I'm a little late with this post, because I ended up not getting as far as I wanted to. But I guess it's better than having nothing, so I posted what I could.
I've been wanting to write fluff for a long time, and Syaoran's birthday chapter might have been written before Chapter 73 was. Actually, it dates back to circa 2015, probably. You may all recognize some of the scenes from Syaoran's Birthday Omake #4.
Some of you might have correctly guessed that was actually not a dream sequence but real! Also, the good news is, I do have more of Chapter 73.5 written, but I just didn't have enough time to finish everything in time for Syaoran's birthday, unfortunately.
I posted over on the New Trials Yahoo Group that Kaitou Magician Origins Chapter Six: Leon Reed would be updated, and for the first time I actually kept my promise! Truthfully speaking, this chapter was mostly written out and nearly ready to release when I wrote Chapter Five: Mizuki Mayura, but I only held it back for possible spoiler reasons in the main New Trials of Card Captor Sakura storyline.
Chapter Six marks the second half of Kaitou Magician Origins, Thief of the Night, where Mizuki Kai officially begins his training as a thief and also may be marked by a darker tone than the first half, Prince of Light. I'm definitely excited that Leon Reed finally gets introduced in the KMO storyline because he probably is the character most full of intrigue in the Nadeshiko generation. I find KMO Part Two more interesting than Part One, so hope you guys can enjoy as well, while waiting for New Trials of CCS to get finished up!
I don't do it often, but I posted on devianart a rough character study sketch of Leon, because I did that for Kara Reed years before she was introduced in the New Trials story line at the end of Arc 3. You guys probably saw a
roughly half-colored version of it in my WIP collage posted a couple
years back.
I also corrected some typos in New Trials Chapters 1 to 3 which had a few Kero-chan-chans because of my careless editing attempt some years ago, which Amethyst Beloved kindly pointed out to me. If you guys spot weird typos like that, or broken links, do let me know!
And don't worry, I've been working on the New Trials final arc as well.
Music Spotlight: X Japan - "Rain"
I am pretty sure I must have featured X Japan before, though I can't remember clearly. The main reason I chose X Japan today was because there is a scene in New Trials Chapter 73 where Kai is listening to the band in the classroom during the cultural festival, and he probably was listening to this song. The reason he listens to X Japan was because it was one of Leon Reed's favorite bands, though it probably isn't his own taste in music.
X Japan probably bears no explanation since they are that famous, even if Japanese heavy metal is not your usual genre. "Rain" composed by Yoshiki is probably X Japan's most emotional ballad, as it was written about the death of his father. Check out the lyrics here. I think it rather fits Kai and Leon's relationship as well. X Japan has its links to Clamp because of the X anime. I've probably listened to X Japan while writing New Trials since Arc 1, because it is one of the first Japanese bands I have known, since I was introduced to them through "Rusty Nail." I also love "Crucify My Love" equally as much as "Rain." It's too much to listen to frequently, but every once in a while, I do go back to their hits.
I was asking the Yahoo Group for music recommendations because I've really hit a stump with my current playlist and would also welcome any suggestions here as well! Similarly, I asked the Yahoo Group if anybody has any trouble when searching for New Trials on Google. My wishluv.com domain didn't seem to show up for me right for a while, (and rather the wishluv.revolutionhosting.net site did) but it seems to be okay now. Still, just wanted to make sure because I'm never sure how the Google algorithm works.
But at the end of the day, I really don't feel like I completed a chapter until it is up on my website. Traditionally, I would post chapters up on my website first and then Amethyst Beloved (and Digidynasty before her) would post it up on fanfiction.net. In more recent years, I've taken to posting chapter on ff.net first, first because of the server change scare, then later because I realized that it serves as a convenient notification system to readers. That, and also, it's interesting to monitoring stats and traffic on ff.net as a gauge of how many people do access a new chapter. For example, I thought it's amazing that New Trials had over 4,500 views, of which 1,700 were unique views in the month of November, during which I finally posted Chapter 73 Part II. However, ff.net messes up the paragraph spacing, and you can't use asterisks, my favorite form of scene breaks, and at the end of day, makes chapters look very ugly, so I do prefer most posting up on my website, kindly hosting by Robert Arrowsmith. I further realized it's much easier to upload onto my website server, after logging in following a very long time. Check out the newest chapters as they should be seen, with a few minor typos corrected: Chapter 72: Almost Left Behind and Chapter 73: The Other Side of Midnight. I also added the author's note for Chapter 72, which wasn't posted up on ff.net. I also posted up a Li Clan Hierarchy Version Three (spoilers for beyond Chapter 72 for readers' convenience, since it might be confusing to keep track of all the Lis running about. It also includes key Wu Clan and Tang Clan members. Furthermore, I went through Arcs 3 and 4 and reuploaded chapters that had broken characters in them. Sorry it took so long to get to them, but I figured you guys noticed that my old website at http://wishluv.revolutionhosting.net/newtrials.htm is still up and running, so you could have accessed the original chapters without the broken characters there, thusI didn't really prioritize fixing the chapters. They seem to have occurred during the server shift, which Robert so kindly transferred all the files for me, hence I'm not even sure what went wrong. I've also gone ahead and updated any weird line spacing or fonts as well, and changed all the old spelling of Meilin's name, Meirin, to Meilin in Arc 3. I switched somewhere in the middle of Arc 3, so I just wanted to make it consistent--I still have to go back to Arcs 1 and 2 someday to update it. If you still find any wonky characters in chapters, leave a message below or email me at hopeluvpeace@hotmail.com and let me know! Also, check out Amethyst Beloved's New Trials Revisited blog in a reread experience, and also to enjoy old fanarts. I'm having a fun time reading through the posts now that I'm finally finished with Chapter 73--which might be one of the longest if not longest chapter to date for some reason with over 110,000 words. New Trials will definitely break the 2 million word mark by Chapter 74. Length does not necessarily equate to quality, and it's not like I intended to write such a long fanfiction for so long, but since we (yes, all the readers) stuck by this story for so many years, we might as well break some records.
I'm also amazed at all the amazing fanart that readers have continued to share over the years. This one of Tomoyo and Leiyun from Chapter 73 by Kristina Rondilla looks like it can be straight out of an anime, and there's many wonderful artwork being shared, and I love it!
Lastly, if you have read the ending notes to that chapter, and I hope you do, it was dedicated to a beloved reader, Kelly Wallace, who has unfortunately passed, but my prayer and thoughts are always with her, and for her family.
First off, belated Happy International New Trials Day! And also I feel so bad for missing Sakura's birthday on April 1 and Syaoran's birthday on July 13. It's not that I did not forget them, but rather, I felt so guilty for not having the latest chapter up and ready, so I've banned myself from doing anything else but work on the chapter, including communicating with all of you here and via FB and Yahoo Group. Self-imposed punishment that no one wants, including myself. Without further ado, New Trials of Card Captor Sakura Chapter 73: The Other Side of Midnight Part 1 is up on ff.net. Now, for the usual apologies and updates on what I've been up to. Truthfully speaking, Part 1 of Chapter 73 has been pretty much ready to go since Sakura's birthday, but there was an aspect of Part 2 that I have not been completely satisfied with. But I think I've sorted out the kinks finally. I think if it was an earlier on arc, I would have just went with it, but as you know, New Trials is coming to an end, and the closer we get to the finale, the higher standards I have for myself, and the harder it's become to publish chapters, especially because I am writing ahead as well. It's not that I have neglected New Trials, but rather, when I am home at night after work, I always have my New Trials Word document open on the background, every single day probably, though some days I am more productive than others. But I don't want to bore you with all the excuses, but I want to thank all of you for being so patient from the bottom of my heart. In my head, I have a timeline (which I probably never keep), but I expect Chapter 73 Part 2 to be up within one or two weeks, catch up with correspondence this month, and also update my website wishluv.com page finally with Chapter 72 and 73, so that it would be easier to read by next month. Thank you always for supporting New Trials! Really, I think without everyone's encouragement, I would not have been able to celebrate the 18th of New Trials, and over 20 years of Card Captor Sakura. I guess thanks for CLAMP for sticking with Sakura and Syaoran so long, and keeping the franchise up and vibrant, especially now with the Clear Card Arc!
Music Spotlight:
Family of the Year - "Hero"
This is a song I listen to a lot when I write Leiyun scenes, and I think it is an appropriate theme song for him. And below is Yo Yo Ma's performance of Paganini's Caprice No. 24, which would make sense if you've read the chapter.
I made a joking remark today that I can't believe it's already 2017, for I left my heart in 1999. Only later did I realize that it was the year that I began writing the New Trials of Card Captor Sakura. I began writing New Trials when the third season of the CCS anime was on air in Japan, and I believe I will wrap it up around the time CCS anime sequel will air. How things come to a full cycle. I've spent more years of my life writing New Trials than I have not writing it. And longtime readers of New Trials, we have grown up together in a sense, while new a new generation of readers join in, and I am sure more fans of the CCS franchise will grow with the new sequel.
A business trip in December threw me off schedule for my posting schedule for New Trials but I am really nearly finished writing Chapter 73: The Other Side of Midnight. This one is a fun chapter, and I don't think writing this chapter took so long per say, compared to the realization that this really is the last chapter before the final mini-arc of New Trials and perhaps I want to relish in it a bit longer. Frankly, I envisioned completing New Trials next year, which I guess is technically this year, in 2017, though knowing the pace I write at, I don't know how long feasible that would be. I've already written the ending several years ago, and as I mentioned, even as I was writing the past several chapters, I've spent some time writing ahead. Fun fact, through New Trials Arcs 1 and 3 I never really wrote much of an outline, and had everything in my head, though starting Arc 4 I began writing out chapters and plot summaries because truthfully, my memory is just not what it used to be like. I apologize for ever making fun of my friends with bad memories--I used to be the one who remembers everything, but now it's no longer the case. Though I swear, I went to a college reunion Christmas, and I can say my memory serves better than most people there including fresh graduates who can't remember building names for heaven's sake. Thank you for supporting New Trials another year, and while I know I am bad with deadlines, I can promise you that 2017 will be an awesome year for New Trials, and 2018 an awesome new year for the revival of Card Captor Sakura, with the new Clear Arc anime coming out. We know it will be good because CLAMP's Nanase Ohkawa-sensei will be in charge of the scripts and series composition. She is the reason why CCS is the only anime where the "fillers" are even better than the manga sometimes. But I believe that the CCS anime did not have any fillers but rather expanded on the manga version and made it better. Card Captor Sakura is a series I will always hold dear in my heart, and if I ever have any children in the future, it's a story I would gladly share with them. The reason I grew to love anime in the first place, besides the fact that Korean children all grow up watching them anyway, is because my mom rented me all sorts of anime series from a video rental store when I was a kid, back when video rental was a thing. She also drew me lovely 1970s-style shoujo style girls, always wearing puffy lace dresses and ribbons in their hair. And that style has influenced me to this day. So, Happy New Year 2017! I hope this new year brings in good tidings to all of you, and I also thank you from the bottom of my heart for standing by!
http://wishluv.deviantart.com/art/Merry-Christmas-2016-Sakura-and-Syaoran-653293848 Music Spotlight: Ryuichi Sakamoto: Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence Trio version
I already included this song in the New Trials Christmas Soundtrack before, but I love listening to it this time of the year, more than carols. I like listening to carols in the summertime, I am odd like that. I really love this piano, violin, cello trio version of the song. But I love the simple piano solo version the best.
Apologies for the two-week delay but Chapter 72: Almost Left Behind Part 2 is up on ff.net. I've been working diligently to post this before I head off to vacation this weekend. I thought I could edit this half quicker, but it's hard to get through more than one scene at a time per sitting because I've been so busy. When I'm at home, I almost always have the New Trials Word document open though I'm not necessarily working on it, to squeeze in any editing or writing. The problem with going on vacation is that it takes more work to take time off sometimes.
I'll publish the final edited version of Chapter 72 on my website when I come back. A bulk of Chapter 73 is written, and I'm taking my laptop with me so hopefully I can work on that a little bit over break.
Hope all of you are enjoying your summer and staying cool.
Music Spotlight: One of my favorite pianists Yundi Li performing Paganini's La Campanella, in reference to Chapter 72 Part 2.
The last time I updated the blog was for Sakura's birthday! I'll keep this short, but to the point. Chapter 72: Almost Left Behind Part I is up on ff.net. Part II should be up within several days--I was trying to have the whole chapter up, but I just didn't have time to finished editing. The truth is, Chapter 72 was so long that I had to split it up into two chapters, so a bulk of Chapter 73 is also written as well. But without much ado, Happy Birthday to our dearest Li Syaoran! I am so excited about the new Card Captor Sakura Clear Card series to celebrate Card Captor Sakura's 20th anniversary. But I will focus on finishing up the next few chapters first before I start gushing.
Question of the day: Does anybody know which song the title of this chapter was inspired from? Hint: the answer can be found in a past blogpost. I had the hardest time coming up with a title for this chapter, though I already have a title for Chapter 73. It's probably because it was supposed to be one chapter.
Music Spotlight: Lukas Graham's "7 years old"
I probably should have a more cheerful song for Syaoran's birthday post, but this song makes me tear up.
Has it been 16 years already? How surreal. All I remember is how I had an itch to write about Sakura's continued journey as a teenager, even before the Card Captor Sakura and manga and anime had ended. It was during the summer of 1999, the year I had fallen about as hard as I could fall for an anime. And I published the Prologue and first couple chapters that fall in CCS fanfiction sites that have long since closed down. For me, it was clear in my mind that Li Syaoran was going to have to return to Hong Kong at the end of the anime, but there was so many ideas flashing in my mind on how that story would continue on, how to bring back Syaoran to fight by Sakura's side once more. I did not know it would take 16 years to tell it, however. I've matured since the teenage girl I was then, but I hope that someday when I look back at this fanfiction, it can capture a moment in time for me. And I hope that is the case for the readers too.
It wouldn't have been possible without all of you, my readers, and the great support all of you have given me. I think I was lucky in choosing CCS because it a series that has retained popularity nearly two decades since it was first published. I've been excited to see CLAMP's new CCS artwork with the new Nakayoshi 60th anniversary special edition manga volumes, and I am happy to see how CCS may be gaining new fans and bringing back old fans.
Two weeks ago--I'm writing down the date because I might want to recall it some time in the future--but it was Friday turning into Saturday, August 22. I remember it vividly because I finished the last leg of planning New Trials will end. I mentioned before that since Arc 4 I have been keeping an outline for each chapter. I didn't all through Arc 1-3. Scary, isn't it? But during that period, I trusted keeping everything in my head. Unfortunately, my memory's not what it used to me anymore. I've already planned out the general framework and epilogue some years ago. But I guess there was some last details I had to configure, and I stayed up all night, unable to fall asleep, lying in my bed, plotting and plotting. It was really one of the most emotionally exhausting nights I've ever had. I hoped I could remember all the details enough to jot it down the next day. Now, a smart person would jot down notes while they are being formulated. But I find that sometimes writing disrupts thinking, if that makes any sense. Anyhow, I had to go out that night but I remember sitting on my bed that afternoon typing away notes like crazily before I had to leave. I'm kind of scared to look back to see if I wrote cohesive notes though.
The next chapter will be a fluffy one compared to recent ones, and I haven't had much time to write it until recent weeks, but I look forward to finishing it up. This fanart is from Chapter 72, actually. Happy International New Trials Day 2015! Music Spotlight: Mandy Moore - "It's Gonna Be Love"
I just had this song stuck in my head for some reason while drawing this fanart. I love good old sugary pop circa 2001, the time when CCS was also at its zenith.
Both Part I and Part II of The New Trials of Card Captor Sakura Chapter 71: The Alliance of the Stars are up on fanfiction.net. I posted up Part I on ff.net earlier this month. I'm getting some website issues sorted out, but hopefully I can have a final version of the chapter up on my website soon.
Yes, in case you were wondering where that S+S fanart in their uniforms comes from, it's this chapter.
Happy Valentine's Day 2015!
Music Spotlight: Adam Levine - "Lost Stars"
"But are we all lost stars, trying to light up the dark?"
As
you guys know, I was on a Maroon 5 kick last year. I got my Western pop
fix and I've been back to listening to J-pop recently. Onitsuka Chihiro
was on repeat on my playlist this chapter (after failing to find a good
new playlist to write to.) If I had to pick my favorite song of 2014,
I'll probably pick "Lost Stars" from the OST of the movie "Begin Again."
I was a big fan of "Once," so it was no surprise I loved "Begin Again,"
which I watched on the airplane last year. I love a good cover of a song, but
this is one of those songs I think that only Adam Levine can pull off,
especially the falsetto part. I also loved the lyrics of the song,
especially, "God, tell us the reason youth is wasted on the young. And I think the song fits nicely with Chapter 71.
I don't know how many times I have posted an updated for Chapter 70 this time around, but without further ado, Chapter 70: Eye of the Dragon is up on my website. Now, you can see it in its unadulterated formatting. But truthfully, it was fun posting up the landmark Chapter 70 Part II up on fanfiction.net first. The lovely Amethyst Beloved has been uploading the chapters up on ff.net for me for years, so I didn't really keep track of the page much. I've been feeling a little bit like the narcoleptic Dormouse in Alice in Wonderland, in contrast to my insomniac days (which is better for writing!). Maybe it's the summer heat and humidity.
Years ago, I tried to do a word count of New Trials and gave up because MS Word crashed. I should have just checked ff.net first. I couldn't believe the series is reaching 1.7 million words--I think it surpassed that number if you count all the side specials like the Legacy of the Five Forces and Kaitou Magician specials. Of course, numbers are only numbers, and as you guys all know I've never been big on stats. My motto was as long as I have one reader, I'll continue writing New Trials. But the continued fan support for this fanfiction again humbles me. You guys who stuck around for 1.7 million words are awesome as well. For reference, the Guinness Word Record holding longest novel is around 1.2 million words. There definitely are longer fanfiction out there (and I don't really have any intentions of breaking records), but I'm sure this is the longest Card Captor Sakura fanfic. It might be the longest shoujo anime fanfic out there, but again, who knows. Conclusion is, kudos to all of you for reading that many words, some over the span of many years, some who have marathoned through the series!
Because the chapter was posted on ff.net first, it was fun to see the stats generated by the website. I don't think I realized I still had so many readers, especially because CCS ended so long ago, so thanks for checking by to read the latest chapters whether on ff.net or by website or backup sites after all these years. Also, I loved reading all the comments on ff.net. I have been very blessed as a writer in the wonderful comments and feedbacks I have received since 1999 via email, the Yahoo Group, Facebook, Bravenet Guestbook, Geocities guestbook, blogposts, etc. Of course, I've seen hotmail delete my inbox, Geocities crash, etc. And Facebook and Yahoo posts are for members only, so I realized how nice it is having a dated record of readers' comments up for the public to see. And I know how for many budding fanfiction writers, each comment is very precious and after all these years, that hasn't changed. I feel blessed to have more than 2,000 comments on ff.net--and this is discounting the much more numerous feedback I've received in many different medium over the years. One of my favorite recent comments was by SnowCharms who said: "I swear, I hate and love you with equal fervor." I'm having a lot of fun reading feedback for this chapter, for it was an experimental format and also one I worked really hard. Interesting stats while I knew I had the most readers from the U.S., that's followed up by the Philippines and India. There are times when I think if the internet disappears, all record of 15 years of work will disappear as well, as I've never printed a single page of New Trials. I probably should in the editing process, but hey, save the trees.
Thanks for pointing out that CLAMP is going to write a new sequel of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle. So, my dream of a new CCS sequel must have been for a new TRC chapter due in August, darnit. I'm excited for any glimpses of CLAMP Sakura and Syaoran artwork I can get. And who else wants a chibi-Syaoran figurine? How adorable are chibi S+S? How do you get one? I mentioned in my last post that for Chapter 70 Part II, I had Imagine Dragon's "Demon" in mind. For Part I, I had in mind theThe Band Perry's "If I Die Young." I love the simplicity and poignancy of the song, contrasting with the bright, whimsical music video, reminiscent of Anne of Green Gables and the Lady of Shalott, as Elaine was my favorite Arthurian heroine. Gosh, I despised Sir Lancelot for many different reasons, but I can probably write a whole blogpost or two on King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, probably Syaoran's inspiration for Sakura and her Alliance of the Stars.
I absolutely love Kurt Hugo Schneider's piano rendition of "Demons" as well. I kind of wish there is a nonvocal piano version of the piece--I would totally use it for my writing playlist.
It is just one of those ironies in life when I finally decided to post up the official completed Chapter 70 of New Trials of CCS Part I and II up, and my website http://wishluv.revolutionhosting.net was down over the weekend. The site is up again, but I'm having trouble logging into my ftp at the moment, so I really didn't want to keep you guys waiting any longer (as if you haven't waited long enough already), so I posted up the full chapter myself on fanfiction.net. (Usually darling Amethyst Beloved has been diligently uploading the chapters for years, so this is the exception, especially because I didn't want to burden her with editing in all the annoying scene breaks!) I already posted Part I on my website, without an official update notice. Not much changed except some typos, a few pointed out by Amethyst, and a date error pointed out by another kind reader S. Halliwell (and a bunch more that I discovered and hoped you didn't). No content change, so if you already read Part I, you can skip right ahead to Part II (but you can also read Part I again as a refresher!)
Without further ado, you can find Chapter 70 Eye of the Dragon Part I: A Midnight Toll and Part II: The Dragon Isles here:
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/197453/115/The-New-Trials-of-Card-Captor-Sakura-and-Friends And of course you can read the rest of the post after you finish reading the chapter. I am not a big fan of how ff.net changes the formatting of the chapter, so if you don't mind waiting a couple more days, hopefully by then I will have the ftp problem resolved and you can read the chapter with proper formatting on my website at http://wishluv.revolutionhosting.net/newtrials.htm soon enough. Despite ugly formatting, I kind of like the idea of debuting the landmark 70th chapter on ff.net first, for the first time. For a while, I entertained the idea of ending New Trials at Chapter 70, to parallel the number of anime episodes. But not happening, obviously. There
are so many things I can say about this chapter. As you know, I had
this chapter almost finished for Sakura's birthday and posted up the
first half in mid-April. An apology is due, however, for taking so long to get Chapter 70 completed, however, (plus the nearly two-month hiatus to get Part II out.) Work (organizing an economic forum on top of everything else) and real world drama took over, as usual. I was really being nit-picky about this chapter as well, because it is a significant chapter to me in many ways, and there was one last scene that I was stuck on. This is actually technically the length of two chapters (around the length of the first Harry Potter novel), but I wanted it to be under one chapter. As you guys know, I've been writing ahead, and I've actually had to cut out the last third of this chapter because of length. This was probably one of the most technically difficult chapters to write to date, but I had a lot of fun writing it (in retrospective)--I feel like it's a bit different from any other chapters so far, and I've imagined so many years writing this chapter, I'm excited I finally got to it. I don't think the 13-year-old me could have pulled off this chapter at all.
Before I forget, it's odd but I had a CCS-related dream last week. I think this chapter was stressing me out subconsciously. I haven't had a CCS dream that I remembered in years and years. Themost vivid CCS dream I think was over 14 years ago. I had a dream (in anime) with Meilin with short hair crying and looking very sad in a snowy place. I used to hate Meilin during Season 1 and 2 CCS days (sorry girl, love you now), and I think it was because of this dream I decided to like her (and after she got rejected for good by Syao-chan.) Anyhow, I had a dream that I was watching on a screen CCS!Sakura in a trademark white and pink dress, levitating in space with stars around her, and shooting an arrow up into the sky, emitting light like a shooting star. It felt like a promotional teaser or something and in my dream, I think I thought it was an ad for a CCS OVA or remake or something. I think I was excited by the stream of new CCS merchandise being released, and also thought if Sailor Moon gets a reboot, why not CCS. Though I probably won't want a reboot for CCS. Maybe an OVA or third movie. I'm pretty sure I had another CCS dream over the past week, but I can't remember it at the moment.
Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle provided the concept art for this chapter. Refer to 0:22 of my TRC AMV. I really like Boyce Avenue and Jenel Garcia's acoustic cover of Imagine Dragon's "Demons" which reminds me of Chapter 70 Part II. The original version of the song, though I would use as Kai's OST.
I have mentioned in my chapter endnote that this chapter was the most difficult one to write to date. Those of you you have already read the chapter probably understand why it was so difficult to complete it. I'm almost scared to check my hotmail inbox (which sadly I haven't been able to check in months--I do not like the new layout). But on the brighter side, hopefully the next two chapters will be out quicker since Chapter 70 is 70% done and I've also worked on Chapter 71 already. I feel like I am always giving excuses on why it's taken so long to update a new chapter (which you guys know are the size of a moderate-length YA novel.) But you guys have been so understanding and supportive, which I am utterly grateful for, so I though I might give a brief run through of life. This is my take two on this blog post-I was finished with a very long update on my life and my internet crashed on me literally as I typed in my last sentence which irritates me exceedingly. And I thought blogspot was supposed to save interim drafts?
So, as I may have mentioned before, I work in journalism which is a very time-consuming, exhausting profession which leaves me little time for hobby-writing. My poor fingers are exhausted at the end of the day. But anyhow, I was aiming to get this chapter up for Sakura's birthday but in March, I changed beats hence work got hectic. May, my Sony VAIO driver crashed, and I took the my laptop to the A/S center in my country. They told me I had to get the whole thing reformatted, and I told them, the whole reason I brought my laptop to pro technicians was so that they can fix it--I can reformat the computer myself at home if I want to. So, I had to say bye-bye to three-years worth of files and programs. Actually, I did manage to save most of my important files onto an external harddrive. But it was a pain to install programs all over again and I kept delaying the process of transferring files throughout the rest of the month. Needless to say, I am very sad that I have so few songs on my computer at the moment. I need good BGM to write. Also, I am not liking Microsoft Word 2010.
Flashback to several months ago, I was asked by a close sister-like to be a bridesmaid for her June wedding. She's Korean, he's Chinese-American, and they had a beautiful garden wedding albeit chaotic. It was a very international wedding, and her other bridesmaids were coming from abroad, and I was busy running about interpreting for the guests. Funny story, it was so hot during the ceremony outside that I almost fainted from heatstroke. The interpreter just made the whole process very slow, and I hadn't eaten or drunk anything all day because it had been so hectic. I began to see white spots, and I kept telling myself I could not faint and ruin the wedding. I almost tripped as we made it back down aisle but thank goodness for the groomsman--I wouldn't have been able to walk in the straight line otherwise. Lesson of the day: eat and drink before big events. July was the busiest month ever because I was working on a feature series, people were gone for holidays so we had to write an extra article a day, and it was so hot my brain worked twice as slow. Sorry Syaoran, but it was a horrid month, and I'm glad it's over. The song the Tomoyo sings in Chapter 69 is "I Do" by Ilaria Graziano and composed by of course Yoko Kanno, a part of the Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex OST. I was surprised to realize that there actually was a Yoko Kanno song that I didn't know, but recently I listened to an amazing cover of the song by Rasmus Faber (in his Platina Jazz ~Anime Standards Vol.4 album), which might even be better than the original version. It had been a long time since a song captivated me and low and behold, it was Yoko Kanno's song.
Some notes on the recent chapter that are not too spoilery. First, I was scouring the CCS Movie 1 to figure out where Syaoran lived. The CCS crew went up the tram to Victoria's Peak and then the next scene panned to Syaoran's mansion. Victoria's Peak is one of the most expensive real estate neighborhoods in the world. Yes, Syao-chan has just been that humble all along. Second, I really didn't care much for Erika in Arc 1 but she's grown on me over the arcs. Jinyu also was a sideline character, but it was fun seeing what his personality was like for the first time. Thirdly, oh my goodness, is it really the 15th anniversary of CCS? I'm very excited about all the pretty new CCS artwork I've been catching glimpses of.
Everything's gonna be all right, Sakura... by ~wishluv on deviantART Good news or bad news first? Bad news first because that's how I like things--Chapter 69 is not yet finished but good news is that it's getting there, perhaps 90%? I was targeting a release for Sakura's birthday, a friend was visiting from the States for the past week that I haven't seen in three years. Throw social and work obligations out the window so I can finish writing Arc 4! So, I'm rather mischievous in my own way amongst people I am close to and love playing Aprils' Fools jokes, but I just don't have the heart to play any prank on you guys and have a fake chapter up. But I do admit the thought has crossed my evil mind.
I know it's Sakura's birthday, but I wanted draw sort of a canon fanart pertinent to an Arc 4 scene so it can be added to the New Trials picture book. I know I rather rushed through drawing it so I see it more as a concept art. Maybe I'll redraw from another angle some other day. How I went from drawing the pink ribbon scene in Arc 2 to this one, I do not know. Actually, I'm pretty sick of drawing S+S at the moment and really want to draw Meilin and other characters. Can't wait to finish Chapter 69 because there are so many side projects I want to do and have stalled.
Happy Birthday Sakura 2013!!! Happy Aprils' Fool Day and Happy Easter as well! The music spotlight this time around is an obvious choice, Sweetbox's "Everything's gonna be alright." I think I included this song some time ago on the New Trials OST playlist. The song is a quintessential 90s song, released in 1997. This was sort of therapeutic song during my high school and college years, I think, when things were tough for me. I still enjoy listening to it once in a while because you really can't go wrong with classical mixed with hip-hop. I'm a big fan of Bach, especially Air on the G String from Suite No. 3, which is the classical piece playing the background in case you are wondering. There is another version of the song, the Reborn Version, featuring Jade, of Final Fantasy X-II fame (English singing voice of Yuna), but for this song I prefer the original Tina Harris version which is just more raw.
Octobers tend to be very hectic, and I've been so busy this month. So when I tuned back in and found out all the lovely fanarts/fanfics/etc. projects that readers have posted up at the New Trials Facebook group for my birthday/Halloween I was beyond delighted, inspired, touched and moved... And thanks Amethyst Beloved for coordinating everything. Tears.... Honorable mention goes to Bubulona's Legacy of the Five Forces fanfic. As I mentioned before, I would love to have more time to work on the Legacy arc but New Trials is a priority, and it was such a pleasant surprise to read about the Great Five (since they are OCs after all). But I have not seen so much CCS+New Trials fanart in one Halloween in a long time and check them out~ Or go to the New Trials Fan Projects page: http://thedarkforceguide.weebly.com/
I was feeling rather glum at the prospect of aging another year. Earlier this month, I had the strangest dream. In my dream, I looked down at my left leg, and there was what looked like a tattoo of a huge clock appear. But it wasn't a tattoo but sort of glowing in my skin. I remember it vividly-it was shades of gold with blue accents. I woke up thinking how can a dream be any more blatant. Ah, fleeting time.
I'm working on Chapter 69 and 70 simultaneously at the moment. Each chapter gets harder for me to write as the end draws nearer. It's sad that having a writing job makes it harder for me to spend any time doing creative writing. I think these chapters might be the most challenging to write so far, but I am glad New Trials took so long because I feel ready to tackle the finale.
Overall, it's been a really tough several months for me because of real life factors but today, I am all but filled with gratefulness, awe and wonder at everyone's talents. I thought turning another year older was a gloomy prospect in a sense (stigma of women and their roles in society) but then again, today, I am again filled with the wide-eyed sense of inspiration, aspiration and appreciation for the lovely community that my favorite hobby, writing, has brought me to.
Happy Halloween 2012!!!
Thinking what was a good Halloween song, and decided on Loreena McKennitt's Mummer's Dance, an old-time favorite since Ever After. It was on my randomly playlist when drawing the Victorian Sakura and Syaoran fanart.
Sakura and Syaoran: Till the Sunrise by ~wishluv on deviantART Being 13 years old, I don't really think I would have envisioned writing this Card Captor Sakura fanfiction 13 years later. So, I don't recall when I really started writing New Trials. All I remember is that it was around fall 1999. That seems so long ago, now. Luckily, years later fans have designated September 1 as the International New Trials Day, and it seems befitting. I am lucky in the fandom I chose because Card Captor Sakura (1996-2000) till this day remains a hugely popular CLAMP work and has had enduring power as a shoujo anime and manga franchise. Firstly, I think CCS is probably one of the best mahou shoujo anime and manga of the last decade and a half, and secondly, CLAMP revisiting the characters of Sakura and Syaoran et. al. in Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles (2003-2009) also helped revive interest in CCS and make it relevant today to a wide group of fans of all ages, male and female and all over the world. It's been three years since TRC ended already--makes me think it's about time for CLAMP to reboot the franchise one more time.
But in the meantime, New Trials has endured all these years. I wish I can have the new chapter ready, but as you all know, I do tend to go MIA when real life takes over. I haven't had a day off in over a year now. Ah, Asian work ethics. Sometimes I miss being a student. Anyhow, the several past months have been hectic. I'm working in journalism at the moment, so I have crazy hours, and I do radio broadcast early in the morning as well. Recently, my mom broke her leg, so I've been staying at the hospital--actually writing this post at the hospital. Just a warning, be careful of rain.
These days, I've been itching to draw since I couldn't for several months. My middle finger that I strained still is stiff and hurts sometimes; I think I overuse it. But it was fun doing none chibi-artwork for a change. I really wanted to draw scenes from Chapter 4: The Camping Trip since I wrote it, and I've been sketching out the scene. So, I finally wanted for the 13th anniverary of New Trials to revisit good old Arc 1 days. I also posted up the newly edited and annotated versions of New Trials of CCS Prologue to Chapter 4. I was tempted to do a whole lot of rewriting, but I thought for nostalgia's sake, I would keep editing to a bare minimal, just fixing up typos and grammar mistakes here and there, along with just a few factual consistancy changes. You can find the newly edited chapters here: Prologue Chapter 1: The New Beginning Chapter 2: The Mysterious Past Chapter 3: Of Ghosts, Statutes and Quarrrels Chapter 4: The Camping Trip The annotations say August 2012, but these five chapters were edited in October 2010, probably right after the shock when revolutionhosing.net went down. So, in case you're all wondering why I'm editing old chapters when I haven't even finished writing Chapter 69, then it's because these edits have already been done, and I've been just too lazy to upload the edits. As for the progress of Arc 4, there's probably around five chapters left, maybe more. When I draw or write side chapters, it's usually when I have a writer's block, but these days, it's because my day job is writing, so I just down have energy to write anymore at home.
I haven't been able to check my email or really respond to much
anything this couple months, but hopefully I'll be able to catch up come
fall. (Stupid heat wave this summer which made my brain melt).
Seriously, I worry about global climate change but even more about my inability to piece together coherent thoughts when hot. This is a meaningful anniversary because it marks that I've been writing the New Trials of Card Captor Sakura for half my life now. It's sort of a sombering knowledge.
It's an awful long time to spend on one fanfiction. But writing this makes me happy, and hopefully it makes others happy or entertained as well, so that's why I keep doing it.
Happy International New Trials Day 2013! I am always shocked, amazed and delighted by the wonderful creativity that New Trials has spurred, which can be seen collectively here: http://newtrialsfanprojects.weebly.com/updates.html many thanks to the amazingly organized Amethyst Beloved. Thank you so much for giving this little big fanwork so much love and support for 13 years!
I never thought that I would be able to say this... But I've caught up on months and months worth of backlogged emails. If by any chance you have emailed me in the past several months, and you have not received a response, please do shoot me another email and let me know. Hotmail might have simply gobbled it up as junk mail and I might not have received it.
Reading my inbox made me very very happy and very very guilty at the same time. It's so horrible, I feel like a wretched person reading everyone's lovely emails and then taking so long to respond. But I do respond eventually.
And when I'm bad, I'm really bad. But when I'm good, I'm really good (about updates I mean). So, Chapter 5 of the New Trials Special: Kaitou Magician Origins is up. It's not an eventful chapter but it should provide a lot of back information. New fanart of Kai and Kara when they were young is also up at deviantart. It's an old artwork/ doodle.
So, I'm officially "Nine-Finger Wish." How's that for a pirate name, aye? I finally went to the doctor because I got scared from everybody's warnings. The first doctor I went to at a general clinic looked at my middle finger and said that it looked like it was broken and that I might need to have a surgery and put a wire in it and won't be able to use it for eight weeks. Seriously, I kind of felt faint when I heard that. I value my hands a lot. So I went to an orthopedist who took an x-ray. As I thought, it was a stretched ligament, and there's nothing to do about it. Did some rehab and got asked what I've been doing for the past month. I'm trying to type with nine fingers these days though. Sigh.
The Goo Goo Dolls' Iris from the City of Angels OST is one of my most favorite songs ever. There are just some songs that reach the soul, and this is one of those timeless songs. This live version of the song just sends shivers down my spine because the pouring rain just makes it all the more epic and unrepeatable. I listed before in the "New Trials OST" list that Iris would be Kai's theme song. (And Syaoran's too, but more Kai's). The lyrics really are resonant with Kai. It's kind of what the whole Kaitou Magician Origins story is about too. "I just want you to know who I really am." I hope Johnny Rzeznik doesn't strain his voice and continues to sing the song with the original chords instead of the modified version so I can hear the song live in concert live someday.
So, I finally finished editing (let me rephrase myself, got sick of editing and gave up) Chapter 68, so I'm making an official post now. Mesel Tzegai from the Yahoo Group even pointed out a huge loophole, so I had to go back and fix up the last third of the chapter a little bit. But surprisingly, it wasn't a huge change, and I'm not sure if those who read the earlier version will be able to pinpoint the changes I made. But either way, I had to incorporate elements of the next chapter into this chapter. Which actually were initially elements of Chapter 68 that got pushed back because it was a. getting too long b. I was in a hurry to finish the chapter.
If you already read it and don't want to reread it, there are very minor changes in the first half of the story, and I would recommend just rereading the last third of the chapter from Tokyo Tower scene onward. The ending got extended slightly because I felt bad about the cliffhanger. Though I'm not sure if the new end is any better than the previous cliffhanger.
I mentioned this in the Yahoo Group, but late February, I was texting while walking up stairs outdoors and tripped over in front of my coworkers. I somehow jammed my middle finger but saved my phone. Either way, it's been swollen and hurting for over a month now. It gets better and then I keep using it and it get swollen again. But because my job is comprised of typing all day long, it doesn't get better. And the worst part is, I want to show it to people but end up just cussing at them all. Sigh.
Warning of the day: Do NOT text and walk at the same time!
All fans of Disney and Madhouse must see this:
Is it random? Nope. Because we all know I love Disney. Let me rephrase myself. I love old-school Disney and their classic 2-D animation. I had stint teaching kindergartners for a while (no, I was not copying Kobato), and they came in class all Pixar and Power Rangers loving. They graduated Disney-converts. I made them watch Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Lion King, etc. etc. Even though majority of the kids were boys. Funniest thing. On Halloween, every single one of my girls came dressed as a Disney princess. Lol. And it puzzled me. Many of my kids said they like Beauty and the Beast the best (obviously my favorite Disney movie). But I sort of grew into liking it as I got older. When I was a kid, I probably liked Little Mermaid or Cinderella. My kids liked it so much that even after I moved jobs and went back to visit them, they were still watching B & the B. I was like, "Don't you guys have any other movies?" New teacher: "Nah, they like Beauty and the Beast."
I got sidetracked. The commercial is animated by Madhouse, yes, the Madhouse that animated CCS. You just don't see that caliber animation in the States anymore. Though I welcome you to prove me wrong, Disney. Maybe because of that common factor, this commercial made me feel "hanyaan." And a little teary.
I never realized that the downside of having a blog is having a clear reminder of the how long you have been absent. Is it an oxymoron to say didn't realize I have been absent for so long, but at the same time, I was constantly thinking of how long it's been since I have updated? Many apologies for my long absence (work and sickness-induced). Though I would say the sickness was just a three-month long common cold/ bronchitis which resulted in over-the-counter medication hence constant drowsiness in the evenings when I got home from work, since I've been working pretty much 11 hour days for the past four months. I really don't know what is the greater evil: college applications, senior thesis (hundred and fifty pages galore) or work. Or an island without internet connection. All of which I have been at one point before in my decade of fanfiction writing, which consequently induced periods of being MIA.
A longer apology is included with the Valentine's Day Special: The Ring. It's a complete fluff chapter, but it is semi-plot relevant. Nah, not really. I just enjoy writing Nadeshiko and Ryuuren scenes where I can squeeze them in.
Well, it's July 7, so should we officially start the countdown till Syaoran's birthday? Yup, it's only Syaoran's birthday, not even Sakura's, that can draw me out of seclusion. Just kidding. Many apologies for missing Sakura's birthday. It just falls at the horrible time of the year. I think I've missed Sakura's birthday many more times than I have missed Syaoran's. Well, six more days to go!
Update: I just logged into the Yahoo Group after long months of absence, and sorry!!! I am not dead, and luckily, I wasn't in Japan during the time of the earthquake either, though I had originally been planning a Japan-trip around that time of the year before work to precedence over everything. I was simply brain-dead over the past couple months, that's all. Perhaps deprivation of oxygen and phlegmy coughing-induced exhaustion, from wake up, work, eat, stare at TV or computer screen then fall asleep from cold medicine (and I used to be a firm believer of cold medicines being just placebo effects). >.<
Sakura Syaoran in the Rain by ~wishluv on deviantART Yes, it's finally done! Thank you everyone for being so patient. I miss the days when I could edit a chapter in one sitting. Unfortunately, this chapter is in its beta stage (actually, I view the entire New Trials Project as being in its beta stage), but I figured at this rate, I could not keep the "before February" promise. It's been an emotionally draining chapter to write, and the longest one to date, but I am glad it's finally here. I would have liked to spend another month or so on this chapter, but I didn't think readers would be too happy about that. ^_^;
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