Nerdy Ravings: Sailor Moon Crystal

It's been much too long since I did a Nerdy Ravings post.

I'm sure many of my nerdier followers are aware of the new(ish) release of Sailor Moon anime. The fourth episode was just recently released. It is basically the same story line (so far), but with different animation and not as much silly filler.

Don't get me wrong, I like the original Sailor Moon (and I own all of the DVDs). It was what got me into anime in the first place. But the original contains a ton of unnecessary filler, extra monsters, extra weird drama, and so forth. Also, I have read many of the manga and they are beautiful. I was always disappointed about how distinctly NOT beautiful the original anime was. Because it was supposed to be gorgeous. That being said, I took several screen-caps from the latest episode as I watched so that I could show you all the pretty art and tried to compare to the original. I suppose I should be more lenient considering how old the original actually is, but oh well.

Sailor Mercury's new transformation

Mercury's old transformation

Sailor Moon's old tiara detail

Sailor Moon's new tiara detail

The new series looks a lot more like the original manga and is finally as pretty as (I think) it deserves to be! Usagi isn't quite as obnoxious (which I like) and it moves faster than the original due to the lack of filler episodes and random extra monsters.

Top: original. Bottom: new. The new looks so much more like the manga!

For the sake of comparison, here are a couple of covers from some of my Sailor Moon manga:

First Sailor Moon manga

And the second

My one complaint is probably the music. I liked all of the original music for the Sailor Moon series, and I have not been overly impressed with the songs. Maybe they will grow on me, but I am not holding my breath.

The Generals are pretty, too!

In conclusion, I like it, so far. I wonder how far they will go. Dare I hope that the outer scouts will be included? They are my favorites. The live action one didn't go that far (another interesting and decent take on the story, if you ask me) and I am not sure if this one will. But here's hoping!

I have been watching the episodes on Hulu as they come out. I'm sure there are places on YouTube to watch it, as well.

Nerdy Ravings: Labyrinth Tattoo

I finally got another tattoo! Just like I said I would!

I call this one my "nerd stamp." It ended up being sort of a tramp stamp, which was not the original goal, but it's fine. My artist, Sherely, suggested the placement in order to make it flow with the curves of my body. Coincidentally, I have gotten compliments to that effect.

This one got me really nervous because it is my largest one and because its on my trunk instead of my ankle and wrist. Those ones were small and easy to deal with. In addition, I hadn't seen the design until I showed up for the outline.

When she showed it to me, that helped. I loved it. Then I was excited.

It hurt, however. That part wasn't so fun and exciting. And she knew it would be 2+ hours and I knew I couldn't sit that long. So we did the outline in the first sitting.

Working away!

And tada!

The finished outline! I'm sitting so it looks stretched...

Nice right?! Then I had to wait for it to heal, and then I ended up waiting way longer than I needed to. But it healed perfectly.

It took a nearly four months to schedule the sitting for the shading with school and all, but I finally made it.

The finished clock! This was right after the sitting, so it looks dark, but it isn't all black-there is a lot of brown.

After another sitting of over an hour, the clock was done and I was in plenty of pain, so we stopped. AGAIN. I really wanted it finished, but I could not sit long enough to finish the owl. At this point, my lovely tattoo was turning into a longer (and perhaps a little more expensive) than I was originally hoping. I was actually really tender for two or three days after this part was finished.

Despite that, having the clock done made it feel so much more finished. I never would have designed it like this, but I love it. And that is why I am not an artist and I hired a tattooist who is! I never could have thought up something so very pretty! I knew that I wanted the clock, the quote, and the owl. She was the one who thought of putting the quote in the clock. She designed the clock itself. When she asked if I wanted it shaded or colored, I didn't know. She was the one who suggested doing browns, since the owl is usually browns. Brilliant suggestion. See? That's why she's the artist, and I'm not.

To avoid waiting, I made an appointment immediately. I had to wait at least three weeks, so it was perfectly timed to finish it right before I had to return to school. And, just a couple days ago, I had my last sitting.

The finished owl! With "grapefruit" skin, as my artist said.

Here it is a day later when my skin is looking a little less aggravated.

Sorry about the shadow. But my skin is less angry.

I love it! Beautiful, right?!

So why a Labyrinth tattoo?

Well, I am a nerd. And Labyrinth is my favorite movie. I love it so much and I love, love, love David Bowie. I'm sure that knowledge comes as a shock to anyone who has met me... Not...

No matter how many times I watch Labyrinth, I never tire of it. It still holds so much magic for me and so much of it is open to interpretation. There are always new little things to find and notice. I get so happy and giddy when the opening credits roll with that song... And that is kind of magical, right?

I always love movies, shows, books, etc that mess around with time (Doctor Who anyone? That's why "Don't Blink" was one of the best episodes, in my opinion. Or the book "Time Like A River"). In this case, Sarah is in a land where time is different. I have always loved the 13 hour clocks. It seems to embody time oddities. Plus the quote on the inside of the clock says, "It's only forever, not long at all..." which is a song lyric in the opening that always jumped out at me. It goes nicely with the clock. Just hearing that line makes me smile. More magic, I think.

Side note: the time is not directly significant. It is a very rough (and probably very early) estimate of the time that Sarah entered the ballroom. Which is my favorite scene. I thought about the time when she exits the ballroom, which is shown in the movie, but it would have been at 12 o'clock and I didn't want a clock hand to end up covering the 13 at all. I also didn't want to necessarily draw attention to the fact that it is 13 hours. I want it to seem more common place, if that makes sense. Maybe some people with have to look twice to see that it is 13 hours.

The owl is because I happen to love barn owls and Jareth turns into a barn owl. I am too chicken to have a portrait tattoo of Jareth, so the owl is my way of representing him.

So there is my (latest) nerdy tattoo! And I LOVE it! And maybe one day, I will have a whole Labyrinth piece on my back. Who knows? I don't have such plans at this time, but I like having the option.

Also, the gal who designed and did the tattoo is Sherely from Fallen Owl Tattoo. The studio is owned by Adam, the guy who did my first two tattoos. They have earned my loyalty! Very happy with both of my artists! I recommend them to anyone in the Denver area! Thanks Sherely!

Nerdy Ravings: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Over the weekend, I went to see the new Hobbit movie!

I want to preface this by saying that I am a fan of The Hobbit and LotR. I like the movies a lot, too. Possibly better than the books in some ways, but that's a discussion for another Nerdy Ravings post.

I liked this movie. (Well, Benedict Cumberbatch's voice--where's bad??). And I love Legolas, so really any time he is on screen, I'm a happy bear. Even though he's not supposed to be there.

My main issue is that Peter Jackson is determined to drag this one little book into three different movies. Fine. I think he's only doing that because he missed that bandwagon when he did the LotR series. Maybe that's just me. And while I am alright with having another movie to look forward to, he seems to be struggling to put in all sorts of filler material: see Legolas, Tauriel, changing plot lines, and so forth. And I just want to know why you would cut out ALL of these other scenes from the book just to fill it with made up junk.

Not that it's all junk, but honestly! So much of the actual book stories are completely cut, only to have them desperately (in my opinion) try to add more filler and action sequences. This seems so very unnecessary! The material is already there! Why can't you use that? I would have loved to see everything with Beorn as it was supposed to be. What about the dwarves loosing the road in Mirkwood and trying to follow the elves? What about Bilbo luring the giant spiders away with his voice so he could rescue his friends? Why cut all of that just to make up other things to fill up the time and space?? I just don't understand.

Alright, that was my mini rant. Otherwise, I liked it. Some of it was a little to action-y for my tastes. But I LOVE watching Orlando Bloom as Legolas when he does fight scenes. That man works hard to look so graceful. I love it. The romance between Tauriel and Kili was charming, I thought.

Some girl behind me (she was annoying throughout the movie) kept saying at the end, "But a dwarf and and elf?! That's just not OK. Just not OK." Et cetera, et cetera. But she had no reason except that it was, apparently, just not right. Great reason, eh? And I don't know why it matters anyway. She probably hasn't read the books. She was dumb. I liked it. (Plus, we had been refering to Tauriel as "Legolas' girlfriend," which made me want to hurt her, because he's mine! So now I can like her.) I did like seeing a strong woman and a strong female elf. Not that Arwen was weak at all, but she wasn't a fighter. And I do so love archers...

I won't ruin anything else. There were a few little issues, but overall I liked it.

Nerdy Ravings: Star Trek Into Darkness

Yay, another Nerdy Ravings! And it's about Star Trek! Woo!

Image from http://collider.com/star-trek-into-darkness-app-image/

I was super excited for this movie to come out. So, obviously, I went to see it as soon as I could manage.

I like Star Trek in general and have a couple other Star Trek-related posts (see Star Trek and Technology and Women in Star Trek). And I really enjoyed the last Star Trek movie. And then came Into Darkness. Where's bad?

And then came Benedict Cumberbatch. Yummy.

Ok, Star Trek Into Darkness.

I will not post any spoilers, but it blew my mind! I loved it! And it had all those silly little things in it to make you laugh, like the last one did.

I always like Spock and Bones and usually Uhura. Spock has always been a great favorite, which is part of why I liked the first (new) movie so much. Kirk has never been a favorite, but I liked him OK in the two newest movies. So Spock, of course, was wonderful. I'm not sure how you could not like him, really. And the strong bromance between him and Kirk was priceless! Crack me up. Bones was as hysterical as ever. Sulu was sort of minor, sadly, and Uhura was her usual, kick-ass self. And her little tiff with Spock made me laugh. Is that bad? I'm OK with them being a couple, but it was funny to watch them fight.

And then, of course, Benedict Cumberbatch. Mmmm. SOOOOOO good to watch. He was so intense and engaging. And usually gorgeously drool-worthy.

And one of my new favorites? Scotty. I have always liked Scotty just fine and I loved Simon Pegg as Scotty in the first one. In this one, he really has out-done himself! He was so delightful to watch! He was funny and charming and just wonderful. I loved every minute that he was on the screen. Well done Simon Pegg!

And, as you know, Benedict Cumberbatch. Lets just wallow in that a while...

Image from http://geektyrant.com/news/2013/5/3/star-trek-3-could-involve-klingons-and-benedict-cumberbatch.html

OK! I wanted to share this post from Cupcake about this movie (but it does have spoilers, so beware!): Movie Review: Star Trek Into Darkness. Enjoy! Also, check out her Tumblr page for lots of Benedict Cumberbatch deliciousness.

And here is a good review written by my boyfriend, Isaac: Tertiary Integration: Movie Review: Star Trek Into Darkness. He pays a lot more attention to the making of the movie, not just the plot and characters.

Also, because it is sort of relevant and definitely nerdy, I wanted to share this ad with you that Wyatt showed me: Zachary Quinto vs. Leonard Nimoy: "The Challenge." It might be one of my new favorite things. I laughed so hard.

And that is it for this episode of Nerdy Ravings! See you next time!

Nerdy Ravings: Nerdy Endevors

Recently, a good friend and my boyfriend took it upon themselves to make sure I watched Firefly. In the same moment, Isaac and I took it upon ourselves to make Becca (the aforementioned good friend) watch Cowboy Bebop.

Nearly every weekend these past few weeks we get together, have dinner (and often a drink or two) and sit down to watch our shows.

In many ways, these shows are similar: people out in space in spaceships with a subtle cowboy theme (less subtle in Cowboy Bebop, I guess). Not that Mal and his crew are cowboys, just that there is a sort of western feel to the whole series. And when they were shipping cows, right? Like cowboys? And some of the planets and cultures they encounter are totally throw-backs to the old west. True story.

Image from www.buddytv.com. Need I say more about the old west feel?

One decidedly noticeable difference is how the Firefly crew is (mostly) very rooted in the present. There is a little back story with the war, and a few others in order to explain how the initial crew got together, but that's about it. In Cowboy Bebop, the stuff going on in the present is just a way to reflect on the tormented pasts of the crew members. Our focus here isn't so much what will happen in the future, but what happened in the past to get them where they are now and to determine their actions in the present.

But they tend to be similar. Both crews are out doing nearly anything they can get away with for money. Both crews apparently make enough money to live, but you can never really figure out how because their deals go south in almost every episode. Go back and watch them if you don't believe me!

Image from www.kawaiikakkoiisugoi.com

Both also have a strong center around Asia. In Firefly, everyone can speak Chinese. At least well enough to curse in it. Which gives a strong implication that China and its people were (or still are?) very influential. In Cowboy Bebop, we encounter this, too. Of course, it is a Japanese anime, so we have to delve deeper. While Japanese, they tried to make it rather western-themed (with the Red Dragon gang as a sort of terrorist force? Someone needs to have a nerdy ravings about that connection), but the only currency you hear of are the Woolongs. Very Asian or rather, Japanese. Again, it implies the past or current importance of at least Japanese culture into the futures. Everyone is in space, strewn across many planets and the main form of currency is so very Japanese!

One thing that Firefly has that Cowboy Bebop doesn't is a fear factor. The Reavers scare the crap out of me. As they should. But early on when Becca and Isaac would tell me little things about what would happen with Reaver encounters almost made me want to stop watching. Scary shit. And when we finally got to the Reaver encounters, it was no less freaky!

Don't get me wrong, Cowboy Bebop has some freaky moments, but since it is a cartoon show that alternates between deep, funny, interesting, and silly, the effect isn't the same. We encounter some creepy characters who give us shivers (the French carnival guy comes to the fore-front of my mind) but they aren't scary, per se.

We haven't quite reached the end of either series together. I may post more if the inspiration strikes.

Anyone else have some nerdy facts and observations to add?

Random David Bowie Post

There are a few David Bowie-related things I wanted to share!

One is this picture and quote:

This is scanned from one of my early scrapbooks. Love the guy in the background.

I found this in some magazine (I don't even know which one) in my Interior Design class in 10th grade. That was about nine years ago. (Wow...) I came across it while working on a project, quickly tore out the page, shoved it in my bag, and felt momentarily guilty. For what, I don't know. Taking time away from class for DB obsessing? Tearing up a magazine needlessly? Who knows? I don't feel guilty anymore because it is amazing and I love the quote.

The page reads: "Never mind the stares. 'If I'm going to do something that could be provocative or artistically relevant, I have to be prepared to put myself in a place where I feel unsafe, not completely in control. I have no fear of failure whatsoever, because often out of that uncertainty something is salvaged, something that is worthwhile comes about. There is no progress without failure. And each failure is a lesson learned. Unnecessary failures are the ones where an artist tries to second guess an audience's taste, and little comes out of that situation except a kind of inward humiliation.'"

Inspiring, I'd say. This scrapbook was for a class my senior year of high school. My teacher left a note that says, "Wow! I love David Bowie's courage! (Can I have a copy of the quote?)"

Another item. This was recently posted by the official David Bowie people who update us via social media: David Bowie and me. It is an article about David Bowie as told by several people who have been close to him or worked with him over the years. If you are familiar with David Bowie and his music, you will recognize many of the names on the list. It is super interesting! I love the first one--its from the guy who damaged DB's eye, giving his famous appearance! Love it!

Third point. I would also like to take this moment to say that I am (was?) one degree of separation away from David Bowie. I used to take ballroom dance and my instructor was about to be married. During this time I met his soon to be brother-in-law, a fellow DB fan who had actually met him.

We danced a few times at a party to discuss this. He told me that DB is so famous and popular that he can be kind of stand-offish (understandable). So you have to approach him with something he's not used to, like "do you like animals?" Made me laugh. Despite the fact that he was joking about the last part, I have always remembered our conversation, in case I get to meet him one day.

And one more issue. Around the time I was a sophomore or junior in high school, the band, orchestra, and choir of my school took a trip to New York, New York during spring break to play some concerts.

My family and I were vacationing in Florida the week before, during, and after spring break. My mom was a chaperone for our New York trip so she and I flew up from Florida and took a taxi to our hotel to await the school groups. At least one bus-load of kids, on their way from the airport, had a mini tour that involved driving by David Bowie's house. To this day, I am devastated that I wasn't there! I don't know who is to blame for that, but someone should pay!

So those are my little, random DB things to share. Now you know just how much of a DB nerd I am. (There is SOOOO much more where that came from, but I don't think I need to share everything here.) If you need more DB randomness from yours truly, see my posts: David Bowie and Other Oddaments and Cento from David Bowie. Enjoy!

That is all for this segment of Nerdy Ravings! Til next time! (I should create a continuous segment with that title...)

The Magic of Labyrinth

Besides David Bowie, of course. David Bowie=Magic. Pretty sure. On with the blog.

I first saw this movie the summer before 8th grade. That would make me, what? 13?

When I first saw it, I had no idea who David Bowie was. (There was a time before I was a DB fan?!?) I was young enough, at the time, to still enjoy it. I have found that people who watch it for the first time as adults tend to like it less.

So I saw it, liked it, and forgot about it. Until my other half (one of my best friends since we were very young) started whipping out songs lyrics from the Labyrinth. That's when I remembered and wanted to see it again.

I was lucky enough to have parents who owned a copy of the movie. For a couple years after, I watched it almost every day.

Then my mom dug out some David Bowie CDs for me and the rest of my obsession is history!

More than 10 years after my first viewing of Labyrinth, it still holds so much magic for me. As soon as those opening credits roll out and "It's only forever, not long at all..." starts, I'm sunk.

Believe you me, I do not need to actually watch the movie--I have it committed to memory (which makes me feel like taking a Cats tangent, but I will save that for a different blog post). So what is the draw? What keeps me so engrossed? Why, after all this time and hundreds (at least) of viewings, do I still love it so completely?

Besides David Bowie?

1. The music. How beautiful and haunting is it? "It's only forever, not long at all," just thrills me. What an interesting idea, right?

2. The owl. I love barn owls (and owls in general). Jareth turns into an owl--you never know when he's around, when he's watching. Gives a little magic. Who's to say the Goblin King doesn't exist? (Also, if you see the movie on a big enough screen, you can see that his make-up is meant to look like an owl. It took me years to figure that out because I'd never seen it on a big screen.)

3. The crystal balls that turn into bubbles. I love bubbles. There is a reason behind that, but that is another topic for another blog post. I have bubbles tattooed on my wrist:

My bubble tattoo!

So yeah, bubbles. Love bubbles. And they are pretty.

"It's a crystal, nothing more. But if you turn it this way, look into it, it will show you your dreams."

4. I love a good coming-of-age story. Plus, as Sarah grows up, she still has her magical friends from the Underground. Growing up doesn't mean all the magic is gone.

5. Interesting concepts and interpretations. Do you know people almost write essays about symbolism and meanings behind this movie?
     a) For instance: Jareth. He says, "Everything that you wanted, I have done. You asked that the child be taken, I took him. You cowered before me, I was frightening. I have re-ordered time. I have turned the world upside-down and I have done it all for you. I am exhausted from living up to your expectations of me. Isn't that generous?" In addition to the song "Within You." What makes Jareth Jareth? It sounds like Sarah's ideas and fantasies make him who he is. It's up for debate.
     b) Another example: Jareth's pendant. It is a silver, sickle shape with a gold circle in the middle. If you get a good enough look at it, the infinity sign is etched in the circle. The points of the sickle usually point down. He also has them on his belt (which I want!) when he finds Sarah and Hoggle in the tunnel. This is right before he calls the Cleaners. In the ballroom he has no pendant. In the Escher room, it is upside down. In the last scene with him, the colors are inverted.

Original pendant

 

Upside-down

Silver on gold.

     c) Time. The Labyrinth clock has 13 hours on it, not 12. Plus, Jareth messes with time. With careful watching and analysis you can figure out how our time matches up with time in the Underground. Sarah is gone for about four hours, our time. She is given 13, but Jareth takes away about 3. Anyway, I will stop nerding out about it. (I think my next tattoo might be a clock with 13 hours. Maybe with a barn owl? And/or "It's only forever, not long at all" underneath?)

     d) And more! Lots to look for and think about. Like the riddle--"One of us always tells the truth and one of us always lies." And the junk lady. Etc, etc.

6. Is there anyone out there who doesn't dream of going on a magical adventure? Especially in the Labyrinth? The challenge of a life-time.

"You're no match for me, Sarah."

"You have thirteen hours in which to solve the Labyrinth before your baby brother becomes one of us forever. Such a pity."

Of course, hearing those lines would only make me more determined.

7. The lines. The script and quotes. And we all know how much I love quotes!

"You don't even know what an oubliette is. " "Do you?" "Yes. It's a place you put people to forget about them."

And I think I need a doormat that says, "Oh, it's you."

8. Plus life lessons: "You know your problem; you take too many things for granted."

"It's not fair!" "You say that so often. I wonder what your basis for comparison is."

Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith.

It's OK to ask for a helping hand.

9. It's Jim (and Brian) Henson. And Brian Froud. And Jennifer Connelly. Which is all pretty great.

10. The ballroom scene. Enough said.

11. You can find Jareth's face in the scenery in seven different places. It's like a look-and-find! Do you know where they all are?

12. Reasons 12-100: David Bowie!

There you have it! Several of the reasons why Labyrinth is awesome and one of my favorite movies.