Media Round Up: May 25 2025

[forestofglory]

I can't think of an even vaugley clever subtitle for this post so I've just put the date. I read some books with varying levels of joy. Getting slightly better sleep for a bit helped, as did putting less pressure on myself to love everything I read.

Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis—I was very charmed by this book! It’s not a book where I want to think too hard about the worldbuilding, nor is it a book that thinks too hard about its political systems. (There is an empire – it's bad because it wants to control magic and take over all the little kingdoms around it. But we aren’t going to think too hard about how all those monarchies work or about due process) But if you are in a mood to let those things slide and I was, it's a fun read. I liked and wanted to root for the main characters right away, especially the male lead who is a bit princess coded and becomes a librarian by accident. The plot is mostly a kind of tropey romance and I found that very soothing.

Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer—This age of sail crossdressing girl book was recced in response to my crossdressing girl media post. Our main character Jack (née Mary) disguises herself as a boy to become a ship's boy on the HMS Dolphin, and has many adventures. This was a little too gritty for me, especially the early part of the book where her family all die, and then she lives on the street. That section featured a lot of the kids dying! Then ship life is rough and they are in battles and things so more people die. There’s also an attempted rape. Anyways this is a solid example of the crossdressing girl trope! (I actually checked the second book out form the library but it involved school bullying and I was finding that way too upsetting)

A Sky Full of Dragons by Tiffany McDaniel—I read this MG fantasy out loud to my kid over many bedtimes. I think it's a bit too whimsical, which is not a thing I thought I would ever complain about. I like whimsy! But so many unexpected things kept happening it was hard to follow the plot at first. Plus it’s just hard to hold narrative tension when absurd things just keep happening.

The Truth Season 3 cases 1-3— I’m so obsessed with this show! It’s a reality show where pretty people wear pretty clothing and play an elaborate game that’s like a cross between and escape room and a murder mystery dinner party. It’s got my fav Liu Yuning and several other people who I'm very fond of. I think the big thing that keeps me coming back is the group chemistry, which is very fun. I can’t really follow the mysteries – I can get the broad strokes, but to really follow you need to get the details. But it's fine because it's not really what I’m here for, and I enjoy the surprise reveals. This season's costumes are great so far!

Paprika—We did watch another Satoshi Kon film for our next movie night! This one is both very trippy and very creepy. I’m not sure I like it. It was good, just really intense. Anyways I’m glad I watched it. I continue to be impressed by Satoshi Kon’s cityscapes (content note: sexual assault, fatphobia)

Comments

[asakiyume]

male lead ... is a bit princess coded and becomes a librarian by accident. --aww, I like that.

Plus it’s just hard to hold narrative tension when absurd things just keep happening. --I agree with this so strongly!

[theladyscribe]

I read the first couple Bloody Jack books when they first came out, but I didn't keep up with the series (in part because the first person present tense began to wear on me). If you're in the mood for something in a similar vein but at least marginally less bloody (heh), I recommend The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, by Avi, which was a personal fave when I was a pre-teen/teenager.

[forestofglory]

Somehow I never read The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle as kid (or as and adult) I should fix that.

[kolleh]

I like Paprika, but I think objectively it's one of Kon's weakest films. Visually stunning, of course, but much like I felt Miyazaki got carried away by his imagery in The Boy and the Heron and forgot about his characters, I think Kon was having so much fun doing surreal horror dreamscapes that he lost the human aspect. I did personally appreciate that the main romance consisted of a fat man and a conventionally gorgeous woman—I haven't actually seen that done much at all in a context where it didn't come across as a sort of misogynist fantasy, and the hint of romance itself added a lot of much-needed sweetness to the chaos for me. Tokyo Godfathers will always be my favourite of his, though.

[forestofglory]

You're right, Tokyo Godfathers feels much more human and grounded.