Before this it was Ming, before that it was Manchu clans I think?

[petronia]

Now my parents are onto a Spring and Autumn period drama (read: I have trouble picking up plot threads on the fly the way I usually do because the characters' mindset is too long-ago, like Renault's Ancient Greece). Pretty sure this is what paleaswater was talking about, unless there's another one this season that's like IN YR DAILY CHINESE HISTORY LESSON, DEPLOYING BL FICTION PLOT TWISTS. >_> Could always go upstairs and check the back of the DVD box but that involves walking which is just silly.

The production values and acting in these TV series keep getting better and better... I wish someone would sub them, they'd be fun for the Rome crowd I think. (In English that is, they're always subbed in Chinese as it's a bit like watching Shakespeare only not as readily comprehensible. XD;)

A note on the FFXII Ultimanias, before I start translating: these things do ratify certain pairings in their character/script analysis. Vaan/Penelo is treated as canon (Penelo->Vaan, rather, nothing's said about the other way around =_=), Balthier/Ashe is sort-of canon (in a "We'll always have Paris Phon Coast" sort of way), Balthier/Fran is the exact same big fat MAYBE provided in-game. None of the other possibilities are on the radar.

(Randomly, the one pairing that's a total gimme from canon that I've yet to see anyone write: Vayne/Cid. Yes, I realize this is because it exceeds the creepiness cutoff of basically everyone in the world.)

Comments

[canis-m.livejournal.com]

I get relatively more Balthier/Fran out of the J-script than the E-script, though. Also (not that I've uh actually read it yet) the novella seems to skew toward Balthier/Fran.

Was pleased to see it ratified that Larsa did accost the gang in Bhujerba because he noticed Basch and was like !! y halo thar.

[motorbike.livejournal.com]

The J-script also has the advantage of Ashe's seiyuu being able to scream LIKE A HUGE GIRL at the end there. I missed this in the English.

[canis-m.livejournal.com]

I wasn't thinking of the screaming so much as stuff like:

バルフレア：フランは男を見る目はあるぜ。
Balflear: Fran has a good eye for men, all right.
O.Smith!Balthier: Nobody knows men like Fran.

To me at least the O.Smith line makes Balthier sound more like a dick, whereas the J-version is more like "Fran recognizes quality, I mean hello *v-sign v-sign*" which is kinda cute.

PS TAIKI ASS ICON A+

[motorbike.livejournal.com]

Good catch. It's odd having read the pre-Smithian script transtations, because I tend to collapse both versions into one. For instance, I have the distinct memory of it having been the first line ALL ALONG. Maybe it's just the v-sign factor.