| Saaaaaaail away |
[12 Dec 2009|01:57pm] |
After a delay of roughly forever, I've finally posted something new at 5M.net: Five-Minute Sailor Moon.
I never watched the show, but I was aware of it because my brother did (not that he'll admit it now). He was just below the age where it would have been too girly for him, and I was just above that age. However, I did watch one episode all the way through. I guess I was channel-flipping and decided to see what was happening... and man, big stuff was happening.
This was the first-season finale, of course. Sailor Scouts were dropping left and right. And despite the dub's attempt to pass this off as getting knocked into a coma or something like that, I wasn't fooled for a second. I have a feeling most kids weren't. Serena wouldn't have been that upset about her friends being unconscious, and their spirits certainly wouldn't have shown up to help her in the final fight.
It sort of blew my mind. I'd never seen anything this heavy in a cartoon show before. And although everybody came back to life, the ending was sad in a whole different way, with all the girls losing their memory of being Sailor Scouts. It made such an impact on me that I set aside my inhibitions and watched the next one... but I don't think I got much farther than the "Luna Mind Meld". That was a little too tongue-in-cheek for me (and for years I assumed it was a dub change, but apparently that's really what she calls it).
So let that be a lesson to those who would dumb stories down to make them healthier for kids. Forget the whole question of whether it's disrespectful to the original creators -- sometimes it doesn't even work.
- Z
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| Seinen/coseinen tangent |
[28 Nov 2009|12:05am] |
Anime is a funny beast. That sounds like an overgeneralization, of course -- after all, there's a ton out there, in many different genres. But what I've been noticing lately is how many anime series seem to be aimed at audiences we in North America don't even have.
Take Haré + Guu, for instance. Brilliant show, if slightly kiddy; every time I watch it I think about how well it would fit in the after-school animation block. But then I realize you can only say that about 80% of the show -- the rest has stuff that wouldn't be appropriate. What do you do with Weda, Haré's scantily-clad boozer of a mom? Or Bell, the devoted maidservant who gets violent nosebleeds over her mistress's "purity"? Hell, the fifth episode is all about determining who fathered Haré out of wedlock.
This isn't unusual. For every show like Ai Yori Aoshi, where the adult stuff fits fine because the show pitches itself to late teens anyway, there's one like Rosario + Vampire which combines simple kid-friendly concepts and plot structures... with panty shot festivals and incessant breast-size jokes. (I do have examples without plus signs in their titles, by the way.) I enjoy lots of those shows, but they also make me feel vaguely uncomfortable, like I'm watching someone make dirty jokes with my little brother in the room.
There's a word for what I'm talking about: surrounded. No, wait. The word is seinen. It's supposed to mean targeted at males in the 18-30 range, but in my experience, it's more often what I've described above -- material that would be fine for kids from about 12 up, were it not for the gratuitous stuff mixed in. Like most genres, it's fuzzy; I'm not sure why Ai Yori Aoshi is seinen and not shoujo, for instance (though it makes me less embarrassed for enjoying it). Aoi may appeal to some men's fantasies of the perfect girlfriend, but her appeal to girls as an old-fashioned romantic heroine is even stronger. My point, though, is that the seinen audience seems to be one that only Japan aims for. Kids' and even teen shows don't have breast jokes and panty shots here, unless I'm way out of touch.
It's just something I've been thinking about. Which brings me inexplicably inexorably to Soul Eater.
That show is great. Seriously, it's way too much fun -- can't recommend it enough. I'm 40 episodes in out of 51 total. And what I find myself wondering, for a somewhat different reason, is what audience this show is aiming for.
( Very mild spoilers up to episode 40 and speculation thereafter. )
(By the way, I know I'm late to the party. Soul Eater finished airing back in March. But I'm just watching it now, and I wanted to say something about this strange dilemma I'm feeling.)
- Z
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| Oh, I'll add to your discussion |
[12 Jul 2009|03:49pm] |
Different sites use different mechanisms to eliminate spam comments and abuse. I think it was Slashdot that first let users vote posts up or down; this is better than nothing, but it's no substitute for an intelligent moderator. For one thing, in a forum where the balance of opinion is heavily on one side, that majority can easily shout down dissent with their votes. That's one reason I think it's important to let users decide if they want to see downvoted posts, instead of simply hiding them from everyone.
But there are other problems which have less to do with philosophy and more with mechanics. This one I just stumbled on, for instance.
I've always sorta figured that when you create a discussion, you add to it by definition. What with zero being less than any positive number and all. But that's probably just the kind of naive idea you get from working in math.
- Z
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| Long enough to reach the ground |
[20 May 2009|09:29pm] |
So I decided to start biking again recently. My first time out, my old bike exploded under me. Okay, it was just the inner tube of the back tire, but it impressed the people across the street.
Since then, I've been seeing what I can do with Dad's bike. It's more of a racing bike, with ten speeds and those weird handles that curve down like mountain goat horns. It has no foot brakes, but I can live with that. The real problem is bigger: it's bigger. Specifically, this bike rides several inches higher than my old one. As a result, I need to lean way over to get a foot fully on the ground. I've never had a bike this high before, and stopping it scares me to death every time.
Is this just something an adult biker is supposed to be used to? Or is it a real problem? Any advice from bikers on my f-list would be appreciated.
- Z
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| Hell Days (fic, Hell Girl / School Days, comedy) |
[04 May 2009|06:09pm] |
Yep, I am officially joining the already over-swelled ranks of people who post fanfic on their LJs. And this particular fic is gonna take a little explaining. (For readers of my journal, that is. If you've come here from elsewhere, you already know why.)
I recently became a huge fan of the anime Jigoku Shoujo, aka Hell Girl. While checking out some images related to the show, I came across this one, where Enma Ai is ferrying some guy to hell (this being what a Hell Girl does). The guy turned out to be Makoto from School Days, a show I had already heard of on account of its nice boat. I decided to check out the anime and see why this guy deserved such a fate.
Short of sci-fi, you will never find a more incredibly screwed-up anime than School Days. It's as if a dating sim collided with a train. Needless to say, I loved it. And I see now why some artist liked the idea of Makoto becoming a Hell Girl victim...
...but we all know that's not what would really happen, don't we?
Here's a short crossover that wouldn't let me go till I'd written it. If you haven't seen Hell Girl, all you really need to do is read the bit on "Hell Correspondence" in the Wikipedia article so you understand the premise. If you haven't seen School Days, the fic will mostly fill you in. Without further ado...
HELL DAYS
( When a curse is cast, two holes are dug. Usually. )
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| First! |
[20 Mar 2009|11:10pm] |
Of the many, many ridiculous things in the BSG finale, one really leapt out at me, and I'm gonna try to be the first one to point it out.
( Spoilers, obviously )
In other news, if you'd like to check out an example of truly mind-blowing lameness, watch the post-finale show on Space. You'll get to see BSG fans who are more like Trekkies than Trekkies, and bargain-bin hosts telling each other they just set the blogosphere on fire. Sweet Christmas!
- Z
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| Too much confusion |
[20 Mar 2009|07:20pm] |
Tonight is the end of an era. Yes, the days of everyone saying "Battlestar Galactica is SOOOO brilliant and so much better than EVERY SHOW YOU LIKE, you herpes-encrusted potato byproduct" will be over after tonight. They will be replaced by the days of everyone saying "Battlestar Galactica WAS so brilliant," etc.
My speculation on the finale is here. Spoilers through last week's episode. And tonight's, if I'm right that Hera is an evil mastermind.
- Z
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| Tablet arts |
[28 Feb 2009|06:07pm] |
There's speculation that the character who appeared in last week's BSG has an anagrammatic name. (Possible spoilers at that link.)
Well, I can top that. Hold onto your mind, 'cause it's about to be blown.
"Battlestar" is an anagram of "battles tar".
There will be a tar monster in the last episode. You heard it here first.
- Z
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| Huh |
[02 Feb 2009|04:38pm] |
None of my local cable channels are showing the movie Groundhog Day today? I would have thought that'd be a no-brainer.
- Z
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| Dulce et decorum erat |
[11 Nov 2008|07:05pm] |
I just got back from the convenience store, where I bought a poppy. I don't know if this is just a Canadian thing or if it's done elsewhere, but the Royal Canadian Legion (our veterans' guild) raises money every year in November by distributing poppy pins. They ask for donations in return; when I was a kid, 25 cents was customary, but I think it's 50 now, and of course lots of people give more. The poppies are usually bought a few days before the 11th and worn until then. Since I haven't gone out much, I was late this year -- so much so that I can only wear this one for a few hours.
The poppy itself is a reference to "In Flanders Fields", a war poem famous around the world but especially here. It was written by a Canadian soldier, Lt. Col. John McCrae, and we're very proud of it. What makes it especially appropriate for Remembrance Day is that unlike many of its type, it's decidedly not an anti-war poem. The third stanza urges the living to "take up our quarrel with the foe" and warns that the dead will not rest easy otherwise. It's a little chilling, especially if you know it was written during World War I, a war that looks a lot uglier 90 years down the road. But "war is bad" is never the whole story either, and it would be very much the wrong sentiment for a day where we honour our soldiers' sacrifices.
"To you from failing hands we throw the torch -- be yours to hold it high." It's worked that way throughout most of human history. There was a fundamental, unwritten social contract that every generation knew. Their country would give them a place to live and start a family, and would protect them with the rule of law. In return, the able-bodied men had to be ready to fight for the country if the time came; the women had to be ready to lose their husbands, and the elderly their sons.
Nobody liked it, but it was the way of the world -- and on some level it always will be. There's always some chance that things will go very bad very fast. But over the last few decades, in North America, it's become less and less likely. I've never been seriously worried that I'll have to join the army. And it's so easy to forget what an incredible luxury that is. My generation is basically the first anywhere to have it.
That's why I went out and bought a poppy I'll only wear for a few hours. Because thanks to the people we commemorate today, nothing else is asked of me. That's a good thing, and it's not my fault -- but it still shames me.
- Z
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| Take what's needed, then just let me go |
[07 Nov 2008|07:04pm] |
I posted the other day about Norah Jones's "My Dear Country", which is a very creepy election song. But oddly enough, it's not the creepiest election song I know. That distinction goes to Suzanne Vega's "Institution Green".
It's from Vega's third album, Days of Open Hand, which was the first one I got. (Actually, I think I got it and 99.9°F at the same time.) I don't remember for sure how I came across Vega's music, but I think "The Queen and the Soldier" was responsible. I have been known to buy albums purely on the strength of one song, and that one would definitely have qualified. Ironically, the album that particular song is on -- her first -- is the one I had the most trouble finding. I still only have it on tape.
Er, if that. Have you seen my copy anywhere?
But I digress. Open Hand was a thoroughly weird introduction to a thoroughly weird musician. "Institution Green" is typical of the album: slow, strange, mysterious. And although I had no trouble discerning the words, it didn't occur to me for a while what the song was actually about. (I still don't get the title.) Vega perfectly captures the awkwardness of voting: "private people in this public place". I chatted with people at my voting station back in October, both volunteers and other voters, but I wasn't about to say how I was voting... and I was oddly afraid to even think about how they were. The secret ballot is the essence of democracy, but that doesn't make it comfortable.
Check the song out on YouTube. And while you're there, take a moment to appreciate how perfectly that page illustrates one of the great truths of our time: comment threads are the dregs of the internet.
Oh, not my comment threads, of course.
- Z
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| Good news, everyone! |
[06 Nov 2008|10:56pm] |
The good news for me is that I've successfully posted about politics several times in the last few days, and nobody's de-friended me over it. Considering that I'm opposed to all things good and decent, that's a pleasant surprise.
The good news for you is that I've posted several times in the last few days. This would normally be enough evidence to prove that I've been replaced by a Skrull. It's no accident; I'm pissed off, and I'm going to try to use that. Last time something pissed me off as much as this election has, it got me through my Master's thesis just in time. (Then I spent six months in an emotional collapse, but it beats the alternative.) This time I'm going to try to finally get some ideas out of my head and onto the screen, both at 5M.net and this LJ.
Wish me luck, 'cause I could just as easily fall right back into my slump. Never move back in with your parents "temporarily", folks. It's a bad idea on more levels than I can name.
- Z
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| And the next song starts with "Wake me up when it's over" |
[05 Nov 2008|04:28pm] |
[Note: I was about to post this last night, shortly after the results were in, when my connection went out.]
My favourite song on Norah Jones' third album, Not Too Late, is one I didn't like at all when I first heard it. It's her obligatory political song, "My Dear Country". It was a meditation on how she felt before the '04 election, and with lines like "Who knows, maybe he's not deranged", I found it pretty annoying. But the song stuck with me, and I've come to realize it's more thoughtful than I gave it credit for. Musically, it's amazing -- the spooky tune reinforces her theme that Election Day, not Hallowe'en, is the scary thing this time of year.
The song has been going through my head all day (displaced only briefly by "Company of Fools", the most annoying song on Great Big Sea's latest album). I appreciate it today in a way I wish I didn't. You should check it out on YouTube.
( Here are the lyrics. )
She's right, you know. The fear has been coming and going all day. I've actually felt a little sick at times. And as I keep forgetting to bear in mind, I don't even live there.
So I'm going to put Norah's theory to the test. I need to watch The Ring 2 again to get the fiver done. Those movies, as you may recall, scare the living hell out of me. But do they scare me more than Election Day? Guess I'll see.
Goodnight, folks. Most of you will sleep better than me, to which I will say only this: enjoy it while it lasts. It'll be your turn next time.
- Z
[I actually did get through The Ring 2 after writing this. The results were mixed. Election Day is decidedly NOT scarier than Samara... but after the movie was over, Obama was still president. Maybe if I find a horror film four years long...]
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| That does it |
[05 Nov 2008|04:27pm] |
I'm $#&@ing moving to Canada.
- Z
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| Audacity |
[04 Nov 2008|07:20pm] |
There have been two US elections since I started this LJ, and I've made a post for each. One was a dumb joke. The other was a comment on the importance of voting which I still think was pretty good. Neither post was really what you'd call partisan.
There's a reason for that. The thing about election day for me -- the reason I don't make a big point of my views like every other LJer -- is that pretty much every time, I'm rooting for all my friends' hopes to be crushed. (I'm in Canada, remember. And university. And the internet.) I don't like being in that position -- who would? So I tend to downplay my politics on the day itself at least.
But here's the problem. This year, for the first time, I want to see some hopes crushed. Not because I'll enjoy it, but because they so deeply need to be.
( Warning: I get partisan here and you may not like it. Oh, who am I kidding? The six people reading this know where I stand.... )
- Z
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| Dammit, guys |
[11 Oct 2008|02:26am] |
Look, I know nothing is more trendy right now than telling John McCain he can't use your songs. Apparently being associated with him is some offense to dignity that other politicians, movie soundtracks, detergent commercials, and such have never offered. And I totally understand why aging hippies like Jackson Browne and Heart think that way. It's not out of character at all.
But the Foo Fighters? Arrgh. I thought you guys were cool.
No, I didn't think they were conservatives. I'm not stupid -- popular musicians are liberals until proven otherwise, whether it comes through in their songs or not. My point is that we're only talking about political rallies here. McCain's people don't choose the music in order to imply endorsements from the artists involved. They choose it because people like it. It pumps the crowd up. They also like to go for appropriate words in the chorus, but that's secondary; if it weren't, you could write a death metal song with "maverick" in it and the campaign would grab it.
In other words, if a McCain rally uses your song, it's a compliment to your song. You haven't been swindled into supporting an evil Republican. All it means is that some conservatives like your music, and if that makes you uncomfortable, so should a hefty percentage of the profits from your albums.
(Surprisingly, Obama has got one of these C&D orders too. I think that's silly for the same reason, but it's kinda nice just for balance.)
I have much more sympathy for the complaint that the McCain campaign isn't paying to use these songs. They should, though they're probably not breaking any laws (I doubt they would risk it otherwise). But we all know that's not what this is really about.
- Z
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