|
|
Posted on: Aug 19 2022, 11:28 PM |
Cosmix Fairy
Group: Admins
Posts: 6,051
Joined: April 7 2008
From: Escaping the Matrix
|
A fairly incredible move for a toy distributor to make: calling out how bad the current Winx Club dolls are. Kinderspieleland has my utmost praise and respect for doing this. Maybe now Winx Club will rethink their appalling merchandising and advertising campaigns. (But probably not.) Though I do think lost profit might be a voice that Rainbow may finally listen to. Bring back the original quality of Mattel, Giochi Preziosi, and Witty Toys. See article here: https://www.instagram.com/p/ChaCdY4qz1F/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=Or here is the screenshot for easy reading: |
|
Forum: Winx News
· Post Preview: #471810
· Replies: 3
· Views: 4,039
|
|
Posted on: Aug 17 2022, 2:18 PM |
Cosmix Fairy
Group: Admins
Posts: 6,051
Joined: April 7 2008
From: Escaping the Matrix
|
Hooo boy. I wanted to like this show so much, but it's not happening. I am about halfway through Season 1 currently, and I want to punch Rose everytime I see her. (Was that too harsh? đ
)
It's hard for me to watch this series and it's 99% due to Rose alone. Her excessively overactive "enthusiasm" is obnoxious, disrespectful, and sometimes downright dangerous. Can no one put this girl in time out?! Can she have an arc to become less annoying? Why hasn't she been dismissed by her classmates or teachers yet for causing a nuisance every day, yet never seeming to learn from her mistakes? Like ever... Main characters like this are practically villains for me.
The other issues I have with show pale in comparison, but they are there. For the English version specifically the jokes fall flat half of the time and the dialogue is uninteresting. Sometimes a clever thing is said, but it's the exception.
Surprisingly the voice acting is okay. Not great, but not bad. The show has distinctive differences between character voices which I appreciate. But the show still suffers from bad dialogue.
Actually, one voice is super grating. The Stella/Rose character is over the top constantly. It's okay to have Stella outbursts once in a while, but not ALL the time. Killing a good thing there.
The consistency is lacking in the show. Too many times the show bible says one thing regarding a magical item or creature, only to change it in another episode.
Overall this is one of those shows I watch for the small entertainment and fairy tale aspects.
Astoria, Hawk, and Travis are interesting. Joy is okay at times? But sometimes she falls into the Rose category of randomness. |
|
Forum: TV
· Post Preview: #471804
· Replies: 54
· Views: 59,359
|
|
Posted on: Feb 20 2022, 5:45 PM |
Cosmix Fairy
Group: Admins
Posts: 6,051
Joined: April 7 2008
From: Escaping the Matrix
|
Oh absolutely, I see that too. At the sacrifice of other more open countries, he will change their style to suit the few who desire censorship. I'm sure Straffi figured that it is better to appease a few countries to stay global, even if it upsets the other fans. I'm sure he assumes all fans will still watch the cartoon regardless. It's true, I will stick around to see what the new season is like, but I doubt it will be what I want to see in Winx. Reboot shows seem to be the "in thing" right now, but it's not sitting well with me. I prefer new original content as opposed to constantly reinventing the wheel. So many movies and TV shows today are just reboots and copies. It's sad to me. |
|
Forum: Winx News
· Post Preview: #471613
· Replies: 7
· Views: 1,877
|
|
Posted on: Feb 20 2022, 5:33 PM |
Cosmix Fairy
Group: Admins
Posts: 6,051
Joined: April 7 2008
From: Escaping the Matrix
|
Okay, now for the doll update. As most have already seen, the preorder for the collector Frankie doll came and went. But here's the info anyway: On Friday, February 18th, the first of 5 MH collector dolls was released for preorder after only 24 hours of it being advertised by the Instagram MH account. This was most likely to force buyers into making a snap decision and making it seem as if the doll is limited. No one knows if the dol actually sold out or if the preorder just naturally ended at a preset time. The dolls are sold at $75 USD each on MattelCreations.com. There is lots of controversy regarding this price, even from adult collectors who could buy the doll but do not feel like the value is substantially greater than some classic MH dolls. Also, there is another bit of controversy in false advertising from Mattel. The collector Frankie doll is being officially advertised on the purchasing site as having hand painted eyes, whereas the pictures from doll influencers gifted the dolls clearly shows that this is not the doll actually being sold. Many collectors are upset, as the hand painted eyes are more vivid and detailed, and feel that this is very much false advertising. Here are the pictures so you can decide. And pre-sale listing for Frankie (already sold out) can be found here]. Okay, now for the doll update. As most have already seen, the preorder for the collector Frankie doll came and went. But here's the info anyway: On Friday, February 18th, the first of 5 MH collector dolls was released for preorder after only 24 hours of it being advertised by the Instagram MH account. This was most likely to force buyers into making a snap decision and making it seem as if the doll is limited. No one knows if the dol actually sold out or if the preorder just naturally ended at a preset time. The dolls are sold at $75 USD each on MattelCreations.com. There is lots of controversy regarding these price, even from adult collectors who could buy the doll but do not feel like the value is substantially greater than some classic MH dolls. Also, there is another bit of controversy in false advertising from Mattel. The collector Frankie doll is being officially advertised on the purchasing site as having hand painted eyes, whereas the pictures from doll influencers gifted the dolls clearly shows that this is not the doll actually being sold. Many collectors are upset, as the hand painted eyes are more vivid and detailed, and feel that this is very much false advertising. Here are the pictures so you can decide. And pre-sale listing for Frankie (already sold out) can be found here]. First 3 Collector dolls: Frankie pictures: Advertised Frankie with hand painted eyes (not available for purchase, but used in all advertisements) Comparison of actual 2022 Collector Frankie vs Classic Wave 1 Frankie (credits to IG Zombiexcorn for review pictures): |
|
Forum: Miscellaneous
· Post Preview: #471612
· Replies: 3
· Views: 529
|
|
Posted on: Feb 18 2022, 8:28 PM |
Cosmix Fairy
Group: Admins
Posts: 6,051
Joined: April 7 2008
From: Escaping the Matrix
|
QUOTE (mightymarty2 @ Feb 17 2022, 2:39 AM) Wow that is poor quality for today, day and age. It looks like its been stretched and washed 100s of times đ That is so sad. An unwashed, unused shirt that looks like it's been washed hundreds of times. |
|
Forum: Miscellaneous
· Post Preview: #471599
· Replies: 3
· Views: 451
|
|
Posted on: Feb 17 2022, 1:42 AM |
Cosmix Fairy
Group: Admins
Posts: 6,051
Joined: April 7 2008
From: Escaping the Matrix
|
In January I bought two items from the store. And at the moment I have no intention of buying more due to quality issues. One of the items was actually very nice, just overpriced: the pink glitter âOpen Your Eyesâ coffee mug. I do like using the mug for coffee or tee and the design does not flake off thankfully. The other item I bought is the real issue. I spent 40 euros on one of the âbetterâ sweatshirt designs, a classic group shop from Season 1. When the sweatshirt arrived it was the cheapest print job Iâve eve seen on a shirt. And 40 euros is NOT something I have lying around all the time ready to spent on cheap clothes. So. Thereâs that. If you buy clothing from the shop be aware that they are probably using the same horrible printers that they used for my sweatshirt. It doesnât matter how nice the design or item looks on their website, itâs probably been photoshopped or is a virtual reproduction. Like how Redbubble.com doesnât actually show you a physical copy of their items, just a virtual copy. And how about some pictures for emphasis: |
|
Forum: Miscellaneous
· Post Preview: #471584
· Replies: 3
· Views: 451
|
|
Posted on: Feb 17 2022, 1:35 AM |
Cosmix Fairy
Group: Admins
Posts: 6,051
Joined: April 7 2008
From: Escaping the Matrix
|
|
|
Forum: Miscellaneous
· Post Preview: #471583
· Replies: 3
· Views: 451
|
|
Posted on: Feb 17 2022, 1:12 AM |
Cosmix Fairy
Group: Admins
Posts: 6,051
Joined: April 7 2008
From: Escaping the Matrix
|
Now for my own thoughts on this.
Design-wise:
Parts of it I like, and parts I don't. I don't like that Straffi caved to less women-friendly countries and is on a tare to cover all midriffs and bare skin patches. I do like the new take on "Magic Winx" transformation, if they are indeed going CGI. There is quality in the design. Different than the 3D movies, but nice.
Story-wise:
I believe this new retooling of Winx Club will have far less serious plots and will be more fast-paced, focusing on witty banter and comical situations. Itâs hard to say exactly what Straffi is doing with this new series, but I believe it will be similar to the recent My Little Pony Shorts cartoon and will be aimed at short attention spans. Not my style at all. Itâs also hard for me to invest in short episodes, especially if they are too fast-paced or an excuse for nonstop witty banter. To me that feels extremely dumbed down.
It also appears that this will be a full reboot. I highly doubt the story will continue from where Season 8 left off. Though, they did leave Icy's story off in a weird way, so who knows... I am more interested in a continuation of the story, not ANOTHER reboot.
I'm also not okay with the censorship of "romantic" gestures. There has never been any problem with the hugs or kisses seen in Seasons 1-3, and I'm not going to start now because a handful of countries say that's inappropriate. It's a globalization thing, I get it. But it's still kowtowing. Straffi should continue to keep and enhance on his original design, and let the other countries censor where they want.
Winx has always been deep to me. Even though the show has its fair share of comic relief and lighthearted-ness, it also has a foundation based on serious story telling. Drama that stretches over many episodes, magical journeys of self-discovery, emotional highs and lows, life-threatening scenarios, sorrow and loss, but also redemption. This cartoon was once able to bridge an assortment of age, gender, and genre groups together due to its amazing story-telling. Something I think Straffi accidentally fell into during Seasons 1-3. At that point, the show was rebooted and fell into the trap of globalization and standardized story-telling. Season 4 was okay, but I could tell the story was just not working in the end. Season 5 and on continued to spiral downhill.
And then Season 8 burst out of nowhere, and actually was a bit of fresh air for me. Even though the show was redesigned and âdumbed downâ for a younger age group, I ended up enjoying the story and even the new Cosmix transformation. It was the first season since Season 3 that had a tinge of what the original series was about. Not my favorite season by any means, but fun in its own way. The return of Valtor was definitely highly favorable to me. Again, Iâm not saying this season was âall thatâ, but it had heart and wasnât rote like season 5-7.
And with that, I rest until new information of S9 comes to the surface. |
|
Forum: Winx News
· Post Preview: #471582
· Replies: 7
· Views: 1,877
|
|
Posted on: Feb 17 2022, 1:01 AM |
Cosmix Fairy
Group: Admins
Posts: 6,051
Joined: April 7 2008
From: Escaping the Matrix
|
What do we know about Winx Club Season 9 so far? It looks like Iginio Straffi is pushing S9 off this ânew animated seriesâ until 2023. And from recent interviews it is likely to be a full reboot of the series with a retooling of the original Magic Winx transformation. Censorship will also be in play due to a global relaunch of the series. From concept art it appears the show will be entirely CGI. Straffi also mentions that regarding age demographics âwe will return to the original targetâ. That remains to be seen exactly what age range he is referring to. The working title is âWinx Club Shortsâ. Instead of 26 episodes, the series will be further broken down into 52 episodes, 13 minutes each. Similar to the format of PopPixies. (See below for some references.) Taken from a news article regarding new title: Italian: "Una nona stagione Ăš in lavorazione con il titolo provvisorio di Winx Club Shorts. " English: "A ninth season is in the works with the working title of Winx Club Shorts." Taken from an interview with Straffi (translated with Google Translate): âThe first series had a target between 8 and 12 years. Over time, the growing offer of fiction has attracted children over the age of ten, relegating cartoons to the youngest and forcing us to adapt to a 4-9 year-old target. But in the new cartoon series, which we are preparing, we will return to the original target.â âHowever, there is not much we can do about sexuality. In some countries we cut scenes where Bloom and Sky hug, let alone the rest. In the cartoon everything must be very candid, without sexual references. In the live action series we can do more.â Pictures from the 2021 Brand Licensing show in Europe: (courtesy of "WinxClubRus" and "Luci e Ombre"): First leaked image: Later retooled transformations of Bloom and Stella Retooled transformations of Flora A nice comparison thanks to @Winxmagicfairies on IG New title "Winx Club Shorts" Another title in the works Younger and CGI version of the Winx Club group Box art on dolls |
|
Forum: Winx News
· Post Preview: #471581
· Replies: 7
· Views: 1,877
|
|
Posted on: Feb 17 2022, 12:41 AM |
Cosmix Fairy
Group: Admins
Posts: 6,051
Joined: April 7 2008
From: Escaping the Matrix
|
Hereâs a post to update the status of all Winx dolls made after Season 8. I am dubbing them âSeason 9â dolls, even though some of them may have nothing to do with character designs that will eventually be released in Season 9. Do I like them? No, ha. The quality and design are definitely slipping. The outfits can't figure out what they want to be. World of Winx? Classic Winx?: Fate? But in case if anyone is interested: Ready the full article at Winxcluball.comYoutube commercial CLICK HERE. Distributor: Rocco Giocattoli Produced by: Witty Toys There are three collections so far: "Winx Club" (classic), "Bling the Wings", and "Magic Reveal". Pictures: Winx Club collection Bling the Wings collection Magic Reveal collection Box Character Artwork And one more from @saddysmagicroom on Instagram for doll comparisons. Not liking the new head style. |
|
Forum: Dolls
· Post Preview: #471579
· Replies: 0
· Views: 4,323
|
|
Posted on: Feb 17 2022, 12:21 AM |
Cosmix Fairy
Group: Admins
Posts: 6,051
Joined: April 7 2008
From: Escaping the Matrix
|
Now for my opinions, ha.
I have a few issues with this doll line as well. Iâve already said quite a bit about these dolls on another Disney doll forum, so Iâm not going to explain my thoughts completely. But my run-down regarding these dolls is as follows.
Jasmine- absolutely stunning. Awesome to see her in red.
Pocahontas- not a favorite, but the skirt styling is very interesting.
Ariel- absolutely do not like. Since these are supposed to be âgalaâ style dresses I think she looks underdressed, like sheâs going to a high school prom. I actually bought her a first, and then returned her when I saw her in person. Just not for me.
Mulan- fantastic, second favorite to Jasmine. I do think the designer when too heavy on black and that the face is too severe, but overall she is still beautiful. Especially all the embroidery on the sleeves.
Tiana-another gorgeous design. Plainer than Jasmineâs embroidery, but very beautiful. Art Deco theme is amazing. Also giving me Grecian vibes.
Aurora- Still on the fence about this one. I need better pictures. The inner skirt is too plain for me, like it needs a panel or rhinestones. Something. More pictures needed.
Not sure if these dolls are living up to Designer standards or the $129.99 USD value, but some are pretty. |
|
Forum: Miscellaneous
· Post Preview: #471578
· Replies: 1
· Views: 489
|
|
Posted on: Feb 16 2022, 11:20 PM |
Cosmix Fairy
Group: Admins
Posts: 6,051
Joined: April 7 2008
From: Escaping the Matrix
|
Since there are a lot of Winx doll collectors, I figure there must also be some that overlap that shop the high end collector Disney dolls as well. There is just as much online chatter regarding these dolls releases as there is with every Winx Club doll release. The most recent doll line currently being released is the âUltimate Princess Celebrationâ series featuring 15 Designer quality princess dolls. Starting in October 2021, one doll is released every month until December 2022. Due to shipping and supply issues, these dolls may be purchased as pre-orders or if youâre lucky, will ship a few days after purchase. They retail at $129.99 USD and are sold worldwide. This series is controversial because each doll is redesigned in the image and styling of a different contracted doll designer, and fans tend to either love or hate the designs. Hereâs the list of the released dolls so far: 2021: October- Jasmine (released) November- Pocahontas (released) December- Ariel (released) 2022: January- Mulan (released) February- Tiana (released) March- Aurora April- Merida May- Moana June- Snow White July- Rapunzel August- Belle September- TBD October- TBD November- TBD December- TBD Links to the first 5 dolls. JasminePocahontasArielMulanTiana |
|
Forum: Miscellaneous
· Post Preview: #471577
· Replies: 1
· Views: 489
|
|
Posted on: Feb 16 2022, 6:43 PM |
Cosmix Fairy
Group: Admins
Posts: 6,051
Joined: April 7 2008
From: Escaping the Matrix
|
All news regarding the new line of Monster High dolls. We all felt that the end of classic MH back in 2015 was like having a door slammed in our face. We were stuck with those mediocre reboot dolls and we tried so hard to stomach the reboot movies⊠Until we all walked away from the franchise that had once been epic. The fans continued to tell Mattel to bring MH back, and low and behold, someone listened! There have been tons of rumors and snippets of doll clothes and accessories floating around, and it looks like tomorrow the Instagram MH account will be making an official announcement about a few of the doll releases. So now, letâs see what they have in store. Are we going to get an upgrade on classic MH? |
|
Forum: Miscellaneous
· Post Preview: #471576
· Replies: 3
· Views: 529
|
|
Posted on: Feb 15 2022, 4:52 PM |
Cosmix Fairy
Group: Admins
Posts: 6,051
Joined: April 7 2008
From: Escaping the Matrix
|
Other than haphazardly scattered on YouTube, I have been able to watch (and using a browser extension download) episodes from: https://www.wcofun.comYou may need to set a VPN to USA to watch them. Not sure is it is region locked. The other option I will just mention briefly is Torrents. But I'm not an authority to explain how to use them. You'll probably have to check some tech sites for help on that. |
|
Forum: Other
· Post Preview: #471568
· Replies: 1
· Views: 5,087
|
|
Posted on: Feb 7 2022, 9:30 PM |
Cosmix Fairy
Group: Admins
Posts: 6,051
Joined: April 7 2008
From: Escaping the Matrix
|
QUOTE (mightymarty2 @ Feb 2 2022, 1:51 PM) That works, thanks That worked?! I'm shocked, but I'm glad it did. đ |
|
Forum: Videos
· Post Preview: #471528
· Replies: 6
· Views: 2,727
|
|
Posted on: Feb 7 2022, 9:22 PM |
Cosmix Fairy
Group: Admins
Posts: 6,051
Joined: April 7 2008
From: Escaping the Matrix
|
QUOTE (mightymarty2 @ Feb 7 2022, 1:49 PM) Sirenix was a good one, catchy, although that has set it off in my head again đ€Ł Sorry |
|
Forum: Music
· Post Preview: #471526
· Replies: 5
· Views: 4,313
|
New Replies No New Replies Hot Topic (New) Hot Topic (No New) |
Poll (New) Poll (No New) Locked Topic Moved Topic |
|
|
|