I'm too shojou for my shirt
Jan. 13th, 2004 03:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kaitouYou know, I had something to talk about before I logged on. Now I can't remember what it is. Probably it was more gnashing of teeth that Return of the King doesn't come out until February in Japan, but I think it was something else.
Ever since I got to Japan, I've been reading more and more genres of books. It's half voluntary (I don't like half of what's going on in Fantasy books and the other half is boring these days) and half necessity (The biggest bookstore in Hiroshima has one bookshelf of novels in English). I've read some classics I enjoyed, some mysteries, and starting over winter break, I started reading Regency Romance novels.
I made the mistake of mentioning this to a few people, who looked at me, or looked at their computer screens like this: O_o;;;;. You'd think I just announced my new hobby was knitting macrame hats for dogs. I haven't read many yet, and I don't know how good they are in the scheme of things. But I found them to be fluffy and funny and fun. Of course I wasn't learning about deep societal issues, but I didn't do that reading Harry Potter either. The way I had figured it, there's crap and good in any genre. And here was a genre I'd never really read before, so it was a chance to find some good I might not have otherwise.
Sometimes I wonder if I'm not feminist enough or something. I wear makeup, and use every 'cotton blossom' scented product that Bath and Body Works makes. I wear skirts, and have recently started paying attention to my cuticles. But most of the other girls I know wrinkle up their noses at any of that. And girly is an insult. Is Feminine the antithesis of Feminist? It feels like it sometimes. And yet I have my black belt in Tae Kwon Do, I have a good job...in a foreign country no less. I have never felt like less because of my gender. This is good right?
Mmr. The thing I hate about rants is that I usually run out of steam halfway through. But here I declare that I like pretty things, I like romance and smelling of cotton blossoms.
Ever since I got to Japan, I've been reading more and more genres of books. It's half voluntary (I don't like half of what's going on in Fantasy books and the other half is boring these days) and half necessity (The biggest bookstore in Hiroshima has one bookshelf of novels in English). I've read some classics I enjoyed, some mysteries, and starting over winter break, I started reading Regency Romance novels.
I made the mistake of mentioning this to a few people, who looked at me, or looked at their computer screens like this: O_o;;;;. You'd think I just announced my new hobby was knitting macrame hats for dogs. I haven't read many yet, and I don't know how good they are in the scheme of things. But I found them to be fluffy and funny and fun. Of course I wasn't learning about deep societal issues, but I didn't do that reading Harry Potter either. The way I had figured it, there's crap and good in any genre. And here was a genre I'd never really read before, so it was a chance to find some good I might not have otherwise.
Sometimes I wonder if I'm not feminist enough or something. I wear makeup, and use every 'cotton blossom' scented product that Bath and Body Works makes. I wear skirts, and have recently started paying attention to my cuticles. But most of the other girls I know wrinkle up their noses at any of that. And girly is an insult. Is Feminine the antithesis of Feminist? It feels like it sometimes. And yet I have my black belt in Tae Kwon Do, I have a good job...in a foreign country no less. I have never felt like less because of my gender. This is good right?
Mmr. The thing I hate about rants is that I usually run out of steam halfway through. But here I declare that I like pretty things, I like romance and smelling of cotton blossoms.
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Random Regency recs. <333
Date: 2004-01-13 07:10 am (UTC)... thing about Regency and pre-WWI in general is that the roles were easier to define than they are now. Sexist, maybe, but easier.
no subject
Date: 2004-01-13 12:28 pm (UTC)This article over at Tomato Nation may be an interesting read for you, if you haven't seen it yet. Good article. Been making quite a few rounds.
Just wondering, but when RoTK does come out there, will it be subbed, dubbed, or neither? I've always wondered how well something Tolkien would translate to Japanese.
A stereotype may be a stereotype, but that doesn't mean it's right...
Date: 2004-01-13 03:28 pm (UTC)Why on earth pay attention to stereotypes? You are you, and you're only responsible for being you, and nobody else is responsible for checking up on how much you are being you at any given moment. Feminist, feminine, big deal; and Regencies are fun-- if romance is so out-dated, why are people (male AND female) falling all over Pirates Of the Carribean, a romantic movie if there ever was one? ^__^
Re: A stereotype may be a stereotype, but that doesn't mean it's right...
Date: 2004-01-13 05:42 pm (UTC)But still. Point taken.
Hawtness (**fans self**)
Date: 2004-01-13 06:29 pm (UTC)Re: Hawtness (**fans self**)
Date: 2004-01-13 09:48 pm (UTC)Re: Hawtness (**fans self**)
Date: 2004-01-13 10:52 pm (UTC)And besides, I like DC for ALL of the reasons you listed-- the mysteries, the comedic potential and the Ran-and-Shinichi stuff. Lucky me!
Re: Hawtness (**fans self**)
Date: 2004-01-13 11:59 pm (UTC)Though, personally, DC is starting to get stale for me because I think the series is dragging on too long (and that Conan/Shinichi seems to get a lot of leeway for everything, but I'm picky about realism, even in anime/manga). Unfortunately, movie 7 didn't really improve my opinion...
[/opinionated ramble] Sorry, Ann. ^^;
Re: Hawtness (**fans self**)
Date: 2004-01-14 01:03 am (UTC)Well, it's true. ^^;;
<-- is not a romantic-type person.
Re: A stereotype may be a stereotype, but that doesn't mean it's right...
Date: 2004-01-13 07:43 pm (UTC)