on superheroes, super girls, and OT4s
May. 11th, 2011 02:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
xparrotHave seen the first 6 eps of Tiger & Bunny with the bro - mucho enjoyment but then we're both weak to superheroes. It's not really a superhero parody so much as a straight superhero show that happens to fall on the sillier end of the spectrum, though it seems to be slowly sliding to the more serious side, as they do. And may answer the age-old question: if Bruce Wayne and Darkwing Duck were forced by their corporate sponsors to become partners, who would snap and kill the other first? Seiyuu bonus: +30 in sexiness for Hirata Hiroaki (mmmm) and +42 in brain breakage for my beloved Tsuda Kenjirou as the flaming-in-every-meaning-of-the-word Fire Emblem (?!!?!?!?111!!?!)
In other superhero news, Peter David wrote the last ep of Ben 10, which was a not-really-disguised-at-all anti-Gitmo ep. No really. (Apparently it was mostly Dwayne McDuffie's idea, though he wasn't the writer. Not at all surprising, but damn, it makes his loss hurt that much more.) (Also it aired on Friday 4/29, interesting timing to say the least). Torn between OMGLOLWHUT at political soapboxing on a ridiculous kid's cartoon and crying honest tears of rage because seriously, if you can reduce the moral complexity of a situation to the black&white ethics of a superhero world in 20 minutes, it's not that fucking complex.
Am up to Skypiea in One Piece reread (or not re- in this case because for various reasons I've never read or watched about half of Skypiea) and love this series so, so much. I think my only real criticism of it (other than the lack of nakama-hugs, siiigh) is that the shounen fights sometimes get a little long - which is an aberration for me because I love fight shounen battles (though more animated than in manga, where sometimes I have trouble following the action), but with OP I'm always so anxious to get back to the plots and characters that sometimes I'll start tapping my foot. Still is my favorite manga ever.
Also I've said it before but I love Odacchi's female chars THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIxa million-IIIS much. Okay, in character design they tend toward a bit fan-service same-y, but as characters they are fantastic. Some of that I believe is because OP is so absolutely anti-romance, so none of the female chars are there to be love interests; some of it is just the way he writes them, all their strengths and weaknesses and skills and ambitions. I love how Vivi is a - not exactly a deconstruction of a Disney princess, so much as a completely different take on the whole concept. Because she's young and pretty and has the loving father king and absent mother and faithful animal sidekick - but she leaves her kingdom not to find her independence (read: her true love), but to save her people with her own strength. And not by sacrificing herself, either. I love at the end of Arabasta, that the princess has found friends and adventure - but she decides to leave it behind, at least for now, when her kingdom needs her. I love it because it's in contrast to Nami's choice, and Robin's - so the lesson is not that a woman's responsibility is to put the needs of those she loves over her own desires, but that it's her choice - that you should do what you love, what will make you happiest, and sometimes that means leaving everyone behind to follow your dreams, and sometimes that means giving up some freedom for the sake of protecting what you care about.
(Nami's story is all about this, too, and the twist that breaks me in the Arlong arc is when you learn that the village was rejecting her exactly so she wouldn't feel responsible for them - that they wanted her to escape and find her happiness. Really this is a running theme - Sanji's is all about what you owe your parents; and then there's Zoro, who lives entirely for someone else's dream. But I love that the female characters get the same choices as the male chars, that they're allowed to dream as big, and can follow those dreams.)
(And Vivi's goodbye makes me cry. There's a reason why this page is one of the most iconic in the series (and just admire Oda's art, how all their stances fit their chars, that you can know something about who they are just by seeing their backs.))
I could squee here about how much I love Chopper for being not the fuzzy-animal mascot but a full part of the crew (though he also brings the adorable in a major way and Zoro scrubbing his back in the Arabasta baths kills me with cute) , or the delectable h/c of Skypiea, or Odacchi's amazing fractured and blenderized fairy tales, or how any combination of nakama entertains me (though I admit to having a special weakness for Sanji & Usopp's shenanigans, and there's something special about Luffy and Nami...and Zoro and Chopper really are killer cute. But then who can deny the spark-flying impact of Zoro & Sanji, and Nami & Usopp have their normal-person bonding, and Luffy and Chopper can sparkle at things together - and that's not even mentioning how I adore Robin with anyone and everyone and by herself because dude, Robin! - and yup, any combination ever is my OTP!) - but I'll save that for another post.
Though speaking of combi-OTPs:
In non-animated news, regarding the latest ep of NCIS (8x23) - haven't been watching most of this season but![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
gnine recced this ep to me for a specific reason, namely OT4 FOREVER AND ALWAYS ZOMG: a 4-way hug!!!! <3333 That's it, the show could end now and I'd be happy~... (also in the previous ep, Ziva calling McGee "not just any partner" AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.
Also, mostly for my own reference, I have still been watching SPN (AHAHAHAHAH the only thing right about this show is HOW WRONG IN EVERY WAY it is. Not content with having killed off almost every recurring female char they've ever had, now they're going back and rekilling women they've killed before, and bringing back cool one-shot female chars to kill - oh, Amber Benson, whyyyyy?)
...That being said, I would so watch the Castiel &Crowley show. It's like the Odd Couple! With more blood and sex! (Okay, that last might be wishful thinking, but then again, with this show's crack count, who knows?)
Andgnine & I will be watching SV's finale this Friday...Lex is back, we have no choice. Pity us!
In other superhero news, Peter David wrote the last ep of Ben 10, which was a not-really-disguised-at-all anti-Gitmo ep. No really. (Apparently it was mostly Dwayne McDuffie's idea, though he wasn't the writer. Not at all surprising, but damn, it makes his loss hurt that much more.) (Also it aired on Friday 4/29, interesting timing to say the least). Torn between OMGLOLWHUT at political soapboxing on a ridiculous kid's cartoon and crying honest tears of rage because seriously, if you can reduce the moral complexity of a situation to the black&white ethics of a superhero world in 20 minutes, it's not that fucking complex.
Am up to Skypiea in One Piece reread (or not re- in this case because for various reasons I've never read or watched about half of Skypiea) and love this series so, so much. I think my only real criticism of it (other than the lack of nakama-hugs, siiigh) is that the shounen fights sometimes get a little long - which is an aberration for me because I love fight shounen battles (though more animated than in manga, where sometimes I have trouble following the action), but with OP I'm always so anxious to get back to the plots and characters that sometimes I'll start tapping my foot. Still is my favorite manga ever.
Also I've said it before but I love Odacchi's female chars THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIxa million-IIIS much. Okay, in character design they tend toward a bit fan-service same-y, but as characters they are fantastic. Some of that I believe is because OP is so absolutely anti-romance, so none of the female chars are there to be love interests; some of it is just the way he writes them, all their strengths and weaknesses and skills and ambitions. I love how Vivi is a - not exactly a deconstruction of a Disney princess, so much as a completely different take on the whole concept. Because she's young and pretty and has the loving father king and absent mother and faithful animal sidekick - but she leaves her kingdom not to find her independence (read: her true love), but to save her people with her own strength. And not by sacrificing herself, either. I love at the end of Arabasta, that the princess has found friends and adventure - but she decides to leave it behind, at least for now, when her kingdom needs her. I love it because it's in contrast to Nami's choice, and Robin's - so the lesson is not that a woman's responsibility is to put the needs of those she loves over her own desires, but that it's her choice - that you should do what you love, what will make you happiest, and sometimes that means leaving everyone behind to follow your dreams, and sometimes that means giving up some freedom for the sake of protecting what you care about.
(Nami's story is all about this, too, and the twist that breaks me in the Arlong arc is when you learn that the village was rejecting her exactly so she wouldn't feel responsible for them - that they wanted her to escape and find her happiness. Really this is a running theme - Sanji's is all about what you owe your parents; and then there's Zoro, who lives entirely for someone else's dream. But I love that the female characters get the same choices as the male chars, that they're allowed to dream as big, and can follow those dreams.)
(And Vivi's goodbye makes me cry. There's a reason why this page is one of the most iconic in the series (and just admire Oda's art, how all their stances fit their chars, that you can know something about who they are just by seeing their backs.))
I could squee here about how much I love Chopper for being not the fuzzy-animal mascot but a full part of the crew (though he also brings the adorable in a major way and Zoro scrubbing his back in the Arabasta baths kills me with cute) , or the delectable h/c of Skypiea, or Odacchi's amazing fractured and blenderized fairy tales, or how any combination of nakama entertains me (though I admit to having a special weakness for Sanji & Usopp's shenanigans, and there's something special about Luffy and Nami...and Zoro and Chopper really are killer cute. But then who can deny the spark-flying impact of Zoro & Sanji, and Nami & Usopp have their normal-person bonding, and Luffy and Chopper can sparkle at things together - and that's not even mentioning how I adore Robin with anyone and everyone and by herself because dude, Robin! - and yup, any combination ever is my OTP!) - but I'll save that for another post.
Though speaking of combi-OTPs:
In non-animated news, regarding the latest ep of NCIS (8x23) - haven't been watching most of this season but
gnine recced this ep to me for a specific reason, namely OT4 FOREVER AND ALWAYS ZOMG: a 4-way hug!!!! <3333 That's it, the show could end now and I'd be happy~... (also in the previous ep, Ziva calling McGee "not just any partner" AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.Also, mostly for my own reference, I have still been watching SPN (AHAHAHAHAH the only thing right about this show is HOW WRONG IN EVERY WAY it is. Not content with having killed off almost every recurring female char they've ever had, now they're going back and rekilling women they've killed before, and bringing back cool one-shot female chars to kill - oh, Amber Benson, whyyyyy?)
...That being said, I would so watch the Castiel &Crowley show. It's like the Odd Couple! With more blood and sex! (Okay, that last might be wishful thinking, but then again, with this show's crack count, who knows?)
And
gnine & I will be watching SV's finale this Friday...Lex is back, we have no choice. Pity us!Tags:
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no subject
Date: 2011-05-12 12:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-12 12:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-12 12:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-12 12:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-12 09:30 am (UTC)Can't comment on the rest but just mainlined all of Tiger and Bunny last night. So much love.
no subject
Date: 2011-05-12 08:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-12 09:08 pm (UTC)Really this is a running theme - Sanji's is all about what you owe your parents; and then there's Zoro, who lives entirely for someone else's dream. But I love that the female characters get the same choices as the male chars, that they're allowed to dream as big, and can follow those dreams.
And both those are dreams that have potentially huge repercussions for the whole world, if they get realised, though in (we assume) very different ways.
Only yesterday, I was thinking about the contrasts in Nami's and Zoro's dreams as they started out and what's happened to them later... er, how far are you with the manga, btw?
and just admire Oda's art, how all their stances fit their chars, that you can know something about who they are just by seeing their backs.))
Yeah, that's a big part of why I can just return to that image over and over. There's the huge emotional meaning to it, but part of that is the way they're all so different and individual but have the same bond to each other, and to Vivi.
Odacchi's amazing fractured and blenderized fairy tales
True! This is a recurring theme that rarely gets pointed out.
And yes, I agree totally that while there are particular dynamics that may catch my attention more, the Strawhats are very recombinable. It's always rewarding to see Oda shuffle & re-arrange them in different groups.
no subject
Date: 2011-05-14 08:14 pm (UTC)I noticed it before, but it was even more obvious reading it this time - it's something that rarely comes up with fairy-tale princesses, that if they are only children (as they usually are) someday they will be queen. I love that it's not forgotten with Vivi, that it's the biggest part of who she is.
Only yesterday, I was thinking about the contrasts in Nami's and Zoro's dreams as they started out and what's happened to them later... er, how far are you with the manga, btw?
This reading I only just started W7, but I was reading it semi-regularly before, up to the beginning of Impel Down. And I have certain spoilers past that (said spoilers being a large part of why I hadn't read further, I wasn't in the mood to handle it ^^;)
Very looking forward to entirely catching up!
And yes, I agree totally that while there are particular dynamics that may catch my attention more, the Strawhats are very recombinable. It's always rewarding to see Oda shuffle & re-arrange them in different groups.
Heh - when I was reading fic I definitely tended to seek out some combos more than others - but reading the manga, honestly there's no combination that I'm not excited to get more of. Makes for fun reading! ^_^
no subject
Date: 2011-05-15 09:25 pm (UTC)Ah, okay, then I'd better not continue my thought on Zoro for now, at least not until you've read up to... I forget... let's say chapter 597 to be sure. ;)
(said spoilers being a large part of why I hadn't read further, I wasn't in the mood to handle it ^^;)
Sounds like the same reason I stopped watching the anime for awhile, but now that it's into (I think I can say this much) Luffy's childhood flashback arc I've gone back to it. (I think you will like at least some of that in the manga, like chapter 585.)
no subject
Date: 2011-05-14 08:16 pm (UTC)One could probably write a book on the references and allusions Odacchi makes! I remember how hard I laughed when I realized how much of Arabasta was a Peter Pan pastiche (e.g. a villain with a crocodile obsession and a hook for a hand! XD) Never figured out if any of them mean anything, or if he just does it for fun... ^^
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Date: 2011-05-14 12:44 pm (UTC)You're a bad influence on me, btw - I was just popping around the older areas of the fandom, but now I've got this compulsion to read from the beginning again. Ah well, now that I know how to get manga on my Kindle, it'll be a lot easier. ;)
It's been pretty interesting just in what I have read/watched lately to see the things that were foreshadowed before they become apparant, again: and watching Robin as she slowely decides these are people she /is/ willing to die for, because they would do the same for her is... kind of stunning, actually. I'm enjoying it.
Also - really, really need to start in on Gintama. It will be awesome, I know, I just need to get off my butt (on my butt?) and check it out.
no subject
Date: 2011-05-14 08:24 pm (UTC)And I love reading manga on my Kindle - so relaxing to be able to read in bed! ^^ (Now they just gotta make legal outlets for it...)
It's been pretty interesting just in what I have read/watched lately to see the things that were foreshadowed before they become apparant, again:
The foreshadowing and character development is astonishing - reading it altogether like this, the whole story hangs together very well; there's pretty much no contradictions that I've noticed. A few loose ends (the biggest being what's happened to Smoker & Tashigi since Arabasta!?) but knowing Oda we'll get back to them sooner or later...
Also - really, really need to start in on Gintama. It will be awesome, I know, I just need to get off my butt (on my butt?) and check it out.
Yes you dooooo! Oh man I haven't said much about it but the new season of the anime has been fantastic, cracktastic and hilarious! --I will say, if you're going to get into Gintama, I highly recommend the anime over the manga. It's maybe the one shounen series I know that the anime is hands-down better (ironically, because it adapts the manga so closely - but improves the art, and a lot of the gags are easier to follow animated, I feel. Sorachi's a warped genius but his brilliance is more in screenplays and storyboards than a finished product...?)