Falling Stars

This manga by Kousuke Oono is described as a "cosy yazuka comedy", and yeah, that sums it up pretty well.

Tatsu used to be the feared Immortal Dragon. Now he's retired, married, and settled into the domestic life of being a househusband. His wife Miku is a designer with a full-time career, and Tatsu takes responsibility for the daily chores of cleaning, cooking, grocery shopping, etc - with all the intensity and ferocity of his old job.

The comedy is in the juxtaposition of his language, demeanour, and high stakes attitude, with ordinary life in an ordinary neighbourhood. There's also a kind of pleasure in seeing household tasks being treated with deep seriousness.

And it's not just Tatsu. This is a world where other ex-yakuza are just as likely to be embedded in normal life, whether working the register at the supermarket, or playing volleyball at the community centre - and all being weirdly intense about it. A world where Tatsu mentors young gangster Masa in laundry ("Sorry, I was eating curry udon and it got everywhere..." "Look, when you botch the job, you gotta clean up after yourself right away."). Or where Tatsu has a crepe battle with former rival, Tora the Steelfist Tiger (where Tora gets zero Instagram likes for his creation, and Tatsu gets one - from his wife).

It's bizarre but fascinating, often oddly charming, and sometimes even heartwarming.

The story I wrote for EdosianOrchids901 was:

Title: Burning Dreams
Fandom: Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley
Characters: Crowley, Aziraphale
Tags: No Archive Warnings Apply, Lingering Trauma From Friend/Lover's Presumed Death Even After They Turned Out Alive, Crowley Has Nightmares, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Canon
Rating: General Audiences
Summary: Crowley keeps having the same nightmare.

Thank you again to Kartaylir for your wonderful Foreigner story, Interface. Loved seeing these two lost souls find a way to connect with each other.

Works are revealed for the Hurt/Comfort Exchange! And I got a lovely story for the Foreigner series by CJ Cherryh.

Title: Interface
Fandom: Foreigner Series - CJ Cherryh
Relationships: Bren Cameron/Jase Graham
Characters: Bren Cameron, Jase Graham
Tags: No Archive Warnings Apply, Hurt/Comfort, Culture Shock
Rating: Teen
Summary: The aftermath of a fight results in the mending of bruises.

I loved seeing this shared moment between Bren and Jase, and them dealing with the divisions between them, and finding a way across the cultural interface. Thank you so much, dear writer!

214 works in 122 fandoms!

My review of Season 1.

So, you know how I was wondering, why they moved the setting of the show from Melbourne to Auckland, from Season 2 onwards?

I had a look at the production year on the back of the DVD. 2021. Oh. Oh.

Except that, actually, it turns out my assumptions were completely wrong! The move wasn't because of the pandemic. According to the producer: "It was Lucy's idea really. The Australian show wasn't planned to return, and she was living back in Auckland, so the idea of a Kiwi spinoff was born."

Anyway. The show looks to have made the transition very smoothly. The story reason is that Alexa has moved back to New Zealand to spend as much time as she can with her brother Will (played by Martin Henderson). This means that we farewell two old characters and meet two new ones: the police contact who gives her cases (now DI Harry Henare, played by Rawiri Jobe), and the cafe owner who buys her bread (now Reuben Wulf, played by Joe Naufahu).

They even recast the cat! (Though we learn, through a guest appearance via Zoom, that DI Kieran Hussey has adopted the old cat, who his kids love.)

But I am extremely delighted that Madison made it across the Tasman Sea. The story reason for her move is that Alexa messages her for tech help on a case, and instead of sending an email, Madison shows up on her doorstep with all her luggage. Even though I started watching the show because of Lucy Lawless, her rapport with Ebony Vagulans has become a real drawcard. Sometimes there's more snark than banter, with Alexa's cranky and sarcastic side coming to the fore. But most of the time, they make a great team.

This season, we get more backstory for both Alexa and Madison, the murder mysteries are pretty solid, and there are lots of loving shots of Auckland landmarks and scenery. (One of the highlights was an episode at the beautiful Auckland War Memorial Museum.) Notable guest stars include William Shatner (appearing via Zoom) and Renee O'Connor (a lovely reunion for Xena fans).

The DVD cover has a New York Times quote calling it "a sunny procedural", and that describes the vibe pretty well. (Despite all the murders.)

My review of the earlier volumes.

So this is a manga about a man and his cat, and how they saved each other from loneliness.

But it turns out, it's also a manga about the healing power of cats.

I mean, also the healing power of love and friendship. But mostly cats.

Mr Kanda is the man. A widower who adopts a cat, like his late wife always dreamed of someday. We've seen how the cat, Fukumaru, has transformed his life. We've gotten his painful backstory: how he was an acclaimed concert pianist, who toured too long and got back too late, and how he can't make himself get back on stage after that loss.

And now! More people start coming into his life, admirers and rivals alike, who knew him back then or know him by reputation. All of them stunned at how full of joy he is now, and won over by his kindness and compassion. We get the dramatic backstory reveal of the hidden wounds they carry, and then the catharsis of them opening up about their emotional trauma, and starting on the path of healing their hurts.

Oh yeah, and they start falling in love with cats too. Yes, more cats come into the story, some with their own emotional scars of neglect or abandonment, and these serious professional musicians have their hearts melted by them, and decide they need to give these cats a home. It's slightly ridiculous, but deeply heartfelt, and utterly compelling.

I love that Mr Kanda is changing the lives of the people around him, mending rifts in relationships, rediscovering his love of music and helping others rediscover theirs. I love that he now has a circle of unlikely friends, with the feeling of found family, and many lovely moments of people connecting.

If you want adorable cat antics, and repressed adults crying their hearts out while hugging cats, this is the series for you.

Is this a cat manga or a music manga? It can be both!

At first, I was conflicted about it. I thought maybe I should emphasise the "cat manga" aspect more. I wondered if it shouldn't just be about Fukumaru and the man's heartwarming days together.

When you create characters though, they acquire histories. When I saw their burdens, I wanted to lighten their loads as much as I could. Apparently, I can't draw purely heartwarming stories.

Go for it, protagonist! You can do it! I just know you'll overcome this! While you're at it, go on and carry everybody!

- Author's Notes, Volume 6

SHINDOU:

Two years ago I was a beginner and the gap between us was huge.
But now when I play you at your study group, I don't feel like I falter.
That's how I felt, anyway...

But I wasn't able to surpass you in an official match.
There's still something I lack.

MORISHITA-SENSEI:

Yes, there is. You can't see...
... the true ferocity of a go professional until you face him in real competition.

Compared to others, I'm like a cute little kid. The top ranked pros are truly demonic.
It's a major undertaking to try to face them at your age.

But that fan of yours...
... you didn't start carrying it just for fun, right?
It represents some kind of resolve on your part, doesn't it.

Just keep fighting. That's all you can do.

- Chapter 161 of Hikaru no Go

So I recently saw A Midsummer Night's Dream by Bell Shakespeare at the Sydney Opera House. It was advertised as abridged (which is typical of most Shakespeare I see these days) and family-friendly (which was kind of a relief after the harrowing experience of Twelfth Night). That makes sense, as the first Shakespeare play that many students study, and it will likely be popular with school groups. (On the other hand, Bell Shakespeare's other production this year is King Lear, and oh boy, that had so many warnings.)

It was interesting to see the original play, after having watched the musical version, The Lovers (also by Bell Shakespeare). It was so much fun! Basically, in this productions, the stars of the show were the mechanicals (who were cut entirely from The Lovers).

The opening scenes were swapped around, so we start with the mechanicals rehearsing their play, and then go to the lovers in the court of the duke. And the climax of the show was the mechanicals performing the play, and it brought the house down. The physical comedy was masterful. (Pyramus trying to draw his sword and finding it missing! The agonising pause while someone slides the prop across the stage to him! The discovery that the blade is too long for him to stab himself in the heart with! The world's most awkward death scene!) Really, everything about the mechanicals was comedy gold.

The rest of the characters and storylines were still compelling. There was a cast of eight, who switched roles between the three groups: the mechanicals, the lovers, and the fairies. It was seamless and elegant.

Puck was surprisingly sombre as a character. Almost flat. They had a few moments of humour, but mostly played the straight man. Serious rather than playful. It was an interesting choice. I guess the production needed the fairies to be less chaotic, to emphasise the hilarity of the mechanicals. (The fairies were even dressed in plain black robes, in contrast to the colourful costumes of the mechanicals and the lovers.)

Anyway, it's always fascinating to see different interpretations, and it was cool to see a production give so much love to the mechanicals.

Still on the hunt for something to fill the Agatha Christie shaped hole in my heart. Just a few brief notes on two recent reads.

( Killed by Clutter )

( Death by Bubble Tea )

The musical! I went down to Melbourne to see it, at the Princess Theatre, because they're advertising it as exclusive to there, and even though they might change their plans (looking at you, & Juliet), if I wait for it and they don't come here, then I'll be annoyed to have missed it.

I really liked Matilda, so I was keen to see another musical where Tim Minchin wrote the songs. And Groundhog Day is such a cultural icon, and time loops are so fascinating, that I was curious about what a stage version would look like.

Really amazing, is what. It was funny, and it was emotional. Phil starts out so cynical and selfish, it's hard to see how to like him. But he goes through the wringer and has an incredible character arc.

( Plot spoilers )

( Highlights )

( Miscellaneous )

Dear Hurt/Comfort Writer,

Thank you so much for offering to write a story for me! I love all these fandoms, and the tropes I've nominated, and I'm really keen to see what you do in them! I've also provided some extra prompts in case you're looking for inspiration, but I'd also love to see whatever other ideas capture your imagination.

For me, it's about the characters and their interactions. I'm not a stickler about researching canon details, as long as the spirit of the characters and the flavour of their world is there. I want to see adventures that might have been, or missing moments from between scenes, or a slice of their daily lives, or where the future might take them.

HURT/COMFORT PREFERENCES: I'm not into graphic descriptions of physical injuries. I'm more interested in the emotional state of the character, coping with the aftermath, the reveal of the hurt, and the eventual comfort.

LIKES: Some of the things I enjoy in stories are: undying loyalty, personal bravery, risking self to protect others, displaying cool competence, big damn hero moments, special everyday moments, banter, hijinks, confessions exposing emotional vulnerability, conversations loaded with unspoken meaning, tough people showing a soft side, and soft people showing a tough side. Some of my favourite tropes and genres are: amnesia, angst with a happy ending, animal transformation, arranged marriage, bodyswap, cosmic horror, curtainfic, five things fic, getting together, hurt/comfort, mutual requited pining, mystery solving, road trips, sex pollen, slice of life, stranded together, and time travel.

DISLIKES: I generally prefer optimistic stories in exchanges, so I'm not keen on anything that is brutally violent or hopelessly bleak. However, I don't mind darkness during the story, as long as there is a glimmer of light at the end. Endings that are bittersweet or ambiguous are also fine.

DO NOT WANT: underage, bleak endings, crossovers, setting change AUs like high school, coffee shop, or omegaverse (but canon divergence AUs are fine).

RATING: I've requested some gen and some ships in this exchange. For the latter, I'm fine with explicit sex, but it's usually not the most important part of the story for me.

STYLE: I'm fine with first, second, or third person. I'm fine with past or present tense. I'm fine with stories of any length, including stories that start in media res or consist of a scene that implies a larger plot.

INTERACTIVE FICTION: I like interactive fiction and would welcome it.

AO3: I have gifts enabled and am open to treats.

I've listed more details under each individual request.

I hope this helps. Have fun writing!

Yours sincerely,

meteordust
(AO3 name Serenade)

***

( Request 1: Chronicles of Morgaine - CJ Cherryh - fanfic )

( Request 2: Foreigner Series - CJ Cherryh - fanfic )

( Request 3: Seafort Saga - David Feintuch - fanfic )