You spend your life building walls and then someone tears them down in a matter of moments is one of my favourite tropes in stories (and one of the worst things to happen in real life).

Beauty and the Beast fluff based on the new anime ‘Belle’.  I don’t know anything about this film aside from the trailers but I’m already excited, I loved the same studio/director’s ‘Wolf Children’ and ‘Summer Wars’ so this should be good.

We are whole family hooked on Tangled the Series and I love the style of it.

I just finished that “As Old As Time” book this morning so perhaps I haven’t yet had the time to fully digest it but right now it feels like I both loved it and it made me feel a bit uncomfortable.  Uncomfortable in the sense that a fandom is a hivemind and nearly everything in it I had seen or read before in some form or another, realised by a fan artist or writer.  It read like a strange amalgam of the author’s own concepts and the ideas thrown out by the BatB fandom for years.  It’s what happens with relatively limited source material, there is only so much you can do with the main characters stuck in a castle surrounded by enchanted objects and a curse... yet at the same time every speck of a reiteration of the same story still makes me insanely happy so I loved it.

Has anyone else read this book and what did you think? I got it about a week ago (and read it straightaway) after it was brought to my attention on dA. There is a bit where Belle reads to the teacups and I’m all for more attention to the neglected cup children.

Another Beauty and the Beast mini comic for funsies.  I can’t be the only one who every time when visiting old castles and manors has to fight to resist the urge to roll back the carpets and do slides in the enormous rooms.  I can only imagine it was something children living in those houses had to be repeatedly told not to do.  See also: sliding down bannisters.

p.s. Belle did not forget about the book

Sketching Beasts and comparing live action vs. animated while asking the important questions- no, really, where are his ears?

I saw Beauty and the Beast over the weekend and there is so much I want to draw of it but spoilers so will avoid for a while.  I am posting this because this clip was in the trailer so not *technically* spoiler and it is the ONLY thing I didn’t like in the film because otherwise all the rest of it was so lovely and glorious and singing and dancing and glitter and DAN STEVENS and LUKE EVANS (seriously bestest vile evil horrible Gaston ever) and JOSH GAD (I really really liked Lefou because who hasn’t had a crush in the past on someone who turns out be a total jerk) and all the SASSY ENCHANTED CASTLE STAFF and so pretty and extra fluff and details and more dialogue and all kinds of feels.   BUT THIS.  THIS.  The whole “Belle is a prisoner” thing from the original fairytale that the Disney animation kinda succeeded in reversing in making her go back to the castle by choice (not much of a choice but a choice nonetheless) and then the Broadway musical addressed it further where Beast openly admits she isn’t a prisoner and now THIS.  After she goes back she’s still like but ehh I am not freeeeeee. LIke WHAT?   Two steps forward, five steps back?

It’s even more messed up as this film makes such a point about Beast being a prisoner in his own castle, too.  And really you’re sort of left wondering is she trying to just be snarky as in: well it’s not like you are ever going to be happy here either, mate.  Emma Watson’s line delivery is so dry and I have been in Britain so long everything is sarcasm.

For twenty years the BatB fandom has been rusting, needing so much more than dusting and now suddenly there is SO MUCH GOODNESS I LOVE IT.

My favourite quote from the Broadway musical version.  You can hear it in the “Something there” track.

Two Belles.  I am sorry Emma Watson but I suck at drawing real peoples.

I am split in pieces about the live action version.  On one hand the original was already pretty perfect, on the other it will be nice to see the extra material they will squeeze in and the detail in the settings and costumes etc. that just wasn’t possible in animation in the late 80s/early 90s.   Aaaaand on the third hand there was that interview recently where they are now suggesting LeFou is gay which seems pretty fricken insulting to make the “crazy one” the gay one.  I mean come on.  Token much?  If anyone was gay it would be Belle growing up in a small town where she repeatedly talks about not belonging there and wanting to leave.  Is it just me because I grew up in a small provincial town, too, and watched close up friends and family members struggle with being the “only gay in the village” and making sure NOBODY KNEW except the few they could trust and always living in a vague fear WHAT IF the wrong people found out and always yearning to just leave to a bigger town where they could meet other gay people and others who understood? All the while trying to hide from random people who kept asking “why don’t you date that Gaston guy, he’s a handsome fellow”. Oh boy.  Come on, Disney, you are better than this.  You want to gay represent do it properly.  

Dan Stevens is admittedly a cutie but I would 100% watch the movie, go to the cinema, get a hueg popcorn, get the blu-ray, get the merchandise and support your endeavour if you had instead cast a girl as the Beast.   Now that you have said that the village idiot is the token gay representation and you act like that’s a good thing I’m very unlikely to pay to see this film because that’s just pathetic.

World Book Day is celebrated in the UK today, love the books!

There’s that bit in the Beauty and the Beast live action trailer where Beast picks Belle up while they are dancing and just ignore me I’ll be over there fawning.