Did you ever wonder what it would be like if ancient generals were emo school kids? Wonder no more!

I am not sure whether to clutch my head in horror or laugh. I have just discovered that K.O. 3an Guo, a twdrama the name of which I've seen here and there, is a modern-day high-school retelling of Three Kingdoms. Yes, Cao Cao, Liu Bei et al are now modern-day high-schoolers with supernatural powers duking it out for supremacy. Dong Zhuo is a (presumably evil) principal, who sends his adopted son to spy on principal of rival school who happens to be Diaochan's father (I sincerely hope they left the TK part about Diaochan becoming Dong Zhuo's concubine out of this version because - ewwwww). Oh, Guan Yu also has a thing for Diao Chan, and they eventually become an otp (!!!), but not above his loyalty to his sworn brother Liu Bei, who is massively hot (this seems to be the only version with a hot and tolerated-by-me Liu Bei, so there is a silver lining?). And Cao Cao is after Xiao Qiao who lurves Zhou Yu. Check out the relationship chart. And they all wear school uniforms. I am agog to find out how they present the battle of Red Cliff.

Oh my God.

OH MY GOD.

I...I...am not even sure what to say except the drugs involved in the scripting session must have been great.

Have a Zhou Yu/Xiao Qiao MV. I guarantee you have never thought of Zhou Yu this way before :P I confess to swooning all over the damn MV. Ummm. It's all my shippy kinks.

There is something incredibly awesome in it - it's as if someone's ff.net fanfic about famous-historical-figures-go-to-high-school got produced. I simply must see if this gem has subs.

I cannot wait.

Did you ever wonder what it would be like if ancient generals were emo school kids? Wonder no more!

I am not sure whether to clutch my head in horror or laugh. I have just discovered that K.O. 3an Guo, a twdrama the name of which I've seen here and there, is a modern-day high-school retelling of Three Kingdoms. Yes, Cao Cao, Liu Bei et al are now modern-day high-schoolers with supernatural powers duking it out for supremacy. Dong Zhuo is a (presumably evil) principal, who sends his adopted son to spy on principal of rival school who happens to be Diaochan's father (I sincerely hope they left the TK part about Diaochan becoming Dong Zhuo's concubine out of this version because - ewwwww). Oh, Guan Yu also has a thing for Diao Chan, and they eventually become an otp (!!!), but not above his loyalty to his sworn brother Liu Bei, who is massively hot (this seems to be the only version with a hot and tolerated-by-me Liu Bei, so there is a silver lining?). And Cao Cao is after Xiao Qiao who lurves Zhou Yu. Check out the relationship chart. And they all wear school uniforms. I am agog to find out how they present the battle of Red Cliff.

Oh my God.

OH MY GOD.

I...I...am not even sure what to say except the drugs involved in the scripting session must have been great.

Have a Zhou Yu/Xiao Qiao MV. I guarantee you have never thought of Zhou Yu this way before :P I confess to swooning all over the damn MV. Ummm. It's all my shippy kinks.

There is something incredibly awesome in it - it's as if someone's ff.net fanfic about famous-historical-figures-go-to-high-school got produced. I simply must see if this gem has subs.

I cannot wait.

Did you ever wonder what it would be like if ancient generals were emo school kids? Wonder no more!

I am not sure whether to clutch my head in horror or laugh. I have just discovered that K.O. 3an Guo, a twdrama the name of which I've seen here and there, is a modern-day high-school retelling of Three Kingdoms. Yes, Cao Cao, Liu Bei et al are now modern-day high-schoolers with supernatural powers duking it out for supremacy. Dong Zhuo is a (presumably evil) principal, who sends his adopted son to spy on principal of rival school who happens to be Diaochan's father (I sincerely hope they left the TK part about Diaochan becoming Dong Zhuo's concubine out of this version because - ewwwww). Oh, Guan Yu also has a thing for Diao Chan, and they eventually become an otp (!!!), but not above his loyalty to his sworn brother Liu Bei, who is massively hot (this seems to be the only version with a hot and tolerated-by-me Liu Bei, so there is a silver lining?). And Cao Cao is after Xiao Qiao who lurves Zhou Yu. Check out the relationship chart. And they all wear school uniforms. I am agog to find out how they present the battle of Red Cliff.

Oh my God.

OH MY GOD.

I...I...am not even sure what to say except the drugs involved in the scripting session must have been great.

Have a Zhou Yu/Xiao Qiao MV. I guarantee you have never thought of Zhou Yu this way before :P I confess to swooning all over the damn MV. Ummm. It's all my shippy kinks.

There is something incredibly awesome in it - it's as if someone's ff.net fanfic about famous-historical-figures-go-to-high-school got produced. I simply must see if this gem has subs.

I cannot wait.

K.O. 3an Guo - I continue my morbid descent

I spent this morning investigating the "Three Kingdoms heroes become high school kids" thing that is K.O. 3an Guo. Yes, there are subs! DoReMii is subbing it. They have, so far, done 27 eps out of 50-something. (It's a multi-season drama because even by sticking them in high school, you can't possibly cram the story in less eps).

I have the first two eps ready to go, but I am sort of terrified to start. So I've been browsing youtube. Things I discovered thus:

1. Liu Bei is hot. My world is ending. This cannot be.

2. Also, he has an OTP with Shang Xiang who, for some weird reason, looks like a boy. I suppose they wanted to balance hot Liu Bei with unattractive Shang Xiang?

Have a MV of them:

3. They fight using guitars!!!! Their guitars have fighting powers and when they play them, the force defeats others. It's sort of like Scott Pilgrim on crack. So, basically, they can be emo teens playing in a band AND save the world at the same time. Is the Battle of Red Cliff a giant concert? Please? The fight scenes in general feel me with hilarity and glee:

4. Instead of kingdoms, you have high schools. Okaaaay.

5. There are a LOT of Zhou Yu/Xiao Qiao shippers, if youtube vids are anything to go by. Sadly, that storyline doesn't start until second season. Too bad, because the shippy vids on youtube are cuuuuute and I am not sure if I'll survive it to the second season. My brain is leaking out of my ears just from clips of this drama. But the OTP is cute:

It's been driving me nuts where I've seen Zhou Yu's actor before but dramawiki is not helpful. Oh, and Xiao Qiao apparently gets it on with Zhu Yun at one point?

6. They are all from another dimension. I'd say.

7. The whole thing looks as if it was done for $10, catering included.

K.O. 3an Guo - I continue my morbid descent

I spent this morning investigating the "Three Kingdoms heroes become high school kids" thing that is K.O. 3an Guo. Yes, there are subs! DoReMii is subbing it. They have, so far, done 27 eps out of 50-something. (It's a multi-season drama because even by sticking them in high school, you can't possibly cram the story in less eps).

I have the first two eps ready to go, but I am sort of terrified to start. So I've been browsing youtube. Things I discovered thus:

1. Liu Bei is hot. My world is ending. This cannot be.

2. Also, he has an OTP with Shang Xiang who, for some weird reason, looks like a boy. I suppose they wanted to balance hot Liu Bei with unattractive Shang Xiang?

Have a MV of them:

3. They fight using guitars!!!! Their guitars have fighting powers and when they play them, the force defeats others. It's sort of like Scott Pilgrim on crack. So, basically, they can be emo teens playing in a band AND save the world at the same time. Is the Battle of Red Cliff a giant concert? Please? The fight scenes in general feel me with hilarity and glee:

4. Instead of kingdoms, you have high schools. Okaaaay.

5. There are a LOT of Zhou Yu/Xiao Qiao shippers, if youtube vids are anything to go by. Sadly, that storyline doesn't start until second season. Too bad, because the shippy vids on youtube are cuuuuute and I am not sure if I'll survive it to the second season. My brain is leaking out of my ears just from clips of this drama. But the OTP is cute:

It's been driving me nuts where I've seen Zhou Yu's actor before but dramawiki is not helpful. Oh, and Xiao Qiao apparently gets it on with Zhu Yun at one point?

6. They are all from another dimension. I'd say.

7. The whole thing looks as if it was done for $10, catering included.

K.O. 3an Guo - I continue my morbid descent

I spent this morning investigating the "Three Kingdoms heroes become high school kids" thing that is K.O. 3an Guo. Yes, there are subs! DoReMii is subbing it. They have, so far, done 27 eps out of 50-something. (It's a multi-season drama because even by sticking them in high school, you can't possibly cram the story in less eps).

I have the first two eps ready to go, but I am sort of terrified to start. So I've been browsing youtube. Things I discovered thus:

1. Liu Bei is hot. My world is ending. This cannot be.

2. Also, he has an OTP with Shang Xiang who, for some weird reason, looks like a boy. I suppose they wanted to balance hot Liu Bei with unattractive Shang Xiang?

Have a MV of them:

3. They fight using guitars!!!! Their guitars have fighting powers and when they play them, the force defeats others. It's sort of like Scott Pilgrim on crack. So, basically, they can be emo teens playing in a band AND save the world at the same time. Is the Battle of Red Cliff a giant concert? Please? The fight scenes in general feel me with hilarity and glee:

4. Instead of kingdoms, you have high schools. Okaaaay.

5. There are a LOT of Zhou Yu/Xiao Qiao shippers, if youtube vids are anything to go by. Sadly, that storyline doesn't start until second season. Too bad, because the shippy vids on youtube are cuuuuute and I am not sure if I'll survive it to the second season. My brain is leaking out of my ears just from clips of this drama. But the OTP is cute:

It's been driving me nuts where I've seen Zhou Yu's actor before but dramawiki is not helpful. Oh, and Xiao Qiao apparently gets it on with Zhu Yun at one point?

6. They are all from another dimension. I'd say.

7. The whole thing looks as if it was done for $10, catering included.

First Post

OK, I resisted doing this for years, but with the recent DDoS attacks on LJ, I can't take it any more. Here it is, my first dreamwidth post.

Seeing that LJ seems to be dying

I am dangermousie at http://www.dreamwidth.org/ and will now cross-post all my posts there. Cross-post only. I am not moving from LJ to DW. I am only using DW as back-up - all my prospective posts will be also posted there in case LJ dies, but unless LJ shuts down permanently, I am not leaving it.

Go to http://dangermousie.dreamwidth.org.

Clarification for those unfamiliar with dw and cross-posting - every single post I make will continue to appear on this LJ as DW automatically crossposts to LJ. And replies, discussions, etc can all happen in either place. So you don't need to get on DW to read my stuff. But that way, with everything backed up on DW, I won't lose my posts if LJ dies and can have somewhere else to chatter if LJ is down.

I have been trying to save my LJ with either LJBook or LJArchive but my computer is not cooperating. I have an earlier version saved through Jan 2009 so at least I won't lose everything if it dies but I am going to try to get the rest too.

ETA: Yes, managed to back up everything with LJArchive using a different laptop. Next step: transferring it to DW, but not in too much hurry over it.

Seeing that LJ seems to be dying

I am dangermousie at http://www.dreamwidth.org/ and will now cross-post all my posts there. Cross-post only. I am not moving from LJ to DW. I am only using DW as back-up - all my prospective posts will be also posted there in case LJ dies, but unless LJ shuts down permanently, I am not leaving it.

Go to http://dangermousie.dreamwidth.org.

Clarification for those unfamiliar with dw and cross-posting - every single post I make will continue to appear on this LJ as DW automatically crossposts to LJ. And replies, discussions, etc can all happen in either place. So you don't need to get on DW to read my stuff. But that way, with everything backed up on DW, I won't lose my posts if LJ dies and can have somewhere else to chatter if LJ is down.

I have been trying to save my LJ with either LJBook or LJArchive but my computer is not cooperating. I have an earlier version saved through Jan 2009 so at least I won't lose everything if it dies but I am going to try to get the rest too.

ETA: Yes, managed to back up everything with LJArchive using a different laptop. Next step: transferring it to DW, but not in too much hurry over it.

Seeing that LJ seems to be dying

I am dangermousie at http://www.dreamwidth.org/ and will now cross-post all my posts there. Cross-post only. I am not moving from LJ to DW. I am only using DW as back-up - all my prospective posts will be also posted there in case LJ dies, but unless LJ shuts down permanently, I am not leaving it.

Go to http://dangermousie.dreamwidth.org.

Clarification for those unfamiliar with dw and cross-posting - every single post I make will continue to appear on this LJ as DW automatically crossposts to LJ. And replies, discussions, etc can all happen in either place. So you don't need to get on DW to read my stuff. But that way, with everything backed up on DW, I won't lose my posts if LJ dies and can have somewhere else to chatter if LJ is down.

I have been trying to save my LJ with either LJBook or LJArchive but my computer is not cooperating. I have an earlier version saved through Jan 2009 so at least I won't lose everything if it dies but I am going to try to get the rest too.

ETA: Yes, managed to back up everything with LJArchive using a different laptop. Next step: transferring it to DW, but not in too much hurry over it.

But when will there be a movie about Superhero Indra?

I don't know what sort of a rock I have been living under, but somehow I missed the fact that Thor, the movie about a Superhero who's actually a Norse God (oh, the sheer perfection of that combo rolls off the tongue so beautifully. Can he also be a ninja?) is coming in May.

Look at that trailer! I always knew the Norse gods had the best time and the movie proves this by having Thor snog the Black Swan herself. Though, somehow I don't think they are going to have this version of Thor crossdress as a bride to get his hammer back.

I am so very there the first day. It helps that for a very long time, my physical ideal was pretty much blond/blue-eyed/Viking throwback type. And whatever else may be going on in that flick, their version of Thor does look like he stepped out of one of the sagas.

Plus, cheese. Between this, Captain America, new X-Men, and that Superman reboot (does it really need one? But then I was one of the 5 people who liked Superman Returns), I am very very set this year. (For some reason, I adore superhero movies, even though I've never been a huge comics fan because I prefer a shoujo style of artwork and stories that have a clear end).

In case you've been wondering what's with the latest LJ outages

http://community.livejournal.com/talk_politics/957323.html

In case you've been wondering what's with the latest LJ outages

http://community.livejournal.com/talk_politics/957323.html

In case you've been wondering what's with the latest LJ outages

http://community.livejournal.com/talk_politics/957323.html

Mainly about poetry

1. I've been reading my way through Ashok K. Banker series of novels which are a retelling of the Ramayana in novel form. From what I remember (I read a Russian translation of the Ramayana ages ago), he is pretty faithful to the original, with the advantages that come with the novel form (dialogue, filling in the gaps) but if you are looking for an interpretation or reimagining of the original, you are better off looking elsewhere. Its faithfulness is also its straight-jacket. If, otoh, you want a rip-roaring good story (there is a reason I adored the original in translation as a child) written in a more accessible language and with more detail than a pure English translation of the original epic will be, come right in.

2. This is, for some reason, is reminding me of my love for Persian poetry. Translations were pretty obtainable in the Soviet Union when I was growing up. They are just so emotional and passionate and beautiful. The closest equivalent in English would be the metaphysical poets, IMO. I especially love Saadi. My favorite Persian poem is his. It's only four lines but it really gets me, somehow. Here it is, in Russian translation:

Если в рай после смерти меня поведут без тебя,
Я закрою глаза, чтобы светлого рая не видеть.
Ведь в раю без тебя мне придется сгорать, как в аду.
Нет, аллах не захочет меня так жестоко обидеть!

Also, his gazals are amazing. Here is one (in Russian translation)

О караванщик, сдержи верблюдов! Покой мой сладкий, мой сон уходит.
Вот это сердце за той, что скрутит любое сердце, в полон уходит.
Уходит злая, кого люблю я, мне оставляя одно пыланье.
И полыхаю я, словно пламень, и к тучам в дымах мой стон уходит.
Я о строптивой все помнить буду, покуда буду владеть я речью.
Хоть слово – вестник ее неверный, едва придет он и вон уходит.
Приди, – и снова тебе, прекрасной, тебе, всевластной, служить я стану.
Ведь крик мой страстный в просторы неба, себе не зная препон, уходит.
О том, как души бросают смертных, об этом люди толкуют разно.
Я ж видел душу свою воочью: она – о, горький урон! – уходит.
Не должен стоном стонать Саади,— но все ж неверной кричу я: “Злая!”
Найду ль терпенье! Ведь из рассудка благоразумья канон уходит!

If you want to read him in Russian, this is a great web-page.

It's hard to find English translations on-line, but here is one, done by this gentleman of another one of Saadi's poems:

I held in my bath a per­fumed piece of clay
that came to me from a beloved’s hand.
I asked it, “Are you musk or amber­gris?
Like fine wine, your smell intox­i­cates me.”
“Till some­one set me down beside a rose,”
it said, “I was a loath­some lump of clay.
My companion’s scent seeped into me.
Oth­er­wise, I am only the earth that I am.”

One of my favorite Russian poems is also inspired by Saadi. It's Yesenin's riff on Saadi's work:

Ты сказала, что Саади
Целовал лишь только в грудь.
Подожди ты, Бога ради,
Обучусь когда-нибудь!

Ты пропела: «За Ефратом
Розы лучше смертных дев».
Если был бы я богатым,
То другой сложил напев.

Я б порезал розы эти,
Ведь одна отрада мне —
Чтобы не было на свете
Лучше милой Шаганэ.

И не мучь меня заветом,
У меня заветов нет.
Коль родился я поэтом,
То целуюсь, как поэт.

ETA: How do I do the equivalent of LJ cuts on DW? I don't want to inflict lengthy uncut entries on my friends.

They are high school versions reincarnated ancient generals and they battle evil with their guitars

OK, five minutes into K.O. 3an Guo and I think I am going to enjoy it hugely.

The best way to describe it is "Three Kingdoms meet Tenjou Tenge.

KO posits a very important question - what would happen if the legendary generals, politicians and beauties from the Chinese ancient classic Three Kingdoms, were somehow fighting-mad high-school kids with supernatural powers who battled via rival schools. I bet you didn't know you needed to have that in your life!

Here are Liu Bei (!!!!) and an unknown fellow hero, battling to save the world through their guitar riffs:



Is it a nuanced, well-written, and equisitely-acted masterpiece? No. If you want that, you should watch the 2010 adaptation of the classic itself. But it knows to poke fun at itself with its tongue lodged firmly in cheek, so I can forgive it a lot. I do think it would have been much better as an anime - the set-up would fit a shounen anime perfectly (see Tenjou Tenge comparison) and a lot of this drama's ticks and tricks are very anime-like - animations to show emotions, weird distortions, etc.

( Some caps for your amusement )

FengMi ride again

( Pics from their latest, Destiny's Concerto, behind the cut )