THIS MOVIE IS BEAUTIFUL! BEAUTIFUL, I SAY!

 The makers of Azumi decided that falling sakura petals were passe in conveying angst.  Instead, our assassins are showered with dead leaves as they embark upon their bloodstained path.

It's beautiful.

( the angsty shounen crack, let me describe it to you! )

This is the best thing since Death Trance, Taitei no Ken, and Dororo!

Was it as good for you as it was for Odagiri Joe?

So, it took me a while, but I realized that the dramatic and white clad assassin with a rose fetish was Odagiri Joe.  In my defense, he isn't very recognizable, aside from the chin.

Anyway, aside from one near-massive misstep about 2/3 through, Azumi is a pretty solid bit of martial arts cheese.  It's well shot and has pretty good fight sequences, and I think it tries to be somewhat gender blind regarding Azumi's skills through most of the movie.  Except for near the end, she's not put forth as a Sooper Speshul Warrior Woman, or portrayed as being weaker than her male comrades.  In addition, the only allowances to gender in her upbringing seems to be that she slept apart from the guys.

( spoilers )

I have Azumi 2 somewhere.  Possibly, I will dig it out and watch it tomorrow for the lolz.  I hope it is as entertaining as the first.  I also understand it has Oguri Shun.

(no subject)

( Code:Breaker ch 4-5 )

( Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle: ch 193 )

( xxxHolic: ch 159-161 )

(no subject)

All the people of the universe are hereby forbidden to bid on anything I am bidding on at livelongnmarryso I can get everything I'm bidding on as I cannot go any higher than I already have on any one item witout having to give up on another.

ONE DAY LEFT!

And very amazing things up for grabs.

Hangman's Holiday by Dorothy L. Sayers

This is a collection of twelve short stories, four with Lord Peter Wimsey, six with Montague Egg, and two independent stories.

The Wimsey stories were fairly normal Wimsey, but not long enough for Sayers to really get into Peter and his life, or to delve into the then-major social themes I’ve gotten used to. There’s also appalling little Bunter. Actually, Wimsey himself is sometimes more in the background of the stories.

This was my first introduction to Montague Egg, a traveling wine merchant. Unlike Wimsey, he doesn’t chase after crimes, he just has the bad luck to always be around when they take place. Somehow without seeming to fall under suspicion himself. He’s more obviously down-to-Earth than Wimsey, and rather deadpan. Unfortunately, as I’ve never heard of him, I suspect my chances of there being full length books about him are slim.

It’s not really outstanding on its own, but it’s an enjoyable read, and unspoilery if anyone feels like checking Sayers out without wanting to invest in a full novel.