reviews
Arrow, Season 2, The Dawn of Deathstroke: Catch up!
Since the Undertaking, Oliver has not only given up his hood, feeling that, in the end, it was HE who failed the city, but, in fact, has given up the city itself.
Firstly, that is Deathstroke, not Destro, for anyone whose ears perked up at the idea that season 2 of arrow had GIJoe in it. Obviously it does not. What it does have is a metric ton of action sequences.
Six years ago, Oliver Queen was stranded on a secret prison island in the Pacific, where he met others who were there for various reasons. Some he helped, some he thwarted, and from all he learned the skills that would turn him from a billionaire playboy to a hardcore bow and arrow wielding vigilante.
One year ago, Oliver returned to his home in Starling city, intent on hunting down men named by his father as conspirators in a plan that would destroy the underdeveloped sections of Starling, buildings and citizens all, so that the one-percenters could rebuild the slums into shopping malls and the like for their own convenience. To do this he wound up fighting Malcolm Merlyn as his trusty of vigilant-allies got people to safety and defused the earthquake machine so as to completely save the city. Uncommonly for a super-hero story, they failed, and part of the city, along with hundreds of people, including among them Oliver’s best friend Tommy Merlyn, lie dead and destroyed.
That brings us to: Now. Since the Undertaking, Oliver has not only given up his hood, feeling that, in the end, it was HE who failed the city, but, in fact, has given up the city itself, returning to the island to live in solitude. Meanwhile his mother, as one of the few surviving conspirators, is being put on trial for terroristic crimes. In the wake of these two events, Queen Consolidated is crumbling, which prompts Diggle and Felicity to visit Oliver and convince him to return to Starling. When he does, he finds a city like himself, struggling beneath the weight of trauma, but unable to find peace. After much challenging of ideals and wringing of hands, Oliver returns to his roles both as a civilian and a vigilante, though reformed with a determination to avoid killing.
Roy Harper, meanwhile, is back with Thea Queen, who runs the nightclub Verdant (google it for the joke). He has been spending his nights attempting to be a vigilante himself, and mostly just getting beaten up, but one night, after stopping a girl from being raped, things are about to go very badly for him, the thugs having a knife, when a new vigilante shows up with blonde hair and bo staff swinging. The Canary arrives in Starling, and brings a whole bunch of plot with her, as she is revealed to be Sara Lance, Laurel’s sister and Oliver’s former lover, who supposedly died during the same shipwreck that he was thought to have been killed by. Seemingly the only ones even peripherally killed by that boat sinking were people who were headshot afterwards.
As the season unfolds we learn that, five years prior, Sara had come to the island of Lian Yu and met Oliver. She had not been drowned but rather rescued by a man named Anthony Ivo, an eccentric scientist questing for an immortality serum aboard his ship, the Amazo. They came to Lian Yu seeking a shipwrecked Japanese Submarine, which supposedly contained an experiment called Mirakuru (presumably meant to be a mispronunciation of the comic book DCU drug Miraclo, which gave Hourman his 60 minutes of power long before the invention of Viagra).
If Mirakuru transforms you into FOUR-Hourman, please consult a physician.
Once there, they came up against Oliver and his intrepid band of survivors, Slade Wilson and Shado, and unfortunately (for pretty much everyone), Ivo murdered Shado and cast blame for it on Oliver. This wound up driving Sara away from Ivo and, more importantly, drove Slade mad with grief and rage, AFTER the Mirakuru had been used to save his life (and made him prone to both mental instability and immortal regeneration of everything but eyes). Ivo died (after being revealed to be seeking immortality so that he can heal his terminally ill wife, in a half-hearted, “I’ve met Mister Freeze, and you sir are no Mr. Freeze” attempt to add depth to his evil ways), and in the process Sara was apparently killed again (she’ll be fine), but Oliver did manage to defeat Slade for good. Or so he thought.
Back in the present, Oliver attempts to defend his company from a hostile takeover (his solution: sleep with the woman trying to buy your company), keep his mom from having her life ruined (his solution: once she is found not guilty, have her run for mayor. Politicians are ALWAYS viewed as clean, right?), and honor Tommy’s memory by being a more friendly-neighborhood hero (his solution: don’t kill, and call yourself Arrow, instead of Hood).
Over the course of the season there is a lot of world building being done, introducing names like A.R.G.U.S., Central City, Kord Industries (the company owned in the comics by Ted Kord, the Blue Beetle, my personal favorite superhero), Amanda Waller (who notably assembles her Suicide Squad part way through the season. For more on the squad, see their upcoming big screen movie adaptation starring Will Smith and Jared Leto), and introducing the League of Assassins (an international cadre of killers led by Batman villain Ra’s Al Ghul, who will play a larger role in season 3). Building upon mentions of other DCU locations like Bludhaven in season one, Arrow, season two, does a good job of feeling like it is part of a wider comics world, even though it doesn’t ACTUALLY crossover with another series for another season. Although one of the major subplots of this season sets up said other series, as this season also introduces young Barry Allen, the Central City Forensics Tech who will, in the course of time, become the fastest man alive, the Flash.
Back in the main plot, Oliver finds out that many of his problems this season have a common cause, a shadowy figure behind the scenes. This is revealed to be Slade Wilson (played with menacing charm by Manu Bennett), alive, well (except for a missing eye, courtesy of Oliver from 5 years ago), and off the island, and determined to see Oliver lose everything he cares about, before he finally dies at his hands. Slade dons his halloween-colored armor as Deathstroke the Terminator (in a nice subtle reference, one of his main minions is played by Summer Glau, who was herself a Terminator), and cuts a savage swath through Oliver’s life, infecting Roy with the madness-inducing Mirakuru, building a super-powered army of killers with intent to destroy the city Oliver defends, and directly murdering Moira Queen, in front of Oliver and Thea.
Oliver, distraught but not broken, builds his team to face Slade, calling on everyone he can to help him.
Sorry Ollie, they’re busy making movies, you’ll need to form your own team.
Together with John Diggle, Felicity Smoak, Roy Harper (now Red Arrow), Captain Lance, the Canary, Nyssa Al Ghul (daughter of Ra’s), Malcolm Merlyn, Diggle’s ex-wife Lyla Michaels, and League of Assassins soldiers, Oliver manages to stop Deathstroke (without killing, finally making him feel absolved over the murderousness Tommy Merlyn had chided him for), paying off two years of build-up in the Oliver/Slade relationship, and contrasting Oliver’s mistakes of the past with the wisdom he has gained since, to show his growth as a person. After the final battle, Sara leaves to rejoin the League, Thea leaves with Malcolm (who she has learned is actually her father), Captain Lance has a heart attack, and Deathstroke swears revenge from his cell on Lian Yu, but by and large the good guys have won and the city (less a few mayors), is safe. Compared to the first season, that’s an up ending, and a big win, and the show wraps up every major plot thread.
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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