Luce's Fanfiction Blog: May to August 2005
Luce's Fanfiction Blog: May to August 2005
29 August 2005
Tarig's Balance makes me jealous. Like green, green envy.
I may have to change the colour scheme of this page. How can she not write
about Go and get it so right? Not fair...
25 August 2005
Writing a HnG-Petshop of Horrors crossover. And an Initial D-HnG
crossover. How did this happen?
20 August 2005
So, I'm writing Viewfinder fic. I had a storyline of sorts when I woke
up, so I decided to write it, and to do it in the present tense too. I
wrote it on the train to work, at continued at breaks. It wasn't until
just now that I realized that it is rather similar to Pru's fic in terms of
style. Wordy, present tense, a lot of telling rather than showing. I
dunno... do I want to continue? Maybe I should change it from present
tense to past tense. Because that's where the similarity seems the most
striking. And does this mean that my writing skill is really, not even up
to that of Pru's? This hurts my pride.
19 August 2005
So, Viewfinder fics. Despite being intrigued by Pru's introduction,
all the way back at the beginning of the year, I never actually looked it up.
And now I have. Oof! At where else, an lj community yamano_ayano.
Quality ranges from uh-huh to pretty good, too many happy endings for my taste,
but then I like happy endings too. Or as happy (or possible) as the affair
between a ruthless yakuza and a photojournalist can be.
Other note: Asakura Hao is rather like a Marty Sue, isn't he? Superpowers, angst, an us-against-them mentality, and a twin brother of the main character. Hee.
17 August 2005
Dear fics:
1) Unfolding Fan. I love you, and I keep thinking of stuff to write in you, but you're getting a tad unwieldy for me, the person who cannot keep track of the events happening in the fic—even though I invented them—like, which titles did Hikaru get last time, anyway? And what’s the name of Akira’s boyfriend? It would be helpful if you told me.
2) Yet-unnamed Shaman King fic. I like this series so much, I want to write a fic for it. Something longer than a drabble. I can’t think of a plot. I have lots and lots of scenarios, but speculating about Hao and squeeing about Yoh and Anna do not a plot make.
3) Tentatively named ‘Path’, my very first Saiyuki fic. I'm sorry, you're going to be rather plebeian, I think-—because my OTP is Sanzo/Goku and it’s my bland, predictable story of how Sanzo/Goku came about. But I need to write this story, damn it! I have to know exactly how Sanzo and Goku get together, somehow, because I can’t rest until I know. It’s as though if I don’t have the backstory to how it happened, I can’t enjoy the subtext when I read Reload. Sometimes I think I write fanfic to augment my fantasies.
4) Ko Yong-ha fic. Why are you so difficult to write, you annoying, stuck-up man? It could have been so much fun. I can’t offer diamonds but I can offer a bed. Beds. Bed partners. Having naughty causal sex. Lolling around on bedsheets, my dear. Sexy, intelligent lovers—okay, I can’t guarantee they’ll be good at sex, being nerdy Go pros, but you’re more than enough. So why did your muse leave? Get back to me.
5) DN futurist apocalypse scenario: Granted, putting DN and ‘apocalypse’ in the same sentence is somewhat tautological, but it’s stuck in my mind, that white-washed, the 70s conception of the world in the year 2000, flying cars, and people in plastic clothes, Brave New World meets 1984 mixed-up collage of a world. I think my fear of losing my sci-fi credentials is stopping me from writing this fic. Maybe I’ll tear it down and make a drabble from the pieces.
6) Initial D. It’s annoying to be stuck between movie-verse and manga-verse (very little of the anime so far). As with Shaman King, scenarios galore but no plot, not even a basic story. Maybe I just hate to admit that I’m going to mess up talking about cars, and this is consciously or unconsciously sabotaging any attempt at writing it.
7) Muri unwittingly gave me a Hikago fic bunny. It’s not her fault, I get a lot of inspiration from even innocent remarks from her because I think about her fics a lot. I’m raging to write this one, so even at the risk of having to eat my words if the fic fizzles out, I want to say, LOOK OUT for Hikago fic. Thank you.
8) My original fic, which will never see the light of the day, as it's horribly embarrassing and bad and it’s full of Marty Sues, and which I continue to write simply because it’s fun. Fun. Hahaha. *clenches fist* Damn it, now even my Marty Sues aren’t acting the way I want. What the hell did I create you for, may I ask, if not to boink the charismatic, slightly sadistic, kind-hearted, wealthy beyond dreams, absolutely flawless (other than the slight sadism) Prince of the Realm? Get in that royal bedchamber! Both of you!
9) Juuni Kokki fic—it’s supposed to be a vignette-ish shortfic. I had the angst planned, I tell you. And yet you just sit on my doorstep and refuse to come in out of the rain, you silly fic. I will drag you in with my bare hands if I have to. Just so we got that clear.
So you see, between these fics, or non-fics, work, studying, random other stuff that are also important—I haven’t done any music practice for days, nay, weeks—and holding my dad’s hand as he tries to negotiate a deal (don’t ask), is it any wonder that nothing is being produced? Gah.
6 August 2005
Hm. Actually lots has happened, though I'm so busy on weekends that I
don't have the time to update properly. I did finally finish that chapter
of Unfolding Fan that's been lagging for two weeks or so, and posted it.
My new philosophy is: if procrastination is making you guilt-stricken and
distracting you, then it's better to just bite the bullet and do it. Yup,
see, it's even up in my motto spot already.
Joined 31_days, wherein there are 31 themes, one for each day of August. I admit, I joined because I'm envious that so many people are in it, not really because I wanted to write to the themes. I mean, there are two that I really like, but I could easily 'borrow' and credit without joining at all, right?
Kristin's fics were a factor. They were so good, I wanted to be posted in the same place too, and get brownie points from pure association. Letters from the Far Kingdoms: very simple concept--deceptively simple, because it's definitely a task to be sure the tone, the subject matter, all fit into the epistolary genre. But she manages it beautifully, and it's as though each letter springs fully formed. Gives a feeling of luxury to read, maybe because letter-writing is itself such an indulgent occupation these days.
I can't say that Juuni Kokki is a fandom I'm familiar with, though. I think I have the outline for a very short fic, but I need to think it through first, to see if it'd fit into the characters.
And yay, I'm starting to write a Saiyuki fic. Enjoying it, which is always a good sign of incipient completion, so that boosts my confidence too.
Aja, aka bookshop's HnG, A Whole New Apocalypse, is strangely good. I think it's because she has a lovely way of conveying the dilemma that Hikaru finds himself in--being attracting to Akira, and wanting to touch him, but insisting he isn't gay--so the whole encounter feels whole instead of fragmentary.
Go Robot, also HnG, by Xenophony, is nice and sweet--almost classic HnG, in the way Touya and comparisons to robots are made, and a reference to his and Hikaru's relationship. Fluff, but satisfying fluff.
5 August 2005
Ashkara and Christy updated with Chapter 51 of Allegiance. I
confess it took me long seconds to recall what happened the last time. A
pity, because it was an engaging chapter, quite involved, but it lost momentum
simply because it's been too long since the last part. I guess I should go
back and read the previous parts when time permits.
Further on GW, Sunhawk gave the next installment of Road Trip. I must admit, while Road Trip is the more adorable of her series, I hate quilt-making Duo, and the less I hear about his hobby the better. This is partly why I much prefer the Ion series, though I get frustrated at the way Duo sabotages himself--and does he have to angst so much?--and the bits of Heero's past that appears in Ion are simply marvellous. But back to the newest installment of Road Trip. Good, though not great, a sense of closure, some nail-biting moments for Duo, but it ends suitably, so despite some disappointment I'm not unduly er, disappointed.
I have these feelings of wanting to write for as many fandoms as I know, simply because I want to--and wanting to be liked and admired, of course... heh--just a sudden feeling. Hm. Mentioned it on lj, and to my shock I got encouraging comments. I don't know why I'm shocked. On hindsight it must seem like I was fishing for compliments, but mainly I was frustrated about this... wanting-to-write feeling, and posted about it. I mean, I'd rather these moments of creative enthusiasm can be saved up for times when I do have time, because nothing beats the kind of mismatch I've been having in the last few weeks: raging to write when I'm strapped for time, and feeling totally uninspired when I did manage to find time. Why can't these things be distributed more equitably?
Still, I've jotted down a few ideas, and I still want to write them, so I guess they stay, huh?
3 August 2005
mmmdraco started out with some good fics about Hikaru and Akira moving
in--but I'm getting the feeling that the later installments aren't as
spontaneous now. There's a sense that it's being overworked, and
overworked for the fluff/angst factor at that. Too bad, because she has a
knack of writing really striking lines but I'm not seeing so many of them.
Maya updates with chapter 2 of Quality of Mercy, her post-HBP fic. It's so good, close to professional quality--I think it's only because it's written in a short time that the slightly draggy parts come through. Otherwise, her characterizations of Draco and Harry are spot on, a tinny bit too much telling than showing--and so is (the beginning of) the plot. Wow. The girl is a marvel. I don't know why she thinks she needs a writing degree, because she started out good, better than most writers I've seen, and she has improved by leaps and bounds from there. She clearly sets her own writing goals, and overreaches them. When is she getting published? Please let it be soon. Because her original fic (needs more work as it's somewhat cryptic at times--for professional fiction, I mean: she's clearly filling in the blanks mentally as she writes, a bit like treating the original fic as fanfiction--no need to explain the backstory too much, stuff like that--but at the same time it) contains the kind of spark that makes me want to continue reading, and she has shown that she can plot, so with sustained effort I think she's going to get published soon. And I want her to be published! I want to read more of what she's written.
27 July 2005
Pru has chapter 13 of Visiting Hours, finally: and new developments
are always welcome. Name by bookshop aka Aja very good too.
24 July 2005
Ametetsu's Flowers and Go: very, very nice. Hikaru being stupidly
obtuse and not realizing what Akira is talking about. Akira being nervous.
Hikaru saying "Che". Hikaru giving spindly flowers to Akira. It's so
good.
Am writing drabbles.
23 July 2005
Waya plays games on the internet and collects his
victories there.
I think I want to put this sentence into Unfolding Fan somewhere. And speaking of that, I got an idea for a plot twist that came in totally from the outfield, but had the potential to take the story further, so I'm pondering it for now.
I'm liking Shaman King more and more. I hate the ending, mainly because the anime had a blah ending, and the manga one doesn't! I really, really wanted to know how the resolution came about, but that doesn't happen. Grr.
I know it's kinda formulaic most of the times. I mean, Shaman Fight? Who gets to be Shaman King? Fighting with freaky-looking avatars who also look utterly ridiculous? Winner gets to rule to world? It's a juvenile fantasy, particularly for the male of the species, sorta like mud-wrestling--mind-boggling, unbelievable and always supposing the RL worked like that, I'd still hate it, because it's so stupid. And yet the idea has its amusing sides--like the fact that there seems to be a strong environmentalist-tinge to the rhetoric, which actually makes me giggle, for some reason. And I get a lot of enjoyment from the forms the 'oversouls' take: Mephisto E, anyone? And why was this team dressing up as pyramids?
On the other hand, all the weird stuff is absolutely fascinating, because in a way, it presents what Takei, and vaguely, by extension, Japanese pop culture (if only because Takei was writing/drawing for Jump! and had to make the cultural references understandable to teenage boys) has to say about stuff outside of Japan. I mean, is this what the Japanese think of Arabian culture: flying carpets and burqas? Or of Halloween? (Though the flying Jack lantern was an excellent touch.) Or blacks, such as Choco Love (also a dumb name)? Though I'm pleased that he included Horo Horo, a representative of the Ainu (though accuracy of portrayal is uncertain). And of course, everyone speaks Japanese (this is my conclusion as I didn't think Yoh and Ryu spoke English, the lingua franca of USA, but there were no instances of linguistic changes or difficulties).
Okay, I admit, I'm intrigued by Hao. I like Hao. I think he's cool. He's a total bastard, evil, unredeemable, but I like him that way. The backstory Takei builds up for him in the manga is strangely poignant--the idea that he 'turned' evil because his own superpowers made him lose his way and decency/humanity, or even that he was too powerful for his own good, and this made him turn cowardly, and hence evil. It has the banality as well as the sweep of an epic, which oddly, always makes me feel as though Hao is the dark version of the Little Prince. Compassion-turned-bitterness combined with superpowers combined with brilliance combined with the ability to look into men's hearts times the simplistic urge to take over the world and mold it according to your own desires. All that in a boy that looks like Yoh, but with long hair, ugly shoes, a dramatic cloak and big earrings. What's not to like, huh?
(Of course I like Yoh too, though secretly, I squee over Ren. He's such a typical kid, with all the important, likeable traits made large: pride (yes, for him I would like pride), an asinine sense of honour, pretending to be cool, and deep inside, passionate, strong sense of justice, dorky hair, smartness, and insight.)
Yoh is one of my favourite characters because... frankly, I liked his seiyuu first. Such a lovely voice, and he laughs with such pure joy, and I thought, I want to take this boy home! But as a character, Yoh wins because he doesn't just have insight; it's as though he has this special vision where he automatically sees into the heart of a matter, a problem, while other people are still scratching their heads and trying to make the right logical leaps. He isn't smarter, or more savvy; he's simply able to cut Gordian knots as easily as strolling in a field. And with people, he has a true heart, is beautifully laid-back and yet gracefully passionate at the same time. When he says that he will do what comes naturally to him and that only, one recognizes that he isn't saying that he isn't choosing to ignore things he can't do, but he's simply stating his commitment to be true to himself. Individuality meets integrity. Mmm.
I like Anna very much, and it was all based on looks and attitude at first.
But after I read about her backstory in the manga, I liked her more than ever.
She has this similarity to Hao, but she's lucky in that she still has a strong
sense of self when she met Yoh, and Yoh is the one who helps her to anchor
herself, so as to speak. I hate it that in fics, especially m/m, she
always getting pushed to the side and ignored. The romantic in me wants
her and Yoh to be together, so the m/m pairings that include Yoh are out.
But I like it like that, I think.
Hate the X-laws, by the way. They remind me of religious fundamentalists, which given the fact that Takei tacked on the cross as their symbol, makes them annoying and dislikeable Christian fundamentalists to me. I dislike their intolerance and their assumption that they must be right, and their holier-than-thou attitude. Very trying.
22 July 2005
A not-so-good day at work. I goofed, and now need to consider
seriously how seriously I want to take ownership of my responsibilities... gah,
does that sound like I've been in contact with too many management books?
But yeah, need to make a concerted effort. Keep thinking like that, Luce,
and buck up! You can do it, raa raa raa!
It's rather upsetting, really. But if serious effort is needed, well, one just has to suck it in and take the next step. Integrity to the self and all that. Right?
In other news, am having fun with Mike Smith's chapter-by-chapter reading of HBP, because it pokes into a lot of the things that bothered me while I was reading it, but either couldn't be bothered to nit-pick, or passed over them thinking, well, 'that's Rowling for you', and it turns out that between him and Maya (who posted a brilliant review, by the way), I'm getting a closer reading of HBP than I would ever had, on my own limited time and attention span.
And Aspen updates with Chapter 80 of A Year Like None Other. 80, my god. Harry is adorable here, in a frustrating and I-want-to-shake-him way.
21 July 2005: A
many-headed blog-rant
Anyway my guess is that I haven’t been posting much on this ficblog… I don’t
know, I haven’t checked it in weeks, so the answer is probably yes… is apathy
setting in? Is it blogging fatigue? Is this the end of the world as we know
it????
Though I was all up-fired to blog on the following:
Ends multi-headed rant. Didn't mean for it to be so long. Huh.
17 July 2005
So I did go for that play-writing thing too... was reading HBP halfway, and
had to leave for it, in fact. Didn't finish that (play) until today, and
therefore only finished HBP just now. Comments:
Reading the first chapter gave me a bit of a chill, mainly because of the
bombings in London, but also set the glum tone about the return of Voldemort and
the Wizarding World at war.
Interestingly, there isn't the usual backstory for Harry this time, just a very
brief passing comment about his dead parents and that he stayed with the
Dursleys. I wonder if there are any new reader coming into the series with this
book (they'd be very confused, for one thing), and if this affects how they see
Harry. Hm...
OMG. I knew Dumbledore was probably going to kick it, but I didn't think it'd
happen like this. Ack. Felt a moment of shock when Snape did it, but thought at
the very least Snape had to be doing it because he didn't want Draco to be a
murderer. (And murderer of Dumbledore--he'd be torn to pieces.) I like Snape
either way, as Evil Voldemort supporter or Order spy, so that's okay.
And I did think that Snape was the Half-Blood Prince! Only, Harry seems to like
him so much... by the end of the book, this had become a good thing. (I was as
suspicious as Hermione at first, actually.)
Hm, my f-list is curiously two-minded on HPB. Some think it's pretty boring, and
some think it's bloody fantastic. I think part of the problem was that Rowling
was trying to pull too many things together, and the style became methodical
rather than spontaneous. Still, I was reading it and putting information togther
in my head, so I wasn't too worried about that part. Wow, Draco gains dimension,
as does Voldemort. The relationships were rather boring--I loved Ron and
Hermione, but I disliked Harry and Ginny, mainly because it was so predictable.
(Ron and Hermione are predictable too, but they just seemed to be more
interesting.)
Harry is more mature than I expected, which is good--also not as interesting,
though. Fanon and canon Draco merged, again, not as interesting, though I like
it that Harry at least has some pity for him at the end, and not just because I
love Harry/Draco fics.
Hm... my thoughts are coming in dribbles. I think this is a more carefully
put-together book, but it doesn't have the rushed suspense and the tension of
OotP, or the newness of the Tournament in GoF. What it does have, is the set-up
for the seventh book, which I am already anticipating.
6 July 2005
Ju aka lj=reality_is wrote A Temporal Progression a couple of months back. I
really like the fluffy version of Ogata/Ashiwara here, it makes me feel so
delighted.
Reload 5: out in stores. A tad predictable, really. I did expect more ass-kicking, but okay, that arc is done with, I want to see what happens next.
5 July 2005
Maya's newest chapter of Underwater Light. The penultimate chapter, she
says. Nail-biting stuff, and not quite enough of it. The identity of the traitor
was a huge surprise, but Maya brings it through quite successfully. When, when
will the next chapter appear???
Aishuu has also updated with her newest chapter of Brightly Burning. Again, another chapter that sets the tone, with a comparison of Akira and Hikaru from the viewpoints of their parents. Good to read, but not exactly arresting... except maybe for the reference to Akira's stalking of Hikaru. Besides, there are these errors:
a part of him thrilled as he recognized that some day, they might face each other as something more than father and son
It wasn't anything he ever told his son, instead offer affection and guidance
His wife was smart enough to recognize the distraction, but discretely let it slide.
if a little denser than she would of preferred
I can’t ignore these errors! They grate on me, and affect my reading of the story. If it were a typo or a simple tense-verb agreement, I wouldn’t mind—much—but this is beyond the pale. I want to take out a red pen and circle the errors. I realize I sound like the grammar or style police, but it's just difficult to think critically about a fic when those errors keep nagging at me. I really wish they would go away.
In other news, Monnie has updated on Hyotei Roommates, especially the remaining parts where Atobe gets a clue about Jirou. About time, A-to-be, okay? Lovely, sweet, a tiny bit heartbreaking, but I love Atobe so much--though he pisses me off too. Writing could use an editor here and there, but other than that, I guess that's Monnie's style, wordiness and all.
30 June 2005
Awfully stuck with my Yo Yong-ha fic. I can't get the tone right.
Argh! I want confident and arrogant, not a big jerk (well, maybe some of
that), but I can't get the tone down right. How he is going to be an Alpha
Go player yet has a strong personal life, I don't know. Am I overly
affected by Supacat's characterization, which I really liked, especially the
lounging on beds part? Gah.
In other news, I've sort of tried to participate in this 24-hour playwriting thing. If my application goes through. I feel sort of stupid, because I don't know how to write a play, but hell, no better time to learn, right? I'd probably suck?
26 June 2005
JAY CHOU
Watching Jay Chou's mv. Is fun. He's such a horrible, terrible
dork, that I just want to sit back and watch him all day. And then
I feel like so old because how come he can act so young? I like that
floppy hair. I like those small eyes. I like the pointy looks.
I like that he's such a dork in his mvs. I like how he sings song that are
angsty but have really fun lyrics. I hate how he made me like R &
B. But one thing comforts me about my choice: he doesn't sing love songs
all the time. I'm sort of bored with 100% love songs from a singer. He
sings about video games, war and conflict, his grandmother, one memorable one
about Chinese chess, and being with friends. This makes the mvs more
memorable. Ditto for lyrics.
I like him in Initial D, okay? Really like him, as in, I wanna watch the movie again, so I can watch him for another 1 hour 50 minutes. This hardly ever happens to me. Gah.
25 June 2005
Muri has posted her fic on ff.net. Yay! Updated lj right away to talk
about it, and to urge people to read it.
Part of me wonders if I'm being too effusive in my open declaration of admiration, as though all the other fics I list/rec aren't worth reading. I mean, who do I think I am, right? Why don't I do proper recs, for one thing, other than some (maybe) irrational squeeing over a fic? It's all very unfair and weird.
I guess the problem is that I don't really think that I'm capable of doing proper reviews. I don't have the judgment for that. I can sort of tell if a story is working, and even then it's often a subjective view, not an objective one. I come across lots and lots of fics on lj and on the 'net, and once one has passed my core requirements of having a proper narrative focus, basic grammar and spelling skills, I'm incapable of deciding the literary merit of it.
I don't even care very much about shifting POVs or OOCs, other than to decide--if it intrudes into the story too much--that it reads 'funny.' But I'd still continue reading for the story, if it were compelling enough. I mean, sure, I have a lot of hang-ups about fanfic--deux ex machina; long, long introspection; cutsy names; custsy sex (and stupid euphemisms for sex organs); character/plot clichés; non-canon vampires, angels, wings, werewolves and telepathy--but these are all my own prejudices, and I try not to tear apart another person's fic solely from these.
So unless extreme emotion makes me jump up and down (as at Muri's fic), I think I'm only qualified to list links to fics, not really to review it.
Initial D live-action movie: thoughts on it, possibly spoilers
In other news, I saw the Initial D live-action movie. It was better than I expected, which, seeing that I went into it with zero expectations, isn't saying very much. But I was pleasantly surprised at how... settled, the pacing was. Takumi's character was introduced without fanfare, and the set-up (people who go about racing on mountain roads in the boondocks) was drawn into the narrative almost immediately. The plotline (admittedly plain) unfolds without flashiness, without waste and while unsubtle, suits the genre of the movie well enough.
Car races: Despite the fact that I have absolutely no desire to race (or even mildly speed) like the lunatics that the stunt car drivers undoubtedly did for this movie, I adored the racing sequences. Yes, by the very end it was starting to get boring, but well, it was at the end, I can deal with that. I like the emphasis put on the cars, because cars don't emote. Much.
And I have to admit that the races were exciting. It was remarkable, really, to see big, heavy cars 'drifting'--sliding--across winding roads as gracefully as marbles rolling across a glassy surface, and the camera work really helped to provide the adrenaline rush.
Story: The plotline is simple enough. Presumably everyone knows that Takumi (Jay Chou), the boy who helped to deliver tofu for 5 years and gained mad driving skills by doing so, manages to wow racers Ryousuke (Edison Chen) and Takeshi (Shawn Yue), and in time comes to the conclusion that he might enjoy racing. There's an antagonistic figure, Kyouichi (Jordan Chan), who also challenges Takumi. He falls in love once, which ended. For a movie that focuses on the cars and the stunts, that's pretty good.
Actors: Jay Chou--I've heard the rumours that Jay Chou only had one expression for the entire movie (blank), and I'm glad to report that the rumours are wrong. Jay has a total of 3 expressions (blank, happy, and upset), 3.5 if you count the emoting done by the camera. I think it's terrifically right this way. I particularly like the blank look when he's driving--he's supposed to be bored, because he has mad driving skills, remember?--at least he isn't trying to act, which would actually be rather painful to watch, I think.
He's just right when he has that blank look--the moments when actual acting appears are sparse, but at least he doesn't overact. And the fangirl part of me, frankly, doesn't care. He can non-act all he likes so as long he keeps that floppy hair and that sleepy look, and keep resting that cheek against your fist, Jay! I'm delighted to watch it all. I'm also secretly amused that he appears to be in love with his car, especially after it gets upgraded.
Edison Chen--Again, I'm pleasantly surprised, because hey! acting. Not overstrong--he shouldn't actually smile too much, because whenever he does that I'm reminded that this is Edison, teen idol, when I want to regard him as Ryousuke instead--but some rather good moments, like when he tries to talk Takumi's father into a race. And I'm reminded that I definitely shouldn't underestimate him as an actor. He confuses 'looking pensive' with 'looking competitive' at times.
Shawn Yue--Has done nothing in this movie except to pose and to provide a backdrop of 'Hi, I'm also a racer'. Pity, he could have done so much more: good presence, looks right, but well, see previous sentence.
Anthony Wong--Yes, this movie definitely needed someone who can act (both senses) as ballast to keep the story going. He's the right person for it.
Jordan Chan--I'm disappointed there isn't more of him. The part where he is racing is pretty good, but nothing to shout about (stunt drivers did 80% of the work, anyway).
Anne Suzuki--Provides a somewhat distracting presence to the cars; cute, I guess, but it's a role that can be done by any halfway cute actress. They didn't give her enough weight on the movie.
Overall conclusion: Glad I didn't pass it up for Batman Begins. If they are doing a sequel, I'm definitely watching it.
24 June 2005
Was thinking on my Ko Yong-ha fic, and thinking about Pru's and Muri's
fantastic writing, and this led to self-ruminations on my writing. See, I
always thought that I was a reasonably good writer, so I never really feared
that my pride and confidence was going to be horribly damaged. I have
fantasies of being a really, really great writer, but I recognize those thoughts
to be fantasies--just a few people liking my fic is more than enough to satisfy
my ego (sure, I'd want more, but... heh, I know fantasy when I see it). If I had to be brutally honest with myself, I'd say that I
was a functional writer, adequate (maybe even good), but lacking that essential
spark that makes good, compelling fiction.
Which is why really strong praise makes me feel horribly ineffectual. Part of me would like to think I'm really being mocked, and I should take a light-hearted attitude towards it all. The other part of me thinks that if I'm not being mocked, then 1) other people's judgment is suspect, 2) maybe I'm better than I thought, or 3) what kind of world is it that my writing can be considered really good?!
It's so hard to tell, really. (1) passes some really ignoble opinions on people who are, presumably, only expressing likes and dislikes, and shouldn't be denigrated. (2) is the part I really want to believe, and is therefore the part I'm most wary of, while (3) is when my pessimism comes out to play.
*Takes a few minutes to think it over...*
Well, the root of it is that I have to stop moping about other people's more talented writing. I still don't know if I'm really good. I mean, I don't expect to make it as a professional writer (though I want to--but it's more like a dream than something I'd have reasonable expectation of). But the one thing I can do, actually make a difference in--whether I'm just an entertaining hack or a creator of stories that touch people (maudlin as this sounds)--is to keep working at it to improve. *nods*
The thing is, being a writer is more of state of being rather than any physical indications. Other than the expected familiarity with the use of language, there is no system for being a writer. If you are, you write. When I was writing my thesis, I stuck these words on a piece of paper over my desk: If you believe it, write it. I was telling myself that if I believed that something ought to be written, and that it was true (well, for fiction it's a different type of 'true'), then I should just go ahead write it instead of worrying about my audience. I guess that would mean that I'm snobbish about my writing, not to mention arrogant. Still, I don't want to find out that one day I've become the sort of person who writes something without putting myself into it. I've thought about it, I've tried my best to be true to what I want, I make sure it means something (however superficial), and so I write. That's the integrity that I think a writer should have.
--------
Also, Trinity Helix finished her InuiKai fic. Ending was surprisingly good. I like it that she turns an ordinary romantic entanglement into a decision about personal choices. Nice.
23 June 2005
Monnie's updated Hyotei Roommates! Well, she did have the last part out, and
the penultimate one, but I wasn't exactly taken with them. A little bit
too wordy, clichéd, boring and unoriginal. But wordiness is just right for
Atobe/Jirou fics--especially Monnie uses Mari, her OC. Mari's voice is often
sardonic, frank to a fault and like a steel trap on details--good for writing
Atobe, and the little details that describe him. And her Coping Methods,
part 2, of
Mari holding a torch for Hiyoshi. was simply excellent, because she brings out
the parts of Mari's character so well. I think I got a lump in my throat.
In other news, I'm contemplating this other HnG fic which will have Ko Yong-ha (Yeong-ha?). It will be crack!fic styled, possibly OOC forYong-ha? Which makes me self-conscious, because we don't see enough of Yong-ha, and what if I ruin the character for other people? Gah. Wondering about gifts. It could be wine, I guess, or something rather snooty. Hee.
Also Harukami and Nekokoban's The More Things Change, Tactics fic, wherein Haruka and Kantarou share feelings and get together (of course). I like the poignancy with which they bring out both sides' feelings of reluctance and longing, and given that it's the two of them writing, the story unfolds very well, as expected. They really make me want to write Tactics fic.
22 June 2005
Pru's chapter 6 of Things That Never Happened, dark fic, un-nice
ghost-from-goban, hurt/comfort fic, Hikaru the victim. I like the way she
portrays Hikaru, who is here almost wholly changed, full of manic energy,
inwardly aged, and filled with pain. I think it's an image that'll be on
my mind for a while. Pru has a stupendous imagination, and with this AU
series of hers, she's really running through the gamut of possible permutations
for HnG: Shindou & co. as rock stars (chapter 1), Hikaru as a girl (2), Hikaru
the amateur Go player (3), Hikaru as soccer star (4), Hikaru who died at age 12
(5) and now Hikaru who is haunted by an unfriendly ghost (6). I think I
dread, yet anticipate what chapter she'll come up with next.
Pru's skill, I think, lies in her ability to write really sensuously. Or maybe that should be really hot fics. But in fact, she's descriptive in a really remarkable way--she manages to bring the substance of hotness and physical detail and emotional pain onto those little plain words on the page, and you're amazed the page isn't swimming with tears or wriggling suggestively on your table from all of the stuff in it.
Speaking of HnG, I revised chapter 9 of my Unfolding Fan, with the result that it's much longer than before. Well, that's the most obvious change: other changes include the fact that Waya is now jealous as hell, and reading through the manga again, I'm relieved to see that there were ways when this might have been possible, allaying my fears of OOC-ness. Triple ko remains.
When will Muri's fic be out on ff.net??? I can't get the idea of Hikaru losing the goban out of my mind. Or the one of Touya giving him the fan. That first section! Come to think of it, she actually mentioned wanting to write HnG with swords, which is slightly weird for my taste, but I'd be interested to see what Muri does with the idea. Huh, I mean, at one point Hikaru and Sai do fight (allegorically?) with swords, so it might even be canon. Heheh.
18 June 2005
Part of me wonders about this business of reccing. Though I say that
I'm only 'listing' fics (links to them, I mean), without the comments that I
usually associate with reccing, I'm actually rather selective about the fics
that I list. Well, most days. Some days I just list everything I
read. But I guess having an audience makes a difference, because now I do
stop to think the fic in question is something I want to rec, or be accused of
reccing. Hm.
Hey, Pru has part 4 of Things That Never Happened up! It's sad and haunting, beautiful writing. It's almost inevitable that there's still a connection between Hikaru and Akira despite Hikaru's death. I think it's even harder for his mother. I love the mention she makes of Kuwabara too.
And part 3 of The Relative Value of Things, an Ogata/Hikaru fic, which is ooh, very hot, and totally bringing the fandom somewhere I didn't expect. Cool. My question is (not that its presence is unwelcome, oh no): why is there so much sex?
17 June 2005
Pru has been posting the chapters of a Hikago AU, 19 (x19), Things That
Never Happened for the last two days (3 at
last count). It's quite fascinating, and I'm really looking forward to the
AU-premise... right now it's been one AU setting after another--I wonder how
it'd tie together. Chapter 2 featured a female Hikaru, hee hee, very
precisely drawn, detailed enough to form a picture, together with an
in-character Touya. Chapter 3, ah, I liked that the best, even though it
has no great changes. Well, 'great changes' compared to the first two. Hikaru
doesn't become a pro, nor does he meet Sai, but he does meet Touya, and he
learns to play Go as an amateur, and the two of them start kissing in the last
scene. Fun, with a racing rhythm to it, almost bouncing to its conclusion.
I found Pru's touch in this AU to have a much lighter touch than her previous
stories, the narrative style effectively and more delicately handled than
before. Damn, I want that kind of fluency!
svz_insanity/aka Stacey (I think) has a drabble which sticks in the mind, about night passing and Akira watching Hikaru missing Sai, and later a short fic, Just Waiting, about Touya waiting for Shindou in hot weather and uncomfortable clothes, worried about Shindou and trying to eavesdrop on gossiping girls, and ties it all together.
The Hikago fandom rocks.
16 June 2005
Went nuts over Muri's fic, Your Hand in Mine, HnG fic, which started
out, I think, as an experiment (?) over the use of tenses, and on the way
incorporates a plot and awe-inspiring story-telling skills. I gushed, I
oohed and aahed, and I don't feel the least embarrassed. Whenever I think
that maybe I've been over-praising the fic, I look at it again, and I
throw up my hands in surrender because while it's still raw and well, a tiny bit
rough, especially in the middle, it is well-nigh perfect in execution.
We should all wish for skill like that, really. I mean, there's writing
ability, there's style, there's the ability to write very hot sex scenes,
there's good crack, there's sensuous and sexy writing, and there's tightly
crafted plots, but properly done, the ability to say what you want to say
trumps all of them.
I did suggest a few (cosmetic) changes, but that first section--in future tense--reads like a song... like a dream, almost no unnecessary or unwasted word at all. Every word has weight and purpose. Beautiful--perfect. Gorgeous for a narrative that has Sai's goban perishing in a fire... but Hikaru saves what is most important, his grandparents, and a week later Touya gives him the minor thing that was lost, affirming all that is important again. Completes so well.
Muri has this ability to make it all fit, like the words are carved in stone, so that they belong to this fic, to this time, and to this idea only. The emotions and the events ring true--sometimes you don't even find this in commercial writing, okay?! And she talks about wanting to read my fic. Haha. True, I'm feeling really competitive now, and I want to write my next chapter, but I don't really think I can make it as good as Muri's. Wishing doesn't make it so. Damn.
Still, I guess I have my own integrity, and definitely I look forward to polishing something that is mine, and mine alone. Live and learn, the world's a pretty good place after all, and so on.
Hm, Whitman-themed fics. Mmm.
14 June 2005
Arsenic's Origins of Myth, which was the first Ron/Draco story that I
really liked, though today I discovered that the stories--in the same
universe--about Harry learning to live again (Something Borrowed),
and about Hermione and Snape are just as good. Body of Knowledge
has bits that are heart-wrenching, while the one about Harry reads like a blank
puzzle, with Harry gradually finding his place in life. Lovely, lovely
stories. Why can't I write like that?
I like Shaman King more and more. I used to dismiss it as a typical Shonen Jump story, with weird-looking characters who are only out to pick a fight, but I like the depth with which Takei infused his characters, especially his main characters, who are always guided by an inner compass. I like Yoh, and I definitely like Anna--the flashback chapter about their first meeting made me squee inside. And I like how the idea of a Shaman King integrates into the mechanics of the world--how the world could be changed... the idea that the world can be changed, merely through the efforts of a Great Spirit or whatever. I mean, let's face it. Once you break in the concept that pretty much all you need to do (I'm speaking in the most superficial of terms, of course) to make the world a better place is to win a fight, you're clearly not operating in my version of reality. But for a crazy concept, it's worked out in an interesting way.
12 June 2005
--From lj--
Monnie's last installment #16 of Hyotei Roommates (somehow bypassing the
earlier sections). Hated the letter, supposedly by Ootori.
Meaningless banter between Gakuto and Oshitari. The conversation between
Jirou and Atobe was the sole redeeming section: a bit too cute, but still
conveying Atobe's voice very well. Emphasis on fairy tales irritates me,
though, but this is a personal prejudice, so I can't blame anyone.
Seti wrote the start of what seems like an intriguing premise--for YnM--whereby Hisoka comes to Muraki, of all people, to help a possessed Tsuzuki, and in return offers up himself. I'd love to see how it is resolved. Though Seti said that she's looking for a co-writer for the lemons. I wish I could write lemons. I'd love to be part of this story.
Another week and I've yet to post my next chapter of Unfolding Fan. Though I did write the sequel to a flashfic/drabble Plastics. Hm, must get to work.
4 June 2005
Courtesy of flu-recovery, this extreme fatigue that makes me want to sleep
all the time. I thought after posting my last chapter of Unfolding Fan, I
would be able to come up with the next chapter in no time. I forgot that
that chapter was written under the influence of extra-strong cough mixture (I
sounded like I was coughing up not just my lungs but also my kidneys, liver and
spleen, and my stomach muscles hurt--my doctor was somewhat alarmed),
when I was woozy yet capable of operating machinery (the computer), and when
reviews of Stars Wars 3 made me think that it was an excellent movie. The
next chapter is being formulated--I hesitate to use the word 'written'--under
circumstances that are less than favorable.
Nonetheless, I shall prevail! Well, so far as I can keep awake. And sane.
So, I'm working on chapter 9 (I think), and being envious of people who write better fic than me, people who are intellectually more accomplished, people who have better jobs, and people who have more material goods than me. When ordinarily, I wouldn't give such comparisons more than a split-second's thought. Sleep deprivation is such a bitch.
I'm also reading Fleeting Inspiration, this excellently amusing Gravitational fic that has Shuichi being his crazy in-love self, and Yuki being his crabby, also insane, but concerned lover. I believe it's a measure of my personality that I feel intellectually superior when I read Gravitational fic. Good Gravitation fic, that is, that gives me an idea of Shuichi's intelligence yet makes me dismisses it because he and Yuki together are so cracked-out insane that it is easier to go 'har har har' than think deep and insightful thoughts about how Yuki really loves Shuichi but is too reluctant to say it. It's a pity it's a WIP, but that's also a good sign of more entertainment to come in the future. Please don't let this WIP die.
31 May 2005
Woo. Has been a long while. Have not been reading a lot of fic.
Had a bad flu last week.
But was clearing up my shelves and realized that I have two copies of A Town Named Alice. Hm.
17 May 2005
Blood Magic is a monster of a fic. At 83 chapters, it's
insanely long. Well, I suppose A Year Like No Other is comparable,
being about 70+ chapters and counting. I think Gateway Girl said, on her
blog, that it was more than 500,000 words. But when you try to read it
over two days... ow my eyeballs. I guess what is good about a really nice
long fic is exactly that--it's long and you can sink your teeth in it.
I'd ask what it is about HP that results in long novels, but I get quite a bit of Highlander fic that's stupendously (both senses of the word) long, too, so that's okay.
Textual Poachers: should I get it? Maybe see if the library has it, first.
Reading quite a number of HP fics. Hm, I guess that's what happens when the people who write anime fics are in the middle of their exams, or something. Still, today I re-read Icarus's Cursed Artefacts for Sale, which presents a hilarious portrait of Snape, and which is also my favorite: he's manic, interested in Dark Arts, petty and a bit of a geek. I don't know... a more light-hearted form of the Snape in the books? I do remember that Snape was my favorite villain when I first started to read HP; I like Harry because he's the hero, but I thought Snape was rather cool, in a nasty, if-you-were-my-teacher-I'd-loathe-you kind of way. Besides, intellectual arrogance and the freedom to insult your students can be really, really attractive, when you don't have to face it personally. When I saw Alan Rickman as Snape, my mind actually screamed in protest, because he just didn't fit my view of Snape. (I was expecting someone older... and unsex-godly.) As it turned out, Rickman was effective as Snape, but still... I think this was why it took me so long to get into the idea of Snape/Harry. The teacher/student relationship did make me hesitate, but the main thing holding me back was Snape.
Anyways. I also read Fly-fishing for Beginners by Jay Tryfanstone, which was a late Victorian (I think) pastiche-flavored tale of how Harry and Snape got together via Muggle/English literature. I like the boldness of using a narrative voice like that, it fits right into the story, and the last bit, where they shagged, was very short but just right. On Wednesday, also by Jay, was marvellous. It has a deliberative style, is well-framed, and just plain good.
Also, Elizabeth Peters's Serpent on the Crown has been out since April. Must see if bookstore has it.
Have discovered something slightly bewildering. About two-thirds of the books on my table (yes, it's a mess) are manga. When I want to write, I just stack them up and put them on the floor. I don't do that with books. Weird.
16 May 2005
Read The Persistence of Memory. Harry-has-amnesia-fic. It
was surprisingly well written, but is a WIP. Actually I only like part of
the fic--the part that was actually story. The writer seems to have
uploaded a chunk of quotation (real and made-up) at the beginning of each
chapter, which is supposed to give meaning to the story, but eh. I'd
rather have the story.
Have a chapter of Unfolding Fan to finish. It was going to be longer, but I cut out a huge chunk. Hope it won't be too short.
Also, I discovered that I do, in fact, own a copy of Gawain and the Green Knight after all (other than the Tolkien one). I thought I had given that copy away the last time I moved, and have been cursing my own stupidity for ages. Glad to be wrong. Anyway, it looked more tattered than I remember, but that's okay. I've put it between my Keatses--poems and biography--so it doesn't get mistaken for trash.
13 May 2005
Friday the thirteenth. Woo.
Read Snakes and Lions (44 chapters) and in the middle of Blood Magic by this powerhouse of a writer, Gateway Girl. Gen-fic with Draco/Harry friendship and relationship in the first, Harry as Snape's son in the second.
Snakes and Lions is really quite entertaining, the way the two of them become friends eventually, and how Harry helps Draco figure out a way to escape the Dark Mark. It doesn't have the wit or snark of Maya's Underwater Light, but it comes quite close in the way of looking at their friendship without wild snarling hatred, including (the inevitable?) Draco-makes-Harry-break-school-rules scenarios. Pretty good, and the plots within plots (Snape doesn't think the friendship is genuine, Draco doesn't trust Snape) are a refreshing change from Death Eaters Unite! thing that goes on in lots and lots of fics.
Blood Magic has a somewhat contrived set-up for Harry's paternity. I say 'somewhat' because it actually ties in a little with the plot (aka dealing with Voldemort), so it's not too annoying, but I still find it a little gratuitous. Also, I'm slightly taken aback at how Harry decides to get a handle on his temper and succeeds so well--he actually appears mature. There isn't the trauma from finding out that James isn't his biological father as well, as well as the lack of enmity between him and Snape when he finally goes to live with the latter--but that's not too bad. I quite like the antagonism between him and Lupin, caused by the latter's suspicion of Snape, though I fear that it may turn out to be a Snape/Lupin after all (eek, not my favorite pairing at all).
But I think I can put up with that happening (only in the middle of it, don't know what happens in the end) because Gateway Girl doesn't seem to go for gory scenes of smut--I'm definitely not equipped to deal with Snape/Lupin smut--euch!--or drippy sentimentality. So that's okay. It's turning out to be an extremely good read, actually. I especially like the parts where Harry talks about his time with the Dursleys, and how no one adult seems to realize how badly he is being treated. His complaint is valid; they don't care until he's out of it, and then they come round (by 'they', I mean Lupin) and ask how he's doing. I really like the way it is described: how Harry thinks that it's no big deal on one hand, and on the other feels angry at the Dursleys' dislike, and why his situation was ignored, and so on.
13 May 2005
Woo hoo. I'm already on Chapter 4 of my fic... and wow, I'm nearly
written out. Okay. Not precisely true. I'm just beginning to
go on to the next stage, so I wanted to give myself a bit of a break. But
too much and I'm afraid that it'd stall.
7 May 2005
So many things happened between last posting and now. I had three
separate bouts of bad moods. I started my middle-aged!Hikaru fic. I
wrote some insane drabbles.
And then I came across this discussion on the Tactics community. Apparently some people thought that Haruka's name means 'far away', which is in reference to his super!tengu powers. Someone else chimes in with the supposed joke that Kantarou called him "Spring Flower" which made me go 'HUH'?
I'd always assumed that his name means "Spring Splendor", which is already pretty cheesy and embarrassing by itself--"Spring Flower" is so much worse. It also doesn't suit Kantarou's purpose in naming him--Kantarou did state that he wanted to give his tengu a 'powerful' (impressive?) name, so I took it for granted that the name would NOT be a girly name.
Anyway, in my manga, Haruka's name is written as "春華", of which "春"means "spring" ('haru' in Japanese) and "華" ('ka' in Japanese) means "splendor", or "luxury" or even "Chinese or China". (Simplified Chinese for the latter is: "华"). If, in some versions, Haruka's name is written as "春花," "Spring Flower" would still be the right translation, but it wouldn't refer to Haruka, because "花" is "hana" in Japanese, and Haruka's name is emphatically not "Haruhana".
By the way, as far as I know, the confusion between "華" and "花" has been responsible for the mis-naming of China as "Flower Kingdom" in some historical accounts.