Derek L.H.
@derekexmachina.com
Writer, Localization Editor, Game Dev, JRPG Enthusiast. He/Him. 28.
Love yapping about games, movies, localization, and anything else that catches my interest. Open to writing/editing/localization opportunities, DMs open!
https://derek-lh.com
Love yapping about games, movies, localization, and anything else that catches my interest. Open to writing/editing/localization opportunities, DMs open!
https://derek-lh.com
If Kristen Stewart gets cast as Rosalina, this movie will be immensely peak.
November 11, 2025 at 1:37 AM
If Kristen Stewart gets cast as Rosalina, this movie will be immensely peak.
For reference, this would equate to a 90+ minute review if I converted this to a video review.
Maybe I really do have what it takes to be one of those YouTube essayists that makes like two-hour long critiques of games...
Maybe I really do have what it takes to be one of those YouTube essayists that makes like two-hour long critiques of games...
November 8, 2025 at 4:45 AM
For reference, this would equate to a 90+ minute review if I converted this to a video review.
Maybe I really do have what it takes to be one of those YouTube essayists that makes like two-hour long critiques of games...
Maybe I really do have what it takes to be one of those YouTube essayists that makes like two-hour long critiques of games...
I know it's been seven months, but I've now officially been rejected for the two dream job openings I was gunning for this year.
I've gotten so many rejections this year, but these ones hurt the most.
I've gotten so many rejections this year, but these ones hurt the most.
November 5, 2025 at 1:36 AM
I know it's been seven months, but I've now officially been rejected for the two dream job openings I was gunning for this year.
I've gotten so many rejections this year, but these ones hurt the most.
I've gotten so many rejections this year, but these ones hurt the most.
Video Game #44: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Got lots of thoughts about this game that I'll go more in-depth on in an upcoming blog post. Combat and character progression is amazing. The story is mostly good until a late-game plot reveal, which leads to a story direction that I don't think...
Got lots of thoughts about this game that I'll go more in-depth on in an upcoming blog post. Combat and character progression is amazing. The story is mostly good until a late-game plot reveal, which leads to a story direction that I don't think...
November 4, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Video Game #44: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Got lots of thoughts about this game that I'll go more in-depth on in an upcoming blog post. Combat and character progression is amazing. The story is mostly good until a late-game plot reveal, which leads to a story direction that I don't think...
Got lots of thoughts about this game that I'll go more in-depth on in an upcoming blog post. Combat and character progression is amazing. The story is mostly good until a late-game plot reveal, which leads to a story direction that I don't think...
Movie #155: If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You
I saw no marketing for this at all and knew practically nothing going in, and man...this movie was an incredible surprise.
Stellar writing, great performances...a modern A24 classic! One of my favorite movies of the year!
I saw no marketing for this at all and knew practically nothing going in, and man...this movie was an incredible surprise.
Stellar writing, great performances...a modern A24 classic! One of my favorite movies of the year!
November 4, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Movie #155: If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You
I saw no marketing for this at all and knew practically nothing going in, and man...this movie was an incredible surprise.
Stellar writing, great performances...a modern A24 classic! One of my favorite movies of the year!
I saw no marketing for this at all and knew practically nothing going in, and man...this movie was an incredible surprise.
Stellar writing, great performances...a modern A24 classic! One of my favorite movies of the year!
Movie #153: Anniversary
From the marketing, I had no idea this was going to be a political thriller. I get the spirit of what this movie is trying to say, but the means in which it delivers it's message makes it seem a bit non-committal with taking a political stance.
Good watch.
From the marketing, I had no idea this was going to be a political thriller. I get the spirit of what this movie is trying to say, but the means in which it delivers it's message makes it seem a bit non-committal with taking a political stance.
Good watch.
November 4, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Movie #153: Anniversary
From the marketing, I had no idea this was going to be a political thriller. I get the spirit of what this movie is trying to say, but the means in which it delivers it's message makes it seem a bit non-committal with taking a political stance.
Good watch.
From the marketing, I had no idea this was going to be a political thriller. I get the spirit of what this movie is trying to say, but the means in which it delivers it's message makes it seem a bit non-committal with taking a political stance.
Good watch.
Movie #152: Bugonia
Oh hell yeah. This is one of my favorite movies of the year. It strikes the perfect balance of being bizarre yet remarkably grounded in its exploration of flawed characters. Also the best shot movie of the year.
Loved this movie.
Oh hell yeah. This is one of my favorite movies of the year. It strikes the perfect balance of being bizarre yet remarkably grounded in its exploration of flawed characters. Also the best shot movie of the year.
Loved this movie.
November 4, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Movie #152: Bugonia
Oh hell yeah. This is one of my favorite movies of the year. It strikes the perfect balance of being bizarre yet remarkably grounded in its exploration of flawed characters. Also the best shot movie of the year.
Loved this movie.
Oh hell yeah. This is one of my favorite movies of the year. It strikes the perfect balance of being bizarre yet remarkably grounded in its exploration of flawed characters. Also the best shot movie of the year.
Loved this movie.
Movie #151: The Mastermind
Eesh. This was a big letdown. This starts off as a somewhat compelling heist movie, but its second half is so directionless that it feels like a waste of potential.
Eesh. This was a big letdown. This starts off as a somewhat compelling heist movie, but its second half is so directionless that it feels like a waste of potential.
November 4, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Movie #151: The Mastermind
Eesh. This was a big letdown. This starts off as a somewhat compelling heist movie, but its second half is so directionless that it feels like a waste of potential.
Eesh. This was a big letdown. This starts off as a somewhat compelling heist movie, but its second half is so directionless that it feels like a waste of potential.
Movie #150: Chainsaw Man The Movie -Reze Arc-
I actually watched the first season like a week before seeing this and really like the series overall! This movie was pretty fun, animated well...just a great time all around.
Love seeing anime doing well at the international box office!
I actually watched the first season like a week before seeing this and really like the series overall! This movie was pretty fun, animated well...just a great time all around.
Love seeing anime doing well at the international box office!
November 4, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Movie #150: Chainsaw Man The Movie -Reze Arc-
I actually watched the first season like a week before seeing this and really like the series overall! This movie was pretty fun, animated well...just a great time all around.
Love seeing anime doing well at the international box office!
I actually watched the first season like a week before seeing this and really like the series overall! This movie was pretty fun, animated well...just a great time all around.
Love seeing anime doing well at the international box office!
Movie #149: Springsteen - Deliver Me from Nowhere
This movie's been drawing a lot of comparisons to last year's A Complete Unknown, and for good reason. Similar to the Bob Dylan biopic, this focuses on a particular segment of Springsteen's life, and it's a solid watch if not remarkable.
This movie's been drawing a lot of comparisons to last year's A Complete Unknown, and for good reason. Similar to the Bob Dylan biopic, this focuses on a particular segment of Springsteen's life, and it's a solid watch if not remarkable.
November 4, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Movie #149: Springsteen - Deliver Me from Nowhere
This movie's been drawing a lot of comparisons to last year's A Complete Unknown, and for good reason. Similar to the Bob Dylan biopic, this focuses on a particular segment of Springsteen's life, and it's a solid watch if not remarkable.
This movie's been drawing a lot of comparisons to last year's A Complete Unknown, and for good reason. Similar to the Bob Dylan biopic, this focuses on a particular segment of Springsteen's life, and it's a solid watch if not remarkable.
Movie #148: Shelby Oaks
I've been a fan of Chris Stuckmann's for about a decade. He's truthfully been a big inspiration for me getting into writing content about movies and games. So I was happy to support his directorial debut, and this didn't disappoint!
I've been a fan of Chris Stuckmann's for about a decade. He's truthfully been a big inspiration for me getting into writing content about movies and games. So I was happy to support his directorial debut, and this didn't disappoint!
November 4, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Movie #148: Shelby Oaks
I've been a fan of Chris Stuckmann's for about a decade. He's truthfully been a big inspiration for me getting into writing content about movies and games. So I was happy to support his directorial debut, and this didn't disappoint!
I've been a fan of Chris Stuckmann's for about a decade. He's truthfully been a big inspiration for me getting into writing content about movies and games. So I was happy to support his directorial debut, and this didn't disappoint!
Movie #147: Blue Moon
(Fell behind on this thread, gonna lightning round a lot of these)
One of the best screenplays I've seen in a long time. Just a fantastic onslaught of dialogue that flows super well. I recommend seeing this just for the script.
(Fell behind on this thread, gonna lightning round a lot of these)
One of the best screenplays I've seen in a long time. Just a fantastic onslaught of dialogue that flows super well. I recommend seeing this just for the script.
November 4, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Movie #147: Blue Moon
(Fell behind on this thread, gonna lightning round a lot of these)
One of the best screenplays I've seen in a long time. Just a fantastic onslaught of dialogue that flows super well. I recommend seeing this just for the script.
(Fell behind on this thread, gonna lightning round a lot of these)
One of the best screenplays I've seen in a long time. Just a fantastic onslaught of dialogue that flows super well. I recommend seeing this just for the script.
I know this really doesn't matter, but you ask during the review intro whether we should be asking for a new mothership title.
Isn't the mothership/escort dichotomy outdated now? I remember in 2020 that they abandoned this and are now using the terms "Original" and "Crossover"
Isn't the mothership/escort dichotomy outdated now? I remember in 2020 that they abandoned this and are now using the terms "Original" and "Crossover"
![Wikipedia article from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Tales_media saying "In 2007, series producer Makoto Yoshizumi defined two classes of Tales games, "Mothership Titles" and "Escort Titles".[3] "Mothership" essentially means "Main series", where as "Escort" essentially means "Spinoff".In 2020, a different internal organization scheme was announced; "Original" for games featuring new stories as well as their sequels, and "Crossover" for secondary entries drawing characters and worlds from various past titles](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:xkbf2rnnkt2fsrqv5zdu3tye/bafkreibd5eh5ouie3c3ag374dcnklupgeokkctxesgvdlydyw6fckgeaga@jpeg)
November 3, 2025 at 5:53 PM
I know this really doesn't matter, but you ask during the review intro whether we should be asking for a new mothership title.
Isn't the mothership/escort dichotomy outdated now? I remember in 2020 that they abandoned this and are now using the terms "Original" and "Crossover"
Isn't the mothership/escort dichotomy outdated now? I remember in 2020 that they abandoned this and are now using the terms "Original" and "Crossover"
So Nintendo just felt like dropping news about a Switch 2 Edition for Animal Crossing: New Horizons on a quaint Thursday morning.
Might be a good excuse to finally pick up the game and its DLC. The inclusions in the update and the Switch 2 Edition all look great!
Comes out in January.
Might be a good excuse to finally pick up the game and its DLC. The inclusions in the update and the Switch 2 Edition all look great!
Comes out in January.
October 30, 2025 at 5:07 PM
So Nintendo just felt like dropping news about a Switch 2 Edition for Animal Crossing: New Horizons on a quaint Thursday morning.
Might be a good excuse to finally pick up the game and its DLC. The inclusions in the update and the Switch 2 Edition all look great!
Comes out in January.
Might be a good excuse to finally pick up the game and its DLC. The inclusions in the update and the Switch 2 Edition all look great!
Comes out in January.
Saw the Chainsaw Man movie after just watching through the series last week.
It was ok.
It was ok.
October 25, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Saw the Chainsaw Man movie after just watching through the series last week.
It was ok.
It was ok.
Saw Meltt last night.
October 24, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Saw Meltt last night.
Video Game #43: Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix
I have a lot of thoughts about this game. The intro is needlessly long, the main plot just pauses throughout the Disney worlds, and I think the difficulty gap between required and optional fights is kinda ludicrous, and environments offer no room for...
I have a lot of thoughts about this game. The intro is needlessly long, the main plot just pauses throughout the Disney worlds, and I think the difficulty gap between required and optional fights is kinda ludicrous, and environments offer no room for...
October 23, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Video Game #43: Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix
I have a lot of thoughts about this game. The intro is needlessly long, the main plot just pauses throughout the Disney worlds, and I think the difficulty gap between required and optional fights is kinda ludicrous, and environments offer no room for...
I have a lot of thoughts about this game. The intro is needlessly long, the main plot just pauses throughout the Disney worlds, and I think the difficulty gap between required and optional fights is kinda ludicrous, and environments offer no room for...
Movie #146: Spirited Away
Haven't seen this movie in about...six years? Not one of my personal favorite Ghibli films, but I have a lot of respect for how visually spectacular and mundanely profound this movie can be.
I may have more to write about this movie soon. 👀
Haven't seen this movie in about...six years? Not one of my personal favorite Ghibli films, but I have a lot of respect for how visually spectacular and mundanely profound this movie can be.
I may have more to write about this movie soon. 👀
October 23, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Movie #146: Spirited Away
Haven't seen this movie in about...six years? Not one of my personal favorite Ghibli films, but I have a lot of respect for how visually spectacular and mundanely profound this movie can be.
I may have more to write about this movie soon. 👀
Haven't seen this movie in about...six years? Not one of my personal favorite Ghibli films, but I have a lot of respect for how visually spectacular and mundanely profound this movie can be.
I may have more to write about this movie soon. 👀
Movie #145: After the Hunt
I'm starting to think that Luca Guadagnino is a bad director. If nothing else, the screenplays he picks up are super messy. This film is a character study about characters that we never learn that much about. What we do learn about them makes them kinda unlikable.
I'm starting to think that Luca Guadagnino is a bad director. If nothing else, the screenplays he picks up are super messy. This film is a character study about characters that we never learn that much about. What we do learn about them makes them kinda unlikable.
October 23, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Movie #145: After the Hunt
I'm starting to think that Luca Guadagnino is a bad director. If nothing else, the screenplays he picks up are super messy. This film is a character study about characters that we never learn that much about. What we do learn about them makes them kinda unlikable.
I'm starting to think that Luca Guadagnino is a bad director. If nothing else, the screenplays he picks up are super messy. This film is a character study about characters that we never learn that much about. What we do learn about them makes them kinda unlikable.
Movie #144: Tron: Ares (again)
I wanted to see this again after having published my review/essay on it. Felt a bit shorter on a second watch, but still very much enjoyed it.
I get why it underperformed at the box office and how some people don't like it, but I think it's just a fun time!
I wanted to see this again after having published my review/essay on it. Felt a bit shorter on a second watch, but still very much enjoyed it.
I get why it underperformed at the box office and how some people don't like it, but I think it's just a fun time!
October 23, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Movie #144: Tron: Ares (again)
I wanted to see this again after having published my review/essay on it. Felt a bit shorter on a second watch, but still very much enjoyed it.
I get why it underperformed at the box office and how some people don't like it, but I think it's just a fun time!
I wanted to see this again after having published my review/essay on it. Felt a bit shorter on a second watch, but still very much enjoyed it.
I get why it underperformed at the box office and how some people don't like it, but I think it's just a fun time!
Movie #143: The Cabin in the Woods
Always heard good things about this movie since it came out in 2011, but I hadn't seen it until now. It's fun! Not quite sure how good of a Halloween movie it is, but it's a great satire of horror tropes nonetheless.
Always heard good things about this movie since it came out in 2011, but I hadn't seen it until now. It's fun! Not quite sure how good of a Halloween movie it is, but it's a great satire of horror tropes nonetheless.
October 23, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Movie #143: The Cabin in the Woods
Always heard good things about this movie since it came out in 2011, but I hadn't seen it until now. It's fun! Not quite sure how good of a Halloween movie it is, but it's a great satire of horror tropes nonetheless.
Always heard good things about this movie since it came out in 2011, but I hadn't seen it until now. It's fun! Not quite sure how good of a Halloween movie it is, but it's a great satire of horror tropes nonetheless.
Movie #142: Good Fortune
This was fun. It mostly goes in the direction that you'd think, but it ultimately feels like a well-realized commentary on how wealth alters how people get treated. Recommend seeing this.
But god...this has some bad instances of dry-ass Keanu Reeves acting.
This was fun. It mostly goes in the direction that you'd think, but it ultimately feels like a well-realized commentary on how wealth alters how people get treated. Recommend seeing this.
But god...this has some bad instances of dry-ass Keanu Reeves acting.
October 23, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Movie #142: Good Fortune
This was fun. It mostly goes in the direction that you'd think, but it ultimately feels like a well-realized commentary on how wealth alters how people get treated. Recommend seeing this.
But god...this has some bad instances of dry-ass Keanu Reeves acting.
This was fun. It mostly goes in the direction that you'd think, but it ultimately feels like a well-realized commentary on how wealth alters how people get treated. Recommend seeing this.
But god...this has some bad instances of dry-ass Keanu Reeves acting.
So I'm finally playing catch-up on a lot of games I missed out on throughout the year. I'm just now starting the game from this year I've been putting off the longest: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Only just started Act I, but I'm enjoying the worldbuilding so far!
Only just started Act I, but I'm enjoying the worldbuilding so far!
October 22, 2025 at 3:43 AM
So I'm finally playing catch-up on a lot of games I missed out on throughout the year. I'm just now starting the game from this year I've been putting off the longest: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Only just started Act I, but I'm enjoying the worldbuilding so far!
Only just started Act I, but I'm enjoying the worldbuilding so far!
With the new movie coming out soon, I'm finally watching through Chainsaw Man.
I had this show on my watchlist after hearing so many people chirp about it when it came out nearly three years ago, and...yeah, I get it.
I had this show on my watchlist after hearing so many people chirp about it when it came out nearly three years ago, and...yeah, I get it.
October 17, 2025 at 5:02 PM
With the new movie coming out soon, I'm finally watching through Chainsaw Man.
I had this show on my watchlist after hearing so many people chirp about it when it came out nearly three years ago, and...yeah, I get it.
I had this show on my watchlist after hearing so many people chirp about it when it came out nearly three years ago, and...yeah, I get it.