~~ the yaoi fangirl never sleeps!

You know, I think I wouldn't be reading all these random comics if... uh, they weren't comics-- if there weren't pictures with the words. I wouldn't necessarily watch these many live action movies, either, because that seems draining more than entertaining (as I know from past zombification experiences), though I'd watch it as anime shorts. I think my quality control in what I read goes way, way down when pictures are involved for some reason (and I do think there's a real explanation for this phenomenon, btw.)

Somehow, the pictures make the experience more immediate and universal at the same time... so instead of concentrating on the art and craft of the words the way I do with stories, I can let go and just focus on their meanings. I mean, the story is important and keeps my long-term interest, but... man, the pretty pictures keep me mesmerized for hours. It's not just the boob-tube anymore.

It's also starting to become clear that more than 50% of the mangas about High School boys are about longtime friends (from childhood!) who're just now admitting their feelings for each other. Now, this is one of those Happy Buttons of mine which will always get a positive reaction (actually, it was that button which got me into S/R), but... oh man, I'm starting to feel manipulated or something, going for the formula every time.

It doesn't help that all these stories about childhood love are starting to feel incestuous-- like, if you've known someone for that long, and are that close... on the one hand, how dense do you have to be not to know you like them 'that way'? And if you do know, what does that say about how close you are if you keep that kind of secret from the other person? And on top of all that, aren't friends that old basically family, anyway? It's not that familiarity has to breed contempt, but doesn't it at least breed complacency? (Which just goes to show you that you can always start to sour on an idea once you've been exposed enough to it.)
~~

I always knew that yaoi & slash have warped my brain, but... man, it hasn't warped it the way nerve.com says. Omg, that's... pretty offensive, actually. And meh, just figures that they've got a quote from Tricia of the Juxtapose Fantasy website (ooh, the only members-only 'yaoi' site on the net-- wtf?? 'yaoi'??!) Man, I don't even know where to start with this. Apparently, "Women read these stories because they make them feel sexual in a way that hetero romances don't." ...Right. Soon they'll be going on about penis envy and the modern woman.

( ...Because I clearly need to let off steam in one way or another. )

~~

P.S. I love it when they have someone say 'sankyuu' in manga (or anime, I'm not picky). It's a special joy in life. Yes, it doesn't take much with me, clearly.

(no subject)

       Happy Birthday, Penelope! >:D!

Since we've all gotten kind of old (I'm 26 and a half, man), it seems like a good time for some reminiscing.

Back when I found Penelope's writing, I was first browsing the veela-inc website in 2002 (...remember that? ahaha), which was basically my only source for HP fanfic at that point. I remember being intrigued by the clock graphics (...there -were- melting clock graphics, weren't there? it could be I'm becoming senile) and thinking the few H/D fics there were (not enough!) an amazing contrast to Ivy's softness and Durendal's wackiness. There was this pervasive mood about them (well, especially Life in Months of Midnight) more than any particular aspect of characterization or plot standing out. The weird thing is, I immediately put the long WiP on my to-read list, but what with reading half the H/D ever written all in the first 2 months, it took me awhile to get to it. Meanwhile, there were these pretty one-shots every now and then, always tart and sharp and often disturbing but in a way that kept to an elegant sort of aesthetic.

...So of course I hopped on over to livejournal (since I was the curious sort), and hey, this Penelope chick was quirky and snarky and there was talk of H/D being dead, but only sometimes, which made me happy even then. Perhaps it's that intermittent necrophilia kept me on my toes.
    I think it was basically Penelope and Riddle (and later, Olympia) that were instrumental in making me see Draco as being needy and obsessive and melancholy and rather insane, which is one of my favorite ways to see him still, like in Cocaine Music (which might be the first rentboy!Draco fic I remember, actually) & Carnivorous House, which is the only fic that really left me with an impression of Malfoy Manor that stuck with me.

Though actually, my favorite fic is probably His Belongings, which isn't really H/D, but it's... different.... Somehow softer, more personal feeling, straightforward and bittersweet and resigned and it still has one of my all-time favorite voices for Ron.
    And Penelope's Shuldig/Yohji ship essay came really close to making me want to read some WK fic, so it's entirely possible I'll blame her for that too one day >:D