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![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) lady_nara | |
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Yoinked from aefallen Warning: this is really long 1. The first character I fell in love with:
Ougi Takaya
2. The character I never expected to love as much as I do now:
Chiaki. I really disliked him at first, actually. But now he is one of my favorites <3
3. The character everyone else loves that I don't:
Kousaka. That guy has always kinda grossed me out.
4. The character I love that everyone else hates:
? I don't think there is a super unpopular character in Mirage of Blaze. I suppose I could say Uesugi Kagetora, since a lot of fans hate him and paint very unflattering portraits of him in their fanfiction. I, on the other hand, adore that man.
5. The character I would shag anytime:
Heh heh...Kagetora. And when I say Kagetora, I mean any and all of Kagetora's possessions, including Takaya.
6. The character I'd want to be like:
Hmm...Minako, I suppose. She sounds like a remarkable woman. Of course, very little is said about her character in either the novels or the anime, but from the few details we are given, I imagine her to be a woman with a sort of deep, quiet strength about her.
She's the sort of person who could understand a complicated, guarded man like Kagetora, and gain his trust and confidence. She was able to support the strongest man in the entire series (IMO) when he was on the verge of a break-down, and to give this terribly wounded soul the peace and gentle love he so desperately needed and could find nowhere else. In addition to this, she endured a brutal rape and not only kept her strength of mind and heart, but was able to make the most selfless and heroic act in the series (again, IMO) by offering forgiveness to her rapist and murderer. I believe that it was only because of her mercy, and her example, that Naoe and Kagetora were eventually able to forgive themselves and each other enough to come together at last, and to be at peace with the end they were given.
7. The character I'd slap:
Chiaki. Yes, I love him, but he's also a dumbass jerk some of the time. Some of the things he says (and does) to Takaya are awful, unfair, and damaging. I suppose the two most obvious examples would be:
1) That time when he responded to Takaya's protective aggressiveness on behalf of his younger sister Miya with a flippant remark about how it wasn't his, but their father's job to hurt Miya. And he said this in front of Miya!
2) When Takaya was confused and hurting because of Naoe's bipolar behavior, cryptic remarks, and first assault, Chiaki decided that now would be a good time to punch Takaya out, accuse him of being a bad person, and blame him for the entire situation. Thanks, Chiaki.
8. Favorite character:
Hahahaha, as if this isn't obvious by now. Kagetora. And again, by "Kagetora" I mean all his possessions.
9. Who are your five favorite characters?
1) Kagetora
2) Naoe
3) Nagahide
4) Kotarou
5)Yuzuru
10. Who are your five least favorite characters?
Boy, this is tough. I like most of the characters. Even those who annoy me are fun in their own way. But here goes-
1) Kousaka
2) Kenshin (WHAT THE HELL, man, why do you put your adopted son through so much CRAP and never lift a finger to help?! Worst. Father. Ever.)
3) Ranmaru (I like him with Nobunaga because they are crack, but not so much by himself)
4) Shintarou (before people flame me, it's not that I actively dislike the guy, so much as I just find his character somewhat...boring. Maybe if he had more development I'd like him more. Also, he breaks his promise and does leave Haruie alone for centuries ;_;)
5) Um...*casting desperately around*...Ujimasa? I find his character very interesting, rather treacherous though he is, so I can't say I really hate him or anything. But he is a seriously sucky older brother, that's for sure. Using Kagetora like a chess piece, sacrificing him without regard, lying to members of his own family (like Ujiteru) about it...not to mention adding to Kagetora's already numerous complexes regarding his sexuality by calling him a slut and an incubus right to his face.
11. Which character are you most like?
Um...........................maybe Yuzuru? Aside from the whole "threat to the 6 worlds" thing, obviously. He's a sort of kind, understanding person, but he's also got his bratty, selfish side, and certain people (namely, Takaya) bring out a fierce protectiveness in him. He's also one of the sanest, most practical people in the series (ignoring the end when he starts to go kind of nuts over Takaya).
12. What is your deep, dark secret regarding this?
Wow, I wish I had a deep, dark secret to confide. *thinks hard* Well, some people might be horrified by the fact that I don't like Chiaki/Yuzuru. I mean, it doesn't make me vomit or anything, but I just don't think it works, and it doesn't do a thing for me. I think both of them work better, and are far more interesting, with Takaya. Not, y'know, at the same time. As separate pairings.
13. A pairing that I love:
Aside from the obvious ones I've already mentioned such as Naoe/Kagetora, Kotarou/Takaya, Chiaki/Takaya, Kagetora/Minako, and Yuzuru/Takaya (yeah, you read that last one right)? Well...I do like Kagekatsu/Kagetora and Mittsui/Takaya, as well.
Oh, and here's a weird one- I kind of like Kenshin/Kagetora, too. It's messed up, but I can see it happening. Kenshin likely took attractive, younger male lovers, some have said, and Kagetora was young, extremely attractive, charismatic, and beloved by him. Kagetora, for his part, sounds like he worshipped the ground Kenshin walked on, and he has always had a "weakness" for older men, it has been asserted. Yet, the fact is that Kagetora was horribly traumatized, and I doubt he could bring himself to accept Kenshin's attentions, should he ever bestow them. Plus...well. In any case, I find the whole idea quite intriguing and plausible, and have envisioned a fic for it on more than one occasion. Alas, I don't feel too confident about my ability to write such a scene set in that period...and besides, who the heck would want to read it?
14. A pairing that I hate:
Ooh...Kousaka/Naoe. BLECH.
15. What are your five favorite things about your fandom?
1) The extremely nice people. Some fandoms are, to be blunt, rather nasty. But the MoB fandom is extremely nice and forgiving, in my experience.
2) It's still open! Prequels are still being written! Manga is still being drawn! Drama CDs are still being recorded! With the popularity of Tenchijin, interest in the period, and in Mirage, may revive enough to bring about another anime series (I hope, I hope, I hope!).
3) It's deep and vast. The Mirage universe does not just encompass an anime, as with many fandoms, but a very long book series, as well. And that series covers a time period of several centuries, much of which is merely glossed over (by necessity, obviously). The plot delves deep into the minds and hearts of the many fascinating characters and their relationships, and important themes are explored. There's a lot that's shown rather than told, too, so the text can take plenty of analyzing.
4) Hotaka Ran. She's just so awesome and so perfect as the official prequel illustrator that she deserves a category of her own.
5) There are no easy answers in this series. That is one thing that makes it truer to life than most series. The relationship between Naoe and Kagetora is as complex and agonizing as their own individual characters. There aren't a lot of convenient connect-the-dots, and the ending is so unsatisfying (for me, anyway) that it leaves me feverishly imagining all the other ways things could have gone. But in none of them can I find a way to just wrap things up in a neat, happy bow, which is what most stories will try to do. That simply isn't possible with these characters, with this story, and I love it, as much as it pains me.
16. What are your five least favorite things about your fandom?
1) The novels are still mostly untranslated! AAAAAAARRRGH.
2) Well, honestly, it's a little too nice. It's hard to find constructive criticism around here ^^;
3) Because of some really annoying and misleading discrepancies between anime and novels, there's a lot of misunderstanding regarding Kagetora and Naoe's characters and their relationship. The resulting fanfiction makes me want to gnaw through steel.
4) It's very small and not well known. This has some good effects (that's probably why it's so nice), but it also means that there is a real dearth of fanfiction and fanart. ;_;
5) There is a distressing tendency to treat rape as something rather minor. It pops up in the weirdest places.
17. Favourite villian:
Nobunaga, hands down.
18. Favourite female:
Haruie. :D
19. Favourite male:
Kagetora is so obvious by now that I'm just going to go with second favorite male and say Naoe. I tend to be quite hard on him, both because I think he needs a bit of pulverizing before he's palatable as a character and because I think fans usually give him way more slack than is good or healthy or fair to Kagetora. But the truth is that I really do <3 Naoe.
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Oh, this meme looks nice. Can I please take one too?^^
ad 6: Your conclusions on Minako are compelling, what I find rather problematic, though, is that we don't really know if she was this kind of person, as we were never given her POV. Personally, I am bemused by her steadily selfless reactions to all the crap she goes through, to the point of not even seeing her as a 'human', or a real woman.
ad 13: A Kenshin/Kagetora fic sounds interesting, and given the historical circumstances perfectly plausible, too, but to write it IC with MoB - that would be a serious challenge.
ad 15/1: Strange, usually I tend to consider this fandom a 'standard', but that is probably because I generally prefer to stay out of fandoms, hence have little experience with some more mainstream stuff. But I'd say you're right, based on how surprised by its inviting atmosphere some newcomers are.
ad 15/5: lol, tell me about it...one of the things that keep me cutting on sleep hours these last five years. XDD
ad 16/2: What do you understand under MoB concrit?
ad 16/5: That's truth. But since practically every smut scene in MoB contains some kind of violence or partial noncon, it is way to easy to wave it off as 'normal', because we just get used to it as sensei's idea of pr0n.
But lately I came across several fans, who are fairly unforgiving, so I guess this matter is relative and opinions vary.
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Hee hee, go right ahead! I would love to read what you have to say on the subject.
6- Yes, I feel you there. We see little of Minako, and most through the eyes of people who are not, admittedly, known for their objectivity (or sanity). Certainly both Kagetora and Naoe idolize Minako past all normal humanity.
I think, however, from the few bits we have, that we can construct something of a picture, incomplete though it is. But it's all so positive, that it does become hard to get to know her as a character. What were her flaws? Those are as important to a complete character as virtues...
The thing which puzzles me most is Nagahide's role in the whole thing. He tried to kill her? Really? Wow...because, although Nagahide can be fairly ruthless, and he is a utilitarian, he also is pretty reluctant to hurt the weak and sweet, even when it would make the most sense. See his soft spot for young girls and Yuzuru. (that's how I read it, anyway) So...why was he so willing to kill Minako in cold blood? Was it just his concern for Naoe, their mission, and disgust/concern for Kagetora's weakness? Or was there something about Minako...was there something weird between them....GAH, so frustrating we don't hear more about that event.
13- Aheh. Yes, I have the way their Mirage characters would interact all played out in my head already, and I think it works fairly well. My biggest issue is that I know so little about how people spoke to each other in that era, and how their daily lives worked...so, maybe once some of Tenchijin is subbed and I can familiarize myself with that, I'll give it a try.
15/1- *shrug* I don't really have any more experience. I have a couple friends who are heavily involved in some other fandoms, though, both big and small, and I hear their complaints all the time and go O.O; wow, my fandom is not like that...
The mere existence of communities like fandomwank and so forth are evidence that we are pretty fortunate in our fandom. ^^ Probably some of this is due to the lack of ship wars here, since the main couple is so canon, and so compelling, that few would try and argue for, say, Nagahide/Kagetora or Naoe/Kousaka instead of Naoe/Kagetora.
15/5- *sympathetic grin*
16/2- Um, well, reviews that point out flaws as well as strengths. I mean, people have given me some very good advice, and I can't exactly complain about how kind people have been...but I know that there are plenty of things my fics could improve on, and probably lots of people think of things that they see differently. I wish people felt comfortable enough to mention them to me so that I could consider alternatives and grow more as a writer.
I'm not trying to invite flames, or say that I don't appreciate the thoughtful comments I have received (I do! VERY much), but...you see what I'm saying? Other fandoms that I have seen have a lot more criticism being given to fics (they also have wank, which is a sad side effect). But I have a tough skin and am mature enough to handle it! Promise.
16/5- Yeah, that's true about sensei. It's also true about BL in general, unfortunately. It still bugs the crap out of me when I see it, though. *rips out hair*
Mirage fans unforgiving of rape? Seriously? Wow...I'm pretty surprised...
For sure. When I say "mirage fans do this" blah blah blah, no question I'm generalizing a lot. :P
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