I Am Not Starfire...The Fallout
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- Опубликовано: 3 авг 2021
- I Am Not Starfire, the DC Comics Young Adult Graphic Novel that has been at the centre of controversy continues to be a source of intrigue.Written by Mariko Tamaki with art by Yoshi Yoshitani this Elseworld's tale has left many with a variety of feelings. The story of Mandy, daughter of Starfire, has engendered quite the response which began long before the books release. After doing a review we revisit the reception to I Am Not Starfire now that the book has had some time to settle, and more people have read it. What is the space like? Are people angry? Where are the Titans? What does any of this have to do with Nicolas Cage? We muse on the fallout of I Am Not Starfire here on Casually Comics.
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Having Mandy turn out to be Blackfire's daughter, raised by Kory, would have made a lot more sense.
Now THAT is a good story Id like to read something like that
...damn, now I want to see that...
Does sound like a neat twist, but how would it be executed, aka what's the history there?
Did Blackfire leave her infant daughter to die and Star saved her and raised her as her own? Did Star abduct her Mother Gothel style as a sort of insurance policy that Blackfire wouldn't come after her?
It's a cool idea, but if the goal is to make a better story, the devil is in the details.
@@josephperez2004 my thought is, Blackfire abandoned Mandy at a young age, passing her off to Kory. Mandy would be resentful and angry at her mother, but taking it out on Kory, who just wants to be there for her. Eventually, they fight Blackfire and Mandy realizes the sacrifices Star made for her and turns the tables on her mother, realizing she's had a loving family all along
@@Batkoku I could see that, though keep in mind that could change things at a very integral level if it's known Mandy and Star aren't biologically mother and daughter.
Not that it couldn't still be good, since stories about adopted or unusually structured families are a rich area to plumb. Just keep in mind if it's introduced early on as such, chances are readers will already be mentally working out the gaps or (in the case that it's fully explained Mandy is Blackfire's daughter) fully expecting certain story beats far in advance and possibly coming off as predictable.
I like this lady. She's very reasonable and I appreciate that and want more.
Exactly. Everybody is outraged over it, whether they hate it or love it, but nobody is willing to give a cool headed, balanced and witty analysis of the comic.
She's like that with all books she has reviewed. She's very neutral in her approach, is both a marvel and DC fan with no apparent bias towards either side, has never made any outrage video regarding comic books... she's great, easily the best comic book content creator.
You said that in the most unnatural, alien way.
@@Melkac I agree! I am down for more content from her.
Sasha is knowledgeable, insightful, and gives brilliant, nuanced analysis without overt judgement. If she likes something, she can tell you why, and her enthusiasm and joy for the stuff she really likes is positively contagious; whether it's something I've never encountered or something that I read and loved years ago. For these reasons, along with stylish wigs and tee shirts, she is my favorite youtuber.
I am writing a new comic: “I am NOT Nightwing’s butt.” A tell all, told from the perspective of our favorite acrobatic lothario’s A+ dumpster.
Can I Pre-order That?
Let me know when I can buy.
I'm interested.
That would probably sell…… just a guess.
Im confused by the title...
The most baffling thing to me about this is that people are making a hullabaloo about a mediocre at best book that affects no dc comic: past, present or future. When will people learn that the best thing to do for these kinds of books are to just ignore them
Honestly. They're acting personally offended by some generic coming of age ya novel all bc it has starfire in it. She isn't even the main character.
When so called influencers (no, not throwing shade at Sasha, she has always been responsible, we all know the types I am talking about) stop making cash from cheap drama and controversy. Which is easy, long story short collective psychology shortcomings, so it gets milked as much as humanly possible. More than that when corporations and teams of people whose combined work is greater than the sum of the parts get their pawns on it.
It's more about people wanting the best from the characters that they grew up with and compassion for and seeing this makes them upset over how the character is being treated even in a non canon story because it didn't see the character in a newer light or show a difference to the character when it doesn't reflect the emotion and stories they have been in, yes there are people that take it to giant proportions but some comes from care for that character and how the world will now see that character because of first impressions to people will keep in there minds when reading something that doesn't have what made the character great and how DC doesn't care but the fans old and new do care and want to see comics thrive but with this and many others it's just depressing to see what has come. I'm sorry if I came off as rude or angry but this just me if you don't like it than that is fine just sometimes see other peoples side.
That’s what I keep saying like it’s not that serious. Just walk away and don’t look back
I think the concern is less about this comic by itself, but that it might (and with good reason) reflect a desire from DC and the comic book industry to appeal more to a twitter based audience since that's who they can have the most direct feedback from, instead of the traditional comic book audience. Its not unusual for a "what if" style storyline to suddenly become canon or quasi canon.
The worst part of this book is how they treat Starfire. Lacking in understanding and empathy, just expecting her daughter to grow up the expected way, do the expected things, not understanding the objections. Starfire is probably the kindest, most compassionate character in DC Comics. If they want a thoughtless parent who doesn't care how their kid feels, they picked exactly the wrong character. I don't really care that I hate literally every aspect of Mandy's character and design - Mandy is nothing and will never appear again - but why did they have to inflict this on Starfire?
Put that with the Cannon of How starfire' powers Works based on being open with your emotions... Yeah. This self-insert fanfic did NOT pick the best super-hero to be the bad parent
Honestly it's insane how even Teen Titans Go whose main purpose is to get children to be distracted for half an hour managed to capture Starfire's kindness and empathy but THIS didn't
In all fairness, I think it is stated that this isn't the main continuity/universe Starfire, but an elseworlds Starfire. So, Starfire's personality can be wildly different and not relate to the original Starfire. Of course, that does mean that this could have been any other character too and it might still have the same plot.. maybe the brand recognition of Starfire is what was needed to bring some relevancy to an otherwise meh book? perhaps
@@kiranv2085 At that point, it makes no sense to use the Starfire name or character design.
@@kiranv2085 that's lazy writing. The whole problem, I'm my opinion, is exactly the fact that they used starfire for this comic. I honestly don't have problems with this trope, it is kind of boring and has been done a lot, but from time to time I do find it enjoyable, but when you put a character that people love and turn them into the "bad one" just to power your plot in this way, then it is simply bad writing, just made to sell it to people. I guess if the idea was to sell more comics, it did a good job, but in my opinion the writer didn't quite deserve the hate in that way if it was more of a corporate decision. If it was her plan all along just to sell a few more comics, then I guess she dug her own grave.
I think Meh is the best way to view it. It isn't a well-executed book and it wants to be a deep character study about immigration, celebrity, and coming-of-age, but it never gets close to those depths. It will be largely forgotten after this all dies down and I don't see anyone using this as an example of good or bad art for years to come.
Eh maybe, Mandy I think is practically unpleasant. A good example is her criticism of Hamlet, you would think she would relate to the character seeing how he is in a far more extreme version of her own circumstances. Just saying Starfire didn't marry the man who killed Mandy's dad. Mandy I believe is a good example of how not to write an angsty teenager protagonist.
I think the author lacked the experience to see the book to its full potentional. If Starfire and Mandy both had their thoughts shared then maybe it could work.
I don’t even think the author meant for it to be that deep honestly.
It was self-reflective fanfiction but it was a really good one that had a great ending, not the self-pity "things should be this way instead" type such fan fiction tends to be. It was a really refreshing story and it redeemed fanfiction.
@@That80sGuy1972 man it’s all fan fiction now lol. Most of the original authors of these characters don’t work there now.
Feel bad for Starfire as a character. Literally almost anytime she's in a story- in any medium, there's a controversy of some sort. In the future, the Starfire character will be known for being involved in multiple controversies instead of Teen Titans stories lol.
I feel like valid criticism gets overshadowed by toxic takes that eventually get lumped in with each other. And showing visible distaste automatically gets invalidated even if they only focused on relevant points.
CGP grey has a video on that called "This video will make you angry". Angry, irrational circlejerky arguments create their counter version and "both sides" (of the angry irrational circle jerk, not implying any subject boil down to two actual sides) both fuel and keep each other alive. Humanity, just beautiful.
I've generally had the opposite experience. I would respond to a person that's commenting on the author's and Mandy's appearances, only for some guy to tag me and claim, "Her appearance is not the issue". I mean, it literally is the issue in the conversation they butted in on, but I don't get a chance to respond because the original post is deleted.
@@Fixer_Su3ana 'I've generally had the opposite experience. I would respond to a person who's commenting on the author's and Mandy's appearances, only for some guy to tag me and claim, "Her appearance is nor the issue". I mean, it literally is the issue in the conversation they butted in on, but I don't get a chance to respond because the original post is deleted. '
Well, you could always copy the post, or the part of it that you are specifically responding to, just in case.
Unrelated but you have the profile picture of a king. Stay bold.
Being so diplomatic in one's approach must be exhausting, but I appreciate that these discussions are as objective as possible. So objective even to highlight the subjectively nature of one's relationship with a work.
You walk a narrow path, but you walk it with grace.
It’s not a “narrow path” it’s the normal, well-adjusted, honest path. It’s just the American consumer has thrown honesty out the window to focus on party politics and throw a fit when they don’t get their way.
This was an awful book, in apparently a trend of awful books, focused on Young Women. The “fans” took it as an attack because the gal on the cover wasn’t attractive enough.
What the “fans” wanted is the same shit they always want. A guy that looks like them, attacking people they don’t like, with no context other than good guys (them) vs. bad guys (others).
The “fans” in America are now so entitled they get pissed when they aren’t the focus of the stories. The same ones that nearly bankrupted the company by not supporting it and bootlegging comics are now upset that there’s a larger audience that does support the company. They see DC and comics in general as “theirs” even though they don’t support it, and contribute nothing.
Now they expect people to treat them as “real fans” and everyone else as “new fans”. Same with video games and movies. America is full of spoiled children who still obsess over silly things like superheroes yet we’re 15th in education, including world history and mathematics.
It sucks that even trying to stay neutral or diplomatic somehow makes everyone mad at you
it's just a comic book man, there's nothing to be exhausted about. if you liked the comic then like it, or make fun of it if you didn't. people getting angry about it (or any type of entertainment media) are emotionally stunted.
@@kupotenshi Full agree with a caveat. I'd argue it is exhausting, though, because navigating a scene with emotionally stunted people in it can be a big drain. Talking about what's happening in the scene, for entertainment or any purpose at all really, can get a... Passionate response. Trying to stay level headed in that environment is something I want to acknowledge, but I can appreciate that you disagree.
@@pickedceasar1216 it depends, sometimes is used to try and please everyone never really expressing honest thoughts. I heard a lot of it depends, maybe, for some. She is clearly focusing on everyone else thoughts and not her own.
A sequel about Mandy's summer vacation on Tamarind with her mom titled "I'm not Mandy!" could be interesting. Immigrant kids can have lots of awkward and joyous reactions to spending time in the Old County. Can Mandy make Tamarindian coffee for her mom's friends? Does she understand etiquette for Royals?
As a 60+ guy, I see a lot of the issues my women friends faced in High School reflected in this book. Being a teenager is never easy. Seeing a comic spend any real time on these complexities is refreshing, especially when "Archie" was my generation's role model.
it's tamaranian
@@Chiller-pc1dv autocorrect error.
If you haven't read it, I'd like to recommend you read Mark Waid's 2015 run of Archie.
It's an absolutely delightful series that brings Archie and the cast of Riverdale into the 21st century and understands the history and tone of the characters.
Unlike other modern 'adaptations' of the source material.
@@Kitsaplorax Fair enough
Your Starfire review was probably one of your best videos, because like most of your reviews, they're fair, and you're never going to spark outrage purposely (unfortunately, I saw A LOT of it in the comments). This was never gonna be my cup of tea, the time this idea worked, it was called A Goofy Movie, and those films are cinema. I still feel the same way about it, it was meh city, probably won't change my mind in the future. My little quibbles may improve it (they were in the last video), or not (Know your tone, if you're 18+ story, go for it, like with the swears, if not why even bother being a teen book with sprinkles of profanity, that's a whole thing I have with ratings). I'm glad I'm not the angry type of person who never lets go of things, I'll be a nightmare to be around.
Probably not intentional but the part where you called A Goofy Movie cinema was kinda funny to me. I imagined a disembodied Martin Scorsese head saying it 🗣️.
Who asked?
@@scottking8189 Sasha did.
@@GenerationWest thanks now compare their voices
Great review of a great review. i agree, one of the most fair and balanced (sorry for the fox swipe) reviews I've listened to.
What's next? "I'm not Spider-Man" story about Peter's son, with who can't conect with his father? like that's ever going to happen.
Why is J J Abrams standing outside my house?
Don't let him in! I still haven't forgiven him for Lost
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?
@@Tamaki742 Fly you fools.
@@user-ManofStyle1 THEY FLY NOW??!!
@@melikewafflesgg6167 they fly now.
I am not a dead beat dad - the Nightwing follow-up book.
That one should go over with the fans just as well as this one 😍
I'm so glad that there's a nuanced take about this story, we need that more than ever these days. The outrage and praise of this book feels so overblown for valid and invalid reasons. It's gotten to a point where I question the point of getting mad at books like "I'm not Starfire", and mad at the people who hate these books in the first place.
Yeah, when you take a close look at the plot elements... there's some actual worthwhile elements to the story. but it's like a car painted in spray foam. the end result is terrible, regardless of whether there's something good underneath. i guess another example is burned hamburger... good meat or bad meat... it's still charcoal.
I feel like they were scared to go fully with the immigrant story. It should've been the main theme along with the mother-daughter relationship.
So all of this outrage over a book that takes every YA trope that isnt even canon? I just came across this channel today and its a breath of fresh air of someone who is capable of talking about issues with a story that actually matter instead of something so small and yet, make it a massive outrage out of it. And making as mush as possible of keeping it unbiased.
Sasha is awesome! She does a great job of examining things from multiple angles, and has a very balanced perspective without ever sitting on the fence. She also only says something when she feels she has something worth saying, rather than simply piling into a controversy simply because everyone else is.
Literary criticism isn't really my cup of tea, but as an occasional element amidst the other stuff she does here, I find myself engaged even when Sasha is talking about a book I'll never read!
I wish she was more popular
the story of people hating on fanfiction basically. Although I guess some take it as cannon because the comic got out like it's an official thing?
I don't see this book as being particularly different from any other book in that line. Some are great, some I don't like, and some are meh. This one had potential (I really love the art style) but was too generic in a lot of ways and didn't have enough of Starfire. While I wouldn't say it was straight up character assassination, it comes across as someone who is only glancingly familiar with her. I completely agree that it was a resounding "meh." It's disappointing because I really liked Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass.
Honestly, I think the only reason discourse started about it was from people who saw Mandy and thought she was unappealing visually and lamented that "SJWs are ruining comics". That backlash caught people's attention, and there are more nuanced opinions, but everyone gets lumped into being for or against the comic.
Yeah. Idk, I read some of the comic for myself, and while I took no real enjoyment from it, the hatred towards it was so absurdly overblown. Not only is it pathetic, but I also find it extremely hypocritical that the same people who are strongly opposed to cancel culture/condemning art for moral reasons with go to great lengths to do exactly that. And to the same authoritarian, puritanical level they claim "SJWs" to do, like trying to review-bomb a book which *hasn't been released yet* all because of the main character's appearance. To the point now where they're straight up attacking anyone who dares to say anything *remotely* positive about it, and caring more now about just sparking outrage than any real, tangible critique towards the book itself.
It's just so disgusting, and makes me glad to not be associated with hardcore comic book fans.
It's just nice to have some discourse on this that isn't just "Ugh, ugly, and sucks" or "This is great because it's great" honestly, and actually examine the story and work, what it was trying to do, and where it landed or fell. And yes, I would have been in deep shit if I talked to my mom like that.
Also Meh is the oath of the Grey Lantern Corps.
I like what you said at 5:32, that one of the key problems is that people don't feel like they're being heard.
I think part of the reason why nerd culture wars are so brutal is because we live in a historically unprecedented time where large parts of our culture are owned by corporations and not creators. Regardless of whether fans come from the far right, the far left, or somewhere in between, I think we all share a common anxiety about the complete lack of power and ownership that fans have. Meanwhile, that power is held by members of the executive class who might not even understand what it is they own or why people care.
I think a lot of people react to this problem in toxic and unproductive ways, but the problem itself is real.
I agree fans legit have little to no agency now since I've seen cosplay get hit with "lawyer's bat" recently. So pretty much a lot of fan expression are either bought out for trash amount of money, C&D'd, demonizited and or outright deleted. So fans that put maybe what 30+ years into this being just a "nerd" it's like seeing everything you loved becoming something you cannot enjoy because the handlers end up just garbage humans. Like for Marvel it was Ike Perlmutter an udder abhorrent creature that might by why the MCU is so janky and why we didn't get a proper Inhumans movie yet had to settle for that show that sadly killed them in the MCU and the comics.
I guess fans are toxic because that's how the "rulers" acted toward fans. They expect us to pay for things we don't want, just shut up and be "happy" we made something.
It's a complete mess and that makes it hard to enjoy things...
Fans don't "lack" owbership of what THEY didn't create, they merely don't have it. Artists are the ones who totally sold out their most basic means of production in order to RENT their precious "intellectual" property forever, like some private beach.
Any normal job has it's basic value in the WORK itself, and private parties can just rebuild anything about your house to your specifications. That's the free market. "Artists" demanded the opposite, and the opposite they did get. Fans tolerate it because they "get" to work on fanfics under the strictest rules of socialism and keep it financially unsustainable. And without looking into mirror they just keep praising this, because everyone thinks they're going to invent the next big thing that can steal 30+ years of fan labor pretending to "own" the thing they're laboring on. That's the property you get for this intellect in shooting yourself in the foot.
@@ExeErdna It's possible that indie comics will become even bigger than they already are in the near future for this very reason.
The analogy I'm thinking of is Castlevania, since a lot of fans were upset that Konami was not putting any effort into the franchise despite the legions of fans. So instead, you had Castlevania producer Koji Igarashi running an extremely successful Kickstarter and creating the Bloodstained franchise.
@@profjeff9 The same with Metroid it's why most of Metrovania's aren't in either universes. Fans get tired and then they create better than devs. Look at a lot of the pokemon fan games that make game freak look like they're lacking
I thought your Starfire episode was well focused and explained your points well.
This book is a gift that just keeps giving.
Like radioactive materials.
For sure. Pick a side , make a video/blog about it, and watch that engagement roll in.
And they forgot the receipt
'Putting the swearing genie back in Pandora's box because that ship has sailed?' Wow! Mix me up another batch of metaphors, Sasha! Oh! You did! I will 'fall on my double edges sword'.
The best mixed metaphor I ever heard was "Letting the can of worms out of the bag." There's also the classic "We'll burn that bridge when we come to it."
I knew a person who, when surprised by something, would say, "That came right off of left base."
these are all idioms but i know what you mean
I still think your previous review was done well. It highlighted issues people were having them as well as
offering valid objective counter points to those issues. The manner in which you approach the material you
choose to review is one of the main reasons I like your videos.
"Rambling" Sasha says... as she proceeds to prove herself to be an absolute frickin' JOURNALIST. (An informal whimsical fun-loving journalist with a good sense of humor but a journalist nonetheless!)
Damn, Sasha hit on everything! I hope people don’t discredit YA novels completely because of this ONE experience. Mandy just wasn’t a good character and the story was a Meh overall. The outrage surrounding the book was honestly overblown- what could’ve just been just “yeah i don’t like it” or “it’s just a bad story” turned down kind of a dark alleyway into homophobia, fat phobia, and overall just a dark place. What a time to be alive I guess
The problem is that most YA novels coming out now are very heavy handed in the messages that their trying to push. Very little tact and often at the cost of good story telling to make a point that could have been made in a less parading way. Not to say all YA novels do this but it is happening more and more. My biggest problem with this one is that it lays multiple lessons down so heavy that they fall through the floor and just lose weight in the end. I'm also not a fan of the art style but that's more personal preference than the last complaint
@@hunterlee4412 So it's generic? That's it?
@@hunterlee4412 oh definitely! It seems YA novels lack the subtlety of a message where you can finish an entire story, still get the message, but it not being so ham-fisted that it makes the story boring! Still hope some good stories end up coming out in the future!
@@mikhaelgribkov4117 generic would be that it tells a bland and often repeated story without trying anything new or taking any risks. I said heavy handed messages at the cost of the story and characters, sort of like The Happening.
Nah. Homophobia wasn't a thing in this controversy. You were misinformed
"This is going to go the way of Gotham High..."
Of what?
exactly
Yes
I know, right? Now I need to go find that book!
Trust me. Don’t
@@kylewist7745 seriously don’t, anything written by Melissa de la Cruz is pure YA trash, she wrote the Disney descendants books along with other shit like that
"Good luck, son. You're the first born now" 😂
Many great points as usual. On RUclips a lot of the criticism is fueled by the algorithm and blown way out of proportion. Sasha's review got 10x the normal views for this reason. I watched some angry dudes rant about this book for a few minutes a week ago and RUclips recommends me new "reviews" (rants) to this day (at the time of writing). Honestly I like that DC tries books outside the mainstream,, this one wasn't for me but I hope it is a genuine attempt to find new audiences.
I took one look at the art of "I am not Starfire" and heard a decription about the storyline it and realised that this is not aimed at me and it would not be something that I would enjoy. Beyond that I have no interest in it. If people enjoy it, that's fine and OK, I'm happy for them, but it's not something that I would ever read.
It's just that you're not allowed to say that anymore without someone trying to malign you as a misogynist/fatphobic/homophobic/whatever, and people are tired of that.
When it comes to Mandy's appearance, I feel like my problem with it is that it doesn't show anything of the parents. Like where does the round nose, the freckles, the pasty skin, shortness, etc. Come from? People consist of both their parents when made, so it's weird to me that Mandy is just so vastly different with no reasoning behind it other than "LOL she's a edgy teen opposite of starfire. Oops"
The meme that made me laugh was the one that said "I am not popular" with a picture of Mandy. I will love the memes this book spawned best part of the book.
It does seem to be part of the weirdly specific trend of, “family members have tension between the younger member doesn’t have powers and this is a metaphor for a real version of family tension but as soon as the tension is even slightly resolved the younger character almost immediately gets powers accidentally makeing it seem like the powers are the reason they stoped fighting” like people need to stop knee capping there morals by not even giving characters a few hours to prove this is a true resolution and wasn’t just a lull in their ongoing arguments that would have reignited without the powers. Like it’s not a problem exclusive to this story someone pointed it out to me with Hotel Transylvania 2 and I’ve been noticing it everywhere since.
P.S. I think Mandy is cute
Me too. I think she is pretty.
Pro: Arrrgghhroarbwawow
Anti: Aroogacatscaryikearama
Casually Comics: MEH...
Anti are angry about scary ikea cats?
Reminds me of the Key and Peele Ramsey sketch
It’s weird how the most vocal angry people are the ones who never even read it. They should just move along. Move along.
@@renwulf1695
So don't read it.
@@renwulf1695
They're taking up way too much space in your brain, "bruh".
@@eastvandb well, you lucky, he could have called you marx.
@@mikhaelgribkov4117
Cultural Marx!
He seems upset that they're making content for anybody else but him…
@@renwulf1695 The DC YA books actually sell very well, hence why they keep making them. I struggled to find a physical copy of the Beast Boy and Raven books because they were sold out and they had to go into re-print 4 times to keep restocking them. both were NYTimes best sellers as well. Just because casual comic book readers aren't buying them doesn't mean other audiences aren't.
Been loving this channel so much as of late, just found your content maybe a month ago but I've had so many times already where I watch a new release and then immediately find a handful of older videos and those watch right after, grateful for the backlog as always.
Hope you keep you up the awesome work Sasha! You've got a new fan who plans to stick around for gosh knows how long.
Have you seen her other channel yet? It's called Shipper's Guide To The Galaxy and is a lot of fun!
@@kerrychristensen7204 link?
@@henrybelman7424 You can easily find it through the RUclips search bar- although I misspelled it before. It's : ShippersGuideToTheGalaxy
Hasn't had a new update in some time, but there are quite a few videos and most aren't very long- but are very entertaining.
I watched her for years but fell off, so glad my homepage brought her back into my mind.
@@kerrychristensen7204 thanks for letting me know, just watched a few videos from shippers guide and you're right, it is very fun!
Last time I was this early people liked Starfire's kid
Simple....would the story be talked about if it didn't have recognizable characters? Would it be talked about if they were using new characters for them?
This is a big part of how I feel about Teen Titans Go. I think to a degree it still would be talked about but I certainly think it's amplified by how it cashes in on existing IP.
Well, that's how it's always been with elseworld or what if series...
We always got these kind of non canon work from DC or Marvel, what's so special to this one that made became s lightning rod of hatred?
@@Shamazya I loved TTG, for me it's a breath of fresh air, because at the time of its debut, there was too much serious DC TV content that was going for the serious tone (Arrowverse was blowing up at the time), so yeah I actually loved TTG for being the crazy show in the sea of serious DC content back then.
@@goonerOZZ Doesn't excuse it for being a bad comedy with bad writing with episodes co-written by the creator to mock the earlier fans, and definitely doesn't excuse them making their MCs horrible people, who are not even consistent with their personalities.
Difference is, even what ifs kept the characters someway to who they are originally. What ifs have been used more for fun to see how it can be different.
This comic tried to be a teen drama using characters and changing them to fit what they want instead of using new characters.
Because of how generic the story is, I feel that the comic lends itself to be criticized on its superficial aspects. And we all know how much the internet love to argue about the superficial.
I appreciate that you're being as neutral as possible, I don't even watch comics content but my recommended has been FILLED with people whining about this book.
That "Not interested" option serves me well; it's one of the few RUclips features that actually seems to work properly!
@@andrewgwilliam4831 Doesn't work for me as I am subscribed to some of the biggest haters of this book. In case your wondering why, it is because those same RUclipsrs defended Uzaki-chan from a similar hate fest.
@@Fixer_Su3ana D'oh!
@@Fixer_Su3ana It is okay, you can say Hero Hei.
@@andrewgwilliam4831 it actually works for people?! aw, man, my recommendations is a dumpster fire no matter how many times I click “not interested”
Too often negative reviews are done for shock value often done before the comic or show is even released.I try to avoid such clear bait videos and so your "I am not Starfire" video is the first one I have seen. The youtube Comic scene is just too jamed packed with reactionary views that seems intended to anger people.
So thank you as this is so different.
The drama and contraversy made me ignore this. Drama sucks.
Things I want to know:
-Why is her name Mandy? Besides it sounding ordinary and like a goths name
-Wouldn't Raven be the first person Starfire would consult if she was having a problem with her daughter who doesn't want to be associated with her super human parent, much like Raven doesn't want to be seen as someone like her father?
-And Starfire has gone out of her way to understand Raven who is very different from her before. Where did that go?
Also it could be very interesting for Nightwing to go through having a kid he can't act like a father figure to after he also went through not knowing who his dad was. I'd actually want to know what that's about.
I think it could be interesting to see Starfire's side of this and how she lives her life when Mandy's not around.
I always love your videos they're not really negative, very fair, enjoyable, and it's always a pleasure to see your videos when they come out
Absolutely love how level headed you approach this. After seeing so many polarizing takes on this, It's a breath of fresh air to see you dissect the media and its reception, acknowledging both sides of the discourse.
Earned my like, sub and bell!
I, personally, think that "I am not Starfire" is kinda meh. Nowhere near great, I would say bad before I say good, but, really? I can think of several DC YA graphic novels that I liked less and no one cared about. Like seriously, Twin Branches is both boring and rushed, The Lost Carnival also has an unberable teen protagonist but it's Dick Grayson and it's actually Paranormal Romance disguised as a Superhero Story, Gotham High isn't as bad as most say but GOD, that's the worst, most boring version of the Joker EVER (and Alfred is a neglectful asshole, which annoyes me further).
There is a lot of good stories (two of my faves come from this author, actually), don't get me wrong, but I don't really understand why this is the one they are singling out when most of the others flied under the radar.
To add to your point, when did Starfire become this major DC character that everyone loves? Maybe I'm not hip with the trends, but the way some critics talk of character assassination you'd think Starfire was a major IP for DC - one worth protecting from characterization or "unflattering" depictions. Yet, I don't recall Starfire being a key figure in the DC comic universe except perhaps in a few team books for an arc or two.
Yeah, the DC YA graphic novels tend to fall under the radar a lot and it's a shame since I really like them and want to discuss them with people but it feels like I'm the only one who cares. Same for their kids' graphic novels, which tend to get lumped into the same category even though it's a separate imprint.
Also, I liked Twin Branches.
Thank you for being one of the online Comic reviewers who aren't just blindly hating everything. And have a balance and rounded reviews
"Mandy" reference without a single mention of The Cheddar Goblin. I admire your restraint. 👍
Nicholas Cage is S-Tier like just watch Mandy, then watch Willy's Wonderland where he never talks (which some people hated but I thought it made it funnier) , then you go watch Leaving Las Vegas where he's completely serious and it's like while he can be a hilarious over the top actor, he's got range and can do other things too.
I hear that Cheddar Goblin goes great with Corn of Cob-lin!
@@jeremygreen2883 SOLID reference. Respect ✊
@@RealElMaximo Grab them gem my man. Haha
I'm sorry but "The Cheddar Goblin"?
Sasha, you’re the best. Thank you for thoughtfulness and humor.
I was waiting for your review because you are the only person I trusted to have an unbiased take. Thank you.
What I love about this Chanel is how you manage to stay positive even when reviewing books you don’t love. It’s my little oasis on the toxic sea of youtuber fandoms. .
I am amazed, but yet not surprised, that an elseworlds YA one shot has been deemed as ‘evidence that western civilization is falling’ or whatever.
I would think it would very tiring to be in that environment at this point .
So close to 100k, and it’s well deserved!!! You are one of my favorite You tubers! And I’m trying to do my part by spreading the good word that “I’m not Starfire”
I am super grateful for you today, Sasha. You always keep grounded perspective without avoiding your own opinion. A lot of polarization these days is caused by people with any sort of voice stirring up mess for the clicks or the bucks over nothing.
There was a time when everyone would just sort of realize that this would find its audience and then go away most likely having done little harm save share a story with a few people. At the end of the day there are a lot of nonsense arguments that amount to telling people how they should spend their hard-earned money with yells. People work too hard to have to make decisions based on public opinion for little things like this.
We all agree the best fire… It was Blackfire!!! She was so cool and amazing.
Just look those boots, I want a pair!!! Lol.
-----------------------
Beside that…
This story is that very conversational isn’t for everyone now. It really blender of ideas that when view through very perspective can give many different though now.
I’ll tell you one thing. The story and her protagonist are just not good
You she see Blackfire's look as the Queen of Tamarand in Justice League Odyssey. She looks smoking hot.
I'm not really into DC books as of late, I do think it's funny seeing how ass-mad people got (especially before it released).
IKR.
It like this:
Normal People: Eh. I think I’m going to skip this story. Not my cup of tea.
Outrage Mob: WHAT DA FOOK IS DIS SHIET!?! THE SJWS ONCE AGAIN DESTROYED AN AMAZING CHARACTER I LIKE! THIS IS WHY MANGA IS BEATING COMICS!!! REEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
Hi Sasha! My wife and I have been watching your videos *casually* for a while. I feel I should tell you how much I appreciate your consistently confident, sensible analysis. It is so refreshing to hear mature, adult reflections like this piping hot take: "You are the only person who can form a proper opinion for yourself after you've looked at everything." God, I needed to hear that today. Keep being your badass self!
Fantastic and fair breakdown of all the arguments about the work. Thank you for being a lighthouse of reason!
I still think a lot of people has become adictied 2 anger.
Oh definitely. People physically fight over dumb things all the time, verbally it's hardly different.
I am not Starfire, I am Lillie
Another great video and another great wig!! You have quickly become 1 of my top 5 favorite comic book RUclipsr, you spend more time on top then not.
Just watched your review so I’m real excited for this video 🤩
wow, never been this early
Me neither. How fun!
Same
Me three!
If a messy family predicament would turn me off from reading comic stories, I wouldn’t have finished reading Mark Millar’s Trouble. Not that I wear it as a badge of honor but stories can be varied and that’s not wrong to have.
Dude I only caught up today and you drop more awesomeness!
I adore the video it's a plesent watch I liked how you discuses stuff
I really love your videos and all of your beautiful hair styles.😍🐻
You’re not starfire, she’s not starfire, is anyone starfire!?
Meow
@@Private-Potato I'm outta here
I am Starfire.
@@andrewgwilliam4831 doesn't that make you Starfire??
We are all Starfire
Thank you! I really like your videos!
Heyo congrats for hitting 100k!
I think people put way too much importance on this story, as you mentioned.
I thought it was a fun read, and represented teen angst well. Also the kiss!! 🥰
My only real complaint is how the ending felt forced. I wish she didn't get powers.
I really like how open minded you seem.
Great Video Shasa.
You know you've got a good video when The Count makes an appearance!
I'm not involved in comics or fandom, but I can see that just looking at a picture of Mandy is bound to give lots of people a negative impression.
Her facial expression is almost always bitter, pouting, snobby, and condescending. And her "punk"/"goth" aesthetic just reinforces that attitude. Her whole persona is self-sculpted to repel people, and I guess it worked in real life too.
I suspect that a lot of people will read about Mandy and reminded of toxic people they've interacted with, and will therefore have a harder time relating to her. And it sounds like since her bad behaviors aren't really addressed, people are left unsatisfied in her story.
In any case it's also clear that a lot of people just jumped on the outrage bandwagon for the sake of being outraged, or because of some other grievances they have. I personally don't read comics and my only knowledge of this comic comes from like three videos, including these.
I knew so many people like Mandy in my life, I certainly don't need to read about it in a comic.
3:11 Well, I'll be seeing that in my nightmares
Haunting isn't it?
Hopefully though all this will push Casually Comics to over 100K subscribers. Easily the best comic book RUclips channel.
I was just watching your other "I Am Not Starfire" video (the review), refreshed the page afterwards, and noticed you'd hit 100k Subs, Congrats!
As The Grand Archpriest of The Church of the Algorithm, I bless this video with a comment.
Please get a new comment. I get bored of the same thing.
@@lastminutewonder9602 Given that this is a new comment, you need to pay more attention.
This work isn’t terrible or amazing, some people can’t get that. Depending on your taste you may find it bad or good though.
People need to treat it like any other comic, buy it or ignore it.
I love your content. Don't ever stop.
This was a great analysis
I love this channel!
When I first saw the ads, I knew right away that it just wasnt for me. And then I saw all the drama... and decided that I was more interested in that lol
There are a few youtubers I'm subscribed to that desperately need to see this video.
Great coverage. Sharing this video too. Other people need to see this reasonable conversational take. There's plenty to talk about it, good and bad. I miss this in the comic shop.
I wish I could be a Tamanarean... Never feeling cold again. Tempting
I liked your video cause I already follow people that are more vocal about it, so you are fresh air as one would say. In terms of the comic I watch a read along and I don't see how people thought this was well written, also to have a character so unlikable then what was the point to see her "evolve" which all happened in the end in a big hurried mess and it doesn't seem like she does. Every doubt and insecurity just goes away once she gets what she wants which makes her personally better to herself and slightly better to people around her (again hardly better). Claire just accepts her tantrum over a picture with the titans and even had the friend belittle her for it and accepts it was her fault and not once thought " hey maybe this girl is not worth it with how she is acting.
Congratulations on 100k subs!
Thank you for your service for diving so deeply into the comment section.
They set out to create an ugly character and they succeeded. I don't see why it's controversial to call Mandy ugly, she was designed to be ugly.
"Putting the genie back in the Pandora's bottle or box is a ship that has sailed"
...
Are you trying to cram ALL the metaphors into a single sentence? Why? Why would you engage in such violence against the English language? What has English ever done to you? Did English kill your dog in some freak onamonapia accident? Was your dog BAMFed to death?
i applaud you for your level head and love for the craft and medium.
I love that you counted the curse words and individually numbered them. Well done. You’re awesome. Also I need to watch more Nicolas Cage movies lmao.
Excellent piece of analysis.
Two things struck me:
i) "Outrage history". These days, the history of being outraged by something can start at 9am but can evolve to "Hmm. M'eh. Next" by 4pm.
ii) You advise people to look around at different places to put someone's ideas within a continuum. I think of you as a critic rather than a reviewer. And that's a difference that is passing by far too many people.
A reviewer simply tells someone what's going on in the story. A critic explains her or his reaction to something and then explains why based on their knowledge of the topic and their emotional reaction. At the end of a review, you will come out knowing the basics of that particular story, film, theatre, music, art or whatever. At the end of a piece of criticism, you'll know more about the general situation that gave rise to that piece of art and why it is or isn't worth your time.
A good reviewer simply has to be a good writer with an organised mind. A good critic has to be all that and then be consistent in his or her tastes. A good critic doesn't have to be right or wrong in their tastes. Rather, a critic has to form a relationship of trust with her or his audience.
I don't have to agree with a critic to pay attention to them. I merely need to know where she or he stands - and will stand based on their integrity. A critic with whom I always disagree - but informs and entertains me - is just as valuable as one who matches my views every day of the week.
I have critics I go to with whom I disagree all day and every day. And they are great critics because they write like a dream, make me laugh and set benchmark. If they loathe something, then I should definitely give it a look.
And this is why I keep on coming back to your site. I don't always agree with you, but I always know where you stand. And that allows me to make an informed decision on whether I will give a topic/artwork more of my time.
You're a great critic and never let anyone tell you different.
8:32 can I just say that that was a fantastic multi-mixed metaphor
How about; Mandy never found any power and learn to accept herself and start actually working on the relationship with her mother, recognizing that couldn't blame Starfire for the whole superheroe situation? It would actually show reader that empathy and communication are key to a good relationship.
I’m losing it over Starfire’s eyes at 4:57
The response to this book is just fascinating it's very reminiscent to how people react to star wars movies or twilight. Haven't read the book but then again I haven't shopped around for books in years, just reread mostly online. With the second generation immigrant topic I'm intrigued I think my 14 year old self would feel seen. As a grown adult I'm probably too old for it as I've read/seen plenty of books/tv/movies to feel I know how things will end in any genre. I think younger audiences would appreciate it more if they aren't influenced by the unwarranted "criticism." When you first mentioned the "controversy" around this book. My assessment of the possible reasons for hating on the book before it was out was because the author did something horrible. I imagined the author had done something wrong like raped/killed/incest/racist for the "criticism" to be warranted. For the "controversy" to turn out to be self insert or some other mundane stuff just makes me think that the people who criticized the book without reading it really are just full of $hit.
I didn’t read the book but I’ve read snippets and I just don’t like the books overall treatment of starfire slut shaming her and just messing her characters up paints her in a bad light and as a big fan of her it’s aggravating to see
Because its coming from similar crowd
Younger audiences are sticking with manga; marvel and dc shed them as a customer base.
It's definitely one of those cases where a fan's choice of reaction to the work seems to say a LOT more about the fan than the work. Or, as Sasha might say "a lot of a lot". Given how much was said pro and con about this comic before it was even published it begs the question "What the hell are these 'fans' even reacting to?" and how can a person be a 'fan' or 'hater' of a particular work before it even existed?
This entire phenomenon or relentless visceral hysteria (and reactionary speculative defense) is mind boggling regardless of what intellectual property it's attached to.
And it makes me appreciate folks like Sasha who are able to keep a level head about it even more.
@@bravo0105 yeah I can definitely see that, literally bought my lil sis vol 2 of promised neverland yesterday 🤣
Having seen your review, and done some reading online myself I have no real clue why this is the hill people are choosing to die on. Like the yell fest for a story that’s middle of the ground YA fiction is baffling even when acknowledging the usual internet reaction to things. This is just not the story to be doing this to yet here we are.
Congratulations on a 100k
Damn girl I love your style. The content is great too but damn your style is fresh every round!