Random random

[taotrooper]

It's been ages since I last used Photoshop or coded CSS. How nice it feels.

I've been rereading random manga parts just because.

- I had forgotten how cute and sexy Kazuhiko/Oruha is. And Suu and Oruha's friendship was so "aww". But most of all, the hidden "cameras" or whatever popping out occasionally freaked me out. I'm hoping that, when/if CLAMP finishes the two Clover volumes left, they develop more on Oruha's killer and whether Kazuhiko could find him/her/it.

- I think I've developed a couple of theories about Hohenheim, but I'll talk about that some other day.

- You know, in early CCS volumes, sometimes the similarities between Fujitaka and Eriol are too much. And I've noticed that when I write about Clow or read the Soel to Larg translations, I imagine his facial expressions and fanon traits like a mix between his reincarnations. Let me tell you, I would've PAID good money to CLAMP so they'd drawn a Clow with a kinda!evil!Eriol smirk or a surprised!Fujitaka look on his face XDDDD Because that'd be TOO hot.

More interview meme answers, this time for Laurus.

1. You get a magic door like Howl's. Where do the different colours go? Real or fictional places, your choice (or a mix of both).
See, the problem with my favorite fictional countries is that they're either chaotic and in conflicts, or they're just boring if you're not special or with powers, or just normal. So I'll keep it real life and practical here.
a) Black blob: Caracas, Venezuela. Native country and all.
b) Green blob: Madrid, Spain. Because maybe I could find a better job there, and I wouldn't have to leave Galicia for that.
c) Blue blob: London, England. Because it's cool! And I could go shopping, too.
d) Red blob: Tokyo, Japan. Because I could also go shopping over there and the city is just batshit.
The issue would be currency exchanges and learning more Japanese.

2. What was/were your favourite cartoon(s) as a kid?
Well... It's just that it changed over the moment. When I was too young I'd be all over things like Strawberry Shortcake, My Little Pony, Carebears, Rainbow Brite (although I was told I watched Transformers and robot shows sometimes O_o). Then I was obsessed with He-man and She-ra, although I also liked Jem and the Holograms. There was a time I said "fuck it", and watched TMNT which was more of a boy cartoon, but it had talking TURTLES eating PIZZA. Then Disney animated shows were trendy, and I loved them all! (Ducktales, Chip 'N Dale Rescue Rangers, Darkwing Duck, Tale Spin, The Gummi Bears, and so on.) Then it was the WB wave, with Tiny Toons, Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Freakazoid. And... after that I was already a preteen :P
And I didn't mention anime because I keep it to American/Korean animation, but I didn't watch that much at the time. It was more of a late teen thing.

3. How did you get interest in web design?
I always liked the Internet and that's why I chose a career related to computers. But I never thought about learning HTML until I went to college and found that two classmates had their own websites (incidentally, both were about DBZ O_o) One of them used that spawn of Satan Frontpage, but I didn't like it. I had a videogame magazine with a quick HTML course, so I got the very basics from it. Then I googled for tutorials. I've always coded by hand ever since. My first complete web was about Evangelion because it was my temporal obsession. Book of Shadows was my second baby, and I still remember that I learned how to use frames with that one. It's a hobby, but now I really wish I could work on this.

4. If you could change one (and only one) thing about the HP series, what would it be?
I'd say more Luna and Neville, but maybe it's better this way :P
Um. Probably that either Ginny in HBP was more like her OotP self, or viceversa. That way her characterization wouldn't had been so "whoa, where did that come from?!", and the H/G canon would be slightly less forced. Or, if Ginny has always been like in HBP, then she could've added more interaction with that aspect of her in previous books. If the series had more Harry/Ginny interaction, especially during all those vacations at The Burrow, the ship could've made sense.
To sum it up, a way to fix the Ginny WTFery at HBP. (mind you, I liked her at OotP, so I'm not bashing her or H/G)

5. And I don't think I've ever asked you this: pirates or ninjas? XD
Oh God, no! This question came back to bite me in the butt!
Wizards win.
Nah, seriously. If we're talking about real life, ninjas. They were more organized and studied fighting techniques better, while pirates are more chaotic and less honorable.
But in fiction...
Well...
In fiction, pirates! We have shameless guys like Jack Sparrow. And there's the pirates in One Piece! What do fictional ninjas have? Like, Naruto... um, yeah, no... well, the Oniwabanshuu in Rurouni Kenshin are so cool but even Aoshi wouldn't survive the pirates the other fandoms' pirates; the RK anime filler pirates were garbage. Kurogane might have a chance unless, like hamsterfactor used to tell me some months ago and I didn't listen, he faces Roronoa Zoro. Then? Kuro-pon, I love you more than Mr. Bushido, but you're screwed.
So, pirates in fiction, ninjas in real life!

Comments

I have a lot of things to say, you know :P

[laurus-nobilis.livejournal.com]

- Kazuhiko/Oruha are one of my CLAMP OTPs, even if I don't talk a lot abuot Clover. They're just so... awww. I wanted a happy ending for them in TRC, but now I guess there won't be a lot of "happy" in that series, heh. Guess I can still imagine they're happily married in Hanshin/Piffle/Rekort...

- Hohenheim breaks my brain in a good way. :D And I'd love to see your theories.

- I imagine his facial expressions and fanon traits like a mix between his reincarnations: yesss! Me too! Also, the early CCS volumes feel so different in hindsight. The race scene will never be the same again.

- Either we had eerily similar tastes even in our childhood, or there just weren't so many cartoons in the 80s/90s. XD I swear, I loved *everything* you mentioned.

- Word about the Ginny characterization. I like the couple, or at least the *idea* of the couple, but all of the romance in HBP was very WTF for me.

- As for 5: Well DUH! Yay pirates! And again we think the same way, heh. I guess I would've mentioned different characters, but still, Fictional pirates >>>> Fictional ninjas.

[kirarakim.livejournal.com]

Good answer to number 5. I always think it is such a hard question because they both pwn. But I think I agree with you real Ninjas just seem way more interesting than Pirates but in popular fiction (especially recent popular fiction) Pirates just get the better end of the stick. So to answer the question it really depends on what perspective you look at it from. XD

Re: I have a lot of things to say, you know :P

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

- Kazuhiko/Oruha is my Clover couple. They break my heart. You'd think TRC would prompt AU fic around now that it's justified, but noooo.

- Re-reading Hoho's old scenes is so WTF XD and then I keep reading and I'm crying again when Ed unburies the thing and everyone and Izumi are relieved ;_;

- Early volumes make me jump a lot, when sudenly I'm seeing Eriol's facial expressions on other people. But it never fails: I want to see canon art of Clow doing Fujitaka's dorky "o_o" faces! *pouts*

- I think there were a lot of cartoons, but those were the less sucky ones. Oh dammit, I forgot Thundercats! Also, I didn't mention them there because they weren't lineal and are oldies, but I also liked classic cartoons from Looney Tunes, and Hannah Barbera, and Disney, and whatever Tom & Jerry was from.

- I know love (and siblings mocking you) can change you, but in HP it's ridiculous. Bad romance I can live with, inconsistent characterization not so much.

- I really wanted Kurogane to win, but really. Pirates. WIZARDS.

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

That's the thing, exactly. And this is why it's one of the hardest philosophical either/or questions together with "astronauts vs. cavemen" or "tantei vs. kaitou" or "do we order Chinese or pizza...?"

Just kidding XD But it's hard! Real life ninja were so rich in arts: it's not limited to the shuriken-kunai-lol or the Naruto-like cliches. I peeked over the Wikipedia once, and it all looked pretty cool.

*replies with icon of one cool fictional ninja*

[kirarakim.livejournal.com]

LOL well I can answer the Chinese or Pizza question it is always Pizza. Now if it was Sushi or Pizza that is a much harder question. XD

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

The ellipses mean EVERY OTHER RESTAURANT/CHAIN FOOD EVER. Sushi, tacos, sub sandwiches...

[shirasakura.livejournal.com]

You know, it was kinda weird to read something about how someone else besides my siblings watched a lot of those shows you listed in #2. Those were some of my favorites.

On the other hand I did watch some anime when I was young, so Sailor Moon will always have a place in my heart (and my mother's, who was forced to watch it with us and eventually sort of likes it; when I have the money I will by her a box set of the episodes they showed in North America).

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

Sailor Moon was released in my country when I was already a teen. When I was little, your options for anime were old-school stuff: action shounen (Dragon Ball, Saint Seiya), sports shounen (Captain Tsubasa and the sort), soap opera shoujo (Candy Candy), epic dramatic Ghibli-esque things (Marco, Heidi), and assorted robots/mecha. I passed and clinged to American animation.

[shirasakura.livejournal.com]

Man, I was little when Sailor Moon was first released, or when I started watching it. I think they were still doing "Brand New Episode Next Week" thing. I remember that with very first Digimon and Pokemon episodes (two things that I got into, got over, and occasionally watched again before I decided dubbing sucked).

I really liked American Animation too, though. Animaniacs, Looney Tunes, Pinky and the Brain, and the first animated version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (not this new stuff) are special to me too. Damn, I wish I got that box set now. ;____; Next Christmas now...