The Fantastical and Felicitous Fictional Character Tag

Eva very kindly tagged me for this, and I was so excited.  A good tag is hard to beat, and this one is great fun (although it was strangely difficult for me to come up with answers :-P).


Rules:
  • Answer every question honestly. (duh.)
  • Use as many gifs and images as possible.
  • Incorporate at least one YouTube video with a favorite scene of a character.
  • NO VAGUE ANSWERS ALLOWED. Explain why you chose that favorite character to fit that description. I love details, my friends.
  • If you can’t choose just one, that’s okay – give us a few answers and geek out if that’s what it takes.
  • Tag at least 3 people.
  • Use fictional characters from any fictional story.
  • If you get nominated and/or decide to participate in this tag, please put a link back to this post in your post and credit yours truly (Emily at The Altogether Unexpected) as the creator.
  • Have fun and obsess over fictional characters!

Goody-two-shoes: A character who was just so morally good 
Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings.  A+.  Solid person.  Quality dude.  Can't think of many flaws.

Aragorn is awesome

I really love Aragorn.  It would be easy to get irritated at how often people assume he must be my favorite LotR character or ask why he isn't, but in the end I can't really because I get it.  He's not my favorite, and he doesn't touch my heart the way some of the others do, but he's absolutely wonderful and I have nothing but respect for him.  He seems, at times, to doubt himself, as if he can't see his own merit, but he always tries to do the right thing and I can't think of any instances wherein he fails.  He's selfless, courageous, and faithful.

Again I say, quality dude. 

Heartbreaker: A character who made you cry 
So Roy made me ugly cry in the fourth episode of the first season of BBC's Robin Hood.  I think I yelled a little bit, actually.  That was new, and I'd give it about a 2 out of 10.

MistressDickens : Photo

We hardly get to know Roy at all, so I don't even know why that made me cry so much, why it was so very affecting for me.  Maybe because I wasn't expecting it??  I really don't know, but it did and it was.

Parrot: A character who won’t stop talking 
My Gilmore gals are certainly very chirpy.  I love them, but even I am sometimes a little dazed by the sheer amount of rapid-fire, sometimes nonsensical dialogue.  Still, I suppose that's one of the appeals of the show. ;)

11 Movies The 'Gilmore Girls' Loved That You Should Watch ASAP | Bustle

Devilish: Your favorite villain 
The one who springs to mind is Captain Hook from Barrie's novel, because he's the only villain I can remember consciously thinking of as my favorite.  (It may have changed, though.)

Capt. James Hook

I remember loving how he was written, with that blend of whimsy and evil and a touch of conscious pathos.  I think an excerpt will explain better than I could, so:

 "The man was not wholly evil; he loved flowers (I have been told) and sweet music (he was himself no mean performer on the harpsichord); and, let it be frankly admitted, the idyllic nature of the scene stirred him profoundly." {Chapter 13}

I just love how tongue-in-cheek (if that is the appropriate word) and playful Barrie was when writing this entire book, how extremely concerted the effort was to make all this sound like it was a famous kind of legend.  I'm not finding the right words to explain it, but that's the truth. 

Love interest: A character who, if alive in reality, you would want to marry
I HAVE STRUGGLESSSSSS.

Ugh.

I really don't know.  Faramir, for all the reasons ever?  Tom Harte, because he's protective and silent and has a wry sense of humor?  You would think this would be easy, since I pretty much know who my favorite fictional heroes are.  BUT IT IS NOT EASY.

FARAMIR: Aragorn, I think you should play the roll of my father. ARAGORN: I don't want to be your father. FARAMIR: That's perfect. You already know your lines.

Because, see, I love them to the moon and back, but I don't know if I would marry them if they were actual people.  Y'know?  I don't know if we'd actually be all that compatible as a real couple.

Hmm.  *broods*

For the sake of the question, let's go with either Jim McKay from The Big Country or Illya Kuryakin from The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

Jim McKay because his refusal to prove his manhood by being a pugnacious idiot is incredibly refreshing to me, and because his personality seems pretty congenial: sensible and fairly quiet, but friendly and playful as well.

Gregory Peck in "The Big Country,

Illya Kuryakin because he's one of the softest, most adorable characters I've ever encountered and I would probably hardcore fall in love with him.  (Although, I have to say, I would have slightly more qualms about him because I'd need to be absolutely sure that he had his, um, violent-outburst tendencies firmly under control.)

I got Illya Kuryakin! Which Character From "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." Are You Based On Your Zodiac?
Me: *emits a meep*

(What?  I'm trying to take the question seriously. :-P)

And because I love Illya and because I love you, I will include not one but three of my favorite scenes. ;)  Be blessed:




(For the record, "He's trying. to stop. the car. " is possibly my favorite line of the whole movie.)

Sidekick: A character who was always loyal no matter what
In the Books of Pellinor quartet ⎼ WHICH IS INCREDIBLE AND WHICH TOUCHED MY HEART AND WHICH I HOPE TO REVIEW SOMETIME SOON ⎼ Cadvan sticks by Maerad's side through thick and thin, through arguments and estrangements and separations and backstories and besetting sins.  And I LOVE THEM SO MUCH I CANNOT. *tears up a little*

"'I will not abandon you, Maerad; it's too late for me to turn away.  And I will do my best to help you, even though you plan to do what I think you should not, even though I fear the ruin of all our enterprise in this venture.  I will do this, out of the love that I bear you.  For no other reason.  May I be forgiven under the justice of the Light.'

Maerad was overwhelmed with relief.  She hadn't understood until that moment how much she had feared that Cadvan would abandon her.  Unable to speak, she reached out and took Cadvan's hand." {The Singing, Chapter 13}

Maerad and Cadvan :)
Fan art is the coolest thing.  Y'all are the real heroes.

Complicated: A character you love and hate 
Thomas Barrow from Downton Abbey.

10 Signs You're Addicted to Downton Abbey | Her Campus

The man is so insidiously awful to certain people at certain times, but he's so hurt and tender at other times that I can't help but root for him/believe in him.  (Plus, I've been informed by reliable sources that he has an #Arc.)  Life has not been incredibly kind to him, and he absolutely wallows in self-pity and he absolutely should step his game up regardless, but I still love him.  He still tugs on my old heartstrings, as they say. 

Oddity: A character who was strange, but you loved them that way
Sweet, beautiful, struggling Bella Brown from This Beautiful Fantastic.  Food sectioned off on her plate, a different toothbrush for every day of the week, multiple checks to make sure the door is really shut, continual fighting to overcome her phobias, a desire to learn Irish . . . I love her and I'm proud of her and her movie makes me very happy. ♥

Bella Brown / This Beautiful Fantastic 

Queen: A female character who you admire and aspire to emulate 
I'll go with Oscie Mason from In My Father's House, because she's smart, assertive, bold, and willing to grow, change, make mistakes, and then learn from those mistakes.  She's what you might call a "powerful female character," and she Gets Stuff Done, and she's not afraid to have emotions or to express them. *nods approvingly*

Hailee Steinfeld
pic of Hailee Steinfeld because she is Oscie to me

Savior: A character who oddly reminds you of Christ
Okay I LITERALLY HAVE NO SATISFACTORY IDEA.  I don't think of many characters as specifically Christlike unless they're already allegories for him (like Aslan from The Chronicles of Narnia and the Shepherd from Hinds' Feet on High Places).

But I will say, I seem to recall Miryem in Spinning Silver having to perform some sort of dangerous, sacrificial deed for the greater good of a people who had mistreated her own, there at the end of the book.  For some reason that came to mind, which is interesting since I wouldn't have thought of her as a Christ figure at all but for that.  But yes, she chooses to go above and beyond the call of duty for the subjects of her captor, and in so doing she influences said captor for the better.  So, there you are.  Make of that what you will.

Naomi Novik Talks Spinning Silver, Her Rumpelstiltskin-Inspired Novel (saving for after I read the book)

(I don't know; for some reason the question makes me a little uncomfortable??  Not sure why.)

I tag:
Natalie
Heidi
Kiri Liz
Ivy Miranda

And, though I know everyone says this, consider yourself tagged as well if you want to do this tag! :)  Here are the questions:

Goody-two-shoes: A character who was just so morally good
Heartbreaker: A character who made you cry
Parrot: A character who won’t stop talking
Devilish: Your favorite villain
Love interest: A character who, if alive in reality, you would want to marry
Sidekick: A character who was always loyal no matter what
Complicated: A character you love and hate
Oddity: A character who was strange, but you loved them that way
Queen/King: A female/male character who you admire and aspire to emulate
Savior: A character who oddly reminds you of Christ


Have at it!

Comments

  1. I meant to leave a normal comment but I was just casually reading it AND THEN I SAW MAN FROM UNCLE AND NOW I AM JUST TOO HYPED.
    I love how they just bicker over fashion.
    My favorite two scenes are the scene in the hotel (with the fight) and the one at the docks.
    BUT OH MY GOSH I LOVE THIS MOVIE AND SHALL SCREAM ABOUT IT FOREVER!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I FEEL, GIRL.

      It's such a crazy-fun movie.

      Delete
  2. Oh dear, Roy. I don't think that I actually cried, but I was heart broken. I couldn't believe that this series I was watching would kill off a character. He sort of prepared me for other things to come. :'(

    Excellent choice for a villian, m'dear! Captain Hook has always been one of my favorite villains, and when I read the book I absolutely loved J.M.Barrie's style of writing him. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know, right?? It was like a warning shot. :"(

      Thanks! Ack, yes, it's so fun. :D

      Delete
  3. Ilya!!!!! For most Christ like character I would either choose Charlie Lionheart from The Lady and the Lionheart or Isaac from Jessica Dotta's Price of Privilege Trilogy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww, Charlie Lionheart is such a good character. <3

      Delete
  4. Loved your answers, even though I only know a couple of these characters.

    'Parenthood' does make me tear up because ROY even though I don't know him very well and don't even like him all that much. :P But the whole show is just so sad! There's literally something in every episode to give me Feels. Usually more than one thing, tbh.

    I've only seen the first ?four? seasons of Downton Abbey so I don't know much about Thomas's arc, but I WILL say that when I rewatched the first three seasons and Sybil died and Thomas broke down and cried...I did too. And I felt super sorry for him. Of course, he was back to being awful really soon after but he *did* make me Feel Things. </3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. YES. *sobs a little* It's just a very feelsy show. Especially in hindsight, I feel? Like, once you know how it all ends and where it all leads, every moment (almost) is emotional.

      Yeah, I've only seen the first three seasons myself. YES, that part is so sad for so many reasons. <3

      Delete
  5. Yeah, Roy's death was completely unexpected, and out of character with the rest of the episodes for a long while. I wasn't expecting a main character to be killed out of the blue like that.

    The Man from UNCLE is one of my favorite movies, and Illya is the BEST!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know. It really changed your expectations of the show; now you're realizing, "Oh, this is one of THOSE shows."

      It's so good!!

      Delete
  6. I'm pretty sure I cried over Roy. mY HEART.

    I would marry Illya in an instant. I love him to pieces.

    Bella Brown is delightful (tho I desperately wish that she ended up with whatshisname. Moriarty. XD)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Saaaaame. :(

      Haha, yes.

      YESH. BELLA BELONGED WITH VERNON, WORLD WITHOUT END, AMEN. (Personally, I am of the opinion that she and Billy eventually broke up, amicably, and she ended up--ultimately--with Vernon.)

      Delete
  7. Awesome tag answers!!! :D

    Haha! I def. feel you about not being sure whether you would marry a fictional character, even though you love them. I have often wondered the same thing myself.

    "I've been informed by reliable sources that he has an #Arc"--the perfection of that phrasing just cracked me up so hard :D :D :D

    OSCIE MASON FOR THE WIN. I love how headstrong she is, but also how she learns to "hold her fire" and save her headstrong-ness for situations where it's truly needed.

    I get you on the being uncomfortable with Christ-figures sometimes . . . I don't mind if it's JUST the SACRIFICE part in which they can be thought to imitate Christ; but sometimes when the characters are portrayed as Christ-like in being "perfect" or "near-perfect" as well, that's when I get a little leery. Because, um, no. There is only One truly innocent Lamb of God.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks!

      Haha, indeed. "Is a puzzlement."

      Heehee, I'm glad you liked it. ;D

      YASS, GIRL. *high five* She also has an #Arc, which is part of what makes her so wonderful.

      Thank you! It can just sometimes rub me the wrong way if the characters aren't meant to be literal allegories . . . And, I mean, it depends, but . . . yeah. As you say, "only One truly innocent Lamb of God." I don't mind authors trying to reflect Christ in their characters, but . . . *shrugs* It just depends.

      Delete
  8. Ok, two things: :D

    One: ILLYA FROM MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.!!! Also, just Man From U.n.c.l.e. in general. YES.

    Two: I saw This Beautiful Fantastic!! And Bella Brown is so cute. :') (Also she should have ended up with Vernon and not Billy, no questions asked.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I AGREE.

      I'm so glad you saw TBF! It's such a good movie. :) Yesss, isn't she?!?! (YES. And she totally did. I have Decided It. *nods*)

      Delete
  9. WOAH I MISSED THAT YOU TAGGED ME FOR THIS but yay I'm glad you did because I want to do it. :D

    Haa. I love that Aragorn meme. xD It's so true.

    I find it super interesting how Aragorn is my favorite "man" in LOTR (that sounds weird, but I think you know what I mean xD) and how I love and respect Faramir, but he doesn't quite do it for me, but then it's the opposite for you. I don't know, I feel like it's an interesting study in the subtle differences we prefer in our heroes. Because they're both so similar in being men of honor and valor and determined bravery, but they act and show this in different ways and...yeah. Anyways. Does that even make sense?

    NO hahaha that meme about Aragorn knowing his lines. :'( Faramiiiiirr.

    *emits a meep* <<XD I feel ya.

    Okay so I'm in the muddly middle of the whole Thomas thing and am feeling very similar feelings. On one hand, sir you are legit the worst plus need to work some things out in your life but also DO YOU NEED A HUG BECAUSE MAYBE THAT WOULD HELP? Idk.

    Gahhhhhh. Bell Brown wanted to learn Irish. I forgot about that!! (Sorry, it's such a long stretch but I'm just past the Emotional Turmoil that is/was Sybil and Branson so I'm feeling things and willing to look to any "alternate universe" connections. xD)

    I feel that too, about the Christ-figure question. I actually have something to say about that but I won't for now, because I can save it for my answer. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No worries; I don't think I ever actually let you know so that's more on me than it is on you. :-P Yay! I'd love to see your answers. :D

      Hehehe. xD

      YES, isn't it funny? It's that way with another of my friends, too, actually. Like you said, it's just interesting to think about how it hits on those differences in our preferences. It's cool. :D

      XD XD

      Heehee, yes.

      HAHA! Same; you want to throttle him but then other times you want to cuddle him.

      Oh, bless your heart! *offers chocolate* I know what you mean about the alternate universe connections thing. ;)

      Ooh, interesting!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Comments make my day. Seriously. I'd be so happy if you commented. :)

I've gotten really bad about replying in a timely manner, but it's always my intention to do so eventually. (Even though it doesn't always happen. ;))

Popular posts from this blog

Movies: Month in Review {February 2018}

Ivanhoe (1997) movie review

BBC Robin Hood TV Series, Season 1 Review