Yuki Kaori - Godchild, vol. 02 (Eng. trans.)

Wow. No one writes crack like Yuki Kaori, and when I say this, I am including Laura Kinsale. I wasn't going to buy this, but then I flipped to the opening page and was once again caught up in the saga of Cain, Earl of Hargreaves (or Earl Hargreaves, or both, or something). To recap, in case people have not been reading this. Cain's father was horrifically abusive in the way only people in Gothic manga can get. This has resulted in the cruel, capricious, yet wounded Cain (I can't think of another "c" word, doh), who is so lonely that he collects poisons. He and his butler Riff have a Pure and True Love, he and his half-sister Mary have a Pure and Completely Non-Incestuous and Rather Overprotective Love, and he and his half-brother Jizabel Disraeli have a One-Sided Disturbing Obsession Centering on Cain's Golden Eyes.

Jizabel of course wants Cain's beautiful golden eyes, doubtless to keep them in a jar so he can forever admire them. He is a manga villain. Do not question his motives or ways!

Since this is volume 2, I am now used to all of the above and it no longer sends me into hysterical laughter fueled by disbelief and awe at Yuki Kaori's chutzpah.

Instead, she gives me many, many, many more things to fuel my disbelief and awe (mostly awe).

In the future, I must remember to never read these in public, since I inevitably end up cackling hysterically.

The best part about this volume is the red butterflies story, which takes up several chapters. I loved it, even as I cackled hysterically over it.

My favorite parts include: the Gothic helpless heroine Lukia, who is half-Japanese and named after some historical figure Lukia who did something that resulted in eyes on a plate. I remember this because Yuki explains this in one of the author's notes side panels, complete with an illustration of Lukia smiling cutely, all chibi-style, with said eyes on a plate. Lukia also dresses like a Harajuku goth girl. Namely, she wears kimono trimmed with lace over crinolines, and I laughed every. single. time. Kimono! Victorian kimono! With crinolines!

I'm telling you, this is good crack.

There is also a completely insincere yet strangely compelling blackmail attempt under the guide of a marriage proposal, parallels with Cain's situation, the Pure True Love of Cain and Riff (only Riff can touch his scars!), an insane parrot (rachelmanija, another Manga Fowl of DOOM!), jealous lovers, and skankiness from Cain's father.

All in around 80 pages.

Just typing this up makes me want to laugh hysterically.

You must all go buy this so I can alternately squee and go "Eeeeee!" in a really high-pitched voice and talk in broken sentences consisting largely of: "Kimono! With lace! OMG EEEEE!"

Spooks/MI-5 4x01-4x04

( 4x01-4x02 The Special )

( 4x03 Divided They Fall )

( 4x04 Road Trip )

Capri - 9/27

Note: these were written up in the past week or so, but I'm posting them now. So no, I'm currently not in Italy (sadly).

Still sick. Urgh. Woke up several times in the middle of the night with a sore throat, which prompted me to go back to sleep as soon as possible to try and get it all over with. Alas, I think the dratted thing is still sticking around, though I had some interesting dreams involving a shower curtain patterned with black-and-white Sanzos.

Truly, my subconscious is a strange place.

Both me and the sister slept through the free hotel breakfast buffet, but the hotel is nice enough to provide free Continental breakfast via room service, so we got to eat on the balcony overlooking the ocean. Indeed, I felt quite continental.

Since my mom and dad's friends are much more enterprising than we are, and since the boat trips were cancelled due to choppy waters (my stomach wasn't too upset about this), we ended up just walking around Capri and visiting assorted villas, gardens, paths, and etc. To be honest, I think I would have been more impressed if a) we had not already taken the aforementioned twenty gazillion pictures of the seascape yesterday b) I weren't dead tired despite the two cappucinos I downed at breakfast and c) my sinuses weren't acting up against me as though they had some grudge that they had been nursing for a decade.

So really, I don't remember that much from this morning. That is, till we stopped for lunch (is anyone actually surprised by this?). We ate at this random little place in the side streets that we'd seen exploring before. Given that the door was plastered with recommendations, it seemed like a good choice.

Also, all restaurants here seem to at least have one wall plastered with photos of little-known celebrities that have eaten there. Actually, they may be fairly well-known, but I just couldn't recognize any of them, which really isn't saying much, given my pop culture knowledge.

Anyhow, the food was excellent. I am now a pasta convert. It's not that I disliked it before, but I didn't particularly think it was anything spectacular. But the al dente thing and the light sauces have completely won me over, and I am returning home with two packs of pasta bought at some random grocery store here.

The other awesome food thing is that everyone in Italy seems to have a thing for hazelnuts, which is quite excellent, because I do as well. So there is even chocolate-hazelnut spread at breakfast. Tasty!

Um right. After lunch, we ended up wandering around shopping for a bit and ogling at all the fancy and expensive things. And I had more gelato. I'm sure it is good for my cold, really....

The gelato place here is awesome -- the waffle cones are freshly made and you can smell them cooking from blocks away. Actually, I may have already mentioned this before in a previous entry, but I can't remember, thanks to either jet lag or Cold Tylenol, but I feel that the waffle cones are so delicious that they bear mentioning again.

Truly, Italy has the best food ever.

Dinner was excellent as well; plain but tasty, with an excellent chocolate souffle cake to top everything off. We walked some more in the little streets, as we seem doomed to shop while everything is closed (everything is closed between 2-4pm as well). This is probably very good for the wallet, especially considering my mom's propensity for shopping.

Anyhow, I am happily fed, still a little sick, and all packed for Naples tomorrow, and I think I shall go to sleep.

After reading some more Naruto, that is...