more random stuff
my personal life is the definition of "not exciting" so let's talk fandom instead
* COME HERE AND LET ME LOVE YOU BOTH, FOOTBALL CLUBS OF MY HEART. SERIOUSLY. COME HERE. HOLY FUCKING SHIT WERE THOSE GAMES AMAZING.
for lack of coherent commentary, here are my captains and vice captains being adorable. XP
Also, New Yorkers? Legends/The Football Factory (on 34th street, off of 6th Avenue) is a pretty damn great place to watch a footie game, doubly so if the relevant supporter's club is there (in my case New York Blues). They've bought me drinks and given me sweet Chelsea crest pins! But even beyond that, holy crap, I've actually started learning some of the fan chants because that crowd is just so awesomely intense. I probably need to cut down on the drinking afterwards late into the night part, but the rest is pretty great. (I really need to find a Bayern equivalent though; there are a few fans at Legends, mostly Munich expats, but it's hardly anything compared to NYB.) One thing I can appreciate is that if you're not in the mood for the overpriced food the main K-town strip is the next block over for cheap mandoo, bowls of noodles in the food court, and pastry shops.
though if we draw each other i'm gonna curl up in a ball and cry
* how have I never posted that Transformation (the Application of the Scientific Method sequel) is published? Also my gift to louis_quatorze at valentinesplay was Break and it's kind of gratuitously smutty but I like it anyway, and hey it's on meretricula's rec list, woo! I'm clearly terrible at this fic thing, lol. also uh I haven't posted any of them on footballslash or on the AO3, because I'm feeling lazy about tagging. Clearly I'm a terrible person.
* I doubt anyone cares but I've been at
fic_promptly doing a lot of prompting and the occasional schmoopy ridiculous fill. (First one is footie gen, the others are Ghost in the Shell SAC, because I'm shameless like that; uh, I hope you like Batou/Motoko as much as I do).
* And the rest from here on out is spoilers to a whole bunch of anime I've (re)watched lately and all of my feelings. Actually, would anyone like me to write a detailed anime/manga rec list thing? Stuff like "how I learned about Japanese history through historical fiction anime/manga" or "what to do after watching Ghost in the Shell and craving human-focused cyberpunk" or "mecha that make Kawa swoon"? Show of hands?
So I've reread the four volumes of the Applessed manga, the Databook, and watched both the 1988 and 2004 movies. My feelings on Appleseed pretty much boil down to UNF MECHA and SO MUCH UNTAPPED PHILOSOPHICAL POTENTIAL.
Firstly? UNF MECHA. Oh my lord, does Shirow know what he's doing with mechanical things or what? I shouldn't really be surprised, the 'komas from Ghost in the Shell are some of my favorite things ever, but seriously Landmates make me SWOON. They're functional and intense without all that extra useless flair that, say, Gundam Seed-era Gundams have, and their line is inherently humanoid but curvaceous, which fascinates the crap out of me.
And now on to the meat - the plot. Or what there is of it. There's so much potential here that hasn't been discussed, sigh; I know the manga is unfinished (and sadly will probably never be finished - there's a lot that's problematic with the plot compared to what ~really happened~ in the world, and Shirow's interests have gone from mecha to cyberbrains. I don't blame him, I love the concept {and really really badly need to rewatch Real Drive, omg} but still, sigh.) I also feel that Deunan and Briarios, as much as I adore them, are a little one-dimensional as characters and we don't get to see them evolve much. This was especially true in the 1988 movie, where they basically defend Olympus without question. The manga had some hints of an angsty tug in volume 2 as they question what a biodroid-led utopia really is and means, but it seems to get swept under the rug after that in favor of more bitchin' ESWAT adventures and, uh, nudity (goddamnit, Shirow). The 2004 movie tries to look into this, but also changes a lot about Deunan's past in the process, which is kind of weird to watch; it also didn't have the time to really do it, and ended up, well, kind of like a Hollywood blockbuster instead of a Shirow manga, lol.
The 2004 movie was also the only one to bring up something that has been tugging at me a long time - how does Deunan react when Briarios is forced to change bodies, and how does love change in general between a human and a cyborg? The scene with her nightmare, cyborg-Briarios bursting out of flesh-Briarios was fascinating and I'd really like more in that direction. Briarios is human, delightfully so; he's sensitive and protective and loving in his own way. Heck, he's more human than, say, Hitomi, who *looks* human but is actually a semi-clone. But he certainly doesn't *look* human, and that's really interesting for Deunan's personality - and her sex life, which is something I'm surprised Shirow has never brought up in all of his years of being a pervert, lol.
I do wonder what would happen if Shirow decided to reboot the series or some such. We can still have the concept of biodroid-ruled utopia and its consequences, we can still have swoon-worthy mecha, but the rules of the world around Olympus would definitely be changed. I also wonder if he'd take a feather from the caps of those who have adapted his works and explore different themes. SO MANY QUESTIONS, SHIROW, SO MANY QUESTIONS. Time to get my hands on Appleseed XIII, I guess!
****
From mecha to time travel, from sci-fi to schmoop! Wheeeeeeeeee.
So yes, I still love the crap out of Steins;Gate. So good, guys, SO GOOD. Yes, the animation and music is pretty minimalist, but the plot is delicious - and, I realized on a rewatch, the (Japanese) voice acting is INCREDIBLE. Episode 22, where Okabe breaks down in front of Kurisu, sobbing how he's watched Mayuri die "over and over and over and over" and his voice breaks? Oh my god, breaks my heart. And that's before his ~confession, which seriously, UGH ALL MY FEELINGS. (As it turns out, his voice actor is the same as the one as Kiba from Wolf's Rain, Light from Death Note, Tamaki from Ouran High School Host Club, and Death the Kid in Soul Eater. ...which is pretty damn amazing, all things considered.)
So I was excited to find out about the "episode 25" OVA! It's really not necessary, the show ended delightfully as it is, but it was nice to hear from the characters again as they go on another adventure. The hint to Daru's future was especially sweet, aww. <3 And of course, my inner shipper squealed insanely at the ending, because Kurisu is still the most awesome and perfect for Okabe and I will not be deterred.
My one gripe I guess is that they confirmed that Ruka is male in the Steins;Gate timeline. I really shouldn't have expected them to make Ruka intersex and genderqueer like my personal headcanon, though honestly I would have liked it best if they just kept in ambiguous. Oh well.
****
...and speaking of cell phones? (Terrible transition is terrible, I know.)
This show is crazy. CRAZY. I talked about "the nature of insanity and hope" when I talked about Steins;Gate but this is a completely different level of insanity. I'm worried Yukimeru is going to lose his humanity the way Yuno seems to have done so. I'm bothered immensely by Aru's existence and wonder what he could really be. And yes, I'm intrigued as hell to know what Yuno really is and why she's so single-minded.
I'm also intrigued by the concept of love shown in the show, as well as pain and memory. Seventh's story was heartbreaking and adorable in equal measure; I love that they're more gentle than their outer appearances seem, and how they're so weak for each other even through the end. I felt Ninth's own love story was perhaps a little rushed but made perfect sense by the end and also completely, totally broke my heart. I kind of wish Yukimeru's parents weren't dead and could expand on their past, why they broke up and what that meant to Yukimeru, but it also showed a different and dangerous kind of love - the sort that drives Yuno to madness - and that's really, really fascinating to see. Also is it sick of me to kind of wish they'd given Yuno's parents a little bit of humanity instead of just being elitist slave drivers of their own daughter? Perhaps presenting them as loving her in their own twisted and terrible way? I don't know, it might have made it more interesting. >.>
Either way, OMG WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT? AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH.
...i have no good way to end this post >.>
This post was originally posted at Dreamwidth. Comment wherever you prefer.
* COME HERE AND LET ME LOVE YOU BOTH, FOOTBALL CLUBS OF MY HEART. SERIOUSLY. COME HERE. HOLY FUCKING SHIT WERE THOSE GAMES AMAZING.
for lack of coherent commentary, here are my captains and vice captains being adorable. XP
Also, New Yorkers? Legends/The Football Factory (on 34th street, off of 6th Avenue) is a pretty damn great place to watch a footie game, doubly so if the relevant supporter's club is there (in my case New York Blues). They've bought me drinks and given me sweet Chelsea crest pins! But even beyond that, holy crap, I've actually started learning some of the fan chants because that crowd is just so awesomely intense. I probably need to cut down on the drinking afterwards late into the night part, but the rest is pretty great. (I really need to find a Bayern equivalent though; there are a few fans at Legends, mostly Munich expats, but it's hardly anything compared to NYB.) One thing I can appreciate is that if you're not in the mood for the overpriced food the main K-town strip is the next block over for cheap mandoo, bowls of noodles in the food court, and pastry shops.
though if we draw each other i'm gonna curl up in a ball and cry
* how have I never posted that Transformation (the Application of the Scientific Method sequel) is published? Also my gift to louis_quatorze at valentinesplay was Break and it's kind of gratuitously smutty but I like it anyway, and hey it's on meretricula's rec list, woo! I'm clearly terrible at this fic thing, lol. also uh I haven't posted any of them on footballslash or on the AO3, because I'm feeling lazy about tagging. Clearly I'm a terrible person.
* I doubt anyone cares but I've been at
fic_promptly doing a lot of prompting and the occasional schmoopy ridiculous fill. (First one is footie gen, the others are Ghost in the Shell SAC, because I'm shameless like that; uh, I hope you like Batou/Motoko as much as I do).
* And the rest from here on out is spoilers to a whole bunch of anime I've (re)watched lately and all of my feelings. Actually, would anyone like me to write a detailed anime/manga rec list thing? Stuff like "how I learned about Japanese history through historical fiction anime/manga" or "what to do after watching Ghost in the Shell and craving human-focused cyberpunk" or "mecha that make Kawa swoon"? Show of hands?
So I've reread the four volumes of the Applessed manga, the Databook, and watched both the 1988 and 2004 movies. My feelings on Appleseed pretty much boil down to UNF MECHA and SO MUCH UNTAPPED PHILOSOPHICAL POTENTIAL.
Firstly? UNF MECHA. Oh my lord, does Shirow know what he's doing with mechanical things or what? I shouldn't really be surprised, the 'komas from Ghost in the Shell are some of my favorite things ever, but seriously Landmates make me SWOON. They're functional and intense without all that extra useless flair that, say, Gundam Seed-era Gundams have, and their line is inherently humanoid but curvaceous, which fascinates the crap out of me.
And now on to the meat - the plot. Or what there is of it. There's so much potential here that hasn't been discussed, sigh; I know the manga is unfinished (and sadly will probably never be finished - there's a lot that's problematic with the plot compared to what ~really happened~ in the world, and Shirow's interests have gone from mecha to cyberbrains. I don't blame him, I love the concept {and really really badly need to rewatch Real Drive, omg} but still, sigh.) I also feel that Deunan and Briarios, as much as I adore them, are a little one-dimensional as characters and we don't get to see them evolve much. This was especially true in the 1988 movie, where they basically defend Olympus without question. The manga had some hints of an angsty tug in volume 2 as they question what a biodroid-led utopia really is and means, but it seems to get swept under the rug after that in favor of more bitchin' ESWAT adventures and, uh, nudity (goddamnit, Shirow). The 2004 movie tries to look into this, but also changes a lot about Deunan's past in the process, which is kind of weird to watch; it also didn't have the time to really do it, and ended up, well, kind of like a Hollywood blockbuster instead of a Shirow manga, lol.
The 2004 movie was also the only one to bring up something that has been tugging at me a long time - how does Deunan react when Briarios is forced to change bodies, and how does love change in general between a human and a cyborg? The scene with her nightmare, cyborg-Briarios bursting out of flesh-Briarios was fascinating and I'd really like more in that direction. Briarios is human, delightfully so; he's sensitive and protective and loving in his own way. Heck, he's more human than, say, Hitomi, who *looks* human but is actually a semi-clone. But he certainly doesn't *look* human, and that's really interesting for Deunan's personality - and her sex life, which is something I'm surprised Shirow has never brought up in all of his years of being a pervert, lol.
I do wonder what would happen if Shirow decided to reboot the series or some such. We can still have the concept of biodroid-ruled utopia and its consequences, we can still have swoon-worthy mecha, but the rules of the world around Olympus would definitely be changed. I also wonder if he'd take a feather from the caps of those who have adapted his works and explore different themes. SO MANY QUESTIONS, SHIROW, SO MANY QUESTIONS. Time to get my hands on Appleseed XIII, I guess!
****
From mecha to time travel, from sci-fi to schmoop! Wheeeeeeeeee.
So yes, I still love the crap out of Steins;Gate. So good, guys, SO GOOD. Yes, the animation and music is pretty minimalist, but the plot is delicious - and, I realized on a rewatch, the (Japanese) voice acting is INCREDIBLE. Episode 22, where Okabe breaks down in front of Kurisu, sobbing how he's watched Mayuri die "over and over and over and over" and his voice breaks? Oh my god, breaks my heart. And that's before his ~confession, which seriously, UGH ALL MY FEELINGS. (As it turns out, his voice actor is the same as the one as Kiba from Wolf's Rain, Light from Death Note, Tamaki from Ouran High School Host Club, and Death the Kid in Soul Eater. ...which is pretty damn amazing, all things considered.)
So I was excited to find out about the "episode 25" OVA! It's really not necessary, the show ended delightfully as it is, but it was nice to hear from the characters again as they go on another adventure. The hint to Daru's future was especially sweet, aww. <3 And of course, my inner shipper squealed insanely at the ending, because Kurisu is still the most awesome and perfect for Okabe and I will not be deterred.
My one gripe I guess is that they confirmed that Ruka is male in the Steins;Gate timeline. I really shouldn't have expected them to make Ruka intersex and genderqueer like my personal headcanon, though honestly I would have liked it best if they just kept in ambiguous. Oh well.
****
...and speaking of cell phones? (Terrible transition is terrible, I know.)
This show is crazy. CRAZY. I talked about "the nature of insanity and hope" when I talked about Steins;Gate but this is a completely different level of insanity. I'm worried Yukimeru is going to lose his humanity the way Yuno seems to have done so. I'm bothered immensely by Aru's existence and wonder what he could really be. And yes, I'm intrigued as hell to know what Yuno really is and why she's so single-minded.
I'm also intrigued by the concept of love shown in the show, as well as pain and memory. Seventh's story was heartbreaking and adorable in equal measure; I love that they're more gentle than their outer appearances seem, and how they're so weak for each other even through the end. I felt Ninth's own love story was perhaps a little rushed but made perfect sense by the end and also completely, totally broke my heart. I kind of wish Yukimeru's parents weren't dead and could expand on their past, why they broke up and what that meant to Yukimeru, but it also showed a different and dangerous kind of love - the sort that drives Yuno to madness - and that's really, really fascinating to see. Also is it sick of me to kind of wish they'd given Yuno's parents a little bit of humanity instead of just being elitist slave drivers of their own daughter? Perhaps presenting them as loving her in their own twisted and terrible way? I don't know, it might have made it more interesting. >.>
Either way, OMG WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT? AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH.
...i have no good way to end this post >.>
This post was originally posted at Dreamwidth. Comment wherever you prefer.