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( List of my fandoms; updated as I remember them )
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Sticky: A new year, time for introductions
Jan. 1st, 2019 08:23 amHello, I am a fandom lurker by the name of chromemuffin! I have been trying to participate in fandom more frequently, mainly by writing fic and trying (and failing) to write meta. I also translate from Japanese to English from time to time; my projects are scattered across fandoms and update sporadically. You can find me on AO3 at ![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p2.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
chromemuffin, on tumblr by the same name, and several other pseudonyms (try to guess them all!). I was led here by a friend and find it a good place to take root in to write more serious ramblings than my tumblr adventures.
( List of my fandoms; updated as I remember them )
( List of my fandoms; updated as I remember them )
A Valentines Day Special!!
Feb. 14th, 2019 04:36 pmThis is actually just a post of my thoughts on portrayals of love in fiction, in honor of this strange holiday that, if I was actually in a relationship, would just use as an excuse to eat good food and not cook dinner for a night. :p
Anyways, this is partially in response to![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
extrapenguin, who very aptly described my stance on romantic storylines: "It's not a love story unless it's tragic."
It's true. While I have grown a bit bitter and jaded throughout the years and really like my stories to have happy endings or settings that are not 100% totally depressing, I have always loved a good tragedy. I like characters that have to work for their happy ending, and who may not obtain it but be forced to accept that fact and move on with their lives. Why? Because I like stories where characters must put some work into their relationships, romantic or otherwise, who have to learn to compromise, adjust maladaptive behaviors, or even come to terms with the fact that things may never work out and have to deal with the consequences.
Part of the fluff, shipping, and soulmate concepts that I do not take a liking to probably stem from the fact that love becomes a thing that is put out there loudly and with lots of fanfare; I prefer it to develop quietly, over time and between two people who grow, rather than fall down a steep cliff, into loving each other. It's a preference thing, certainly.
(I do like soulmate storylines occasionally, and mostly when they have a tragic twist to them, situations where 'A and B are fated to drift together due to their personalities and/or goals and ideals, but are also fated to drift apart for the same reasons', and situations where it is not the overarching rules of the universe but rather the characters' thoughts, actions, and who they are as people that drive the story and their relationships.)
Anyways, this is partially in response to
extrapenguin, who very aptly described my stance on romantic storylines: "It's not a love story unless it's tragic."It's true. While I have grown a bit bitter and jaded throughout the years and really like my stories to have happy endings or settings that are not 100% totally depressing, I have always loved a good tragedy. I like characters that have to work for their happy ending, and who may not obtain it but be forced to accept that fact and move on with their lives. Why? Because I like stories where characters must put some work into their relationships, romantic or otherwise, who have to learn to compromise, adjust maladaptive behaviors, or even come to terms with the fact that things may never work out and have to deal with the consequences.
Part of the fluff, shipping, and soulmate concepts that I do not take a liking to probably stem from the fact that love becomes a thing that is put out there loudly and with lots of fanfare; I prefer it to develop quietly, over time and between two people who grow, rather than fall down a steep cliff, into loving each other. It's a preference thing, certainly.
(I do like soulmate storylines occasionally, and mostly when they have a tragic twist to them, situations where 'A and B are fated to drift together due to their personalities and/or goals and ideals, but are also fated to drift apart for the same reasons', and situations where it is not the overarching rules of the universe but rather the characters' thoughts, actions, and who they are as people that drive the story and their relationships.)
Asian-Inspired Fantasy Rant
Jan. 23rd, 2019 04:26 pmThis has probably been at the back of my mind since the magnificent letdown that was The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang, but I hadn’t seriously thought about it until recently.
After finishing the 2017 version of Jin Yong’s Legend of the Condor Heroes and being annoyed at myself for leaving my copy of Janie Chang’s Dragon Springs Road at home, I hopped over to Goodreads to satisfy my itch for a good non-translated Asian-inspired fantasy. Well. I knew that I would be disappointed, but not quite to this extent. The trends revealed in the reviews of many of the novels I browsed through were poor plotting or pacing, lack of character development, and most damningly of all, poor representation to sheer bastardization of the cultures they were “inspired” by.
( My foray into stats below: )
After finishing the 2017 version of Jin Yong’s Legend of the Condor Heroes and being annoyed at myself for leaving my copy of Janie Chang’s Dragon Springs Road at home, I hopped over to Goodreads to satisfy my itch for a good non-translated Asian-inspired fantasy. Well. I knew that I would be disappointed, but not quite to this extent. The trends revealed in the reviews of many of the novels I browsed through were poor plotting or pacing, lack of character development, and most damningly of all, poor representation to sheer bastardization of the cultures they were “inspired” by.
( My foray into stats below: )
Fandom Snowflake Challege - Day 3
Jan. 4th, 2019 09:22 pm Day 3: In your own space, share a favorite piece of original canon (a TV episode, a song, a favorite interview, a book, a scene from a movie, etc) and explain why you love it so much.
I usually have a good laugh when I watch Japanese musicals based on anime or manga, but one of my favorite songs in the musicals I have seen is this one from Joker Game the Stage. The tempo is catchy and the choreography matches it perfectly. The backstage portions are hilarious, too. It took a looot of practice to get it down. The reimagining of this scene from the anime is also a nice touch (in which everyone is wildly cheating and trying to outsmart each other except the one gullible guy going into it thinking it's an honest game).
I usually have a good laugh when I watch Japanese musicals based on anime or manga, but one of my favorite songs in the musicals I have seen is this one from Joker Game the Stage. The tempo is catchy and the choreography matches it perfectly. The backstage portions are hilarious, too. It took a looot of practice to get it down. The reimagining of this scene from the anime is also a nice touch (in which everyone is wildly cheating and trying to outsmart each other except the one gullible guy going into it thinking it's an honest game).
Fandom Snowflake Challege - Day 2
Jan. 2nd, 2019 09:35 pmIn the many years I have been in fandom, I have never done one of these challenges. A friend linked me to it and I thought it would be a fun way to start posting on here more regularly.
Day 2: Rec at least three fanworks that you didn’t create.
Rec 1: Heaven and Earth by ExtraPenguin; Modao Zushi/Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation; A fic that I now read whenever I have a stressful day or simply want to relax and take in all the warm and fuzzy feelings. Delves into the mindset of the distrustful, cynical Xue Yang and how meeting genuinely kind and supportive people in the form of Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan slowly changes his perspective without changing who he is as a person.
Rec 2: bright the hawk's flight by Hokuto; Mononoke; Basically an urban fantasy with a well-done and creeping horror sort of mystery. The episodic atmosphere matches the canon perfectly.
Rec 3: The Fifth Act by Sinnatious; Final Fantasy VII; An old favorite that I wish I had time to reread. A time-travel, what-if fic; I like it primarily for its exploration of the concept that sometimes it's smallest things that make the biggest difference and how everything can change from a single act of kindness.
Day 2: Rec at least three fanworks that you didn’t create.
Rec 1: Heaven and Earth by ExtraPenguin; Modao Zushi/Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation; A fic that I now read whenever I have a stressful day or simply want to relax and take in all the warm and fuzzy feelings. Delves into the mindset of the distrustful, cynical Xue Yang and how meeting genuinely kind and supportive people in the form of Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan slowly changes his perspective without changing who he is as a person.
Rec 2: bright the hawk's flight by Hokuto; Mononoke; Basically an urban fantasy with a well-done and creeping horror sort of mystery. The episodic atmosphere matches the canon perfectly.
Rec 3: The Fifth Act by Sinnatious; Final Fantasy VII; An old favorite that I wish I had time to reread. A time-travel, what-if fic; I like it primarily for its exploration of the concept that sometimes it's smallest things that make the biggest difference and how everything can change from a single act of kindness.
[MDZS] On Lan Wangji
Jan. 1st, 2019 01:56 pmThe first in a series of character analyses for the characters of Modao Zushi/Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation! My interpretations are informed by my readings of the text and personal experience (I am not a psychologist, but it was my major in college), so yours may differ.
( Lan Wangji's major flaws are his communication and interpersonal skills, or lack thereof )
( Lan Wangji's major flaws are his communication and interpersonal skills, or lack thereof )
