Tropes That I ABSOLUTELY Hate

Negative portrayals of Black women in TV shows have been a concerning issue throughout the history of television. While progress has been made in recent years, it's important to acknowledge that harmful stereotypes and negative portrayals still persist. Here are some common negative portrayals of Black women in TV shows:

1. The "Sassy Black Woman": This stereotype portrays Black women as loud, aggressive, and overly confrontational. They are often depicted as having an attitude and being quick to anger, which perpetuates the stereotype of the "angry Black woman."

2. The "Jezebel" or Hypersexualized Character: Black women are sometimes portrayed as overly sexualized, promiscuous, and hypersexual beings. This portrayal reduces Black women to their sexuality, reinforcing harmful stereotypes that have long been used to demean and dehumanize them.

3. The "Mammy" or Matronly Figure: This stereotype portrays Black women as nurturing, maternal figures whose sole purpose is to care for white families. They are often depicted as submissive, selfless, and happy to serve others, reinforcing the notion that Black women exist only to support and serve white people.

4. The "Strong Black Woman" with No Vulnerability: While strength is an admirable trait, this stereotype portrays Black women as invincible and lacking vulnerability. They are often shown as unbreakable, emotionally detached, and unaffected by the challenges they face. This stereotype ignores the full range of emotions and experiences that Black women go through.

Here are four examples in TV I am movies to support my claim

1. Mercedes Jones ‘The Sassy Black Woman’

Mercedes Jones was a main character on glee for six seasons. She was talented, boisterous, and loving to her friends. But she wasn’t seen as anything more than that. As a plot line, they did attempt to let her break out and become her own person, but how it was written in the show, she was made to look like she was a bad person for wanting to have more shine than her other team members when she was rightfully, feeling wronged, because she was put to the back in favor of the main character, who wasn’t nearly as talented as her.

2. Pamela ‘Pam’ James ‘The Jezebel’

Pamela ‘Pam’ James from the hit series, Martin. Pam was successful, young, and educated by one of her running gags on the show was the fact that she couldn’t keep them in, or that she had way too many men over to her house. She had a storyline where she was about to be Amanda‘s third wife, there were multiple storylines, where it seemed like she was too promiscuous, and almost to the point where it seemed like she was unlovable. Throughout the course she did have it on and off relationship with another character on the show named Tommy but it seemed like they weren’t meant to be or were they?

3. Madea ‘Mammy’

Madea is a fictional character that is played by a MAN. Madea is an older woman who provides wise nurse, a shoulder to lean on, and wisdom to the younger members of her family. But she is used in most movies as a joke, someone who is violent, and someone who doesn’t offer anything other than humor in tense situations. Madea is depicted as the wise, ‘take no crap’, nurturer that everyone relies on to get them out of a sticky situation, or to get them to laugh. Madea is in no way shape or form supposed to be taken seriously and that’s the problem.

4. Yvette ‘The Strong Black Woman’

Yvette is from the movie baby boy. Yvette is the protagonists, Jody, girlfriend and mother of his child. The storyline for the movie is that Jody is an overgrown man child who can’t own up to his own mistakes and take responsibility for his own actions, and often blamed them on the women in his life, such as his mother and his girlfriend. Yvette comes into play as the strong, black woman, because she stood beside, Jody, no matter what he put her through what is that had been infidelity, incompetent, or even physical abuse. The story ends, and Jody has a coming to God moment where he realizes he’s wrong, and Yvette sticks beside him gets married to him and they live on to have a happy family. But how is that fair to Yvette? Yvette had to endure a bunch of emotional, and sometimes even physical abuse to Jody, just for the end of the movie Jody to grow up and become a standup man. Your vet should’ve had to Indore his behavior in order for him to realize the error of his ways.

It is crucial to challenge these negative portrayals and advocate for more diverse and authentic representations of Black women in TV shows. Positive and multidimensional portrayals can help break down stereotypes and promote greater understanding and appreciation for the diverse experiences of Black women.

Enneagram help (3 or 6? I'm torn!)

Little ask about Taylor (sorry lol!): Do you think ESTP 3w2 361 is most likely for Taylor then? I also thought she could be a 6 because of her strong focus on loyalty but what you said made a lot of sense so now I think 3w2!

She seems generally likable and not polarizing in terms of her fans (not outrageous and inoffensive), which usually indicates a 369.

COVER (in true 3w2 fashion, even tho I am anon): As a 3 and 6 hybrid + high Fe type, I really resonated with the Anne Hathaway note ;) I am not in any way famous/probably do not wish to be as famous as Anne, but I think I would also mention splitting my pants on television if I were famous to be relatable and give people a moment of laughter and also give them a moment of thinking "Oh, she's just like me! She's very human and has errors and laughs/talks about them!"

6s want to be relatable, 3s do not. Famous 6s self-deprecate so people think "aww, she's just like me" in order to downplay being famous. Why? They want to fit in and be included and not alienated or to seem in any way pretentious. This is core 6 territory, not 3.

On the other hand, I put a bow on the things that are my *actual* flaws when talking about them (I find it easy to talk about my feelings to people, but very difficult to admit that I haven't been successful even though I don't think I'm any better than anyone, I'm just so scared that people might think I'm incompetent/not cool at all if I fail LOL) and I spin things around positively.

A 7 wing can also be this way, along with a 6ish desire to be taken seriously.

I've probably made too many image management mistakes to be a 3 but I am always thinking about social presentation and my biggest fear is being seen as a "nerd" or someone who's not socially adept and not good with people. I know I am, but I am so scared of making public mistakes.

Fear drives the head types, thus a lot of thinking and strategizing and planning and avoidance of making mistakes through anticipation (if X happens, I should probably do Y to save face). But you are an EFJ, so of course you are thinking about how you are coming across. Fe-doms dial into their audience and to other people and want to be liked and seen a certain way, regardless of their Enneagram type.

My parents and friends would say I'm a 3 for sure, but I think I have also been a 6w7 in a lot of situations. Sometimes I feel like whatever enneagram is best for the situation, I become. Whenever I settle on an enneagram type, I kind of unconsciously emulate it but I have always known I'm an EFJ and have been one so I have a lot of difficulty detaching from my emotions and relational situations that require me to be emotionally "there" so I don't relate to 3 in that way.

What your friends see is different from what you feel inside, and the motivations that lie behind your behaviors. A 6 would think about not wanting to seem arrogant; a 3 would see arrogance as part of self-esteem, because they know they do things well enough to deserve the right to be arrogant. They are competency-driven (I have to be the best at this; I have to give the best interview; job performance; be the best wife/husband/lover/friend; I need to wear this hat today!). And yes, 3s are somewhat distant from emotions and can fear closeness because that person might peel away their layers and find... nothing. And that idea of being nothing inside scares them; they don't know what defines them, outside their accomplishments. If I didn't have all of these things to offer you (fame, success, money, achievement, blue ribbons)... would you still love me??

I think I'm more dependent stance than assertive stance -- I like leadership but I am too worried about looking bad to take risks that an assertive stance type probably would, such as starting a new unpredictable trend that COULD be cool, or running for student body president because what if people don't like my speech and can't connect to me/don't want my leadership? What if I'm "cringe"? TLDR: It's easy to joke about little mistakes or even typical ones, but it's hard to open up about other failures, especially in the social realm, if I'm with people who i haven't really given my "true self" to? I think I might be a 3 but also could be a 6.

My guess is a core 6w7. A 3 is not this open about their fears of failure in a public forum where they know people are going to read whatever you wrote / what I respond to it, and make judgments about them. The core 3s I know (yes, even with loud 6 fixes) are constantly modifying their image when talking to me, making sure that I know they are hard-working and successful or desirable in some way... and if I see the 6 second-guessing and freaking out, they quickly cover it up with enforced self-confidence so my impression of them is not "scared" or "self-doubting." The image management is constant with them and it's perceptible to others, but you are very open and honest with me about your fears and failures and wanting to be seen as relatable, even if you hunger to be extraordinary.

04.13.2019

Please be aware that I will not be responding to any messages, asks, or replies at this time, or for the foreseeable future. Please respect our privacy and need to grieve. Thank you.

This is not an easy post. Our journey does not have a happy ending.

At 2:08PM on Saturday, April 13, 2019, our beautiful Camryn Rose made a very early debut into the world. She died in my arms at 2:13PM without ever taking a single breath.

Camryn Rose was born a full 21 weeks early. They don’t even call it a live birth at that point. Even though her heart was still beating until they cut the cord, it’s considered a second trimester miscarriage.

Regardless of what they call it, I call it heartbreak. I call it impossible.

I call it agony.

Camryn Rose. She was a girl. I don’t think I had even publicly announced that yet on Tumblr. Only a select few knew that detail. Only a select few knew I was experiencing complications. To those few, I am eternally grateful for your positivity and being there when I needed you. Especially @randomgirlusername. You were definitely my virtual rock when I needed to be completely honest with where my head was as we were playing that torturous waiting game, and in the weeks since.

To others, I need to tell my story. I know I don’t owe it to anyone, and I have a right to keep it private, but writing it out has been cathartic, and I want you all who have been so supportive and encouraging to know.

So, here’s my story.

WARNING: This story contains frank, graphic descriptions of a second trimester miscarriage. I can’t sugarcoat any of the details. If you’re at all squeamish, this may be hard for you to read. Proceed at your own risk.

On Thursday (April 11), I stayed home from work because I was feeling a bit off. But I’d been having trouble sleeping because of my asthma and allergies (both made worse by the pregnancy), so I figured I just needed a day or two to rest and catch up on my sleep. The morning was pretty smooth, just some mild discomfort that wasn’t usual for me. Mostly lower back pain that I typically attribute to the weight of my chest. I’ve felt that pain since my teenage years, so it wasn’t unusual.

Claire was still home. She’d cancelled her late morning office hours, but was still planning on heading to work for her two afternoon classes. We’d planned on ordering Chinese food for lunch and watching Lost Girl on Netflix.

Around noon, I began feeling a bit worse. My lower back pain had morphed into what felt very similar to bad period cramps. When I went to pee, there was spotting. Spotting during pregnancy isn’t unusual, but combined with the lower abdominal cramps that were continuing to worsen, we made the decision to call my OB and see about getting a same-day appointment to get everything checked out. The receptionist told us to hold for a moment, then she was back on the line in two minutes and told us to go straight to the emergency room as quick as we could. Claire drove like a mad woman and got us there in under fifteen minutes.

I was admitted fairly quickly and they did a pelvic exam where it was discovered that my cervix was extremely short. An incompetent cervix is the technical term. A normal cervix length at 17.5 weeks is about 3.5cm, but it can vary for each pregnancy. Anything less than 2.2cm is considered in the danger zone. My cervix was 1.1cm upon admittance. Essentially, my body was preparing for labor. I was only 17 weeks and 4 days. The earliest viability for a fetus is 22 weeks, and survival rates at that point are still incredibly low. There was zero chance she’d make it if they didn’t stop it.

I was given IV medication to try and stop active labor, but it didn’t work and by the following morning, my cervix was 0.8cm long. The next step was a cervical cerclage, which is a procedure where they literally sew your cervix shut with a thick suture. It sounds painful because it is. I was given an epidural to numb me, but when that wore off, I was in so much pain that I passed out from it a few times. I could only receive so much pain medication to help because of the baby. But it was worth it, all the pain and agony was worth it, to save our baby.

But it didn’t work. I developed a pretty nasty infection quickly (expected with this procedure) and it was being resistant to antibiotics. And then, at just past noon on April 13, 2019, my body gave up and my water broke. The force of it ripped the stitch from my cervix, and it felt like a red hot poker was being pushed out of my vagina. I’ve never felt anything more painful in my entire life. Physically, at least. What happened next was easily the single most painful experience, physical or emotional, I’ve ever had to endure.

There was nothing more to do to stop my body from labor. They gave me another epidural to numb me, then they delivered sweet little Camryn Rose. She was so tiny; I didn’t even have to push. She was already crowning. She weighed just over 6.5 ounces and was only 5.4 inches long. I held her as I cried. As Claire cried with me.

In all the years I’ve known Claire, I’ve only seen her cry from sadness two other times. Once was when her mother died last summer, the other when the grad student she was mentoring died in a horrific car accident several years ago. It seems death is the common denominator here. Claire is a solitary crier. I know she’s had more moments than I’ve been privy to than just what I’ve seen. It’s not that she doesn’t want me to see her break down. Or, well, that’s exactly what it is, actually. She’s stoic and a protector. She feels the need to be my rock, so she has to always be strong.

But she was crying freely as she held me the entire time, uncaring that all the medical personnel could see her. That my mom could see her. (My mother had flown out as soon as I’d been admitted to the hospital the day before.) She didn’t care, and for that I am grateful. I needed her to be vulnerable in that moment, just as she needed herself to be vulnerable.

My heart hurts for the loss of our baby, but it hurts even more for the pain it causes my incredible wife. She’s been through so much and I just don’t understand how she can keep going after all of it. But she does, and for that I am so utterly grateful and in complete awe.

Camryn Rose. We decided on the name as I held her. “We should pick a name.” Claire spoke those words as she brushed a finger across our daughter’s paper-thin cheek. We’d discussed a few names, but Camryn really stuck out in that moment. She felt like a Camryn. And Rose in honor of Mama Rocío, Claire’s mother’s, memory.

After we said our goodbyes, I had to be taken to the OR for a cervical repair. It’s as nasty as it sounds. They stitched my cervix back into place, but only after they had to perform a D&C (where they remove the placenta). I was thankfully still numb from the epidural, but after that wore off, it was more pain.

The physical pain, as bad as it was, was nothing compared to the emotional pain I felt. The emotional pain I still feel, and will for a long, long time.

I can’t become pregnant again. There was too much damage to my cervix. I’d never be able to carry a baby to term, no matter how much precaution was taken. That’s something I have to make peace with, but that’s also going to take a long, long time.

The mental trauma of this miscarriage has left me raw and sensitive. The smallest thing can set me off into a sobbing mess. The thing that gets me most right now? Mirrors. Yes, mirrors. Or photographs of myself. Because, even 3+ weeks later, I still look pregnant. The body doesn’t magically morph back to its pre-pregnancy state after miscarriage. I still have the rounded belly (not quite as much now, but still there) and puffy cheeks. That will take a while to go away. So for now, mirrors/pictures of myself are the sworn enemy.

Claire is incredible. She’s grieving as much as I am, yet she’s been my rock this entire time. Her and my mother. And my dog. Sasha the GSD has not left my side since I returned home from the hospital. Dogs are incredible, and we don’t deserve them.

Therapy has been a godsend. I’m nowhere near okay or ‘back to normal,’ but I can function day-to-day, and that’s a huge improvement for me compared to two weeks ago. It seems like it’s been so much longer than just over two weeks. It seems like it’s been a lifetime. Getting through the next days, weeks, months, years… seems impossible at times.

My saving grace is my support system. In particular, five people. Claire, my mom, Sarah, my therapist, and @randomgirlusername (seriously, y’all, if you didn’t know how incredible she is, take my word for it--she’s been a literal life-saver and I cannot thank her enough). I have my bad days and I have my good days. All days are emotionally trying, but some are less painful than others. Those good days are all because of this support system that I have.

And on the bad days, my support system knows exactly how to help me cope. And for them, I’m eternally grateful. I don’t know where I’d be, mentally, without them.

I’m okay. Or, I will be, at least. Even though this is the most difficult thing I’ve ever gone through, I have the support system to get through it. And because of that, I know I’ll be okay. I know there will be hard days and not-so-hard days. I know it won’t be all rainbows and sunshine, but it also won’t be all stormy weather. I remind myself in those bad times that it won’t remain like this. I will feel joy and happiness again.

It will just take time to heal, physically and emotionally.

Someone Save Felicity Megan Smoak-Queen

I’m kinda speechless right now at the utter incompetency of the Arrow writers room but let’s give it a shot.  EPISODE 7X21 SPOILERS>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Season 8 is increasingly seeming like a very bad idea since the writers are clearly out of fresh ideas already.  Only two episodes left with their leading lady and the Arrow writers focus on Oliver hallucinating a long-dead Tommy Merlyn.  I’m in the same boat that I was last week with Roy; I like Tommy but now is not the time.  There is a huge problem when the emotional crux of the episode is between Oliver and Tommy rather than Oliver and Felicity because Oliver is spending more time having in-depth conversations with a character who isn’t even on the show than he is with his pregnant wife.  

Especially given the topic of conversation.  After weeks of trying to ‘redeem’ Emiko by giving her the benefit of the doubt because she’s ‘family,’ Oliver has finally decided that she must be stopped, no matter what.  Hallucination Tommy wants to counterpoint, telling Oliver that killing Emiko makes Oliver just like his father and is only ensuring that the cycle of violence will continue.  

Here’s where I am with that:  #1  Oliver Queen is not Robert Queen!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Let me copy and paste from my review last week:   Robert is dead.  Oliver can’t change the past or what Robert did.  Oliver isn’t responsible for his father’s actions.  Oliver didn’t even know Emiko existed and since he found out, all he’s done is try to be a good brother to her.  Oliver proved he had nothing to do with her mother’s death and figured out who did for her.

#2  Oliver Queen is a non-super-powered, not-a-metahuman vigilante with badass archery skills and a big heart.  Sometimes in the field when facing a baddie, it is kill or be killed.  If the choice is between the bad guy or Oliver getting to live, I’m picking Oliver every day of the week and twice on Sunday without a second thought and zero remorse.  #sorrynotsorry

#3.  Oliver has changed and grown from the man who let the hood consume him and his need for vengeance in season 1.  Oliver has accounted for his mistakes, atoned for his sins, admitted his moral failings, tried to make a difference in the light, and served his penance at Slabside.  Oliver is already a hero, whether the city chooses to acknowledge that or not.  He shouldn’t have to die, or sacrifice 20 years with his family, or try to redeem someone who is going to harm an entire city for the 5,468,439 time, to prove himself a true hero.

#4  The flash-forwards have shown us that the cycle of violence continues in spite of Oliver, not because of him.  Star City has fallen into ruin in the absence of Oliver Queen.  The cycle of violence is perpetuated by the bad guys, NOT Oliver.  If Oliver Queen had his way, Star City would be an uncorrupted, safe and peaceful place to live and Oliver would be a stay-at-home dad raising William, Mia, Lucas, 5 rescue puppies, a stray cat, and two hamsters named Frick and Frack while Felicity runs her company and creates innovative and affordable tech to help the masses and make the world a better place in general.

Speaking of the flash-forwards, the writers are also wasting a lot of time with present-day peril because we already know these characters are alive in the future so there is absolutely no suspense or emotional investment.  The only time I freaked out was over Dig and then 5 seconds later, I remembered that he is alive in the future even though we haven’t seen him yet.  5 seconds after that, it turns out Dig wasn’t injured at all and it was just another part of Oliver’s dream.

Same Oliver.  That was me watching this episode.  In part because the flash-forwards continue to be inconsistent, this week with Felicity and William.  Cause plot, William is now mad at Felicity again for abandoning him.  Listen kiddo, you said you wanted a normal life and you chose to go live with your grandparents.  Mia may have been raised by Felicity but she didn’t get a ‘normal’ life.  They lived in isolation as Felicity did the best she could.  This is the woman who took on a psychopath with nothing but a fireplace poker to give you the chance to run. She would have gladly taken a bullet for you.  Can she get a break already?

Also, to the shock of no one, we find out that Alena sold Archer to Galaxy One.  The real shocker would have been if they actually let Felicity have a real friend.  

The best part of the episode was Felicity outsmarting the Keystone Kops SCPD when they tried to arrest her.  We been knew they are useless but it worked in our favor this time.  Felicity and Alena escape to the bunker so they can help the team find Oliver.  Things are going okay until Emiko shows up at the bunker (do they even have any type of security anymore or nah?) and shoots an arrow at Felicity.  Felicity pleads with Emiko not to kill her because she’s pregnant.  Uh, Felicity, I love you with the force of a thousand suns, but why tf would you share that information with the evil bitch who just dropped a whole ass building on your husband?  Do you really think Emiko cares about your child, other than to use it as a means to hurt you or Oliver?  

Whatevs, Emiko left and went back to the demolished building.   She and Oliver must have passed each other on the street because Oliver and the team come back to the bunker and we got an awkward Olicity reunion where they literally seemed to stop short of each other while asking if the other is okay.  Emily at least tries to infuse some emotion into the scene with tentative touches and by touching her belly when Oliver almost asks about the baby.  Both of them almost died and there was no hug, no kiss, and not a lot of emotion.  Not sure if SA used up all his emotional reserves in the scenes with CD or if it was a director’s choice or the writing or a combination of all three but it once again showed that the heart of this show is already gone.  Even with an injured arm, Oliver can and should still hug his wife.  

Injuries have never gotten in the way of hugs before.....

And I miss this Olicity more than words can say.  Oliver and company went back to the building to face off with Emiko but Oliver let her go so they could continue to focus on everything except the dynamics that matter most next week too. For Emily’s final episode, she wasn’t shown in the promo at all.  Obviously I know she will have scenes next week but I don’t see how they will have enough time to do her story line justice and have any type of emotionally satisfying ending.

I hope I’m wrong.  Felicity Megan Smoak Queen changed the course of this show seven years ago and she deserves to go out on a high note.

Thanks to all the amazing gifmakers. :)  Felicity/Dig gif credit to fanforum.com; Oliver / Thea gif credit to fangirlish.com; Felicity confused gif credit to tenor.com.

&&. word has it ( damien olivier ) was just spotted around the city. ( he ) is a ( 36 ) year old affiliated with ( the corsican mafia ). it’s been said that ( he ) resembles ( tom ellis ). ( he ) has been said to be ( observant & genteel ) but also quite ( devious & vindictive ). ( he ) is currently serving as ( parrain of the corsican mafia ).

( damien ) would describe ( himself ) as a ( summer ) person and would identify as a ( estj-a ). ( his ) birthday is ( june 27th, 1982 ), making ( his ) star sign ( cancer ) and ( his ) celtic animal sign the ( wren ). ( his ) biggest pet peeve is ( incompetence ), and ( his ) theme song is ( emperor’s new clothes by panic! at the disco ). finally, ( his ) primary goal is to ( keep the corsican mafia riding high while enjoying its profits ).

Fox comin’ atchu again with babe #2 and our very own Big Bleu Cheese himself, the Corsican Godfather Damien. Here’s what you need to know about my wonderful baguette. TW for mentions of torture (no descriptions).

Full Bio

Fact File

Relationships

SUMMARY

Born in Paris, France, and raised in his earliest years in England. His father Maximilien was the Parrain (godfather) of a branch of the Corsican Mafia. A subordinate within his crime family tried to extort several million Euros from him, threatening him, his wife, and newborn son with death if Max refused. Max and his wife Anne-Marie immediately fled to England for safety, living in London for over a year. However, the man demanding Max’s money tracked them down and killed Anne-Marie as a warning to Max. Damien witnessed his mother’s death, which left him deeply scarred emotionally in ways he has never recovered from.

Max tracked down and killed the man responsible for his wife’s murder and moved himself and Damien to an estate in the English countryside where they would be better protected from anyone else who might harm them. Rather than shelter Damien, he explained the whole story in ways a 5-year-old would understand, because he believed it was wrong to keep secrets from family. Damien’s response: “Will you teach me how to kill them?” Them being people who wanted to harm his family.

Damien received a small Beretta for his 6th birthday and began learning to shoot it and protect himself. His father became increasingly absent as he oversaw his growing crime family’s business, leaving Damien to be raised by au pairs and bodyguards. As he got older, he developed a knack for learning secrets and extracting information, and in turn learned his father’s true profession. At 14, he asked his father to start training him to be the next Parrain, and Max agreed. He moved the family back to Paris, their true home, and Damien finished his education there all the way through university.

He became an art dealer and curator, respected by the Parisian art scene and feared by Le Milieu, the French criminal underworld. His gift for trading in secrets and art theft/counterfeiting earned him the nickname Le Chapardeur, meaning “the magpie/thief”. Now an adult, be began using his skills and his standing in the mafia to follow up on his hunch that more than one person had profited from his mother’s death and his father’s consolidation of power. Damien uncovered a network of enemies and traitors within the family who had provoked the attack and reaped the benefits, and one by one killed them all. The worst traitors, he made confess to his father directly before ending their lives in horrific ways.

At this point, Max began to worry that his son was out of control, as Damien became a scourge within Le Milieu, killing anyone he pleased in some sort of attempt to satisfy his still-burning anger. This nearly cost Damien his life when a rival mob got sick of losing its members to him and put out a hit. He was saved by Izidora Szarka, a low-level soldier to his father who happened to be in the right place at the right time. This incident made him realize he needed to control his inner demons and rage better, and made Maximilien realize he’d been so neglectful that he’d let his son turn into a monster right before his eyes.

Max assigned Izidora to be Damien’s new bodyguard and started trying to cut Damien out of the family. It was for Damien’s own good, he reasoned—better to force Damien out than potentially lose his only child and last connection to his beloved wife. But Damien had no intention of going anywhere, and his father’s decision to force him out caused a lot of turmoil between them and within the family.

Neither of them knew that Izidora was in fact an undercover INTERPOL agent assigned to the Olivier crime family. Nor that she had been deep undercover for so long that she’d started questioning her loyalty to INTERPOL and the rule of law. She actually cared about Damien, about Max, and about the family. And she was getting a taste for the criminal lifestyle she was forced to lead as her cover. When she found out Max was going to force Damien out, she saw years of hard work, blood, sweat, tears, and guilt about to come crashing down around her. In a panic, she killed Maximilien and covered it up, pinning the blame on a rival mob.

This caused even more unrest within the family, but Damien stepped in quickly as the new Parrain and restored order. As troubled as he was by his father’s sudden death, he knew it was his time to rule and steer the Corsican mafia in new, exciting directions. He began planning the family’s move to NYC, discreetly buying property, sending people over to establish their territory, and masterminding a massive heist which would secure their fortunes for good. Six months ago, he finally moved himself, the remainder of the family, and millions of dollars worth of diamonds to New York. And the rest is history.

So that’s Damien! Hmu for plots and such <3

I've seen you post a lot about the tangled series, so what about the fandom thing for that? If you want

Oh, I totally want to! (I actually reblogged that ask meme with hopes that someone would send me Tangled! So thank you! :D)

NOTE:  THIS IS NOT SPOILER FREE!  LOOK AWAY IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED THE SERIES YET!

THE FIRST CHARACTER I EVER FELL IN LOVE WITH: Eugene Fitzherbert.  I didn’t see Tangled until about 2 years after it came out, but watching scenes of Eugene is what really convinced me to watch it.

A CHARACTER THAT I USED TO LOVE/LIKE, BUT NOW DO NOT: Uhhhh… I don’t think I really have one.  My opinions may have changed on some characters but none to point of switching how I feel about them emotionally.

A SHIP THAT I USED TO LOVE/LIKE, BUT NOW DO NOT: N/A

MY ULTIMATE FAVORITE CHARACTER™: Eugene Fitzherbert!  He is the BEST Disney Prince (Name another Disney Prince that actually DIED for his respective Princess. I’ll wait), and single-handedly dethroned Prince Philip from his throne as my fave Disney Prince.

PRETTIEST CHARACTER: Rapunzel.  (Eugene is more of a beautifully handsome) 

MY MOST HATED CHARACTER: Mother Gothel.  Everything that comes out of her abusive mouth makes me so freaking mad.

MY OTP: NEW DREAM (BEST Disney couple ever)

MY NOTP: Anything that involves Eugene and Rapunzel not being with each other.

FAVORITE EPISODE: “Destinies Collide”  That episode was so intense and so much awesome stuff happened! It was amazing!

SADDEST DEATH: Eugene’s death in the movie still makes me cry even though I’ve seen it more times than I can count at this point.  Even just listening to the corresponding song on the soundtrack will get me going.

FAVORITE SEASON: Season 2 really upped the game for me and I’ve been enjoying it so much.  

LEAST FAVORITE SEASON: N/A  (ALL the current seasons are amazing)

CHARACTER THAT EVERYONE ELSE IN THE FANDOM LOVES, BUT I HATE: Don’t murder me Tangled fandom, but Varian just frustrates me.  A LOT!  Like, his unsafe scientific practices, his inability to consider the consequences of his actions, and refusal to take responsibility for his actions when things inevitably backfire due to his own incompetence or lack of patience drives me up the fucking wall!  I’ve had to deal with so many people like him in real life that it takes everything in me not to scream at him for being such a dumbass while watching episodes with him.  I appreciate him for what he does within the series, but his character flaws hit a little too close to home for me to find him enjoyable or want to do much with him in my own fan works. (But who knows maybe he’ll get the redemption arc in season 3 that everyone is hoping for and will change my mind.)

MY ‘YOU’RE PIECE OF TRASH, BUT YOU’RE STILL A FAVE’ FAVE: idk if any of the characters I actually like even qualify as trash… so N/A

MY ‘BEAUTIFUL CINNAMON ROLL WHO DESERVES BETTER THAN THIS’ FAVE: King Edmund!  Poor guy lost his wife, made a tough as Hell call to try to save his kingdom’s citizens at the cost of being able to raise his son, spent 25 long years all by himself in a giant castle with only some birds and the magic opal that caused the whole mess for company, and then when his son finally returns, Eugene just thinks of him as crazy and hardly wants anything to do with him!  Please season 3 just let this man  be happy!

MY ‘THIS SHIP IS WRONG, NASTY, AND MAKES ME WANT TO CLEANSE MY SOUL, BUT I STILL LOVE IT’ SHIP: N/A  I really only ship New Dream.

MY ‘THEY’RE KIND OF CUTE, AND I LOWKEY SHIP THEM, BUT I’M NOT TOO INVESTED’ SHIP:  Lance’s one-sided crush on Adira is kinda cute, but I hope it only is ever one-sided, cause them actually getting together would be kind creepy since Adira is probably close to TWICE Lance’s age.  Like, I don’t mind a big age gap in my ships, but unless it involves different species and bizarre lifespans, i usually have a cut-off of 15 years, and pairing someone with a character who is old enough to be their PARENT is a for sure “Hell No” from me.  So, it’s cute as a one-sided crush on Lance’s side, but it’s not something I ever want to be canon.

Incredibles 2 Review

I absolutely loved Incredibles 2! It's a great time at the movies and definitely worth the 14-year wait. I was initially skeptical of it picking up seconds after the original, but I think the story threads here—particularly Jack-Jack's (Eli Fucile, Nick Bird) development and the Anti-Super laws—needed to be dealt with onscreen rather than off.  I liked that they reversed the structure of the first movie and had Helen (Holly Hunter) go off on the adventures while Bob (Craig T. Nelson) stayed at home to watch the kids. Even better, this switch was rooted in statistical facts that Elastigirl was the most effective and efficient hero between herself, Bob, and Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson). Since so much of her Elastigirl persona was left in the past in the original movie because she’d moved on in life while Bob hadn’t really, showing Helen truly loving her work and being great at it was a perfect moment that let us see a whole new side to her. Seeing Helen so overjoyed at getting to be a hero again—and being great at it, with no collateral casualties—was excellent! It was also nice to see that she had detective skills; a good contrast to Bob smashing his way through problems (and which have probably have helped her deduce what her kids are up to over the years!). That her heroic competence was truly valued outside her family circle and by the people who wanted to use her to push their politics Bob Odenkirk, Catherine Keener) was a genuine and welcome surprise; I'd love to see more female heroes respected and revered the way Elastigirl is here. Bob playing Mr. Mom was a lot of fun, even if I’m more than ready for a competent parenting duo instead of the always-effective mom and the cliché overwhelmed dad. That said, Bob’s battle with Dash's (Huck Milner) new math, Violet's (Sarah Vowell) teenage angst, and Jack-Jack's terrible toddling was extremely relatable and a great change from the superhero midlife crisis we saw in the original. I enjoyed Bob’s playful ego about being the better hero in his marriage and loved that it was balanced by genuinely caring that Helen had the space to do what she needed to do. That sort of loving/selfish balance is an extremely difficult line to walk but the writing and acting totally pull it off without making him unlikable (and it's not even hinted or implied that Helen is in any way selfish either). It was especially sweet of Bob not to tell Helen what was going on with the family not because he didn't want to come off as incompetent, but because he knew she'd stop her mission. Yes, he benefits from her completing it, but I fully believe that he also wants the better future for his kids that Helen can secure. I would've liked to see more of Dash and Violet in general, and particularly their school lives. Dash has homework trouble and Tony (Michael Bird), the boy Violet made a date with, forgets her (a cool example of superhero lives wreaking havoc on civilian ones as well as the law affecting the Parrs in an unexpected way), but the Anti-Super laws would've been stronger if we'd seen the kids’ lack of choice Bob talks about. Violet wanting to be normal and Dash being "defined as a person" by heroism does play out that choice, but we don't really get to see consequences of the laws in terms of impacts on the kids. Does having to come in second place in track rankle Dash? And if he's defined by being a hero, how does he feel about having to hide at school?  Is anyone suspicious of his speed? Does Dash have to fight to control himself when confronted by bullies that openly hate Supers? By teachers who preach that Supers are bad and should be illegal? Playing up the questionable aspects of the first movie's ending—is he cheating by using his speed, even for second place? How is not living up to his potential affecting his development?—would've built up a lot more pressure on the need to make Supers legal again. Violet hating being a Super made her a good proponent for not being legalized, though I would’ve liked more of that as well. How much of her tragic love life is really angst about not being able to be herself? Maybe she could’ve gotten involved with a student organization to keep Supers illegal, pitting her against her mom’s efforts. What if she discovered another Super kid at school and was forced to choose between outing them or letting them stay hidden? Might she find that pretending to be normal at school is simply boring or stifling her in ways she doesn’t want to admit? That said, I loved what we did get from Dash and Violet and absolutely dug Jack-Jack's awakening powers! The idea that Super babies often have multiple abilities is a very cool metaphor for kids having unlimited potential and it also made for a lot of fun, varied action scenes. His battle with a raccoon was highly entertaining and his unexpected bond with Edna Mode (Brad Bird) was a brilliant twist! Edna discovering a role as a loving aunt was as hilarious as it was heartwarming and a great way to reveal a new dimension of her character. Frozone is always a welcome addition and it was great to see more of him here, both as a "rebel" with Bob and Helen trying to get the Anti-Super law reversed, as a protective uncle to the Parr kids, and finally a hypnotized enemy. I’d like to finally meet his wife Honey (Kimberly Adair Clark) though. It's beyond time she was more than just a nagging influence taking the joy out of his superheroics (though I like that she knows her worth!). I really hope she’s also a retired Super so we can see what the two of them are like outside of their home. Or, it would’ve been easy to make her a Lois Lane-type figure, so she could cover Helen’s return to prominence and at least get a moment of bonding with her. Either of those options would be great and I’d like to see their relationship explored somewhere. I knew who Screenslaver (Bill Wise) was almost immediately, but that didn’t lessen my love for this character at all. The hypnotism was a spooky and old-fashioned angle that felt totally fresh and fit the retro-futurist world of The Incredibles perfectly! Screenslaver also managed to comment on modern concerns about social media obsession, which was a nice bit of relatability (just like Bob and Dash's struggle with new math) while remaining rooted in the films’ era, when TVs were the hip new thing everyone was obsessed with. Screenslaver was a creepy, cool villain who topped Syndrome for me. I just wish his argument—that people were getting lazy and becoming too dependent on Supers—was more explored with examples of people being "less" because of superheroes (beyond hearing about a death caused by waiting on one). Maybe Screenslaver should’ve been saved for a movie set after the law against Supers was lifted, but slightly clearer examples of his point here would’ve worked just as well. I feel like his argument would be stronger if we got to see Supers making things too easy or if more people were put in peril because they waited for Supers to fix their problems instead of the big argument against heroes being the collateral damage their fights cause. That said, I absolutely loved this villain and would definitely be down for a Screenslaver return! Underminer (John Ratzenberger) was also a cool, second-tier villain that felt like a classic comic book bad guy. He's clearly patterned off of Mole Man, but that didn't matter to me; it was kinda refreshing (and appropriately old-school, given these movies’ time period) to see a villain who just wanted to rob banks. He also provided a good way to reintroduce the family's heroic dynamic and to showcase Bob and Helen's different fighting styles while complicating their lives further, building off the end of the first movie brilliantly. I liked that it became a strike against the heroes that he was forgotten in the scramble to stop his drills and that he actually got away. The new Supers that were introduced didn't make the biggest impression, but I preferred this to more focus on a bunch of random new people who would take screentime from the Parrs. I did like Voyd (Sophia Bush) a lot; her fangirl attitude toward Elastigirl was fun and she was a nice answer to Syndrome's toxic fandom. I hope she returns in a sequel! Krushauer (Phil LaMarr) was a solid threat and got some good and funny lines in, while Screech playing up his full animalistic nature was creepy and something I hope Daredevil does with Owl Jr. These wannabe Supers did bring a variety of challenges to the final battle, so as secondary adversaries go, they worked perfectly. All the fight scenes contained very clever uses of everyone’s powers and were choreographed with an insane amount of fun and imagination! The numerous powers on display also made for battles that were never uninteresting. Even Bob's Incredibile got a nice showcase here as a display of the retro tech in this universe. I love the design of this world in general, but classic spy and superhero aesthetics like that are my favorite parts; I wish more superhero franchises would embrace stylized elements like this to carve out their own identities. Speaking of classic aesthetics, I loved that Bob, Helen, and Lucius had their own old-timey superhero theme songs! Michael Giacchino’s music was great as always, but those themes were great surprises! Brad Bird's direction was crisp and the writing emotionally resonate, bringing the heart of the first movie back at full force.  I can't wait to see what comes next from this world! I hope we don't have to wait another 14 years for Incredibles 3 (and I didn't need the apology/”trust us the wait was worth it” video that played at the beginning of this one; it only made us wait longer!), but I definitely want to see more adventures in this universe. Now that Supers are allowed again, I’d love for the next movie to introduce Dash and Violet's trouble-making cousins as wannabe supervillain bad influences. Cousins would bring aunts and uncles who have differing parenting styles from Bob and Helen, as well as Bob and Helen’s in-laws, who have their own opinions on how to “correctly” be heroes as well as parents. I'm thinking Christmas Vacation with superheroes, but whatever the next film is, I'll be in line to see it! While we wait, you should see Incredibles 2! It's among Pixar's best and definitely worth seeing on the big screen!

Check out more of my reviews, opinions, and original short stories here!

The Code of the Woosters

The 23 episodes of “Jeeves and Wooster”, a British TV series starring Stephen Fry as Jeeves and a young Hugh Laurie as Bertie Wooster that ran from 1990 to 1993, are now available via YouTube. If you don’t know who Jeeves and Bertie are, you probably won’t enjoy the series. If you do know, you’re almost sure to have quibbles.

Jeeves, indispensable personal manservant, and his employer, mentally negligible man about town Bertie Wooster, were the supreme creations of P. G. Wodehouse (pronounced “Woodhouse”), the most gifted (to my mind) author of light fiction who ever lived. George Orwell, who wrote an intelligent though ultimately too generous discussion of Wodehouse, explained to ignorant Americans that Bertie was a pre-World War I Edwardian “knut”, a languid, yet somehow charming fellow whose general incompetence somehow makes it appropriate that he should have more money than he can spend.

The fact that a lot of Bertie Woosters got slaughtered in the trenches of World War I somehow did not decrease the market for Wodehouse’s fiction. Wodehouse, who always looked rather determinedly on the bright side of life, at least in public, shrewdly guessed that a lot of people would prefer to pretend that the Great War never happened, and so made the world of the knut even more extravagantly self-indulgent and unreal than it had been in the balmy days when King Edward was still alive,1 creating a world of young men in spats, white flannels and cucumber sandwiches, smart flats and country homes, heiresses and French maids, all of them pure as the driven snow—for Wodehouse’s world is as innocent as the real one is wicked.

What makes Wodehouse worth reading is the wonderful dexterity of both his language and his plots—“musical comedy without the music,” he liked to call it, although few musicals could match the twists and turns of his absurdist plots where everything is first turned upside down—very often due to Bertie’s blundering—and then flipped rightside up again thanks to Jeeves’ brilliance.2 Wodehouse drew heavily on the tradition of Gilbert and Sullivan for both his plots and language, translating them onto the written page. He had a wonderful ability to mix the clichés of formal and colloquial English—ponderous “Establishment English” and English “public school”3 slang, in particular—turning them inside out or leaving them rightside in while placing them in incongruous surroundings, shifting constantly from outrageous overstatement to similarly outrageous understatement within a single sentence.4

When I first saw the Jeeves and Wooster episodes I was disappointed that every line of Wodehouse’s superb verbal stunting wasn’t faithfully replicated on the screen—absurd, no doubt, but, as Bertie would say, there it is. After almost thirty years to collect my thoughts, I find that, so far, my original judgment was a bit harsh. Stephen Fry makes an excellent Jeeves, though there’s often an ironic tone to his supposedly respectful responses to Bertie’s inanities—as though Fry feels the need to let us know that Jeeves knows how stupid Bertie is—which strikes me as lazy and self-indulgent. The real Jeeves, one feels, would be above the need to signal his superiority.

Laurie’s Bertie Wooster is more of a mixed bag. In the first scenes of the first episode, Laurie engages in some horrible mugging, intended to let us know that Bertie’s suffering from a hangover, but if the plot didn’t make that clear, we’d never have guessed. Eventually. Laurie improves, and physically he makes an excellent Wooster, his tall, spindly, eccentric frame making even the most elegant outfit look somewhat ridiculous, and thus serving to ridicule rather than distinguish its wearer.

The trappings of twenties and thirties elegance are very well done, but the Brits, of course, never tire of this. British studios must have roundhouses of puffing locomotives, garages bursting with antique sports cars, taxis, and limos, not to mention immaculately maintained country homes and smart flats. The theme music, a sort of palm court jazz, if that isn’t too rude a term, is quite catchy as well.

The attempts to “open up” Wodehouse’s world are another matter, and an area where devotees are likely to quibble. The series takes us inside Bertie’s “Drones Club,” but the members are depicted as emotionally stunted six-year-olds, while I always envisioned them as emotionally stunted thirteen-year-olds. I ended up bailing on the series back in the nineties for its lack of “respect” for Wodehouse, but if I persevere through the whole thing this time around I may be more forgiving.

Afterwords In the “real” twenties, knuts were better known as upper-class twits or “Bright Young Things.” The current British series The Windsors does a better job taking down the modern-day upper-class twit, because The Windsors deals with shagging and snorting as well as cigarettes and liquor, which are the only sins permitted in Jeeves and Wooster, though The Windsors still keeps it light. For a grimmer touch, you can find a TV adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s Decline and Fall, in which all the Bright Young Things are damned to Hell—or at least would be if Evelyn had his way. Variations on these themes can also be found on the once legendary Upstairs Downstairs series, which you can get on Amazon, if not elsewhere, as well as the execrable Downton Abbey—execrable if not indeed damnable—which I ridiculed both here and here.

Back in his heyday, between the two big wars, Wodehouse was the beloved pet of virtually every English writer, from Orwell on the left to T. S. Eliot (officially an American, of course,5) on the right, first because he was so funny and second because he offered no competition to them, despite writing of a world that they all knew never existed.6 The Wodehouse cult endured a great crisis in the early days of World War II when Wodehouse and his wife, enjoying an extended vacation in France, managed to get themselves captured by the German army. They were interned as enemy civilians, and Wodehouse agreed to make a few radio broadcasts for the Germans, in which he explained that his hosts, once you got to know them, proved to be rather jolly chaps in the whole. This naturally enraged the British population, who regarded Wodehouse as nothing less than a traitor.

The intelligentsia can always love an outcast—some more than others, of course—and Wodehouse admirers like Orwell rallied round in an excessive manner, rushing to “explain” that Wodehouse was a political naïf who knew not what he did. I think one can wonder about that. Wodehouse was quite a wealthy man—rarely the mark of a naïf in the first place—and many wealthy people on the eve of World War II feared that a “long war” would inevitably lead to crushing taxation and endless governmental regulation of every aspect of society no matter who “won”. Better to have the whole thing settled and done with, so that, hopefully, we could somehow find our way back to “normality”. Far more illustrious men than Wodehouse—Picasso, Matisse, and Andrè Gide, for example—were willing to make their peace with the Nazis. One must learn to accept that which one cannot change, after all.

Edward VII, who reigned from 1901 until 1911, was the figurehead monarch of a society that was moving rapidly towards civil war (over the question of “Home Rule” for Ireland) when an even greater external crisis intervened. Great Britain, as it then was generally called, was spared a civil war at the expense of about 600,000 dead and an equal number of wounded. On the one hand, there was almost nothing that Edward could do to prevent the smashup. On the other, there was almost nothing he did do to prevent the smashup. ↩︎

Eighteenth century literature featured many plots where, as Orwell (again) put it, the elements fit together like the teeth of a zipper, but the real classic that prefigures Wodehouse is Beaumarchais’ Marriage of Figaro, far better known in the U.S. via Mozart’s opera. Wodehouse no doubt got the idea from Gilbert and Sullivan rather than the “original”. ↩︎

English “public schools” are what we would call private schools. Wodehouse was immensely happy at his school—confusingly known as “Dulwich College”. It isn’t hard to guess from his work that he found the idea of an all-male society revolving largely around sports and adolescent hijinks immensely appealing. ↩︎

Wodehouse came from a seriously “colonial” family, and according to Wikipedia was raised for the first two years of his life by a Chinese nurse. I’ve read (somewhere) that the historian Edward Gibbon was cared for in his first years by a French nurse, and William F. Buckley was initially raised by a Spanish one. Not being exposed to your “native language” from birth can perhaps lead certain spirits to experience language as “naturally” artificial. ↩︎

Wherever he went, Eliot liked thinking of himself as a “metic” (Greek for “resident alien”)—St. Augustine’s notion of the proper role of a Christian while here on earth. I once read an interesting biography of Eliot that collected the opening remarks of addresses he gave, largely in the U.S. and the U.K., in which he would politely but firmly explain to his audience that he was not one of them. ↩︎

Not every writer adored Wodehouse. It’s typical of writers, regardless of background, to think of themselves as aristocrats and identify with the aristocracy, but some British writers, raised in the “Dissenting” tradition, hate everything about the whole country house fantasy. The fact that Wodehouse created a sort of “Disney version” made it no more palatable. ↩︎

Endgame ships

For the sake of further transparency, I’m going to tell you all what I expect for the endgame relationships of ASOIAF/GOT. These are not what I “ship,” specifically, these are what I think GRRM has planned for the series.

If you’ve followed my blog at all, you know I am a regular proponent and defender of Jaime/Brienne. It is known. This is THE big slow-burn ship of ASOIAF. It is the most emotionally resonant, politically significant romance in the series. It is the only endgame-viable relationship involving two POV characters. House Lannister has a future because Jaime loves Brienne and she loves him.

Right? That’s hardly news, coming from me.

Next up! SanSan. I don’t “like” this ship. I still think it’s happening. Granted, it’s been much better-foreshadowed in the books, while the show has let it go totally invisible since the end of Season 2. That doesn’t mean it’s not happening on the show. Just means D&D think it doesn’t call for much more development than it’s already had. Sandor is now headed for Winterfell, which is where Sansa is! Season 8 will see them reconnect.

Also! Arya/Gendry. Again, no mention of their connection since Season 3 on the show, but it’s still happening. Gendry’s headed to Winterfell! Arya will be happy to see him.

Sam/Gilly. Yep, the more I think about it, the more I think this is viable for the endgame. Sam can’t very well be held to his Night’s Watch vows if there is no Night’s Watch at the end, and Sam seems like one of the most likely survivors of the series. He’s already met the love of his life, she’s gone so far as to name her baby for him. They might as well make it work.

Edmure/Roslin. Not the most auspicious start to a marriage, but she seems to genuinely like him, and they already have a kid together, so, assuming Edmure survives, he can make it work with Roslin. I don’t think he’ll be especially powerful, but he can Roslin can still be together.

Davos...will hopefully get back to his wife? The show is basically acting like Lady Mariya doesn’t exist, but it hasn’t given him an alternate romantic interest, either, so I’ll assume his marriage is still viable. 

I don’t think any of the Three Heads of the Dragon will die, per se. I’m squishy on a ‘ship for Tyrion, but I think he should survive, I like to think he will survive, and he can work together with Jaime on cleaning up their father’s mess.

Jon/Dany is important for the short-term, but it’s not built to last. The realm has already suffered quite enough upheaval stemming from Targ inbreeding, thanks. A child and grandchild of Aerys II, having babies together? Seven Hells, no. 

I think Jon’s endgame will be that he basically becomes the new Night’s King, but his strategy is to keep the White Walkers contained in the True North where they can’t threaten humanity. It’s not really death, but it’s not life. It’s the logical conclusion for a good guy who’s already died once. If he were meant to die for real, he wouldn’t have had the fake-out death. If he were meant to have a normal life, he wouldn’t have needed to be resurrected. He gets the bittersweet, Frodo-type ending.

This is the part where y’all’re gonna think I’ve lost the plot, but here goes:

I think Dany will survive, and she will be the mother of at least one living, human child. She will not sit the Iron Throne. There will be no Iron Throne at the end; Dany will be Princess of Dorne. Dany’s child(ren) will not be Jon Snow’s issue; she’ll be married to Jorah Mormont. 

First I’ll explain: why Dorne?

I think Dany will survive, and her survival will be relevant to the endgame, but there will be no Iron Throne and if there is, Dany won’t be on it. 

Why not Dany as Queen of the Seven Kingdoms? Why not Dany married to Jon?

I am aware of GRRM noting that the interaction of Jon and Dany is basically the whole point of the series. I respect that, and I think the combination of Jon and Dany is necessary to save humanity from the Snow Zombies. He has NOT said the whole point of the series is to institute a restoration of the dangerously inbred Targaryen regime. He did NOT say the point is to vindicate the ravings of Dany’s vicious, paranoid, incompetent big brother. 

Another thing GRRM has shown us is that resurrection doesn’t let you just pick up where you left off. Coming back from death comes at a price. If Jon were meant to have a happily-ever-after with his pretty young aunt, he wouldn’t have been killed before he met her.

So! If Dany lives long enough to have a kid (and I think she will), but not with Jon (please no) and isn’t meant to sit the Iron Throne (nope), then what’s her long-term job? 

Dany is a leader in need of a position. Dorne is a province in need of a ruler. The Martells & Sand Snakes are burning themselves out trying to get their dragon. The attempt to arrange a Targ restoration and bring down the Lannisters gets them neither. In their determination to punish the family that wronged them, they end up destroying the rest of their own family, and they do not put a Targ in charge of the realm. Also, Dany is named after an earlier Targ princess who married into the Martells. The bittersweet part for Dany is that she ends up cleaning up the Martells’ mess.

Aaaaaand...that leaves Jorah Mormont. It’s like SanSan; I don’t “like” it, but I’m confident this is the story GRRM is telling. 

The reason why I think Jorah is the most viable endgame partner for Dany is basically this question: What exactly is Jorah doing in the story? We love to joke about him being perpetually stuck in the Friend Zone, but what is the narrative purpose of him spending such a long time in that place? 

Plenty of ink has already been spilled on Jorah being such a shithead. He had to get the heck outta Dodge because he sold men into slavery, and he doesn’t seem to think he did anything wrong aside from being caught, and he’s inappropriately interested in 14-year-old Dany because she resembles his ex-wife, and he’s such an entitled piece of shit with no redeeming qualities. 

Except...he’s been banished by Dany, and later captured by slavers. He sold men into slavery? Now he’s had the experience of being enslaved. He treated Dany inappropriately? Now she has all the power and he knows it. He’s building his life around getting another chance to serve her. 

Then maybe the answer is that Jorah’s role in the story is to show us the journey from entitled POS to repentant, humble servant. Maybe? He’s not a POV character, though. The journey from the guy who sold men into slavery to the guy who had to escape from slavery would be more effective if Jorah got to tell his story in his own words. Instead, we only see Jorah from Dany’s and Tyrion’s POVs. Through all his misadventures, he’s STILL dedicated to serving his dragon queen. 

The reason why he’s spending so much time in the Friend Zone (urgh) is that he will eventually get the girl he wants. His narrative purpose is to be there at the end when all of Dany’s other partners have died or disappointed her. Does that make him her last choice? It’s not like Dany wouldn’t still have plenty of options for marriage. Jorah’s the one who’s there for her for the long haul. He has to put a lot of work into being a good enough man to be in Dany’s life, and he keeps on shedding his sense of entitlement until he’s the one she wants after all. 

There’s a reason why, in Season 7, Jon gets that uneasy look when Dany embraces Jorah. There’s a reason why the camera made sure to focus on Jon’s uneasy look when Dany embraces Jorah. Jon can tell Dany feels some kind of way about Jorah, and that matters. For the same reason, it also matters when Jon bonds with Jorah during the wight hunt. They’re choosing to be allies rather than rivals. When Jorah advises Jon to pass Longclaw on to his children after him, the irony is that Jorah is the one who’ll have those children. 

Wrong Number 3: McPike

Leah’s wish to suddenly drop through the floor and disappear was not granted unfortunately, though the subject of her embarrassment tactfully did not stick around long. She was glad Jim was her lawyer and she hopefully wouldn’t have to see Pike again, for multiple reasons. After she briefly explained what happened to Kirk, the man sympathized.

“Man, Talk about bizarre luck! But, Chris won’t be an ass about it, I promise. He knows it was an accident and you were upset. Probably won’t bring it up again. He’s a good guy like that.”

“Is he?” Leah inquired. She had good reason to be skeptical about men. Everyone used to say Jack was a good guy, too, until he proved he wasn’t.

“Yeah,” Jim said decisively. “He genuinely likes helping people out. He did me, when I was down on my luck. Plus, he’s one of the most fun people I know. Don’t let the grey hair fool you. The dignified airs are just the professional cover.”

“I’ll have to take your word for it,” she sighed. “I’m glad he’s the understanding type. I could have dialed some total creep.”

The actual divorce case dragged on for weeks and left poor Leah exhausted emotionally and physically. If it wasn’t for her friend’s and Jimsupport, she would have snapped or had a nuclear meltdown. As it was, she struggled mightily.

One particularly hard day, she dragged herself home after work ready to collapse in a puddle of exhaustion and pain.

Jack had been sending her passive aggressive texts all week and it was getting to her emotionally. Not only had he betrayed her, but now he was blaming her for what he’d done.

After the seventh text, she’d had enough and finally blocked his number, sitting down in a great rage to consume a pint of ice cream, since she couldn’t drink. She wished she could cry, but tears wouldn’t come. How had things come to this?

She’d never thought he’d come to resent her so much he’d cheat out of the blue without letting on he was unhappy with her. Leah ran through the last two months of their life together, trying to find clues as to when things had fallen apart. She forced herself to admit that their conversations had were rarely more than surface stuff and both had been so preoccupied with work that they didn’t have the energy to really talk, though still showing each other affection, which was probably more perfunctory in his case.

She had no clue what she she was going to do, raising a baby on her own. She’d so hoped that her future child would have a two parent home and not have to get traded back and forth on weekends. Heaving a sigh, she dolefully watched a TV show and yelled at the screen when a hospital scene showed laughable inaccuracies and incompetence.

“Do they even try to do their research before they shoot this crap?” She muttered, shaking her head at the hopeless amounts of errors.

Switching the channel, she glanced at her phone to see Jim had not yet returned her text. Great. Not even her lawyer was available to vent to.

Then she remembered the other number she had programmed in: the sharp eyed, but kind Christopher Pike. Maybe he had time to answer a quick question.

Sorry to bother you, but I can’t get a hold of Jim and Jack won’t leave me alone. He’s texting me nonstop telling me what a terrible wife I was and how I should have seen it coming.

Within minutes, she heard a responding ding and was surprised he’d got back to her so fast. Surely such an important man has way better things to do, right?

I see Jim’s communication skills failed him again. He’s tied up in court. Ask the ex how fast he wants slapped with a restraining order. That should shut him up if he has any sense.

Leah grinned.

Thank you. I’ll tell him that right before I block his number:)

You’re welcome. How are you doing otherwise?

Leah pondered this for a while before answering. She didn’t want to make herself out to be a pathetic mess, but she was tired of holding it together.

Currently drowning my sorrows in a pint of cookie dough ice cream and yelling at the TV. It’ll be such a relief when this is all over.

He answered back a few minutes later and she actually smiled.

You have very good taste. Cookie dough is Also my flavor of choice. Don’t tell anyone. Jim insists I’m a plain vanilla or strawberry kind of guy. It’s fun keeping up the illusion.

There was a winking emoji at the end of it and Leah was impressed. An older man who used emojis? Rare.

Jim’s the kind who thinks chocolate is the only kind of ice cream and probably makes a huge mess of himself eating it. For a responsible lawyer, he sure can be a child sometimes.

Who do you think gave me all these gray hairs? Pike responded.

LOL. She shot back. It’s a good look on you. What’s your secret to maintaining blissful bachelorhood?”

She felt extremely bold with such a question, but what the heck. He probably thought she was off her rocker anyway.

I’ve always used the “not ethical” excuse, since they were mostly clients. My social life isn’t great, either, despite Jim’s attempts to set me up. I’m kind of a hermit outside the courtroom.

A man after her own heart. Leah grinned.

Jim tells me you’re a fiend when it comes to chess. How are you at Scrabble?

Cutthroat. You want to challenge me?

Sure do. Bet medical jargon crushes legalese.

She smirked as she issued this provoking statement. She knew obscure words he’d never think of in a million years.

When are you free? He texted back.

Right now.

What a coincidence. So am I. Shoot me your address and I’ll find your place.

Leah did so and wondered if she’d gone crazy to invite a guy she hardly knew to come over. Crazy or not, it was still preferential to being stuck with her thoughts and bad TV.

Narrative Domestication

To be human is to domesticate. To take the places that we live in and the things that we use and stamp them with the badge of human compatibility. Including stories.

A domesticated story is not necessarily nice (or too nice), although niceness is sometimes a side-effect of domestication. Rather, a domesticated story, like a domesticated anything, is one that is optimized to facilitate humans being human in an object-level sort of way. Stories that tell you what is cool. Stories that tell you what is good. Stories that tell you facts. Stories meant to physically and emotionally soothe. Stories meant to hang out in rather than to abstract something.

This doesn’t have to be a bad thing. I like hanging out with imaginary people in imaginary places. I like comfort and familiarity. But it can be hard to notice when an artwork is addressing object-level problems instead of something else. Because we exist as physical, object-level people, of course we're going to find object-level problems that concern us interesting in the basic sense of "holding our interest." A bear attack may not be abstractly interesting in the sense of "complex" or "novel", but if a bear is attacking me I'll hardly be bored. That bear will have 100% of my attention. Similarly, a friend's gossip or a facebook post or a lurid article are absorbing because they're giving me information about my social context. Watching a TV show because an actor is cute has nothing to do with the TV show and everything to do with sexual attraction.

What do domesticated stories look like? Sitcoms, often. Maybe prototypically. Sitcoms are meant to be good to sit in, day after day, like a narrative living room. Sitcom characters are meant to be endearing and sitcom jokes are meant not just to be funny, but tell us what is normal to find funny. In Friends it's funny that Ross's wife is gay. In Sex and the City it's funny that anyone would even possibly find watersports hot. It's funny that characters eat melting ice cream from a giant container when they're sad. The implications being that 1) having a gay wife is kind of shameful, 2) liking piss is kind of shameful, 3) being sad in other ways is kind of shameful. These things aren't overt, but why else would the writers assume that you would laugh?

It's understandable to me that people feel so strongly about having sitcoms or sitcom-like shows about their demographic. Why did The Cosby Show or Fresh Prince feel important? Switched at Birth? Fresh Off The Boat? These kinds of shows don’t simply put unknown faces on TV, they again, make them normal. Hell, Modern Family did it explicitly. “Update your concept of family” that title says. When I see characters in show like Parks and Recreation being bumbling or depressed, I think: okay, I've gotten a message about which ways of being incompetent are cute now. I think: If I posted a gif of that scene with a hashtag that said "#me" then other people would say "#same". People like Barney Stinson and Tom Haverford are deeply unpleasant in real life, but sitcoms domesticate them. They give them a place in our social model of the world.

And this is all fine. Good, often. But it’s a fundamentally social, object-level purpose.

The problem with object-level purposes is that unless your entire audience is also being attacked by a bear, they will find your art about how to survive a bear attack boring. Unless your entire audience is also obsessed with Kirk/Spock they will probably find your Star Trek fic boring. You often stop finding teen media interesting when you stop being a teen not necessarily because that media is less mature but because you no longer need to survive the bear attack of knowing what teenagers find cool.

This is not to say that specificity is boring. If you're telling a story about the emotion of a traumatic circumstance, or how you dealt with the conflicting pressures it put you under, of course you need to be specific. If you're telling a story set during the War of 1812, it will probably help if you know some things about the War of 1812. Similarly, this is not to say that modeling people is boring, or archetypes are boring. What makes archetypal modeling and artistic detail more narratively "feral" is the fact that they are starting points rather than ending points. Archetypes are skeletons and details are brushstrokes. Whereas Liz Lemon is a complete slice of pizza from the social role smorgasbord.

Sitcoms are an extreme of domestication. So is political or propagandistic art. But I originally started writing this post because I watched the first X-Men movie and I asked myself: why did this feel so much better than the forced wit of present day Marvel? Why don't I like Steven Universe? Why do I get uncomfortable when people watch movies solely to have in-jokes about the fact that they're bad? Because when I asked myself "is this thing solving an artistic problem or is it solving people problem?" the answer was mostly the latter. (The difference can be hard to pin down, sometimes: Is an artist subverting a trope to be impressive or are they subverting a trope because they're interested in how tropes work?)

I realize all the ways that this kind of talk makes me sound terribly unfun. My point is not really to deride domestication. I'm more interested in the fact that people like feral narrative as much as, if not more, than domesticated narrative. Much like pornographic scenarios are fantasies inspired by real-life events, domestication is something like social porn of real-life behavior. It solves an immediate problem. Porn is the fetishization and real-life is the fetish object. Hangingoutness is the fetishization and stories are the fetish object. But although the hyperstimulus of pornographic things is satisfying and safe, it depends on the existence of original stimulus for its fuel. The irony is that it is often the very distance of things from fetish that creates such an ache to fetishize them. Things like The Lord of the Rings are oil lamps of fandom that have burned for half a century, but they were hardly designed to be that way. The point is not that burning oil is bad, but that eventually it runs out.

Emotional baggage alert!

If you don’t want to read an upset, depressed and just all around emotionally destroyed mun’s ramblings then feel free to keep scrolling, otherwise click the ‘keep reading’ thing to read on to see what happened...

I was at work today, it was a good day nothing went wrong at all for a majority of the day... But then at 2:00 pm, I noticed an elderly gentleman sitting on a bench, he seemed to be waiting for something so I asked him how he was doing, if he needed anything the customer satisfaction sort of stuff. He said that he was alright and was waiting for his family since he couldn’t walk. Realizing he was disabled I asked: 

“When your family returns, will you need any assistance?” The man was calm as he replied ‘I’ll be fine’... 

But not even five minutes later did his wife (what I’m assuming is his wife) issue a complaint stating I had told him that he couldn’t sit on the bench and that he had to go elsewhere, the CSM believed her even though she was blatantly grinning at me with a look of absolute hatred or possibly even malice. I was pulled into the training office by the CSM and was told what the lady had said, I told them what I had actually said and when they said ‘well we can’t have you taking a tone with customers...’ I began to cry... And here’s why...

In case you don’t know, I have Autism, which for my case, means if I have a tone of anything in my voice, I can’t detect it unless I have a speaker replaying what I sound like. Which unfortunately requires a microphone and speaker and that I record myself. So sadly I can’t tell what my vocal tone is at any given time. And since all my life I’ve been told I was an idiot or incompetent in any way by my peers and teachers, I’ve become accustomed to people just blatantly telling me things like that, I shut down and began to cry when I was told that I should go home early. I was supposed to clock out at 3:52, I had not even two hours left of my shift; so I tried to stay, but my boss decided for the sake of the store’s customers... Not me, not other associates, CUSTOMERS... My boss decided for the sake of the people who spend their money on a daily basis in that building that I should just go home for the day. 

Realizing there was no point in trying to say otherwise, I immediately silenced, stared at the floor in self loathing and slowly made my way to the back, grabbed my backpack, went to my car (almost voluntarily getting hit by a car in the process since I didn’t look up), and drove home. In complete silence.

I don’t know why, but every time stuff like this happens, I’m the one at fault, god forbid the customer lie about an employee or grin maliciously at one, that couldn’t possibly happen, in my place of employment, the customer is always first, and anything they say about an employee is taken so seriously that even if they say someone did something that is completely out of character based on how they act on a daily or regular basis, they think it’s automatically true and put the blame on us. 

I just can’t take this cycle of ‘try, fail, suffer, repeat’ anymore... I hate my own brain for even working the way it does, I hate that I’m so emotionally shattered that I can’t see good in anyone around me... I hate that I can’t trust people that I see on a daily basis, work related or not... 

I hate my own life... It’s a lie... A sham... A worthless time consuming point in my futile, pathetic, generally hopeless phase of existence...

Media Portfolio Entry 3

a) 

Counsellors and therapy in media are often portrayed incredibly poorly, especially in television and movies. This refers to not just therapists, but also guidance counselors and therapy in general. Not only are they frequently shown as incredibly unprofessional, but counsellors and the services they provide are often depicted as one-dimensional and unhelpful. They ask the same questions and don’t dig deeper into problems, which is the opposite of how actual therapists and counsellors do their job. This problem has been recognized by many people, but is not really dealt with. The representation of this topic in media, especially television, has caused a certain amount of outrage, going hand-in-hand with the disappointing portrayal of mental illness.

One show that has gotten a lot of attention for their utterly terrible depiction of a counsellor is 13 Reasons Why. The Netflix original showed Hannah Baker, a suicidal teen who killed herself before the beginning of the show, seeking help from a guidance counsellor in a flashback. She had been raped, but didn’t feel comfortable revealing the identity of her assaulter. The counsellor told her that if she didn’t want to say the name, there’s nothing he can do for her. This is, first and foremost, a drastically inaccurate depiction of a guidance counsellor. It’s far from the only problem this show has with the topic, and this one in particular sends a message that adults will not be of any help when a teen is struggling with real issues. The guidance counsellor can and would be able to do more, because part of his job is to help her deal with the trauma of her assault. An actual guidance counsellor would never dismiss a student, regardless of empathetic tone, but the show instead depicts him as incompetent at best, and very damaging at worst. This could be detrimental to teenagers in the real world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXt7M2NAfho

A well-known example of a therapist in media is Harley Quinn, from Batman. She was the Joker’s physician psychiatrist and psychologist, and proved to be far too unprofessional for her job, eventually turning from Harleen Frances Quinzel to the villain- or later closer to antihero- Harley Quinn. She debuted in Batman: The Animated Series in 1992, then later in the comics, her first appearance in The Batman Adventures #12. SHe is an interesting character that helps the storyline, which is a problem is terms of being an actual counsellor or psychologist. Harley Quinn fell in love with the Joker, and generally became far too involved with him emotionally. It left her vulnerable enough to be manipulated by him. She is actually a great example of the main reason why therapists are often portrayed so poorly. It makes for better storytelling because it’s much more interesting to see a person struggle as they form a personal connection and break the rules they are supposed to follow than to see the slow going process of actual therapy. It may be more interesting for the average movie audience, but it perpetuates a dangerous stereotype that could discourage people from seeking necessary professional help. Although she is a great tool for storytelling and at times comedy, Harleen Quinzel is terrible at her job.

b)

A movie that portrays counselling in a more accurate light is Hope Springs. It depicts the story of a long-married couple (Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep) who love each other, but have lost intimacy. The wife finds out about a well-known counsellor named Dr. Feld (Steve Carell), who she thinks may be able to help them. It portrays many of the struggles in relation to counselling, including the reluctancy many people have to seek it. Dr. Feld is not only professional, but also empathetic and competent, succeeding ways that the previous two examples simply failed. This important not only because of its significance in the real world, but also because it could have drastically changed the story if he were to behave in a way unbefitting of someone in his position. To elaborate, I mean that because this couple was specifically dealing with intimacy issues, there is a balance of empathy and emotional connection that Dr. Feld struck. He did not sleep with either of his clients or break confidentiality for the sake of storytelling. He was not awkward, which helped the couple relearn to communicate. It almost seems obvious, but Dr. Feld did his job properly, and that makes his character stand out.

This movie came out in 2012, and though it did very well, it doesn’t seem to have changed the way counsellors are portrayed very much. My first example is much more recent, after all. Having said that, I do hope that people who saw this movie and are involved in the film industry had their perception of counsellors changed, at least a little. I don’t think that the movie appealed to a wide enough variety of people to change the hegemony, but I do hope that people who did see it view fictional counsellors and therapy with a more critical eye.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s22_Mvikl8

Top 10 Yuri Manga Without A School Setting

edit: removed the “keep reading” line, because it cuts off the post when people reblog it, at least when on mobile

There’s a certain formula for producing bad yuri manga- default highschool setting (+1 if it’s all-girls and all-girls somehow equals all-gay), a unhealthy relationship dynamic, unrealistic-but-stock characters (the shy protagonist and the perfect student council president), strict gender roles of butch x femme, males are never present, you get the idea. There’s lots of great yuri out there that takes place in highschool, but I’ll admit that the saturation of bad stuff has tainted my view of the setting. 

That said, regardless of your views on yuri’s default setting, here’s the Top 10 Yuri Manga with a fresh change of scenery!

10. Gouhou Yuri Fuufu Hon

On some days, we just don’t have it in us for serious, literary stuff. I want this list to include cute and relaxing sugary stuff too, and Gouhou Yuuri Fuufu Hon fits right in. 

I might have a soft spot for moe art, but Hachishiro makes the sickest covers, I’m not even kidding. 

Set in a sort-of-fantasy world where same-sex marriage is accepted and animals ears are a thing, Haru is a shy, younger girl who is married off to Sensei, a novelist oblivious to Haru’s uncertainties on how to be Sensei’s wife. Yes the dynamic is a little stock. You might realize the part on arranged marriage is kinda problematic, but this is a not-serious moe manga that doesn’t go there. It’s nothing mindblowing, and it’s not got much of a plot, but it’s a fluffy and enjoyable slice-of-life piece on marriage and domestic stuff.

The art is cute af, and works very well to convey changes in their emotions.

9. Sweet Guilty Love Bites

Sweet Guilty Love Bites is about four cabaret hostesses who work at Club Rose. It’s separated into “Sweet Guilty” and “Guilty Love”.  In “Sweet Guilty”, Kirie returns from a bad night of hostessing, to discover Myata, a young woman sleeping in the streets near her house. In “Guilty Love”, Niina, a hostess and a single mother, has a one-night stand with Mayu, only to discover the next day that Mayu is the preschool teacher of her daughter. 

Despite the seriousness of what I just summarized, this is a light and fluffy manga with funny moments, and everything ends happily for our dear characters.Though sometimes, the manga struggles to shift from this lighthearted tone when addressing serious life issues that its characters face. 

The art is nothing stunning, but it’s decent and carries the plot just fine. 

8. Rock it, GiRL!!

Rock it, GiRL!! is about a street guitarist and vocalist, Kaname, who is approached by a talent agency to be part of a band. But Kaname is not an ambitous person and thinks little of her talents. Nevertheless, she decides to give a band a shot. She discovers, however, that a) the talent agency love her as a guitarist, but thinks lowly of her vocal ability, and b) the girl who will sing the songs in her place, is an arrogant tsundere, much in contrast to Kaname’s mopey, sappy self. Animosity develops between them, but they must rise above this personal drama as the show must go on. 

I have to say, the characters aren’t exactly sympathetic, but they’ve got real issues, they are offbeat, and are basically a fresh breath of air, away from the standard “sweet, nice, moe girls in a girl band” cliche. Plus the plot is wild, given the seemingly predictable premise. 

The art itself is simple, but in a weirdly cute and silly way. 

7. Murcielago

I would like to defend Murcielago’s presence on this list by saying that yes it is trash, HOWEVER, it is the kind of trash that nobody expects from the yuri genre.

Specifically, Murcielago is guilty-pleasure gore trash. It’s what we’ve seen played out again and again with a certain Western genre, but always with a male character depicted: violent movies centered on a loose-cannon anti-villain protagonist, who is tasked with being a criminal detective but who really does kill more people than the police are comfortable with. In the backdrop, some sort of vast conspiracy is brewing, where all the crimes that the detective solves, are actually linked together, and this whole conspiracy is somehow, quite self-aggrandizingly, all about this detective protagonist (we just don’t know how yet). 

Yes, that was weirdly specific, but we all know that’s an entire genre. 

In that sense, Murcielago is predictable, but it’s also very fun action-packed reading. Plus the gender and lesbian of its protagonist, is something quite unexpected, considering the “cute nice fluffiness” that characterizes most manga lesbians, and the male protags who dominate violent action comics for both manga and Western comics. 

You know she’s gonna be able to solve the crime, you know the Villain of the Week is gonna die, but there’s still a perverse excitement in finding out how she does it, and what ridiculous over-the-top crime features in the latest issue. 

Read beneath that surface, and Murcielago can be a little deeper than that. Our dear psycho-lesbian detective does spare people, and she justifies it by outwardly saying she spares “cute girls”, but that shallow explanation doesn’t hold water. She’s perfectly ok with mutilating and killing incompetent and immoral “cute girls”, which she has made no comment about. She’s specifically sparing a) completely moral “cute girls”, and hiring  b) dangerously competent, morally shadier “cute girls” as her proteges. In fact, when she meets a bomb prodigy, she has no qualms morally corrupting her from a) to b), because she really needs a demolitions expert. She’s secretly building a ruthless army, and we don’t yet know why.  

6. Lonely Wolf, Lonely Sheep

Lonely Wolf, Lonely Sheep involves the coincidential meeting of two girls who are coincidentially both named Imari, when their names are called in the hospital waiting room. Even more coincidentially, they are both there for left hand injuries. They declare their meeting one of Fate and the stars.

The dynamic is a little stock- we have the tall tomboyish landscaper “Big Imari”, contrasted with the petite girly artist “Little Imari”. But this short comic serves up more than just a plotless dose of sugary cute, the arc does turn serious. “Little Imari”’s injuries hide a dark secret, and the past is coming to claim her. 

5. Octave

Miyashita Yukino is a burnt-out pop idol- the industry is not what she thought it was, and she has no idea where to go with life from thereon. The people of her hometown do not welcome her, and believe she must have had to be a slut to get ahead as an idol. What really cuts deep in this manga, is the portrayal and young age of Yukino- the reality of the pop industry and the sacrifices she had make for her dream, such as dropping out of school, has aged her beyond her years. 

She then tries to make a living as a talent manager in Tokyo, but her life still seems devoid of purpose, she is drifting and still yearns for fame. During a regular trip to the nearby laundromat, she meets Setsuko, who is the sister of the laundromat’s owner. She finds some comfort in Setsuko’s company, but her problems do not disappear, and in fact the landromat is facing financial difficulties.

My main problems with Octave is that the characterization can be unsympathetic. Yukino is jaded, and certainly mature in some ways, but she is also emotionally childish- she can be exceedingly mopey, sometimes blames her problems on others, seeks external validation to an unhealthy extent, and generally creates unnecessary drama and conflict with Setsuko, who is emotionally flawed as well. Don’t get me wrong, characters should have flaws, but too much of it, and it rubs me up the wrong way and I kinda want to slap them. The plot also starts to slow rather than speed up as the manga progresses, which is just not to my taste. 

However, I would simply chalk those flaws up to the inconsistent quality of Octave, where the quality is high, the manga is amazing, the emotions, the issues and ennui from the characters and the atmosphere, can be quite intensely felt.

4. Gunjo

If you asked me what the manga embodiment of misery is, I might just point you to Gunjo. Gunjo tears your heart out, and then puts it back in for a split second, just so it can tear it out again. 

“It begins in the moments after a horrible crime has been committed. A woman has asked someone to kill her husband for her. She has asked someone she knows she can use – another woman, a lesbian, who has been in love with her since high school. The woman who requested the death is abusive, derisive. The woman who committed the crime is passive, almost apathetic. She flinches in the face of the other’s harsh words, but doesn’t fight back.” -(Okazu)

They then go on the run, but how far can they go before they’re caught? Does it make a difference that the cunning, abusive woman who has plotted the murder of her husband, was she herself horrifically abused by this man? Can something resembling love ever develop between two people so violent and broken?

Gunjo is amazing in its fan disservice. The murder succeeds because the killer seduces the man, and kills him while naked. But even in this scene, the violence and her disgust completely detracts from any sexual appeal of her nudity. Even in a kiss between the two main characters, their pain permeates.

My problem with Gunjo however, is specifically that the darkness never lets up. Perhaps it is my own sensitivity, but I found it very hard to complete it.

3. Pulse

It’s a full-color! I love full colors. Anyway, moving on, 

Pulse tells the story of Mei, a renowned heart surgeon who is also a cold-hearted playgirl. Lynn is a college student who needs a heart transplant, but she refuses to get one (the risks are high). When they meet, Mei feels a strange kind of pull towards Lynn, almost like she’s truly attracted for once in her life. As they grow closer, Lynn strikes a deal- if she can make Mei fall in love with her, she will get the surgery, but Mei has to be the one to do the surgery. Lynn trusts her.

The premise can create all sorts of problems, but that is surprisingly averted. Mei doesn’t pressure Lynn into sex, nor does she fake romantic attraction. Lynn doesn’t sacrifice for Mei. Basically, Mei is no asshole, she’s just uninterested in people, and Lynn is no pushover. Also, the art is mighty fine. 

2. Philosophia

Philosophia is about a college romance wherein the two anti-social, apathetic main characters, Ai and Tomo, bond over smokes and coffee. But these little things are not enough to exorcise their inner demons. As Ai starts to feel for Tomo, she becomes torn up over these emotions- her existing familial relationships are far from ideal, and that has fostered her inability to really understand love. Tomo is strange and disinterested, and it doesn’t seem likely that she will return Ai’s feelings. Furthermore, Tomo wants to leave the country, and the means by which she gets the money she needs, is best kept a secret. 

Philosophia has both realistic yet unique characters (they do not fall too far into “always mopey” or “always sweet and excitable”, a common problem even in this list), and also incorporates a series of sobering twists and turns.

1. Collectors

Nito Shinobu and Kanzaki Takako both love shopping. Shinobu collects books and Takako collects clothes. But as they move together, let’s just say there are spaaaaaace constraints. 

Collector is nothing grand or wild- this is the Happily Ever After, but Collector is important specifically for showing how life goes on, that it is comedic and fun and relatable. 

Yuri tends to face the opposite problem to Western LGBT material of the past. Older Western material is melodramatic and tragic, the gay identity of the couple is frequently mentioned and becomes a source of tragedy as they face persecution, which ultimately results in their suicide or murder. In yuri, the world is often isolated down to the couple- they have feelings for each other, but other characters rarely exist and if they do, these characters do not acknowledge the romance. “Lesbian” is never said, and talks of marriage are only meant as comedy. 

There has been a lot of praise for Yuri On Ice (which actually involves a male homosexual couple despite the title) for how the other characters are fleshed out too, for how they recognize and acknowledge the relationship between Viktor and Yuuri. There is a similar kind of realism going on in Collectors. There is a feeling of the world actually existing. 

Collectors gives attention to the tender moments, the little things, that make a relationship, instead of it all being grand kisses in front of everyone or a emotionally charged graduation speech. There is no feeling of such performance. Even the fights in Collectors are realistic, not the kind formed from wacky misunderstandings, and in fact the kind with a proper resolution and not where they leave, and then kiss and make up but the problem still exists. 

A list of my favourite long fics for my peeps who need to do something else today

Shape-Changer (2330 words) by Fialleril Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Star Wars - All Media Types Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Anakin Skywalker | Darth Vader, Palpatine, Shmi Skywalker, Kitster Banai, a Tatooine wise woman Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Double Agent Vader, Storytelling, Tatooine Slave Culture, Small Acts of Resistance, Tricksters, Worldbuilding, Original Mythology Series: Part 1 of Double Agent Vader Summary:

His Master liked to say that Vader was born in fire on Mustafar. But Ekkreth was born in the desert.

Sansûkh (502490 words) by determamfidd Chapters: 45/50 Fandom: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Lord of the Rings (Movies) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield, Gimli/Legolas Greenleaf, Aragorn/Arwen, Thráin/Canonical Wife, Glóin/Canonical Wife, Éowyn/Faramir, Bifur/Ori, Kíli/Tauriel Characters: Thorin Oakenshield, Gimli, Legolas Greenleaf, Fíli, Kíli, Thráin, Thrór, Balin, Dwalin, Óin, Glóin, Bilbo Baggins, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dáin Ironfoot, Original Dwarf Character(s), Frodo Baggins, Sam Gamgee, Pippin Took, Merry Brandybuck, Boromir, Aragorn, Gandalf, Basically everyone from 'The Hobbit' and 'Lord of the Rings', plus a few more Additional Tags: Angst, Oh my god so much angst, Slow Build, like glacial, things are going to get worse before they get better, but there will be a happy ending, As canon as it gets, Death is only the beginning, Dead peanut gallery, gimli is a BAMF, SO MUCH RESEARCH OH GOD, Gratuitous Khuzdul for the win, everyone's dead but they're all still hanging around, Safe for Dain Fans :), Neurodiversity Summary:

From a Hobbitkink prompt:

The battle was over, and Thorin Oakenshield awoke, naked and shivering, in the Halls of his Ancestors.

The novelty of being dead fades quickly, and watching over his companions soon fills him with grief and guilt. Oddly, a faint flicker of hope arises in the form of his youngest kinsman, a Dwarf of Durin's line with bright red hair.

(Follows the story of the War of the Ring).

(Bagginshield, Gimli/Legolas) In which recovery takes time, the dead members of the Company take to watching Gimli as though he’s a soap opera, the living struggle with being left behind, Legolas is confused, Khuzdul is abused, and Thorin is four feet and ten inches of guilt and anger.

~**~

Bargaining (110464 words) by proantagonist Chapters: 26/26 Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Loki & Thor, Frigga & Loki, Loki & Odin (Marvel) Characters: Loki (Marvel), Thor (Marvel), Frigga (Marvel), Odin (Marvel), Sif (Marvel), Fandral (Marvel), Hogun (Marvel), Volstagg (Marvel), Laufey (Marvel), Helblindi (Marvel), Byleistr (Marvel), Jane Foster (Marvel), Darcy Lewis, Natasha Romanov, Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Tony Stark, Nick Fury, Erik Selvig, Heimdall (Marvel) Additional Tags: Time Travel, Family Drama, BAMF Loki, Emotionally Compromised Loki, King Loki, Brotherly Love, Jötunn Loki, Fix-It, Unreliable Narrator, Odin's A+ Parenting Summary:

Faced with an eternity without his brother, Loki strikes a bargain to change the past. Post TDW.

backslide (128352 words) by blackkat Chapters: 32/32 Fandom: Naruto Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi/future!Uzumaki Naruto, Namiashi Raidou/Shiranui Genma, Platonic Uzumaki Naruto/Uchiha Sasuke/Haruno Sakura Characters: Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Hatake Kakashi, Shiranui Genma, Namiashi Raidou, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Uchiha Obito, Haruno Sakura, Mitarashi Anko, Yuuhi Kurenai, Dai-nana-han | Team 7 (Naruto), Uchiha Itachi, Tsunade (Naruto) Additional Tags: Time Travel, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, slow build romance, Angst, Humor, Fluff, Friendship, (Joking) Marriage Proposals, lots of them - Freeform, Gratuitous Fluff Story (Not Really Meant to Be Taken Seriously), You've been warned, Schmoop, Fox Summons!, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Families of Choice, Kurama adopts all the things, no really all of them, Genin Puppy Piles, team 7 fluff, Lots of that too, Kakashi is ridiculous, so is everyone else though, Self-Indulgent Ficcage Fluff Summary:

Naruto’s friends are gone, his lover is dying, Konoha is destroyed, and Madara’s second return has pushed the entire world to the brink. Hunted and harried, Naruto is sent back in time to upend Madara’s plan before it even starts, and sets about changing everything. Butterfly effect nothing: the world is at stake, and Naruto is hardly about to let it fall to ruin once more. Not while he’s still breathing.

Gravity (46259 words) by Euphorion Chapters: 7/7 Fandom: 逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Garyuu Kyouya/Odoroki Housuke | Klavier Gavin/Apollo Justice, Mitsurugi Reiji/Naruhodou Ryuuichi | Miles Edgeworth/Phoenix Wright, Garyuu Kyouya/OFC | Klavier Gavin/OFC Characters: Garyuu Kyouya | Klavier Gavin, Odoroki Housuke | Apollo Justice, Mitsurugi Reiji | Miles Edgeworth, Naruhodou Ryuuichi | Phoenix Wright, Naruhodou Minuki | Trucy Wright, Garyuu Kirihito | Kristoph Gavin Additional Tags: Case Fic, Light Angst, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Stalking, Emotional Manipulation, fucked up siblings Series: Part 1 of Gravity Summary:

In the aftermath of his brother's arrest, Klavier is trying to balance his law career and a solo music career, with some success—but with less savory consequences as well. His fans are fixating on every aspect of his life, desperate for his attention and jealous of his relationships with the people around him. They've singled out his courtroom rival, Apollo Justice, as the target of their frustrations.

Love is All You Need to Destroy Your Enemies (222490 words) by shadydave Chapters: 20/20 Fandom: Welcome to Night Vale, The Dresden Files - Jim Butcher Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Carlos Ramirez/Cecil Palmer Characters: Carlos Ramirez, Cecil Palmer, Carlos' Team of Scientists (Welcome to Night Vale), Cactus Jane/Judy/June, Tamika Flynn, Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, Mouse (Dresden Files - Butcher), The Traveler (Welcome to Night Vale), Anastasia Luccio, The Apache Tracker Additional Tags: Original Character(s), Crossover, Time Travel, Magic, Science, Magic and Science, Mad Science, Comic Book Science, Dubious Science, Fake Science, Just Generally a Lot of Science, poorly researched, on Wikipedia, gratuitous Shakespeare references, Needs More Dinosaurs!, Covered in Bees!! Series: Part 3 of Love is All You Need to Destroy Your Enemies Summary:

There are a few things that Carlos may have neglected to tell Cecil.

Like his last name.

Or how he hasn’t actually dated anyone since his junior year of high school.

Or that he’s a wizard of the White Council and the regional commander of Wardens in the western United States and not, in fact, a scientist.

You know. Minor details.

Chosen Man (116551 words) by Sineala Chapters: 5/5 Fandom: The Eagle | The Eagle of the Ninth (2011) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Marcus Flavius Aquila/Esca Mac Cunoval Characters: Marcus Flavius Aquila, Esca Mac Cunoval, Original Characters Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Military, Canon Era, First Time, Loyalty, Shame, Submission, Romance, Action/Adventure Series: Part 1 of Chosen Man Summary:

The son of the man who lost the Eagle of the Ninth would never be allowed a first command of his very own fort, would he?

Marcus is posted not to Isca Dumnoniorum, but to a wretched and run-down garrison north of the Wall. There he finds that he is the new centurion of a group of scouts and spies, all of them British. He has few supplies and no experience. His men distrust him. His superiors despise him. His second-in-command is an incompetent drunkard. And the local tribes are determined to kill all of them.

But the worst thing of all is one of Marcus' soldiers. He is an enigmatic, dangerous, and insubordinate man by the name of Esca, who makes Marcus yearn for terrifying things he has never before wanted and can never, ever let himself have...

It’s Just That Any One of Us Is Half Without Another One Is You (129180 words) by Branch Chapters: 21/21 Fandom: Naruto Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto Characters: Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto, Tsunade (Naruto), Shizune, Jiraiya (Naruto), Orochimaru (Naruto), Yakushi Kabuto, Shimura Danzou, Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, Might Guy, Hyuuga Neji, Rock Lee, Tenten, Temari (Naruto), Kankurou (Naruto), Chiyo (Naruto), Killer Bee, Darui, Hoozuki Suigetsu, Choujuurou, Karin (Naruto), Kyuubi (Naruto), Nagato (Pain), Konan, Sai (Naruto), Uchiha Madara Additional Tags: Drama, Action, Women Being Awesome, Alternate History, Fluff, Canon-Typical Violence, Team Dynamics, Humor, Horror, Angst, Medium Size Character Death, A Touch of Porn, Politics Series: Part 4 of Avalanche Summary:

An AU in which all the character development of part one gets its due: Kakashi finds another way, Sasuke does not leave the Leaf, Itachi remains a villain, no one is a carbon copy of a previous generation, Sakura grows up to be terrifying, Sasuke finds his way back to family, and Naruto wins all hearts. Featuring Team Seven fluff, filling in the time-skip, and a rather different second half. Drama, Angst, Romance, Fluff, Action, Occasional Porn.

Runs parallel to Cloud Hands.

Nukume Dori - Change (12928 words) by Leareth Chapters: 4/4 Fandom: Tokyo Babylon, X -エックス- | X/1999, CLAMP - Works Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Sakurazuka Seishirou/Sumeragi Subaru, Sumeragi Hokuto & Sumeragi Subaru, Sakurazuka Seishirou & Sumeragi Hokuto Characters: Sumeragi Subaru, Sumeragi Hokuto, Sakurazuka Seishirou, Lady Sumeragi, Original Characters Additional Tags: Epic, Alternate Universe, Time Travel Fix-It, Tokyo (City), Drama & Romance, Alternate Universe - Time Travel Series: Part 1 of Nukume Dori Summary:

The last one standing on the Final Day makes a Wish. Subaru wakes to find Hokuto and Seishirou living as they always have, and that the end is just the beginning.