tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21842640157671796702024-03-13T16:44:29.573-07:00Beautiful DesertBeatricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02199353814449722105noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184264015767179670.post-38418879487934393802010-03-30T11:24:00.000-07:002010-03-31T05:38:57.434-07:00Catching Up, part 1: Books<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMY_4xpQ2OhZ2BR-2yl0Gh1qeF730b5W5jyjl2onbCjtnNx5_oKkeipV3vv6Z1FH1hwfkertAyYO9tZiJwJXR1Fu6bamIiEXFw-VgPPM-NFSM4vgVPoPs6pGLyRuHGlnd9K_810ufqpKj/s1600/pc.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454776378676503330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 282px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMY_4xpQ2OhZ2BR-2yl0Gh1qeF730b5W5jyjl2onbCjtnNx5_oKkeipV3vv6Z1FH1hwfkertAyYO9tZiJwJXR1Fu6bamIiEXFw-VgPPM-NFSM4vgVPoPs6pGLyRuHGlnd9K_810ufqpKj/s400/pc.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Wow. Four whole months and not a single post. Not so much as a "hey, I'm really sorry, I have x, y, and z going on in my life right now." Nada. Zip. If somebody were to ask me why I couldn't even be bothered to put up a measely "temporary hiatus" notice I would have to respond in the immortal, if rather lame, words of Beatrix Kiddo: "I don't know... because I'm a bad person?"<br /><br />But seriously, my main excuse for not writing is that I've been busy moving to Paris. And yes, I know, it's not like they don’t have the Internet here in Paris, but still. I’m not saying that moving here hasn’t had it’s perks, because it certainly has, but not everything has been a walk in the Luxembourg gardens if you know what I mean. But that’s a discussion for another day and another blog. The point I’m trying to make here is that not only has this relocation been a huge adjustment for me overall, it also means that some of the series I was following and writing about in the States aren't as readily available to me anymore. (And I was just starting to get hooked on Sarasah and The Name of the Flower!) I still haven't quite worked out how or if I'm going to continue them, since I don’t think I’ll be in Paris forever, but I decided to pick this blog back up again anyways, since I never seem to run out of random things to obsess over and I'd hate to think of what might happen if I didn't have some kind of outlet.<br /><br />So before I return to writing more detailed reviews, I thought I’d briefly revisit some of the items I’ve had on backlog since last November. This will actually be quite like the <a href="http://beautifuldesert.blogspot.com/2009/08/summer-diversions.html">summer summary</a> I posted last August after recovering from surgery, in which I gave a mini-review of everything I hadn’t been posting about lately. This time the whole batch will be broken up into several posts, with the first one (this one) being all about books. So here goes: a condensed review of what I’ve been reading recently.<br /><br /><strong>Fyodor Dostoevsky, <em>Notes from Underground</em> (translation by Constance Garnett)<br /></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQCTvg61AFinSGvKlP1-ms-ST-VQ7R2gZ-DJae45DpcVn99jzQrdZ0__zsDAFa5Y82-vqfPd3nJt0gBFmXTcbaS2lI1YH9Hrz6Yosyf-m8Yxj0zlzscTImwOTnAp1L5amzf2RGSNNGFpB/s1600/fdnu.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454771965013991218" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 194px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQCTvg61AFinSGvKlP1-ms-ST-VQ7R2gZ-DJae45DpcVn99jzQrdZ0__zsDAFa5Y82-vqfPd3nJt0gBFmXTcbaS2lI1YH9Hrz6Yosyf-m8Yxj0zlzscTImwOTnAp1L5amzf2RGSNNGFpB/s320/fdnu.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />So I’d been meaning for a while to tackle the great gaping whole in my high school education that is nineteenth century Russian literature, but I was a little nervous about starting off with one of those famously epic and wildly intimidating thousand-page novels. So what better way to warm up than with a shorter novella written by one of the period’s most celebrated authors? Well, I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting from <em>Notes from Underground</em> but in the end I was completely blown away. By way of introducing the story, I’d like to pull a quote from the text itself:<br /><br /><em>Every man has reminiscences which he would not tell to every one, but only to his friends. He has other matters in his mind which he would not reveal even to his friends, but only to himself, and that in secret. But there are other things which a man is afraid to tell even to himself, and every decent man has a number of such things stored away in his mind. The more decent he is, the greater the number of such things in his mind. </em><br /><br /><em>Notes from Underground</em> is the narrator’s confession of one such “reminiscence”, a confession made in old age and infirmary, made out of spite as much as from any moral or philosophical conviction. Although the first third of the book consists mostly in the narrator’s rambling internal monologue, Dostoevsky’s writing has the rare ability to pierce right into your heart, giving one the impression that the author has discovered your most intimate thoughts and feelings, even (perhaps especially) the ones you’re not very proud to own. And yet while you could also say all of that about <em><a href="http://beautifuldesert.blogspot.com/2009/04/gustave-flaubert-is-evil-genius.html">Madame Bovary</a></em>, for example, I found that <em>Notes from Underground</em> managed to retain, in spite of its cynicism, a sort of romantic beauty and wistfulness to which Flaubert’s book certainly never aspired. All these elements made for a very striking combination, and an engrossing read I’ll not soon forget. I’m not sure if any of this is making any sense, but I’m finding it quite difficult to articulate my impressions of the book. It really deserves so much more discussion than I’m affording it in this laundry-list of reviews. Before moving on to the next book, a few more quotes from <em>Notes.</em> What I think so impressed me about the book was that even the parts that didn’t make total sense seemed intimately familiar, perhaps because they were so universally human. I think the following quotes exemplify that a little bit. From the pages of <em>Notes from Underground</em>:<br /><br /><em>Man is a frivolous, incongruous creature, and perhaps, like a chess-player, loves the process of the game, not the end of it… He loves the process of attaining, but does not quite like to have attained, and that, of course, is very absurd.<br /><br />But why am I made with such desires? Can I have been constructed simply in order to come to the conclusion that all my construction is a cheat? I do not believe it.<br /><br />I hated his stupid but handsome face (for which I would, however, have gladly exchanged my intelligent one).<br /></em><br /><strong>Fyodor Dostoevsky, <em>The Idiot</em> (translated by Constance Garnett)</strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTV6gUVkagn23flvmBVVclc_h8nQG-GYqG0rrh9Z7wRIPerVZi9LPWc1fGjzadSzRCARVDqOGi8X8m81Q0ByNjCcaKbzBwN7rAkkoZZvzFG0vhEEVe8-LP7wrI3h8qbaBcO4RrgJYItYK-/s1600/fdi.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454773299939969186" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTV6gUVkagn23flvmBVVclc_h8nQG-GYqG0rrh9Z7wRIPerVZi9LPWc1fGjzadSzRCARVDqOGi8X8m81Q0ByNjCcaKbzBwN7rAkkoZZvzFG0vhEEVe8-LP7wrI3h8qbaBcO4RrgJYItYK-/s320/fdi.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />So after being so incredibly enamored with <em>Notes from Underground</em> I felt quite brave enough to attack one of his longer novels. I read [The Idiot] rather than the (perhaps more obvious) <em>Crime and Punishment</em> simply because I already had a copy; a friend had given me an old, tattered, paperback version many years ago and it had been sitting on my shelf ever since, just waiting to be read. And I have to admit that the novel caused me to fall a little bit out of love with Dostoevsky. I still think I genuinely admire and enjoy his work, but I don’t have as much of a crush on him as I did after finishing <em>Notes from Underground</em>. Essentially, <em>The Idiot</em> examines the question of what would happen when a truly pure and virtuous soul is thrust into the midst a humanly corrupt and degraded society. Reading this book was a very frustrating experience, because I cared so much about the fascinating main character, but in the end I don’t think the author did justice to his own creation and that’s something I have a hard time forgiving. Especially after reading a thousand pages of a story that really could have been told in less than half that amount. I also felt that the ambiguous, selective narration was a bit of a cop-out only rendered necessary by the excessive complexity sheer length of the story. On the other hand: I absolutely LOVED reading any scene with Lizaveta Prokofyevna, a truly delightful character whose personality quirks reminded me a lot of my own mother. From the pages of <em>The Idiot</em>:<br /><br /><em>There is something at the bottom of every new human thought… which can never be communicated to others, even if one were to write volumes about it and were explaining one’s idea for thirty-five years; there’s something left which cannot be induced to emerge from your brain, and remains with you forever; and with it you will die, without communicating to anyone, perhaps, the most important of your ideas.<br /><br />Don’t let us forget that the causes of human actions are usually immeasurably more complex and varied than our subsequent explanations of them.<br /></em><br /><strong>François Mauriac, <em>Thérèse Desqueyroux</em><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIjU6k5M6X9tMplPqbENmklln5uXN_UEy8zYdo4P2SSTDtC1lIyAda8XUqvMbC7Jpj-V6_qw1zGvV-OK_n8gEsSD6E_lRZKRYcBedNCajk8QrZH6VjuUdoYe-q0chYzYmMxPk9FOPWMbY/s1600/td.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454774602001943122" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 194px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIjU6k5M6X9tMplPqbENmklln5uXN_UEy8zYdo4P2SSTDtC1lIyAda8XUqvMbC7Jpj-V6_qw1zGvV-OK_n8gEsSD6E_lRZKRYcBedNCajk8QrZH6VjuUdoYe-q0chYzYmMxPk9FOPWMbY/s320/td.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></strong>Coninuing with the theme of psychological novels we have <em>Thérèse Desqueyroux</em> In brief, this is not a happy book. A short, intriguing, psychological character study? Sure bet. Overly melancholic? Perhaps just a bit. It tells the story of a woman who cannot escape from her unhappy marriage even after she’s caught trying to poison her husband. In order to preserve their reputations, both sides of the family decide to keep her as a prisoner in her own home. Believe me, it’s not as melodramatic gothic as it sounds; it’s actually a quite sensitive psychological study, and rather subtle in some of it’s finer points. Throughout the story, which is told out of chronological order, it becomes less and less clear who is the real monster and who is the victim: Thérèse or her husband. In spite of its depressing nature (there were plenty of internal monologues about loneliness and despondency), I really enjoyed the way the unique and clever way this story was constructed. It was short enough that the heaviness didn’t really get me down, and there were enough twists to keep me interested. All in all, I’d definitely recommend this to any francophone readers out there. From the pages of <em>Thérèse Desqueyroux</em> :<br /><br /><em>Rien ne peut arriver de pire que cette indifférence, que ce détachement total qui la sépare du monde et de son être même. Oui, la mort dans la vie : elle goute la mort autant que la peut gouter une vivante.<br /><br />Sa solitude lui est attachée plus étroitement qu’aux lépreux son ulcère.<br /><br />Rien n’est vraiment grave pour les êtres incapables d’aimer.</em><br /><br />Ok, that’s it for now. After all that I think I’m ready for something a little lighter next time. More short reviews coming up soon (I promise!).</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Beatricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02199353814449722105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184264015767179670.post-18126537636787402132009-11-21T07:59:00.000-08:002009-11-21T15:49:30.532-08:00A Touch of Dead, Grave Sight - Charlaine Harris' urbanfantasymystery realm<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2lUcy_w0qVtOPdA97_NlHTevpvtibwwpELitKRIj4ckQ5pzFirKyxyvX10NXGFiK_E405vgWo77d6uJY_IrpdFAFssDAUJWy9lzFUlEFnLdvqgoKAvBK5v4QgPdd1w_c_f8uUD7UIlP4/s1600/gs.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406624586113641474" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 206px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2lUcy_w0qVtOPdA97_NlHTevpvtibwwpELitKRIj4ckQ5pzFirKyxyvX10NXGFiK_E405vgWo77d6uJY_IrpdFAFssDAUJWy9lzFUlEFnLdvqgoKAvBK5v4QgPdd1w_c_f8uUD7UIlP4/s320/gs.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2zu-Yqihs9f85gYNAyLhW0ov6O_tRNdtqLv2M7HrGvhdwSagxAMtUPkp2V79dvmh93beToa0a7kZP_jPEj5xT6b85tteXqtp_vxlBznKb6v7qyrT12EbRjrpceEP_2puNV5Yh7whKje-/s1600/atod.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406624436806163410" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 203px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2zu-Yqihs9f85gYNAyLhW0ov6O_tRNdtqLv2M7HrGvhdwSagxAMtUPkp2V79dvmh93beToa0a7kZP_jPEj5xT6b85tteXqtp_vxlBznKb6v7qyrT12EbRjrpceEP_2puNV5Yh7whKje-/s320/atod.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">In order to break up the year-long wait in between releases of the Sookie Stackhouse novels (the series of books by Charlaine Harris on which HBO's hit True Blood is based), I decided this fall to check out a couple of her other publications - one Sookie-related, the other not. And so in this post I'll be reviewing two different Harris books: <em>A Touch of Dead, </em>being an anthology of previously published short stories about the Sookie universe, and <em>Grave Sight,</em> the first in another of the authors' ongoing series.<em> </em>My thoughts below... </span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">First off, <em>A Touch of Dead</em>. I knew that Harris had published a number of short stories from the Sookie-verse in various other anthologies, but the idea never really interested me enough to track them all down individually. Which is probably why <em>A Touch of Dead</em> is such a brilliant marketing ploy, especially since the series itself has become so popular among its genre. Someone like me, who's already a fan of the books, might not care about these peripheral side-stories enough to go out and buy five separate books in order to read them. Gathering them all together in a single Sookie collection, however, suddenly makes the deal a lot more tempting. Another thing that peaked my interest in this little publication was just the fact that I don't own a single one of the Sookie novels. Maybe I'm just a little OCD, but it seemed silly to buy a few of the books if I'm not going to invest in the complete series (and I'm not that hard-core of a Sookie fan). Thanks to libraries and friends, I had managed to avoid throwing down a single cent for my enjoyment of the Sookie series, and <em>A Touch of Dead </em>seemed like a nice little compromise. This way I could have some representation of the Sookie books in my personal collection without having to go all out or be totally random about it. Not to mention, I'd get to read all those short stories I'd been missing. So I bought the tiny, overpriced little book, and was pretty happy about it. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>A Touch of Dead</em> includes five separate stories that all feature Sookie herself in some capacity. (I believe there are other short stories that focus on other characters from the same universe, but which were not included in AToD.) In the first story, "Fairy Dust", the fairy twins Claudine and Claude recruit Sookie's telepathic abilities to help them discover who murdered their third sibling (they were actually triplets), Claudette. The funny thing is, Claudine doesn't exactly <em>tell</em> Sookie that's what they're up to when she invites her over. You can imagine poor Sookie's surprise when she show's up at their house and finds all the suspects bound and gagged in various nooks and crannies (one in the pantry, one in the cellar, etc). That's a lot for a girl to take, but considering all the times her fairy-god-mother friend has conveniently pooped up to save our telepath from near death situations I'd say its the least Sookie can do. This story sheds some dearly needed light on the personal lives of the twins (what does one call a pair of triplets exactly?), and so "Fairy Dust" was a welcome addition to the collection. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The second story, "One Word Answer", is significant in that it plugs up a gaping hole in the continuity of the main novels. When the Hadley storyline was rather abruptly introduced in the sixth book, Sookie already knew the whole story of her cousin's entanglement with Queen Sophie-Anne. Unfortunate readers like myself, however, were totally in the dark. "One Word Answer" is where Sookie, and dedicated readers, learn Hadley's history for the first time. In the third story, "Dracula Night", Eric invites Sookie to Fangtasia to take part in the annual celebration of the count's birth into darkness. This standalone story certainly brings the humor, as we find out that the usually cool, confident Eric suffers from a serious case of hero-worship when it comes to all thing Dracula. We also get to see a bit of the rest of the Fangtasia crew (including Pam), which is always a treat. In the fourth story, "Lucky", Sookie and the witchy roommate she picked up in New Orleans, Amelia Bradshaw, team up to figure out what supernatural forces have been plaguing the insurance industry in Bon Temps. This story was enjoyable (Amelia's always a hoot), but not particularly memorable in the grand scheme of things. The final story, "Gift Wrap" was my least favorite of the bunch. In it, Sookie rescues a wounded Were on Christmas eve from the woods surrounding her house. The two bond a little (physically as well as emotionally), before going their separate ways the next day. The reader then finds out that the whole thing was an elaborate set up by her great grandfather so she wouldn't be alone on Christmas. (Niall has the best of intentions, but as an ancient fairy he is a little out of touch with humanity). This story seemed a little gratuitous (Sookie shares an attraction with yet another hunky, but ultimately disposable, 'supe), but overall I was very pleased with the entire collection. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Shortly after finishing <em>A Touch of Dead</em> I decided to check out another one of Harris' series, seeing as how I've found the Sookie books to be so charming and engaging. So I ordered and read <em>Grave Sight</em> from the local library network. <em>Grave Sight</em> is the first in a series about Harper Connelly, a young woman who hunts down missing corpses for a living. Ever since she got struck by lighting in a freak accident as a child (yes, that's right, struck by lightning), Harper has had a powerful connection with the dead. She can locate corpses, and even relive the final moments of the deceased's life. Harper has decided to put her special skill to good use, hiring out her services to a skeptical but desperate clientele, traveling around the country to recover lost souls. Her companion and protector is her step-brother Tolliver Lang. Tolliver has always watched out for Harper since their abusive childhoods at the hands of their drug-addicted parents, and now he's sort of become her business partner and negotiator. The two share a powerful bond, but their relationship is kind of dysfunctional. On the one hand, they introduce live and introduce themselves as brother and sister, but care about each other more intensely than is usual or healthy in a sibling relationship. They're not actually related by blood, but they're not lovers either. I'd bet my bottom dollar that the development of this relationship is the focus of the series in terms of continuing character development. In the meantime they seem to get involved in various mysteries and human drama wherever their unique profession takes them. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Having only read the first book, I cannot really generalize about the series with any credibility, but I did find that it bears some resemblances to the Sookie novels. Both series feature twenty-something women coping with unusual supernatural gifts (telepathy in Sookie's case, a psychic connection with the dead in Harper's) who end up getting involved in small town mysteries. Yet the series differ greatly in that while Sookie lives in a world of vampires, witches, shape-shifters, and other supernatural beings, Harper only has to deal with regular humans in her universe. Now I'm not trying to say that the lack of 'supes makes Harper's world dull per se (humans can provide plenty of fascinating intrigue and drama on their own, no question.) But at the same time I can't deny that I felt something missing from <em>Grave Sight</em>. One of the most engaging aspects of the Sookie novels has been the whole mythology built up behind the series, which is so soundly grounded in the various supernatural communities of Bon Temps, and, by extension, of northern Louisiana. Whereas Sookie's story has this constantly expanding cast of recurring characters, the Harper Connelly series seems only to have the two central figures who travel nomadically from place to place. And after reading <em>Grave Sight</em>, I'm just not convinced that these two characters are interesting enough to carry us through an ongoing series of novels by themselves. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Overall, I didn't enjoy <em>Grave Sight</em> as much as I'd hoped or expected. It offered very little to balance out its melancholy and depressing tone, and its characters were uninspiring and unmemorable. If you enjoy a good mystery, however, you're likely to find that in any Harris book you pick up, the Harper Connelly series included. If you're looking for more character-driven plots, however, stick to Sookie Stackhouse.</span></div>Beatricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02199353814449722105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184264015767179670.post-51670438783618547612009-11-19T16:55:00.000-08:002009-11-19T22:26:21.386-08:00Fushigi Yuugi, Volume 3 VIZBIG Edition (containing volumes 7-9)<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406043685903313586" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 213px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Mxu6r-6WvzBdGOH_Xm2qTNfXPP3B0oQHWbOLn4YSEGDJnRg94rvqGBaWUHGwwj1nte2DlR9mBYfTI62TZtkY8MTffJ_o3S3lbgCGze1_prMLIat4Yj3MCIWMS8E3iU0n7BWBoZRaCxhv/s320/fyvb3.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I really love the cover art they chose for the third VIZBIG (three-volumes-in-one) release of Fushigi Yuugi. It depicts Miaka and Tamahome in what appears to be Bei Jia ceremonial garb (Bei-Jia is the northernmost of the four kingdoms in the Universe of the Four Gods, modeled after Mongolia).<br /><br />But anyways, down to brass tacks. And be forewarned that, like all my reviews, this post is very spoilerific. I would also warn readers that this installment of Fushigi Yuugi gets kind of intense at some points. Volumes 7-9 (entitled “Castaway”, “Friend”, and “Lover”, respectively) are a bit darker than earlier, more comedic volumes have been. Each of the three contains a very tragic and/or violent event with significant traumatic repercussions for our characters. In volume seven, it is the slaughtering of Tamahome’s family at the hands of Suboshi in reparation for the supposed murder of his twin, Amiboshi. In volume eight, it is the tragic death of a main character, Nuriko. In volume nine, it’s Nakago’s apparent rape of the innocent heroine, Miaka. And so although Fushigi Yuugi might technically be classified as <em>shoujo</em> (“young girls”) manga, it definitely earns its T+ (older teens) rating in these three volumes.<br /><br />Yet in spite of all the tragedy and melodrama contained therein, Fushigi Yuugi is still not nearly as harrowing a read, emotionally speaking, as a more subdued, realistic series could be. For example, I’ve found the melancholy coming-of-age manga <a href="http://beautifuldesert.blogspot.com/search/label/Sand%20Chronicles">Sand Chronicles </a>to be much more affecting, because it feels much more real and is therefore more poignant. With Fushigi Yuugi, its frequent and gratuitous forays into “over-the-top” territory prevent me from ever taking the series seriously, even when its main characters are suffering. That being said, I alw<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPdumgADTRTZAJhwsdgv4PUkvQdGs1MpPM6FT9JsBUTutKUyHGYfWpVMZFIrmCXStZCnyTWPtCMkDEjtaq1TEmTm25CyAZeV_5-psalEeF1HcXHZn7xsaz7l-ko6YNvKIxqHfc6oyerW6/s1600/fy1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406042604863584402" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 110px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPdumgADTRTZAJhwsdgv4PUkvQdGs1MpPM6FT9JsBUTutKUyHGYfWpVMZFIrmCXStZCnyTWPtCMkDEjtaq1TEmTm25CyAZeV_5-psalEeF1HcXHZn7xsaz7l-ko6YNvKIxqHfc6oyerW6/s400/fy1.jpg" border="0" /></a>ays <em>enjoy </em>FY, perhaps precisely because it does not <em>need </em>to be taken seriously. Yuu Watase is a talented artist and storyteller, and even if her works incorporate many elements of the ridiculous they are usually engaging and addictive and engrossing. Fushigi Yuugi in particular has a sort of timeless quality that rarely disappoints. I always get sucked into reading it, even though I already know the story from watching the anime, and I’m always excited to pick up each new release, and proud to add each one to my shelves.<br /><br />Volume 7, “Castaway”, begins just after the botched summoning ceremony. Tai Yi-Jun tells Miaka and the warriors that their last hope for summoning Suzaku is to find the Shentso-Pao, a mystical artifact of the priestess of Genbu, who came to the universe of the four gods many years ago. Tai Yi-Jun also warns Miaka in private that although Tamahome has returned to them, she is to have absolutely no (physical) relations with him; in order to summon Suzaku the priestess must be pure, i.e. a virgin. Confused and conflicted, she begins by treating him coldly to push him away, but confesses everything to him soon enough. Although initially taken aback, Tamahome promises her that until Suzaku is summoned he will be content to serve her faithfully as a celestial warrior should. Once everything is over and peace is restored, however, he will “make her the happiest bride in the world”. Also in this volume, we learn more about Chichiri’s past, and he actually turns out to be a much more serious person than we might have thought. In a touching scene, he confesses his past transgressions to Miaka before removing his mask and showing her, for the first time, his true face. Later on, we also learn about Nuriko’s past, and why he first began to cross dress at a very young age. Nuriko was already one of my favorite characters because of his hilarious, straightforward personality, but this revelation of his more serious, tender side just made me love him all the more. I should have read the warning signs right then and there, but it was only later that I began to suspect the imminent killing-off of his character. Alas.<br /><br />I’d also like to take a second to appreciate the fact that the summoning of Suzaku, as the driving force of conflict in the story, has come to represent so much more than a simple granting of Miaka’s wishes. When she first learned about her priestess-hood, all Miaka could think about was using her wishes for simple, selfish means like passing her high school entrance exams. At this point in the story, however, she and all the other Suzaku warriors have each become fully committed to the summoning for a higher purpose.</span><br /><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406043875851787010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 171px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBJottd4WblP6tEYzUrTZKCtcZI6JGzxd1s7ANNrccou6maD_u77t7Y3yW8PlwCQ00FBewM6vXsCkxkw1OLR8_QUVjWyRoD744onrMeHd7coisWqLkzjZmpmsC5RLG_DxAuEqo3pXYLVSL/s400/fy3.jpg" border="0" /><br />Volume 8, “Friend”, follows Miaka and the six warriors (Hotohori had to stay behind in Hong-Nan and do his emperor thing, poor guy) on their journey to Bei-Jia in search of the Shentso-Pao. I like it when the gang goes on the road, because it invariably provides for lots of humor involving the three most gregarious of the warriors (Tasuki, Tamahome, and Nuriko). After being shipwrecked in a storm, the crew washes ashore on a sinister island populated solely by female warriors who kill men on sight (or do worse to them), so of course the celestial warriors must all disguise themselves as women! Nuriko’s thrilled, Tasuki and Tamahome put up a fuss, and poor, sweet, burly Mitsukake fails miserably despite his honest efforts. They finally escape from the island, but not before some nasty encounters with Seiryu warriors. In order to summon Seiryu, they also need the power of the Shentso-Pao, but rather than seek it themselves, they’ve chosen to go about it indirectly by sabotaging the Suzaku warriors whenever possible. Our heroes do finally prevail and reach Bei-Jia in tact. Their triumph, however, is short-lived.<br /><br />Both the Seiryu and Suzaku camps reach the capital of Bei-Jia separately, but it doesn’t take long for them to run into each other. Nakago learns that the spirit guardians of the Shentso-Pao will never relinquish it to a Seiryu warrior, so he decides to wait until the Suzaku group wins it fair and square and then steal it from them. Bastard. It’s at this point, when the Miaka & co. are on the verge of securing the Shentso-Pao, that Nuriko dies suddenly and tragically in combat. Although it really is quite devastating for such a lovable character to die so brutally, Nurko is pretty lucky in that he at least got to make peace with himself and his conflicted identity issues (resulting from his sister’s death) before he died. He also got to tell Miaka how important his role as her celestial warrior has been to him, and how much he’s grown as a result of it. Even if he had to do everything over again, he wouldn’t change anything. He’d still choose to die in her service. Heartbroken, Miaka is more determined than ever to summon Suzaku. </span><br /><br /></div></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406044258242636274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 182px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6OVs4YlAtyScvrEbJLmQo5i0AlYuFHrQWx4_kfN4wX5O47KGJfsWar4Y2O74s1E5xhDWCE3iRjN2IgfalfKZA3VDcLWgopXpjW-ZYEjwDP43Xm1YYVyHGCBKKR7YnB5JuMyWGFiWT_Nz/s400/fy2.jpg" border="0" /><br />In Volume 9, “Lover”, Miaka and her remaining five companions venture into the cave containing the Shentso-Pao, guarded by the spirits of two of the Genbu celestial warriors. After a series of trials, in which Miaka surprises even her own warriors with her newfound strength and resolve, they succeed in receiving the treasure, which actually turns out to be an elaborate necklace worn by the priestess of Genbu during her (successful) summoning ceremony. The group’s happiness is cut short be the discovery that the Shentso-Pao alone is not sufficient to summon Suzaku; they must also secure an artifact from the remaining kingdom, the Western Xi-Lang. Poor Tamahome! His crestfallen “will I <em>ever</em> get married!?” expression is really quite hilarious. But as they emerge from the cave, I was strongly reminded of a line from one of my favorite plays ever, <em>Into the Woods</em>: “You may know what you need but to get what you want better see that you keep what you have.” Because the Shentso-Pao is of course immediately stolen by those gosh-darn Seiryu warriors.<br /><br />This is almost too much for Miaka. After everything they’ve been through, after Nuriko’s sacrifice, to just lose the Shentso-Pao? Guilt-ridden and distraught, she’s willing to do anything to get it back. Knowing this, Nakago is ready to take advantage of her desperation. Using Seiryu’s power, he creates an illusion of Tai Yi-Jun that tells Miaka the only way to reclaim the S-P is to weaken Nakago’s <em>chi</em>. Because she’s no match for him in combat, her only chance, says the fake Tai Yi-Jun, is to seduce him. Miaka is appalled, naturally. “But I thought the priestess had to be a virgin in order to summon Suzaku?” Fake TYJ says that was just a lie she made up in order to keep her and Tamahome in line. This is especially sickening, because not only does Nakago not love Miaka, he doesn’t even desire her. His one and only motive is to violate Miaka and thereby prevent her from ever summoning Suzaku (because the virgin rule is actually valid). So why doesn’t he just kill her? Because as the priestess of Seiryu, Yui has some control over Nakago and she doesn’t want Miaka dead. She still hates Miaka (or thinks she does) and wants to destroy her chances of happiness, but she doesn’t want to kill her.<br /><br />And so, crying bitterly, Miaka goes to him, but of course she cannot go through with it. Nakago’s much stronger, however, and easily overpowers her. She desperately tries to access her spiritual powers to fight him, but he’s still too strong, and the effort (plus all the emotional stress) really wipes her out. She faints, and we don’t actually see what happen next. The other Suzaku warriors, meanwhile, have been caught in an illusion of their own, while Tamahome, sensing that Miaka’s in danger, breaks free and follows her. He arrives at the Seiryu camp – just as Nakago is leaving. It’s not long before he puts the pieces together and figures out what must have happened. He’s there when Miaka wakes up (undressed and in pain) and quickly takes her away from the Seiryu camp. The next few scenes are pretty painful, but I love how Tamahome surpresses whatever he must be feeling on his own behalf (anger, hurt, etc) and concentrates solely on Miaka’s needs. He tells her how much he loves her, how much he’ll always love her. “You’re beautiful. You’re no different from <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-OdvT11NNkJ9I3J7eGI1NxTOGuk0bhomwGwinwZL6f7l_5S1BG75pfYG25NmjcE0-axm5Twa_rebOYk7CM4HiGdMDTHjindK9TyQVe8qDczPWpUm0qIN-U6h-6LRjrb5uFZLYrmwkqW6/s1600/026.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406047103491407394" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-OdvT11NNkJ9I3J7eGI1NxTOGuk0bhomwGwinwZL6f7l_5S1BG75pfYG25NmjcE0-axm5Twa_rebOYk7CM4HiGdMDTHjindK9TyQVe8qDczPWpUm0qIN-U6h-6LRjrb5uFZLYrmwkqW6/s200/026.JPG" border="0" /></a>before. No one and nothing could defile you. Even if we can’t summon Suzaku, it doesn’t matter. I promised I’d make you happy, remember?” But the pain she feels can’t be so easily mitigated; she still feels hurt and used and guilty. And so while Tamahome sleeps she slips quietly away and runs off on her own. End of volume 9.<br /></span><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Well that was a little more detailed of a summary than I intended, but these were pretty action-packed volumes. Fushigi Yuugi, Volume 4 VIZBIG Edition (containing volumes 10-12) will be available on December 15.</span></div></div></div></div>Beatricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02199353814449722105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184264015767179670.post-59358316381936044462009-11-14T14:58:00.000-08:002009-11-15T00:38:16.406-08:00Northanger Abbey: finding humor in gothic melodrama. Seriously.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8KvuYKEQoZPY0iNxlbdxKnjCA063IvB2r4TxHLDHQMQ_RdT26UHZs2ICvxgbzCfKoXcOlXOySvMpPWc40M0NdFKuwkwLO23QXFr40zx88KpzRye5QYERjHcbNS5rSJX5qGIlFOtPTCPxF/s1600-h/na.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404118295509045810" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 206px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8KvuYKEQoZPY0iNxlbdxKnjCA063IvB2r4TxHLDHQMQ_RdT26UHZs2ICvxgbzCfKoXcOlXOySvMpPWc40M0NdFKuwkwLO23QXFr40zx88KpzRye5QYERjHcbNS5rSJX5qGIlFOtPTCPxF/s320/na.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Thus concludes my quest to read all six of Austen’s novels, and boy am I glad I saved this one for last. It’s been so long since I read <em>Emma</em>, I’d almost forgotten that Austen novels could actually be <em>fun.</em> And considering the fact that the </span><a href="http://beautifuldesert.blogspot.com/2009/10/austens-persuasion-is-passable.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">last </span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">two I </span><a href="http://beautifuldesert.blogspot.com/2009/03/mansfield-park-not-so-much.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">read</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> were a little on the solemn side, I was quite pleasantly surprised by how lighthearted and playful <em>Northanger Abbey</em> was. I liked it more than I expected, especially since I feel that it generally gets the least love from Austen fans, though I can’t imagine why. It’s still not my favorite of all six, but it’s definitely in the top three. But more on that later.<br /><br /><em>Northanger Abbey</em> tells the story of a young girl who travels with family friends to Bath in order to experience fashionable society. She quickly makes a variety of new friends, including the seemingly kind and generous, but ultimately expedient and self-serving, Thorpes, as well as the more elegant and distinguished Tilneys. When the Tilneys invite her to stay at their home, the titular abbey, Catherine’s overactive imagination begins to run away with her. Finding herself housed in one of those old and forbidding structures featured in so many horror novels, she begins to imagine all sorts of dreadful, fantastical things about its inhabitants. Having unknowingly convinced herself that she’s the heroine of a story that doesn’t exist, she attempts to solve a mystery that isn’t really there. The results are amusing, but the consequences aren’t to be taken lightly as she winds up interfering in some rather serious matters along the way.<br /><br />I was a little apprehensive in starting the novel, as I knew it contained a good deal of satire of gothic fiction. I happen to be a fan of the gothic novel (everything from <em>Frankenstein</em> to <em>Jane Eyre</em> – I eat it all up), and I was concerned I wouldn’t enjoy a book that basically made fun of another genre. Yet I needn’t have worried. Satire well and lovingly done can always be enjoyed, even by those who highly esteem its object. <em>Northanger Abbey</em> serves as much more than a stern lesson to naïve young girls about the inherent danger and foolishness of reading novels. Indeed, what a silly, hypocritical thing to write a novel about! On the contrary, Austen does not disparage fiction in this particular work of fiction. In fact, she spends the better part of an entire chapter defending the activity of reading novels against its harsher critics. And yet her tale does caution the over-zealous, indiscriminate reader against the unhappiness one can expect if one fails to distinguish properly between fiction and reality, something most readers can probably appreciate all too well. And all of this Austen accomplishes through a very entertaining and amusing story to boot.<br /><br />The heroine of <em>Northanger Abbey</em> is Catherine Morland, a young girl from a large family who grew up in the countryside reading as many novels as she could get her hands on in diligent, if slightly misguided, preparation for the time she would enter fashionable society for the first time at the tender age of seventeen. Some readers might take issue with Catherine’s poor jugement and lack of perception throughout the novel, but I don’t think that’s entirely fair. The combination of her inexperience (she’s by far the youngest of Austen’s heroines) and her open, trusting nature (having grown up among good, honest people she naturally expects others to be good and honest as well) make her an easy target for those who would take advantage of her innocently unsuspicious character. It was really fun to get inside Catherine’s head, and to watch her grow up over the course of the novel.<br /></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I don't really have a whole lot else to say about this novel; although it was very enjoyable, it was pretty straightforward for the most part, which is why it doesn't trump the more complex <em>Emma</em> or <em>Pride and Prejudice</em> in my opinion. Heck, even the horrible <em>Mansfeild Park</em> was more discuss-able than this one.</span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">That being said, <em>Northanger Abbey</em> was one of the most quotable of Austen’s novels, what with the heavy satire and all. Some memorable excerpts from the pages of <em>Northanger Abbey</em>…</span><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><br /><div><br /><blockquote><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">To look <em>almost</em> pretty is an acquisition of higher delight to a girl who has been looking plain the first fifteen years of her life than a beauty from her cradle can ever receive.<br /><br />But from fifteen to seventeen she was in training for a heroine; she read all such works as heroines must read to supply their memories with those quotations which are so serviceable and so soothing in the vicissitudes of their eventful lives.<br /><br />It would be mortifying to the feelings of many ladies could they be made to understand how little the heart of man is affected by what is costly or new in their attire.<br /><br />The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.<br /></span></blockquote><br /></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">________________________________________<br />Ok, so now that I’ve finished all six completed Austen novels, I can finally rank them. (That was the whole point of reading them, right?) Drum roll, please…<br /><br />1. <em>Emma.</em> Hands down. The funniest, the most entertaining heroine, the best cast of extended characters, plus a very satisfying romance.<br />2.<em> Pride and Prejudice</em>. The most romantic. Also, some pretty classic characters. The one with Mr. Collins.<br />3. <em>Northanger Abbey.</em> See above.<br />4. <em>Persuasion.</em> Was ok, but not the best.<br />5. <em>Sense & Sensibility</em>. Meh. Started out great, went downhill. Had lost patience with both sisters long before the end.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">6. <em>Mansfield Park</em>. I’ve already said enough about my feelings for this one.</span></div>Beatricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02199353814449722105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184264015767179670.post-59840872639640122442009-11-14T14:01:00.001-08:002009-11-14T14:52:03.452-08:00Dollhouse cancelled! Sad, but not terribly shocking...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6-UxSyU8UCEgxg7XjhSRf0umnwSJiU_8bA4-JUYKTXA7YP18w2xJV5F3mK7QMa8PIF14eEMOGiFt13fDn8-tSIS3oM4-Fl26RCcbnpfx87TB3dxaVCA9ikVL5hdyIQrEPgjPKs6GhzjIv/s1600-h/dh.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404093184458847810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 250px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6-UxSyU8UCEgxg7XjhSRf0umnwSJiU_8bA4-JUYKTXA7YP18w2xJV5F3mK7QMa8PIF14eEMOGiFt13fDn8-tSIS3oM4-Fl26RCcbnpfx87TB3dxaVCA9ikVL5hdyIQrEPgjPKs6GhzjIv/s400/dh.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The bad news, which the small yet devoted Dollhouse fanbase has been trying to stave off since the show's inauspicious premiere in February, has finally arrived. FOX officially announced this week that Joss Whedon's television allegory about identity and exploitation will be cancelled after the remaining nine episodes air. This was a huge disappointment for me (I've really enjoyed watching and writing about this show, and I feel like there's so much about the characters and story yet to be explored), but I cannot say that it was wholly unexpected. Whether due to it's undesirable Friday night timeslot, or to its overly complex and unwieldy plot structure, or to a combination of the two, the show never managed to build up a large enough live audience to keep it going. I was grateful and optimistic when Dollhouse was picked up for a second season last spring, but seeing as how the show remained in it's Friday night spot, continued to draw depressing ratings, and got swept out of the November sweeps, I wasn't terribly surprised to hear the news. Still, it's hard to face the finality of the cancellation after stubbornly holding out hope for the better part of the year that things would turn around, and that the show might yet have a bright future. It must suck even more for the actors and production team.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">And speaking of those actors, let me just say how much I dearly hope Enver Gjokaj finds a new project soon. It's not just that I have such a crush on him. I also think he's an amazing actor, and really deserves more recognition. I also wouldn't mind seeing Dichen Lachmen again on either the big or small screen. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">If there's a silver lining here, it's that the remaining nine episodes <em>will </em>air throughout December and January, and that advanced notice of the cancellation will at least allow Joss & co. to prepare for the end. What that means is that fans will most likely be given a degree of closure which wouldn't be possible if the show had been cancelled in a more brutal fashion (as in kind of like, oh I dunno, the last show Whedon created for this network. At least Dollhouse won't go the way of Firefly. Although, if it meant we'd get a feature film several years later it might be worth it.)</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">So there's nothing much for fans to do except reconcile themselves to the harsh reality, and to console themselves as best they can with the remaining nine episodes of season two. On the other hand, if finishing DH means Whedon can actually get to work on the Dr. Horrible sequel he's been promising for, like, ever - well, that wouldn't be a completely terrible thing either.</span></div></div></div>Beatricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02199353814449722105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184264015767179670.post-30264973108963988502009-11-08T21:43:00.000-08:002009-11-09T16:43:53.220-08:00Memorable TV opening themes<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Ok, this is kind of random, but I was just thinking today about how much I <em>love</em> the opening sequences of television shows. On the one hand, if it’s a show you really love, it doesn’t even matter how good the opening is, you still react to it like Pavlov’s dog to a bell; the very first notes of the theme song cue that instant rush of excitement and anticipation as you await the imminent commencement of another episode. On the other hand, there’s a lot to be said for opening sequences that are creative and exciting in and of themselves, even if the show itself doesn’t really do much for you. Yet if one of your <em>favorite</em> shows has a <em>killer</em> opener, one that is dynamic and interesting and perfectly captures the unique tone of a unique show – the effect is amazing. It’s an art form, really.<br /><br />And so here are some of my favorite television opening sequences, in descending chronological order (i.e. in reverse order of when the shows premiered with their openers).<br /><br /><strong>True Blood (2008).</strong> It’s gritty, it’s grotesque, it’s bizarre, it’s strangely fascinating. Just like the show itself, in fact. None of the main actors appear in this opening, but the images used perfectly convey the show’s tone and its stylized northern Louisiana setting. And the song is just perfect! I usually cannot stand country music at all, but I actually had Jace Everett’s “Bad Things” as my cell phone ring for like six months. I can’t really describe the effect of the True Blood opening; it speaks for itself.<br /><object height="425" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7-UORRmi1ZI&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7-UORRmi1ZI&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong>Conspiracy in the Court (2007).</strong> Ok, this comes from a kdrama, not an American show. But I had to include it because I really thought it did a wonderful job of introducing this fusion sageuk political thriller drama. Conspiracy in the Court stands apart from other dramas in a lot of ways – it really sets out to achieve something different (hence the fusion aspect), and does so extremely well – and this opening really reflects that. When you consider also that most kdramas have pretty lame, generic openings if they have them at all, this sequence becomes all the more remarkable. Observe:<br /><object height="258" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/o_Dc3p6Dg30&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/o_Dc3p6Dg30&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong>Dexter (2006).</strong> Honestly, I never really got into this show. I admire it, I think it’s very cool, I just never got hooked on it enough to make the time to watch it. But the opening is just so amazing. It was expertly shot and edited so as to make an ordinary, tame morning routine appear violent and savage. Thanks to this sequence, I will never look at breakfast in quite the same way again.<br /><object height="258" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/utqoFsMYPKs&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/utqoFsMYPKs&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong>Veronica Mars (2006).</strong> I say 2006 even though the show premiered in 2004 because they revamped the opening sequence for the third (and, unfortunately, final) season. For the first two seasons the VM opening was pretty average. I liked the song (“We Used to Be Friends” by the Dandy Warhols), but other than that the sequence was pretty unremarkable. For the third season they reworked the song, making it more subdued and stylized, and set it to a series of sepia-toned stills. All in all, I think the new version was much more interesting, and a much better representation of the series. Veronica Mars was, at its core, a noir-influenced detective show set in southern California and featuring a petite blonde heroine. The new opening reflected that.<br /><object height="258" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7U6Ss9pyHMQ&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7U6Ss9pyHMQ&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong>Cowboy Bebop (1998).</strong> I think I’ll just let this one speak for itself. You don’t need to know anything about the show in order to watch this opening and think its just plain awesome. The brass music, the bright solid colors, the animation…<br /><object height="258" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/T6zDfxZ4NcE&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/T6zDfxZ4NcE&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong>The X-Files (1993).</strong> My parents were both diehard fans of this show in the 90s, and they let me watch with them on Sunday nights even though I was probably too young. Even to this day the eerie whistling music gives me the shivers. I remember waiting anxiously each week to see what message would appear at the very end, whether the typical “The truth is out there” or that once in a blue moon substitution. Exciting times indeed. (Sorry about the quality.)<br /><object height="258" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vdmtY0vux30&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vdmtY0vux30&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong>Cheers (1982).</strong> Oh, this makes me miss Boston so much! This is just another example of an opening in which all the elements work. The lyrics of the song, combined with the slideshow of images, evoke a powerful nostalgia in me – for Boston, my former home, for the show and all its incomparable characters, for the time when I used to watch it with my family. This was a great show. So simple, so fantastic, so hilarious. It really does make me think about going home, and the theme song hits a very special place in my heart. And now I think I might cry. But it’s a good, happy kind of feeling. That’s how powerful a good tv opening, with strong personal associations, can be.<br /><object height="258" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AJKtS25F3L0&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AJKtS25F3L0&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />So although I’m sure there are many more great television openings out there, these were just a few of my favorites. A good opening sequence can be a very powerful thing. May this special art form continue to flourish for many years to come!</span>Beatricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02199353814449722105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184264015767179670.post-71902616819505620502009-11-07T18:38:00.000-08:002009-11-08T09:18:57.473-08:00Predators and Prey (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, volume 6)<div><div><div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401781244395544018" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 208px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNXG9YgeIyLmF9vJZWcNR8cN4oYbFYO7ueoyj-g_AZv9pMRbwP4bowh9PvSNM17VBwXzxFSRmKsyr5cDHKM4PQGe_cDtZGq2qrkTB34gs58UZ7L-8XphKh7xhnHl3DO7sc_R4yl_WAdWY/s320/bs8v5.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Gosh, it seems like forever since I wrote about </span><a href="http://beautifuldesert.blogspot.com/2009/06/time-of-your-life-buffy-vampire-slayer.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">volume 4</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> back in June. This most recent volume of Dark Horse’s comic continuation of the epic television series was released in September, but it’s taken me quite some time to catch up. First, Barnes and Noble postponed my order for about a month, and then when it finally did arrive one thing lead to another, and now here we are in November and I’m finally getting down to business.<br /><br />All in all, this was a decent installment of Season 8, but the comic as a whole still fails to recapture the awesomeness that was the original television show. It has all of the same characters (well, most of them anyways), and I do like how it has boldly continued to develop the mythology of the story beyond the cataclysmic series finale. Yet much of the magic of the series has been lost in its translation into the comic medium. One of the main casualties of the switch is the show’s humor, which by and large has not carried over. The writers of Season 8 do sprinkle in the occasional witty one-liner here and there, but without the delivery of live actors the dialogue tends to fall rather flat on the page. The show should always find fresh, surprising ways of being laugh-out-loud hilarious. So far, Season 8 has yet to achieve that. Or maybe I’m just too picky, or too close to the original material to judge the comic objectively. I will say that, for what it is, Season 8 is usually a pretty solid, entertaining read. So long as one remembers that what it <em>isn’t</em> is as good as the original.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxuGiWxApX4ouKTbRCw576hObsFKcOJpsVKhOpbTFd9tVF_ByU4eJtwzDkSs6AFm7w44OcQNMnDBc-CSiV0CUQNE4g0w7HjK7CyXlbAe_jbUzIo6IymTEp7nYZUuw3OnuV315Wl4GpY_WT/s1600-h/harm2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401781638335174066" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 206px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxuGiWxApX4ouKTbRCw576hObsFKcOJpsVKhOpbTFd9tVF_ByU4eJtwzDkSs6AFm7w44OcQNMnDBc-CSiV0CUQNE4g0w7HjK7CyXlbAe_jbUzIo6IymTEp7nYZUuw3OnuV315Wl4GpY_WT/s320/harm2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />But anyways, on to a discussion of the particulars of volume 5, which contains issues #21-25, plus a few extras.<br /><br /><strong>Issue #21, “Harmonic Divergence”,</strong> was pretty exciting in that it reintroduced one of my favorite recurring characters from the show, Harmony Kendall. Harmony was a vapid mean girl, characterized by pettiness, petulance, a week will, and an absurd love for tacky unicorn figures. Very little of her personality changed when she was made into a vampire at the end of season three (with hilarious results.) Her incorporation now into Season 8 is a really good illustration of why the comic both works and doesn’t work. Harmony’s foray into the world of reality television in this issue was a great storyline that stayed true to her original character and was very entertaining. And yet, at the same time, it just wasn’t’ the same as watching Mercedes McNab’s pitch-perfect performance. I’m not sure, but I also think the writers may have been taking a dig at (or at least playing off of) True Blood in this issue, what with their setting up Harmony as a kind of spokesperson for vampire rights, spearheading the integration of vampires into mainstream society. Of course the twist here is that the social justice movement modeled in True Blood (“vampires are people too!”) is made out to be shallow, manipulative PR designed to put a negative spin on the real heroes of society (i.e. the slayers).<br /><br /><strong>Issue #22, “Swell”,</strong> featured two characters I don’t really love (Kennedy, who first appeared in season seven, and Satsu, an original creation of Season 8), but still managed to be pretty cool, regardless. Kennedy shows up in Japan to run a “standard op” evaluation of Satsu’s performance in her new role as cell leader. That’s the official reason anyways, but in truth Kennedy just wants to give Satsu a little pep talk to help her get over the whole still-in-love-with-Buffy thing. (Of course, this is Kennedy we’re talking about, so her heart-to-heart, while well intentioned, is a little bit on the abrasive side.) Nevertheless, I like the way this episode provided some closure to the whole Satsu/Buffy thing without writing off her character or making her too one-dimensional. Well done, Season 8 writers. Oh, and the Japan team also takes down an army of vampire teddy bears as well. </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401782035463654658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 245px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNIHq8saXKlqMAcN_BBfo0Ol5Q-zrCYMKFJvl-eSTz4nnTiKKCgjM0vDruYRpxfENEu5ObV0VPk2LZ78cOW_DInnYCtzSCpp9f-be05QeXIr56eNlGE-s_uZtk_48ak0_ZmPAOJDZDGMuv/s320/btvs-sea-8-23.jpg" border="0" /><br /><strong>Issue #23, “Predators and Prey”,</strong> was kind of a confusing issue, plot-wise, that involved Andrew and Buffy tracking down a rogue slayer and her team of marauding thugettes in the Italian countryside. While the duo fails to bring Simone and her gang back over from the dark side, they do share some much needed bonding time. Ah, Andrew. Another one of my favorites from the show. If I could pick any television character to be my real-life best friend, it would be a toss up between Marshall from <em>How I Met Your Mother</em> or Andrew from <em>Buffy</em>. Sure, he’s annoying, slightly delusional, and not too long ago he was a weak-willed accomplice to murder. Yet he’s become the poster boy for second chances, and I really dig that. He’s walking proof that even geeky villain wannabees can find redemption. Plus, how much do I love the fact that, in this issue, Andrew makes the confession when confronted with certain death that he’s always been on team Spike? (I love Angel too, don’t bite my head off, I just have a special place in my heart for Spike.) So although I wasn’t too enthused about the story of this issue, I thought the character stuff was great, and at the end of the day that’s what really counts.</span> <div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> </div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFdmcYDrkoNjuQfohmCAUmyM99-NjdbxUP1L7flc9XhUi7R48J120uyZ9ghArvVYyNnSd8Ap5rJBibRI1c2URf0k23K5M0E64PqY8bO-fzQsyV32PCOHNFPSel4gOBXGjiSsAA9GqMct7/s1600-h/buffy8_24p2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401782486205804546" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 212px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFdmcYDrkoNjuQfohmCAUmyM99-NjdbxUP1L7flc9XhUi7R48J120uyZ9ghArvVYyNnSd8Ap5rJBibRI1c2URf0k23K5M0E64PqY8bO-fzQsyV32PCOHNFPSel4gOBXGjiSsAA9GqMct7/s320/buffy8_24p2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />In <strong>issue #24, “Safe</strong>”, we return to Giles and Faith, who teamed up and kind of broke away from the slayer organization, at least temporarily, back in volume two. While I’m very glad to see these two back in action, it’s also very sad for me to be reminded of how distant Giles and Buffy have become. They barely keep in touch with each other anymore. Their relationship underwent a great deal of strain in season seven, and although there’s no real animosity between them they’ve kind of grown apart. It’s just sad considering how uber-close they were in the past, in spite of their differences. They shared a genuine father-daughter love for one another, but Buffy’s a hero, and Giles was always more willing to make the hard choices. I’d like to think their bond will never truly fade, but I guess only time will tell. Another question I had about this issue: didn’t the <em>entire </em>Watcher’s Council die in the bombing in season seven? Where did this survivor come from? I guess it’s not important, I just felt like that needed more explanation.<br /><br /><strong>Issue #25, “Living Doll”</strong> was a little blah in the plot department as well, but it served a much greater purpose in the grand scheme of things: namely, turning Dawn back into her human form for good. This whole deal with Dawn and the tricewise’s curse dragged on long enough, and I was more than happy to see it finally explained and resolved. It seemed almost as if the writers didn’t really know what to do with her character in Season 8; this weird plotline has kind of marginalized her from the group for a while now. I hope now that she’s back to normal she will play a more integral role in slayer operations. I know Buffy wants to protect her, but Dawn’s practically grown up now, and has at least as much right to be included as Xander, who’s just as human and powerless as she. Oh! And how tickled was I when Dawn made that reference<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4TcmLnUsf7KOQzNAxxtnCFo6b6BlyXRV9n84VAN4uRkUe1nFsrviLP8Z1RcpS93D6MPmX58qCNVPtEr6ThRXD6n8IerSVFq1fHFyaTmlF2GmOJpMm-wFjzMyjHa2tt2vN6Q9uHqc8adk/s1600-h/harm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401782739547972994" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 208px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4TcmLnUsf7KOQzNAxxtnCFo6b6BlyXRV9n84VAN4uRkUe1nFsrviLP8Z1RcpS93D6MPmX58qCNVPtEr6ThRXD6n8IerSVFq1fHFyaTmlF2GmOJpMm-wFjzMyjHa2tt2vN6Q9uHqc8adk/s320/harm.jpg" border="0" /></a> to <em>Valley of the Dolls</em>, which I </span><a href="http://beautifuldesert.blogspot.com/2009/10/valley-of-dolls.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">recently finished reading</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">?<br /><br />After issue #25, volume five also contains a special short story featuring the misadventures of Harmony on her reality show, “Harmony Bites”, as well as some faux magazine inserts and advertisements from her publicity. Fun stuff, but I’m not sure how I feel about sweet, unaffected Clem (the loose-skinned demon who used to play kitten poker with Spike) being Harmony’s new “friend” (i.e. chauffeur/pawn/source-of-amusement-when-she’s-bored). I guess it makes sense, though, since Harmony uses people and Clem’s a total pushover. I just feel bad for the guy. I wonder if the two ever reminisce about their former mutual friend Spike?</span> <div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Volume six of Season 8, entitled “Retreat”, will be released in March of 2010.</span></div></div></div></div></div>Beatricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02199353814449722105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184264015767179670.post-84420320103958919392009-11-02T13:49:00.000-08:002009-11-02T18:52:53.603-08:00Shining Inheritance shines brightly within its genre<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBS2VgNsNMM-P1dTtBohq40f54ENM14kvueLvC8kdOYhJZ6rvongjaJ39iyF5oDwZBU4ts9KMDmZdrGOiqUzBkRY9Hjqg37pX89ULrs0jHz6RCQ6eZ4fovv2w_bNzaibjhS3e3uF0Xi4f/s1600-h/SI!"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399676799038728338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBS2VgNsNMM-P1dTtBohq40f54ENM14kvueLvC8kdOYhJZ6rvongjaJ39iyF5oDwZBU4ts9KMDmZdrGOiqUzBkRY9Hjqg37pX89ULrs0jHz6RCQ6eZ4fovv2w_bNzaibjhS3e3uF0Xi4f/s400/SI!" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span><div><em><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">(Note: In this post, ESM = Evil Stepmother. I got really tired of typing that out over and over)</span></em></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>THE PITCH:</strong> </span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It’s been a while since I’ve been so thoroughly engrossed in a drama as I was in Shining Inheritance (aka Brilliant Legacy). I’m certainly not the only one to have gone ga ga over this summer’s smash hit weekend series from SBS, as evidenced by its impressive ratings, which climbed up to 47%. And yet at least in terms of plot and basic character types Shining Inheritance seems very similar to many other formulaic dramas you may have already seen. So why was this one so successful? Why did I, and so many others, enjoy it so very much? That’s what I’m going to try to explain in this post, but I think it boils down to the fact that while the character concepts and storylines may not be especially original, they are surprisingly well-acted and well-developed. Shining Inheritance is an example of a drama in which all the various elements come together in a really cohesive, satisfying way. Even if it is a mite predictable, it’s done well and addictive as shit. The romance, the family drama, the humor, the sadness, the heartwarming moments – it was just a really winning combination for me.<br /><br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399697672440556978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 220px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-AneOF8zoTzdwoK2OcuRhbi7gE-0J5Hmchnb5Ysu4FpsicePMgOF7qnRex92AAvwnbgtVnhlHcu_usH3UDFVonWPQ1wa2VE1NW9kYwMPH7tRI4TGeZU9WMgSyLOGGkyxn3EHii_KFIdoa/s400/bl2.jpg" border="0" /><br /><strong>THE PLOT:</strong> </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The story begins when a businessman on the brink of bankruptcy apparently dies in a freak accident, leaving behind his two biological children, as well as their stepmother and stepsister. The greedy and manipulative stepmother (ESM) manages to swindle the man’s children out of their share of the life insurance money, keeping it all for herself and her own daughter. The two unfortunate children, our heroine Eun-Sung and her autistic brother Eun-Woo, are forced to fend for themselves when the ESM cuts them off and casts them out. I know this is starting to sound kind of hackneyed and trite (pure, plucky, put-upon heroine triumphs against the odds and wins the love of prince-not-so-charming), but Shining Inheritance actually has a lot more to offer than plot contrivances and wild histrionics.<br /><br /><strong>THE CHARACTERS:</strong> </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Han Hyo-Ju plays Go Eun-Sung, a quick-tempered but compassionate young woman whose life is forever changed the day her father dies. In spite of the suffering she endures after bei</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtyA7ghgF4drvsQnd0JbzUrw9LCDrggm0YQVAK9OzDfk_NIEd7HbXS8BVUPSSPOq-X2VnA3iNrQnhK1wqeyCTKk4R1zeOZYPQtlC-vxHRMCD84vYGDIhgNh5Y09TqzuVL0VOm3Fs6lPSCc/s1600-h/bl5.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399700062541055922" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 152px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtyA7ghgF4drvsQnd0JbzUrw9LCDrggm0YQVAK9OzDfk_NIEd7HbXS8BVUPSSPOq-X2VnA3iNrQnhK1wqeyCTKk4R1zeOZYPQtlC-vxHRMCD84vYGDIhgNh5Y09TqzuVL0VOm3Fs6lPSCc/s320/bl5.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ng so callously abandoned by the ESM, Eun-Sung manages to pull through with the help of some very good friends. Through a certain chain of events, she eventually wins the trust and respect of an aging CEO who decides to name Eun-Sung her sole heir and successor of her company. Throughout the drama, Eun-Sung struggles to balance her aspirations and fears as she slowly uncovers the convoluted web of deception that has caused all her misfortunes. That’s a lot for one girl to handle, but Eun-Sung’s skinny little frame belies her true inner strength and tenacity. Although I didn’t find Han Hyo-Ju particularly remarkable in the acting department, her character was written well enough that it didn’t really matter so much to me; I couldn’t help but like the warm, affectionate, irascible Eun-Sung.<br /><br />Lee Seung-Gi, meanwhile, plays Hwan, the only grandson of the lady who promises all her assets to Eun-Sung when she dies. And just in case you want to feel sorry for the guy for having h</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWxm-tpxRd6gCmFoTiTn6bMGywWI36tTmbQENG6jvDoFc6ffhS4fhF9th_W7ji68f6pcUvPGq0c-GPNhfmI9AaQrnPXX3oboMFfqlpv0j72vPpdgtIKxY8dARmgC3m2vM6hoGob4UCadfU/s1600-h/bl6.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399695205316017554" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 158px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWxm-tpxRd6gCmFoTiTn6bMGywWI36tTmbQENG6jvDoFc6ffhS4fhF9th_W7ji68f6pcUvPGq0c-GPNhfmI9AaQrnPXX3oboMFfqlpv0j72vPpdgtIKxY8dARmgC3m2vM6hoGob4UCadfU/s200/bl6.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">is considerable fortune bequeathed to someone else, don’t. Grandma’s not looking to pass her legacy on to a grandson who doesn’t deserve it, and he definitely doesn’t. In fact, Hwan’s such an irresponsible, inconsiderate, arrogant jerk in the beginning of the series, it’s hard to believe he’s actually the love interest of our honest, hardworking Eun-Sung (and indeed, their relationship doesn’t develop in that way for a long time). We learn some of the reasons why he got to be that way later in the story, but nothing excuses the despicable behavior he initially exhibits. One of the wonderful things about Shining Inheritance, however, is the complex and nuanced way it shows Hwan’s transformation into a conscientious, caring person of whom his family can be proud. One might be reminded of another 2009 drama in which the rich jerk is turned around by the right girl, but unlike <strong>Boys Before Flowers</strong>, Shining Inheritance is no simple story of beauty taming the beast. It’s the story of a man who is gradually humbled and brought to bear by his grandmother’s tough love and his own personal trials and experiences as much as by his relationship with the girl. And Lee Seung-Gi does a truly wonderful job portraying the subtleties of Hwan’s transformation. I defy anybody to watch this drama and not be won over by him. It just can’t be done.<br /><br />Bae Su-Bin and Moon Chae-Won play the secondary leads and round out the love square. (Can you round out a square?) Yay! I love these two, both of whom also appeared in <strong>Painter of the Wind</strong>, one of the few dramas I watched last year. Bae Su-Bin plays Park Jun-Sae, a </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-Oa5m-0aDk5HCWkt81uaft_g1Vm2ijeSF20ZETsSTLakId6KC4ST9bI5OH0X4kzNvXAinwI7JE6i4B7IbuXDS-Z62LLCWzRIOEWbxuW6Fu62se19l06H_Vk442_L3sntbmlNs1TuYzfv/s1600-h/bl4.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399698841494493138" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 198px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-Oa5m-0aDk5HCWkt81uaft_g1Vm2ijeSF20ZETsSTLakId6KC4ST9bI5OH0X4kzNvXAinwI7JE6i4B7IbuXDS-Z62LLCWzRIOEWbxuW6Fu62se19l06H_Vk442_L3sntbmlNs1TuYzfv/s200/bl4.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">restaurant owner who supports and cherishes Eun-Sung as a kind of older brother/would-be lover figure. Basically, he’s the perfect man. He has integrity and honesty. He’s quite and gentle, but can also be stern. He’s sensitive, but strong. He always thinks of others before himself, he can look totally manly while crying his eyes out. And yet his endless perfection doesn’t irritate me, perhaps because he never seems to get the things he so richly deserves. Plus, he never expresses that annoying sense of <em>entitlement</em> to the object of his affections that makes me dislike so many other kdrama characters frustrated in love. (Lee Jun-Ki in <strong>My Girl</strong>, for example? I wanted him to die.) Jun-Sae feels disappointment, pain, and heartbreak, but never resentment towards Eun-Sung and Hwan, both of whom he respects and values. Rarely has a kdrama’s romantic 3rd wheel elicited as much sympathy in me as did Jun-Sae. Of course, Bae Su-Bin’s gorgeous eyes didn’t hurt either. Those deep, expressive pools of emotion! I noticed them in <strong>Painter</strong>, of course, but we get to see a lot more of them in this drama.<br /><br />Moon Chae-Won plays Eun-Sung’s former stepsister Seung-Mi, a second female lead whom one altern</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_jCwFlhZHfB5CMGaMiKhFHVIda7bJdjb8NdwOVruSr7670I_qtJ83jVdsE9Wrlwdfp6tfeNSmsUjz40PkmregZAKiqB6HDYXMAQNKXsSgnNU4Z2xc9u8YjIR5dpDMOnNsd33RV4vh2kB/s1600-h/bl7.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399699187836408290" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 220px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 176px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_jCwFlhZHfB5CMGaMiKhFHVIda7bJdjb8NdwOVruSr7670I_qtJ83jVdsE9Wrlwdfp6tfeNSmsUjz40PkmregZAKiqB6HDYXMAQNKXsSgnNU4Z2xc9u8YjIR5dpDMOnNsd33RV4vh2kB/s320/bl7.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">atively pities and hates. While she does lie and manipulate and generally help the ESM weave a tangled web of deceit, Seung-Mi’s not the one-dimensional caricature of vicious jealousy we’ve seen in other trendy dramas (Chae-Rin from </span><a href="http://beautifuldesert.blogspot.com/search?q=choon+hyang"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Delightful Girl Choon-Hyang </span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">comes to mind). From a lonely, neglected childhood Seung-Mi grows into a fragile, emotionally needy young woman. (Those needs are mostly tied up in Hwan, who’s known and looked out for her since their high school days.) Seung-Mi sheds real tears over the crimes instigated by her mother, but she always finds herself becoming an equal accomplice in them. Her actions, however inexcusable, are born from hopelessness and desperation rather than from ill will. Moon Chae-Won is very easy to watch in this role; she’s stunningly beautiful and cries very naturally (really, she could give Han Hyo-Ju lessons).<br /><br />Kim Mi-Sook plays Baek Sung-Hee. Ah, the ESM is such a fascinating creature. Perhaps the evil Madame Choi from </span><a href="http://beautifuldesert.blogspot.com/2009/05/dae-jang-geum-where-have-you-been-all.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Dae Jang Geum </span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">could match ESM in greed and depravity, but nobody can rival ESM’s skills in manipulation and deception. To be able to spin lie after lie so convincingly! To commit such atrocious deeds while maintaining the external appearance of innocence and sincerity! Poor unsuspecting Eun-Sung hardly stood a chance. (Actually, speaking of Madame Choi, the dynamic between ESM and Seung-Mi reminded me quite a bit of that between Madame Choi and her niece Geum-Young in <strong>Dae Jang Geum</strong>. The same evil apprenticeship imposed by the mother figure onto her initially unwilling but ultimately compliant charge.)<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhnP9t1T_tPEfOYo9B26C8CjAZLy5B_AxcAcFEw4woPaEXS8iw2ufxQvH3giL47alSorBJ9GQPvDHGz8bzVieWCNYvil27fgdo1SeWnCtyPYBWOAfDlApmqx7YDpJPcLy-qahlMlZUJeh/s1600-h/bl8.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399699590542688258" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 168px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 176px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhnP9t1T_tPEfOYo9B26C8CjAZLy5B_AxcAcFEw4woPaEXS8iw2ufxQvH3giL47alSorBJ9GQPvDHGz8bzVieWCNYvil27fgdo1SeWnCtyPYBWOAfDlApmqx7YDpJPcLy-qahlMlZUJeh/s200/bl8.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />And finally, Ban Hyo-Jung as Hwan’s grandmother: I’d be remiss if, after rambling on about all these other characters, I failed to mention the one who, in many ways, holds the entire story together. This lady’s pride and integrity, her strong leadership of her family and of her company, and her love for Hwan and Eun-Sung lie at the very heart of this series, making Shining Inheritance so much more than your typical, melodramatic Cinderella drama.<br /></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>THE REST:</strong> </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Okay, moving on from the individual characters to the drama as a whole… Another thing that was really cool about Shining Inheritance was the way it incorporated into the story the theme of money: what it means or doesn’t mean to people, how it drives or affects them. Throughout the story, money plays significant yet drastically different roles in the lives of every single character. Eun-Sung takes it for granted before the loss of all her assets teaches her to fear and value it. To Hwan, his wealth represents an essential part of his precious identity, but he slowly learns to understand and appreciate money honestly earned. ESM, of course, values money for the sake of security and power; to her, it is the end that justifies any conceivable means. Eun-Sung’s father’s bankruptcy and Grandma’s enormous legacy are both key features of the overarching plot, the two catalysts that set the whole story in motion. Yet the theme of money and meaning is woven into the story in smaller ways as well, such as when Hwan takes a delivery order to an elderly couple living in poverty. As the man’s shaking hand reaches under a can to retrieve a few coins and crumpled bills with which to pay him, Hwan thinks instinctively back to a time when he carelessly threw a wad of cash at a man he’d assaulted, and feels deeply shaken and ashamed. This is just one example of why Shining Inheritance shines just a little brighter for me than many other ostensible similar dramas I’ve seen. The romance is swoon-worthy and everything, but these touching moments of deeper meaning make the drama that much more special. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399701815311460306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 284px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xhzrOrEjkvKxK9fyYUDd404o7azYaXyNwkjl0ME6vmUQdQpBoUUOojNkTgNZLS2-MRX05rNDVMFfbRLJ0dtwOisYw9nNvPza-kz8srBPPGy6Xu8lSjvSrQMGdzRK4xYZKI9pMDlh0FF2/s400/bl1.jpg" border="0" /><br />Which brings me to my next point of how well paced and unified the drama is overall. Many longer series (and even some of the shorter ones) can have many ongoing side storylines that at best detract from the focus of the main story and at worse are downright irritating in and of themselves. This was not the case with Shining Inheritance. The series was evenly paced such that I didn’t need to watch the whole thing with my finger hovering over the fast forward button. Moreover, all the characters and story elements were both functional to the plot and engaging and entertaining in their own right. Hwan’s family members and Eun-Sung’s friends – I grew to love them all. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399702913193701730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 220px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4owLGeOS-RBHC8G4OKPULGmj6UwIw2M9R1VbTBZDwXSOWknoUTmoYfJ6ivrGgSEXmnezjskGYnzW6fQK4hQcUO4aZwct0ZA-GQ89C0nPJwVFRxBx2RNz5VjuJP9rqlCZmkZ8lU6Lxv4yD/s400/bl13.bmp" border="0" /><br />Yet along with all this praise, I do have one complaint to register with Shining Inheritance, if only to demonstrate that I do have a little discernment after all. I felt like it dragged a little bit in the final few episodes. Due to its popularity, the show, originally planned for 24 episodes, was extended mid-run to 28 episodes. (Ratings-based cuts and extensions are a growing trend for kdramas right now.) So while I say that Shining Inheritance was very well paced <em>overall</em>, I must admit it lagged a bit in the final stretch. But at least, for that brief period in which Hwan and Eun-Sung had worked themselves into a kind of emotional impasse, other elements of the story were progressing more steadily. </span><br /><div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">So, that’s pretty much all I have to say about this drama at this time. I friggin’ liked it, okay? I thought its complexity and thoughtfulness made it stand out among other more formulaic products of its genre. Plus, its characters really got to my heart. I lost lots of sleep staying up to watch huge chunks of it at a time. Whether Shining Inheritance was good or bad, it definitely got me. But I’m pretty sure it was good. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399677065571973538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheaBtC0WRmwznSw0KARxcNawd4YO0WUbu7SljdsiKc6WgfeyMS2kZP4AhVF1EeNy4MP2xhiZrG_wqO_PYfjIBy-ArPj1EyRh0YUmF4HOKjTuhkCKgpwIcW03Yc4ohmlQQ1iNQz-PzOPwOy/s400/shining_inheritance_2.jpg" border="0" /></span>Beatricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02199353814449722105noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184264015767179670.post-81542963304432872022009-10-28T20:50:00.000-07:002009-10-28T23:32:57.542-07:00Dollhouse 2.05, "Belonging"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMVQfy0r6U_ZbQYuELQqSefAm7LfFAuMpDT6om19KzxO-_4vqo0HaYGtZov6GV5YyRs2XnvHDtkz_K6nlD0X4Luyhjz8cIjU87MYe6ghHQ9hMA71a-dSlGMA3GWKSt_T2aqNwHyd3P6Th/s1600-h/dhb1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397876558849766514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMVQfy0r6U_ZbQYuELQqSefAm7LfFAuMpDT6om19KzxO-_4vqo0HaYGtZov6GV5YyRs2XnvHDtkz_K6nlD0X4Luyhjz8cIjU87MYe6ghHQ9hMA71a-dSlGMA3GWKSt_T2aqNwHyd3P6Th/s320/dhb1.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="color:#000000;"> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Oh my dear sweet goodness gracious, it is such a shame that hardly anybody is watching this show anymore, because last week’s episode totally <em><strong>killed</strong></em>!!!. It was intense, the acting was amazing, the dialogue was sickeningly provocative, and (best of all) it was coherent! I feel like “Belonging” finally succeeded in what this show has been trying to do all along, and has only been dancing around achieving. As a sci-fi allegory, Dollhouse has set itself up as a show that explores issues of exploitation and consent. Yet on multiple occasions the show has fallen on just t</span></span><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">he wrong side of the fence, with its treatment of these ideas coming off as gimmicky rather than serious. This episode, however, hit the nail dead on the center of the head; I’m still reeling from how awesome it was.<br /></span><br /></span><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color:#000000;">This episode explores the details of how Sierra came to be in the Dollhouse, and i</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPf11O2K_c6F1OCjC7gyRZgcVSIN0BpkHUHneCFjaRyf8fPWNeItZRQQHJza3UAEtGh6XCLSfG1UlfertT5wj5EHMy2PpR4o6BN4E6sDHOLxBEQZPII-0AW4-HYeVZx4odH5hvaKaM08t/s1600-h/dhb3.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397877220435415618" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 185px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPf11O2K_c6F1OCjC7gyRZgcVSIN0BpkHUHneCFjaRyf8fPWNeItZRQQHJza3UAEtGh6XCLSfG1UlfertT5wj5EHMy2PpR4o6BN4E6sDHOLxBEQZPII-0AW4-HYeVZx4odH5hvaKaM08t/s200/dhb3.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000000;">t is not a pretty story. Unlike the other dolls, she did not volunteer for this "service." She was originally a free-spirited artist named Priya who became the obsession of a Rossum bigwig named Nolan. Nolan tries everything he could to win her over: money, luxury, gallery showings for her paintings, the works. When she makes it very clear she’s having none of it, the guy shows his true colors. We don’t actually see this next part, but we later learn that he kidnapped her and drugged into a state of paranoid schizophrenia, then used his Rossum connections to get her admitted into the Dollhouse. Once she’s become a doll not only can he have her, but he can have her in any way he wants. He can make her say she loves him and mean it. It’s the ultimate form of abusive fantasy-fullfilment, and it’s sick, sick, sick.<br /></span></span></p><br /><p><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">When the situation is finally brought to the attention of the DH staff (by an increasingly cognizant Echo, no less), Nolan and the other higher-ups exert pressure on Adelle to imprint Sierra and hand her over to him permanently. She caves, and tells Topher to do it. Feeling repulsed and guilt-ridden at the role he played in turning Sierra into a doll in the first place, Topher rebels and imprints Sierra with Priya, the original, and sicks her on an unsuspecting Nola</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">n. What follows is a harrowing chain of events that has irrevocable consequences and far-reaching implications for Topher, Sierra, Adelle, and everyone in the Dollhouse. </span></span><br /></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color:#000000;">This episode marked somewhat of a turning point for Adelle. Up till now she’s always staunchly defended the “purity” of the engagements, and of the Dollhouse’s mission, to the moral diss</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAtYU42fZI93IJYlhOYr1Hg5C68iQO9pHrug9leogbEVZBgxJJPArqXHPs0yjPl9WwUe2JGwOcLtfmGke_qBzJ7UPZauknSZpIqpNNAxSE55higjfqgAUwD6yfk96fh4S70vbUqx83AsYs/s1600-h/dhb6.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397877714800060658" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 184px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAtYU42fZI93IJYlhOYr1Hg5C68iQO9pHrug9leogbEVZBgxJJPArqXHPs0yjPl9WwUe2JGwOcLtfmGke_qBzJ7UPZauknSZpIqpNNAxSE55higjfqgAUwD6yfk96fh4S70vbUqx83AsYs/s200/dhb6.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000000;">enters like Paul and Caroline. (Remember her words to Caroline in the pilot? “What we do here helps people.”) She’s always been able to rationalize and justify the work she does, to herself and to everyone else, but in this episode she just can’t, and it’s a real blow to her. This was satisfying for me because I’ve been bothered for a while by Adelle’s pseudo-morality. She’s shown an increasing level of genuine concern for her actives' welfare, and has come to see herself as their guardian and protector. Yet this conflicts with the very nature of what she’s doing with them. When she first learns what Nolan did to Sierra, she’s livid (<em>I would no sooner allow you near one of our other Actives than I would a mad dog near a child… Given that you're a raping scumbag one tick shy of a murderer</em>.) And yet, as her sinister, amoral boss points out to her, Nolan isn’t really behaving differently from their other clients. Boss-man’s words to her are chilling in their ugly truthfulness:</span></span><br /></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Adelle</strong>: If we do this, what does that make us?<br /><strong>Boss-man</strong>: [raising his eyebrows] What are we already? … If the feeling that you’re somehow decent and moral helps you get through your day, [shrugs] that’s your business. This house, however, is our business.</span></span></p><p> </p></blockquote><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000000;">She can’t keep hedging any longer; confronted with the true implications of her work and feeling the pressure from above, Adelle makes the despicable choice... Which leads to another intense scene in which she tells Topher to carry out the order to imprint Sierra permanently for Nolan. </span></div><br /><blockquote><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Topher</strong>: [dazed, unbelieving] How can you expect me to do this?<br /><strong>Adelle</strong>: [Quietly] You’ll do it because you must. The cold reality is that everyone here was chosen because their morals had been compromised in some way. Everyone [walking towards him] except you. You, Topher, were chosen [putting her hand to his face, gently] because you have no morals. You have always thought of people as your playthings. This is not a judgment. You always take good care of your toys. But you’re simply going to have to let this one go.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397880474256379650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 181px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegSvsgBWkVjCKD_ikvCOf1EXu5onJfO_qdnBM8cUlu6wZehwI7iHmIDZnyROExc3z9YyRs3AUiiQ6HjOLfx3hyAGQdmgfu8YXc05G14r5ftTPyzm1j3oad2ePmem5uu0J2ho4_97lHCuZ/s320/dhb7.jpg" border="0" /></span></span></blockquote><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000000;">Ouch! Man, that hurts. Adelle’s recent disillusionment with her own identity has left her cold and brutal and bitter. But do you see what I mean about this episode’s dialogue? During both of these exchanges, as well as the rest of the episode, I was glued to the screen: fascinated, horrified, almost unbelieving.<br /><br />In addition to Adelle and Topher, both Sierra and Victor really got to shine in this episode. I’ve already gushed enough about the incredible acting (and adorableness!) of Enver Gjokaj, but Dichen Lachman is also very good. It also doesn’t hurt that she’s got a beautiful, unique look. I love that no matter what situation these characters are in, no matter what personalities they’re imprinted with, these two people always find themselves inevitably drawn to one another. It may sound cheesy and trite, but it really isn’t. Their innocence and sweetness actually provides a brilliant contrast to the darker, grittier, more cynical and sinister elements of the Dollhouse world. With the odds so hopelessly stacked against them, and with so many forces constantly driving them apart (mentally as well as physically), they still manage to find tiny, yet momentous ways to connect with each other. It really is very touching. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000000;"></span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397878499358689810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 181px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOoRcEcMjWWEqB_PhKI_pp6RRQZD_pPRMOEiLGmFBpM3YowBoqCSQ94oDKZXGSTIsrij6dVCZtUfBk5pjXQYvhGFMES9yILUcu16EUkqXM5G6UrhTJPdV_-DZbhXvD4sEZBiOfUvhHCCRs/s320/dhb5.jpg" border="0" /><br />In other news, Dollhouse is going on hiatus until December 4th, at which time Fox will air the next six episodes in three weeks. Although the network has officially committed to airing all thirteen produced episodes of season two, the future for the show beyond that point is looking grim indeed. Yet if the show can maintain the intensity, focus, and all-around awesomeness of “Belonging” for the rest of its run, however long that may be, I guess I can’t really ask for more.</span>Beatricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02199353814449722105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184264015767179670.post-19909559179100710282009-10-28T16:20:00.000-07:002009-10-28T23:31:25.181-07:00Valley of the Dolls: anti-feminist romp, precursor of modern chick lit?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHS5NRVVMX92g3O_EG_Ys4zOtaAvLr4-36MJz832lH3RaPEXn_yHPz6hNExcbeXZpXBMF0rpgyd-SScSyhp_zSfS74ToPU_fDGsEJjCy9ZQuexoFLb1UXvY3VVJL5FvcGGikJ5vnfg5wLl/s1600-h/vod.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397798490419126674" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 195px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHS5NRVVMX92g3O_EG_Ys4zOtaAvLr4-36MJz832lH3RaPEXn_yHPz6hNExcbeXZpXBMF0rpgyd-SScSyhp_zSfS74ToPU_fDGsEJjCy9ZQuexoFLb1UXvY3VVJL5FvcGGikJ5vnfg5wLl/s320/vod.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><em><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">You've got to climb to the top of Mount Everest to reach the Valley of the Dolls</span></em></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">So begins the novel about fortune, fame, and substance abuse in the 1960s. And yes, the writing is just as heavy-handed as the very bad opening poem. But when has this campy classic ever arrogated the status of “great writing”?<br /><br />A friend of mine lent me her copy of <em>Valley of the Dolls</em> last month, saying that I absolutely MUST read it, and that it was one of her favorite books of all time. Seeing as how the book (and the 1967 film) has become such an enduring cult classic I figured I’d give it a shot, even though it didn’t really seem like me cup of tea.<br /><br />After reading it, if I had to describe the novel in two words I would say “fascinating” and “sickening”. It was like watching one of those exposes on the Discovery Channel that are so bizarre and grotesque you just can’t look away. You cover your eyes, but can’t resist peering through a gap in your fingers. Similarly, although my gut reaction to the novel’s content was dismay and disgust, whenever I picked up the book and started reading, I just couldn’t put it down. During the week it took me to read it in its entirety, the book was as strangely addictive as the prescription drugs for which it was named, and probably just about as good for me.<br /><br />As I was thinking about this novel, I actually remembered something David Carradine said on the special features of <em>Kill Bill</em>: that the film wasn’t really about the action or the violence in and of itself, but rather about providing an “inside look at the mind and heart of violent people.” In a similar way, <em>Valley of the Dolls</em> can be said to provide a compelling look into the minds and hearts of pill-popping female celebrities of the 50s and 60s, while neither glorifying nor vilifying their self-destructive lifestyles.<br /><br />The novel features three friends who each manage to rise to varying degrees of fame and success in the entertainment and beauty industries, and who subsequently sink to the depths of depression and substance abuse. The book’s author, Jacqueline Susann, was an actress and writer who supposedly modeled many of her characters on contemporary celebrities. Anne is a conservative girl with a beautiful face who moves to New York to escape the restriction of her stifling New England hometown. Elegant and classy, Anne can also come off as uptight and cold, yet she harbors a life-long passion for a single man (who is completely unworthy of her irrational idolization, by the way). Neely O’Hara is an uneducated, impetuous girl who makes it big first on Broadway and then in Hollywood. Yet as her success grows, so does her ego and her increasingly uncontrollable behavior. Jennifer is a quiet, mild-mannered girl who suffers no delusions about her “acting career.” (An international sex symbol, her body has been her ticket to success). Deep down she yearns for genuine love, but is finds herself constantly objectified at every turn.<br /></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Most of the book’s characters, especially Neely, Anne, and Lyon (the object of Anne’s obsession), are pretty unpalatable in their own ways (Jennifer was the only one I really liked.) Yet I did sympathize with the fact that in a society of which blatant sexism is an integral part, independent women had very few options and were subjected to an endless supply of unnatural pressures. Yet when you get right down to it, The Valley of the Dolls is just a book about how these trashy people got to be so trashy. I got through it pretty quickly, but the overall, lasting impression was not favorable.</span></div>Beatricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02199353814449722105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184264015767179670.post-71312867532007840282009-10-12T08:18:00.000-07:002009-11-08T16:46:05.204-08:00Dollhouse: season two opens with inauspicious ratings<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6mf-5TKpKVt-0M_HdKMGixwKpchmfB4AAkeBMQrQfg0RZ01VFUFBNDBdgdPShXzKPe0XcFfE5eZ0UJekihxqAWPMEtzxBb72DpqlVl8fEWpSdBpdxFHxMZfc3B1nSqMEXpmmh6g0KHfb/s1600-h/dhs2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391776761507525762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 286px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6mf-5TKpKVt-0M_HdKMGixwKpchmfB4AAkeBMQrQfg0RZ01VFUFBNDBdgdPShXzKPe0XcFfE5eZ0UJekihxqAWPMEtzxBb72DpqlVl8fEWpSdBpdxFHxMZfc3B1nSqMEXpmmh6g0KHfb/s400/dhs2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">But, hey, what else is new for this show, huh? It’s still hanging on, if only just by a thread; after its </span><a href="http://beautifuldesert.blogspot.com/2009/05/dollhouse-renewed-for-2nd-season.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">seemingly miraculous renewal </span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">in the face of dismal ratings last spring, Dollhouse has returned to the Friday-night-graveyard of primetime where its return has been heralded once again by down-right depressing numbers. This post will cover the first three episodes of season two in one go, partly because I’ve been backlogged and haven’t gotten around to them until now, and partly because episode three rocked just a little bit more than the first two. So, yeah, I’m still enjoying this show because it’s grappling with some very heavy, far-out material (albeit often in an awkward, rough and ready kind of way.)<br /><br /><strong>2.01 “Vows”</strong> In this episode, former agent Ballard (I think I’ll just call him Paul from now on) tests out his new, shaky alliance with Adelle & co. by arranging for Echo to be imprinted as an undercover agent programmed to help solve a case he himself never resolved with the FBI. So she goes undercover and actually marries this international arms dealer. Things start out well but soon go south, of course, and Paul is forced to improvise, actually using Ech<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRbnFeEw2ZISsFRT4t7cDgZGmrMlAbVLc8YjrRjynamn9qdfwiUjYvtqoSrewjWnGkiTtzsnZ2MNNEAac9wB6YTBpZ3cuTfquSX_kloQ5DRFcXjniORIa-fBmyval2za6e5iMI69M0-E5/s1600-h/dhv.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391779186328031122" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 181px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRbnFeEw2ZISsFRT4t7cDgZGmrMlAbVLc8YjrRjynamn9qdfwiUjYvtqoSrewjWnGkiTtzsnZ2MNNEAac9wB6YTBpZ3cuTfquSX_kloQ5DRFcXjniORIa-fBmyval2za6e5iMI69M0-E5/s200/dhv.jpg" border="0" /></a>o’s rather unique “personality disorder” to solve the case in a rather unorthodox way. At the end of the day, when the bad guy’s all arrested and everything, Paul gets to be made Echo’s official handler, at which point the un-imprinted Echo asks him if he’ll help her find Caroline. Meanwhile, Dr Saunders struggles with the recent discovery that she herself was once an active, and that her entire personality and life as Saunders are just a construction of Topher’s, the guy she already hates (by design, it would seem.) She responds at first by finding cruel and petty ways to torment and freak him out, which culminates in this great confrontational scene between the two of them. I found it really interesting that she doesn’t seem to <em>want</em> to reclaim her original identity; she’s too afraid of relinquishing the reality she knows isn’t really real. To her, that would be like dying, and it scares her. Perhaps even more interesting is what Topher finally tells her: that he programmed her to question him, yes, because he thought it was necessary and prudent, but he never programmed her to hate him. She chose to. As much as I like the usual, smarmy Topher, it was really great to see this unnerved, vulnerable side of him.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUKc2FiRnKAjaye9rMN_lE_z8im3QrqqmdB2aveIDq5_dU3I2FNTpMJ9NxHKMuEYqTptdFj7DEesM8kbL07JgIQLttIWWJaUY5qM7q9dBASxqPYzGVpzwXvz119glgaV5ELA6_MkkoaiK/s1600-h/dhi.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391779352342013938" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 189px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUKc2FiRnKAjaye9rMN_lE_z8im3QrqqmdB2aveIDq5_dU3I2FNTpMJ9NxHKMuEYqTptdFj7DEesM8kbL07JgIQLttIWWJaUY5qM7q9dBASxqPYzGVpzwXvz119glgaV5ELA6_MkkoaiK/s200/dhi.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>2.02 “Instinct”</strong> Echo gets imprinted as the mother of a baby whose real mother died giving birth. (The father, too grief-stricken to love the baby himself, had turned to the Dollhouse to provide the infant with someone who could give it everything he needed.) When the father gets cold feet and tries to call off the engagement, we everybody learns the hard way that maternal instinct isn’t so easy for Topher to wipe away. Side note: a lot of people think that Eliza Dushku’s the weak link in the cast, and that she doesn’t have the versatility to play Echo. Well, I don’t know about that, but I must admit that she did a great job portraying the panic and terror of a mother losing her child. It was really quite affecting, I thought. Meanwhile, Madeline (the former active known as November) pays a visit to the Dollhouse for her post-release check-up, which is really just a way for Adelle to keep tabs on her. In the process, she runs into Paul, whom she of course doesn’t recognize, and also witnesses one of Echo’s more, er, colorful treatments. She remains blissfully unaware of the painful history she once shared with both of them, a seeming testament to the success of Dollhouse technology. Overall, this wasn’t a particularly strong episode, but it definitely had its moments. Even in her new incarnation of Madeline, Miracle Laurie is still a joy to watch.</span><br /></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391781470928207010" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 152px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-98k0tRlI2xUCVq02BLEv87dkR1IZUNColsPPxW15xPor0RGB9i2lI2JIV-EZdchwTD5pmPePO8Z_1n5cXhe1df72zpfVsKSQhgko_tcP1Yv02TXIl0lSwWUdRDZ3hj59WFEBmvH31kl4/s200/dhep.jpg" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>2.03 “Belle Chose” </strong>Now, I really liked this episode a lot. It featured two separate, seemingly unrelated engagements that ended up converging in a hideous and hilarious way. The first is your basic fantasy fulfillment engagement, with Echo being turned into a bimb-tastic sorority girl named Kiki at the request of a creepy old lit professor. The second one involves a Rossum bigwig calling in a favor with Adelle, and she imprints Victor with the guy’s serial-killer nephew in an effort to locate his victims. When Boyd pulls Paul off of Echo’s engagement to use his FBI profiling on serial-killer-Victor, his reaction is hilarious; completely unnerved by “Kiki”, he says in a dazed kind of voice, “A serial killer? Thank <em>god</em>!” Unfortunately, the real killer’s uncle springs the killer-imprinted Victor from the DH and inadvertently lets him loose on society. Desperate to control the situation, Adelle forces Topher to attempt a tricky remote wipe of Victor that ends up short-circuiting the entire active grid. In all the confusion, Echo’s and Victor’s imprints get crossed: she becomes the insane killer hell-bent on finishing what he started and poor Victor becomes the flighty party-girl, shaking his thang all over an LA club. The results are both frightening (in Echo’s case) and hilarious (in Victor’s). This episode really showcased Enver Gjokaj’s many talents as an actor. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, but I really like this guy. I think he’s the best of all the dolls at <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju1nfeOUaPiTlDSurRGq2DyF0lHKyPkznAcArlVy0D8Nf1NguI1tgE-wxRGTjeBAzhl47QiQRH_6Kkabl8_OiOO_vYcHBAcGSFM-9VCzD2HT7JAz03hLMGnRXKTE6xcQ5etbUMfQ7bgj9s/s1600-h/dhbc.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391781791437169730" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 178px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju1nfeOUaPiTlDSurRGq2DyF0lHKyPkznAcArlVy0D8Nf1NguI1tgE-wxRGTjeBAzhl47QiQRH_6Kkabl8_OiOO_vYcHBAcGSFM-9VCzD2HT7JAz03hLMGnRXKTE6xcQ5etbUMfQ7bgj9s/s200/dhbc.jpg" border="0" /></a>really embodying each new character he’s given in a totally believable way, even when it’s something as ridiculous as Kiki, or intense as the serial killer. Plus, he’s totally adorable! I hope we get to see much more of him in the future.<br /><br />Overall, I think this show’s greatest strength is also its greatest weakness: it’s complex to the point of being unwieldy. It’ll never be mainstream or popular, because it’s really not for the casual viewer. Its greatest hope for survival is to garner enough of a fringe, cult following to buoy it up. Well, here’s hoping!</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Oh, and I also thought I'd post the link to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR0RRMwEFHY">this video recap </a>of season one, which is a little long but does an excellent job of bringing together the most compelling elements of the first season and setting us up for furutre developments.</span></div></div>Beatricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02199353814449722105noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184264015767179670.post-73289025852327298292009-10-11T08:13:00.000-07:002009-10-11T09:10:29.448-07:00Austen's Persuasion is passable<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391374089838949202" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 206px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LSAZIOo5-BSWedFWt2d85y7yNUE1iMgq1ZhVEnoLAEW5VO6z5bJkAoesDNgijwm7sytT4nuV3YE3MhDBRuMqt7kAdwl_XXP0MKid9q7V22lv7BMQ_k3Okh3GJ91OytP_c6nekG2GvoE0/s320/p3.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Back in February I made the somewhat belated new year’s resolution that by the time 2010 rolls around I will have finished reading all six of Austen’s novels. To be perfectly frank, this decision was prompted in large part by a delightfully adorable film called <em>The Jane Austen Book Club</em>, which convinced me, among other things, that having read all six of them was either an essential part of my female education or, at the very least, a worthwhile endeavor. It actually wasn’t that daunting of an undertaking, as I’d already read half of them and only had three more to go. Unfortunately the first of the remaining three that I read </span><a href="http://beautifuldesert.blogspot.com/2009/03/mansfield-park-not-so-much.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">rather put me off </span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">the whole idea. Let’s just say that <em>Mansfield Park</em> won’t be making my top ten list. The arrival of fall, however, has reminded me of my resolution, and that I have only a few months in which to read the final two. And so I cranked through <em>Persuasion</em> last month, and was quite pleased to find it much more enjoyable than MP. If I had to describe the novel in as many words as its title is long, that one word would be “pleasant”. Definitely not as brilliant or hilarious as <em>Emma</em>, nor as dramatic or sweeping as <em>Pride and Prejudice,</em> but overall a very enjoyable story expressed with all the piercing clarity and wit that generally characterize Austen’s novels.<br /><br /><em>Persuasion</em> features Anne Elliot, the daughter of a noble family who, despite her rank and wealth, has never married despite reaching the lofty age of twenty-seven. Her immediate family are a rather proud and foolish lot who don’t really know how to value Anne’s modesty and good sense. In fact, the only person who really estimates Anne’s true worth is her good friend Lady Russell, an acquaintance of her late mother. The story begins when Anne’s father, who has exceeded his rather generous income, deigns to rent out their estate to another family while her removes himself to Bath. Anne is quite shocked to learn that their new tenants are the relations of a certain individual with whom she was once very intimately acquainted. They were engaged to be married many years ago, but she had broken it off at the disapproval of her family and the advice of Lady Russell, who strongly disapproved. The man, a naval officer named Wentworth, felt wronged and betrayed and cut off all contact with Anne, seemingly forever. Now that circumstances have brought them together again after ten years’ separation, Anne must go through the painful exercise of facing a man who has risen to success and made his fortune while she herself has shrunk to the relative social obscurity of an unhappily unmarried woman, and of enduring the cold politeness of the resentful man she once rejected but never truly stopped loving.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI1j1ApL4SSjTnqDPQjwgP0NNFbMgqErLuC8cYaE_q7B5TzTuzz63fTOSnLMhoBlLx_dbydOxjmqw_6hOgcZA5ERiEg5z0n97JPFbGYuNP6DTXCaJVJNWOuqJUJNsXWSKhAZ-AsYea1uvM/s1600-h/p2.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391374521930721922" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 218px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI1j1ApL4SSjTnqDPQjwgP0NNFbMgqErLuC8cYaE_q7B5TzTuzz63fTOSnLMhoBlLx_dbydOxjmqw_6hOgcZA5ERiEg5z0n97JPFbGYuNP6DTXCaJVJNWOuqJUJNsXWSKhAZ-AsYea1uvM/s320/p2.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br />A large part of my enjoyment of this novel stemmed the fact that Austen does an excellent job of building </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">the emotional suspense leading up to the reunion of Anne and Captain Wentworth, and of maintaining it all throughout their painfully awkward subsequent encounters. It’s all the more agonizing to think of them both suffering such strong feelings while maintaining the front (to themselves and to the general company, ignorant of their history) of indifference and disinterest. That two people who were once so silly-in-love should now be reunited only to be perpetually estranged! It’s all very dramatic and heart wrenching, of course. And of course there’s also a happy ending, as with all Austen’s novels, and Anne and Wentworth do finally come to understand one another once again, having both grown into somewhat wiser and more mature individuals than they were when they first knew each other. Yet stories like these usually hinge less on the destination of marital bliss than on the course of the journey that leades there, and <em>Persuasion</em> is no different.<br /><br />What I liked about this book was that both of the main characters have healthy flaws to grapple with before they can achieve their happily-ever-after. Perhaps Anne is a little bit on the long-suffering side, but to nowhere near the ridiculous degree of the frustratingly saintly Fanny Price, for example. I like that by the end of the book both Anne and Wentworth come to realize that if they’d been a little less foolish (she more discerning and he more forgiving and understanding) then would probably have spared themselves years of unhappiness. My one complaint about the novel is that I think it was hampered by the lack of any real communication between the two main characters for almost the entire duration of the story. I guess I felt that their estrangement was drawn out too long and then resolved a tad too quickly. Still, I enjoyed this book. I rooted for its characters. I had fun reading it. It definitely wasn’t my favorite Austen novel (so far), but it was still pretty good. Serviceable.<br /></span><div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Oh, and since I forgot to work a quote in there somewhere, I’ll just awkwardly tack one on to the end of this review, kay? So here’s Anne pondering the potential pitfalls of poetry (alliteration totally not intended):</span></div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It was the misfortune of poetry to be seldom safely enjoyed by those who enjoyed it completely; and that the strong feelings which alone could estimate it truly, were the very feelings which ought to taste it but sparingly.</span></blockquote></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Whatever Austen may be writing, the gal certainly has a way with words, doesn’t she?</span></div>Beatricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02199353814449722105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184264015767179670.post-67881007037750863472009-10-10T12:29:00.000-07:002009-11-18T20:30:41.560-08:00Sand Chronicles, vol. 6: the emotional roller coaster continues<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHOG3lpFPIUEmS-4vlSJDfqkV1qVVMFW23Tq3bbkvEjHuPlVORjGRY1KhD3F37NOt3k67fFP2TRw5yglxvhPCe0VDuroR7C0IM7xcqX6kLZjthdRvP88lcFHAB9pmFWIzlMDKPDMIouc9c/s1600-h/SC6.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391061932203987378" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 166px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 250px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHOG3lpFPIUEmS-4vlSJDfqkV1qVVMFW23Tq3bbkvEjHuPlVORjGRY1KhD3F37NOt3k67fFP2TRw5yglxvhPCe0VDuroR7C0IM7xcqX6kLZjthdRvP88lcFHAB9pmFWIzlMDKPDMIouc9c/s320/SC6.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />And so, four months after the release of </span><a href="http://beautifuldesert.blogspot.com/2009/05/sand-chronicles-continues-to-impress-in.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">volume five</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, Viz finally publishes the sixth volume of this award-wining series, which is so dense and poignant for a shoujo title. And don’t let the cover image (which depicts a laughing, carefree, happy-go-lucky Ann and Fuji having the time of their life) fool you; as always, Hinako Ashihara manages to draw readers through the emotional wringer with all the angsty turmoil in volume six. Yet the conflict rarely feels overly manufactured or contrived for the sake of cheating readers into the emotions. The characters are genuine and complex, and while the overall feel of the story is very subdued and melancholic, it has some very thoughtful, sensitive, and truly touching moments.<br /><br />Summer, Age 18: This volume is divided into two chapters that focus on the summer and winter of Ann’s eighteenth year, respectively. In the first part, Ann and Fuji take a trip to Izu with their Tokyo friends to get away from the city and do some studying (they’re preparing for their college entrance exams). Ann has finally decided to start dating Fuji, but they’re taking it very slowly. After everything that happened with Daigo she’s not quite ready to dive into another intense relationship, but she does want to move on and continue living her life. Unfortunately, when she hears the rumor from Shimane about Daigo dating Ayumu (remember that pushy trouble-maker from volume one?), all the pain comes rushing back to her and we see that despite her cheerful front, she hasn’t moved on at all. Meanwhile, her Tokyo friends are all convinced things are moving way too slowly with her and Fuji and decide to take matters into their own hands. And so, feeling hurt and raw and finding herself constantly thrown together with Fuji in Izu, she ends up sleeping with him for the first time. Afterwords, she realizes that as much as she likes Fuji, a part of her has just been using him to ease the pain of her separation from Daigo. For a girl who already has self-esteem issues, this is a pretty heavy realization. (<em>I used the person it would hurt the most… But, I needed someone to rescue me so badly… When it comes to causing people pain, I’m the expert</em>.)<br /><br />I have to say, I was pretty disappointed in Ann at this point. I mean, the whole reason she broke up with Daigo was because she felt guilty about the emotional strain she was putting on him by needing to be “rescued” from her personal demons, and by depending on him to save her when she couldn’t really be saved. And now she’s doing the same thing with Fuji, whom she doesn’t even love in the same way. On the other hand, she does seem to recognize her own failings (indeed, nobody’s harder than her than she is on herself), and she genuinely wants to become a stronger person. Yet with the powerful negative example of her own mother’s suicide, and in light of her recent struggles, she’s finding it difficult to maintain hope that she will ever be able to change. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> </div></span><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405667281760349634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 295px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ12rNUBzdx2iuZDc3GdKYmMWp2JMzspHUKcv5foTR42jyPRofVRKYVCHr7zT5X39AotmuGXASu4UZ18MpVNQ0PJDC7UpguXtwcfiWvIssZxyXmRXulw7vxGwszn4CQYQx3wiuvUw51lSG/s400/004.JPG" border="0" /><br />Winter, Age 18: This chapter takes place half a year later and focuses on more of the peripheral characters. Fuji convinces Shika to come clean with their mother about the secret that has driven the three of them apart for so long. This is a huge deal for Shika, and will probably go a long way towards her getting her life back in order, and yet she still hasn’t forgiven herself for the way she took her resentment out on Ann and Daigo the previous year. So she decides to escape her sheltered life in Shimane and spend some time studying abroad. She writes to Ann from Canada, and the two start to rekindle their erstwhile friendship. I think this is a good example of a certain strength and resilience of Shika’s that Ann lacks. They both have these really emotionally scarring experiences in their pasts, and they’ve both hurt people they care about in different ways as a result. They both want to mature into stronger individuals, but Shika’s the one with the chutzpah to actually do something about it. It must have taken a lot of courage for a sheltered girl like her to venture alone into a foreign country, but ultimately I think it will strengthen her.<br /><br />Of course, Ann’s got a lot on her plate right now, and can’t exactly drop everything and move to Canada. In addition to her college entrance exams, she also discovers that her father and his “friend” Kaede are really more than just friends – and Kaede’s pregnant! I really liked this side story because we got a deeper look at Kaede’s character (she’s been around since volume two), and even a glimpse into her relationship with Miwako (Ann’s mother) and Ann’s father when they were younger. That’s what I like about this series: all the character’s are three-dimensional, not just the main ones. Ann’s relationship with Kaede is pretty good, so this is generally happy news for her, if a little surprising. She’s been so wrapped up in her own problems she hasn’t really noticed what’s been going on right in front of her. I also liked the part when Ann’s grandparents came to the city from Shimane to greet Kaede formally. The grandmother especially is great; if Ann’s looking for a strong female role model, she need look no further.<br /><br />As for Daigo, we don’t really see much of him this volume. He’s been studying like crazy to try to bring his grades up and get into college, and Ayumu’s been helping him out nonstop. She’s really not as bad a person as we’d been lead to believe in volume one, an<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIeJB3B4lPpJFaTxYnyQkm1rMJ28mPVnD5JmciaBNFfaCXZxqckaTuOWW3ytoMy6CFV_rHOFFinl6hySbZ8QxP6N4d9VQ14fG6wZUMRLgiqVBkilNWc-DAfDEPMhHFfgwDMwYvzcTLU6qO/s1600/001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405666755832304354" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 215px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIeJB3B4lPpJFaTxYnyQkm1rMJ28mPVnD5JmciaBNFfaCXZxqckaTuOWW3ytoMy6CFV_rHOFFinl6hySbZ8QxP6N4d9VQ14fG6wZUMRLgiqVBkilNWc-DAfDEPMhHFfgwDMwYvzcTLU6qO/s400/001.JPG" border="0" /></a>d she’s grown up a lot since then. She still has a thing for Daigo, but of course he’s still hung up on Ann. Fuji, meanwhile, has come to understand that no matter how hard he tries he will never mean as much to Ann as Daigo did, and the two finally come clean to each other about their feelings in the last scene of the volume. She thanks him and apologizes for everything. He reminds her of how she helped him when nobody else could (by which I assume he means that time he ran away a few years previously). He hugs her and tells her that somewhere out there is a person who will make her happier than he or Daigo ever could. Ann thinks about how even among the millions of people in the world, nobody could possibly be as kind as Fuji or make her feel as special as Daigo. And I tear up just a little bit.<br /><br />Ah, Sand Chronicles, you always get to me. In a world of manga where many series are hard to read because they’re contrived and shallow and gratuitous, this one is hard to read because it’s intense and painful and real.Beatricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02199353814449722105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184264015767179670.post-64685322064871135112009-10-04T09:50:00.000-07:002009-10-06T20:10:50.725-07:00TV pairings: an evolutionary study<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I realize that the title of this post might seem a little heavy-worded, but I really couldn’t really think of a good way to summarize this topic. Hopefully my meaning will become clear once I explain it a bit more. I got the idea to write this post last month, when some of the fall primetime premiers prompted me to reflect on one of the things I love most about the open-ended, multi-season format of US television: the evolution of TV relationships. By that I mean the inherent possibility of the medium to slow development of relationships over long periods of time, allowing viewers to watch them change drastically from what they originally were and grow slowly towards what they will become. This cannot be achieved in the same way in other media such as movies, dramas, or miniseries, which are more limited in scope. Of course these kinds of developments are a long time in the making, and aren’t usually the main focus of a given show on an episode-to-episode basis, but sometimes the emotional payoff is just that much greater in the end. Yet whenever shows alter the relationships between main characters they the risk of changing the <em>characters themselves</em> too drastically, which is never a good thing. You don’t want to see a beloved character going against the grain for no good reason. And yet it can be such fun to watch them cope with the awkward, uncomfortable realization that they’re seeing things (and people) in a new and different light. It’s a high-stakes game that sometimes backfires on writers, and sometimes makes for the most interesting and enjoyable television out there. If this isn’t making any sense yet, please bear with me, and hopefully it will.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">You may have noticed that the title of this post reads “TV pairings” and not “TV relationships in general” and that’s because I’m going to focus on the romantic ones. More specifically, I’d really like to talk about something I refer to as "evolved pairings", which I define as <strong><em>TV pairings that occur some time relatively late in a series between two central characters who were not previously romantically linked</em></strong>. That might sound kind of specific, but it’s actually a relatively common trend. Yet I’m not just talking about couples with lots of romantic vibes who somehow manage to keep delaying the inevitable (à la Luke and Lorelai); I'm talking about the ones that somehow come together after having a decidedly un-romantic relationship for a long time. So if we were to take Friends as an as an example, Monica and Chandler would be an evolved pairing whereas Ross and Rachel would not. While Ross and Rachel were highly anticipated right from the series' pilot, Monica and Chandler would have been impossible for season one viewers to predict. When relationships start changing in a series, as Monica's and Chandler's did in season 5 of Friends, it can be a lot of fun for long-time viewers who know all their history. And so this was a really long intro for my topic, but today I'd like to talk about some "evolved pairings" that I've really gotten on board with in the past.</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNLYO0D6n0OMXeM1EW3KUluoQYHufO5oi3e2hrli5LlqRSJMBTL-ftpYO3GdmzHtZjnpYMqCnD07O3CzYEfHOIUC2OPDdDLyIw1PUjwQ5KM-pFxl8xSvka_qjiGDaFZbsXpe5KE_1IJdDE/s1600-h/bs1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388821383203148194" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 119px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNLYO0D6n0OMXeM1EW3KUluoQYHufO5oi3e2hrli5LlqRSJMBTL-ftpYO3GdmzHtZjnpYMqCnD07O3CzYEfHOIUC2OPDdDLyIw1PUjwQ5KM-pFxl8xSvka_qjiGDaFZbsXpe5KE_1IJdDE/s200/bs1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Buffy & Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer):</strong> The first example on my list of awesome evolved pairings is a little on the old side, relatively speaking (the show’s been off air for over six years), but it’s a classic example and one of my favorites. Spike was introduced as a major villain to Buffy’s hero in season 2, but he would eventually become something much less easily defined; he was extremely popular with fans and became first a recurring character in seasons 3-4 and then a leading role in seasons 5-7. Over the years, Spike was slowly given tons of backstory and meaty development, and I still consider him to be the most complex and compelling character in Buffyverse. He’s in turns hilarious, sympathetic, and downright <em>pa</em>thetic. In one of the most famously quotable shows of all time, Spike often had the best lines. One of his most well-known utterances is this: “Love isn’t brains, children. It’s blood… I may be love’s bitch, but at least I’m man enough to admit it.” (Ha! He’s not even talking about Buffy in this one, but it’s still great, no?) Of the two, Spike is definitely the first to develop romantic feelings for Buffy, slowly (and painfully) falling for her over the course of season 5, and it’s quite a long time before she sees him as anything but a monster. When I say that the Buffy/Spike pairing works, I don’t mean that they have a happy ending, because they don’t. I just mean that they had great chemistry, and that for a couple that started out on opposite sides of nearly <em>everything</em> they had a relationship that people really cared about and wanted to see happen. Yes, it was painful at times, and yes it went some really weird places (season 6, anyone?), but ultimately it was one of the things that made the show so popular. It’s amazing to think about where they started out in season 2, and where they ended up five years later in the series finale, and the epic journey that happend in between.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Barn<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPqIUIym3OjZ3Li0VyaoY3fS-GQ8pOn3j_K5DnX01dS-h8mZBZT8BL6Mp7nvKhlNYBPI5X7eDb16faxpacOFcVRBbHPMXEsUOV8ohV2A9NPAPMAGfYe3V5kvlC8joYIAojYJS5k7UOLKG5/s1600-h/br.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388820977347136914" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 133px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPqIUIym3OjZ3Li0VyaoY3fS-GQ8pOn3j_K5DnX01dS-h8mZBZT8BL6Mp7nvKhlNYBPI5X7eDb16faxpacOFcVRBbHPMXEsUOV8ohV2A9NPAPMAGfYe3V5kvlC8joYIAojYJS5k7UOLKG5/s200/br.jpg" border="0" /></a>ey & Robin (How I Met Your Mother):</strong> This example is a bit more contemporary than the first, as the show is still airing, and one of it’s hottest topics right now is the couple in question. Robin is first introduced to the show as the primary love interest for main character Ted in seasons 1 and 2 (although it’s revealed in the pilot that she is <em>not </em>the titular “Mother” of Ted’s future children, to whom future Ted narrates the entire series). Barney, meanwhile, is Ted’s eccentric and totally hilarious friend, who also happens to be a shameless womanizer. Although Barney is primarily played for laughs (Neil Patrick Harris is a hoot), what really makes him interesting are his rare flashes of real sensitivity. This includes the way he deeply and very genuinely cares about his friends, for example, and of course his feelings for Robin. After their spontaneous, "one-time-only" hookup in season 3, it was tremendous fun to watch the skirt-chasing Barney struggle to accept that there’s a girl 1) whom he actually wants to sleep with a second time, 2) whom he doesn’t like to see with other guys, 3) who is also one of his closest friends, and 4) not to mention, their mutual friend’s ex. Poor guy! For her part, Robin's also kind of a one-in-a million character: a "sophisticated, scotch-swilling, cigar-smoking, red-meat-eating, gun-toting New Yorker” who's also very loveable, and Canadian. We're supposed to believe that in a bizarre way, they're actually kind of perfect for each other. Does it work? I actually think this one's a bit of a stretch, but I'm willing to go along with it becase it's just so much fun and I adore this show. (Btw, </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmjcbaZpZG4">this recap clip </a>does a much better job of summing up their relationship than I did.)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><strong>Logan & Veronica (Veronica Mars): </strong>Man, this was such a great show. And one of the gre<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3OFcnHEPi5kad5vhf608QXRbzErGeIDZ2-BJC7k2b2sFBNwELgPNQgmWDUclzUYSTM-v1cqexXvJKpCCxFI0MDqKuSPI1scVa4b2EMW0bTzYV_65FQh2JXYwOLURo9YGhJPZd-3IvEDH0/s1600-h/LoVe.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389688852530024050" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 146px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3OFcnHEPi5kad5vhf608QXRbzErGeIDZ2-BJC7k2b2sFBNwELgPNQgmWDUclzUYSTM-v1cqexXvJKpCCxFI0MDqKuSPI1scVa4b2EMW0bTzYV_65FQh2JXYwOLURo9YGhJPZd-3IvEDH0/s200/LoVe.jpg" border="0" /></a>at things about it (but certainly not the only great thing) was all the Logan/Veronica LoVe that happened. She's the petite, blonde, tough-as-nails, hardboiled teen detective with all the quippy one-liners. He's the spoiled, rich bully with an abusive past and deep-rooted insecurities. Their relationship - is complicated. You can read a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logan_Echolls">5,000-word summary </a>of it on wikipedia. All I'm going to say here is that in spite of Veronica introducing him to us as her school's "obligatory psychotic jackass" in the pilot voice-over, they actually turned out to share a very intense, and often quite sad, but totally awesome relationship. Now that's what I call relationship evolution.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Blair & Chuck (Gossip Girl):</strong> I actually almost didn't include this one since they fir<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Ab0Nmy1_PO1tiRY14QNkuaV2_sF8T3IbSNMR2tLtWQmm0YE7d0b5LMshFVRWjs80wSMnVlsHTtnH2Pdd-YPBRmtyPYwEf8i79cLBkRpogM_S9Nhx-2sE2tV62FI5wH31C8fvkfM1TE3t/s1600-h/bc2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389673963309701490" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 108px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Ab0Nmy1_PO1tiRY14QNkuaV2_sF8T3IbSNMR2tLtWQmm0YE7d0b5LMshFVRWjs80wSMnVlsHTtnH2Pdd-YPBRmtyPYwEf8i79cLBkRpogM_S9Nhx-2sE2tV62FI5wH31C8fvkfM1TE3t/s200/bc2.jpg" border="0" /></a>st hooked up kind of early on (half-way through season one). Yet if you just look at the show within the context of that first season, it works. They didn’t officially get together until much later, and, more importantly, their pairing caught me completely off guard, and then really swept me up in its intensity and general epic-ness. Considering these two weren’t even on each other’s radar at first, I’d say they’ve earned their spot on this list. Blair is the quintessential Upper East Side princess (rich, controlling, self-centered), but with her own share of insecurities and a fighting spirit it’s hard not to admire. It’s not until her perfect little world starts to crumble that she first turns to Chuck for comfort. She and Chuck have always known each other (the UES set is an small and exclusive one), but he was <em>definitely </em>not part of her plan. He’s kind of a wonanizer, and just about the only person on earth who’s as manipulative as she is. Unsurprisingly, their first fling ends rather messily, but that doesn’t mean the feelings weren’t real. Quite the contrary, especially on his part. I really liked their storyline back in those days. They’re both interesting characters, and it was really fun to watch them together; they had this great rapport, and even when they were being truly horrible to each other you knew that deep down they really cared. Unfortunately, I think that their storyline, like the show itself, has gotten a lot less exciting over the past season. These days, I’m mainly watching for the fashions.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Lois & <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhggz1qT5ZOmqhKvElr0fuJJzWZirinemkk53V0Hv-E5V7dGQnlfLONQxzpjYtQWiNFiphy40QdBxW-Womae2N6ambRdkD38zT40fLQ4hjggClKJMDteuyBPI8J2ltzaY1uDHakf-Smed/s1600-h/lc.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388820325584324338" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 228px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhggz1qT5ZOmqhKvElr0fuJJzWZirinemkk53V0Hv-E5V7dGQnlfLONQxzpjYtQWiNFiphy40QdBxW-Womae2N6ambRdkD38zT40fLQ4hjggClKJMDteuyBPI8J2ltzaY1uDHakf-Smed/s320/lc.jpg" border="0" /></a>Clark (Smallville):</strong> Okay, so Lois Lane and Clark Kent are one of the most iconic couples in the cannon. So what, you might ask, are they doing on a list of romantic relationships that develop from strictly unromantic ones? Because on Smallville, that’s exactly what happens. The show, as people generally know, tells the story of Superman’s youth, and is based very loosely on the Superboy Adventure Comics. When the character of Lois Lane was first introduced in season 4, her relationship with Clark was quite different from the one we all know and love from the Superman cannon. They shared a sort of grudging respect, but for the most part they just annoyed each other. It was almost like a brother-sister kind of vibe. And yet over the past five years they’ve been slowly but steadily growing closer in a way that’s been really great to watch. Smallville’s definitely a story with an endgame, but that certainly doesn’t mean there’s no dramatic suspense. The whole premise of Smallville is to show how things were <em>before </em>they got to be the way we know, and the show often does so in unexpected ways, especially with Lois and Clark. The development of their relationship has been, in my opinion, THE highlight of the series, especially recently. When I remember how little I cared for this show in its earlier seasons, it’s amazing how much I now anticipate each week’s episode. And I think the Lois/Clark relationship has a lot to do with that.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">There are probably lots of other TV pairings that fall into this category, but these are the ones I thought of first and the ones to which I’ve paid the most attention recently. Besides, this post has gotten kind of long and I’m kind of burnt out.</span>Beatricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02199353814449722105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184264015767179670.post-67349909732653556062009-10-03T07:20:00.000-07:002009-10-04T09:50:10.133-07:00Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnw314J8M9KfHZYCoi8UGByPVZtRdmTRWhQEeRAVUCdQJD-7WRmUBCu6apt3QVa1HCe9qWTVEvaWes0-HSNwPEAZ3DGHfEK3i2PGIZmlZZQ6339tzXbMSu2Vd5oFk4QngcWBE3ilgDtbj/s1600-h/cf.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388393489465919714" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 215px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnw314J8M9KfHZYCoi8UGByPVZtRdmTRWhQEeRAVUCdQJD-7WRmUBCu6apt3QVa1HCe9qWTVEvaWes0-HSNwPEAZ3DGHfEK3i2PGIZmlZZQ6339tzXbMSu2Vd5oFk4QngcWBE3ilgDtbj/s320/cf.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>One quick note before I jump right into the review: I just want to say right up front that I’m going to do a horrible job of summarizing this book. Although it’s not very long, it is very plot-driven, and full of twists and turns and revelations. Additionally, many of the story’s essential elements hinge on the complex practices of Collins’ futuristic world and require too many explanations for a short review of this nature. Okay, disclaimer over.</em><br /><br />Just because I am no longer a teenager (hey, it hasn’t even been two months, back off already!) doesn’t mean I’m too old to read YA fiction. Which is a darned good thing because <em>Catching Fire</em>, Suzanne Collins’ sequel to last year’s <em>The Hunger Games</em> and the second book in a planned trilogy, just came out a few weeks ago, and it’d be a shame to have outgrown fast, fun reads like this one.<br /></span><em><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Catching Fire</span></em><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> picks up shortly after the conclusion of <em>The Hunger Games</em> with Katniss and Peeta, now Victors, struggling to readjust to life in District Twelve, and finding that things will never be the same again, for them or for anyone else. Their dual victory in the Games was pretty much a miracle, but now they have to figure out how to live their new lives, and Katniss is only just beginning to learn the full ramifications of her actions. Her elaborate deception (which ensured her and Peeta’s survival in the last book) has seriously compromised her relationships with both Peeta and Gale, and she now finds herself more alone than ever. Yet as a Victor, the consequences of her actions extend far beyond her personal life, and she begins to hear rumors and whispers of desperation and rebellion in some of the other districts. All of this plays out in the first third of the novel, at which point the next year’s Games roll around and the plot suddenly takes off like a bat out of hell, and doesn’t let up right until the very cliff-hangery ending.<br /><br /><strong>On Katniss, the protagonist:</strong> Ok, this girl can be really dense sometimes, and she’s got about the emotional comprehension of a toothpick. I know she doesn’t <em>mean</em> to be insensitive to Gale or Peeta’s feelings; she just doesn’t know how to deal with them like a normal person. She’s spent so much of her life focused solely on survival that she hasn’t had a lot of time for emotional development. Still, it gets kind of frustrating when she’s got these too guys who are clearly nuts about her and she persists in blindly ignoring the complications of the situation.<br /><br /><strong>On the action factor:</strong> I’m not sure if this book falls more into the fantasy or sci-fi genre, but it certainly has a lot of action. The Games are quite violent, but they’re not just a mindless bloodbath. It’s as much of a mind game as anything else. Collins really does an excellent job with the action sequences, and they’re always imaginative, entertaining, and well orchestrated.<br /><br /><strong>On the funky names:</strong> While some fantasy authors are really good at creating made-up proper nouns that are also believable, this is not exactly Collins’ strong point. Katniss, Peeta, Panem – they’re all kind of awkward and just a bit lame. At the same time, some of the names are quite ordinary – Gale, Johanna, President Snow. I guess, since this world is supposed to be a futuristic version of North America, some of the old names survived and some new ones emerged.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>In general:</strong> Both THG and CF are the kind of books that I can enjoy thoroughly (albeit briefly), but which I do not necessarily <em>admire</em> completely. They careen along at a break-neck, plot-driven pace that leaves in the dust any possibility for depth of characterization or sophistication of language. With a noticeable amount of grammatical errors (mostly of the who/whom variety), and a present-tense narrative voice (a pet peeve of mine), Collins writing strikes me as particularly unexciting, even for a YA novel. That being said, Collins has some serious story-telling chops, and her books are sky-high on the entertainment factor. The fact that I plunked down $18 for each book, in spite of their many eye-roll-inducing moments, is testament enough to the magnetic pull of the story. These books are a movie franchise just waiting to happen.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Final word:</strong> I try to incorporate at least one quote each book into my reviews, just to give a tiny taste of the text, but I found it difficult to choose a good one from this book (see above on Collins' unexciting prose). However, I did managed to find one that I thought worth highlighting: "As the alcohol overcomes my mind, I hear the glass bottle shatter to the floor. This seems appropriate, since I have obviously lost my grip on everything." - from Chapter 13 of <em>Catching Fire</em>.</span>Beatricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02199353814449722105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184264015767179670.post-44806508611853496732009-09-29T21:05:00.001-07:002009-09-30T21:23:36.170-07:00First volumes of Sarasah, Ooku: The Inner Chambers<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387110991548297746" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 210px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 263px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnptrTwZaczQcE_xIrG1KvmaD9c12usz0Jtz4IkJBKb56A6awCLigxBKcXoZdnf3RPi5l2gvDGgCnbsTrtscETe-XKSjLYSokZW5ylR0Aa5P7fjDNHPW4KlBJyO4Jwc3BgENHut3iW6z1A/s320/ooku.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAjsX3AIy3mEbNBCMB68Kf_E7jzrbpmgmpC4mHS1C2WKypYxS8O5J6mVF_u5qxqmXXV10LucH2Hgt9t1EgD2jL_GwM8FiMkiGIks66MWEyd55v1jSn3dOfhJvuIAiNqHd-xSZkHBRz-ff/s1600-h/sarasah.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387110768954530370" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 299px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAjsX3AIy3mEbNBCMB68Kf_E7jzrbpmgmpC4mHS1C2WKypYxS8O5J6mVF_u5qxqmXXV10LucH2Hgt9t1EgD2jL_GwM8FiMkiGIks66MWEyd55v1jSn3dOfhJvuIAiNqHd-xSZkHBRz-ff/s320/sarasah.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It’s been a while since I’ve written about any manga or manhwa, except for the volumes I covered briefly in my </span><a href="http://beautifuldesert.blogspot.com/2009/08/summer-diversions.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">summer summary</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, so here are the first volumes of two new series from Yen Press and Viz.<br /><br />Sarasah is written and illustrated by Ryu Ryang and licensed in English by Yen Press. This manhw<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1oegf7wWmDT9NUTEPk3LXwdLCTKdv8yqzMXtEcByvTfNI_qf3bTO1hby4w1p7U-_57K04mF6g-bE_QXMX9sSgLzjwug93YZv11Y69n8nR4I6Ri8c5hSKd36qTGgEdbbUtXbhRn-WDEXDk/s1600-h/s1.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387112194243994770" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 121px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1oegf7wWmDT9NUTEPk3LXwdLCTKdv8yqzMXtEcByvTfNI_qf3bTO1hby4w1p7U-_57K04mF6g-bE_QXMX9sSgLzjwug93YZv11Y69n8nR4I6Ri8c5hSKd36qTGgEdbbUtXbhRn-WDEXDk/s320/s1.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>a tells the story of an obsessive, love-struck teenager named Ji-Hae, whose unrestrained and u</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">nwanted attentions kind of push the crazy-stalker envelope. The real story begins, however, on the day the disgusted object of her unbridled affection, a callous pretty boy named Seung-Hyu, accidentally pushes her down a flight of stairs in a careless attempt to brush her off. When some of the guardians of the afterlife (sorry, I don’t know a better way to describe these characters) find Ji-Hae’s spirit hovering between the realms of life and death, they’re not quite sure what to do with her. They’re convinced it’s not yet her time to die, but they don’t know what she’s doing there. On hearing her story, however, they become interested, and decide to send her back in time to the Shilla dynasty, when both she and Seung-Hyu lived as previous incarnations of themselves. And so Ji-Hae embarks on a time-traveling, body-snatching, cross-dressing journey in an attempt to fix whatever went wrong between the two of them the first time around. But it’s not going to be nearly as easy as she thought, as complication after complication ensues.<br /><br />Ok, so this was a total impulse buy for me. I was browsing through the aisles of Barnes and Noble, with a brand new gift card burning a hole in my pocket, when I saw this title and just decided to buy it on the spot. I’d never heard of the series or the author, but the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7HJsNCSFHmP3Xh-_1ZXV_CFET8Ley2V8J6oFU7N0_GE692NuACYtfaDTke5RFGcowO-5p-mT1ow0rR_ErTrTadpXAK5Liju4JWTFeay1udfx-d-f-GS3VSSKImdr8a_y13Hlcd9Ura6Yb/s1600-h/s2.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387111768198422162" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 154px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7HJsNCSFHmP3Xh-_1ZXV_CFET8Ley2V8J6oFU7N0_GE692NuACYtfaDTke5RFGcowO-5p-mT1ow0rR_ErTrTadpXAK5Liju4JWTFeay1udfx-d-f-GS3VSSKImdr8a_y13Hlcd9Ura6Yb/s320/s2.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>story looked unusual and interesting, and I’m always keen to try new manhwa. Since purchasing it, I’ve read a lot of negative reviews of this volume from various b</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">loggers. They don’t like the main character, they’re uncomfortable with her crazy obsession with Seung-Hyu, they don’t like the way she’s drawn, etc. I can definitely understand these sentiments (Ji-Hae is kind a of tough pill to swallow, especially in the first chapter), but I was actually pleasantly surprised by this volume as a whole. Yes, Ji-Hae has some serious issues, but she’s young and has lots of room to grow, which I’m hoping will happen over the course of her journey. If she undergoes no character development at all that could be a deal-breaker for the series, but if not it’ll be really interesting to see. Judging from the artwork and overall execution, this is definitely a more juvenile series. Yet the story is intriguing enough that I’m anxious to see where it goes next. So although volume one of Sarasah was kind of a mixed bag, the positive elements outweighed the negative ones for me. I think this series has potential.<br /><br />Unlike with Sarasah, the release of the first volume of Ooku: The Inner Chambers was something I had looked forward to for months in advance. There had been a lot of buzz in the manga blogging sphere about the licensing of this new, award-winning manga from legendary author Fumi Yoshinaga (creator of Antique Bakery and Flower of Life), and I was kind of caught up in the anticipation. The word “Ooku” in the title (pronounced OH-ku, not oo-ku) refers to the “inner chambers” of the shogun’s palace, where his harem resided and where no man but him could enter. In this series, Yoshinaga creates an intriguing alternate version of Edo Japan, in which a noxious plague has wiped out most of the male population, leaving the women to ass</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUIYejKlyzKL2W0n_7lGhMPbCo_yZpizAqUtlHsgCJT41S4Skb5L0PqRr_tZFYtO9TKx31uMqLXDjj5gRDtLJ0K57aF9iHxfnSBEQ3WKdryoN_vRWddRBvMAYtO8r_aXI_FrWVxxFyVDA/s1600-h/ooku4.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387112861925216050" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 182px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUIYejKlyzKL2W0n_7lGhMPbCo_yZpizAqUtlHsgCJT41S4Skb5L0PqRr_tZFYtO9TKx31uMqLXDjj5gRDtLJ0K57aF9iHxfnSBEQ3WKdryoN_vRWddRBvMAYtO8r_aXI_FrWVxxFyVDA/s320/ooku4.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ume the positions of power traditionally held by men. The shogun is a woman, therefore, and the Inner Chambers are filled with handsome men. The first volume focuses on a handsome young man named Yunoshin who enters the Inner Chambers in order to provide for his family but soon finds that for all its opulence and luxury the Inner Chambers can be a dangerous and lonely place. Towards the end of volume one, the narration shifts to focus more on Yoshimune, the new female shogun who seeks to challenge established rules and question the order of this new society.<br /><br />While I wasn’t as completely blown away by Ooku as I expected to be, plotwise, I found the execution and artwork intriguing enough to keep me interested in future volumes. It certainly is a very ambitious work, compared to a lot of other manga I read, and there’s a lot there to draw one in. I especially liked the way Yoshinaga seemlessly incorporated such a complete and total gender reversal into her alternative Edo-verse: the women holding all politically significant offices and the men treated for the most part as sexual objects to be bought and sold. The artwork was also quite stunning – not as ornate and extravagant as Bride of the Water God by a long shot – but very impressive in its own way nonetheless. Yet although the premise was fascinating, the dialogue compelling, and the artwork brilliant, the character of Yunoshin felt very bland, kind of neutralizing my enjoyment of much of the first volume. Shogun Yoshimune, however, was very interesting, and I’m quite pleased that it looks like we’ll be seeing much more of her in the future. Overall, volume one of Ooku gave me a lot to think about, and I’ll definitely be checking out volume two, even though it wasn’t quite what I expected. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387113167444676418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 261px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSr-sq28wo-FP5qtHqwIuphXTRVxl7oM-7oV8fdKlz5i2dnE8rDhEKJaeP_ZLRlAjQPBFQVMIor9V1y4zcKAjGLIUECJDMZwCibk3NBLvTVmIXn8zfJnbtZDDhv6HWvJsRZXKvD1bJPsMF/s320/o2.jpg" border="0" /><br />One last note about Ooku: the translation was pretty terrible. I wouldn’t expect it from such a new edition, but it was bad. The original was written in an archaic form of Japanese, and the translators tried to preserve the effect by throwing in lots of Shakespearian words and expressions with very unnatural, awkward results. Also, with the emphasis on gender reversal and the exploration of feudal sexual politics, this was definitely a more - er - adult manga than what I usually read. And I don’t have a problem with that, per se, the dialogue of Ooku had way more casual, offhand references to a man’s “seed” than should be found in any one volume of historical manga, in my opinion.</span></div>Beatricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02199353814449722105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184264015767179670.post-89752437680473952202009-09-18T22:24:00.000-07:002009-11-03T12:25:24.867-08:00Tamna the Island, episodes 1-10<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7pkuH4Z9NJSIhh1ffRihfCWgAshP3tK3pC5bUziy_ISm_AvYQNRNQfeO5anppVoW1spDlslNAq0uUm2uNpB-Vepv-ZAVpN28adKVBtXYB4KYfDMZ104oTknE7LBbKGbzZwzvw7uYJyPW/s1600-h/tti.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383059231355454562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7pkuH4Z9NJSIhh1ffRihfCWgAshP3tK3pC5bUziy_ISm_AvYQNRNQfeO5anppVoW1spDlslNAq0uUm2uNpB-Vepv-ZAVpN28adKVBtXYB4KYfDMZ104oTknE7LBbKGbzZwzvw7uYJyPW/s320/tti.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Oooh, I have such unabashed puppy love for this currently airing MBC drama. It’s not a life-altering, “forever” kind of love – more like just a very serious crush. Which is why it’s such a gosh-darn shame that, in light of the show’s consistently poor ratings, its broadcasting network decided to cut it down from its originally planned 20 episodes to 16. What that means is that because the final 10 episodes had fo0r the most part already been shot, they had to be cut down into a mere six. Needless to say, fans are pissed at the prospect of watching a heavily edited and significantly reduced second half of a series in which they’ve already become emotionally invested. So much of the story must get lost in the condensing of ten hours of material into six! And so, in spite of my love for this drama, I stopped watching after episode ten (the last episode to be aired in its original, unedited form.) I feel that it would be better to wait for the full version (which will eventually air in other countries and be released on DVD) than to watch a chopped-up, mutilated version of it now. And so to reconcile myself with the idea of going completely cold turkey on this drama (for now at least), I decided to write this post all about how freakin’ adorable it is.</span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Tamna the Island</strong> (also known as “Shipwrecked!” or “Tempted Again”) is based on an ongoing soonjung manhwa of the same name and takes place during the Joseon era on an island province called Tamna (present day Jeju Island). Since Tamna historically has a kind of niche cul</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbKdtNiwT3yjAlVksguDnclQwh7aSyiILA9Eq2wOq_O4iJiifwN7gOli9BcUAhbLbgjAvk_Ky6F1QAVIp_C8LHyD3DcouCfLhQItUP35o7AciEh3EJc9R0cAYXfm8ljBDqqE-EkO7dmrk/s1600-h/femaledivers.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383060336721082722" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 130px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbKdtNiwT3yjAlVksguDnclQwh7aSyiILA9Eq2wOq_O4iJiifwN7gOli9BcUAhbLbgjAvk_Ky6F1QAVIp_C8LHyD3DcouCfLhQItUP35o7AciEh3EJc9R0cAYXfm8ljBDqqE-EkO7dmrk/s200/femaledivers.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ture distinct from mainland Joseon society, a brief explanation ought to precede any discussion of this drama. 17th-century Tamna was kind of like the sticks of Joseon: a remote, uncivilized, backwater region. Nevertheless, the island was valued (and heavily taxed) by the government for its natural resources, most of which came from the sea. In a kind of reversal of traditional gender roles, the women of the island dove for abalone while the men stayed home and managed the households. The female divers, who performed difficult and undesirable work, were not allowed to leave Tamna, and were indentured to the island for life. Also, because Westerners were about as common in Tamna as aliens, any who appeared there were generally viewed as freaks and treated as criminals, even to the point of being arrested, sent to the capital, and executed. One last important aspect of 17th-century Tamna is that it was the place where political offenders were exiled by the mainland government in much the same way criminals of the British Empire were sent to Australia. People who watch a lot of sageuk (period) dramas should recognize this practice. (Remember how Jang-Geum was banished there on a trumpted up charge in </span><a href="http://beautifuldesert.blogspot.com/2009/05/dae-jang-geum-where-have-you-been-all.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Dae Jang Geum</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">?)</span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">And so, with the stage thus set, the drama tells the story of an English castaway who washes ashore on Tamna. Fortunately for young William, he is found and hidden by a young female diver named Jang Beo-Jin. Despite the language and cultural barrier, the two form a very sweet and innocent friendship. Around the same time, an arrogant and scholarly young noble man named Park Kyu arrives from Han Yang (the capital), having been recently exiled to Tamna, and is given to the care of Beo-Jin’s mother, the head diver of the village. The story of how these three characters collide and come together against the odds in 17th-century Tamna provides for plenty of humor and drama in this unique and fun series.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383061379486430354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 176px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMzwMIejAu0gfdtAgd0kq57aYduBmbzRhMKjGsnt-HR8vUb0HrBXu0ZcsTNdoDvtbXgmQZ1o8xb6Wu_QvGgKgfE7zXEFVs7_POiYI8SYQoIkvbA5MhC_5t_9GON3TyFFv5XWonc6OUxIxJ/s320/wbj.jpg" border="0" /><br /><strong>Pierre Deporte (Korean name Hwang Chan-Bin) as William</strong>. Honestly, this guy’s acting takes a lot of getting used to, and even then can be accepted only with a huge grain of salt. And yet I’m prepared to do all this and more, because I like the character so much. He’s a little hard to take at firs, what with his fake blonde hair and even faker English, but as soon as the character starts “learning” Korean (the actor’s pretty fluent) it gets so much better. William may not be the brightest bulb in the box, but he has a sweet, innocent charm about him that completely won me over. It’s fun to watch him and Beo-Jin together because even though they’re a kind of oddly matched pair, they’re basically each other’s first loves, and it really is quite sweet. Plus, it’s hard for me to ignore the fact that this is quite possibly the first time a White person has ever been portrayed in such a positive light in a drama, not to mention taken on a leading role. The drama does a great job, I thing, of incorporating his character in a way that’s both sensitive and intriguing, in spite of the bad hair and accent. For instance, look at this bit of dialogue from episode 5, in which William discusses with his sailor friend a misunderstanding that occurred between him and Park Gyu:<br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">William: Park Gyu… He looked at me like I was a bad person. I think he misunderstood something. I was just trying to save her-<br />Yan: Don’t expect these people to understand you. You’re just a freak to them.<br />William: Why do they hate me?<br />Yan: Joseon has always been a closed country. The locals are afraid of foreigners and try to kill them.<br />William: I don’t understand. Beo-Jin isn’t like that.<br />Yan: Yeah, well, she’s a weird one.<br />William: No, she’s not strange.<br />Yan: Don’t get too attatched. Sooner or later you’ll have to leave this place.</span></blockquote><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383062142242367970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3C0tgt_0qzCaFL1O9KTIFxlqp1B3XoMD412Gkm0bg3eGbnIZ0Y6MMY1wWOwbgmGk5DNucnfPdfVq3E6gZP2Dxxu3zHTBgSENut48ZigVJAr0Sz1yDxE-vHYRIqyR5KB7L-qSnJhtIqZxL/s320/tamna_13.jpg" border="0" /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Seo Woo as Jang Beo-Jin</strong>. I don’t have a whole lot to say about the actress, except that she does a great job of bringing a nice, youthful energy to her character without being annoyingly over-spunky or cutesy. Beo-Jin has a wonderfully, open, straightforward, and caring nature that leads her to instantly and wholeheartedly accept William as a basically good person, and to defend him against those who might reject him for being different. I guess she knows how it feels to be different as well. As an unskilled, low-level diver indentured to the island for life, she’s somewhat of a black sheep in her village. She’s always dreamed of leaving Tamna, and in a way William opens up for her the possibility of a world beyond the island’s shores.</span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>Im Ju-Hwan as Park Gyu</strong>. Ok, I like the rest of the cast, but I absolutely<em> love</em> Im Ju-Hwan as Park Gyu. I wasn’t really expecting much from this relatively inexperienced model-turned-actor,</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2eapea-QxzAHIcNW5eB4t1t-F3hAl5DwER7pAs6ALxGwytNV3ngBJ5gfGdAdm64lZBmn6q2Qnn-19CVVKmD_PXZ0uiPfEbKKVeaXXvkS0gFUDrAW3sIoyq7a1QV-UQ6s4TnkxXTiyZ4Q/s1600-h/ijh!.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383062380854107986" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 198px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2eapea-QxzAHIcNW5eB4t1t-F3hAl5DwER7pAs6ALxGwytNV3ngBJ5gfGdAdm64lZBmn6q2Qnn-19CVVKmD_PXZ0uiPfEbKKVeaXXvkS0gFUDrAW3sIoyq7a1QV-UQ6s4TnkxXTiyZ4Q/s200/ijh!.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> but as far as I’m concerned, he’s the real standout of the drama. He may be askinny guy with delicate features, but the dude’s got this beautifully deep, manly voice, and totally OWNS his character. As the city-reared scholar-noble, he’s initially dismayed to find himself exiled to the backwaters of Tamna at the beginning of the drama and entrusted to the care of lowly peasants who don’t show him the respect he so obviously deserves! It’s hilarious, really. Nobody really knows the details of his crime, but there’s a persistent rumor that it has something to do with harassing women. Ha! Of course, there’s more to him than initially meets the eye, and we eventually learn (spoiler alert) that he’s actually an undercover official sent to Tamna by the government on a secret mission. Although initially unimpressed with the uncivilized island society and the uncouth Beo-Jin, he slowly comes to respect, admire, and even love both. Im Ju-Hwan is <em>so </em>awesome in this role. He makes the character endearing and funny, but also anchors it with some very deeply felt, vulnerable moments; when he tears up on screen it’s so good I just want to die. You can bet your bottom dollar that if Im Ju-Hwan appears in another drama in the future I’ll be all over it like white on rice.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Before I go any further, I have to say that yes, this drama does feature two guys falling for the same girl, but there’s so much else going on, and each individual relationship between these three people is so distinct and well-developed, and intriguing, that what romantic conflict there is never feel clichéd or contrived or cheap. I just think this drama’s got a whole heck of a lot going for it. Being based on a long-running manhwa gives it extensive source material to work with, and the story’s been really well adapted by the production team. (There are some other manga/manhwa-turned-dramas where this has not been the case. <strong>Boys Over Flowers</strong> springs directly to mind.) The Tamna setting also differentiates the drama from other fusion sageuks out there and allows for a fresh and unique kind of story. The scenery is breathtaking, and as for the music, this is the first OST I’ve been interested in for a while. It just baffles me that this drama’s been getting such poor ratings. Oh well. I’m really impatient to watch the second part of the series, but I’ve liked the first ten episodes too much to feel ok about watching a condensed version of the last ten. Sometimes it’s the little moments that really make a drama worthwhile, and I’m afraid those are the ones that will get lost in the re-editing. So I’ll just wait. Yet in spite of the fiasco MBC’s caused in this drama’s run, I’m still glad I tuned in for the first half. I enjoyed it that much.</span></div><div></div><div></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383062632738898898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 155px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCSfWxGg_b5JCBz2a3ubld6nu3X_-Yq0zO0gAi2Oel7ylNob3u_GSiT0i-PnbPSZnohulj0_2qB834BUrfJQxQU4jkFJ3CNTf2C_hwFQMEkzgdT9ys8C06uIRTs7flVud5mIYyYcq-8NyZ/s320/tamna.jpg" border="0" /></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Some music from the soundtrack:</span></p><br /><div style="WIDTH: 300px"><object height="110" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://media.imeem.com/m/ZWDN1dEnvl/aus=false/"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://media.imeem.com/m/ZWDN1dEnvl/aus=false/" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="110" wmode="transparent"></embed></object><div style="PADDING-RIGHT: 1px; PADDING-LEFT: 1px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1px; PADDING-TOP: 1px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e6e6e6"><div style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; FLOAT: left; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 4px"><a href="http://www.imeem.com/"><img src="http://www.imeem.com/embedsearch/E6E6E6/" border="0" /></a></div><form style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px" action="http://www.imeem.com/embedsearch/" method="post"><input name="EmbedSearchBox"><input style="FONT-SIZE: 12px" type="submit" value="Search"> <div style="PADDING-TOP: 3px"><a href="http://www.imeem.com/ads/banneradclick.ashx?ep=0&ek=ZWDN1dEnvl" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.imeem.com/ads/bannerad/152/10/" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.imeem.com/ads/banneradclick.ashx?ep=1&ek=ZWDN1dEnvl" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.imeem.com/ads/bannerad/153/10/" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.imeem.com/ads/banneradclick.ashx?ep=2&ek=ZWDN1dEnvl" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.imeem.com/ads/bannerad/154/10/" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.imeem.com/ads/banneradclick.ashx?ep=3&ek=ZWDN1dEnvl" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.imeem.com/ads/bannerad/155/10/ZWDN1dEnvl/" border="0" /></a></div></form></div></div><br /><a href="http://www.imeem.com/people/_oQ6Pjx/music/1e2k8plE/jane-park-ending-theme/">이어사나 (Ending Theme) - Jane Park</a><br /><div style="WIDTH: 300px"><object height="110" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://media.imeem.com/m/70sW3ZmLtE/aus=false/"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://media.imeem.com/m/70sW3ZmLtE/aus=false/" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="110" wmode="transparent"></embed></object><div style="PADDING-RIGHT: 1px; PADDING-LEFT: 1px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1px; PADDING-TOP: 1px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #e6e6e6"><div style="PADDING-RIGHT: 4px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; FLOAT: left; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 4px"><a href="http://www.imeem.com/"><img src="http://www.imeem.com/embedsearch/E6E6E6/" border="0" /></a></div><form style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px" action="http://www.imeem.com/embedsearch/" method="post"><input name="EmbedSearchBox"><input style="FONT-SIZE: 12px" type="submit" value="Search"> <div style="PADDING-TOP: 3px"><a href="http://www.imeem.com/ads/banneradclick.ashx?ep=0&ek=70sW3ZmLtE" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.imeem.com/ads/bannerad/152/10/" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.imeem.com/ads/banneradclick.ashx?ep=1&ek=70sW3ZmLtE" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.imeem.com/ads/bannerad/153/10/" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.imeem.com/ads/banneradclick.ashx?ep=2&ek=70sW3ZmLtE" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.imeem.com/ads/bannerad/154/10/" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.imeem.com/ads/banneradclick.ashx?ep=3&ek=70sW3ZmLtE" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.imeem.com/ads/bannerad/155/10/70sW3ZmLtE/" border="0" /></a></div></form></div></div><br /><a href="http://www.imeem.com/people/_oQ6Pjx/music/KdYcP1tu/jane-park-your-tears-main-theme/">Your Tears (Main Theme) - Jane Park</a>Beatricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02199353814449722105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184264015767179670.post-9396835701247903802009-09-16T12:40:00.000-07:002009-09-16T18:14:19.398-07:00True Blood 2.12 "Beyond Here Lies Nothin' "<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLE5WWFNBO0QfzvUmVwoNAYgUYE69MKgKX8XYaeOEH66d3-A0aT5rAX70dQlPRTtWagDcFmxx-vU2mmP6FHrxT24i0qC1Z9seYtNIBwqunmB-OhK9BtCz6aRbDzjN0Ee8c3OG_m9PxrHl3/s1600-h/chcameo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382155810481762354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLE5WWFNBO0QfzvUmVwoNAYgUYE69MKgKX8XYaeOEH66d3-A0aT5rAX70dQlPRTtWagDcFmxx-vU2mmP6FHrxT24i0qC1Z9seYtNIBwqunmB-OhK9BtCz6aRbDzjN0Ee8c3OG_m9PxrHl3/s320/chcameo.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The above picture shows the cameo appearance of Charlaine Harris, author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels, in the season two finale of "True Blood", the HBO show based on said novels. Since I've been watching this show pretty religiously all summer, I just wanted to put in my two cents about the season finale. I found this episode to be a rather lackluster conclusion to what was nevertheless a really great sophomore season. If the episode itself was a bit of a let down, it was probably due largely to the fact that my expectations were so high, and in any case there certainly were plenty of intriguing hints/cliffhangers to invest people (and me) in the wait for season three.<br /><br />The first half of the episode focused on the conclusion of the Maryann conflict, and culminated in her fi</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgukI9FsOXB5DeTgB1AUnzUkc2hmOT6Uq8riBr2l3maWKdkuL_4NBqSmAj52btKjQiwC2sRboVgOKt1s9x23wH9sVPzCBEZ0R9SmLir1Qj_0bvWua2Sy2enDUOs5uLH8XshgJA9dF3P6fP6/s1600-h/tbf1.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382156965514840786" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 148px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgukI9FsOXB5DeTgB1AUnzUkc2hmOT6Uq8riBr2l3maWKdkuL_4NBqSmAj52btKjQiwC2sRboVgOKt1s9x23wH9sVPzCBEZ0R9SmLir1Qj_0bvWua2Sy2enDUOs5uLH8XshgJA9dF3P6fP6/s200/tbf1.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">nal defeat at the hands of Bill, Sam, and Sookie. With Sam’s shapeshifting abilities, Sookie’s mysterious and unreliable supernatural powers, a deeper understanding of what a maenad really <em>is</em>, and a little bit of clever trickery, the three are able to finally defeat her and thereby save the good people of Bon Temps from themselves. I must say, I’m going to miss Maryann. Or rather, I’m going to miss Michelle Forbes, who always played her with wickedly irresistible charm and a brilliant touch of craziness. On the other hand, the time had come for her to die; her character was this season’s big “undefeatable” adversary, so at the end of the season she had to be defeated of course.<br /><br />The second half of the episode shows the aftermath Maryann’s mayhem and also leads into several storylines for season three. Most of the residents of Bon Temps are in denial about what happened, while Jason and Andy congratulate themselves on being heroes (although t</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2rDWn-5wWxTEGs2fQE2mx_f9UqaubZihjA9ASBT7qXeReSgHUIfyOvBteHjFBWHoYE1edp72eu-BOfrMTGewuv3REVqF2DgR3a34qgbyagDCm1KmN7cbEzscZlPgM1DVLiwJbEkptM9B/s1600-h/sal.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382156294027507026" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2rDWn-5wWxTEGs2fQE2mx_f9UqaubZihjA9ASBT7qXeReSgHUIfyOvBteHjFBWHoYE1edp72eu-BOfrMTGewuv3REVqF2DgR3a34qgbyagDCm1KmN7cbEzscZlPgM1DVLiwJbEkptM9B/s200/sal.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">hey didn’t really do anything but get possessed themselves, but hey, A for effort boys!) The one person who <em>really</em> can’t handle the truth about what he did under the influence of Maryann is Eggs, who completely loses it and approaches Andy with the knife he used on Daphne and others. Jason witnesses the encounter, freaks out, and shoots Eggs in the back of the head before running off. I know, I didn’t see that one coming either. Meanwhile, Sam visits his adoptive parents, the queen warns Eric (quite forcefully) not to let Bill find out too much about the blood cartel, Hoyt seeks Jessica’s forgiveness while a hurt and angry Jessica seeks out victims, and Bill proposes to Sookie before being kidnapped by a mysterious attacker. Yup, this all happens in the second half of the episode.</span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I have to admit that this finale left me slightly underwhelmed. I definitely expected more to come of the Sophie-Anne storyline, especially since they decided to introduce the queen so much earlier in the story than she ever appears in the books. I also had a huge problem with Bill’s big, romantic proposal to Sookie, and with her readiness (after a moment of hesitation) to accept it. I’m really trying not to compare the show to the books too much, but this scene just felt very wrong to me. I have a hard time believing that Sookie would ever really entertain the idea of marriage to Bill, especially since their relationship has such a glaringly obvious expiration date (no matter how much they don’t want to admit it.) Still, I’m interested to see how this will play out next season, because I don’t think it will ever happen. As for Bill’s kidnapper, I have a pretty good idea of who it might be, especially because while the show strays quite far from the events and characterizations of the books each new season generally retains the main conflict of each successive novel.</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_vctxKtP1lItslnCvTs_pKTpRwtCbwFJmQXh-B2MTK7lFRjO-VymtUPi2rQLLPrEs-kgfWiSJ2sqiq4U65ereZ5HVRrBD7Ud0U4jMmjwBlgnAaDPk7RRYVuF8-iKreSXvm_nepoYQuKoR/s1600-h/tbf2.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382157158675825586" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_vctxKtP1lItslnCvTs_pKTpRwtCbwFJmQXh-B2MTK7lFRjO-VymtUPi2rQLLPrEs-kgfWiSJ2sqiq4U65ereZ5HVRrBD7Ud0U4jMmjwBlgnAaDPk7RRYVuF8-iKreSXvm_nepoYQuKoR/s200/tbf2.jpg" border="0" /></span></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Overall, I feel that season two was a huge improvement over season one. While I still think that the Bill/Sookie romance is pretty weak, the show has moved away from resting solely on that concept. It’s at its best, I feel, when exploring the politics of the different supernatural communities, and the extended universe of the different characters. And so, all things considered, I’m very excited for next season. I’m hoping, as always, for lots more Eric-Pam-Fangtasia action, and I also read somewhere that there will be Weres next time around, which is super exciting. It’s also a good thing I like Anna Paquin so much because she invariably makes the Bill/Sookie pairing interesting despite all the problems I have with it.</span></div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_vctxKtP1lItslnCvTs_pKTpRwtCbwFJmQXh-B2MTK7lFRjO-VymtUPi2rQLLPrEs-kgfWiSJ2sqiq4U65ereZ5HVRrBD7Ud0U4jMmjwBlgnAaDPk7RRYVuF8-iKreSXvm_nepoYQuKoR/s1600-h/tbf2.jpg"></a>Beatricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02199353814449722105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184264015767179670.post-33323839037398635922009-09-13T09:32:00.000-07:002009-09-13T10:40:16.451-07:00Never judge a book (part 2 of 2): The Picture of Dorian Gray<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguSE0tX7-8aW7nD6PIjw9yE6jdTxLhSHfby0aHrTBWmmY5ERMuEwnhVXcst5l8y1k8o3mDn_HVwMV99s236cv9mT9YYKCyYUsvL50FHftlOFXBDQVQGzKKgxmLIvBv9GoNjof_Yqs7vdjn/s1600-h/pdg.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381007749449162274" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 207px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguSE0tX7-8aW7nD6PIjw9yE6jdTxLhSHfby0aHrTBWmmY5ERMuEwnhVXcst5l8y1k8o3mDn_HVwMV99s236cv9mT9YYKCyYUsvL50FHftlOFXBDQVQGzKKgxmLIvBv9GoNjof_Yqs7vdjn/s320/pdg.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">So, last time I wrote about a book that defied my low expectations by being kind of awesome. Unfortunately, that means part two of this post will focus on a book that defied my high expectations by, well, sucking majorly. I’m going to try to refrain from turning this into a long, whiney tirade about how much I hated the book, because that’s just no fun (although I make no promises). Instead, I’ll try to look at how such a great author could take such a great premise and turn it into such an un-grate novel.</span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I formed a favorable first impression of Oscar Wilde as a child when I read “The Happy Prince” in the <em>Provensen Book of Fairy Tales</em> (whose awesomeness I’ve </span><a href="http://beautifuldesert.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-do-i-love-thee-provensen-book-of.html"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">already discussed</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">), and I never found cause to revise my good opinion of him until now. In addition to “The Happy Prince”, a story that while perhaps a little preachy has at least the redeeming quality of being beautifully tragic, I’ve also enjoyed his plays in the past, specifically <em>An Ideal Husband</em> and <em>The Importance of Being Earnest</em>. His plays are witty, quippy, and endlessly quotable comedies of manners that rarely fail to amuse and generally delight. Wilde also wrote extensive poetry, and was an erstwhile philosopher to boot. Was there anything the guy couldn’t do? Well, write novels, apparently. After finishing the only novel he ever wrote, I can’t help but wish he’s have stuck to what he knew.</span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>The Picture of Dorian Gray</em> tells the story of a wealthy and beautiful young man who sits for a portrait and, on seeing the finished product, makes an impulsive wish that he might remain eternally unchanged, and that the picture might bear the mark of time in his stead. When he discovers that his bold wish has been granted (by the powers that be?) and that he has effectively sold his soul for eternal youth and beauty, he begins a double life of hedonism and excess, with only the portrait to bear the signs of his true physical and spiritual degradation. This sounds like the premise of a great gothic melodrama, right? Unfortunately, Oscar Wilde is not Mary Shelley. His dark tale of corruption still reads, on the surface at least, a lot like his drawing room comedies, with very odd results. I guess you could say that this book was tonally confused. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Yet my problems with <em>The Picture of Dorian Gray</em> don’t stop there. I also found the book to be quite muddled thematically. It appeared in many ways to be a cautionary tale against vanity and pride, except for the fact that the author spends a great deal of the novel waxing poetic about the philosophy of hedonism and self-indulgence. The chronology was also very rough and ready; the book consists of only a few significant evens/conversations interspersed between awkwardly long jumps in time. And perhaps my greatest complaint with the novel is that the main character is seriously underdeveloped. I’d call him one-dimensional, but honestly he’s not even that well defined. Easily swayed by the slightest influence, Dorian Gray has almost no character of his own. Conveniently spared the burden of guilt for his crimes (which the painting also assumes), he is no more capable of being satisfied with his fate than he is of truly repenting his many transgressions.</span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I think that, given its chronology and character development issues, <em>The Picture of Dorian Gray</em> could still have made a really great short story. It could have been a good novel, perhaps, if only somebody else had written it. Or maybe if Wilde had had a decent editor. As it so happens, Wilde wrote the book on his own as a full-length novel, and I thought it fell pretty flat. Sheesh, what a bummer.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">One last little note in conclusion: whatever else I may say about this book, I cannot deny that, like Wilde’s other works, it is very quotable. It is chock full of witty and original remarks ("All crime is vulgar, just as all vulgarity is crime"), but I believe it takes more than clever little turns of phrase to sustain a worthwhile novel.</span></div>Beatricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02199353814449722105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184264015767179670.post-34026037304672622412009-09-04T21:24:00.000-07:002009-09-07T16:21:22.167-07:00Never judge a book (part 1 of 2): The Great Gatsby<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Rr5dkh2hXaqN1uFL49hA1cCRug8wdtBVDgW-E1ZixScAxrTOW1YeizKhDsYOFVtmbaimKiaWuCZEkdwwrlBnMxloEgsijOypSYRR4dtip4D2eUYpUd3SQbBwJyh_6K_NXDel0L-tYdo_/s1600-h/tgg.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377850039830895234" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Rr5dkh2hXaqN1uFL49hA1cCRug8wdtBVDgW-E1ZixScAxrTOW1YeizKhDsYOFVtmbaimKiaWuCZEkdwwrlBnMxloEgsijOypSYRR4dtip4D2eUYpUd3SQbBwJyh_6K_NXDel0L-tYdo_/s320/tgg.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Question: Why should I never be too hasty to judge a book (by its cover or by anything else)? Two reasons: 1) <em>The Great Gatsby</em>, and 2) that other novel that I will be discussing in part 2 of this post. So contrary to my expectations were these two books as to prompt me to question not only my tastes in literature, but also my estimation of one of my favorite writers. When will I ever learn not to decide if I like a book before I even open it? Probably never. Darn.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Anyways, I’ll talk about <em>The Great Gatsby</em> first, and then about that other novel later. I ended up reading <em>The Great Gatsby</em> sort of by accident; I actually went to the library that day on the hunt for a completely different book. As fate would have it, the book I sought proved to be among the missing at my library, and I had to order it from another town. Unwilling to return home empty-handed, I began to wander aimlessly throughout the shelves in search of some little something to tide me over in the meantime. And that’s how I found myself in the “F” section, staring at a copy of <em>The Great Gatsby</em>. Now I’m a little ashamed to confess that what primarily drew me to the novel was its apparent brevity. I didn’t actually expect to <em>like</em> it or anything (I imagined it would be bland and unengaging), I just thought I’d be able to get through it quickly. I guess the idea was to breeze through it and then feel good about myself for having read a classic. Not very admirable, I’ll admit.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em>The Great Gatsby </em>recounts the summer of 1922 as told by Nick Carraway, a young man who settles on the North Shore of Long Island and gets caught up in the lives of the wealthy, if somewhat shiftless, society that characterized the time and place. I did struggle, in the beginning, to really get into the novel. Maybe it just went right over my head at first, but it seemed to me to be a lot of random details with very little emotional content or plot. I didn’t especially want to read a book that was all atmosphere, no matter how deftly or brilliantly that atmosphere was captured. It <em>was</em> brilliantly crafted, though. The genius and great discipline of Fitzgerald’s prose shines through practically every sentence, such as this little gem: </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><blockquote><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Her eyebrows had been plucked and then drawn on again at a more rakish angle, but the efforts of nature toward the restoration of the old alignment gave a blurred air to her face. </span></blockquote>As it turns out, I only found the narrative flow to be bland and disjointed in the very beginning, before the “full picture” of the novel began to emerge and all the seemingly random details began to build upon one another to create a frenzied, tragic, and somewhat pathetic climax. I'm having difficulty articulating exactly what I mean, but I guess you could say that it started out slow but ended up being a pretty intense ride.<br /><br />Anyways, getting back to the setting and atmosphere of the novel for just a moment… I’ve never been to the Hamptons (and I certainly wasn’t there in the ‘20s), but I did, just prior to reading the book, tour the Newport mansion where the 1974 film version was shot. So I already had a full, sensory conception of the backdrop of the novel, which made it that much more of a treat to read. In reading I was drawn in spite of myself into the luxurious-but-not-altogether-savory world of parties, excess, human folly, and human frailty that Fitzgerald captures so well. And while I didn’t necessarily care about the characters ad much as I might do with a more sensationalized novel, I did nevertheless empathize very strongly with them, so real were even their ugliest and most foolish emotions. I suppose I’m still grateful it was a short book, as I don’t think Fitzgerald’s style would sustain a longer novel. Overall, I thoroughly and quite unexpectedly enjoyed <em>The Great Gatsby</em>, a book that turned out to be not at all boring. In part 2, I’ll elaborate on a book that by all rights should have been awesome, but instead turned out to be a total drag.</span> </div></div>Beatricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02199353814449722105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184264015767179670.post-25750024615624418892009-09-03T14:03:00.000-07:002009-09-03T18:01:09.249-07:00“9”, film by Shane Acker finally coming to theaters!<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes! Ok, so I’m <em>really</em> excited for this movie. Almost two years ago someone sent me a link to a short (ten minutes) animated film by Shane Acker, entitled <em>9</em>. I watched it, and was completely blown away. It was sort of like something from a person’s dream – somebody’s dark, bizarre, superawesome and intriguing dream. It was the only short film I’d ever seen that left me wanting much, much more; I felt as if ten minutes were not nearly enough to explore the universe Acker had created. You can image, therefore, how psyched I was to find out that the short was to be made into a feature-length film! And now that film is finally here! And with an amazing, all-star cast too! I’m already overdoing it with the exclamation points, and this is only how I felt before even watching the trailer!<br /></span><br /><object height="258" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/E4BWLtG0elU&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/E4BWLtG0elU&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="258.035775"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">How cool is that? <em>9</em> takes place in a sinister, postapocalyptic world where evil and frightening mechanical beasts threaten a group of sentient rag dolls who band together in an attempt to survive and find answers about themselves and the world that was. I was surprised at first that Elijah Wood was voicing 9, but I’ve come around to thinking he might be kind <span style="font-family:arial;">of</span> perfect for the part. He can definitely do the whole earnest, innocent, underdog hero thing (à la <em>Happy Feet</em>, <em>Lord of the Rings</em>, etc) and he’s already done a lot of voice acting. Then we have Christopher Plummer as 1, coming right off his last big voice role with Pixar’s <em>Up</em>. He’s got a sweet voice, and I like it when he does animation, because then I can imagine the guy still looks like Captain von Trapp. I’m kind of neutral on Jennifer Connelly, but her character 7 does look pretty badass. The rest of the cast is pretty star-studded as well, but those three were the ones that jumped out at me.</span><br /><br />One of the cool things about this film, aside from it’s unique design, is the fact that it seems to have the best action sequences I’ve ever seen in any animation anywhere. Check out this scene:<br /><br /><object height="258" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/40RCOmPuF0k&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/40RCOmPuF0k&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="258.035775"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Although animated, 9 is not a kid’s movie. It’s dark and weird and features characters who fight what is essentially a losing battle. The beasts in this film are of the same brand of creepy that made the other mother in <a href="http://beautifuldesert.blogspot.com/2009/02/coraline-is-officially-awesome.html">Coraline</a> such a great villain. Check out this one, the Seamstress:</span><br /><br /><object height="258" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/L3uDjjFFRGQ&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/L3uDjjFFRGQ&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="258.035775"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">9 is directed by Shane Acker and produced by Tim Burton. In theaters September 9th. I am so there.</span>Beatricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02199353814449722105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184264015767179670.post-38584209858355459612009-08-22T14:23:00.000-07:002009-09-30T21:22:02.913-07:00"And let me see thee in thy woman's weeds..."<span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I'm not exactly sure why this is, but I've always been a sucker for a good gender-bending, cross-dressing story. Maybe it's just some sort of wierd fetish I have, but I personally can't seem to get enough of them. Yet given the proliferation of the theme across various media and cultures, I can't be the only one susceptible to that kind of fantasy. I couldn't even begin to analyze the social or psychological implications of the trend, (nor do I particularly want to; it probably has to do with some kind of wacked-out, vicarious wish fulfillment), but I do think it's interesting to step back and compare some of the different stories that fall into this category and see the kind of patterns that emerge. So in this post I'll reflect a little on some of the woman-impersonates-man stories I've consummed in the past. And hey, maybe there's somebody out there like me who also likes this sort of thing and is looking for some more examples. Heck knows, I'm always on the look-out for more gender-bending fun.</span><br /></span><br /><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">To find really classic tales of women impersonating men, one need look no further than Shakespeare, whose works abound with such characters. Rosalind of <em>As You Like It</em> and Viola of <em>Twelfth Night</em> initially spring to mind, both of whom meet their future husbands while disguised as men. These situations not only provide for lots of humor and drama, but also allow the couples to get to know and be friendly with each other in ways that would be impossible if the women’s true gender was known.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">… Which brings me to the first real item on my list today: a little 2006 US film called <em>She’s the Man. She’s the Man</em> is one of a number of American teen movies that take classic works of literature and transplant them into a modern-day high-school setting (à la <em>Clueless</em> and <em>10 Things I Hate About You</em>). And which classic gender-bending tale does <em>She’s the Man</em> modernize? None other than Shakespeare’s <em>Twelfth Night</em>. In the original play, the character of Viola (disguised as a man) is enlisted by the Duke of Orsino to help him win the hand of Lady Olivia. In acting as his intermediary, the disguised Viola not only falls in love with the Duke but also attracts the romantic attention of Olivia herself. While <em>She’s the Man</em> retains many of the key plot features and characters of the play, it completely overhauls the style, setting, and execution of the story. Like the play, the movie places emphasis very heavily on comedy and very lightly on dramatic tension. Actress and erstwhile comedian Amanda Bynes doesn’t make a very convincing boy, but therein lies much of the film’s humor. Watching her posture and pose and try desperately to act like “one of the dudes” is worth the price of admission alone, and practically everything out of her mouth is side-splittingly hilarious. Plus, there’s Channing Tatum to look at. Check out this awesome scene:</span><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kYXB_hfK0do&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kYXB_hfK0do&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Yet Shakespearian heroines weren’t the first to assume male personae; the classic Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, a filial daughter who joins the all-male army in place of her ailing father and eventually becomes a great war hero, derives from a 6th century poem. The myth has survived the centuries to take on many different forms, including operas, novels, films, and television serials. Mulan became something of a household name in the US in 1998 whe</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqszuZmS4boH1XbWIHBnOl2Gv2FEM-onFlov26dG8J8nOjQgRhm5XHkNdgh0FT9j2r8NLd3YJ6HYWPfsSRo1bjzx6Y3TDdNvNyuovm3mVi0lM8TTlSrvl5WeEPLwqiI7fkdmKKlv9KM8Lj/s1600-h/mulan_poster.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373059309373683778" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 204px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqszuZmS4boH1XbWIHBnOl2Gv2FEM-onFlov26dG8J8nOjQgRhm5XHkNdgh0FT9j2r8NLd3YJ6HYWPfsSRo1bjzx6Y3TDdNvNyuovm3mVi0lM8TTlSrvl5WeEPLwqiI7fkdmKKlv9KM8Lj/s320/mulan_poster.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">n the story got the full Disney film treatment, complete with campy songs and wisecracking sidekick-to-heroine. While the Disney version presents a not so sensitive or subtle depiction of traditional Chinese society, this consumer still appreciates the value of the film’s dramatic and visual appeal.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Also of note is the fact that a brand new, feature length, live-action adaptation of the legend of Mulan is currently undergoing postproduction in China, where it will be released later this year. The film, starring Vicky Zhao in the titular role and Chen Kun as her love interest, was represented at this year’s Cannes film festival, where </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEL6rhMpJj4"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">this</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> teaser was shown. It looks to me like a pretty battle-centric war epic, but with the story of Mulan there’s always going to be some human drama and intrigue. No news on a US release yet, but here’s hoping.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Moving right along, we come to another classic gem in the gender-bender canon: the 1982 musical comedy film <em>Victor Victoria</em>, starring Julie Andrews, James Garner, Robert Preston, Lesley Ann Warren, and John Rhys-Davies. The movie, which takes place in 1930s Paris, features the struggling singer Victoria Grant (Andrews) and her openly gay friend Carroll “Toddy” Todd, who together concoct an unlikely get-rich scheme. The two will pretend to be gay lovers so that Victoria can become a successful female impersonator – in other words, she’ll be “a woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman.” While I adore this film for many reasons (it’s originality, cleverness, winning humor, stellar cast, and great music), the main romance is not one of those reasons. I just don’t think Andrews and Garner had that much chemistry. Plus, his character never really believed “Victor” was a man, and where’s the fun in that? Still, this is a really great movie that I would recommend to just about anybody.<br /></span></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373060864357634706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 171px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEvywFCPll_CwBYXs26QsbibNnMoGWd8XdvmJ0wR0DaXAFXzep5QhxNqoe3JDfV7kvZPSGzhrgSLj4cNLoXWtWs5Dcf4f_RHkB4Jln-GOnH8qp2G_O41mHWBrC4mS5VVR-WSsOmuvF9Mds/s320/vv.jpg" border="0" /><br /></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The next item I would like to discuss is probably my number one favorite example of cross-gender storytelling: the 17-episode kdrama Coffee Prince. Coffee Prince was a mega-hit on the trendy drama scene in the summer of 2007, and for good reason. The story and main character were unconventional (at least by kdrama standards), and the drama had a lot to offer (I felt) that many kdramas do not. Unlike the other stories in this list, the main character of this drama doesn’t need to undergo a big transformation in order to assume the guise of a man; Go Eun-Chan’s already so boyish in demeanor and dress that most people mistake her for a pretty guy anyways. Plus, Yoon Eun-Hye’s an actress who really knows how to play both sides of the gender coin. She does a fabulous job of bringing this unique and endearing character to life and of making her really believable as both a boy and a girl. I’m not a huge fan of Gong Yoo, but I really liked him in this drama. I also really liked the development of his loafer rich boy character’s relationship with the penniless and hardworking Eun-Chan. The two become unlikely friends through a series of bizarre circumstances, eventually sharing an almost younger-brother-older-brother relationship. Their friendship has its natural ups and downs, and Han-Kyul (Gong Yoo) eventually starts to question his sexuality as he finds himself more attracted to Eun-Chan, with lots of pseudo-homoerotic undercurrents resulting. Coffee Prince is just a really well-executed and engrossing drama to begin with, and any fan of gender bender stories definitely won’t want to miss out on this one. A scene from the drama:</span><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8UtderC_c00&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8UtderC_c00&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Another recent cross-gender themed kdrama that stands in stark contrast to the trendy Coffee Prince is last year’s 20-episode sageuk (Joseon era) drama, Painter of the Wind. In this drama, cute-a</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4ZNV-aIdqr2UlSRp39ybTmJEEBpZG7qw1z-4P71dABb6MwtTB2fGJoaBJvEmY2bWM737vMYwPiWZ7DlUvHPrV9Ulrp_sJHc0q4XHy8cGD_mby2QKvdZscjXq4n9HTVPCjQ395u1Z2ceu/s1600-h/potw.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373063394924461698" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 134px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4ZNV-aIdqr2UlSRp39ybTmJEEBpZG7qw1z-4P71dABb6MwtTB2fGJoaBJvEmY2bWM737vMYwPiWZ7DlUvHPrV9Ulrp_sJHc0q4XHy8cGD_mby2QKvdZscjXq4n9HTVPCjQ395u1Z2ceu/s200/potw.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">s-a button Moon Geun-Young plays a woman who, from a very young age, was raised as a male by her adoptive family of royal painters so that she too might achieve wealth and status as an artist (an option only available to men.) While I thought the drama itself was rather disappointing, I found the premise very intriguing. Moon’s character, Shin Yoon-Bok, was a real-life Joseon artist (male in reality), and the drama covers many of the historical events of his/her life. Her main relationships are with her teacher and mentor Kim Hong-Do (also a real person) and the giseang (female entertainer) who becomes her artistic inspiration. While I found the drama lacking in many respects (especially its latter half), I thought it provided an interesting twist on the cross-gender theme. The 21 year old Moon would make a pretty convincing boy, but only if that boy were about eleven years old.</span><br /></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">And now we come to the last item on my list, a 1994 Hong Kong film called <em>He’s a Woman, She’s a Man</em>. Like Coffee Prince, this film features a boyish girl in male guise causing another man seriously to question his own sexuality. Unlike Coffee Prince, however, the two mai</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldHgpWPNwN7zp_afO6Y9EcLIvRUol7VPWSlvoexxlIzasVZHwIpBawJ2rOMqxiHci5QlfQM4jSiqAM92dS8KHH3uKt_YaahpUoHFSqWc7w0Imhihuar9CZ-tYWvwq4UsPzg5miAGNFPl_/s1600-h/hwsm.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373064793282125954" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 179px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldHgpWPNwN7zp_afO6Y9EcLIvRUol7VPWSlvoexxlIzasVZHwIpBawJ2rOMqxiHci5QlfQM4jSiqAM92dS8KHH3uKt_YaahpUoHFSqWc7w0Imhihuar9CZ-tYWvwq4UsPzg5miAGNFPl_/s200/hwsm.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">n characters here have more lust for each other than actual friendship. But it works for this film and these characters; one mustn't be too hasty to draw unnecessary comparisons. And in spite of its commercial premise, this romantic comedy features sharp direction, effective humor, and great performances including those of lead actors Anita Yuen and Leslie Cheung. Yuen in particular is wonderful, playing a convincing man and a lively, endearing character. The film was followed by a sequel in 2006 called <em>Who’s the Man, Who’s the Woman</em>, which while on the whole inferior to the original nevertheless includes some hilarious and memorable moments.</span><br /></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Before wrapping up this meandering post, I just want to say a quick word about the many cross-dressing themed manga out there (and believe me, there are a ton.) Still, I can’t think of any that I<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373068927489334274" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 101px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9FUiW5JcHR8HsRhM_sWI6Y92GergdT9upDOAMyYy_1fOtUg1GTEIFksn-jQU5echwW91MpkiLCvoxCx5VSn3FAXra_BpDXjbRe8aQOJIq9EfZgclra27DPsawYOkqvc6V1AKCFz0vcab/s200/akito.jpg" border="0" /> really liked, at least not any that I enjoyed anywhere near as much as the films and dramas listed above. The most popular and well-known example (in the US at least) is Hana Kimi, which I happen to loathe. That being said, I found the cross-gender subplot in Fruits Basket to be <em>very</em> compelling. In that manga, it was only revealed half-way through the 23 volume series that one of the characters, the ominous and mysterious Akito, is actually a woman and has a pretty twisted romantic past with another main character. I could go on and on about that series, but this is not the place. <em>(Edit: I'm an idiot. When I first wrote this I completely forgot about Ouran High School Host Club, a gender-bending manga that I really like. Perhaps because there's so much </em>other<em> wacky stuff going on in that crazy series, or because the cross-dressing thing is never taken very seriously, but OHSHC just didn't spring right to my mind when I tried to think of an example of a good manga gender-bender.)</em><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">So there’s my list of noteworthy gender-crossing, female-impersonates-male stories in various media that I’ve enjoyed over the years. I’m aware that it’s not anything like comprehensive, just a semi-random list of all the ones I could think of today. Maybe I’ll write about more in the future (and in further depth too), but I just wanted to take the time now to appreciate this trend. I’ll definitely be on the lookout to see where it will pop up next.</span></p><p></p>Beatricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02199353814449722105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184264015767179670.post-4638472747206151462009-08-11T23:16:00.000-07:002009-08-22T15:22:44.080-07:00Summer DiversionsSo, my summer has unfortunately turned out to be rather suckier than most, what with my recovery from surgery being much longer and more complicated than expected, not to mention my having had to move clean across the country <em>and back again</em> in the space of a single month. Still, I did manage to have a little fun here and there in spite of everything, especially in the celebration of my twentieth birthday (yay me!) Although I’ve been woefully negligent of this blog for the abysmally long period of two months, I decided to write a brief summary of all the entertainment I’ve consumed in the interim. That is to say, rather than writing full-length reviews of everything I’ve taken in over the past few weeks, I’ve compiled a list of concise mini-reviews here:<br /><br /><strong>Books</strong><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369346719713763202" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 125px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2JDfnnI4q4Be0UeGsAuW5FDMZOiqiH4GIAzppUUeW0F7ib9hVU-mK10tBARFu6pilBNb4rrnPxGmRPZeXOeeCmLPN_ASk6P_8TV1o7NY8ffV4R6wQp31VicR-Nyeu8d4B46xQCweGpT_j/s200/td.jpg" border="0" /><br /><em>Tess of the d'Urbervilles</em> (Thomas Hardy). Ugh, I did not enjoy this book. My only previous experience with Hardy (reading <em>The Mayor of Casterbridge </em>for a high-school assignment) was likewise an unpleasant one, but I decided to read this on the recommendation of a person whose opinion I highly regard. Sadly, said person and I must agree to disagree on this one. I did appreciate Hardy's frank, non-didactic treatment of the subject of premarital sex, as well as his vivid portraits of the pastoral life of the farming class. Yet I disliked his characters too much to sympathize with their misfortunes, which they bring entirely on themselves. In this novel, as well as in <em>The Mayor of Casterbridge</em>, I found an unnatural and forced abundance of tragedy and melodrama.<br /><br /><em>Castle in the Air</em> and <em>House of Many Ways</em> (Diana Wynne Jones). If I had to characterize these books with a<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnekrmJiKF8n4siiR-t8xETTIhmlnKrfKY8dOhYuXHF5kVTg9CrdPT_fh26F-86bZkbWb4vId2c3AKvsmedp51dI0owdxl5OYRm_9Ip2IIMBi8OAuQnFygwB6_NNJR5M6lrZPO3bvllcD/s1600-h/hmw.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368967878230401810" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 156px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnekrmJiKF8n4siiR-t8xETTIhmlnKrfKY8dOhYuXHF5kVTg9CrdPT_fh26F-86bZkbWb4vId2c3AKvsmedp51dI0owdxl5OYRm_9Ip2IIMBi8OAuQnFygwB6_NNJR5M6lrZPO3bvllcD/s200/hmw.jpg" border="0" /></a> single word, I would say "delightful." Not for nothing is Jones one of the most successful and respected writers of fantasy for adults and children on either side of the pond. I held off reading these two for quite a while because, although touted as sequels to <em>Howl's Moving Castle </em>(one of my favorite books EVER), this is only half true. Yet I should not have waited: these books may not be direct continuations of HMC, and they may feature Sophie, Howl, and Calcifer only peripherally, but they nevertheless retain all the originality, charm, and wit of that previous work. They are the sort of books that feature characters with whom one cannot help but fall in love, and about whom one cannot read without smiling continuously and laughing outright occasionally.<br /><br /><em>Teatime for the Traditionally Built</em> (Alexander McCall Smith). The most recent install<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxukyKrLw3WO5i4-3UpoHb5QhScJt4oVLHH_q4QqAcNe7fxMRAnKjyU5xqHRXse38MJQv0VKoNHSGYWh3knW8koMKU0-keOypATCZ6SE7Eugf6zlCiTy0AF2kfnLGr8uXVNBkghqcGxz9/s1600-h/ttb.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368975384285188146" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 132px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxukyKrLw3WO5i4-3UpoHb5QhScJt4oVLHH_q4QqAcNe7fxMRAnKjyU5xqHRXse38MJQv0VKoNHSGYWh3knW8koMKU0-keOypATCZ6SE7Eugf6zlCiTy0AF2kfnLGr8uXVNBkghqcGxz9/s200/ttb.jpg" border="0" /></a>ment in the very enjoyable "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series does not disappoint. These books are rather like the literary equivalent of comfort food: simple, wholesome, and emotionally charged. Each novel in the series serves up the same basic dish, but it is invariably delicious. I love the reliable comfort of these familiar characters, with all their quirks and foibles. This tenth book features, among other things, another fabulous episode in the hilariously epic rivalry between Mma Makutsi (my favorite character, btw) and the elegant yet evil Violet Sephotho. Niether the series in general nor this book in particular are particularly strong in terms of tight plotting, but what they lack in that quarter they somehow make up for in general awesomeness. It's just hard to go too wrong with a story about the first and only female detective agency in the bright and beautiful country of Botswana.<br /><br /><em>Pride and Prejudice and Zombies</em> (Jane Austin and Seth Grahame-Smith). Yeah, that’s right: I read<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFfW7NamMBqhhY8DV3ajUgU4vREUaTbohUwHfsHrkfQPdW7sFVH7dxiTYGwbVs1FsMqRvVbop5H_2O5pipHP-AJXMakVdeSKHdkWsMIKmlBnjsyXa9MztY_IUU8JF4SRhqqgsmXREldCH/s1600-h/ppz.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368999648294993682" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 132px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFfW7NamMBqhhY8DV3ajUgU4vREUaTbohUwHfsHrkfQPdW7sFVH7dxiTYGwbVs1FsMqRvVbop5H_2O5pipHP-AJXMakVdeSKHdkWsMIKmlBnjsyXa9MztY_IUU8JF4SRhqqgsmXREldCH/s200/ppz.jpg" border="0" /></a> it. I figured the bizarre-0-factor alone would be worth the price of admission, and as an oddity of popular fiction it <em>was</em> pretty entertaining. Just take one look at the cover, and you’ll learn all you need to know about this unholy marriage of a regency romance and a gruesome gore-fest. Not everybody’s cup of tea, to be sure, but I personally was kind of excited about the idea. Still, the actual execution of said idea leaves a little to be desired. If you’re going to go as far as to transport Austen’s beloved characters into a zombie-infested alternate universe, you may as well play around with the story a bit. Grahame-Smith leaves the original story completely in tact, and just sprinkls in the zombie action here and there. Also, the discrepancy between his capabilities as a writer and those of Austen herself are as decidedly pronounced as that which exists between their choices in subject matter. P&P&Z contains just a few too many glaring grammatical errors and typos for a book written in the style of the early nineteenth century. Somebody needs to inform the author that those who truly wish to emulate Austen’s prose do not end their sentences with prepositions, nor do they split their infinitives. They just don’t.<br /><br /><strong>Manga</strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwS1YSaGiEugjftmqenvUrh1ukkdKCBnkQkv0GSlm3NvSGxwGqxIeNluSODLgnPd_LNMK8NWKQiom92n99pIWRTJpceaLunAmCzIsu-xWJJYGUPb2QCvd-iXUYVRi7tyaj_Pgx1TvbVCqM/s1600-h/mhs3.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369120834148089026" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 133px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwS1YSaGiEugjftmqenvUrh1ukkdKCBnkQkv0GSlm3NvSGxwGqxIeNluSODLgnPd_LNMK8NWKQiom92n99pIWRTJpceaLunAmCzIsu-xWJJYGUPb2QCvd-iXUYVRi7tyaj_Pgx1TvbVCqM/s200/mhs3.gif" border="0" /></a><br />The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, vol 3 (Nagaru Tanigawa). My feelings about this volume are pretty much consistent with my reactions to the previous two volumes: generally positive. I absolutely love the whole Haruhi franchise (<a href="http://beautifuldesert.blogspot.com/2009/04/second-volumes-of-melencholy-of-haruhi.html">here's why</a>), but I must recommend the animated version over the manga adaptation as being the higher quality and generally better presentation of the story and characters. Still, volume three will continue to entertain those already hooked on Haruhi, especially since it features a really great sequence from the light novels that did not appear in the anime. Get your fix of ironic chaos and surreal mayhem in volume three of The Melencholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, in which Kyon and the gang deal with more wild ambitions and violent mood swings from their beautiful, fearless, and insane leader. Expect baseball, group shopping, and time travel.<br /><br />Fushigi <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglVueVla7c-gDZtTEQMeik8lYpUy4P3ylJ16BG-woaDApRdm-Ps2OZVe2YFgBDCN3zu0ezShUaOW8AN-mnrBHGOCJ5rkQ7cATEqZ9qomGgqE9vBfrVWgkgMocBzWTuA6ABtG-JPOc70Q9_/s1600-h/fy2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369137076823720034" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 132px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglVueVla7c-gDZtTEQMeik8lYpUy4P3ylJ16BG-woaDApRdm-Ps2OZVe2YFgBDCN3zu0ezShUaOW8AN-mnrBHGOCJ5rkQ7cATEqZ9qomGgqE9vBfrVWgkgMocBzWTuA6ABtG-JPOc70Q9_/s200/fy2.jpg" border="0" /></a>Yuugi, Volume 2 VIZBIG Edition (Yuu Watase). When I bought the previously released VIZBIG edition of this series, which contained volumes 1-3 of the series, I wrote a <a href="http://beautifuldesert.blogspot.com/2009/02/fushigi-yuugi-vizbig-1-volumes-1-3.html">long-ish post</a> about why I though Fushigi Yuugi withstands the test of time in spite of all its cliched storylines and dated artwork. This second VIZBIG installment, containing volumes 4-6, continues to entertain and to amuse. Additionally, volume four introduces my absolute favorite character in the series. I know Tamahome and Hotohori are considered the main heartthrobs of Fushigi Yuugi, but I'm a Tasuki girl all the way. Actually, now that I think about it, he may be tied with Nuriko for my no. 1 favorite FY character. They're both so side-splittingly hilarious, and yet endearing as well. Fushigi Yuugi has many flaws, but I still consider it to be a real gem of a series.<br /><br />Bride of the Water God, volumes 2 & 3 (Yun Mi-Gyung). This manhwa is a stellar ex<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNeCs5HNLl5ubzmzRW2dKl2uiWGT0xdxggt5TJ41w29xsr1z3Qm4vtm4I8fIUhzx2lFHZ1Q7WPByy1J8uWufxoPHKilUVFWAvwsYmjPeDATi8gCrrZL9RR5V6-krHAijd_Fw-vs_fSji6/s1600-h/bwg.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369246550015524002" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 162px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNeCs5HNLl5ubzmzRW2dKl2uiWGT0xdxggt5TJ41w29xsr1z3Qm4vtm4I8fIUhzx2lFHZ1Q7WPByy1J8uWufxoPHKilUVFWAvwsYmjPeDATi8gCrrZL9RR5V6-krHAijd_Fw-vs_fSji6/s200/bwg.jpg" border="0" /></a>ample of a series that doesn’t quite live up to all of its amazing potential. The artwork is strikingly gorgeous, the mythology is intriguing and complex, and the characters and premise are dramatic and interesting. Yet most of the time Bride of the Water God turns out to be more of a hot mess than anything else. All the elements of an incredible series are present; they just don’t all come together as nicely as they could. The plot is often confusing and unfocused. Still, at its heart BotWG is a very good folk/fairy-tale, something for which I am a total sucker. Also, the plot starts to pick up more in volume 3, what Mui’s strange bargain and Soah’s resulting return to Earth, so we’ll see what happens.<br /><br />Ouran High School Host Club vol. 12 (Hatori Bisco). I’ve been reading this se<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfv2fvRuxoe4wYZlfgxAn2in9Rq4gFFHGEhAmZqZNJ-z8cr2QOpVINg8RTf5gFDoePMnu2N1NX43sunVewTRIGjww1kT34p7TK21B0zE-JxU_t150V5fw_wrkcME59ofpShEVoNzFZDjqw/s1600-h/ohhc.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369341581708417874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 133px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfv2fvRuxoe4wYZlfgxAn2in9Rq4gFFHGEhAmZqZNJ-z8cr2QOpVINg8RTf5gFDoePMnu2N1NX43sunVewTRIGjww1kT34p7TK21B0zE-JxU_t150V5fw_wrkcME59ofpShEVoNzFZDjqw/s200/ohhc.jpg" border="0" /></a>ries online as it’s been released, so I already know that it’s around this point in the story (volume twelve) that things really start to pick up, plotwise. Readers who’ve been patient throughout volumes and volumes of filler arcs with no end in sight will start to be rewarded with some real romantic action from here on out. Not that those filler arcs aren’t great in and of themselves; quite the opposite, really. That’s what makes this series such a joy to read. Even when the plot is spiraling off into a seemingly random vortex of nonsense, it’s still character-driven and that’s what really counts. OHSHC is one of those series with which it is difficult to go wrong: consistently funny, endearing, and well-drawn even when the plot defies the boundaries of the plausible.<br /><br /><strong>Dramas</strong><br /><br />Sons of Sol Pharmacy House (aka My Too Perfect Sons). This weekend drama, currently in the secon<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_lQD2ljRRGKdRPqD9GZ4xCM_dv3DI7_Dc4DcWKJfh4g55CdZTgSGnH_fZzsAA24B7ANQT1cjF9vRbcefxkVUSILmqla_DRB0oj8qtSUfLe3Bvqn2mdAZVK1G49DVo5DGcjuJ0GmpIoef/s1600-h/ssph.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369256173577091106" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 153px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_lQD2ljRRGKdRPqD9GZ4xCM_dv3DI7_Dc4DcWKJfh4g55CdZTgSGnH_fZzsAA24B7ANQT1cjF9vRbcefxkVUSILmqla_DRB0oj8qtSUfLe3Bvqn2mdAZVK1G49DVo5DGcjuJ0GmpIoef/s200/ssph.jpg" border="0" /></a>d half of its fifty-episode run on KBS, has got the market cornered on hilarious, heartwarming family drama, not to mention some of the best romantic comedy storylines I’ve seen in a very long time. The cast exhibits a wide variety of talent, the show is well written, and each episode is fun fun FUN to watch. I find myself truly caring about these characters, oftentimes laughing aloud at their antics, and once or twice I’ve even cried at some of the more touching moments. This show is such a wonderful breath of fresh air compared to some of the dud dramas I’ve watched recently.<br /><br /><strong>Television</strong><br /><br />“True Blood”, season two. Holy canoli, has this show taken off in season two! I’m a fan of the novels on which the show is based, but after watching the first season I was kind of o<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYo3ve5-6_LFh53z2flBcEaRchnm_xwY-2YA0Go7xl1R9VpW2Qz5RaxJ1FwxENNW8KHJaD9ItXuUgAkXcl103IwlFoydatbNJz6Xhxi2qBVDeQy9ZJoW6VXxm273b8iwZmC7moxgQRUTag/s1600-h/tb.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369342453977375106" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 165px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYo3ve5-6_LFh53z2flBcEaRchnm_xwY-2YA0Go7xl1R9VpW2Qz5RaxJ1FwxENNW8KHJaD9ItXuUgAkXcl103IwlFoydatbNJz6Xhxi2qBVDeQy9ZJoW6VXxm273b8iwZmC7moxgQRUTag/s200/tb.jpg" border="0" /></a>n the fence about whether or not to tune in for more this summer, but boy am I glad I did. This summer, True Blood has significantly improved in both quality and popularity when compared to season one. Not only are there some great new characters, including the newly-turned teen vamp Jessica and the mythically evil maenad Maryann, but some old characters also get more development and backstory, such as the now-short-haired Eric (yay!) I know that Eric in the show will never be what he is in the books, but I’m really starting to like what Skarsgard and the show’s creators are doing with this manifestation of him. Anna Paquin continues to bring fire and life to the character of Sookie, but male lead Stephen Moyer and his character, Bill, continue to irk me. Still, True Blood’s really an ensemble show, and one to which I look forward to watching each week with much anticipation.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwaU2Lz_4fKn0peFfgT2i5SQnl52qKCU6UICWONAC7w5e502IhTxO9VHV1H89kcYJK85AzpBTt2EwU_it6I3IpvkHmSTTl7U6ppgqngd5JZSY83WYtLFRhgGfgwWow4BS5Fl8b_rcj8X1V/s1600-h/dheo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369346262257258786" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 161px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwaU2Lz_4fKn0peFfgT2i5SQnl52qKCU6UICWONAC7w5e502IhTxO9VHV1H89kcYJK85AzpBTt2EwU_it6I3IpvkHmSTTl7U6ppgqngd5JZSY83WYtLFRhgGfgwWow4BS5Fl8b_rcj8X1V/s200/dheo.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />“Dollhouse”, unaired episode 14, “Epitaph One.” The much-hyped fourteenth episode of Dollhouse’s first season turned out to be my favorite episode yet. Set in the not-so-distant post-apocalyptic future that results directly from Dollhouse imprinting technology, “Epitaph One” was fifty minutes of intensely riveting entertainment that would have made zero sense to anyone who missed the rest of the season. It actually made it seem as though season one was little more that an introduction to the main action of season two, perhaps of the whole series. That would be a good thing as far as I’m concerned. I am no officially looking forward to season two; I dare say we might expect great things from this show yet.<br /><br /><strong>Theater</strong><br /><br />Disney presents “The Lion King” on Broadway. Gosh, what could I possibly say about th<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAO2HNuMfeknYf321OOdJLPLXLaBXXKo5drBMw8vZRSYOnv0nMYAbY_Kk7dQ2kOygzQziRGHLUgCw2MKETtZGyXtmphmNQOtwO7V95oYCilgQUDfl-09irDwipiMA5sywdr_XcigoGNgA/s1600-h/nb.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369344995304174082" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 132px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAO2HNuMfeknYf321OOdJLPLXLaBXXKo5drBMw8vZRSYOnv0nMYAbY_Kk7dQ2kOygzQziRGHLUgCw2MKETtZGyXtmphmNQOtwO7V95oYCilgQUDfl-09irDwipiMA5sywdr_XcigoGNgA/s200/nb.gif" border="0" /></a>is show that hasn’t already been said? It was amazing, of course, just as everybody said it would be. But what really got me wasn’t so much the costumes, perhaps because I was expecting that, but just the overall presentation of the story. They took a cartoon movie and, rather than creating a literal translation from screen to stage (as with other Disney musicals), they created a truly theatrical interpretation of the original film and used animal characters to tell a powerfully moving and very human story. I’ll admit that I cried, and I’m not ashamed. Plus, the music was great. I have three new favorite songs. Too bad the tickets cost about an arm and a leg. Each.Beatricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02199353814449722105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184264015767179670.post-73485892559077798232009-06-16T10:04:00.000-07:002009-08-22T15:11:52.580-07:00Second volumes of The Name of the Flower, Fire Investigator Nanase<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RgqPey50A7Ex2iEq5GAGoeYXFsavs76iejyhhAOKf9NCGMFBCAf_Nj2rgrIyGwLWsgS9gE30cGikRI4qEaZRqzYf1-E80KbTVuGG7kVyghu-eSdU92YC_beTdx9EhN79zeUkRJWydGof/s1600-h/fin2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348005730776744018" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 311px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RgqPey50A7Ex2iEq5GAGoeYXFsavs76iejyhhAOKf9NCGMFBCAf_Nj2rgrIyGwLWsgS9gE30cGikRI4qEaZRqzYf1-E80KbTVuGG7kVyghu-eSdU92YC_beTdx9EhN79zeUkRJWydGof/s320/fin2.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2euWiRbPuLJdYaj6Lccv4YLQbgt6C-tHJjmFY3EZ3A4xN-nEPQ0LsYCgxQnMvEPqhFSp9tA_bwgM5RZNol8FA9Zv3kZDpGL7eA3NRYMjiIWSxQqJ96BVBxdC8Eof6ngfLxkM3vodBERaD/s1600-h/nf2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347973234238452866" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 190px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2euWiRbPuLJdYaj6Lccv4YLQbgt6C-tHJjmFY3EZ3A4xN-nEPQ0LsYCgxQnMvEPqhFSp9tA_bwgM5RZNol8FA9Zv3kZDpGL7eA3NRYMjiIWSxQqJ96BVBxdC8Eof6ngfLxkM3vodBERaD/s320/nf2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><div></div><div>Back in March I <a href="http://beautifuldesert.blogspot.com/2009/03/first-volumes-of-fire-investigator.html">reviewed the first volumes </a>of these two CMX series jointly, so I figured I’d do the same for their respective second installments. Overall, in reading the second volumes of The Name of the Flower and Fire Investigator Nanase, I found that my initial impressions of both series intensified; my love for the first deepened while my (then minimal) reservations about the second solidified into some pretty serious doubts.</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347976837152181026" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 193px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIOyT5Q6zsSC1SVKk7Mx5wSrUkuyZIt4HLG9fgzAnsRWQXYaHzScdbwCcErYvrxKNLBsFqFSJVkHOhPApmgHopydHgiTXfgzkOqILCd2pn9OMKasUf_iNGZ-ADf9He_7fUWQMCHttFiR5/s320/002.JPG" border="0" />First up, a glowing report of The Name of the Flower, created by Ken Saito. I just don’t think I can say enough good things about this title. It’s one of my two favorite series currently being published at the moment (the other one being <a href="http://beautifuldesert.blogspot.com/2009/05/sand-chronicles-continues-to-impress-in.html">Sand Chronicles</a>). Yet The Name of the Flower has a very grounded, down-to-earth sensibility that the more melodramatic Sand Chronicles sometimes lacks. The Name of the Flower is detailed, subtle, melancholy, bittersweet, pensive, surprisingly humorous, and deeply romantic. One of the things I enjoy most about this series is that all of its characters are wonderfully deep. In fact, one of the highlights of the second volume for me was the introduction of several new and equally charming characters. The Name of the Flower might not appeal to anyone looking for, say, a real action packed title, but I personally love it to bits for all the reasons listed above.<br /><br /><div>In volume two, Chouko is already avsophomore in college, and begins to overcome some of her reclusive tendencies when she joins a student organization. She actually joins a club out of pitying consideration for a recruiter who rivals even herself in terms of shyness and timidity. Thus she’s introduced to the “Taisho Authors Association”, a small literary appreciation club consisting of a somewhat ragtag group of students who specialize in two things: literature and drinking parties. Chouko finds to her mild surprise that she actually gets along with these people, in particular with the guy who recruited her. Yousuke Karasawa is a painfully shy guy with some pretty serious li<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXrFTEGGRTmf2clse_NBVrvGFzslkgI-8PscgzySkK7hMwZO-DUL1uQBhHJDEHlCr5Avnxzf_GIVge3sCIL8Pp3LXtgTnp8kGEjveHzqldSSZbP7_xHDlX_YUguK-785SpEY9q7vjj21s7/s1600-h/011.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347978412369216450" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXrFTEGGRTmf2clse_NBVrvGFzslkgI-8PscgzySkK7hMwZO-DUL1uQBhHJDEHlCr5Avnxzf_GIVge3sCIL8Pp3LXtgTnp8kGEjveHzqldSSZbP7_xHDlX_YUguK-785SpEY9q7vjj21s7/s320/011.JPG" border="0" /></a>terary aspirations. It’s great to see Chouko interacting and forming relationships with people her own age, instead of spending <em>all</em> her time with Kei and Akiyama only. In addition to it being healthy for her to socialize a bit, it also demonstrates her stability and the fact that her love for Kei isn’t merely the result of her being sequestered in his house all the time.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Kei spends a good chunk of this volume holed up in his room in a fit of literary productivity. When he finally emerges, it is only to discover that he will have to deal with the whole Chouko situation sooner rather than later. Thus his dilemma: does he hold on to her while he has the chance, as per his more selfish, possessive desires, or does he push her away, into the arms of her new friends as he believes he ought? I get the feeling the Kei’s a guy of extremes, and that important matters have to be all or nothing with him. Whether that’s a strength or weakness I’m not entirely certain. Anyways, a lot happens in the final part of the volume, and a many things that have been building slowly over the course of the first two volumes sort of come to a head. I’m very excited for November to see what happens next.</div><br /><div>Alas, if only I could say the same for my other CMX title, Fire Investigator Nanase. I certainly enjoyed the first volume well enough, and I had really high expectations for the series, but after finishing volume two I’m not sure I like the direction things are headed in. My chief complaint with the series is the proliferation of unabashed fanservice that doesn’t really appeal to me at all. There are times when I don’t mind moments of fanservice when it’s limited to just that:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWU6QD9xZzjjo4X5NgS_YH3qsV86J8rvS7ZsezGhBFfg1LtFwb5ZAS3RBzUQcwmhGrtw8GF7ZEYoxBTYaB-G1FYMsk5Yzd_ZzxEtS7W1Y3oriq_GBwJDb4Zc88wnwWcw9-d9HvSsFxheC/s1600-h/013.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348007103242924770" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 170px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWU6QD9xZzjjo4X5NgS_YH3qsV86J8rvS7ZsezGhBFfg1LtFwb5ZAS3RBzUQcwmhGrtw8GF7ZEYoxBTYaB-G1FYMsk5Yzd_ZzxEtS7W1Y3oriq_GBwJDb4Zc88wnwWcw9-d9HvSsFxheC/s320/013.JPG" border="0" /></a> brief moments that don’t seriously detract from the story. One example of this would be in the <a href="http://beautifuldesert.blogspot.com/2009/04/second-volumes-of-melencholy-of-haruhi.html">manga adaptation </a>of the Haruhi Suzumiya light novels, in which the fanservice-y moments don’t seem to take away or distract from the hilariously clever plotlines. In comparison, Fire Investigator Nanase features whole sequences and chapters of purely gratuitous material (chapter 16, entitled “Stalker”, is just one example). I don’t read a lot of <em>seinen</em>, so maybe I’m just expressing a reaction to the genre rather than this particular series, but whatever the case I didn’t like what I saw. </div><div></div><br /><div>Another disappointment with Fire Investigator Nanase was the fact that I still haven’t really warmed up to the main characters. I know Nanase’s gutsy and selfless, and that’s all very admirable, but I’d sure as heck like to see her figure <em>something</em> out without Firebug’s help for a change. Speaking of whom, I also kind of wish the creators would humanize the villain a tiny bit to make him, if not downright sympathetic, at least more interesting. So far, Firebug’s just this completely crazy maniac whom we know nothing about, except that he’s an expert on fires. That being said, I do enjoy a lot of the side characters, such as Nanase’s little ward Shingo and her supervisor Chief Tachibana (who grew on me a lot in this volume). I also like whole mode of investigating fires and solving arson cases, but only when it’s not hindered by ridiculously nonsensical plot detours. Maybe I’m just being hard on this series because I had unrealistic (or at least irrationally high) expectations for it. I haven’t definitively decided to drop it, but I’m going to have to reevaluate it pretty seriously when volume three comes out in November.</div></div></div></div></div>Beatricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02199353814449722105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2184264015767179670.post-17885042124799976172009-06-15T08:50:00.000-07:002009-08-22T15:11:26.600-07:00How do I love thee, Provensen Book of Fairy Tales<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7fZNT2NtTgRnkPr659iwExCppxD_Lz4yWUbm1oGLLIhv_XPCNLfPGMKhcUwequ4QbkMp_du6kyYgqvF6xmsR23fSwShiX-B8oXGAOI4Iyq2tFGgruGB1OyD8dwaSTAKkLpWL-EbWHDZe/s1600-h/prov.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347587180566428434" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 235px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7fZNT2NtTgRnkPr659iwExCppxD_Lz4yWUbm1oGLLIhv_XPCNLfPGMKhcUwequ4QbkMp_du6kyYgqvF6xmsR23fSwShiX-B8oXGAOI4Iyq2tFGgruGB1OyD8dwaSTAKkLpWL-EbWHDZe/s320/prov.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><div><div><div>(Tiny disclaimer: this is a subject which most likely won’t interest anyone other than myself, yet since it’s quite near and dear to my own heart, and since I write primarily for myself anyways, I’m going to give it the full attention I believe it deserves.)<br /><br /><div>Once upon a time, a little girl was given a gift by her stepmother. The stepmother was not evil, you see, but very gentle and kind, if only a little scatterbrained. The gift she gave to her little stepdaughter was an old storybook, very worn and with positively hideous illustrations, but nevertheless containing the most extraordinarily beautiful and magnificent tales. The book afforded the girl countless hours of delight, and she treasured the book among her most prized possessions. And so the years passed, and the little girl grew a little less little, and she visited the stories of the book a little less often, though she still cherished it. One fateful morning, her stepmother came to her with a very apologetic look on her face and regretfully informed her that she could no longer keep the beloved book. It had originally been given to the stepmother’s evil sister by their late father, and now the evil step-aunt demanded its return. The poor stepmother was too gentle and kind to object, and the little girl had no choice but to surrender the book forever, though it nearly broke her heart.</div><br /><div>A few more years passed, as they inevitably do, and the little girl was now all grown up. So many other things filled her crowded head that she had all but forgotten about the lost book that she’d loved so long ago so well. Until one day when she was perusing an edition of Grimm’s Fairy Tales from<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccVZKIIGuNq3YVm87BZJNkXN4WZxu9xxUxbpPUb1R855ydE4g-1pPVWeDeU2SFyFjtZLdYBbzHwzPaXmQ4LXqVhyphenhyphenBdxGUoHRl5ZBUBir8oK459_pXSOnXq8AGPsJQ6wPn5nSGhoMBed55/s1600-h/001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347585950781832626" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccVZKIIGuNq3YVm87BZJNkXN4WZxu9xxUxbpPUb1R855ydE4g-1pPVWeDeU2SFyFjtZLdYBbzHwzPaXmQ4LXqVhyphenhyphenBdxGUoHRl5ZBUBir8oK459_pXSOnXq8AGPsJQ6wPn5nSGhoMBed55/s200/001.JPG" border="0" /></a> her father’s collection of old books, and some little thing made her think of what she hadn’t thought of in years. And then, oh how she longed to see that book again, with all the wistful nostalgia of a homesick traveler. But how could she find it? Communication with the evil step-aunt was <em>so</em> not an option, but she didn’t even remember the book’s name, only vague fragments of the stories it contained. Fortunately for her, she was equipped with some mad research skills, and after about an hour of intensive searching on the web she finally and triumphantly discovered the name of the book: The Provensen Book of Fairy Tales. But what’s this? Out of print and widely unavailable? The girl was not afraid. She boldly availed herself of her trusty library card and within a few short days the book was back in her hands. And then, how it all came rushing back to her as if no time at all had passed. And she lived happily ever after (I hope). The End.</div><div>__________________________________</div><br /><div>I don’t care how old I get, I’ll always have plenty of room in my heart for good fairytales well told. Which is exactly what fills the Provensen Book of Fairy Tales, a delightful little out-of-print collection of fairytales both common and obscure recounted by a variety of authors. In fact, this book left such an impression on me in my childhood that even after it was long lost to me I retained enough affection and consideration for it that I was able and willing to track it down many years later, and that having finally found it I want to write about it here.</div><br /><div>The Provensen Book of Fairy Tales contains what it refers to as “literary fairy tales” as opposed to “folk fairy tales”, explaining in the foreword that “The literary tale borrows shamelessly from the folk tale but gives it a new twist or dimension.” As such, these stories somehow manage to feel delightfully fresh and new, yet also old as the earth itself. Not to mention the fact that many of them are also expertly and ingeniously crafted works of literature. (Although I ne<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVvXzNyk3mCgZ8sfxn11m8kS7K6lu3PuaOHDNY1t5DFd_q6DbZDRGd42pUTFzWEAHSnp6PZ76wc631j8Yeu0h62u07CNW2XckaC2kBAcqgr3wxeY82-O5qd-_IfxfoFgK1hDOegO4z3zuT/s1600-h/003.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347586104800584050" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 194px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVvXzNyk3mCgZ8sfxn11m8kS7K6lu3PuaOHDNY1t5DFd_q6DbZDRGd42pUTFzWEAHSnp6PZ76wc631j8Yeu0h62u07CNW2XckaC2kBAcqgr3wxeY82-O5qd-_IfxfoFgK1hDOegO4z3zuT/s320/003.JPG" border="0" /></a>ver did care much for the strange illustrations.) This collection contains several well-known works, such as Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Nightingale”, Oscar Wilde’s heartbreaking “The Happy Prince”, and a version of "Beauty and the Beast" by famous illustrator Arthur Rackham. Yet my personal favorites from among this collection (with the possible exception of “The Happy Prince”) are the more obscure stories taken from lesser-known anthologies. In particular:</div><br /><div></div><div>“The Lost Half-Hour” by Henry Beston. In which a poor simpleton named Bobo volunteers to find the half-hour lost by the princess when she overslept one morning. His journey takes him around the world and eventually to the land of Father Time and his twelve sons. The hard-won lost half hour proves instrumental in rescuing his true love the kitchen maid upon his return. (Along the way, Bobo also finds a lost reputation, a lost temper, and a lost princess as well.)</div><br /><div></div><div>“The Seven Simons” by Ruth Manning-Sanders. In which a ridiculously vain emperor sends seven brothers named Simon, who each have a special skill, to steal the only princess in the world beautiful and clever enough to be his bride. But as clever as the beautiful princess may be, is she any match for the seven Simons?</div><br /><div>“The Prince and the Goose Girl” by Elinor Mordaunt. My all-time favorite, which is NOT to be confused <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUB_d_4Z3DRkgrLKngD2gXx_DZgOndKhmiZXDA7E4Yoom_o2oySMhF8ZZtew9tZYx0z9nKGNNSbCrwNVY5MwaqMj7gaE7qp7t-4vk3UJCoZSm1Z0nZIiFSZ9-t26C7iLc73jx4dJd8uCUl/s1600-h/004.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347586243212217666" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUB_d_4Z3DRkgrLKngD2gXx_DZgOndKhmiZXDA7E4Yoom_o2oySMhF8ZZtew9tZYx0z9nKGNNSbCrwNVY5MwaqMj7gaE7qp7t-4vk3UJCoZSm1Z0nZIiFSZ9-t26C7iLc73jx4dJd8uCUl/s200/004.JPG" border="0" /></a>with the Grimm tale of a similar name upon which the inexplicably popular Shannon Hale novel is based. In this story, a powerful prince rules his kingdom through fear and intimidation, and only a little goose girl (equally proud and stubborn, but infinitely more gentle) refuses to fear him. He falls in love with her, of course, but being proud and stubborn he goes about it all wrong. For herself, she insists she’ll never marry him unless he gets down on his knees and asks politely. Think that’s not too much to ask? You’ve clearly never met the prince.</div><br /><div>These are only a few of the wonderful stories contained in this book. For anyone who has an appreciation for truly great fairy tales, I suggest you hunt down the Provensen collection as soon as feasibly possible; it will not disappoint. Now, I’ve just got to see to hooking my own copy because the library’ll probably be wanting theirs one of these days.</div></div></div></div></div></div>Beatricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02199353814449722105noreply@blogger.com1