Musings of the Obsessive Kind

While waiting for our plane to take off (punctuality is clearly not the strong suit of this airline), I discovered Thermae Romae on the little seat screen - a Japanese comedy in which Abe Hiroshi plays a Roman bathhouse architect who travels through space and time to end up in a Japanese onsen.

It's hilarious!

Plus, where else are you going to hear ancient Romans speaking Japanese?

Posted via m.livejournal.com.

While waiting for our plane to take off (punctuality is clearly not the strong suit of this airline), I discovered Thermae Romae on the little seat screen - a Japanese comedy in which Abe Hiroshi plays a Roman bathhouse architect who travels through space and time to end up in a Japanese onsen.

It's hilarious!

Plus, where else are you going to hear ancient Romans speaking Japanese?

Posted via m.livejournal.com.

(Thanks for the heads-up, valkyriesailor!)

Kenshin, about a former killer during the Bakumatsu, who gives up killing and tries to settle down afterwards, was one of my first animes and I used to be obsessed with it. Mr. Mousie and I spent many happy hours devouring the anime. (Just click on my 'kenshin' tag for way too many posts).

And apparently, there is a live-action coming out and the trailer looks fantastic!



Yessss! I checked the cast list and they have Kaoru and Megumi and Sano. Woo-hoo! But no Aoshi? :(

OMFG EVERY OTHER DRAMA IS ON HOLD



asjsunjujrcfgvuhjdkrujfkmhjgfkgjhfkhgkfhg I am literally making barely human noises because I just got my hands on The Stories of the Han. What is it? It's a 50 ep cdrama from 2005 all about Xiang Yu (and Liu Bang, of course). My obsession Hu Jun (OMG have you seen him in Demi Gods and Semi Devils) plays Xiang Yu. And there is a lot of shippy stuff with him and Consort Yu. Check out this MV (spoils for ultimate fate of Consort Yu in case you didn't know it already).



Horse-riding! Her riding to his battles! Rescues from fiery death! Coed naked bathing! Hurt/comfort! Swords everywhere! OMFG it's everything I want in an otp.

aaodgjhuikfunjgyjgdkmgyufktvfhjfkjhkfhfkh

I have been obsessed with them as an OTP since I saw them as the secondary pairing in The Myth (scene which literally gave me hysterics bad enough to make me puke involved them). To have a whole drama where it's a big part of the storyline - I am going to die of hyperventilation!

For anyone who needs a quick primer - Xiang Yu was a legendary general who overthrew the Qin Empire. Eventually he and his one-time ally Liu Bang became fell out about who should rule China and got into a major civil war. Considering that Liu Bang is styled "Father of the Han," you can figure out who won that one. Concubine Yu was Xiang Yu's consort and a legendary beauty. Their love story is the basis of a lot of art, including "Farewell My Concubine," the opera which gave the title to the famous movie.

Here is a VERY spoilery scene from the drama. OMFG this is going to be my obsession, isn't it? I am already sniffling just from the clip.



This is going to tide me over nicely until the Feng Shao Feng/Liu Yi Fei movie airs. And the Chen Jian Bing drama. And the Daniel Wu/Yang Mi movie. (Not that I am complaining, but why the sudden movie/drama obsession with Xiang Yu?).

OMFG EVERY OTHER DRAMA IS ON HOLD



asjsunjujrcfgvuhjdkrujfkmhjgfkgjhfkhgkfhg I am literally making barely human noises because I just got my hands on The Stories of the Han. What is it? It's a 50 ep cdrama from 2005 all about Xiang Yu (and Liu Bang, of course). My obsession Hu Jun (OMG have you seen him in Demi Gods and Semi Devils) plays Xiang Yu. And there is a lot of shippy stuff with him and Consort Yu. Check out this MV (spoils for ultimate fate of Consort Yu in case you didn't know it already).



Horse-riding! Her riding to his battles! Rescues from fiery death! Coed naked bathing! Hurt/comfort! Swords everywhere! OMFG it's everything I want in an otp.

aaodgjhuikfunjgyjgdkmgyufktvfhjfkjhkfhfkh

I have been obsessed with them as an OTP since I saw them as the secondary pairing in The Myth (scene which literally gave me hysterics bad enough to make me puke involved them). To have a whole drama where it's a big part of the storyline - I am going to die of hyperventilation!

For anyone who needs a quick primer - Xiang Yu was a legendary general who overthrew the Qin Empire. Eventually he and his one-time ally Liu Bang became fell out about who should rule China and got into a major civil war. Considering that Liu Bang is styled "Father of the Han," you can figure out who won that one. Concubine Yu was Xiang Yu's consort and a legendary beauty. Their love story is the basis of a lot of art, including "Farewell My Concubine," the opera which gave the title to the famous movie.

Here is a VERY spoilery scene from the drama. OMFG this is going to be my obsession, isn't it? I am already sniffling just from the clip.



This is going to tide me over nicely until the Feng Shao Feng/Liu Yi Fei movie airs. And the Chen Jian Bing drama. And the Daniel Wu/Yang Mi movie. (Not that I am complaining, but why the sudden movie/drama obsession with Xiang Yu?).

(This is mainly to check out if I can post through my new firefox because IE refuses to let me open post page but also because this is so gorgeous it beggars belief).



I just know I am going to bawl my eyes out.

(This is mainly to check out if I can post through my new firefox because IE refuses to let me open post page but also because this is so gorgeous it beggars belief).



I just know I am going to bawl my eyes out.

The awesome trickydaos has just shared this with me and I have to share it with the wooooooooooooorld! Here are FSF and Liu Yi Feng as Xiang Yu and Consort Yu in the upcoming epic (sadly movie, not drama) White Vengeance.



OMFG I WANT I WANT I WANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Historical OTP ftw! This is how it's done, Yu Zheng!

The awesome trickydaos has just shared this with me and I have to share it with the wooooooooooooorld! Here are FSF and Liu Yi Feng as Xiang Yu and Consort Yu in the upcoming epic (sadly movie, not drama) White Vengeance.



OMFG I WANT I WANT I WANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Historical OTP ftw! This is how it's done, Yu Zheng!

Head to hanjae's lj for more detail, but have you ever dreamed you are going to get Feng Shao Feng as Xiang Yu, Crystal Liu as Consort Yu, and Leon Lai as Liu Bang? Because you are getting it!!!!! In an upcoming movie White Vengeance? Oh, why is not in my hands already????

Oh, how hot and gorgeous will FSF/Crystal Liu be? OMG. And with battles and tragedy and costumes and...ummm, is it wrong to find Liu Bang sexy too? Because Leon Lai does it for me in a major way. ILY, Emperor Gaozu - ok, I felt v.v. weird even typing that.

Am extra amused because it means FSF gets to be Xiang Yu regardless of Yu Zheng's wishes in the matter.

Also, not that I am complaining - I am a majorly happy camper - but why the rash of Xiang Yu-Liu Bang movies/dramas lately? In addition to this and Yu Zheng's drama with Ming Dao, there is also an upcoming movie with Yang Mi (who is presumably portraying neither Xiang Yu nor Liu Bang), called Last Banquet (also as per my cstuff guru hanjae).

Let the best Xiang Yu win!!! :)

This is also an odd coincidence because I am currently reading Mark Edward Lewis' "The Early Chinese Empires: Qin and Han" and it has this hilarious (to me) passage about Liu Bang:

As a youth, Gaozu refused to work in his family's business and instead spent his time drinking and carousing with similarly inclined friends. During his rise to power, Gaozu even tried to throw his own children out of a carriage to aid his escape. When his father was taken prisoner by Xiang Yu and threatened with being boiled and eaten (DM: wtf? Boiled, fine, but why eaten? Surely they had some chickens or pigs), Gaozu asked to share the soup. After becoming emperor, he richly rewarded a follower who persuaded Gaozu's father (dm: guess they didn't eat him, after all) to serve as a subject in Gaozu's empire, since there could be only one sun in the sky.
Gaozu's lack of connection to his family (dm: worthy husband of Lu Zhi, it seems) and place of origin stands in stark contrast with that of his chief rival, Xiang Yu...Advised that, having occupied and sacked the Qin capital, he should make his own capital there, Xiang Yu insteasd chose to return to Chu, rule in his home, and enfeoff his allies across the north of China. "To become rich and famous and then not go back to your old home is like putting on an embroidered coat and going out walking in the night. Who would know about it?" (Dm: my fear in walking in fancy clothes at night would be getting mugged, not unnoticed, but then am not fearsome hegemon-king). He could not leave his old home for the sake of an empire. Gaozu could, and so he triumphed."

I wish I could find an entire book in English on Liu Bang and Xiang Yu's struggle. Would be fascinating. Oh well.