Sunday 31 March 2013

HUUGE Manga-to-Anime Ending Changes

SPOILER ALERT: HUGE SPOILERS, dude! I will be primary speaking about Fruits Basket and Nabari No Ou, both mangas and animes. And other things. But mainly that. If you haven't seen them, you shouldn't be reading this unless you like having endings spoiled.



So, what the hell?

When I read up on the manga of Nabari No Ou after finishing the anime, I discovered that Miharu really does go back and ERASE YOITE! I was stunned. The manga ending, in that case, is even worse than the anime ending. In the anime ending, Miharu doesn't erase Yoite, seals the Shinrabansho away inside of him, and happily lives out Yoite's last days with him until Yoite dies by disintegrating into fairy dust.

I. DON'T. UNDERSTAND.

The entire story revolves around Miharu learning to use the Shinrabansho to erase Yoite, so changing the ending... ? It's a risky business. That would change the future of all of the central characters. That's.... that's... ! SHOCKING! Frankly!

Don't get me wrong. I love exploring other possible endings - but by making them different between anime and manga, it's like WE as the reader have to decide which version we are accepting as 'real'. It sucks!

One other manga-to-anime f***-up would probably be Fruits Basket....

Let me just say, I love the manga to death. After hearing how the anime ended - how Akito isn't secretly female as she/he is in the manga - I didn't even want to watch it. That is what the ENTIRE story relies upon. Akito's irrational and terrifying behaviour stems from the way her father, mother and Shigure treated her, and that was influenced by the fact that she had to pose as male her whole life. But in the anime, 'she' is biologically male.

It really got to me because I love Akito as a character, and after the plot twist, she just gets better. So why, or why, did somebody decide that this change would be okay?!

Now let me think, I think the ending of the anime was something about the 'God' of the Zodiac - Akito - being possessed by death curse? Which has got to be, more or less, the worst thing I have ever heard.



Star xx
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Thursday 28 March 2013

Paramore



I am a huge Paramore fan, waving my banner from London.

I probably shouldn't be saying this but I first heard of them through the release of the first Twilight movie. Yeah, I'm talking Decode. I know. But it's still an awesome song regardless of what anybody says. THANK GOD somebody had introduced me to Paramore at all. I have been a fan ever since.

I read Josh Farro's blog, which did honestly move me. But truth be told, even though it's sad, it's silly to expect that everyone will always remain the same. People change, and so do circumstances. I guess theirs did. My friend was like, 'Ugh, I hate Hayley now...' And I thought, 'Why?' It's still one person's opinion  I wasn't with the band every step of the way so I have no right to judge anyone. It's not nice to know what they had a pressured experience (see what I did there?) but I don't think it's about being wrong or right, just about being able to move on no matter how much it hurts.

I was soo sad to see Paramore part, but 'Monster' and 'Now' have proved to me that I'm pretty sure I'll like the "New Paramore"s music just as much. As always, the lyrics and Hayley's vocal abilities tug my heart strings.

I'll be screaming for Half-Noise and Novel American too! ^_^

Paramore had an upcoming show on April 5, but tickets sold out in under a minute, so there we go. Another dream crushed, ha. All I could do was listen to their albums again. I love pretty much all of the songs, but I do have my

FAVOURITES

From All We Know Is Falling; Here We Go Again, Franklin, the two-thirds of My Heart

From Riot: Crushcrushcrush, We Are Broken, Born For This

From Brand New Eyes (my favourite album): pretty much all of them, but if I HAD to choose I'd probably say Careful, Brick By Boring Brick and All I Wanted. And Feeling Sorry. And Ignorance. See what I mean? Might as well say all of them.

From the unreleased demo which is AMAZING: Adore, Hello, Just Like Me, Oh Star and Stuck On You (which I just discovered a minute ago is not only from The Summer Tic EP, and not the demo, but also a cover! Damnnn)

Can't wait for the new album.

My favourite Paramore song FULL STOP is 'Stuck On You' which CANNOT get any better in terms of Punk Rock and never gets old.

 -

Now we get to the crunch.

I was listening to Monster again, and in the second verse the words 'call me a traitor' really stuck with me. I was thinking about the whole 'We were living Hayley's dream' thing from Josh's blog, no offence if I got that slightly wrong. Well, because I was thinking about the whole Paramore split, I played the song again from the beginning and tried to decode the song with that lens. What I got was very intriguing.

Lyrics in bold, possible interpretation not-bold.

I AM PURELY SPECULATING HERE. But isn't it interesting??!!!


Cracking The Code
lyrics for Monster, by Paramore


You were my conscience, so solid, now you're like water
- The Farros. Basically. -
And we started drowning, not like we'd sink any further
- Paramore was once a unity, obviously they began to fragment and broke apart. Couldn't get any worse. -
But I let my heart go, it's somewhere down at the bottom
- The future of the old band became non-existent so Hayley 'let it go' -
But I'll get a new one and come back for the hope that you've stolen
- Thus came the 'new' Paramore and are trying again with new music -

[CHORUS]:
I'll stop the whole world, I'll stop the whole world
From turning into a monster and eating us alive
- Due to Josh Farro's controversial blog, I guess there were a lot of accusing glares turned Hayley's way from the press and fans and Goodness knows who else -
Don't you ever wonder how we survive?
- Can the band survive without the Farros? -
Well now that you're gone, the world is ours
- The Farro brothers are gone, but the new Paramore still have all their our fans. The world kinda is theirs -

I'm only human, I've got a skeleton in me
- only human, and thus, can't be perfect. -
But I'm not the villain, despite what you're always preaching.
- I guess this is a reference back to the blog. -
Call me a traitor, I'm just collecting your victims
- Now this was tricky. I get the 'traitor' part (the blog again), but could the victims be Paramore fans? -
And they're getting stronger
I hear them calling.
- Paramore fans getting impatient for a new damn ALBUM! Ya damn right we're calling! -

[CHORUS]

Well you find your strength in solution
- solution: leave band. -
But I liked the tension
And not always knowing the answers
- the tension within the band gave them stuff to write about in their music, maybe? Working stuff out together? -
But you're gonna lose it, you're gonna lose it
- Yeah... I don't know what this means. I'm taking it as a jeer. -

[CHORUS, END.]




Star.
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Monday 25 March 2013

Appeal To Abraham Hicks



I hope Abraham can help me at this time.

I am making it my goal to do everything within my power to learn, grow, move forwards and above all be happy. I pray that I learn what I need to learn from those around me, accept that they live in my world, but ultimately focus on my own happiness and well-being and bring positive vibrations into my experience. I understand that I have and am and will get things wrong, but I want to learn how to be better. It's difficult to forever stay in a place that constantly moves towards the positive but I am trying, as I will continue to do until I 'croak'.

There's so much I want to learn. There is so much I am afraid of, like death. I am afraid of my death, the death of friends and loved ones. How do I accept and let go of that fear?

There's so much I want to do in my life. I have so many goals I want to accomplish. I want these things so badly, and although part of me eagerly awaits their arrival, another part fears that it will never come. How do I let go of that fear?

A few months ago, I heard about Amanda Todd for the first time. I found it hard to get to sleep that night. My sorrow that she went through such a horrific experience and that people in the world could be so cruel was immense. It swallowed me whole. There are little things I hear about that make me feel so depressed that for a short while, I feel removed from this world. The earth feels so empty, the couple billion people on it are nothing compared to the vastness of all the planets and stars in the universe.

BUT I UNDERSTAND that I have to keep moving towards a positive vibration, or my experience on Earth will not be a pleasant one.

I want to remember to give more gratitude for what I have in my daily life.

I want to attract the incredible experiences of the world into my life.

I want myself, and my friends and family, to be happy in this lifetime.

So I ask of Abraham Hicks, please bestow your guidance on me. I am already eternally grateful to know that Source Energy is in me, and I only ask to be graced with further wisdom.



With Love,
Me.
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Wednesday 20 March 2013

Blogs Of Note






Dina Goldstein - In The Dollhouse

I love the imagination behind this. There's something both intriguing and saddening about thinking about Barbie (certainly one of my well loved childhood toys) in a real world context and put in domestic situations. Weird, but very very unique.



http://arnade.tumblr.com

This one is so... incredibly moving. I don't actually have any words to describe the spectrum of emotions I felt reading this. It deals with serious life issues like poverty, addiction, the works.



http://albinwonderland.tumblr.com

It's pink. Need I say more?

... okay, apparently says. The posts on this site always make me laugh, whether blogged or reblogged, plus it's very aesthetically pleasing. ^_^




Star xx
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Monday 11 March 2013

Shen Yun 2013 - London


Oho! I went to Shen Yun again this year, bringing my Mum along with me, heh heh. Some notable differences this year. As I said in my previous post, it was held in The Barbican Theatre, relatively smaller than the London Coliseum, so I ended up getting us £70 tickets. Bit of a blow, but worth it.

First of all, the Barbican Theatre is a bloody MAZE. You just can't find your way around the place at all! It was both fun and frustrating trying to guess the way, and it wasn't as aesthetically pleasing as the London Coliseum, but never mind. You can't have everything. Well, you can... anyway, you understand my meaning.

We were sat in the front row of the upper circle. I was heavily pleased that I was able to see the orchestra this time. They were brilliant. Plus, I saw two other black people! So we weren't the only ones. I will not lie, that kind of made me feel better.

So, the show.

Now, before I get onto the costumes, choreography, themes and the like, something that has never happened to me before... happened. Haha. Well, there was a girl who was sat two seats to our right. She politely asked us where we got our programmes, and my mother and I told her. Then, when the lights went dark and the show was about to start, two women came along and there was a slight fuss as she was in their seat. So she moved along until she sat on my right, and the ladies sat down, and we thought all was fine. A few minutes later, two more ladies came along and then said she was in their seat, stopping right in front of me and my Mum. Heavily confused, she looked at her ticket and said something to them. The people behind us were muttering and sighing now because, don't forget, it was a cramped space, it was dark, and when people were standing up we couldn't see anything. What had happened was, the girl's seat had been taken by someone else, so she had thought she had to sit somewhere else. By now, I was thinking that I was missing a great deal of the first piece so I leaned over to see if I could help. "What's your seat number?" I whispered. "Seat number 50..." she replied, showing me her ticket. Mentally I thought, that's about 11 seats down from us. I glanced down. Sure enough, all of those seats had people sitting in it. I whispered back to her, "Look, you paid £70 for that seat. That was the seat you chose. Nobody else has the right to sit in it but you, so go and tell them to move, because they didn't pay for your seat." She got up, and left.

Me and my Mum were exchanging glances of disbelief. What are the chances of that happening! But it didn't even end there. The lady who finally had her seat, sitting on my right, was SICK. Yes. She really was. Into some sort of handkerchief or something. I smelt it before I realised it, to be honest. I couldn't believe it. I wanted to ask, "Are you okay?" But it was obvious that she wasn't, and as I didn't have any water to give her or any way to help, I kept quiet. She got up and left soon after, and I felt kinda bad for not being able to do something. I hope she feels better now. (In the interval, her friend passed on a apology from her and said she was watching the show from the Foyer.)

So, yes. That took place throughout the first piece. And I could - not - believe it.

So, the show. I will be honest. I will never forget the opening of Shen Yun 2012, because the use of the drums was so original, striking, and dynamic. As excellent as the opening piece was, titled Descending To The World, it didn't have as much of an impact. Even sitting here now, I am struggling to remember it.

Of course, I had my favorite pieces. When Shoalin Monks Protected The Emperor was HILARIOUS. The way the dancers moved together as a body was so, so striking. I loved the sense of community from the monks, plus the fight scene was really great too (the silent anarchist in me wishes it had gone on for longer, heh). The only thing that made me feel a bit... I don't know, uncomfortable? Disconcerted? Was that the monks were granted permission by the emperor to eat meat after they protected him. But is this not against their religious or spiritual practices? I mean, clearly they wanted to, but I felt uneasy about it. Never mind.

My other FAVOURITE one was The Emperor Journeys To The Moon (Are you spotting the recurring theme? Perhaps I am drawn to Emperors!) which was beautifully crafted. Ironically, both pieces were choreographed by the same person, Gu Yuan. Bravo, Gu Yuan! I thought it was wonderfully done. Plus, the dancer who portrayed the Emperor in this piece had excellent classical technique.

Others that I liked a lot were Tang Dynasty Battleground, with the use of their shields and athleticism. Sand Monk Is Blessed had a really imaginative battle between the ogre, Monkey and Pigsy contrasting with the gentleness of the children at the beginning. The female dancer in purple (or was it yellow...?) and pink and the female dancer in  green and blue were very good. As always, the animation on the screen was as funny as it was perfectly timed and original. Dancing For The Gods had some really catchy footwork, A Joyful Harvest had some great choreography, and the story Yang Zhi and his Sabre was portrayed soo well. The dancer playing Yang Zhi balanced the macho and the flowing classical technique really well. I hope that makes sense!

There were some I haven't yet mentioned, which focus on the Falun Dafa practice, and how its practitioners are persecuted in China. It makes me so very sad to think of it. An Unexpected Encounter and Divine Mercy moved me, especially as I have been looking more into Falun Dafa since watching the show last year. Why? Why are people being persecuted for these beliefs? What is so threatening?! There is no word for how appalling it is. 'Appalling' is as close as I can get, and it does no justice to what I mean.

Furthermore.

Some acts were very similar to acts from last year, in costume, choreography, and backdrop on the projected screen, like Ancient Elegance, Inspired Dance Of The Yi, An Unexpected Encounter, An Early Spring (with some impressive throwing and catching of the handkerchiefs ) and Han Imperial Air. Some were completely new, such as the narrative pieces; The Emperor Journey's To the Moon, Yang Zhi And His Sabre, Sand Monk Is Blessed, and When Shaolin Monks Protected The Emperor.

There were also more singers this year! I particularly liked tenor Yuan Qu, who sang the song with the line, 'The great river flows east never to return / Situations change as time passes, never to recur'. As we are talking lyrics, there was a really striking line in the Do Not Lose Your Way piece, 'Atheism is a lie / The theory of evolution is a sham / It is the Creator who made mankind'. Also, Haolan Geng came back for an encore, and she sang this wonderful song which I THINK is called Guided By The Gods, with the lyrics 'choke up the pill of delusion you've been forced to swallow'... ? Yeah, that was deep.

But what really struck me was the performance of Xiaochun Qi on the... erhu? That was so, so brilliant. I wish I could see her performance again. Such skill!

Julie and Jared came back to host this year! Well actually it sounded like he said Jerry, but that could have been his accent. Let's call him Jerry anyway. Like last year, they were great. Julie wore this beautiful orange dress after the intermission - looking at it made me happy. Haha! I don't know why I wasn't jealous  Probably because I wouldn't look as lovely in it as she did! Ah, so pretty.

Now - costumes! One of my favourite things! All of the costumes for each piece correctly corresponded with the theme. In the opening piece, I believe the female dancers wore these yellow and pink dresses that looked stunning. I think it was in Dancing For The Gods, the dancers wore this skirts in really bold colours that gave a particular feeling to the atmosphere. In Sewing The Flowers Of Heaven, I think the dancers wore pink and white. Along with the smoke effect, it made a strong impact. Finally, Phoenix Fairies had on blue and orange costumes, and on the end of the scarves was a little symbol that could have been a pehonix tear... maybe a Phoenix feather? How is it that it was not my favourite costume, but I remember it better than any of the others?!

Well, that's all I have to say, I think.

Once again, the Shen Yun performance has completely made my day, week and month. It was perfection down to the last degree. The orchestra was incredible too. I can barely imagine how much the company had to train to put on a show like that. My Mum loved it too, especially the tiny footsteps the female dancers took when entering and exiting the stage; in their skirts and dresses, it looked like they were gliding.


FUN FACT: During the interval, my Mum told me that a distant-ish relative was making a family tree, and asking my grandmother some questions about it. She told me (and I am stunned by this knowledge as I had thought I was black through and through) that my great great grandmother was a Chinese lady descended from the Ming Dynasty! Something like that! I was stunned. I must find out more.



Star xx

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I didn't have a dream about Shen Yun as I did last year, so i thought I'd write on a piece that sparked my inspiration: Phoenix Fairies. Jerry spoke a little bit about the Pheonix Fairies (So did Julie, but let's stick with Jerry as he was speaking in English.) but I wasn't paying attention because the moment he said Phoenix Fairies my mind was very far away. I imagine that the concept is very different in Chinese, but I was trying to merge my idea of a 'pheonix' and of a 'fairy'. What sort of creature would that be?! What would it look like?

It reminded me of a story I created long ago, of two powerful spirits descending from heaven and taking human forms to restore balance to Earth. One was the dragon, who embodied the human male, an aspect of Yang. The other, taking the form of the human female and projecting Yin, was the Phoenix.


Ruler Of Heaven, Prince Of Earth, and Phoenix Fairies

Grass swayed and stretched to the sky, bending gently for the wind. The lone traveller was completely hidden in the sea of green, so still and silent in his contemplation, that only the spirits would be able to sense him there. Nature ambled aimlessly around him, taking many different forms, rolling like the wind, turning like petals, bending like grass, wandering like deer. It did not merely seem to happen around him, but happen through him. So still was he, that he became a part of nature, and nature saw no difference.

He remembered when he had first begun to meditate - it had been forced upon him by his masters and teachers, who tried as best they could to explain what it meant. At first, it had felt like waiting, counting every minute and second and waiting for it to end. It then felt more like sleeping sitting up. After years of training with his longsword, dreading the day when we would use it against another man for real, meditation suddenly became a reset button. He would refresh himself spiritually, and when he fell back to Earth, he was a man anew.

Sometimes, he would ask the Great Dragon to guide his way.

Endless hours he sat hidden in the grassy fields of Holy Mountain. The waters from the Heavenly Pool had blessed this earth, and life at the very spot would never end. The traveller would not have even noticed if another person walked right up to and him shouted in his face. He was not on Earth now - but somewhere between Earth and Heaven, being purified by the spirits that guarded the path between.

But suddenly, he felt a tug of energy. He was unsure he could even call it energy. It dawned on him as the most beautiful feeling, like falling in love, or experiencing a wave of euphoria. So pure was the feeling, that every earthy concern was immediately released from his body. With nothing now holding him to Earth, his human body slumped between the reeds of grass and his spirit made haste to join those already guarding the path between.

"No!" commanded a voice. "You cannot yet depart Earth, I need you here. Return!"

The merging of his spirit and body was so quick, so fast and jolting that he was gasping for air when his eyes opened, his face against the dirt. He stumbled to his feet and whipped around, his face being beaten by the wind as he finally saw a figure standing a few feet away, dressed in black and red, with a scarlet sash tied around his waist, the ends dancing with the winds. The traveller could made out the small bagua symbol on the end of this figure's scarlet sash. And this figure... radiated the 'feeling'. Even just a step closer made in intensify twofold.

"It is you..." the traveller whispered.

"Yes. It is I. Do you know who I am?"

The traveller bowed, trying to remember respect above his awe. "I know you are a being of great power. That is all I need to know. Was it you who spoke to me, Great One?"

"Yes." The figure lowered it's head. The traveller felt the energy of his companion enfold around him, like a careful stream of fire coursing through space without burning a single thing. "Mortal. You cannot depart just yet. You have something to show me."

"Me, Great One?" The traveller was in disbelief, barely knowing where to look, what to say or how to act. "I have not perfected a single thing I have learnt throughout my life. Surely, I have nothing of value to show you, Great One."

The figure smiled. It was a bemused smile that lit up a godly, perfectly structured face, and beneath brilliant eyes, its expression was complete. "Show me the Dragon's Grace."

The traveller's eyes widened with surprise. He bowed again. "I haven't performed the Dragon's Grace in many years, Great One. But... of course."

The traveller, having no belongings to place aside, began immediately. Dragon's Grace was a very old sequence, and it remained undecided whether it was a fighting technique or a dance. As he moved, each slice and strike of the air that he made with his arms and legs, the traveller grew more exhilarated, honoured and presenting his knowledge to a clearly powerful spirit, so powerful that it could disguise itself in human form so convincingly, save the energy it emitted. When he reached the ending, he stopped with a sudden glance around him. Creatures formed a circle around him, gazing eagerly at his movements. Their skin was coloured amber, their stomachs silky smooth but their backs scaly and tough. Hair cascaded down to the waist of each creature in shades bluer than an iris, bluer than the sea. Their eyes glinted gold and happy.

"More?" the traveller murmured. "Great One, what are these creatures?"

The figure laughed, a laugh so strong and invigorating that the creature shrieked with delight in response  tossing their blue hair and dancing in circles. "The Phoenix Fairies much enjoyed your performance, mortal. I had suspected your spirit had such strength. Your Dragon's Grace drew them closer to you."

"Great One, I am certain that it was your presence that drew them near." the traveller said with a bow, a smile upon his face, both delighted, yet as humble as he could make it.

"No, mortal. They have always been here with you. You see them now because of my presence, but they had already been here with you. They are the servants of my beloved, the Phoenix  They were once part of the Celestial Order that governed the place of mortals, of spirits and of Gods, both on Earth and in each and every heaven. But their love for the Phoenix made them follow her to Earth, and here they continue their heavenly work, keeping harmony, balance and order in a world so bent on descending into anarchy and chaos."

As the figure spoke, it's human shape began to morph into something else, a creature both awesome and terrible, both monstrous and magnificent. Every Phoenix Fairy created noise of such a scale, that the traveller thought it must be a song of worship, perhaps vocal applause. The figure's skin turned as black as night, with those brilliant eyes shifting from oak to jade. The traveller, scarcely daring to breathe, could not stop his eyes following the transformation. Hands became claws, and hair became billowing jet-coloured fire that did not extinguish. The Phoenix Fairies fell silent, but swayed in worship. The figure honestly looked... like a cross between a human and a dragon.

"Your spirit it strong, and pure. You have killed no man, and followed the teachings of Sander the Scholar ardently. I have made you aware of these Phoenix Fairies as very soon, you will need their protection. Continue to remain pure, and you will always be protected by them. For although humans are quicker to recognise a bad moment that takes place in your life - every moment that has been good, that had made you smile, whether you count your blessings or not - they are the cause."



The above work belongs to S.K., written on 11th March 2013.
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Wednesday 6 March 2013

Ergo Proxy Anime Verdict

SPOILER ALERT: As always, I'm speaking of this anime as a whole. There WILL be references to the end, and trust me, with the twists in this anime? You WILL REGRET reading ahead of watching it.



I have watched Anime that have left a gaping hole into my heart once I've reached the end - Avatar: The Legend Of Aang, Gungslinger Girl and Nabari No Ou all stand in that rank. Ergo Proxy has decidedly moved me, although I stopped thinking about it a lot sooner than I would've thought, for something so disturbing, excellent and philosophical.

So, yeah, it's Cyberpunk Anime, that futuristic, apocalyptic stuff. At the beginning, a lot of 'what the fuck'-s were running through my head. I watched episode 1-3 randomly one day, not returning to it for a week or so. By the time I got to watch episode 4, I couldn't stop watching until I got to episode 15 or 16. I crammed 17-23 into the next two days, and by the end, I couldn't believe it was over.


Plot

I suppose I shouldn't say it's original, after all, there's only about 10 plots in the world or something? But it was startlingly fresh. Not even the part about a dying earth wherein civilisation have to live within a dome to survive. The Ergo Proxy, just by itself, was an amazing concept to include. So much mystery surrounded the Proxies, and it gave you just a tiny shred of information every episode so that you were hungry for more. The full truth about these incredible creatures isn't fully revealed until the very end. Man, it's worth the wait.

When I did reach the end, I didn't feel cheated. Things actually made sense, and for that I rate E.P. . The Cogito virus touching pretty much every AutoReiv was chilling and excellent. Pretty sad that Raul died before he got to see Pino again, but I guess Kristeva getting the Cogito and joining the gang made up for that.

The people living outside the dome that Vincent meets when he's first out there - were so temperamental, it pissed me off. But their situation was so sad.

The various proxies were amazing to see. I loved that they all had their own function, but there was so few them. The whole story, as intriguing as it is, is really depressing. But lots of things I've been reading or watching lately have been depressing. I guess it can't be helped.

Anything else? Oh yeah!! Ummm can anybody explain to me about the Monad Proxy?! Anyone? Because why does she appear in the form of Re-L Number 2 wearing white with wings instead of.... well, looking like a proxy? I thought the proxy they showed in intensive care was Monad. Really confused about that. I'd better ask Mike at Uni class on Monday.



Characters

Re-L - You know, her matter-of-fact nature and way of dealing with situations is really on point. I dig that. But her curiosity that never ends, her stubbornness .. that made me really annoyed with her. I was kinda shocked at the amount of people that called her a bitch during the series (Well, only Cogito-infected Iggy and Vincent in the episode where he's in Re-L's head, but they say it a lot of times), although when you think about it, she really is. I wouldn't have thought it, only... the episode when she demands that Pino combs her hair, and then Vincent when Pino refuses. I saw her arrogant side then. She does care about actual meaningful stuff. But when she gets annoyed when Pino plays with her make-up, like hello? You're in an apocalyptic world travelling with a Proxy and an AutoReiv! Who gives a fuck about your hair and make-up?! Damn.

Vincent - SO, SO annoying during the first half when he's a citizen. SO ANNOYING! I can't stand him with his eyes closed! I loved him at the end, though, especially in his proxy form. He's so badass as Ergo Proxy. He doesn't know it though. And he really wasn't cool until he opened his eyes.




Iggy - What an annoying AutoReiv! Can't stand him, nuff said.

Pino - oh God, I love her SO MUCH! She is my favorite character, easily! AFter being affected with the Cogito virus, it's so endearing when she learns when she's feeling sad, when she draws, gets them out of sticky situations, understands what death means, misses her Dad, when she copies what people say, and says that she really like Vincent and Re-L. I love her little bunny costume. She's just so adorable.

Raul - I thought he was a great character overall, but towards the end, when she began to unravel, I didn't like him so much.

Daedalus - OH LORD! Where to even begin? He is such an excellent, excellent character. He's always got something up his sleeve, so sneaky, and you never even know it until his plans come to fruition! It's funny, I was talking to a friend about how incredible the character of Littlerfinger from Game Of Thrones is. That's who Daedalus reminds me of. Anyway. I love how he always looked out for Re-L, especially at the beginning. When he starts to unravel towards the end, as everybody does, it's fascinating and scary to watch. And when he creates(/makes/finds-?) another Re-L, who of course becomes Monad. The transgression of his character was just great.

Those are the only ones that really moved me. Oh, and guess who else pissed me off? Re-L's grandfather's AutoReiv's, the 4 stone statues named after philosophers. I wished they would just shut up, they never helped - only made every situation worse!

















Design

The design of the Proxies is exquisite. ^_^ Just... honestly. Ergo Proxy was the most terrifying and therefore my favourite. The mask and hair did it all.

Please do not get me wrong by what I'm about to say. Ahem. Vincent has a piece of material wrapped around his waist and crotch like a loincloth, which, considering that he is wearing clothes, is the most ridiculous character costume design I have ever seen. That is all.

Pino, as I said, is the best thing ever in her bunny costume. But in the end episodes, she has on these green trousers which makes her legs look really fat o_O

The entourage AutoReiv's had a really weird design, I didn't like the look of Iggy and Kristeva very much. But for robots, y'know, they were fine.



Soundtrack

As a lot of people know, I love anime soundtracks, and I'll be looking for the E.P. one when I have time. But immediately, the opening track, Kiri by Monoral, and closing track, 'Paranoid Android' by Radiohead, are really great tracks. It's funny, all of the anime's I liked more or less straight off had opening themes I loved.




MOVING ON...

My list of Anime to watch is endlessly growing, mainly because I want to watch the shounen classics before I go to MCM Comic Con London, secondly because I'm reading this book called 'Anime: From Akira To Howl's Moving Castle' by Susan J Napier, and it's really good. Looking at anime in an academic way is a lot cooler than I thought it would be. Probably because, y'know, it IS still anime.

So yeah, my list is still growing. God knows what I'll be reviewing next.



Star.
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