Hello All!

Previous Titles: "Sailor J-chan", "Sailor J-chan aka Duo/Hilde 4ever", "Sailor J-chan aka Luna Weasley", and "Insert Your Own Funny Quote Here".

Intersting Things About Me: Goes by "Luna" online. 19 years old. College student majoring in Humanities in the Context of Culture; future Interfaith minister. Planning several books simultaneously. Proud owner of 17 Tarot decks. Sings. Acts. Folkdances. Dabbles in Quantum Theory and uses it to support religious views. Managing Editor of the school's literary magazine. Works in retail. Pro-life. Pro-gay (is bisexual herself). Vegan. Has been described as "genuine". Has go one to eight blood drives and successfully donated six time. Totally obsessive over Yami no Matsuei.

Favorite Quotes:

"Writers are not concerned with facts; only with what is true."-My 8th grade English teacher

"Life lives, life dies. Life laughs, life cries. Life gives up and life tries. But life looks different through everyone's eyes."-Unknown

"(The weak) are always nervous about when they might be next attacked. They can't trust anybody and never have an opinion of their own. I can't stand such people!"-Heero Yuy, "Gundam Wing"

"And with that absolutely airtight argument..."-citygirl116

"You know you've created God in your image when He hates all the same people you do."-Unknown

"You can only be proud or ashamed of what you do, not what you were born as."-Self

"God gave you grace/To purge this place/And peace all around/May be your fortune/Children of the land/Love is still the answer/Take my hand!"-Queen, "The Prophet's Song"

"Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not the peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, the kind that enables men and nations to grow and to hope and to build a better life for their children-not merely peace for Americans but peace for all men and women, not merely peace in our time but peace for all time..."-John F. Kennedy

"I've lived my life to follow my dreams, and I don't have any regrets."-Gene Starwind, "Outlaw Star"

"Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction."-Antoine de Saint Exupery

"If there is a holy war, let it be against ignorance."-Anonymous

"Ways of worshipping are not to be ranked as better or worse than one another. It’s all praise, and it’s all right.”-Unknown

“Kindness is a mark of faith; whoever has not kindness has not faith."-Muhammad

“Our attitude is our reality. If reality fucks you then fuck it back."-Unknown

"The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race."-Chief Justice John Roberts

Writing: I don't like to write fluff pieces. I'm excessively bad at writing humor because I always have to be writing about something deep, though I have no problems reading or watching humorous things. As for my writing style, I prefer it to be mainly dialoguge. My text tends to be rather storytelling-like, as well. I don't like having the text read at me by the author, which reflects in my writing as I rarely give you more than the plot (though I do have a love affair with adjectives). I don't care one whit for author intent. More often than not, what the author intends to say will shine through in the text. If it doesn't, and I draw a separate conclusion, it will only increase the richness of the experience of reading.

---

Obsessions:

RENT (Musical)

I grew up with the RENT soundtrack, and if ever you forget the lyrics to Le Vie Boheme, I'll be right there to remind you! In fact, one of my favorite aspects of the show is how they sing about such horrible things so flippantly, because it adds an emotional impact: no one should be used to drug addiction, homelessness, or AIDS.

RENT also manages to present "Carpe Diem" in a much more fun and imaginative way than, say, Our Town. It really is very important to live in the moment. You never know when you're going to die, so you have to live life to the fullest. And furthermore, RENT "sticks it to the Man", which is always delightful.

However, while Larson was a genius satirist, he doesn't spend much time focusing on his characters and their romances. Mark is the most intriguing character, yet he has an almost non-existant plot. Why is Maureen such a narcissist? Why does Joanne stay with Maureen if she hates the way she acts? What are Benny's true motivations?

Moreover, while I love the theme of Carpe Diem, one shouldn't just rush into things. For instance, take Roger/Mimi and Collins/Angel falling in deep, abiding love in the space of three hours. Sorry, but it doesn't work that way. C/A lucked out, but look at how volatile R/M was and how miserable it made them. Perhaps if they hadn't decided they were in love the same night they met each other, it wouldn't have been like that.

My favorite character is Mark simply because he keeps his head screwed on throughout the entire play. That makes him a good foil for Roger, who is pure emotion.

My ships are Mark/Roger, Mark/Joanne, Joanne/Steve, Angel/Collins, Mimi/Benny (movieverse), and Maureen/Full-Length Mirror.

Fruits Basket (Anime)

Show me an anime that can make you laugh, cry, and think all at same time, and I'll show you Fruits Basket. What I love about this show is its moral-per-episode. Usually this would annoy me, but it's presented in such a way that I don't care that the theme of each episode is spelled out for us (though I do wish they'd leave something to the imagination). I especially like the morals that are taught: each person is unique, each person must find their own raison d'etre, accept people for what they are, learn from and transcend your past, carpe diem.

However, I've decided to discontinue collecting the manga. Why? Because Kyo/Tohru pisses me off (too damn predictable!), and writing Yuki/Tohru off as a child/parent relationship pisses me off even more. I hate Yuki's reasoning as to why Tohru is his mother figure: "She just accepted me over and over, like a mother would". (Head explodes) WHAT THE HELL DIFFERENT HAS SHE DONE WITH KYO? Make Yuki realize he's outgrown her, or just isn't physically attracted to her, but DON'T feed me that shit, okay?

Other manga gripes are Haru/Rin (I hate Rin, and isn't Haru attracted to Yuki?), the lack of serious Shigure/Ayame, and making Akito a girl (what's the point?). A general gripe is the assertion that Ritsu cross-dresses because of a lack of self-esteem. If a boy feels "more comfortable" dressing as a girl, that means he is transgendered. Takaya-sensei, just let your characters be GLBT, okay?

Anyway, back to the Anime, which I love and think is more mature than the manga. Quite simply, the anime is just a joy to watch (though I do find the Japanese script to be a bit pretentious and the English acting to be atrocious). I love it when Yuki follows Kyo after Kyo transforms. It's the best scene in the entire show. Yuki's character gains such a dynamic by understanding Kyo's need to be accepted, and not allowing him to escape that need. Yuki grew up a lot in the Anime.

My favorite characters are Momiji for the adorable factor, and Uo for the bad-ass factor.

My ships are Yuki/Haru, Yuki/Tohru, Yuki/Tohru/Kyo, Kyo/Uo, Kyo/Kagura, Kyo/Hana, Hana/Kureno, Shigure/Ayame, Ayame/Mine, Mine/Ritsu, Kisa/Momiji, Kisa/Haru, Haru/Hana, Kagura/Tohru, Hiro/Rin, Kyoko/Katsuya, Hatori/Kana, and Momiji/Megumi.

Gundam Wing (Anime and Official Doujinshi)

This show is mind-blowing. It lacks for nothing. Characterization is dynamic, yet no character becomes unrecognizable. Each character is their own small universe, yet they play off each other so well. The plot is tight, complex, and smooth. Plot/Character is the ultimate OTP, as the plot cannot exist without the characters yet the characters need a plot. And the philosophy? Amazing! Each character truly makes you probe deep into yourself. It's almost like the Socratic dialectic. You get pulled in so many different directions, trying to figure out which philosophy is going to triumph, and in the end, it's the "antagonists" whose views prevail even while the "protagonists" win. And even then, each character still carries their own personal truth with them as they walk ever forward. GYAH! (Nosebleed)

I only have two problems with GW. One: I really wish Trowa/Quatre was more prominent. Aside from being the only same-sex couple (which could be it's own plot), they're even more complex than H/R. Trowa's search is for a home and Quatre's is for self-validation; yet Trowa denies himself stability and Quatre constantly puts himself down. Somehow, by being together, Trowa begins to find his "place to go back to" and Quatre finds his purpose in protecting someone he loves. I wish that was more obvious.

Second problem is the issue of Hilde. I love the girl and think she has great potential. It bugs me that she only appears in five episodes, and that Duo has to save her twice. The fact that she's reduced to his help-meet aggravates me, because she could so stand on her own as a character.

And finally, my dear fandom: LEAVE RELENA ALONE! She is not stupid, slutty, mean, possessive, or homophobic. I don't understand this rampant hatred of her, aside from fangirlish jealousy. Grow up! She's the kingpin of the show and GW can't exist without her.

My favorite characters are Duo (so complex and dynamic and, yes, sexy), Hilde (a pool of potential), and Quatre (I just wanna give him a hug, for so many different reasons).

My ships are Duo/Hilde, Heero/Relena, Trowa/Quatre, Wufei/Nataku, Zechs/Noin, Treize/Lady, Dorothy/Middie, Cathy/Iria, Ralph/Chris, Dorothy/Cathy, Lady/Wufei, Quatre/Middie, Trowa/Dorothy, Wufei/Sally, Sally/Noin, Sally/Rashid, Trowa/Middie, Trowa/Wufei, Relena/Dorothy, Relena/Noin

Revolutionary Girl Utena (Manga)

What is there to dislike about RGU? A protagonist who serves well as a role model. Intriguing love triangles. Swordfighting. Strong characters. A great theme of what it truly means to be noble. The only thing I would change about the manga is it's length: I want more!

Favorite Character: Utena

Ships: Utena/Anthy, Miki/Juri, Yurika/Aoi, Kaido/Wakaba, Mamiya/Mikage, Juri/Kozue, Juri/Ruka

Yami no Matsuei (Anime and Manga)

This is my favorite Anime, and for good reason. First of all, its theme: "There is always someone who loves you." That's something I truly needed; I went through a period of suicidal thoughts because I felt like no one would miss me if I died. Finding the show was my version of Hisoka throwing himself on Tsuzuki in the flames, saying that he would follow Tsuzuki wherever he went. It's something I really needed.

Basically, Tsuzuki/Hisoka is the reason I love the show. I love how they meet and then slowly form trust, then friendship, then love. I love how they bond over mutual angst. I love how they comfort each other. I love how they make each other see the good points about themselves. I love how it's their love that saves Tsuzuki from Touda. I love it all. Also, theirs is one of the most complex romances ever. I'm picky about love and I relish in the delicacy I need to handle their romance.

The other thing I love about the show is the opportunity it presents for speculation. There's so much room for character analysis, especially with Muraki. Matsushita made the most exceptional villain I've ever seen, bar none. Just what is his deal? What did his mother do to screw him up? What did Saki do to make him want revenge so bad? And how can he make so many people fall in love with him? Oriya, Tsubaki, Ukyo...does he care about any of them? Can a sociopathic murderer care about anyone?

Aesthetically speaking, the show is beautiful. Also, the use of symbolism is mind-blowing. Dolls to represent Muraki's apathy about human life, the red moon to represent an evil (and the subsequent silver moon at the end to signfy Tsu/Hi's hope)...I love it.

Problems? All with the manga. I wish Matushita would realize that Hisoka/Tsuzuki is a romance, not just an overly involved friendship. Same thing with Tatsumi/Tsuzuki. And Saya/Yuma. Matsushita-sensei is like Takaya-sensei...she needs to let her characters be GLBTQ. She writes them that way, and when she tries to assert to the contrary, it's laughable.

Other wishes for the series are Touda/Suzaku, who are so Elizabeth/Darcy (Pride and Prejudice) that's it's not funny. I wish she hadn't killed Riko. Also, I'd like to see Kira agin. She had great potential.

And I don't like Hisoka's character growth in the manga. He was doing fine up until volume 6. Then...well, WHAT was with that "I'd like to run out on him right now" comment, or how incredibly rude he was being to Tsuzuki when they came back from Okinawa? It's really not believable that Hisoka, who was being a total bitch, would suddenly turn around and have a complete meltdown at the thought of being without Tsuzuki in volume 8. And THAT should have been a huge catalyst for Hisoka's growth. By all rights and logic, that relationship should have CHANGED. But instead, in volumes 9&10, he's behaving like a childish asshole again. And then, according to the online translations, in volume 12 he has a breakthrough: "I was trying to get something without giving something up". Well, that's all fine and dandy, but something like this should have happened prior to Touda. In terms of development, I think this is sloppy. I don't want him to suddenly Grow Up like he turned on a light.

Favorite Characters: Hisoka, 003, Tenko, Riko (all the cuties, basically)

Ships: Tsuzuki/Hisoka, Tsubaki/Eileen, Saya/Yuma, Watari/Tatsumi, Muraki/Ukyo, Hijiri/Kazusa, Mitani/Izuru, Terazuma/Wakaba, Chizuru/Rika, Maria/Kijin, Touda/Suzaku, Seiryuu/OFC, Miya/Rikugo, Kojiro/OFC, Tenko/Riko, Muraki/Oriya, Tatsumi/Muraki, Watari/Oriya, Miya/Tatsumi, Kotaro/Kojiro, Tatsumi/Tsuzuki (pre-Hisoka), Seiryuu/Kouchin, Miya/Hisoka (pre-Hisoka's death), Oriya/Kira, Maki/Mariko

Petshop of Horrors (Manga)

I got into this fandom by accident, but I'm glad I did. Like Fruits Basket, Petshop of Horrors is a morality play, but instead of fantasy, it dabbles in the macabre. It really appeals to your dark side. (PSoH and FB is the ultimate crossover, by the way). I do like how it has its funny moments, too.

I especially like the D-Leon interaction. The play of cold ration against hot emotion makes for an interesting dynamic. They're flip sides of the same coin. I like how they influenced each other, as well: Leon admits that the human race needs a kick in the ass, and D realizes that his customers have value as sentient beings, too. The last volume really shows this, with D pulling Leon out of the flames whilst saying he has to take revenge on the entire human race.

In fact, therein lies my only problem: the lack of consummated D/Leon. D abandons Leon and disappears. There's no closure with the pair, romantic or otherwise. Then we learn 20 years has gone by and Leon is still searching for D. Wow, I mean, you'd think D would've let Leon catch him by now.

Favorite Characters: Jill, Ponchan

Ships: D/Leon, Chris/Ponchan, Jasmine/Ten-chan, Cesar/Tina, Jeanne/Nicholas, Saleem/Pandora, Dorothy/Emeralda, Shido/Mermaid, Jody/Mellow, Alexander/Elizabeth, Karen/Dreizhen, Angelica/P-chan, Maggie/Daisy, Nancy/Kelly, Medusa/Robin, Chris/Honlon

Gravitation (Manga and Anime)

This is possibly the funniest manga I've ever read. I love the spontaneous, insane, physical, dirty humor. I crack up every time I open the manga. The best part, though, is the Shuichi-Hiro dynamic. Why can't every gay guy have a straight best friend like Hiro? Theirs is the best relationship in the book, platonic or romantic. They're not co-dependent nor distant, but just two best friends rocking out and crying on each other's shoulders. It's beautiful.

Problems? The more I read, the less I like Yuki/Shuichi. It just doesn't seem like a real relationship to me. I actually think it'd be really great if, after Yuki has matured thanks to the relationship, he realizes Shuichi is not the one for him. Then he can get with Ayaka and Shuichi can be with Hiro.

Favorite Characters: K, Hiro

Ships: Shuichi/Hiro, Tohma/Mika, Ryuichi/Tatsuha, K/Judy, Noriko/Tetsuya, Yoshiki/Reiji, Michael/Saki, Shuichi/Yuki, Hiro/Ayaka, Hiro/Suguru, Yuki/Ayaka

Demon Diary (Manga)

Possibly the cutest manwa ever. I simply adore it. Raenef is adorable. Raenef/Eclipse is adorable. Chris is fun, Eruits is funner, Krayon as comic relief is genius. It's just something so cute to get involved in.

And, as usual, I love the dynamics in characterization. They all change by the end: Raenef is stronger, Eclipse is softer, Chris is less prejudiced and Erutis mellows out. I think of it as a growing-pains manga.

What I find intersting is how Raenef IV manipulated time. That's simply amazing, and a genius plot point.

What I don't like about it? Well, there's still the war Rased talked about hanging in the air. And Raenf V/Eclipse need to kiss now, damn it!

Favorite Characters: Raenef V, Erutis

Ships: Raenef V/Eclipse, Erutis/Krayon, Chris/Leeche, Meruhesae/Raenef IV, Rased/Chris

Rurouni Kenshin (Manga)

Complex characters! Kenshin is your archetypal noble hero with his own emotional damage. Shishio is the second greatest villain to grace the planet. Soujirou and Saitou are so intriguing. Hiko Seijuro? Amazing. Aoshi...won't even start. Each character has their own story, their own baggage, their own philosophy...it's almost like Gundam Wing in a different setting.

I like the theme of "finding your truth" most of all. It's so important to find something to live for.

But, the bad: the Enishi arc was a letdown compared to the Kyoto arc. The villains weren't interesting, the plot wasn't nearly as intricate and engaging, and having "revenge" as the climactic theme is a yawn. I loved the backstory of Tomoe and how the past intermingled with the present, but I really think the Enishi arc should have come before the Kyoto arc. It shrivels in comparison.

And I hate how crappily the women characters are treated. Kaoru is reduced to a helpless hostage every time except when she fought Kamatari. And Miaso was incredibly useless in the Enishi arc; why was she even there?

And why must Kenji dislike Kenshin?

Favorite Characters: Tsubame, Saitou (odd combo, I know)

Ships: Sanosuke/Megumi, Kaoru/Kenshin, Saitou/Tokio, Yahiko/Tsubame, Chou/Kamatari, Aoshi/Misao, Shishio/Yumi, Tomoe/Akira, Okon/Hiko, Omasu/Shiro, Yahiko/Misao, Yahiko/Yutarou, Han'nya/Aoshi, Sanosuke/Katsu, Aoshi/Megumi, Soujirou/Misao