Friday, August 5, 2016

Gravity Falls: Journal 3 review and Cipher Hunt impressions

BEWARB! SPOILERS AHEAD!
This section contains major spoiler from non-mentioned things/places/creatures/occurrences/etc. from the Universe of Gravity Falls!

My Gravity Falls Journal 3 FINALLY arrived! It took a while, because I had to import it, but it was well worth the wait.(╯✧∇✧)
I've got it from amazon: https://www.amazon.de/Gravity-Falls-Journal-Alex-Hirsch/dp/1484746694/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470408953&sr=8-1&keywords=gravity+falls+journal+3

On 288 beautiful designed pages, Alex Hisch shows us the mysterious, fascinating and maybe a little bit obscure world of Gravity Falls. As a huge GF fan, I'm disappointed how Disney treats this wonderful series (seriously, they won't release GF Blu-Rays or DVD!?( )), so this Journal is something very special for every Gravity Falls fan.(*^▽^*)


The book comes with a dust wrapper, remove it and the Journal looks almost like the original from the series!(≡^∇^≡)

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/gravityfalls/images/a/ae/S1e20_Secrets....png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/258?cb=20130805194825

And the inside is also a poster, designed as blueprints from McGucket's inventions!



The journal starts with entries from the Author. The typeface is some kind of cursive, so some people might can't read it.(´▽`)
The entries are about creatures, places and Ford's "muse". They also show us new creatures or up until the nameless creatures.

And, of cause, well-known places with new informations.(ღ˘⌣˘ღ)

As this is Gravity Falls merchandise, the obligatory coded texts must not missing.
(read the full decryption here:  https://m.reddit.com/r/gravityfalls/comments/4uuezb/journal_3_code_key_full_decryption_spoilers/)

As advertised, this journal explains particularly, how Gravity Falls became the place we know and love through the "weirdness dimension" (is it a coincidence that the tail band was placed a this pages? I don't think so...( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°))

The journal also reveals the relationship between Ford an Fiddleford.(ノ・ω・)

Following the original story line, Ford discovered later that Bill isn't what the supposed to be. The following entries are deeper and more "disturbed".( ⚆ _ ⚆ )

In the second part, Dipper assume the role as new author (his handwriting is easier readable( ⋂‿⋂’)).
The following entries are more like a small episode guide, until Ford appearance. Ford continue the writing about the "future", his impressions about his brother, the Mystery Shack and the other characters. In 26 pages, Ford writes about discovering different dimensions (hadn't had time to read it now, but I will definite!). The last pages are about the Weirdmageddon and never published thoughts from Dipper and Ford (I just skim it and it really hits me, I might get really emotional when I read it focused(•́︿•̀。)).
All in all this journal is worth it's price and waiting time.


The Cipher Hunt

I think everyone, who watched the last episode of Gravity Falls reminds the Bill Cipher Stature. Well, as some theorists assumed, it's real!
http://cdn0.dailydot.com/cache/a8/9b/a89b1333878de172b5687434b9d3a90c.jpg

Month later, Alex Hirsch published the following post on twitter:
https://twitter.com/_AlexHirsch/status/755870882027802624?lang=de
The code says, that the stature and the treasure are real, but the hunt is the real journey is the real price.٩(♡ε♡ )۶
The red letters mean decoded "Russia", where Alex had been for "vacations".
This was the first hint and it has been found. It revealed, that the next hint will be found in Japan, another place where Alex went for "vacations".

Exactly as the first hint, the second was also found, at the Kanda Myojin Shrine Tokyo/Japan. This hint, found at the back of an ema in the shrine leaded the Cipher Hunters to 400 Ponce De Leon Ave NE in Atlanta Georgia/USA. 

The third hint was a missing poster for Waddles, which contained a telephone number, a message from Grunkle Stan played backwards. The hint revealed, that the next clue will be found in the Ochre Court building of Salve Regina University in Rhode Island/USA.

Sadly the university disposed the fourth hint before, but Alex published another hint on twitter.
https://twitter.com/_AlexHirsch/status/756209644331073538?lang=de
This was the same phone number as in the last hint, with an new Stan message. It said, that the next is located at the Griffith J. Griffith stature in Los Angeles California/USA.

Jason Ritter (Dipper's voice actor) and Ariel Hirsch (Alex's twin sister) teamed up with some other fans to hunt after the next clue. They found a USB stick with a audio file. It was a message by Grunkle Stan again. After he was haunted by the ghost of Sister Mary Hilda Miley, he said that the next hint will be found at the California State Summer School of the Arts, Los Angeles (USA).

The seventh hint was a graffiti on a wall at the California State Summer School of the Arts. It reveals the coordinates of Piedmont, California, the hometown of Dipper and Mabel.
The next hint was found in the Piedmont Park. There, some Cipher Hunters found a small coffer, which a hint that leaded us to 18825 N Vermont Ave in LA, a post office.
 With the key they found there, too, one Cipher Hunter traveled to this office.

The ninth hint was found in a PO box. It includes a 2000 pieces puzzle. Finishing the puzzle takes very long. For that reason, Alex published the puzzles image on twitter.

The next hint was found in Portland, Oregon. It was a gnome, a view-master and the next hint. 
It leads to Confusion Hill, California, a tourist trap like the Mystery Shack.
Under a jaw of eyeballs, the tenth hint was found. The hint leads to telephone poles on Stanley Street in Amity, Oregon.

The eleventh hint was found at a geocache bolt, written on a piece of paper. The hint leads to the Enchanted Forest Theme Park in Turner, Oregon.

The next hint, found a Enchanted Forest theme park, but nothing happened.
After days without process, Alex tweeted the final hint, that leads to Reedsport, Oregon.

And what happened? THE STATUE WAS THERE!! Near the stature, Cipher Hunters found a treasure chest with Russian and Japanese Money, a Journal 3, a crown made of plastic, a "Mayor of Gravity Falls" sash, a music box, a small Bill Cipher statue, a Gravity Falls painting, a USB stick and a note from Alex that said that the one, who find the treasure will be the new major of Gravity Falls. The USB stick leads to an audio file, where Grunkle Stan sings "We'll Meet Again".

In my opinion, the Cipher Hunt was one of the best things that could happening to Gravity Falls. The show is just too good to die out, and only because it's over doesn't mean that we can forget it. It was a amazing journey, though the internet everyone was able to feel connected to the fandom.

You want more information?: 
http://gravityfalls.wikia.com/wiki/Cipher_Hunt
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLS7H4767w-aVmsWlK0d3z_XUIgy3x4NMb