Series Review - Blog Posts
Recently, I have watched a series called "Cyberfarm"(Кибердеревня) and, honestly, I really liked it! Probably my new favourite Russian series and one of the favourite series in general…sure, it has it’s flaws (then again, what series doesn’t?), but I’ll talk about them later. Because I think everyone should start their reviews with a list of things they liked about the series and what said series is even about
Cyberfarm is a series about two ex business partners - Konstantin Baragosin, who continued their corporate business, and Nikolai Kulibin, who made a small village on Mars, became a farmer, and lives a peaceful life there…a life that starts crumbling down after years later old friends meet again, to share out a piece of land they both need. Of course it doesn’t lead to anything good, and in mere seconds Kolya loses his home while Kostya loses…everything. Now, these two have no choice, but to forget their old grudges and help each other out, making friends and foes along their way.
Initially, Cyberfarm started as a short series on a YouTube channel called Birchpunk. That channel’s viewers were always talking about how good the VFX look and how much they would love to see this as a movie or a full-length series…which, eventually did happen, because people who worked on Birchpunk were sponsored by Место Силы and Studio Plus so that they can create Cyberfarm
YouTube indie projects getting picked up for a full-length series isn’t that unusual. We’ve seen the same thing happening to "Don’t hug me, I’m scared" or "Hazbin Hotel", as well as, since we’re talking about a Russian YouTube series here, "My student spirit" and "Обьяснялкины". However - I think we should take into account that Cyberfarm was the first one out of these three to get picked. And, at least for this reason alone, I think this series deserves more recognition, because it truly was a big step for Russian cinematography!
And not just indie Russian cinematography - there’s not much sci-fi Russian movies, and most of the ones there are are so bad they’ve been the butt of the joke for years (*cough* Cosmoball *cough*). So, yeah, Cyberfarm being a good Russian sci-fi is rather impressive…but, let me get back on track and talk more about the series itself
• It’s really funny, actually I know that "comedy is subjective" and all, BUT I (and, from what it looks like from many YouTube reviews, lots of other people as well) consider Russian comedy shows painfully unfunny. Which is why, when I found myself laughing while watching Cyberfarm, I was pleasantly surprised…of course there are some bad jokes here and there, but I just ignored them (as you should)
• AMAZING VFX Good 3D graphics and practical effects? In my Russian series??? It’s more likely than you think! Cyberfarm looks really good, half of the shots are pure eye candy and it really immerses you into the world the characters live in. Speaking of characters - all of the the robot ones look especially good, so good in fact that it took me embarrassingly long to realise that they made an actual animatronic only for Robogosin, I thought all robots were made with partiall use of practical effects 😳
• Russia in year 2100 seems very interesting Everyone I watched this series with liked it’s atmosphere & universe…and so did I! The show is full of unique locations, starting with the cybervillage itself and cosmotrain and ending with various planets the characters visit, the most unforgettable of which being Ceres (which, in this series’s universe, is similar to both Russia and Northern Korea). There’s also a lot of interesting concepts, such as conciousness transferring almost every sci-fi has and a hologram family subscription…so, yeah, season one does a pretty good job at exploring the lives of hypothetical people of future
WARNING! THIS IS WHEN THE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW START!!!
One of my favourite moments in the entire series is when Robogosin’s memory card storage is getting full and his robot body starts automatically deleting some of his memories. Explanation for those who (unlike me) are NOT "human/humanoid loses their body" trope enjoyers: usually, the writers don’t bother about such things; so you can either accept the fact that yes, for whatever reason a robot’s memory card is capable of storing an entire human consciousness OR make some insane headcanons about how much terabytes of free storage the robot in question originally had and what for does it need so much storage in the first place…then again, you still have to accept things as they are in this series because Cyberfarm is another case of, what I like to call, "yes, this basic assistant robot has a voicebank. no, don’t even ask why it has a voicebank". And it’s even weirder in Cyberfarm than it is in other series because in CF’s universe Vanya/Robogosin is the only robot with a voice module
• Konstantin Baragosin is CF’s the best character We’re finally getting to the main reason why I enjoyed this series as much as I did. And not just because (as I already mentioned and as many of you already know) I’m a sucker for "human/humanoid loses their body or/and ends up in a body of a robot" trope - Baragosin’s just a really interesting character…so much so that I might as well write&post a whole character analysis of him, but in this review I’ll try to explain why I like him in short. I really like the way he goes from JustAGuyTM to a rich businessman stuck in a cleaner robot’s body and how this path was portrayed in the series. I know for sure that some people may not like it, but, personally - love how he doesn’t change his entire personality in the span of a week and only becomes slightly better as a person (more so not "becomes", but "reveals" that deep down inside he’s a good guy). Also - I really like how, instead of being sad or going "I can get used to this" (like the characters in that kinda plot lines usually do) - Baragosin’s just really pissed off about this entire situation…no amounts of words can explain how entertaining he is tbh, it’s very much a "you should see for yourself" situation
also i like him because he’s just like me fr, love his little stimming (there should’ve been gifs, but tumblr said they’re too big to be included in this post)
• Ok, that’s enough about Bara(Robo)gosin - other characters are also pretty good Of course my second favourite is Kolya, but I also really like Anya, Ilyusha, Galya, Lyudka…yeah, I liked a lot of CF’s characters
I don’t know what else I can say here unfortunately so moving on to…
• ADs and product-placement look, I get it, I really get it and why people do that, but everytime Yandex Plus or СБП appeared on screen it felt like I was fully immersed into the story and someone forcefully pulled me out of it
• The way this series shows everyone’s hatred towards Baragosin is cheesily absurd at times, sometimes he’s portrayed as a total asshole and some other character still says something among the lines of "you’re an asshole and you deserve this" well, no shit, then again this show’s PG-13, obviously the viewers are too young to understand what’s shown on screen unless you spell it out for them. This series finale was even more insane - everyone Baragosin knows, even his best friend (!) were actually considering on doing what the main villain (!) was tempting them to do…just like Baragosin said in this very same episode - what the hell 😭
Also even though I said that I like the way Baragosin is written - I hate how he’s canonically somewhat smart but the writers actively portray him as a total dumbass. There ARE moments that clearly show that he’s NOT dumb…I just wish there were more moments like that in the series 😭😭😭
• Speaking of season one’s finale - yeah, it was really disappointing First of all - why is it two episodes instead of one. Like, in episode 10 (and occasionally in episode 9), half the time the characters were doing stupid ass shit, obviously to fill up the episode’s whole run time. So like…why didn’t they just make the finale one 35 or so minute episode instead of two 25 minute episodes??? The only interesting moments in these two are the ones with Galya and/or Robogosin, and the inclusion of some other characters really hinders the story with uninteresting plotpoints and plot twists. And, while I’m at it - the cliffhanger in which the villain reigns supreme while our two main characters suffer is…not what I’d like to see after witnessing their misadventures for eight episodes straight. I get what the writers were trying to do, but then again - that’s another reason why the finale should’ve been shorter, because at least if it was shorter it wouldn’t have left you with that terrible "man I can’t believe I’ve watched almost an hour of this just for Robogosin to end up at the dumpster" feeling…
• I like Pasha but I dislike Pasha I wanted to include him in my "favourite characters list" but I didn’t. Like, he has a potential to be a great character, but it feels like the writers wasted all the potential he had. And, once you realise it (I realised at the middle of season one) - he becomes really boring to look at it. His actions are predictable and you know he’s not going to take any risks - because he’s a doormat, always have been. Even when he tries to be the hero, specifically in the last three episodes of S1 - he fails miserably. And, if he’s one of those characters who are not that deep and the viewers are simply supposed to root for him because he’s a NiceGuyTM…why exactly should we root for him? It was only vaguely mentioned why he deserves to get promoted at work and those vague mentions are pretty much just "he deserves it. source: trust me bro". "But he’s such a nice guy!" someone would say…ok, and??? Kolya’s also Mr Nice Guy and he still got fired from the same job Pasha currently has. I just…hope he’ll get more character development in season two, but until then - he’s only interesting to look at when it’s Pasha&Galya duo
7’6/10, bonus points simply because I enjoyed it a lot, would recommend. Watched it twice and will watch it again, can’t wait for the upcoming season two. Also you can expect to see more fanarts for this series from me because there WILL be more
Can you describe Cressida Cowell's writing style? (And try to convince me to start reading httyd books while you're at it)
Oh my goodness, I am *SO* excited to talk about Cowell’s writing style!
I realized my FAQ page was outdated with a broken link (whoops!), so I’ve fixed that! If you haven’t check that page out or my up-to-date #faq tag, I’ve written many responses on why I recommend the HTTYD books. Obviously those posts aren’t focused on Cowell’s writing style, as you’re curious about. Nevertheless, since you’re interested in recommendations and perspectives regarding those books, these prior responses could be worth checking out, and I’ll happily boop you a link to some of those! [1] [2] [3]
Cressida Cowell’s writing style, to me, is a fascinating combination of simple and eloquent. This goes for how she forms sentences, constructs plot, uses tropes, and more. She takes seemingly common elements that most of us wouldn’t consider “special” - and utilizes them to powerful effect.
Her narration style is charming. In the How to Train Your Dragon books, she uses two similar but distinct writing styles. The prologues and epilogues are given a finesse different than the material in the main chapters.
The majority of her text is written in an almost whimsical, childish way - especially at the start of the series. Sentences are simple; descriptions are amusing; humor is prevalent; and her presentation is straightforward. Unashamed use of italics, capslock, font changes, and font size changes - plus childish scribbles for illustration - contribute to the youthfulness of her narration.
How to Train Your Dragon Ch. 1: First Catch Your Dragon:
“ANYBODY would be better than Hiccup,” sneered Snotface Snotlout. “Even Fishlegs would be better than Hiccup.”
Fishlegs had a squint that made him blind as a jellyfish, and an allergy to reptiles.
“SILENCE!” roared Gobber the Belch. “The next boy to speak has limpets for lunch for the next THREE WEEKS!”
There was absolute silence immediately. Limpets are a bit like worms and a bit like snot and a lot less tasty than either.
As the series develops, the main prose develops slightly, too. Fans often discuss how Cowell’s illustrations markedly grow in complexity from start to end, even as they retain their childish personality. Cowell herself has confirmed that these artistic changes are representative of Hiccup aging. The writing doesn’t change as notably, but it’s arguably there. So, this benign, whimsical narration takes on intentional effect: she’s writing a story about a child with prose that matches the character’s age. It helps us readers enter the mind of a child as we go through Hiccup’s younger years. It’s not to say that it means we can’t think through complex topics in this framework, because we do address deep topics in the breadth of the narration… but the childish writing style provides a personality and character and framing device for how we readers “feel” the story.
The prologues and epilogues are different. In first instead of third person, they’re written as the reflections of old man Hiccup in his eighties. The writing style here maintains simple characteristics in, for instance, word choice… but it’s mature in tone and topic. These passages are often my favorites, as they delve into interesting moral reflections tied to the adventures young!Hiccup is having in the main story. This is where Cowell shines the most in her combination of simple and eloquent. There’s beauty in what she writes in the prologues and epilogues. Reading them aloud, words flow marvelously (that opening passage in the first book… mmm yum), and you can hear the reflection of the man behind them. It’s where you’ll get quotes like:
How to Ride a Dragon’s Storm: Epilogue
Maybe all Kings should bear the Slavemark, to remind them that they should be slaves to their people, rather than the other way around. And to help them never to forget what it feels like to be a child… to be small and weak and helpless.
How to Betray a Dragon’s Hero: Prologue
Great things are only made out of love and out of pain.
A great sword must be made out of the very best steel. But what truly makes the sword great is what happens to the sword after it is made.
We call this the “testing” of the sword.
The sword is bashed and hammered and hollered into shape by the bright hammer. It is thrust into the fierce heat of the fire, where it softens, and then it is quickly quenched in water, where it hardens again. The higher the temperature, the fiercer the fire, the tougher and greater the sword eventually becomes.
The whole testing process can make a sword, or break it.
The same could be said for the making of a Hero.
Cowell’s still not using complicated vocabulary. Occasionally she’ll insert something like “indelible” into the text, but generally, it’s (superficially) simple language. However. It’s also thoughtful, eloquent, and markedly more mature than something you’ll get in Chapter 3 of the first book. “Great things are only made out of love and out of pain” is something I could embroider and hang on my wall - it’s that sort of a reflective quote.
The contrast of the two styles - the more childish and the more eloquent-mature - help us understand Hiccup’s life from two perspectives: the viewpoint of a kid experiencing dangers around him idealistically hoping to change the world, and the viewpoint of an adult reflecting back with complex moral understandings. And as Hiccup’s adventures become increasingly darker and he grows in age, the main prose will match the mood.
The writing style works. She doesn’t need a large vocabulary or complex sentential forms to sound thoughtful and imbue great adventures or thematic points. Cowell knows how to impart heart-felt concepts and great reflections for readers of any age, child to adult… and have us impacted by them.
Cressida Cowell’s use of tropes is similarly deceiving. The best writing, I believe, combines refreshingly new material with storytelling elements we’re familiar with - our tropes. I believe Cowell strikes the balance marvelously.
She brings in wildly creative new concepts - like a quirky world where dragon species are everything down to big-mouthed bee catchers or insect-sized nanodragons. Characters are equally as ridiculous and special; I’d be hard-pressed to find a personality similar to Camicazi anywhere in literature or media.
Cowell also knows how to use tropes. We so often see the feckless, unwanted, socially outcast wimpy protagonist turn into a Hero. We’ve seen a character with a special sword and a noteworthy family history. We’ve seen a character called by fate and prophecy to revolutionize the land before apocalypse. But that doesn’t make Hiccup a generic character handled blandly. Cowell balances fate with agency and with the challenges of reality. Hiccup has to make choices to save what he loves. And Hiccup is limited in what he can do. After all, “History is a set of repeating circles, like the tide. The wind does blow through the ruins of tomorrow. But it is more a question of two steps forward, one step back.” What we get is a Hero’s journey, but one where our Hero is truly spectacular, diligent, unyielding, pushed to the brink, and endlessly inspirational.
I think the thing that impresses me the most in how Cowell handles tropes is the “it can’t get any worse and then it does” concept. We’ve seen it before. Stories make protagonists go through a dark low. And when the character doesn’t think situations can worsen, they do. What makes the HTTYD series so spectacular and unique in how it’s handled… is the sheer repeated beating Cowell does. It’s overwhelming. She keeps going, and going, and going, and going, and doesn’t stop. Other authors would have stopped five bad events ago! It’s to the point that, in book ten, after so many bad things repeatedly occurred, I cried when Hiccup reached one small positive in his efforts. The author isn’t afraid to put our protagonist through the ringer, thereby making every bad experience, and good experience, impacting, memorable, and sometimes shocking to us as readers.
Cowell definitely uses plot devices we’ve seen before. But she weaves them together impactingly, making an emotional ride through high highs and low lows. We’re left with an inspirational takeaway and a Hero’s development we won’t forget.
Cowell’s long-term plot structure is brilliant, too. She divides the series into three equal parts, more or less. The first part is the “isolated” series of whimsical, innocent, childish adventures. The second part makes you squint suspiciously, realizing you’re getting into more complex and dangerous incidences than you expected. The third part is what I lovingly call “the Ragnarok of pain and despair.”
The starting books, deceivingly, seem like isolated, simple adventures. Cowell’s actually setting ALL the stages for the series’ later turmoil. She’s inserting characters, items, prophecies, themes, conflicts, and plot points that will become extraordinarily impacting as the series continues. But readers don’t notice Cowell’s clever, thorough foundation. They just see cutesie, simple, isolated incidences first read through.
The middling section is where Cowell starts to utilize what she set up. She begins implementing chaos and intertwining strings, pulling Hiccup’s life from random childhood incidences with Alvin and dragons… into something centrally important. She brings together the history of the Barbaric Archipelago with the current events Hiccup’s experiencing around him. All Hiccup’s starting point experiences from the first books become formulative to the choices he has to make now. And all the while, there’s the stewing build-up of a central conflict… which explodes at the end of the second part.
The third part is all-out war. All-out drama. All-out danger. All-out stakes. We see how everything Cowell wrote is interconnected, from the start of the series to whatever conclusion Hiccup’s journey will bring. Moral themes and questions are central; characters are pushed into growth; what we thought was some random thing at the start turns out to be a cleverly-inserted Chekhov’s gun. It’s the payoff to all the set-up and build-up… brilliantly, effectively executed.
Obviously I can’t give examples to you. That would be spoilers. XD To people who’ve read the series, I’ll just say, for one example: all the King’s Things. That’s one example of Cowell’s build-up. But the build-up is everything from moral themes, to character dynamics, to foreshadowed historical revelations. It’s well-paced, well-thought through, well-executed.
The How to Train Your Dragon books are thus both simple and eloquent. And that which is simple isn’t “watered down” - it’s “simple” with purpose, “simple” with complexity, “simple” with personality, “simple” with power.
This is why I always encourage people to keep reading after the first few books. Some people find the starting adventures adorable, loving the charm and humor. I adore that all myself! They’re legitimately treasurable books in and of their own. Other readers aren’t as interested in the cutesie stuff, approaching the first HTTYD books with skepticism; they don’t think that these benign stories are “their thing.” However, every time I’ve encouraged skeptics to read after the first few books, they get sucked in, and find themselves screaming and crying and laughing and celebrating with Hiccup’s dynamic adventures. It’s all because Cowell’s simplicity is deceptive: there’s so much more going on, and there’s always more going on the deeper in you look.
so, i was watching a good girl's guide to murder and i got some comments to make. i have wanted to read the books for some time, but haven't been able to... so i was excited for this show honestly
it is good, i liked it really but it was frustrating at times.
for example when she goes inside the bell's house 1- without gloves 2- goes around the house and room without being cautious of the windows (literally made eye contact with the fucking neighbour) 3- when you search for something in a plush, you can feel it's insides to know if it is there or not so you decide if it is really the better choicr to open it !!! but also if it's something she was opening all the time then is better to search were is opened (there will be a place come on!) instead of stabbing it without any care.
it got to my nerves that most of the time she assumed andie was dead, when there was never a body and especially after learning she was related to a dealer! but when it got to me the most was in the hotel.
yeah, when the receptionist say's that he saw andie some weeks ago it's obvious he isn't taking it seriously, but she shouldn't just erase the possibility, i would have at least grabbed 1 more of those this with the guests names that had data from after the disappearance and searched if the names were again or maybe even the same phone number!
also when they are in the hotel and try to make a distraction for the receptionist but it doesn't look like she makes sure if there are cameras or not... such an amateur.
i'm sure i had more things here, but i can't remember right now...
about the resolution of the case i have to say i was expecting elliot to be involved, but not like that... when the girl wasn't andie i was truly shocked. and i was happy my theory of sal being murdered was right, since they never discussed the idea in the episodes before i thought the story wouldn't go that way.
tho when she starts getting everything down i was like ??? yeah, he killed sal, but that doesn't answer everything! but i'm happy she took the initiative again and solved it. even if some important parts were only because of luck.
but well, i did like it, not the best mystery but it's a good watch.