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Who is Enmu in Demon Slayer?

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Enmu from Demon Slayer isn’t one of the most powerful demons in the series, but he’s also not someone you want to meet in a dark alley. He’s powerful enough to have earned a numbered position in The Demon King Muzan’s inner circle, which is basically demon tenure. Unless he ticks Muzan off, that is.

Enmu: A Biography

As a child, Enmu had a pretty standard little kid problem. He couldn’t distinguish the real world from the imaginary one. While most little kids grow out of this issue, Enmu could not. As an adult, Enmu pretended to be a doctor. He definitely did not graduate from medical school. Nevertheless, he began “treating” patients with quack methods like hypnosis. He got off on telling patients who didn’t have long to live that they had made a full recovery. At best, it’s a misunderstanding of the placebo effect. At worst, it’s just getting off on the manipulation. Red flags all around.

One night, Muzan broke into the still-human Enmu’s house and started to eat his intestines. Still alive, Enmu began praising Muzan’s … technique? Because Enmu is usually floating around in the la-la land of his mind, he doesn’t experience pain. As a result, he only got warm and fuzzy feelings from staring into the handsome face of the Demon King. After Enmu died, Muzan revived the boy on a whim, turning him into a demon.

Enmu began rising through the ranks of demonkind, until finally reaching the Lower Ranks. After the Lower Ranks demons failed to impress Muzan, he murdered them all save for Enmu. Why? Because while all the other demons attempted to flee or make excuses, Enmu told the Demon King he was thrilled to accept death at his master’s hands. Good call. Muzan rewarded Enmu with more of his blood and sent him off to kill the Hashira.

What are Enmu’s abilities?

Enmu was already formidable as Lower Rank One, even before he was powered up by Muzan’s blood. After his power-up, it’s arguable that he could have become Upper Rank material. Enmu’s speed and reflexes were enhanced enough to easily run rings around Tanjiro, who had mastered Total Concentration Breathing, an advanced breathing technique that powered up his sword strokes.

Like all demons, Enmu can manipulate his flesh at will. He was able to do freaky-deeky standard fare demon moves, like remotely controlling amputated limbs or creating gross tentacles out of his body. His flesh manipulation technique reached its pinnacle when he merged with a full-length train to absorb its 200 passengers into his body. Nasty.

Enmu’s Blood Demon Art allowed him to instantly put his victims to sleep, usually by speaking a phrase that instantly knocked them out. Enmu-induced sleep is much deeper than regular sleep, considering that Nezuko was unable to wake Tanjiro up even with a headbutt to the face.

Enmu compounds his sleep-inducing abilities with the power to manipulate and enter people’s dreams, Freddy Krueger-style. Unlike Freddy, Enmu made his victims have nice dreams. Beautiful dreams. Dreams that they would never want to wake up from. If that wasn’t enough to keep his victims under his control, however, Enmu would turn his victim’s dreams into nightmares. The only way to resist Enmu’s dreamscapes is through sheer power of will. Tanjiro was able to free himself from Enmu’s dream control only by committing suicide over and over and over again. So traumatic.

While Enmu’s dream possession abilities are extremely powerful, they do have some notable drawbacks. When entering the mind of a dreamer, their dreams are made manifest into a physical reality. This mental landscape is known as a dreamer’s “Spiritual Core”. Tanjiro’s Spiritual Core, for instance, appears as an endless blue sky. If the Spiritual Core is destroyed, the dreamer will die. However, the Spiritual Core of a person can be potent enough to influence someone entering a dreamer’s mental landscape. After entering Tanjiro’s mind, one of Enmu’s human agents was changed by Tanjiro’s sense of inner kindness. The guy stopped wanting to be evil and dipped without destroying the Spiritual Core. Kill ’em with kindness, baby. And then with a sword stroke to the neck.

(featured image: Ufotable)

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Jack Doyle

Jack Doyle (they/them) is actually nine choirs of biblically accurate angels in crammed into one pair of $10 overalls. They have been writing articles for nerds on the internet for less than a year now. They really like anime. Like… REALLY like it. Like you know those annoying little kids that will only eat hotdogs and chicken fingers? They’re like that… but with anime. It’s starting to get sad.

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Jack Doyle

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March 2, 2024
How To Watch The Seven Deadly Sins In Order
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Feb 26th, 2024, 6:22 pm
The Seven Deadly Sins have been a staple of both organized religion and the anime world for some time now.

If you’re looking for the order of the sins themselves, that question might be better answered by a Catholic priest. But you’re gonna want to consult this guide when it comes to the show. And this guide depending on what SDS tat you wanna get.

How to watch the series in release order:

This is the way that the God-fearing author of The Seven Deadly Sins intended the series to be experienced dammit. One could say that this is the orthodox way of doing things. Old school Catholic. The method listed after this would be considered by 16th-century clergy as the height of heresy.

The Seven Deadly Sins Season 1 (2014)

The Seven Deadly Sins OVAs (Bandit Ban, Hero’s Funtime)

The Seven Deadly Sins: Signs of Holy War (2015)

The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of Commandments (2018)

The Seven Deadly Sins Movie 1: Prisoners of the Sky (2018)

The Seven Deadly Sins: Heroes’ Frolic (2018) (OVA)

The Seven Deadly Sins: Imperial Wrath of the Gods (2019)

The Seven Deadly Sins: Dragon’s Judgement (2021)

The Seven Deadly Sins Movie 2: Cursed by Light (2021)

The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh Part 1 (2022)

The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse (2023)

The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh Part 2 (2023)

How to watch the series in chronological order:

This is the order of events for The Seven Deadly Sins. If you wanna watch the series this way, consider yourself like Martin Luther, nailing your grievances against the old ways to the door of a church. Release Order believers may scorn you, they may spit at you, but ultimately you can comfort yourself with the heavenly reward of a very similar watch experience to the Release Order original.

Bandit Ban (2015) (OVA)

The Seven Deadly Sins Season 1 (2014)

Heroes Funtime (2015) (OVA)

The Seven Deadly Sins: Signs of Holy War (2015)

The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of Commandments (2018)

The Seven Deadly Sins Movie 1: Prisoners of the Sky (2018)

Heroes’ Frolic (2018) (OVA)

The Seven Deadly Sins: Imperial Wrath of the Gods (2019)

The Seven Deadly Sins: Dragon’s Judgement (2021)

The Seven Deadly Sins Movie 2: Cursed by Light (2021)

The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh Part 1 (2022)

The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh Part 2

The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse (2023)

(Featured Image: A-1 Pictures)

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Jack Doyle

Jack Doyle (they/them) is actually nine choirs of biblically accurate angels in crammed into one pair of $10 overalls. They have been writing articles for nerds on the internet for less than a year now. They really like anime. Like… REALLY like it. Like you know those annoying little kids that will only eat hotdogs and chicken fingers? They’re like that… but with anime. It’s starting to get sad.
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February 26, 2024
Spirits, Sieges and Avatar States—Breaking Down The Ending of Avatar: The Last Airbender

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The eight episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender—Netflix’s live-action adaptation of the animated Nickelodeon show of the same name, which aired from 2005 to 2008—were released for all to stream this week on Netflix.

The live-action series tries to cram twenty episodes’ worth of storytelling into Netflix’s usual formula, so each of the series’ eight episodes is packed with a whole lot of plot and exposition. So here we all are, breaking down what exactly happened during the finale to make sure there are no questions left unanswered as we head into a possible second season.

*** Beware of SPOILERS ahead for the entire first season of Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender.***

What was the deal with Admiral Zhao and the spirits?

The final episode of Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender, titled “Legends,” covers the entire Siege of the Northern Water Tribe by the Fire Nation troops of Admiral Zhao. All our main characters are there—Team Avatar, of course, helping the Tribe, but Zuko is there as well, always chasing Aang. As is Iroh, who is warily keeping an eye on Zhao.

Since it’s established that the ice walls of Northern Water Tribe had never been breached before, Admiral Zhao—a man who clearly has just a dash of ambition and hubris on his side, what with wanting to become Fire Lord and tampering with the foundational forces of nature—has concocted a plan that should gain his firebenders the ultimate upper hand against the Northern waterbenders.

That plan is none other than killing the Moon Spirit, which takes material form for one night a year together with the Ocean Spirit. The two, which have given the people of the Water Tribes their lives and their bending abilities, appear in the shape of two koi fish in the Spirit Oasis, the most sacred place in the entire North Pole.

When Zhao kills the Moon Spirit, he, of course, disrupts the entire natural balance—the moon disappears from the sky, depriving waterbenders of their abilities, and the Ocean Spirit turns furious and vengeful as its eternal counterpart is taken away. To turn that anger against the Fire Nation and give the Water Tribe a chance, Aang chooses to give himself to the Ocean Spirit. The power of the spirit, combined with Aang’s Avatar State, creates what can only be described as a Godzilla-like creature that washes away the entire Fire Nation fleet.

In this way, though, Aang would be lost forever, merged endlessly with the Ocean Spirit. That’s when Yue decides to sacrifice herself. As she told Sokka in episode seven, the princess and spiritual leader of the Northern Water Tribe was saved by the Moon Spirit as a young child. The Spirit healed her of a sickness that would have proved fatal, turning her hair silver and giving her the ability to walk in the Spirit World from time to time.

(So yes, Sokka’s first girlfriend did turn into the moon. Some might say that it’s rough, buddy. image: Netflix)

So Yue returns the gift of life that the Moon Spirit had given her. Her sacrifice restores the Moon Spirit to life and its balance with the Ocean, with the moon reappearing in the sky and the Tribe’s waterbenders regaining their powers. The Siege of the North is won, and Team Avatar lives to fight another day.

Speaking of Team Avatar, what’s going to happen to Aang, Katara, and Sokka?

While those who have already seen the original Avatar: The Last Airbender know very well what the future has in store for our three main characters, it may not be so hard for newbies to figure out what happens next.

Aang needs to start training in the other bending arts besides air, to master them all as every Avatar before him has done. Technically, he should have already started on water bending during his journey to the North, learning alongside Katara. But we can only assume that the newly named Master Katara—that’s my girl right there—will teach him as they travel back to the Earth Kingdom in search of an earthbending master, the element that Aang will have to learn immediately after water.

What about Zuko and Iroh?

After having dispatched Admiral Zhao, the reunited uncle and nephew leave the Northern Water Trip by themselves without rejoining the rest of the Fire Nation soldiers. After all, they did attack a high-ranking officer—something that would not go down very well with Fire Lord Ozai, considering what we’ve seen during his Agni Kai duel with Zuko.

Again, longtime fans of the original A:TLA know where Zuko and Iroh’s journey will take them, but we can assume that they’re going to lie low for a while before deciding what to do.

And what about Azula?

The last we saw of Azula was her capturing King Bumi and declaring Fire Nation rule in Omashu. As she states to her soldiers, there’s only one major Earth Kingdom city left independent—the great Ba Sing Se. So it’s safe to assume Azula will head there to try and topple it the same way she did in Omashu.

(To be honest, I’m still not sure what to think about this new version of Azula. image: Netflix)

What was that whole deal with Ozai and the Comet?

The episode’s final scene shows Fire Lord Ozai studying a model of the sky together with the Great Sage of Avatar Roku’s shrine. The Sage tells him that they will soon witness another passage of Sozin’s Comet through their skies—the very same comet that was in the opening shot of the show.

Sozin’s Comet passes through the sky every hundred years, giving fire benders a power boost like nothing else in the world. Fire Lord Sozin—after whom the comet was named in the years of Fire Nation rule—harnessed that power to eradicate the Air Nomads from the world. That’s why he tells Gyatso that he might have beaten him in any other circumstance except their current one.

Since Sozin’s Comet is bound to return, we can easily imagine that Fire Lord Ozai’s plan is the same as the one hatched by his grandfather—take advantage of the extra power the comet will give fire benders and make sure that the Fire Nation reigns unchallenged over the entire world. Good thing there definitely is someone willing to challenge him.

(featured image: Netflix)

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Benedetta Geddo

Benedetta (she/her) lives in Italy and has been writing about pop culture and entertainment since 2015. She has considered being in fandom a defining character trait since she was in middle school and wasn’t old enough to read the fanfiction she was definitely reading and loves dragons, complex magic systems, unhinged female characters, tragic villains and good queer representation. You’ll find her covering everything genre fiction, especially if it’s fantasy-adjacent and even more especially if it’s about ASOIAF. In this Bangtan Sonyeondan sh*t for life.

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February 24, 2024
Another ‘Game of Thrones’ Prequel Rises To Power With ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’

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Around mid-April 2023, HBO announced that it had officially ordered another Game of Thrones prequel—the success of the first season of House of the Dragon having assured the powers that be that the horrid garbage fire that was the two final seasons of GoT miraculously did not kill the franchise. The latest prequel series is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight.

Just like George R.R. Martin, the creator of A Song of Ice and Fire, HBO realized that focusing on the three centuries of Targaryen rule that happened before all the events we saw in Game of Thrones is both very fun and really entertaining. That’s what happens when you take a family riddled with incestuous tendencies and god complexes and put them on the throne of a fantasy realm.

So, even though news about A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is still sparse, let’s recap what we know so far—both from HBO’s announcements and from what the ASOIAF canon can tell us.

What is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms about?

The new prequel is titled A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight. It will be set almost a century before Game of Thrones, and about 80 years after House of the Dragon (and the devastating Dance of the Dragons the show is readying to unleash upon our television screens).

The two main characters, as the caption of HBO’s announcement post says, are “Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, Egg.” The two have been mentioned a couple of times in the main A Song of Ice and Fire books and have also gotten their own little trilogy of novellas, the Tales of Dunk and Egg—The Hedge Knight, published in 1998; The Sworn Sword, released in 2003; and The Mystery Knight, published in 2010. The three novellas were also collected in a single illustrated edition in 2015, released under the title A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

This new show’s official synopsis, as reported by a 2024 The Hollywood Reporter article, goes as follows: “A century before the events of Game of Thrones, two unlikely heroes wandered Westeros… a young, naive but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg. Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes and dangerous exploits all away these improbable and incomparable friends”.

We can guess the plot will follow the story of the first novella and then continue with the other two—maybe while also taking a peek at what’s happening in the wider world beyond Dunk and Egg’s adventures.

Of course, the fact that the novellas exist obviously means that readers can easily pinpoint the major plot points of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and which characters will appear around the two leads. If you want to go into the show completely spoiler-free, skip the next three paragraphs—otherwise, here’s what the existing ASOIAF canon can tell us.

While nothing has been released yet about the plot of this new prequel, we can safely guess it’s going to follow what has been laid down in the three novellas about Dunk and Egg (Subterranean Press)

Ser Duncan the Tall and Egg are pretty well-known figures in the history of Westeros: a hedge knight turned Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, and his squire, who is secretly a Targaryen prince—one who everyone assumes will never inherit the crown (being the fourth son of a fourth son), which is why they allow him to follow a knight of little importance around the realm. We, of course, know that Egg will grow up to become King Aegon V the Unlikely—Daenerys Targaryen’s great-grandfather.

The plot of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms depends on how many seasons they intend to develop. The most obvious of answers seems to be three, maybe even with a reduced number of episodes compared to the usual 10, with each tackling one of the three novellas. We’re bound to follow the whole series of complicated events at the tourney at Ashford Meadow at the start, with Dunk and Egg actually meeting for the first time and the Trial of the Seven.

With a focus on Dunk and Egg, this new prequel is definitely going to be less intrigue-filled and more like that chunk of Game of Thrones season 3 where Arya and the Hound were trotting around the realm and exploring the typical “grumpy man and his feisty surrogate daughter” trope. Still, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is set in a particular period of Westerosi history that definitely allows for some venture into politics—we are in the middle of the Blackfyre rebellions, after all.

Who will star in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?

Despite the fact that a new rumor about Henry Cavill playing this or that ASOIAF character surfaces regularly every couple of months—and it’s never young, Rebellion-era Robert Baratheon, which is objectively the only correct answer—absolutely nothing has been announced yet when it comes to the casting of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

Considering how Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon have been cast, we can expect a mix of established names, especially for the older characters, and newcomers—Egg in particular, being around 10 at the time the story starts, will probably be cast in the same way that the younger Stark children were, for example.

The same thing happened for the younger version of the children in House of the Dragon, so we can expect the actor portraying Egg to be a previously unknown name (HBO)

What about the team behind the scenes?

We know a bit more about the people who will take up the roles of executive producers in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The people listed in the HBO announcement are George R.R. Martin (always a good sign) and Ryan Condal, who is also part of the team behind House of the Dragon. The other executive producers are Ira Parker and Vince Gerardis.

When is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms coming out?

According to a February 2024 statement by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, reported by The Hollywood Reporter, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is set to premiere sometime in late 2025.

It definitely makes sense, considering that the second half of 2024 will be entirely dedicated to the second season of House of the Dragon—while the release date is yet to be announced, we know it’s going to be in the summer of 2024 just like season one took up the months between August and October of 2022.

According to the same The Hollywood Reporter article, A Knight of the Seven Kingdom is set to start principal photography very soon. If both productions can stay on track, it could potentially mean a new ASOIAF show every year—for however long they both run.

(featured image: HBO)

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Benedetta Geddo

Benedetta (she/her) lives in Italy and has been writing about pop culture and entertainment since 2015. She has considered being in fandom a defining character trait since she was in middle school and wasn’t old enough to read the fanfiction she was definitely reading and loves dragons, complex magic systems, unhinged female characters, tragic villains and good queer representation. You’ll find her covering everything genre fiction, especially if it’s fantasy-adjacent and even more especially if it’s about ASOIAF. In this Bangtan Sonyeondan sh*t for life.

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Benedetta Geddo

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February 24, 2024
Here’s Who Plays Avatar Roku In Netflix’s ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’

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All eight episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender are now streaming on Netflix. Is the show good? No. Is it a bittersweet reminder of all the amazing characters and lore that the original animated series gave us? Yes! In particular, the original Airbender provided origin stories for previous avatars, like Avatar Roku. You’re no doubt here, reading this article, because you’re curious about who plays him in the remake. I respect that!

Avatar: The Last Airbender (both the original and the remake) follow 12-year-old Aang, who finds out that he’s the only person on Earth who can manipulate all four elements. In other words, he’s the Avatar, destined to maintain peace and harmony in the world. But when the Fire Nation wages war against the other civilizations, Aang learns that he has to step into his responsibilities instead of running from them.

In the opening of the new series, we see a sequence in which previous Avatars join each other on a large staircase. These avatars include Avatar Kyoshi, Avatar Kuruk, and Avatar Roku. Here’s everything you need to know!

Who is Avatar Roku?

Avatar Roku is the last Avatar before Aang. Roku’s soul is reincarnated into Aang’s body, but because Aang is frozen in ice for a hundred years after fleeing his home, the world spends over a century with no active Avatar.

As a member of the Fire Nation, Roku is a close friend of Fire Lord Sozin, who begins the Fire Nation’s conquest of the rest of the world. In the cold open of the Netflix remake, we see Sozin and his soldiers attacking a member of the Earth Kingdom. In the animated series, Roku tries to stop Sozin from trying to conquer the world, and appears as a spirit to advise Aang.

Who is C.S. Lee?

In the Netflix remake of The Last Airbender, Roku is played by C.S. Lee. Lee is best known for his portrayal of Vince Masuka in Dexter, and Lee Jung-Gil in For All Mankind. He also played Dr. Ba in The Sopranos, and Jin Park in the Quantum Leap episode “One Night in Koreatown.”

There you have it! The Last Airbender may not be a great remake, but at least it’s got some great talent.

(featured image: Netflix)

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Julia Glassman

Julia Glassman (she/her) holds an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and has been covering feminism and media since 2007. As a staff writer for The Mary Sue, Julia covers Marvel movies, folk horror, sci fi and fantasy, film and TV, comics, and all things witchy. Under the pen name Asa West, she’s the author of the popular zine ‘Five Principles of Green Witchcraft’ (Gods & Radicals Press). You can check out more of her writing at <a href=”https://juliaglassman.carrd.co/”>https://juliaglassman.carrd.co/.</a>

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February 22, 2024
This Is the Exact Moment You Can Stream ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’

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Few series are more highly anticipated than Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender. The series is based on the fan-favorite animated Nickelodeon series that ran from 2005-2008.

The series received critical acclaim and inspired books, comics, video games, and the spin-off series The Legend of Korra. It also inspired M. Night Shyamalan’s disastrous 2010 live-action movie The Last Airbender.

In 2018, Netflix announced the development of their live-action adaptation developed by Albert Kim (Sleepy Hollow). Six years later, the series has finally arrived and it looks awesome. The special effects are top-notch, and it’s clear that Netflix put a lot of money and effort into the show. Will Avatar: The Last Airbender be as successful as Netflix’s big-budget adaptation of One Piece? Or will it crash and burn like their live-action version of Cowboy Bebop? Fans will have to wait until the series drops to find out.

The series synopsis reads: “Water. Earth. Fire. Air. The four nations once lived in harmony, with the Avatar, master of all four elements, keeping peace between them. But everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked and wiped out the Air Nomads, the first step taken by the firebenders towards conquering the world. With the current incarnation of the Avatar yet to emerge, the world has lost hope. But like a light in the darkness, hope springs forth when Aang (Gordon Cormier), a young Air Nomad — and the last of his kind — reawakens to take his rightful place as the next Avatar. Alongside his newfound friends Sokka (Ian Ousley) and Katara (Kiawentiio), siblings and members of the Southern Water Tribe, Aang embarks on a fantastical, action-packed quest to save the world and fight back against the fearsome onslaught of Fire Lord Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim). But with a driven Crown Prince Zuko (Dallas Liu) determined to capture them, it won’t be an easy task. They’ll need the help of the many allies and colorful characters they meet along the way.”

When does Avatar: The Last Airbender premiere on Netflix?

The 8-episode first season will be available on Netflix at 12 am PT / 3 am ET on February 22, 2024.

(featured image: Netflix)

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Chelsea Steiner

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February 20, 2024
‘Disney Lorcana’s Latest Expansion Pack Is Here: Get Ready for ‘Into the Inklands’

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Are you just as into the awesome new TCG game, Disney Lorcana, as I am? If so, we’ve got good news for you: the third expansion pack, Into the Inklands, is coming out soon.

If you’re new to Disney Lorcana, here’s what the game is and how it works: Disney Lorcana is Disney’s own trading card game that they released back in August 2023. It plays similarly to Magic the Gathering. Players start with seven cards, use 60-card decks, and use Ink, which is Lorcana‘s version of MTG’s Mana system. The card game features beloved Disney characters like Elsa, Mickey Mouse, Lilo and Stitch, and many more.

The official release date for Into the Inklands is March 8, 2024. According to Screen Rant, this expansion is the third card set in the series. It will come with all new special sets, accessories, and cards. Fans of the series DuckTales are in luck, as this expansion will also come with cards from the show, along with characters from TaleSpin. Several other properties, like 101 Dalmatians and Treasure Planet, are getting their own characters as well.

On top of the new characters, there will also be a myriad of card sleeves, playmats, and deck boxes to come with the expansion, allowing you to duel in style. Two new starter decks are coming, too, plus booster packs, Illumineer’s Trove content, and more.

Although the official release date for the expansion pack is in March, it seems like this TCG expansion set will actually appear early in various game shops and hobby stores. Disney is doing a special early access period starting February 23, 2024, so keep an eye out for that release in the near future.

Right now, you can buy Lorcana card sets and booster packs in brick-and-mortar stores like GameStop, Target, Wal-Mart, and your favorite local independent hobby store. You can also buy them from online retailers like Amazon.

Since the game is still relatively new, expect it to become more popular over time. Here’s hoping we get some Bluey cards in this game soon.

(featured image: Disney/Ravensburger)

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February 20, 2024
‘Demon Slayer’ Hashira Training Arc Explained

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Feb 19th, 2024, 10:34 am

Every great anime needs a training arc, and Demon Slayer isn’t an exception to this rule. Although Tanjiro and his friends have been training to get stronger to defeat demons in their path, the Hashira Training Arc won’t just focus on Tanjiro.

The rest of the Demon Slayer Corps and the other Hashira are training themselves under tough conditions in order to awaken their own Demon Slayer Marks. The only way to defeat the Upper Moons of Muzan is to get stronger, but regular training isn’t going to be enough.

Demon Slayer Marks are awakened once Demon Slayers are placed under harsh conditions that break them past their limits. This enhances the current strengths of that demon slayer, but only for a short period of time. Tanjiro and Muichiro both unlocked their marks, which helped them defeat several demons during the Swordsmith Village Arc.

For Muichiro, memories of his brother’s death helped awaken his mark. Prior to this, Tanjiro had already awakened his mark briefly against Gyutaro in an intense battle during the Entertainment District Arc. Both Muichiro and Tanjiro were subjected to immense suffering, but the power boost gave them the ability to kill some powerful demons and save their own lives.

The Hashira Training Arc is aimed at getting everybody in the Demon Slayer Corps stronger. Even retired Demon Slayers like Tengen are coming back just to help out with training. The attack on the Swordsmith Village by several high-profile demons resulted in a lot of swordsmith deaths. Nezuko’s immunity from the Sun is both a gift and a risk. Her newly awakened ability might present a cure for demons, but it also comes at the cost of being hunted down by Muzan himself.

The Hashira will be pushing everybody past their limits, including former Sound Hashira Uzui Tengen. Although there’s a lot of action to be had, fans will get to know more about Giyuu Tomioka’s rise to become the Water Hashira. This arc will also feature an unexpected team-up with Shinobu and another unlikely character to create a potent drug against Muzan Kibutsuji.

(featured images: Ufotable)

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Vanessa Esguerra

Vanessa Esguerra (She/They) is a Contributing Writer for The Mary Sue. She graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Arts in Political Economy and is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Japanese Studies. She speaks three languages, but still manages to get lost in the subways of Tokyo with her clunky Japanese. As a mixed race bisexual woman, she frequently writes about race, gender and sexuality both academically and professionally. Fueled by iced coffee brewed from local cafés in Metro Manila, she also regularly covers anime and video games while queuing for her next match in League of Legends.

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February 19, 2024
Rumors Are Flying About a ‘Bluey’ Episode Called ‘Ghost Basket’

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Here in the U.S., ten new episodes of Bluey just dropped on Disney+. (Those episodes aired months ago in Australia, but hey, you take your quality family TV when you can get it.) Now, hot on the heel(er)s of the new batch of episodes, two new episodes are rumored to be in the works: including one called “Ghost Basket.”

Is the Bluey episode “Ghost Basket” real? Is it a mere phantom? Here’s what we know, and what we’ve heard.

What is “Ghost Basket” on Bluey?

According to the ever-truthful authority that is Random Corners of the Internet, “Ghost Basket” is an upcoming episode of Bluey season 3. It will supposedly air after “The Sign,” the 28 minute long special that’s due to hit the U.S. and Australia simultaneously sometime in 2024. “Ghost Basket” will supposedly be accompanied by another episode called “Surprise!”

Along with the rumors that the episode exists in the first place, people are claiming that it’s a Halloween-themed episode, and that it’s already aired in India.

Here’s the truth, though. Neither the official Bluey website nor Disney+ has any reference to “Ghost Basket” or “Surprise!” This might mean that news about the episodes has simply leaked, leading to all the rumors. But as of this writing, there’s no official confirmation that the episodes are coming.

So if you’re looking for definitive answers about what “Ghost Basket” is and when you can watch it, I’m sad to report that there’s no official news yet.

Don’t worry, there’s still plenty of Bluey to watch

If you need some Bluey in your life, seasons 1-3 are currently streaming on Disney+, with a total of 151 episodes. Not sure where to start? We’ve compiled a list of best Bluey episodes of all time, along with a list of the best Bluey episodes for adults. Enjoy!

(featured image: Disney+)

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Julia Glassman

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February 15, 2024
When Will BTS Break Up? Answered | The Mary Sue

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ARMYs enter at different points in the fandom of BTS, and some don’t usually keep up with the frequent V Live streams or their social media at all. But compared to the previous years, it seems like this phenomenal band from South Korea hasn’t been posting music videos together as a group. That’s not to say that the individual members haven’t been dropping great bops as solo artists.

Jungkook dropped “Seven” feat. Latto and another music video with Jack Harlow titled “3D.” BTS’ V released three solos this year alone, while SUGA produced music for Diablo IV in collaboration with Halsey. They’re all doing solos, which might be why some think that they’ve broken up. The reality is far from that, and this band is far from over.

When will BTS break up? They’re not disbanding, but they’re going on a temporary hiatus as a group because of mandatory enlistment. All South Korean men must undergo military enlistment from ages 18-35, and there are exemptions to this rule. Many international fans hoped for this day to come later rather than sooner, but BTS member Jin chose to enlist immediately. J-Hope and Suga have also entered the military.

The remaining members RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook have all chosen to enlist early and they’ll be off to the military by the end of the year 2023. They chose to enlist early so that they could reunite as a band (and with their ARMYs) faster. That’s not to say fans won’t miss them, and many have been missing the group since Jin joined the military. But in the meantime, there won’t be new chart-topping music from them and updates will be seldom.

When girls my age have boys problems but I’m a full time military wife, and will never have boys problems cause BTS has taught me my worth, and I love myself.pic.twitter.com/Of1FW6HZD3

— KIKI⁷ ? (@seokjinah070) November 17, 2023

Many fans have gone into military wife/husband mode, but they’ll be back stronger than ever with greater music in store for ARMYs. Just don’t count the days, because they’ll feel longer. Listen to “Spring Day” on a quiet park bench during the sunset. Winter is coming, but spring will be worth seeing.

(featured image: HYBE)

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Vanessa Esguerra

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February 11, 2024
‘Masters of the Air’ Bids Its First Farewell to One of Its Poster Characters

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The third episode of Apple TV+’s war drama Masters of the Air, titled “Part Three,” delivered some truly intense aerial combat scenes as the pilots of the 100th Bomb Group tackled one of their most intense missions—both in real life and in the show.

*** Spoilers ahead for Masters of the Air up until its third episode. Be warned. ***

That mission was the August 1943 Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission, which planned to bomb both German cities in an attempt to deal a severe blow to the country’s aircraft industry. While the mission did inflict severe damage on its Regensburg targets, it came at a massive cost of life for the American forces—so much so that this particular type of mission, with a target far beyond the range of fighter escorts for the bombers, was actually discontinued for a time.

Masters of the Air recreates the pre-departure tension of pilots and crews, as the mission’s official starting time gets pushed back and back because of adverse weather, as well as the bloody battle that takes place in the skies above Germany when the B-17s are met by the Luftwaffe’s fighters.

And among the several fortresses that get shot down by the Germans, there’s also the one piloted by Lieutenant Curtis Biddick, played by Barry Keoghan of The Banshees of Inisherin, The Eternals, and Saltburn fame.

(Apple TV+)

As his plane is going down, Lieutenant Biddick gives his crew the order to evacuate, but stays behind to help his copilot, who has been wounded by German fire and can’t extricate himself from his seat. Still, there’s sadly not much he can do—the last shot of him is his wide eyes before his B-17 crashes to the ground and goes up in flames at the force of the impact.

So is Curt Biddick really dead in Masters of the Air?

Lieutenant Biddick might have managed an emergency landing in Scotland in the show’s second episode, but there was no escaping this crash.

It’s exactly what happened to the real Lieutenant Curtis Biddick, as reported on the official website of the American Air Museum in Britain. His B-17 suffered an oxygen fire due to damage to its fuselage some 40 miles north of Regensburg—causing the death of four members of the crew, who remained trapped inside the plane, including Lt. Biddick himself.

So even though Barry Keoghan was one of the biggest names attached to the project and took front and center during the show’s pre-release promotions, together with actors Austin Butler and Callum Turner—who play Masters of the Air’s main characters, Majors Gale “Buck” Cleven and John “Bucky” Egan respectively—his run on the show is officially over.

Considering that Masters of the Air was filmed in the first half of 2021 and that principal photography on Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin—for which Keoghan was nominated as Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards—took up the latter half of that same year, it makes sense that Keoghan’s time was limited.

(featured image: Apple TV+)

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Benedetta Geddo

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February 5, 2024
The Doctor Is Waiting, Here’s What We Know About ‘Shrinking’ Season 2!

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Bill Lawrence may get praise for his work on Ted Lasso, but he has another Apple TV+ series that deserves our love and attention too. Shrinking, which stars Jason Segel and Harrison Ford, is another hit from the Scrubs creator and a must-watch for Lasso fans.

The first season of Shrinking wrapped in March of 2023, and we’re coming up on a year without the show. That doesn’t mean that our wait is over for season 2, as Apple TV+ has yet to announce a premiere date.

Let’s talk about what to expect from season 2 of Shrinking!

Where did we leave off with season 1?

While everyone was improving in their personal lives, things are going to get messy for Jimmy (Segel) when season 2 rolls around. At least, that’s what we can assume, because the end of season 1 saw his patient Grace (Heidi Gardner) push her boyfriend off a cliff.

Jimmy will likely face some consequences after he crossed ethical boundaries to help Grace and ignored his friends’ insistence that his style of therapy was going to get him in trouble. Other than that, we’re not sure what to expect. Maybe Paul (Ford) is still working on his relationship with his daughter? Maybe more of Jimmy and Gaby (Jessica Williams)?

Who is coming back for season 2?

(Apple TV+)

As of now, Williams, Segel, and Ford are all slated to return for the second season. We’re also supposedly see returning players Michael Urie as Brian, Lukita Maxwell as Alice, and Christa Miller as Liz. There isn’t any news yet about Lily Rabe’s Meg or Luke Tennie’s Sean but hopefully, they’re both back as well.

Given the ending of season 1, we will probably see more of Grace. Whether that’s a good thing for Jimmy or not, we’ll have to wait and see.

When can we be back with our favorite therapists?

As of right now, there is no release date for Shrinking season 2. We don’t yet even know if they’ve started filming/when it will be finished. Hopefully, it is sooner rather than later because we miss our favorite chaotic group of coworkers!

(featured image: Apple TV+)

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Rachel Leishman

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February 3, 2024
We’ve Got Our First Look at the Final Season of ‘The Umbrella Academy’!

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The final season of Netflix’s hit series The Umbrella Academy is drawing nearer, and now we finally have our first look at the series’ final episodes thanks to Netflix’s preview of its upcoming 2024 titles.

Of course, being part of a sizzle reel, it’s an incredibly brief look just to get us excited all over again. The short sequence, which features the Hargreeves siblings each raising a glass, comes just after the 30-second mark in the video below:

Fans of The Umbrella Academy, are both anticipating and dreading the release of season 4. This is because, while we’re all desperate to know what happens after season 3 ended on a massive cliffhanger, Netflix has confirmed season 4 will be the show’s last season. Since it first hit the streaming platform in 2019, The Umbrella Academy has been one of Netflix’s most-watched shows and has received high praise from critics, as well as six Emmy nominations.

The show follows the superpowered Hargreeves siblings, who are reunited after the death of their father, Sir Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore). Reginald adopted all seven of the Hargreeves siblings, who were among a group of 43 superpowered individuals born simultaneously on October 1, 1989, to women who had not previously been pregnant. As children, the group formed a superhero team called the Umbrella Academy, but went their separate ways and became estranged as adults. Their father’s death, though, reunites them and sets them off on a mission to stop an imminent apocalypse.

After changing the timeline in season 2, season 3 saw the Hargreeves in an alternate reality where Reginald adopted six different children (and an alternate version of one of the original Hargreeves, Ben (Justin H. Min)) to form the Sparrow Academy instead of the Umbrella Academy. However, this Reginald has grand plans to reset the universe and build it to his liking. In the season finale, he is revealed to have succeeded but created a world with some anomalies, such as the Hargreeves siblings losing their powers. Fortunately, season 4 is in the works and will hopefully hold some answers. Here’s everything we know about The Umbrella Academy season 4 so far.

The Umbrella Academy season 4 episode count

One major detail the creators have revealed is the episode count of season 4. Seasons 1 to 3 were all ten episodes, so many thought it was safe to expect the same from season 4. However, it has been confirmed that The Umbrella Academy‘s final season will only be six episodes long. The showrunners have promised that the episodes will be great, but fans are a little salty they’re not getting their usual ten episodes.

The Umbrella Academy season 4 release window

The Umbrella Academy season 4 does not have a confirmed release date yet. However, Netflix confirmed that the season had already started filming on February 1st. Considering that filming will likely last several months yet, plus post-production, a late 2023 or early 2024 release date seems likely.

The Umbrella Academy season 4 cast

(Netflix)

The Umbrella Academy season 4 will feature a mix of new and familiar faces. Viewers can, of course, expect to see all of the original Umbrella Academy members. This means Luther (Tom Hopper), Diego (David Castañeda), Allison (Emmy Raver-Lampman), Klaus (Robert Sheehan), Five (Aidan Gallagher), and Viktor (Elliot Page) will all be back for season 4. Additionally, the Sparrow Academy’s Ben (Min) will also return, as he followed the Umbrellas to the reset world, as did Diego’s partner, Lila (Rita Arya). Since he created and now has influence over the reset world, Colm’s Reginald is also expected to return, alongside his newly resurrected wife, Abigail Hargreeves (Lisa Repo-Martell).

There are also several characters whose returns are uncertain, but possible. It is unknown yet if the Sparrows, aside from Ben, will be returning in season 4. Most of them died in season 3, but given the reset, Marcus (Justin Cornwell), Fei (Britne Oldford), Alphonso (Jake Epstein), Sloane (Genesis Rodriguez), and Jayme (Cazzie David) could all potentially appear. There is especially likely more to Sloane’s story, given the fact she was with the Hargreeves when the reset happened but oddly disappeared during the transition. Previously deceased characters like Stanley (Javon Walton), Harlan (Callum Keith Rennie), and The Handler (Kate Walsh) could also all potentially come back, considering the flexibility of a new universe.

Lastly, Netflix recently announced some exciting new addition to the season 4 cast. Parks and Recreation and The Last of Us star, Nick Offerman, has joined the cast, along with his wife, Megan Mullally, who is best known for her appearance in Will & Grace. They will be playing a married couple in the show, Drs. Gene and Jean Thibedeau, who Variety reports are “a married pair of community college professors from New Mexico who wear sensible footwear and suffer from the most extreme case of deja vu this timeline has ever seen.” Arrested Development’s David Cross has also joined the cast as Sy Grossman, a businessman seeking to reunite with his estranged daughter.

The Umbrella Academy season 4 plot

(Netflix)

So far, the exact details of The Umbrella Academy‘s season 4 plot have not been revealed. However, based on the ending of season 3, we know a few things. For one, we know that the season, similar to season 3, will take place in an alternate reality. This one is particularly interesting because the Hargreeves have lost their powers and will have to experience living as regular people for a time. Each already seems to be on their path, too, with Diego leaving with Lila (who is expecting a child), Luther departing to find Sloane, and Allison being reunited with her husband and daughter, who she met in the 1960s in season 2.

Hence, it is expected that all of these story arcs will be explored more, as will the story of Reginald and Abigail. We don’t really know a whole lot about them, aside from Reginald being an alien and Abigail previously having been deceased. Additionally, there are bound to be some unexpected twists and turns, monsters, and chaos in this unnatural reset world. Showrunner Steve Blackmen also teased that the season 3 post-credit scene will factor into season 4. The post-credit scene sees Sparrow Ben on a subway in Korea. We don’t know why on earth he’s on a subway in Korea, but apparently, it’s important!

Blackman also gave a rough outline of what to expect from season 4. He told Decider:

I do know what Season 4 is and we leave them in a pretty precarious place with the question that I hope the audience is asking themselves is: are they better off without their powers? Are they better off with them? Did Hargreeves give them the gift and say, look, you’ve hated the powers, it’s been the bane of your existence. Now you are free, you are, quote unquote, normal. Can they live like that and be normal? I have a way that they’ll get their powers back. But also, Hargreeves got something very special back himself—he got his wife. But that is also a very complicated story, given that they’re aliens, which we will also hopefully touch on next year. The world, if you look carefully, is slightly different as well, this timeline, a lot of Hargreeves Enterprises things around. So, there’s a lot of places to go in Season 4, and I’ve got a really good plan for it if we get another year.

(featured image: Netflix)

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Rachel Ulatowski

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February 2, 2024
Don’t Panic, But There’s a Bluey Squishmallow

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Look, I get that some people find adult Bluey fans annoying. Sure, I understand! It’s a kid’s show. It’s meant for preschoolers. How could any self-respecting grown-up publicly identify as a fan of children’s entertainment?

Well, if you don’t understand adult Bluey fans, you definitely won’t understand adult Squishmallow lovers. To which I can only say: I’m sorry your life is so devoid of happiness.

Anyway, I don’t own any Squishmallows myself, but my kids own approximately one thousand billion, so I know the appeal firsthand. They’re … well, they’re squishy. They’re good for squishing. Sometimes you just need to hug something squishy and nice. And what better cuddly thing to hug than Bluey herself?

Luckily, there’s a Bluey Squishmallow to fulfill that purpose.

Why is Bluey so popular?

Bluey, the Australian kids’ show created by Joe Brumm, tells the story of a rambunctious 6-year-old who explores the world around her through imaginative play. Along with Bluey, the show features her little sister Bingo, and her parents Bandit (David McCormack) and Chilli (Melanie Zanetti). Bluey’s adventures take her from pillow forts to school to holidays at the beach.

The reason Bluey is such a phenomenon is simple: It’s just really, really well made. The writing is complex and empathetic. The characters are layered. The animation is charming. It’s a top-quality show for any age.

There’s lots of Bluey merch out there, from backpacks to plushies, but if you’re looking for an authentic Bluey Squishmallow, here’s how to get your paws on it.

How to get the Bluey squishmallow

If you’re in the U.S., Bluey squishmallows are available at Target. So far, the only character available in Squishmallow form is Bluey herself, in a 10″ plush for $9.99.

If you’re outside of the U.S., finding a Bluey squishmallow might be trickier. However, you can keep checking the Bluey website to see if they add more retailers.

If your kids are clamoring for a Bluey Squishmalllow, congrats! Their dreams are about to come true. And if you would never admit to liking children’s shows or plushies yourself, but you’re starting to feel the urge?

Come on, treat your inner child. You only live once.

(featured image: Disney+)

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Julia Glassman

Julia Glassman (she/her) holds an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and has been covering feminism and media since 2007. As a staff writer for The Mary Sue, Julia covers Marvel movies, folk horror, sci fi and fantasy, film and TV, comics, and all things witchy. Under the pen name Asa West, she’s the author of the popular zine ‘Five Principles of Green Witchcraft’ (Gods & Radicals Press). You can check out more of her writing at <a href=”https://juliaglassman.carrd.co/”>https://juliaglassman.carrd.co/.</a>

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Julia Glassman

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February 1, 2024
Is There a ‘Zenless Zone Zero’ Release Date Yet?

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If you play games from Hoyoverse, you’re probably waiting for Zenless Zone Zero’s long-awaited release. As an Honkai: Star Rail player, the trailer had me sold when I heard mentions of Belobog. It’s not a city trapped in eternal winter but a character and construction company in the new game.

Hoyoverse, the company responsible for the hit gacha game Genshin Impact, announced Zenless Zone Zero in May 2022. Like most games from the company, their newest rogue-like RPG is set in the futuristic, post-apocalyptic city of New Eridu.

Despite its technological advancements, New Eridu is the last bastion of humanity. In Zenless Zone Zero, the Hollows are disastrous dimensions that could unleash monsters known as Ethereals. If you play Honkai: Star Rail, they’ll remind you of the fragmentum monsters. If Genshin Impact is your game, the Ethereals will remind you of the abyss and its creatures. There must be a connection among these eerily similar monsters, but that’s all just speculation for now.

Your job as a Proxy in Zenless Zone Zero is to guide people who venture into the Hollows for treasure and loot.

The trailer was released at the Game Awards 2023 amidst endless advertisements and promos. In November 2023, the game went through its second closed-beta test. Many streamers who had the opportunity to play the game praised it for its interesting story, but it can be a grind. That shouldn’t deter many people who already play games created by Hoyoverse, but it might not be ideal for those who can’t afford another game commitment.

It’s expected that Zenless Zone Zero will be published in 2024, but we’re still waiting for Hoyoverse to confirm an official release date.

(featured image: Hoyoverse)

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Vanessa Esguerra

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January 30, 2024
‘The Eminence In Shadow’ Movie Release Window, Cast, And More | The Mary Sue

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The Eminence and Shadow: Lost Echoes is highly anticipated, especially after the ending of the anime’s second season. Cid woke up and was transported back into the old world he left. Although it was initially believed that Cid died and reincarnated, this was disproven in the end.

Only three years passed since Cid’s death, and he was able to return as Minoru Kageno. Many fans have come up with theories on how Cid came back, but everybody will have to wait for the movie to drop to see what will happen next.

Although Cid came back to his old world, the poster for the movie teases that he will have powers or find a way to acquire powers. There are few chapters in the manga, and the anime is catching up quickly to the source material. The manga is still being published, but it hasn’t even reached 100 chapters. It’s speculated that the movie will follow the anime and the light novel’s series of events.

It can be assumed that the anime’s voice cast will remain the same, given that there has been no announcement about casting changes yet. There are speculations surrounding the release date of The Eminence in Shadow: Lost Echoes (most estimates say mid-to-late 2024, so our fingers are crossed), but there has neither been a trailer nor a confirmed movie release date. Watch this space, because we’ll update as soon as we know more.

(featured image: Nexus)

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Vanessa Esguerra

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January 26, 2024
Citadel Season 2 Release Window, Cast, Plot. And More

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Prepare to storm the citadel!

And by “storm” I mean “infiltrate covertly”. Like a spy! Or a ninja! After all, it would be in keeping with the espionage theme of the show. Just gotta take notes from the Forger family in Spy x Family! Maybe fork over some cash and buy a spy balloon! Anything to be on theme here. After all, what better way to show this espionage thriller series some love than by dressing up in black from head to tow and suction-cupping my way up the walls of my neighbor’s house to climb in through the unlatched second-floor window, tip-toe my way into the den (but not before raiding the fridge), and binging the entirety of Citadel season 1 in preparation for the second? That’s called being a real fan.

When will season 2 be released?

I’ll be breaking into my neighbor’s house quite a lot this year because the second season of Citadel will most likely be released in 2025. But don’t blame them! It’s a big series! High-budget action sequences don’t shoot themselves overnight! In the meantime, I’ll be binge-watching the spinoff series Diana, covert ops style. You know, with binoculars that see directly into the living room of the house across the street.

What is Citadel about?

Citadel is a spy thriller series about the death knells of the now-defunct global spy agency Citadel. The organization was taken down, and now it and its agents are nothing but a memory. But not even that! Because the former Citadel agents’ memories have been wiped! The Manticore crime syndicate has come in to fill the Citadel-shaped hole that the former spy organization left and is gaining power. Now two former Citadel agents are coming together to reclaim their past and fight for a Manticore-free future! Hooray! To thicken this already oatmeal-consistency plot, those two former spies were once lovers. But they don’t remember a thing! Or do they?

Season 1 ended with one of the spies reclaiming all of his memories. And not all of them are good. In fact, he learns to his chagrin that HE was the mole responsible for taking Citadel down. Oops. Not only that, he now remembers that he was Nadia’s lover. But he doesn’t want to admit it because he’d also have to tell her that he betrayed her and their organization.

Who’s who in the cast?

Richard Madden plays Mason Kane, a former Citadel spy agent, and Nadia’s lover. He is also known as Kyle Conroy, which is his identity after his memories were erased. Priyanka Chopra Jonas plays Nadia Sinh, who now goes by Charlotte Vernon, a restaurant manager in Valencia after her memories were erased. They are joined by Ashleigh Cummings as Abby Conroy, who is Kyle’s wife (drama). She was once known as Celeste Graham, another former Citadel spy (more drama). They are joined by Roland Møller as Anders/Davik Silje, Osy Ikhile as Carter Spence, Caoilinn Springall as Hendrix Conroy, “Kyle” and “Abby’s” daughter, Lesley Manville as Manticore Agent Dahlia Archer, and Stanley Tucci as Bernard Orlick.

Is there a trailer?

For your spy eyes only.

(featured image: Prime Video)

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Jack Doyle

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January 21, 2024
Weak Hero Class 1 Season 2 Release Window, Cast, Plot, And More | The Mary Sue

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By

Jan 14th, 2024, 5:39 pm

Many K-dramas have found success in portraying the brutal reality of bullying. But most of the victims in these shows have had enough. Weak Hero Class 1’s protagonist Si-eun (Park Ji-hoon) just couldn’t catch a break. Because of his smarts and his scrawny physique, Si-eun became a natural target for bullies.

Si-eun tolerated the bullies until he was drugged during an exam. In a fit of pent-up rage, Si-eun stabbed one of his bullies with a pencil and beat another one with a textbook. He grew tired of holding back and had every intent to kill until Su-ho (Choi Hyun-wook) stepped in.

One of the best things about Weak Class Hero is Soo-ho, Si-eun, and Beom Seok’s (Hong Kyung) friendship. High school is tough as it is, with exams to pass and colleges to impress. Bullying makes everything much more miserable. This unlikely group of three navigates high school and bullying, but this isn’t a story that ends with rainbows and graduation.

Eventually, the trio’s friendship is tested and torn apart. The first season ended with Su-ho on his deathbed and Beom-seok becoming a bully. Out of anger, Si-eun got revenge on everybody who contributed to Su-ho’s demise and ultimately got transferred to a different school.

Weak Hero Class is inspired by the webtoon series of the same name by Seopass. Although names have been changed and some parts have been altered, the premise of surviving high school and bullying as a young adult remains the same. Either way, webtoon readers were probably satisfied with the reenactment of the book beat-up scene by Si-eun.

For fans who’ve grown to love the drama, Weak Class Hero 2 is on its way to Netflix. There’s no release date yet for the series. Although not every character will be coming back, Si-eun’s fight continues in his new school, where he’s bound to be surrounded by even tougher characters.

(featured image: Viki)

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Vanessa Esguerra

Vanessa Esguerra (She/They) is a Contributing Writer for The Mary Sue. She graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Arts in Political Economy and is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Japanese Studies. She speaks three languages, but still manages to get lost in the subways of Tokyo with her clunky Japanese. As a mixed race bisexual woman, she frequently writes about race, gender and sexuality both academically and professionally. Fueled by iced coffee brewed from local cafés in Metro Manila, she also regularly covers anime and video games while queuing for her next match in League of Legends.

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Vanessa Esguerra

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January 14, 2024
Need To Get Your 'Jujutsu Kaisen' Fix?

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Jujutsu Kaisen’s second season had many fans screaming for more, and kicking and screaming in general. Although the season had a bumpy production, fans couldn’t be more grateful to the Jujutsu Kaisen team at MAPPA, who worked tirelessly to put out everybody’s favorite anime series in the summer of 2023.

For those who haven’t been caught up to speed, Jujutsu Kaisen follows a boy named Itadori Yuji, who ate a thousand-year-old curse’s fingers while fighting another curse. This awakened Ryomen Sukuna, the King of Curses, in Yuji’s body. But much to everybody’s surprise, Yuji is able to resist Sukuna and even gain control of his own body.

Because Yuji is capable of containing Sukuna, the Jujutsu Society’s higher-ups believed that it would be best for Yuji to eat all of Sukuna’s fingers so that they could finally kill Sukuna. It didn’t matter if an orphaned and innocent high schooler was caught in the middle. Luckily for Yuji, Gojo Satoru, the strongest sorcerer in the modern era, allowed him to learn sorcery at the prestigious Tokyo Jujutsu High School, along with other equally talented high schoolers.

This might sound like a hopeful story at first glance, but Jujutsu Kaisen fans would know that this is a world full of brutal curses and corrupt sorcerers. There are fleeting happy moments, but there are longer stretches of agony for characters who wish for nothing more than a normal life and maybe a brief tropical vacation.

Jujutsu Kaisen‘s two seasons are still streaming on Crunchyroll and Funimation. As of 2024, both Jujutsu Kaisen Seasons 1–2 have already ended. The third season of Jujutsu Kaisen, which focuses on The Culling Game Arc, is likely to stream exclusively on Crunchyroll and Funimation as well. Jujutsu Kaisen 0, which was released in 2022, is also still available for streaming on Crunchyroll.

(featured image: MAPPA)

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Vanessa Esguerra

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January 14, 2024
Should You Take Your Kids to Camp's 'Bluey' Experience in Chicago?

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Bluey x Camp, an immersive experience for young Bluey fans, is coming to Chicago this spring! But what is it, exactly? Is it worth attending? And how much money are we talking about?

Here’s everything you need to know about Bluey x Camp, from a real live parent who survived the experience.

What is Bluey x Camp?

Camp is a retailer that puts on “immersive experiences” for children. These experiences are based on popular movies and TV shows—hence the Bluey experience—and they bring the shows to life by recreating sets, props, characters, and more.

In the Bluey experience, kids explore a recreation of the Heelers’ home. After an introductory mini-episode in which Bluey and Bingo start a game of hide and seek with their parents, kids enter the house, where they can explore each room, play with toys, listen to stories, and play games like Dance Mode and Keepy Uppy with the counselors who facilitate the experience. After about 45 minutes of exploration and play, kids get to meet and have their picture taken with Bluey and Bingo.

What age group is Bluey x Camp for?

The Bluey x Camp experience is aimed mainly at preschoolers and kindergarteners. If you have a toddler or a first-grader, they’ll still have fun. My kid is 6, and although she was one of the older kids in the Los Angeles experience, she still had a blast. If you’re a parent, you’ll definitely be bored, but you can occupy yourself by taking lots of pictures of your ecstatic kiddo. Oh, and make sure you act like a chicken when the counselor points the magic asparagus at you, or you’ll scar your kid for life. I’m not kidding.

When and where is Bluey x Camp Chicago happening?

Bluey x Camp Chicago is taking place from May through September 2024. It’ll be held at Camp’s Lincoln Park neighborhood store, located at 647 W North Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60610.

How much are Bluey x Camp tickets?

Here’s the bad news. Bluey x Camp tickets are $44 a pop, for an experience that lasts less than an hour. That’s per person, which means that one kid and one parent comes to $88, and that’s not including all the merch Camp will try to sell you. (The good news is that if you opt out of the Bluey ears headband, which costs extra, your kid won’t be the only earless participant. Almost no one was wearing them when I went.)

You can get tickets by heading over to Camp’s website.

So should you take your kid to Bluey x Camp?

Look, from our perspective, Bluey x Camp might seem a little inscrutable. I mean, if you look up, you can see the industrial HVAC system where the Heelers’ ceiling should be!

But what can I say? My kid loved it. So yeah, spend the dollar bucks. Spend an hour taking pictures. And here’s a pro tip: the mini Bluey plushies are pretty affordable, when it comes time to exit through the gift shop.

(featured image: Disney+)

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Julia Glassman

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January 12, 2024