Color Me Fandom: Purple

When you think of the color purple, what comes to mind?

Purple is often associated with royalty, wisdom, strength--all positive characteristics. In some instances, it can also evoke melancholy or give an audience a sense of rebellion. Maybe that's why purple is so often used for villains and anti-heroes. Think about how many Disney villains are cloaked in a shade of purple.

(It's all either purple . . . or green.)

Looking at various fandoms, one can see the overarching characteristics that the color purple is used to highlight. Here are just a few.

Regality 

(Princess Zelda in lavender)

Traditionally, purple bears the mark of royalty. As far back as ancient Rome, only the emperor was allowed to wear solid purple, while the highest and most-esteemed individuals could wear a stripe of purple along the edges of their togas (source).

The color has long been associated with royalty and power, so it comes as no surprise to see animators, Hollywood, and video game companies dressing kings, queens, princes, and princesses in that color.

(Purpleicious)

In the anime Code Geass, the imperial princes and princesses wear a lot of purple (A LOT), sometimes in their clothing, other times in their features! Just look at the picture of Cornelia above. She's wearing purple but also (miraculously) has purple hair and eyes.

(Rapunzel discovering she's a princess whilst wearing purple.)

Disney princesses like Rapunzel also dress in violet shades. As we've seen already, so do Disney villains, especially if they see themselves as a type of royalty, like Ursula, Frollo, and Governor Ratcliffe (who later even imagines himself in a suit of gold).

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Purple means power and prestige. It means princes and princesses. It means having the means to organize an entire kingdom and determine the best course of action for a people.

Power 

(Purple packs a powerful punch.)

Speaking of . . .

How many times has a character conjured up a violet aura and released an awe-inspiring attack? You don’t mess with any shade, tint, or variation of purple.

In fact, the most powerful scout in the Sailor Moon fandom wears, you guessed it, PURPLE! Sailor Saturn is such a powerhouse that she only awakens for very specific reasons: to destroy planets, wipe out races, or even to kill gods! She’s only failed in her task once. ONCE! And her attacks are . . . purple.

In addition, the most powerful Pokémon (at least for a time) was Mewtwo, who uses purple psychic powers and has lovely lavender skin.

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So it's no wonder that some villains also wear purple to signify how much power they hold, just like Frieza from Dragonball Z. In his various forms, he always has some highlight of purple on his person.

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Even in Naruto, Orochimaru's outfit is mostly tan and gray, but it also contains a large purple belt to hold it together.

All the characters mentioned are extremely powerful and a difficult obstacle for others to overcome. This is usually the case with those who hold insane amounts of energy.

Subversion

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Without getting too much into color theory, purple's birth (the marriage of red and blue) is something of an interesting phenomenon. Blue and red are contrasting colors and tend to be paired quite frequently. They are opposites yet complementary. One accentuates the other's beauty.

Even the qualities associated with these colors are opposites: while blue symbolizes stability, red symbolizes senseless passion. Purple, then, is much more passionate than blue, but more controlled than red. This makes it a perfect color for villains and anti-heroes because of the calculating yet unexpected ways in which they function.

The Joker, the Riddler, the Green Goblin, and Lex Luthor all sport purple in some form (again, there's also a lot of green). Villains adore purple.

(Let's get dangerous . . . in violet!)

The primary colors (red, blue, and yellow) are all reserved for the hero(es), while the secondary colors (orange, green, and purple) are given to the villains and anti-heroes, types that usually think in subversive ways: the villain's goals go against those of society, while the anti-hero lacks the conventional characteristics of a hero.

(Blackfire is a princess AND a villain. Look at all that purple.)

Purple gives people a sense of all of the aforementioned qualities: power, subversion, and regality. Whether used for a villain, a princess, or an anti-hero (We need more purple heroes!), purple shines through and makes one take notice. It also gives one the sense of wisdom and ambition.

It's interesting how much color can affect our first impression of a character, and how color theory is used in fandoms to give us a better idea of the characters' motivations and even their morals.

Who's your favorite purple-attired character?

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Captivating Castles of the Fandom World

Once again, we face the end of summer, and just like my post Gamers' Getaway, I plan to focus my attention on spots in fictional worlds that could make fantastic vacations.

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This time, it's castles!

One of my most treasured memories was of my father taking me to a tiny castle in the middle of a lake. Okay, it wasn't exactly a castle, but to my childhood imagination, it appeared similar enough to pass for one. I was enamored! Not just by castles, but eventually (blessedly) by the fantasy genre itself. To a little girl, whose grandfather fondly referred to as princess, it comes as no surprise that my love for these architectural beauties has continued into my adult years.

So, I marry two of my favorite things: fandoms and fortresses.

Beast’s Castle (Disney's Beauty and the Beast)

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Located
A wolf-infested forest somewhere in France

Residents
Beast (note: under an enchanted spell, has a rather unruly temper)
Enchanted Objects

Food

Beef Ragout

Cheese Soufflé
Pie and Pudding 'en flambe

Grey Stuff (Try it. It's delicious!) 

Added bonus: Dinner and a show

(*faints*)

To Do 
Speak with the talking furniture.

Read in the magnificent, every-bookworm's-dream library.
During the Christmas holiday, let the singing, crazed organ with the voice of Tim Curry soothe you. (Warning: He may attempt to bring down the house. Literally! I'm prone to making puns but am serious here.)

To See

Expansive rose garden (Warning: do NOT touch the flowers)
Various hallways dedicated to the art and culture of Europe
The lovely and mysterious West Wing

Ivory Tower (The Neverending Story)

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Located

Fantastica (actually exists in a book)

Resident 

The Childlike Empress (note: is much older and wiser than she appears) 

Food/Refreshments 

Piedra (a rock-shaped sweet bread)
Never-ending chocolate fountain
Spicy Luck Dragon dumplings
Water of Life

(And...gourmet rocks?)

To Do 

Go on death-defying adventures.

Fly on the back of Falkor.
Protect the Childlike Empress.

To See

Grassy Ocean (Green as far as the eye can see)
The Swamps of Sadness (It kind of sucks... the hope right out of you.)
Goab, the Desert of Colors
Perilin, the Night Forest (As beautiful and colorful as a wish)

Howl’s Moving Castle (Howl's Moving Castle)

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Located
The Land of Ingary (where it's a misfortune to be born the eldest of three)

Residents

Howl
Sophie
Calcifer
A few others, depending on if it's the book or movie version

Food
Bacon and Eggs
Fluffy, warm bread
Hat-shaped cakes with sugar spun flowers

(Doesn't that look delicious?!)

To Do 
Subconsciously learn to break a spell and speak magic into hats.
Explore the door in the castle, which opens to different dimensions.
Tread through various countries using Seven-League Boots.

To See

While in the castle, you will be treated to a brisk, beautiful tour through the Ingary countryside
Fields and fields of lovely flowers
Magic!  

Hogwarts (Harry Potter series)

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Located
Somewhere in the Highlands of Scotland

Resident 
Dumbledore
Professors teaching magic 

Future witches and wizards

Food/Refreshments 
Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans
Chocolate Frogs
Pumpkin Pasties
Butterbeer

(Well said, Harry.)

To Do 
Fly on broomsticks (and of course, play Quidditch).
Fight Dark Lords and underlings.
Survive Trolls in bathrooms.
Study for magic exams.

To See

All the fantastic beasts!
The Forbidden Forest (Shhh, don't tell anyone you've explored it.)
Hogsmeade
The Hogwarts Express and all its glory 

Hyrule Castle (The Legend of Zelda series)

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Located
The Kingdom of Hyrule, of course

Resident

Princess Zelda
The King of Hyrule
The Legendary Warrior, Link 

Food/Refreshments 

Baked Apple (or burnt apple, if you've set it by the fire too long)
Peanut Butter and Chu Chu Jelly sandwiches
Lon Lon milk
Fairy delight! (Just kidding, we aren't barbarians here.)
Elixir soup

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To Do 

Defeat Ganon and save the princess.
Ride Epona. (Yay! Horsie.)
Cook food happily.
Scale mountain sides.

To See

The Triforce!
Princess Zelda's study
The Great Deku Tree
The many shrines scattered throughout the world 

Crystal Tokyo/Moon Kingdom (Sailor Moon series)

(The Moon Kingdom in the past.)

Located
On the Moon (past)
Tokyo, Japan (future)

Residents
Queen Serenity (past)
Princess Serena (past)

Neo Queen Serenity (future)
King Endymion (future)
Princess Rini (future)

Food
Moon cakes and doughnuts
Rice balls
Bunny shaped cookies (a mixture of burnt and golden brown delights)
Strawberry Cream Cake

(Crystal Tokyo in the future.)

To Do
Fight Evil By Moonlight.
Win Love By Daylight.
Transform into a Pretty Sailor Soldier.
Time Travel.

(*squeals*)

To See
Talking Cats
The Legendary Silver Crystal
Wait... a Pegasus, or was I dreaming??

Count Dracula's Castle (Dracula)

(Bran Castle. Best fits the description of Dracula's castle.)

Located
In the depths of Transylvania

Resident
Count Dracula (Warning: could be a blood-sucking, undead gentleman)

Food/Refreshments 
Blood
You
Run!
Get out of here!!

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To Do 
Set up crucifixes.
Eat lots of garlic.
Vampire Hunting.

To See
Nothing. You should go before you see too much.

Which captivating castle would you visit?

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Ice Wielders: Why Winter Weather is Wonderful

I can't help but dread the temperature drop every single winter. I'd much prefer 70s all year round, but we can't always get what we want, can we?

However, cold weather isn't all bad. In fact, some of the best fictional characters possess the power to wield ice. I hereby present to you a few of my favorite ice wielders. Though, I've limited the characters to those whose powers mainly focus on ice and/or water manipulation.

Elsa (Frozen)

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From an early age, Elsa has had power over snow and ice. But as she grows older, it becomes much more difficult to control. In fact, she ends up mistakenly freezing her entire kingdom!

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But even though her powers are that of ice and frigid cold, she has a rather warm heart.

Best Thing About Cold Weather: Warm hugs, of course!

Shiva (Final Fantasy series)

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Throughout the Final Fantasy series, Shiva has filled the role of summon and goddess. In all games of the series, she’s used her tremendous powers (ahem, diamond dust) to help our heroes out of countless messes.

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Best Thing About Cold Weather: The stainless beauty of ice and snow. Everything glitters.

Sailor Mercury (Sailor Moon)

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Sailor Mercury isn’t just the brains of the sailor scouts. Rather, she also packs a punch in the powers department, especially with her Shine Aqua Illusion (and Shine Snow Illusion), which sends forth a wall of water that miraculously turns to ice or snow.

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Best Thing About Cold Weather: Staying inside with close friends and curling up with a good book.

Iceman (X-Men)

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Iceman is a mutant with the power to freeze water to ice particles. He's even able to turn his entire body to ice!

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Best Thing About Cold Weather: Snowball fights and more opportunities for kissing. ;)

Waterbenders (Avatar: the Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra)

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Waterbenders like Aang, Katara, and Korra are able to control water in various forms. They also have one of the most graceful and fluid fighting styles, which reflects their control of water in all its stages: liquid, solid, and even gas.

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Best Thing About Cold Weather: Definitely penguin sledding!

Ice King (Adventure Time)

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Though the Ice King has a rather sad story, he still finds time to enjoy himself (maybe sometimes in the wrong ways). Through a series of unfortunate circumstances, the Ice King received the power of the crown, which gave him control over ice and snow.

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Best Thing About Cold Weather: It’s easier to kidnap princesses because they’re too busy drinking hot cocoa!

Jack Frost (Rise of the Guardians)

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Jack has domain over winter, including the ability to fly, speak to the wind, and create ice and snow. As a guardian, his true power is something much deeper and much more important.

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Best Thing About Cold Weather: Snowball fights, sledding, holidays, snow days…that face.

Who is your favorite? 

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Hogwarts House Sorting: Sailor Senshi

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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them came out this weekend, so to commemorate the Harry Potter series, I thought I'd sort more characters into Hogwarts Houses. Last time, I sorted Kingdom Hearts characters and this time, I'll be sorting the Sailor Senshi from Sailor Moon.

Sailor Moon/Usagi

Hufflepuff

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Hands down, Sailor Moon is a Hufflepuff. In fact, she shows most (if not all) of the Hufflepuff traits. She is the Sailor Soldier of LOVE, after all, and she proves that no matter what, she'll fight for her family, her friends, and even total strangers.

She enjoys the company of others and hates to be alone. Out of all the ladies, she makes friends the easiest and was the one who brought all the Sailor Senshi together in the first place. In fact, most of the girls were loners before they met Usagi. This was a huge deal when the Outer Senshi showed up. Sailor Moon was there to bring everyone together peacefully, which is what Hufflepuffs strive to do.

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Hufflepuffs are group-oriented, just like Moon. She is stronger because of the ones she loves. And just like Puffs, she also has a way with animals. (I mean, she has a talking cat for crying out loud.) Puffs also enjoy home and hearth and tend to be the ones who appreciate comfort food and togetherness (again, just like Moon).

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Though there was a part of me that wanted to say Sailor Moon was a Gryffindor, since she fights for love and justice, she isn't in it for the glory or the thrill of battle; she'd rather avoid fighting altogether. Most of the time she's a complete crybaby but overcomes her fears whenever the lives of her friends and family are threatened. She's even willing to sacrifice her own life for those she loves. Who could get more Hufflepuff?

Notable Quotes

“If a Soldier's pride means hurting one another, I don't want it…”

“Who wants that? I’d rather choose to fall in love and be hurt. Sometimes I can’t even sleep because I love someone too much. And there’s always sadness in our lives. It’s that sad feeling that keeps us going.”

Sailor Mercury/Ami

Ravenclaw

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We all know Sailor Mercury would be a Ravenclaw, since she's a genius and the Sailor Scout of Intellect. Ravenclaws have an abundance of curiosity and love knowledge for it's own sake, not as a means to an end, which is more suited for Slytherins. Ravenclaws also tend to look to the future, which shows in Sailor Mercury's pursuit of new technology.

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Ravenclaws are usually introverts, which means they’re okay with being by themselves, since their endless stream of thoughts occupy their time. Ami is much the same way. She's okay with being alone.

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Ravenclaws also enjoy studying, and if there is anyone in the group who actively wants to study (*ahem* really the ONLY one in the group), it would have to be Ami. She usually keeps everyone on task and is a teacher for most of the Senshi, especially Usagi and Minako. 

Lastly, Ami tends to shy away from fights when at all possible, which is so akin to Ravenclaws, who avoid confrontation at all costs. In fact, Ami is usually the pacifist of the group and is there to break up any squabbles among the girls.

Notable Quotes

"If we're going to beat Jedite, we've got to really stick together. All right?”

"Do your very best in school."

Sailor Mars/Rei

Slytherin (almost Gryffindor)

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At first, I wanted to put Sailor Mars in Gryffindor, since it's the house that aligns with the element of fire. Rei is much like a Gryffindor in that she is utterly passionate about whatever it is she’s doing, whether it is reading a fortune or fighting with Usagi. But once I thought about it, I couldn’t help but think she might be a Slytherin.

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Slytherins are very much drawn to the past and to tradition, and this is positively Rei. She's much more focused on ancient Japanese traditions and usually shies away from anything modern. (This is much more apparent in the manga.)

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A Slytherin (and Mars) also tends to be confrontational and (whether Mars likes it or not) can sometimes be hotheaded. But she is driven and confident in her own ways of doing things, which at times leaves her to be a bit narrow-minded; however, she doesn't let anything stop her in fulfilling her dreams, not even romance.

Lastly, as a Slytherin, she is much more aloof when it comes to people outside her friends’ group, but she is intensively loyal and true to those she holds closest, willing to do what it takes to keep them safe.

Notable Quotes

"Shadows in the fire of the sun... It's a bad omen..."

"Nothing good comes out of mimicking other people. What's important is being yourself."

Sailor Jupiter/Makoto

Hufflepuff (almost Gryffindor)

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Even though Sailor Jupiter is courageous and rushes into things (as Gryffindors are apt to do), deep down she's a true Hufflepuff. She cares about her friends and their well being. If anything were to happen to them, she’d pummel whoever hurt them into cornmeal...and then bake her enemies into bread.

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Speaking of baking, Sailor Jupiter LOVES to cook, bake, grill, whatever. She makes bento boxes for all her friends and is even in charge of snacks during their study/senshi meetings. You see, Hufflepuffs are all about home life and caring for others (so is Makoto).

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In fact, Makoto's dream is to get married and own a bakery. Food and family seem to be key elements for Puffs, and Jupiter is no exception. She is also constantly searching for acceptance and love, and by the way she talks about past boyfriends, she tends to fall hard, putting her whole heart and soul into her relationships.

Notable Quotes

“We will face any danger for the ones we care for, with love and courage!”

“It’s not nice to pick on people weaker than you.”

Sailor Venus

Gryffindor

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Oh, Sailor Venus. You are totally a Gryffindor. Sailor Venus’ whole goal in life is to be famous, which screams Gryffindor (since most of them seek honor, glory, and validation from others). She is the Scout of Love and Beauty and this really plays a major part when it comes to pursuits outside of being a Sailor Soldier.

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She also has a take charge attitude and is normally the first to act. And actually, in the manga, Sailor Venus is the leader of the Sailor Soldiers. She also is the only Soldier that was able to pull a magical sword from the ground. Sword of Gryffindor. Sword of the Silver Crystal. Hmm…

Though she is a brilliant leader, that doesn't’ stop her from being impulsive at times, especially with boys! She’s very much the extrovert and thrives off the attention of others, which is true to the Gryffindor characteristics.

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Gryffs usually aren’t the ones seeking knowledge, however, they do find information useful when it can be used to aid friends or begin adventures. This sounds very much like Venus, since (like Moon) she tends to ward off studying and instead pursues other tasks like boys or sports. It should also be noted that just like Gryffindors, Venus enjoys the thrill and glory received from sports or entertaining.

Notable Quotes

“Believe in yourself and nothing can stop you”

“Please allow the Goddess of Love, Minako Aino, to handle them!”

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Do you agree with my sorting?

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