HELLO I AM A MEME NICE TO MEET YOU K BAI
Borrowing a meme from Jon, which he stole wholesale from Kansas City.
a. Post a list of 15 fandoms.
b. Have your friends list guess your favourite character from each one.
c. When guessed, bold the line, include the character name, and write a sentence about why you like that character.
Without further ado...
1. Naruto - Hyuga Hinata. Hinata is the most adorable character to ever be in anything ever. Ever. EVER. It's impossible to not love her -- that'd be like not loving puppies or Christmas. However, what cemented her as my fave was her fight with Neji, some 60-odd episodes of Naruto ago. There she showed a fire and determination, in spite of her obvious comparative weakness, that endeared her to me on a whole new level. I want to marry a girl like Hinata someday.
2. Bleach - Inoue Orihime. I also wouldn't terribly mind marrying a girl like Orihime. Gorgeous, sweet, and probably insane, every moment Orihime's on screen is a party in my brain. Her superpowers manifested as magical flower-pixies who live in her barrettes. How fucking awesome is that?!?!
3. Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Faith. (guessed by Allison in IM) I originally fell in love with Faith largely because Eliza Dushku is just friggin' gorgeous. I mean seriously. Damn. On top of that though, she's also a fabulous actress, and she breathed life into a character that could have ended up completely two-dimensional (party girl/traitorous bitch) in someone else's hands. The story of Faith's fall and redemption is one of my favorites from all the years Buffy was on the air.
And seriously: So hot. Jesus!
4. Battlestar Galactica - Dr. Gaius Baltar. Take one part inveterate cowardice, one part invariable self-interest, slather it all in absolute brilliance, add madness to taste and mix well. That's Gaius Baltar, from the new Battlestar Galactica series. And I fucking love him. The closest he gets in the entire series to doing something *nice* is when he subtly suggests to Boomer (who thinks she may be a Cylon agent, a fact he *knows* but concealed to protect himself) that she go through with her plans of suicide. And yet he manages to be eminently likable and comes out of every crisis smelling like roses, growing more beloved and powerful again and again. He's a bastard, but he's so ridiculously *good* at being a bastard! (I briefly removed this from the list, but then I noticed that Jon actually got it! Go Jon!)
5. Street Fighter Series - Dan Hibiki I don't really play fighting games, much. I'm not terribly good at them. But Dan Hibiki is without a doubt the funniest character to ever be in a fighting game, period. He's a loser who doesn't really know what he's doing, but never gives up and is convinced of his own greatness. And for that, he earns my <3.
6. Legend of the Five Rings - Ikoma Otemi. Ikoma Otemi grew up in the shadows of legends. Sure, he was a very good student at the Swift Sword Dojo, but he attended at the same time as near-legendary samurai like Akodo Kaneka, Matsu Nimuro, and Akodo Ijiasu. With them as the measuring stick, Otemi was simply overlooked. And though he stood as the likely choice as heir to the Ikoma Daimyo, his uncle Sume wondered if he could ever truly shape Otemi into a suitable successor.
Everything changed the day Otemi found a treasure map. The adventure that took him on turned Otemi into a hero, and ever since then things have been snowballing. He eventually earned himself a position as a general of the Lion armies, commanding the forces fighting the Unicorn in Kaeru Toshi, and when Matsu Nimuro died, Otemi was chosen to take his place as the new Lion Champion.
The story of Ikoma Otemi is a classic tale of the kid nobody ever expected anything great of stepping up when thrust into situations that would shatter normal people, and proving that he's got what it takes to be a legend -- even if he isn't convinced of that himself yet. My favorite L5R character, hands down.
Oh yeah, and on top of all that, the ladies LOVE him. (Jon guessed this one in an IM conversation.)
7. The Venture Brothers
8. Angel: The Series - Illyria. Illyria is the most wonderful and complex character Joss Whedon has ever created. Period. Born millions of years ago as one of the most powerful demons in existance, Illyria was eventually vanquished, only to be reborn in the body of one Winnifred Burkle, consuming her soul in the process. All hopped up on her own power, Illyria charges off to reclaim her demon armies and strip the plague of humanity from the face of this world.
Then she finds out her army is long dead, and her reaction is so very surprisingly human: depression. Suddenly finding her purpose ripped away from her, she goes to Wesley Windham-Pryce -- the man who loved Fred, still loves her -- and asks him to teach her how to *live* in this new world that she can't destroy. Illyria is an absolutely brilliant character, a powerful and ancient evil wtih more human flaws and frailties than she'd ever admit. Her struggle to come to reconcile her demonic nature with the very human emotions she develops -- and in fact needs to develop, to live in this world -- could easily hold up a show all on their own. Every scene of "Not Fade Away" featuring Illyria is pure gold, but most of all the ones between Illyria and Wesley. Whedon's writing and Amy Acker's acting completely blew away everything else in the entire world when they combined to form Illyria, and she's probably my favorite character not just in Angel, but in all of fiction.
9. Fullmetal Alchemist
10. WWE - The Rock. I know this isn't a terribly unique choice, but Dwayne Johnson is undoubtedly going to go down as one of the greatest performers in the history of professional wrestling. It was The Rock that drew me back into WWE fandom after I gave it up around the age of twelve, with his, dare I say, electrifying mic and in-ring styles. Sure, he's not the greatest technical wrestler ever, but he's pretty darn good anyway, and knows how to make millions of people buy into whatever he's selling with just a few well-chosen words or even an expression. I got back into wrestling and first discovered L5R at about the same time, and together they eventually lead to me taking on the name "Akodo Rokku" -- Rokku just being an engrish spellign of "Rock". I have smelt what he is cooking, and it is always something good.
11. Star Wars (Narrowing it down to just the Expanded Universe)
12. Firefly - Jayne Cobb. Jayne is simply Jayne, and that's what makes him so awesome. While all the other characters in Firefly have shadows in their pasts or driving purposes Jayne has neither -- he's just a guy. A thug, sure, but otherwise, just a guy. He's probably the *second* greatest character Joss Whedon has ever created, and again a lot of credit goes to the actor, Adam Baldwin. Jayne just wants to get laid and paid, and that makes his rare moments of moral crisis or insight so much the better.
13. Samurai Champloo - Mugen Mugen is an ignorant, tactless, lecherous, violent nut. But he's got so damned much style! He tackles life head on, completely relentless and full of passion. And he has an understanding and even respect for honor, frienship, and duty (as evidenced by his actions in the series finale). He's the perfect example of the "noble savage" archetype, and he more than anyone made Champloo an unforgettable series.
14. Xenosaga - Albedo. Albedo is a monster. Completely sociopathic, virtually immortal, and deeply sadistic, all traits I love -- in a villain. And Albedo is a *fabulous* villain. Just when you think he can't get any crazier or any more evil, he turns it up another notch. The scene in Episode 1 where he rips his own head off in front of MOMO just to make a pointis at the same time deeply disturbing and amazingly cool. Albedo is one of my favorite villains of all time.
15. Final Fantasy - Auron. Bad. Fucking. Ass. That's the first thingl I have to say for Auron. How many characters in anything EVER can take a simple gesture like shrugging their coat off their shoulder and make you go "Aw damn some shit gonna go down now!" And finding out Auron's past only made me like him more -- he has very good reasons to have become as hard and strong as he is now, mistakes to attone for and a world to change before he can rest. Hell, he didn't let death itself slow him down. And when the end finally came for him, he met it with nobility and grace. Put that all together, and you've got yourself one hell of a hero.
Categories I've removed because nobody knew!
Marvel Comics - Darkhawk. Darkhawk is my Spider-Man. His comic single-handedly made me a comic fan for life, with the simple story of a teenage kid who stumbles into great power and decides to use it for good, all the while dealing with his own problems. The problems were updated from those Peter Parker faced in the 60s -- on top of girl troubles he had to deal with helping his overworked DA Mom to raise his twin brothers after his corrupt cop dad was executed by the mob -- but it was pretty much a retelling of that old tale. Sort of an Ultimate Spider-Man before there was an Ultimate Spider-Man. I highly recommend the first 25 issues to anybody who's ever been a comics fan, and I wish I still had mine.
Enjoy!
a. Post a list of 15 fandoms.
b. Have your friends list guess your favourite character from each one.
c. When guessed, bold the line, include the character name, and write a sentence about why you like that character.
Without further ado...
1. Naruto - Hyuga Hinata. Hinata is the most adorable character to ever be in anything ever. Ever. EVER. It's impossible to not love her -- that'd be like not loving puppies or Christmas. However, what cemented her as my fave was her fight with Neji, some 60-odd episodes of Naruto ago. There she showed a fire and determination, in spite of her obvious comparative weakness, that endeared her to me on a whole new level. I want to marry a girl like Hinata someday.
2. Bleach - Inoue Orihime. I also wouldn't terribly mind marrying a girl like Orihime. Gorgeous, sweet, and probably insane, every moment Orihime's on screen is a party in my brain. Her superpowers manifested as magical flower-pixies who live in her barrettes. How fucking awesome is that?!?!
3. Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Faith. (guessed by Allison in IM) I originally fell in love with Faith largely because Eliza Dushku is just friggin' gorgeous. I mean seriously. Damn. On top of that though, she's also a fabulous actress, and she breathed life into a character that could have ended up completely two-dimensional (party girl/traitorous bitch) in someone else's hands. The story of Faith's fall and redemption is one of my favorites from all the years Buffy was on the air.
And seriously: So hot. Jesus!
4. Battlestar Galactica - Dr. Gaius Baltar. Take one part inveterate cowardice, one part invariable self-interest, slather it all in absolute brilliance, add madness to taste and mix well. That's Gaius Baltar, from the new Battlestar Galactica series. And I fucking love him. The closest he gets in the entire series to doing something *nice* is when he subtly suggests to Boomer (who thinks she may be a Cylon agent, a fact he *knows* but concealed to protect himself) that she go through with her plans of suicide. And yet he manages to be eminently likable and comes out of every crisis smelling like roses, growing more beloved and powerful again and again. He's a bastard, but he's so ridiculously *good* at being a bastard! (I briefly removed this from the list, but then I noticed that Jon actually got it! Go Jon!)
5. Street Fighter Series - Dan Hibiki I don't really play fighting games, much. I'm not terribly good at them. But Dan Hibiki is without a doubt the funniest character to ever be in a fighting game, period. He's a loser who doesn't really know what he's doing, but never gives up and is convinced of his own greatness. And for that, he earns my <3.
6. Legend of the Five Rings - Ikoma Otemi. Ikoma Otemi grew up in the shadows of legends. Sure, he was a very good student at the Swift Sword Dojo, but he attended at the same time as near-legendary samurai like Akodo Kaneka, Matsu Nimuro, and Akodo Ijiasu. With them as the measuring stick, Otemi was simply overlooked. And though he stood as the likely choice as heir to the Ikoma Daimyo, his uncle Sume wondered if he could ever truly shape Otemi into a suitable successor.
Everything changed the day Otemi found a treasure map. The adventure that took him on turned Otemi into a hero, and ever since then things have been snowballing. He eventually earned himself a position as a general of the Lion armies, commanding the forces fighting the Unicorn in Kaeru Toshi, and when Matsu Nimuro died, Otemi was chosen to take his place as the new Lion Champion.
The story of Ikoma Otemi is a classic tale of the kid nobody ever expected anything great of stepping up when thrust into situations that would shatter normal people, and proving that he's got what it takes to be a legend -- even if he isn't convinced of that himself yet. My favorite L5R character, hands down.
Oh yeah, and on top of all that, the ladies LOVE him. (Jon guessed this one in an IM conversation.)
7. The Venture Brothers
8. Angel: The Series - Illyria. Illyria is the most wonderful and complex character Joss Whedon has ever created. Period. Born millions of years ago as one of the most powerful demons in existance, Illyria was eventually vanquished, only to be reborn in the body of one Winnifred Burkle, consuming her soul in the process. All hopped up on her own power, Illyria charges off to reclaim her demon armies and strip the plague of humanity from the face of this world.
Then she finds out her army is long dead, and her reaction is so very surprisingly human: depression. Suddenly finding her purpose ripped away from her, she goes to Wesley Windham-Pryce -- the man who loved Fred, still loves her -- and asks him to teach her how to *live* in this new world that she can't destroy. Illyria is an absolutely brilliant character, a powerful and ancient evil wtih more human flaws and frailties than she'd ever admit. Her struggle to come to reconcile her demonic nature with the very human emotions she develops -- and in fact needs to develop, to live in this world -- could easily hold up a show all on their own. Every scene of "Not Fade Away" featuring Illyria is pure gold, but most of all the ones between Illyria and Wesley. Whedon's writing and Amy Acker's acting completely blew away everything else in the entire world when they combined to form Illyria, and she's probably my favorite character not just in Angel, but in all of fiction.
9. Fullmetal Alchemist
10. WWE - The Rock. I know this isn't a terribly unique choice, but Dwayne Johnson is undoubtedly going to go down as one of the greatest performers in the history of professional wrestling. It was The Rock that drew me back into WWE fandom after I gave it up around the age of twelve, with his, dare I say, electrifying mic and in-ring styles. Sure, he's not the greatest technical wrestler ever, but he's pretty darn good anyway, and knows how to make millions of people buy into whatever he's selling with just a few well-chosen words or even an expression. I got back into wrestling and first discovered L5R at about the same time, and together they eventually lead to me taking on the name "Akodo Rokku" -- Rokku just being an engrish spellign of "Rock". I have smelt what he is cooking, and it is always something good.
11. Star Wars (Narrowing it down to just the Expanded Universe)
12. Firefly - Jayne Cobb. Jayne is simply Jayne, and that's what makes him so awesome. While all the other characters in Firefly have shadows in their pasts or driving purposes Jayne has neither -- he's just a guy. A thug, sure, but otherwise, just a guy. He's probably the *second* greatest character Joss Whedon has ever created, and again a lot of credit goes to the actor, Adam Baldwin. Jayne just wants to get laid and paid, and that makes his rare moments of moral crisis or insight so much the better.
13. Samurai Champloo - Mugen Mugen is an ignorant, tactless, lecherous, violent nut. But he's got so damned much style! He tackles life head on, completely relentless and full of passion. And he has an understanding and even respect for honor, frienship, and duty (as evidenced by his actions in the series finale). He's the perfect example of the "noble savage" archetype, and he more than anyone made Champloo an unforgettable series.
14. Xenosaga - Albedo. Albedo is a monster. Completely sociopathic, virtually immortal, and deeply sadistic, all traits I love -- in a villain. And Albedo is a *fabulous* villain. Just when you think he can't get any crazier or any more evil, he turns it up another notch. The scene in Episode 1 where he rips his own head off in front of MOMO just to make a pointis at the same time deeply disturbing and amazingly cool. Albedo is one of my favorite villains of all time.
15. Final Fantasy - Auron. Bad. Fucking. Ass. That's the first thingl I have to say for Auron. How many characters in anything EVER can take a simple gesture like shrugging their coat off their shoulder and make you go "Aw damn some shit gonna go down now!" And finding out Auron's past only made me like him more -- he has very good reasons to have become as hard and strong as he is now, mistakes to attone for and a world to change before he can rest. Hell, he didn't let death itself slow him down. And when the end finally came for him, he met it with nobility and grace. Put that all together, and you've got yourself one hell of a hero.
Categories I've removed because nobody knew!
Marvel Comics - Darkhawk. Darkhawk is my Spider-Man. His comic single-handedly made me a comic fan for life, with the simple story of a teenage kid who stumbles into great power and decides to use it for good, all the while dealing with his own problems. The problems were updated from those Peter Parker faced in the 60s -- on top of girl troubles he had to deal with helping his overworked DA Mom to raise his twin brothers after his corrupt cop dad was executed by the mob -- but it was pretty much a retelling of that old tale. Sort of an Ultimate Spider-Man before there was an Ultimate Spider-Man. I highly recommend the first 25 issues to anybody who's ever been a comics fan, and I wish I still had mine.
Enjoy!