mercuriosity, posts by tag: fandom - LiveJournal (original) (raw)
02 August 2010 @ 09:11 pm
OK, I know I'm, like, 45 years late, but in an effort to educate myself about classic slash fandoms (read: for lack of anything better to do), I have been downloading and watching The Man From U.N.C.L.E. episodes. In so doing, I have made an important discovery about myself.
I have a thing, a really embarrassingly fervent thing, for tiny, lethal blonds.
They're blond, pocket-sized, and they can kill you in several dozen unique ways. I wish to catch them all, is what I'm sayin'.
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Things that will make me hit the back button
"The other man was on fire, literally"
*back button*
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I have a file, growing with every day I spend in my current PhD program, entitled, "Theses I should be writing". Talking with a classmate last night, we agreed that it is only once you've locked yourself into a program of study that you realize your LIFELONG DREAM is to study something else. Here is a sample from the file:
* The phenomenon of Chinese (and clearly Chinese-based) characters (that's people, not written symbols) representing "ultra-Asianness" in Japanese media. This thesis topic brought to you by Shi-Long Lang of Ace Attorney Investigations, the Xing Empire of Fullmetal Alchemist, the cuh-razy Chinese peeps in Shaman King, and um. Probably like a million other examples.
Other things. If you like Princess Tutu at all, I highly recommend you check out this This Pendent Heart, a fan-made light novel (aka, multichapter fic with illustrations).
I normally veer away from long, multichapter fics, for a number of reasons--one of them being that I often feel like authors who want to write a long plotty adventure, post-canon, often end up undoing a lot of the character development that already occurred, for the sake of conflict/drama needed to drive the plot. And with this one especially, I thought, "Why would I want to rob the Tutu characters of the happy ending they worked so hard for?" But I gave it a chance, and I was really impressed; the author displays an acute sensitivity to the character arcs of all the major players, and skillfully manages to extend them even further in a fully believable and satisfying way. Furthermore, there are some fantastic allusions, both to the anime and outside sources, and wordplay and riddles that just really make the tone spot-on. Even the structure of the story mirrors the anime, with a "happy ending" in Chapter 13 that yet hints at--dunh dunh DUNH--further conflict to come. I was so ridiculously pleased when I noticed that, I can't even tell you. And there is ROMANCE, and lots of heartwarming moments, and it makes me feel a lot like watching the anime did, which is about the highest compliment I can pay!
tl;dr version: There are pretty pictures!
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29 December 2009 @ 07:38 pm
So much reading to do! If I'm lucky, I may finish reading and commenting in time for Yuletide 2010! /dies a little
In a sense, reading for Yuletide is as much a project for me as writing for Yuletide. Normally, I'm a pretty selfish reader--I only read things that I think will be worth the investment of time they require. If I particularly enjoy something, I try to drop a comment, especially if it isn't something that's likely to get tons of attention; in general, the extent to which I must like something before I feel compelled to comment is inversely proportional to the amount of encouragement/appreciation I feel that thing needs. But I don't feel an obligation to hold the hand of every aspiring fic writer, to gently point out what could be done better or to give false praise; I figure the positive feedback they get from other sources (ff.net, anyone?) will be enough to keep them going--and if it isn't, oh well. Sometimes we all feel like we're shouting into the void. The question is: do you love it enough to keep doing it anyway?
With things like exchanges, though, my philosophy is a little different; I read things I would never normally seek out (if I'm familiar with the canon), I try to leave a comment on anything I enjoy even a little (no criticism or false praise, just an honest statement of what I liked). Yuletide, 
ff_exchange, &c. are special, they're community events; and participating, for me, involves more than just putting out a story and getting one in return. Not only do these exchanges often involve fandoms that don't get enough love, but they bring together fans at varying levels of skill and experience; when I get tired of reading and trying to phrase feedback in different ways, when it starts to feel like more of a chore than a pleasure, I think of the writer who worked hard to produce something their requester would like, and who will be lucky--by the very nature of the request--to get a handful of people to read their story, let alone comment on it. And I keep going.
Anyway, on with the recs!
( Princess Tutu, Samurai Champloo, Temeraire, Petshop of Horrors, The Road to El DoradoCollapse )
I got my ff_exchange assignment! Whoo. It's going to be...hm, interesting. A challenge! Which I guess is kind of the point.
Dear FFEX gifter, if you're reading this:
I realize my requests are kind of insanely detailed? But the details are just to give you an idea of what I like, or to act as a springboard in case you are like, OMG I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THESE CHARACTERS. I was trying to be helpful! I may have failed. But the point is, I would honestly be thrilled to receive anything with the given characters, and you totally don't have to follow my ideas at all. Just write what you are comfortable with! Or, if you are currently backing away slowly from my requests as from an errant cactuar, what you are least _un_comfortable with.
Thank you in advance!
Love,
me
I am so unbelievably upset and angry about the casting for the Avatar movie that I can't even get the words out without choking on them. I've been monitoring the situation for some time, but I haven't said anything about it here because--choke, choke, choke.
Paramount, I love Avatar. It's highly likely that you would have done something with the movie that I wouldn't have liked, as attached as I am to the show. You could have made a terrible movie. You could have hired wooden actors. You could have changed important plot elements, you could have mangled the characters' personalities, you could have obscured the original message and spirit of the show. You could have done all this and more, but if you had given some Asian and Native actors a chance to shine while doing it, I would have fucking rejoiced.
Instead, you are spitting in my face and gutting one of the most important and amazing aspects of the show. And this is supposed to make me want to watch the movie? FUCK YOU.
(Oh, wait, I forgot, only white people watch Avatar, duh, and they can't handle seeing anyone who doesn't look like themselves. I don't even count as a potential audience member, which I guess means they don't need my money either!)
If you don't know what I'm talking about, racebending.com is a good place to start. They have an extensive FAQ which, if you find yourself asking, "Why is it a big deal?", is highly recommended reading. You can also check out racebending for updates and discussion.
And if you feel the urge to defend the casting of the movie, I suggest you check out Avatar Racefail Bingo one and two. If anything you're thinking of saying is on there, maybe think again?
So 
silverspar linked to this fandom secret (spoilers for The Crystal Skull), to which I said WORDY MCWORD. Then I spent kind of an unhealthy amount of time looking at fandomsecrets. Oops?
( I just about pissed myself laughing at this oneCollapse )
( SO MUCH WORD TO THIS ONECollapse )
( I do this tooCollapse )
( Hana-Kimi turns people gayCollapse )
Current Music: David Bowie, Blue Jean
27 August 2007 @ 04:32 pm
Warning for potential TMI about what turns my crank. It's all pretty vague, honestly, but if you'd rather not know anything about my sexuality you might give this a miss.
( The internet is for porn ♫Collapse )
01 August 2007 @ 10:10 pm
OK, is it just me, or would Shikamaru and Sokka get along like awesomesauce? The ponytail, the sarcasm, the grumbling about girls, the caring a lot about one's friends underneath it all, the getting paired up with girls who kick their butts, the...names that start with S?
This extremely random thought brought to you by this fanart, which for some reason made me think of Sokka when I first glanced at it. Maybe it's the sleeveless shirt-thing. And the snow? IDK.
...
OK, a quick devArt search reveals that it's been done. Thank goodness, I THOUGHT MAYBE I WAS CRAZY.
Current Music: Cowboy Bebop, "The Real Folk Blues"
Current Mood: anyone? anyone?
Real life is not being as unsucky as it could. I seek escape via memes. Here's one, paraphrased badly, that I've seen floating around from time to time:
Comment with a fandom or five, and I'll squee at you about the relationships--canon or not, romantic or otherwise--that I like.
I am a Secret Fandom Lurker to a really embarrassing degree, so even if you've never heard me talk about a fandom, feel free to ask. I can always request a different one if I really don't know anything about it.