Sunday, June 24, 2001 -- 11:53 p.m.
Updated with a few more scans for my Lawful Drug shrine (accessible from my main home page -- see right). Yaoi fans will love this pic from the July Shoujo Teikoku issue. Why isn't Mokona-sensei doing similar ones for Subaru & Kamui yet? *sigh* Lawful Drug really has some delicious pics!
Sunday, June 24, 2001 -- 12:42 a.m.
I'm not receiving Asuka on time again. *sigh* If only I had given more of my business to Maruzen, it might not have closed down and I'd get my Asuka at a dollar cheaper but on time. Yeah, sure. Well, Titzah or Kristin should have their translations out something later on Sunday.
On a slightly happier note, I managed to get hold of that gorgeous Saiyuki mahjong card set. Hakkai! *drools* This is definitely my favourite manga merchandise so far. Until the official X tarot cards gets released, that is. Also got a set of Yami no Matsuei badges, featuring Tsuzuki and Hisoka. Cute.
Meanwhile, I'm reading Karakuri-zoshi Ayatsuri Sakon when I'm supposed to be in bed. Puppets are creepy. But definitely sinister when used as props for murder. The stories are more along the lines of Kindaichi Shonen no Jikenbo instead of Detective Conan, but Sakon is delicious! He's a cool Holmes when with his puppet. But without his puppet, he's shy, easily embarrassed and sweet, almost like 16-year-old Subaru, minus the weird clothes.
Friday, June 22, 2001 -- 12:20 a.m.
New multiparter SxK fic, Touch of Rain, is up.
Thursday, June 21, 2001 -- 10:48 p.m.
Currently reading something non-manga. Yukio Mishima's Forbidden Colours. Interesting sexual politics without the sex. Old Shunsuke is a famous writer of romantic novels, but in reality, he's bitter about the women who have betrayed him. Now dying, he decides to exact his revenge on womankind through a young, gorgeously beautiful homosexual, Yuichi.
Despite its theme, it is not a shounen-ai story. But it provides a very good look at the Japanese gay culture in the 1950s, and a fascinating exploration of human vanity. The late author, Mishima, was rumoured to be gay. In another of his story, Confessions of a Mask, the protagonist had to struggle with his gradual realisation that he was gay, and yet attracted to women in a non-sexual way.
Less one be mistaken, Mishima is not a gay writer. But like Junichiro Tanizaki before him, his novels are explorations of human weaknesses and obsessions.
Incidentally, I've found myself mesmerised by Japanese modern classics in recent months. Mishima and Tanizaki are top of my list. I've also read the short stories of Edogawa Rampo (a play on the name of Edgar Allan Poe), which are no less disturbing than Poe's. Hopefully, readers of my blog will try to seek them out. They've been very useful to my writings. I wouldn't say that there's a direct influence, but they have subtly affected the way I write, especially in my one-shots.
Wednesday, June 20, 2001 -- 10:03 p.m.
Baka! It's not a new chapter of Wish after all. Just a reprise of the "Extra" at the end of volume 4. Why in the world do they have to reprint it? Anyway, this is telling of how often I read Wish. ^_^
Wednesday, June 20, 2001 -- 01:55 p.m.
I couldn't resist it. I just had to know. Yeah, I swore off buying another Japanese manga "phonebook", but we're talking about CLAMP here. And the droolable guys from Lawful Drug were wrapped around the cover! More droolable colour pics inside, and Kazahaya got a cute cat, which just jumped off the window...and it stopped right there! Acks...my lifespan has been shorter ever since I found CLAMP.
Bonus for July issue of Shoujo Teikoku: There's a special extra chapter of Wish!!! Wonder if this will be included with the illustration book scheduled for release on 1 Dec (fangirlish squeal: Yuuki Day!). If not, this is going to be that rare chapter, like the X omake from February 2000.
Monday, June 18, 2001 -- 12:07 a.m.
Finally did something to the weird colour on my X Shrine's guestbook. Will do something about the others later...as in "I don't know how much later" later. I love the idea that Phaistos bothers to constantly upgrade the service, but I would love to be informed though. Not assaulted by some shocking blue on white background. Yeah, I read my guestbook entries by email, so it's perfectly normal for me not to realise how far the settings have devolved since my last update.
Sunday, June 17, 2001 -- 08:54 p.m.
Tomorrow is Monday. The start of another dreary work week. No luck with Kakyou yet. Instead, I shall meditate by the scent of Japanese citrus incense. In other words, I am bored.
