glow-wine

[glow-wine]

I read the first volume of The Twelve Kingdoms in the new translation. This was my first time reading a light novel, and now I understand why there are people who say they can read 200 pages a day, haha. I guess they read light novels. I prefer normal-weight novels. I don't think I vibe with this narrative style, though I cannot say how much of this is translation, original writing style or genre standards or just me being old, or even a mix of all of this. It's interesting to think about, but I don't have an answer. I struggle to say what kind of writing or narration style I prefer, especially since I try to keep an open mind with that sort of thing.

My experience with 12 Kingoms is limited to the anime, and even that was so long ago that I couldn't say how many episodes I watched, or what happened ... I definitely watched beyond what was covered in the first book here, because there's been no Rakushun and at this point Youko know less about Keiki than I do ... But the book really ends rather suddenly and I wanna say anticlimactically. At least throw in a cliffhanger or something! I recall now that it impressed me how much of a shit time Youko had in that other world. I cannot stand the word "subversion" anymore, but it did feel like a twist on a formula at the time. It wold be easy to read the basic premise and assume that after the teenage protagonist (with special hair colour) is whisked away to a fantasy world by a hot mysterious stranger, is given a magical sword and told that she is important, that she will have fun adventures with friends and that everything works out for her! Instead, it's just bad luck and hardship after hardship like she's a Robin Hobb character.

I read some comment describing this series as an early isekai "before it was a thing", but I don't think I agree with this at all. There are currently so many isekai anime that they might look like a new thing, but "kid traveling to fantasy world" has always been pretty standard as a premise, and not just in anime/manga: Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan and later The Neverending Story ... In manga and anime, there was Magic Knight Rayearth, Fushigi Yuugi and probably countless others because at no point did the premise feel new. Oh, I just remembered El Hazard. what a useless thing to remember, but it also counts. And of course this has always been a common fantasy premise, because what kid has never dreamt of finding a door to another world with magic and dragons and unicorns???

[glow-wine]

I am highly cranky today. CRANK CRANK CRANK.

Crrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ank

This means I must aggressively fill my next days with JOY. Tomorrow, I shall buy concert tickets.

[glow-wine]

I paused my IWTV rewatch and watched some crime drama instead. But my brain clearly wants me to go back to the vampires, because it took both ideas and created a dream where I was watching a TV show that started off as a normal, grounded crime procedural, but then the detective realized that the murders were committed by an actual vampire. Part of the concept was that the vampire in question got into huge trouble with the vampire community for getting actual law enforcement on his trail. Meanwhile, the protagonist cop was getting ridiculed by the rest of the police force, for believing in vampires. I cannot shake the feeling that there was something more to the concept, but even in the dream, I was baffled and skeptical that this would work.

I really don't know what it says about me that I dream of watching TV. :(

[glow-wine]

Lestat's name is so funny to me.

If you translate "The vampire Lestat" into German, it's "Der Vampir Lestat" and if you pronounce "Lestat" with an emphasis on the first syllable, it beautifully turns into "Der Vampir lästert", meaning "The vampire is gossiping".

(And "lästern" is specifically a bitchy, negative kind of gossiping, not the more neutral "tratschen" ... to conclude your language lesson for today.)

[glow-wine]

I cannot decide if my climbing shoes are too tight, do not have the best shape for my foot, or if my toes just need some time to adjust to this unusually strenuous activity. After just 1 month / 4 bouldering sessions, it's probably too early to tell. My entire body is still adjusting.

[glow-wine]

Actually, I wish Lestat made this kind of music:

Dynazty have a lot of songs that are like "embrace your dark side, it's liberating and fun!" (see: Instinct) and also "if evil, why hot" (see: In The Arms of a Devil), so I'm just going to pretend it's vampire music, it covers the full spectrum!

[glow-wine]

OK, back from the opera, slept, and missed a lot of IWTV news. BUT to be honest, with the exception of casting and other basic things, I don't really want to know too much about the next season. I don't want my brain to start speculating, interpreting, building up detailed expectations, nor do I want to marinate in worries or get lost in some headcanon/assumptions/hopes, which will only get in the way of properly experiencing the actual season once it airs ...

Will I have the self-control to block out news/rumours/leaks, while being on Tumblr and rewatching the show? HMMM.

You know, that's why I am a little relieved they are playing the Armand stuff, or Daniel/Armand stuff, close to the chest, because it's probably original material and has the chance of being an actual surprise.

Anyway, I'm always a fan of casting announcements. I don't know why, since I rarely know the actors and know better than to judge their suitability for a role based on a headshot! (The amount of people who gripe about an actor's hair being wrong for a role, like they seriously don't understand those can be changed, or that wigs are a thing.)

So, I have not much of a reaction to any of the casting announcement, except Christopher Heyerdahl as Marius! Woooow, Christopher Heyerdahl is a blast from the past kind of thing, he was in all the silly sci-fi! I first heard of him in the context of Stargate: Atlantis (which I never watched), but he was also a demon in Supernatural and a vampire in Twilight (also never watched, but good for him!), and the one thing I remember is that he's really tall and has interesting facial features and good imposing presence, charisma, whatever you want to call it. Sounds good to me! I know some fans wanted a younger and more traditionally handsome actor in the role - I've seen Lee Pace brought up a lot here - but honestly, 60-ish is the right age considering the ages of his relevant co-stars, for the aesthetics and visual storytelling. I mean, if this man is standing next to Assad Zaman and you don't immediately feel that he's older and more powerful and not entirely wholesome, what are we even doing?

I haven't actually read any Anne Rice book from start to finish other than Merrick of all things, but I've leafed through a copy of The Vampire Armand and I don't really understand how there are people in denial of Marius being a bit of a creep. Or who think that the show addressing and incorporating things that were always part of the character equals 'turning him into a villain'. It's definitely a challenging character, I'd say, in a cast of challenging characters. But that's interesting, isn't it?

[glow-wine]

IWTV thought: There's no full-frontal nudity in this show, and there's actually not that much nudity to begin with, but it'd have been hilarious if there was full-frontal nudity and if every character's dick size kept changing depending on who was recalling/telling the story.

... ok back to doing my hair.

[glow-wine]

It's mildly amusing to me that Lestat plays Minuet in G major in 1x03, and misattributes it to Bach. Na shade, apparently it wasn't until the 1970's that Christian Petzold was identified as its actual composer, and this is still not commonly known today. It's just always a little funny when people gush about ~the genius of Bach~ as evidenced by this piece ... and it's not even by Bach. :D I don't like exceptionalism, so I get a kick out of people being wrong about this sort of thing ...

[glow-wine]

1x02 Lestat complaining about wahh hating the sound of English when he first learned it

French was my first foreign language, English was my second. Shut up, Lestat, English is amazing. Practically no verb conjugations? Ngh! How can you not love it? I am eternally grateful that I learned French before English, because it would have created such obstacles in my mind to know that it can all be so much simpler, grammatically!

[glow-wine]

OK people complain about how 2022 Louis dresses in black and it is so dull and boring and lifeless and bla bla. The textures are amazing, shut up. That's great clothes. I am fucking jealous.

[glow-wine]

Also, there is currently so much nostalgia for broadcast TV, but I don't think people appreciate how many imperfections and retcons that kind of super-fast production schedule requires. In Interview with the Vampire 1x01, you actually see the face of Young Daniel on the covers of his books. And it's Luke Brandon Field. The actor is not seen until a brief flashback in 1x05, and not given significant screentime until 2x05.

I mean, on broadcast network you'd kind of take it for granted that the cover photo in 1x01 would be Some Guy, because the role had not been cast yet. Please let's not forget how neat it is for fine details like this, for the shows we rewatch again and again to overanalyze, that they can film and polish one whole season before it goes to air.

[glow-wine]

The very beginnnig of 1x01 is actually so efficient a introducing the character of Daniel. It opens with an ad for his online class, a natural context for infodumping facts about his career. Then it cuts to Daniel on the couch, watching the ad with a facial expression and body language that tells you everything: Meh. The driven, idealistic Daniel from the ad who wants to help the younger generation? An old, bored man sitting on the couch. Then he does a puzzle, and his hand shakes, hinting at the Parkinson's. It also provides a first glimpse at the bite mark on his neck.

I think that most people, even if they have not read the books, they have seen the movie, and if they have not seen the movie, they have at least heard of it. Interview with the Vampire is a classic, and the title of the first novel alone is iconic. Showing old Daniel with the bite scar tells the viewer that a version of that interview has happened.

Then Daniel gets a package in the mail, and is on the phone with his doctor, because he is worried about the latest Corona variant. (I've seen complaints about how the Corona references make the show dated (and that is bad), but those scenes take place in 2022, so acknowleding Corona is not any different from acknowleding WW2 in 1939.) He's worried about it, considering his health situation, but he still ends the call when he sees who sent him that package, and what it is: Louis de Pointe du Lac, bitches, (the titular vampire from Interview with the Vampire) and it's a box of cassette tapes (the titular interview). Then Daniel digs out an old cassette player, which is in a box with some pink toys, and this tells you that Daniel had daughters in the 1980's/90's. And Daniel's facial expression says that the whole vampire incident in his youth was a bit traumatic and getting mail from Louis is kinda a big thing. Then comes a voice-over of Louis' voice reading the letter as we transition to Dubai, providing more context, and that's less than five minutes, and I find it really well done!

[glow-wine]

Wonder what would have happened if Louis had said No at the end of 1x01. I mean. That would have been hella awkward!

[glow-wine]

Louis got his talent for denial and avoidance from his mother.

[glow-wine]

OK, rewatching IWTV from the first episode now.

I like that Armand's first line in the series is "No third parties!" when he is literally the third party in the room.

And that's basically what Daniel's reply boils down to. Like why are YOU here anyway, it's supposed to be just me and Louis.

And then Armand actually just leaves.

Also, people always insult the penthouse as "cold" but it's actually pretty cozy overall. And there's cookies on the table. Only the "reading room" feels cold and weird, the rest is warm and cavernous. You just hate modern architecture.

[glow-wine]

I periodically get interested in personal style/fashion and watch a lot of Youtube videos in the background, even though I think this is a topic where everything's already been said and the advice is either too obvious or just useless. I intensely dislike the lingo. Especially the use of singular nouns for plural words: a jean instead of jeans; a shoe instead of shoes; worst of all: a red lip. Oh wow, which one, upper or lower??? ~A jean with a wide leg.~ WHAT, HALF A PAIR OF JEANS? FUCK OFF. A sunglass. Kill me now.

You don't need a whole new grammar to tell people that they can wear jeans with a white t-shirt.