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puss_nd_boots) wrote2015-12-31 05:10 pm
puss_nd_boots) wrote2015-12-31 05:10 pm
Year-End General Fandom Meme, 2015
This is another year-end meme that's making the rounds, though I did change one question from the most common version - "Favorite fan web hangout" became "Favorite album of the year," because the original version didn't have a music question (and that's my primary area of fan activity), plus my usual online hangout is Tumblr - and that's not always honor-worthy.
1. Your main fandom of the year?: I don't think there was any one fandom, because I hopped around from band to band this year like a bunny - I finally widened my J-rock world beyond PSC and went a little nuts. Suffice to say, most of my attention was focused on DIAURA (primarily Yo-ka), Lycaon (primarily Yuuki), Royz (primarily Subaru) and Mejibray (primarily MiA).
2. Your favorite film watched this year?: Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And if it was anything but that, it would have been the disappointment of the decade.
3. Your favorite book read this year?: Didn't do a lot of reading other than fanfics, but I need to mention The Other Hollywood by Legs McNeil and Jennifer Osborne. Yes, it's a history of the porn industry. Yes, it was Camera Eye research. But it's pretty damn fascinating on its own - the industry has a colorful history, full of mobsters, crime, custody fights, suicides, AIDS - and yes, even family atmospheres and good times.
4. Your favorite TV show of the year?: Steven Universe. It's one of the few shows that can be called a true American anime. It was made as a kids' show (it's basically about a half-alien boy being raised by three full aliens), but there is a LOT of depth, great writing, well-rounded characters and some surprises. (Plus, it's nice to see a show with a diversity of female body types). Runner-up - Boueibu (Bian Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu LOVE! or Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE!), a parody of both magical girl anime and yaoi tropes using a group of magical boys that was smartly written, funny and adorable.
5. Your favorite album of the year? I'm giving the edge to Camera Obscura by Lycaon. If they had to go out, they went out with a bang. (My relationship with GazettE's Dogma can best be described as . . . complex. If took me awhile to appreciate it, and it's never going to be my favorte album of theirs - and thus, the edge goes to Lycaon.) I could have also cited DIAURA's Triangle here - had it not been released in 2014.
6. Your best new fandom discovery of the year?: DIAURA. In terms of musical ability, great songs, image, videos, personae . . . all the ingredients of a good visual kei band, really . . . this group may be the most complete package I've seen since GazettE. Plus, they and their fandom both seem to be drama-free, which is refreshing.
7. Your biggest fandom disappointment of the year?: LYCAON DISBANDING. How could such a great band fall apart? I'm just hoping the rumors of them coming back under a different name and new management pan out. (Runner-up: My Little Pony finally hitting the Rumiko Takahashi zone - gone on too long, briging nothing new to the table).
8. Your fandom boyfriend of the year?: I'm going to give the edge to Subaru here, just for the sheer Adorableness Factor. (Yes, despite the whole Ninja Turtle WTF-ery).
9. Your fandom girlfriend of the year?: Did you SEE the pictures of Yo-ka in drag for DIAURA's women-only show???
10. Your biggest squee moment of the year?: The rumor emerging that GazettE may be finally playing in America. At this point, it's just as likely to have been a J-rock-savvy prankster hacking the web site of a hall in San Francisco, but hey, there's always hope.
11. The most missed of your old fandoms?: Lycaon. I want those comeback rumors to be true, dammit!
12. The fandom you haven't tried yet, but want to?: Oh, my, there's plenty of pretty bands tempting me, but I've been avoiding them - I've got enough muses for the moment, thanks! (Watch me go back on that in a number of weeks).
13. Your biggest fan anticipations for the New Year?: It would be nice if we found out that GazettE-in-America rumor wasn't just a rumor! Also looking forward to Royz' inevitable next album (because they've put out about a gazillion singles since Core) and the S season of Sailor Moon Crystal (yes, I'm one of the few people who enjoyed the Dark Kingdom and Black Moon arcs - although the latter was better than the former).
1. Your main fandom of the year?: I don't think there was any one fandom, because I hopped around from band to band this year like a bunny - I finally widened my J-rock world beyond PSC and went a little nuts. Suffice to say, most of my attention was focused on DIAURA (primarily Yo-ka), Lycaon (primarily Yuuki), Royz (primarily Subaru) and Mejibray (primarily MiA).
2. Your favorite film watched this year?: Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And if it was anything but that, it would have been the disappointment of the decade.
3. Your favorite book read this year?: Didn't do a lot of reading other than fanfics, but I need to mention The Other Hollywood by Legs McNeil and Jennifer Osborne. Yes, it's a history of the porn industry. Yes, it was Camera Eye research. But it's pretty damn fascinating on its own - the industry has a colorful history, full of mobsters, crime, custody fights, suicides, AIDS - and yes, even family atmospheres and good times.
4. Your favorite TV show of the year?: Steven Universe. It's one of the few shows that can be called a true American anime. It was made as a kids' show (it's basically about a half-alien boy being raised by three full aliens), but there is a LOT of depth, great writing, well-rounded characters and some surprises. (Plus, it's nice to see a show with a diversity of female body types). Runner-up - Boueibu (Bian Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu LOVE! or Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE!), a parody of both magical girl anime and yaoi tropes using a group of magical boys that was smartly written, funny and adorable.
5. Your favorite album of the year? I'm giving the edge to Camera Obscura by Lycaon. If they had to go out, they went out with a bang. (My relationship with GazettE's Dogma can best be described as . . . complex. If took me awhile to appreciate it, and it's never going to be my favorte album of theirs - and thus, the edge goes to Lycaon.) I could have also cited DIAURA's Triangle here - had it not been released in 2014.
6. Your best new fandom discovery of the year?: DIAURA. In terms of musical ability, great songs, image, videos, personae . . . all the ingredients of a good visual kei band, really . . . this group may be the most complete package I've seen since GazettE. Plus, they and their fandom both seem to be drama-free, which is refreshing.
7. Your biggest fandom disappointment of the year?: LYCAON DISBANDING. How could such a great band fall apart? I'm just hoping the rumors of them coming back under a different name and new management pan out. (Runner-up: My Little Pony finally hitting the Rumiko Takahashi zone - gone on too long, briging nothing new to the table).
8. Your fandom boyfriend of the year?: I'm going to give the edge to Subaru here, just for the sheer Adorableness Factor. (Yes, despite the whole Ninja Turtle WTF-ery).
9. Your fandom girlfriend of the year?: Did you SEE the pictures of Yo-ka in drag for DIAURA's women-only show???
10. Your biggest squee moment of the year?: The rumor emerging that GazettE may be finally playing in America. At this point, it's just as likely to have been a J-rock-savvy prankster hacking the web site of a hall in San Francisco, but hey, there's always hope.
11. The most missed of your old fandoms?: Lycaon. I want those comeback rumors to be true, dammit!
12. The fandom you haven't tried yet, but want to?: Oh, my, there's plenty of pretty bands tempting me, but I've been avoiding them - I've got enough muses for the moment, thanks! (Watch me go back on that in a number of weeks).
13. Your biggest fan anticipations for the New Year?: It would be nice if we found out that GazettE-in-America rumor wasn't just a rumor! Also looking forward to Royz' inevitable next album (because they've put out about a gazillion singles since Core) and the S season of Sailor Moon Crystal (yes, I'm one of the few people who enjoyed the Dark Kingdom and Black Moon arcs - although the latter was better than the former).