On icon hunting [Public]
Since I'm actually watching anime with larger fandoms again, I've been going through comms to pick up some new icons. Specifically KimiTodo, Umineko and Tegamibachi. It's fun looking through how other people see the characters and their relationships. Some are exactly the same as me and others are quite different. The hardest part, of course, is figuring out which ones to actually upload and use.
I doubt I'm going to use any Umineko ones other than the one I have now from the cover of the OP song, at least not until I see some Ange ones that I like. (^_^) Or maybe some good Beato x Battler ones. I don't see them as a pair, but I like the imagery of them together. Specifically the last bit of the ED with them in the chairs.
KimiTodo...there's just so much to squee about. And it's so beautifully done, that everyone seems to be making the same kind of icons from the same scenes. Not that I blame them at all. (^_^) Waiting for some Chizu x Ryu ones. And I did find an adorable one of Maru. I kind of want some from the OP that are just the background. The power lines and the hills and the flowers and stuff. I love the style and the colors.
And now Tegamibachi. I don't think I've written out my opinions of the anime itself. It's cute. I like it. Rather predictable, but that's not the reason I'm watching it. I'm watching it for Niche and Steak. Because how could you not love those two? Every week there is at least one moment when I have to laugh because of something Niche said or Steak did. It's gold.
I've also found some blasts from the past. Like Sailor Moon. And I've been digging around more Arinacchi manga icons because I adore her manga. And her blog. And her cats. I wish I listened to her radio show a bit more before it ended. I thought Sakurahime was going to be a bit silly, but I quite like Aoba. I love it when Arinacchi's male characters get over being all whiny and stuff and just stick with "SHE'S MINE. HANDS OFF". Japanese female characters (and a good number of male ones) have this horrible habit of thinking "I can't get him (or her) involved with my problems, I'm going to solve it by myself" and the guy (or girl) just gets moody. And then the story gets longer by another few years. Miscommunication or lack of communication is an overused plot device and I love it when it's not used or when it's finally out of the picture.
Anyways. Getting back on topic...
Every time I go on an icon hunt, I'm amused by the way icon makers attitudes towards sharing their icons and how I react to them.
Credit and comments make perfect sense. I've found a number of great icons by following credit given on someone's icon page. And I love getting comment love when I work on something. Give credit where credit is due and express appreciation of things that I like. Creators feed off of stuff like that and it's really the least I can do.
Some icon makers make this a beautifully simple process; the user name to be credited is included in the file name and the icons are placed in numbered tables. No need to go through to trouble of renaming files to remember who to credit or figure out how to describe the 3 icons I've taken out of the 100 on the page. And on the other end of the specturm there are icons with arbitrary file names that are just thrown on the page.
Interestingly enough, the ones who go through the trouble of making credit and comments a rather painless process usually request credit and comments, while the ones who can't be bothered seem to demand them. In my opinion, on a very basic level, it's because the former want to know people like and don't like and want to help people find their icons; they have a desire to improve and assist. And the latter are looking for an ego trip.
Not that there's anything wrong with feeding one's ego, mind you. I do it all the time (though just because I do it doesn't make it right or wrong, but let's not dwell on that for the moment). Some people are doing it for others and some are doing it for themselves. And most are a bit of both. All result in icons for the rest of us, so it's all good.
Now if I bring in the matter of quality and creativity, this will get longer and probably more boring than it is already, so I'll stop.
I guess what I was trying to get at is that I'm quite impressed with and grateful to the people who put thought into how to make it easier for others to credit and comment when they're already doing a service by making the icons and posting them.
Alrighties, back to being on task.
I doubt I'm going to use any Umineko ones other than the one I have now from the cover of the OP song, at least not until I see some Ange ones that I like. (^_^) Or maybe some good Beato x Battler ones. I don't see them as a pair, but I like the imagery of them together. Specifically the last bit of the ED with them in the chairs.
KimiTodo...there's just so much to squee about. And it's so beautifully done, that everyone seems to be making the same kind of icons from the same scenes. Not that I blame them at all. (^_^) Waiting for some Chizu x Ryu ones. And I did find an adorable one of Maru. I kind of want some from the OP that are just the background. The power lines and the hills and the flowers and stuff. I love the style and the colors.
And now Tegamibachi. I don't think I've written out my opinions of the anime itself. It's cute. I like it. Rather predictable, but that's not the reason I'm watching it. I'm watching it for Niche and Steak. Because how could you not love those two? Every week there is at least one moment when I have to laugh because of something Niche said or Steak did. It's gold.
I've also found some blasts from the past. Like Sailor Moon. And I've been digging around more Arinacchi manga icons because I adore her manga. And her blog. And her cats. I wish I listened to her radio show a bit more before it ended. I thought Sakurahime was going to be a bit silly, but I quite like Aoba. I love it when Arinacchi's male characters get over being all whiny and stuff and just stick with "SHE'S MINE. HANDS OFF". Japanese female characters (and a good number of male ones) have this horrible habit of thinking "I can't get him (or her) involved with my problems, I'm going to solve it by myself" and the guy (or girl) just gets moody. And then the story gets longer by another few years. Miscommunication or lack of communication is an overused plot device and I love it when it's not used or when it's finally out of the picture.
Anyways. Getting back on topic...
Every time I go on an icon hunt, I'm amused by the way icon makers attitudes towards sharing their icons and how I react to them.
Credit and comments make perfect sense. I've found a number of great icons by following credit given on someone's icon page. And I love getting comment love when I work on something. Give credit where credit is due and express appreciation of things that I like. Creators feed off of stuff like that and it's really the least I can do.
Some icon makers make this a beautifully simple process; the user name to be credited is included in the file name and the icons are placed in numbered tables. No need to go through to trouble of renaming files to remember who to credit or figure out how to describe the 3 icons I've taken out of the 100 on the page. And on the other end of the specturm there are icons with arbitrary file names that are just thrown on the page.
Interestingly enough, the ones who go through the trouble of making credit and comments a rather painless process usually request credit and comments, while the ones who can't be bothered seem to demand them. In my opinion, on a very basic level, it's because the former want to know people like and don't like and want to help people find their icons; they have a desire to improve and assist. And the latter are looking for an ego trip.
Not that there's anything wrong with feeding one's ego, mind you. I do it all the time (though just because I do it doesn't make it right or wrong, but let's not dwell on that for the moment). Some people are doing it for others and some are doing it for themselves. And most are a bit of both. All result in icons for the rest of us, so it's all good.
Now if I bring in the matter of quality and creativity, this will get longer and probably more boring than it is already, so I'll stop.
I guess what I was trying to get at is that I'm quite impressed with and grateful to the people who put thought into how to make it easier for others to credit and comment when they're already doing a service by making the icons and posting them.
Alrighties, back to being on task.