insaneneko

I should've known what would happen if I tried to deny what I really wanted to do for too long. I not only ordered the Sekai ichi hatsukoi with the DVD I might never watch, I ordered TONS of books. I hope they don't all disappoint. In any case, I got into that evil cycle of updating the tracking constantly to see if the boxes (the order got sent in three parts, one of which consists of ONE ITEM WHY?) are any closer to me. The official arrival date was Monday but I kept hoping that it was wrong...But no. The first two boxes send out are stuck in California, TAUNTING ME. I know i'm going to get very little sleep as I read through the order during the workweek. :P

I decided that I needed a distraction from the taunting boxes, so last night I stuck the Mirage of Blaze DVDs in. I let the anime run, paying attention only when I felt like it. I paid attention a lot when Naoe spoke. Aahh, Hayami Shou, your voice is divine. In any case, I ran through all of the TV series and OVA and started rereading my favorite arc (Red Whales) in the books. Since I *just* rewatched the series I could totally hear the voice actors saying the awesome lines I read and made rereading ten thousand times better. I particularly loved imagining Hayami Shou speaking Naoe's thoughts at one point. Takaya had just been awesomely leaderlike to the Red Whales, which makes Naoe jealous as hell. So he thinks of ripping Takaya's clothes off and fucking him in front of his "worshippers," turning his pride into humiliation. He wants to see Takaya's face. He figures Takaya's devotees would die of jealousy, as well. (for reference: book 27 p 143) *sighs in contentment*

I've actually been rather put off by angsty painful BL books and manga and have gravitated towards more "normal" people having more "normal" (or even fluffly) relationships lately, so it's nice to read such a satisfyingly angsty and fucked up story that no fanfic or doujinshi could top. And I'm not yearning for my order nearly as much as I feared I would.

I finally got around to reading the latest Mirage prequel novel and enjoyed it. I really like the demon slaying because the situations are always so complicated. I love the cover of this volume--I always want to pull their ponytails. :P In any case, it seems that the big bad guy has been revealed. I assume many books will be filled with Kagetora and co's struggle against a very devious and ambitious organization with creepy chimera monsters (part demon part human) and a hidden in plain sight leader. I can't imagine things finishing up in the next book. I hope she doesn't skip forward to Bakumatsu again. I really like reading their Sengoku period "lives" because it's so personal. For example, they gain an ally in the spirit of a daughter of a lord who'd sided with Kagetora. She'd join them to serve Kagetora, but also to get revenge for her family. She actually tries to take out Naoe, who'd served Kagekatsu, by helping out someone, but ends up saving Naoe when she realizes that someone wants to actually eliminate ALL the Yashashu including Kagetora.

Later, when Naoe is discussing her with Nagahide he admits that he can't help but be conscious of her. Her very cold gaze reminds him of his wife Osen. Nagahide tells Naoe that Naoe is the type to be drawn to those who are very cold to him. Nagahide goes on to say that Naoe prefers being treated badly because he doesn't have the confidence to feel comfortable being made a fuss of. He warns Naoe that a servile man will never gain a woman who loves him as he'll always distance himself first. When Naoe denies it, Nagahide asks if Naoe had ever lasted long in a relationship. When Naoe falls silent, Nagahide sees it as proof. He swears that Naoe will never in life be in love with another person who loves him back. Then he adds, oh sorry, your life's already over, isn't it? XD; Naoe thinks about his life and kind of has to agree. He'd somehow understood Osen's cold attitude toward him, one that had zero expectations from him, while never lasting with any other woman. He wonders if that's why he's drawn to Kagetora...Though he thinks there's something else there too.

I loved that exchange SO MUCH. Nagahide is such as ass! And Naoe is such a loser when it comes to love....I still chuckle when I remember from an earlier prequel book Naoe recalling Osen saying that being fucked by him was like sleeping with a log. Or something like that.

Via ariss_tenoh: Star Trek chibi art!

Rumors of an X revival at clamp_now...Like someone commented in the post, I'll believe it when I see it.

Via mirageofblaze, Hotaka Ran posted at her site that something big is supposed to happen with Mirage next year. I hope it's an anime (with the same voice actors!!!), and I pray it's not live action. Read the post for more English and link to Hotaka Ran's site (which has some awesome Mirage prequel pics in the blog and in the Mirage gallery--check out Naoe's 2009 birthday manga, it is hilarious).

Five Kindnesses Charles Emerson Winchester III Performed (But Would Never Acknowledge) by Amilyn, a MASH Yuletide fanfic I remember reading a while back and loving. Somehow ended up at it again the other day and loved it once more.

The PV of up-coming anime Durara!! is kind of off-putting, but I want to see it because it's apparently set in Ikebukuro. XD;

I wanted something to flip through right before bed, so I picked up one of the Mirage prequel books, Shishi kurau, and quickly realized I hadn't read it yet. It threw me off because it was set in the Bakumatsu period....All the others were set in their first lives as Yashashu, so everything's radically different. It was interesting to see how their loyalties have become divided--Haruie can't push himself at Kagetora anymore partly because he'd once asked to leave the group for love, everyone is allied with different factions and it *really* matters, and Kagetora has become really tired of "living." But it was a jarring change. I suppose Bakumatsu is always an interesting setting (tho a bit of a cop-out, precisely *because* it's so interesting??), but...It'd have been nice if she'd shown how they changed over time more. *sighs* I laughed at Naoe's belief in Kagetora when others were more doubtful, and at the end he insists on following Kagetora despite the fact that he'll betray his current life to do so. You see a bit of the crazy dog Naoe from the original series, but it felt a bit lacking because she jumped time so much. One other thing that was irritating--so many names! I knew some of the Shinsengumi names because they are so famous and used in lots of manga and other stories, and the names of the big movers of the Meiji Restoration, but there were tons of people I got confused about. I'll have to go back and read it at leisure, since this time I was reading more for the Yashashu characterizations and relationships.

I also really liked the interaction between Naoe and Kagetora when Naoe was still a little boy in his current life and Kagetora was an old man in his previous one. Kagetora had come to visit Naoe before he died, and it had a bittersweet tone to it. I want to see more of how Kagetora had become worn down. He's so vigorous in the other prequel novels!

I wanted to pet Nagahide when he turns out to be dressed in Western clothing and is all enthusiastic about the foreigners. How typical of him. XD;

Like one reviewer on Amazon Japan commented, I hope Kuwabara-sensei eventually writes about the thing with Minako...

Now I want to rewatch the series....Maybe reread it, as well. :P

ETA3: Added TRC figurines and Square Enix The World of Mana (what is this anyhow?) plushies

ETA2: Added a Hikago Sai fan keyholder and xxxHOLIC/TRC stamp set.

ETA: I found another mug cup in a random drawer while cleaning today. T_T It's a Karekano Pero Pero mug cup I already have and use....Why I have two, I don't know. In any case, see below for pics.

While digging through my closet I discovered the mother-lode of goods I'd pretty neatly stuck into a bunch of boxes. They were kind of heavy and took up a good amount of room, so I decided to cull. A lot of it was easy because I had this horrible habit of buying two sets of stationary...So there are lots of letter sets below. I also found things that baffled me. Why the hell would I have bought them? I realized that some of them were given to me, thus explaining their presence without me having to resort to a temporary lapse in judgement. In any case, I did a mad run of picture taking and uploading of stuff I wouldn't mind parting with.

Prices are in US dollars, they don't include shipping. Some of the items (such as the mugs and bowl) are heavier, thus will cost more to ship. I may also have to buy a box or a package to send these things safely. Please don't ask how much postage will be...I won't know until I go to the post office. I don't have a scale, unfortunately. I'd prefer payment in postal money orders for those in the US. If anyone outside of the US wants any of this stuff, I'd prefer international money orders. I'd like Paypal to be a last resort.

Warning: Lots of images under the cuts

( hello kitty phone strap )

( hello kitty/nana fastener )

( wolf's rain t-shirt )

( pot clear cd case, pouch, pencil board, wristband, fan-made goods )

( kkm fastener, letter set )

( ouran fastener, notebooks )

( fma mugs, bowl, figurine, double file, hand towels )

( fushigi yuugi letter set )

( princess princess notepad )

( matsumoto temari minicard cases )

( saiyuki postcard set, letter set )

( morimoto shuw notepad )

( sugiura shiho koori no mamono notepad )

( CLAMP mokona mugs, TRC letter set, gouhou drug postcard, xxxHOLIC/TRC stamp set, TRC figurines in Mokona containers )

( matantei loki ragnarok plushie, minicard set, hand towel, letter set )

( hikago clock, pencil case, cards, sticky notes, plushies, notepads, fan-made stickers, Sai fan keyholder )

( karekano hand towel, mug cup )

( cafe kichijouji de letter set, postcard set, notepad )

( loveless postcard )

( angel sanctuary letter set )

( fruitsbasket )

( dn angel sticker book )

( yami no matsuei minicard set )

( rurouni kenshin letter set )

( genjuu bunshou by narushima yuri letter set )

( oh my goddess! letter set )

( Great Place High School (manga by Koujima Naduki) postcards )

( mirage of blaze fan-made letter set )

( square enix the world of mana plushies )

Sorry the pics are not that great. I tried retaking when they were really bad, but I couldn't get good shots of some of the stuff. :P

I was slogging through the scary weeklong friendslist backlog when I saw a post in mirageofblaze showing this cover of the February 2008 issue of Cobalt magazine. I wondered if Kuwabara-sensei had started up the prequel without my knowledge, so I checked out the website. It's apparently the grand restart of the series! The issue contains an author interview, character and world intros, and map of Echigo as well as a new chapter. There's an excerpt of the new chapter online as well. I kind of want this issue...Which makes me wish I were in Japan so I could easily (and cheaply) pick a copy up. *sighs*

I am very glad that the prequel is starting up again. I love the art. I enjoyed seeing how the characters change from very different people to something more familiar from the original series. I am interested in what else happens between Naoe and Kagetora (I love incidents like Naoe getting very upset that Kagetora is doing laundry since it's so beneath him when he had been contemptuous of Kagetora's privileged background and his supposed to be the self-appointed watchman to make sure Kagetora doesn't try something against Kagekatsu).

I don't quite look forward to seeing more of Nagahide, because he's a total asshole. I know he was an ornery geezer when he died so is still an ornery old geezer in reincarnation, but still. Bah.

(I just realized that If I had just read the cover I would've noticed it was the grand restart. DOH!)

I've been having fun reading a Mirage of Blaze AU doujinshi titled "Cybernetic Moon," which I bought for the lovely English blurb that runs from the front cover, over the spine to the back cover:

"Takaya" has worked his way through school, ever since he lost his family in their suicides. one day at dawn he finds the man named "Naoe" in a trash dump. Naoe tracks down "Yuzuru Narita" to kill, who is a student of Takaya's school. Because in the future Yuzuru will invent the medical artificial intelligence which by Japanese enterprise "Cyber O-dyne" will be brought in the terrible system "GreenNet" tyrannizing in the world 50 years after. GreenNet regards itself as God and eliminates the human beings. It is the human beings versus GreenNet war. To delete Yuzuru, the originator of GreenNet, "Reijiro," the leader of the human resistants remade Naoe into their ally, who was a waste android for secret police, and sent him to the 'now' through the 'time hole'. But Naoe cannot kill him. And Takaya will...?

The author relates in the foreward that she was inspired by a trip to Universal Studios Japan, by something called the "Terminator 2-3D." I barely remember "Terminator 2" (having seen it only once) and never saw the original movie, but I do recognize that some of the elements. The author took the idea of two androids, each one sent by opposing sides, from the second movie. Naoe is the older model sent by the humans to kill Yuzuru, and Chiaki is the newer shapeshifting model sent by "GreenNet" to protect him. She threw Takaya in (I can't help but think of Zetsuai whenever there's a pick up a guy lying in a trash dump scene...) to kind of play a Sarah Conner role in that he's more athletic than Yuzuru and has a tragic/traumatic past (am I a bad person for laughing when the author related Takaya's horrible past, which culminated with him finding the dead bodies of his entire family in a sea of blood?), but Yuzuru is in turn very protective of the emotionally vulnerable Takaya. I had to stop reading for a moment because i was creeped out by the really bizarre sex scene between Naoe and Takaya...I'm not sure what the author was going for, actually. Naoe doesn't have sexual function nor knowledge, apparently (though you'd THINK it'd be a basic thing included in all memory?) and has Takaya lead him through the motions. It's creepy because Naoe doesn't feel sexual excitement and is kind of observing Takaya getting off (even as he helps Takaya in the process). I can't imagine feeling...fulfilled in that situation?

In any case, putting aside that bit, I am enjoying the interaction between Chiaki (with the closer to human AI), Yuzuru, Takaya, and Naoe. I hope it doesn't end lamely...Also, maybe no more sex. ^^;

I love Mirage AUs. I don't think I've yet picked up a novel doujinshi that wasn't an AU. I suppose it's because it's hard to beat canon for fannish indulgence. XD

I ADORE THIS COLORBAR...But the funny thing is that I am not that in love with furigana. Nice to have, but not necessary. But still, the concept is love.

There is such cute Yamane Ayano fanart in this post, which incidentally has tons of cool news. Glad to hear that Libre has supposedly secured printing rights for most of the old Biblos titles. Crimson Spell plushie? OMG WANTS...But I don't live in Japan. *sighs* And I'd forgotten that Ikoku Irokoi Romantan will be animated. :P

Speaking of Crimson Spell, I was rereading the first volume and had to laugh at how Bart gives Havi the potion via mouth to mouth and is struck by a strange feeling. It reminds me of Naoe doing the same for Kagetora in the prequels and having such innocent "why do I feel so strange?" moments. OH NAOE. If you only knew just how much your master will consume you eventually.

Will they animate more of Mirage? I hope so. I want more Hayami Shou doing his thing as Naoe. And Seki Toshihiko does dominant in a strangely inviting way far too well.

Lately I have been subjected to the Takumi-kun series CD dramas (mainly because I couldn't leave the room in which the CD dramas were being played). I can't begin to express my relief that the series is very low on the smut factor, because I can't stand listening to smut in the first place (unless it's Papa to Mira XD) and I'd hate to hear it for a series I don't even care for. But one thing that delighted me in the last drama I sort of heard? Apparently three kittens are found, and are being cared for by a teacher until they could find permanent homes. Their names are Kuro (black), Shiro (white), and Yayashiro (slightly white). I understand that Kuro is actually a black cat, so it follows that the others must also be named for their coloring. How I adore Yayashiro. It's so...literal, yet so sweet.

Oh, another good thing about the series is that the BGM seems to be classical music. I really dislike the BGM on many of the drama CDs I've heard. Can you say cheesy? -_- Give me classical anytime, even insipidly played classical.

I have an urge to pimp Saiunkoku Monogatari to friends even though I haven't watched a single episode yet. I've heard a lot of positive things about it, but what is currently making me excited is finding out that Hirahara Ayaka sings the opening. I didn't recognize the song by title, but as soon as I heard it I a) was slightly disappointed it wasn't a song I'd never heard before, then b) squeed because I LOVE the song. I love the album the song is on. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Hirahara Ayaka. From the album 4tsu no L I've been listening to non-stop lately:

Hajimari no kaze, the Saiunkoku opening

Eternally, probably my favorite on the album. So, so pretty. *_*

Ariesu no hoshi, a song with a jazzy feel to it.

Circle Game, er...I've run out of descriptions. It's a really nice song. ^^;

Lyrics for this album available here. Looks like I don't own one of her albums...I need to correct this deficiency ASAP.

Thanks to genkischuldich I've learned of Nekobukuro, a mini cat theme park (or more aptly put, a cat host club) in Ikebukuro. More specifically, it's in TOKYU HANDS. I go there every damn year, and yet I've never known of the existence of the place. >_<

( mirage fanart babble )

Trivia: In coffee shops "cups are usually filled little more than half way because this, for aesthetic reasons, is how green tea is served." (From here)

Paragraph I really got a trip out of: "Ramen really is an entire cuisine, a food group, a cult, a movement, an industry, an art, and the best damn meal for under ten bucks anywhere in Japan. Did I mention, the nectar of the gods? Forgive me as I wax rhapsodic." from an old ramen shop review. LOL.

Weird themed restaurants:
Ninja Akasaka
Vampire Cafe

The Kuwabara Mizuno doujinshi event Night Wing Final website has a survey that I would have filled out and submitted if I had known about it before the deadline. For kicks, I translated and responded to it (at work) because I'm being stymied and am rather frustrated. It was fun thinking back to the series, but my responses are really off the top of my head. :P

( Survey )