yaoi con review
Oct. 20th, 2003 04:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
maderrYaoi con was interesting, and I enjoyed myself immensely even if my checkbook hates me.
With me being at the airport way too f'ing early. But my father gave me a ride and he had to be at work. Didn't bother me, just meant I had a hell of a lot sitting to do. So I did what any good yaoi fangirl would do and read yaoi manga while I waited. I had my headphones on so I could't hear anything but I did get a couple of strange looks.
Michigan was fun, though of course my change over gate had to be on the opposite end of the fucking airport. Even walking across all the moving walkways (or whatever you to call them) it took me fifteen minutes or so to reach my gate.
The flight from detroit to san fran was Turbulence Central. Didn't bother me much, but some of the old people were kind of not happy, especially when the captain ordered everyone to take their seats and not move until the "danger" was past.
Finally reach San Fran, and here's Stupid Mistake #1. I asked this assmunch at the info desk the best way to get to my hotel (seeing as I don't know the area at all) and he said a van b/c otherwise a taxi would be thirty and the BART was too far away - I'd have to do a lot of walking. Turns out later that the fucking BART was across the street from my hotel. So he's made it onto my "People to Maim and/or Kill" list. I could've bought two more volumes of manga with that money, the fucker.
So I checked in, grabbed some BK and chilled reading Gilded Sword, which is a good book but a little too high on the death count for me to be entirely pleased with it. Slash potential a plenty though, I wonder if the writer knows he writes about a bishounen farm.
Stupid Mistake #2 was the next day, when I decided to venture out on my own. Nevermind that I've never been to San Fran and my relationship with maps is a dark and bitter one. I eventually made it to Japantown, spent $100.50 on manga, including the Higuiri You section (mmm, I love her artwork). Here's that story:
I love Higuri, especially her series Gorgeous Carat. Love and adore that series, almost as much as I love the Count Cain series by Kaori Yuki and Earthian by Kouga Yun (these three would be my fav mangaka, if that's not obvious). Anway, I have a hard time finding it b/c it's out of print. Not only did I find the entirety of her latest series sitting on the shelf, I also found volumes 2 & 3 of Gorgeous. Not bad I thought, only one short. The only thing I didn't get was Seimaden, b/c I won't get that unless I can buy the whole thing at once. Anyway, I bought some other stuff and went back to the hotel.
Now, I don't know how many know this but I begged and pleaded for my Japanese Teacher from Dickinson (my college) to come to yaoi-con. And she did! She was waitig for me at the hotel, and we went back to Japantown (took a third of the time it took me the first time - I'm so pathetic). She bought me lunch, and also bought us snacks. I felt bad for letting her pay for anything, but she insisted.
We went back, did the registration thing. But the we went out again, once Inoguchi (herine called "Sensei")'s fiance got there (just call him Chris, I can't spell his last name to save my life - he's French, btw). We went to Fisherman's Wharf and looked around. Alcatraz looks really freakin' intimidating, but maybe that's just me. Then Chris treated us to dinner at a restaurant too fancy to serve soda. We had overpriced seafood (including shrimp for my dad) and this white wine that I really liked. I tried to pay my share, but they wouldn't let me. They really are too nice to me, and I shouldn't be so cooperative about it I know. My only compensation is that someday I hope I have enough money to do it frquently and often for other. Anway, rode the streetcar both ways, the return trip I got to stand and try not to fall off. That was fun.
Saturday the fun really started. It started with the Dealer's Room, aka Death of Checkbook. I think I lost money on a few of the doujin's I bought. Most of them just seem to be really goofy stuff, but there's one or two HP that![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
nanthimus may like, though they're nowhere near worthy of the fic she is currrently writing for me. I was severaly dissappointed that they didn't turn out better, but such is life.
I did a grab bag thing, only one volume turned out sour. It's shota and I want to get rid of it asap. I'm not cool w/screwing children.
That day I scored Petshop 2 and 3, finally found demon's diary 2, then moved on to more blatantly BL stuff - love mode 10 & 11, midniight sun 3-5, other stuff I forget the names of. Then I finally forced myself to leave - it was hard - and went to the panel discussions.
Panels were on Saturday & Sunday and to save a little bit of pain I'll list them all here rather than divide by day.
Legality of Yaoi & General Fanfiction I knew plagarism was a problem, I had no idea it was such a problem as this panel said it was. Make me pyscho paranoid about my stories, though I don't think I'm popolur or even well known enough to really worry about it. And a lot of "official" writers and actors can be really bitchy. It's ashame I think, b/c often fanfics are one of the best forms of advertisement. A very good panel.
Fanfiction Writing Workshop This was more a chance to discuss likes/dislikes of fanwriting, but we had fun coming up with stories in fifteen minutes. My group had to do a "dissent" story and we put together this utterly ridiculous thing for Gravitation. I had to leave that one to get to the next panel on time, so I don't know how it concluded. But the biggest pet peeves mentioned were: poor endings, OOCness, grammar/spelling mistakes, and poorly written lemons.
Harry Potter Discussion Group This one actually annoyed me b/c they spent the entire time discussing why Harry was so scarred and why he was so mean in the fifth book (although they all failed to take Neville's plant into account for his behavior. It annoys how eager everyone is to hate Harry). I thought we'd be discussing pairings, trends in the fandom, etc. It wasn't
Yaoi in Academia By far the panel I was most looking forward to. The women running it seemed old school in their fandoms, which is not a bad thing just an observation. The one thing they did make clear is that I have my work cut out for me. For those that don't know, this is basically what I want to do the rest of my life - I plan someday to be a Professor of Japanese Popular Culture (or something like that, I'm still finessing it) with a special focus on yaoi. It's still sort of laughed at in Academia though, if not rejected out right in revulsion and fear. That's okay, I'll own them all.
I decided not to do "Alternate Pairings" b/c the group was looking very similar to the HP crowd and I was hungry (I hadn't eaten all day).
Original Yaoi was next, and as anyone reading this knows Original Yaoi is somewhat important to me. Mostly it was a discussion on how to get your stories out there, get them read, etc. I did get to meet Sahari, whose Tiger Prince story I love and adore. I also chatted with another woman and once I'm done here I will probably give her stories a go - and she'll read mine. I wasn't quite brave enought to pimp my own stories otherwise, but oh well.
Foods corrupted by YaoiSingle most hee-sterical panel I went to the entire weekend. It was bascially just coming up with a list of foods know to be misused in the name of yaoi. When you named a food, you had to tell the story you read it in. The funniest thing was that the wrongest of the wrong were all gundam wing stories, with the exception of one.amasugiru and abiona_sashenka may recall the infamous Harry Potter Toast Story - 10 minutes into the panel that story was mentioned (not by me). Suffice to say I have once again sworn off toast. If you don't know the story, consider yourself lucky. It's vile, horrendous and an insult to the HP fandom. I mainly went to this one b/c jagen13 requested notes for the boys love cookbook she is working on. I am going to send the list to her, but if anyone would like it just let me know (though I think the yaoi con ml will have it as well).
Sunday was fun, but sort of sad at the end. I really am turning into a loser. The day started with me going back to the Dealer's Room. I'd feel guilty except I found two volumes of Bohra Naono's story and volume four of Gorgeous Carat Suffice to say Megan was a very, very, very happy person. Noire and Florian are too cute for words, and I love Solom the 19th Century Disco Queen (you have to see his one outfit, it's hilarious). Later I was really stupid and went back again - and bought a Hellsing messenger bag. I was weak, what can I say?
Oh yes, we watched this hysterical parody of Boku no Sexual Harassment. I can't find the web addy now, but once I do I will order you to it. Second only to the food panel on the laugh-o-meter.
After all the panels on Sunday I went site seeing with Chris and Sensei (who I have not mentioned much - suffice to say it was more fun spending time with her than being at the con. Sensei is one of the best teacher's/friends I've ever known. The only person I looked up to more in college was Prof. Krebs, for which I am teased relentlessly by my friends.
They left about 6-ish and I got depressed. Of late I've noticed that I don't like being alone. I used to have no problems with it, but goddamn if I'm not a pathetic little dependant now. Ah well, price of having real friends I suppose. You actually want to have them around. So after that I went to the airport and just chilled until my flight left at a quarter to one.
Oh, I didn't even mention the anthologies I bought. I would say they were well worth the $25.00 bucks I put out for each. My brother is going to hate the Devil May Cry works, but I liked them despite the sligh OOC I felt Dante was subjected to.
I was also really excited when I got home and plowed through my mail - aethetiscim posted my article! I didn't even realize it until I noticed people quoting some terribly familiar words while they agreed and disagreed with what I said. I get so flusted when people read stuff I write, be it fiction or otherwise. But at least I'm not getting hate mail.
Okay, enough blathering. I've probably forgotten something, but I've been awake for about 35 hours now so I think I get a break.
The Bishie Auction! Hilarious, third on the meter easy. It was nuts, this one matrix-dressed guy went for $440.00, other went for anywhere from $200-300.00. Some didn't break $100.00, but there were reasons for that.
I got a lot of pictures of that, including The Shiki, whom my friend >lj user="abiona_sashenka"> would have run off with and done terrible things to. I hope my pics turn out okay. The last guy - Harley (dressed in angel wins) had a VERY nice chest. That was yummy, but few of the others really picqed my interest. I think the best part was when this one guy came up - I forget his name - but he'd orginally specified to be sold to "ladies only" but once on stage he changed his mind. All the more flexible auctionies (???) proceeded to demonstrate why he should change his mind. Bishie orgy on the stage and it was hot
(probably rigged, but who the fuck cares?)
With me being at the airport way too f'ing early. But my father gave me a ride and he had to be at work. Didn't bother me, just meant I had a hell of a lot sitting to do. So I did what any good yaoi fangirl would do and read yaoi manga while I waited. I had my headphones on so I could't hear anything but I did get a couple of strange looks.
Michigan was fun, though of course my change over gate had to be on the opposite end of the fucking airport. Even walking across all the moving walkways (or whatever you to call them) it took me fifteen minutes or so to reach my gate.
The flight from detroit to san fran was Turbulence Central. Didn't bother me much, but some of the old people were kind of not happy, especially when the captain ordered everyone to take their seats and not move until the "danger" was past.
Finally reach San Fran, and here's Stupid Mistake #1. I asked this assmunch at the info desk the best way to get to my hotel (seeing as I don't know the area at all) and he said a van b/c otherwise a taxi would be thirty and the BART was too far away - I'd have to do a lot of walking. Turns out later that the fucking BART was across the street from my hotel. So he's made it onto my "People to Maim and/or Kill" list. I could've bought two more volumes of manga with that money, the fucker.
So I checked in, grabbed some BK and chilled reading Gilded Sword, which is a good book but a little too high on the death count for me to be entirely pleased with it. Slash potential a plenty though, I wonder if the writer knows he writes about a bishounen farm.
Stupid Mistake #2 was the next day, when I decided to venture out on my own. Nevermind that I've never been to San Fran and my relationship with maps is a dark and bitter one. I eventually made it to Japantown, spent $100.50 on manga, including the Higuiri You section (mmm, I love her artwork). Here's that story:
I love Higuri, especially her series Gorgeous Carat. Love and adore that series, almost as much as I love the Count Cain series by Kaori Yuki and Earthian by Kouga Yun (these three would be my fav mangaka, if that's not obvious). Anway, I have a hard time finding it b/c it's out of print. Not only did I find the entirety of her latest series sitting on the shelf, I also found volumes 2 & 3 of Gorgeous. Not bad I thought, only one short. The only thing I didn't get was Seimaden, b/c I won't get that unless I can buy the whole thing at once. Anyway, I bought some other stuff and went back to the hotel.
Now, I don't know how many know this but I begged and pleaded for my Japanese Teacher from Dickinson (my college) to come to yaoi-con. And she did! She was waitig for me at the hotel, and we went back to Japantown (took a third of the time it took me the first time - I'm so pathetic). She bought me lunch, and also bought us snacks. I felt bad for letting her pay for anything, but she insisted.
We went back, did the registration thing. But the we went out again, once Inoguchi (herine called "Sensei")'s fiance got there (just call him Chris, I can't spell his last name to save my life - he's French, btw). We went to Fisherman's Wharf and looked around. Alcatraz looks really freakin' intimidating, but maybe that's just me. Then Chris treated us to dinner at a restaurant too fancy to serve soda. We had overpriced seafood (including shrimp for my dad) and this white wine that I really liked. I tried to pay my share, but they wouldn't let me. They really are too nice to me, and I shouldn't be so cooperative about it I know. My only compensation is that someday I hope I have enough money to do it frquently and often for other. Anway, rode the streetcar both ways, the return trip I got to stand and try not to fall off. That was fun.
Saturday the fun really started. It started with the Dealer's Room, aka Death of Checkbook. I think I lost money on a few of the doujin's I bought. Most of them just seem to be really goofy stuff, but there's one or two HP that
nanthimus may like, though they're nowhere near worthy of the fic she is currrently writing for me. I was severaly dissappointed that they didn't turn out better, but such is life.I did a grab bag thing, only one volume turned out sour. It's shota and I want to get rid of it asap. I'm not cool w/screwing children.
That day I scored Petshop 2 and 3, finally found demon's diary 2, then moved on to more blatantly BL stuff - love mode 10 & 11, midniight sun 3-5, other stuff I forget the names of. Then I finally forced myself to leave - it was hard - and went to the panel discussions.
Panels were on Saturday & Sunday and to save a little bit of pain I'll list them all here rather than divide by day.
Legality of Yaoi & General Fanfiction I knew plagarism was a problem, I had no idea it was such a problem as this panel said it was. Make me pyscho paranoid about my stories, though I don't think I'm popolur or even well known enough to really worry about it. And a lot of "official" writers and actors can be really bitchy. It's ashame I think, b/c often fanfics are one of the best forms of advertisement. A very good panel.
Fanfiction Writing Workshop This was more a chance to discuss likes/dislikes of fanwriting, but we had fun coming up with stories in fifteen minutes. My group had to do a "dissent" story and we put together this utterly ridiculous thing for Gravitation. I had to leave that one to get to the next panel on time, so I don't know how it concluded. But the biggest pet peeves mentioned were: poor endings, OOCness, grammar/spelling mistakes, and poorly written lemons.
Harry Potter Discussion Group This one actually annoyed me b/c they spent the entire time discussing why Harry was so scarred and why he was so mean in the fifth book (although they all failed to take Neville's plant into account for his behavior. It annoys how eager everyone is to hate Harry). I thought we'd be discussing pairings, trends in the fandom, etc. It wasn't
Yaoi in Academia By far the panel I was most looking forward to. The women running it seemed old school in their fandoms, which is not a bad thing just an observation. The one thing they did make clear is that I have my work cut out for me. For those that don't know, this is basically what I want to do the rest of my life - I plan someday to be a Professor of Japanese Popular Culture (or something like that, I'm still finessing it) with a special focus on yaoi. It's still sort of laughed at in Academia though, if not rejected out right in revulsion and fear. That's okay, I'll own them all.
I decided not to do "Alternate Pairings" b/c the group was looking very similar to the HP crowd and I was hungry (I hadn't eaten all day).
Original Yaoi was next, and as anyone reading this knows Original Yaoi is somewhat important to me. Mostly it was a discussion on how to get your stories out there, get them read, etc. I did get to meet Sahari, whose Tiger Prince story I love and adore. I also chatted with another woman and once I'm done here I will probably give her stories a go - and she'll read mine. I wasn't quite brave enought to pimp my own stories otherwise, but oh well.
Foods corrupted by YaoiSingle most hee-sterical panel I went to the entire weekend. It was bascially just coming up with a list of foods know to be misused in the name of yaoi. When you named a food, you had to tell the story you read it in. The funniest thing was that the wrongest of the wrong were all gundam wing stories, with the exception of one.
amasugiru and abiona_sashenka may recall the infamous Harry Potter Toast Story - 10 minutes into the panel that story was mentioned (not by me). Suffice to say I have once again sworn off toast. If you don't know the story, consider yourself lucky. It's vile, horrendous and an insult to the HP fandom. I mainly went to this one b/c jagen13 requested notes for the boys love cookbook she is working on. I am going to send the list to her, but if anyone would like it just let me know (though I think the yaoi con ml will have it as well). Sunday was fun, but sort of sad at the end. I really am turning into a loser. The day started with me going back to the Dealer's Room. I'd feel guilty except I found two volumes of Bohra Naono's story and volume four of Gorgeous Carat Suffice to say Megan was a very, very, very happy person. Noire and Florian are too cute for words, and I love Solom the 19th Century Disco Queen (you have to see his one outfit, it's hilarious). Later I was really stupid and went back again - and bought a Hellsing messenger bag. I was weak, what can I say?
Oh yes, we watched this hysterical parody of Boku no Sexual Harassment. I can't find the web addy now, but once I do I will order you to it. Second only to the food panel on the laugh-o-meter.
After all the panels on Sunday I went site seeing with Chris and Sensei (who I have not mentioned much - suffice to say it was more fun spending time with her than being at the con. Sensei is one of the best teacher's/friends I've ever known. The only person I looked up to more in college was Prof. Krebs, for which I am teased relentlessly by my friends.
They left about 6-ish and I got depressed. Of late I've noticed that I don't like being alone. I used to have no problems with it, but goddamn if I'm not a pathetic little dependant now. Ah well, price of having real friends I suppose. You actually want to have them around. So after that I went to the airport and just chilled until my flight left at a quarter to one.
Oh, I didn't even mention the anthologies I bought. I would say they were well worth the $25.00 bucks I put out for each. My brother is going to hate the Devil May Cry works, but I liked them despite the sligh OOC I felt Dante was subjected to.
I was also really excited when I got home and plowed through my mail - aethetiscim posted my article! I didn't even realize it until I noticed people quoting some terribly familiar words while they agreed and disagreed with what I said. I get so flusted when people read stuff I write, be it fiction or otherwise. But at least I'm not getting hate mail.
Okay, enough blathering. I've probably forgotten something, but I've been awake for about 35 hours now so I think I get a break.
The Bishie Auction! Hilarious, third on the meter easy. It was nuts, this one matrix-dressed guy went for $440.00, other went for anywhere from $200-300.00. Some didn't break $100.00, but there were reasons for that.
I got a lot of pictures of that, including The Shiki, whom my friend >lj user="abiona_sashenka"> would have run off with and done terrible things to. I hope my pics turn out okay. The last guy - Harley (dressed in angel wins) had a VERY nice chest. That was yummy, but few of the others really picqed my interest. I think the best part was when this one guy came up - I forget his name - but he'd orginally specified to be sold to "ladies only" but once on stage he changed his mind. All the more flexible auctionies (???) proceeded to demonstrate why he should change his mind. Bishie orgy on the stage and it was hot
(probably rigged, but who the fuck cares?)
no subject
Date: 2003-10-20 10:26 pm (UTC)The Detroit airport has it's good points and then has other points when you just want to maim it. The indoor monorail system that they have befuddles me entirely, because it seems like it's simpler (and quicker) to just walk to where you're going in that part of the airport. The whole walk underground to reach the other terminals is as annoying as hell though. I want to draw bad pictures all over the blending colors.
Harry Potter Discussion Group
*blinks* I don't think I realized how much I was living under a rock until you started talking about what you did at the con. Wow. *gapes a bit*
although they all failed to take Neville's plant into account for his behavior.
Okay, now I want to know, because I don't think I've ever heard this theory. *poke, poke*
Personally, I don't get why people are so upset by Harry being so angry. Seemed entirely natural to me given the circumstances and the people he's with...
Neville's plant.
Date: 2003-10-20 10:37 pm (UTC)Okay, begining of OotP when they're all on the train - do you remember that plant Neville had? It sprayed them, but Harry got it full in the face. Later on Harry and Ron are studying, Harry is sort of dozing off (I think). Anyway, Ron is reading aloud and he reads a bit about that plant and how it caused recklessness, anger, short tempers...I may have the exact wording off but that's basically what it says. So that plant is a large part of the reason Harry was as bad as he was. At least that's my theory.
no subject
Date: 2003-10-20 10:58 pm (UTC)