Revisiting the glimpses of the moon

[flemmings]

1. umadoshi having been talking about Utena, so yesterday I went by my old video store (unvisited in two years, since I got Neverwhere from them; how time flies when your back is in spasm) and scored what remained of their collection. Shall note that the anime section in both Suspect and Queen Video is a shadow of what it was six years back in my anime watching days. Streaming, CrunchyRoll, whatever-- not in anyone's interest to buy the DVDs any more.

What I got was last three eps of the black rose arc and first three of the beginning of the end. I haven't watched this series in over ten years, and now realize how very much I didn't catch watching the raws. It would probably repay a complete re-view, but I'm not sure I could bear the reminder of just how long ago 1997 was.

2. I take my lenses out in the evening and then can read manga happily. Read on the downstairs couch, wrapped in blankets because downstairs is cold, like I did from the fall of '06 well into 2007, though I don't remember being cold then. Last night I went back and looked at the confusing Grandfather story in 100 Demons 14, the one with all the o-miais and the undeveloped twin, and finally made it make sense. Or as much sense as it will make when Ima refuses to tell us how the same person can be in the same time at different ages, the one thing time travellers are not supposed to do. Supposing he's time travelling argh this series. Intend a close reread of 15 through 19 because I feel that I've been short-changing this last lot (though my god you can't prove it from my lj entries on the subject-- and that's without the What happened to Aoarashi in vols 12 &13 confusion.

Comments

[umadoshi.livejournal.com]

I am SO excited about the new Utena DVDs. I even know which friend I'm going to introduce to the show when I do my rewatch. *^^*

[paleaswater.livejournal.com]

Oh, I got vol 19. 3rd & 4th story very puzzling. Will love to discuss it. Still no love for young grandfather stories through.

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

Shall review and respond tonight. I'm not sure what she's doing with young grandfather. Portraying him for the love of portraying him, as far as I can see. We know what happens to the romance plot, so I see no point to all those 'oh he loves another oh woe' 'I thought we could just act like brother and sister but now she's engaged to another oh woe' 'some day, little brother, you will find someone whose fate is stronger than yours' (oh shut up nee-san); but that may be my gaijin prejudices speaking. As Sabina said, 'In an anime episode, if a character called Joe dies, the episode will be called The Death of Joe. The Japanese do not consider this a spoiler.'

[paleaswater.livejournal.com]

Yes, I understand about the death of Joe. But it's just that young grandpa's such an opaque and unlovable character. Even if I don't know what'll happen to him he'll be uninteresting. In fact, if I don't know anything about him I most definitely will not want to read about him. As it is I plod through his stories dutifully so that I might get more background information. It's almost like this grandfather and grandmother have nothing whatsoever to do with the ones that appear in the main story.

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

What annoys about young Grandpa is his rambunctiousness with Grandma. Calls her names, pushes her around (granted, usually out of the path of some youma, but still), apologizes and then does it all over again.

At the same time Ima uses him as an emotional punching bag in a way she never does anyone else. He's the one she heaps all the angst on, over and over-- everyone in his family dies, he thinks it's his fault that everyone dies, everyone around him thinks it's his fault that everyone dies and whisper whisper says as much. I think we're supposed to feel sorry for him and I would if she'd just stop piling the sadness on. And have some decent people who say 'Oh, bad luck, guy' and not 'Here comes the Angel of Death.'

I mean, he has his virtues. Takes orphans in, rescues older sisters, does his best to keep Akama in bounds. And remember that at this age he's like Kai-- fancies himself, keeps biting off more than he can chew. (Possibly that explains the high-handed rambunctiousness as well, even though Kai isn't and possibly wasn't.) Maybe we're supposed to be struck by the contrast between Young Bumptious and the more cautious Grandfather that Ritsu remembers. Kudos to Ima for that-- people really do change a lot over time.

I'm intrigued, though, that you can't stand young Grandfather but like Kai, when I see them as very much alike in their younger years.