Thanks for the Transphobia!

And btw, japanator guys, crossdressing and gender bending anime characters are popular in America. We have Fruits Basket, a very popular series with about three cross dressing characters in it, Ouran is also loved. Persona 4 also has a cross dressing character in it. The video game market has progressed a little, since the shocking inclusion of Cloud dressing up as a woman in FF7. I think it's good for that sort of thing to be acceptable in western gaming, because that game looks really cute, and if people don't agree with cross dressing, they can just play the many other games that don't have any gender bending characters. I wish the Nana games would be translated over here too.

Code Geass

I was worried about Code Geass because I thought 'it looks like a CLAMP manga', but when I picked up the two volume ones from the library, I was pleasently surprised. I was worried it would be inbred like most CLAMP items are nowadays, with all their crossovers, AUs, and fangirl winking, but it at least tried to have a plot without all the LOOK, FANGIRLS! crap.

Thanks to the Internet

I learn that blackface in booths is not a good idea.

I read the first two volumes of Full Metal Alchemist and noted that the story has diverged from the anime already! Also, I read Yotsuba vol 4, and enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

Fangasm

People continue to overthink Fruits Basket, as I finally get chapter 132 in a good translation. VIVA AWESOMENESS! I still think Tohru saved the day using romance[the curse broken because the cat could form a new bond], but the fact that she was willing to do something besides 'love' makes her all good in my neighborhood. I especially liked the acknowledgment that not everything is going to be peaches and cream after the curse.

Sadly, I can't write any fanfiction lately. The story I've been writing needs to be broken up into two or three stories, so I'm pretty sad about that.

In other Fruits Basket news, a guy notes that Fruits Basket is really a story about a cycle of generational neglect and abuse. Personally from what I remember of the anime I don't think that theme is brought out enough, and so we end up with the fluffy stigma, and even worse....fluffy!Shigure. NOOOOO

Overthinking Fruits Basket

I enjoy overthinking shoujo manga. Of course, there are many yummy spoilers for the Fruits Basket manga here I've long thought about the counterpoint of Akito and Tohru. They both have rather masculine names, there is a black wing motif associated with Akito and a white wing motif associated with Tohru, and there's of course, the matter of sexuality. I don't think it's a mistake that Tohru is a pure virgin who blushes and gets flustered when Kyo tells her that they've kissed before, and Akito 'resorts to using her womanhood quickly', in the words of Shigure, who is just one of her lovers.

It's an old archetype- the pure virgin of light vs the experienced witch who is associated with darkness. Akito often speaks about darkness too. She is shown telling Yuki that he is on a pitch black path and saying that her life is dark and so her room has to match. There's also the divide between optimism and pessimism. In volume 2, Hana, Uo and Kyo discuss how Tohru doesn't see her life as a glass half empty. In a scene just a bit later, Shigure talks about how someone thinks his CUNNING PLAN will fail, and someone says "I know full well when my glass is half empty". If one did not know the rest of the story, this would be confusing, but taking a glance at it now, that's certainly Akito saying that[note the hairstyle and kimono, those of you following along in your manga].

Of course, in the manga, Tohru eventually 'wins', but hey, there's always fanfiction.

The Unicorn Wolf of the Zodiac

So accurate. Except for of course, mean Akito makes Hatori erase the unicorn wolf's memories of her deep love for Yuki, and Shigure also rapes the unicorn wolf because he's just a rapist like that. Oh that dog, he'll rape anyone.

Otakin Bring the Lulz

Hehhee, otakin. I can understand being a huge nerd, but you need to try to keep it on a *squee* level not on a I was jigglypuff in another life level.

I noted that the library had what seemed like 22 volumes of Prince of Tennis, but I couldn't find volume 2. So I borrowed Wolf's Rain instead.

Masturbating in the Mirror

A nice rant on how not to creep everyone out with your fanfiction.