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    <style type="text/css"> <!-- tr center b { position: absolute; top: 1px } --> </style> Links: <font size="2" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"> <hr><br><b><font size=2><u>Links to Past Updates:</u></font></b><br> <LI><b><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/137818.html> Past Updates</a></b><br> <br><b><big><u>Stories:</u></big></b><br> <LI><b><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/151568.html"> Master List, Part 1: A-H*</a></b><br> <LI><b><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/151514.html"> Master List, Part 2: I-Q*</a></b><br> <LI><b><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/150018.html"> Master List, Part 3: R-Z*</a></b><br> <LI><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/147484.html"> Recommended WiPs</a><br> <LI> Interviews:<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/105696.html">Dementor Delta</a><br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/105431.html">Aucta Sinistra</a><br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=" http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/134382.html">kai</a><br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=" http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/141781.html">Telanu</a><br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/105178.html">Luthien</a><br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/104764.html">Tara Tory</a><br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/92793.html">Acid and Sinick</a><br> <br><b><big><u>Snarry Art:</u></big></b><br> <LI><b><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/153212.html"> Master Art List</a></b><br> <LI> Interviews:<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/135331.html">Lizardspots</a><br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/92629.html">Acid</a><br> <br><br><b><big><u>In The Mood?</u></big><br> <i>Try these suggestions:</i></b><br> <LI><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/149871.html"> Oh, That's Hot!</a><br> <LI><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/131671.html"> Cry Your Eyes Out</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/141943.html"> Kink-ay!</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/132943.html"> Hurt/Comfort</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/133155.html"> Upbeat Romances</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/149035.html"> In WHAT Universe?</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/147071.html"> Humour/Parody</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/133507.html"> Post-Hogwarts!Harry</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/133721.html"> Dark, and Possibly Twisted</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/149353.html"> Sex Magic</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/151009.html"> Long, Satisfying Novels</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/147915.html"> Drabbles</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/138779.html"> Vampire Snape!</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/147261.html"> Crackfic Snarry</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/146337.html"> Mpreg</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/151851.html"> A Touch of Infidelity</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/148793.html"> Out and Out Angst</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/156743.html"> Portrait!Snarry</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/155820.html"> Snarry Vids</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <br><br><b><big><u>Near Snarry:</u></big></b><br> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/142189.html"> Severitus Stories</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/149546.html"> Threeway Action</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/150324.html"> Not Quite Slash</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <br><br><b><big><u>Meta:</u></big></b><br> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/86377.html"> HBP analysis</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://www.livejournal.com/community/ship_manifesto/92403.html"> The Snape/Harry Manifesto</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/94868.html">Snape/Harry Meta</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <br><br><b><big><u>Just for Fun</u></big></b><br><!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/147990.html"> Something a Little Different</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <br><img src="http://bellsouthpwp.net/a/b/absynthia/pixelshim.gif" height=1 width=205><br><br> <b><big><u>Other Resources:</u></big></b><br><LI><a href="http://www.kardasi.com/HPSS/storyindex.htm"> From Dusk to Dawn</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://www.walkingtheplank.org/">Walking the Plank</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://www.etc.slashcity.net/archive/browse.php?type=categories&id=2"> After Class</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://archive.skyehawke.com/search.php"> Skyehawke</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://inkstain.inkquill.net/"> Ink Stained Fingers</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://glassesreflect.net/index1.php"> Potter Slash Archive</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?keyword=%2AList&user=auxelle&sortby=des"> Auxelle's SS/HP List</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://www.livejournal.com/community/snape_potter/"> Snape & Potter LJ Comm</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://www.livejournal.com/community/crossing_harry/"> Crossing Harry LJ Comm</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=pornicators"> Pornicators LJ Comm</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://www.livejournal.com/users/snarry_reader/36520.html"> Authors' LJ Names</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://www.livejournal.com/community/daily_snitch/"> The Daily Snitch</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for additional link --> <LI><a href="http://www.livejournal.com/community/hogwarts_today/"> Hogwarts Today</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link --> <!-- code for 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href="http://snarry-reader.insanejournal.com/103987.html"> >Find a broken link?</a><br> <!-- end of code for additional link -->
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  • Wednesday, November 18th, 2009


    painless_j

    10:08p
    Anime rec: Piano no Mori

    piano no mori The Piano Forest (Piano no Mori) (Perfect World of Kai) (2007) #
    Genres: drama, tournament. Themes: music, piano.
    Status: OVA (101 min)
    Anime Start/End Chapter: Starts at Vol 1, Chap 1. Ends at Vol 6, Chap 41.
    Director: Masayuki Kojima
    Summary: Amamiya Shuuhei transfers to Moriwaki elementary filled with hope and ambition. But it doesn't take long before he gets picked on by the class bullies, and gets involved in a dare to play the mysterious piano in the forest. Igniting his meeting with an equally enigmatic child that goes by the name of Ichinose Kai, who seems to be the only one capable getting sound out of the thought to be broken piano.
    Found: saw it shared in some anime comm and thought the summary looked intriguing.
    Manga BU page.
    Mangaka: Isshiki Makoto
    Genre: Comedy Drama Seinen Slice of Life
    Status: 17 Volumes (Ongoing), scanlation ongoing.
    Summary: from KEFI: A tranquil tale about two boys from very different upbringings. On one hand you have Kai, born as the son of a prostitute, who's been playing the abandoned piano in the forest near his home ever since he was young. And on the other you have Syuhei, practically breast-fed by the piano as the son of a family of prestigious pianists. Yet it is their common bond with the piano that eventually intertwines their paths in life.
    Download: I've watched it at Youtube.


    My notes: I must say it at the very beginning that contrary to my usual way of getting familiar with a new animanga, I haven't read the manga this time. I only watched the anime, so please take into account that everything I'll be saying is only about the anime.

    This is a pleasant story: while not action/adventure, it has enough plot to keep your attention, especially around the climax. The boys are likeable. Kai's pretty wild and brash but also kind and has this inner purity and honesty that sometimes accompany raw talent and that influence people around him. I liked his practical reasons for learning things. He can't read score; he plays what he has heard. Once he found that he couldn't reproduce a particular piece of Chopin's, he plays scales to learn to play this particular piece, not because one must learn scales first, nor to become a good pianist in general. And so on. I absolutely adored his literal-mindedness about Mozart. The crowd of Mozarts made me laugh every time they appeared. In other words, Kai is lovely and very refreshing. Shuuhei is a bit more boring because he's very straight-laced for a boy his age and he plays the piano for all the wrong reasons, but doesn't it often happen this way? The two boys meet and gradually change each other. The best about their relationship, as for me, was the ways it didn't go. I can't say much more here but I liked how the dramatic side of it was downplayed rather than milked for all it's worth. It makes Piano no Mori a soothing story.

    I think animation and drawing are good. I hear that the main problem people have with the manga is the drawing style. Am not able to say anything about that yet but I can't see what's not to like in the anime, if to speak of the visual side. It's neither cheap nor banal, and it's the only anime so far where a character playing the piano didn't make me cringe.

    This leads me to why I give it only one star if I like everything. Not quite everything, as it turns out. You see, it's piano this and piano that, piano this and piano that. In more coherent speak, the story is fine and lovely but, I don't know, very narrow. Not unlike Hikaru no Go. But HnG was much more emotionally affecting and the story was much bigger than just about Go in the end. It sort of turned me inside out, made me live it for months. Here somehow I didn't have the impression that the story is bigger than the main theme. Pleasant? Yes. Interesting? Yes, enough. Can I relate? Nope. Apart from that, I repeat, it's a lovely story. I doubt you'd regret spending 1.5 hours on it, so give it a try!

    *Sorry if you have seen some (a lot) of this post before. I accidentally posted the draft :/

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    painless_j

    12:44a
    Music: Japanese: J-Rock

    Part 3 of my Japanese music favourites. Today's topic is J-Rock. As usual, some songs are more rocky than others and the range is from Speed Metal to Pop-rock to anything I've found similar enough or fitting, with a generous dash of anime music and some hip-hop. It just means that on the whole, today's selection is gloomier and heavier than the two before it. I've shared three of these songs with you already but not the rest of them.

    Files are uploaded to Box.net, which means that you can listen to them before/as well as download(ing). Box.net tends to mess up the sequence of the uploaded files, so I've added links to each song as well as to the folder. I did make it with the proper sequence in mind, so that one song flows into the other smoothly. But in any case, hope you like a few of them! So, with thanks to [info]lyssaphra and [info]kyuuketsukirui for sharing music with me, on to the music!

    *Nitemare and Nightmare is the same band. I just kept the song tags as they were :)

    Song title Length Singer/Band Album (where it was already in the tags)

    Crucify My Love 4:36 X Japan
    Curtain Call 5:34 GLAY Beloved
    Wind 3:40 Akeboshi STONED TOWN
    Kenji 3:51 Fort Minor The Rising Tied
    I.V. 4:55 X Japan Saw IV OST
    Moshimo Piano ga Hiketa Nara 3:53 Plastic Tree Baka ni Nattanoni
    Jisatsu Ganbou 4:39 Due le quartz Best of Due le Quartz
    Eternally Beyond 4:25 Moi dix Mois Beyond the Gate
    Brave Love: Galaxy Express 999 5:16 The Alfee
    Dancing Yooderu Night (Leorio) 3:36 Gouda Hozumi Hunter X Hunter Singles Collection
    The World 3:47 Nightmare Death note anime soundtrack
    Haiiro no Hitomi 4:24 Shiina Ringo & Kusano Masamune Utahite myouri [disc 1]
    Shangri-La 4:37 Angela Soukyuu no Fafner OP/ED Single
    Again 4:15 YUI FMA:B 1st OP
    D-tecnoLife 3:53 UVERworld D-tecnoLife
    Monochrome no Kiss 4:00 SID Monochrome no Kiss (Kuroshitsuji OP)
    Coming Closer 5:14 L'Arc~en~Ciel Smile
    Kaze no Uta 3:40 Motoda Minako Hunter X Hunter Singles Collection
    Kasou 5:09 L'Arc~en~Ciel
    Bokutachi no Yukue 4:33 Takahashi Hitomi Bokutachi no Yukue
    Alumina (Tv size) 1:13 Nitemare Death note anime Soundtrack
    Desire 4:24 Luna Sea Style
    Hologram ANIME Ver. 1:41 NICO Touches the Walls Hologram (FMA:B OP)
    Talkin' 2 myself 4:53 Hamasaki Ayumi Talkin' 2 myself
    MY LONELY TOWN 3:38 B'z
    Drink It Down 2:51 L'Arc~en~Ciel Trailer Rip
    Blessing 4:34 FictionJunction YUUKA Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto Intro Theme - Koya Ruten OP/ED
    Still Doll 3:20 Kanon Wakeshima Vampire Knight
    Shinkai no Kodoku 3:58 Kuwashima Houko Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED DESTINY ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK II
    God Knows... 4:38 Hirano Aya, Goto Yuhiko Oricon 2006-07-03 Single Weekly Best 30
    Rolling star 3:09 YUI Rolling star
    Kimi Dake wo 5:26 Spitz Crispy
    Ain't Afraid to Die 7:15 Dir en Grey Ain't Afraid to Die
    Kaze ni Fukarete 4:16 Elephant Kashimashi Ashita ni Mukatte Hashire -Tsukiyo no Uta-
    Separation 4:49 Angela Soukyuu no Fafner OP/ED
    Memorial Address 3:56 Hamasaki Ayumi Memorial Address
    Forever Love (Acoustic Version) 7:54 X Japan X




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    Monday, November 16th, 2009


    painless_j

    7:01p
    Happy birthday to my BFF: music: Japanese: J-Pop

    On the occasion of my best friend wieder's birthday, here's part 2 of my Japanese music favourites. Today's topic is J-Pop. Of course the selection can be called J-Pop only very approximately. It wouldn't be me if I didn't include some rock into a pop selection and some Chinese and Taiwanese music into a Japanese one. Consistency is overrated :) There are two songs that aren't Japanese, quite a few that has lots of English lyrics, and as for genres, well, genres are fluid things. It just means that on the whole, today's selection is more bouncy than the one that is to be posted tomorrow or the one from yesterday's. There's also a lot of fantabulous anime music here. One song title looks beyond weird but this is what was in the tags when I got it.

    Files are uploaded to Box.net, which means that you can listen to them before/as well as download(ing). Box.net tends to mess up the sequence of the uploaded files, so I've added links to each song as well as to the folder. I did make it with the proper sequence in mind, so that one song flows into the other smoothly. But in any case, hope you like some of them! So, with thanks to [info]lyssaphra and [info]kyuuketsukirui for sharing music with me, and with best wishes to wieder, on to the music!

    Song title Length Singer Album (where it was already in the tags)

    Get Over 5:16 dream BEST OF HIKARU NO GO
    Bokura no Bouken 3:55 Kids Alive BEST OF HIKARU NO GO
    Byakuya ~True Light~ (Full Version) 4:16 Miyamoto Shunichi D.N. ANGEL Vocal Collection
    Duty 5:15 Ayumi Hamasaki Ayumi Hamasaki
    Can You Keep a Secret? 5:08 Utada Hikaru Distance
    Navy Blue 4:20 Aiuchi Rina Power of Words
    Sincerely 5:09 dream BEST OF HIKARU NO GO
    Emotionally 4:53 Makoto Suehiro, Isao Kasai, Saori Yamada Fullmetal Alchemist ~Wingless Angel~ Game Original Soundtrack
    Futatsu no kodou to akai tsumi 4:36 OnOff
    Kuon no kawa 4:34 alan
    Chesspiece 4:35 Faye Wong
    Koi no uta 4:38 Tomatsu Haruka Koi no uta
    Daia no Hana 3:37 Yoriko HIKARI / Daia no Hana
    Cherry Girl 3:59 Koda Kumi
    ~Asterisk~ (OST Ver.) 2:02 ORANGE RANGE BLEACH Original Soundtrack I
    Hateshinaku Tooi Sora Ni 3:35 THE STAND UP Kyou Kara Maou! Original Soundtrack
    Uso 3:28 SID FMA Brotherhood
    D-tecnoLife 3:53 UVERworld D-tecnoLife
    Koya Ruten 4:54 FictionJunction YUUKA Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto Intro Theme - Koya Ruten
    Intro 4:13 Yonekura Chihiro Mononoke Hime OST
    EXEC_HYMME_LUMINOUS_DEF 3:38 Ishibashi Yuko Ar Tonelico OST
    The End of the World 4:50 Angela
    Hitomi no Chikara 4:31 Mizuki Arisa BEST OF HIKARU NO GO
    Days 4:27 shela BEST OF HIKARU NO GO
    Desert Rose 5:25 Sakaki Tarou Shousha no Theory
    Genki de show 4:41 Hiroshi Hashimoto
    Yakusoku 4:17 KinKi Kids
    I believe 4:55 Ayaka
    Spiral 4:38 Angela Spiral
    MagicRoom 3:17 183 club
    Saga ~ This is my road 4:40 Kanon My Road ~ Songs from Guin Saga
    Akatsuki no Kuruma 5:04 FictionJunction YUUKA
    Shiki no uta 5:00 Minmi Samurai Champloo OST
    Rays of hope 4:36 Hitomi Last Exile OST 2




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    painless_j

    1:23a
    Music: Enka

    On the occasion of my best friend wieder's upcoming birthday, here's some music. Today's topic is Enka. I love Enka. Well, not all of it. Not even most of it, but what I love, I love to bits and pieces. Box.net tends to mess up the sequence of the uploaded files, so I've added links to each song as well as to the folder. I did make it with the proper sequence in mind, so that one song flows into the other smoothly. But in any case, hope you like a few of them!

    It wouldn't be me if I didn't include something non-Enka in the Enka selection. There are three four (but three are more obvious then the 4th) songs like that here; see if you can find them :) Also, the very first song can be a bit overwhelming because of it's very slow and wailing beginning but just wait until it becomes rhythmic! Kiyoshi's voice is amazing, trust me. On the whole, today's post can be called a post with amazing voices. I've shared two of these songs with you already but not the rest of them.

    Files are uploaded to Box.net, which means that you can listen to them before/as well as download(ing). So, with thanks to[info]lyssaphra for giving me music and with best wishes to wieder, on to the music!

    Song title Length Singer

    Hakkun no shiro 6:17 Hikawa Kiyoshi
    Tsugaru No Furusato 3:18 Misora Hibari
    Finale- Desire 6:39 Various Artists Sailor Moon - Complete Vocal Collection Vol. 1
    Sen no Kaze ni Natte 4:33 Akikawa Masafumi
    Northern Lights ~Aurora~ 3:48 Hikawa Kiyoshi
    Omatsuri Mambo 3:22 Misora Hibari
    Kiyoshi no Zundoko Bushi 3:40 Hikawa Kiyoshi
    Kage wo Shitaite 4:35 Shimazu Aya
    Ano Oka Koete 3:18 Misora Hibari
    Tassha de Na 3:37 Hikawa Kiyoshi
    Yukisudare 4:39 Shinno Mika
    Desert Rose 5:25 Sakaki Tarou
    Echigo Shishi No Uta 3:27 Misora Hibari
    Ano ko wa Icchatta 4:41 Hikawa Kiyoshi
    Jousento-San 3:24 Misora Hibari
    Kojyou 2:37 Hikawa Kiyoshi
    Otokomichi 4:39 Kitajima Saburo
    Koori No Emperor ~ Keigo Solo Edition 2:48 Katoh Kazuki




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    Sunday, November 15th, 2009


    painless_j

    12:19a
    Anime/manga rec: Loveless

    Loveless MANGA: Loveless (since 2002) []
    Mangaka: Kouga Yun
    Groups Scanlating: Kamibana Scanlations, Obsession, Shoku-dan, Raburesu lj
    Status: 9 Volumes (ongoing), licensed; scanlation ongoing
    Genre: Drama Fantasy Mystery School Life Shounen Ai Supernatural
    Found: was recced by lots of people and has been languishing on my HD for about a year.
    Summary: From Tokyopop: Aoyagi Ritsuka is one troubled 6th grader. Two years ago, he mysteriously lost his memory and developed an alternate personality. His mother constantly berates (and occasionally beats) him, asking what happened to the "real" Ritsuka, and his only defender and friend, his older brother Seimei, was recently killed.
    Suddenly, Seimei's apparent "friend," Soubi, appears. Soubi tells him that Ritsuka's true name is "Loveless," and that Soubi was assigned by Seimei to take care of Ritsuka and protect him. Ritsuka soon gets sucked into a bizarre underground society where teams of people, a "Fighter" and a "Sacrifice," battle using elaborate and beautifully-phrased spells. He seeks both acceptance of himself and the answer to the mystery of who killed his brother and why.
    Download: at the groups' sites.

    ANIME (2005)
    Starts at Vol 1, Ch 1. Ends at Vol 4, Ch 9.
    Director: Yuu Kou
    *summary at Animenews is rather misleading.
    Status: Prologue + 12 ep x 23 min.


    My notes: now this is some seriously weird stuff! I mean seriously weird. Weird main characters, not to say fucked-up, very strange relationships between them, things being turned upside down again and again as the story goes on, elements of various genres used, - this all creates a very strange whole.

    I fell into a complex love/hate with this universe from the very first look. You see, kids have cat's ears and tails there. On the one hand, the worst kind of Yaoi I ever read was one with cat's ears in it: pointless, cliched, drawn so-so, and catering to readers' kinks at the expense of everything else. On the other, if I ever see it done well, I'll fall in love with it because I love cats and their ears, when they ever allow you to pet them, are awesome. I don't mind Furries. So I was prepared to hate it but hoping to love it, but in the end, it turned out to be neither. Because cat's ears in this universe Read more... )

    I think I will continue following this manga when more chapters get published and scanlated. Hope it doesn't disappoint.

    I don't have any advise on what to begin with if you want to try it, anime or manga. I started with the anime, following on to the manga in hope that it would clear some confusion. It did but confused me in other things all the more :) I don't really think the order of getting acquainted with the two media matters. Pick the one you like better and give it a try. At the very least it will entertain you.

    And a request, for the ending: most amazing, fantastic, wonderful, really well-written Ritsuka/Soubi fics. Those that don't reproduce yaoi cliches. Know them? Bring them on!

    PS: While I tried to avoid big spoilers, I can't guarantee that there will be no spoilers in comments. Tread with caution :)




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