'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Part 1

Well, here I am, a 90's child, and I never, ever watched this series... until almost a month ago.

For those who read my entry on the reboot plans, one can safely assume that I have become a big fan rather quickly. As of now, I have just started Season 5 of Buffy and Season 2 of Angel. Because I don't want to make individual posts for each separate season I finish, I will review a few in one, just so you aren't overwhelmed by the number of Buffy posts. :)

And as usual, credit to the owners.

Season 1

Rank: 4 out of 5

Hands down, this is probably the corniest season when it comes to special effects; anyone can see that the small budget flashed bright on the empty backroad at midnight. But for what is was, these 12 episodes handled every necessary element to telling a story very well. The first few episodes failed to disappoint despite the art of slowly introducing the universe so the viewer can invest time and give a crap. Getting into Buffy was fun for me because of the things I don't see often in entertainment: witty dialogue, compelling characters, and great dry, tongue-in-cheek humor. (Do you realize how seriously underrated dry humor is? Even my friends don't get it... -_-)

Pros? The main monsters in each episode are all interesting and not what I'd ever expect. Sadly, the badass monsters start to fade away by season 3. *sniff* But fortunately, the overall pacing and storytelling were very well executed, which continues throughout. I have fallen for more plot twists in the first two seasons of this show than any other. And might I add that Xander is hilarious, Willow is awesome, Giles is cool, and Angel is awkwardly cute? XD

Cons? Every character developed in fairly small, but reasonable steps... except Angel. Once episode seven played, I had almost had no idea how two episodes ago he and Buffy were "eh" and then magnets happened to pull them together in one scene. Then by episode 12, Giles mentions how "poetic" it was that a "vampire [is] in love with a Slayer." *snickers* Okay, show. If you call undeveloped and unexplained romantic magnetism happening in such a short time without showing any sure connection between them... go ahead and continue that "poetic" stuff. Gimme a barf bag.

Fortunately, that didn't take away the fact that this season was very impressive; furthermore, the vampire mythology was very interesting.

Season 2

Rank: 5 out of 5

Yeeeeeeeeeaaah... just to get it out of the way.... I'm a Buffy/Angel fangirl. XD

I can't remember there being a boring episode in this season. Some things were annoying (Cordelia is definitely NOT an exception,) but many new characters made things a load of fun. Without a doubt, Spike is easily one of the most impressive; his humor never fails to make my lungs sore, and his overall being steals the spotlight in every shot, every scene, every episode. Drusilla is insane, but dangerous and beautiful in a way I can't really explain. Like Spike, she stands out in her own way.

But the character I loved the most? Angel.

Sure, in the first half of the season, he develops, but still at an underwhelming rate: for crying out loud, he practically has a one-track mind. But once his curse breaks? Oh man, there were times when he out-Spiked Spike. Angelus was the guy I loved to hate as he tortured Buffy and her friends (I still am shocked over that scene in "Passion" when he speaks to Joyce, even though I saw it coming.) But the very scene I loved the most? In "Becoming Part 1" he tries to awaken a monster... and fails. He's not a guy to piss off, and it didn't help that Spike predictably had something to say.

This season was a hell of a roller coaster ride for everyone. By the end of season 2, the characters really grew into interesting and real people (or demons in some cases.) The monsters were still creative for the most part. But the Big Bads (aka the biggest villians) were easily the most enjoyable compared to the others from the first four seasons.

Only drawback? Things got a bit too melodramatic at times. Well, blame a blonde and her 245 year old vampire boyfriend. But man, those were fun times...

Season 3

Rank: 4.8 out of 5

Probably my second favorite, Season 3 relied a lot more on conflict between characters, developing them into being far more three-dimensional. The drama is finally taken in a more serious fashion as previous relationships matured (like Buffy and Angel no longer clinging to each other every two seconds...) There were so many episodes dedicated to certain characters that the Big Bad sat at the back of the shelf, collecting dust until one of the main characters betrays everyone.Because of the excessive emphasis on the cast, the villains barely satisfy. Even the Master from Season 1 had better screen time than the Mayor. Otherwise, nothing new and exciting turned the world upside down: it's just Buffy and the gang finishing senior year of high school.

Pros? Again, the plot runs slowly, but characters shine bright here. Xander gets his own episode, "The Zeppo," while it mocks the cliches in the series (everyone arguing about the apocalypse and who should be the sacrifice was a scream.) Oz grows to be such a likable member of the gang that he becomes the only rope of sanity to go through part of Season 4 (my hopes were too high.) Faith, the new Slayer, is... well, a bitch; at least Cordelia is tolerable, but still useless. Spike makes a hilariously brief appearance.

But for what plot there was, by the time we get to "The Prom" the gang's changing relationships are depressing, but enjoyable. Hand down, by "Graduation, Part 2," if you bonded with any characters at all, this episode gets emotional.

And of course, the season could have been better with character development if the Mayor and Mr. Trick were better established. But at least Faith is interesting despite my dislike for her.

OVERALL:

In general, the show constantly makes fun of the cliches in horror films, especially when the usual plot devices come along (EX: bad guys talking while torturing someone; taunting in battle; holding someone hostage; etc.) Humor, drama, horror, vampires that don't stray too far from what's commonly accepted... so why not? From these seasons combined, I'll give Buffy the Vampire Slayer a 4.5 out of 5.

Onto reviewing Season 4... *groans*

The 'Twilight' Series

Being Vampire Month, you all saw this coming...

(CREDIT: why would I make such a series?!?!)

Rank: 0.01 out of 5 <- no words can describe my despair...

The very thing I fear in life is any kind of extremist. And I hate to turn into such a person if I say that this series is a piece of crap that should have never been blown up in epic proportions and that must be avoided by all who are vampire enthusiasts.

To be honest, every living person in this universe has already stated why this series is of awful quality as a "saga" or any piece of literature. In a way it is pointless to regurgitate the same excuses over and over again as to why this whole concept fills my heart with blood clots and my head with aches. But I will say that this series embarrasses me to death about liking vampires. It's so bad that even I fear that all the human-vampire romances I like are all just as shallow and stupid as Bella and Edward's! I even cry about it when watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer...

But it wasn't like this at first. I used to really like Twilight, or at least the first book. Sure, there are loads of bad things about it (Bella's Mary Sue Syndrome, Edward's perfection, the "vampires'" traits, the weak attempt of adding bad guys at the end, etc.) but the amount of awfulness isn't terribly overwhelming. There was something small in that book that kept telling me to read it, or maybe it's my subconscious reminding me that maybe I can find a guy whom I can love so much. Being a teenage girl with such thoughts is such a fun experience; no wonder we go through losing weight, looking pretty, and dressing nice just to find the perfect guy. "Bella gets a guy with no problem?! WHAT ABOUT ME??"

Regardless, the first book was readable... and had one great comment Bella made that my friends and I cite all the time: "Stupid, shiny Volvo owner."

Though I really liked the series back then, I remember almost nothing about New Moon and Eclipse. The former dragged on very slowly, especially with Bella being more pessimistic and depressive than I have ever been, and the latter overwhelmed me by its length and lack of action. Furthermore, the characters were never worth remembering, those in Vampire Knight were crafted in finest quality in comparison.

So what yanked me away from the series and discard it forever? Breaking Dawn.

Reading Jacob's point of view really showed me how ridiculously silly Bella dealt with her love for Edward as well as her pregnancy (another longwinded debate I refuse to comment on.) Without him, I would not have seen how annoying the storyline was getting. But what finally made me wish the series ill will was quite simple: Alice had a vision that the Volturi were coming. The whole "OMG! We're going to die!" melodrama forced me to close the book and never pick it up again. That's right: I could sit through the awful sex, the grotesque birth, the absurd concept behind Renesmee even existing, and Bella's stupidly unrealistic high hopes for a good pregnancy that only a delusional person could have. But that vision scene KILLED ME.

But the best part of this whole fad is the fact that it's considered a "saga" (JRR Tolkien must be weeping in his grave...) and is [or was] on every cashier, every store window, every "alternative scene" store, every item imaginable from candy to graphic novels... and EVEN THIS!

THIS. IS. AN. ASSAULT. AGAINST. LITERATURE.

I have never seen such absurd marketing in my short life, and I hope I never see such extreme measures ever again for the next ten years. At least things have quieted down since New Moon: it seemed odd that the fangirls didn't go batcrazy when Eclipse came out.

Without a shadow of a doubt, this series receives a grade far lower than Linkin Park's pathetic A Thousand Suns, which compared to this needs a 3. If only that Volvo quote never existed, I would without hesitation give this series a solid 0 in all fields: plot, characters, originality, research, and vampire interpretation.

Now if you'll excuse me, I will enter my insecurity corner where I will continue to be embarrassed of the fate of human-vampire romances. Weeping and listening to some doom metal might be a good idea...

'Vampire Knight'

(CREDIT: created by Matsuri Hino.)

Rank: 2 out of 5 <-- average

Basic Overview:

Yuki Cross remebers her earliest memory of being attacked by a vampire and saved by another named Kaname Kuran. Ten years later, Yuki and a vampire hunter named Zero attend Cross Academy as guardians protecting the "Day Class" human students from the "Night Class" vampire students. The story follows Yuki having suspicions about Kaname, helping Zero deal with his turning into a vampire, recovering her lost memories, and dealing with vampire society.

After a while, I have come to realize that this story is Vampire Academy without traveling, controversy, sex, and any form of humor. Reading Vampire Knight is the equivilent of taking a class and realizing over time that you are unable to absorb anymore reasonable information without wanting out. The course might be interesting, but you have hit the point when the information has exhausted you.

The overall storytelling strikes as one of the biggest unavoidable flaws of Vampire Knight. I brought this up with a friend on Pandora a few months back, and he said that though he liked the artwork (he especially liked the rose design - see to the left), he found the plot to be very overdramatic and cheesy. On one hand I agree with him; however, this is not my biggest concern. Maybe it has to do with the "women liking cheesy drama and romance" stereotype box that I fit in every now and then. Hey, I'm not ashamed.

I find that this series indulges too much in being too vague and one-dimensional. Though far better than one particular "vampire" interpretation, these vampires are still lame. We get it: they are gorgeous, they sleep in the day, they crave the blood of their lovers, and they have proper manners. Some characteristics that are never brought into question are how they react to sunlight, how long do they live on average, and why the hell are they so human? Sure, I enjoy the vampires with guilty consciousnesses in other stories (*cAoNuGgEhLs* *cMoIuCgKh*), but Vampire Knight doesn't bring up the fact that most vampires... KILL HUMANS. Having cunning, evil vampires haunt and terrorize the most royal of their people doesn't quite satisfy. Even in a human world, that whole concept is esseintailly boring in its basic form.

Want vampires terrorizing society? Once again, Vampire Academy has it, and does it better.

Not to mention that chess references and symbolism are splattered all over the story. If only I knew how to play would I understand what is going on with the story 75% of the time. Damn that cursed exposition (which plagues the "plot" by the way)!

As for people... either they were major and important from day one, or they are one-dimensional and forgettable. No character stands out in a unique way, except maybe Zero, the most stubbornly unbreakable and indifferent character I have ever seen. He makes all hard-skinned bad boys look like cry babies. Yuki fits one of the several typical shojo heroine types: enthusiastic, thoughtful, curious, big-eyed, selfless, always hungry, not very school-oriented, etc. etc. But until a certain point, she was pretty enjoyable for what she was. No freaking out like Tohru (Fruits Basket) and not a crybaby like Mikan (Gakuen Alice.) And for Kaname... about that guy... He is the Edward Cullen that finally had the balls to come out and say "I have emotional issues and I express it by being possessive and treating Yuki like a child."

Until this series is done, I am still for Yuki and Zero being a pair because at least they had a real relationship as opposed to Yuki and Kaname's... I probably shouldn't spoil anything.

But one might wonder why I didn't rate this any lower: the series started off cliched, but decent. The anime had more humerous moments than the manga, but character interaction stimulated a few chuckles, especially when Akatsuki and Hanabusa are around. Yuki and Zero's growing friendship marks as a definite highlight. But once Yuki gets her memories back, the storyline gets annoying and I start to care less about everyone (except Zero. ^_^) The "plot" flows rather awkwardly because it often fails at introducing and fleshing out secondary characters. Sometimes in order to enjoy a story, the characters must be likable when they face conflict.

So overall, I give Vampire Knight a 2.0: there are might be three decent characters with interesting pasts, but a better sense of direction and less vagueness might have made it a 3.0.

I am still yet to figure out why I still keep an eye on this series. Maybe I invest too much energy and hope into certain relationships between characters...

(REEDIT: Sept. 10, 2011)

Fangirl's Asylum Overthrown by Vampires

Let's see how many viewers I will lose just from looking at this post.

As previously mentioned, I wanted to dedicate a few posts to something I'm addicted to other than the awesome group of five awesome Finnish men who make the most awesome music on the face of this earth. And did I say that HIM is awesome? XD


This day marks the start of Vampire Month on my blog. I will make a few brief posts on the origins of these dark creatures, rants about current interpretations and popularity, and reviews about anything vampire-related. Need I be anymore obvious? But some of you can relieve your fears; I might not have done all of my homework (like reading or watching Dracula,) but hopefully the more traditional vampire fans won't attack me.

All the uninterested are free to browse through other posts and read more enjoyable forms of insanity. Just don't run into any creepy people with fangs. (Though those with the fake fangs are more dangerous...) :P