reviews
Shooting Straight about Arrow: Catch up!
It sucks to only find out how good a show is once it’s hit season four. Well, here at Odd Tale, we’re all about helping a fellow geek out. Find out about Arrow with our Catch up! series by Patrick.
Season 4 of the CW’s phenomenally successful superhero series (and perhaps the greatest spin-off generator since Happy Days) based on the Green Arrow character began October 7th, and, by this point, the show has generated enough story and lore to make starting in on it a bit intimidating, even in the modern era of TV series binge-watching. That said, Arrow HAS been the source of two spin-offs already, with the potential for more to come, so it is becoming more and more important for fans of DC comics and their characters to have an idea of what is going on there, just in case their favorite character is the next to show up or spin off. Are you a fan of the Flash? Well, if you watch that show but not Arrow, you’re going to wind up missing pieces, because the shows are pretty well connected, and have crossed over multiple times just in the Flash’s first season. With that in mind, even if Arrow is not your thing (hey, apparently not everyone enjoys quality television programs, I suppose reality shows have to find their audience somewhere, too), having a basic idea of the characters and plots may be helpful to enjoying other parts of the rapidly expanding web of inter-related continuity. Step one: the players.
Oliver Queen/The Arrow (seasons 1 through 3+): Stephen Amell portrays Oliver Queen, a billionaire playboy who, shaped by his experiences after he was stranded on an island five years prior, returns to his home of Starling City to carry on a secret war against corruption and crime as the vigilante that people come to call The Arrow (because he uses bows and various low and high tech arrows to fight crime).
Moira Queen (seasons 1 through 2): Oliver’s mother and, since the death of Oliver’s father five years ago the effective head of both the family and Queen Consolidated, the family’s multi-billion dollar company. To keep the family in its position in the city, she has had to become a character of both moral complexity and questionable allegiance.
Thea Queen (seasons 1 through 3+): Oliver’s teenaged sister, who he used to call Speedy (a reference to the Comic Book Green Arrow’s sidekick). She is rich, entitled, and of course feels like she has had a very rough life living in her million dollar mansion. As a result, she rebels against pretty much whatever authority figure she can find.
Malcolm Merlyn (seasons 1 through 3): A close friend of the Queen family and another prominent Starling City businessman, he is a man of mysterious intent and means. As the show goes on he will be Oliver’s sometimes enemy and occasional ally. In the comic books, Merlyn is one of Green Arrow’s most notable recurring villains, and effectively his dark double, though his TV counterpart has more depth.
Tommy Merlyn (season 1): Son of Malcolm Merlyn and childhood friend of Oliver, Tommy is a trust fund baby who has never had real problems and enjoys the life of leisure his family’s wealth has provided him. Naturally, that relative peace is about to be badly disrupted once the show begins, and his life will be thrown into dangerous turmoil.
Quentin Lance (seasons 1 through 3+): A Starling City Police Officer, Quentin Lance is connected to the Queen family through his daughters Sara and Laurel, both of whom had past relationships with Oliver Queen, and one of which he only found out about after his daughter Sara went missing along with Oliver five years ago. When Oliver shows back up, alive and well, he has some serious questions. Questions that are only compounded by the similarly-timed arrival of a vigilante who shoots arrows at people.
Laurel Lance (seasons 1 through 3+): Quentin’s oldest daughter, Laurel was Oliver’s fairly serious girlfriend until he disappeared on a romantic trip aboard his family yacht with her sister. If she had known she probably would have hoped the boat sank. As it happens, it did, and she has been stuck with the tragedy of losing not only her relationship, but also her sister. When he shows up safe and well five years later, she (currently a lawyer and dating Tommy Merlyn) is, suffice it to say, not quick to welcome him back with open arms.
Sara Lance (seasons 1 through 3): The younger daughter of the Lance family, Sara is seen mostly in flashbacks during season one, due to her having apparently drowned five years earlier, when the Queen family yacht sank while she was having a romantic getaway with her sister’s boyfriend (karma happens).
Except she looks cool AF here.
John Diggle (seasons 1 through 3+): At about the same time that Oliver returns to the city, a vigilante killer arrives who seems to be hunting the rich elite of Starling City. In response (and unaware of the irony as Oliver IS said vigilante), Oliver’s mother hires him a driver/bodyguard to keep him out of trouble. The intelligent war veteran and the rich playboy quickly become friends and then partners in Oliver’s war on corruption.
Felicity Smoak (seasons 1 through 3+): Oliver is a master of bows and Diggle of battlefield tactics, but no group of crime-fighters would be complete without a hacker who can do pretty much whatever she wants with a few taps on a keyboard. That, after a protracted period of Oliver covertly garnering her help with ridiculous excuses, winds up being Felicity Smoak. She also winds up being one of Oliver’s love interests on the show, because she is female and not his relative (literally, almost any character on the show who meets those two requirements is going to fall for Oliver at some point).
Not all of us are meant to be in the field. Some of us can only do five sit-ups.
Roy Harper (seasons 1 through 3): A street rat with a heart of gold, Roy winds up dragged into the Arrow’s broadening team of crime-fighters in the form of the Red Arrow/Arsenal, and into the romantic entanglements of the same in the form of dating Oliver’s sister Thea.
Slade Wilson (seasons 1 through 3): A soldier of fortune Oliver meets while shipwrecked on the island of Li An Yu, Slade is a vicious combatant and unforgiving enemy. You MAY be familiar with him as the villain of the Teen Titans cartoon.
Amanda Waller (season 2 through 3): Head of the government agency called A.R.G.U.S., Amanda is a no-nonsense, no-excuses leader who is willing to do whatever she has to do to accomplish her objectives, including sending squads of captured villains on suicide missions.
Ray Palmer (season 3): A scientist who designs a technological super suit to fight crime. He proves to be both a romantic rival with Oliver as far as goes Felicity Smoak, and a financial one, when he takes over Queen Consolidated.
Nail on the head.
Ra’s al Ghul (season 3): “The Demon’s Head”, Ra’s leads an international ninja organization called the League of Assassins, which has ties to both the Merlyn and Lance families, and through them, the Queens. A pitiless killer, Ra’s.
Nyssa (season 2 through 3): Daughter of the Demon, the surprisingly soft-hearted Nyssa is, at least at first, heir apparent to Ra’s web of murderers and killers. She is also a romantic rival for Oliver, as it pertains to Sara Lance.
AuKing Mini Projector Key Details
The Auking is a 1080p Mini Projector with built-in speakers that is compatible with Smartphones and laptops.* (Notice the asterisk) The ports are HDMI, USB, VGA, AV, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It’s $99.99, but you can usually catch it on sale for cheaper.
This projector is pretty popular online. There are tons of glowing reviews for it on Amazon, but I’m assuming if you’re reading this, you care about what I think. And what I think is that this projector is kinda bad.
Also, keep in mind I believe that this projector is being sold on amazon with different branding and shells, but essentially, they’re all the same projector.
These are just some I’ve found.
ALVAR 8000 Lumens Mini Portable Projector
TMY Projector 7500
Projector with WiFi, 2022 Upgrade 8500L
Mini Projector, Aokang 7500 Lumens HD Portable Projector
These all pretty much the same projector with different housing and branding
It is most certainly not for everyone, and it’s not for everyone who loves projectors. The projector has some issues with only a few positives.
Android smartphones are compatible, but only certain Androids, which they don’t tell you before purchasing.
List of Phones compatible with the projector
I’m guessing it’s “compatible” with all iPhones, but oddly enough, they don’t mention it. But I think it’s a safe bet to say that it is. Because saying the Aukling is compatible with smart devices and mac books is technically true, and it’s somewhat misleading.
It has no built-in features to make it compatible with other devices, just an HDMI input. This, combined with poor image and audio quality, means you’d be better off saving your money and buying something a little more expensive.
AuKing Mini Projector Full Break Down
The Auking has an HDMI port, which means it’s compatible with any device that can output through HDMI. But unfortunately, it doesn’t have any ports or software that would intrinsically allow smartphones to project video.
To get your iPhone or Android phone to connect to the projector, you have to do it through HDMI. So, you’ll need a USB-C to HDMI adapter for android and Mac Book or a lightning port to HDMI if you’re using an iPhone. The instructions also recommend a wireless dongle so you can connect your laptop or smart device via BlueTooth (more on that later)
Now here’s the thing, the projector only comes with a regular HDMI cord, so you would have to buy the other cords separately. They don’t mention that before you buy it, so it feels very misleading. Regarding the wireless adapter they recommend, you must connect to it via Bluetooth. Unfortunately, most streaming services have copyright features that won’t allow you to stream content via BlueTooth.
You could connect a chrome cast, Apple TV, or a Roku and mirror or cast your phone to that, but if you don’t have those devices on hand, you’re out of luck.
This means the easiest way to use this device would be with your windows laptop unless you have one of the cords they recommend.
But how does it perform once you get it set up and running? It’s ok.
We have to set our expectations for this price range. The project shows saturated color palettes well but struggles with darker colors.
Darker scenes come out looking grainy and blurry.
While brighter colors look ok.
But all things considered, the video quality will be worse than whatever you have connected to the HDMI. To its credit, however, the projector is bright enough to watch it outside with minimal light pollution.
The audio can be pretty loud, but loud doesn’t necessarily mean good. It does sound like it comes from out of a tin can, but it’s clear enough to hear what’s going on in a movie, so you don’t have to only rely on headphones.
Despite its small size, the Auking’s fans can be pretty loud when it’s on. (Imagine starting up your first-gen PS4 and trying to play Cyberpunk).
This projector isn’t for everyone. I wouldn’t recommend it to most people. However, if you’re a person who wants a bigger screen, you can buy a cheap 22′ monitor and connect you your phone or laptop to it, and the image quality would be better.
Verdict
In most cases, I suggest you save money and get something more expensive, like the ANKER Nebula capsule.
If you find yourself in a situation where you need a projector immediately, this will be ok. For instance, a backyard BBQ where it’s more about the people you’re around than what you’re watching or a party where you want to keep the kids distracted while the adults use the TV (shame on you).
Other than that, it’s worth saving your money.
FAQ
How do I connect my phone to my mini AuKing projector?
Through USB-C to HDMI cord or lighting to HDMI cord
Does AuKing projector support Bluetooth?
Rest in peace, watermelon.
The latest episodes in ‘Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid’ were very interesting to watch.
One was definitely a fanservice episode, and heck, even the producers know that! Episode 7’s title contains the phrase ‘The Fanservice Episode, Obviously’, so that cracked me up.
Episode 7 focuses on the elements of anime that will appeal to any nerd out there. By that, of course I mean bathing suits and comic conventions! Cue the beach episode!
Tohru and company decide to go swimming for the day. Kanna’s adorable as always, while Lucoa doesn’t realize just how sexual she is toward a small boy.
Like, really? You think wearing a very sexy swimsuit in front of a lot of kids on a beach is okay? And why do you insist on torturing Shouta with your breasts? It’s obvious that he’s tempted, but stop trying to seduce small children.
Of course, they’re dragons, so hilarious antics ensue. Tohru and Kanna get carried away in a swimming race, making water splash up everywhere. Also, a crab and watermelon are murdered. RIP.
However, one aspect that I thought was a nice touch was the backstory we got for Tohru. It wasn’t much, but Tohru and Kobayashi have a deep and meaningful conversation about their family’s lives, as well as how humans and dragons are different from one another. Fanservice episodes usually focus on that alone, but fortunately that’s not the case here.
The second half of Episode 7 focuses on Comiket. Tohru and Kobayashi help Takiya run a booth, and we learn that Fafnir is also participating by attempting to sell powerful curses. Wow, didn’t see thaaaaat coming at all.
Tohru notices otherworldly creatures in their true forms at Comiket, as they reveal that this is a great way to show their true forms. With Kobayashi’s permission, Tohru exposes her wings and tail, appearing to others as if she’s cosplaying as, well, a dragon maid.
Episode 7 was very nice because there were many heartfelt and adorable moments.
Meanwhile, Episode 8 FINALLY introduced the dragon that I keep on mentioning in my reviews. Her name’s Elma, a dragon who is a rival of Tohru’s. Elma accuses Tohru of disrupting the human’s ways and tries to force her to return to the dragon world. This doesn’t succeed, however, as Tohru sends her to an open field and leaves her there.
Unable to get back home, Elma stays in the human world and begins working at Kobayashi’s company. Kobayashi teaches Elma how to use computers and technology so that she can keep her job. Of course, this prompts Tohru to become jealous, smelling the scent of another dragon off Kobayashi like a dog does with a human. I won’t reveal how the episode ends, but it ends in a positive manner for Tohru.
Overall, I really loved these two episodes because they made me feel warm and fuzzy. They appealed to the emotional senses through a heartfelt conversation between Kobayashi and Tohru. Elma is also an innocent sweetheart who only wants to bring harmony to the human and dragon worlds. And I can’t wait to see more of her in the upcoming episodes.
I feel like in these two episodes alone, we learned so much about Tohru and her feelings for Kobayashi. She really wants to understand the human world and will do anything to stay with Kobayashi.
I’ll up my rating to a 4.7. These episodes were both fun, and we finally got the new dragon! Bless.
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