"I'm 'A', Obviously": Happy Birthday to the Real Anastasia

June 18th is the birthday of one of the most adored young women of recent world history. You may know her as the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nicholaievna, fourth daughter of Tsar Nicholas II. 

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Her family, however, knew her as the resident schvibzik, which is Russian for "Imp," because of what a prankster she was.

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No, I'm not lying. 

People have impersonated her, novels and movies have been written about her, myths have been blown out of proportion, but the real Anastasia and her family continue to delight and fascinate everyone--including yours truly.

This is Anastasia when she was fifteen--the current age of my baby sister.

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Being a 90s kid, of course, the 1997 fantasy Anastasia blew my mind (and it's still one of my favorite movies ever, and it's now spawned a really awesome Broadway musical). But that, of course, was just a small taste of what Anastasia's real story had to offer. 

When I was older, I came across the Royal Diaries series, and Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess by Carolyn Meyer immediately caught my attention. I read it multiple times and there are lines that I can still (almost) quote by heart (including the one I used for the title of this post):

“Tatiana says that if I eat too much blini I will turn into a blin. That could prove interesting!”

"Someday I will dye my hair red and wear a veil. Won't Mama be appalled!

"My derriere hurts" Say 'figure', Anastasia!' snaps Tatiana. "Okay, then the part of my body that was in contact with a saddle for the last three hours hurts!"

"Grandmama forbade all talk of the war and asked me instead about my French studies--that, of course, proved to be a total disaster."

"Why wasn’t I born knowing all these languages?

"I wanted to KICK Derevenko"

"I was hoping we would be free of lessons until we were truly free. No such luck"

Remarking about riding their bikes down the halls of the Alexander Palace with Marie: "so far we have had several spectacular crashes"

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More than any other title in the Royal Diaries Series, The Last Grand Duchess made the subject likeable and real to the reader. But more than any other royal family in history, the family of Tsar Nicholas II--Empress Alexandra, Olga, Tatiana, Marie, Anastasia, and Alexei--are a lot more real and accessible to people today because of how well-documented their lives were. Nicholas took tons of photos--and some of them were really, really candid.

Nicholas with Tatiana, Pinterest

There's this family photo that is too reminiscent of the painfully awkward family photos of today, Anastasia is on the far right:

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Sometimes historical figures are actually way too #relatable.

"Hey, Olga, can you get out of bed?" "NO"
Also, note that the bedding is not super-fancy
(Mashable)

Just being a normal family here. Move along.

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Sometimes it blows my mind that something referenced in a fictional diary actually happened. I remember Anastasia talking about Olga's public presentation when she turned sixteen: here is a photo from that very event.

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One thing that Meyer describes in the fictional diary is the Romanov family tradition of building a huge snow fort/mountain every winter. This is the one they built in Tobolsk, Siberia, before the guards decided to tear it down.

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They're royalty, but at the same time they're the family down the street. Reading their story just makes you feel, not to be tacky or anything, right at home. I mean, they look almost like anybody's kids. We love them because we relate to them. And we have access to everything they made because it all happened a hundred years ago or more--no privacy rules, no social media, everything is fair game to their fans.

Pinterest--Anastasia on the right

And of course, we still have many of their real letters and diaries and first-hand accounts from the people who knew them. You get the sense that the Romanovs loved each other very much. True, they pulled back from the public spotlight quite a bit because they didn't want anyone to know that the baby brother, Alexei, had hemophilia. So they kind of had to be close. But they got to be a real family.

Empress Alexandra with Alexei. Alexei did not want his illness to keep him
from having fun like any other boy, as we can see in this photo (Pinterest)

The four sisters, Olga, Tatiana, Marie, and Anastasia, were known collectively as OTMA. They were that tight.

OTMA in 1914, the year part of The Last Grand Duchess is set. Anastasia on the left. (pinterest)

The real Anastasia was feisty, sassy and spirited.

From Town and Country Magazine: 

"Grand Duchess Anastasia grew into an energetic child. She was the shortest of the daughters and the least ethereal, with dark blonde hair and blue eyes. What everyone remarked on was her quickness and sense of humor. She loved mischief and playing tricks, not all of them nice... Anastasia was known to trip people; her cousins complained she played too rough. Anastasia didn’t seem to care. She climbed trees and adored animals. She ate chocolates with her gloves on. She was a brilliant mimic and shone in family theatricals. Anastasia disliked her lessons and showed little aptitude for grammar or spelling, but she was considered by some the most intelligent of the four daughters." 

Anastasia with Marie. Same of the pictures she's in show her with a bit of attitude. (Pinterest)

A more detailed account from Your Dictionary:

Nicknamed shvibzik, meaning "imp, " Anastasia was mischievous, and loved making others laugh. She delighted in mimicking pompous guests, as well as instigating pranks on nurses and tutors. In his memoirs, her French tutor, Pierre Guillard, wrote, "She was the imp of the whole house and the glummest faces would always brighten in her presence, for it was impossible to resist her jokes and nonsense."

Anastasia did not enjoy most of her schoolwork. According to Hugh Brewster, author of Anastasia's Album, her English teacher remembered her trying to bribe him with flowers so he would raise her poor marks. When he refused, she gave them to her Russian teacher. She adored creative subjects, however, and wrote, "I excelled at composition. I must say that all my poems were satires, lampoons, from which no one was safe." Her drawings, paintings, and photographs are well documented in family albums. She often spent hours illustrating letters with drawings, and hand-coloring photographs to highlight a special aspect.

Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. 

Like the Grand Duchess Anastasia, I too had really long hair and bangs until I was in my late teens. I feel your pain, gurl.  

Anastasia with her father. Pinterest

She would really have loved the 21st century--she mastered the art of selfies before selfies were a thing.

"I took this picture of myself looking at the mirror. It was very hard as my hands were trembling."
-excerpt from a letter written by Anastasia to her father on October 28, 1914
godsavethetsar.tumblr.com via Pinterest

Also making really weird faces. Can you believe that a real historical figure would do this? It's the absurdity of it that makes her appealing.

That's a face that could appall Mama!
Mashable

Honestly, if they get that feisty attitude across in the movies, more power to her.

It makes sense that the movie would have changed some of the details of the story. However, in other aspects they actually did their homework. 

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On the left is a photo of the Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna in her gown for the 1903 costume ball. On the right, of course, is the Dowager Empress in the movie Anastasia (1997), dressed for the costume ball in the opening scene. The outfits are not identical. BUT they do have similar design elements. The design of the crown in both, for instance, is similar, both having prongs above the fur brim and a veil in back. Both gowns have a narrow waist and similar horizontal and vertical bands. It's enough of a resemblance that when I saw the photo of the real gown I could tell that it was familiar. 

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Far left, a screenshot of the princess gown and tiara from the movie. The middle panel is a portrait of Anastasia's oldest sister Olga wearing a court dress. The far right is Alexandra's coronation portrait. Notice the similarities of all three: the curved kokoshnik tiara, the sash around the front, lower shoulder line, and the long, open sleeves. To have confirmation that one of her gowns from the movie is based on the actual fashions of the Russian Imperial Court is astounding.  

And last but not least, prepare to have your mind blown:

(Screenshot from Pinterest)

Remember this line from the movie: "Olga made me so mad she said it looked like a pig riding a donkey!...She was right."

It's just so...affirming that the people who created the animated film went to those lengths to include some things from the world that the real Anastasia actually lived in. And then to have a random fictional diary include so much of the real details is thrilling. I think Anastasia is part of the reason I'm a history geek.

This year marks the centenary of the Russian Revolution. After Nicholas abdicated, he and his family were kept under house arrest in Tsarskoe Selo (palace compound outside of Saint Petersburg) for several months and then moved to Tobolsk, Siberia. When the Bolshevik/Communist Party took control of Russia, the Romanovs were moved to Ekaterinberg, where, in July of 1918, they were all brutally executed.  Anastasia was only seventeen. The remains of all the family members have since been found and identified. So, no fairy-tale ending here. But the important thing to remember is that she lived. She lived with her hair down and chocolate stains on her gloves. Dreaming about her escaping can be a fun pasttime. But celebrating Anastasia's life is the best way to go about remembering her--and we do that by living our own lives to the fullest.

The Lizy Reviews: Wrath of the Storm by Jennifer A. Nielsen

I have done the thing--I just finished reading another wicked awesome fantasy series. Wrath of the Storm was an interesting conclusion to the Mark of the Thief trilogy.

I must admit, this story feels a little anti-climactic after the first two action-packed volumes. Probably because, ironically, there is so much happening. Or probably because the main characters are trying their hardest to get the heck out of Rome and keep thinking that everything is resolved. But, as Nic's experience shows, it's not over until its over. Caela and Callistus both return but they are both woefully underused. Most of the animal action (Key word: most) comes from the terrifying dragon known as the Mistress and, occasionally, a creepy spectral deer.

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Nic is trying to do everything in his power to NOT create a Jupiter stone, but inevitably, he realizes he has to attempt it in order to complete his escape. Also spoiler, Nic's brush with death was a little too cliche. We pay one last trip to the arena and that scene is very satisfying, and we even spend a day or two in the Roman courts. The gods themselves never come out to reveal themselves or work out their issues in person--I really would've liked to see Nielsen's take on them--and the final action is left up to humans. But the final scene is still very epic.

The new characters in Wrath of the Storm, if any, aren't worthy of note--except for the fact that the Roman Emperor is actually involved this time. Nic, of course, has a hard time trusting ANYBODY, including his friends. Especially his friends. Every time someone who is not Nic tries to fix something, it almost never goes as planned. He doesn't trust the people in power who are watching his case, because, at least according to Nic's perspective, they all have ulterior motives, which is true, but in some cases it doesn't make so-and-so a bad person. And Nic doesn't want anyone else to sacrifice themselves for him even though they gladly would, and do. The stakes being as high as they are, I don't blame him for wanting to do everything himself. Grandpa Radulf, for instance, has finally moved past the antagonist stage, in fact the only opposition he creates is repeatedly telling Nic to PLEASE JUST STOP. Everyone's goal is for Nic to walk away from this mess alive, while Nic insists that he has to make sure everyone else is okay even if it means paying the ultimate price. What else is new?

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This book has a lot going for it. We have some interesting demonstrations of Nic testing the limits of his power, and using his abilities to full effect so that he can get back up and keep fighting, so the action scenes can keep going in a believable way. Nic and Aurelia finally sort out their issues--yes, it does draw the attention of the enemy but I think Nic's insistence on having to protect Aurelia was the only real issue. Aurelia, as we well know, can take care of herself. So yay for having Nicelia confirmed. Crispivia is hinted at but not really a central part of the story. I can live with that. Crispus continues to be the real MVP of the squad. What really sold the book for me, though, was the unexpected redemption story, but if I said anything else then it would be giving away too much. The Mark of the Thief trilogy is definitely up there with my other favorite fantasy series.

Mark of the Thief

Rise of the Wolf

The Lizy Reviews: The Scourge by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Well, the bad news is, The Scourge did not turn out to be my new favorite book. The good news is, there were still some parts worth reading. Overall, the story didn't do much to catch my interest or create suspense. I guess part of the problem here is I'm a jaded twenty-something amateur critic and this book was intended for middle-grade audiences.

Tweens Read Too

There is not a lot of description for the setting of this story--we have a few mentions of guns and ships so I would guess the late seventeenth/early eighteenth century. The protagonists Ani and Weevil are from a minority group called the River people but there isn't a lot of explanation as to why they don't get along with the town folk. This world simply isn't developed enough to be satisfying.

The heroine, Ani, tests positive for a disease called the Scourge and she is sent to a colony for other Scourge victims. Ani is a stereotypical "tough" girl, and I couldn't really relate to her, but the feisty heroine has a loyal-to-death best friend named Weevil follows her to the colony.  I could understand Ani's point of view on the town girl she meets, Della, but Ani takes a while to make up her mind whether or not to trust Della. At the colony, the Wardens enforce strict rules and make everyone work, even though they are "sick". Though she is weakened by the sickness, Ani fights back against the Wardens every step of the way. There is a particularly stirring scene when Ani has to climb the treadmill as the other colonists watch and rally around her. Ani also defies the odds to uncover the truth and make her escape, including (my favorite part) climb out of a pit of venomous snakes. 

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The symptoms of the Scourge made more sense through Ani's observations of the other colonists, especially Della, whereas Ani had no time to sit around and feel sick. The symptoms were mostly internal pain and fatigue, not a fever or cough or something you would expect from a real pandemic disease. It's kind of not hard for the reader to guess what's really going on, but you have to give Ani and Weevil the benefit of a doubt for not having a lot of information about the disease in a world without internet and mass media news outlets. The Governor's evil scheme being revealed is kind of anticlimactic, and at first it doesn't seem to fit with the theme of contagious disease--but then you have to remember, spoiler alert, that this disease isn't real. And I think carries less of a punch because in the scene right before that, we have Ani and company commandeering a ship and it's amazing.

The Scourge is an improvement over Nielsen's last stand-alone book, A Night Divided. But I have yet to see a first-person female narrator in one of her books who actually catches my interest.

A Tribute to the 40th Anniversary of Star Wars, in Verse

Cineclick

Forty years ago, upon this day

We journeyed to a galaxy far away

With soaring spaceships, deadly blaster fire,

With laser swords and feisty maidens’ ire.

We learned of Jawas, droids, creatures bizzare,

Heard Modal Notes serenading at a bar,

A villain with a cold and heavy breath.

A space station with a giant gun of death.

Forty years of Kenobi, Tarkin, TIES

Chasing a Falcon that hardly even flies,

X-wings, wookies, and to light our course

Forty years of guidance by the Force.

Disney Examiner

Forty years ago, on this day--

Who could have imagined what this would put in play--

Seven more movies, and one more coming soon

(at the pace of a sandcrawler coming up a dune),

TV shows, books, comics, games and toys,

Things for grown-ups, things for girls and boys,

Queens and Emperors, padawans and Sith,

Bounty hunters, clones--such depth and breadth!

Stormtroopers, scoundrels, ewoks, ladies, knights--

A fairy tale complete with saber fights!

Mandos, machines the like our world’s not known,

Pilots and the vessels they have flown.

Collectibles, cosplays, cons, and parody--

Almost everything in this theme you’d wish to see.

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But in the midst of revels we’ve seen grief

And it seems from our own contentions there’s no relief--

We have our different tastes, our petty feuds,

And over his preference each fanboy broods.

Here I’d give a word unto the wise:

No matter what the makers may devise,

No need for hate over opinions differing,

Civil expression and respect, unity will bring.

Each of us hears differently the Force’s calls,

But the Force itself is greater than our walls.

The vastness of this galaxy does prove

That everyone can find here something to love.

After this life, the crude matter remains,

But the things we’ve learned and loved shall be our gains.

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Celebrate, on this day, then, what we share,

The fandom that all these blessings did bear,

The times we still believe, but dream and mope,

The coming days that give to us new hope;

The Force that shaped our lives and set us free,

That built friendships and strengthened family;

Memories we’ve made and times we’ve shared

With other fans, the labors that we’ve spared.

How vast, how strange this universe has grown!

How simply it began! How time has flown.

Our dream is that this power will stay strong

And to future generations pass along.

May this fandom to all Earthlings be a space

Where light and joy can shine on every face.

To every ‘Star Wars’ fan, both great and small
I say, May the Force be With Us, one and all!

Rebloggy

A Second Thought on the 'Beauty and the Beast' Remake

I know my initial reaction to Beauty and the Beast was salty (or it comes off as salty, I don’t HATE it fcol). But I had a notion recently that made me think better of it.

The moments in the film that focus on the enchanted Objects focus on their relationships, specifically their romantic ones. We’ve got Lumiere and Plumette, Pianoforte and Garderobe. Some of our cast have absent partners, as in the case of Mrs. Potts and Cogsworth (although Cogsworth’s is...clingy). But the point is, the curse to some extent separated these people from those they loved.  To break the curse, the Beast needs someone to fall in love with him for his inner goodness, as well as have their love in return.

Love is what makes us human. (The Verge)

Love is what makes people, well, human. Hence Gaston is the real monster because he only loves himself, and hence the longer that the Beast is unable to find love, the less human his subjects are.  Romantic love completes us.  For the foil, Gaston wants to marry Belle to satisfy his own vanity, when he does not understand at all who she really is, and she knows perfectly well that he is the kind of man that could never make her happy.

I don’t see how the film connected that to the curse that fell on the Prince for being uncharitable (although at the ball he was hosting he was either looking for a bride or a bedmate). But the theme is there, and it’s better developed than I thought it was.

Beauty and the Beast will be out on Blu-ray in less than a month from now. Chances are, I will be a lot less critical on the second viewing.

Read More: My friend Ibbet thinks Gaston is one of the best things about the remake

Le Fou and the Beast

15 Things I Didn't Miss from Star Wars Celebration Thanks to the Interwebs

Middle of last summer I had a crazy idea come over me: go to Orlando for Star Wars celebration. I quickly figured out that I had no way of coming up with enough money to cover the costs of the trip, but for a few days, it actually seemed POSSIBLE. Not just POSSIBLE, but like it was going to happen.

A couple of weeks ago, Celebration Orlando carried on without me, but me being a good online fangirl I kept track of everything through Twitter and watched the live feeds and YouTube videos of the big panels later. It would have been magical to actually be there, but it was nice to experience it without the con fatigue, waiting in lines, crazy crowds, etc.

If there was one Celebration that was worth going to, it was this one. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Star Wars being released in theaters. Coming right on the heels of the passing of the legendary Carrie Fisher, Lucasfilm pulled out all the stops in honoring Carrie's legacy, celebrating the insanity that is Star Wars, and getting us all hyped up for The Last Jedi.

1. Warwick Davis as moderator

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Personal opinion: I don't enjoy Davis as the moderator nearly as much as I liked James Arnold Taylor at Celebration 2015. But after a while, you get used to it. The thing to remember about Warwick Davis is HE WAS ACTUALLY THERE. He was a little kid when A New Hope came out in '77. He was only eleven years old when he got cast as Wicket the Ewok for Return of the Jedi. And he gets along with everyone who's been a part of Star Sars ever since.  He's really perfect for the job, if you think about it. And plus, he's British.

2. George Lucas sharing the story of basically how everything began

Inquisitr

Lucas started off as a small indie director with a couple of films that weren't very big, and it didn't seem very likely that his idea for a Sci-fi soap opera would ever get off the ground. However, Alan Sheppard from 20th Century Fox came to a screening of American Graffiti and told Lucas he would buy whatever his next project was--whatever it was. The rest is history.

It was really special to hear from the guy who made this possible about what he meant it to be and how it became possible.

3. The Cast Reunion at the 40th Anniversary panel

Inverse

When he got on stage, Lucas admitted that he hadn't quite grasped how long forty years had been until he saw the gray in Warwick's hair. It was basically a bunch of people reminiscing--old people, some of them. But it was reminiscing in the best sense of the word. George Lucas, Mark Hamill, Warwick Davis and even (spoiler alert) Harrison Ford couldn't remember all of the details about filming the original trilogy and how the casting happened, what the funny incidents were. Warwick shared a story about a letter he'd written to Lucas after filming ROTJ to ask for some action figures. Very cute. And the fans were happy to see their favorite stars--ALL OF THEM.

Not to mention the video messages from LIAM NEESON and SAMUEL L. JACKSON ;jklasdfj;hksdafdsljk

4. The Memorials for Carrie Fisher

Billie Lourde sporting a white Leia-style dress in honor of her late mother.  (PopCrush)

Oh. My. Gosh. Carrie. It's so unfair that she wasn't there for that panel. But I'll bet she was with us in spirit. George Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy honored her. Mark Hamill positively LAMENTED her--and he also shared some stories of how she used to embarrass him. In a way, they really were brother and sister, Hamill said. And then Carrie's daughter Billie came out and gave that speech. *incoherent moaning noises*

5. The John Williams Concert

George Lucas called him the "secret sauce of Star Wars" and rightly so. I don't think I would like Star Wars half as well if not for the music. But to have Williams there, PERFORMING, CONDUCTING actual highlights from the score. I'd have died and gone to heaven if I was there. Bravo, Maestro!

Inside the Magic

6. BB-8 Rolling Back on Center Stage

BB-8 came out onstage for The Last Jedi panel, and Josh Gad got to tease him a little. A good thing BB-8 knows how to keep a secret, right?

Hypable

Also, this happened:

Diane Gallagher/Twitter

7. HAYDEN!

A Prequels' fangirl's dream come true! Hayden made his only big stage appearance at the 40th Anniversary panel, where the only thing he got to say was that George Lucas had to tell him off during filming AOTC and ROTS for making lightsaber noises--and apparently Ewan McGregor and Ray Park also have this problem. Where did George find these children, seriously? It was darn cute. And Hayden looks like he almost hasn't aged a day in fifteen years, holy smokes.

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He got to be on The Star Wars Show, too, but he didn't say much there, either. But, come on, he's our Anakin! I understand if he can't say anything in front of George Lucas but there has to be more about filming Star Wars than just lightsabers.

Well, we also got this (Swag Eyes/Twitter)

But anyway, it's great to know that the fandom still appreciates Hayden Christansen.

Including his space son:

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8. Ian McDairmid giving the Tragedy of Darth Plageuis its due

I didn't appreciate McDairmid upstaging Hayden during the 40th anniversary panel. But Ian McDairmid is so fun to listen to, and this was no exception during his solo panel. He went into depth about filming the Darth Plageuis scene--he really has a grasp on Palpatine and just how deliciously EVIL he is, and yet McDairmid is so warm and funny in person--shocking, isn't it? 

9. Ray Park

I have seen Ray Park in person, I even shook hands with him. He might be Darth Maul, but IRL he is actually a goofball and a really nice guy. So I have heard some of his stories before, but it's always a treat to hear them.

One thing that Ray Park loves, and is good at, is interacting with the fans. He got a group of padawans on stage for a lightsaber demonstration (did you see his reaction to that spot-on Kylo Ren?). He and Davis also reenacted Darth Maul's untimely "death" in The Phantom Menace. Warwick got to be Obi-wan. Someone had to hold him over the side of the stage and then pick him up for that final jump.

10. All the Rian Johnson

When we were getting our first news about The Force Awakens, I said that if J.J. Abrams managed to pull it off he would be my new favorite person. Rian Johnson, on the other hand, doesn't even need a trial period. The night before the TLJ panel, he went out to greet the fans who were camped outside the auditorium.

Twitter/Viktor Lundberg

I was able to tune into the livestream of the TLJ panel before heading to work, and I actually saw most of it. Johnson kept a camera with him during the filming of TLJ and during the panel he shared some of his personal photos from the set--including a very candid shot of him autographing the Millenium Falcon.

And he was even taking photos on the stage during the panel!

Screenshot Twitter/ Rian Johnson

Rian Johnson is so endearing and cute and generous. Mark Hamill and Kathleen Kennedy had a lot of good things to say about him. Knowing all that, my expectations for The Last Jedi are even higher. And that's not necessarily a good thing.

11. Meet Kelly Marie Tran

filmanons.besaba,com

I've heard about Tran from listening to Far Far Away Radio, and for some reason I was expecting her to be a villain. But no, Tran is playing a run-of-the-mill mechanic in the Resistance. Tran got to come onstage for The Last Jedi panel and be in public for the first time. She told how she had been forced to keep her casting in Star Wars a secret from her family, to the point where she even sent them a bottle of maple syrup to convince them she was in Canada. Mark Hamill said if she was any cuter she'd be an actual Disney cartoon character.

12. The Golden Idol: Anthony Daniels

PickyNerd

Anthony Daniels actually shared a couple of stories from filming the prequels, oddly enough. He went into more detail about the deleted scene from AOTC where Padme had given him coverings--a part that would have done great service to both of their characters--and we even got a photo. He also had to tell the very embarassing story of how he fell over on the set of ROTS while Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman were trying to film a serious scene (and they both cracked up at him). Anthony Daniels, not surprisingly, made Warwick's job as moderator difficult. He even crashed the Droids panel--twice!  Daniels can come across as a bit vain, but he's really fun.

13. Mark Hamill--I need him like I need air

I cannot get enough of this man. Seriously. He loves the attention from his adoring fans. And he gives them much adoration in return. He kept talking for his "Mark Hamill Himself" panel in spite of a hoarse voice. What a trooper. Also his dogs.  Mark Hamill is so humble and grateful and I hope when we see Luke Skywalker again onscreen in December that he embodies at least some of that.

Telegraph

14. Cosplays of Characters from the Books

I thought I was the only person in the universe thinking of cosplaying Lady Carise Sindian. But no, this girl at Celebration beat me to it. Along with a gorgeous Ransolm Casterfro and a Leia all dressed in black. Don't get the reference? It's the cast of Claudia Gray's Bloodline.

Twitter/Amelia@amalimali

Here's Ransolm. I love him and I will protect him at all costs.

Twitter/Johnathan Nerf Baker

And here we have Grand Admiral Rae Sloane, who started out as a lowly captain in A New Dawn which is one of my favorite books ever. And Sloane is one of my favorite characters ever.

Screenshot Twitter/Nanci

15. Just being IN the Star Wars universe

For those of you who haven't heard of Star Wars celebration: think of Comic Con but exclusively Star Wars stuff. Displays of Star Wars merchandise, collectibles, models of every shape and size--anything you can do think of doing with Star Wars, it's probably there. Favorite character? There's probably someone--multiple people--cosplaying them. The Star Wars fan community has its own unique traditions and customs. To these people, that galaxy far far away is home. They might like different aspects of the franchise, but they make it their own. And celebration is a chance to actually be IN it and share that experience with thousands of other fans who share your passion. It's the chance to see the things you love about the Star Wars universe come to life in a way that they couldn't anywhere else.

I'm being a hundred percent serious when I say that if I could go live in any fictional universe, I would pick the Star Wars universe.

I am going to the next Celebration in Anaheim if it kills me.

16. I almost forgot to mention ALAN TUDYK!

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