the beautiful world

2012, please grant my wish!

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000+02:00

Let us be strong like the dragon! /by ink pot on deviantart

So small a turning
The world grows older every day
An ache, a yearning
Soften when I hear you say

All that I want, all that I want

Another year you made a promise
another chance to turn it all around
and do not save this for tomorow
embrace the past and you can live for now
and I will give the world to you

Speak louder that the words before you
and give them meaning no one else has found
The role we play is so important
we are the voices of the underground
and I would give the world to you

Say everything you’ve always wanted,
be not afraid of who you really are,
cause in the end we have each other,
and thats at least one thing worth living for,

and I would give the world to you

A million suns that shine upon me
A million eyes you are the brightest blue
Lets tear the walls down that divide us
and build a statue strong enough for two,

I pass it back to you
and I will wait for you,
cause I would give the world
and I would give the world
and I would give the world to you

This is the new year
A new begining
You made a promise
You are the brightest
We are the voices
This is the new year
We are the voices
This is the new year

Let this last song be a blessing for this year. Glee has cheered me up this year, when I decided to start watching it. Let us be independent and in the arms of each other.We'll make it in the end, right?

Ikoku Meiro no Croisée: Episodes 10 - 12

2011-12-30T11:00:00.000+02:00

Camille, Alice, Yune, Oscar and Claude - the main cast of Ikoku Meiro

Final 3 episodes that revolve mainly around Claude and a review - the aftertaste.

Episode 10. Phantasmagoria

Summary : Claude goes to meet an old customer of his father, who wishes a new sign for the reastaurant he is going to open in his old wine cellar. Claude isn't very excited to hear the customer expects from him his father's style; he feels compared to a man he didn't have many feelings for. We learn through his flashbacks at the train about his father's character: non-talkative and highly critic of everything Claude tried.

Back at the shop Yune doesn't want to slack off, so Oscar suggests she cleans the restroom. There they find an old slide projector and a kinetoscope which soon become the center of attention. Alice enters the shop and joins them. The girls are a bit scared about the pictures that 'came alive', but then Yune remembers the evenings with her sister, when they played with the shadow and their hands. Afterwards, Alice along with Yune have a fun time drawing dragons and cats and making them move through the kinetoscope. Later, Alan, the typographer, marches in the shop and upon seeing the big white sheet used to show the pictures from the projector comes up with an idea. The whole gallery and passer-bys find a seat and enjoy the show.

Anime vs Manga : This episode is new material produced solely for the series.

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Episode 11. Prayer

Summary : Alice invites Yune to the Grand Magazin, but Claude doesn't allow Yune to go, 'because they are the enemy of the Gallery'. Yune is perceptive, she understands this has to do with Claude's father, as well, so she doesn't insist on going. Instead they go for a picnic, where grandpa isn't careful enough and Yune gets drunk. In that situation she starts reminiscing about her sister. She prays to 'the god of Paris' for her sister's health. Claude wants to know more, so Yune narrates how she thinks she caused her sister's blindness. Yune out of kindness said to her sister that she could only at her in order not to get hurt by the people's mean glares. There came a point though that Yune got better physically and her sister started getting weaker until she couldn't see with those blue eyes of her. Oscar reassures Yune that her sister was very happy to hear those words she had said. Yune wants to learn what kind of magic Oscar uses in the end - she believed that he also made the rain to stop...

France vs Japan:

Kotodama: refers to the Japanese belief that mystical powers dwell in words and names. English translations include "soul of language", "spirit of language", "power of language", "power word", "magic word", and "sacred sound". The notion of kotodama presupposes that sounds can magically affect objects, and that ritual word usages can influence our environment, body, mind, and soul.
Hanami: is the parties/pic nic under cherry blossoms around April. It's accustomed that sake is shared and drunk while Japanese eat and talk and enjoy viewing the sakura falling. More here.
Each place and a god: this idea Yune expresses comes most probably from Shinto's nature as a religion, where a great number of gods resides in nature and elsewhere. I'm not sure about France, but here in Greece each place/village/city has a saint to 'protect' it. In that sense this custom doesn't differ much from polytheism.
Blue eyes : Shione, Yune's sister, was born with blue eyes. Perhaps they came out of a genetic alteration, since most Japanese have black/ dark brown eyes and a possibility of a foreign ancestor isn't mentioned. This is a case of prejudice towards people who aren't like others. Not very uncommon for a society that till that point wasn't influenced much from reasoning but from myths.

Anime vs Manga: Prayer corresponds to the manga chapter 7.Park. There's more about Yune's age in the manga (13) and the way she is invited to the Grand Magazin is changed: Alice's brother sent a bouquet of flowers with an invitation.

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Episode 12. Cats on the roof

Summary: Yune tries to help Claude with his work and touches his late father's gloves, thing that enrages Claude and tells Yune to go outside. Yune goes upstairs, in the shop, and there she hears a bell. She thinks it's Mr. Yanick's lost cat and goes searching after it. Some minutes later Claude and soon Alice and the whole Gallery searches for her. She's found on the roof, where Claude is scared that Yune will fall and get killed. Claude explains her that the cat was lost long ago. He manages to catch her before the glass breaks and finally they discuss his past with Yune. His father died in Grand Magazin and they weren't exactly getting along. He promises her that one day they'll go together there. Since Yune lost her sandals on the roof, Claude carries her bride-style and when the others see them, they burst into laughs for the akwardness of the moment. Yune realizes that she has become part of the Gallery family.

Anime vs Manga: From ch.7 to ch.5- this series has done so many back and forths that weren't really needed. Anyway, for the most part (aside the ending with Claude's father way of death and the whole Gallery being there for Yune) the episode copied the manga.

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Review: It ended up a mediocre series. Sure it didn't have serious intentions from the beginning with all this moeness hanging around. It was a light series with the simple intention of being enjoyed for its lightness. I'm sure though that no one would complain about a more in depth depictiona nd discussion of cultural differences. From episode 8 and after the series focused more on the personal stories than the cultural backgrounds. And although there was no actual plot, there were questions left unanswered like what happened to that kimono in the beginning or the wider family stories - where's Claude's mother and Yune's parents? Or why Yune ended up a maid instead a poster girl, if Oscar knew that she wouldn't work as such when he brought her in France?

In the character department there was a good job done, especially since I came to actually like Alice with that screeching annoying voice... Camille outshone everyone though. She and grandpa were the more 'normal' behaving people in the series. Camille was a calm river that could lash currents of water when people didn't demonstrate tact. Her fan movements and the expressions of her eyes fleshed out her whole being and character. Grandpa Oscar was one playful (with the ladies) old man that loves journeys and is very kind and considerate of others. Claude was a very bad case of tsundere. He really needs psychotherapy. His anger control is non-existant, his insecurities about everything- the changing times, the foreign people in Paris, his abilities etc- overflow. He considers Yune a 'cat that needs a bell', although he knows Yanick's story; by putting a bell on a cat, you actually lose it, it runs away. Cat may be cute and of course used metaphorically, yet cuteness isn't the meaning attached to the metaphor. Cat is represented as a pet, something that a man possesses, as a whimsical woman that eats mouses and plays with them (remember, Camille called Claude a mouse) and as lovers, since amants went in and out of houses that weren't their own but acted like they were. Yune herself stole my heart the first episodes and then the cuteness of moeness somehow evaporated for me.

The backgrounds were splendid but can't redeem the series as an whole or even the case that the music wasn't so fitting. Actually ko-ko-ya recycled some Ristorante Paradiso pieces! That was a big mistake on their part in my eyes. This shows little care about the show and implies that listeners would be dumb enough not to notice anything. I was disappointed from this part.

I'd really prefer an ending similar to chapter 8 of the manga, where they go to the Grand Magazin and Claude realizes he shouldn't be overprotective and Yune is no cat - she can take care of herself even in difficult situations.

If someone goes crazy over moeness and needs something to cool off after a hectic day of work, without wanting unnecessary information and serious dialogues, that's for that someone.

Ikoku Meiro no Croisée - Episodes 7-9

2011-12-25T00:34:00.000+02:00

We get to see lots of Camille and Claude and of childhood moments.

Episode 7. Skylight

Skylights. Not sure why the episode is titled after them...

Summary: In the first half random things happen; Yune wants to cook Japanese food with rise and dried plums but Claude doesn't seem excited. Later we see Yune giving part of her bread to the little thief of episode 5 and she gets scolded for her behaviour by Claude. Yune can't understand really Claude's harshness and she gets teary only to get 'rescued' by Alice, who makes a sudden entry into the shop to show Yune new japanese items she bought - to her dismay, Alice uses them all wrong.She leaves after giving to the Japonais a kiss on the cheek.

The second half of Skylights focuses on Yune's cold. She lays down on her bed with fever and that causes a lot of worries to Grandpa and Claude, who actually lowered his pride and pleaded for a doctor from the Blanches. Fortunately it's nothing serious and Yune gets better soon. Claude prepared for her porridge and the little boy left at the entrance of the store some wild flowers. Alice arrives latter with a whole tub filled with ice as a cure to her fever, though Yune refuses to get in water that is not hot.

France vs Japan :

Kisses : In Japan even until today -though at a smaller degree- proximity between two people is seen as normal only if they are family or couple. Public display of affection is frowned upon. It's no wonder why Yune almost fainted from embarrasment when Alice kissed her cheek. (See Physical Contact in Multicultural Manners p.13) She gave her a bise. Bise is a greeting kiss that progressively came to be for everyone, even people you don't know that well. In the 19th century France though a bise was kept for friends and special people to you. Bise is very different from bisou, as the latter has romantic and sexual nuances. ( Wanna take a look at a kiss map of France?)
Conceptions about the nature of children : It's remarkable how innocent and completely free of guilt and nasty thoughts children until the age of 5 are concidered (see p.8).Perhaps this associates with the belief that children were close to the god's world. You can see this very well in kindergartens in Japan where sharp tools aren't kept out of kids' reach. There is no way that a child would hurt in purpose another one - this is the Japanese logic. Even if a child is ready to throw a stone, the teacher is going to ask from him/her to 'borrow' the stone, explain what the dangers are, then give it back to the child, ignoring possible maliciousness hidden. On the other hand, French and Europeans think of the child less generously. Claude puts it quite blant: "Children are wild animals with no cognitive abilities". He's harsh yet this is the thinking behind discipline and pedagogical tactics of the West. Of course such thinking was more vivid back in 19th century than now.
Treating a cold : In France a good treatment to a cold is cold water under the armpits or a cold bath and hot wine. In Japan they take hot baths to help them sweat and thus the temperature falls. Ginger tea is another ailment they prefer.

Anime vs Manga :

The anime adapts here chapters 4 and 4.1. There aren't huge differences apart from the utensils Alice mentions and some extended scenes. In the manga we see more of her weak health and it is linked to the previous chapter where she tried taking a bath in the kitchen and got drenched after she got 'caught' in action. We also get more thoughts of sympathy from Claude for Yune after realising his cold treatment.

Recommendation : Good comments on fever and the white sheets in this episode by aloe, dream.

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Episode 8. Nursery and Episode 9. Secret Garden

I'll treat these two episodes as one, since they narrate the events of a whole day and the place and people don't change. There are some shared themes, too.

Summary : Alice has called Yune over at her mansion for tea party and at the same time Yune finds the opportunity to thank her for sending over a doctor for her. Claude comes with her and that way he meets with Camille. He really can't handle the discussion well and he is proven a fool and an ignorant one at that. He doesn't know much about Yune and Camille picks on him due to this fact. She says he is cruel when he's talking without realising it but his silence hurts her as well- although she put on a beautiful dress, he didn't compliment her or even mention anything about her being beautiful.

Alice drinks tea with Yune and is very eager to learn about Japanese fairy tales. A little later she takes Yune to the room where she and Camille were raised up. She talks about her sister and their memories, about the dragon she drawed on the ceiling and all of sudden she has an idea and leaves Yune alone in the room. Camille takes turn in talking with Yune, not to leave their guest alone. Although she's abrupt with Yune, she just explains the etiquette in France. She reminisces their childhood and the story Alice made for her about an encounter with a Japanese. In that mood Camille encourages Yune to choose a dress she likes and she picked up the one her sister wore while narrating her that story. She helps her get in the dress and advices her to choose things she likes (not what Claude likes) and what suits her.

Alice returns and drags Yune in the garden again to show her a place she prepared for japanese tea ceremony. Alice does her best to please Yune, but since she doesn't know the right way, she screws up again.

In the meantime, Claude has a major flashback to his childhood. He was playing secretly a lot with Camille yet it was always in her garden. He wanted to take her outside, to watch a puppet show together or to be her guide in the Gallerie, but she refused. One day, she run to the Gallerie without telling anyone and she later explains Claude that if they were caught together, she wouldn't be allowed to see him ever again. And she needed him. Even as an amant. She didn't want to lose him.

The hours passed quickly and dusk came, so Claude departs with Yune. Yune talks fondly of Camille and Claude seems to finally understand Camille's words. Camille is on a carriage and adorns a melancholic face upon seeing the puppet show announcement tablet...

France vs Japan :

Fairy tales : fairy tales can represent some dominant cultural notions but they are also considered that they share common archetypes, themes and functions worldwide. Yune mentions Momotaro, Monkey and Crab Battle and Kaguya-hime, while Alice mentions Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty and protests that western fairy tales put women in humiliating positions in contrast to eastern ones. We get an ambiguous look from Yune at that statement. Of course, what Alice claims isn't right. The Japanese Cinderella is considered either Ochikubo or Sumiyoshi; the western Momotaro is Hop o'My Thumb and Thumberlina shares some themes with Kaguya-hime. Kaguya-hime as a character reminds us mythical women like Atalanta and Penelope.
Marriage : Did you know that marriage for all social classes is quite recent in the Japanese history? Find out more about Japanese marriages in this link. Arranged 'marriages' though weren't a decision made by the woman most often. Like in France, those arrangements were meant to benefit two families.
Social behaviour : Apologizing and laughing are the focus this time. Camille lectures Yune about her constant apologies. Apologizing back then was admittance to your foolishness and so aristocrats were very careful about using apologetic words. Since Japanese put the community above themselves, it was more important to keep the bonds between the parts of the community unharmed and thus many words for sorry were developed. About laughing I couldn't find much apart from the fact that Japanese women were expected to cover their mouths when they did so. But concidering the feelings of others before oneself's wasn't taught only in France of 19th century; Japan gaves and still gives emphasis on this value to the point of undecisiveness or passivity. So my guess is that Yune laughed on impulse as a child would.
Drinking tea : In West tea was at a first a luxury drink, served in porcelain teapot and cups with intricate designs painted on them. In Japan tea was honored with a ceremony that shone through its simplicity. Tea masters "taught that a sense of beauty should not be explicit, and their emphasis is reflected in the lack of ornamentation and austere simplicity found in the rituals of tea ceremony, in which the quality of wabi-sabi is often emphasized as an ideal form of beauty. [...]it derives from religious ceremonies performed by Zen monks [...]it is clear that this type of ceremony was held to enlighten people's spirit." (from the Japanese Mind - Understanding Contemporary Japanese Culture). Something as a side note: the way Japanese sit is very akward. Poor Alice got a cramp from it. This is a synoptic history of tea in Japan and for the ones who want to try performing it, here's a 'tutorial' video.

Anime vs Manga :

Chapter 6 of the manga was the base for both episodes. The marriage discussion, the fairy tale talk the content of the story Alice narrated for Camille when they were children, the tea party and ceremony, the puppet show are all extras that enrich the story. Also the line "I won't consider you my sister" is voiced by Camille in both cases but in the manga it's told in a way that Camille guesses Yune's thoughts.

Ikoku Meiro no Croisée - Episodes 4.5 - 6

2011-12-17T01:24:00.000+02:00

I think that I won't ever try blogging a series episode by episode. Always something happens: it gets busy, PC has problems, I face personal problems... and I'm not really fast at screencaping, deciding what to write etc. You get the picture. But since I started Ikoku and it has some things to offer, I'll blog it to the end; changing the number of episodes reviewed per post- from 2 to 3.

Episode 4.5: Concert

Summary: A female wandering musician has made her appearance in the Gallerie and gains much attention. One reason for the crowd around her is her japanese repertoir. Yune hears the melodies and wants to go see and listen. She really gets nostalgic listening to something 'home-made' and thus Claude accompanies Yune to where the musician played in spite of his initial objections.

In Alice's mansion the news about the musician got confirmed by her Butler and enthusiastic as Alice is over everything related to Japan invites the traveller to give a concert for her, Camille and Yune, before their parents return - they wouldn't approve of such a person associating with them. So, a big part of this episode is indeed a concert of a sorts and we get to listen to some Japanese songs. The evening ends by the revelation that the traveller's grandfather loved a Japanese woman and the latter stayed back in Japan and kept singing the song her lover had wrote for her. She must have met with Yune's sister because Yune knew the song. They part with this bitterweet tale and the worried Claude comes to pick up Yune.

France vs Japan:

Melodies and contents of songs : although we really don't get to listen to a french song in comparison to the japanese ones, traditional japanese music is well-known for her slow pace and the appreciation of silence and pauses. When Claude asks about the meaning of a japanese song ( in the series was translated as 'Grind, grind, topple'), Yune tries explaining the lyrics. We can understand that japanese traditional songs were more about simple procedures and the nature than love and human drama. See more about japanese traditional music here.
Crossed fingers : when you cross your two digits in France it means good luck; crossing your pinky finger with another person's pinky in Japan is used to seal a promise, mostly between kids and friends.
Difference in status and ethnicity : this is actually the common point the two cultures are shown to share - two lovers that are of different social status and/or ethnicity can't have a happy ending. Society dispoved of such mixes. Things were to stay separated. We can see this also by the luxurious breakfast Alice has, which includes croisant, marmelade, milk/tea, a variety of bread, and the usual ham, cheese, coffee, bread the Claudels have. Claude doesn't have a good opinion of foreigners that start to multiply in Paris and the 'bohemians'. 'Bohemians' are looked down by everyone. Although they simply don't conform to social norms that dictate a stable residence and a fixed work, they are more care-free and are fond of music and literature, they are considered filthy and sneeky. "They don't work at all. Instead they make music and then extort money from others." says Claude. The butler refers to the wandering musician as a 'gypsy' - but that's not the case. (The use of the term 'bohemian' came in use around 15th century in France and stems from the impression that those 'gypsies' came from Bohemia. See the definition in the Online Etymology Dictionary.) There was something similar in Japan but the wandering travelers who played the biwa and were dressed like monks were blind. Unfortunately, the show doesn't enlighten us on the issue.

Anime vs Manga :
This episode was an anime omake (=extra) and wasn't based on the manga at all.

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Episode 5 : Lost Child

Summary: Claude can't bear Yune by his side staring at him doing nothing and despite his permittance to go out of the shop to look around, Yune can't get used to this idea of freedom. She wants to be helpful and work when others work. So, she stays in and polishes some old lamps, when Grandpa decided he wanted to go on a trip. Yune misunderstands his behaviour for negligense, but Claude tells her that he can do this and he can have his freedom. Later on, another lecture by Claude takes place, this time because Yune was too friendly with a customer and scared her away. This shock is followed by another for the little Japanese girl, who thinks that judging customers by their appearance is awful.

The little kid who watched the items through the window is greeted by Yune later on, but he has no good intentions: he steals a candle base. Yune feels responsible and tails him only to be lost in the unknown paths of the gallery. After Claude's warning about smiling people being suspicious everyone seems scary to her eyes. Claude has found out Yune was missing from the shop and started asking here and there about the black-haired girl. Alan finds her, but Yune thinks he's suspicious and thus runs away. Claude finds her in the end and return to the shop together. He shows her the sign of the shop to remember it next time and dine together the two of them; grandpa didn't leave in the end, but he still had some things left to do, namely go out with a lady. He brought with him though a new wick to light the old lamp, with which Yune identified (as something that will go out of use soon), to make a point to her that she should see herself as something warm and bright, bringing joy to their home.

France vs Japan :

Social behaviour : Japanese are indeed people that are characterized by a group mentality. They feel good when they are with other people of their own, doing the same things without standing out. In West though individuality is much more treasured and a person who can't take decisions for him/herself outside of what the family wants or the close circle of friends isn't appreciated. Then, we also have the issue of smiling. Japanese even nowadays will most probably smile at you and that smile can hide their annoyance. It's considered basic politeness to smile, even though you don't mean it. In West smile is appreciated when it's honest. But back then in France people didn't get friendly that easy. A French blogger found this difference a lie, but I remember a professor of mine who spoke about his studies in France in the previous decade and underlined how it wasn't easy to make friends and someone over-flirtious was ignored and considered rude.

Anime vs Manga :

Lost Child is a direct copy of the homonym chapter (chapter 2) from the manga except the end. In the manga the person who appeared in front of Yune was Alice's butler, but since Alice is already introduced, we get a clown and Alan. The lamp scene wasn't there in the manga, too. We, also, get a glimpse of the kid giving the candle base to another beggar and he gives him some coins to buy food.

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Episode 6 : Crinoline

Summary : We get some shots of the parisian live and then Alice is seen on the carriage and goes to visit Yune. She wants to dress-up Yune and have their photos taken. Once they arrive there Yune is shown some old photos of Alice and Camille and without losing too much time Alice takes Yune to a room with many kimonos and has her put on one of them. Then Yune ties correctly one for Alice, as well, after removing her crinoline and covering with extra fabric her corset . Alice sees Yune not very differently from a doll, it seems, so before having their photos taken, Yune has to change to Alice clothes. The photographer has a tough time doing his job with the two ladies not standing still easily. Short afterwards Claude accompanies Yune home.

This episode along with episode 4.5 and episodes 8 and 9 slowly fleshes out all the more Camille, the life of upcoming aristocrats and her relationship with Claude and her sister.

France vs Japan :

Photography : Alice shows Yune 'carte de visite', photographs that are used in place of name cards when you meet somebody. " It was usually made of an albumen print, which was a thin paper photograph mounted on a thicker paper card. The size of a carte de visite is 54.0 mm (2.125 in) × 89 mm (3.5 in) mounted on a card sized 64 mm (2.5 in) × 100 mm (4 in)." (Wikipedia entry). Yune says that photographs in Japan were different, but the series doesn't make a straightforward comparison once again. Most probably she referred to the fact that they sometimes used to paint the photograph partially with colours. Searching some more a question of accuracy of Yune's words arises. Carte de visite could be found in Japan, too.
Female dress code and beauty standards : France with crinoline and corsets and narrow shoes; Japan with obi and layers of straight cloth and sandals. It's understandable that the fashion of an era and a country mirrors the ideals of beauty. For the 19th century France beauty was found in curves and bodies creating the hourglass shape. For that reason people who desired to enter high society followed rules that constricted a lot their bodies and especially those of young women. Corset was to be worn tight three times a day, informs us Alice. This wasn't without health implications, as we can talk for disforming of the internal organs like lungs and stomach. Crinoline was more innocent but didn't allow free movement - one certainly can't bend down to pick up something. Camille applauds its description as birdcage and talks metaphorically about unreachable things due to the application of crinoline. Most certainly those women didn't have their freedom in any way. Her comment about the feeling of reassurance after a period of wearing such clothes is remarkable. As for the Japanese way of dressing, we only get Yune tying her kimono very quickly, some comments about the boots and the cold she feels under the french dress that imply much less body restriction in the japanese dress. This can be debated, since the long sleeves of young girl's kimono and the close tube that the kimono creates don't allow careless and fast running, either. Alice mentions having problems walking in the kimono, yet it is shown only briefly and the impression is created that she simply isn't accustomed to it rather than being constrictive. "The beauty of the kimono is found in immobility and calm gestures" (A companion to anthropology of Japan, chapter 10 ) - let's not forget that the series is made from Japanese. Something more: wearing a kimono no curves are highlighted. Instead simplicity in lines is promoted. The ideal is a cylinder. (Read more about kimono and the way it's worn. Yune ties her obi in a taiko musubi that requires many knots and layers of fabric. )

Anime vs Manga :

Crinoline is adapted from only some pages of chapter 6 of the manga, with the rest content being aired in the 8th episode.

There are several additions in the anime: the carte de visite, Claude's denial of progress, some comments about the comfort of the clothes, Alice's sparkling memory of Camille's debut in society and the photoshooting with the (old) camera.

For your own good: childhood traumas and bad parenthood in Mawaru Penguindrum

2011-10-27T20:12:00.001+03:00

The tools used to create that 'pure' love

Only blood-related family members can be trusted. Family members never lie. Pure and beautiful love exists only among family. ~ Yuri's father

Anti-freudian Sanetoshi, go!

Don't you think families are a sort of fantasy, a curse of sorts? Think about it. Just how many children suffer because they are bound to their family? Parents who treat their children as objects in the name of love, abusing them. They only love themselves, yet kids must love their parents solely because they are family, and love their siblings. ~ Sanetoshi

In Mawaru Penguindrum's episode 'Savior of the World' Yuri's past is revealed and it's not a beautiful one. More than all the other characters' past, Yuri's is the most loaded with heavy symbolism and dipped in the blue of sadness, melancholy and despair. The dialogues are shoved into the viewers' face and provoke them to deconstruct the notion of family as shelter. Sanetoshi chats with Kanba and echoes Alice Miller's work and that of other modern psychotherapists. Ikuhara sure has read a lot of psychology.

Alice Miller was the first who went against Freudian psychoanalysis to what concerns the parent-children relationship. She was at the side of the child. Parents have used for centuries strict, cold, traumatising child-rearing (with escalation in the Nazi era), which she calls 'poisonous pedagogy'. In her book For Your Own Good, Miller claims that:

[...] Sigmund Freud had to conceal his surprising discovery of adults' sexual abuse of their children, a discovery he was led to by the testimony of his patients. He disguised his insight with the aid of a theory that nullified this inadmissible knowledge. Children of his day were not allowed, under the severest of threats, to be aware of what adults were doing to them, and if Freud had persisted in his seduction theory, he not only would have had his introjected parents to fear but would no doubt have been discredited, and probably ostracized, by middle-class society. In order to protect himself, he had to devise a theory that would preserve appearances by attributing all "evil," guilt, and wrongdoing to the child's fantasies, in which the parents served only as the objects of projection. We can understand why this theory omitted the fact that it is the parents who not only project their sexual and aggressive fantasies onto the child but also are able to act out these fantasies because they wield the power.

Why did so many psychologists follow him? Well, wasn't Freud a 'father' as well?

Parents are the first significant others that children are encountered with. That means parents are people who provide children with the basic needs, teach them values and rules and thus appear god-like in the eyes of the vulnerable beings human children are. We are the only species on earth with such extended childhood. We are dependent on powerful adults for over a decade.

Among the basic needs of a baby and a child is love and to be more exact unconditional love. The only ones that can give this kind of love are parents. When this doesn't happen, the child gets traumatised. Child can't possibly accuse his parents for being hurtful or neglectful, because

1. it isn't in the cognitive phase to understand that parents aren't gods,

2. they are taught that parents are always right and they do things for your own good ( see "Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." ),

3. it's implied that parents deserve respect simply due to the fact they are parents and children don't deserve respect due to the fact they are children

4. parents are important to it, to the point where the child identifies with the parent

The result is that the child thinks that indeed it is at fault, that it is a bad child and the negligence, humiliation or abuse is accepted as something normal. Guilt gets piled up, since admitting that the parents don't love it, would destroy psychologically the child completely - the ego would get shattered. Instead the child, then adolescent and then adult activates a variety of protective mechanisms. But these mechanisms aren't used without a price to be paid- they can be self-destructing and/or agressive towards others.

Parents amputate us psychologically through humiliation and abuse.

The thought of accusing the parents never crosses the mind of children. Yet the pain is obvious in Kanba's face.

In Yuri's case we listen to the standard phrases of an abusive father. He denies his child of any love and humiliates her by calling her ugly. Yuri's father is strategic at breaking Yuri; he goes as far as to badmouth Yuri's deceased mother and also tries to alienate her from any outside influence that might ruin his plan of 'modeling' his daughter according to his wishes. Yuri is totally alone at this. Think of it: she must have suffered enough with the loss of her mother (I have a bad feeling about how actually this was a murder...), but she could remember her sweetly. Then her father comes and spoils this memory and deprives her of any other benign prototype of significant other. When Momoka appears, any joy from being accepted is crushed, too. Yuri as kid would do anything to gain her father's love so she internalizes this hatred and becomes a 'good, obedient child' that her father can love. She turns against any hope of being saved and is agressive and dismissive towards Momoka's friendly intentions. The hurt ones always return to their wounds.

Yuri stands in her father's shadow. And most probably so was he in his childhood.

Yuri's wounds are justified in her mind due to the identification with her father.

My guess is that Yuri's physical wounds are metaphorical for psychological scars and the wooden tools her father uses are symbols of humiliation and of the process of shaping Yuri to his tastes. The death that Momoka warns Yuri off and is associated with the new chisel, I assume, are pointing to sexual abuse- both her mind and her body would 'die'. She would pass the point of return. If we follow this trail of thought, then Yuri isn't intersexual neither underwent surgery, but she developed an aversion for the male body, thus engaging in lesbian sex.

Momoka saves Yuri in the end by 'transfering' fates and erasing the tower Yuri's father constructed and the father himself.

Little Yuri understood (uncosciously) that even if her father died, that wouldn't be enough. The tower was a manifestation of her father's maliciousness. She clearly states that the tower is her dad.

The following passage comes from Kindesmisshandlung and Kindesrechte (Mistreatment of Children and Children's Rights) by Gisela Zenz, who Miller quotes. Zenz's book tells about Steele and Pollock's psychotherapeutic work in Denver with parents who abuse their children. The descriptions fit Yuri perfectly.

[...] They (the children) hesitated to try anything new, were terribly afraid of doing something wrong, and frequently felt ashamed. Several of them seemed to have developed scarcely any feeling of self. This can be seen as a reflection of the attitude of the parents, who did not regard their child as an autonomous person but entirely in relation to the gratification of their own needs. [...]

[...] The children had a conscience--or rather, a system of values that was extremely rigid and punitive. They were highly critical of themselves as well as of others, became indignant or extremely agitated when other children overstepped their iron-clad rules for what was good and bad [...]

[...] the parent-child relationship in these cases was characterized to a great degree by seductiveness and other sexual overtones.

Is Yuri completely healed? No. Momoka vanished from her world and in that way Yuri lost the only person who gave her love and hope. Their time together wasn't long enough for her 'true' self - which was suppressed and hidden- to recover and re-emerge. Yuri was left searching for this love, unable to stay in a relationship emotionally satisfactory, as we saw her dumbing her Takarazuka lover and talking about her fake engagement. Masako underlines that the professional path Yuri chose is another indicator of her wounds and unresolved problems.

Being an actress, Yuri seeks reconfirmation that she is beautiful and can be loved.

Apart from Yuri, almost all of the cast has to face their unresolved issues. Ringo resembles Yuri, but Ringo has both parents and had at least her father on her side. That explains her obsession with her father and her denial to the fact that her dad moved on and started a new family- she felt completely abandoned. Ringo's trauma comes mainly from her mother's side and the tragic coincidence of her birth with her sister's death. Her mother stuck to Momoka's death to the point of denying Ringo love and existance. Her father disagreed with his spouse and that brought on a divorce. Little Ringo believed that she could repair all the mess, if she erased herself and became Momoka by following her diary. She idealized her parents and childhood and tried to make her parents happy; the ones who in the reality didn't allow her to experience a happy childhood.

Ringo starts stalking, having illusions and even attempts to rape Tabuki.

Time had stopped for Momoka's mother when her first daughter died. She couldn't come in terms with the loss.

Acceptance is the keyword. Ikuhara is again speaking to the audience, delivering psychology lessons.

Is it personality disorder?

Ringo starts finding herself again through the altruistic act of Shouma rescuing her from a car accident and through his awakening words. She becomes aware of her true self, she gets angry at Shouma for awakening her, then accepts her mistake and moves on. She also reconciles with her father's new marriage and sends him her wishes. What is missing here is the confrontation with her mother :/

(One of the few wise things Shouma said.)

Ringo expresses her anger and sorrow and directs them to poor Shouma who waked her up. "That's why I hate you. It's all your fault. You waltzed into my fate and ruined all my hard work! Why did you have to say I'm me?" Ringo says.

The Takakura siblings and especially Shouma were also traumatized from their parents' terroristic activities, from being left alone, almost orphans, and from how people saw them. From the start of the series both Kanba and Shouma mention that Himari's illness and death is 'their punishment' and that 'from that moment they wouldn't amount to anything'. Kanba has become a play-boy and a deliquent who harbors incestuous feelings for his sister. Shouma has become a bitter person, unable to act, obsessed with ideals and feels worthless of love. Shouma is more problematic as presented from the desynchronization with his penguin - he bottles his feelings a lot more than Kanba and he is drown in shame and guilt. Both are very eager to sacrifice their lives for others and perhaps that is connected to their disconnection with their selves. Himari is forcing herself not to burden anyone and to smile at all times, even if her parents' acts have cost her her friends and her dream of becoming an idol.

"[...] children tend to blame themselves for their parents' cruelty and to absolve the parents, whom they invariably love, of all responsibility."

Now, Ringo has faced her past and is able to live with it, but Yuri and the Takakuras still have a long way to go. I wonder how will the series end and if they will awake, experience anger and sorrow about their parents, become able to accept reality and free themselves.

______

Note 1: The post became very long again... so adding one more tidbit won't hurt, right? It's about Takakura parents and their engagement in terroristic activities.

When terrorists take innocent women and children hostage in the service of a grand and idealistic cause, are they really doing anything different from what was once done to them? When they were little children full of vitality, their parents had offered them up as sacrifices to a grand pedagogic purpose, to lofty religious values, with the feeling of performing a great and good deed. Since these young people never were allowed to trust their own feelings, they continue to sup- press them for ideological reasons. These intelligent and often very sensitive people, who had once been sacrificed to a "higher" morality, sacrifice themselves as adults to another--often opposite--ideology, in whose service they allow their inmost selves to be completely dominated, as had been the case in their childhood.

Note 2: Sanetoshi voiced in his speech the 'Drama of Being a Child', yet he made one mistake: Adults/parents don't love themselves. They were victims of this poisonous pedagogy themselves and since they weren't offered love, they couldn't offer love to their children. You can't give what you don't have or haven't received, right? The parents are not able to stop desperately fighting their own guilt feelings and as a result need to discharge them onto the child.

Bibliography: http://www.nospank.net/fyog.htm

The mysteries of the brain

2011-10-25T22:40:00.000+03:00

The Phantoms of the Brain by richworks on deviantart

The title of the artwork refers to The Phantoms of the Brain . It appears to be a very stimulating read; I'm going to buy it when the chance is given.

For the time being I've got some enlightening videos posted here.

The divided brain

The RSA talk explains how our 'activities' like language, reason, emotion etc aren't executed completely in only one hemisphere. It also talks bout the which hemisphere our culture nowadays represents and the need to find the balance.

The following BBC documentary discusses the topic of 'female' and 'male' brain and pinpoints the perplexity of the topic. Our biological sex doesn't dictate that our brain is solely 'of that sex'. Individual differences are quite important. The deciding factor here is testosterone released in the amniac sack in different quantities each month.

The secret of sexes

When different cultures collide and questions are born: the issue of the muslim veil

2011-10-21T21:55:00.000+03:00

Veil to silence by Sea Fairy on deviantart

When properly used, Facebook is a great source of inspiration. Some days ago, there was a post in a Women's Right page on fb with the following question:

Why is it that when a christian woman veils herself, it resample respect, and every one says it is just her personal behavior, -all she must accept is her religion's commands- but with muslim womens it is retrograde behavior?

That's what motivated me to write this post. I can't wait to hear your opinion on the issue as well. After the link are the main arguments that form my opinion on this subject.

1. The muslim veil is something worn by everyday people in everyday life. Veil in christianity is worn only by the ones that have chosen to retreat to a secluded place away from society.

2. The muslim veil is said to be "for the protection of women." In reality, it camouflages behind it not only a state dominated by religion but also a state ruled by men who, according to the Qur'an, have the power to treat women unequally and abuse them - it is a symbol of oppression and 'slavedom', of not being able to take decisions for your own life and handle your body the way you want to; on the other hand, the christian veil is associated with the nuns that want to show respect to God- there isn't a single argument in Christianity that men are allowed to stone women or treat them badly.

3. Lastly, the reason why I don't believe the Muslim women who argue that it is their choice to wear the veil, is because I myself denied for several years that I was oppressed by my father. No one wishes to admit that (s)he is hurt, because it is so damn painful to your 'self.' But when you have come to make that confession and you have recognized reality, it is agonizing to know you must do something about it. Our bodies aren't sinful. Beauty is not a sin. Finding pleasure isn't a sin either, yet I have the impression that women in Islam, especially in far away locations, are deprived of the right to show their physical beauty and are denied of any pleasure. Having to refuse indulging in pleasures (within a logical frame) does not make one holy- it makes one a masochist.

the image used in FB for the said question

I can't deny the fact that there might be spiritually free muslim women that wear such clothing. And women who don't wear such clothes, yet they are dominated by men, also exist. But here we talk about a group's mentality, its meaning and the way it is symbolized.

There was an answer from a lesbian group that was along the lines 'it's none of your business what women do in other parts of the world'. I say that if we follow her beliefs, we shouldn't care for lesbian rights in other countries either. Plus who doesn't know this famous quote:

First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

And things turn uglier and uglier. The latter topic attracts great interest lately and muslim women might be allowed to drive a car from now on. Still... things like this might appear irrelevant, yet it is associated to my post's subject, because headwear of any kind serves as notifier of a muslim, while the lack of it as a notifier of a non-muslim, thus putting in danger the lives of the non-muslim.

One more argument against veils, in particular face-covering ones, come from the blog File not Found.

Here is another argument about niqab. We should not forget: although the eyes are the windows of the soul, the expression of feelings is done by the whole face. Eyes are usually not adequate to let someone recognize another person as a unique individual.

I'm sorry that I can't believe you. Try convincing me otherwise.

I must add something important: some years ago, I could not see why some states in Europe wanted to forbid muslim women to wear the veil. Last year I went on a two-month trip to Germany and my views changed completely, especially due to the presense of niqab-clad women, covered in black from top to bottom. On some cases there wore black sunglasses too. A dark ghost walking around the streets- actually not just one. That was pretty scary. I also learned that when you travel to some muslim countries you have "to wear the traditional covering clothes, even as a tourist or a non-muslim immigrant. If the saying "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" applies to us in their countries, why can it not apply to them in our countries?

In a history lesson given last year, a professor of mine stated the problem very well: multiculturalism is everywhere. We accept different languages and different nationalities- they are a living part of Europe. But these (language, nationality) are things that unite us; if they are no longer there, we should find something else in common. That bonding element is our values. In western countries individuality, the emancipation of women and the separation of state and church are central values. Thus we must support them, at all costs.

Am I Islamophobic? Perhaps...My answer is similar to this one. If I'm being unfair, give me a reason not to be scared of Islam.

The more a society requires its respectable women to keep their bodies covered, the more likely those women are to be oppressed. ~ Eristotle

P.S.: For those who want to learn more about the different types of veil, BBC provides a good introduction. It also explains extensively what hijab is, where is it stated in Qur'an, misinterpretations, rules for men, etc.

Just in case someone misunderstands, let me explain myself: what I consider bad and illogical for women, I do for all. Yet women are always steps away from being as free as men and that is why I have dedicated this post to them.

PRAY THE HATE AWAY!

2011-10-20T00:05:00.000+03:00

Millions of Americans wear purple on Spirit Day as a sign of support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth and to speak out against bullying. Spirit Day was started in 2010 by teenager Brittany McMillan as a response to the young people who had taken their own lives. Observed annually on October 20, individuals, schools, organizations, corporations, media professionals and celebrities wear purple, which symbolizes spirit on the rainbow flag. Getting involved is easy -- participants are asked to simply "go purple" on October 20 as we work to create a world in which LGBT teens are celebrated and accepted for who they are. ~ glaad

American or not, let's wear purple today and show support.

The whole October is celebrated as LGBT month, with highlights on 11th, the coming out day and the 20th, the Spirit Day. We couldn't make it in time for the coming out day, so at least today we wanted to show some support with some songs and talks.

The world is opening up. Young people who committed suicides this year as well as the last have shocked the world and activism for LGBT never was so strong and profound. We want to say our condelensces to the families who lost their child and at the same time it's important to stress to the other queer children, not just gays and lesbians, out there that the sacrifices, the deaths of these people shouldn't go in vain. You must show them you are stronger, that we can win this bet. Projects and organisations have spread their influence with many campaigns: It gets better (now) by Dan Savage, Make it better by gsa network, Gay-Straight Alliances by GLSEN, Some people are gay- get over it! by Stonewall , The Trevor Project, Give a Damn! and so many others try to offer help and comfort for the ones in pain. It's not easy to be scared to live day by day, but in today's world where internet is almost everywhere, people can find a helping hand and a light of hope.

We promise, here from the beautiful world, Kitsune and Neko, that we are going to dedicate in the future some of our time studying LGBTQ history and promoting arguments against homo/ transphobia. But right now, we'll just become another voice to make the message louder!

An Update of Eastern Melodies

2011-10-06T23:25:00.001+03:00

Music by Kyoko Taide on deviantart

A little note: Hello to all our readers!
We have not posted anything in a long time, because of a series of personal and professional issues that take most of our time. But now things seem to be coming back to normal, so we hope to update The Beautiful World more oftenly.

This time we won't go deep into any issue, but rather give emphasis on five beautiful songs from Japan and Korea, hoping that they will make your days and nights beautiful. All of the bands presented here compose great music, so we suggest you search more of their songs.

5

The Gazette - Cassis

Probably the heaviest song posted here. The Gazette are one of the most pleasant modern rock bands of the planet, but they are not just noise and aggression. What I truly like about them -and about this song- is how well they combine their melodies with the hard and heavy part of their music. The japanese lyrics give that kind of music an exotic feeling that it usually lacks.

Morning Musume - Joshi Kashimashi Monogatari

Probably the band that I personally like the least, yet I think this song and videoclip flatters them greatly. What a great concept -the different stereotypes and personalities women hold in their everyday lives, presented here with such a catchy tune.

Ak48 - Aitakatta

This is one of the stuff I truly love in Japanese music. Taking something completely cliche and kitch and turning it into a special piece of art. What other country could produce a band of 48 young girls who dance and sing love songs in their school uniforms? What other people could be so creative?

Arashi - Love so Sweet

This is probably the lovey-dovey addition to this post, but The Beautiful world is also a lovey dovey blog. There is a special place in our heart for songs that can make up our days and Arashi are experts when it comes to this. Probably the only boy band around the world that makes me want to dance all night long. This is one of their most popular songs and is of course dedicated to my lovely Kitsune.

Girl's Generation - Girl's Generation

My favorite addition, Girl's Generation, also known as or simply SNSD, are the only group in this post whose origins are Korean. The quality of their music is extremely high and it was very hard to choose which song to add, since there are so many great hits out there (Gee, Oh!, Echo, Hahaha Song, etc.).

Fear of blood and silence - An essay on my relationship with Silent Hill

2011-09-01T00:27:00.002+03:00

Introduction

I recall being a little boy, one who, at the time, could barely understand the English language. I remember how deeply in love I was with video games, the long agonizing hours I sat down playing my favorite stories.

One day of that age, I visited the neighborhood's video club and I noticed a new game, one that had many copies on the main shelf. The cover was blurry and I could hardly tell the main face apart from the rest of the image: there it was, a person looking pale and weak appeared, with a vague look in its eyes. I decided to give the product a try and so I rented a copy. That same night, with the lights turned off and total silence surrounding me, I started walking my path in the streets of Silent Hill.

F I R S T_P E R I O D

When fear ran through blood: Silent Hill

The main theme of the game did not just introduce me to the story, but literally invaded my soul, scattering its pieces to hell. The many people that played this game, when they were little, know what I am talking about: the images of lonely faces, the old wooden-house standing alone in the wilderness, that mysterious woman's photograph on the wall, the car that crushes while a little girl covers her face, the flash and the awkward mist that follows. There has hardly ever been a better introduction for a survival horror game.

Harry, a young father, came around after the car accident he had when he approached the entrance of the city called Silent Hill, to find out that his little girl was not on her seat. As he looked around through the mist he spotted her, but for unknown reasons she ran away while he followed her through the city's empty streets. Not a sound could be heard. The girl went into an alley. In it, there were hospital beds filled with blood. Harry followed her, soon reached the end of the path and got a big, dark surprise. The nightmare was all but over and the monsters were real. His daughter was gone and he was alone, left with the will to save her.

Such was the intensity of the story that my heart was struggling to break off my chest. As I played on, the fear turned into anguish and nervousness, then from time to time to fear again. The roads of that town were either empty or blocked, some utterly destroyed, giving a feeling of absolute isolation. The only company there was out there were the monsters. But the main character was not a S.T.A.R.S. officer with fighting skills of professional soldiers and the knowledge of using a machine gun, like in Resident Evil. Neither a sexy super-woman like Tomb Raider's Lara Croft. Harry was a constrained, average person. Average in everything except the fact that he was trapped in a dreadful town buried in thick mist, where shapeless beings were hidden, his daughter lost. This was true horror.

I never managed to gather the money to buy the game but in reality I never left the streets of Silent Hill. The bell in the middle of the school rang in the same, devastating way. The scars on the walls remained. The night always fell without warning while the sirens cried out loud, revealing the spookiest creatures a morbid mind could give birth too. "Never give them the chance to get you" became my favorite motto as a player. It was a wise strategy considering how rare bullets in Silent Hill have always been.

Akira Yamaoka, then a much younger and talented Japanese music composer, proved to be a master of melodies. There were many moments where his music gave the story an outworld appeal. The introduction's theme is by far my favorite Silent Hill track, but it is just one of Yamaoka's many monumental moments in the game. Lisa's themes are some more of the beautiful musical compositions that one would not be able to believe it was written not by the gods, but by a human being.

Silent Hill, the original PSX version, was not just a new game. It was an original experience for my generation. It still remains, in my opinion, unmatched by any other PSX game, and only a few other Horror games can challenge it.

Coming back for yet another nightmare: Silent Hill 2

Many years passed since the original visit in the streets of that city, when something unexpected happened: a man named James got a letter. He said it was written by his deceased wife Mary, In the letter she asked him to travel to Silent Hill and join her in their "special place." This town again. The mist was still there and even though such a long time had passed it remained as thick as ever. Isolation and horror were still the rule.

Odd creatures were still walking around, faster and stronger this time, but gamers soon found out that living people, for example a female teenager who keeps repeating she needs her mother, a little girl who keeps on running away, or a youngling who seems to have escaped surveillance, were sometimes much scarier than monsters. The only exception seemed to be that creature with a muscular body and a huge red pyramid for a head, which was usually pulling a huge sword through the ground. That being inspired fear from the very first moments one laid his/er eyes on it.

Akira Yamaoka was the soundtrack's composer again. How was this man able to use melodies and silence in an equally amazing way? Here he truly managed to perform to the maximum. Just the effort to mention my favorite tracks is extremely difficult: Promise, Betrayal, Theme of Laura, Stairs of Fire, Music Box, and so many others. For me, and the gamers of my generation, the music of Silent Hill 2 was and is the best example of how sound can empower and, at the same time, be empowered by images.

The special thing about this game was that its best part was not its artwork or its music,, its gameplay and riddles, etc. What I, and other gamers all over the world, fell in love with was the story and the way it was slowly revealed to us. Each character had a reason for his/her actions, each event was not isolated from the main story but could still be engraved onto memory for the shake of its own value. Silent Hill 2 was an epic story made of smaller epic stories. The combination of all the elements mentioned above did not produce a spooky tale or a breath taking game, but a true piece of art. It still remains one of the very few cases that the world of consoles has produced something so precious. It is very hard to imagine a game similar to Silent Hill 2 being released anytime soon.

The devil child and the spread of evil: Silent Hill 3

A couple of years passed, when Silent Hill fans met Harry's daughter, Heather, who was found running away from a detective. She was not fast enough to escape hell and neither were the gamers. This time players discovered what is like when shopping is not about picking your favorite clothing but dodging the punch of a creature being the size of two grown up men, with a shaking head and no eyes but five mouths. That when darkness finds a person, there is a reason, always a bad one. Silent Hill was back.

The gameplay did not change much compared to the previous two games. Odd riddles and some shooting were the rule, although most players preferred to ran away since the bullets were, one more time, a rare treasure. The artwork was an improved copy of the second game, but this time the mist did not exist and so we had a much darker result. I liked the fact that there was more noise and dirt on the characters themselves. That gave this game a personality to help it differiate itself from its predecessors.

Once again, Yamaoka delivered a monument for musicians and listeners to admire. Praising this man becomes a cliche after a while, for most of the time he is composing music with his absolutely personal style and highly artistic value.

In general, Silent Hill 3 was, in my opinion, a little bit worse than the first two games, only for the reason that there was little surprise in its style and quality. That does not change the fact that it is a game that 99,9% of the companies which publish products for this market will never be able to create. Neither that I, like most of the people who played it, got many hours of pure fun and horror from it. Heather got to be the fans' favorite protagonist, not only for her looks but her personality as well.

Entering the hole again: Silent Hill The Room

Being locked up in your place and having the same nightmare night after night is a bad thing, but there is hardly any comparison to that and being locked up inside your place, with a giant hole appearing in your bathroom, the hole being an entrance to a tunnel that leads to places with dreadful monsters and a killer that was once thought to be dead, but in reality is still killing human beings. Oh, about that nightmare: it is everything but a dream.

The paragraph above is probably the best way to describe what kind of bipolar game The Room was. Herny Townshend, the main character, was much slower, less expressive and convincing compared to other protagonists like James or Heather. That characteristic was not found only in the case of Henry. The rest of the cast was of much lower quality in comparison to the previous games. There was not a single person of the level of Harry, Angela or Kaufman.

This time the gameplay had many new elements, e.g. there was more shooting going on, there were totally new places to visit, etc. But the fact was that the gameplay was clumsier, the riddles consisted of predictable, sometimes even silly challenges, the control buttons did not function the proper way, etc. What made the original trilogy unique did not exist in this game. What was still there was, of course, Yamaoka's music and its familiar quality, depicted in themes like Room of Angel. But after three marvelous OSTs, his performance, seized to be something unexpected, became the norm. Thus, it could not add more points to the quality of the game.

In general, The Room was a disappointment. For the first time there was a title in the franchize that would not be equally good to the original game. That something that made Silent Hill fans proud of their support to the team, faded away. It would be better if the game had been published under a different title, as it was originally planned. People like me would be less hard on it, since The Room is a very good game, just not a worthy of the Silent Hill brand. The worst was yet to come.

S E C O N D_P E R I O D

Not much horror this time: Silent Hill Origins

There are not many things to say, surely not more than what Yatzee added, when it comes to reviewing Silent Hill Origins, the game that turned the most horrifying franchise in history, into a walk down the park, leaving the brand's fan base in total dismay.

The arguments made against this game can be briefly putted into one word: Travis. Is there anything to this man, a person that seems to have absolutely no reason for walking the streets of Silent Hill, that resembles the first four games? Is there any other game out there with such a cold hearted, indifferent and insignificant protagonist? Travis makes Henry from Silent Hill The Room look like he was Meryl Streep, just a step before winning the Oscar for Most Expressive and Emotional Character of the Year. Yet, this person was supposed to fill the shoes of men like Harry Mason. What is more disturbing though is that, instead of finding new interesting characters, they made this walking brick meet the characters of the original game. Was it so hard to come up with new faces to present? Could it really be this tough not to look at fans as cows to be milked but as people who want ton enjoy themselves and congratulate you for your hard work?

I would be willing to forgive the designers for these horrible choices, if there were 1. new, particularly smart, elements in the game play, 2. an exciting story to tell. Neither of the two goals was achieved. Origins is a mix of the original trilogy, having a very similar course of development to Silent Hill 1, but lacking anything that could have the effect of boosting a player's enthousiasm. The graphics were discent, copy/pasting on the work done for the older releases.

Akira Yamaoka tried to save the day for this one, but like in the case of The Room, his efforts made the fans to think when and how they would buy a copy of the soundtrack, but not so much the game itself.

I have heard that in Japan, that game was released as Silent Hill 0. I guess the number in the title really meant to stand for something -even though the game is not that bad, just a title with a little more quality than your average horror publication of the month. It would be much much better if someone kicked Travis out of it.

Blood, fear & ice: Silent Hill Shattered Memories

Just when it seemed like the brand was doomed to decline, Silent Hill Shattered Memories appeared. This game is one of the few things I have witnessed in this life resembling a miracle. It renewed the series without taking away its essence -the horror and the intensity of unexpected events and developments. It did use the cliches and characteristics of the original trilogy without becoming a poorly functioning Frankenstein like Silent hill Origins.

The foremost characteristic of the game is that it forces the player into certain actions, yet there is a very real feeling of a hunt taking place, since our main hero -Harry Mason in a very different version compared to the original- is unable to defend himself using bullets or any kind of weapon. This may sound hard for younger players to live with, but anyone who has the patience to go through all the running will be rewarded by what made this brand one of the favorite games for players all over the globe, that is, an incredicle plot and compelling storyline.

We got another soundtrack of greatness by the one and only Akira Yamaoka. This time the songs were less in number since the story was shorter, but that is no reason to complain when we have the good fortune to listen to songs like Acceptance -one of my personal favorites-, Hell Frozen Rain and the rest of the soundtrack.

There is no way to describe the return to the days of the first Silent Hill. The new additions and the anguish that came back to hunt the players. This is a must-have game.

L A S T_P A R T

The present

I have not played two of the most recent games of the franchise, Homecoming and Downpour. For the latter I know nothing, for the former I have heard that is a good game, even thought the level of difficulty goes through the roof. The graphics look wonderful, the soundtrack is composed by Yamaoka again (Homecoming was his last project for Silent Hill). Unfortunately I cannot buy a PS3 console to play it... yet.

Conclusions

Silent Hill is an important video game to me. The first three games always remind me of my old days as a dedicated player, when trying to defeat Red Pyramid was my biggest concern in life. There is no way I can describe the many things that make me love this brand: its unique storyline, the amazing soundtracks -the only ones I can compare to Final Fantasy's music- the graphics and sketches, the fact that thanks to the dvd containing the "making of" the second game I found out about Francis Bacon, the ideas and symbolisms behind each person and monster, the incredible gameplay.

Silent Hill will always hold a piece of my heart because it is a piece of art, a product of unique excellence. It remains a part of my youth, something I cannot get over, even though now I dislike its genre. All I can say is: Thank you Team Silent, thank you Konami, for offering such a masterpiece for us to enjoy.

Pleasure is good but safety is better

2011-08-26T17:34:00.003+03:00

'mommy, how is breakfast made?' by hack7oriole on deviantart

Since my article on innocence being a fallacy, I hadn't found the time or the right mood to write more about safe sex and sex education. Some ads, some videos, some interesting links and my thoughts on the subject is what you take for homework today :P

Image heavy as usual and you enter at your own risk- NSFW material...

Some pretty earnest and funny attempts have been made to get the message across 'Be responsible with sex'. The following ad campaigns are some of my favourites, capturing the spirit 'safe is sexy'. And that's exactly what is missing from parents' and religion's preaching.

In the first ad, 'cherries' run away from a naughty 'willy' until a girl 'equips' him with a condom. Then the ladies chase him to get some fun.

In the second one, men are pigs. I know, sounds sexist, huh? But the advertisers simply used the female perspective to enhance that a real man is the one respecting you and using a condom. No condom? no girl.

Then we get something different: sex associated with pregnancy and (unwanted) parenthood. You don't get this often. Usually, the reason for using condoms remains unspoken as something already known. It can work very well this way, too: use condoms or else you'll have to babysit a brat... Kids are a huge responsibity.

The fourth ad digs in another reason you don't want to forget to use condom: STDs (sexually transmitted diseases). And guess what? both this and the previous ad are swedish. Of course rubbing off the truth on the audience can be painful, but truths must be heard.

In the fifth and sixth ones women learn being persistent about things that matter. Men can bring up pretty silly excuses, but safety comes first. 'If you are this big, then you don't do for me' was a clever response: immediate convincing.

Ads targeting at LGBTQ audience, and good ads at that, are few. They are mostly associated only with HIV, although in reality STD's are way more common.And somehow they target only gay men. Let's note here that lesbians don't have it easier... just because there isn't penetrative sex through a penis, that doesn't mean everything's fine... Anyway I posted 2 adds here, one animation and another (polish) one using photos. The message of the polish one translated here in english is :

You conquer unknown territories. You're attracted by intense sensations. You love extreme experiences. Your adventures turn you on. Condom extends pleasure. Even if it's quick sex. Don't give AIDS any chance.

The last three commercials are from durex. It's not like I'm paid to promote the company or anything, I just think durex does a fair good job on promoting its products, that are not limited to condoms. Durex is being straightforward, daring to say that you can even have more kinky sexual practices, like a threesome, and still be safe. I respect the efforts done for another reason as well: safe sex isn't only about diseases and pregnancy; it's also a matter of good lubrication. In spite the fact that their ads may stress the pleasure factor, they also tell you in their way not to rush (see the ad with the sperms).

As for posters and leaflets here are some tasteful and genius ideas:

Illustrations by James Jean

MTV has some of the most serious and shocking ads about safe sex. You can check more in the links below.

And since space is limited here are more links with clever ad campaigns :
staying-alive.org mtv's ad campaign
funny and clever durex sex ads
weburbanist-creative safe sex ads
weburbanist-more creative bizarre safe sex ads
telegraph.co.uk/health
NHS campaign

In Biology class kids and teens get a laugh out of the lesson concerning the reproductive system. And I can understand them. The talk is a taboo and the words used are too classy for something that common and misused by them. It also doesn't embrace values, feelings and relationships. Pleasure is excluded, too. In Biology class we get taught for people like they are common animals. Yes, we are animals, but not just any. The immature stance of parents towards the topic, the cold scientific handling of things, the difficult position teachers find themselves in contribute to the students' little knowledge of crucial matters. Adolescents only get DON'Ts without further explanations, without any pictures of STDs... Different sexualities, different gender identities, intersexuality aren't to be discussed with serious social and personal consequences (see bullying and abortions). From CH1LDREN NOW:

Studies show that kids who feel they can talk with their parents about sex—because their moms and dads speak openly and listen carefully to them—are less likely to engage in high-risk behavior as teens than kids who do not feel they can talk with their parents about the subject.[...]

While our children need to know the biological facts about sex, they also need to understand that sexual relationships involve caring, concern and responsibility. [...]

One aspect that many parents overlook when discussing sex with their child is dating. As opposed to movies, where two people meet and later end up in bed together, in real life there is time to get to know each other—time to hold hands, go bowling, see a movie, or just talk.[...]

Why sex ed?
guardian.co.uk
avert.org

More educational links:
http://www.sexualityandu.ca/ with good graph about STDs and knowlegde games. seperate parents', teachers' and teens' sections
parenting.com_ handling questions about sex
Dr. Berman's handbook (pdf)_ talking to your children about sex: how and when plus some illustrations of genital anatomy
sexperienceuk.channel4.com_ many Q &amp;amp;amp;amp; A, many videos and real photos' gallery. works best for UK
http://www.sexinfo101.com/sexualpositions.shtml
kama sutra instructional videos, beautifully filmed and quite helpful by eros exotica

Pool of memories: TRC things to remember and fawn over

2011-08-18T17:02:00.001+03:00

crossing time and space is 'remembering love'

Neko has already covered me up and said what it needs to be said about the TRC manga. So this post has to do with things I liked in the series and lots of fan stuff! Like amvs, fanfictions, fanarts, sites and quotes.

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle was created as a work that brings together all the previous CLAMP works in the form of dimensions (that have to be crossed in order for the precious memories of Sakura to be recollected). There old characters are featured as cameos and live different lives. For every CLAMP fan there's no greater joy to meet again favourite pairings or heroes and heroines, much more when they are given happiness and better luck in comparison to the original.

Surely, getting to see all these new worlds with different customs and fashion sense is beautiful on its own accord, as a friend and fan has pointed out, but even more beautiful is coming across old loves:

Sorata and Arashi: starring in Hanshin Republic. Sorata is a history teacher and runs a hotel together with his WIFE, Arashi. Sorata is bubbly as always and adores the more stoic Arashi. It appears that Arashi gave up her miko powers to Yuuko in order to live this happy life in Hanshin Republic. It's a great relief to see those two together again without any doom hanging over their heads. I was squealing when Sorashi appeared in the first country they were thrown into. Well, they deserved it. Oh, I want to see babiez, too, Sorata :)

Yasha-ou and Ashura: They are given an epic story again, they are gods again, but with a tragic twist. Shura and Shara country are the stage to their love story. I know Ashura is genderless and most probably if (s)he had gender (s)he'd be a male, yet I love considering this person as a 'she'. I seriously want to cosplay 'her'. The clothes, the musical instrument, the dance, the whole story of this are jaw-dropping.

Yeah... this couple was the reason behind me checking a few episodes of the anime. I went and watched only those 2-3 episodes about them. If the anime is good at something that's atmosphere and battles (makes sense: you neither have music in the manga nor motion).

And I have the impression that CLAMP has a thing for Ashura and those two, otherwise they wouldn't give us so many marvelous splash pages about them.

Kusanagi and Yuzuriha: Well, they already had gotten their happy ending in the X anime, yet they are always such a sweet candy for the heart. They may have a big age difference, which I am normally not fond of in real life relationships, but they are fiction after all and as a team they rock! They team up in Outo country, but we get glimpse of them in other countries like many other characters.

Fujitaka and Nadeshiko : To tell the truth Nadeshiko isn't the type of female I like, quiting school for a man, although she did work as a model. And yet she is such a gentle presense, along with Fujitaka they must be some of the best parents in the manga world. Not to mention they look so good together. I was a bit disappointed in the beginning, where only Fujitaka got mentioned, but in the last chapters they make appearance together.I can't help falling in love with the a bit more determined, and yet always serene and loving look Nadeshiko is drawn with.

Syaoran and Sakura : Of course, the main couple brings back memories from CCS, that by the way I must find the time to watch till the end (the idiots here aired only the first season; due to the homoerotic innuedos perhaps? ). Sakura and Syaoran as adults in the last chapters are such compelling figures. They emanate power and strength and wisdom. As small kids are very lovely and cute. As teenagers...hm...Syaoran is cool, quite stubborn and selfish, but I came to like Sakura only after the Acid Tokyo arc where we at last see her more active- and with a gun! Hot!

I don't own any picture nor have I done the colourisation.

Oruha: She's alive and singing like a bird again! Gorgeous as ever, still holding secrets but not impending-death secrets fortunately! And what's more fuzzy for my heart is that she sings in a bar called Clover, drinking Four-Leaf Clover long drink served by Caldina! This whole setting is very dreamy *kyaaah~~~*

Well, we get a new song, equally stunning, in the anime, but I'd really like to listen to the original, too.

Karen Kasumi: This lady is hot! Wherever she is, temperature surely starts soaring, either from her sexy outfits or her fire magic. If only this aura of loneliness and sadness wasn't floating around her, especially in the Shura country.

Tomoyo Daidouji: Obsessive with Sakura as always and such a mischievious young lady, be it in Nippon or Piffle. She grew up beautifully. Kind and wise, enthusiastic and a big teaser. This Kurogane must have suffered a lot under her commands :P

Old friends are good but new are even better. Fai and Kurogane were created especially for this manga and they gave us a lot of funny as well as tense, sad and tragic moments. Both had a hurtful past, but in the end of the story both have gone beyond it, looking into a happy and adventurous future. Readers were of course delighted in a sadistic way, I might dare say, with everything going around: Fai losing an eye, becoming a vampire, feeding from Kurogane, the latter losing an arm to save the former and all the catch phrases, hints and teases... yup, shounen-ai official couple- hey they even shared a room towards the end!

CLAMP carried out Kurogane's and Fai's pasts in an excellent manner, artistically I mean. They have given both characters many facial expressions throughout the series, but never the ones that kept for those moments of revelation. CLAMP being CLAMP managed to show perfectly a human being becoming animal, when he's stripped of the most basics.

For fanarts that can get more spicy and thus more 'specialised' for a certain audience (not everyone likes yaoi), I have collected my favourites here.

We ship KuroFai all you need to know about the pairing, images, proof that's a canon. You will find a nice collection of yummy fanfiction.

I can recommend those that I've read only, thus you can try anything from GreenCrystalRose (especially Ambidextrous and Where the Heart Is are marvelous!) and Curriculum Vitae won't leave you unsatisfied! It's quite amusing, too :)

Before closing this post I shall present you with a small number of quotes- wise words by CLAMP in this link. You can put the slide mode on, if you prefer so, and read. Have fun!

Sites that someone can search for more information and stuff:
Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE Wiki
Clow Legacy
Crossed Destinies where you can find an awesome list of the crossover characters (in Spanish unfortunately)
(once upon a time there was a wonderful site called 'wings journey' that doesn't exist anymore :( but it mentioned flower symbolisms and tsubasa paying homage to kingdom hearts as well as tsubasa chapter covers foretelling events or commenting on relationships -*sigh* all things come to an end)

http://tsubasa-icons.livejournal.com/

The journey for the Lost Feathers: a TRC manga review

2011-08-15T19:29:00.002+03:00

A princess, an archeologist, a mage and a ninja, and a white fluffy bun -and the journey begins...

CLAMP are a group of female mangaka that have published some of the most popular manga of the past two decades, with works such as xxxHolic, Card Captor Sakura and Tokyo Babylon. They are extremely loved by fans all over the world. That kind of hype though is what always kept me away from their stories. A few years ago I bought and read The One I Love but I never went any further. That was all until about a week ago, when a friend tagged me in a Facebook picture to a CLAMP character (namely Syaoran) from their manga series Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles. That was the initial reason I decided to sit down and read the story. In the beginning I told myself today that I would read four chapters, just to have a speedy start and be able to finish the whole thing in a month or two. Three days after I started, I had gone through all the chapters of the 28 volumes and I was officially owned.

The story

Glass separating two lovers, rumbles and anguish- and that's the first pages. "The mutual warmth that is unknown, a single glass panel... declares the beginning of everything."

We begin the story by witnessing young Sakura, princess of Clow country, visiting her best friend Syaoran, who lives alone after his father passed away. She is determined to confess him her love, but they are interrupted and so she has to wait one more day until she tells him of her feelings. A day after her visit she loses all of her memories that are scattered around in different dimensions in the form of feathers. Syaoran is sent by Clow's priest to Yuuko, the witch of dimensions. There he finds two men, Kurogane and Fye, and discovers that all three of them need the same power-the power to cross the boundaries of different worlds. The price for such a power is the heaviest one for each of them, but they accept it and with the company of Mokona Modoki (the little white curly creature in the picture below), their journey begins.

The whole idea sounds very interesting and the longer the plot develops the more I felt attracted to the characters' painful, struggling, intense and joyful experiences. It is truly enjoyable how CLAMP manage to constantly present a script that gives many surprises, can be easily separated into different sections, yet after a while one can notice that certain details that were presented before did have a lot of meaning. The initial pages of the first volume are the most spectacular case, but other details are wonderful, too.

I have to admit that the effort CLAMP putted in order to make the plot full of unexpected events is great, but I think that during the last two parts of the story, they overdid it. Especially during the last saga I could hardly understand what was going on, and I needed explanations from other readers to fully realize what was the final conclusion. I make the situation sound worse than it truly were, for I still felt satisfied with the ending, but that does not mean they could not have avoided these mistakes.

Characters

No, your eyes don't fool you. You do see some things double.

The characters were the greatest element of the series. The main couple of Syaoran and Sakura are adorable, but they do have a lot more things than just loveliness. Both of them have the privilege to be full of cliches -Syoran the determined prince, Sakura the princess to be saved- and yet to appear neither predictable nor boring thanks to CLAMP's little trick and the plot.

Kurogane and Fye are simply amazing. The way the chemistry between them works is simply unique, for they both have great affection for each other, they throw us funny catch lines -I loved Kurogane's reaction to Fye calling him names. The development in their relationship was unexpected for they went much further than they originally seemed to be able to go. I constantly thought that they were going to stop talking to each, after each major crisis, but the difficulties tighten up their relationship. I cannot imagine the series without them. Mokona Modoki fills the last gaps in the image of the traveling five, for it is one of the most charismatic mascots presented in a manga.

The rest of the cast is again of the same high quality. The trick of presenting the same people in different dimensions is used well, for all protagonists get the amount of time they deserve. Tomoyo was the one that stood out from the rest -her form, her character, her actions made her a fundamental character in this story.

The only exception was the main villain, whose reasons for causing this mess were simply... shallow, namely his unbearable ego and vanity. It was such an obvious weak spot for the series and it could so easily been avoided that it makes me sad to think that this person is supposed to be all against the main heroes.

Drawings

Princess Emeraude

The talent CLAMP have is unquestionable to anyone that has both sight and even a little sense of artistic quality. But what I liked about their work on Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, is that they do not base their work simply on their talent. There is so much time and effort dedicated to each frame, and the splash pages are so out of this world that I can only pay my highest respect to them. It is a rare occasion that I find myself been stunned, more than twice in each chapter, by such great drawings. What my friends have told me is that Tsubasa's drawings are the simplest and less complicated CLAMP have designed. I cannot imagine how the others could be like.

Conclusion

This review is not even close to paying tribute to such an awesome manga. All I can truly say is that, if you have not yet given Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles the time it deserves, it is you who are missing a great show, of the kind we rarely find in manga anymore.

Music

I haven't watched the anime, which I was told ruins plots and pairings and as I have seen myself does a poor job at the character design. But the music is definately a must listen. Fierce, ignating inner turmoil or smooth and sad. Upbeat or serene. It does a good companion while reading the manga.

Kokia: Bird of Paradise

2011-08-12T22:36:00.008+03:00

This flower was used for the cover of her first album 'Songbird'. And how fitting this is indeed. Far more suitable than the hibiskus flower of her nickname.

Kokia is the nickname of Akiko Yoshida. Can you see her inventiveness? A-KI-KO -&gt; KO-KI-A. It's spelled backwards, signifying also her birth flower, a species of hibiskus flower. She may be quite humble and not particular cute for the standards of the japanese song industry, but her voice is stunning and full of surprises. For almost 2 decades she has given us a rich repertoire. She's 35 now and often performs in Europe, basing her activities in Paris. As she was sent a couple of times in America during summer for music classes, she is one of the very few artists speaking so clearly and fluently English. She came to be known through her songs for anime and games.

For start let's go through her anime/game songs.

Within the difficulty of accomplishing my one and only wish, I
Want to show you that I'll protect you to the end, for something irreplaceable,
it's a promise that I want to fulfill [...]

Let's believe in the miracle called 'now' [...]

Let's risk everything; I want to be shining within my granted time
I'm just only breathing and being here; even though it's just that, my feelings overflow
I have my happiness; just by being able to think so, how much
Light, enough to be lovely, will this moment release?[...]

The winter wind shakes the forest in my noisy heart
The things that can live with it stay as they are
Everyone who has heard the quiet voice in this forest has shed tears at noise [...]

Her voice makes you wanna cry, doesn't it? A more traditional song that echoes in you and makes you wanna dance and howl.

You are just like sunlight falling through tree crowns.
You gave me the happy smile, courage and will to live on.
The warmth of the heart in my memory,
feeling a connection stronger than anything.

Its all because of you, that I can live like myself. [...]

ATTAMIJAHAHIRA TAGONOMARAKIKOTA (= Our tale began the moment we meet)
TERIIMUH TERIIMUH IAM (= March on)
ATERA REGANAHIAS IAM (= The die has been cast)
EKUDUS TINOTA IAM (= We've only just begun) [...]

Kokia describes the song as being "like a horse running through a great plain". I can't help but to agree. It screams freedom and sounds like a battle cry! Contrasting Follow the Nightingale, Say Goodbye and Good Day is more pop and as the title says this song is about the concept of 'each end is a new start'.

Will you tell me when our promise runs out?
Tell me, softly, when happiness to come.

I will seek you out,
although I cannot change the past, I will think of you, always.

I will hope in my little lonely heart that you’ll be,
just be, yourself.

Shall we go explore more? She's a pleasure to ears. She can be childlike and epic, tender and strong. Really versatile.

Let's make the whole world bloom with flowers of light
Floating on dandelion fluff
A single seed from parts unknown
Became a flower blooming in our town

Small kindnesses and sympathy
Land in someone's heart
Budding and blooming
And bearing fruit [...]

[...]This country congratulates the spring with love, through flowers,
The Japanese people live with the seasons,
The people, rivers, mountains, valleys, dreams, all wait
For those who return home. Even if they change,
Their hearts never willthe flower banquet[...]

Welcome to the magic world
The world of unfading magic. The small little me
Came out among the gigantic dreams without sense or proof,
And repeated life, desperately.

http://dai.ly/cZiCXT

I started walking while humming,
I got louder and louder, unconsciously, but I don't care,
Progressing steadily, I opened my arms,
And gave everything leaping in a big hug.

Give me a new power, I want to give you a bubbly smile,
The power of a smile. [...]

Though it hurts sometimes, I want to feel your presence
The memories are my only solaceso that you are always here

If I ever meet you again
I just want you to know one thing- thank you, thank you

Every moment I can feel you
Wish you feel the same way
If I show my secret garden you can touch to eternity
It fill me in with scent of rose
Everlasting memory
Glow my life, you give me a heart to love
What I feel please stay forever

Someday I know it may fade away
Still we ask for forever [...]

[...]Feelings I can’t put into words follow your cheek
Today I just want to nuzzle up against you and work out what they are

This shaped world is so fleeting
That you lose sight of the truth
But I want to believe and choose
Signs of angels have rained down on us[...]

[...]The feeling that goes out from the bottom of my heart
The sounds that vibrate in the tense air, from where, from where they come?

I leave myself to the music.
Sinking deeply in waves of the sounds.[...]

Yes, she sings Italian beautifully, too. A very high-tune song that calls us to surrender ourselves to KOKIA's magic.

For the last song of this post I chose one with deep and wise lyrics and strong emotions: Ningette Sonnamonone

Did you want to become your idea of perfect?
You were probably just imitating someone, right?
Any way of flying is OK, right?
It's having the courage to take off that's important, right?

We say things like "It's no good now", but

We become ourselves through crying and laughing
And worrying and getting back up and everything we feel
Living and being ourselves and everyday joys
Make us happy
Believing and trying
And doing it over every time
That's the way people are
The way we can forgive each other is wonderful

You're so resolute because you're tired, right?
This may surprise you, but nobody minds
Did you think you'd come this far alone
Because you didn't want to cause anyone any trouble?

People are...

As we help each other and lend each other a shoulder
And stop after every few steps
Breathing, taking deep breaths
And sighing sometimes
We become ourselves through crying and laughing
And worrying and getting back up and everything we feel
That's the way people are
The way we can forgive each other is wonderful

If you can share times of happiness with someone
Then you're never alone, even in hard times
That's the joy of sharing

Chorus (x2)

We are all naked
All searching for warmth
Amid all our weakness and sadness
And trying to move forward somehow

Usagi Drop/Bunny Drop (Episodes 1-4)

2011-08-11T16:36:00.005+03:00

This season, me and Mrs. Kitsune are watching a lot of good anime, we've already said as much in the First Impressions post. Usagi Drop is here to give something totally different, a journey through the life of a young man named Daikichi, who finds himself the only person capable of raising Rin, a little girl who was left on her own after her father, Daikichi's grandfather, died. This is surely an idea that we rarely see animated, and the manga has earned some amazing reviews. So, after 80 minutes of anime entertainment, has Usagi Drop provided us with a result good enough to match our expectations?

The first episode is wholly dedicated to presenting grandpa's funeral. Daikichi is just another member of the family coming to say goodbye to his dear relative. That is where he meets Rin. He sees how their relatives treat the little girl, trying to take the responsibility of raising her off their shoulders. Daikichi decides to deal with the situation by taking Rin under his protection.

Each one of the next three episodes shows us step by step how Daikichi and Rin are getting closer and closer, the need of both of them to find roles they can fulfill in their relationship. We have already seen Rin making friends with other kids, Daikichi leaving his job in order to have the freedom to spend more time with his little girl, and much more.

What I truly adore in this show is that all of these extremely complicated and personal developments are presented in a very natural and believable way. Nothing is forced, but all things have some purpose. Rin acts the way one would expect a little girl to behave, while Daikichi finds it difficult to adjust to the way a parent needs to think, the same way any average Joe would struggle in this situation.

Another plus is the animation and character design. I love Rin-chan's expressions, especially when she feels like complaining -for any given reason- to poor-Daikichi.

I have to say that the introduction and ending themes are lovable and catchy, even though I consider Natsume's opening theme the best one I have heard for this season. I do love the animation for both videos. It is smart, sweet and creative.

I am very curious to see how the plot is going to unravel. For the time being, we have a show worth of our time and patience.

F: As for the manga: the anime is quite faithful to the manga, but skips, cuts and sews here and there scenes. It does make sense, though: the series will have a total of 11 episodes that most probably correspond to the first 5 volumes of the manga, hence to 24 manga chapters...

The anime alters some scenes in a very good way, bringing out more vividly some problems, like when Daikichi speaks through the phone to his sister and Reina screams all over that she wants to talk to Rin. We get to glimpse her mother-in-law watching TV in the same house, something that maybe foretells what is to come... I won't spoiler. This tidbit wasn't in the manga. As well, the little scene we get after the ed song with Rin wanting to buy lipstick! So true and in life! And... we get a more friendly to females Daikichi. In the manga he freaked out when he understood we got in a situation involving a kid (he found kids annoying) and a female kid on top of it (he wasn't good at handling females either, as he says).

In the manga on the other hand there are more detailed scenes e.g. when Daikichi needs to decide for which nursery to go for, in order to be on time at work, too. Or his thoughts about raising a child meaning practically making sacrifice of oneself (he ponders on what sacrifices his mother made to raise them) is another example. I'm not going to delve deeper, coz I'm pretty exhausted doing this with Ikoku - and when there isn't a straight manga chapter to anime episode correspondence it's tough on my nerves, sorry...

So it's a bit difficult to decide, till now at least, which I prefer the most. Although I must admit I'm a bit fond of the manga, the animation, music and all are so good, that they make me sway...

For everyone interested, you can see some manga-anime comparisons of some scenes in Raharu's blog.
There's a very interesting article about the concept of family based on Usagi Drop by SnippetTee. The comments after the post are as thought-provoking as the post itself.

Ikoku Meiro no Croisée- episodes 3-4

2011-08-08T01:20:00.002+03:00

19th century: Europe goes Japanophile!

Episode 3. Japan's Labyrinth

Summary: As the title says it's all about Japan this time. Yune starts ironing while Claude is forced by need to accept an order about a new sign without the payment being sure. He needs ideas so he goes around the house. When he crosses the hall, he stops and opens conversation with Oscar and Yune about Japan: the architecture, the size of things, what houses are like, other strange to French people customs like sumo. Yune also shows Claude cups and bottles in which sake is served. Claude can't really connect with that different culture. His efforts of imagining Japan are just funny. On the other hand a rich spoiled brat in the name of Alice, also the to-be owner of Gallery de Roy, who obsesses over Orient learns about Yune and goes crazy to meet her.

Back to a desperate for ideas Claude: he sees Yune writing down something and snatches her paper (how rude!) , but Yune soon realizes that of course he doesn't know Japanese, so she talks a bit about the naming traditions in Japan after she's been asked and writes down her name that will become a great source of inspiration for Claude. Claude manages to sell the sign for the music shop that bears the ideogramme for sound and so as a thanks to Yune goes to purchase a proper, more lasting letter paper. Rain starts falling, Yune rushes to her master's aid and after the rain stops both enjoy the sunset accompanied by the sound of Paris- the church bells tolling.

France vs Japan:

Architecture and tableware: The houses are made out of wood and paper rather than concrete and their 'carpets' are made out of woven straw in Japan. Like Japanese people that aren't -or better weren't- that tall so were their houses. They were big enough though to contain a garden (especially prosperous houses) and a well. The tableware are also like miniatures and made out of porcelain. French drink their wine in glass. See Japanese garden and Japanese House
Entertainment: we get introduced to sumo, a 'sport' (hence wrestling between overweight men) with religious roots and origami, the art of paperfolding that doesn't appear to be only a japanese phenomenon. See Origami and Sumo
Nature and man: Shinto being an animistic religion, born on pieces of land embraced and separated by sea, cultivated in the Japanese a strong tie to nature and appreciation for it for many centuries. Japanese developed a sense of beauty relying solely on nature and we can see such samples in names (Yune meaning the sound of boiling water), in the specially made umbrellas to enhance the raining sound, the appreciation towards the bells' tone and of course the gardens. See Wagasa, Bangasa, Janome and Shinto
Climate: In France rain doesn't last as long as in Japan, Oscar and Claude say. I guess they refer to the japanese monsoon season during summer. See japan_climate

Anime vs Manga:

Japan's Labyrinth is a combination of chapters 1.2 and 2.2. with the anime flourishing them with details: the iron part, the sumo, the baba cake, origami, the talk about japanese language and the emphasis that Japanese put on nature (see bells and the umbrella). New things, little beautiful tidbits :)

The transition from pre-industrial to industrial age is a painful one and it takes greater part in the anime than in the manga. We are given again and again problems and comments about the shops in the Galerie facing crisis and shutting down. Big malls pop up and competition is hard.

------------

Episode 4. Water and Lights

Summary: Bath, luxury and a promised dinner could be an alternative title for this episode. Yune hasn't given up her efforts of eating cheese, so she tried making it more tasty for her by adding soy sauce- that 'rotting' thing as Claude called it, but honestly it's so delicious, I can't understand him. Anyway, that's how the episode starts. They also made a promise for a beef stew seasoned with soy sauce for dinner. A little bit later Yune can't hold herself any longer without a bath and secretly fills a tab with water, places it on the kitchen floor and when she gets ready, Claude appears, she panics and bloom! all the water on the wooden floor. Bath is an everyday habit for Japanese but not for the lower classes in 19th century France (where they don't use so much water often- water shortage?). Claude wants to treat Yune kindly and offers to take her to the public baths. Before that happens the Japanophile brat goes into the store, sees Yune and swoons like mad. Claude snatches Yune away for awhile and by the time they discover that the public baths are closed, Alice on her carriage has spotted them and bags them. In the end Yune, not wanting to be rude and ignoring Claude's prejudjement, accepts the invitation.

And so Alice spoils Yune with tea and bath, she even promises her to return her kimono without having to pay anything, in order to make her stay with her from now on. Yune though remembers her promise to make dinner and with her stubborness (head on the floor for a long time) managed to convince the young ojou-sama to bring her back to Claude. And I must say I'm quite happy that the effort of knowing more about a new culture isn't one way- Claude puts some effort, too, with the soy sauce :)

France vs Japan:

Bath: an everyday habit in Japan, maybe due to the well each house owns. In France the poor can't afford this luxury and go rarely in public baths. Otherwise they are criticized as a waster by neighbours .In Japan they have onsen (spring baths) where people bath naked- before WWII they even had mixed baths (now only old people go to such mixed baths). The shame of being nude came with the Westerns. See Bath
Drinks: Tea was the most widespead drink back then in Japan. Tea made a great journey and came into Europe, where English people loved it. In France, according to Alice, tea is the drink for women, since men prefer coffee. See tea
Giri/ amae: I mentioned this in the previous episode a bit. Here comes up with not only the need to keep a promise but also in the form of obligation to return the affection Oscar and Claude gave Yune. See Giri means obligation

Anime vs Manga:

This episode corresponds to chapter 3 of the manga. There are not big differences. The adaption is quite faithful. In the manga we see other ladies in Alice's pavillon that stare amazed/bewildered the Japonais and so Yune questions the appropriateness of her attire. Also, Alice is more annoying and pushy, even saying that she wanted Claude to bow to her in order to give Yune back.

In the anime we see Yune in the big four-legged bath tub. She also gets acquainted with Camille, Alice's sister. Yune is enchanted by the eye colours of Parisians. In the TV version Alain, a typographer, is introduced in the scene where Claude is worried, if Yune will come back.

Btw I discovered in a mangafox discussion that Gallerie de Roy does exist and it's in Brussels not in Paris!

Ikoku Meiro no Croisée- episodes 1-2

2011-08-02T19:44:00.003+03:00

...but a different language and the lack of communication in a common code can become a source of misunderstandings...

F: So here we are late as always... I kinda forced myself to go for this. I'm a bit lazy lately and without doing much, time passes away so quickly. It's not that I don't want to do it.It's that I always get carried away with screencaping and I struggle to keep posts short and unique. I convinced myself to go on, because having a series blogged you notice so much more and you remember more things from the series. I decided I won't do seperate episodes but bunches of them per 2. After some contemplation, I thought that just summarizing the series won't do. This is done by all blogs out there. What I'll do is after giving a short summary, I'll pinpoint the differences between the french and the japanese culture as shown from the episodes and I'll post images of situations not mentioned in the manga or only mentioned in it.

Episode 1. Entrance

Summary: Grandpa Oscar has been to a trip to Japan and with his return he has brought along with miscellaneous japanese 'souvenirs' a poster/sign girl, Yune. She had wanted to work in Paris, so Gramps granted her wish. Claude, his grandson, doesn't receive the news very happily. He is a bit rude at the beginning, especially after being a bit shocked about the way Yune greets him and pays respect to him. Claude speaks with a kind of hostility about the totally different mindset of Japan without thinking much because he and his grandpa believe that Yune can't speak French.

Claude also doesn't agree using her as a poster girl and thus Yune starts cleaning the shop thoroughly. Problem occurs when Yune's long sleeves make the freshly repaired sign to fall of the table and its glass pieces to shatter. Claude gets very angry, making Yune feel deeply guilty, so she offers as an apology her best kimono. Claude sells it at a high price only to learn from Oscar that the kimono was a gift from Yune's mother. He feels awful and goes to talk about this with Yune and finds out Yune knew to speak French from the very beginning. He apologizes and promises that he will manage to buy the kimono back one day. The episode ends with Yune reading the 'first french book' Claude had bought her, even though she doesn't needs it. She made a promise to Claude that she will take care of her precious things and that's what she does :)

France vs Japan:

Greetings: Yune performs a formal and a very formal bow to introduce herself and show her respect to her new employee (master). Of course in Europe of 19th century bows were known but they were restricted inside the court and for people with a title, not for everyday use. Bowing with your forehead touching the ground was something only a slave would do. Hand-shaking and a nod was the norm in France. See Etiquette in Japan_Bowing
Clothes: the colourful kimono Yune wears is one that unmarried women wore and their unmarried state was denoted by the swinging sleeves. This is a furisode. In the manga we also see Claude amazed by the colourful fabrics. We see people in France wearing less vibrant colours. Still we shouldn't forget Yune's family's wealth. Such kimonos were and are very expensive and everyday people wore yukata (casual cotton kimono) with more mundane colours. See Kimono
Silence as a way to show respect (chinmoku): Yune lets them have the illusion that she can't comprehend French, most probably because to her it'd be rude to say straight forward that she has this kind of capability. This associates easily with amae, the japanese concept of dependence, where people value the harmony within the group and respect greatly their elders and the ones higher in hierarchy than them. Speaking the truth about her knowledge would break the harmony, she'd be rude to her master as she would show mistrust towards him (that he can't understand her) and she would stand out - there's a proverb: the nails that stands out, gets hammered down. See amae_japanese dependence , communicating through silence , the use of silence in Japan
apologising: is also done with a bow.It's done quiet often by Yune. It's Japanese politeness. Claude remarks that (in France) an apology can't fix everything.
Importance of signs in Japan- they show credence

Manga vs Anime:

Not much differences in this episode. In the manga (ch. 0) we get Claude getting surprised by the colourfulness of Yune's clothes as well as the bedsheets on the floor. Oscar also explains more Yune's desire to become part of Claude's and Oscar's family: in Japan people at work are seen as another family. This connects with amae again.

In the anime we get informed that these lanterns are called Chochin and function as signs. Also we get a detailed glimpse at Claude's workplace.

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Episode 2. Cheese

Summary: This episode is mostly about food and to be more precise about what kind of foods Japanese and French have for breakfast. Claude and Yune go to buy fresh bread to get the table ready. The rest of the day is a tour to the market, they buy what they need and return to the shop to cook. The rival of Galerie de Roy has also appeared: a huge department store. Claude is resentful, as he feels it takes their jobs and the shops in the galerie close down.

France vs Japan:

Eating customs: In France people eat bread with butter, cheese and perhaps some cold cuts accompanied by coffee (with or without milk). It's a cold breakfast. On the other hand Japanese eat hot miso soup, rice and grilled fish (traditionally). They don't eat any diairy product due to their lactose intolerance. Left over food is stored and it's not often because it means ingratitude or that you didn't like the food, that is also rude. Before eating Japanese fold their hands like in pray and say 'itadakimasu' that roughly translates to 'thanks for the food' or 'I accept'. It is also said till now and youngsters use it in the sense of 'let's dig in'. Japanese don't use spoon and slurp from the plate. Yune is quite funny while she tries to learn using a spoon.
Cleanliness: Japanese are cleaning freaks. Outside is dirty, inside is clean and must be kept clean. Cleanliness is associated with purity and harmony. We saw a bit of it in the previous episode as well. In episode 2 we see Yune taking off her sandals when she is in the kitchen peeling off vegetables. We also see her prepare for cleaning and using straps to hold back her sleeves.
Gambari: it's the japanese patience and determination. Japanese culture is one that stands on the cultural assumption that only effort takes you to the top. Failing isn't an option in a hard-working, striving for success society. Yune doesn't like cheese or coffee but still tries hard to get used to it. She doesn't want to 'disappoint' them. She feels the need to do what the others do. And we are back to the collectist spirit, we were talking in epiosde 1.

Manga vs Anime:

Things start to stray from how the manga was written. This episode is constructed from chapter 1.1 and the first half of chapter 2.1.

In the manga there's a part about the french coin and of it showing the head of goddess of liberty, Marianne, a symbol of France. There's also a more extensive explanation by Oscar of the reason why Yune tagged along Claude while working. The concept of freedom and individuality that is spread in Europe is a strange one for Japanese. She doesn't want to do anything alone. She wants to feel part of the group. ( see ep. 5)

The anime thrives with details about cuisine and the market. Many jobs appear to parade. And before that, Claude shows Yune the mall and well, the introduction isn't a friendly one. Seems that the anime offers so much more than the manga. :)

from the opening

In the end, the post is big again =.='

N: When I first saw Ikoku screenshots, I must confess that I was not sure whether or not I would enjoy this show. Yes, there is detail in the backgrounds, yes the characters look... cute, and yes the idea of an anime showing the "clash" of civilizations in a way that does not include thousand of men dying, evil kings and collapsing empires sounds splendid. But the issue is, can practice live up to the ideal?

Judging from the two first episodes, the answer is... I do not yet know. There was too much sweetness, sugar like cuteness, in a way and to a point that is not of my taste. I felt that the characters were truly likable -besides Claude, the number one candidate to earn the award of "most disturbing character of the year." The animation looked good, the music was not bad at all. On the other hand, there is hardly any truly memorable scene, anything that could make this show special. We are still in the beginning, so there is still time for Ikoku bla bla to make up for its slow start. It remains to be seen what it will accomplish.

First Impressions Summer Season 2011

2011-07-21T16:18:00.005+03:00

That's what we are watching this season: Mawaru Penguin Drum, Natsume Yuujinchou San, Usagi Drop and Ikoku Meiro no Croisee.

F: Mainly of the slice of life genre, except perhaps the first mindfuck multigenre one...As I've already written, I will try blogging the latter two. Though I am late again... I am so lame =.=

N: This season we have decided to watch many different kinds of anime. We have literally no time for anything more, because there are so many good stuff to actually watch this season.
Let's go see some general things about the series.

Mawaru Penguin Drum

N: Mawaru Penguin Drum is a great example of what happens when you give radicals the freedom to use drugs. Ikuhara's drug is making anime and presenting tales of fiction and surrealism. I am very excited about this show but I still want to keep some percussions. It may turn out to be a masterpiece but it may also disappoint us. Only time will tell, even though the chances are much to our favor, as Foxy Lady will surely tell you. Besides, both the animation and the soundtracks are out of this world, the similarities to Revolutionary Girl Utena are numerous. What more can anyone ask?

F: Ikuhara is here again to make us all crazy. This recent work bares his signature from the very first episodes:
1. pink-haired lady (ed: man) in the opening,
2. hands trying to grasp each other (in the op again),
3. fucking awesome 'transformation' scene with sex innuedos,
4. incest,
5. vibrant colours (hair, siblings' house)
6. symbolisms everywhere
7. characters that can very well be incarnations from the Utena series- Kanba=Touga, Shouma=Miki, Ringo=Shiori...
8. bizarre music with mysterious aura- the op is sung by the same lady that sung Tatami Galaxy's ed and the insert song reminds me so much of Cutey Honey's op melody...e.t.c.

Well, you get the message. It's crazy and totally awesome. It's gonna be a masterpiece. For sure. It has already rocked our pants and brains off...

P.S.: I'm so gonna cosplay the Penguin Hat Queen one day! I luuuuuuuuuuv her outfit!

Natsume Yuunjichou San

N: Natsume Yuujinchou san plays the role of the peaceful break from everyday life. The two first episodes provide us once again with the feeling of traveling through many different lives. I always enjoy the relaxing mood that is the series' trademark. Both stories until now have been very touching.

I was disappointed a lot by the opening -there is really not much hidden meaning behind it. In an average series that would be expected, but when it comes to Natsume I always expect only the best. The ending is quite good -still not as good as the first season's ending.

I really want to see the little foxie again *______*

p.s. If foxie cosplays the main female character (Reiko) I am going to nosebleed. *______*

Expectations: Extremely High
Grade of two first episode: 9/10

F: New op doesn't say much in the graphics department and the song rocks more than the other two. I can't decide, if I like it. The ed though is reminiscent of the 1rst season's ed and is like a sweet lullaby. It's so reassuring that everything will go well. Plus we see all the family together. I really hope that Natsume will be able to open up to his parents and that we will learn more about the infamous Reiko. The stories are always moving and provoke contemplation more or less. I wonder what kind of stories we'll see. The first two episodes aren't from the manga, I think. The next (ep. 3 from preview) though I do remember reading.

Neko, I didn't know you had such preferences! If you want to, I may very well consider it.

Usagi Drop

N: Usagi Drop is the touching series of this season. A man taking care of a little girl. What I enjoy in this series is that until now it manages to be serious but funny, interesting but not unreal, real life and yet a tale of fantasy. The opening is simply fantastic. The animation is exactly what the series needs. This is probably going to be one of the best stuff to watch this year.

Ikoku Meiro no Croisee

N: Ikoku Meiro no Croisee is the kind of series I would not pick up on my own, both because the script appeared not to be interesting and because I am not a fan of French culture. The two first episodes though were a pleasant surprise, and I am looking forward to more. I especially like the main characters of the show, since all of them are the kind of people I would like to have as dear friends.

F: I won't write much about these two, since I'm going to say a bit more on seperate posts. But generally I'm very pleased from both adaptions. They outdo their manga forms by adding stuff here and there and paying attention to details. Music and animation bring the stories to life in a much desirable way.

The backgrounds for Ikoku are dead drop gorgeous, while in Usagi Drop they have a dreamy watercolour touch. The character design is very adorable and even the moeness of Yune isn't disturbing a bit; on the contrary, it has driven me crazy~~ Rin's design has also its charm.

Op-ed of Usagi Drop has such a bubbly tune with vibrant watercolours. Very unique style :) On the other hand op-ed of Ikoku has smooth and shining digital animation. Music reminds me of the OST of Ristaurante Paradiso.

Hourou Musuko- 9. Cool girlfriend ~ Green eye

2011-07-15T22:08:00.001+03:00

In the mirror: Takatsuki's girls' uniform she left behind.

I am not sure if the 'cool girlfriend' applies to Anna, because we don't get much of her this episode, but the green eye applies easily to many of the characters of Hourou Musuko for this episode. We have Takatsuki that crossdresses finally at school and the teacher sees this action mostly as jealousy towards Sarashina; then we have Doi who visits Yuki and seems kinda jealous of a guy that can look that beautiful (there are other feelings there, too) and so urges Nitorin who wants to crossdress, as well. Oh, I almost forgot Maho who is surely jealous about how her brother not only looks like her,but people find him so cute, that he gets attention.

Now that I'm thinking about it... if girlfriend is meant as a female friend, than this title applies firstly to Chiba, who is a good counselor to both Takatsuki and Nitorin in subtle ways, and then to the quirky Sarashina, who takes a bit of her time off job to talk with Nitorin about crossdressing.

The hot spot of this episode: the different reactions towards Takatsuki and Nitorin crossdressing due to their sex.

The episode opens with Takatsuki asking permission from Anna to hang out with Nitorin, most probably because she hasn't experienced a relationship before, doesn't know what's allowed and thinks of love relationship as ownership of some kind (=Nitorin belongs to Anna, if I'm seen with him, Anna will feel cheated). I guess that we get this tiny bit of scene for character development's shake rather than plot device development.

Yeah, Takatsuki crossdressed at school. Here in the women's toilet with Chiba. These shoujo-ai vibes can't stop flowing...

Nitorin's reaction in the morning, when he saw Takatsuki at his door with boys' uniform.

Takatsuki kinda embarassed, kinda angry at the wows she receives from boys. She doesn't do this for them.

Takatsuki responds to the other teacher in the office, when she was asked, if it's a matter of disliking the girls' uniform.

She got teacher's attention and he tries to make sense out of her, but he isn't aggressive or authoritative. He doesn't understand that Takatsuki wore those clothes as an attire representing her gender wishes, rather he takes her action as disobedience/ teenager's rebellion or a way to look cool. His words are clear: "Takatsuki, that's the kind of stunt Sarashina would pull..."

Idiocy and descrimination don't know age, thus ...

Sexism. Gender prejustices. Takatsuki's expression says it all: 'Baaaaaaaaka. Go screw, idiot' :P

She refers to the special bra that flattens her chest. Nitorin asks her if that restricts her, but for Takatsuki it provides psychological support most of all. She feels closer to what she is.

Then we have Yuki who teaches a good lesson to Doi. I guess it's a payback not only for using Nitorin to approach her, but also for what he has done to Nitorin while in primary school. It surely shocked him a lot that the person he found so attractive was actually the same kind of person he was ridiculing some years ago.

And Doi decides that he must chanel this pent up frastration somewhere...what better victim than Nitorin? He asks of him to see him dressed as a girl.

Behind closed doors... an allusion to a 'closet'. Transgendering is something kept for many people as a well sealed secret.

The dialogue that follows between those two is of great importance. Doi looks around his room and asks Nitorin him what kind of music he likes and about his hobbies. Nitorin replies negative.

Doi: "So what, you just dress up like a girl?"

Nitorin has no hobbies not because he is a boring person or even a vain one, but because it is so vital to get your body identity clear, that everything spins around it. Most of us are born either male or female and our brain follows for the most part. That means that we take as grounded our biological sex and act accordingly to what society or our peer pressure during puberty dictates. We begin with something stable and try to figure it out later especially after puberty comes knocking at the door. For people like Nitorin and Takatsuki though there's nothing stable. From very young age they are confronted with a displeasing situation. If you cannot feel good or at least ok with your body, then how are you to move onwards searching other sides of your identity? Because our 'soul' or ego, if you prefer, resides in a body -our body- it is a big issue that there is a good rapport between those two. If there isn't harmony, then all other things can't move on, are of minor importance and stay 'frozen' until the big problem is resolved. And of course let's not forget that a baby/ a child depends greatly from its parents and their look towards it. If parents disapprove the child's real self, how is one to grow spiritually?

Chiba senses that Nitorin might do something risky and warns him in her own way. During drama club she changes subtly her line to speak to Nitorin discretely.

Nitorin's fantasy

Nitorin goes to Sarashina for advice and an opinion.

Society is harsher on boys on this matter.

Sarashina talks to him about how people will see him and that it's not going to be a pleasant experience- quite the opposite. In spite of finding him cute, she isn't sure if she herself doesn't find him weird. She also leaves the matter up to him.

Sarashina: " ...Because people will treat you like a pervert. I mean you can do it, if you want to, but a lot of people will think you're weird... I don't think you should do it at school. But it's not up to me."

Takatsuki that has crossdressed doesn't support Nitorin's crossdressing. Obviously. She accuses Doi for putting him dangerous ideas in his head.

And so Nitorin...takes his test of courage and goes to school dressed as girl.

Who is this 'transfer' student? Guess, dear teachers.

And that's how the episode ends. Next episode is the start of the end.Actually it has already started.

Let's not forget Maho in this episode.

Like in this case for example... A teenager's attitude and mouth...

I'm not sure how I'd react, if I was seen as much as a girl as my brother is...

She's sad and this feeling expresses itself as anger.

So...episodes 10, 11 and 12 will be blogged after their DVD version is subbed. They will be out on August 24th and on September 21rst.

Hourou Musuko - 8. Spring ~ Brand new me

2011-07-11T15:53:00.002+03:00

After episode 6, a new arc begins that puts in focus the relationship of Nitorin with Anna and the one of Chiba with Takatsuki. The storyline evolves really smoothly, adding details each episode that complement what we already know. In episode 8 things start to move faster: it's a new school year, the group is separated in different classes, they share typical discussions about which class they are in, with whom, how is their teacher. With the new school year start Takatsuki's feelings for crossdressing re-emerge. Nitorin is going out with Anna (though their relationship can't really be defined as romantic, at least from Anna's part) and he really enjoys shopping with her. His desire to wear pretty clothes again are barely held back only by the fact he's in relationship.

Nitorin and Takatsuki remain distant. On the contrary, Takatsuki and Chiba have become pretty close again, at the point that Takatsuki grows her hair back, influenced by Chiba's request. Those four meet by chance and get better acquainted. With Chiba-san with them an almost quarrel errupted. In the end, things went quite well. The only ominent event is the reappearance of a former classmate of Nitorin from primary school, Doi. Doi had bullied him and now sits in front of him in the class. Soon, he seeks to get involved with Nitorin once more, with the motive of getting to know Yuki, the 'hot chick' he saw with Nitorin one day.

Makoto has another crush. Yes, with his new teacher.

She's pretty :) Chiba compliments Takatsuki. Spring and a brand new Takatsuki shows up.

Chiba's suggestion was behind the change. I can't stop feeling shoujo-ai vibes. One would accustom their hair usually for their lover... and one person's opinion can't be called peer pressure, can it?

Takatsuki stares at the male uniform in her closet with longing. Her male identity remains hidden- closet is used symbolically here.

Sarashina does it for fun, but for Takatsuki the male uniform represents her ego.

Cool teacher! And we thought he'd scold her for wearing a tie instead of ribbon.

The tie becomes a symbol to Takatsuki that she cherishes and holds dearly. Even just a little she feels more near to herself.

Is that supposed to be a positive comment?

Does she think of him as her play thing to kill time?

Seems to me that she doesn't really see him as a boyfriend

I agree.

jealous? kinda freaked-up?

No kisses.

A worried Maho listens to her friend...

...and takes measures.

Problems in the horizon...

Oh, how honest!

I'm sorry but I can't help but chuckle at how Doi holds his hands... he leans in, Nitorin leans back tensed. I wonder, if he didn't understand his intentions...

Chiba, Takatsuki, Anna and Nitorin at the karaoke centre.Chiba being the spoiled brat she is.

She even mocked Takatsuki. She could make afine boy, since she's so indecisive.

She can be so stubborn! More stubborn than a donkey.

I'd like to see Chiba finding someone to straighten out this attitude problem. But, wow, Anna! She must be the first that confronted her.

oh right, poor Chiba...

Well, somehow they exchanged telephones. Both Chiba and Takatsuki recognized Anna as a nice person. Still, Takatsuki really wished things were like before...

Once upon a time, when everything was 'pure'- The past can't turn back.

And even if they went back to where they were, Takatsuki seems to forget that Nitorin had feelings for her and she rejected him.

That's Yuki's opinion. I'm very interested to discover, if those two end up together at the end of the manga.

Next episode is going to be the last I blog of this series until August arrives and the last 3 episodes arrive completed.

Hourou Musuko- 7. Rosy cheeks~ Growing pains

2011-07-10T17:06:00.006+03:00

Growing pains refer of course to both Nitorin's acne problems but mostly to the troubles a love relationship can bring to the people involved and their friends.

Puberty comes with bodily changes and these changes aren't always welcome.

Nitorin resembles the book's protagonist, about whom he is reading about, in an eerie and hilarious way

In the face of disaster, whose name is ugly pimples, Nitorin seeks help from magazines and then Anna. She's a model after all and she has 'very beautiful skin' as Nitorin notices.

Anna shows compassion to teased Nitorin. And somehow this starts to work towards other directions as we will see below.

Nitorin follows the magazine's advice about early sleep for good-looking skin. Most people comment badly on his overreactions, but who in his age didn't panic about the shameful pimples? They totally destroy ones image.

Unfortunately these demons don't go away easily, Nitorin. Now one more sprout near his mouth.

Maho is such a meanie! She knows how much he appreciates that cute face of his that looks like a girl's and that's what makes her tease him relentlessly.

My, my an embarassed and cute Anna! Maho implied she is interested in Nitorin

I think Maho kinda pushes Nitorin in a 'normal' direction.

And it ended up somehow like this. Her expression here is more teasing than complaining.

Makoto just heard about ShuxAnna. No matter how you see it those two aren't a good match. No one expected this coming.

That's how things got heated up. First it was advice for acne, then going out shopping for peeling cremes and now a caraoke date.

He confessed, got a 'so?' reaction and still went on to ask her out. Thumbs up, boy. On the other hand Anna is surprised, but she just goes along.

Nitorin has made a progress :D

Anna has a strange perception of cute. She really likes weird things. I get a hunch that's why she accepted Nitorin as a boyfriend.

Nitorin appears to have similar criteria. He acted on a simple crush. Children at this age choose friends on the base of similarity and to be more accurate on their belief that the chosen person is similar to them.

A love relationship doesn't affect only the individuals in the relationship, but also their friendship with others. Takatsuki that denies embarassed that Nitorin and she are in a love relationship (like Nitorin wasn't good enough or a pest) reacts surprised and a bit annoyed, when she learns about Nitorin's relatinoship with Anna. In the extent that she tells Chiba. She got pissed and wanted to piss someone else to feel releaved. Her relationship with Chiba wasn't good already and you would think it would definately go worse. In the end, somehow the end up getting along well again. Of course, their situation is more complex due to the love polygon.

And you call yourself a friend, Takatsuki... such an -almost angry- expression shows how inconsiderate you can be.

a petrified, stiff Takatsuki and their surprised adult friends- isn't it interesting how those four mirror each other?

a tinge of sadness, maybe?

sadness and akwardness becoming more evident

One thing I love in the series is the extend that body and facial language is used.

I can't understand, if Takatsuki is really being honest. For once Chiba is way more honest to herself and others.

"I can't do this. Though I hate to admit it." She knows her limits and that's why she is bitter. She can't alter her bad feelings.

It's really a love-hate relatinoship. I mean, why would shameless Chiba blush otherwise?

Angry Takatsuki. I think she is confused about Chiba's reactions and at the same time feels helpless as what else she could try to change Chiba's attitude.

Takatsuki wanted to catch Chiba's attention and what better way?

I guess hanging around b***es, you start b***ing, too.

that's a strange answer... most of the times, you are.

this screenshot, this line will stay in history- and what a pose! she will become a very talented actress, if she decides for it

High ideals that you want to stick with?

her self-awareness is admirable

She's surprised that Takatsuki really wants to reconnect with her- her answer? "Your tea will get cold". That's the way Chiba is. Aside from Chiba's now even Takatsuki's behaviour is a mystery...

More of a screenshot post, but I can't analyse further.

Hourou Musuko- 6. Cultural Festival ~ Dream of a butterfly

2011-07-10T01:37:00.001+03:00

I'm back! Exams ended back in June but there's much going on still now, searching for a job, studying for a public exam... and my laziness. I'm going to blog to episode 9 for the time being, since later in the summer and early fall the last dvd volumes of the series will be out with bonus stuff and episode 10 and 11 seperate and whole, unlike the way they got aired (due to noitama slot's restrictions).

As the title says, we finally get the festival day. The episode can somehow be split into 3 parts: pre-play (the preparations of last moment before going on-stage), play and after-play (comments from friends and family members to our little actors). And since the main actors are Chiba as Romeo and Makoto as Juliet, the episode centers around their feelings and reactions.

The episode doesn't start though with either of the two students. Can you recognize the good-looking man?

It's Yuki-san. The 'okama'? Yes, that pretty lady.

We get a bonus story material, even if little, about Yuki. There is a flashback to Yuki's past about the suit that (s)he wears. Yuki's mother emphasizes how good the suit looked and made him a 'man'. Anyone can guess that's something that leaves a bittersweet taste at your mouth, if you don't want to be a man. How people perceive gender and in particular how people understand manliness and womanliness is what we got acquainted with from the very first episode. The difference here is that we see an adult that has trans-passed and has stopped 'wandering'. It's more important as a tidbit. Yuki has managed to accept the past and doesn't hold any grudge. This is an anime version of the It gets better project.

If you haven't realized about who we were talking about, the series gets you one more hint.

Yuki can smile even while remembering the difficulties and bashing. Shi seems worried. He knows Yuki might have developed a defensive system, but questions somehow her attitude.

Not everything is black! There were nice memories, very valuable ones at that, too.

I just love Yuki's openness and Shi's reaction (well, they are in a school...). I wonder how many years those two live together. We haven't seen them together in public before.

Wow. Quite the statement. This shows that Yuki IS a woman. (Biological) Sex doesn't necessarily tells who you are. People find their identities for themselves and strive for them.

We couldn't believe it either in the beginning XD

The pre-paly part lasts longer in compare to the other two. Most probably it was intentional to not only show us Yuki and Makoto's insecurity about being good enough to play the role, but generally we get to see how lively the school got and how stressed Nitorin's class became. In this pre-play time we got to see once again Sarashina being the overreacting oddball with Momo clinging to her and frowning around, when her 'Chi-chan' gets to admire Chiba-san and other people. Momo has got a serious jealousy problem. She should get a lesson. She's become more than annoying.

I can't say I disagree on that one, but Momo is trying desperately to get Sarashina's attention, too...

Look that smile Momo is giving...

Maiko-tachi couldn't be absent from this, could they? Maho has almost a crush with Maiko to the point of sulking about the thought that Maiko wouldn't come at their humble festival- she didn't invite her after all. Teenage idolization for you in the face of Maho. And as much as Maho loves Maiko, Anna appears to be compromising hanging around Maiko as a part of the job (they are modelling, remember?). She tries to avoid expressing annoyance or jealousy directly, yet fails miserably when the not so humble and innocent Maiko understands Anna's intentions and bodly rubs in Anna's face her excuse.

PRICELESS expessions from a 'diva'

yeah, tsundere-chan :P

total fangirlism of youth

Maiko retorting to Anna who suggested that they shouldn't distruct them in the theatre.

Maho recognizes for once the worth of her brother after the play

During the pre-play time the series gives us something out of place: a teacher-student relationship?? They can get by unobserved in the mess of the festival. The weird thing is that holding a teacher's arm even among the rockus can be risky... has nobody from the classmates noticed anything? The role of this relationship can only be a trolling one or a small one, adding to the not socially accepted behaviours in the series.

What an expecting gaze coming from the student! It says clearly 'My, my, aren't you late, Knight-san?'

oh let me guess... the haunting house is used as an excuse?

Momo isn't the only one jealous... this girl has a nerve to complain...

something is veeeeeery fishy! it's so obvious they are an item yet no one has ever mentioned anything...

Back to the main characters of the episode: Makoto and Chiba. Makoto usually is the wise one of the company along with Chiba, but in a different way. Here this profile is deconstructed to reveal him as a normal child, with insecurities about his image, about making it through with the lead-role and a child that gets pissed with his mom's teasing after the play is over. The way others see him, what others say affect him as any other child. He must prove himself worthy. He has to stop being in Nitorin's shadow of cuteness. Everyone compares them and hadn't awaited him playing the fair princess. Makoto suffers stress the same awful way I do: stomachache- I even get nauseau or dizzyness. He makes effort to 'get it out of his system' by screaming in the 'Haunting House'- what really works fom him is unexpectedly Chiba. She encourages him, she's the one to whom he turns to look the first tough minutes of standing in front of the audience alone and gains determination and it's again Chiba that reaffirms that he did a good job, granting him Fumiya's bouquet and telling a white lie about it.

Fumiya being the idiot he is...says such insensitive things without second thought.

Even the students that made the haunting house got scared :P

Even Yuki got careless and expressed her sadness for not seeing Nitorin as Juliet.


Trying to convince himself that he IS a butterfly.

After stuttering from stress, he takes a look at a serious Chiba behind the curtains and decides he can't ruin it.

he made a very cute Juliet in the end :D

her words may sound harsh but she does it, imo, to make Makoto understand that she doesn't do what she does out of pity

this was a very sweet lie

what a mean mama to laught at your stuttering! the 'shut up' answer was perfect for such teasing

Chiba now gets all the attention- even from Takatsuki. Their relationship puzzles me. I wonder if in the manga there'll be in the future a kind of romance between them... Of course among the admirers the annoying Fumiya sprung up only to get the cold shoulder. I won't say 'poor him', because he really is a helpless case of no-brains.

she accepted the flowers because flowers aren't in fault :P she could be a bit more polite

And well the play was very good, with children acting like pros. It gives an unrealistic feeling some say, but who cares? We enjoyed it! They kept things short and that was a wise decision, since we already know the plot in general lines.

they got a standing ovation- they deserved it :D

The unimportant remark:

the stairs have stickers that advertise the activities of each class on them! cool, ain't it?

P.S.: I'm exhausted... extensive blogging like this... no way I'm gonna redo this. Perhaps I'll only do shorter ones. Summer season 2011 is very special after all with so many good series. I'll try blogging Usagi Drop and Ikoku Meiro no Croisee. The 3rd season of Natsume and Ikuhara's crazy new anime will get a series overwiew- the previous is to be enjoyed, the latter is simply too bizarre and I'll leave symbolism interpretations to others more capable.

The future is here (so let me take a look back)

2011-07-09T05:34:00.004+03:00

by Juanma Teixido

All things, good and bad, reach a point where you can finally take a breath and look at what you have done for those who care about you and for yourselves. For me, this moment is now, since a very important period of five years as a graphic design student have ended.

My work can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/33861093@N06/

When I finished highschool, I knew I wanted to be a comic artist. Most of my work at that time was sketches and paintings, and I was dedicated to discovering my own style and way through this procedure. When I look on some of the things I was drawing at that time, I think I was extremely confused, way more than I am now. Emotions were going through the roof and my head could hardly focus on anything. This explains why the figures I drew at the time were quite complex and violent, most of them black and white. Sometimes I used red as a color too, putting even more intensity on my work.

Like paintings, my ideas were unclear. I was one of the worst students you could find out there -which may explain why you are reading so little from me- but also one of those who wanted to know it all. So I tried to read and learn. This procedure took a long time to pay off.

I failed my exams to enter the School of Fine Arts in Athens. I also failed my school exams to enter any public school. I had my parents worried, my relatives suspicious of my abilities and myself unable to understand all of the above. That is how I became a graphic design student, in one of the private schools of the country. It was a choice I accepted, thinking that this place could become my link to people connected to the comicbook industry. I was not pleased with design itself. I showed that to my family in ways that make me feel disappointed to myself right now.

Starting, the confusion found its way out of my head, expressed onto the people I met. Silly things were said, silly things were done, although to give myself a little excuse, I also heard silly things all the time.

Friends came and friends disappeared. But I grew up, bit by bit. I experienced a lot of ugly situations and had my fair share of nasty fights. But I believe that through those times, I started changing my way. It is not that I changed as a person. Perhaps I improved on my weaknesses, at least some of them. It is that I found direction. I came to like what I do, what I make for a living. I came to love my studies because I see their real life implementations . I love reading too. I found many different names to read, from Milton Friedman to Niall Ferguson, from F. A. Hayek to David McCullough. I had the chance to learn of many new anime and manga. Who could have told me there are such lovely and spectacular stories like Mushishi and Revolutionary Girl Utena? Manga like Kare Kano and Gravitation? Amazing stuff and I am glad I can now truly enjoy them.

I was the most lucky for discovering my dear friend Kitsune. We are together for two years and hope to spend our third year happier and more united than ever. I will not write much here about her, because she knows how much she means to me. Just that I want more of us.

What I learned from life the past few years is that we cannot give up, or believe that things are set for good. There are always new surprises and new challenges waiting for us. There are people that are to come and stay or go. That is the beauty of life. Experience it the best and deepest you can.

by Juanma Teixido

Serendipities- part 2

2011-07-09T00:09:00.000+03:00

How much more will I have to lose, before my heart is forgiven?
How many more pain will I have to suffer, to meet you once again?
One more time, oh seasons, don't disappear
One more time, the time when we were messing around

Work and a relationship, can't I have both? That's what I was thinking last month. Especially since my special person might still remain away from me and the way things go... it's not completely in my hand to change the situation...

Can anybody give me some time?

The innoncense can never last... oh I'd love to wake up when September ends with my honey by my side and with a job in my hands...

And then came my beloved Lenka with her new album to try to cheer me up... I'm gonna make a post with my favourite songs of hers one day.

Sing me a sad song and make me feel better
Sing me a happy song and I might start to cry
Because everything feels like it's going around in circles
And everyone knows that the world is upside down [...]
Could it be that we were under
The impression life was perfect?
And when the bubble burst
We understood that every part of it hurts

P.S.: blogger is back to normal with BIG changes... this minimalistic style is kinda intimidating...

Serendipity

2011-05-24T17:35:00.000+03:00

Well, it's neither about the above restaurant nor about the movie with John Cusack. It's about what happens to everyone in significant periods of his/her life, what (s)he comes across and retells the situation or gives a kind of solution.

This time it happened to be manga that I came across.

from Midnight Secretary

from Kaze no Yukue

from Paradise Kiss

I really wish it works out. I don't want to have to choose between work and my love and personal freedom- fanart of vocaloid.

And a song of long ago, that I remembered. I really need to break out of my prison and fly to a beautiful future...