Cahoots34

- Sign-up - Name: Chen Jie-Ling Sobriquet: Gal Age: 19 Gender: Female Appearance/Description: Jie-Ling's average stature and broad, plain face denote a modest origin otherwise belied by pale skin, plump figure and long, thick hair. Affiliation: Pearls of Winter sympathizer and trade contact Weapons: Her wits and a small dagger more accustomed to rending open correspondence than assailants Circumstances: The third of five daughters born to an aspiring merchant, Jie-Ling plays the role of dutiful daughter, cultivating her ailing father's business in the interest of the Pearls and encouraging the political enthusiasm of her young husband, Bao-Zhi. Introduction: Jie-Ling seated herself in her father's office with ease. On the pretext of cleaning, she had seated herself beside her husband and father in the dim glow of the dying fire, rustling papers in an innocuous fashion and remembering to drop something now and then to earn a chastisement for her feminine incompetence. Her husband began an animated recount of the latest meeting of town's liberal faction, and her father's failing vision and mind were soon engrossed in the tale. Jie-Ling smiled indulgently, occasionally interjecting a cry of awe at some such 'progressive' theory even as she made minute corrections to the next day's objectives. The clerks would find them in the morning, and all but the shrewdest would think them her husband's. All the better, then, to have bought the loyalty of every remotely clever clerk in the household; it was a wise investment. She rifled through a handful of reciepts, selecting a few to tuck away into her sleeve, and was about to review the day's records before she realized that her husband's narrative had stumbled from its easy pace over the stone of her name. "Jie-Ling? Are you listening to me?" She smiled politely. "Forgive me, husband. What may I do for you?" "I had just remembered. Another package arrived from your friend in the mountains today." Her demure smile brightened minutely as she grasped the parcel, tearing it open delicately to reveal a folded length of richly embroidered amethyst silk. The expression of pure delight that crossed her face was not entirely manufactured, especially as her ears caught the faint crinkle of parchment concealed within the fabric's folds. "Thank you very much, dear husband." She rose to her feet. "If you will permit me, I must begin my reply. It would be unseemly to keep such a friend waiting." (Er, not to seem overly precocious, but will there be an opporunity to play several characters?)

A question of taste: I know that I, personally, tend to favour subtler series (where the pairings are mostly fangirl fluff and nonsense) over their more explicit counterparts, which tend to be plagued by the same troubles and tired cliches as het romances (where the pairings are mostly canon fluff and nonsense). I'd rather the characters' relationship intrigue me so thoroughly that I'm happy out in left field with nothing more than a half-baked misinterpretation of meaningless dialogue to show for my agonizing analysis than be bombarded with the coagulated mass of trite stereotypes and unengaging drama that romance series (the ones that intend to be romance series, anyway) seem fraught with. Has anyone else noticed this pattern? If so, does it affect the choice of series you'll consider viewing? As for the question I think I'd initially intended to answer, I'm sure the reason I like yaoi/yuri is either insufferably Freudian or... I don't know. Simply a question of taste, perhaps?

High school is tedious and my parents are indulgent, so I find I'm making quite a habit of this lately. I also find that I get a lot more done when I have the seclusion and healthy amount of sleep that I get out of sick days, which is hardly an incentive to stop.

[B]Underrated:[/B] Queen: Infectious pop-rock with daring subject range and outstandingly innovative musicality. The real tragedy is that their most well-known songs are their least impressive, and famous only for their ability to provoke the unwashed masses into fits of rhythmic stamping and chanting. Cream: Psychadelic blues featuring Eric Clapton and Jimmy Paige. Surely even my irredeemably tasteless generation can appreciate that dynamic combination. The Zombies: One of the few great British Invasion rock bands, and one of fewer still to incorporate jazz beat and baseline into standards of the style. The Eagles: Electrified country with more on its mind than lovelorn ballads, and more to offer than just Hotel California. The Zutons: Thanks to Transtic Nerve's apt reccomendation, I can confirm that this group is both fantastic and severely underrated, and certainly not to be missed.

Tedious Rambilngs: Having encountered both, I'd have to reccomend the series itself, but in anime form, English dub version. Now, before I'm shot for praising a dub, I'd like to say in my defense that it's done in a style much like Yuu Yuu Hakusho, and much of the same voice cast is involved. What I saw (of both series, acutally) in English was vastly funnier than what I saw in Japanese. That editorial aside, the main reason I preferred the anime (aside from the super-hilarious dub) is that the art was so much more tolerable, at least for me. If you're not really concerned with that, however, you'll probably enjoy it quite a bit. I am a girl, much to my perpetual dissappointment, but I feel that the series is grounded enough in its subtle and infectuous humour that even sweeping romantic and emotional themes can't dampen its appeal to both genders. (That applies to both manga and show.) Summary: It's hilarious and apprecably gender-neutral. I'd reccomend it. Disclaimer: All of my comments about the manga were based on the version I 'read' (I'm barely literate) in Chinese, so I can't claim an overwhelming amount of certainty about anything except that I disliked the art. Immensely.

I'd like any show with 'Gundam' in the title to make a return to television. If the rest of the title happened to be 'Wing', well, I'd hardly be dissappointed. I've also been missing Lupin III and this one particular incarnation of Batman that I can't quite remember the name of.

On my laptop, I keep the entirety of Gundam Wing, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Cowboy Bebop. I try to watch at least an episode of each per week. I think I'm on my fifth time through each series. I also keep Castle of Cagliostro, which is my nonfattening chocolate substitute for truly depressing situations (Bush election, inability of Cartoon Network to play YYH the whole way through, etc.). If I had the extra space both in hard drive and brain cells, I'd probably want YYH, Lupin III, and Ranma 1/2. How interesting that of all the animes in existence, a certain few keep coming up over and over in this thread...

Teenage empowerment. Assuming you identify as deeply with the characters as I did, it's as though you've just been given a giant robot and sent to bomb the unmentionable out of adults, show them the error of their tyrannical ways and lead them to peace. Doesn't that feel good?

For me, the best sort of storyline would have a shounen basis (perhaps the impending demise of Earth, to be averted only by a band of improbably attractive and skilled orphans), incorporate some science fiction (the attractive orphans have giant robots) and some intellectually stimulating themes (pacifism, unity, morality) and quite a good deal of action for those moments when my mind begins to wander (giant robot brawl!). The science fiction is really optional, though, and intellectual stinulation is often readily replaced with comedy and innuendo (male martial artist falls into spring, turns into girl...). Originality is important too.

A few thoughts on a subject I have too many thoughts on: Gundam Wing: My all-time favourite. Compelling characters, intricate plot, cool mecha and intriguing, if often labyrinthine, aspects of political and martial theory. Bonus: Yaoi speculations G Gundam: All of the drama of Gundam Wing (with almost none of the attempted intellectualism). Despite a fairly standard "destroy evil, save the world" formula populated with an unintenionally amusing array of cultural stereotypes (A haughty and effinate Frenchman wielding a phallic symbol and a bunch of flowers? How strikingly original.*), it's a highly entertaining adventure, if not always in the way it's meant to be. Bonus: Skintight bodysuits (Major source of humour. Can't figure out why that wasn't continued in later series.) SD Gundam: Compund intolerance of both CGI and overwhelming cuteness prompted me to skip this entirely. Can I assume I haven't missed anything too spectacular? Bonus: That moment of embarrassed silence among mech fans whenever it's mentioned aloud (Also v. funny, even for a mech fan like myself.) Gundam SEED: Even for a franchise as shamelessly commercial as Gundam, this was a bit transparent. I felt that quite a bit of potential was left unexplored for the sake of the plot's marketability. Bonus: The knowledge that entertainment value and originality (or lack thereof) will never stand in the way of consumerism (Er, yay?) Sadly enough, I'm hardly knowledgeable enough about the rest to make any comments (not in the company of people who know what they're talking about, anyway). I've either not watched them (Zeta, A-Turn, V) or was a bit too young to appreciate them when I did (0080, 0083, etc.). Any specific reccomendations? *My French relatives found him absolutely hilarious, though.

"They say reading is dead. But isn't. It's just.... pathologically crippled." -John Stewart, The Daily Show With television and computers' complete enthrallment of our culture and ascendance to the status of most prevalent social influence, has reading become an obsolete form of entertainment? Whether you're painfully aware of such a tragedy or convinced that nothing of the kind will ever disrupt the harmony between book and television/video game/computer, share an explain your opinion on whether it's time to start up the bonfires or visit your local library.

Queen, for one. As suppliers of ever-appropriate, ubiquitous rock like "We Will Rock You", "We Are The Champions" and "Another One Bites The Dust", Freddie Mercury, Brian May and John Deacon (the main co-songwriters) recieve surprsingly little credit for having provided countless stadiumfuls of people with an opportunity to scream and stomp their feet somewhat melodically without being asked to leave by security. In addition to crowd appeal, which in and of itself implies quite a bit of simplicity, there is a faithful attention to detail and innovation throughout the band's work, ensuring that lyrics, among other aspects, are always intriguing, original, and of excellent quality. Then, of course, there are those like Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, John Lennon and Paul Simon who deserve far more praise than I can give, so they're resigned to a humble little mention at the bottom of this post. (Sorry, guys; I suppose you'll just have to comfort yourselves with your vast fourtunes to compensate for not getting a verbiose paragraph on the magnificence of your abilty to rhyme "one" and "sun" on your less inspiring days.)

Though classics like Gundam Wing and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were just before my time of cultural indoctrination, I matured on a fairly steady dose of frentic violence (which was a remarkably good preparation for middle school, among other things). Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers (first season ONLY), Spiderman, Digimon... The cheap merchandising wasn't a deterrent until about age six, when I realized that it was possible for a show to have a plot. I then promptly settled in to worship Batman in all of his stoic roles (Batman, Batman Beyond, Justice League, Justic Friends, etc.), and still have not gained a life to this very day.

I take lessons, but I'm not going to try to flaunt skill that I admit I don't have. (The fact that I was completely baffled by several phrases posted here is particularly discouraging...)

Personally, I prefer subs. I trust more a string of words that flits across my screen than something that's subject to the moral requirements of every homebound radical Conservative in the Western Hemisphere. In case an example is needed to prove this, let us compare Gundam Wing and its lesser spawn, the Cartoon Network dub. "Tag along on my journey into Hell!"="...bye-bye!" No, I retract my earlier statement. There _is_ no comparison, and I have been rendered forever wary of English audio tracks as a result.

I'm not willing to trade Tokyopop's quality for Viz's prices- what you pay for is literally what you get. I've found Viz (the publisher of Shounen Jump, Animerica, etc.) to do quite a lot of sloppy work-- bad flopping, shoddy translation and a whole host of other irksome quirks-- for the sake of being (on average) two dollars cheaper, and while they do sometimes manage to wrangle a few truly stellar series (X/1999, Yuu Yuu Hakusho, Naruto), the diversity of Tokyopop's selection is far greater and, for the most part, processed with better care for better quality.

Well, I could try to be rather throughtful about this, or I could simply go with "Omae wo korosu!" as uttered by Hiiro Yui of Gundam Wing fame, soleply for the fact that it is so very fun to shout in crowded corridors in your local high school/library/insane asylum.

I'll admit, my first thought was of Relena & Hiiro from GW. (Subtract three points for complete lack of originality.) But after seeing--and being completely intimidated by--the perpetual arguements on the subject, I'm going to traverse a somewhatless beaten (and pothole-ridden) path. I really can't see much of a future for Kamui Shiro and Kotori Monou of X/1999, literally. In a tale where the end of the world is the inevitable 'happy ending', the sweet optimist with latent super-duper powers and childhood attatchments to the presumed saviour of the World is not only slightly out of place, but also incredibly irritating (signified buy the fact that she was [spoiler]offed not once but several times throughout the series/movie, [/spoiler]or so I've heard.) For his part, Mr. Messiah has similar naiivete, and is smitten with her just as badly as she is with him in the introduction of the story, but more capable than she of accepting the change forced by circumstance. [spoiler] That is to say, he lives to see beyond Volume 9. [/spoiler] Within the context of the plot, it is inevitable that they will mature at different speeds [spoiler] (this is rather obvious, seeing as she's too busy shuffling off her pink and sparkly mortal coil to do anything but provide Kamui with angst and abandonment issues... But I digress yet again.)[/spoiler], thus making them incompatible. Plus, her elder brother's tedious little habit of stalking Kamui and trapping him in compromising positions to lick blood from his neck might make dinnertime conversation a bit awkward. (Which it would have been anyway, seeing as she's [spoiler] tiringly dull. What, you thought that I was going to say dead? What a one track mind you have.[/spoiler])

[QUOTE=ChibiHorsewoman][color=darkviolet] Second choice is the five pilots from Gundam Wing. Can you blame me? Hiiro with his spandex pants and velcro shoes! Duo and that pair of pants that enhance his hips. Trowa's entire outfit plus his hair! Quatre and that vest and pleated front pants. Wufei well we'll just take a detor there. And of course the rest of the deal. I think this set up would be ideal though because there are five pilots and five of them. [/color][/QUOTE] I would wholeheartedly agree with you, were the Gundam pilots not quite so familiar with killing. As one Queer Eye fan from a nationful, the tragic possibility of having to read a book or form strong, loving bonds with family because the hosts of this decade's attempt to ingratiate one minority with the WASPy whole were murdered in some sort of indigo-induced irascibility on the part of an adorably imaginary ex-terrorist is all too horrific. (Indeed, it is rumoured that the CIA found evidence of such a plot as recorded in a microfiche lining Saddam Hussein's garters.) That said, I think there might be minutely less bloodshed if they just went after one of them, say, Quatre. Why Quatre? Certainly not because he's the worst off; he has very tastefully avoided the womens' bike shorts, lethal hairdo, MC Hammer-esque pants and white pyjamas of his comerades in favour of a slightly feminine yet inoccuous pink-and-purple ensemble, much to his credit, and is otherwise well mannered and presumably neat. No, it's probably because he'd be the least likely to pull out a pistol to express his displeasure with a certain fumbling innuendo from his hosts. Simply ask him a philosophical question or have him [spoiler]attempt to kill Trowa while in an unbalanced mental state after the death of his father[/spoiler], and you can (pre)occupy him for countless half-hour installments with his own assorted (and mostly organic) guilt, anguish and angst, making him the perfect victi- er, candidate for the latest Queer Eye! If they hadn't had 'Queer Eye for the Gay Guy' already, I would have argued that most of the Gundam Wing cast was inelligible for the show.

[quote name='maladjusted][color=firebrick'] ...Siruis & Lupin, which is the second-favorite HP slash. [/color][/quote] Last I heard, 51% of the entire Harry Potter fandom accepted Remus/Sirius as 'practically canon'. I can't quite decide if that qualifies it as fanon or something that Ms. Rowling giggles over as she reaps the profits of books sold to radical conservatives, but it's still a fun statistic to throw around.

Tokyo Bablyon, CLAMP's X/1999 sidestory/precursor, is possibly the best manga I've read in months. The art's a bit dated, but the hilarity of the characters' interactions more than makes up for artwork that's unassumingly pretty, rather than ostentatiously beautiful. And the dialouge...! Below all the series' comedy, action and mysticism are complex, well-crafted layers of metaphor and symbolism that provide the manga with an engaging yet not overwhelming amount of substance. The (potential) romance between Subaru and Seishirou dominates the book, predictably, but humbly provides enough intrigue and humour to create a vibrant tale suitable even for the least appreciative of CLAMP's unsubtle odes to shounen-ai without sacrificing any of the dignity or detail of the relationship for those of us who do like less conventional couplings. I'm tempted to call this the definitive CLAMP shounen-ai manga, so I will.

[QUOTE=ChibiHorsewoman][color=darkviolet] I've also wondered how Duo and Trowa would get along since well, nobody's really mentioned it. What do you think?[/color] [/QUOTE] It's more likely than 1x3, certainly, and I've read quite a few good fics to that effect, but there's still something about their respective characters that suggests to me that Duo and Trowa wouldn't coexist as well as they might with Heero and Quatre (respectively), whoI like to think of as their personal foils. For a board about shounen/shoujo-ai, there's been surprisingly little talk of CLAMP. Is there any series they've done that lacks a healthy (or delightfully _un_healthy) dose of homosexuality? (Most of these are fairly old series, so I'm not bothering with spoiler tags.) Cardcaptor Sakura had the undeniable cuteness of Touya and Yukito, as well as poor Tomoyo in the throes of unrequited grammar-school lust over Sakura. X/1999 could probably be interpreted as a very large orgy, and one cannot turn the page of Tokyo Babylon without noting at least one confession of love/attraction from Seishirou to Subaru.Wish, I think, had something in the fact that the angel was androgenous...? Their newest release, Gohou Drug, is certainly traversing the well-worn path of CLAMP same-sex romance. Seriously, _is_ there a CLAMP series without shounen/shoujo-ai?

...Is anyone else picking up some subtle shounen-ai undertones from this series? It may simply be that all series I've seen where the male characters pair themselves off so ...well, deliberately (Gundam Wing and Weiss Kreuz, to name my personal favourites) basically invite more salacious interpretations of dialouge and interaction, but it seems to me that some truly plausible arguements for Hige/Kiba and Toboe/Tsume might be made.

The thing I enjoy most about the show is the complete lack of reverence for the time-honoured but tired stereotypes of shounen series. I'd admire any series that begins with the death of its main character (an immature thug) who is then chaperoned by a giggly Grim Reaper, reincarnated by a 3-ft.-tall God of Death with a pacifier dependency, mentored by a petite female psychic and goes on to (attempt to) vanquish evil in the questionably-fearsome company of two demons (one incredibly effeminate, the other short) and a gangly, inane redhead. If there is a moral to the series (which I'm going to conclude, given all of its jolly perversity thus far, there is not) it must be to never assume anything based on appearance nor ever underestimate nonconformity, for to do so would be stupid, and there are apparently many creative ways to kill stupid characters... in animation. (Really, who envisioned a lethal whipping by an adolescent redhead who carries roses?)

[QUOTE=Dagger IX1]Since you seem to be fairly knowledgeable about X/1999, I have a couple of questions I'd like to ask you. 1. While I plan on buying the Tokyo Babylon OVA, it would be nice if I was able to read the manga first. However, I haven't seen it in any area bookstores, and I suspect that it hasn't yet been licensed and translated. If Tokyo Babylon is going to be released in North America sometime in the near future, do you know which company will publish it? 2. Again regarding Tokyo Babylon: I've heard that this story has some shonen-ai undertones. Since you're familiar with the manga, perhaps you could tell me whether readers' reports of slight male/male innuendo are exaggerated or not. Thanks! ^_^ ~Dagger~[/QUOTE] I know that someone else already answered these questions, but I'm in the middle of a particularly potent TB obsession at the moment, so I hope no one minds if I add some things... 1. I bought Tokyo Babylon Vol. 1 at my local comic book store on Friday, and have since then read it 12 times through. Heh. Tokyopop's done an excellent job, including colour inserts, a 'sound effects guide' and detailed explainations of the various obscure references (such as those to CLAMP's favourite viedo games) throughout the manga. 2. Exaggerated is hardly the word. Seishirou, the elder of the two main characters, is openly "in love" with Subaru, and spends the entire manga making advances towards him. (One of the series' most quotable lines thus far is, [spoiler]"Subaru-kun... Do you find me sexy?",[/spoiler] which is the oddly-appropriate end to most of the dramatic conversations between them.) Subaru's twin sister, Hokuto, encourages Seishirou endlessly, claiming that she'll be his sister-in-law someday. Subaru himself seems to be the only one who's reluctant to acknowledge Seishirou's affections, but there are six more volumes and I doubt that CLAMP will let him play the blushing naiif forever. (Thank you, CLAMP.)