Into the Forest discussion

I recently discovered a new young adult sieries on Netflix called Siempre Bruja or Always a Witch https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
It involves magic, witches and time travel and is set in Colombia in Spanish with English subtitles. The series itself is not a masterpiece, but it certainly is a lot of fun and the images of Cartagena, Colombia.are pure eye candy
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8001250/

After reading up on it I found out it did receive some criticism for the way racism is handled. Carmen the leading character is black and at the start of the series she is about to be burned at the stake because she's a slave andhas fallen in love with her masters son. She is accused of witchcraft. She escapes into the 21st century. The criticism is that although the film is criticizing slavery of the past, they are making it seem like there is no longer any racism nowadays.

I've been eyeing this one on Netflix ever since it was released. Is it really heavy with angsty type romance? Or is that secondary to magic, witches, etc.?

Leah wrote: "I've been eyeing this one on Netflix ever since it was released. Is it really heavy with angsty type romance? Or is that secondary to magic, witches, etc.?"

Well, there is definitely a love story, but I would not describe it as angsty. I would say the magical story and witches are more predominant. I am just loving the images of Colombia which I was not that familiar with. If your interested in other cultures I would definitely recommend it.

Another one I liked on Netflix, also YA, is Djinn which was filmed in Jordan. Also gorgeous images and zero love story.

Hmm. I'll definitely check Djinn out. I may check out Always a Witch but I'm giving that plot some side-eye.

Margaret wrote: "Hmm. I'll definitely check Djinn out. I may check out Always a Witch but I'm giving that plot some side-eye."

Not being produced in Hollywood both productions are lower budget and it shows, but at the same time the fact that they take place in non-English non-European speaking countries is what makes these two series more interesting. Had the same stories been filmed in the US I probably wouldn't have found them so interesting.
I just finished Always a Witch and loved it, but I do think some of the criticisms were valid.
Djinn was also not without controversy, but the criticism was from other Jordanians who found it depicted their youth badly.

I'll keep that in mind! Also, I rarely watch TV so don't expect me to have opinions for a while, lol.

Jalilah wrote: "...but at the same time the fact that they take place in non-English non-European speaking countries is what makes these two series more interesting..."

This is exactly why often I seek out and watch foreign films/TV shows. For example, 3% is quite good dystopian sci-fi series on Netflix. The only hesitation I had about Always a Witch and why I haven't watched it yet is I didn't want to get invested in something that ended up being too teenager-y for my current mood.

Leah wrote: "This is exactly why often I seek out and watch foreign films/TV shows. For example, 3% is quite good dystopian sci-fi series on Netflix. The only hesitation I had about Always a Witch and why I haven't watched it yet is I didn't want to get invested in something that ended up being too teenager-y for my current mood. ....."

FWIW the lead characters in Always a Witch are university students. There are no stereotypical teenager troupes of the high school cool kids and uncool kids, bullies or love triangles.

The premise of the love story is clear in the first 15 minutes. The leading character is a 17th Century slave who has a love affair with her masters son. She's accused of witchcraft and he gets shot trying to defend her.
In prison she meets a wizard to offers her to bring her back to the time before her lover was shot so she can rescue him in exchange for travelling to the 21 to deliver something from the wizard.

The characters in Djinn are teenagers and there are scenes in high school but no love story

Both series are short. Always a Witch is only 10 episodes and Djinn less, going by the endings of both it looks like there might be second seasons ( now if Netflix brings them is another question)

Good morning all, I am watching The Witcher. I had listened to the whole series on CDS years ago which I enjoyed more than the somewhat Stagy presentation of the film. But to fair, it is a difficult subject to portray. I like the scenery though and will continue to the end. I also began watching this morning ‘Always a Witch and I am the point where she has fused the electrical system in the hospital. A clever move on her part. I will honk the base of this film so far is Witchcraft and how one can employ it to one’s advantage. The bigotry and small mindedness of people in former days was a paling to our ways of thinking but are we really any better today . I will have more to say when U finish watching the series.

Carole wrote: "Good morning all, I am watching The Witcher. I had listened to the whole series on CDS years ago which I enjoyed more than the somewhat Stagy presentation of the film. But to fair, it is a difficul..."

I'm considering watching Witcher but I'm worried it will be too violent for me.

Margaret wrote: I'm considering watching Witcher but I'm worried it will be too violent for me."

I binged it in 5 days and loved it, but yes, it is very violent -- sword fights with graphic attacks to heads and body parts, (view spoiler)[magic that explodes one person, disembowelment one time to read the entrails and another time as a result of a monster attack (hide spoiler)], (view spoiler)[an infant is killed not in a bloody way, but I know you have a little one so that may be a trigger (hide spoiler)] -- but you can kinda tell when violence is about to erupt because it's usually a battle or fight scene. Oh, and the transformation during one mage's ascension is quite graphic (view spoiler)[the price they pay for their enchantment (never aging and looking exactly how they want) is their reproductive organs and they show the spell worker take out her uterus and ovaries and throw them into the fire (he then grinds up the ashes to use in the spell) (hide spoiler)]. That's what I recall off top of my head. Oh, if you have a soft spot for deer, (view spoiler)[I advise skipping the initial 2 minutes 15-20 seconds because the first episode opens on a little deer drinking at a water hole where a monster starts to surface. If you've seen nature docs you know water holes aren't the safest places. :-( Geralt fights that monster but spoiler, the deer doesn't survive (hide spoiler)].

If you ever watched Game of Thrones, the violence in The Witcher is on par with GoT. But, thankfully, The Witcher is not as sexually violent as GoT.

Lol. I don't know that you convinced me to watch it!

So I did watch GoT and....I liked it at first. By the last couple of seasons, it made me nauseous, but I still finished it. The books didn't bother me, and I seem to have a pretty high tolerance for violence on the page in comparison to violence on screen.

Margaret wrote: "Lol. I don't know that you convinced me to watch it!

So I did watch GoT and....I liked it at first. By the last couple of seasons, it made me nauseous, but I still finished it. The books didn't bo..."
The Witcher books have nice fairy tale feel to them. Some of the stories are retellings of European, and sometimes Slavic, folk tales. This vibe is mostly gone in Netflix adaptation, but it's still possible to find their trace if you know what you should be looking for. Personally I miss heart, warmth, as the most emotional scenes feel flat in comparison to the books in my opinion.

Because the topic of this thread has kind of been hijacked by the Witcher series, I have changed the title of this thread from Young Adult Series Siempre Bruja on Netflix to Series with Magical Beings on Netflix.

Asaria wrote: "Personally I miss heart, warmth, as the most emotional scenes feel flat in comparison to the books in my opinion.*

I haven't read the books, so I'm speaking strictly from my first experience with The Witcher being 1) the games and 2) this new series. My favorite part of the series is actually how much I connected with the characters AND the magic. It's subjective, obviously. :-) I absolutely adored how The Witcher viewed and handled dragons, which is a rarity in fantasy (in my readings anyway).

Jalilah wrote: "Because the topic of this thread has kind of been hijacked...*

My apologies, Jalilah! I debated whether or not to reply because my response would be off-topic, but I also wanted to share info on violence level to help Margaret make informed decision.

Margaret, I'm very similar in that on-page violence is easier than onscreen violence to stomach. But again, we each have our own comfort/tolerance levels. I'd say if the first episode doesn't float your boat, then you're probably safe to skip the show.

I honestly completely forgot what this thread was about, lol. I originally set up the Fairy Tales in Pop Culture thread to cover movie, games, TV, etc, but it ended up not being used much! I think I thought I was in that discussion post though, ha.

Leah wrote: "My apologies, Jalilah! I debated whether or not to reply because my response would be off-topic, but I also wanted to share info on violence level to help Margaret make informed decision.

No worries Leah! :)

Margaret wrote: "I honestly completely forgot what this thread was about, lol. I originally set up the Fairy Tales in Pop Culture thread to cover movie, games, TV, etc, but it ended up not being used much! I think ..."

Yeah threads can take on a life of their own and it's good in a group like this to remain flexible and encourage conversation. I just kept coming on when I got a notification thinking maybe someone was watching Always a Witch , but when it was always about Witcher it seemed to make sense to change the name.
Witcher from what I hear appeals less to me. I liked both Djinn and Siempre Bruja because there was no graphic violence. However they both definitely have a lighter more YA feel as well as not being big budget productions, so people who love Witcher probably wouldn't like them. I am more finicky about graphic violence in films than novels. The Sookie Stackhouse books were a guilty pleasure but the few episodes I saw of Trueblood did not make me want to get HBO.

Jalilah wrote: "...so people who love Witcher probably wouldn't like them..."

I respectfully disagree :-) It's kind of like comparing apples to oranges -- they're both fruits, yes, but totally different scents, textures, flavors, and I love them both FOR and because of those differences. :-) I like magic/ witches with rainbows and unicorns and I also like it dark and deep and bloody. So yeah, subjectivity and all that.

And I am going to watch Always a Witch based on your feedback about the romance aspect.

Jalilah wrote: "The Sookie Stackhouse books were a guilty pleasure but the few episodes I saw of Trueblood did not make me want to get HBO."

Oh, Jalilah, don't get me started on the TV show vs books on this one. LOL Funny thing, I watched the first episode of HBO True Blood first, which made me want to seek out the books. I devoured the books -- I think there were 7 or 8 published at that time, 2008-ish and read them all in a matter of days -- but then after, when I continued watching the show, my enjoyment of the show decreased because I kept comparing to the books.

The first few seasons were okay (they really got certain characters like Eric, Pam and Alcide; and, I loved Rutina Wesley as Tara, a book character the show changed, expanded and improved IMHO), but I had to really separate the show and books from each other in my mind because the books were just so much better. I feel like the show's writers really missed an opportunity by not going more with the source material rather than trying to get all creative with their own storylines. I mean, they didn't even include Quinn for pete's sake!! And I HATE how the show ended (view spoiler)[Sookie ends up with some rando, only shown from behind in the final episode, we never even know his name let alone see his face. Sigh (hide spoiler)]

Leah wrote: "Asaria wrote: "Personally I miss heart, warmth, as the most emotional scenes feel flat in comparison to the books in my opinion.*

I haven't read the books, so I'm speaking strictly from my first e..."

What you are writing confirms my gut feelings. It's a good, enjoyable TV series but so-so adaptation :). Still, I'm glad to hear that The Witcher is understandable to those who haven't read the books.

The Dragons were more similar to their Asian cousins, who tend to be benelovent shapeshifters, than to European monsters.

I plan on watching all these shows, but I watch about an hour of TV a week, and we're watching Dr. Who right now. Sometimes I watch a show by myself once a week, but it seriously may be months and months before I watch any of these!

Okay, I've watched the first two episodes of Always a Witch, and the first three of Witcher! So many thoughts.

Always a Witch: This is a refreshing change to what I typically watch. I like the magical elements and the setting. It's a bit melodramatic for me, but I'm interested enough to continue!

Witcher: It's not too gory for me at all. Love all the myth and fairytale elements. Witcher himself is funny and I'm enjoying his character! I'm disappointed that Yennefer (view spoiler)[ changes herself into a nondisabled person. It was so powerful to see a sexy, disabled witch on screen! I was sad that her storyline is following the trope of disabled bodies in fantasy, either abused or magic away the disability. I really wanted to her to refuse to change for the world. Does this happen to in the books? How do the books treat disability? (hide spoiler)] Asaria, I hope you read the spoiler thread and tell me if I should still read the books. :) (And anyone else who's read them.) I want to know more about the world and setting, but I'm hesitant to commit to the books.

Margaret wrote: "Witcher: It's not too gory for me at all. Love all the myth and fairytale elements. Witcher himself is funny and I'm enjoying his character! I'm disappointed that Yennefer (view spoiler) Asaria, I hope you read the spoiler thread and tell me if I should still read the books. :) (And anyone else who's read them.) I want to know more about the world and setting, but I'm hesitant to commit to the books.
"
The Last Wish, the first one in the Witcher Saga is a short story collection. The translation is serviceable at best, but on the other hand, there are a few cool fairy tale retellings that you may enjoy. Anyway, "The last wish" remains my favorite work of Sapkowski

As for the spoiler part (view spoiler)[ As Tissaya puts it no one is born mage. In the books, most often than not wizards and sorcerers are unwanted children without any prospects of contracting an advantageous match. Common or noble, it doesn't matter. Almost all of them have been hunchbacks, ugly or handicapped in an unacceptable by society manner. These "flaws" are corrected, but the past is never truly gone from their memories. (hide spoiler)]

I think I'll read it. I really enjoyed the Hans my Hedgehog episode that I watched last night. I have The Last Wish, but my smoker dad gave it to me, and it kinda reeks of cigarettes. I'll probably check it out from the library instead.

Margaret wrote: "Okay, I've watched the first two episodes of Always a Witch, and the first three of Witcher! So many thoughts.

Always a Witch: This is a refreshing change to what I typically watch. I like the magical elements and the setting. It's a bit melodramatic for me, but I'm interested enough to continue..."


I agree it's a bit melodramatic but I think it was the setting more than anything else that hooked me, and of course the magic.
Even though it does show the horrors of slavery, once in modern times the over all feeling, despite the struggles for me was light and enjoyable. It was a perfect series for me to watch when recovering from a broken arm and sprained ankle and when it was freezing cold and dreary outside!

Jalilah wrote: "Even though it does show the horrors of slavery, once in modern times the over all feeling, despite the struggles for me was light and enjoyable. It was a perfect series for me to watch when recovering from a broken arm and sprained ankle and when it was freezing cold and dreary outside!"

I agree! It's not that dark, and the setting is the best thing about the series.

Margaret wrote: "Witcher: It's not too gory for me at all. Love all the myth and fairytale elements..."

Yay!

And I think with Yennefer in the Netflix series (view spoiler)[we see (as she also discovers) her choice of beauty (and power, or "everything!" as she puts it) over acceptance of herself as well as over Istredd's love and acceptance doesn't end up fulfilling her (hide spoiler)].

Jalilah wrote: "Margaret wrote: "Okay, I've watched the first two episodes of Always a Witch, and the first three of Witcher! So many thoughts.

Always a Witch: This is a refreshing change to what I typically watc..."

I started last night and I like the magic (and Carmen) the most so far. Though, I'm gonna put it on hold till summer. I don't know why but I always enjoy these telenovela style shows more in the summer?? And I'm also a weirdo in that I like to watch shows set in warmer climates when it's warm where I'm at. You'd think I'd want to watch warm shows in winter and vice versa. LOL

Leah wrote: "And I'm also a weirdo in that I like to watch shows set in warmer climates when it's warm where I'm at. You'd think I'd want to watch warm shows in winter and vice versa. LOL"

Ha, that makes sense!

I finished The Witcher series and thoroughly enjoyed it! It's one of my favorite fantasy series. I pitched an essay at The Mary Sue about the Hans My Hedgehog episode, and it was accepted. I may not publish it there though--they offered a really low amount and I can't decide if I should accept it because I like The Mary Sue, or pass and keep pitching. Honestly, I'll probably end up passing. Now that I freelance for a living, I have to make a liveable wage on my writing.

However, I will end up writing and publishing it, as I have several places I regularly contribute to that I know will take it. I just want to see if I can add someplace new to my roster before I submit it.

I'm going back and rewatching episodes; it's that good! I will definitely be reading the books. I put book one on hold.

Not I need to figure out where the Hans My Hedgehog section is in the books!

Margaret wrote: "I finished The Witcher series and thoroughly enjoyed it! It's one of my favorite fantasy series. I pitched an essay at The Mary Sue about the Hans My Hedgehog episode, and it was accepted. I may no..."

I didn't know Hans My Hedgehog fairy tale! Good to know. I've heard people finding references in this story to Jan Brzechwa's Fairy Tale of Steel Hedgehog (I don't know if it has been ever translated, probably not), but there are even more similarities with Hans My Hedgehog. It is A Question of Price short story in first book, The Last Wish.

Julia wrote: "I didn't know Hans My Hedgehog fairy tale! Good to know. I've heard people finding references in this story to Jan Brzechwa's Fairy Tale of Steel Hedgehog (I don't know if it has been ever translated, probably not), but there are even more similarities with Hans My Hedgehog. It is A Question of Price short story in first book, The Last Wish.."

Oh, thanks so much! That will be much easier to find now. :)

I definitely like The Witcher's version of the story better than the Grimms! In the Grimms fairytale, the hedgehog makes the deal with two kings and thus two princesses. The first princess and king try to trick him, and so he "pricks her with his quill," makes her bloody, and she lives in disgrace the rest of her life. I think we can guess the euphemism there. The second princess marries him to keep her father's promise, and three soldiers burn his hedgehog skin only to reveal blackened skin! So the king orders his doctor to make him white by rubbing ointment on his skin.

It's very cringeworthy. The Witcher's more feminist and romantic episode is much better to modern sensibilities.

I'll see if I can find an English translation of Steel Hedgehog.

Margaret wrote: "I'm going back and rewatching episodes; it's that good!"

I've been doing this too!

Bonus: my daughter already had The Last Wish on her shelf so I'm reading it next month.

Look forward to your Hans My Hedgehog article. (And you're right: you deserve to be paid professional rate!) It's one of my favorite episodes from The Storyteller. 🤓

ETA: For those who have read the books, is this list a good one to go by for order to read? https://www.goodreads.com/series/2785...

Margaret wrote: "Julia wrote: "I didn't know Hans My Hedgehog fairy tale! Good to know. I've heard people finding references in this story to Jan Brzechwa's Fairy Tale of Steel Hedgehog (I don't know if it has been..."

I love Brzechwa's verses, but have never heard of Steel Hedgedog,
Margaret, I keep fingers crossed for your article!

Leah wrote: "Margaret wrote: "I'm going back and rewatching episodes; it's that good!"

I've been doing this too!

Bonus: my daughter already had The Last Wish on her shelf so I'm reading it nex..."

Looks fine. Basically, short stories go first, then the novels in accordance with the publishing order, and The Season of Storms last.

Leah wrote: "I started last night and I like the magic (and Carmen) the most so far. Though, I'm gonna put it on hold till summer. I don't know why but I always enjoy these telenovela style shows more in the summer?? And I'm also a weirdo in that I like to watch shows set in warmer climates when it's warm where I'm at. You'd think I'd want to watch warm shows in winter and vice versa. LOL "

Lol, I am like that with books, but the opposite way around. I just can't stand to read books that are set the entire time in winter in a snow cold place in the summer. Our winters here are just so brutal and long that I don't want to read about them in the summer!
On the other hand because I am more of a warm weather person I don't mind reading about warm places in the winter. In fact with Siempre Bruja that was one of the things that hooked me, when I started watching in December it was already cold and snowy outside.