A gleeful discovery....

[freeradical9]

So, in my quest to track down a copy of the English version of Saiyuki Reload 8, I went to not one, not two, but *three* bookstores before I found it in stock (Borders rules, Barnes & Noble drools).

Barnes & Noble did redeem itself a bit in my eyes, as they had volume 2 of Petshop of Horrors: Tokyo. I like the series anyway, but was absolutely delighted to find some Saiyuki-esque tidbits in one of the chapters.



So Count D has apparently never seen a kappa. His life's work in the exotic and mythical animals trade has never brought him in contact with them, and in fact he has never even heard of them before.

Two children come into his shop looking to buy a kappa. They even show D a reference book "How to Raise a Kappa". (Hakkai: I have that book.) D becomes obsessed, and goes on a mad quest (sushi restaurants, a country estate--I think, and even a construction site) in order to find a kappa.

My favorite part is when the two main characters get told about the kappa's less-than-savory habits.

Elderly gentleman: If you're not careful, they'll steal your shirikodama.

D or Wu-Fei (probably Wu-Fei): Shiriko-what?

Elderly gentleman: It means they stick their hands up the butts of the people who died from drowning in the river and pull out their innards and eat them.

D and Wu-Fei: *SHOCK*

Wu-Fei: Oookay...well, that's that, then. D, you're not going to give an animal like that to kids, are you?

D: It will be all right. As long as you train it correctly....

(Hakkai: Yes, of course. Gojyo hardly ever uses beer cans for ashtrays anymore.)


IMHO, this cries out for a crossover. It would be such fun.

Gojyo: Uh, hello? I gotta buy some dragon chow....

D: *huge sparkly eyes* Won't you stay for tea?

(Hakkai: Excuse me?)


Also, this volume caused lots of squee stemming from the chapter with Daddy D in the genetics lab, naming all the fruit flies. Too funny.

I'm really enjoying the plots in Petshop: Tokyo. Wu-Fei is a poor substitute for Leon Orcot, in my opinion, but I find the series delightfully darker and even more intriguing than the original. Highly recommended. ^_^

Now I'm gonna go skip off and read Saiyuki 8. ^_^

Comments

[avierra.livejournal.com]

Pet Shop of Horrors sounds pretty cool, I have been meaning to add it to my must buy list (which is growing and growing).

I know I have read a Saiyuki/PSoH crossover; it involved Hakkai and Hakuryuu (it's really good and really sad).

Ahh, this is it. http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3937948/1/a_certain_responsibility

by Incandescens.

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

Elderly gentleman: It means they stick their hands up the butts of the people who died from drowning in the river and pull out their innards and eat them.

And in some versions of the lore, they don't even bother using their *hands* to do that...!

(Hakkai: *blushes slightly and smirks*

Better put an ID tag on that kappa, Hakkai, you don't want folks thinking he's wandering around without an owner! XD

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

BWAH! And look what I inadvertently stumbled upon while trying to find more info on a Hello Kitty regional plushie:

Kappa No Kaikata

(Gojyo: Wha...? A series on breeding kappas...but it's a comedy? WHERE ARE THE HOT BABES, DAMNIT?)

There's an unofficial English page for the anime here, and fansubs of the whole series are on Youtube here -- each episode is about three minutes long so it's a pretty quick view... XD

[chorus-of-chaos.livejournal.com]

hello..just thought I'd let you know I spotted "Psion" over on minus wave and after going "ow" and rubbing the keyboard marks off my jaw (I think it was spacebar, b and v that imprinted when my jaw dropped) I tracked over here, found you'd written a couple other things I'd seen...somewhere in my insomniacal (Is that a word?) late night surfings and and had to friend in order not to miss anything else.

I had no idea there was anyone else who had read and liked Psion (it has been years since I read, no idea where my copy is, I just moved, have been wanting to reread...seems like there was a sequel too...maybe rebuy used on amazon, quicker than digging through 30+ boxes of sci fi paperbacks in the garage..) I think I scared most of the bullfrogs on the lake when I went "squee!" at the end, LOL!

So..hello, a longtime saiyuki, sci-fi and anime dork now reading your journal. Welcome to friend back if you like, but my journal is loonsville between anime/doujinshi/fanfic fangirling and rants about any number of things :P One of these days I may actually start writing fan fic again. (long story there.)

Yadda yadda yadda...behold, insomniacal rantings when I just meant to be polite and say "hello, friended you, loved your fic..."