"Purity"
"Abstinence"
"Chastity"
"Value" (equals no sex)
"Virginity"
For those who are utterly sick of these made-up words filled with made-up meanings conceived by men in order to control and shame women, 'The Purity Myth' is for you.
All the above words have the same fundamental purpose: To keep women young and caged. To keep their "chastity" - perceived cleanliness - fetishized, their value as a person to lie in their "pureness", their morality to depend on how much sex they have. Women as inexperienced, childlike, feminine, unsullied, not "dirty", and as submissive commodities.
Or keep women like un-sucked lollipops, un-plucked flowers, un-popped cherries (urgh! WHY?), and keep men like natural sex predators who need to have sex early with the "pure" girls (see the nonsensical contradiction and double-standard already?).
It's just to keep women from doing anything at all, really, so they'll stay at home as ideal, silent wives and mothers, available for men to do as they please to them.
The US epidemic, the "virginity-movement", as the author describes it, and abstinence-only education - which is proven again and again never to work but is prioritised over actual, effective and safe sex education regardless, that's how entrenched our male-dominated society is in controlling women's sexuality - these really feel like a widespread cult. It's a system aiming to reinforce old sexist ideas to "protect" women, and empower men as the "keys" to open clean "locks" or passive "gatekeepers" (this rhetoric makes no sense whatsoever, but that's misogynistic double-standards for you). It's another method of treating women like property to be owned and passed down from man to man - from father to husband. Women are continuously discouraged from having a choice in how they express their sexuality and live out their sexual lives - or even from thinking about it, except as a dirty thing only dirty, "impure" girls do. They aren't given the information they need for a healthy sex life, because the idea of a woman even having a sex life (especially if it isn't to please men) is viewed as immoral, unnatural.
It is natural. It is the idea of virginity and purity which is the dangerous lie.
Jessica Valenti writes like a kind, reassuring and savvy friend. She sources the facts, sites real stories relating to how the obsession with women's sex and virginity - how it is they who are made to be responsible for men's actions towards them - is endangering them. She analyzes this issue and takes into account all its widespread, complicated angles (What is virginity, exactly? It doesn't physically, biologically exist, so how is it meant to work? Where did the notion come from? Ect.)
There's America's disturbingly common tradition of the creepy "purity balls", filled with incestuous undertones and overtones (it's all about ownership; suddenly "daddy's little girl" takes on a much darker subtext). Abstinence pledges (which boys don't have to take, or aren't pressured to be as serious about it, because their sex lives are not made a huge part of who they are by society's standards, and they are not shamed because "Boys will be boys"). The culture of men and macho "manliness" applying to dominance and remaining above women in human rights.
There's the constantly-controversial debate on the rights to abortion - where the decisions are made, dictated and controlled by the men in the US and other governments. Their approaches to this include prioritizing the humanity of the foetus over the pregnant woman (even hiring lawyers for the foetus, I wish I was joking), treating women like clueless idiots, and using scare and shame tactics to try to discourage them from having abortions. Even today, available US abortion health clinics are at risk - it is all about taking away women's right to make choices for herself, with or without a man's permission (I am pro-choice).
There's “femiphobia”, the patriarchy-created-and-controlled Madonna/Whore complex, the illogical fallacy of victim-blaming - which stems from misogyny, rape-apologists and the media's and law's desperate attempts to shift responsibility from the rapists, and how the "virginity-movement" completely erases the existence of the queer community and the experiences of anyone who isn't white, skinny, English-speaking, and of traditional, attractive and "safe" Christian values.
It's all ludicrous and insidious. When it comes to sex and women, it's all about dehumanising women - distrusting them, confining them, taking away their liberties, shaming them into traditional gender norms of marriage and sex only for procreation. Remember, sex for any other reason is immoral in a female; once she's seen as a slut or a whore, she is no longer worthy of human status as far as the patriarchy/virginity-movement is concerned (not that she had been respected much as a person before).
She is seen as less than nothing, because lord forbid that women enjoy sex.
This needs to stop now.
I love 'The Purity Myth' - an absolute must-read feminist book. So shocking, so utterly unbelievable, yet the stories included really are wretchedly happening. So reassuring - the end chapter gives the reader information about existing sex-positive, feminist factions that are honest and aspire to shatter purity myths in our ever-changing culture.
Mainly about America, but whose problems are present in other countries as well, here is a collection of important facts about the awful, over-funded epidemic of abstinence-only education, and the obsession with women's non-existent virginity status above everything else about her as a valued human being.
For girls, being good means sex after marriage, for marriage and babies is all the virginity-movement expects from them. Through communication, let us change that!
Final Score: 5/5
Sunday 31 January 2016
Scribble #4
I write to open up all my senses.
It's got nothing to do with my menses.
It tenses.
Never condenses.
No pretences of soul.
I write to live. To be free. With new lenses.
It's got nothing to do with my menses.
It tenses.
Never condenses.
No pretences of soul.
I write to live. To be free. With new lenses.
Saturday 30 January 2016
Non-Fiction Book Review - 'Cinderella Ate My Daughter' by Peggy Orenstein
2023 EDIT: Part of my 2023 clear-up, of books I no longer like, or am no longer interested in, or remember well as standing out, or find as special anymore, or I otherwise will not miss.
Final Score: 4/5
Original Review:
"Dispatches from the front-lines of the new girlie-girl culture." - A feminist text from 2011.
Another eye-opener - revealing the dark side to the cute sparkles and glamour often forced on girls, and then used to infantilize women. I'm wondering now whether the "girly" stuff I was into as a kid was due to my own taste, or if it was just because other girls seemed to like them and I unconsciously didn't want to be left out. To belong to the default "norm".
Now I identify myself as someone who likes both girly and not-so-girly things such as superheroes, books (of any genre), movies (action's a fave), and dark, tragic, clever storylines. And feminism too.
I recommend 'Cinderella Ate My Daughter' for people who want to raise feminist daughters in a world that's ridiculously obsessed with dividing people into what's for boys and girls - all for marketing reasons, of course - and is saturated in PINK!
Our profitable, consumerist media and marketing commonly appear to have an exaggerated, perhaps warped, but definitely simplified, concept of what "masculine" and "feminine" mean. This can affect how we view gender from a very young age, and it is harmful. It limits potential in young people. It even threatens those who defy preconceived sexist assumptions and live free to be themselves.
'Cinderella Ate My Daughter' is snarky, well researched and insightful from start to finish. Indeed, it could save girls' lives -or at least their independence - commencing from infancy, before it's too late. Additionally it debunks biological difference myths (marketing techniques make it so natures becomes nurture. It’s its own stubborn self-fulfilling prophecy, whether it realises it or not).
Despite the excuses that "Girls will get over it eventually", "It's just a phase, they'll grow out of the princess stuff", and "It's just TV/music/a movie/make-up, why are you making a big deal out of nothing?" - used to avoid uncomfortable discussions - people are influenced by the media and it's stereotyped depictions all the time.
The book's personal touch comes from the author, Peggy Orenstein, talking about her own experiences in raising her daughter. They are charming, yet simultaneously heartbreaking; how can other people be so cruel to kids based on gender expectations? This is pressuring, and damaging; no wonder so many girls (and boys) have such low self-esteem. No doubt these contingencies are relatable to quite a few parents.
'Cinderella Ate My Daughter' also analyses: the phenomena of the Disney Princesses (Orenstein's right - none of them actually look at each other in any of the promotional materials, so much for girl power); superheroines (yey!); beauty pageants for girl toddlers (I loathe this subgenre of reality television to my very core, and I'm elevated to know it's addressed, researched and discussed thoroughly here); female celebrities and authority figures (young and older), and how the media trivializes, sexualizes and disrespects them in a world full of impressionable young girls; the Madonna/Whore complex; 'Twilight''s lack of agency and independence in its identifiable female "role models"; online and public misogynistic bullying and harassment; as well as a variety of other important topics which affect girls in their daily, social lives.
It isn't perfect, and I don't agree with everything Orenstein says (I personally love anything Disney in spite of its flaws), but it is a useful guide to making the world safer and more diverse for women and men - starting from birth. (And it's sometimes true that, in our patriarchal times, even foetuses are judged and catered to based on their perceived sex - before they've been born!)
Plus, if you didn't hate the colour pink before, after reading 'Cinderella Ate My Daughter', you might. You realise that PINK! is everywhere: in toy aisles for "girls", the toys/kitchen appliances/make-up kits/dolls themselves, "girls" floors, even whole stores for "girls". No wonder a lot of little girls say it's their favourite colour - it's like there's no other choice of colours available to them! Whereas boys are given more freedom of choice when it comes to ambitions, toys and media target demographic (action, trains, planes, cars, weapons, doing more practical/developing/creative stuff etc.)
I'm glad books like this exist, so as not to despair at the state of how society tends to treat girls and women. If Cinderella says, “A dream is a wish your heart makes”, then we can wish for a fairer world; make it our combined dream. Believe in a just cause - a change. Let us work together to make real “girl power” and inclusion happen.
Final Score: 4.5/5
Final Score: 4/5
Original Review:
"Dispatches from the front-lines of the new girlie-girl culture." - A feminist text from 2011.
Another eye-opener - revealing the dark side to the cute sparkles and glamour often forced on girls, and then used to infantilize women. I'm wondering now whether the "girly" stuff I was into as a kid was due to my own taste, or if it was just because other girls seemed to like them and I unconsciously didn't want to be left out. To belong to the default "norm".
Now I identify myself as someone who likes both girly and not-so-girly things such as superheroes, books (of any genre), movies (action's a fave), and dark, tragic, clever storylines. And feminism too.
I recommend 'Cinderella Ate My Daughter' for people who want to raise feminist daughters in a world that's ridiculously obsessed with dividing people into what's for boys and girls - all for marketing reasons, of course - and is saturated in PINK!
Our profitable, consumerist media and marketing commonly appear to have an exaggerated, perhaps warped, but definitely simplified, concept of what "masculine" and "feminine" mean. This can affect how we view gender from a very young age, and it is harmful. It limits potential in young people. It even threatens those who defy preconceived sexist assumptions and live free to be themselves.
'Cinderella Ate My Daughter' is snarky, well researched and insightful from start to finish. Indeed, it could save girls' lives -or at least their independence - commencing from infancy, before it's too late. Additionally it debunks biological difference myths (marketing techniques make it so natures becomes nurture. It’s its own stubborn self-fulfilling prophecy, whether it realises it or not).
Despite the excuses that "Girls will get over it eventually", "It's just a phase, they'll grow out of the princess stuff", and "It's just TV/music/a movie/make-up, why are you making a big deal out of nothing?" - used to avoid uncomfortable discussions - people are influenced by the media and it's stereotyped depictions all the time.
The book's personal touch comes from the author, Peggy Orenstein, talking about her own experiences in raising her daughter. They are charming, yet simultaneously heartbreaking; how can other people be so cruel to kids based on gender expectations? This is pressuring, and damaging; no wonder so many girls (and boys) have such low self-esteem. No doubt these contingencies are relatable to quite a few parents.
'Cinderella Ate My Daughter' also analyses: the phenomena of the Disney Princesses (Orenstein's right - none of them actually look at each other in any of the promotional materials, so much for girl power); superheroines (yey!); beauty pageants for girl toddlers (I loathe this subgenre of reality television to my very core, and I'm elevated to know it's addressed, researched and discussed thoroughly here); female celebrities and authority figures (young and older), and how the media trivializes, sexualizes and disrespects them in a world full of impressionable young girls; the Madonna/Whore complex; 'Twilight''s lack of agency and independence in its identifiable female "role models"; online and public misogynistic bullying and harassment; as well as a variety of other important topics which affect girls in their daily, social lives.
It isn't perfect, and I don't agree with everything Orenstein says (I personally love anything Disney in spite of its flaws), but it is a useful guide to making the world safer and more diverse for women and men - starting from birth. (And it's sometimes true that, in our patriarchal times, even foetuses are judged and catered to based on their perceived sex - before they've been born!)
Plus, if you didn't hate the colour pink before, after reading 'Cinderella Ate My Daughter', you might. You realise that PINK! is everywhere: in toy aisles for "girls", the toys/kitchen appliances/make-up kits/dolls themselves, "girls" floors, even whole stores for "girls". No wonder a lot of little girls say it's their favourite colour - it's like there's no other choice of colours available to them! Whereas boys are given more freedom of choice when it comes to ambitions, toys and media target demographic (action, trains, planes, cars, weapons, doing more practical/developing/creative stuff etc.)
I'm glad books like this exist, so as not to despair at the state of how society tends to treat girls and women. If Cinderella says, “A dream is a wish your heart makes”, then we can wish for a fairer world; make it our combined dream. Believe in a just cause - a change. Let us work together to make real “girl power” and inclusion happen.
Final Score: 4.5/5
Friday 29 January 2016
Non-Fiction Book Review - 'Everyday Sexism' by Laura Bates
Read it. Seriously. It should be required reading for every single person alive.
'Everyday Sexism', written by Laura Bates, unstoppable journalist and founder of the online Everyday Sexism Project, is an unrepentant eye-opener. Of all the books about feminism I have read, none have affected me as personally as 'Everyday Sexism'. No other text has made me this angry, upset, horrified, and this gratified to say, "I'm not alone; I'm not the only one who thinks this!"
All texts have made me hopeful as well, and ‘Everyday Sexism’ is no exception.
In the 21st century, the world - the patriarchy - really seems dead set on objectifying, threatening, hurting, humiliating, abusing, controlling, and vilifying women. It seems constructed so that everything in the "free lives" of human girls and women is made unattainable and unsafe for them in general. Above all, the patriarchy wants to silence women and their experiences; to limit them, reduce them to invisibility, pornography and jokes.
To keep them compliant to what is normalised socially.
The consequence is that the problem of sexism/misogyny is now much harder to speak up about than ever before. This system was built by and for men; it caters to them - the winning, historically privileged gender - above all other, divided genders. Patriarchy is designed to make sure that women fail in every aspect of their lives - in order to give life still to old, harmful gender stereotypes and double standards. And retain the status quo.
It is a world against women; turning our society into women against the world.
'Everyday Sexism' bluntly states the importance of statistics, of listening to people's experiences, and in doing so it reveals deeply disturbing, rage-inducing and heartbreaking facts. It is also incredibly smart, witty, and approachable for all. Every argument is addressed, and comments/quotes from the Everyday Sexism Project - bravely posted by real women and men from different walks of life - are looked at and discussed. Laura Bates gets right to the root of the problem of sexism, and how it works in every aspect of our everyday culture. She explains why it is essential for a cultural shift to happen in order to dispel myths and illusions, and create a truly equal society that’s here to stay; one befitting this century.
Because change and hope are possible - we just need to be bigger, better and numerous enough, as a people, to demand them. Together. It is important to remember that none of us are alone.
Every passage and comment in this remarkable book deserves its own frame. However, I'll end my review with a couple of actual posts I'm paraphrasing, but which have stuck out for me because they put it best the ways sexism sadly lives on, obvious and effective:
"My gender is not an insult. I'm sick of this shit."
"We speak up against sexism, we are silenced. We shout loudly enough to be heard, they bring up the harpy-women-be-crazy card. Lose-lose."
This isn't fiction. This is happening even now, every day.
One of the most important texts I've ever felt the need to recommend universally.
Final Score: 5/5
'Everyday Sexism', written by Laura Bates, unstoppable journalist and founder of the online Everyday Sexism Project, is an unrepentant eye-opener. Of all the books about feminism I have read, none have affected me as personally as 'Everyday Sexism'. No other text has made me this angry, upset, horrified, and this gratified to say, "I'm not alone; I'm not the only one who thinks this!"
All texts have made me hopeful as well, and ‘Everyday Sexism’ is no exception.
In the 21st century, the world - the patriarchy - really seems dead set on objectifying, threatening, hurting, humiliating, abusing, controlling, and vilifying women. It seems constructed so that everything in the "free lives" of human girls and women is made unattainable and unsafe for them in general. Above all, the patriarchy wants to silence women and their experiences; to limit them, reduce them to invisibility, pornography and jokes.
To keep them compliant to what is normalised socially.
The consequence is that the problem of sexism/misogyny is now much harder to speak up about than ever before. This system was built by and for men; it caters to them - the winning, historically privileged gender - above all other, divided genders. Patriarchy is designed to make sure that women fail in every aspect of their lives - in order to give life still to old, harmful gender stereotypes and double standards. And retain the status quo.
It is a world against women; turning our society into women against the world.
'Everyday Sexism' bluntly states the importance of statistics, of listening to people's experiences, and in doing so it reveals deeply disturbing, rage-inducing and heartbreaking facts. It is also incredibly smart, witty, and approachable for all. Every argument is addressed, and comments/quotes from the Everyday Sexism Project - bravely posted by real women and men from different walks of life - are looked at and discussed. Laura Bates gets right to the root of the problem of sexism, and how it works in every aspect of our everyday culture. She explains why it is essential for a cultural shift to happen in order to dispel myths and illusions, and create a truly equal society that’s here to stay; one befitting this century.
Because change and hope are possible - we just need to be bigger, better and numerous enough, as a people, to demand them. Together. It is important to remember that none of us are alone.
Every passage and comment in this remarkable book deserves its own frame. However, I'll end my review with a couple of actual posts I'm paraphrasing, but which have stuck out for me because they put it best the ways sexism sadly lives on, obvious and effective:
"My gender is not an insult. I'm sick of this shit."
"We speak up against sexism, we are silenced. We shout loudly enough to be heard, they bring up the harpy-women-be-crazy card. Lose-lose."
This isn't fiction. This is happening even now, every day.
One of the most important texts I've ever felt the need to recommend universally.
Final Score: 5/5
Thursday 28 January 2016
Non-Fiction Book Review - 'We Should All Be Feminists' by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
2020 EDIT: Changing my rating. Read this review here for the reason why.
While I take away only one star because Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie does bring up some very good points, I cannot in good conscience support exclusionary feminism, by a blatantly exclusionary feminist. Feminism that isn't inclusive isn't feminism, it's the height of arrogance, ignorance, hypocrisy, patriarchal and conservative complacency, and refusing to progress, grow and move on with the times (that is, acknowledging that queer people have always existed - and in the millions, if not billions - and they matter as much as het and cis people). Humans' ability to grow and progress in society is what feminism has always been about.
Trans women are women. Trans men are men. LBGTQ people - including the trans and nonbinary communities - matter, and deserve equal rights. Transphobes and TERFs seem to be so obsessed with biology, genitals and what's between other people's legs - which is invasive and dehumanising. And they call trans people perverted.
To deny anyone basic human rights; to deny the existence of, or to ignore, or to attack, or to tell lies about, people who are hurting no one, who have done nothing to you, who don't affect your life in any way, and who you have probably never met - that is hateful. And feminism isn't about hatred, division and ignorance. Because that's what the patriarchy is about, and we have to be better than that.
Additionally, when it comes to 'We Should All Be Feminists', what is with people, including "feminist" women!, being in favour of the idea that men are inherently physically stronger than women. Even of that were true (it isn't; look up Kati Sandwina and other women like her), so what? How does that prove that women are inferior and deserve to be treated as subhuman? Why does it mean that men are biologically superior to women? What meaningful conclusion can be reached from the "because biology" statement (hint: biology and genetics aren't everything and don't apply to everyone)? What does possessing physical strength have to do with being a leader - being able to run a business, or rule an entire country? It only further highlights how much patriarchal societies are obsessed with violence and aggression. And women do not have smaller craniums and smaller brains; I thought that myth had been debunked over a century ago.
Bigots, keep remembering what century you're in, please.
That's my new review. Have a nice, lovely, safe day.
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original Review:
'"You know, you're a feminist."
It was not a compliment. I could tell from his tone -- the same tone with which a person would say, "You're a supporter of terrorism."' - page 8.
Lilly Ledbetter Law - “in the US, a man and a woman are doing the same job, with the same qualifications, and the man is paid more because he is a man.” - page 17.
My first five star book of 2016!
This essay, adapted from the author's TEDx talk, on why we need feminism and why it is so important for everyone, happened to be in a bookshop when I went travelling to go shopping. I read it in half an hour, while waiting for my bus back home. It turned a rainy day into one full of hope. I'm so glad texts like this are being distributed and sold publically.
I had read and loved other acclaimed feminist textbooks before, but 'We Should All Be Feminists' is short, basic yet insightful enough to be easily accessible to absolutely anyone in one sitting. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie talks briefly about the history of sexism, the reasons for sexist human divisions, and her own experiences of sexism throughout her life; giving it a personal, warm, relatable touch, like a letter from a friend.
An important letter which speaks the truth, breaks down the gendered bullshit in certain cultures, and shatters myths that are built and indulged in by the patriarchy and white supremacy working hand-in-hand.
I love Adichie stating how society raises boys to be "manly" in an extremely narrow sense. We raise them to be emotionless, where only anger and dominance are preferred expressions. We raise them to be physically stronger; to be “hard”, masculine, and violently reject anything considered feminine, like crying - a perfectly natural thing for humans to do but is discouraged in males all the time. By social rule, to be in any way associated with girls is the ultimate insult. In consequence, we stifle men’s humanity. I wanted to cheer when Adichie says that by perpetrating this normalised behaviour, we leave men with very fragile egos. And girls are raised to cater to those fragile egos, lest they feel "emasculated" (the author hates this word as much as I do). How ironic that women are generally believed to be too emotional or “crazy”, when at the slightest upset to their ego men are actually shown to overact and become “overly emotional”, meaning angry.
By shaming girls in nearly every aspect, and limiting them in their potential abilities (don't be "too good", they say, otherwise you will threaten men), we also reduce the humanity of boys by teaching them not to be emotional. Unless it's to be violent, and dominant, sexual predators. And that's seen as okay because "boys will be boys". This outdated phrase is dangerous, by the way. It deliberately shifts responsibilities from men and avoids discussions on how we raise them to think they’re above everything - to think they’re more important than women. Let us stop using it for excusing men and boys from facing consequences for their own individual actions.
I too hate how women who are in charge of anything are seen as bitchy and aggressive, no matter what tone of voice they use, and that they even have to "police" their tone to begin with! I hate that women’s appearances are judged constantly; that they’re more often than not seen as just a body. I hate how, from babyhood, girls are unconsciously taught to be ashamed of being female; by “covering up” and not showing “too much skin”, and not to “cause a scene”. I hate that in this day and age, marriage and babies are all that's expected for those who have a vagina. I hate that women are taught to be afraid of pretty much everything, including success, and of not being seen as "likable" (in a female, meaning smiling and submissive). I hate being shown, over and over again, that a man's ego is far more important than a woman's well-being and ambition (seriously, fuck that). I hate how women the world over, in 2016, are still seen as second-class citizens - half the human race is largely, unfairly measured as being less than.
Adichie also puts the point across that culture can and must change in order for all people to be free and happier. It is true that culture does not make people - people make culture.
So let us all stop making assumptions of people based on their gender. Imagine if archaic gender expectations would just die already in the mainstream consciousness - how can anyone object to that, when it benefits all? Patriarchy hurts men as well as women, after all - it is a system which strives us to limit ourselves, to not express ourselves fully, for fear of being ostracized just because of our biological sex.
Intersectionality, and understanding every one person's experience is different, are also key issues the essay refers to.
'We Should All Be Feminists' is up to 50 pages long, and doesn't get into issues such as gender expectations hurting the LBGQ and transgender community. But it is a great start for anyone wishing to understand what feminism actually means, and how it can help in changing the world.
Because the fact that talks like this one exist, proves we’ve still got a long way to go to achieve true gender equality.
Final Score: 5/5
While I take away only one star because Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie does bring up some very good points, I cannot in good conscience support exclusionary feminism, by a blatantly exclusionary feminist. Feminism that isn't inclusive isn't feminism, it's the height of arrogance, ignorance, hypocrisy, patriarchal and conservative complacency, and refusing to progress, grow and move on with the times (that is, acknowledging that queer people have always existed - and in the millions, if not billions - and they matter as much as het and cis people). Humans' ability to grow and progress in society is what feminism has always been about.
Trans women are women. Trans men are men. LBGTQ people - including the trans and nonbinary communities - matter, and deserve equal rights. Transphobes and TERFs seem to be so obsessed with biology, genitals and what's between other people's legs - which is invasive and dehumanising. And they call trans people perverted.
To deny anyone basic human rights; to deny the existence of, or to ignore, or to attack, or to tell lies about, people who are hurting no one, who have done nothing to you, who don't affect your life in any way, and who you have probably never met - that is hateful. And feminism isn't about hatred, division and ignorance. Because that's what the patriarchy is about, and we have to be better than that.
Additionally, when it comes to 'We Should All Be Feminists', what is with people, including "feminist" women!, being in favour of the idea that men are inherently physically stronger than women. Even of that were true (it isn't; look up Kati Sandwina and other women like her), so what? How does that prove that women are inferior and deserve to be treated as subhuman? Why does it mean that men are biologically superior to women? What meaningful conclusion can be reached from the "because biology" statement (hint: biology and genetics aren't everything and don't apply to everyone)? What does possessing physical strength have to do with being a leader - being able to run a business, or rule an entire country? It only further highlights how much patriarchal societies are obsessed with violence and aggression. And women do not have smaller craniums and smaller brains; I thought that myth had been debunked over a century ago.
Bigots, keep remembering what century you're in, please.
That's my new review. Have a nice, lovely, safe day.
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original Review:
'"You know, you're a feminist."
It was not a compliment. I could tell from his tone -- the same tone with which a person would say, "You're a supporter of terrorism."' - page 8.
Lilly Ledbetter Law - “in the US, a man and a woman are doing the same job, with the same qualifications, and the man is paid more because he is a man.” - page 17.
My first five star book of 2016!
This essay, adapted from the author's TEDx talk, on why we need feminism and why it is so important for everyone, happened to be in a bookshop when I went travelling to go shopping. I read it in half an hour, while waiting for my bus back home. It turned a rainy day into one full of hope. I'm so glad texts like this are being distributed and sold publically.
I had read and loved other acclaimed feminist textbooks before, but 'We Should All Be Feminists' is short, basic yet insightful enough to be easily accessible to absolutely anyone in one sitting. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie talks briefly about the history of sexism, the reasons for sexist human divisions, and her own experiences of sexism throughout her life; giving it a personal, warm, relatable touch, like a letter from a friend.
An important letter which speaks the truth, breaks down the gendered bullshit in certain cultures, and shatters myths that are built and indulged in by the patriarchy and white supremacy working hand-in-hand.
I love Adichie stating how society raises boys to be "manly" in an extremely narrow sense. We raise them to be emotionless, where only anger and dominance are preferred expressions. We raise them to be physically stronger; to be “hard”, masculine, and violently reject anything considered feminine, like crying - a perfectly natural thing for humans to do but is discouraged in males all the time. By social rule, to be in any way associated with girls is the ultimate insult. In consequence, we stifle men’s humanity. I wanted to cheer when Adichie says that by perpetrating this normalised behaviour, we leave men with very fragile egos. And girls are raised to cater to those fragile egos, lest they feel "emasculated" (the author hates this word as much as I do). How ironic that women are generally believed to be too emotional or “crazy”, when at the slightest upset to their ego men are actually shown to overact and become “overly emotional”, meaning angry.
By shaming girls in nearly every aspect, and limiting them in their potential abilities (don't be "too good", they say, otherwise you will threaten men), we also reduce the humanity of boys by teaching them not to be emotional. Unless it's to be violent, and dominant, sexual predators. And that's seen as okay because "boys will be boys". This outdated phrase is dangerous, by the way. It deliberately shifts responsibilities from men and avoids discussions on how we raise them to think they’re above everything - to think they’re more important than women. Let us stop using it for excusing men and boys from facing consequences for their own individual actions.
I too hate how women who are in charge of anything are seen as bitchy and aggressive, no matter what tone of voice they use, and that they even have to "police" their tone to begin with! I hate that women’s appearances are judged constantly; that they’re more often than not seen as just a body. I hate how, from babyhood, girls are unconsciously taught to be ashamed of being female; by “covering up” and not showing “too much skin”, and not to “cause a scene”. I hate that in this day and age, marriage and babies are all that's expected for those who have a vagina. I hate that women are taught to be afraid of pretty much everything, including success, and of not being seen as "likable" (in a female, meaning smiling and submissive). I hate being shown, over and over again, that a man's ego is far more important than a woman's well-being and ambition (seriously, fuck that). I hate how women the world over, in 2016, are still seen as second-class citizens - half the human race is largely, unfairly measured as being less than.
Adichie also puts the point across that culture can and must change in order for all people to be free and happier. It is true that culture does not make people - people make culture.
So let us all stop making assumptions of people based on their gender. Imagine if archaic gender expectations would just die already in the mainstream consciousness - how can anyone object to that, when it benefits all? Patriarchy hurts men as well as women, after all - it is a system which strives us to limit ourselves, to not express ourselves fully, for fear of being ostracized just because of our biological sex.
Intersectionality, and understanding every one person's experience is different, are also key issues the essay refers to.
'We Should All Be Feminists' is up to 50 pages long, and doesn't get into issues such as gender expectations hurting the LBGQ and transgender community. But it is a great start for anyone wishing to understand what feminism actually means, and how it can help in changing the world.
Because the fact that talks like this one exist, proves we’ve still got a long way to go to achieve true gender equality.
Final Score: 5/5
Tuesday 26 January 2016
Today I went out shopping in Haywards Heath. When I came home, men on scaffolding were fixing up my house, making a lot of noise. My cat didn't like it. I popped out a couple of times, and when I hung up my coat for the last time, I didn't notice my cat sneaking past me inside the cupboard under the stairs. I inadvertently locked her in. Two hours later, after the men left and I was worrying a little, I heard faint mewing squeaks, and it finally came into my mind to look in the cupboard. Hence my cat discovered the perfect hiding place!
Manga Review - 'Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Short Stories Vol. 2' by Naoko Takeuchi, William Flanagan (Translator)
Really, I don't think my review could do justice to the breathtakingly beautiful 'Sailor Moon' story, 'Princess Kaguya's Lover'. But I'll try.
Welcome to my fourteenth and last 'Sailor Moon' manga review, 'Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Short Stories Vol. 2'.
The first short story is the above-mentioned 'Princess Kaguya's Lover', the longest of the three. Basically it's about Luna falling in love with a human man, centring on the classic Japanese folktale about the moon princess Kaguya (already it had inspired the entire ‘Sailor Moon’ plot), commonly known as 'Tale of the Bamboo Cutter' (the animation company, Studio Ghibli, recently made a film version entitled, 'The Tale of the Princess Kaguya', which I highly recommend).
But it's so much more than that.
There are numerous great characters of old and new. Especially Himeko Nayota, an aspiring astronaut who achieves her dream on her own, not limiting herself or putting anything aside for the man she loves. She remains set in her ambitions and fights on, never giving in to sexism: women should pursue any career they choose, regardless of what's expected of them or is normalised. This is a fantastic message to send to young female readers - to see a smart, confident woman literally reach for the stars to live out her lifelong dream. In fact, she is more dynamic and practical to the story than her male counterpart, who, despite being the main focus, is sick and rendered bedridden for the most part. A clever role reversal that doesn't bring attention to itself in the least.
Kakeru Ohzora, the object of both Luna's and Himeko's affections, is a wonderful man who supports his childhood friend Himeko, and feels guilty when he finds he might be glad if she never becomes an astronaut - because that is also his dream, made impossible due to his own tragic, individual circumstance. Yet he never comes across as bitter, overbearing or "emasculated" (why does this word even exist?) He's just lonely - a main theme in the story. With his love of candy and belief in stories about princesses on the moon, Kakeru has a childlike charm to his character; extending the substance of his tragic tale. I could buy Luna falling for him completely, even though she is already with Artemis, as destiny would have it. (Don't worry, the defeated cat Art has his moments too in regards to Luna).
'Princess Kaguya's Lover' could be called a Christmas story, since it's set around that time, and winter plays an important part. But like everything else, this feature is underplayed, thus subtly emphasizing the story's rich complexities. It is a thing of beauty - a crystal charm.
Other highlights include Luna innocently eating Konpeitō (star-shaped candy), and asking Usagi about her relationship with Mamoru. There's homesick Chibiusa talking about playing the "lead role" in receiving a most-wanted gift in 30th century Christmas - seemingly included for funzies at first, but this becomes a plot point at the end. The Inner and Outer Guardians (minus the strangely absent Hotaru) team up and fight the enemy alien - Princess Snow Kaguya herself - in space. Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Chibi-Moon even combine their powers into "Pink Sugar Tuxedo Attack!!" - This is so funny and adorable, and it shows how far they've come in their father-and-daughter bond.
One other thing that makes 'Princess Kaguya's Lover' a stand-out and dare-I-say revolutionary story in the 'Sailor Moon' ethos? Sailor Moon actually interacts and engages with a citizen!
I mean, we see this in the anime, with its fill of 200 episodes, but never in the manga format. Himeko, a side character, gets to not only meet Sailor Moon, but talk to her, and be entrusted with knowledge about the Soldiers' tactical plans of saving the world from an enemy invasion. Himeko is an ordinary woman who, on the verge of a larger-than-life dream of going into space and landing on the moon - on top of supporting her sick friend/lover Kakeru - finds out that magic and aliens exist. Even Luna talks to her! (The two are never perceived as rivals for a man's affections, thank Serenity). We see how she deals with all this, and it's one of the many reasons why I think Himeko Nayota is the best "normal" character in 'Sailor Moon'. Brave and determined, she is a remarkable woman in her own way - without Sailor Guardian powers, she still goes into space, and saves those she loves.
Together with Luna's truly selfless love (she is unquestionably the main character) and the ambiguous ending, there isn't a standalone 'Sailor Moon' story which comes as close to perfection as 'Princess Kaguya's Lover'.
Yes, for I know it isn't perfect. The villain Snow Kaguya is given a great opportunity for character development and actually being sympathetic. She was left alone in space for 4.5 billion years after being cast out of ruling the earth by (it's speculated) the Legendary Silver Crystal. She feeds off of people's loneliness, so it could be she wants to gain back memories of companionship and love, and isn’t just power-hungry, as would be expected. But Snow Kaguya is presented as a typical evil invader in almost all her too-few appearances, no less predictable than Queen Beryl or other alien monsters. There is no clear indication that she might have gone insane with loneliness after billions of years in deep space. Not helped by the Sailor Guardians - including the paragon of love and justice Sailor Moon - calling her "ugly" and "primeval" and a "has-been". A weak antagonist is sadly the main downfall.
There's also this line from Makoto: "Being alone on Christmas Eve is really lonely". Redundancy is really redundant, don't you think? Though maybe that's a translation flub.
But flaws aside, 'Princess Kaguya's Lover' stands the test of time. It may be not only one of my favourite 'Sailor Moon' stories, but one of my favourite stories, period.
The ending comes with journal entries from Naoko Takeuchi herself on actually going to NASA for research during the development stage of 'Princess Kaguya's Lover'. She also gives out details on her research into antiques, inspiring her villain designs. It gives an account of how passionate she was about this particular story, how far she went into making it a fully-fledged, authentic tale. Her passion and joy shows in the end result, reciprocated by the spellbound reader.
It is gorgeous - taking an old folk-yarn, mixing it with a modern spin; with new advanced technology allowing humans to go into space and see the moon from on high. Plus feminism. Nuanced and a real tear-jerker, I love it.
Now onto the last two stories, which are much shorter, so they'll get bit reviews.
'Casa Blanca Memory' is not as good as 'Princess Kaguya's Lover', but it's lovely all the same. Definitely recommended for Rei fans. It's her story of how she first fell in love, how it mostly made her melancholy, and whether or not it was one-sided and in her then-naive imagination. It’s about why she ultimately decided never to trust or associate herself with men. Despite its creepy vibe of men-following-underaged-girls that's in 'Sailor Moon' more often than is comfortable, 'Casa Blanca Memory' has an atmosphere overflowing with sad yet optimistic emotions, implemented in aid of the message about moving forward steadily in life and to not dwell on the past or past love. Flowers and budding are its core symbols. It gets a little confusing in where its flashbacks are placed, but this is no big deal overall. It's beautiful, mysterious and takes things slowly, just like Rei/Sailor Mars:
"If I were to ever fall in love, I'd likely want to claim everything of that person and keep it completely to myself. I might end up destroying that person. That's why I'm not going to love. The current me doesn't need love. Because I have comrades who share the same goal as me. Because I've got all of you."
She is awesome.
Then there's 'Parallel Sailor Moon', a non-canon alternate universe "story" that somehow got into this serious short story volume and not the previous, sillier one. Even for charity, it is just a load of messing around; sticking in parody bits here and there. In an alternate reality set in a sunny Suburb, every single character is a spoilt wretch, with the bonus of also being either an arsehole or an idiot. The Inner Senshi all have daughters who are named after them, and they are horrible brats who bully and leave to die a second daughter of Usagi's, Ko-Usagi. The only bizarre thing that happens that can be called entertaining is the ending, where the earth is under attack by a giant herd of rabbits from outer space. The Guardian children defeat it by merging a bunch of cats into a giant lynx to eat the rabbits in a meagre couple of pages. It's so insane it's genuinely funny. Doesn't save the rest from being mean-spirited and kind of a waste of time.
I'm giving the whole volume five Milky Way shooting stars for 'Princess Kaguya's lover' and 'Casa Blanca Memory' alone.
Well, that's it. I hope people have enjoyed reading my 'Sailor Moon' reviews as much as I've enjoyed writing and reliving them. Talking in detail about why you love the things you love is a triumphant experience, and I know how it is to care for something, warts and flaws and all. I adore the girl power, the characters, the artwork, the stories, the mixing of different elements of mythology. These are all special and give something - a role big or small - for everyone.
Nothing more to add.
Except, "The End".
But not really, because Sailor Moon, a classic fictional guardian of love and peace, still popular today, will always live in my heart.
Final Score: 5/5
Welcome to my fourteenth and last 'Sailor Moon' manga review, 'Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Short Stories Vol. 2'.
The first short story is the above-mentioned 'Princess Kaguya's Lover', the longest of the three. Basically it's about Luna falling in love with a human man, centring on the classic Japanese folktale about the moon princess Kaguya (already it had inspired the entire ‘Sailor Moon’ plot), commonly known as 'Tale of the Bamboo Cutter' (the animation company, Studio Ghibli, recently made a film version entitled, 'The Tale of the Princess Kaguya', which I highly recommend).
But it's so much more than that.
There are numerous great characters of old and new. Especially Himeko Nayota, an aspiring astronaut who achieves her dream on her own, not limiting herself or putting anything aside for the man she loves. She remains set in her ambitions and fights on, never giving in to sexism: women should pursue any career they choose, regardless of what's expected of them or is normalised. This is a fantastic message to send to young female readers - to see a smart, confident woman literally reach for the stars to live out her lifelong dream. In fact, she is more dynamic and practical to the story than her male counterpart, who, despite being the main focus, is sick and rendered bedridden for the most part. A clever role reversal that doesn't bring attention to itself in the least.
Kakeru Ohzora, the object of both Luna's and Himeko's affections, is a wonderful man who supports his childhood friend Himeko, and feels guilty when he finds he might be glad if she never becomes an astronaut - because that is also his dream, made impossible due to his own tragic, individual circumstance. Yet he never comes across as bitter, overbearing or "emasculated" (why does this word even exist?) He's just lonely - a main theme in the story. With his love of candy and belief in stories about princesses on the moon, Kakeru has a childlike charm to his character; extending the substance of his tragic tale. I could buy Luna falling for him completely, even though she is already with Artemis, as destiny would have it. (Don't worry, the defeated cat Art has his moments too in regards to Luna).
'Princess Kaguya's Lover' could be called a Christmas story, since it's set around that time, and winter plays an important part. But like everything else, this feature is underplayed, thus subtly emphasizing the story's rich complexities. It is a thing of beauty - a crystal charm.
Other highlights include Luna innocently eating Konpeitō (star-shaped candy), and asking Usagi about her relationship with Mamoru. There's homesick Chibiusa talking about playing the "lead role" in receiving a most-wanted gift in 30th century Christmas - seemingly included for funzies at first, but this becomes a plot point at the end. The Inner and Outer Guardians (minus the strangely absent Hotaru) team up and fight the enemy alien - Princess Snow Kaguya herself - in space. Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Chibi-Moon even combine their powers into "Pink Sugar Tuxedo Attack!!" - This is so funny and adorable, and it shows how far they've come in their father-and-daughter bond.
One other thing that makes 'Princess Kaguya's Lover' a stand-out and dare-I-say revolutionary story in the 'Sailor Moon' ethos? Sailor Moon actually interacts and engages with a citizen!
I mean, we see this in the anime, with its fill of 200 episodes, but never in the manga format. Himeko, a side character, gets to not only meet Sailor Moon, but talk to her, and be entrusted with knowledge about the Soldiers' tactical plans of saving the world from an enemy invasion. Himeko is an ordinary woman who, on the verge of a larger-than-life dream of going into space and landing on the moon - on top of supporting her sick friend/lover Kakeru - finds out that magic and aliens exist. Even Luna talks to her! (The two are never perceived as rivals for a man's affections, thank Serenity). We see how she deals with all this, and it's one of the many reasons why I think Himeko Nayota is the best "normal" character in 'Sailor Moon'. Brave and determined, she is a remarkable woman in her own way - without Sailor Guardian powers, she still goes into space, and saves those she loves.
Together with Luna's truly selfless love (she is unquestionably the main character) and the ambiguous ending, there isn't a standalone 'Sailor Moon' story which comes as close to perfection as 'Princess Kaguya's Lover'.
Yes, for I know it isn't perfect. The villain Snow Kaguya is given a great opportunity for character development and actually being sympathetic. She was left alone in space for 4.5 billion years after being cast out of ruling the earth by (it's speculated) the Legendary Silver Crystal. She feeds off of people's loneliness, so it could be she wants to gain back memories of companionship and love, and isn’t just power-hungry, as would be expected. But Snow Kaguya is presented as a typical evil invader in almost all her too-few appearances, no less predictable than Queen Beryl or other alien monsters. There is no clear indication that she might have gone insane with loneliness after billions of years in deep space. Not helped by the Sailor Guardians - including the paragon of love and justice Sailor Moon - calling her "ugly" and "primeval" and a "has-been". A weak antagonist is sadly the main downfall.
There's also this line from Makoto: "Being alone on Christmas Eve is really lonely". Redundancy is really redundant, don't you think? Though maybe that's a translation flub.
But flaws aside, 'Princess Kaguya's Lover' stands the test of time. It may be not only one of my favourite 'Sailor Moon' stories, but one of my favourite stories, period.
The ending comes with journal entries from Naoko Takeuchi herself on actually going to NASA for research during the development stage of 'Princess Kaguya's Lover'. She also gives out details on her research into antiques, inspiring her villain designs. It gives an account of how passionate she was about this particular story, how far she went into making it a fully-fledged, authentic tale. Her passion and joy shows in the end result, reciprocated by the spellbound reader.
It is gorgeous - taking an old folk-yarn, mixing it with a modern spin; with new advanced technology allowing humans to go into space and see the moon from on high. Plus feminism. Nuanced and a real tear-jerker, I love it.
Now onto the last two stories, which are much shorter, so they'll get bit reviews.
'Casa Blanca Memory' is not as good as 'Princess Kaguya's Lover', but it's lovely all the same. Definitely recommended for Rei fans. It's her story of how she first fell in love, how it mostly made her melancholy, and whether or not it was one-sided and in her then-naive imagination. It’s about why she ultimately decided never to trust or associate herself with men. Despite its creepy vibe of men-following-underaged-girls that's in 'Sailor Moon' more often than is comfortable, 'Casa Blanca Memory' has an atmosphere overflowing with sad yet optimistic emotions, implemented in aid of the message about moving forward steadily in life and to not dwell on the past or past love. Flowers and budding are its core symbols. It gets a little confusing in where its flashbacks are placed, but this is no big deal overall. It's beautiful, mysterious and takes things slowly, just like Rei/Sailor Mars:
"If I were to ever fall in love, I'd likely want to claim everything of that person and keep it completely to myself. I might end up destroying that person. That's why I'm not going to love. The current me doesn't need love. Because I have comrades who share the same goal as me. Because I've got all of you."
She is awesome.
Then there's 'Parallel Sailor Moon', a non-canon alternate universe "story" that somehow got into this serious short story volume and not the previous, sillier one. Even for charity, it is just a load of messing around; sticking in parody bits here and there. In an alternate reality set in a sunny Suburb, every single character is a spoilt wretch, with the bonus of also being either an arsehole or an idiot. The Inner Senshi all have daughters who are named after them, and they are horrible brats who bully and leave to die a second daughter of Usagi's, Ko-Usagi. The only bizarre thing that happens that can be called entertaining is the ending, where the earth is under attack by a giant herd of rabbits from outer space. The Guardian children defeat it by merging a bunch of cats into a giant lynx to eat the rabbits in a meagre couple of pages. It's so insane it's genuinely funny. Doesn't save the rest from being mean-spirited and kind of a waste of time.
I'm giving the whole volume five Milky Way shooting stars for 'Princess Kaguya's lover' and 'Casa Blanca Memory' alone.
Well, that's it. I hope people have enjoyed reading my 'Sailor Moon' reviews as much as I've enjoyed writing and reliving them. Talking in detail about why you love the things you love is a triumphant experience, and I know how it is to care for something, warts and flaws and all. I adore the girl power, the characters, the artwork, the stories, the mixing of different elements of mythology. These are all special and give something - a role big or small - for everyone.
Nothing more to add.
Except, "The End".
But not really, because Sailor Moon, a classic fictional guardian of love and peace, still popular today, will always live in my heart.
Final Score: 5/5
Sunday 24 January 2016
Manga Review - 'Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Short Stories Vol. 1' by Naoko Takeuchi, William Flanagan (Translator)
A collection of seven off-the-wall and funny short stories of 'Sailor Moon' - none of which are actually about Sailor Moon herself, but her Guardian friends.
First off there's 'Chibi-Usa's Picture Diary: Beware the Transfer Student' - About Chibiusa's first days at school, her classmates, and vampires. Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus are idols for Chibiusa as well as for the rest of the kids. They show up to defeat a vampire in a few panels. Cute art, standard story for little-uns, and BTW, I didn't know vampires liked flowers.
The second story is called, 'Chibi-Usa's Picture Diary: Beware of Tanabata', revolving around the Chinese legend of Tanabata: of Shokujo and Kengyu. Haruka and Michiru make a cute cameo appearance, Mamoru is an idiot, the cats’ roles diminish as time goes on, and there's straw feminism mixed with stereotyped assumptions about men as well. Plus, like with the 'Codename: Sailor V' manga, there's the implication that only young, slim, pretty girls can be happy because they'll have handsome men in their lives. I wouldn't call this a subversion or deconstruction of an old legend when it sorely relies on gender stereotypes to get its point across.
Third is 'Chibi-Usa's Picture Diary: Beware of Cavities' - A typical monster-of-the-week story about fearing dentists. Add in a rather weak healthy-eating message and the job’s done; no insight to be found here. At least Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus share in a battle again with Chibiusa (thank heaven this is her last "Picture Diary" entry - she's had enough of the spotlight). And wow these stories are excessively boisterous! I'd even call the artwork for the comedy scenes an eyesore.
Now onto the 'Exam Battle Stories' - exactly what it says on the tin. The Inner Sailor Guardians are at their high school entrance examination period. Ridiculous evil spirits to fight come and go, too. In 'The Melancholy of Mako-Chan', we learn more about everyone's favourite vigorous and feminine "big sister" Guardian, Makoto Kino /Sailor Jupiter, as she procrastinates studying to go bargain-hunting for pretty things, to cook, clean, and drink tea during the girls' study groups.
'Ami-Chan's First Love' - Ami Mizuno/Sailor Mercury studies hard nearly all the time, and contrary to her usual kind nature, where exams are concerned she is tough on her friends to study as well. She can understand and solve any and every problem. Except for love letters, which make her break out in hives. In this story, she obsessively competes against a rival who keeps getting the same perfect score as her in mock exam results, to the point where she might be falling in love - with someone she only knows by pen name. Of course Ami's ideal man would be Albert Einstein, and with so much emphasis on her being extremely intelligent (300 IQ!), why would she choose her own exam board pen name to be "Mercury"? Isn't that a dead giveaway of her secret identity? Like if Clark Kent were to submit a story to the Daily Planet under the name, “Supes”? Or if Bruce Wayne ran a business called, “Bat Management”? But aside from that, this is a great Ami-centered story. She is drawn with such an array of expressions it's both funny and charming, and boy is she competitive! My favourite line, from Minako, is, ""Rival equals enemy," eh? I think I'll stop trying to improve my grades, then, since I don't wanna get killed by Ami-Chan!" Umino appears! Even Usagi remarks that she forgot about his existence in the past year!
'Rei's and Minako's Girls School Battle?' - An instant favourite if you're a Rei/Minako fan and consider the pairing to be canon, or you think it should be (They always look the perfect match when drawn together). We delve into the hyperactive, boy-crazy, superficial mind of one Minako Aino/Sailor Venus, and what she thinks of each of her friends, including her exact opposite, Rei Hino/Sailor Mars. Despite being jealous of Rei, Minako does admire her more "refined" friend. This could be interpreted as their own special love story - about a love-hate relationship between two teenage girls growing up into high school age, with new, wider experiences ahead of them.
The seventh - and fortunately the last - story is, 'Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Side Story: The Secret Hammer Price Hall'. It is full of valley girl speak. Oh joy. I hate this sexist stereotype, its overuse in the media in the 1990s-early 2000s, and how it typically has vapid Barbie clones effortlessly butcher the English language merely by opening their mouths. In this case it’s most bizarre because the two valley girls are meant to be speaking Japanese (They are called Ganguro girls here: Culture sharing? Approbation?) My eye twitches just reading the horrendous dialogue, even if it is parody (and I don't blame the translator for the interpretation). One other thing; I do not care about brands, and I never have. Why would Chibiusa be friends with such airheads in the first place? At least Hotaru Tomoe is at hand in her part as the straight man - she is my hero in this. While there are some genuinely funny moments - "Chubster Mask" made me laugh out loud, and the self-aware Sailor Moon laments her lack of presence in these stories, despite being the main character - it is obnoxious and messy overall. There’s too many grown men fetishizing young girls, and apparently 'Sailor Moon' is a franchise in its own universe, with its own cosplay, manga and anime. Whatever, clearly it's not meant to be taken seriously, just like the other stories. And whenever an enemy shows up, why do the Sailor Guardians keep transforming from their civilian identities in public, in front of everyone?
Another thing, isn't the cover of this volume the cutest, most precious thing ever? Takeuchi-san's art continues to amaze me.
My final 'Sailor Moon' manga review is coming up: with the second short stories volume, containing, in my opinion, much better and more sophisticated storytelling; the best the franchise has to offer.
Final Score: 3.5/5
First off there's 'Chibi-Usa's Picture Diary: Beware the Transfer Student' - About Chibiusa's first days at school, her classmates, and vampires. Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus are idols for Chibiusa as well as for the rest of the kids. They show up to defeat a vampire in a few panels. Cute art, standard story for little-uns, and BTW, I didn't know vampires liked flowers.
The second story is called, 'Chibi-Usa's Picture Diary: Beware of Tanabata', revolving around the Chinese legend of Tanabata: of Shokujo and Kengyu. Haruka and Michiru make a cute cameo appearance, Mamoru is an idiot, the cats’ roles diminish as time goes on, and there's straw feminism mixed with stereotyped assumptions about men as well. Plus, like with the 'Codename: Sailor V' manga, there's the implication that only young, slim, pretty girls can be happy because they'll have handsome men in their lives. I wouldn't call this a subversion or deconstruction of an old legend when it sorely relies on gender stereotypes to get its point across.
Third is 'Chibi-Usa's Picture Diary: Beware of Cavities' - A typical monster-of-the-week story about fearing dentists. Add in a rather weak healthy-eating message and the job’s done; no insight to be found here. At least Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus share in a battle again with Chibiusa (thank heaven this is her last "Picture Diary" entry - she's had enough of the spotlight). And wow these stories are excessively boisterous! I'd even call the artwork for the comedy scenes an eyesore.
Now onto the 'Exam Battle Stories' - exactly what it says on the tin. The Inner Sailor Guardians are at their high school entrance examination period. Ridiculous evil spirits to fight come and go, too. In 'The Melancholy of Mako-Chan', we learn more about everyone's favourite vigorous and feminine "big sister" Guardian, Makoto Kino /Sailor Jupiter, as she procrastinates studying to go bargain-hunting for pretty things, to cook, clean, and drink tea during the girls' study groups.
'Ami-Chan's First Love' - Ami Mizuno/Sailor Mercury studies hard nearly all the time, and contrary to her usual kind nature, where exams are concerned she is tough on her friends to study as well. She can understand and solve any and every problem. Except for love letters, which make her break out in hives. In this story, she obsessively competes against a rival who keeps getting the same perfect score as her in mock exam results, to the point where she might be falling in love - with someone she only knows by pen name. Of course Ami's ideal man would be Albert Einstein, and with so much emphasis on her being extremely intelligent (300 IQ!), why would she choose her own exam board pen name to be "Mercury"? Isn't that a dead giveaway of her secret identity? Like if Clark Kent were to submit a story to the Daily Planet under the name, “Supes”? Or if Bruce Wayne ran a business called, “Bat Management”? But aside from that, this is a great Ami-centered story. She is drawn with such an array of expressions it's both funny and charming, and boy is she competitive! My favourite line, from Minako, is, ""Rival equals enemy," eh? I think I'll stop trying to improve my grades, then, since I don't wanna get killed by Ami-Chan!" Umino appears! Even Usagi remarks that she forgot about his existence in the past year!
'Rei's and Minako's Girls School Battle?' - An instant favourite if you're a Rei/Minako fan and consider the pairing to be canon, or you think it should be (They always look the perfect match when drawn together). We delve into the hyperactive, boy-crazy, superficial mind of one Minako Aino/Sailor Venus, and what she thinks of each of her friends, including her exact opposite, Rei Hino/Sailor Mars. Despite being jealous of Rei, Minako does admire her more "refined" friend. This could be interpreted as their own special love story - about a love-hate relationship between two teenage girls growing up into high school age, with new, wider experiences ahead of them.
The seventh - and fortunately the last - story is, 'Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Side Story: The Secret Hammer Price Hall'. It is full of valley girl speak. Oh joy. I hate this sexist stereotype, its overuse in the media in the 1990s-early 2000s, and how it typically has vapid Barbie clones effortlessly butcher the English language merely by opening their mouths. In this case it’s most bizarre because the two valley girls are meant to be speaking Japanese (They are called Ganguro girls here: Culture sharing? Approbation?) My eye twitches just reading the horrendous dialogue, even if it is parody (and I don't blame the translator for the interpretation). One other thing; I do not care about brands, and I never have. Why would Chibiusa be friends with such airheads in the first place? At least Hotaru Tomoe is at hand in her part as the straight man - she is my hero in this. While there are some genuinely funny moments - "Chubster Mask" made me laugh out loud, and the self-aware Sailor Moon laments her lack of presence in these stories, despite being the main character - it is obnoxious and messy overall. There’s too many grown men fetishizing young girls, and apparently 'Sailor Moon' is a franchise in its own universe, with its own cosplay, manga and anime. Whatever, clearly it's not meant to be taken seriously, just like the other stories. And whenever an enemy shows up, why do the Sailor Guardians keep transforming from their civilian identities in public, in front of everyone?
Another thing, isn't the cover of this volume the cutest, most precious thing ever? Takeuchi-san's art continues to amaze me.
My final 'Sailor Moon' manga review is coming up: with the second short stories volume, containing, in my opinion, much better and more sophisticated storytelling; the best the franchise has to offer.
Final Score: 3.5/5
Friday 22 January 2016
Manga Review - 'Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Vol. 12' by Naoko Takeuchi, William Flanagan (Translator)
There are so many great quotes in this volume I won't number them all.
Just... wow. Everything - how it all could and should end - is here.
Chaos! Cosmos! Heavenly bodies! Evil Sailor Guardians! I enjoyed every ounce of it. Why did it take me so long to express it until now?
It has always been about Sailor Moon, the Pretty Guardian in a sailor suit. She is the star. She is the hero. The manga finale reaffirms this: She alone can save the universe, and this time without her loved ones and companions, whom she had depended on for so long, and were the sole reason for her fighting up until now. Sailor Moon is Eternal, is Cosmos, a mother, a queen. The most beautiful, shining, luminescent star - Sailor Crystal - of all time. Her hope is truly immortal.
In ‘Volume 12’ we learn that Sailor Galaxia has delusions of grandeur and a god complex. She had wanted to escape her own dull planet, and collect more power from other Sailor Crystals in order to gain a mother planet of her own, and rule over the Milky Way. She learned about the birthplace of the Milky Way from Wiseman, oddly enough. Though as it turns out, Wiseman, along with all of Sailor Moon's past enemies, is a manifestation of Chaos, a failed heavenly body who controls the Galaxy Cauldron at Sagittarius Zero Star, the centre of the Milky Way. Galaxia constantly calls things she considers beneath her "scum".
Usagi firmly believes that Sailor Guardians are worth more than just the sum of their Crystals - she wants to restore her dear friends' bodies, somehow. She, Chibi-Chibi, the Sailor Star Lights, and Princess Kakyu travel to Sagittarius Zero Star for the final showdown with Galaxia; after leaving the injured Luna, Artemis and Diana with Usagi’s mother, who has a strange feeling that her daughter will never come home again...
Sailor Moon will learn the positives and negatives of both being protected and being independent. Elements from Greek mythology meet the Guardians at Sagittarius Zero Star - and Galaxia's castle. There's a tragic story of a lesbian Guardian couple; following Sailor Moon's declaration that she would willingly die if it meant that no war or conflict will cause any more suffering due to her Silver Crystal existing. The Star Lights perish easily, and Sailor Chibi-Moon and her Sailor Quartet Guardians arrive from the 30th century to save the past; thus saving their future. (There's a really funny, cathartic moment of Chibi-Chibi being introduced to Chibi-Moon). Princess Kakyu reveals herself as a Sailor Guardian (Well obviously. And couldn't she have transformed before? Like, when her Star Light protectors were killed?). She dies also, in Sailor Moon's arms.
All her Sailor Guardian friends, and Tuxedo Mask, appear... but as Galaxia's reincarnated slaves. Chibi-Moon and Chibi-Chibi use their power to protect Sailor Moon, but only she can fight - this is her solitary battle, even when her wings are torn off by those she once loved. By never giving up, and by using the Silver Crystal's fathomless power, she defeats the imposters.
Now the fight is on: Sailor Moon versus Sailor Galaxia. Galaxia mocks her opponent's trust and faith in others and their power, for one's strength can only come from oneself. Sailor Moon fights for the belief that having comrades in arms - physically and spiritually - is what it means to be a Sailor Guardian to begin with.
Galaxia leads Moon to the sanctuary and source of star seeds/heavenly bodies, the Galaxy Cauldron, which is also the home of Chaos, a Metalia/Wiseman enemy father. Galaxia throws all the Sailor Guardian Crystals into the cauldron, obliterating any chance of restoring their physical forms. With Tuxedo Mask gone, Sailor Chibi-Moon fades from existence. Things have never been so intense for Sailor Moon; Galaxia wants to get her angry, desperate and hopeless enough to pour out her maximum Silver Crystal power into the cauldron, and destroy Chaos. Galaxia plans to become the cauldron's new ruler - a god who controls life, death and rebirth.
A beaten-yet-still-loving Sailor Moon ends up saving Galaxia from Chaos, for she sees her enemy's loneliness reflected in herself. She also realises and understands all her previous foes’ wish to obtain her Silver Crystal light - to embrace it, to seek companionship in a big, dark, lonely universe. Chaos fully merges with the Galaxy Cauldron. Suspense mounts to the brim: Will Sailor Moon, the epitome of love and hope, have to take up Sailor Saturn's torch and bring death to the cauldron, and therefore all heavenly bodies, and the Milky Way?
Pointless, because conflict can never cease. Light cannot exist without darkness, and vice versa. The Galaxy Cauldron must live on, for rebirth - and therefore, hope - to carry on forever.
Sailor Moon is a hero of the universe who continues to have faith, to believe in a better future, to embrace anything, everything and everyone. Even when she says she has nothing to fight for anymore. A brave warrior, and shining star; living and struggling on in war, to no end.
"Together as one". Eternal Sailor Moon will not abandon hope for the future. Alone she enters the Galaxy Cauldron and embraces Chaos, and uses the power of all the Sailor Guardian Crystals inside - and across the Milky Way - to defeat the enemy, sacrificing herself in the process. Everyone is "regenerated" back into their heavenly bodies.
Chibi-Chibi, inspired by Sailor Moon to never give up no matter what, reveals her true form at last: She is Sailor Moon's ultimate future self, Sailor Cosmos. The Sailor Quartet acts as the audience’s stand-in as she explains her purpose. In Cosmos's future she did abandon hope, when battling the never-ending threat of Sailor Chaos. She ran away, and then revisited the past in order to fix her mistakes and stop Sailor Chaos from existing. Sailor Cosmos wanted the Galaxy Cauldron destroyed so as to prevent future conflict. But, thanks to her past self, she remembers hope, her reasons for fighting, and the Silver Crystal's good light.
Usagi, Mamoru, Chibiusa, and everyone else (I assume the cats are alive and well, as are Kakyu and the Star Lights) are together again. What a happy reunion! There is a Guardian Cosmos in the Galaxy Cauldron as well, who returns them to their old lives on earth.
The series draws to a close with Usagi and Mamoru getting married, and the conception of the future small princess of Crystal Tokyo.
The End.
Phew! Epic all around.
Other characters don't get much attention, except for Chibiusa. Old minor characters barely appear at all (Helios doesn’t show up at all, for example). But, as I've said at the start of this review, this manga has always been about Sailor Moon and the power she possesses - not just with her MacGuffin/slight deux ex machina Silver Crystal, but with her heart, her ferocious dedication to protect others, and limitless amount of hope in her battles with darkness from all across the universe. To be lent support from her loving friends and comrades. ‘Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon’ has always been an emotional journey more than anything, and the ending delivers in swirling, twinkling, teary galaxy loads!
There are two more of Naoko Takeuchi's phenomenal manga volumes left for me to review, containing short stories which don't connect to the main plots of any the series' arcs. As well as telling more fun adventures for 'Sailor Moon' fans, the stories are character studies which should make up for this finale's lack of panel time with fan favourites.
One quick note before I sign off for now: At the end, Guardian Cosmos tells Usagi that her past self, Princess Serenity, and the Silver Crystal were conceived when Queen Serenity once entered the Galaxy Cauldron with a "small heavenly body cradled to her chest". And Chaos calls Sailor Moon "my child" at one point. So it is implied that Chaos - or at least the cauldron itself with its billions of star seeds - is Princess Serenity's father. That... explains a lot, actually. It should begin many interesting reader interpretations and theories.
I love this manga/anime series, and will keep on loving it forever. As well as love, hope is the key to a brighter future.
Final Score: 5/5
Just... wow. Everything - how it all could and should end - is here.
Chaos! Cosmos! Heavenly bodies! Evil Sailor Guardians! I enjoyed every ounce of it. Why did it take me so long to express it until now?
It has always been about Sailor Moon, the Pretty Guardian in a sailor suit. She is the star. She is the hero. The manga finale reaffirms this: She alone can save the universe, and this time without her loved ones and companions, whom she had depended on for so long, and were the sole reason for her fighting up until now. Sailor Moon is Eternal, is Cosmos, a mother, a queen. The most beautiful, shining, luminescent star - Sailor Crystal - of all time. Her hope is truly immortal.
In ‘Volume 12’ we learn that Sailor Galaxia has delusions of grandeur and a god complex. She had wanted to escape her own dull planet, and collect more power from other Sailor Crystals in order to gain a mother planet of her own, and rule over the Milky Way. She learned about the birthplace of the Milky Way from Wiseman, oddly enough. Though as it turns out, Wiseman, along with all of Sailor Moon's past enemies, is a manifestation of Chaos, a failed heavenly body who controls the Galaxy Cauldron at Sagittarius Zero Star, the centre of the Milky Way. Galaxia constantly calls things she considers beneath her "scum".
Usagi firmly believes that Sailor Guardians are worth more than just the sum of their Crystals - she wants to restore her dear friends' bodies, somehow. She, Chibi-Chibi, the Sailor Star Lights, and Princess Kakyu travel to Sagittarius Zero Star for the final showdown with Galaxia; after leaving the injured Luna, Artemis and Diana with Usagi’s mother, who has a strange feeling that her daughter will never come home again...
Sailor Moon will learn the positives and negatives of both being protected and being independent. Elements from Greek mythology meet the Guardians at Sagittarius Zero Star - and Galaxia's castle. There's a tragic story of a lesbian Guardian couple; following Sailor Moon's declaration that she would willingly die if it meant that no war or conflict will cause any more suffering due to her Silver Crystal existing. The Star Lights perish easily, and Sailor Chibi-Moon and her Sailor Quartet Guardians arrive from the 30th century to save the past; thus saving their future. (There's a really funny, cathartic moment of Chibi-Chibi being introduced to Chibi-Moon). Princess Kakyu reveals herself as a Sailor Guardian (Well obviously. And couldn't she have transformed before? Like, when her Star Light protectors were killed?). She dies also, in Sailor Moon's arms.
All her Sailor Guardian friends, and Tuxedo Mask, appear... but as Galaxia's reincarnated slaves. Chibi-Moon and Chibi-Chibi use their power to protect Sailor Moon, but only she can fight - this is her solitary battle, even when her wings are torn off by those she once loved. By never giving up, and by using the Silver Crystal's fathomless power, she defeats the imposters.
Now the fight is on: Sailor Moon versus Sailor Galaxia. Galaxia mocks her opponent's trust and faith in others and their power, for one's strength can only come from oneself. Sailor Moon fights for the belief that having comrades in arms - physically and spiritually - is what it means to be a Sailor Guardian to begin with.
Galaxia leads Moon to the sanctuary and source of star seeds/heavenly bodies, the Galaxy Cauldron, which is also the home of Chaos, a Metalia/Wiseman enemy father. Galaxia throws all the Sailor Guardian Crystals into the cauldron, obliterating any chance of restoring their physical forms. With Tuxedo Mask gone, Sailor Chibi-Moon fades from existence. Things have never been so intense for Sailor Moon; Galaxia wants to get her angry, desperate and hopeless enough to pour out her maximum Silver Crystal power into the cauldron, and destroy Chaos. Galaxia plans to become the cauldron's new ruler - a god who controls life, death and rebirth.
A beaten-yet-still-loving Sailor Moon ends up saving Galaxia from Chaos, for she sees her enemy's loneliness reflected in herself. She also realises and understands all her previous foes’ wish to obtain her Silver Crystal light - to embrace it, to seek companionship in a big, dark, lonely universe. Chaos fully merges with the Galaxy Cauldron. Suspense mounts to the brim: Will Sailor Moon, the epitome of love and hope, have to take up Sailor Saturn's torch and bring death to the cauldron, and therefore all heavenly bodies, and the Milky Way?
Pointless, because conflict can never cease. Light cannot exist without darkness, and vice versa. The Galaxy Cauldron must live on, for rebirth - and therefore, hope - to carry on forever.
Sailor Moon is a hero of the universe who continues to have faith, to believe in a better future, to embrace anything, everything and everyone. Even when she says she has nothing to fight for anymore. A brave warrior, and shining star; living and struggling on in war, to no end.
"Together as one". Eternal Sailor Moon will not abandon hope for the future. Alone she enters the Galaxy Cauldron and embraces Chaos, and uses the power of all the Sailor Guardian Crystals inside - and across the Milky Way - to defeat the enemy, sacrificing herself in the process. Everyone is "regenerated" back into their heavenly bodies.
Chibi-Chibi, inspired by Sailor Moon to never give up no matter what, reveals her true form at last: She is Sailor Moon's ultimate future self, Sailor Cosmos. The Sailor Quartet acts as the audience’s stand-in as she explains her purpose. In Cosmos's future she did abandon hope, when battling the never-ending threat of Sailor Chaos. She ran away, and then revisited the past in order to fix her mistakes and stop Sailor Chaos from existing. Sailor Cosmos wanted the Galaxy Cauldron destroyed so as to prevent future conflict. But, thanks to her past self, she remembers hope, her reasons for fighting, and the Silver Crystal's good light.
Usagi, Mamoru, Chibiusa, and everyone else (I assume the cats are alive and well, as are Kakyu and the Star Lights) are together again. What a happy reunion! There is a Guardian Cosmos in the Galaxy Cauldron as well, who returns them to their old lives on earth.
The series draws to a close with Usagi and Mamoru getting married, and the conception of the future small princess of Crystal Tokyo.
The End.
Phew! Epic all around.
Other characters don't get much attention, except for Chibiusa. Old minor characters barely appear at all (Helios doesn’t show up at all, for example). But, as I've said at the start of this review, this manga has always been about Sailor Moon and the power she possesses - not just with her MacGuffin/slight deux ex machina Silver Crystal, but with her heart, her ferocious dedication to protect others, and limitless amount of hope in her battles with darkness from all across the universe. To be lent support from her loving friends and comrades. ‘Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon’ has always been an emotional journey more than anything, and the ending delivers in swirling, twinkling, teary galaxy loads!
There are two more of Naoko Takeuchi's phenomenal manga volumes left for me to review, containing short stories which don't connect to the main plots of any the series' arcs. As well as telling more fun adventures for 'Sailor Moon' fans, the stories are character studies which should make up for this finale's lack of panel time with fan favourites.
One quick note before I sign off for now: At the end, Guardian Cosmos tells Usagi that her past self, Princess Serenity, and the Silver Crystal were conceived when Queen Serenity once entered the Galaxy Cauldron with a "small heavenly body cradled to her chest". And Chaos calls Sailor Moon "my child" at one point. So it is implied that Chaos - or at least the cauldron itself with its billions of star seeds - is Princess Serenity's father. That... explains a lot, actually. It should begin many interesting reader interpretations and theories.
I love this manga/anime series, and will keep on loving it forever. As well as love, hope is the key to a brighter future.
Final Score: 5/5
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