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Archive for July 2018
Hey guys, kanna here.
You know, as much as I can't stand the Spiderman movies (unless Spidey is played by Tom Holland), I am allowed to have a favorite villain or two. Ok, I might have made that rule up, but who cares if I did? And that villain (anti-hero?) is none other than Venom. For those of you who don't know, Venom is actually getting his own movie that will serve as an origin story (appropriately titled Venom) starring Tom Hardy (you might recognize him from Black Hawk Down, Star Trek: Nemesis, Inception, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Dark Knight Rises and that one show on BBC One in the UK and on FX in the States called Taboo). The movie will be released in the States on October 5.
Fun fact: He'll also be playing the notorious gangster, Al Capone, in the biographical crime thriller, Fonzo.
Before I get into why I'm even talking about Venom in addition to Tokyo Ghoul (which we'll get to in a little bit), here's the trailer for Venom. If you're squeamish, I strongly advise against watching.
"We. Are. Venom!" G-d that line sends shivers down my spine...not to mention how Tom Hardy's American accent is pretty good and his voice of Venom, while not quite how I imagined it sounding, is pretty good, too.
Moving on.
If you've seen Tokyo Ghoul (the live action movie or the anime), you MIGHT have noticed a couple of similarities between the trailer and Tokyo Ghoul. Which is what brings me to today's Anime Monday. For this week's Anime Monday, I'll be comparing and contrasting Tokyo Ghoul and Venom (the character and what we've seen so far of him from the trailer). Note that I will NOT be referencing the Spiderman comics much, if at all. I have not read them, I have no plans to read them, and everything I've done to understand this movie more has been based off of research.
Let's go!
How the characters became what they are
Ken Kaneki (Tokyo Ghoul): If you read my review of the live action adaptation, then you already know how Ken became a Ghoul. If you haven't, the shortened version is he was nearly crushed by a building and received the organs from another Ghoul, which made him a half-Ghoul. Full-fledged Ghouls are born that way (i.e. Hinami, Touka, etc). It's pretty brief and kinda self-explanatory. Unlike Venom's story, which is a little more complicated because it has changed so many times.
Venom: We first met Venom in Spiderman 3; where Spidey was played by Tobey Maguire (who, for the record, is still pretty good looking even after all these years). In fact, Venom's first host was actually Peter Parker/Spiderman.
However, when Peter realized how Venom was corrupting him (long story; see Spiderman 3 or research the movie for the details), he managed to release Venom, who then found a new host in Eddie Brock; a photographer who was exposed by Peter for creating a fake image of Spider-Man. Eddie is then ready for revenge. He embraces his madness and tries to kill Peter before (spoiler) ultimately joining Venom in death. Here's the scene. Don't watch it if you're squeamish.
Whether Venom will go this angle is unknown, but from what I've seen in the trailer, it doesn't look like it. I have to admit, I'm just a tad nervous, because it doesn't look like they're going the route that Spiderman 3 went. Why do I think this? Well, I don't know if that bit of Eddie being dragged off by Carlton Drake's (the guy Eddie was interviewing from the Life Foundation; he's played by Riz Ahmed, who you might recognize from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story or Jason Bourne) goons in the trailer was just for exposition or for part of Eddie's descent into darkness/madness.
In the trailer for Venom, Eddie is seen OD'ing (overdosing) on pills before he calls someone (we don't know who) saying that he feels sick. His eyes turn black in another shot, and in the next, we hear a voiceover of him commenting to someone (could be the same person from the phone, I don't know) that he's been hearing a voice in his head.
We later see Eddie sneak into the Life Foundation after hours, where he is attacked by a woman who was being experimented on. As he runs away from the woman who chases him, we see him holding his neck or ear (it's a little hard to tell which because it's happening so fast). This makes me think the symbiote could have either snuck into his ear (sort of like how the Ceti eels did to Chekov and Terrell in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan), or that the infection of the symbiote was passed on via bite (like a vampire). I think I'm more likely to buy the first one than I am the second, but anything is possible.
For those of you who are curious, this is what happened in Spiderman 3; where Eddie Brock was played by Topher Grace. Feel free to compare the two. Tell me which one seems more plausible in the comments.
Abilities
These two characters are actually pretty similar with regards to their abilities. I'm actually starting to wonder if the idea for Tokyo Ghoul came from the ideas for the Spiderman comics. I wouldn't call it a rip-off, since the writers got the ideas from each other and the two have completely different premises, but if that's not the case...then I'd probably call it a rip-off.
Ghouls: Ghouls are able to use a special organ in their bodies called a kagune as a weapon. It varies from Ghoul to Ghoul, and half-Ghouls have them, as well. For example:
In the trailer for Venom, we see something pretty similar. It looks as though Venom's abilities are pretty similar to a Ghoul's. However, instead of it being a special organ, Venom is an actual being; a symbiote. Ok, I shouldn't call it an actual being, but at the same time...I'm not sure what to call it.
According to the research I've done on the symbiotes (which was pretty hard to do, so most of my info is from Wiki), symbiotes are typically a kind species that believe in helping others through the process of bonding to the morally and physically ideal; turning them into superheroes. Sounds great, right?
Well...you can't assume all things are good or all things are bad. There are some bad symbiotes out there, as well. The symbiote can be corrupted by its host due to a chemical imbalance or a cultural malignancy. This causes the symbiote to turn into a destructive parasite that combats its kind brethren by spreading lies and misinformation about their own kind so that other races will fear and hate the symbiotes.
G-d so much info, and most of it is from the comics, which I said I wouldn't reference much (if at all). Um...what's the short version?
I guess you can say the symbiotes are kinda like the parasites from Parasyte: The Maxim. I say kinda because they're not EXACTLY like the parasites, but at the same time...I have no other way of describing them.
Moving on, I guess. I'll probably edit this bit later once I can figure out how to organize all the information (it's A LOT).
Who would win in a fight: Ken Kaneki vs.Venom
This question has been asked so much. Just Google "Ken Kaneki vs Venom" and you'll get A TON of results all telling you something different.
Before I explain what I think, let me just say that this is a fight I would love to see on-screen. Tom Hardy as Venom vs Masataka Kubota as Ken Kaneki would be one of the best fights to grace the silver screen (although I might just be saying that because I'm a huge anime nerd).
The first best fight would be a three-way showdown between Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Donnie Yen. So I guess Venom vs Ken would be a close second (but the chances of both of those fights happening are, unfortunately, pretty unlikely). I hope batinthesun can somehow make the Ken Kaneki vs. Venom fight happen (with Tom Hardy as Venom and Masataka Kubota as Ken Kaneki). I would LOVE to see it (along with many other people, I'm sure). Batinthesun, make it happen!
As for who would win:
Both characters do seem evenly matched (in my opinion). However, while some half-Ghouls are stronger than full-fledged Ghouls (I think Ken Kaneki falls into this category), I think Venom would quickly gain the upper hand. Why? The fear factor. That's what would give him the upper hand, I think. Would it make him win? I don't know.
Given Ken exists in a world where Ghouls exist and symbiotes that can fight for control of another person don't, I think that just Venom's very appearance (the film version; I don't think seeing Venom on the cover of a comic book would scare Ken that much, if at all) would shock Ken to his core. Then again, you can't always judge a book by its cover.
I think while Eddie Brock would be scared of Ken's abilities (aside from the CCG, what human wouldn't be), I think Venom would most likely be curious about Ken's abilities. Venom would probably want to drag the fight on for as long as possible.
So now you're probably wondering, "kanna, what the bloody crap are you trying to say?" Well...I'm going to go out on a limb and contradict what nearly everyone on the internet has said. Nearly everyone on the Internet has said one or the other will win, but in my opinion: they'll kill each other.
When you think about it, both have similar abilities, and while Venom would gain the upper hand, it wouldn't be hard for Ken to make a comeback. I honestly think that at some point, both of their attacks would somehow (squeamish warning; read next paragraph to skip this part) go through each others' head, chest, or just slice them both in half. Kinda like one of those "fatalities" from the Mortal Kombat games.
That's just my opinion. I'm well aware of other factors (i.e. Venom's healing factor) that could and would come into play from Venom's end, but keep in mind I'm not mentioning the comics because I haven't read them and have only done research.
Well, that's my compare/contrast of Tokyo Ghoul and Venom! Hope you enjoyed, and see you next time! ~k
You know, as much as I can't stand the Spiderman movies (unless Spidey is played by Tom Holland), I am allowed to have a favorite villain or two. Ok, I might have made that rule up, but who cares if I did? And that villain (anti-hero?) is none other than Venom. For those of you who don't know, Venom is actually getting his own movie that will serve as an origin story (appropriately titled Venom) starring Tom Hardy (you might recognize him from Black Hawk Down, Star Trek: Nemesis, Inception, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Dark Knight Rises and that one show on BBC One in the UK and on FX in the States called Taboo). The movie will be released in the States on October 5.
Fun fact: He'll also be playing the notorious gangster, Al Capone, in the biographical crime thriller, Fonzo.
Before I get into why I'm even talking about Venom in addition to Tokyo Ghoul (which we'll get to in a little bit), here's the trailer for Venom. If you're squeamish, I strongly advise against watching.
"We. Are. Venom!" G-d that line sends shivers down my spine...not to mention how Tom Hardy's American accent is pretty good and his voice of Venom, while not quite how I imagined it sounding, is pretty good, too.
Moving on.
If you've seen Tokyo Ghoul (the live action movie or the anime), you MIGHT have noticed a couple of similarities between the trailer and Tokyo Ghoul. Which is what brings me to today's Anime Monday. For this week's Anime Monday, I'll be comparing and contrasting Tokyo Ghoul and Venom (the character and what we've seen so far of him from the trailer). Note that I will NOT be referencing the Spiderman comics much, if at all. I have not read them, I have no plans to read them, and everything I've done to understand this movie more has been based off of research.
Let's go!
How the characters became what they are
Ken Kaneki (Tokyo Ghoul): If you read my review of the live action adaptation, then you already know how Ken became a Ghoul. If you haven't, the shortened version is he was nearly crushed by a building and received the organs from another Ghoul, which made him a half-Ghoul. Full-fledged Ghouls are born that way (i.e. Hinami, Touka, etc). It's pretty brief and kinda self-explanatory. Unlike Venom's story, which is a little more complicated because it has changed so many times.
Venom: We first met Venom in Spiderman 3; where Spidey was played by Tobey Maguire (who, for the record, is still pretty good looking even after all these years). In fact, Venom's first host was actually Peter Parker/Spiderman.
However, when Peter realized how Venom was corrupting him (long story; see Spiderman 3 or research the movie for the details), he managed to release Venom, who then found a new host in Eddie Brock; a photographer who was exposed by Peter for creating a fake image of Spider-Man. Eddie is then ready for revenge. He embraces his madness and tries to kill Peter before (spoiler) ultimately joining Venom in death. Here's the scene. Don't watch it if you're squeamish.
Whether Venom will go this angle is unknown, but from what I've seen in the trailer, it doesn't look like it. I have to admit, I'm just a tad nervous, because it doesn't look like they're going the route that Spiderman 3 went. Why do I think this? Well, I don't know if that bit of Eddie being dragged off by Carlton Drake's (the guy Eddie was interviewing from the Life Foundation; he's played by Riz Ahmed, who you might recognize from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story or Jason Bourne) goons in the trailer was just for exposition or for part of Eddie's descent into darkness/madness.
In the trailer for Venom, Eddie is seen OD'ing (overdosing) on pills before he calls someone (we don't know who) saying that he feels sick. His eyes turn black in another shot, and in the next, we hear a voiceover of him commenting to someone (could be the same person from the phone, I don't know) that he's been hearing a voice in his head.
We later see Eddie sneak into the Life Foundation after hours, where he is attacked by a woman who was being experimented on. As he runs away from the woman who chases him, we see him holding his neck or ear (it's a little hard to tell which because it's happening so fast). This makes me think the symbiote could have either snuck into his ear (sort of like how the Ceti eels did to Chekov and Terrell in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan), or that the infection of the symbiote was passed on via bite (like a vampire). I think I'm more likely to buy the first one than I am the second, but anything is possible.
For those of you who are curious, this is what happened in Spiderman 3; where Eddie Brock was played by Topher Grace. Feel free to compare the two. Tell me which one seems more plausible in the comments.
Abilities
These two characters are actually pretty similar with regards to their abilities. I'm actually starting to wonder if the idea for Tokyo Ghoul came from the ideas for the Spiderman comics. I wouldn't call it a rip-off, since the writers got the ideas from each other and the two have completely different premises, but if that's not the case...then I'd probably call it a rip-off.
Ghouls: Ghouls are able to use a special organ in their bodies called a kagune as a weapon. It varies from Ghoul to Ghoul, and half-Ghouls have them, as well. For example:
 |
| Touka |
 |
| Ken |
 |
| Hinami |
In the trailer for Venom, we see something pretty similar. It looks as though Venom's abilities are pretty similar to a Ghoul's. However, instead of it being a special organ, Venom is an actual being; a symbiote. Ok, I shouldn't call it an actual being, but at the same time...I'm not sure what to call it.
According to the research I've done on the symbiotes (which was pretty hard to do, so most of my info is from Wiki), symbiotes are typically a kind species that believe in helping others through the process of bonding to the morally and physically ideal; turning them into superheroes. Sounds great, right?
Well...you can't assume all things are good or all things are bad. There are some bad symbiotes out there, as well. The symbiote can be corrupted by its host due to a chemical imbalance or a cultural malignancy. This causes the symbiote to turn into a destructive parasite that combats its kind brethren by spreading lies and misinformation about their own kind so that other races will fear and hate the symbiotes.
G-d so much info, and most of it is from the comics, which I said I wouldn't reference much (if at all). Um...what's the short version?
I guess you can say the symbiotes are kinda like the parasites from Parasyte: The Maxim. I say kinda because they're not EXACTLY like the parasites, but at the same time...I have no other way of describing them.
Moving on, I guess. I'll probably edit this bit later once I can figure out how to organize all the information (it's A LOT).
Who would win in a fight: Ken Kaneki vs.Venom
This question has been asked so much. Just Google "Ken Kaneki vs Venom" and you'll get A TON of results all telling you something different.
Before I explain what I think, let me just say that this is a fight I would love to see on-screen. Tom Hardy as Venom vs Masataka Kubota as Ken Kaneki would be one of the best fights to grace the silver screen (although I might just be saying that because I'm a huge anime nerd).
The first best fight would be a three-way showdown between Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Donnie Yen. So I guess Venom vs Ken would be a close second (but the chances of both of those fights happening are, unfortunately, pretty unlikely). I hope batinthesun can somehow make the Ken Kaneki vs. Venom fight happen (with Tom Hardy as Venom and Masataka Kubota as Ken Kaneki). I would LOVE to see it (along with many other people, I'm sure). Batinthesun, make it happen!
As for who would win:
Both characters do seem evenly matched (in my opinion). However, while some half-Ghouls are stronger than full-fledged Ghouls (I think Ken Kaneki falls into this category), I think Venom would quickly gain the upper hand. Why? The fear factor. That's what would give him the upper hand, I think. Would it make him win? I don't know.
Given Ken exists in a world where Ghouls exist and symbiotes that can fight for control of another person don't, I think that just Venom's very appearance (the film version; I don't think seeing Venom on the cover of a comic book would scare Ken that much, if at all) would shock Ken to his core. Then again, you can't always judge a book by its cover.
I think while Eddie Brock would be scared of Ken's abilities (aside from the CCG, what human wouldn't be), I think Venom would most likely be curious about Ken's abilities. Venom would probably want to drag the fight on for as long as possible.
So now you're probably wondering, "kanna, what the bloody crap are you trying to say?" Well...I'm going to go out on a limb and contradict what nearly everyone on the internet has said. Nearly everyone on the Internet has said one or the other will win, but in my opinion: they'll kill each other.
When you think about it, both have similar abilities, and while Venom would gain the upper hand, it wouldn't be hard for Ken to make a comeback. I honestly think that at some point, both of their attacks would somehow (squeamish warning; read next paragraph to skip this part) go through each others' head, chest, or just slice them both in half. Kinda like one of those "fatalities" from the Mortal Kombat games.
That's just my opinion. I'm well aware of other factors (i.e. Venom's healing factor) that could and would come into play from Venom's end, but keep in mind I'm not mentioning the comics because I haven't read them and have only done research.
Well, that's my compare/contrast of Tokyo Ghoul and Venom! Hope you enjoyed, and see you next time! ~k
