Furkan's Dark Twisted Fantasy

After reading the aquatic uncle I was undecided how I felt about the story. I was struggling to wrap my head around the story. A major blow to my ego. Maybe it was the folktale style or me spending the majority of my time trying to figure out what animal they were. In more simple terms it was 8:30AM and I was running on 45 min of sleep. Once again I digress. I later reread the story and came to the conclusion that. He is a salamander! The characters fatal flaw is something I found lots of sympathy for. He could not accept his true self. when he showed his other they accepted it more than him. He was afraid to say he was from the water. All his denial made him lose the girl he loved and himself. I see this folktale as a great lesson. One I connect to deeply.

The Magicians by Lev Grossman a story I thoroughly enjoyed. I would go as far as saying more than Harry Potter. I found the story of the magicians very relatable and real. A fantasy story that could be very real. I found myself connecting with all the characters each in a different way.  The story follows the traditional journey. Quinten story ark felt weak to me I found myself more interested in Julia, Penny, and Margo's story's the most. Quentin is very similar to Harry Potter but I feel Harry is the stronger character his story arch is much stronger.  I personally don't think The Magicians is only an urban fantasy but as well as a high fantasy I think this story lives in a space in between. The scope of the story goes far beyond the school. The story goes through time, space, dimensions, and worlds. Time and time again the whole fate of glory rested on the shoulders of the group. As the became High Kings and Queens as well as master magicians. They fight beasts, gods, fa

Oh, The hero's journey a concept I have engraved in my brain from the constant battery of my script writing professors. If I was an infant the heroes journey was the colored shape blocks I was taught to put in the right slot. I digress. As a Film major the heroes journey was the first rule of writing I was taught. A formula not always perfect flexible in some ways set in stone in others. This topic made me dig through my own boxes of books to find a book I haven't looked at in years. Save the Cat! the last book you'll ever need on screenwriting. This book taught me my formula for the hero's journey. I found myself reading it over. Not too soon after I found myself rebelling. Looking into the nontraditional story telling. a rabbit hole for another time.

For this weeks reading, I read Akata Witch. This story had me very intrigued. This story played in the fantasy genre. Sunny is a great character trying to find her place. But as an Albino in Nigeria that becomes very difficult. This set of circumstances are very unique. I enjoy a good stop the bad guy story especially one where an evil black hat man is murdering children. this story reminded me of harry potter instead of muggels we have lambs and the leopard world instead of the magic world.

Before learning of Japanese horror I was a fan of Japanise art, anime, and culture. Myself having watched countless hours of Japanise anime and documentaries on the culture of Japan as well as other Asian countries. The major tropes that I could decern a difference between Western and Japanese cultures were ghosts and spirits. In western culture, ghosts are unwanted and feared usually seen haunting people or places. Many films have been made as horror is a cheap genre of film to make and ghosts that can't be seen are scary and makes it easy to shoot. The Japanese culture calls them spirits. I've seen a range of spirits. Ones that are worshiped, honored, considered good, and ones that help people. I've also seen them in many forms, not like the stereotypical western way of a white floating figure. I like how in the japanize culture they taking may forms my favorite being animals some wise and respected some tricksters and many in between.

As a child, I fantasized of being a vampire. What kid didn't at the age of 8. Those horror tropes of having fangs, being able to turn in to a bat, control people, and be immortal. were so cool to younger me. I remember vividly watching Disney's "Little Vampire" and running around my house with a blanket as a cape trying it bite my cousins. My mother never let me scary movies as a child so they seemed like another hero to me till I grew older and saw all the dark and scary movies I was deprived of as a child. Seeing vampires as these blood-sucking animals who only served their own agendas and hunger. I remember all the darker horror tropes vampires had of murdering the weak for blood and sleeping in coffins. As a teen, I watched "Being Human" on TV and liked the concept of Vampires being no different with families and lives. The character struggling to fit into the human world as he fought his urges and tried to find alternatives to killing people and using h