redfiona99 | Entries tagged with manga

The plot thickens.

( The first part )

Most of the plot of this volume is filler. Well not exactly filler, but it's job is to allow the main characters to show their personalities, particularly Misa, Light and Detectives Matsuda and Aizawa.

( More spoilers )

( What I'm looking forward to in the next volume. )

There is a link, eventually.

I have decided that there is nothing wrong with Grimm that couldn't be fixed with better writing and an actor who can actually act in the lead role. He seems like a nice guy but he suffers from having one facial expression.

That being said, I hope they don't kill off his girlfriend or his partner, because I fear it's the kind of show that would go for that kind of drama.

On a similar tip, and I know it's finished but please no spoilers, I hope they don't kill of Aizawa in Death Note. He is also lovely. But then again most of the characters are, even the various Gods of death. It's going to be very painful when it all goes to hell when Kira is revealed.

Also on a similar tip, and containing spoilers for a book published in 1844, dear BBC Musketeers, you know how BBC shows quite frequently change the details of the things they're adapting. Could you maybe not kill off Constance? It would be the most lovely thing you could do, because I am as in love with her as D'Artagnan is and it would hurt. Also, by the by, the Milady defenders always seem to forget that she killed Constance out of sheer malice. The rest I could forgive her for, but not that.

Death Note was one the things that inspired this post about the difficulties of comparing books with comics/manga.

I'd been looking for something else to read in the manga line since Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles finished and I'd had Death Note recommended to me, several Halloweens ago while I was on a fencing social. The recommendation came from one of the bar staff at the Landsdowne. And I thought, well if it's good enough that people are singing its praises to random strangers, then it's probably worth a read. I saw Volume 1 on sale at Waterstones so I bought it.

I'm very glad I did. The first volume, while good and solid, is mostly straight forward, mostly just letting us get to know the characters. It wasn't the "OMG so awesome" I'd been lead to believe but I got the second volume.

And it was so worth it.

Because the first volume was spent getting to know the characters, what happens in volume 2 matters so much more.
( Spoilers )

Looking forward to cracking open volume 3.

* Help, spell-check has Nietzsche-wannabes pre-entered on its memory.

Thanks to

nwhyte I do the Librarything and Goodreads thing (I'm this name over on Librarything and my rl name over on Goodreads) and there's one thing I don't get, not in the "it's a bad thing" way, just in the "huh?" way.

I don't get how you (plural you) can compare books and comics using the same rating scale and system. Because with books you just have to like or dislike the writing, whereas with a comic the pictures matter almost as much.

For example, I am sure that Code Geass is fantastically interesting, but I can't tell two of the characters apart so I didn't carry on after the first volume. Meanwhile, I like the art in Trigun, and I've been told the story is interesting, but it didn't go anywhere within the first three volumes so I dropped that too.

When it's a comic adaptation of a book, I have the same problem. For instance, the 2000AD adaptation of a couple of the Stainless Steel Rat books do a reasonably good summary of the stories in terms of the text and the dialogue, but much though I love Carlos Ezquerra's art, I know what Jim Di Griz looks like and that's not it and it throws me out of stories something chronic, although I doubt it would be a problem if I hadn't read the books first (all hail my high school library). I bought myself the adaptation with my ill-gotten birthdaymas gains and I was thinking of reviewing it but I realised all I was talking about was the art and not the story and I felt weird putting that up on Librarything which is about books.

To me, they're just two too different media to be compared.

lgbtfest fic continues to increase in length. It's about 2/3rds done, and it's already 4200 words.

Other than that, I seem to recall saying I'd go through volumes 18 and 19 of the TRC pointing out some of the more squee-inducing moments. 18 actually has less auto-squee moments but it's very cool nonetheless. It also includes my favourite splash pages:

( Deeply spoilery, but cute despite that )

We also get a bit of plot background (For those who read TV tropes, this is where the 30 Xanatos Gambit pile-up starts) and the start of Fai's backstory (deeply spoilery also - http://www.onemanga.com/Tsubasa_Reservoir_Chronicles/133/13/ and http://www.onemanga.com/Tsubasa_Reservoir_Chronicles/133/14/)

( Spoilery assumptions from said panels )

Following that there is further plot and the first moment of shippiness - http://www.onemanga.com/Tsubasa_Reservoir_Chronicles/134/12/

( Oh Kurogane )

Sayoran's choice is even worse. But even sweeter - http://www.onemanga.com/Tsubasa_Reservoir_Chronicles/134/15/

( Spoilers )

Then Sakura does the sweetest, bravest ( thing )

Then there's the start of the next world, which I can been seen without spoiling anything. And you should, because it's pretty people, in chains. Now, while they later explain the chains, it does still come across as kinky fanservice city. I heartily approve.

http://www.onemanga.com/Tsubasa_Reservoir_Chronicles/136/01/
http://www.onemanga.com/Tsubasa_Reservoir_Chronicles/136/02/
http://www.onemanga.com/Tsubasa_Reservoir_Chronicles/136/03/

At this point the various unfortunate previous occurances have taken their toll, and there's pretty much two distinct groups, with Kurogane and Sayoran on one side and Sakura and Fai on the other, or the people who are trying their hardest to give things and the people who are trying their damnedest not to receive it.

We shan't mention the blood drinking. Because, well, I'm probably the only person with a thing for vampires on my flist.

Then there's another really beautiful splash page. http://www.onemanga.com/Tsubasa_Reservoir_Chronicles/138/01/

And then another particularly beautiful page of Sayoran angsting - http://www.onemanga.com/Tsubasa_Reservoir_Chronicles/138/12/

actually, at this point, just assume whoever is in a page is being angsty.

The splash for volume 140 is foot fetish/gothic loli heaven - http://www.onemanga.com/Tsubasa_Reservoir_Chronicles/140/01/

And features Sayoran angsting, Kurogane getting blasted to avoid angsting (this appears to be his method of dealing with everything), Fai angsting and Sakura going through fifteen thousand mortal torments because of how she feels about Sayoran and the spoiler -
http://www.onemanga.com/Tsubasa_Reservoir_Chronicles/140/14/
http://www.onemanga.com/Tsubasa_Reservoir_Chronicles/140/15/
http://www.onemanga.com/Tsubasa_Reservoir_Chronicles/140/16/

( I like how they're handling the spoiler )

First a question - anyone know a decent shop in the UK for manga? Forbidden Planet keep being ridiculously late and behind, but I'd rather by from a specialist than from Amazon, which is my fallback.

Secondly ( Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles Squee (spoilers for everything up to and including volume 17) )

Basically - eeeee! There shall be thoughts on 18 and 19 at some point in the future.

As to the American football, who should I be trying to convince people to cheer for at our Superbowl party?

So I'm writing fic about my OTP who includes the guy in this icon. And I thought I'd managed to avoid the sex scene that I didn't want to write (first time [with each other] scenes are just not something I'm good at writing, although I do prefer writing them to first time, first time scenes), because I got them to the effectively communicating stage, rather than talking at each other or chasing each other with katanas, and I was going to do a fade to black for the night they spend back in ( Spoilers Up to Volume 11 )

They're dashed awkward to write too, because one of them is Mr. Represses Everything and the other is My Smile Hides Something, so I want to do the whole thing where this is one of the few times where they're honest with each other, without it being cliched and waaah! I'm really not sure I can pull it off.

I feel unspeakably bad about not writing more for the Torchwood/Dr. Who Porn battle, but it's been a bit manic recently. Went home for a dentist's appointment and fencing at the weekend. The fencing went reasonably well. I came 28th out of 40, went out to the person ranked fourth, but she didn't manage to get the 15 hits in 9 minutes so I took her to time and she only won by 3 points (12-9). Also, I hopefully have ranking points.

Saw some TNA and wept because people were not joking about the rat on a pole match. Also, the idea of Abyss in a barbed wire match worries me. The AJ v Tiger Mask match was fun though as was Shark Boy & Curry Man v the Rock and Rave Infection, who would probably be quite good heels with a better script, in particular Lance Hoyt's character.

Grandmother likes Curry Man.

Am presently undergoing withdrawl from Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles (hence the icon). Hopefully 14 and 15 as well as 16 will be in Forbidden Planet when I go looking. That or 1,2 and 3 of XXXoholic.

I shall now pootle along to Wyndi's journal in the hope that her toga party post contains instructions in the making of togas from bedsheets.

I was floating about hither and thither and someone said that the voice cast for the English dub of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles had been announced, and I was like 'hmm, who would I really want as Kurogane?' (the one in my icon, btw). The voice in my head when I'm reading the manga is Brian Drummond (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0238546/) who was Zechs in Gundam Wing, but I said that I'd be happy with whoever did the voice for Picolo in Dragon Ball Z as a reasonable substitute, since they have very similar voices.

And while it's not Brian Drummond doing it, it's Chris Sabbat (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0754526/) who did indeed voice Picolo. So I am not going to complain, at least not until I see it.

Went to the biology postgrads quiz, won, received a prize of chocolatey goodness. Went to see the Prestige, which other people don't seem to like as much as I do.

Went shopping on Saturday, bought the most smooth and lovely pair of brown cords. And a Tigger bra. Which is lovely as well as being cute. Also volume 4 of Tsubasa and 2 and 3 of Trigun Maximum which I fear I shall have to re-read again to get any of.

Then I went out to the big metal club in Leicester which was fun. Sadly wasn't quite old enough to go out to clubs at the height of nu-metal so was incredibly pleased to be able to dance to stuff like 'Let the bodies hit the floor'. Met a few more people who I knew including one very random and deeply amusing theatre bod.

Got home at about 3.45, got to bed at 4.15, woke up at 10, went back to sleep, ignored my alarm at 11, finally woke up at 2 in the afternoon. So I might not be going to Retribution often ;)

Went to fencing, was somewhat disgruntled to find out that at next week's women's BUSA I'll only be fighting foil, not epee. Pleased a bit too because my epee sucks, except, you know, I'm better than at least two of the people actually doing epee for the team.

But yes, stayed in the pub till kicking out time, had lots of fun and am now perkily at work. And the proud owner of a pair of university of Leicester football socks in uni colours. Don't worry, there will be photos later.

Also discovered far more than I ever wanted to know about certain male fencers.

Discussing guys I actually think are passable, one of my friends let me read his copy of the 2nd Fugushi Yuui manga. Now I have all kinds of problems with it, but damn Hotohori is cute. And cool. Even if he is more than a little stuck up.

But would various characters pick a gender and stay put, it hurts my head.