Miraculous Thoughts: Ladybug and Cat Noir

Hello my dears! I apologize for my lengthy absence, my attentions have been elsewhere. My mind has been a jumble as I begin to prepare for Connecticon this summer along with a bunch of other projects that I've been working on.

It's worth noting that I started posting some videos to youtube, if you would like to check that out you may do so here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNPaBj4dk07vVa09iAEBBcg

 I also now have all of my links (my social media, blogs, youtube, instagram accounts) on my tumblr! So check that out! heichouswitch.tumblr.com .

While browsing Netflix last week in search of a new show to watch I came across Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir. In short: I was super pumped! I had heard a lot about this show as someone who is a fan of of the Disney XD shows Star Vs. The Forces of Evil and Gravity Falls. I was also introduced to this show before it was ever released. A few years ago, my friend Cara showed me an anime trailer for this show because she was really excited for it (and she thought that cat noir looked beautifully gay in his costume). I had tried to catch the show on Nickelodeon, its American home as well as on their streaming site but I hadn't had any luck so I gave up until I found it on Netflix. Such a lovely surprise!

Going in, I didn't know much about the show to be honest. I just knew that it was about a crime fighting duo in France called Ladybug and Cat Noir and it looked pretty cool. I was a little embarrassed at first to be so excited about this show because let's be honest - upon first glance it does seem like its pretty childish. Not any sort of mortifying embarrassment, just the amount from admitting as an adult woman that I occasionally watch My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. But nevertheless, I delved in with an open mind and was pleasantly surprised.

Yes, Miraculous can be a little cheesy at times but it is cheesy in the best way. It is a French 3D CGI animated cartoon that collaborated with the Japanese company Toei Animation (responsible for the likes of Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball).

 It is about a girl named Marinette Dupain-Cheng  (no not Marionette, Marinette) who has a huge secret - she can transform into a crime fighting magical girl called Ladybug complete with a spandex red with black spots bodysuit and an eye mask. Her partner (of which she does not know his actual identity, nor him hers) Cat Noir is none other than her crush Adrien Agreste. A man named Hawk Moth is shown hiding out in a dark tower surrounded by butterflies; he is their nemesis. Hawk Moth is bent upon stealing Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculouses (a miraculous is what the source of their power is called), in the process he dispatches Akuma; butterflies that deliver dark power to someone suffering from anger. These butterflies posses their target and feed upon these feelings, then uses them to transform the person into an evil super villain to rein destruction upon Paris. It is up to Ladybug and Cat Noir to stop these Akuma all the while saving the person possessed.

 

As I have mentioned the show is set in Paris, France - the setting is a huge part of the story as well as its magic (no pun intended). The creator has stated that they wanted to really capture the magic and beauty of Paris in this cartoon and they did a fantastic job. The animation s beautiful and it depicts Paris as a lovely place. Plus all of the characters have pretty French names, which to be honest I have fun saying.

I am just about halfway through season one (season two is hopefully coming out this year) and although I haven't finished it yet, I really wanted to share my thoughts so far. I will first start with the good - what I like about this show and what it is doing right.

 

My favorite aspect of Miraculous of course, is the entire magical girl concept. I am a huge lover of the magical girl genre and it makes me so happy to begin seeing it more on American TV.  Ladybug is a pretty self sufficient and strong hero. I honestly think a lot of the time she doesn't truly need Cat Noir but the show wouldn't be as great or as balanced without him. She is not a damsel in distress, more often than not Cat Noir gets himself into trouble and she ends up having to help him. She gets things done, properly saving people and de-evilizing the akuma.

As a person, Marinette is also a wonderful character. She is intelligent and seems to do well in school (when she doesn't skip out to fight evil that is) and she seems to have aspirations in fashion design. She is ambitious and has an idea of what she wants in life. Sure, she has a crush and wants love but she has other wants in life and she goes for them. Christina Vee who voices her in the English dub (also known for her work as Sailor Mars in the Viz Sailor Moon dub) does an amazing job.

Another characterization that I really like is Cat Noir/Adrien. Cat Noir is funny and charming. He is a goofball that doesn't take himself too seriously. He is confident without being egotistical and he treats ladybug with respect. Sure he flirts a lot but he never disrespects her, most importantly he never disrespects her for being a female superhero. He never acts like she needs to be protected or saved which I really appreciate. He treats her as his equal. My favorite part of Cat Noir is his endless amount of puns. As someone that tells mom jokes (my specialized sense of humor, which essentially are dad jokes but I'm not a dude), I really get a kick out of his jokes. It makes me laugh every time he calls Ladybug "bug-a-boo" or makes a cat pun. It also doesn't hurt that an anime voice actor I love, Bryce Papenbrook (Kirito in Sword Art Online, Eren in Attack on Titan, Masaomi in Durarara, and Rin in Blue Exorcist) voices him.

Cat Noir I thoroughly enjoy, but Adrien I think really adds a sort of unique perspective to the show that I think is good for children. He is a model, but he isn't egotistical or stuck up. He is kind and isn't mean to anyone just because he is in magazines and is popular. I think this is an important message to children that watch the show. He also portrays the life of a neglected child/teen.

 His father, Gabriel Agreste isn't a good father. He doesn't spend time with Adrien, favoring his work as a fashion designer over his own son. The man is extremely stoic and cold not to mention controlling. Adrien can't really do much of anything without his father's approval. His father's assistant Natalie is often cares for Adrien. On Adrien's birthday he couldn't be bothered to even purchase a gift himself or spend time with his son. He was extremely against him having a party to celebrate his birthday as well. Adrien laments a lot about how he feels about his father never being there for him especially since his mother had died. Though this is a sad story to tell, I feel like it is a good thing. It will help to give children in similar situations something to relate to and maybe feel a little less alone.

Alya

Miraculous does a great job at including different races too. Just because the show is set in France, it doesn't mean that there are all Caucasian or strictly European looking characters. Marinette herself is half Chinese; her father is French while her Mother is Chinese.Next there is Alya Cesaire, Marinette's best friend. Alya has darker, brown toned skin that seems more so on the tan side. There is also Nino Lahiffe, Adrien's best friend. Neither's character has had their race or ancestry specified but it is refreshing to see some diversity.

Nino

Now onto the bad part - the things I dislike about this show and the things wrong with it.

One major complaint that I have with this show is that there is no introduction. There may be more information towards the end of the series or even some OVAs but what is troubling to me is that we get no explanation at the beginning of the series about how Ladybug and Cat Noir came to be. We are just expected to accept things as they are with no reasoning. Who is Hawk Moth and why does he want the other miraculouses and why does he want to defeat Ladybug? How did Adrien and Marinette come into their powers? One of the best parts of a magical girl anime is the heroine's discovery of her powers and this is completely missing from Miraculous. Also - the fact that there are other miraculouses hasn't been explained (or isn't until later in the season), I only know that there are more thanks to the fandom.

The next thing that I have a problem with is lack of character development. As the show goes on I am not seeing any sort of development in character. I expected to see Marinette possibly gain courage around her crush, or maybe Ladybug and Cat Noir to trust each other more - even strengthen their powers. But there is none of that, everything remains the same. Another thing that irks me is the repetativeness. It is indeed a "monster of the week: type show like how Sailor Moon became at times. It is overly repetative though down to all of the catchphrases and lines which never seem to be said differently. At least in Sailor Moon we get different tones. But lines like "Pound it" and "Bye bye little butterfly" never seem to differ to me. This show is said to have been made so that each episode stands alone but that isn't a good tactic for a show. Even shows such as Steven Universe and Adventure Time, especially Adventure Time which were meant to have random episodes eventually grow into plot. This show has so much promise, it could be exceptional if it stuck to some plot and development.

Anyway, that is all I really can think to say about the topic. If you want to see for yourself, check out Miraculous on Netflix!

Xoxo

Heather Zombie

Steven Universe: The Darker and Adult Meanings

Today I will be discussing the Cartoon Network series, Steven Universe. It has been picking up in popularity thanks to the internet, it does my heart good. Steven Universe is about a boy named Steven and his family - a group of female aliens with special powers called The Crystal Gems. Their aim is to protect Earth from their home world and other various threats. Steven's mother, Rose Quartz was the leader of the Crystal Gems; she gave up her physical form in order to bring Steven into the world. Steven is half gem, half human. Luckily he still has his ex-rocker father Greg who lives in his van. Steven must learn about his powers and his mother's legacy in order to take her place. We find that he takes care of his adoptive mothers of sorts as much as they take care of him. 

At Connecticon I attended a very informative panel analyzing the LGBTQ aspects of Steven Universe, many I had never picked up on. Since returning from con I have been paying closer attention to the metaphors and hidden things within the show and I have picked up on so many more. Steven Universe is surprisingly deep! In this post I will be sharing my findings as well as some aspects I learned from the panel. 

Not only is Steven Universe an awesome show, but it's revolutionary. It has feminism, showing that being gay is OK, it has so much realness for a show that is such a fantasy. It is not merely a kids show, though being suitable for children; they just won't pick up on any adult themes. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. It draws much influence from anime, especially the magical girl genre. I feel so proud to live in an era where a show like this can grace our TV screens. Growing up in the 90s we couldn't have Haruka and Michuru on Sailor Moon be the beautiful couple they are, we grew up knowing them as creepily close cousins. What sad times. 

Anyway, these are the things that I have uncovered. There are spoilers for the show, but mostly for the first two seasons. I very briefly touch upon season 3, but I haven't had the time yet to really go in depth analyzing it and I am not caught up with season 4 yet. If you enjoy this post please comment and let me know, I'll start a part 2! I have literally spent months working on this single post which is why I haven't posted in a while. 

Fusion = Sex

Fusion is a huuugeee metaphor for sex. What is fusion? The combination of two gems, becoming one and resulting in something new and beautiful. Sound familiar? Fusion is also very intimate - the two gems fusing need to be in sync and they go about a dance until they form a whole new gem; not unlike the act of sex and having a baby. This is a reason why fusion causes a bit of a rift between Greg Universe (Steven's dad) and Rose Quartz (Steven's mom). Greg cannot fuse with Rose because he isn't a gem, therefore he cannot be that intimate with her. This may also be a metaphor for infertility - since Greg cannot fuse with her in that way they cannot form a new gem. However, they do find a way to work around that - literal sex bringing Steven into the world. 

Garnet is a big metaphor for gay sex and the sacredness of sex. Ruby and Sapphire become Garnet; they were taught that it is wrong for two different gems to fuse - ie biggots' view of same sex relations being wrong (idiots). But once they fused they discover how beautiful it is and how much they love each other - so much that they never want to separate. It is canon that Garnet is a relationship. A beautiful one at that. Garnet's views on fusion explains why she was so excited when Steven and Connie fused into Stevonnie. As long as the fusion isn't toxic, Garnet is supportive. In turn you could say she supports relationships and love as long as it isn't toxic. 

On the show Garnet also serves as a metaphor for being closeted. For the majority of the first season we, the viewers as well as Steven don't know that Garnet is a fusion. Garnet keeps it hidden because of the stigma with different gem fusion and she is afraid of how those she loves (Steven) will reach towards the news. Sound familiar? But Garnet did not need to fear; Steven accepted her and was even excited to learn who she truly was. I love that Steven Universe does this to support the LGBTQ community. 

Rape & Consent

The gem piece fusions that eventually form the cluster in season 2 is a huge metaphor for rape and consent. They are pieces of departed gems forced to fuse together against their will; this angers Garnet. She even mentions how atrocious it is for gems to be forced to fuse against their free will.  Even worse, these poor gems were smashed and forced to fuse together as punishment for the  rebellion. This can be taken as a metaphor for rape and how it isn't OK. And how consent is important. As a rape and molestation victim myself, I feel that this is so, so important and I cannot thank Rebecca Sugar (the show's creator) enough. 

Another example of a metaphor for consent is the episode  "Alone Together" where we first meet Stevonnie. When Stevonnie is at the rave, Kevin tries to force them to dance with him. Dancing is a very important and intimate aspect of fusion - each crystal gem pair dances to fuse. Kevin walks over to Stevonnie and begins to dance, making Stevonnie uncomfortable. Stevonnie walks away and speaks to themselves "I don't understand what's wrong. You have fun dancing but this dance isn't fun. You're supposed to like this, why don't you like this?" - what does this sound like? Someone having sex and suddenly finding it wrong and unappealing. Kevin follows Stevonnie and Stevonnie declares that they don't want to dance anymore - like saying you don't want to have sex anymore; revoking your consent.  Because it is completely justified and your right to revoke your consent at any time!

In the episode "Beach City Drift" the event is touched upon again. Connie and Steven tell Greg about what happened. Connie states "He kept asking us to dance with him, even though we said no. It was really uncomfortable" and Steven proclaims "He didn't even care how we felt at all". Think they're making a bigger deal out of it than they should? BAM consent metaphor! 

Anxiety

Anxiety is also depicted in the episode "Alone Together" when Stevonnie is dancing by themselves. They discover everyone staring at them and begin to have a panic attack including symptoms such as sweating, rapid and fast speech, heavy, fast breathing. We see an animation if everything closing in tightly upon Stevonnie - this is exactly what anxiety feels like. 

Lapis Lazuli:  Abuse Victim 

Lapis is a clear cut victim of abuse. In turn, she displays the signs and effects of a toxic, abusive relationship. Lapis is brought to Earth, far from her home only to be trapped in a mirror and her gem cracked. She is forced into seclusion and injured. 

Then Lapis is forced to fuse with Jasper to create malachite. She is forced to stay in this fusion/relationship and endure abuse from Jasper. When Lapis disobeys Jasper, things get physical. 

Abusers will do all they can to isolate their victims - to keep them away from their friends and family. They turn their loved ones against them, like how Jasper reminded Lapis of how the gems trapped her on earth and tried to use her.  They will build up their self esteem to only tear it back down. Jasper does this to the point where Lapis blamed herself for the abuse - a thing most victims do. 

At the beginning of Season 3, the gems rescue Lapis. In the episode "Same Old World" we see the lasting effects of the trauma that the relationship caused. Lapis shows signs of PTSD. She wants to fly far away and get away from the place that reminds her of those painful times. She discovers that she can't really escape it. Her and Steven go for a fly and she sees the ocean and galaxy warp; she becomes consumed by the memories so much that she nearly drops Steven into the ocean. Throughout season 3 we see her deal with this trauma.

In the episode "Alone At Sea" Steven brings Lapis on a boat that Greg rents. Lapis admits that she misses Jasper, that they were together for so long. This is a thing that domestic abuse victims go through. Then Jasper reappears and tries to get Lapis back. First she puts Lapis down; telling her that she's a monster and how everything is her fault to Jasper claiming that she was wrong and that she had changed. Lapis sees through this now that she is detached from the situation and stands up for herself, saying "What we had wasn't healthy. I don't ever want to feel like what I felt with you. Never again." 

Even though Lapis was abused, the purpose of this trait for her is to show her strength. She survived it and she keeps going despite all of the trauma it caused. We see her gain back her power as she develops as a character and it is so important. Victims of abuse aren't just victims for the rest of their lives. They aren't weak or susceptible.  Showing that women and men that go through abuse are stronger than you think. 

Pearl: Mental Abuse Victim 

While Lapis represents a physical abuse victim, Pearl represents a mental/emotional abuse victim. Many people don't know about mental abuse; it can leave scars as badly as physical abuse can. It's just that those scars aren't visible. On home world, Pearls are seen as slaves, objects that are supposed to just stand and look pretty. Pearl was different though and she escaped; she became strong and able to stand up for herself. But she is constantly reminded of what she "should" be by enemies; and she is reminded of the labels and taunts gems have thrown at her - they left a mark. She starts to believe that she is weak. Then Peridot comes along and is always throwing around those abusive insults that Pearl has heard probably a thousand times not only from others but from herself as well. It may not seem like abuse to most people, but think about it. Think about if every single easy, multiple times a day someone were to start telling you how useless you are and how inferior you are. That can royally fuck someone up and have huge lasting damage. 

I have experienced mental abuse a lot in my life. No, I'm not talking about bullying. From family and even in a relationship where the person was supposed to love me; treating me like an object, like I'm nothing and uttering some really damaging things. I am still struggling to cope with the weight of it. Mental abuse is such an important topic and I'm really happy that SU deals with it. 

Pearl Has PTSD

Another thing I am sadly familiar with - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Pearl lives in the past for a lot of the show. It has been confirmed that Rose Quartz was Pearl's lover. Pearl loved her with all that she had and lived purely for Rose. Rose was her savior, her everything. Which is why Rose losing her physical form (aka Rose's death) made such a damaging and huge impact upon her. She seems to get flashbacks - often mistaking Steven for Rose. When she speaks of the rebellion and how she fought with Rose she seems to get caught in flashbacks and sometimes unaware of what is truly happening. She never fully got over her death. She had to learn to live for herself and she lost the one encouraging person that loved her for who she was. 

In the episode "Sworn the the Sword" we see Pearl caught up in her flashbacks of Rose; several times she confuses Rose with Steven. In the song "Do It For Her" she sings "You'd do it for him, and you would do it again. You'd do it for her that is to say you'd do it for him." She forces what her experience and relationship with Rose upon Connie and Steven.  She repetitively tells Connie that she is nothing, because Pearl felt she was nothing compared to Rose; that her life didn't have meaning. When Steven has a problem with the things she feeds into Connie's brain, Pearl has an outburst saying "Why won't you just let me do this for you Rose?!" 

Loss and Grief

This again refers to losing Rose. It is a major theme of the show. Steven grieves for the mother he never met and struggles with her legacy and with the Crystal Gems' comparisons between him and Rose. He strives hard to just feel close to her and seems to have mixed emotions on her. Greg also sort of lives in the past, still grieving the loss of his "wife". He still lives in his van which he toured in while he was a one man band; which is also how he met Rose. He also has a storage unit with so many things within it that he seems to have trouble parting with. Perhaps a lot of it reminds him of Rose? He reminisces about her as lot to his son and shows him videos with her on it. I noticed on the episode "We Need To Talk"  where Greg shows Steven and Connie the tape of Greg's music video with Rose, where Rose and Pearl fuse into Rainbow Quartz; that Greg had already had the tape in his VCR. Could it be he watches the videos often to see his departed love? 

There is of course Pearl - who was in love with Rose as previously mentioned and Amethyst who seemed to see Rose as a big sister type figure. Both Pearl and Amethyst blame Greg amidst their grief for their loss. In the episode "Maximum Capacity" where Amethyst helps Greg clean out his storage unit we witness an explosion of emotion from her on how Rose was always there for her until Greg came along. 

In the episode "Rose's Scabbard" Pearl practically has a breakdown over her memories of Rose and her missing her. She declares "Everything I did, I did for her. And now she's gone, but I'm still here". 

Sex/Relationship Because of Someone Else 

In the episode "Beach City Drift" in season 3 Connie and Steven decide to fuse into Stevonnie so that they can race Kevin to get revenge upon him for hurting them. It's sort of like when people date someone else to get back at their ex. In the end Steven and Connie realize how they fused because of Kevin - they got together because of their hatred for Kevin and how wrong that is. That they should only fuse , should only be together for themselves. As mentioned before, fusion is sacred. 

This also happens with Sugulite in the episode "Cry For Help" in season 2 when Garnet is so upset at Pearl for what she did she angrily commands Amethyst to fuse with her and says "Let's just get this over with . This fusion was formed because of rage. 

Toxic relationships

There are a few examples of toxic relationships in the show. One being Sugulite, another being Malachite. Sugulite is the fusion between Garnet and Amethyst. When they fuse, it is a bad combination. They become too rash and rough - which is toxic. This can also be a metaphor for rough or abusive sex - Garnet doesn't like fusing into Sugulite because they get carried away and get too rough. Hmmm...now does that sound like an innuendo? 

As previously mentioned with Lapis, she is forced to fuse with Jasper to control her and keep Jasper from destroying earth. Jasper is abusive to begin with, then Lapis is forced to spend months trapped in this fusion; this relationship dealing with all types of abuse from Jasper. This is a very toxic relationship. 

Sardonyx in a way becomes a toxic relationship too. Pearl and Garnet fuse to form Sardonyx. Sardonyx's first appearance is when Peridot uses a transmition tower to try to relay a message to Yellow Diamond and home world. Pearl loves the feeling of being Sardonyx - of feeling whole and good. One could take this as she loves the sex between her and Garnet. Pearl takes things further by pretending that Peridot was wreaking havok, trying to relay a message again just so that she could fuse with Garnet. It happens a few times before Steven and Amethyst catch her. This is metaphorically a partner or an ex partner manipulating someone into sex. Which is why Garnet was so upset over this manipulation; since we know her feelings on fusion. 

And Amethyst ties this all together. Though in this case she isn't toxic. Amethyst feels down, even depressed when Pearl and Garnet have started to fuse; instead of Garnet fusing with her. This is a metaphor for an ex when their former partner finds a new one. She is jealous that Garnet will not fuse with her anymore. Furthermore, Garnet compares Amethyst to Pearl a lot. She asks her why she cannot be more like Pearl which seems to greatly pain Amethyst and makes her feel inferior. 

Amethyst, Child From Rape Or Mentally Impaired

Yes. I know this sounds terrible and out there but please bare with me. Amethyst was born at the Kindergarten, a very dark and terrible place where Gems are made. Amethyst came from one on earth. The purpose of these Kindergartens were to mass manufacture Gems to use as soldiers against the rebels; which was destroying the earth and life on it. At these Kindergartens the homeworld gems didn't even seem to care about the gems, often reffering to them as "subpar" because they were rushed into creation. Peridot refers to Amethyst as a "defective" gem. This is also where the fusions for the cluster are held. Amethyst could be a metaphor for a child born of rape. Why? 

Amethyst seems to feel alienated for who she is and where she came from. She hears her friends speak of how terrible Kindergarten is and feels she is being associated with it. Like how if a woman has a child after being raped - this child is a reminder and associated with the terrible ordeal. It also ties into how children born of that situation must feel. 

Amethyst also can be a metaphor for mentally impaired children. She is treated differently and like something is wrong with her. Plus, factor in the comments from Peridot about her being defective and the while "subpar" gems thing. She isn't up to society's standards and is left behind in the Kindergarten. In all honesty nothing is wrong with her, she is just different from others and society doesn't understand her. 

Sexism - Pearl vs Peridot

When Peridot first joins the Crystal Gems after betraying Yellow Diamond, there is a "Pearl vs. Peridot" dynamic. Peridot is downright nasty to Pearl. She plays the role of a sexist, misogynistic man. She laughs at Pearl for being different than stereotypical, societal expected Pearls. She treats her as inferior - blatantly stating that "a Pearl" which is supposed to just stand and look pretty can do what she can do. In other words, this is a classic case of the idiotic men that still believe women to be inferior objects that belong in kitchens. In true SU style, Pearl proves that she is just as good as Peridot - when she builds a robot to fight Peridot's robot. Even though Peridot's robot won the battle, she lost in the end. Everyone congratulated Pearl; no one respected Peridot because of her "sexist" comments and discrimination. 

Peridot the Homophobe

Yes, surprise surprise another terrible thing from Peridot before she changed. Peridot played the role of the biggoted homophobe. She was very vocal about how she viewed Garnet's fusion as wrong and disgusting. She went as far as declaring her discomfort and insist that Garnet unfuse while in her presence. This is like when a homophobe can't deal with a beautiful gay relationship or a gay couple displaying affection in front of them. Though, luckily Peridot came around and now seems to have a thing for Lapis! This can also be a representation of the closeted jock; or similar closeted individual. Where they vocally act against gay people but secretly are gay and afraid to come out. It's a lot more common than you think, people!

Gender Fluidity

Steven Universe is all about gender fluidity and acceptance! Even though all of the Crystal Gems, save for Steven are female. Stevonnie is a large example of this - when fused Stevonnie can be either gender; because Stevonnie is a boy and a girl at the same time. Stevonnie can also physically look like a boy or girl; he/she is also perceived as beautiful by everyone he/she meets! No one comments or asks Stevonnie's gender, they all appreciate his/her beauty. 

Another example is the Beach Party episode where Sadie is going to sing on stage in front of everyone as a mystery guest - but Steven and her own mother overtake it completely and she doesn't want to do it anymore. Someone must go on stage so Steven does! He sings the "girly" pop song (which happens to be sung by Marceline from Adventure Time's voice actress, Olivia Olsen), complete with Sadie's routine and chosen outfit - a crop top and skirt. He is even wearing heels and makeup.  And it is not a problem! Unlike our society, no one makes a comment or judges him.  They don't even bat an eye, treating it as completely normal.

There is also the episode where Amethyst, who is female shifts into a buff, manly appearing wrestler to participate in the Beach City wrestling. Amethyst can shift into anyone or anything, regardless of gender. 

Lots of Gay 

There is literally so much gayness in Steven Universe....and it is all so beautiful! Besides Garnet, there are different characters that represent different types of relationships, especially within the LGBT community. With this point, I will discuss a few topics covered in the panel I attended. 

Stevonnie is a representation of how gay people feel when coming out. Even though he/she is in a room full of people, he/she feels alone. He/she feels out of place, uncomfortable with themselves and awkward. He/she also attracts attention 

Polyamory is explored in Steven Universe as well. Polyamory is where there is a relationship with more than one person. It has been confirmed that Rose was with both Pearl and Greg at the same time - which is why Pearl was so jealous of Greg. Rose had separate romantic relationships with both of them. It would be all fine and dandy if they all were alright with it. I am unsure if Greg knew the extend of Pearl and Rose's relationship. Pearl didn't like Greg and wasn't happy about their relationship - but she put up with it because of her love for Rose. In a way, this was a toxic relationship for Pearl. 

Feminism

This is a HUGE theme of Steven Universe! It has such a powerful message of feminism. To start with - every gem but Steven is female. And they are pretty badass! It does a tremendous job of showing that women can fight and protect themselves. One such example is Connie learning to sword fight so that she can protect Steven. Not only that - Connie is an extremely intelligent young lady. She reads books reminiscent of The Hunger Games and Throne of Glass instead of Twilight. Every female character has multiple dimensions and their quirks. I love that they aren't the stereotypical gender role of female. Jenny for example - a popular girl listens to rock and metal. Then there's Pearl - she struggles with her "gender stereotype" or being compared to a stereotypical Pearl - a weak gem that's just there to look pretty. Sure she is pretty, but she has emotion; she can fight, she is intelligent, caring and strong. 

Kindness to Your Enemy

Alright, this isn't an adult theme but I wanted to point it out. This is a theme commonly seen in Sailor Moon. The senshi fight the enemy and try to make friends with them. This often happens in Steven Universe as well.  Peridot went from enemy to friend, the gems taking her in when she had nowhere to go. Though Lapis was technically an enemy, Steven was compelled to help her and she was turned towards friendship with the gems. A few times while fighting Peridot Steven would say kind things to her such as "Have a good weekend!". 

All of these lessons, metaphors, themes and so much more is why I love Steven Universe. It is a ground breaking and unique show that we need in this day and age. I have never seen such a progressive show. 

There you have it! I worked very hard on my theories to give them enough explanation and proof. Any metaphors I missed? Comment below and let me know. What is your favorite thing about Steven Universe?? 

Xoxo,
Heather Zombie💜  

March/April Watch List

Here I am with a more upbeat talk today, about the shows I watched in March and April. I just for a Roku 3, so hopefully I'll be watching some more anime! I haven't watched as much as I used to because I'm not always in the mood for subtitles. I much prefer dubs, as usually I'm working on something while I watch TV. 

Without further ado, the shows I watched the most these last 2 months. 

The Walking Dead

That finale UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Teen Mom 2

Okay, so I admit for the longest time I HATED Teen Mom 2. Mainly because I can't stand Jenelle and Leah annoys me. While craving more of the Teen Mom drama I started watching Teen Mom 2 and I got sucked in. I really continued to watch for Kailyn and Chelsea, but now I'm also curious about Leah's downfall. 

Game of Thrones

Since GOT returned Sunday, I spent a week marathoning seasons 4 and 5 in preparation for the latest season. I didn't start from season 1 because truthfully I've seen the first 3 seasons too many times. I'm also thinking of giving the books another chance via audio book. 

Penny Dreadful

Alright, so this one barely made the list. I've started to rewatch it this week in preparation of season 3. 

Sailor Moon Crystal

Season 3 is here!!!! I'm terribly behind and have just seen the first episode of the new season - writing and cosplay making has consumed so much of my time! I'm not sure how I feel about the opening replacing Moon Pride, but I LOVE Sailor Moon's new transformation sequence!

Orphan Black

I just started watching this show after seeing trailers for a few years on BBC America - it had piqued my interest but I never got around to watching it. I am really enjoying bit so far, I'm only on season 1 but I'm very curious about the clones. 

@Midnight 

I recently discovered that Hulu gets all of the @Midnight episodes so I've been watching it the day after. It is such a funny show! For those that don't know, it is a game show on Comedy Central revolving around trending topics and events on social media. The contestants are comedians and it is hosted by Chris Hardwick. 

Star Vs The Forces of Evil 

I started watching this after catching a snippet of it after a Gravity Falls episode. I thought it looked cool so I checked it out...I ended up loving it. This is a show for Gravity Falls and Steven Universe fans! Based on quite a few magical girl anime such as Sailor Moon, Revolutionary Girl Utena and Cardcaptor Sakura it is a fun watch.

It's about a princess from another dimension called Mewnie named Star Butterfly,  she is pretty much a magical girl with a weapon resembling something from Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura. She is given the family wand upon her birthday and is sent to earth to learn to use it responsibly. The shows chronicalizes her misadventures on earth and fighting monsters/her enemies, many enemies and problems creates by her irresponsibility with magic. 

I love Star's quirky personality and I find much that she does funny. Her world is fascinating. Plus her ex boyfriend is a demon who's pretty cute...I'm curious about him!

Gravity Falls

Gravity Falls has ended and the finale tore me up with the feels. I've been watching Weirdmageddon again as well as going back and watching season 1.

I don't remember if I talked about Gravity Falls yet. It is a wonderful hidden gem of a show. It's about two twins named Dipper and Mabel Pines, their parents send them to stay in Gravity Falls, Oregon for the summer with their Great Uncle aka Gruncle Stan. Stan Pines runs and owns The Mystery Shack, an oddities parlour, roadside attraction. Dipper and Mabel begin to encounter strange things in Gravity Falls and Dipper sets out to learn the secrets of the mysterious town. 

YouTube

Okay, this doesn't really county but I have watched a lot if YouTube videos the last 2 months. From my renewed interest in Shane Dawson to Grav3yardgirl and Game of Thrones theory videos.

There you have it! What shows have you been watching lately? Comment and let me know.

Xoxo

Heather Zombie 💜

Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 1

Finally, Game of Thrones has returned!!!! I feel like I've been waiting forever for it to come back on, the wait has been even worse with that cliffhanger of season 5. I probably don't have to warn you, but this post is loaded with spoilers, so read at your own risk. Now I am attempting to remember what occurs from memory and sharing my thoughts. For once I felt like I was left with more questions than the answers I craved.

Let's start with Sansa and Theon/Reek. Both Theon and Sansa survived their leap from the castle and run off into the Woods to escape Bolton's men and dogs. They leap through frozen water and find a hiding spot...well that didn't last long. The men find Sansa and forcefully grab her. When all hope seems lost Brienne appears! Her and Podrick fight Bolton's men and slaughter them, saving Sansa's ass. Brienne then pledges her service to Sansa and Sansa accepts. I was actually really hoping for Sansa and Theon to be separated asks for her to have to learn to survive on her own. I'm so sick of damsel in distress/ weak and whiny Sansa. Grow some balls, girl!! I was extremely irked by her protest against going into the frozen water....like seriously? You would rather be viscously ripped apart by dogs? Ughh Sansa. I hope now that she has Brienne maybe Brienne can teach her to take care of herself and to stop taking shit.

When we last saw Daenerys she had been whisked away by Drogon after that battle with the Sons of the Harpy. She is in the middle of nowhere and Drogon is injured/doesn't want to be bothered so Dany is on her own. Suddenly she has a run in with surprise - the Dothraki of the latest Khal, Khal Jhaqo and his Khalasar. She drops her ring in hopes of leaving it as a clue for someone to find her. The Dothraki take her prisoner, binding her wrists and forcing her to walk on foot. Many of the pigs men made disgusting and derogatory comments to her. Let me tell you...I was beyond pissed off at this. Nobody disrespects Khaleesi!!!! Dany was smart and held her tongue until she was taken to the Khal, where she revealed who she really is and refuses to lay with him. Finally he shows her the respect she deserves.....but then she is told she must spend the remainder of her days with the other widows of Khals in Vaes Dothrak. I'm really curious as to what this is and how she will get herself out of this. Meanwhile Jorah and Dario are out looking for her.

We are shown little of Arya - she is still blind and shown begging on the streets. This was her punishment for defying the order from the faceless man last season. The other girl from The House of Black and White attacks her and orders her to defend herself which she cannot yet. In a way I felt it was nasty of her to beat the crap out of defenseless Arya but on the other hand, she's doing her a favor by trying to teach her to cope and defend herself.

Jon's story - or for now lack there of (he's coming back guys!!!!) made me want to cry. Ghost knows he's gone and alerts the few loyal night's watchmen to his body, including Sir Davos. They along with Ghost and Melisandre lock themselves in a room with Jon's body while they figure out what to do against that fucker Alliser Thorne . Thorne basically tells them to surrender or else. I hope he gets what's coming to him. The biggest wtf of the episode is where we see the scene with Melisandre by herself. She stares into the fire flames with melancholy and begins to disrobe. She stares into a darkened, clouded mirror. One minute she's her beautiful youngest self....and then she is shown as a very old naked woman. That was a bit....unnecessary to see ._____. I didn't want to see old lady boobs and cooch. I wonder what that was all about - losing her power? We have seen her naked before but never that old. I am hoping she will use her powers to bring be k Jon. At this point I don't think he will rise as a white walker like some believe because his body is closely guarded.

Cersei and Jaime reunite and she learns of her daughter's death. As much as I hate Cercei, I felt sorry for her. She has lost everything. Or maybe I just feel sorry for Jaime and Myrcella. Though she was a bit of a brat, Myrcella was innocent and didn't deserve to die. Damn you, Ellaria!!

Speaking of Ellaria - she murders Prince Doran and the sandsnakes kill Trtstane and their men. She vows Dorne will never again be ruled by weak men. I do have to say I really like the sandsnakes, but I'm not a fan of Ellaria at the moment. She's fucking ruthless though!!


Margaery is still held by the cult like religious psychos (thanks Cersei you bitch). She won't admit to any sins but I feel she is in deep trouble. Will she be forced to take the walk of shame like Cersei?


Tyrion and Varys are still in Mireen and observing the city crumble after Daenerys' departure. There are some troublesome things such as the Sons of the Harpy still at large and some new extremists.

I think that's everything, wow a lot happened...but I still need to learn more!! I can't wait until next Sunday! One thing that really irked me was previews pre-show and last season's recap sucked up nearly 10 minutes and it ended with about 5 minutes to spare.  Come on HBO, stop stealing my GOT!!! Until next week (hopefully). What were your thoughts on the episode? Comment and let me know!

Xoxo
Heather Zombie

P.S. - Who has seen the latest Steven Universe trailers? I'm terrified for this latest event....someone's gonna die ;_;

January & February Watch List

Hiiiiii everyone!!! I meant to have more posts up the last two months than I actually posted, I have a bunch of drafts saved too....just most of my focus as of late has been trying to work on my goals for the year (because I refuse to say resolutions. I never keep resolutions.) My two top ones being to be healthier - to work out a lot, eat better and to actually attend checkups with my doctor . The other being  to take better care of my skin. Both goals have been going great so far, I've been kicking ass in the workout department (lost like 10 pounds last month, yaaaaay!!) and I started another medication in attempt to better control my asthma. I have been given a bunch of skincare products to try out in exchange for website reviews  that I've been using every day so that has been going well too. My skin hasn't been this nice since high school! I've just been trying to make more of an attempt at making myself happy and improving myself. In 2015, I basically broke and I had to slowly put the pieces back together. Now, I feel like a newer evolved self.  I want 2016 to be my year, I refuse to be miserable for a fourth year in a row. And I refuse to allow people to treat me like and make me feel like I'm garbage. What have your goals for the year been? Anyone make progress? Comment and let me know!

My life has also gotten a lot crazier, I now have a boyfriend! ^____^. We met via a mutual close friend on Facebook. Our first date was the day after Valentines day; we met downtown and went for pizza and to some of the local shops. We have a really cool and quirky toy store with toys for just about everyone. They have an adult section with things such as "grow a girlfriend", adult books, spell candles and incense. They have Pop figures, kooky kitchen gadgets, Doctor Who collectibles and a lot of other things. We were looking through the adult coloring books when we came across one called Secret Japan. I freaked out....why? It had one page dedicated to Sailor Moon. Knowing how much I love Sailor Moon he bought it for me for that one page. I will never forget that 💜. It was a great date which lead to the beginnings of our relationship. He's as total sweetheart and he's really funny. Some people say he's a male version of me. I'm just very happy ^__^

So yeah, that has been my life. Now onto the point!

Today I'll be introducing a new monthly series here called the watch list. Hopefully I can keep up with it better than recent animes! The concept is simple - each month I will discuss some shows that I binge watched or watched weekly during the month. I had to combine last month with this month because I forgot to post this last month.

Durarara x2

I rung in the new year by watching pretty much the entire season of Durarara x2 ten (why must they make this title so confusing? -_-). If you're a fan of the Drr! Series this is a must to watch. It's pretty interesting how things in Ikebukero escalate from the end of season one. I won't say much else to avoid spoilers, but you just have to watch it.

Parasyte

I still have yet to finish this show, but I binge watched about 15 episodes of this in January. For those that don't watch Toonami or even know what this is about, it's about a teenage boy that becomes infected by a parasyte with an intelligent mind of its own. It is a really fucked up show.

Empire

My mom got me into this show after watching it herself. I spent a long day at the mall and she was watching it when I got home; too worn out to complain I watched a few episodes with her and really got into it. This show is about the famous Luscious Lyon, CEO and founder of Lyon dynasty a record label. He finds out that he has ALS and must name a successor from his three sons to his empire and fortune. His ex wife, Cookie who went to prison in her husband's place returns after her sentence was ended. She finds that the record label she started with him had grown and that Luscious has a girlfriend. Cookie will stop at nothing until she gets her half of the company back. It is a really good show, it is a drama for those of you not into dramas. I typically am not a fan of rap or hip hop, I really dig so!e of the music in this show though! The girl group that  Cookie puts together has a song called "Do it" that I adore and omg don't even get me started on Jamal's voice! It is heavenly!

South park

I got Hulu Plus at the end of December. When I want to relax and watch something that doesn't require much concentration I will watch cartoons. I grew up on South Park and watched it with my dad a lot. Hulu has all of the seasons, so holy nostalgia I had to watch some old episodes that Comedy Central doesn't air anymore.

New Girl

On a whim I checked this out on Netflix and ended up loving it. Zoey Deschanel's character, Jess is my spirit animal. She's really adorable, quirky and funny. This show is about school teacher Jessica Day, she had a bad breakup after catching her boyfriend cheating on her. She lived with him, so she needed a new place to live. She answers an ad on Craig's list from a group of guys looking for a roommate. Jess makes the cut and moves in, the show is all about their dysfunction living together.

I hope you all had a great start to your year. What shows did you start watching in January? Comment and let me know!

X Files

Although I didn't see every episode of the original X Files, I am a fan of it so of course I had to see this newest season. It was really good! My favorite episode was with the wolf man. The ending of the season was total bullshit though, they had better make more episodes!!!

Hey Arnold

I watch a lot of cartoons.....I found Hey Arnold on Hulu Plus and ended up marathoning it. I love 90s Nicktoons

Adventure Time

Hulu Plus has EVERY episode, except for the latest season. I hadn't seen the older episodes in a long time so I've been watching a lot of Adventure Time.

Pretty Little Liars

I'm a long time viewer who has kept up with the show since I was 16/17. After the shocker of the last season (or is it the first half of the season?) I highly anticipated the recent episodes. The show jumped 5 Years from where we left off. I have to say, I'm not disappointed it has been really interesting.

Teen Mom OG

YES I watch this!! I love the original Teen Mom, it's one of the few reality shows that I will watch. I hate Teen Mom 2 though. I always have a lot of fun watching this show. I was so happy because my favorite on the show, Catelynn finally got married to her long time fiance.

There you have it, the shows I've been watching. I'm also watching The Walking Dead, Mob Wives (RIP Big Ang), and of course Bob's Burgers. What shows have you been watching? Comment and let me know!

Xoxo

Heather Zombie 💜