The Hayate X Blade Guide to Idiots

One of my favorite manga is Hayate x Blade (はやて×ブレード, occasionally read as 'Hayate Cross Blade') by Hayashiya Shizuru (not mentioned in the wiki article - she's also done a lot of doujinshi under the circle name Jesus Drug). It's a shonen action/comedy with shojo-ai under(and over, and all over)tones that started serialization in Dengeki Daioh (2003-2008) and now runs in Ultra Jump, there are currently 12 volumes and 3 drama cds released in Japan (6 volumes in the US), yadda yadda boring details whatever.

The thing is, Hayate x Blade is 100% GRADE A AWESOME. And sadly, tragically obscure in English-speaking fandom.

( I'd like to fix that. (Image heavy) )

ETA 12/2/12: Here's the series page on Ao3 (with 5 whole fanworks, woo! Yes, including one by me) and FFN (21 fanworks!).

(Format=light version here)

In short, if you're looking for a fun, silly, smart, hilarious action/comedy that's female centric and has oodles of homoerotic subtext plus actual queer characters, give Hayate X Blade a try.

Internet Readalong

The latest Lady Gaga (featuring Beyonce) video (for those of you who didn't count down the days, heh):

Some Gaga meta (taken almost entirely from bookshop's delicious page:

* Heather Cassils: Lady Gaga's Prison Yard Girlfriend on Out.com

Gone are the days when if you're against the war you go and protest on the street. Protesting doesn't stop wars anymore. Going to your gay pride rally is nice -- it makes you feel good, but unfortunately we don't live in that era anymore. The only way you can create social change is to insert yourself into the machine.

Right. And cast yourself as a monkey wrench.

Exactly.

* Lady Gaga's "Telephone" - Observations and Discussion!

* Yes, this is really happening: Snotty literary theory meets Lady Gaga!

And now I want to read some articles about Beyonce [makes note to self]

* A contrast - Strange Silence: Portraits from Women's Prisons

* There's some good Twilight commentary over on the Manga Bookshelf - Dear Fandom: Please Grow Up

* coffeeandink has a post up on how Religion != Christianity.

* seperis has a post up on the creepy shit Apple's been up to lately.

* They're making a comic book about Shepherd Book's backstory. I honestly have no idea how I feel about this.

* A super high rez interactive panorama of Paris? Yes please.

* Harmony - a pretty cool non-flash-based online drawing program.

* The Tiptree winners are up!

* Lastly, liv has got the Giant non-fandom friending meme going on. A big hello to everyone who found me over there!