#siblings000

I don't think video screen sales menus at convention booths are a good idea.

I have no investment in ATLA, but it was kind of shocking to learn yesterday that my sister actually enjoys the live action Netflix adaptation. 👀

I've seen some video essays critiquing the lower quality writing or handling of subtle issues. And even without personal attachment to the series, I see their points. People cited many specific examples and made good arguments.

But what I've noticed is that the criticisms mostly come from comparisons to the original cartoon. And everyone seems to have such detailed recollection of the original cartoon.

Everyone I've seen who loved critically panned live action remakes, have admittedly never seen the original series. Mamitan(?) loved the live action Cowboy Bebop. She had never seen the original anime. My sister likes the live action Netflix Avatar.

My family did not grow up with Nickelodeon. ...aside from episodes of Ren And Stimpy that cousins recorded for us, or shows like Invader Zim that I think had some unpredictable slots on national networks.

Frankly, the few times I tried watching some bits of ATLA, I found the timing/movement of the animation unsettling, when characters tried to emulate how anime suddenly switches between serious or neutral, to humor. I think because I recognized the type of animation style used in Ren And Stimpy---which I enjoyed for its intentionally unsettling comedy---but my brain recognizing Ren And Stimpy's comedic movements...onto characters and tone like ATLA...just felt so wrong somehow. Unsettling. Uncanny.

The only other time I watched some ATLA, was at San Diego Comic Con. I had nothing better to do, I wanted to sit down, and everything I was interested in was inaccessible. So I ended up in an industry panel room, where they premiered a new episode's big fight scene. And while everyone was loudly cheering...I was not impressed. Sure, they knew these characters/stakes, and I didn't. But in terms of animation, I had been more moved and exhilarated by slop anime series fight scenes. I was happy for everyone else in the room, but it was then I knew, that whatever ATLA was, it was not for me.

Still, I respect ATLA for how people describe its writing. And I did enjoy the few episodes I saw of Legend Of Korra. But I can only take other people's word for it, concerning ATLA.

So, after so many video essays dumping on every live action adaptation of ATLA, it was surreal to hear my sister thoroughly enjoy it. And defend it! Granted, her only defense was that she could show understanding for how much story the adaptation had so little time to cram in and get through.

It was then that I learned her friend had recently made her binge (some of?) the original ATLA cartoon. So now I'm even more confused.

But as I often remind myself "the opposite exists for every opinion". There is no "objectively" best, "universally" beloved, etc. Just speaking an opinion, guarantees its opposite exists somewhere in the world/universe. By the mere fact I love ice cream and chocolate, there must be someone who absolutely hates ice cream and chocolate.

I just never expected the one to enjoy Netflix ATLA live action adaptations, to be my sister. 😅

Then again, I never expected anyone to enjoy the live action Cowboy Bebop adaptation either. Let alone, someone I already respected, though granted, from a different fandom. (I think it was Mamitan.)

😡 😠 👿 👺 💢 🗯️

Should note that a couple months or several weeks ago, I happened to let slip to my siblings that I unexpectedly got into Bridgerton, and now my sister is totally into Bridgerton. It was like me admitting that I watched it, gave her permission. 😅?

Now, she binges Bridgerton, to catch up on all 4 seasons, in the past few weeks, arrived late to a family get-together, and apologies to her coworkers about being a little sleepy. She tells them that it's because she stayed up late, catching up on Bridgerton, and her coworkers all pause for a second and reply "Fair". 🤣🤣🤣

So, last night, I showed her these video essays, because I love the youtuber's animations.

My sister is so new to fandom, that it was only a few months ago, she was asking me what a "trope" was.

So she was completely astounded at the descriptions of the Bridgerton books' versions of the leading men: toxic, "alpha", problematic, etc. She just kept repeating versions of "Why would anyone want that?!?". I didn't want to explain the merits of transgressive media and tolerating others' different though "extreme" tastes, within possible earshot of our parents.

So instead, I referenced her earlier, similar reaction to learning that Penelope's book had her lose 30 pounds before it allowed her to be romanceable. My sister was astounded and perplexed at that too. So I repeated an approximation of the video essay's info about the books' publishing dates, "Well, it's from 2006." She undoubtedly recalled all the skinny aesthetics of that decade and said that it made sense now, waves of judgement, spreading across her face.

So when my sister had an even louder, more absolute CONFUSION at the book Romance genre's trope of romantisizing toxic leading men, I just scrambled for the repeated explanation, "I don't know...! It was from 2006!" By the end of our reactions to these 2 video essays, "It was from 2006" had become our running joke, whenever she got irritated at another inexplicably popular Romance genre trope. 😂

Then I told her that joke I heard from another Romance book youtuber: We go to the bathroom in groups to get away from these types of guys; I don't know why they're appearing in the books we read. 🤣 (I think it was Jenna Moreci?)

Found out that my sister likes season 4 the best and season 3 the least. So I told her how I liked season 3 the most, and how I heard season 2 was the most popular, despite me being a little disappointed with it. (It's so nice to once again have a discussion at a difference of opinion, instead of my conversation partners going silent when I disagree about a movie, food, or experience. I wonder if I'm just used to this because most of my talking is with my sister?) She said she could see how I'd like season 3 the most and would have problems with season 2. And we both silently knew we were talking about me being aroace.😂

(Which again, is so funny, because I will eat up all the tropes, suspend my disbelief, and spend 99% of my fandom activities, enjoying shipping...if a story just convinces me that a couple enjoy each other's company FIRST, and make it entertaining for me, specifically. But the whole "hate someone so much, you don't notice you're in love" that my aunt once described to me and my sister... Well, that still gets disbelief and the same "to each their own"/"agree to disagree" that my sister and I both reacted to our aunt with, at that time.)

So she let me blab about how I was so looking forward to Anthony and Kate realizing they were on the same wavelength and were the only ones who could keep up with each other, but instead, they just argued and annoyed each other the entire time, and breathed into each other's mouths. And I said, "I don't know, I guess that's what they call "romantic tension"? If it is, then I don't think I like it." Then I blabbed about how I only seem to like tsundere couples written by Rumiko Takahashi, and how her tsundere couples were always somehow entertaining, whereas most push/push Romance couples just annoyed me.