it started with a kiss!! & last year in fic.
I finally watched another Asian drama! This time it's the Taiwanese It Started With a Kiss, henceforth ISWAK, which is very similar to the drama I watched previously, the Korean Goong, in that it's fluffy and amusing. Light, great fun. Story starts with the heroine Xiang Qin handing a love letter to her long-time crush Zhin Shu, who's the best student in their school and naturally cool and collected. He naturally ignores her attentions completely but not much later, they find themselves lodging under the same roof thanks to (un)fortunate circumstances. Sound cute enough for you? It's on YouTube - and for more pics, dangermousie provides lovely picspam!
I'm up at episode 8, taking a break before watching 9 and so on. Ironically, the drama doesn't actually start with a kiss and like Goong, it takes a few episodes to set up the story and circumstances. In fact, right now at 8 it feels like it's only really properly starting. I like the simple but good-hearted girl/geniusly smart boy combo and their families, especially the hero's little brother, who is hilarious. One of the heroines friends who's very obviously infatuated with her is slightly annoying but right now that's my only real complaint.
Looks like the real trouble is about to start. I'm sure I'll continue to like this one but I already dread how the drama's twists will kill me. It's odd, like I've previously mused, that I couldn't care two flies about Western soaps but it's been easy to get into the characters of these Asian dramas and thus I actually care about what happens to them, which naturally keeps me watching.
But now, that “Last Year in Fic” meme...
Favorites of the batch (this meaning MY favourites)
Trials [Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Harry/Perry, PG-13] - In all honesty, I just think I nailed it. It's one of the few fics that I've actually gone back to re-read myself because I just get a kick out of it as a fic, not in that “Wow I'm awesome”-way, either.
Breakdowns & Downfalls [Fanaa/Dil Se, Meghna & Rehan, PG-13] - Because it's the fic that needed to be written and I loved writing it and I love both movies so much. It's just. Yeah.
All the Friendship [Harry Potter, Ron/Hermione/Harry/Ginny - permutations, PG-13] - It's one of the most awesome ideas for a fic I think I've ever had and some will read it and be like, “Huh, what the fuck” and that's so what Harry Potter fanfiction should never be. But it's just so *me*, this fic.
Best of the batch
Their Sun Sets [Brokeback Mountain, Alma Jr (Jack/Ennis), PG] - I was very surprised I got this plot bunny but I adored that I did, and I loved writing it, writing this character and just ..BBM gen. I don't want to pat my own back needlessly but that's not too often, is it? I think it turned out great, too.
And Then I Met The Third Kind [Rang De Basanti, various, PG-13] - Because it sums up so much of this wonderful movie and it makes me feel wistful and sad and yeah, another one I think I kind of nailed. I'm semi-proud of this.
Live His Life to the Fullest [Harry Potter, Peter, PG-13] - It's like I put into fic all my thoughts on this character, why I think he's grey, interesting, fantastic, troubled. Easily the most interesting Marauder.
Most underappreciated by the universe
Ten People Tim McManus Didn't Sleep With [Oz, Tim/various, R-ish] - Okay, so I haven't even crossposted it anywhere. But whatever. No comments! And it's Tim “Slutmaster” McManus! It'll catch on, hopefully.
Our Little Game [Harry Potter, Ron/Hermione, PG-13] - Considering how many people commented & liked the fic this one was sort of a sequel of, I was somewhat disappointed in the lack of feedback. Not tragically, though. I like the idea that R/Hr is everything but said, and that even after everything that happened in their 6th year, they can't seem to finally just come out and *say* what is so obviously there.
various Bleach ficlets [Bleach, Kon/Rukia/Ichigo, Hinamori/Aizen, Isshin/Masaki, PG] - I haven't written a lot of Bleach but I like these little things I posted this year.
Most fun to write
Just Another Heterosexual Male Duet [Green Wing, Guy/Mac, PG-13] - I love any time I get Green Wing characters talking in my head but when I heard Stephen Mangan voicing the dialogue for Guy in my head, I knew I was onto something good there so the writing process was greatly enjoyable.
Trials as mentioned previously.
Ten Times Ron Confesses His Love To Hermione, Only Not Really [Harry Potter, Ron/Hermione, PG-13] - Simply because it totally, wonderfully revived my love for this pairing.
Sexiest fic (I keep saying this - I don't write sexy fic)
The Great Romantics [Harry Potter, Ron/Lavender & Ron/Hermione, PG-13] - I suppose the second part of this fic has some “intense” moments.
The Last Days of Our Lives [original fic] - Well, it *has* sex, if nothing else. Plus I liked it.
Tales Of One Dysfunctional Love [Yuva, Lallan/Shashi, R] - Scroll down for the ficlet. I always thought this pairing was one of the electrifying and intense of recent Bollywood so I think my ficlet sort of reflected that. But only sort of.
"Holy crap, that's wrong even for you" fic
Always Have Something [Harry Potter, Ron/Pig, G] - Pet love. But look, it's G! So it's not that wrong or anything. But yeah, birds.
Fic that shifted my own perception of the characters
Play Things [Oz, Beecher/Keller, PG-13 - season six spoilers!] - Though maybe with this, it's the other way around. I wrote this because my perceptions of the characters needed to be put words, I had to really figure them out again, try to get why I liked, what they were about, what their ...whatever you call it, was about. It was almost therapeutic, this fic.
Nimbus, Or How to Share a Moment with Family [Harry Potter, Neville, Frank, Alice, PG] - Forced me to really think about Frank and Alice and how I saw them.
Ordinary & Out Of & On the Beach of Regret [The Office UK/US, Dawn/Tim, Jim/Pam, PG] - These really shaped & deepened my view of the character of Dawn.
Hardest fic to do
Oyasuminasai [Heroes, Hiro/Charlie, PG] - Because of the canon events. If canon made my heart ache and brought tears to my eyes, so did this fic.
On the Beach of Regret [The Office UK/US, Dawn/Tim & Jim/Pam, PG] - I really struggled with the dialogue here.
Biggest disappointment
Through a Million Lenses, Or Not Even One [CSI, Hodges, PG-13] - I think I maybe sort of captured him but then again, maybe not.
Not-Quite-Sonettes [Omkara, Dolly/Omi + Indu/Langda, PG-13] - You'd think I could've squeezed more out of a movie I adored & saw a dozen times. But I guess not. It's not that bad, though.
Biggest surprise
The mind-bogglingly awesome amount of Bollywood fic I managed to write throughout the year. I'm just very pleased with that. They weren't all excellent fics but I enjoyed writing every one of them and it was a good year in that. And that HP-wise, I managed mostly various angsty Ron/Hermione pieces like As It Ends but hey, I love those so why not.
Fic resolutions for 2006
Will write Bollywood fic. Will not feel weird when writing Bollywood fic. Will post Bollywood fic in public and even maybe post the links on a Bollywood board. - Definitely kept this one. Yep.
- Will write when feel compelled to do so. - Hmm. Pretty much kept this one, too.
- Will post and not give a damn about what people on flist might think about the fic. - I think I kind of kept this one, too. So overall, w00t.
Fic resolutions for 2007
- Continue to tapping into areas where there isn't a lot of fic getting written, such as Bollywood and doramas - assuming I'll continue watching after I finish ISWAK - and other small fandoms and various rarepairs.
- Crosspost more, you fucking whore. Otherwise no one will see or read your fic and discover how amazing it is.
- Keep writing fic you like to read yourself.
- Get those 10 things fics finished. And that Goong fic. And that Jaan-e-Mann ficlet.
- Don't, under any circumstances, attempt writing smut of any variety. Just don't.