Planet Rinda

     Okay, I did it.  I’ve gotten my feet wet in gigantic online fanfiction pool!  I know that I rarely post personal entries here but I’ve been gnawing at my nails and wanted to share my paranoia with the world. 

     Today, I submitted my first fanfiction at fanfiction.net.  Yes, I realize this is not a big deal to most of the online world but it really is to me.  I feel as if I’ve open myself up.  I’m suddenly vulnerable.  Yikes!  This is the first time I’ve let “the world” read something I’ve written outside of this blog.  And it’s a bit scary.  But it’s also pretty cool.  

     The irony is I didn’t even submit what I consider my best work but I’ve truly fallen in love with it.  I wanted to put something in for Valentine’s Day.  It’s pretty good.  I like it.  Maybe you will too.  Thanks for listening. If you’re interested, check it out here.

Technorati Tags: fanfiction, Bleach, anime, manga, fanfiction.net

    
     I really don’t know the proper web etiquette about pimping websites so screw it!  I’m just going to do what I want!  What I want is to talk to you about a wonderful website called FanaticSpace.  It’s a fantastic mix of all things cool!  This is one of my favorite sites and it’s devoted to the weird stuff that we all love…anime, manga, movies, games, books, television, and music…to name just a very few of the things discussed here. 

      The website is more than just a generic, run of the mill blog.  2xKnight (AKA Jason) writes about the stuff that most blogs ignore.  His site was recently involved in the online blog tour to promote Kaza Kingsley’s Erec Rex book series.  He also encourages guest writers on the site.  Finally, he’s always giving free stuff away!  He’s currently in the process of giving away a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com.  Do you know how much manga $50 will buy?  It boggles the mind! 

      The forum at Fanatic Space is ubercool!  But it needs people!  I’m not much of a forum girl, myself, but this one is geared to your whatever your personal favorite source of entertainment is.  The problem is the forum needs YOU!  It needs people and their voices.  I need you there so that I have someone to talk to!  It’s a great place to rave about the stuff you love or maybe discover something entirely new or bitch about what you hate.  You really need to express yourself and this is definitely the place to do it!

      So, check out FanaticSpace, especially the forum.  You might even catch me there!  It’s worth the trip!

Technorati Tags: fanaticspace.com, toys, forum, blog, online blog tour, Kaza Kingsley, Erec Rex, amazon.com, 2xKnight, anime, manga, movies, games, books, television, music

    Today I heard the news over at AnimeFansOnline.com that Newtype USA will end publication of it’s magazine. It’s replacing it with a magazine called PiQ.  This new magazine will “cover anime, manga, video games and other aspects of pop culture of keen interests to you.” according to an email being sent to current Newtype USA subscribers.  This started me thinking about the steadily shrinking number of manga magazines available to us readers in the US.  I personally love Shonen Jump and Shojo Beat.  You can’t beat either of them for the amount of quality manga you get for the price.  But they can be hard to find if you don’t live near a larger city.  There’s also Otaku USA, which includes monthly reviews of new releases as well an in issue manga.  But other than that, there really isn’t much anymore.  Luckily, the availablity of English manga books has dramatically increased in the last few years. 

Captain Kenpachi Zaraki of Bleach Rocks!

      I’ve become a big fan of manga in past couple of years.  Anime is great but there is something appealing about the medium of manga.  Although most popular anime either started as a manga or has been translated to a manga, there are usually subtle differences.  Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.  It’s a very objective thing.  The differences in art and storyline generally work for me.  But it depends on the manga.  Some of my personal favorites are Fruits Basket, Genshiken, Ultra Maniac and Bleach.

      A lot of people in this country dismiss manga as comic books.  Those are fighting words to me for two reasons.  The first is that I love comics.  I grew up with comic books.  The combination of visuals and the written word holds a special place in my heart.  The second reason is that manga may look like a comic, they are usually very different.  Most read more like lite novels.  Some are direct translations of their anime counterparts.  The genres are as varied as animes.  While they may look similar, most are unique and deserve a look. 

      To the newcomer, how to read a manga can be intimidating.  They don’t read like western books, from left to right.  But rather from right to left.  They also usually read from back to front.  Once you get the hang of it, it flows pretty well.  Here’s a little guide to help you figure out how to read your first one…

      I strongly recommend manga to all anime fans.  They’re portable, convenient and just as fun as your favorite anime.  Often times, the stories will be extended beyond the limits of the anime or provide a more in-depth storyline.  So check it out.  And support your favorite manga!  Otherwise, I fear that it will go the way of the dinosaur in this country.

Technorati Tags: Kenpachi Zaraki, manga, Newtype USA, PiQ, Shonen Jump, Shojo Beat, Otaku USA, anime, Fruits Basket, Genshiken, Ultra Maniac, Bleach, comics

Happy New Years to everyone!  Thank you to those of you who read my blog last year, and a bigger thanks to those of you who continue to read it despite my lack of new posts!  You’re all wonderful!  I hope that the coming year will be full of new and exciting things for me to share with you like new music,  new anime, new manga….just new and wonderful things!  And I hope that it brings all those good things to you and yours!  Happy New Years to all!

I just found out that it was the year of the Rat (well, not quite yet but since I’m in the New Year spirit!).  So to celebrate, I bring you my favorite rat….Yuki from Fruits Basket!  Enjoy!

Yuki Sohma - A New  Prince For a New Year!

Technorati Tags: anime, Fruits Basket, Yuki Sohma, Prince, Year of the Rat, New Years

      Fanfiction or fanfic has been around a long time.  Back when Star Trek was still king, it took the form of fanzines…hand-produced, mimeographed magazines that generally included some fan art and a story or two based on original Star Trek characters set in the Star Trek universe, circulated at science fiction conventions by fans.  The art form, if you can call it that, has grown and transformed mostly thanks to the Internet.  It’s usually fictional stories based on popular books, movies, television shows, anime, comics or cartoons.  These are written by fans for fans. 

     Technically, fanficition violates the copyrights of authors and production companies but most turn a blind eye as they are not written for profit and promote the fan-base overall.  The artwork or stories these fans create expand the original storylines, often exploring directions the creators never intended. One of the biggest growth areas with this has been erotic fiction, pairing characters that were not written as romantic in the original work.  From this has come the creation of slash  fiction, generally seen as the homoerotic pairing of two male or female characters in sexual situations.  While slash fiction has developed a huge fan-base, it also has attracted many outspoken critics (they’re general response is “Ewww!”).
     
     Fanfiction is a controversial subject.  Most people either love it or hate.  There are few that are indifferent about it.  Personally, I’m a fan.  I realize that a lot of people consider it a waste of time and talent.  While others think it’s a terrible disservice to the original work that’s based on.  Still others regard the whole sub-genre as overinflated ego stroking. 
     
     For me, I think it’s fun.  It allows for ideas that stray from canon.  It provides an outlet for fans who want more than is available of their favorite book, movie, television show, anime or comic.  Some of the writers out there are producing fanfic’s that are truly amazing.  They weave stories that are entertaining, provocative and fun!  Now, of course, there are terrible, frightening fanfics floating around out there .  But, honestly, finding that one glorious treasure is worth most of the bad ones. 
    
     I, myself, write fanfiction. That’s one of the reason I haven’t been around here posting lately.  I’ve been on a roll writing some fun stuff.  I don’t post my writing online…basically because I’m chicken!  Maybe one day, I’ll post some here.  Maybe not.  Either way, I’d like to recommend fanfiction to those of you who are interested in a specific show or book.  You may be horrified but you may be excited to discover something new.  It’s worth exploring. Here’s a few suggestions to start you off in the right direction…

• Fanfiction.net – this is great community of fanfiction covering many different genres.  It’s great for all ages with settings to control the ratings. 
• Live Journal – the fanfiction community within LiveJournal is one of the best on the net.  I strongly recommend it.
• Adult Fanfiction.net — this is an adults only fanfiction site that covers the gamut of genres out there.  If you’re over 18 then I recommend it.

Technorati Tags: fanfiction, fanfic, slash, homoerotic fanfiction, fanzines, Star Trek, science fiction, anime, television, books, manga, cartoons, comics, fanfiction.net, adult fanfiction.net, livejournal

     Fullmetal Alchemist is a wonderful anime. It has all the right stuff- great story, lovable characters, lots of action and beautifully rendered art. It’s a modern classic anime. Having begun as a manga in Monthly Shonen Gangan (On a side note, the story continues in the manga. It’s up to 17 volumes so far!), it was adapted to a very successful anime that ran for 51 episodes. The movie, Conqueror of Shambala picks up where the anime ended and concludes the story of Edward and Alphonse Elric.

     If you’re unfamiliar with Fullmetal Alchemist, I strongly suggest that you check it out. It’s truly a fantastic anime. The English dub is widely available, including on television thanks to Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. The story of Ed and Al and their journey together is a both a comedic and bittersweet one. Fair warning to those of you who may not have completed the anime series–there may be SPOILERS ahead!

     The movie, Conqueror of Shambala, picks up two years after the final episode of the anime with Ed going through the gate, leaving his younger brother Al behind. Ed has been transported to 1923 Germany. It turns out that our world and the Elric brothers world of Amestris are parallel worlds. The gate joins the two. Ed is living in pre-WWII Germany with the Alphonse from our world. He fears that his Al was killed when he crossed over the gate. While in Amestris, Al is alive and well. In fact, he has body back thanks to Ed’s sacrifice but he doesn’t have any memory of the years he spent with Ed searching for the Philosopher’s Stone. The story takes off from there with both brothers trying to get back to each other. It’s a fun ride! The movie remains true to the spirit of the anime and the conclusion is satisfying. If you’re a fan of the show, go watch this movie!

     Two additional notes of interest–

•  Fathom Events is sponsoring a nationwide anime film festival called Anime Bento. It will showcase four anime movies to be shown in theaters all over the US for four nights. Fullmetal Alchemist Conqueror of Shambala is one of these films. If at all possible, go out and support this event. Based on the reception it receives, more anime movies may be shown on local theaters throughout the country! So it you love anime, go to the movies!
•  2xKnight over at AnimeFansOnline is in the middle of sponsoring a giveaway that includes a Fullmetal Alchemist Conqueror of Shambala Special Edition DVD, a Fullmetal Alchemist Conqueror of Shambala regular DVD, and a musical CD by the voice actor who stars as Edward Elric. All you have to do is leave a comment on that post and tell him about your favorite episode or character from Fullmetal Alchemist. It’s a great giveaway that will run until September 28 so get over there!

Technorati Tags: Fullmetal Alchemist, Fullmetal Alchemist Conqueror of Shambala, Monthly Shonen Gangan, Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, anime, anime movie, manga, Fathom Events, Anime Bento, AnimeFansOnline