‘The Witcher’ Review

Posted by & filed under TV.

Netflix Has A New Golden Goose In Their Hands 

Written by Aqil Nasri

I’ll be frank. When Netflix announced that they’re going to do a TV series adaptation of ‘The Witcher’ franchise, I was more worried than glad. Having played the games (Witcher 2 and Witcher 3) and having read some of the books (The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny), I was worried that they might butcher the first introduction of ‘The Witcher’ for casual TV fans. I’d call the first season of the series as a make it or break it season for the show, as general audiences don’t really have the patience to wait on the next few seasons if the first one tanked. 

Andrzej Sapkowski has built an incredible fantasy universe that’s filled to the brim with characters, politics, sex, and monsters. The original novels follow Geralt of Rivia as he takes on many monster hunting quests and his tie-in with some of the politics of the world. It’s almost an anthology of sorts, as the books tend to skip and show the many small-time jobs that Geralt takes on as a Witcher. So, if the show toned down on a lot of this stuff, then it’s just not going to be Witcher-material enough.  

Boy, I couldn’t be more wrong. 

Netflix’s ‘The Witcher’, produced by Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, nails it in every single aspect. After viewing all 8 episodes, it’s safe to say that ‘The Witcher’ is one of Netflix’s strongest debut series since ‘Stranger Things’ back in 2016. 

WARNING: Light Spoilers Ahead

Geralt of Rivia

For those familiar with the games, you’ll know Geralt as a tough, mean mercenary with a deeply husked gravelly voice, but has his heart in the right direction. He knows evil is evil, and that if he has to choose between a lesser or a greater evil, he’d rather not choose at all (as mentioned in the book)

Cavill’s combat sequence as Geralt is almost like a dance routine, and this is exemplified in the last few moments of the first episode, where he single-handedly cut down 10 men in but a mere 20 seconds or less.

Blaviken Market Fight scene

He’s not only good in fights however. Geralt is surprisingly excellent at investigating crime scenes and tolerating the whims of the infamous bard called Jaskier (Dandelion in the games) who quickly became a close friend with Geralt. Geralt’s interaction with the world is done so at his own behest, and it can be clearly seen in series. 

That’s why Henry Cavill is perfect as Geralt of Rivia. From being the muscular superhero that we all know as Superman to being a tough and jaded but unimpeachably sweet and nice bounty hunter that is Geralt. How he manages to pull it off is just straight up sorcery. He even pulls off the nonchalant ‘Hmmm’ and ‘Fuck’ which Geralt usually does in the games. Henry Cavill was born to play Geralt and I could not have been more relieved to know that the future of the series will be safe with Henry on board. 

Other characters and world building 

While Geralt might be the main character of the whole series, he can’t carry the whole show alone. The Witcher is an ensemble of characters that comprises of the whole major arc in the story and the world as well. Besides focusing on Geralt, the show also focuses deeply on Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra) and Cirillia Fiona Elen Riannon / Ciri (Freya Allen).  

The whole series jumps around these three different characters, and in doing so, it establishes a much grander scale of things of the whole world and the whole conflict between Nilfgaard and the Northern Realms. 

Yennefer, played by Anya Chalotra

When the show jumps to Yennefer at first, you’d be surprised to see at how horrifyingly tragic her tale actually is. From being unwanted and thrown out into the pig pens at first, it’s definitely hard to watch such a fan favourite character enduring such hardships at first. However, these hardships are what makes the pay-off even more satisfying, because by the end, you’ll enjoy the feeling of how strong and confident Yennefer has become ever since her early days. 

Ciri, payed by Freya Allen

Cirilla, or Ciri, is another main character that the series focuses deeply on. Her role as the princess of Cintra (A nation in the Northern Realms) sees her potentially holding big hopes and power for the future of the world of the Witcher. While the first season doesn’t really give Ciri a major role yet, it is definitely obvious to see that she’ll bloom into the badass character that fans know and love from the books and the games. This is understandable though as the first season of the show heavily adapts on the collection of short stories from the first Witcher novel by Andrzej Sapkowsi cvalled ‘The Last Wish’. In the first book, Ciri hasn’t really played a huge role yet, so the show is staying true to the plotlines that the first book has laid out on. Freya Allen is definitely a talented actress, and I can’t wait to see more of her character in future seasons.

Jaskier, played by Joey Batey

Other than Yennefer and Ciri, there are other supporting characters that amazingly played their part well to the bone. Jaskier (Joey Batey), for example, was the perfect friend and bard to Geralt. His annoyingly good singing and somewhat funny jokes were a perfect contrast to Geralt’s stern and straight to the point type of conversing. The tune “Toss a coin to the Witcher” has become a favourite song of mine, and I regularly catch myself humming to it even when I wasn’t thinking about ‘The Witcher’ at all. Queen Calanthe (Jodhi May) and King Eist Tuirseach (Björn Hlynur Haraldsson) played their roles perfectly as the Queen and King of Cintra and the grandmother and step-grandfather of Ciri. Mousesack (Adam Levy) was exceptional as the court mage and ruid of Cintra as well. He definitely was one of my favourite characters in the series besides Geralt. 

Triss, played by Anna Shaffer

However, there some missteps about certain castings of the characters in my personal opinion. Two characters spring to mind, which is Triss Merigold (Anna Shaffer), the court mage for King Foltest and Fringilla Vigo (Mimi Ndiweni), a sorceress who was with Yennefer from the start but eventually joined the Nilfgaardian army. These two characters were huge miscasting, as not only the actresses playing them were of different colour than what the book and the games was, their overall writing was just weak and single-minded. It was plainly written in the book and the games on how Triss and Fringilla were supposed to be like, but the writers took upon themselves to turn them the opposite of what they were. I don’t mind if it ended up working, but it didn’t. Triss was especially muted as she didn’t do much throughout the first entire season.

Geralt battling a kikimora

A monster-huntingly good time

Apart from all the politics and love-making that Geralt does (which he does a lot), he spends the majority of time killing monsters and being a mercenary for hire. 

The best scene that I’ve seen from the series is when Geralt is hunting down a Striga, a former human that was bewitched by someone so that they turn into a frightening monster. The whole fight scene was straight out of a horror movie. I was clenching my teeth and semi-closing my eyes, which I didn’t expect to do for a non-horror series. The slow tension that the scene built up to was nerve-wrecking, and the full introduction was horrifying. It really looked like a contorted horrible monster, but somehow still somewhat resembled a human being. 

Geralt pinned down by a Striga

The quests that Geralt and his companions embark on resembles the sidequests that you might do in The Witcher 3. Hunting down dragons, fighting off an evil genie, and killing nasty beasts. These are all present in the series, the books, and the games as well. It’s good to see just how good the TV adapted these sort of things from the books and games.

Of course, it’s not perfect however. See, in order to fit an 8-episode series, they’d have to cut down or rush through some content that was explained in much more detailed in the novels. One particular moment was in the Brokilon Forest where Ciri met with Eithne (Josette Simon), the queen of the Dryads. Now, in the books, this scene was as quite a pivotal moment in the series, but the tv series turned into just a small segment that did not really expanded on the importance of the forest and why was it necessary for them to go there.

Verdict

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the first season of ‘The Witcher’ in its entirety, even though they may be some things that could’ve been explained better, such as the whole time-skip and chronological order of the events in the episodes. Still, this was a really good foray into the bigger Witcher franchise, with the end episode of the series showing bigger things to come for the series.  

8.5/10

If you want to check out more about ‘The Witcher’, check out the trailer for the first season here. 

Sony Has Just Built Its First Car Called The Vision-S

Posted by & filed under TECHNOLOGY.

Picture Credits: Sony

If Tesla And Porsche Had A Baby

In one of the biggest announcements at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Sony has just revealed their latest project, an electric concept car by the name of Vision-S. Hybridised looks from Tesla and Porsche aside, it is a testament to the conglomerate’s strength, and showcases the breadth of ability the tech giant possesses. Let’s talk headlines.

The Vision-S has 33 different sensors inside and outside of the car, multiple widescreen displays within the interior, 360 audio, and always-on connectivity. Parts are supplied from several third party companies from the likes of BlackBerry and Bosch, while the newly developed EV platform is engineered by Magna, that’s modular in case Sony wants to expand its vehicular lineup.

While no details of its range, price, and availability are spilled, it’s safe to assume that the vehicle will compete with the likes of the Porsche Taycan, judging from its cross-drilled brakes and enlarged calipers. Its a clear example of the demand for electric vehicles, and who better to do an electronic driven car than an electronic derived company?

In the meantime, gawp at the pictures, and let us know what you think!

Vans Introduces The Double Stacked ComfyCush Era Because Comfort

Posted by & filed under Sneakers.

The ComfyCush Innovated Vans as a whole. Providing skaters with better cushioning was just an all-round better improvement, and it seems like a long time coming till another new innovation pops-up.

Until Vans decided to add another midsole to the silhouette.

In a bid to add another level of comfort, the brand has decided to double stack the cushioning, co-molded with foam and rubber, matched to a newly constructed canvas upper. A simplified one-piece interior greatly improves tongue stabilisation and improve arch support, while moisture-wicking lining keeps your feet dry day in, day out.

The latest edition of the Era will release on the 9th of January at Vans stores nationwide. Will you be copping?

Onitsuka Tiger Updates Its Longtime Silhouette With The Tiger Corsair EX

Posted by & filed under Sneakers.

If you liked the old Onitsuka Tiger Corsairs, you’re going to love the new iteration.

The 1970 heritage model which was credited as the shoe that instigated jogging culture has just been given an update in the form of the Corsair EX.

The upper maintains the same, classic shape, with two variations of material, either leather and a mixture of textile and suede, but bottom half onwards is where the major changes take place. a proprietary shock absorbing fuzeGEL is inserted between the midsole and outsole, while an OrthoLite ® footbed provides all-day comfort.

While no prices have been announced, the Onitsuka Tiger Corsair EX will release in selected Onitsuka Tiger stores on the 10th of January, 2020.

Only One Half Of The Fashion Weak Actually Knows Fashion | From The Thread Episode 17

Posted by & filed under Fashion, TV.

When before The Fashion Weak had us on as guests, the tables are now turned as we bring Lucas Lau and Arnold Loh on to be grilled by Isaac and Ben. To uncovering Arnold’s apparent lack of fashion knowledge, discussing last year’s collaborations, to just flaming one another, From The Thread is back, revamped, refurbished, and rejigged.

As we head into Season 3, we want to take this time to thank our audience who listened to us, kept up through with the bullshit that we spoke, and the improvements that we’re making to serve you better gossip, better conversations, and ultimately, better content. Follow The Fashion Weak, Arnold Loh and Lucas Lau.

Canon Updates Its Flagship With The Release Of The EOS 1-DX Mark III

Posted by & filed under TECHNOLOGY, Uncategorized.

Mirrorless Who?

DSLRs are here to stay, and Canon’s latest EOS-1DX Mk3 is the technology’s magnum opus, the pinnacle of what DSLR technology can do. We begin with a full frame 20.1 megapixel sensor that’s made for increased speeds and noise reduction, with the brand’s revamped Digic X processor. A lowpass filter helps to reduce noise while giving an improved sense of resolution. Faster read/write speeds improve continuous shooting.

The shutter is now capable of 16 fps continuous shooting through the viewfinder, or 20 fps (Live View).

Meanwhile, the processor delivers more speed for noise reduction and promises better lens optimization to account for distortion, etc. All told, the Digic X processor runs 3.1 times faster than the dual Digic 6+ processors on the 1DX Mark II, and can do other types of computing 380 times quicker.

Another new feature Canon teased earlier is 10-bit HEIF (high efficiency image file) image capture that can be used instead of (or along with) JPEGs. Those HDR files deliver more dynamic range and a wider color palette than JPEG, so they’re easier to edit. At the same time, they’re much more compact than RAW files.

When it comes to videos, the Mk3 is a beast when compared to previous iterations. The Mk3 has the ability to record 5.5K RAW footage and is the first in Canon’s line of full-frame camera to able to record uncropped 4k 60P in 10-bit 4:2:2 C-Log. Also, the dynamic range for video captured has up to 12 stops.

Canon’s new flagship DSLR also hosts other features such as built-in Bluetooth, a Wi-Fi unit, GPS Radios, longer battery life, reduced weight when compared to the Mk2 (from 1530g to 1440g), dust and water resistant, as well as a built-in gigabit Ethernet port. Button illumination and touch autofocus also eases usability among users, especially with pre-existing 1D users as the overall layout of the new model is very similar to the Mk2.

It seems that Canon is trying to steal the limelight away from mirrorless camera and focus it back on DSLRs. The EOS 1-DX Mk3 is a true marvel in technology, a tool that is extraordinarily powerful in the hands of pro photographers.

If you’re planning to get your hands on the 1-DX Mk3, you’ll have to wait a little longer as it’s only slated for release from February 2020 onwards at all Canon authorised dealers nationwide. Prices have not yet been announced, but if you want to get more details on the camera, head on over to their official website.

Timberland’s New Collection Is For The Urban Traveler

Posted by & filed under Fashion.

After covering all there is to cover on the great outdoors, Timberland’s looking in, in a bid to conquer the urban traveler instead. In Timberland’s own words, the spirit of adventure doesn’t only take place out there, but rather everywhere we go, within our everyday lives in the urban jungle.

And the city presents a different set of challenges, whereby garments must easily traverse between indoors and outdoors, casual and formal, noticeable, yet understated. In light of these values, Timberland’s Spring/Summer 2020 collection does exactly just that, blending with the ebb and flow of the city.

A core part of Timberland’s new movements is sustainability, and following up on its Nature Needs Heroes campaign, the brand spearheads its efforts to source for sustainable cotton as well as develop a proprietary ReBOTLTM lining, which is made from at least 40% recycled PET bottles.

Key garments are the Pratt Mountain Lifestyle Cruiser, a parka with lightweight Cordura® construction that’s been given the water-repellent treatment that’s light, but doesn’t sacrifice all weather protection.

Apart from that, two silhouettes, the Cross Mark Oxford includes sustainability in the mix by using an LWG Silver-Rated tannery and ReBOTLTM lining, while incorporating an OrthoLite® footbed and AeroCoreTM energy system. The Westmore Chukka uses the SensorFlex system instead, ensuring dynamic comfort with every step.

Priced at a range of RM 599 to RM 1199, the latest collection is available at all Timberland stores now.

 

CONFIRMED: Liverpool Signs With Nike On A Multi-Year Deal

Posted by & filed under Fashion, Sports.

Picture Credit: Hypebeast

Months of speculation, and a court case battle with New Balance, it’s settled. Liverpool officially confirms partnership with Nike over a multi-year deal rumoured to be worth more than the adidas deal with Manchester United (already worth USD 92 million)

“Liverpool Football Club has such a proud heritage and strong identity. The partnership with Liverpool underscores our leadership in global football and with the club’s passionate world-wide fan base and strong legacy of success, they have a very bright future ahead. We look forward to partnering with them to serve players and supporters with Nike innovation and design,” said Bert Hoyt VP, GM at Nike.

The deal will come into effect June 1st, when the new season of the English Premier League starts. Nike will produce jerseys for all levels of the club.

Vans Pays Homage To Its Coloured History By Introducing Mismatched Eras

Posted by & filed under Sneakers.

Skate culture back then was a thing of beauty. You’d have local skate shops fully supporting the skaters and the scene anywhere they go, and as time goes by, accumulated plenty of history for years to come. and in the case of Vans, it had a fairly unique system for its skateboarders.

You see, Vans introduced the world’s first skate shoe, the #95 with plenty of colour options available, taking the skateboarding scene by storm. So when one shoe blew out from riding, skateboarders from Dogtown could simply pop to the Vans stores, replace one with any other colour they fancied, and walk out, leaving with mismatched pairs of shoes.

Whether this was intentional or not, we’ll never know, but it ignited a movement, a wave of creative energy that can only come from skate culture. As such, Vans have decided to pay homage to this legacy by introducing the Mismatch Era to celebrate the time-honored silhouette to a more contemporary iteration.

Not only the Eras, but the Slip-Ons and Style 36s will also be given the same treatment, complete with opposing laces and Sidestripes.

The Vans Mismatch Collection will drop in all Vans and authorised stores from 9th January onwards.

Food Origins: Satay

Posted by & filed under Food.

Written by Aqil Nasri

You should know by now what’s satay. Skewered pieces of meat, barbecued over a charcoal fire, caramelised to perfection, complemented with a sweet, yet spicy sauce that presents a flavour bomb over your tongue. For snacking or for dinner, the satay is perfect for any time, and any occasion.

Origins of the delicacy however, have varied sources that traces its roots to the Middle Eastern regions, whereby nomads would skewer their meats on sword and spitroast them, but it can be traced even further into 8th Century Ancient Greek civilisation as the Iliad Epic mentions semblances of pieces of meat roasted on spits. Of course, with the development of human kind and exploration, this simple technique has proliferated far beyond the Middle Eastern world and arrives to the far reaches of the East, including the Archipelagos of Southeast Asia.

Trade Routes around Southeast Asia

The Spice Trade played a key part in bringing this dish to the region. Arab traders started to spread their overall cuisine to Indonesia, specifically in the Java region. The Javanese street vendors then started to adapt the kebab that was first brought in by the influx of Arab and Indian traders that came throughout the Indonesian islands, slowly becoming the satay we know today.

One key adaptation was the use of smaller wooden skewers by the street vendors to accommodate for a more consumption friendly size, instead of the big metal ones used to skewer kebabs. As more and more regions within Indonesia started to adopt this delicacy, traders started to bring this recipe with them to Malaya and open up their satay stalls across the Straits, and thus, the satay was here to stay.

Mutton Satay

Variations of satay are endless, with Indonesia home to a whopping 252 varieties of the delicacy. Malaysia can lay claim to the famous sate Kajang, as well as the satay celup in Malacca, while our neighbouring countries have pork variations. Even the Dutch have their own variations of satay, adapted and assimilated in their culture during the Indonesian occupation from the 1800s.

Satay Celup. Picture Credits: VKeong

 

In one perspective, the satay can be seen as a direct reflection of the culture within an area, an easy going delicacy that has called home in various parts of Southeast Asia, each uniquely blended with various marinations, spices, even meats, but one thing’s for damn sure, as long as people stick pieces of meats into skewers, the satay will never die.