StillPaisleyCat

joined 3 years ago
sorted by: new top controversial old
The new Stargate series has been axed. RIP. in c/quarks@startrek.website
[–] StillPaisleyCat@startrek.website 21 points 3 days ago (4 children)

I find that I am less and less willing to invest enthusiasm in American productions as they don’t get enough commitment from their streamers to make it worth it.

Apple seems to be make two season commitments for most shows, but generally they are following the self-destructive pattern of Syfy. There’s only so many times one can be burned.

cdrama idol dreamcasting of classic Star Trek roles in c/startrek@startrek.website
[–] StillPaisleyCat@startrek.website -1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Wow, that’s a lot of negativity towards both fancasting and idols. But I appreciate your laying out your perspective.

This fancasting was done with humorous intent, as one can tell by the original post text that I have included as well as the Chanel visor (since cdrama ‘traffic stars’ are known for being global brand ambassadors of high fashion houses).

So the joke is falling flat with you. The question is “Why?”

Star Trek fans always propose their ideas for new characters in the franchise and even for recasts. It’s nothing new. It’s done in the spirit of fun.

And it’s never taken particularly seriously by those who make casting decisions or we would have seen very different actors cast in all of the shows and movies over the past 50+ years of the continuing franchise. Especially, as many or most of the actors fancast are not any more skilled than idol actors — while on the other hand, the most recent Star Trek shows, that have consistently cast actors with good foundations and craft, have experienced the most fan negativity about casting.

What’s different about fancasting popularity idol ‘traffic stars’ from China vs the usual fancasting of A or B list American actors?

What I found different, and amusing, is that it’s a fancasting crossover from two very different entertainment contexts. It’s challenging assumptions with popular faces, known to the younger cdrama audience.

What’s also amusing to me is that it implicitly pokes fun at Star Trek’s baked-in tendency to cast at least some of the roles on the basis of physical attractiveness, despite its aspirational nature — and recognizes that there has been fan blowback when diversity in looks and body types are included.

I’m absolutely with you that Star Trek needs to be more inclusive of Asian actors, and generally inclusive of more non US actors to really have global reach.

The US-centric mindset of those at senior levels in charge of the franchise since Roddenberry, as well as the embedded American Exceptionalism, is a principal reason it’s cinematic features aren’t capable of making adequate profit margins.

Anime, kdramas and now cdramas, all are rising in global popularity, especially among GenZ and among young women. That’s a global trend affecting the audience that Star Trek needs to share in to survive. What’s the problem with considering what the franchise would need to do to compete with these?

Yes, there are other serious actors in Chinese film and television, as well as other Asian countries. And hopefully as the young audience that is interested in cdramas matures, they may broaden their horizons and take in productions that are more focused on quality than personal beauty.

However, it’s also true that very few, even among those who graduate from China’s top theatre and performing arts programs go directly into serious roles. Very few have the resources to create their own independent production companies. Most are contracted by agencies, with their careers managed by them — with enormous financial penalties if they seek to become independent or move agencies. Most are in their 30s before they can break into more serious film and television roles.

Let’s face it, Star Trek has historically put the most seasoned actors, with theatrical credits, in the Captain chair but the rest of the ensemble has typically been a mix of with less experienced actors included. Many legacy roles were cast with actors of an equivalent skill level to idols.

It’s very welcome to have an Asian actor of Michelle Yeoh’s calibre in a captain’s chair, but Sulu and Kim, in 60 years of the franchise, should not remain the only East Asian main ensemble characters. More, future casting of characters with Japanese, Korean or Chinese biographies should consider hiring actors who are from those countries rather than exclusively Americans with that heritage.

All to say, it’s an interesting discussion. Appreciate the engagement.

cdrama idol dreamcasting of classic Star Trek roles in c/startrek@startrek.website
[–] StillPaisleyCat@startrek.website 1 points 1 week ago

As I said, the images were posted on Reddit by someone who loves both Cdramas and Star Trek.

I’ve checked privately with the creator and they asked to watermark the images. They shared the watermarked versions with me by private messaging and agreed to let me post here.

This person is a professional vfx specialist working in television who did this for their own amusement. They have asked me to avoid sharing more detail on who they are which I believe is fair.

cdrama idol dreamcasting of classic Star Trek roles in c/startrek@startrek.website
[–] StillPaisleyCat@startrek.website -1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

If you aren’t aware that there is a certain amount of directed compositing in many CGI engines for vfx and game design, I don’t know what to say.

Using generated render to rough up an idea can be part of the process.

cdrama idol dreamcasting of classic Star Trek roles in c/startrek@startrek.website
[–] StillPaisleyCat@startrek.website 0 points 1 week ago

Pursuit of Jade reportedly cost the equivalent of $100 million for 40 episodes and certainly looks like it.

S-tier cdramas are quite well funded now. I just watched the current day 2025 science fiction thriller Mobius on Netflix. It was at the production level of any American or European show.

cdrama idol dreamcasting of classic Star Trek roles in c/startrek@startrek.website
[–] StillPaisleyCat@startrek.website -4 points 1 week ago (4 children)

The creator is a professional vfx artist who was playing, and has included a watermark for that reason.

Yes, AI is part of their toolkit, but these were not just a case of asking a gen AI tool fabricate something.

-10
cdrama idol dreamcasting of classic Star Trek roles (startrek.website)
 

cross-posted from: https://startrek.website/post/40147491

While kdramas having been established in global popularity, cdramas are having a bit of a moment with international audiences.

Pursuit of Jade was recently the first to crack mainland China production to crack the Netflix non-English language top ten, and stayed on it for several weeks.

Outside China, cdrama fans seem to intersect with Star Trek fans more than one might expect. Perhaps it’s the willingness to watch massive numbers of episodes to enjoy a series? cdramas typically come in with 40 episode series, and in earlier years some had 60 or 70 episodes.

So, it seems inevitable that Star Trek cdrama fans would want to fancast reboots of classic Star Trek legacy characters with top Chinese Idol drama actors.

u/universalaxototal created these and posted them on cdramafans subreddit today. Shared with permission.

More are in the works for some of the women characters.

From the original post:

• ⁠Tan Jianci righteously commanding as Xiang-Luc Picard mic drop 🎤

• ⁠Liu Yuning looking so natural in Starfleet uniform. He definitely plays the saxophone […and towers over everyone at 1.91 metres.]

• ⁠Hou Minghao as Captain Kirk, absolutely seducing an alien woman on a distant planet while the away team pretends not to notice

⁠Deng Wei as Spock/Data 🖖

• ⁠Deng Wei also somehow managing the wearing of a hair accessory on his face (it is the future, luxury brands have collapsed, so the House of Chanel has had to pivot into quantum optics and interface technology)

-23
cdrama idol dreamcasting of classic Star Trek roles (startrek.website)
 

While kdramas having been established in global popularity, cdramas are having a bit of a moment with international audiences.

Pursuit of Jade was recently the first to crack mainland China production to crack the Netflix non-English language top ten, and stayed on it for several weeks.

Outside China, cdrama fans seem to intersect with Star Trek fans more than one might expect. Perhaps it’s the willingness to watch massive numbers of episodes to enjoy a series? cdramas typically come in with 40 episode series, and in earlier years some had 60 or 70 episodes.

So, it seems inevitable that Star Trek cdrama fans would want to fancast reboots of classic Star Trek legacy characters with top Chinese Idol drama actors.

u/universalaxototal created these and posted them on cdramafans subreddit today. Shared with permission.

More are in the works for some of the women characters.

From the original post:

• ⁠Tan Jianci righteously commanding as Xiang-Luc Picard mic drop 🎤

• ⁠Liu Yuning looking so natural in Starfleet uniform. He definitely plays the saxophone […and towers over everyone at 1.91 metres.]

• ⁠Hou Minghao as Captain Kirk, absolutely seducing an alien woman on a distant planet while the away team pretends not to notice

⁠Deng Wei as Spock/Data 🖖

• ⁠Deng Wei also somehow managing the wearing of a hair accessory on his face (it is the future, luxury brands have collapsed, so the House of Chanel has had to pivot into quantum optics and interface technology)

2 New (Webtoon) Star Trek Series Announced in c/startrek@startrek.website
[–] StillPaisleyCat@startrek.website 2 points 3 weeks ago

Got it.

I generally think of the vertical market niche as under 25, not a large slice of the fediverse.

I don’t see though how vertical pagination is much different than social media on phones, which we’re all fairly accustomed to.

2 New (Webtoon) Star Trek Series Announced in c/startrek@startrek.website
[–] StillPaisleyCat@startrek.website 6 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

I don’t think this is targeted to our age group at all.

The vertical format is grown in anime and Asian dramas as well.

China is starting to be competitive with vertical short dramas specifically produced for the US market.

2 New (Webtoon) Star Trek Series Announced in c/startrek@startrek.website
[–] StillPaisleyCat@startrek.website 3 points 3 weeks ago (6 children)

This is interesting.

The vertical manga/manha/manhua format is where new GenZ audiences can be found.

1
2026 TV Premiere Dates: New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Streaming & Cable, (deadline.com)
 

This new listing of premiere dates through summer 2026 has a number of interesting confirmations and announcements for SciFi television fans:

  • June 3:\ The Legend of Vox Machina (Prime Video, Season 4)

  • July 13:\ Silo([Apple TV]

  • July 23:\ Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+, Season 5; final season)

  • July 29:\ The Ark (Syfy, Season 3)

1
Fender Godzilla Distortion: imbue your pedalboard with the “sonic might of the King of Monsters” (guitar.com)
 

cross-posted from: https://startrek.website/post/39235955

Who knew that franchise-branded electric guitar peripherals were becoming a thing?

A Godzilla pedalboard would have been fantastic for garage bands back when GenXers were young…

1
Fender Godzilla Distortion: imbue your pedalboard with the “sonic might of the King of Monsters” (guitar.com)
 

cross-posted from: https://startrek.website/post/39235955

Who knew that franchise-branded electric guitar peripherals were becoming a thing?

A Godzilla pedalboard would have been fantastic for garage bands back when GenXers were young…

1
Paramount Sued By Subscribers Over Warner Bros., Skydance Deals (www.hollywoodreporter.com)
submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by StillPaisleyCat@startrek.website to c/quarks@startrek.website
0 comments fedilink
 

Paramount subscribers suing over the WBDiscovery merger?

Are there Star Trek fans left subscribing who are doing this?

I can’t see the Yellowstone Sheridanverse base being concerned…

1
Could the US military handle a monster invasion? Monarch: Legacy of Monsters begs the question (www.militarytimes.com)
 

cross-posted from: https://startrek.website/post/38662450

An interesting choice of story to cover in ‘interesting times.’

1
The blacklist is back, baby: Paramount's retributions should worry the industry (www.avclub.com)
 

From the article:

Like many of the other promoters at CinemaCon last week, The Anklercolumnist Richard Rushfield was handing out free swag. It was nothing fancy, just a pin that read “Block The Merger,” referring to the monumental unification of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery that is coming up for a vote this Thursday. But Paramount didn’t appreciate the gesture, and instead of ignoring it, pulled its advertising from The Ankler and told talent not to speak to their reporters. All that for a pin.

If this is the entertainment industry’s canary in the coal mine moment, that bird might already be on the floor of its cage. Paramount acting so quickly to punish a journalist that disagreed with the powers that be is a warning of the kind of management style that would control more than a third of the industry if the merger goes through.

1
Japanese man sentenced to prison for posting spoilers (www.theverge.com)
 

cross-posted from: https://startrek.website/post/38527959

Last Thursday, the Tokyo District Court ruled that 39-year-old Wataru Takeuchi was guilty of violating Japanese law that prohibits the creation of “a new work by making creative modifications to the original while preserving its essential characteristics.” Takeuchi worked as administrator of a website that published lengthy, spoiler-heavy descriptions from popular movies and series. And two of Takeuchi’s “articles” — one about Godzilla Minus One and another focused on the Overlord anime adaptation — prompted Toho (owner of the Godzilla) and Kadokawa Shoten (the publisher behind Overlord) to file joint lawsuits through the Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA).

1
Japanese man sentenced to prison for posting spoilers (www.theverge.com)
 

cross-posted from: https://startrek.website/post/38527959

Last Thursday, the Tokyo District Court ruled that 39-year-old Wataru Takeuchi was guilty of violating Japanese law that prohibits the creation of “a new work by making creative modifications to the original while preserving its essential characteristics.” Takeuchi worked as administrator of a website that published lengthy, spoiler-heavy descriptions from popular movies and series. And two of Takeuchi’s “articles” — one about Godzilla Minus One and another focused on the Overlord anime adaptation — prompted Toho (owner of the Godzilla) and Kadokawa Shoten (the publisher behind Overlord) to file joint lawsuits through the Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA).

1
Japanese man sentenced to prison for posting spoilers (www.theverge.com)
 

cross-posted from: https://startrek.website/post/38527959

Last Thursday, the Tokyo District Court ruled that 39-year-old Wataru Takeuchi was guilty of violating Japanese law that prohibits the creation of “a new work by making creative modifications to the original while preserving its essential characteristics.” Takeuchi worked as administrator of a website that published lengthy, spoiler-heavy descriptions from popular movies and series. And two of Takeuchi’s “articles” — one about Godzilla Minus One and another focused on the Overlord anime adaptation — prompted Toho (owner of the Godzilla) and Kadokawa Shoten (the publisher behind Overlord) to file joint lawsuits through the Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA).

The Star Trek Communicator Is Now a High-End Wristwatch in c/startrek@startrek.website
[–] StillPaisleyCat@startrek.website 1 points 1 month ago

It looks like a 1970s toy. . . Which makes sense given who their target market is.

I would take it as another sign that the franchise has aged out were it not for the fact that it’s always had awful merchandising and licensing.

1
Behind the Hacker Leak of ‘Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender’ (www.hollywoodreporter.com)
submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by StillPaisleyCat@startrek.website to c/quarks@startrek.website
0 comments fedilink
 

The story is more complex than originally thought by the person who posted two short clips and had claimed to have received an anonymous email with the full movie.

Paramount has conducted an investigation into the incident. As part of the ongoing probe, the company eliminated the possibility that the leak was caused by a vulnerability in its systems, sources familiar with the situation tell The Hollywood Reporter. Clips of the movie on X are still being taken down through its copyright takedown process.

The leak has also resurfaced criticism of Paramount’s decision not to go ahead with a theatre release as an animated cinematic feature.

“Anyone watching the leak wouldn’t even be watching it on Paramount+ in the first place,” posted an account on 4Chan. “It literally makes no difference.”

Another praised the animation and said the movie “deserved to be in theaters.” They added of Paramount, “You fund animation like this, and you throw it on a dead platform without any fucking advertising? The leak is deserved.”

Episode Discussion | Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | 3x07 "'What Is Starfleet?'" in c/startrek@startrek.website
[–] StillPaisleyCat@startrek.website 1 points 9 months ago

My partner and I really liked this one.

We both think it’s in the top rank of Star Trek episodes. In my view it may be the best of SNW to date.

It definitely should be the ‘For Your Consideration’ episode of this season.

The direction was excellent. This was one of the best dramatic performances from Mount as Pike since season two of Discovery.

My sense is that some viewers were mistaking the C-plot about the warring groups, for the A-plot about the Enterprise officers response to the ethical choice between orders and the free will of a sentient being or the B-plot about the making of the documentary.

I can’t agree that the episode was too short. The best Trek episodes are tightly rendered and leave lots of room for thought after.

Red meat wreaks havoc on gut and drives inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in study on mice in c/science@lemmy.world
[–] StillPaisleyCat@startrek.website 3 points 9 months ago

It depends on the populations.

Steppe populations from modern Ukraine easy through to the Urals lived mainly on meat and dairy 5000 years ago (even if they didn’t yet have the lactose tolerance adaptation).

view more: next ›