Sunday, April 28, 2013

Get To Know Me post: some favorite TV shows & the future of this feature

Hey guys :)

Since Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer had to cut back on blogging a bit and will only be doing the Know Me Better meme sporadically, I've decided that I will do my own version for the time being. To be honest, I've been planning a different Sunday feature for months now but I never seem to get around to the bits like making a banner (bad photo skills, terrified of copyright issues) and writing an intro post. And just now with having to move and all that (just yesterday my dad & sister carted three big boxes of books and CDs and DVDs out of my room to store at the family house... it felt like defeat, like there's no way I'll find a new apartment in time) I'm just not in the right frame of mind to write a topic about something I'm as passionate about as I am about the content of that feature and make it good.

So instead, the awesome Micheline from Lunar Rainbows had the idea that I could do a post or series of posts about favorite stuff. And well... since I talk about books alll the time on here and because many favorite lists like book boyfriends or whatnot can be found among my Top Ten Tuesday posts, I'd like to branch out a bit to other things in life. I guess it will mostly be nerdery like TV shows or movies or bands but maybe I could also do photo posts of cities / countries I've been to or would like to go to one day. You guys seemed to like that post about Barcelona I did in late January. I'd try to keep them a bit bookish too, if possible (I love visiting foreign book stores).
If there's any topic you'd like me to talk about or questions you'd like me to answer or whatever, just tell me in the comments or send me a tweet :)

So... for today  I think I'll talk a bit about favorite TV shows. Why? Because last night and this morning I finally started catching up on the new season of Game of Thrones. And I realized that 1) damn do I love this show and 2) damn who was that guy again and what did he do? Yeah... loads of characters. And I like to keep track of even the minor ones so I don't miss all the underlying complications and implied threats etc. But honestly I think the series is fantastic. The intro alone is epic. So many strong women characters! You have admire even the evil ones...
I don't own this image. I just thought Arya looked fab.

And of course the setting and the clothes are so realistic! And the dialogue. Not to forget the cinematic aspects of how it's all made, the angles from which they film, the switching from one setting point to another... my sister could tell you more about that, she studies film. But even I notice stuff like that because we discussed it in my English classes (film adaptations of novels) and I always appreciate great storytelling, no matter whether it's a book or film or music or just someone sitting there and really telling you the story.
Since we're talking favorites: hard to pick here, but I think Arya, John Snow, and Daenerys Targaryen (mother of dragons!). I also like how Sansa evolved! And Tyrion sort of grew on me.

Again, I don't own.
Another HBO series I love is True Blood. I wasn't a huge fan of season 4, but season 5 was a lot better again. And nope, I don't just watch it for the blood and gore and sex. I think they negotiate a lot of issues in that series that are interesting from a theoretic/critical point of view. I actually wrote a paper about season 1 once using Julia Kristeva's idea of the abject, the semiotic, the symbolic, boundary transgression etc. Can't go into too much detail here. And of course again, the way the series is made is great! I also like how it veered away from the books and is doing its own thing. And well... there's Eric ^^' I hated him at the beginning. I truly did. Then I started hating Bill and appreciating Eric. And... now I'll shut up and re-watch some favorite scenes :P

This post is getting rather long... another series I love is Vampire Diaries, but DO NOT TELL ME ABOUT IT because I'm awfully behind and I don't want to hear about any spoilers!! Why I love it: great characters, great acting, Damon Salvatore, and they cram stuff that would take other shows a season to sort out into one episode. Also, it's hard to say who's really the bad guy.

I'd love to watch a lot more series but it takes so much time and I can never stay caught up. I haven't seen any Bones past season 5, even though I love the show. I haven't started American Horror Story, or Misfits, or Revenge, or watched more of Supernatural (yet to start season 3) or 2 Broke Girls (my sister made me watch a few episodes and we laughed our asses off together). I try to watch Grimm on Mondays when it's on German TV.

Find this pic here. And read the manga, it's gorgeous :)
I also used to watch a lot of Anime, but again I'm behind. In the case of Bleach, I'm behind more than a year. Some animes I've seen all episodes of and love are Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler <333), Vampire Knight, Wolf's Rain, Death Note (watched nearly all... in 2009. But I bought all the mangas). I also liked D. Gray Man and Hellsing (only the OVAs, not the 12 or so episode version). I watched a lot more anime but I don't remember all of them at the moment. When I was a kid I loved Sailor Moon, Pokémon (until they kept inventing too many new ones that were less awesome), Digimon (up to the end of season 3), Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne, Mila Superstar (you know, that volley ball playing girl), and a really old show from the 90s that would translate to Planet of the Dinosaurs. It was about a bunch of kids from the marine club of their school getting into a storm with their ship and being spirited away to a medieval-ish world where humans co-existed with dinosaurs.



Sorry for another terribly long post... can't believe I confessed to all the anime :P
Do we have any beloved series in common? Did I list any you hate? Let's battle it out discuss ;)
Also, if you have ideas for future topics in this feature, let me know! Same if you're also doing something Know Me Better-ish on your blog! Leave a link, I'd love to check it out :)

10 comments:

  1. Weeee I freaking loved this post (and thanks for the shout-out by the way!) I'd love to see photo post of cities and countries on the visiting wishlist too since I hardly travel but so desperately want to...living vicariously through pictures/books is the next best thing!

    Anyways you picked some AWESOME shows, some I've watched or am watching and others on the watchlist hehe I actually JUST started watching Vampire Diaries (after getting Doctor Who & Sherlock withdrawals and wondering what to watch next) So far I'm really liking it but I'm only like halfway through season 1 - so no spoilers from me! Game of Thrones, True Blood, Bones, Supernatural & 2 Broke Girls are all ones I want to get into :)

    Oh and I loved (and still love) Sailor Moon & Pokemon (the early seasons) too! I want to get into more Anime so I'll be keeping the ones you mentioned in mind! Fantastic post, thanks for sharing & I'm already excited for your next post

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll shout-out to you any time hun ;) Thanks for the topic suggestions! I'll do a travel post next week then :)
      The first couple Vampire Diaries episode are a bit emo as far as I remember, but damn does that series pick up in the awesome department, especially from season 2 onwards! I forgot to put Doctor Who on my wishlist of seasons I want to start...
      2 Broke Girls is cool because the episodes are only 20mins, so you can sqeeze them in somewhere every now and again :)
      I haven't watched Sailor Moon in ages but I think I saw all the episodes. I also have quite a big stack of the comic in German, it used to be published as a magazine with posters and fan art and stuff. I was a huge fan and it really helped me in a difficult time in primary school. Same with Pokémon. I've still got a big box with trading cards, and I have the 3 movies on VHS ^^'
      Awesome that we have so many nerdy things in common :D If you ever do travel and make it to mid-Europe, we HAVE to find a way to meet up!

      Delete
    2. If you girls wanna meet up and don't mind one more person, I'm game. Germany is basically the center of Europe anyway :P

      Delete
    3. I don't mind! I think especially us European bloggers should do a meet-up or something some time, since the chance of us running into each other at a conference or signing or whatever is basically zero since these events are pretty much nonexistent :(

      Delete
    4. Yeah, I know what you mean. It's totally unfair, isn't it? Not that we don't get to meet up with favorite authors, even all the nice swag stuff is always "US Only". I always have to roll my eyes when I see it.

      Delete
    5. I never even check out publisher-organized tours anymore. All the giveaways are always US/CAN only anyway :(

      Delete
  2. I effin love Game of Thrones. I so need to read those books. I know it's a lot of characters, but it's just so epic! Love the pic of Arya -- she's my favorite, btw. ;)
    I love Bones. Well, maybe coz I love Booth as a character and David Boreanaz is just awesome. Some roles were like... written for him, and that's definitively one of them. ^^
    I just started the latest (8th) season of Supernatural. A friend convinced me to start it about a year and a half ago, and now I love it. It's getting better with every season -- well, the depth. But there's also some developments I don't particularly like. But not spoilers from me!
    Vampire Diaries was also recommended to me, but I haven't started on those yet. I got started at LOST first, but I need a break from all the freakiness right now.
    And although not too much a fan of crime stuff, I am madly in love with the characters from NCIS. I love this series!

    As for animes. Heck yeah, girl! *high fives* I love them, but I'm taking a break from those right now as well, thus of course I'm behind. Always behind on everything. ^^ I won't exactly spoil, but I got news you might not have picked up yet--they stopped Bleach at 366 episodes, and now there's only one more manga ARC left that might never get animated. How stupid is that?!
    If you ever want to rant about your anime, or need a recommendation, I'm there. I'd love to talk about it, coz I don't really have anyone else. ;)
    Enjoy your week! :*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I also want to read the books! But at the moment I just don't have time for something that huge.
      Booth is awesome! I miss him and his freaky socks and cravats :P Haha I just had to think about the episode when Brennan catches him in the bathtub, listening to Social Distortion and reading comics with this beer-hat on his head XD
      Supernatural is fantastic! I really should get back to it...
      I like NCIS too! I only watch it occasinally, more when I visit my parents because my mum loves it. I just adore Abby <3

      Yay, another manga/anime fan! :D I don't know many in real life either, and as you said I'm not as crazy about it at the moment because... time >.< You say it, it's impossible to keep up with everything! It drives me nuts knowing that I can never read all the books and see all the movies and here all the music :(
      They stopped Bleach?! o.O But... it's huge! Weird.
      I've thought about doing a manga Monday every once in a while, I've seen that feature on some other blogs. But yeah, at the moment I'm not really reading any, so...
      Have a great week too! Thanks for commenting :D

      Delete
  3. Awww, this post is sheer awesomeness!!! <3 <3 <3

    The Game of Thrones, True Blood and TVD are probably my favorite tv shows :) Tyrion grows on you, doesn't he? :D And I love Jon Snow and Arya.

    Kuroshitsuji, Wolf's Rain (oh man, how I loved that anime), Death Note - <333

    And I used watch Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne, Mila Superstar and of course Sailor Moon as well #nostalgic

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay, a TV twin! :D I've never met another person who knows Wolf's Rain!! I discovered it totally on accident and I love it so much even as it broke my heart! And Kuroshitsuji is just so gorgeously done.

      I got quite nostalgic too when I was writing this post! I think I'll re-watch some of the older series. Jeanne was so funny sometimes ^^
      Thanks so much for checking out the post and commenting! <3

      Delete