moonwise: (kittyluv)
moonwise ([personal profile] moonwise) wrote2004-09-07 01:09 pm

Random scribbles and anime

Overall, the weekend was pretty boring, except for a visit with [livejournal.com profile] fadingembers and a visit with Matt and Tracy on Sunday. But Sunday was a happy day, because I went with Tracy to her stable so she could exercise her horse Melanie. While there, I met a kitty!

It was a very nice kitty, grey and a little bit orange with big green eyes. I knelt down to scratch her head, and she hopped up into my lap.

Then we sat together for a WHOLE HOUR. This kitty was also very much okay with being carried around, and once I had her back end supported, she was happy to lie with her head and paws in the crook of my elbow.

WANT A KITTY WANT WANT WANT!

Okay, so what else.

I watched a bunch of Fruits Basket.



After NTHT, anything would seem fluffy, but FB is fluffier than most. My major complaint with the series is that it's very predictable and nothing new in terms of characterization. Tohru is the typical Japanese heroine, self-effacing and continually concerned more about other people than herself. While this is an admirable trait, the Typical Shoujo Heroine (tm) tends to carry this quality to a fault. (I think "Never give up!" is also Sora Naegino's motto in Kaleido Star. -_-)

That having been said, the characters surrounding Tohru are interesting enough to lend some of their color to her. Yuki's something of a cliche, and so is Hatori, but Kyo is worth the watch the way he bristles like a cat. It's fun the way that the different characters reflect their animals, and it probably would be more fun if I understood the character traits associated with each animal of the Zodiac (passing familiar with the Rabbit because I am one, but that's it.)

And, the slash potential can't get a lot higher. Hatori and Akito, just in ep. 8? Dayamn. Add that to a houseful of boys who can't be hugged by women, and you have a ton of frustration. I'd prefer to stay away from anything involving the kiddies under 17-18 (the idea of any yaoi involving Naruto makes me shudder) but there seems to be a lot of room for inventiveness. And Shigure's a perv who writes pr0n anyway and likes high school girls. Het is more of an issue, but I could see getting creative with that... (not that it's a plotbunny, mind you.)

I'm sure that somehow Tohru will be a key to lifting a curse, because that's her role, but I was still absurdly pleased when she got to go back to the house. The boys need someone to feed them!

[identity profile] ramothhe.livejournal.com 2004-09-07 10:30 am (UTC)(link)
I've seen all of FB. Its NOT boring let me tell you. You meet tons more members of the Sohma family, and there are ALOT of unexpected plot twists. I am just glad the series continues in the manga because I really was left wanting more when the series ended.

[identity profile] ramothhe.livejournal.com 2004-09-07 10:34 am (UTC)(link)
oh lol my bad. I didnt notice the "A bunch" in the sentence with "I watched Fruits basket'... how much have you seen? I have the whole thing on disc..

[identity profile] arafel.livejournal.com 2004-09-07 11:08 am (UTC)(link)
Oh no, I didn't mean to imply that it was boring, just formulaic (at least so far.) I have a bootlegged Hong Kong copy because I am cheep, have seen to ep. 8.

[identity profile] mistressrenet.livejournal.com 2004-09-07 12:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, it gets better, and even angstier and slashier.

[identity profile] tiggymalvern.livejournal.com 2004-09-07 10:47 am (UTC)(link)
FB is one of those series that goes places you don't expect, in both the hilariously funny way and the dark and nasty way. It will buck your expectations. And any pretence that it isn't shounen-ai, honest, goes right out of the window....

[identity profile] arafel.livejournal.com 2004-09-07 11:09 am (UTC)(link)
*sn* I have no pretense that it isn't shounen-ai. The amount of Yuki/Kyo doujinshi out there must be staggering.

[identity profile] fireceremony.livejournal.com 2004-09-07 11:24 am (UTC)(link)

FB isn't a smart anime like Texhnolyze but it's so cute and funny it manages to endear itself to you.

I agree with you on the characterizations, Yuki is boring but at least Tohru isn't whiny like some anime heroines and Kyo is funny, cat like.

Shigure is a cute character despite (or because of?) his perviness.

Being an Ox I can definitely identify with Haru (Black Haru and White Haru). You'll meet Haru later in the series.

The FB manga has some of the cutest and prettiest art work I've seen in a shojo manga and I've decided to have one copy of the FB in the store just because of the nice artwork (and cute story).

[identity profile] arafel.livejournal.com 2004-09-07 12:01 pm (UTC)(link)
I still haven't managed to watch the disc of Texhnolyze I bought. >_<

Agreed - Tohru isn't whiny or cloying, and I don't find her irritating, but it's kind of like "Oh, there's the typical shoujo heroine again." I did like Shigure's lamentation on "oh, we're back to eating Yuki's wonderful burned things" once she left. Heh heh heh.

Momiji's kind of hard to identify with re: my zodiac sign, but he is very cute.

I want to see more of Akito, though. He seems like a vicious bastard.

Have you been stocking more manga in the store due to the increased popularity these days? Our bookstore has a huge section, it's really quite remarkable.

[identity profile] fireceremony.livejournal.com 2004-09-07 12:15 pm (UTC)(link)

>I still haven't managed to watch the disc of >Texhnolyze I bought. >_<

Is it too scary? Boring? Disc 1 is a bit unintelligible but much is revealed in disc 2.

>"oh, we're back to eating Yuki's wonderful burned >things"

Heh heh heh, that's a good one. I guess Yuki's the only one of them with enough patience to actually cook.

Momiji, when do you meet him? I haven't seen the ending of the series yet...

I think Akito may be the key to it all... :)

Yes, stocking more in numbers and taking in more of the new series. People don't seem to notice that series x is just the same as series y only with slightly different art work. I thought they would and avoided taking in series that were too similar, but it doesn't seem to matter. :)

The breadth of manga that's being translated these days is fantastic. I remember way back when I bought the uberviolent manga Baoh (and read it) because it was either that or the even more violent Fist Of The North Star. Baoh had something that looked like a bishonen and FoNS didn't. No shojo manga then. If I'd been 16 today, all my money might have gone into shojo. :)

[identity profile] arafel.livejournal.com 2004-09-07 12:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Is it too scary? Boring? Disc 1 is a bit unintelligible but much is revealed in disc 2.

Ummm... haven't gotten around to it yet? ^_^; I still haven't finished Lain or Witch Hunter Robin, either. Bad.

When it comes to fixing food, Kyo's certainly going to be a typical cat and Shigure the typical dog, translating to "Where's my dinner? What do you mean, no dinner?" Few animals are as persistent as a cat or a dog begging for a treat. (Rudy and his mother Siasia were pests of hell, and Sam would steal food off your plate.)

You meet Momiji in one of the early eps where they're having a cultural fest, and Tohru makes oniigiri and Yuki wears the dress the senior girls gave him. He accompanies Hatori and could be taken for a girl if you're not paying attention.

Yes, I'm sure Akito is the Sephiroth-like mastermind. :D

Heh, you remind me that one of the first anime I saw was Fist of the North Star. Of course the boys loved it because heads were exploding and buildings fell down with one punch. Sometimes I'm amazed that I watched it, but 10 years ago, there wasn't a whole lot besides FoNS and Akira and Golgo 13, which had one of the most laughable dubs I've ever heard. My first manga was Magic Knight Rayearth - amazing to think that was only about 6 years ago. O_o

[identity profile] fireceremony.livejournal.com 2004-09-08 12:18 pm (UTC)(link)

>"Where's my dinner? What do you mean, no dinner?"

LOL! That's so right! :D Cats and dogs probably see that humans have a hard time saying no to them, and use it for what it's worth. :)

I browsed the FB manga today and saw Momiji there. I haven't gotten that far in the anime yet. But what a cute one. :))

Oh yeah, don't remind me of FoNT and the exploding heads... :) Akira was to be preferred over FoNT. IIRC one of the first anime to be translated was the horrendously bad Urutsokidoji Legend Of The Overfiend / Devil Womb whatever... tentacle horror something. *_*

[identity profile] catnapcat.livejournal.com 2004-09-07 02:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Does Texhnolyze get better? I watched a few episodes and found it really boring and weird. We nicknamed it "Lola Limps" (due to what seemed like hours of the guy limping along and screaming) and never went back for more.

[identity profile] fireceremony.livejournal.com 2004-09-08 12:33 pm (UTC)(link)

There's more information about the characters and why they do what they do, as well as much more information about the city itself in disc 2 and 3. There's more dialogue and more actual plot, but the series never leaves the dark coloring or the obsessed characters.

It remains a dark and mature themed anime throughout, but one that makes you think and which doesn't give answers straightaway.
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[identity profile] arafel.livejournal.com 2004-09-07 12:02 pm (UTC)(link)
*snicker* I've seen some pictures. Pretty, pretty boys.

Shigure rocks my socks. I'm going to cap him with his girly mag and caption it with "I write porn!"

Life messages always make me think of the wise-ass Moral of the Story in South Park. :D
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[identity profile] arafel.livejournal.com 2004-09-07 12:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh god yes. When the Lesson of the Week begins, I just think of Stan or Kyle saying it, and that makes things all better.

[identity profile] catnapcat.livejournal.com 2004-09-07 11:48 am (UTC)(link)
"Cute" does seem to be the best description for the show, but it did take a few turns that I did not expect. Some of the characters are not nice, and others are just... weird. Overall though, I really liked the show. It's really the characters which makes it good instead of the story, I think.

But don't expect to meet all of the Sohmas or to have the series end in any tidy way, because it doesn't.

[identity profile] arafel.livejournal.com 2004-09-07 12:05 pm (UTC)(link)
It may be that I'm still on the cute part, because I'm only up to ep. 9. (As [livejournal.com profile] jaina said when I first entered the Trigun fandom on ep. 4, "You're still in Happy Donut Land.")

I've heard that the end wraps up most of the anime-related loose ends, and considering how most animes end, that's good enough for me. -_- I haven't even watched the last three eps of KareKano yet, because it's disappointing to hear that the series just kinda... ends. (And, the whole subplot with Aya's play drags on WAAAAAAAAAY too long.) Vol. 5 has been on the shelf for months, collecting dust.

[identity profile] uiggu.livejournal.com 2004-09-07 12:10 pm (UTC)(link)
(As jaina said when I first entered the Trigun fandom on ep. 4, "You're still in Happy Donut Land.")

Hee!
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[identity profile] irenak.livejournal.com 2004-09-07 03:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Your complaints about Tohru are understandable. She's certainly the least colorful character in the series. That being said, ever single one of the Sohmas is INSANE. Hatori and Shigure are the *most* balanced out of any of them. And since Tohru herself is kinda nuts, she does tend to fit in rather well.

And, uh, ditto on what everyone else said about the plot. It gets going. Eventually.

Also, what mystifies me is not the slashiness (oh. Dear. God.) but the lack of threesome fic for Kyo, Yuki and Tohru. Because it's so there, I swear!

[identity profile] arafel.livejournal.com 2004-09-07 05:24 pm (UTC)(link)
The sick part is, I totally see that. >_<

THEY'RE KIDS DAMMIT!

[identity profile] memlu.livejournal.com 2004-09-07 04:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah, I love Tohru - probably because I'm a sucker for nice clichés, though. *does not collect Hallmark cards, no*

FB is worthwhile for the sheer secret pervertedness of it all, but, uh, I might just have a really filthy mind.

[identity profile] arafel.livejournal.com 2004-09-07 05:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Nope, we're all with you on the filth, it's just not being bandied about.