wtf?

the story summary here might, possibly, be describing the most mind-numbingly awful plot i have ever had the dubious pleasure of reading about. evil americans and an evil go gambling ring, as well as rape, drugs, stabbings, shootings, kidnappings, and the coincidental deaths of hikaru's parents all make cameo appearances! i don't think i have the mental energy to mock it right now; i just realised i would want to save the link for future reference.

a productive day.

some errands have been accomplished, and i'm now the owner of an actual finnish identity card with a chip and everything. it looks extremely secure and makes me feel highly respectable, even if it does say "nationality: XXX" on it. (is the us the axis of evil, or what?) it's the first time the picture of me on an id card has ever looked remotely like an adult; alas, as it depicts my long hair, it also doesn't look too much like i look right now.

also i picked up another wholly innocuous package from my parents at the customs house by the harbour, leaving in my wake another deeply puzzled customs officer who surreptitiously tried to find out from me why in the world his time was being wasted to search it. today's innocuous contents: (3) pkgs instant red beans and rice; (1) pr sunglasses; (1) old grocery-store employee's nametag that used to belong to me (in the days of manager!slash); (1) french cell phone; (1) cotton skirt (the result of my first ever attempt to set a zipper alone, years ago. successful, i might add).

my latest food craving caused by anime (in a long line of sushi, miso, ramen, green tea icecream...) is gyoza, which at one time were almost my favourite food. i have this suspicion that i can't get them at all here. there are two japanese restaurants in town but both of them are dedicated to sushi. wax had never heard of gyoza when i asked her. ;.; but on the plus side, i got a package from aeslis♥♥♥ yesterday that's completely full of dvds to watch. maybe i will spot a japanese actor who will fit my mental image of akira. and i'm sure i can count on some more ohmiya at the least ♥.

rec

i've spent all of today when i wasn't doing errands being enchanted, entertained, doubled over in laughter, and knocked breathless and starry-eyed by this completely, insanely brilliant noir au in which hikaru is a private eye and touya meijin is the biggest mob boss imaginable (you have to scroll down approximately halfway to the "sam shindou, private five!" section).

i'm not sure what it is about aus that makes me love them so much, but when an au is truly wonderful, it's one of the best kinds of wonderful there is. of course, if you can manage a successful noir voice (and this writer's is fabulous) you've already won half the battle, because just the narration will already be hilarious, and that's possibly enough to salvage any problems in characterisation. but while the connection between the noir caricatures of all the principal characters and their canon characterisations may not be immediately obvious, there's a strong backbone of powerfully insightful and thoroughly right characterisation in all of the big ones: gumshoe hikaru, femme fatale-mafia heir akira, crooked cop kaga, crazy bodyguard waya, mob boss touya meijin. it's not without rough patches, but just keeping up that much crack through so much length (and scope, and detail) as well as she did is impressive.