erastes

You didn't KNOW them? OMG. :)

From:

I'm ashamed of myself - I'm sure that

gehayi has mentioned them before but it just didn't sink in or something. Then I saw some stuff over at scans daily and got interested. I suppose part of it is living in the middle of nowhere and having no access to any shops that might sell this stuff. Part of it is that we seem to have a different view of "comics" over here - I was raised on "Bunty" "The Beano" and "The Dandy" for gawds sake.

However I am going to try and educate myself at last.

From:

The Authority took a turn towards "bad" though, so the first albums are great, and then it goes all incredibly weird.

Personaly, i'm addicted to the Midnight/Apollo thing, and, of course, Punisher MAX (written by Garth Ennis).

As a Brit, you might want to get the "Kev" comics - its a spin-off from The Authority, featuring ... Kev. The unluckiest bastard in the universe. It's full of very British stuff, SAS, IRA, and humour. It's almost shockingly irreverent.

From:

Yes! I've seen some scans of Kev - they made me laugh. His homophobia is hilarious and rebounds on him hilariously. I'll definitely seek him out too, I think the ebay batch has a couple of his.

From:

schmoo999.livejournal.com

Hee. You are going to be reading comics:D

I cannot express my love for FMA enough. It is one of my all time faves. I am currently in the middle of Coyote Ragtime Show and soon to start Death Note.

Also I don't know if you just want adventure drama anime or what any fun somewhat fluffy anime but I do really enjoy Fruits Basket and Ouran High School Host Club was gender bending sweet funny love!

From:

I've had to order FMA from our version of Netflix as YouTube didn't have more than episode one (unless one is fluent in Spanish) but I liked what I saw.

I'll check those out too!

From:

Enjoy. :)

From:

Fruits basket is sweet and funny and made me cry
but really you want the boylove right

so Gakuen Heaven, Loveless, Legend of the Blue Wolves (explicit) Ai no Kusabi (explicit) Haru wo dait-something I never get it right which is explicit, winter cicada which is lovely but explicit, noting a pattern yet

then there are the ones which are just fab FMA is very good, and not particularly long in comparison to some
you can read the manga online at onemanga
black cat's cool
prince of tennis (soooo slashy, makes harry potter look straight)
Eyeshield 21 (despite being about american football is brilliant)in a lot of seriess yaoi is implied but there are out and out slash ones, way more than I've named and you can get really explicit boylove manga from authors like Youka Nitta, Naona Bohra (who did my icon it's from 3 wolves mountain which is the best one I have ever read) You Higure, Yamane Ayane who does the very famous Viewfinder series, there's okane ga nai (on youtube) and then you get the doujinshi, fan comics where people have slashed them
this is the one I'm reading (and waiting impatiently for as it comes out) http://yuuwatase.org/sakura.shtml

I read DC comics for the gay characters, Nightwing for example is openly bi, ah, marvel has black folks, DC has gay ones, the green arrow's sidekick is gay too....

From:

To be fair there is a lot of crap in Anime as well and I tend to treat it less of a GENRE and more like a MEDIA because it reaches out to different age groups and has series ranging from Romance to Action, Sci Fi and Fantasy or just realistic contemporaty tales... hell - apparently there is even a COOKING instruction anime ^^;;

The sheer bulk of it is sometimes intimidating but the good thing about it is that you can easily pick up many many MANY gems... of which Trigun is DEFINITLY one.

I could give recommendations from today till the end of time but one comment isn't enough.

I absolutely ADORE the Japanese story telling technique - you get dumped into a world as it is and have to discover it as the story progress. I hate being spoon fed scenarios and characters makeup. The way all this drips through through the character interaction and plot is delicious.

It is the same with novels - the western technique of setting the scene just doesn't work for me and I am really pleased that it is being slowly dumped by new authors in favor of the "you'll figure it out as we get on" approach. ^_^.

From:

anderyn.livejournal.com

I read the first two (or three?) Authority trades, and they were good, but after that... another writer took over and they sucked. (I do have the role-playing game for them, too.)

One anime/manga series that I like that's straight yaoi (you *do* know about the m/m stuff in Japan, right?!) is "Fake", about one very openly gay cop and his (somewhat) straight partner -- they flirt and tease, and don't actually get it on in the anime, but in the manga -- whooo. *fans self* In fact, there's an even MORE openly gay FBI or Internal Affairs (can't remember which) guy who keeps trying to seduce the gay cop.

From:

haydenthorne.livejournal.com

Don't get too excited over the out gay superheroes. Perry Moore wrote Hero in protest against the treatment of gay superheroes in comic books. In fact, he made a list of GLBT superheroes and the horrible ways they were killed off (http://www.perrymoorestories.com/content/hero.asp?id=superheroes).

*cheers for Calais*

From:

Yes, 'drip-feed' is a really good way to describe how Trigun provides the viewer with info ; ) FMA at least gives you the Elric brothers' backstory right off, though you don't get Mustang's for a while, or the Elric brothers' father's for even longer.

You could read the FMA manga over at onemanga.com. Don't need to download : D The anime is different from the manga, bc it was all written way before the manga got to where it is now. The nice thing about the anime is all teh pretteh, and the voice acting. But the manga is just better; up to a point the plots are pretty similar, but then the manga takes a hard and unexpected left and whoa baby! in a good way. And really top-notch art imho.

I heart the Authority! For Midnighter and Apollo, but so. Much. Love. for Jenny Sparks. I wanna have her babies. btw vejiicakes has done some Authority fanart.

From:

Are the Kev spin-offs actually any good? And what's Punisher MAX? Not Authority, but by Ennis?

Not that I can afford comic books right now.

From:

... you aren't going to watch it dubbed, are you?

From:

Whenever ppl say they don't like anime, I'm pretty sure they're thinking of one particular genre within the medium/tradition of anime. *headshake*

From:

From experience most people who write off anime never actually WATCHED any... they heard about pokemon and Uritsugidouji and decided to climb on some cultural barricade which is why whenever someone tell me they think anime is awful I just shrug my shoulders and walk off ^^;;.

I got kicked off a certain community dedicated for dandyism for suggesting that popular culture from Japan caries seeds of decadence and refinement... it degenerated into a big battle in which anime was condemned as a cheap and uninspiring medium . When I asked one of the more vehement objectors which anime he watched he said: "I don't need to watch it to know that I hate it!" in those exact words...

I never bothered getting into that argument again... what is the point XD

From:

"I don't need to watch it to know that I hate it!"

That's AMAZING! XD XD XD Aren't ppl funny sometimes?

Though I definitely thought I didn't like anime when Pokemon and Speed Racer were my only exposure (dubbed, at that, and it turns out I've never met a dub I didn't hate), and before I realized that Mononoke-hime was part of the same tradition. And then I was introduced to shonen, and weird sci-fi thrillers : ) so there was a happy ending after all.

From:

I love Kev. It's not for everybody, but I find the spin-off very funny. :)

Punisher MAX is the "adult" take on the Punisher. Grim, explicit, brutal. The best take on the Punisher yet. For me the definitive take - I looked at the non-Ennis stuff, and it's dreadful.

And, BTW, Icon!love!

From:

Is it, like, Transmetropolitan funny? Midnighter humor funny? Bc I like that kind of funny.

*adds Punisher MAX to the wishlist* No clue when I'll be able to justify the expense, but it's something to look forward to, right?

Oh, this old thing? ; )

From:

I usually go for the stuff that messes with your head a lot which can involve anything from New Mecha series like Rahxephon and Evangelion, to the highly symbolic WTF of Utena to the ... well yeah - strange sci fi material such as Wolf's Rain and Gilgamesh... but anything with a good plot and characterisation will draw me in and I tend to find it in series that have a begining and end. FMA pushed the limits a bit regafding length but it was worth it in the long run - I tend to like the 26 episode series... oh yes - and Anime Humour works for me too XD

I know poeple who genuinly can't get into Anime. My poor brother tried very hard to dig his sister obsession and after a lot of viewing just couldn't connect to the general aesthetic of both the art and the convoluted story telling (a couple of the series in my collection have endings which are either devestating of incomprehensible ^^;;).

But he loved anything Miyazaki did ... well... naturally - he is in a league of his own ^_^.

From:

ctrl-issue.livejournal.com

I'd have to throw in my love for Authority, too. Originally written as more of a Batman/Superman type affair, I can't help but see that it turned into more of The Ray = Apollo and Wolverine = Midnighter. As I can't stand Wolverine... well, I personally think Apollo should divorce Midnighter and find a real man. *nods* But then, I seriously love Apollo. Srsly. But to second what

omnivorously said,

vejiicakes has some real bitchin Authority artwork.

If you like fantasy/knights in shining armor storylines, and don't have a problem with comic books, you might like the manga "Black Knight" by BLU, which is a boyslove manga. I cannot recommend it enough. There's also "Yellow" by DMP, but that's more of modern day gay detective work (that focuses on the gay partner trying to hook up with the 'straight' partner). Bah, I'm babbling...

As for anime... Could I possibly interest you in "Mirage of Blaze"? Boyslove, obsession, possession (of the spiritual kind) and just made of awesome. At least, that's my opinion.

From:

Oh Thank you - I'll certainly add the Black Knight, Yello and the anime to my list of stuff to seek out!

From:

I'm afraid so. I did some comparisons on Youtube with Trigun and the script in subtitles was exactly the same word for word as the dubbing - and as I prefer the lower toned American voices to the squeaky high sounds of the Japanese, I'm going to be a peasant and not a purist.

:)

From:

Adds to list!

Thank you!

From:

As my boy say: Ennis is very good if he can be bothered to. In Punisher MAX, he has clearly bothered. :)

I get the feeling you'd love it. :)

(and Old things are things of beauty to a trained historian ... :) )

From:

can you get torrents, it's much easier to watch like that, it's how the fansubs are released and there are lots of series we'll go oh you must watch xxxx or die that you just wont' get otherwise
I have loveless, mail me your address and I'll send it to you

if you've never had torrents before you need a protocol like utorrent (a google will find it and then it's free and then a torrent database
www.mininova.org is good for US tv
www.animesuki.com is great for unlicensed anime ( i highly recommend princess princess d)
it means you don't have to watch through youtube
you will download some shit, it's normal, hentai is - well you'll discover that joy on your own - thats where the tentacle thing comes from

on another note
I'm on a reading binge and I'm reading other M/M novels that are about the same price as mine (know thy enemy) where is yours listed
I had to move from M/F I've read velvet sheathe too many times already today, and burning sword of his love
if we tried that.....

From:

I was fortunate that Akira hit the pictures on my 15th birthday (feels very old) and so i was taken to this dark back alley cinema to see it subtitled, and I was smitten

I loved Miyazaki until he did Howl's moving castle, it's my fave book and it's NOT RIGHT! better him than disney

did you understand Utena, I watched it all, both series and the movies, I read the manga and I'm still WTF! and why does his shirt keep falling off, is he shagging them whilst driving.....

I got my brother with Eyeshield 21 because I was going, What's this in relation to american football despite the characters explaining it in an attempt to get him, now he loves it as much as i do (when your QB is the devil incarnate you can't really go wrong)

I love that anime has the balls to have devastating endings, and even if you do get a happy evre after it won't last
but there are some serious clangers out there
my housemate is part of a hentai horror club, and it's so funny, they're sitting there pulling horrified faces and tilting their heads before going, well that would just give you hepatitis b.

From:

I second mirage of blaze, 13 eps of screaming at the TV oh for gods sake kiss him.

There is a squeefest in the UK, held by

scribblemoose it's a great opportunity to get to meet other writers and encounter new anime
give me your address and I'll send you some great titles, bl of course, ones you won't get on youtube, sekimatsu darling (aka a tale of two tops) and papa to kiss. I am a certified otaku and well, I have no problem with sharing.

From:

"well that would just give you hepatitis b." *dies laughing* XD One would never be able to watch Legend of the Overfiend again seriously ^^;;

I am also a big fan of Howl's moving castle book but I actually enjoyed the film as well... I treat them as two seperate entities ... although I did have a moment of "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH WALES!" I guess all the little Welsh references would have been lost on the rest of the world... even I had to be given an explanation about the Welsh rugby song Calcifer sings in the book ^^.

As for Utena and what I call the "WTF Anime sub-genre"... Part of the fun is in not fully understanding. Everyone I know have a different idea - it makes for some odd discussions. Mind you - I swallow Magical Realism and New Weird literature by the killo and those tend to have ambiguity thrown in through-out and ending that... yeah... mess with your mind... you either like that or get annoyed. Some things just don't need to be explained , if I said you understand those on a level that isn't all logic it would sound like I am speaking out of my mind but that is how I feel. It is a lot about symbolism... Utena has tons of alchemical emblems planted in ... play on quotes from Kafka and Hermann Hesse... and in the end I always get a feeling that there IS a resolusion ... although what that resolution is - is something I change my mind about every few years XD.

Gilgamesh is the one anime I know that annoyed so many fans in the west - the ending really had some people up in arms. I thought it was genius - it made total sense to me - so does Utena ...

From:

I'm afraid I can no longer be seen speaking to you.

; )

From:

I'll use it as some kind of bribe for myself. Like for when I finish my thesis, perhaps.

*is a baby classicist, so yeah what you said*

I'm friending you back, but I must warn you that lately it's all been My RL Problems ad nauseam.

From:

*g* No worries, my LJ is a mixed bag, too. :)

From:

I'm trying a torrent but it's taking all DAY to download - is it supposed to take all day? It's 400MB and it's been going for about 6 hours with 5 hours to go. I'm using uTorrent. Quicker to watch on youtube!!!

My book is on Amazon but is a bit more expensive than yours, but you can get a 2nd hand copy cheaply, I'm sure.

Check out Speak Its Name -there's a huge list there, too.

From: