redwoodalchan

I've already read the two chapters I'm supposed to spork, just to get a feel for what's in them. I've since gone back and begun reading from the beginning, and I'll read up to my assigned chapters. Once that's done, I think I'll go back and close-read two chapters at a time, until I once again get back to my assigned chapters, at which point I'll compose the sporking itself. I don't see any reason to read any more, though, unless I decide I love it so much I simply must spork another chapter.

I've also been reading the Divine Comedy in all its gory glory! No big surprise, this author's gotten the title wrong. There's so much of an emphasis on Beatrice in this book yet Beatrice isn't even a character in the Inferno, except insofar as she's the reason Dante goes on his quest in the first place. She plays a bigger role in later sections, but here's the thing: this book's not called The Divine Comedy As Reimagined by Twihards, or even Gabriel's Paradise or something; it's Gabriel's Inferno! Yet it has virtually nothing to do with the Inferno! When I think of the Inferno I think of the vivid descriptions of Hell and sinners and punishments and monsters, yet that never comes up!

Ahem, I first watched this show when I was a teenager, and I remember liking it but not thinking it lived up to my expectations. As the years have gone by and it's processed further, though, I've become quite angry with it. So I decided to tune in again, to see if it still holds up, and maybe redeem it in my eyes (though frankly, that almost certainly won't happen at this rate).

At the current rate, I think it's a dead ringer for a sporking. I've actually been compiling notes of things to talk about for a sporking of this show, in fact. Since it's an incredibly violent show I figured I'd pitch it to Mervin first to see if she's okay with it (obviously I wouldn't show any pictures of naked people or violent scenes) and if she doesn't give me the green light I'll probably still spork it on my own journal or something. I've got a bone to pick with this series, and truthfully it goes beyond the story's actual quality and content (though they both suffer from obvious flaws). I'm just so sick of people treating it as some sort of high water mark of mature anime, while series that can do the exact same thing it can and be smarter and more mature about it languish in the shadows of obscurity!