[link]
[link]
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"Your Empathy Quotient is 71.

On average, most women score about 47 and most men about 42. Most people with Asperger Syndrome or high-functioning autism score about 20.

You have a very high ability for understanding how other people feel and responding appropriately. You know how to treat people with care and sensitivity."

Hmm, I guess this is a good thing...? I was surprised to get such a high score... wow. I'm really sensitive, maybe overly-so, so I guess it makes sense.

I got a somewhat low systemizing score, though, so apparently I have a very female brain. Well, that would make sense considering my gender. But I've always been more of a tomboy, preferring Beanie Baby rats and snakes to dolls (though I did go through a phase where I really liked Polly Pockets), so that's really interesting.

My favorite toys ever, though, were these. [link] I would build entire towns for them on my coffee table, giving each individual family problems that ranged from marital issues to sibling rivalry. I created meticulously-designed toys and food and stuff for them out of Play-Doh, too, and had them go to school and even have homework... I think I had a blue horse that liked to skateboard, if I remember correctly.

For no reason in particular, I decided to watch this movie the night it premiered on Disney Channel. It was... bad. Mediocre acting, horrible script, generic characters... the Jonas Brothers are "meh" too. I don't understand why they're so popular (and why there is actual fanfiction written featuring them... but, seeing as there is American Idol slash fanfiction, it doesn't come as much of a surprise). They're somewhat talented and sort of attractive, but they're not worthy of worship, in my opinion. But hey, that's just me.

I did like Alyson Stoner, though. I've always really liked her for some reason. I thought she was the best actor in the movie, and had the most earnest performance. Demi Lavato (is that her name?) was pretty good, too... the Jonas Brothers are horrible actors, though. Really horrible...

In other news, I've lost my retainer... for four days. I hope I can find it before I go to the orthodontist next, or I'll have to get a new one.

Snagged from *CeruleanSan!


SIX PAIRINGS I LIKE:

1. Mello/Matt (Death Note)
2. Edward/Winry (Fullmetal Alchemist)
3. Chihiro/Sakuya (Hoshi wa Utau)
4. Zuko/Katara (Avatar: the Last Airbender)
5. Sakura/Syaoran (Cardcaptor Sakura)
6. Tomoya/Nagisa (Clannad)

THREE SHIPS I'VE ABANDONED:

7. Harry/Ginny (Harry Potter)
8. Sirius/Remus (Harry Potter)
9. Naruto/Sasuke (Naruto)

THREE SHIPS I'VE NEVER LIKED / ALWAYS HATED:

10. Kyle/Amanda (Kyle XY)
11. Syaoran/Meilin (Cardcaptor Sakura)
12. Aang/Katara (Avatar: the Last Airbender)

TWO SHIPS THAT HAVE PIQUED MY INTEREST:

13. Zuko/Sokka (Avatar: the Last Airbender)
14. Rei/Asuka (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

1. Why do you dislike #11 so much?
Because Meilin is SO ANNOYING. She's a filler character that was completely unnecessary (notice how she wasn't in the manga!), and all she does is be bratty and annoying. She's a little better in the second movie and later in the series, I'll admit, but I still strongly dislike her.

And besides, Syaoran is Sakura's!

2. Who do you know that ships #13?
Hmm, I can't think of anyone I know personally that ships this pairing...

3. What would be your ideal scenario for couple #3?
Having Chihiro not be a total dick is a great start. Besides that, random hugging is good, but random kissing is better. Remember that, Chihiro.

4. What is your favorite moment for #1?
Uhh, there are none? Well, I guess the fact that Matt is practically the only person Mello feels any remorse for.

5. How long have you been following couple #6?
Since Nagisa and Tomoya's relationship really blossomed, and they started to show a romantic interest in each other.

6. What's the story with #8? What made you stop caring?
When my interest in HP waned, so did my interest in any of the pairings. Also, I was never really that involved with that pairing, I just liked it a lot and read some fanfics featuring it.

7. Which ship do you prefer--#2 or #4?
#2, definitely.

8. You have the power to make one ship non-existent. Choose from #10 or #12.
#10!!!

9. What interests you about #14?
I guess the whole "opposites attract" thing. Rei is emotionless and does-but-doesn't have feelings, whereas Asuka is a full of emotion and passion and practically boiling over with rage and sadness.

And though I normally prefer pairings with more back-story and romance to them, I really like this pairing. It just... intrigues me. Kinda like Zuko/Katara, only this relationship would be less shallow, somehow. (Does that make sense?).

10. When did you stop liking #7?
Eh, I kinda stopped caring for Ginny and for HP in general.

11. Did your waning interest in #9 kill your interest in the series?
I have very little interest in Naruto, so no, definitely not. In fact, even though my interest for the pairing has waned, I'm more interested in the pairing than the series.

12. What's a song that reminds you of #5?
[link]

13. Which of these ships do you love the most right now?
I'd say #2.

14. Which do you dislike the most?
#10!!!

15. If you could have any of these pairings double date, who would they be?
I... really have no clue.

16. Have #2 kissed yet? Elaborate if yes.
Not yet... but they will. They better, dammit!

17. Did #4 have a happy ending? Do you think one is likely?
After reading spoilers for the ending: yes, but not in the way I would have hoped. That's all I'm gonna say since I don't want to spoil!

18. What would make you start shipping #14?
Probably if I wrote another paragraph saying why the pairing interests me.

19. If only one could happen, which would you prefer--#2 or #6?
#2, in a heartbeat!

20. You have the power to decide the fate of #10. What happens to them?
Amanda decides that she doesn't care about Kyle and never sees him again, and Kyle doesn't care about her despondency and moves on (to Declan or Jessi!).


Um, that's it. I tag , , annnnd... you!

I watch a lot of animes, and a lot of the ones I really like have a small or nonexistant fandom. So, whenever I have the opportunity, I ramble about how amazing said animes are to anyone who will listen. I hope a lot of people will check these animes out, because they're really really good. These aren't my favorite animes, per say, but some rarer animes I've seen that don't generate nearly as much popularity as they deserve.

Well, let's start with what is, in my opinion, the best anime (though not my favorite) I've ever seen: Monster.

I could ramble on and on about just why this anime is so darn good, but I think I'll just link here, which is the link to a review that says everything I think about Monster and more... I don't want to sound like a raving fangirl who thinks that Monster is flawless, because it's not. What I do think is that it's a amazing, suspenseful, psychological and thrilling story... that drags in some episodes, has character designs and animation that some people won't like, and has an ending that I just can't wrap my mind around. But its still a series I think all anime fans should see (provided they're mature enough).

Mushishi: One of my favorite aspects of Mushishi (besides the wonderful and creative storyline), is the art. The background animation is absolutely gorgeous, probably some of the best I've ever seen in anime... the character designs looks lazy in comparison, though, which is unfortunate. I wish they had balanced out the budget more so they spent more time on the character designs. And since Mushishi is episodic, it makes it even more annoying that you can't distinguish a character from one episode to a character in another.

And honestly, Mushishi took some time for me to get used to. I didn't understand why people were raving about it at first, but after I watched more of it I realized just how good it really was. And it is really good, though it won't be everyone's cup of tea.

Azumanga Daioh: Again, this won't be everyone's cup of tea. Not everyone will think this is as hilarious as I did, because the sense of humor is too "out-there" for some. My mom and dad saw a few episodes and didn't like it very much, but I absolutely loved it.

The animation is rather simplistic, but it's fitting and it works for this type of series. I think the best word to describe Azumanga Daioh is "fun."

Victorian Romance Emma: This one is probably my least favorite out of all that I've listed, but I'm still mentioning it since it has practically no fandom and it deserves one. It's very out of the realm of your typical anime (there are no ninjas or bishies or Mikurus in this one!), but that's part of its charm.

As the name suggests, Victorian Romance Emma is, well, a Victorian romance. It's definitely worth watching, but be prepared for it go at a very slow pace, with little exciting moments in the first few episodes. It wasn't until about half-way thorough until I really begun to enjoy it, and I was nearly in tears at the very end when Emma's past was revealed.

Haibane Renmei: This anime has the best cast of female characters I've ever seen. It's so refreshing to see female characters without enormous breasts, screechy voices, and grating personalities.

Again, Haibane Renmei is slow-paced and has little action right until the last few episodes. One thing I dislike about it is how it opens up so many questions but answers so few of them, leaving the ending somewhat open-ended. So the ending was a little unsatisfying for me, but oh well. I still love it.

Oh, and I almost forgot the best thing about Haibane Renmei: the music. The music is so beautiful, almost heart-wrenchingly so, that I even bought the soundtrack.

It's such a short series that there's no excuse not watch it. So go watch it: [link]

Massive spoilers for the Twilight series - if you haven't read the books, don't read this, unless you don't mind being spoiled.

I just read the preface and first chapter of Breaking Dawn. I gotta say, I'm really pumped for the book - I wouldn't classify myself as a "Twilighter," but I really enjoy the series, despite its flaws. I think they're addictive, decently-written books that are great escapism. So, since the book will come out in a few months, I've decided to formulate my thoughts about the series and put them into my journal because I'd like to look back on this entry and see if my opinions of the series change for the better or worse after BD.

I think I've mentioned this before in my journal, but I really can't understand why people say that Edward is a Gary Stu. Appearance-wise, yes, he's quite the Stu... but personality-wise? No way. He's a very flawed, albeit unrealistic, character. He's very over-protective (though, some may argue that this is not a flaw), controlling, conflicted, arrogant, and occasionally violent. With all of these flaws, how could he be a Gary Stu?

In fact, how could he be as desirable as so many people make him out to be? I'll give him that he's physically attractive, courteous, and he loves Bella with all of his heart. But his faults outshine his good points, in my opinion.

However, I still like Edward... as a fictional character. I couldn't stand him in real life; he would drive me crazy! I think his relationship with Bella is sweet, despite how unhealthy and unrealistic it is, and I do openly ship Edward/Bella (as well as Alice/Rosalie (yuri, yay~~), Edward/Jacob, and some others... but Edward/Bella is still my favorite).

Another thing I've noticed is people calling Bella "weak," "annoying," etc.... well, it's kind of hard to argue against them, because I think they're right. Bella is a rather unlikable character, and it's hard to relate to the situation she's in. However, I still like Bella - why? Because I think she's someone I could get along moderately well with in real life, and I think she's got a good heart. Sure, she's no woman's rights activist, and she lets Edward and Jacob walk over her... but she also cares deeply for her friends and family, and is loyal to the people she loves. She's very self-deprecating, yes, but what teenage girl isn't sometimes? I think a lot people would be intimidated by Edward's apparent "perfection," and feel like they weren't good enough for him. It's a normal reaction.

It seems weird that I'm defending Bella, considering that I DO think she's a weak character, and I DO think she needs to grow a backbone. I also find it really irritating and incomprehensible that she wants to become a vampire... I know, she's doing it because she wants to be with Edward "forever," right... but she's known Edward for just a few years. It's not that I don't believe in "true love," but to willingly sacrifice your soul like that... I can't begin to understand it...

And, as a vampire, Bella would have to be immortal. I can't imagine anything worse than being immortal. I'm scared of death; most people are. However, if I had to choose between dying on the spot or becoming immortal, I would pick the former. I've had one of my friends say that a character in another book should have been immortal to stay with the one she loved, who was immortal, but I couldn't disagree with her more. That would be a horrible fate - even if you remain with the one you love, you still have to watch others that you love die all around you, while you are stuck in limbo.... forever. How heartbreaking that would be.

So, the vampire situation is one of the few I think Edward should decide for Bella, and that she shouldn't make for herself. While it would be awesome to see Bella's transformation scene and what being a vampire is like in her eyes, it just doesn't stick with me well.

Sorry, this is turning into a very unorganized essay - one last thing I want to say, and then I'm done.

Regarding the Jacob/Edward/Bella love triangle: I think Bella and Edward are meant for each other. The seem to be a good match, and I think their relationship would be long-lasting - very very long-lasting, if Bella becomes a vampire. Bella/Jacob would be more superficial, and I don't think they're right for each other. I like Jacob and Edward equally, so I want them both to have a happy ending. I want Jacob to find a nice girl to imprint and fall in love, but still maintain a friendship with Bella.

Or alternatively, I would like Edward and Jacob to get together (yay yaoi~~). But I somehow doubt that I happening.

Also, ignore what I said before - I think it's undeniable that I'm a Twilighter, for better or worse.

_{This is my longest dA journal ever... yay?}