(no subject)

[skygiants]

I have been watching some media recently! Some of them aren't even anime. (I KNOW.)

Alice in Wonderland: I saw this with obopolsk on Monday. (Sidenote: this was accompanied by S'Mac mac & cheese and THE MOST AMAZING PIE I HAVE EVER EATEN. Cinnamon Bun pie! Cinnamon-bun-dough base with cheesecake on top with cinnamon and walnuts in the middle. AMAZING. But, uh, I digress.) Anyway, I enjoyed it! It wasn't as Tim Burton-y as I was expecting, which I can't really explain except by saying that I was watching the movie looking for curlicues and stripes, and didn't see very many at all. I thought the actress who played Alice was amazing, although I also had a hard time remembering that she was supposed to be nearly-twenty because her voice sounded to me very much like a fourteen-year-old's. (This isn't a drawback, just a note. I know the actress herself actually is twenty!)

I will put on my meta hat to say this: I've seen a couple comments in other people's reviews by people who were disappointed that Alice didn't stay in Wonderland and couldn't understand why she didn't go back to the 'real world'. But I found myself actually relieved that she didn't stay. Wonderland seemed to be a world where there were two options for female power, as reprsented by the two queens: be feared, or be loved. Iracebeth chose fear and Mirana chose love, and the movie threw its weight behind Mirana - but there were also a lot of hints that Mirana was just as constrained by that role as Iracebeth, and also just as capable of abusing it. (That moment when she dismissed all her all-in-white courtiers so she could run over to the dog instead of doing the exaggerated graceful movements spoke volumes, for me.) Alice got to wield the vorpal sword, but it was pretty explicit that heroic role wasn't Alice, per se - that was the vorpal sword itself. Getting to go home and Be Unconventional and learn about trade instead was - okay, first of all, completely historically implausible, and also historically problematic within the context of imperialism, BUT setting that aside, within the context of the film, seemed to me to be an infinitely better ending for Alice than staying in the White Queen's court.

(But I also sympathized with Iracebeth more than I was probably supposed to, which might be influenced by the fact that I was slightly bitter about all the Queen Elizabeth parody going on. >.>)

The Eleventh Doctor/The Beast Below: I was going to wait and see the new Who episodes with my mom, but then everyone started posting about how surprisingly pleased they were with Eleven and Amy, and I got impatient.

My verdict: I, too, am surprisingly pleased by Eleven and Amy! No doctor is ever going to supplant Eccleston in my heart, but I do already like Eleven more than I ever liked Ten, and I like the dynamic with Amy and that it seems clear already that it's in no way going to be about Eleven Always Being Right and the humans often being dumb. And there is SO MUCH LESS MANPAIN, oh my god, it's fabulous. I also just like Moffat's writing, which is something I knew going in - more from his other shows than from his other Who episodes - but I really had no idea how much of a difference it was going to make. It does. It makes an enormous difference. I haven't really felt excited for Doctor Who in a while, and now I do! It's so weird!

Things I am hoping: that Amy's boyfriend and relationship will get treated sympathetically and respectfully; that Amy's town will continue to get treated sympathetically and respectfully, and will play a continuing role; that Amy and Eleven will continue in a dynamic of relative equality; that they pick up another Companion! (This last is least likely, I know. But much as I like Eleven and Amy already, I am still tired of the dynamic of one Doctor + one cute girl Companion. Give me some ensemble, Moffat! I know you can do it!)

Leverage, 2.10-2.15: It took me forever to catch up on this show, and I think that is mostly because I am overwhelmingly bored by Nate and his manpain. I was hoping we'd have less of a focus on it in s2; when he started drinking again, I felt a great cry of OH NOOOOOOOOO go up in my heart, because I KNEW it was going to be All About Nate, The Heart of the Team, And His Instability, and what do you know, I was right? I saw the season finale last night and my feelings were greatly conflicted, because at first I was full of joy at Sophie turning up and being awesome and saving the day with her mad competence, and then I was full of irritation at Nate ruining Sophie's great moment of awesome with YET MORE manpain. And actual bleeding, I guess, I don't know. But maybe this means there will be less Nate in s3? (Probably not. They've got to rescue him. I suspect I will continue to not care.)

I still want the Hardison-Parker-Eliot-Sophie show. I also still want wacky crossovers with Coupling and Jekyll where it turns out that the roles that Gina Bellman was playing in those shows were just long undercover cons for Leverage. Sadly, I think I am the only person in the universe who knows all three of these shows, so no one will write them for me. ;_;

Durarara!!: My thoughts here are . . . not deep. I thought the half-season ending was kind of amazing; I did not expect all the plotlines to come together so well. My biggest beef with this show is that I actively anti-ship Celty and Shinra. I want her to move out! (She can move in with Shizuo. *_* Best wacky roommates ever!) However, I totally ship Izaya the UberTroll/Namie the Creepy Human Experimentations Lady. I am super curious about where the story is going now that we're into what clearly seems to be a second set of storylines. In which the Big Bad is a ROGUE DANGEROUS TRAFFIC COP. Oh Durarara!!, never change.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood: . . . do I really need to state how much I am still loving this show? (For the record, I am reading the manga along with the episodes as they come out; we're now up to around chapter 92.) I don't know how everyone continues getting even more awesome, but they do! You could name literally any character and I would be able to babble extensively about how much I love them. I can even write paragraphs of adoration about Hohenheim now, which is not something I ever expected to happen! And that note of glee seems a fitting one to end on, and so I shall.

Comments

[blacksheep91.livejournal.com]

I know that me and my friend's main discussion about the movie after viewing it was, while we are not really anal about the source material, we felt like Wonderland was too...self aware? We were sort of like, "Wait wait wait since when does Wonderland have prophecies and such? Isn't that more of an Oz thing? In Wonderland you just...wander around and talk to everything and 'oh isn't it all so upside down and charming?'"

And then when we realized that there was a plot and therefore tried to pay more attention, we couldn't understand anything they were talking about. ^^; ("Oh okay so Johnny Depp's...Scottish all of a sudden...for some reason.")

...that, and our constant mental comparisons to The Looking Glass Wars.

[skygiants]

Huh - you know, you're right, although I don't think I was thinking as much about the prophecies because of an excellent fic by fahye that posited the prophecies more as the natural effect of living backwards, which is a Wonderland thing. (The fic did a better job of showing that than the film, in my opinion, but.)

One of these days I'll get around to reading The Looking Glass Wars!

[blacksheep91.livejournal.com]

Ooo Ooooo is this something I should read? :3

You could read the first one if you wish. The second two...not terrible but I wasn't as enthralled I suppose? Meh, to each his own.

[skygiants]

It is! Jam Yesterday - it's about Mirana and it's amazing.

[tiltingheartand]

I so completely agree with your thoughts re: Leverage. (Except the crossover bits, and that's mostly because I haven't seen any of either of those shows, uh.)

[skygiants]

I really, really want more episodes focused around not-Nate characters. Especially Hardison. But any of the others would be nice, really! Nate can sit in the background and wear silly costumes, I am fine with him doing that! (Well, they are both obscure UK shows, so it is not so surprising . . . but come on, you know that Sophie posing as Mrs. Jekyll-and-Hyde for a con would be HILARIOUS.)

[oneechan19.livejournal.com]

Re: Brotherhood: You're so close! How many chapters of the manga tend to be in an episode of the anime at the point you're at? Soooo much happens in a single chapter anymore (66 pages in the most recent one!)

[skygiants]

I know! And the vague spoilers that I have been unable to avoid, of which there are a few, just have me at the edge of my seat for new episodes even more. At this stage, it's generally about a chapter and a half per episode; I kind of suspect that as we get closer to the end (and the chapters get longer and MORE AND MORE EPIC) it's going to align pretty much 1:1. I know the manga and the show are timed to end pretty much at the same time, in June. (Which I am looking forward to, because CONCLUSION, and at the same time dreading the inevitable void in my heart!)

[oneechan19.livejournal.com]

Don't say June! If that is so, that means there's only two chapters left! Aaaaaah!

[skygiants]

I KNOW. VOID IN MY HEART. ;_;

[jezrana.livejournal.com]

Re: your Alice thoughts, I came away thinking that however important the sword itself was, it was also pretty important that Alice wield it, though, because none of the characters who were willing to take the task from her could do it. I mean, the Jabberwock says that the bearer is insignificant, but I don't know that we should take the Jabberwock's word for that. But then, I got very invested in hero!Alice so there may be some projecting on my part going on there.

Regardless, I agree that her going home is a better ending than her staying in Wonderland would be, despite the LOL IMPERIALISM (I literally had a "yay!...wait" moment in the theater when she was talking about going to China). In my head she maybe goes back to visit a few years later, but she spends some time learning how to be happy being Alice in her own world first.

[skygiants]

I kind of figured the important thing for Alice was her own willingness to step up and wield it, and everything after that, while epic-looking, was sort of secondary - although you're right, we possibly should not take the Jabberwock's word on things either. I think I was a little bit disappointed, though, because I too was way invested in hero!Alice (and had heard a lot about awesome hero!Alice going in) so I wanted her heroism to be more about her and less about a magical sword, you know?

Yeah, that's about how it is in my head too. (Complete with LOL IMPERIALISM moment *rueful*. Ohhhhh Victoriana.) And, I mean, to be honest, I may be projecting here also, because while Wonderland is a very cool place to visit, I wouldn't want to live there! Wackiness is awesome and all, but everyone in Wonderland is LEGIT CRAZY.

[jothra]

If you are such a Hardison fan, have you seen this vid?

It is excellent.

[skygiants]

I do not know because I can't click on it at work! But OH will I be clicking on it when I get home. :D :D :D Thank you!

[jothra]

Apologies!

But I can guarantee you'll like it if you haven't seen it.

[skygiants]

No, thank you! I think I maaay have seen it before, but if so it was in Denver and I didn't know where to find it to watch it again (and I love rewatching vids obsessively. >:D)

[kattahj.livejournal.com]

it's in no way going to be about Eleven Always Being Right and the humans often being dumb.

I think it's rather amusing how consistently the Moff's female characters boss around his male ones. As someone pointed out, it has an unfortunate side effect of "boys will be boys", but I don't mind so much, because it's so my parents. And in DW I definitely don't mind, because I generally find that the best companions are the ones who aren't too impressed with the Doctor.

Give me some ensemble, Moffat! I know you can do it!

Considering that Five is his favourite Doctor, I hope he'll do it too, but IDK, it might be as futile a hope as the wish that he'll bring back Angela Bruce.

Sadly, I think I am the only person in the universe who knows all three of these shows, so no one will write them for me. ;_;

I DON'T HAVE TIME!!!! Don't tempt me.

I find that I like Nate less and less too, but with all those other awesome characters I don't have to care. I used to think I didn't love Eliot, but then he offered to kill Luke Perry for Parker and my heart just melted. I wish someone had offered to kill Luke Perry for me eighteen years ago. (Although then Buffy would NEVER have had a sane boyfriend, and that would be sad.)

Did you read those awesome fics with Parker and the kittens and Eliot helping her flirt with Hardison, or did I just show that to other people?

[skygiants]

The problem with the Companions being too impressed with the doctor is it bases the whole show on an unequal dynamic - Awesome Timelord, Adoring Sidekick - and that is infinitely less interesting than Fallible Timelord, Skeptical Human. *grins*

I will keep my fingers crossed, but considering that all the marketing has been based on Amy And Eleven Have Wacky Adventures I don't have much hope. :( But I do have a little hope!


. . . HOW CAN I NOT TEMPT YOU WHEN THIS IS SOMETHING I WISH FOR WITH ALL OF MY HEART? Come on, imagine Parker and Hardison hanging out with Jeff. JUST IMAGINE.

Eliot is not my favorite as much as the others are, but he's growing on me! I just, argh, the show keeps wanting to center itself on Nate and I keep wanting to yank its focus away again.

. . . I have not read those fics, but that is something I would be very happy to have fixed. I'm just saying. :D

[kattahj.livejournal.com]

The problem with the Companions being too impressed with the doctor is it bases the whole show on an unequal dynamic - Awesome Timelord, Adoring Sidekick - and that is infinitely less interesting than Fallible Timelord, Skeptical Human. *grins*

Yes, very. Which is why I also love stuff like Liz leaving the message: "You don't want an assistant, you want someone to hold your test tubes and tell you how wonderful you are," and Louise Jameson leaving the show because "there are only so many ways you can say 'What is it, Doctor?'" and thus making Romana so much more of an equal. (Though I love Leela. Yay for throwing knives at Sontarans!)

. . . HOW CAN I NOT TEMPT YOU WHEN THIS IS SOMETHING I WISH FOR WITH ALL OF MY HEART? Come on, imagine Parker and Hardison hanging out with Jeff. JUST IMAGINE.

This is interesting: is Jeff's insane lewdness so evident that even Parker would notice it, and if so, how would she react?

. . . I have not read those fics, but that is something I would be very happy to have fixed. I'm just saying. :D

Here's a link to the first one. (http://brown-betty.livejournal.com/453134.html) The second has kittens. Let me know what you think! (And the author, of course, if it's good thoughts.)

[skygiants]

This is why I need to watch more Old Who! Because I keep vaguely intending to and then failing at that.

. . . I don't know, I mean. The thing is, Jeff is not just insanely lewd, he's insane in other ways too! Some ways that might in fact resonate with Parker. I can imagine her trying to activate Captain Subtext with total seriousness.

:DDDD thank you! I will check them out when I get home tonight.

[kattahj.livejournal.com]

This is why I need to watch more Old Who! Because I keep vaguely intending to and then failing at that.

I've only seen bits and pieces, but I saw at least one ep per companion when I made "When All Is Said And Done", so I know more or less what they're all like.

Have you seen Battlefield? You need to see Battlefield. Especially if you're the least bit interested in Arthurian myth. I'm not, particularly, so it works even if you're not. :-)

Or you could just try the first part of An Unearthly Child. The First Doctor is a wonderful old grump.

I can imagine her trying to activate Captain Subtext with total seriousness.

Would Parker even know HOW? Or would she subscribe to Patrick's line of thought, that people don't say one thing and mean another? :-) ("I have to go pick up my penis.")

:DDDD thank you! I will check them out when I get home tonight.

DON'T FORGET TO TALK TO ME AFTERWARDS!

[skygiants]

I haven't seen Battlefield! Basically I've seen all of An Unearthly Child and that's about it. *sheepish* They have a bunch at the library, though, so I really have no excuse.

*cracks up* I don't know, but now I kind of suspect that Patrick would want to be BFF with Eliot. (Eliot wouldn't be having with it.)

I WILL! I will come and leave you commentary. :D

[kattahj.livejournal.com]

Well, that's better than nothing! Ian/Barbara is for the win. :-) roseveare asked me if they were a canon couple, and I explained the ways in which they might be, to which she said, "Well, by old Who standards that's practically shagging on the TARDIS console." Which is true. :-)

Um, do you know where to get the eps that are not in the library? Because I do. Just saying.

[skygiants]

I did manage to get the general impression that Ian and Barbara were awesome!

. . . this is not information that I currently have, no. :O

[kattahj.livejournal.com]

Email!

And icon, to share the I/B love. :-)

[kattahj.livejournal.com]

...Haven't read? Didn't like?

[skygiants]

Forgot that I was going away to Boston and will not be about the internets much! Will reading when I get back. :D

[kattahj.livejournal.com]

Aw, okay. Enjoy Boston!

[prix-etoile.livejournal.com]

RE: FMA...




FULLMETAL ALCHEMIIIIIIIIST OMFG. Eugh how much are the doll soldiers grossing you out lol? When they first appeared in the manga, I was so grossed out XD

[skygiants]

SO CREEPY OMG. Who thought it was a good idea to make zombies? Who? (My bet is Envy. ENVY HAS LOTS OF AWESOME IDEAS. Speaking of: that part is the grossest of allllll.)

Also, re: your icon, HOW AWESOME was Al's master plan? genarti and I decided that Al kept trying to play car games with Selim while they were stuck in there. "Name that fruit, Selim!"

[prix-etoile.livejournal.com]

No lie, I got a bit teary eyed when Al was trapped with Selim. Like...he's so brave and awesome for trying to keep everyone safe :3

But yeah, they totally played I Spy. "I spy...with my little eye...something...red."

"IT'S MY EYES I KNOW, AL, JEEZ, WE DON'T HAVE MANY COLORS IN THIS TOMB."



Also, ew gross, I bet Kimbley tastes yucky, Selim. Don't eat hiiiiim--too late.

[skygiants]

Oh man, I know, I wanted to hug him FOREVER. Al's been one of my favorites for the start and I didn't think I could love him much more than I did already . . . AND YET. <333333 AL.

*cracks up* OH SELIM. "I spy . . . with my little eye . . . something . . . DUMB. BY WHICH I MEAN YOUR SOUL. HAPPY NOW, AL?"

Selim is not very picky about his food. :( This is what happens when you are half Gluttony!

[prix-etoile.livejournal.com]

SWEATDROP FROM AL. "MY SOUL ISN'T DUMB YOU STUPID HOMUNCULUS!!"



Selim's gonna get faaaaaaaaaaat 'cause he's gonna eat too many people. :(

[skygiants]

Selim: *bangs out AL IS A STUPIDHEAD on Al's helmet. In Morse Code.*


Selim's mommy is gonna have to put him on a no-people diet.

[fahye.livejournal.com]

I HAVE SEEN ALL THESE SHOWS. Well, not S2 of Leverage, but that is hardly relevant.

I am not sure why I just admitted that, having no time in which to write, but: you are not alone in the universe, little Becca!

[skygiants]

I am glad not to be alone in the universe, at least! *clings*

SOMEDAY, someone will write us the epic fic in which Jane is Claire's Hyde-personality (because we know she can get away with anything when she's her wacky twin Jane!) SOMEDAY.

[deutscheami.livejournal.com]

RE: "Leverage"--I would be so happy to watch episode upon episode of Eliot's career as a minor league ball player who was big in Japan (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiDYEaiyoBA) instead of episode upon episode of "Nate's Man Pain!!!".

[skygiants]

ME TOO. I would watch that show religiously! (A minor league baseball player . . . who FIGHTS CRIME!) I'm seriously getting to the point where I'm just tempted to fast-forward whenever I see an angsty-Nate-face coming on.

[ojuzu.livejournal.com]

I am finally finally finally caught up with FMA! Only two chapters left . . . *sadness* asdfjkl; *FLAIL* I don't remember where in the plotline 92 is, so please squee very loudly at length about everything so I can non-spoilerly squee back at you. :D

[skygiants]

Okay okay, as of the most recent episode (which I just saw tonight!) we have:
- ARMSTRONGS VS. SLOTH AND ZOMBIES TEAM BONDING <333333 ("don't you compare my Briggs soldiers to the stupid lame zombies!" oh man I love Olivier Armstrong sooooo much)
- MUSTANG AND HAWKEYE TO THE RESCUE against some more zombies, which means that we are about to get Mustang and Hawkeye and Scar and Ed and chimerae all teaming up, and a more hilarious combination I cannot imagine
- a long sequence of Al and Marcoh and Heinkel being amazing followed by YOKI'S CROWNING MOMENT OF AWESOME *_*

[ojuzu.livejournal.com]

which means that we are about to get Mustang and Hawkeye and Scar and Ed and chimerae all teaming up, and a more hilarious combination I cannot imagine

Don't forget, Roy murdered like a billion people in Ishbal. DRAMA!

The Major General = ♥ ♥ ♥ She is seriously the best thing ever. :D (Sorry, Greed, you're second-best. I still love you, but MAJOR GENERAL ARMSTRONG. *_*)

[skygiants]

Ohhhh trust me, I am not forgetting at allll. I have been kind of hoping for a while that we would get a confrontation between Scar and Team Mustang for exactly that reason, because I am so fascinated to see how that's going to go. (I kind of suspect Scar's internal monologue under that stoic and long-suffering expression for much of the second half of the show is a constant stream of "WHY AM I HERE. WHY DO I HAVE A TEAM. I HATE PEOPLE." *pats Scar*)

I love Olivier more than words can possibly express. *_* (I waffle on whether my favorite is Hawkeye or Al or Olivier, because they are all so amazing. TORN!)

[genarti]

By TO THE RESCUE I believe you mean TO THE EPIC GRAND-ENTRANCE POSING! for Mustang.

I'm just saying.

[skygiants]

I THINK THE ONE BASICALLY IMPLIES THE OTHER, GEN. Has there ever been a time Mustang came to the rescue that didn't involve grand-entrance posing? ("WELL SAID, ALPHONSE ELRIC!")

[genarti]

I...

well...

*weakly* This time it was more successfully (hilariously) EPIC!!!! than sometimes?

[obopolsk.livejournal.com]

Okay, next time I go to Milk Bar I'm going to have to get out of my cookie rut and try that pie.

[skygiants]

It is so worth it, I am telling you. I mean, I am biased in favor of pie anyways, but still!

[pheonee.livejournal.com]

I can even write paragraphs of adoration about Hohenheim now, which is not something I ever expected to happen!

May I please just mention that recent chapters are like one huge continuous Crowning Moment Of Awesome for Hohopapa? It is clinically impossible to not love him after 105. *________________*

[skygiants]

YOU MAY INDEED MENTION. >:D I've always been enormously entertained by Hohenheim (and his teeeeeeears), but I remember exactly the moment when he all of a sudden started manifesting ACTUAL AWESOMENESS - it was the Declaration of War on Pride, underneath Liore. And genarti and I just kind of boggled at each other and went, "did - did Woehenheim just get legitimately hardcore?"