Happy Sunday!

Well, it's the end of February, which is considered Fantasy Month here in the blogosphere. Yet, somehow, I haven't posted a single thing about fantasy yet! *shook*

I blame school.

So today I'm going to list a few of the fantasy tropes I love to read about! Obviously this isn't an exhaustive list, because if it was, you would be exhausted reading it. XD But these are the tropes that I love with all my heart and soul, the tropes that will make me quietly squeal with happiness.

They're also quite random, as they're coming straight from my tired brain, so brace yourself.

I am SUCH a huge sucker for this trope. Any time a novel promises a group of strangers banding together, I am all for it. But there's something even more special about a group of strangers who only meet because they're outcasts and have no one else. And then through each other, they realize that they're not as worthless as they thought they were, and it's just WHOLESOME when they're not killing people. Maybe you could consider this the "found family" trope, I don't know. I love it regardless.

(Also, bonus points if there's a society of rejects who live by their own code and are shrouded in mystery *heart-eyes*)

example: KOLC book 4 (Exillium is the most iconic rogue school of all time)

I've read about and loved a lot of magic systems in my day, but any time an elemental magic system appears, I'm instantly more intrigued. There can be so much variety in elemental magic, despite having four main pillars of abilities. For instance, can fire users manipulate lava, too? What about lightning? Light in general? There are so many possibilities for sub-abilities and ways to use the elements, and if done right, it can add a new layer of worldbuilding to the story.

example: Avatar: The Last Airbender (what, you thought I wouldn't mention this??? XD)

Okay, look. This is going to sound really bad. But I absolutely love it when a character can read minds, and I love it even more when they use this power for evil. The EMOTIONAL ANGST this brings to stories is just too good. Not only is it a cool way to show backstory, but the sheer possibilities of what it can do are endless. 

The long and short of it is: if you put ANY sort of mental manipulation in a story, be it mind reading, hypnosis, or even clever means of persuasion, there's a 99% chance you've won me over. XD

examples: KOTLC (because #telepathy), The Lunar Chronicles (because #illusions)

For me, mirrors have two awesome purposes in fiction. The first one is a purely technical one: presenting internal conflict through showing the person and their reflection in the mirror. Think Gollum and the water in LOTR. I know it's probably a huge cliche at this point, but honestly, I don't care. XD

The second one, though, is just all the possibilities of what's on the other side of the mirror. Is there another world? Another dimension? What happens if you go through the mirror? Does the mirror show a magical side to us that we can't see? It's SO fun to think about!

example: The WaterFire Saga (there's another world inside mirrors that's creepy and fantastic)

All right, Unpopular Opinion Time: I love prophecies. Trying to decipher those darn elusive poems is half the fun! (The other half, of course, is watching the prophecies unfold and the characters suffer. XD)

Obviously, there's a reason why a lot of people don't like them: many times, they're not done well. BUT, when they are, they really increase the tension and make the reader overanalyze everything that happens. And I love analysis. ;)

examples: Heartless (the memories of this book still hurt), the Oedipus Cycle (technically not "fantasy," but Greek tragedy is a Trip and I'm kind of here for it XD)

These tropes, along with hundreds of others, are just a few reasons why I come back to fantasy again and again. They're why I write in it, they're why I read in it, and they're why fantasy has stolen my heart. XD 

Happy Fantasy Month, everyone! Even though today's the last day, we might as well still celebrate it.

(also, if there are any Silver Eye people here, feel free to scream about anything in the comments XD)

-Nicole <3

What are your favorite fantasy tropes? Any other prophecy lovers out there? Let's talk!

Happy Sunday!

Welcome back to another episode of Nicole being let down by a hyped franchise. Today, the franchise in question is Death Note.

Death Note is one of the most well-known and acclaimed anime series, both inside and outside the anime community. Its fast-paced thriller plotline makes it easily memorable, and its dark themes provide great food for thought.

I'm going to put this out there: I LOVED the first twenty-five episodes. I honestly think they were amazing. But . . . *sigh* I didn't like the last . . . oh, twelve episodes or so? And since I'm pretty salty about that, I'm going to vent. XD

Before we begin, here are some things to keep in mind:

- This is my opinion. Clearly, it's a classic show for a reason. But just because it's a classic show doesn't mean I can't critique what I think is bad writing. You're free to disagree. I'm literally just writing this because I'm bitter.

- I'm going to be honest: I have not watched the entire show. I skipped some episodes in season two because I wanted the show to be done. (in case you're wondering, I skipped episodes 29-35.) I don't think these episodes will affect my analysis, however - my points have to do with the episodes I did watch. 

- Every single major spoiler is included in this post. If you have any intention of watching the show, I highly suggest you wait to read this. Then again, I don't think I would recommend this show for reasons I'll discuss in a second.

Now, since some of you don't know what this show is about, I'll give you a brief summary . . .

Seventeen-year-old Light is bored in school when he finds a notebook (the Death Note) that allows him to kill any person whose name he writes inside. Taking on the alias of Kira, he sets out to create a perfect society where there is no crime, no war, no evil. yes, he does that by killing people. Soon, however, opposition appears in the form of L, a super-smart individual whose true name is unknown (and so is safe from Light for now). L takes it upon himself to bring Kira to justice. Light and L enter into a war of wits - the first one to discover the other's identity will die.

Basically, the entire plot is filled with Angst and Drama and heart-pounding tension. 

And oh yeah. There's a lot of death. 

Death Note has such a dark premise that, again, I can't recommend it. But just because it has a dark premise doesn't necessarily mean it has bad writing. 

Let's start with something positive about the show, shall we? 

PART ONE: THE ANTIHERO

As you can probably tell by the summary, our main character, Light, is not the greatest person ever. He's basically a mass-murdering, psychopathic genius. 

I'm sorry, this was too good to not include

In Death Note, we view everything from Light's perspective. Because of this choice, we see what makes Light tick, what morals (if any) he has. And it really puts us, the audience, in a difficult position.

On the one hand, Light is a mass-murdering, psychopathic genius who is killing hundreds of criminals every week. He seems to have no concept of redemption or of saving human life, even if that life has done horrible things. 

But on the other hand . . . the reader can see where he's coming from. He, like the rest of us, has seen the world in all its imperfection. He's seen the evil of sin. He's seen people do terrible things. And we understand his reasoning about why he's doing the things he's doing. It even scares us, because we're forced to ask ourselves: would we do the same thing if we were given the opportunity Light was?

also Light is one of the most dramatic writers of ever

Light is the main character, but he's also an antihero, even the villain character (from a moral standpoint). I don't typically see antiheroes act as the main character, usually because they're doing horrible things. And why would we want to root for the character that's doing the horrible things?

well, I guess there are Light fangirls, but I'll save that rant for another time

But I actually appreciate the fact that we don't have to root for Light, though we're seeing everything through his point of view. There's a certain distance between us and Light; he almost seems unrelatable. He's immediately presented as a super-smart teenager who acts like a playboy and is distant from everyone. And while I suppose his loner qualities could be relatable for some, many of his other traits are not. I know I personally couldn't relate to Light at all. I felt light-years apart from him.

I think that's a good thing as well. We don't want to especially see ourselves in Light's shoes. I mean, morally, he's the bad guy.

But there's another reason why we don't necessarily have to root for Light. There's someone else with whom we can place our allegiance, someone who is slightly more relatable. 

Enter L, the best character in the entire show. 

At least for a time.

PART TWO: THE DEATH

In my opinion, L is one of the more "relatable" characters in the entirety of Death Note, possessing the most accurate moral compass out of the main characters. While his morality isn't exactly perfect (he's very similar in Light in many ways, except that he values human life slightly more), he's someone we can support. And in a show where morality is a key theme, this becomes important.

L is also a powerful antagonist of the show (if you define antagonist as the opposer of the main character). He's smarter than Light and is able to match wits with him at every turn. He is the reason why we sit at the edge of our seats the whole time - we're wondering if he'll finally catch up to Light this episode, if he'll finally bring "Kira" to justice.

also, can we talk about the fact that L literally is a hermit who eats sweets all the time, only wears sweatshirts and jeans, and spends his entire day staring at screens? #relate

this GIF has no significance to anything, I just think it's funny XD

In a show as smart as Death Note, the antagonist needs to be just as intelligent as the main character in order to keep the plot fast-paced and engaging. As a result, the rivalry between Light and L is at the center of most of the storyline. It brings emotion and action, as well as some character development on the part of L. 

At least for the first twenty-five episodes.

*sigh*

And then Light manages to kill L.

Let me repeat that.

Light manages to kill L.

This is a game-changer, and not entirely for the best. Because by choosing to kill off the main antagonist, the writers unleashed a whole host of problems. And let's see how they did with that.

also I lowkey sobbed over his death and was dead for a solid 14 hours after. so. there's that.

the fORESHADOWING *cries*

First, there's the issue of what this death causes in the plot. By killing off L, Light removes his only opposition to getting what he wants: to make a new world where his word is law. So in episode 26, he essentially gets what he wants. His goal is, in a sense, completed. To be sure, creating this world will take some time. But as we see just an episode later, he's well on the way, and he views himself as accomplished.

In order to TELL us that he's in the midst of completing his goal, the story time-jumps and info-dumps. The time-jump is fine. The info-dump . . . is quite clunky. It's very unlike the fast-paced plot of the first 25 episodes, and such a difference is jarring at best, not to mention confusing at times.

Then, there's the issue of the antagonist in question. As stated earlier, Light has gotten rid of his only opposition. No one else is left to oppose him.

Or so we're led to believe.

In the middle of the aforementioned info-dump, the writers add two completely new side characters with whom we have no history or attachment. One of them, Mello, is just about the blandest villain one can think of. He just wants the Death Note (the killing notebook) for personal gain, and his only personality trait is that he loves chocolate. I mean, I relate, but it's still annoying. He never truly feels like a threat, even though he kidnaps Light's sister - because in terms of intelligence, he can't rival Light. It's even stated that only L could do that. And L's gone.

The other new major character is Near, and in essence he's a slightly less smart version of L. He even looks and acts like him. While L is supposed to have been his "mentor" of sorts, we have no past history or knowledge of him. We don't have any rivalries between Light and Near to care about.

At this point, I just didn't care. I couldn't root for Light because his morals were way off-kilter. I couldn't root for Near because I didn't know him, and I didn't care about him. And even if I hated both characters, there was no emotional undercurrent to get sucked into.

So the following sequences were just intellectual battles between two people that I had no interest in seeing win. And when I don't care what happens, I tend to skip episodes or stop watching.

So I did.

If you kill off your antagonist, you HAVE to replace him with another one that's even more threatening, or else the stakes just collapse underneath your story. And that's exactly what happens after L dies. I went from being able to watch 8 episodes completely engrossed, to watching 1 and feeling bored, checking how close I was to the end of the episode.

#calledout

In a show that's literally built on intellectual battles, that's not a good thing. Intellectual battles are hard enough to make interesting. The logic has to be advanced enough so the audience can't follow it on surface level, yet simple enough that when it's explained, it makes sense. And Death Note did a fantastic job of this. But I didn't care enough to follow the logic, so I also found myself lost on several occasions.

Look, it would have been better writing for Light to win for good after he killed L. If the show had ended there, I wouldn't have been happy, but I would have been satisfied. 

But the ending even ruins the chances of that. Because Light ultimately loses.

And ironically, I didn't like that. . . .

PART THREE: THE ENDING

I realize that I skipped episodes 29-35 and went straight to 36-37 (the climactic episodes). Surprisingly, I was able to follow almost everything that happened in terms of new characters and plot twists.

But my general feeling after the final episodes was that of complete and utter dissatisfaction. Let me explain, before you all start yelling at me that "Light was defeated, and since you weren't rooting for him, shouldn't you be happy about that?"

I was. And I wasn't.

Yes, throughout the show, I consistently rooted for L. I wanted Light to go down and get what he deserved for murdering all those people. 

But the way the climax does this is so unsatisfying. Light is defeated not by L, but by Near, the "L rip-off" of sorts. And as I said before, the intellectual battles against the two were never as interesting or intense as the ones between Light and L. L was the true antagonist, the true opposition to Light.

THIS SCENE WAS GOLDEN

If L had discovered Light which he kind of does? it's complicated it would have been SO SATISFYING. Not only would Light have been toppled by his biggest rival, but L's suspicions would have been confirmed in such a dramatic way. It would have been rife with emotion, since L had begun to consider Light a "friend."

But since nothing that emotional happened, I just . . . I just didn't care when Light was killed. I didn't. I should have been happy that he finally got justice. But there was nothing truly special about the way he was discovered. He was just discovered because he messed up. There was no underlying emotional history with Near to make this scene truly impactful.

Maybe I would have cared more if I'd watched those episodes I skipped. But I honestly don't think so. I don't think Near could have been a better antagonist than L. It's even stated that he's not as smart as L. 

Near found him. Good triumphed over evil at last. Yay. 

If only I cared.

And apathy is just about the worst thing to walk away with after a TV show, especially one with so much excitement.

It felt like the true fight had ended twelve episodes prior, when Light killed L.

So how can I summarize this behemoth of a blog post?

- Making an antihero/villain character your main character can provide for some really interesting interactions between the character and the audience and, when done right, will force your audience into being EXTREMELY conflicted.

- You can kill off your antagonist! Just make sure the stakes don't drop, and create a new antagonist even more powerful than the first one. (Even better - foreshadow that this person exists before the first antagonist dies, so that this second one doesn't appear out of nowhere.)

- Your climax should be both physically and emotionally intense. Your audience needs to feel like they have some stake in the showdown for them to care about what happens. Even if your ending is more of a tragic, real one, it should still, to an extent, be satisfying.

*deep breath*

Yep. That's the post about Death Note. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go crouch on my chair and stare at my laptop screen while eating some junk food.

-Nicole <3

Have you seen Death Note? Who's your favorite antihero main character? What are your thoughts on killing antagonists? Let's talk! (also, if you've seen Death Note, please don't take this post as me saying you can't like it. that's not the case! I'm just bitter that my favorite character died XD)

 Happy Sunday!

Yes, I'm "back" - kind of. I've really missed blogging, and I don't think I can disappear entirely without going crazy. You can expect posts on random Sundays. XD 

BUT we're not here to talk about my mess of a posting schedule. We're here to talk about one of the most important bookish events of the year.

This week, on September 22nd, Bilbo and Frodo have their birthdays! And I remembered that I have this super-old tag that Emily created last year. I didn't do it then because I was on semi-hiatus, but now I have time in my posting schedule!

Let's just do this.

THE RULES

1. Please use the above graphic and link back to me!
2. Answer the questions!
3. Tag as many people as you like! (okay, but seriously, thank you for not clarifying, because I literally have no idea who has all done this XD)

THE TAG

You've invited Bilbo over for second breakfast. What are you serving? Hmmmm, for second breakfast? Maybe some waffles and sausage, with strawberries on the side. And chocolate milk. *shrugs* I was so close to just answering with strawberry Pop-Tarts. You have no idea how long I've eaten those for breakfast.

It's a nice, cozy evening in your hobbit hole. What kind of hot drink do you relax with? Hot chocolate, of course! #superiortocoffee #sorrynotsorry

You have to invite either Gollum or the Sackville-Bagginses to your birthday party. Who do you choose? Is "neither" an answer? 

No?

I guess I'd have to pick the Sackville-Bagginses then - I'd have a better chance of survival. XD I can't stop thinking about Gollum searching the house for gold rings and getting violent when he wants to keep one.

Cold weather has settled into the Shire. Do you curl up with a sweater or a blanket? If I had to choose between them, I'd pick a blanket. I'm not a fan of sweaters. I just find them so itchy and uncomfortable. *runs from the sweater fans*

Who would you rather go on an adventure with, Bilbo or Frodo? EMILY, THIS IS SUCH A CRUEL QUESTION. 

I feel like Bilbo would go on way less dangerous adventures than Frodo, so I'd have to go with Bilbo for that reason alone. I don't want to deal with Ringwraiths, sorry. or a giant war, or a dark lord, or a giant spider in a claustrophobic cave, or . . . 

You're stuck in your hobbit hole with a snowstorm outside. How do you spend your evening? Reading, writing, or watching a movie! And hot chocolate. We can't forget that. ;)

You're planning your birthday party. What's the entertainment: Gandalf's fireworks or Merry and Pippin's singing and dancing? Hmmmm . . . *is scheming for a loophole* I'd say Gandalf's fireworks, for two reasons:

1. His fireworks are the most epic inventions ever.
2. If I invite Merry and Pippin, we're bound to get some singing and dancing anyways. ;)

Of course, as a hobbit, you'd prefer to go barefoot. But if you were the sort for such things, would you prefer fuzzy socks or cozy slippers? Socks all the way! I've tried slippers before, and . . . I don't know why, but I'm just not a fan? But socks are just closer to being barefoot. 

Sam's brought you some of his autumn harvest! What do you make: pumpkin pie? Baked apples? Butternut squash soup? The options are endless! All right, confession time: I am such a picky eater it's not even funny. As a result, I don't really like those classic autumn foods. So I would hope that Sam brings potatoes, just so I can make mashed potatoes. XD 

(my taste in food is the most pathetic thing ever, seriously)

It's a beautiful, crisp autumn day in the Shire. What are your plans for the day? Ooo, this is a fun question! I'd probably wake up late, take a walk outside, then spend the rest of the day reading or writing. actually, who am I kidding, I'd just binge-watch a TV show or YouTube. that's what I do anyways

Okay, that was one of the coziest tags I've ever done. I'm getting alllllll the autumn/Shire vibes right now. *grabs a hoodie*

If you haven't done this tag yet, I tag you! And I hope you find a way to celebrate Bilbo and Frodo's birthday on Tuesday. Just remember: just like in Middle-earth, there is still hope, even in these crazy times. <3

-Nicole <3

How are you celebrating Bilbo and Frodo's birthdays? Do you like fall? Do you prefer hot chocolate, tea, or coffee? Let's talk!

Happy Sunday!

This is a post that I have been waiting to do for, I kid you not, YEARS. Ever since the Artemis Fowl movie trailer was released, I've been anxious to watch it - not because I thought it would be good, but because I knew it would be bad.

See, I have an obsession with bad book-to-movie adaptations. I love seeing how directors somehow mess up fascinating stories, and I love making fun of the finished product XD. I kid you not, I have an entire rant prepared on how Murtagh has 0 significance in the Eragon movie, but that's for another time.

This Thursday, I finally watched the Artemis Fowl movie, and I Have Thoughts. Not all of them are bad, but not all of them are good, either. So this'll be a movie . . . review . . . thing? Who knows?


Let me just say this now:

This movie was a combination of books one, two, and parts of three. I'm not summarizing all of these for those of you who haven't read the books. I'll try to fill you in as you go along.

Basically, Artemis Fowl is about this genius boy who discovers that there is a world of fairies and other mythical creatures living just beneath our feet. During the course of the books and movie, he kidnaps a fairy, teams up with said fairy to save his father's life, and ends up saving the world.

I'm keeping it vague because those are the only similarities the books and movie have. XD

And if combining all these books sounds like a lot for a movie to handle: don't worry, they watered it down to the basics. -_-

I figured I should start off this post with the things I LIKED about this movie. Because I did like things about this movie!

For instance, the counselor scene at the beginning was wonderfully done! It was pretty much verbatim from the book, and I appreciated seeing Artemis's smart, quiet, snarky side come out during this conversation. It was one of my favorite scenes from the second book, and I think it was done justice here.

I also thought the CGI was pretty decent. It was mostly believable, despite some loopy scenes that made 0 visual sense. XD

The soundtrack to Artemis Fowl was VERY enjoyable for me! Patrick Doyle always does a good job with his music, and the music, with its Irish nods, really brought the movie to life. I particularly like "Father and Son" and any song with an epic beat.

My biggest love of this movie was MULCH. In the books, Mulch is a dwarf with a sense of humor as large as his appetite for rocks and dirt, and he's such a funny, interesting character. And the movie got 97% of this character DOWN. Besides my quibble about him being the tallest dwarf ever (literally - it's a side plot), his personality and even his appearance were practically perfect. He definitely stole the movie.

Not that it was hard to steal it. Because there were Definite Issues That I Cannot Get Past.


I'm going to separate this negative section into the three biggest problems I had with this movie.

THE WORLDBUILDING

Remember how I said the CGI was good? Well, that's still true: I think the world of the fairies was excellently shown, at least from a visual standpoint. From a storytelling standpoint, however, I found it lacking in several respects.

My main issue was that none of the rules of this world were ever explained. Ever.

Now, in some stories, you can get away with this. For instance, in Lord of the Rings, Gandalf's magic never has an explicit set of rules.

However, Artemis Fowl's world has a very specific set of rules regarding how fairies interact with humans. Very specific guidelines have to be met for a fairy to go inside a human's house, for instance. And while I think this movie kept these rules, they were NEVER explained.

This makes things very confusing, like when Artemis, out of the blue, tells Root (a fairy commander wishing to negotiate with him), "I invite you into my house." It seems totally unnecessary, unless you know that an invitation must be extended to the fairy before they can enter. The movie never tells us this, however.

It's kind of important for viewers to know this crucial piece of information, since it explains why the attacking fairy army can't go into Artemis's house.

Even if the movie did tell us this information (in which case, I missed it), they didn't place great enough significance upon it, which is a bad decision.

And several other things aren't really explained or are just downright wrong when compared to the book. For instance, Root tells Artemis, "Fairies don't pay ransom," but Artemis's goal for the entire first book was to obtain fairy gold through capturing a fairy and offering her up for ransom. And it works. And they pay a ransom. #irritation

But okay, just because a movie didn't EXACTLY follow a book doesn't mean that it's horrible. Right?

THE CHARACTERS

I'm going to be honest: the characters really disappointed me in this movie. Besides Mulch, who was done almost perfectly and deserves an Academy Award. anyone who got that reference, thank you

Let's start with the minor characters, shall we?

Foaly, our resident genius centaur, who delivered 78% of the snark in the books, had exactly one funny line. All right, he's not really a major part of the movie and there wasn't a lot of time for him, so I'll forgive that.

What I cannot forgive is what they did to Commander Root's character. In the book, Root is a younger man. In the movie, Root is an old woman.

#YIKES

And this brings me to one of my biggest complaints of the movie.

Holly, the main fairy character, and Root are both part of the LEPrecon, or the fairy's police force/army. In the books, Holly is the first and only female officer of the LEP, and Root is her hard but lovable commander. This lack of females in the LEP gives very high expectations for Holly, and it gives her motivation for everything she does: she has to prove herself constantly. It's why she's reckless, it's why she is punished harshly at times, and it's why her capture by Artemis is hard on her. It shows she's weak.

But in the movie, there are practically BATTALIONS of women officers in the LEPrecon. Root himself (or herself?) is a woman. And to me, that just ruins everything Holly stands for in the books.

And what did the movie writers replace this book subplot with?

Oh, you know, the typical "My father was a traitor, I'm pretty sure he was good, and I've got to avenge my family name" subplot.

*GIANT SIGH*

And you would think that the book subplot, which is HIGHLY feminist and women-empowering, would make it into the movie, but nooooooooo.


Now, let's talk about the villains, shall we? Or, should I say, very disappointing villains.

Briar Cudgeon has the least convincing villain character arc I've ever seen on a screen. In case you watched the movie and don't know who that is:

- he's the LEPrecon officer guy who hates Root and was recruited by the Main Baddie to stop the good guys . . . for some reason???
- since you don't remember his name, that's a pretty good indicator of how impactful he was.

Seriously, Cudgeon was a SEVERE letdown. But the Main Baddie, Opal Koboi, was the biggest of all.

See, both Cudgeon and Opal were taken from the books. But whereas Cudgeon can be delegated to a one-dimensional villain, to do so to Opal is a mistake.

Opal is one of the scariest villains I've ever read about. She attacks Artemis in at least four different books and nearly outsmarts him every single time. She's got really interesting, if  twisted, motivations, and she goes on a negative, vengeful arc in the books that ends with her trying to kill literally everyone.

But in the movie, she . . . wears a creepy cloak that covers her face. And she kidnaps Artemis's dad. And she has this weird raspy voice?? And she's got one monologue talking about her reasoning for . . . honestly, I completely forgot what her reasoning was. XD She just wants to Kill Everyone. She doesn't have any depth, and she doesn't even feel threatening to me at all.

The saying goes that your story is only as strong as your villains. Well, if that's the case, this story is pretty weak.

But you want to know the weakest point of all?

ARTEMIS AND HIS CHARACTER ARC

Allow me to go on a bit of a tangent here, because this genuinely makes me mad.

In the books, it’s made very clear that Artemis Fowl is NOT a good person. He’s selfish, cold, and is willing to sacrifice others in order to get what he wants. He kidnaps a fairy for the SOLE purpose of getting rich off of fairy gold, and he poisons another fairy to get her secret fairy book. And we hear that he’s kept his father’s criminal empire running.

Let me repeat this: ARTEMIS FOWL IS NOT SHOWN AS A GOOD PERSON.

He has some good qualities, though, such as taking care of his very ill and grief-stricken mother. These scenes in the book, though few and far between, were quite powerful. They showed that Artemis is not irredeemable. They showed that he does have a soul, even though he buries it under cruel intellect.

As the series progresses and Artemis grows, those scenes become more common. We see Artemis begin to open up to others and trust them, and he starts making friends. It takes time - LOTS of time - for him to change, because he’s not used to being a good person.

But this redemption arc is masterfully done because of that, and it yields powerful results. At the end of book 8, we see this boy, who used to be selfish, manipulative, and withdrawn from others, selflessly sacrifice himself for his friends. It’s one of the most amazing endings I’ve ever read.

Now, let’s go back to the movie, shall we?

NONE OF THIS IS SHOWN. ABSOLUTELY NONE OF IT.

Because here’s the thing. Disney chose to portray Artemis as a GOOD person who makes some . . . questionable decisions? But even when he does make those questionable decisions, he makes them out of a selfless desire to save his father.

Yeah, he’s a little antisocial, and he makes some sassy remarks to the counselor, but he never ONCE strikes me as a criminal mastermind, as a bad person. We are TOLD he's a bad person, and we're never SHOWN that he is.

And his character arc is . . . um, kind of a negative one? He learns to not kidnap fairies, and he accepts his legacy as the son of a criminal. This isn’t NEARLY as powerful as the redemption story of the books.

As for the powerful scenes with his mother, the ones that showed his humanity? Yeah, well, they didn’t happen, because DISNEY KILLED HER OFF. She’s not even in the movie! Those scenes could have been so beautiful. I genuinely would have shed a tear.

Instead, I just didn’t care.

Artemis’s arc felt so rushed and shallow, to the point where I couldn’t tell you, in explicit ways, how and where his character changed. Actually, most of the arcs in this movie are rushed, the most frustrating one being the relationship between Artemis and Holly, the fairy he kidnapped.

It took three books for Holly to completely trust Artemis, and with good reason. And it took that same amount of time for Artemis to feel a spark of friendship towards her.

But ten minutes after Artemis kidnaps her in the movie, he RELEASES HER. ?????? It takes HOURS in the book until this point is reached. *distant screaming* And yes, there is worldbuilding in the book that prevents her from killing him, but this isn’t mentioned in the movie at ALL.

Twenty minutes after THAT, they’re declaring each other as “forever friends.” Yes, that is actually a line from the movie. Yes, it’s Artemis who says that. Yes, that is the last thing Artemis would ever say. *throws up*

I came for a redemption arc. All I got was a semi-negative arc that at least ended with him in a suit and tie. Because he didn't even wear that in the beginning.

But I just can't see the point of his character arc in the movie. I can't come up with a coherent theme the movie could possibly be teaching us. It honestly just feels . . . empty.


There are tons more things I could rant about, such as the narration or the Aculos or Trouble Kelp or the fact that Artemis is actually athletic for some reason OR why literally everything in this movie is told and not shown, but I figured I better cut it short. This post is getting long as it is. XD

So would I recommend Artemis Fowl?

*sigh*

If you haven't read the books, I'd recommend it as a good starting point. And if you like the movie, then READ THE BOOKS.

If you have read the books, you have two options:
- Don't watch it and spare yourself the trouble and pain.
- Do what I did and watch it so you can have the pleasure of screaming at a TV for 90 minutes.

Anyways, it's not the worst book-to-movie adaptation I've ever seen. Percy Jackson and The Last Airbender are both much worse. The acting isn't bad, honestly! I just wish it had been better written.

The real question is, are they going to make a sequel or not? XD because they actually did leave it open and that irritates me

-Nicole <3

Happy Sunday!

Today, I’m bringing the analysis of Your Lie in April that nobody asked for, but I kept promising anyways. XD I struggled for a looooong time on what to discuss - there’s a lot I could talk about, from Kousei’s internal conflict (which I LOVE) to the *cough* ending *cough*.

But all of those are either depressing or way too spoiler-y. look, if someone says this anime is happy, they are lying to you

And I want to discuss something I sometimes see in a character tropes or archetypes list: the manic pixie dream girl.


First and foremost, what is a manic pixie dream girl?

Basically, a manic pixie dream girl (can we just call it MPDG for the rest of this post?) is a character who exists solely to open up the eyes of a man. All their personality traits center around this one mission, and this is their only purpose in the story. They’re usually “quirky” and full of energy and life.

(I would give some examples, but I looked some up and I didn’t know any of them, so . . . yeah. XD Although I suppose that in a way, Glinda from Wicked is kind of a MPDG???)

The man who coined the term, Nathan Rabin, described it as existing “solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures.” Source

I think you can probably see why people don’t like this character trope. Characters that exist solely for the main character’s benefit, with no motivation or desires of their own, don’t feel real, and they come across as annoying or stupid.

But I’m going to make a case FOR the MPDG - I think that, like most tropes, if you do it correctly, it can make for a really interesting character. XD

In short: I think to have a successful MPDG-type character, you have to make them just like any other character. Give them their own desires, fears, misbeliefs, motivations, and personality beyond “helping the male protagonist.”

I’m sure that was a mind-blowing concept to everyone. XD

And I think Kaori Mizayono is a perfect example of a MPDG done right.

(In case you haven’t seen the show, here’s a warning of MAJOR SPOILERS for THE FINAL EPISODE. If you have ANY intentions of watching the show, you need to click off now. Thank you for reading! <3)

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All right, I know you haven’t finished the show, but you are very brave to continue on. I’m not holding anything back.

Here we go.


At first glance, Kaori seems like a typical MPDG. She’s quirky in nearly every sense of the word. She does strange things to live life to the fullest, and she DEFINITELY shoves our main character Kousei out of his monochrome world. Some examples:

• Jumping off a bridge because she wanted to try it and convincing Kousei to follow her (the bridge wasn’t too high up, don’t worry)
• Setting off fireworks on top of the school (??? I think it was on top of the school, anyways???)
• Pestering Kousei to be her accompanist for days, which involved taping sheet music on his locker, piano, textbooks, and every other available surface
• Chasing after a cat for the first minute or so of the show

Happy Sunday!

I'm not sure if you knew this or not, but spring is my favorite season of the year. The trees are growing their leaves back, the sun has been shining more, and I can finally go outside without shivering.

This is a little bit of a random post, but sometime last week I thought, "Hm, what are some characters that have a spring vibe/aesthetic?"

And here we are. XD


Ultimately, for me, spring is about hope and laughter and new life. And to me, these characters really reflect those aspects, either in their personality or appearance.

there will be 0 spoilers for all of these. also, none of these pictures are mine - all credit to the original owners, and some links will be provided. :)

Kaori Miyazono

"You exist inside spring."

I will freely admit it - Kaori is 100% the inspiration behind this post. This girl is full of life and energy and hope, always smiling and peppy. Her conversations with Kousei usually leave me feeling happy. we don't talk about the other conversations okay

Plus, the aesthetic for the first few episodes of Your Lie in April is GORGEOUS. Spring in Japan looks so beautiful: cherry blossom petals are in most shots, and landscape scenes are full of colors. <3 <3

(also, this is your warning to watch Your Lie in April, because I’m planning a spoiler-y analytical post for June, and you do NOT want this show spoiled for you XD)

Aslan

"When he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again."

Aslan is another character that is very interconnected to spring. His arrival in Narnia literally brings an end to the seemingly-endless winter that plagues the land. He’s even got a prophecy talking about it!

Not only does he physically bring spring to Narnia, but he also brings life and hope to many of its inhabitants, either by giving them motivation to fight back against the Queen or freeing them from the spell that turned them to stone. Reading about him always gives me images of budding trees and cloudless skies. :D

Lucy Pevensie

"But as for Lucy, she was always gay and golden-haired, and all the princes in those parts desired her to be their Queen . . ."

The hopefulness of spring really shows in Lucy's personality. There's a scene in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe that always comes back to me when I think of her. Spring is finally returning to Narnia, and Peter, Susan, and Lucy are walking through some gorgeous scenery. At one point, pink petals blow past Lucy, and she grins in amazement as the petals form the shape of a girl.

To me, that really sums up Lucy: a girl full of hope and wonder. It's no wonder that she's drawn to Aslan, and it's no wonder that she stayed "gay and golden-haired." Throughout the books, she never truly loses her childhood innocence and joy. <3

Kelsier

“I am the one thing you can never kill. I am Hope.”

why does that line still break me

Kelsier is the odd one out in his world of ash and tyranny. The Lord Ruler (aka The Big Bad Guy) has reigned for like a thousand years and enslaved the general population. Most people are depressed and just trying to make the best of things.

And then there’s Kelsier, who smiles to remind himself that the Lord Ruler hasn’t broken him yet. Who gathers people together with visions of a better life, one without a tyrant heading over them. Who is literally the symbol of hope, and who brings it to hundreds of people.

Spring may not be shown in this series, but if there’s anyone who has the spirit of spring, it’s this man. <3

link to original source

Fin

*couldn't find a quote. sorry, Brooke XD*

Fin, is, hands-down, the ray of sunshine in the Blood Race series. He's such a voice of encouragement and hope to literally everyone, even when he's having trouble seeing the light himself. It's no wonder that he's considered the cinnamon roll. XD

Also, book three features some AMAZING Irish wooded imagery that just screams spring and summer. These woods are a drastic contrast to the dark dystopian world in which the rest of the book is set.

Pippin Took

"We may stand, if only on one leg, or at least be left still upon our knees."

PIPPIN MY BOY. AMAZING CHARACTER. LOVE HIM.

Sorry, just getting that out of the way.

Pippin Took is a character that wildly contrasts with almost every other character in LOTR. While most people are Very Serious About the Fellowship's Mission and Destroying the Ring, Pippin is just . . . there? He only knows what is happening 50% of the time, and the other 50% is spent panicking or getting yelled at.

And yet, Pippin brings something to the Fellowship that they wouldn't have had before. Smiles. Laughter. And someone to yell at. XD And it's Pippen who brings hope to the men of Gondor and to Gandalf when the final battle approaches. 

Give this man a pint.

Samwise Gamgee

"It's only a passing thing, this shadow."

And this is the Most Hopeful Character of the Entire Lord of the Rings Series. Yes, Pippin has that spontaneous personality, but Sam is the one that truly never loses hope, not when he's faced with the fires of Mount Doom itself, not when Frodo is captured, not even when Frodo takes the Ring for himself.

(And he also has the Most Hopeful Speech of All Time, which I want to memorize one day because it's so powerful.)

Not only does Sam persist in the face of almost certain failure, but he also pushes Frodo to keep going. Towards the end of The Return of the King, he asks Frodo if he remembers the Shire in an effort to motivate Frodo. And the Ring-bearer even says, "Frodo wouldn't have made it this far without Sam." Sam encompasses a springtime hope, one that never fades and lasts long after the last leaves have fallen.

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If you’ve got any characters that remind you of springtime, by all means leave them down in the comments! I love talking about fictional characters (could you tell? XD).

(Also, happy early Star Wars day! I was going to write a post about Star Wars, but you can read my letter to the franchise here. XD)

-Nicole <3