[STOLEN FROM MEMLU]

[motorbike]

Hey dudes, know that meme where you comment with a fandom (or general topic of fandom in general) and I reply with some poorly articulated thoughts+opinions about said fandom or topic? Let's do that meme.

Not necessarily "UNPOPULAR" opinions, I am not exactly FANDOM SALMON, but I'll list those if I have 'em.

Comments

[motorbike]

Uh umm errr HEM HEM CLAMP and I have a rich LOVE/HATE history. I grew up with CLAMP, used to REALLY DIG ON Clover, and Cardcaptor Sakura, and Rayearth before that. Among many things. Their art has a way of drawing you in from the outset, it was an old X/1999 calendar that drove me to order the Japanese tankoubon, back in the day when such importation was exorbitant, stupid, and overall UNHEARD OF.

- I think X/1999 is THE STUPIDEST CROCK OF SHIT EVER. I only ever read it because I liked Tokyo Babylon, which is in itself the sort of thing that naturally appeals to 16-year-old girls. X/1999, OTOH, appeals to the deranged and the masochistic. The manga isn't even finished, won't even be finished, since CLAMP has realized they might cash in better elsewhere. (The X/1999 anime was comedy gold, however; we watched "THE GOOD PARTS" many a time when our good judgement was impaired by JACK D.)

- I love CLOVER. I have a thing for Gingetsu/Ran, thanks to CERTAIN PEOPLE who write rally great stories about this pairing. I think Oruha is the most beautiful woman CLAMP has ever drawn (that is saying something!), and I love Kazuhiko and Oruha's interactions. I adore the overall tragic setup, the fatalism of it, the different viewpoints, the DESIGN, the starkness of their world, the green/black/gold schema, it's own sort of distopian sensuality, everything.

- I have a big thang for Touya, in all his incarnations.

- XXX HOLIC is a fine, fine manga. I love the gothic lolita flavors here and there, the art's got this rich smokey feel, and I am enjoying the story. AND THE BLATANT GAY.

- RE: BLATANT GAY. Actually. CLAMP's made a name for itself with it, and often (as with CCS) they do it superbly. But often it's just so CHEAP AND OBVIOUS I feel like a hack for ever reading it. SEE: my sordid past with Reservoir Chronicle, or however you capitalize that shit. VAMPIRES? V---VAMPIRES. Eat a dick already.

[aerie]

oh man story of all our lives, I think. I still have all the X tankoubon ANYONE WANT TO BUY THEM. X is retarded, universal truth. Clover's totally their artistic masterpiece, though--probably because it feels like one of the few times they've ever shown restraint, paid as much attention to composition and negative space as their ornate designs so that everything actually comes out bleak and spare and hauntingly perfect.

Anyway, they've built an EMPIRE on a foundation of SHAMELESS FANSERVICE (RE: BLATANT GAY), but the fact they are so shameless about it is actually sort of beautiful. *wipes a single tear*