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Post by RielCZ on Dec 16, 2022 18:22:11 GMT -5
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Post by RielCZ on Dec 16, 2022 18:24:02 GMT -5
I see they kept in the "for Christmas" in my series. Ah well, that's OK. I had actually intended it to start on the birthday edition (obvs) and end on the Christmas NT, but I'm not disappointed that it starts on the Christmas NT and will end on 975 heh. Only disappointing part is that the readers will have to wait a whole month between the two parts.Congrats to everyone who made it in! Looks like this will be a fun edition.
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Post by Twillie on Dec 18, 2022 19:32:59 GMT -5
Comics! \o/
Amazing backgrounds, your exploration of Darigan Citadel and its architecture has been paying off! I like the idea that there are smaller floating islands within the citadel that you can live on, adds to both the fun and fantasy of the terrain. That shot of their amazing view is also great, I need to take notes on how much you accomplish with a limited palette and cel shading. Poor Sherekong, why do I get the feeling this isn't the first time he's had to carry the shopping bags solo x3 (I mean how else did he manage to climb the ladder so well ) Kookith Christmas by twinkle_jazz This comic got a laugh from me, especially with the last panel. The added detail that this is not the first time the Chia's done this elevates the joke from a typical pet color gag, which makes it more memorable :3
Decorating with Sophie by izzywizard Ey, it's great to see izzywizard in the NT again! This comic really hits home for me, as irl my sister and I don't put up a tree for the holidays else the cats will destroy it xD To combine the tree and the cat into one thing, now that's foolproof! That's a cute detail as well to make the Meowclops skittish, it looks adorable with those concerned faces and hiding behind Gillie haha.
Poor Jane can't catch a break haha xD The last panel is such a cute moment, that additional little "let's open presents c:" after the big energy of the previous two panels x3
Knowledge is Power by kuroneko_kitty The shade in that first panel about the Altador Cup scandal x'D The text here is a little hard to read, which was probably a resizing issue more than anything, and I know how difficult it can be working around that.
Love the energy of the art, like how the first Draik sits in the chair and the white Draik's mischevious demeanor and expressions. There's also tons of little details that enhance the comic, like the banner around the Grimoire of Thade, the HP bar, and Santa "Claws" x3 Great work overall! Melie's Morsels- Borovan! by melieworm Just wanted to say that I am envious of this person's giant Aisha plushie and how soft and squish it looks. What my life would be with an Aisha plush that big (and if Neopets had ever made official Tyrannian Aisha plushies...) Not sure I'd actually try the recipe as I'm not a hot cocoa fan, but it is always fun to see Neo food made in real life! A Wonderful Surprise by frangypanny A cute comic, and I'm glad the hot cocoa is pleasant for the Grundo, as it doesn't always work out that way for food Neopets in comics lol. I like how the Wocky did not question the existence of such a large drink, and perhaps even seemed willing to drink it like normal. Don't forget the Snowager! by serein Aw, yay the Snowager gets his own gifts for the season! :3 Zathandria approves of this comic haha. But that's a nice feelgood comic, perfect for the special edition, and the artwork compliments its sweet story.
The Off Season- Happy Holidays!! by pokemon_master_a74 I suppose it is a bit harder to be skeptical in a world like Neopia where things like ghosts and faeries exist haha. Maybe if I start doubting the existence of Jacko out loud, it'll summon him my way too x3 I think the artist's style works really well for a holiday comic, it has a soft, classic children's book feel to it, especially with how they did the low lamp light. And it's a small detail, but I love the shape and expression of the Cybunny's ears, haha.
Trouble in Paradise: Advent Calendar by Rabbit ♠ Oh dear, it does seem to be that way, doesn't it x3 Only thing missing is the petty inflation of any item adjacent to the AC prizes, but we've all already seen that in action xP Interested to see how else TNT causes chaos this month!
The Perfect Request by queen_potema Aw, I really love this! It's genuinely heartwarming with how the little girl is devoted to her toy, and that her happy ending is someone paying attention to her wants and giving something meaningful. Very sweet <3 A Thief's Way of Giving by casper_nepenthes Lol Brynn will forever have trust issues with the gifts Hanso gives, and for good reason. I do like the genuine friendship the two have here, that even though Brynn is annoyed by Hanso and his thieving ways, she's still originally appreciative of the gesture and is happy to accept an act of kindness from him. Great artwork, I like its use of both normal and exaggerated poses for comedic effect.
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Post by Gelquie on Dec 22, 2022 4:59:34 GMT -5
Went over the comics! (Am slow at getting to this. I might eventually poke at some articles and stories. If I have words for those, I'll post them!) Life Improvised (HOLIDAY EDITION) by Kengplant - Dang that is such a nice view! I feel those moments. =D Still, poor Sher. I also feel those moments. x'D Kookith Christmas by twinkle_jazz - Heh, it's magnified by the frequency. xP It's like having a gift all the time!! Ultimo 00: Gratitude by shellshocks - Perhaps there's context I'm missing here, but nevertheless, it's fun to have those moments of people who don't like each other who are nevertheless sending each other things, calling the other out, and knowing them too well. xP Decorating with Sophie by izzywizard - Sophie has a point! xP Love the art style too. It feels so soft and homely despite it being a witch's cottage. A friendly atmosphere. <3 Dinner with the Scarlets: Another Holiday by June Scarlet - Ah yes, the eternal holiday moods. xP (At some point after living long enough, we have been each of these at least once.) Knowledge is Power by kuroneko_kitty - The attitudes of each here! The art style helps show the personalities of each draik. ^^ Also yes; anything is a weapon if you try hard enough. xP (I did have to increase the screen size to read it comfortably. Just a 10% increase did the trick.) Melie's Morsels- Borovan! by melieworm - That plush!! <3 Also a nice page set-up, as well as the posing with the cup. That's pretty heavy on the cocoa powder and sugar for just 6 oz of milk, but maybe heating it up along with the whisking will help it. A wonderful surprise by frangypanny - Maybe it's only just warm enough for a normal bath even for a marshmallow grundo. Like if a hot cocoa bomb were a bath bomb. Almost sounds cozy! Don't forget the Snowager! by serein - Awww! <3 I've been feeling guilty too. So this is nice to see. <3 I also like the fuzzy art style contributing to the gentle tone of the piece. The Off Season - Happy Holidays!! by pokemon_master_a74 - xDD After that happenstance, why not? =D This is a cool art style too, and I love the homely atmosphere of the house set. Trouble in Paradise: Advent Calendar by Rabbit ♠ - xDD Accurate! (Also, the shoyru's happiness and expression. <3 ) Sorry restockers (particularly the ones hyperinflating); I don't feel sorry for you. The Perfect Request by queen_potema - Aww, that's sweet and heartwarming. <3 Particularly how they listen to her and give a meaningful gift. The toy looks neat this way. A Thief's Way of Giving by casper_nepenthes - Daww, those two and the way they're drawn! <3 Also, yes, get used to not asking, Brynn. xP
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Post by Twillie on Dec 26, 2022 14:56:27 GMT -5
A couple of stories \o/ I'm hoping to get through at least all of the NTWF written stories, but it'll just be at a slower pace for me.
Aw, this was another good story to contrast Meridell and Darigan, how the two are slowly bridging those differences towards peace, and how Set is caught in the middle trying to find his place in it all. It's neat how the two kingdom's holidays also reflect these differences, with Darigan's being more solemn and focused on the darkness, and Meridell's feeling morel like a party full of festivity. They both seem to be centered around the same phenomenon, the winter solstice, but their differing perspectives on it really highlight the history of each kingdom and the work they have ahead. I think Set's addition to the tree was perfect one! It fits right in with the Meridellian celebrations as a great tree garland, and it revives an old tradition of his and recasts it in a more positive light now that it doesn't have to be associated with Kass. True to its title, I think this story well balances both its light and dark elements to create a bittersweet but heartwarming end :3 How to Give Gifts to Chocolatiers by Kat Oh wow, that story took quite the turn! I'm not sure I'm familiar with Star, has she appeared in previous stories I could catch up on? Was not expecting her to be a shapeshifting superhero, but that is still an intriguing character concept! I was interested the whole fight sequence to see what all she could turn into, and the cosmic theme to her powers is very fun. I'd say saving the shop from a robbery is a pretty great gift to give, haha. That's nice that to her it was about the satisfaction of doing a good deed, and so long as Ambrosinno is happy, then it's a good gift even if she doesn't get the full credit for it. It's a nice note to end on, rather than her simply finding a perfect material gift for him, as it feels more in line with the selflessness people often associate with the holidays. Overall, a nice feelgood story! :3
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Post by tarulliah on Dec 28, 2022 18:04:14 GMT -5
Don't forget the snowager! by serein -
she has it pretty rough, people always breaking in and stealing her stuff-I'm glad she gets a break!
a thieves' way of giving by casper_nepenthes
haha, don't ask where it came from...besides that it came from a thief...
The Perfect Request by queen_potema -
aww, when I was a child I would have asked for the same thing
and twillie. the suspense. is. killing me! what is the snow faerie going to do, does she know that she's talking to the person who is there daily and if so is that a threat? what did she see there that was so bad?
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Post by tarulliah on Dec 28, 2022 18:13:09 GMT -5
Trouble in Paradise: Advent Calendar by Rabbit ♠ - xDD Accurate! (Also, the shoyru's happiness and expression. <3 ) Sorry restockers (particularly the ones hyperinflating); I don't feel sorry for you. hah, I feel the same way!
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Post by Stephanie (swordlilly) on Dec 29, 2022 20:16:53 GMT -5
A Birthday Carol (for Christmas) by RielCZ I was so happy to see another piece of satire from you. I sometimes feel that the tone of the Neopian Times tends toward toxic positivity, where everyone kinda ignores the urgent problems in the background and only focuses on happy things. I have tried to write criticism before but couldn't get the tone right; it always came out too bitter-sounding. It's very daring of you to attempt such detailed criticism in the Neopian Times, and you did it with humour as well. I loved it so much. It's been years since I've read A Christmas Carol, but I recognized this scene! Really love your Neopian version of it, and the pun on Stone's name. xD Looking forward to the next installment in this series. The Snowager's Story by tarulliah This story was very sweet! I love how you imagined the Snowager as an initially greedy monster who needed to be tamed with magic, and who later discovered a capacity for caring when baby Beth/Shara was left in the cave. The ending left me feeling a little bit unsatisfied: I feel like it was a missed opportunity to wrap up the problem you introduced here: I guess I would've liked to see the problem resolved in some way; maybe the Snowager is less angry and upset now that Shara is able to visit her. Besides that, this was a lovely story and I hope to see more from you in the future!
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Post by tarulliah on Dec 29, 2022 21:06:05 GMT -5
thank you! I'm so glad you liked it! I didn't see that before. maybe I'll make a second story about that. thank you for the feedback!
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Post by Stephanie (swordlilly) on Dec 31, 2022 2:40:49 GMT -5
The Cherry Tree and the Mynci at Christmas by dudeiloledNoooo! This is so sad ;o; NOOOOOOOOO! Okay but you know what, I chuckled. I wasn't expecting that ending. xD This story was somehow humorous since it broke with conventional story structure. It's a reminder that life isn't always neat and wrapped in ribbons. Also, grief is normal and doesn't have to end on Christmas Day. Thank you for this beautiful little story.
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Post by Twillie on Dec 31, 2022 14:20:22 GMT -5
I always enjoy reading nonfiction-style articles in the NT, they add a certain layer of world building to site lore that traditional stories may not always touch on. This reminds me of animal encyclopedias I'd read as a kid, it has a similar format of clear and concise information that you may not have heard otherwise, and you can get a snapshot on animals that you may not have considered otherwise! I can't say I've thought much about Bika before, but the more in depth history you give them puts a lot more personality and interest in my mental image of them. Did you take inspiration from real life creatures for any of these petpets? This article also gives me a proper wintery feeling~ It's like interacting with nature in real life; getting to read about caring for these arctic creatures and how they interact with their habitat makes me more aware of the environment around me as well. The best way to appreciate a season is to directly participate in it, and even though these are fantasy creatures, it still has that spirit! I talked with you a little about this already, but a neat story that expands on the Snowager in a way I can't say I've seen before! I've read stuff that certainly humanizes it, but I can't recall another recent story that ties to Snowager directly in with an OC's backstory. Also the Snowager usually seems to be characterized as male, so that's another little bit of originality! Overall it's cool to see, as the Snowager may be included in a number of NT entries, but not as often does it get this much expanded history, including an actual name!
I'll be interested to see how you may expand on this story thread, if we'll learn more about how Shara ended up in the Ice Caves and what led her to your character's family! Having someone like the Snowager as a friend can probably get you into all sorts of places you may not otherwise in Terror Mountain, so I feel like there's plenty of directions you can go with it :3
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Post by Stephanie (swordlilly) on Dec 31, 2022 15:52:23 GMT -5
I can't say I've thought much about Bika before, but the more in depth history you give them puts a lot more personality and interest in my mental image of them. Did you take inspiration from real life creatures for any of these petpets? Yes The part about the Bika is based loosely on the Yakutian horse, and the part about the Snowbunny is based on the Arctic hare. For the other Petpets, I drew from my memories of Flash games. The Snowickle is a baby version of the Snowager in Wrath of the Snowager, while the Polarchuck starred in Snowmuncher, the Feepit in Meepit vs Feepit, and the Snuffly in Let It Slide. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my piece ❤ I'm glad you liked it! I'm not much good at doing comic reviews, but I like your creative use of black-and-white with splashes of color. ^^; It's cool to see how you've spun an entire adventure story out from a simple incident of Tarla dropping a Negg. xD
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Post by tarulliah on Dec 31, 2022 15:59:09 GMT -5
I'll think about that, thank you for the suggestion twillie!
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Post by RielCZ on Jan 2, 2023 4:06:40 GMT -5
Happy New Year, here are some reviews! My mother says that what one does on the first day of the year is carried throughout the year, so er let's see how I do this year with the review stuffs. I do have a few more planned from this edition, anyway. Trouble in Paradise: Advent Calendar by Rabbit ♠ Great comic, excellent joke, simple yet elegant execution. 10/10, would like to see you do more of this again. (Yes I will prod you about it.) How to Care for Wintery Petpets by Stephanie (swordlilly) I agree with Twillie, I really enjoyed the worldbuilding here, and how you drew on aspects of site lore/games to make each Petpet personality unique and believable. I especially like your entries for Polarchuck and Feepit. And, as the owner of a pet with a Snowickle, now I am armed with knowledge I can relay to Mireaal to help keep l'il Meowler happy. I had no idea Snowickles liked to swim, and that is quite the life hack there with the neggs. Also, I want a Snowbunny now to see what sort of magic will happen in a year. (Could be a whole story unto itself.) Also also, I'd like to think Taelia would be able to help any injured Petpet, but maybe she has a specialty. Darkness Meets Light by Carolyn What a nice hopeful story. I liked the worldbuilding of the various traditions, and the glimpses into Serian's backstory and life in DC. Not sure if it was intended to, but the Darkest Day traditions intersecting with those of the Festival of Light gave me vibes of Chanukah meeting Christmas (possibly resulting from the respective candle and tree imagery?). I thought how Serian became involved in the others' celebrations was well written; perhaps Serian was reluctant at first, but I think he enjoyed their time together in the end! Although, now I wonder how the Day of Giving (or Christmas) fits into these traditions. E.g., is the Festival a local version of the Day of Giving, or are they two separate traditions? The Crystal Flute by cyber1ofkakoradesert I am as much if not more of a music nerd than a writing one, so anything where instruments are a driving part of the plot and a flute is the MacGuffin immediately captures my attention. And as Rabbit knows I am a sucker for a good flautist.This story did not disappoint, and the instrumentation and performances were described in enough detail that I could almost hear what was being played. In general, the exposition was very detailed (I could also almost smell the Borovan in the cafe heh). And there was some good music humour/puns (like Grammy and Aria). I also really appreciated the levels/depths of generational wisdom at play -- the conversations in particular between elder friends/relatives and Aria. The plot is shaping up to be an interesting mystery to solve / thing to find, and I am looking forward to the next part! The Snowager's Story by tarulliah Ah yes, gotta love a good story featuring someone's pet OC. Echoing the story's other reviews, I quite enjoyed it! It gave a really heartfelt and sensible backstory to the Snowager (though for some reason I kept imagining the wizard as Kayla ) -- in which the beast's malice stemmed from trauma of a child lost -- but also grounds the backstory to canon site lore via the Aisha. Though I vaguely recall some stories where the Snowager is a woman, I can't recall anything where a woman Snowager is explicitly a "mother", so that's pretty special. I'm glad the Snowager's Story had a happy ending! I would like to see a Part II fic describing the first few get-togethers/reunions/visits between Shanoah and Shara (or Beth, those darned humans renaming everything *shakes fist*) in greater detail.
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Post by tarulliah on Jan 2, 2023 17:11:04 GMT -5
lol, thank you so much! I will try. Bethy111/shara/beth's story used to be on her homepage but I ended up needing her homepage for something else.
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