Friends

In an effort to be a bit less nitpicky and negative about the latest Harry Potter movie, here's me, going on record to list the movie's high points and successes (in true fanfic burning spirit). It wasn't all craziness and loose canon, and for the things it got so very right, I salute this movie.

( Unplagued by an excess of phlegm, the list )

In the cold light of the day, I realize that in a movie, it's difficult to sum everything up, tie up all loose ends, and make everyone happy. However, given that die-hard fans are the ones likely to put the most money in the filmmaker's pockets by returning to see the movie again and again, you'd think they would rethink the errors made in other Harry Potter movies, like Order of the Phoenix, and try to adhere more strictly to canon. No matter what may look prettier or sound prettier, at the end of the day, canon is the books. More even than J.K.'s statements, this fan always sings: the books are our king. Some things, I'd have loved to see show up in the movie, but realistically, I knew they wouldn't. Those are things like Harry trying to run Quidditch practices, Defense Against the Dark Arts classes taught by Snape, and a thorough exploration of Riddle's beginnings. I had hoped that at least a cursory glance at the Gaunts and at Voldemort's obsessive ties to the Hogwarts Founders would make an appearance.

I don't regret, though, the way characters were portrayed. More than anything - even the beauty of the movie - I applaud that. As I've mentioned before, I think Dumbledore stole the show in more ways than one, and Hermione came more into her own in this film, establishing herself once again as magically competent but emotionally stunted in an often endearing, but sometimes frustrating, way. And Harry, our hero...what can be said about Harry except that even with Capslock of Doom and chest monsters run rampant, I love that kid, till death do us part. But to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. Or so I've been told. So maybe Harry and my obsession with him, as strong but not as terrifying as Voldemort's obsession with the Four Founders, will never die. Just like my admiration for his bravery and strength, and his ability to face up to his demons, has never faltered. There were times I wanted to wring Harry's neck in the movie, but most of the time, I wanted to pull him close and protect him from what was about to happen. The movie made me sympathize with Harry on its own merit, rather than a holdover from the books. It made me root for Slughorn, for God's sake, and wish well for Draco Malfoy of all people. You know those are strong performances when Draco Malfoy isn't a sniveling daddy's boy, but a sympathetic character whose plight is sad, if not tragic.

And once again, I have to say that revisiting these books can make me into an emotional wreck. I mean, the last two books, and particularly HBP, are hard for me to stomach. All books really affect me, as does fanfiction and writing in general, and Harry Potter is a particularly strong example of how attached I get to characters and their world. I told Dad this morning that I'm sure many fans went through what I did with book six, and that is what I call the "character death book throw." I threw Order of the Phoenix when we lost Sirius. I threw Half-Blood Prince when we lost Dumbledore. And I threw Deathly Hallows several times, though I only threw it to the other end of the couch and not on the floor or across the room as I did the other two books. The pages of my copies of HBP and DH are rumpled and misshapen from tears, and I'll always find my heart wrenched and stomped when Dumbledore dies, be it in the book or in the movie. There's just something about that pain of loss that never goes away, even for a fictional character. I hold the books and characters in such high regard that I don't ever want it to go away, either.

"People say that life is the thing, but I prefer reading."

[36] Bleach
[34] Stock



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Also, had a work dream last night that involved cuddle times with John Barrowman. Now, seeing as how my work dreams usually descend into nightmares after the first ten minutes or so, this was, quite simply, the best work dream I have ever had.

I'm selling some Haruhi figures at my journal; if you're interested, please check it out ♥ (x-posting in several different places, apologies for spam) I couldn't see anything in the rules that forbids sales post, so I hope this is okay!

Let me say this: Half-Blood Prince is every bit as awesome and as awful as you've heard. It's important you note that there are good points and bad, and that someone who hasn't read the books is more likely to see the positive, whereas somebody like me, who has read every book well over ten times (some of them as many as sixty, and no, I am not exaggerating or kidding - the Three Year Summer between books four and five was long, after all!), will readily list the inaccuracies and faults. Half-Blood Prince was riddled with them. I'm quite harsh on it because of that, and I feel guilty, because I loved the movie anyway. As you're reading what I have to say, remember that: I still love this movie, just as I love the books, albeit differently. I still enjoyed it and will enjoy it many times more. Along with the bad, it was rife with truly hilarious moments, some cute and fuzzy scenes, and emotional brooding and conflict that made me bite my lip to hold back tears. That, and it's a beautifully shot film. Apart from some rather sloppy transitions, I can't quibble with the cinematography. Hogwarts is truly resplendent in this movie.

( Harry Potter's wizard angst is back on the shelf, replaced by Harry Potter's hormonal turbulence. The seatbelt sign has been turned on )

If you've read the books and you're a stickler for canon, you'll probably pick at it just as I have, and find parts of Half-Blood Prince wanting. You'll likely find yourself annoyed as you watch it, wondering what the writers and director were thinking as they decided to shoot this scene or cut one that might have been better. You'll also find yourself wringing your hands, or feeling your heartstrings plucked to the beat of Harry's own heart as he stumbles to his mentor's side. You'll find yourself pitying poor Hermione that she has to watch Ron drift away from her, and wanting to grab Ron and shake some sense into him. You'll find yourself siding with Harry, wanting him to succeed, hoping everything works out for him, and crashing to the ground when everything goes horribly and he can't seem to pick up the pieces. This is his story, after all. Harry is the hero, and Half-Blood Prince succeeded in making me cheer for him and want to squeeze him close and never let him go. That's one of its triumphs.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: half-baked in places and princely in others...? (Okay, sorry, sorry, I won't try to play on the title again - or not so poorly, anyway.) Often flippant in the face of Harry's dark fate and the unhappy task before him, frequently quite funny, and overall a beautifully-shot film with great acting, but an unfortunate choice of focus and target. It's not the best Harry Potter movie. For me, that honor goes to Prisoner of Azkaban, or to Goblet of Fire. But it's not the worst, either. I'm sad that it wasn't the best so far, because at the time, the book was (can't decide which book is my favorite of all seven, to this day). The book was terrific. I know, I know, the movie isn't the book. As a movie on its own, with less of that book-adaptation aspect, it's glorious and awesome. I'd love to see it again and take it less seriously, just enjoy it as a movie and have laughs at all the jokes. I guarantee you I will see it about a million times, too, just like the other films, and it'll spark a new wave of Pottermania in me and in others, and it's been a few months since I read my HP books, so the reentry into my life isn't an unwelcome one.

"A sure sign of a good book is that you like it more the older you get."

Another sure sign of a good book is that you see the movie based off it and love that movie in spite of its flaws, simply for telling its own version of the events in the book.

I am seeking a fic. And the funny thing is, not only do I recall the fic, but I recall seeing someone else looking for it in the past. Of course, I have no sense of time, can't remember how long ago it was, and can't find either post.

Anyway, Fai gets separated from the group and meets a boy named Youou in a cave. They bond, more or less. Youou's looking for his friend who is remarkably Fai-like. Fai's hungry. Youou tries to help with that and it doesn't work. Eventually everyone else finds Fai. The end.

Sound familiar? I hope?

okay, my first post and my first X / TB icons!


[14] Supernatural | Jensen Ackles
[28] X/1999 & Tokyo Babylon


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here | @crisisarrives

"Harry Potter night
I'll drag Mr. Spock with me
Wizards lack logic."

"Half-Blood Prince is here
But there's still a queue to fight
Wish I had a bat."

There you go. I don't normally respond to the Writer's Block prompts, but I thought it'd be fun to work it into my post this time.

Naturally, they're both related to Harry Potter, because it's the meaning of my day today. Zelly has been surprisingly tractable about the whole thing, and even bought a ticket on Fandango - partially to appease me, since she knew I'd harangue her till the end of time if she didn't come with me, but mostly because, as she puts it, "I'm excited to see Dumbledore die." I can't say that her evil thoughts stem from her green blood or her chicken wussishness. There's gotta be another explanation. She's the only person I know who looks forward to Dumbledore's death. I know I'm cringing in anticipation, and we're four hours away from seeing the movie.

I downloaded Stravinsky's Rite of Spring and listened to it twice today, mixed in with all the other music I've been listening to. Juxtapose Stravinsky with Red Hot Chili Peppers and what do you get? A frightening combination. Anyway, every time I listen to Rite of Spring, I see "Fantasia" playing itself out. If I took a nap listening to that song, I'd wake up thinking I'd just seen an Alasaur take down that poor, useless Stegosaur. That part, replete with its "dun...dun...DUNNNN" seemed to be one of the themes of my childhood. That, and my dad chattering excitedly whenever the Night on Bald Mountain segment was about to come on; he loved the "big ugly guy" and always threatened Todd and I with the "big ugly guy" if we were being honyocks. Memories...I hope Chiyori can look back on things and tell stories about them when she gets older, and laugh about the silly things her family did and the songs that became the soundtrack of her life.

As for the lines for Harry Potter, I shudder to think of the time we'll spend hovering outside the movie theatre. I planned to get there at eight for a nine o'clock show, but I'm starting to think we should get there sooner. So I've got to make sure I'm one hundred percent ready before Dad gets home and we have dinner, and repair the units in the South Ridge by midday or there'll be hell to pay. That means that as soon as I get done talking y'all to death in here, I need to go fix my hair. My makeup's already done. I swear that sometimes, I do have foresight, and I do prepare properly. Not all the time; only when it's something of great personal importance but minor overall significance, such as going to see Harry Potter or Star Trek or another movie that I'm guaranteed to obsess over like a fool. ^^6 When it's something like making sure to pay my library fines, or checking my email for information from job search websites, or even organizing my mail so it's easy to find and pay my bills, I forget all about preparation.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm just gonna go get ready. I'd planned to talk more and go wild talking about the oft-mentioned Red Dog Venue, to which I have yet to do real justice, but once again, I'm pushing it back. What a slacker.

"Memory is a child walking along a seashore. You never can tell what small pebble it will pick up and store away among its treasured things."

Title: Tides Change
Chapter: Two
Previous Chapters: [1]
Characters/Pairings: Fay/Kurogane
Notes: Post-canon AU; Takes place between The Bond of Family & Beneath This Cloudless Sky. HOWEVER, IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO READ EITHER FOR THIS.
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2581
Summary: A new beginning, a familiar face. Deep feelings - love, lust, comfort. But yet, it's not the same when he's not yours.

This way!

X-posted! Sorry for spamming so much?

CLAMP-NET's mid-July update: no new scheduling breaks were added...at least through the beginning of August. xxxHolic resumes July 27th and TRC resumes July 29th.

Kobato. ~ [Newtype - monthly drops]
Fall 2009: anime starts
~no new breaks~

Tsubasa -RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE- ~ [Shonen Magazine - weekly chapitres]
~break 7/22~

xxxHOLiC ~ [Young Magazine - weekly chapters]
sometime this year?: Volume 16 also with OAD
~break 7/18~

ETC.
August: CLAMP@MOBiLE update
August 26: New edition of Wish 1 & 2
September 26: New edition of Wish 3 & 4
sometime this year?: Mangettes: Gate 7
2010?: CLAMP in America

Hi everyone,
Our very helpful editors updated me on the status of submissions, and it's slightly slow. We are expecting about 500 people to participate with 2 fanworks or letters each. I expect many of you are waiting until next week, or finishing up some last minute details. The final day to submit your work is July 25th.

Also, a clarification -- Anyone can submit their work. Even if they have just heard about the project today. Please read the guidelines and find your country's editor. Then pick out your best fanwork or write a letter to CLAMP. And finally, email your work to the editor. (Useful links are in the community's sidebar)

Thanks to everyone for their support and participation.

If you are having trouble meeting the deadline, let me know by commenting or emailing your country's editor. I'd like as many people to be included as possible for the very best book, so we may try to accommodate you. This does not mean that late submissions will be accepted, but I'd like to know if there are any people in this situation.

Bleach 228
k-on
macross f




peace @ chuchuandbostuf  :3

35 icons total.

- Bleach x 24 + 2 FO banners

- Koukou Debut x 5

- Kuroshitsuji x 6

Samples:

       

The rest can be found here @ boviciderus.

[25] Bleach
[08] Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

Title: The Enchanter
Part: 2/?
Beta: dgm_loves_brawl & fullmetalkatu (for the beginning)
Rating: PG/PG-13
Characters: Kurogane, Tomoyo-hime, Yuui&Fay, Ashura-o
Plot: (spoilers to ch. 185 more or less - what comes after in TRC isn't involved) Fay dies fighting against FWR. After all has ended, Kurogane goes back to Nihon alone. But.. what if the mage wasn't the one intended to Kurogane? Could possibly be in Nihon another blonde magician, the ninja is very soon destined to meet?
(ch. II) In the end, Kurogane has the chance to speak with the blonde boy face to face.
Disclaimer: I sadly don't own anything.
Notes: translation from italian (original's mine too). (---> original here <---)

Link to previous chapter


(II.)


(x posted, sorry for spamming)