Rantings and Ravings, or My Two Cents' Worth
Ah, ranting. What would a personal homepage be without a section where the webmaster foists her opinions on the unsuspecting visitor? These rants cover topics mainly related to Japanese pop culture and can mainly be used as a kind of mental barometer. Note that if you don't agree with me about one of the issues mentioned here and flame me for it in the hope of getting me riled: tough. I am entitled to my own opinion just as you are to yours and I have more important things to do with my time than reply to e-mails about why I am a 'fucken biatch'. Flames are liable to be riffed and posted.
I would advise anyone who thinks they have come to a conclusion about my mental state from these rants to keep it to themselves please. I have to deal with enough amateur psychobabble from Louis. ^^
General Ranting
Because I'm opinionated, but also possess a certain streak of discretion and don't imagine the man on the 68 really wants to know what I think about every (anime-related) topic under the sun - an archive or rantings on what's currently bothering me (see also my live journal).
Why I am No Longer a Zetsuai Fan
A brief justification of a fangirl's right to change her mind. Otherwise known as 'why did I waste 3 years of my life on that?'
Fangirls Against The Bastardisation of Bishounen
A woefully underinformed column at Animenation on the definition of the word 'Bishounen' prompted this counter-blast from me...
Why I Buy Japanese Manga (When I can't even read Japanese)
Recently it's got a helluva lot easier to buy translated manga. So, why is it that I still insist on buying the Japanese versions?
My Bloody Valentine
It's February 14th, and the thoughts of women everywhere lightly turn to love. So why am I lightly thinking of fleeing the country?
Dear Furries: An Open Letter
Dear Furries, You Are Really Fucking Weird, Love From laila. An old LJ rant, cross-posted here because I'm proud of it, dammit.
Caught in the Gender Trap
Yes, I am a woman, but I'm getting damned sick of being marketed to as a woman rather than as an individual. Here's why.
Fanfic Rants
In which laila, who clearly has too much time on her hands and far too little to do with it, ponders a few of life's great imponderables. Like, where do we come from? Where are we going? And why do we - or some of us - spend so much of the intervening time writing truly appalling fanfiction?
Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?
What is it about rape in manga, anime and related fanfiction? I mean, why is it almost never portrayed in a way that's even remotely real?
The Truth, The Whole Truth, and Nothing but The Truth?
This rant sprung out of a comment made by Mellie about some fangirls taking Western fanfic as one hundred percent realistic...
The Discreet Charm of Slash Fiction
Yes, I know it's not canon. Yes, I know it's iffy characterwise. Yes, I know some people take it too far. But that does not make slash the root of all evil, thank you!
The Grand List of Angel Sanctuary Fanfiction Cliché
A series of rants on Angel Sanctuary fanfiction and some of its more pernicious conventions and trends as typified by some godawful fics.
The State of the Fiction (in progress)
laila rambles for the sake of Weiss Kreuz, currently suffering from heinous acts of fanfiction, in the desperate hope of winning the hearts and minds of its denizens.
Fanfic Rants: Close Encounters of the Suethor Kind
Or, why you should never leave concrit even if they ask for it. On encountering a legendary badfic, with thirty page chapters and a huge honkin' Sue, laila naively took it upon herself to inform the author of her crimes. She said she welcomed constructive criticism, after all - what could possibly go wrong?
"There She Is... The Biggest Sue in the Un~iverse..."
In which laila stumbles upon the legendary Lost Weiss Kreuz Suefic. Brains are exploded, and concrit is left.
Welcome to Planet Suethor. Population: One.
In which the mighty Sockpuppet Army is awakened from its slumber, and the Voice of the Suethor is heard in the land.
Fanfic Rants: Letters to Fen
Having joined the aptly named The Pitfalls of Fanfiction Livejournal community, I have as a consequence found myself authoring a series of short fic-related rants, usually in open letter form, addressed to fanthings of various stripes. Collected correspondence is archived below...
Rapist!Youji. Okay. Fine. Whatever, fanthing. Get out of my fandom.
There are plenty of Weiss Kreuz characters who might well make plausible rapists. You do not have to character-rape Youji for the sake of a non-con fic.
Kitten Rant.
Please to stop giving your Weiss Kreuz OFCs the codename Calico, fandom. Yes, I know it sounds cute and Calicos are pretty, but there's a problem...
Let's Hear It For The (Less Than Gorgeous) Girls.
I don't know a damned thing about Naruto, but I'm convinced poor Hinata deserves far better than yet another stupid Makeover!Fic, thank you.
Because Some Things Are Best Kept To Yourself...
It has recently come to my attention that plotbunnies and daydreams are not the same thing. What a glorious world it would be if we the fen could bear that in mind.
Because the Way to a Man's Heart is Not Always What You're Expecting...
Why one man's great night out is another man's five-hour yawnfest, Or why Mary Sue cannot always expect to be swept off her elegantly-shod feet.
The All-Purpose Excuse!
This rant is brought to you by the letters 'A' and 'U', who would like it to be known that their presence in your summary will not excuse everything. Or even anything.
Another Weiss Kreuz Rant.
Article sponsored by The Foundation For Keeping Ken Hidaka In Fucking Character. Character rape is never justifiable. Don't just ignore it.
"You say fanFICTION, I say FANfiction..."
No, it's not fanFICTION, fanbrat. It's FANfiction. This means you can't write whatever you damn well want and expect the rest of us to nod and smile approvingly.
I'm Yours Forever... What Was Your Name Again?
I can't understand the appeal of charas who fall madly in love ten minutes after they first meet... this three-part rant covers the numerous manifestations of this phenomenon.
The 'Love at First Sight' Syndrome
Part 1 - exploring fan works, using email RPs as a starting point.
Miaka, Are You Blind?
Part 2 - a look at the syndrome in professional works.
So Mary Sue Me
Part 3 - the rise and rise of Mary Sue and attendant hideousnesses.
In Defense Of...
The fangirl defends a couple of much-maligned (or, in some cases, not-that-much-maligned) personal favorites from their detractors.
... Gackt
Well actually I don't think Gackt is a selfish bastard for leaving Malice Mizer, thank you oh so very much.
... Insane Manga Supervillains, Especially Rociel
Total Lunacy + Awesome Superpowers + Random Acts of Ultraviolence = One Cool Chara. So what if they're also morally bankrupt?
... Yaoi
Yes, there is a reason why people like it. And no, it's not because we're all disgusting, depraved perverts (though some of us may be).
... Shoujo Manga
Why oh why do so many men persist in thinking that shoujo manga is grossly inferior to shounen simply because it's not the same?
... Aerith
Aerith Gainsborough is a spineless female parody? That doesn't sound like Final Fantasy VII, what game did you have the misfortune to play?
... Weiss Kreuz Kapitel
Yes, I know it's hardly going to go down in anime history as a classic. But I just don't care. I love Weiss Kreuz Kapitel anyway.
Pull Yourself Together, Girl!
Or, an introduction to a selection of the Annoying Anime Women I Have Known. The fangirl rips into a number of female archetypes from anime, manga and computer games....
No Wet Chicks, Please
Just what is the appeal in women so drippy they need to be wrung out and tumble dried?
In the Church of the Poisoned Mind - Bad Bad Girls
'You stole my man! I'm going to kill you!'... welcome to the fabulous world of the female antagonist!
Holy Freaking Hell, I Hate Elena
Hi! I'm like so ditzy I can barely tie my laces. I'm a chattering airheaded liability... but hey, I'm like cute and junk. Cool, huh?
