Farscape: Season 2, eps 1-6

A few comments on aesthetics:

1.  I loathe Zhaan's new outfit.  Not only do I think her S1 wardrobe was more attractive, but the simplicity suited her.  The new wardrobe, in addition to being less attractive is too...attention getting, especially with the gold.  It doesn't suit her.

2.  They seem to have changed up D'Argo's design up some, too, though I can't really figure out how.

3.  You know, in general, I approve of the black leather fetish that seems to have developed between seasons.  But why does John get layers, and Aeryn vests that don't button over her stomach?  (And what happened to John's hair?)

I loved the first two episodes of the season, was bored by the next two, and then loved the two after that.  I'm still having trouble warming up to Chiana-a little too "sexy bad girl with inner nice girl," I think-but am glad they aren't villifying her or looking down on her for her sex drive, or indicating (so far) that it's part of any trauma or angst.  More fictional characters should be allowed to like sex because they like sex, as opposed to it being justified by angst or trauma.  (It only works for Gojyo.)  Aeryn and John are also starting to feel more like they're paired for who they are, as opposed to defaulting to the human and the human-looking alien.

( spoilers )

Private Pleasures by Bertrice Small

You lot have no idea how much you owe me for writing this up for you.

Nora Buckley is a 40-something mother of two who has just learned that her husband is cheating on her with a girl barely older than their daughter. Nora, of course, is utterly the victim here. Now, let me explain something real quick. I despise cheating. Any canon that encourages the idea of cheating as being ok or an “improvement” on the status quo loses any respect I may have had for it. Don’t even get me started on fanon cheating. IMO, cheating on your significant other is just another form of psychological abuse, in addition to a betrayal. And yet, I can’t remotely sympathize with Nora. Why?

The woman was an utter doormat. She never tried to have any life or identity outside of being a spouse and mother. She never stood up for herself, nor is it indicated that she ever even indicated to her husband that she might want to do more than sit at home and bake cookies. The only indication that she ever tried to assert herself was that one time she wanted to try something other than the missionary position. This is both the ultimate proof of her oppression, and the sign of her husband’s Supreme Evilness. Please note that he, of course, is portrayed as irredeemably evil from the start. Not helping matters is the fact that Bertrice Small’s leads-especially her self-inserts female leads-are some of the most amazingly unlikable characters I have ever encountered in fiction. I always root for the evil women out to destroy the good guys, or the pitiful ones who are ruled by their Evil Sexuality. (Any woman other than the heroine who likes sex is always evil or weak.)

I claim no responsibility for any mental scarring should you continue reading this post.

( proceed at own risk )

Off to cleanse my brain.  I demand internet chocolate and such.

manhwa: The Devil's Trill (complete)

This is part of Net Comics’ line of manhwa short story and novella collections featuring individual manhwaga. The title story here is over 200 pages, and the second, The Magic Box about 20.

In 18th century Germany, Count Eichner Wittgenstein is a newly-made vampire. We know he’s fairly new to this because his servant and he were born on the same day, and the servant is only about 55-60. As Eichner is sitting around, angsting over immortality, his 13-year-old neighbor, Elizabeth, comes over to look at his garden. They bond and fall in love, only to have her parents send her away to school. Elizabeth comes back years later (giving Eichner plenty of time to angst over lost love and the perfidy of humans) and recently married. Unfortunately, she hasn’t married due to her clueing in to there’s something off about a 20-something guy in love with a 13-year-old (much less a 60~ vampire) but because she had to to save her family from financial ruin. Husband is monstrous. Elizabeth is sickly. They fall in love again. There is Tragedy.

Cut to the 1990s, where Eichner meets twin sisters Buzz and Karen. Buzz is shy and lame and downtrodden by her manipulative sister, but also a rising violinist. Karen is beautiful and outgoing and uses Buzz to get attention for herself. One is Elizabeth reincarnated. You can guess how things go. There is a slight twist to it, but…also not a trope I’m big on. Then there is Tragedy again.

Cut to the mid-22nd century, where Eichner is amnesiac and being experimented on by scientists, and bonds with Lazlo, a young investigator assigned as his bodyguard. While the first two parts aren’t my thing (But if “angsty vampire finds love and seeks redemption with human woman” is your thing, this is totally the one-shot manhwa for you, as long as the bit where he falls in love with a 13-year-old doesn’t weird you out too much.) this part interested me more.

( cut for not-unpredictable spoilers )

So, most of it is fairly normal for the genre, but good enough for what it is. The last bit I wish had been longer.

The other story is about a man who spends his entire life making the perfect cut for a diamond, realizes he’s let life and love pass him by, and is given a second chance at life. Falls in love and wastes the new life trying to create the perfect ring for her. All I have to say it that that was a perfectly nice woman who would have rather had the guy than the jewel.

Has anyone read any other manhwa by Sooyeon Won? While some parts made me role my eyes and I wasn’t blown away, I suspect I might like her work in a good series.

Claymore ch 85

( spoiler cut for random squee )

But...err...was that our regular translators on an off-day, or someone else?