Review: Power Rangers

The original Power Rangers holds a special place in my childhood.  It came out right a little too late for my age group, but with perfect timing for my younger brother's, and it was a show we both watched and fell into hard.  Thanks to my brother's love for it and my own love of previous shows like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, it caught me when it probably shouldn't have.  I watched each episode as they came out, played with the action figures and even wrote some horrible fanfiction - which thankfully never made it onto the internet.

To this day I love the show, though I can scarcely watch it now.  The effects do not hold up, especially when you're an adult who pays a bit more attention and notices the now very obvious inconsistencies between the US and Japanese footage.  Still, my love for many of the characters, specifically the first Green Ranger, endures and I'll happily admit that my signed VHS clamshell of the first movie is one of the most awesome things in my geek collection.

With the movie coming out, there's a lot of feelings for me to get through.  The child in me loves the idea that there's new Power Rangers and maybe my love of the cheesiness will be able to combine with my need for updated and good looking graphics into something awesome.  But the adult fan in me is really wary of other remakes out there (such as Transformers and GI Joe) where the action overtook the entire movie and the results were less then stellar.  There's also the side of me who saw that fan trailer for a much darker Power Rangers take and loved every second of it - so I dare to hope for something that isn't so kid friendly and is a little bit deeper then most of Hollywood would dare to go.

There's also the whole controversy with what happened to David Yost, the original Blue Ranger, and how he was bullied on the set for being gay, to the point that he nearly committed suicide.  As a queer woman myself I can't ignore the dark history of the show in that respect and that same part of me hopes that the movie will - at the very least - take a step in the right direction to make up for the wrongs.  Especially now that it's been announced that one of the new rangers is LGBT and another is on the autistic spectrum.

So yeah, there's a lot to unpack there and a lot of mixed feelings coming with me into the movie theater, whether I like it or not.

What's it about?

We all know the tale.  A group of teenagers stumble across magical coins and an alien space ship, only to find out that they're they chosen ones who will become the Power Rangers.  But first, even before they can consider taking down the horrible threat that is Rita Repulsa, they must train and awaken their powers.

Thoughts?

To save myself a lot of disappointment, I went into the movie with the lowest expectations I could. As I mentioned above, I was wary, but still really excited to jump on this ride. And the verdict? Go see this movie!

This part is spoiler free and I'll add spoilers below a picture for those who are interested, but over all, I loved the movie.  From start to end it was a fantastic ride and even the morning after I could probably sit you down and go on and on - but it's really hard to tell a lot of what I liked without spoilers, but I'll do my best.

First things first, while I'm telling you to go see this movie, don't misunderstand.  Go in with low expectations and just enjoy the ride.  There really is nothing hugely deep or groundbreaking in this reboot.  Yes, some character stories have been changed, yes many details have been added, but at the core we all know the familiar pattern that is coming.  If you've watched any of the original Power Rangers episodes, you know how this goes and the movie is the same. But this predictability does not take away from the experience.  Instead it enhances it for the fan, because you're getting what you came for in probably one of the best ways: it's a lot of fun.

Where the movie really excelled was actually where reboots should: characters.  Most of us are familiar with Jason, Kimberly, Billy, Zack and Trini from our childhoods.  The versions in this film are all them at the core, but where the original TV series had these characters fit very standard and one note molds, this movie fleshes them out into fully 3 dimensional characters.  No one here is a cardboard cut out, everyone has good features and flaws and some of them really suck.  All of these characters are actual teenagers - stuck at that point in their life where you have the potential to make some really horrible life altering choices and you have to live with them.  In this the movie knows it's audience and demographic and doesn't shy away from it.  Arguably the 'darker and grittier' tone portrayed in the film and trailer is a perfect fit, for how important that part of a person's life can be and how the choices can ripple through the rest of your life and beyond.

Even Zordon and Rita are given fully fleshed out roles.  While Rita is very different from the one we might remember, it's an improvement.  Gone in the annoyingly loud witch with her stupid mascot minions and in her place is a legitimate threat that you can easily believe is there to destroy everything.  She doesn't need long monologues to do it, she will just kill you and your friends if you stand in her way and she will not hesitate - she is not someone to disregard.  Even Zordon moves past the boring floating head who doles out advice - and I don't want to ruin it, but I very much love the direction they took his character in.

The setting, the characters and the story have all been expanded upon in ways I didn't realize until now I wanted from the original series.  If I'd seen this movie as a teenager, I know I would have latched on with all my fannish heart and never let go.  As an adult I'm reacting in exactly the same way, with a little bit of nostalgia mixed in and a heavy dose of respect for where things were taken and expanded on.

Yes there are flaws, but they are nitpicky at most and honestly they didn't really detract from the movie at all and are hardly worth mentioning.

Final Thoughts? (For those who don't want spoilers)

I loved this movie.  From beginning to end it was a thrill ride that took my nostalgic heart to cloud 9 and even brought my critical author mind with.  Yes there are flaws and no, the movie is not a deep masterpiece. However this movie is exactly what it needs to be: a fun thrill ride that reminds you of your childhood and still tells a new story that anyone can enjoy.  With all the franchise burnout out there now, it's a welcome sight to see a movie that took the first installment seriously enough to give us a complete film that we could enjoy without worrying about setup for something more.  The set up is there at the end, but it's organic and not shoehorned in by a studio eager to rush forward to the next buck.  I came out caring about these characters and wanting to see more of their story - which is exactly how first movies should begin.

Oh and this time?  I actually liked all of the Power Rangers, not just one or two with a tolerance of the others.  I loved them all... but I loved Billy the best.

Which brings me to spoilers....

As I said above, my two major concerns in this movie centered around the portrayal of Billy, especially considering how the original actor was treated.  Throughout this movie, there is quite a bit of importance placed on Billy.  One could actually argue that he's the main character, even though a good portion of the movie is seen through Jason's eyes.  This attention to Billy doesn't hurt the film in anyway, but it did leave me with a very distinct feeling.

This movie, more then anything, felt like a honest to goodness, heartfelt apology.  And to say that I have to give quite a bit of explanation that could, actually, ruin a good portion of the movie - thus the spoiler tag. Billy is portrayed as the misfit in the group of misfits - not because he's worse, but because he's different in a different way.  He is the one in the group that gets honest to goodness bullied for just being himself and the only one. As the story progresses, Billy is given an importance that the other characters don't get, and attention that would usually be afforded to only the main character.  He is the one who sets several things in motion and it wouldn't be a hard fight to say that they never would have been Power Rangers if it weren't for him.  He is repeatedly shown as an important member of the team and not just the comic relief or the cliche nerd.  Even more amazing is that at no time is Billy ashamed of who he is - even though the other characters have moments of self doubt, Billy is a rock for them all to hold on to and provides an amazing amount of stability not often found in characters, much less in characters on the spectrum.

In all of this Billy is important in ways that a nerd almost never is.  That an autistic character never is and in a way that the original Billy was never allowed to be. This is why this struck me as an apology in the best way.  A conscious choice was made to give Billy all these parts and make him stand out while still giving him a character who we could all love and cheer for, and that the story very much needed.  By placing Billy in the role of the 'everyman' character more so then the others, we all get to identify with him.  In Billy I saw aspects of myself and in him I also saw many of my now friends who stand out as amazing individuals with a degree of self love and acceptance that most fight all their lives to obtain.  As a queer person familiar with the past of the show I was only hopeful that they would make him a whole character and instead I received a character with a degree of writing and wholeness that even the best written movies struggle to reach. This is the Billy we wanted and sincerely needed and the movie is so much better because of it.

And as for Trini being the first LGBT superhero?  This news was a bit overblown.  Trini has two lines in a single scene that bring it up, but are not concrete.  She does not state that she is gay, she does not state that she isn't.  Instead she's firmly in the area of questioning and still discovering what she's willing to admit to herself, much less those around her.  Oddly, though, I'm not upset by this and am quite happy with the portrayal.  As much as I loved Billy and the role the movie gave him, I identified most with Trini.  As a teenager growing up I remember more times then not how different I felt and how I struggled to put those feelings to words - to others and to myself.  Trini's unsure character and unwillingness to conform to a specific label was a small but important moment that I could have really used as a teen and still super appreciate to this day.  It's small and subtle, but just as important as all the other characters and in a way will make the movie stick with me at a heartfelt level.

Final final thoughts?

I guess, overall, maybe that's what should be taken away from this movie.  Not only was it a fun action ride, but it's a movie that portrays teenagers as just that.  There's no stereotypical disdain and stupid undercurrent of millennial hatred laced through the narrative, it's instead a story of self discovery.  In the end they don't have to learn to listen to the older parents, they learn to listen to themselves and become something more then those same people expected.  These Power Rangers don't just fulfill expectations, they move beyond them and create a power that even their mentors and parents didn't expect.  Whether that power is used for good or evil in the future remains to be seen, but the promise of greatness is there - which is exactly how teenagers should be portrayed: with the respect that any other aged character would ever be afforded and not the disdain that the previous generation usually clings to.

So yes, go see this movie.  I know I'll be eagerly awaiting that preorder option and I might possibly be in line to buy tickets to another showing.

Con Alert: Naka-Kon in Kansas this weekend!

That's right, convention season has started again and we're starting off as busy as ever!

This weekend you can find us as guests at Naka-Kon in Kansas!

We'll have a table in Artist Alley as usual, not to mention a couple different panels and even the Masquerade!  Don't forget to stop by and say hi!

We'll also be offering preorders of magnifiqueNOIR, so if you didn't get a chance to pledge to the Indiegogo Campaign and reserve your copy, you still can.  Not to mention... we'll have prints!

See you there!

**Want to see us at a future con by you?  Don't forget to suggest us as guests to the con's suggestion forms.  

ConLife: So What Can I Sell at Artist Alley?

Welcome to ConLife! Where in I tackle some of the questions people have asked about us travelling to so many conventions a year and selling our crafts, books and costumes. Have questions? Comment with them and let me know what you'd like me to answer!

In the last article for ConLife, I looked at the background of tabling at a con. Our con season is about to pick up again next month so I am jumping back into this grouping of articles.

On to this article: So how do you determine what you can sell at a convention?

Step into the Dealers Room and the Artist Alley at a convention and you'll be confronted with tables upon tables and shelves of all sorts of things to buy. A quick eye can easily pick out trends and similarities between products. Prints, buttons, plush animals and comics are some of the easiest to spot and the most common. So all you have to do is make those same things and you'll succeed right?

Unfortunately it's not quite that easy and just like pondering joining the fray there's a lot to consider. So hopefully these tips will help you figure out where you can fit yourself and your art. And, as I've said before, I'm not an expert on this so there will be some trial and error, but that's all part of the fun.


1. What do I like to do?

The first place you need to look is not in the Dealer's Room, but rather at yourself. Art wise, what do you like to do? This is especially important because if your plan works and you do start selling the stuff you make, you'll be making A LOT of it. So make sure whatever you're crafting is something you enjoy. Beyond that you want to make sure it's something that will keep you interested, with a bit of space to grow in the future.

For example, a large part of my life in Artist Alley is making plush animals and they've gone through many different versions over the years (I have an article planned on that later, I promise). The reason they've lasted so long is not just because I love making them, but because there was also a reasonable amount of room for me to grow my skills as an artist. Over time I've learned different sewing techniques, what fabric works for what and created many different patterns. All of this has to be taken into consideration. So if you hate sketching and coloring with markers, that's probably not what you should be selling. Yes, some things are more popular then others, but trends always change over time and those who really love what they do, are good at it and expand their talents are the ones who seem to stick around the longest, so it's real important to keep in mind.

2. What can I provide stock of?

Generally, when you're filling a table, there's two types of items, and each comes with pros and cons.

'Print button' items are the ones you'll see the most of - such as prints, buttons, charms, books etc. These are items which you make once and then all you have to do is order more. These are the quickest to stock, as they only take a huge time investment at the beginning. However, you will have to keep track of inventory and make sure you allow enough time for more to be delivered before each convention.

The other items tend to be custom, or limited items. These range much more in variety and generally take a longer amount of time each time you make them. Such as, if you were to sell any sort of plush animal, you do need to account the amount of time it takes to make each individual item, and stocking may take much longer between cons. (Unless you pay for a company to make them for you, then they would fall under the first type.)

So which is the best? There's no simple answer to that, because everyone's skill level and time is different. However we've found that it's good to have a variety, so that if you run out of custom and limited items your table isn't empty of stock.

3. What is ALL over?

Conventions used to be a lot less common then they are now. Now, you can find one almost every weekend somewhere in the world and many times there are multiples on the same weekends. What this means is that there's a lot of choices out there of items for people to buy and it's really easy for your table to drown in the crowd.

So consider what is already out there. Pay attention to the conventions you go to and what people like to buy, what seems to sell out, and what seems to never move from tables. This is all subjective and will change constantly, so there's really no way to predict. What you can do, however, is keep it in mind when you're deciding and make sure you give yourself a variety of options.

For example Pokemon Go is popular and if you love Pokemon and have a lot of Pokemon art, that's great! But not everyone loves it and if you only have Pokemon you're limiting the number of people who will stop by your table and buy your items. Conversely if you love anime that the majority of people don't tend to watch, your prints and art may not sell as well because people just don't know what it is. But when you find that one fan who knows what the series is, then it's even better!

This extends to the type of items you sell as well. If you're in an artist alley FULL of print artists, your prints may not stand out against the crowd. So offer a variety of items and fandoms and adjust as needed.


4. What is your brand?

This is something that a lot of business classes mention that you should consider and may seem beyond where you are now, just starting out, but hear me out. A brand is a cohesive image of you, your table and what you sell. This doesn't mean you have to make sure everything on your table matches, but little bits that make your table stand out could go a long way, especially if you plan on doing this more then once.

A brand can range from a full table theme, complete with bags and price stickers and flyers - to a simple matching color scheme across all your items. Find something you like, something small and unique that's you and keep it. Use this when setting up your table, marking the items you sell and on business cards. You want to give people something unique to remember that this is you, so in case they ever want to find you again, they can.

Now, as a note, a lot of tables around you will have fancy banners and large shelving units and awesome themes. I would actually suggest staying away from this at the beginning. The reason is because your table will shift and change as you figure out where you fit best in the con selling world. You want to give yourself room to expand and grown and the last thing you want is to be trapped with a banner or other expensive table accessory that you can no longer use. Safe those big purchases for later.


5. Con Rules

I can not stress this enough, but this is the most important rule you will come across. Pay attention to convention rules. Every convention will have a page or a document with the rules they expect artists and sellers to follow. Make sure that your display and what you sell fits these rules. Because, honestly, if you decide to ignore these rules you can lose your table and not get your money back. Worst of all, head organizers remember, and if you decide to disregard rules, word will get around and you may soon find yourself with many less cons to go to.

These rules will vary, so it's best to have a display that multiple options. Some conventions have height limits, rules about what can hang on the back of your display and even what type of display you can use. They will also have rules about what can be in your portfolio. Some conventions don't allow fanart, some want 50/50 and some have a lit of specific fandoms you can't sell from. You may disagree, but remember you're not running the event. Follow the rules and use the suggest page, forum and after-con surveys to POLITELY plead your case for change.

You can also use these rules to your advantage with a little careful thought. For example, we have a convention we're headed to that is a 50/50 fanart and original art rule. So we decided to use this convention to launch one of our new original books, because we already know that people who go to this con are used to seeing (and buying) original pieces. You can make almost any rule work for you, just give it a little thought.


Selling at conventions can range from a simple once a year hobby to a full time job and over all, what you sell will change with what you're comfortable with and where your abilities can take you. Don't be afraid of change - because honestly adaptation is part of the game. Instead try whatever you can and eventually you'll find your space.

Jessica and Briana (Snow & Brichibi Cosplays) travel to about 15 conventions a year, dressing up in costumes, giving panels about writing and body positivity. Frequently at these conventions you can find us in Artist Alley or the Dealer's Room selling their novels, art and costumes. Got some questions about Artist Alley and the convention life we live? Just comment and maybe it'll be the next subject I cover on my blog!

Review: Yuri On Ice (Anime)

Yuri on the Ice exploded on the internet and is a prime example of why I don't watch anime anymore on a weekly basis.  I can't handle the fandom explosions and the drama of waiting week by week for a series to come out - though those aren't bad things.  I'm too impatient and Netflix has taught me I prefer to binge and marathon.  So I waited until this series was all out without looking at too many spoilers (though I heard a lot) and I'm glad I waited! (And I'm sorry I'm so late in posting this review!)

What's it about?

Fresh off his failure to place at the Grand Prix last year, Yuri Katsuki is taking some time off at home to consider the next moves in his figure skating career and life as a whole.  The sudden appearance of Victor Nikiforov at his family's hot sprinsg kicks that decision into high gear.  Victor is his idol and is now insisting on being his coach to get him back into skating, and Yuri has no idea how any of this happened.

Thoughts?

First and foremost - and the thing that stuck out to me most about this series, is that this is not a Yaoi series.  Where as most anime with gay characters tends to be marketed as such, this series was not and it benefited from it and that was one of the things I over heard unfolding in the fandom while I was waiting to watch the series.  Instead of drawing in only that fandom crowd (which isn't bad) fans were treated to a story that very slowly built up the relationship between the characters and slowly pushed beyond the subtext into pure canon territory with an organic feel that wasn't forced at all.  Many fans came in to watch this series expecting to get something like Free! where the tension is there but no actual canon action.  When the canon action came (and I don't consider this a spoiler, because honestly I don't know how you avoided not hearing about the characters in this series, whether you watched it or not) people were stunned and amazed - because they all hoped for it, but never thought they'd actually get it.  This treatment allows us to get a love story about two figure skaters who just happen to be gay - rather then a gay romance about men who just happen to be skaters.  The difference may be small, but in a world of queer baiting (I hate that term, tbh) and "bury your gays" it's a much needed difference.

The story is amazing, and I'm not just saying that as a fangirl.  I'm truly impressed by how this story unfurls and introduces you to all of these characters from around the world.  I came away from the story really disliking only 1 of them, out of the entire cast, and that's a feat.  I absolutely love Yurio and how his story is so different from Yuri's.  I would love to delve more into his world and his character, should a second season be produced, but really I'll be happy with them expanding on any of the characters because I love them all (except one).

The animation and the music stand out in this series.  From the simplicity and catchiness of the opening with it's water color animation to the absolute detail when the characters are skating.  I know nothing about the world of figure skating, and even I could see how their performances improved across the episodes beyond the announcers telling us when they aced or flubbed a jump.  The show also does a good job of showing Yuri lose the weight he gained from episode 1 to the final in very subtle body changes.  He's not turned into a short and fat chibi character like most anime would do (looking at you Accel World) but instead it's more realistic and you can see the change as he works out and practices.  Seriously, it is worth your time to go onto tumblr after watching this series and marvel at the amazing number of gif sets created, showing the differences between episodes.  There's attention to detail in the animation that they didn't have to do, but the fact that they did it makes it even more impressive.  Yuri's performances alone with all his falls and triumphs are amazing, especially when you think of the extra animation this required.

Another note on the animation is something that isn't used to often, but here was done masterfully and deserves some attention.  Years ago there was a series called Gankutsuou where every single thing was patterned and while it gave the characters a unique look, it was a little hard to watch because the patterns didn't move with the characters, they remained static on the screen (like a blue screen effect in it's infancy).  In Yuri on Ice the effect is used masterfully with the different skater's costumes, to show the sparkles as they move.  This effect, even though it's used sparingly, just adds to the animation and makes them seem that much more real.  I could watch these characters skate for days and I would never get sick of the animation.  Kudos to this team for using that technique.

Final thoughts?

I am in love with this series.  Honestly.  More then most slice of life anime I've seen recently, this has a high place in my books and I'm eagerly waiting to find out if there will be a season 2.  And in the meantime, I think I'm going to go rewatch it and hunt down some fanfic and fanart while I wait.

Where'd I get it?

Crunchyroll has the entire series streaming.

It's also worth noting that Octopimp is making a hilarious abridged version of the series called "Yaoi on the Rocks" which is also worth your time.

The Ladies Are Back! magnifiqueNOIR on IndieGoGo!

They're back!!

My partner has relaunched her project magnifiqueNOIR as an IndieGoGo - so that this time we can get the book published no matter what!  But we still need your help to make this happen - after all, publishing, printing, editing, formatting, book covers and artwork all cost money, especially when the project is self published. 

Please join the IndieGoGo!  

As part of it you'll be able to preorder the book and receive art with the book at a discounted price!  We have prints of all the girls, specific themed packages and a whole bunch more!

We want to make these girls a reality and it's going to happen.  Especially now, with the need for diverse stories being that much more important.  Please consider helping us out, or at the very least passing this link along.  

And always remember: You are magical!

Cosplay Closet - Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo

Part two in my blog series where I'm going through some of the old cosplay I've made over the years, this time it's Gankutsuou!

Based on the book The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, this anime is a spectacle for sure.  It takes the well known story and turns it into a sort of space/futuristic opera style with lavish style, mechs and outfits to die for. I could go on and on about how much I love this anime and as such, it's probably the series that I have made the most outfits for. At the time when I was watching it, I had plans to make costumes for so many of the characters and all of these costumes were so far above my skill level, but I didn't care!  If there's any series I can credit with increasing my skills, it would be this one, no contest.

Countess G - My very first cosplay from this anime, she is also a landmark for myself.  This cosplay marks the first time I moved into making the hugely detailed dresses I'm so comfortable with now.  At the time I didn't see myself as beautiful and thought crossplay was probably all I could handle, but certainly not huge dresses!  I remember watching the show and absolutely loving how the Countess looked, even though she was barely in the show, and I made up my mind that I wanted to try and make that dress.


At the time, I had minimal sewing skill, but decided to use a Vogue pattern to make the red dress (big mistake!)  I managed to fumble my way through the complicated pattern somehow and then hand painted the entire dress with the flower design, because there was no fabric I could find with it already on there.  Also, since the promotional art from the show didn't show the back of her dress, I had to make that design up on the fly.  This was also the first time I'd ever successfully styled and colored a wig (adding in the silver streaks) and made my own jewelry by combining existing pieces I found at the local Clarie's and garage sales.  The result is a cosplay I'm still proud of to this day, even if it no longer fits me and certainly didn't hold up for more then a few wears.

Countess G (Robe) - I even loved the character so much, that I did another iteration of her outfit from the one other scene she shows up in.  This time she's seen only taking a shower and stepping out in a huge plush robe full of colors.  Obviously I needed to wear more then that to the con, so I made myself a robe and used a spray-bottle of ink to color it, then designed my own nightgown in the same style of the show to go with it.  This dress I still have and thankfully it held up much better then the red painted dress.  (I was unable to locate the screenshot I based it on.)












Mercedes de Morcerf - After making the Countess dress for myself, my partner wanted to join in the action.  So we decided to make her a couple different versions of Mercedes' outfits throughout the series.  I made her pink dress and her nightgown from scratch, while the shopping outfit we combined found and altered pieces with a cute dress I made. My partner took it upon herself to handle the painting that was needed for the pink dress and the shopping outfit and went all out with styling her hair to look as close as she could at the time.  A couple of things were learned.  First off, for the pink dress, I didn't know how to add sleeves to a strapless dress at the time, so I just added them to the green piece across the top.  I quickly learned that I couldn't cut corners this way and have since learned how to frankenstein patterns as needed.  We also learned that when painting fabrics you have to be very careful about the thickness, or it will crack and peel and the same applies to hats.

Heloise Villefort - While I wasn't much of a fan of the character, I was still caught up in all the costumes and wanted to challenge myself again.  I chose her dress because it was lovely and presented a whole new set of items to conquer.  Specifically I didn't want to paint the dress again, so this time I broke into the patterned fabric.  I made the main dress out of a patterned cotton and then overlaid a green lace and added another pattern to the hoop skirt under it.  Not to mention I used a color shifting fabric for the top.  I love this dress and still wear it, though now without the top coat and I've been considering repurposing it into a Poison Ivy costume. 

Valentine Villefort - And finally, I also made Valentine's dress from the last episode.  One of the cool things about this series was that for the final episode they brought in designer Anna Sui to create costumes for all the characters.  At the time I didn't know who she was, but these costumes were even more gorgeous and I chose the one that would give me a challenge (sensing a theme?).  Valentine's dress was super cute and that front panel was the biggest challenge - so I learned from my mother how to hand quilt the patterned pieces together.  This dress also no longer fits me, but I'm so proud of that quilted piece I can't bear to let it go.


As time has gone by I've come across many anime series that inspire me to do multiple costumes, sadly I generally don't have the time to do it before something else catches my fancy.  Still, Gankutsuou will always stand out as one of the foundation series of my anime fandom as a whole and a perfect example of how cosplay has pushed me to learn all I know today.

Review: American Horror Story Hotel

What's it about?

Welcome to the Hotel Cortez, the finest hotel in LA. Sure, it's a little dated, but that adds to the charm.  And sure, there's some rooms that smell, or ones that have rotting corpses sewn into matrices, but all hotels have those right?  I suppose you'll just have to deal with it now, because once you've booked a room, the chances of leaving are slim to none.

Thoughts?

Ever since the first season I have loved American Horror Story for it's story and characters.  This season, I would have to say, is my favorite, hands down.  The characters, the story, the setting and the way in which everything unfurled with a delightfully slow burn all worked together perfectly, and I even enjoyed the call backs to Coven and Murder House that were mixed in.

This season introduced a couple new actors to the ever revolving cast of the series and new characters that really left an impression, along with some old favorites who once again proved they have the talent to be just about anyone. No worries, no spoilers here.

Lady Gaga as the Countess - was my second favorite character of the show.  I'll admit, her character being based on Elizabeth Bathory makes me a teeny bit biased, as I have a love for Pre-Twilight vampire stories and the Blood Countess was always interesting to me.  Here, she's a Countess only in name and presenting, but she earns the titles none the less.  Lady Gaga did an amazing job portraying the story of a full on woman, who loved men and women, controlled her entire life and lost all of it.  She goes through such a range in this series that it's a real mistake to pass her off as the 'replacement for Jessica Lange' that so many thought she would be.  Her story arc is the back bone of this season and it's well worth watching.

Denis O'Hare as Liz Taylor - now she was my favorite character and completely took me by surprise.  While I went in expecting to really like a lot of the characters (I always do), the show wisely held off on telling you Liz's back story until half way through so she was a staple of the hotel, someone always in the background who seemed to know everything and had an air of mystery about her that you really wanted to know.  And when her back story does come up? I loved it, beyond words.  I would tell you more, but I don't want to ruin it for you.  The slow reveal of who she is, where she came from and who she becomes is perfectly told and shouldn't be spoiled.

My favorite thing about this season, hands down, is the sense of belonging that the Hotel gives all the characters.  In spite of the place being haunted and full of horrors, it's very plain to see that this is a home to these characters because it gives them what they couldn't find in the outside world.  Much like Freakshow no one here belongs out in the real world and they've managed to make their own home into a place where they feel safe; but unlike Freakshow we get a sense of the hotel becoming a home, rather then seeing then seeing it be a home that falls to pieces.  Yes, the hotel is scary, but only at first glance.  Once you come to know the 'monsters' inside, they become more real then fantasy and in the end you're left caring about all of them, no matter what flaws they have.  More then that, you're left rooting for them to survive and for the Hotel to survive, because there is no place for them in the outside world and even these sad horrific things deserve a home where they can be safe and be themselves.

The only thing I didn't like?  I would have to say it's the Addiction Demon.  While I recognize that every season needs that scary looking monster to put in the promos, here it wasn't needed and it wasn't really used.  We saw the demon a couple times, and then it was gone, being nothing important.  Though, to be fair, most of the 'monsters' this season turned out to be very normal looking, so without him they wouldn't really have had much to put in the promos to scare people.  I just wish they'd either worked him a bit more into the story, or left him out completely.

Final thoughts?

Best season so far.  I can't wait to see the next.

Where'd I get it?

Streaming on Netflix, which is why I'm a season behind.  I have to wait for it to come to Netflix each time.