reviews
The Flash, Season 1: Justice, like Lightning…
Arrow-verse prides itself on being grittier and more realistic than average comic stories, so he can’t just emerge magically unharmed and with fantastic super powers at his disposal.
For Arrow I started off with a listing of the major characters of the show before getting to season synopsis. This however is The Flash, so I’m going to speed things up a bit, and you’ll just need to do your best to keep up!
Barry Allen was a geeky young forensics investigator (think CSI) from Central City, before the fateful night (as shown on the TV show Arrow) when S.T.A.R. Labs turned on a particle accelerator that seemingly malfunctioned and overloaded, causing a pulse of energy that swept through the entire city, and caused a bolt of lightning to come through the glass ceiling of the lab Barry was in, striking a shelf of chemicals and bathing him in the electrified fluids, lighting him up like a Christmas tree. Obviously he died. No, wait, then there’d be no show. Still, this is live action, not a comic book, and the Arrow-verse prides itself on being grittier and more realistic than average comic stories, so he can’t just emerge magically unharmed and with fantastic super powers at his disposal. Instead, therefore, the otherwise lethal combination of electricity and chemical bath leaves Barry in a coma.
Next, to the night when he was 11 and he saw his mother murdered by a red and yellow blur (a murder for which his father was sent to prison, and which will become the focal point of much of the plot of the first season), this is the most traumatic event of Barry’s life. However, when he finally wakes up eight months later, his understandable concerns are helped out somewhat by his discovery that he now possesses super speed. Some of the Scientists responsible for the explosion that caused his condition, and who have been caring for him and monitoring him throughout his coma, offer to study his abilities, and help to train him in their use. Cisco Ramon is a cheerful young inventor who sometimes let the question “can I?” get ahead of the “should I?” in his designing. Caitlin Snow, on the other hand, is the dour and emotionally reserved of the pair, a voice of caution and reason that stems from the fact that her fiancée apparently died trying to stop the overload that put Barry in his coma. Above them in the hierarchy of helpers for Barry is Harrison Wells, the owner of S.T.A.R. Labs and visionary physicist behind the machine that not only crippled the city, but him, as well, as he is, after the accident, apparently confined to a wheelchair. Together, the three help Barry learn about his powers and train, both to increase his speed and to find creative new ways to use his abilities.
Oh, Barry, don’t act like you’re not enjoying that.
On the homefront, Barry has a lot of catching up to do, as his best friend (and girl he clearly has always loved) Iris West has had time to begin dating and get reasonably serious with a new person in the last eight months. His name is Eddie Thawne, and he is a Central City Police Officer, and partner of Iris’s father, Joe West, who Barry has viewed as something of a foster father since his own father went to prison. Barry must adjust to the changes in his adoptive family, and his relationship with Iris, while continuing his pursuit of evidence that would serve to prove his father’s innocence and solve the murder of his mother, all while dealing with his new ability to move through the city at super speed as a red blur (for those who haven’t already figured it out from that (it takes Barry far too long to make the connection), Barry, in his new identity of the Flash, is going to wind up being involved much more directly in his mother’s murder than he already is, as he was there that night not just once, but twice).
One big way in which The Flash is different from Arrow can be summed up in a single word: Meta-humans. A Meta-human is basically anyone with superpowers (no, the ability to do a salmon ladder and fire arrows is not a superpower) and while Arrow has stuck to mostly non-powered characters, Flash ups the ante. The pulse created the Flash, but he soon discovers that other people also gained powers from it, and Barry, as the Flash, confronts those among them who use their abilities to break the law (read: just about all of them). He also confronts a few non-powered criminals, including some who have sought to gain technological stand-ins for superpowers (like Captain Cold with his Cold Gun), in an attempt to keep up in what they see as a meta-human arms race.
After a two part crossover with Arrow, things get somewhat more serious for Barry, as he comes up against the Reverse Flash, a man with the same powers as him, but a color-reversed suit (yellow for red, red for yellow), and apparently malevolent intent (clear involvement in the aforementioned murder of Barry’s mother, for example). Reverse Flash escapes, but Flash has little time to spend searching for him, as Caitlin’s investigations into sightings of her supposedly dead fiancé, Ronnie Raymond, bears fruit, in the form of the barely-controlled superhero Firestorm, who is a nuclear fusion of Ronnie and Doctor Martin Stein. The Nuclear Man very nearly lives up to his name, before a control device is created that allows the pair to survive without blowing up themselves and all of Central City. After that Flash continues to battle weekly and recurring villains (in the comics, The Flash’s rogues gallery is rivalled only by Batman’s, both in size and ridiculousness), until the group discovers that Harrison Wells, by this point Barry’s mentor, is not who he says he is.
I don’t know how you mistake that smile as anything other than totally and completely 100% evil, but hey… who am I to judge?
He is, in fact, the Reverse Flash, a time traveler who killed and replaced the real Harrison Wells years ago, and intentionally engineered the energy pulse from S.T.A.R. Labs specifically to create the Flash, so that he could siphon his super speed powers to energize a time travel device and get himself home (he also hates the future version of the Flash, so he at first enjoyed dicking with young him a bit, but ultimately came to actually respect and like young Barry). Not surprisingly, Barry is upset by this massive betrayal, and the two have a super-speed showdown that breaks not just the sound barrier, but the time barrier as well, as the two of them battle their way back to the night when Barry’s mother was killed. Knowing that stopping the Reverse Flash (also called “Professor Zoom” in the comics, but whose real name is Eobard Thawne, a distant descendant of Eddie) will unravel time and all the things that have happened since, Barry makes the mature decision NOT to alter the timeline by saving his mother, but rather to avenge her death at Thawne’s hands. Ultimately however, as the two battle back to the present, Barry proves not strong enough to kill Zoom, and it is instead Eddie Thawne who stops him, by committing suicide, thus erasing his descendant from the timeline (somehow without changing the murder of Barry’s mother BY Zoom) and saving everyone’s lives at the cost of his own.
This act of selfless heroism comes too late to stop a giant out of control energy explosion/black hole event from opening in the sky (caused by Reverse Flash before his death, initially as his ride home, but then as his parting revenge), which Barry races forward to stop despite Professor Stein’s prediction that is cannot be stopped. Obviously it CAN be, or else season two of Flash is going to be exceedingly short.
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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