Fandom Stuff #2
So this file labelled “new lj post” has been languishing on my computer for a few months. Sorry about that. I really find it difficult to make updates all the time. Here’s what I consumed.
Death Note. So I finally tackled this series and spent much time laughing and groaning (sometimes in the same minute.) I didn’t want to watch it for years because some dumb ass over at Bleach Asylum (remember that place?) had a HUGE gif signature that spoiled the entire ending.
I think L is adorable but he really can’t hold a candle to all those other eccentric amateur detectives I loved first. Holmes can probably plummet L before he can drop a spoon and Lord Peter Wimsey would probably sneer at all that sugar while playing some Scarlatti.
Of course, the Continental Op would just dismiss them all for pansies. I’d love to see him shoot Light in the kneecaps just to get a confession after the Penbar episodes. There’s no pussyfooting with a Hammett detective. If the Continental Op was in Death Note... it would be a very short series.
I usually can’t tolerate gothic lolitas, so you can imagine how much I hated Misa. Sayers once wrote about the most dangerous type of female (the exact quote is in Five Red Herrings, and my copy is in storage right now) and Misa certainly fits the type. I suppose I’m an evil person because I smirked inside while witnessing her fate in the last episode. And I especially loved the pathetic way Light ended his killing spree. I made a point to hang on to the bitter end just to see him go.
It’s not doing justice to the series, but I really couldn’t divorce my knowledge or inclination towards the mystery genre while watching. I understand that the whodunit is not as important as whydoit, but man. There were so many loopholes I wanted to bang my head against the wall.
You know why Light ultimately fails as a serial killer? Because he didn’t know when to stop. Seriously. He could have totally gotten away with it, but no, he insisted on digging a hole for himself. I’ve read enough books on true crime to be chilled by the realization that the most successful serial killers are those who take breaks between their killing sprees. I’m not talking about a couple of months here; some of them take a couple of years off murdering before going on the next one. These types are the most difficult to catch; they drive the police nuts.
If Light wanted to keep on using the Death Note he should have held off for a couple of years. I think the series would have been more interesting if there were no deaths during the time skip. It would have been more difficult for L’s lame replacements to find him, no doubt, but it would also have been more intriguing.
Escaflowne. I admit, I was a bit preemptive with my dismissal of this series in the last post. After a couple of episodes, I really got into this series even if some of the characters really pissed me off to the very end. Van grew on me with his missteps and his failed attempts to woo Hitomi.
I felt sad that they had to [SPOILER!] go back to their own worlds in the last episode, but at least it wasn’t a total downer ending. Long distance relationships can be difficult, and I worry that dumb cat girls will get in the way.
Trigun. I had to download the opening song because it’s great for jolting me awake. It joins two other openings -- Baccano! and Cowboy Bebop -- that serve the same purpose. While I was watching it, I got very involved with the Beta Couple -- I think I liked them more. But now that it’s been a couple of months, I’m not sure what I can say about it that hasn’t been said before.
Howl’s Moving Castle. I’ve heard contradictory reviews of this movie, and so I finally made time to watch it on Netflix (alas, dubbed. But since I’ve had a thing for Christian Bale since Empire of the Sun first came out, it’s okay.) While I admit I was half-expecting for Howl to suddenly growl out “I’m Batman,” I know that’s just me being silly. The voice acting was pretty good. I identified Billy Crystal as the fire demon right away.
But enough of this gibberish. What about the movie? Well, I found it romantic and sweet. Of course it’s beautifully animated, but I can see why some people won’t like it -- it’s not like Spirited Away or My Friend Totoro, which deals more with childhood themes. HMC deals more with issues of self-confidence, beauty, and the nature of cowardice. It’s an acquired taste, perhaps, something like Millennium Actress.
In any case, it’s impossible for me not to adore, especially since it gives Christian Bale his best line EVER:
“I give up. I see no point in living if I can’t be beautiful.”
MWAHAHAHAHAHA! He says it with such conviction.
Someone should mash that up with some Batman footage.
[I realize that my inane commentary on the series below is FULL OF SPOILERS. Tread with caution.]
Fate/Stay Night. I just finished watching this series this week. I must confess, it’s not one of my favorites. I think I would have liked it more if Shirou wasn’t such an indecisive, boorish child. He reminded me of all the bad parts of Ichigo Kurosaki (down to the hair and the sports tee.) I think Rin would have made a more interesting lead character. Saber amused me because she has absolutely no sense of humor. I love the part when she’s telling Shirou to look at her naked body! I really wished they didn’t switch the genders around during development...
When we watched the first episode of Fate/Zero, there was much lulz when they mentioned an Assembly of the 8th Sacrament. I happen to be a lapsed Catholic with lots of buried catechism in my head, so I found this to be entirely ridiculous. Adam told me to stop laughing so hard because the whole concept of pulling warriors out from different epochs to fight in a holy war was even more laughable.
Maybe I would go easier on this series if I hadn’t recently read T.H. White’s The Once and Future King. While I have a couple of issues with that novel (Lancelot! Lancelot! Lancelot!) It did rather enforce the idea that Arthur was a guy.
Oh well. At least Saber’s armor and fight scenes were pretty cool. I loved how she was fully clothed 98% of the time. Aside from that bath scene, she’s almost never nude! I fully appreciate how they animated everything from her bloomers to her gauntlets. I am tired of female warriors in skimpy metal bikinis.
Fate/Zero. After writing the above paragraphs two months ago, Adam and I actually got around to watching the rest of Fate/Zero. I actually prefer it to Fate/Stay Night. The characters kick more ass, and the animation is superb. Since it’s a prequel, the loss of ass-kicking Rin is noticeable, but in exchange I got to see Saber in a black suit and the most hilarious version of Alexander the Great there was ever been in popular culture. While Fate/Stay Night and Fate/ Zero make a big deal out of hiding the real identity of the warriors that are chosen to fight, Alexander the Great doesn’t hide a thing, thus mentioning him isn’t even a spoiler. He and his master make up the most entertaining bits of the series so far.
Too bad it’s not yet finished, I want to see how everybody gets killed. (Sorry, is that a spoiler?) I assume they all get killed. Maybe they don’t. Hmm.
. . .
A few weeks ago, I actually woke up in the morning with the strangest AU pairing stuck in my head. Adam says I can pair anyone with Byakuya but even this is carrying it a bit too far.
Still, imagine the fight scenes!
Saber: Extravagance is our enemy!
Byakuya: (with his hairpiece shining brightly) Ugliness is my foe. And those who are derelict in their duties.
Saber: It is obvious we can’t agree on this.
Byakuya: Yes, we must fight.
[Epic fighting ensues.]
Byakuya: It is unfortunate. You fight so well. You should have been a man. Oh wait, you are a man. Does Shirou know?
Saber: Don’t bring Shirou into this! I’m not the only one who has gender issues. You look like a woman.
[More epic fighting.]
Saber: It is obvious that we are equally matched.
Byakuya: Yes, we cannot resolve this by fighting.
Saber: I’m hungry.
Byakuya: My staff can prepare us a feast, you know. And food is never an extravagance to the hungry.
Saber: Well said. [lowers Excalibur hesitantly]
Byakuya: [makes his bankai disappear with reappearance of his sword] Shall we?
[Saber and Byakuya depart for his well-appointed rooms, resolving at last any fan debates regarding Byakuya’s sexual preferences.]
Currently Adam and I are re-watching our favorite episodes of South Park and the entire run of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. We might continue watching X. I've never seen it before and last night I found the first episode very lulz-worthy. Apologies to anyone who loves it, of course. The last time I saw that many black feathers was when my grand-uncle kept chickens in the backyard.
Death Note. So I finally tackled this series and spent much time laughing and groaning (sometimes in the same minute.) I didn’t want to watch it for years because some dumb ass over at Bleach Asylum (remember that place?) had a HUGE gif signature that spoiled the entire ending.
I think L is adorable but he really can’t hold a candle to all those other eccentric amateur detectives I loved first. Holmes can probably plummet L before he can drop a spoon and Lord Peter Wimsey would probably sneer at all that sugar while playing some Scarlatti.
Of course, the Continental Op would just dismiss them all for pansies. I’d love to see him shoot Light in the kneecaps just to get a confession after the Penbar episodes. There’s no pussyfooting with a Hammett detective. If the Continental Op was in Death Note... it would be a very short series.
I usually can’t tolerate gothic lolitas, so you can imagine how much I hated Misa. Sayers once wrote about the most dangerous type of female (the exact quote is in Five Red Herrings, and my copy is in storage right now) and Misa certainly fits the type. I suppose I’m an evil person because I smirked inside while witnessing her fate in the last episode. And I especially loved the pathetic way Light ended his killing spree. I made a point to hang on to the bitter end just to see him go.
It’s not doing justice to the series, but I really couldn’t divorce my knowledge or inclination towards the mystery genre while watching. I understand that the whodunit is not as important as whydoit, but man. There were so many loopholes I wanted to bang my head against the wall.
You know why Light ultimately fails as a serial killer? Because he didn’t know when to stop. Seriously. He could have totally gotten away with it, but no, he insisted on digging a hole for himself. I’ve read enough books on true crime to be chilled by the realization that the most successful serial killers are those who take breaks between their killing sprees. I’m not talking about a couple of months here; some of them take a couple of years off murdering before going on the next one. These types are the most difficult to catch; they drive the police nuts.
If Light wanted to keep on using the Death Note he should have held off for a couple of years. I think the series would have been more interesting if there were no deaths during the time skip. It would have been more difficult for L’s lame replacements to find him, no doubt, but it would also have been more intriguing.
Escaflowne. I admit, I was a bit preemptive with my dismissal of this series in the last post. After a couple of episodes, I really got into this series even if some of the characters really pissed me off to the very end. Van grew on me with his missteps and his failed attempts to woo Hitomi.
I felt sad that they had to [SPOILER!] go back to their own worlds in the last episode, but at least it wasn’t a total downer ending. Long distance relationships can be difficult, and I worry that dumb cat girls will get in the way.
Trigun. I had to download the opening song because it’s great for jolting me awake. It joins two other openings -- Baccano! and Cowboy Bebop -- that serve the same purpose. While I was watching it, I got very involved with the Beta Couple -- I think I liked them more. But now that it’s been a couple of months, I’m not sure what I can say about it that hasn’t been said before.
Howl’s Moving Castle. I’ve heard contradictory reviews of this movie, and so I finally made time to watch it on Netflix (alas, dubbed. But since I’ve had a thing for Christian Bale since Empire of the Sun first came out, it’s okay.) While I admit I was half-expecting for Howl to suddenly growl out “I’m Batman,” I know that’s just me being silly. The voice acting was pretty good. I identified Billy Crystal as the fire demon right away.
But enough of this gibberish. What about the movie? Well, I found it romantic and sweet. Of course it’s beautifully animated, but I can see why some people won’t like it -- it’s not like Spirited Away or My Friend Totoro, which deals more with childhood themes. HMC deals more with issues of self-confidence, beauty, and the nature of cowardice. It’s an acquired taste, perhaps, something like Millennium Actress.
In any case, it’s impossible for me not to adore, especially since it gives Christian Bale his best line EVER:
“I give up. I see no point in living if I can’t be beautiful.”
MWAHAHAHAHAHA! He says it with such conviction.
Someone should mash that up with some Batman footage.
[I realize that my inane commentary on the series below is FULL OF SPOILERS. Tread with caution.]
Fate/Stay Night. I just finished watching this series this week. I must confess, it’s not one of my favorites. I think I would have liked it more if Shirou wasn’t such an indecisive, boorish child. He reminded me of all the bad parts of Ichigo Kurosaki (down to the hair and the sports tee.) I think Rin would have made a more interesting lead character. Saber amused me because she has absolutely no sense of humor. I love the part when she’s telling Shirou to look at her naked body! I really wished they didn’t switch the genders around during development...
When we watched the first episode of Fate/Zero, there was much lulz when they mentioned an Assembly of the 8th Sacrament. I happen to be a lapsed Catholic with lots of buried catechism in my head, so I found this to be entirely ridiculous. Adam told me to stop laughing so hard because the whole concept of pulling warriors out from different epochs to fight in a holy war was even more laughable.
Maybe I would go easier on this series if I hadn’t recently read T.H. White’s The Once and Future King. While I have a couple of issues with that novel (Lancelot! Lancelot! Lancelot!) It did rather enforce the idea that Arthur was a guy.
Oh well. At least Saber’s armor and fight scenes were pretty cool. I loved how she was fully clothed 98% of the time. Aside from that bath scene, she’s almost never nude! I fully appreciate how they animated everything from her bloomers to her gauntlets. I am tired of female warriors in skimpy metal bikinis.
Fate/Zero. After writing the above paragraphs two months ago, Adam and I actually got around to watching the rest of Fate/Zero. I actually prefer it to Fate/Stay Night. The characters kick more ass, and the animation is superb. Since it’s a prequel, the loss of ass-kicking Rin is noticeable, but in exchange I got to see Saber in a black suit and the most hilarious version of Alexander the Great there was ever been in popular culture. While Fate/Stay Night and Fate/ Zero make a big deal out of hiding the real identity of the warriors that are chosen to fight, Alexander the Great doesn’t hide a thing, thus mentioning him isn’t even a spoiler. He and his master make up the most entertaining bits of the series so far.
Too bad it’s not yet finished, I want to see how everybody gets killed. (Sorry, is that a spoiler?) I assume they all get killed. Maybe they don’t. Hmm.
. . .
A few weeks ago, I actually woke up in the morning with the strangest AU pairing stuck in my head. Adam says I can pair anyone with Byakuya but even this is carrying it a bit too far.
Still, imagine the fight scenes!
Saber: Extravagance is our enemy!
Byakuya: (with his hairpiece shining brightly) Ugliness is my foe. And those who are derelict in their duties.
Saber: It is obvious we can’t agree on this.
Byakuya: Yes, we must fight.
[Epic fighting ensues.]
Byakuya: It is unfortunate. You fight so well. You should have been a man. Oh wait, you are a man. Does Shirou know?
Saber: Don’t bring Shirou into this! I’m not the only one who has gender issues. You look like a woman.
[More epic fighting.]
Saber: It is obvious that we are equally matched.
Byakuya: Yes, we cannot resolve this by fighting.
Saber: I’m hungry.
Byakuya: My staff can prepare us a feast, you know. And food is never an extravagance to the hungry.
Saber: Well said. [lowers Excalibur hesitantly]
Byakuya: [makes his bankai disappear with reappearance of his sword] Shall we?
[Saber and Byakuya depart for his well-appointed rooms, resolving at last any fan debates regarding Byakuya’s sexual preferences.]
Currently Adam and I are re-watching our favorite episodes of South Park and the entire run of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. We might continue watching X. I've never seen it before and last night I found the first episode very lulz-worthy. Apologies to anyone who loves it, of course. The last time I saw that many black feathers was when my grand-uncle kept chickens in the backyard.