Christina: Hi all. Get my album:D!
BW: ...and the talking Busta...
Busta: Yo. I mean arf.
BW: To revel in my own conceitful God-complex and give a personal review of all the chapters in Digital Star Saga! Now, shall we begin?
Christina: Why not, it's not as if I have anything else I have to answer to in my life other than to play second-bananas to a half-fan of mine.
BW: Uh...a little bitter, now, aren't we?
Christina: Of course not. I just don't understand why I wasn't introduced until about halfway through and even then I appeared for a few pages only!
BW: It is an *NSYNC parody...anyway...
BW: Now, as said, this chapter was just my own little experiment with writing styles and was rather short in context, but personally I'm kinda proud.
Busta: I thought that the scene jumps were a little off...
BW: I tried to mimic the type of feeling one gets from TV and movies, the "cuts" that occur, I guess I didn't succeed that well...
Christina: Though the dialogue between the two dark figures were interestingly played.
Busta: Did you know from the very beginning that the servant figure to the Big Boss was gonna be Lou Pearlman?
BW: Yes. Well, actually, I had long determined that Lou was gonna be the final enemy of the first arc, but at first he was the Corpulence. As the story went on it changed a bit...lot. Just a tad bit of trivia: The term "corpulent" means "fat," literally speaking. If you're fat, you're corpulent. And thus came the Corpulence. Get it?
Busta: Ooh.
Christina: Aah.
BW: :)
Christina: But it's kinda stupid...
Busta: Seriously. Like something Justin would think of.
Justin: Hey!
BW: This was the one chapter that took the most off of Sailor Moon; The following chapters closely followed concepts but not storylines.
Busta: Ah...the ventriloquism...what's known as a "running gag," actually worked quite well, considering the source.
BW: Hey!...Anyway, other running gags starting from this point included Justin's ebonics, the guys' complaints about the transformation phrase...
Christina: It really does bite.
BW: ...And the Justin/JC rivalry. Now, I'm sure they don't actually wish bloody damnation apon each other in real life, but it's comparable to the rivalry of brothers. I should know, I have one, and I just wanna rip out his limbs and boil his face in scalding...nevermind.
Christina: Why didn't you have me in this chapter? I was a mice too.
BW: Yes, but so were about a dozen others...
Busta: This is where we really started getting into the Corpulence, into the concept of star crystals.
BW: I know that my tone is hard to follow, but hey.
Christina: You were kinda vague, yeah.
BW: Star crystals are a concept straight out of Sailor Moon. It's a source of power that can be materialized and taken away. But in this, I made it a basic concept that artists/entertainers had the ability to manifest it, extrovertedly speaking. And what better to serve as the enemy in this parody than the darkness of the entertainment industry that corrupts and taints an artist's brilliant potential?
There are actually references to things like star crystals in many religious contexts. The most obvious would be "souls," but I have said that star crystals are different from souls. The star crystal is life experience. Life potential. Life itself. In several Asian religions, what happens to you during life shapes an inner part of you, your chi, that is a part of your life energy, becomes a part of you, and it can manifest itself, its power, if you learn how.
Christina: I see...souls are something that are given to you at birth, and this...other thing is something you create in your life.
BW: Yes, unless you want to get into predestination which is a whole other concept, or existentialism which I don't buy because it's an arguably while not wholly atheistic outlook.
Busta: Wow. You're smarter than you look.
BW: I know! I feel so cool!
Busta: Too bad you're an egomaniac.
BW: Don't I know it. For anyone who doesn't know, Judy Garland is the actress who played Dorothy in the original "The Wizard of Oz." The reason I mention her is that she was very much respected, but it is undeniable that she had problems with her life, partly due to the respect she was given. You might argue that Ms. Garland was never really unhappy, but to me, anyone who died early from drugs and wrote in her autobiography that "I wanted to believe, and I tried my damnedest to believe in that rainbow that I tried to get over--and I couldn't! So what? Lots of people can't,"[Source: July 1-7 edition of TV Guide] couldn't really have lived her life in joy. She fought the industry, she fought her image, and she lost. I don't mean to dishonor her by referring to her in such a manner, though.
Christina: Understood. Okay, so what's up with those Soldiers and Scouts? How did you come by them?
BW: Demented, soulless humans...I wanted a concept of a group of mindless zombies, powerful, but also very fragile. And I was watching Godzila at the time, so sue me. Another running gag was created about Joey not understanding Justin's ebonics and Chris translating for him. Go figure.
Busta: Lou, Lou, Lou...okay, you do take into account that the real Lou might not be such a bad person after all?
BW: I know, I know, but it makes for such an interesting idea...
Christina: I don't get the Poofoo thing, though...
BW: Actually, I don't either. Not much to say about this chapter...except that I went totally overboard on the fact interpretations. Oh well, it's fiction. And yes, I know I overuse the Mississippi thing.
BW: This was the "fun" chapter...I expanded all of their personalities a bit and just generally fooled around with their heads.
Busta: You know...I noticed another discrepancy...if this was back in '95, did Playstation even exist?
BW: I don't know. I don't think so. Does it matter?
Busta: ...
Christina: And in this chapter, Central is introduced...who is Central? Do you even know? Do we know him?
BW: Yes, the true identity of Central is a person who many people do know. I have a clear thought of who Central is when I'm writing his words...you do know him. I'm just not spoiling the fun:).
Christina: Aw, c'mon, tell us! Busta, do you know?
Busta: Actually, no...now that we think about it, it seems like he is taken off of Charlie of "Charlie's Angels." A kind of smarty-pants guy that no one really knows.
BW: Surprisingly, no, even my rip-offing has limits. But now that I've seen the movie it might influence this character somewhat. Let's move on...the Backstreets appear in this chapter, and most fanatically observant people would have known that it was them.
Busta: ...How?
BW: Uh...I was thinking about them when I wrote their dialogue?
Busta: ...
Christina: Okay, I gotta ask...what's with The Prophecy?
BW: There will be more of The Prophecy in the second season. The term "The Five Who Are One" was taken from a Buffy the Vampire Slayer novel, a name of "The Three Who Are One," or something.
Busta: Johnny Wright also appears.
BW: I was careful about Johnny Wright...I barely know him or his personality at all, so I just had him talk about stuff we already know, blah blah, average Joe...Johnny.
Christina: That comic book scene was pretty interesting, kinda manga/anime style, hmm?
BW: I swear, if only I had a scanner back then...I was just screaming at my computer and pulling out my goatee and in the end it didn't even look like Joey at all. O the pain. The humiliation.
Christina: I'm sorry I asked.
Busta: I do not lay green...
BW: Don't worry, Busta. I won't tell anyone.
Christina: I appear! Yay! *Goes into hand swirling hand motions for "Genie in a Bottle."*
BW: Indeed, another "fun" chapter.
Busta: Alright, now I know something's wrong...all those female game characters you mentioned, they weren't out until at least 1997, with the maybe exception of Chun-Li!
BW: True...so?
Busta: ...
Christina: You seemed to have established very early that the BSBs would be rivals and not compatriots.
BW: It was for the dramatic elements, I admit. But when I wrote this I really was annoyed at the BSB because it always seems that they were the ones starting up the feuding, so I had it implemented here. It was just an exaggeration on what I believed and still believe to be an existing emotion. If anyone thinks that BSB really do not want to start any feuds at all, great, I think that's really commendable. But this is a fictional story, and dramatic elements must be implemented.
Christina: Is that just a really long way of saying "I was playing you all for soup opera fools?"
BW: Exactly. With that said, let's move on to...
Christina: Okay...Pam Pamberstone. W. T. F!?
BW: It was all I could come up with in short notice, so sue me!
Busta: What exactly was her point...?
BW: I don't know...I thought I was going to have Joey like her but I'm horrible at romance.
Christina/Busta: ...
BW: On the other hand, she might appear in the second arc if I feel like it. Yes, she supposedly died, and the power to bring people back from the dead is reserved only for voodoo priests and soup opera writers, not webmasters, but exceptions might be made. So what'd you guys think about the BSB? I tried to implement their personalities too.
Busta: It seemed like AJ was a control freak and Brian had down syndrome...
BW: I do try to get details precise.
AJ/Brian: Hey!
BW: Kidding, kidding. A actual revenant is like some undead zombie thing...the concept is just an artist who's been corrupted by the industry
Christina: You kinda made it look like the BSB were lunatic murderers who had to be put down.
BW: I do try to get details...nevermind. Seriously, when I wrote about them I had in mind the type of people who never fully realized the huge responsibilty having superpowers would be, and they're confused, insecure. They're trying to approach it professionally but don't really know how. Seeing *NSYNC handle it so well, so flawlessly, just increased their sense of insecurity. They're trying to do the right thing, trying to do it the right way, but they don't realize that there is no "right" way to approach anything, approach life. There are, however, several wrong ways.
Christina: In other words, they're not bad, just a bit astray. You're really cute when you act smart.
BW: Really:)?
Christina: No, and you'd better be prepared to pay for typing that sentence out.
BW: On the other hand, my respect for the Boys had increased immensely since I last wrote on this, so don't expect too much of a bad BSB rap the second time around...in fact there may be just the opposite.
Christina: In the end of the chapter we see who Lou really is. Interesting use of cliffhangers...if only a bit overused.
BW: I try.
Christina: I like the title.
BW: So does JC, for some reason.
Christina: And I appear, yay! *Starts to do "Genie" hand motions, but pause* Albeit for a few seconds only.
BW: I don't have a favorite chapter, but I definitely spent the most time on this one.
Busta: The individual fights were a pretty nifty idea. The powers were, for the most part, based off of The Backstreet Project?
BW: Yes, and although it might seem otherwise, the powers of Brian, Kevin, and Howie were the only ideas taken off the BSP, and only to a point for Kevin and Howie. I had a fun and mentally disturbing time thinking up powers for AJ and Nick.
Christina: Are we gonna find out what happened between Chris and Howie in the second season?
BW: I had something in mind, but I had my information crossed, I'm afraid...I had thought that Chris and Howie went to the same high school, but it appears that it was a choir group in college. That might complicate things a bit, but I think I can work it out.
Busta: Also of interest...more comic book scenes.
BW: ARGH!!! Curse the absense of my scanner in those important moments of my life! How dare you not exist until after I drew 3.5 of those and had no choice but to finish the last 1.5 in Paint Shop Pro! Cursed be!
Busta/Christina: ...
Christina: ...Anyway, why was it that you paired them like you did?
BW: JC and Brian were obvious, they are the amazing singing freaks of the groups, plus they're the only two debatably sane ones...Chris and Howie also for obvious reasons...Lance with Kevin 'cause I think they're the two lowest voices...Joey with AJ 'cause I don't know, they're like polar opposites? It seems natural that they would be the two to get pissed at each other for the way they look...and as for Justin and Nick the reason should be all too obvious too; The youngest, also the most egomaniacal ones.
Nick: Hey!
Justin: Piss on him, Busta. Please. I'll give you kibble!
BW: That's quite enough, now pipe down, crunkboys.
Christina: But it's a little freaky how Brian turns out to be so...emotional, don't you think?
BW: It's always been my opinion that people who are the most subtle, most wordless, that are the ones who have the most on their heads.
Busta: And here Lou shows his true nature...It's rather odd how you played his relationship with *NSYNC. They never really liked him in the first place, but were willing to give him a chance. Wary, but trusting.
BW: It was very much based off of reality. Same with the BSB. They trusted him, Kevin especially, and it just blew over when they realized how much of a fool Lou was playing them for. I don't doubt that in reality Lou is not a horrible person who needs to be hunted down with Kim Smith's dogs, but his methods are questionable. Extremely questionable.
Christina: And he takes their name...kind of an odd storyline idea, yet undeniably the most utterly shameful thing that could happen to an artist, not only to lose their work but their identity.
BW: Exactly. But of course, we learn that someone's name, their power, as well as their identities is not something you can just remove and keep in a little stash somewhere, and as the infamous trial shows, it was ridiculous of Pearlman to try. Oh, but that's not till the next chapter.
Busta: Okay, so the Corpulence is really just...despair? What!?
BW: I think that, contrary to Yoda, despair is the one negative emotion that can lead to all others. The idea that you've lost reason, that you've lost judgement so much as to lose hope also, there is so many ways that can affect you. There are two emotions I think the world can do without, and those are hate and despair, absense of love and absense of hope. And in my opinion, absense of hope leads to absense of love more often than the other way around. That's why I say despair is beyond hate...hate can be conquered with understanding. But once you've lost hope, there are few things that can get you back on your feet.
Christina: Wow. Deep.
Busta: If despair is the darkest emotion, what is the greatest emotion?
BW: If I knew, I wouldn't be sitting here typing this, I'd be off preaching to the masses, hmm? But seriously...love is, honestly, the most overused yet underrated thing in the universe.
Busta: But if despair is stronger than hate, and hate is the absense of love...
BW: Doggie, this ain't mathematics. Human emotion don't add up like that. "Love" is used in so many contexts and so many forms in Western culture, literature, whatever, that it has lost its appeal to us. Love is the absense of hate, yes, but it is untouchable by hate. I believe an indistinguishable factor of sentience is the ability to love.
Christina: The Corpulence mentions that human dreams and ambitions make us weaker.
BW: *Shrugs* Only the inane conclusions of a being who is incapable of feeling either. I think that our ambitions sometimes blind us to reason. In reality Lou has great dreams, just like *NSYNC, just like anyone else, but do his ends truly justify his means? Still, isn't it our capability for dreaming of a better future what makes us innately human, also the best part of being human? I can't imagine being someone who has no ambitions, and I doubt that anyone else can, either. Despair can take away many important things, but can it truly take away our want of better things? You can argue that it is a greedy way of being positive, and I would say that it's only human. But enough rantings...most likely I'm wrong anyways.
Busta: Agreed. This time, the drawings are done on the scanner...
BW: Praise be to my scanner! I give glory to it! I worship my scanner! Thank you, thank you, thank God for you, the wind beneath my wings...
Christina: They are less anime-style than the last bunch.
BW: What can I say? I wish I could draw them like that Bye Bye Bye single cover, but I make do with what I know. And I know how to draw basic people. But I hate it how I made Justin and Lance kinda cartoony and the others more "real?" I'm a weirdo.
Christina/Busta: Agreed.
BW: ...
Christina: What's with my weird little monologue at the beginning...?
BW: Well...it's kind of a setup for season two.
Christina: WHAT!? You mean I'm gonna turn evil?
BW: Well, to speak frankly...no...
Christina: So what? What's all that?
BW: *NSYNC isn't the only one going through changes, remember?
Christina: I don't know...I don't like the way you're playing this...it's like I'm gonna freak out or something, it's all so ominous.
Busta: So...there you go. The last chapter of the first arc.
BW: So there you go. It was gonna be longer. But I realized that there was only so many ways I could play it and not drag it out longer than necessary and make it this long, lengthy, boring piece of work. But I also feel guilty for making it short. Do I think that I didn't come up to my own expectations? Yes. But do I like what I've written? Also yes. I'm a weirdo.
Christina: Well, it ain't baaaaaaad.
Busta: So the question is, Lou isn't dead?
BW: He's a real life person...I don't think I could kill him without any serious lawsuits. HAHAHAHA!!! Get it? Lawsuits?
Christina/Busta: ...
BW: ...What I meant to say is that Lou's story is hardly done in real life, I don't expect to just end it here. And I don't really like the idea of killing someone off anyway...first of all because it's an unnerving feeling, secondly because it's kind of a cowardly way of sayin', "That's it, I don't wanna deal with this character anymore, go away." I think the real life Lou will continue to startle and provide material for me to go off on, so who knows? The Digital Star Saga has always been built off of fragments of reality, and who am I to repress possible inspiration?
Busta: But that goes into what will happen in the future of The Digital Star Saga.
Christina: So what's up now? What's in store for the next season?
BW: More characters, some familiar, some not. More powers. More insanity, the usual. The storylines will get back to the humorous sort, but again will have some deeper issues. Britney.
Christina: WHAT!?
BW: Um...
Christina: Britney's gonna be in here!? But...I'm the main female character! I'm the most important! You can't take that away from me! It's gotta be ME!
BW: ...Has anyone ever mentioned to you that you might actually be a better match for Justin than Britney?
Christina: What?
BW: Nevermind. Yes, Britney will appear, but if it makes you happy she won't be like you. At all. Not her powers, not her scenes, in fact its arguable if she's even going to have powers at all. She may not be totally good or bad either. I'd spoil everything, but then I'd spoil everything. So I won't. Also you'll get a much bigger role than before.
Christina: Bigger than Britney's?
BW: My lips are sealed.
Christina: *Sigh* Alright...but if you make her better than me, I'll sue for a breach of contract.
Busta: What about the guys? Aren't they the actual main characters?
BW: Yes. There will be much more emphasis on the individual characters of *NSYNC. Whereas the last season focused on their unity as a group, the guys are still separate people and needs to be identified as such.
Busta: What about the bad guys?
BW: With the Corpulence gone and Lou temporarily out of the picture, there will be new baddies. And to the relief of many, myself included, there will no longer be any "Soldier #2438" or whatever...that was just too annoying for me. The baddies will be fleshed out and given an actual personality. Whew! What a concept, eh?
Christina: Actual...personalities? Is that even possible for you?
BW: Funny. Also, the overall plot will move kinda from *NSYNC to the whole music biz in general. It's still gonna include mostly pop stuff, but I'll include some mainstream MTV stuff too.
Busta: You mean like Eminem?
BW: Maybe...he'll definitely appear, but I don't know how. I don't wanna have this huge blowout centered around him and making him look bad. It's not the reason I started writing this. If I can't think of a way to include Em that actually has a point, then I won't.
Christina: What about other quote-unquote "boybands?" 98 D, BBMak, O-Town, 2Gether...
BW: There's no way I can cram them all in an *NSYNC parody with the kind of storyline I have planned and still have semblance of an actual plot. 98 Degrees, they're kinda buddypals with *NSYNC so maybe that can work, but BBMak live on the other side of the world, literally; I don't know anything about them. With O-Town I'm too afraid of making it like "The Return of Lou!" episode or something and make them all anti-*NSYNCs, even if it is kinda the case anyways, it's not the direction I wanna take this. 2Gether kinda touches on the boybands-being-real-or-not thing that I feel I basically already covered.
Busta: So...who is gonna be there?
BW: Anyone I feel who can stretch on the central plotline that I have in mind. *NSYNC. BSB. Christina. Britney most definitely. But as of today nothing has been written, all things are maleable. So there we go. Thank you both for helping me go through my own work...
Christina: I expect my three hundred dollar paycheck by this tomorrow morning.
Busta: And don't forget our deal...from now on you pay 5% extra on any FuMan Skeeto apparel.
BW: Alrighty then...see you all in Chapter 11!