Ahhhh, finally some time to sit down and write up some responses… ^^;
But firstly – thanks for the updates, grac! <3
As always, thank you all for reading. I can still scarcely believe that people will want to read the junk I crank out.
WAHHH???
There's no need to thank us for reading... we are the ones who have to thank you for writing.
I'm always so thankful for my writers, and you're no exception. Thank you for writing, and for sharing. Really really.
Yeah, you know, I've seen a still of Yossi touching the back of her neck during the Shabekuri interview I don't know if they were talking about the girls then. That's actually an unconscious tell- a sign that she's angry. We must track down the exact moment.
Was it the cap I posted in the IshiYoshi thread (my last post in that thread, if I’m not mistaken…)? Because if it is, then yes, that’s when they were talking about the girls. Angry? I’ve always taken that kind of body language to mean awkward or embarrassed/shy… I remember seeing Rika touch her neck a lot while gushing about Moonlight Yossie in some random clip… xD Interesting that it could be interpreted as a sign of anger…
Errgh- I hope I don't get excommunicated by the Chuuch if my portrayal of Charmy/graduation ends up a little less than ideal.
If it’s you who’s writing it, then I have much faith. I mean, your Yossie one left me quite staggered… I can’t see how you could do any wrong… and like Ropy said, doesn’t have to be ideal. After all, it really can’t be, as everybody has different views about Rika. ^___^
*grac’s extras*
Crack-tastic, my friend. Love them <3
Write more!!!!
Alrighty, better get this going or I’ll never have a comment up ^^;
Character Study #4: Ishikawa Rika, October 2005
by Fujimoto Miki
The title itself had me squealing. Is this going to be CHARMIKITTY?!
Certainly wasn’t expecting this… xD
A pleasant surprise, to have a Charmy study from Miki’s perspective. We get a bit of insight into Miki’s mind as well, which is a complete win-win
Everyone exists for the sole purpose of Fujimoto Miki's entertainment.
This is the truth.
Or at least, in my eyes it is. Having watched Miki over quite a number of Hello!Morning episodes and such, I’ve come to notice that Miki REALLY enjoys having a laugh at people. Lol. And she’s pretty much the police during games (always the first one, and SO enthusiastic, to point out the people who have stuffed up and thus must face punishment
).
I loved the way you put this across.
1)Trying too hard to be funny
2)Buri-buri princess behaviour, forced or genuine
3)Lame puns, unless you were a senior leader and deference needed to be shown for proprieties' sake
4)Over-exaggeration of a role or character
5)Shameless self-praise
6)Ham
OUCH.Charmy’s in trouble, if this is the list of no-nos in Miki’s book. Aha.
BUT, what a nice, change of events with Miki actually praising Rika for being funny, even if it isn’t the kind of funny one ought to be flattered about xD (Oh Charmy!
); and Yossie’s reaction is priceless.
“You weren't here in the morning- I came with Aya-chan for the Eriku Kamezo corner. She was...” she bent over laughing, wiping her tears as she recalled the shoot. “Hehh. Ma, anyway, she's hilarious.”
Such a Miki moment – I find that incredibly easy to picture. Your characterisation, again, top-notch; exactly the way I’d imagine Miki to explain something like that. <3
“…That was just fucking irritating. But you know what's really funny? That split second before she affects her Charmy chara and she realizes she has to do something really embarrassing. That is just too damned hilarious. She's fantastic.”
The Charmikitty fangirl in me just exploded from her hidden depths inside and is cow-dancing like mad.
I LOVE it when Miki says nice things about Rika (not that the bad-mouthing is particularly unpleasant, I sometimes quite enjoy her Rika-insults… >____>)
And I have to agree with you, Fujimoto-san. Rika is funny for the wrong reasons. ^__^
Although I can’t discredit Charmy 100%, Rika has become a very quick-witted talker, and can usually have people laughing quite easily without the need to poke fun at herself.
And yeah, she IS fantastic. Such a strong, lively presence. I’ll stop now before I go on a Charmy tangent. xD
Yossie gaped in confusion as Mikitty continued extolling the comedic virtues of Charmy Ishikawa, like a connoisseur describing fine wine.
LOLZ.
Now that’s something I would’ve never pictured before… me likey.
I wonder what Yossie thinks of Rika though? We know now that Miki sees Rika as more than disgusting, but Yossie? Onegai, for more IshiYoshi-oriented character studies!
“Ah, Yocchan.” she said, casually swinging her duffel bag over her shoulder. “You tell Rika-chan any of this, I will wedgie you repeatedly during a concert.”
Eri will be thankful for the distraction… xD
And a fitting ending to an amusing ficlet <3
LOVED IT!
I have a very soft spot for Charmikitty (their whole apparent ‘feud’ and ill-feelings for one another only fuel this xD), so thank you for writing this the way you have. I’m sure you’ll have another Charmy study coming up from Charmy’s perspective herself? I mean, with this particular ficlet, you’ve only brushed over one of many facets which make up the wonderful Ishikawa Rika. There’s plenty more there to delve into.
AND, it felt more like a Miki study than anything. Not that I’m complaining! I’m plenty happy having read this! Thank you!
Character Study #5
TAKAGAKI!!!
OH, they are SO cute. I didn’t quite get… romantic vibes reading this, but it didn’t matter. TakaGaki friendship in itself is something to behold. And yes, even if it may seem awfully mundane. I think that’s part of the appeal.
The late night (or early morning?) conversation between them here is just… awwwwwww~ kawaiiii.
I love how Gaki-san has to attend to Ai’s rather childish (and rather impulsive) urge to talk, ask questions; and of course, I love how naïve Ai-chan is. ^__^
It’s such a sweet kind of naïve, the kind that Gaki-san can’t quite get mad at.
<<Is it nature or nurture? I don't know...>>
I have a feeling Ai’s been prodding Gaki-san with this long-debated question some few times already
It’s probably something that’s been eating away at her, especially when she’s trying to get some sleep. Awww.
“Sorry, do you want to go back to sleep?”
“Mm.”
“I accidentally drank some coffee earlier- now I can't sleep.”
Funny how easily Ai-chan can just continue the conversation… despite knowing that her Gaki-san would like to go back to sleep
She’s just strange like that… seemingly kind and considerate, but can be a real douchebag sometimes. Nah, I love you Ai-chan. You’re just a little… oblivious to things sometimes.
“It's true. When we first joined, we were told to make a chara for ourselves. I think I never really made one myself, so they made it for me and now that they've made me, I don't know what that is and I'm this character I don't recognize on screen and off-screen, I don't know what I am anymore, and-”
A very valid question, Ai-chan. I don’t know what your character is either
Does Ai-chan even have a character?
She’s just… a man-screaming girl who can be sexy or cute when she has to be (or wants to be
), is almost on par with Gaki-san in terms of awesome reactions, and is a bit of a shy gaming dork.
I don’t know what you are, Ai-chan. You’re just awesome. ^___^
“I don't know if I'm dependable, or if I was made to be dependable.”
You’ve touched on a lot of laudable questions, grac. I can certainly imagine Ai-chan asking herself these kinds of questions every day.
Is she really dependable? Or does she
have to be, because she’s the leader of the group? Ai-chan is always talking down on herself, saying she’s nothing like a leader, that she’s unreliable, still childish.
Maybe she’s just too harsh on herself. I’m sure she’s a darling person, and the fact that she cares for the other members and treats them like equals, that alone shows that she’s a worthy leader. To me it does, though I’m sure others beg to differ.
“What if we go out into the real world and discover that we're so different from the onstage personalities they made for us?”
That’s another really good question to ask. I’m sure it’s something that’s crossed the minds of many of the momusus. For example, it took a character like Charmy to really give Rika the confidence boost she needed to stand out against all the other striking personalities (and not to be Negative Ishikawa, like Kaorin had scolded her about); I’m sure the personas they’ve ‘put on’ or at least, exaggerated, in front of the cameras – these really do help bring out the best of their personalities, and almost gives them something like a ‘footing’ for building themselves a tangible identity.
But yeah, I can definitely see how this question is worth asking. Even simply away from the cameras, they may feel conflicted about who they truly are and what they represent. When they go out into the real world sooner or later, what if they discover that they really
are different? Would it change anything? Ultimately, I think no. I think the characters they’ve been given, or that they’ve fashioned for themselves, are wonderful. It allows them to explore sides of them, their strengths and their weaknesses, their stance towards one another, and the world.
“I just feel lost. Like there are so many sides of me, that I don't know who the real me is anymore.”
That’s not a bad thing, Ai-chan. Because
that’s what makes you such an interesting character, still so hard to figure out, still so damn mysterious (in a sexay way, of course). And you’ve got plenty of life left to live, so there should be no rush in trying to find yourself.
Silence. “Gaki-san reads?”
Was that a moment of Gaki-san-loves-Ai-chan that the older girl completely did NOT catch? Tried to ignore?
I’d like to think so, but aw. So Ai-chan.
“Thank you for taking care of me.”
“Thank you for letting me.”
The ever reliable subleader, best friend, momma figure, lover, whichever you want to view it as.
They probably finish off many conversations with these two lines.
A-grade Adorable!
“I'll wake you up tomorrow morning. Goodnight, Risa-chan.”
Ai-chan doesn’t sleep?
Or is she just the type who doesn’t need much of it? Hehe, looks like in a way, they’re taking care of each other.
Thanks for this ficlet, grac. I love talking about the girls, I love asking questions and trying to answer them, and I love TakaGaki. A very simple and straight-forward piece, yet so much to draw on. Lovely!
Just so I don't back out of this endeavor, I hereby pledge "Study #6: Charmy Ishikawa/graduation" over the weekend. Unless I get distracted by Miki Fujimoto, OBGYN vs. Aya Matsuura, Asst. D.A.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a Fujimoto or Ishikawa ficlet. I’ll be happy with whatever you have to offer. In fact, that Miki one sounds HELLA interesting.
I have yet to be disappointed, and doubt very much that you’re even able to fall to that level. xD
Thank you again, and can’t wait for another update!
Waiting patiently for the next ficlet! 
Topic: Character Study [update 18May- oh?] (Read 48487 times)