Friday, January 28, 2022

Avatar: The Last Airbender's Cabbage Merchant Wants to Reprise Role in Live-Action Series

Netflix is well underway with filming on their live-action remake of Avatar: The Last Airbender, one of the most beloved animated series of all time. The show already has most of its cast in place, including protagonist Aang (Gordon Cormier), his friends Katara (Kiawentiio) and Sokka (Ian Ousley), as well as many more characters. But with plenty of casting still to come, James Sie, the voice actor behind everyone’s favorite unfortunate cabbage merchant in the original series, has put himself forward to reprise his role.


Although left nameless throughout the original series, the cabbage merchant remains one of the most memorable characters. He is the founder of Cabbage Corp and owner of the Cabbage Delicacies Bistro, and has a habit of selling his cabbages in the wrong place at the wrong time. Numerous times throughout the series, his cabbages are destroyed in battle or simply by Aang and the gang having fun, followed by a cry of, “My cabbages!”


He proved so popular with fans that he ended up appearing in the follow-up series, The Legend of Korra, and he even got his own Funko Pop! figure and board game!

In a interview with Slate, voice actor James Sie remembered playing a character who’s become iconic within the fandom despite very little screen time. “I never invested too much in his backstory because I didn’t think he would be coming back,” Sie said. “I just knew that he had a deep, abiding, somewhat strange attachment to his produce.”

"That was my guiding principle, that he loved his cabbages. His life was cabbages. Andrea was so gifted a voice director, so precise in what she wanted to hear. For the cabbage merchant, she would play with certain degrees of anguish and how shrill he would be."

James Sie wants to play the Cabbage Man in Netflix’s remake of Avatar: The Last Airbender

Now for what all Avatar fans want to hear: Yes, Sie would absolutely return to play the cabbage merchant in Netflix’s adaptation. “Now I’m more at the age of what the cabbage merchant was then,” he said. “I will cultivate that little beard if they need me to. And because my face is quite expressive, I’m perfect for a live-action version of an animated show. I’m ready.”

Let’s hope Netflix is listening.

Avatar: The Last Airbender fans bring us a live-action Cabbage Man

What would a live-action Cabbage Man look like? We don’t need to wait until the series airs to find out. Red Lotus Studios already put together an advance look in a fan film. Take a look at this snippet:


Currently, Netflix does not have a release date set for Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor does it show up on their slate of sci-fi and fantasy content coming in 2022. However, let’s remain hopeful that we may see it later this year, or at least early in 2023.

Watch Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra on Paramount+ and Netflix! Try Paramount+ for FREE at ParamountPlus.com

Listen to the brand new podcast, Avatar: Braving the Elements!




Original source: Winter is Coming.

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Netflix to Add 'That Girl Lay Lay' In the U.S. and Internationally on Jan. 21

Netflix has acquired the rights to Nickelodeon's new live-action buddy comedy series That Girl Lay Lay, and will add the series to the platform's programming libraries in the internationally on January 21, 2022!


Currently confirmed countries where Netflix will add That Girl Lay Lay are: USA, Canada, UK and Hungary (A Sadie és Lay Lay kalandjai), although the show is expected to be added to more Netflix programming libraries the same day.

Update (1/25) - That Girl Lay Lay is currently the sixth most watched show on Netflix right now!

Update (1/28) - As of January 27, That Girl Lay Lay is in ninth place.

Although Netflix acquiring the rights to Nickelodeon shows isn't new, with recent examples being iCarly, Big Time Rush, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra and, in select territories, PAW Patrol, the situation is a bit different with That Girl Lay Lay, as the show only premiered on Nickelodeon in September last year and has only aired on Nickelodeon in the U.S., meaning that the series will be making its streaming debut on Netflix before ViacomCBS' own streamer Paramount+ in the U.S., and its debut on streaming before the show's linear TV premiere internationally (and before Nick+ in Canada). It's currently unknown if the series will also air on Nickelodeon (or YTV in Canada) following its SVOD premiere.

Netflix acquiring That Girl Lay Lay at this time is a bit strange, as ViacomCBS is planning to rollout Paramount+ in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria (GSA) this year, and is also partnering with Comcast to launch SkyShowtime, a new SVOD, in more than 20 European regions. It also comes when Paramount+ is still bolstering its own programming library with content from ViacomCBS brands, including Nickelodeon.


Generally, ViacomCBS licensing Nickelodeon programming to Netflix is part of the company's strategy to expose Nickelodeon franchises to new audiences - something the company has been open about. During a interview with The Hollywood Reporter in July 2021, Brian Robbins, President & Chief Executive Officer of Nickelodeon, and Chief Content Officer of Kids & Family for Paramount+ talked more about ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish’s strategy to license to third-party outlets in a bid to expose content to bigger audiences before ultimately taking it back as an exclusive:

"That’s been my strategy from the start. There’s two great examples of that. Avatar: The Last Airbender was a series that ran for three seasons on Nickelodeon and was never a huge show, but had an amazing following. We licensed that show to Netflix and it exploded. Then we put this spinoff of Avatar, The Legend of Korra, on Paramount+, and it crushed it. That led us to our new relationship and bringing the creators of Avatar back to Nickelodeon to form Avatar Studios. We are now on our way to a full-fledged franchise strategy, creating films and spinoffs out of Avatar.

"The second example, which actually has paid off this month, is iCarly. We knew we were going to do a reboot of iCarly, it just took us a while to put it together. Once we knew we had it going, we licensed just a season or two of iCarly to Netflix and it exploded with new kids discovering it for the first time, and fans who grew up on it rediscovered it. The demand for the new show was at such a fever pitch by the time [the new show] launched that it propelled iCarly to be, if not the most successful show on Paramount+, one of the most successful shows."

Robbins also confirmed that series such as Avatar: The Last Airbender and iCarly would eventually be taken off of Netflix and become Paramount+ exclusives, adding "[y]es. And it’s not like this is some secret that we’re pulling the wool over anybody else’s eyes on other services. They’re happy to have the content and they understand the strategy. We’re very upfront about it."


That Girl Lay Lay (13 x 30-minute episodes) is a all-new buddy comedy series that follows Lay Lay (Alaya “That Girl Lay Lay” High), an avatar from a personal affirmation app that magically comes to life, and her best friend Sadie (Gabrielle Nevaeh Green, All That) as they navigate life as teenagers and discover who they truly are.

In the premiere of That Girl Lay Lay, "Out The App," Sadie wishes upon a star that her hype-girl avatar, Lay Lay, were real, causing Lay Lay to magically come to life. Now that she is in the real world with Sadie, Lay Lay decides that she wants a teenage experience herself and enrolls in the local school. Using her innate charm, Lay Lay convinces Sadie that she needs to come out of her shell and the best way for her to stand out is to run for student council.


That Girl Lay Lay follows Lay Lay, an avatar from a phone app, and Sadie, a girl who is struggling to make her mark in school and in need of a best friend to talk to. After Sadie wishes upon a star that her hype-girl avatar Lay Lay was real, she magically comes to life, and the two friends learn that when they are together, they can accomplish anything. That Girl Lay Lay also stars Peyton Perrine III as Sadie’s brother, Marky; Tiffany Daniels as Sadie’s mom, Trish; Thomas Hobson as Sadie’s dad, Bryce; and Caleb Brown as Lay Lay and Sadie’s classmate, Jeremy.

The series marks Nickelodeon’s first project under an overall deal with That Girl Lay Lay to develop original multiform programming and music initiatives, and build a cross-category consumer products business. In addition to her new comedy series, Nickelodeon’s comprehensive strategy for That Girl Lay Lay includes supporting her music career and an exclusive line of consumer products, with merchandising agreements spanning categories such as softlines, toy, publishing and more.

That Girl Lay Lay is produced by Will Packer Media (Bigger), with Will Packer (Little, Ride Along) and Carolyn Newman serving as executive producers and Toy Monique Hawkins and Peggy Cheng overseeing. The series is created and executive produced by David A. Arnold (Side Hustle, Fuller House, Bigger), who also serves as showrunner. John Beck & Ron Hart (Side Hustle, Fuller House, Liv and Maddie) serve as executive producers.

Production of That Girl Lay Lay for Nickelodeon is overseen by Zack Olin and Shauna Phelan, Co-Heads of Nickelodeon & Awesomeness Live-Action. Jessica Brown serves as Nickelodeon’s Executive in Charge of Production for the series.

About Will Packer Media

Led by Hollywood producer Will Packer, Will Packer Media is a first-of-its-kind production and branded content company focused on the New American Mainstream audience. In partnership with Discovery, Inc. and Universal Pictures, the company produces episodic scripted and unscripted series across television and digital platforms, compelling content for brand clients, and short-form digital content for millennial audiences. Will Packer’s films have earned more than $1 billion, with ten openings at number one at the box office.

About Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon, now in its 42nd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location-based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of ViacomCBS Inc. (Nasdaq: VIACA, VIAC).

More Nick: Paramount Plus Renews Hit Series 'iCarly' for a Second Season!

Originally published: January 11, 2022.

Sources: Mentrum, What's on Netflix.

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Nickelodeon and Awesomeness Films to Produce New Movies 'Fantasy Football' and 'Hush Hush' for Paramount Plus

THE SPRINGHILL COMPANY AND GENIUS ENTERTAINMENT PARTNER WITH NICKELODEON AND AWESOMENESS FILMS TO PRODUCE NEW LIVE-ACTION MOVIE, FANTASY FOOTBALL

First-Ever Film Adaption of Hush Hush, Based on New York Times Best-Selling Young Adult Novel, Also Enters Production

Fantasy Football and Hush Hush to Lead Slate of a Dozen New Films from Nickelodeon and Awesomeness Studios Set for 2022 and Beyond

Fantasy Football and Hush Hush Will Debut Exclusively on Paramount+,
In addition to Nickelodeon and Awesomeness Films’ The J Team, Starring JoJo Siwa,
Which Will Premiere on Paramount+ on Friday, Sept. 3, As Previously Announced


HOLLYWOOD, Calif.—July 12, 2021—Nickelodeon and Awesomeness Films today announced the production of new original live-action movie Fantasy Football, executive produced by The SpringHill Company (Space Jam: A New Legacy), the empowerment-led media conglomerate spearheaded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter and in partnership with wunderkind and creative mastermind Marsai Martin and Joshua Martin of Genius Entertainment (Little). In Fantasy Football, 15-year-old Carmen Coleman (Marsai Martin, Black-ish) discovers she can control her professional football player dad’s prowess on the field through her video game. Zoe Marshall (Charmed) is writing the Fantasy Football screenplay, based on an original screenplay by Richard T. Jones & Jeremy Loethen and Tim Ogletree. Marshall is represented by JR McGinnis at Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson, Ashley Holland at WME and Adesuwa McCalla at MetaMorphic Entertainment. Spencer Beighley and Jamal Henderson of The SpringHill Company are executive producing along with Carol Martin for Genius Entertainment. Jamila Jordan-Theus will produce for Genius Entertainment as well. Production is set to begin in early 2022.

Additionally, Nickelodeon and Awesomeness Films announced production on Hush Hush, a film adaptation of the New York Times best-selling young adult (YA) novels by Becca Fitzpatrick. Hush Hush follows 16-year-old high school student Nora Grey, who befriends new student, Patch, and finds herself drawn to his brooding charm against her better judgment. As Nora starts seeking answers about who Patch really is, she unwittingly gets caught in the crosshairs of an ancient battle between fallen angels and the immortal -- a struggle that comes to threaten her life and reveals a shocking secret about her own identity. The Hush Hush screenplay is being written by Monet Clayton (Every Note Played), with production slated for late 2021 in partnership with BCDF Pictures and Entertainment 360. Clayton is represented by ICM, Fourth Wall and attorney Sean Marks.

Both films, led by Nickelodeon and Awesomeness Films Studio head Syrinthia Studer, are scheduled to bow in 2022.

Fantasy Football and Hush Hush will debut on Paramount+, the streaming service for ViacomCBS, and follow the upcoming launch of The J Team, which premieres on Paramount+ on Sept. 3. The J Team marked the first production under the Nickelodeon and Awesomeness Live-Action Film Studio. 

Following on Awesomeness’s live-action movie successes including the smash-hit To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before film franchise, The Perfect Date, and Before I Fall, the combined studio is diving into the family and YA film market with a dozen titles lined up for 2022 and beyond.

“We are excited to team up with SpringHill and Awesomeness, two creative powerhouses aligned in the mission to celebrate dynamic stories and invoke inspiration within our audiences.  Collectively, we are companies that hold the family brand and themes at its core, so this felt like an incredible trifecta to bring Fantasy Football to life.  This film is a true reflection of our growing slate: championing new heroes, challenging social ‘norms,’ and showcasing the power of following your dreams,” stated Jamila Jordan-Theus, Head of Motion Picture for Genius Entertainment.  

Added Studer, “With the continuing growth of Nickelodeon and Awesomeness’s live-action film studio business, we are curating a slate of aspirational, heartfelt films for everyone. From the fantasy and romance themes found in Hush Hush, to the love of sport and family captured in Fantasy Football, we can’t wait to entertain audiences everywhere with new YA and family stories about what they already love.”

About SpringHill Company

The SpringHill Company is a global consumer and entertainment brand created to empower greatness in every individual by uniting three companies built by LeBron James and Maverick Carter: UNINTERRUPTED, the Sports Emmy-winning athlete empowerment media and consumer product company, SpringHill Entertainment, the premium scripted and unscripted film and television production company, and The Robot Company, the brand and culture consultancy. With a dynamic and diverse team committed to creating the most culturally inspired brands, entertainment, and products. The SpringHill Company is built to be the defining brand for a new generation. On the feature front, they are releasing ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ later this month, and are currently in production on ‘House Party’ for New Line, as well as the Adam Sandler-led ‘Hustle’ for Netflix. The SpringHill Company is represented by WME and Ziffren Brittenham.

About Genius Entertainment

Genius Entertainment, founded by Actress/Executive Producer Marsai Martin alongside Joshua and Carol Martin, creates stories meant to inspire, illuminate, and celebrate the diverse experiences of girls and people of color. 

About Awesomeness

Awesomeness, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS, is a media company focused on serving the global Gen Z audience through its digital publishing, film and television studio divisions. Approaching its 10th year anniversary, Awesomeness has become the destination for youth culture, cultivating a loyal audience with hit programming on the world’s biggest streaming services including Netflix (smash-hit film series “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before,” Emmy® winner “Trinkets”) and Hulu (Emmy® winner “Zac & Mia”, Emmy® nominee “Pen15”),  along with the company’s immensely popular short-form programs on YouTube (“Twin My Heart,” “Noah Beck Tries Things,” “AwesomenessTV’s Next Influencer,” “Brent Rivera’s Dream Vacation,” “My Dream Quinceañera,”), that garner hundreds of millions of views. As a leading media brand, Awesomeness’ worldwide distribution footprint spans owned, social and premium SVOD platforms. Founded in 2012, Awesomeness is headquartered in Los Angeles, with additional offices in New York.

About Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon, now in its 42nd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of ViacomCBS Inc. (Nasdaq: VIACA, VIAC).

About Paramount+

Paramount+, a direct-to-consumer digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service from ViacomCBS, combines live sports, breaking news, and a mountain of entertainment. The premium streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel. The service is also the streaming home to unmatched sports programming, including every CBS Sports event, from golf to football to basketball and more, plus exclusive streaming rights for major sports properties, including some of the world’s biggest and most popular soccer leagues. Paramount+ also enables subscribers to stream local CBS stations live across the U.S. in addition to the ability to stream ViacomCBS Streaming’s other live channels: CBSN for 24/7 news, CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis, and ET Live for entertainment coverage.

For more information about Paramount+, please visit www.paramountplus.com and follow @ParamountPlus on social platforms.

###

Update (1/28/22) - Fantasy Football will start filming in Atlanta, Georgia in April 2022!


Originally published: July 12, 2021 at 17:35 BST.

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'Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl' Gearing Up for 'Big Update' on February 3

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl has been fairly quiet on the content front since Garfield's release last month, and fans have been anticipating the next reveals after the game's developers noted that more was coming really soon.


Well, it's been almost two months now and the wait for what's next won't be much longer as the game's official Twitter page has informed fans to keep an eye out on February 3. A "big update" is inbound next week, so be sure to mark you calendars.

"Tune into @IGN on February 3 for a big Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl update! #NickBrawl" wrote the Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl Twitter account.

Nick Brawl has used IGN as a platform for other major announcements several times before which suggests what's expected next Thursday should be something significant. Naturally, we have some leads on what might be on the verge of being announced.

Back in December, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl's art director Diego Hernandez hopped onto Liquid|HungryBox's stream to share a handful of updates. Firstly, Hernandez noted that the next DLC character will be coming in the near future and "right away."

On top of this, the developer confirmed that "a bunch" of characters are actually in the works at the moment, and other features such as crossplay are slated to be released in the first half of this year.

As far as characters go, the community is expecting the next DLC fighter to be The Shredder from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as past data mining pointed heavily to the inclusion of Garfield and the TMNT villain specifically.

The next DLC fighter is also expected to be the last free character to be added to the game's roster, with paid-for new characters becoming available soon after.

Outside of that, Hernandez also dropped a fairly large hint that proper voice acting may be coming to the game as well. The lack of character voices was one of the major complaints fans had about the game after release, and it remains one of the most frequently made demands.

What do you hope to see announced for Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl next week? Let me know in the comments!

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is out now for consoles and PC.

Watch your favorite Nickelodeon shows old and new on Paramount+! Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com!

From Upcomer:

How Lilybunn conquered her nerves to be the best in NASB

'It was definitive proof to myself that I had done it. I had made it.'

After a full day of working as a restaurant hostess, Lilybunn generally returns home and gets to work on one of her varied hobbies. Sometimes, she tries her hand at video game development, creating games like WizardDodgeball, her take on the platform fighter genre.

Other times, she dons the masquerade of a pink-haired, rabbit-eared maid to stream on Twitch as a VTuber. Of course, Lilybunn may also grind Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl anywhere from four to eight hours in preparation for her next tournament win.

Over the past two months, Lilybunn has asserted her status as the best NASB player. She has won 12 consecutive online tournaments, including Juan “Hungrybox” DeBiedma’s stacked circuit closer, The Box Championship Circuit: Invitational Finale.

However, Lilybunn’s journey to the top of Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl has required her to overcome mental setbacks and gain confidence in her own capabilities.

Longing to be the best

Lilybunn has had a knack for competitive gaming ever since she learned how to snake in Mario Kart DS as a 5-year-old. And, when she was 13, she got her first taste of the traditional tournament experience playing Super Smash Bros. for 3DS.

Since then, she has competed in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Slap City, osu! and Eternal Return. While Lilybunn claims she was above average at all of them, she never crossed the threshold to become a top player in any one game … until NASB.

When Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl was first announced, Lilybunn wasn’t interested in the game’s Smash-esque crossover potential. Instead, she considered her own potential in the latest project from Ludosity, which had developed her favorite platform fighter, Slap City.

“Honestly, I think the Nickelodeon game could’ve been any game,” Lilybunn said. “It’s not that I dislike Nickelodeon. But, when the game was first coming out, I just wanted to prove to myself that I can be a top-level player or the best player at a game if I put in enough time and effort, because I hadn’t really had any other game that I could say that about.”

Eager to get her hands on the game, Lilybunn initially downloaded Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl on her Nintendo Switch through the Australian eShop so that she could play it 12 hours early. Once the game launched in the United States, she switched to the PC version and began training with Madeline “FumbLynn” Y., a top Slap City player.

“My early matches with Lily were always close, even though I had the beta a few days before launch,” FumbLynn said. “I knew she was going to be amazing if she stuck with the game.”

Early on, Lilybunn settled on SpongeBob SquarePants as her main. It was fitting, considering she had a SpongeBob radio and a SpongeBob-themed bedroom when she was younger. Of course, that’s not really why she chose him.

“I told myself, because I wanted to be really good, I’m going to pick a top tier,” Lilybunn said. “I do have an attachment to SpongeBob but, if he was bad, I wasn’t going to pick him.”

Although she initially did well against FumbLynn, Lilybunn experienced a rude awakening when she faced another top NASB player, Jared “husky” Ferguson.

“Husky kind of beat me up on launch day,” Lilybunn said. “It was actually a huge hit at first because I was like, ‘Oh God, this is going to be hard.’ I had confidence at the very start and then it kind of died.”

Lilybunn’s bumpy road to the top

Lilybunn’s gameplay fundamentals were always solid and she quickly proved her ability to seamlessly transition between defensive and offensive play.

“I have never seen a player so capable of turning their playstyle on the spot, completely able to throw off even the most adaptive players,” FumbLynn said of Lilybunn. “Her reaction time is unmatched. If you hit her shield, you’re getting hit right back just a few frames after. When she flips the switch, she is relentless. Her pressure is intense but calculated.”

Even so, Lilybunn said her mentality was a big issue that held her back at early NASB tournaments. Although she placed well at online events from the outset, facing other top players proved to be mentally taxing for her.

“I’d stress myself out before the set even begins, and during the set, because if I lose, I’m going to be in losers and then all that practice doesn’t matter,” Lilybunn said.

She fared particularly poorly against Project M Donkey Kong turned NASB Leonardo, Xayya “ThundeRzReiGN” Thammavongsa, losing five consecutive sets in the first month of the game’s lifespan.

During that first month of competition, Lilybunn won two of the 12 online Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl tournaments she entered; a paltry number for someone aiming to be the best in the world.

“Any result that wasn’t ‘I win’ was bad,” Lilybunn said. “I still took some results as, ‘Oh, I beat this player who I didn’t before, that’s cool,’ but overall they were all bad and they were all stressing me out. You practice a lot and you put yourself out there and you want to see results, right? So, you kind of stress about the results before the results come.”

However, Lilybunn said she gained more confidence after she beat ThundeRzReiGN for the first time at In The Absence Of: Episode 3. It kickstarted the first win streak of her NASB career. Excluding events where she lost with her secondary Lucy, Lilybunn earned four straight tournament wins at In The Absence Of: Episode 3, PX Nick East #4, That’s My Slime! and Turkey Day Tussle.

But, Lilybunn’s hot streak came to an end at The Box Championship Circuit: Qualifier #1. The stakes were high at the 204-person tournament; the biggest NASB event since Hungrybox’s previous tournament just over a week after the game launched.

Lilybunn only slept about an hour the night before the qualifier and had to play after a long day at work. As a result, she finished in ninth place, marking her worst performance in over a month.

“That was probably the biggest hurdle for me mentality-wise,” Lilybunn said. “After I lost that qualifier, I was really down on myself. I was just in bed for like a day. It brought up a lot of feelings of, ‘Oh, I have all these tournament wins but, when the big one comes around, I’m going to mess it up. All those other tournament performances don’t matter because this is the big one. This is the one everyone is going to look at.’”

Prior to the qualifier, Lilybunn said she was one of the frontrunners for the title of best Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl player, alongside Aaron “Bodedee” Hansen. But Bodedee won the tournament, giving him the edge, as Lilybunn’s goal of becoming No. 1 slipped further out of her reach.

Becoming The Box champion

Although she didn’t enter the second Box Championship Circuit qualifier, Lilybunn was still invited to the circuit finale, on account of her strong performances overall. Excluding a Garfield-only bracket, she’d won the only two tournaments she had entered since the qualifier.

Even though she was seeded fourth going into the finale, Lilybunn had minimal expectations because of her poor showing at the first qualifier.

“I kind of went in with a mindset where I was like, ‘If I lose, I lose,’” Lilybunn said. “I already screwed up the qualifiers.”

On the first day of competition, she handily defeated Aaron “tafaar” Hill and Nasir “BlazingPasta” Green to advance to top eight. The next day, she nearly overslept. After repeated phone calls from some of her friends, Lilybunn woke up and groggily faced her first opponent of the day, No. 1 seed Bodedee.

As she pushed past her sleepiness, Lilybunn found she was able to focus on the game in a way she hadn’t before. For the first time, she said, she didn’t feel nervous even while playing another top player in a high-stakes tournament setting.

“I didn’t really think much about the implications of the set during the set,” Lilybunn said. “I was just kind of vibing.”

Without pressure or expectations, Lilybunn eked out a Game 5 victory over Bodedee. She maintained her calm and focused mentality as she double-eliminated husky in order to win The Box Championship Circuit: Invitational Finale.

“Winning that tournament really meant a lot,” Lilybunn said. “It was definitive proof to myself that I had done it. I had made it.”

Lilybunn is undefeated in NASB

Since then, Lilybunn has not lost a single Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl tournament, even though she’s tried out secondary characters like Oblina, Leonardo and Lincoln Loud. In that time, Chris “Musky_EXE” Pelton is the only player to have beaten her more than once. Nevertheless, Lilybunn still boasts a convincing 9-3 lifetime record against him.

“Her consistency and ability to not drop anything makes it really hard to win against her,” Musky_EXE said.

Lilybunn stated that the nerves that plagued her at prior tournaments have since become a non-issue. As it turns out, that disappointing qualifier performance was the final hurdle she had to clear before she was able to shift her mindset and begin dominating the NASB scene.

“Shoutouts to the qualifier that screwed my mentality over,” Lilybunn said. “I resolved to put less pressure on myself and, recently, I haven’t had any issues with nerves, which is why I think I’m winning a lot. Getting into that mindset where actually playing in the tournaments isn’t about my results, while I’m inside of the tournament, has helped me a lot.”'

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Originally published: January 28, 2022.

Original source: EventHubs.

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