Thinking Out Loud: Do Cyborgs Dream of Electric Lesbians?

Following on from my watching of the 2019 Ghost In The Shell film, I was discussing the franchise with friends and one of them was surprised when I mentioned that, canonically, Mokoto is a Lesbian. Is this something that people are not aware of? I'll admit that most versions don't cover Mokoto's sexuality as explicitly as the original Manga, with that one page I'm sure you found pretty quick, but even Stand Alone Complex has pretty obvious elements hinting at what's going on, or did you not notice that all of Mokoto's friends are women and they like to all sleep in her four-poster bed? I think the problem of "Queer Invisibility" is down to two reasons with Ghost In The Shell, one being that a hetronormative societal lens tends to minimalise queer behaviour; "oh they're just gal-pals!". Secondly, elements of Japanese Queer culture are not often translated over to the West and can be missed. Even with all my broad reading and viewing, I've found scant little available in English, though I highly recommend the novel Forbidden Colours if you can find it.

Anyway, let's discuss that infamous page in the manga, the one with all the naked women. There's some translation issues, but what is essentially happening is a group of women are using cyberwear to link their brains together and trigger a shared orgasm. Now, that's not strictly sex as we currently understand it, but it's pretty damn sapphic behaviour, especially for a high-ranking member of the Japanese Military. And here's were we finally get to the point I have to make about Scarlett Johanssen playing Mokoto. In Stand Alone Complex and S.A.C. 2nd Gig, it is pretty strongly hinted that Mokoto defected to Japan during "the war" (in-setting there was a third World War, but the details are pretty sketchy), most probably from Europe, as she's dismissive of Americans pretty often. But why bother with this character element? Well, even today, Queer persons and culture tend to be marginalised in Japan, so a Japanese creator wanting to make a queer character might be expected to find a way around criticism by, just for example, making her European rather than native-born Japanese.

Now, the 2017 Ghost In The Shell kind of wimps out on what could have been an interesting premise around Mokoto's origins and sexuality, but how much of that is down to backlash against Johanssen playing a character many assume to be Asian is pretty difficult to determine. I recall getting into a pretty fierce argument with a Chinese-Australian acquaintance who was adamant that Johanssen was "stealing" the role from an East Asian actor, and whilst I can see her perspective, Mokoto is, in a sense, a European woman wearing the "shell" of a Japanese woman. Of course, the 2017 version did nothing with this premise, which could have been really interesting, instead making Mokoto a Japanese woman in a European cyborg shell. I tend to believe that particular script element was due to backlash against Johanssen in the press, but of course I can never prove it. Hopefully any future adaptations of the story and characters for Western audiences do something interesting with Mokoto and her complexities.

Superhero Media: Birds of Prey And the Fabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn

Despite the full title of this film being Birds of Prey And the Fabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, I'm sure my readers will forgive my referring to it as merely Birds of Prey for the duration. After the solidly uninteresting Joker, I was not expecting much of, what was essentially, a sequel to Suicide Squad, but in the cinema I was blown away by the most Riot Grrl film I've seen in years. Picking up on the night of a post-breakup bender, Harley finds herself embroiled in a chaotic wingding plot encompassing a missing diamond, Black Mask, Cassandra Cain, Black Canary, Renee Montoya and Huntress. Despite the mixed reviews and disappointing box office returns, Birds of Prey is probably one of the best of the DCU films to date, just edging out SHAZAM! in my estimation. It's not perfect, but even I, with my film degree and high expectations for this genre especially, came out with only a couple of notes. I do think a more "comics-accurate" version of Cassandra Cain could have worked in the film, especially as she first appeared in the "No Man's Land" storyline, but the Bat-fans that hold that element against the film are really being a bit petty. 

The soundtrack is a glorious post-Riot Grrl explosion of vitriol and third wave feminism, though not including any Bikini Kill seems a waste, and, as an Aussie, I like hearing Spiderbait, but "Buy Me A Pony" would have worked much better in the evidence locker fight scene than "Black Betty". On a more personal note, I think Rosie Perez is an amazing Montoya, it's astonishing to see a mature, Lantina woman in an action role, especially playing queer; the only shame is I'm unlikely to ever see her play The Question. The Gotham presented in Birds of Prey is a vibrant, multicultural metropolis, with the kind of blended population that real cities of that size have, giving perhaps the most grounded and "real" version of Gotham in the history of film. Crime is still rampant, and the police are bent, but there are ordinary people just trying to get by, running shops, driving cabs and cooking the best bacon sandwiches in the city. It's a Gotham City I can see people living in despite the costumed vigilantes and attendant psychopaths, as there is opportunity and plenty of sunshine between the patches of grime. 

In terms of plot, Birds of Prey isn't truly deep by any measure, but the narrative is strong enough that the fast pace keeps it all together more than well enough and gives plenty of room for the characters to flex. And it is the characters that drive Birds of Prey, Harley is in the centre, as her name is in the title, but everyone gets to shine, even if doing so takes some odd forms, like Huntress finally getting to make a badass line after killing someone. I think the best evidence that Birds of Prey is truly solid and well-formed is that I honestly want to keep seeing the characters having further adventures, and not just because I have all of them as miniatures. I'm honestly not big on Harley Quinn as a character, and did not enjoy pretty much any part of Suicide Squad, but I'm keen to see another film in this series; not to mention hoping that Montoya, Huntress and Black Canary get another outing as well. The shift of the DCEU films to only being so linked as they feel like being means that "Glitterbomb Riot Grrl Deadpool" can exist and be its own entity at the same time as more dour and generic films in the Batman franchise. More of this please.

Drokk the Law!! - Part XXII

Just a quick update as I finished the first of my Brutal Cities terrain. 

Mongoose Hondo Judge for scale. These barriers aren't much, but every little bit of progress helps. I have mentioned that I wanted some "soft" cover for the table and these will do nicely. Painting was a quick spray with a graffiti can of yellow and a run over with a Sharpie, fast and patchy but in a way that makes them look worn and used, ideal for Mega City One. 

Superhero Media: Ghost In The Shell (2017)

I was going to spend much of this article discussing the various controversies surrounding this version of Ghost In The Shell, but after watching it, I've decided to discuss the merits and flaws of the film here only. The rest of the controversy and how it relates to the broader franchise will be discussed in a "Thinking Out Loud" that I'll try and post close to this so that it makes sense. Based more so on the 1995 Anime than the original Manga, Ghost In The Shell follows the story of The Major and Public Security Section 9 as they chase cyber-terrorists through the canyons and slums of near-future Tokyo. As far as being a Ghost In The Shell story, the film is not great, making several jarring changes for seemingly no reason, then not following them up or doing anything interesting narratively with them. As a general cyberpunk film, however, Ghost In The Shell is pretty damn good, with well-visualised 'net sequences, cool looking cyberwear and lots of funky design elements.

In fact, I've been somewhat struggling with finding inspiration to build and paint stuff for Reality's Edge, a cyberpunk miniatures game that is a lot of fun, but will also take up a lot of time and energy if I let it. Watching Ghost In The Shell, the version of Tokyo presented is well-grounded, with glittering spires of the wealthy abutting slums and squalor, the gleam of Mokoto's synthetic skin contrasted with the dirty cyberwear of the Yakusa thugs. As much as I don't want to be one of "those guys", but if the specific Ghost In The Shell elements were taken out and the film was just about a Cyber Police Squad chasing a terrorist, Ghost In The Shell would be pretty damn enjoyable. The scenes directly taken from the 1995 film are not well done, like the reveal of the garbage man's daughter not existing coming too early and the famous diving scene only being used for exposition.

Probably my favourite scene involves "The Chief" fending off a hit-squad with nothing but an antique revolver and a briefcase; it's a kind of "Yoda with a lightsabre" moment, in that in all my viewing of Ghost In The Shell media, I've assumed The Chief was pretty gangbuster, but it was nice to have it confirmed. I was surprised how much I enjoyed watching Ghost In The Shell, but I doubt that I'll be revisiting it anytime soon, as what charms there are to be found are somewhat shallow. As we shall see, I find much of the controversy surrounding the film to be tiresome, and often seems to take on a tone of political gamesmenship more so than a genuine appreciation for the franchise. With luck, anyone who watched this version will find their way to the 1995 film and the better versions of the Anime that followed on from there.

Drokk the Law!! - Part XXI

Game day came around again, and it was time to try out my new terrain, a new gang and my counters. 

So my Brutal Cities buildings need a lot more work, and I'm still iffy on the mat, but the table is looking a hell of a lot more like a city right now. With some more scatter, posters and street art, we should have something very cool to play our games on. After playing the game, I also think I need more Light cover, as currently, there's little reason for gangs to break out of Heavy cover for games, but I already have some stuff for that in the pipeline as well. 

Game one saw my newly finished Vatican Judges against Andy's classic Brian Ansell Blockers in a Demolition mission. The Blockers have to get to a central objective and perform a series of Special Actions next to it to prepare the explosives and win the game. 

Both Andy and I deployed in and around the new buildings, hoping to get to play them through a little and get a feel for them. The Blockers had a range and numbers advantage, so they would hope to keep the Judges pinned down while some Punks made a run for the central objective. I needed to use my superior armour and good short-range fire to whittle away the Punks and have them make Will to Fight Checks. 

The first clash comes as the leader of the Brian Ansell Blockers spots a Judge moving through a building. Some wild Spit Gun shots fail to do much against the holy armour, so the fighting gets up-close and personal pretty quickly. The fearsome chainsaw proves no match for the trusty daystick though, and the Blocker leader is laid low and sent to the cubes. 

The Judge's victory is short-lived, however, as he mounts the stairs to get a view of the street, he is shot down by a barrage of Spit Gun fire from the opposite building. In truth, it was quite a few shots, as I kept rolling good saves, but my luck ran out before I could activate him again and get into cover. 

Further down the street, the punks are making a break for the objective, but the law is not far behind. Before he can bring his Lawrod to bear, the Judge fails to arrest the Punks, who fire back, but the hard cover proves too tough for them to crack. 

Leaving the lone Judge to the tender mercies of the Heavy Spit Gun covering the street, the Punks make a break for the objective, only to encounter the Psi Judge waiting for them, who quickly mops up the criminals with an explosive round. As numbers on both sides dwindle, the Judges have taken the centre of the table, but the constant barrage of fire is a serious threat. 

The Psi Judge climbs to the top of a nearby building, where he uses his powers and Lawgiver to slowly pick off the remaining Punks in the area. The last Street Judge picks his way through a building to take care of a feeling Juve, and with that, the game goes to the Vatican Judges. We probably dragged this one out a little too long; we forgot the turn limit, but I had it won basically from the first turn. One of the reasons I really want to get a campaign going is that on a mission like this, the Street Gang would probably withdraw after it became obvious they wouldn't get the objective. I also learnt that the Lawrod is underwhelming, so I'm working on some Vatican reinforcements before I get them on the table again. 

Game two was a straight-up Street Brawl between my Renegade Robots and Andy's City-Def. I started out a little on the backfoot, as one of my two Junkers broke down before the game started, making things about even, numbers-wise. 

The game started out much the same, with Andy's gang hunkering down in cover and mine picking their way through cover. 

Call-Me-Kermit was the MVP of the match, taking out three of the four City-Def team with lucky shots, but the best moment of the game was when Vendi, my Junker, decided to attempt to jump between buildings to save the time of climbing down and back up again. I had about a 50/50 chance, but failed and the fall was enough to take Vendi right out of the game. However, Junkers have a Saving Throw whenever they lose their last hit that can put them back in the game. I got lucky on the save and Vendi stood right up again to get back into the fight. 

The game ended as they tend to, with Haro-2-Goodbye ripping some poor human apart. These weren't the best games I've played with Andy; he was overly conservative and some sections dragged as he tended to go for the option of shooting twice rather than taking a shot and a reposition. I think in future we'll need to push more objective-focused scenarios and probably get some "soft" cover to fill out the streets and make it a little less risky to cross them. I think I'll also be boarding over some windows in my buildings so that they're less effective as bunkers. 

Superhero Media: SCOOB!

So I guess I should address all the "controversy" around SCOOB! before I talk about the good stuff right? I mean, people seemed to really hate this film, with a passion that I didn't understand at the time and still kind of don't. One, yes, SCOOB! has the "Scooby Gang" going up against a genuinely supernatural foe, which flies in the face of much of the series before it, where there was always a rational explanation and the real enemy was capitalism. Fun fact, Carl Sagan loved Scooby Doo because of how rational it was. But, it's not like that's never happened in a Scooby Doo outing before, especially with all the crossovers that the gang has enjoyed since the 1960s. Second, it's ok that the gang are Millennials now, really, they can't be groovy first-wave boomers forever, that schtick was old when they were trying it in the '90s. Hell, Velma dressed as the Notorious RBG for Halloween and Shaggy thinking it was a Harry Potter thing was one of my favourite jokes. And the voice cast changing is to be expected really, though it was good to see Frank Welker getting around some of the supporting cast. 

That SCOOB! is clearly a blatant attempt to launch a "cinematic universe" is a little annoying, but I stopped complaining the instant Dick Dastardly sent an army of robots to capture Scooby because he needed to open a portal to the Hellenic Underworld. That's just the kind of Gonzo to keep me happy, and as that's wearing off, Tracy Jordan turns up as Captain Caveman and I'm set for the second half. This is a film for kids, so I didn't go in expecting anything more than what I got and I have to say I had a good time, even with not really being familiar with Dynamutt going in. All the classic Scooby Doo jokes I remembered are there, along with enough updates to modernise, but not too many jokes about phones, thank Dog. The Simon Cowel guest spot is odd, and seems really out of place in 2020, but gets paid off in the finale, so I kind of just let that one slide. Hell, this is a big-screen film with Muttley in it, what more can you ask for? 

How about mid-credit stings with Johnny Quest and Jabberjaw? 'Cause we've got that too! Sure, SCOOB! is dumb, more than a little bit of a cash-in and leans on tired "destiny" tropes, but for what it is, it's pretty great. The superhero stuff may be the B-story, but it's mostly unique and it's been forever since I've seen a good "evil mastermind" villain. If this is the start of something like Future Quest and I end up with a team-up film featuring Space Ghost, The Galaxy Trio, Thundaar, Birdman, Blue Falcon and Captain Caveman, sign me the hell up! At least until we get the, seemingly inevitable, "grim and gritty" reboot in which Space Ghost's family was killed. Oh wait, they did that one already. Probably not the best superhero offering overall, but SCOOB! is a fun way to spend some time painting and you'll get a few laughs out of it. Shame the rest of the planned series was canned, this could have been a lot of fun to expand on. 

Thinking Out Loud: The Slizer Project - Part I

In the distant future, the most valued resource is access to the time continuum, the key to time travel. Controlled by a consortium of powerful races, the technology is protected by an elite force of warriors chosen from across time and space, who pilot the most advanced weapons systems in the universe, the Slizers!

This entry is going to be a little different to my typical fare. Much like my previous "Danton" series, in that I've dug out something from my teens (and this time childhood) and am seeing if there's anything there worth keeping. The Slizer story goes back about as far as I can remember, as it is what the overarching narrative of the games I played with my Lego became. Yes, I was one of those kids who had a story to go with certain toys they owned. Because this narrative spanned years of collecting and little games played by myself, it's pretty muddled, but thankfully, I tried to get it all sorted out at some stage in high school and somehow still have that ancient Word document kicking around my hard drive.

It all begins with a group of academics at a university, one of whom, a Postdoctoral Theoretical Physicist, manages to crack the holy grail of Science Fiction, Time Travel. Taking his friends along with him on the maiden flight (an archeologist, a classicist, a geologist and a physiologist), the team go on adventures throughout history and the near future, meeting famous people, getting into trouble and just having a whole Doctor Who meets Sliders vibe. Throughout their journey, something is stalking the team, something alien. Over time, the stress of the situation wears on the friends, with many wanting to go home, events coming to a head when they're attacked by their pursuer and the Physicist reveals he knows more than he's been letting on and attempts to dump all of his friends in the wastes of history.

We follow the archeologist, our protagonist, by the by, as he is stuck for a while in the Old West, think tail end of the American Civil War. For a few years, he hangs out on the edge of society, trying to preserve history and fix his time travel device with the available technology, ala Back to the Future - Part III, and occasionally dealing with something strange. When the local town becomes the target of an alien with powerful weaponry, our protagonist uses his 21st Century knowledge to rally the town and bring the creature down, though reveals his secrets as he does and decides to leave before his goodwill evaporates in the harsh light of day. Thankfully, the alien craft is able to access the timestream, so we're off again.

Any freedom our protagonist enjoys is short-lived, as he is arrested by the Slizer Force, essentially a militarised "Time Police", as a rogue time traveler, revealing that the defeated alien was there to arrest him and that they've been hunting him and his friends since they first started their journey. Offered the choice to be erased or join, our hero signs up, only to find that his surviving friends, excluding the physicist of course, are alive and working for Slizer Force. Within the broader policing structure of future humans and aliens, there is a team of time travel veterans who act with a little more autonomy and attempt to curb rouge elements without lethal force. As well as the Geologist and Archeologist, the team features characters we have encountered before, and a few new ones. But more on that next time, as this is a pretty good breaking point.