[// Pregenerate link to episode ahead of time: - clicktotweet.com- sharelinkgenerator.com]: # > Everything that lives is designed to end. We are perpetually trapped in a never-ending spiral of life and death. Is this a curse? Or some kind of punishment? I often think about the god who blessed us with this cryptic puzzle...and wonder if we'll ever get the chance to kill him. > > — Nier: Automata Uh... we're talking about Nier this week, and hopefully we don't dive too far down the existentialist rabbithole. Plus, we've got special guest Sarah (aka SMZeldaRules) as our resident Nier-ologist to get us through it all. Next week, we'll dive into that long-running and epic fandom: Final Fantasy fans (with special guests, Dan and Ari)! ## Where can I learn more about SMZeldaRules? Do you like Cosplay? Perhaps Video Games? Good news! SMZeldaRules is a huge fan of both! If you want to follow her work, you can find her on... - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smzeldarulesartandcosplay - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smzeldarules/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/smzeldarules - Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/smzeldarules - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/smzeldarulescosplay ## Episode outline ### Fandom Facts **History and Origins:** Nier... is actually a complicated game series to explain. It is definitely most well-known because of the 2017 entry in the series, _Nier: Automata_, but technically that is a sequel to the less popular _Nier_ (2010), which itself is a sequel to Ending E of _Drakengard / Drag-On Dragoon_ (2003). I think I've got that right. [// Interject and ask if Sarah can provide some additional detail without a tone of spoilers ]: # Speaking just about _Nier_ and _Nier: Automata_ (for the moment), the games are set in the far future where Earth has been left in a state of decay. _Nier_ focussed on the character of the same name attempting ...
How does the Alien cinematic universe fit together (and do fans care... about Predator)? How important is Ripley to the series? Is feminism an important part of the series? All this and more as Jaime of [Perfect Organism](https://www.perfectorganism.com/), an Alien Podcast, helps us to better understand the fandom around the Alien films! ## Episode Outline ### Fandom Facts **History and Origins:** > Alien is a science-fiction horror media franchise centered on the film series depicting Warrant Officer Ellen Ripley (played by Sigourney Weaver) and her battles with an extraterrestrial lifeform, commonly referred to as "the Alien". > > Produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox, the series began with Alien (1979), directed by Ridley Scott. It was followed by three sequels, Aliens (1986), Alien³ (1992), and Alien Resurrection (1997), directed by James Cameron, David Fincher, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, respectively. Scott also directed a prequel series, composed of Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017). > > The series has led to numerous books, comics, and video game spin-offs. The Alien vs. Predator franchise combines the continuities of the Alien franchise with the Predator franchise, and consists of two films as well as varying series of comics, books and video games. A video game called Alien: Isolation was released in 2014 to generally positive reviews. > — [Wikipedia - Alien](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_(franchise)) **Search Data:** Interest in the Alien franchise is down a little bit since 2004, [but is relatively stable and oddly periodic](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=%2Fm%2F095d5f). There have been outsized spikes in search volume starting August 2004 (_Alien vs. Predator_), December 2007 (_Alien vs. Predator: Requiem_), February 2010, February 2013 (_Aliens: Colonial Marines_), October 2014 (_Alien: Isolation_), and May 2017 (_Alien: Covenant_). The top ten countries, by search volume, are as follows: Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Spain, ...
What is it about the show that has managed to keep it relevant for over thirty years, even far from its home? And what exactly is the appeal of the show? Is it the lo-fi, retro-ness of it through a nostalgia filter? All this and more on this week's episode! ## Episode Outline ### Fandom Facts * It is currently in its 26th (ish) season with almost 900 episodes since 1993. It is based on the Super Sentai meta-series in Japan that started in 1975 and has been running over the same timespan. * Interest in the various Power Rangers series has been [relatively constant since 2004](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=%2Fm%2F017dbx) though it has had some ups and downs and is on a bit of a downward trend right now. * There are almost 6000 fan works related to Power Rangers [on Archive Of Our Own](https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Power%20Rangers/works) (about ⅓ Gen, ¼ F/F, and ¼ M/M) * The Power Rangers subreddit [has about 20k followers](https://www.reddit.com/r/powerrangers/). ### First Impressions #### T: I couldn't tell you exactly when I started watching the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers… and I also couldn't tell you exactly when I stopped (though I feel like it was just before Zeo… so not long). I loved it; I think my parents still have a VHS of the first episode that was purchased from somewhere (that's right, legit, and occupying the WHOLE VHS). I imagine it had a lot to do with the general interest in karate, ninjas, martial arts, giant robots, and underneath it all… Japan? Plus, it didn't hurt that I felt I could relate to the Blue ranger, and that the show aired just before (and just after school) at an ...