Wednesday, June 21, 2017
This episode was a little disapointing.
Spoiler Warning!!!!
I predicted Mark Drake would take the fall of Dunhill's murder, but I neglected to say that on this Blog so I can't prove it.
The ending scene from the 6A finale turned out to be just a dream. I kinda stopped awhile ago thought.
Mainly what bugs me is hat they seem to have confirmed Charlotte is indeed dead. I really wanted that to not be the case.
Sunday, June 18, 2017
Sailor Moon, is the 90s Anime better then the Manga? It Depends
Vraikaiser has talked on their Blog about why they feel the Anime was better then the Manga, and so Crystal being more faithful to the Manga means nothing to them.
I Missed This Show, and You Aren't Helping.
Pretty much all stuff I can agree with. Valuing the Zoiscite/Kunzite relationship, and also Naru and Nephrite. And lots of other small character moments, to which I'd add also preferring Makoto's introduction in the 90s Anime.
Thing is, that's all mostly applicable to just the original arc, The Dark Kingdom. There the Anime version was definitely way better. The only downside being Minako, 90s Anime Minako is as charming and fun as she can be, the least interesting version of Minako. I like the idea of the main character not being the team leader, and I really like the more serious Minako of Crystal and PGSM and the Codename Sailor V Manga (only Sailor Manga I've actually read). I love Mami in Madoka and Fu in Yuki Yuna partly because they are in different ways like Manga Minako in a very different situation.
Outside the Dark Kingdom, comparisons become not as easy. I personally have never been all that interested in the even numbered seasons, so I have no major opinions of R and SuperS. And that I haven't read the actual Manga means I have no direct knowledge of what it does after the Infinity Arc right now.
But thanks to JosieNextDoor I know I'm not the only person disappointed by the Anime version of Stars. In-spite of the Anime always having more time to work with, the Anime version of the final arc dropped many layers to the plot. I know many in the LGBT community value the Starlights physically changing genders, but the show never actually explored their gender identity at all, it was basically another Gender Bending Anime gimmick. So I'm really excited to see how Crystal handles it, but I have to wait through SuperS first.
I did enjoy both Filler Arcs. The Doom Tree arc while branded as part of R felt more like an epilogue to the Dark Kingdom. The Monsters of the Week were still after "Energy", and Mammaru was forced back into the mysterious knight role. The first 6 Episodes of Stars could have been a movie, they were great.
Where comparing Manga to Anime gets really complicated however is with S. It is there that both versions have major strengths and weaknesses, and I feel like an ideal version is waiting for someone who knows how to learn from both. But in either case it is my favorite chapter of this saga.
Crystal definitely benefited from having Hotaru, Chibi-Usa & Diana, and the Witches 5 there from the start. And HaruMi were done no favors by the added story-line of searching for McGuffins while being unable to act their own, but rather having to wait for the villains. And then the lame resolution that they had the Talismans all along, who sent them on this stupid quest?
However at the same time having the whole routine of everyone thinking Haruka's a male going on for multiple episodes instead of just one felt really annoying in 2016. And that the Witches 5 only get one episode each is a major disappointment. And given some of the reasons I like Anime in the first place, the villains being less sympathetic and redeemable in this version doesn't appeal to me.
Of course the biggest factor is, the Anime had more episodes. But by meandering failed to fully take advantage of that. Because they waited a mini-arch to even bring in the Witches, there was only room for two of them to shine as recurring threats, the rest got wasted. In the 90s Anime Mimette was the best, in Crystal it was Tellu. Yet still in the 90s Sailor Moon S most of my favorite moments came from all that filler.
I Missed This Show, and You Aren't Helping.
Pretty much all stuff I can agree with. Valuing the Zoiscite/Kunzite relationship, and also Naru and Nephrite. And lots of other small character moments, to which I'd add also preferring Makoto's introduction in the 90s Anime.
Thing is, that's all mostly applicable to just the original arc, The Dark Kingdom. There the Anime version was definitely way better. The only downside being Minako, 90s Anime Minako is as charming and fun as she can be, the least interesting version of Minako. I like the idea of the main character not being the team leader, and I really like the more serious Minako of Crystal and PGSM and the Codename Sailor V Manga (only Sailor Manga I've actually read). I love Mami in Madoka and Fu in Yuki Yuna partly because they are in different ways like Manga Minako in a very different situation.
Outside the Dark Kingdom, comparisons become not as easy. I personally have never been all that interested in the even numbered seasons, so I have no major opinions of R and SuperS. And that I haven't read the actual Manga means I have no direct knowledge of what it does after the Infinity Arc right now.
But thanks to JosieNextDoor I know I'm not the only person disappointed by the Anime version of Stars. In-spite of the Anime always having more time to work with, the Anime version of the final arc dropped many layers to the plot. I know many in the LGBT community value the Starlights physically changing genders, but the show never actually explored their gender identity at all, it was basically another Gender Bending Anime gimmick. So I'm really excited to see how Crystal handles it, but I have to wait through SuperS first.
I did enjoy both Filler Arcs. The Doom Tree arc while branded as part of R felt more like an epilogue to the Dark Kingdom. The Monsters of the Week were still after "Energy", and Mammaru was forced back into the mysterious knight role. The first 6 Episodes of Stars could have been a movie, they were great.
Where comparing Manga to Anime gets really complicated however is with S. It is there that both versions have major strengths and weaknesses, and I feel like an ideal version is waiting for someone who knows how to learn from both. But in either case it is my favorite chapter of this saga.
Crystal definitely benefited from having Hotaru, Chibi-Usa & Diana, and the Witches 5 there from the start. And HaruMi were done no favors by the added story-line of searching for McGuffins while being unable to act their own, but rather having to wait for the villains. And then the lame resolution that they had the Talismans all along, who sent them on this stupid quest?
However at the same time having the whole routine of everyone thinking Haruka's a male going on for multiple episodes instead of just one felt really annoying in 2016. And that the Witches 5 only get one episode each is a major disappointment. And given some of the reasons I like Anime in the first place, the villains being less sympathetic and redeemable in this version doesn't appeal to me.
Of course the biggest factor is, the Anime had more episodes. But by meandering failed to fully take advantage of that. Because they waited a mini-arch to even bring in the Witches, there was only room for two of them to shine as recurring threats, the rest got wasted. In the 90s Anime Mimette was the best, in Crystal it was Tellu. Yet still in the 90s Sailor Moon S most of my favorite moments came from all that filler.
Thursday, June 15, 2017
I have watched Canaan, The Anime
Canaan is the main Girls with Guns show Digibro praised in contrast to BeeTrain's trilogy, which he dislikes but I love unconditionally. Well he also liked Gunslinger Girl, but I dropped that after two episodes because it's not a Girls with Guns show, but a Lolicon show.
It's a good show, I'd recommend it.
I watched the Dub, which was interesting since it has some actors in common with Noir's. Most noticeably Mireille as the title character, which is great, her voice is Music to my ears. And now that I know Hilary Haag doesn't usually sound like Chloe, I was able to recognize her as Maria Oosawa. For a long time I thought Mireille was the only Noir Dub actress I ever heard popping up in other stuff. Then I tracked down Chloe's actress on MAL and learned that Chloe's actress usually has a completely different kind of voice.
How do I compare the show to BeeTrain's stuff? Well It's probably better written then Madlax, and certainly more engaging then Avenger. But next to Noir it is inferior in every way they are even remotely comparable.
It's a good show, I'd recommend it.
I watched the Dub, which was interesting since it has some actors in common with Noir's. Most noticeably Mireille as the title character, which is great, her voice is Music to my ears. And now that I know Hilary Haag doesn't usually sound like Chloe, I was able to recognize her as Maria Oosawa. For a long time I thought Mireille was the only Noir Dub actress I ever heard popping up in other stuff. Then I tracked down Chloe's actress on MAL and learned that Chloe's actress usually has a completely different kind of voice.
How do I compare the show to BeeTrain's stuff? Well It's probably better written then Madlax, and certainly more engaging then Avenger. But next to Noir it is inferior in every way they are even remotely comparable.
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Sunday, June 11, 2017
Wonder Woman lore and Greek Mythology
I love the Wonder Woman movie, faithfulness doesn't equal good, and unfaithful doesn't equal bad. This analysis of how Wonder Woman comics and their adaptations handle Greek Mythology should in no way be seen as a criticism of the film or the comics. I simply like talking about these things as a Nerd of both Mythology and Western Comics.
The first change in how Wonder Woman lore uses Greece Mythology is in basically treating the Amazons as Greeks, when the Greeks saw them as the ultimate antithesis to the Greek way of life. I'm the kind of person who does want to be believe real Amazons actually existed, and on my Revised Chronology blog I've recently speculated some on that very topic.
For a long time Wonder Woman lore at least depicted the Amazons as favoring female deities, even if which ones they got wrong (ironically in Greek Mythology Aphrodite was an enemy of the Amazons more often then Ares was). It's the New 52 trend of making Diana another offspring of Zeus that has caused this to change. And now the Wonder Woman movie never even mentioned any Goddess by name, it was only Zeus and Ares.
Wonder Woman Comics have at least never been guilty of what TVTropes calls the Hijacked By Jesus trope. The movie however seems to have fallen into that area. Is it because an Israeli actress is playing Diana? who knows.
"But Mithrandir, didn't just argue the Amazons were Israelites" yes, Danites after they fell into Idolatry and became devotes of Anath, so still not Monotheists or even particularity Henothesitic.
However I can say as a positive, making Ares the Lucifer figure fits far better then Hades. The Ancient Greeks did tend to view Ares as necessary evil at best (Ironically the Amazons were often depicted as Daughters of Ares, though I think that came from them being daughters of Anath). It was their greatest contrast to Greece that Rome viewed Mars as their patron deity. And the Roman cult of Mars continues today in America, commemorated on Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.
The movie arguably makes Wonder Woman herself Jesus. And having a female as the Messianic Archetype is interesting to me, with my arguing a Biblical Example of it in the Song of Solomon itself. And was part of my recent praise of Nausicaa of the Valley of The Wind.
There is a point in the film's backstory where the Amazons seemed effectively like Tolkienian Elves, with the biggest difference being the Elves are usually older then Humankind.
The gods all being dead now feels like a huge waste. But I have a hunch we may learn in the Justice League film, or it's sequel, that the New Genesis gods are basically the Olympians reincarnated.
Some people are upset that Ares doesn't look how he usually looks in Wonder Woman Comics, or the 2009 Animated Movie which I hated. I for one hate that look for Ares, the Greeks took great pride in that their gods looked human. Olympians being British always works for me.
I have posted before on The Titans of Myth, how on the Titans at least DC Comics is better then other modern depictions of Greek Mythology. The main thing that is off about the DC Titans is they pair all of them together into 6 pairs while in actual Mythology only 8 of them were paired up. Kronos&Rhea, Oceanus&Tethys, Hyperion&Theia and Phoebe&Coeus. Iapetos wasn't married to Themis but rather a daughter(s) of Oceanus and Tethys. Krios married a daughter of the primordial sea gods. Themis and Menemosyne either never mated or were among the mothers of Zeus's many demigods.
If the Wonder Woman solo sequel focuses on non Mythological Wonder Woman antagonists like Cheetah or Dr. Psycho, it might work out, but would feel like a step down in scale. However nothing in the movie rules out Circe or The Titans still being around. But the Titans in like best in Teen Titans stories. I would love it if Troian Bellisario got to be Donna Troy.
The first change in how Wonder Woman lore uses Greece Mythology is in basically treating the Amazons as Greeks, when the Greeks saw them as the ultimate antithesis to the Greek way of life. I'm the kind of person who does want to be believe real Amazons actually existed, and on my Revised Chronology blog I've recently speculated some on that very topic.
For a long time Wonder Woman lore at least depicted the Amazons as favoring female deities, even if which ones they got wrong (ironically in Greek Mythology Aphrodite was an enemy of the Amazons more often then Ares was). It's the New 52 trend of making Diana another offspring of Zeus that has caused this to change. And now the Wonder Woman movie never even mentioned any Goddess by name, it was only Zeus and Ares.
Wonder Woman Comics have at least never been guilty of what TVTropes calls the Hijacked By Jesus trope. The movie however seems to have fallen into that area. Is it because an Israeli actress is playing Diana? who knows.
"But Mithrandir, didn't just argue the Amazons were Israelites" yes, Danites after they fell into Idolatry and became devotes of Anath, so still not Monotheists or even particularity Henothesitic.
However I can say as a positive, making Ares the Lucifer figure fits far better then Hades. The Ancient Greeks did tend to view Ares as necessary evil at best (Ironically the Amazons were often depicted as Daughters of Ares, though I think that came from them being daughters of Anath). It was their greatest contrast to Greece that Rome viewed Mars as their patron deity. And the Roman cult of Mars continues today in America, commemorated on Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.
The movie arguably makes Wonder Woman herself Jesus. And having a female as the Messianic Archetype is interesting to me, with my arguing a Biblical Example of it in the Song of Solomon itself. And was part of my recent praise of Nausicaa of the Valley of The Wind.
There is a point in the film's backstory where the Amazons seemed effectively like Tolkienian Elves, with the biggest difference being the Elves are usually older then Humankind.
The gods all being dead now feels like a huge waste. But I have a hunch we may learn in the Justice League film, or it's sequel, that the New Genesis gods are basically the Olympians reincarnated.
Some people are upset that Ares doesn't look how he usually looks in Wonder Woman Comics, or the 2009 Animated Movie which I hated. I for one hate that look for Ares, the Greeks took great pride in that their gods looked human. Olympians being British always works for me.
I have posted before on The Titans of Myth, how on the Titans at least DC Comics is better then other modern depictions of Greek Mythology. The main thing that is off about the DC Titans is they pair all of them together into 6 pairs while in actual Mythology only 8 of them were paired up. Kronos&Rhea, Oceanus&Tethys, Hyperion&Theia and Phoebe&Coeus. Iapetos wasn't married to Themis but rather a daughter(s) of Oceanus and Tethys. Krios married a daughter of the primordial sea gods. Themis and Menemosyne either never mated or were among the mothers of Zeus's many demigods.
If the Wonder Woman solo sequel focuses on non Mythological Wonder Woman antagonists like Cheetah or Dr. Psycho, it might work out, but would feel like a step down in scale. However nothing in the movie rules out Circe or The Titans still being around. But the Titans in like best in Teen Titans stories. I would love it if Troian Bellisario got to be Donna Troy.
Saturday, June 10, 2017
My personal favorite Indiana Jones movie is Kingdom of The Crystal Skull
Saying my "personal favorite" is not the same as saying the best. The best is probably still Raiders of The Lost Ark.
It being my favorite may just be because it's closer to being made for my generation, same year as my absolute favorite movie The Dark Knight. And I'm also a well known Star Wars Prequel fan.
But a major factor is that in general it feels like the only Indy film that actually researched it's subject matter. It's fringe history research mainstream historians and archeologists don't take seriously, but the 80s Indy films didn't even really do that.
Maybe it's simply because in 2008 with the Internet it was harder to get away with shirking on the research. But the fact is if you were looking into real theories about the Crystal Skulls and related topics during the build up to the film, that effort felt like it paid off. And it's the only movie where the character of Indiana Jones actually seemed to me like a well read educated collage professor and not just a dumb action hero.
For The Ark they just went with the most boring theory, Shishak took it, Shishak is assumed to be Shoshenq so it winds up in the Egyptian city with a Libyan name, Tanis. Only Lucas and Spielberg could have made such a great film out of such boring starting premises.
Temple of Doom isn't based on a real mystery at all, other then Colonial fear mongering about Thugges (who probably didn't even really exist). It's the worst Indy film for a multitude of reasons. In fact the absolute worst film either Lucas or Spielberg were ever involved with.
But it's with The Last Crusade that this issue really caused disappointment for the 2017 version of me.
The Last Crusade was once my personal favorite Indy film, way back before KOTCS existed, and before I was very informed on actual Grail Lore. But now I've written on that topic extensively on this blog and elsewhere.
So the other day I watched The Last Crusade again, and It's still a very good movie, very fun, it stands the test of time in all of those ways. But it's use of Grail Lore feels like such a major missed opportunity.
The key exposition scene early on name drops Arthur, but the history for the Grail it goes on to build actually totally precludes Arthur or any contemporaries of his having anything to do with it. Instead we get this completely made up story of Three Brothers.
It's such a missed opportunity because I feel they could easily have used real Grail Lore in a way that kept the same basic sequence of events for the... present isn't the right word, 1938 narrative of the film.
The valley of the Crescent Moon, filmed at Petra, but implied to be located in or near the Republic of Hatay, 1938-1939 (that part of modern Turkey that looks like it should be part of Syria), they could have called Sarras. And instead of this lame Three Brothers story that Knight guarding the Grail could have been Sir Galahad. And then the Tomb with the Shield could have been Sir Bors. Then you'd have a fun modern Adventure film that also works as a sequel to Medieval Grail Romances.
It doesn't make the movie bad, but it makes me feel like they could have done better. KOTCS feels like the best version of that story they could have told on every level.
It being my favorite may just be because it's closer to being made for my generation, same year as my absolute favorite movie The Dark Knight. And I'm also a well known Star Wars Prequel fan.
But a major factor is that in general it feels like the only Indy film that actually researched it's subject matter. It's fringe history research mainstream historians and archeologists don't take seriously, but the 80s Indy films didn't even really do that.
Maybe it's simply because in 2008 with the Internet it was harder to get away with shirking on the research. But the fact is if you were looking into real theories about the Crystal Skulls and related topics during the build up to the film, that effort felt like it paid off. And it's the only movie where the character of Indiana Jones actually seemed to me like a well read educated collage professor and not just a dumb action hero.
For The Ark they just went with the most boring theory, Shishak took it, Shishak is assumed to be Shoshenq so it winds up in the Egyptian city with a Libyan name, Tanis. Only Lucas and Spielberg could have made such a great film out of such boring starting premises.
Temple of Doom isn't based on a real mystery at all, other then Colonial fear mongering about Thugges (who probably didn't even really exist). It's the worst Indy film for a multitude of reasons. In fact the absolute worst film either Lucas or Spielberg were ever involved with.
But it's with The Last Crusade that this issue really caused disappointment for the 2017 version of me.
The Last Crusade was once my personal favorite Indy film, way back before KOTCS existed, and before I was very informed on actual Grail Lore. But now I've written on that topic extensively on this blog and elsewhere.
So the other day I watched The Last Crusade again, and It's still a very good movie, very fun, it stands the test of time in all of those ways. But it's use of Grail Lore feels like such a major missed opportunity.
The key exposition scene early on name drops Arthur, but the history for the Grail it goes on to build actually totally precludes Arthur or any contemporaries of his having anything to do with it. Instead we get this completely made up story of Three Brothers.
It's such a missed opportunity because I feel they could easily have used real Grail Lore in a way that kept the same basic sequence of events for the... present isn't the right word, 1938 narrative of the film.
The valley of the Crescent Moon, filmed at Petra, but implied to be located in or near the Republic of Hatay, 1938-1939 (that part of modern Turkey that looks like it should be part of Syria), they could have called Sarras. And instead of this lame Three Brothers story that Knight guarding the Grail could have been Sir Galahad. And then the Tomb with the Shield could have been Sir Bors. Then you'd have a fun modern Adventure film that also works as a sequel to Medieval Grail Romances.
It doesn't make the movie bad, but it makes me feel like they could have done better. KOTCS feels like the best version of that story they could have told on every level.
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
The Wonder Woman movie was Great!!!
I decided to not say much right after watching it, cause sometimes my opinion on a DC film will not remain as enthusiastic after a few days of thinking about it.
But now that over half a week as passed, I can securely say Wonder Woman remains as great as I thought it was initially.
So everyone see this movie, please, it is important.
The only complaints I've really seen are some people were disappointing slightly be Ares. But I wasn't, I have no attachment to how DC Comics usually depicts Ares. What this movie did was much better.
I give a 10 out of 10.
But now that over half a week as passed, I can securely say Wonder Woman remains as great as I thought it was initially.
So everyone see this movie, please, it is important.
The only complaints I've really seen are some people were disappointing slightly be Ares. But I wasn't, I have no attachment to how DC Comics usually depicts Ares. What this movie did was much better.
I give a 10 out of 10.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)