Sort-of reviewish

[aesmael]

    I just finished reading through the archives of Alien Dice the other day and moved on to the next webcomic in my folder, Abstract Gender. I've since finished that one too (it was mostly filler comics) but at the time indulged in a short rantish thing at soltice on the topic. Since I think it turned out a bit better than my usual review attempts, here is a copy-paste of my thoughts.

(3:50:57 AM) aesmael: I have been reading Abstract Gender. Still not good but better than Alien Dice*. Torn between envy for the male characters who were transformed into girls and sorrow for the one who is stuck that way and wants not to be.
(3:51:56 AM) aesmael: And more complicated feelings on the matter of 'how does one explain to the people in their life that they have experienced a sudden change of sex and what will their reactions be'.
(3:52:34 AM) soltice: Yeah, that could have been done better, I think.
(3:52:37 AM) aesmael: It certainly doesn't [sic - should have been does] look that way. I am nearly halfway through the archives and barely anything has happened. This is not a sign of good writing.
(3:53:13 AM) aesmael: Both too fast and too slow, which says to me they started the story at the wrong point.
(3:55:28 AM) aesmael: I'm not sure how that could have been fixed though. They might have started prior to that fateful night, except so far there does not seem to be any story apart from the transformation itself and the characters barely have personalities.
(3:56:47 AM) aesmael: In that case it might have started seeming like an ordinary drama story, in which case the unexpected sex change could have cost them a lot of readers - but I would like to see more stories introduce sfinal elements this way even though I have a sneaking suspicion it does not actually work well to do so.
(3:58:36 AM) aesmael: Or they should have began with the transformation itself, since what preceded it was inconsequential. Everything that did get set up, like the female character whose name I can't remember (can't remember anyone else's name either) or the violent relationship redshirt has with his brother could have been introduced in a way which makes it clear it was preexisting.

    I came away from Abstract Gender with a sense of it being surprisingly sexist. Girlness is used as a demeaning description by several characters, including female ones. Male and female characters were both stereotyped but the female ones were more likely to be portrayed as, well, insane. Although in fact the story seemed to be improving by the time I reached the end of the archives, with characters becoming more three-dimensional all round.
    I suppose some of what bothered me could have been deliberate, but so far the rest of the comic has given me no reason to believe so.
    Ah, I am not good at reviews.


*I would now say they are about the same, but I am more sympathetic to the cliches of a light-hearted transformation story than an angst-ridden 'Chosen One' healing romance

    Now  I am reading old Altermeta. So far it is much better drawn and written and far more engaging than either of the other two, but this is just the first few pages.

Comments

[lost-angelwings.livejournal.com]

A common criticism of many gender switching stories seems to be that they're sexist :\ I wonder if it's possible to write one and NOT be sexist while still dealing with the realities of the situation. :(

I think in our society it might be rly hard to deal with gender and NOT have some degree of sexism. :(

Tho in AG it seems to be a legitimate complaint rather than nitpicking. :(

It is a good review :)

[aesmael.livejournal.com]

It is a good review :)

I will take that as a big compliment from you.

[whimsical-esper.livejournal.com]

Yes, Ami said it quite nicely, I second all of that.

I agree about Abstract Gender, it really could be better. I didn't mind the pace, but a title like "Abstract Gender" has so much potential to do something new, y'know? My major complaint tho is about the reactions, which went (as I've only seen them go) something like this if I remember:

Main Character: Mom... I've been magically turned into a girl. Oops, sorry.

Mom: Oh that's fine honey. Here, let me use all my convenient connections to help you out.

It makes perfect sense in El Goonish Shive because that's a highly fantastical universe. There's really (from what I've seen) much more bizarre things going on than random magical sex changes. But in Abstract Gender, the transformation is really the only odd thing going on in the world, and I think the characters are a bit unrealistically receptive.

~S

[aesmael.livejournal.com]

True. I was hoping they would try abstracting gender, whatever that turned out to be.

You are right. The coincidentally well-connected and accepting adults are annoying too (and in Alien Dice). I think the problem was that they simply did not want to deal with that in the comic. El Goonish Shive actually manages to be different in that regard because although it also features a conveniently well-connected and accepting parent, that parent is actually the reason for all (well most) of the weirdness in the strip. If not for Tedd's dad nearly all of the plot would not have happened so in that case it actually makes sense.

[whimsical-esper.livejournal.com]

Yeah, exactly. I think it's definitely something they don't want to deal with in the comic. It is rather difficult to imagine what people would actually do. I think parents would be much quicker to assume "Strange crazy girl stole my son's clothes" than anything, but honestly who knows.

And yah, you can sense that EGS is different because 'Dad's Government Business' is quite central to the plot, rather than an afterthought or avoidance tool.

Which reminds me, must read more EGS =D

~S

[aesmael.livejournal.com]

"Strange crazy girl stole my son's clothes"
Yah, whenever I try to imagine such things that part is what I usually get stuck on. 'Magical sex change' is not an explanation most people would think of or be prepared to accept.

Which reminds me, must read more EGS =D
Hey! Get back in the reading room.