cry if I want to (24 hours of tears)

[oiran]

crying over cartoons: Last night I watched the last few fansubbed episodes of Gankutsuou, a recent obsession, a sort of psychedelic space-decadent animated version of The Count of Monte Cristo (which I have never read, though I know it's about revenge). Sometimes I am amazed that my head can be so packed full of media tropes and yet I routinely fail to recognize the lunk-footed approach of a plot twist, not even when it's right behind me, huffing warm breath on the back of my neck. It's good, though, that I seem to have a stubborn core of gullibility, since when the surprise did come, I was stunned, horrified and, eventually, utterly broken down into a sobbing wreck. There are only a few more episodes remaining to be subbed, but I have a hard time imagining that the emotional pinnacle of the series isn't already behind me.

Gankutsuou apparently might be turned into a manga now that it's been successful as anime, which seems like it could be interesting. However, I tend to find most animated series or films that were manga first to be...unnecessary. Anything to do with Saiyuki, for instance. I have watched the Requiem movie (my verdict: eh. But I love Dougan - he's very tragic.), but even though I have the entire original series as well as Reload, I haven't been able to watch more than a minute or two of the very first episode. The characters look...weird. Their heads go wonky, and they have really tiny feet, too, like Beavis and Butthead. I don't want to be looking at Sanzo and hearing Butthead squawking about TP for his bunghole, you know? Maybe the tiny-feet thing clears up after those first few minutes - but I hear Gojyo has pink hair. That's just wrong.

Then there was the surprise bout of crying because Mr. G called me a diva. Which just proves that he was correct in doing so.

crying over skinny girls: Watched the repeat of the season opener of America's Next Top Model and, while they do have more girls who look like actual model material this time around, there are still plenty of WTF? women in the mix. Like, the raw and scary wrestler girl, for one. There were several semi-coherent sob stories that were terribly pathetic yet aroused no sympathies in me - at least not until the final cut had been made, and a couple of the very saddest of the girls didn't make it. They cried, so I cried. Monkey see.

My favorites right now are Kahlen, Naima and Lluvy. I like Kahlen for this one thing: the way that she walked toward the judges then turned to walk away while still staring accusingly back at them, all fierce and modely. For once, Jay Manuel says something I agree with, i.e., that Kahlen looks like Carmen Kass. Carmen Kass isn't a particular favorite of mine, but looking like her can't be a bad thing for an aspiring model. Naima is just cool, which makes me worry they'll do something awful to her cute faux-hawk and androgynous-but-not-butch look. Lluvy, with her giant eyes and dark hair, reminds me of a less-ditzy Norelle who can actually walk in heels, and I did love Norelle.

I can only see Keenyah, Brittney (or Brittany, the UPN site can't decide), Rebecca, Naima, Kahlen, or Lluvy actually working as a model, though of course this could change radically by the end of next week's ep.

I'm glad they're scheduling "cycles" of this show so close together. I like a steady supply of glittery crack.

Comments

[mei-x.livejournal.com]

There were several semi-coherent sob stories that were terribly pathetic yet aroused no sympathies in me - at least not until the final cut had been made, and a couple of the very saddest of the girls didn't make it. They cried, so I cried. Monkey see.

Oh yes. I really liked the mother from the Bronx who has been homeless at one point. I would have been happy if she were included, but like (Ms?) Jay said, I'm not sure if it was because of the sob story or because of her model potential.

[oiran.livejournal.com]

Her story was really tragic, but it was her graceful acceptance of the judges' decision and wishing luck to the others that finally made me cry. It seemed cruel to me then that the producers of this show do pad the ranks in this way, and I wonder why they bring some of these women as far as they do when they must know what their real chances in modeling would be. That woman had a pretty face, but she had some seriously prominent ears and the wrong body proportions.

It's unfortunate that having been on the show at all seems to convince these girls that they truly are model material, when clearly some of them just aren't. Like Cassie with her 32" chest and 36" hips. If she were to lose 2-3" off her hips, she'd have no boobs and a grinning skull for a head. The agencies should do her a favor and tell her that she's a pretty girl with hips, not a model, and that striving to achieve a model's body is more than likely going to ruin her health and self-esteem.

ANTM

[teaphile.livejournal.com]

Have you been following Elyse Sewell's lj? It's better than the show. Of course, that was the only season I watched.

Re: ANTM

[oiran.livejournal.com]

Yes! I love her! She's funny and smart and clearly a thousand times better than anyone else they've had on the program for those qualities alone.

I didn't watch the first season of ANTM for some reason (probably conflicted with Smallville), and only started watching the second season in the middle since both nerodi and fleegull were so enthusiastic about it. I'm hooked now, of course, even though I think it's a laughable notion that this competition has much of anything to do with modeling. The girls who look like models all seem to get eliminated in a hurry, leaving a bunch of emotionally damaged, inarticulate, gangly girls who "want it" enough to suit Tyra's sense of her own importance.

I wish I had seen the first season, since everyone tells me that the competitors were pretty much all "model material," and their various challenges were actually relevant to the world of modeling. I had heard this would come out on DVD, and maybe it already has (must check...).