Arashi: 13 out of 26

[primroseshows]

AN EXPLANATION IS NEEDED FOR THIS STORY: so I actually wrote this way back last August (holy crap has it really been that long?), in the middle of Arashi's 10th year anniversary activities, because I kept on thinking about how Nino has spent over half of his life in Johnny's. I got the fic beta'd by the always wonderful aeslis, and then I was like, "Okay

Comments

[astrangerenters]

It's a shame you didn't post this sooner because I found myself enjoying it quite a bit. I read this and there was never one moment where I didn't believe I was reading Nino. Because he's not an emo kid. He's got stuff to struggle with, but he just accepts the life he's living. There are ups and downs, and even though he can get a bit prickly, he comes across as a person who is happy or at least content with his life. I was really reminded a lot of his Jounetsu Tairiku documentary, what motivates him, what he thinks about life as an idol.

I love all of the game metaphors and how Arashi each takes care of him and nags him and how it's reciprocated no matter who is having a rougher go at the time. You can really feel their friendship and understanding of each other.

[primroseshows]

;A;

You-- I just-- *sputters* Thank you so so much! Wow I really was not expecting such an in depth comment to this, and I really don't know what to tell you, other than thanks. I was definitely iffy about the characterization and to hear that you didn't have difficulty believing it was Nino was really gratifying. tbh I thought a lot about the documentary too, when I was writing this; I remember that the first time I watched it, I was surprised that Nino was just so nonchalant about everything. He just rolls through life, without too much bothering him. But he's human too, right? He has to worry about himself sometimes. So that's sort of what I was trying to express with this fic.

Your comment is amazing, thank you so much for reading and leaving me your thoughts. ♥

[astrangerenters]

Oh, you're welcome. I read your paragraph about how unsure you were about posting this and it confused me since this was some of the most Nino-as-far-as-Nino-shows-us characterization that I've read in a long time. But at the same time, we fic writer types are our own harshest critics. I could tell you to not be so worried, but I'd be a hypocrite (like Jun in your story, as Nino is so kind to mention).

Nino's life outlook is just so different. At least it's very different from my own. Again, what we see on TV and in interviews is Nino-as-far-as-Nino-shows-us, but everything that was written here was so consistent with what I've watched/read of him that it was kind of eerie. In a gooood way, mind.

So thank YOU for posting something that was a bit scary for you to do. I'm also curious as to why you thought it was so vastly different from your usual stuff (since I haven't found an Arashi story of yours I didn't like!)

[primroseshows]

fucking dying, "Nino-as-far-as-Nino-shows-us" is such a perfect description of the trouble I have with trying to make "realistic" characterization of Arashi. I mean, they work in show business, so of course they're not exactly the way they portray themselves on TV, like when you hear that Aiba is really much quieter than his on-stage self. Writing them that way though, is up to a lot of speculation. This fic was actually a lot more depressing in the first draft, by my beta told me that she didn't agree with that, so I made it a bit more... not happy, per se, but more optimistic, I guess?

I guess that sort of ties in with why I thought this was different from my usual style. I write a lot of humour and/or plot, and this had neither. I'm not too good with prose and making words sound good, if you know what I mean. And if I write internal monologue, it's more like, "oh my god oh my god what is happpening" play-by-play stream of consciousness, rather than taking-a-step-back-and-reflecting-on-stuff thought processes. I wanted to see if I

[astrangerenters]

Yes yes yes x 10000000. This is the part of RPF/RPS that is troubling - it doesn't stop me from writing it, but when you write real people, your only source material to go on is what they show us, and in JE, it's usually positive media (which is why I love those humanizing scandals, true or not). Sho is clumsy - because they like to remind us that Sho is clumsy and stiff and not the most athletic. Aiba is airheaded - because they remind us at every opportunity and put him in situations where that aspect of his personality comes out

[primroseshows]

You have gone on the perfect amount! You have articulately summarized a lot of my feelings towards RPF/RPS. I mean, to the extent that Arashi (or any celebrity, really) behaves a certain way on TV that differs from their "true personality," you can make an argument that they're perpetuating the fiction of themselves, so it's not so much RPF as it is just... PF. LOL well no, it's still RPF, but I hope you know what I mean

[astrangerenters]

Yeah, we better stop. This should really be about pretty boys making out, y/n?

[primroseshows]

Y. SO VERY MUCH Y.