X Never Marks the Spot

There's nothing like a good vid, combining clips and music such that you see a show or a song in a whole new way, and fall that much more in love with your fandom for it. When I'm in the right mood I like going back and rewatching favorite vids, feeling the warm fuzzies for fandoms I haven't thought about for a while.

I was in the right mood today. So here's 5 awesome vids for older fandoms - maybe not the best in show, or even my personal favorites, but ones I adore for various reasons:

Smallville: Bad Romance by sisabet
"Bad Romance" is the perfect Clex song. ...Well, so is every other song about bad romances ever written, but this one is their anthem. So it was a great gift to all of fandom that Sisabet went ahead and vidded it, despite all the Clex vids before it that covered the same ground - only she went and found something new, not just in the later seasons of SV that most of us either weren't watching or wished we hadn't, but also in other incarnations of Lex & Clark, comics and cartoons and movies, to show how far their romance goes, bad to the bone and everlasting (oh the shot of DCAU!Lex getting up close & personal, an inch more and they'd be kissing...)

Stargate Atlantis: Rockstar by chayiana
There are a zillion brilliant SGA vids and Chayiana did like half of them. I can't say if this is my favorite of hers but it might be the one I've watched the most, being about the cleverest semi-literal interpretation of lyrics vids I've seen. The movie-star whale gets me every time. And the speed-dial bits. And all the big rock stars. And Todd!!!

The Man from UNCLE: Malchik Gay by gnine
Totally cheaty, this one, since the song was my suggestion to begin with, and I beta'd the vid - but I still love how perfectly it showcases Illya in all his tiny blond awesomeness (his gay, gay, why-oh-why-do-all-these-girls-like-me awesomeness). And Illya/Napoleon and their trust and friendship and outrageous lack of personal space. And the amazing giddy ridiculousness of '60s TV. And just a hint of the bondage that made MUNCLE what it was. ...And did I mention Illya? Gah.

Princess Tutu: Hold Me Now by alkampfer81 [Youtube link]
AMVs tend to be more about rhythm and motion and action than emotions (not that they can't be intensely emotional; but the nature of an animated source is such that it lends itself to the visuals) and this is one of the greatest examples of the form, so beautifully composed that it resonates even if you can't understand the lyrics and don't know the source. (Though I highly, highly recommend said source to anyone who likes fairy tales, storytelling meta, or adorkable girls who happen to be enchanted ducks.) While it's technically spoilery, in truth if you don't know the series you likely won't make enough sense of anything to actually be spoiled, and just - there are instances where the imagery so perfectly matches the beat that your heart clenches with it. My favorite moments are when Kraehe's black wings burst out, and the town walls cracking near the end.

One Piece: Sail On by ManyLemons [ddl at bottom of link, or Youtube link]
Okay, so OP is still ongoing and I'm still into it, but this is an older vid - it's missing some of my favorite chars and moments in the series. It's still my favorite OP vid; it so perfectly captures the comedy and excitement and most importantly the epic adventure. It's everything I love about One Piece, what makes it one of my favorite stories of all times, in 5 minutes. (I admit to especially loving the "turn the page and see your savior" because it's cheesy and a silly effect but...but it's Luffy, and the fall of Arlong Park, and just, yes, yes.) (...That being said, I can't help but wish for a updated version, with all the nakama and bits from later arcs...)

gnine has made another vid! At my, er, suggestion. My wicked so-wrong-it's-SO-RIGHT suggestion. (Come on! It's Russian! It's perfect!) In case you've been wondering: yes, here is definitive proof that MUNCLE (and Illya) really is that gay. Seriously, it was the Merlin of its time.

Malchik-gey

(And then there's the delightful My Brown-Eyed Boy, which offers compelling evidence that Napoleon is in fact even gayer than his partner, or at least swishier...)


Just finished watching the Scrubs finale. Loved it myself (I think this season's been really strong, am hoping it is the last, because it would be nice for it to go out so brightly) - the themes of goodbyes, the way life inevitably changes...yeah, resonating really strongly with me now. It was pouring all day today, and the the streets smelled clean and wet when I went out tonight, more like rain-damp stone than concrete. I never thought that a city could smell good, but Kyoto can. I'm going to miss my city...