In Defense of Fairytale Magic

[@GrayVBoat]

"There's no point in being grown-up if you can't be childish, sometimes." - The Fourth Doctor

[@steampunker7]

Curiously enough, when he started talking about the definitions of whimsy in adult fiction, Doctor Who was the first thing that came to mind.

[@vladyvhv9579]

From Borderlands 2's Assault on Dragon's Keep DLC: Tiny Tina: I can’t believe you made me eat salad. Lilith: It wasn’t THAT bad, was it? Tiny Tina: No, it wasn’t. It was tasty. That’s the PROBLEM. (After grabbing the last crumpets in Lair of Infinite Agony.) Lilith: Wait, you liked the salad? Why is that a problem? Tiny Tina: You know who likes the taste of salads? ADULTS, I don’t wanna be an adult! Lilith: Tina, you’re talking to three grown people who just collect a bunch of imaginary crumpets ‘cause they thought it’d be fun. There’s no such thing as adulthood. Tiny Tina: I… y’know what, girl? You make a good point. You get to live. For now. Turn the quest in to Ellie and I’ll give y’all some XP.

[@rikkishafiq5586]

i love doctor who

[@Eldoofus]

The Fourth Doctor? Who's that?

[@worthybutter2004]

@@Eldoofus An incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. You don't know that show, do you?

[@alienz8641]

That thumbnail Mickey Mouse is cursed and I love it

[@spicy1615]

It's most likely inspired by Opal, by Jack Stauber

[@theepicduck6922]

Blursed Mickey.

[@alienz8641]

@@theepicduck6922 Indeed

[@mosshivenetwork117]

Crazy af.

[@TheSupart91]

Ikr looks like the thumbnails that got me into creepy pasta narrations

[@rami_ungar_writer]

I highly suspect we all want some whimsy in our lives, even as adults. It's why we sometimes enjoy getting a little silly when eating lunch at the office with friends, go crazy with Halloween or Christmas decorations, and memorize our favorite songs from Broadway shows. Because all of that gives us the magic and whimsy we need in our lives. And I think that's beautiful.

[@najpotenicewolf934]

@Scott Alleman The thing is childhood honestly never is just "sunshine and rainbows". As a child, there are so many things we fear and don't understand, even if one has what can be considered "a happy childhood". For many people, children's fiction was a safe way to deal with those concepts, and explore what we feel, what we value, and what we want. For many adults, it is a safe space when they don't have to think about the real world's problems for a while. It is a way to decrease stress levels accumulated in our daily life. Nostalgia surely also heavily comes into play, as it takes us back to when we were unaware of many facts of life. In short: Life is hard, and we need some way to cope with it. :I

[@GabrielleTollerson]

Facts!!

[@connormclernon26]

@Scott's Precious Little Account perhaps a thought about a world that can be better than the world we currently inhabit.

[@GilgameshGDLK]

@Scott's Precious Little Account Is it lying to themselves simply because you yourself never experienced the childhood that you point out in your original rebuttal? Don't dismiss others' ability to be who they are while expecting others to accept you as you are.

[@FantasyReader321]

I stan wholesome, lighthearted stories as much, if not more than dark brooding ones. As much as I love Niel Gaiman and Poe, my heart belongs to the unbridled joy and contented friendship of Terry Pratchett and Brian Jaques.

[@Quilly-Sammy]

Same, stories like My Little Pony and Mia and Me always made me feel happy and excited because of not only the lessons but how it's just so whimsy in it's own way.

[@nyanpirethecat2257]

Osamu Tezuka's Unico (both films and manga) for me!

[@cameram-guy8684]

I mean, a good dark story will almost always have wholesome moments, like berserk

[@nobodycares5050]

Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett combined led to the fantastic Good Omens

[@michealhigginbotham4036]

Brian Jaques is a great writer. A master of descriptive writing. Really good at painting a picture. I've never had a writer make my mouth water describing fantasy foods.

[@sailorenthusiast]

Having actually read the Howl’s Moving Castle book, I can say with certainty that the part where Sophie and co travel to Wales is one of my favorites. It’s so fun seeing these characters from a world of whimsy come to our world, only to find it uniquely whimsical from their perspective. Glowing boxes and carriages without horses would no doubt seem quite strange to people who are more reliant on magic than technology.

[@carso1500]

we have a lot of magic of our own, we after all are having this conversation from hundreds maybe even thousands of kilometers away and yet its instantaneous, we enjoy moving pictures created by a team of talented and pasionate people that gets instantly shared with millions, posibly billions of living souls we teached a rock to think and then we tricked it into giving us a light show

[@wren_bean]

I honestly love the book more than the movie, even though i saw the film first and was truly enchanted by it. It still left me with a lot of questions about who Howl is, and the book gives all the characters a lot more nuance and substance.

[@GreenGearStudio]

Horror makes us humble, gives us hope, and grants us the strength to fight on Fantasy makes us wonder, gives us a glimpse of possibilities, and gives us the strength to belief Both are important to be human. They make the world special and makes it bigger than we can see. And there is a truth to it we don't often see. The world is an incredibly complex and weird place. Whimsey, to me, makes that fantastical weirdness and horrific complexity approachable. And that is powerful, no matter what age you are

[@vgmaster9]

Science fiction inspires us to invent something that has never been invented before.

[@MrocnyZbik]

"You know what's the difference between an adult and a kid? An adult knows when he can act as a kid" My dad

[@footballistaaa3287]

Beautifully said !

[@Wren_BurnsHam]

I understand why people might well hate fantasy for mostly being for children. But I feel it being for children gives it well a child like wonder. And, this is my biased opinion, reading nice peaceful book on and fall nigh is a nice breath of fresh air from the creepy and outright disturbing books I read.

[@sovietdoge.7369]

@@madnessarcade7447 How do you hog content..? Just because adults like something doesn't mean kids can't like it too lol

[@iwannareadforever8185]

Well soviet dog the way I see it is that a lot of people want to read a lot more fantasy with sex and content that is inappropriate for children, and they want it to be mainstream. Personally I don’t like looking at stories out of the kids section because I hate getting that forced in sex scene that every book has to be sold and I like that most of the books of my interest are captured to younger people. Long story short I am tired of people thinking that stories targeted towards adults need to have explicit content and can’t just be an enjoyable story.

[@defaulted9485]

Personally I hated fantasy because it lacks causality or consequences. But that's just writers inability to commit to world building well and less of the genre issue.

[@kieranstark7213]

You know what else is a biased opinion (and not in a good way)? When Doug Walker decided to slam Howl’s Moving Castle (the movie) as if he thought he could do better like both Hayao Miyazaki with the movie and Diana Wynne Jones with the book! I mean, then again, this is from the same guy who is infamous for his review of The Wall, insulting Sailor Moon by acting like it’s only for little girls and weaboos (come to think of it, it actually kinda reminds me of Mr. Enter’s review of “Turning Red” where he decided to attack it for being made for the female adolescence even though everyone can enjoy it. But that’s not the worst thing about his review that completely ruined him! Oh no, that would have to be the 9/11 comparison!) and using “It’s for kids” as a defense for the quality of far inferior movies/shows. m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6WclaONbtukms0 m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXbFl2uPnbmKe9E m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/qKDOcqeie6yUbbs m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/q3_acmNroq5-l5I m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/hInGia2Np6x5frM www.deviantart.com/dark-kunoichi92/journal/Top-11-Worst-Nostalgia-Critic-Reviews-898104103 m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqbakoCqn5eMbKc m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6WclaONbtukms0 I know I sound like I’m being harsh on Doug Walker, but then again, who doesn’t find him to be even partially problematic as of post-2012? I’m sure we would very highly recommend Tale Foundry!

[@hollowwoods7130]

@@sovietdoge.7369 They mean when adults get angry about genres usually appearing in kids shows

[@puneetyadav6438]

It's just berserk vs one piece, both are amazing in their own way. One is a dark fantasy full of pain, suffering and tragedy. A tale of a man who struggles against the very powers that move the world itself. The latter is a long adventure full of joy and laughter. Both are different animals. Yet the same beast.

[@RougeMephilesClone]

They're a seinen with shonen qualities and a shonen with seinen qualities (ie. narrative complexity). A lot of comparison points if you think about it, even if they're very different.

[@mattpettit3925]

Even in a piece of media as dark as Berserk, I feel that light shines through relatively often later on. I'm not completely done with the manga, and also it's obviously one of the darkest pieces of fiction I've ever read, but I think if Berserk ruminated only on the sheer cruelty of the world the characters inhabit, it'd be a significantly lesser story. Even in these preposterously dark stories, there are glimpses of light and joy and sentimentality, love and close bonds. I won't spoil anything here, but as the story progresses Guts' journey begins to, in all of it's grimness and pain, show us that there are things worth protecting and caring about, beyond simply struggling alone against seemingly insurmountable odds, the story to me has gotten a lot better as it opens itself up to ruminations also on the value of companionship, as well as numerous other avenues through which light can shine through on the undeniably dark world, and by doing such, even in one of the darkest works I have ever read, I end up feeling a sense of optimism, even in a seemingly unwinnable fight against, as you said, the powers that move the world itself, the closeness of bonds, even with the clearly emotionally damaged and desensitized to companionship Guts, we see very meaningful glimpses of light in the dark. Sorry for a bit of a tangent, I haven't finished it yet like I said, but I've been reading through it pretty fast and have a lot of feelings brewing on it currently, so I like to take opportunities to express the way the story makes me personally feel reading it in the later portions. Point is, even Berserk doesn't delegate itself to complete grim and gritty story telling, it recognizes, at least to some extent, the importance of finding an avenue to inject hopefulness and happiness into itself, and I think that speaks a bit more broadly to the necessity of optimism in art, with some exceptions. If anyone feels I've given away too much here, feel free to respond and I'd be more than willing to make edits to the comment.

[@DarthKain0]

I thought after I clicked "show more" it was gonna say, "The other one is Berserk."

[@francescocarlini7613]

Berserk vs My Little Pony

[@pyroshell5652]

"One is a dark fantasy full of pain, suffering and tragedy. A tale of a man who struggles against the very powers that move the world itself. The other is about a guy named Guts." FTFY

[@lenz7809]

“Teens are merely big children And adults are even bigger children” -Queen, Deltarune

[@SergioLeonardoCornejo]

I actually tend to like the lightheaded content as much as the dark stuff. The problem is some people are reluctant to accept their own bright and cheerful side.

[@SergioLeonardoCornejo]

@Scott Alleman nay. I don't smile all the time. I just think life is sad enough already. Why adding more pain to it instead of a balance? I like those smiling moments because I can't just live all the time feeling tired of living. I pity you for thinking my smile is fake.

[@paigemosher8697]

@Scott Alleman Not as draining as constantly ruining other people's good moods and being an asshole because you can't imagine anyone ever allowing themselves to be happy for no "good reason". Not all of us force a smile. In fact, some people would rather wallow in their own misery and force themselves to be sad. And that's really draining, don'tcha think? If you wanna be depressed, do it by yourself. Don't drag anyone trying to move past that miserable part of their life down with you just so you can have some company. And especially don't try and vilify people who want to actually be happy. That's disgusting.

[@ravenclawfairy3648]

My loved ones always tell me, "The world has enough scary stuff. The world needs people like you (referring to me), cute and always seeks out the magical, the impossible, the sweetness ❤️"

[@darthchalupa2485]

That C.S. Lewis quote is one of my favorites! A good reminder that growing up doesn't have to mean everything turns into a miserable slog till the grave

[@maninanikittycat4238]

That explains why shows like the Owl House, Amphibia, Hilda and Bluey have been popular with adults

[@johnpett1955]

Some whimsy I've enjoyed as an adult was Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio movie, Adventure Time, and Regular Show.

[@Pinkywinkykinky]

Owl house : )

[@vgmaster9]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

[@witherschat]

Something amazing with some kids' shows is also the layers they have inside; all those things you will only start to understand as you grow up, which makes the show just as deep for all ages. For example: She-Ra's absurd amount of political and social commentary, on subject as heavy as fascism.

[@sockatoo_]

using howl's moving castle as an example was a great move. i never knew there was a book, and now that i do, i'm going to get it. i don't care if it's for kids and i'm technically not a kid anymore (i'm still a minor but my parents do expect a lot more maturity on my part). when i first watched the movie, i was enamored with it, genuinely. it was magical, beautiful, it moved me in a way i didn't know a movie could. i was listening to a playlist one time, and "The Merry-Go-Round of Life" began playing. The piece was amazing paired with the movie, but when all on its own... when i tell you i almost cried, i mean it. it made me feel emotions i didn't even know existed. the best words for it are melancholy and whimsy. truthfully, that feeling was the most "childlike wonder" feeling i have ever felt, along with watching the movie. i can't wait to read the book. i think i'm gonna go put the book on my wish list for my birthday or christmas, while watching the movie. thank you for reminding me it exists.

[@rebeccadurrant5207]

The movie is so different for the book(I read the book first), that the first time I watched the movie, I left the theater feeling a mix of anger(how dare they deviate that much from the book) and contentedness(the same kind you get from finishing a good book/movie).

[@calladricosplays]

Imagine how I felt when I heard a cover that added lyrics to the song. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aGiyiGlqd66NZrs

[@hallaloth3112]

I hope you found/received the book and enjoyed it. It's actually a series. . .and if you enjoyed that. I strongly recommend the rest of her books as many of them share the feeling of whimsy that Howl does.

[@devionewilkins8903]

I’m 23 years old and I’ve wondered about that until I read my Bible not too long ago. I remember in the book of Matthew, Jesus was talking about having the faith of a child. Childlike Faith. Also what I’ve heard from a song lyric “You learn how to be a man, without loosing the boy in you”. Basically to me it means having the belief that Good (God) can do no wrong. As we thought with our earthly parents and how we always followed what they did. Following God as a child follows their parent. It’s a lot to explain😅. When I feel like it too, I sometimes put on ‘The Neverending Story’ as that movie makes me feel like a kid again. Also it’s a spiritual meaning behind it.

[@timbrogliobat]

I grew up reading Howl's Moving Castle and all of DWJ's books, and they're incredible - the sense of wonder combined with stories that felt more mature than the child's fantasy books I had read before. It really is something that anyone who loves fantasy or the Ghibli movie should experience. Thanks for sharing more love for DWJ, she's an incredible author.

[@Fairygoblet]

I've always loved Tales like Winnie the pooh, wind in the willows, and Beatrix potter. Not having the terminology to explain the genre has been driving me crazy. I had no idea they were called Beast tales. Thank you for this.

[@reid3031]

Alice in Wonderland is my favorite children's novel specifically because it's whimsical and ultimately inconsequential. I wish more of my life were like that.

[@BlackReshiram]

I looooove whimsy and im a little sad not more is done in fantasy novels for adults with it these days i assume many dont even know that youre allowed to use whimsy as an adult trope

[@rd-dm9nx]

The night circus is fairly whimsical

[@ardeni8385]

There's this teen book series that I absolutely ADORE, called The Unwanteds. The main premise is that art is magic. Statues talk, poetry can be used as a curse, and the entire thing is FULL of whimsy. I honestly have not loved a book series more, and I think it will stick with me forever. And it's still dark. Characters die, people are betrayed, it... actually gets very messed up. And yet, through all of it, the author still manages to keep it whimsical, in a way. Seriously my favourite book series, looking back.

[@LadyMauraM]

One of the things I've recently said was, why should I change what I like, how I act, or the way I walk just because of the number that I carry (age). Since I was a kid and until I became a grandma, I have and will always love fairy tales. For that, I have to thank Barbie movies. *Barbie As Rapunzel* specifically because that's one of the reasons why I became an artist, or it's the earliest I can recall as to why I chose art.

[@NOOB-ps8km]

I wonder where Made In Abyss stands in this spectrum. Between Cthulu and Fairy tales. On the one hand you have a magical hole filled with long lost relics and adventure, fantastical creatures and breathtaking landscapes. But on the other hand it literally melts you alive if you try to climb back up even a level and the animals are indifferent to your pittiful existence at best.

[@mrlaz9011]

not to mention the humans beings that reside there, and how they can be more disturbing than the beasts that dwell there.

[@greenghoul157]

Made In Abyss is a fantasy with child characters but it's grimdark as hell

[@MASTEROFEVIL]

Even the insects are deadly

[@YazzyFairy]

* Howl's Moving Castle book spoilers * I love that you mentioned Howl's moving castle - I bought the book a while ago and read it, and a few days ago I watched the movie. The movie had a lot of pros (Howl's charm, for one 😩) but what I find sad is that they forgot to mention a very interesting detail from the book: Sophie can bring to life objects simply by speaking to them. Her walking stick, for example, or the hats and clothes she sews, or the scarecrow. To me, this is proof that every object has the potential to take life, simply if we acknowledge them to have a certain energy. You're free to believe otherwise, but I think it's awesome this concept was added to the book. ❤

[@Crowald]

The idea that simply anthropomorphizing an object gives it life and a personality is incredible minutia. That Sophie can speak to something and have it speak back is genius on both a practical and metaphorical level. There's a much deeper level of brilliance in it that I can't seem to snatch out of my mind, but it's floating in there somewhere. When she speaks to something, to anything, it speaks back. That a world can be understood by simply choosing to acknowledge and communicate with it. That everything around us is worth considering by merit of simply existing.

[@calladricosplays]

There was a meme about how Howl is like a magical grad student who had to struggle to come by magic and it included a quote of his reaction to learning that Sophie had animated a skull unwittingly lol

[@elenafriese891]

It might just be because I grew up with this book, but the realization that her negative self-talk was probably the very literal reason her old woman curse was so hard to remove was probably the thing that blew my mind the most about (at least discussion of) that book

[@Late0NightPC]

I've always absolutely loved stuff intended for child, not just with fiction, but any sort of media, with the obvious caveat of so long as it's genuinely written, not one of those "Sanitized" things you bring up in your "Why kids stories should be darker" video. I think the best way I've ever seen it explained was that, kids, due to their lack of knowledge about how things are, instead are full of an intense wonder about how the world around them is. The annoying cliche is of a kid who asks a question, then just never stops repeating "But why?" to their parent's frustration, but as annoying as it is, it does somewhat show that to be the case. They keep asking why because they want to learn, they want to understand why the sky is blue, why waves form on the surface of water, why some animals can only live on land or in water, while others can do both. I heard about that explination from a wonderfully well written Visual Novel called Katawa Shoujo. Throughout the game, you have a science teacher who has acted as a sort of mentor for your character, often being "the adult" that you go to see whenever your character is struggling with something they don't know how to deal with. Eventually towards the end of one storyline in the game, your character is trying to figure out what they want to do for the rest of their life, and ask the teacher why he decided to be a science teacher and not something else. He asks your character if, as a child, you ever played around with sticks, stones and puddles, tossing rocks into ponds or moving sticks around in gutters. You respond of course, lots of kids do things like that, messing with something or watching it for no apparent reason other than to do it. The teacher responds that the reason kids do that is because they're curious about how the water will flow and change if they mess with it, everyone, even at such young ages, have an "intense wonderment" about how the world around them works, even in its smallest forms. For him, he still held onto that wonderment, which led him into going into science, and becoming a teacher in the hopes of re-lighting that spark of curiosity in others before the weight of adulthood snuffs it out fully. Kids don't know, they know they don't know, and they want to know, so they experiment and play with things, asking why over and over so that they can learn. Just, unfortunately due to events in your life, the responsibility of adulthood, exhaustion from dealing with every day, and countless other things, that innate curiosity in kids gets buried until it no longer is there. So something intended "for kids" is often designed to fuel that "sense of wonderment", to get you to really understand what makes X so interesting. Like, personally, I find city engineering a fairly bland concept, building roads, laying power lines, ectect, but someone willingly chose to dedicate their life to that field and become an engineer out of a genuine love for it. I might not understand what makes it so cool, so seeing a channel like Practical Engineering that shows off "Why this is super awesome" with a very childish wonder and excitement makes me find it far more interesting. It's especially the case in regards to sciences, but I think it also applies to fiction too. Children haven't had their worldview "biased" by the understanding that "Animals do not speak like we do, and so they wouldn't have dinner together like we would", which makes the idea of the Three Bears of Goldilocks seem more real than adults would. Because of how "real" it feels for them, it lets them be taught things they don't know yet and need to learn, such as the idea of breaking into a house that isn't yours being wrong, and if they do it, they could get hurt.

[@utoherozv]

Two of my other favorite, more whimsy, stories have to the "Phantom Tollbooth" and "The Never Ending Story." Until those two books, I almost never read journey books. They're just delightful and so different. I kept turning page after page not to see how the plot will develop or what problem they'll encounter next. Just going along the journey with them was enough.

[@TheRandomMan001]

I didn’t realise how badly I needed to hear this. Thank you.

[@matteste]

Currently reading Terry Brook's Shannara series and it is refreshing to read something that is just a fun high fantasy adventure without all the doom and gloom of modern fantasy.

[@raythepizza]

I love this! CS Lewis' quote reminds me of why i love pixar movies even as an adult: because they're awesomely childlike

[@elsewhereprince3969]

Oh dear, this reminds me of the tag line of my favorite movie. “Where everything seems possible and nothing is what it seems.”

[@zephodb]

The genuine whimsy of a solid story tends to be, in my opinion, better than the 'dark' stories. Like you said, 'often feels better'. Discworld, Xanth, Magical Kingdom of Landover, etc. These are all Whimsy in their own way with bits of dark here and there in them, but it doesn't undermine the... wonder.

[@LibraryOfNullius]

God your voice is phenomenal! Subscribed! Also, yes, I agree. Adults should not be shamed for enjoying stories and entertainment that is deemed 'made for kids'. Just because it has that label on it doesn't mean audiences have to conform with the notion that only children should feel inclined to view it. I deeply enjoy the innocence and magic of media meant for younger audiences, and I believe too many prudish people would be quick to write me off as an unnatural or mentally unstable person. Thank you for bringing to light that it is not in fact something to be ashamed of.

[@strandedgeek]

One person who's inspired me to write is my mom who writes kid stories (mostly for fun) one of the fun things she's really good at is capturing the child like fun such as a girl who wanted to see dragons and her big brother showed her dragonflies. Or the silly antics of a mouse who lives in a church and enjoys watermelons.

[@urphakeandgey6308]

One thing that I like about (good) kids media is that they're limited. Adult media, cartoons in particular, have a nasty habit of just hurling out swear words, blatantly "dark" themes, and so on with no tact. It's all shock value. Kids media can have a lot of these same things, but since they're limited, they actually have to do it creatively and tastefully. The Owl House and Gravity Falls comes to mind. Both have serious and "dark" moments, but in a way that adults can appreciate. Maybe even more than most of the kids watching.

[@renatocorvaro6924]

I'm generally sold on anything that has dragons. Dragons are awesome.

[@the_black_fox9136]

This reminds me of Spongebob and Squidward in the show's early seasons. Spongebob enjoys things like Comics, Bubbles, and Reef Blowers, but Squidward always judges him for it, thinking of it as childish and immature. But Squidward secretly enjoys these things too. In the episode "Squidville", he can't help but have fun with a reef blower, and in "Squidward the Unfriendly Ghost", Spongebob and Patrick find a comic book hidden in Squidward's house. This goes to show that Spongebob is more mature than Squidward, because he outgrew the fear of others judging him for the things that make him happy. A big part of growing up is to not hide what makes you happy, or judge others for what makes them happy.

[@RibbonRoulette]

Very inspiring! I feel like I used dark and horror as an "adult" crutch, but I'm excited to try and challenge myself my make adult focused whimsy now!

[@StitchwraithStudios]

You can find balance, like what I call “friendly horror” where it’s classified as horror but has a safe and whimsical elements (think coraline and stuff like that)

[@rumplstiltztinkerstein]

Reality inspires fantasy. And fantasy inspires reality.

[@TimPoultney]

All this talk of whimsy makes me think of Weaveworld again... I think it stands out as Clive Barker's most faerie tale-esque story -- a world inside a woven carpet that everyone in our world wants to get their hands on and inside of, Thatcher-era escapists becoming heroes and mages, and one particularly driven salesman who has all you could ever desire inside his coat? Very much a tale of twisted whimsy and dark fantasy (even if it does have the inevitable Barker body and sexual horrors woven into it)

[@freshoffthehook904]

Dianna most certainly knew the entire point of her works was to provide a safe place for people to escape to from the reality of war. She was a child when the bombs were being dropped during WW2. It is part of what makes her choice to have Miyazaki interpret her work so fascinating. He also lived through bombings during WW2 and he has the express opposite goal of making sure that the horror of war is confronted in his works. It is why the book and movie are so different but both carry the same feeling.

[@steampunker7]

Sometimes, it's nice to wonder. To dream, to hope, to imagine. Sometimes you need see the strange, hear the odd, feel the intangible. To look at the world not as it is, but as it could be. As it might be. As it should be. To be reminded that there is indeed more to Heaven and Earth tham what we perceive. That sometimes the good guys really do win, that the day really can be saved, that dreams really can come true, and that happily ever after can exist. These are not things that make us children in adult bodies. But rather, they are the things that make us look to the stars, look to the horizon, look inside ourselves and ask "What if...?" Made us see possibility and potential and helped us realize them. And they are things we should never, ever truly grow out of. To paraphrase Terry Pratchett, we need the stories of tooth fairies and boogeymen. We need Santa Claus, The Wicked Witch, the Easter Bunny and the Fair Folk. We need to believe in these impossible things because if we don't, how else can we come to believe in truth, mercy, justice, compassion and love? How else can we make them real in a universe that has no concept of them? How else can we be human?

[@JDSleeper]

Discworld, my favorite book series, is spilling over with Whimsey.

[@jacqueshardin4601]

I am a fan of Helluva Boss, but a part of me looks forward to Vivienne Medrano making a cartoon based on her thesis film Timber. That is because that piece did make me feel whimsy.

[@chefraymond07]

I discover your channel a year ago, in that year you guys help me improve so much in my writing and originality. I have to say that I truly love you guys and your channel. Thank you so much. Greetings from Puerto Rico 🇵🇷

[@theyakkoman]

If any of you are looking for further proof that it is possible to be a grown adult and still enjoy childrens stories I'd like to give you this example. Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States, who many know to be a real tough guy. A mans-man who finished a speech after getting shot in the chest. That guy. Yeah, he wrote a fan-letter to Kenneth Grahame telling him who much he loved The Wind In The Willows.

[@stagelinedpro]

I'm working on a fantasy work that leans into the whimsy. This gave me a bit of dopamine.

[@TimPoultney]

"Beast Tales! They're really quite charming and whimsical!" **Laughs nervously in Farthing Wood**

[@lilm0nix3]

fantasy is easily my favorite genre. always has been, and always will be. i love whimsical stories that still have a powerful plot

[@yiwoon_cr8s]

Kids loved Hayao Miyazaki's film for the action, adventure and whimsical characters Adults enjoyed it for the heartfelt and home-hitting themes, character arcs and the compelling story writing

[@juanrodriguez9971]

I would like to explain why fiction for kids is more intriguing to me than fiction for adults, is due to a quote I don't remember where I heard from but sure lives free rent in my head "The good things from life are born out of limitations", some of the most beautiful pieces of art I have seen have so few colors is amazing to see, and some of them were made in canvases so small (pixel art) it is amazing to imagine how it was possible to reach such beautiful result, and returning to the topic of fiction for kids I find it so beautiful how you can go around some concerts and explain and explore them in a way that seems inocente at first and turn so dark when you return as an adult, like a terror game I played a long while ago which seemed like just an scary but cool idea but then I returned and discovered it was an analogy to rape "Then the evil wolf said: for me to give you my seed (a literal seed) I need you to be a good girl, you want it, don't you?", Or how scary subjects like death can be handled even with censorship, one example I like is from the Batman animated series when the joker dies, in the uncensored version we see him literally dying due to the electric fence after being pushed by Robin, in the censored version we don't look at him but at the people around and their reactions instead, specially Robin's reaction to the murder he just committed, and that's honestly more disturbing than a corpse. Is nice and more interesting to talk about certain topics without directly mentioning or showing them.

[@SageVallant]

Okay gonna bail early on the video because I've been thinking about buying the book for Howl's Moving Castle for a while, actually.

[@wren_bean]

Ahh, you name dropped Angel's Egg and book Howl-- if you haven't already been my favorite channel, you sure are now! I return to Jones's work frequently because i love how she writes whimsy. Thank you for another wonderful video💛

[@StumpkillerCP]

Any Terry Pratchett work pleases me greatly. I think my last count was 42 of his books. Plus several collaborations with Gamon, Baxter, Simpson, Stewart and Cohen. Sir Terry was a treasure.

[@hrb9679]

This is funny, because I've recently been trying to think of what I personally mean when I call something "whimsical". To me it's a story or world that runs on dreamlike randomness, or at least feels like it, often lighthearted but not always (kind of like how dreams aren't always strictly nice). "Feels like it" because the language used to tell the story is actually very important: I've read stories I'd call whimsical even though if you step back and look at them they don't have any actual magic in them at all. The whimsy and magic was all in the way the author described things

[@bigjen8238]

Don't know how interested you are in watching anime, there's a show called Flip Flappers, it's very whimsical and fun. Each episode is pretty different from the previous, and it takes some inspiration from Alice in wonderland and European fables. I'd recommend giving it 3 episodes before dropping :)

[@ThePsychicClarinetist]

[Warning, long rant below.] This video beautifully describes my gripe with the current state of society. There are so many people who relegate animation to being children's media, people who police children's content too extremely, and people who are afraid to admit that adults are just grown-up children. Animation is not only for children, it never was, it's a more whimsical form of media for consumption of any idea set upon it. There's nothing inherently wrong with separating children's and adult's media in a way that tries to protect children from harmful concepts that can be misconstrued, but I find that most censorship nowadays is more often treating children as if they're undeserving of anything that's not brain-numbing or basic. They deserve mental stimulation and whimsical, fun ideas, not just educational garble or Cocomelon. (*Shudders*, Cocomelon, ew.) The main reason all of the above even came to be was that third point: Adults being afraid to admit they're grown-up children. Adults with this mindset often forget or deny that they were children once. They treat children as inferior, don't listen to their concerns, don't allow them to live and experience the world as freely, and then get mad at children for acting up. Children can push boundaries and try to do unsafe stuff, that is reasonable to shut down, but those who just want to learn more shouldn't be denied, they should be encouraged. Lots of those kinds of adults are also the kind that don't learn from history. The prohibition in the 1920's has shown that if people want something badly enough, they'll take risks to get what they've been denied. People who want something that badly can't be stopped. By denying children of what they want over and over instead of educating them properly just leads to a system of them being unhappy and getting punished for going for what they want, while the adult is protecting them from harm but also denying them an education or fun. There has to be a balance. These kinds of adults also often forget to have fun themselves, they feel forced into the "responsible member of society" box that limits people to being a working husk to serve a "greater good". Again, in moderation, being responsible is great! Too much responsibilities with no allowance for fun turns stressful and causes mental health problems. My last major gripe with this mindset is how adults will use it to tell each other that they can't enjoy whimsy or "childish" properties. I'm 22 and I've never stopped watching animation movies or playing video games I love despite growing up. I can't tell you the amount of times I've encountered someone older than me who would tell me that what I'm partaking in is childish. It annoys me to no end. Like first of all, mind your own business. Secondly, all you're admitting to is that you don't like to have fun or that you're a hypocrite, and thirdly, it indicates that they're a bigger child than me. There's nothing wrong with partaking in child-like content and enjoying it, labeling it as "only for children" is problematic though. The people who try to dictate other's lives and impose their opinions and restrictions onto others are often the most immature kind of adult (with some exceptions, of course). My main point is there needs to be less stress on the divide between adult and children's media. There doesn't have to be a divide, only age restrictions in cases of extreme things presented that aren't appropriate for all ages. Why can't adults have fun? Why can't children explore their own education in a way that suits their interests? Why do other people feel the need to make choices for everyone else? People need to stop being hypocritical and start looking at what actually makes them happy. Kids acting like this are growing up and feeling pressure to act like "adults" because that's what society or even their own families might dictate, but maybe if there isn't so much stress to, they'd stop feeling like they have to conform too. Adults acting like this have no excuse anymore. They need to unstick themselves from societal conditioning and start living for themselves. You don't need the approval of others to be happy. You need careful but liberating freedom. Thank you for coming to my TEDTalk if you read all this. Thank you to Tale Foundry for covering such an important topic. 🧡

[@chowyee5049]

Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street is my new comfort show. The whole concept is a masterpiece in whimsy with the best everyman hero I've seen since Bilbo Baggins. Nothing else brings me back to shady evenings playing outside with my friends before dinner. Seriously, check it out. You'll thank me.

[@jayrocket196]

I never thought anyone would ever reference "The Colossus of Ylourgne". That short story was INSANE.

[@bluedreemurr9515]

One show I watched recently was Kid Cosmic (which is an amazing show that I highly recommend you look at and review). I didn’t even realize it was a kid’s show because the story and characters were so great and engaging.

[@Paleanos]

I really like how you explained it and just can't agree more with thet sentence of CS Lewis. When i was a kid, I was ashamed of "childish" things and now I look at some to get that sense of whimsy you can sometimes only find there That reminds me of what some journalists call the Avatar Syndrome, where people, so unused to fantasy, other worlds etc where having a kind of depression, down mood when they came back to the real world after the film Well, have a good day everyone and never stop dreaming (dark or colorful stuffs, as you prefer ;p)

[@Emperor_Oshron]

as a 32-year-old, (closer to 33 at this point) i can definitely say that i appreciate at least some children's literature. i made a point of reading recreationally every day starting in 2021 (so far i've genuinely only missed one day) and while most of what i've read is adult-level fiction i'm also making a point of rereading some books from childhood to see if they hold up--i reread _Island of the Aunts_ by Eva Ibbotson last year and still loved it, and i'm presently rereading the whole _Harry Potter_ series and i'm still enjoying it. i'm also making a point of reading picture books between the bigger ones, partly to vet them for younger relatives such as my niece, and i've only encountered a few stinkers from them so far and in addition to ones that i have a sentimental attachment to (such as _Animalia_ by Grahame Base or _The Rainbow Goblins_ by Ul de Rico) i've found a few that i really liked and decided to keep for myself, such as a retelling of _Tam & Cam_ , aka the Vietnamese version of the basic Cinderella story. anyone who thinks that kids' stories are ONLY for kids is full of it.

[@gimmeyourrights8292]

We love kids stories because they are timeless, hopeful, and to some extent deep. They lack the myopic worlds that our stories are filled with.

[@MOVEDAWAY420]

the thumbnail jumpscared me when I saw it in my notifications TwT

[@Queen1001N]

One of the nice things about reading magical stories, you start to notice the magic in the everyday. For example, when the leaves twirl in a circle, I see not the Coriolis effect, but the fairies dancing.

[@Teadon86]

I think Guillermo del Toro captures the darker side of the whimsical fantastically, much like Tolkien. Pan's Labyrinth and Hellboy are worth considering as examples of how the world of whimsical exists within a borderland between light, grey and dark. PS: naturally you would mention both of these storytellers as well. XD

[@GoldieTamamo]

You should totally do a crossover episode with abitfrank, Tale Foundry robot. You guys are like two peas in a pod.

[@Jonathon_Hennessey]

I would like to talk about the animated tv show My Little Pony Friendship is Magic which was developed for television by Lauren Faust. During the time that it was on the air, the show had a very large number of adults watching the show. Adult fans of the show were given the nicknames of Bronies and Pegasisters. The plot of the show is that Twilight Sparkle a young unicorn mare is sent to the rural community of Ponyville to learn the magic of friendship by her mentor Princess Celestia. While the show is rather idealistic in tone, some of the shows villains like Nightmare Moon and Discord could be rather sinister for such a optimistic show.

[@vgmaster9]

One of the best examples of something watched by kids and adults alike.

[@nyanpirethecat2257]

I've recently fell in love with Osamu Tezuka's Unico series (which is criminally underrated in the West). It manages to perfectly balance between touching on dark and sadder themes but manages to be very hopeful and showing the importance of love, empathy, and compassion. I already love the film series by Sanrio, but I deeply love the manga since I got an English copy a few years back. Shoot, I'm actually rereading the entire manga as preparations for "Unico: Awakening" which is a reimagining of the original Tezuka manga by Gurihiru and Samuel Sattin. That unicorn seriously deserves a happier ending!

[@JoshiTheKitsune]

I remember watching The Fantastic Adventures of Unico and that movie made me cry like a baby, that's something I'll never forget. I think for my opinion, is one of the most saddest anime films I've ever watched along with Grave of the Fireflies.

[@nyanpirethecat2257]

@@JoshiTheKitsune The climax to "Unico in The Island of Magic" (which was an original story) also hit me right in the feels. It's after the titular protagonist is forced to attack Kuruku and actually apologizes to the film's antagonist after knowing he was filled and powered by his own hatred due to spending centuries alone and mistreated by his owners. Unico actually insists on becoming his first friend so Kuruku won't be lonely anymore. That adorable little unicorn is so pure.

[@JoshiTheKitsune]

@@nyanpirethecat2257 I didn't watch the rest of the Unico films because I didn't want to get hit TOO hard in the feels. Unico is pure in his own rights, he didn't deserve to be taken away from his friends, that was the most saddest part I have ever seen, the background music even made it more sad.

[@nyanpirethecat2257]

@@JoshiTheKitsune Strongly agree with you, as a person who owns an English translation of the manga. Knowing Unico is very compassionate with everybody (including villains) and prefers taking a non-violent approach (such as talking to them) and hates using violence towards others (only reluctantly resorting to this out of self-defense). I hope "Unico: AWAKENING" features Unico finally encountering Venus (Goddess of Love) who grew to hate the unicorn out of pure jealously and later orders The Night Wind to kill him. Similar to the finale of the 2003 Astro Boy series where Astro confronts Dr. Tenma and resolves their conflict by giving Tenma a hug (which reduces him to tears).

[@lilharlangel]

No way you guys over looked the oihmhm😂 of the wise horses. Wonderful video, tale foundry, I think I've almost covered the whole channel 😌

[@Phantom_FlameXD]

you had me at Wind in the Willows, friend.

[@blue_evolution_studio_official]

Fantasy can be unreal but it can help you understand the real, and make it a new reality with some fantasy

[@lizzyrank5405]

I do love how people think there is this magical switch that at a certain age will turn on and you'd be an adult, myslef included. I have to keep reminding myself that that's not a thing. Also the fact that I never wanted to be a boring adult. Even at the age of 26, I still feel like I did at 16, with just a bit more life experiences. But I still act like a fool because it's fun. Heck, when I became a teen, u realized that my own parents were the "aduts" I thought they were. I think we need to stop looking down on people who aren't the "standard" adult. That thought doesn't mean not having any responsibilities but that we can allow people to be a bit more free emotionally. Even though social media can be a crutch at times, it has allowed me to see that even the oldest person is just as childish. We also need to stop using childish or being a child as a bad thing. No wonder kids don't even want to be kids.

[@osetrovatelstvoroznava1917]

I think the best quote about adulthood I ever heard comes from Man of Fairytales himself: "Adults are children,just grown-up." Walt Disney

[@mathieuleader8601]

Charles Kingsley's Water Babies is one of my personal favourites of the fantasy genre

[@CoolDudeClem]

Maybe it because some of us are still a child inside. I know I certainly am. When I'm alone I often pretend I'm still a kid.

[@ronaldcounterman5812]

I love your drawing of the colossus from Clive Barker's "In the Hills, the Cities". You don't often see a good artistic rendition of that monster. Nice job.

[@kayskreed]

I think one of the key tenets of being a mature adult is to know when/how to tap into that inner child. We always have that kid in us no matter how old we are. To deny that is to deny a foundational part of ourselves. My favourite stories combine elements that are "mature" and sometimes dark, while also possessing a lighthearted, humorous side, with elements of adventure and an element of child-like curiosity. This is why I enjoyed JRR Tolkien's 'The Hobbit' so much. There's a lot of examples out there, be it old Disney-like productions like the 'Iron Giant', western animation like ATLA, or a variety of such stories Japanese Anime/Manga as mentioned. I've also been a fan of mythology/fables/folklore for as long as I can remember. Many such stories are quite whimsical, if not downright bizarre and funny, while occasionally possessing "darker" elements as well. I like everything from the silly and hilarious to straight up horror fiction and everything in between.

[@Robohead-z6z]

When I think of whimsy, I think of a playful fantasy. Instead of characters fighting monsters, I can see a light hearted playful fantasy. A whimsical fantasy to me , a light hearted, playful fantasy.

[@Shadowfromsonicadventure2]

When you said Howl's Moving Castle it caught off guard while I was painting because a couple of days ago I just finished reading Howl's Moving Castle. It is probably one my favorite fantasy novels I read so far.

[@malikevans634]

I mean, fantasy is an escape. As a child, you have a lot less to escape from, and a lot less to want to escape from , generally speaking.

[@kida4star]

I read the book after watching the movie. I love them both, but they are so different, I don’t constantly have one popping up in my mind when I take in the other. Both are lovely and have a place on my shelves.

[@morbidmacaroni]

Both. Both is good... TOGETHER

[@a.s.raiyan2003-4]

We all know deep down that our lives are special but still some depressed and sad people like to reject this idea. So instead of being positive dealing things optimism they bundle up and break down. Positivity is how humans perform their maximum.

[@eowynmoonlight]

About Sophie and her curse... She is a witch herself (making things true by saying them) and Witch from the Waste have nothing to do with the curse.. Sophie acually cursed herself. Howl was struggling to break that curse because well... he is less powerful then Sophie

[@someoneawesome8717]

I found this while listening to an audiobook called "Humans Don't Make Good Familiars" that was pretty whimsical. Basically a fairy bird was trying to summon her first familiar and pulled a random student named Jake and while he wasn't well suited to the position of Familiar, he was exceptionally well suited to be her friend

[@panlis6243]

Adults enjoying kids content is fine. Adults preventing kids from enjoying kids content by "adultifying" it is where I think the line is

[@narutogen13]

Cough MLP community cough

[@predator5775]

It's this idea that got me obsessed with a children's show called Hanazuki: Full of Treasures. It tells the story about an alien girl that lives on a moon filled with fantastical creatures and oddities. However all of this is offset by an almost lovecraftian force that threatens the very nature of this universe. The show takes bits of each branch of whimsy while hinting a bit of cosmic horror to keep a balance I haven't seen since 80s fantasy. Unfortunately the company that owns it(Hasbro) , has since shelved the show in an effort to save its more successful franchises. If you have time and can find it, please watch this show and share it!

[@ehdrake]

Wonderful timing, I had just finished rereading *Howl's Moving Castle* to my son. I love how this encourages us to consider whimsy as a form to replenish optimism.

[@Lovehandels]

You never have to sell me on cute things! I melt as cute things as much as I get hype and pumped up for action and dark things!

[@anoninunen]

11:15 - alternate translation: "Touch grass, grow up, go outside of you cnfort zone and grow up. Then, please, tell me you're still an edgy kindermench."

[@charlesbennett7484]

I love that you mentioned "The Wind In The Willows", I recently revisited the books and enjoyed them greatly.

[@jeremyusreevu237]

Agreed. I'm an adult, but I still love Phineas and Ferb and other kids shows. Anybody who thinks you shouldn't watch or talk about kids shows/movies because you're an adult is a close-minded idiot.

[@arctic_andy_infinity5708]

What I'm getting is that whimsy is creating a world of beauty and fantasy. Where the impossible in our world is possible in another.i honestly have an original idea of a world of dragons and other beautiful creatures and I hope someday to create a beautiful world similar to wonderland and Oz. I'm glad I decided to watch this video. Thank you so much.

[@a.s.raiyan2003-4]

It's good to turn to more simple and heartwarming things like children shows or shows that are meant to be viewed by mostly everyone. Shows or films that pay attention to this and acknowledge it are always well received among adults. Like Bluey, Thomas The Tank Engine etc

[@lordmaurondominator1748]

You are my favorite youtuber. I love your videos and I totally agree eith you, I watch the owl house and amphibia becouse I love it's storys. You are the best and I hope you have a amazing and Awsome week my friend.

[@nyanpirethecat2257]

I think Osamu Tezuka's Unico Manga and film and other anime featuring Unico might be right up you're alley.

[@ivanljujic4128]

"Blame!!" Manga also brings this feeling

[@ByrdieFae]

Thank you for reminding me of whimsy. I've always loved that as an element in stories, but I couldn't think of the word.

[@eeveefennecfox]

I've loved cartoons all my life,they're way better than live action trash and stupid boring ass sitcoms

[@miloselfesteem2326]

I'm a grown man, yet I've seen all of the new Tinkerbell movies because I'm literally in shock every time they deliver on a whimsical story consistently, and it's all because I was bored and crashed in on a movie my little sister was watching

[@spacedinosaur8733]

They were going home, home to the Wonderful Place. They had seen many wonderful places, since the night they had been put in the bags: the place where everything had been light and they had been able to jump so high and land so gently, and the place where they had met all the others of their people and had so much fun. But now they were going back to the old Wonderful Place in the woods, where it had all started. And they had met so many Big Ones, too. Some Big Ones were bad, but only a few; most Big Ones were good. Even the one who had done the killing had felt sorry for what he had done; they were all sure of that. And the other Big Ones had taken him away, and they had never seen him again. He had talked about that with the others-with Flora and Fauna, and Dr. Crippen, and Complex, and Superego, and Dillinger and Lizzie Borden. Now that they were all going to live with the Big Ones, they would have to use those funny names. Someday they would find out what they meant, and that would be fun, too. And they could; now the Big Ones could put things in their ears and hear what they were saying, and Pappy Jack was learning some of their words, and teaching them some of his. And soon all the people would find Big Ones to live with, who would take care of them and have fun with them and love them, and give them the Wonderful Food. And with the Big Ones taking care of them, maybe more of their babies would live and not die so soon. And they would pay the Big Ones back. First they would give their love and make them happy. Later, when they learned how, they would give their help, too. ― H. Beam Piper, Little Fuzzy They can be a great people, Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you... my only son. - Jor-El - Superman