BLAHBLAHBLAHBLAHBLAH someone shut me up now

[salinea]

Okay, first I'm feeling much better since yesterday. Hoping it'll hold. Thank you so much to everyone on my flist for being such darlings and comforting me. You guys are the best! ♥ Especially since I know I'm not half as good as you at comforting you when you're feeling down >_>; I'm sorry for that.

Second, I finally got my hands on Pet Shop of Horror (yes, took my sweet time, but it is difficult to find scans of, and it's never been released in France and I don't usually order manga from the US cuz that's kinda expensive) which was indeed as awesome as I was led to believe. Love (as I always do) the whole morality fables / creepy fairy tales / contemporary occult atmosphere and how it mixes domestic comedy. The characters are very much darlings, and the stories are very tight. Of the manga I've read set in the US, I thought it was the most self aware of cultural subtleties and I found the way it lampshades as well as uses (and abuses!) Asia as mysterious/female/magical/suspicious was hilarious. And I really loved the ending, what a perfect fanfic fodder!

Of course as soon as I was finished I was hitting rexluscus's tags to find fics and recs (haven't left comments anywhere yet : you know it's funny I never mind leaving comments on old fics but I hate doing it in fandoms which I'm not familiar with yet) and it was midway to reading a (very nice, very much fluffier than what I usually like but still wonderful) fic that it was kinda hit by how much those characters are similar to Damien and Tarrant. At which point I felt stupid because they're very very similar. Like okay Damien's slightly smarter, and Gerald's slightly less gender-ambiguous. Very slightly. Their relationship's different, not domestic at all, and much more bonding over religion and Biblic jokes which, yeah, not so much with Leon/D. Oh, and all the slashy subtext in Coldfire is unintentional *snorts* And now I feel guilty about not having passed the prologue+first chapter of the big Coldfire reread over at hunters_forest (althought the discussion appears to be quite lively without me so at least there's that).

And now it's 4am and I should get up early tomorrow to go touring the Marais and then watch anime; and the day after that I have to go to my parents to celebrate the Rosh Hashanah, and at some point between all this I need to find the time to download and watch the last Code Geass episode - AND I DON'T FEEL LIKE SLEEPING, like not at all.

I could talk about the movies I've watched lately. Would you want me to do that?

Oh and I'm vaguely considering trying to do NaNoWriMo this year, hoping it would help curing myself of that dryspell of inspiration.

And I need to get train tickets for the Utopiales which got a very drool inducing list of invited writers. There's Richard Morgan too, I've got half of a mind of taking one of those books he recced to me to have him sign to see if he gets mad or laugh because I'm an ass ; and there's Ellen Kushner (although I already have an autograph of her via the lovely generalblossom but now I can get one of her books signed, yay!); and Robin Hobb and Hal Duncan (guess that means I must get off my lazy ass and read Ink).

Actually with that list of writers I hope they're going to at least do one panel about gay and gender queer characters in SFF novels. Would be interesting to see Richard Morgan faced to people like Hal Duncan and Ellen Kushner, especially given how much talks I've seen about The Steel Remains as bold and daring for being a fantasy novel with OMG gay characters and a long and hard graphic gay sex scene, and people asking if it was difficult for him as a straight male to write that. (If so I will totally have to ask Kushner and Duncan if it's difficult for them write heterosexual characters and straight sex!!)

Gahh, I'm so hyper and it's 4am30. When am I gonna be able to sleep? ;_;

I have too many firefox windows opened right now.

Comments

[rosehiptea.livejournal.com]

I loved Pet Shop of Horrors. Just the art and all the creative pets, and of course I loved D and Leon also.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

It's a wonderful manga! I wasn't crazy about the art, but I loved the stories, and the way they used various mythology, and the way it underlines social/psychological commentaries. And, yes, the characters ^^

[heavensgardener.livejournal.com]

Mm, Pet Shop of Horrors. I need to finish collecting that...someday. Eventually.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Yes, you do! Me, too, probably. Hope they eventually release it in French.

[heavensgardener.livejournal.com]

Hopefully they will.

And you're making me want to try to dig through my dad's one-wall bookshelf to try to find his copies of the Coldfire trilogy. Again.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Did you try and not got into it?

[heavensgardener.livejournal.com]

Nah, I finished them a while ago. They're just buried in the bookshelf somewhere and while I want to reread them, I'm not sure WHERE in the bookshelf they are and it's a huge bookshelf.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

hehe, I see :)

Do you think I'm right about the characters' similarities?

[heavensgardener.livejournal.com]

I think so, from what I remember. But it's been a while for both, so.

[scriva.livejournal.com]

I have only read two volumes of Pet Shop of Horrors, but I liked the little stories. Sometimes it's very amusing, and sometimes I find it weird, that Japanese obviously love the objecitvation as "erotic, mysterous, etc.", at least in manga. More than once I have seen it in BL mangas, when much emphasis is put on the skin of a Japanese or semi-Japanese character. And it's the point of the whole story in Amane Yamano's "Ikoku Irokoi Romantan", that describe the love affair between a Japanese and an Italian Japanophile.

By the way, I watched Guardian of the Sacred Spirit at your recommendation, and I loved it. It also had the cool, old woman character that I missed in "Avatar".

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Okay, I remember someone on my flist linking to an interesting article about how the Japanese define themselves (or not) using some of the Western tropes exoticising/othering Asia... I need to find that again for you. I haven't read as many BL mangas with that kind of stuff, I can't remember if FAKE for example had it, but it's possible and what you mention rings a bell a little.
In Petshop it's also a bit different because D is Chinese - I'm usually a bit wary about how manga portray Chinese characters because that's two countries with a complicated History and Japan doesn't usually get the palm for awareness of its own racist issues - however in Petshop's case, the exotificating is so over-the-top, so cliché (the whole Gremlins reference in the first volume!! XD) that I thought it went beyond using a theme to parodying it, albeit in a loving way.

I'm really glad you loved Guardian of the Sacred Spirit! Isn't the Shaman awesome? And Balsa! In general that anime had the best gender dynamics i've seen in a long time.

[scriva.livejournal.com]

Still awake?

Yes, Chinese in manga: It's true, IF they are portrayed in a positive way, then they are portrayed as more feminine than Japanese, even if they are mafia.

BL manga is my guilty pleasure, and FAKE is only one example. (Funnily, if you have a relationship between a foreigner and a Japanese (half-Japanese), the Japanese will almost everytime be the bottom. Talk about funny self-stereotyping!)

However, I agree with you that the sterotyping in Petshop... is over the top. You can find other stereotypes in the mini-stories.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Still awake?
Alas. I think I might give up on the attempt for today and settle for a nap in the afternoon.

then they are portrayed as more feminine than Japanese, even if they are mafia.
*smirks* Have you read Banana Fish?

BL manga is my guilty pleasure, and FAKE is only one example.
You're absolutely right. I haven't read that many BL, so you probably know this better than I do.

However, I agree with you that the sterotyping in Petshop... is over the top.
Lol, not really discussable. Question is, why is it so over the top?

You can find other stereotypes in the mini-stories.
Do you have something specific in mind?

[scriva.livejournal.com]

*smirks* Have you read Banana Fish?
There goes my generalisation. I have only read volume 1 and 3, because I wanted to try it first, before buying five or more volumes. (Unfortunately, the German publisher stopped the series, because it was not successful enough. I guess it's the 80s look of the characters.)

Anyway, I know what and who you are mean, so Banana Fish is an exception, but, then, Banana Fish is more "realistic" in its setting than many other manga. And since the Japanese in the book, especially Eiji, come from a sheltered background, it's not surprising that the members of Chinese gangs in New York are more badass. I also don't meant to say that being portrayed as more feminine does imply "not violent".

Do you have something specific in mind?
Perhaps, it's better to say plot cliches connected with certain subjects. I don't remember the title, but the story with the singer/mermaid contains all sorts of stereotypes that are usually linked to opera, especially obsessive love.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Oh, I didn't mean Banana Fish as an aversion, actually. One of the main Chinese mafiosi character was a bi example of what you meant. Although now I remember there were also some very badass and macho Chinese gang members and mafiosi (some day I need to get back on this manga and finish reading it)

the story with the singer/mermaid contains all sorts of stereotypes that are usually linked to opera, especially obsessive love.
Oh, yes, it totally did. But it's not one of the discrimination cliché.

[scriva.livejournal.com]

You mean Shorter. Haha, well, as I said, I don't know Banana Fish so well, and maybe, I missed something important in the second volume I could not find in the comic store.

Oh, yes, it totally did. But it's not one of the discrimination cliché.
It's true it's not a discrimination cliché. However, I think that the mangaka sort of takes all sort of narrative clichés, be they desciminative or not, and applies them heavily for the dramatic effect and, maybe, a sort of meta-referential humour.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

There it is : Performance of East-West discourses in Tanizakis In Praise of Shadows

[scriva.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the link.

[flo-nelja.livejournal.com]

I really should read Petshop of Horrors again. It's been a long time, but I remember it was good.

(I should read more fantasy books, too. But I never know which ones are good unless I have some recs ; I can never tell only by the summary.)

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

when you read it, was it scans of the official english translation, or scanlation?

I make plenty of book recs! Just look at my book review tag!

[flo-nelja.livejournal.com]

Et je me retrouve toujours à parler un anglais déplorable sur ton LJ, par imitation, en oubliant que je peux parler français.

C'était des mangas en japonais, avec traduction anglaise des scripts à côté, à la barbare, comme on faisait il y a dix ans ! ^^ (Bon, OK, ça fait peut-être un peu moins de dix ans, mais pas beaucoup). Il me semble que ni la VA ni les scantrads n'existaient à l'époque, et le concept même de scantrads venait juste de débuter.

C'est vrai... il faudrait juste que je sache par où commencer... (et que je trouve le temps ! Où va mon temps, ces jours-ci ?)

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Ouhla l'antiquité. J'ai jamais fait ça que pour Yami no Matsuei et ça m'avais vite bardé ^^

aaah, le temps...

Si tu veux mes scans je peux te les envoyer :)

[flo-nelja.livejournal.com]

J'ai fait ça pour... houlala, beaucoup de mangas. ^^

Oh oui, merci, oui, les liens pour Petshop of Horrors, ça serait cool ! (mais j'espère quand même que ça sortira en français un jour ! Peut-être que c'est parce que les OAV n'ont pas bien marché...)

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Je l'ai trouvé sur free_manga si tu trouves pas je l'uploaderais.

[alighiera.livejournal.com]

Like okay Damien's slightly smarter, and Gerald's slightly less gender-ambiguous. Very slightly.

*wail* Now you've made me wonder about plots that would make it possible to stick Gerald in a dress.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

... you say that as if it was a bad thing! :D

[alighiera.livejournal.com]

I'm holding you responsible for the drabble I'm writing just now. :-P

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

*feels proud* My inner Damien is squee-ing right now.

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, PSoH! I read it a little while ago (also late for the same reason you had) since I liked the OVAs when I watched them ages ago. I really enjoyed it!

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

I still need to watch the OVA. Weren't easy to find on mininova when I looked yesterday but I'm sure I'll find them eventually! :)

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

Aww. I was lucky to watch it subbed in a now dead cable channel years ago. Otherwise, I'm sure I wouldn't be able to find it either.

[rebbe]

O: NaNooooooooooo -- NaNo is always funtiems, so good luck with that!

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

It would be a first for me, it kinda scares me.

[rebbe]

No joke, it can be super challenging. I've participated only once (last year) and it was. A CHALLENGE, YEAH

But I'm sure you'll do just fine!

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Yeah, cuz writing lots lots lots of text is like totally my strength XD

but thanks ♥

[demonqueen666.livejournal.com]

Oh my god, I loved Pet Shop of horrors! I am such a sucker for that creepy plot twist/morality play/macabre irony type of ending, and the art was fucking gorgeous. I thought the ending was just a little bizarre, but then, I honestly liked the more episodic parts of the story versus the overall arcing "plot" anyway. (I hear the anime sucked though. Shame, though perhaps not completely unexpected.)

Just so you know, there's a contiunation of the series they're starting now (um, or at least it's on US bookshelves now) called Pet Shop of Horrors: Tokyo. Same shit, different city, basically. But how I love it so XD

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

I am such a sucker for that creepy plot twist/morality play/macabre irony type of ending
Me, too! I also adore the magical-shop series, like XXXholic and Tarot Café :D

I have'nt come around to reading the continuation yet but I will. Sadly, since it's licenced in the US it's hard to find in scanlations, and yet since it' not licensed in France, it's impossible to buy for me.

Petshop of horrors

[ngblog.livejournal.com]

Les OAV qu'ils ont sortis (dispo en France, VOST) sont pas mal du tout, et introduisent bien l'ambiance à ceux qui connaissent pas encore le manga. En tant que fan, j'en étais bien contente ; tu devrais regarder ça si ce n'est déjà fait ! :)

Re: Petshop of horrors

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Je vais essayé de les récupéré mais ça n'a pas l'air facile à downloader.

[dizilla.livejournal.com]

wow, i never realized you never had read PSOH. XD It's a fantastic manga though it's been a real long time since I last read it hehe.

Yes, please talk about movies. =D I need to do that too soon.. XD

If you do do NaNoWriMo, we could be writing buddies! I'm planning to do it, lets see if I do haha.

Sleep is for the week. This weekend at Yaoi Con, I barely got 8 hours total... haha. ^_^

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Most manga I read, i do in the French translation, and oddly enough Petshop never got translated in French! and yes it is awsome!

I'll talk about movies then ♥

yay fr writing buddies!

I'm so jealous of you that you got to assist to Yaoi con!!!

[generalblossom.livejournal.com]

some delayed hugs about the "yesterday", glad you felt better soon. The Utopiales sounds wonderful, I so want to go to another thing of that sort one of these days. The local versions are very very tiny so not the same effect, though they do try - this year the guest of honor is also Richard Morgan. I have not yet read anything of his, do you recommend any, just in case I find the time to drop by and read something before?

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

the Utopiales are hardli big either, at least not compared to US cons, I think ^^ haha, he must be touring Europe or something :)

I've only read one book of Morgan's, so it's hard to generalize. The review of that book is here. I'm a bit ambivalent, but there's some definite interesting thematics and argumentations as well as some solid characterisation and plotting.