Kaiba loves quoting Boulevard of Broken Dreams

Shopping recommenced after quebelly kidnapped me to try and make me feel better. Then there was Doctor Who with things like "the Asian child." Oh and also Satan and Daleks vs. Cybermen, complete with computer-speak snark. "You will destroy the Cybermen with four Daleks?" "We will destory the Cybermen with one Dalek." I love the Daleks. They're so quirky. "Delete" vs. "Exterminate."

I also got a super awesome chainmail bracelet out of the deal. Shiny.

Today is Mr. Bitchy-Pants Pika-Boy's birthday today, I hear. But I spent all my money on clothes and have none for a cake. I weep. He doesn't deserve one anyway. He deserves a stomach virus. Mind you, I still do love him. He's my Sasuchu.

Trying to catch up on manga again. Finally got KH manga 1 and KH manga 4. I really hate the disturbing way Sora is drawn when he's being a nut. I want to put him down with a tranq or something. I think he's rabid. Leon is suitably smexy. Definitely not enough evil Riku. Got Cantarella. Still awesome storyline and fun characters. Cesare. Ah, and Yugioh: Duelist 15. This volume blew me away so much more than the anime version of this same arc where Malik pits Yuugi against a brainwashed!Jou. Jou is far more insane and his deck is far more painful. Yami is a lot more broken up about the whole thing. And Kaiba...Well, let's quote Kaiba for a moment here.

Kaiba: "A death match between Yuugi and Jounouchi!"
Mokuba: "[Niisama]! Are you going to let them do this? Let's help them."
-Note, this comes from the kid who told Kaiba to leave that loser Jou behind just a few pages earlier. Also, the manga has Mokuba call Kaiba "Kaiba" and since I know that is way wrong, I refuse to acknowledge it.
Kaiba: "I can't believe Malik's mind control is this strong. To make them fight such a sick duel...Even at my worst, I never would have done this. The only way to find the answer is for someone to die? I don't want to know if that's the price! I have to rescue them!"

...kaiba? That speech came from Kaiba? I know Kaiba's not the unmitigated bastard 4Kids portrayed him to be but still, to see Kaiba so worked up over someone who's not Mokuba literally fries my brain. And he is upset. When he can't interfere because Malik's goons snatch Mokuba, he's majorly frustrated and worried about Yami/Yuugi. He also shows concern for Jou's welfare as well. It makes a whole lot more sense that he saves Jou later by dropping the key down to the water. Before that seemed just like a whim since I didn't know the whole story, but now I see he was still trying to help since he couldn't during the main fight. Whatever happened in Duelist Kingdom made a HUGE impact on Kaiba in the manga. Sure, he's still pathologically obsessed with beating Yuugi in the tournment, but he also has the ability to look beyond his own concerns when he's in better control of his issues. I love manga Kaiba. He's so complex. It's good the anime gives us a bit more development in Doma Arc to make up for what we lost in Battle City from the anime changing the storyline around.

As for the answer Kaiba is seeking, he says it's whether Yuugi will sacrifice his friends to reach his destiny. Yami told him he would only find the answer through being with his friends. I think Kaiba's real question is more of "Are your bonds with others more important than your goals?" This is one of Kaiba's main struggles through Battle City, aside from his issues with destiny and hatred.

Randomly, Kaiba's devotion to Blue Eyes always cracks me up with the sheer magnitude of his pride for that card.

Kaiba: "Teamwork is all well and good...but only blood with make up the sacrifice for the wrath...of my Blue Eyes White Dragon!"

Honey, it's just a card game. Remember that.

P.S. Clamp, I still hate you

Manga reading spree still going on.

Finished:
-Prince of Tennis 9
-Prince of Tennis 10
-Prince of Tennis 11
-Prince of Tennis 12
-XXXholic 1

Goals:
-Her Majesty's Dog 2
-Godchild
-Shaman King 9 (as soon as I remember where I put it)
-La Esperanza 2
-At least one yaoi manga.

Here is Greenwood will be delayed for later this week since I can't remember where I left off. Possibly also Fullmetal Alchemist because I hear the storyline is quite nifty once it gets going, although I'd probably enjoy it much more if certain people hadn't SPOILED IT HORRIBLY FOR ME IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A WARNING. Thanks, guys. Thanks. Not *everyone* reads Fullmetal Alchemist manga. Just like not *everyone* watches Bleach. Warnings are our friends.

As far as XXXholic goes, I like XXXholic. I like the characters. Seeing the storyline in the anime was enough to encourage me to get the manga, and I intend to buy a chunk of it at Otakon. I'd watch the anime but I have enough trouble remembering to watch anime I love and XXXholic was more of an anime "interest." That said, I hate having Legal Drug characters in cameo. I hate having Subaru and Hokuto mentioned. I hate having Tsubasa crossover with XXXholic within the first volume. I don't like cameos of unfinished series tossed in for the sake of pandering. Clamp school in X wasn't so bad because Clamp school was finished. The Subaru and Hokuto thing should fall under the same rule but it's too much of a watered-down version of X pandering for me to cut it any slack. CCS reference I will also allow since CCS is finished. But no more unfinished crossovers. And crossing over Tsubasa with XXXholic when they were both just getting started is lame on so many levels. Tsubasa can be the masturbatory paradise for the Clamp ladies. I want to enjoy XXXholic as XXXholic and not be reminded of the series I only vaguely tolerate because it's the only smidgeon of X I'm any longer allowed. I will be buying XXXholic despite my irritation and unending vendetta with Clamp. I will not, however, pretend that I harbor any less resentment toward them than I ever did. And I reserve the right to bitch about them as much as I wish throughout my continued patronage. It's a sick twisted twisted love I have for them, and that's that.

*need more Cain*

Final manga update for the eve. All manga goals have been met. I will be tracking down the original twofive volumes of the Cain Saga at Otakon since I love Godchild dearly after this first volume. I have no idea how I will acquire translations. Perhaps, I shall beg. I love Kaori Yuki though. She's about as insane as all the mangaka out there but she is actually *good* at telling a story. I never understand how but she always manages to join plots and work in the usual elements without anything seeming contrived. And even if her penchant for incest does perturb me, she can portray very powerful, emotional relationships that almost transcend the limits of definitions of love or friendship. Back to Cain, I had no idea he was so young or how blatantly Yami no Matsuei ripped the Muraki/Tsuzuki relationship off the Doctor and Cain. I must say that Cain is ten times more gorgeous and alluring than Tsuzuki. I still like Tsuzuki though. He can be cute.

La Esperanca, you have failed me. What the hell was that thing you called a second volume? Hells. I don't even know if I want to dare pursue a third. I might resort to checking it out first in a store. Her Majesty's Dog, you continue to intrigue me with the quirkiness of your storyline even if your characters aren't all that unique or appealing. I think I like the main girl more than I do the demon-dog and only because the demon-dog is cliched as all get out. Shaman King, I love Ren. Give more men repentent "I have sinned and am going to atone for it by finding my own Shaman way" Ren.

Now all that's left is eventually getting back to RG Veda (to decide if I want to continue with that one), FMA, Here is Greenwood and a healthy helping of assorted shonen ai/yaoi/teasers (Cafe Kichijouji, Love Mode, Antique Bakery, Lies and Kisses, Skyscrapers of Oz, Our Kingdom, Kizuna, Selfish Love, and Il gatto sul G) Yeah, I realize I'm pretty shitty when it comes to reading my unknown pron. I want to read some of them before Otakon so I can decide if I want to continue any. It's always easier to find the speciality manga at the cons.

(no subject)

Note popping up from randomly viewing freak on Naruto journals.

Ehem, Sasuke is a BASTARD. He betrayed his friends. He hurt his friends. Tried to kill his best friend. He also did some strange shit to Naruto that I can't even begin to explain. His actions led to fellow students getting hurt. Oh yeah and he allied with a guy who's probably Public Enemy No. 1 of Konoha. There's no way getting around that he is a bastard. If people want to remind everyone that even the bastard gets a B-day, I see no problem with that. I hate all these Sasuke fans who go on about how accepting Sasuke means accepting every part of him but go half-cocked on anyone who dare refer to him as a bastard on his OMG birthday. Newsflash, princesses, Sasuke is not real. So our ability to insult him on his birthday kinda not really mattering here. I love the boy but I still believe he needs to get his ass handed to him and hard. Even if it is his birthday. I think ass-kicking would be just the present Sasuke needs.