Downtown Khazan: Ice Cold Utopia

[Sharpandpointies]

Contrast this to Harry Potter, for example, where ONLY people born with the special magic gift can EVER learn magic.

Even if they're crappy at it, they're still viewed as better than 'Muggles' (and what a name that is...rather derogatory, isn't it?).

[TheLastDalek]

Pretty much. You're special if you're born that way, and if you're not...well, second-string at best.

The whole 'Harry Potter' and 'Muggles' thing I find exceptionally disturbing.

I mean Potterverse Wizards weren't exactly romanticised in that regard.

As for chosen one narratives. It's fine when it's done right.

I mean this discussion does kind of ignore all the stories were someone is the chosen one because they are worthy, rather than the other way around.

[grampagen]

Context is important with Chosen One Narratives.

Obviously it's a bit obnoxious if a character just rolls up and by virtue of being is simply better and framed as an untouchable hero without much more reason or nuance than that.

A couple examples of the convention done well, off the top of my head:

Aragorn was 'born better', spent some 80 years training and plotting in the aftermath of Isildur's blunder. Hero King, yes. Red Herring for Sauron, also yes, Frodo's over there.

Paul Atreides was the literal product of eugenics and took advantage of cultural programming. Took his place as a prescient Emperor. Then in the second book spends it wallowing in the weight of his guilt and despair from the sheer number of human lives his wars have cost - he compares himself to Genghis Khan and Hitler - until he's ejected from the same people whose Chosen One he became as Muad'dib.

...as an aside I do like it when the Chosen One is the product of a loophole in the phrasing of a prophecy. Like MacDuff.

[TheLastDalek]

Context is important with Chosen One Narratives.

Obviously it's a bit obnoxious if a character just rolls up and by virtue of being is simply better and framed as an untouchable hero without much more reason or nuance than that.

A couple examples off the top of my head:

Aragorn was 'born better', spent some 80 years training and plotting in the aftermath of Isildur's blunder. Hero King, yes. Red Herring for Sauron, also yes, Frodo's over there.

Paul Atreides was the literal product of eugenics and took advantage of cultural programming. Took his place as a prescient Emperor. Then in the second book spends it wallowing in the weight of his guilt and despair from the sheer number of human lives his wars have cost - he compares himself to Genghis Khan and Hitler - until he's ejected from the same people whose Chosen One he became as Muad'dib.

...as an aside I do like it when the Chosen One is the product of a loophole in the phrasing of a prophecy. Like MacDuff.

I personally like it when someone isn't the chosen one because they were born with a pre ordained destiny, so much as they become the chosen one because they posses the qualities as a person, to be the chosen one.

[Lord Falcon]

The Lego Movie plays around with this trope well.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Context is important with Chosen One Narratives.

Obviously it's a bit obnoxious if a character just rolls up and by virtue of being is simply better and framed as an untouchable hero without much more reason or nuance than that.

A couple examples of the convention done well, off the top of my head:

Aragorn was 'born better', spent some 80 years training and plotting in the aftermath of Isildur's blunder. Hero King, yes. Red Herring for Sauron, also yes, Frodo's over there.

Paul Atreides was the literal product of eugenics and took advantage of cultural programming. Took his place as a prescient Emperor. Then in the second book spends it wallowing in the weight of his guilt and despair from the sheer number of human lives his wars have cost - he compares himself to Genghis Khan and Hitler - until he's ejected from the same people whose Chosen One he became as Muad'dib.

...as an aside I do like it when the Chosen One is the product of a loophole in the phrasing of a prophecy. Like MacDuff.

Also, to staple myself to this...

You can reduce anything down to such a simplistic level that it's "bad", if you REALLY want to. Though really, it's purely an exercise to stroke your own ego. Holier than thou, and all that nonsense. Almost as bad as saying, "well this is okay because everything's subjective".

[bruceleegreyhulk]

[Froggy]

Castlevania mad entertaining this season

“You know I have a knife, right?”

[grampagen]

I find Castlevania consistently thrilling to watch in its action scenes and the character work is snappy, but also find the overall plot rather directionless in its edginess.

To its credit, this third season laid down its tracking theme - and laid it down thick - but it didn't really go anywhere satisfying.

That's sort of been the problem with every season really, the pace is very tepid and leads up to a big spectacle finisher. There's enough intrigue such that it's never really boring, but it has more episodes - and this season, far more characters - than it really needs.

I suppose Sypha might make for some fun Rumbles in the near future though.

[Nik Hasta]

I find Castlevania consistently thrilling to watch in its action scenes and the character work is snappy, but also find the overall plot rather directionless in its edginess.

To its credit, this third season laid down its tracking theme - and laid it down thick - but it didn't really go anywhere satisfying.

That's sort of been the problem with every season really, the pace is very tepid and leads up to a big spectacle finisher. There's enough intrigue such that it's never really boring, but it has more episodes - and this season, far more characters - than it really needs.

I suppose Sypha might make for some fun Rumbles in the near future though.

I would have agreed with on Season 1, that did feel a bit all over the place and like it didn't know what it was doing.

Season 2 felt a lot tighter and more focused and was, as a result, much more satisfying to watch. Still room for improvement but a big step up on Season 1.

I haven't watched Season 3 yet but I'm hoping it's good.

[Nik Hasta]

Also, to staple myself to this...

You can reduce anything down to such a simplistic level that it's "bad", if you REALLY want to. Though really, it's purely an exercise to stroke your own ego. Holier than thou, and all that nonsense. Almost as bad as saying, "well this is okay because everything's subjective".

I'm not trying to take a holier than thou view on it nor am I trying to make myself out to be superior to people who do like chosen one stuff.

My observation that I've just come to find chosen one narratives a bit wearing unless there's an actual subversion of it or something is just that; my take on it.

This is because it can get a bit eugenics-y in places which I do genuinely find a bit uncomfortable these days. The whole, "the one great person to solve all the problems forever," thing feels a bit... weak and lacking in complexity of the real stakes of the situation. Avatar did it a pretty good job with it.

I'm not trying to make out that I'm smarter than other people because my media tastes differ to theirs.

[Guy1]

Castlevania

So I'm just gonna ask: What's with the twins?

Ah, episode 10 explained it. Nvm.

Also, just as an fyi: There are some sex scenes in episode 9 with some nudity and some somewhat sexualized looking torture.

[TheLastDalek]

I'm not trying to take a holier than thou view on it nor am I trying to make myself out to be superior to people who do like chosen one stuff.

My observation that I've just come to find chosen one narratives a bit wearing unless there's an actual subversion of it or something is just that; my take on it.

This is because it can get a bit eugenics-y in places which I do genuinely find a bit uncomfortable these days. The whole, "the one great person to solve all the problems forever," thing feels a bit... weak and lacking in complexity of the real stakes of the situation. Avatar did it a pretty good job with it.

I'm not trying to make out that I'm smarter than other people because my media tastes differ to theirs.

As I said that kind of ignore the stories were it's the qualities and virtues a person displays that make them the chosen ones, as opposed to them being chosen because of a preordained destiny.

[Froggy]

I find Castlevania consistently thrilling to watch in its action scenes and the character work is snappy, but also find the overall plot rather directionless in its edginess.

To its credit, this third season laid down its tracking theme - and laid it down thick - but it didn't really go anywhere satisfying.

That's sort of been the problem with every season really, the pace is very tepid and leads up to a big spectacle finisher. There's enough intrigue such that it's never really boring, but it has more episodes - and this season, far more characters - than it really needs.

I suppose Sypha might make for some fun Rumbles in the near future though.

i can get that in regards to the pacing but it kinda fits with who the writer is. Warren Ellis habits with pacing seem to be on display in the series so maybe I’m used to it in that regard

As for characters, Lance Reddick as the captain is golden

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

I'm not trying to take a holier than thou view on it nor am I trying to make myself out to be superior to people who do like chosen one stuff.

My observation that I've just come to find chosen one narratives a bit wearing unless there's an actual subversion of it or something is just that; my take on it.

This is because it can get a bit eugenics-y in places which I do genuinely find a bit uncomfortable these days. The whole, "the one great person to solve all the problems forever," thing feels a bit... weak and lacking in complexity of the real stakes of the situation. Avatar did it a pretty good job with it.

I'm not trying to make out that I'm smarter than other people because my media tastes differ to theirs.

I mean you say that's not what you're doing, but latch back onto the "boy is it eugenics-y". Which is... kinda my point.