The new year is fast approaching yet we still have a whole month of games, anime, and movies to digest. December 2020 is the month of long-awaited releases from finals seasons to new intellectual properties. This post is mostly dedicated to Soul, Attack on Titan and Cyberpunk 2077. December ushers in a month of content that I am definitely enthusiastic to talk about.
Soul
The newest Disney and Pixar animated film Soul shows extreme promise. Soul was first teased back in November 2019 with Jamie Foxx providing the voice for the film’s protagonist. Through its progression, Soul encourages a narrative of showing one’s true self and embracing their legacy. The underlying message certainly gravitates towards me because I have always believed in following your heart (in this case, soul). Aside from the gorgeous animation, it emits an emotional weight that director Pete Doctor (Up, Inside Out) is known for. I have zero doubt that Soul will provide a fun experience, but it is certainly going to hurt afterwards.
Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan Season 4
Attack on Titan (AOT) hardly needs a reintroduction to the anime mainstream. The popular dark fantasy action show returns as it embarks on its final season. It is quite fulfilling to have stuck with a series that made waves back in 2013 ending in 2021. AOT was one of the few series that I reserved in my “Anime Only” category. Normally I am happy to watch shows in sub or dub, because I prefer reading the manga instead. AOT, however, is a show that brings the perfect blend of music, voice acting and suspense. Even though the manga’s art has evolved tremendously, nothing compares to seeing the animation of Shingeki no Kyojin’s action scenes.
Besides the rampant, violence in the show, I am also interested on how Eren’s story ends. Eren Yeager is a protagonist that most fans do not particularly enjoy or outright hate. Most of the reasoning lies to early Eren constantly being useless and losing titan fights in Season 1. Regarding Eren’s attitude, it had the familiar “Shonen Main Character” aura about him that ticked people off even more. Regardless, I enjoy Eren because he is a typical main character that gets smacked in the mouth by his setting. He is not invincible to the plot and grows over time to make himself useful through his decisions and outlook. I am most intrigued on how his character will develop in this final season with the rapid twists and turns.
Cyberpunk 2077
CD Project RED is on the cusp of making history with Cyberpunk 2077. This game will be defined as the most over hyped disappoint or an instant masterpiece for years to come. The hype leading from 2013 from a teaser trailer to the game’s release date drawing near is astounding. The reasoning behind its massive following is that Cyberpunk 2077 is the first cyberpunk game of its kind. Not to ignore games like Deus Ex or Ghostrunner of course. This is the first game where you get to live and figuratively breath an authentic, open-world cyberpunk experience.
Aesthetic wise, Cyberpunk 2077 is sleek and stylish as a dystopian environment should be. The gameplay is riveting with promise of depth to play how you envision your style as well. The only questionable aspect is the story and how it will play out. The main character, V, is a blank slate where you can choose the background, affiliations, and romance for the character. V is also a mercenary that is going after a rare implant that grants immortality. Not to mention that a “ghost” implant by the name of Johnny Silverhand will influence your journey along the way. The story appears to be shooting for a morale-based narrative to drive the player towards that end goal. Optimistically, the impacts of each decision while make Cyberpunk 2077 cement itself as one of the Greatest Games of All Time.
Summary and Honorable Mentions
December establishes encouraging quality for this month’s entertainment. Soul will hopefully produce an emotionally charged hit to question our legacies. Shingeki no Kyojin’s final season brings the superb action series to a close with an exciting conclusion drawing near. Finally, Cyberpunk 2077’s long awaited release is a mere three days away. I have posted about the delays in the past and incredibly grateful to have this game finally being released.
I am also anticipating the return of Hwang from Soul Calibur 6 who was released on December 2. Aside from his awesome move set, he is also voiced by SungWon Cho otherwise known as ProZD. SungWon has been a longtime favorite voice actor of mine from his work as FL4X and Vaseraga. Additionally, I am also excited for Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon III. Kid Cudi strikes a harmonious chord with me and other fans alike making the album on December 11th one to anticipate. Although November is the month of giving, December is certainly no slouch about these highly anticipated releases.
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