#thinking how she well she sold a shoehorned romance in one episode and how it couldve translated to tedbecca 😔

[banditsregina]

monday morning thought is that hannah really was ready and willing to play romantic leading lady of the year and then s3 happened :\

[curestardust]

Dust Watched: Violet Evergarden Movie

Genres: Romance, SoL // 1 movie (2h) // S01 (x) M01 (x)

The 2 hour long movie that serves as the true ending to “Violet Evergarden” is finally here.

✧  story  ✧

The movie mainly focuses on 2 storylines with a less important story playing out in the background in short segments throughout the movie. We start out in the future, or to the anime’s storyline the present, where we meet the granddaughter of the girl from the best episode of the show (whose mom made 50 letters to be sent to her in the future after her death). We see that the world has undergone their own industrial revolution and with phones now being available, the job of Dolls has become obsolete. After this we jump back in time sometime after the original anime’s ending. The first half of the anime is another very tragic side-character focused story where a young boy knows he is going to pass away soon and wants Violet to write letters to her family, reminiscent of the situation which the movie started out with. In the meanwhile, the possibility of Major Gilbert being alive comes to light which leads to Violet having to face the most difficult task in her life; conveying her own emotions. The movie is incredibly well paced, with the first half feeling like the very slow ascent of a roller coaster before the huge drop. Except that drop is *emotions*. Yes, I cried at one part although not the ending itself.

✧  characters  ✧

Violet’s emotional state pretty much mirrors the viewers. Her breaking down is especially soul crushing when you consider that she basically had no emotions at the very beginning of the story so seeing her *feel* just by itself can be emotional. Hodgins was also a great presence in the second half of the movie. My main problem was with our dear love interest: Gilbert. To put it simply, the dude is infuriating. He is the exact opposite of Violet; while Violet tried to come to terms with the war and worked hard to improve as a Doll and as a person, Gilbert shut himself away and outright ignored everyone and everything. In an ironic twist, he is the one who refuses to understand Violet’s worldview while Violet understands his now. I don’t like the ending of the movie because of him. It felt unearned. Not to mention this icky feeling I get when I think about how he was an adult and Violet was like 10 when they first met so her infatuation with him is almost grooming. Right, it wasn’t intentional, I think, but ughhh no. I think Violet having to give up on Gilbert and finally be free of the past would’ve been a better ending. But I’m not a die-hard romantic so what do I know.

✧  art  ✧

Well this is KyoAni we’re talking about so. It did feel to me like there were fewer dynamic shots with a lot of movement and more just stills. The close-up shots were beautiful as usual although a bit less work went into the faraway shots. But I’m going to excuse it because the shot composition was fantastic! Also, this movie was obviously made to look the best on the big screen and I bet it would’ve been amazing to watch this at the cinema.

✧  sound ✧

The OST is beautiful and emotional grand orchestra pieces which are perfect for Violet Evergarden and the down-to-earth tone of the movie. The sound design is also impeccable. Special shoutout goes out to Violet’s VA who did an *incredible* job.

✧  overview ✧

While the ending was not to my taste, the overall production quality of this movie, the pacing, the deep emotional drop near the end and seeing how much progression Violet has made since the first time we met her really sold this movie to me. (And the ending felt almost shoehorned so I can just pretend it didn’t happen, aha.)

My Rating: 9/10

[skamamoroma]

I have to admit I am a little disappointed with a few things this season at this point and it’s such a damn shame. Not everyone will agree with me and that’s no problem but these are my thoughts ☺️

They had me in the palm of their hand at the beginning and for quite a few of the early episodes. It was stellar, moving, intriguing, creatively structured and I was so interested to see Arthur navigate the d/Deaf community and his hearing loss. All of it was so engaging and made so much sense. I learned so much!

That said, after a while I felt a little disillusioned because of repetition. One thing, for me, that was stellar about the original is how succinct and expositionless the show was. It was so real and I LOVED when they even missed stuff out for us to work out and weren’t wholly full circle because it felt like real life but the seasons still made total sense and we still felt the character arc.

The repetition is fine, it wasn’t my favourite way for the show to get the point across that Arthur was struggling to find his place and struggling to live life as he always had done... and struggling to navigate stuff with the boys and Alexia. But it served its purpose I guess.

I absolutely understand the themes of “between two worlds” and isolation and the navigation of a young person and disability. There’s so much to learn there and I don’t for a second dispute that the show did research because my goodness - they did. Those clips have been, for me, the best of the season. There has clearly been so much overwhelming effort and that’s wonderful and I have seen so many folks who understand Arthur’s journey feeling so happy and represented which is... well that’s special.

But then the show kind of lost it a little for me with the relationship stuff. To be honest, for me as a person, I don’t put much stock in sex or intimate scenes but I do put a lot of stock in relationships between people whether they’re friendships or romantic love.

I was really happy that we were seemingly getting an established relationship for the first time with Skam outside of Eva/Jonas because we’d seen these two characters and knew and loved them! I wasn’t necessarily big on Arthur and Alexia as early on they felt shoehorned together for the sake of it but the show did a lovely job of showing them together, explaining why they were together and really establishing Alexia as this source of warmth for Arthur.

It’s not that I’m sold on them as a couple so much that I’d be devestated if they broke up. That would have been fine with me. I expected drama but it would have been so refreshing if that came from within their relationship. But the show, for me, dropped the ball with the romance and god is it a shame.

It’s obvious people will compare here with Lucas/Eliott. Cheating is an element of that season. It always has been in every version. Is it right? Absolutely not. But it has its purpose as we’ve seen time and time again and it’s tied to the themes of the season. We watch from Lucas’ perspective and so obviously are supporting and understanding him. So we have no emotional attachment or understanding of Lucille except for through Eliott and we understand immediately that they aren’t ok, that Eliott wants to end things and we see their relationship in glimpses and it isn’t good. We don’t have investment there and we also understand why Lucas is doing what he’s doing with Chloe because we’re seeing his mind being twisted. None of it is ok but the relationships that fall apart are both toxic or built on lies or unhealthy or close to over and we have a love story play out where both participants receive their source of understanding and warmth and comfort and understanding from each other. It’s messy but it makes sense despite that. But the fundamental is that the love story can be enjoyed and watched as a positive thing despite the mess. All of that stuff was tied to the issue of sexuality as Lucas felt confused and the issue of mental illness as Eliott felt controlled... here, it is added as an aside and the link is Noèe is Arthur’s gateway to this beautiful new community... but romance here is not necessary. It was chosen and it could have worked perfectly but I’m kinda sad they did it in this way.

Here, I’m so disappointed they have effectively presented Noèe similar to the way they presented Eliott (like an Even). She’s bold and beautiful and feisty and creative. She is a gateway to this new world and is kind and gentle and supportive. She had all of these sweeping beautiful moments and their chemistry was wonderful... but I couldn’t enjoy those moments because we have Alexia waiting in the sidelines.

It’s not the same. Alexis is a character who is loved. She is a character we know and have invested in and who has, traditionally, been sidelined in most remakes as the comedy female and often sadly focused on because of weight and actively dismissed because of it... and so we have emotions for her. We see her support and try with Arthur, offer him advice and love. We see how she doesn’t maybe get it perfect but goodness she tries to hard.

And we watch her for weeks be cheated on and lied to. It’s just so disappointing to me and doesn’t narratively make sense to me. It overshadows and taints the stuff with Noèe and rubbishes Alexia as a character... and for what purpose? The between two worlds idea was stark enough without romance included. It makes both romances, to me, seem unhealthy. Perhaps that’s the intention? If so, fine! If Arthur ends up alone knowing he has to navigate this himself then I’d understand him being flawed and struggling and making mistakes with both girls but I don’t think that’s what will happen.

I’m struggling to see the value of the way it has been done, sadly. I love messy flawed characters but stuff has to narratively make sense and all of the emotional stuff is there... I understand WHY Arthur would like Noèe, I understand their relationship, I understand Alexia and I could understand Arthur being torn but to do it this way not only makes us feel disappointed in Arthur, it presents Alexia as the scorned woman and reinforces all those stereotypes her character was sadly built on (aka that she will be second best or overlooked) and it taints Arthur and Noèe’s relationship from the outset. What a shame. Skam France seems to have a habit or doing this - they did it with s4. They push stuff so far that they end up achieving something that is so damaged or broken that by the end people find it difficult to be on board.

I’ve said it so many times but had it just been about Noèe then I’d have been 100% on board because she’s a dream!

And now to place a kiss directly after Arthur explaining how he has been physically (and no doubt) emotionally abused by his father felt crass! I get that it was an emotional moment but that’s a reveal we’ve been waiting for and a sickening one. That cut scene made me feel sick.

I’m curious as to how they will develop things. Obviously there’s a lot happening but I just feel disappointed that so many of the moments this season where we are supposed to feel something have either been repetitive, overshadowed by negativity or have been placed there for dramatic purposes rather than genuine movement in the plot. So so so much good has been done and I am so thrilled for the young Deaf community in France that they have so much of this season which had been meticulously researched and supported by those who know what it is to be deaf/hoh. That can only be a positive thing but I do feel like this season has lost its way, for me, and I’m struggling to engage in the way I normally would because of stuff I really don’t want to be focusing on... there are bigger more important things to focus on and it is all being drowned out with pointless and illogical relationship drama that truly isn’t needed. Anyway - let me know your thoughts! It’s perfectly ok not to agree with mine ❤️

[spaceorphan18]

TDB Rewatch: Britney/Brittany (2x02)

Back when I first was watching the show - after watching this episode, I nearly quit because I thought it was awful.  And up until today - I don’t think I really remember why.  But watching it in context of one a week, I’m pretty much back to my original thoughts on the episode.  It’s kind of awful, and I spent a good 90% of the episode wanting it to be over.  

Disclaimer: I’m not a fan of Britney Spears’s music.  I have no issue with her personally (I’m indifferent at most.)  But my issues with this episode aren’t really even with the music.  The performances of the songs were just fine, and well done, imo.  Just -- the plot.  

I mean, not only are the two main plots (Wemma/Finchel) kind of unbearable to watch because of how awful the characters are, the rest of what’s going on feels shoehorned in to fit around Britney Spears music.   I guess the whole point was the ending speech Emma said about taking the drive Spears gives you and channeling it into something good (I think?) but the whole message of the episode seems incredibly muddled and lost underneath spectacle of doing Britney music. 

Or.  It’s the first (real) time I really think the show forced its plot to wrap around the music and it felt that way.  This episode is a mess. 

Thoughts: 

Where to even start.  I guess with Finchel - because it’s what irked me most about the episode.  Season 1 Rachel always had a slew of insecurities, but season 2 has ramped them up big time -- first she sends Sunshine to a crack house for fear of losing her spotlight and now she’s so afraid of losing Finn that she’s trying to control him.  I get what they’re going for with her - but it’s sad, because while the other characters seem to be getting more development, Rachel feels like she’s taking a step backwards - into this shell of a person.  And she keeps making these choices I just can’t get behind. 

I guess one thing that stood out to me was when Rachel said something like the relationship works when they feel bad about themselves - which is something Terri said to Will in season 1.  Why, show?  Why would you take your main couple and give them the same issues as your toxic season 1 couple? I don’t understand this? 

Also interestingly, is that Finn doesn’t seem to come out as badly, even though he tries to control Rachel a bit, too. 

Idk - I don’t feel like psychoanalyzing Finchel in this review.  I think mostly, it reminds me why this couple doesn’t work for me -- even after the figure out they’re trying to control each other - it’s still very much a high school romance that doesn’t seem to be grounded in anything but that.  (I’m sorry Glee that I’m not buying what you’re trying to show me.) 

Meanwhile, I do think Rachel’s speech at the end of the episode about not controlling your partner has some similar echoes of stuff that will come up in the Klaine story late in the series -- bird metaphor and all.  

As a quick aside about Quinn -- she looks actually upset about having to ask Finn out to help Rachel test him (which, god Rachel, no.)  Quinn hasn’t really done anything yet in this season, but it’s a nice set up for her complicated feelings about the whole thing.  

Side note 2 - I feel like Rachel was given Baby One More Time to let Lea Michele be sexy -- but it comes off as really, super awkward.  

And then there’s Will, who is acting even worse than Finchel.  I wonder if they already started running out of ideas for Will - because he feels way more cartoonish and silly then he did in season 1.  Anyway, Will is trying to be impulsive for Emma because he thinks it’s what she wants.  It’s weird because he thinks he’s never impulsive -- but I’d argue that’s all he is.  He doesn’t seem to think at all about the consequences for his action, and the entire narrative of the show so far seems to be derived from Will making dumbass decisions on a dime.  Idk.  

I actually feel a little bad about the characterization of Will at this point.  He’s not allowed to grow - therefore he never learns from all the stupid things he does.  :/  

I don’t understand what Emma sees in him. 

Meanwhile, Carl.  Do people not like Carl? I think he seems fine.  And John Stamos is delightful and charming in the role.  Why does Emma not stay with Carl? I don’t get it. 

Did Terri really need to come back? I mean - was there any real reason for her to be in this episode? Nope. 

And that’s it for plot leaving -- the rest of this heap of mess, my god. 

Okay, so this was when they were still trying to do musical numbers grounded in some sort of reality -- to the point that they have a dentist use a drug to get kids to hallucinate so they all start seeing Britney Spears?  What even are you doing show?  Just --- let there be fantasies.  omg. 

Why does Brittany feel invigorated by Britney Spears? I feel like I don’t get it.  

I always felt like Brittany had more of an actual plotline here - but she really doesn’t.  That said -- I’ll give props to the actual productions.  Heather Morris (and Naya Rivera) really are amazing here, and even if I don’t like the songs, I’m sold by the music videos.  Great job all around.  

Meanwhile, Artie gets a number so Kevin McHale can have something to do.  I don’t understand why he thinks being on the football team will win Tina back.  

Why does Coach Beiste do a 180 about having Finn and Artie on the team? It feels a little random.  No idea.  

Meanwhile, Sue has some amusing lines.  The feud is getting old, but Sue’s crazy monologues haven’t gotten stale yet.  

Toxic.  **sigh** I realize this was supposed to be a bit like Push It -- funny in its fail at being provocative.  But I feel like it kinda failed with the inclusion of Will.  

I could also do without ever seeing JBI fake masturbating (twice-ish) again.  That’s not funny, Glee, it’s gross.  

It’s interesting to me that Azimio and Karofsky have shown up twice now bullying -- but it’s been all Finn at this point.  

Kurt’s not having a very good year so far.  It’s so in the background, but I’m enjoying this struggle Kurt’s going through being in a tiny plot line throughout this season.  Oh kiddo - you just need a bright ball of sunshine in your world, don’tcha.  ;) 

The best parts of this episode were Finn forgetting he was taking US History and Kurt saying ‘really?’ after Brittany thinks Finn can fly.  I had forgotten about both - and the only real time I truly laughed during the episode.