Sweet Cantarella

Fantastic article on the complete history of FFVII

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:37:39 GMT

Hey all,

Just wanted to plug this FANTASTIC article on the phenomenon that is Final Fantasy VII.

If you've ever been curious as to what this humongous franchise is that spawned a sequel movie, game and three prequel games TEN YEARS after its initial release, you should read this article.

For those who've played the game, it'll make you nostalgic like crazy and also probably teach you a few things you didn't know about the game's production, Square's split with Nintendo, how Tetsuya Nomura got the job as chara designer, etc--it's a really well-researched article. It also mentions all the little tidbit spin-offs that you may not hear about as much (Cloud-tachi's appearance in Ergheiz, Zack's tribute OVA Last Order, and the short stories by Tetsuya Nomura about Denzel, etc. (did you know someone actually wrote a whole novel about Aerith's adventures in the Lifestream after her death??))

Anyway, just wanted to send it a long because it is a very good piece of writing and a great, one-shot summation of everything there is to know about this phenomenon that grew from a single, ground-breaking video game. I hope you guys will take some time to read it--it's very worthwhile! ^^

Happy Friday!!

Same-sex marriage is legal in California!!!

Tue, 20 May 2008 16:02:27 GMT

I know, apparently this is old news now, but I somehow COMPLETELY missed it! (haha, shows you the power of media bias, huh?) Just saw this article about George Takei (Sulu from Star Trek) preparing to marry his long-time partner of 21 years-- good for him~! And congrats to all my gay brothers and sisters out there~~~!!!!! ^_______________________________^

That totally made my day!!!

~Cy
(Yes, 2 posts within 12 hours of each other...I'm a little shocked myself... ^^; )

Prince Caspian reivew and X-men the MANGA

Tue, 20 May 2008 07:40:37 GMT

Hey all~

How's it going? Not too many things with me--saw Prince Caspian yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed Prince Caspian the first half of the movie. Then...when our unspeakably gorgeous hero finally met up with the Pevensie kids (aka "Kings and Queens of Legend"), things didn't go as well as I'd hoped it would.

First, let me say, I disliked the first movie in the extreme. The acting was flat, the plot too contrived, the dialogue cheesy, and the over-the-top Christianity parallels too preachy in a Sunday school way, and not even a decent fight scene to redeem the whole thing. Just about the only interesting thing in the movie was Tilda Swinton as the White Witch (Snow Queen?) and some gorgeous cinematography...though the Witch's oedipal relationship with Edmund was a bit ehh. Even worse--that creepy faun's relationship with little Lucy! Gah!!

*ahem* But this is becoming too much of a Lion, Witch, Wardrobe review, so let's leave it at "I didn't like the first film."

That said, Prince Caspian had a LOT of convincing to do to win me back after that disastrous first movie; the eye candy (read: Caspian) is what drew me back in the first place, but that wouldn't have been enough to keep me. But I stayed, and *did* enjoy it... err, up until about three-quarters of the way through, that is. But I'll get to that in a moment.

One of the biggest problems, which had been apparent in the first film and still persisted, was the direction of the interpersonal relationships. As in, there was none. Any chemistry that was there was brought naturally by the actors. The best bit was the Pevensie kids-- having worked together before, they have fantastic chemistry amongst themselves and are convincing both as siblings and as fellow monarchs; you can really feel that they've spent about 30 years ruling Narnia together and have become a well-working, mutually-respecting team (yes, even Peter and Edmund, who had so many sibling rivalry issues last time around). In fact, I really love the way Edmund's character has developed! He's become very accepting and comfortable being "#2" and has instead turned his energies to becoming an awesomely cool and badass warrior--looks very seasoned as our "Dark Knight" of sorts! :D Unfortunately, he's not featured much in this film, but he makes himself look pretty cool wherever he is.

Oh! Lucy is also fantastic! She's not just there for extreme cute factor as in the first film--she's the voice of wisdom (argh, and Christian piety, I guess, since she's so attached to that ridiculous lion), and she carries herself with a dignity and self-assurance that really makes you believe she's a wise 30-year-old woman returned to a little girl's body. Her relationship with Peter is very cute! ^^

Speaking of relationships, that takes me to Caspian and his painfully contrived "relationship" with Susan. No doubt it was a smart move, as it's got the Mary Sues fanficking in full, pre-adolescent hormonal force. But MAN, did they have zero chemistry between them! 0__0;; It was almost painful to watch--embarrassing, even. When not specifically directed to be sending Susan significant looks, Caspian only looks at/interacts with Peter, his other scripted interpersonal relationship (this time in the form of a rivalry--Peter's become a bit of a prick, picking fistfights, etc, because ppl back home in London don't see him for the wonder he was as High King Peter the Magnificent of Narnia @_@).

But the problem again is that, when not specifically written in the script, the angry rival tension is not there between them--in fact, they seem to be extremely chummy and inevitably turn to one another to share "looks of wonder" whenever something magical or epic happens. Yes, slash fans, I know you think I'm biased, but there was more chemistry of SOME kind between Peter and Caspian chatting quietly as they trek through the woods with their caravan than there is between Caspian and Susan when they're alone and dolled up and directed to get all lovey-dovey.

Speaking of which--what a waste of a character that was for Susan! She's such a cool character on her own--the High Queen of Narnia, resident badass archer who kills monsters with Legolas-like poise and cool, but dressed like a leather armor version of Athena with her long, stately gown, cloak, and leather chest piece. I wish they'd respected her and let her lofty High Queen dignity rather than turn her into the tween romance lead character. @_@;;;

Peter was... just annoying, overall, and a very difficult character to sympathize with because of his inconsistency of personality. And Aslan... oh, dear god (lol)--Aslan ruined the film. Again. @___@;; Everything made rational sense up until he came pawing in, wiped out the enemy army (without offering them the chance to surrender, I noticed; it was an odd moment b/c the entire enemy army had frozen up in awe at the sight of him and (having already lost their leader), would likely have given up if the giant, talking lion had ordered them to do so--but he didn't, opting instead to smite them Old Testament style. >.<), made silly and rather unfair miracles happen (oh god, the mouse procession...I was dying from the cheesiness), and arbitrarily decided to make the kids go home again *just* as the day was saved. Seriously, how messed up is that?

It isn't just the cheap deus ex machina plothole that he provides with his ominpotent presence; what little sense the characters and story were making in this distinctly secular plot about throne usurpation and family betrayal just doesn't jive with the whole Christian thing. It almost feels tossed in on top, obligatorily, and all the characters seemed to lose their own power (duh, in the presence of god) and personalities along with it. It became like a medieval morality play or something--1-dimensional--at the end. >.< Stupid lion... he caused a really cool character (dwarf dude) to end up having the same sort of overblown and extremely awkward moment that Hagrid had at the end of the second Harry Potter movie. Yes, let's stand here and cheer like idiots for no reason for this grumpy, comic-reliefy character who didn't want the limelight and didn't do nearly as much as the main characters (who only get to stand stupidly aside rather than on centerstage for a well-deserved share of the cheering). Seriously, everything went downhill once that wretched lion showed his hairy face again. >.<

But...stupid/dissatisfying ending aside, the first half of the film is pretty intriguing, the cinematography's amazing, and Caspian is just the most UNBELIEVABLY GORGEOUS CREATURE to have graced the silver screen since Legolas--and he's a lead role, bless the casting director! Seriously, even when he says nothing at all (or even when he *does* say one of those cheesy lines with his fake Spanish--err, I mean, "Telmarine" accent), he absolutely steals the scene. And no, it's not just because he's hot beyond reckoning (though I'm sure that helps). But seriously, watch it to scope out this new, young guy who's just bursting with star quality, and tell me if he doesn't have you by that shot where he's riding alone across the dark, moonlit fields (with the guards in hot pursuit in the next panel--lol!). Also, mad props to the costume designer for dressing Caspian in gorgeous, billowy tunics that are belted in just the right way to show off his trim waist and well-proportioned hips and shoulders~ <3 <3 <3

All the new villains, charas, etc, were pretty enjoyable too--it's just the leonine baggage of the last film that trips Prince Caspian up. At least we can look forward to the next movie, already in production, which will have Caspian returning, along with Lucy and Edmund (yes!!!), and maybe he'll have sorted his relationships with them out by then so he won't need to rely on the incompetent director anymore. :)

Hmm....that was a long review and I didn't even cover half of the things I wanted to say. Oh well, go take a watch for yourself--and consciously stop and think about how much you're enjoying the film *before* Peter heads out to duel Miraz (cuz the downhill part starts after that, really), and that'll tell you how you really feel about the whole film. The ending will sour the taste no matter how good it was, so it's better not to take it into account when you decide whether the film overall had been good or bad. ^^;

In other news, I just had to share one thing--it seems DelRey is making its first foray into the realm of OEL (Original English Language) manga with a *cough*shoujo manga version of X-men (yes, scream, run, be afraid @_@;;; ) and a shounen manga style story about Wolverine... =_=; I applaud their support of OEL manga, but... ... ... Well, take a look at the character designs and tell me if you don't feel a bit apprehensive.

First off, the shoujo manga X-men: Misfits, starring a Mary Sue-ified manga-ified Kitty Pryde and her two bishie love interests, cold-and-detached!Iceman and gothic-badboy-type!Nightcrawler!

Kitty the ninja catgirl!
New romantic leading men Iceman and Nightcrawler!
Totoro--I mean, the BEAST!!

Can't you feel the bubbles and flowers wafting through the air already??

Next, we have the (somehow, less-impressive-than-I-was-hoping) Wolverine the Shounen Manga character designs:

Wolverine
Vincent (? My X-men knowledge is kinda limited...is Sabertooth?)
Tamara (????? New love interest? Whatever happened to Wolvy's infamous crush on Jean Gray?)

Well, I do have to admit, the Beast is very cute. ^^;;;;;;;;;

Fafner fans, hang in there--I'll try to do the GONE/ARRIVE translation some time during Memorial Day Weekend. ^^;;;

OH! And I'm going to the Nightwish concert (again) down in San Diego this Friday. ^^;; Hahah, well, it'll give me a chance to see how much Anette has improved after 9 months of touring, huh? Should be fun~ ^^

~Cy

New Fafner fanfic, "NOW HERE" Download and updates

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:16:03 GMT

Hey guys!

Guess what--I wrote a new fic! ::plug:: It's a Fafner one that I had actually written a few years ago in the heyday of my Fafner love, but I just thought of an ending last night and finally finished it. ^^;; For once, it's angst-free and pure comedy (though there's a teeny bit of shounen-ai in there, too ^^--of course <3).

Please read it on ff.net here and review~ <3

The Answering Machine: A Fairy Tale - no spoilers, humor, mild shounen-ai (SouKazu)

Also, I uploaded the second Fafner drama track "NOW HERE" for a friend and thought I'd stick it up here in case any of you hadn't heard it yet. Really, REALLY superb acting~! http://download.yousendit.com/62B0A7705C081DCE

As for me, all is going well enough--my freelance writing career is getting its official start (ooh, that's right! Check out my new website here: www.redcreststudios.com ) and I am now translating manga for TOKYOPOP--woot!! Dunno if I'm allowed to talk about the new series that haven't been published yet, but I can tell you about Never Give Up! -- I'll be the official translator starting with volume 10! It's a pretty funny series (and very entertaining for a Takarazuka fan like me, since the series stars a tall girl who looks like a hot guy :D), and you've gotta love that the 2 love interests are named "Touya" and "Akira." ^^;;;;;;; Hahaha, I guess it's safe to say the author is a Hikago fan... :D

Okay, I don't wanna put this under a cut, so I'll stop here before it gets too long. Hope you all are well and having some nice spring weather~! <3 (please read and review the fics!)

Yours,
Cy

Now THAT's how you handle a sitcky situation!

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:29:48 GMT

Hey guys,

Don't know if you all have heard about the race remarks the preacher at Obama's church made, but this was Obama's response and I think it's INCREDIBLE how he handled it!

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/18/obama.speech/?iref=hpmostpop

He manages to disagree with the divisive nature of the rev's remarks while acknowledging that racism is still a reality in this country without getting on the "minority soapbox"--he expresses hope for the change that has happened and for what will happen in the future instead. On top of that, while condemning the rev's remarks and removing him from being spiritual advisor of his campaign, he doesn't condemn the man who, whatever we may think of him, is an old and personal acquaintance of Obama's. Very nicely handled all around! If Hillary doesn't make it for the candidacy, I'd still be pretty happy backing Obama. :)

Speaking of Hillary, props to her, too--in this recent bout of mud-slinging her campaign (okay, really, both campaigns) have been engaged in, she could've jumped all over this. But she didn't, saying this was something for Obama to handle, and I really respect that restraint. Yay for Oballary!!

~Cy

Yuna Ito x Celine Dion Single!!

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 08:00:53 GMT

OH MY GOD, worlds are colliding.

Yuna Ito and CELINE DION?!?!?! It sounds insane, but yes, they know each other--they released a single together, and it's gorgeous and amazing and the jaw-dropping moments just don't end!

Lovely cover album, huh? I wondered if they were doing this as part of some Japan-Canadian sports event or something, but I haven't heard anything yet.

Anyway, the song is called "A World to Believe In ~Anata ga Iru Kagiri~" ("As Long as You're Here/With Me") and this single was released on January 16, 2008. Very sweet song and OMG Yuna Ito is amazing! I already had a healthy respect for her voice from her awesome debut single "Owaranai Story," but seriously--you don't *really* appreciate her voice until you hear this song. She's so young and she's truly able to keep up vocally with Celine Dion, one of the premier divas of the world! Just beautiful! And what's even better is that Celine Dion sings in Japanese at some points! Mostly *with* Yuna, but I swear there was one "wasurenaide~~~" that was all Celine! :D

You can hear the song online here: A World to Believe In ~Anata ga Iru Kagiri~

(and in fact, as of right now, you can download it, too, if you make a free esnips account like I have ^__~)

Anyway, just had to share the amazingness of this find. Hope you enjoy it~ :D

RABU,
Cy ^^

Hase, the Giant Pink Bunny Rabbit lying in the Italian countryside

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:45:52 GMT

Just to show that art can take the most unusual forms, check this out:

http://archidose.blogspot.com/2005_09_01_archive.html

I especially love the artists' explanation of how wonderful it will feel to come upon this utterly random giant pink bunny rabbit lying out in the middle of nowhere and how happy you'll feel climbing all over it like maggot... ^^;; LoL! The narration is so tongue-in-cheek, but there's a strange sense of trueness in it. And stumbling upon a giant pink bunny in the middle of nowhere might actually be fun and fantastic in a Miyazaki-esque way. ^__^ What will they think of next?

In other news, I wrote a new fanfic! It's very short and in an unusual abrupt/fast-paced style for me. Check it out if you have time~ (it's a Saint Seiya fic) http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4054787/1/Devotion

P.S. Go Hillary! ::waves Hillary flag::

New Year's Resolutions & Shtuff

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 07:54:01 GMT

Hey guys!

Happy New Year, belated as it is! ^____^ Figured it was about time I unchained myself from work and updated here.

Gonna go with stuff that's easy but will have a very good effect if achieved:

1. Stop cursing.
I was such a good kid through high school. Then college came along and I discovered hardships of life most satisfyingly rejoindered with a curse word. Satisfying as it is to swear loudly and colorfully, really--what does it do for your situation? It likely hasn't fixed whatever angered you in the first place and does make you look a bit trashy (especially if you use one of the more creative ones that make references to body parts, etc). So... since I am now heading toward my 25th birthday and have become a full-fledged "member of society" with a cubicle and all @_@, it's about time I started acting my age, right?

I'm still on the fence about "damn," though. I satisfies like little else in our English lexicon without needing to invoke profane and/or scatalogical imagery. So it's a... dignified swear word, if you will. =\ The jury's still out on that, but I have to admit, I'd feel pretty silly hissing, "darn!" when I accidentally drop my keys down a gutter or something. @_@;

2. Write daily.
This sounds like an incredibly self-serving and easy resolution, but since I haven't found time to write daily or even weekly in 2007, it's about time I took it more seriously. Since cubicle culture is driving me insane, I've decided I don't have the 5 years of "laying low and practicing my drawing" to lay around preparing to make a manga debut. Nope, gotta get out of this 8 to 5 madness first. And the only artistic skill I have that's salable is my writing (I think?). So... we'll be starting with a novel version of my grand fantasy work and hopefully adapt it into a 20-volume manga afterwards. @_@;;;

3. Take better care of my teeth.
Yeah, going to the dentist the other day and hearing, "Oh, you need to have a root canal" was a rather terrifying wake-up call. @_@;; True, being overseas has made it hard to get to a dentist regularly, but I'm too young to be needing things like root canals. >.< (IMO, anyway) So. I've gotten myself an electronic toothbrush and a pack of those little floss-on-a-stick thingamabobs and have been going at it faithfully about a week now. Just 51 left to go... =__=

4. Save at least 10% of every paycheck.
And to that end, I've been looking into finding a savings account with a good APY. The best I've found so far is WaMu's online savings account, which suits me fine since that's how I bank and pay my bills anyway. They've got a 4.75% APY that I *think* is compounded daily (their flashy little page is really kind of simplistic in its terms) Still, I've heard a lot of good things about WaMu, so I may as well give it a try, right?

5. Meditate daily.
I used to do this in high school every night before I fell asleep and first thing every morning and I was a much happier and kinder person back then (note: I didn't often get angry enough to even *want* to cuss). Now that the challenges of adulthood are setting in, I figure I'll need calmness in the face of anything and extraordinary memorizing ability even more than ever, so it's time... So far, this one's been the hardest to keep since I sleep and wake so late I have to rush to get to work on time... @_@

Speaking of which, I'd better get to sleep. @_@; Ah, but I had a few other nice things to mention~

And here's a quick run-down of cool things I've found lately:

Le Chevalier D'eon
This series ROCKS. Not only is it the most beautifully written script since Soukyuu no Fafner (haha, I wonder why--Ubukata Tou, who wrote both shows, said his goal in life is to win a Pulitzer, and I seriously think he will someday!), it paints such powerful and complex characters! How rare is it to see a show that actually goes beyond the small and daily and embraces the scope of kingdoms and revolutions without needlessly cheesy all-out battle scenes? It's such a smart, tight, and beautifully-animated (okay, not just beautifully, *mind-blowingly* beautifully animated) anime series which really, REALLY delivers an unforgettable ending. You'll really never guess "whodunit" (it *is* a mystery, after all, to find out who killed D'eon's incredible sister Lia), and in the process of solving the crime, we not only get an eye-opening portrait of the remarkable woman that was Lia, but of the remarkable time and place and wonder that was Europe during the pre-French Revolution decade. Seriously, watch it.

And to entice you, here's a *very* slightly spoilerific amv that captures the feeling, beauty, and danger of D'eon perfectly (and it's to one of my favorite songs by Within Temptation-- "Our Solemn Hour" *__*): http://youtube.com/watch?v=9VbZ_2sa314

The Lady
So if you hadn't heard of the horrors of the Burmese government before, you probably did after the Buddhist monks' peaceful protest marches in September, right? (which, of course, the government responded to by killing and capturing hundreds of people despite international outrage and protest. @_@ Clever brutes, aren't they?) Well, the real-life hero, Aung San Suu Kyi, an Oxford-educated Burmese lady and daughter of the late General Aung San (who lead Burma to independence from under the British back in the 60's) is the head of the National Party for Democracy and won an open national election by a landslide in 1990, but the military decided to ignore the peopel, take over by force and put Ms. Suu Kyi under house arrest, where she has remained for most of the past 17 years. She has been given multiple opportunities to leave the country by the military junta (yeah, they know they'll be in trouble if they murder a Nobel Peace Prize winner), but only on the condition that she never return to Burma. She refused, even when it meant she would not be able to see her husband, who was diagnosed with cancer in England, before he died.

Well, she's sacrificed a lot and maintained her dignity and message all along--a real hero with a very powerful story. Apparently, the filmmakers think so, too, and Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore and Japanese producer Naofumi Okaoto (who's actually met Ms. Suu Kyi in person and convinced her to allow him to make the movie) are teaming up to do it! Here's the crazy thing: Avi Arad (as in Spiderman's writer/creator) is going to write the script. @_@ Yeah, I know, I'm a tad apprehensive about that, but from interviews, it seems he has his heart in the right place and as "commercial" as it is, a Hollywood blockbuster would do wonders for the cause. May as well make the movie now, while she's still alive and it could make an impact, right? I'm looking forward to it!

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles - latest chapters
Don't worry, no spoilers. Just had to note my growing disillusionment and boredom after reading the latest 2 chapters (178 and 179). I feel TRC is heading into LOST-land-- as in, too much space, not enough plot, so we're throwing in whatever the hell we can think. And this latest shocking twist is...well, the same sort of shocking twist we had about 5 volumes ago. @_@;; I don't know if I'm so disengaged b/c the story is getting a little contrived at this point, or if it's because the characters I'm more emotionally engaged with (*cough*KuroganeandFai*cough*) have more or less gotten their stories' resolutions, but TRC seems to be in a bit of a rut at the moment. :( Hope they can pull out of it soon (Kurogane, Fai and Mokona to the rescue!! XDD).

Well, that's about it for this time.

Hope you all are having a refreshing and invigorating new year, too! :D

RABU,
Cy

The first stirring of patriotic hope in my heart in 7 years!

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 19:17:57 GMT

Hey guys,

If you were humoring ideas of voting for Obama, take a look at this: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/01/03/supreme-court-justice-bill-clinton/

Just imagine... Bill Clinton, sagaciously setting down precedents for law interpretation for all the ages of America to come... (and he's got at least another good 30 years or so to do it!) I'm not saying Obama couldn't appoint Bill to the Supreme Court too, but who really knows what his agenda will determine in the end. Come on, Hillary! You have to win now!!

All you Republicans out there, the Democratic candidates have never been so conservative; clear your prejudices and take a look at Hillary's platform, you may end up finding a brilliant lady worth supporting, regardless of her party affiliations. :)

For the politically undecided, here's a nice quiz to see which candidate matches up with your stances on various platforms.

(Not to mention, all you writers, Huckabee, your most promising Republican candidate, crossed the Writers' Guild picket lines yesterday to go on Leno. What does that tell you about how much he values and believes in our art, eh?)

--Cy

Ever bought from AnimeNation before?

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 21:57:41 GMT

Hey guys,

In need of a different kind of advice this time: has anyone ever bought from AnimeNation.com before? They've got the cheapest prices around on Le Chevalier D'eon, which I'm loving madly after watching the first 2 DVDs, and I wanted to buy the rest while AN.com's offering free shipping on orders over $49 this month.

BUT, I'm always a little anxious ordering from a new place because I've heard horror stories about how some things get back-ordered and end up taking months to arrive. So... have you had a good or bad experience with them?

Thank you! (and yes, I'm still working on the novel!)

HELP!!!!

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 17:41:33 GMT

Guys, I need your help.

I just don't know whether to continue with my current NaNoWriMo novel or not. I'm at 4290 words right now, which isn't much, but it's 4290 words less than I'd have to write if I started over. And I vaguely have events plotted to happen... but no idea how it ends up, etc.

Oh, and I've never taken a class on French history. @___@; And I don't speak French. This could be very, very bad.

So, I've decided to ask your advice-- please read this little opening excerpt and tell me whether it's worth continuing or not. I like my characters very much, but if it's boring already, then I'd probably best just start again.

Chapter I: Félix, 1782

Have you ever seen something so beautiful it made your heart ache? I had, or thought I had, before that moment. It was perhaps the expression on a woman's face as she glided by, bolstered upon hemlines of gauze and down, caught in the breathless embrace of a waltz. Or perhaps it was the unspeakably pure pealing of a great soprano’s voice as it spilled like crystalline drops across a great, polished space swathed in velvet and crimson. Or perhaps, it was this very place I stand now, a great promontory overlooking the dazzling blues of the lake on a bright afternoon, where the air is brisk and clean, and the sky all around me stretches to meet the water in some distant, blurred horizon.

This place has held me in the power of its beauty since long before I can remember. But it was not until this moment that I stood corrected:

"No, Romeo," I whispered. "Neither did I ever see true beauty before this moment."

This is a story about love.

I thought I would tell you that now, because it may be hard to understand that hereafter. But it is. A story about love.

"Monsieur, your pocket watch and cufflinks too, if you please."

I obliged, removing them swiftly and adding them to the small pile of my more resalable possessions already weighing down the gummy sack he held out.

"Excellent," my assailant said, tugging the string about the pouch's mouth closed with one hand. The other kept his pistol trained unwaveringly at my heart.

"Now, one last indignity before I leave you be, my most excellent Sir," he continued affably as he tucked the pouch in his belt, safely under cover of his waistcoat. He advanced upon me, perfect amicability on his face, eyes almost fond despite our extremely short and altogether inhospitable acquaintance.

"Turn around and brace your arms on the wall, please."

"That hardly seems a practical way to bind me," I said as I turned to place my hands on the rocky wall behind me. He chuckled softly.

"No, this place is too unfrequented to leave a man tied up. What I mean to do is ensure you are not armed and leave you be, lest you decide to shoot me in the back as I make my retreat." And with that, he placed his hands on my shoulders and began a light examination of my upper torso.

"I am a police cadet, you know," I said.

"Then consider this a first practical lesson!" said he cheerfully, not a hair ruffled. "The most common places a man wears his hidden weapons are his inside breast pocket, his waist, and in his boot." His hands were examining the area about my waist now, their touch utterly clinical.

"In a way," he continued suddenly, breaking into small talk very much as a barber would to distract a customer from the ministrations of his craft, "I am very much your opposite number. I am something of a 'bandit cadet' myself, if there is such a thing."

"You are training to become a bandit?"

"Precisely."

"You seem to be carrying on very professionally already."

"I suppose my teacher will have to take credit for that, then." He finished his inquiring pats and straightened, a gust of wind catching the pale tendrils of hair that had escaped his neat plait. How they shined in the brilliant sun of that morning. How the crisp air seemed too thin that day, how my breath caught time and again. I was beside myself with anger.

"Cheer up, good fellow," he said, giving me a smile that was nearly sympathetic, had it not been for the unabashed mirth in his eyes. "There will be plenty of bandits to bag another day who won't slip so lithely away."

"Yes," I said. "Perhaps one of them will be you someday."

"Perhaps," he agreed. His eyes were fond again, wistful, though only for a moment. He reached out boldly and patted my shoulder in a friendly gesture. "Well, study hard until then, eh, my friend?"

And he was gone. Gone in a flash of light and a cloud of sulfur, I thought. Or, more likely, down the side of the hilltop, supplemented by the winged sandals that had allowed him to sneak up the bare cliff wall and catch me unawares in the first place.

---

So, that's the excerpt. What did you think? Is it interesting enough that you'd want to read on? Is it just too implausible? Do either Felix (the narrator) or Emile (the bandit) sound interesting to you? Too much yaoi to be fashionably "Literature" rather than "Gay and Lesbian Literature?" Because these two never get together or anything like that--it's a cat and mouse/rival type story (though of course, the feelings run deep). What do you think?

Thank you for your heeeelp~~~

NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month!

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 17:43:52 GMT

So... I'm actually doing it. @_@

My fellow artists and writers, in case you haven't heard, it is now National Novel Writing Month. I'm going to take on the challenge of writing a novel straight out of my butt for no other reason than it'll be crazy, stressful and fun as hell! (or so they CLAIM~ so far, it's just crazy and stressful, though I have to admit, liberating from my long-standing (read: festering) creative projects). Also, I am in severe need of writing practice... my writing is deteriorating because I've been reading nothing but fanfiction... @___@; (some of which is very good, of course, but my undiscerning lust for certain ships makes me ignore quality a bit too recklessly... @__@; )

But yes-- as NaNoWriMo's illuminating site mentions, if you plan to write a novel "one day" that day will likely never come. So isn't it better to do it all at once, not caring about the quality, just writing for the sake of writing, and doing it while millions of other writers the world over are suffering from the same deadline? It's like a holiday! ...Of pain and creative struggle... ^^;

*ahem* Or at least, this was my original thought. But 14 days in and still not sold on the story I chose to write, I'm wondering if I should start over. @___@;; (at this rate, I'll have to write like 3500 words a day to make the 50K goal @__@) It's just, the story ended up being a historical fiction (my recent love for Le Chevalier d'Eon is largely to blame, no doubt), and I know I'm supposed to just write and do the research/correction afterwards-- but I can't bear it! @___@;; Every little detail, down to how French chevaliers are "knighted" to whether inner breast pockets were in fashion then to what popular plays/novels were being written/that people would've made allusions to-- I don't know any of it!! @____@;;;; Why, oh, why did I choose a period I have never even taken a proper history class on?!

What do you think... is this all negligible stuff that I can fill in after the novel is written, or should I just give up and start yet another novel this late in the game? @____@;; Help meeee~~~~

Sorrowfully yours,
Cy T__T

NIGHTWISH in Concert!!! XDDD

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 23:29:03 GMT

So, last night was the Nightwish concert in the OC... WOW. SO much FUN!!!! *___* An entire evening listening to some of the most awesomely powerful and beautiful songs ever-- REALLY, REALLY LOUD and live-- what more could I ask for? I'm still a little "drunk" on it all and won't be too coherent, probably, but I just want to jot down my notes while I still remember them (Set List under cut, too!). ::warm glow of Finnish metal::

[Edit: My bad! I've been spelling Tuomas's name wrong! ^^;; All fixed now!]

So I've always had "different" taste, so it's not unusual for me to go to concerts/plays/musicals alone. People in Southern California just don't seem to get the appeal of live theater, etc... the proximity of Tinsel Town being the cause of this miasma, no doubt.

But I, who was bitten by the bug during that semester in London where I got to live in the West End and take in a play at least once a week thanks to my drama class, am the ultimate sucker for live theater, be it musical, plays or concerts. So, whenever one of my favorite bands is playing in the region, I make an effort to go see them, even if I have to go alone because their comings and goings are rare in these parts (being a fan almost exclusively of foreign bands, this is an unavoidable risk).

So it was that I was driving myself alone in the dark after work yesterday to a dingy little theater in Santa Ana called the Galaxy Theater. What a shame, I thought, it could have been at the gorgeous, state-of-the-art and significantly-closer-to-my-house House of Blues in Downtown Disney, but no... I have no idea why they had this venue change because the theater was PACKED when I got there an hour before the concert. It would definitely have filled up HoB, and it's not like Nightwish had brought along any pyrotechnics that would violate Disney this or that, so... ::shrug::

Anyway, the theater itself wasn't so bad. It was obviously old and though there was no smoking inside, the ghost of thousands of cigarettes past still lingered off the black-painted walls, upholstery and carpet. The place was dimly lit, as expected, replete with sticky wood paneling and two separate bar areas. But I have to say, I really liked that-- this atmosphere reminded me exactly of East Coast clubs (Toad's in particular), and for some reason, I always relate quality, small-time bands with the East Coast (or at least, NOT with the West Coast). The setting was just perfect. :)

After ordering a bottle of water from the bar (hey, designated driver, remember?), I checked out the concert hall-- large moshpit area in the front which was already PACKED to the GILLS, surrounded by three wide tiers of cozy booths and tables-- the "restaurant" area. Apparently, you needed to make dinner reservations to land yourself these primo seats (they were the *only* seats, actually, but I prefer standing for concerts anyway--less obstacles to knock over when I inevitably start jumping up and down ^^; ). Still, I didn't want to join the moshpit and risk being groped, so I lingered by the bar until I spotted some nice-looking people I could join at a table.

It was a table of three young men, average to nice looking, one of whom had long black hair and a pleasant profile. Target sighted, I thought. The one guy who was facing my way looked up at me a few times, so I thought it was a fairly safe bet. They also had a fourth chair sitting vacantly at their table, so after observing awhile to see if anyone was sitting there, I swooped in.

"Hi guys, mind if I join you?" I said cheerfully.

And that's when I realized my mistake. All three of them looked blankly at me and then glanced at each other nervously. No response. Uh-oh, I thought. But still, it hadn't been an "Oh, no, there's a scary person talking to me" type of look. So I tried again.

"Is anyone sitting there?" I asked again. "It's just that I didn't reserve a table, so..."

They looked at one another again and then one of them looked at me and started saying something like, "Someone, yes..." while gesturing vividly.

Ahh, they don't speak English, I realized. Well, Nigthwish is a Finnish band, right? I laughed it off and made placating gestures. A royal screw-up, but a totally unforeseeable one-- "language barrier" rarely comes up as one of the many things that can go wrong with picking people up (not that that was my intent-- just wanted to meet some fellow Nightwish fans!).

Anyway, it was getting to be a bit awkward between their embarrassed apologies and mine, so I just turned and plopped down in a chair at the empty table next to theirs. A waitress would likely come and kick me out of it presently, I thought, but after that scene, I didn't want to crawl back to the bar just yet. I flipped open my cellphone and called a friend to kill some time and put some distance between the awkward scene and my next "move."

As I was chatting, a bespectacled soccer mom-looking lady who had been wallflowering along the back wall came over and asked if anyone was sitting in the chair across from me. I told her she was welcome to it, though I wasn't actually supposed to be sitting at the table. She took the chair anyway. As I wrapped up my convo with my friend, a friendly-looking leather-clad couple came over and asked her if they could take another of the chairs and she repeated my disclaimer to them. They seemed all right with the risks and sat down as well.

After I bid my friend good-bye, it was easy striking up a conversation with my fellow table-squatters. The couple were called Sarah and Mike, the former being a fangirl type and the latter a stout-and-silent type. The soccer mom's name was Lorraine, and I had guessed her archetype to a tee-- she was here chaperoning her teenaged son and his friends (she definitely had a "lost parent dragged to Anime Expo by their kids" look, amiably taking everything in with a slightly bewildered air ^^). Her other son was at a soccer play-off. ^__~

Anyway, we gave the perfunctorily skimpy self-intros and chatted Nightwish for awhile. Sarah heartily agreed that "Ghost Love Score" was Ultimate Love and Happiness (though she said she liked "Beauty of the Beast" more ;__; ). Still, after enduring my little sister's jibes about Tarja's voice continuously for several months, it was wonderful to find a sympathetic and agreeing audience to declare "'The Escapist' makes me happy to be alive" to.

Soon after, the opening band, Paradise Lost (my Milton complex was so happy~) started up. The audience gave them politely noisy cheers after each song, but there was little in the way of bouncing or head-banging. No, no, we were saving our love for Our Band... :) PL wasn’t bad, though-- a few of their songs were even pretty catchy (the memorable ones being "One Second" and "Just Say Words"-- their album-titling track "In Requiem" wasn't bad either). But really, after 45 minutes of their fairly monotonous music, I was ready for them to get off the stage. They finally wrapped up around 9pm and we had an intermission of sorts while the crew set up the stage for Nightwish. They'd already put the huge Nightwish banner up at the back of the stage (featuring the pendulum from the Dark Passion Play cover) and added two large, square-shaped panels with an image of blue ocean waves on them to flank the stage (looked like the artwork from the back of the Highest Hopes compilation CD). It took them nearly an hour to set up, do numerous sound checks, give us several false alarms, etc, before the stage ninjas finally cleared the stage and the lights dimmed.

Finally, at 9:50, the stage lit up in a wash of blue light. Soft, soothing chords of a woman's voice filled the room, calling to mind mysterious ocean depths. Drum beats accompanied it after awhile, and as the song broke into an all-out exciting and epic BGM (sounding like something Hans Zimmer would write), Jukka, the drummer, appeared on stage, pumping his fist into the air (which was holding a styrofoam cup, out of which he sipped a moment later-- LoL! I guess Time and Tide and Musical Cues wait for no one, eh?). Then, Tuomas, Marco and Emppu all appeared, taking bows and waving to thunderous applause. If I'd been afraid that the audience was going to be sleepy after their unresponsiveness to Paradise Lost, I had nothing to fear. ^__~ Like me, they were all just waiting for Our Band.

Jukka tapped off and we launched straight into “Bye Bye Beautiful” (unsurprisingly the song to kick off with—must wrap up old business, right? :D). In fact, let me write out the entire set list for you here and then review each song individually:

Bye Bye Beautiful
Amaranth
Dark Chest of Wonders
Ever Dream
Whoever Brings the Night
The Islander
The Poet & the Pendulum
Sahara
Once (?)
Nemo
7 Days to the Wolves
Wishmaster
Wish I Had An Angel

(Yeah, no “Ghost Love Score,” as expected. ;___; But even more devastatingly, no “The Escapist,” which is hands down the best song on the new CD (though only included in the Japanese album as a bonus track), which I was sure they’d play for us… Alas, no—and DESPITE that, it was an awesome concert!!)

So, kickin’ it off with the upbeat and powerful “Bye Bye Beautiful,” which is the band’s farewell to their previous and original singer, Tarja Turunen). Very exciting, got the energy going, and it gave Annette a nice entrance, gliding out of the smoky, backlit blue light to take center stage and launch into the short opening verse. I was surprised at her live voice—it was a lot poppy-er than it sounds on the album (almost cutesy, like T.A.T.U.). I suspect she was having a bit of an off-day vocally, because she didn’t try to go for any of the crazy, killer high notes that she hits so beautifully on the CD (except in “The Poet and the Pendulum,” which I’ll talk about later). She was perfectly in-tune and solid for everything she did sing, however, and obviously an accomplished singer, so I wondered if the choice not to go up to the high stuff was just to give us a different side of her singing? I dunno, but I was a bit sad not hearing the killer high notes at the end of “Amaranth” and “Ever Dream.” But anyway~

Marco is AMAZING. *__* I have gained a new respect and liking for him after this concert (same goes for Jukka—he’s actually pretty cute and he *does* have long hair like the rest of the guys—it’s just neatly tied back in a ponytail and all but hidden by his Zorro-like black bandanna ^^). But Marco—yeah, his voice is just infallible; you could ask him to sing at 4am while he’s piss drunk and he’d still sound perfect, I think. He’s just got one of those really rich, velvety, perpetually well-oiled voices like Elvis (not the greatest comparison, sorry). And he and Emppu were so cute—once in awhile, they’d put their downy, blonde heads together while they played and bounce along together. ^___^ So very cute cuz 1) I’m a sucker for camaraderie, and 2) considering how tiny Emppu is, it was like a mother hen and a baby chick cuddling! All that pretty, blonde hair made them look related, LOL~ (yeah, on what planet big, scary Viking-looking Marco looks like a motherly chicken, I don’t even know—it was just the first analogy that came to mind @__@; ).

So “Bye Bye Beautiful” was fantastic. Tuomas is a lot of fun to watch, but surprisingly, he didn’t really speak at all during the concert. He just stayed off to the left side of the stage, bowing shyly when acknowledged by Marco or Annette (our MCs ^^). And he was so much fun to watch when he played, hands latched to the keyboard as though they were glued while the rest of his body swayed and thrashed wildly along with the music. It was so intense sometimes that it was almost the look of someone grabbing onto an electric fence and being electrocuted… as nasty a metaphor as that is, for the amount of movement and energy that the music was pumping through him while his fingers stayed utterly attached to the keyboard as though compelled by some exterior force, it’s a pretty apt comparison (though it didn’t look goofy or frightening at all, of course!).

Oh, another funny detail I only noticed after the concert when I wandered up to the stage is that Tuomas has attached a sort of statuette of Jack Sparrow to his keyboard. @__@;;;; I read afterwards on the website that he's a big fan of Jack Sparrow (which is probably unsurprising, considering his make-up, and also Hans Zimmer’s hand in the movie’s score :D). The statuette was made of something ceramic-looking, almost like those gaudy, strangely grotesque, cheaply-made Jesus statuettes you can get at small Catholic churches. Considering Tuomas’s Jesus complex (well, he was born on Christmas Day and is really into martyring himself, as “The Poet and the Pendulum” shows), I guess that’s logical. But seeing Jack Sparrow up there, and in that way—LoL! I tried to take a pic of it, but the backlighting was too intense. All you can see is this little black silhouette with its arms waving over its head. ^^;

*ahem* But back to the set list!

Next, the band launched straight into “Amaranth,” which is just a fabulously fun, catchy song. Everyone jammed awesomely to this. Sounded great with some added, creative keyboarding by Tuomas. And, as expected, Annette’s “DAY BREAK!!!!” at the end is just *awesome* live. *___* <3 (So High and Mighty Color, somehow! :D)

After “Amaranth,” Annette and Marco made the band’s first greeting to us. They both speak perfect English (as I think everyone in Scandanavia does?), though Marco did say “Ga-LAX-y Theater.” <3 ^_____^ <3 And he speaks in his growling Viking voice… too bad, because after being introduced to his beautiful acoustic voice in “The Islander,” I thought he might be like a mild-mannered giant who was just made to scream and yell for the sake of Tuomas’s music… or something… ^^;; LoL!

Anyway, they jumped into “Dark Chest of Wonders” next—our first Tarja song! Annette sounded FANTASTIC on this one—her vibrato was just so rich, and she went up to the higher notes in the big climactic parts toward the end. Very nice!

As the long and exciting “DCW” concluded, the lights cooled and the guitarists and Jukka sort of faded into backstage for a bit, leaving only Annette standing beside Tuomas, who was playing a beautiful and slightly extended version of the piano part at the beginning of “Ever Dream.” This was it—the song that won Annette the coveted title of Nightwish lead singer! I was extremely excited, to say the least! Well, as I thought, her lovely lower range and clear, rock voice sounded great during the verses. But, as I mentioned before, she didn’t venture into the higher ranges that the song is originally sung in during the chorus, choosing instead to sing a sort of harmony/counter-melody version of it. This worked fine, especially with Marco roaring “Dream oooof meeeeee~~~” in the background. ^^

I’d also like to note while I remember, that there’s a lot of obvious affection and fraternity between the whole band—Annette included, despite the short time she’s been their singer— and it was so nice to see. From their recorded CDs and public image, all you get is that they’re a group of dark and angsty individuals who seem to be lead around by their drama king leader (forgive me, fellow fans—this was just a very initial superficial impression ^^; ), but when you actually see the way they all interact, the way Annette gives a quick affectionate squeeze of the shoulder or a pat on the head to her band mates, or how sweetly Tuomas smiles when he actually raises his eyes to look at Emppu on a solo or Marco or Annette tearing it up on the vocals, or how the guitarists do their “mother hen and baby chick” thing (LoL!), they have just such a comfortable and friendly relationship that it makes watching them and being their fan even better, somehow. I think I really understand why they asked Tarja to leave now—Nightwish, as Tuomas said in the open letter, is a way of life for them, and it’s nice to see this happy and united front. Especially because the music is so dark and despairing-sounding at times, it’s nice seeing that the band members’ real lives actually contain a lot of love and affection. ^___^

Anyway, forging onward, we came next to the exotic-sounding “Whoever Brings the Night.” Annette and Marco introduced it as “something evil”—LoL! As though their lyrics aren’t dark and twisted on a regular basis! ^__^ <3 It sounded awesome live—a lot more appealing than on the CD. It was written by Emppu-chan, I think, and while it’s very innovative, it doesn’t move me as much as some of the other tracks. But again, it did sound awesome live! :D

After the exciting end of “WBtN,” the lights went out onstage and we wondered if we had hit an intermission. But in the next moment, a soft blue light filled the stage again and soothing sounds (ocean-like?) filled the theater. Marco strolled back on carrying an acoustic guitar and sat himself down near the edge of the stage and started up the opening riff of “The Islander,” one of my favorite tracks from Dark Passion Play. It’s got an entirely romantically seafaring feel to it (in a very Melville-ian sense), and is the story of an old man who keeps a lighthouse “at the end of the world” all alone, keeping a light of hope, a reminder of civilization, burning for all the weary sailors who find themselves far from home in his lonely oceans. The lyrics are very beautiful, talking about his quiet, solitary life, the things he has seen in his long years, and his embarkation on a final voyage. Annette supports the song with some beautiful, ringing harmonies, but Marco’s soft, non-screaming voice is beautiful on its own, too. Very nice, soothing interlude to all the excitement, and the perfect segueway into…

“The Poet and the Pendulum!!” At last, serving as the midpoint to our concert, the grand masterwork itself~~~!

The taped boy soprano’s voice filled the room beautifully with the soulful opening strains amidst sustained chords from Tuomas, who was alone onstage at the beginning of it (appropriately, since this is his song!). The band joined in soon after with the launch of the second movement of the 5-movement piece. Annette hopped in with the vocals and off we were on the beginning of what would be a raging 14-minute adventure complete with exposition, excitement, angst, screaming, a pendulum, death, denouement, an epilogue, and “The Beginning…” whispered by the boy soprano at the end of the song. If you haven’t heard this song, you really should—it truly is fantastic, whether you’re a fan of angst, martyrdom, Marco’s screaming voice, and Tuomas’s eulogy to himself or not. ^__~ LoL, sorry, I love to tease, but in all seriousness, there’s so much honesty and earnestness in this song—Tuomas really and truly does bare himself (figuratively and literally too, at least in the song—he’s raped, made a “whore for the cold world,” and naked when they find him dead, according to the lyrics) to us and puts himself in such a vulnerable position that you just have to forgive the egotism of it all (though I will still tease out of love ^^). And of course, it’s just an amazingly awesome song! :D

At the thrilling climax, when the choral voices’ frenzy of chanting leads up to a last cry of “Save me!” and the blade finally descends with an all-resounding “SWOOSH!!” Tuomos actually drew his hand sharply across his throat to match the slicing sound! I wasn’t sure whether he was doing it in all seriousness (and improvising, not having an actual pendulum to slice himself in half with :D) or semi-parodying his own song by matching said all-resounding “SWOOSH!!” with the “you’re dead” gesture, but yeah—I’m glad he did something, because that all important noise is like the central event of the song! It was a successful gesture, whether meant in jest or not. :D

As the sound of the heartbeat faded to a halt after the slice, the semi-subdued, semi-soothing strains of the epilogue-heaven part started up. I heard someone at the table next to mine who obviously hadn’t listened to Dark Passion Play say, “And now… Part 2?” Ha! More like Part 5—hadn’t he been paying attention? Anyway, Annette brought the song home with the sweetly subdued final bit, but I noticed again that she didn’t go up to hit all the high notes. She did, however, hazard the last two (“Search for beauty, find your SHORE” / “Save them all, bleed no MORE”), but the first one was a bit strained—she *almost* veered off-key, but pulled it back in time. The “MORE” was all right, though, and she brought us back with the “In the end I will always love you…” by really delivering that “you” with lush, vibrato’d deepness… ^__^).

So. So ends the great showpiece, “The Poet and the Pendulum.” The shape of the piece it rather like a Greek tragedy, starting slow and growing steadily, hitting some exciting, fast-paced bits in the center, reaching the screaming/angsty/dangerous bit in the middle, then building up for the ultimate climax and—SLICE! And then the denouement, when after all the excitement and terror and angst, you can relax in the gentle sounds of the epilogue. Utterly cathartic.

So it was that the entire room (and the band members) were looking rather exhausted by the end. Of course, it was just that satisfying emotional exhaustion you get after your feelings have been run through the gamut, and our clamorous applause and cheering was anything but tired. ^___^ The first thing Annette said was “I think Tuomas deserves a big applause for this,” and we all heartily agreed. That was the first time he drew himself up to be the center of attention—no drama queen anything for the most part of the concert so far, which was pleasantly surprising. I was really expecting him to be something like Yoshiki from X-Japan, who’s just a drama queen through and through and makes just everything the band does about him. ^^;;; But yeah, the fact that he had to have Annette ask us to applaud his incredible efforts before making himself known to us was pretty cool. He’s a very interesting guy, this Tuomas!

Anyway, Annette voiced all our opinions when she said, “Well, that’s a hard one to follow.” No kidding! But I don’t think anyone was ready to pack up and go home yet, despite how content and lassitudey we were all feeling at the moment. ^^ So Annette tried a little joking, saying, “Now, I want to go some place very hot and sweaty and dry… The men are all thinking something dirty, I think. But no, the girls know I am not thinking anything dirty. I am not thinking it, only the men. The girls know I mean—‘Sahara!’” LoL, it was incredibly cute of her. ^___^

So yes, “Sahara,” to get us back into the riotous feel of things. It’s one of the tracks I typically skip on DPP, but I have to admit, I love the “One thousand one” refrain that Marco sings in the background, especially as that is the final chord that lingers at the end of the song, after all the instruments and Annette have dropped out. Beautiful, beautiful chord! Again, much more exciting hearing it live than on the CD (though that final chord is a lot prettier and multi-layered on the CD, there being only one Marco to harmonize with himself on the stage ^^; ).

The next song was one I didn’t recognize. It had a refrain that went something like “Rise up! Rise up!” It was a fantastic song, though—upbeat and epic in just the way I like it. ^__~

[EDIT: Phantasm on the Nightwish forum has kindly supplied the missing song! It's "Higher Than Hope" from Once! ]

After that, we got our big treat: “Nemo!” As expected, Annette sounds AWESOME on this song, and she really let it rip up there with “NeMO my name forever moooooore~~~” at the end. ^__^ <3 So beautiful, so powerful~~ so… NEMO!!! <3 <3 <3

I guess that at this point, our energy level was running a bit low (still recovering from giving our hearts over to “The Poet and the Pendulum,” no doubt), so Marco threatened us with “hey, it’s at this point in the show where it could just be ‘one more song’ or not, depending on you ::wink::.” LoL, well, that got us cheering, for sure. And it got me to start screaming “ESCAPIST!!!!!!” at the top of my lungs, of course. I knew there was little chance of getting the old and non-single “Ghost Love Score” at this concert, but “The Escapist” is a song from the current album and I just HAD to hear it live because it’s my favorite song ever. <3

I kept the energy up, jumping, bouncing and screaming throughout the next song, “7 Days to the Wolves,” but it just wasn’t satisfying doing it from the third tier, surrounded by seated people. So I got my butt up, bid farewell to my companions, and tore down to the moshpit. My bouncing and screaming seemed to work, infecting the not-so-demonstrative back section of the moshpit with the need to wave their hands and head-bang, so I considered my work done. ^__~ The front of the moshpit was already doing their part, so with the back catching on, the entire moshpit was on fire and the band caught our enthusiasm.

Without another comment, they launched straight into another song—the popular “Wishmaster!” (or, as this hilarious video (http://youtube.com/watch?v=gg5_mlQOsUQ) about misheard lyrics calls it, “Fishmaster”) Very nice, and a great song to be moshpitting because everyone knows the “Master! Apprentice! Heartborn, seventh seeker!” bit, and the notes are staccato enough to be good for fist pumping.

After that wild and crazy good time, Annette said it was really time for the last song now, so they’d leave us with something sleepy and dull. “Just kidding! We’re going to give you something ‘angelic’ instead!” she said.

But of course, what Nightwish concert could be complete without “Wish I Had an Angel?” It was awesome, and again, Annette belted it out in a great way. We in the moshpit lost ourselves in mindless, sensory-overload pleasure, waving and jumping and singing along—it was a fantastic moment. ^___^

But then, sadly, it was all over (they actually meant it?! What about encores??). The band gathered at center stage for their bows, throwing out drum sticks and picks and sweat-smeared towels to the eager crowd. ^__~ The band stayed out for quite awhile, taking bows, waving and touching people’s hands. ^___^ Their group hug/bow was awesome because they really seemed to pull us in and include us in their moment. It was much more personal/inclusive than typical end-of-concert bows, in my opinion.

It was especially nice watching Tuomas’s expression during the final bows and cheering, when everyone in the theater was just screaming and bouncing and waving their hands and clapping—he was so moved, he looked like he would cry. For us? For this tiny gathering of mostly grungy, shaggy, black-clad guys (in the moshpit area, anyway) when they have played before thousands in huge outdoor arenas? Sure, we were all sending our hearts out to them, but being such big stars with 10 years of experience under their belt, how can our petty hearts still move them? I was very touched, and am totally sold as a fan for good. ^______^

Well, I was ready to stand there and scream myself hoarse(er, that is) until I got my “Escapist” encore (LoL! That’s what they call a one-track mind, but once you hear the song, you’ll understand ^^), but the audience was all obediently turning to exit. ;__; So I quickly snapped a few pics on my cellphone of the stage and the silhouette of the Jack Sparrow-cum-Jesus on Tuomas’s keyboards and left. There was a volunteer handing out Nightwish stickers as we were exiting (the pendulum from the DPP cover) who kindly gave me an extra one for my sis, too. ^__^ I had been worried, initially, that going to a rowdy concert alone—or at least, walking through the parking lot at 11:30 pm alone—might be a bit dangerous, but not at all. Everyone was still glowing with post-concert happiness and revelry and I had plenty of company to walk me all the way to the far corner of the parking lot where I had ended up parking. A guy even drove by cheering happily and brandishing out the window one of Jukka’s drumsticks, which he’d apparently caught (lucky!). And yeah, where “rowdy” is concerned, I think I was one of the worse ones. ^^;;

And so ends my incredibly long and drawn-out account of my first Nightwish concert. They’re coming back to the area (San Diego!) next May on this same tour (dang, that’s a long tour!), and I’m tempted to go see them again… ^____^ Well, we’ll see. For now, my heart will be happy with the lovely memories of that wonderful concert~

A little joke and then some

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 16:16:03 GMT

To cheer up a gloomy Monday back at the office (though actually, it was quite a beautiful morning weather-wise in So Cal...), here's a little joke:

An engineer dies and reports to the pearly gates. St. Peter checks his dossier and says, "Ah, you're an engineer -- you're in the wrong place."

So, the engineer reports to the gates of hell and is let in. Pretty soon, the engineer gets dissatisfied with the level of comfort in hell, and starts designing and building improvements. After awhile, they've got air conditioning and flush toilets and escalators, and the engineer is a pretty popular guy.

One day, God calls Satan up on the telephone and says with a sneer, "So, how's it going down there in hell?"

Satan replies, "Hey, things are going great. We've got air conditioning and flush toilets and escalators, and there's no telling what this engineer is going to come up with next."

God replies, "What??? You've got an engineer? That's a mistake -- he should never have gotten down there; send him up here."

Satan says, "No way. I like having an engineer on the staff, and I'm keeping him."

God says, "Send him back up here or I'll sue."

Satan laughs uproariously and answers, "Yeah, right. And just where are YOU going to get a lawyer?"

--End--

LoL~~ Makes me wanna read Good Omens again~ ^___^

In other news, spent a great weekend with an old friend who came up from San Diego to visit. We actually met in Japan (he's the only straight guy in the world who likes Takarazuka, apparently ^^ It's good to be an easy-going person-- you don't miss out on lovely things like Zuka, then!), and he moved out here from Massachusetts ~~to be near me =P~~ to work at a very promising-looking start-up. Extremely nice, generous, easy-going, not bad looking, good with computers, likes manga and Zuka; in other words, perfect husband material. Problem is... I'm not attracted to him... @__@;; We spent a whole day alone together at Disneyland/California Adventure, with all their romantic lighting, fireworks, etc, and no excited butterflies. Maybe I'm getting too old for this stuff? More likely, it's the stupid gorgeous anime/video game guys and Takarazuka otokoyaku that have ruined me forever for real men... ;___; Dou shiyou?? ;__;

Translations for Tsubasa Chapitre 167 & 168

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 07:19:23 GMT

What's this?! Two updates from me in two days?! Must be the miracle of fangirl love... =P

So I was lovingly re-reading Chapitre 167 of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle again, and so many of the lines were so precious I was sort of thinking about how I'd write them in English anyway... and then the whole thing came out, tsui ni... ^^

Well, so maybe some of you will benefit from this? I know there are other translations floating around, but in case you haven't seen them yet...

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle - Chapitre 167
Translated by Dark Cyradis

Color Page 1

"The dream has to end...
"...So that we may go forward into the Future."

Color Page 2 & 3

"To each, his sword...

"Whom will it protect...

"...and whom will it injure?"

"Chapitre 167: The Wounded Shinobi"

Page 1

[Kurogane wakes, all clean and bandaged up, in a bed]

Kurogane: Where am I...? [more urgently] Where are they...?

Page 2

Tomoyo: You are in the Country of Japan.

Tomoyo: Those who were traveling with you

Tomoyo: are also here in Shirasagi Castle.

Kurogane: Tomoyo-hime...

Page 3

Kurogane: ...Right?

Tomoyo: Yes.

Tomoyo: Welcome home, Kurogane.

Page 4

Label: "The Country of Japan"

Page 5

Kurogane: So the voice I heard back then...

Tomoyo: That was me.

[flashback to the turbulent last moments in Ceres]

Fai: GO!

Page 6

Tomoyo's Voice: If you truly wish, from your heart, to go onward together with him,

Tomoyo's Voice: then trade something that holds the same magical power he has for him.

Page 7

Tomoyo: At that moment...

Tomoyo: ...you were at death's doorstep from the wound that my protection charm couldn't fully shield you from.

Tomoyo: And at the edge of death, people often dream a last dream.

Kurogane: So you crossed into my dream and told me how I'd be able to get him out of there.

Tomoyo: That spell uses the spell caster as its "core."

Page 8

Tomoyo: Thus, the spell caster is unable to leave the seal as it closes in on him.

Tomoyo: However,

Tomoyo: because he used his power to allow the rest of you to escape from there...

Kurogane: ...his spell was fractured enough that it accepted my arm as his replacement.

Page 9

Tomoyo: ...Have you learned what true strength is?

Kurogane: ...Dunno.

Page 10

Kurogane: But it looks like my strength has decreased. I killed a man.

Tomoyo: ...

Kurogane: ...Did you already see it in a dream and know?

Tomoyo: That I would kill that guy and end up like this?

Page 11

Tomoyo: I prayed that it would not end so.

Kurogane: So you cast that "Shu" thing on me, right?

Tomoyo: Aren't you going to say, "You should've told me from the start?"

Kurogane: Someone who's never known the pain of knowing something and being unable to say it can't possibly judge you.

Kurogane: Even if you were to tell the someone who didn't know anything, it wouldn't help him avoid his fate anyway, would it?

Page 12

Tomoyo: ...Kurogane...

Kurogane: And anyway, when the time came, I had no regrets at all about losing my arm.

Kurogane: I... have always wanted power...

Kurogane: ...so that I would never have to have something precious taken from me again.

Page 13

Kurogane: But...

Kurogane: ...there are times when having power calls misfortune down on you.

Kurognae: And... there are some things...

Kurogane: ...that you can't protect with power alone.

Page 14

Tomoyo: ...It seems like...

Tomoyo: you really have learned what true strength is.

[she pats Kurogane on the arm affectionately]

Page 15

Tomoyo: [standing up] I'm sorry for making you wait. You can come in now.

[Fai, dressed in a beautiful white kimono, enters]

Page 16

[Fai walks solemnly up to Kurogane's bedside]

Kurogane: Hey.

[a long stare]

Page 17

[Fai knocks Kurogane one hard on the forehead; Kurogane clutches his head, looking back in semi-comical surprise]

Page 18

Fai: [smiling the most genuine, beautiful smile he's smiled in a long time] Back at you, "Kuro-sama." *

[*In reference to Kurogane punching him in Volume 20 for doing "something unnecessary and stupid" (i.e. trying to exchange the vision in his right eye to Yuuko for passage to Ceres)]

Kurogane: [grinning gamely in return] ...I'm gonna knock your lights out.

Page 19

[real!Shaoran is floating in a dream space; he sees Watanuki in the distance, turning to look at him]

Page 20

"There's 'something' he wants to tell him. Crossing far-distant time and space, the two now meet!"

[End of Chapitre 167]

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle - Chapitre 168
Translated by DarkCyradis

Title Page

"Dreams, whether granted or not...
...are surely, each and every one,
precious."

"Chapitre 177: The Promise Made Within a Dream"

Page 1

Watanuki: Shaoran-kun...

Watanuki: Where are we?

Shaoran: Probably inside a dream.

Watanuki: It may be that...

Page 2

Watanuki: ...I came to see see you in a dream so that I could say my farewells to you, too.

Shaoran: [gripping Watanuki's arm] Don't disappear!

Page 3

Shaoran: I've said it to you before, too, haven't I? "Don't disappear."

Shaoran: And, Yuuko-san told me that when I was injured, you paid a price to save me.

Watanuki: I wonder why?

Watanuki: You and I

Watanuki: ...had never met before that day at Yuuko-san's store...

Shaoran: ...

Page 4

Watanuki: What's the connection between you and me, Shaoran-kun?

Watanuki: Do you know?

Shaoran: ...I do.

Shaoran: I heard it from my father and mother.

Page 5

Shaoran: But, I can't tell it to you right now.

Shaoran: Changing the future is a difficult thing.

[flashback to something Sakura had said to Watanuki before]

Sakura: Changing the future is so very hard...

Shaoran: If I try to speak of it, the path to the future will again be shaken.

Sakura: ...if I tried to talk about it, even more choices to be made would appear.

Watanuki: Sakura-chan... also said the same thing.

Shaoran: [startled] You met Sakura?!

Page 6

Watanuki: In a dream.

Watanuki: Wanting to change the future she had seen in a dream,

Watanuki: Sakura-chan refrained from saying anything about it to anyone.

Watanuki: But she wasn't trying to just sacrifice herself to that end.

Watanuki: She just did everything she was able to do because she wanted everyone to live on, she said.

Page 7

Shaoran: ...Really...

Watanuki: Sakura-chan told me that, even though it was in order to change the future, she ended up hurting you.

Watanuki: And that you seemed to suffer deeply from it.

Shaoran: Sakura isn't the type of person that moves forward by hurting people.

Shaoran: It would be fine if, next time we meet, she just tells me the truth.

[Watanuki looks surprised]

Page 8

Watanuki: That's exactly what I told her to do, too...

Shaoran: It's because you and I are closer than anyone.

Watanuki: Closer...?

[a bright light appears beneath them]

Page 9

Shaoran: Until we manage to catch up to you, please take care of Sakura.

Page 10

[Watanuki watches him solemnly as he vanishes from the dream]

Page 11

[Shaoran wakes in his bed in Shirasagi Castle; Mokona, snuggled next to him]

Mokona: [mumbling sleepily] ...Mokona was dreaming.

Mokona: Mokona met the other Mokona inside the dream.

Mokona: Did "Shaoran" have a dream, too?

Shaoran: Yeah...

Page 12

Shaoran: [tenderly] I met up with someone very important to me.

[in Yuuko's shop, the Black Mokona is stirring from sleep in Yuuko's arms]

Black Mokona: ...It seems like Mokona and everyone are resting a bit in the Country of Japan.

Page 13

Yuuko: I received each of their payments

Yuuko: for directing them to Japan after leaving Ceres.

Yuuko: That is, I received those payments from the four of them while they were in Infinity.

Mokona: Then those payments weren't just to take them to Ceres?

Yuuko: That's right.

Yuuko: Especially because having Fai use his magic was very dangerous to him,

Yuuko: it made more than enough payment.

Page 14

Yuuko: And, there was one more person...

Yuuko: Princess Tomoyo also paid a price.

Mokona: That princess knew, didn't she? That it would turn out this way?

Yuuko: Yes. But she wished for the future to turn out differently than what she had seen in her dream.

Yuuko: From her heart, she wished it.

Yuuko: That was why she paid such a heavy price to have them come to Japan after Ceres.

Page 15

Mokona: Seeing everything that's going to happen in your dreams and not being able to do anything about it...

Mokona: ...must be very hard, huh?

Yuuko: Yes.

Yuuko: However, she couldn't just sit by an await the realization of her nightmare either.

Page 16

Yuuko: Fei Wong and Clow...

Yuuko: Both of them were able to see the future,

Yuuko: and both of them lay hands to draw the future to the shape he wished it to take.

Yuuko: But that isn't to say every hand they laid played out the way they would have wished it.

Page 17

Yuuko: Princess Sakura's separation of her body and soul were outside of Fei Wong's calculations.

Yuuko: And so was the escape from Ceres.

Yuuko: In order to ensure that Fai would only have enough power left to save two people after being forced to unleash the second curse,

Yuuko: he hinted something to Fai.

Yuuko: He told him that as their journey drew to a close, between Shaoran, Kurogane, and Fai,

Yuuko: only one of them needed to be by the princess's side.

Page 18

Mokona: Is that why only Shaoran and Sakura were able to get out?

Yuuko: Yes. Though, with the help of Mokona's magic charm, they were able to make a hole in the collapsing world to try to pull out the other two...

Yuuko: But because Fai himself was the core of that spell, he wasn't able to get out.

Mokona: And that guy knew that because he'd seen it in a dream?

Yuuko: No.

Yuuko: Because each of those children were defying Fei Wong's plan, they chose their future with their own wills.

Yuuko: And Fei Wong's plans were already breaking at the seams.

Yuuko: The hands and schemes that Fei Wong laid according to what he'd seen in his dreams are no longer fully consistent with the way reality is playing out.

Page 19

Yuuko: However, there are still certain things proceeding just as he saw in his dreams.

Mokona: ... Is he going to win?

Yuuko: I do not know.

Yuuko: However, far greater than a yet-unfulfilled future someone saw in their dream,

Yuuko: is the power of people's wishes.

[End of Chapitre 168]

Well, that's it for now, folks. ^^ Hope my translations benefited someone out there~~ (But, pooh, no Tsubasa next week... :( )

~Cy

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 167

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 04:33:24 GMT

Oh. My. God. AT LAST!!!!!!

Tears-- there are actually tears streaming down my face. I'm so, SO happy, I'm seriously *crying.* At last! At last~!!!! ::more joyful tears::

Don't worry, I'm not actually going to spoil it by saying what I'm talking about but... man, who'd've thought that one freakin' page of manga could move a person so much? That's the power of CLAMP, I tell ya! Maaaaaaan!! ::can't help grinning like an idiot::

Well, he-- *they*-- deserve it, really, after all that heartache and pain. ...And now I feel the need to gush in spoilers, so read under the cut if you've already read the chapter/don't mind honkin' huge spoilers.

At last! Good for you, Kuro-sama!!! ^_______^ ::ruffles his hair:: Seriously, he's worked SO hard for Fai, given up SO much for him! (and I ain't just talkin' the arm, the blood, etc-- emotionally, too-- wow, what a ways he's come! ^__^). I love that he had that last chat with Tomoyo-hime (so KuroxTomo fans can have their closure-- cuz, sorry, but Kurogane has DEFINITELY made his decision about whose side he wants to stay beside for the rest of his life ^^ <3 <3 <3). The return to Nihon-koku and the homecoming greeting by Tomoyo-hime/her affirmation that he finally knows what true strength is... man, it was just a beautiful "end" to Kurogane's journey. ^_______^ I mean, of course he'll continue onward with his companions to save Sakura and copy!Shaoran, but he's complete now (especially now that he has Fai "back" ^__^).

Seriously, seeing that TRULY genuine (and even playful) smile back on Fai's face again... ohhh, how my heart rejoiced! True, a lot of my tears were undoubtedly for the happiness of having Fai come back to Kurogane at last (in a spiritual sense, I know he was always beside him physically, but that kinda hurt more, the surechigai...), but a lot of them were for Fai's sake too. At last, that horrible and dark burden and past were lifted from him... or, more like laid to rest so that, while it'll always be a part of him, he can find some closure and try to move on at last (and isn't it nice he has someone whose already vowed to stay with him? ^^). And now, dear Fai can't make that excuse that he's cursed/will bring misfortune to those near him anymore-- so he'd better just hurry up and accept Kurogane's feelings! Well, considering his reaction in this chapter, it does look like he has. ^__^ (and we know he was always attracted to big, strong Kuro-sama =P The only thing stopping him was that bunch of curses he was under~ (oh, not to mention the emotional baggage, I suppose) ^^;; )

But yeah, it's so good to have that cheerful, teasing Fai back again. He was seriously the reason I got hooked to the series in the first place (though later, I fell in love with all the other characters too ^^), so I'm glad to have his charming side back out front again. ^__^ And this time, Kurogane will be much nicer/happier about the teasing, etc, eh? :D (he's missed even those stupid pet names so much, huh? ^__^ <3)

So yes... life is good in Tsubasa once again (err, though Fai's still missing an eye, copy!Shaoran's still insane and Sakura's still... "dead." ^^;;; ) Apparently, Watanuki wants in on the action too... seriously, he and real!Shaoran really have a thing, huh? Wonder how they knew each other from before... I should catch up on my XXXholic. ^^;; But yeah-- can't wait for the next chapter tomorrow, but for the first time in a LONG time, I walk away from a chapter of Tsubasa utterly sated and at peace. ^___^ THANK YOU, CLAMP!!!!! <3 <3 <3

In other news, I'm really lovin' Saint Seiya. Been watching the original TV series (got all the DVDs on rightstuf.com for $3.99 a DVD-- I kid you not!). I'm also thinking about buying a Hong Kong bootleg of the Hades-Sanctuary series b/c I really want to see the gorgeous animation on the big(ger) screen, in crystal-clear picture and sound. I found it for only $30 on this site, but I'm tight on money right now, so my conscience says, "don't you dare." Still... what a good deal...! ::wriggles::

Ooh, that's right-- Nightwish, one of my favorite symphonic metal bands (from Finland @_@) is coming to tour in the US this fall, and I've already bought my ticket!! ^___^ They *were* playing at the House of Blues in Downtown Disney (so convenient~) but they just changed venues... it's at some random place called the Galaxy Theater now. >.< But it's not too far, so... :( Still, I can't wait to hear all my favorite Nightwish tunes 1) LIVE, and 2) sung by the new singer, Anette Olzon, whose voice I utterly adore~ *__* Still, I wonder how operatic songs like "Ghost Love Score" will sound on her not-so-operatic voice... hmm... Their latest album, Dark Passion Play, came out in the US today, but I'm debating whether to buy that or the StS Hades DVDs... :( What to do...

Oh well, guess I'll tide myself over with my new favorite brand of fanfiction (Resident-Gourmet-Chef-of-Sanctuary!Deathmask x Sexy-and-Bitchy-"Girlfriend"-Who-Eats-Well-These-Days!Aphrodite fanfiction by Strausser ^^) while I deliberate over which to buy...

~Suupi ^__^

Happy Birthday, Shaka-sama~!

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 07:00:53 GMT

For those who haven't seen me in a while, I've fallen into a bit of a Saint Seiya obsession. ^^; There's just something about those unabashedly melodramatic old series... (and the abundance of gorgeous, long-haired men in shiny armor does help, of course ^_~).

Today (at least for the next 7 minutes) is the birthday of one of my favorite characters, Shaka-sama, the legendary Virgo Gold Saint, who can single-handedly beat up anyone else in the series (lol, okay, I'm exaggerating-- but if he was beating the snot out of Saga, Camus, and Shura when they were tag-teaming him, it's probably safe to assume he can beat most anyone (unless they use divinely-forbidden attacks, of course =P)).

*cough* Anyway, tangents aside, to celebrate my "patron saint" (LoL, I am a Virgo, after all ^_~), I've drawn a little bookmark of a chbified Shaka-sama! Check it out under the cut!

And you can download a big, printable version here. (beware, it's big: 1.4 MB! ^^; But it should print nicely...)

Hope you all like it! It's the first CG pic I've done in awhile (and boy does it show! ^^;;;; ). Must do more artwork... =__=;

Happy Birthday, Shaka-sama!!

RABU,

Suupi

x-posted at saintseiyayaoi

The end of Internet Radio as we know it...

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 17:54:36 GMT

Don't know if you guys have heard about this, but come July 15th, all those fun, underground little net radio stations are going to have the plug pulled by our dear music industry bigwigs at RIAA.

Get the details here: SaveNetRadio.org

Honestly, those bigwigs just can't get enough... I've written to my Senators, so I hope you will too. I'm certainly not going to give up net radio when I just discovered the wonder that is Pandora Radio (seriously, what a great idea-- breaking down musical components of songs to find which kinds of sounds you like and then playing other songs with those components-- it works PERFECTLY for me, who only likes certain songs from various bands).

So, yes, just spreading the word in case you haven't heard about it yet...

Cy

Rose of Versailles the anime--MOVIE?!?!

Wed, 02 May 2007 05:52:49 GMT

Wait, when did this happen?!?

I've heard of/seen the series plenty, but I've never heard of an animated BeruBara movie! And what's REALLY got me wriggling with excitement is this-- Oscar is played by none other than my beloved Kobayashi Sanae!!! <3 <3 <3

Who is Kobayashi Sanae, you ask? Well, being a long-time anime fan, I've ended up falling in love with a few of the many insanely talented and memorable voices I've heard through the years. One of the greatest and most beloved (by me ^^) of these is Kobayashi Sanae, who stole my heart and amazed the pants offa me with her performance as Touya Akira in the Hikaru no Go anime. I mean, her acting was so amazing and whole-hearted and powerful that she moved me more as Akira just begging his junior high Go Club teacher to let him play third board at a competition instead of first board (a demotion) than some ppl do playing the hero who's about to die tragically and heroically saving the universe or something. She took a situation that will probably seem trivial to a bystander and made us understand how incredibly much this meant to Akira, and so much of why Hikago and its hero Hikaru's motivations work is because of the intensity with which she portrays Akira. Seriously, SO many ppl would have fallen short in such an understated role, but she made him shine more than the coolest "rival type" any shounen manga could produce. Seriously, kudos of voice acting = Kobayashi Sanae as Touya Akira.

She's played a whole bunch of other incredible roles too, most recently Allen Walker in D.Gray-man, Canon Memphis in my beloved Soukyuu no Fafner, and Lucy/Nyuu of Elfen Leid. Check out her (incredibly long) profile on animenewsnetwork.com.

Seriously, what I wouldn't give to see this movie... nobody would happen to have it, would they? ^^;