If you’re super observant, you will have noticed we’ve not had any JustWatch data for a while on site.

That’s due to a change of personnel, and I’m sure not just because we dropped the below video widget (though that still lingers in older posts).

To catch up, let’s see what’s been hot on streaming platforms last month and then go back in time and look at April too!

What was the top TV in May?

Ted Lasso takes top billing in both the US and the UK.

The most popular movies on streaming platforms last month

In the States, the welcome surprise hit of D&D comes out top.

However, the cinematic release only happened in the UK much later, and there’s not enough time for the so-called heroes to make it a double.

What were the hot TV shows in April?

Here’s what you should catch up on in the States if you want to pretend to have a TV TARDIS.

Or, if you’re in the United (ish) Kingdom, there’s this top list.

What were the hot movies on streaming platforms in April?

Starting with the States, we see that Everything Everywhere All at Once was still going.

And an appropriately cynical comment on influencers comes out top in the UK.

Doesn’t April and our watching habits feel like years ago already?

We are getting a Jujutsu Kaisen season 2.

The trailer featuring the show’s opening theme, “Ao no Sumika” from Tatsuya Kitani, gives us a look at frantic combat and some sombre emotions.

The second series is due July 6th in Japan, and Crunchyroll may pick it up. Sony’s anime platform had season one and then Jujutsu Kaisen 0, which earned about $180 million worldwide.

Season 2 is the Hidden Inventory and Premature Death arc, which follows a younger Gojo and Nanami from their time at the school. However, we’ve Crunchyroll’s overall description of the series, which features more on Gojo’s pupil, Yuji, to go on.

Yuji Itadori is a boy with tremendous physical strength, though he lives a completely ordinary high school life. One day, to save a classmate who has been attacked by curses, he eats the finger of Ryomen Sukuna, taking the curse into his own soul. From then on, he shares one body with Ryomen Sukuna. Guided by the most powerful of sorcerers, Satoru Gojo, Itadori is admitted to Tokyo Jujutsu High School, an organization that fights the curses… and thus begins the heroic tale of a boy who became a curse to exorcise a curse, a life from which he could never turn back.

Via Crunchyroll.

Bucchigiri?! is an original and for-TV anime which takes the Japanese school delinquent, something between a Western school bully and a drop-out, and merges in the classic Middle Eastern story of One Thousand and One Nights.

Produced by MAPPA and directed by Hiroko Utsumi, the show is slated to hit the airwaves in January next year.

Utsumi penned the script, while Takahiro Kagami is the character designer and one of the key animators.

Make of this what you will, but Utsumi and MAPPA have worked together before and on an anime called Banana Fish. That’s not the only fishy anime Utsumi has directed; they also did Free! Iwatobi Swim Club. 

What goes on in Bucchigiri?! The plot revolves around a young man named Aladdin Tomobishi, who reunites with his former nearest buddy Matakara Asamine and quickly becomes engulfed in a battle to prove the strongest. There’s also… a genie on the horizon!

Via Crunchyroll. 

Amazon says, “The ineffable wait intensifies. Good Omens returns July 28th, exclusively on Prime Video.”

Michael Sheen and David Tennant will repeat their roles as the angel-demon pair in Prime Video’s Neil Gaiman adaption of Good Omens on July 28, bringing back the odd couple. There’s the possibility of a holy war in the first S2 trailer, which stars Jon Hamm as Arcangel Gabriel.

Season Two of Good Omens delves into themes beyond the source material to explore and admire the strange friendship between Aziraphale (Michael Sheen), a picky angel and rare book dealer, and Crowley (David Tennant), a fast-living demon.

Aziraphale and Crowley have lived on Earth ever since The Beginning, and with the Apocalypse dealt with, they are relaxing back into everyday life among humans in London’s Soho when an unexpected messenger poses a fascinating conundrum.

Like Game of Thrones, Good Omens is one of those series fans love to debate ‘Which is better? The series or the book?’. I’m tempted to say Terry Pratchett and Gaiman’s book.

Quick Links

• Prime Video: Good Omens.
• Bookshop: Good Omens paperback.

Warning: SPOILERS! PICARD SPOILERS AHEAD!!! ALL THE SPOILERS! IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN PICARD, DON’T READ THIS!!! Have I made myself clear? Okay, good. Big, huge, mothertruckin’ spoilers FROM THE BEGINNING comin’ right up!

Writer’s note: Back in 2012, when I was interviewing sci-fi stars (such as Brent Spiner, Danny John-Jules, Robert Llewellyn and Matt Berry), I also thought it was fun to amuse myself with this theory I originally cooked up at the time (not that it’s unique to me). Now, over 10 years on, and three seasons into ‘Picard’, I thought it deserved to be resurrected – at least, more so than Kirk’s corpse in ‘Picard’ season three.

Back when I originally wrote Picard’s Nexus Fantasy Theory, I never for one second assumed that 11 years down the line, we’d be on season three of Picard; a show dedicated to the much-beloved ship’s captain.

And, at the start of writing this piece, I feel a touch of overwhelm. Will my theory hold up? Can I stand to look into Picard seasons two and three (having given up in disgust after the end of season one)? Will I end up scrapping this entire thing before I even get to the end of writing it?

That’s yet to be seen (but if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance it’s managed to be published in some form or another).

So, let’s get this thing started. C’mon, humour me, just like Captain Girdseye has.

Picard’s Nexus Fantasy Theory – The REBOOT!

Let’s have an introduction to my theory that Picard never left the Nexus, and is still stuck there in a world of his own making.

Writer’s note: Ahhhh. I can feel the comfort already; returning to this place feels a bit like home. I mean, revisiting this theory certainly makes ME feel better about all of the events that I’ve so far seen in Picard (don’t know about you).

So, let’s switch our minds back to the Star Trek: TNG movie, Generations: How do Picard and Kirk leave the Nexus? Do you see the point where they leave? Is it ever explained quite HOW they leave? No? I didn’t sodding well think so!

Do they just decide to leave and there’s a big flashy exit sign? Again, I don’t think so. It wouldn’t be that easy, would it? I mean, sure, you could argue that it’s stated that you can leave the Nexus any time and be spat out any place.

Yes, but Picard wanted to get out and save the day, and that’s what the Nexus does! It gives you what you want. If it was that easy to get out then why was there such a big fuss and people getting dragged out looking like junkies on withdrawal?

The truth is, he never left

So imagine this; Picard never leaves the Nexus, and everything after those planets, plus the Enterprise blowing up is just Picard’s Nexus fantasy. First Contact, Insurrection, Nemesis and the rest? That’s right; all just Picard’s Nexus fantasy.

“But how, Bronwen?” I hear you ask. “What is your further basis for such an outrageous claim?”

Well, let’s look at First Contact. Yeah it’s a bit of action, maybe he was getting a bit bored. Lonely, even. He misses the Borg queen, and being part of a collective. He wants a bit of action.

Insurrection, he’s just having a bit of fun. Nemesis he’s just starting to get a bit creative, and THEN he becomes some form of God and decides to come up with a story so that he can go back to just near the good bit, and start from scratch! The entire Star Trek reboot? Guessed it: Picard’s Nexus fantasy!

Now, this is where things get a bit convoluted, but I wasn’t entirely wrong. Here’s what I originally wrote:

“So we have maybe a couple more movies, then maybe a series, JJ writes it, the plots get so ridiculous everything’s interchanged and intertwined, each character has a weird backstory that somehow corresponds with the rest of the plot, everyone gets confused, Star Trek gets more popular than ever, then one day… THWACK! Picard suddenly gets pulled out of the Nexus, the Enterprise crew have been saved and billions of kids who have grown up watching their favourite new Spock and Kirk characters are absolutely bloody outraged – it’s ALL BEEN A DREAM!”

Well, no, past Bronwen – it gets EVEN BETTER than that!

Picard seasons 1, 2 and 3

Picard eventually got bored of making up original Star Trek alternative timeline fantasies, and now he’s putting himself back at the helm, in a completely fucked up world which returns many unlikely characters, dark scenarios and unnecessary ST:TNG closure that if I wasn’t so convinced of my theory, I’d otherwise have dismissed as fan service.

Really, really bad fan service, 90% of the time. (I’m sorry to everyone who loves Picard, but I just can’t)

Now, let’s be completely fair; I haven’t watched seasons two and three of Picard. I can’t bring myself to. However, I have researched what happens (there may be gaps, so I welcome any corrections) and I just know this is all the doing of Picard’s friendship-starved, terribly bored brain at play.

In season three, he basically reunites his entire crew, because no matter how hard he tries, he just can’t properly get rid of Data (who he actually finds quite annoying). And he even decides to give himself a son. Beverley would never!

Here’s something else I wrote back in 2012:

“But surely Picard wouldn’t want to see Kirk die like that? Of course he did. He wanted to be the only Enterprise Captain in the village and wanted the glory for himself.” — ONLY NOW he has found Kirk’s corpse, so even THAT doesn’t get laid to rest!

Yes, that’s right; there may be the chance of resurrecting Kirk’s corpse in a future season/series/film/who knows. And I really fuckin’ hate that, too.

Yet more evidence of Picard being in the Nexus

Okay, you want more? I’ll give you more.

Déjà vu on a galactic scale

Picard experiences strikingly similar events and encounters, triggering a sense of déjà vu throughout his adventures. This eerie repetition suggests that time loops within the Nexus have ensnared him, blurring the boundaries between past and present. (Or maybe it’s just bad writing, who knows)

Impossible reunions

The reappearance of long-deceased characters, such as Data and Captain Kirk, raises eyebrows. How can these individuals exist within Picard’s reality if not for the Nexus’ manipulation? Their presence hints at a cosmic mirage designed to keep Picard locked within this timeless realm.

Paradoxical continuity

Inexplicable inconsistencies and contradictory events become more frequent. As Picard traverses various timelines and dimensions, the overlapping narratives create a web of confusion. These incongruities lend credence to the idea that he remains trapped within the Nexus’s illusionary grip.

Existential reflections

Picard’s introspection and philosophical musings throughout his journey indicate a sense of entrapment and a struggle to discern what is real. The Nexus feeds upon desires and fantasies, and Picard’s self-awareness of this predicament suggests he may never have truly escaped its allure.

YET MORE evidence (via Lore Reloaded as I’m not the only one to come up with this theory)

But I may have been one of the early pot stirrers, considering I first published a version of this blog on my own site back in 2012.

Here’s a video from 2021, by Lore Reloaded. They’ve picked apart every movie and the earlier seasons of Picard, and gone into quite a lot of detail about why he’s still totally in the Nexus (just in case you didn’t believe me and don’t want to connect the rest of the dots yourself).

They’ve also gone into a hecka lot more detail than I can be bothered to, but suffice to say, everything after Generations can be explained by Picard’s Nexus Fantasy Theory.

One last thing…

There’s reportedly no plans for Picard season 4, which means it leaves our beloved Captain still trapped in the Nexus, and many MANY deluded fans thinking everything that’s happened after Generations is perfect canon.

Oh, how wrong they are.

However, if you (like me) prefer the idea of Picard remaining in the Nexus, and everything after him entering this fantasy land – especially the events leading up to Picard and beyond – being a work of pure fiction and not actually happening to Picard and the rest of the characters, then THIS is the theory for you!

This is your happy place. Hell, this is MY happy place. Picard’s Nexus Fantasy theory makes it all okay.

Thanks for reading. If you’d like to have a healthy debate about Picard’s Nexus Fantasy theory rebooted, I’m up for it. But please don’t come at me too hard, bruh, because it’s just a bit of fun (and also my coping mechanism for all things Picard and ST:TNG-related).

Monday may commonly be considered the worst day of the week, but luckily for us, it’s usually nowhere near as bad as the day these poor souls are having in ALIEN: MONDAY.

It’s a fan-made short film set in space (as most ALIEN films are), and following the crew members of the Thanatos as they learn the terrifying risks involved with undeclared cargo.

Slimey eggs – check. Xenomorphs – check! White med bay with those pods – check. Fear and high tension – check! Gory dead people – check! Looks like there’s all the markers here for a great ALIEN watch, and I for one am 100% here for it.

Watch the trailer here:

So, who’s the mastermind behind this? Animator Paul Johnson AKA “Paul OtaKing“, and amongst the voice cast are Sara Secora and Phillip Sacramento.

We don’t have a release date for this one yet, but hoping it’ll be soon! If it’s out for Halloween, all the better!

In the meantime, xenomorph appreciation is real here at Geek Native, and just how cool is this 12″ ‘mega figure’ xenomorph model from MenKind?!

The detail on the back is just unbelievable.

As you’d expect, it’s an official license, and if you really need it then there are even 1-working-day delivery options from the retailer.

Source: GeekTyrant

Atelier is a very popular series of computer RPGs. The first one, Atelier Marie, was published by Salburg for the PlayStation back in 1997, and the most recent Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key was published by Gust and Koei in March of this year.

The first Atelier Ryza, Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout, dates back to 2019 and introduces Kurken Island’s Reisalin “Ryza” Stout as the hero.

In March, it was also announced Atelier Ryza would get an anime. We’ve got a new trailer.

The series lines up July 1st as the release date. The director will be Emma Yuzuriha, and Liden Films is helming the project.

Interestingly, Kazuki Yanagawa is credited with the music, the same composer from the video game.

Kazuki Yanagawa isn’t the only returning name as Yuri Noguchi her role as Ryza, Hitomi Ōwada as Klaudia Valentz, Takuma Terashima as Lent Marslink, Yui Kondo as Tao Mongarten, Hirofumi Nojima as Empel Vollmer and Haruka Terui as Lila Decyrus.

Via Crunchyroll.

A few weeks back, in episode 195 of Geek Native’s podcast Audio EXP I began by suggesting a weird plot twist where the town militia arrested RPG PCs for a crime they might do.

I was being sarky, and I was making a political comment. In the UK, protesters had been arrested by police for a crime they might do and the crime of peaceful protest.

That police dystopia is the future imagined by the anime Psycho-Pass. Police are equipped with “hounds” or enforcers for partners; one solves crimes, and the other wields an AI-powered blaster which will shoot, injure or kill a potential suspect based on what they might do.

The latest movie in the franchise is Psycho-Pass, and Crunchyroll is taking it to US cinemas. This week, Sony’s anime giant confirmed a UK release too.

In 85 cinemas across the country, Psycho-Pass: Providence will air on the 2nd of August. It’ll be dubbed, huzzah, not subbed.

The official synopsis says;

January 2118. Chief Inspector of the Criminal Investigation Department, Akane Tsunemori, receives a report of an incident on a foreign vessel – the body of Professor Milicia Stronskaya has been discovered. Behind the incident is a group known as the Peacebreakers, a foreign paramilitary organisation and a new outside threat who are targeting the professor’s research papers known as the “Stronskaya Document”.

Reunited with Shinya Kogami, a former fugitive from the Criminal Investigation Department, Akane grapples with a case that quickly escalates beyond their expectations. The Stronskaya Papers could reveal a truth that would shake Japan’s government, and even the Sibyl System, to the core.

It is in this untold story that the missing link is revealed.

There’s often a dedicated website set up to show which cinemas have the anime, but until then, there’s always a Fandango search.

If you’re going to murderhobo your way through a fantasy land of flora and fauna, why not cook as you go?

Delicious in Dungeon is a Studio Trigger TV anime based on Ryōko Kui’s Delicious in Dungeon (Dungeon Meshi). Yeah, it’s about eating your way through a dungeon. 

There are English subs for those who click the caption button.

Sound like a one-shot idea? We’re up to the 12th compiled volume of the manga, all published through Kadokawa.

Yen Press have the English license, and then manga on Amazon. They say;

What do you get when you cross dungeon adventures and food manga? You get Delicious in Dungeon, where we find our troupe of adventurers on a mission to save their lost team member while figuring out how to survive on the food that the dungeon provides. When young adventurer Laios and his company are attacked and soundly thrashed by a dragon deep in a dungeon, the party loses all its money and provisions. They’re eager to get right back to it, but there’s just one problem: if they set out with no food or coin to speak of, they’re sure to eat it on the way! But Laios comes up with a brilliant idea: “Let’s eat the monsters!” Slimes, basilisks, mimics, and even dragons…none are safe from the appetites of these dungeon-crawling gourmands!

Via Anime News Network.

In the isekai “Am I Actually the Strongest?” we’ve a super-powered magical baby.

The good news is that time zooms forward just a bit based on the trailer to that awkward teenagerish age beloved of so many anime stories.

This is the first trailer for the adaptation of “Sai Sumimori’s Am I Actually the Strongest?” which began life as a web story in 2018 (and is still being written). Kodansha took the light novels and made the anime the following year.

It’s Kodansha Comics who translate the series to English, and they say;

To be reincarnated into another world with the promise of a “cheat” power is one thing… but to be reborn as a baby, and then left for dead after your royal parents think you’re powerless?? That’s another thing entirely! Now the newly-born Reinhart—or Hart to his new friends—must find his way through a dangerous world…but luckily he’s got magic that’s quite literally off the charts!

The anime is being directed by Takashi Naoya with Staple Entertainment at the helm. It’ll air on Japanese TV in July.

Via Anime News Network.