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Dead By Daylight Game Review–A Legion of Glitches

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By Dayton Kennard

If you’ve been playing Dead by Daylight recently, you’ve definitely been hearing about the new Darkness Among Us downloadable content (DLC) and all of its problems, and if you actually bought it, you’ve been experiencing those problems firsthand. The sad part is you don’t have to download the DLC to experience the problems. Note: it should be taken with a grain of salt– not all of these problems are actually glitches. Through this post, I’ll cover four problems that have been reported by the community and problems that I’ve experienced firsthand. Just a heads up, if you haven’t heard of this game before, it’s basically a multiplayer game where four survivors try to fix five generators in order to escape before a killer finds them and–you guessed it–kills them.

Problem 1: Random Legion Chase Music

Some people have described that while they’re playing as a survivor against the Legion (one of the killers you can play as), they’ll randomly hear the Legion’s chase music (something that occurs when you are about to be attacked) for a few seconds before it suddenly disappears with no explanation. This has even happened to me! However, this is not a glitch. While playing as the Legion, a killer can bring in an add-on to their unique power that causes all survivors to temporarily hear chase music when the killer successfully lands an attack on a survivor.

Problem 2: Red Highlights After Chase Ends

When the Legion successfully lands an attack on a survivor while in their Feral Frenzy mode (their unique power that makes them faster for a short period of time), they will see nearby survivors highlighted in red temporarily so that they can easily attack them as well, but this highlight ends once the Feral Frenzy times out. Or at least, it’s supposed to. Sometimes the red highlight will persist if you continue to chase a survivor after Feral Frenzy times out, only going away if you either down the survivor or your chase with the survivor ends. This is most certainly a glitch, as nothing like this is mentioned in Feral Frenzy’s official description or any of the Legion’s add-ons.

Problem 3: Loss of Previously Purchased Characters

When players first load up the game after purchasing and installing the Darkness Among Us DLC, they may see that some of the characters they had previously purchased are now missing, and even be told that they have to purchase these characters again. This may be alarming to hear, and even more alarming to see, but it seems to only happen with characters purchased using Auric Cells (an in-game currency) rather than characters purchased with real money. This is a known glitch that’s already being worked on, and it’s easily fixed by closing and re-opening the game.

Problem 4: Two Killers vs. Three Survivors

This may seem impossible given the game’s unchangeable format of one killer versus four survivors, but it’s actually something that can happen. While this is a legitimate glitch, it is quite rare to see on accident, and it’s more likely someone causing this glitch on purpose. This is because the game will sometimes attribute the wrong character ID to a character that you are playing. So, while you joined a game as a survivor, you will load in as whatever character that ID truly belongs to, allowing you to join the game as a second killer rather than a survivor. Being that this problem only happens when a character ID is swapped, it’s fairly easy to replicate this glitch by editing the game files, which is usually what’s happening if you do see two killers in a match.

Editor: Holden Hartle

Teachers Before They Started Teaching: Mr. Griffin Edition

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By Holden Hartle

In my 15 years of being a student, I have learned fun and interesting facts about my teachers. In learning these facts, I realized that teachers were so much more than just teachers. So, I wanted to learn their stories, and more specifically, I wanted to learn how their career and life decisions led them to Palm Valley School. In this post, I interview Mr. Griffin, a long-time teacher at PVS who is one of the faces of the Upper School English Department. Here is his story.

The story of Mr. Griffin began in Glendale, California, in a year that, for his sake, I will leave unmentioned. Years later, he was accepted to the University of Redlands and attended there for a year. During that time, he became very close with his English professor, who taught him the importance of books and literature in general. After that year, he transferred to UC Berkeley where he finished his B.A. in English Literature. Once he finished his B.A., he took a gap year in Europe before returning to UC Berkeley for his Masters. But, he didn’t want to pursue a Ph.D. Though he still loved English, he decided to pursue a different career path–film.

He was accepted to the UCLA Film Department as he was receiving his Masters but turned it down. He decided that he had “had enough of school.” Instead of pursuing film in a classroom, he booked a flight to The Big Apple and dove right into the industry. Of course, you don’t hop off the plane and start working on movies. First, you need money to afford the necessities, which Mr. Griffin made through various jobs, such as being a waiter. He needed these jobs to “stay alive.”

He started out on the bottom of the totem pole in the film industry as a Production Assistant; among many of his responsibilities was “fetching coffee for Al Pacino.” Eventually, he worked his way up to 2nd Assistant Director, and then to 1st Assistant Director. From there, he became a Production Manager and then landed a job as a Producer. His last major job was as a Producer on the TV series Nip/Tuck. But, what changed? Why isn’t he still in the film industry?

During his time in New York, his mother suddenly grew ill. He flew back to California, and his mother passed away. Losing his mother motivated him to spend time with his father, with whom he never had much of a relationship. So, he decided to relocate from the East Coast to California and pursue his career in the heart of the Hollywood beast. In the years leading up to his father’s death, Mr. Griffin grew extremely close to his father.

In the late 90s, Mr. Griffin bought a home in Palm Springs and moved there to enjoy the warmer climate and easier lifestyle. He continued to work in the film industry for another ten years, working on various projects in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami, and San Diego.

While in Palm Springs, he joined the Gay Men’s Chorus and met Mr. Sarkis. The pair were both baritones and sat next to each other. Mr. Griffin described their behaviors as being “mischievous towards everything.” They had similar interests, and soon enough, their friendship blossomed.

One day, Sarkis invited Mr. Griffin to a Marywood Palm Valley Middle School production of Guys and Dolls. Like any sane person, Mr. Griffin was dubious about seeing middle schoolers attempt to perform a play, but he attended out of friendship for Mr. Sarkis and found the production not only surprisingly entertaining but also impressively professional and unbelievably charming. This is how Mr. Griffin became connected to the school. After 30+ years in the film industry, he’d found that the work just “wasn’t that glamorous anymore,” so when Sarkis asked for his help on upcoming middle-school productions, he jumped at the chance. This transitioned into him accepting a job to teach 9th-grade English at the school so that he could return to his first love, great literature.

About ten years later, he is still teaching 9th-grade English, along with AP English Literature, all the while inspiring the next generation in the same way that he was inspired by his professor at the University of Redlands.


Editor: AJ Patencio

Seniors Who Lunch

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By Harlow Berny

Hello! I’d like to share one of Palm Valley School’s older traditions with you, the Senior Lunch! This is a tradition that started six years ago under the (benevolent rule of the Overlord) administration of the former Head of Upper School, Ms. Susie Zachik. Six years ago, the tradition of Senior Lunch was actually Senior Breakfast. It was created to encourage Seniors, who didn’t have a first period class, to come to school on Friday mornings and attend the Friday assembly. It was only four years ago that the tradition became Wednesday Senior Lunch, as Seniors no longer had a free period/study hall for their first period classes.

Throughout this, the Senior families have provided the breakfasts/lunches for the Seniors. Sometimes school administrators, such as Ms. Zachik, Ms. Steinman (current Head of Upper School), and Ms. Rice (current Head of School) would bring food for the first and/or last Senior Lunch. After this, it would be one Senior’s duty to bring lunch for all of the Seniors on one Wednesday of the school year, and this would continue until all of the Seniors have brought a Senior Lunch. In addition to this, the Seniors control the student lounge during a Senior Lunch. While Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshman can come in to get their lunch and heat it up in the microwaves, they are encouraged to eat at the courtyard tables so that Seniors may eat with their fellow Seniors. This is a tradition that should be respected in order to preserve the experience for future Senior classes. Let’s be honest here, it is nice to hang out with your Senior class with the little time you have left before you all go off to different colleges.

Editor: Luke Langlois

Review of Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne—An Old Game That Will Never Fade Away

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By James Zheng

Blizzard, which is known as one of the most famous game-producing companies in the United States, has always striven to design the best games out there. But, the major game I am going to introduce in this post was from sixteen years ago. Unlike an anime or a movie, a majority of games tend to easily become old-fashioned or hackneyed. They last for at most ten years since games are always being published incessantly; this process is like an elimination system. You pay for the new, and drop the old. Some games survive, though. And, one of the survivors is Warcraft 3.

First of all, let me give you a basic description of this game. Warcraft is a real-time strategy game. The purpose is just as simple as this: you engage in a war to conquer your enemy by rallying an army. And, when it comes to strategic games, you might think that they are usually complex or difficult because you have to play it smart and pay attention to a lot of details. But, the fascinating thing is that you can come up with at least a thousand tactics, simple or complicated, to play based on the diversity of units. Units, also known as minions, are the main force of your army. They all have different capabilities. Warcraft 3 also has a simple game structure. To start a game, you choose one of the four races (Human, orc, etc.) to bring into battle. Every race has their unique advantage. If you want to build more advanced buildings or recruit more powerful troops, the game would explicitly indicate what you need to do. The most attractive feature has to be the hero system, or champion system. You get to select a champion you like to lead with. All of these factors are essential to reinforce the replayability, and are the reason that the game has survived so long.


The love for Warcraft 3 seems to hardly decay, and it may just keep growing. Recently, Blizzard has decided to make a “reforged” version of Warcraft 3, which, ironically is the game they had already given up on ten years ago. There is only one factor, the most important element, that keeps this game alive–the creative choices of the individual player. It is very easy to use mods in Warcraft. In addition, players have designed massive amounts of maps and new modes to keep this old game running. You can play with your friends, or endlessly compete with online players. In the end, Warcraft 3 is a game that is much more deep than a simple strategy game.

You might think that this game is too old to play, but, as I’ve said, it is a game that will never fade away. Check out the new reforged version!

Editor: Luke Langlois

Shakespeare Monologue Competition @ Palm Valley: “The Best of the Bard”

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Student reviews compiled by Luke Langlois

On Friday, January 25th, our FANTASTIC Drama Department, in collaboration with the English Department, put on a Shakespeare monologue competition titled “The Best of the Bard” to determine who would move on to the next level of the national English Speaking Union Monologue Competition. For those who have not heard the results of the Palm Valley competition, Leo Milmet took first place, Marianne Capetz took second place, Caroline Scheil took third place–as well as audience’s favorite, and Charles Schnell received the honorable mention. While, inherently, this was a competition, this was also a chance for our dramatic stars to shine individually, and shine they did. In fact, the sharp performances of the drama students inspired the hearts of many students to write a review. Today, the blog presents to you a compilation of a few of these reviews. If you attended the competition, perhaps these reviews can provide you with some details that you missed. Or, if you were unable to attend the competition, these reviews will make sure you’re fully aware of the excellence of our monologue reciters.–Luke

Abridged Review From Claire Jenkins

Shakespeare was a complicated man, whose words are hard to translate into modern-day ideas, but the group of Palm Valley upper school students who took on this task completely mastered it. Overall, out of the around 23 competitors in the competition, not a single one was disappointing. . . . The competitor that stuck out the most to me was Castiel Yu, delivering a monologue using an older and complicated form of his second language. Regardless, he was still able to translate the expressions and passions beautifully. . . .The next competitor that stood out to me was Brennan Nick. Brennan cracks me up, and while I know his monologue was not comedic, his facial expressions got me. He is loud and proud, and I will always admire that about him. . . . Leo Milmet took first place, which he most definitely deserved. I’m sure he will go on to continue dazzling the judges and stealing hearts across the competition.

Abridged Review From Josh Tyer

I went into the Drama Class’s recent monologue presentation, “A Night with the Bard,” with an idea of what it would be like, but what I got blew my own expectations out of the water! That night, Amanda jumped out to me as someone who had come very far as an actress. I, personally, have acted alongside Amanda for a long time, and after seeing her performance that night I can definitely say that she has blossomed. Her monologue was a perfect fit. . . . What truly surprised me that night were those quiet performers who usually play smaller roles in productions. Aurora Berner, James Zheng, Isabella Goetschel, Elizabeth Chen, and Castiel Yu blew me away. Normally, these people are resigned within themselves in Drama, never truly letting their talent shine through. But when you give someone like James Zheng the stage, he will burst out with a performance of Julius Caesar that will give you chills. All of them took their performances and conquered them. Sometimes the quietest of people have a beautiful talent for acting just waiting to leap out and take hold of the stage.

Abridged Review From Sydney Armor

I am not sure if it was the fact that the competition was not during school hours, or that I had voluntarily chosen to go see it, but I must say that this was without a doubt the best monologue competition I have ever seen at Palm Valley School. Usually, I can choose two or three monologues that really stand out and will undoubtedly win. Here, however, there were about seven or eight that I found amazing. My favorite, however, was Caroline’s monologue. Her delivery was simply perfect, and I actually laughed out loud when she was performing. This is really rare, as I usually don’t find the monologues to be funny (even if they are meant to be). Her overdone facial expressions and little pauses when she was deciding whether she loved or hated a man simply made the entire monologue hilarious, and spectacularly well performed. . . . I also really liked Jake Sonderman’s monologue. He took on a similar persona to the character he played in The Drowsy Chaperone, Aldolpho. He was Aldolpho 2.0 during his monologue. His take on this womanizing, romance-obsessed man is almost perfect. . . .  I don’t regret going to see the monologue competition. It was even worth going back to school on a Friday night.

Abridged Review From Shelby Armor

“Best of the Bard” was truly something to behold. Something about this monologue competition was just fun. When you have an atmosphere of people who truly want to be there, listening to Shakespeare in their free time, you get a different kind of environment; an inspiring environment. . . . I was a personal fan of Caroline’s monologue. I actually loved that monologue so much that I considered choosing it for my monologue way back when. I didn’t think I could pull it off, though, and seeing Caroline do it just made me realize how perfect that monologue was for Caroline. It was cutesy, comedic, and also provided for further thought on the part of the listener. There were also some people that I would have never expected to see performing, who were pouring their hearts out on stage — like Alex Bentley. I loved seeing him perform Macbeth; it was just so different from all of the familiar faces I’ve seen.  All in all, I’m really glad I went. I got to see some truly amazing interpretations of classic Shakespeare monologues, and got to enjoy it in a truly inspiring environment.

Interested in more Shakespeare monologues? Come watch Leo perform–and represent Palm Valley–in the Desert Branch competition next Friday, February 22, at 11 a.m. at Palm Springs High School’s theater. He’ll perform his Shylock again and add a sonnet. If he wins, he moves on to perform in New York City at the Lincoln Center.

Editors: Luke Langlois and A.J. Patencio

a bangin’ almond milk recipe

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By Makena Behnke

since milk has been a hot topic on the blog (and in blog class), i thought i would share my preferred form of milk beverage. almond milk has become very popular recently, and for a good reason. if you have some sort of dairy allergy or you just don’t like to drink it for whatever reason, “ta-da,” almond milk. i prefer to drink almond milk, but i personally don’t like store-bought almond milk. so, i make my own, and i think it’s a lot better.

things you’ll need:

  • almonds, 1 cup
  • water, 4 cups
  • blender
  • nut bags or cheese cloths
  • a medium bowl
  • a container (i use a glass milk bottle) for your fresh almond milk

1. first, you have your 1 cup of almonds, and you soak them for about 4-6 hours in the medium bowl. the water should cover the almonds (i use about 4 cups).

2. after soaking the almonds, you pour out the stale almond water and rinse the almonds to get the residue off. the almonds should be kind of tender right now, or at least not as hard as the dry ones were.

3. put them in a blender with another 4 cups of water, and blend them until there are no big almond pieces. i’m not sure how long it takes to blend, i just play it by ear.

4. pour the mixture into a cheese cloth/nut bag covering another bowl with a pour spout thingy (so it’s easier to pour into the bottle). once you’re done pouring it into the bowl, you squeeze the leftover pulp in the cheese cloth to get the most out of the almonds.

5. bam. you’re done. this makes about 3 cups. the almond milk keeps for about 2-3 days.

i like to use my almond milk in baking recipes, coffee, cereal, or you can just drink it straight because it has a natural sweetness to it. you could also add flavored syrups to the blender, but i prefer it plain. if you don’t strain it enough or if the bag breaks, there may be some almond pulp left in the bottom. it’s not going to kill you. enjoy.

my original recipe came from detoxinista.com. i didn’t make it up on my own.

Editor: Luke Langlois

My Journey Through Basketball

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By Holden Hartle

My basketball journey began in the fourth grade. In the years leading up to this, some may characterize me as having my “nose glued to the pages of a book.” I wasn’t out to find friends. I was perfectly happy staying in the fantasy world of whatever book I was reading. This all changed in fourth grade.

The basketball season was ready to begin, and that’s all any of the cool kids were talking about. I wanted to sit at their lunch table. I wanted to be their friend. So, I went on to NBA.com and looked at the list of teams. After very minimal amounts of research, I decided that everyone liked the Los Angeles teams, so that would be too obvious. I then stumbled across the Utah Jazz and thought, ‘Hm. I have family in Utah. No one else likes the Utah Jazz. I will start liking the Utah Jazz.” I walked over to the cool kids’ table and took a seat, ready to share my limited knowledge of this completely new sport.

Fast forward to the middle school years. In the winter of sixth grade, I, along with the cool kids, joined the basketball team. This was my first time ever playing organized basketball. No longer was I just chucking the basketball somewhere towards the basket with no regards for the rules. Now, it was time to actually learn the sport. Needless to say, I was awful. To the best of my knowledge, I didn’t score a single point until eighth grade. I was slowly getting better, but I often panicked on the court, and it resulted in some questionable shot selections.

Despite my inability to score, we won plenty of games. Through sixth and seventh grade, we went undefeated, largely due to the contributions of Jensen Jabara. In seventh grade, we won the championship, and in eighth grade, we took third.  

In all of this, I was slowly learning more about the NBA. My favorite player, legend Carlos Boozer, who I blindly chose in fifth grade, was traded to the Chicago Bulls. Sorry Jazz, but the Bulls became my favorite team–even though I had no connections with Chicago whatsoever.

And that brings us to high school. I joined the team freshman year, and now, thanks to MaxPreps, there is documentation of how bad I was. The team for the 2015-2016 season was led by senior Colin Wessman, our center who was leading a team that was 80% underclassmen. He was our captain, but our scoring was led by junior Michael Ma, who averaged thirteen points per game. Yours truly averaged a staggering two points and three rebounds for the year. As a side note, Ben Snyder, during his freshman year, is listed as only 5’2”. Keep this in mind as the story continues.

My freshman season could not have gone any worse. We lost every single game, and with the exception of one game, we lost every game by ten points or more. During the MaxPreps tournament, in which we played teams that were way better than us, I had the highlight of my career. We were losing by more than 40, so the game clock didn’t stop on a dead ball. The opposing team knocked the ball out of bounds, and with just a few seconds left in the fourth quarter, I yelled at Ben Snyder to inbound the ball. He passed the ball to me and I put up a buzzer beater from the corner and sunk it. Though we still lost that game by 44, this was the first three-pointer I had made in my career.

Sophomore year came, and it could only go up from the previous year. And it did. We won five games in total, three of which were in league. In fact, we won our first two games of the season. Towards the end of the season, we won a double overtime game against Bloomington Christian.

During the MaxPreps tournament, we once again played a team that had no business playing a team as bad as us. During warm-ups, I made every shot (not to brag or anything). The opposing coach noticed this, and every time I got the ball during that game, the opposing coach yelled “Shooter!” And, as you’ll see later, I was no shooter. This became sort of an inside joke among the teammates until my final game as a Firebird.

Our wins were won thanks to the efforts of senior Michael Ma. He averaged sixteen points and almost nine rebounds per game. Ben quickly emerged as the team’s second option, as his points per game jumped from three points per game to nine. It’s also worth noting that not only did Ben’s per game numbers spike, so did his height, as he was now 5’8”. My numbers stayed the same, but I was content with this, considering the success our team experienced.

As junior year came, the team realized that we would lose the scoring of Michael, so we were left looking for someone to take over our team. We found two: Ben Snyder and Daniel Romo. Ben was averaging an unreal eighteen points per game, along with leading the team in rebounds. Daniel was quietly becoming more of an offensive threat on the team as well, which became apparent during the 2017-2018 season.

Our coach during my underclassmen years had said that “We live by the three. We die by the three.” This was especially true in my junior year. When we shot well, our team found success. But when we didn’t, the odds didn’t go in our favor. We won only two games, both of which were hard fought wins against West Shores.

Also during this year, I had my first “big game.” As we were getting blown out by Mesa Grande, late in the fourth quarter, I made a few three-pointers in a row. People were yelling “Shooter!” from the stands. I had this cheesy smile on my face, even though we lost by almost forty.

And that brings us to this year. Originally, I wasn’t going to play basketball for the school. It was too much stress, and I wanted to focus on my academics rather than sports. My senior friends disagreed with my decisions and attempted to persuade me time after time. I was adamant on this up until the first practice. A few days before then, our coach had a meeting with me. He too, attempted to persuade me to join the team. He said that I could be a legitimate third option for the team. I said I would think about it. A few days later, I went to the first practice. Surrounded by my teammates–I knew I couldn’t quit the team, so I didn’t.

This year was my big year of improvement. I averaged seven points, seven rebounds, and two assists per game–the best stat line of my career. There was a stretch of four games where I averaged over twelve points per game, one of which was my career high sixteen points against Desert Chapel. Though these numbers aren’t impressive from most basketball player’s standpoints, they were to me. This was a big accomplishment for me.

Ben was now 6’1,” and the tallest person on the team. If you don’t count the games he didn’t play, he averaged nineteen points per game, had five twenty-point games and one thirty-point game, which allowed him to lead the league in scoring. Daniel led the league in assists. But, there is someone else I want to highlight: Asher Mai. Though Asher struggled with confidence, his senior year was his best year by far. He had his first game in which he scored more than ten points, and three games where he grabbed more than ten rebounds.

I’m so thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to play with these players. I started out just wanting to be like the cool kids to becoming an average high-school basketball player. And, throughout this process, I saw the development of my classmates, who have exceeded everyone’s expectations.

Editor: Luke Langlois

10 Ways to De-Stress as a Student

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Debut Post by Incoming Blog Reporter Hannah Hall

Our lives as students are always exciting and difficult. This can make it hard to stay relaxed, whether it be from the pressure of homework, or from your peers. Have compassion for yourself; always remember to stay relaxed and be positive. Here is a simple, yet effective, mix of tips to help you de-stress in the long run.

1. Spend more time with family and friends:

It will always be helpful to have a lil’ talk with these people–explain how you feel if you are under pressure, or talk about fun stuff. Either helps.

2. Get enough sleep:

Sometimes we find it hard to sleep when there is a lot to study. However, it is important to get enough rest for our mental health.

3. Be yourself:

The only person you should be comparing yourself to is you! You’re not your classmate, and you never will be, so learn to be the best that you can possibly be.

4. Write down the source of the stress:

If you are facing any kind of problems in the classroom, a way to handle situations is by writing them down. Getting stuff out to yourself first is important in learning how to express your thoughts and feelings.

5. Handle your exam tension wisely:

Don’t get frightened about the remaining portions that need to be completed during your exam. There is always room to communicate with your teacher; I am sure they will understand.

6. Snack on some brain food:

Having some refreshments and snacks, and taking breaks while you study will help to increase your concentration, but don’t dawdle around too long. Maybe even set a timer for intervals to help keep you on track!

7. Do not let go of your hobbies:

If there’s one extracurricular that you really look forward to and feel relaxed and happy afterwards, do whatever it takes to keep it in your schedule.

8. Manage your time:

Make a schedule for yourself in the beginning of the week that says exactly what you’re going to work on and at the exact times you will work on it.

9. Eat healthy and exercise:

By eating healthy, you help to improve your cognitive function, and through exercise, you can reduce your stress level. Exercise and physical activity produce endorphins; these make ya feel good.

10. Always be prepared:

Try not to overload yourself; be prepared always. Complete your assignments and projects on time and schedule your time for studying–especially if that’s what’s stressing you out!

Editor: Luke Langlois

The Three Best Villains in Anime

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By James Zheng, Blog Anime Correspondent

Most anime reviewers or watchers hardly ever talk about villains. Speaking of villains, the majority of us are under the impression that they deserve the audience’s hatred all the time. But, we never get to know them deeply or even analyze them from several aspects. You might ask the question, “Why do we need to know these villains?” Well, to make a great heroic figure or a whole anime that earns popularity, a villain actually plays an indispensable role.

No.1 “Akatsuki (Dawn)” from Naruto: The ten dreams of human beings

Akatsuki is not a single character. It’s one of the most powerful organizations in Naruto. Each member in Akatsuki represents a dream of humanity (peace, friendship, love, power, etc.). However, the Akatsuki didn’t start out representing peace, friendship, love, etc. In the beginning of the anime, every single character had a goal to destroy every independent country. There were so many fans that hated them at the beginning because fans bought into the concept that any villain would be the “bad guy” forever. When the Naruto Company dedicated episodes to introducing the Akatsuki background, the Akatsuki gradually gained sympathy and popularity from the audience. However, plenty of fans said that “their Naruto” had finished after the antagonistic Akatsuki was gone. Undoubtedly, those characters had a huge impact on the storyline. Villains are as important as heroes, especially if they’re well “shaped.”


No.2 “Yagami Light” from Death Note: How supremacy could change an ordinary person

Some of the people may not recognize Yagami Light as a villain because he is the hero in the entire story of “Death Note,” but I personally think that he played both hero and villain. In the story, the Death Note gives any kind of person the power to execute anyone; you just need to write down their name to do so. Light, who considers that his life is too boring, accidentally obtains this dreaded notebook. Then he starts to use this notebook to execute the criminals to achieve his “justice.” But, soon, he was obsessed with this power, with the result that he had the ambition to be the God of the world. This path is like an abyss to him; the Death Note entirely changed him. Everything he regards as obstacles he eliminates, including his family and friends and investigative authorities.

No.3 “Aizen Sosuke” from Bleach: The fanatic pursuit of perfection

Aizen is the biggest boss in the world of Bleach ever. His behavior and thoughts interpret the extreme concept of “perfection.” Because he believes that he is too successful as a scientist, there is nearly nothing that could satisfy him except for the innovation that has never been done before, except for creating something that has never been created before. So, he starts to engage in projects which are essentially inhumane.

Editor: Holden Hartle

The Weird Motifs of Anime

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By James Zheng

We all know that the elements in anime are essentially different from real life. I am going to list the three most unrealistic elements common to anime. Even if you do not watch anime, you’ll see these are really interesting elements.

No. 1 The Teenager Warrior or The Super Teenager motif

It’s a pretty well-known plot device among the realm of anime. Most of the time when there is a catastrophe or other disasters on Earth, and we don’t have Superman or any other superheros, we find we only need a few teenagers to handle it. In anime, a surprising majority of teenagers already has the force of an army to resist alien invaders, vampires, and demons. Normally, the Teenage Warrior is recognized to be extremely strong. Once they release their full power, they can destroy everything easily just like Thanos snapping his finger. And, those characters are always only about sixteen or seventeen years old. Does that sound really stupid? If you put it into reality or you don’t like characters being so invincible, you will think that way.

Representative Teenage Warrior characters in anime include Uzumaki Naruto, from “Naruto” and Kusuo Saiki from ”The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.”

No. 2 The weirdly colorful hairs of anime characters

Whenever we see those figures who have strange hair color like purple, green, red, it is either making us so uncomfortable or the color fits perfectly with that character. And the point is that some characters are actually beautiful or handsome with these gorgeous hairs. The most popular one is the silver white. However, if you have that kind of hair in reality, everybody’s attention will be on you and they will all think it’s very bizarre. Even if there are people who do cosplay (to dress up as an anime character that you like), it’s still thought to be unusual.

You find anime characters with weird hair color in Kuroko’s Basketball.


No. 3 How many times the world has been devastated

When you are watching animes, some stories are based on a situation after Earth has been destroyed. This motif is hackneyed. It’s been overused. Characters move to other planets, shelter beneath the earth or in the heavens. They all do whatever is necessary to survive. Again and again and again.

A representative anime where the world ends is WorldEnd.

Editor: Leo Milmet