Got an email from Blogger mentioning some of the recent features they've added, so I decided to check out the "Stats" page they mentioned. Encountered one curious point there. It turns out that just over half of the people reading my blog are using Firefox as their browser, while only a quarter are using IE. This made me look up some statistics on browser usage in general - I hadn't realized that Firefox had gained so much ground on IE, although still behind IE by most people's counts. I wonder if there's any reason other than statistical anomaly for the lower percentage of IE users coming here?
For those who are curious, the next three most common browsers were Chrome, Opera and Safari, at roughly five percent apiece.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Painful Reading
This is more or less a response to MSA's review of 2010-12-17 on AFFnet.
I understand that feeling of rage, upset, or just sick awfulness that can overcome one when reading a story where something bad happens to a character, or some character behaves in a particularly appalling fashion. I too have had the experience of reading a story only to be upset, in an extreme fashion, by events within it - upset to the point of wanting to step into the story to do something about it. Upset to a degree where I can't get my thoughts away from it, for hours, even an entire day.
But I don't believe that I've ever had that feel when reading pornography. It's like I have two different mentalities for reading stories. In the "ordinary" mode, reading about abuse of a character, particularly a character I like, can be very distressing. But in "pornography" mode such events are more expected, and also feel less real, more like they're "just" fantasy.
My story Moxibustion Violation is definitely intended as pornography. If I were a reader (instead of the author), and I approached MV as ordinary fan-fiction instead of pornography, I seriously doubt I would ever have gotten past the first chapter. I would have been in a frothing rage at the author for daring to write such a brutal rape of a character I like. But approached as pornography it's completely different, it's not merely less upsetting - I can actually find it arousing. I believe that something similar is true for me as the author (instead of reader), except that I believe I'm even more insulated by the act of creation.
So I'm glad to hear that people feel emotionally invested in the story. But I hope that everyone keeps in mind that MV is intended as erotica, and that of a pretty dark kind. Reading it on any other basis, well, it just seems to me that doing so would be far too painful.
I understand that feeling of rage, upset, or just sick awfulness that can overcome one when reading a story where something bad happens to a character, or some character behaves in a particularly appalling fashion. I too have had the experience of reading a story only to be upset, in an extreme fashion, by events within it - upset to the point of wanting to step into the story to do something about it. Upset to a degree where I can't get my thoughts away from it, for hours, even an entire day.
But I don't believe that I've ever had that feel when reading pornography. It's like I have two different mentalities for reading stories. In the "ordinary" mode, reading about abuse of a character, particularly a character I like, can be very distressing. But in "pornography" mode such events are more expected, and also feel less real, more like they're "just" fantasy.
My story Moxibustion Violation is definitely intended as pornography. If I were a reader (instead of the author), and I approached MV as ordinary fan-fiction instead of pornography, I seriously doubt I would ever have gotten past the first chapter. I would have been in a frothing rage at the author for daring to write such a brutal rape of a character I like. But approached as pornography it's completely different, it's not merely less upsetting - I can actually find it arousing. I believe that something similar is true for me as the author (instead of reader), except that I believe I'm even more insulated by the act of creation.
So I'm glad to hear that people feel emotionally invested in the story. But I hope that everyone keeps in mind that MV is intended as erotica, and that of a pretty dark kind. Reading it on any other basis, well, it just seems to me that doing so would be far too painful.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Kazuma Review of 27
I just read Kazuma's review of chapter 27:
I've been keeping up with the story since it started, but i really got to say that the idea of adding Ukyo to the equation is a terrible idea. would of prefer that you killed her off, but then i just hated Ukyo in a general since since she was first introduced in the manga. I look forward to what you plan on doing but I have ideas and not too fond of 'em.
Everyone has their own tastes in characters of course. For each reader, only time will tell whether what I do with the character will be interesting or not. For what it's worth, I don't expect Ukyo to become as much a main character as, say, either Ryoga or Gosunkugi. Still, she will be around.
The real reason I'm making this post in reply to the review is because of a fascinating coincidence. Immediately prior to reading this review, I was watching an episode of the anime Kaze no Stigma on Hulu. The male protagonist of that show is named ... wait for it ... Kazuma.
I've been keeping up with the story since it started, but i really got to say that the idea of adding Ukyo to the equation is a terrible idea. would of prefer that you killed her off, but then i just hated Ukyo in a general since since she was first introduced in the manga. I look forward to what you plan on doing but I have ideas and not too fond of 'em.
Everyone has their own tastes in characters of course. For each reader, only time will tell whether what I do with the character will be interesting or not. For what it's worth, I don't expect Ukyo to become as much a main character as, say, either Ryoga or Gosunkugi. Still, she will be around.
The real reason I'm making this post in reply to the review is because of a fascinating coincidence. Immediately prior to reading this review, I was watching an episode of the anime Kaze no Stigma on Hulu. The male protagonist of that show is named ... wait for it ... Kazuma.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
MV 27 Posted
Okay, chapter 27 is posted. I didn't make you wait too long after last chapter's cliffhanger, a couple days past a couple of weeks, but that was a bit longer than I was planning to make you wait. Well, it's there now. Check it out and let me know what you think.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Sunday Night
As suspected, I won't be posting the chapter tonight. I had to take care of some chores. Hopefully, I'll be able to get it up in the next few days.
MV 27 Complete
I've just completed the final scene of chapter 27 of Moxibustion Violation. Now I've got to go back through the chapter and clean it up before I can post it. I'm not too hopeful I'll be able to manage that tonight, but I'll give it a shot. At any rate, I'm getting close to getting the chapter out there.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
MV 27 Majority Done
I made the right decision to cut chapter 26 off where I did. Chapter 27 is getting fairly long, and it all has to be there. It's currently up to more than eleven thousand words, and there's more to go. I think there will only be one more scene, or at any rate, just one more significant scene. It might turn into a fairly long scene however.
By the way, there's plenty of sex in this chapter.
Unfortunately, it's late Sunday night, and I don't anticipate having much time to write on the weekdays. I hope I'll get a chance to do so, but I probably won't. So I'm crossing my fingers I'll finish writing the chapter next weekend. I really need to make an effort, because the closer we get to Christmas, the less time that I'll have on the weekends as well.
By the way, there's plenty of sex in this chapter.
Unfortunately, it's late Sunday night, and I don't anticipate having much time to write on the weekdays. I hope I'll get a chance to do so, but I probably won't. So I'm crossing my fingers I'll finish writing the chapter next weekend. I really need to make an effort, because the closer we get to Christmas, the less time that I'll have on the weekends as well.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Dragon's Whisker Conclusion
Genma is back in the Tendo home, admiring the dragon's whisker which he has stolen, thinking about the hair he will soon grow. He tries rubbing his scalp with the whisker. He strikes his scalp with the whisker. He tries wearing the whisker on top of his head. He realizes in despair that he doesn't know how it works.
Ranma shows up, trying to get the whisker back. Genma offers Ranma ten yen to tell him how the whisker works (this is approximately ten cents in U.S. coinage). Akane shows up, demanding to know if he wants Ranma stuck as a girl for the rest of her life, because the whisker has no effect when Ranma is a girl. Cologne is also there and explains that if Ranma turns male without tying his hair with the whisker, his hair will grow until it runs out. Genma says, "How horrible!" and then says, "Let's see," and pours hot water on Ranma. Ranma screams as his hair starts growing. Genma holds some of the hair and tells him that he's a lucky child. Ranma replies that he might agree if he wasn't about to become an orphan, then stomps Genma.
Happosai appears and steals the whisker. Ranma turns female and exposes her chest to distract Happosai. Genma steals the whisker. Ranma hits Genma and takes the whisker back. Happosai steals the whisker from Ranma. Cologne laments, "Master against disciple ... father against son ... what evil the dragon's whisker brings." Akane tells her, "Looks like a typical day with Ranma to me."
Happosai, still in possession of the whisker, finds and beats up the Chinese pork bun men, ordering them to tell him how to use it. They do so, then he ties them up as he prepares the porridge, while they angrily complain about his intent to keep it all for himself. Ranma appears out of nowhere, lands on Happosai, takes the whisker, then leaps away while retying her pigtail. Happosai throws the pot of hot water, which changes Ranma back to male, but he has finished tying the whisker on his pigtail.
Genma leaps for Ranma, pretending to congratulate him, but Ranma kicks him away. While he does so, Happosai snips off his pigtail, causing his hair to grow explosively. Ranma, completely fed up, ties tires, cement blocks, and other things to his hair, and uses them to attack Happosai and Genma. In the ensuing battle, Ranma gets the upper hand, but while strangling Happosai with some of his hair, the hair pulls out of his head. Ranma realizes that it's no longer growing. Ranma is terrified that he has used up all of his hair. Genma attempts to cheer him up by pointing out that Ranma is his son, so he was bound to lose it all eventually anyway. For some reason this doesn't comfort Ranma and he starts to run away.
Except Ranma realizes that the dragon's whisker porridge could grow new hair for him. Ranma attempts to take the whisker back from Happosai. Happosai realizes he has lost the dragon's whisker. Ranma collapses, but Cologne examines him, realizes that the hair on his head is not growing, and thereby concludes that the dragon's whisker effect has worn off. However, Ranma has passed out, so will only learn this when he comes to. Meanwhile, Happosai and Genma are trying to find the dragon's whisker.
Cut to the Nekohanten. It turns out the Chinese pork bun men managed to make off with the dragon's whisker. They brought it to the restaurant and had Cologne's great-granddaughter Shampoo make them the special rice porridge using the whisker. The Chinese men are convinced that their hair is growing (it isn't) and we learn from Shampoo that she learned from the restaurant owner back in China that the freshness date on the dragon's whisker just ran out.
Ranma shows up, trying to get the whisker back. Genma offers Ranma ten yen to tell him how the whisker works (this is approximately ten cents in U.S. coinage). Akane shows up, demanding to know if he wants Ranma stuck as a girl for the rest of her life, because the whisker has no effect when Ranma is a girl. Cologne is also there and explains that if Ranma turns male without tying his hair with the whisker, his hair will grow until it runs out. Genma says, "How horrible!" and then says, "Let's see," and pours hot water on Ranma. Ranma screams as his hair starts growing. Genma holds some of the hair and tells him that he's a lucky child. Ranma replies that he might agree if he wasn't about to become an orphan, then stomps Genma.
Happosai appears and steals the whisker. Ranma turns female and exposes her chest to distract Happosai. Genma steals the whisker. Ranma hits Genma and takes the whisker back. Happosai steals the whisker from Ranma. Cologne laments, "Master against disciple ... father against son ... what evil the dragon's whisker brings." Akane tells her, "Looks like a typical day with Ranma to me."
Happosai, still in possession of the whisker, finds and beats up the Chinese pork bun men, ordering them to tell him how to use it. They do so, then he ties them up as he prepares the porridge, while they angrily complain about his intent to keep it all for himself. Ranma appears out of nowhere, lands on Happosai, takes the whisker, then leaps away while retying her pigtail. Happosai throws the pot of hot water, which changes Ranma back to male, but he has finished tying the whisker on his pigtail.
Genma leaps for Ranma, pretending to congratulate him, but Ranma kicks him away. While he does so, Happosai snips off his pigtail, causing his hair to grow explosively. Ranma, completely fed up, ties tires, cement blocks, and other things to his hair, and uses them to attack Happosai and Genma. In the ensuing battle, Ranma gets the upper hand, but while strangling Happosai with some of his hair, the hair pulls out of his head. Ranma realizes that it's no longer growing. Ranma is terrified that he has used up all of his hair. Genma attempts to cheer him up by pointing out that Ranma is his son, so he was bound to lose it all eventually anyway. For some reason this doesn't comfort Ranma and he starts to run away.
Except Ranma realizes that the dragon's whisker porridge could grow new hair for him. Ranma attempts to take the whisker back from Happosai. Happosai realizes he has lost the dragon's whisker. Ranma collapses, but Cologne examines him, realizes that the hair on his head is not growing, and thereby concludes that the dragon's whisker effect has worn off. However, Ranma has passed out, so will only learn this when he comes to. Meanwhile, Happosai and Genma are trying to find the dragon's whisker.
Cut to the Nekohanten. It turns out the Chinese pork bun men managed to make off with the dragon's whisker. They brought it to the restaurant and had Cologne's great-granddaughter Shampoo make them the special rice porridge using the whisker. The Chinese men are convinced that their hair is growing (it isn't) and we learn from Shampoo that she learned from the restaurant owner back in China that the freshness date on the dragon's whisker just ran out.
Dragon's Whisker 3
Still in the P.E. equipment shed, Ranma tells Akane the story of the dragon's whisker. After being cursed at Jusenkyo, but before leaving the Bayankala Mountains, Ranma was wandering in her female form. She was extremely hungry. A man ran by holding a bowl of rice porridge. He was being chased by another man who yelled, "Stop, thief!" The pursuer is recognizable as the owner of the restaurant who was attacked by the "pork bun men".
Ranma grabs the bowl, kicks the thief away, and eats the porridge before the restaurant owner can say anything. He steps up, opens her shirt to look at her breasts, and says, "A girl. Good thing." Ranma clobbers him and asks what he means. He takes Ranma back to his restaurant and feeds her, while explaining that the rice porridge is the restaurant's secret item. The stock is made with dragon's whisker, which he holds up to show. He tells Ranma that it has no effect on women, but when a man eats it, it fulfills a certain ambition. He goes on to say that many a battle has been fought over the porridge, but it's truly lucky that Ranma is female. Except, before he can finish saying the word "female", Ranma pours a kettle over his head, transforming into a boy.
The frames are drawn so that we do not see male Ranma. The restaurant owner laughs, saying "So you're a man." Ranma thumps him over the head several times, and asks, "Is this what you mean by ambition?" The restaurant owner holds up the dragon's whisker and says, "Until the effect runs out, you can use this as a seal." He allowed Ranma to take the dragon's whisker. Akane thinks to herself, "If that's the whisker's power, no wonder men fight over it."
Cut to the Nekohanten (a Chinese ramen restaurant), where Genma is asking the ancient Chinese amazon Cologne if she knows the secret of the dragon's whisker. Cologne tells him that the whisker is trouble, but she cannot tell him about it. That she especially cannot tell him. As Genma walks along puzzling over her words, Happosai and the four Chinese men all run by. Genma realizes what they all have in common, including himself - that they are all bald. He guesses the secret - that the dragon's whisker grows hair.
Cut back to the P.E. equipment shed, where Ranma is surrounded by masses and masses of hair, growing from his head. Recall that Akane got the dragon's whisker back from the Chinese man who stole it. Akane cuts Ranma's hair, rebraids his pigtail, and ties it off with the dragon's whisker, which stops it from growing. Although Akane's usual trouble with handiwork manifests itself, and the pigtail she ties stands up over Ranma's head.
Genma bursts in, demanding to know how Ranma could dare to keep this from his own father, by which Ranma realizes he now knows the secret. Happosai and the four Chinese men attack, but Genma defends his son, knocking them all away. Ranma and Akane look a bit surprised. Genma turns back, looking very sad, and asks why Ranma can't trust his own father. He goes on in this vein, while trying to get his hands on the whisker, but Ranma stops him. They fight, and Ranma clobbers his father. Genma starts spouting more crap, and this time manages to steal the whisker while Ranma is distracted.
Ranma starts to chase Genma, but is stopped when several girls running by step on his rapidly growing hair. Cologne shows up and splashes him, turning Ranma into a girl. He asks what she did that for, but answers it himself when he remembers that he is unaffected as a girl. Cologne warns Ranma that if he doesn't get the dragon's whisker back, then within a week he will completely run out of hair.
Ranma grabs the bowl, kicks the thief away, and eats the porridge before the restaurant owner can say anything. He steps up, opens her shirt to look at her breasts, and says, "A girl. Good thing." Ranma clobbers him and asks what he means. He takes Ranma back to his restaurant and feeds her, while explaining that the rice porridge is the restaurant's secret item. The stock is made with dragon's whisker, which he holds up to show. He tells Ranma that it has no effect on women, but when a man eats it, it fulfills a certain ambition. He goes on to say that many a battle has been fought over the porridge, but it's truly lucky that Ranma is female. Except, before he can finish saying the word "female", Ranma pours a kettle over his head, transforming into a boy.
The frames are drawn so that we do not see male Ranma. The restaurant owner laughs, saying "So you're a man." Ranma thumps him over the head several times, and asks, "Is this what you mean by ambition?" The restaurant owner holds up the dragon's whisker and says, "Until the effect runs out, you can use this as a seal." He allowed Ranma to take the dragon's whisker. Akane thinks to herself, "If that's the whisker's power, no wonder men fight over it."
Cut to the Nekohanten (a Chinese ramen restaurant), where Genma is asking the ancient Chinese amazon Cologne if she knows the secret of the dragon's whisker. Cologne tells him that the whisker is trouble, but she cannot tell him about it. That she especially cannot tell him. As Genma walks along puzzling over her words, Happosai and the four Chinese men all run by. Genma realizes what they all have in common, including himself - that they are all bald. He guesses the secret - that the dragon's whisker grows hair.
Cut back to the P.E. equipment shed, where Ranma is surrounded by masses and masses of hair, growing from his head. Recall that Akane got the dragon's whisker back from the Chinese man who stole it. Akane cuts Ranma's hair, rebraids his pigtail, and ties it off with the dragon's whisker, which stops it from growing. Although Akane's usual trouble with handiwork manifests itself, and the pigtail she ties stands up over Ranma's head.
Genma bursts in, demanding to know how Ranma could dare to keep this from his own father, by which Ranma realizes he now knows the secret. Happosai and the four Chinese men attack, but Genma defends his son, knocking them all away. Ranma and Akane look a bit surprised. Genma turns back, looking very sad, and asks why Ranma can't trust his own father. He goes on in this vein, while trying to get his hands on the whisker, but Ranma stops him. They fight, and Ranma clobbers his father. Genma starts spouting more crap, and this time manages to steal the whisker while Ranma is distracted.
Ranma starts to chase Genma, but is stopped when several girls running by step on his rapidly growing hair. Cologne shows up and splashes him, turning Ranma into a girl. He asks what she did that for, but answers it himself when he remembers that he is unaffected as a girl. Cologne warns Ranma that if he doesn't get the dragon's whisker back, then within a week he will completely run out of hair.
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