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fenlingsNora Roberts is uneven in the quality of her writing, but there are some books of hers I really enjoy. I like the Donovan series, but I think one of my favorite books of hers is Tears of the Moon, the story of the long-friendship-turned-romance of "the dreamy, musical Shawn Gallagher and the pragmatic, no-nonsense handywoman Brenna O'Toole." If I thought at all about why I liked this book, I had a vague notion that I was enjoying the reverse of gender norms in having a strong female handywoman. I've been feeling the mysterious urge to reread it for awhile now, and I finally did last night. This morning I realized that the reason I like this book is because Shawn is basically Tsuyoshi, and Brenna is basically Koichi. And this is how they fall in love.
I've been thinking recently about what all my favorite slash pairings have in common, and it turns out Shawn and Brenna share these qualities, as well. My thoughts owe a lot to Joan's hairy vs. smooth distinction. Some of my pairings, for reference (in smooth/hairy order): Heero/Duo, (Yamato/Taichi, Ken/Daisuke), Fraser/Kowalski, Brett/Danny, Hutch/Starsky, Koichi/Tsuyoshi. It seems that the hairy one is more social-friendly, more outwardly focused, and the smooth one is focused more internally, and then with a laser beam of focus toward the romantic partner. For some of these pairings, the characterization that gives the hairy and smooth ones those traits is a little more fanon than canon, but those are the characterizations I think of when I think of the pairing as one I enjoy. I don't want to go on listing a huge catalog of supporting examples, because that would be tedious, but it's just something to think about.
I've been thinking about this in regard to Kinki for a little while, especially ever since I watched the ID con fancams. Tsuyoshi says in essence, "We are free now in Tokyo Dome during this MC. We can do whatever we want." And what he wants to do is to go play the band members' drums and keyboard, because he likes to explore different instruments and play different kinds of music for the audience. When Tsuyoshi asks Koichi if he has anything he wants to do, Koichi demurs, but then when Tsuyoshi is making a heartfelt speech to the audience a few minutes later, suddenly headbutts Tsuyoshi in the stomach. Tsuyoshi exclaims, "You're like the relatives' kids [when you visit at holidays]!" effecting his usual deft power reversal from Tsuyoshi looking silly being interrupted and knocked over to Koichi looking silly being immature. Anyway, the point is that out of all the things Koichi could have done in Tokyo Dome, he chose something that would forcefully turn Tsuyoshi's attention to HIM and only him. That laser focus on Tsuyoshi wants Tsuyoshi to turn away from contemplating sending love and music to the world and turn toward Koichi. You see this too in their love confessions to each other (I have a whole other post pending for this), how Tsuyoshi's are always crafted to entertain the audience, to be funny, whereas Koichi's often just make the audience feel uncomfortable, because Koichi is so socially awkward compared to Tsuyoshi and the confessions seem too *real*, but they sure do get Tsuyoshi's attention.
I've been thinking recently about what all my favorite slash pairings have in common, and it turns out Shawn and Brenna share these qualities, as well. My thoughts owe a lot to Joan's hairy vs. smooth distinction. Some of my pairings, for reference (in smooth/hairy order): Heero/Duo, (Yamato/Taichi, Ken/Daisuke), Fraser/Kowalski, Brett/Danny, Hutch/Starsky, Koichi/Tsuyoshi. It seems that the hairy one is more social-friendly, more outwardly focused, and the smooth one is focused more internally, and then with a laser beam of focus toward the romantic partner. For some of these pairings, the characterization that gives the hairy and smooth ones those traits is a little more fanon than canon, but those are the characterizations I think of when I think of the pairing as one I enjoy. I don't want to go on listing a huge catalog of supporting examples, because that would be tedious, but it's just something to think about.
I've been thinking about this in regard to Kinki for a little while, especially ever since I watched the ID con fancams. Tsuyoshi says in essence, "We are free now in Tokyo Dome during this MC. We can do whatever we want." And what he wants to do is to go play the band members' drums and keyboard, because he likes to explore different instruments and play different kinds of music for the audience. When Tsuyoshi asks Koichi if he has anything he wants to do, Koichi demurs, but then when Tsuyoshi is making a heartfelt speech to the audience a few minutes later, suddenly headbutts Tsuyoshi in the stomach. Tsuyoshi exclaims, "You're like the relatives' kids [when you visit at holidays]!" effecting his usual deft power reversal from Tsuyoshi looking silly being interrupted and knocked over to Koichi looking silly being immature. Anyway, the point is that out of all the things Koichi could have done in Tokyo Dome, he chose something that would forcefully turn Tsuyoshi's attention to HIM and only him. That laser focus on Tsuyoshi wants Tsuyoshi to turn away from contemplating sending love and music to the world and turn toward Koichi. You see this too in their love confessions to each other (I have a whole other post pending for this), how Tsuyoshi's are always crafted to entertain the audience, to be funny, whereas Koichi's often just make the audience feel uncomfortable, because Koichi is so socially awkward compared to Tsuyoshi and the confessions seem too *real*, but they sure do get Tsuyoshi's attention.
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(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-06 05:55 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-06 06:15 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-07 03:02 am (UTC)hairy vs smooth distinction xD
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-07 03:32 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-11 12:47 pm (UTC)And I love this entry. You last paragraph made me smile~~ fufu! That's how I view KK also, somehow.
"You see this too in their love confessions to each other (I have a whole other post pending for this), how Tsuyoshi's are always crafted to entertain the audience, to be funny, whereas Koichi's often just make the audience feel uncomfortable, because Koichi is so socially awkward compared to Tsuyoshi and the confessions seem too *real*, but they sure do get Tsuyoshi's attention."
--> and sure Tsuyoshi love it. despite his being so happy-go-lucky, his possession over Koichi is quite high I think =p
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-11 10:40 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-12 07:30 am (UTC)I like when Koichi said "I don't understand him (tsuyo)" and "out of anyone, I think it's you who know him better. I knows nothing"
It's just showed that he thinking that much about Tsuyoshi!!!!
I think out of all people, he's knows Tsuyo better.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-11 02:33 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-11 10:40 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-13 01:59 am (UTC)Oh YES. Should I bribe you into blogging about it? XDD
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-13 05:56 pm (UTC)Oh YES. Should I bribe you into blogging about it? XDD
Haha, that would require actual study! I don't actually have any conclusions about it yet. Wow, I should actually post some of these other Kinki posts I've written...
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-20 06:19 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-20 01:03 pm (UTC)