2009 Fandom Retrospective meme
LJ ATE HALF MY POST. I can't rewrite all that. ><
First of all, in the comments to last year's answers, dimmie said:
I like the alternative of the prospective of watching sensei go crazy with Rider faggotry a lot better. \:D/
...That comment is really fucking funny to come across now since I did in fact do exactly that: go crazy with Rider faggotry. :D;;
Now then...
First Fandom of 2009:
Kamen Rider Kabuto. It might have been Decade, but since didn't start till the end of January, I watched Kabuto to sort of... start psyching myself up, since it was the only one I'd seen any of before, and Kazuki was in it, so yey! The thing is that even though Kabuto is not my favorite Rider series (although it does have some of my favorite individual Rider characters), it is in fact largely responsible for me going nuts about Kamen Rider. I mean, I don't know if Decade on its own would have been enough to make me fall into toku fandom as I hard as I did if it hadn't been preceded by loving certain aspects *cough* Hoppers! KaGAAAmi! *cough* of Kabuto so damn much.
Favorite Main Character of 2009:
Oh my god... historically I am not really into The Hero, but one thing I will say about Kamen Rider is that I love a surprising many of its protagonists. To the point where I seriously can't actually pick between Shinji, Kenzaki and Tsukasa. Love them all, for such wildly different reasons that I really seriously, can't pick one of them.
Favorite Villain of 2009:
Hmmm... Asakura Takeshi/Kamen Rider Ouja. There's not even a contest here. :D
Favorite Anti-hero of 2009:
Yaguruma Sou/Zabee/Kick Hopper, and a HUGE part of what I loved about Kabuto. Totally skewed moral compass, EVEN back as Zabee. In fact, I would say that back then his anti-heroism was extremely subtle and insidious, because he had everyone but Tendou thinking he was an ACTUAL hero when in the end Kanzen Chowa was a mask. And then of course when he came back in his leather pants and duster as Kick Hopper he just took it to such a level that I'd call him the posterchild for anti-heroes. :D
Favorite Character of 2009:
Super Lawyer Kitaoka Shuichi/Kamen Rider Zolda. :D/
This is where LJ decided to start EATING MY POST, so it's probably not even going to be half what I originally wrote, but anyway, the gist of it is, I really didn't expect to find a character I'd go so absolutely crazy over, but I did. From his very first, fabulous, failtastic appearance, and everything that came after: the douchebag antics (faking Goro-chan!Zolda's death was a magnificent, perfect masterpiece XD), the fact that he fell so hard for the one woman that wanted nothing to do with him, the sense of humor that lets him approach everything as some sort of huge convulted game, his relationship with Goro-chan, and in the end, the tragedy of his fate... even though in a way it wasn't really tragic because even though he didn't get what he WANTED, he did find what he NEEDED, in both movie and series, imo. I just absolutely loved everything about Kitaoka. XD
(And yes, this was twice as long originally).
Favorite *~AIDORU~* of 2009:
Tokuyama Hidenori, hands down. And it's because, beyond the fact that I find him just ridiculously hot, I just get the impression that a night out drinking beer with him would be EPIC fun. XD
Favorite Het Couple of 2009:
Momoi Reiko/Kitaoka Shuichi. In fact, I have to say that out of every ship I've liked in every fandom I've ever been involved with in anyway, the dynamic between these two is pretty much the quintessential, perfect Mura ship bait. Starting with the fact that I've always loved ships where the quote "you're the most contemptible man I've ever met" is appropriate, and Reiko would definitely categorize Kitaoka as contemptible in EVERY way, and that this, the fact that she wants nothing to do with him, is the reason he initially falls for her. There's just so much more too, watching them dance around each other, how it starts as them trying to one up each other and along the way it changes, how even though he IS crazy about her, Kitaoka loves pushing her buttons and pissing her off, and at the same time how for all his faults he really does want to do right by her and protect her while at the same time considers this his own greatest weakness... but gives in to it anyway. And on Reiko's side, how throughout the series you can see her gradually warm up to him, even though she obviously would never admit to herself that she's warming up to him, to the point that he does, ironically, considering her opinion of him, become someone that she relies on and goes to repeatedly. It could almost be a friendship, except there's way too much tension there for it to ever be that.
In short, I love their story, the romance that could have been, that WOULD have been, had Kitaoka had more time.
But I also love the way it was handled, especially in regards to Reiko. Considering how these things tend to go, it could have been really easy for the "will they/won't they" angle to hijack Reiko's story, but she never became just Kitaoka's Love Interest. She was her own character, her own person to the end, and the fact that the potentially romantic angle wasn't the focus, but instead one more element making enriching the stories of two complex, fascinating characters makes it all the better.
Favorite Yuri Couple of 2009:
I don't do yuri. :D
Favorite Slash Couple of 2009:
The Hoppers, Yaguruma Sou and Kageyama Shun. After I finished Kabuto the first time (I watched it twice this year), I was like a junkie looking for the next fix for these two. Sadly, I can count the number of Hoppers fics in existence with my fingers, and have some leftover. But at any rate, Yaguruma and Kageyama are two fascinating character, and you really can't have one without the other. Their stories are complitely entwined, and their relationship is just as fascinating as they are. It's also a fucked up, unhealthy relationship, but the thing is that it works for them. It's right for them, it's what they both want and need.
And I will say this, I baw'd like a baby over them at the end, but at the same time... it felt right. As much as anything else about them, the conclusion to their story was right for them. They went out on their own terms, together to the end, forever, and that makes it so right, so perfect that I think that in their own way they absolutely got their happy ending.
Favorite RPS Couple of 2008:
Kenken/Ray. And getting to see it play out gloriously in OreTen was just EPIC. \:D/
Fandom That You Never Expected To Get Into:
Super Sentai. I will admit that even halfway through the year, when I was neck deep in Kamen Rider, I had a ressidual anti-Power Rangers bias that prevented me from really taking the leap and giving sentai a try. But after hearing EVERYONE, but especially dimmie , talk Shinkenger all year, I decided to get over it and try it, and I'm really glad I did. I love Shinkenger, and caught up to the series in the past month or so and am now watching Go-Onger and I absolutely love the silly crack.
Fandom You THOUGHT You'd Get Into But Didn't:
Merlin, actually. This was actually my answer for "last fandom of 2008" last year, and I really enjoyed the first season and was really really into it, made muzivitch watch it and rewatched with her... and then I think not a month into 2009, my enthusiasm for it just fizzled. It think it was a mix of it beig so hyped and trendy, and its fandomso full of... ah, a certain type of fangirl that I don't really like that pushed me away. I actually watched season 2 recently, mostly because my mother wanted to, and I have to say that the magic seems to be gone. I found it a lot more fun last year.
Fandom That Crashed and Burned:
Tenipuri. Not sure to what extent I include Tenimyu in here, because even though I've lost nearly all interest in current Tenimyu, it fizzled more than "crashed and burned". Anyway, the thing is that I started reading Shin Tenipuri and... the shark has been jumped. That's actually kind of a silly thing to say about a series all about magical tenipowers, but.. i don't know, just not feeling the new setup. Feels like Konomi is simply stretching it out past its expiration date, and not even for the sake of the manga, probably, more for the sake of the idol factory that is Tenimyu (which is ALSO past its expiration date, IMO). Anyway. I can point to the moment where it happened: when Shishido lost to Ohtori, and Konomi didn't even show the match. I didn't rant or rage like I might have 3 or 4 years ago, but I knew that it killed most of my interest... even though I read a few more chapters, and even though I know Shishido isn't actually out of the story... or wasn't, I have no idea what's happened lately.
Anyway, it was a lot of fun, and I'll always love the way it was, but I'm just not into the new stuff.
Fandom That Made An Unexpected Comeback:
Saiyuki, actually, even if it's not a STRONG comeback, and even though it's never going to be more than a passing fandom for me. And it's all because of Saiyukimyu.
Fandom That Inspired The Most Crack:
ONORE DIKEIDO, IT WAS ALL YOUR FAULT!!!!! >(
Last Fandom of 2009:
A mix of Shikenger, Go-Onger and Chuck. Not sure if Shinkenger should be here, actually, since even though it isn't over yet and it's poised on the climax of the story, and I just love it... it was really what I was fangirling heavily up to like two weeks ago. Anyway, as of TODAY, the two series that I'm watching and loving are Go-Onger and Chuck. Go-Onger is such stupid stupid, fabulous crack, and it has GUNPEI, and Gunpei is awesome and also Hide and I love it. As for Chuck, I actually got really meh on western tv in general early last year and was sure it'd get cancelled so I didn't bother watching. Except it didn't get cancelled and the new season starts in 10 days and I heard it was awesome so I decided to catch and I've been doing so and it's a lot of fun.
Happy 2010, everyone!
First of all, in the comments to last year's answers, dimmie said:
I like the alternative of the prospective of watching sensei go crazy with Rider faggotry a lot better. \:D/
...That comment is really fucking funny to come across now since I did in fact do exactly that: go crazy with Rider faggotry. :D;;
Now then...
First Fandom of 2009:
Kamen Rider Kabuto. It might have been Decade, but since didn't start till the end of January, I watched Kabuto to sort of... start psyching myself up, since it was the only one I'd seen any of before, and Kazuki was in it, so yey! The thing is that even though Kabuto is not my favorite Rider series (although it does have some of my favorite individual Rider characters), it is in fact largely responsible for me going nuts about Kamen Rider. I mean, I don't know if Decade on its own would have been enough to make me fall into toku fandom as I hard as I did if it hadn't been preceded by loving certain aspects *cough* Hoppers! KaGAAAmi! *cough* of Kabuto so damn much.
Favorite Main Character of 2009:
Oh my god... historically I am not really into The Hero, but one thing I will say about Kamen Rider is that I love a surprising many of its protagonists. To the point where I seriously can't actually pick between Shinji, Kenzaki and Tsukasa. Love them all, for such wildly different reasons that I really seriously, can't pick one of them.
Favorite Villain of 2009:
Hmmm... Asakura Takeshi/Kamen Rider Ouja. There's not even a contest here. :D
Favorite Anti-hero of 2009:
Yaguruma Sou/Zabee/Kick Hopper, and a HUGE part of what I loved about Kabuto. Totally skewed moral compass, EVEN back as Zabee. In fact, I would say that back then his anti-heroism was extremely subtle and insidious, because he had everyone but Tendou thinking he was an ACTUAL hero when in the end Kanzen Chowa was a mask. And then of course when he came back in his leather pants and duster as Kick Hopper he just took it to such a level that I'd call him the posterchild for anti-heroes. :D
Favorite Character of 2009:
Super Lawyer Kitaoka Shuichi/Kamen Rider Zolda. :D/
This is where LJ decided to start EATING MY POST, so it's probably not even going to be half what I originally wrote, but anyway, the gist of it is, I really didn't expect to find a character I'd go so absolutely crazy over, but I did. From his very first, fabulous, failtastic appearance, and everything that came after: the douchebag antics (faking Goro-chan!Zolda's death was a magnificent, perfect masterpiece XD), the fact that he fell so hard for the one woman that wanted nothing to do with him, the sense of humor that lets him approach everything as some sort of huge convulted game, his relationship with Goro-chan, and in the end, the tragedy of his fate... even though in a way it wasn't really tragic because even though he didn't get what he WANTED, he did find what he NEEDED, in both movie and series, imo. I just absolutely loved everything about Kitaoka. XD
(And yes, this was twice as long originally).
Favorite *~AIDORU~* of 2009:
Tokuyama Hidenori, hands down. And it's because, beyond the fact that I find him just ridiculously hot, I just get the impression that a night out drinking beer with him would be EPIC fun. XD
Favorite Het Couple of 2009:
Momoi Reiko/Kitaoka Shuichi. In fact, I have to say that out of every ship I've liked in every fandom I've ever been involved with in anyway, the dynamic between these two is pretty much the quintessential, perfect Mura ship bait. Starting with the fact that I've always loved ships where the quote "you're the most contemptible man I've ever met" is appropriate, and Reiko would definitely categorize Kitaoka as contemptible in EVERY way, and that this, the fact that she wants nothing to do with him, is the reason he initially falls for her. There's just so much more too, watching them dance around each other, how it starts as them trying to one up each other and along the way it changes, how even though he IS crazy about her, Kitaoka loves pushing her buttons and pissing her off, and at the same time how for all his faults he really does want to do right by her and protect her while at the same time considers this his own greatest weakness... but gives in to it anyway. And on Reiko's side, how throughout the series you can see her gradually warm up to him, even though she obviously would never admit to herself that she's warming up to him, to the point that he does, ironically, considering her opinion of him, become someone that she relies on and goes to repeatedly. It could almost be a friendship, except there's way too much tension there for it to ever be that.
In short, I love their story, the romance that could have been, that WOULD have been, had Kitaoka had more time.
But I also love the way it was handled, especially in regards to Reiko. Considering how these things tend to go, it could have been really easy for the "will they/won't they" angle to hijack Reiko's story, but she never became just Kitaoka's Love Interest. She was her own character, her own person to the end, and the fact that the potentially romantic angle wasn't the focus, but instead one more element making enriching the stories of two complex, fascinating characters makes it all the better.
Favorite Yuri Couple of 2009:
I don't do yuri. :D
Favorite Slash Couple of 2009:
The Hoppers, Yaguruma Sou and Kageyama Shun. After I finished Kabuto the first time (I watched it twice this year), I was like a junkie looking for the next fix for these two. Sadly, I can count the number of Hoppers fics in existence with my fingers, and have some leftover. But at any rate, Yaguruma and Kageyama are two fascinating character, and you really can't have one without the other. Their stories are complitely entwined, and their relationship is just as fascinating as they are. It's also a fucked up, unhealthy relationship, but the thing is that it works for them. It's right for them, it's what they both want and need.
And I will say this, I baw'd like a baby over them at the end, but at the same time... it felt right. As much as anything else about them, the conclusion to their story was right for them. They went out on their own terms, together to the end, forever, and that makes it so right, so perfect that I think that in their own way they absolutely got their happy ending.
Favorite RPS Couple of 2008:
Kenken/Ray. And getting to see it play out gloriously in OreTen was just EPIC. \:D/
Click to viewFandom That You Never Expected To Get Into:
Super Sentai. I will admit that even halfway through the year, when I was neck deep in Kamen Rider, I had a ressidual anti-Power Rangers bias that prevented me from really taking the leap and giving sentai a try. But after hearing EVERYONE, but especially dimmie , talk Shinkenger all year, I decided to get over it and try it, and I'm really glad I did. I love Shinkenger, and caught up to the series in the past month or so and am now watching Go-Onger and I absolutely love the silly crack.
Fandom You THOUGHT You'd Get Into But Didn't:
Merlin, actually. This was actually my answer for "last fandom of 2008" last year, and I really enjoyed the first season and was really really into it, made muzivitch watch it and rewatched with her... and then I think not a month into 2009, my enthusiasm for it just fizzled. It think it was a mix of it beig so hyped and trendy, and its fandomso full of... ah, a certain type of fangirl that I don't really like that pushed me away. I actually watched season 2 recently, mostly because my mother wanted to, and I have to say that the magic seems to be gone. I found it a lot more fun last year.
Fandom That Crashed and Burned:
Tenipuri. Not sure to what extent I include Tenimyu in here, because even though I've lost nearly all interest in current Tenimyu, it fizzled more than "crashed and burned". Anyway, the thing is that I started reading Shin Tenipuri and... the shark has been jumped. That's actually kind of a silly thing to say about a series all about magical tenipowers, but.. i don't know, just not feeling the new setup. Feels like Konomi is simply stretching it out past its expiration date, and not even for the sake of the manga, probably, more for the sake of the idol factory that is Tenimyu (which is ALSO past its expiration date, IMO). Anyway. I can point to the moment where it happened: when Shishido lost to Ohtori, and Konomi didn't even show the match. I didn't rant or rage like I might have 3 or 4 years ago, but I knew that it killed most of my interest... even though I read a few more chapters, and even though I know Shishido isn't actually out of the story... or wasn't, I have no idea what's happened lately.
Anyway, it was a lot of fun, and I'll always love the way it was, but I'm just not into the new stuff.
Fandom That Made An Unexpected Comeback:
Saiyuki, actually, even if it's not a STRONG comeback, and even though it's never going to be more than a passing fandom for me. And it's all because of Saiyukimyu.
Fandom That Inspired The Most Crack:
ONORE DIKEIDO, IT WAS ALL YOUR FAULT!!!!! >(
Last Fandom of 2009:
A mix of Shikenger, Go-Onger and Chuck. Not sure if Shinkenger should be here, actually, since even though it isn't over yet and it's poised on the climax of the story, and I just love it... it was really what I was fangirling heavily up to like two weeks ago. Anyway, as of TODAY, the two series that I'm watching and loving are Go-Onger and Chuck. Go-Onger is such stupid stupid, fabulous crack, and it has GUNPEI, and Gunpei is awesome and also Hide and I love it. As for Chuck, I actually got really meh on western tv in general early last year and was sure it'd get cancelled so I didn't bother watching. Except it didn't get cancelled and the new season starts in 10 days and I heard it was awesome so I decided to catch and I've been doing so and it's a lot of fun.
Happy 2010, everyone!