FIRST EPISODE SYNDROME

Break Girl Reporting In!

Hey you. Yeah, you. Welcome to the first issue of CONTINUE 9, 8, where we recap what just exploded out of your headphones and try to make sense of it before the Shadow Kingdom hacks the site.

I’m Break Girl, professional break-taker, part-time intergalactic fugitive, and now your totally unauthorized guide to this blog.

What just happened in Episode 1? Chaos. Destiny. Stolen Property. And a perfectly planned villain takeover attempt that technically happened after the episode ended. We’re off to a strong start.

Scroll carefully. Trip on a wire, and you might activate a flashback skit or a villain monologue.

Listen Now: First Episode Syndrome

Skit Rundown

1. Cereal First, Failure Second

The Shadow Kingdom storms in to hijack the show—but the credits already rolled.

2. Mission Improbable

A group of underqualified thieves attempts to steal a rare gaming console. It goes about as well as you’d expect.

3. Shadow Kingdom Reacts to Mission Improbable

They critique the heist with all the grace of a YouTube comments section. Shadow King is convinced they’d do it better.

4. Simon Saves Society: Chosen One

A mistaken identity hands Simon a prophecy. He focuses entirely on whether it comes with a dragon.

5. Shadow Kingdom Reacts to Simon Saves Society

Shadow King declares himself the real Chosen One. No one agrees.

6. NSLCC (Not So Lonely Cosplay Club)

Maya and Zuri bond at their first con while getting dragged into a Mushroom Kingdom duel. The chaos begins, and so does their friendship.

7. Villainy’s Anthem

The villains decide their biggest problem is the lack of a theme song. Rattle suggests choreography.

8. The Shadow Kingdom Crashes the Credits

They break into the studio, but the episode is already over. That doesn’t stop them from trying.

Comic Strip - Not in This Lifetime

It’s 1998. The air smells like popcorn oil and carpet glue. A handful of arcade tokens do what tokens do—hang out near the change machine, talk trash about tokens, and occasionally get chucked under a ski ball ramp.

This month’s strip follows a group of coins who overhear two arcade employees talking about “digital currency” and a future where “kids just tap a card.” One coin brushes it off. Another gets nervous.

“20 years, that's basically forever.”

Mic Check: Behind the Voices

Voice directing First Episode Syndrome was a mix of character chaos, comedy timing, and making sure every scene felt like it belonged on a Saturday morning cartoon—but with zero budget and full commitment.

I directed the entire episode and also voiced Simon and all four members of the Shadow Kingdom. That means every villain rant, dramatic declaration, and unhinged Simon line? All me. Switching voices. Arguing with myself. Probably confusing the neighbors.

The rest of the cast absolutely crushed it:

• Tabetha McNeal and CJ voiced Maya and Zuri in the NSLCC skit. They brought emotional warmth and hilarious con panic to life.

• Mission Improbable featured Shakyra Dunn, Tafari Tv, Kira Brown, and Jalen Askins as the most lovable disaster crew imaginable.

• Simon Saves Society: Chosen One starred Omari Weaver as the guide trying to explain Simon’s destiny with patient intensity and perfect delivery, while I played Simon, the would-be hero more obsessed with dragons than saving the world.

• And Nisha joined the episode as our guest host, adding sharp commentary, great chemistry, and holding things together while the rest of the episode fell apart in the best way possible.

A few key things I focused on while directing:

• Keeping overlapping dialogue from becoming a mess

• Letting each actor’s delivery feel natural and character-driven

• Hitting emotional beats without losing the comedic pacing

This episode felt like a sketch comedy mixtape with cartoon logic—and that’s exactly how we wanted it.

Item Drop: Mirror Selfie Cosplay Tee

You ever catch yourself in a mirror at a con and think, “Wait… I kinda snapped”? That moment inspired this one. The Mirror Selfie Cosplay shirt is officially available starting today. Designed for cosplayers, fans, and anyone who knows the prep is part of the performance.

Fandom Corner

The NSLCC skit was born out of real convention chaos—last-minute costume fixes, hallway dance battles, and that one time a group of cosplayers tried to run a mock tournament in the hotel lobby.

Current anime rotation includes:

• Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

• Zom 100

• My Dress-Up Darling

Leave a comment if you’ve got a rec… or a wild con story that deserves its own skit.

Save Point

Coming up next: Buffering Bonds. Game night disasters. Discord group calls gone wrong. And a villain-led reaction channel that should have stayed in the drafts??

We’ll be back with more skits, more voices, more comic panels, and probably more cereal.

CONTINUE? 9… 8…