August November 2007 edit:

This journal is once again partially friends-only. Like just about every other journal. I keep personal life ravings locked, not that anyone really cares. And because of LiveJournal's new rules, I am going to be very picky about which fics I make available to the public. If you want the rest, ask to be friended.

Friend me for extra fics and general ravings. Please leave a comment somewhere if you do, as I like to know who is friending me. You only have to leave ONE comment saying why you're friending me. I get sick of random people friending me and never saying who they are.

And kudos to anyone who understands the relevance of this date. Or the quote.

I can't believe I have turned into such a fucking Naruto freak.

I'm ridiculously depressed that I had to come into the series so late, that I had to miss so much. The "Golden Age" of the fandom was a few years ago, when I was against having anything to do whatsoever with the series. So I ended up missing all the good shit. All the old fans have moved on out of general outgrowing-seroes or irritation at the way the series has been going. I missed Part I entirely and I really can't find much of anyone who still writes/draws that, and all my favorite characters for Part II are dead.

I really, REALLY wish I could have at least been involved in the fandom even a year or two ago. Before Itachi died. That was kind of the driving force behind the first 43 books, and the whole Itachi thing was why one of the heroes went batshit evil, so the fandom discussions and speculations about him must have been EPIC. Before Itachi died, I at least slightly liked Sasuke, and earlier on I liked him more, and I LOVED the Uchiha-angst until Sasuke turned into a total bitch. I can't see the situation without hating him for it now. That part of the series is just gone forever.

And even if I CAN find fans who are into the series enough to discuss and obsess, that part is gone. We can't go back to it. I missed what were probably some of the best friggin discussions in all and any fandoms ever because I automatically disliked Naruto without knowing anything about it.

Granted with the newest chapter, the end is imminent and all hell has just officially broken loose, but it isn't the same. For the most part, people are just bitching about the way it's going. I'm frustrated about everything, too, but I guess because I came in so late, I didn't have a chance to see the buildup and sudden collapse of the plot. So everyone is raging about it and I'm just sitting there like ? There are a lot of minute details form Part I that are suddenly coming into play now, and that gives me hope that Kishimoto isn't pulling this all out of his ass at this point, because those loose ends mentioned and dropped like eight years ago are necessary now.

I am having trouble finding REALLY GOOD fanfic authors who are still active, too. And fanartists, too. And just people who want to talk about it for hours, because most everything except the newest stuff has already been talked about to death by everyone but me.

It's not just a series I get obsessed with. It's the whole "fandom experience", which sounds pathetic but it's true. And I missed out big time with this one. ._.

Both the new op and new ed = baw.

I start school tomorrow. Should be interesting?


Anyway, I've come to the conclusion that I REALLY don't like Sasuke. I liked him for a while, and in Part II I was struggling with it, but at the point where I am now (middle of volume 44), I just hate him. His decision to turn around and try to undo everything Itachi ever did for him...gah HOW FUCKING STUPID ARE YOU. It was bad enough he basically caused my two favorite characters to die, but I didn't dislike him for that because he didn't technically kill either of them.

I can see how the manga goes downhill rapidly from here though. It would have been a logical jump after Itachi's death for Sasuke to realize what an idiot he's been those last 3+ years and turn back towards home. But somehow he decides to do the exact opposite (?) and now the series keeps going on and on and just getting ridiculous.

I don't normally bother with revisionist fics, but now I want to go find some. And I need to completely catch up so I can appropriately bitch about this in a comm.


Hidan wins the award for omg-did-this-really-just-happen-in-a-T-rated-shonen-manga?

CONFESSION.

I HAVE BEEN READING NARUTO.

AND I LIKE LOVE IT.



I'm actually really upset I didn't get into it sooner. The series may still be going on and I may still be able to get into fandom while it's active (which is a million times better than joining a fandom once the series is already over), but my favorite character died two years ago. TWO YEARS AGO.

I have the first 45 manga in English, and I'll read the other 40 or so recent chapters in Shonen Jumps and scanlations when I get there, then just be up-to-date every new chapter. I've heard that it's gone kind of downhill, too, so I already missed the so-called Golden Age of it, I guess, even if it is still ongoing.

Yea. More later.

I haven't been watching the anime, though I probably will eventually. Evidently the most recent episode was released yesterday (27th) and it's the episode where DEIDARA DIES. So I kind of have to watch that because his death is just epic.

EDIT: Wow. His death was even more epic in the anime. I bawwed. And he called Itachi beautiful.



It's my birthday. 23 holy shitttttt. 23 and I am sitting here bawling my eyes out over "Unlimited Sky." WHERE IS MY GUNDAM. Because nothing can fill that. ._.

I know I promised fandom-related subjects, but I need to get this bitchrant out. 'CAUSE YOU KNOW YOU WANNA HEAR ME RIP TWILIGHT APART.



"At least they're reading..."

What the hell does that mean? As someone who works in a bookstore, I hear this moronic statement at least once a day. The more I hear it, the more impatient I get, and sooner or later I'm going to freak out on someone who says it.

I am an avid reader. I do not look down on reading. What I DO look down on is the idea that reading, and reading anything at all for that matter, is intellectually superior and more morally acceptable than other activities. I work in a bookstore. I own thousands of books. I have a BA in literature. However.

I am also an avid video game player, and this activity is often counter-acted against reading. "At least they're reading..." is often followed by a variation of "...and not playing video games all day." I have played hundreds of video games. I have studied them so extensively I might as well have a degree in certain series. Arrogant as it may seem, I am fairly confident in the idea that this has not lessened my intelligence nor my judgement.

My main point here is this : Reading books is in no way superior to playing video games, or even watching TV in some instances. It depends on the content and how it affects your way of thinking, not the medium. Someone can be just as affected in a negative way by reading a novel as they can be by playing a game. They can also be affected in a positive way in both instances.

****

Examples:

1. Negative effects.

At this point I am going to bitch about the Twilight phenomena, as it is a prime example of what I despise about the comment "At least they are reading.".

Though I myself find it impossible to judge just how affected kids are by playing violent video games, it is safe to say that the majority of video game players do not go out there and shoot people for fun. And those that DO, do not do it because someone in a video game did it. Regardless of what many so-called experts claim, there is no evidence to that. The average video game player is perfectly able to distinguish between game and reality. They understand that what may be acceptable in-game is not acceptable in the real world.

However, the majority of young girls who read "Twilight" find Edward Cullen to be an amazing and idealistic boyfriend. Because of the way the books are written, it is easy for one to overlook the fact that he is cruel and exceptionally abusive. And he is controlling and emotionally manipulative. Girls who read these books and see this as acceptable ARE likely to go out and seek a boyfriend such as Edward, whereas a Grand Theft Auto player is unlikely to go out and kill someone for their car.

I have read the first book in the series and I was horrified at how abusive he was, and two years later, when it became all the rage, I was even more horrified to see just how many girls desperately wished for a boyfriend just like him. Hearing twelve-year-old girls obsessively talking about how they want, no, need a boyfriend like Edward is very unsettling.

As someone who has had such a boyfriend, a boyfriend so similar that the book had an eerie sense of deja-vu sans vampirism, I can honestly say that this is far more likely to fuck you up than playing Halo.


2. Positive effects.

On the beneficial level, playing a strategy game like FF Tactics is FAR more intellectually challenging than reading most books out there. Playing a video game does not encourage stupidity and violence, just as reading a book does not automatically make one smarter and give one a greater ability to judge. In fact, in my experience as a literature major, as a bookseller, and as a hardcore gamer, the result is quite the opposite.

****


"At least they're reading" is an interesting statement, as it is often used to describe ANY sort of reading, be it comics, philosophy, or romance novels. It does not matter. It just seems to be ingrained in the heads of most parents, and indeed most people, that reading anything at all is preferable and safer than playing a video game. Meanwhile video games are all lumped into one category such that playing "Animal Town" is just as stupidity- and violence-inducing as Grand Theft Auto is.

Indeed, books can be MORE dangerous, as they have the surprising ability to insinuate themselves into one's own philosophy. Read too much of one particular writer or thinker and you will understand. I have witnessed a fellow student suffer a nervous breakdown and end up in an asylum after reading every bit of Kierkagaard that has been translated into English. But as of yet, I have never met a person who follows the ideals and mindset of Sephiroth.

Perhaps it is something to do with the idea that with reading, one is an observer, while with playing a game, one is actively engaged. At first glance, this would seem to have the opposite effected, but upon closer examination it does make quire a bit of sense. As an observer, one is more likely to want to experience what one is observing. As an active participant, one is able to not only release these desires, but witness the consequences. In Halo, your murdering someone can result in your own death. In the "Twilight" saga, the abusive relationship relation ends in, what is it, "this small but perfect piece of forever"? How delusional can you get?

People have this strange idea that just because something is a book, it is good for you, and because something is a video game, it is bad for you. I have met many people who have been led astray in dangerous ways by books, but I suppose because it is only about girls drawn into abusive relationships and not boys robbing banks, it doesn't matter. After all, at least they're reading.



END BITCHRANT OMG I HATE EVERYTHING SOMETIMES.

Saw the midnight showing of Harry Potter 6 and holy shitttttt.

That movie DEFINITELY made up for the book. The sixth book really bored me for some reason (as did the fourth), but the movie for this one was awesome. It was a little cramped though, and cut out pretty much everything school-related (though the book was kind of like that, too). Relationship angst was a little bleh but they managed to balance it with friendship stuff (Harry comforting Hermione and vice versa = win) AND BELLATRIX BLACK YOU SEXY BEAST.

I wanted to dress up but I came right from work, so yea. Did not happen.

But I was very impressed. And now I'm sad, just as I always am after coming from a big Harry Potter event. Whatever I had with that fandom isn't something I'm ever going to feel again, and lame as it sounds, I feel like I lost something. That and the older I get, the less likely it is that my life will ever be anything but mediocre and seriously fucking boring. Hell I lost my chance to go to Hogwarts 12 years ago. I'm slowly being killed by nostalgia for something I never even had.

._.

So pandatchi is poking me to update, and my life is just so exciting that this is all I have to say:





LL Rude J owned by pandatchi and pikacheeka like whoah. If you want him for the night, well we charge by the 5-minute block.

LOL YOU BE TRADEMARKED MAN.

Evidently I can not escape the drama even when I'm not online.


Has anyone heard/seen anything weird going on in my username lately? Anyone see any comments or posts made that probably weren't by me?


Because I was just defriended and blocked by someone I liked, and she sent me a very long letter about how I've been sending nasty emails to a friend of hers. She said that I and several Gundam people on my FList have been harassing Sapphire Hime starting around June 10th. So has anyone on my FList started having this same problem recently?


I don't know. I would think that if someone did get into my username and was fucking around, I would have received a few more complaints than from this one person, but I don't know.


She said they were EMAILS, but I don't know how that can be considering the security I have on my email account. If it is from my email, then I have a serious, serious problem, and I'm wicked freaked out now.


SO.
I guess the deal is that someone is running around sending nasty anonymous messages to another girl in fandom and claiming they are from me. Said person is also showing anonymous threads in memes and claiming they are from me. Seriously people, what the fuck. I haven't been around in a friggin month. I guess someone got bored and wanted to start some fandrama and evidently I'm just a big target. Goes to show how popular I am.

So I finally got my butt around to seeing the new X-MEN movie and omg.

Am I the only one who found Sabretooth ten times hotter than Wolverine? And that was one scary intense kid playing young Sabretooth

( omg )

They gayified Gambit more than I ever thought was possible. And I'm kind of confused about Deadpool's identity but I was never a hardcore X-Men fan so it was probably just something I didn't know about. And even though Sabretooth-as-brother is questionable I like it. Because from what I understand his past was ambiguous and he knew Wolverine from waaaaay back, so I guess throwing them together as half-brothers works.

Now I want to go try and read some more. I've read maybe 10% of the comics (seeing as there are probably a million) out there and saw all the other movies, but idk Sabretooth <3 Even though he's damn unattractive in the actual comics and in the other movies, I just think Liev and all is well.

But more than anything I want Victor x James slash. Or better yet, doujinshi.

Anyway, good movie. I highly enjoyed it. Lot of people bitching about the plot being bland because it was so simple/straight-forward, but that didn't bother me. I don't want anything deep and thought-provoking, and most of the time when they try to make this kind of movie too complex it ends up coming out shitty (cue in Spiderman movies) Hell, give me explosions, violence, and hot (older) guys trying to kill each other any day and I'd be happy. Especially when they're mildly gay for each other.

( More photos of Mr Fangs )


Anddd just because this needs to be noted. MARK YOUR CALENDARS, GUYS.
Marvel Bromance Volume 1
Sadly, it does not look like we are getting any claw-boy action there.

Sooo AnimeBoston. Went all day Friday and about half of Saturday. I got in so early and didn't have to wait in line really, which was nice compared to last year.

( Break down )

Went through dealers room TWICE Friday and again on Saturday. Couple of Gundam 00 things here and there, but not much. Someone had the petit props from second season, but I have most of them so I didn't bother. There was a shop that had a lot of things available for pre-order on the Gundam comm, soo. Yea. This is the haul, but it's not much.

( Haul )

But in all, I guess both my fandoms are so obscure it's not funny. There were 2 Allelujahs, 1 Tieria, 1 Ribbons, 1 Regene, 2 Lockons, 1 young Alle, and 1 young Lockon. And moi as Sumeragi (technically as Lisa Kujo). That's all I saw in 2 days walking around anyway. And no Togainu characters at all. When it came to the dealers room and the artists' alley, there was almost nothing for G00 and nothing at all for TnC. I tore all the doujinshi sellers apart and all I found was one Lamento doujin, which I bought out of bitterness. But come on, one is a GUNDAM SERIES FOR GOD'S SAKE and the other is a yaoi game. Why the hell doesn't anyone have anything for them?

( My cosplay, young Alle, and my bro )


IS ANYONE ON MY FLIST GOING TO ANIME-EXPO IN JULY?

I want to go but need a room-mate or 2 or 3.