Onscreen Offscreen
Josh Dietrich and Konlin Gappmayer discuss their media consumption, new and old. They discuss the good, the bad, and the impact it has on their lives
Onscreen Offscreen
Solo Leveling - Week 24: Episode 2
Solo Leveling - Week 24: Episode 2
Dungeons and Daddies, Shrek the Musical, live action remakes, Black Mirror, Solo Leveling
00:00 - Dungeons and Daddies Season 3
08:27 - Shrek The Musical
18:20 - Live Action Remakes
33:02 - Black Mirror
47:14 - Solo Leveling
Hello and welcome. This is Onscreen Offscreen. This is our second episode this week. Got a few topics for you today, some of them I'm very interested to know your thoughts on. Uh, with that being said, what is your first topic? Well, I guess our first topic, why don't you introduce it?
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Dungeons and Daddies. the most recent episode I felt like needed a direction. And who's the guy who's running this campaign? What's his name? can't remember his name.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Will Campos.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Yeah. Will he, at some episodes I feel like keeps things going along and some episodes he just doesn't. In this episode, I feel like they, you kind of just let them talk and talk and talk without actually going anywhere. Um, I was thinking. About what made the first season so good, and I think part of it was that Beth very new to this whole d and d thing, she kind of grounds the group and she wasn't as tight knit with the group, so it didn't joke quite as much back and forth, and it kept the story going forward along with having a little bit better leadership. I loved the Labyrinth episode, and I'll ask you some questions about that, but this one felt very. Okay, let's go, let's go, let's go. The episode was worth it because the plumber almost dies by a car crash getting flown out the window, which I thought was hilarious. Like super funny he, he was gonna, this character was gonna die again. Very funny. But the rest of the episode was, was very me, What did, what did you think about the Labyrinth episode and what'd you think about this one?
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:I like them both. Uh, thought they were both good. Uh, I actually like Will's style. It's more in tune with like my kind of style where you kinda let the players tell the story rather than kind of steamroll them. Um, and I'm very much the same where we just get to parts where I have to steamroll and the rest of it is. Sandbox, do whatever you want, go wherever you want, talk to whoever you want to. Um, it's, it's a lot more in tune with where I want to go. I do get that it makes for maybe a less enjoyable listening experience, but I think it makes for a much better playing experience. And for Beth particularly, where she's actually starting to play and get into it more than she did in season one. It, it Probably makes it more fun for her
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Probably that's probably true.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:as. More so than the others. Um, I'm still enjoying it. Uh, I think that both of these are really great episodes, uh, way above average season three episodes. Um, but to disagree with you a little bit, I don't think it gets to the highs of season one in either one.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:I loved the Labyrinth episode, and it was like that level to me. I loved that episode.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:It was great. I'm not complaining about it at all. I'm just saying that like there are certain episodes in Season one and like the Pride of Prejudice episodes where I was like constantly laughing throughout the entire episodes and this one was like I smirked through the, uh, entire episode. and had a great time with it, but only a couple of times forced to laugh.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Fair enough. Fair enough. Because they're, they're, I, yeah, I did laugh through the Labyrinth episode. I really thought that one was just funny and the Beth being high thing I thought was freaking hilarious. I. Just so good.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Beth being high was one of the things that made me actually laugh.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:That was so funny. Um, the episode after that, I just, other than him dying in the exact same way, I don't think I really laughed. And the entire episode, I was like, okay, let's go. Let's do something. Come on. And I get you're stealing. His old cars, which is entertaining, but it took a really long time to steal these cars. There's no one there to stop. You just steal the freaking cars. Let's go. But
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:their back and forth and it's not like they're in a rush at this point in the story either. So
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Do you
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:it's just
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:almost done?
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:kind of feels that way. I mean, they have to get three keys. They've got two of'em are, are going to get the second one. I don't remember. Uh,
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Yeah.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:ones you get the keys, you're gonna have a big challenge there at the end. And then it's gonna be done. Will it finish this year? Probably. It's gonna be end of this year sometime, I think.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Okay. Maybe there'll be a twist that. I just don't really see coming. That makes it last longer. I don't know, but it does seem like it's getting pretty close.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:I think the best twist in the series is the season one finale that sets up season two.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:I think so too.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:If they just try and do another twist to extend, I'm not gonna be like super thrilled with that. You know? I'm loving the system that they're playing. I'm not loving the story that they're telling.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Fair enough. Yes.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Yeah.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:they could do some cool things, like you could have the Yeti escape, the Yeti land and with great technology, and it's kind of like a reverse alien abduction kind of story. I think that'd be awesome. I don't think they're gonna do that, but I think it'd be really cool. But
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:They could, But that doesn't really matter, like the grander story, right? They're trying to get the keys to destroy the monster to save earth, right? They're either gonna do that or they're not, and, and it's not like they're gonna fight the monster. The system fights a monster. They have to insert the keys and probably press a button, right?
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Yeah,
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:that's what I mean by the story. I'm not really loving the Kaulu story. I'm not really the audience for a Kaulu story. Um, mountains and Dad Nest, their little one shot was the most, the best one I've ever heard, and this one isn't on par with that one. Not even close. Um. I mean, I, I'm still enjoying it. It's still better than season two. I know I'm being pretty negative. I'm not. trying to be overly negative. It's still a very enjoyable experience. Um, Yeah. I'm excited to see what happens. It's just in terms of like overall plot, season one was very easy to get into And kind of unique, right? They're foreign land, trying to get their, their children back, you know? A great twist at the end. season two was really rough for a very long time and then kind of got to watchable or listenable towards the end. Season three is kind of picking up where that left off and is getting better and better.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:And season three is even. Uh, the last episode to me was kind of a, my episode. Even that one was pretty entertaining. It's not, not nothing bad about it, where season two had, was rough enough for me that I just didn't finish it.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Yeah. Well, it's understandable. I season three's good. It's enjoyable. I'm just, I don't think I'm the target audience for this Kaulu story and. That's okay. I'm still enjoying it. I'm excited to see what they do next. Um, specifically Beth has expressed interest in their talking episode about wanting to DM something,
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:That would be cool.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:which would, I'm very interested to see what she would do and how that would go. Um, I completely skip all of Matt's stuff because I don't care about War Hammer, so I don't send of those episodes. I'm excited to see what happens next in the story and what they do once they complete this story. I hope they stay in the system that they're using. I just hope that they do something more interesting.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:With the system.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Yeah.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:cool, cool. Alright, with that topic outta the way, what's your next one?
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Shrek the musical. I turned this on because why not turn it on right.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Yeah.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:It's a massive musical. It's extremely successful. It's a big deal, right?
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Yeah.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Yeah. No, uh, all of the actors did a great job. Honestly, I can say that they did a great job. The actor who played Fiona is obviously the best performer out of all of them. It's not even close.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Yes, without a doubt it's
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Yep. Um.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:at all.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:The other two main characters, Shrek and Donkey. Did they do a great job? No, I I don't think that they did.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:I
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Uh,
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:is terrible. actually awful.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:it, you can't help yourself, but like compare to the original show.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Yeah.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:There are lines and jokes that they repeat in The play, but don't land them and don't do them properly and don't do them justice, which is just, I'd rather you have not done them.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:off.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Yeah. Uh, the accents are just wrong and they made donkey rather flamboyant rather than centric, which I was not a fan. That's, that's changing the entire personality of the character right now. Is the dragon a girl or a guy? I don't know. Because of the way donkey is acting, you know, not a big fan of, of that kind of change that they made. Uh, as per usual stage tech in this thing is phenomenal.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Very good.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:It's so good. Uh. All of the scenes look great. You never question where they're at. The Dragon is such a good. call. I have one issue with the show, um, as to actually point at it and say that that's just a wrong choice. And that's, um, the gingerbread ma, um, because it's a puppet. So here's my question. You already have child actors that can clearly perform extremely well.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Yeah.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Why wouldn't you stick them in the gingerbread costume for those scenes and have them perform the gingerbread Roll? Man, roll.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:That's a fair point. Um, the junior bread man really didn't bug me but I
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:absolutely bothered me because it's a puppet. Here's my extra, here's my next thing, right? Next thing. Okay. It's a hand puppet.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:yeah.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Why wouldn't They get a ventriloquist? This is Broadway. You chose, I don't want a child and I don't want a ventriloquist. I want somebody dressed as a fairy to hold the gingerbread man and clearly be saying the words. That was my big problem with it. I was like, okay. There's two very clear alternatives to This decision that.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:This isn't like an off-Broadway little thing. This is a major, major production. That's a good point.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Yeah, you even already have even if it was off, off, off Broadway, you have the cast for it, You have the kids that have very small roles who don't show up at the same time, who could play that role, and you just put them in a gingerbread man costume.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:and that's
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:I just, I don't comprehend the director's choice or whoever's choice it. was. That was like, yes, this is how I wanna do it.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Or even had, um, somebody off stage, like if you didn't get a ventriloquist, someone off stage to
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Off stage singing. Yeah, that was the third option.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:is doing her talking
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:There's so many alternatives to have somebody actually on stage doing this. And it's, I really had a problem with that. Did she do a bad job at the role? No. It's just like, why does that role exist if that's what you're gonna do with it?
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Yeah, I, I didn't like this musical very much. I wanted to like this musical more than I did, but to me, I was like, you just had a bunch of songs. Most of the songs aren't very good. To make a movie that flows really well, feel kind of slow. You took the comedic timing of donkey, made him more gay, and got rid of the comedic timing, which sucks. Then you got Shrek and tried to mimic his accent. But the comedic timing in the movie is also really good. And you didn't land that either. So the only thing that I'm left with where I really liked the movie was some of the animatronics were good, or the, the show, some of the animatronics were good. And then the, I know It's Today Song by Fiona, where you have the three Fiona's is great. I love that song.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Do Lock song is also great and well performed. And I have to say, the guy who played Far Quad for spending most of the play on his knees did a great job.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:far. Quad is well done too. Yes.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Yeah. I don't want to be on my knees like ever because I'm old and that's painful. He's clearly older than I am and he is mi like running across the stage on his knees. Like that's dedication. Credit where credit is due. Did he hit the comedic timing of Far Quad? No,
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:No,
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Did they mess up like, okay, I was really also really irritated that they got rid of me men instead and put in the rat song. Like that was just stupid.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:absolutely
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:And then they took the jokes about Far Quad being short and put them ahead of where they actually came in line of things. And they did the same thing with the fart jokes about the castle because in the movie they, they trick Was that you, if that was me, you'd be dead. Right? They moved it till after the bridge.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Oh, that's dumb. I didn't
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Like why? Why would you do that? Like the whole point was they're approaching it that. you couldn't see the cause. That's what made it funny. You ruined it. Um, like the comedic timing was just so bad in this play. I don't understand the love for this musical
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:I don't
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:because you're absolutely right. Nine out of 10 of the songs that they did were completely either. unnecessary, weird, or didn't work with a couple of ones. Absolutely did work. That worked great.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:The donkey song I think is a bad song. I don't think it's good. I think it's bad.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:That's fair. I don't like hate any of the songs particularly. It's just none of them were standout. None of these songs made it to my musicals playlist.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Me neither. debated doing the, I know it's today one.'cause I, I actually do like that song. I. I could see a world where I added that song, but that's
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:I. it. was good. It was definitely the best one of the, but I. think when you're watching Shrek, it stands out more because it's just the only one that isn't so bad. Right. I think if you were to listen to like musicals and then heard that song, you'd be like, this song's really repetitive. I
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:I.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:don't really like this song very much. Like I know it's Fiona's. Like honestly, my favorite song in the entire thing is at the end when they do the, I Thought Love was Only True in Fairytale Song,
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Okay.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:which is the same as in the movie.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Yeah.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:They only picked one of the movie songs to bring over to the play. I don't know. You have a dozen of really good early 2000 pop rock music. Thrown in this thing and people would've absolutely loved it.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:there's a lot of musicals that will like, take the songs of Abba or take the songs of, a, a different music group and they'll just make a story, either of that music group's life, or just add the music to like Mama Mia. Mama Mia is Abba. You have a great soundtrack. You can do altercations to all of that music and still have it work. Why are you not doing that? I, I, I don't like this musical.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Yeah, I am. I'm 100% on board with you. This is one I wouldn't recommend to people. This goes into my category of like, yeah, it wasn't just like excruciating to sit through, but why would you watch Shrek the Musical? Why is Shrek the musical so popular and so big?
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Watch the movie. The movie is just better.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Yeah.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:It's just
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Just watch the movie. It is just playing better. in every single way
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Yep. I don't
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:other than the stage tech, because it doesn't have stage tech. It has animation, which stands the test of time, which means it. doesn't need a live action adaptation. I'll die on that hill
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Are they trying to make a live action of Shrek?
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:probably.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:No, no,
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Why are they doing a live action version of how to train your drag?
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:These dragons are sweet and like seeing the visuals of the dragons is good. Do you need that? No,
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:No, it does not look nearly as good as the animation.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:I agree. But I gotta say night, uh um, toothless still looks really cool in the trailers that
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Just watch the animated.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:I, I agree man. I agree with what you were saying, but I can see the compelling
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:don't at
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:of
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:compelling.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:dragons fighting in the sky. Like I can see that live action Shrek would be an absolute abysmal failure. It would not work. There is no world will that will work. None. It won't.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:I don't see live action. How to train your being successful.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:won't be as good as the animated. It won't, it, it won't, but I think it could have, could be good enough. Shrek
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:we will find out. I don't have any plans to watch the live action version of that. I won't wouldn't watch the live action version of Trek. You're absolutely right, it would be worse of an adaptation to have live action adaptations need to be going towards things that could have been good but didn't work and
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:I completely agree
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:stop taking good animated things and trying to live that up. But that's not the point.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:What do you think about movies that didn't get as much love as they should have in they're doing a live action, like I think they're doing Atlantis with Atlantis is a good movie that just nobody really watched. No. Okay.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:No, it's great. There's no flaws with Atlantis.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:That's a
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:what? You take Atlantis and say special edition. We'll be in theaters March 20th and you know how many people are gonna go see it Tons
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:You think
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:because it's great. Yeah, I bet tons of people would. I would.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:I, I would be curious if a lot of people would actually go see that. I don't know. I don't
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Is the animation in Atlanta as bad?
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:No, it's good.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Is the storytelling voice acting sound, any of it bad?
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:It's all
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:if they said, Hey, we did some artistic touchups to it, we'll be in theaters, would you go watch it?
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Um. I don't know, to be completely honest, and I'm a big theater guy and I don't know.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:I absolutely would. Why wouldn't you? Right? Like why would you argue for a live action version of something rather than. Just a remastered version of something that's already good.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Live action comes with a different medium. So a lot of people will be attracted to that different medium. Does that mean I agree with that? No, but I think it's just a fact of people just a touch up, I don't necessarily think does that. Um, it's not like a video game where you're taking something from their early two thousands that looks like dog shit and then making it look good. It becomes very different in the whole presentation. You're making these minor, minor readjustments and I don't, don't know if people would do that. like the theater, so
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:How many people went to go see Lord of the Rings in theaters last year?
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:I, I have no idea. I don't know.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Aunt.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Tons.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Did they even touch up lo the rings for that theatrical pro release last year?
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Probably not.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:No, they didn't do anything to it. They didn't even show the extended editions. It was the theatrical release
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:They just re-released.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:in droves to go see it. Okay. Like take stuff that should have been good or could have been good and remake that. Do that live action, do that remake right
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:What's
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:for a lot of people.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:that is like this?
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Not for me personally, but like Aragon
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Okay.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Aragon is a project that should have worked
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Yeah,
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:by every measure, and the only reason it didn't is because of people's expectations for the books. I personally still liked Aragorn Aragon.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:but it's, it's just not, it's not a great adaption of the book. It's not, it's
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:not, but hey, live action dragons for you.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Yeah, that'd
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:There you go. And you don't have to take a project that's not worth doing and doing a project that is worth doing.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:So kind of like what they did with Peter Jackson where the book was just not very well adapted the first time, even though I do like the movie. so they did the TV show, which I also don't think was good, but could've been,
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Are you talking about Percy Jackson?
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:and Lightning Thief.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Yeah.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:I actually like the movie even
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Okay. You said
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:at all.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Peter.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Oh,
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:the director and I was very confused.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Percy
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:like, what did they do to Peter
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Percy Jackson, and the Lightning thi. Yeah. Yeah.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Come on. Absolutely make something that clearly didn't work or is just bad or whatever, and remake that. We don't need remakes of stuff that's already good and we especially don't need of stuff that's already good and is animated because animation stands the test of time. I avatar the last airbender. My only problem with it is that it's still square. Make it wide angle. I'm a happy camper. I've got no complaints after for It after that point.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:It could be good for the rest of our lives and our children's lives and our children and children's lives.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Yeah. that's, that's the, that's the good thing about animation.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Yeah.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Like if they, and if they wanted to come out and be like, Hey, we did this arcane animated style version of Avatar, the last airbender, we used the same voice acting, we used the same sound effects, we just animated it. I would 100% go see that.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Okay.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:That sounds awesome to me.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:That would be cool. It'd be a major shift. That would be a major shift that I do think people would clamor to see.'cause it is a major shift, still be really cool.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:To be honest, would I enjoy that more than I would the live action version of Air Bender?
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Yes,
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Yes, I.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:absolutely. Is there any time where they've done that? Do you know of a time where they've. Taking an animated show and then just reanimated it.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Uh, happens in anime all the time.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Or they taken and then they just reanimate the anime.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Mm-hmm.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:with, uh, brotherhood.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Yeah.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:That's kind of cool. Yeah,
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Uh, berserk has happened many times.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Oh, it has that with berserk. That's cool too. I didn't know that. cool. That.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Uh, nothing else pops up to my mind, but like that's something they could absolutely do, right? I've just stop giving me these roommates. I'm not gonna go see Mo fasa. I'm not gonna go see Li the Lion King live action. I'm not gonna go see whatever. I'm not interested.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:So why do you think kids are though? Because kids are totally interested. My friend's, kids are interested and both things are new to them. Like the girl, the the family we went to, the movie we talked about last episode with has a little girl, probably five years old. She has never seen Beauty in the Beast. the animated version, she's seen the live action. She's never seen the animated version, so the animate is new to her, but she was excited for the new movie that was coming out that was live action. Why do you think that is?
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:The environment that is around them for one thing, right? So kids are very perspec, perceptive, and they do respond to adult energy, right? So while Conlan has already seen beauty in the Beast, animated and con's, niece has not. She's gonna respond to that. Whereas Conlin gets excited'cause he gets to go to the theaters and see Beauty in the Beast for the first time. She's also gonna respond to that right? There's also the environment, right? So you're not watching it in your couch on a lazy Tuesday where you have nothing else to do. You're going out, you're getting popcorn, you're doing this, and guess what? There's other kids around who are also there for this project and this thing. Then on top of that, there's also just the visual intake, right? Like visually, you can still tell the difference that, hey, this came out forever ago and is? old and this came out brand new, right? Like how many games do we play that are new when we have forever old ones that are in our two playlists that are probably better?
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:A lot. That's true, that's true.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:We sit at it and we go, we have this OLED screen and it looks so pretty
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:And I'm gonna play a piece of trash that's not nearly as good as what I could have played before.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:because it's so pretty on my OLED HDR screen, right? Like we do that as adults too, right? Because new, right. We gotta put new on it. And that makes it right. I just think that like after that initial thing. If you actually like sit down and compare the two, you're gonna go, well this, if I'm gonna rewatch one of them, I'm gonna rewatch the old Beauty and the beast.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:because it's just better.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Yeah, because it's just better. And like that is honestly like the hardest one because. Nostalgia factor tells us that it's the old one, but at the same time, I can look at the live action one and be like, yeah, but evermore is actually a great addition to it.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:It's actually a good song. Yeah,
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Right? So that one is a lot harder to compare than like say the Lion King or Jungle Book
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:that I struggle
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:or Aladdin. Aladdin. It's terrible.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:I don't agree. I.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Oh my gosh, it's so I, will die on this. Live action is bad, and here's why it's so bad. They tried to recreate the old one rather than just use Will Smith's natural talents and this is what makes it the worst. The ending credits has the version from Will Smith. That's better.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:I agree with you, Josh. I agree. If they just would've went the full Will Smith wrote, it would have been a better final project, but I still think it's actually a pretty good movie. It just could have been much better than it was.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:I think it's utterly unwatchable. That show sucks. Like I, I really didn't like it before. Will Smith came along. Him coming along made it better, but still was like, Hey, but why don't you just full will Smith it and make it. Modern and cool and interesting and make modern references. And why are you making Will Smith try to be Robin Williams? They're not even like, one is a rapper turned actor, one is a comedian. Like They're not the same walk of life. It's bad.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:different.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:bad. I, you can't help yourself. But comparison with Shrek the musical, you just can't help yourself. Compare Aladdin, the animated version. I can sit down and watch anytime. Anytime. It's great. Addin Aladdin, a live action version is terrible. It's a complete waste of time and energy. It's awful. There's so many things in that where they just waste your time on it and then on top of that, you walk out of it thing. It could have been better, and not only could it have been better, they already had the material
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:that
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:to make it better.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Can you watch the Live Action, beauty and the Beast? Anytime. I can't, especially after
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:but I can't watch.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:showing how bad Emma Watson's singing was. Literally, it made the movie worse for me. Watching that video made it
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Yeah,
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Yeah.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:absolutely. I agree with you completely. But like I don't sit down and watch Beauty and the Beast regularly anyway.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Do you do that with Aladdin?
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:I used to. Yeah.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Okay.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:I used to like Reg, like as a cut a kid. Aladdin and Return Jaffar were both like regular watches for my family.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:okay. I would watch Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin and Tarzan quite often. All of them.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Beauty and the Beast wasn't high on my list. Tarzan was occasional, Anastasia was all the time. Um, Hercules was all the time.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Me
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Um. Yeah, like I wouldn't just turn on beauty, like could I watch Beauty in the Beast anytime? Like if I was around my nieces and they wanted to watch Beauty in the Beast, like would I? Sure, absolutely. Why not? If they wanted to watch Aladdin, I would insist on the animated version.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Okay. I would insist on the animated version with both of them, but I'd be a little
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:I would prefer the animated version, but like, like I said, like with Beauty and the Beast, at least there's ever more, Right?
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:yeah, that's true.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:At least you can say they did something better. Not just good but like better. It's an improvement. Yeah.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Yeah.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:so that's where I'm at.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Fair enough. Fair enough. Alright. I think that topic was a little bit longer than either of us thought it was gonna be. Um, my next topic is season two of Black Mirror. Have, have you watched Black Mirror? I can't remember. Okay. I have watched a couple episodes here and there and I've liked a lot of them and a couple episodes I really haven't enjoyed at all. I decided that I was gonna watch this show'cause I was in the mood for something a little bit more serious and thought provoking. Season two of Black Mirror is one of the most interesting seasons of TV that I have ever seen. There's a three of the four episodes and each one of them is like an hour to an hour and a half are absolutely fascinating, really good, very interesting watches. episode that I didn't really like is called, where Is Waldo? Something like that. One second. The episode I didn't really like is The Waldo Moment, and you have this voice actor who plays this bear who's kind of a, a Rick and Morty type of character, he finds the bear decides to like run for president and goes against a politician that people don't really like. And the bear is very raunchy and he is very much a character and people like the bear because he is a character and you're trying to make a point that we don't really get serious with the topics and we all are just upset with our, our politicians because they're so fake and we play with and we fall for characters instead of falling for. Something real, which has some, some good values to it. But there's a moment where the actor who's voicing the Waldo stops being the character and confronts the main politician with real objections that he has. And it, it, it's the moment that makes the, makes the character explode the scene in a real, real way. So you undercut your message that you're trying to show for this episode. And it makes it so the entire thing is kind of ineffective making it. So it's just not an episode that I really, really liked. But that one, all the episodes, all the other episodes are fantastic. There's one called Be Right Back, and um, the Main Girl, well the story basically is the main girl has a husband and they, you show their love, you love their love story and Husband goes on a drive, the cops come to the door and you find out that the husband is dead. The husband, like all of us, are on social media way too much, in this world, you can take everything everyone's ever produced, including something like this podcast that's just a little bit of your personality, a little bit of the way you speak your inflections, different things like that, and can make an artificial version of that person. So she's going through all this grief. She finds out that she's pregnant, she's kinda lost in the world, and somebody signs her up for this service and she is alone. One night when she finds out that she's pregnant, she's hopeless. And in she, she wasn't gonna text this service. She wasn't gonna reach out to her AI version of her husband, just wants somebody to comfort her and listen to her. So she reaches out to this AI husband, and it's his voice. He's talking the way that he talks. joking the way that he jokes and she finds some comfort and she starts to fall in love again and find a place where she's peaceful and doesn't have to go through the grief. But as she's dealing with this AI version of her husband, he misses things. He doesn't know the inside jokes. He doesn't. He just, if it hasn't been online, he doesn't know. And you have this moments where the main girl goes through this, this, this warmth. connection and feeling loved and feeling hopeful. And then you have these moments where there's something missing and she has to deal with this darkness. It, it gets more complex as the story goes on, but it's, it's like 50 minutes, an hour, 48 minutes, just tell some of the best writing I've seen in a long time, and it's in 48 minutes. Bravo. Very, very glad that I watched this episode. I get through that episode and I'm like, wow, that was really, really good. then I get to white Christmas and holy shit, this episode's amazing. Like, absolutely freaking great. you're, you're, you're talking with two different people at a table and, um, I, I'm spoiling. This is all spoilers. All spoilers. This has been out for years. I'm spoiling the crap out of it. There's just two people talking at a table, and one, the one individual is telling us stories about his past, things that he's made mistakes on. All have these interesting technology aspects to it. Very, very well done. It's established that in this world you can block somebody and when you block somebody, all you see is a blob of them. You can't speak with them, you can't see them. Um, if they show up on a TV screen, you don't see them. Nothing. You can get something that's like a, uh, a. Like a restraining order. And the restraining order passes down to children. you have these two people talking, and one of them starts to tell a story about the girl that he was dating, and they're going really, really, really well. All of a sudden he pulls out a pregnancy test and he's, he goes up to her and he is like, is this yours? she's pregnant, and she starts freaking out, screaming, crying, gets a restraining order on him. Um, everything gets blocked out. It's fuzzy. can't talk anymore. He's like, please, please remove it. Please remove it. Please take it away. And she says, no blocks him doesn't talk to him. This guy kind of loses his mind and gets more and more crazy. The father-in-law doesn't like him, but she, he knows that she goes and sees her dad every year at Christmas. So he'll just go and hide in the trees. see his ex-wife and wish that he could talk to her and wish that he could see her, wish that he could be with his, his, his kid. And you can see the baby bump start to grow with this white outline. And then the next year's Christmas comes, there's a little baby in the, in the carrier and the baby's completely blocked out. Years pass. And you can see this little girl, she's in a dress long hair. He knows he has a daughter he can just see her. And he wishes that he could talk to her. He wishes he could see her. He wishes anything. He's watching TV. One night he finds out that there was a train crash and it pulls up all the people that died. One of them was his ex who was killed, and he can finally see her face when she dies, the restraining order goes away and it's not a blob anymore, and he can see the moment in his face where he realizes he can go and see his daughter. And he pulls up, it's Christmas time again. Daughter's probably five or six years old, and he goes. The daughter is facing away from him, and he touches her shoulder and says, Hey sweetheart, he's white. The ex is white. And the little girl ends up being Asian. She's freaking out because she cheated on him and got pregnant. He goes inside, after years and years of thinking that he has a daughter and he goes to the father-in-law. He's like, I wanna see my daughter. Where's my daughter? He has this, this breakdown in his mind, where is my daughter? Where is my daughter? And he, he attacks the father-in-law and kills him. up leaving the little girl's hiding upstairs. She comes down Christmas morning realizes that her grandpa is dead and she's alone. She puts on her little maintenance, she puts on her little hat, and she goes out in the cold and freezes to death. Well, the end of the episode, you realize that the people talking are talking in the room where they killed the, where the father-in-law died, and you realize that there's, that clock is the same and those knives are the same. And there's a snow globe that he used to kill the father-in-law. What's going on? Well, they have taken a little part of his brain and made a copy of him, and they've changed time. So they're doing a full blown of this person, and it's taking 10 minutes outside. They don't know that they're in an interrogation and they can manipulate time as much as they want to to get the answers that they're looking for. And this person across the across from him is a detective. Trying to get the answers and trying to get a confession out of him. It is brilliant, like so well written.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Sounds super depressing.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:it's so depressing. This show is this show. Black Mirror is not a happy show. All of these are glimpses of our possible future with possible technology, and they are all depressing. The next one that I'm gonna talk about is one of the most. Interesting episodes of television I've ever seen, and it is unbelievably depressing. Um, but, uh, Christmas was brilliant. Like it's a, brilliant. Um, the last one is White Bear, and I'm conflicted about this episode, but it's something that's just, it's consistently just been on my mind. The, uh, it, the beginning of the episode, our girl wakes up in the house and she doesn't remember anything. You don't know where she is. You don't know what's going on. She walks outside and she's looking around. There's nobody around. she starts wandering and all of a sudden she'll see people and they're holding up phones and they're watching her. And, um, you are questioning why is this happening? Of a couple people come and they start trying to kill her. She, she runs into a friend who's trying to help her out and her through. But none of these other people who are watching with their phones will help. They're just watching and she's screaming, why won't you help me? Why won't you help me? Why won't you help me? And these people just keep trying to hunt her down. It gets more and more intense. They get further and further along. There's these moments where they're like torturing her and everybody's just watching with cameras and they, they, they get to a final place where her friend. that they can be free, that they can, uh, go and they can get out of this town and they can get away from the people that are just hunting and the people that are watching, but everything goes wrong. And she ends up tied in a chair and the stage opens up and all those people that were watching her are just sitting in the stage and they're laughing at her. It turns around and you, it tells, tells this B girl story. And she was. Involved with a, a child molester, like the worst people of society, absolute trash. And she didn't do the molesting, her boyfriend did, but they take this little girl, they don't show any of this. You just know this is what happens. And they torture this little girl and they kill her. And everybody in the society wants her to die, wants her to suffer. Her boyfriend kills herself, uh, kills himself. So she's kind of the only one left to suffer. they build, they build this whole theme park called the White Bear Theme Park, and they have her go through the exact scenario that she did to this little girl where the little girl's getting tortured and she's filming. Instead, she's getting tortured every single day and they're filming her. And my thought during this episode was, is that even the same person, it wouldn't surprise me if this episode inspired some of severance because Is that the person that you're dealing with? She doesn't remember. Doing this to this little girl. She doesn't remember the vile, horrible human being she was. Is this torture actually causing any kind of justice? And I think it's an interesting question that this episode poses that I just kept thinking about it because it's not, she doesn't remember any of this stuff, but she also did something absolutely heinous. One of the worst things that you can possibly do. How do you really do justice for that? It was a, a, a very compelling episode that really had me thinking, um, this, uh, I thought this season of TV was with a lot of really, really interesting nuanced ideas. And I'm, I'm definitely watching season three without a doubt. Up.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:How's it compare to Season one
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Season one has one of my favorite episodes of all time. Um. The entire history of you is one of the best episodes of TV I have ever seen. It is something that I watched years ago and I, I watched season two because of this episode it just sticks in my mind. I will never forget watching the entire history of you. As far as things that are horrifying, there is an aspect of that episode that is one of the most horrifying things I've ever thought of. basically in that when you record everything that you go through in your entire life and the main guys. cheats on him he has this suspicion, but he doesn't know. And he finally just makes her show the video that he has, that she has recorded in her head, rees it and rees it and rees it and ruminates on it. But he's actually seeing it from her point of view. He can actually, she was cheating. Um. And it breaks him. It breaks him mentally. And I've been the person who like ruminates about things that I don't like and is stuck in my mind. And if I had the access file to be able to see that over and over again, I could be that person. And it is absolutely horrifying. Like that episode is terrifying, but it's extremely, extremely well written. the other two episodes of Season One aren't as good as the episodes of season three.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:That's fair. Hopefully three's good for you.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:I
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:go ahead and jump into our shared topic,
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Sweet.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:leveling.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Let's go.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Uh, season two in particular is the topic I had the, uh, privilege or I chose to rewatch season one before jumping into season two because I didn't remember a whole lot about that show other than just enjoying it. Um, I absolutely love this show. This show is. The show. It is absolutely enjoyable. I love the characters. I love the animation. I love the story. It is so.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:I agree. Um, I like season one better than I like season two. I really like in this kind of show or. Uh, thing this lit RPG thing where it feels like everybody's getting pushed to their absolute limits. And with season two, I think that might change. With the very last episodes, I'm assuming you haven't listened to the ones that are just in Japanese. Okay. Um, I, I wa I watch the ones that are just from Japanese and I think the final boss might be the case. But otherwise, with season two, I've never felt like he was actually in danger or really pushing himself to the limit, even with that demon lord guy at the very top of the tower. I hope that changes season one. I felt constantly like he was giving everything he had and then some, and he like wouldn't give up and I freaking just love that kind of thing. That doesn't mean that season two isn't really good.'cause it is, the animation is well done. The characters are really good. I love the fact that he's up there with the most powerful people in the world now, and you have that s rank who gets stomped and he's definitely, he, he's just better than him. I, I love that. Um, the animation's really good. I did have a, I asked a question when I saw that this is a lit RPG of the TV show. I said. Is this lit? Rrp g, the show or is lit? RPG just written anime. Do you think lit Rrp G is just written anime. Okay. Why? What's the, what's the difference to your, you and your mind?
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Where's the stats in gold metal?
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:That's true.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Where's the menu screen? I mean, like lit. R PG is just written in this way of like, I don't even consider SAO lit r pg to show.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Okay.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Okay. Because letter PG is written in this way, like. You're getting the perspective, you're getting the thoughts. You're comparing stats, you're comparing upgrades, you're comparing equipment, right? You're doing all of that video gamey stuff, And then like SAO, you don't get that. You just get Sky, and I love SAO, but it's super cheesy and stuff. Whereas in solo leveling, he is literally just like, I've gotta get this stuff so that I can. Make this potion that I really hope saves my mom, but there's no guarantees.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:And I gotta become stronger and become total badass so that I can do it.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Yeah. And it's like, it's, it's very like letter R, pg written, right? Like we're listening to
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Prime
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Primal Hunter and both of them have this inner narrative of like, gotta get stronger, gotta get faster, gotta get,
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Yeah.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:you know, and like. That's not in like a lot of animes. That's not in all of the Anime, anime. It's just like this particular anime is litter pg. This is what Litter PG sounds like on screen,
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Yeah.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:and it's great and I love it.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:So do I. It is really, really, really good. Very, very entertaining, and I am, I. I'm pretty pumped for the end of this season. I'm not gonna lie. I'm pretty pumped.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:I'm super pumped for the end of the season. I'm super pumped for season three. Like I re-watched all of season one
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Yeah.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:and it was absolutely delightful. I had such great time with it. It was a lot more of a, oh, I remember this. Oh, I remember this. Oh, I remember this. Rather than experiencing it again.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Yeah.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:still great and it was still enjoyable and you still love all the characters and you love that healer girl. Even though like she doesn't do much,
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Yeah,
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:like her entire personality is just pitying the main character. So you really shouldn't love her that much. You know? You really should be like, come. You just love her and you love the guy who's the swordsman with his arm cut off and he's just like, but for the owner, I will fight him. And you're like, oh my gosh, dude. And like he gets to the part where he's like about to become as ranked in season two and he's like, I'm just gonna go mine. you know? And you're like, this is so cool. You're watching him mine. And you're like, this is awesome.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Yeah.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:And you get his inner dialogue. If he's like, I just wanna go see what a neighboring boss looks like. And you get the girl and she's like, everything smells terrible. And you're like, what an
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:you.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:obnoxious trait to have. And you. still just love her. You're still just like, oh, she's awesome. She's so cool. Um.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:I liked the smell thing, the way they incorporated it to make it so it's kind of like part of her power set that she's sort of a hound dog, of a dill.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Yeah, but still to be like, you stink.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:He is,
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:You stink. You don't speak. Like that's literally what she does And you should, as a person, be like, what an obnoxious thing to do. But yet you just love her anyway. You know, she's so lovable.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:And I loved the part in season two where, um, they do go in and he's just the guy who's car carrying the bags. Have you, have you got, man, I can't remember where Japanese starts.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:They're on the island.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Oh, they are okay. Where he is carrying the bags and he is like, oh shit, I wasn't supposed to get involved in any of this. And he moves so fast that he tries to keep any of them knowing what's going on, but just shifts everything just a little bit so that they win. It was really cool. well done.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:Super great, and then he fights them in the thing and he is like, I know this should be your kill, but is it all right if I step in and the dude's like if I. It's great. Like that entire episode, I was like, when is he gonna get involved? When is he gonna stop? Literally watching these people die all the time.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Me too.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:And then he saves the leader's life. I was like, I can't believe he's gonna watch the leader die before he does anything. And then he uses his speed to catch him and then is like, is it okay if I take this gale from you? And It's such an awesome. fight. It's so cool. You get the, he's struggling thing and then he like possesses that leader's soul to join his army.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:It's awesome.
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:It's so cool. And then there's the moment where they're in the training room and they're like, how strong are you? And he like, summons 10 of these soldier guys, which was his limit. And you're like, okay, cool. Yeah. He's like, and I canon hundreds more. And You're like, oh
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:You're like, oh shit, let's
josh-dietrich_2_03-19-2025_133647:I can see exactly where this is going. He's gonna fight all of the ants solo. He's gonna kick butt. It's gonna be so awesome. I'm just so excited for the end of next month, final four episodes. It's so good.
konlin_2_03-19-2025_173641:Me too, man. Me too. great. Well guys, that is our episode. We appreciate you as always. Thank you for watching. We love you guys. See ya. Bye.
