Selmarixie's Profile

[COLOR="DarkBlue"]Heres a nice place for all the folks out there that enjoy reading!

[url=http://fashion-piranha.livejournal.com/35092.html?mode=reply]Fashionista Piranha's LiveJournal[/url]. It has wonderful reviews (on some great authors, and great books), and is always having contests for book-giveaways.

Anyone into the written form of story telling, or just the written word, should check out her journal.

[I](Currently there is a Historical Fiction giveaway contest going on!)[/I][/COLOR]

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[SIZE="1"][B]Warning[/B]: This Blog is image-heavy.[/SIZE]

[QUOTE][SIZE="2"][COLOR="Pink"]This will be the first in a series of five Sailor Moon themed blog posts.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]This will include my opening statements of current SM activities, feelings on the fandom, etc.[/COLOR] [COLOR="Red"]as well as my favorite Inner Senshi,[/COLOR][COLOR="Green"] and a listing of the entire cast of Inner[/COLOR] [COLOR="Orange"] Senshi characters for completion.[/COLOR] [/SIZE][/QUOTE]
[CENTER][SIZE="1"]Inner Senshi in Their Respective Princess Forms[/SIZE]
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/cartoonmaniac/SailorMoonPrincesses1.jpg[/IMG]
[SIZE="1"]Drawn by Sailor Moon creator Naoko Takeuchi.[/SIZE][/CENTER]

[COLOR="DarkBlue"]Sailor Moon was the very first anime that I ever saw, way back before I even knew what "anime" was. It's what started me in one my love for the fandom, and the show still holds a special place for me today.

Recently I've started revisiting it with one of my friends, that had never known anything about it, and with my little sister, who is just as big a fan as myself. I introduced my friend to the manga to start her off. She's enjoying it, and is almost finished with the entire thing. Once she's done, we're going to watch the anime together. - My sister and I, on the other hand, have been watching the live action Japanese drama of Sailor Moon. It's one of the first asian dramas I've been able to get her to enjoy, and I'm happy she does. I also gave her the manga to start reading, as she'd never done so before. She's also watching as much of the dubbed anime in her spare time as she can, and plans to watch the entire subbed series with my friend and I.

I'm just excited to be revisiting a show, a fandom, that had such a big impact on me when I was younger. Though I've never really left the fandom, and have never stopped being a fan. - I've also written up most of the Sailor Moon page on the ToonZone Animation Wiki, and am working on several guides to go with it. Currently the one I'm almost finished with is the "Sailor Moon Main Character Guide." (Links at the bottom of the entry.)

Sailor Moon is also impressive by itself. Two manga series (Sailor V, Sailor Moon [Moon, R, S, SuperS, Stars]), an anime metaseries [Moon, R, S, SuperS, Stars], a live action drama, as well as stage musicals.[/COLOR]
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[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][B][U]Inner Sailor Senshi[/U][/B][/COLOR]
[LEFT][SIZE="1"][COLOR="Pink"]*Favorites marked with a[/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkRed"]heart[/COLOR]. [COLOR="Blue"]Scale [U]1-2[/U],
because[/COLOR] [COLOR="Red"]there isn't really [/COLOR][COLOR="Green"]a
character I[/COLOR] [COLOR="Orange"]completely dislike.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/LEFT]

[B][U][COLOR="Pink"]Usagi Tsukino - Sailor Moon[/B][/U][/COLOR]
[IMG]http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x188/fireflyofearth/Sailor%20Moon/thSailorMoonTherapyKiss.gif[/IMG]
[COLOR="Pink"]I love Usagi and how clumsy she is, and how much she loves sweets and isn't afraid to show this side of herself to anyone that's around at the time. She just goes with the flow, but she definately knows when to get serious, at least after the first part of the series. I like all forms of her. (anime [future transformations included], manga, live action, musical) :heart:[/COLOR]

[B][COLOR="Blue"][U]Ami Mizuno - Sailor Mercury[/U][/COLOR][/B]
[IMG]http://th183.photobucket.com/albums/x188/fireflyofearth/Sailor%20Moon/th_thSailorMercuryAquaRhapsody.gif[/IMG]
[COLOR="Blue"]Ami has always been my favorite Inner Senshi. I love all forms of her and her personality is what appeals to me the most. Though another reason I know I started liking her was because blue is my favorite color, and water is my favorite element. I also like that we share a hobbie: reading. :heart: :heart:[/COLOR]

[B][COLOR="Red"][U]Rei Hino - Sailor Mars[/U][/COLOR][/B]
[IMG]http://th183.photobucket.com/albums/x188/fireflyofearth/Sailor%20Moon/th_thSailorMarsFlameSniper.gif[/IMG]
[COLOR="Red"]Rei happens to be my sisters favorite character, and her favorite of the inner Sailor Senshi. As for me, I really enjoy her attacks and the fact that she has some ability in her civilian form. I like all forms of her. (And really enjoyed it in the live action when she was [i]tricked[/i] into singing live for children in a Hospital.) :heart:[/COLOR]

[B][COLOR="Green"][U]Makoto Kino - Sailor Jupiter[/U][/COLOR][/B]
[IMG]http://th183.photobucket.com/albums/x188/fireflyofearth/Sailor%20Moon/th_thSailorJupiterOakEvolution.gif[/IMG]
[COLOR="Green"]I really liked Makoto's tomboyish nature, and how she still likes doing various things that would be considered feminine, such as cooking. I think I'm similar to her in that sense, only with different things instead of cooking. I also felt bad for her when we found out she lived alone because her parents died, and because of the way people treated her when she first came into the picture. :heart: :heart:[/COLOR]

[B][COLOR="Orange"][U]Minako Aino - Sailor V - Sailor Venus[/U][/COLOR][/B]
[IMG]http://th183.photobucket.com/albums/x188/fireflyofearth/Sailor%20Moon/th_thSailorVenusBeautyShock.gif[/IMG]
[COLOR="Orange"]She isn't my top favorite, but I do like her. I'm not very fond of her early Sailor V form in the live action, but she does have a mysterious appeal. I like Sailor V more in the anime and manga. - I also enjoy Minako as a civilian in the live action and anime. In the LA she's a singer/Idol who is already famous, and in the anime and manga she wants to become an Idol. :heart:[/COLOR]

[LEFT][SIZE="1"]*[B]Disclaimer[/B]: [COLOR="Pink"]I realize Sailor Moon, Usagi Tsukino,
isn't exactly part of the "Inner"[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]Senshi, but
this is where she fits best. I might repeat [/COLOR][COLOR="Red"]the
Usagi/Sailor Moon entry on my future Moon/[/COLOR][COLOR="Green"]Earth
Kingdom blog. - Sailor Chibi Moon [/COLOR][COLOR="Orange"]will go in the
Kingdom blog entry.[/COLOR] [/SIZE][/LEFT]

[CENTER][IMG]http://th168.photobucket.com/albums/u191/sailorjupitergirl/th_moonpgsm.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://th168.photobucket.com/albums/u191/sailorjupitergirl/th_mercurypgsm.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://th168.photobucket.com/albums/u191/sailorjupitergirl/th_marspgsm.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://th168.photobucket.com/albums/u191/sailorjupitergirl/th_jupiterpgsm.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://th168.photobucket.com/albums/u191/sailorjupitergirl/th_venuspgsm2.jpg[/IMG]
[size="1"][COLOR="Pink"]If you have any questions about Sailor Moon in any form, or any of the characters,[/COLOR] [COLOR="Blue"]feel free to PM me for information, or pictures. - Pictures from random sources, none made by me.[/COLOR]

-[URL="http://wiki.toonzone.net/index.php/Sailor_Moon"]Sailor Moon - ToonZone Animation Wiki Page[/URL][COLOR="Red"] - Edited by me, mostly written by me, but not completely. All Guide links on page.[/COLOR]
-[URL="http://wiki.toonzone.net/index.php/Sailor_Moon_Main_Character_Guide"]Sailor Moon Main Character Guide - ToonZone Animation Wiki Page[/URL][COLOR="Green"] - Created completely by me. Currently the only Guide with information. Close to completion.[/COLOR]
-[URL="http://soul-hunter.com/sailormoon/"]The Oracle: Your Sailor Moon Resource![/URL][COLOR="Orange"] - My favorite Sailor Moon fansite, with wonderful information and affiliate sites.[/COLOR][/size][/CENTER]

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[COLOR="DarkBlue"]I can't stand it anymore. [I]Twilight[/I] is getting far too much positive attention, that it doesn't deserve in the least, unless you're using it as a guide on how NOT to write a decent story. There are plenty of more deserving books out there, and I'm tired of people treating the [I]Twilight[/I] series like it's the best thing that's ever been written.

Bella is your basic Mary-Sue insert character, whose description matches surprisingly close to the author herself. - This would be Wikipedia's definition of "Mary-Sue,"

[I]“…a fictional character who is portrayed in an idealized way and who is generally lacking in any truly noteworthy flaws (or having his/her flaws romanticized)… characters labeled Mary Sues, as well as the stories they appear in, are generally seen as wish fulfillment fantasies on the part of the author”.[/I]

Bella's only noted flaw is her extreme clumsiness, which is then turned into something idealized by Edward, which further serves to endear her to other characters, thus completely defeating it's purpose as a flaw. = Mary Sue.

This is not my only complaint with Bella. She literally worships Edward, commenting constantly on how flawless he is, mainly in his looks. (Where the author continues to repeat herself with words like "Seraphic".) And when he leaves in the second book, she basically goes comatose because he's gone. (NOT healthy. See a shrink, ASAP.) She then goes forth in putting herself in suicidal, dangerous situations so she can hear his voice in her head. If this isn't an unhealthy obsession; someone, please, smack me with a raw salmon. - And let us not forget her complete useage of Jacob when she lead him on, just to dump him for Edward as soon as he returned. Wow, way to go Meyer, you write one hell of a role-model!

To further the "Self-Insertion" of the story with the author, besides the fact that Bella is close to looks with Stephanie Meyer, she also has boys flock to her on her first day of school. (Which also happened to Meyer, stated on her website. And, you know, despite the fact that she's described as PLAIN; all the boys totally [i]want[/i] her.) She also likes the 'classics,' exactly like Stephanie Meyer, and somehow manages to attract Edward, the most coveted boy at school. (Are you as disgusted as I am yet?)

Lastly, Bella can do nothing by herself. She always must have Edwards attention. In the words of [u]The Poison Apple[/u] creator; [I]"He has Bella, who practically licks his boots and grovels for affection from him..."[/I] - Yeah. It's not exactly something I would want to take an example from.

Now.. Edward. Oh, oh Shiny Sparkley SERAPHIC Edward. How I loathe you, and your Gary-Stueness. Skipping over the fact that he's a Vampire; Meyer gives him no personality in the book. (Which is at fault of her not being able to write in the First Person POV. Seriously, she sucks at it.) We don't get into Edwards head at all, we know absolutely nothing that he is thinking. And I know people will pull the "But she's writing a book from his POV, too!" card, and the one about how we aren't supposed to know what he's thinking because the books are from Bella's POV. Well, I hate to break it to you, but no author should have to write a completely seperate book to cover things that should have been done in the original. There are ways to introduce other characters thoughts through First Person POV; Meyer just completely fails at it.

Again, taking a quote from [u]The Poison Apple[/u], [I]"...and he is the author’s fantasy lover, as is evidenced by the excess of adjectives she uses to describe him."[/I] (We don't need to hear that he looks God-Like 12 times every chapter. That's just annoying, and makes the writing seem even worse than it already is.)

To put more evidence toward him being her fantasy lover, here is a quote from an interview:

[QUOTE][B]BS[/B]: Because of the perfection of the Cullen boys and Jacob, you have ruined the women of Changing Hands as well as women across the country for other men. Do you feel bad at all?

[B]SM[/B]: Yes, but mostly I feel bad for my myself. I have these perfect men in my head all the time, but every time I get up from the computer and step out of the writing haze, I have to realize yet again that (despite what my husband says) none of them are real. It breaks my heart over and over again. [B]Yes, definitely I deserve the most pity.[/B] [/QUOTE]

No, more like you need some [b]therapy[/b]. Connection to the characters you created is fine, but keep a connection to REALITY as well, please. (This is just as bad as the excessive fangirls who think Edward is real, and they're going to marry him one day.) - I fangirl myself sometimes, but never to the extent of thinking the characters I like from my various fandoms are real, and are going to fall in love with me. That's just creepy.

I honestly have to agree with the creator of [u]The Poison Apple[/u], I have absolutely no idea why people would find Bella or Edward attractive in any way. I prefer my men to have personalities more diverse than a plank of drift wood.
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Now, Meyer's 'Vampires.' If you can even call them that. The thread I frequent on Gaia has dubbed the name Meyerpires, and I think that's what I'll use as well, and speaking of that thread, theres a quote I would like to use from them, that gets my thoughts across quite nicely.

[I]"- Ms. Meyer's vampires are perfect. We respect her attempt to do away with the classical image of vampires, however, she made them super fast, strong, beautiful, etc.... She also did away with their weaknesses. And they shine, that speaks for itself."[/I]

I don't think I have to say much more than that. The only thing left on the Meyerpire subject, would be my confusion.

They've been Vampires for hundreds of years, but still go to High School? - They sparkle in the sunslight, but can somehow still manage for it to not be noticeable in the school? (I've never heard of a school that doesn't have windows, and surprise, Sun shines through windows.) - Not to mention the fact that her reasons for them sparkling make no sense what-so-ever. And they live in a small town. Why hasn't someone else questioned the Cullens weird habits? Why hasn't there been notices on mutilated animal carcasses? Honestly. More proof she's not a good writer. (She refers to herself as a Story Teller, but she isn't very good at that [i]either[/i]. I don't think she deserves the title very much. -- She didn't do much research, as is proven with the way she writes about the locations in her books, and the way she treated Vampires. She admits to only having been introduced to Anne Rice vampires, which frankly, have issues themselves. Not to mention she's said the book came from one scene in a dream she had.) That's another issue I have with her. Books take research, I don't care if it's fantasy, or whatever. You will always need some aspect of research. The only acception I can possibley see is a small childs book, like [U]Dr. Seuss[/U] or something similar, and in some instances you still need research in those.
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This section will be short and sweet: Meyer can't write a romance to save her life. There is no romance in this, it's like instant noodles. Nobody falls instantly in love with someone; it takes time for a relationship to develop, I don't care who you are.
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All of Meyer's secondary characters from Bella's new High School are stereotypical.

You've got Jessica, only welcoming Bella to make herself look better. Lauren who is "the bitch" from the get-go, and Angela; the quiet, shy girl who dates the chess club geek.

Tyler is your general jock. (Who gets paired off with the 'bitch' Jessica.) And Eric, who is described as the "Pimply chess club type." - The only one that doesn't completely fill a stereotype is Mike; whose just nice.

(Does this mean Meyer still has the maturity level hasn't gone up since High School?)

I'll once more take a quote from [u]The Poison Apple[/u], [I]"...the other girls in the school are foil characters- characters inserted to make the viewpoint character look better or worse by comparison." [/I]---- [I]"Humans in the book- humans Bella's age, at least- serve only to make Bella look good, and "mature" in comparison to the other shallow, immature girls."[/I]
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I heard Meyer doesn't get any better through her other books, including [I]The Host[/I].

I apologize for the length, and the fact that I was writing quickly, so some things might be a bit mixed up and out of order. I believe I got most of it cleared up, though. If theres something you don't understand, feel free to PM me.

And to put an end to this, a link to a very interesting essay by one of the members of the Gaia thread: [URL="http://www.gaiaonline.com/gaia/redirect.php?r=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gaiaonline.com%2Fforum%2Fviewtopic.php%3Fpage%3D1%26t%3D26745143%2311931616744"]Edward Cullen - Abusive Boyfriend. - By Aldorel[/URL][/COLOR]

And the link to the actual thread on Gaia: [URL="http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/books/anyone-else-can-t-stand-twilight/t.24736495_1/"]Anyone Else Can't Stand Twilight? [/URL]

[COLOR="DarkBlue"][SIZE="1"]*Credit to HardcoreLollipop and TwilightSucks.com for the banner.[/SIZE]

[SIZE="3"]-Twilight is [B]NOT[/B] a [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26PJZgO7bMA"]Saga[/URL].[/SIZE] [/COLOR]