Ramblings and Musings of the Insane, Philosophical Ladybug

I stole something from Tumblr again. This was on Gwen's Tumblr, but I'm not sure if she wrote it or was just posting it from someone else. (It wasn't a reblog.)


( 50 question meme )

I was also tagged to answer some questions that Kohaku and Trix wrote. I don't use my Tumblr for posting memes and such, so I decided to bring those over here too. Trix's first, then Kohaku's, which is the order I saw them.


( Two more quizzes )

YOU

1. Do you use a chat/screen name that has anything to do with Yuugiou?
-- Yes! Marik4me

2. When did you first hear about Yuugiou?
-- Two and a half years ago.

3. How did you first hear about Yuugiou?
-- I was watching the WB because JP had told me about the Powerpuff Girls and I was trying the show out. I saw previews for YGO and thought it looked kewl.

4. What were your first thoughts upon seeing Yuugiou?
-- I was hooked from the very first episode. XD;

5. If you disliked it, what caused you to change your mind? If you liked it, what drew you to it?
-- Hmm. The first episode I saw was The Evil Spirit of the Ring. I liked the deep plot the show seemed to have and the fact that it wasn't "kiddy." And I liked the characters, especially Bakura, Yami B, and Yugi.

6. How long have you been interested in Yuugiou?
-- Two and a half years.

7. How long do you think your interest will last?
-- Pretty much anything I've ever liked, I still like.

8. Do you think you look like any of the characters from Yuugiou? If so, which one and how?
-- I cosplayed as Marik, but I don't really look like him or any of the others. XD

9. Do you watch the original Yuugiou anime?
-- I've seen some clips.

10. Or are you more of a dub person?
-- Put it this way: I haven't been jumping all over trying to get the uncut DVD's. XD; However, when they release the volumes with the doppelganger Kaiba episodes, I'll buy those. There's a dub track where they keep the Japanese script, so that's probably how I'll watch the uncut stuff.

11. Which do you prefer of dub and original? (don't answer unless you've seen both)
-- I prefer the dub voices, really. XD; And yes, I have heard the Japanese voices! And since I've heard there's lots of swearing in the original, that's good enough reason for me to prefer the dub all around.

12. Do you read the Yuugiou manga?
-- Sometimes. I don't own any, though. It's pretty gory sometimes.

13. If so, do you prefer it to the anime?
-- Nope. Anime's better. Besides, I like seeing the characters in color and moving. XD

14. Does anyone consider your love for Yuugiou bordering on obsessive?
-- Probably lots of people. XD

15. Have you converted anyone into Yuugiou fans?
-- Yes!

16. Your thoughts on Takahashi-sensei
-- He is a genius!

17. Which Sennen/Millennium item would you like to own? Why?
-- It would be interesting to have the Eye or the Ankh and be able to see into people's minds. Probably the Ankh. . . . I wouldn't wanna "install" the Eye. XD;


CHARACTER

18. Who is your favorite character and why?
-- Marik. And his siblings. And the Kaibas. And the bikers. As to the "whys," I've explained a bit on why I like Marik and Kaiba below. Ishizu and Rishid I like because they love Marik so much and only want to save him from the darkness. Mokuba I like because he's freakin cute. I hate obnoxious kid characters and Mokuba is the exact opposite of those. The bikers I like because none of them are really "bad," they were all misled by Dartz and they have tragic pasts and good reasons to be upset. They're really all good at heart, and what's not to love about that?

19. Has this character influenced a part of your life?
-- Well, I dunno about life, but they've sure influenced my writings!

20. Are you fiercely defensive of this character?
-- YES!

21. Who is your least favorite character and why?
-- Gozaburo, Mr. Ishtar, Yami Marik. They're so mean! And Yami Marik can get so disgusting with his veins.

22. Has this character influenced a part of your life?
-- Nope.

23. Do you love to bag and bag and bag this character and can't for the life of you understand how him/her could be liked? (disregard if they were a character created for disliking, eg, Gozaburo, Ishtar-sama)
-- What's bag mean?

24. What would your favorite speech be? (or are you like me and they all make you eye roll?)
-- I like Yugi's and Téa's speeches just fine. And I adore Ishizu's speech to Marik and Rishid at the end of Battle City in the original Japanese! She tells Rishid, "We are not only from the same tribe, but we are family as well." YAY!

25. Do you believe Bobasa deserves more recognition from fans?
-- Who the heck?

26. And Anzu, do you think she gets too hard a rap from bashers?
-- Yes! Some people are immature. I think the majority of Téa haters don't even have a good reason for hating her; they're just being stupid. XD; Most of them can't even write or spell properly. Of course, once in a while there's someone who's mature and intelligent about their dislike of her and that, I am perfectly willing to accept. What I hate is immature dislike.

27. Who do you prefer, Yuugi or Yami no Yuugi?
-- I like them both. In the end, probably Yugi. Hesocute!

28. What about out of Bakura and Yami no Bakura?
-- Again, I like them both!

29. And Malik and his darker personality?
-- MARIK! **cuddlecuddle.** I don't like the Yami. XD;

30. Which of Yuugi's group (to cover all series: Yuugi, Yami no Yuugi, Anzu, Jounouchi, Honda, Bakura, Otogi, Hanasaki and Miho) is your favorite and why?
-- Bakura, Duke, and Téa. Bakura's so innocent and cute. I love those eyes! I'm not sure what it is about Duke that I like. XD; But I assure you all that I am not one of his adoring, clinging fangirls. And as for Téa, I like her loyalty and the way I think there's hints that she likes Seto.

31. And which of Yuugi's rivals is your favorite and why? (out of Yami no Bakura, Kaiba, Malik, Malik's darker personality, Mai, Ryuuzaki, Haga, Kajiki, Bandit Keith and Pegasus)
-- Yami B, Seto, Marik, and Mai. Yami B because he's just plain kewl. And I love his voice. XD; Seto is also very kewl. And I love how he's so determined to protect Mokuba! Plus, he and Marik are both kinda "repented bad guys." Face it, Seto was a jerk in that first episode. XD; But he changed! Even his voice changed. Am I the only one who noticed that? Also about Marik, he's so freaking cute. **strokes the hair.** He's so devoted to his siblings, as are they to him, and it's CUTE! Mai is a tough gal who isn't gonna let anything get in her way. I like that in a character, especially a female one.

32. Out of the Ancient Egypt cast, who is your favorite?
-- Atemu and Thief Yami B/Bakaré (the name Des and I gave him!)

33. Which Yuugiou character has the best-designed personality?
-- Tough one. . . . I'd say either Seto or Marik. On the surface, each seems shallow at first. But they're both extremely deep characters with poignant reasons for their actions. Same goes for the bikers. At first, it seems that they're just "soul collectors." But it soon becomes apparent that they've each suffered immense heartache and that they believe they're doing what's right.

34. What about the best outfit design?
-- Seto (especially the original, blue coat. I always preferred it and was in the minority), Marik, and Alister. I'm afraid I like those midriff shirts, boys. **pats them.**

35. And who would you date were they real?
-- I wouldn't wanna disrupt anything. XD So I wouldn't date any of them. I'd love to be friends with them all, though!

36. Which character will you never understand why so many fans adore?
-- Yami Marik. XD; I only like him when he can't get his way, like when he stuck his tongue out at Noa's camera. XD

37. Do you spell it Jounouchi, Jyounouchi, some other spelling, or just Jou or Joey?
-- JOEY! Occassionally, Joseph. I love that name. I'm naming my future son Joseph!

38. Do you say Ryou or Bakura when referring to the fluffy-haired omote?
-- Bakura. I don't like the name Ryou. XD; I associate it with the guy on Shaman King.

39. On that topic, hikari, omote, host, light or plain old mou hitori no boku?
-- Hikari


DUBBAGE

40. Do you approve of 4Kids's Yuugiou dub? Why/why not?
-- Yeah. I only disapprove of a few things, such as them changing why Marik didn't want the Tombkeeper's Initiation.

41. Have you bought the dubbed DVDs?
-- A few, mostly the ones where the WB merged two episodes together into one and they were broken apart again for the DVDs.

42. Who is your favorite dubbed VA?
-- J.T. Ross. He provides a perfect voice for Marik! I also really like Eric Stuart and Marc Thompson. Yay for Marc's Aussie accent!

43. Whose dubbed voice do you detest?
-- Hmmm. Good question. XD; I'm happy with the voices, actually. Even Mai's new voice is slowly growing on me. And I never minded Yami Marik's. It suited him well, I thought.

44. Do you notice the VAs from dubbed Yuugiou in dubbed shows by 4Kids like Pokemon and Ultimate Muscle?
-- Well, I didn't notice Eric Stuart was Brock for the longest time. Finally I realized he sounded like Seto. XD; And I don't care for Ultimate Muscle.

45. Do you tape the dubbed episodes off TV?
-- YES! I have every episode.

47. Which dubbed names (if any) annoy you?
-- **shrugs.** Not really any. I was momentarily startled at the name Alister, but it quickly grew on me. It sounds more masculine anyway.

48. Do you take the time to write Téa or are you lazy and just write Tea? (ALT 233, people!)
-- I do the accent and have ever since I first learned the code for it. XD On my keyboard, it's ALT 130, though.

AUDIO

49. Do you have any of the Japanese Yuugiou openings on MP3?
-- Warriors.

50. If so, do you sing along knowing the words perfectly? And do you know what you're singing?
-- Nope to the first. XD; I have the English translation, though.

51. Do you own Sound Duel CDs?
-- Nope.

52. Did you buy the Yuugiou movie soundtrack?
-- Yes!

53. Or that other Yuugiou CD? Music to Duel By?
-- Yes!

54. Can you sing along with the words to these?
-- Yes. X3

55. Are you considering/do you learn Japanese so that you can better understand Yuugiou/another anime?
-- I just wanna learn Japanese period. XD


LOVE

56. What pairings do you support and why?
-- Seto/Téa. Téa's always scolding him on the show. Wouldn't it be interesting if she does so because she cares about him?

57. What pairings do you despise and why?
-- Incest pairings. Not too fond of yaoi or yuri ones, either. XD; It doesn't fit with the show.

58. Do you tend to like pairings because they look pretty, because the characters would go together well, because they're your favorite/least favorite characters and it's convenient or a combination of the three?
-- No. I actually used to think Seto/Téa wouldn't work at all. Then I started noticing the hints. . . . XD; I think Téa likes him, but he's indifferent.

59. If asked, do you think you'd be able to justify your liking of a favorite pairing?
-- I dunno. Isn't that what I'm trying to do now?

60. Or justify your hatred of a disliked pairing?
-- XD; Yes.

61. Do you think shounen ai and shoujo ai between Yuugiou characters is cute or demented?
-- It's not right. Takahashi-sama did not write the characters to be these ways! If characters are gay or lesbian in anime and manga, you always know it. XD; Long hair and/or odd clothing isn't enough evidence to consider a character as being homosexual. They have to act the part too!

62. Do the brother x sister incest pairings disgust you?
-- Of course! This disgusts me far more than shounen ai and shoujo ai.

63. What about the brother x brother (x brother!) pairings?
-- See above.

64. And the adult x child?
-- Uh. I guess that'd depend on who was involved. But if the age difference is really, REALLY farout, like say, Solomon/Rebecca, my mouth would drop open in stunned shock. XD;

65. Or non-con/rape, for that matter?
-- Yes. ><

66. Or are you just a type who prefers no pairings at all?
-- I like very few. XD;

67. What are your thoughts on the more canon-hinted relationships? (Yami no Yuugi x Anzu, Yuugi x Anzu and Jounouchi x Mai)
-- Joey/Mai is cute. I have nothing against Yugi or Yami Y with Téa, I just prefer her with Seto.

FANDOM

68. What were your first thoughts when you entered the fandom? (if you're in the fandom)
-- I don't remember. XD

69. What do you think keeps you in this fandom?
-- All the fascinating characters and the show's plot twists. It's such a deep show, really. I've seen a lot of anime shows and YGO is still one of the deepest and most poignant.

70. Are you a regular on any forums or mailing lists?
-- I'm in several of both. Mostly the latter I'm only still in so I can post links to my latest fanfic chapters. XD;

71. Do you roleplay Yuugiou, by instant messenger or in forums?
-- Of course! And I prefer IM RPs.

72. Do you write Yuugiou fanfiction? Or draw fanart?
-- Definitely. It's one of the perks of being in the fandom.

73. If yes to either of these, who do you draw/write about mainly, and what pairings?
-- Are you romance-obsessed or something? There's other things to write about! I like writing sibling and friendship cuteness and hurt/comfort and angst. That's what I draw, too.

74. Do you run a Yuugiou-related website? If so, what motivated you to make one?
-- I have two. XD; I'm Back! (which is largely devoted to Seto, but is also more of a general YGO page at the same time) and Kyodai no Kokoro (which is for the Ishtars). I always make websites for my fandoms. XD So yeah.

75. Do you run a shrine/fanlisting for any characters or pairings? If so, why?
-- I wanna make fanlistings for the Ishtar siblings and for the bikers, but I don't know how. I think I'd call the biker one Children of Eve, after this awesome song by Linda Eder that sounds like it's talking about them. The Ishtar one would probably have the same name as my website.

76. If you write fanfiction (or even if you don't, really) do you like to show off your knowledge of Japanese by throwing in random sentences? Even if you only learnt these sentences from other people's random sentences?
-- No. I think it's annoying when people do that in fics. I don't mind an occassional "Gomen!" or "Arigato!" but when they keep throwing whole phrases and sentences in Japanese, I wanna scream. XD; After all, I'm trying to read a story, not to see just how much someone knows about Japanese.

77. Are you a member of any fanlistings for Yuugiou characters or pairings?
-- Yeah, a lot. They're listed at Kyodai no Kokoro's main page.

78. Are you a member of any hatelistings for characters or pairings?
-- No. Hatelistings are pointless.

79. Or do you look down on hatelistings as stupid and pointless?
-- Why would someone hate a character so much that they'd spend time making a site on why they're so horrible? That's STUPID! Only immature people with too much time on their hands join hatelistings.

CARDS + GAMES
80. Which is your favorite card? Why?
-- Dark Magician Girl. I dunno why. Because she's one of the few girl cards and she's kewl?

81. Do you actually own a deck?
-- No. Just random cards. I don't have anyone to play the game with, so I consider building a deck pointless. The card game was never the big thing with me, anyway.

82. If so, what type of deck is it, e.g. Beatdown, Burner, Occult, Light.
-- See above.

83. Do you own any of the Yuugiou games?
-- Yeah.

84. If so, which ones?
-- Millennium Board Game

85. Which ones were fun? And which were horribly overrated?
-- It's fun. I can't comment on the others, though I did like playing JP's video game. ^__^ And Reshef of Destruction sounds so kewl! I read the strategy guide.

86. Do you rant at the TV whenever one of the characters performs an illegal move.
-- Occassionally. More often, I cheer excitedly when something kewl happens. XD;

Your: Happy eyes! Your cheerfull, bright and always
want to try something new. Your inquisitive and
quite lovable. You have many friends and will
succseed in life.


What type of eyes do you have?
brought to you by Quizilla

Interesting. XD

**huggles Marik.** Well, the Seto/Téa obsession toned down again so I can concentrate on my Ishtars. I guess it was just hanging around until I could finish my Dance Without Me update. XD I'm very proud of it. ^___^

It's funny, you know. . . . I'm almost going to be 18, but mentally I still feel 14. I was 14 when I first started rediscovering all my favorite old shows. That was the predecessor of finding awesome new shows to fall in love with (a.k.a, YGO). I just don't feel ready to be a grownup. XD And I guess that's one reason why I don't have any interest in romance. It's a grownup thing and I don't wanna get involved with it. I just wanna huggle my plushies and look forward to the YGO Movie. XD And write.

I just really, REALLY hope that rumor I read in a YGO fan magazine isn't true, that Seto LETS Anubis possess him so Anubis can duel Yami Y. That's preposterous. Seto isn't like that. He wants to defeat Yami Y himself, not have some freaky entity within him do it. O__o And besides, Seto would consider anyone who did do that as being simpleminded, weak little beings who can't do anything for themselves. If Anubis possesses him, it'd better be without Seto's permission. XD And Seto should get hurt at some point! **is certain now that her Ishtars will not be in the movie, so she is concentrating on getting some Seto h/c.** It could be like in my mind drug fic, where he falls off a building or something. XD Okay, I dunno whether that would be allowed to happen (probably not). Maybe it could be, like, a HUUUUUGE burst of energy that hits him! And then Yugi and the others would be there to help him or something. I have never seen a scene on the TV show where Yugi-tachi is all there trying to help Seto after he got kayoed or something. Hey, that rarely happens anyway. ^__~ Him being kayoed, that is. **counts.** Maybe . . . three times, max? And if a certain someone is reading this, Mokuba will be in the movie, in case she didn't know. XD I saw him in a screengrab at the official movie website! ^O^!

Wow! You know a lot about Season 3 and Kaiba. Are
you one of my friends, who has to put up with
me talking about this endlessly, did you go to
the site I mentioned earlier, too, or did you
go to another site and learn this stuff? Or do
you watch the Japanese version of the show? Or
did you read all the questions before you took
the quiz? Or are you just a lucky guesser?
Well, regardless of how you got this result,
check out www.hostultra.com/~yami/site.html
It's a really cool site. The image gallery is
awesome. Congrats on this result. Hope you like
the adorable chibi Seto piccy!


How Well Do U Know The Kaiba Family and Season Three of Yu-Gi-Oh! ?(WARNING: Spoilers!) Pics now up!
brought to you by Quizilla

I don't get what's such an event. XD None of those questions were very hard. O__o Anyone who's watched Season 3 (dub or sub) should be able to answer correctly.

I'm game! I'll take Lizzie's survey! ^o^

1)Do you remember your first reaction to Yu gi oh? I think so.
2)What was it? You know, this show's not too bad. I think I may be hooked.
3)What was your very first episode? The Evil Spirit of the Ring
4)Favorite character when you started watching full time? Bakura and his Yami
5)Favorite Moment up to now? Ummm ..... you mean of episodes I've seen? That'd havta be when Marik announces his repentance in episode #96!
6)Least Favorite Moment Up till now? Hmmm. Yeah, I agree with Lizzie. When Yami Marik is torturing Marik and trying to send him away!
7)Second Favorite Moment? Hmmmm. I like when Yugi and Yami Y have that vision and see all the gang during the duel with Noa and everyone gives Yami Y a card! That was sooo KEWL!
8)Second Worst Moment up till now? **thinks.** ......... I dunno. I remember being horrified when Pegasus stole Seto's soul!
9)Least favorite character up to now? Mr. Ishtar and Yami Marik. (tie)
10)Character that's grown on you the most? Seto and Marik. Didn't really like either of them at first XD But look at me now! **wild hand gestures.** My most favorite right now is Marik, of course.
11)Secondary favorite? Hmmm...... Rishid, maybe. ^o^
12)Present favorite duelist? Marik
13)Favorite minor character? Hmmm. Maybe Mako. Or Rex. Or .... DANG! What's the name I'm trying to think of???! ....... Is Shadi considered a minor character?
14)Best Dueling Moment? Hmmmmmm........ I haven't seen this yet, but I'm pretty sure it's gonna be my favorite! Marik surrendering the duel to Yami Y!
15)Favorite Episode up till now? Yami Bakura vs. Yami Marik, Part 1. Marik repents!! **snuggle.**
16)Okay,second favorite? I can't pick the WHOLE Noa's arc, can I? XD **LOVES Noa's arc!!**
17)Episode you never wanna see again? Umm..... dunno. Oh yeah I do. Episodes where Yami Marik is being mean to Marik!
18)If you had to pick one episode to watch over and over,which would it be? ONE episode to be my eternal companion? XD Oh boy. Now that is a toughie. I know I used to watch The Evil Spirit of the Ring again and again. It's still a top fave! **V!**
19)Favorite Card that's not a real card? Duuuuuh .......... come again?
20)Favorite card that you own? Moisture Creature XD I only have 11 cards and only one is a Fairy/Light monster.
21)Is there anything you'd change if you were able to (about the anime?) YES!!! The Ishtars would hang out with everyone else after Alcatraz Tower and go on the adventures with the Yugi-tachi! And Marik and his siblings would hug a lot! So basically, the way I write my stories is the way I wish the anime would be XD
22)Current Opinion of the anime? I adore it XD It's so adored by me that I sacrifice sleeping in on Saturday mornings to see it ^^ It's been a long time since anything was worth my time in that way XD

Starfire . . . she is my favorite character on Teen Titans, which has just recently started to air on the WB. I don't know exactly what is it about her I like, but last Saturday's episode, where her sister Blackfire dropped in, really clinched it for me that Starfire is my fave. I can't imagine the pain she must have gone through . . . to have her sister basically take over everything and rule everywhere where she had tried so hard to fit in. Then to find out that Blackfire had been just using her all that time and was wicked enough to not care if Starfire took her place in prison . . . wow. What a horrible blow. I just can't imagine what she must have felt. She must have thought, must have hoped, that Blackfire really cared about her, even though she was kinda selfish and pushy. And we know that Starfire still loved her sister, even after all that. But she had the courage to do what she knew was right, even though it was going to be extremely hard. She fought against and distracted Blackfire long enough so that the police could come up and arrest her. As Blackfire was being carted off to jail, she yelled about getting revenge someday.

I don't know whether Blackfire ever cared about Starfire at any time in her life, or whether her little sister was always just the perfect patsy. I do know that Starfire said that Blackfire was always rescuing her, and she must have looked up to her older sister. In the episode's epilogue, she wasn't angry at Blackfire, only sad and hurt. She can't stop loving Blackfire, even after such a betrayal, because of the sisterly bond they do share, whether Blackfire realizes it or not.

I hope that Starfire isn't one of those poor characters like Jar Jar Binks or Crazy Ed, whom many people despise. Starfire may be rather naive and gullible, but she's also so very sweet, kind, selfless, and loving. And she's obviously a lot stronger than others give her credit for. I think the only one who really can understand her is Robin. I'm hoping that a deep friendship can develop between those two. They're very good for each other. Another thing from Saturday's episode was that you could just feel the chemistry between them when they talked.

Maybe I like Starfire because I see some of myself in her. Heaven knows I'm too trusting and gullible, but on the other hand, I hope that I am forgiving and kind. And she's always looking for somewhere to belong. Many a time I feel as though I am as well. Sometimes it seems that I don't really belong anywhere except in my Internet world, where I can unleash my true self and know that I'm not alone. I can be just as nutty and as much into my hurt/comfort obsession as I want to be, and I can always find others on the Internet who feel as I do.

Nightshade is a character I created myself. She is a mostly black cat and most likely what I would call my "fursona." Those are furry characters made to represent oneself. Nightshade is me as I wish I could be. She's a tough fighter, brave and fearless, and she doesn't let anyone walk on her. EVER. Lately I've tried to be more that way myself. I won't stand for anyone telling me how I can and can't write. I choose my own way of writing and no one can make me change it. I'm always encouraging my friends to do exactly as they please and not try to please everyone else. As long as you please yourself and God, that's all that matters.

That's not to say that I don't like to please others, though. I have tried desperately to incorporate some elements into my stories that I know some of my friends will really like. For instance, lately I've tried to pay attention to Mokuba and get him into some predicaments because I know that my friend who's nuts about Mokuba will really be happy ^__^ And I try to give little hints at certain couplings, though I refuse to do any actual romance stuff (unless the fic is a special present for someone, like Ninetales). It makes me happy to put little things in my stories that will make others happy ^^

But there are some things I refuse to change. I won't use the Japanese names because I'm used to the American ones and I like them; likewise, I won't put them in Japan because that's not what I'm used to. I'm not detracting from the plot by having them in America. A show like Rurouni Kenshin *has* to be in Japan for plot purposes, but YuGiOh doesn't.

Hmm. . . . So I'm a bit of Starfire, a bit of Nightshade, a bit of Seto Kaiba. . . . Yes, Seto Kaiba. Neither one of us likes to spill our guts out. Those who know me know that I am a VERY secretive person and I absolutely HATE saying what's in my heart most of the time @@ A journal is the only place where I'd put these thoughts down. And even at that, I'm not saying all that much. Many of my deepest thoughts I will never reveal to anyone except God. And I'm perfectly happy with that.