That 2011 Fandom Meme
Stolen from everyone...
Your main fandom of the year?
Probably Dragon Age due to the release of Dragon Age 2. If fandom excitement can be measured in fanfics, I wrote 50+ drabbles set in the DA-verse, not to mention half of a 50,000 word novel.
Your favorite film watched this year?
Definitely Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 2. I rarely see new movies in theaters these days because of the price. I'd rather wait until it's on DVD or in the dollar theater. But HPDH2 was one of the exceptions - it hit me like a sock in the gut emotionally and I can't wait to buy the last four movies on blu-ray (I should just break down and buy the whole set of movies, 1-8, but I really like the last four much better than the first few...)
Your favorite book read this year?
You know, I went back on my LJ and looked at all the books I read new this year, but I'm still going to have to list Brandon Sanderson's Way of Kings as the one that was on my mind the most. I read it for the first time last October, but read it again this past summer and it *still* gets me. The characters, the world, the plot - I love them all. I wish the sequel were out. ;-;
Your favorite album or song to listen to this year?
Adele's 21, hands down. Love her voice; love this album. She's one of the few artists I would probably buy a new album from without actually listening to it first.
A close second would be the debut album by The Civil Wars. Hauntingly beautiful blend of voices. I've listened to the hit single "Poison and Wine" so many times I can't even count.
Your favorite TV show of the year?
I don't watch a lot of TV because I don't have cable and can only get about 6 channels. :/
New: Person of Interest. I find the idea of the show fascinating: two characters - both hurting, flawed people - drawn together because they want to use their abilities to help others and the fact that they're doing good *outside* the law is interesting. There's also no clear romantic interest, which alone separates it out from the usual pack of dramas. I really hope it gets renewed.
Old: Still having fun with Castle and Chuck. I never expected that Castle would be able to keep the quality up - with two romantic leads who you *know* are going to get together someday, the effort at keeping them apart usually feels false and stretched out for the sake of trying to maintain that tension. It doesn't feel forced to me in Castle, however. The show's made it clear that both of them are flawed people who need to work out their issues *before* coming together - whereas most fiction will say things like "oh now that we're together everything's great and all my issues are gone" and that's not real life. You have messed-up people coming together to form a relationship and you're still going to have two messed-up people and probably a messed-up relationship.
I just finished Season 4 of Chuck last night and though I think I heard that season 5 will be the last, I've had a lot of fun with it. I feel like it only started getting really ridiculous in the last couple of episodes of season 4. But I don't think the writers ever made the characters go out of character - the plot is a bit wonky, but Chuck, Sarah, Morgan, and Casey are still acting the way they should. I'll be sad to watch the last season, but relieved as well: I want this show to end well and not tumble end over end into shark-jumping oblivion.
Your favorite LJ community of the year?
Ooh, tough one. Hmm... Probably masseffect because it really is one of the best fandom communities I've participated in. I might have spent more time this year on dragon_age because of all the drabble challenges, but the ME board has quality all the time, which shows especially during things like Leakgate and other fandom nonsense.
Your best new fandom discovery of the year?
I'm not sure what this question is asking... Drabble challenges? I've started three by now: at dragon_age, me_challenge, and now at tes_skyrim. Lots of fun. :D
Your biggest fandom disappointment of the year?
That Mass Effect 3 is being delayed until next year. ;-; I know that some folks are putting the "sexing up of Ashley Williams" but new hair and makeup doesn't bother me provided her character is unchanged. A grown woman can decide to change her hairstyle or start wearing more makeup - I've done that and I've seen people do that. It happens. What I'm afraid of is her character changing, but I'm not disappointed so far or at least not disappointed enough for it to make the top of the list for this question. I'm withholding judgement on everything else until the game is released.
Your fandom boyfriend of the year?
In terms of volume written, it would have to be poor, messed-up Anders. Close behind, Kaidan and Alistair. And if we're counting books, Kaladin from Way of Kings. <3
Your fandom girlfriend of the year?
If you mean girlfriend by a friend that happens to be a girl... probably Aveline. I ♥ her so much.
Your biggest squee moment of the year?
Movies: HPDH2's moment for Neville. *squishes him to pieces*
Books: Dalinar taking a stand (on several things) near the end of Way of Kings
Games: the Anders/femHawke kiss is still one of the things I remember most about my first playthrough of Dragon Age 2. Then again, the revelation of Kaidan's ME3 appearance was also... invigorating. *fans self*
The most missed of your old fandoms?
I still have a soft spot for Naruto - I read it even if I don't participate any more. Most of the nostalgia is probably due to the fact that when I was really into this fandom, I had, for the first time in my life, a real-life friend who I could squee with and write fanfic with. She moved to a different state unfortunately, so we're not as close as we used to be, and other things (real life, other interests) got in the way of our Naruto love. There's also a bit of unsatisfaction with the actual story too, mostly the female characters, but that's what you get with Japanese anime. *sigh*
The fandom you haven't tried yet, but want to?
Hmm. Can't think of any right now. A couple of weeks ago that might have been Skyrim, but I have the game and I found tes_skyrim so all is well. The other fandoms for books and movies that I adore I tend not to participate in because of the fandom stupidness (Harry Potter, Avatar: the Last Airbender, and Lord of the Rings, to be specific).
Your biggest fan anticipations for the New Year?
Chronologically? Mass Effect 3, The Hunger Games movie, Pixar's Brave, The Hobbit movie (part 1), and whatever DA2 DLC is coming out. I don't think Sanderson is releasing a book next year, otherwise that would be on the list as well. Gah. I feel like I'm leaving something out... maybe the new Scott Lynch book (though I don't think he's promised a release date yet).
Your main fandom of the year?
Probably Dragon Age due to the release of Dragon Age 2. If fandom excitement can be measured in fanfics, I wrote 50+ drabbles set in the DA-verse, not to mention half of a 50,000 word novel.
Your favorite film watched this year?
Definitely Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 2. I rarely see new movies in theaters these days because of the price. I'd rather wait until it's on DVD or in the dollar theater. But HPDH2 was one of the exceptions - it hit me like a sock in the gut emotionally and I can't wait to buy the last four movies on blu-ray (I should just break down and buy the whole set of movies, 1-8, but I really like the last four much better than the first few...)
Your favorite book read this year?
You know, I went back on my LJ and looked at all the books I read new this year, but I'm still going to have to list Brandon Sanderson's Way of Kings as the one that was on my mind the most. I read it for the first time last October, but read it again this past summer and it *still* gets me. The characters, the world, the plot - I love them all. I wish the sequel were out. ;-;
Your favorite album or song to listen to this year?
Adele's 21, hands down. Love her voice; love this album. She's one of the few artists I would probably buy a new album from without actually listening to it first.
A close second would be the debut album by The Civil Wars. Hauntingly beautiful blend of voices. I've listened to the hit single "Poison and Wine" so many times I can't even count.
Your favorite TV show of the year?
I don't watch a lot of TV because I don't have cable and can only get about 6 channels. :/
New: Person of Interest. I find the idea of the show fascinating: two characters - both hurting, flawed people - drawn together because they want to use their abilities to help others and the fact that they're doing good *outside* the law is interesting. There's also no clear romantic interest, which alone separates it out from the usual pack of dramas. I really hope it gets renewed.
Old: Still having fun with Castle and Chuck. I never expected that Castle would be able to keep the quality up - with two romantic leads who you *know* are going to get together someday, the effort at keeping them apart usually feels false and stretched out for the sake of trying to maintain that tension. It doesn't feel forced to me in Castle, however. The show's made it clear that both of them are flawed people who need to work out their issues *before* coming together - whereas most fiction will say things like "oh now that we're together everything's great and all my issues are gone" and that's not real life. You have messed-up people coming together to form a relationship and you're still going to have two messed-up people and probably a messed-up relationship.
I just finished Season 4 of Chuck last night and though I think I heard that season 5 will be the last, I've had a lot of fun with it. I feel like it only started getting really ridiculous in the last couple of episodes of season 4. But I don't think the writers ever made the characters go out of character - the plot is a bit wonky, but Chuck, Sarah, Morgan, and Casey are still acting the way they should. I'll be sad to watch the last season, but relieved as well: I want this show to end well and not tumble end over end into shark-jumping oblivion.
Your favorite LJ community of the year?
Ooh, tough one. Hmm... Probably masseffect because it really is one of the best fandom communities I've participated in. I might have spent more time this year on dragon_age because of all the drabble challenges, but the ME board has quality all the time, which shows especially during things like Leakgate and other fandom nonsense.
Your best new fandom discovery of the year?
I'm not sure what this question is asking... Drabble challenges? I've started three by now: at dragon_age, me_challenge, and now at tes_skyrim. Lots of fun. :D
Your biggest fandom disappointment of the year?
That Mass Effect 3 is being delayed until next year. ;-; I know that some folks are putting the "sexing up of Ashley Williams" but new hair and makeup doesn't bother me provided her character is unchanged. A grown woman can decide to change her hairstyle or start wearing more makeup - I've done that and I've seen people do that. It happens. What I'm afraid of is her character changing, but I'm not disappointed so far or at least not disappointed enough for it to make the top of the list for this question. I'm withholding judgement on everything else until the game is released.
Your fandom boyfriend of the year?
In terms of volume written, it would have to be poor, messed-up Anders. Close behind, Kaidan and Alistair. And if we're counting books, Kaladin from Way of Kings. <3
Your fandom girlfriend of the year?
If you mean girlfriend by a friend that happens to be a girl... probably Aveline. I ♥ her so much.
Your biggest squee moment of the year?
Movies: HPDH2's moment for Neville. *squishes him to pieces*
Books: Dalinar taking a stand (on several things) near the end of Way of Kings
Games: the Anders/femHawke kiss is still one of the things I remember most about my first playthrough of Dragon Age 2. Then again, the revelation of Kaidan's ME3 appearance was also... invigorating. *fans self*
The most missed of your old fandoms?
I still have a soft spot for Naruto - I read it even if I don't participate any more. Most of the nostalgia is probably due to the fact that when I was really into this fandom, I had, for the first time in my life, a real-life friend who I could squee with and write fanfic with. She moved to a different state unfortunately, so we're not as close as we used to be, and other things (real life, other interests) got in the way of our Naruto love. There's also a bit of unsatisfaction with the actual story too, mostly the female characters, but that's what you get with Japanese anime. *sigh*
The fandom you haven't tried yet, but want to?
Hmm. Can't think of any right now. A couple of weeks ago that might have been Skyrim, but I have the game and I found tes_skyrim so all is well. The other fandoms for books and movies that I adore I tend not to participate in because of the fandom stupidness (Harry Potter, Avatar: the Last Airbender, and Lord of the Rings, to be specific).
Your biggest fan anticipations for the New Year?
Chronologically? Mass Effect 3, The Hunger Games movie, Pixar's Brave, The Hobbit movie (part 1), and whatever DA2 DLC is coming out. I don't think Sanderson is releasing a book next year, otherwise that would be on the list as well. Gah. I feel like I'm leaving something out... maybe the new Scott Lynch book (though I don't think he's promised a release date yet).