What's the deal with that "Cupcakes" fanfiction?

Here's a post for you bronies out there. And for my regular readers: Warning! The following blog post discusses adult material and extreme violence. (No, this isn't turning into a My Little Pony blog, but this has been on my mind.)

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Everyone's heard of the wildly-popular newest generation of ponies. The series features new characters, a larger fanbase, songs, and superior animation and voice-acting as opposed to previous shots at the franchise. The army of bronies and pegasisters has given way to countless videos, pieces of fanart, and the dreaded fanfiction.

Last January, at an non-confirmed date a mysterious story titled Cupcakes was posted on 4chan. So far, the author SEEMS to be someone by the name of Sergeant Sprinkles, but that too is not certain. Here's where the story gets difficult: to get a full (and safe) synopsis of the fanfiction, if you're unfamiliar with it, click here. If you're too lazy to do that, here's the short version: Pinkie Pie (shown above right) drugs and kidnaps Rainbow Dash. When Rainbow Dash wakes up, the story that follows is something of a mix of Sweeny Todd and Silence of the Lambs as she's tortured to death for the "special ingredient" in Pinkie's delicious cupcakes.

Charming, isn't it?

To make things clear: No, i haven't read this fanfiction, and I don't plan to any time soon. The last time I read a grimdark fanfiction, it was by accident and I didn't sleep properly for the next forty-eight hours. As for Cupcakes, it's caused an uproar of either praise or rants of condemnation from bronies in every nook and cranny of the internet. Putting shipping and pairings aside, let's go over the reactions...

At first, many fans were outraged that the piece had ever been written. Pinkie Pie was created as the happy, carefree pony of the six main cast members and it was wrong to think she'd ever harm her companions, especially not Rainbow Dash who she works hard to befriend very early on in the series. On top of this, the story was seen as overly-violent and mentally scarring. Having seen a fan-made "animated version" of Cupcakes, I definitely agree on that account.

The other group viewed it differently.

They seemed to delight in the idea of Pinkie Pie becoming a psychopath and spawned the pictures and spin-off fanfictions we now have lurking on the internet. Besides, it was just a fanfiction, right? At least it wasn't as bad as Sweet Apple Massacre. (Note to readers: Sweet Apple Massacre is another violent fanfiction that I haven't researched much OR read. After a quote from my brother, I don't plan to touch it with a twenty-foot pole. Before looking it up for yourself, know that it's easily the most-hated piece related to the Friendship is Magic boom yet to be created - much more so than Cupcakes.)

As a third party, trolls have started using cupcakes as a tool. Pinkie Pie sings to Applebloom (above right) about baking cupcakes in an episode of the actual show. The song itself is innocent, catchy, and fits Pinkie's canon personality. However, if you look up the song to listen to it on YouTube, you're most likely to see someone comment something along the lines of "Hey, you guys like cupcakes? You should read a fanfiction called 'cupcakes'. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie bake together - it's very beautifully written."

I saw this comment and responded immediately with the word "Troll". The writer's response was to continue to try and beckon me to read the story, proving again that TROLLS ARE STUPID.

Wrapping up what is no doubt the darkest post this blog has yet, what do I, Hideki think of the Cupcakes hype?

When I read fanfiction, or write it for that matter, my belief is this: Fanfiction is a way to see the characters you love in a situation that they haven't had a chance to experience in the show, movie, game, song, et cetera that they're featured in. Cupcakes follows this belief, HOWEVER: I'm also a stickler for in-character writing. Watching My Little Pony I admit, yes, Pinkie has that one episode where she loses grip on her sanity a bit, but my problem is that she had warning signs and was PROVOKED before slipping to the point of creating imaginary friends. As far as I know, there was no lead-up to drugging Rainbow Dash, a friend she's very close with. On top of this, Friendship is Magic is a KID'S SHOW. Yes, the brony community is greatly made up of adults, but originally the ponies were created with pre-pubescent girls in mind. That, and it's also shown on Saturday mornings on the Hub, a channel for children. That fact makes it hard for me to see any character from the show, let alone Pinkie, harming another in such a gruesome way. This also affects the fan-pairings in my mind: Yes, Pinkie Dash and ApplejackxRarity seem to make sense, but I don't care much for and fanfiction or fanart that go beyond pony-hugs and maybe a kiss on the cheek. (With the exception of The Party isn't Over Yet, which was so well-written it has parts that could practically be written into the show.)

No hard feelings towards those Cupcakes lovers, but I won't be joining you, I'm sorry to say.

- much luvz, Hideki.

RANT: Trolls are Stupid

Remember my blog post about going to WonderCon back in May?
While I was there, pushing my way through the crowds of people, some random guy and his friend passed by me and said very clearly something along the lines of "Look at all these assholes." followed by a chuckle from his companion.
I'm sorry sir, but you paid MONEY to get inside of a convention. So why are you bashing the people here? What, I wonder, is the point of spending a perfectly good Saturday afternoon in a place that you had to pay to get in to with when you're just there to make snarky comments about those who want to enjoy themselves?
This memory was brought up by a deviantArt member who posted a journal detailing someone saying they "HATE" what she's done to the new My Little Pony fandom. Whether you're a hardcore brony or don't give a Pinkie Pie cupcake about the show, the artist gave a very good argument:
She hadn't drawn the picture to offend anyone, and it wasn't targeted at the commentator, obviously - the two had never crossed paths before. The commentator made on of the most cowardly moves I've ever seen a troll make, however: they blocked the artist from commenting back. On a separate account, the artist chewed out the commentator rather explicitly, but as said before, made an excellent argument.

I see this sort of thing all the time on YouTube: someone posts an anime clip from the English dub of the show. Let's say it's Ichigo's transformation in Bleach for argument's sake. Johnny Yong Bosch is on the screen screaming or laughing maniacally as it's Hollow versus Soul Reaper in one body, and below there's the comment box. While I raise my eyebrows, impressed by Johnny's talent once again, people are writing careless messages like "the original's better" or "this dub sucks". You get the idea.
The most offensive one I recall was on a video posted by the voice-actor. Steve Blum is probably most well-known for his role as Oroshimaru and Zabuza in Naruto. He put his demo reel up on YouTube for loyal fans, and one gutsy viewer posted a comment saying they wished Steve was away from the microphone forever, mentioning a club for those with that shared belief.

Why on Earth have we slipped so low?
There is a very simple rule to anything on the internet: Don't like? Don't watch. Why is it so hard for people to understand this principle? Why waste your time torturing yourself with a show, dub, or even a CONVENTION for God's sake that you don't enjoy? Does the masochism make you cooler? If so, do you REALLY need to share your complaints with EVERYONE? Even if you disagree, what's the point in picking a fight with some hardcore fan? Believe me, I've tangled with enough Twilight fangirls to know how to say, "I don't like the series, okay? We don't have to talk about it." Rather than pick a fight. The argument will go nowhere, and someone will get hurt.

- Much luvz, Hideki.

Kingdom Hearts: A final end

When was the point where it stopped being fun?

Are you still waiting for your life to start?

Once upon a time in the far-away land on Eng, there lived a girl named Jenn who loved a girl named Kelly. Jenn needed a way for Kelly to notice her, so she donned her mullet wig and Organization XIII coat to start a web show. This is the story of the hugely popular Demyx Time YouTube series. What started as a crush spawned into a now widely-known internet sensation that's grown by over 40,000 subscribers, sprouted from one girl in with a camera to an entire cast and was born from a love story that's now touched hundreds of people's hearts.
However, all good things must come to an end.
After about four years, it was announced that the fifteenth and final episode of Demyx Time had been filmed, and the show would soon be ending. However, the end seemed to have a larger effect on Kelly and Jenn, the internet stars.
Trying to break away from their Kingdom Hearts roots, Parle Productions began releasing their newest series The Marauders, based off of Harry Potter. After various announcements about a Left 4 Dead music video to be filmed at the next convention they were attending, the two uploaded a video of them cosplaying Nick and Ellis from L4D2.
The newest video spawned countless comments somehow relating back to Demyx Time and The Sora Show. Yesterday, Kelly officially announced it on her journal:
Parle Productions is quitting Kingdom Hearts cosplay permanently.
Time has passed, and simply put, they're tired of Axel and Demyx. They've essentially exhausted Demyx Time, but Kelly mentioned that she doesn't enjoy playing Sora any longer either. Therefore: After the final episode of Demyx Time is released, Kingdom Hearts will end for Parle.
Today, Jenn put her final cosplay picture of Demyx on DeviantArt, and Kelly wrote an update detailing that they're looking for a house.
I'm sad to see it go: truly, I am.
If it weren't for web shows like theirs and The Misadventures of MarVex I'd have never enjoyed the fandom as much as I have. Also: Jenn and Kelly have helped me with some personal problems as well.

Parle isn't dead.

The Marauders will continue, and I'm hoping The Shinra Files will as well.
I hope Jenn and Kelly the best: whatever they choose to do, there's no point in doing it if they don't enjoy it as much as the people watching.

Parle, here's to you.
Have a good future.

- Much luvz, Hideki.

New Blog

I'm not done with anime, but someone new has appeared in my life.
Actually, three somethings.
I aqquired three hermit crabs last Saturday that are now alive and well at this very moment. Their names are Sei, Kino, and Marluxia. You can read it here.

Thanks!

- Much luvz, Hideki.

Misery

For once, this blog is about something non-anime, not about my life, and not about a movie that spawned into a popular video game. However: a nerd is a nerd is a nerd, and I know there are Stephen King freaks out there.
In my continuing experimentation with horror movies and thrillers, tonight my dad and I watched Misery. The tale tells of author Paul Sheldon who crashes on a mountain road during a blizzard. Annie Wilkes, claiming to be his number-one fan, pulls him from the wreckage and brings him back to her home to nurse his broken limbs. Soon it becomes clear that Annie isn't quite right in the head. She lies to Paul about her contact with the outside world when she has no phone. When leaving the house, she locks his room, and when discovering that he's killed off the heroine, Misery Chaste, of his hit romance series, she throws a tantrum and forces Paul to write a continuation. Crippled and praying he can deceive his captor, Paul starts desperately searching for a way out.

When I watched The Shining, I liked the IDEA of the story, and the movie left me unimpressed. However: I believe that stalkers are some of the most terrifying people you could come across. Misery had a character that lived up to that expectation - rapid, uncalled for moodswings; obsessive-compulsive habits and paranoia. This movie made me jump, sit on the edge of my seat, and had everything I look for when taking a dose of horror.
For gore lovers, I'm sorry: there's a minimal amount of blood. One person is shot through the chest before Paul and Annie's final struggle where the both bleed quite a bit.
The acting was excellent: Paul was a clever man who had to act for his life to fool Annie. The sheriff that goes looking for him was charismatic with a hysterical wife.
I really enjoyed Misery. With this on top of my friend's rants on Stephen King, I think I'm finally sold on actually reading one of his books.

- Much luvz, Hideki.

Kitchen "Energy"

I swear to whatever God you may or may not believe in, I just saw something in my kitchen. My dad says he often sees “passing energy” in our house, but this is my first visible brush in several years.

“It might’ve just been that.” Reassured my brother when I told him.

“I swear to God, it wasn’t the coffee maker!” I cried, gesturing to the appliance’s glowing face.

“What, like a glowing orb?” He grinned, almost teasing.

“Yeah, like a glowing orb!” I repeated.

I have a strong belief in ghosts and spirits. Whether you agree with me or not, I DO respect your opinion.

However: I just saw something in my kitchen.

- Much luvz, Hideki.

Twin Spica

I don't often rush to review a series that I haven't read or seen a substantial amount to draw an opinion on, but tonight I found the manga series Twin Spica so awing and dream-like that I HAD to share it.

As the story goes, in the year 2010, Japan's first manned spacecraft failed to launch when the gas caught fire. The entire crew was killed and the rocket crashed into the nearby city, killing many people. Asumi Kamogawa was born in the same year, and grew up knowing her mother only in a comatose state, completely covered in bandages before she passed away when Asumi was five. Once the funeral had passed and her mother was created, the young girl meets and befriends "Mr. Lion", a man who wears a cartoon mascot head. Mr. Lion teaches Asumi about outer space and the stars, and the girl's passion to someday pilot a rocket grows. She promises her father and friend that they'll get on her space ship for free.

At fourteen, with some trials and bumps in the road, Asumi applies for the Tokyo Space School. With the love of Mr. Lion and her father, she's sent off into a strange new setting where she spends her first week locked in an isolated room with two strangers. There, Asumi defies the impossible after reliving the trauma in her childhood.

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At this point, I haven't gone into much detail and not much has happened, but the cartoony style of Twin Spica portrays a shocking story with hidden meanings.

Never have I seen this accomplished with an art style so freakishly similar to Akiko and the Planet Smoo by Mark Crilley.

Supposedly a series with so much true fact blurs the lines of life, love, reality and legend in only this one volume I picked up at the library today.

When Asumi first meets Mr. Lion at age five, he's surprised that she can see him and claims he's a ghost. Further hints about his identity are revealed later. Who he is and his purpose is so far a mystery, but he is the element that's turning your science brain upside-down as you read.

The book is ridiculously easy to fall in love with, and I'm already longing for more.

Twin Spica is like nothing I've seen yet.

- Much luvz, Hideki