Akira Toriyama Has Left Us Way To Soon, And One Of His Works That Impressed Me The Most Was This One.

Akira Toriyama has left us way to soon, and one of his works that impressed me the most was this one. I've also read DB and played Chrono Trigger, but this little book was something very special! RIP Toriyama-sensei! 鳥山先生、安らかにお眠りください。

HAPPY FIRST CONTACT DAY!

April 5, 2063

By seerlight

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TV Show - CSI: Las Vegas

As mentioned in the last post about Dr. House, I felt like watching a crime series. The temptation was strong because Prime added the first three seasons of Rizzoli & Isles to its program. But I decided to go with CSI: Las Vegas because it's been longer since I last rewatched it compared to Rizzoli & Isles.

Right in the first two episodes, I notice a lot of details, and I might end up writing a lot about them. Let's see how long I can keep it up!

One thing that stands out right away is the age of the series. And by that, I don't mean a specific year but the aspect ratio, which is still in 4:3. 16:9 will come later, but I can't remember exactly when. I'm curious to find out.

Catherine Willows already shows character traits here that will later drive me crazy. I remember finding her very demanding in the later seasons. She always comes up with arguments to bend the rules so she can break them later. However, in the successor format CSI: Vegas, she becomes interesting again.

During the autopsy scene where Grissom and Nick help, you could see the eyes of the millionaire blinking. I always find such details interesting. Sometimes you can see the "corpses" moving their chests, the carotid artery pulsating, or a body part moving. If I remember correctly, some shots use a still image to avoid such mistakes.

We still miss important characters like Super Dave and Doc Robbins. But one person we see very early on is the firearms specialist Bobby!

I also noticed Grissom's mood during the dummy experiments, which reminded me why I find him so intriguing. He's a man of facts, and as the series progresses, he becomes less and less able to deal with society and its quirks.

Voices are another topic because we have two very distinctive voices right from the start, one of which stays with us. Holly Gribbs is voiced by Sandra Schwittau, who is the German voice of Bart Simpson, played by Nancy Cartwright. Nick Stokes (George Eads) is voiced by David Nathan, who is not only one of the most distinctive German voices but also the regular voice of Johnny Depp and Christian Bale.

I'm thrilled to be back in Vegas, to see how everything unfolds, what cases they work on, and what questions arise. Because I already have one question: Even though Warrick was overseeing Gribbs since she was new, no one asks what happened to the officer at the crime scene where Holly was shot. Sure, Brass was reassigned, but that's about it. I find it extremely strange. (Although I'm aware that this is used to show the tragedy surrounding Warrick's character!)

Otherwise, the first season is always the most interesting because this is where the series is still finding itself, and many things are still changing. There's a lot to discover and admire, especially when it comes to the development of the characters.

I'll also thoroughly enjoy all the special effects because many of them were created without CGI, and practical effects are still among the best because they are tangible and provide a sense of depth that CGI simply can't achieve. I know, it's a big debate, but it's like photography. Digital photography is great, no doubt, but that final step to achieve exactly what's possible in analog photography is still missing. It's not much, and I know both sides very well, but it's just that tiny bit that's still missing!

In the German version, when Nick talks to Sanders, it's briefly mentioned or asked if Sanders is already playing the "Football game on Dreamcast." Once again, it shows that someone involved in writing the dialogue didn't have a clue. That always annoys me. Either video games look terrible in movies/shows, or they mix up everything and leave out details.

TV Shows - CSI: Las Vegas VIII

Often only Nick or Warrick are talked about, a little swooning over Greg, and gossiping about Hodges. Grissom is often only found on page two, but he is one of the most interesting characters on the show precisely because of who he is. Highly intelligent, introverted, and reserved. But also always highly concentrated and focused on the work. (Right now, the episode "Butterflied" S4E12 is running, and that just made me realize again) So it's not surprising that he maintains closer relationships with the most interesting women on the show. And because it's Grissom, I don't mean that in a sexual or physical sense, but on a deeper, much more exciting level (which of course doesn't exclude sex). But who do I mean? Terry and Lady Heather! Both fascinating characters with incredible depth, and it's understandable that Grissom is interested in both. But unfortunately, Grissom is Grissom, and that's why both relationships are doomed to fail. Very sad!! Nevertheless, the episodes in which they appear and interact with Grissom are always interesting and exciting to watch.

And just a little side note, you should listen very carefully to Lady Heather regarding interpersonal relationships and BDSM (dominatrix/sub relationship). She reveals a lot here, which is often misunderstood and also misrepresented by various media. This can lead to very unpleasant situations!!

In the third season, it already becomes a bit clear, but in the fourth season, you can be sure that this series, as mature as it already was at the beginning, is now fully grown. Why do I mention this? Well, precisely because we're only in the fourth season, and when a series has reached such a status, it often doesn't live on for too long or is kept alive far beyond its peak. That's not the case with CSI, and I include CSI: Miami and CSI: New York in that. All three series manage to keep themselves alive in an interesting way without declining too much. Of course, there are always small rough patches, and that's not only forgivable but completely normal. But you always manage to give it new impetus through slight restructuring, new characters, bringing back old characters, and also changes in the setting.

This is wonderfully shown in the successor to CSI: Las Vegas, CSI: Vegas. There are now two seasons, and a third has already been ordered. You start anew, but you're still in Vegas. Much feels different, but because we have familiar faces and they practically accompany us, it's easier to get used to the new. You can't look away, and the first season is over before you know it, and you really like it. Because you were slowly introduced to the new without it being bothersome or boring. Truly a very good example of such a kind of follow-up series.

TV Shows - CSI: Las Vegas VI

The third season starts with two interesting encounters. First, we see Doug Jones at the poker table, who is not only very successful in Star Trek: Discovery but also plays Abe Sapien in the Hellboy movies (plus several other characters). He is the person in Hollywood you call when you need someone to portray a character in a full-body costume that needs to express a lot through their performance. Listing everything here would be crazy, but his IMDB list is more than noteworthy. We also see a relatively young Carmine Giovinazzo, who plays a relatively insignificant role here. He will later play Danny Messer from 2004 to 2013 in CSI: New York.

The episode where the entire team is scrutinized by Grissom was also one that got my blood pressure up. Yes, Grissom has communication problems, but the way Catherine snaps at him without knowing his motives and doesn't even think to ask about them is just rude. But well, that's Catherine for you.

There was also a nice moment between Sara and Grissom, I think also in the third season, where she asks him when he started paying attention to beauty. Without even thinking, he replies that he has been doing that since he met her.

A nearly equally beautiful moment is shared by Nick and Warrick, but already in the second season. Warrick pushes Nick away, but Nick doesn't let it affect him. When they both sit at the blackjack table, it's really emotional. Those are true bros!! And I like Warrick's hairstyle at the beginning of the third season!!

In "A Little Murder" S3E4, we not only see Mr. Johnny Cash himself (Linden Ashby) from the Mortal Kombat movie, but we also see an interesting murder weapon. I don't remember exactly what it was called in the episode, something with Z, but it was definitely a Nintendo GameCube that was released about a year earlier in Japan and the USA! How do you manage to include a current game console in a series without securing the rights? Like this!

In "Fight Night" S3E7, I was very excited about the beginning and that it breaks some expectations here. Because Grissom arrives at the ring, takes a quick look around, the music for the intro starts, and suddenly BANG the pager goes off, and it's off to the next scene! Plus Nick's first solo case, what a night?!

We've now also seen the complete redesign of the set, including all the glass fronts and the changed offices and interrogation rooms. In addition, Grissom keeps giving these one-liners that are sometimes really atrocious but also really good because of that!!