As usual [Serenae] is getting the job done over at nyaa.si. There's actually more content in this version of the movie so it's a must-see.
The Olympics are underway and tons of exciting things are happening every day. I loved watching Lee defeat the Russian fencer in a David vs. Goliath story. The USA, which is never any good at fencing, taking the gold in woman's individual foil from the world ranked #1 and defending Olympic champion? That's great stuff. And in an intense, back and forth, 15-13 match too. Goliath did not go down easily.
There were so many other great events, though. The 10m air pistol gold was so intense, as you wait breathlessly to see if the competitors can shoot with the tiniest margins of error. The team archery competitions have much the same feel.
How about Kosovo winning back-to-back gold in woman's Judo? That tiny little country is a gold mine! Or the impeccable synchronized dives of China? Or the many, many swimming medals for team USA?
How about the surprise road race cycling winners from Ecuador and Austria? They did it all on their own, leaving the whole pack behind hours before the finish line. That's not just fitness, it requires great courage. The Austrian woman was so tired when she crossed the line she was struggling for breath and looked ready to die lying on the ground. No one else was willing to go that far, so no one else could compete with her. Extreme effort.
There's a cornucopia of magical moments every day. If you take your eyes away from the tv for a second you'll miss another miracle.
The opening ceremony had too many nods to liberals. The Imagine song is just disgusting. No countries, no borders, no possessions, full Marxism. And how ridiculous for Japan to trot that out when their country has very strict immigration rules and a tightly controlled border? Who do they think they're kidding? Why are they so ashamed of themselves they have to pretend they're something else?
But the opening ceremony also had music from Tales of 'x', Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Chrono Trigger. And for that I'll always love it. They elevated the best music in the world to the greatest stage in the world, and they weren't ashamed to put it right smack dab in the middle of the ceremony for hours. They at least stood up for the genuine quality of their composers. The songs memorialized in the Olympics will be remembered by all of humanity forever now, even though they'll probably never realize they were video game songs to begin with.
There were also Sailor Fuku girls, kimonos, sakura-shaped olympic torches, and tons of other great call-outs to Japan's unique, beautiful culture. It's a shame the opening ceremony was intentionally toned down to a somber Covid funeral, but you could see the light poking out here and there.
If you aren't watching the Olympics, it's only your loss. The Olympics only happen every four years, and these days who knows, they might never happen at all. For the sports where there is no higher stage -- where all the best athletes around the world really do gather to compete, you can't miss these events. I get basketball, baseball and soccer fans sneering at the Olympics. The teams are ragtag nobodies so who cares. But gymnasts, track and field athletes, swimmers? What's your excuse for ignoring them? And what about sports like shooting, diving, archery, fencing, etc.? Most of the people out there are the world's best giving it their all. There are a record 50 sports being contested at the Olympics. Even if you count out stuff like golf because the best pros aren't here, there's still 33 sports being contested. And if you dismiss all the silly sports no one would want to watch there's still 13. Enough to fill up a full slate every day.
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