some bitching, some ranting, and a wee bit o' fangirling

[insaneneko]

Oh my god. I shared the Loveless preanime CD thing that I had grabbed from seiyuu with a friend, adding a link to Obsession's scanlations of the manga for background. She wrote back saying she tried reading the first two chapters and was confused. She wasn't sure if it was her poor tired brain or Kouga Yun doing her incomprehensible storytelling again. Curious, I downloaded the first file and read it...and was put off by the bad English. Kouya Yun's style is already a bit sketchy, but this English it only makes the problem so much worse. I decided to grab my Japanese volume 1 and compare the scanlation with the original...and just from the first two pages I found so many mistakes and problems it completely annoyed me. I mean, the translator left out simple adjectives and adverbs, mistranslated sentences, had some simple errors...along with the bad English it just amounts to crap in my book. GAH. I wonder if any other groups are scanlating this? *sigh*

One thing I am very excited and annoyed about...I read the newest Fujimi Orchestra book and it was so damn good! I just blazed through it, ranted about it at a friend, then reread it a couple of times. I finally looked at the insert in the book, and it was an announcement that a manga version was coming out in celebration of the series' tenth year anniversary in May! It's coming out along with a side story book written for the book and not for any magazine. ^_^ I totally look forward to that...but what irritates me is that I desperately want to read the next proper book in the series, but looking at the track record of releases it looks like I won't get it for at least another four months...GAAH!!

I kind of want to listen to the drama CDs...I guess I should go search for them...

Speaking of drama CDs, I am very very curious about the drama CD of Soshite koi ga hajimaru (And the love begins), a wonderful novel by Tsukimura Kei. I had already really enjoyed another novel of hers and was looking forward to reading this one, and I was not disappointed at all. She just has this way of writing that feels so fluid and gentle yet still a bit sorrowful and sad...a truly lovely novel. I so need the sequel. I must fight the urge to collect every book of hers out there...

I stumbled across another Valentine's fic at a Japanese TezuRyo fanfic site 3min called My Sweet Darling...and it isn't very sweet. Why the hell am I coming across these rather bittersweet Valentine's Day stories?? I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised about reading this kind of story at this site because this author tends to write a rather callous and um...libidinous Tezuka...In any case, while it isn't very happy I thought it was pretty good...I like the repetition of phrases and the way the sentences seem to lead nowhere and the disturbing eroticism of it all.

Comments

[mitethe.livejournal.com]

But I'm trying to be intelligible to suck more victims fans into the series!

[mirichan.livejournal.com]

*lol*

I've sucked many people in it while just fangirling like crazy :P

[insaneneko.livejournal.com]

I've sucked people into other series from fangirling as well. I guess we make some sot of sense while going off about things?

[mitethe.livejournal.com]

It's worked for me in RL but I'm not sure my online equivalent would be as successful. XD
(Oh well, going to give it my best shot!)

[mirichan.livejournal.com]

I tend to fangirl like crazy on only a few anime (Planetes, RahXephon, Otogizouhi AND Yukikaze) are case in point... so people know that I don't fangirl just because of cute boys or something...

Plus the fact I was linking to amazingly gorgeous Japanese fanart to incite even more love... So yes, I trapped many :)

[mitethe.livejournal.com]

It's certainly effective. You've thought all this out, haven't you? :P

In retribution I demand you get into Initial D! XD

[mirichan.livejournal.com]

I have Initial D...

I mean... it's Miki as a lead character and Koyasu & Seki Tomokazu playing brothers... and the music is great...

BUT BUT BUT...

The art is so fugly. I was a big Formula 1 fan as a teen/young adult so it's not that I don't like racing... I was reading Michel Vaillant BDs as a kid... BUT the characters are so fugly :)

[mitethe.livejournal.com]

I said the exact same thing when I first heard about the series and I couldn't have cared less about cars or racing either.

BUT! The characters are wonderful, the races are addictive and it's all just incredibly fun to watch until you don't even notice the fugly artwork anymore. It won't hurt to try the first few episodes. XD

[mirichan.livejournal.com]

Bad bad bad...

Okay... I'll give the first 2-3 eps. a try later today... *sigh*... maybe I should wait tonight. In a semi-obscure room, might help the fugliness (or just close my eyes and listen to Miki :P).

[insaneneko.livejournal.com]

You really do to get used to the ugly art (at least, most people do). The characters are very endearing and most people I know just get wrapped up in it. It took me years before I bothered to check it out, and I really regret all that time wasted when I could have fangirled and gotten goods and stuff. :P

As Mitethe says, can't hurt to try, right?

[mirichan.livejournal.com]

Remind me of Escaflowne...

The "ski hill" nose bothered me like crazy at first... then I got caught in the story (and in Allen Shezar's voice/look/hair) and forgot to notice said noses...

[insaneneko.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I remember the noses really irritating me as well. I was not very enthused about the show at first because of the art, but...well..that all changed soon enough. ^_^

And we all know that, conversely, beautiful art can not save a crap story with flat characters.

[mirichan.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah...

Meine Liebe anyone?

Damn this was pointless (imo, anyway)...

[insaneneko.livejournal.com]

*laugh* I saw the first episode of Meine Liebe and promptly deleted it. I chuckled every time I read about how pointless the series was in someone's LJ...

Talk about a waste of ey candy (and VA talent)...

[mirichan.livejournal.com]

I have LJ friends who were rabid about it... so personally I tried to be "diplomat" but damn I hated that show.

Beautiful to look at... great voices... *yawn*

[insaneneko.livejournal.com]

I don't hate that show at all. I just don't care a whit about it. :P

[mirichan.livejournal.com]

I "hated it" mostly because some were really trying to make me feel like I did not "get it"... there's nothing to get. Cute characters, great voices, boring stuff. What's "to get?" ^__^

And NOW I must go. I have my coffee & ID is up and waiting for me to start.

[mitethe.livejournal.com]

Score! ^_^

Seriously, the weight of good storytelling and character development carries you through the crappy fugly animation in the beginning (4th Stage animation for the races blows me away). Just close the blinds and crank up the volume. XD
I'm sure you'll like Takumi - Miki plays him so well and the character is one of the most likeable and unassuming protagonists out there.

[mirichan.livejournal.com]

ARGGGGGGGG...

You better watch Otogizoushi, now... you pimp! Mine is a 26 (24 out) series.

Initial D is... like ARGGGG...

3 series finished... one movie... and the ongoing 4th stage... that's a LOT of episodes!

*sigh*

Miki!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[insaneneko.livejournal.com]

*laugh* That is so the role where I really really ended up liking Miki. :D

And all those episodes? They whiz by so quickly you'll be wanting more at the end...^_~

[mirichan.livejournal.com]

Oh. I got into him from the first minute (YnM)... it's really the art of ID that has stopped me so far.

[mitethe.livejournal.com]

Don't worry, I'll be getting Otogizoushi on Monday from my friend so it'll be at the top of my list of things to watch. ^_^

Once you get into it you'll be wishing it was a lot longer. *grin*

Yes! Miki! Lots of Miki! *pimp* *pimp* XD

[mirichan.livejournal.com]

Okay.

I'll start now instead.

Will get some coffee and ID, here I come!

[mitethe.livejournal.com]

XD XD XD

(Oh, if you don't want to be spoiled be careful of my earlier LJ entries because I've only used LJ cut for 4th Stage.)

[mirichan.livejournal.com]

I don't really mind spoilers... except for special cases (like when I was into Otogizoushi or RahXephon or obviously Yukikaze)... :)