So I didn't finish my yuletide fic. Yes, I suck. Yes, I'm trying to finish it anyway. Yes, I feel awful.

Though now I feel slightly LESS awful, because it turns out that whoever was assigned to me ALSO punked out, so I was properly punished and got no fic myself. Methinks that my santa was a no-show, and since I was also a no-show, they didn't bother finding someone else to cover me. Totally fair, of course. And yet, selfishly, I am dissappointed.

Fortunately, ladyjaida was there for me in the end. You rock, babe. ^_^

And dreadono wrote a HILARIOUS saitouXken fic that is at least partially for my benefit. She ALSO rocks. XD

2 [de gozaru]

ponder ponder
*toddles back from RK Dreams*

There's a debate going on over there about Japanese dialogue and whether or not it belongs in English fanfic. Personally, I feel this is a giant "NO," but as we've all had this discussion before I won't annoy you by getting into it here. ;}

But reading over people's responses on the forum raised a different question for me:

Japanese characterizations are often misrepresented as badly as the language -- for instance, how fanfic characters are performative in ways that no Japanese person, particularly not one who lived at the turn of the century, would be. Admittedly, the RK Dreams folk have me a little worried, as I've been a little indulgent with my own characterizations...

...But now I'm wondering. Just as it's near-impossible for most English-speakers to write convincing Japanese dialogue, I suspect it would be just as futile for writers born and raised in America (or any other western country) to attempt to accurately portray the quirks of Japanese culture and interpersonal relationships.

Which raises the question: Is it better to write characters that feel genuine to you (the writer), or to try and adopt a cultural outlook that isn't your own?

Of course, there are things a writer can keep in mind -- not to have the characters be too demonstrative, for example -- but after a certain point, I personally feel like I have to just go with my gut and write what makes sense to me. After all, in order to write a character convincingly, a writer has to find a personal connection with them....and as I'm an American with American sensibilities, this connection is going to be affected by that, no matter how much I may resist it.

(The other thing I was wondering, selfishly enough: Do you feel like I use too much Japanese in my own fics? I try to keep it under control, but there are some cases where I just can't find the energy to resist. *koffTOKONOMAkoff*)

Mood: contemplative

4 [de gozaru]

grrr
The american family association is currently conducting a poll in regards to the legalization of gay and lesbian marriage.

Go forth, brave soldiers, and give 'em hell

< /activism for the day >

Mood: aggravated

1 [de gozaru]

and more fic...
...which will assure that no one else looks at the OTHER fic posted a few hours earlier. *shrug* Such is the way of things when one has no impulse control. ;}

Both of these are RK. The first is about Kaoru, and takes place a few months after chapter two of Requiem for a Dream. The second is about Kenshin, and is set shortly after he joins the ishin shishi and becomes a hitokiri. They were written for 15minuteficlets and then tidied up a bit before being reposted here.

***

( Forgetful )

( Snow )

***

*twiddles thumbs*

Mood: sleepy

5 [de gozaru]

Random? Why YES!
So I sat on this for a few weeks, to see if it was ACTUALLY funny or just funny at the moment.

I have decided that I don't care, and shall subject you all to my insanity.

mwah.

( Dude... (sorta kenfic, sorta NOT. multiple readings suggested for the sake of coherance) )

Mood: silly

17 [de gozaru]

!meme!
(gacked from clarus)

I don't feel like I know you all nearly as well as I should, so: tell me a little something about yourself. Any old thing at all. Just so the next time I see your name I can say: "Ah, there's so and so...she likes spinach."

I'd love it if every single person who friended me would do this. Yes, even you people who I know really well. Then post this in your own journal.

Mood: curious

26 [de gozaru]

*le sigh*
Finished the Saigou biography. Desperaely need to refresh my memory in regards to the Kyoto arc of RK, but after that I have no good excuse for not working on chapter three.

I've been reading other people's responses to Last Samurai (*waves to clarus, resmiranda, catystorm*) and I'm increasingly woeful about my own opinions. As I've said to more than one person in the last few days, I really really REALLY wanted to love this movie. As it was, I had a hard time even enjoying it. I feel like I need to keep watching it over and over again, alone so that the snarky comments of friends won't distract me...that I need a "pure" movie-viewing experience to be totally sure of my own reaction. It's silly...this is just a movie, after all. And I maintain that objectively, it's not a very good one. But it still bothers me that I managed to so totally ruin it for myself.

Also: I ended up skipping Japanese yesterday. I was just too tired, and I knew that I hadn't studied enough and would look like a fool. I have GOT to get this whole "night school" thing under control. There's no reason for me not to study, aside from laziness, and that's really not a good reason.

And I need to start working on my yuletide fic.

And finish plotting out my original comic...research on Tokugawa-era Choushu can wait until I have a solid arc banged out.

wah -_-;;

Mood: aggravated

11 [de gozaru]

*snerk*
A Ninja Pays Half my Rent -- not the best thing ever, but hey. Ninjas!

2 [de gozaru]

Whiteboy Samurai, Historical Accuracy and Movie Boyfriends

( Spoileriffic thoughts on The Last Samurai )

*looks back over post*

Wow. That's scarily long. O_O

ETA: Just to clarify, I know that this movie was loosely based on Saigou and the Satsuma Rebellion/Seinan War/War of the Southwest. Past geeky posts on the topic are here and here (note that the second one is ooooolllld.) Some of my bitching about how not enough information is given has less to do with MY being confused and more to do with how a film is supposed to be crafted.

Mood: geeky

30 [de gozaru]

second attempt:
Poll #215632 holiday card time!!!
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

address goes here, babe XD

TRYING THIS AGAIN as I apparently forgot to ask for addresses -_-;;

ETA: I forgot to make addresses private. I am too too too tired to make another poll. If you are really concerned about privacy, email me address, k? *lazy* ^_-

And my address, if anyone cares:

61 4th Avenue, Box 172
New York, NY 10003

hee

Mood: amused

4 [de gozaru]

a very happy birthday to ladyjaida, though I am far far far too lame to have finished her present. ^_^;;

*smooch*

and now...off to bed....

Mood: tired

[de gozaru]

far from perfect, but...
( アリソンの　やすみ　(What I did over Thanksgiving) )

Mood: accomplished

9 [de gozaru]

hollywood betrays me again
So it seems that the "Last Samurai" in the WB film coming out this Friday is NOT, in fact, Saigou Takamori, but instead is a fictional character based on him.

...

Having read the first two thirds of my Saigou biography, in addition to the research I've already done, I'm frankly mystified as to why the screenwriter/director of this movie would find it necessary to distance himself from the source material. After all, what really happened is certainly interesting enough on its own -- there's no need to fictionalize it like this...

....however, unless I am mistaken, at no point was Saigou a Daimyo. And as the screenwriter/director just referred to him as one....?

Yeah, maybe he's just an idiot.

*sighs*

There goes my enthusiasm about moviegoing on friday night. -_-

If you need me, I'll be curled up in bed with the aforementioned Saigou biography, squeeing over possible plot points for my fic and quietly cursing the name of Tom Cruise.

ETA: Drea! Did not forget about your bday, sweets!! But I am drawing a total blank as to what I should draw/write/etc for you. Requests? :D

Mood: annoyed

11 [de gozaru]

*watches Inuyasha*
I have realized that one of the main reasons I want my favorite shows to be on Adult Swim has nothing to do with increasing awareness of their coolness, or being able to laugh at bad dubs, or the amusement of having to explain missed episodes to confused friends.

It's that I want to read the bumpers that would accompany them.

I am such a dweeb.

*debates writing to AS and explaining why they need to air Full Metal Panic/Rurouni Kenshin/Fullmetal Alchemist/Gunslinger Girls/Get Backers/Peacemaker/etc*

Mood: contemplative

5 [de gozaru]

god I love holidays
So, about to head back to Beantown for thanksgiving festivities with the family. And I am taking three bags crammed full of paraphanalia for this weekend's to-do list, including:

--laptop (fic writing, rk manga re-reading, listening to the 11 hour "audiobook" mp3 I made out of incarnate)
--Saigou biography (muah)
--Sketchbook (for comic and fanart drawing)
--Shogun DVD box set
--FLCL manga borrowed from coworker!Mike
--The Two Towers (GEH, so much to read before RotK comes out >.< )
--.....jesus, a lot of stuff....

also: volume two of the Viz RK manga has shipped! w00t

Mood: accomplished

2 [de gozaru]

visual insanity
this is what happens when I go out drinking with bhanesidhe and hlaron.

( First came the custom lables for newly burnt Kenshin manga CDs )

( Then came drunken fanart for Clarus..... )

ALSO: OMFG fullmetal alchemist issogood. Edward and Al rock my fangirly little world.

ALSOALSO: Am already scheming re: Otakon. Bad sign?

Mood: dorky

22 [de gozaru]

I fear that this is terrible, but I will post it anyway. Oh, the unwise actions that I take.

written for 15minuteficlets and revised slightly afterwards. R, definately, but not particularly explicit.

( Surrender -- SaitouXKen )

*koff*

4 [de gozaru]

art (!!)
for a_hollow_year ^_^

( theirloveissoVERYNEARLYincestuous )

Kaoru looks strange....she's actually really hard to draw...

ETA: I like it much better, now. I posted it on go-gaia.com, people were horribly mean about it....deleted comments that mentioned Kaoru looked like a gorilla, but I DID go back and rework the faces. They look more like themselves, now, I think ^_^

Mood: artistic

4 [de gozaru]

I <3 Barnes and Noble
First off: My home internet connection is currently busted. Therefore, you will all be bombarded with HIGHLY BELATED lj comments as soon as I get it working again, as there's only so much fucking around that I can get away with at the office. Alas!

Second:

OMG. I have in my hands a brand-new, special-ordered hardcover book entitled "The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigou Takamori." There is no end to my squee. SO MUCH SQUEE.

Of course, this means that instead of getting any actual work done I'm just going to lock myself in my room and read. Then write more RfaD....then drown in my own excitement.

ALSO: Yesterday I bought (and subsequently watched) "Taboo" (can't remember the Japanese title) which tells the story of a Very Pretty Boy who joins the Shinsengumi and ultimately becomes corrupted by the endless adorations of his fellow warriors. (in other words, they all try to sleep with him and he turns into an arrogant little prick.) Strangely, this makes me want to write Bakumastu!kenfic, in which a very young Himura Battousai becomes the focus of much unwanted attention among the Choushu ishin shishi.

Mood: bouncy

12 [de gozaru]

HEH
why, yes, actually it IS time for fangirling!

What could be better than Enishi tormenting Kenshin?

Enishi tormenting Kenshin with a BRICK.

HEHEHeHeHE

Mood: amused

6 [de gozaru]