#semi-review

[galina]

Aside from reading about a hundred poems for the next resonance anthology editorial my first read of the year has been this upcoming debut from Max Lury. Enjoying a lot about this, there's a hint of magical realism mixed up with generative ai tech horror with some very post-Sally Rooney characters failing to put their feelings to each other

[ghostwanderer]

idk if you heard already but netflix is massacring another novel like they did with electric state

animal farm

I don't know where you heard this, but this is false.

The new Animal Farm adaptation has been in the works for a long while. It was announced all the way back of 2022 with Andy Serkis directing (Best known for playing Gollum from Lord of the Rings and Caeser from Rise of the Planet of the Apes; He's been a director for a while now, but I don't think he's that great of one).

The movie was at one point supposed to be distributed, all the way back from 2011 by Netflix. They have since dropped distribution rights and it now Angel studios are distributing it.

As for the contents of the film, I don't like it so far. It feels like it is absolutely going to sanitize the original story to be more palatable to younger kids.

In my opinion, they also did it because there is no way to make the concept of criticizing Stalinism/Communism relevant in the modern day when both of those things aren't relevant in the conscious mind, and they absolutely aren't going to turn the story around to be a critique of corrupt democratic government (something that is relevant in the modern day).

Side tangent, this is absolutely the kind of movie Angel Studios would produce. I had seen David (awesome title by the way) and while it had admirable moments, I was left annoyed with how Modern Disney-esqe the film was. Annoying character quirks, pivotal biblical moments soften for younger audiences, and worst of all, really bad songs that end up sounding the same after a while. It reminded me of Wish, and I don't really hate Wish as much as other people have. It was good in that it wasn't a stereotypical made-for-dvd Christian movie, but I definitely shouldn't have been expecting something on the same level as Prince of Egypt. I hope that after Angel Studios is done and over with Animal Farm, they can get back into make good media and not another Christian equivalent of a hallmark channel film (I hope I wasn't harsh in this tangent)

[nikibogwater]

Final Daniel Spellbound Blethers:

They were. So. Close. 

Daniel Spellbound was just inches away from being amazing every second of its runtime. They had the creativity, they had the intrigue, they had the interesting world and likable characters, but every time this show approached the line of Greatness, it would always trip in some small, but still painfully noticeable way.

(Mild spoilers and a very long rant/review under the cut)

Daniel as a character is ripe with potential for meaningful development. He’s just likable enough for the audience to care about, but still has those rough edges to him that need to be sanded down over time. He starts the series as largely cynical and self-centered, perfectly set up to go through an arc that would result in him growing into a loyal and selfless hero. Except....the writers forgot to give him a solid arc, and by the end of the first season, he’s just magically (ha) become a better person without any clear development. He doesn’t really learn anything, he just....changes for no real reason. And yet the pieces were right there, the writers had given themselves everything they needed to craft a great character arc, and they just didn’t use any of them.

This also extends to the relationship between our main trio. The dynamics are there, we can see that these three work well as a team, and by all appearances, they seem to care about each other, but we’re never shown any real growth in their relationships. These characters never sit down and just talk to each other. There’s nothing to their friendship outside of the main plot. I can’t really see these three hanging out and being friends in any situation besides the one they’re currently stuck in. Which is extremely frustrating, because again, the potential is RIGHT THERE, I can practically taste it. Daniel and Lucy have a fun rapport, their friendship could be something very compelling and emotional, but the writers stopped just short of the goalpost. 

And Hoagie--ohhhhh do NOT get me started on Hoagie. I really liked him in the first episode. In that context, his non-stop snark and obnoxiousness made sense and fit the situation he was in. But the episode ends with him and Daniel becoming business partners--and perhaps, maybe even friends. SO WHY IN BLAZES DOES HOAGIE CONTINUE TO SPEND THE ENTIRE SEASON BEING AN OBNOXIOUS LITTLE SNOT WHOSE ONLY CONTRIBUTION TO THE STORY IS THAT HE CAN TRACK THINGS BY SCENT?! And another question: WHY DO DANIEL AND LUCY PUT UP WITH THIS LITTLE JACKASS?! And a follow-up to that question, WHY DO THEY NOT ONLY PUT UP WITH HIM, BUT ACTUALLY LIKE HIM AND CONSIDER HIM THEIR FRIEND?! 

I’m not exaggerating when I say Hoagie does absolutely nothing to endear himself to these characters, or to the audience. He has zero positive traits, apart from sometimes occasionally deciding to do the noble thing because Plot Reasons. He made me smile one time throughout the entire season, and that was in episode one. And to make matters worse, just like with everything else in this show, this issue would have been such an easy fix. Either take away Hoagie’s ability to speak altogether, or sprinkle in some of those quiet character moments where we actually see him make an emotional connection with the others. 

I hate to keep comparing this show to Tales of Arcadia--really, I do, I know it’s not entirely fair--but I have to bring up Archie the talking cat again because he is the perfect example of what Hoagie should have been as a character. Archie is snide, mischievous, deadpan, and haughty. But he is also shown to be loyal, affectionate, and loving towards Douxie. (I mean, he’s also much quieter than Hoagie and has much better comedic timing with his jabs, so there’s also that). For every snarky comment that comes out of Archie’s mouth, we also see him actively working to keep Douxie safe and accomplish their goals. For all his teasing, we can still see how much he genuinely cares about his friend. 

Hoagie desperately needed that balance--something to make the audience believe that at the end of the day, he is truly Daniel’s friend, no matter how much he may bluster and complain. So much of his characterization could be forgiven if they had written in even just one scene of Hoagie and Daniel opening up to each other emotionally. I kept waiting for Daniel to bring up Hoagie’s missing eye, or for one of Hoagie’s jabs to sting just a little too much, and lead into a conversation where he (and by extension, the audience) learns a little more about why Daniel is all alone, why he takes the dirtiest, sleeziest jobs, why he has this disdain for magic users. But it just never happened. It was all set up and ready to go, and the writers just never got around to it.

There were other small factors dragging the show down, most noticeably in its music, moments of painfully bad action choreography, cringe-inducing snippets of dialogue (especially from the villains), and weird contrivances. What’s most bizarre about all of this is that this is not a consistent issue throughout the entire show. Some of the action sequences work just fine, sometimes the dialogue is snappy and fun, sometimes the music perfectly sets the mood of the scene and every beat works to reinforce a certain ambiance. 

I know all of this makes it sound like I hate the show, but I actually really loved everything they had to work with. I loved Daniel and Lucy as characters, I loved the way the writers delivered important worldbuilding information to the audience without it feeling forced or overwhelming, I loved the amazing creativity on display with the visuals. I loved the endless potential this show had for a heartfelt and exciting story. And yet somehow, in spite of giving themselves all the groundwork they needed to accomplish something like that, the writers couldn’t quite put all the pieces together. I had the same issue with Roster Teeth’s RWBY series. I was never able to enjoy that show for what it actually was, only for what it had the potential to be. And somehow that is so much worse than just watching a terrible show and hating everything about it.

The last episode of Daniel Spellbound does set up a plot for a second season, and in spite of all my criticisms here, I do really want to see it get one. I think a lot of these problems can be chalked up to inexperience, and that maybe with one season under their belts, the Daniel Spellbound team will finally be able to cross that line of Greatness that they’ve only managed to briefly touch with this first season. I want this show to do well, and it has everything it needs for that. I want to see more shows like this, not connected to any pre-existing IPs or writhing under the thumbs of greedy corporate execs who couldn’t write their way out of a wet paper bag. 

So if you have time and are even remotely interested, I would recommend checking out Daniel Spellbound for yourself. It’s only 10 episodes so far, and if nothing else, I can safely say that it was never boring, nor do I feel like it wasted my time. It was a very earnest effort at creating something new, and for that alone, I give many kudos to everyone who worked on it. 

[ringo-ichigo]

As a heads up, for anyone interested in learning more about Hellenic polytheism’s historical practices, be very... how to put this kindly... wary of the series The Pagan World: Ancient Religions before Christianity. I am listening/watching to the Greek episodes and.... oh boy has it got some inaccuracies.

One being that Zeus Ktesios is a tiny Zeus that lives in a jar in your pantry.

Me: Sir, are you referring to a kathiskos?

Professor: *describes the act of filling a kathiskos*

Me: OMG you are. Sir, sir, we dedicate the kathiskos to Zeus Ktesios (and other gods) to ask for protection of our foodstuffs. WE DON’T THINK HE LIVES IN THE JAR. 

And this is just one instance. To put it mildly, I’m sitting here going “....Do I really know more about this than a professor? Or is he just really bad at his job?”

[sleepytoycollection]

Well it took a while but I finally bought a post reboot doll, which means I finally feel like I can rightfully give my own thoughts on it, at least in regards to this pack. 

The first thing that comes to mind is, face up style aside, if I was not aware there was any kind of start over I’d have never really guessed these had changed at all. Seriously, Moanica’s look wouldn’t look that out of place in wave 4 or 5 and this Ula is just lovely.

Now I was one of those people who when EAH came out really dug their thicker, sturdier bodies so unsurprisingly I enjoy the new MH bodies. I miss the sway back admittedly, but these two don’t feel like they’re gonna break on me like G1 MH at times did. My wave 1′s are pretty delicate nowadays, and it’s just not a good product if it can’t last. 

Face up style is the biggest adjustment overall so far. I’d be lying if I said I liked this more than the old look, but I appreciate Ula’s eyebrows matching her hair, so pick your poison. It’s hardly a deal breaker for me tho. 

That said, I do have a few nit picks, the biggest is that Moanica’s head strikes me as rather ...large. I wonder if they originally planned her to be on a big sis body? Her hair helps balance things, but she still looks a touch out of proportion.

Second is, both their hips are stiff very difficult to move. Not as bad as my first eah doll was, but a little annoying. 

Other notes: I love Moanica’s is adjustable! I had so much trouble with old belts not fitting how they were supposed to and this helps so much. Ula’s pink and blue look amazing together and I would completely wear a real version of that outfit. 

[nikibogwater]

Niki Blethers: Daniel Spellbound first impressions:

I’ve only watched the first episode, so I’m not considering anything I talk about here as Spoiler Territory, but if you want to go in to this show absolutely 100% blind, maybe skip this post.

The short version: Color me intrigued. 

Followers of mine already know that I am a huuuuuuuge fan of the Tales of Arcadia series on Netflix (sans the movie–we don’t talk about the movie), so when I first heard the premise for Daniel Spellbound, it immediately struck me as being in a similar vein as that series.

It’s an urban fantasy following the magical misadventures of a teenager and a talking pig. What’s interesting about this premise to me is the fact that our main characters start the series already fully aware of and participating in the magical underground that exists beneath New York City. Daniel isn’t some normal kid who discovers this magical world by accident, he’s been living and working in it for years by the time of the first episode. 

Speaking of Daniel, I like him as our main protagonist so far. He’s a quick-thinking, fast-talking, maybe-sorta-rule-breaking kid who has obviously been alone for way too long. He works as a Tracker–someone who hunts down magical artifacts and ingredients for wizards to use in their spells–but he doesn’t take any pride in his work, and even describes magic as “a scam.” Right out of the gate he’s shown to have no qualms about taking even the lowest, most disgusting jobs if it means getting paid (our introduction to him is literally him sticking his arm in a mound of troll crap to retrieve the mushrooms growing inside). But there’s also a quiet warmth to him, which comes out most prominently in his interactions with Hoagie the magical talking pig.

I’m gonna be up front here, when I first saw Hoagie’s design in a promo image, I was SO ready to hate him. Like, I know it’s not fair to hold him to the same standard as Archie the Cat-Dragon from ToA: Wizards, but I couldn’t help it. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that Hoagie….is actually very tolerable. And there is an in-universe reason for the eyepatch, a very dark and traumatic reason that hasn’t been outright stated, but heavily implied. 

Hoagie himself is actually very similar to Daniel, being a little self-centered and extremely sarcastic. I really like the dynamic between the two of them as a result. They butt heads more often than not (Hoagie’s best character moments are when he is just aggressively sassing the ever-living daylights out of Daniel), but their back and forth can be very fun, and it’s really satisfying to see them come out of the first episode as a newly-formed team. 

I can see Hoagie’s character being obnoxious to some (especially since he spends the majority of the first episode being a pain in Daniel’s neck), but I ended up tentatively liking him, and I really like the potential for friendship that has formed between him and Daniel. 

This show’s portrayal of magic is very fun and creative. From a hotdog vendor making duplicates of himself to expand his business reach, to a half-pint witch known for her highly dangerous magical pies and her propensity for holding intense grudges, it really feels like magic in this world is full of infinite possibilities, and not just limited to flashing lights and floating books. 

The magical environments reflect this as well, creating a very cool contrast with the drab and mundane New York City. I especially love the creature design of the trolls in the first part of the episode.

The animation is serviceable. It’s pretty obvious that they were on a tight budget, but that’s not something I hold against them. In fact, I have to commend the animators and directors for their clever management of limited resources. As I said above, the magical environments are extremely creative and even downright breathtaking in some shots. Character animation can be a little weightless from time to time, especially during an action sequences, but if that’s the show’s biggest flaw in terms of visuals, they’re doing pretty good. 

The dialogue can feel a little weird and choppy here and there, but it’s definitely nowhere near as bad as some other shows/movies I’ve seen. 

Overall, I’m interested to see where this series goes. I want to see more of the magical underworld, I want to learn more about Daniel, and I’m eager to see more of him and Hoagie bonding (or just Hoagie sassing him some more, honestly both are good). I don’t want to jump the gun and say it’s great, but from the first episode, I can safely say that it’s got a lot of great potential, enough that I’m going to keep watching and see where they go with that. Depending on how it turns out, I may do a longer and more comprehensive post about the series as a whole, but for now, I can at least say that it is worth checking out and seeing for yourself. 

[nikibogwater]

Niki Blethers: The Mandalorian--season 3

I know my Blethers posts are usually about individual episodes, but I was away from Tumblr for most of this season’s release schedule, so I’m just going to drop my final thoughts on the season as a whole.

Spoilers below the cut!

Before we begin: I’m aware that season 3′s finale revealed that Din is actually his family name, not his first name. But I am too deeply rooted in the habit of calling him Din now, so I am going to continue to do so until further notice, canon notwithstanding.

Short version: I’m of the opinion that season was very badly written overall. Not just that the story went in directions I didn’t like, but that the narrative structure itself was very poorly constructed. 

The biggest issue is the way plotlines and character arcs that had previously been set up as important steps for the main characters are all hastily resolved and brushed aside with no fanfare. 

The search for the Living Waters beneath Mandalore is set up in the season premier as though that is going to be the main focus of this season. Din finds the Living Waters in the very next episode, and we’re not even allowed to see what this moment means to him as a character. Because apparently it’s just so much more important to know how Bo Katan feels about Din’s commitment to the Way and his personal journey for redemption. It’s 2023, you can’t have your main protagonist be motivated by their sense of tradition and faith! At the very least, you have to keep all that nonsense at arm’s length by showing it through the eyes of an outsider!!! 

Bo Katan’s rivalry with Din was also something that season 2 set up, and the season 3 premier seemed to lean into. It really looked like we were going to see these two clash over their ideological differences (not to mention the Darksaber) at least a few times this season. But then he said something nice about her dad and now she’s cool with him having the Darksaber, so nevermind. 

Din’s struggle to master the Darksaber was a major part of his two-episode appearance in The Book of Boba Fett. Season 3 sees him barely using the dang thing before it’s unceremoniously ripped away from him and plopped back into Bo Katan’s lap.

Basically the entire season felt like it was doing its utmost to ignore the rules of Setup and Payoff. Nothing felt important in this season because anything that did have a significant amount of setup behind it was resolved with the wave of a hand. The knowledge that any plot point could be dropped as soon as the showrunners got tired of it made it impossible for me to care about what was happening. 

I was actually bored for most of this season--as in, mind wandering, checking the clock to see how much time had passed, reaching for a fidget toy bored. Star Wars hasn’t been outright boring to me since the days-long podracing scene in The Phantom Menace. 

They sidelined Din in order to focus on Bo Katan, and they didn’t even bother to make her earn the position of main protagonist. Everything she needs is handed to her by virtue of her being in the right place at the right time. She didn’t earn the Darksaber--she just happened to be there when Din lost it. She doesn’t prove herself as a capable leader--in fact the first thing she does is her people head-first into a trap--and the only reason she has the opportunity to be a capable warrior is because the writers keep conveniently forgetting how skilled of a fighter Din is. 

So not only did they remove Din from the spotlight in his own show, they replaced him with a character who isn’t even half as interesting or compelling as he was. And just to make things that much worse, Bo Katan could have been at least somewhat intriguing if they had leaned into her flaws--y’know this woman used to be an actual terrorist, right? Like, she was at least partially responsible for the death of her sister and the fall of Mandalore. But the show isn’t going to bring any of that up or even remotely imply that it’s part of what motivates Bo Katan in the present because that would detract from her image as the Ultimate Badass Girlboss Queen Supreme version 2.5.

I highly suspect that the reason for Bo Katan being brought in as a substitute for Din was due to corporate meddling. It is very difficult for me to believe that Jon and Dave--two very competent writers who have both given us fascinating characters and well-told stories in the past--would start half-assing this show with no warning. The Mandalorian was their baby, and the behind-the-scenes documentaries show how passionate and careful they were. This whole situation just reeks of Hollywood executives slavering for the chance to virtue signal about their “strong female characters” on Twitter. Because y’know...that’s totally not a thing that has existed in the Star Wars canon since the very first movie. 

I could make a mile-long post that is only about the stuff I personally didn’t like. I could talk about how much I dislike the sidelining of the series staple characters, how much I hate the way IG-11 was treated, how I think Grogu running and flipping and fighting on his own looks janky as heck. But those aren’t technical failures--those aren’t examples of the season actually being badly constructed.

As much as I hate those things, I acknowledge that they could have been well-written. Just because you personally dislike something doesn’t mean that it is badly-written. The real downfall of this season for me isn’t that it had concepts I personally disliked, but that those concepts were executed in the story with all the grace and forethought of a toddler jamming a square into a triangle-shaped hole. 

Everyone has a different level of tolerance when it comes to bad writing, and everyone has different ideas of what bad writing even is in the first place. There are plenty of poorly-written movies and shows out there that are nonetheless entertaining. I know there have been fans for whom this season’s failings weren’t an issue. But I hit my limit before the end of the second episode. And while there were a few individual scenes that I found enjoyable, it was not enough to outweigh my overall feeling of complete apathy towards every major event that unfolded in this season.

Let’s get one thing straight here: I love the first season of The Mandalorian. To this day, I rank it as the greatest piece of Western sci-fi that I’ve ever seen. I fangirled over it so hard that it convinced my parents to watch it--and then they fangirled over it with me. It was the first time both of my parents were just as in love with a piece of media as I was, and they gladly went out of their way to watch, re-watch, and discuss it with me. It’s an extremely special show to us because of that. 

So for season 3 to be so clumsy and boring that my parents couldn’t watch past the fourth episode--so mind-bogglingly dull that even I, Devoted Mando Fangirl that I am, had to make myself sit down and watch new episodes--well, the showrunners really had to screw up big time in order to achieve something like that. 

Oh, and you wanna know the absolute WORST part about all of this? ...Somehow season 3 of The Mandalorian is still better than the series finale for Tales of Arcadia. :’)

[nikibogwater]

Niki Blethers: The Book of Boba Fett--Ep. 1

So out of a combination of morbid curiosity, nostalgia for my days in The Mandalorian fandom, and also I'm recovering from a mild head-cold, I went ahead and looked into Disney's latest cash-grab installment in the Star Wars canon.

The short, non-spoilery version is: This series has got a lot of potential. I think this first episode does a decent job of establishing who Boba Fett is and what he wants to accomplish. I'm interested enough in the plot that I'll probably watch the next episode, so I guess that means this first episode did what it was supposed to. Some of the content was difficult for me to stomach, as much of this first episode deals with what happened to Boba after getting eaten by the Snarlacc in RotJ--basically he just has a Horrible Time for a while, and it was hard for me to watch. But if you don't mind watching a very tired middle-aged man suffer for about 20 minutes, it is a fairly good start to what could be a good yarn, provided the writers don't screw it up.

Spoilers Below the Cut

Going into this series, I was fairly certain we were not going to be getting something of the same caliber as the first season of The Mandalorian (still to this day one of the greatest pieces of sci-fi media I've ever seen don't @ me). But I also wasn't expecting something completely garbage either. Basically I was expecting something Decently Good. Nothing ground-breaking, but not "Somehow Palpatine's returned" levels of bad either.

And....Yeah, that's about what I got.

The episode is split between flashbacks to Boba's past and what is happening to him currently. Not a bad narrative structure, if you know how to do it right, and I'd say Favreau knows how to do it right. At least for this first episode.

Pro tip: Don't watch this episode while eating. The inside of the Snarlacc pit is the Grossest Thing I've seen in any Star Wars media and my slice of re-warmed pizza ended up needing to be re-re-warmed because I had completely lost my appetite in the span of 3 seconds.

Boba Fett getting out of the Snarlacc pit is actually a solid introduction to a core element of his character. From the get-go, we see that he is a survivor. He's quick-thinking, adaptable, and absolutely refuses to die, no matter how much crap gets thrown at him.

This is where I think the intermittent-flashback narrative structure (there's an official term for this but I'm blanking on it and too lazy to look it up) really serves the series. Seeing what Boba went through in the past really sheds light on his motives in the present. Boba doesn't just want to be a fair ruler because he's "a good guy." He wants to rule with justice and mercy because he's been the victim of cruelty and harsh circumstances. While his time in enslavement was really hard for me to watch, it was very effective in helping me to appreciate who Boba is in the present, and why he's making the choices he is.

Basically I'm just a huge sucker for characters who have gone through absolute hell, and still refuse to stop being good people--even when the rest of the world is actively telling them to.

That being said, Boba can also be delightfully intimidating, even when we as the audience know that he's actually a pretty nice guy.

Also just a quick aside--how exactly did Boba Fett become the new ruler of Tatooine? I think I may have missed something.

Boba's dynamic with Fennec was honestly the thing I was most interested in seeing, and it did not disappoint. They're just two Murder Besties running a mafia together. Keeping my fingers crossed that they stay just like that for the entire series. I need Boba telling Fennec that she's not allowed to kill anyone to become a recurring joke.

I liked some of the world-building they set up in this episode, going a bit deeper into the culture and lifestyle of Tatooine. It helps me appreciate the Original Trilogy a bit more, knowing what Luke's every-day life was like and what he had to deal with growing up.

Ludwig Göransson's soundtracks, my beloved.

Whatever that weird sand lizard-centaur-centipede thingy was, it was horrifying to look at, and I love it. Peak monster design right there.

I guess the only legitimate criticisms I have with this episode involve the action scenes. They just didn't feel very energetic or dynamic. There's a fight scene involving Boba and Fennec facing off against a group of Mysterious Space Ninjas, but thanks to an overabundance of quick cuts, it ended up looking like Boba and Fennec just standing there while these guys lightly poked them with sticks. And then there's a chase sequence that's literally just Space Ninjas go this way and jump over this thing--so does Fennec. Space Ninjas do a cool flip over an alleyway--so does Fennec. Perhaps I am in the minority, but this first fight sequence really didn't feel urgent or energetic to me.

There were also a handful of scenes that felt like they were dragging on a bit--maybe this is just because I'm ADHD.

So in conclusion: Book of Boba Fett ep. 1 is a solid start. While I am still quite salty about Boba completely hijacking Din Djarin's story in season 2 of The Mandalorian, I definitely think there is a place in Star Wars canon for a dedicated Boba Fett show. He's a character with relatively little development that's garnered a lot of fan interest over the years, and there's a lot of potential for fun storytelling here. Did they go about introducing this idea in a graceful way? Heck, no. But what's done is done, and I want to give this show a fair chance, even if I'm still mad over what happened in The Mandalorian.

That being said, I really miss Din Djarin. :(