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When people get a little too gung-ho about-

wait. cancel post. gung-ho cannot be English. where did that phrase come from? China?

ok, yes. gōnghé, which is…an abbreviation for “industrial cooperative”? Like it was just a term for a worker-run organization? A specific U.S. marine stationed in China interpreted it as a motivational slogan about teamwork, and as a commander he got his whole battalion using it, and other U.S. marines found those guys so exhausting that it migrated into English slang with the meaning “overly enthusiastic”.

That’s…wild. What was I talking about?

#relatable

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nothing more embarassing than when you develop personal beef with a piece of media thats entirely petty. like sorry no i cant talk about that show it. bit me.

#about me

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THE MUMMY 1999 — dir. Stephen Sommers

#i’ve lured my godmother into seeing an anniversary screening #the mummy 1999 #film tag

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#tv: xena #:’)

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I like the idea of Adolescence of Utena being a pseudo sequel but it bugs me that some of the characters in it seem to have regressed or are less grown than their series counterparts (for example shiori) so I wonder if some of the characters are moving the other way, so for them it's a prequel (idk how to phrase this)

The psuedo sequel idea, as I’ve heard it, means nobody but Anthy and Utena are actually present as characters. The idea is that after the end of the series, Utena was having difficulty processing her trauma and constructed a sort of mental prison based on her memories of Ohtori (much like Ohtori was Anthy’s mental prison). 

So Juri, Miki, Shiori, Touga- they are not really there so much as constructed from Utena’s warped impressions and memories. Touga’s role in Utena’s childhood in this version is due to her memories of him standing over her coffin as a child. The idea that he was her “prince” who “died”  is a reflection of how she once thought of him as her prince (breifly at the beginning of the series) but then that version of him “died” when she discovered the real him. Touga and Akio both represented the “prince” ideal in various ways, and she has to let go of both of them, accept them as dead to her.

Miki is harmless, kind, never does anything bad- pretty much how Utena saw him. Juri is even more idealized, she is now a “rival prince”. Her relationship with Shiori is even more toxic (Utena has figured out Juri is in love with Shiori at the end of the series, and saw that it only caused her pain. It probably gave her a bad impression of Shiori, despite being sympathetic previously. She certainly wouldn’t have realized Shiori has feelings for Juri in her own twisted way, which is why we see no evidence of those in the film).  

Saionji is an obstacle at the beginning, nothing more. Akio is dead, Utena is aware that he’s gone from her world now, and it’s hard to process that.  Nanami is only present as a comical cow, probably because turning into a fuckin’ cow is a pretty memorable thig that would dominate everyone else. 

So yes, all the character have either regressed (Juri, Shiori, Nanami) or been simplified to being wholly good people when they really were far more flawed (Touga, Miki) just based on Utena’s memories of them. Anthy breaks into this prison Utena has constructed herself and attempts to lead Utena out (which explains partly why she reacts so emotionally to Utena having the rose seal and why she’s so willing to risk Saionji’s wrath for her) but ends up also being trapped thanks to her own issues…only to have them both eventually bust out. Utena’s “I know why you sought me and I didn’t reject you” being a confirmation she now remembers. 

Juri, Saionji and Miki helping at the end, as well as Touga going to a better place, represent Utena’s belief everyone will escape Ohtori eventually (”we’ll follow you someday”)- except Akio, who would rather stay in his coffin. 

Utena and Anthy bursting out is really just a representation of them both having worked through their trauma in the “real world” and finally moving forward into adulthood after having found each other. The whole movie would just be a visual representation of a mental battle.

I think it’s a fairly solid theory, as far as anything can be solid in Utena. The movie works just as well as a simple retelling, but there’s some really interesting stuff if you think of it as a sequel- it’s really up to your own perception. 

#oh i like that #utena

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#was reminiscing abt watching this on a laptop at the student center in college while eating lunch with a friend #miss u jean

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Wendy (2020, Dir. Benh Zeitlin)

#wild that i’m getting notes on this but anyway still think this was an interesting adaption #wendy 2020 #film tag

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whenever i'm trying to talk myself out of buying something i don't need i always hear my old russian professor's voice echoing in my head: "WHAT??? WILL YOU DIE THE RICHEST MAN IN THE GRAVEYARD?" and then i make an unwise financial decision

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Sense and Sensibility 1995 ‧ Dir. Ang Lee

#oddly i had this in my hand at the library but went ‘no i have too many movies checked out’ #like today. two hours ago. #sense & sensibility 1995 #film tag

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Cerberus at the pet store

#puppies

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Was it preordained to bring Flynn and I together? I’ll never know.

#do you ever JUST #tv: timeless #i have no ship tag for them..... should fix that someday.......... #queue

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#kitties!

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Fanfic reader's prayer: may my favorite author's hyperfixation on this fandom last longer than mine 🙏

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you know whats wayyyyy easier than writing? scrolling through tumblr for hours and hours and tangentially thinking about your WIPs but not Actually working on them

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oh, i should just shoot myself. oh... i was so happy. i was so excited! what was i thinking?!

#tv: the truth is out there #loml