#NETFLIX WHAT WAS THE THOUGHT PROCESS OF CANCELLING THIS SHOW | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

cleolinda · 9 months ago

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I’ve read a few of the umpteen thousand upset comments about the paid Watcher service, and I’ve read comments angry about the upset comments. There’s one thing I want to point out, and it’s that this isn’t, or shouldn’t be, “You’re saying people don’t deserve to earn money for their work.”

The Watcher guys do deserve to earn money. I already give them money. I give them $5 a month on Patreon, not because I think they do or don’t give me $5 worth of media, but because I want to support them. I canceled Netflix for pissing me off with its price hike/ad tier, but I give Watcher Entertainment money.

They’re saying now that the Patreon will be solely about the podcasts, and they understand if people leave. I’m perfectly happy to switch the support I can afford to the streaming service. With the early adopter 30% discount, I’d actually save money. In fact, I tried to subscribe, but the site didn’t work.

Watcher wanting to profit from their shows isn’t the problem. It’s that they’re now discovering that their fanbase is young and broke in a terrible economy, judging by tens of thousands of comments on multiple platforms. I can throw them $5/month, so I do. But the Patreon only has (checks notes) 5874 paying followers, and there’s a reason for that. $60/year upfront would not be “accessible.” Patreon is literally patronage from the people who can afford it.

If the guys had said up front, “ONLY new shows and episodes will be exclusive to the service,” I think we’d be having a different conversation right now. But at first they did say, “We’re pulling all our content from YouTube,” to the point where Variety had to issue an update. Like, that’s in print and I’m pretty sure it was on video. Now they’ve backtracked to ONLY new etc.—but most people haven’t heard, and they feel crushed. And the trust is probably gone regardless.

So now four years of back catalogue will stay public. And now, you’re paying $6.99 a month for one episode, maybe two, of something a week, and now, not an exclusive back catalogue. I would pay for Watcher shows before I’d pay for anyone else, but I just don’t think the company is big enough yet for a SVOD at that price. They’re not Dropout size. They needed to build more programming and get a higher follower count first, or at the very least, charge less.

The international price/exchange rate situation is a nightmare and I don’t know what it is they’re not doing to make it… not… be like that.

I don’t know what they should have done instead of a full streaming service, but surely there were alternatives? I’ve seen comments from people suggesting they GET a Patreon. Lean on that more! Do the shows exclusive for a month and then let them roll onto YouTube! I don’t know! Anything but One More Fucking Streaming Service, which enraged me, and I was willing to move my support to it!

And I shouldn’t say this, but I will. In the “Goodbye YouTube” video the guys posted, they say that setting up the streaming service has allowed Steven to do a remake of Worth It where he and his cohosts travel the world and eat expensive food. This is the first new show they announce. Not “We have always been committed to diversity and we’re now able to bring on new creator(s) to expand our programming.” No, a redo of an old show that by definition has got to be expensive. Commenters are saying they can’t pay for the streaming service because they can’t make ends meet in this economy. The optics are terrible. I genuinely question what the thought process even was here.

I love the guys and I still watch their shows. I want to see Watcher succeed. I started watching Buzzfeed Unsolved in 2018 while recovering from surgery—as with a lot of people, their shows got me through a tough time. I’m as attached as anyone. If I can continue to afford monthly support—this is not a certainty—I’ll give it to them. I’m not a ~hater who doesn’t want Watcher to make money. But I am absolutely BAFFLED by every single decision here. I want them to figure out how to turn this around and go in a better direction, because right now, this ain’t it.

#long post #I hope nobody hates me for this but like #this is someone supporting you #this is the best I can do #and that should tell you something #watcher

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pastafossa · 1 year ago

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I keep having this weird feeling. Like, Netflix DD was/is my favorite series ever. My favorite fandom. My favorite story. It has my favorite characters, arcs, dialogue, cinematography, fight scenes, themes. It's helped me process and heal from a lot of shit, thanks to how I related to Matt. In short: the amount of love I have for it knows no limits. You all know this. Obviously. So when it was abruptly canceled in 2018, I was just gutted. And sure, I joined the SaveDaredevil campaign, but in truth, I kinda thought... that was it. It was over. I remember, viscerally, that sinking feeling. I knew I'd always love it, and I'd continue to follow Charlie through his other works, but after a year or so it just felt like it was clear it wasn't coming back. I either needed to move on, or find a way to allow me to spend more time in that universe even without the show - clearly I chose the latter, ending TRT's hiatus in 2020 when I had more time to write fic. But I cannot understate how I did that with the full knowledge that DD was over.

That went on for years.

Years of nothing.

Years of a tiny fandom on life support, grimly holding onto our love with the barest of fingertips, reblogging and writing for anyone still around, including ourselves.

Years of sweet interviews where the cast would mention DD, little scraps of dopamine and nostalgia that kept us warm.

Years where there wasn't much hope, but we loved it anyway, we did, we still did, even as we understood why people moved on.

What we loved was dead, but we picnicked on its grave anyway.

If you'd told me, at any point then, that one day as we sat on that grave, Matt's hand would come bursting up through the soil right through the center of our memorial devil cookie tray, I'd have given you a whole lotta side eye. Because that's what this feels like. We laid this series to rest, and now Matt's here covered in grave dirt, and he has promptly sat down to eat our memorial cookies with us like we didn't spend years mourning his death.

It's such an odd feeling. Suddenly there are new things to buy! New appearances! New gifs! New interviews and shows and old fans coming back and new fans coming in and new fics being written, and con events and behind the scenes clips, and this whole time I'm floating in this bright haze because this was all gone, it was all dead, you were dead, I wrote for you because I missed you, because I wanted to keep you alive, and now you're here again.

I have no idea what to do with this feeling. But it makes me very, very happy.

#daredevil #pasta thoughts

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natlacentral · 10 months ago

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Sokka Actor Defends Changes To Live-Action 'Avatar' Series: "You Have To Take Risks"

Sokka actor Ian Ousley opens up on creative changes to Netflix’s ‘Avatar’ series, what he fought to keep in the show, the hilarious cast group chat, and much more.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is in the pantheon of 2000s Nickelodeon shows.

Since its debut in 2005, the animated series inspired several spinoff projects and a passionate, global fanbase—one that’s been particularly protective of the franchise following M. Night Shyamalan’s disgraceful 2010 adaptation.

When it was announced that the series would be getting the live-action treatment at Netflix, fans were skeptical. Would this be another bomb, like the canceled Cowboy Bepop series? Or could it actually be something worthwhile for the franchise, like the recent adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece?

Ian Ousley, the 21-year-old actor born in College Station, Texas, who plays Sokka in the Netflix version, knew it would be a daunting task adapting one of the most beloved animated stories of the 21st Century. But he says the cast had one common goal stepping into the project.

“We’ve got to do this thing justice,” Ousley says. “What we want is to give people a true and faithful adaptation of a show that people grew up on and still love today.”

It seems like the live-action series has resonated with fans. In its first four days in the US, it secured the No. 1 spot on Nielsen’s streaming chart and garnered nearly twice as many views as the debut of One Piece. In a sign of faith, Netflix decided to greenlight Seasons 2 and 3, ensuring the series will at least get the opportunity to tell Aang’s whole story and possibly do right by the franchise’s legacy.

Ousley sat down with Complex to reflect on the necessary changes for live-action, what he demanded to keep in the series, bonding with the cast, and much more.

You were 19 when you signed on to the project. We're here now, two years later. How are you feeling?

IAN OUSLEY: Feeling older [Chuckles]. I feel great. We shot this project for 13 months in Vancouver. It's been almost a year and a half since VFX and all of that stuff. So it's kind of a weird situation to go from like, “Oh, you're gonna do 12 hours of work every day for 13 months.” Then it's like, “All right, here's your life for like a year and a half.”

Then it gets released and it's like, “Oh, by the way, you did this thing and it's awesome, and you're it's going to come out and it's going to be crazy.” So it's been a funny, kind of roller coaster situation.

It was also a massive world tour, from Tudum in Brazil to all across the globe. What’s it been like interacting with fans ever since you joined?

I mean, great. It is a very passionate fan base. I was part of that fan base at one point, so I really understand. Since it's been released, the fan reaction has been overwhelmingly positive from what I've seen, so I'm just really grateful that the fans like it honestly. Because I was in that same spot where I was like, “Oh my gosh, I really want this to be good.”

Everyone on the cast and the creative side of things were really fans of the project, which is rare to find, a project that everyone is so passionate about. We were like, “Okay, this has to be good because there might have been a movie at some point that maybe wasn't so good.”

We were like, “Our whole goal is: we’ve got to do this thing justice.”

What was the casting process like? I heard it was done under cover, Ken Leung thoughthe was auditioning for a different franchise. How did all that go down?

It was under a code name, so I did a self tape under the code name “Tradewinds” and thought it was just some Netflix original because it said Netflix but didn't say anything else. I had no idea it was Avatar at all.

I did a bunch of Zoom callbacks, chemistry reads over Zoom, which is always funny because if you've ever been on a Zoom meeting in your life, there's that subtle delay, which is kind of awkward. So acting with that was pretty interesting.

But we were in the midst of COVID, and I got the call that I actually got the role. The first reaction was, “Oh, my God. I'm playing Sokka.” And then I was like, “Oh my God, I'm playing Sokka. What the heck?” Like, so much pressure.

Once you landed the role, how much Avatar content did you consume to prepare for the project?

To prepare, I just watched season one because I didn't want to have in my mind too much the arc of what Sokka goes through in seasons two and three. So I was religiously watching season one, like three or four times. Throughout the process of filming the show, just reminding myself of like, “Okay, we're here. Sokka is going through this.”

The animated show is basically the heart and soul of our show, but our show is different. It's live-action. Anything's going to be different when you take it from animation and put it into real people. So just trying to add those human elements into it, finding where they really didn’t get to dive into because it’s an animated series, trying to find where we could mix those human elements in.

What were you most excited to tackle with the project? Anything you were really looking forward to?

I was most excited for the stunts. Dallas [Liu, who plays Zuko] is a good friend of mine, and those were my favorite days, shadowing and getting to watch him do his martial arts in costume, which is very difficult. We're basically all in leather, so doing what he's doing is insane.

The costumes, that's what really transported us into the world. The first time I got my haircut and I'd put the costume on in the fitting and stuff, I was like, “Okay, this is really cool.” Once I had the wolf tail, it was over. I was like, “Oh my gosh. This is real.” And that's kind of where I saw it through, Not just my imagination anymore, it was like, “Oh, this is real.”

What were the action and fight scenes like for you?

Great! My job is to lose most of them [Chuckles], but it was actually a really fun experience. We did a six-week-long bootcamp where we all learned how to bend all four elements, even though I'm a non-bender. The rest of that bootcamp was focused on me re-learning my martial arts background, which isn’t very hard.

I'm a third degree black belt in taekwondo and a world champion in weapons. So that was what was fun for me because Sokka's got a lot of weapons. He's got spears, he's got his boomerang, obviously. Later on he'll master the space sword, which I'm very excited for, hopefully. I mean, that's in the animated series. We don't have any scripts yet for season two and three, but yeah, it was really fun to do those scenes.

The behind-the-scenes pictures made it look like y’all were legit family, like homies. What was the bonding experience like on and off set?

I mean, hopefully me and Dallas didn't seem like actual homies in the show, but we were roommates. We actually knew each other in L.A. beforehand, when we were like 15. It's a very long story, but we really were not fans of each other at all. So when I found out he got cast, I was like, “Oh my God, this is gonna suck. My life is going to suck for a year.”

We were supposed to be friends and then we just bonded throughout the bootcamp and the first month of shooting. We lived a block away from each other and we would always get dropped off at one person's house, go eat, come back to that person's house, and then seven hours before we had to be on set for the next bootcamp day, which is very intense because it's like eight hours of training, we'd be like, “Oh, crap, I've got to go home.” Go sleep in separate places, and then do it all again the next day.

So after Christmas break, we were just like, “Dude, we've got to move in together.” So we ended up doing that, which was really cool.

Do you guys have a group chat?

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

Does it have a special nickname like “OppenHomies” or something?

You know, that sounds more like what the Oppenheimer group chat is, is that what it is? “OppenHomies”? Oh, my God. That's so lit.

We have one, it's “Shadow Wizard Money Gang.” I think there's a music producer who has that as his producing tag that was big for a while.

One day I opened my text and it said “Shadow Wizard Money Gang” with like a ton of emojis. And I was like, “What the hell?” And it was them. I was like, “Oh, cool.”

What are your cardinal rules for adapting an animated project into live action?

I think that, for one, I'll say that we love the animated show. All of us are fans of that, which is what we are trying to embody instead of emulate, is what I would say. A shot for shot remake of an animation to me personally is unnecessary. What we want is to give people a true and faithful adaptation of a show that people grew up on and still love today.

That's what I would say to some of the critics: “I hear you and we love the animated show and it exists and is perfect for a reason.” I think that it's necessary to bring some differences to the show so that we can have some new content. You have to take risks, and I think we took some risks. Sometimes that really, really pans out and sometimes it doesn’t. I think that most of our risks really did.

What I’d also say to this subject in general, I know it's a little bit off topic, but I feel like the first season of the animated show is so good, but it's hopping around a lot. We're going on little side missions here and there because we're trying to get to the Northern Water Tribe, and it really finds its voice in seasons two and three.

It's like, “We know what the show is, we know what we're going after, we know what the plot points are. We have Toph now. We have the Aang Gang. We have a mission. We’ve got to save the world.” I think that our show also has that opportunity in live-action.

We've gotten so much constructive criticism, which is why we all want to make the show as good as possible. Still, not just for season one, but season two and three. I think we really have that opportunity now as well to find our voice in season two and three.

Was there anything that you felt particularly strong about that you felt Sokka needed to keep in the live-action?

One thing that I asked to keep that was almost not there was I'm wearing the Kyoshi armor in episode two. Originally I wasn't wearing the Kyoshi armor. In the animated show, it's kind of seen as a punch line. It's a punishment, like, “Here, throw this on if you want to train with us.”

For me, I went to the people that wanted to make that change and was like, “You know, I'm a martial artist. If I'm going to a jiu jitsu gym, I'm going to wear their uniform. It can be seen as a sign of honor and respect.” I think that's totally what it is.

So I was really happy that I got to keep that. It really was not anything intense, but it was just advocating for your characters. Always. Everyone always loves that because no one had ego on our set, which is something that's so important when trying to create something that's good is like, “Oh, I'm totally down to be wrong.”

What are your hopes for deepening your portrayal of Sokka? Anything you are excited to explore in Seasons 2 and 3?

I think that he evolves through his sense of responsibility. He evolves through his relationship with his sister a lot. The reason this question is hard to answer is because I don't have scripts yet, which helps me guide where that growth will come from. I'm kind of a psycho about trying to make the performance not one noted, even in one episode or one part of a season.

I had a whole serial killer wall, theories of all like, okay, “This season he's going through this. And then the reason it changes here is because…” and then once you do all of that work, you can throw it all away once you get on set and you kind of have a sense of purpose of why.

So I think I'm going to find out more of those specifics, I will find out more about that when I get those scripts. Hopefully soon.

#natla #atla #avatar the last airbender #ian ousley #interview #complex #netflix avatar #netflix atla #avatar netflix #atla netflix

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yellowraincoat · 9 months ago

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they don't. know what's in your post is a common theory/idea often considered in the l&co fandom, do they..... 😭😭 like I have seen quite a few people talking about dead boy detectives and Lockwood and co's cancellation, along with other similar sounding shows, and although maybe a far fetched theory it's a theory nonetheless. ive seen it many times, none aggressive towards dead boy detectives itself (including yours)

and honestly man, I dont think the idea of banking on the success of another show (dead boy detectives expected to be successful even before release, for example) and trying to eliminate something that could lessen expected success (dbd fans watching l&co and vice versa, dividing the attention) is too far out there. which is neither the show or 'competing' shows fault ofc. it may not actually work like that but who tf really knows anymore, and it's just a theory anyway. no need for everyone to get pissy

anyways yeah sorry that happened and neil answered me saying he wasn't angry at you and I'm still reeling from that so 👍👍👍

You and Neil are basically like this now 🤞lmao. But yeah I've seen some tags like "this is wild conspiracy theorizing" and like... no it's just speculating based on how I know marketing works.

Like, I'm not in Netflix's walls, nor am I in their black box algorithm that determines which shows get renewed, but like generally this was my thought process: streaming services want to put out a diverse array of content that hits a lot of niches -> teen ghost hunters is a very specific niche -> if one show under performs expectations and you have the rights to another that you think will do well based on the creative team involved + the author bringing in a very large existing fan base, why keep the slightly under-performing show around and over-saturate that niche when you could direct more funds to other genres and try for another immediate hit.

Like I'll trust when Neil Gaiman says that's not how it works because he's actually worked with netflix, he is in their walls but I do not think my post was some far flung conspiracy theory. It's fucking plausible, at least based on the average person's understanding of these companies.

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swimmingwithfish · 2 years ago

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XO, Kitty and the start of the queer character evolution.

(Spoilers for XO Kitty Below!)

I’m always one for teen dramas. It’s a guilty pleasure that I take much delight in. Classic rom-coms like 10 Things I Hate About You and Clueless have always been my favourites. But to me, they always felt too straight. Too much heteronormative things and none of the queer rep I always wanted, even in more modern films and TV Shows in the genre.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before has always been one of my favourtie movies, so, when I found out about the spin off series XO, Kitty, I was ecstatic. Kitty had always been a character I resonated with and I loved all of Jenny Han’s other work.

Going into it, I expected the classic two boys fighting over one girl love triangle, a gay best friend and the girl best friend that I always seem to ship the main character with. I had predicted most of the story from the start. Until.

XO, Kitty is far from the ‘girl meets boy’ I was familiar with. It’s a queer love story and a coming out story and a self-discovery story. Definitely not the black and white romance i thought it would follow.

We have Q, the GBF, who is far from the feminine male sterotype you see in teen TV. He doesn’t give Kitty fashion advice and makeovers (which isn’t a bad thing btw), but a jock, the atheltic scholarship kid, who sure, does know a good dress when he sees one, but takes on a character that’s still such a worthy queer person without having to fall into the feminine sterotype.

Then we have Yuri, the Korean ‘it’ girl, also the girl best friend. She’s not the bimbo pick me girl you think she might me. She’s complex and interesting and she’s gay. Her storyline is something you don’t see often, and they really delve into the struggles of what it’s like being queer in a place and family where you’re not allowed to. Her journey is beautiful and powerful and reflects the coming out struggle in such an honest way, without making her story as a queer person just about coming out. She says the line ‘I have to live a fake life just so you’ll keep loving me’, when coming out to her mum and that encompassed so much of my current queer experience, especially as a person of colour. I think that it was for me, a sort of ‘Hey! we’re in the same boat’ thing and really made me feel so much more seen. She’s a well developed queer character that isn’t reduced to a ‘placed there just for representation’ character.

And we have Kitty herself. The main character. I honestly did not expect Netflix and the producers to go in this direction, but Kitty is queer. At first, I didn’t know if they were just sorta doing it for the sake of it. It didn’t feel like a deliberate decision. Maybe more of a thought that crosses her mind during the show. But Kitty has a crush on Yuri, and the way they address it is so different. They don’t exactly show that coming out to yourself thought process (which I kind of wish they did), rather, Kitty likes Yuri and she just accepts that, which I think is cool. I like now we don’t always need this big revelation moments (although, they’re still cool), but I think it shows the progression of how we treat queer characters as not spectacles for the audience, but just, people. Kitty’s crush on Yuri also felt very resemblant to my own crush on my friend which was probably why I related to her so much but just in general, it felt so natural to just have a queer main character in a non-queer focused show. Like, this wasn’t Hearstopper. No one expected it to be, yet, here we are, and I’m so happy about that.

This evolution into organically created queer characters is something we defnintely need more of and I’m so glad that Netflix is taking the step to do so. ALTHOUGH I REALLY HOPE THIS IS NOT BECAUSE THEY’RE TRYING TO GET REDEMPTION FOR CANCELLING ALL THE OTHER SAPPHIC SHOWS.

I also feel like though, that Jenny Han is just like a great person because whenever it’s her books being adapted, there’s always this like ‘organic queerness’. Like, in The Summer I Turned Pretty, there’s this guy Jeremiah, who in her book is presented as this straight guy, but in the show he just like kisses some guy and it was a dileberate from of causal representation (if that’s even a thing). Like kissing that guy didn’t add to the plot, but it wasn’t queerbaiting either because (well for me personally) I felt like the directors were like ‘This is Jeremiah. He’s queer, and he’s a main love interest’ and being queer didn’t like shatter the earth around him, it was just a part of him, as it is for all queer people.

But XO, Kitty itself aside from Kitty and Yuri is so good (maybe because I’m a sucker for these things), but everything about it just makes me squeal. I feel like teen TV is taking a turn in terms of creating realistic characters. And while we still have a long way to go (GENDER DIVERSE AND CULTURALLY DIVERSE PEOPLE!!!! CMON NETFLIX), XO, Kitty feels like a really big win for queer (and especially QPOC) people.

#xo kitty #kitty song covey #queer #lgbtq #representation #@netflix #watch xo kitty #its so good #im obsessed #rant

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taz-ma-raz-skylar · 8 months ago

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Interview

<원피스> 실사판의 주인공, 타즈 스카일러(Taz Skylar)

BY. Camila Avella Córdoba

2024-04-29

“One Piece” of Taz

“I'm not someone who is okay with things having no meaning. I like everything that has a meaning as esoteric as the answer. I think that's the closest definition to who I am now because I think I'm always changing."

With a charm as overwhelming as his talent, Taz Skylar is positioned in the world as an icon of multiculturalism and an inspiring symbol of success for all generations who strive to take everything to the next level.

On the verge of making his dazzling entrance as a special guest at Milan Fashion Week, Taz has taken time out of his busy schedule to tell, through Rolling Stone Korea, the most exciting details of this path as an integral artist. Today it breaks all cultural barriers, capturing the gaze and admiration of millions of fans of anime and action sequences.

One Piece, the series that over the past few months has become one of the favorites of Netflix's global audience, is one of many spaces where Taz Skylar has demonstrated, once again, how discipline and innate talent balance each other to make each project a desired production for audiences of all ages. Is wonderful to enjoy a live action series that stands out for its professionalism and the appropriate intention of every detail. This makes it naturally accepted into the high expectations of fans of the popular anime. It gives us a perspective of what its essence means. I wanted to ask who Taz is?, but the fascinating mystery of his person can only be expressed by his spontaneity:

“I'm not really sure I know the answer to who I am, but I know the answer to the things I am and the things I am NOT. I'm not someone who lets fear take over me often. Sometimes it does, but not always. Most of the time it is not like that. “I'm not someone who does what you're told to do if you don't understand why you need to do it, or why you should do it, or why it's the right thing to do.”

1. [RSK] Taz, it is an honor for Rolling Stone Korea and for the Asian public in general to welcome you in this exclusive. You are genuinely talented. Through “One Piece” we were able to appreciate that discipline and hard work that fans of all ages and cultures fell in love with. It is interesting to see how, several months after the premiere of the series, it continues to rank in the top 10 on Netflix around the world. On the other hand, we realized that there were some mishaps during the premieres scheduled for release in some countries. However, all of you, as a cast, defied this situation and made it memorable on your own by premiering, in Japan, what an adventure! Your decision exceeded the expectations of many people who were expecting an outcome, certainly different.

I know, a lot of people were on the radar and watch list, but we all loved what we did. We were very firm in that, throughout the filming process and after filming we would go out or spend time together. We were aware of how proud we were of what we had done and believed in it. But there is pressure when the time of the premiere approaches. Sometimes it is difficult to stay firm in our beliefs. And I think all of us definitely feel that, but what if not everyone sees it that way? What happens if not everyone agrees? That thought accompanied us frequently. Despite everything, I decided to believe that if all I got out of this whole experience was a great experience, then that's enough. You know, experience is not what happens to us but what we do with what happens to us. After everything was canceled, we went to Japan as a group of friends, just to be together when the show launched.

“I definitely remember being at the airport leaving. My family accompanied me and, now, I was leaving them to go to Japan and be with the cast. I said goodbye to my dad and my mom. As they walked away, I was dealing with the details of my departure, I felt terrified: going to a country you don't know and have never been to. Watching the last two years of work you've done with your friends be released to the world for the world to have an opinion on is shocking.”

When I was looking down, scared, very scared, someone said Taz. I looked next to me and it was a girl that I had known for years on the island where I am from, in Tenerife, she approached me a little worried: what is happening? Are you OK? I thought, yeah, honestly, I'm really scared right now. Why?, She asked me. She didn't know about the program yet. She knew when I saw her again at the airport after it came out. I told her something very common: it's some work, I'm going to see what happens with it. She gave me a hug and said: I don't know what it is, but I'm sure you'll be fine. And I took that feeling with me on the plane, during the 14-hour trip to Japan. Then when the show came out, we all hugged each other, literally hugged each other in an apartment. And we all gave each other a group hug and said, really, we're going to be able to do this again because we're so lucky to have each other. When it came out, quite quickly and abruptly, all of our lives changed a lot.

2. [RSK] I appreciated this production having many details. There is dedication, commitment and responsibility in every detail including the art of the scenery, the combat sequences and everything in between. From your perspective. What is that plus that makes this series so unique, so special?

From my point of view, the success or failure of the program depends on what people expect. But, it's wonderful that they do it, they give credit to the cast and you feel their love. They like the dynamic between us, it shows that we complement each other, which is true and to that extent they give truth to what happens. But a great cast without Matt's backing wouldn't necessarily have had the platform or material to be great.

Because the thing about Matt is he is a “forensic.” Passionate fan, he seems to be writing the show and was the showrunner of the show. He's a big fan of it. He loves anime so much and he loves manga so much and everything he did was infused with that and it emanated through the show. And really, I think that's what people feel when they watch the show. I see Matt's love for the intellectual property emanating through everything, emanating through us, emanating through the set, the costumes, the details, the easter eggs, the way the stories were changed or altered regarding to the original in a way was like what for a fan of it is enough, as opposed to a person who would simply enter the IP to impose their will on it. Matt does not impose his will. Invite to work with him. (Taz)

3. [RSK] I have, like many others, enjoyed your martial arts skills. In my research process, I watched you prepare for this role. Despite being almost new on this , I was surprised by your level,it is fascinating. We would like to know about this process. It's surprising for me because I usually work with Asian artists and they study almost their entire lives to achieve a level that seems to flow naturally in you.

Thank you. I appreciate it! you know? Every time someone says it I think it is great, because there was a time when some videos leaked when I started training and it really wasn't very good. I had literally been doing it for two weeks at that point. I decided to go online and realized it wasn't very good.

“I remember taking it very seriously and thinking, okay, I've seen all these actors my whole life do incredible things, accomplish incredible feats to fit a role. I always felt in my heart that that was something I could do and now I literally had the opportunity in front of me. I did it and that effort was worth it.” I pushed my body to the limit. You have five moments in which you can go in search of something.

I started training two hours a day, then it was four, then six, then eight. There were days when we did 10, there were days when we lost count. Then this happened, I found a teacher there in South Africa who was the teacher of one of my coaches. I had like seven coaches. All the coaches didn't have enough time to train with me during the time I was trying to train.

Then they would tap, one would come in for two hours, tap, another would come in and train with me, I was running out of people. I found a teacher in Cape Town who invited me to his home and to his black belt sessions. I trained 7 days a week. I was really obsessed.

I remember telling Jacob I wasn't hanging out. I isolated myself from everyone. And I sent Iñaki a message, because I knew we hadn't spent much time together. I said, hey, buddy, look, I'm really sorry I haven't been around you guys much lately. It's only because I'm hell-bent on having this black belt before the show airs.

I wanted when the show came out, no one could debate that I did every trick and erase any doubt about it. The two of the weeks of the SAG-AFTRA Strike in Hollywood gave me a window to achieve my goal: to obtain a black belt. I called one of my coaches and told him: I have two weeks, my coach. And I said, man, I have two weeks. Do you want to come to where I am and train with me? I wanted to know if I was ready for a title

So he came and we trained four hours in the morning, four hours in the afternoon, every day for 13 days. And then on the 14th, he said, okay, let's pretend qualifying is today.

“It was just a whole day of kicking, kicking, punching and beating. And in the end, I take off the red belt that I twist tightly and the sweat drips endlessly and he comes out and hands me my black belt and the next day I flew to Japan with that in my hand. And that was three days before the show came out. “Everything is so amazing.”.

4. [RSK] Well, Taz, You are an icon of multiculturalism, that is really special because it is the spirit of my interviews. From your perspective, what are those strengths and those challenges that you have experienced being a multicultural person in this industry of stereotypes?

Intrinsically linked to who I am, I can see most things, or at least I think I can see most things from many perspectives. I grew up in a family made up of a Christian English woman and a Muslim man. That allowed me to empathize with characters or stories in a different way because I can always see what the other side is or what a different person would feel and think in those scenarios. There is a great quote that I love and have always thought:

“Anyone is a villain in history written by those who win and I think being able to see 360 degrees of something and realize that someone could actually be described as a villain, by virtue of the fact that they didn't win that battle. ”

Someone can be a hero but they may have done very bad things to achieve it. You know what I'm talking about? I think that's something that being multicultural gives me. But I guess the difficulty is that I often feel like I'm struggling to find the place where I belong because I don't identify with anything.

I grew up in Spain. I am canarian. I went to a Canarian school. I learned to write Spanish before I learned to write English.

Sometimes I don't feel enough canarian. The same goes for being Arab. Half of my family is Arab. But I've never lived there, you know, I don't feel it, so I guess that's my problem sometimes, is figuring out where I really belong. Maybe the answer is that I don't necessarily belong anywhere specific and that's okay.

5. [RSK] Earlier this year, it was interesting to see your visit to Latin America through your posts of the adventures you had visiting the new continent, specifically Peru. From this experience, what memories do you keep in your heart?

Oh wow! If I talk about Latin America, I find similarities with the Canary Islands specifically. Some local culture, some native culture.

The majority of our population is actually made up of all the Latin American countries that emigrated to the Canary Islands. So I grew up surrounded by Peruvians, Mexicans, Venezuelans, Colombians, and it felt like an extension of my home. Especially in the way we treat each other socially speaking. We are very happy, enthusiastic and have a lot of physical contact,

I felt like I was getting to know Peru on a personal level, both everyone who lived there and the country itself, which was so beautiful. I'm going to Mexico soon and I'm really excited to tour Mexico and see what adventures I can find there too. All of Latin America is something that I am very excited to visit each of its countries.

“To be fair, I want to go to every country in the world, but Latin America is high on my list.”

6. [RSK] Have you had the opportunity to visit any other place in Asia apart from Japan?

I haven't, but funnily enough, when I was finishing filming One Piece, I was trying to figure out where in the world I wanted to go for real taekwondo training, I was considering looking for places in Seoul and I found a lot of schools.

There the taekwondo culture is great, although I am familiar with each technique and I can count the commands in Korean Hana, Dul, Set Net, every time we do an exercise in class we count the exercise in tens.

So I thought okay, at least I did know how to say all those kinds of specific things in Korean and I could go to Korea and just train. I didn't do it because I had to film something else, but I really want to go to South Korea. It's on my list,

7. [RSK] Do you know that they have a “One Piece” cafe in South Korea?

Oh yes, You can go and take photos with the characters with scale models. The place is incredible, it is as beautiful as it is popular. In fact, I started watching the series last year. I was visiting that place because I heard one of my friends said, that I am a big fan of One Piece and I should go. You need to enjoy those kinds of coffees in Korea. They are beautiful. You know, the aesthetics are unique in the world.

TAZ : Do you have the last phase with the characters' faces? They really wanted to get one of those.

8. [RSK] Let's talk about the current project in Top, Gassed Up, The movie, which had its premiere at the BFI London Film Festival in 2023, although the most attractive and at the same time fascinating thing is knowing that you have the participation in writing the script.

GASSED UP TRAILER

Gassed Up - Trailer Edit - Intro by Taz Skylar

Look! Gassed Up was my first screenplay. I've been writing for a long time, but I've only done my own work in the past.

This is the first film I produced and it was a really long process. Like I had been working on it for a year and a half before that. And actually, funnily enough, I finished the script. So I was revising and rewriting for a long time.

When I came to South Africa to film One Piece, before we stopped (Hollywood Strikes) we were in preparation, we had been there for two or three weeks and there was one night when everyone was gathering at Emily's apartment. I remember being thoughtful because I had to do another draft of the script and I remember I really wanted to go, so I took my laptop to Emily's apartment and wrote it on her couch.

I finished writing the new ending on her couch and everyone was doing their own thing. Then I sent the script and the film was given the green light to be made while I was there filming. Then we had to figure out how we could do it so that I could find a space and film in one piece to return to London to film “Gassed Up” and then come back to finish “One Piece”. I ended up flying from one set to another and then from one set to another again. It was a trip, it was a trip and a half. The movie aspires to do something really cool. A really cool movie that had young actors at the center, which is rare these days because it seems like everything has to be very bankable, which I also understand. I understand the financial capacity element of movies, but,

"I really wanted to be the creator of something that people my age could lead because it was a young team, a young cast with young people making this movie and I think it's also infused with youth, at least I hope so."

9. [RSK] We have seen you have discipline, hard work and focus. You are a young person but you have a life that you can share like a professional. Tell me, how does this enrich your personal and professional life?

Ah, great question. Well, I think one of the main lessons I've learned is that I have a lot less time than ever before, a lot less time on my hands than I used to, but somehow I manage to do it too.

many other things, both personally and professionally, than those that I have had before and I think that is what it is about,

“It has taught me that time is very valuable and that there are only two ways I really like to spend it: working incredibly hard or having an incredible amount of fun. I really don't like to spend time doing anything mediocre because that's the prism I put everything through."

I spent more time during half that year being Sanji than I did being Taz.

In the end everything is settled with you. You capture gestures of that character and then you have to consciously decide if you want to keep them or not. In Sanji's case, a lot of those gestures or ways of thinking or feeling were really useful and productive and great ways of being that really stuck with me and that I try to maintain.That definitely happens, it's horrible, you know?

What I was talking about before is definitely putting into perspective how much you can do with life if you are very strict with your time, which I have definitely become. Sometimes I try to make a conscious effort to be clear-headed with my time, which I almost always regret when I feel like I've wasted it. There are not many people our age in the world who have the opportunity to witness the world in such a special and intense way. I guess I'm overwhelmed by the fact that I need to make the most of it as much as I can and every character I play really stays with me.

“I started getting tattoos for each character, like I did recently for the first play I did. And I got a One Piece tattoo. I just did another movie where the character had tattoos, so I'm choosing which tattoo of his I want to get. “

Because what I'm finding in every character I play really changes the course of who I am for the rest of my life. I know that in some big or small way I will never be the same after playing a character. Because the level, not just like the depth of the investigation or the depth of figuring out who this character is that I have to go to, it's also that a year is 12 months. If I spent six months playing Sanji, 4 a.m. to 7 p.m., so I'll spend half of that year more, it definitely made me say, okay, well. What happens in a world where you can only make a certain number of characters per year and there are only a certain number of years? What characters do I really want? I bet that my career because it seems like everyone is is that now I do have maybe; 20 years, 28 now, 20 or 30 years playing characters. This is maybe 30 characters, maybe it's 40 characters, who knows, but it's not that many for a lifetime and I really want to make sure that each one of them means as much as the last ones to me.

10. [RSK] Wow! Being an artist who stands out for his multifaceted ability, we must ultimately talk about your passion for surfing that becomes as interesting as it is liberating for your audience. Let's talk about this adventure!

I was downright obsessed. I was around 10 or 12 years old. That's all I wanted to talk about, know, think about, watch or spend time doing was surfing and surfing related things. I would surf all day and then watch surf movies at night. I started making surfboards.

That was a very special moment because I used to be really scared by everything.

"I was very shy. Was very sensitive and I don't want to say delicate, but it was like a twig, like it would break on anything. And surfing really changed that for me because suddenly I was being dragged and drowned and getting hit by surfboards or fins or thrown out of the water by people who didn't want me there and it really strengthened me and generated that sense of adventure that I have.”

That feeling of let's see what happens here. Because that's how it is every time you get into the water you enter a world of the unknown and uncertainty. It also gave me misfit friends and they pushed me to do different things and try other things that were scary. Making surfboards taught me how to put myself in a situation. I always reference the factory because I made about six boards.

I was 15 or around 16 years old of pure daily handmade work. I was in workshops and then in factories, sanding, sanding, sanding, sanding, shaping, sculpting and sawing. I still have calluses on my hands, like I still have stones of skin under each of my fingers where they bled and then I taped them up and put them away.

11. [RSK] Well, Taz, it really has been a complete honor getting to know you through all these exciting and deep experiences. I hope all Rolling Stone Korea audiences enjoy this interview as much as I enjoyed doing it. Thank you.

Photographs by Taz Skylar

#taz skylar

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bookworm-1196 · 1 month ago

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Im supposed to be studying for my exams but the course im currently studying sucks so im going to make this fun my doing my end of the year annual wrap-up every once in a while. I used to do them on Google Docs for the last few years, I do a ranking from a few categories like top songs, top singers, top books top book series top ships etc.

I do this so I can look back at what I liked that specific year and to keep track of how my taste evolved and what fandoms I joined etc. And since I just joined tumblr it’s a great way for you to get to know me!

Favorite authors :

1- Cassandra Clare - one of the best moments of this year for me was meeting her for the first time, I completely lost my mind and it made my day, I love the Shadowhunter Chronicles so so much

2- Rick Riordan - I have loved the Riordanverse books ever since I started reading PJO at age 10 (8 years ago now wow) and it made me so emotional to watch the PJO TV series last December, then to read The Chalice of the Gods right before summer (I know I was very late but I was insanely busy trying to get into university just like Percy) it felt like I got to grow up with the characters and yeah just love the Riordanverse so much. If I could be anywhere right now I would be in Camp Half-Blood.

3- Alice Oseman - I still haven’t read all her books yet but I loved reading Loveless (as someone currently in their first year of uni AND in the process of figuring out if I’m aroace or not) and don’t even get me started on how much I love the Heartstopper comics and the show. I’m planning on rereading Solitaire sometime soon and on reading Alice’s other books. LGBTQ+ representation is so so important and I will die on this hill, it’s amazing that Heartstopper has become so mainstream and showcases so many LGBTQ+ characters and storylines.

4- Suzanne Collins - I recently reread the Hunger Games and it’s insane how many people are writing essays or filming video essays about these books and movies even now, because what she’s written is still relevant to this day. All the characters are important, every detail is essential and adds so much to the story. It’s awe-inspiring how thought-through and profound everything is, and I am looking forward to reading HG5 !

i honestly don’t really have “favorite authors” per se the way i have favorite series or favorite books so umm yeah honorable mentions are

5- Holly Jackson (read AGGGTM trilogy this year and I stayed up reading AGAD until 2am it was exhilarating)

6- Casey McQuiston (The Pairing was so fun!! They write some of my favorite romances)

7- Kristin Cashore (the Graceling Realm series are soo underrated go read them!! Complex flawed FMCs who are all strong in their own way and btw I haven’t read Seasparrow yet it’s been sitting on my shelf for a year now)

8- Roshani Chokshi (loved the Pandava series loved The Gilded Wolves haven’t read the rest yet but I am definitely getting around to it)

9- Holly Black (write a book abt Vivi and Heather and how they got back together after TFOTA and my life is yours!! Also Taryn apologist it’s not the hill I will die on and I get the hate but pls it’s not the most evil thing someone has ever done in these books or ever)

10- Jonathan Stroud - I read Lockwood & Co this year after watching the TV show last year and right after finishing The Empty Grave immediately went back and rewatched the show. Phenomenal series loved the found family ans Netflix cancelling the show was a crime.

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darklyndivinely · 1 year ago

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You know what baffles the fuck outta me? That all these rich people with buckloads of money are actually fucking stupid. Like Elon Musk bought TWITTER, arguably one of the most widely used social media platforms that has unbelievable potential to generate revenue and played with it so hard it's not even called twitter anymore. Netflix and all these streaming sites keep cancelling their MOST POPULAR shows but keep renewing shitty ones and hiring writers who have no passion for the art. Loki got a second season when it should have been shelved. Shadow and Bone was cancelled when it had a slew of excellent actors and a good story with themes. How many other fan favourites have been cancelled? What are they thinking. I'm genuinely curious. What is the thought process? Is it karma? Is it a slow descent towards death? What happens in their meetings? Is every single member involved in the decision-making process a dumbass or do the intellectual ones don't have any power?

#bafffffling #shadow and bone #anti loki series

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capinejghafa · 2 years ago

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So having seen the interview with a writer of sab, a lot of it makes even more sense and I appreciate that this writer stressed the fact that Netflix has a tendency to cancel shows super easily (and it's not just them, shows in general are going through a transitional period due to many, many factors). So, i can understand that they would rather have all of this vs none of it bc we genuinely don't know if we'll get another season. Something that she kept stressing...

I also appreciate that she went, well, of course I'm telling people to watch! I worked hard on this show. It makes sense that I'm promoting it. A lot of people have been mocking the writers for promoting the show?

Criticism aside, I do love the thought process behind the writing choices. Like there were things I didn't agree with (re: tolya asexuality erasure), but generally speaking, I only have a minor in film study and not a full comprehension of what goes into production... which sounds complicated af.

Anyways, I want this dumb show renewed so lol

#sab spoilers #sab talk #i dont want to get into the criticism bc im on my 7th rewatch soon and i just want to be like #i hear you. i see you. and im gonna want like 5 more seasons of this mess lol #but from a production pov the changes made sense #letting them off the hook bc i was so curious and after enduring the interviewer im like i get it #shadow and bone

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obeetlebeetle · 1 year ago

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transcript of a voice memo i sent ari after doing a lot of post-oa thinking & processing. it's been sitting in an untitled doc bc i got distracted and never turned it into something substantive and/or cohesive . maybe i still will but this is what i was thinking abt back when i was wrapped up in the show

I don't know that it really needs to be on your shortlist— or anyones shortlist, it is a canceled Netflix show— but, y’know, it’s short.

Um, my thoughts are pretty undeveloped; I rewatched last week and I haven’t done a ton research yet, but I just kinda spend the late-afternoon-early-evening at uw pulling stuff that looked useful or looked interesting because there was something happening that I— I didn’t know what do with. Um, and I think that the point that I’m trying to get towards, or maybe my starting point actually is that like…

So, in The OA, there’s this concept of angels. Of like, these humans that have died and come back, and chosen to come back, and that are therefore acquainted with a cosmological significance and then are able to move between dimensions. Which is like a cosmological thing. Um. And so that— that’s all pretty anthropocentric, it’s all pretty, like: human-centered, focused on spirituality, focused on— like an emphasis on the soul rather than the material form.

But then that kinda gets challenged in season two because there’s more of this like, there’s— well almost like at the beginning of a story, where it’s like, “Okay here’s our first thought. We’re angels; we have this spirituality, we have this essence that is like, specific and special.” And then— and that kinda relates to human-centered thinking and how humans have this idea of themselves as like ‘special animals’ and therefore above animals or beyond them. And so there’s something happening there with transcendence, like are we trying to achieve a transcendent post-humanism by becoming angels? Is that what it’s about?

And I think that is what it’s about for the villain, which is important because the villain is like, “This is amazing! We can jump dimensions! We never have to die!” y’know, “We’re creating a technology of movement, we’re mapping the cosmology—” Like he’s trying to do all of these things that are like, processes based in Western science, right? RE: the whole angel thing. Um. (didn't say this at the time but it is pretty interesting that Hap is specifically flagging dimensions where the characters are healthy/able-bodied/long-lived etc. as like, the ideal destination. Seeking a dimension with utopia, but utopia has to be recognizable to him and it has to correlate with his ideals of scientific progress and bodily 'perfection'.)

And so, in season two, the main character— who is the OA, the Original Angel— she’s like. She has this moment where she like speaks to a giant octopus, and the octopus is like, “My species doesn’t think that we should talk to humans, but I think there’s value here.” And then later, she like, she talks to the trees, who’re like, “All of the trees are interconnected through all the worlds and they know what’s going on.” So, clearly something’s happening with this character that can have these dialogues with these non-human actors and then the non-human actors are like— kind of asserting themselves as equal to humans or as superior to them in the octopus’ respect. Like there is a dialogue happening. But it’s kind of just all through this one character, her ability to communicate with them. So then that still kinda emphasizes like a specialness that is not present in all humans as material entities.

So. I don’t know. That’s kind of all very scattered, but my starting thoughts on, um. Kind of what The OA’s trying to do with anthropocentrism and like, I think ultimately if had been allowed to tell the full story it seems like it was moving a direction where it was decentering this myth of angels, this myth of transcendence— because instead it’s about like integration…

Because something that also happens in season two is the OA jumps dimensions and she ends up in another version of herself’s body. And the only way for her to achieve resolution at the end, like actually solve the mystery that she’s chasing down during this season, is to integrate with the self that she originally was displacing. And so— and that is like, deliberately compared to the villain, of like, “you are displacing this self, you are treating this body as a house that you just walked into and now it’s your home, and you kind of locked up the person who was already here, and isn’t that what the villain’s been doing the whole time?” And she has to reconcile with that. So I think that there is kind of like a thing where like… her perspective is not unchallenged by the narrative. And in fact the narrative is actively trying to challenge it, to keep it away from or to create a different thought than what’s being offered by, um. The villain and all his Western science.

#the oa

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scaryspears · 8 months ago

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Baby Reindeer Review + Rant

So I watched Baby Reindeer. I'm going to be honest, I wasn't interested at first, but it gained a lot of attention by Tiktokers. I don't have my own Netflix account, so when my mum travelled and I had access to her TV, I took a chance while I could. 7 episodes, 20-30 minutes each.

I feel like the suspense was ruined since I knew it was a stalker situation, but I guess I was patient enough to see what would happen. I heard people talking about how Martha was scary, or how they found Baby Reindeer to be a horror, and I must admit that it wasn't the same case for me. When I think of horror I think of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or Ichi the Killer. If we're going to argue about realistic situations when I'm going to throw in Audition 1999, a film about a man ignoring red flags and suffering the consequences of chasing after a woman he had no business chasing. Perhaps I have tainted my mind of so many disgusting images that I didn't register that I was watching a horror.

Speaking of ignoring red flags, I understood that Donnie was a victim, and I understand that trauma can affect how a person views the world and how they may navigate certain situations. I know Richard Gadd was sort of confronting himself when retelling that story, and how it's to investigate his psychology. But I also understood that he was an idiot.

A part of me genuinely thought his gender had something to do with it. How men will see a situation vs how women will see a situation. The Man vs Bear situation influenced that thought process of mine. But the episode that opens up about him being groomed and taken advantage of cancelled that out. Maybe he kept underestimating Martha because he sees a poor little woman who needs help.

Martha is a dangerous person, yet he entertained her, sort of. It was clear that he wanted to set boundaries, but didn't know how to, especially if her feelings were going to be hurt. Somehow Martha found her way around it, and when he did set a boundary for sure she started lashing out. She became worse, and yet somehow he was still able to hold sympathy for her. I think that sympathy is forgiveness, but not the kind that demands you to run with caution, the kind that convinces you to give one more chance.

One act of kindness was punished. Is punished. While I can relate, a vengeful part of me scolds him instead. Martha attacked Teri. I hated how Martha was made out to be someone to sympathise with. She threatened and hurt people, and is shown to be a bit of a racist and maybe a homophone, meaning she's an overall unpleasant person. I don't care if she has mental health problems, that doesn't make her innocent or someone I should sympathise with. Do you know what's also mental health? A 36 year old man stabbing a 14 year old boy to death in Hainault. That actually happened.

As soon as a mentally unwell individual starts harming people it's wraps. Donnie contacted the police, but didn't tell the police about Teri. He went along with his dead-end-job coworkers about not reporting what Martha did at the bar to the police because it would be bad for business. The same coworkers who looked through his email and sent that inappropriate message to Martha, making things worse for Donnie. He willingly associated himself with bad people, and willingly put himself through sticky situations. Also, faking who he is on a dating app? Scary. Yes, Donnie is a victim, but he's a massive idiot. Like people who continue to let others suck the life out of them even though they know they shouldn't. Dogs returning to vomit.

I didn't psychoanalyse him while watching the show, but now that I think about his actions, he's just as bad a person. Yes, he told off Martha after she attacked Teri, but it shouldn't have ever gotten that far in the first place. Richard Gadd was honest about not being a 'woe is me' character, and how his younger self made many dumb decisions. I also know that info on stalking was quite limited at the time, such as the fact that giving them attention makes things worse. Donnie saw her at the bus stop, spacing out, and instead of leaving her there to suffer he got her home. But even that act of kindness, Martha still contacted his family to send threats. She didn't stop being a horrible person. No good deed goes unpunished with people like this. No matter what way it is framed, Martha is not a poor little misunderstood creature, she's a monster.

Conclusion: Baby Reindeer, while an entertaining watch, just made me angry. It makes me think of people who are naive and are forced to learn the hard way. No matter how many times they learn, the lesson doesn't hit.

#Baby Reindeer #baby reindeer netflix #review #rant #martha scott #donnie dunn

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huntersapprentice · 1 year ago

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okay so, I think it's so fucking funny but also interesting how veggietales characters are either portrayed as being close to human size or regular vegetables. (or both?!?!?)

putting under a read more because I will go on and on about this and maybe go on tangents

love my funny little produce ^^

so I feel like for someone who's never watched this show (not to mention barely heard of it), it would seem obvious to think these characters are itty bitty. I mean, they go on the countertop, and everything's just normal-sized. Larry even eats some popcorn that looks to be in a human sized bowl (as well as regular sized popcorn) in Dave and the Giant Pickle. Larry's also gotten stuck in the sink once in Rack, Shack, and Benny. The only place where everything around them seems to be made for their size is in the story segments. the Bible retellings, the book adaptations, the movie/show adaptations, the original stories. the content that fills up 80% of the videos are in universe acting, so one could say it's just the set. even for the stories that are kinda implied to be a part of the character's canon, such as Larry's Lagoon and Bob's Vacation, could be set within this little mini world they have, kinda like how the Super Why characters live in this magical world in a bookshelf. not that I imagine much of the fandom even considers it canon, but the netflix series did seem to build on that world for the sentieng vegetables, at least in minor details (more veggie theming I guess) all this seems to keep the idea that they're still just vegetable size. Their interactions with humans are very much just audience interaction throughout the show, whether it's through letters, texting, or video calls. The cancelled Bob and Larry movie even touches on the idea of the vegetables being vegetable size, with a comment from one of the show artists, Joe Spadaford, stating that "Bob and Larry would've lived in his nightstand" (quote from the Lost Media Wiki, paraphrasing Spadaford)('his' being a kid called Dexter, whoever that would've ended up being) however, in what we have of the show now, humans never really come into contact with the veggies, not counting the mascot costume performances or spin offs (Os Amigos, FitnessHoff) because of that, most would assume the vegetables are just talking vegetables. BUT THEN THERES SOME OF THE EXTRA-CONTENT STUFF. I'm gonna start with the one that stuck with me the earliest:

Bob just sitting casually with the creator of the show, but. but. but. he's not the size of a tomato. he's almost as tall as medium sized dog or a baby.

another thing I saw recently:

this picture is from the Veggie Rocks! album, which seems to have also been included with the physical CD copies. Larry's just fucking around in the studio. this human sized looking studio..... now, thinking back to my point about the canon stories earlier: yes, it'd be easy to say those are just sets made for their size, but what's stopping someone from saying that the sets are in accordance to human size? that the countertop is actually the thing modified for size to make the veggies look veggie-sized!? well, at the end of the day, I think it's up to personal preference, and also it's a cartoon for kids so there's not much reason to put so much thought into it. But I like putting thought into it, dammit. In fact, in the process of writing this rambling, I had actually thought of a third idea: what if the veggies can change their size at will for whatever the reason? the veggies, as well as just being able to levitate things, can also change their size. being honest, that wouldn't even be the weirdest thing about them. Oh yeah, and I went through this entire part of the rambling without even mentioning the animals. animals that are either veggie-sized or regular-sized, depending on how you see it.

VEGETABLES THAT TALK AND SING AND DANCE and also seem to really like Monty Python and Gilbert and Sullivan references. also, they're in a Christian educational show. it's already kinda far out there as a show concept. but then there's the other thing: they can eat. through the first episodes, they're mostly shown eating or at least mentioning or using foods such as pizza, popcorn, or slushies. even then, the mentions of food is already kinda sparse. but coming into the 2000s, the use of food is a bit more frequent (I don't know why I'm so hung up on the food thing, honestly, but I feel like there's something about the idea of a digestive system) speaking of anatomy, it has been brought up before in terms of the veggies' anatomy as plants. the Belly Button song is a pop song that goes on about Mr. Lunt and his super deep dark secret that he must admit to y/n: he's got no belly button. of course, he's a decorative gourd. the umbilical equivocal is up there in his head. this plant unique biology is then carried over to one of the VeggieTales on TV end credit bits, where Mr. Lunt informs Bob (who's in the middle of a mild allergic reaction to shellfish) that he would technically "breath through his leaves," and then Bob comments on that being "cool." Aside from that, they do have animal functions too. like using the bathroom (never shown on screen, but off screen reference and mention)

Honestly, that's kinda all I wanted to ramble about, I think the details of these characters are super interesting to think about

also with the external detail that the veggies can't "have a redemptive relationship with God" so they can't go to heaven nor hell nor I guess have souls accordingly

#veggietales #where am I #for once I actually talk about the christian element of vt and its in snip it of this entire rambling #its like 2am and theres definitely stuff I didnt think through all thay properly but #yeah heres my kinda shitposty ramble about the details of these weird little vegetable creatures #hunter when he says anything

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