Skip Beat (Part Three) - Characters II

In many of the manga I've read, the focus is really on a small subset of characters, perhaps two or three (if there is a concerted antagonist) but with side characters having very limited life of their own outside their interaction with the primary characters. They are often incomplete and insubstantial even if they provide humor or charm or story movement. I do not think it a coincidence that exceptions to that trend, where there are a large cast of personable characters to work from, tend to be very successful (Fruits Basket and Ouran High School Host Club come to mind). Skip Beat! is not an exception. As much as I find some things compelling and/or appealing in our three primary players, I absolutely believe that much of the charm for this manga lies in the faceted and riotous cast of secondary characters who manage to have complex and complete personalities despite having little visibility outside their interaction with the big three.

That, in an of itself, is a marvel.

No discussion of Skip Beat! characters could possibly be complete without talking about Takarada Lory (aka Rory and Loly given the Japanese sound is between an l and an r), the exuberant and extravagant president of the LME talent agency where both Tsuraga Ren and Mogami Kyoko work.

He combines a sharp business mind (as evidenced by LME's blatant success and his personal power in the showbiz world) with an otherworldly perception, a ruthless streak that manages not to conflict with his soft sentimental heart and general kindness. And then there's that dreamy face and body like a Greek god which shows to advantage in every outlandish thing he wears. But that's not all. His ridiculous wealth (yes, it's over the top for humor reasons) allows him to indulge his very very whimsical tastes. Everything's a production for Lory so, not only is he always dressed in extreme cosplay (costume play), but he might very well bring showgirls to make an entrance or take a dignified party of masqueraders if, today, he's Phantom of the Opera. Or ride a camel. Or "drive"a pirate ship with wheels in lieu of his absurd hummer limo. I'm only including his first three costumes here:

In addition, we have an Egyptian pharaoh, Phantom of the Opera, a Chinese Emperor, a glittery Liberace-esque tuxedo (and requisite white stallion), and . . . . He'll swim with his snake or get up early (3:30) to watch reruns of a sordid love drama (he already has on DVD) or stay up all night torn by what actions he should take in a love sim game (and threaten the software company if he thinks getting them together isn't possible). He'll weep unashamedly at a tearjerker and laugh harder than anyone at a comedy. He'll go to ridiculous lengths to turn a seven-year-old's party into a fairy tale extravaganza just because he loves extravaganzas (and the little girl). He's a hardcore romantic and as fanciful and carefree as a child. Life is an endless series of adventures to Lory.

He'll also save a fifteen year old delinquent who's lost his way or give a girl who has no idea who she is a place to dwell as she finds herself. He'll profit from it in the end, but that's not why he does it. And that's why I can't help but love Lory.

Yukihito Yashiro is Ren's manager and right-hand man who knows him better than anyone except Lory and, in some subjects, Kyoko, but doesn't know much about Ren's history. Keeping track of Ren's unreasonable schedule (as top actor and top model), his biggest challenge getting Ren to eat regularly. Ren's quite capable of organizing his own schedule.

As an observer, he is amazed (disgusted) at Ren's dazzling charm that sends the women swooning given Ren's flattery is largely artificial, so Yashiro's as surprised as anyone when Ren reacts to Kyoko with genuine emotions: longing, anger, jealousy. Yashiro's the first to pick up on Ren's feelings for Kyoko and becomes an active campaigner for the relationship. He seems genuinely fond of both of them and clearly admires their abilities, beauties (Kyoko perhaps before anyone, even Ren) and personalities. Admittedly, any life he leads outside this interaction is all but ignored, but his open-hearted outlook and quiet dedication have their own charm. And certainly plenty of humor as, through Kyoko, he learns Ren's most sparkling smile is really a cover for ire.

Yukihito has an odd quirk in that he kills electronics if he handles them too long and must don gloves before using his cellphone. He even uses his ability to threaten Ren once (though the attempt fails as do most of his matchmaking plans). He's inordinately curious, which means much of his life is frustrating as both Ren and Kyoko tend to play their cards (particularly the emotional ones Yashiro's most interested in) very close to the chest. Apparently, he has a gift for freezing out hordes of rabid fans that makes Kyoko speculate that he might actually be an alien. Poor Yashiro.

Kotonami Kanae ("Moko") is not as easy (at least for me) to like in that she's largely self-absorbed. A gifted actress with an ability to flip through and memorize a script in seconds, she lacks the true depth and originality that Kyoko has, though she's more accomplished at acting and (arguably) prettier. Her saving grace is that she acknowledges this lack and, though begrudgingly, learns to respect and eventually like Kyoko.

Admittedly, her down-to-the-core cynicism is somewhat understandable since she's buried under debt to support a large family of boisterous ne'er-do-wells. And, though she's brash and abrasive (and not particularly likeable to begin with), it's hard to argue that she's not a good friend for Kyoko, taking time to listen when Kyoko needs her without judging. If her acting advice is often at odds with our eccentric heroine's own abilities and style, her honest answers often spur Kyoko's unusual thought processes to a solution. Against her will, Moko can't keep herself from being a good friend to those she honestly respects and likes. And that makes the hot temper and self-absorption a good deal easier to swallow.

Seven-year-old Takarada Maria is as eccentric in her way (and intent on doing things her own way) as her flamboyant grandfather (Lory). Cynical and distrustful of adults early on, she is scarred by her mother's death on her birthday (flying home to celebrate Maria's birthday at Maria's request) and her father's neglect as he works almost entirely overseas. She responds immediately to something in Kyoko, perhaps Kyoko's honesty, perhaps Kyoko's own cynicism. Kyoko understands her and reaches her in a way no one else was able to. As a result, Maria is an unflinching supporter. And she shares an interest in the occult with Kyoko (voodoo).

Like much of Kyoko's nurturing, it happens without her conscious thought. Maria trusts her to an unprecedented level. Maria also has an obsessive crush on Ren (which he does nothing to discourage) which has little impact on anything except to make her lust after Kyoko's meticulously crafted curse dolls and to torpedo any applicant to the agency who is really only trying to get close to Ren.

Reino is the Sho look-alike lead singer of "Vie Ghoul" (or as Kyoko calls them, "Beagle"). The "other" badder bad guy intended (I think) to make even Sho Fuwa look a little more human, I think he steals the show. Why?

It's not because he's really a nice guy. He's clearly as selfish as Sho while being pretty much amoral. Unabashedly and unapologetically so, which is part of why I like him anyway. Is he a bad guy? Ain't no doubt. He's threatened Sho's position at the top of the charts for no better reason than his own pleasure and deliberately terrorizes Kyoko. Would he have raped her? I can't discount the possibility, but I think he'd intended more of a seduction via fascination. And you know how I hate rapists. However, it came to naught and for all his evil talk, he was never rough in his handling of her. And his interest in her as a person was genuine, if twisted.

He's psychic, you see, and becomes fascinated by Kyoko as soon as he "sees" her many spirit Kyoko's when she rages at Sho. He's awed by the power and strength of her aura and spirit and becomes intent on turning her rage and hatred his way if only to take over her mind. So, yeah, bad guy. But he appreciates Kyoko spirit and that gives him at least something over Sho. Plus, while being serious and pointedly gothic, he also provides a great deal of comedy (particularly on Valentine's Day), if only in everyone else' reaction to him. And I like that, as soon as Kyoko decides not to fear him, he has no real power over her (except for a little mischief he uses on Valentine's Day) . And, yeah, I like that Ren can send him scrambling away with just the power of his own dark side.

He's not a nice guy, but he makes a great villain. Plus he has purple eyes. Who wouldn't love that?

Are there half a dozen other great characters in here? Yep, but I'm all out of post so, if you want to meet Sawara or Soko or Ogata or any of the other charmers, you'll just have to read the manga or watch the anime.

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Skip Beat! (Part Two)- Characters I

Review is here. I just hope I can fit all this into one post (I can't). As it is, when I'm through with my current crop of manga reviews, I'm going to start a character expose because characters are my favorite part of a manga.

First and foremost is the undisputed star of the show: the many faces of Mogami Kyoko.












Diverse little something, isn't she?

It's easy, in many ways, for me to identify with Kyoko. Dismissed and belittled by an exacting and cold mother, this bright, imaginative, whimsical child grew up desperate for approval and love. When her mother refused her love, she worked hard, even at a young age, to be useful to Sho's parents (Sho was her childhood friend and his parents took her in when her mother discarded her), who ran a prestigious inn. In doing so, she learned many useful and unusual skills as Sho's parents groomed her to marry the rather lackadaisical Sho and take over the inn one day. I think it's really cool, actually, that she finds homes for those skills in her acting work.

Kyoko loved Sho selflessly and absolutely, but, in all fairness to Sho, it really had little to do with him. Consumed with romance and fantasy, Kyoko saw him as a fairy tale prince and it was the image of him (which I doubt he did much to pursue) that she really loved. His big crime lay in (a) carelessly taking advantage of her adoration to serve his own ends and (b) never quite seeing past his ego to what a remarkable person Kyoko was. The whole thing is classic and entirely believable psychology.

But under that hard-working, self-sacrificing inexacting persona was an indomitable soul that, somehow, believed she deserved more than she'd had, that believed, someday, her years of sacrifice and neglect would be repaid with good fortune, love and adulation. When her beautiful and talented "prince" makes it clear that he thinks little to nothing of her and certainly has no intention of shackling himself with someone so dull and ordinary, she snaps. Goaded by his dismissive attitude, she becomes determined to meet him on a level playing field: the entertainment field (instead of crawling off to lick her wounds as would a more mundane individual).

Undaunted by her lack of skills, knowledge or interest in entertainment (not to mention her youth [16] and lack of high school education), Kyoko leaps in, certain that all one needs for superstardom is a willingness to work hard and perseverance. Damn if she doesn't nearly pull it off on guts alone. Fortunately, though, she happens to have imagination, a deep-seated ability, a willingness to learn, considerable intelligence, an ability to take criticism, and talent. What she lacks is any interest in making people love her or to love others, which doesn't quite mesh with becoming big as a superstar.

The president of a big agency is struck by her (partially due to her talent exposition of making a rose from a daikon radish - I am not making that up) and he inducts her into the "new" group: Love Me Section - to help talent people get where they need to be emotionally. It is an uphill battle. Along with her rather overblown hatred for Sho, her hair-trigger temper and a deep-seated determination never to love again, she is also prone to fits of abject despair and fear and is still fighting a self-image that she's neither talented, smart or beautiful. She also tends toward extreme delusions, considering everything she hasn't had as wonderful in the extreme, like close female friends, being a rich young lady (aka princess) and make-up as the wonderdrug to transform the plain (such as herself) into the beautiful (which, given her adaptable features and expressive face, turns out to be the truth in her case).

And, while her emotions are at the utmost extremes, this applies to the positive ones as well. She manages to be mostly open, friendly, optimistic, patient, caring and thoughtful. She works with abandon and is a perfectionist. If she is too readily sent into depression for a perceived fault in herself or perhaps too willing to be scolded, she is not above criticizing and even lecturing others (as Ren and Sho discover). She can be quite blunt with people she trusts and doesn't lie well, an interesting characteristic in an actress. She also has some supernatural abilities thanks to her spirit Kyoko-grudges, an impressive hand-made voodoo dolls collection, and an unshakable and solemn belief in fairies and magic.

Her resentment of Sho kind of leaks over to Tsuraga Ren, the star (model/actor) of the agency she joins (and Sho's perceived rival for top male hottie in Japan). Discovering early on that she is motivated, not by interest in the artistic crafts, but in revenge, Ren criticizes that kind of motivation in no uncertain terms. If that frustrates her (at least in part because it's true), she's quickly impressed by his own skills and devotion to his craft. She starts out resenting and then admiring his abilities, before learning to respect and like him as a person as they both reluctantly open up more and more. Eventually, they're the only ones that don't know they're friends (and more). Then, it's just her.

From the beginning, she's come so far, grown so much, healed so drastically, and yet there's still room for more growth, particularly in her need to release her anger and resentment toward Sho (partially because much of it is anger at herself for her self-deception and partially because he's really not worth it). Truthfully, she couldn't get a better vengeance than just dismissing him from her heart and finding happiness in life. Damn, I hope that happens. Sho will be so pissed.

Playing opposite our charming emotionally extreme chameleon, is the redoubtable Tsuraga Ren.
I love Ren. Just twenty, he's Kyoko's senior in years but far more senior in experience. He is patient, calm and unflappable (mostly). Ridiculously tall, graceful, and dapper, he is considerate and soft spoken. He is known for his courtesy and gentleness and uses his dazzling (gentlemanly) smile to make corny lines seem natural or confuse a victim before a sharp rebuke. Too bad that smile's all fake. Beyond that overt but distant charm, there is an enduring core of decency, a quiet patience for anyone who's trying their best, an innate consideration. Don't be fooled. He's not all sunshine.

If Ren is most exacting with himself, he is not much less so with the lack of professionalism of others (and Kyoko, who shares this attitude, is not the only one to discover this the hard way). Ren scolds and lectures Kyoko frequently on show business do's and don'ts, professionalism, and acting in general. He can only be forgiven because she has no hesitation doing the same (on his eating habits, taking care of of himself, and how he handles people). He is quite frequently manipulative, both to serve the other's interests or to serve his own. Kyoko's not the only one to find themselves manipulated by Ren via acting in a scene. He has considerable pride, sometimes more than he should, but he is also hardworking, methodical and devoted to what he does. He has taken the trouble to hone his craft and it shows.

Beyond the professional and his rationalism, however, there is more, however: fear of failure, fear of losing control, hints of some severely dark and violent chapters in his past. The wall he places around himself is to keep from getting close to anyone, becoming emotional (for real), having anyone too precious.

Enter Kyoko, brash and vengeful, ignorant and bull-headed. He's affronted with her sneering disinterest in show business (while wanting to enter), then at her unhealthy motive of revenge for success. His unusual antipathy toward her is a hint that she affects him in ways he refuses to acknowledge from the very beginning. When he discovers she's the trusting sorrowful girl from a precious memory ten years before, his reaction is to put more distance between them which he does with a few cutting remarks. Not that it helps. Fate is against him. As circumstances throw them together, he shows some kindness (of the simple human kind) only to have it thrust away distrustfully. In the course of events he is impressed with her guts and, when it's his turn to need care, he is equally won over with her dedication, practicality, and budding talents, as well as the fact she is starting to pursue acting for herself now, instead of as a weapon. Soon, in the most natural way, he becomes her inspiration in acting, her mentor and her most ardent defender and facilitator.

Kyoko isn't the only one who's locked her heart away nor the only one trying to deny attraction, affection and eventually passion. By the time Ren appreciates the depths of his feelings, the opportunity to prevent falling (if he ever had it) is long gone. Ren might discover the truth about his feelings before Kyoko does, but he's even more hampered by the understanding that her fears could drive her away if he's not very very careful (despite the overexuberant encouragement/teasing from his manager). And Kyoko's really really dense and frequently puts the least flattering interpretation on everything he says.

On top of these handicaps, Ren's got the spectre of Kyoko's ex-prince as a rival at least for attention, if not affection. But really, how far is hatred from love (far, Ren, really, calm down)? The jealousy is a new thing for Ren (especially as Kyoko's fame increases and more and more people become intrigued by the charm Ren would kind of like to be his little secret). His jealousy and his uncertainty regarding his own place in her heart become two of the few triggers that can make him lose his cool.

Do I love Ren? Yeah, I do. With a lesser man, one who put himself first, his patience would never have withstood so much. Kyoko is completely blind to her growing effect on men unless she's affected too (as she readily is by Ren's genuine "heavenly" smile so brilliant it destroys her grudge Kyoko's) - which means, oddly enough, only by Ren. And that includes Sho. So she treats Ren with reserve and formality but is thoughtlessly friendly with everyone else. Well, she is affected in a weird way by Reino, but that's a different subject. In the end, Ren is the one she always turns to and will ruthlessly defend. Good thing, because he needs her if he's ever going to conquer his own demons.

Which brings us to our Fuwa Sho, the self-absorbed pretty boy who managed to open Pandora's, er Kyoko's, box. Unintentionally.

Fuwa Sho is the sort of self-absorbed, self-important bastard that people love to hate, well, on the surface. OK, he is a thoughtless inconsiderate narcissist clear through and, if that was all he was, he probably wouldn't be worth a second thought. But, since we're talking about Nakamura, we're fortunate that's not the extent of what he is. Because what else he is (and isn't) makes him far more interesting.

It's important to note that, though he was her friend and grew up all but living with Kyoko, his childhood was vastly different than her own. The only child of well-to-do inn proprietors (their family owns several inns whereas he grew up at the most prestigious), he had all the privileges of the heir while Kyoko carried most of the responsibilities. (In Japanese inns, the "frontman" is the proprietess while her husband works in the background; with Kyoko's desperate need to get acceptance from Sho's parents, she learned key skills of both which meant Sho learned neither.) My guess would be his parents were a bit soft on Sho, what with Kyoko willingly taking up the slack, leaving him to pursue his own interests of being a fairly-well-to-do and charismatic kid who loved music. Music, as in the kind that gets rabid fans, er, girls.

With adulation from every side but no responsibilities, it's hardly surprising he grew up to be selfish and egotistical. He would find it natural, in fact, to feel like the adulation was deserved, that he, in fact, deserved to be taken care of, adored, admired, supported. Did he know Kyoko always expected him to be her prince, to love her and marry her some day? I don't see how he could have missed it and probably didn't even start out adverse to the idea. But, as his fanbase grew and his belief in himself leap-frogged higher and higher (not to mention realizing his parents had their own plan for him to marry Kyoko and tie him to their business), he undoubtedly decided he deserved something better and more glamorous than the quiet "plain" Kyoko. He, in fact, deserved the best.

That didn't mean he caviled at taking anything she offered on his behalf. So, when he took off at 14/15 to seek his fortune in the visual kei music industry, he naturally asked her to go with him so he'd have someone to take care of him as he got started. I doubted he thought about the impact on her (missing out on high school and working herself to near death on his behalf) or had any malicious intent. Just as he was blind the bullying and being ostracized she'd experienced in school because of her relationship with Sho. She could always, in his mind, go back to his parents (even if she'd think such an idea was unthinkable). When he didn't need her any more, he tried to nudge her out on her own (likely considering he was doing her a favor).

It was bad luck she overheard his opinion of her so baldly or saw him sidle up to his manager. But, yeah, Sho still counts as a selfish bastard. He is, in the manga, a talented singer/songwriter (and snappy dresser) who takes the work he does seriously if nothing else. It's one reason he has no hesitation in thinking so much of himself.

But, I think it's worth bearing in mind a few things. First, though Kyoko and Sho ostensibly lived together, he never laid a finger on her, never even, as she said, "put his arm around her." Now, imagine you're a young personable man living alone with a girl who knows you well, who always says the things you want to hear and who adores you. Even if you think she's plain, surely you'd be a bit tempted to take advantage. But he didn't so he's nowhere near the asshole he could have been.

Secondly, it's also pretty clear from her flashbacks, that he never pretended to be what she wanted. With her imagination, his encouragement just wasn't required. He probably thought (with some justification) that her expectations were her problems and, since she was doing everything voluntarily, he could hardly be blamed for her sacrifices. Sho just took the path of least resistance. When faced with an unpleasant revelation or potential consequence, he chose to worry about it later or hope it would resolve itself without his effort. Hardly laudable, he was passive, thoughtless and self-centered rather than nefarious. He probably thought she'd go crawling back to his parents (who disowned him previously), take over the inn, marry a dull reliable man and run the inn. Everyone lives happily ever after.

Because Sho, if he'd missed her suffering, her sacrifices, her loneliness, also missed her strengths. She was blind (until her revelation) to his failings and he was clueless as to how remarkable she was. When he taunts her with entering show business, he truly believes she couldn't even make it past the front door, let alone challenge him.

When she does, first in a chicken suit (which only serves to make him look better) and then as a hiree for his own promotional video, he doesn't recognize her at first. Then, when he does, he taunts her: do your worst. She nearly does. She certainly upstages him (and his costume is really cool) and disarms him with acting (tears) that leave him feeling helpless. He certainly had no idea she would be so beautiful or so talented. Or that she would be chatting on her cellphone to what he considers his archrival, Tsuraga Ren, when she was done. And Sho still thinks she's "his."

When fate steps in and throws an upstart band (with a psychic lead singer) in Sho's path and in Kyoko's, he finds himself feeling insecure (briefly) and even playing the hero to protect Kyoko from the rather pointed and nefarious interest of the psychic lead singer (for which Kyoko pointedly doesn't thank him). It's an interesting role and gives us some insight into the fact that he does care about her in some way, even if he's not entirely clear on how that is.

To date, we haven't seen that he wants her so much as he wants to control her, to be the most important person in her life. Perhaps he wants her romantically (though it's not entirely clear) and he hopes that if he can keep the hate alive he can take her back at a time of his choosing. I don't think Sho has a chance of that, personally. Sho and Kyoko squabble like siblings when they're together and, less and less, Sho has an influence on her life, even if Sho doesn't know that. Plus, though he's sidled up to a multitude of girls in Kyoko's presence, she hasn't felt so much as an iota of jealousy (something he can't say himself). And his little Valentine's day stunt probably didn't get him the reaction he really wanted.

Sho, though not a total villain, is overdue for losing out on something he covets. And I can't wait to see his face when (not if) Kyoko and Ren get together and find happiness.

Yes, yes, I know I'm going to need another post at least to gush about characters. Hell, I haven't even touched on LORY yet.

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For Boris: Writing Mary Sue

Boris said: As a writer, do you struggle with Mary Sue? If you are unfamiliar with the term, it arose from fan fiction, and means more or less that the writer will identify with the main character to such a degree that she/he will ultimately give more and more power to said character, until the story devolves into some kind of wish-fulfilment fantasy. Rampant in fan fiction of course, but professional writers have been known to fall prey to Mary Sue as well (coughLaurellKHamiltoncough). In my (very) limited experience as a writer, I have found that this can be a problem for me too, especially when writing in first person. Do you or your husband have the same problem? Who acts as the voice of reason?

This is a very interesting question, one that does not lend itself to a simple answer. At least with me. I did have to look up the term "Mary Sue" to get better definition so I could answer the question appropriately.

I don't write fan fiction. I do write fiction, particularly speculative fiction where magic and skills are quite common. I also tend toward larger than life characters. That tends to go with the territory, too. Additionally, I do identify with my characters and always have.

So, am I prone to this? Actually, I don't think so. First off, although I'm usually the seed of my characters, what I generally do is take a few of my traits and build a new characters with a different background. I play, what if someone with X,Y,Z traits was raised in this environment. I love what if. By the time I've tweaked this and that to fit the environment and the background, I usually discover that this character, based on me, is completely different from my other characters, even though they are also based on me. They have to have limitations (generally different ones than I do) because a character must have balance. Nothing I personally hate more than a character that can do no wrong, make no mistakes, never lose. They have to grow.

Many of male characters are actually a hodge-podge of characteristics that appeal to me. They tend to be funnier, though I'm not sure why. I love my male characters. But they have to have limitations, too. They can't be good at everything, never fail, never falter, either. I often have ensemble casts so that different people can bring their particular skills into play.

If I have a character that's "too good to be true," for instance, like Xander, my shapeshifter/telepath who can turn into a dragon, I make him insecure from mistreatment growing up, positive that his dragon nature makes him prone to violence. He doesn't trust himself and takes control to an extreme to overcompensate. And, under it all, he's human, which is why I'm giving him meningitis in the second book, making him inadvertently hurt the woman he loves.

I do that because he has to be limited. He can't be perfect. And, I admit it, it's my doing. My husband is more superhero prone. For instance, I wanted to give him PAM (amoebic meningitis and cure him via magic) but Lee absolutely couldn't stand the idea of parasites in him. But he'd tolerate a virus so that's what we did. So, Xander, star and nearly single-handed savior of the first book, is out for the count (as well as his healer girlfriend) in this one so all the rest have to find solutions without him.

Do I do wish fulfillment? Yes and no. Sure, it's fantasy and we play what if, if that's not living out wish fulfillment, I don't know what is. I also put my characters through things I'd never want to live through myself, with pain and hardship I wouldn't wish on an enemy.

For me, that's balance, good with the bad, responsibility with the power.

On the other hand, I'm hardly objective. :)

Update: I asked my husband. He said I didn't have a problem with it, that I was always adding imperfections and ruining their badassedness. He didn't say it like he approved either, so I'm clearly the one who keeps it from happening.

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Answers for Yesterday

I'm going to write such the good answer for Phyl who has patiently waited, now, about a week. I'll try to get it up by midnight (I did have plenty of time to think about it).

Here are the answers. Clearly my non-SF/F and non-classics are desperately eclectic, too eclectic for most. Oh well, here they are:

1. These Old Shades, the best of a positive pantheon of excellent Georgette Heyer classics
   
2. Artemis Fowl, by Eoin Colfer (I hope I spelled that right). Yeah, I'm charmed by sarcasm.
   
3. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
   
4. Shogun by James Clavell
5. Watership Down by Robert Adams
   
6. Hawaii by James Michener
   
7. The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum I'm not much into mysteries but I do like these. I don't like Clancy, though.
   
8. The Red Dragon by Thomas Harris, my favorite of his books, though not the most well known.
   
9. Imitation in Death by JD Robb (aka Nora Roberts)
   
10. Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy Sayers
    

Now you know. I'm insane.

By the way, I forgot to mention that the bonus on the first one I did was All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot. Undoubtedly, his books are my favorite non-novels.

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Carrying on the List From Yesterday

See, you all probably thought I'd give you all the answers today. Haha, not so fast. I'll be the first to say that I would have struggled to determine some of these books from the first line, but I do know my characters. And, besides, I got the idea from Relax Max. Again. So, for all the ones not guessed, I'm going to provide character names and let you try again. If there was a character mentioned in the first line, I'll assume it wasn't enough and add a second character.

1. Justin Alastair, Duke of Avon
2. Holly Short
3. Mary Lennox and Dicken Sowerby
4. Shogun by James Clavell
5. Fiver
6. Abner Hale
7. Marie Ste. Jacques
8. Will Graham and Francis Dolarhyde
9. Roarke and Niles Renquist
10. Death Bredon

And yes, though I should be addressing a space elevator, I'll be doing this on Ask Me Anything and Rocket Scientist.

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Animé Break

I can't tell you how much I appreciate those of you who have coughed up questions (and a special wave for those of you who have inundated me with questions - I'll take 'em!).

I ought to field one today, but I spent all night last night and all of today watching two full anime series with my teenage daughter who was going to spend the weekend with her Dad.

My husband and daughter are huge fans of animé and my daughter is really big into mangas as well. Me, not so much. There's usually a lot of yelling and either too much drama, too much violence or truly insane humor.

But I've been pulled into a couple. First, there's Fruits Basket, a shojo manga/animé (see products at Amazon here. OK, it's a little sappy, I admit it. But I love it. Not only did I find the characters charming and compelling [I love Hatsuharu and Momiji and Yuki and Shigure and..], but I was blown away by much of the artwork in the manga. (I fell in love with the animé that my husband rented [Netflix]. When we checked out the manga from the library, I became captivated particularly by pictures here and there that just speak to me. I'm so impressed with this artist that I'm exploring her other work.) The last volume of the manga comes out next week and I'll have the whole set. Seriously.

Then, more recently, my daughter rented this other animé so we could see it with her. Again, I'm completely sucked in: The Ouron High School Host Club. A little more over the top, with less supernatural, but considerably funnier and still with the compelling and (professionally) charming characters. I frequently laugh at loud and I find myself dissecting characters etc. with my daughter. If you're doing that with an animated show, I think it's safe to say it got to you. I've read the first two mangas, but, so far, they don't speak to me like the animé has. (Amazon link)

So, tomorrow when I've come off my animé high (because, yes, I watch both full animé series). Tonight, I'm still reeling from the hilarity.

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