Weekly summary: Feb. 25 - Mar. 4, 2023
Mar. 5th, 2023 07:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alchemicinkFebruary already feels like it was a hundred years ago, even though it actually ended less than a week ago. Time is such a weird thing to perceive. Nevertheless, this past week was a pretty good one. Let's talk about it!
I finally started watching Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury (henceforth known as G-witch because that's easier to type)! And I'm enjoying it so far! It's the first series in the franchise with a woman Gundam pilot as the protagonist, which I think is pretty cool (and definitely overdue).
I've only had a chance to watch the first four episodes, but I think the most amusing thing is the very intentional (at least it seems intentional) Revolutionary Girl Utena (RGU) parallels. The marriage arrangements. The duels. The garden. A student group with entirely too much power at the school?? Even the imagery of the two main girls circling each other in the opening credits. The only thing missing really is an absurdly long staircase for Suletta to climb 😂 Anyway, I'm curious about the decision to include so many references to RGU, which was a fascinating series about breaking gender norms, overcoming abuse, and much more, all while couched in some sometimes-hard-to-parse metaphors. At least that's how I experienced it. So what are the G-witch creators trying to convey here? I'll just have to watch more to find out! (This first season is 12 episodes, and the next season is set to begin in April)
My only quibble with G-witch so far is that the plot hasn't pulled me in yet in the same way my favorite Gundam series has (Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans, henceforth known as Gundam IBO for easy typing purposes). With Gundam IBO, the plot kicks into high gear right away, and it's relatively straightforward despite the usual complexities of any Gundam series. The IBO protagonists are a bunch of exploited teens and kids who overthrow their employers to start their own company. Then they set off to escort an important lady from Mars to Earth. Perhaps it's the road trip aspect I really liked, but IBO just really kept me invested from the beginning. But for G-witch, these first four episodes are just Suletta settling in at school, and the biggest thing that happens is that she duels a mean guy (twice) and then ends up engaged afterwards. Other than that, it's just a lot of school stuff (and the adults make a few cameos to talk about corporate politics).
I'm sure G-witch will pick up the pace and action as it continues though. It's not a Gundam series without a dash of war crimes after all 🙃
Anyway, one last thing about G-witch: I really like the music! Here is a cool video of the orchestras recording two main songs from the soundtrack. "The Witch from Mercury" is my favorite of the two, and I've listened to this probably an unhealthy amount of times the past few days... 😅
Actually, I have a few other music links to share this time.
Aldious released a live performance video of their song "Go Away" which is probably one of my favorites from their entire discography. (It's especially fun to listen to when in a grumpy mood lol) The group has had some trouble finding a permanent new vocalist since their last one quit, so this performance features guest vocalist, Maki Oyama. But really, I'm linking this for Toki's excellent guitar solo 🤩
Hey!Say!JUMP is continuing their "let's just upload random songs to YouTube" kick, so this time it's a performance from the Jumping Carnival tour. Personally, it's not one of my favorite songs (or performances), but I'm linking it anyway 😂 (On a side note, I joked about it recently but I'm beginning to think hsj is actually just throwing darts at a giant board to decide what to post next)
The last music link is actually not a recent one, but YouTube reminded me of its existence this week. It's "Youthful Beautiful" by Uchida Maaya. I like the vibes of this one when I wanna listen to something nice. Also, this was the ending theme to SSSS.Gridman, which was an excellent underrated series that I wish I had the means to rewatch 😭 I still consider the end of this series one of the best I've ever seen.
Moving right along, this week included author reveals for the most recent Planet BNHA exchange round. I got to write kamisero for the first time! It's a silly little pirate fic, but I like it. (You can tell I'm back on my long-title nonsense)
The Short-lived Adventures of the Lighthouse Point Pirates
I tried to do more cooking this week, but I didn't get to try any new recipes. I did, however, get to make one of my favorites: this version of okonomiyaki. I usually skip the crab meat and add a few more vegetables (carrots and mushrooms), so the recipe is pretty versatile. I also decided to make four mini ones this time instead of one giant one. That was so much easier! I'm not a great cook, but I'm having a good time trying out different things.
This article from ANN about different Death Note adaptations was a really fun and thorough read. I've seen the anime, of course, and I have the live action movie trilogy on DVD. (I actually like it better than the anime 😂) And I remember all the jokes back in the day about casting Zac Efron! Fandom used to be so wild. Too bad that casting never came to fruition.
I know a lot of people get really mad over adaptations of their favorite stories, but I personally think it's interesting to see different interpretations and different mediums to tell each story. Plus, a bad version doesn't erase your favorite version from existence, you know! Just watch the one you like best.
I do, however, think that all versions of Death Note should be required to include the "I'll take a potato chip AND EAT IT" scene. It's a classic 🤣
Switching gears, here is an absolutely adorable bit of momojirou fan art! They're so cute ♡
Lastly, I spent a good chunk of Saturday cleaning, so I put on season 2 of Stargate SG-1 as background noise. It occurred to me upon this rewatch that O'Neill really goes through it this season! Here's a non-comprehensive list of bad things that happen to him in season 2: gets thrown in alien prison, gets stuck in a simulation where he watches old friends die, gets impaled, gets held prisoner again, gets impaled again, watches his colleagues get sucked into a black hole, gets a whole repository of alien knowledge downloaded into his head, and time travels back to 1969.
Okay, that last one isn't so bad, but it IS weird 😁
Anyway, season 2 of SG-1 is when they start hitting their stride. I will always recommend this series for anyone who likes fun sci-fi!
That's it for this summary post! Wishing everyone a good week ahead!
I finally started watching Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury (henceforth known as G-witch because that's easier to type)! And I'm enjoying it so far! It's the first series in the franchise with a woman Gundam pilot as the protagonist, which I think is pretty cool (and definitely overdue).
I've only had a chance to watch the first four episodes, but I think the most amusing thing is the very intentional (at least it seems intentional) Revolutionary Girl Utena (RGU) parallels. The marriage arrangements. The duels. The garden. A student group with entirely too much power at the school?? Even the imagery of the two main girls circling each other in the opening credits. The only thing missing really is an absurdly long staircase for Suletta to climb 😂 Anyway, I'm curious about the decision to include so many references to RGU, which was a fascinating series about breaking gender norms, overcoming abuse, and much more, all while couched in some sometimes-hard-to-parse metaphors. At least that's how I experienced it. So what are the G-witch creators trying to convey here? I'll just have to watch more to find out! (This first season is 12 episodes, and the next season is set to begin in April)
My only quibble with G-witch so far is that the plot hasn't pulled me in yet in the same way my favorite Gundam series has (Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans, henceforth known as Gundam IBO for easy typing purposes). With Gundam IBO, the plot kicks into high gear right away, and it's relatively straightforward despite the usual complexities of any Gundam series. The IBO protagonists are a bunch of exploited teens and kids who overthrow their employers to start their own company. Then they set off to escort an important lady from Mars to Earth. Perhaps it's the road trip aspect I really liked, but IBO just really kept me invested from the beginning. But for G-witch, these first four episodes are just Suletta settling in at school, and the biggest thing that happens is that she duels a mean guy (twice) and then ends up engaged afterwards. Other than that, it's just a lot of school stuff (and the adults make a few cameos to talk about corporate politics).
I'm sure G-witch will pick up the pace and action as it continues though. It's not a Gundam series without a dash of war crimes after all 🙃
Anyway, one last thing about G-witch: I really like the music! Here is a cool video of the orchestras recording two main songs from the soundtrack. "The Witch from Mercury" is my favorite of the two, and I've listened to this probably an unhealthy amount of times the past few days... 😅
Actually, I have a few other music links to share this time.
Aldious released a live performance video of their song "Go Away" which is probably one of my favorites from their entire discography. (It's especially fun to listen to when in a grumpy mood lol) The group has had some trouble finding a permanent new vocalist since their last one quit, so this performance features guest vocalist, Maki Oyama. But really, I'm linking this for Toki's excellent guitar solo 🤩
Hey!Say!JUMP is continuing their "let's just upload random songs to YouTube" kick, so this time it's a performance from the Jumping Carnival tour. Personally, it's not one of my favorite songs (or performances), but I'm linking it anyway 😂 (On a side note, I joked about it recently but I'm beginning to think hsj is actually just throwing darts at a giant board to decide what to post next)
The last music link is actually not a recent one, but YouTube reminded me of its existence this week. It's "Youthful Beautiful" by Uchida Maaya. I like the vibes of this one when I wanna listen to something nice. Also, this was the ending theme to SSSS.Gridman, which was an excellent underrated series that I wish I had the means to rewatch 😭 I still consider the end of this series one of the best I've ever seen.
Moving right along, this week included author reveals for the most recent Planet BNHA exchange round. I got to write kamisero for the first time! It's a silly little pirate fic, but I like it. (You can tell I'm back on my long-title nonsense)
The Short-lived Adventures of the Lighthouse Point Pirates
I tried to do more cooking this week, but I didn't get to try any new recipes. I did, however, get to make one of my favorites: this version of okonomiyaki. I usually skip the crab meat and add a few more vegetables (carrots and mushrooms), so the recipe is pretty versatile. I also decided to make four mini ones this time instead of one giant one. That was so much easier! I'm not a great cook, but I'm having a good time trying out different things.
This article from ANN about different Death Note adaptations was a really fun and thorough read. I've seen the anime, of course, and I have the live action movie trilogy on DVD. (I actually like it better than the anime 😂) And I remember all the jokes back in the day about casting Zac Efron! Fandom used to be so wild. Too bad that casting never came to fruition.
I know a lot of people get really mad over adaptations of their favorite stories, but I personally think it's interesting to see different interpretations and different mediums to tell each story. Plus, a bad version doesn't erase your favorite version from existence, you know! Just watch the one you like best.
I do, however, think that all versions of Death Note should be required to include the "I'll take a potato chip AND EAT IT" scene. It's a classic 🤣
Switching gears, here is an absolutely adorable bit of momojirou fan art! They're so cute ♡
Lastly, I spent a good chunk of Saturday cleaning, so I put on season 2 of Stargate SG-1 as background noise. It occurred to me upon this rewatch that O'Neill really goes through it this season! Here's a non-comprehensive list of bad things that happen to him in season 2: gets thrown in alien prison, gets stuck in a simulation where he watches old friends die, gets impaled, gets held prisoner again, gets impaled again, watches his colleagues get sucked into a black hole, gets a whole repository of alien knowledge downloaded into his head, and time travels back to 1969.
Okay, that last one isn't so bad, but it IS weird 😁
Anyway, season 2 of SG-1 is when they start hitting their stride. I will always recommend this series for anyone who likes fun sci-fi!
That's it for this summary post! Wishing everyone a good week ahead!
no subject
Date: 2023-03-07 08:22 pm (UTC)I feel like I don’t have much to say but I really enjoyed reading your thoughts ♡ also “she duels a mean guy (twice) and then ends up engaged afterwards” is hilarious to read.
no subject
Date: 2023-03-11 04:02 pm (UTC)Lol, I'm glad you enjoyed my brief G-witch summary! It is a bit silly XD
no subject
Date: 2023-03-13 04:43 pm (UTC)