#i am super reluctant at writing any kind of reviews but this was actually nice! so thanks for the opportunity

[saturniade]

hey, saw you talking about reading good jotakak fic. do you have any jjba fic recs??

oof thats a hard question bc i remember reading tons of jojo fics back in… 2016??? and since then i kinda fallen off and all my bookmarks vanished somewhere to the darkweb… here’s what i collected now tho!

1. the definition of not leaving by succubused (archiveofourown.org/works/21343183)jotaro ghosting kakyoin after cairo and kakyoin being angry with him and jotaro being neck deep in his survivor’s guilt! everyone lives au so polnareff Is There but the fic centers around jotakak… its like the opposite of ER and i LOVE it!!!! wonderfully captures the side of jotakak that could make them wanna be mean and push e/o away but also the side of jotakak which still drives them together as some inevitable force (and that force is lovvveeee and the other is stupidity and stubborness babyyyyyy). dialogues? never read anything better. could almost literally hear them. plot? shut up. genius. antagonistic jotakak is my reason to live. could honestly analyze this fic forever (analysis being 1. their quote and 2. me yelling YES!!!) and long story short i enjoyed reading it very much and i hope you will too!

2. Let the Good Times Roll by nevermordor (archiveofourown.org/works/4958608?view_full_work=true)you’ve seen it. i’ve seen it. you probably read it. i definitely translated it into russian because i couldnt get over it for several weeks. what can i say??? nevermordor is an absolute divine light and the way they write The Boyz being embarrassed and teasing is just pure gold. (honestly you absolutely have to check their other fics because ive somehow missed most of them and now plowing thru like TRANS RIGHTS??? NB KAKYOIN??? THANK YOUUU… but back to the fic in question) it made me laugh. it made me swoon. it made me cringe but in a pleasant sort of way. it has characters with LAYERS… it has OCEAN METAPHORS!… it has bg poldul which is like another sprinkle of pure joy on this delicious meal. the plot: 10/10, includes everything from hangover polnareff to blushing jotaro. stays in character: 10/10 times.aims right into my heart: 10/10 times dude!!! go give it a big juicy (re)read!!!!

3. nights are warm (and the days are young) by thespideyboy (archiveofourown.org/works/23060608)one of these days i will meet op on the street and recognize them immediately because they will be holding my whole soul inside their hands. speaking about hands…notice an ace sliding cleanly out of my sleeve?.. there are Several Hand Kisses in this fic… In A Row. yes i know. yes the op will steal your whole soul too. its ok. other things op does (in this very fic and 2 other jotakak fics they’ve written which i suppose take place in the same wonderful universe and which you should read Right Now):a) first of all THE VOICES AND THE CHARACTER PORTRAYAL IS EXTREMELY ON POINT!!! im just be reading and thinking… gosh op you Get It… they are both so caring and funny and enjoy each other’s company and im just bhjknbggnnb) op’s way of describing both scenery and inner turmoil is so wonderful i love reading it. just… peels my brain like a orangec) HAVE I MENTIONED. DA HAND KISSES? DUDE… I AM ALREADY DEAD FROM HOW PLEASANT & SKILLFUL UR WRITING IS OP STOPPPPsorry if im rambling ive been obsessed with this fic and it honestly inspired me to draw and think about jotakak the most right now? go read it. i beseech u.

and i guess thats it…… sorry its not a lot! im picky and chose, like, must-reads which i remember most vividly. there are other fics like My My Hey Hey and Summer Lovin and Im Soy Into You (all of which i am very fond of!) and fics that arent about stardust crusaders which i cannot recall (ITS BEEN 4 YEARS OK)if any of you have suggestions… please. i also want fic recommendations :pleading_eyes:

[fallingin-like]

november 17

above the clouds by @gluupor​ [requested by @fuzzballsheltiepants]

see which other fics i’m reviewing this month! / my review request post! 

this is an absolutely amazing fic that features airships, android!neil, and fantastic world-building. it’s a really fun and adventurous read, but still contains enough angst to break your heart. if you haven’t read this yet, drop everything and read it now. if you have read it, read it again.

okay i enjoyed this fic so much that i cannot put it in words. i remember when i first read it, i always get so excited when i see that you’ve posted and i read it in an hour, the time passing by so quickly. i couldn’t pull myself away and was reluctant to go back to real life after i finished reading. all your characters are so entertaining and as always, are integrated so nicely into this au.

things that stood out to me:

”over the khazak grass plains, year 1424 new era (ne), january” i just think that this adds a lot to the story so efficiently. we have a location and time and i just feel like this sort of title/header establishes a tone (makes me feel a steampunk/sci-fi kind of vibe). i’d be interested in how you came up with which locations and years to use?

”andrew shut off the engines and revelled in the silence. he could still hear the mechanical noises that resulted from keeping the gasbag at the appropriate pressure to maintain their altitude, but it was as quiet as it got aboard an airship.” i love this, mostly because i can relate to it? i’m really used to driving with music on, but lately i’ve been turning off the radio and driving in silence which is a really interesting experience, especially since i drive an electric car for work which is really quiet most of the time. also it introduces us to the airship!

”neil would eventually man the flight deck for night watch as he didn’t require any sleep” i am immediately invested in this version of neil and want to know EVERYTHING that he is capable of doing

andrew is wearing a scarf that nicky knitted for him!!! that is adorable! both nicky doing this for andrew, but also andrew wearing it!

your description of the monster is amazing. i would love to explore it. on the ground though (i am afraid of heights and not as brave as andrew lol) i saw that you were inspired by the mortal engine series and i can definitely see aspects of this both here and in later portions of the fic although i only watched the movie which was… interesting haha. were there any other sources of inspiration? i found that this reminds me a little of the films ‘alita, battle angel’, and a little bit of ‘castle in the sky’ as well

having little glowing things in their lamps instead of fire? woah that’s so cool

”neil was futzing around inside it with a tiny screwdriver” LOVE the word futzing. i’ve not heard it before, but it feels right. also it’s kind of cute that they are all helping each other out on the ship

algae bricks and beetle bricks? do they just,,, bite into it? because that feels so chaotic to me. lol mix into water and make it into mush? i am currently very grateful for the food i have

”jealous, aaron? don’t worry; i’ll come service you once i’ve got andrew settled tonight.” NEIL, YOU’RE GOING TO BE THE DEATH OF ME

”’better do it in the reclaimer,’ said kevin, taking him literally. ‘we need to preserve water if we’re headed to palmetto before our next resupply.’” one of the many things that i love about your writing is your amazing characterization of mr kevin day. what a legend 

”he wasn’t entirely sure why he wasn’t telling the others about wymack’s summons; there was something about it that put him on edge and he wanted to keep it to himself for now.” oh nO this is bad news!! you did a great job of introducing this undercurrent of worry into a scene that had just been so light and funny

“‘yes, i did,’ said andrew, keeping his voice steady. ‘last week before we headed into the plains.’” my stomach dropped at this point, memory problems are always so scary because it’s so hard to tell what the source of the problem is. andrew’s calmness is directly contrasting this, but it feels like it takes effort which is even scarier!

”andrew had spent his childhood shutting down any emotions. they’d been a liability in the type of life he’d led” and ”he had been destined for a short life with a brutal end. sometimes that seemed preferable to how much caring about other people could hurt. he often cursed those responsible for how his life had changed” ahhh this is so sad, but also really soft? because he’s come so far? and he’s opened himself up and let himself be vulnerable by caring

hearing the backstory of the twins is so interesting to me, you do a great job at both establishing this world that these characters are living in and how they fit in with it

”andrew was left with little choice but to do something nice to shut him up” i think this is one of the most andrew-like sentences to be ever written haha

”by all rights he should have died in the slums, but instead-and andrew was never sure exactly how he’d done it-he’d attached himself to andrew and aaron, like a barnacle that they couldn’t remove and grudgingly came to care about” cute!!! the tone is really andrew-like too

woah all these languages are pretty cool! i like the idea of having a common trading language, and the idea of having mandonese and spanglish is interesting.

”that seedy is mine” I DIDN’T UNDERSTAND THIS AT FIRST BUT THIS IS SO FUNNY. lowkey reminds me of the lego movie haha. also seems fitting of kevin to collect ancient artifacts, even if he doesn’t really know what they do

ANDREW AND AARON AS GANG LEADERS YES PLEASE. i absolutely love it when people have such a great reputation. very exciting to hear that drake is not going to be an issue in this fic!!! wait a second… andrew and aaron were 16? so small!

hmmm i am interested how kevin got stuck in shanghai?

bad news that wymack is asking neil to stay on the ship. all this mystery and hiding is making me feel like things are not looking so good

”he’d forgotten again that it was bee whom andrew wanted him to see” NOOOOO

ohmygoodness the usbee. do they pronounce it uzz-bee? because that’s definitely how i picture them saying it and it is so funny to me. 

”i informed you that people are after you because i actually care about what happens to you, you miserable little gremlin” i really can never say it enough, but i love the way you use affectionate insults like this so so much.

”’oh, you know,’ said andrew idly, ‘those that slay together slay together.’” NO BIG DEAL. 

”a nobody who got the drop on you. better luck next time” NEIL I KNOW THAT YOU REALLY CAN’T HELP IT BUT PLEASE CONTROL YOURSELF AROUND SOMEONE WHO YOU KNOW IS SO DANGEROUS

”’this time, it was eavesdropping,’ said neil brightly” he’s so enthusiastic!! cute!!

”how do you travel now?” i am also interested in this!! for all i know, he just slides through shadows and pops up wherever andrew is haha

”neil flicked his fingers dismissively. andrew’s eyes narrowed at the performance. he wasn’t this dramatic, was he?” i am very sorry to break it to you, but andrew minyard you are one of the most dramatic people ever

ooooh dang neil is good. does his android body not process poison? also where did he get the knowledge that andrew was going to be set up anyway?

”within a few hours neil had forgotten the whole conversation, but he retained the knowledge that andrew had forced him to see bee and wasn’t happy about it” noooo why is this happening, it’s so heartbreaking to see neil forgetting things (also feels extra-bad because alzheimer’s runs in my family and this could definitely be me in the future which is Scary) and i Hate when andrew and neil are fighting because andrew is just trying to take care of neil!!! ;-;

”mickey, the mouse-shaped god of old america” OHMYGOODNESS

as startling it must have been to andrew, hearing about the moriyamas previously owning neil, i’m curious what was going through neil’s mind during this conversation. it must be so disorienting, not remembering your past. all of a sudden, you just started existing

”’shoot them. escape on the monster,’ said andrew. that was their usual plan for hostility they didn’t want to deal with.” i mean, i guess that’s a pretty solid plan. LOL

ohmygoodness katelyn also having red hair and blue eyes? “andrew always pretended not to notice that he and aaron had suspiciously similar taste in people, gender notwithstanding” LOLOL

”neil’s tension was ratcheting higher the longer they stayed in the region, something which he wouldn’t explain to andrew’s satisfaction.” ahhhh we! need! better! communication! what is neil hiding?

I HATE THAT NATHAN IS GOOD AT ACTING. YOU MAKE ME WANT TO BELIEVE HIM SO BAD EVEN THOUGH I KNOW HE’S LIKE SUPER SUPER EVIL AND IS GOING TO HURT EVERYONE NEIL AND ANDREW KNOW. 

thank you andrew for knowing better and for always thinking ahead. i feel like i can really trust you to take care of neil (and you, gluupor to take care of these characters even if sometimes you break my heart while doing so)

andrew: mawp mawp mawp mawp mawp mawp (LOVE THIS)

”wymack had always said it was because andrew had a death wish but it was really just because he liked going fast” this is really cute! both in this fic and in the series, andrew is like this and he had so little enjoyment as a child, was forced to grow up so quickly, and i’m grateful that he gets to have these little things

”’’M not,’ muttered andrew, too hot to put any effort into lying” so cute!!!

”stop and take a look? sure, why not? i don’t think we’ve got anything else pressing taking up our time right now” I CANNOT GET OVER HOW FUNNY THIS FIC IS

”’old news,’ said aaron. ‘we’ve moved on. now we’ve decided to crash into the sea’” it turns out that sometimes i actually really like aaron! now is one of those times.

oh my goodness, neil speaking only spanglish and BITING. “neil spat several curses at him before literally spitting as well” the scary thing is, this is still in character for neil haha

that’s so sweet of wymack to give andrew his ship!! ahh he’s such a soft character and i’m glad that all the foxes have someone who is taking care of them

what a beautiful way to wrap up this fic! also i feel strangely glad that nathan wasn’t actually the one to invent the tech needed to create neil. he’s too gross and evil to create such an intricate and wonderful person like neil.

BURIED IN ASH FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS WHAT

WAIT VALLEY OF SILICA LOL

oh dang yellowstone supervolcano. i’ve learned a tiny tiny bit about that and it’s actually pretty scary thinking about the consequences of it erupting and also knowing there is basically nothing we can do to stop that from happening and also very little we can do to predict it

andrew and neil are so so cute ahhh

also quick shoutout to the amazing art featured in this fic! so beautiful.

i love the flashbacks that you include. they provide valuable information and understanding of how the characters have developed, but it also gives a bit of a break from the intensity of the main plot. we get a little time to breathe and recover.

as the story travelled to different areas of the world, it was really interesting to see how you included history into it. i think my favourite story was the volcano and the ash-winter that followed. kind of scary to think of the possibility of that actually happening, because even though we have pretty cool tech, i don’t think things would go well. you do such a great job with your world-building, i never found myself confused about what was happening, the geography of it, the new tech, and the politics. i loved how you were able to smoothly include canon events/characters/things and have it work so well within this au.your descriptions are so so good and make this fic really immersive, i feel like i’m experiencing them with the characters.

definitely one of my favourite things about your writing is how you consistently do such an amazing job of incorporating humour and little character quirks into the fic. it really shows how much skill and talent you have because it’s always effortless and reads so easily. it fits well with the characterization and tone of your fics. i will forever be a fan of your dialogue and all the interactions between everyone seemed so realistic.

i’m continually impressed by your consistently marvelous storytelling. you manage to captivate me no matter what subject you choose. thank you so much for writing this!!

[spookysnicket]

ANON: Match up with a female please? I am a 16 year old male with pale skin, physically well built, dark brown curly hair, with my eyes the same color. I am rather intelligent for my age, enjoy history, science, math, Shakespeare, finance, law, movies, literature, music, video games, memes, computers, etc. I am rather nice, to everyone around me.

---

(Sure thing love! Hope you enjoy, matchup under the cut as always!)

I match you with Carrie White

✨ Let’s be honest, even if you’re sickeningly kind to her, Carrie will always be fairly reluctant when it comes to meeting new people. She automatically assumes they’ll just be another brutish bully soon, and that’s all you are at first. She’s a bit extra standoffish with you though, when she notices your figure- picture her reaction as the ‘he’s gonna kick my butt’ episode of spongebob

✨ After asserting a sort of acquaintanceship with Carrie, she softens up in your presence pretty quickly, and it’s totally not because she’s already caught feelings why would you think that

✨ Now don’t tell her when you find out, but coincidentally once you and Carrie are friends, mysterious love notes from a very top secret admirer start appearing in your locker. She alters her handwriting in them, but they reflect Carrie’s Anxious Energy™️ all too well. The notes are short and sweet, usually along the lines of ‘you have lovely hair’ or ‘your eyes are beautiful’

✨ Your intelligence really seals the deal for her. The majority of the teens in Chamberlain aren’t atypically bright, so along with making her first friend, you get to be her brainiac conversationalist buddy too!

✨ There are three things in this world Carrie is certainly well versed in: sewing, literature, and history. Literature of course, comes from her love of books, and all the ones she spent reading and re-reading apart from the Bible throughout the many lonely days of her childhood. History taps into the fanatically religious education Margaret made her endure. While she can list to you all the most important biblical dates and time periods, Carrie also picked up on the many unique and intriguing cultures in between

✨ If you’re interested, fellow science geek Carrie would love to have you help her experiment with her telekinetic abilities. She wants to learn more about TK, but there isn’t exactly a ‘Moving Things With Your Mind For Dummies’ manual. It’s on the two of you to write one

✨ Carrie’s about average in terms of math skills, not bad, but the numbers don’t come as fluently to her as words do. I’d say she fluctuates around B’s-C’s in terms of her math course grades. Your first few dates will likely be tutor sessions in the library

✨ Carrie’s made up a very intricate, very detailed paracosm, which for lack of better terms is essentially worldbuilding in your mind. She’s also a maladaptive daydreamer, and you can pry that HC from the vice grip of my cold, dead hands. The reason I bring that up though, is because she’ll write poems and short stories inspired by her world- jotting down plot points directly from her thoughts that read like scenes for a play. Presuming that since you’re into Shakespeare, you’re relatively interested in those things- Carrie would be happy to let you skim through some of her writings once she trusts you enough

✨ The Whites have had their deal of financial hardships, with Marge having to raise Carrie by herself, however they’ve always managed to make do. Carrie finds the complex rules of finance and law to be a bit too much to get into herself, but she’s proud of you for doing it anyway!

✨ As a traditional introvert, Carrie’s super down for movie night dates, just as long as they aren’t scary. She’s (not surprisingly) a decent critic, though she tries to lean more on the positive reviews when she can. Hope you’re down for some lengthy end of credit discussions!

✨ Margaret used to have Carrie sing gospel songs to her family when she was little, and she certainly would’ve made a pleasant addition to the church’s youth choir had she been of different reputation and upbringing. She’ll be too shy to sing directly, but if you can find or play Carrie a catchy enough tune, she’ll bashfully hum alongside it

✨ Try taking her to the arcade! She’ll probably be best at pinball, and a natural when it comes to PacMan. Carrie would rather watch and encouragingly cheer you on when you play more modern games than grab a controller herself, but she has a good time regardless

✨ The poor thing doesn’t really understand how quick memes die, so she’ll likely still be sending you some raid Area 51 propaganda. Just send her a few laughing emojis back so it doesn’t hurt her feelings

✨ Carrie is the type of person to see literally any single one meme, say, ‘oh, Y/n would love this!’, and then proceed to send you it. Doesn’t matter what it’s about or if it’s actually funny, she’ll send you it anyway. Some of them are surprisingly good, though she refuses to tell you where she stole them from (she wants to be the one to make you laugh!)

✨ As smart as she is, Carrie would have a hard time figuring out google docs. Technology has a tendency to not mix well with your telekinetic (ha), so she’s sure to tell you how grateful she is to have such a gifted computer wiz around when she can’t get an email to send

[precuredaily]

Precure Day 120

Episode: Futari wa Precure Splash Star 22 - “Super Surprising! Michiru and Kaoru’s Shocking Confession!!” Date watched: 11 May 2019 Original air date: 9 July 2006 Screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/5PEq8nL Project info and master list of posts: http://tinyurl.com/PCDabout

Before we begin, would anyone like to go on a feels trip?

If you hear the sound of gross sobbing in the background while reading this review, don’t worry it’s just me. Michiru and Kaoru are talking with Gohyaan and Akudaikaan about their failure the previous episode. Akudaikaan loses his temper, lashing out at all in the room and reminding M and K with no uncertainty exactly what their purpose is. He warns them not to hinder his ambitions ever again and they hastily leave. While they stand on Gourd Rock to ruminate some, Gohyaan appears and taunts them some more about their closeness with Precure. He reminds them that if they defeat the heroines, all their problems will be solved.

The next day at school, Mai is quiet and ponderous because she believes the Kiryuus might be from Dark Fall, but she tries to dismiss this notion. The sisters show up and repeatedly flare up their powers, causing Flappi to scream at the burst in dark energy at inconvenient moments (like the middle of a test).

evil eyes: on

Saki and Mai try to talk to the fairies in the hallway, but the sisters appear and Mai hurries off. Saki tells Kaoru that Minori wants to hang out with her again, and asks Michiru to tutor her in math. Their faces soften and they both agree to these things. Then she invites them out to the Sky Tree after school. The sisters go outside and Kaoru reminds her sister that if they wait to defeat Precure, their frustrations might return, but Minori shows up before they can do anything. She is super excited to see Kaoru and explains that she and her mother are there on a delivery to the school, so they may as well go watch Saki’s practice.

a wild Minori appears

They head behind the school near the practice fields, and Mai walks out of the building, notices the three of them, and tucks away to see what’s going on. A stray softball is coming right at Minori’s head, and Kaoru quickly makes it disappear. Mai notices this but before she can say anything, Minori notices her and Saki comes up, asking about the ball. Michiru and Kaoru deny any knowledge, so Saki shrugs it off and invites all of her friends to the Sky Tree while Minori heads off to find her mother again. 

When they get there, she instructs all of them to squish themselves against the tree, and feel the calming and positive energy it exudes.

literal tree huggers

Michiru and Kaoru reminisce about the good times they’ve had in the land of greenery, as well as remembering the threat of Akudaikaan. (see the full video at the top) After questioning why she brought them here, Saki says that it’s where she met all of them, so it seems like a special place, and then continues “Do I really need a reason to invite my friends to the Sky Tree?” This surprises the sisters as they’ve never thought of themselves as friends before. They seem genuinely happy for a moment before they remember they’ve got a mission. They clench their fists and this causes Flappi and Choppi to go crazy, so Mai and Saki quickly excuse themselves to talk. Mai tries to explain to Saki that she thinks the siblings are from Dark Fall but the fairies keep interrupting, and Kaoru insists to Michiru that they have to do this. It’s clearly hard for both of them, but they insist to each other that they are proud warriors of Dark Fall, and they prepare their attack.

the absolute anguish

Saki and Mai feel the intense dark energy approaching them and transform before they can even learn who their opponent is.... and so the reveal is that much more dramatic. But the twins do show themselves this time, and there’s no turning back. Bloom is shocked, Egret is more dejected that her hunch was right.

and look at this gorgeous shot. (textless version in the gallery)

Bloom insists that they don’t have to fight, but the Kiryuus insist that they’re from different worlds, and their only purpose for existing is to destroy the Precures and enact Akudaikaan’s will, so they attack. Bloom and Egret block, but refuse to fight back, which angers Michiru and Kaoru. They exchange ideals with the cures, who maintain that they can still be friends, but the twins retaliate that, as all life comes to an end eventually, their vision of a world of ruin, with no life at all, is actually ideal. Egret retaliates by asking Kaoru why she saved Minori earlier that day, and both cures remind them of the nice things they’ve done and promised they’d continue to do, to prove that they’re not truly evil. Saki insists that they’re all friends before they’re warriors, either of peace or of Dark Fall, and she refuses to fight her friends. The speech seems to be working, you can see that Michiru and Kaoru are being swayed, but they are still too afraid of the consequences of failure and double down on their words, before leaping into the air and diving towards the Precures, as the scene freezes and the credits begin to play.

Here we are, at the emotional peak of the journey of Michiru and Kaoru. All the cards are out on the table and they have made the choice (under duress) to put aside their personal feelings and emotional attachments and fight Saki and Mai. I honestly think this hurts them more than the Precures, because deep down, they don’t want to do this, and as much as they try to bury their feelings, they can’t help but to bleed through. There’s a clear hesitation that wasn’t there when they debuted, and they barely hide their emotional attachments to Saki and Mai. They no longer call each other out for helping, making connections, and otherwise getting involved in the lives of the heroines. They hype themselves into fighting, and maintain that they have a responsibility to Akudaikaan even when it’s clear that this goal differs from their desires. They take pause at Saki and Mai’s rejections of their fate and insistence that they’re still friends. They don’t want to do this, but they feel like they have no choice.

Normally, Michiru wears the mask and puts on the act of being friendly to the humans but secretly dismissing them, while Kaoru is more straightforward about her feelings, good or bad. It’s because of this difference in personality that Kaoru is the first one to insist that they drop all pretenses at the Sky Tree and defeat Saki and Mai, while Michiru is initially reluctant (and borderline crying).

seeing them display this kind of emotion would have been unfathomable a few weeks ago

She knows their mission deep down, but she’s allowed her friendly persona to become part of her, and she doesn’t want to fight them. At the same time, Kaoru reminds her that there’s no choice. Regardless of their feelings, they will always be warriors of Dark Fall and that’s the duty they have to fulfill. I don’t want this to read as though Kaoru simply doesn’t care, though. Arguably, she cares even more, but because she doesn’t hide her true self as much as her sister, she is better equipped to see the options in front of them: they cannot keep dodging this matter, they have to confront Saki and Mai and admit that they’re from Dark Fall. If they don’t, Akudaikaan will destroy them himself. Neither of them thinks that their friends will be accepting of their identities, because they come from the side that has been trying to destroy them and everything they care about so how could they possibly remain friends? It’s kill or be killed, so Michiru and Kaoru choose to take a stand for their lives rather than their true principles. However, Bloom and Egret’s refusal to engage and fight back does start to sway them. Mai calls out their hypocrisy particularly well:

The villains are given pause by this, for a moment they falter and lower their guard. Mai has seen through their facade, and wants them to realize the truth they’re denying about themselves. It almost works, but when Saki calls them their “friends,” that triggers a response. That level of intimacy is still too uncomfortable to them, they won’t allow themselves to become close to anybody but each other, and this challenge to their core beliefs makes them retaliate. They reiterate that they were created, given life, for only one purpose: to serve Dark Fall. If they aren’t enacting Akudaikaan’s will, they are betraying that purpose, and don’t deserve to even exist at all.  So they fight back, out of fear and loyalty. The villains who fight against their own hearts, and the heroines who refuse to fight because of theirs. What will be the outcome of this clash of ideals? Find out in the next review.

There is one bit of symbolism involving Michiru and Kaoru that I only just realized this episode, and I am furious at myself for not catching it sooner, with how much I’ve talked about other symbolism involving them:

If you’re standing in the teacher’s position, Kaoru sits in the back left corner, Michiru in the seat ahead of her, Mai sits in the back right corner, and Saki sits in front of Mai. Their positions mirror each other, in much the same way as Michiru and Kaoru are mirrors of Saki and Mai. If I were to read further into it, Saki and Mai sit by the window (the light) while the Kiryuus are furthest from the sun’s light, representing their dark nature. I do not know if there’s some Japanese mythology, folklore, or superstition about what side of the room you sit on, beyond the obvious anime trope that the second-from-the-back on the left is the Main Character Seat so they can stare out the window.

Before I wrap up, have some truly sincere Michiru and Kaoru expressions:

The next review will either be tomorrow, or in a week. I want to do some comparing and contrasting with Kiriya’s arc in FWPC, but I don’t think I’ll have a lot of free time tomorrow to write, and as I mentioned, I’ll be on a road trip for a few days. Hopefully I’ll be able to jot something down, I want to wrap up the Kiryuu arc before the trip so I can start into the back half of the show when I return. We’ll see where the wind blows. Whenever the review comes, look forward to it!

Pink Precure Catchphrase Count: 0 Zekkouchou Nari!

Miracle Drop Count: 1

[pellicano-sanguino]

Random thoughts while watching...  OSK Revue?

I finally saw my first OSK Revue show (Dracula, 2017), so thought I'd write about it. This is not a proper review, just a bunch of random thoughts. I will be making a lot of comparisons to Takarazuka in this, and please understand that I do not mean to imply that OSK is just a zuka copycat, I simply wanted to compare the two and see what they have in common and what not (also, all opinions are about this production and these actresses only, I'd need to see more shows to form a proper, better educated opinion on OSK's style as a whole.).

First impression was a surprise at how small the production is. I knew OSK isn't as big as zuka, but still, the theater's stage was very small and there were only about ten actresses, many of them pulling several roles, I think. I felt like I was watching a Bow Hall show cut in half both by stage length and actress numbers. Having a small number of actresses causes there to be some slower, quieter scenes, where a character monologues for a while so that everyone else has time to do the costume change.

Even so, it still felt very similar to zuka. Despite the small stage, they do dance, including a post-show minirevue that includes the main otokoyakus dancing in pretty, sparkly tailcoats and a duet dance with the main leads. The makeup is similar but there's some small differences that I'm not expert enough to point out (don't know anything about makeup). There are some stylistic differences in zuka makeup too, so it felt like I was watching a sixth zuka troupe and this was their troupe's personal style.

Minirevue dancing (and look, some parade feathers. Small feathers but feathers none the less.)

Otokoyaku still sing like otokoyaku and musumeyakus sound just like zuka musumes. I liked the leading otokoyaku's voice, it was pleasant to listen. Though she has to do a lot of angry angsting throughtout the musical, which is occasionally bad for her voice, making it sound like she has a bit of a sore throat. The songs were ok, nothing particularly memorable or catchy. A lot of the music is rather simple, like piano music and such.

I admit, when I was putting the disk in the DVD player, I was chanting in my head ”Please follow the book at least barely, please don't be weird and rewrite the story wildly.” Well, no such luck, this isn't a book faithful adaptation. Which unfortunately leads to me not having a clue what the hell is going on most of Act 1. But I am happy that it's not a comedy or a super weird adaptation.

I have to say that seeing a completely serious take on a vampire musical is a breath of fresh air and something I wish zuka could do. Don't get me wrong, I love the lighthearted vampire shows like Seal of Roses (which maybe didn't aim for lighthearted but kinda accidentally became one). Zuka always makes the vampire stories, well...  kinda weird (I've already ranted about the randomness, plot holes and inconsistent vampire lore in my Random Thoughts While Watching Zuka #4). I appreciate them thinking outside the box and surprising me instead of recycling the most generic vampire story plots and tropes, but as a vampire lover I would die for vampire show that actually takes itself seriously. I suppose the Poe Family show is a serious take on the subject (no comedic parts or weird story elements), but that is probably thanks to the source material. Zuka can do cool&dark, they've done Elisabeth, so if they wanted they could make truly awesome vampire shows.

While I said that this is a serious take on a vampire story, there's still a short comedic song number in the beginning of Act 1, where a bunch of reporters try to interview Dracula after his arrival at London, only to have him scream NO COMMENTS at them.

This show uses sound and screen effects a lot. Most of the time they make sense (like hearing the sound of a train in the station) but there are moments where I hear a random noise or see strange images projected on the screens and go ”What the hell was that?”

There are only three big roles in this show: Dracula, Mina and Jonathan Harker. There's also this one lady in black who I suspect to be the spirit of Dracula's dead wife, who he grieves and longs for all the time. So yeah, the beginning of Act 2 reveals to us that this show has taken inspiration from Coppola's Dracula and lifts the vampire's origin from the movie. He was a warlord in medieval times (which means he's dressed in armor and has a sword YES me likey) and somehow a false letter was brought to his wife claiming that he had fallen in battle, which led to her committing suicide. When human Drac got home to discover his wife dead, he was devastated and broken, that is, until he hears that the church refuses to bury his wife because suiciders are sinners who go to hell. There's a literal DUN DUN DUUUUN sound effect as the count builds up rage, then curses God and allows the forces of evil to corrupt his body in order to revenge. He then proceeds to kill all of the priests/monks/whatever the church folks were supposed to be.

This slaughter of innocent unarmed humans would be brutal and super dramatic, but the fight choreography leaves...  much to improve. Yeah, zuka battle choreos can look like they're from the 60's Batman too, with punches that miss by a mile, but here...  the stabs are so lazy it looks like the poor victims are literally walking into his sword.

If Heaven won't accept

my suicided wife

I'll follow her to Hell!

(...and lick her knife.)

Not gonna lie, this is something I haven't seen zuka do. Sure, they've implied licking things, but it's always done quite swiftly and * elegantly * and not, well, like this. Tongue out and all, literally licking the knife prop.

I was curious to see if the kisses are still fake or not, since OSK is free to have their own traditions and don't have to follow rules set by Hankyu. Also, I keep hearing rumors that OSK is supposedly more daring than zuka when it comes to love scenes. Not in this show, at least. The romantic scenes are very chaste and more cute than sexy (also, the blood drinking scene, while definitely romanticized and very nice&dramatic, not any hotter than the blood drinking scenes in zuka). And the kisses are very much fake. Oh well, the actresses are spared of messing up their lipstick.

Speaking of messing up lipstick, I know that stain is supposed to be blood but it looks like a group of amorous ladies gave the count several sloppy kisses.

So, my guess for the plot is that Dracula comes to London in search for the woman who is the reincarnation of his wife. To lure women for him to see, he puts up...   a fashion show or something? Dresses are on display, including dead wife's wedding dress. Which Mina gets to wear, and Dracula is immediately convinced she's the incarnation and for the rest of the musical never calls Mina by her real name, just by the wife's name. Which is...  Elisabeth. I don't remember what the wife's name was in Coppola's movie, but still, the dramatic way Dracula pronounces this name does make it sound like it was lifted from another musical.

In Act 2 Jonathan, on his way to rescue his girlfriend from the vampire's castle, meets an annoying little kid. And yeah, just like in zuka, there are no child actors in OSK, children are played by adult women using cutesy kiddie voice and being super genki. But then the kid finds the knife that Elisabeth used to suicide herself and turns to face the audience while holding it, and I was like ”Great. The annoying kid has turned into a creepy kid.” If the child had turned out to be a vampire and in team Drac all along, that would have been an awesome plot twist. But instead he's actually an angel or something like that, providing Jonathan with the weapon that can kill the vampire.

Dracula has a bunch of vampiric minions at his castle, not just the three brides. I have to ask, what is it with vampire shows having one main vampire who behaves normally and then having a bunch of background vampires/minions who speak/sing like they're high as a kite and lumber around dancing artsy inteeeerpretive dances? It's...   weird. Why are some vampires normal and some complete fruitbats?

This Dracula must be the angstiest version of the character I've ever seen. There's occasionally great moments where he's charismatic, seductive or in rage mode, but the majority of time he is either silently depressed or actively whining (even many of his angry scenes come out as more whiny than aggressive). It's a very dialogue heavy show and because of the language barrier and free adapting of the story, I have no idea what his angsty dialogues are about. But whatever he says, he actually manages to win Mina's sympathy and they dance together. Even if they kiss, I still think Mina's feelings are more pity and less sincere romantic interest. Also, I should point out that I have nothing against depressed, angsty, reluctant vampires in general, it's just that I don't usually associate that kind of behavior with Dracula (depression and angst is more sir Francis Varney's thing.). Dracula is cold, ruthless, cunning and irredeemably evil, not some emotional lovelorn wreck.

I have said this before and will say again: Dracula does not aishiteiru.

Jonathan makes an attempt to save Mina but doesn't get to kill the count. Which is good because while the Jonathan of the book would definitely want and be able to fight the count, this musical portrayed the character as a cute and awkward softie nerd (I approve, not all male heroes need to be tough guys) and avoiding getting his hands wet with blood was a good move. Poor guy would be traumatized for life, even if it would be to save his girlfriend, he's just not a killer. Instead, Dracula decides to let the lovers go free and suicides himself, like he usually does in adaptations where they make him have a romance with Mina.

You know how in zuka there's the tradition that in the end the dead characters make an appearance dressed in white, to sing and prance around in an afterlife epilogue. Well, not in this show, but there is something kinda similar. In the ending scene the spirit of Elisabeth appears behind the dying count and poses dramatically with him, spreading her cape like white bat wings, taking him with her to afterlife. I think it looks cool.

To end this, let's talk about the blood drinking scene. In all vampire stories, these are the most important scenes, in my opinion. Blood drinking is what vampires do, it's their trademark thing, and if you chicken out of showing it or handle it lazily, then why the hell are you making a vampire story in the first place. You don't make Phantom of the Opera adaptation and fail to have the unmasking scene be the most dramatic and memorable scene, and similarly, you don't make a vampire story and fail to deliver the blood drinking scenes properly. Yes, I have weirdly strong opinions about this, deal with it.

Very early in Act 1 we see Dracula suffer from malnutrition, his hair turning gray and his knees failing, making him slump to the ground, very visibly suffering. For emergency he empties a small vial of blood that doesn't seem to make him get any better. And it is this moment when Jonathan decides to visit him for the first time for work-related reasons (no idea what his profession is in this story. In the fashion industry?). So, we have a thirsty vampire and a nice, cute bloodbag in the same room all alone.

Me: Drink him!

Dracula: Nope. I'd rather suffer. :)

What the hell? In the book he totally noms Jonathan. Is this because he's a male? This Dracula afraid to drink from someone who has icky boy blood? Oh well, he gets better later anyway, so I assume he gets some blood off-stage. But still, it was very confusing to see a starving vampire not take advantage of an opportunity of some easy blood.

Well, later Dracula is introduced to Mina and immediately decides ”This is the One.” And I cheer him on.

Me: Drink her!

Dracula: No. Now is not a good time. :)

Me: Damnit! DRINK SOMEBODY!!!

We have to wait all the way to the end of Act 1, but finally, we get a genuine on-screen blood drinking scene. Just as important as the moment of blood drinking itself is what leads up to it. In this musical it's Jonathan piecing together all the clues and finally getting Dracula's real identity (in a rather nerdy monologue of stuff like ”...Dracul means Dragon, and the A at the end makes it Son of the Dragon...   wasn't there a warlord named like that in Romania hundreds of years ago...”).

Nerdsplaining time!

Terrified with his discovery he tries to save Mina, who Dracula has just kidnapped, spilling the beans for her as well. The revelation of Dracula's vampiric nature scares the two humans and there's plenty of dialogue that goes over my horizon, but I do get that the thing that makes Dracula snap is when Mina confesses to loving Jonathan.

The jealous vampire then starts to torture Jonathan by...   some kind of Darth Vader mind-choking magic. Well, I suppose it's choking, because Jonathan holds his hands around his throat as if struggling against invisible fingers, but the sound effect doesn't suggest choking at all. It actually sounds much more gruesome and painful, a nasty ripping sound, as if the count is telekineticly tearing the poor man limb from limb and simultaneously flaying him alive. Eww, it's a gross sound effect.

Mina obviously can't idly just watch as her boyfriend is painfully tortured to death while she has the power to put an end to it. To save Jonathan, she loudly exclaims that she doesn't love him. And the count, being a little bit of an idiot here, buys it. Strangely, Jonathan seems to buy it too, crying Mina's name in disbelief. The torture ends (thank goodness), and to make sure no harm comes to Jonathan, Mina tells Dracula that if you're really a vampire and if it's blood you want, you can have mine!

Just let me gather this bothersome veil...

...and Behold! Vampire bait.

She dramaticly pulls the veil of the wedding dress on one shoulder and reveals her neck. I love this. And so does Dracula. This is the one moment where his eyes actually light up with passion and while he attempts to stay cool, you can see his chest rise as his breathing gets faster with excitement. Darn right, count. Blood offered by free will is the best stuff there is. And it was about time you finally drank someone.

It's always interesting when humans offer their blood to the vampire out of free will, because there's usually good and complex reasons behind it, and this is no exception. Mina doesn't offer her blood out of sympathy or under the influence of vampiric hypnosis or even being seduced by the pretty blood drinker. It's offered by free will but it's very much not concensual. The offer of blood is the only way she can distract the vampire long enough to let Jonathan escape and get help. By playing along with the count's delusions about Mina being the reincarnation of his wife, she is cleverly buying time, manipulating him. Only, unfortunate for these two, there is no van Helsing or any other member of the book's league of merry vampirehunting men in this show for Jonathan to run to, so all he can do is to follow them to the castle and attempt a lone rescue mission (which fails).

Frankly, the one who eventually defeats Dracula (kinda) is Mina, who manages to win the count's sympathy (making him learn the good old ”if you really love someone, you'll want what's best for them and let them go instead of selfishly trying to force them to stay with you”). And this blood drinking scene is the first time we see that she is aware of the power she has over the vampire. Maybe in the end she didn't exactly intend to make him commit suicide, just trying to make him let them go, but old Drac was living a horribly depressed and angsty unlife anyway, so it doesn't surprise me that he decided to end it. That's why the (kinda). Mina has great influence over Dracula but I do think his decision to die a final death seems to be not a result of manipulation but a genuine decision. Though he still technically makes her do it, by forcibly placing the knife in her hands and then grabbing her wrists, stabbing himself, making her involuntarily deal the killing blow. Kinda dick move (Mina is quite horrified of this, understandably), but at least I'm happy Mina doesn't kill herself too in this one (yes, I'm still angry at that ending in 2011 Wao Youka's Dracula. The count kills himself so Mina can go back to being human and back to Jonathan. And then the dumb woman makes the count's sacrifice completely pointless by throwing away the life he attempted to save.) Dracula ends his unlife but Mina and Jonathan return to the world of the living, where they belong.

Final random thought: Knightly warlord Dracula looks a bit like Lancelot’s long lost, dangerously unhinged brother. (it’s the wig and the silver armor with blue details. The actresses are very different.)

[briangroth27]

Justice League Review

I really wanted to like this. While I hated Batman V Superman, I found good points in both Suicide Squad and Man of Steel despite their flaws and absolutely loved Wonder Woman, which immediately became one of my favorite superhero films. I wanted to believe DC’s films were on an upswing with Patty Jenkins’ movie, but even with low expectations, I wasn’t a fan of Justice League. I don’t think it’s terrible, but I did think it was very boring.

Full Spoilers…

Justice League’s plot was fine and made sense—perhaps minus the convenient weirdness of a parademon leaving the impression of Mother Boxes on a wall when it blew up at the beginning—but didn't thrill me at all. I liked the friendlier tone of the movie and its superheroes, even if not a lot of the jokes landed for me. The effects were good, but the action wasn't memorable. I can't help but compare this to The CW’s latest DC crossover, Crisis on Earth-X; the four-part crossover did have a more luxurious runtime with an extra hour allowing them to do more, but each episode was packed full of engaging characters and moments that made me cheer and geek out. Justice League had none of that. The CW's multiverse is definitely my preferred DCU.

The problem here wasn’t that Batman, Aquaman, Cyborg, and Flash didn’t get solo films first. If Justice League were the same film with previously established characters, it still would’ve been boring. You don't need to give each hero a separate movie to establish everyone before teaming them up. Suicide Squad proved that, though that film should’ve trusted itself not to reiterate who everyone was three times over in the first act. Justice League could’ve easily introduced iconic versions of these heroes as established superheroes in their corners of the world (enough people know Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman at least to understand the gist of them), had Cyborg go to them for help controlling his machinery, and then used him as our eyes into the world of DC’s biggest heroes. Instead, what we got was several half-baked character arcs, an uninteresting and lackluster villain, and forgettable action.   Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) was great as usual, but I hate that they reiterated that she'd been doing nothing (at least in public) between World War 1 in her film and BvS. I wish she'd responded to Batman (Ben Affleck) calling her out about not being a public hero with a retort about working all those years in secret or something (I refuse to believe she sat out World War 2, for example). At least it didn't seem like people were surprised to see her when she stopped the terrorist attack in her introductory scene, so we know she's been active since the epilogue of her film. I also didn't like that they confirmed she's Zeus' biological daughter ("you have the blood of the old gods") rather than magically-imbued clay (her film left it open-ended, with Ares calling her the child Zeus and Hippolyta (Connie Nielson) “made” but not elaborating on what he meant or giving her a major reaction to that comment), unless Zeus' blood is what brought the clay to life. It was bizarre that they seemingly depowered her so much against Steppenwolf (Ciaran Hinds); how can she defeat Ares alone but not this third-stringer with help? There’s no reason a demigod like her shouldn’t be on Superman’s level, and if the only reason for depowering her is to justify the need for Superman, that’s a failure on the writing level. I would be all for Diana leading the League, so I was disappointed that even though they set up an arc about that with Diana being unsure of herself in any leadership position, it was still Bruce's show in the climax. Her reluctance to lead was an interesting wrinkle to her character and bit of reflection on Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) I didn't see coming, so I'd definitely like that explored more. I did like her respect for Superman (Henry Cavill), though as I saw pointed out elsewhere, more time spent with him in BvS (or at least some kind of line about her following the impact he was having on the world) would’ve helped to sell that connection better. I thought Cyborg (Ray Fisher) had the most interesting arc of the heroes: his cybernetic body parts were taking over his body and continually upgrading him, but into what? That was a fresh spin on the routine “am I still human?” cyborg question and I wish they had expanded on it more. Those upgrades should’ve been a much harder struggle for Vic to fight against, but once he joined the League that concern was almost totally forgotten. It seemed like all the pieces were there to neatly wrap his constant upgrades into the Mother Box plot; perhaps his cybernetic body could’ve attempted to help Steppenwolf or even just sped up the planet-destruction by working against Vic and the League to unite the Mother Boxes, since his cybernetics were created by a Mother Box. This would’ve given him a fight to control himself, but the movie just let him take control anyway without even attempting to explain how he could suddenly control the growth and development of his cybernetics in the epilogue. Assuming his fight with his cybernetics isn’t actually over, I would be interested in learning more of his story and watching him struggle with the idea of what he's becoming vs. what he wants to be. There’s a solid solo film in that idea and I’d definitely be down to watch it. As for Flash (Ezra Miller), I didn't feel like much of anything about his character was justified. The Batman of this universe was a dark, violent, paranoid murderer who branded criminals (knowing they'd get killed in prison for it) and tried to kill Superman. That's pretty much the exact opposite of someone this Barry would look up to or think is cool. Barry finally getting a job at the CCPD didn't feel motivated by anything he wanted—he was clearly into science, but he also wasn’t investigating his mom's murder at all—and it just seemed like a more permanent job to appease his father (Billy Crudup) than the result of a drive to prove his dad innocent or even just to contribute to society by pursuing justice in his day job. If lines referring to his attempts to solve his mom’s murder were cut out of the film, fair, but from what was on screen he definitely wasn’t trying to do that; if he were, getting his iconic crime lab job would’ve been about finally getting to look into that case officially instead of just being “hey I got a real job.” Barry’s refusal to move forward in life in any way was just...disappointing, and the film gave no real reason for it. I'm not sure why he was characterized as the scared one in battle situations, when he seemed much more confident in his cameo in Suicide Squad and his powers allow him to see any danger in slow motion; “inexperienced” doesn’t have to mean constantly overwhelmed, as the Justice League cartoon’s cocky Flash handily demonstrated. The kind of fear the movie saddled Barry with would’ve been more suited to a Cyborg whose power usage allows his cybernetics to overwrite him faster or to Aquaman (Jason Momoa), who literally admits he doesn’t want to die by getting involved. I also don't get why having no friends was necessary for Barry’s character. He makes a comment about people being “too slow,” so I could understand super speed being such a burden if Barry couldn’t turn it off, but he clearly can in this movie. Instead they focus his loneliness on not understanding people or their affection for things like brunch, which…if you don't understand or like brunch, just don't go to brunch. That disconnect from society seems like such a weird choice for what’s arguably the friendliest character in the comics’ Justice League. Barry could've been just as eager to join Bruce’s team because it would be fun, an adventure, or simply the right thing to do. Getting into the world at the end of the movie with his new job would’ve felt like more of an accomplishment if there was more to his societal disconnect in the first place, or if he’d found a greater understanding of other people by the end. Miller got a few fun moments/lines and delivered them well (particularly his confusion and surprise about Clark seeing him move at super speed and their competitions), but while he was likable and I give them props for trying something new, I wasn’t a fan of this direction for the character. Grant Gustin’s still my favorite Flash, though I’m glad there’s one for every fan. Even though I didn't like the Batman of BvS, I appreciate that they used his actions there to fuel his growth and development here. That's what I wish they'd done with Clark in BvS in the wake of killing Zod (Michael Shannon) in Man of Steel. That said, it would’ve been nice for other characters to comment on Batman’s 180 from killing criminals and his significant change in demeanor; have all those actions just been forgotten and forgiven? I wish Bruce had pushed Diana to be the leader more; they could've used his "Superman is evil and must die" blinders in BvS to justify Bruce doubting himself and his leadership choices. They could also have shown Bruce struggling to trust people with god-like powers to be actual heroes, fighting the urge to create defensive strategies against his own teammates (which would’ve been perfect had Cyborg’s robotic components had a mind of their own) and/or insisting on being the leader. I did like that he seemed very humbled here instead of the uber-confident and insanely prepared Batman of the past two decade’s comics, cartoons, and movies. I loved his comment about Clark living in the world while he hid from it; his insistence on raising Superman from the dead absolutely felt more like guilt than just a strategy for defeating Steppenwolf and that was perfect. While it would’ve certainly helped if BvS showed us more of the hope Superman specifically was bringing to the world, I liked that Bruce voiced the lack of hope he was feeling and that he realized he couldn’t do the same for the world (though it makes no sense that, say, Diana couldn’t have stepped up to that “protector of hope” title). I smiled at the use of Danny Elfman’s 1989 Batman score, but scoring a scene of “evil” Superman with John Williams’ iconic theme didn’t make much sense. While I do like this evolution of Batman better than the character Affleck introduced in BvS, I’m pretty Batman-ed out and am not really looking forward to his solo film purely because there is so much Batman out there already. I'm glad they finally brought some warmth and humor (and bright color!) to Superman. His introductory cell phone "interview" was well done (even if, as I’ve seen pointed out elsewhere, giving offhand interviews and talking to civilians was not something Man of Steel or BvS established in their depictions of Superman; if anything, he actively avoided explaining himself until it was too late). I'm very glad I was wrong about Clark being brainwashed into being Steppenwolf or some other evil force, since that would’ve given us a third “dark” Superman in as many movies. I do wonder why (and when) Barry went back in time to tell Bruce about Lois (Amy Adams) being “the key,” though, and the League’s fight with the revived Superman felt much more obligatory than exciting. The race with Flash was fun though, I’m glad they focused on evacuating bystanders, and I really liked Clark’s reunions with Lois and Martha (Diane Lane). I wish the film had taken the time to have Clark deal with the idea that he was essentially carrying the entire world’s hopes on his back and to show us his reaction to the loss of hope in the wake of his death. Just dealing with coming back to life (beyond a joke about feeling “itchy”) would’ve been an interesting moment. I liked that his powers were on full display throughout the film, though again I don’t think he needed to be so much more powerful than the rest of the League. I didn't think the CGI removal of Cavill’s Mission: Impossible 6 mustache looked weird. It was weird that Bruce and Clark didn’t seem to care about their secret identities at all; they both had open conversations in front of total strangers about their superhero alter egos and Clark walked around the farm without his glasses on despite an army of movers there. Kent is going to have a very awkward conversation with Perry White (Laurence Fishburne) about his resurrection too; I wonder if they’ll gloss over that. Either way, I think I could definitely be talked into giving Cavill’s Superman another shot in a solo movie. I fully believe he could give an excellent performance of a more iconic Superman with better material. Aquaman was mediocre. My favorite version of the character is the Batman Brave and the Bold “Outrageous!” adventurer king, and this was similar, but ultimately I wasn’t pulled in by the character as presented here. I did like the moment where he accidentally sat on the lasso of truth in front of the team though. Arthur not wanting to die was an understandable motivation for not helping at first, but I wish we'd gotten an idea of all those other things he wanted to do with his life and a better arc of him getting over his fear of a premature death. Similarly, taking responsibility for the Atlantean Mother Box felt offhand and underdeveloped; I’m not really sure why Mera (Amber Heard) wasn’t on her way to following Steppenwolf when Arthur showed up (maybe his arrival interrupted her exit?), prompting Arthur to really argue his case for why it should be him pursuing their enemy when he’d spent so much time avoiding Atlantis and his place there. In light of his showing here, I'm not really looking forward to his solo movie next year. I also wasn’t thrilled that they seemed to be embarrassed of Arthur’s ability to talk to fish and downplayed it. I didn't like that both Diana and Lois were so completely crushed by the deaths of Steve and Clark. They both seem like they should be stronger than that (Diana even got up after it and killed a god!). Mera was fine, but neither she nor JK Simmons as Commissioner Gordon got much to do. Alfred didn’t either. Steppenwolf was so bland and poorly drawn as the villain. His CGI wasn’t the best and they isolated him from large groups of civilians for the most part, lessening the connection to the world-destroying threat he actually posed (endangering one nameless family we see and many we don’t isn’t the same as unleashing him in a city). He had no argument with the heroes (even killing Amazons only resulted in a few flashes of anger in Diana and his attack on Atlantis had no effect on Arthur) or a belief system that clashed with theirs beyond "I want to destroy this planet." His motivation was that he’d been banished from Apokalips, so they could’ve elaborated on that to make him a better foil for these outsider heroes—particularly Diana, Clark, and Arthur—and how far they’d go to fit in, but didn’t. For some bizarre reason, the writers instead chose to give him a plot that looks for all the world like a rip-off of the Infinity Stones. Why not just do Darkseid if they had to go to the alien well (or better yet, Brainiac)? I think it would've been smarter to do the Legion of Doom here. They could've said the Legion wanted to take advantage of the fact that the biggest hero was dead by swarming and wiping out the rest once and for all; Lex was even already spying on all of them! You'd already have built-in animosity between the heroes and their villains, a simple reason to explore each of the heroes’ homes/lives outside their costumes, a villain team-up isn't something Marvel has done yet, and you'd have a variety of villainous personalities with personal vendettas and different abilities instead of a tall guy with an ax and a faceless horde of parademons (who were no scarier or more menacing than Ultron's drones or the Chitauri) collecting Mother Boxes. Speaking of the parademons, at least some of them were innocent people and not one of these heroes cared about killing or curing them.

At this rate, I hope they don’t do Darkseid at all. He’s been used as the ultimate DC villain far too often and it doesn’t seem like he’d be very different from what they just did with Steppenwolf. Apokaliptan forces didn’t prove to be impressive or imposing here either. Hopefully the sequel—if there is one—will bring an awesome Legion of Doom battle (the second post-credits scene certainly implies this is happening) and will continue the series’ upward trajectory. On a side note, I’m annoyed that apparently the film division won’t let Arrow use Deathstroke again because he’s involved in the movies; what’s the point of having separate universes if both can’t use all the characters? This is especially silly given Arrow was using Slade long before the movies wanted to.

Justice League may have dropped the ball on using and exploring (or even finishing) the interesting character arcs it introduced, but at least the DC film writers have good ideas at the core of most of the characters they’re playing with. The movie left me eager to see more of Wonder Woman, Cyborg, and Superman in their solo films. That said, this movie should’ve been treated like it was the only film in the DC cinematic canon coming out in the near future, not a springboard for everyone’s spinoff films (that was also rushing to compete with Marvel’s Avengers). They should’ve all had arcs that concluded here, rather than just taking half-steps toward their “real” development in their future films. Hopefully DC’s stated lack of focus on strict continuity will allow them to take greater strides in character development in each film, rather than parceling out a single arc over several movies. This movie proved there are interesting, unexpected stories to tell with these characters while ushering in a friendlier, more classic tone, and I hope future DC films learn from Justice League’s missteps to fully realize the full potential of these heroes.

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