Day 1: Fabulous Females...

This is a series of posts that will give in small detail what I love the most about certain female characters.

While I'm in no way a Feminist, I still value strong and capable gals in fiction, who either have impressive fighting capabilities or just really honorable qualities to them that everyone should value in a girl.

I'm not a fan of my own gender, I'll be honest with that.

But I can't help but give two thumbs up to dem gals who are just pure amazement, in every shape of the word. And naturally, these girls are in no particular order.

Emily the Strange

The essence of awesomeness herself, Emily's where it's at, bro's.
She's meh girl. \|/ >___< \|/
While I'm a dog person, rather than a cat person, and I am not nearly as dark as she can be, she's one of the closest things out there I've found that's even the least bit similar to myself.
She's got an overwhelming amount of sass and toughness and digs creepy, dark things without going too deep into the creep hole herself, and she's a total genius.

Her character is one of the strangest and most complex portrayals of a gal I have yet to witness.
And I love it. Every second of it.

You can thank my sister for introducing me to Emily.
I was told for quite awhile how much Em and I are alike and once I got ahold of the four Em Strange novels and read for myself her interesting personality, I quickly caught onto the idea.
Seriously though, personal comparison aside, I love Emily and all her little adventures.
She has one heck of a background and juicy details to her past that I really wanna learn more about.
She's massively awesome and will always remain one of my favorite female characters of all time.

(still waiting for an Emily Strange movie, btw, k thnx bye)





Black Widow / Natasha Romanoff

To tell you the truth, I at first had my doubts of liking her when I heard about the way they were going to handle her character, or at least what I assumed they were going to do.
Y'know, what they normally always do to tough, strong ladies...either they over-sexualize them or make them...you know..and that's one of the main reasons why female characters just plain infuriate me sometimes.
But I never expected for her to become one of my most favorite female characters.
Like, ever.
There's no lies in anything, she's awesome.
They haven't written her wrong. They haven't screwed her up.
They haven't made her a stone wall, but they also haven't made her an emotional baby.
She doesn't get attached to people, but she still wants a few of them around just so she isn't completely alone. In most situations, she can handle her own.
But being kidnapped by a horde of robots kind've hits the breaks for her and that's ok.

They've done true justice with Widow.
She essentially does what she wants. She handles problems with a cool and calculated, sometimes snarky, manner and is super smart and skilled in what she does, it almost seems like she knows everything.
She's a girl after my own heart and a proud candidate for one of the best tough female portrayals I've ever seen done. There really hasn't been anything wrong with her character that I've been ticked off at.
Everything about her is perfect. And I truly admire her desire to make up for a difficult and tragic past and her loyalty to the rest of the Avengers, even though, honestly, she doesn't owe them anything.
So yeah, Widow...she's awesome.

Mulan

I'm not exaggerating when I say that Mulan inspired me when I was young.
She is quite literally probably the BEST example of what a tough girl should strive to be.
When I was little, Mulan was my Disney Princess. Because I related to her the most.
She inspired me in more ways than one and showed me that it was ok to be different from other girls and defy the status qou for a stretch.
When I was young, it was clear that even though I had to wear dresses and try to act proper like a lady, I was different from the other girls. I was rougher and got along better with the boys and eventually I learned that indeed, I was different.
Like Mulan, I was taught how a girl should act and what they should like and that's fine, because most girls like those things. To cake themselves in make-up, dress up, be pretty, become a gentle little doll.
But there's something within us tough girls that drives us to be more than that.
It's ok to be that way. To not be interested in what society has put in the heads of girls on how to act and what to like, and it doesn't mean that we're..you know.
I'm in total love with boys and can't get enough of them. And I get along much better with them than I do girls. Just like Mulan.

So Mulan is actually a very personal character to me. She had a good hand on the inspiration for what I wanted from myself.
And she has amazing qualities about her. She's super courageous, smart, funny and wild at heart.
She risked her life to protect her family and eventually all of China and essentially took down Shan-Yu with a fan...a fan.
She gave up and risked everything for the people she loved and did an awesome job doing it.
And in the end, she didn't gloat. She didn't shove all the men off who doubted her.
She didn't act arrogant or better than everyone else.
She did what she came to do. And then she went home.
One of the great things about her, too, was she didn't plaster herself up and flirt with every man she came across. She had her eyes fixed on one guy. And that one guy wound up becoming her husband.
In other words, she wasn't interested in relationships, except one. She waited.

So yeah, like I noted...Mulan has some amazing qualities that seriously just go unnoticed and is very much an underrated Disney girl. If any of them should serve as a suitable role model, it's definitely her.

That's all for today. ^_^ Thank you for reading, loves! ♥
Tune in again tomorrow for more of my Fabulous Female picks!

God Bless,

My Favorite Star Wars Films (So Far!)

Hey, guys! Artemis here! I know I haven't posted in FOREVER, but since The Character Queen posted awhile back, I'd figure I'd help her in bringing this blog back to life. So today I've got a new post for y'all :)

Although Episode VII (which is now titled The Force Awakens!) has yet been released, I thought it'd be nice if I just listed my favorite Star Wars film so far. I'm sure a lot of people will disagree with me because 1. Empire Strikes Back is not on the top (don't kill me! ;) and 2. A Prequel Trilogy movie is (again, don't kill me! ;) but I just want to remind all y'all that these are my opinions and I'm more than welcome to hear yours. Enjoy :)

1. Revenge of The Sith

This film had my favorite story out of all the Star Wars films. It also simultaneously broke my heart, but, you know, it's a tragedy...I loved the raw emotion of the story and Anakin's struggle and just the overall fear and overcoming it - or letting it take over completely. Palpatine was hands-down the greatest in this film; we barely saw him in the Original Trilogy, and here we see him just being that manipulative selfish megalomaniac that we love to fear. To me, this was also the most character-developed prequel. It may have its flaws (Anakin's general naivety, the Jedi's less-than-stellar judgement, and Padme dying of a broken heart...), but overall I LOVED the story. It's very close to heart to me, personally, in words I may not be able to explain, but something that you can just feel, you know?

2. The Empire Strikes Back

This is most definitely my second favorite and arguably the most well-made Star Wars film to date. The stakes have raised, and the drama intensifies, and you just are on the edge of your seat for the whole ride. I loved seeing Luke's training to become a Jedi and the challenges he struggles, Han and Leia on the run from the Empire and simultaneously falling in love with their epic romance, Vader's incredible scare-factor and Lando Calrissian's hotness (I mean, coolness...) It's probably the most exciting Star Wars film. My only complaints would really be about the C-3PO character (who's almost always annoying, I guess), and Luke isn't the most interesting hero, but overall it was a really good film. It doesn't surprise me that people consider ESB to be their favorite Star Wars film.

3. A New Hope

It was definitely fun, and I guess I just liked how ROTJ was more serious and mature, but ANH was loads of fun. No part of it felt too boring, and I just loved the ride. Of course, I guess you could say that I preferred a more serious tone, which I do, but A New Hope was really fun and enjoyable. I liked getting introduced to the new characters and following into the wonderful world of Star Wars for the first time. It was a great beginning to a film.

4. Return of The Jedi

This is probably my next favorite. It's pretty awesome seeing how Luke has grown and matured over the films - plus, he gets to be a kickbutt hero now! ;) Han and Leia's epic romance finally takes off, secrets are revealed, Darth Vader is redeemed, and the galaxy is saved again. I do think they spent too much time at Jabba's palace (I wasn't a big fan of the whole sequence), and I wasn't too fond of the Ewoks. Vader's redemption felt too quick, but I do like how he was redeemed, and I do think it can make sense in the grand scheme of things. Overall, ROTJ was a pretty good movie.

5. Attack of The Clones

This wasn't a favorite Star Wars film of mine - the story was everywhere at times, there was too much unrealistic romantic dialogue between Anakin and Padme, and there was more focus on the story than the protagonists - but it was decidedly better than TPM; in this one, there is more character focus, in my opinion, and who doesn't love the Geonosian battle scene nearing the end? ;) Plus, I liked how we saw a side of Anakin's growing darkness, even if he is whiny at times.

6. The Phantom Menace

Although I like the Prequels much more than most people, I have to agree with fans and critics on this one. To me, there was too much plot going on that it started getting convoluted, and there wasn't enough character focus. I would have changed the story to make things simpler. Anakin was the main character, but he didn't show up until later in the film, and I think that it would have been better it they focused on him and had him unintentionally getting involved in the Jedi action, similar to Luke in ANH. (And I really didn't care for Jar Jar Binks)

Well, those are my favorite Star Wars films and a little explanation to all of them. To all the Star Wars fanatics (like me!) out there: What are yours? Do you feel like a story was better (like me) but that another film was better well-made on the whole? If so, what would that order be like? Feel free to let me know in the comments below!

Unpopular Things About Me

So I saw someone doing something like this and thought it'd be fun for me. Sometimes I don't like having unpopular opinions because, well, who likes to disagree with people? And then I feel like I'm the only person on the planet with these opinions or isn't into something that's more popular. But now I'm just going to get them out there so I'll feel okay with having different opinions. Wouldn't it be boring if we all thought the same? ;)

Anyway, here's my list:

-I don’t love/hate High School Musical or Green Lantern (I didn’t love either but they weren’t horrible)

-I don’t like watching most battle scenes. Some are fun, but they have to be quick or they’ll bore me.

-I think the Hunger Games films (so far) were better than the books. I also thought that Divergent was better than The Hunger Games

-I only watched a few episodes of Doctor Who and one episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender

I found the following underrated: The Star Wars prequels (even though the movies themselves weren’t as good as the originals, I prefer the political story of the prequels, and Revenge of The Sith is probably my favorite Star Wars movie), The Emperor’s New Groove, National Treasure, Man of Steel (it wasn’t great but I still thought it was pretty good), Prequel Anakin Skywalker (I find him genuinely interesting and, although he was annoying in Ep II, I liked him in Episode III. I don't think the movies did him justice), Mockingjay (while it wasn’t as good as The Hunger Games or Catching Fire, I still enjoyed it)

I found the following overrated: Pixar’s Up, Toy Story 3, Thor: The Dark World, Transformers 2 and 3, Spider-Man 2 (VERY slightly; I loved it but thought the first one was better), Tangled (somewhat—I enjoyed it but didn’t fall in love with it), Snow White And The Seven Dwarves, Power Rangers series (thought it was cheesy), Mr. Rodger’s Neighborhood, Good Luck Charlie (it’s okay), The Hunger Games (slightly), Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment, Nancy Drew series, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe, The Hobbit (didn’t finish it), The Fellowship of The Rings (I didn’t get very far into it), Boba Fett, Katniss Everdeen (annoyed me), Claire Bennet 

I haven't seen: The Wizard of Oz, Gone With The Wind, The Princess Bride, The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Avatar, Titanic, The Dark Knight, I Love Lucy, Seinfeld, Law And Order, Criminal Minds, Lord of The Rings Trilogy, Star Trek (I only saw part of the 2008 film)

So that's my list. I hope I didn't offend anyone in any of the fandoms I based/am not in *goes to hide in corner* ;) But you know, the biggest problem I have is people bashing others for not liking/liking something that's "unpopular". Not that any of you do it on here, of course, but I've met plenty people on the internet who do (I must spend too much time there :P). This was more for me to be okay with having different opinions or not doing what most people have (reading/watching popular books/movies/television series, for example).

So what about you guys? Do you have any opinions/haven't done anything that's considered "popular"? I'd love to hear your input on this :)

Favorite Male Characters

Okay, so I know I did favorite female characters a day ago, so today, I'm doing favorite male characters :) There are so many characters to choose from, but I tried to narrow them down to my absolute favorites. So, ladies and gentleman, here are the ones that came to mind:

Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Star Wars

Explanation: Anakin is such an interesting character to me. Most remember him as Darth Vader, the heartless, coldblooded robot who has no compassion. He's creepy because he seems so inhuman, so emotionless, and I think this is why I, among many others, find him so appealing. But as Anakin, I also see him as a man who's extremely conflicted. Deep down I believe that he wants to do the right thing but he struggled with his inner demons, his greatest weakness, which, I think, was fear. He was such a passionate, driven person and very emotional--once he found someone he connected to, he felt the emotions for the person very deeply. But he couldn't control those emotions and that led him to darkness--it led him to letting go of everything and becoming one of the most dangerous, emotionless villains we know today. And that's why Anakin is such an interesting character to me. Rarely do you see a hero who falls into darkness, and even rarer do you see such an evil side to them that seems so far away from who they used to be, but also so very close. I can see the selfless, loving person he truly is. I know he's not even real, but I relate to that, and that is why I love him so much.

Loki Laufeyson, Thor

Explanation: Okay, Loki's so awesome in so many ways that it's hard to narrow down. Put simply, Loki's got swag to the max. He's cunning, snarky, power hungry, attention-seeking, but manages to pull it off in a cool way. Anything he says can sound logical, even if he's saying something that doesn't make any sense. But at the same time, Loki is also very vulnerable. He feels unloved, unwanted, and is envious of Thor, whom he feels is more loved by their father than him. He's so insecure that he can't see that Odin loves them both, and after Loki discovered that he wasn't related to Odin biologically in the first film...it broke his heart. To Loki, this proved that he wasn't loved, that he really was the "unwanted" child. And to me, that's extremely painful, but also meaningful. The fact that Loki can pull of superiority and also vulnerability is what makes him so compelling to me. Kudos to Tom Hiddleston for playing Loki so well. He's definitely my favorite character in Thor. I'm not crushing on the guy, but I will gladly join his army of fangirls who praise his awesomeness ;)

Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Spider-Man

Explanation: Spider-Man is just awesome. He's sweet, goodnatured, kindhearted, and, most importantly to me, tries to do the right thing. He doesn't always do it, and he struggles with it, which I find even more compelling and relatable. Because we don't always do what's best. Most of us try, but there are times when we fail. And I think that's what Spider-Man encompasses. His conscience is very strong. I also think he's filled with so much pressure to do justice, and if he fails he blames himself, and you can't help but feel his pain if you were in the same situation. There is no doubt that Spider-Man is one of my favorite superheroes.

Jack Sparrow, Pirates of The Caribbean 

Explanation: Jack just has SO much swagger (for lack of better words), and it's so hard to explain why I like him. He's just COOL. He's very laid back and extremely funny, and he just carries himself off as a cool guy. I guess coolness for me often equates to confidence, and I do see it in Jack. He can be a coward at times-usually for selfish reasons or fear of his life-but he's never really unsure of himself or insecure. In fact, he KNOWS he has swagger, but it's not a rude acknowledgement; just if, someone criticizes him, he tells them that he is awesome-because he is. Jack is defiantly one of my favorite characters (oops, I believe there should've been a "captain" in there)

Tobias "Four" Eaton, Divergent

Explanation: Tobias (or Four, whichever you prefer) is just an interesting character to me. His past wasn't all daises and flowers, so he can come across as hard in strict. He does so further by pushing the initiates to do their best. But he's not cruel like Eric; he's pushing them because he has faith in them. He also is very protective of Tris, but he doesn't show it by saying, "Don't hurt Tris!" or "Leave her alone!" He tells off Peter, for example, for bullying Tris as an act of immaturity and fear of her power-ouch! Plus, he CAN get romantic with Tris and does so in a romantic way. Unlike many male love interests in female-centric stories, I feel like Four has more personality and flaws. He may be my favorite character in the Divergent series. And he's very swoon-worthy. Trust me ;)

Okay, so that's my list of favorite male characters :) But it's just my opinion, of course. I'd love to here others' opinions on it, so feel free to comment below! :)

Favorite Female Characters

Hey, it's International Women's Day, so I thought this blog post would be accurate enough :). I have made a list of my favorite female characters in literature--which is quite a few, I must add! I know I probably missed some, but here are some of my absolute favorites that come to mind:

Mulan, Disney's Mulan

Explanation: Mulan's entire adventure is based off of a selfless wish; to prevent her father from going into war and being killed. She fights for the greater good of China and tries to do what's best-what her heart's telling her to do. She does wish that she can fit in with society's norms and feels ashamed at bring different, but she realizes near the end of the film that being herself is the best way to go. She also defies gender stereotypes and shows that women are more capable than what some men thought back then (and even now). Mulan is a totally awkward, relatable, selfless girl who can kick some major butt.

Chloe King, The Nine Lives of Chloe King

Why I like her: Chloe is EXTREMELY selfless-one of the most selfless characters I've ever met-and that is just extremely likable to me. She NEVER puts herself in front of others when they're in danger, no matter the cause. I also love her confidence, how she doesn't seem shy or worries, "Oh, I'm not pretty". She's also cute in her clumsiness, and she has little funny one-liners that make me smile. Oh, and Chloe can kick some major butt. That rocks.

Elizabeth Swann, Pirates of The Caribbean

Why I like her: Elizabeth is very spirited and independent, which l just love. Despite growing up in a time period where traditional gender roles were considered appropriate, Elizabeth breaks out of that mode. She's confident and doesn't care if she's not like other women-she's Elizabeth, and if you don't like that then too bad. She fights to be with Will and ignores the social class difference because it doesn't matter. Elizabeth will fight for her desires even if the cost is high. Plus, she can kick some major butt.

Kim Possible, Kim Possible

Explanation: Kim Possible is awesome because, as the characters on the show often say, she can do pretty much anything. She's like a modern day teenage superheroine who can fight crime just as well as the authorities. Kim also is a regular girl, though, and has her own adolescent issues. I think that's why I really like her. Kim is able to do all these awesome things, which is really cool, but she's not perfect and has her own issues to deal with, which I find very relatable and realistic. The inner girl in me also appreciates seeing a female character play superhero, which is still a rarity. But, even without this, I still love Kim, and her show was pretty darn awesome as well :)

Ariel, The Little Mermaid 

Ariel is so adventurous and dreams of exploring different worlds. She's very open minded about humans and is able to look past her father's prejudice/fear of them with her own curiosity. She's very stubborn and headstrong, giving her the ability to fight for what she wants rather than waiting for someone to do it for her. She also has the ability to be sweet and loving. 

Beatrice "Tris" Prior, Divergent

Explanation: Beatrice is a very relatable character for me; she can be insecure, hot-tempered, and wants to fit in with society. But she also wants to do the right thing most of the time, and that is very likable to me. There were times I actually felt like I could be Tris, a feeling I don't usually have while watching/reading literature. I'm fiery, so I do like the spiciness Tris carries. Tris can also be rather sarcastic, and some of her dry humor just cracks me up. She also has some butt-kicking moments, which of course I don't mind!

Gwen Stacy, The Amazing Spider-Man

Why I Like Here: Gwen is nice and sweet, but she's also confident and respects herself. I love how she can balance out the two emotions instead of being super passive or aggressive. Gwen is also very resourceful and was able to help Spider-Man in the film, which I thought was really cool. She is one of the few love interests in comic book movies who is helps the main character. A lot of props go to Emma Stone, who played Gwen wonderfully.

Those are the main ones I can think of that come to mind. I'm sure I have more, but we wouldn't want this list getting too long, now would we? ;) Haha, well, that's just my list, of course :) I'd love to hear others' opinions of their favorite female characters and why.