Taskmaster Contestants Ranked (all 12 seasons + NZ)

I think it's already been established by my previous Taskmaster contestant ranking list that I'm a pretty huge fan of the show, but as a fan of the show that doesn't mean I'm always right about everything with it, or that my opinions can't change. That being said, you'll undoubtedly notice there are a few placements on here that will be about (or just about) the same as the last time, and several others that will be pretty different. That's one of the things I love about making lists like this, seeing how much my opinion changes makes me happy and is a reminder of how I'm a living person capable of growth and change.

Before I get on with the list, there are a couple big changes to this post that I feel need to be addressed before I go any further. For one, this is obviously a list that will include contestants from the 12th series of the show, as that has (at least as of the time of me writing this intro) just finished. Additionally, thanks to the wonderful 2nd series of the (also English-language) New Zealand version of the show, I will be including contestants from both of the seasons of that version as well as the 60 from the UK version. So, basically, this list will be bumped up from the 55 of the previous version to a total of 70 people. That's a lot to write about/order, so don't expect this to be a super polished and perfect list. I will do my best to let it reflect my actual opinions though, so let's get on with it!

Manga Rating System

I have used tons of different rating systems over the course of the last decade I've been writing reviews, so I thought I'd go back to a pretty standard and stripped down one for manga. As this is a form of entertainment that I'm incredibly new to, I wouldn't have the confidence to go into a great amount of detail on my reasons for the ratings I'm giving, so having more than just a few base ratings would be a little presumptuous and difficult for me. That being said, I do like keeping my enjoyment and perceived quality within fairly loose placements, because opinions change and I don't want to have to justify a rating down the road that wouldn't hold up after a little while. Also, I generally give positive ratings, so I've kind of compressed all the bad into one or two stars, with the other 3 possible scores being all varying levels of good/great. So let's get into the details.

Manga review: Uzumaki

'Uzumaki' by Junji Ito

3 volumes, 19 chapters 

1998-1999

The first manga I read, and a pretty disturbing and ultimately unforgettable experience for more than just that reason alone. The story is more or less conceptual in its entirety and lacking any real characters or depth, but this isn't a manga that hinges on likability or long-winded story arcs. All packed into a couple hundred pages (and easily found in a single collected book-form), Junji Ito is excellent at making you terrified to turn the page but incapable of resisting finding out what horrible thing will happen next. The artwork is just the right level of detailed, with a majority of the emphasis placed on the full-page spreads and the individual shocking moments that have since become legendary within horror manga. This isn't the most amazing looking thing I've read, but it holds up due to the surreal and insanely inventive illustrations and ideas. 

Manga time

 As people who've spent a decent amount of time reading the stupid crap I write on this site might be well aware of, I have a pretty wide variety of interests when it comes to media. Though I never got into comics and I've never written about my few brief spells of reading traditional books, reading has always been on a bit of a backburner for me; something I intended to get into after I'd exhausted all other entertainment options. But then after trying to get my wife into watching anime, and realizing we'd  had Uzumaki by Junji Ito on our shelf for close to 2 years, it seemed like the right time to give manga a try. And while I haven't loved everything I've read, I'm absolutely loving it.

Malignant - my probably-only review of 2021

The best kind of movies are the ones that stick with you in one way or another. I've long felt that the worst thing a piece of entertainment can be is forgettable, and in that way Malignant definitely succeeds. While a good portion of reviews and comments I've seen from people in regards to this movie boil it down to "this sucked" or the like, what I think a good deal of people are missing out on here is the meta narrative at play. 

For the first hour or so, this movie plays out exactly as you'd expect any run-of-the-mill supernatural horror movie might, with awful sound editing, spoooooky dark visuals, and all the other usual cliches firmly in place. But when that final act bursts in, everything you've seen beforehand begins to re-contextualize in the most maddening way, really putting the audience in the unique position of having to decide for themselves how much they're willing to give the movie in return for their time. Watching this movie at home on HBO with my wife, I was probably driving her nuts as I loudly pointed out all the issues I was having with it for about 80 minutes, after which I found myself laughing even harder both at the movie and myself for the trick it pulled on me. Is this a brilliant movie or a terrible one? Why not both?