Finals time!

Yes, that wonderful time of the year that absolutely no one would dread.

... -_-

And in truth I would much rather be translating, but I should be writing papers. Blah.

But they will be over by the seventeenth, which will give me kind of an early Christmas break. Then I can translate all I wish. >8D

When I do take time off, I think I'm going to start writing little blogs about Monochrome Factor episodes, with uncut DVD screencaps. Because I can, so boohoo.

aslkhgaoweigjas;df. I want to sleeep.

Twilight

I'm sighing as I type this. Honestly.

My mother took my sister and I to see the Twilight movie yesterday. Now, I had read the book at the urging of family members and friends and at the curiosity of just what made it so special, and I wasn't left in awe. Don't get me wrong, it was a fun read. It was a nice change from what usually I am required to read for class or what I choose to read for myself. But it wasn't amazing. It was just. Okay.

So, I was looking forward to the movie with dread. Having been unable to watch a trailer without laughing my head off or rolling my eyes, I was a bit unsure of what to expect. What I did expect was a movie on terms with the book - sappy, without substance.

And I was right. The acting wasn't all that great, no good special effects, and quite honestly, whatever substance the book did have was taken right out.

Someone's probably angry at me right now, so I'll sigh again and do some explaining. When I say "substance" I mean "real, moving plot" or "interesting development" or "intriguing dialogue". Twilight had something that made me read to the end, but I am in no way motivated to pick it up again or probably even to continue.

Bella is a Mary-Sue. She's weak and whiny, but everyone loves her, especially this big, strong, powerful, highly-attractive man. And he loves her no matter what. It's somewhat irritating. And Edward is a bishounen (go wikipedia it or google it if you don't know what that means), and that's about all there is to him. I'm sorry. I really do kind of like Edward, but he's also a bit creepy. No matter how attractive they might be, I would not want my potential love interest sneaking into my room and watching me sleep, or following me everywhere.

What I look for in characters is someone that changes, someone that develops, someone that "grows up" in a substantial way in between the beginning and the end. I look for non-stereotypical, strong characters.

I look for engaging, meaningful dialogue that takes the story somewhere.

I look for a plot with action, with undertones, with meaning, with symbolism and metaphors and excitement. I look for a plot with depth, a plot that has you asking, "What's going to happen?" I look for a plot that always has you guessing. I look for a plot that makes a story that says something about life, or about humankind... a book that really, truly makes you think about the world.

I'm sorry to say that I thought Twilight fell a little short.

It might just be the literature lover in me that looks for more than a 2D story, but I find a story with no real depth to just be boring. I like stuff that makes me think, that makes me feel.

Perhaps it's just my own bad experiences with romance that make me shirk from romantic novels. But when it comes to movies, I am ridiculously easy to please. There have been few movies that I watched when afterwards, I thought to myself, "That really was not a good movie."

I'm sorry, really I am.

As a bonus, it doesn't help that someone on costumes crew in Twilight seems to have been watching Monochrome Factor.

Look for it during the class field trip, in the greenhouses.

/review. Begin running from upset Twilight fans.

Next Semester...?

Mid-terms are finally over for me. After tests and papers for five classes being spread out over a month, it all ended with my Japanese oral mid-term on Friday. Now, in just a few days, I'll get to choose my classes for next semester.

I'm really disappointed in myself. One of my very worst habits is that I constantly overestimate myself. In sophomore year of high school, I was committed to an orchestra - one of the very best in the country - that robbed me of many hours of sleep and time that I needed to put towards my other honours classes, namely honours English, chemistry, and French 3. In junior year, after being gone for six months due to study abroad, I jumped right back into the middle of another few honours classes. Last year, as a senior, I took a full schedule with four AP classes. I also worked 15 hours a week on top of that, and was working my way up to a red belt in haidong gumdo.

In college, during summer term, I took a language-intensive course that was wholly draining. I covered two semesters of Japanese in seven weeks. Now, my first semester, I've taken a full load complete with two languages.

Quite honestly, I'm scared to sign up. I always, always think "It's no big deal. I can do it." But obviously I can't. I'm an emotional and mental wreck right now. What if I do the same thing? What if I take too many classes, or really hard classes? I've already cut out a 300-level class that I honestly, truly want to take, but I know I'll kill myself.

I love learning. I really do. That's probably why I continually get myself into situations like this - I'm excited to learn something new and I jump right in without thinking twice. I'm trying to go easy this semester - I'm looking at Japanese 202, creative writing, harpsichord, and Civilization, with an audit in Finnish 102. But what if that's not cutting back enough? What if I'm jumping into the exact same thing again?

I don't know. This is so tiring.

Death

My great-uncle died on Friday.

I just heard about it around half an hour ago. I only met him once, because he's in a hospital in Finland. He was in a really bad car accident when he was younger and it left him a prisoner in his own body for many, many years. He seemed very sweet, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to meet him before he left.

But, even though I know he's in a better place, it's still very upsetting to me. I find death fascinating, yet it makes me cry. I don't care much for my own death - perhaps it's because I've cheated the almighty Death so many times - but whenever I think about anyone else dying, it's too much for me.

Death, and people getting hurt. Why is that? I could get into a horrible accident and not even blink - in fact, I was laughing the last time I had a brush with death (I lost control of an ATV and crashed into a thicket of trees, barely missing a head-on crash. I ended up tearing my arm open). But thinking of my brother simply being unresponsive because he hasn't taken care of his diabetes drives me into hysterics. My roommate finds a clip of Gackt passing out and I'm absolutely traumatized.

What is wrong with me?

Maybe I'm just oversensitive. Maybe that's just my nature, or I've become that way because of all the medical issues that have happened to my family in the past few years. But that doesn't explain why I could care less about my own life being extinguished and the mere thought of someone else losing consciousness makes me cry.

But at any length... I'm going to miss uncle Taisto. I pray that he is much happier where he is now.

-AMV- Dreams of an Absolution [Loveless]

Hurray for being sick.

I used Lee Brotherton's "Dreams of an Absolution ~Nightlight Remix~" for this one. The tone fit Loveless so well, which is difficult because of the general 'tone' of the series.

Enjoy.

OP Remix!

So my roommate addicted me to making remix OP and ED for anime. Yay. -_- Here are some:

Monochrome Factor OP -Teardrop Ver.-
Teardrop by BOWL




Monochrome Factor ED -A Drop Of Colour Ver.-
A Drop Of Colour by HYDE

Kuroshitsuji OP -Pessimiste Ver.-
Pessimiste by Moi Dix Mois



And of course, there has to be one very unfitting one in here somewhere. XP

Kuroshitsuji OP -Orinoco Flow Ver.-
Orinoco Flow by Enya

So, enjoy!

The Food Called Donburi

So Kuroshitsuji started off last week and I have to admit this was my favourite part of the first episode:

DONBURI. 8D

It makes me really want some.

-AMV- Supporting Me [MF]

I started this yesterday in my free time... I like it as a whole, but some parts I'm really hating. So, perhaps I'll update again later...

(Prepare for epileptic seizures? XP)

Music: "Supporting Me," by Fumie Kumatani and Everett Bradley, from the Sonic Adventure 2 soundtrack
Video: Monochrome Factor (produced by TV Tokyo, original manga by Sorano Kairi)

Silly Monochrome Factor

And again. XP

Video: Monochrome Factor (produced by TV Tokyo, original manga by Sorano Kairi)
Audio: Random WAVs

-AMV- Sexyback [MF]

What happens when one really needs a break from studying. And just so happens to think that Sexyback would be the best song. O_o

Video: Monochrome Factor (produced by TV Tokyo, original manga by Sorano Kairi)
Audio: "Sexyback" by Justin Timberlake

Monochrome Factor, Vol. 1 [DVD]

My bright light at the end of the first couple of weeks of college arrived last night: my box set of Monochrome Factor.


I adore this show. It's witty, cute, and funny, but with plenty of underlying value. And since it doesn't look like it'll be truly licensed in America anytime soon (thank goodness for that... if I hear Vic Mignogna or Johnny Yong Bosch are hanging around it, I think I'll have to cry), and I would feel bad for cheating the system if I didn't support the series somehow, I decided to go ahead and start buying the Japanese DVDs.

It didn't come with much as far as bonus video material is concerned - the bonus disk only holds some chats with the main actors, Suwabe Junichi and Ono Daisuke, and other actors, but having clear, remastered episodes (along with extras that weren't included in the TV version) is a nice breath of fresh air compared to watching digital, heavily-pixelated stuff online.

The set also came with an extra cover (it makes me happy... Akira is my favourite), along with many Akira stickers and an Akira phone charm.

Episodes 1-3 are some of the most unobscured ones in the series, meaning they're in place for purpose of plot and not fillers, which unfortunately most of the series is. (I can count plot-related episodes that have been released thus far on one hand, quite literally.) While having nothing but fillers up until the very end is a good sign of a second series, I'm not sure I want to go through another season of 25 episodes, with 17/25 being fillers and very little related to the plot. But, perhaps, if a second season does ensue, maybe since they will have reached a part of the climax with this first series, the second will be a little more intense. I like this series mainly for the interaction between the main characters, Akira and Shirogane, and their struggle with Akira's true identity rather than seeing the same tired "plot device" recycled through almost every episode (except said ones I can count on one hand.)

So, let's see how this treats me. Box set 2 should be here by the end of next week. I'm excited for some spare time to sit down, watch everything through, and see what treasures I have really come across.

Do I belong?

I've written before that I feel very out-of-place now. I don't live with a real family, and I'm moving all over the place.

I'm facing something that brings back memories that only intensify the feeling of 'not belonging' - study abroad.

Is it strange that I spend six months in Europe, and I felt more at home in the busy streets of London than I do now in the area that I grew up in? Is there something deeper in me that says: This is where you belong?

For a little while now I've been struggling with my Japanese. As college begins, I find myself wondering: is that really what you want to do? I know, deep in myself, that I want to pursue Japanese. Being rejected from the Japanese Government program shook me pretty hard, and that's probably why I'm experiencing such difficulty with it now. It was something I wanted, more than anything else, and I didn't get it.

Is it that I'm not supposed to be in Japan?

This horrific thought is haunting me. I've given up so much for simply the idea of living in Japan that the idea that I'm not supposed to be there is painful. But now, as I look through the list of study abroad options that's available right now (Japan is not on there as of yet), I feel drawn to London and Wales.

The memories of the busy bustling street, soaring cathedrals, and the majesty of the land brings tears to my eyes. I feel a longing to be back at 27 Palace Court in Bayswater, Kensington, or back in Cardiff, where I spent only one day.

Is that where I'm supposed to go? Is England where I'm supposed to be?

I suppose the only way to figure it out is just to go. But the question is - should I go to England immediately? Or should I take this spring to go to Japan and confirm for myself whether or not that's where I should be?

I don't know. I don't feel like I know anything anymore. Where I want to be now feels like it's forbidden. I'm already so lost... how much longer, and what more do I have to sacrifice to find where I belong?

[AMV] One - ShiroAki

That's right, I've done another one. I'm actually quite proud of it! ^.^ The video glitches a bit in the beginning, but there was really nothing I could do about it...

Anyway, enjoy "One".

ohisashisashiburi!!

It's been a long time since I posted... this summer has been quite literally a train wreck. Right now things are kind of simmering down, but it'll all start up again.

I finished my intensive classes with flying colours, so we're good to continue those threads. I'll be moving into my apartment in a few days, so I should probably be focusing on that... mah, oh well.

I've also started up a fansub group for Monochrome Factor, MonoRyuukou-Subs, where I am the (bad) translator. If you want to check it out, just got to my profile.

Haaahhh, I should probably go get packing...

/quick, crappy update.

Animosity.

I love my cousins, really I do. But they fill me with so much ANIMOSITY. They're loud, noisy, whiny and they do nothing but fight. The eldest is a control freak that tries to tell his siblings what to do all the time, whether it's getting dressed or playing Zoo Tycoon. The others argue back, and argue with each other, and just in general get on my nerves. They never stop whining. How many times I have turned up the TV after hearing "Tell me now! Tell me now!" "Give it! Give it!" "Ukki! Ukki!" screamed NONSTOP for any given amount of time.

UGH. They are making my life so difficult. Everytime I walk past them and they're arguing, or yelling, it makes me want to do something drastic, like turn off the computer and take it down to my room just so I don't have to hear them squabbling over it all the time. It's difficult enough to do my homework when we're behind in class. It's worse when I'm trying to do my homework and I hear them whining and yelling and fighting.

Luckily, they leave in a week. What to do so that my ANIMOSITY does not control my actions...

Excuses, Excuses

Yes, I haven't updated here for awhile, but that's because I've been so busy. Let's take a look:

- I started college
- Flew down to Los Angeles to take a test at the Japanese Consulate
- Was rejected from the MEXT scholarship
- Started looking into study abroad
- Started working every night
- I have finals for Japanese 101 today


Do I sound a bit busy?

One Step leads to Another

I applied to the Japanese Consulate for a scholarship that will take me to Japan for school for five years. I sent the application in last week.

I got an e-mail today saying that, should I pass the initial application, I will be required to sit exams on July 1st and 2nd.

While I am ecstatic to learn whether I passed the initial screening, the problem is that going to exams means missing at least two days of school. During summer term, this is a very bad idea. This also means that I have very little time to review my subjects so I have a decent chance of passing the exams, and thus moving on to the next screening.





Help me.

GetBackers Funnies

Because my dear friend Boredom struck again.


Please enjoy.

-AMV- Freesia [GB]

I finished watching the anime series GetBackers ("GetBackers 奪還屋") last night. It was quite a lovely, poignant series that I've absolutely adored. There was a lot of really interesting threads that wove into a plot; also, it was a series that was hilarious yet serious, making me laugh and cry at the same time. I found a lot of thought-inspiring moments in the series, that might inspire philosophical discussion... or, so I think. But, I'll find time to talk more about it later.

One of my favourite plot-threads, so to speak, is the relationship between Fuuchouin Kazuki and his friend, Kakei Juubei. Their situation such a touching, heart-wrenching thing that does plenty to outline the cruelty of the world that the characters, and we, exist in, and their relationship shows how redemption, kindness, and forgiveness can be found even in such a terrible world.

So, I made a quick little video last night, using some scenes from their first episodes together that I felt epitomized the essence of their relationship. Gackt's beautiful instrumental, "Freesia ~Op. 2~" fit the mood very well.

Please, enjoy. :) Feedback is always appreciated.


P.S. In floriography, freesia stands for reverence, respect, honour, and innocence.

Homesick / Lost

It's been about a month and a half - or maybe more - since I moved out of my home, and my family left for California. I thought that after this long, I wouldn't feel so out-of-place. I seem to have been wrong, as I so often am.

When you spend most of your life in one place, it's difficult to, all of a sudden, up and leave. Nowhere feels like home. I'm living with my grandparents right now, but soon I'll be off and living in an apartment near campus. I stay with my family for a little while out in California every now and then.

When people you should feel at home with are in so many places, or you are traveling so much and are in so many places, where exactly is home?

I think the only time I've ever felt so out of place was when I came back from London. I had become so comfortable in that little flat in Bayswater, and I had become so familiar with the area, that coming back was just plain weird. People sounded funny, and were driving on the wrong side of the road. Everything just seemed strange, and alien, like I had never been here before, or like I didn't belong here anymore. I still feel that way. I think I miss London more than I ever missed Utah.

Feeling like you don't belong anywhere is no fun. Everything is unfamiliar, even if you're in a familiar place like I am. I feel like a burden. I feel like I don't belong, or that I'm in the wrong place all the time... sometimes I even feel like soon, I'll just pack everything back up and go back to my purple room a few miles away, where everything was familiar and comfortable.

I just want to go home... but there is no home anymore.

Translation - DRESS -bloody trinity mix-

This is actually what I did as I was sitting in the Las Vegas airport on my way home spring break. People were staring at my laptop as if they'd never seen one before. Sheesh. Anyway.

This is the opening song to Trinity Blood, one of my favourite anime. The tone and lyrics fit the mood and content of the anime quite well, even though at first glance they may seem a little strange. Just watching the opening song is more than enough to give you a feel for what you'll experience during viewing, which is much unlike most anime opening songs.

Credit goes to BUCK-TICK for the song. Please enjoy. : )


ドレス 『bloody trinity mix』
DRESS -bloody trinity mix-

鏡の前で君とまどろむ薄紅の指先
その手は不意に弱さを見せて
唇を塞いだ

kagami no mae de kimi to madoromu usubeni no yubisaki
sono te wa fui ni yowasa wo misete
kuchibiru wo fusaida

I doze in front of the mirror with you, with rouge fingertips
Unexpectedly, that hand showed weakness
And you closed your lips



あの日君と約束を交わした
今は二人思い出せずに。。。

ano hi kimi to yakusoku wo kawashita
ima wa futari omoidasezu ni...

That day, I exchanged promises with you
And now we can't remember it...



退屈な歌に耳を傾け
窓の外見つめる
僕はDRESSを纏踊って見せよう
狂ってる会教えて

taikutsu na uta ni mimi wo katamuke mado no soto mitsumeru
boku wa DRESS wo matori odotte miseyou
kurutterukai? oshiete

I hum a boring tune as I gaze out the window
Let me put on a dress and dance for you
Am I insane? Please tell me



いつかかぜにさらわれてゆくだろう
今は二人想い出せず Oh。。。

itsuka kaze ni sarawarete yuku darou
ima wa futari omoidasezu Oh...

Someday, the wind will carry me away
And now we can't remember it Oh...



僕はなぜ風のように雲のようにあの空へと浮かぶ羽がない？ なぜ。。。
星のように月のように全て包むあの夜へと沈む羽がない？ ああ。。。

Boku wa naze kaze no you ni kumo no you ni sora he to ukabu hane ga nai? Naze...
Hoshi no you ni, tsuki no you ni, subete tsutsumu ano yoru he to shizumu hane ga nai? Aa...

Why don't I have wings to fly in that sky, like the wind, like the clouds? Why...
Why don't I have wings to sink into that all-enveloping night, like the stars, like the moon? Aah...



忘れないで愛溢れたあの日々
君の顔も思い出せずに

wasurenai de ai afureta ano hibi
kimi no kao mo omoidasezu ni

Don't forget the love that overflowed on that day
I can't even remember your face



いつか風に書き消されてゆくだろう
いまは二人思い出せず Oh。。。

itsuka kaze ni kaki kesarete yuku darou
ima wa futari omoidasezu Oh...

Someday, the wind will erase what was written
And now, we can't remember it Oh...



僕はなぜ風のように雲のようにあの空へと浮かぶ羽がない？ なぜ。。。
星のように月のように全て包むあの夜へと沈む羽がない？ ああ。。。

Boku wa naze kaze no you ni kumo no you ni sora he to ukabu hane ga nai? Naze...
Hoshi no you ni, tsuki no you ni subete tsutsumu ano yoru he to shizumu hane ga nai? Aa...

Why don't I have wings to fly in that sky, like the wind, like the clouds? Why...
Why don't I have wings to sink into that all-encompassing night, like the stars, like the moon? Aah...



僕はなぜ風のように雲のようにあの空へと浮かぶ羽がない？ なぜ。。。
この愛もこの傷も懐かしい今は愛しくて痛み出す。。。ああ。。。

Boku wa naze kaze no you ni, kumo no you ni ano sora he to ukabu hane ga nai? Naze
kono ai mo kono kizu mo natsukashii ima wa itoshikute itamidasu Aah...

Why don't I have wings to fly in that sky, like the wind, like the clouds? Why...
This love, and this wound, are now something beloved. They begin to ache... Aah...

Seminary Graduation and Thoughts on Religion

I just graduated from the LDS Seminary program about an hour ago. It's been a long four years studying the scriptures, but I have made it through.

Seminary has been a mixed experience for me. My first year, I didn't want to take seminary. I was too concerned with getting in all my credits for regular high school graduation. At my parents' insistence, I reluctantly signed up to begin seminary in ninth grade.

I think that year was my most impressing year. I had so many spiritual experiences and I felt the Spirit almost every time I walked in. That year we were studying the New Testament. This has always been my favourite part of the quad we Mormons have, as blasphemous as it is to claim something other than the Book of Mormon as my favourite gospel book. I feel like learning about the Saviour, and His sacrifice for us, and His teachings, is the most fundamental and necessary part of any Christian religion. Without Him, there would be none of our religion.

Sometimes, I feel like Mormons get too wrapped up in the Book of Mormon. Now, I understand that the BoM is indeed an important part of our religion. But, it is not the only part of our religion. The BoM is another testament of Jesus Christ, not the only one. And while it does teach many important things, and testify that there were people in the Americas that saw the Saviour, it does not show the Saviour, nor his miracles, nor show us the degree of His suffering or His death for us. It is important that people other than those in the Middle East saw Him, but I feel more inspired by His teachings, rather than the bare testimonies of His followers, as powerful as they are.

The next year, I moved up to the high school and learned about the Book of Mormon. This was a year of learning and realization for me - I left the US for almost three weeks in the middle of the first semester. My first trip abroad, and to someplace as different from the US as Taiwan, I had a true awakening. I saw, for the first real time, a religion outside my own, a people who were as good as any Mormon, who were kind. They told me and my dad about how they saw the missionaries - kind, handsome young men - and how impressed they were with them. They graciously accepted the fact that we didn't drink wine, or tea, or coffee. And, along with all this, I realized how big the world is, how diverse its people are, and I began to understand God's love for all his children, no matter what race or religion they are.

And when I returned home, I realized to myself how petty and sheltered everyone at school was. I realized for the first time how difficult and selfish Mormons that have grown up in a place where there is basically no other religion are. I think it was after that trip I entered into a very difficult phase - the phase of knowing things, and having experienced things, that no one in their life could ever dream of having.

It was hard for me. I became less acceptable than I already was. When Mormons at school found out that I had gone to Taoist and Buddhist temples, and done some of the most basic gestures, such as bowing to a statue out of respect, they turned on me. I found it difficult to really pay attention in seminary when everyone acted as if I wasn't there. Why freak out over something so small? I am not going to go to hell for experiencing another culture, and acting respectably upon their religion's practices. It's not like I had converted to Taoism. Reading the Book of Mormon was a struggle.

And yet, I think I had the first true, strong manifestation of the Spirit at the end of that year. After having struggled with something that was wearing on me mentally and physically, and after a powerful lesson on prayer, I knelt and prayed with all my heart. The Spirit came to me, so strongly, that I knew more than anything that the Church was true, and that Heavenly Father cared about me. Just that one prayer. Can one who was a heathen, and who had 'rejected the gospel' feel such a truth?

The next year, I was in London and the rest of Europe for half the year. Amazingly, Mormons over there were more accepting. They were much more willing to allow me into their circle, and talk about my experiences with me. I'll attribute it to the fact that most of them didn't grow up in an area that was predominantly Mormon - in fact, most of them were converts. They knew that there was no true evil in another religion (any God-worshipping religion, anyway. Of course, devil-worshipping is evil. /disclaimer). They didn't shun me for bowing in a Buddhist temple, or washing my hands at a fountain in front of a temple to Kanon.

And, while I was there, I traveled to many cathedrals of Catholics and Anglicans. I attended evensong at Salisbury. I knelt in St. Peter's in the area where kings were crowned, and when I was unintentionally abandoned in a side chapel for a few hours, I knelt down with other Catholics and prayed for awhile. No one looked at me as if I was a freak when I did that. True, they probably didn't know I was a Mormon, but at least they weren't staring at me as if to say, "You American Protestant! How dare you defile our chapel by praying?"

Why is it that people outside Mormonism are so much more accepting?

And so I came back, again. I didn't say anything about the religious experiencing I had done in Europe - at least, not explicitly. Upon returning to regular Utah seminary, I acted as a friend and translator to a Japanese exchange student. It was difficult, as I again was generally ignored (I don't know if the other students inherently knew that I had done rituals outside the Mormon religion, or if they just didn't care to get to know the "new girl"). I was proud of the growth and Spirit that Yuka had experienced. I still pray for her, and hope that she is continuing to learn the gospel back in Yokohama.

This last year has probably been my hardest. So many things have happened this year that it was difficult to concentrate in seminary, and, in the few times I was been able to, I felt let down due to what was going on in the class. I couldn't feel the spirit I felt like I should have been feeling. As a senior, in a class where most students have either dropped seminary, skip classes all the time, or just don't care, it's been very difficult for me to want to go to class. The juniors and sophomores that have been in my classes don't seem to understand the gravity of the words they are ignoring. This last semester, one certain boy has come in, pulled out his brown-bag lunch, and munched loudly on it. Once finished, he proceeds to make as much noise as possible and attempt to draw all attention to himself.

It's disgusting, especially since after a few days almost every other boy in class joined him in making a racket. I could probably have learned more about the Old Testament by just going home, pulling out my scriptures, and reading myself. There should be a big sign on the doors to the seminary building reading: "IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY, IF YOU ARE NOT COMING TO FEEL THE SPIRIT, IF YOU ARE NOT COMING BECAUSE YOU WANT TO LEARN ABOUT THE GOSPEL, DON'T BOTHER COMING." The way the younger students have acted has made this year pointless.

Did I point out that it got out that I had participated in mass and prayed in a Catholic church? For the most part, I think this was accepted generally well. But I still get the occasional look that says, "You're going to hell for straying outside the gospel. Catholics and Anglicans are so sacrilegious. There is no redemption for you." (I suppose that pointing out most of the chapels in the valley are in that very 'sacreligious' cruciform didn't help me?)

I'm a bad Mormon because I participated in Mass. I'm a bad Mormon because I bought incense and waved it through a Taoist temple. I'm a bad Mormon because I tolerate others' swearing. I'm a bad Mormon because I'm friends with Catholics. I'm a bad Mormon because I know, I know that gays aren't bad people, and I'm bad because I don't verbally abuse gays or participate in such conversations. I'm a bad Mormon because I think Gothic cathedrals are beautiful. I'm a bad Mormon because I don't go out on a date every weekend, or have plans to get married as soon as I graduate from high school. I'm a bad Mormon because I'm not waiting for a missionary. I'm a bad Mormon I want to go to Japan for university, rather than staying at BYU. I'm a bad Mormon because I want to go explore the world, explore cultures, live somewhere other than in Utah all my life.

Where have I gone wrong, I wonder?

It's my view that there's truth in every religion. I thought that it was good to be a well-rounded person, and I consider being able to respect other religions, and being willing to participate in their rituals, part of becoming well-rounded. Am I wrong? Am I damned for being willing to participate in the activities of other religions, especially when Mormons are encouraged to invite friends of other faiths to their activities? Is there ever a commandment somewhere saying, "You do all you can to bring your friends to the gospel, but if they ever invite you to a friendly activity of theirs, you turn snobbish and say you won't participate in those devil rituals"? Am I going to hell for being willing to learn, and experiences, things from other cultures, even if I still have a testimony of the truth of the gospel I know, and I am still a faithful member? And, with all this confusion, rejection, and the occasional mock-crossing of oneself directed at me, am I not validated in feeling like seminary was overall a bad experience, mostly deprived of the spirit I was supposed to experience?

If so, I might as well go become an Anglican.

Birthday presents, birthday thoughts

Death Note was a blast. Although it is very intense, very psychological, there were so many humourous scenes it was almost difficult to take it seriously. At least, on my end. Most of the humour revolved around the frightening Ryuk. In fact, when my friend, who has had no Death Note experience whatsoever, saw Ryuk, she whispered to me, "Now I'll have nightmares." I replied that within the hour, she would wonder why she ever said so.

I think it was about the time Ryuk started banging his head against the ceiling screaming, "I just want some apples!!" she realized how true this was. Now, if only we hadn't had the otaku jerks sitting behind us, I think the movie would have been much better. But that's just my opinion.

It's weird to think that I'm an adult now. I can vote, I can buy dry ice, I can get married, I can move out, I can go to jail. I don't feel like an adult at all. I don't want to take care of myself. Maybe I'll get over it.

My birthday's a little spread out this year, since my family and I don't live together. I think in total, it'll last about five days, if you count from when I got my first present to when I'll probably get my last one. I've gotten, so far:

-A gift card to Subway
-A Death Note L t-shirt and bookmark
-$100 for the buying of a tennis racket and other necessaries
-Two shirts, a pair of jeans, and new shoes
-"England's Thousand Best Churches", a book about... well, England's thousand best churches
-Dinner at the Happy Sumo
-Ice cream at Cold Stone
-Contract for my apartment!!! Yes!!!
-... random Finnish souvenir paraphernalia? XD I won't get that for awhile, but...

Oh goodness. Best birthday ever.

Happy birthday to me!

高校は終っている! 今日、私が私の最後の日を行きました。実は、高校が終りまへん；今日のあとで、私は行きまへん。クラスのに、 私たちがことしない、 じゃ私は仕事を行きますとお金をある。

School is over! I attended my last day today. Technically, it is not over; I am just not going anymore. We are doing nothing in my classes, so I figured that it would be better to go work and put some money into my college fund.


そして、この木曜日は私の誕生日です、 私の家族が来る。何時家族が来る、誰かが高校を行きます？

Plus, my birthday is on Thursday and my family is coming out to visit me. Who would go to school when people are coming to see them?


そう言うなら、この 朝、 私が一のクラスが出した、 私のローッカがバルーンとKimeruの写真をはち切れる! サインが読む: 「お誕生日おえでと、部長! お前のファクルブがお前の大好き!」

Speaking of my birthday, I came out of first period today to find my locker excessively decorated and stuffed with balloons and pictures of Kimeru. The finishing touches read, "Happy Birthday, Buchou! Your Fan Club Loves You!"


私の友達が大好き。☆キラキラ☆

I love my friends.


私のバースデイパーテイが明日の夜。私達が饅頭とチョコレットと山葵のケッキを食べます。 あと、私達が「DEATH NOTE」を見ている。見ている、 私が嬉しい、でもその映画がダブです、 じゃ私は少し恐がるです。(笑)

I'm having my birthday party tomorrow night. Several of my friends and I are going to meet at my house to have dim tai fun and chocolate-wasabi cake before we head off to the nearby mall in order to watch the live-action Death Note movie. I'm excited to see it, but it's dubbed, so I'm a little afraid as well. -laugh-

In other good news, my friend Nicole and I did finally find a place to stay for fall/winter semesters this term. We got a shared room at a small apartment complex just a couple streets south of campus. The apartments are very nice, and the rooms are a decent size, with a tall ceiling and plenty of space, plus a sink in each room. The bedrooms are even up a small set of stairs, so it feels more like a small little townhouse, rather than a cramped dormitory.

If there's anything I'm afraid about, it's the fear that we might have landed a room with some snot like what Nicole had to room with fall semester this last year. It would be easier, because Nicole and I get along really well and we would be in our own room, but it would be nice if we didn't have to put up with someone like... I'll say no *coughhelencough* names. I don't know who our apartmentmates are... hopefully they're nice.

We'll rush like madwomen and move into the apartment in late August.

Hurray for birthdays!


Oh... and if you didn't notice, I am going to start trying to write parts of my blogs in Japanese as well, now. In a few months, I'll probably look back and say, "Stone the flamin' crows, I was terrible!" Oh well. Such is life.

Anime is Literary

So I like anime. Big deal. So I don’t like dubbed anime. Big deal. Why?

For some reason, I seem to find more “literary” themes in the anime I’m attracted to, so to speak, than I do in most books I read. The Japanese version of anime always keeps plots and subliminal themes that seem to reveal so much more of the cruelty and hope of humanity than even some of the so called “masterpiece literature” we read in class.

To make a (not very strong) point, here are some themes and plots in my favourite anime – that is, the anime that I’ve watched that I fully enjoy, and that I don’t just watch for the sake of watching – that I’ve noticed as the years and episodes go by.

(And hopefully, if my family is reading this, they will not freak out about what they see. If you do, you might as well go whale on English teachers. Life is life, and life sucks sometimes. I have learned this, if nothing else, from my Literature class this year).

Yuugiou / Yuugiou: Duel Monsters / Yuugiou: Duel Monsters GX
- We all have an “other self” inside of us. Beautifully explained by the creator, Takahashi Kazuki.
- Ambitions, dreams, and ideals can be seen in an action as simple as playing a card game
- Morality of murder, suicide, crime, etc.
- Theme of reincarnation
- Theme of nihilism/existentialism
- Theme and limits of friendship
- Exploration of split personalities, IDD, and other mental disorders
- In GX: the criticism and exploration of the situations that induce homicidal behaviour
- Possession, destruction, helplessness of humankind against celestial and supernatural forces

Angel Sanctuary
- Morality of incest
- Is heaven all good? Is hell all bad?
- Reincarnation
- Criticism of divine judgement, morals, and laws
- Nihilism/existentialism
- Murder, suicide, genocide, etc.
- What exactly is love worth?
- War, calamity, end of the world

Hakushaku Cain / Godchild
- Incest, adultery
- Black magic (ie tarot reading, necromancy) and supernatural powers
- Corruption, hatred, war, civil unrest
- “Children that are hated by God” / “Children that cannot receive God’s blessing”
- Struggling against destiny/foreordination
- Murder, suicide, homicide
- Selfishness, selflessness
- Filial love = hatred
- Abuse
- Deceit, trickery
- Split personalities
- Heavy sacrilegious themes
- The story of Abel and Cain – did God truly hate Cain?

Trinity Blood
- Unrest between religion and the world
- The Vatican vs. Vampires
- War and peace
- “Let thine eyes be not averted” (I take this as “do not look away from the world/truth”)
- Finding true religion
- Abel and Cain
- Split personalities
- Hatred and love
- Death is unavoidable
- Truth vs. lies

Shaman King
-If twins are born, are they their own selves, or are they separate units of the same person?
-Whose ideals deserve to prevail, and whose deserve to die?
-Genocide, the establishment of a world for only the chosen people (Hitler ideals?)
-Commitment, either to the “right” or “wrong” cause – neutrality when given extremist options… or is neutrality even an option?
-Is killing criminals a crime? Does a higher being command us to kill? Is there any difference between killing and “execution”?
-Choosing sides
-Belief in oneself and in others

Tennis no Oujisama
-Idea of one being unable to progress (due to unwillingness to progress, not feeling the need to progress)
-Doing things on your own vs. teamwork
-Sacrifice for your goals
-Silent suffering
-Conflict of promises
-Constant struggle to overcome yourself

Death Note
-What is “good”? What is “evil”? And the struggle to determine the answer to these questions
-Is someone who kills a criminal a murderer?
-Psychological warfare, cat-and-mouse game
-Using other people, lying, deceit, doing whatever necessary in order to accomplish your goals
-Is a good intention that utilizes committing crime really a good intention?
-Who deserves to judge humankind? Is divine judgment best left to God, or should humans take the initiative?
-Ideas of terrorism, homicide, etc.
-Is what you get in the end what you truly deserve?
-Does power, or the want to gain power, delude you or cause you to lose your mind?
-Are some ideals worth fighting for, no matter how delusional they may be?



Fruits Basket
-Exclusion of people that are different
-Suffering at the hands of a corrupted Christ-figure
-Unconditional love
-Family secrets, curses, and the repercussions of such things

Meine Liebe / Wieder
-Should government change? Is democracy or monarchy the best option for a kingdom?
-Coming to realize one’s limits, one’s true self, one’s true beliefs
-War, tension between countries, choosing what is best for one and one’s country
-Struggle for power
-Dreams and hopes of youth vs. cruelty of the world’s reality
-Change
-Crumbling of the social classes – giving those of lower social status a chance
-Tradition vs. need to modernize

Wolf’s Rain
-World after the apocalypse
-Quest for “paradise” – does it even exist? Are only the chosen ones allowed to gain access to paradise?
-Sacrifice
-Suffering
-Banding with others for strength and companionship
-Hunting those that can save the world

… So, does this do anything to convince you that anime is not just a different set of cartoons?

If not, I know not what to say.

RIP Britt

My classmate died last night.

May he rest in peace.

End-of-Year Sadness

My classmate is a very good person. He has an excellent sense of humour, loves to have fun, and is very friendly.

Today, we found out that he's in the hospital and might not make it.

On Friday, while driving, he had a seizure and ran into a house after losing control of the car. He was fine, but when they took him to the hospital, they found a tumor in his brain the size of an egg. Since it was most likely cancerous, they removed it. However, they nicked a blood vessel and he has been hemorrhaging since. At first they thought he might just be paralyzed on his left size, but about forty-five minutes ago we found out that they don't think he'll live through it.

This is upsetting to me. Here we are, almost to graduation, with our entire lives ahead of us, and someone right out of the midst of us has been struck with some of the worst of life's woes.

It's not fair, but what can I do?

End of school... it's coming!

Wow, I really haven't posted here in a long time... things have gotten pretty hectic as of last month. There was moving, going to California with my family for spring break, and since then mass-studying (at least, as much as I can stand).

I have finals these next two weeks: Government tomorrow, Literature on Thursday, then Biology the next Monday and Art History that Wednesday. Then, in all principle, school is over.

I have dorm selection dates this Wednesday. My birthday (and I'll finally be a legal adult D8) is in less than three weeks. I graduate a few days after that. Then college starts a month after my birthday.

Oh. My. Heck. I am growing up, and I don't think I like it.

Meine Liebe Characters

I just finished watching a very interesting anime last night called "Meine Liebe". It's a strange name for the content, but if you know what exactly the anime was based off then it's not too misunderstandable. But that has nothing to do with what I want to say about it.

First off, in summary, Meine Liebe is a political anime. The setting is Rozenstolz Academy - a prestigious academy in a separate European country called Kuchen. The kingdom split from mainland Europe in order to escape the wars that raged on the continent. The series centres around five honours students attending the academy. These students are called the "Strahl Candidates" - which means that they are in line for possible admittance to the government of Kuchen.

There are two sides to the candidates - one side is led by Orpherus, a very idealistic young man who wants to create a kingdom where there is no war, where everyone is happy. The other is led by Ludwig, who believes that the kingdom should not be run by the will of the people, but with an iron fist: otherwise, the kingdom will fall into ruin. While these two butt heads (Orpherus thinks Ludwig's ideals are destructive, Ludwig thinks that Orpherus has his head in the clouds), the other three Strahl Candidates are Eduard, who follows Orpherus unwaveringly; Camus, Ludwig's cousin, who wants to see Orpherus, who he admires, and Ludwig, who he absolutely adores, be friends as they both have good ideals; and Naoji, the Japanese foreign exchange student who seems to be a steadfast follower of Ludwig, but who also values some of Orpherus's ideals.

Oh, and Isaac. We can't forget him. Isaac is a British writer who fills us in on what's going on in the academy, outside the academy, and outside of Kuchen. He is not a student, but he plays a pivotal role in the rest of the anime.

This blog I'm focusing on what everyone that knows me well should be expecting: the importance of the names.

Hurrary for AP Literature class solidifying this obsession in me.

Orpherus

Meaning: "To cry out"

Allusion to: King Orpheus from Greek mythology, who had many amazing talents, the son of a king and a nymph. When his wife died, he played such sad songs and sang so mournfully that he made all the nymphs and gods cry. From the counsel of the gods, he went to the Underworld and played for Hades and Persephone. Causing their hearts to soften, they told him that he could take his wife back to earth with him, on the condition that he not look at her until they were out of the underworld. Overjoyed, he led his wife up, but at the last moment, forgetting that they both needed to be out, turned and looked at her. She disappeared, this time forever.

Parallel to Meine Liebe: Orpherus is a perfect model student, an all-rounder in almost all things, with a beautiful outer appearance. He lost his beloved elder sister to a mysterious accident, and laments for her continually. His dream of an ideal world is to prevent other innocents from dying like his sister.

Laughing point: While in a near-death state, when meeting his sister between the world of the living and the world of the dead, Orpherus begs her to return with him.

Personal Opinion: Orpherus really is quite an interesting character. His views and opinions are wholly agreeable. He is very friendly, and obviously quite a lady killer. In fact, I might really like Orpherus if he didn't have the one trait that causes me to honestly dislike characters: the accursed trait of never seeing any bad in anyone. Though we find out in Wieder it's more that he sees the pointlessness in things like "hatred" and "dislike" than the fact that he doesn't feel them, I find it incredibly irritating that he's obsessed with helping others with no end to sacrifice, or that every time he hears something less than desirable about another, he brushes it off with "It can't really be that way" or "There must be a very good reason." (Prime example of the incident with Isaac in Wieder. I felt like killing something).

The other thing that really gets me is how ridiculously idealistic his visions are. Yes, they are agreeable, and yes, his world would be a desirable one, but he doesn't seem to realize that most of his ideas would be far too lenient, thus sending the country into moralistic and physical chaos. He also seems to be unable to find a good argument that his ideas as to how the country should be run are the best idea. I recall at least two instances where his political opponent, Ludwig, asks for a convincing argument and Orpherus never replies. That makes me uneasy. I know people like Orpherus who seem to believe that their way is the best way and that it will be accepted immediately as such, who can't find solid evidence that it would be that way. I have two words: Ivory Tower.


Character Rating: Orpherus would get 3.5/5. Which, in honesty, isn't bad, but the character could use work. I think he's a little on the Gary Stu side.

Eduard

Meaning: "Guardian of prosperity"

Allusion to: Edward the Martyr, who was believed to be the son of King Edgar and his mistress, who was "a young man of great devotion and excellent conduct. He lived a completely orthodox, good and holy life. Moreover, he loved above all things God and the Church. He was generous to the poor, a haven to the good, a champion of the Faith of Christ, a vessel full of every virtuous grace." He was supposedly killed by his stepmother.

Parallel to Meine Liebe: Eduard is the illegitimate son of Viscount Braunschweig and a peasant woman - thus, he is despised by his stepmother and everyone else in Rosenstolz. His stepmother attempts to kill him at least once in the series (never mind how many other times outside what we see). He is a kind, strong person and completely dedicated to Orpherus (the Christ figure of the series).

Laughing point: He loves horseback riding. Edward the Martyr died while riding a horse after being stabbed by someone in his stepmother's party.

Personal Opinion: Eduard is one of these characters that actually seems somewhat human, that proves that the canon universe is not perfect. As an illegitimate son, he is ridiculed and mocked. He definitely feels the oppression, and definitely gets down about it. He doesn't hide his feelings, and he is exceptionally realistic. He also has a talent that isn't usually associated with "manliness" - he plays the piano, and quite well.

The fact that he still loves his father, and his half-sisters, and even his stepmother makes him tragic. It's believable - at least to me - that he would want his stepmother's approval, even if she does obviously hate him. The fact that he lost his mother at a young age, and that his stepmother separated him and his younger sister makes him that much more of an endearing character - he carries on, no matter what, still wanting to do what he feels he needs to do, without acting as if everything is okay.

The only downfall I think Eduard might have is his loyalty to Orpherus. It's understandable, of course - Orpherus was obviously the first person to actually give Eduard, the human being, a chance (because Orpherus is overly believing that everyone is undeniable good, as I mentioned before). However, I don't think Orpherus's friendship is deserving of complete, unwavering trust and loyalty, seemingly to the point of sacrificing one's life to him. Eduard's desire to protect Orpherus serves to keep the pureblood noble in his ivory tower, which only adds to my irritation. Eduard never really speaks against Orpherus, even when he disapproves of something.

It's just a little annoying. If you can understand what I mean.

Character Rating: 4/5. Good job, Eduard.

Camus

Meaning: “A creek”

Allusion to: Possibly Jean-Pierre Camus, a French bishop and writer who often expounded on moralistic intention, saving grace of divine love, and spiritual reflection.
Otherwise, perhaps the area in Ireland called Camus.

Parallel to Meine Liebe: If it's Ireland, Camus loves flowers. If it's the bishop, Camus is the naive person who wants to appeal to all forms of morals and relies on love/friendship between him and others to protect and save each other. He also reflects a lot on himself and the sheltered life he has lived due to his unnatural ability to speak to flowers.

Laughing point: Compared to everyone else in the series, Camus is the very embodiment of love and spirituality.

Personal Opinion: Small, weak, feminine, and frail, I think the only reason Camus was included in the game was for men with shota complexes. But I'll set that aside.

Every anime - especially a shoujo one - needs a character that can sense other's emotions and be affected by them. Camus is that character, the one that bridges the gap between Orpherus's side and Ludwig's. He is also the one that is probably the most widely misunderstood, and thus relateable: his strange ability to talk to plants and flowers causes others to fear and despise him. As such, and due to his fraility, he was locked up inside his home without access to the outside world for many years. His cousin, Ludwig, was the one that instilled a desire to see the outside world and to connect to the people outside.


Camus might be almost as irritating as Orpherus in the fact that he sees good in people, except that he readily sees good in only one person: Ludwig. This doesn't irritate me, as Ludwig is, in all actuality, a very good person (shown in his own way). The thing that upsets me about Camus is how emotionally unbalanced he seems to be, and how unwilling to try his best he is. Though I guess in this sense he's probably the most realistic of all characters, it's a little baffling to think about why someone that seems to have no real interest in politics and who doesn't seem to have much promise in the way of being a good government official is in the class designed to help promote people with those exact interests. Camus is also fast to run away from a situation unless it involves Ludwig or his friends - at which point he'll blindly run towards the situation at risk of making things worse. That is also a little bit offthrowing.


Character rating: 3.5/5. Sorry, Camus. If he was a little mature, it wouldn't be quite that bad.

Naoji

Meaning: …. Um…

Allusion to: ... well, I can't really find anything. Since the series takes place in Europe, and Naoji is the only foreigner, his name just stands out. (Though it does appear that he is a quarter Kuchen…)

I do find Naoji Mogi, a champion figure skater, and a lot of military commanders.

Parallel to Meine Liebe: ... Naoji is graceful, yet is a good fighter.

Laughing point: Naoji is a Strahl Candidate in a country where he cannot possibly become a true member of the Strahl.

Personal Opinion: ... Gathered from the copious information I have above, I will thus be able to write a very long, descriptive bit about Naoji.

I actually really like Naoji. He is calm and collected, and seems very into perfecting himself. There is a strange calm around him that makes seeing him a pleasure to the eyes, as one can easily know that if Naoji is involved, things can be settled without need for violence (which, in this world, is always nice), and in a peaceful manner to top it all. Though Naoji is obviously homesick for his motherland, he never stops doing his best at the present, where he is right now.


Ludwig points out the one thing that is a bit of a prick about Naoji - he doesn't seem to think about what he wants to do. He only follows others, and can never truly be seen making his own executive decisions. This is also pointed out by a later Strahl, and sadly it is something that would make Naoji a bit useless in government. One should always be able to decide one way or another, and not politely take their leave. Otherwise, though a bit of a flat character, Naoji is an immense improvement over the reality-denying Orpherus or the emotionally-unstable Camus.


Character rating: 4/5. Yay, Naoji!

Ludwig

Meaning: “Famous warrior”

Allusion to: Ludwig II of Bavaria. Struggling with the pressure that he would be the royal heir to the throne of Bavaria, Ludwig was brooding and difficult to get along with, though he was popular among his subjects in later days. He hated crowds, but was not above socializing with his subjects. He is associated with the arts, ascended to the throne at a young age, had a broken engagement, believed in progress, was highly religious, might have struggled with homosexuality, was later diagnosed with paranoia, and died a mysterious death.

Parallel to Meine Liebe: Oh, Ludwig, shall I count the ways...? Ludwig is somewhat antisocial, but will go to social events, has been pressured since a young age to ascend the political ladder, gets engaged but breaks it off, is in favour of progression, and can quote obscure scripture.

Oh, did I mention that his mother is the king’s younger sister…? So he is, in context, a prince.

Laughing point: I personally think Ludwig might be struggling with homosexuality... (him and everyone else in this show) And if he doesn't lighten up, he might just be diagnosed with paranoia.

Personal Opinion: I'll try not to laugh as I write this. I love Ludwig, really I do. I personally think he's the only Strahl Candidate that is fit to actually be one. He has the skills, the political knowledge, and the looks family background to be a high-ranking official. He is always calm, and he is almost always the source of a stable reality check. Ludwig sees things as they are, not as he would like them to be, which is a stark contrast to the rest of the Strahl Candidate, and which makes him a support against the brain-melting that entails the speeches of the other characters.

He is not wholly negative, but he is, of course, the downer of the bunch. His pride and his want to do things on his own, while admirable, are also a constant target of Orpherus's speeches and lectures. The fact that he can argue just as readily against Orpherus also provides the two-way vision that is probably best for a "political anime."

If there is anything I can find wrong with Ludwig, it's one of two things. First, I shall give the ridiculous - the length of his hair. It's pretty. I want to stroke it. But it's so inconvenient. There will be an episode where he will be fencing and all that midnight-dark hair will be cut off. Secondly, it's his emotionless way of doing things, and how he unhesitatingly accepts things so long as they will further himself (such as an arranged engagement without much more than a single look of "... Oh.") and how he obsesses over vaulting himself to heights. I understand that it's important to him, but I also think that he should learn to involve his feelings at least a little bit. We do get a hint that he does this, such as what he says after his engagement is broken off, or when Camus withdraws from the academy, or even when he invites the others to his house for a tea party with his sad mother, but for the most part he remains immovable.

Character Rating: 4/5. It would be 4.5, if not for the coldness and the long hair.

Isaac

Meaning: "Laughter"

Allusion to: ... Isaac of the Bible?

Parallel to Meine Liebe: If the Meine Liebe OP is
anything to go by... he was possibly harmed by his father while small. Kind of like Isaac of the Bible. Maybe.

Laughing point: He seems innocent to me, but he's voiced by the biggest devil-demon-evil character seiyuu in the world.

Personal Opinion: Hail, somebody that actually makes sense in this extremity-polared world. Isaac, as an adult with world experience, knows the way the world really works, and as an outsider in Kuchen, brings more experience to help aid the students within realize what their ideals for government really should be. He has the ability to look at Orpherus's ideas and appreciate them, but also understands Ludwig's train of thought and its strengths and weaknesses, and give practical application of both theories to the state of the world's affairs. He is also the only character that has admitted that he is nothing special - "I am nothing but a coward", he says to Eduard in Wieder. Also, he hires himself out to be able to care for his younger sister, which ends up as a source of dismay not only to her, but to him as well. This is also a source of character-viewer relation, as I'm fairly sure the majority of Meine Liebe watchers aren't nobility, such as counts, dukes, marquis, or anything of the sort.

He is almost like a distant parent-figure to the focus characters. In his words, "They're nothing but pampered kids asking for trouble." Though in the latter half of the series, he is usually unable to help them, he isn't afraid to stay true to himself and help the boys, at risk of his own life and the students', whenever possible.

Do I have a problem with Isaac? Give me a moment... yes, but it's not a huge one, though it is rather... ironic that he always shows up (at least in the first part of the series) right as one of the boys, namely Orpherus, needs him. Maybe Isaac is really a stalker...?

Character Rating: 4.5/5. He is a welcome, realistic relief to the soul.

Now, most of this is just what I see on the surface. Once I go back and watch the thirteen episodes of Meine Liebe and the thirteen episodes of Wieder, I'll probably come up with more.


Fun times.

Images courtesy of Meine Liebe ~Wieder~.

The horrors of mountain weather.

See it for yourself.



The view from my porch 23 March:







The view from my front porch yesterday morning:






NNNNNOOOOOOO. D:

-AMV- Agli Tar [PoT]

Because a) I was bored on Sunday, and b) I think of Kite everytime I hear this song.

I'm well aware the sync is off, and that really ticks me off because I spent tedious hours timing everything just right, only to have the song shift position every time I saved or published. I ended up trying to shift things, then publishing blindly, hoping it would work out. I went through six or seven versions before I got it close enough for me to be satisfied.

Hope you enjoy it anyway. :)

-AMV- His World [PoT]

Yeah, so I made a music video last night/this afternoon.

Because I was stuck in the house all day.

So enjoy.

(My first one, but for being tired/completely worn out/bored, I think it turned out pretty well. :3)

In other news, I got a new boss today. I was pretty scared, because he fired someone before he even officially started work, and he told me first thing when I walked in today that he had fired someone else last night too. I'd also heard that he was really strict and didn't take any nonsense.

He wasn't quite that bad though. He was strict, but he wasn't yelling at us when we didn't do things exactly the way he wanted us too, and he was joking around with us. I think I might actually come to like him. I won't like hiim as much as my old boss, but I think we'll get along. He seemed to really like me and he hinted to me about two hours into work that he might consider promoting me.

Well, wouldn't that be cool.

I've also finally been allowed to take a Japanese class at uni over the summer. My dad and I have been attempting to get me enrolled in summer term for a long time now, and the admissions office finally caved and let me in (of course, I could have chosen to not go, but after actually getting them to say they would let me in, it would be pointless for me to change my mind).

That's good - that means I won't be bored all summer, and I'll be able to do something worthwhile.

That's all for now; happy Easter, everyone!


Listening to: "Dreams of an Absolution" by Lee Brotherton
Eating: Nothing - pretty full
Reading: "Crime and Punishment"
Watching: Tennis no Oujisama National OVA 19 - Single-Balled Match
Wanting: A Prince racquet

Tennis no Oujisama Nationals OVA Ep. 18 - Thoughts

After spending several hours studying the other night, and after getting quite a lot done, I decided to treat myself and allow myself to stay up just a little bit later than usual to watch a newly-released episode of the TeniPuri OVAs. I only watched one episode, as it was getting rather late, and it proved to be quite... interesting, for lack of a better word.

I never thought there would be an episode that would leave me wondering whether or not I actually liked it. But I have come across one. Interestingly enough, it involves one of my favourite characters and one of my less favourite characters. Tezuka Kunimitsu vs. Chitose Senri.

I'm not really quite sure why I don't like Chitose, other than the fact that he really just bugs me. He's like Atobe in the way that he isn't really a dislikeable character in the first place; it's just my problem that I don't like him.

(And his sister is the only girl in the entire continuity of the series besides Seigaku's coach that I feel deserves to actually be in the storyline).

Anyway, the basic overview of the episode can be seen in a series of select images.

Begin the image-heaviness.

Behold, the pairs that DEFINITELY weren't thrown together at the last moment Tezuka-Inui Pair vs. Chitose- ... .... someone... pair.
(Omigosh buchou actually looks like he might be in his teens!)

Tezuka struggles a bit against Chitose's Hyakuren Jitoku no Kiwami...
(Does Chitose remind anyone else of Scar from The Lion King? Anyone?)

But Tezuka, the stoic hero, reveals his powers...

Tezuka retaliates with amazing strength, showing that he too has achieved Hyakuren Jitoki no Kiwami.
(Tezuka-buchou, have you ever heard of a thing called "eating"?)

And thus, the result is:

Seigaku Victory!!
(Why is Chitose sweating so much and Tezuka looks completely unphased?)

... Okay, so that's not really how it goes. But it might as well be. (That's about all you need to know to know what the episode consists of.)

I'm not complaining about the match. I always enjoy Tezuka's matches, whether or not they're absolutely ridiculous (like this one) or a serious part of the plot (like his matches against Ryoma or Atobe).

But honestly, I don't think this is a match that was really essential to the plot.

Nice to know that Tezuka is amazing (as if nobody already knew that), nice to know that he is always showing how powerful he is, that he is Ryoma's one true opponent, blah blah list goes on blah. But this match, in my opinion, doesn't have much consequence to the rest of the series.

Plus, twenty-five minutes of Chitose is almost more than I can stand.

The thing I won't complain about is the amazing shots that this episode is comprised of. There are a lot of really beautiful visuals, and it's always interesting to see what the animators can come up with to metaphorize and show Tezuka's strength (and, I guess in this case, Chitose's as well).

I could rant about the next episode buuuuttt... I won't. :| It might actually be worse than this one. I'll wait a little while and see if I can pull something worthwhile out of the next episode.