meitachi: (Default)
★mei ([personal profile] meitachi) wrote2012-01-12 08:44 pm

five things that make me happy

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY LOVELIEST [livejournal.com profile] naninande! Anna, you are one of my favorite people on the internet. :D Maybe in the world. Don't let life (or yourself!) get you down, because I will squeeze you and roll you around on the floor until you understand and accept how fabulous you are. :D Plus, your legs. ♥

I have been grumpy and antisocial this week and I am determined to get myself out of this mood. Thus I have DLed a bunch of old, favorite UVERworld songs and am listening to them while I tell you about all many of the things that have been making me happy lately.

I HAVE SO MANY OPINIONS, GUYS. But is anyone still on LJ? D: Am I talking into a void? It's okay, I like the sound of my own voice...

1. SHERLOCK - I finally got over my hype aversion to season 2 (I enjoyed season 1, but then it seemed like everyone in the world hopped onto the omg-it's-the-best-thing-EVAR train and I was baffled and annoyed because I am irrational and contrary and, look, it wasn't that good, you guys!! but I digress) and watched episodes 1 and 2.

Let me say now that I enjoyed episode 1 despite its wonky storytelling, disjointed plot, and terrible timing issues up until the ending. WHAT? WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT. I loved Irene Adler. I'll be honest, I didn't expect to, mostly because everything I'd heard of her was "naked" and "dominatrix" and "lol Moffat's sexist justifications". So, uh, it didn't get my hopes up for an awesome character, but she very much was an awesome character. You may disagree, but I loved her. I even loved the weird romance-not romance she had with Sherlock.

I also loved the Sherlock-John relationship dynamic. Even though I know there is SO much ship-baiting, I choose not to ship them and sort of just enjoy their weird but special friendship. It's kind of like the We're Not Gay We Just Love Each Other trope, isn't it? Except I would take the romance out of that "love" and make it a more platonic (but no less meaningful!) kind of love.

Other great things: Mrs. Hudson, Sherlock making an ass out of himself (poor Molly though), Mycroft, and John (always John).

The second episode handled the storytelling and suspense angle much, much better. Genuinely scary, too! But I am a wuss, okay? I admit this freely. I don't love horror movies at all. D: I'll also mention that while I'm not a fan of slashy subtext being written into the script simply to reel in the fangirl segment of the audience, I do appreciate that even though Sherlock and John are constantly being mistaken as a couple (to the point where it's not even really funny anymore?), the existence of a gay couple is not treated as a weird or terrible thing but rather something fairly commonplace, unremarkable, or even cute. Yeah, I know some of it goes back to ship-baiting/fishing for an audience, but! But I do like that the world they're living in is one written as generally accepting.

The main thing I hated about both episodes was OH GOD THE PASSWORDS WERE SO FUCKING STUPID. Irene is not the type of person who would let "sentiment" get her to make such a fucking stupid password, especially on a device she's repeatedly emphasized as vital to her life. AND THE CIA WOULD NOT LET YOU ENTER A SIX-CHARACTER PW ALL ALPHABET NO NUMBERS SPECIAL SYMBOLS OR UPPER CASE. Like. What.

That aside, I forgot that I while I do love the book canon best, I really do have fun with light-hearted adaptations that make little nods to the original (heh, the deerstalker cap), as long as I don't take them too seriously. I would make myself miserable if I tried to analyze all the imperfections (to say nothing of gaping plotholes) of this show, so I'll just enjoy it at face value.


2. DOWNTON ABBEY - So I've been on my wicked Georgette Heyer reading kick (I have six of her books checked out from the library right now, lol, on top of the three I bought) and that's really put me in the mood for fandoms involving British aristocracy, apparently. I found some adorable Heyer fics on AO3 (the Cotillion ones are the best ♥) and also started watching Downton Abbey. I'd heard of it only vaguely, in that it was a show people were watching, but then the news did a bit on it just as I was reading an article in Time magazine about it and the planets aligned and I felt like it was a sign. In essence, I was like, what, it's about the British aristocracy? Sign me up! It's actually set in the early 1900s (S1 takes place from the sinking of the Titanic to the start of WWI) rather than the Regency period, and it follows the lives of the aristocratic family as well as the lives of the servants. I'm only five episodes into season 1 but I'm enjoying it. :D Although one bit in episode 1 really came out of nowhere to smack me in the face, though. Wow, unexpected.

3. ONE PIECE - Still reading in my spare time! Currently on chapter 496 right now but have checked out hard copies of the rest of the Sabaody arc so yay. Looking forward to that. I also forgot to yell about it here but omg, Thriller Bark conclusion? RORONOA ZORO. ALL MY FEELINGS, THEY ARE YOURS. OMG. ♥♥♥ (Also, Sanjiii. ZoSaaaaan. SanZoooo. WHATEVER. BOTH.)

4. GEORGETTE HEYER - I will save for another post, because I feel meta coming on... Really, for all that she mostly wrote (hell, defined) one genre (the Regency romance), she actually has great variety in her characters. Surprisingly so, to me, anyway, but maybe I just started with low expectations. I've really enjoyed her female characters a lot!

5. KPOP - Wonder Girls released a new MV in English for a song that will be on the soundtrack of a terrible Teen Nick movie (titled, creatively, The Wonder Girls): The DJ is Mine. I can't decide if I love it or hate it, but I will say that I totally flailed over Yeeun being omg gorgeous but also omg smug when the boy takes her arm and pulls her away. Fuck yeah, her little gloating smirk. Loooooooooooove.

And as long as we're talking about kpop, I will belatedly link to the fics I wrote for [livejournal.com profile] sujuexchange!

For [livejournal.com profile] lixia84:
All the Lines We Cast
Han Geng/Zhou Mi, R, 19,200 words
Han Geng’s interest in Super Junior M didn’t end when he left and it’s Zhou Mi now, with mixed feelings, who bears the brunt of that interest. They’re no longer bandmates and they were never friends, but they still find themselves tangled together two and some years on.

All of SM’s official and unofficial policies regarding Han Geng couldn’t dictate where Han Geng’s own management put him: Marina Bay Sands was the premiere hotel in Singapore, ritzy and upscale, and so it was almost inevitable that they - being Asian superstars of similar caliber - would end up in the same place.

They were smarter than to risk meeting inside the hotel, though.


For [livejournal.com profile] daidetre:
Come On, Rock My World
Siwon/Hankyung/Heechul, PG-13, 3700 words
AU. Heechul is the artistic director and lead singer for Modern SC, your friendly neighborhood high school rock band. Siwon, Hankyung, and Sungmin are the hapless tagalongs who make up the rest of the band.

The chair rocked forward, its front legs meeting the ground. “Yah, I’ve told you! We’re a rock band, not a We Love Jesus band. We’re not going to be singing about love and peace for the world. Do you want to ruin our image? Hankyung, what were you thinking, letting him make our fliers?”


So if anyone is out there still, come hang out with me and talk? :D

[identity profile] suxing.livejournal.com 2012-01-13 01:59 am (UTC)(link)
Mei! Meeeei~ Meeeeeeiiiii~~ :DD /rolls around with you

I am just... at work and also really really weird right now idkkkk.

And lol, I literally know nothing of any of the aforementioned fandoms/happy-making things, but whatever! I miss you! We should skype sometime! Also hooray for d/l-ing UVERworld songs!! \o/

[identity profile] meiface.livejournal.com 2012-01-13 02:04 am (UTC)(link)
You know kpop! I...thought you knew Sherlock? Regardless! /rolls you around

UVERworld makes me happy. :D I should go dig up the ONE OK ROCK album now.

[identity profile] suxing.livejournal.com 2012-01-13 02:10 am (UTC)(link)
Right, but really I am kind of out of kpop! And I never really got around to watching all of Sherlock, though not without people trying to sic it on me--If you are contrary then I am even more so because the more people fawn over something, the more skeptical/suspicious/side-eye-y I get. :<

UVERWORLD IS SO GREAT~ :D And yay, ONE OK ROCK! I still need their older albums, but their latest album is A++!

[identity profile] meiface.livejournal.com 2012-01-13 02:14 am (UTC)(link)
lol yep, hype aversion. Not gonna lie, it's what's keeping me disinterested in Marvel fandom as a whole. Which, you know, if other people enjoy - cool! I will just stick with stuff I already know I like or discover on my own. /o\ Except even though I knew I enjoyed Sherlock, I still let the hype for S2 make me irritable. Ahhh, oh well. I'm glad I got over that and got to enjoy it again on my own. :D Fandom should be fun and not done out of obligation to other people!

[identity profile] suxing.livejournal.com 2012-01-13 02:28 am (UTC)(link)
THIS THIS EXACTLY--I hate feeling obligated to like something b/c it's the newest shiny thing and everyone else is in it. If I like something, it's usually because I stumble upon it on my own, before or after the big initial wave of excitement.

It's funny b/c Marvel for me (despite the timing of it all) was something I kind of fell in on my own. One moment I was re-watching the Iron Man movies and the next I was knee-deep in fic. But then the trailer dropped and the fandom exploded! Which is exciting! But I'm starting to get Inception fandom vibes from it where all the fic's starting to blur together and look the same and--ehhhh, we'll see. :x

I think I will watch Sherlock after I finish re-reading the books just so I can get some perspective. People keep telling me it's so true to the source and I am just like oh really. So. \o/

[identity profile] meiface.livejournal.com 2012-01-13 02:33 am (UTC)(link)
lol true to the source........... Who are these people? It makes a lot of references to canon and makes some creative spins taking it from Victorian era to modern era, but I just lol at the idea of it being "true to the source". I enjoy both the books and the show but they are pretty different things, imo. Maybe not quite as different as the two versions of Howl's Moving Castle, but still. They sort of stand on their own (though you may appreciate the canon tributes/winks if you've done a reread of the books recently!).

Yeah, it can definitely be fun to get caught up in the excitement of the current big fandom (oh Inception), but I've also learned that it's exhausting and can lead to internal drama that imo is not worth the trade-off. Alas. So now I do the lurking/enjoying fandom on my own thing! Though sometimes I would like more people to talk with about stuff, lol. Trying now to find a balance between lurking and getting swept away.

[identity profile] suxing.livejournal.com 2012-01-13 02:59 am (UTC)(link)
Friends from offline, actually! And the weird thing is, I know that at least one of them has read the books recently, so...idk. But anyway. I like details and little references and allusions and I love catching little things and drawing connections... maybe it's the scientist in me? And, well, in most cases (Avengers being a notable exception because oh god there is just so canon I need to catch up on--;;), I like knowing my source material and literally all the canon before jumping into fanwork.

I haven't read Howl's Moving Castle: how different is the book from the movie?

Lurking's basically much my default mode of action where fandom is concerned. I am just too lazy and old to keep up with fast-growing fandoms, and really, fandom should be fun, not stressful and exhausting. As for finding people to talk with... usually I just blather at my friends with the hope that one of them will become interested enough to follow me into the fandom, haha. That or pimp posts, maybe?

[identity profile] meiface.livejournal.com 2012-01-13 03:37 am (UTC)(link)
The Howl's Moving Castle is significantly different from the book but I love both sfm. One difference is that it's not randomly steampunk lol. There's also more of Howl's family and backstory. You should try it sometime, probably after you're back in the States.

Yeah, I feel like fandom involves do much less interaction these days. Eh. Trying to leave comments on stuff I like at the very least, if not totally hopping around making new fandom friends.

[identity profile] danii06.livejournal.com 2012-01-13 02:08 am (UTC)(link)
I will always be in LJ :P Well, as long as you guys still update anyway.

I have not seen a single episode of Sherlock, but I am intrigued. I'm watching the 2nd movie tomorrow; maybe it'll be the kickstart to me finally downloading the series. :)

Anyway, I'm always glad to see you choosing to create your own happiness Mei, even when it's hard. ♥ I hope this keeps up!

[identity profile] meiface.livejournal.com 2012-01-13 02:12 am (UTC)(link)
haha that I can promise.

I haven't seen the second movie yet but I heard that it's generally a fun thing to watch, if no masterpiece. Sherlock BBC is similar (though in a modern setting), mostly in that it's enjoyable as long as you don't take it too seriously. I'd rec it!

Yes, no wallowing for me. I've learned that it does me no good. ♥

[identity profile] lil-blossom.livejournal.com 2012-01-13 07:01 am (UTC)(link)
DANI!

I got your card! I've read your posts (you look beautiful as always and I'm sure the new year will bring better and happier adventures)! I just can't comment because both my browsers don't seem to like the new comment pages. And I really don't want to have to download a new browser just to comment.
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[identity profile] meiface.livejournal.com 2012-01-13 02:35 am (UTC)(link)
haha well on the plus side each season is only three episodes, so whenever you get around to it, you won't have too much to catch up on. Marathoning can be exhausting. D:

The song is growing on me! I...sort of want to see the movie just for them, ahaha. Terrible. But mostly I really want them to promote Me, In, which...I hope they're still going to do? :x
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[identity profile] meiface.livejournal.com 2012-01-13 03:33 am (UTC)(link)
I feel like JYP's not as bad about repackages as SM, but then again it's been ages since I've paid attention to albums. WG's album this time around was so good though!

They performed Me, In at one of the year end gayos but I want a full promo. ;__;

Aha! I can actually comment here!

[identity profile] lil-blossom.livejournal.com 2012-01-13 06:58 am (UTC)(link)
ONE PIECE ♥

As soon as you said you adored Zoro with Sanji I totally knew you'd love the end of the Thiller Bark arc. Because even I (I really do adore Zoro but Luffy has a special place in my heart) was all ZORO ALL MY FEELINGS ARE YOURS DJFBALIFBAIVIAFBIBFDA.

Re: Aha! I can actually comment here!

[identity profile] meiface.livejournal.com 2012-01-13 01:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank god for customized style pages instead of LJ's horrible new default. D:

ALSKFJDK ZOROOOOOO. I think I'll finish up the Saboady arc today, if I don't get distracted by British aristocracy, but oh god. They're heading towards Impel Down soon and I'm just wracked with nerves. alskjfklsj ;__;!

[identity profile] yueshi.livejournal.com 2012-01-13 11:15 am (UTC)(link)
just listened to the Wonder Girls song yesterday.. I'm not sure if I like it.. actually I was kind of sad that it was all in English... but it's not bad... probably need to listen a little bit more often to it. ^^

[identity profile] meiface.livejournal.com 2012-01-13 01:57 pm (UTC)(link)
It's not my favorite of their songs! Their recent Korean album was more my taste, I think, with Be My Baby and Me In and all their other songs. :D But I do hope they do well for their US debut since they've been laying the groundwork for so many years...

[identity profile] nyw.livejournal.com 2012-01-13 02:05 pm (UTC)(link)
DOWNTON ABBEY GIVE ME IT. Where do you get yours? T_T And lol was the bit that was unexpected in episode 2? D:

[identity profile] meiface.livejournal.com 2012-01-13 02:12 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm watching the episodes online here (http://www.tv-links.eu/tv-shows/Downton-Abbey_24131/)!

lol the very unexpected part definitely came in the first episode, with the Duke. Have you seen it? If you haven't yet, it should be kind of obvious. I was like, whaaaaaaat, where did this even come from? Or maybe other people are as not surprised as I am, but I was quite surprised, lol.

[identity profile] nyw.livejournal.com 2012-01-16 03:20 pm (UTC)(link)
I haven't seen it! Saw episodes 2 and 3 on the plane ride here. Thanks for the link :D I'm so excited to see it now haha.

[identity profile] meiface.livejournal.com 2012-01-16 03:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, since you're online, I was about to text you! As I should've expected, I have to run family errands on Saturday, so any chance we can move our lunch date to Sunday?
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[identity profile] meiface.livejournal.com 2012-01-13 09:01 pm (UTC)(link)
haha I am more than willing to roll around with you ANY TIME. Have no fear!
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[identity profile] forochel.livejournal.com 2012-01-13 04:57 pm (UTC)(link)
I ♥ British TV *______________*


you should, if you can, go watch this channel 4 one-off show called 'hacks', which is based on the NotW scandal and is deliriously hilarious. deranged. it's also super offensive, uh.

[identity profile] meiface.livejournal.com 2012-01-13 09:02 pm (UTC)(link)
I feel as though perhaps you enjoy many British things!

I have never heard of Hacks, lol. Is it new? Must be, if it's based on the scandal.
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[identity profile] forochel.livejournal.com 2012-01-13 09:11 pm (UTC)(link)
I do! I do! many british things are brilliant! like cream teas! and jaffa cakes! and nick hoult's face!


it's just a one-episode thing, and yeah it's new. came out 'round new years I think. IT'S GREAAAAAT. the lady who plays the rebecca brooks in it also plays adora belle in going postal. she's greeeaaaaaat.

[identity profile] intomorning.livejournal.com 2012-01-16 03:52 am (UTC)(link)
The ending (of 2.01) aggravated me - I literally groaned out loud. I really liked the bit w/ Irene's 'battle suit' and how they switch from her home to the case site and I thought the cinematography was lovely in general. I thought ep. 2 did a great job w/ the suspense. Haha, I kept going, "What's up w/ the fog?" but then was really caught up w/ the 'genetic manipulation' angle for a while. So when Watson was went into the cage, I was all, "DON'T DO THAT. I BET THE DOG IS IN THERE!" xD Also, lol at Sherlock's mind palace! Yeah, I don't ship Sherlock/John much (like, I do kind of see it as a pairing, but it's not one that I'd actively find fic for, if that makes sense), but I love their shenanigans and interactions. Haha, apparently I have a lot to say about Sherlock? OH WAIT, TODAY WAS THE THIRD EP, RIGHT? :OO!

Haha, for the longest time I thought it was 'Downtown Abbey'. xD

[identity profile] meiface.livejournal.com 2012-01-16 03:11 pm (UTC)(link)
My plan is to ignore the last ten minutes of that episode - or read them as Sherlock's fantasy and not RL. It makes such little sense that he could randomly infiltrate the terrorist group on such little notice and be able to save her with a sword...when some guy has a gun already pointed at her head...

Anyway, I am glad you also have thoughts! And we can not-ship them together. :D I get what you mean - it's a fun dynamic but not one I feel the need to supplement with fic. I sort of like it the way it is in canon!

Yes, episode three came out last night, so I'm off to watch it in a bit. It's supposed to be very !!!-inducing, but at least we'll get a third season. God knows when, though! Both Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are busy busy busy.