event happens in one universe but in the Time Vortex, the Doctor is presented with his multiple selves, and their eras. Since it is his own vortex, would he be allowed to go into his other lives?

If he is able to do so, he could enter the life of his past reincarnation, the 10/10.5^th Doctor. Or he could enter the time stream of his John Hurt Doctor and confront his darkest hour. But that leaves us wondering where the 10/10.5^th Doctor could possibly enter. If he does enter another life, he might not be able to do much as seeing everything that happened in those lives are fixed events – the Time War included. It’s obvious that at some point, him and 11 meet up, and they encounter the John Hurt Doctor. In order to do meet up, they would have to cross dimensions to see each other.

Return of Rose/Bad Wolf

Nearly everyone is elated that Rose is returning, but many wonder how she is coming back. We see her mostly with the John Hurt Doctor, even though the last Doctor she was with was the 10.5 Doctor. He would grow old with her and be just like her beloved 10/10.5^th Doctor but without the time lord qualities. Even her outfit implies that she was with the 10.5 Doctor. In this picture, notice the garment under her jacket – it’s lacy, long, and very feminine, similar to a wedding dress. She loved the 10.5 Doctor and quite possibly, married him. However, it appears that something has interrupted their nuptials because of how the dress appears. It's dusty and even tied up, leaving her feet free for some possible running - but from what?

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The 10.5 Doctor cannot be the John Hurt Doctor. We’ve seen an older 10^th Doctor when he went under the alias of John Smith during his days with Martha Jones. His 10.5 clone would bear the same, aged look.

Rose was sent to an alternative universe but still had tracings of the Doctor. She followed him to Bad Wolf Bay where he gave her the 10.5 clone and a part of the Tardis so that she may grow her own. She would be able to look into 10.5’s Tardis and summon the Bad Wolf. She would also be able to time travel with 10.5 and enter other dimensions where she could possibly meet the 10^th Doctor, the John Hurt Doctor, and/or the 11^th Doctor. Crossing dimensions would be the only way for her to meet up with the other Doctors.

We will receive more hints as to what the 50^th anniversary as in store for us on November 15^th, during BBC’s Children in Need program. Until then, what are your thoughts and theories on the special? Feel free to leave your comments below and as always, feedback and followers are welcomed.

Toy Story...of Terror!

Hello everyone and welcome to another Halloween themed entry of The Magical Mystery Blog.

This past Wednesday, viewers turned in to Pixar’s first holiday special entitled Toy Story of Terror. It was on ABC at eight o clock and paid tribute to the classic scary movies and horror movie character stereotypes (Ex.: The damsel in distress, the skeptic, the know-it-all, the mentor, and the mysterious thing in the shadows). The narrator was none other than Mr.Pricklepants who predicted the next action of the special. By foreseeing the upcoming scene, he was breaking the fourth wall – a feature I enjoy, if done properly. 

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If my deductions are correct, you are probably reading this blog and anticipating the splendors of Halloween.     

The story begins on a car ride with Bonnie and her mother, while the toys (Woody, Buzz, Jesse, Trixie, Rex, Mr.Pricklepants, and Mr.Potato Head) watch old black and white vampire film in the trunk. During the drive, one of their tires blows out, causing the toys, Bonnie, and her mother to take shelter at a Sleep Well hotel.  As Bonnie and her mother rest, the toys decide to explore the hotel where they encounter the mysterious thing in the shadows. The horrible shady being follows them, stealing them one by one, to a place they are completely unfamiliar with.

At last, the damsel in distress is the only one left who hasn't been taken by the monster. From there on, the story progresses quite swiftly, like a serial killer moving from house to house. The damsel is reunited with her friends and only then, does she discover the true evil of the Sleep Well hotel.

For their very first television special, Pixar did an excellent job encompassing the spirit of Halloween, and the ambiance of horror movies. Using these influences, they created quite a treat for families and children.  I hope this is a special they will continue to air for many Octobers to come because this is just as great as It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Toy Story of Terror special gets a ten out of ten in my book for great characters, tribute to Halloween, and capturing the essence of horror movies.

What do you think? Did Pixar make a spooktacular television special? Leave your thoughts below and as always, followers and feedback are welcome. 

Just a Mad Man With a Box

Greetings everyone and welcome to this week’s entry of The Magical Mystery Blog.

This weekend is a weekend that has geeks, nerds, sci fi lovers, and many others buzzing like wasps.  On Sunday August 4^th, 2013 we will find out who will play the twelfth Doctor in the Doctor Who series. For those of you who are unaware to this fantastic series – what is wrong with you? Seriously, go watch it you will not regret it.

It’s basically about an alien traveling in a time machine to various eras, worlds, and even alternate dimensions. This series originated in the United Kingdom but eventually gained more popularity with every episode. It was also aired in the Americas along with other nations. It is considered one of the longest running science fiction series and originally started in the 60s with William Hartnell as the first Doctor.

So far in the series there have been eleven Doctors with the new one regenerating onto our television screens on Christmas Day 2013. Below are the top twelve reasons why everyone should be excited for this new Doctor.

           1)      New Doctor – we have a new Doctor! New Doctors are always fun because it’s like meeting a new friend. They have their quirks, their easily identifiable appearance, and special qualities that make them who they are. Every Doctor has their unique look based on their clothes and overall facial and body features. For example, the tenth Doctor has a pompadour haircut while the fifth Doctor wears a celery stick on his jacket lapel. Sometimes a piece of clothing will become a constant joke or trademark of the character throughout the series. The tenth Doctor insisted his jacket was given to him by Janis Joplin while the eleventh Doctor has claimed that bow ties are cool.

The new Doctor will have a specific outfit he wears along with a distinctive look.

           2)      New sonic screwdriver – with almost every new Doctor there is a new sonic screwdriver. The sonic screwdriver is the Doctor’s tool he uses to analyze life forms, examine materials, repair things, and many other actions. However, it cannot interact with wood. Each sonic screwdriver is unique in appearance, just like the Doctor. The tenth Doctor’s sonic screwdriver is silver, sleek, and has a blue tip. The eleventh Doctor’s sonic screwdriver is a copper shade with a green glow and is a bit bulky.  The new Doctor’s sonic screwdriver could be something we have not seen yet.

           3)      New food –as mentioned each Doctor is unique. This includes their appearance, voice, personality, and even food. Each Doctor has a certain food that they enjoy devouring. The fourth Doctor’s favorite food was Jelly Babies (think gummy bears), the tenth Doctor’s favorite food was cookies, and the eleventh Doctor’s favorite food is fish fingers and custard. Obviously the food can be something ordinary like cookies or something strange like fish fingers and custard. This new Doctor’s favorite food could be a common snack or a meal we’d never think of like bacon wrapped Twinkies. ….what? It could happen.

dartitup.com
Behold the artery clogging goodness....

The food also becomes a part of a running joke throughout the Doctor’s time in which, if the moment is right, they will bring up the food, or even be seen eating it at one time or another.

          4)      Possible gender change – the Doctor has many regenerations, all of which have been male thus far. However, it is possible for him to transform into a woman, but it has never happened. The closest thing we have seen to a female Doctor is the Doctor Donna from the tenth Doctor’s special End of the Universe. With every regeneration, the Doctor takes on new strands of DNA shaping the gender, hair, body, and even skin color. While we’re on skin color….

         5)      Possible skin color change – a while ago various web sites posted lists of actors they would like to see become the next Doctor. Among the selected performers were a few with different skin tones. Up until now all of the Doctors have been Caucasian males. It is extremely possible for the next Doctor to be tan, dark skinned, or another shade due to the regeneration process.

         6)      He could finally be ginger – there is an ongoing joke throughout the Doctor Who universe in which the Doctor has always wanted to be ginger. Ginger is another term for red head but so far, the Doctor has not achieved those glorious locks of crimson hair.  Maybe this new Doctor will finally be a red head. Again, the closest thing we have had to a ginger haired Doctor is Doctor Donna from the episode, End of the Universe.

         7)      New companion – every Doctor has one or more companions. At times throughout the series, the Doctor will even go on adventures by himself or be separated from his companion. The eleventh Doctor had Amy and Rory, a young couple before they met their tragic end. This Doctor also had River Song, a sexy professor who loved the Doctor dearly. Sometimes the companions turn into love interests, like Rose Tyler with the 10.5 Doctor (a clone of the original tenth Doctor who was part human/part alien). With the new Doctor, he (or she) could receive a new companion or stick with the current companion, Clara Oswald until her time runs up.

          8)      New villains – each episode of Doctor Who involves the Doctor running into some sort of villain. Some of the enemies are always returning like the Cybermen, Daleks, and Weeping Angels. Others are new to each Doctor like the Silence to the eleventh Doctor and the Vashta Nerada to the tenth Doctor. The ideas for foes are endless, especially when it comes to Doctor Who. It’s amazing to see what the creators invent for the Doctor to fight. Who knows what evil doers the new Doctor will encounter?

          9)      New Tardis interior – sometimes when a Doctor regenerates they also receive a new Tardis theme. The Tardis (Time And Relative Dimensions In Space (also known as Sexy)) is the time travelling machine that the Doctor roams around in. Over the years, it has been given tons of makeovers. The current look is lonely and cold with the Doctor's companions' names written in his native alien writing.

With the new Doctor inhabiting the Tardis, he (or she) may receive a new Tardis interior changing the somber tones of silver and grey into something brighter or darker.

          10)   The return of old friends – overtime the Doctor has made many friends like Captain Jack Harkness, the Brigadier, the Face of Boe, and many others. These friends would pop in for an episode or two, solve a problem with the Doctor (or were a victim of a crisis that only the Doctor could rescue them from), and leave just as they came.  Since the tenth Doctor, we have not seen Captain Jack Harkness or the Face of Boe appear in any of the episodes. Maybe with the new Doctor we would see some old friends come back for a few episodes with the Doctor.

           11)   New introduction – as a way of regenerating, the producers give the Doctor a new television introduction. The classic theme music is kept but the title sequence is different. The ninth and tenth Doctors' openings were kept the same but the eleventh Doctor’s sequence was changed at least once or twice throughout his time. When the new Doctor comes to life, he (or she) may receive a different opening.

           12)   The End of Doctor Who – the Doctor is only allowed twelve regenerations in which he starts off appearing elderly and slowly descends into youth. While he looks young, he is actually quite old; over 1000 years plus to be exact. However, I remember hearing that twelve is the base number of regenerations for the Doctor but he can keep regenerating many more times afterwards. However, it is a matter of what the writers will do. If they choose to stick to the original limit of twelve regenerations then the entire series will end. But if they decide to go beyond the twelve regenerations, they can continue the series, and the stories of the Doctor.  

      

       As mentioned before, on August 4th on BBC America at 2 pm (Eastern Time) fans across the nation will see the new actor who will play the twelfth Doctor. It will be a half hour to hour program featuring the performer along with some other surprises. For Britain, the reveal will be featured on BBC One at 7 pm (GMT). Until then, Geronimo.