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fatalism-and-villainy · 4 years

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So I get the sense that it’s a notion in certain parts of fandom that Wei Wuxian going off travelling at the end of the show constitutes an unhappy ending for our main characters, or indicates a failure of communication with each other in their desire to be in a relationship, and that Wei Wuxian needs to just get his shit together and realize he should go back to Lan Wangji. But my impression, even from the first time I watched the show, is that WWX’s need to explore for awhile has very little, if anything, to do with LWJ.

I mean, imagine being in WWX’s position. He died - committed suicide - at the absolute lowest point in his life, having renounced his adoptive family, had his chosen community of people slaughtered, and lost everything he had to live for. He was an extremely unhappy person! And then, he got yanked back into the living world, with no memory or awareness of where he was all those years he spent being dead - already deeply disconcerting - and immediately plunged into an investigation that he doesn’t really have a choice but to devote his entire being to. (CQL’s timeline is a bit murky, but my impression is that the post-resurrection plotline takes at least a few months to resolve.) Like... of course he needs time and space to process everything that’s happened to him! Of course he needs an opportunity to just live and experience the world - a world that he needs to become reacquainted with, after being gone for over a decade.

Especially because WWX is someone who copes with his own issues by throwing himself at other problems that need solving and people who need helping, hence why it’s been pointed out by others that running into Wen Qing during his self-destructive, PTSD-ridden binge drinking period post-Sunshot was what pulled him out of his stupor and gave him a purpose again. So I imagine that having a mystery to occupy himself with immediately upon returning to life was a very efficient distraction from his issues! But afterwards, when everything is cleared up, he’s suddenly left unmoored and vulnerable and without a strong sense of who he even is and how he fits into the world now. And yes, he has LWJ to go back to... but he can’t build his entire sense of identity around LWJ, and that relationship can’t be his only source of happiness and fulfillment. And he genuinely seems to like exploring and having new experiences and meeting new people! It’s a good way for him to get a sense of who he is now.

It’s true that WWX has a lot of insecurity and neurosis re: feeling deserving of care and affection, and I’m not claiming that he’s completely resolved those issues (or any of his issues). But I think there’s a lot more trust between him and LWJ, and that he’s considerably more secure in that relationship, by the end of the show. Post-resurrection there are a lot of scenes where he’s a lot more mature in his interactions with LWJ, a lot more capable of grasping LWJ’s boundaries, and a lot better at tempering his teasing with sincerity. So I don’t take his self-discovery journey as the same sort of destructive impulse towards isolation that he displays after his stint in the Burial Mounds. I think it’s a demonstration, rather, of the trust he’s built in LWJ, and in the fact that he doesn’t need to constantly be demanding attention for LWJ to still wait for him and be there for him when he’s ready to come back. And it’s being able to clearly communicate his needs and intentions in a given moment, rather than just shutting the other person out.

And from LWJ’s perspective - it’s so important that he’s able to let WWX go! LWJ is also incredibly neurotic and also feels that he’s not deserving of love. And he grows up without any models of what healthy relationships look like - his parents’ relationship is the only framework he has, as evidenced by him taking inspiration from that in wanting to hide WWX at Cloud Recesses. But he quickly realizes that that’s not what he wants, and that he doesn’t want to force WWX to do anything. When WWX comes back to life, he takes care of him and gives him gifts not because he’s expecting anything in return, but because he loves him and wants to make him happy and show him kindness when so few people have. But it’s important, I think, for him to be able to spend time apart from WWX, to give him the space he needs, without seeing that as just another sacrifice that he’s making. When he sees WWX off on his self-discovery journey, he’s in a place where he can start to trust that WWX will come back, and that he has massive significance for WWX even when WWX doesn’t have to depend on him for emotional and material support.

Being able to maintain distance from each other, and maintain their own separate identities and relationship, with each one still having confidence in the strong foundation they’ve built together, is very important to me, and it’s why I’m so defensive of this ending.

#the untamed #cql #wei wuxian #lan wangji #wangxian #i hate pormenteau ship names. it is only tagged this way for blacklisting purposes #my meta #untaming #i really dislike their ending in the novel (and similar proposed happy endings)#because it strikes me as unpleasantly codependent #and fanfic and such that treats wwx's time travelling as an extension of their agonizing pining #isn't something i like because i feel that it ignores the progress they /have/ made together in their actual arc in the show #anyway i've gotten a little stream of new followers so i guess my ability to write meta is coming back #this is a cql ending apologist blog #he is my match

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bestruction · 3 years

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How it’d be to watch animes with them

A/N: While i’m working on my Mikasa x reader royal au, this little idea came to my mind. I tried to put the links when i mentioned a specific scene and speak a little about the anime in case you don’t know it. So here it’s:

Warnings: Me exposing my otaku self, mentions of 18+ animes (Not hentais)

Eren - Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen (13+)

A / N: The main characters like each other, but none wants to confess because being the person who takes the first step would also represent being the defeated person. The anime develops in a series of plans that both elaborate to make the other confess their love.

Warnings: None

It was his idea to watch an anime together since the two of you liked it a lot. You saw no harm and agreed to go to sleep with your boyfriend on Friday night. So, you would have the dawn and the weekend to see everything.

“We could watch One piece! Everybody likes"

“In three days ?! We will not finish even if we do not take breaks ”

"Naruto then?"

“Haven't you seen it all five times or more?

"But it is a classic!"

"It is also too long!"

He would sulk when he saw you reject each of his suggestions for being too big animes. The truth was, he was trying to convince you to stay longer. After much searching in the catalog, you choose to watch a short comedy of 12 episodes.

Biggest mistake ever

Eren is already annoying by nature, and after watching Kaguya-sama's two seasons he would spend the day and night trying to get you to confess to him EVEN IF YOU'VE BEEN IN LOVE FOR TWO YEARS AND HE HAS BEEN THE FIRST TO DECLARE. HIT HIM, PLEASE.

"Do you think that using such a low trick will make me give in?"

“Eren, I just got out of the shower. What trick? Wear an outfit? ”

“Showing off your skin won't make you win”

If you wanted to play with him, great. You are going to spend the day in this little game until he gets tired and just hugs you or something because he can't spend a lot of time without touching you. But if you didn't want to, just you could use that touchy side of him against him too.

"Maybe I shouldn't show you anything else then"

"Yes, of course, do- Wait what?"

"You heard"

“NO, BABE! YOU WON! I CONFESS! I LOVE YOU"

Watching anime with him would be quite an experience. For being very verbal, Eren would be the type of person who doesn't shut up watching anything. Especially, something that makes him laugh. You would see him laughing out loud and throwing himself back on the couch or on you, whether you were with him or not. You may even complain, but it would be fun to see him react to everything as immediately and naturally as an unfiltered child.

He will sing ALL the openings for the rest of the days around the house until you are humming some without realizing it.

For some reason, can I imagine him doing Chika dance ?? Yes, please film this big bear dancing like a little girl.

Levi - Death parade

A / N: Do you want to cry and hurt yourself? This is the right place. Death Parade is a story about what happens after death. The characters are sent to mysterious bars where they will be judged to decide the fate of the souls themselves. (18+)

Warnings: Suicide, depressive themes, mentions of rape and domestic violence

I don't see Levi watching many animes. In fact, I don't see him watching much anything at all. He would be the type of person who can't spend a lot of time in front of the television without feeling like he's wasting time. Which would result in a very selective and demanding taste.

He would always read the reviews about the film, and after watching it, he would make his own. Ever. No exceptions. Unlike Impossible-to-be-quiet-Eren, Levi would be silent to be able to capture and understand all the details. This is interesting because getting his attention is a difficult task. But once it's done, he is 100% focused on the story and immersed in the characters.

So, after reading about it, he would agree to watch Death Parade with you.

He would have low expectations at first, and if the anime failed to hold his very difficult attention in three episodes, he wouldn't even try with the rest.

So when in the first episode, all suspense and doubts left to the viewer entered Ackerman's head, he would finish the other 11 without realizing it.

As a rational person, he would love things that make him think and reflect on the proposed theme. In the case: Life and death.

For some reason, I imagine him as someone who would like to study and read philosophy as a hobby and that he would love Nietzsche? So, you could expect deep conversations after each episode.

But without any arrogance, humanity's strongest soldier might not be the most talkative man in humanity, but surely when he opened his mouth to it, it wouldn’t be to show himself off with something that he knows and you don’t. On the contrary, he would be more than happy to explain if you asked and added your opinion.

He wouldn't cry, but he would be touched by the way the emotions were shown and created in the characters.

He would probably see the scene where Decim cries more than once for being impressed with how the pain of a character who is supposedly not flesh and blood is expressed so well.

And after the anime is over, you would always see him listening to the music of the ice skating scene around the house while doing something.

When you were finished watching everything, you would talk again about the anime. You lying on his chest and he touching his hair, smelling him.

"Do you believe in reincarnation, Levi?"

“If so, I wouldn't go back to this shit a second time. No matter what they offered me ”

"Levi!"

"Unless it was to have you again"

“What a cliché” He would roll his eyes after hearing your response “But I like clichés”

Again, he wouldn't cry, but he would be thinking about how ephemeral things can be, including being alive. Then you can expect a more touchy Levi for a few days.

Jean - Banana Fish

N / A: Another one to cry and get hurt. Banana Fish is way more than just a story about one character just is hard to define. So in case, you didn’t watch it, here’s the trailer. (18+)

warnings: pedophilia, rape, violence, drugs, your heart being destroyed

You know that guy who says that no yaoi is good, it's just a way to feed a bunch of fujoshi and stuff like that? Jean. It's him. I just know it. So when you suggested Banana Fish and said it was a BL / yaoi, he would probably laugh and ignore the idea.

But after insisting a little and showing him the many compliments that both the anime and the manga received, he would accept.

At first, he wouldn't pay much attention. He really thought it would be just another bad anime. But by the end of the first episode, he would be too involved in the story to stop.

I think he would love crime novels for the same reason that Levi: To think. Try to find out how things are going to end and pick up any clues that the author has left about the ending. So the plot would hold him so much because he would make a ton of theories about the end.

He will ship Ash and Eiji with all his soul. I mean, how can he not ship? To see an anime in which the physical touch between the couple doesn't really happen and still builds a well-developed and healthy relationship would be a new experience for him.

Jean is somewhat similar to Eren in this respect. So you can expect to see him huffing in anger, cursing one of the characters, throwing a pillow away, or using it to hide a tear or two that he would let go of you. The kind of person who gets emotionally involved with the things he watches.

He would cry an entire river after watching the last episode and deny it later.

“I was not crying. The cushion fabric made my eyes itch a lot ”

Show him again and he will cry the same amount and intensity

Armin - Haikyuu

A / N: Considering all the texts on Tumblr for haikyuu characters, I’m pretty sure you know what anime it’s lol (10+)

Armin is an otaku with a license card and no one can change my mind. He would probably start watching it as a child. So, his first animes would be everyone's classics: Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, Bleach, etc.

So it would be normal that as the vast majority, he would continue to have a preference for shounen when he grew up. So it would be your idea to see Haikyuu.

He would have low expectations because he thought it would be just another anime with cute characters for everyone to be thirsty as an inverted harem. And also because the synopsis does not create a strong impression, especially for those who consume shounen daily.

"So we are just gonna see a little boy trying to catch a ball?"

“It's gonna be good! Everyone is talking about it now ”

"Does he have some superpower?"

"No"

"Something scary?"

"Armin, just give a chance!"

He would like it. Did I say he would like it? Because he would love it. The atmosphere created and well developed with such a simple plot would hold his attention well. (Is it possible to dislike Hinata in the first episode?)

It would be a great anime for him to watch because 1. It is different from what he usually sees. Unlike shounen, Haikyuu deals only with real and tangible scenarios. Of course, still with that touch of anime, but it is very easy to recognize yourself in the characters and learn from them and therefore reflect on yourself as well.

It would be great to make him think about his own insecurities and how most of them were inside his head.

He would be so immersed in the anime universe that he would have to pause the game scenes because he would be too nervous waiting for the ball to fall.

You will probably see him taking a deep breath in each drawing scene of the characters and see him truly cheering for the team as if it were a real national game.

More than that, you will see his eyes full of tears when Yamaguchi hit the serve in the match against Aoba johsai.

In fact, Yamaguchi would be his favorite character. No discussions.

"I said it would be good"

"Shut up"

"Make me"

Mikasa - Heaven’s official blessing

A / N: I'm going to leave the trailer here because I don't know how to define it very well. It's a novel, but the story doesn't focus ONLY on that. (14+)

Okay, you didn't suggest. She did not suggest. So how do you end up watching together? You catch her watching when you come home by surprise lol

Until then, you would know that she watched some anime, but nothing romantic. Never. In fact, that was her little secret.

Although common sense is that Mikasa would be cold even in a modern au (and I agree in parts). I think she would be the type of person who loves to see the sweetest and softest things to melt alone on the couch without anyone seeing. A moment for herself and a part of her that she would not show to anyone.

You would already know about her romantic side, but seeing her under the covers sighing while watching the Netflix special episode is a totally different story.

Please don’t mock her!!. She would be red enough by the time she was discovered.

When she was less shy, she would ask if you want to watch with her. She would say she saw no problem watching it with you again since doing it with you would be a different experience.

If you accept, you would spend the rest of the night in the room sharing a blanket and absorbing the soft atmosphere, the soundtrack, and the Chinese culture so present in history.

She would not speak a lot because she was paying attention, but she would hug you all the time. In the romantic scenes, she would tighten her arms around you a little and sometimes left a kiss on your shoulder.

I think she could relate to Hua Cheng's way of loving. He is always there to protect, care for and see his lover even if sometimes Xie Lian doesn't even know.

And that is what she wants to show you, that more than a girlfriend, she is also someone you can count on.

Days later, you will see her reading the rest of the work around the house because she couldn't stand to wait for a second season.

And later, SURELY melting and vibrating while watching Mo Dao Zu Shi.

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fortunatelylori · 5 years

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Next to being married, a girl likes to be crossed in love now and then

Thoughts on Sanditon finale

It is a truth universally acknowledged that you should never blog in anger. Last night’s Sanditon episode left the entire fandom in a state of uproar. Cancelations have been issued. Curses have been cast and tears have been shed … those were mostly mine, to be fair.

For once I decided not to start furiously typing just as the episode ended but wait out the inevitable momentary fury and return to the episode tonight for a second viewing. I have to thank @and-holly-goes-lightly and @kitten1618x for putting up with my temper tantrums late last night on private chat so all of you nice people wouldn’t have to endure my more volcanic outbursts. Being far more reasonable people than I, they pointed out the grayness in a sea of black and white and made me reconsider the episode.

In addition I would advise anyone to do a second viewing of the episode if you haven’t done so yet. Reason being that your first viewing of something that you are so deeply invested in will always be heated. I could hardly pay attention last night to the scenes I was watching because I was so desperate to get to the ending. On top of that, the reality of what you see on screen will fight with the theory you’ve already made in your head and more often than not you end up disliking canon not because it’s bad but because it’s not what you thought you were going to see.

That being said, after a thorough rewatch, I have to declare this episode as one of the finest finales to a season I’ve seen. I say finale to the season, not the series because as a series finale it would be more than a little disappointing. But if there is one silver lining to take from this episode is that we are getting a season 2. I just can’t see how we wouldn’t.

Now, nothing in life, has any business being perfect and this episode wasn’t either. So I will quickly list what I felt were the major flaws so we can proceed to the good stuff of which there is plenty.

Not sparkers of joy

The pacing and structure

It was somewhat rushed. Scenes jumped from one to the other without much preparation (particularly in the first half) and several things were not addressed. People have pointed to the fact that they did not include a Charlotte/Georgiana good-bye scene which I agree was a mistake. In addition, we were presented with a Georgiana and Arthur that were the best of friends even though in episode 7, Georgiana couldn’t stand him. That’s not to say they couldn’t reach this point but I expected to see that journey, not skip it.

Georgiana, on the whole, was odd. Aside from her rebuke of Sidney and conversation with Charlotte which were keeping in line with what she did in episode 7, the rest of her time on screen was perplexing. She was lively, dancing with everyone, huge smile on her face … this being the girl that refused to leave her bedroom a few days before. Again, not saying she couldn’t get to this stage but where did I see how she did that?!?

The whole Sidney/Eliza situation was resolved off screen which … why?!? First we weren’t given the scene of him sending her packing in ep 7 and now we have no idea how he turned that around to the extent that he got himself engaged to her and with the money to save Sanditon, all in a week.

I mean ok, I get that he’s got but ... OK, OK! He’s THAT hot!

There were other examples of shoddy storytelling but those stick out in my mind the most.

The sudden tone shift

The reason why I reacted so badly to the episode to start with was because for 7 hours I was led to believe this was a fluffy, cozy regency romance in the vein of Northanger Abbey or Emma. Sure, things happen to cause momentary sadness but it all gets resolved in the best way by the end of the episode.

Instead the Sanditon finale marked the tone shift from the fluffy to the angst. We are now firmly in Persuasion/Sense&Sensibility territory. It’s still Austen as I will explain below in more detail but I would have appreciated some warning that this is where we were heading.

The specifics of the cliffhanger

Now this is obviously personal preferences but I do have some issues with the manner in which they chose to separate Sidney and Charlotte. Having Sidney propose to Eliza in order to get the money to save Tom from prison does resolve several issues in a very expedient way: it forces the two young lovers apart; it creates angst and anticipation for the next season; it also allows for Charlotte and Sidney to both be victims of the separation and still desperately in love with each other and wanting to get married.

However, the cost is that Sidney is now in the position of doing to Charlotte exactly what Willoughby did to Marianne in Sense and Sensibility. Sidney is obviously not Willoughby and his motives are selfless. But his actions are a play by play of Willoughby’s betrayal: he pursues Charlotte, kisses her on the cliffs (substitute that for Willoughby taking a lock of Marianne’s hair), means to propose to her and then disappears, only to return engaged when a lack of money force him to choose between love and a fortune.

He even makes a “I don’t love her” confession, similar to Willoughby’s scene with Eleanor. Of course, Sidney tells Charlotte that not to victimize himself like Willoughby but rather because he can’t bare the thought that Charlotte might think he’s done this because he doesn’t love her. But you can see how this kind of narrative choice can really negatively impact Sidney’s character.

It’s sad that they chose this cliffhanger, particularly since they didn’t need to. I firmly believe that had they ended on a more hopefully note for Charlotte and Sidney we would have tuned in anyway for season 2. I wish they had had more confidence in their story and in their viewers.

But enough of the negative!

Sparks joy

Theme

I have to say that thematically, they hit this finale out of the park. The most important piece of dialogue in this whole episode occurs between Esther and Lady Denham:

Lady Denham: It is infinitely better to be loved than to love. Especially in a marriage.

Esther: You’re speaking from your own experience or someone else’s?

Lady Denham: My own. Not with my husband, of course. It was long before that. A man called Rowley. Some people said he was the handsomest man in all of Somerset. But to me he was the handsomest in the world. And he knew it!

Esther: What happened?

Lady Denham: He kept me dangling for a while. Trembling. Waiting for a look, for a smile, for a tender word … like one of his dogs. And then he up and married a girl from Gloucestershire, with 50.000. He had debts, of course. Couldn’t have afforded to marry me. Should have been obvious to me at the time but … you know what girls are.

May I just say that Anne Ried’s performance in this scene is a treasure trove of skill and emotion? You can just feel the longing and the sadness this story can still elicit from this seemingly cold matriarch. Lady Denham, like all our characters, is more than she seems. She starts off as a Lady Catherine de Bourgh clone and develops into one of the wisest, mot rational people in the show.

She gives Esther excellent advice and is compassionate when she realizes what Edward has been doing to her.

She also gives us our theme for the finale of Sanditon and perhaps of the whole show. Because her speech doesn’t just apply to Esther and her relationship to Edward. It applies to Georgiana’s heartbreak over Otis and Charlotte’s impeding heartbreak at the hands of Sidney. In even more general terms, it speaks to the heartbreak most Austen heroines experience at some point during her novels:

Next to being married, a girl likes to be crossed in love a little now and then. It is something to think of, and gives her a sort of distinction among her companions - Pride and Prejudice

Her whole speech reminded me of what my mother told me the first time I broke up with someone I loved. She said: “No girl can pass through life without having her heart broken”.

The show telegraphs this home by having the Sidney/Charlotte cliff walk follow immediately after this scene.

We are so distracted by the innocent beauty of Sidney and Charlotte being in love and so mesmerized by their first kiss:

That we fail to take Lady Denham’s warning seriously. And, just like Charlotte, we end up paying the price for it

The Austenverse

Lady Denham also clues us in to where exactly we are within the Austenverse. Many people have claimed that episode 8 marked the moment this stopped being an Austen story because Austen novels always have happy endings:

My characters shall have, after a little trouble, all that they desire.

Did you think we were just going to skip the “little trouble”part? Sweet summer children! We’re at the moment where Elizabeth finds out Lydia has run off with Wickham and thinks she’s lost Darcy for good. We’re at the moment where Knightly reprimands Emma for treating Miss Bates poorly and leaves for London. We’re at the moment where Anne is forced to join her father in Bath and believes Fredrick will soon marry Louisa Musgrove.

And finally, and most pertinently since this is what Sanditon is trying to emulate, we’re at the moment where Edward’s engagement to Lucy Steele is made public and he and Eleanor say their final good-byes (supposedly).

Austen heroines are never spared heartache. But it is a depiction of heartache that is not gratuitous. It allows the characters to grow, to understand the true depth of their feelings and eventually to value the good fortune they have when it all turns out for the best in the end.

And no novel drives that point home more than Sense and Sensibility and Austen’s Eleanor character, the suffer in silence heroine who pretends she is fine, all the meanwhile dying on the inside. Kind of like this:

Honestly it shouldn’t surprise me that we’ve ended the season on this somber note. Sanditon visually owes a great deal to Davies’ Sense and Sensibility 2008 adaptation. That mini-series had a somewhat different feel to usual Austen productions, particularly in comparison to the 1995 Ang Lee film. It was darker, grittier and had a bit of a western feel to it than Sanditon reproduces to great effect, I think.

So it’s quite understandable, in retrospect, that Charlotte’s character arc would see her start off as a Marianne type character (open, romantic and impulsive) and slowly turn her into Eleanor by the end of the season.

In order to make that transition complete, a lot was asked of Rose Williams and she manages to convey the transformation in one breathtaking shot:

I am deeply, deeply impressed with her acting in this episode, and particularly in this scene. You can literally feel her heart breaking and see the mask that will dominate in the church scene fall into place.

Which brings us to Sidney …

I’ve said it a million times and I can’t help but say it again: Theo James OWNS this character. I don’t know if he simply hasn’t gotten the proper material in his career until now or if there’s something special about Sidney that resonates with him but his acting is so spot on that even when Sidney breaks Charlotte’s heart, behaving like Willoughby as I’ve said, you can’t hate him.

Not when he is the same man who gets chocked up as he tries to propose to Charlotte:

Not when he’s the man who tells her this:

Sidney: I have never wanted to put myself in someone else’s power before. I never wanted to care for anyone but myself.

And not when, with just one look, Theo James is able to convey Sidney’s despair and pain. How can you hate him when he’s clearly breaking himself into tiny pieces over giving Charlotte up?

And how the hell can you hate him when you can hate … this clown instead?

Oh, sorry I meant …

Words cannot describe how much I loathe Tom Parker. Well actually, my new fictional mum comes close to enunciating our common and general distaste:

Lady Denham: I will see you in the debtors prison! I will see you in the poor house! Where are your promises now? Dust and ashes! You might as well have lost my money at the gaming tables! You despicable man!

If only Lady D would have been allowed to go forth with her threat and hand Tom over to the debt collectors. How much happier everyone would be right now!

Unfortunately the Parkers are far too nice for their own good. They all jump in head first, trying to save this sorry excuse for a man. Arthur even offers up his entire inheritance. Tom refuses … Not because he thinks it’s not right for his youngest brother to risk his entire life’s comfort for his unworthy clown’s ass but because … IT’S NOT ENOUGH MONEY!

Tom Parker has amassed 80.000 pounds worth of debts. Luckily Google allows me to illustrate to you exactly what 80.000 pounds meant in 1820s era England:

80.000 pounds could have paid the wages of an immortal skilled worker in perpetuity!!!! And this MORON decided not to ensure it … Apparently, Kris Marshall has said that Tom is the Regency’s version of Steve Jobs … I assume Steve Jobs too let his younger brother prostitute himself for his benefit, after already taking a 3000 pounds “loan” from him and thinking up ways of spending his baby brother’s inheritance on top of that … Oh, wait! Steve Jobs was a visionary who died a billionaire. Take several sits, Kris!

What really irritates me is that everyone is very quick to absolve Tom of any blame, jump to his defense and in due course Tom, himself, decides he should not be so hard on himself, which is why he is ecstatic when Sidney returns to Sanditon, with the news of his engagement. This is what comes out of Tom Parker’s mouth:

Tom Parker: This is excellent news! Oh, Charlotte, glorious news! Sanditon is saved!

So he knows full well that Sidney has asked Mrs. Campion to marry him in order to save him and he is perfectly willing to let him go through with ruining his life. The saddest part is that the rest of the Parker family goes along with this lunacy.

That includes Mary who already knows that Sidney and Charlotte are in love. Kind and sensible as she might be, Mary decides to turn a blind eye to Sidney’s sacrifice and Charlotte’s pain in order to have her husband safe. And it shouldn’t come as a surprise since she’s the one that told Sidney this back in episode 1:

Sidney: And tomorrow is the famous ball, is it not?

Mary: Tom has been in such a state about it! You will do all you can to help him, won’t you?

I thought I’d mention this since everyone seems to be under the impression that Sidney sacrificing himself for Tom now is a sign of the growth of character Charlotte inspired in him. But it actually isn’t.

Both Tom and Mary make it very clear early on that they relay on Sidney’s help. He’s sort of the third member of their marriage (they do have a painting of him in their entryway) who is there to ensure Tom’s ass is saved from the fire of his own making. And both Tom and Mary are complacent in this.

Sidney choosing to marry Mrs. Campion over Charlotte isn’t a new development in his dedication to his family. It is the end result of years of emotional blackmail and dependency Tom has dished out, and Mary has, most likely unconsciously, supported.

And all of that spells disaster for Sidney who is left closing the door to the coach that will take the love of his life away from him:

I know we are all commiserating with Charlotte over what happened. But I think we should spare Sidney a thought as well. He is ruining his life, his integrity and his happiness for someone who will most likely waste his sacrifice in a matter of months. Add to that Eliza’s behavior at the wedding and it’s pretty safe to say Sidney will pay for the money he will give Tom in every which way possible.

The only glimmer of light in all this unbearable darkness is that Lord Babington (he still doesn’t have a first name … :( ) and Esther are now married. Their wedding is actually very much a visual representation of Austen type country weddings, down to everyone smiling and throwing petals at them:

However even in their case, there are still clouds on the horizon since Esther was pretty clear about not being in love with her husband. She took Lady D’s advice that “ being loved is better than loving: and season 2 will show us if that is enough for her or indeed her husband.

Unfortunately, our two protagonists weren’t as lucky as Lord and Lady Babington. The road ahead for them is hard and filled with angst. There’s bound to be a lot of darkness before the dawn. However, do not despair and listen to the only voice that matters:

Lady Denham: Well, Miss Heywood? You’re still proclaiming your independence? Or is it that none of our young men have taken your fancy? I’ll wager we’ll see you walk down the aisle very soon. What do you say, Mr. Parker?

My fictional mummy is never wrong!

#sanditon #sanditon 2019 #sanditon finale #sidlotte #sidney x charlotte #charlotte x sidney #sidney parker #charlotte heywood #my meta

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annakie · 4 years

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Am I once again posting about the Voyager Relaunch Novels? Yes. Yes I am.

I am re-reading the Post-Endgame Voyager Relaunch novels and marathoned reading The Eternal Tide over the last two nights and all I have to say is Janeway and Chakotay love each other so much, I was literally sobbing through about six sections of the second half of that book.

The Kirsten Beyer books are SO GOOD. And as I’m re-reading them I love how she handles every single one of the Voyager characters but especially Chakotay. I feel like she understands Chakotay and gives him everything the writers of Voyager never quite grasped about his character in seven seasons. Full Circle is such a powerful story of his love and his grief, and the rest of the crew’s love for him (especially Tom, B’lanna, Harry and Sev-- wow his friendship with Seven is so awesome throughout the Beyer books, everything it should have been in the show and not what we got in Endgame. The support they have for each other without forcing a cringey relationship back onto them adds so much to BOTH of their characters. Hey this paragraph went way off the rails but I don’t care.)

Anyway I really love the plots of each of these books, I love how they handle EVERY character (well, I miss Tuvok -- at some point I’m gonna get to the Titan novels) and the new characters are pretty great (oh man Cambridge is a fave, and so much better than the new consular that was introduced in the Spirit Walk books. Loved Eden, love Farkas.)

I made a post a few days ago about how Chakotay is the whole “upstanding, solid, good guy” archetype that some people dare to call “boring” I’ve previously talked at length in a post about Mass Effect about how that’s just... my favorite kind of character. And Chakotay is just... so that. It also made me realize that the Janeway / Chakotay dynamic is also very similar to a Shepard / Kaidan dynamic (powerful commanding officer of her own ship woman character, solid, good, honorable mature right-hand man first officer (or close to it) male character and maybe that’s why they’re both two of my favorite ships.

Anwyay here’s some spoilery thoughts about The Eternal Tide.

Chakotay telling Seven about his relationship with Janeway evolving before she died, and how he doesn’t think he’ll ever love any other woman!

Confirmation that Chakotay was thinking about proposing when they were supposed to met in Venice!??! What!?

Janeway thinking about Chakotay right after her resurrection and how deeply she feels for him and wondering about how her death affected him! Also I kind of love that Chakotay DIDN’T come to her mind when deciding whether to return to life or not? This was her decision and making it about A Man I think would have made it feel less about her and how she knew she would be taking responsibility for The Multiverse, which is what it absolutely should have been about. Realizing what her death would have done to him basically the second she was alive again... that part was so well written. I loved it. Her relationship shouldn’t become the basis of who she is -- but it adds to her.

Their... reunion... scene... almost being ruined by Q... Chakotay’s utter shock and disbelief and the description of him slowly beginning to have his heart open up to the possibility, him inching closer to her as she’s thinking that maybe she’s made a mistake and understands just how deeply her death hurt him... that.... entire... SCENE. (Actually about once a year I dig that book and Full Circle out just to read their getting together / reunion scenes.)

Getting Seven’s reaction to Janeway was also very, very good. I wish they hadn’t cut past the scene where the rest of the Voyager staff sees her for the first time but we did get a little taste of it.

Um okay and then Janeway tells Chakotay she loves him for the first time and he says it back, naturally but like, this is as Chakotay was preparing to go on a suicide mission? SOBBING. They didn’t even get a day together, but at least they got to say goodbye this time.

Janeway forcing herself not to think about Chakotay’s death because things just got so much more dire.

Yes they won, but Janeway all alone on the battle bridge and she can’t even bring herself to contact Voyager yet because she just needs time to mourn Chakotay for a few seconds and takes a few seconds, a few breaths, a few moments... and then... OMG.... Chakotay is returned by Godson Q just before his death and they’re so happy... I CANNOT.

THE EPILOGUE where they’re in bed and had spent every possible moment together and so casual and free and happy together... it’s everything we ever wanted for seven seasons and seven more books.

Oh I started this post now almost a week ago and now I’m a few books forward and hey am I now going to talk about Protectors? Yes, yes I am.

J/C don’t get to spend a lot of time together in this book. Janeway gets sent back to the Alpha Quadrant to undergo counseling and evaluation which, tbh, is totally valid considering she DIED A VIOLENT HORRIBLE DEATH and then WAS DEAD FOR FOURTEEN MONTHS and then you know RESURRECTED AND IMMEDIATELY HAD TO SAVE THE MULTIVERSE oh yeah not to mention WAS REUNITED WITH THEN HAD TO TELL CHAKOTAY GOODBYE FOREVER A FEW HOURS LATER then oh wait THE MAN SHE LOVES WAS ALSO BROUGHT BACK FROM THE DEAD (or the brink of death, whatever.)

There’s a short and sweet goodbye scene then for the bulk of the book Janeway is back on Earth going to counseling (which, that second counseling scene was so great, and seeing her slow down and enjoy life with her mother was so great, and um also that scene with her and Picard? Wow. Just Wow. Also I can’t wait to go back and read some TNG books because I need to see JL/B actually get together.) And the entire time she’s just like... not even doubting her relationship with Chakotay even a little. She thinks of him and is excited to be reunited but every time it’s like “the man I love” “The person I plan on spending the rest of my life with” and even “the love of my life.” WOW. Just Wow. Chakotay worries a bit but never doubts.

Oh and then she basically tells her commanding officer “yeah um, thanks but I absolutely have no plans on curbing my relationship with Chakotay to make you feel more comfortable. Also JL/B and Riker/Troi are all married so fuck you?” She does agree to keep separate quarters on another ship which is like.. fine... whatever. But also her going “Yes he’s my subordinate but we’re not going to let that affect our working relationship, we’re adults.” Fuck. Yeah. Montgomery asks if they’re gonna get married and Janeway is all “IDK, probably? We’ll let you know.”

And B’Elanna asks Chakotay the same thing and his answer is also basically “Yeah at some point, we haven’t talked about it yet but yeah we’re spending the rest of our lives together now stop prodding me.”

Their reunion when she returns doesn’t go as planned and it’s a teensy bit worrisome at the end but with notes of positivity.

OK I’m only about 1/3rd into Acts of Contrition but I got to a part last night that made me put the book down for a minute and thank Kirsten Beyer out loud.

J/C finally get to spend some time alone several days after she makes it back to the fleet in the Delta Quadrant. They have a brief discussion about The Plot, then Chakotay is like “Know what? We’ll talk about The Plot Stuff tomorrow in the briefing. Let’s instead talk about us.” And then he stands up for what he wants! And Janeway listens, and they talk, and agree! And then Chakotay is like “Okay, now I really want to hear about what happened to you back on Earth for all those weeks!” So... literally they just... sit and talk for several hours like, I don’t know, real people would? There’s no drama! And they both affirm their commitment to each other and their relationship!

It’s just... it’s... so good? Their relationship is so solid! They LOVE EACH OTHER and it’s based on their solid friendship (something else they actually say out loud!) and they talk to each other and there’s no like drama for drama’s sake about their relationship so far and it’s like, better than even any fanfic I’ve ever read (and there’s some great fic out there for these two) because nearly every other character is also getting their screentime and character development (minus Tuvok -- who’s off with Riker and Troi on the Titan and Neelix isn’t around much -- though he’s spoken of and we see him a bit when they visit New Talax). Also it’s... beta canon. No matter what, this is real and accepted beta canon.

I have been going back and listening to all the episodes of the Literary Trek podcast episodes about these books, and for Eternal Tide and Protectors Beyer herself was on the podcast and listening to her talk about Chakotay and Janeway both individually and as a couple her love for them both is clear, she loves the show and knows what she’s doing and is allowed to do it, and her writing is so damn good. One of the hosts of the podcast has said in several episodes that he used to really dislike Chakotay as he was in the show and now book Chakotay is one of his favorite characters. And honestly? I do love show Chakotay but book Chakotay is... everything show Chakotay should have been. But he’s also been through hell and back and I love how Beyer used that experience -- and now Janeway’s resurrection experience -- to advance them BOTH individually and how that’s affected them as a couple now that they actually get to be that.

There’s so much other good in these books. Tom and B’Elanna’s storyline and the way she writes them and their marriage... I could write so much about it. Harry gets better characterization! A plotline! A promotion! A love interest that may actually work out?!!? We’ll see. And SEVEN. Wow. So much happens with Seven and it’s so great, I love her so much and Book Seven is again, even better.

Two more books have come out since the last time I read the series and the final book comes out next month, I can’t wait to see all the great moments Beyer has coming up for them. It also makes me twice as happy that Beyer is so involved with Picard. It’s so clear the love she has for these two and I can’t imagine J/C not still being Alpha canon with her involved.

#star trek #voyager #janeway x chakotay #kathryn janeway #chakotay #Kirsten beyer #annakie's misc stuff

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misscrawfords · 5 years

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Rose! How do you feel about Emma and its various adaptations?

Sorry for the delay in answering - blame the school trip!

I love Emma. I wrote my dissertation partly on it (also on Northanger Abbey, Rob Roy and St Ronan’s Well) and while I loved it before I loved it even more after studying it. All of Austen’s novels are extremely well plotted, but Emma might just be the best. It’s like a detective novel in that respect (and has been described as such on multiple occasions) because you can pick up on clues to what’s really going on all the way through but on a first read, you don’t see them. Miss Bates unintentionally reveals details that can be explained by Frank and Jane’s secret relationship but they are hidden in her verbal overloading. Emma’s own thoughts betray her unknown interest in Mr. Knightley, and his actions point to his love for Emma. And so on.

Jane Austen is also being radical in her use of literary conventions and genre in Emma (as she is in basically all her novels). She has the tightest mystery plot ever written at this point hidden directly inside a novel that sticks strictly to the conventions of romantic comedy. She even goes overboard with it - successfully navigating three couples to appropriate happy endings. However, within that solid structure, she plays with expectations and conventions in a subtle way and this is where I get really excited.

First we have Emma herself, a heroine “nobody but myself will like”. Austen clearly loved questioning and pushing conventions of who was allowed to be a heroine. Her previous novel, Mansfield Park, gave us Fanny who most people at the time found disappointing after Elizabeth Bennet and modern readers (unjustly IMO) hate, and she followed Emma with Anne Elliot who was far too old to be a romantic heroine according to contemporary standards. In the middle we have Emma Woodhouse, a meddling snob. She’s got a lot in common with Mr. Darcy actually and her character development in terms of recognising the bad behaviour she is guilty of and the prejudice she feels towards those of a lower social status is pretty similar. But while Darcy and his character development is held up as beautiful and heroic and romantic, Emma is frequently condemned as dislikable. I do wonder why that could be… Personally, I love Emma. She’s clever and shrewd and funny and, honestly, is there anyone who doesn’t think Miss Bates is annoying and doesn’t want to throw a tantrum at the prospect of being upstaged by Mrs. Elton? Are you, dear reader, such a paragon of rational enlightenment and charitable feeling? Would you instantly see through Frank Churchill and resist his flirtations? Would you be best friends with Jane Fairfax and not be just a little bit jealous of her and how much Mr. Knightley everyone seems to admire her? Have you never said something cutting and regretted it? Are you perfect, reader, ARE YOU? Come on. Emma is one of us. She messes up, she judges badly, she says cringeworthy stuff in inappropriate situations, she gives bad advice - she’s human. And she deals with it without losing her positive outlook and she does grow, enough to “deserve” her happy ending (though that’s a loaded concept) but not so much it’s unrealistic. And what makes her likeable through it all are that her intentions are good. Emma is not a bad person who has to become good and “be redeemed”. She is a fundamentally warm and caring person who needs to have some bad habits of thought and action corrected by guidance and experience. Emma’s intentions and understanding are good from the beginning.

Emma’s also interesting because, yes, she does change, but if you put her in the context of the genre she inhabits, she also gets to keep a lot. Basically, in another novel, Emma would have to pay significant penance for her bad behaviour before she would be allowed to marry Mr. Knightley and she would have to prove that she is a changed woman and is absolutely not going to continue meddling and will be a good and submissive wife. Usually this also involves giving up the dangerous reading of novels which have led her astray. Several points. Firstly, Emma is not a novel reader, she is a novel writer. Emma is described by various critics as “an avatar of Austen the author” and if you read the novel through the prism of Emma being an author, things become really fascinating. Beautiful, illegitimate Harriet Smith is the heroine of Emma’s novel and obviously Emma-as-author wants to discover that she is really the long lost daughter of Somebody and give her a socially advantageous marriage. Emma’s matchmaking attempts are the workings of a novelist plotting with characters. Emma is creating her own world. This is radical stuff, in a society where female novelists were looked down upon. Emma has the means and independence and cleverness to write a story of her own - and she is comically bad at it. This is one way in which Austen plays with genre. Secondly, it is not at all clear that Emma does give up her matchmaking at the end of the novel. Austen is coy when she floats this suggestion about Mrs. Weston’s daughter: “[Emma] would not acknowledge that it was with any view of making a match for her, hereafter, with either of Isabella’s sons”. Does this suggest that maybe Emma isn’t as cured as she should be? Thanks to Austen’s levels of irony it’s impossible to tell, which is the point. Thirdly, Emma is the only Austen heroine to have real financial and social clout. Emma really does rule Highbury and at the end of the novel, instead of being subsumed into her husband’s world, he in fact moves in with her (however temporarily). This is practically the Regency equivalent of her keeping her name after marriage. She and Mr. Knightley are social equals and she does not leave her home or her sphere of influence when she marries. The only other heroine this would be true of is, interestingly enough, Fanny Price. But Mansfield Park is notoriously inward looking and Fanny’s ending allows her to truly become a Bertram which is what she wanted all along for better or worse. And Fanny and Edmund’s social status and influence are much less significant that Knightley and Emma’s are.

Something else to bear in mind when thinking about Emma’s character is that, despite her social power and wealth, she also lives an extremely confined and limited life. She is essentially a carer for her stultifying and claustrophobic father. She has never left the environs of Highbury. She is surrounded by people who jump to her every command and shower her in praise, both deserved and undeserved. The only person who criticises her is also in love with her. The only eligible men in her world before the arrival of Frank Churchill are her brother-in-law who is 16 years older than her, and the obsequious vicar. Yes, she can remain a spinster but even a rich spinster cannot maintain the sort of power she currently holds when faced with a married woman like Mrs. Elton (who is a real threat to her), but her alternatives are bleak. A woman of her rank and fortune should be having a London season and meeting other young people of her rank and forming external connections. Because of her father’s passive control over her, Emma has none of these opportunities. Even Fanny Price travels more and meets more people than Emma does. Yes, Emma Woodhouse is handsome, rich and clever and has had very little to vex her, but I suspect that is probably Emma’s own view of her life and it is not necessarily accurate.

Okay, this post is already far too long so I’ll end my discussion of the novel here. There’s also a lot that could be said about Jane and Frank, Emma and Mr. Knightley’s relationship and more, but Emma is clearly the most important and, honestly, the most in need of defence!

Onto the adaptations, and I’ll try to be brief:

1. The Gwyneth Paltrow film. Jeremy Northan is divine though his hair could be better and he’s not my favourite Mr. Knightley, even if I do have a massive crush on JN. Harriet Smith is a not particularly attractive redhead which is… weird. Frank Churchill is Ewan McGregor but he has appalling hair so IDK what was going on there - such a missed opportunity. Gwyneth Paltrow as Emma is a casting disgrace and I honestly can’t bear to watch this film because every time she is on screen I cringe. The producers were more interested in the aesthetic than making a good adaptation. My grandma hated it. Enough said.

2. The Kate Beckinsale film. Honestly, I don’t dislike anything about this except that I wish it were a mini-series and the proposal scene is a bit… eh. But I think it manages to stay true to the book in a feature film and I love Kate Beckinsale’s Emma. She has the right mix of liveliness and arrogance for me. Mark Strong is a stern Mr. Knightley but he’s not too handsome. Frank Churchill is perfect in this adaptation. Controversially, this is my favourite period adaptation.

3. The Romola Garai miniseries. I love lots about this mainly because the length allows everything to be expanded suitably. Johnny Lee Miller is the best Knightley by far. The Eltons are fabulous. Frank and Jane’s relationship gets more time dedicated to it. The Westons and Bateses are great. Harriet Smith is dumbed down too much - she’s naive and not too bright but this adaptation makes her practically an idiot, almost as much a disservice as the 2005 P&P film’s character assassination of Bingley, though physically the actress is perfect and she’s very likeable. And I really do appreciate what they were trying to do with Emma. It was clearly an informed choice to make her bubbly and often silly and a chosen interpretation of the text and I respect that - better that than wilful misinterpretation which some adaptations go in for. I fundamentally disagree with it - whatever her faults, I don’t think Emma is silly and giggly and I struggle to believe this Emma is a 21 year old woman secure in her position as a social leader. Her mannerisms often come across very modern - her little waves, giggles and posture and this is very irritating because Romola Garai has done some fantastic period acting (Daniel Deronda, The Hour etc.) and these mannerisms aren’t consistent across the cast. I love Romola Garai and I think it’s an interesting choice of direction, but not one that rings true to how I see the character though.

4. Clueless. Clearly the best adaptation of Emma ever made. We all know it.

5. Emma Approved. Only seen a bit of it and didn’t warm to it. Should probably give it another go. Why did they change Knightley’s name to Alex? What the hell is wrong with George!?!?

Anyway, here are my thoughts on Emma. Hope they’re at least somewhat interesting. There is nothing I like better than rambling on about Jane Austen! :-) Thank you for giving me the opportunity!

#Emma #Jane Austen #Emma Woodhouse #literature #books

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missstormcaller · 5 years

Text

BLEACH JET Artbook Talk Vol 1 - Translation (Q1-15)

ABOUT BLEACH

Talk 2>>

This section exhibits new information never before explored in the original work through an assembly of questions which address several characters that appear in "BLEACH" as well as its grand scale world building.

In preparation of conducting this lengthy interview, we invited fans from all over the world to tell us what they "want Tite Kubo sensei to talk about", 51 questions, which were carefully selected from among a pool of over 1000 submissions sent in every language, were divided into 5 categories and discussed.

Q.1: At the end of volume 1, it is stated in his character introduction that "William Shakespeare" is a person Ichigo respects, but is there any particular reason why?

Kubo: Well, as for a particular reason… (laughs). I simply like him that's all. However, if you were to ask me whether I was an avid reader of his works to the point of calling them my favourites, I'd say that isn't really the case, it's more of an appreciation for the dialogue rather than a fondness of the tale itself, there's many pieces of dialogue I like. —— J: Have you ever put them to use within 'BLEACH'? Kubo: I believe I have not used them, but there are many lines that have stuck with me for a long time. —— J: What sort of lines? Kubo: Let's see, I suppose it was lines like the one in "The Merchant of Venice". One of the first lines I remember well is "Beshrew your eyes, they have o'erlooked me and divided me. One half of me is yours, the other half yours", that sort of thing…. —— J: I'm sure there are aspects of 'BLEACH' where the mood of this dialogue may be somewhat applicable. Kubo: The first time around you're made to think “maybe it's like this?” then after it's flipped around with dialogue that has an opposite meaning. The sort of impression that is left on you with the same words repeating itself a second time is one that takes great skill.

—— J: I see. This is information you're revealing for this first time is it not? Kubo: That's right. Though, I think it probably goes without saying.

—— J: But when they hear something like that, I think the audience will also try reading Shakespeare. They may come to think something like “he habitually adopts that sort of dialogue based viewpoint”, details like this is exciting news for readers.

Q.2: In the novel "WE DO knot ALWAYS LOVE YOU", there is a description which mentions that Uryū is at medical school and Ichigo is also said to be attending university, but does Ichigo study a general university course?

Kubo: Yes he does. Though I didn't specifically depict it within the story, based on the setup, I feel he would be studying English literature.

—— J: There's speculation among other questions too that perhaps Ichigo had gone on to study medicine.

Kubo: Of course. I felt it's probably expected that he would become a doctor. But I considered "how would it be if Uryū and Ichigo both became doctors?" I said perhaps it's better to let Ichigo take his own path.

—— J: So no one will be taking over the Kurosaki clinic?

Kubo: It won't be changing hands. Their old man is still there! He runs it by himself (laughs).

—— J: Maybe someday Yuzu and Karin will?

Kubo: It's possible that they might inherit the clinic in the future.

—— J: That will rapidly expand the horizons of our imagination!

Q.3: When did Ichigo and Orihime start dating? Or from which point in time did Ichigo start to like Orihime romantically in the first place? I was elated to see that these two got married, so I wish to extend my gratitude for any details around this topic!

Kubo: With regard to these two, they were about to start a dating relationship when Ichigo was a university student, they formally started dating after they both became working adults. However, given that bleach is not a romance manga, the romance is drawn purely as a supplementary component. That's why I won't go into too much detail about other characters too, nevertheless, it makes me happy if I can catch the reader's attention through its portrayal.

—— J: Do you hope that readers will form their own visions through the spatial senses that was portrayed between fellow characters?

Kubo: Yes, exactly. I think making speculations about that aspect is probably the fun part.

Q.4: After "Shiba Isshin" became "Kurosaki Isshin", did he ever reunite with Hitsugaya and Rangiku?

Kubo: Since becoming "Kurosaki Isshin", Hitsugaya and co. happened to catch sight of him when they arrived with the advance party. Then, it was established within the framework of the original story that the pair recognise him in that moment. It's because he had noticed Isshin's presence, that Hitsugaya came to the World of the Living together with other squad members in the final stages of the Lost Substitute Shinigami arc, as well as then uttering the line "I'm glad that guy [Ichigo] was the next substitute shinigami."

—— J: Did both sides harbour a somewhat 'nostalgic' sentiment at the time?

Kubo: I'd say that must have been the case. I mean, they did come to Ichigo's home after all (laughs).

—— J: Is it also possible they caught sight of him while hiding in Ichigo's room?

Kubo: They must have caught sight of him somewhere. They would absolutely notice him.

—— J: Did they intentionally avoid stepping foot into his life?

Kubo: That's right. Because it is the case that Isshin was going about his daily life whilst concealing his true identity, Hitsugaya and Rangiku are the type to think "it's better not to touch upon the matter", and also because Isshin himself was no longer captain, for him to make contact like "it's me, your former captain!", He'd be one to believe that it would do the pair more harm than good.

—— J: I'm going to get a complex array of feelings when rereading the story after learning that they were feigning ignorance with each other.

Kubo: If I remember correctly, there were proposals seeking to bring them into contact one time in an anime side story or something like that, but I hadn't drawn it in the original work, until he reveals his true identity Isshin isn't the type to initiate contact to begin with, so I had a discussion and ultimately told them to abandon the idea.

Q.5: What was Rukia's family name before she was adopted into the Kuchiki clan?

Kubo: During her time in Rukongai, she didn't have a family name!

Q.6: Could you please tell us about Kazui and Ichika's profiles and their theme songs? Would you also be able to tell us if there was anything you paid special attention to, or were particular about when you were still in the process of creating these two?

Abarai Ichika

Birthday: 10/28

Favourite thing: My dad

Dislikes: Monsters

Theme song: → Pia-no-jaC ← "Typhoon"

Kurosaki Kazui

Birthday: 4/29

Favourite thing: Hoodie

Dislikes: None

Theme song: Schroeder-Headz "Newdays"

Kubo: Their Zanpakutōs are a secret. There isn't a particular aspect I paid extra attention to when creating the two, but if I had to choose I'd say it was blending elements of both parents in a balanced manner. —— J: You mean a balance appearance-wise? Kubo: Both in terms of outward appearance and inner character, I considered things like "which elements out of the two parents would be more interesting to amplify?" I flipped around the personalities and genders for both. —— J: Kazui certainly does seem to take after Orihime, there's that easygoing aura about him. Kubo: At a glance his hair colour is that of Ichigo's, but his facial features come from Orihime. —— J: And Ichika seems to take after Renji. So then, does that mean the opposite pattern was also a possibility? Kubo: That's correct. If they had a girl, in all likelihood she would have a personality resembling Ichigo with hair that resembles Orihime. —— J: A boy that takes after Rukia too? I reckon that in itself is something we'd like to catch a little glimpse of. Kubo: The opposite would have been interesting too. However, with regard to Ichika, I had decided upon making her a certain way from the very beginning. In the first animated movie "Memories of Nobody" the female character Senna is introduced, but this girl herself was originally designed with the mental image of Renji and Rukia's child in mind. She is depicted as an ordinary human girl within the story, however, during the design stage, my intention was to design her as the child of Rukia and Renji from a parallel universe. Her colouring is different from Ichika's though. —— J: When you compare the two they certainly do look similar. Kubo: Senna has Rukia's hair colour. Ichika was made with this sort of design as the base. —— J: When Ichika was first introduced, people did note that there was a similar feel to Senna. Kubo: They were originally based on the same concept after all. —— J: Amazing, that's a real inside story.

Q.7: I would like to enquire about the sort of ideas you envisioned around the battle scene between Zaraki and Unohana.

Kubo: It's one of those scenes I've been planning to draw for a long time. That Unohana was the first Kenpachi is something I decided from very early days, I was always thinking “for how long should I keep it a secret?” and “how do I handle its reveal?”

—— J: Did you decide on it from the point of her first appearance?

Kubo: That is so. It was decided from the very onset that the design of Unohana's hairstyle, was also for the purpose of concealing the scar on her chest.

—— J: In the captains' introductions from "KaraBuri+", Unohana was said to have the same combat efficiency as Genryūsai, so at the time I thought "how the hell is this person so strong!" I said to myself "there's definitely something more to this, I wonder what it is?"

Kubo: Just to be on the safe side, when her hair is tied back in my drawings, I never had her facing towards the audience. I would make her turn to show her side profile or have her back turned, and that way the scar remained hidden.

Q.8: How was the idea to deck Kurotsuchi Mayuri out with ultra-distinct makeup and accessories born? Was there something that inspired you to do so?

Kubo: Originally Mayuri's face makeup came to be designed in such a way because I liked Marilyn Manson back in those days.

—— J: Ah~! I see!

Kubo: However, I didn't want to do it exactly the same, so I altered the effect of the makeup. That was all I needed to change the impression by a considerable amount.

—— J: That makes a lot of sense!

Kubo: Since Marylin Manson's makeup is unique, if I had left it untouched, people would end up saying "it's literally Manson!" (Laughs)

—— J: Mayuri had the most variation in costume did he not?

Kubo: That's right. It's fun getting to do that (laughs). I think it was probably around the time of the last chapter, but I couldn't make up my mind about his design, so I got my niece to chose for me. When my niece was still one or two years old, I was making a new series of designs at the family home, I placed them side by side in front my niece and got her to pick one out saying "which one do you like?"

—— J: (Laughs). The other contenders for Mayuri's attire at the time, are now recorded in the booklet [included with JET.]

Kubo: That is probably the only time I was so troubled by his design.

Q.9: I started reading bleach, and when I realised it, I had already become of marriageable age. Come to think of it, what's the marriage situation like for the old-timers among the captains?

Kubo: Now that you mention it, I've never given it any thought.

—— J: That Byakuya was forthright about being married among other things, and for a cool/good-looking character of that sort found in manga to actually be married, it's surprisingly a rare sight.

Kubo: I guess I do get the feeling that they could all be married, but that sort of ambiance doesn't seem to apply to the captains all too much…. Even so, I'd feel sorry if someone like Genryūsai, for instance, wasn't married (laughs).

—— J: Would their children come into contact with Kazui and Ichika?

Kubo: The thought of perhaps a son belonging to Genryūsai sounds like a rather interesting topic to explore. I reckon he'd be quite formidable.

Q.10: Who is the lieutenant of squad 13 which is captained by Rukia ten years later? I wonder if by some chance Renji had transferred from squad 6 to squad 13?

Kubo: Since there's an impression that the appointment of a vice captain is on hold, I suppose you could say it's Sentarō and Kiyone. It's just that I have not yet depicted that scenario, what am I to do… whether one likes it or not, If some other person was to become vice captain out of the blue, it would be a lonely affair, and I think it's best that those two individuals undertake the responsibility for Ukitake's sake as well as Rukia's.

—— J: It seems that by successfully inheriting the final wishes of the deceased Kaien and Ukitake, the pair are fully dedicated to assisting Rukia.

Q.11: I wonder if the Arrancars continue to do battle as unchanged as before, even after ten years?

Kubo: Hollows in Hueco Mundo cannot survive unless they continue eating, that being the case I think they're still locked in a struggle for existence, but… what about a power struggle you ask? Harribel has become leader you know.

—— J: Given that they're being governed for now, do you feel there's not as much brutality as before?

Kubo: They are gradually being made to come under control, I mean perhaps by some chance they are in the process of constructing a system whereby Hollows are able to constantly absorb soul matter.

—— J: In Ryōgo Narita's novels, Harribel and Nelliel have both become leading figures.

Kubo: It's great that those two are leaders! And both of them are voluptuous too (laughs)!

—— J: Hueco Mundo will become awfully peaceful now won't it (laughs).

Q.12: It seems Kubo sensei takes such a liking to Mayuri to the point of even cosplaying him, but if there is anything regarding the Shinigami Research and Development Institute which didn't appear through the setup in the original story, I would like for sensei to reveal it for us. I believe they're fairly involved in events that occur behind the scenes in Soul Society which were brought to light in the novels.

Kubo: They perform a variety of tasks in the background, I wonder if "performing tasks" answers your question (laughs).

—— J: Are they still secretly conducting human experimentation or something?

Kubo: Mayuri doesn't consider human experimentation a bad thing to begin with.

—— J: Some people also are also eager to learn "why Mayuri was imprisoned" when Urahara entered the Nest of Maggots.

Kubo: Now that were on the subject, It seems I didn't get to address that area.

—— J: He was the only individual to be kept behind a sturdy cage. Could this mean for example, that he was arrested on the assumption that he should be locked up in order to prevent the spread of any further harm due to his carrying out one too many danger fueled experiments.

Kubo: I won't go into detail here, but it's something like that. Mayuri isn't the type that goes "I will overthrow Soul Society!" after all.

—— J: It appears to be nothing more than the result of going too far with his intellectual curiosity.

Kubo: There's no criteria as to whether or not Mayuri is "going overboard". He has a sense of values when it comes to 'good and evil', but his standards of 'good and evil' differ dramatically from others anyway….

—— J: I get the impression that if it weren't for Akon, squad 12 would be quite capable of proceeding in a risky direction.

Kubo: You're right about that. Akon has just about become the perfect stopping mechanism.

—— J: That must come with great difficulty right? (Laughs)

Kubo: There's a lovable side to Akon when he's taking on trouble.

Q.13: Are the birthdays belonging to the Arrancars and Shinigami of "BLEACH" also the anniversary of the day they passed away as human beings?

Kubo: I puzzled over this a fair amount. Should it be the moment in time they were born, or the moment they died…? Since pure-blooded Shinigami came to be born as a Shinigami from Shinigami parents to begin with, their case differs from that of humans. Conversely, Rukongai citizens were born as humans and still retain their memories when they go to Rukongai…. And that was how the stage was set for Shibata wasn't it?

—— J: Yes it's like that.

Kubo: Their memories will gradually fade, that's how it seems.

—— J: It would feel rather odd if Shibata's birthday was the anniversary of his death despite the fact that he surely retains his memories.

Kubo: Thus, the birthdays of pure Shinigami or Arrancar indicate the point at which they came into being. As for Rukongai citizens, their birthdays indicate the day they were born as a human being.

Q.14: I'm curious about the economic activities of the Shinigami! I would like to ask if you have any such details regarding the sort of purchases they made after receiving a pay rise and so on. I'd especially like to know how Soifon put her starting salary to use.

Kubo: I think her initial salary was used to purchase something for Yoruichi (laughs).

—— J: After she became a captain, what would her affluence have looked like when speaking in terms of human society.

Kubo: The captains' chambers that are supplied is like a home in the first place, and the salary itself is also a fine amount of income. If we're speaking in terms of the Yen, a captain's initial salary is around ¥2,000,000 per month, from there a raise is issued through each fiscal year and a performance based merit system.

—— J: It was noted that Renji also has something of a hobby collecting high-end goggles.

Kubo: There's a general impression among vice captains that they don't earn very much, but their salaries still start from ¥700,000 per month. Hisagi for instance, undertakes responsibilities such as editor-in-chief of “Seireitei Communication”, so he also earns a salary from that. It seems he uses up a considerable amount of his money.

—— J: On buying things like guitars huh.

Kubo: In any case, when you become a captain, you even get an executive allowance and thus a steep increase in earnings.

—— J: Do ordinary squad members take home enough to support their families?

Kubo: It's tough because a new recruit earns just under ¥200,000, however, once they begin to climb the ranks little by little and earn a seated position, they can afford to do so.

Q.15: What did you consider the most challenging aspect while in the process of constructing the story of "BLEACH"?

Kubo: The most challenging aspect, was the deadlines I had every week! I had no difficulties with the drawing phase however.

Translator’s notes:

Ichika does indeed refer to her dad as “Tōsama” (All those Japanese fan arts became true it seems.)

In case my translation isn’t clear enough, Kubo isn’t saying Sentarō and Kiyone are the vice captains of Squad 13, but rather they handle the vice captain duties. And even with Kiyone as squad 4 vice captain, we know it’s possible to undertake duties from other squads, in WDkALY Nanao was able to handle squad 8 vice captain duties in addition to her own because Okikiba takes a share of squad 1′s vc duties. With Sentarō taking a share, Kiyone should be able to manage the load from squad 13 (she seemed pretty good at paperwork in WDkALY... if she has sugary stuff!)

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douxreviews · 5 years

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Pride and Prejudice - ‘Episode 4′ Review

“Perhaps the beauty of the house renders its owner a little less repulsive, Lizzy.” “Yes, perhaps. Perhaps a very little.”

In which Darcy writes a letter, Lydia leaves for Brighton, Elizabeth takes a trip, and Darcy goes for a swim. Contains spoilers.

Episode 4 is my absolute favorite episode of the series and it’s not because of the infamous lake scene. Well, it’s not just because of the lake scene.

We begin with Darcy’s letter. This miniseries is the only version of Pride and Prejudice that I’m aware of to show the contents of the letter being acted out and not just read in voice over. I think it adds a lot. We get to see Wickham and Georgiana together which enforces the creepiness of his pursuit of her. He’s at least ten years older than her and it’s just gross that he would attempt to seduce a child for her money. We also see shots of Wickham and Darcy at Cambridge. I really like this little inclusion. Wickham’s actions towards the Darcys might have been explained by need or greed, but the scene at Cambridge helps make it clear that Wickham is just not a good guy and there’s really no excuse for him.

We also flashback to Jane and Bingley. Charlotte’s words of warning to Lizzy regarding Jane’s reserve prove themselves true. Darcy believed Jane was not in love because she did not seem to be in love. I’ve always found this a weak justification. Darcy disdains the other members of Lizzy’s family because they are too open and too loud with their opinions. Now it turns out he ruined Jane’s happiness because she was too closed off and too quiet about her opinions. Pick a side, Darcy. In addition, Darcy explains away his coldness by saying that he is (for lack of a better word) shy around strangers. Isn’t Jane just exhibiting similar shyness with Bingley?

Although Lizzy has clearly been crushing on Darcy for awhile (whether she admits it to herself or not), this episode is the one where she really starts to fall for him. It’s ironic, considering we begin the episode with her disliking Darcy as much as possible. The entire episode is about Lizzy softening to the idea of Darcy. His letter gets the ball rolling. He does little to acquit himself of wrongdoing in Jane’s case, but at least manages to explain away Wickham’s intense hatred. I like to think he partly wrote the letter to Elizabeth to warn her away from Wickham. It’s more than just pride that inspires him to set her straight, that’s for sure.

Furthering Darcy’s cause for him is his house mansion estate palace whatever you’d call that place and his effusive housekeeper. Yes, Pemberley does make Lizzy like Darcy a bit more, but I refuse to believe it’s in a mercenary way. It’s the little things that do it. For instance, Darcy still displays a miniature of Wickham, a man he absolutely detests, in what was his father’s favorite room out of respect. The furnishings of Pemberley also speak well for Darcy. While everything is beautiful and (one imagines) expensive, his taste seems to lack the gaudiness of his aunt’s. Perhaps he is not so obsessed with rank and fortune as Elizabeth thought.

Then there’s the housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds. She unknowingly does her master a great service by talking him up incessantly to a complete stranger. Elizabeth gets insight into Darcy’s character that has heretofore been unavailable to her. He dotes on his little sister, he’s been good-tempered since childhood, and he’s an excellent landlord and a generous master. Glowing praise, indeed.

Following this barrage on Lizzy’s dislike of Darcy comes the man himself. My favorite scene in the series (aside from the aforementioned lake scene) is when a sopping wet Darcy is surprised by the woman who very recently rejected his proposal of marriage and his awkward politeness to her. He is so shocked, he does not have the time to assemble his familiar shield of haughtiness and pride. It is the most genuine Darcy that Elizabeth (or the audience) has yet to see. He remembers his manners, asking her where she was staying and how her family is (twice) but is thoroughly unable to remember that her “condition in life is so decidedly below [his] own.” As a result, Elizabeth’s opinion of Darcy, already softened, is raised considerably.

Lizzy is clearly thrown by Darcy’s good manners at Pemberley and tries to goad him into being his ‘usual’ proud and disdainful self by introducing her aunt and uncle to him as her relatives from Cheapside. She is disappointed however, as Darcy behaves perfectly. Not a flicker of surprise or arrogance crosses his face upon learning the Gardiners’ situation and he expresses interest in Mr. Gardiner and invites him to fish in his trout stream. He is still not as affable or open as, for instance, Mr. Bingley (who could be?) but Darcy at home is a completely different animal than Darcy abroad.

The episode ends with the tenderest moment we’ve had between our romantic leads, in which he asks her to meet his sister. This is quite the compliment. Girls of Georgiana’s rank and age were often kept sheltered from all but the closest family acquaintances. Georgiana’s case is likely more exaggerated because of her recent attempted elopement.

In addition to Elizabeth and Darcy, this episode begins to feature Lydia more than previous episodes, with good reason. She is soon to become a rather important character. Whiny, petty, spoiled, and silly, it is a wonder someone as respectable sounding as Mrs. Forster would want her to accompany her to Brighton. Then of course, we see Mrs. Forster (who looks about 15). She seems just as silly as her friend. This is the woman the Bennets entrust the welfare of their daughter to.

Mr. Bennet’s character is clearly communicated in his allowing Lydia to go to Brighton. His conversation with Lizzy is very telling. He knows that Lydia will make a fool of herself and of the family, but cannot be bothered to prevent it. He wants peace in his home, whatever the price and he consoles his favorite daughter by telling her that her and Jane’s good manners in general counteract the silliness of her sisters. While Mr. Bennet’s quick wit and sarcastic quips make him a favorite character, it cannot be denied that he is a neglectful parent. He is lazy and selfish and would much rather sit in his library than go to any trouble for the benefit of his family.

Historical Context:

Darcy hand delivers his letter to Elizabeth because correspondence between two unmarried persons was considered highly improper. In Sense and Sensibility, several people assume that two characters are engaged simply because they openly write to each other.

Georgiana Darcy’s dowry of £30,000 was a huge sum of money and one of the largest dowries in Austen.

Lady Catherine seems surprised that Mr. Gardiner “keeps a manservant.” Male servants were not only paid more, the government had levied a tax on the employment of a male servant. Therefore being able to afford a male servant was a sign of affluence.

As the Bennet ladies discuss the possibility of going to Brighton, they seem very desirous to go ‘sea-bathing.’ Swimming in the ocean was a recent fashion and believed to be extremely beneficial to one’s health.

Bits & Pieces:

Of all of Austen’s novels, Pride and Prejudice is the one that features the most travel. Lizzy goes to Kent, Jane goes to London, Lydia goes to Brighton, Lizzy goes to Derbyshire, Lydia goes to London. This is because Austen had originally intended the novel to be in an epistolary format. I’m very, very glad she went a different direction. I find epistolary novels (particularly from this time period) incredibly tiresome. And, yes, that was directed at you, Samuel Richardson.

The actress who plays Mrs. Gardiner is the real life mother of the actress who plays Georgiana Darcy.

Favorite Moments:

Maria repacking her trunks according to Lady Catherine’s instructions.

Mr. Collins’s feeble attempts to make Lizzy regret not marrying him.

Lydia meeting Lizzy and Maria on their way home. She “treats” them all to a nice meal via their own money as she’s spent all her own on a hat she didn’t really like. How very Lydia.

The fencing scene, particularly the line “I shall conquer this! I shall!”

Lizzy’s first glimpse of Pemberley.

The lake scene, obviously.

Awkward, wet Darcy (Colin Firth has never been more adorable).

Pretty much everything that happens in Derbyshire, now that I think about it.

sunbunny

#Pride and Prejudice #Jane Austen #Elizabeth Bennet #Fitzwilliam Darcy #Pride and Prejudice Reviews #Doux Reviews #TV Reviews #something from the archive

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worldssmallestbookclub · 7 years

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Lady Audley’s Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon

When beautiful young Lucy Graham accepts the hand of Sir Michael Audley, her fortune and her future look secure. But Lady Audley’s past is shrouded in mystery, and Sir Michael’s nephew Robert has vague forebodings. When Robert’s good friend George Talboys suddenly disappears, he is determined to find him, and to unearth the truth. His quest reveals a tangled story of lies and deception, crime and intrigue, whose sensational twists turn the conventional picture of Victorian womanhood on its head. Can Robert’s darkest suspicions really be true? A publishing sensation in its day, Lady Audley’s Secret is a thrilling novel of deception and villainy in which the golden-haired heroine is not at all what she seems.

My friend and I had the most fantastic time reading this book! For me, it was a reread, since it was one of the novels covered in a Jane Eyre and Revision course I took in college, while for my friend it was a new adventure. Lady Audley’s Secret offers plenty of mystery and suspense, along with wonderfully sly depictions of class and gender inequality in Victorian England during the time. It also moves at a relatively fast past with lively prose, for those of you who may have bad past experiences with Victorian literature. If you are a fan of sordid pasts, incompetent detectives, and vicious battles of wits, then this is the book for you!

Discussion questions below the cut!

Although the Cinderella fantasy is quite common in literature or everyday speculation, we often seem to revile those who only say yes to a man for the sake of his money. Yet, when Sir Michael proposes to Lady Audley, he himself says, “I dare say I am a romantic old fool; but if you do not dislike me, and if you do not love any one else, I see no reason why we should not make a very happy couple. Is it a bargain, Lucy?” (11). Why do you think we judge women who marry for money so harshly? Consider marriage’s origins in Western culture as an exchange of property (with women intended to be a passive object in this exchange). What does marriage mean to you today? For what reasons would you consider marrying someone?

As Lady Audley describes her youth to her husband and Robert Audley, she talks about her early life in poverty and says, “So you see that at a very early age I found out what it was to be poor” (348). She explains to them, “You and your nephew, Sir Michael, have been rich all your lives, and can very well afford to despise me; but I knew how far poverty can affect a life, and I looked forward with a sick terror to a life so affected” (351). Consider the concept of marriage for love as a fiction created by upper class men. Would you agree or disagree with that concept? Why?

When Robert Audley is speaking to Miss Tonks, she describes Lady Audley as “only ornamental; a person to be shown off to visitors, and to play fantasias on the drawing-room piano” and not at all “useful” (236). If Lady Audley’s only worth is in being ornamental, who values her most? Is her ornamental worth also tied to her class? Consider Robert Audley who, one might argue, spends most of his life prior to this book being absolutely useless. Does he have any “worth”? Is he required to have any worth given his gender and social status?

Lady Audley’s Secret is an example of sensation fiction, the forerunner to detective novels. Mary Elizabeth Braddon was one of the more popular writers of sensation fiction, along with Wilkie Collins (who has a shout out in this book). Sensation fiction tended to focus on domestic dramas and often more feminine concerns. Robert Audley is, quite obviously, our detective character in this novel, and Lady Audley mocks him for it, saying, “You seem to have quite a taste for discussing these horrible subjects […] you ought to have been a detective police officer,” to which he replies that he believes he would have been a good one, “Because I am patient” (141). What do you feel makes a good detective in real life? How about a good detective in detective fiction? Do you think Robert Audley is a good detective? Why or why not?

The narrator occasionally describes Lady Audley and Robert Audley’s stand-off as a game of cards, with Robert having shown all his cards while she kept hers hidden (274), and Lady Audley not having thrown away a single card or trick she could have used to her advantage, ultimately losing only because Robert holds a more powerful hand (372). In this game, Lady Audley and Robert Audley are essentially fighting for the Audley inheritance – the wealth, the land, and the “stainless name” (378). Do you think this novel is approving or disapproving of the hierarchical class structure which has created this cutthroat game they’re playing? Who were you rooting for? Did you feel like changing sides at any point in the novel?

Lady Audley thinks to herself, “Have I ever been really wicked, I wonder? […] My worst wickednesses have been the result of wild impulses, and not of deeply-laid plots. I am not like the women I have read of, who have lain night after night in the horrible dark and stillness, planning out treacherous deeds, and arranging every circumstance of an appointed crime” (297). How do you yourself define “wickedness”? Would you consider Lady Audley wicked? If so, were there any actions in particular that made you decide this? If not, why? (You might also consider how our justice system makes a distinction between premeditated murder and a “crime of passion.”)

Do you think Lady Audley is truly mad as she claims on pg. 346? Why or why not? Do you think that Lady Audley truly believes she is mad? Why or why not?

Robert Audley has Lady Audley committed to a mental asylum in order to save his own family’s name from degradation. He tells himself this is a kindness toward Lady Audley, and that her committal to the asylum in Belgium is better than the public trial and possible execution she would have faced from English law. Do you agree with Robert Audley or do you feel that his actions were purely self-serving?

1851 marked the beginning of the official women’s movement in England with the Ladies of Langham Place and their debates focusing on women��s right to education and marriage rights. This novel was published in 1861 but set in 1857. Do you feel this novel is a critique of existing domestic ideology or is it an anxious critique of female uprising at the time? What in particular makes you feel one way or the other?

Male homosocial desire, as coined by Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, is a way of describing the desire men feel to have close social relationships (not just a friendship, but a “bond”) with other men within a patriarchal society. Homosocial desire is distinct from homosexual desire, and tends to be created by an inability to have close social relationships with men due to societal structures and conventions (often with strong currents of homophobia defining how men are and are not allowed to interact). (To conceptualize this, you might think of bromance and the idea that men need a phrase to describe a close male bond distinct from romantic love or casual friendship - a phrase which allows them to have a close male-male relationship while adamantly denying any possibility of homosexual desire.) Male homosocial desire in literature frequently takes the form of a triangle in which male homosocial desire is expressed through a female conduit – for instance, two men with romantic/sexual desire for the same woman or a man who pursues a romantic/sexual relationship with the female sibling of another man. Essentially, the female conduit allows one man to express his desire/fascination/interest for the other man without violating social mores. Robert Audley frequently comments on Clara Talboys’ similarity to her brother both in appearance and personality (202, 208), and ends the book in a perfect picture of domesticity living with both George and Clara in their fairy cottage. Clara is also an obvious foil to Lady Audley, being upper class and independently wealthy as well as all that is pure and good in Robert’s opinion. Do you think Lady Audley also provides a female conduit for Robert Audley’s homosocial desire for George Talboys? Why or why not? And if you do, why is Lady Audley punished in this role while Clara is celebrated?

Lady Audley’s Secret (1861) has a number of similarities to Jane Eyre (1847), including the governess marrying a rich upper class man, madness, and a fire. In Jane Eyre, Rochester is conscious of his wife’s madness but hides her away in the attic pretending she doesn’t exist until this secret is suddenly revealed to Jane. In Lady Audley’s Secret, Sir Michael is unaware of his wife’s madness, only to have it revealed to him within his own domestic space. To whom in society is each scenario most frightening? How do you think fears regarding madness (or at least what madness represents) might have shifted between the two novels, keeping in mind the large social changes taking place during the Victorian era?

Page numbers referenced are from the 1987 Oxford World’s Classics edition.

#lady audley's secret #mary elizabeth braddon #discussion questions

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eleanor-devil · 7 years

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Naruto Tag Game

Saw this around and decided to try it cuz why not :)

Favorite

Female Character(s): Hinata and Temari

Male Character(s): Gaara and Kankuro

Team: 8

Sensei: Kurenai

Hokage: Hmm...yeah I guess I’ll go with Hashirama

Kage: Gaara

Village: Hidden Leaf

Akatsuki: Itachi

Jutsu: Gentle Step Twin Lion Fists, Ninja Art Creation Rebirth - Strenght of a Hundred Technique

Episode/Chapters: Probably chapter 437

Fight Scene: Neji vs Kidomaru, Orochimaru vs Hiruzen, Sasuke vs Naruto (the final battle)

Fanfiction: Meh I won’t say I have a favorite, anything involving a really well written NaruHina or the next gen is good to me :)

Story Arc: Pain Invasion Arc

Filler: I would say...probably the one about Hinata’s and Hanabi’s relationship

What is your…

OTP (explain why): I will explain three: 1. NaruHina - It always amazed me how Hinata, although silently, supported Naruto, it didn’t matter when she would never put him down, she would never think differently of him and honestly that kind of love is amazing and pure. 2. SaiIno - I’ve shipped them...probably not long after their interaction, Sai is this lost boy that had no idea how to react to emotions or wouldn’t even understand them and Ino is this strong girl who although went through a lot (Sasuke, her crush, leaving, her sensei and father dying without her being able to do anything) never gave up on anything. The fact that Ino refused to give up on Sai even when he said all those cruel things, she knew he didn’t mean them because he was under someone else’s control. Basically I love how Ino became Sai’s light in his dark life. 3. BoruMitsu - yeah I know it’s soon to be shipping something of the next gen so hard but I really love these two and although both still need to grow up and change/shape their personalities and lives, I love how Boruto is Mitsuki’s goal to mold his life and a lot could happen from there (of course I am aware that the chances of this ship even becoming canon is...very very tiny)

NOTP (be nice): NaruSaku - I can see them more as siblings; NaruSasu - I just..honestly I couldn’t stand Sasuke through all of shippuden and therefor it has made me highly dislike this ship, of course I understand their bond and in no way I will dismiss that, they are and always will be impotant parts of each other’s lives.

Crackship(s): Mmm..I am not sure if I have one?

BROTP: Naruto and Gaara (although they pretty much belong to my OTP list too)

OT3: Mitsuki, Boruto and Natsumi (OC)

Crossover Ship: Mmm none

Miscellaneous…

Do you have any headcanons: Just tiny ones like: First time Mitsuki personally met Boruto was when he was dragged by the blonde, who begged him to help him find a hideout because he was being chased down by another of his pranks. Or that Naruto proposed to Hinata in a place that was almost similar to the place where he confessed to her in the moon.

Are you happy with the ending? What would you have done differently? I pretty much am, probably the only complaints I have is Sasuke being a (kinda) absent father and Yamato having ended following Orochimaru around.

How do you feel about the new generation? I love them all and want to see them grow. I just wish there were a few more kids, that NaruHina weren’t the only couple with two kids. Especially considering that canonly Shikamaru wanted two children.

Say something about your favorite character. Good and bad. I’m happy that Hinata, despite the pain she went through her whole life with her father dispising her, always managed to fight back

What would a child between your OTP look like? How would they behave as parents? Ha xD well for NaruHina besides Boruto and Himawari (who I would have given one of them at least a pure byakugan), I created with a friend a baby girl named Hotaru, who has bright red hair and pure byakugan eyes. For SaiIno I also gave them a daughter, Inochi, who has brown hair and blue eyes.

Say something genuinely nice about your NoTP. They all have a great bond.

Say something negative about your OTP. I kind wish that Naruto had understood better Hinata’s confession.

Is there anyway you could be convinced to ship your NoTP? What would make you change your mind about the pairing? For NaruSasu there’s no way, for NaruSaku I like the general fanart and their fankids but nothing that would make me ship them.

What makes you mad about the series? The fandom...like...in general

If you could see anything happen in the series, what would it be? Probably better elaboration of the blank period other than the novels and answers to unanswered topics.

What would you say to Kishimoto if given the chance? Thank you senpai for the great memories ^-^ Naruto will always be a big part of my life.

I tag @hxshigaki76 @mirage-05 @danyeangel @aurora-draws

#tag #naruto #eleanor devil

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