Awesome Gen/Irene Song!

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

 
So, I randomly stumbled across this song, and after listening to it a few times, I finally realized how well it suits Gen's and Irene's relationship.

Have a listen to Undisclosed Desires by Muse at YouTube or read the lyrics.

Comments

[lizzyazula.livejournal.com]

Oooooh yes! It's my favorite song on that album for this very reason. I forced my sister to listen to it months ago to show her how it was like Gen and Attolia. I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE Muse, even if they are featured in the Twilight movies.

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

Hey, Lizzy. Great minds think alike, don't they?

I haven't listened to rest of their songs, but I intend to.

Are they featured in Twilight? Which song is it? It isn't this one, is it?

[lizzyazula.livejournal.com]

I know for certain Super Massive Black Hole (From the album Black Holes and Revelations), My Heart Belongs to You (From their newest album) and Neutron Star Collision (Which as of now is not on any album). Stephanie Meyer also loves Muse, so they got the band to write songs specifically for the movie and all. I'm not a fan of Meyer, but geez, how lucky is that woman? She writes a series which becomes popular almost overnight, turned into million dollar movies, and gets to have her favorite singer write songs specifically for HER books.

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

I'll probably pick up one of their albums when I get the chance. I really like their music, even if some of it is written for Twilight. Although, the movies ARE slightly more palatable than the books.

"Do I dazzle you?"

"Frequently."

Who writes lines like that? I want to laugh and cry at the same time. It's just so BAD! I've often times wondered how she managed to climb to the top of the literary world so quickly. It's certainly not because she's a great writer. Oh, yeah... The world is a sap for overdone, stalkerish romances with bloodsuckers and lupines. That's it.

What's been annoying me lately, is how many people on the net have been comparing InuYasha to Twilight. ARE YOU CRAZY?!?

[lizzyazula.livejournal.com]

Well, those movies do have good music, you must admit.

Yes, Twilight is not that great. I used to hate it and anyone who liked it, but I've softened up. My standing is that if you love Twilight, go ahead and obsess over it. If it makes you happy, life is too short not to obsess over it. So I'm alright with Twilight lovers and Twilight in general now and have stopped hating on it so much. I mean, we all have our guilty pleasures, and we all love obsessing over something, whether it be The Queen's Thief books or Twilight.

Is InuYasha a manga?

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

I'm starting to accept it too, although I will never like it.

Yes, InuYasha is an awesome action adventure/historical fantasy manga/anime. I can see why people say it's similar. You have a romance between a human and a non-human, who don't like each another at first, but eventually become close. The big difference is that the characters have these things called personalities, Inuyasha is not a stalker nor is he abusive (if we feel sorry for anyone in the relationship its him), Kagome cares about him but she also cares about everyone else and has life aspirations besides being with him, there are love-triangles but they are funny instead of being destructive, and above all else THERE ARE NO VAMPIRES. That should clear things up. Oh yeah... And if Inuyasha ever left Kagome because he thought he was a threat to her, she would hunt him down and drag him back not become a suicidal manic depressive.

Here's the summary if you're curious.

Kagome is a modern Japanese high school girl. Never the type to believe in myths and legends, her world view dramatically changes when, one day, she's pulled out of her own time and into another! There, in Japan's ancient past, Kagome discovers more than a few of those dusty old legends are true, and that her destiny is linked to one legendary creature in particular--the dog like half-demon called Inuyasha! That same trick of fate also ties them both to the Shikon Jewel, or " Jewel of Four Souls". But demons beware... the smallest shard of the Shikon Jewel can give the user unimaginable power.

-Amazon.com

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

Actually, this would make it easier...

Not nearly as serious as the trailer makes it sound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7i8k-bYyUk&feature=related

[lizzyazula.livejournal.com]

I used to enjoy reading manga, but after awhile I found if too melodramatic and over-the-top. However, most of presumptions are based off of Naruto (I used to love that manga.) Is InuYasha melodramatic? And, oh, I HATEHATEHATE love triangles, although you did say they were funny. Still...I hate them so.

Part 1 (Yes, there are parts.)

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

I've never read Naruto, so I wouldn't know of your tastes or what exactly you might think of as melodramatic. But in my opinion, InuYasha isn't a drama, but it's not a comedy either. Hmm...

Well, I'd start with calling it a historical fantasy with lots of action, mixed with lots of humor, some drama err... more serious moments, with some horror and mythology and don't forget the romance thrown in for good measure. Does that help? Probably not... Okay, so this is what it's about, but in order to explain it to you, I'm going to have to be spoilery. Don't say I didn't warn you.

So, we start the story in modern Tokyo with Kagome Higurashi, who is basically Attolia as a Japanese school girl. Scary? Yes. Fearless? Yes. Cruel? Not to anyone but Inuyasha.

Kagome lives at an ancient Japanese shrine where she has heard traditional tales all her life from her grandfather (who is crazy BTW). She's never believed these legends of youkai and magic jewels, until one day, while looking for her brother's cat, she gets a little too close to an ancient well on her family's land. The well, known as the Bone Eater's Well, is a portal that she has just activated to Warring States Era Japan. How did she activate it? The Shikon Jewel or the Jewel of Four Souls. (More on that later.)

She is dragged into the well by a resurrected youkai (magical creature), and finds herself 500 years in the past! Yippy!

There she meets (is captured) by an elderly priestess from whom Kagome learns she is the reincarnation of a her murdered sister, Kikyo, who died 50 years ago. And Kikyo was killed by... Wait for it...

INUYASHA!

Now, how is one killed by a title? Well, Inuyasha is also a character. A half-human, half-dog youkai, who was sealed to a god-tree by Kikyo before she died. He tried to steal the Shikon Jewel (to become a full youkai) that Kikyo was protecting, and the jewel was burned with her body when she died. Or so the story goes... (We know what that means, plot twist.)

So, Inuyasha wakes up when the youkai, who dragged Kagome down the well to begin with, shows up, and Kagome, having Kikyo's powers, removes his seal so well... she doesn't get eaten. In the process, the Shikon Jewel is ripped from her body (ouch...) and the newly resurrected Inuyasha tries to steal it by well... killing her. (But we later find, Inuyasha is all bark and no bite and was just trying to scare her into running away. Maybe...)

But Kagome is Kagome and she does indeed run away but takes the jewel with her. Now, trying to run from a super-human creature doesn't work out so well, so Kikyo's sister, Kaede (yes, she has a name), places another type of seal on Inuyasha, and IT'S EVEN VOICE ACTIVATED. Whenever Kagome says "sit" (it was the first thing she could think of she says, it was those doggy ears of his) Inuyasha goes BANG face first into the ground. Poor guy...

Now, lots of youkai want the jewel because of it's awesome evil powers. By chapter 5, the jewel is shattered into a bunch of tiny (tiny) pieces much to the distress of Inuyasha, because Kagome was trying to save it so, she kinda did something that was actually intelligent but turned out to be more powerful than she thought. You'll see...

Part 2

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

Just after that, Kagome finds she can get back home through the Bone Eater's Well, but a portal for one is a portal for others apparently and Inuyasha follows her. Isn't that cute? Well, if you think a guy dragging you away from your udon is cute... I guess so...

So, he drags her back for he has found he needs her help because of her connection to the jewel, which he wants very badly. After she is instrumental in defeating youkai jewel shard thief number 1 (she does have a name) he begins to (begrudgingly) respect her.

Inuyasha: Let's go, Kagome.
Kagome: *stare*
Inuyasha: What?
Kagome: That's the first time you've used my name. *hopeful* Does that mean you're starting to like me a little more?
Inuyasha: *scoffs* Don't let it go to your head.
Kagome: Hmph. Next time, remind me not to save your life. *whacks him the back*
*he's injured*
Inuyasha: *groan*
Kagome: If it hurts so much, why didn't you just say something?
Inuyasha: GRRR...

Now, after picking up a few jewel shards, we find out more about the main plot. The tale of how Inuyasha and Kikyo were tricked into betraying one another (they were lovers to be, if you didn't already see that one coming) and we get new characters, a more complex plot, and a whole lot of funny stuff along the way (mostly Inuyasha and Kagome arguing).

Inuyasha: I don't care who you are! In order to get the sacred jewel, I have to be merciless!
Kagome: I see... But in the event that you should get violent, all I have to do is say the word sit-
Inuyasha: *crashes to the ground*
Kagoe: *pretends like she didn't do it on purpose* Opps! Sorry, my bad.
Inuyasha: Grr...

As for love triangles, I can see why you may not like them, because they are usually annoying and overdone. But! Do not fear! Rumiko Takahashi is the QUEEN of love-triangles, mostly because she reduxes and makes fun of them. Kikyo/Inuyasha vs. Kagome/Inuyasha is the most serious-like one she has ever done, but it's different because Kikyo is well... dead. Sorta... You'll see.

And don't be freaked out by the reincarnation thing. Kagome doesn't have past-life dreams or any of the other American cliches. The series makes it very clear that Kagome is her own person, and is really nothing like Kikyo. The only thing they really have in common is a soul (which is more like an energy than part of a person in Japanese culture) and Inuyasha. As you can guess, this creates some tension for Inuyasha, but again never fear! Takahashi is a master at keeping the drama balanced and at using internal-conflict to deepen her characters.

Inuyasha is a really neat character, actually. On one side he's simple-minded, stubborn, and head-strong (Don't you love 'im already?), but on the other he's guilt-driven, protective, isolated and untrusting because of his half-human state, and always strong in spirit. He just doesn't like to give up.

(All my quotes are paraphrased BTW, because I can't keep my translations straight. They are all a little different!)

Inuyasha: Look... I just don't trust people, and you have no right to judge how I've survived.
Kagome: *turns away looking really upset, likes she's about to cry*
Inuyasha: Hey! Don't start crying on m-
Kagome: *turns around super-scary mad* THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! JUST BECAUSE YOU WOULDN'T TALK TO ME, I GOT US INTO THIS MESS!
Inuyasha: *cowers*

Aww... They're perfect for each other. Anyhow, I hope that helps you out, or it may just bore you.

Re: Part 2

[lizzyazula.livejournal.com]

O_O Holy Hephestia woman, you are obsessed!! I can tell by the way you wrote (and by how much you wrote) how much you love this manga. Obviously I'm going to have to try it out. It will be awhile, because my school is evil and assigns too much work (Seriously. I read two books in September, not including school books. TWO. I'm dying!!)but I will contact you once I get a copy of volume one (Or however they publish it) from the library. I know I can read it online, but I dislike staring at a computer screen.

Also, no problem with reincarnation, it happens to be a large part of the show Avatar. And I never answered your question on how the movie was. Well, I was on vacation when it came out and never got to see it, but I heard it was the crappiest movie ever to be made.

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

Obsessed? I've never I thought I was obsessed with Inuy...

*looks at comments*

Okay, maybe just a little.

Yes, they are published in volumes. Just make sure you get the second edition. It has a much better translation. To be fair, I've also added Avatar to my list of things to watch. It sounds interesting.

So the movie was that bad, huh? I heard that Avatar fans really hated it.

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

Oh... And I've been meaning to ask, Liz. Is that Kitty Pride from X-Men: Evolution on your icon?

[lizzyazula.livejournal.com]

lol, unfortunately no. It's Azula from the show Avatar: The Last Airbender. I think she's like Attolia - cold and calculating, but with feelings underneath. But most people agree that she's just a plain crazy psychopath.

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

Really? She looks just like Kitty. That's weird...

I haven't tried watching Avatar, but I've heard that the series is great. How was the movie?

[lizzyazula.livejournal.com]

Avatar is awesome - definitely my favorite show. I really can't remember life before Avatar. When the it ended my life practically did, I was so depressed. Thank Goodness I found Eugenides! These books are something to look forward to. I now we're all impatient for the next two books to come out, but just think, we have about eight years to enjoy the books before the series ends! - a truly depressing thought, the series ending. (I'm assuming it will take about 4 years to write each book)