It is a royal throwdown between the young spinto soprano Miss Christina Nilsson as the captured Ethiopian princess Aida and the veteran Wagnerian soprano who has nowadays turned her attention to dramatic mezzo roles Madame Katarina Dalayman as the proud Egyptian princess Amneris. Which of these two phenomenal ladies of the stage will come out on top? Sit back, relax, enjoy, and find out in this review.
Antoni Garcia
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Hey, everybody! Antoni, here, with another Powerpuff Girls fanfiction recommendation. I will be taking a look at No Matter What They Say written by dark lil’angel2be, published on July 1, 2014, and was based on the fan-animated music video (ANIMATION) Blossoomer – My Immortal created and uploaded by StarRainerGirl on February 1 of that same year. It’s rated T. It’s in English. It’s Romance/Hurt/Comfort, and if it were not already obvious, the main pairing is Boomer/Blossom. Other characters involved are Brick and Butch. Based on the fan-animated music video and the fanfic, the characters are between 14 to 15. Before I talk about this fanfic, I would love to spend a few moments to talk about Blossoomer – My Immortal, which as one can tell is a Boomer/Blossom fan-animated music video created, uploaded and published by StarRainerGirl, also known as xahCHUc on Deviantart, and used the ballad, My Immortal, sung by Evanescence’s very own Amy Lee. I caught this by complete chance and after watching it in its entirety I was thoroughly blown away. Not only did StarRainerGirl do an amazing job with the animation and designs for both the characters and the settings but she was also able to use the song to its advantage to convey the emotions that Boomer and Blossom have for each other. Every time I watch this video, I would easily well-up because My Immortal is one of my most favorite tearjerking songs of all time and I happen to be a fan of Evanescence, especially where Amy Lee’s unparalleled and flawless vocal skills are concerned. I’m sure some people will look at this melodramatic. As for me, I certainly had a feels trip with this one and I salute StarRainerGirl for everything she did to make this come to full fruition. Going to the pairing of Boomer/Blossom or Blossoomer itself, I find it kind of plausible. Sure, I always love shipping Brick and Blossom, Butch and Buttercup, and Boomer and Bubbles on a romantic level, and out of all these couples, I would say that Boomubbles has the strongest chemistry, most stability, and most trust. However, when it comes to Boomer and Blossom, it is a cute and innocent pairing on a platonic best friends forever level, as I can see a great amount of mutual respect that these two have for each other, which stands in stark contrast to how Brick and Butch would usually treat their youngest brother. I assess this as Boomer being the misunderstood, misguided, simple, jovial, gentle and artistic soul who is well-meaning on the inside and Blossom being the diplomatic, well-versed, intrepid, upright, compassionate, and bookish intellectual who does not judge a book by its cover. She will be the person who can see beyond Boomer’s trying-hard-to-be-tough shell, see that he is hurting inside because of how much of a butt-monkey he is to his elder brothers, and show mercy and compassion towards him. Therefore, Blossom will eventually break through his walls and help him become a better person not only to her but also to her sisters, especially Bubbles. Moreover, there will be a healthy synergy between the two, thus leading to a really beneficial relationship complete with letting go of any bitterness, being very appreciative of each other, and having each others’ backs through thick and thin. Blossom can help Boomer stand up for himself and tap into his creative and artistic side and Boomer can help Blossom chill out, not take everything too seriously, and not beat herself up about any issue she has. With that said, let’s get on to what I thought about the fanfic and how well it complements the fan-animated music video. It is a dark day complete with a rainstorm and Blossom is all alone in her room completely depressed, as she has had another nightmare of a failed rescue mission. She wakes up from it and sees an inscription on the mirror, “No matter what they say <3 – Boomer”. With that alone, Blossom remembers all the times she was there for Boomer from comforting him in his time of sadness to protecting him from his elder brothers’ taunts. Boomer is in a similar situation, as he too is in deep, depressing solitude. He too remembers those he comforted Blossom and even helped her in battle. The inseparability that these two have made them realize that they can’t live without each other, in spite of Brick’s and Butch’s discouragement on Boomer’s part. My word, if you want to get the full emotional experience of the story, you must watch the video and read the fanfic, they actually complement each other and both of them flesh out the main characters of Boomer and Blossom really well. Even more so, these two installments will make you want to grab some tissue after the entire shebang. Trust me when I say that if you did not cry after watching the video or reading the fanfic, something must be intrinsically wrong with you. There were some differences found, as the fanfic was not a copy and paste of the video. In the video, Blossom spots the inscription on the window, not on her mirror and Boomer had two cases in which he remembered Blossom comforting and defending him. To the fanfic’s credit, in terms of the latter case, I am very sure the author did not want to make Boomer go through so much turmoil than he already has with his elder brothers, thus ensuring diversity between the two with Boomer giving Blossom comfort from her sadness and protection against the villains she fights. After all, one good turn deserves another. I dare not spoil the ending, but let’s just say that it made me love Boomer so much as a character, I was blissful to see these two together and being there for each other, and it was sweet relief to an otherwise nearly depressing dirge of a tale. By and large, the story is simple, sweet, yet…
Hey, everybody! Antoni, here, with another recommended reading post. Today, I will be talking about the article ROH Interview: Petra Lang on singing Kundry in the ROH’s Parsifal with Bernard Haitink, which was written by Dominic McHugh and published in MusicalCriticism.com on November 22, 2007. Fun fact. When I was a seventeen-year-old junior high school student, I had the pleasure of reading this particular article as a basis for my English research paper about Richard Wagner’s Lohengrin, especially when talking about Ortrud. One has to leave it up to singers like Astrid Varnay and Petra Lang who not only sang this role magnificently in their own ways but also understood the character and the overall historical context. On the surface, Ortrud comes off as a wicked witch. However, when one gets to know her, the environment she is in, and the era the opera took place, which is in Antwerp in the 10th century or the Middle Ages, she is an intelligent, strong, fiercely independent, and determined woman, who has been badly scorned by society, as women were more underprivileged in comparison to the men. Essentially, Ortrud uses her craft, cunning, and smarts for her own goals to bring back a pagan Brabant and get back at those who dared to scorn, profane, and underestimate her and her lineage. Hence, that is also why I love Ortrud so much as a character, as she is multifaceted and rightfully frustrated with the situation she was in, thus taking action using her own hands and means, in spite of the fact that she is married to Count Friedrich von Telramund. Overall, the experience I had in making my research paper was a major journey from looking at the annals to reading books about opera to gathering all of my sources was kind of tough but it was so enjoyable and rewarding, as after all of that I ended up having a 95% on this project. Sure, I would have turned it in earlier thus getting a higher grade but I digress. I put in a lot of work, heart, and effort on that project, and I was happy, to say the least. Speaking of the main interviewee at hand, is there anything else I need to say about why I am utterly fascinated with Frau Petra Lang in terms of her insurmountable prowess as a singing actress? It’s very much the reason why I see her as a feistier, more outgoing, and fierier younger sister from another mother to Waltraud Meier. Both of them are extremely famous for singing roles in both the dramatic mezzo and dramatic soprano repertoires, chiefly in the German operas especially Wagner, like Fricka, Waltraute, Brangäne, Kundry, Ortrud, Amneris, Eboli, Isolde, Sieglinde, Marie from Wozzeck, Octavian, the Composer from Ariadne auf Naxos, and Venus. Even more so, both of them had their beginnings as lyric mezzos before ascending to the dramatic parts. However, unlike Frau Meier who sang Isolde and some dramatic soprano parts from 1993 to 2015, Frau Lang started to go to the dramatic soprano route in 2012. After singing Brünnhilde’s arias in concert for quite some time especially the Immolation Scene from Götterdämmerung, she ascended the role of this iconic heroine from Walküre, Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung as well as taking on Isolde in 2016. While Waltraud Meier’s voice is more metallic in emission during her prime, Petra Lang’s vocal emission is more electric, wiry, and flexible whilst maintaining its steely quality. Her higher range pierces the heavens like a thousand daggers when she hits her Bs and Cs. Coupling her exciting voice is her exceptional and involving skills as an actress, thus throwing herself into each and every role she does. With that said, let’s get on to the article and what I enjoy about it. I find it so astounding that Petra Lang was a big Wagner fan when she was a child from listening to a Flying Dutchman recording to listening to old-school singers like Julius Patzak. Even more so, her initial fascination with Parsifal was a tell-tale sign that she was not only going to sing the Voice from Above and a Flowemaiden of Klingsor but eventually Kundry, a role she took a look at in 1996 during René Kollo’s thirtieth anniversary of his stage debut. It is crystal clear that Madame Lang has been thoroughly invested with this iconic character akin to the Wandering Jew. One line that really got to me in the most positive way was, “I think Kundry as a role is about incarnation”, because of how she was able to comprehend Kundry’s roller-coaster of a journey from laughing at Christ on the cross, thus being doomed to wander the earth for all eternity, to her initial appearance as a savage, feral woman in the first act to a seductress under Klingsor’s control in the second act to a complete zombie in the third and final act. She also mentions Kundry’s relationship with not only Klingsor but also Amfortas and Parsifal and makes smart and well-done comparisons and observations of these characters. Even more so, Petra Lang was even coached by Astrid Varnay in the Wagnerian roles, not just Kundry but also Sieglinde, Adriano, Venus, and Ortrud. Speaking of Ortrud, this particular segment of the article was my biggest highlight, not only on an academic level in my experience but because of how someone as savvy as Petra Lang was able to make Ortrud into an even more multi-dimensional and relatable character. I also have to leave it up to her brand of humor to make me, the reader, actually root for Ortrud and everything she stands for and not just feel like I was reading overly pedantic. Even more so, just by listening and watching her performances as Ortrud, I can certainly tell that the great Astrid Varnay coached her superbly in terms of characterization and singing. The way singers like her see Ortrud is that she is a capable, political, and independent woman as opposed Elsa’s…
Hey, everybody! Antoni, here, with some recommended reading. I will be talking about the article Goddess Excellently Bright: Michaela Schuster and Tannhäuser, which was written by Mansel Stimpson and published on Classical Source in December 2010. Ah, Michaela Schuster. I have been a fan of this particular dramatic mezzo-soprano ever since I was sixteen. When I read her biography, I was so fascinated with the roles she did even though I did not see her live yet. From the Zwischenfach roles of Sieglinde from Walküre, Giulietta from Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Ortrud from Lohengrin, Eboli from Don Carlo, Amneris from Aida, Santuzza from Cavalleria Rusticana, and Marie from Wozzeck to true dramatic soprano roles like Marta from Tiefland to dramatic mezzo roles like Herodias from Salome, Laura from La Gioconda, Brangäne from Tristan und Isolde, Fricka from Rheingold and Walküre, and the Nurse from Die Frau Ohne Schatten to even Charlotte from Werther, I knew from the back of my mind that this was a singer to look out for. Nowadays, aside from chiefly focusing on the dramatic mezzo parts that she is well-known for, she has even ventured into contralto roles like Klytämnestra from Elektra, La Zia Principessa from Suor Angelica, and Zita from Gianni Schicchi, though she also did Auntie from Peter Grimes, Florence Pike from Albert Herring, and Madame de Croissy from Les Dialogues des Carmelites. In terms of her voice, it has a nice balance of dramatic metal without too much exertion and a luxurious lyricism, in which these vocal qualities make her all the more unique to my ears. Given her training as an oboist, she seems to have impeccable control of her voice when she has to sing either softly and plaintively or when she has to have dramatic outbursts. More than anything, she is a fiery, involved, commanding, and charismatic actress. Whether she evokes Sieglinde’s tenderness, the Nurse’s domineering and nasty nature, Fricka’s pain and suffering, Klytämnestra’s nightmares, Herodias’s venom, or Ortrud’s unhinged desire for vengeance against the Brabantians, she certainly sells it in everything she does to the point where I am in utter awe. In terms of this article, I initially read this when I was about 19 or 20 years old and I was immediately fascinated. I got to know more about Michaela Schuster’s career and journey and I was thoroughly enlightened and inspired. Based on the article’s title, this does not solely talk about Madame Schuster’s past engagement as Venus but also her beginnings as a singer and an overall musician. Reading how she went from studying the oboe at the Conservatory of Nuremberg thus getting herself a place in a small orchestra to returning to Salzburg with her sights being set on becoming a singer to the initial hardships she had to go through to get to this point made me relate to her trials and tribulations as a performer myself. This also depicts that the life of a fresh-faced performer whether one would be a singer or an actor or a musician or a dancer is not at all easy. However, if one has a good head on his shoulders and loads of determination and discipline, one can certainly make it. Even more so, success stories like this do not come overnight, as perseverance, courage, and a fighting spirit are needed to make it through. Speaking of success stories, I beamed with joy when I read that she had her initial success as a mainstay artist at the Darmstadt Staatstheater from 1999 to 2002 after opera director Pamela Rosenberg met her in Berlin and inquired her to do Fricka, as well as her first set of roles being Florence Pike, Auntie, and Penelope from Monteverdi’s Ulisse. I also found it wonderful to read that even though Madame Schuster is extremely for doing Wagner, she aspires to have more flexibility in her repertoire with doing Italian and French roles as well as doing recitals. A part of me even wonders how she would fare doing roles like Azucena, Ulrica, Fidés, Madame de la Haltiere, Mistress Quickly, Gertrude from Thomas’s Hamlet, and/or Genevieve from Pelleas et Melisande, I am pretty sure she would be a knockout, given her superb acting chops and unparalleled skills as an overall musician. When it comes to her talking about Venus, she makes well-thought-out comparisons in terms of how different the Dresden and Paris versions are especially when it comes to this character, Venus’s attitude vs The Princess di Bouillon’s attitude when it comes to love and rivalry, and even how Venus and Elisabeth love Tannhäuser. I can also concur that Tannhäuser is not even an easy sing for many a Heldentenor, as he not only needs to sing lyrically but also incorporate high notes. Those challenges also go to Venus, as she not only needs to bear a mezzo color to her voice but also hit high notes. Granted, I have not seen Michaela’s performance of Venus in either the Royal Opera House or the Chicago Lyric Opera, so for those of you who had, how did you think she fared? By and large, when reading this 7-year-old article, I get the impression that Michaela Schuster seems to be a down-to-earth, hardworking, focused, professional, and thoroughly natural person. Moreover, she has become one of my biggest role models of all time and I felt like I learned a lot from her, her experiences, her trials, and her triumphs. I also have to give Mansel Stimpson for not only conducting the interview in such a professional fashion but for also writing this superb article. Overall, if you have free time, I highly recommend reading this article, especially if you are a fan of Michaela Schuster or opera in general. Your eyes will definitely be open to see how her journey went from bearing hardships to earning success. I give this article 5 out of 5 favorite opera arias for a dramatic mezzo-soprano. It is imperative that you…
This has been in the making for weeks after I caught the live stream of the Bayerische Staatsoper’s production of Les Vepres Siciliennes. The question remains. How well does the star-studded cast consisting of the young American spinto soprano Rachel Willis-Sorenson, the Italian lirico-spinto Leonardo Caimi, the Romanian dramatic baritone George Petean, and the Uruguayan bass-baritone Erwin Schrott? Find out in this review, enjoy, and have a blessed Easter week.
Happy Easter, once again. Antoni, here, with another Inuyasha fanfic recommendation. This time I will be taking a look at Twenty Truths: My Daughter written by NalaxSimba and published on April 19, 2014. It’s rated T. It’s in English. It’s Family/Romance and the main pairing is Kohaku and Rin. Sesshoumaru is made to be Rin’s adoptive father, Jaken is still present as his lackey, and Inuyasha, Kouga, Ayame, and Kagome are mentioned. This fanfic is told in twenty themes chronicling Rin’s childhood, teenhood, and adulthood. So, I would say she ages from being 8 to 14 to 18 to her early 20’s. Out of all the Inuyasha couples, I truly love Kohaku and Rin when they are together. What makes them compatible as a couple is that they are not obnoxious with their bickering and squabbling, and they truly, genuinely, and purely care for each other. Sure, they may have been kids, with Kohaku being 11 years old and Rin being 8 years old, but they are a breath of fresh air compared to the whole soap opera antics that Inuyasha, Kikyo, and Kagome get themselves into. I support Kohaku and Rin as a couple then and I still support them to this very day. There is an innocence and radiance that these two have together. Whether it would be on the TV show or in fan works, they shine all thanks to the potential they have to grow as a couple to the point where I mark them as my OTP next to Inuyasha/Ayame, Ginta/Shunran, Miroku/Sango, Sesshoumaru/Kagome, and Shippo/Souten. When it comes to Sesshoumaru and Rin, I do not see them as a romantic couple in the slightest. First of all, Sesshoumaru is much more experienced and older than the youthful Rin, given that he appears to be about nineteen. In fact, I see their relationship as more of father and daughter. Think about it for a second. Rin was an orphan, whose parents and brother’s lives were lost to marauders. Surely, this experience would traumatize many a child. That is until she met an injured Sesshoumaru does she start to look up to him and admire him in a platonic way. She was then initially killed by Kouga’s wolves and Sesshoumaru used his Tenseiga to save her life. From there she has become his traveling companion and the way I interpret this is, he finally found an adoptive daughter through Rin, giving his own brand of discipline. In my mind, I always love to pair Sesshoumaru with Kagome, as he has Rin as his adoptive daughter and she has Shippou as an adoptive son. If they were to marry, then Rin would be the big sister to Shippou, thus making one strong family, with Sesshoumaru as the stern, disciplinarian, yet well-meaning father to his children, Kagome as the nurturing, strong-willed mother, Rin as the jolly, respectable, and loving older sister, and Shippou as her adorable little brother. Along the way, Sesshoumaru and Kagome will end up giving birth to little hanyos, making their family a little more exciting. Once Kohaku marries Rin and Shippou marries Souten, they will have kids of their own, thus making Sesshoumaru and Kagome grandparents in their 30s yet still mentally and physically active. Come to think of it, this calls for a fanart idea on my part. With all of this rambling aside, let’s get on to what I thought about the story. Ever since Rin has been living with Sesshoumaru, Jaken, and Ah-Un, she has become his adoptive daughter. He does things like buy kimonos, wrapping her under his mokomoko on frosty winters, and generally caring for her. That is until one fateful day that Rin had to live in Kaede’s village surrounded by humans. Rin comes of age and dates Kohaku, and being the stern father Sesshoumaru wants to ensure that her beau will keep his daughter safe, which is the same policy he gives him all the way up to marriage. By and large, this story is a very down-to-earth, simple, genuine, and lovely look into Rin’s family life with Sesshoumaru, Jaken, and Ah-Un. Even more so, this is a coming of age story of Rin’s journey from childhood to teenhood to womanhood. I dare not spoil the ending, but sufficed to say, it will leave one with tears of joy by how everything wraps up in a poignant, beautiful, and lovely way. The characters that really stole the show for me were Sesshoumaru, Kohaku, and Rin. Starting off with Sesshoumaru he does begin with his usual cold, overprotective self. However, as the story progresses he becomes slightly more understanding and compassionate not only as a father to Rin and future father-in-law to Kohaku but as a person. Kohaku starts off as a passionate and strong teenager not only in terms of his skills as a warrior but also how he persuades Sesshoumaru that he deeply loves Rin and wants to take her on a date. Eventually, in his adulthood, he proves himself as a loyal, noble husband to Rin. Rin is indubitably the main focus of this story, as this is her journey of becoming a woman. She starts off as the usually peppy and kind-hearted girl and she maintains that kindness and optimism all the way up to her adulthood. Jaken’s butt-monkey status has been thankfully reduced in this fanfic and is just the loyal servant. The other characters like Inuyasha, Kagome, Kouga, Ayame, and Kaede serve their purposes well. In terms of technicality, I did not spot one single error. Moreover, the layout is clean and well-organized. Overall, this was a touching Kohaku/Rin fanfic with Sesshoumaru as Rin’s adoptive father. Everything is so well-woven in a simple package that it comes off as charming and gentle. You know what I am going to give this fanfic. It deserves a full A+. On a technical standpoint, it’s flawless. From a narrative standpoint, it is excellent. Well, that’s all for now. Boy, taking a good look at these Inuyasha…
Happy Easter, everybody! Antoni, here, with another Inuyasha fanfiction recommendation. I will be taking a look at An Odd Pair, which was written by JapanLurve101 and published on November 10, 2008. It’s rated M. It’s in English. It’s Romance and the main pairing is, get ready for this, Inuyasha/Ginta. Before I talk about this fanfic, I want to talk about Inuyasha and Ginta as a shounen-ai couple. It is a guilty pleasure, and I kind of enjoy it because at least they are not related in any form. However, if you ask me, I actually ship them as a BrOTP. In my mind, their dynamics will function with Inuyasha functioning the large-and-in-charge, strong-willed, hotheaded and badass big brother to Ginta’s meek, endearing, jolly, and beware the nice one’s younger brother. In terms of shipping them with characters of the opposite sex, while I pair Inuyasha with Ayame to the nth degree, I always thought about pairing Ginta with Shunran of the Panther Devas. Sure, they clashed a bit in the anime, but I think Ginta/Shunran has potential. Think about it, Ginta is a kind, sensitive, sweet guy and Shunran is a feisty, fun-loving, lively girl. He would find her cute, fun to be with, and agile in her movements and she would find him hilarious, charming, and super strong. Sooner or later, they would hit it off rather well. I know it sounds a bit cheesy, but the thought of Ginta and Shunran as a couple always seems to fascinate me and it can be plausible. Okay, enough rambling. Let’s get on to what I thought about this story. Deep in the forest, Inuyasha is his usually vexed self, as he is thinking about Kouga’s blunt unwillingness to challenge him, as Kagome is not present. Just by thinking about what Kouga said is enough to make Inuyasha all the more riled up to the point where he is thinking about executing him by cutting off Kouga’s tail. A voice manages to startle Inuyasha out of his psychotic fantasy and then he sees that the voice belonged to Ginta, who exposits that Kouga is not in the area. Inuyasha is initially disappointed until Ginta decides that he needs to take a bath in the hot springs, for someone is about to take over guard duty. Inuyasha is initially hesitant until he decides to join Ginta along. What follows is the brewing relationship between the hotheaded hanyou and the innocent wolf yokai. By and large, this story is a mixture of humorous, charming, and rather steamy in the climax. By steamy, I mean there is male fanservice and eroticism, but it’s done in a way that does not feel too forced, as the story builds itself up quite nicely. It does not obnoxiously thrive on the fanservice and it’s balanced with substantial interest on the characters’ part. For one chapter, I thought it had a sufficient enough story, so high marks there. Talking about the characters is talking about Inuyasha and Ginta. It’s always a pleasure to see Inuyasha’s brand of toughness, brashness, and strong will present in this fanfic until he lets his defenses down. He was very much in character. Ginta is fleshed out the most. In the anime, he and Hakkaku function almost like fraternal twin brothers and are usually either the butt-monkeys or just the comedic sidekicks to Kouga. It’s a major shame because I would’ve loved to have each of their personalities fleshed out a lot more. Here he does keep his brand of innocence, charm, meekness, and youthfulness but it’s also backed up by a slightly mischievous attitude, especially when he realizes Inuyasha’s desire for some sensuality. There were not so many spelling and grammar errors, which made my overall reading pleasure a blast for the most part. I also have to give it high marks for the descriptive and varied enough language. Overall, this is a story I thoroughly enjoyed, especially with Inuyasha and Ginta as the main crack pairing. With their different personalities meshing together so well helped by a sufficient story and steamy action going on between Inuyasha and Ginta, I say go check it out if you are a fan of this crack pairing. With that said, I give this fanfic a grade of A+. Minute errors aside, I still say that this is a worthwhile read if you enjoy having Inuyasha and Ginta as yaoi couple. Well, that’s all for now, tune in later for another Inuyasha fanfiction recommendation centering around Kohaku and Rin with Sesshoumaru playing a paternal part, Twenty Truths: My Daughter written by NalaxSimba. Until then, have a most pleasant Easter. An Odd Pair by JapanLurve101
Hello, once again! Antoni, here, with yet another fanfic starring Inuyasha and Ayame. I will be taking a look at The Promise, which was written by darling krash, published on August 14, 2006, and last updated on September 30 of that same year. It’s rated M. It’s in English. It has eight chapters. It’s Romance/Drama, and aside from Inuyasha and Ayame as the main couple and main protagonists, we also have in this story Miroku, Sango, Kagome, Jakotsu, Kouga, an OC by the name of Doctor Kameko, and a whole bunch of villagers. As I read this fanfic, I cannot tell you how I excited I am to talk about it. So, without further ado, let’s get cracking. Jakotsu from the Band of Seven is attacking some villagers and marauding the overall peace. Inuyasha steps in to stop this pillage caused by the last of the Band of Seven or the Shichinintai, but little does he know, Ayame comes to aid him, as Jakotsu also murdered some members of her tribe. Together they finish Jakotsu off but at a price, Inuyasha’s palm is injured. Once Kagome brings in the bandages and disinfectants, Ayame willingly tends to Inuyasha’s wound. Meanwhile, Ayame’s den has been attacked by none other than Naraku, who has also taken her grandfather’s life. Inuyasha, sensing peril, rushes to go save her. Seeing Ayame injured, after her ordeal with Naraku, he rushes her to the village doctor, who tends to her wounds, feeds her well, and gives her lovely dresses. Whilst all of this is happening, Inuyasha and Ayame start becoming a lot closer than they think and this could be love, even though her grandfather’s dying words are for her to marry a warrior from Kouga’s tribe. What sells this story for me is the growing relationship between Inuyasha and Ayame. It is clear as night and day that even though Ayame is tied to her grandfather’s promise and Inuyasha tied to the past with Kikyo and the present with Kagome, these two are clearly meant for each other. For eight chapters, I definitely felt a lot of emotions surging through me and it kind of helped that there was a song in the form of I’ll Stay with You originally sung by Beth Hart in the fourth chapter, as Inuyasha sings a fragment of this to soothe Ayame. On a tangential note, as I heard the song on YouTube, I did imagine Richard Ian Cox singing the English version and Kappei Yamaguchi the Japanese version, which I thought was kind of cute. Sure, I would’ve loved the story to have gone longer, and develop how Kagome was going to further react to this, as well as how Kouga is going to take it. Probably, he would’ve decided that now that Ayame belongs to Inuyasha, he can very well be by Kagome’s side, though certain relationship issues will not stop Miroku, Kouga, Inuyasha, Sango, Kagome, and Ayame from destroying Naraku. Speaking of which, we could’ve had an epic battle involving these six and Naraku. However, as it is, the fanfic has been left abandoned for eleven to twelve years. To give it the benefit of the doubt, how it ended in the eighth chapter was at least satisfying knowing that Inuyasha and Ayame are an item, slight spoilers there. By and large, even though I would’ve loved to have more in this story, it is still a solid package full of heart. Inuyasha and Ayame, as always, steal the show in this fanfic. While Inuyasha maintains his brash, strong-minded, and defensive nature, it’s balanced out by a sensitive side. I, as the reader, can witness his vulnerability, when it comes to his past, as his human mother Izayoi was the only one who ever gave him any type of love and without her, he felt like no one else mattered, and his genuine, pure, steadfast love for Ayame. He will do everything in his power to not only protect Ayame from all harm but to also give her the love, affection, and time she truly deserves. Ayame maintains her steadfastness, loyalty, and sense of familial pride to her clan. She will do everything in her power to ensure that her grandfather, who was killed by Naraku, will be avenged, along with the rest of her tribe. She still has feelings for Kouga. However, as she met Inuyasha, he was very much the one who gave her his true love and protection. Even though she sees Kouga as her solution to unite their tribes, it is clear that her heart and her being belong to Inuyasha. I know I am going to sound like a broken record, but this is the fanfic which made me root for them as a couple. Not only do they present themselves as strong capable fighters who are intrepid enough to go physical, but they also have admiration and respect for each other. Thus emitting empathy from both of these characters. Not to mention, their chemistry is absolutely amazing, especially when they consider that they don’t have this type of emotional depth with their respective “partners”, Inuyasha with Kikyo then Kagome and Ayame with Kouga. As mentioned before, they knew they were destined for each other, even though they have to work it out if they truly are. It would be easy to make Kagome the jealous and clingy girl. However, she is someone who at first was befuddled, as to why Inuyasha would go out of his way to protect Ayame, but now she does get the hint, that these two have more genuine feelings for each other than Inuyasha has for Kagome and Kikyo combined. Sango ends up being rather emphatic in this story, as she not only understands Inuyasha’s vulnerability but Ayame’s growing feelings for him. She knows fully well that Inuyasha truly loves Ayame. Miroku is still his chivalrous pervert self, as he even suggests to Inuyasha that he should grope…
Hey, everybody! Antoni, here, with another fan fiction recommendation. Today I am taking a look at another Inuyasha fanfic entitled Wolf Dog written by BonaFideGarbage and published on February 4, 2009. It’s rated M. It’s in English. It’s Hurt/Comfort/Romance, and the main couple is Inuyasha and Ayame. Other characters involved, yet mentioned through exposition, are Kagome Higurashi, Sango, Kouga, Miroku, and Shippou. As you can tell, I am totally up for some hot, steamy action from my two of my most favorite anime characters in the world and OTP, Inuyasha/Ayame. So, let’s cut to the chase! After Naraku’s defeat and death, Inuyasha and his friends decide to go their separate ways. Miroku and Sango ended up being married with children. Shippou is in the search for other kitsune. The icing on the cake is Kagome splitting up from Inuyasha and becoming Kouga’s wife. This irritates Inuyasha so much to the point where his inner full demon forcefully advises him to get over that failed relationship. One day at a hot spring, Inuyasha spots Ayame, who is about to immerse herself in the steamy yet soothing water, while feeling down that Kouga would dare choose Kagome over her. He questions what she is doing at his relaxation spot, as she starts to get suspicious. That is until Inuyasha comes down from the tree as his hiding spot and Ayame finally recognizes him. What follows are moments of self-revelation from both sides and a rapidly blossoming romance between them. By and large, I did find myself thoroughly enjoying the story, as it is a nice balance of genuine character interactions and some well-deserved eroticism between Inuyasha and Ayame. The story does build itself up rather nicely and I love the inclusion of having Inuyasha’s full yokai form as a sort of conscience, as he is meant to be a symbol of Inuyasha’s animalistic instincts. This creature is just so tired of Inuyasha’s complaining that he actually spurs him to do something about his problem. Enter Ayame, who unfortunately was in a similar situation as Inuyasha, as these two have more than just a heart-to-heart conversation. Overall, the story does not rely too much on the eroticism but rather builds up the necessary development for our two main characters before the deed is done. One tiny caveat I have to give is, how do the other characters react to this? Part of me thinks that they are first hesitant, but turn face when they realize that Inuyasha and Ayame are truly compatible. Talking about the characters is talking about Inuyasha and Ayame. As always, Inuyasha maintains his defensive, brash, easily peeved, angry, yet strong-willed and charming personality. The fact that he has is full yokai side within his conscience kind of makes him rather dangerous yet fascinating. Whenever Ayame starts to weep, he tells her, albeit abrasively, that whatever they have experienced is all in the past and they need to move on. Ayame is presented here as a jilted lover, who cannot fathom why Kouga would choose Kagome as his mate over her. She initially has a hard time accepting it until she sees Inuyasha. Knowing what he went through in the past given his hanyou status, his first tragic falling out with Kikyou, and his latest one with Kagome, she easily empathizes and establishes a much stabler connection with him. In terms of their lovemaking scene, she is the submissive one to Inuyasha’s more alpha male actions. In terms of her characterization, she maintains her strong will and occasional vulnerability making her a diverse character overall. Even though the other characters in the forms of Miroku, Kouga, Sango, Kagome, and Shippou are only shown in bits and pieces, they do contribute well to the plot, even though it would have been nice to see how they react to such a change occurring between Inuyasha and Ayame. The only issues I have in terms of the grammar, spelling, and other technicalities mainly chalk up to minute missing letters from certain words. Otherwise, the layout is really good and the language does serve its purpose as an erotic romance story. So, overall, this was a really well-done Inuyasha/Ayame fanfic. If you are into erotic romance stories with a good amount of steam and genuine character relationships, this could be for you. With that said, I give this fanfic a solid A+. In spite of some super minor gripes, I still have to salute it for at least delivering the goods in terms of Inuyasha’s and Ayame’s relationship. There was rarely a time I had to correct in terms of grammar or spelling and I had an overall blast. Well, that’s all for now. Tune in later where I recommend another Inuyasha/Ayame fanfic, The Promise by darling krash. So, until then, have an awesome Easter Week. Wolf Dog by BonaFideGarbage
Hello, once again. Antoni, here, with another fan fiction “recommendation”, you will see why I put that in quotation marks. Let’s now switch our attention to what I consider my Inuyasha OTP, Inuyasha/Ayame, as I will be taking a look at The Blue Twin, which was written by Never Surrender, published on September 29, 2005, and last updated on December 9 of that same year. It’s rated T. It’s in English. It’s Drama/Romance. It has 23 chapters, and, obviously, the main pairing is Inuyasha/Ayame. Other characters involved are Miroku, Sango, Kagome Higurashi, Shippou, Kouga, Kaede, Sesshoumaru, Jaken, Myoga, and Kirara. There are also some OCs namely Kori, Kome, and Yume, more on them later. I did encounter this fanfic a few times and I was kind of excited to take a gander at it considering how much of a die-hard Inuyasha/Ayame shipper I am. With that said, let’s get on to what I thought about this particular fanfic. It’s a warm and peaceful day in Feudal Japan, where not much is happening. That is until someone who looks like Inuyasha, except with blue hair and attire, arrives, thus leaving Kagome, Shippou, Sango, Miroku, and, especially, Inuyasha in utter shock. That someone in question is his long-lost twin brother, Kori, and he is really excited to see Inuyasha after several years. Sesshoumaru, on the other hand, is less than enthusiastic. Along the way, there are new relationships to be made with Kouga and Kagome, Inuyasha and Ayame, and Kori and Kirara, who can somehow turn into a humanoid form, Miroku being wed to Sango, thus bearing his first child, some deceptions, broken relationships, and even a kinship to be formed between Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, and Kori. By and large, the story was rather enjoyable, as I did enjoy how the characters interacted with each other. There was one major headscratcher, though, and it was, how on earth did Kirara obtain a humanoid form? Was there a certain power which made her do so at will? Are there any conditions she has to go through for it to happen? It was not thoroughly mentioned nor explained how that happened because in the original anime she can only go from her little cat form to her big, battle cat-like form with blazing flames. The fourth chapter, as proclaimed by the author, was a filler chapter and that was not really necessary other than to drag the main story’s plot. Speaking of filler, there were times some scenes did feel like filler, but it was not too much. At times, the story can be melodramatic, but it’s well-balanced with some humor, action scenes, and a few touching moments found in the climax and especially the ending. There are also some character deaths to be found in this fanfic but despite all that, I thought there were some moments in the final few chapters which were rather touching, sweet, and left a smile on my face. The characters were still quite enjoyable to witness. Inuyasha still has his trademark impulsivity, sarcasm, brashness, and overall jerk with a heart of gold nature. In spite of all that, he also shows a good amount of compassion, especially with Ayame. He was very much in character all throughout the fanfic. Not to reveal any major spoilers, but let’s just say I was really happy when Kori took off the beads of subjugation from Inuyasha. Now we get to the main OC of this fanfic, Kori. In terms of design, I cannot really imagine him with blue hair but the blue haori I can certainly envision. Personality-wise, he is the complete opposite of Inuyasha. He’s jolly, sweet-natured, lovable, and happy-go-lucky as opposed to Inuyasha’s occasional crabbiness and sarcasm. He bears a sword called the Ketsaiga, which can only kill fifty demons. There are times he can be annoying but not on the level where it is obnoxious. His brand of annoying is kind of endearing, as he has lived in the North all of his life, has only heard about certain key events in passing, and has never left his territory. Yet, how he manages to know all of these key events and people like Kouga, Sesshoumaru’s mokomoko and even Kikyo is beyond me. I can forgive the occasional annoyance I have with Kori, as he is at least entertaining and does not take too much screentime. When reading his dialogue, I kind of imagine Brad Swaile or Samuel Vincent voicing him on the English side and Tomokazu Seki on the Japanese side. By and large, he is a pretty fun addition to the cast and he works well off of Inuyasha. Ayame has toned down her high strung nature yet still keeps that strength within her, which makes her consistently awesome. It was a bit of a shame that she entered somewhere in the ninth chapter because I would’ve loved to see a lot more of her in the previous chapters and let her grow from there. In spite of all that, she still proves herself to be worthy of Inuyasha because of how strong of a character she is and I have been rooting for them to be together. Like I said, what happens to them in the climax and even the ending is really heartwarming, adorable, and sweet. Kirara does serve her purpose as the team mascot and main source of transportation and here, as mentioned earlier, she has a humanoid form. Again, why she ended up having that I will never know. It’s safe to say that she is loyal, smart, and she proves herself to be a capable, strong fighter in both her cat-demon form and her humanoid form. Sesshoumaru keeps his brand of coldness and indifference in this story, as he initially wants nothing to do with either Inuyasha or Kori. Throughout the story, he eventually warms up a little bit more to the point where he can tolerate both Inuyasha and Kori. What happens to him…