Interesting: I read the previous book in this series, „Ash“ and I didn’t like it much. The bland and boring all-white European fairytale setting and the glowing vampires cliched fairies/elves where just so awful that the lesbian twist couldn’t make up for it in this failed Cinderella retelling.
„Huntress“ is said to be set in the same world but a few hundred years earlier and interestingly there is an Asian touch to the standard fantasy world (I wonder where that disappeared to in „Ash“’s time). It’s still ye good olde fantasy escapism tough, nothing special and the elves are still fucking awful (can’t decide if I hate them more then orcs and dragons but fairies a no-go) but it’s much, much better then „Ash“. I’m not exactly sure why but I think the world is fleshed out more, the character are less cut-out and there’s actually a story with a long and perilous journey, scary monsters™ and people dying. Unfortunately there is also a really stupid and unnecessary ending involving more fairy bullshit (and a cameo of the Forest Spirit from Mononoke Hime as a unicorn). I think Malinda Lo really got better in writing and storytelling between „Ash“ and „Huntress“, it’s a nice thing to witness.
This is clearly YA with lots of blushing and reddening cheeks but the (lesbian) love story is more believable and intimate then in it’s sequel. I don’t want to over-interpret the fact that while the hetero-lovestory (the usual inter-class one, but between a prince and a female guard this time around) seems to get an happy ending, the lesbian one is DOOOMED! DOOOOMED! because when you want to be a magicianesstress you can’t have sex be in love (= bullshit).
If you want easy to read escapism fantasy outside the all white, all hetero box this is well worth a read (I’d recommend stopping after she burned evil female boss though, because as I said all that follows just makes no sense).
A boy discovers the strange world of the nightly city and has to overcome his fear of the dark.
The story is good if not too original but this movie is astonishingly beautiful, especially the backgrounds/matte paintings (and the sound design is really good too). Not sure about the character design but I am hard to please in that regard anyway. And I guess it’s a good thing that everybody isn’t as thin as a stick for a change.
The obvious problem with Nocturna is the depiction of female characters. There aren’t any. When I saw the trailer I somehow thought that the Cat Herder was a woman, just imagine: A strong BBW cat-like woman. But alas, he’s a guy. The very few minor (there aren’t any major) female characters – telephone ladies, hair-stylists, stars (yeah, seriously) – are as feminine, cliched and stuck in backward roles as they get. No point for you, Nocturna (obviously no PoC in fairytale land, either).
And I know that this is really over-interpreting it but I think it’s kind of scary having all these creatures who’s only purpose in life seems to be working hard to make humans (only children?) having a good night’s sleep. I hope they at least get paid well.
Nevertheless, it is an entertaining watch and very pleasing to the eye.
Die 72. Folge (und die, äh, folgenden) von Logbuch Netzpolitik war insofern interessant, als das es – nach einem etwas seichten Einsteig – darum ging, inwiefern wir unsere westliche Lebensweise™ überhaupt noch lupenreine Demokratie, die es für Geld zu kaufen gibt bezeichnen können, wenn staatliche Organe* ihre Bürger rund um den Globus ohne Anfangsverdacht 24h überwachen. Und wer das Internet nicht mag, hat ja dank Kameras, Drohnen, Gesundheitskarten, Ausweisen, Datenverkauf und -leaks von diversen Behörden und anderen Insitutionen auch genügend Gelegenheit ins Getriebe zu geraten.
„Die Kraft falscher Argumente beruht auf ihrer extremen Falschheit“ – Elias Canetti(?) via Wolfgang Nešković im Küchenradio 362 – Geheimdienste. Hörempfehlung!
Ein weiteres schönes PBS-Video. Schon interessant, wie der öffentlich rechtliche Sender dieser Digital-Diktatur, die sich USA schimpft so freshe* Videos raushaut.
Because it’s one of the most awesome things I’ve stumbled across recently I’ll link to it here too: People of Color in European Art History collects scientific proof against all this whitewashed Fantasy bullshit in the media.
Das ist ja dank Prism & Co grade etwas in Vergessenheit geraten, dass nicht nur unsere lupenreinen Demokratien eine Gefahr für Menschenrechte und Privatsphäre sind, sondern auch der militärisch-industrielle Komplex (ja, dazu gehören auch Google, Amazon, Apple, Kraft, Monsanto, etc. pp.), der sich die Nase Gold verdient an unserer menschenverachtenden Europa-Asylpolitik.
Und dass der Finanzmarkt mit seinem Kahlschlagkapitalismus zumindest Mitschuld an der Nazifizierung Europäischer Länder wie Griechenland und Ungarn trägt, ist wohl nicht ernsthaft zu bestreiten.
