#“my compass” 's prologue will be out in less then an hour :3

[zer0brainc3lls]

currently writing this scene!! be ready guys!

[ultrakatua]

Final thoughts on Golden Deer

I say “final” but I’ll probably write more at some point to ease the pain lol

Anyway, I’m so glad I started with my very first choice, and so glad I picked this one in particular. 

At E3 2018 I was like “oh cool, an archer house!”, but then I thought I’d start with Black Eagles instead because female lord, and then we got the student reveals on twitter and I thought my heart belonged to the Blue Lions... Until E3 2019 happened and my reptile brain went all “nope, Claude hot, we’ll take the archers actually”. Little did I know I’d end up loving all these mismatched kids so much and that Claude would be the bestest boy.

The game is really hard to compare to the other Fire Emblem, and the irony is that the parts that are the best are the less Fire Emblem-like... Part 1 is honestly probably the best experience I ever had in FE in terms of narration. Played 30 hours non-stop. Props to them for building the plot like a mystery and making the cast so likable, because while there’s objectively not much happening, it makes everything so captivating... The last half of part 1 up to the first 2-3 chapters of part 2 is just SO GOOD! Like a roller coaster of emotions! It’s a shame the rest fells more flat because it basically turns into your regular FE, but with 4 or 5 less chapters than it should. Still, the last part of Golden Deer fucked me up pretty badly with the Rhea’s revelations and I loved the ending, the cinematic was just so badass and I couldn’t help but think of the FE4 and FE5 final! The credits song made be bawl like a b*tch. Difficulty wise, yeah, hard is really easy... Or Claude is too OP, I’m not sure. Probably both. Anyway, Lunatic cannot come soon enough.

On Claude now, since he’s our boi and kinda the main character... Expectations were completely subverted and hot take, at that point I just want to fist fight everyone who still portrays him as a flirty, stupid, trollish, Niles-light guy. Like. Why. I, too, expected him to be like that based on the 10 second trailers, but man, play past the prologue and even the “flirty” part isn’t there anymore (seriously, why does everyone says he’s flirty??? Did I miss a memo or something???). The other day I read someone telling “lol obviously he’s not the patient kind” and I was like are you even reading the fucking dialogs? Did you miss the part where his whole fucking character is about how controlled and reflective he is?? Like I mean, he’s easy going and endearing in the group interactions, I get that, but outside of that, he’s just so... serious? So chill? It’s the dude who spends so many hours reading books in the library he becomes suspicious. Like seriously. I’m just going to assume this is how you see him when you don’t play GD, I guess, cause I also saw someone thinking not!GD Claude trusts and likes Byleth and lol, no man, he doesn’t. He doesn’t even trust you in his own goddamn route until like chapter 10.

Anyways, what I love with him as a character is that he’s very grounded, very reflective. He doesn’t belong anywhere so he wants to build a place so people would never feel that way, but to do so and to protect himself, he’s very shut-down behind his natural exterior kindness and compassion. People complain he’s not romantic, but there’s something very intimate in the way he only talks about certain subjects with Byleth, the way he is so serious in his most advanced supports, how he trusts entirely Byleth and only them, etc. The way he works is just very different from the other characters in that respect, which I think it was done on purpose because, after all, he was not raised with the same values and culture as them. That’s something they really conveyed well as a whole, especially in his dialogs about religion. I mean, reread the convo at the start of chapter 12 if you don’t think the Byleth relationship is very unique and dear to him:

I'll alway be on your side. You can't count on much in this world, but you can count on that

Of course the reading isn’t inherently romantic cause IS said “no homo”, but come on... It’s the same Claude who even in the very last chapter of the game is not sure his allies of like, 6 years, will follow him.

Spoilers on the S support because I know people complained about it, and as always I don’t get it

I mean, I sort of get it? They wanted a “I love you let’s get married!” ending but that would have been... so unlike him? And btw it seems like he doesn’t even say “I love you” in the Japanese version (he sure doesn’t in the French one), they added it in English so y’all wouldn’t be too salty, and yet...

I found the actual ending very true to his character and I’m glad IS didn’t went the usual sappy road because it would have been so out of character omg... tbh what I like in the Byleth-Claude dynamics is that they are on an equal ground, and even if they like each other, there’s still that utilitarian aspect to their relationship that make them great allies as well. They both rely on each other equally and there’s no fucking drama; just two people secluded their whole life who learn to trust each other. Having him expressing how he wants to share his ambitions with Byleth, giving her a ring, promising to come back, and actually doing it is a huge fucking deal. Remember this is the guy who ran away from his feelings his whole life, who’s always acted so selfish with others only to achieve his selfless goal. But this time, his goals are also Byleth’s, and together they can build a place where he doesn’t have to be alone anymore. And before we go down the “but Byleth doesn’t want to be a ruler!” road... Neither did Claude, guys. He never wanted that responsibility. He takes it because someone has to. They both do it for everyone’s sake, together. We stan a power couple.

That’s it my dudes, next stop is the other soft boy, aka Dimitri!

[esteliel]

Les Mis Tecklenburg

Okay, the long overdue Les Mis Tecklenburg review, which might not be of much use to anyone else but I immediately forget things if I don't write them down so here's more than you probably wanted to know about this production.

The stage itself was amazing and so impressive, because it was HUGE, and they had built actual houses on it with basically two levels for people to stand/sing on. It was really impressive to look at though I'm not sure if it really added that much to the show, because it mostly meant that characters spent a lot of time running from one end of the stage to the other, and that it put characters on different levels when I feel like their actual positions don't reflect that (i.e. Javert spending some time surveying the town below from the highest point up by the cross when he is explicitly NOT above society but below/outside it, and Valjean as Madeleine dealing with the entire Fantine/factory girl fight while standing on the first floor of the factory above everyone else, when I feel that even as Madeleine he never was above people/never distanced himself via authority, but rather tried to keep his distance via escape by walks etc.)

At the front of the stage, there was a huge gap for the conductor, and both at the beginning, when Valjean receives his yellow passport, as well as during their encounter in the sewers, Valjean and Javert stood to each side of it, divided by this insurmountable gap as they faced each other, which on the other hand was using the stage symbolism perfectly! <3

As to the cast, they were generally good, I don't have complaints about a single actor (except for the kids, who were terrible with the exception of Sunday's little Cosette. I don't understand why professional productions don't go for slightly older kids. I don't even expect the quality of Broadway children, but these children were for the most part so horribly wooden that it was painful to watch. If you can't find a seven-year-old with at least a small amount of singing and acting experience, I promise that a twelve-year-old Gavroche will work just as well. :/)

The most important thing, I really, really enjoyed both Valjean and Javert. Valjean especially brought so much into it acting-wise, especially his first Soliloquy - he is so stunned by the bishop's compassion that there's a moment of genuine anger at the bishop for claiming that Valjean's soul exists/is important, and it was just one of the most emotional soliloquys I've ever seen. <3 He's also super cute with little Cosette, and after the Thénardier's inn, they stole that trick where he's dancing with little Cosette, and then behind a wall switch her with adult Cosette who continues to dance with Valjean to show the time skip, which made people laugh. Also Valjean brings little Cosette a red dress to wear instead of a black one, which adult Cosette is also wearing.

Javert was also fun - very focused, very driven, but without falling into that common trap of resorting to shouting or Angry Hammy Javert which was mainly what I got to see lately with Hume and Thaxton. It's just... so nice to sort of wipe the slate clean and see what sort of acting choices someone makes in a non-replica production, because it sometimes makes you realize that bits you hate but which you feel are unavoidable given the book are actually not. Like the Karlstad Thénardiers, who were so good and completely avoided that slapstick comedy route. Anyway, it was really refreshing to watch Kevin Tarte's Javert. I don't even think he did anything unusual acting-wise with Javert, but it was really solid and convincing acting and not a single moment where he took the easier path of Shouting instead of Acting.

Marius was very cute looks-wise, perhaps even a bit too cute because he didn't come across as awkward at all for the most part, but he was enjoyable to watch. Cosette looked way too old on the photos I'd seen but came across as perfectly fine on stage. Fantine was REALLY good, it's rare that I'm surprised by a Fantine's acting ability these days because they mostly tend to go the safe and boring routes, but Milica Jovanovic really pulled it off. I wasn't wowed by Eponine either but she was good too, just not anywhere close to my top 2 Eponines.

Even the Thénardiers were generally entertaining, though I feel like their slapstick routines would have grown boring just as quickly if I'd seen it more than twice. Thénardier had this bit which was hilarious my first evening, where during their negotiation with Valjean, he tries to sneeze into Valjean's coat, only Valjean pulls his coat away and so Thénardier sneezes into his own hands and then tries to wipe them first on Valjean, then on Mme T.'s boobs, but both give him such withering looks that he just gives up.

It was a bit less hilarious the second time around, and if I'd seen it thirty times, it probably would have ceased being funny pretty quickly, but alas that's not going to happen. (I did end up wishing I'd booked a third date...)

Random observations in a list because I've had this doc open for way too long already:

- OMG they sing it SO SO SLOWLY I'm not used to that any more! It was nice in parts, but in other parts it felt super unneccessary and drained scenes of their energy. This also meant that instead of the usual 3 hours running time this ran for 4 hours including the lengthy bows. On Saturday, the show ran from 7:30pm to 11:30pm (and then I was waiting around at the stage door until 1:30am because apparently the cast was inside playing poker, lol. But it was worth hanging around because I got a nice signed photo of a bare-chested convict Valjean showing nips. Not my own, mind you, Patrick Stanke brought those out himself. Clearly he knows what Javert his fans want. :D Made the long wait in the cold worth it though, and I made stage door friends for breakfast the next day yay.)

- There was applause in the weirdest spots? Like, applause for all the Amis dying on the barricade...

- Silververt shoots himself! This is only the second production I've seen after Sweden 2016 that makes Javert commit suicide by his own gun, and I love it - way preferrable to the awkward Broadway suicide staging (and obviously Wattsvert's joyful ascent to chair heaven). During his Suicide, Javert climbs all the way up to the third level of the stage and stands at the foot of the big cross up there. Then he shoots himself at the end of his song and falls down to somewhere hidden behind the small wall. Apparently there's a mattress placed there for him to fall on, and he told us that night that after his Suicide, he just kept lying on his mattress for a long time, listening to the show go on below and soaking in the atmosphere. By that point it was definitely past 10pm, it was completely dark, there were huge trees gently swaying in the wind around the stage, and it was such an amazing atmosphere that I'd have done the same. (Also, during his Suicide, there was a bat attracted by the light that kept fluttering around him while he sang his final verses by the cross, which made all the Tanz der Vampire fangirls around me very happy. I, on the other hand, was happy because I still love Shoujo Cosette's Vampirevert a lot and Javert should totally turn into a bat and suck Valjean's virgin blood more often. <3)

- After the show, we got to walk out across the stage and I feel like they should totally do that at the Queen's because it's such fun to get all close and personal with the set. :D

- Then during bows they teased the hand kiss!!! >:( Argh, I've never been teased more in my life. Very unfair!

- That first evening with the show starting at 7:30pm, Stars took place during actual twilight! So so gorgeous. <3 I love open air theatre (except for my ongoing love-hate relationship with the Globe).

- During the Prologue, Javert just lets the yellow passport drop to the floor, which I've admittedly seen many Javerts do, but here there were several meters between them which added an extra level of derisiveness to it which I've never seen before. And then Javert nodded to his guard underling to hand Valjean his bag, who also gave Valjean a disgusted look and dropped the bag right where he stood to leave with Javert.

- Fantine's death happens in this room which has four wooden pillars and gauze curtains in between, and when Javert comes in for the Confrontation, he's hidden behind the gauze curtain at first, spying on Valjean. And he's wearing leather gloves which he slowly tugs off finger by finger while singing his first lines. <3 Thanks for catering to my kinks.

- Then at the end of the Confrontation when they're facing off, standing almost chest to chest while panting with manly resolve to kill each other if neccessary, Sister Simplice who was watching all of that steps forward and gives them a Look and shakes her head at Javert, and they both awkwardly retreat. (And then scene change so I guess here it is indeed Sister Simplice who helps Valjean escape! <3)

- Oh and also Fantine's Death Room turns into Valjean's Death Room, and this time it's Fantine who gets to approach from behind the gauze, and then later watch Cosette and Marius from behind it for a while until Valjean dies.

- Also in Montreuil after Runaway Cart Javert also brings Valjean his coat, and he helped him into it and on my first day gently smoothed it down his back. <3

- Gavroche has the most ridiculous death. OMG seriously, there's no need to slow everything down so much. Gavroche has already made it back to safety atop the barricade, and remains there for an eternity while triumhantly singing his final two lines, and then is shot. It makes literally no sense that he wouldn't take cover for an entire minute when they've already been shooting at him.

- Also their Enjolras, wtf? I actually liked him, he was charismatic and generally fine and his singing was okay, but then both times, absolutely out of nowhere, he turns his final "is free" into this rock scream. On the other hand, he's the last to die on the barricade, which is always enjoyable to watch.

- Also they have both Javert and the Thénardiers join the cast for the Finale which I neither like nor think makes sense in any way at all, even if you believe that it's supposed to be 'heaven' because the Thénardiers aren't dead. Also except for Valjean, none of the characters even believe in Paradise as Reward for a Virtuous Life - the reward the amis are fighting for is very much about the situation of the living, sigh.

- Anyway, a fun production, I hope I get my boot of this because I need to watch Silververt shoot himself again with company, and definitely worth all the travel. (I should have seen it three times, honestly. <3)