#i promise even Mary was more likeable at times

[gudvina]

I never thought there would be an adaptation that could make me prefer Louisa to Anne, and yet by making Anne whatever they made with her in the movie, i am almost certain my favourite character in this adaptation is Louisa who clearly is better than Anne or Frederick themselves.

[snow-and-saltea]

People I'd like to know better

Tagged by @paleasamoon (hi tex i love you tex sorry this took a year) (HEH. get it. cus you tagged me last year. heh.)

Last song: just putting on yt music as im reading manga and talking to muwi, and now its playing burn for you, from the bridgerton musical! (i don't know watch or follow it) (it's just a nice song) but i'd also like to recommend this song

Favourite colour: YELLOW!!!! 💛💛💛💛💛💛

Currently watching: my computer screen writing this up

Last movie / TV show: skip to loafer! i was screaming with muwi the entire time bc the story was so sweet and healing and everyone is so sympathetic and cute and we kept being like AAAAAAAAAA I LOVE WOMEN FRIENDSHIPS SO MUCHHHHHH

Spicy/savoury/sweet: sweet! if i could choose a combo, i like savoury-sweet. i like spice but only if i like the flavour! i'm not keen on the actual pain sensation of spice!!

Last thing I googled: hummmm i don't remember... i think a marinade recipe i made yesterday night? i made a korean base marinade for some lamb chops!! i cooked them today and invited my sister to eat with us, it was rlly yummy!

Relationship status: single! waves my aroace flag!!! i'm curious about how it feels to be in a relationship but it's not smth i try to actualize LOL i'm content w reading my shoujosei man-ga/hwa/huas <33

Current obsession: idk if i could call them obsessions yet but right now i'm really invested in sousou no frieren (anime only, havent caught up to the manga), skip to loafer (same there), and i'm looking for more wholesome healing stories. although now that i'm going through my reading lists for stories i've dropped, i'm laughing at them fjaksfjkasfj

(i promise this one has proper context bc i usually like pacifist mcs just bc i like politics and connection seeking to be based on a foundation of empathy and kindness. but this one was just so stupid and just a way to establish how good the mc was to the point that i couldn't get immersed in the story bc it was that nonsensical and i wanted to die)

i'm typically fine w mary sues / jane(?) FLs and i even tend to be biased for them just bc there's a lot of misogyny about the subject matter, so i normally don't bat an eye unless it's a writing choice i find unsuitable / doesn't fulfill the potential it could've achieved with an interesting plot.

(btw the context is that the first screenie which this rant also applies to was when some guy caught the baddies and the FL is like "No let's reward them for trying to kill us. they're just misunderstood!! i bet if we try really hard we can all get along!!")

but! i only really like it when it actually does something useful, like thematically or symbolically. like tohru's innate goodness for furuba inline with the sohma's family curse and mitsumi's unending positivity and earnestness that helps the people around her heal from emotional wounds. not that they're mary sues in any way, but since people understand mary sues as "female protagonists who can do no wrong and will be liked no matter what" (even thought their psychology and personality is just genuinely likeable), i think it makes my point clear. there's a way to write a character who is Good and Kind without cheapening them to a naivete that at best, makes the mc pitiable, or worst, is treated like the mc's totally unique worldview of "lets be nice to people and never hurt anyone ever :)" is the end all be all of the story and the solution to the plot. kindness and empathy is a coiled spring that projects you forward, a motivator. it's how you guide your hand and where it goes, not that the hand is never raised. i don't agree that cowardice towards change and the potential promise of conflict is any kind of wisdom >:T plus it kinda puts the shame to the idea of kindness as a legitimate basis for political strategy, and that leads to some set up for a lot of zero sum games i don't care for in this specific story. there is a good story where each character is trying to one up each other politically, psychologically, at all times, but this is not that story and so the tone feels very off kilter.

but yeah!! sometimes a character is just OP and the story is not even having fun with it (aka its not satire or irony), which makes me think they want to take it seriously. and my serious thoughts was that it sucked.

(i just realised this also applies to the first screenie LMFAO it just loops back huh!!)

not gonna comment about the others bc i think they speak for themselves <33 but also the first one of these three is fucked up in the sense that i dont even get where they're going w the story. its a revenge story and the FL uses the ML from childhood to achieve her revenge, but then suddenly when he's an adult she has Feelings for Him and now im like.... okay....? belief no longer suspended. beliefs are like those garter straps that snapped. my socks are like my beliefs. fallen to my feet. they are no longer suspended.

sorry that got off track </33 i enjoy looking into why i dont like things, im in this stage of life where i realise i actually have specific ass tastes!! i always have, but i just realised it very recently a few years back fjskfjskjf

People I'd like to know better (i also wanna include some mutuals who i haven't talked to but i like to see on my dash):

@snickerdoodlles

@fflewddurfflam7

@00uroboros

@perpetualstateofcrying

@pirate-with-internet-connection

💛🐢😤💪

[trulycertain]

fic writer interview

Tagged by @skogrr Thank you very much! It's a while since I've done one of these, and I've missed them.

Name: Tru/"Oi you" Fandoms (that I write for): Dragon Age, mostly. Still the fandom of my heart. Mass Effect, Deus Ex... uh, accidentally GreedFall? I don't know how or when that happened. Two-shot: Hmm... The actual last two-shot I wrote was Terms & Conditions, a very silly Dorian/Inquisitor modern AU where Gal is the guy Dorian hires to stop his late father's house falling apart. Recently? I suspect that's going to be Driftwood, which can stand on its own as a sort of weird post-canon first-meeting AU, but is trying to tempt me to continue it. (Vasco ends up going looking for Tír Fradí, which has disappeared - and finds it. He also finds De Sardet as a highly avoidant tree god of the island, post-Bad Ending, who transformed against her will. And he ends up falling in love with her anyway.) Weird tree gods! Pining by literal pine! An eventual happy ending! More grumpy commentary by Vasco!

Most popular multi-chapter: Either An Unquenchable Flame or Distraction, probably - both juggernaut pairings, the former close to the game's release and the latter with some fancy forbidden romance, so not so surprising. But surprisingly, Prague, 10:42 PM has done really well, considering it's for a small fandom (Deus Ex) and a rarepair age/rank-difference pairing that I thought would be a one-off experiment? I get it, guys. I like sad repressed stoics too.

Actual worst part of writing: Editing - which can be fun, but that "over and over" stage when you're about to post, especially in a longfic if you fear you've lost the spirit of the thing and the character voices and you can't see the wood for the trees. And when I have to remove a whole scene which Jenga-unbalances the fic, and then I have to redux from the top. Basically, most things to do with pacing. How you choose your titles: I like double-meanings and one word titles. If that fails: quote from a song. If that fails: quote from poetry, but very rarely. Do you outline: Only a little. A bulletpointed list of events or noted-down major lines of dialogue, that's usually it.

Ideas I probably won’t get around to but wouldn’t it be nice: Uh... oh god. I blame so many people for some of these.

Post-Destroy ending where John is attempting to build a shed on Rannoch because that's the kind of thing retired people do, right? and Tali is far better at it than him, and it's just... disgusting fluff.

Actually, just reduxing the early John/Tali stuff with a bit more nuance and a stronger style.

Eva and Kaidan, and their mutually wary first meeting. ("Wow, that's a lot of pomade." "Wow, that's a lot of death-glare.")

AU where Gal and Dorian never met in DAI, and after everything went down, Gal tried to fade into the shadows and leave. He ended up working in Tevinter as an occasional informant/odd-jobs guy the way he was pre-Inquisition. He ends up being a gardener for a bitter, wry magister who seems to hate the entire Magisterium, has recently lost his father to political scheming and murder, and wants to take down the entirety of the remaining Venatori with one staff and maybe his teeth if he has to (hi, Dorian). But first, Dorian's going to drink his own body weight in whiskey and be a recluse for a while and start thinking about time magic again. Gal is trying to keep his head down and should definitely not be falling in love with said magister. Who's someday going to end up at one of the more southerly ports, come across a statue of the great Inquisitor, and go, Oh.

Stuff on Jensen's PT and rebuilding himself post-augs. More of Proprioception, basically.

Mer-AU where Marie De Sardet is still a diplomat attempting to make new connections, just not a human one, and it's a disaster. An awkward disaster. Highlights include her being framed as the beast trying to drown their best captain; her attempting to wobble about on brand-new legs and Vasco's coat while everyone assumes the dear captain has had a few too many; her asking Vasco if his "fascinating markings" glow; them getting into a duel, and her (fondly) getting punted off the side of the ship going "Woo-hoo." OK, I wrote a bit of that, but only a 1k doodle I'll probably never return to.

Non-Naut court AU where Marie gets promised to Bastien D'Arcy, because he's a bit of a layabout but he's also rich, popular at court, and amenable to bribe - [cough] suggestion, and the D'Arcys have prominent trading links with the Alliance. Instead she falls for his far less of a social butterfly, tired, worried-numbers-guy brother Léandre, who's pretty damn uncomfortable around Nauts because he's well aware he nearly got sold to them and he is not the favourite.

Straight-up role-reversal AU (another thing where I've put down 1k that I'll probably never return to), where Marie's Naut name is Paz, and she's a fed-up second-mate who's tired of noble idiots and feels a little strange and conflicted about her mark (and has context for it, because they make frequent crossings to Tír Fradí). Also a little more jaded, without the love of her mother, and not nearly as much of a tryhard as Vasco in canon; she ended up here because she had nowhere else to go and the Nauts were like "Ooh, free kid," and she's well aware. She gets stuck escorting the D'Arcy brothers to Tír Fradí for their new venture and is not looking forward to it. Except one of them is intensely bright and wry and keeps asking questions about the ship and noticing shit he is definitely not meant to notice, and they keep ending up in strange conversations, even if he seems really, really wary and uncomfortable about Nauts.

Some vague stuff about Vasco's thoughts on Jonas and that whole side quest, considering he's also a sea-given and implies sea-given take some shit in the Nauts, and also how damn difficult it must be watching a sea-given's parents endeavour to get their kid back when he knows full well his didn't do that for him.

Actually, just more Vasco POV in general, even though he's damn hard to nail down. I've written much pining for him from Marie's perspective, and I'd like to try things from the opposite. This guy's idea of wooing someone perfectly normally is to panic and then recite Baroque poetry. You know he's sappy as hell in the privacy of his own head, even if he's trying not to be.

Jean and Síora having the "I'm a sad healer who just lost my mother and I'm trying so hard not to crumble under the weight of assisting the leader" mutual talk way too late at night around the campfire and maybe him crying on her shoulder a little, with mutual kindness and the beginnings of attraction, and her finally getting past his jokey-smug facade to understand him.

More stuff about Jean's past in general, and how he wanted to be a doctor before he was dragged away from it by looking after Constantin and being nobility.

Síora and Eseld and the ways they changed over the years; something like an exploration of grief and growing her own will and the ways they very differently view the renaigse. Also maybe more about the en ol menawi magic, if I can worldbuild well enough?

I'd also love to do a GreedFall soulmark AU - it's generally not my kind of trope, I'm not into biological determinism type tropes - just because names and aliases and assumed identities are such a mess in GreedFall and it's a repeated plot point. That said, I feel like it's been done so beautifully in this fandom before that I wouldn't have much to add.

Callouts @ me: So. Many. Commas. So much over-explaining everything. If they get out of the car, your readers do not need a five-page manual of "and then he undid his seatbelt and leaned over to grasp the door handle, and then pulled it, and then stepped a foot out before he almost thought better of it - but no, he was going to get out of this car. The other foot joined the first, and he nearly banged his head on the doorframe."

Best writing traits: People say I have a head for finding small-but-important moments. I'm also told I write likeable protags. People have more than once said my writing makes them feel safe or makes them smile, and I really couldn't ask for more than that. I'll take those.

Spicy tangential opinion: I don't think I have any, really? Oh god, that makes me sound so very boring. Oh! Um. There should be more tree body horror in fandom. And body horror in general. *thumbsup*

No pressure tagging: @artemis-crimson, @eridanidreams,@rainypixel, @aphreal42.

[bisexualsforprompto]

Jealous! Adrien Dick x Marinette Headcanons

A/N woah I can’t believe this is like (what the 6th or 7th?!) one of these I’ve done! I’m so grateful for your requests and support <3. And I promise: if you’ve requested and I haven’t gotten to it yet, I will!

Also, this one is shaped a lot more like a fic, rather than headcanons. Hope you still enjoy!

Was it possible for someone to be too charming?

Adrien hadn’t thought so until he met Richard Grayson.

The adopted son of Bruce Wayne had moved to Paris just under a month ago and suffice to say: Adrien had still not gotten used to it

Dick made every girl (and many guys as well) around him swoon, without even trying!

Adrien didn’t understand, but if he was being honest he hadn’t really cared...for a while

When Dick had come to DuPont he was quick to befriend and talk to everyone there, just before class started on his first day!

Even Adrien liked him at first

But it wasn’t until Marinette walked in (late as expected) when Adrien started to be agitated that the boy was there

Apparently, he and Marinette had met before, at some circus (he thought maybe it was Haly’s or something, not that his father would ever let him step foot near one of those things).

And they got along...really well

Dick got along better with Marinette after being reunited than with the rest of the class (which Adrien didn’t think was possible!)

At first, it wasn’t a big deal, mostly Marinette partnering with Dick as opposed to him, Alya, or Nino, but then he started asking himself ‘why’?

It unsettled him a little bit, especially because Adrien had the sneaking suspicion that someone like Dick, who was so naturally charming and likeable, had to be hiding something

What would be his other motives for cozying up to Marinette?!

She already had friends

But Nino and Alya weren’t as bothered by him, so Adrien tried to let it go

But then Marinette cancelled their spring break plans in order to go back with Dick to Gotham City

Adrien didn’t understand!

She ditched him...to go to the most crime ridden city in the world!

Did Marinette not want to be friends with Adrien anymore? Would she rather be friends with Dick?

He called Nino soon after Marinette cancelled their plans

After explaining how he felt there was a dead silence on the other end

Followed by, “Dude...Doesn’t it- I mean don’t you think...Dude don’t you think you’re overreacting a bit?”

Adrien couldn’t believe Nino!

Their good friend Marinette didn’t hang out with them anymore!

“Marinette doesn’t have time for us anymore! She probably stopped liking us in favor of that-that...guy!”

Nino stifled a chuckle. “Dude, we just hung with Nette a couple days ago, we all went to André’s remember?”

Oh Adrien remembered, Dick came along too.

Mari and Dick shared an ice cream, blackberry and blueberry. Adrien guessed because of their hair and eyes

Getting ice cream at André’s was their thing...well, him, Marinette and Kagami, but still!

“Yeah.” Adrien huffed, “But Mr. Charming was there.”

“Right...” Nino cleared his throat, “Dude...you think...maybe it’s possible that you have feelings for Marinette? I mean it’s cool if you do! I’d love to see my two best bros, or I guess my bro and my bro-ette, Wait-“

“Nino!” Adrien exclaimed, “No! I don’t like Marinette!”

“Okay...But what would you say if Alya told me that...Dick and Mari kinda sorta started dating?!” Nino almost squeaked.

Adrien almost crushed his phone, “I’d...be happy for them!” He said with a fake smile.

“Right...Dude, don’t you think you’re a just a bit jealous of Dick? I actually like the dude, he’s chill!”

“Nino...I’m not jealous.” Adrien said.

“Right, right . So why do you care so much?” Nino asked.

Adrien paused, why did he care?

He knew he didn’t like Dick

Adrien felt the Wayne boy wasn’t good enough for mari, their sweet everyday ladybug!

But why...

Well, Dick was nice to her, as a matter a fact- nice to everyone, he was sure Dick would be a gentleman to her...so why did he care? Why was he so unsettled?

“I...I couldn’t tell you Nino.” Adrien said with a soft laugh.

“Dude, hear me out: maybe you need to entertain the idea that you have feelings for Mari...” Nino said carefully.

Adrien thought about it, “Maybe you’re right Nino... Oh! By the way, was the thing you said Alya told you about Dick and Mari true? You know...them dating.”

“Yeah...sorry man.” Nino said, “I think you missed your shot.”

Adrien felt his heart break.

“O-oh. Well call you later Nino.”

“Bye, dude. Take care.”

Adrien sucked in a breath...he loved Marinette, didn’t he?

That’s why he was jealous of Dick

His answer came in the form of the tiny god gouging himself with cheese saying, “Took you long enough!”

Taglist:

@northernbluetongue

@queen-of-the-trash-planet-tm

@luciferge

@legendaryneckjudgestudent

@interobanginyourmom

@beaversuenightly

@worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry

@mochinek0

@shamefullove

@emjrabbitwolf

@actual-disaster-human

@littleredrobinhoodlum

@elijahcoser

@daminett4life

@18-fandoms-unite-08

@kawaiigiantjudgefish

@myazael

@kass-is-weird

@dramatic-squirrel

@novicevoice

@abrx2002

@corabeth11

@mochegato

@the-fusionist

@lesscoolloki

@aegyobutpsycho2

@spiritofchaoticdreams

@shizukiryuu

@luleck

@moonystars14

[manuscripts-dontburn]

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Author: Shirley Jackson

First published: 1962

Pages: 158

Rating: ★★★★☆

Considering how short this book is, it manages to swallow the reader up in one gulp. Weird and slightly creepy, it is unsettling and the characters of Constance and Merricat evoke both feelings of compassion and almost horror. It is also beautifully written. I only do wish it was longer, at least a little bit.

The Assassination of the Archduke: Sarajevo 1914 and the Romance that Changed the World

Author: Greg King, Sue Woolmans

First published: 2013

Pages: 432

Rating: ★★★★☆

As is his nature, Greg King spices up things a bit and focuses on the scandalous whenever he can. that said he can also tell a story in a quite balanced and engaging way. It is not easy to make Franz Ferdinand likeable, given his reputation, but somehow this book does make him worthy of (if nothing else) an actual pity. I suspect this is hardly an exhaustive work on the subject matter, but in my opinion, it is more than an appropriate gateway into the world of this controversial man, his family life and his untimely death.

The Silence of the Girls

Author: Pat Barker

First published: 2018

Pages: 325

Rating: ★★★★☆

This is a brutal book one should not pick up unless they are willing to take on the topics like sexual violence, dehumanization and slavery, as well as some graphic war imagery. It is quite faithful to the original myth and at the same time manages to stand on its own. I was glad to see a powerful female (even if forced into submission) character who manages to be strong without being forced to think and speak like a woman of our times (something many historical fiction books love to do and I despise). I was only a bit let down by the fact that as the book progresses this becomes a story about Achilles rather than the "girls" promised in the title. Why is he given a voice where so many other voices have not yet been heard? Perhaps I would not have been bothered if the book´s main selling point wasn´t the "female view" of the Trojan war.

Noci běsů

Author: Kateřina Šardická

First published: 2020

Pages: 312

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Toto dílko mělo spoustu velmi pěkných ingrediencí, z nichž bezpochyby nejzajímavější bylo bohaté využití slovanského folklóru, bohužel nakonec se přeci jen celá kniha čte pro mne osobně příliš "mladě". Jsem si vědoma toho, že ve svých 30+ letech nejsem cílové publikum, na druhou stranu dobrá kniha je dobrá kniha a na cílových skupinách by nemělo až tak záležet. Druhá věc, která mne frustrovala byla má neschopnost z knihy odvodit odpověď na otázku "Kde jsem?" a hlavně "KDY jsem???" Jak si představit technologii či módu? V jakém jsme dějovém období??? Nikdy se mi to nepodařilo vypátrat. Dobrý nápad na příběh, který si zasloužil více propracovat.

We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World

Author: Malala Yousafzai

First published: 2018

Pages: 224

Rating: ★★★★★

This is one of those important books everybody should read right now. Timely, accessible and heartbreaking.

Theater Street

Edited by: Tamara Karsavina

First published: 1930

Pages: 362

Rating: ★★★★☆

A charming portrait of a culture and a lifestyle lost. Karsavina strikes one as a level-headed artist conscious of her great abilities and yet heaping praise and admiration on all others at the same time.

Love and Fury: A Novel of Mary Wollstonecraft

Author: Samantha Silva

First published: 2021

Pages: 317

Rating: ★★★★★

The fascinating life story of Mary Wollstonecraft is told rather than shown within the pages of this book, yet I cannot help but give it, at least for now, a very high rating. It was the experience of reading the book which I thoroughly enjoyed. What a fascinating person she must have been! The writing in this is beautiful, often bordering on swallowing the reader up in the visual poetry it conjures up.

The Archive of the Forgotten

Author: A.J. Hackwith

First published: 2020

Pages: 365

Rating: ★★★★★

I am enjoying the ride with this series so much! The characters, the humour, the touching moments and above all the respectful yet lively treatment of different cultures! Cannot wait for the third instalment.

Tell the Wolves I'm Home

Author: Carol Rifka Brunt

First published: 2012

Pages: 355

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

I suppose this book was just not for me. For one I went into it expecting a story dealing with the new, unknown and terrible disease which AIDS was back in the 80s (the terrible remains even today), but it turned out to be a mere backdrop for a troubled teen emotional learning curve. Not that in itself would not be a serious and interesting topic, but it was not the selling point of this book. The relationships seemed either cliché or plain weird (I am sorry, I did find the main character´s fixation with her uncle uncomfortable, even more so since she was 14, not 5). No, not for me at all.

Čas prázdných kostelů

Author: Tomáš Halík

First published: 2020

Pages: 179

Rating: ★★★★★

Zamyšlení Tomáše Halíka jsou vynikající přípravou a doplňkem k době velikonoční, ale zároveň pohlazením po duši, povzbuzením a důkazem, že křesťanství je živé, má budoucnost a změna v nás samých nezbytná.

The Downstairs Girls

Author: Stacey Lee

First published: 2019

Pages: 374

Rating: ★★★☆☆

I really enjoyed this one and would heartily recommend it to anyone craving a good historical fiction that touches upon not very familiar issues and is written in a very uncomplicated and straightforward way. To me the relationships between many a character felt a bit too convenient and more like something from a soap opera than bitter reality. I would have also liked more of the main character actually being a journalist and perhaps her columns and advice felt a bit too basic. Still, very readable and pleasant.

[rose-tarts-and-angel-hearts]

Twisted Wonderland OCs; Ignatius Aquarii and Kelly Linette

{Art Credit: Pic crew}

Twisted from Maui from Moana

Name: Ignatius Aquarii

Name meaning: Ignatius; Means fiery one, I chose this name for him as Maui’s name meant “the god of fire” so I tried to choose a name somewhat similar ( hopefully)  Aquarii; I took Ignatius’s surname from one of the brightest stars in his zodiac sign; Aquarius, the star’s full name is ‘beta Aquarii’ 

 Age: 16 

Birthday: February 9  

Star sign: Aquarius 

Myers Briggs Personality Type: ESTP- A

Alinement: Chaotic good 

Gender: Male  

Height: 184cm (6ft)

Hair Color: White  #ffffff  with strands of very pale blue hair  #ebebff

Eye Colour: Very light blue  #94caff

Dominate Hand: Ambidextrous

Homeland: Land of Pyroxene   

Species: Human

School: Noble Swan University

Dorm: Riffmond

Year: 1st

Occupation: Student 

Club: Basketball club 

Best Subject:  Practical magic

Favorite Food: Sashimi, Unagi (freshwater eel), roast or fried chicken

Least Favorite Food: Fried Eggs 

Likes: tattoos, The beach, Telling/ Boasting about his achievements.

Dislikes: People who don’t walk the talk ( In other words, People who does not do what one said one could do, or would do, not just making empty promises. ), nagging

Hobby: Surfing, Playing the guitar, DJ’ing

Talents: Shadow puppets,  Arcade games, Lock picking

Unique Magic: ink world

Ignatius has the ability to send people into an ‘ink world’  in their minds, which leaves them in a vulnerable and dazed state. To explain in detail, the person Ignatius uses his unique magic on, turns unresponsive as if they are in a trance. ( For example In the song “ You’re welcome” Moana was in a different (?) world in her head while her body was spun into a cave so that Maui could steal her boat. )

Appearance

Ignatius is Tall and pretty muscular, with naturally tanned skin. He has light cyan-ish eyes that are slightly pointed and upturned, his hair is white with strands of very pale blue hair, that is brushed back, he has a short blue braid hanging down the right side of his face. Ignatius has many ear piercings and Tattoos, ( on his upper body, neck, chest, arms ) he proudly displays them by wearing a black singlet, and an unbuttoned white collared shirt that is slightly pulled down to show off the tattoos he got on his shoulder. He wears black cargo pants that are secured with a black belt  and are tucked into military boots. His purple dorm ribbon is tied on one of the belt loops (?). He also dons many silver rings and an enchanted charm bracelet made by Kelly. 

Personality

Ignatius gives off a rather..hmm what’s that word...oh oh! F-boy impression, as he’s always teasing and seems to not be serious about anything, but he’s actually quite a sweetheart, going out of his way to help people he considers friends, though he may be quite mischievous and tactless. Ignatius is rather boastful and egotistical, which would usually lead people like him into trouble since he’s a quite rash person,  but he doesn’t get into physical fights, he usually uses his unique magic to just embarrass the person in some way. Though Ignatius make act like a dumb dumb sometimes, he’s actually really smart, both street smart and academically, in terms of grades he comes in fourth place in his level. He can be rather perceptive too and will show care and concern for those he cares about, but mostly prefers to keep things fast-paced and silly rather than emotional or serious. 

Backstory

Ignatius’s mother remarried a wealthy business man a few years after Ignatius was born. ( Ignatius’s father passed away before he was born) As Ignatius’s step-father didn’t have any kids of his own, he doted a lot on Ignatius, thus spoiling him a lot. Ever since Ignatius was young he showed a lot of potential and talent of being a good wizard, thus receiving a lot of praise from his parents, teachers, and friends. This soon got to his head, and he became very arrogant and disrespectful towards people he considered ‘lower’ than himself, he lost a lot of friends in the process, and was out casted by most of them. At first Ignatius  acted like he was fine with people ignoring him, though he actually felt a bit lonely inside. Soon he grew tired of people out casting him but was too prideful to apologize, so he decided to play truant, his mindset was changed after meeting an ‘angel’ during one of his escapes.

Trivia

-Ignatius is ambidextrous but prefers to use his left hand.

-He has 10 ear piercings in total, and over 16 tattoos

-He got his first tattoo at 13 years old ( His mother screamed at him when she found out )

-He has 1 ‘magic tattoo’ on his arm of a mini him, Ignatius will ‘activate’ mini Ignatius to dance and perform on the other tattoos he has to entertain people.

-Kelly used to be the one who’ll braid his hair but since they’re in different dorms, he recently learned to do it himself.

-Ignatius is horrible at cooking thus he hates fried eggs as he doesn’t know how to control the heat, so his eggs always end up burnt.

-Ignatius would be in Scarabia if he went to NRC

{ART CREDIT: top-left to right; Drawing done by me ( I know it sucks..sorry for scaring your eyes), Picture from V roid Mobile, Picture from Pic crew. Middle-Left to right; Yerenica from seduce the villain’s father ( I thought they looked pretty similar! Hence why I used her photo here.), Kelly’s uniform link here!, Yerenica, Bottom-Left to right; V roid mobile, Yerenica, V roid mobile}

Name: Kelly Linette 

Name meaning: Kelly; Means warrior or Bright minded ( In Kelly’s case I wanted to utilize both meanings in her name, As I wanted her to be both smart and strong, someone who does not give up easily, and uses her wit and intelligence to solve problems.)   Linette; Means pretty one. The name is also derived from a songbird, the Linnet. ( I wanted to use this as her surname as I wanted her to be pretty  I wanted this to symbolize how she’s good at singing, like how linnet birds are known for their melodious voices.)

Age: 15 (She’s a year younger as she skipped a level/grade)

Myers Briggs Personality Type: ENFJ- T

Alinement: Neutral Good

Gender: Female

Height: 147 cm ( 4′10ft  ) 

Hair Color:  Very pale pink  #ffe9f0

Eye colour: Very light Cyan  #87d6eb

Dominate Hand: Right

Homeland: Empire of Fortune 

Species: Human

School: Noble Swan University

Dorm: Briable

Year: 1st

Occupation: Student, famous singer

Club: Board Game Club

Best Subject: Magical Enchantments 

Favorite Food:  Strawberry and Milk Kakigori  , Spicy food

Least Favorite Food: Cilantro

Likes: Winning, free time

Dislikes: Disappointing others/letting people down, People who shrink away from their responsibilities.

Hobby: Making enchanted Charm bracelets, exercising  

Talents: Singing, weight lifting, reading and manipulating people

Unique Magic: Lucky Stars 

Kelly’s Unique Magic is called “Lucky Stars”. This ability gives her an automatic and continuous supply of good luck, she’s able to use this ability by saying  “ Star light, star bright, The first star I see tonight; I wish I may, I wish I might, Have the wish I wish tonight” , whenever she recites this things will always turn in her favor, be it a test or a battle, her wishes will always come true, she is able to project this into her charm bracelets, though it’s not as effective and acts more like warding charm, she’s only able to use her unique magic for a total of 40 minutes in a day, as it takes a lot of magic and effort to keep it up.

Appearance

Kelly is short and petite, with a very fair complexion. She has long pastel pink hair that is styled in a half-up do tied with her dorm ribbon, her hair ends below her butt. She has big doe like eyes that are a pale cyan, which are framed by long and thick eyelashes.(very pretty! I wanna be pretty too~~) She has a very innocent doll-like appearance. She wears grey checkered uniform ( uniform in the picture! but the skirt ends around her mid-thigh) with a ribbon of her dorm colour, tied around her collar and is secured with a white and gold brooch, she wears black mary jane shoes with lacey white ankle socks.  She has a very ethereal-angel-ish vibe overall. 

Personality

Kelly is very kind and understanding person, accepting everyone as they are and doesn’t judge anyone, she’s a passionate altruist, warm and selfless, sometimes even to a fault. However, Kelly is quite manipulative, she’s gifted in people reading and is natural-born leader, full of passion, charismatic charm and a natural confidence that begets influence, she isn’t always manipulating people to hurt them or for personal gain, she simply wants people to do more or better because it will benefit them or help them realize some potential. She’s likeable and trustworthy and, as a result, others are generally compelled to listen and follow her. Though Kelly can and will purposely manipulate those who treat her friends badly. Kelly has good control of her behavior and words, but she will purposely snap to those who try to use her or her friends, before simply covering up her actions with her silver tongue. “ Can’t you put on a better show for me? pretty please!” * Smiles cutely*  Despite having a natural confidence, she defines her self-esteem by whether she’s are able to live up to others’ ideals, so she’s quite insecure, always wondering about what she could’ve done better. If she fails to meet a goal or people’s expectations of her, her self-confidence will undoubtedly plummet.

Backstory

Kelly came from quite a normal family, if having renowned parents were considered normal at least, her father was a famous fashion designer and her mother, a world-wide known actress, both ‘fell in love’ after Kelly’s mother was scouted as the main model for her father’s brand.  Since Kelly’s parents were very prominent people in the entertainment world, she been in the spotlight since she was born. As both of Kelly’s parents were workaholics, she was often brought along business trips and photoshoots, she was famous among scouters for her beauty and sweet voice, thus it wasn’t long before Kelly herself was offered contracts. One of her contracts required her to go to the Land of Pyroxene for an advertisement, where she met a peculiar boy.

Trivia

- Kelly has a insanely high spice tolerance, she can probably eat a Carolina reaper like it’s a snack.

- Kelly doesn’t know how to use social media so she doesn’t have a magicam account...(yet)

- 1st in her grade for studies. 

- Kelly has wavy hair that tangles easily, it may look super soft to run your fingers through-and it is-only if you can get through the knots first.

- Kelly is very innocent she doesn’t understand about  *cough reproduction cough* 

- Isn’t educated in the way of memes, trends, vines, slang.

- Kelly is gifted in singing, but she’s horrible with music instruments.

- Known as the ‘Angel’ in NSU.

- F e n c i n g 

- Kelly may be small in size, but she’s surprisingly strong! She could probably carry Jack around all day if she wanted to.

-Puppy dog eyes 24/7

- Kelly sucks at computer games or any online game.

@twistinghearts   @nobleswansong​ ( Hehe! I was anon who asked if I could tag you! I hope these OCs aren’t made super badly...)

[notesonfilm1]

  Burt Lancaster got his contract with Hal B. Wallis at Paramount on the basis of a test directed by Byron Haskin with Wendell Corey and Lizabeth Scott for Desert Fury. Lucky for him, the film was not ready to shoot for another six months and he was able to fit in Robert Siodmak’s The Killers(1946)  for producer Mark Hallinger at Universal beforehand. Desert Fury started shooting two weeks before the release of The Killers but there were already whisperings of Lancaster as a big new star, and the whisperings were so loud that Hallinger gave him first billing and a big publicity build-up rather than the little ‘and introducing….’ title at the end of the credits that was then typical, and is indeed the billing offered Wendell Corey in Desert Fury as you can see in the poster above. Before Desert Fury started shooting, Hal Wallis knew he had a big fat star on his hands and that his part had to be beefed up so as to capitalise on it.

By the time the film was released on September 24th, 1947,, Burt Lancaster was the biggest star in the film. The Killers hit screens on the 29th of August 1946. As Kate Buford writes, Ít was an extraordinary debut for a complete unknown. Overnight he was a star with a meteoric rise ¨faster than Gable´s, Garbo´s or Lana Turner,¨as Cosmopolitan said years later (Buford, loc 1260). In New York the movie, ‘played twenty-four hours a day at the Winter Garden theatre, ‘where over 120,000 picture-goers filled the 1,300 seat theatre in the first two weeks, figures Variety called “unbelievably sensational.”‘ Brute Force was the fourth film Lancaster made, after I Walk Alone, but it was the second to be released, on June 30th 1947. According to Kate Buford, it too ‘set set first-week records at movie houses across the country’ (loc 1412).

  Lancaster’s status as a star is reflected in the lobby card and poster above, where in spite of being billed third, what´s being sold is what Burt Lancaster already represented, the publicity materials giving a false impression that he is much more central to the narrative than is in fact the case. His image dominates in both, and even the tag lines are attributed to him: ‘I got a memory for faces…killer´s faces…Get away from my girl…and get going’, is the tagline in the lobby card. The text on the poster reads, ´Two men wanted her love…the third wanted her life.

  In the ad below, he´s billed second, as ´the sensation of The Killers, Dynamite with the fuse lit’

When trying to recapture a past moment in relation to cinema, it´s often useful to look at trailers and other paratextual publicity materials. Trailers hold and try to disseminate the film´s promise to viewers. Of course, its purpose is to sell, to dramatise its attractions so that viewers will go see it. And of course, they often lie, dramatising not what is but what they hope will sell. That said, those promises, lies and hopes are often very revealing.

  As you can see above, the trailer is selling melodrama — violent passions — in a magnificent natural setting filmed in Technicolor. Burt Lancaster’s name is only mentioned 39 second into the 1.41 trailer, after Lizabeth Scott with her strangeness and her defiance of convention and after John Hodiak with his secrets and coiled snakeyness. And Lancaster’s introduced as ‘hammer fisted’ Tom Hanson, erroneously giving the impression that this will be an action film. But note too that by the end of the trailer, Lancaster is given top billing.

According to Kate Buford, in Burt Lancaster: An American Life, Lancaster thought ‘Desert Fury would not have lunched anybody’, later ‘dismissing it as having ‘starred a station wagon’ (loc 1157). The film is really a series of triangles: Eddie (John Hodiak) and Tom (Burt Lancaster) are both in love with Paula (Lizabeth Scott), Fritzy (Mary Astor) has already had an affair with Tom who is currently pursuing an affair with her daughter Paula, Paula and Johnny (Wendell Corey) are both in love with Eddie etc. I have made a not-quite-video essay that nonetheless well illustrates the Johnny-Eddie-Paula triangle, surely one of the queerest of the classic period, which can be seen here:

Tom is really a fifth wheel in the narrative. But by the time the film started shooting, Burt Lancaster was already the biggest star in it.  His part was beefed up to take his new status into account, scenes were added, According to Gary Fishgall, the film was based on a 1945 novel, Desert Town by Ramona Stewart, and ‘ Lancaster’s role was an amalgam of two of the novel’s characters: the embittered, sadistic deputy sheriff, Tom Hansen, and a likeable highway patrolman named Luke Sheridan. Neither character was romantically linked to Paula (p.55). But in the film, he ends up with Lizabeth Scott at the end. All these additions probably contributed to the film seeming so structurally disjointed.

In Desert Fury Tom, a former rodeo rider, just hangs around waiting for Paula to get wise to Eddie, leaving her enough rope to act freely, as he does with colts when taming them, but not enough so that she hangs herself, or so he thinks. Really, he’s extraneous. He gets to walk into the sunset with Paula at the end of the film but the film really ends once Paula and Fritzy kiss, on the lips. He certainly doesn’t get much to do during it, except for a couple of great scenes where Fritzy tries to buy him into marrying her daughter (above) and another bit of banter when she thinks he’s come to accept her offer (below). Mary Astor steals both scenes. In fact she steals everything. Every time she appears, her wit, weariness, intelligence, the intensity of her love for her daughter — she lifts the film to a level it probably doesn’t deserve to be in. But Lancaster is good. These are the only scenes in the film where he looks like he’s enjoying himself.

Tom is the closest the film has to a ´normal character’. Indeed, aside from the character he plays in All My Sons (1948) this is the closest he’d come to such a type during the whole of his period in film noir in the late 40s and which includes all of his films up to The Flame and the Arrow in 1950. Even in Variety Girl, which is an all-star comedy where he and Lizabeth Scott spoof  the hardboiled characters they’re associated with, the surprise is that they’ve already created personas to spoof in such a short time (see below).

    According to Fishgall, ‘Lancaster –billed third before the film’s title — acquitted himself well in the essentially thankless other man’ role. Still, if Desert Fury had marked his screen debut as originally planned, it is unlikely that he would have achieved stardom quite so quickly. Not only did the film lack the stylish impact of The Killers, but so did the actor. Without the smouldering intensity of the Swede and his first pictures’ moody black and white photography, he appeared to be more of a regular fellow, and guy-next-door types rarely become overnight sensations’ (p. 67).

In Desert Fury we’re told that unlike the drugstore cowboys who are now criticising him, Tom used to be the best rodeo rider there was but a while back, whilst wrestling a steer, he got thrown off and is now all busted up inside. Being ‘busted up inside’ is what all the characters Burt Lancaster plays in the late ’40s have in common. He thinks of returning to the rodeo all the time but knows he can never be as good. He used to be a champ, now all he can hope for is to be second best. He knows he ‘ain’t got what it takes anymore’. He’s in love with Paula and she knows it. But she doesn’t know what she wants. He think he does: ‘you’re looking for what I used to get when I rode in the rodeo.  The kick of having people say “that’s a mighty special person” I’d like to get that kick again. Maybe I can get it with just one person saying it’. He will, but he’ll have to wait until the end of the movie.

But even in this,  Lancaster doesn´t play entirely nicey-poo, true-blue, throughout, and his Tom is given moments of wanton bullying and cruelty where he gets to abuse Eddie just because he’s a cop and wants to. And it´s interesting that it´s that moment, which jives so well with the ´brute force´Lancaster was already known for, and which would attach itself to his persona for many a year, that is the one chosen for the trailer.

According to Robyn Karney, in Burt Lancaster: A Singular Man, ‘As the straightforward moral law officer in a small Arizona town who rescues the object of his affections from the dangerous clutches of a murderous professional gambler, Burt had little to do other than look strong, handsome and reliable. Despite Wallis’ much vaunted rewrites, the role of the Sheriff Tom Hanson remained stubbornly secondary and uninteresting, with the limelight focused on John Hodiak as the villain, fellow contract players Elizabeth Scott and Wendell Corey’ (p.31).

  I mainly agree with Robyn Karney except for four points, two textual and stated above: the first is that even in this Lancaster is playing a failure, someone once a somebody that people talked about but now all busted up inside; the second is that that element of being ´busted up inside´leads to a longing that gets displaced onto Paula. If the rodeo is what made feel alive and gave him a reason to live before his accident, now it´s Paula, and the idea that she might also be an unobtainable goal  leads to his outbursts of unprovoked violence towards the rival for his affections, Eddie (John Hodiak).

The other two points of interest are extra textual. Desert Fury is gloriously filmed by Charles Lang. A few years later, in Rope of Fury, Lang would film Lancaster as a beauty queen: eyelashes, shadows and smoke, lips and hair (see below):

  Here, even with his pre-stardom teeth and his bird´s nest of a hairdo, Lancaster sets the prototype for the Malboro Man:

He looks good in technicolour, and Lang brings out the blue of his eyes:

  More importantly, the film visualises him, for the first time, as Wester Hero, a genre that would become a mainstay of his career from Vengeance Valley (1951) right through Ulzana´s Raid (1972) and even onto Cattle Annie and Little Britches (1981):

  Desert Fury was not well reviewed. According to the Daily Herald ‘The acting is first-class. But except for Mr. Lancaster as a speed cop, the characters in the Arizona town with their lavish clothes and luxury roadsters, are contemptible to the point of being more than slightly nauseating’ (cited in Hunter p. 27),

The Monthly Film Bulletin labelled the film a western melodrama, claiming, surprisingly, that ‘The vivid technicolor and grand stretches of burning Arizona desert give a certain air of reality to the film’. Hard for us to see this thrillingly melodramatic film, lurid, in every aspect, evaluated in the light of realism. The MFB continued with, ´This reality is however counteracted by the way in which the sharply defined, but extremely unnatural characters act. Everything is over dramatised, and the title is a mystery in that the desert is comparatively peaceful compared with the way the human beings behaved…Lizabeth Scott is suitably beautiful as Paula and Burt Lancaster suitably tough as Tom. (Jan 1, 1947, p. 139)

Thus, we can see that on the evidence above, the film was badly reviewed, Time magazine going so far as to call it, ‘impossible to take with a straight face’ (Buford, loc1293). But Burt Lancaster´s performance was either exempted from the criticism or its faults where attributed to the film rather than to himself. More importantly still, the film was a hit, Burt Lancaster´s third in a row. Finally, as I´ve discussed elsewhere, the film is now considered by many a kind of camp classic,  a leading example of noir in technicolor as well as arguably the gayest film ever produced in the classic period. 

  José Arroyo

  Burt Lancaster in Desert Fury: Third Film, Fifth Wheel Burt Lancaster got his contract with Hal B. Wallis at Paramount on the basis of a test directed by Byron Haskin with Wendell Corey and Lizabeth Scott for…

[mobius-prime]

175. Sonic the Hedgehog #107

Crouching Hedgehog, Hidden Dragon (臣人豪猪臧龍) (Part Two)

Writer: Karl Bollers Pencils: Ron Lim Colors: Frank Gagliardo

Yes, those are the same Chinese characters as last time. I was kind of hoping they would have used different ones so we could have a second nonsense phrase to laugh over, but alas. The morning after the dragon's attack, Sonic and Tails are playing video games when they're called to a morning meeting with Station Square's president. Once in the meeting, the president begins to explain his strategy for taking on the dragon, but Sonic is less than interested.

Sonic suddenly realizes he recognizes the team as the one that captured him at the beginning of Sonic Adventure 2, and promptly bursts into hysterical laughter, remembering how easily he disarmed them last time. Sally is quick to salvage the situation by claiming that it's Mobian tradition to laugh at their allies as a show of respect, and a confused president and annoyed Paladin Team look on as every Mobian at the table howls with laughter to keep up the ruse. Sonic, however, is not pleased with the tough-guy, humorless attitude that every member of the team exudes, and Sally, Rotor, and Antoine stay behind in the city as Sonic, Tails, and Bunnie airdrop in with the team to Pyro Island, where the dragon is believed to be hiding out. The Mobians are cheery, singing and chatting with one another, but the leader of Paladin Team admonishes them for not taking things seriously. While everyone is distracted, two of the Paladin Team members lag behind everyone else, not realizing that there's a shadowy, snakelike figure stalking them from behind. As the Mobians and humans begin to argue, they suddenly notice the disappearance of two of their team members.

While the humans angrily head out to find their missing team members, Sonic, Tails and Bunnie press on into the trees, trying to figure out where a dragon might hide. Tails spots a cave behind a waterfall, and they duck inside, to be immediately greeted by… Dulcy! It's been a while since we've seen her! Her arm is in a sling, but otherwise she seems fine and happy to see them. Suddenly, the red dragon emerges from behind her, but Dulcy quickly explains that this is Zan, and she's in a relationship with him. However, he begins to act aggressive, insisting that the others are their enemies and shouldn't be here, to her dismay.

Well, that changes things a bit. Everyone tries to convince Zan to settle down so they can talk things out peacefully, but Zan becomes even angrier when Dulcy agrees. He's interrupted from scolding her for relying on them when a net entangles his mouth, shutting him up, and the humans all rush in with guns drawn, ready to kill both dragons. Sonic utilizes his super speed to take apart all their guns before they can fire, but then Zan breaks free of his muzzle, gloating that now that they're unarmed he can kill them easily. Sonic steps in the middle to prevent that from happening either, and then Dulcy, from the back, quietly speaks up.

So this isn't the only "surprise domestic abuse" plot in a Sonic canon. Anyone who's played Sonic and the Secret Rings knows that an abusive romantic relationship plays a big part in that game's plot as well. But it still does come as a big shock here. Sonic freaks out, infuriated that Zan would hurt his friend, and begins wailing on him, while Tails and Bunnie rush outside to check on Dulcy. She repeats certain stock phrases that are common of abuse victims, such as "he loves me" and "maybe it's my fault," while Bunnie reassures her that she's not at fault at all and deserves better than to be treated this way. It's honestly a decent portrayal of the guilt that abuse victims become stuck with, just very condensed, because this comic doesn't have time to throw in a whole long subplot about Dulcy's emotional recovery. Instead, it takes a fast-track approach, as while Sonic and Zan fight, Paladin Team sets up explosives and blows up the entire cave, with Sonic and Zan still in it! That'll solve it!

Everyone outside is horrified and rushes forward to try to dig them both out, but Sonic emerges safely, tunneling his way out from under the rock. However, Zan isn't so lucky. The team contacts the president, informing him that the dragon that menaced them is dead and the city is safe again, and he agrees formally to take in the Overlander refugees, while Sonic, Tails, and Bunnie stay with Dulcy at the ruins of the cave till nightfall, letting her mourn despite the abuse.

Fittingly, our character file for this issue is for Dulcy! She's an outlier in almost every way compared to the other characters so far. Since she's a dragon, you'd expect her to be bigger than the others, but I wasn't expecting her to be so massive. She's a whopping 240 cm or 7'10" tall, and weighs 111.8 kg or 245.9 lbs! That's easily taller than Big the Cat and E-102 Gamma, the tallest characters in the games (not counting bosses such as Iblis or Dark Gaia), though not nearly as heavy as either of them. Her wingspan also comes out to 169 cm or exactly five feet, which correspond well enough to how they're usually drawn as proportionately small. However, that's not the most interesting thing about her file. Based on her behavior and this recent relationship of hers, how old would you say Dulcy is? Seventeen? Eighteen?

She's thirteen.

I was honestly shocked when I found this out. This means that most of the previous times we've seen her, she was literally only twelve, not even a teenager yet. This actually puts a lot of her behavior into perspective - her somewhat crybaby attitude and nervousness in the face of danger, all that is due to literal immaturity. This means she was only about two years old when the war against Robotnik started, with her birthday being August 23. The file explains that when Robotnik began his coup, he heavily targeted dragons before any other creatures due to their sheer power. One such dragon, Sabina, sought protection for her daughter Dulcinea (Dulcy's real name) among the Kingdom of Acorn before she too was captured. Dulcy grew up over the years and helped the Freedom Fighters, though she mainly lived outside on her own due to her massive size. Interestingly enough, the file also attempts to provide a bit of a retcon for the whole "dragons can sense truth" plot hole that I pointed out all the way back during Endgame, instead suggesting that Dulcy in particular is just a very trustworthy individual who doesn't like telling lies and has an instinct for knowing when someone is being truthful, which I can accept. It's a lot better than the handwave from before, anyway.

Reunification (Part II)

Writer: Ken Penders Pencils: Dawn Best Colors: Robbie O'Quinn

Lien-Da is pissed. Apparently, she actually didn't expect Knuckles to be able to reverse the effects of the Quantum Beam, despite Dimitri not only promising Knuckles he'd do so himself, but even encouraging Knuckles to do so on his own. Dimitri is also shocked, though more at the sheer extent of Knuckles' power, which exceeds even his own when he was Enerjak.

What, Lien-Da? You think you're gonna recruit Remington or something? Remington's an upstanding guy, man, I think your chances are… uh… well, I suppose we mustn't forget about the time traveler girl who apparently thinks he's gonna murder Knuckles. Remington asks her for her name and she gives the name "Jani-Ca," though internally she notes that she's trying to hide her own identity, meaning this isn't her real name. Wynmacher and Lara-Le rush up, concernedly asking after Knuckles, and while Remington states he hasn't seen him, Jani-Ca hides her surprise at seeing a younger version of her grandmother. Wait - grandmother?! Then that means she's…

The Chaotix are back as well, having landed right back in the ruins of the Grand Conservatory, with their dialogue again suggesting that they haven't been away for long due to the slower time scale within the Twilight Zone. In Haven, the various members of the Brotherhood are dismayed to find the place trashed from Knuckles' earlier bursts of uncontrolled power, though they instead suspect the Legion's hand. They notice that Matthias and Hawking are no longer there, realizing that they've both died and headed on to the "next evolution," AKA echidna heaven. They sense one more soul with them, whom we know is Tobor, but they can't figure it out. Locke briefly worries that it might be Knuckles before hearing Knuckles' ghostly voice reassuring him that he's fine and currently in the city. Far from reassuring Locke, this only makes him worry that instead of his great plans for Knuckles to be a savior, instead his worst fears have come to pass. What, Locke, you starting to think that maybe genetically engineering and irradiating your unborn baby wasn't a good idea after all?

*sigh* So, yes, everyone, this is Knuckles' future daughter Lara-Su. Anyone who knows Penders and his whole lawsuit debacle will know exactly who this is. Now, she's kind of an unpopular character because of this (and because many people essentially dismiss her as Penders' Mary Sue OC), and there are definitely valid criticisms to be made about her inclusion into the comics, but I'm not going to immediately jump into hating her just because of the circumstances of her creation. After all, we still know basically nothing about her, not even how she came to be, and anyway you all know that I prefer to judge a character or story on its own merits and not on how likeable its creator is.

Everyone's conversations are interrupted by a flash of light, and Dimitri materializes in the middle of the group. Remington, of course, steps forward intending to arrest him, but Knuckles stops him much to his shock. Dimitri grins in a super-duper-not-an-evil-villain way and says that Knuckles has finally seen that he and his Legion only wish to rejoin the rest of echidna society, and that they're prepared to do whatever it takes to reintegrate…

[thefloatingstone]

Somebody asked me for some anime recs. I asked them what kind of genres they’re into but I’m not getting a reply, so here are just some general recommendations for good stuff to watch.

I assume they meant new anime so I’m only focusing on those.

Made in Abyss (2017) (warning for Body horror, violence and gore)

The Abyss—a gaping chasm stretching down into the depths of the earth, filled with mysterious creatures and relics from a time long past. How did it come to be? What lies at the bottom? Countless brave individuals, known as Divers, have sought to solve these mysteries of the Abyss, fearlessly descending into its darkest realms. The best and bravest of the Divers, the White Whistles, are hailed as legends by those who remain on the surface.

Riko, daughter of the missing White Whistle Lyza the Annihilator, aspires to become like her mother and explore the furthest reaches of the Abyss. However, just a novice Red Whistle herself, she is only permitted to roam its most upper layer. Even so, Riko has a chance encounter with a mysterious robot with the appearance of an ordinary young boy. She comes to name him Reg, and he has no recollection of the events preceding his discovery. Certain that the technology to create Reg must come from deep within the Abyss, the two decide to venture forth into the chasm to recover his memories and see the bottom of the great pit with their own eyes. However, they know not of the harsh reality that is the true existence of the Abyss.

Pros:

Ghibli artists working on the backgrounds and environments

likeable characters

crushing atmosphere

incredible world building

Really compelling mysteries

Very emotional

Cons:

The manga its based on has a lot of lolicon bullshit. But the anime has doneits best to either remove or downplay those elements as childhood innocence rather than the author being a creep

Ends without clear answers as we have to wait for season 2

Not for you if you dislike violence or body horror

That Time I got Reincarnated as a Slime (2018)

Thirty-seven-year-old Satoru Mikami is a typical corporate worker, who is perfectly content with his monotonous lifestyle in Tokyo. In the midst of a casual encounter with his colleague, a knife weilding maniac attacks them. Satoru, in shielding his co-worker and his co-worker’s new girlfriend, is fatally stabbed, and dies.

And then he wakes up again. But now, in the body of a blob of slime. In doing so, he acquires newfound skills—notably, the power to devour anything and mimic its appearance and abilities. He then stumbles upon the sealed Catastrophe-level monster "Storm Dragon" Veldora who had been sealed away for the past 300 years for devastating a town to ashes. Sympathetic to his predicament, Satoru befriends him, promising to assist in destroying the seal. In return, Verudora bestows upon him the name Rimuru Tempest to grant him divine protection.

With a goal now, the newly named Rimuru sets out to explore this fantasy world, stumbling into situations where other people need help, and since finding ways to live peacefully is much less hassle, Rimuru does his best to settle conflicts and help people to get along. Mostly because he’s got nothing better to do.

Pros:

Likeable, chilled out protagonist who acts and behaves like an adult

Not the average wish-fullfilment harem-in-disguise type stuff you expect from the average Isekai show

Characters focusing on trying to help each other and be kind without coming across as cheesy or unrealistic

Fun powers and “how are you gonna fix this mess?” situations

Cons:

occasional anime tiddy

Mob Psycho 100 (2016) (If you’ve seen season 1 already then watch season 2)

An Eighth-grader Shigeo "Mob" Kageyama is possibly the most powerful psychic on earth. Which is the only thing he has going for him which, in his opinion, isn’t much. Due to his powers going crazy if he gets overwhelmed by his emotions, Mob has spent his life suppressing his feelings, both negative and positive. As a result, however, Mob is an extremely socially awkward and shy person who struggles to connect to people.

The story follows Mob as he tries to find ways to better himself as a person, aided by the fake psychic Reigen who both uses Mob’s real psychic powers to exorcise ghosts, but also uses his fake con-man skill of charming people and being a smooth talker to help people fix their problems rather than have them rely on a psychic for help. He also acts as a mentor to Mob, not on how to be a better psychic, but on how to mature into a good, capable person. Because according to Reigen “Having psychic powers is just a skill. Some people can run fast, some people can can sing well, some people are good at studying, some people are funny, and some people have psychic powers.”

Now if only the assortment of Cult leaders, Ghosts, Secret organizations and Powerful psychics trying to take over the world could leave him alone.

Pros:

A subversion of the “I must get stronger!” shounen story where the character is already the strongest and needs to focus on being a better person instead.

Probably the best animated show to come out in years

Good uplifting morals

A wacky off-beat art style and sense of humour

Genuinely complex and 3 dimensional characters who are likeable

Really relatable in many ways

Cons:

I can’t think of any tbh

Then we have anime I have on my “to watch” list and come highly recommended but I haven’t seen yet. But I want to recommend them anyway

A Place Further Than The Universe  (2018)

a “Cute Girls Doing Cute Things” show.

Filled with an overwhelming sense of wonder for the world around her, Mari Tamaki has always dreamt of what lies beyond the reaches of the universe. However, despite harboring such large aspirations on the inside, her fear of the unknown and anxiety over her own possible limitations have always held her back from chasing them. But now, in her second year of high school, Mari is more determined than ever to not let any more of her youth go to waste. Still, her fear continues to prevent her from taking that ambitious step forward—that is, until she has a chance encounter with a girl who has grand dreams of her own. Spurred by her mother's disappearance, Shirase Kobuchizawa has been working hard to fund her trip to Antarctica. Despite facing doubt and ridicule from virtually everyone, Shirase is determined to embark on this expedition to search for her mother in a place further than the universe itself. Inspired by Shirase's resolve, Mari jumps at the chance to join her. Soon, their efforts attract the attention of the bubbly Hinata Miyake, who is eager to stand out, and Yuzuki Shiraishi, a polite girl from a high class background. Together, they set sail toward the frozen south.

The Promised Neverland (2019) (warning for violence and gore)

Surrounded by a forest and a gated entrance, the Grace Field House is inhabited by orphans happily living together as one big family, looked after by their "Mama," Isabella. Although they are required to take tests daily, the children are free to spend their time as they see fit, usually playing outside, as long as they do not venture too far from the orphanage—a rule they are expected to follow no matter what. However, all good times must come to an end, as every few months, a child is adopted and sent to live with their new family... never to be heard from again. However, the three oldest siblings have their suspicions about what is actually happening at the orphanage, and they are about to discover the cruel fate that awaits the children living at Grace Field, including the twisted nature of their beloved Mama.

Zombieland Saga (2018)

There’s a good chance you might have heard or seen this one floating around tumblr as its one of the really big, really popular anime to have come out that features a trans main character written and presented in a positive light.

Zombieland Saga is both a satirical parody of Idol anime, a complete embracing of what makes idol anime enjoyable, and a criticism of how the Idol industry treat women and young girls. A lot of the girls in the idol group are the complete opposite of what is considered a “good Idol” from one girl being trans, one girl having been an Oiran many many years ago (a historic proffession for women where they play instruments, perform tea ceremonies and entertain paying guests. As well as being very high class prostitutes) as well as debating and comparing the ideal of an Idol as they were seen in the 80s versus the modern interpretation.

Zombieland Saga is at both times the complete antithesis of everything an Idol anime should be, while also being one of the best examples of the genre at the same time. It also features really well written characters with emotional depth and arcs to them and boasts a lot of good humour to boot.

Yuru Camp△  (2018)

Another “Cute Girls Doing Cute things” anime

While the perfect getaway for most girls her age might be a fancy vacation with their loved ones, Rin Shima's ideal way of spending her days off is camping alone at the base of Mount Fuji. From pitching her tent to gathering firewood, she has always done everything by herself, and has no plans of leaving her little solitary world. However, what starts off as one of Rin's usual camping sessions somehow ends up as a surprise get-together for two when the lost Nadeshiko Kagamihara is forced to take refuge at her campsite. Originally intending to see the picturesque view of Mount Fuji for herself, Nadeshiko's plans are disrupted when she ends up falling asleep partway to her destination. Alone and with no other choice, she seeks help from the only other person nearby. Despite their hasty introductions, the two girls nevertheless enjoy the chilly night together, eating ramen and conversing while the campfire keeps them warm. And even after Nadeshiko's sister finally picks her up later that night, both girls silently ponder the possibility of another camping trip together.

Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai (2018)

You’re gonna look at this gif and that title and think this is some Light-Novel sexy fantasy wish fullfillment bullshit, but I absolutely assure you it’s not.

The rare and inexplicable Puberty Syndrome is thought of as a myth. It is a rare disease which only affects teenagers, and its symptoms are so supernatural that hardly anyone recognizes it as a legitimate occurrence. However, high school student Sakuta Azusagawa knows from personal experience that it is very much real, and happens to be quite prevalent in his school. Mai Sakurajima is a third-year high school student who gained fame in her youth as a child actress, but recently halted her promising career for reasons unknown to the public. With an air of unapproachability, she is well known throughout the school, but none dare interact with her—that is until Sakuta sees her wandering the library in a bunny girl costume. Despite the getup, no one seems to notice her, and after confronting her, he realizes that she is another victim of Puberty Syndrome. Mai’s unapproachability and air of not wanting to interact with people has manifested that it is now borderline impossible for people to physically notice her. Or in some cases see her at all. As Sakuta tries to help Mai through her predicament, his actions bring him into contact with more girls afflicted with the elusive disease.

Bunny Girl Senpai is an anime that deals with Societal pressures, especially as they apply to teenagers, as well as being a criticism of the Japanese mentality of “not rocking the boat” and in dutifully conforming and falling in line with what society dictates is “proper behavior”. It has the running theme that this mentality of just accepting the way things are and not doing anything to change it is unhealthy, and does more harm than good.

Dororo (2019) (warning for violence and Gore)

A samurai lord has bartered away his newborn son's organs to forty-eight demons in exchange for dominance on the battlefield. Yet, the abandoned infant survives thanks to a medicine man who equips him with primitive prosthetics—lethal ones with which the wronged son will use to hunt down the multitude of demons to reclaim his body one piece at a time, before confronting his father. On his journeys the young hero encounters an orphan who claims to be the greatest thief in Japan. 

An anime adaptation of one of Osamu Tezuka’s manga, but deciding to go for an updated, darker art style to match its mature tone.

Dororo is currently still airing but so far reviews are extremely high.

Anyway I hope those are enough to give you at least one new show to check out.

[magic-and-moonlit-wings]

Hi, your thoughts on Draal as a character, and could you go more in-depth as to why you didn't like his death? What about Trollhunter!Claire and her relationships with Jim, Toby and Nomura? I recently saw Strange Magic last month, and I LOVED IT! While there were some flaws, especially the Sunny/Dawn Love Potion subplot, and I feel that the Marianne/Bog King romance could've had more time to blossom, the story was engaging, the songs were awesome and the characters were all so likeable!

Draal got a really cool redemption arc in Season One. There’s this quote I saw on a meme, “characters who go from villain to weird family member are my jam”, and it describes him so well.

The ‘enemy to ally’ trope is a cool one, and narratively supported Jim’s reluctance to automatically murder every opponent like the Trollhunter code encourages - emphasizing the benefits of an unorthodox Trollhunter shaking up the established system.

I disliked his death for a number of reasons:

1) He’s a character I like, and he died, which meant he wasn’t in the show anymore. It’s not that deep.

2) His death caused pain to other characters I like. Again, not that deep.

3) None of the characters had much time to mourn for him. The entire potential character arc dealing with their grief was set aside to move on with the plot. (It was kind of addressed in one of the spin-off novels, but not well, I didn’t think.) Vendel, and Chompsky when they thought he’d been eaten by goblins, both prompted more grieving time. This made it harder to accept Draal’s death as ‘real’.

4) We’ve been faked-out with a Draal death before, in Unbecoming, so it was hard to trust this one - especially since he was stabbed by Angor Rot (whose last on-screen kill, AAARRRGGHH, got brought back to life), and although Draal’s death pose mimicked his father’s (and Kanjigar did die for real), we never saw Draal land and shatter like Kanjigar did.

5) He had been under mind-control for most of the season, and died in the same episode that he finally broke free of it, after spending most of that episode not mind-controlled. It felt like the audience was being taunted, thinking we were finally going to get Draal back and then losing him again. (This may have been deliberate on the writers’ part, to amplify the emotional response to his death.)

6) Immediately after Draal’s death, Merlin shows up. Although this was not necessarily the intended impression, it feels like Draal was replaced in the narrative by Merlin, and I liked Draal better than Merlin and would like to do a trade-back please.

7) Again, this was probably not on purpose, but the fact that the majority of visibly-disabled characters in this show die by the end of Season Three (all except for Dictatious and possibly Morgana) is something that I find distasteful.

8) I would have liked to see Draal taking part in the Battle of Eternal Night, and rebuilding his relationship with Nomura, and Draal and Jim explaining to Barbara together about how Draal was living in their basement for a while (and maybe him moving back in?), and none of those scenes were possible with him dead.

9) Draal dealing with the aftermath of being mind-controlled, and the things Gunmar forced him to do, could’ve pushed him towards a closer bond with AAARRRGGHH. They appeared to be growing close in Season Two, but that arc was cut off when Draal was captured.

10) Particularly in the first season, Draal has always been … ready to be killed. “The fight is to the death.” “You should’ve killed me.” “I am not afraid of death.” You could call that foreshadowing, but I think it’s more interesting to have a character who expects to die survive and see how they face whatever comes next. It would be a cool narrative parallel to his arc in the first half of Season One.

That last point, survival is more interesting, is also one of the reasons I disapprove of Angor Rot being killed off. It could’ve been so much fun to see Angor and Strickler as reluctant allies who hate each other but have to find a way to work together!

Claire would still be friends with Jim and Toby, regardless of who is shipped with whom.

She might resent both boys a little when they first involve themselves in her Trollhunting, because she promised to keep trolls secret and feels like she failed when other humans discovered trolls exist. Also because waiting for someone else to catch up on a learning curve can be frustrating. She and Darci and Mary are already familiar-ish with Trollmarket’s culture, whereas Toby and Jim start learning it later and might make dumb mistakes which the girls have already made and learned from.

But I think Claire would get over that and be grateful to have more allies and people from whom she doesn’t have to keep secrets.

As for Nomura, I think she’d be a terrifying enemy at first - especially if, like in the show, she’s the first Changeling the Trollhunter encounters - but once she becomes an ally (bonding while stuck in the Darklands together), Claire would see Nomura as another mentor. Maybe even a ‘cool older sister’ figure, or ‘cool aunt’, like how Not Enrique is Claire’s ‘irritating little brother’. All the Changeling family members!

Possibly Strange Magic would’ve been better served by making it a miniseries, like Over The Garden Wall, so there would be more time for the characters and relationships to develop without making the audience sit through a three or four hour movie.

[thisguyatthemovies]

Caught in a web of romance

Title: “Spider-Man: Far From Home”

Release date: July 2, 2019

Starring: Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Jake Gyllenhaal, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders, JB Smoove, Jacob Batalon, Martin Starr, Tony Revolori, Maris Tomei, Angourie Rice, Numan Acar, Remy Hii, Jon Favreau

Directed by: Jon Watts

Run time: 2 hours, 10 minutes

Rated: PG-13

What it’s about: Peter Parker and schoolmates travel to Europe, and Parker’s plans to leave his Spider-Man responsibilities behind are thwarted when he agrees to help Nick Fury deal with elemental creature attacks across the continent.

How I saw it: “Spider-Man: Far From Home” had several tough acts to follow. It comes as the Marvel movie to end all Marvel movies (or at least this segment of Marvel Cinematic Universe films), “Avengers: Endgame,” still is hanging around in theaters and adding to its nearly billion-dollar haul. It also follows, by about seven months, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” the cooler, hipper animated spin on your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. “Far From Home,” also is Tom Holland’s sophomore effort in the Peter Parker/Spider-Man role (not counting his appearances in the Avengers movies), having made a promising debut in 2017’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”

“Far From Home” is up to the challenge and then some. It’s strong enough and, more importantly, different enough in tone from “Endgame” to stand on its own while also tying together loose ends from the preceding Avengers film. It is difficult to compare it to the critically acclaimed “Into the Spider-Verse,” what with the difference in formats, but “Far From Home” manages to bring its own kind of cool vibe and is great fun, the way a summer blockbuster movie should be. And “Far From Home” is an improvement on Holland’s solo debut as he grows into the role and manages to stay true to the character’s teen angst while also shouldering move Avengers responsibilities.

“Far From Home” finds Peter Parker, classmates and teachers headed to Europe. Parker is looking forward to time away from home and his Spider-Man duties, but we all know his getaway isn’t going to last long. He’s purposely ghosting Nick Fury because he is more interested in teen pursuits, mostly pursuing a romance with MJ (Zendaya). Fury eventually tracks down Parker, setting in motion the part of the movie that isn’t about teen romance. Fury needs help solving the mystery of several elemental creature attacks across Europe. Fury also has enlisted the help of Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal), aka Mysterio. Together, Mysterio and Spider-Man ward off the attacks.

But there is a twist here, and that twist (without giving it away, though it seems rather obvious if you’ve seen the trailer or read a comic book) drags Parker and his schoolmates even farther into peril. Will Peter Parker/Spider-Man be able to save his friends and himself and return to a normal dual life as teenage superhero?

Though it is at times a bit busy and bogged down in CGI battles and explosions (the same could be said for any MCU movie), “Far From Home” puts the emphasis on fun. It’s a funny movie, especially the first half, that utilizes several running bits (Night Monkey, anyone?). Holland’s Peter Parker, though staying close to its comic-book origins, has developed a persona that differs from when Tobey Maguire filled the role from 2002-07. Part of the charm to Maguire’s Peter Parker was that he was a lovable loser. That point was especially hammered home in the best of the Maguire movies, “Spider-Man 2.” Holland’s Peter Parker is less pathetic. He still struggles with the “with great power comes great responsibility” thing, and he is uncertain if he was meant to carry the torch handed to him by Tony Stark/Iron Man. But Holland’s Peter Parker is more assured – at least as assured as a boy in his awkward teen years can be.

Romance is in the air in “Far From Home.” Holland and Zendaya have great chemistry, and it is fun to watch their awkward give-and-take develop into something more. Jacob Batalan (Peter’s best friend Ned) and Angourie Rice (Betty Brant) are likeable as unlikely love interests. Jon Favreau (Happy Hogan) and Marisa Tomei (Aunt May) have a 50-somethings fling that baffles them as much as it does Peter Parker.

Gyllenhaal makes a great addition and really seems to get into the role as the movie goes along. All of “Far From Home” builds momentum throughout its 130-minute run time, and don’t quit on it when the end credits roll. A familiar face shows up in the mid-credits scene and not only sets the stage for the next live-action Spider-Man film but puts the perfect exclamation point on another outstanding entry in a Marvel franchise that somehow shows no signs of fatigue.

My score: 92 out of 100

Should you see it? Yes. You wouldn’t want to miss what might be 2019’s definitive summer blockbuster movie.  

[marcoharem]

Last random thoughts of the year

Hello everyone, and welcome to the last “Random Thoughts” post of 2018. I know I’ve been very outspoken about things I didn’t like from season 3 and… I know that some of you enjoyed S3 and that’s okay because it’s important to have different opinions, all that goes without saying.

Now, the reason I’m bringing this up is because, instead of talk about what went wrong, this time I want to focus on what went right. What makes SvtFoE so appealing, and in order to understand this, we need to talk about the most important aspect of every succesful cartoon: The Characters.

The problem is that this show in particular has way too many characters to analyse and discuss, so to make it nice and clear, we’ll just focus on the main characters: Marco and Star. People of the MvtFoL community, I present to you:

Top 8 Reasons Why (I Think) Marco is a better character than Star

DISCLAIMER: The thoughts and opinions expressed on this post belong solely to the author (that’s me) and doesn’t necessarily represent the views of the MvtFoL community as a whole.

#8-Sidekicks: I know this one technically doesn’t count because we’re talking about the main characters, but on my experience, the friends you choose to hang out with tell a lot about you on a personal level (especially if you’re a teenager like Marco and Star)

Star has Princess Ponyhead, a rude, loud, egotistical and obnoxious character that (from my perspective) only exists to appeal to younger kids who love memes and internet culture. Marco on the other hand has Alfonso and Ferguson, two stereotypical geek characters that were created out of executive meddling (and that’s not my perspective, Nefcy already comfirmed this statement)

Now, I’m not saying that Alfonzo and Ferguson were particularly outstanding or interesting, (in fact a lot of people find them annoying) I’m just suggesting that they are less obnoxious than Ponyhead, not because they’re human, but because they seem more genuine as people, unlike Pony Head who always seems like she’s trying WAY too hard to be “hip” and “cool”.

#7 Character Archetypes: Now, don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Star, I don’t think she’s the worst of her kind, nor she should go away and allow Marco to become the main character (it would be nice for a change, but that’s beside the point) my point is: The energetic-cutesy-bubbly-lovable-sillypants archetype has been done like a million times before, so in terms of personality, she brings nothing new to the table.

Marco is completely different story. Yeah, he may seem like the average teenage boy at first, but unlike Star, he plays these character traits to his advantage. For example, on the first episode of the series, when Ludo and his minions were about to attack to take Star’s wand, he jumps in front of Star to protect her and shows his karate skills for the first time, subverting the idea that just because he’s “the safety kid” it doesn’t mean he’s a useless coward with no skills or talent whatsoever.

#6 Character Appeal: This part is more subjective if we consider that we’re talking about characters from a kids show and… I’m not part of the main target audience, but with that said: I never found Star very appealing, I mean, she’s skilled with magic, can be occasionally funny and design-wise she’s good looking. But other than her magic and goofy antics, Star is not very likeable. In fact, she can be overbearing at times (especially when she’s paired with Pony Head)

Being an average human being, Marco’s skills such as karate, cooking, psychology, etc. comes from his own hard work rather than just play the “it’s magic, don’t question it” card like Star does. Not to mention his deadpan sense of humor and delivery is way more subtle than Star…. Also, for what I understand, he’s considered to be pretty handsome both in-universe and by the fanbase, but that’s something I’ll leave for open interpretation.

#5 Better Living Through Chemistry: One of the things Starco fans always bring up when they talk about the couple, is the amount of chemistry between Marco and Star and… yes, they’re right from a certain point of view, but here’s the thing: Marco has good chemistry with pretty much everyone.

I mean, every time he shares screentime with a female character (whether be Star, Jackie, Janna, Hekapoo, Kelly and so on) he nails it almost everytime, I mean aside from being a good speaker, he’s nice, gentle, loyal and (for the most part) selfess… Star on the other hand… well… There’s Oskar Greason and… StanFan13 I guess?

Which is funny considering how in season 1 gave us the impression that the writers were going to take “reverse harem” route and make Marco, Tom and Oskar falling for Star, but come on… she’s both a wizard AND a member of the royalty. She doesn’t need a bunch of guys fighting for her as well (even Tom seems to have better chemistry with Marco than her, just remember the “friendenemies” episode)

#4 Role model: Now, I don’t think that all the characters on every kids show should be a role model nor preach us with sappy morals and stuff… but here’s the thing: Fiction is a form of escapism and characters serve as self-insertions in which the audience project themselves either at a concious or an unconscious level.

Characters like Marco work with this idea at the right level. He’s strong, intelligent and charming, but he’s also shy, clumsy, naive and has moments of childishness as well. He has enough character development to distinguish from the average harem protagonist, but he also has enough flaws to avoid the mary sue territory. That sounds like a good role model to me.

And Star is… how can I put it? She acts like a brat. Not only that, but she’s also very vain and shallow, even when she seems to fight for a noble cause. The irony is that while Brittney was created as a foil for Star (both of them are rich, self-entitled princesses) Star can be just as rude and spoiled as her.

#3 Symphaty contest: Once again, Marco outperforms Star on almost every level. And this may sound bias to all of you but I’m sorry, I can’t feel any sympathy towards Star even when she’s being naive or well-intended.

The only episode I can recall where I felt symphathy for Star was the “Other Exchange Student” episode, because it was the first time someone else took the spotlight away from her. Also it was a breath of fresh air to see her getting jealous, but not on a romantic way…

#2 Character Development: During the first 2 seasons, Marco not only proved to be a highly talented individual, but also proved to be capable to overcome every single misfortune that got in his way (Tom, the naysaya, the cashier of the VHS Depot, the monster arm), he found the courage to speak to Jackie only to find out that she reciprocates his feelings, and just like like every human being he commited mistakes such as trying to slander Jeremy by recording a video of him being a douche to expose him to Sensei Brantley, only to realize all by himself that spy on people is bad.

And meanwhile, Star… pretty much remains the same. And no, turning into a giant butterfly with god-like superpowers doesn’t count as character development. And like I said, even though she learns that monsters are creatures with hopes and dreams just like the mewmans, it doesn’t change the fact that she still treats Marco like garbage (Booth buddies), annoys her mother even when she’s on a highly stressful sitaution (Battle of Mewni) and kisses Marco and keep it in secret only for Marco to do the right thing and confess (Divide/Conquer) so don’t be surprised to find people on the internet that… doesn’t like her very much.

#1 Overall Best Person: And once again, it seems like I’m beating a dead horse, but it can’t be said enough: Marco is an individual with higher moral values than Star.

I mean, seriously: He’s willing to do ANYTHING for Star, whether be cross-dressing, fight monsters, give up his entire life and happiness for a vague promise of being knighted. And the fact that so many people find acceptable that Star keeps perpetuating this cycle of abuse as if is “cute” is just… ugh… I’m sorry, I just cringed for a moment.

And again: I have nothing against Star, but please: Stop pretending she’s like a perfect little flower that deserves being rewarded only for who she is rather than her own merits. And as long as that old, tired dynamic doesn’t change, I’ll keep saying that Marco Diaz is a much better character than Star Butterfly.

And that’s all I have to say for today. Thank you for your time and I wish you all a happy new year. And rembember: The point of these posts is to encourage discussion and keep this page alive, because let’s face it: It’s up to us to give Marco support by shipping him with all the female characters (including Star), even if it’s not cannon. That way we’re reaffirming the fact that Marco is more important to SvtFoE than Star ever will…

#haremshipisthebestship

[charlottehopesource]

Showrunners Emma Frost and Matthew Graham explore the early life of Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s first wife, in historical drama The Spanish Princess. They reveal how the future queen caused a stir in Tudor England and the drama’s parallels with Breaking Bad.

Hot on the heels of The White Queen and The White Princess, US premium cable network Starz is continuing its dynastic saga of Tudor England with eight-part drama The Spanish Princess.

Like both of its predecessors, this new series recalls history from the perspective of its female characters and is based on historical novels by author Philippa Gregory, this time The Constant Princess and The King’s Curse. But while the story ostensibly focuses on Catherine of Aragon’s arrival from Spain with dreams of becoming queen – an ambition she achieved by marrying the future Henry VIII – it stands apart from previous instalments through its perspective of an outsider causing a stir in the Royal Court, themes of immigration and its focus on people of colour living in 16th century London.

Under the leadership of co-showrunners Emma Frost and Matthew Graham, the series will reveal how Catherine left a Spain ruled by her fearsome mother, Isabella of Castile, and came to England, where she experienced a huge culture shock in a land that was comparatively old fashioned and male dominated.

“She really causes gigantic ripples in this old-fashioned, rather fusty male Tudor world,” Frost explains. “As history goes on to tell us, her daughter Mary [with Henry VIII] becomes the first queen in her own right, Mary I.”

But there’s another reason that Frost and Graham believe The Spanish Princess promises to be the most exciting chapter yet. Beginning their research during production of The White Princess, they were keen to understand the place of people of colour in 16th century London. Historical advisers suggested diverse characters would have been an anachronism for the period, which Frost admits “really pissed me off,” as she already knew that wasn’t true.

“What we discovered without breaking too much of a sweat is that Catherine of Aragon came to England with an incredibly diverse entourage of people, notably including an African Iberian lady-in-waiting called Catalina de Cardones, who we call Lina in the show,” reveals Frost, who was also the showrunner of The White Queen and The White Princess.

“This woman exists as a footnote in history but no one has ever bothered to dramatise her or acknowledge she was there. What we know is Lina married another African in London, Oviedo, and it was very unusual in this period for people of colour to marry each other. So this is a really extraordinary story of these two African people in early Tudor England marrying each other and being very much part of the world of the court. So there is a whole new massive piece of this story that is reappropriating history for people of colour as well as for women by telling this story of these two people who really did exist.”

Graham says The Spanish Princess also looks at issues of class and social mobility in a way the previous versions weren’t able to. “The White Queen and The White Princess were both very much about the Yorks and Lancasters and all of it was at that level. Now we can tell stories that take place in the taverns, the streets and the way their love story unfolds,” he says. “The other thing you get a chance to do is tell what could not be a more pertinent story about immigration. There was cultural wariness of people who came from a different country. Frankly, though, in Tudor London you were wary of people who came from Wales. It wasn’t the colour of the skin that was the issue, so that’s quite nice – here we are with two black people in the middle of Tudor England and we don’t tell a story about racism.”

Like The White Queen and The White Princess, every scene in The Spanish Princess is from one of the leading female characters’ points of view, with Catherine and Lina joined as the main protagonists by another Iberian lady-in-waiting, Rosa, and Maggie Pole, who also featured in The White Princess. Meanwhile, Margaret Beaufort, the mother of Henry VII, is still very much a key player and antagonist-in-chief, Frost says. “There are various very strong conflicting female points of view that interweave or fall in behind Catherine. She’s the main character but we always have these other incredible strong women in the show.”

Frost argues Catherine is much maligned by history, overshadowed by Henry VIII’s later wives, particularly those who lost their heads in the process. “She’s characterised as this unwanted old bag, but it’s a phenomenal story that’s very pertinent to the 21st century,” she adds.

Catherine’s arrival from Spain is used to great visual effect in the series, contrasting the bright sunshine and rich colours of her homeland against the dark, gloominess of England – a place of shadows and people whispering in corridors.

“She’s a breath of fresh air but she’s also not to be trusted. She brings her own culture,” Graham says of Catherine. Frost notes that the character’s arrival in the country allows the show to observe Tudor England from an outsider’s perspective, something not possible in the previous iterations.

“That’s a really exciting point of view shift because now the Tudor world is the ‘other’ to the world of our heroine,” she says. “That allows for all sorts of other conflicts. There’s also an incredibly exciting theme running through the show about faith, because the Inquisition is beginning in Spain under Isabella, Catherine’s mother, and several of her entourage are Muslim, so they have to deal with their feelings about what’s happening in Spain and what Catherine’s real allegiances are. There is a world where the Catholic faith is no longer the only gig in town for a lot of characters who have always peopled the show. So we’re able to explore lots of thorny issues around conflicting ideas about faith, God, forgiveness and redemption.”

Leading the drama as Catherine is Charlotte Hope (pictured top), who was cast following an international search across Europe and North America. Frost and Graham were looking for someone who could embody the strength and vulnerability of the princess. That Hope (Game of Thrones) looks eerily like Catherine was a bonus.

“Charlotte just looks like her,” says Frost. “She has this strength, this fragility, and she’s just grown into the role. It was very hard casting a lead because there are so many factors to consider, but she is the most talented, hard-working, wonderful actress. We just love her.”

Rory O’Connor plays Henry, with Stephanie Levi-John as Lina de Cardonnes, Aaron Cobham as Oviedo, Nadia Parks as Rosa, Harriet Walter as Margaret Beaufort and Laura Carmichael (Downton Abbey) as Maggie Pole.

Graham was watching from the sidelines while his real-life partner Frost ran The White Princess, living and breathing Tudor England through her work. So when she suggested they do the next one together, he jumped at the opportunity to work alongside her and share the endless responsibilities of a showrunner – a role they had both previously performed separately. They say every TV show they both work on in future, they will do together.

Frost also welcomed the introduction of a male viewpoint behind the scenes. “Even though the show is told from the point of view of women, the male characters really matter, and trying to write a young Henry VIII – a complex, mercurial, intelligent, likeable, flawed and dangerous man – it’s been fantastic to have Matthew’s voice coming into that as well.

“Every single TV show we are working on now we do together, so we’re showrunning everything we do in TV. We break the stories together, we write the pilot together and then, moving forward, we write episodes separately and give each other notes. Then Matthew’s brilliant at all the bits in production that I’m hopeless at.”

Behind the camera, Birgitte Stærmose (Norskov) directs the first two episodes and Maya Zamodia is the DOP. Graham also got to try his hand at directing, picking up some battle sequences and palace-set scenes in Spain. Production designer Will Hughes-Jones (The Alienist) and costume designer Phoebe de Gaye (Killing Eve) return from The White Princess. Composer Samuel Sim is adding the music to the production, which Graham says won’t feel like “your grandmother’s period drama.”

“It’s got to have a buoyancy and momentum to it that feels fresh and cinematic and youthful,” he adds. “That’s one of the big things in production we’ve gone for.”

Frost picks up: “It’s a tremendously ambitious show. For the budget, what we’ve achieved is extraordinary. We’ve all had to be really inventive about how we cut our cloth and how we make the show.”

Distributed internationally by Lionsgate, the series is produced by New Pictures and Playground and is due to debut early next year. Frost and Graham, however, are already working on a second season of The Spanish Princess, which will continue the story of Catherine of Aragon – one Frost likens to Walter White’s journey from idealism into darkness in Breaking Bad.

“This doesn’t have the same darkness but it does arguably have more tragedy. Ultimately, it’s the story about the lie,” she adds, referring to Catherine’s claim that her marriage to Prince Arthur was not consummated before his death, thus leaving her free to wed Henry and become queen.

“Our whole exploration really is an exploration of that decision she makes and whether she’s lying or telling the truth and the consequences of those actions. It’s a really strong female story of a woman trying to define her place in the world. It’s very familiar [to modern audiences] in that regard.”

[ramblingromance]

Bite Me, Your Grace: Book Review

If you’re looking for a book with bite, then this, unfortunately, may not be the one for you. My hopes were pretty high when I ordered this one online, mostly because I was excited and eager to finally step foot into the supernatural element of romance. Now, I’ve read books with supernatural aspects in them before; The Harry Potter series comes to mind, as well as the Discovery of Witches, and of course, the infamous Twilight Saga. This, however, was going to be the first time that I delved into a supernatural tale that was in one of my very favorite genres: historical romance. At this point I wish there was something positive I could say about it, and perhaps I should have quit while I was ahead, but I’m stubborn and I pressed on anyway. So, without further ado, here are my thoughts, feelings, and rambles on....

I’m not really sure where to start with this, so we’ll just take it from the beginning, as one usually does I suppose. In chapter one, I felt there was some promise. We’re introduced to our heroine, Angelica Winthrope, a virtual bluestocking, right after her mother has just burned her copy of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft. A lot of classic works as well as authors are referenced here, and John Polidori is even a featured character a bit later in the story. But back to Angelica.... She could have had every opportunity to be super likeable, but unfortunately, she isn’t. Throughout the entirety of the book, Angelica has an air of “Oh, I’m not like other girls!” about her, and then wonders why she doesn’t have any friends. To be fair, most of the other women in this, besides maybe two, are pretty much written to be, well, bitches to put it not so lightly. Regardless, I did feel for Angelica in those first moments of meeting her, and I was more than ready to hate on her mother, that is until I realized she was written to be like a cheap, unlikable version of Mrs. Bennett, or that’s the impression I got anyway. 

Now, as for our hero, Ian Ashton, I was super unimpressed by him. He’s your run of the mill Alpha I suppose, strong and protective, and he just so happens to be a vampire. Quite frankly, he bored me to tears. There’s a couple other characters of note, mostly a few other vampires that I’m sure will get books of their own, as well as Rosetta, another vampire that ends up falling for John Polidori. 

As for the plot, well, it’s kind of a mess of misunderstandings that could be taken care of if people would just FREAKIN’ TALK!! There’s just so much happening at once, but at the same time, nothing happening at all? Angelica has to make a good match, because if she doesn’t her grandfather will take all of their money away due to the fact that her mother married a simple banker instead of a titled gentleman. Angelica wants to be an author that writes gothic stories though, and so she tries to deny convention at every turn. Despite this, she’s still a straight up babe apparently, and men want her nonetheless. It isn’t until she sneaks over to Ian’s manor for some inspiration for her next story that she becomes compromised, and a marriage of convenience ensues. This all works out for Ian who is sick and tired of people ogling him due to his odd habits, all sorts of wagers taking place on whether or not he is a vampire after the craze has taken England by storm. Not only is this sort of main plot taking place, but sometimes the POV changes to Rosetta and Polidori, and even to a Vampire Hunter as well. 

Aside from all that, a lot of things went unanswered for me. Eventually Angelica’s parents are just out of the picture, even after she has decided she wants to be turned into a vampire for goodness sake! One would think there would be a bit more talk of her humanity and what it means to lose it, and while it is talked about somewhat, it was all very brief and unsatisfying. There’s also this whole scene where Ian marks Angelica as his mate while she’s fast asleep, so it’s all taking place unbeknownst to her (which I know, not cool). The mark is later talked about a couple of different times, but never once does Angelica ask, “Oh when the heck did you mark me, and what the hell does that mean?!”.

In closing, I’d like to talk about the author a little bit. I don’t know anything at all about Brooklyn Ann, but the tone of this book almost comes across as if she doesn’t like romance novels, yet attempted to write one anyway. I mean, even her main character makes mention of how she would never in her life dream of writing romantic novels, that is until she fell in love herself. I don’t want to judge too harshly, because I know this could simply be a case where a book and I just didn’t click. No one is going to like every story they come across, and sometimes authors aren’t going to speak to our hearts and souls the way they might to others. Even after all of this, I think I might give Brooklyn Ann another chance, I mean after all, the other books in this series do sound interesting, but until then, I’ll eagerly be waiting for some of the preorders I’ve got coming my way this month. 

Trigger Warnings: Attempted rape, dubious vampire consent, violence, death 

[that-shamrock-vibe]

2018 Round-Up: My Favourite Movies of 2018

Disclaimer: 2018 has been another feast for movie goers all year round, so with the new year just around the corner I have decided to disclose my favourite movies of the year. Careful for spoilers for movies that have recently come out as a couple are on this list.

#10. Love, Simon

As I mentioned in my review, I enjoyed this movie. I still think it accurately captures a teenage coming out story, not THE teenage coming out story because everyone has their own story and the endings aren’t always good but this one definitely showed the good without over-fantasizing it.

I mean okay, I still think this movie doesn’t do enough to show the dangers of emailing virtual strangers outside of the fact that you get your private information shared but again that balances out with the fact it is only a school-centric forum so I give the movie a pass on that. Also I do feel bad for saying there are “better” ways to come out because as I did follow immediately up with saying, everyone has their own story.

But overall I do really think this is a great movie and an underrated one at that. The characters are all likeable and relatable, Nick Robinson surprisingly proves himself as a leading man and Keiynan Lonsdale gives his best performance.

#9. Venom

I always had in mind that Venom would make my favourites list. Not only is Tom Hardy finally getting the chance to shine in a superhero role, but I finally get to see one of my favourite anti-heroes brought to life in the right way on the silver screen. I loved this movie, I thought this was a great spin-off in the Spider-Verse and a great start to Sony’s Universe of Marvel Characters.

I know for a fact this movie has problems, Riot as a villain isn’t the most compelling, the movie does play like it’s set within the 90s Spider-Man Animated Series and that Carnage tease was a let down in the casting department. However, this movie gives us Venom and allows him to be Venom. Yes the comedy is slightly damp at times but Tom Hardy sells himself as an action hero, comedy star and stunt performer. I do hope this movie gets a sequel because I really want to see more.

#8. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

I am in the minority of people that enjoy this movie, but am in the majority of people that feel the end reveal was completely nonsensical. However I am giving J.K. and the team a pass on this movie and that is why it takes the #10 slot.

It is a great movie visually, it has all the traditional sceneries and locales that you would expect from a Wizarding World movie, the world building of exploring not just the British but also the French Ministries of Magic was a fun addition, Grindelwald shrouding Paris as a way of summoning his followers was visually appealing and of course seeing Hogwarts again brings back all the nostalgic feels a Potter fan could ask for.

I will continue to defend Johnny Depp in the role of Grindelwald as I feel he is very well suited to the role and that he was one of the better things about this movie. Like I said in my reviews he kind of book-ended this movie with two great scenes first when he escaped captivity and then when he addressed his followers, both were well acted, well shot and largely counted of Depp’s performance which he mastered.

My biggest complaint with the movie is that I did expect more of a mythos built movie than the focus being on characters we already said goodbye to in the first one, but that’s not to say what I did get was bad it was just not how I would have taken the story going forward.

Eddie Redmeyne and the cast from the first movie are all still charming and have more character development to carry them through to the next movie, while Jude Law and Zoe Kravitz are both really great additions.

I will wait and see what the third installment in this franchise has in store before deciding my final opinion on the movies as a whole but I do think J.K. has some work to do to keep people on board.

#7. Christopher Robin

This was a complete nostalgia trip for me, I really had a good time watching this movie. Not only did it really hit at the emotional core of anyone who grew up with Winnie the Pooh but it was just so charming, so quaint and made me feel like a kid again.

Ewan McGregor as an adult Christopher Robin was very well cast, not only did he go through the arc that apparently every working adult goes through in losing his child-like wonder only to be reminded of it and realizing what is truly important in life, but Ewan is an actor who can do it with such charm that a tired old story like this seems fresh.

Also this story is made fresh by the fact that it does centre on the characters of  Winnie the Pooh. The visual effects used to bring these characters to life are so well done. I loved the behind the scenes knowledge of knowing that they created toy replicas of these characters and then digitally animated them throughout the movie. It just adds a sense of realism to the movie and makes it more enjoyable.

Mary Poppins Returns did a similar story arc with Michael as they did with Christopher but in my opinion this story is told a lot more organically. I’m happy with the movie and glad I now own it.

#6. Incredibles 2

14 years in the making and still worth the wait. I had a blast watching this movie. Not only was it a direct follow-up to the first one but I felt the story managed to progress our favourite characters in an organic way that still kept in theme with this being a superhero family franchise.

I thought the focus being on Elastigirl being the focal superhero as opposed to Mr. Incredible this time around was a fun change of pace and didn’t feel like a cry for feminism as other movies and TV shows do.

Meanwhile having Mr. Incredible being the stay-at-home dad learning to cope with his teenage daughter’s drama and super-baby discovering his powers was a lot of fun and led to some very comedic moments.

Also the hilarious moments in the first movie were still here in this one from Frozone and his wife to Edna Mode. The whole movie just felt that, even though it had been over a decade since the first movie, it just felt like coming home it was so inviting.

The main problem is the reveal of the villain because anyone with half a brain would be able to tell that while they tried the red herring of Win Deavor being the evil Screenslaver, the fact it was Evelyn Deavor wasn’t a shock. Evelyn Deavor...Evil Endeavor...it was obvious.

But overall a really enjoyable movie and hopefully we won’t have to wait another 14 years for the threequel.

#5. Avengers: Infinity War

The movie event of the year but that doesn’t mean it was the movie of the year. This was such a spectacle and celebration of 10 years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that I could not get enough of it.

Everything worked well in this movie, all the characters we’ve seen throughout the last ten years working together was such a treat and a promise that only Kevin Feige’s MCU could deliver on.

There are so many things right about this movie, I thought the plot for the movie really brought a genuine threat and splender to the MCU that managed to almost fix the MCU’s villain problem, Thanos was a genuine threat despite the fact that he had not been shown as formidable in any of the previous movies, then there’s the Black Order who present both a brilliant and fun henchmen group.

The heroes all coming together for the first time isn’t as big of a deal as made out because aside from the Guardians teaming up with Iron Man, Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, everyone else who teams up has teamed up before aside from a brief interaction between Shuri and Bruce Banner.

Regardless, this was such a fun movie, a slight complete deviation from the comics event as the key characters aren’t in play for the MCU just yet. However, this was very much the movie of the summer and definitely an event everyone was talking about. I loved it and roll on Avengers: Endgame.

#4. Bohemian Rhapsody

I love Queen, I love everything about the band and more to the point I love Freddie Mercury. I love everything that he stands for and everything that makes him an icon for the LGBT community. Throw in Rami Malik and you have everything I am looking for in a movie like this.

A Star Is Born did not make my list and in fact almost falls into my Least Favourite Movies list because I just didn’t really like it as a movie and the two movies are often compared. But while A Star Is Born had okay songs and an okay story, Bohemian Rhapsody had fantastic songs and a fantastic story because they all came from a raw and talented source.

I get there is some controversy with the movie as the remaining members of Queen tried to make it more of a Queen origin story than a Freddie Mercury biopic but the best thing about this movie is it is a perfect blend of both stories because you can’t have one without the other.

Also, the movie recreated Live Aid in such a mirrored way that it was almost like a straight-up recording with the actors in place of the actual people. This movie should definitely garner praise and accolades for that alone.

It’s just such a fantastic movie and provides such a potent love-note to all Freddie fans, I can’t say enough good things about it.

#3. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Best Spider-Man movie ever! This is a statement I found myself saying throughout this movie and a couple of days after seeing it I still think it, this is the best Spider-Man movie ever created. I’m not including Venom in that because it’s from the same material but is more of a spin-off from the mainstream Spidey movies than what has come featuring the red and blue webslinger.

But yes, I had reservations about this movie. Not only do I not know Miles Morales that well but I genuinely thought they were going to go down the Spider-Man origin route again and to be honest I don’t think I can sit through another retelling of that. Now this movie has one trope that goes in line with the traditional Spider-Man story which doesn’t exactly damage the movie but doesn’t seem necessary for the movie.

Also this is an all-age animated movie, that is very hard to do without pandering more to one age demographic and traditionally if they go down the adult animation route it’s often offensive and vulgar whereas this had none of that. Instead it dealt with several mature themes, mixed with some brilliant action sequences and quite hardcore violence. I mean it, Kingpin goes all out here.

In terms of the overall movie, there is a disclaimer right at the start before the opening credits that is specific to this movie saying “Do not copyright”...In the first 4 minutes you understand why. This movie is choc-full of twists, spoilers and treats for any Spidey fan and I personally guarantee there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Furthermore, because it is an animated movie, the entire story plays out like a comic-book practically like a live motion comic partially because of the use of captions used just they are in comics. The movement of the characters and the artistic scenery adds to what makes this movie so unique and so special.

Voice talent wise, Chris Pine makes a surprising vocal appearance as the Peter Parker of Miles’ Earth who dies towards the start, but then you have Jake Johnson, Nicholas Cage, Liev Schreiber, Hailee Steinfeld and Mahershala Ali all providing great support to Shameik Moore who himself is brilliant.

All in all, as everyone has said, this is the best Spider-Man movie to be released, I am very much looking forward to seeing where this movie takes the universe in the future.

#2. Aquaman

This movie came so close to being my #1 because I genuinely believe it is the best movie of the year, however #1 is my favourite and that’s what this list is about.

If someone had told me Aquaman would be DC’s best movie since The Dark Knight I would have laughed in their face. I cannot believe how much I enjoyed this movie. Visually stunning, there is not a lot more I can say about how gorgeous this movie is that everyone else has not said.

Jason Momoa takes to this role like Gal Gadot takes to Wonder Woman and Hugh Jackman took to Wolverine. He has so much joy in this movie and you can tell he, Amber Heard and the other cast members love being part of this world.

I will reiterate what I said in my non-spoiler review, this movie essentially showed us the scenary of a live-action Little Mermaid complete with Ariel in Amber Heard’s Mera and yet we are still looking forward to Disney’s live-action version of the movie. I guarantee you there will be a lot of comparisons between these movies, even if Zendaya gets cast because she will be compared to both Mera and Aquaman as both the lead and lead female.

This movie does what Wonder Woman could not and that is nail the final act and the climactic battle sequence. Oh my god it was like watching Lord of the Rings underwater it was so magnificent.

What they set up for a hopeful sequel is very juicy, you have Nicole Kidman as Aquaman’s mother still alive, you have Aquaman and Mera finally together, you have Orm still alive so there’s potential for either redemption like Loki or a return to form in a future movie. Also Black Manta will hopefully become more formidable in a future movie considering he was essentially a side-villain in this movie.

I want a sequel, I want a sequel for Aquaman more than I want any other DC Movie coming out. I cannot wait.

#1. Black Panther

Without question this movie outshines most movies in any genre. I still think Aquaman is the best movie because it is solidly brilliant from beginning to end, but Black Panther is miraculous in terms of visuals, music and the representation of African culture.

It is in some ways an origin movie because it’s how T’Challa adapted to becoming king of Wakanda, however because we already met T’Challa during Civil War, much like Spider-Man it wasn’t a question of needing to know their origins it was more about exploring them as individuals and what makes them superheroes.

However, surprisingly, Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther was not the most compelling part of this movie. Don’t get me wrong he’s still a brilliant actor and an integral part of the movie, but the way Ryan Coogler accurately portrays African culture, from the tribal combat tradition of earning the mantle of king, to the styling of each tribe to make them distinct, even with what the inclusion of the superhero angle brings with Wakanda being a technologically advanced nation and the visuals that they bring.

Just like Aquaman, this movie had a great main villain but a somewhat weak side-villain. Both Orm and Killmonger were brilliant but Killmonger outshines Orm because what he stands for divided audiences and even created a social media storm with the hashtag #Killmongerwasright. Yes Ocean Master also had a sense of righteousness because of what he stood for with believing the surface world to be the sea inhabitants enemies which sparks an environmental debate but Killmonger struck a core with African history. His final line of “Bury me in the ocean, with my ancestors that jumped from the ships, because they knew death was better than bondage.” is still probably the best line in any superhero movie for the power of the message it gets across.

Also T’Challa has been often critiqued for being outshined by his female supporting characters Shuri, Okoye, Nakia and Ramonda. I personally agree with this critique but again it’s not to the detroment of T’Challa or the movie because if anything it makes the movie that much better for having strong female characters who aren’t just “the love interest” or “the family” because yes that is what they essentially are but they’re celebrated for that.

Also, Letitia Wright is the breakout star of this movie, I would say Danai Gurira but she has The Walking Dead under her belt. Shuri is not the stereotypical princess character as not only is she 18 and head of the science and technology division of Wakanda but she has the personality and drive to easily take over the Black Panther mantle as she did in the comics.

Overall, this is not quite a perfect movie but it is definitely one of the best movies of the year, century and MCU in total. Not only is it a cultural milestone in terms of movie representation but also it is a movie that has earned numerous award nods and deserves to win all of them.

So that’s my list of my favourite movies of 2018, as I said it was a truly brilliant year for movies and I cannot wait to see what the new year has in store for us. In the mean time you can check out more Movie Reviews and other posts.

Happy New Year to all!

[kbrown78]

Book Talk: Fall Reading Recommendations

Now I promised @thebookspace that I would do this post and it's one I'm excited for because I have so many books that I want to talk about for autumn recommendations. Based on my favorite books and general preferences I can easily give recommendations for autumn or winter. I know people usually get busy with school, but the cold winds, long nights, and beautiful colors makes it a great time to curl up with a good long book. With Halloween it's also a great time to tackle some scary reads, if you can handle that. I looked through all of my books and picked books that I thought had the right “feel” for fall, as well as a few other categories that I specify. I hope that find some new favorite reads in this list, and if you would like me to make any more recommendation lists please let me know. Enjoy!

Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling: Might as well get the most obvious one done first. This features a whole school dedicated to witches and wizards, with each year getting increasingly harder for Harry and his friends. The entire series also starts on Halloween, which is when I plan on starting the rereading the process of the entire series. If you haven't read this series yet, you need to get on it.  

Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire: While I would categorize the third book, Beneath the Sugar Sky, as more of a summer book, the first two, and especially the second one, I would definitely say are autumn recommendations. The premise of this series is that there is a school for children that have come back from portal worlds to help them readjust to their world again. Each book follows a different character, over different time lines. The first book, Every Heart a Doorway, has that feeling of going back to school, with the main character Nancy and adjusting to the new environment and meeting new people. Despite the books short length I thought the book was very well written and got quite attached to these characters. The second book is more of a Halloween type book. It takes place before the events of the first book and follows a set of twins that were previously introduced. Half of this book takes place in a world called the Moors, and it has this very Gothic feel to it with a red moon and Dr. Frankenstein and vampires. While I did still enjoy this book, I didn't love it as much as the first one (which is kind of an unpopular opinion), but the series is still great and if you want something quick to read with Halloween right around the corner, I would recommend this series and particularly the second book, Down Among the Sticks and Bones.

October Daye series by Seanan McGuire: Another series by Seanan McGuire, I'm currently in the middle of reading the first book, Rosemary and Rue. I finally started this series because it's October, so it seemed appropriate. The series is an urban fantasy that revolves around the fae that live in California. The protagonist is a half human/ half fae woman that works as a private investigator. I'll admit this book has more of a crime noir novel feel to it then I was expecting, but I don't mind it and the fantasy elements of the story tie in well to the murder mystery. I'm enjoying it so far, I like how the fae are all different and I like the main character, October, because she's very human and has moments when she's not likeable. Since I haven't finished reading yet, I can't give my full opinion, but if you like the Wayward Children series then you'll probably enjoy this one, although this series gets a lot darker than that one does.    

Nightfall by Jake Halpern: This is a book that is geared more toward a younger YA audience, but I read it when I was 17 and still enjoyed it. It's about 3 teens on an island that will soon have 14 years of darkness, and these 3 teens get left behind, but they aren't alone. I will say there were some things about it at the end that I didn't like, and I'll discuss it more in my review to avoid spoilers. Most of the book was suspenseful and there were a few times I was genuinely terrified while reading this. The book seems to tap into everyone's primal fears: being isolated, darkness, the unknown, and really makes a terrifying story utilizing these fears. I think of it as a Stephen King novel for young readers, but even as an adult you can still be frightened of it. There's also a companion sequel, but I haven't read it so I can't comment on it.  

The Call by Peader O' Gullin: Okay, I've been gushing about this book on here since I finished rereading it. Needless to say it's amazing and would make a great spooky read. The entire atmosphere is haunting, an isolated Ireland, murderous fairies. It's an under appreciated horror novel (yes, I classify it as horror because of how much graphic violence there is), and while I have a few issues with the ending I think everyone should read this, if you don't mind violence (seriously there are some pretty horrific mutations). There is a sequel but I feel that this one wrapped everything up fine, and I haven't heard good things about the sequel.

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchet: While I count American Gods as more of a winter read, this one of Neil Gaiman's books is definitely for fall. It's a humorous twist on Christian Mythology and the apocalypse, featuring several odd characters (some supernatural, some not) it's ultimately about trying to stop the oncoming apocalypse. Co-written with Terry Pratchet, there's something very human about the story, poking fun at our habits and tenancies. I promise it has it's funny moments, and I actually laughed out loud reading this, a  feat no other book has managed to accomplish. Any fan of Neil Gaiman or Terry Pratchet and anyone looking for humorous fantasy or stories with angels and demons in them will enjoy this novel.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness: This one can be read as either an autumn or winter read, really works for any cool day when you have time to curl up and read a good book. It's atmospheric and the illustrations that go along with it are award winning for a reason. It's a great story that is well told and emotional. It's about a young boy that is facing the harsh reality of his mother dying, when one night he is visited by a “monster.” I read this book in one sitting and was crying by the end, so that should speak to how good this is.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: Similar to the previous one, this could work in both of the cold seasons. I put it on this list for the magic, the circus, and the atmosphere. It is a book that just pulls you in, in more than one way. The descriptions and aesthetics of this story evoke all the senses, but there also snippets that directly address the audience. It's a beautiful story that has something for everyone, and I strongly recommend going into this one blind, so I won't say anymore other than it's really good.  

Warm Bodies by Issac Marion: If you've seen the movie I recommend the book. I read the book before the movie came out and I really liked it. It takes place during a zombie apocalypse, and the twist to this generic narrative. It's all from the point of view of a zombie. Yes, apparently zombies have deep thoughts, they're just not good at expressing them (there are a few funny moments in this story. It's been a long time since I've read this book (need to a reread so I can get to the sequel) but I remember enjoying it and I think anyone looking for a good apocalypse series will like this.

Memoirs of Lady Trent by Marie Brennan: Based off of the title, you wouldn't think that it's a fall read, but it's a life story about a woman who's a dragon naturalist. Really cool! It's a completed 5 book fantasy of manners series, and it's great. The storytelling is great, the characters are great (particularly the titular Lady Trent), and there are plenty of dragons. I like that this story takes an analytic angle at dragons, instead of just depicting them as mythic treasure hoarders. I acknowledge that the series isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it's fun, it's funny, and there's depth put to all aspects of the story. For anyone looking for a fall fantasy read that isn't epic or scary, I highly recommend this series.

The Hobbit by J. R.R Tolkien: Like the previous entry, this one also has a dragon, but it's a very classic fantasy novel about a band of dwarves journeying to reclaim their home from the dragon that stole it from them. It's a good adventure story that works for the fall because of the setting. If you want to read Tolkien but are intimidated by the Lord of the Rings, then this makes for a good place to start since it's much shorter (also ties into how Bilbo got the ring in the first place). Also if you weren't a big fan of the movies that came out, read the book, it's a bit different (and better).  

Night Shift by Stephen King: This is a collection of short stories by Stephen King. There are actually a few anthologies that I would like to mention (Tales of the Peculiar and Robots vs Fairies) but I would like to talk this one because it's Stephen King. I admit I haven't read any of his novels, although most of them would be great for fall. I was honestly terrified by the majority of stories in this bind up. It plays on so many fears and has that psychological element to them. I admit there are some stories that are better than other, but I promise that there is a story in here for everyone that will cause you to sleep with the lights on.    

Books I've Read That Work But I Personally Didn't Like: Monsters of Verity series (as the name implies there are plenty of monsters in this series, but overall it was a crappy series that I think should have just been one book), Gemma Doyle series (the first one is good and I would recommend if you like historical fantasy but the other 2 are abysmal), Three Dark Crowns series (as of recently finishing rereading the first book, there's a really bad love triangle that creates about 70% of the drama in this book, but the world itself is dark and with 3 sisters being fated to kill each other definitely makes for a good October read), Uprooted (haunted woods with sorcery, while I didn't hate this novel I think at best it's mediocre, but I'm in the minority), The Abhorsen trilogy (the necromancy and world of Death are awesome, but the first book had a frustrating second half and I hated the most of the second book).

Books I Haven't Read but I Think Would Be Good: Dracula (the original vampire novel, my Dad keeps bugging me to read it and one day I will), Frankenstein (I've heard that it's dense but I'm a fan of Mary Shelley and this is a classic Halloween novel with deeper themes about man and creation), House of Leaves (this one is always recommended and I honestly have no idea what it's about but it's very big and I've heard it's a very involved read), Winter Tide (an adult fantasy series inspired by the Cthulhu mythos, which I know nothing about), The Raven Cycle series (this strikes me as both a summer and fall read because of it's eerie atmosphere and Southern setting, along with hints of magic), Sunshine (vampires with baking), Toil and Trouble (recently released anthology that contains 15 stories about witches, sounds fun), The Starlit Woods (an anthology containing fairy tale retellings, and not just the better known ones, I've been wanting to read this one for awhile), Unwind series (creepy concept where abortions are illegal but instead at 13 parents can 'unwind' their kids)

Authors That In General Are Great For Fall: Shirley Jackson (writes mysteries/ thrillers, appropriate with the recent release of the Haunting of Hill House show), Stephen King (the king of horror himself, admittedly I've only read the Night Shift but it was really good and I do plan on reading other works of his), Daphne Du Maurier (writes suspenseful novels with a Gothic feel to them), Seanan McGuire (already mentioned 2 of her series but she has plenty of other novels and series, both as Seanan McGuire or Mira Grant)