Arvind Pennathur
Bio
I'm a graduate law student with a love for the quieter things in life. I write on a variety of topics, along with the occasional short story or poem. My perfect evening? Give me a rainy day, a cup of coffee, and a place to sit and write.
Stories (55/0)
New Year's Facade
December 31st…New Year’s Eve. Usually regarded as one of the busiest nights of the year, as everyone gets ready to ring in the next year with all the ceremonial pomp and splendor they can muster. Some go to house parties or bars and surround themselves with the comfort of strangers as they welcome the oncoming year together, while others prefer to stay with family and enjoy a homemade dinner, reminiscing over the year that they went through together.
By Arvind Pennathur2 years ago in Fiction
Graduation (in absentia)
“Therefore, according to this case, only the damages that are reasonably foreseeable at the time of the breach are liable to be paid to the non-breaching party…Hmm….yeah, that makes sense…so then, they wouldn’t have had to pay….right?”
By Arvind Pennathur2 years ago in Fiction
My Thoughts on Skyward Sword HD (Not a Review)
On November 18th, 2011, Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword to critical acclaim and universal praise. It became one of the best games ever to be released on the Wii and one of the best-selling games in the history of the Zelda franchise. A large part of its success was due to its controls; the game featured a unique method of combat which involved using the Wii Remote as Link’s sword - combined with the Wii Motion Plus, this meant that the game had the most immersive combat system ever seen in a Zelda game. For the most part, people responded well to the controls, and it provided players with the ability to control the green-clad hero like never before.
By Arvind Pennathur3 years ago in Gamers
The Tragedy of Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon
The story of Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon has always fascinated me ever since I learned about it in 2016: the story of two girls who went on a hiking trip, only to never return, chilled me to the bone the first time I heard it, and I can't say that I've ever forgotten it due to how eerie and downright surreal the entire story is.
By Arvind Pennathur3 years ago in Criminal
Loki: A Premiere Worth Waiting For
SPOILERS FOR LOKI, EPISODE 1 When I first heard that Marvel was going to be starting off its next phase by airing a bunch of direct to TV mini-series, I was intrigued but largely unexcited. The characters of the MCU and their stories always felt like they were made for the big screen, and I thought that by condensing them into a shorter format, a lot of the charm and uniqueness of the shared universe was going to have to be sacrificed. I’m happy to say that I was proven wrong…so far.
By Arvind Pennathur3 years ago in Geeks
Smash at E3: My Personal Picks for DLC Fighter 10
It’s that time of the year again – after being absent in 2020 due to the pandemic, the time has come for E3 to set the entertainment world ablaze once more. Suddenly, the air is rife with predictions for what will be revealed at the event – new games, DLC for older titles, and of course, brand new systems. It would not be an exaggeration to say that this edition of E3 is one of the most hyped yet due to its comeback after a year long absence, and a large portion of that hype is due to several eyes being on Nintendo for what they plan to reveal during the event – while the rumors about the next edition of the Nintendo Switch dominate the conversation about Nintendo’s plans at E3, another major talking point of their reveals is the character that will make their way over to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as part of the second wave of downloadable fighters. So far, the 2nd Fighter’s Pass has been a mixed bag in the eyes of a majority of fans of the hit franchise – while inclusions like Steve and Sephiroth have blown away fans, the addition of Min Min and Pyra/Mythra were not received so positively by some fans, with the latter receiving a particularly harsh reception due to their status as yet another sword fighter in a game that already has 20 of them.
By Arvind Pennathur3 years ago in Gamers
The NBA Play-In Tournament: Reigniting Interest in the Regular Season
When it was announced that the NBA would be implementing the play-in tournament that was used last year to determine the standings heading into the playoffs, I figured that it wouldn’t raise too many eyebrows – they used it in the bubble and it worked out pretty well, so I saw no reason for people to criticize its use. However, as the tournament drew nearer, the criticism surrounding it grew in intensity, with some players and coaches speaking out against it and sparking discussions all around the NBA community as to whether it was a good idea. My two cents? I feel that the play-in tournament is a great idea that will change the way that people look at the NBA.
By Arvind Pennathur3 years ago in Unbalanced
The Legacy of Attack on Titan
My relationship with Attack on Titan has always been.....interesting. In 2014, I binged the entirety of Death Note, and it was unlike anything I'd ever seen - a psychological battle that also dealt with complex questions of justice and morality, and I loved every single minute of it. I got all of my friends at school hooked on it as well, and we quickly started talking about it constantly, exchanging theories and geeking out over particularly memorable moments. Little did I know this would open the floodgates for all of us to seek out different anime, and in this vein, I was told that I absolutely had to watch Attack on Titan by two of my friends. I watched the first episode and was shocked and amazed at how bold the show was, and I quickly finished the first season. Attack on Titan was such a unique experience, even back then - the show was full of insane twists and turns that never let up, even well into the season. The animation was gorgeous, the voice acting was outstanding, and it was a fantastic show overall. I was very invested in the series and eagerly looked up when the second season would be released, only to find out that there was absolutely no news about it. This was the case for a very long time, and I eventually resolved myself to the possibility that I may never see it.
By Arvind Pennathur3 years ago in Geeks
The Legacy of The Promised Neverland
I've been a huge anime fan for quite a long time. The first anime I ever followed closely was InuYasha: The Final Act way back in 2009, and after I saw what the medium had to offer, I jumped into the ocean and explored to my heart's content. From more generic shows like Dragon Ball Z and Naruto to masterclasses like Death Note and Fullmetal Alchemist, each anime I watched was unique in its own way and had something that kept me coming back for more. I enjoyed every anime I saw - even if some weren't as good as others; I was pleasantly surprised that out of so many shows, there was nothing that I actually come across that I flat out disliked. This continued to be the case until I ran into the Tokyo Ghoul franchise, which, if I'm honest, wasn't even that bad. I actually loved the first season - it had great animation, an engaging story, and great moments that I still remember to this day. I wish I could say the same thing about its sequel, though - Tokyo Ghoul: Root A was an absolute tragedy, and a large part of that is because at the very beginning of the season, there was a huge deviation from the story of the original manga. However, despite this, the ending of the season reached the same point as one of the most intesne parts of the manga, despite having virtually none of the story leading up to said point. This is where the season ended, and when the third season of the show started, Tokyo Ghoul:re, there was yet another deviation, with the season starting from an even later part of the manga. All in all, this led to me being totally disinterested in continuing the series, as there was zero consistency as to what was being adapted.
By Arvind Pennathur3 years ago in Geeks
Zack Snyder's Justice League, At Long Last
Back in 2016, when I sat down to watch Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice in theatres, I was excited. Despite its problems, Man of Steel hadn't been a terrible introduction to the DC Universe, and I was interested in seeing how characters like Batman and Wonder Woman were to be introduced, especially since they didn't have any independent movies tying into BvS. Marvel seemed to have the formula for superhero movies down to a science, so seeing someone try something different was refreshing. Unfortunately, I did not have a good time - the movie was clunky, excruciatingly long, and quite boring in its entirety. I left the theatre thoroughly disappointed, and make no mistake, I really wanted to care - DC has some of my favorite superheroes, and ever since watching Superman Returns as a kid, I've always wanted to see them on the big screen. However, BvS was so dull that I found that I was pessimistic about any movie in the franchise panning out to be a success. I stayed away from the future movies after this - I watched the first Wonder Woman movie, and despite it being surprisingly good, it was not enough to convince me to get invested in the extended universe.
By Arvind Pennathur3 years ago in Geeks
- Top Story - March 2021
At Long Last, I’m (Partially) Excited for Pokémon AgainTop Story - March 2021
Pokémon was a significant part of my childhood; as a kid, I was obsessed with the anime and would watch it as often as I could. I never really got into collecting the trading cards though, nor did I play the games released for the Game Boy Advance. I did want Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness for a brief time, but it wasn’t one of the top games on my wish list. However, in 2007, my parents gifted me a Nintendo DS Lite, and with it came an opportunity to finally snag some Pokémon games of my own. I knew that the newest generation of the games was releasing on the DS, and I was excited to finally try one out. It seemed that Pokémon as a whole was entering a new era, because the Diamond and Pearl anime also started to air around this time, and I found myself engrossed in the new characters and creatures the show introduced. I was obsessed with Pokémon, and I was eager to play Diamond and Pearl and have a complete blast traversing through the Sinnoh region. Unfortunately, it would be a while before I got my hands on the games. The opportunity never arose throughout 2007, and I moved to India in the first half of 2008, where the games hadn’t been stocked yet. By this time, I had gotten a chance to finally play some of the older games, and I was certain that I would end up enjoying the DS games. As fate would have it, my father traveled to the United States in the latter half of the year, and he came back with a brand new copy of Pokémon Pearl. It was a dream come true for 10 year old me, and from the moment I booted up the game, I was addicted.
By Arvind Pennathur3 years ago in Gamers