I am participating in the 2012 Secret Santa Fan Art Event! So, I'll be drawing a picture for some lucky person and some lucky person will be drawing a picture for me. Here is my wishlist:
Anime and manga that I love (favorite characters in parentheses):
"Fullmetal Alchemist" (I really like all of the major players in the manga, so you can't go wrong there. My two favorite characters are Alphonse and Greed [traditional form].)
"Death Note" (L, Ryuk, Matsuda [I'm serious about this, guys], and I kind of like Light, even though he's so corrupt.)
I'd prefer characters from one of these two, but If you're not familiar with either, I'll list some other series that I know pretty well, too.
Anime and manga that I like (favorite characters in parentheses):
"Naruto" (I don't watch it as loyally as I used to, so I forgot who a lot of my favorite characters were. I do remember that I like Hinata, Sakura, Chouji, Lee, and Deidara. But I wouldn't want a picture of Deidara with the others unless they're battling or something.)
"Sailor Moon" (I like all the Sailors, but my favorite is Sailor Saturn.)
"Fushigi Yugi" (Among the eight main heroes, I don't have a preference.)
"Azumanga Daioh" (Sakaki and Chiyo-chan.)
"Inuyasha" (I haven't watched much of the series, but I find Shippou to be absolutely adorable.)
Please keep all characters as in-character as possible.
"Pokemon" characters I like:
Or you could draw my dream team that I beat the Elite Four with in "Silver":
I'd be THRILLED if you drew my OCs (Pictures of individual characters will be linked. Group pictures will be posted after the character descriptions of each respective series):
"The Rebels of Planet Aadau":
- Meh-Eh-Au: I usually describe him as a lion-monkey, but he has human-like, brown eyes. He walks on all fours. He has unruly, long, brownish-black hair and a long tail of the same color. His fur pattern is similar to that of a monkey, but it's hard to tell because clothes (dunno why-- I just picture him like that). Specifically, he wears a white, sleeveless shirt and black pants that kind of look like sweatpants. His front and hind legs are wrapped in white bandages. His skin color is a dark beige with a hint of grey.
- Meh-Eh-Weoa: She is very small and rabbit-like. She has plant-like qualities represented by her light green fur, stem-like tail, and ruffle of vines around her neck. Her eyes are large and black with big highlights. Her legs are wrapped in white bandages. If it helps, her design was inspired by Pokemon-- specifically what would happen if a Leaf Stone actually DID work on Eevee.
- Conus: He looks somewhat like a dog that stands on its hind legs. He's kind of short (Meh-Eh-Au would be a head taller if he were to stand on his hind legs). His eyes are ice-blue and angry-looking. His fur is dark yellow, but not a dingy sort of yellow. He has long ears that drape down his back. His tail is thick and has electric sparks that run up and down it. He wears those same kind of black pants that Meh-Eh-Au wears. He also has white bandages wrapped around his legs, but it's hard to tell because his pant legs almost cover them up.
"Survival Instincts"
- Naomi: She is a 14-year-old girl with a small, skinny frame. She has light skin, but since she spends a lot of time outside, he skin is slightly tanned. Her eyes are innocent and hazel. Her facial features are small. Her hair is long, sandy-brown, and is usually covered in a hair scarf. The scarf just wraps around her hair-- not her neck or anything. She dresses very modestly in a skirt that goes down to her ankles and a cardigan with a shirt underneath. She also wears black flat shoes. When drawing her, keep in mind that she is a delicate, reserved, kind character.
- Marshall: He is a 16-year-old boy with an average build-- maybe a little short, though. He has light, peachy skin. His eyes are medium blue and boyish, but not cute. His hair is brown with hints of red and parted on the left. He wears loose clothing like a t-shirt and baggy khaki shorts. He also wears sneakers. Though he is a basically good character, he has a tough exterior and doesn't always make eye contact.
- Dice: He appears to be a man in his 30s, but he is actually not human. He is tall with a bit of muscle on him (but not too much). His skin is beige-ish. What gives away that he isn't human are his light-yellow eyes. His eyes are lazy-looking-- the top lids are flat while the bottom lids droop. He has thick eyebrows. He has a flat nose and a wide mouth. His hair is black, short, and untamed. He wears a burgundy t-shirt, blue jeans, and black boots. His posture isn't the best, and he almost never stands straight up.
"Destination" (The story isn't posted, but I have some character pictures up.):
- Keba: She is a 16-year-old fox demon. Think of her as elfish from the waist up and fox-ish from the waist down. She has a tail and her legs are like a fox's. Her hair and tail are reddish-brown. Her eyes are light green and innocent. I haven't figured out a costume that looks good on her, but she wears a lot of pastel pink and blue colors.
- Jon: He is a 39-year-old man. His hair is goldenrod-colored and his eyes are light blue. His nose is slightly rounded at the tip. He wears a grey shirt with a red star on the chest, blue jeans, and brown boots.
I'd add Sir Calvin from "Sir Calvin the Great", but that would be cheating because he's a stick figure. Then again, you could include him in a big OC mash-up.
If you, for some reason, want to draw me with any of the characters I mentioned, please respect my principles and don't ship me with anyone. I don't want any established characters to go out-of-character for me.
Another thing about me is that music is a big part of my life, and I am a HUGE Bon Jovi fangirl. Besides the crazy stuff I've got, you can find lots of references of the band on DevaintART. If you can't draw band art, that's OK. Lyrics are perfectly fine as long as the song came out before 2005.
As I mentioned in the title, I, unlike most people, do not observe Christmas. However, December 25 is my birthday. So one option is to incorporate something
birthday related into the picture. You don't have to do that, though.
Dang, that's a long list of options.
I don't usually do stuff that involves getting tagged and passing it on, but I was tagged twice thrice four times. Does this make me popular?
RULE 1: POST THE RULES.
RULE 2: ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THE TAGGER SET FOR YOU IN THEIR POST, THEN MAKE 11 NEW ONES.
RULE 3: TAG 11 PEOPLE AND LINK THEM TO YOUR POST.
RULE 4: LET THEM KNOW YOU’VE TAGGED THEM.
I'm not going to tag anyone 'cause it seems like almost everyone has already tagged almost everyone else. If 11 of you want to snag my questions and repost them, feel free.
From CelestialSushi:
1. Is there any anime/manga/game character who you absolutely can't stand (and if yes, who are they)?
There aren't really any that I absolutely can't stand, but there are a few anime characters who have huge followings, but I can't understand why. Some that instantly come to mind are Matt from "Death Note" (I dedicated a post to this some years ago.), Uchiha Sasuke from "Naruto" (he doesn't seem to have any redeeming qualities-- what does Naruto see in him?), and Envy from "Fullmetal Alchemist" (I don't care if he's cute-- he's a sadistic nut! And what's with that outfit?). Keep in mind that I don't hate these characters; I just don't know why people love them so much.
2. If you could commission a painting, what would it be of?
I'm not sure I understand. Would I be paying someone else to do a painting for me or the other way around? Either way, I don't know what the painting would be of.
3. If you want to go to Japan, what's one of the things/places you'd want to do/see?
I'm not sure. Maybe I'd go see a shine. They look really pretty.
4. Who is your favorite Winnie the Pooh character?
Definitely Rabbit. From the book, mind you. He was a smart character and a real leader. Disney just turned him into an uptight grump who was the butt of every joke.
5. Is there a book/story you'd like to see adapted by Studio Ghibli?
I really can't think of one. Just nothing too moralistic.
6. What is your favorite sea creature?
Again, not sure. I like the ones that live at the bottom of the ocean 'cause they glow.
7. If you could mine for anything out of the earth, what would it be?
Since chocolate isn't mine-able, I guess gemstones. Then I could sell them on eBay. I could use the cash.
8. If you could have a music box that plays any song, what would it play?
I do have a music box that can play any song! It's called an iPod. It mostly plays rock songs.
9. What is one of your must-have/signature clothing accessories?
I have a blue bracelet that looks like a belt. It has my name (Keba, not my real name) on it. I try to wear it a lot, but sometimes I forget.
10. Name one movie you're looking forward to seeing in the future.
I'm way behind when it comes to movies. I haven't seen one in years. Seriously. There are some Pixar movies that I want to see, but haven't. My friend has also been encouraging me to watch the remake of Fright Night.
11. Do you know what a laser disc is?
Yes, actually, I do. I watched them in my French class in high school. I'm not trying to date myself. I'm trying to date the French lessons on the laser discs. They were good lessons, though. Just outdated.
From Kita Mikichi:
1. What's your favorite type of music?
ROCK!!!!!!!!! m/ >_< m/
2. What's your favorite genre in movies, anime, TV and/or books?
I like sci-fi books, action/adventure anime, and animated movies and TV shows. I know "animated" isn't exactly a genre. Maybe comedy movies and TV shows? But most animated comedies are more dirty than funny. I don't like those.
3. Name a video/computer game in your library.
Pretty much all the video games I've played actually belong to my brother. Unless you count my dead Gen I and II "Pokemon" games.
4. Now name your favorite non-electronic game.
Charades.
5. Who's your theOtaku buddy? Give 'em a shout-out! :D
I'd like to give a shout-out to my new friend, Elricz!
6. Share a special memory?
March 1, 2003: I got my driver's license and went to my first rock concert ON THE SAME DAY!
7. Name the last thing you and a friend or family member did for fun.
I went out to lunch with a friend to celebrate her birthday. That was fun.
8. Got any siblings?
Yes. As I mentioned, I have a brother.
9. Got any pets?
My mom has a dog. He's not really my dog since I moved out.
10. How's the weather in your area right now?
Rainy. And dark.
11. Did you thank someone you appreciate today?
I don't think the opportunity arose today.
From Elricbrothersfan:
1. Paper or plastic?
Paper. It's hard to draw on plastic.
2. Least favorite movie and why?
I'm sure there are worse movies that I've seen, but right now the one that's sticking in my mind is "Billy Madison" because back in 6th grade, these two girls kept bullying me by constantly saying, "You ain't cool until you pee your pants. Are you gonna pee your pants?" How the [expletive] am I gonna respond to that? Now this was before I even saw the movie. Once I finally did see the movie and they showed that scene, I instantly hated the movie because of those two stupid girls.
3. Favorite movie and why?
I can't think of one favorite. As I said in a previous question by a previous person, I like Pixar movies. I think the visuals are stunning. I also like the humor and sight gags (I try to see where they fit "A113" in all the movies).
Oh, my gosh! How could I forget "Star Wars"??? I'm a fan of IV, V, and VI. But not all the little things that were done to alter them. (Greedo did not shoot first!)
4. Estimated no. of times people have said hi to you this week:
Uh. 38?
5. Does being alive mean living life to the fullest?
Yes. My favorite song agrees with me, too.
6. If you could meet anyone from any time period in all of human history, who would it be and why?
If there is an afterlife, I'd try to seek out John Lennon to apologize for once saying that the Beatles were only considered legends because he was dead. What can I say? I was 16, under-educated in the classics, and trying too hard to stand out. My opinion has since changed. That's why I'd want to apologize. But even in the afterlife, I bet many souls would want to seek him out so they can REALLY rest in peace. Dude, that sounded so wrong.
7. If somebody gave you $10 right now, what would you spend it on (or save it) and why?
Groceries. 'Cause I need some.
8. Is there something you used to have that you're happier without?
10 diseased inches of my small intestine. Yeah, you probably didn't want to know that.
9. What do you give to others that they need most?
When my friends need someone to talk to, I give them my attention.
10. Do you collect anything?
CDs!! Manga!! Plushies!! Art supplies!! I want everything in the world!!! *Shot.*
11. Did you like the questions?
For the most part, yes. The movie ones were hard, though. Did you like my answers?
From NadjaWolf:
1. Favorite song?
"It's My Life" by Bon Jovi.
2. Coke or Pepsi?
I don't really drink either. But my family is mostly leaning toward the Coke side.
3. So you call it Pop or Soda?
Pop. Everyone thinks I'm weird for doing that. I guess I'm living in the one place in the Midwest where they DON'T call it "pop".
4. Do you have a Tumblr?
No, at least not yet. I do occasionally visit this one Tumblr called "Dysfunctional at Best". FMA fans should check it out. Now.
5. How old are you?
26, but not for many months longer.
6. Rave you ever Roleplayed?
Rave I roleplayed? Don't you mean "have"? Well, no. Unless playing with toys as a kid counts. But I'm curious about roleplaying, though.
7. What is your OTP. (One True Pairing)
No clue. Why does there only have to be one?
8. Favorite Youtuber?
Anyone who doesn't steal someone else's videos.
9. Favorite Season?
Not sure. Maybe early summer before it gets too hot.
10. Have you ever done the salt and ice Challenge?
No. I don't even know what that is.
11. Favorite Movie?
I answered this one already.
My lame questions:
1. What's your favorite anime or manga? Give five reasons why it's your favorite.
2. What's your occupation? ("Student" counts.)
3. What's one thing that you own and can't live without?
4. What's your favorite saying/motto/quote?
5. If Pokemon were real, which one would be your starter? (Pick ANY Pokemon, not just traditional starters.)
6. If you could start your own business, what would it be?
7. What is your most dominant flaw?
8. What is your greatest talent?
9. If you could get a tattoo, what and where would it be?
10. Are there people out there in the world whom you don't know and want to meet personally? Name some.
11. Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character? Who?
I tag the first 11 people who comment (you specifically have to say that you want to fill out this meme):
1. elricbrothersfan
2.
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4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
...art thieves get promoted. Seriously.
Without naming names, I was going to make a comment about that in the October Promotions announcement, but that would just cause an uproar and I'd probably get banned. How ironic. I'd be banned instead of a shameless thief.
I know this person is a thief. I've reported them with proof. Did they get banned? No. Did the stolen artwork get taken down? No. And it's been, like, a month or two since I reported them.
I know theO is lacking in the activity department nowadays, but that doesn't mean the higher ups should be so passive. I know of at least three thieves at large here. Yeah, three is a small number, but it's still three too many. Admins, please nip this in the bud before art theft becomes out of control.
Let me tell you a horror story summed up in one word: tokyopop.com (which I shall refer to as TP). For those of you who aren't familiar with the manga publishing company that doesn't actually publish manga anymore, they had a site that was trying to be a DeviantART/MySpace hybrid (do you guys even remember MySpace?). Instead of being a fun place for aspiring manga artists and fans of Japanese culture, it became a bug-littered haven for art theft and porn.
There were no regulations. If you found 258 identical instances of official "Naruto" artwork posted by 258 different people claiming it as their own (or not their own), none of them would be taken down unless the original artist contacted TP personally. You can see how impossible that situation would be. Flagging the stolen artwork would be a lost cause.
Flagging was solely reserved for notifying the powers that be about inappropriate content. The system was highly inefficient, and items had to be flagged multiple times before the TP staff would do anything about it. Eventually a team of users, (no, not administrators, users) created a list of posted porn that needed to be flagged as adult content. Eventually, the task became so overwhelming that the leader of this group publicly announced her retirement from both group and site.
Then there was banning. If you were an art thief, you were practically immune to banning, despite your warped morals ("I didn't draw this. All credit goes to whoever did."). If you were a porn troll, you wouldn't be banned unless it was live human porn, as opposed to anime porn. The anime porn would only be hidden as "adult content". If you were a bully, you wouldn't be banned. You'd be *given a cookie* for your insightful comments. However, if you were to publicly criticize the TP staff for their apathy in the hopes that after your 73rd blog post about how the site isn't working, they'd finally change their ways, you'd get banned. You'd be a martyr, but banned nonetheless.
I've seen it happen. I saw it with my own eyes. You probably wouldn't believe me, though. After all, TP shut down all user-related content to their site some years back, so you'll have to take my word for it.
I came to theO with the belief that it would never be like TP. While this has mostly held true, I fear the day when art theft becomes out-of-control. Art thieves want praise and attention for doing as little as possible. It's appalling that even the administrators are giving it to them.
I'm not bullying or exposing any specific thieves publicly. Heck, I'm not even doing it privately. It's just that the higher-ups aren't enforcing discipline on them when they should. How many more times must I quietly report the same three art thieves over and over (with proof, of course) before they and their stolen art are removed from an otherwise decent, friendly site?
I don't want to be banned for speaking out. I'd rather be a proud Otakuite than a martyr. But what will it take for the higher-ups to notice that we have a genuine problem?
Thank you for reading. If you have some position of power in theO and have taken the time to read this, thank you twice over. Believe me, I would love to talk to you about making theotaku.com a better place.
