(no subject)

[flemmings]

Proof, if any more were needed, that the Japanese remain Unfallen: they can make something like Blue Seed with its 'this earth, this realm, this Nippon' theme, and do it sincerely, and you find yourself nodding agreement with them.

So natural is it that it only occurred to me afterwards that no NAmerican cartoon could pull it off. Mind you, the naturalness might be peculiar to me: I grew up with the theme of 'this earth, this realm, this England' done straight (uhh- Kipling-Lewis-Masefield-Newbolt, and Susan Cooper in her fashion) so the basic notion isn't unfamiliar.

But still: us here in Johnny-come-lately land can hardly do the storied past and heart of an ancient nation thing, much less mourn that 'your land is crying out' from what's been done to it. Things have certainly been done to it, but any suggestion that it's our land makes me twitchy, since, fundamentally, it's only a bunch of papers says it is. Yes, I'm allowed my quirks: if Housman was still angsting about the Anglo-Saxon invasions nearly a millennium and a half after they happened, I see no reason to be recovered from our depredations after a mere three or four hundred years.

On another note: Kusanagi is the most likable male character I've come across in whatever genre of anime Blue Seed is (anime doesn't have genres, does it? well, the manga is presumably shounen.) Might be the low-keyness of Inoue Kazuhiko's performance, but the rude-crude came across as genial for once and not the man's major trait. Definitely the best kind of Japanese young-maleness here.

Comments

[summer-queen.livejournal.com]

Blue Seed was one of the first anime I stumbled across that I actually liked, Kusanagi being a rather large reason why. The story led me to the myths and I was suitably happy enough with that little gem of discovery to forgive them the obligatory panty shot of the week moments.

For the love of god, though, do NOT watch the OVA. *shudder*

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

Panty shots go with the territory, I figure. They're to shounen what proud and lonely characters (significant glance at your icon) are to the older reaches of shoujo. The opposite sex simply doesn't understand the appeal. Blue Seed's version were good-humoured, and anyway Kusanagi was right: what's with the cute little-girl underwear already? BS rather works against the trope, if anything; and for no good reason I found myself thinking that the Kusanagi/ Momiji relationship is a lot closer to seme/ uke than to anything mf that I've seen.

I've heard about the OVA. Point taken.