I get what you're saying with DDS, actually. It actually is much darker than I usually like, but I love stories that deal with reincarnation and identity and also have hermaphrodites. The cannibalism I'm actually mostly meh about, although it does sometimes amuse me. Besides, I tend to view reincarnation as not quite a get out of angst free card, but at least an angst amelioration card.
I knew I was phrasing it badly. You're right, he isn't stupid. I know a lot of the reason he comes off that way is because growing up in Infinity Fortress, there's just no way to learn about things other people take knowing about for granted, like the Statue of Liberty. Emotionally, he is much smarter than Ban. It's just that when characters lack that kind of basic information, I get irritated with them despite rationally knowing that the fact that they don't know stuff like that really is an interesting way of emphasizing the sheer difference in how they grew up as compared to most people. Rationally speaking I know that and I'm irritated with myself for not getting past that and liking the characters more, because it's snobby and stupid of me.
And I have to agree that purely booksmart characters can be incredibly irritating, especially if they're the smugly booksmart characters. It's just that I identify with them easier because if I had my way I'd spend my entire life doing nothing but reading. So unless they're the smug, book-learning > anything else type, they get a bit more of a pass from me.
Don't worry, you didn't come off as confrontational~♥
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Date: 2008-01-31 12:46 am (UTC)I knew I was phrasing it badly. You're right, he isn't stupid. I know a lot of the reason he comes off that way is because growing up in Infinity Fortress, there's just no way to learn about things other people take knowing about for granted, like the Statue of Liberty. Emotionally, he is much smarter than Ban. It's just that when characters lack that kind of basic information, I get irritated with them despite rationally knowing that the fact that they don't know stuff like that really is an interesting way of emphasizing the sheer difference in how they grew up as compared to most people. Rationally speaking I know that and I'm irritated with myself for not getting past that and liking the characters more, because it's snobby and stupid of me.
And I have to agree that purely booksmart characters can be incredibly irritating, especially if they're the smugly booksmart characters. It's just that I identify with them easier because if I had my way I'd spend my entire life doing nothing but reading. So unless they're the smug, book-learning > anything else type, they get a bit more of a pass from me.
Don't worry, you didn't come off as confrontational~♥