swatkat

I ran away to the hills last weekend. There was a lot of food and no work, plus a lot of self-indulgent photography. Why do I have to go back to work why? /whine

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I have watched three episodes of Mawaru Penguindrum, and while it's quite enjoyable (and disturbing, which is to be expected) so far, the transformation sequence is not as epic as Utena's:

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I feel like my life could use some dramatic transformation sequences. Catching the metro? ZETTAI! UNMEI! MOKUSHIROKU! Going for class? ZETTAI! UNMEI! MOKUSHIROKU! Complete with a sword and a sparkly uniform. Anyone caught talking in class can TALK TO THE SWORD.

When I told zorana84 the same thing she said she would rather transform into a car, which is also quite awesome I suppose, but A SWORD is just so much better, if slightly impractical.

+ I watched the Utena movie, which I think makes perfect sense if you treat it as a direct sequel to the anime—as Utena's fever dream, which Anthy helps her rescue herself from. I have no idea why Juri hits on Miki in it, however, although I must say that if Juri ever were to consider dating boys Miki is the first person I'd ship her with. Also, a TRAGIC lack of Nanami in the movie—TRAGIC and UNPARDONABLE, because Nanami is the best and my favourite (well, apart from Utena herself. And Juri). Nanami is the Queen Cordy to Utena's Buffy, the comic mirror and the tragic foil, and the ONLY other character who gets an arc that long (even if some of them are filler episodes—but the Nanami filler episodes are the best, Cowbells of Happiness is probably my favourite episode in the entire show apart from the finale itself).

+ It occurs to me that a lot of the problems in the Merlinverse would be solved if someone introduced Morgana to Utena, who could tell her that her that she doesn't have to be either a Princess or a Witch.

+ In a recent Newsrama interview, Brian Azzarello said:

Azzarello: Of course not. I don’t care. It’s not important to the story. Listen, if it were my choice? She’d be wearing that skirt!

Nrama: Wait a minute. Is that a hint? Why the skirt?

Azzarello: Because it looks good! Like her original costume? I think that’s great.

This is a man after my own heart. Also, guh, have you SEEN Cliff Chiang's pages from Wonder Woman #2?

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That flirty smile? That's the Diana we know and love, the one I dearly miss. I want her back now. *grabby hands*

I also approve of Diana gaining her own Gabrielle, since the Wonder Girls seem to be off-limits in the main Wonder Woman book for reasons incomprehensible to me.

+ The Ivy Crown by briar_pipe, Merlin, Gwen/Morgana, ~75,000 words, "Late one night, several prisoners escape from the dungeon, Arthur disappears, and fate takes a left turn. Morgana and Gwen are dragged along into a new world of intrigue, magic, and war." This is the kind of Gwen/Morgana I've always wanted to read - long and absorbing, with an absolutely fabulous warrior queen!Morgana.

Archimage by Jude, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Utena/Anthy, ~140,000 words, "What happened to Utena after the end of the series?". Epic post-anime story, featuring the entire cast and doing justice to ALL of them while weaving a twisty tale that would make the creators of the anime proud. PS: GROWN-UP POLICE OFFICER!JURI FTW!!!1!

Roses Grow by sharnii, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Utena/Anthy, novel length. Wonderful post-anime story featuring the entire cast, with romance, intrigue and surrealism. It also has a sequel in progress featuring a fantastic Anthy voice.

+ I have watched Warehouse 13 3.05! There was a lot of clutching my chest and making hearteyes at the computer screen, ( you know my feelings on HG Wells )

The episode also felt like a backdoor pilot, which, given the rumours of a spin-off featuring HG, isn't surprising at all. The last bit with Claudia and Artie did feel like a hint of sorts: don't get used to having HG around, except in small doses. In some ways, HG Wells works so well as a character because she's a recurring - she's like the Han Solo who drops by occasionally and charms everyone with her swagger before disappearing just as quickly, maintaining an aura of ~mystery, or the Cara of 'Reckoning', adding a new life to the stable Richard-Kahlan-Zedd set up, as opposed to the more domesticated Cara of S2. This is not to say I wouldn't want HG around forever - she could grow and change as a person and hook up with Myka and bring in her own unique brand of fun to the team, but I enjoy this too. And I would so watch the show about HG and Agent Ianto's adventures in Victorian London, where they sometimes run into historical personalities. Sometimes those personalities are RDJ and Jude Law's Holmes and Watson (which, okay, difficult in universe because Helena knows Arthur Conan Doyle, but whatever), with bonus Irene Adler, and much fun is had by all.

+ Speaking of crossovers, I now want this AU where Bruce, Clark and Diana are the heads of Slytherin, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff respectively. Barbara - as musesfool suggested - may or may not be the head of Ravenclaw, the brightest witch of her generation, the youngest to be the head of a house, ever. Dick is Head Boy. His crush on her is extremely ~inappropriate. Donna is Head Girl and also Hufflepuff Quidditch co-captain. Wally is the Hufflepuff Seeker.

+ I also seem to be watching Revolutionary Girl Utena (don't ask, apparently I watch anime now). I am up to episode 8, and so far there has been girls with swords, sword-fighting, defending of honour, forced co-habitation, accidental engagements (yes, ~symbolic, whatever) and bodyswap. I just... I give up, okay. It's clearly tailormade for my narrative kinks. I will watch more of this. I love everybody, but I hope Anthy gets more of a personality soon. And hey, hibernate, did I mention the ~stoic sword-fighting lesbian with a tragic past who does not believe in miracles?