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tailoring-hearts · 4 years ago

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How did the movies screw Uhura’s character?

I'm glad you asked!

Buckle up.

So. I have this long burning hatred towards JJ Abrams since he ruined Star Wars. Granted. He directed the first two of what I simply refer to as the Chris Pine movies, for convenience sake, before Star Wars. So my beef is very long standing. That being said, its not my fault he allows shitty things to happen in his movies for example, the amount of lens flares alone in the first Chris Pine movie (2009 I believe) is literally unholy. The scene shifts just a bit? Oh hello! Lens flare!

But that's not the point of this. The point of this is they messed up Uhura. A man who admitted to have never really watching/liking Star Trek directed the first two movies (my respect for Justin Lyn coming in and directing Beyond and making it really good while feeling as ridiculous as a TOS episode is beyond words.)

Uhura's character is important. Maybe not to the general public, but to major steps in tv/film. Uhura is one of the first African American women cast as a main character in a tv show which is huge, and to make it huge-r her character was in an position of authority. Nichelle Nichols is a queen anyways and I have always loved Uhura. It was also the first tv show to show an interracial kiss between Uhura and Kirk. Say what you want, you can all hate William Shatner but I respect the fact that he purposely messed up every other re-take they tried to shoot of that scene because they wanted to take that kiss out.

If you've ever watched TOS or even the movies, you'd know Uhura is smart. She worked damn hard to get where she was. She's funny. And she knows how to stand up for herself. The way Uhura was written in the Chris Pine movies (third one excluded thank you Justin Lyn) was. Basically I don't know how more people aren't outraged. I noticed it while watching the first movie for the very first time.

For starters. Uhura is sleeping with Spock. She's using him to climb the ladder and get where she wants to be, which I mean go you extorting successful men so you can get where you deserve. Also Spock is?? Waaay too emotional? Especially towards Uhura? But when they're assigning the crew of the Enterprise in the 2009 movie, she's to be assigned to a different ship, and instead she uses her relationship with Spock to get there, whereas (don't quote me on this) TOS Uhura got her position on her own. Sure Uhura in the Pine movies is smart but...they really kinda demean the importance of Uhura's character (once again I'm blaming it on JJ Abrams) just so they can squeeze in that straight romance that doesn't necessarily work. He literally turned her into an object of sex and a character to be ogled at by the male cast. Ehh. Not anything like TOS where oh idk, Uhura was extremely intelligent and able to move from Navigation to Comms as necessary. And I'm pretty sure there were times where she was even helping fix parts of the ship. They never reduced her to just some eye candy for the male cast.

They really did Zoe Saldana dirty in how they wrote Uhura's character because she was so much more than using Spock to get her way.

(Also I feel bad because I can't give you a more solid argument or more points because it's been a hot minute since I've seen that movie. I try to avoid it/block it out)

I really just recommend going back and watching the 2009 Chris Pine movie for yourself and really take a look at how they treat her character. My apologies for not coming to this more prepared to argue my point. As I said, I'm not a huge fan of Zoe Saldana as an actress, but I really appreciate what she put up with in that movie (whether she knows it or not)

#star trek #star trek 2009 #uhura #star trek uhura #jj abrams fucked up with two major sci fi franchises now #they should really quit letting him direct #asks

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ladyloveandjustice · 6 years ago

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Fall 2018 Anime Overview: Continuing Series- Golden Kamuy Season 2 and Banana Fish

Golden Kamuy Season 2

If you enjoyed the first season, this is pretty much more of the same, so check out my review of season one to know what to expect.

Though I guess you could say this portion of the season DOES lean even harder into weirdness than the first one did. There’s not many anime where you’ll see two dudes having the time of their lives modeling fashionable outfits made out of human skin, which include...crotch appendages...only in Golden Kamuy y’all.

Interestingly bizarreness tends to overlap with queerness a lot in this season and its hard to know how to feel about it. For instance, it’s definitely an unexpected revelation that dudes are attracted to Lieutenant Tsurumi like whoa.

IDK apparently he’s a catch. Half of his subordinates are in love with him. It’s handled as comical and of course the dudes are mentally unbalanced weirdos (as is everyone in Golden Kamuy except Asirpa and Sugimoto only sometimes) and one of them dies, but the show is never overtly mean to them either. Nobody acts disgusted about it and when one character observes the attraction, he basically shrugs about it.

Satoru Noda apparently also REALLY loose with his fixation with dudes muscles with this part of the story, to the point we got the beef-cakiest hotsprings episode I’ve ever seen, which includes an extended fight scene where the male characters were naked throughout. There’s also an entire scene where apparently otter meat is an aphrodisiac that causes the dudes to be really into each other, so they engage in nearly naked sumo wrestling.

This is all clearly supposed to be wacky and funny, but at the same time it’s pretty clear the mangaka must REALLY LIKE drawing these scenes of muscular, naked men, and I support him following his dreams. Also I won’t deny it’s refreshing to see a hot springs episode where not a single woman got objectified, but there was dude oglin’ a plenty. It healed me a little.

I guess while we’re talking about this show and its weird relationship with queerness I should reporting that my prediction was right and the trans woman I mentioned in the previous review did become an ally. Her transness hasn’t been bought up again (though for some reason the subs decided to switch to “he” despite sticking with “she” before) and her role is pretty minor, she does reveal she’s skilled in both cooking and surgery (because she likes dismembering people) and talks about how great it would be to see people murdered every so often, so pretty much more of the same.

And that’s really all there is to say. Golden Kamuy has only gotten weirder and the plot only more convoluted (I’m starting to have a hard time keeping track of the characters tbh), but it’s an entertaining story and there’s still characters with resonance and heart underneath it all (the scene where Sugimoto discusses his trauma from being in the war with Asirpa genuinely tugged a heartstring. These two are still great and have really settled into a kinda of adorable dad-daughter dynamic at this point) and the historical and cultural research that went into this story is still amazing.

I can tell the anime’s still skipping a lot of the manga (most of volume 7 was completely skipped), but since the English release of the manga is so slow, I’m happy to watch it in the meantime. It helps that the show has a bangin’ soundtrack and and it managed to pull its ginormous cast together for some truly exciting and action packed final episodes that left me eager for more.

Banana Fish (13-24)

Again, if you read my review for the first half of the show, you can basically expect more of the same, both with the good and especially the bad parts. We do get more downtime with Ash and Eiji’s relationship, and they continued to make me think this show would be so much better if it focused more on these quiet scenes rather than on piling as much trauma on Ash as it possibly can.

I think this second half did allow me to see what was compelling about Ash and Eiji’s relationship and why it’s stayed with so many people. When Ash explained that he’s finally found someone who will love him without expecting anything in return, so of course he’s willing to do anything for that person, that got me in the heart. Ash is someone who has either been viewed as a threat or someone to exploit- he’s especially used to being treated like he’s nothing more than a body, a receptacle for desires. Eiji isn’t afraid of Ash, or in awe of him, and never asks anything of him other than for him to be okay and by his side. Ash genuinely can just be a dumb teenager with him while he can’t with anyone else. Eiji is an outsider, to Ash’s gang-bangin’ world, to his culture in general, and that allows him to see Ash as he truly is, just a kid who needs to get out of this mess.

The romantic in me really loves that concept, and as an ace person, I especially connect to the underlying implication that Eiji is a romantic partner who isn’t going to demand sex from Ash or try to force him into it. Though Ash’s implied desire to avoid sex almost certainly stems from trauma, I know how he feels in a broad sense. And I think it’s a thing a lot of women can relate to even if they aren’t ace, wanting to find a relationship where they aren’t used or objectified, so it goes back around to how Ash acts as kind of a representation for the anxieties and desires of (likely) the mangaka and many women despite being a male character, and I still find that very interesting. The scene where Ash has a complete breakdown and screams at his rapist while laughing hysterically was really affecting.

So there’s moments of real resonance here, but is it worth the bullshit surrounding it, which includes every single gay man being represented as a rapist, to the point a gay bar is connected to a child porn ring? The nasty implication that gay sex is inherently evil and non-consensual, and Ash and Eiji’s relationship is only okay because they’re not doing it is very strong, and as much as this ace appreciates a romance that doesn’t require sex, I don’t want it THIS way.

There’s also some SERIOUS anti-Semitic bullshit that I can’t believe MAPPA didn’t edit out in a couple episodes. Like it would have been so easy to cut. Also some more pretty rough scenes of black men being murdered (they’re extras this time at least, and the main black dude for this part of the anime miraculously manages to both survive and not be an offensive caricature. Also his name is Cain Blood which is the best name in this story, and possibly ever).

The second half of the anime also involved some of the more absurd elements worsening. I got REALLY tired of every character commenting on how hot and amazing Ash is like. I GET IT. Also Ash’s life of being sexually exploited somehow gives him the ability to seduce any man holding him captive, and every bad guy is down for raping a teenage boy, I guess. It’s actually again, a little surreal to see these tropes with a male character. I’m used to seeing hot female characters who’ve been through sexual trauma and have magic seduction powers and are endlessly drooled over...I almost want guys to watch these segments so they can see how uncomfortable it feels when the tables are turned.

There’s also some really good examples of ACTUAL jarring tone shifts, where the anime really fails to land some of its attempts at a funny, light moment in the midst of really tense and tragic situations. I think it’s possible the manga managed this better, but I can’t imagine the “joke” where Ash has to crossdress and a male doctor gropes him and Ash punches him out cold and his friends chortle and tell him he’s not a gentle woman could ever be done in a non jarring way. Like, I don’t like sexual harassment humor in anime at the best of times, but it’s especially bad when the person who is harassed has been raped more times than he can count. We’re expected to take that seriously, but not this, because Ash is in a dress? It’s also like, appalling that his friends who are fully aware of his history would laugh about him getting assaulted again. It’s a moment that feels like it comes from a completely different anime.

So um, yeah. My conclusion is those resonant moments are not worth the bullshit. The ending really cemented this for me. I had an (admittedly overly flippant) reaction that kind of sums my feelings up. Let’s just say I HATE meaningless cruel tragedy for the sake of tragedy, and I especially hate the implication abuse victims can never find happiness.

I can’t say Banana Fish is an anime I’ll think fondly of or recommend. I do still find the discussion about it interesting, much more interesting than the actual story (as presented in the anime, again, haven’t read the manga), tbh. And I can see the seeds of a good story there, and I can understand why fans would want to see a reboot that truly modernized the story, cutting out the worst stuff and giving it a better ending, while keeping the resonance of the main relationship and the good characters (I really did like Sing, and Yut Lung was interesting. Shorter and Skip both deserved way better. Also Jessica, who at least got to do something besides be victimized at the last minute. One whole female character got a few moments of agency. Hallelujah.) Maybe someday it will happen.

In the meantime, there’s a bunch of cool articles on Banana Fish that are worth a read. All of the pieces published on animefeminist as well as this post on Otaku, She Wrote are really informative, illuminating, and break down a lot of the issues I found here.

#golden kamuy #banana fish #anime overview #anime #my reviews #body horror cw #fall 2018 anime

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graceivers · 7 years ago

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Review #28 - Neanderthal Seeks Human

Neanderthal Seeks Human Author: Penny Reid Genre: Billionaires & CEOs, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy, Workplace Romance Rating: ★★★½ Recommendation: it’s a toss-up; once was enough Summary: Janie Morris seemingly just wants job security and some stability in her social life to avoid her reclusive tendencies. Quinn Sullivan apparently gives her all of those things.

Female Lead: Ugh, Janie Morris. This woman… I mean, on one hand, she’s obviously very smart and independent and is pretty good at keeping her priorities straight. On the other hand, I want to shake this girl at her sheer stupidity sometimes. How can someone who graduated summa cum laude with a double major be so oblivious? How can someone who grew up in abnormal circumstances in regards to her family seem so naive? Some of her insecurities and fears, yeah, I get and understand where they come from. My problem was that Reid ended up making Janie the ‘meek and insecure when actually hot and independent’ type of girl.

And then, can we talk about this wholly and extensively unnecessary writing style that culminated in Janie’s point of view? I mean, Jesus, her thought process just went on and on and wouldn’t stop. There’s stream of consciousness and then there’s just doing too much. There was an overload of her thoughts, and given that the whole book except for the epilogue was written in Janie’s perspective, it got to a point where I didn’t know if I wanted to continue. Seriously, extended metaphors, analogies, unnecessary and lengthy descriptions everywhere! Half the time I felt like this style of writing and thought process made the character almost immature. Most of the time I was just plain annoyed. It was like Reid decided to write a really long book by way of making unnecessary descriptions and justifying this choice as being character revealing. No. It just dragged the book on and on and made me like Janie less, not because she has a unique voice but rather because she didn’t know when to stop and open her eyes and see—quite the contradiction for someone who refused to have a cellphone because she believed people lacked that quality.

But wait, there’s also the whole thing with this character about labels and definitions. I mean, okay, yes, sometimes labels makes things clearer, but this girl needs a freaking label for everything. Janie labels everyone without even knowing them. SHE JUDGES EVERYONE. There are some people who deserve it like her sister, Jem, but for her to box everyone into one of four quadrants so she feels safer and better about herself was quite frankly disappointing and distasteful. Yes, Janie is entitled to her opinion and perspective on people and life, but the way it was written it was as if Janie had everyone and everything all figured out. If you wanted me to root for this female protagonist, that is certainly not the way to do it. Male Lead: Quinn Sullivan? I still don’t know what to make of this guy. Honestly, I think he’s kind of underdeveloped and stale. I think Reid made him super hot in hopes that his physical appearance would overshadow his not so great qualities. He’s not a complete jerk, but he honestly isn’t all that better than Janie’s ex-boyfriend aside from the fact that he didn’t cheat on her. Were there some moments where he was flirty and sweet that I enjoyed? Yes. Were there also moments of Quinn Sullivan where I thought ‘dude, what game are you playing at?’ Yes.

I think what bothered me most was that Quinn was actually that billionaire/CEO character when I had hoped (and believed) him to be someone/thing else. In that case, I can fully admit that I just wasn’t invested and into Quinn, and that’s my problem to deal with and not due to Reid’s writing or otherwise. In the beginning, I so fully wanted to get invested in this character and learn more about him and what makes him the person he is. But then when I got the answers, I felt unsatisfied. I just never got around to genuinely liking and caring for this character. I honestly do think a part of that is because through Janie’s POV (and ergo Reid’s writing), the swarm of unnecessary metaphors and descriptions and unique thought process hindered me from connecting with the character. Or, like I said before, maybe this dude just didn’t work for me, and I wasn’t blinded by his good looks to let him off the hook. Plot & Writing: Neanderthal Seeks Human took me way too long to finish, and at this point, I’ve come to the conclusion that that means something. For someone who is usually a quick reader, all I can surmise from all the books that take me way longer than necessary to read are two things: the book drags on and/or I’m not a fan but continue to read in hopes that it will get better, which it usually does not. This book is the epitome of both.

The main issue I had with it, again, was the writing style. I talked about it above, so I won’t go into too much more about that. I will emphasize that Janie’s perspective is certainly unique. It’s different, and perhaps that may be refreshing to read. However, it was not my cup of tea and unfortunately made the book all the more sluggish to complete when it felt like Reid looked for every flowery synonym and phrase possible to extend the length of her novel. I will also say that I think I saw a couple of typos…? Given that this wasn’t self-published or whatever and I read the free copy available on the iBooks store, uh, typos shouldn’t happen? Yeah.

I did feel that the relationship between Janie and Quinn progressed at a generally natural rate. I didn’t think it was rushed, especially considering Janie’s persistent reluctance to engage with Quinn before and even after she found out he was her boss. Did their relationship borderline on instalove? Maybe, but that was the least of my problems with the book, really. I mean, they got to know each other basically and kind of dated at which point their relationship progressed to a more physical level. That’s… pretty straightforward in terms of how people usually think of how relationships should be formed. I had less of an issue with the relationship as a whole and more of an issue with the way Janie ran from basically every slightly uncomfortable situation with Quinn but was willing to keep her ex-boyfriend in her life after he cheated on her with her sister. Yeah.

And finally, let’s discuss that end. I genuinely thought after finishing 80% of the book that it would just have some nice, unique, Janie-styled fairy tale ending and their relationship would progress to a solid point. But no! Reid decides to get strangely creative and throw in the most random conflict into the story at the end. I mean, were there hints of it peppered throughout the rest of the book? Yeah, sure, I’ll give her that. Was that climax surprising to me? Yes, it was. Did I enjoy it? No, not really. My face was permanently stuck in a expression of confusion reading the last couple of chapters because I honestly didn’t get it. Why was that scene and conflict incorporated at all? I felt as if Reid wanted to throw in some kind of dramatic moment in there for no good reason, and hey, let’s put everyone in a potentially life-threatening situation, why not! No. I thought it was so painfully out of place. And worse, Reid tried to make it comedic to keep in line with Janie’s POV and the rest of the book, and that just made the whole scene all the more cringeworthy. It didn’t work for me at all, which subsequently ended the book on the oddest low note. Secondary Characters & Plots: What I really appreciated was the fact that Janie had a group of supportive girlfriends she could honestly and openly talk to. Given that she’s basically severed all ties to her biological family, I loved that Janie still had supportive people in her life that she trusted and felt comfortable around. Unfortunately, I didn’t really like any of them…? Well, we didn’t really get a sense of these other girls save for maybe Elizabeth, but even so, there were a bit bland and in the background, which is I guess perfect for their role as secondary characters but not nearly enough for me to be invested and pick up their individual books in the series.

The ex-boyfriend, Jon, I don’t know what I can say about this dude that will definitively express how I feel about him. Just know this. The whole time he was trying to explain to Janie why he cheated on her? WRONG. Dead wrong. The most illogical excuse ever and complete bullshit—excuse my language—I have ever heard/read in my entire life.

Janie’s sister, Jem, was weird. Reid played up her role and existence way more than necessary. The character was actually kind of entertaining given how crazy she was, but other than that, yeah, her presence was rather unnecessary, which lead to the entirely unnecessary secondary plot that encompassed the last couple of chapters of the book. Unnecessary, I tell you. UNNECESSARY. Favorite Part(s): Um… When Janie and Quinn were messing around in the limo towards the end? I honestly can’t pinpoint one, and that’s not because there are too many to choose from… Final Thoughts: I’m going to chalk it up to this: Neanderthal Seeks Human just wasn’t for me. I personally didn’t enjoy the style of writing (I said before that I’m usually not a fan of romantic comedy); I really wasn’t all that into either character in the central relationship; I didn’t like a lot of the choices Reid made for the story. So it’s safe to say I probably won’t read the sequel or the other books in the series focusing on the other girls. I can see how other people may find this appealing; it is in fact a unique twist to the typical billionaire/CEO and workplace romance story. But again, it just didn’t work for me. My recommendation then? Read at your own risk.

#book: neanderthal seeks human #author: penny reid #genre: billionaires & ceos #genre: contemporary romance #genre: romantic comedy #genre: workplace romance #rating: three and a half stars

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