lydamorehouse | The Void Stares Back (Reply)

Image: Willow's "Why won't you play with me all day instead of that stupid box?" thousand yard stare.

So, I should be writing on a short story for an anthology I finagled an invite to, so of course, I am suddenly filled with a desire to write pretty much anything else. It is Wednesday, so I should probably tell you all about what I am reading. I recently read a couple of manga--one that I reviewed over on my review site, called Dinosaur Sanctuary by Kinoshita Itaru. I also read My Wandering Warrior Existence by Nagata Kabi, who is the author of a bunch of other autobiographical manga, most famously including: My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness and The Solo Exchange Diary.

I haven't written up my review of My Wandering Warrior Existence yet because I'm not sure what I have to say about it. I will write something eventually, however, because my personal policy for MangaKast, my manga review site is that I review EVERYTHING I read that is manga or anime related. I do this because, otherwise, I'm sure I would skip reviewing all the trashy stuff I consume. I don't think there are a lot of review sites that faithfully record and discuss the weird, porn-y stuff that's out there? So, I hold my feet to the fire. Anything I finish, I review.

The thing is, Nagata-sensei is writing about her life. It's difficult to critique a narrative when it's essentially someone's lived experience, only illustrated and made public. Yet reading this particular volume makes me want to learn enough Japanese in order to write a letter to Nagata-sensei explaining to her that it's pretty clear to me that her "problem" in this particular volume isn't a problem at all. It's not that there's something wrong with her and, for me, it's not at all funny that she doesn't understand how people get into relationships. She sounds a bit neurotypical? But, otherwise, she's perfectly healthy and fine. She's just on the aromantic and/or asexual spectrum. She never seems to come to this conclusion in the book, however? Instead, she sets herself up--as she does in these manga--as a target for ridicule and laughter. That last bit made reading this particular volume kind of un-fun. I left the last page with a bad taste in my mouth, like I'd participated in self-bullying or something, you know? I felt the same way about her last autobiographical manga, My Alcoholic Escape from Reality. Yet I keep buying these books??

I think it's that last part that I'm finding hard to justify to the audience that reads my manga reviews. I really need to stop reading about this woman's life. It feels weird to be taking enjoyment out of her actually very serious train wreck of a life. Like, in the previous book, My Alcoholic Escape from Reality, she ends up hospitalized for fatty liver disease which she brought on by basically being an untreated alcoholic, a condition she never solves, other than to realize that she can cheat on her fatty liver diet by STILL DRINKING OCASSIONALLY. Like, this woman needs therapy, not another manga contract. Or she needs a contract to write a manga called, "My Life-Changing Experience Getting Therapy."

And, if I write that in a review that's going to harsh someone's squee about this mangaka and her work.

I will probably write it anyway? But, this is why I've been dragging my heels. It's not going to be a fun review, where I say, "Dinosaurs! Hot guys! Hot guys and dinosaurs! What more do you want??" which is the thumb nail for Dinosaur Sanctuary, basically.

So, let's see. In other news, a combination of dental surgery (my DM's) and weather has cancelled our Dungeons & Dragons game for tonight. Honestly? Either of those is a fine excuse. Both of them seems a bit like overkill. But, so no further adventures of the barbarian elf this week, as a head's up for the two of you reading my post-game write-ups.

Otherwise, what else have I been consuming? Mason and I finished up a marathon viewing of FullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, (I had only ever previously seen the 2003 FullMetal Alchemist anime, which, once it diverges, is shockingly different, and so much BETTER. The 2003 version doesn't have General Armstrong and, frankly, her absence is a crime against humanity. She is god's gift to humankind and my ONLY anime waifu.) So, that's been fun, in so much as a world-ending story can be fun.

I'm finally at the very last episode of Critical Role's second season... just in time to watch the new one-shot reprisal of that season's characters that they did.

I have the second Paladin book by Ursula Vernon, writing as T. Kingfisher, Paladin's Strength, in my hot little hands and am hoping to start reading that tonight.

And, unrelated, but related to some of the TV/YouTube consumption, I started a new quilt. This one is going to be weird... pretty intentionally, but the friend I'm making it for loves both octopuses and sheep.