(no subject)
Job targets: acquired!
Lemon parmesan quasi-risotto: tasty! More recipes should come with notes for the forgetful, though, such as "don't dump out that rice water, you will want it again three paragraphs down."
Pesto breadcrumb-parmesan salmon: also tasty, though next time less pesto and more breadcrumb. Do not believe scandalous lies in recipe about cooking time and temperature.
The Dragon Prince episodes 1-5: Pretty neat! I wonder why I haven't seen any buzz about it on my Tumblr dashboard, in contrast to She-Ra which is all over the place. The deaf general was handled interestingly - her aide only translates when there's at least one character present who would need it. When he doesn't, I have the choice to treat it as information the narrative isn't telling me, or try to figure it out, or look up the fan translations the writers had to know would be available. All the options get me thinking about ASL and communication challenges.
The writing certainly isn't groundbreaking, but it's intelligent enough and more complex than that of She-Ra, which I felt left major holes in the plot and worldbuilding because the writers assumed the target audience was too young to notice and the messaging was more important. (Not saying they were wrong on either count, mind.)
The Ancient Magus' Bride anime and manga: Very good indeed. In hindsight, I really appreciate the review on AnimeFeminist which said "after watching the first episode you are going WTF with all the side-eye. Please trust that this show knows what it is doing." They were right. At the same time I know a lot of people are going to look at it and see another Beauty and the Beast story with a toxic, codependent relationship. Can't blame them But what I see is a gentle but firm subversion of those tropes, a story of two damaged and undersocialized people who make a safe place together and value each other and keep improving. And their friends who support them in different ways, including calling each of them out on their flaws.
(And, of course, the terrifying and beautiful and numinous supernatural world. Chise is not the first character I've met who has been continually terrorized by Japanese folklore monsters that no one else can see, and who has always been shunned for it until she finds a safe(r) place. There's an interesting essay possibility somewhere in there about Ancient Magus' Bride, Natsume's Book of Friends, and what this trope might be metaphorically representing. I should look to see if someone has written it already.)