I love film, books, and video games. I like discussing them with others and getting my opinion of them out there for others, no matter how small the audience. I hope you enjoy reading my many reviews.
I have reviewed a lot of anime on my blog. If I have learned anything in the process, it is that time plays a big part in my opinion. I will often look back at a positive review I did of an anime and wonder, why did I rate that one so highly? Not to say that my opinion of these anime have turned negative, but I would say that some of them are not as fantastic as I once thought. However, there is one anime that I enjoyed and continue to enjoy whenever I revisit it, which is often. That anime is Saga of Tanya the Evil, and it follows the story of a Japanese salaryman, cursed by a supposed god to be reborn into another world. Now a little German girl named Tanya, the salaryman must survive an alternate universe World War One, where mages fly over the battlefield. The anime has a lot of great qualities, the best of which being the titular Tanya herself. She is a compelling character with her strict mindset, constant hilarious misunderstandings, and rivalry with the god she calls “Being X.”
Tanya’s constant mental battles with Being X were a highlight for me in the first season.
After finishing the anime, I was eagerly anticipating Season Two. So, I waited… and waited… and waited…until it felt like we were never going to get Season Two. Well now, in 2026, we finally have our first trailer (that is not just old footage), along with a release date. The trailer begins by showing that Season Two will pick up from the movie. Tanya has been gifted a full combat battalion by the military branch; despite the aneurysm it gives one of her superiors. We get a brief look at all of the characters, including those in Tanya’s squad, two new communist characters and, of course, Tanya’s human rival Mary Sue (yes that is her actual name). From there, the trailer goes through a series of fast animations, teasing what is coming. We see Tanya engaging in an air battle, what looks to be some sort of demon and, most disgusting of all, Loria licking his finger. Loria is based off Lavrentiy Beria, one of Stalin’s chief enforcers, who was definitely a sexual predator and probably also a serial killer. Given that he obviously has nothing good planned for Tanya, I think we can all agree to pray to Being X that Loria receives a painful end.
I hope Tanya eventually strikes the same fear into Loria that she does to this pilot in the trailer.
But the highlight of the trailer is Tanya’s crazed expressions. We see these insane smiles while she fights and tells her troops to prepare for war. It will never not be funny to see hardened soldiers terrified by a little girl who they constantly misunderstand. Case and point, the final shots of the trailer are everyone looking horrified as Tanya puts on her little girl voice and smiles sweetly. To be fair, the last time Tanya used this voice was to trick her enemies into thinking an attack was not coming in a way that would avoid war crime charges.
Knowing that, Tanya’s soldiers being afraid of this face is completley understandable.
It will be both interesting and terrifying to see how Tanya schemes her way out of such charges in the new season, now revealed to be airing in July. I will be watching day one, and plan to review each episode weekly. Hopefully Season Two can live up to the first and, if we do get a third season, we will not have to wait as long.
Chapter 231 of Chainsaw Man left me concerned.
Instead of continuing the story naturally, it felt like author Tatsuki Fujimoto had just decided to abruptly end the story.
I started reading Chapter 232, “Thank You, Chainsaw Man,” with my fingers crossed that this would only be the conclusion of Part 2 and not the entire story.
Unfortunately, my fears were warranted.
Fujimoto really did get burned out and decided to end the story here.
I am not surprised, considering how aimless Part Two felt in comparison to Part One.
That is not to say Part Two did not have fantastic moments.
Asa and Yoru are great characters, I enjoyed their bond with Denji, and the Death Devil Twist was brilliant.
But Part One just felt way more cohesive because Fujimoto had a clear end goal.
If he had an end goal for Part Two, he definitely decided to abruptly scrap it.
The chapter begins with Denji, after Pochita reset the timeline, dying of the blood disease and being attacked by the Yakuza.
Pochita really did not think the whole eating himself thing through because of what it would mean for Denji.
Luckily for him, Power shows up to save Deni’s life for some reason, making the contract with him instead of Pochita.
The Control Devil then arrives to recruit them but, fortunately for Denji and Power, it is Nayuta not Makima.
How Nayuta is the current Control Devil, I do not know.
What makes even less sense is that she is supposedly a good Devil in this timeline, despite being taken in by Public Safety instead of Denji.
The entire reason Nayuta had good qualities was because Denji raised her like his little sister.
Public Safety would not do that, so it makes zero sense
What also makes little sense is Denji using a chainsaw to kill a Devil, but I suppose you could explain that away as humanity reinventing chainsaws, the same way they did nuclear weapons in the old timeline.
The Devil Denji kills is at Asa’s school, and it also kills her teacher, so at least we know he will not try to groom her in the future or anything.
In a moment that admittedly does bring Part Two full circle a little, Denji saves Asa from tripping and crushing Bucky.
The full page spread of him doing this is oddly touching for the last time we see the two interact, although their following conversation is brief.
Asa calls Denji “Chainsaw Man” because he fights with a chainsaw, making Denji’s heart flutter as we realize a part of Pochita is still in there.
Power misinterprets this as Denji’s disease, promising to cure him of it, and the two go to grab a meal… or at least go to scam some people for a snack.
And so, Chainsaw Man ends with a somewhat happy ending.
Denji has reunited with Power and Nayuta in a new timeline (although we do not know where Aki is), and Asa was saved from crushing Bucky, meaning she can make friends in her class.
Therefore, the ending is good, right?
Nope.
While this ending is happy, it is just way too abrupt.
Fujimoto probably sat down one day and decided he was too burned out to continue the story, so decided to end it early and quickly to potentially move onto other things.
What makes this obvious is how many unanswered questions Part Two leaves us with.
What happened to Yoru, Kishibe, Kobeni, and Reze?
What exactly was Public Safety’s plan for the entirety of Part Two?
Not to mention that the resetting of the storyline all the way to Part One makes Part Two feel pretty pointless in retrospect.
If I had to sum up my feelings about Chainsaw Man’s ending with one word, it would be “disappointment.”
The story ended out of nowhere, left so many questions unanswered, and reset the timeline to make a lot of things pointless.
If there is any consolation, it is that at least Denji and Asa got a happy ending.
And regardless of my frustration with Chainsaw Man‘s abrupt ending, I will still read whatever Fujimoto does next.
I just hope that whatever he goes on to write it will be in a way that avoids burnout.
Maybe give him the Sui Ishida treatment, where he can release a chapter on his own schedule, rather than weekly.
If that happens, then a well-executed ending for his next work will hopefully be assured.
As for Chainsaw Man as a whole, I still love this series, even though it suddenly ended out of nowhere.
In my review for the previous chapter of Chainsaw Man, I speculated on the story’s future. It seemed like Fujimoto may have been gearing Denji and Asa up for a fight with Fami, powered up by the growing fear of insects and vermin. Well, once again Fujimoto did the unexpected by delivering us an abrupt penultimate chapter to Chainsaw Man Part Two. Yes, the next chapter of Chainsaw Man will be the last chapter for a while, maybe forever if Fujimoto decides not to make a Part Three. Chapter 231 opens in the immediate aftermath of the previous one, and I was immediately struck dumb by the title, “Goodbye Pochita.” To me at least, nothing prior seemed to be hinting at Pochita’s death. Well, this is apparently what just happened. The chapter begins with Pochita appearing before Denji, revealing they were eaten by the Devil that just attacked them. Denji is horrified because he no longer has the chance to have sex, but Pochita says this is a good thing because some part of Denji was still unhappy, even when he connected with Asa. Transforming into Chainsaw Man, Pochita tells Denji that he is, “One that can only find heaven when you’re in hell.” While this is a compelling quote, I am not sure if I like its implications, considering that Pochita is now saying Denji would be happier being back under the Yakuza’s thumb. After hugging Denji as Chainsaw Man, something Pochita always wanted, Pochita proceeds to eat his heart, erasing himself and Chainsaw Man from existence, seemingly creating a world where he and Denji never met. The final panel takes us back to Denji’s rundown shack, where his story began. So, Denji is seemingly back to square one. He will probably be indebted to the Yakuza, dying of a disease that makes him cough up blood, and with no Pochita to help him. Seriously, why did Pochita think Denji would be better off? I guess we will see next chapter, along with whether this is the last chapter of just Part Two or the entire series. The reason the latter might be a possibility is because this does feel like the setup for an ending, just not a good one. If this is going to be the conclusion of Chainsaw Man, there will probably be many questions unanswered. What happened to Asa and Yoru? Does this mean Denji and Power will never reunite? What was the point of this entire last fight if everything just gets reset? Granted, we do not know for certain that this is the end. Fingers crossed it is just the conclusion for Part Two. Although, even if is that, I do not think it will be completely satisfying either. This whole Pochita-eating-himself-and-sending-Denji-back-to-the-beginning ending just feels really out of nowhere, and not in the usual good way Fujimoto is able to pull off. Pretty funny how the last chapter restored my faith in Fujimoto, only for this one to make me doubt him again. On the day Chapter 132 releases, I will be anxious to see if my concerns are warranted.
It is hard to believe that a decade ago it seemed like Resident Evil might be a dying franchise. The last mainline installment, Resident Evil 6 in 2012, had not been well received by the fans and, even worse, Capcom had released Umbrella Corps in 2016, one of the most reviled games in the series. Then Resident Evil: Biohazard arrived like a godsend in 2017, returning the series to its survival horror roots and revitalizing the brand. This was the game that first got me into series, and what a time to become a fan because ever since then, Capcom have been on a roll. Over the years, they have released Resident Evil: Village and numerous remakes, which are considered among the best video game remakes of all time. Well, now we have another banger with Resident Evil: Requiem, the ninth mainline installment.
Resident Evil goes back to the Umbrella well with RE9.
After finishing my first playthrough, I am excited to say that Requiem is definitely in the top five best Resident Evil games. It does a truly fantastic job of blending the survival horror of Biohazard with the over-the-top action of 4. The story follows FBI Agent Grace Ashcroft (Angela Sant’Albano), the daughter of one of the previous game’s protagonists, Alyssa, Tasked with investigating a mysterious disease tied to the Raccoon City Incident, Grace finds herself kidnapped by Umbrella scientist Dr Victor Gideon (Antony Byrne) and must survive his care facility of horrors.
You have to wonder how these crazy looking, mad scientists keep getting people to help with their potentially world ending experiments.
Grace’s segments of the game are pure survival horror, and I found myself screaming many a time when faced with terrifying zombies. What makes these zombies so unique is that they retain parts of their personalities from when they were alive. A massive zombie chef tries to cook human flesh, a maid cuts herself repeatedly on glass trying to keep everything clean, and some zombies even apologise for trying to hurt you when they are killed. It makes them not only scary but also pretty pitiable. But the true horror of Grace’s segments is The Girl, a hag-like monstrosity with a weakness to light that pursues Grace throughout the facility.
The Girl is Resident Evil‘s scariest stalker enemy since the baby in Village.
With Grace’s limited stock of weapons, every fight with the undead could be her last. It is a good thing then that she is not alone because the one-man army Leon Kennedy (Nick Apostolides) is also investigating Gideon, with Sherry Birkin (Eden Riegel) acting as his handler. Leon’s segments of the game are when the over-the-top action comes into play and, I have got to say, after a few hours of hiding in the dark terrified as Grace, it is such a relief to kick zombie ass as Leon, shooting them, hacking them up, and cutting them apart with a chainsaw. I never thought the survival horror of the series could blend so well into the action and yet Capcom achieved this.
How Leon is still doing roundhouse kicks on zombies in his 50s is unknown to me. Not complaining though. Rule of cool, and all.
They even provided different styles of gameplay for different playthroughs, with the choice between first or third person for both Grace and Leon. I went with the recommended first-person for Grace and third-person for Leon, which felt perfect for their playstyle’s differing atmosphere. Just as perfect was the game’s use of nostalgia, which can be a slippery slope. Too much and it will feel like the game is just pandering to fans for cheap points, rather than doing something new. Thankfully, Requiem offers plenty of new with that old, and the old content is lovingly handled.
Returning to the RPD was just one of many nostalgic moments in Requiem.
Well, I have spent so long lathering this game with praise, you have to be wondering if I have any problems with it. A few, but I really had to think about it for a bit. For starters, I think we can all agree that there was one antagonist who deserved a boss fight but did not get one. Along with this, there is one segment of the game which reminded me of the cannon section in the Resident Evil 4 remake. Since that was my least favorite section of that game, you would be right in assuming it was my least favorite part of Requiem as well. Finally, there is one reveal towards the end that feels like a bit of a copout, but it was a convenience that made me smile so I can let it go. And that is it for my issues. The rest of the game is so good that it overwhelmingly overshadows any bad.
The game looking fantastic also helps matters.
Resident Evil: Requiem is one of the best Resident Evil games. The story is investing and the gameplay styles of Grace and Leon blend perfectly. I know it is only March, but it would not surprise me if Requiem ended up topping a lot of best games of 2026 lists. And, with new story DLC probably dropping at some point, the game is only going to get better. If you are a Resident Evil fan and have somehow not played this yet, hurry up and do so. It is one of the series’ best.
I am a fan of the Scream franchise. I enjoyed the first four movies as a teenager and got back on board with the fifth and sixth film. While in retrospect Scream 6 had some issues, I was still looking forward to the conclusion of the new trilogy to see how the Carpenter sisters’ story would end. Then Melissa Barrera was unjustly fired for her comments on Palestine. Then Jenna Ortega also dropped out. The director bailed and the script for the seventh film was thrown out. Needless to say, these events had me extremely worried for Scream 7’s quality. Unfortunately, these concerns were justified because, after seeing the seventh film, I can say that the Scream franchise has finally had a bad film.
Ghostface walking away from torching the Scream franchise.
Before this, the weakest film in the series was Scream 3, but even that had its fun with campy moments and good characterization. The seventh film has none of that, with an extremely boring and forgettable cast overall, twists that are somehow both predictable and completely stupid, and an eye-rolling amount of callbacks. The story once again follows Sidney Prescott, as her daughter Tatum (Isabel May) and husband Mark (Joel McHale) are threatened by the return of Ghostface. With a cast of boring suspects, she must stop the killer before it is too late, all the while trying to determine if Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard) has really returned. Neve Campbell is back as Sidney and, while it is good to see her return, after a pay dispute caused her to leave Scream 6, her character does no have much meaningful development.
Although Neve Campbell does a good job, as expected.
Her character’s husband and daughter also feel bland, and the latter is supposed to be the secondary main character. Sidney is not the only returning character however because Gale (Courtney Cox), Mindy (Jasmin Savoy-Brown) and Chad (Mason Gooding) also return but, for the life of me, I cannot understand why. I mean, I get why Gale would try to pursue the story of another Ghostface killer, but she does not have enough presence in the film to warrant a return. Neither do Chad and Mindy, since the two could have been absent and nothing about the story would change.
It feels really weird that the Meeks siblings are back but not Sam and Tara.
So, the characters are a bust, but what about the mystery? It is always fun to watch a Scream movie and guess who the killers are before the big reveal. Well, not this time. The hints towards the killers are so blindingly obvious, I guessed it from their first appearances. What makes it worse is that in practically every Scream movie, there is a killer with a deep connection to our main cast. Either that or their motive ties into the themes. Not this movie. No, instead the characters playing the Ghost Face killers are barely in the movie before the reveal, and their motivations make zero sense. In my opinion, these are the worst Ghost Face killers of the entire series. They have so little screen presence, their plans are dumb and I cannot for the life of me even remember their names.
The killers who got murdered at the beginning of Scream 6 were better characters than these clowns.
The only memorable thing about this film’s killers is their frequent nostalgia baiting, but that is not the kind of thing I want to remember. The callbacks to prior films made my eyes roll so far to the back of my head, I was worried they would get stuck there forever. The only redeeming qualities to this film are that the performances are admittedly decent, some of the action is well-done, and the gore made me wince.
If you are a fan of gory horror movies, you might get some enjoyment from the horror. Some.
Other than these few positives, Scream 7 is a disaster. The new characters are dull, most of the old ones do not have a reason to be here beside nostalgia, said nostalgia is handled in an extremely annoying way, and, to top it all off, the film has the worst killers of the franchise. Scream 7 is the worst Scream film and it is not even close. They should have gone with the original plan for this movie and never fired Melissa Barrera. It would probably have been good and not… whatever this was. If I were to rewatch the Scream movies, thisis one I will undoubtedly skip.
Despite my continued enjoyment of Chainsaw Man, I had been wondering recently if Tatsuki Fujmoto knew where he was taking his story. It just seemed like a lot of random things were happening in the story. Well, random for Chainsaw Man anyway. For example, a few chapters ago, a mysterious and extremely powerful bug Devil interrupted Denji and Yoru’s fight. This bug was then immediately defeated in the following chapter, with no explanation why it was so strong. Well, I should not have doubted Fujimoto because he provided an answer in Chapter 230, “Sex and Selection.” The chapter begins with Yoru continuing to laugh at Denji’s desperation to have sex with her. After Denji compares her to Power (good to know Fujimoto has still not forgot about her), Yoru agrees to sleep with him, saying Asa consents as well. Given that Yoru gave Denji a handjob without Asa’s consent a few arc back, I think it is safe to say that Asa really needs to get a say before the deed is done. Denji will have to wait for any potential deeds, however, because the moment he begins to celebrate, an army of powerful bug Devils ambush them. Through the communications between various Fumiko’s around the world, we learn that because death has been erased bugs, bats, and other types of animals with a high fertility rate no longer have a large culling of the young to counteract that. The end result is a large population of predatory insects which will feast upon humanity forever, thus making the Devils representing them extremely powerful. This is a unique and horrifying consequence to the removal of death, which I had not thought of. It also has an interesting implication for the future of the story. After all, what horrifying concept are bugs like locusts associated with? Famine. Prior to her erasure, Death was the most powerful Devil, but with people now unable to die and facing the torment of an eternal famine where they are also devoured by insects, Fami may very well take her place. Since Fami is all about seeing death as salvation, I can see her fighting Denji to force him to throw up Death and return balance of the world. That being said, Denji is not going to go down without a fight since Yoru promised him sex. We see this at the end of the chapter when he is determined to stay and fight the bug Devils. In an excellent callback to the first Chainsaw Man chapter, all of those years ago, Denji declares, “If you’re going to get in our way, then… how’s it go again?” Denji preparing to deliver his first badass statement of the series, only to fail because he can no longer remember death as a concept is textbook Fujimot humor. I look forward to seeing Denji and Yoru face off against the Bug Devils and a potentially overpowered Fami in the following chapters. As for Chapter 230, it restored a lot of my faith in the story. It paid off the mystery of the powerful bug Devil, had a humorous ending and, not to mention, put the idea of a council of Fumikos in my head. It would be pretty funny if Fujimoto paid that off by showing said council discussing the events, after everything is said and done.
Long before he entered the realm of superheroes with his Spider-Man trilogy and, much later, Dr Strange movie, Sam Raimi was a master of horror comedy, most commonly known for his Evil Dead trilogy. Well, with his latest film Send Help, Raimi has returned to his horror comedy roots, delivering both a funny and gory movie following two highly questionable people.
Prepare for your opinion on the characters to switch a bunch in this film.
Send Help stars Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien, and tells the story of Linda Liddle (McAdams), a socially awkward yet hard working woman who has more than earned a promotion at the company she works for. These hopes are cruelly dashed with the arrival of her new boss Bradley Preston (O’Brien), a petulant man child who only has the position of CEO because he inherited it. When the two are stranded on an island as the sole survivors of a plane crash, they find their positions reversed, with Bradley now at the mercy of his cruel boss, Linda. What follows is a battle of wills between the two, improved by great character writing and fantastic performances from both McAdams and O’Brien.
Not to mention a whole lot of fake blood.
The script does a great job of flipping the initial situation on its head. After the crash it is extremely cathartic to see the immature Bradley be put in his place by Linda and have to count on her survival expertise to survive. However, as the movie goes on and we get more insight into Linda’s psych and the actions it drives her too, Bradley becomes more pitiable. This culminates in the most uncomfortable scene of the entire movie, which will have every man who watches cringing into the back of their seats.
This scene had me experiencing Misery flashbacks. If you know, you know.
Speaking of, this movie is very gory. The first moment of bloody violence on the island had me sitting back and thinking, ‘Oh, yeah, this is a Sam Raimi film!” His style is all over the movie, from its great dark humor, to the gory sequences, delivering a pretty enjoyable movie overall. Granted, I do think the ending felt kind of lackluster, but that does certainly not destroy the film. The film maintains a great conflict between its two lead characters, both of whom are backed up by excellent performances from their actors, delivering a funny, disturbing, and all around good time at the movies. I recommend checking this one out, especially if you are a fan of Sam Raimi’s horror comedies.
28 Years Later was one of my favorite films of 2025. I found it to be a gripping post-apocalyptic coming-of-age story, which carried a touching message about the acceptance of death. That being said, the film was divisive among general audiences, mostly due to its bizarre ending. While I did enjoy said ending, I can definitely see how a group of ninja, Satan worshipping, Jimmy Saville cosplayers showing up out of nowhere rubbed people the wrong way.
The wackiness of 28 Years Later‘s ending is instantly dropped for a brutal reality.
Nevertheless, after the film ended, I was immediately on board for its follow up, The Bone Temple. Being shot back-to-back with 28 Years Later, we thankfully did not have to wait two years to see it, like most sequels these days. Having seen the film on the day of release, I can say that The Bone Temple definitely lived up to my expectations, even if I do prefer the previous movie. Picking up from 28 Years Later’s cliffhanger, The Bone Temple sees the young Spike (Alfie Williams) violently inducted into the Jimmy gang, led by the charismatic and deranged sadist, Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell). At the same time, Dr Ian Kelson (Ralph Fieness) finds himself forming an unusual bond with the Infected Alpha he has named Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry) and begins to wonder if treating the Rage Virus is possible. As the film progresses, the two storylines converge, resulting in a confrontation between Jimmy and Kelson at the titular Bone Temple and the conflict of their embodied ideals: peace vs chaos, kindness vs brutality. These two opposing characters with their opposing beliefs are the focal point of the film.
Pure good meets pure evil in The Bone Temple.
I already loved Dr Kelson’s character from 28 Years Later. Spending over two decades in isolation and building a temple of bone to memoralize the deaths of millions, Kelson kept his humanity, helping to ease the suffering of Spike’s mother. He continues his humanitarian efforts in The Bone Temple through his aid of Samson, with Ralph Fieness playing the role to perfection. In times of despair and chaos, we need a man like Dr Kelson.
Kelson’s humanity is a shining light in a world of darkness.
What we certainly do not need is a man like Jimmy Crystal. Played brilliantly by Jack O’Connell, the traumatised young survivor of the outbreak has transformed into a demented cult leader, hellbent on bringing as much pain and suffering he can in the name of his imagined father “Old Nick.” His cult members are almost as demented, gleefully indulging in Jimmy’s idea of “charity.” Their childlike nature is just as disturbing, with it being abundantly clear that these violent lunatics were once ordinary children before Britain fell.
O’Connell has a knack for playing unhinged villains.
This makes the characters obvious visual similarities to notorious predator Jimmy Saville all the creepier. Just as he twisted the innocence of children in real life, so has this brutal world the Jimmys grew up in. And, boy, is it brutal. 28 Years Later was violent but The Bone Temple is on another level. Brains are eaten and skin is flayed in numerous wince inducing scenes which, again, made the humanitarian efforts of Dr Kelson all the more important. If the Jimmy gang are the children destroyed by the world, Samson is the child Kelson hopes to restore. Chi Lewis-Parry brings both a sense of brutality and innocence to the role of the Infected Alpha. Samson is a complex character, whether he is ripping someone’s head off, remembering the past or, more often than not, running around butt naked with all 28 inches flopping around in the wind…
Sorry, could not resist making that joke.
However, while I do think the characters of Kelson, Jimmy and Samson are all great, I unfortunately found Spike’s to be a bit limited in this move. He mostly just stands around looking horrified at what the Jimmys are doing which, fair enough, but I kind of wanted to see him do more after the first film. There is also the character of Jimmy Ink (Erin Kellyman), by far the most humanized of the Jimmys, due to her sibling-like bond with Spike. While I think she was well acted, the writing let her down a little because, even after the movie ended, I was not entirely sure what her goals were, or what she had planned after those goals were met.
I feel like I needed a little more detail to fully understand Jimmy Ink’s character
Along with this, while I liked the style of director Nia DaCosta, I missed the unique flair of Danny Boyle’s from 28 Years Later. My final criticism is that there was one scene hyped up in the trailer that was absent from the film. Although this is more the trailer’s fault than the movie’s. All of that being said, these are only minor issues, and the rest of the film more than makes up for them, especially the third act. As I stated, the conflict between Kelson and Jimmy is the highlight of the film, culminating in a tremendous climax, which needs to be seen in theaters.
Prepare to get Iron Maiden’s The Number of the Beast stuck in your head.
Although I prefer 28 Years Later’s emotional journey, The Bone Temple offers a more than worthy sequel, with a compelling battle of ideals between its protaganist and antagonist. I look forward to seeing the third film in this trilogy, where an iconic actor is poised to take center stage… or, at least, he will in about two years when that final film comes out. Yeah, since the third movie was only recently greenlit, we are unfortunately going to have to wait a while for its release, unlike The Bone Temple. So, until then, memento mori.
There are a lot of opinions out there about Hazbin Hotel. Some love it, others hate it. However, I think that even those who dislike the show have to admit the songs are the best part of it. After loving the Season Two musical numbers so much, I decided to rank my Top Ten favourites. Before beginning this list, though, I have to say that this ranking is from someone who has zero music experience or expertise. This list is not based upon any understanding of musicals, but upon my personal opinion of the songs. Quick honourable mentions go to, “More than Anything,” “Sera’s Confession” and “Love in a Bottle.” With those disclaimers out of the way, let’s start this list with number 10, which is…
10. Clean It Up, Season Two, Episode Four.
Ah, Nifty, you adorable little murder gremlin, you. She is not only one of my favourite characters in the series, but also the one I believe to be the funniest. Leave it to the song’s writers to make her musical number just as chaotic and hilarious as she is. “Clean It Up” sees Nifty proclaim her love for the hotel in the niftiest way possible, singing of disgusting floors and rat murders. Horrified, Charlie asks Nifty to help “differently”, and she interprets this as singing in Japanese. Hilariously and ironically, it is at this point that Nifty starts singing about thing most people would consider to be good about the hotel, not just her, like that Charlie is a good boss and that she believes in her dream. The style also changes from that of an American cartoon to anime, all of this hinting to Nifty’s Japanese roots, which I am sure will be touched upon in a later season. Although short, “Clean It Up” is a great song, delivering a lot of laughs and further insight into Nifty’s chaotic mind. More murder gremlin songs next season, please.
9. Respectless, Season One, Episode Three.
A positive of Hazbin Hotel is that their villains have fantastic songs. You will see many of these songs throughout the list, the first of which being Respectless, sung mostly by Velvette. Carmilla Carmine starts the song and gets a few words in but, come on, this song is clearly Velevette’s. As the only Vee without a connection to the main cast, she needed a moment to make her truly stand out. Boy, did Respectless make her stand out, with Velvette using her time to completely diss Carmilla and the other Overlords. On top of that, a lot of the rhymes in this song are really catchy like, “Why are you afraid of war? That’s what the guns you sell are for.” The song even ends on a funny note, with Alastor declaring, “That was a productive meeting,” after Carmilla cancels it. Respectless does a fantastic job of making Velvette stand out, along with having great rhymes and disses, so it more than earned its spot on this list.
8. Finale, Season One, Episode Eight.
The two season finale’s of Hazbin Hotel both have their cast deliver a big ensemble musical number. “Finale” was the first song to set this trend and sets up the events of Season Two nicely. We see our main characters rebuilding the hotel to be better than ever, mourning Sir Pentious, and see both the Vees and Alastor plan to take over it all. Alastor’s solo moment in the song is especially great, with Amir Talai doing a great job showing his desperation to escape his deal, after almost being killed by Adam. His return to the hotel also gets a laugh, when Lucifer declares, “Not this guy.” Their rivalry will never not be funny. The first of Hazbin Hotel’s big ensemble musical numbers, “Finale” does a good job of setting a trend that would later be continued with “Hear My Hope.” Personally, I hope it is a trend that continues with every season finale.
7. Hazbin Guarantee (Trust Us), Season Two, Episode One.
The first song of Season Two, “Hazbin Guarantee (Trust Us)” set the stage for the many excellent musical numbers which would follow. For the first half of the number, it is very similar to “Finale”, in that it sees Charlie and the rest of the cast singing about the hotel, before the second half depicts the Vees singing about their business. Both haves of the song do an excellent job of showing the difference between our heroes and villains. Charlie sings of redemption and hope, while Vox and the rest of the Vees draw in a sinner with promises of success, only to throw her in the gutter once everyone loses interest. And, honestly, with how catchy the Vees part of the song is, I can see how they draw many people into their clutches. It also speaks a lot about the modern entertainment industry. Providing a great contrast between our heroes and villains, “Hazbin Guarantee (Trust Us)” was an excellent way to kickstart Season Two.
6. Vox Dei, Season Two, Episode Five.
When Season Two started, I did not think Vox’s plan to take over Heaven had much of a chance of working. This was the guy who got easily clowned by Alastor back in Season One, after all. Well, “Vox Dei” was the song that made me rethink this. Vox rolls a nat 20 on charisma and intimidation, declaring war on the angels, while pretty much aura farming with his pet shark, Shok.wav. Had I been Sera, I too would have fled in fear, what with the fantastic visuals and vocals. Speaking of the vocals, Christian Borle nails it as Vox, delivering intimidating line after intimidating line of Vox hyping himself up. However, pay close attention to the lyrics and you will notice Vox borrowed the flow of the song from Lucifer in “Vox Populi”, foreshadowing just how unoriginal he is. Brief but epic, “Vox Dei” was the song that convinced me he might actually succeed in taking over Heaven.
5. Stayed Gone, Season One, Episode Two.
Just above the song that proved Vox’s worth, we have the song which showed his one weakness to be Alastor. After learning of the Radio Demon’s return, Vox takes to airwaves to insult his obsession, only to be made a fool of in front of all of Hell. Vox’s first part of the song is fast paced and also foreshadows all of the roles he stole in life, including that of a talk show host and TV Chef. He tries to make it seem like he does not care about Alastor, despite constantly insulting him, only for the Radio Demon to join in on the song and basically bully him into self-destruction. Just as “Stayed Gone” foreshadows Vox’s past, it also foreshadows his defeat, signifying that Alastor will use the TV Demon’s obsession with him to spark his downfall. With Vox losing his signal, it is Alastor’s turn to intimidate, morphing into a grotesque, eldritch form, and promising Vox to make him, “wish I’d stayed gone.” Given what happened at the end of Season Two, I can say Alastor definitely lived up to that promise. Stayed Gone set up the rivalry between Alastor and Vox perfectly, and for that it reaches the halfway mark on this list.
4. Hear My Hope, Season Two, Episode Eight.
Continuing the trend of the season finale’s final song being an ensemble, “Hear My Hope” pulls out all the stops. What first looks like it is going to be a self-sacrifice from Emily, eventually turns into an epic chorus, with most of the cast joining in to unite under the power of friendship, stopping Vox’s weapon. And, no, when I say “power of friendship” I do not mean it sarcastically. I would say that the song pulls that trope off flawlessly. What is less than flawless is Abel and Lute’s part in the song. Their section is definitely well sung but, at the same time, it feels rushed writing-wise, and pretty much ends Lute’s Season Two storyline with a whimper. Alastor and Rosie’s following part of the song, more than makes up for this though, raising more interesting questions about Rosie, and showing how truly manipulative Alastor can be. Of the two finale songs, “Hear my Hope” is definitely the better. Although the Lute and Abel part brings it down somewhat, Alastor’s moment and the magnificent chorus brings it up significantly.
3. Gravity, Season Two, Episode Two.
If someone were to ask me what an example of a good revenge song is, I would immediately point them in the direction of “Gravity.” This was one of the songs used to tease Season Two, and this was a great marketing decision, considering it is one of the best songs of the season. Following Adam’s death, Lute begins hallucinating him and swears vengeance in rock ballad, while destroying his room. The lyrics for this song are incredible, being stuck in my head for weeks after I first heard it. Jessica Vosk does an amazing job of portraying Lute’s rage and grief, directing her to a downward spiral of revenge, with Alex Brightman’s Adam egging her on. The only thing stopping this song from being higher is that Lute’s revenge did not turn out to be inevitable, like gravity. In the end, she barely does anything in Season Two, so it is disappointing to see such an incredible song amount to so little. I wish it had been saved for a season where Lute actually does something. Despite this issue, “Gravity” is still an incredible song of revenge, but it is not the best of Season Two. No, that title goes to…
2. Brighter, Season Two, Episode Seven.
Vox has a lot of excellent songs in Season Two, but by far his best, and the best song of the season, is “Brighter.” This is the musical number that details his backstory, from small beginnings as a weatherman, to his death as a serial killer, cult leader. This journey Vox (Or Vincent as he was known in life) goes on pays off the setup from “Stayed Gone,” showing him kill a news anchor, a talk show host, a TV Chef, and just about anyone who he sees as standing in his way to reach the top. In the end, this suitably brings about his downfall, with his head being crushed by a falling TV, electrocuting him and his followers because he stupidly decided to hold his cult meeting in an indoor pool. Although this probably explains how Vox became an Overlord in Hell, since he already had followers when he arrived. The song also does a great job at how Vox’s ambition to be “Brighter” will eventually ruin him, with his defeat being delivered in the very next episode. Backed up by Christian Borle’s as always fantastic singing voice, “Brighter” is an amazing song that shows us Vox’s past, pays off then unknown setup, and foreshadows his fall from grace. It is the best song Season Two has to offer, but not the best song of the series. My favourite song of Hazbin Hotel is…
1. Loser, Baby, Season One, Episode Four.
“Masquerade” is the most depressing episode of Hazbin Hotel so far. The episode is centered around showcasing Angel Dust’s abuse at the hands of Valentino and the mental trauma this has caused him. So, it was a very much needed relief to reach the end of the episode and get the most uplifting song of the entire series, and my pick for the best song of Hazbin Hotel, “Loser, Baby.” After chasing Angel Dust down and confronting him, Husk realizes they are not so different. Instead of trying to cheer Angel up by singing about how his life can be better, Husk sings about being a loser. The touching message at the core of “Loser, Baby” is that things may be bad, and you might not see a way out, but there are many other people in the same boat, so embrace those parts of yourself you may not like and show them proudly. Keith David and Black Roman deliver this message with their fantastic singing voices, and I listen to the song often (with headphones of course because, come on, I obviously don’t want people overhearing lyrics about sex toys and misinterpreting what I’m listening to). The song even ends on a humorous note, with Angel and Husk’s romantic moment being cut off mid-sentence by a bunch of angered gang members. After such a depressing episode, “Loser, Baby” was the uplifting musical number we needed. Whenever I feel down, I find myself listening to it to remind myself I am not alone and, to quote the song, play my card, be who I am, a loser, just like- HEY, THERE HE IS! HE’S FUCKING SINGING! GET HIM! Joking aside, it is for this, and many other reasons that “Loser, Baby” is my favourite Hazbin Hotel song, and I am interested to see if it can be beaten one day. Thank you for reading and have a Merry Christmas.
2025 has been a spectacular year for indie gaming. Games from smaller studios like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 captured the attention and hearts of gamers everywhere. Clair Obscur (deservedly) won Game of the Year, so that is proof enough. One of the games released by a smaller studio later in the year was Dispatch, a superhero comedy in the vein of Telltale. This description was enough to sell me on it and, after completing my first playthrough, I can say it is well worth the money.
I highly recommend this game is you are a Telltale fan.
Dispatch follows Robert Robertson The Third (Yes, that is his actual name), the superhero Mecha-Man. After his suit is destroyed, Robert is left driftless, until superheroes Blonde Blazer (Erin Yvette) and Track Star (Jeffrey Wright) come to him with an offer: Work as a dispatch worker, coordinating a team of former super villains turned heroes, and they will help him rebuild his suit. And so, Robert has to work to transform the Z-Team from a group of combative, squabbling children, into heroes the public can trust.
The Z Team are all great characters, but the HR Department’s worst nightmare.
Each of the characters you dispatch are interesting in their own way, from the Crypto-Man-Bat, Sonar (MoistCri1tiKaL), to shortie Irishman, Punch Up (Jacksepticeye), to the rebel Invisigal (Laura Bailey). The latter in particular takes center stage, with the player’s decisions determining how Robert’s relationships with both her and Blonde Blazer progresses. All of the performances for these characters are great, especially Aaron Paul’s as Robert. Usually whenever I hear him in a voice-acting role, I associate his character with the actor. For Robert, however, he felt completely his own person, showing how good of a job Aaron Paul did for this game from the serious moments to the humorous ones. Speaking of the humor, this game can be incredibly funny, and I broke out into laughter multiple times. Probably one of my favourite jokes was delivered by Prism (Thot Squad) in a bar fight.
The bar fight has many great gags.
But enough about the characters, what about the choices? Dispatch does have quite a few after, all. Well, overall, the story does not change too drastically. The current end point of a few characters changes depending on your choices, along with who Robert decides to romance but, otherwise, the storyline is generally the same. That being said, the quality of the story more than makes up for it. One thing Dispatch has over Telltale though is its gameplay. Dispatch’s is strategy based, with you sending different combinations of heroes on different missions and then leveling their stats with their successes while learning from their failures. After Episode One, I thought this would make the gameplay a bit of a chore, but Dispatch quickly proved me wrong. The banter between the characters, the time limits to send characters on missions, the suspense over whether I had made the right choices, and even the sheer randomness of outcomes created a lot of fun moments, even if I did a really good job one episode and a terrible one the next.
Who knew dispatching heroes could be this fun?
All in all, Dispatch is a great time. The story is fun and often hilarious, the choices, while not incredibly impactful, are cool to see play out in the moment, and the gameplay is engaging. I really hope we get a Season Two because I want to see the continuation of Robert’s story, alongside his dispatch team.
THE REVIEW MONSTER 