This page, right here.

If I had been drinking something, it might have been a spit-take.

That bottom-middle panel? It took my about four times to get the context. In the meantime I was thoroughly surprised that that was actually put in there. I mean, there's some mature stuff yeah, but really.

Then I realized she's referring to what he said. It's an expression. She is not being literal.

*died just a little*

lol

Anyway, if you haven't read Tramps like Us (or Kimi Wa Pet, as it's called on mangafox), I totally suggest it. It's a little mature, with adult situations and sexual references, but it's got a strong female lead who's independent but still very much human, and an adorable little dude who basically mooching off her and I want them to get together so bad it hurts (who is not, btw, the guy she's with currently). I'm only on chapter...16, but yeah, I really like it. ^_^

Yeah.

Good night.

Why am I awake again? Goddammit.

UPDATE: Now finished reading it. Will spaz more later when I don't have two essays to finish.

Oh wait, no I'm not.

Soul Eater was spaz-worthy as usual.

( CHAPTER 67 SPOILERS YESPLZ )

Seriously, I love musicals in general. Being on stage, performing from the bottom of your heart, is amazing. And this looks like it would be so much fun. Too bad I glow in the dark am so obviously pasty white. -_-;

It's been a while since I had a "WTF?" moment quite as profound as I did last night watching the newest episode of Dollhouse (the "Instinct" ep).

Cut for spoilers.

( SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS )

Finally got around to finishing Hellsing.

( SPOILERS FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T READ IT. JUST COVERING MY BASES. )

So I finally figured out how to do this icon generator thing so hey, I can finally post those icons I made a couple months ago. It was fun, if a little time consuming.

[01-20] Avatar: the Last Airbender
[21-22] Soul Eater

EDIT: Hey now you can actually see them. 8D

( Yay icons )

No really, I do. I love how, when faced with a situation where two (apparent) guys are making out, it means that at least one of them is a woman. FO SHO.

Really. Take, for example, this made-for-tv movie I watched recently on Syfy (Merlin's Apprentice, if you're interested). It wasn't necessarily a bad movie per se; some parts made me want to gag, sure, but whatever. Happens a lot in movies.

Anyway.

Main character: Jack. (There's always a bloody Jack thank you Christoper Moore.) Merlin's apprentice. Savior of Camelot and all that.

Secondary character: Brian. Knight-in-training (squire, whatever). Trying to avenge family (which can apparently be achieved at some point by becoming a knight). BUT WAIT, IT'S A TRAP! In actuality, Briana. And you know what? Somewhere along the line (I don't know exactly where, probably starting at the point where he pretty much magics her cloths off and, hey, finds out she's really a chick) falls in love with Jack.

Okay, example of why I love American television: movie is about to its last fourth now. Two young lovers (other ones, and using the term loosely in its modern definition) go off to share a private kiss before the final battle. Briana decides suddenly that this is the perfect time to jump Jack. Literally. In her armor too, I believe.

So, the two are making out, and the others come back, and there's the Obligatory Awkward Silence. The first thing they say is something along the lines of oh, we should have know you were a woman.

...

REALLY?

Because, in mainstream America tv-land, that's the first thing you assume. OBVIOUSLY THEY WERE ONLY PRETENDING TO BE A MAN ALL ALONG HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAcoughmumblemumble
I just found that funny. Maybe it's just me.

Of course, then they have shows like In Plain Sight, Avatar, Burn Notice, Heroes, True Blood, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Trek, Firefly, etc., which are just so amazing. Some more homophobic than others, but still. I really do love American television.

(And British tv. Just found this series called Being Human on BBC. And, of course, Dr. Who. ...Not that I've actually watched it. But I want to. And other things too I'm sure.)

Seriously. These Diversity guys are ridiculous. I obviously need to watch this show more.

( Cut because it takes up space. )

Also, I got a beanie. This makes me happy. ^_^

You Are Warm

You are as patient, as outgoing, and as nice as you can be. You understand people well, and you mostly enjoy being around them. You are a naturally warm person, but you do have times when you're feeling a bit distant. But even when you're feeling distant, you try to be empathetic. You always go the extra mile.

Pretty. :)

You Would Be a Crafty Superhero

You are naturally curious and even a bit of a snoop. You like to have dirt on everyone - both enemies and friends. You need a lot of freedom in your life. You like to do your own thing, and you don't fit into any normal mold. Through lots of life experience, you understand the world well. You can often predict what people will do before they even think of doing it. You are a shapeshifter who fits in with almost any group. You can get along with anyone. You're quite flexible. You are a true philosopher. You are thirsty for wisdom. You are trying to figure out the meaning of life.

Mm, I'm not sure how accurate this is, but I like some of the stuff. :)

So. Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

The movie.

It was...interesting. You can see where Joss Whedon drew on some stuff, such as Buffy's character - pretty much what I was expecting - and what he changed - which was extensive (for instance, staked vampires do not disintegrate into dust in the movie. They're also more human-looking in their vampire forms).

Okay, summary(ish thing): Buffy Summers, your (stereo)typical blond cheerleader-type, is blithely spending her days doing nothing more life-threatening than shopping, dating, school, and getting ready for the senior homecoming. Then, a sketchy-looking guy turns up telling her she's The Chosen One Who Must Slay Vampires. (For anyone familiar with the series, you'll recognize him instantly as not just any sketchy-guy, but a Watcher.) She doesn't believe him at first, but then some close encounters personal with vampires and his uncanny knowledge of what she dreams about (yeah, I don't think he could have come off any creepier if he tired) convinces her to believe him. Thus starts her training.

Unfortunately, training to be The Slayer puts a real damper on your social life. Not to mention it gives you a kind of new perspective on what's important. Insert issues with social circle (here). Luckily, there's this cool guy called "Pike" (real name or not is never explained), the epitome of the teenage rebel-good-guy-outcast-heartthrob, who decided to help her out in her vamp slaying (yay, gender role reversal!) after getting saved by her when chased by some not-so-friendly creatures of the night. (Even if you haven't seen it, you can already feel the budding sexual tension. )

Big baddy: some vamp called Lothos (or something like that), who has set his eyes on Buffy for some reason that I never really understood. Because she's the Slayer? Whatever it is, he's after her, and when he gets her it won't be pleasant. Especially if he feels like seriously getting in her personal space, as those twisted dreams he keeps sending her seem to imply.

Okay, wow. This review is just weird. I don't know. After watching some of the TV series, which I love, I can't really compare this. Yeah, it was funny sometimes, but not really that great a movie. Worth watching if you like the series (only reason I did) but not great. Although, I kept waiting for the gym to get burned down like it's always referenced in the series, but that didn't happen. Am I missing something? Probably.

Season 2: sooooo intense. Way more intense than Season 1.

I suspect this trend will only increase (okay, okay, I cheated - Wikipedia makes it too easy for me to sate my curiosity).

So, Season 2 starts out with Buffy transforming into a total biotch. It made me really, really want her to man up and face whatever her issues were, just so that I could go back to liking her. No worries, she gets there, it just takes most of the episode. Anyway, lots of stuff happen this season: new villains are introduced (as well as one ending in a way that I personally felt was a bit anti-climatic), some of whom we will be seeing in the seasons to come; new allies are introduced as well (or in some cases, reintroduced - but that would be telling :P). And, of course, a wide variety of new monsters. This season focuses more on relationships than anything, but unfortunately I don't really know how to talk about them without giving stuff away. Let me say though, there are some unexpected developments. Seriously.

Some opinions on new characters: Spike and Drucilla are great. They're just great villains. Spike has that whole dangerous, bad-boy, cocky attitude thing going on (think Angel without a soul and less stoic mysteriousness). Dru is, well, she's just kind of insane. Actually, she's literally insane. And their relationship is really interesting, as vampires aren't supposed to be able to love, yet here they are, together for like, 100 years. (Though there appears to be more loyalty on Spike's side than Dru's.)

Then, there's Oz. He's so adorable, I just love him. I don't think it's too spoilery to say that he becomes Willow's boyfriend, as it's pretty apparent almost from the time he's introduced that something was going to happen between them. Personally, I think their relationship is too cute, and Willow totally deserves someone who sees just how great she is. Unlike some people. >.> Speaking of which, Xander did get on my nerves this season, because of his utter inability to make up his mind. He is, at various times, pinning after three different girls. Sometimes simultaneously. Sorry for all the italics, but he really needs to get over his territory issues (anytime he sees some other male encroaching his "territory" - i.e. threatening his place within the Buffy-Willow-Xander trio, or trying to make their close-knit group larger - he's on the instant alert and totally hostile to said guy) and either back off or refocus his attentions on the one he's actually dating (and you'll never guess who it is, too). Gah. He has serious some issues he needs to work out.

Anyway... Then there's Angel. It's interesting that this season he's lost a bit of his stoicism (it's hard to maintain that when he's getting jealous of a teenage guy. Or sucking major face. Both available this season ), but he is still extremely cool, and hot, so it's okay. His and Buffy's relationship is passionate and sweet and great, though it does hit roadblocks (he is, after all, over 200 years older than her, and, you know, dead), some worse than others. But more than that would be spoilery. :P

Of course, there remains the ridiculously large body count. Someone dies quite literally every episode, and Whedon isn't afraid to make you like 'em before they're offed. I think it's like, a personal goal or something. Luckily for the world Buffy's mom remains unwaveringly oblivious. For a while. (Dun dun duuuuuuuuun! Confrontation!)

Overall though, and absolutely incredible season. I laughed, I cried (really, be ready for it, cause Whedon just loves to torture his characters), I double-taked in surprise.

Just to remind again, though, this season is definitely not for children. It has some fairly mature content - nothing too explicit (no actual nudity or anything) but definitely for at least older teens. You have been warned.

So, this is my first Terry Pratchett. Really, I've been meaning to read his stuff, but somehow, as it always is, I never got around to it. Then I read something with Death in it, and decided I really needed to read it. So a friend of my lent me her book and voila. I am now introduced to the wonderful realm of Discworld.

This story is about a little girl who defies all conventions. When she was born, a wizard was dying and wanted to pass on his powers to an eighth son of an eighth son. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) he doesn't check the sex of the child, and ends up passing them on to said little girl. So, here's a girl with the power of a wizard, living in a world where women become witches and only men can be wizards. So, of course, she sets out to prove them all wrong. And she's only nine at the time.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Like many of Terry Pratchett's books, it is a satire, and like all of his books that I know of, it is written in such a way that I found I was giggling to myself with a frequency many might view as reserved for the mentally insane. It's not so much the events in the book as the way he describes them; a certain turn of phrase that seems quite ridiculous and wholly entertaining, all delivered with that dry sort of humor that puts so well a funny little image in your head. He is certainly good at making people being perfectly serious sound absolutely ridiculous. And, by turn, whatever impractical (but totally logical to them) thing it is they're saying. It's a gift, I suppose. Anyway, I highly recommend this book for any with an appreciation for British humor. :)

Once again, I must commend Joss Whedon for his ability to mislead. And I mean that in a good way. He is a master of getting you exactly where he wants you, completely unsuspecting until he decides to reveal what's really going on. And it's often the exact opposite of what you think.

Of course, go back and review and you'll see that everything was there, and it was really only your own assumptions that misled you. With just a little help from a director with a knack for knowing exactly what people will expect and how to turn it on its head.

I've seen him do this in "Buffy," "Firefly," this book, and just about everything of his I've seen. He doesn't always do it, but just enough to keep you on your toes and know that he can pull it off perfectly every time. And that you're never suspicious of his true intentions until it's too late, the sneaky bastard.

Anyway, back to the actual point: "Tales of the Slayers" is exactly what it sounds like. It tells stories of various Slayers from various cultures over the years, ranging from Medieval Europe to Nazi Germany to Regency-era England (I think) to future NYC (again, I think). They give you a bit of insight on the life of a Slayer, as well as just telling different stories. Some have "happy" endings (as happy as a Slayer's life ever gets, which is basically that she beat the vampire for the time being) and others decidedly less so.

For any fan of the Buffy-verse, definitely pick it up (complimented well with the "Tales of the Vampires" of a similar style). My only real issue with it is it definitely leaves me wanting more; as in, I want to know more of these characters' stories, as well as the stories of Slayers hinted at in the end. Blah. It's not entirely likely that I'll get it either, except for the last Slayer who appears in her own comic (called "Frey" or "Freya" or something of that sort. I don't know if it was published before or after, but it's good and I feel the need to read it again now).

What can I say? Once again, I find myself falling in love with this series. As a fan of old-fairytales-given-a-new-twist, of course it was up my alley to begin with, but it's nice to be reminded with excellent artwork, complex characters, and an interesting plot. :)

This time around, we get introduced to the Fable Farm mentioned in the last book, as well as its dissatisfied inhabitants. And, just their luck, Snow White and her sister Rose Red show up just in time to get caught up in a full-out rebellion. Some new characters are introduced, such as the Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks (four words: psycho, cunning, ambitious biotch), Reynard (he's fun :D), and some other creatures of fable you might (or might not - I certainly didn't always) recognize. You also get a little more insight on some of the characters we met previously, especially the relationship between Snow White and Rose Red.

Once again, a brilliant story. I definitely can't wait for the next installment. :)

All I can say is: mmmm, delicious.

Okay, that's a lie. There is a lot I can say about Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Seriously. As a fan of Joss Whedon via Firefly, I obviously had to watch this. And boy am I glad I did. :D

For any who don't know, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is about a girl named, surprise surprise, Buffy Summers (I have always wondered where that name came from, because I've certainly never heard it anywhere else). Also unsurprising, she slays vampires. But that's just the beginning. She just moved to Sunnydale, California, which just so happens to sit right on top of the Hellmouth, a currently (and possibly temporarily) closed-off portal to Hell (I'm assuming). As such, it attracts a wide variety of ghouls, ghosties, and monsters galore. Including vampires.

Trapped at the Hellmouth is the Master, and extremely old vampire who gets his kicks sending out his "children" to wreak havoc on Sunnydale, either upping the body count and/or trying to kill the Slayer (aka Buffy. Not a slayer, the Slayer. There's one born every generation, or rather when the last one dies, which doesn't always take that long. The purpose of their existence is to defend humanity against vampires, gifted with strength, speed, etc., etc. to help them fight. And they're always a young girl. Haven't exactly explained that yet). His goal is to escape and conquer the world, or some such thing that villains always want.

Helping Buffy are her friends Willow (the geeky girl with a knack for computers and finding information. Also good for talking about boys), Xander (the other member of the trio who doesn't really have any particular useful skills and whose purpose seems to be pinning after Buffy and getting beset upon by monster), and Giles (the school librarian and a Watcher, trained to educate the Slayer in her duties, needed skills, and the assortment of beasties she runs into). Also helping Buffy is the mysterious Angel, who fits the phrase "tall, dark, and handsome" to a T. Not to mention he is mysterious and stoic personified. Can't give you too much information on him, as that would ruin some of the plot twists and I don't really even know that much either (again - mysterious). Of course, on the up side, the sexual tension between him and Buffy is so thick it's palpable, and I love absolutely every minute of it (favorite episode thus far: "Angel").

But hey, that's just me.

Of course, on another note, "Buffy" is obviously not a high-end production. I had fun pointing out some interesting costume discrepancies, such as disappearing and re-appearing backpack straps, and how Buffy always manages to look sexy even when she just got beat up by a vampire (her clothes are like, always perfect. Even when they're rumpled. They're perfectly rumpled). And, of course, some of the monsters are better than others. And it's really interesting how none of the kids at Sunnydale High (or their parents, for that matter) don't seem overly concerned with the scarily high student (and teacher) mortality rate. I mean, really, there's a kid dying like every episode (or at least getting beaten to a bloody pulp) and no one seems to remember. Unless it serves some plot purpose.

But yeah, it was a fun ride. Whedon is a master of the unexpected twist. Will get around to reviewing other seasons at some point.

Although now dummies ranks right up there with clowns as to Creepiest Things Ever. As do little children who know more than they should and speak in creepy voices.

Another good story. Basically, these six kids, whose parents have been meeting their entire lives (and dragging the kids along with them) discover that said parents are trying to destroy the world. So, they run away.

Together, they find a way to survive on their own, all the while trying to stop their parents. But things aren't so easy, even when discovering their own set of powers, when your parents control the entire city, or when one of you members is a spy for the other side. It's hard to know who to trust when nothing may be what it seems.

Overall, I liked this story quite a bit (go figure). But, I have to say I got a little annoyed with how the...hm, I'm not exactly sure how to describe it. I guess it was how much the kids vilify (is that a word?) the parents, and adults in general. Yes, they're the bad guys, but sometimes it just seemed...not very believable, or something. I don't know, maybe it's because I have a pretty good relationship with my own parents.

Anyway, an extremely good twist is the mole. The clues are there, but they're so subtle that I only spotted them after I found out who it was. It also helped that I had trouble really eliminating any of them from the list. They all had the potential and the possible motive to be it. So, pay attention and maybe you'll get it. :)

So excellent. So far I have only read the first book (well, the first and the eighth, but that was a mistake that you really shouldn't do because it so doesn't makes sense out of order), but already it's really good.

So, this first one sets up the premise: fairy tales are real, but from a different world. They were forced to come here, to our world, because some unknown (to us, at least) "Adversary" drove them from their homes. It introduces some of the main characters: Snow White, who basically runs all of the Fable community; Bigby (aka formerly the Big Bad Wolf - get it, get it?), now an investigator for all Fable-related crimes they don't want "mundies" - us ordinary folk - getting involved in; Prince Charming, former husband of Snow White and complete cad; Rose Red, sister of Snow White; etc., etc.

The plot of this particular story revolves around the murder of Rose Red. Her boyfriend Jack (of beanstalk and giant-killing fame) reports her apartment covered in blood to Bigby, who takes on the case. At his heels comes Snow White, anxious to find her sister's killer. Also coming around is Prince Charming, Bluebeard (I'd never heard his fairy tale before, though it kind of explains it in the story), as well as a few other minor characters. Most of the volume is spent solving the murder, and revealing the Fables' history little by little.

I highly recommend this story, and the rest of them. :)

Okay, I definitely enjoyed this. For starters, it's about Jane Austen books, which I am a big fan of. Second, it's by one of my favorite authors (who's written stuff like the amazing "Goose Girl" and "Princess Academy").

Okay, enter Jane, a 32-year-old woman who's had exactly 13 previous relationships, all of which somehow ended, one way or another, extremely badly. She also has a secret obsession with Jane Austen books, specifically "Pride and Prejudice." Specifically specifically, she is obsessed with Darcy. She wants and wishes and dreams for her own Mr. Darcy, all the while being painfully aware that there is probably no man who can measure up.

Enter her rich aunt, recently deceased, who decides to set Jane up with a trip to an expensive private estate where rich women go to live out there Austen-era dreams. Sounds perfect for her, right? Well, it is here that Jane learns quite a bit about herself and who she wants to be, not to mention the kind of man she really wants. The only problem is, among the actors hired to help play out the fantasy, who and what is truly real?

Yeah, long summary. Anyway, if you like Jane Austen stuff you'll probably like this more modern book. Even if you don't really have an interest, it's still a good read. For young adults really; kids probably won't find it too exciting, though you never know. There's nothing really objectionable in it either, except for some heated kissing.