yet unsung

Artist (quote unquote) formerly known as ickle_fickle

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:02:42 GMT

Thank you for the rename token, Bee!

But don't think I'm missing the fact that you're subtly cutting me out of your life. Or yourself out of my journal.

I'm sorry, I'm at a loss for words. Maybe quite literally as I am trying to pump out 2,000 of them per hour for NaNo. I can barely type that fast, let alone think that fast, but November work hours leave me no choice.

...If only I didn't have to work, then maybe I could make ends meet.

Pimpin' for dummies

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:54:58 GMT

Welcome to my fandom: five guys bound by the wrist with a red string interloping and connecting all five of them. No, it isn't BL porn authored by Watase Yuu.

Because VVV6 and Gakkou e Ikou? Back in the day, 'twas really awesome. It's no accident that I'm not overly fond of Kumagusu or even the current VVV6 format. And anyway, I just recently learned how to screencap with KMPlayer.

In this VVV6 episode, V5 are tied up and tangled in one long piece of rope, and must escape using a certain permutation of wit and serendipity. All the while, Inocchi commentates, because there's nothing more humiliating than getting your IQ insulted by Inohara freaking Yoshihiko.

Don't you want to take this line-up for a walk, bathe it afterwards and then lock it up in your house? ♥

Just a preview of how Nagano's mind works. I didn't want to mention him inviting Sakamoto to slip in, but that right there. H-How can I resist?

Gambatte, mama and papa.

On the other side of the age spectrum, Ken, looking for a way to envelop Go in his arms, is yelled at: "That's wrong! You go there!" Oh, boys, you can take turns.

Tiga is defeated. Inocchi calls them out on their tomfoolery. It seems the pot and the kettle are talking to each other again.

Leader gets the string stuck between his legs, and Nagano and Ken waste no time in pulling at it. Love is an akai ito wedgie!

Okada's the only one surprised when he's the first to break free.

TADA!! Never underestimate the perfection that is Shounen Okada. Or at least his mad random skillz.

Leader is not bitter about Okada being called the sempai.

Not bitter at all.

The magician demonstrates--or tries to, while Inocchi yells at Ken to pay attention. Apparently, ADHD is contagious.

Eventually, Nagano and Sakamoto manage to figure it out. Leader proceeds to demonstrate what a good sport he is.

Don't you know you aren't supposed to stick your hand in the cage when you're at the zoo?

And so we're down to the two special children. The caption emphatically notes, again.

All of them assemble back in line to prove that it wasn't sheer dumb luck that pulled them through. Okada ninjas his way out easily, and Nagano follows suit. A certain leader has trouble retracing his steps to success.

At the end of the day, it's still GoKen battling it out to see who has lost the most brain cells from years of upside-the-head boke whacks.

Go starts to get a bit desperate.

After a few failed hadoukens, Ken wriggles his way to freedom and abandons his bff to the mercy of the audience for a decent amount of ridicule. The episode culminates in Go being put on a podium to be told en masse: "MORITA IS SUPER LAME~!" Who needs haters when you've got fans to mock you?

tonight we dine in the airport

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 08:32:35 GMT

Sharing some songs because I am finally packed, oh yeah!

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6XLLLWR4 -- 5 AAA songs (Hurricane Riri Boston Mari, Dragon Fire, Kuchiburu Kara Romantica, Soul Edge Boy, That's Right) -- J-Pop

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=O2JDBBCJ -- 5 APO songs (American Junk, Awit ng Barkada, Pumapatak ang Ulan, Saan Na Nga Ba'ng Barkada, Salawikain) -- OPM

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=02IYUWMM -- 5 happy English songs + 1 extra because it never fails to make my day (Foo Fighters - Times Like These, Iggy Pop - Lust For Life, Kite Flying Society - Love and Seagulls, Miriam Makeba - Pata Pata, Modest Mouse - Fire It Up, Stars - Look Up)

[FICKLE] Just sitting at home with my soaps

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 04:07:00 GMT

Why did Hana Yori Dango return?

- How is Makino supposed to be the cool girl the show was building her up to be since episode 1? She needs to be rescued by Rui/Tsukasa/Soujirou/Akira/Yuki/Nishada/Tsukasa's sister/Tama half the damn time. Come on, volunteering to be Tsukasa's maid. So much lose! She did one ballsy thing way back in the first episode of season one, and then we're flashbacked every ten minutes of viewing time thereafter so we can be reminded of her awesomeness. Only not.
- I would like to stress that I do not get the saturation of flashback scenes. I'm assuming this drama caters to the youth, so why are there so many memory aids? If you can't write superficial and forseeable scenes to last eleven full episodes, don't take it out on the audience by handing them two hundred cumulative minutes of repetitive montage.
- Oguri Shun was cute hugging that pillow. Bleh, because I hate Hanazawa Rui's judgemental guts. (The dude hated Erika Toda on sight. That's not being psychic and one with the universe, that's just holier-than-thou asshattery in my book.) Moreover, it annoys me that most of the cast ~~except MatsuJun~~ were good-looking, because it reaffirms the stereotype of beautiful people necessarily being vapid. D: I refuse to believe that such a trade-off invariably exists. ~~I mean, look at me.~~ Huhwha?
- SHIGERU. What a horrible disappointment. I was all set to like her, and then she turned on me a mere two episodes later. HARRUMPH. Honestly, I don't get the obsession with love triangles when they aren't worth it in the first place. Why bother creating "drama" when the third party was created to be a pain in the ass for the entire viewing population? How about coming up characters that aren't restricted to solely being plot devices? And don't even get me started on Umi-chan. (Exception to the rule: Shunji in WataKyou. Not just for obvious reasons, mind.) Anyway, it definitely watered down the effect of Shigeru/Umi's abrupt changes of heart near the end. Chalk it up to all the girls who fall in love with Tsukasa being completely psycho. (~~With a face like MatsuJun's right?~~ Man, the MatsuJun jokes are going to tilt my karma balance something fierce.)
- Actually, all girls are completely psycho, as HanaDan would like to purport. Not endearingly quirky--just out and out mentally-imbalanced. Mothers, for our information, are one-dimensionally intent on incurring their sons' displeasure.
- Ugh.

HanaDan, if you're hell bent on your love triangles, I suggest taking a page from not-half-as-annoying Hotaru no Hikari.

Others:

Himitsu no Hanazono
It's somewhat slow-paced and anti-climactic, but:
Osamu: Snake shot-o!
Hinata: Mada mada da ne.
That was the two-liner highlight of the entire drama. You can skip the rest. :D

Kekkon Dekinai Otoko
Abe Hiroshi as Japanese!House. ~~(Is it a coincidence that his character happens to be an architect? I think not!)~~ I could even make a case of Tsukamoto being Wilson, and Natsukawa Yui as Cuddy. I could, but I won't. Anyway, people would probably find this boring. It was, occasionally, but I never found it to be a waste of time.

Tentai Kansoku
Takeshi ==> Shunji with a very distracting mole
Satomi ==> Ran (from GekiRangers)
Nanae ==> Tamamori Yuta
Kyoichi ==> Takki (from JE)
Annoying #1-in-Japan student ==> Love interest from Water Boys 1/teacher from My Boss My Hero

At the very least, this drama was better than its ratings implied. I liked Yuri, exempting her wishy washy tolerance for Takeshi's abuse. Koyuki's character was almost too perfect, but she really is as beautiful as they give her credit for. *___*

Hooked on PoT

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 02:10:19 GMT

Because despite the insane amount of bull crap that the fans have had to deal with it, it's impossible not to stick with it to the very end. First, what is this Echizen nonsense? His sempais have to inspire his geniosity so he could overcome Yukimura in the end? Not that I don't want to see Yukimura get beaten if only to deflate the hype surrounding him, but I'm holding out hope that Konomi gives Seigaku their three wins via Singles 2 and the doubles matches. For the love of overused plot devices, Konomi-sensei. Next. Tezuka. Sanada. Singles 3. In which universe does that make sense? PoT universe, of course. Scratch that question. Singles 2 better blow my mind, and not in an brain-asplodey way. Though I did want Sanada to win, I feel horrible for Tezuka, who has recently turned into Taka-san. Except that people respect him and cry for him (Ooishi > Fuji in the loving wife department), so Taka-san still takes the cake. Finally… Doubles 2. Above everything else, thank Konomi for Doubles 2. Data-Kouhai-Rabu-Rabu-Team, it is exactly the match up I wanted HOMG. I'm siding with InuKai on this one, because the Hyoutei arc gypped them, and it would be oh so heartbreaking for Kaidoh to lose his last match with his sempai in middle school. But if they lose, I they will cope. And at least Yanagi and Kirihara will have redeemed themselves. So it works out either way, I suppose.

Echizen is undoubtedly playing Singles 1. Or not, and, Konomi is going to pull something completely unexpected by not letting Ryoma regain his memory and letting Taka-san play Yukimura. (SPOILER! ...I wish.) Nah, I wouldn't want Seigaku to be humiliated hardcore. Taka-san, I love you. Way more than tennis does. As for Singles 2, I wouldn't mind Ooishi having it and letting the Doubles 1 slot go to Fuji and Eiji. Ooishi hasn't had the ground-breaking tennis match that Eiji and Fuji have had, and to me, that's more in need of urgent attention than the Golden Pair getting a chance to remedy their pathetic losing streak. Having them win once before they graduate would be nice, though, especially if they're against Niou and Yagyuu. *bricked by Rikkai D1 fans i.e. the rest of the world* Niou's pretty awesome in his own right and Yagyuu is… pretty, but for some reason I can't hold them in as high regard as the rest of the fanbase. I don't know, it's just me. Maybe literally. I know I'm alone in my lack of interest in Rikkai, but that's fair, since they are a solid and observably charismatic group. I just can't get into them, myself.

I'm guessing that Jackal's the one sitting out this round, which sucks for me, because he's one of my Rikkai favorites. (If my Shunji-fangirling is not enough of an indicator, let me spell out my love for baby-sitting men. They're badass.) I think Ooishi/Jackal would be better though. Fuji/Jackal is probably out of the question. Ooishi going up against Niou will have me breaking into song and dance. So, I guess this means I'm excited again. :D

[FICKLE] Confessions of a drama queen

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 12:18:06 GMT

To honor an unspoken pact of refraining from watching Hana Kimi episodes, I went ahead and finished three other dramas. It seemed reasonable to me, at least.

1. Nobuta wo Produce
- Damn, and I thought Kame was girly in Gokusen. The scene with his little brother in the haunted house was adorable, I have to admit.
- Nobuta! 10 points for a likeable female Jdrama character. And Mariko would've rocked so much more had she beaten the shit out of Shuuji just once - just once - instead of leaving bento for him, huhwhat.
- I related to Shuuji the most, Nobuta second. Feh. That bye bicycle thing was ridiculously irritating. Speaking of annoying, good god, Yamapi's laughter. Except, I liked him when there was glompage involved. Don't tell anyone. Akira/Shuuji fanservice = newest guilty pleasure.
- Shittaka, you cutie patootie in a suit-y! (Come on, rest of the world, you would have reacted exactly the same way.)
- So, I may be the only person in the world who loved the ending. Not because there was gay frolicking in the beach, but because Nobuta is so kickass and I like to imagine that she'd fix Mariko's martyr complex.
- Absurd ongoings with the Aoi shared dream, and the three living spirits who can't get enough of school. I couldn't keep my eyebrows down. It's Japan, after all.

2. Densha Otoko
- Forum characters = love! I enjoyed making up back stories based on their rooms and what they were posting. Shun was boring and he sucks at pretending to type, but nobody cares, he was cute. And OMG Tosshi! Holy cow, how I missed your dorky little face! I bet he was the one who made Kuji watch Densha and consequently do the "shuki deshu!" impression. Shun's girlfriend looks like Mean Girls... girl. No? Is it just me?
- Mokomichi is so much darker than his sister, but they do look alike.
- Itoh looks better with the glasses. IDK. And if he'd stop crying half the damn time.
- Hermes-san is depressingly bland. She was sweet, though. I wish writers would stop associating sweetness with no personality. (What, my hang-ups are showing? Where??)
- Using Mr. Robotto was a sheer stroke of genius. Big fat kudos to them. I liked the music choices, in general. (read: LOLLERSKATES NUMA NUMA SONG)
- Forum people, have you never heard of EB?!

3. Akihabara@DEEP
- Akira's fight scenes! What, she's hot--except when she's speaking, then it's not so appealing. (I sound like my brother. What did I do to deserve this.) Akira/Izumu/Page is OT3, especially since it leaves room for Box/Taiko. Daruma can have his share of Akanechin maids. Box's obsessive compulsive glove-switching and Taiko's mile-wide grin when he freezes. No connection, you say. Match made in heaven, I say.
- Taiko slamming Densha Otoko! I love how he said he wasn't naive, and then continued to rant that he tried waiting for a pretty woman to get harrassed in a train.
Taiko: "In the rare chance that it's true, I'm sure Hermes was a hag!"
Ajita: "Go cry." TV-Nihon translators > life.
- Some arcs were laughably predictable. Clearly, you shouldn't be in it for the plot.
- Box's maid/Cyborg 009 hybrid cosplay. Bahaha. No, really, I loved the entire zombie episode. Taiko/Box recruiting "hot" guys for their host club (does that not scream OTP to you?) and a scandalized Izumu slapping Page on their shopping trip and Daruma writing a movie about his friends killing him because his laughter grosses them out. Just. Awesome.
- AJITAAAA. Yeah. Indians speaking Japanese.
- The boys are so creepily and lovably ero. Actually, the entire show is such a boy series. I was brought up to like this sort of thing, forgive me. "Yamcha!" "Yamcha ja nai." Taiko and Box, you are the idols I don't want to be like. I say this with the utmost sincerity.

Purely for Taichou and maybe Mizushima Hiro, I have my eyes on Watashitachi no Kyokasho next. By my count, one of three things they were together in, by the way. :P ~~Hero and Hiro~~--I'm not going there. I'm really not.

[IF] Tenimyu Rikkaidai

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 07:05:17 GMT

And now, RTN prepared by neither Ickle nor Fickle... but by both.

The first song is catchy, although it took about four viewings to arrive at the assessment. The round part is killer, it saves the entire bit. Then immediately after, they slap on this ominous song for Yuki/Sana that’s Koori no Emperor without the flagrant diva-ness that we love about Hyoutei. Fickle wants them to agghh shut up, but Ickle is growing hearts where her eyes should be. The mutant. (Note to selves: Perhaps the RTN-ers should have chosen a different musical to do together. One that doesn’t prominently feature a team they disagree on—almost perfectly.)

For the audience’s edification:
Team Preference

Bi (Ickle)	Eris (Fickle)
Rikkai	Seigaku
Hyoutei	Fudomine
Seigaku	Hyoutei
Yamabuki	St. Rudolph
St. Rudolph	Rikkai
Rokkaku	Rokkaku
Fudomine	Yamabuki

Worse yet,
Rikkaidai Player Preference (for today)

Bi (Ickle)	Eris (Fickle)
Marui	Sanada
Yagyuu	Yanagi
Niou	Kirihara
Kirihara	Jackal
Yukimura	Niou
Yanagi	Marui
Sanada	Yagyuu
Jackal	Yukimura

Yeah. This is going to be good.

So, anyway, Seigaku is standing around shaking in their sneakers, all except for Echizen because losing is such an improbability for him that he can’t begin to fathom going through such an experience. Tomo. Tomo, you darling little child, please butch it up a bit. Naoya and Kuji did it, and we know neither one had anything like Kaidoh's personality offstage. Then again, neither of them are as baby-faced as you are. Tomo can actually try out for Echizen looking like he does. He could give Hongo Kanata competition, y’all.

Then, both RTN-ers wonder what Mizuki is doing in this musical. FINALLY, A SNARK-OUT! This is what we’ve been craving since RuiRui graced the stage with his bitchy Gakkun full on. Adacchin never did reciprocate, but now we have Doori and Ookawa and they’re both going to bring it. Oh please oh please bring it.

KEE. Consider it brought. XD Marui and Jackal watch over their baby as he gets his crazies on. We’re not quite sold on Akaya yet, but we’re willing to forgo judgment for now. n_n Some announcer voice from the heavens declares the score. D2, meanwhile, is there for a number of reasons. Baby-sit, commentate, sing, dance/pose, and double as stagehands. They really should get out of the way, as Echizen and Akaya haven’t exactly been opposed to hitting their opponents’ various body parts.

Enter Minami’s abnormally lowered voice. His appearances remind Bi of Ohkuchi randomly showing up in Burimyu scenes, when Aizen was supposedly dead. Mini-Ohkuchi, I'm so seriously. </Cartman> The other regulars follow suit, and it’s nice and striking, but at the same time it sends chills down your spine. Horror movie chills. It’s too much like they’re coming back from the dead, when really they’re all in Echizen’s (one-track) mind. Hey, Tomo isn’t so bad, not until he gets a close up. It’s only when you see his face that you realize that you can beat him up, and if you’re too busy, you can ask eight-year-old Elizabeth next door to do it for you, and within seconds she can point you to the direction where she left him flat on his face in critical condition. So, anyway, after Echizen gets the message from his dead clan, to avenge them as the sole survivor, we go to Sanada and Yukimura making eyes at each other. What’s new, right?

Everyone in Rikkai except Sanada and Yanagi is mute, but Yukimura gets his voice back to give his bidding. “Sanada, you better be wearing the leather thong next time.” Something like that. He sings, and it’s like, Kazuki in pajamas singing Tachibana’s song. Yukimura is best friends with his tennis racket, and he wants to make sweet, sweet love to it, but he knows Sanada has him under surveillance, and the world as we know it does not deserve an emo!Sanada unleashed unto it.

Doori throws himself all over Kanesaki. Sanada starts feeling too Dirty Uncle Harry for his liking, so Doori then gets to fall into Toru Baba’s arms. Doori, you are the hero to fangirls everywhere. Never forget that. The bitch slaps cometh! Ookawa looks like the boy whose hand was caught in the Echizen cookie jar, which Sanada is v. v. pissed off about. No one marries outside the family, do you hear?

The pre-fight jitters! I love that we get to go through all of them! Inui needs a photo of him and Renji, but they might be saving that for the 2nd part. Fingers crossed. Shinbe was made for the gag scenes. There’s no arguing with the logic of Setomaru playing a Tenipuri game, but why isn’t he in pajamas? Eiji + pajamas? Winning combination right there, you guys! At least we get Takki in pajamas, tossing and turning, of course. The GP fanservice was really stepped up. ICKLE-FICKLE APPROVED! I wonder why it was comparatively glossed over in the 2nd generation in the first place. Singing chef Taka-san! Loves it. XD Finally, Aiba, who is more comfortable now with this cast than he was during Rokkakumyu. Fuji/Cactus == clearly his OTP. (Or is it Cactus/Fuji??) Tomo actually looks just a bit intimidating in the dark. Not immediately approachable, at the very least, which is better than excuse-me-Mister,-my-hot-chocolate-needs-more-fluffy-marshmallows.

Why, hallo thar, Sanada. Hakama for President! OF THE WORLD. He, uh, wants to stick his sword into Tezuka. There will clearly be seme issues, my friend. Meanwhile, in his smart little checkered outfit, Tezuka serenades Ryuuzaki over the phone.

Horio’s personality just bulldozes over the two new Kachiro/Katsuo actors, much like it did in Rokkakumyu. That kid is fearless. Doubtless that Ishibashi approves. :D Hottachin and Tosshi are probably going, "Come on successors, do something!" Eris thinks the Yukimura pajama ballad has to go. Bi sticks her tongue out. Although, during the Inui/Yanagi mini face-off, we unanimously squeed. XD

The Rokkaku filler is next, and Katou is still obsessed with his wig. Fickle is busy thinking, “Shindou Gaku, you are henceforth my fifth (or so) Tenimyu husband. Do I care if you're married to IRE every MWF and betrothed to Irei during weekends and holidays? No, sir, I do not.” Ickle, on the other hand: “Irei Kanata, you are henceforth my fifteenth (or so) Tenimyu husband. I do care that you’re alternately married to Aiba and Shindou, but only because it means the possibility of threesomes. And foursomes.” Rokkaku dorks out and ensures the fact that they will never get respect in the fandom. Ever. Look how cute Itsuki is, though.

Eee. Always a fan of the Ooishi-buchou part.

I must say, Tomo trying to look mean is one of the cutest things I’ve seen so far. Kiriyama is chewing gum and blowing bubbles during the match. Somewhere in the hearts of the RTN-ers, Jirou-chan is raving at the top of his lungs. Yuuki’s face is the most expressive out of Rikkai, even more changeable than Nakagauchi’s. For some reason, it doesn’t bother me much. Shinbe’s doing very well in his solo, better than he did in his duet with Watanabe in Rokkakumyu. He loses his voice sometimes but he’s very energetic. And it was weird hearing him say “Kaidoh”. XD Damn his legs are skinny. Are Kiriyama and Yuuki pantomiming the accidental MomoKai kiss? Because, BAHAHAHA.

Although they didn’t share their own accidental kiss, there is Golden Pair! All! Over! The place! (Just like! These! Exclamation points!) Undoubtedly, they have been Tuti Fruity’d. And NaGAYan’d. Seto’s floor dive was pretty cool, and Bi is reduced to salivating when Takki is out for blood. The GP memories are played out in shadow, but it’s better than nothing. Video!Takki/Seto would’ve been nice, though. The dance has Depend On Me all over it, and no one can complain. (Coincidentally, there are other parallels… Eiji gets disposed of somehow in both the Rikkai and Seiru arcs, he revives, GP does their Big Gay Duet, they gain some momentum, they lose and touch each other a lot under the guise of wanting to comfort each other. Riiiight.) Takki’s look of hunk of burning burning (bahning bahning?) love is so spot on.

Rikkai D1 switches sock placements. Hahaha. Their song is really well arranged. Nakagauchi obviously likes being Niou better. XD He toys with Setomaru some, and do you remember when we mentioned Tomo trying to look badass? This is JUST AS GOOD. What is it with this batch of D-Boys and their adorable grr faces? The Regulars haven’t gotten a chance to sing in about twenty minutes, so they sing the Ooishi no territory song—frankly, I don’t see why they don’t just say “Eiji” for short. (We know who they’re pointing to when they sing “Ooishi no territory”. As if any reminder was needed.)

Sanada looks like he’s about to cry after the doubles matches. He may be thinking about Yukimura being left alone in the hospital with that damn tennis racket. Or maybe he’s a GP shipper. Yukimura’s phone clashes with his pajamas, and Fickle walks away before she can curse rabidly at the 3rd pajama ballad Yukimura has been given. Oh, Sanada stole Yukimura’s racket. Smart boy.

Eventually we end with On My Way. Takki scoops up his Seto bundle, and Yagami jumps Kanesaki as they all try to outgay each other and everybody wins. They all wave us off for the fourth time now. Onto Rikkaimyu, part 2! (With a crowded little interlude, of course.)

This RTN was brought to you by Toblerone Cheesecake from Don Henrico’s.

Footnotes:

1. WATANABEEEE. DOOORIII. ♥ I know lots of people give them their dues, but even with the obligatory nods they get, they're still underrated in my book. Especially Watanabe. Leading us to think that the world needs to give MORE LOVE TO YOU, YOU WONDERFUL SLICE OF DORKMEAT.
3. jump jumper jumpest
I want to know who thought of that. OMFG. XD
4. We've come to a consensus, and so far, it's:
Kanesaki = Older Kawakubo (Look at him smile!)
Baba = Fujiwara Yuuki
And, as everyone else has noted,
Yagami = Kazuki

And because Eris kept mistaking them for each other during the udon scene,
Renji = Tomo
Gasp. Inui, you sneaky sneak, you.

[Bi's review] Gintama

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 13:31:12 GMT

Gintama is comedy GOLD from Shounen Jump. With a title like that, right? XD The plot is lighthearted and the characters are CRAZY LOVE. We have...

1) Okita- superMegaHyperBishounen with a gentle smile and probably the one with the longest mean streak... He's such a Fujitype, so his is automatic love. XD Speaking of Fuji, this guy has extreme MAD SEME powers. You better believe it.

2) Kagura- the Miaka that Japanimanga REALLY REALLY needed. She's every bit the pig Miaka is PLUS she's an alien who kicks ass AND guys don't try to rape her every five seconds... or ever 'cause that's like ~~seppuku~~ suicide.

3) Gintoki- badass main character. Seriously, he's wicked cool. I usually hate main characters but there is nothing for me to hate. He's lazybones but abrasive and I-did-it-my-way, but somehow I still haven't seen it all before. Just sooo well done! (And, no, friends of mine, it's not only because I can relate to his need for sugar. I'm not biased. I think... XDD)

4) Hijikata- is Gintoki without the natural perm. He's smart and hotheaded and would make really gorgeous freaking babies with Okita. Just like Gintoki. *LOL* He also has his melt-the-fangirls serious side. *sigh* Imperfections are yet to be seen.

5) Shinpachi- the fanboy extraordinaire who's useless at everything except chores. He gets the best expressions in every panel. *huggles* Helps that he looks like my cutie Tsutsui, too. XDDD NO HATERS. SHINPACHI IS OTAKU LOVE.

6) Otae- an aged-up Kagura who is called a gorilla by Gintoki in the very first volume. AWESOME. She will always be The Man of the house, even if she ends up with the captain of the Shinsengumi.

7) Kondou- of course we have the skirt-chasing captain who has a cockroach's persistence when it comes to stalking Otae. The world needs more characters like this. XD Lead the way, FMA and Gintama!

8) Sadaharu- ~~rikutsu jyanai!~~ Best freakshow pet ever. Sorry, Elizabeth. =3

9) Kumazaki- random hot guy from Shinsengumi who totally hits on Shinpachi while they're acting referee to the rock-paper-scissors tournament. (HAND ON THE SMALL OF THE BACK. ASKING HIM TO GO FOR DRINKS. DON'T TELL ME I'M THE ONLY ONE.)

10) How could I almost forget Katsura- for he is the hottness?! Two words for the eye candy that is Zura: pirate cosplay.

So, who wins favorite character?

Yamazaki, of course!
"Nobody cares anyway. Look at Yamazaki, he's playing badminton."
XDDDDDD LOVES IT.

Really, though, nothing goes wrong in Gintama. Pirates, aliens, terrorists, xenophobia, Kappa, One Piece reference... YES PLZ. *runs off to download anime*

Remember, folks, if you give it a chance and for some reason it bores the bejeezus out of you:
Seppuku is the answer to everything.

[FICKLE] Suteki ja nai?

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 03:04:30 GMT

Eeeeee, Kujira-chan!
Aiba!
It's Inui. Ah. Hmm.
New new Taka-san is the first actual beefcake!Kawamura, so don't tell anyone that I think he's absolutely adorkable.
New new Momo is glaring at someone offstage. Oh, but he's oh so tiny.
So is Tez, holy cow! Or baby Ohkuchi, which he may be alternatively named, by my permission. This does not bode well, ladies and gents. For if Ohkuchi wasn't very toast-like--almost, but not quite--what more his teenaged counterpart?

Is it try again or... fry again? It... heehee. What, it's not like I don't make fun of Filipino accents. I'm an equal opportunity make-fun-of-er.
Whoa, Seto sounds like Nagayan. A lot like.
New² Taka-san looks like such a sweetheart! Way to go, casting! You consistently please me with the Taka-sans.
New² Ooishi's voice is similar to Zukki's, without the almost-always-close-to-cracking element to it. Of course, that isn't what I'm really thinking. You know what, screw it--he's freaking beautiful. XO
Damn, new² Momo! You didn't even get a close-up. D: You are all totally insensitive to the fact that he seems to be anemic at this angle, camera guys. He's so skinny. I WANT TO PAD HIS JACKET SLEEVES. Considering all I wanted Adachi--Adachi--to do was to eat a burger, this is a very dire situation. Because, Adachi.
New² Inui has Araki's smirkiness at its late stages. That's good, I guess. I didn't like Araki's attempts to look smug near the beginning.
Kuji said "kuraku." XD As I am no longer a Linguistics major, I feel free to giggle without feeling guilty about my vocabulary. (Apparently, kuraku means "pleasure and pain." SO INSIGHTFUL. HEE.)
Finally, Dori pops out. I like his voice for Echizen. It makes him sound bratty and self-entitled and GLOMPABLE! (By Eiji and Momo; I'm not volunteering just yet.)
OK, fine, it's probably "try again."
So far the Ooishis keep making me pay attention to them. For different reasons. *flashbacks* Yep, three very different reasons. Tuti→ chemistry with Nagayan/Ichitaroh, Zukki→ ...unique singing abilities XD, Takiguchi→ insanely pretty. Although there are similar causes. Tuti→ Dorky McPsychopath, Zukki→ Geeky McSpaz, Takiguchi→ ~~insanely pretty~~ has potential? Remains to be seen. Don't disappoint, Ooishi the third!

Echizen is almost Tezuka's height. Woe.

Good call on redoing the Hiyoshi/Ryoma match, since Hyoteimyu was tailor fit for Yanagi. Gekokujou daze~! (Hmm, hmm, hmm...)
Oh wait, new² Tez is as tall as Katobe? For reals? I would never have imagined. Dori isn't too far from Ryuunosuke, either. He's pretty tall. WAHHHH, his sempais aren't towering over him. Boo.
What's this? Takiguchi has Kondou!voice! :D He speaks so fast, though.

Next up, ECHIZEN VS. MOTHER NATURE.
YO, TREE-HUGGERS. MADA MADA DA NE.
I want to like you, new² Momo! Truly do, and that's a good thing. :D He did well in his mini solo scene, so points for him.
...Kuji HAS to let me take him home.
Takiguchi is acting cuter! *relief*
FIRST 3RD CAST GP MOMENT DAWWWW. Oh, thank you, Setomaru for going straight to Takiguchi. I will now forgive you for looking like you're twenty years younger than him.
I still don't know what to make of Minami, aka new² Tez. It sucks like a sucky thing. It does not help that he's singing "forward, my men" to his team. Yikes.
FYI, this song wins for weirdest choreography ever.

New Ichinens to play with! I swear new² Horio is Ishibashi reincarnated. Ignoring the fact that Ishibashi is not quite dead yet. Wait, taking it back. Talk about a misleading first glance. :o Anyway, he's not bad.

Why don't they want to give Saeki gray hair? That's what made him so easy to spot in the Christmas episode; this does not fit into my daily dose of nostalgia. And why does he get special shoes? And why am I the only one who does not find Irei eye-catching at all? (Nande? Nande?) Katou Ryousuke as his own twin! Cute! I miss Micchan. Hah, and there's my nostalgia fix.
Rokkaku... Latino. ~~OH BABY.~~
Itsuki is kind of cute, in a pat-me-on-the-head sort of way. Why do you do this to me, Tenimyu? You couldn't stop at "WTF, why is Ducky so hot?" Why?
Rokkaku brings out the inquisitive child with a big honking nose in me.
Hallo thar, Bane and Dabide! I daresay they're perfect for their roles. You heard me! I said the "p" for their "r" words!
Aoi is annoying. Ryou brings the pretty. All is right in the world. I feel so Zen.

MomoEiji leaning on each other! I'll stop.

Kaidoh glares fiercely at the Kamio mention. All this while sitting the traditional Japanese way, on the floor with his legs folded under him. LOVE.
Okay, okay, to be fair to new² Inui--his facial expression is markedly better than Souta's or Araki's. ~~Maybe because they're cuter.~~ Bad real time note-taker. Very bad. (Sorry, Masei-kun!)
OKAY, WIN. WIN. This scene makes the entire musical:

There is a message from Tezuka! Much joy as excited players flank Ooishi. Cue dramatic music and lighting. YUDAN SEZU NI IKOU. BUM BUM. Music is done.

BIG FAT WIN. Hehehe.

Aibacchi's gotten gayer, if anyone can believe that. (Does he have to say "super rookie" so lasciviously? Does he?)

Taka-san is buff, at long last! Dude so needs to win more. He doesn't even get his own move; it's recycled from Ishida's. I wonder why Konomi-sensei hates him so. D: Bane and Dabide get a scat duet, and I'm all for it. In theory. Just kidding. It's amusing. Rokkaku sure is musically eclectic. Random thought: I think Bane would be hot without his Bane wig. That is all.
Seto whining at Momo and Taka-san makes me think he should be bitchslapped, circa Hyoutei arc. He'd be very cute getting pissed, and so would Takiguchi. But then, Takiguchi doesn't need any kind of facial expression to look cute. Anyway, moving on.
I love that Momo and Taka-san get their duet after winning a point. It's a little sad for new² Momo though, considering he isn't supposed to shrink next to Taka-san. Plus it makes me sad for the absence of an InuKai duet in the Hyoteimyu. DUDE, the river scene? Come on! You know Kuji and Arayan would've rocked it. *lost in vivid imagination* Er. Moving on.
GP hug number 2! The GP touchage should escalate just as it does in the anime. Moving on.

Hyoutei! Good place to move on to. They're standing for about ten seconds and I'm thinking, "Really? That's all they're here to do?" But then Katobe starts us off to this odd Gregorian chant introduction. Tenimyu songwriters are either getting very creative or very bored. Also worth mentioning is when they start doing push-ups rhythmically while grunting. Oh my.
The strangest thing is that out of all of them, I think I missed Wasshi the most. It must be because he's never in any magazines. Understandable, but pout-inducing nonetheless.
Now for Gakuto antics. Kee. Please get into a catfight with Setomaru. Please. You and Adacchin never got to be properly bitchy with one another. Then again, can anyone imagine Adachi being bitchy? I don't think he can be the little snot I dream that RuiRui and Seto can.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming. Itsuki making his nose sound effects is hilarious. And I think pouting well is a prerequisite for every Eiji actor. I don't remember Ichitaroh being a pouter, but refer to all the Kikumarus after him. Setomaru is proving it to us right now. That does it. I like Seto, I don't care what other people say. Now if only he'd stop looking like he were ten.
Then somebody screams, "Damn it, Fuji, stop singing! At least finish the game first!" Well no, but it should happen, at least once.

I love Hyoutei uniforms. Although I wonder why only the Dirty Pair has to wear them. Maybe they were role-playing. Oh, Kabaji goes to school, too. Good to know. Kazuki one ups them all--he's nekkid in the shower, spirit fingers and all. He's going to sing in the shower. He's going to sing in the shower. OH YES. Atobe singing in the bathroom FTW! It's very emo of him, really, with all the mirrors around him. I'm going to mock him every time he calls Shishido a drama queen in fanfiction.

Fake-out! Dori is benched! Kujira-chan gets the match.
Kaidoh so needs to punch the living daylights out of Aoi. He needs it, Aoi needs it, I need it.

That's pretty much it. Good job, Rokkaku and Hyoutei! Seigaku #3 is, on the whole, likeable. I think I just need time to get used to new² Momo's body type. That might be applicable to Minami, too. Also, Takagi is more subdued compared to MoriEiji and Kaji. He needs to fight his way into the spotlight more. :D Masei is missing something--I can't pinpoint just what it is--but it doesn't leave this gaping chasm between him and Arayan. Or Souta, for that matter. I like the Golden Pair so far; I'm counting on them to step up some more for the next myu. It's the Rikkaidai arc, also known to POT animanga fangirls as a buttload of GP fanservice. Taka-san--I love him already. ♥ Aiba was a bit lackluster this time around, in my opinion. I'm sure he's just adjusting to his harem being gone. Look at it this way, Aiba-chan, you've got a brand new one to toy with. :D

Post-show

Since there's exactly eleven minutes left before I have to head off to school, I won't be RTN-ing the backstage. Suffice it to say, it's enough of a motivator to get me to relearn my Japanese. XD Masei (Inui 3.0) and Takagi (Momo... we've lost count) seem like nice guys, and I want them to grow into their roles. Seto almost seems shy and different from his stage personna. I'm gradually being convinced that he's Nagayan 20 10 years ago. Dori is awesomesauce! I can watch him shunning poor IRE all day. They're all a lot of fun. Even Aoi's actor, as much as I dislike the character he plays. XD

The third generation Seigaku is a big bunch of crybabies. Which, hurray!, but this will make me miss Kujirai the tissue dispenser so much more. :C Kuji has this lovely blushy-Kaidoh-in-doujinshi personality, and I've appreciated how well he portrayed real!Kaidoh ever since the second cast debuted. But don't be daunted, new² Kaidoh! If Kuji can fill Naoya's ~~shoes~~ bandanna, so can you! :D

[FICKLE] To quote KenKen, "I'M NOT CRYING!"

Mon, 03 Jul 2006 11:06:25 GMT

I watched Dream Live 3 a few weeks ago, but I haven't been able to properly expel these fangirlisms inside me since. I guess this means I have to watch it for the twentieth time to be able to make proper notes. Not because I'm avoiding studying or anything. Not at all.

Hyoutei rapping must be the only kind of rap I'm raring to watch over and over again. XD Although it's more of an "in spite of" than "because", so the genre still isn't earning points with me. Takuya being ghetto = GLEE. I love how Kazuki, Saitou, and Kawai are the only ones who are even trying to sing. Oh, and Kouji, of course. KenKen, you're my guy, but you clearly cannot hear how you sound like. Not that that matters, since all I require of you is to stand there and look pretty. And make with the fanservice, which you are way too good at. XD

Arayan is so ~~out of character~~ cracked out during his solo, it's fantastic. And out comes Black!Fuji which we all knew in the backs of our minds that Aiba-chan would pull of SO WELL. He just has that look about him that tells you can do evil with a flip of a switch. And then it's the golden trio and they're having so much fun that Zukki has forgotten that he sounds like a 12-year-old girl on helium and I don't think I am capable of generating even more love for him at this point. I am supposed to be, like, maxed out on Zukki-love but it turns out that Zukki-love knows no bounds and it just keeps growing like a pregnant woman's stomach.

Ah, who better to lead us into Good Combination than the Purity Pair? It seems as if KenKen thinks he's seme and it makes me giggle. I will never forget how Ichinen Trio the Ichinen Trio sound.

Eeeheeehee, Wasshi dancing during the Burning! song.

Hyoutei gets to do my favorite myu song--the Makezu Girai one. Which Souta, Naoya and MoriEiji would always start perfectly. Kazuki is flawless, as always, and Kawai does a similarly good job. Ken-Ken... It's not for lack of effort, but it seems a bit too low for him. Awww.

FUCHU FUCHU makes an appearance! Way to not be defeated, Kujirai. XD Oh, oh, oh! Kaji, pace yourself! I can't believe he's starting already. Hee. So squishy.

Oshitari's "street clothes" are so lovely. And Gakuto as a punk makes so much sense, and I like that it covers up that bob of his. I mean, it's cute in the anime, but it doesn't fit Aoyagi all that well. A lot of them look so much better without their wigs, of course: Zukki, Adachi, Kaji, to name a few. Aoyagi is such a dork. Saitou, too--they're perfectly dorky together. It's wrong that I like the choreography with Saitou standing behind RuiRui while they're kind of gyrating like that, right? But... it's Dirty Pair! And they're so saucy! And Mamo and Kenn's impersonation of them in one of the Hyoutei myu backstages was just so spot on!

COMEDY SHOW-OFF! YAY! Worship and praise for KenKen and Saitou. Then Kuji, but more of that later. Date's Nagabuchi and Kaji's Chiharu kicked ass, obviously. WAHAHA Aiba pwned Ken-Ken so bad right there. Returning the favor via mass Zukki humiliation was just masterful. Puwahahaha. Shirota covering Zukki's ears is my new favorite thing in the universe. On second thought, OH HOLY AIBA'S KIRA-KIRA DANCE. Wow, what I would pay to see Kime and Nagayan doing that and having the original cast sing "kira kira kira KIRA!" at them too.

Ueshima-sama is too tiny to be leading Kazuki like that, but it just makes the crack that much better. Everyone's back-dancing during the Boogie Woogie song. ==>3 Kouji and RuiRui are doing the Wasshi Clap™ in the beginning. And. Ryuunosuke claps very daintily. I love it. Then, not so much, because I cannot believe it's Season already. And and and... it starts. Kouji's getting that scrunched up face and Kazuki's looking--fatherly, is it?--at him and KenKen. Takuya and RuiRui are the only ones who know how to make this line dance-y thing look good. It's happening with RuiRui, too, he can barely look out into the crowd and he's looking more serious than you've ever seen him. And then there it is, Kouji having such a hard time singing because he's all weepy and. This is so sad, you guys. KenKen slaps Kazuki's hand really hard and you'll see later that he's bawling his eyes out ~~again~~. And this song has been stuck in my head for two weeks now, I kid you not. This one and On My Way.

Seigaku! Okay, Kaji really will not wait until Crystal, because he's tearing up again. I think he just cries sporadically, and for some reason I see Momoshiro being just like that. Also, his part reminded me of anime!PoT where Ryoma goes to the US, and Momo's all broken up about it. Anyway. ...I think I want to bite him, too. (Sharing is caring, Zukki!)

Ack, the blending doesn't... blend. Though the transition was pretty cool.

Kaji's enjoying himself by the time we get to Yume wo Tsunage, as it means Zukki playtime for him and... well, everyone else. The cast "coaches" Zukki all throughout his "ore no yume wa omae no yume sa" part, and then applauds the effort he put in it, and it's really wonderful how well he's been taking this. It's Aiba who sets us off with the waterworks and IT IS HEARTBREAK from there. Because Shirota makes this really sad sobbing sound and I've never. Just. Buh. He cannot go through with the rest of his line, and you see Zukki, Araki and Kotani are giddy with the prospect of comforting him because they're adorable like that.

Then Ichinen Trio come out and SPAZ OUT like there's no tomorrow--and for that, I thank them. Dear gods, I will miss these three. I will miss you most of all, ~~scarecrow~~ Ishibashi. It is now Crystal and I am pretending that my throat is not constricting because it really isn't. With realness. No matter how sad you look, Shirota. I don't care!

And no matter how many times I see it I think, "Nooo! How dare you do this to me again!" as they Side Fudomine us once more, where rehearsal footage is shown behind the actors. Yanagi's voice breaks every two words he sings, and, aw. Kotani is visibly struggling with keeping his cool, and so far it's only Arayan who gets to pull this off. Aiba is looking younger than I am used to. Adachi's voice has dropped drastically and he wants you to give him a hug and I'm trying but it's just not happening. Kuji comes out and all of a sudden I've loved him my entire life; I am not kidding! Out of the blue, there is this flood of affection for Kuji and I am completely helpless. He's really fidgeting and he's squeezing his lips together and, honestly, why did I have to start really, really liking you NOW?

The wavering voices do not conceal one another, and it's actually funny to hear them warbling all together. ^_^' They all hug cutely and seeing Aiba and Kuji losing it and barely standing up straight is very sweet. Now they're all crying shamelessly (especially Shirotan), except for Zukki, I believe. Kaji is all chin-quivery and have I mentioned how sad this is?

Ueshima brings out Yuuyan, Kime, and Nagayan, and then Kuji is doing that little boy crying face of his and I swear I'm going to die. Yanagi crumples to the floor and is waiting for Yuuyan to approach him but Shirotan is totally monopolizing the guy. Hey, he's their Ryoma too! Hahaha. Nagayan and Kime hug the Ichinen Trio and Yanagi, and it's the first time the Ichinen Trio cries, but they still look very happy.

Heehee. KenKen is so crying when he comes out with the flowers and the certificate. And I am not getting over how cute Kuji is when he cries.

Oh, Aiba. Please stop looking like that. I just noticed Kuji's continuing cuteness again. Oh, and Zukki is now holding on to his scalp and making up for lost time with the tears. He is seriously about to pass out, dudes. It makes me dizzy thinking about how he must be feeling. It's happened to me once or twice, crying so hard that you feel like you're getting a migraine. PAIN. Poor Zukki.

Kuji and Araki's hug during On My Way! (InuKai traditional hug all the way, baby!)

Then come the speeches, which I am too tired to emotionally invest in. Phew, watching DL3 is quite taxing. Zukki, hang in there! Please don't black out! Araki-niichan is the best. Woohoo, gambaru mode Adachi. Kuji bragging about his inherited bandanna from Naoya is too wonderful for words. Kotani's going in for the kill with this Yamabuki talk. Thinking back on how awful they were, except for Shirota and Yuuyan, and where they are now, it's not hard to believe that they've invested so much within the year and a half they were together. And, ooh, I like falling apart Kaji. Aiba doesn't even have to SAY anything, I just have to look at him and remember he's being left behind and I'm instantly a-wibble. Yanagi goes to complain about his Enya not hugging him, which will assure him a mauling later on, so good for him.

Everyone's cute and smiley during Run Run Run--the first and the second. Yanagi gets his aforementioned mauling and gets hugged for all he's worth, and it's awesome because Yuuyan is singing right with them. Kime and Nagayan do not know the words to the song, but it's still great because Nagayan's right there next to Adachi. And they are running forever, for whatever that may mean.

I? Am beat.

[IF] Battle Royale FST

Fri, 31 Mar 2006 10:37:13 GMT

Ickle Fickle presents:

~~a fake LJ cut~~

( Why Can't We Be Friends )

A fan soundtrack for the manga, Battle Royale.

[FICKLE] Writing off your existence

Fri, 23 Dec 2005 02:38:37 GMT

My entire morning was consumed by choosing which Death Note icon to fill up the three new slots that LJ has so charitably bestowed upon us. In the process, I was made to think about all the characters that had made Death Note so intriguing, and I am fan enough to to feel obliged to write about it.

Raito/Light - By far, he's one of the best antihero types I've ever encountered. (Though the whole "I am God" thing gets old fast.) It doesn't end with the good intentions and evil means dichotomy. It's interesting how he's first introduced, as a very normal and very human character, whose most defining trait is superior intelligence. You get to watch him gradually become Kira, and later on, back to Raito after forfeiting ownership of his Death Note. There is a stark contrast between Raito and Kira. When Raito receives the Death Note for a second time and gets his memories back, the abrupt transformation takes place once more. Raito, who had previously asked L in horror if he thought that - on the possibility that he was once Kira (since he had no idea he really was Kira at that point) - he could go back to killing after everything he'd gone through, went immediately back to calculating and plotting L's death. That the power of killing anonymously could corrupt somebody as analytical as Raito, that he'd come to this conclusion and go as far as he does to uphold what he believes is right, that he is able to manipulate life and death so methodically... Just a few of the reasons Raito is one of my two favorite characters in Death Note.

L/Ryuuzaki - Unsurprisingly, L would be the other one. When I first saw him - and not just the misleading glimpses of his profile, but the complete unattractive package - I immediately liked him. I was infinitely happy that he turned out to be an unpleasant-looking guy who wasn't there for comedic purposes. (He skirts around the area sometimes, though, with his many idiosyncracities.) That aside, he's also brilliant, he's persistent as hell, and is not simply the "good" to Raito's "evil". (Continued in the next paragraph. ^^)

L vs Raito/L vs Kira - L and Raito have the same kinds of motivation as well as the same firmness in resolve. Who's to say what L would've done in Raito's place? He had, after all, put a man's life in near-guaranteed danger, an action he justified by the fact that the man was under death penalty. (Of course, making this decision didn't necessarily mean that L approved of death penalty, and that he may have done it because it was the best possible solution given that that man's death was decreed by a system he couldn't change anyway. Either of the outlooks is possible.) Also noteworthy is how you could see some of the confidence that Raito had (which astounded Ryuuku so much) in L. L was sure of Kira's identity even if facts were insufficient, and the only thing that stopped him from arresting Raito was the lack of hard evidence. It is easily comparable to Raito's certainty that what he is doing is right, that the logic behind his actions is flawless. At times L seems like he is slightly more conscientious and moral, suggesting that he wouldn't necessarily followed Raito's footsteps had he been given the chance instead, but he has proven multiple times that he's capable of doing everything he must if it serves the end purpose he believes in. Er. Humor me and pretend that my English is still comprehensible.

Misa - I wish I liked her more than I do. I just can't bring myself to. Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike her. That isn't saying much for the converse, though. Somewhere deep in the back of my head, I can acknowledge that there must be more to the gutsy, obsessive follower I see her as, but I've yet to evolve from that perspective.

Near - Definitely takes after L, but I'm not as fond of him. I can't help but see his judgment as too speculative sometimes, basing conclusions on assumptions. Granted, so did L, but L pinpointed them as assumptions and treated them as such. Or I'm biased. In any case, L's investigative process came off more substantial to me, especially considering how little L knew to begin with. The way Near can effortlessly (and correctly) jump from a vague point in A to a specific point in B with a flimsy link disconcerts me a bit.

Mello - Demented and unpredictable. Although, maybe not so much unpredictable as far as Near is concerned, as Near is secretly Batman. Hmm. To rephrase, Mello is dementend and in general unpredictable. Therefore awesome. A bit of an annoying brat, to a level I can forgive. What I like is how he's so haphazard and prone to making mistakes. He's as sharp as the rest of them, but he attacks problems in ways people (again, with the possible exception of Near) wouldn't initially think of and prepare themselves against.

Teru - Or was it Taro? Not all that likable for me.

[FICKLE] I don't know if they're creative or clinically insane

Sat, 03 Dec 2005 16:57:24 GMT

ASTIG MO.

Dammit, I liked so many scenes in Battle Royale. I really admire how the movie played out. Some of their strategies were just half-assed, and part of the extra ending was way too much WTF for me. A lot of the lovey subplots were damn near ridiculous, but I still kind of clutched at my sides in an obviously affected way.

Auuggghh.

Tsukamoto! (I'd recognize your face anywhere, you dweeby little heartthrob you.) Why oh why did you and your group die? Your death was... -makes grunting caveman sounds- Chigusa. And Mitsuko. And Hiroki. And... YOU STOLE MY COHERENCE, ALL YOU NON-LIVING-AT-THE-END BASTARDS.

That was awesome. I'm... er... "attaining a copy" as we speak. (Also one of Robokon, because Tsukamoto, as I relearned, is worth the computer memory loss. With Shun, especially.) I don't really like one scene in particular, but just to name one, that with the girls in the lighthouse was striking. That trigger that got them all paranoid. It was predictable how they'd react, but it was done so well. It was also character-driven: you had a basic idea of the personalities involved in it. And that worked great in the movie, since almost every death you see had so many implications. It was so fascinating.

On a lesser note, I wish they'd shown all of the weapons from the book. Coat hangers and head bands for teh win!

[FICKLE] The diva and his posse

Fri, 02 Dec 2005 13:27:27 GMT

I think I might like Hyoutei more now. (Fudoumine has always been my favorite rival team, but Hyoutei is slowly. Creeping. Up.) TORISHISHI HOLDING HANDS LOVELOVE THANK YOU FANSERVICE. Oshitari was kind of good-looking. And the chanting was fun - since there are no girls allowed on the Tenimyu stage, they were their own cheerleaders. Atobe's hair needs to be more purple. Lavender, really.

I must say I'm beginning to really like Suzuki (New Ooishi). Because... he's... I HAVE NO IDEA WHY. Bah. I think he is the love of my new-tenimyu-cast life. He looks like a zombie but it's adorable. But I hate him for making me want to like TezuOoishi/OoishiTezu. I have a lot more appreciation for Konii/New Taka and Kaji/New Momo, too. See, I'm getter better at this name thing.

P.S. Ducky just keeps getting hotter. He must be the hottest guy in Tenimyu. It's so wrong. Not to forget Shio, who is, as always, teh shiznit. Especially for feeling up Kabaji like that.

P.P.S. KENKEN.
P.P.P.S. OH ZUKKII

[FICKLE] The mother of all discoveries

Thu, 17 Nov 2005 11:18:29 GMT

Now, I ask you with complete seriousness... Are you ready for this?

Here goes. Many of us know the fundamental whyfor behind the Kingdom Hearts nomenclature, where
Sora = sky,
Kairi = sea, and
Riku = land.

Second, we get the reference of FF8's Squall to FF7's Cloud, as is emphasized further in FF9.

However, a less obvious parallelism has existed all this time, hidden under its simplicity. I present to you old, but relevant data:
Aerith = romanization of earth (or coming from a Hebrew word for flower, in which case there is still allusion to land)

What can we conclude? If Cloud = Sora, and Aerith = Riku, then...
SORA = SEME.
-happy grin-
Or Aerith = seme. Which makes sense, what with the pink and the flowers and all.

[ Disclaimer: I am neither a Cloud/Aerith or Cloud/Tifa fan. I'm a Cloud/gigantic-compensation-of-a-sword fan. ]

Okay, I've always fantasized that five years after Kingdom Hearts XX ends, Sora gets a drastic growth spurt and tops Riku. I don't always want the commonly-known-ukes to be semefied, but it does happen in a few cases. Exempli gratia:
seme!Yue x uke!Touya (YUE ARE SO HOT ASFAFJSASHA. Sorry, Yukito.)
seme!Fuji x uke!Taka-san (Taka-san is the uke-est of them all. ^___^)

Most of the time I go with the norm, though, or I don't care either way. I just like being thoroughly convinced by my Sora-~~or-Aerith-~~is-seme theory.

[FICKLE] An old Berserk rant

Tue, 18 Oct 2005 01:42:21 GMT

Griffith: I want you, Gatts.
Gatts (seriously): Are you homo?

Gatts has a very subtle gay-dar. XD

Although, it kind of bums me out that at least one of the following will happen every other chapter:
1. Girl/s being (needlessly) topless
2. Girl (usually Caska) is raped, or there is at least an attempt or expression of intention to do so
3. Orgies

Speaking of which, why are there so many lesbians in those orgies and no gay guys? (Yes, I looked for them; it can't be helped.) The Gatts/Griffith subtext is just that - subtext.

Must also have the most cases of spelling inconsistencies I've ever encountered. The Gutz/Gatz/Gattsu issue aside, sometimes the spellings of names or places are different not only in the same page but in the same PANEL.

[FICKLE] Making up for "Spirits Within"

Sun, 16 Oct 2005 13:44:40 GMT

Advent Children left me all a-sparkle. The story was told in a manner as convoluted as I remember the game being, meaning about the only things I understood were the fight scenes, but it's all good.

Final Fantasy has always been a self-referential series, and it doesn't break that trend here. Even with my senior citizen-esque memory, it wrung every sentimental flashback that it could from me. Its efforts were not protested, for once, and I willingly let myself ride the wave of reminiscence.

Most notably, it left me with a very renewed interest in Reno (redhead again! XO) and the rest of the scene-stealing Turks, and a major disdain for the translation of Vincent's elf shoes into the movie. Perhaps, thirdly, a bit of hope for Kadaj and the other two Sephiroth clones to make apperances in Kingdom Hearts-2. Since they're hot. That, and I had Loz's ringtone on my first cellphone.

I was slightly disappointed with Tifa's makeover. I guess I don't mind the breast reduction all that much, but her generic-FF-heroine-ification saddens me somewhat. In a way it's nice to see her more mature, and it's probably realistic in the situation, but it shouldn't have been done at the expense of her dynamism. Aerith was great and just the way I remember her, perhaps because her character can't develop all that much, posthumously and all. I am, for the reader's education, part of the minority in favor of both Tifa and Aerith. Although I can often understand where the animosity from both sides are coming from, barring "Tifa's a slut!" or "Aerith's a flirt!" because... riiiiight.

In the end, everybody who was alive stays alive - awesome! - because the Japanese believe in consecutive miracles. Cool.

Something Jen pointed out:
Cloud: Stay there, trapped in my memories. [Saving...]
Sephiroth: I won't become a memory. [Memory card not found.]