Seriously, what happen to all my X/1999 icons? (still re-living my twenties)
I've spent the last few days re-reading the scanlations of X/1999 online, and I realized... maybe I never really read it to begin with 0.o I don't remember nobody giving birth to a sword. What the...
I also didn't realize how both tragic and uplifting Keiichi's story and now I want to join Ammie-Love on the train yelling, "KEIICHI!"
Anyhoos, I'm going to put down some random thoughts on the series that I've re-read it. Or read it for the first time.
1. First of all, let me start by saying I HELLA had a blast reading it and it's WAY better than I remembered it. I mostly remember X more for the fandom (which was HELLA AWESOME and still the best fandom to this day) than the actual story (probably because I never actually really read it XD). So now I'm going through the story and thinking, "dude, this is actually a really good story" and "I STILL LOVE ALL THESE CHARACTERS! <3 <3 <3")
2. So if you're like me, and you read, "give birth to a sword" and you're thinking, dude, that shit can't be pleasant, the actuality of it is WAY WORSE. I think I was staring at the screen for a good two minutes while my mind was trying to put itself back together after going, "Wait, you're going to give birth to a sword, what the fu-" followed by "OH MY GOD THAT'S HORRIFIC." Maybe I purposely forgot characters gave birth to swords because it was so traumatic, but considering how much better I was with gore and CLAMP-esque blood/broken glass/decapitated heads/etc. horror in my twenties, I seriously doubt it. That sounds like something I would have embraced in my twenties. (Like how sakura are pink because they absorb the blood of their victims. My younger self would have thought that was cool. My current older self is more like, "THANK-YOU FOR RUINING SAKURA PETALS FOR ME." :P )
3. That said, the gore and CLAMP-esque blood/broken glass/decapitated heads/etc. horror is still fun, in a nostalgic type of way XD
4. Krisnpatz was right. I don't remember Sorata being that bi. Oh dude. He's pretty damn bi! Calling all the guys pretty. Flirting with the guys. Getting handsy with them a few times. Don't let his wish to die for Arashi fool you - he's interested in the boys too.
5. Speaking of Arashi, wow, her character is different from how I interpreted her. I remembered thinking of her as being an ice maiden, cold and aloof. Reading it through, she doesn't come across as cold and aloof at all. Quiet and thoughtful, definitely, but not cold at all. I'd actually say she more shy and childlike. She's actually very sweet. I was surprised by that.
6. Yuzuriha is WAY more awesome than I remembered. Oh man, does she kick ass. I remembered her as being genki and of course upset when Inuki dies, but there's an added depth to her character that I didn't catch then. She's super sweet and adorable and loves people dearly, but she isn't as naive as I thought she was. Young, yes, but she has steely courage and determination that I didn't realize.
7. KEIICHI - OMG, KEIICHI! Ammie-Love, I see why you love this boy so much! OMG, KEIICHI! I remembered him as being the super genki boy wanted to pull Kamui out of his shell. Oh dude. He's SO MUCH more than that! Out of all the characters in the series, Keiichi was the one who improved the most on re-read. Like, a hundred times. I remembered something about his family members dying in the earthquake, but I had no idea it was that tragic. Like, I damn near bawled when the second tragedy hit. But he remained his amazing sweet, loving, brave self. My heart couldn't take it. OH KEIICHI, YOU COULD MELT THE HEART OF A STONE. Plus the scene where he invited Kamui over for dinner - awwwww....!
8. Okay. THIS VOLUME. There's so much to love from this chapter (Kamui/Subaru studying together, EVERYTHING KEIICHI, Kusanagi and the cats <3), but my favourite scene was the one when Keiichi picks Kamui up for lunch after seeing him studying with Subaru.
Keiichi: College student?
Kamui: Yeah.
Keiichi: He's a pretty person. (Me: OMG, KEIICHI! <3)
Kamui: *with the softest look on his face* Yeah. (Me: Oh, Kamui has the hots for Subaru!)
Keiichi: Shirou-kun, you're pretty too! (Me: AHHH! Keiichi has the hots for Kamui!)
Just... ALL THE LOVE. <3
9. Really, you couldn't improve on my memory of Karen. If they kept her awesomeness intact, that's was more than enough, and they did, AND SHE'S STILL MY FAVOURITE <3 <3 <3 God, I love that woman. For someone to go through the hell and abuse she did and not become bitter, that alone is just amazing. What surprised me was how much her storyline with Nataku touched me. Oh man, MY HEART. She was so gentle and loving and I wasn't expecting to be so moved, though what really raised it for me was Karen's fury at the end of it. Oh, when she threatened FUUMA of all people (FUUMA!), saying, "Next time I'm going all out on you. I won't lose" I was like, "HELL, GIRL!"
Karen, you just rock on all levels there are to rock on.
10. I had to laugh every time they said, "Call the doctor!" If I were to write an X fanfic today, I would write one as one of the exasperated doctor, who for some reason I always pictured work in a medical wing at the mansion. Even if he didn't, the thought of the doctor going, "what? Someone in this group of idiots got hurt AGAIN? What is wrong with them!!!???" cracks me up XDDDDDDDDD
I also didn't realize how both tragic and uplifting Keiichi's story and now I want to join Ammie-Love on the train yelling, "KEIICHI!"
Anyhoos, I'm going to put down some random thoughts on the series that I've re-read it. Or read it for the first time.
1. First of all, let me start by saying I HELLA had a blast reading it and it's WAY better than I remembered it. I mostly remember X more for the fandom (which was HELLA AWESOME and still the best fandom to this day) than the actual story (probably because I never actually really read it XD). So now I'm going through the story and thinking, "dude, this is actually a really good story" and "I STILL LOVE ALL THESE CHARACTERS! <3 <3 <3")
2. So if you're like me, and you read, "give birth to a sword" and you're thinking, dude, that shit can't be pleasant, the actuality of it is WAY WORSE. I think I was staring at the screen for a good two minutes while my mind was trying to put itself back together after going, "Wait, you're going to give birth to a sword, what the fu-" followed by "OH MY GOD THAT'S HORRIFIC." Maybe I purposely forgot characters gave birth to swords because it was so traumatic, but considering how much better I was with gore and CLAMP-esque blood/broken glass/decapitated heads/etc. horror in my twenties, I seriously doubt it. That sounds like something I would have embraced in my twenties. (Like how sakura are pink because they absorb the blood of their victims. My younger self would have thought that was cool. My current older self is more like, "THANK-YOU FOR RUINING SAKURA PETALS FOR ME." :P )
3. That said, the gore and CLAMP-esque blood/broken glass/decapitated heads/etc. horror is still fun, in a nostalgic type of way XD
4. Krisnpatz was right. I don't remember Sorata being that bi. Oh dude. He's pretty damn bi! Calling all the guys pretty. Flirting with the guys. Getting handsy with them a few times. Don't let his wish to die for Arashi fool you - he's interested in the boys too.
5. Speaking of Arashi, wow, her character is different from how I interpreted her. I remembered thinking of her as being an ice maiden, cold and aloof. Reading it through, she doesn't come across as cold and aloof at all. Quiet and thoughtful, definitely, but not cold at all. I'd actually say she more shy and childlike. She's actually very sweet. I was surprised by that.
6. Yuzuriha is WAY more awesome than I remembered. Oh man, does she kick ass. I remembered her as being genki and of course upset when Inuki dies, but there's an added depth to her character that I didn't catch then. She's super sweet and adorable and loves people dearly, but she isn't as naive as I thought she was. Young, yes, but she has steely courage and determination that I didn't realize.
7. KEIICHI - OMG, KEIICHI! Ammie-Love, I see why you love this boy so much! OMG, KEIICHI! I remembered him as being the super genki boy wanted to pull Kamui out of his shell. Oh dude. He's SO MUCH more than that! Out of all the characters in the series, Keiichi was the one who improved the most on re-read. Like, a hundred times. I remembered something about his family members dying in the earthquake, but I had no idea it was that tragic. Like, I damn near bawled when the second tragedy hit. But he remained his amazing sweet, loving, brave self. My heart couldn't take it. OH KEIICHI, YOU COULD MELT THE HEART OF A STONE. Plus the scene where he invited Kamui over for dinner - awwwww....!
8. Okay. THIS VOLUME. There's so much to love from this chapter (Kamui/Subaru studying together, EVERYTHING KEIICHI, Kusanagi and the cats <3), but my favourite scene was the one when Keiichi picks Kamui up for lunch after seeing him studying with Subaru.
Keiichi: College student?
Kamui: Yeah.
Keiichi: He's a pretty person. (Me: OMG, KEIICHI! <3)
Kamui: *with the softest look on his face* Yeah. (Me: Oh, Kamui has the hots for Subaru!)
Keiichi: Shirou-kun, you're pretty too! (Me: AHHH! Keiichi has the hots for Kamui!)
Just... ALL THE LOVE. <3
9. Really, you couldn't improve on my memory of Karen. If they kept her awesomeness intact, that's was more than enough, and they did, AND SHE'S STILL MY FAVOURITE <3 <3 <3 God, I love that woman. For someone to go through the hell and abuse she did and not become bitter, that alone is just amazing. What surprised me was how much her storyline with Nataku touched me. Oh man, MY HEART. She was so gentle and loving and I wasn't expecting to be so moved, though what really raised it for me was Karen's fury at the end of it. Oh, when she threatened FUUMA of all people (FUUMA!), saying, "Next time I'm going all out on you. I won't lose" I was like, "HELL, GIRL!"
Karen, you just rock on all levels there are to rock on.
10. I had to laugh every time they said, "Call the doctor!" If I were to write an X fanfic today, I would write one as one of the exasperated doctor, who for some reason I always pictured work in a medical wing at the mansion. Even if he didn't, the thought of the doctor going, "what? Someone in this group of idiots got hurt AGAIN? What is wrong with them!!!???" cracks me up XDDDDDDDDD