Final Thoughts: My Love Story Forges It's Own Path In Storytelling

              Final Thoughts: My Love Story Forges Its Own Path In Storytelling

 

At the conclusion of the show it’s easy to associate it with various directions or formulas it may have adopted but look close enough and you realize it’s done none of these but manages to forge its own path,  in the way it has developed its own uniqueness and drawn us in as viewers.

 

     Like the opening suggests and the episodes until this point, Suna is alone, you wonder if he will find love. Being Takeo’s friend but truly the friend of Yamato as well, Suna is the voice of reason, the calm one who observes but also a dependable friend. His amusement and admiration for Takeo knows no bounds and he doesn’t exactly keep it a secret. Being these things Suna is as Takeo has always observed, popular with the ladies who ironically never has a lady.

 

      So when someone confesses it leads to lots of twists and turns, one reason being that Suna knows the girl whose admired him from afar( besides on White Day) since kindergarten.  When everyone hoping along with the girl that something will come of this, Suna actually goes on a date with the girl, being his usual calm and understanding self. However he’s also being true to himself when he basically let’s her down gently. That doesn’t mean Suna believes he will never love someone, when asked throughout the show he acknowledges it will happen, he like everyone else though just doesn’t know when. My Love Story will not give you illusions as strange as that sounds,  not everyone can be happy or can they, perhaps, just not in the conventional sense that most shows project it as.

 

      The usual everyone gets together toward the end to wrap the show up and tie all the character’s stories and loose ends isn’t what this show is trying to do. How My Love Story does it is intelligent, while staying true to the series and what we loved about it from the first episode.  As we move to the conclusion of the series we see Rinko Yamato apply for a part time job at a Bakery.

 

     This is significant because she’s a baker, it’s also one of the connections she’s had with Takeo since the first episodes, appreciation given in the form of various pastries. In this way it kind of feels like cake got it’s on backstory or spotlight in these last episodes, even if in a small way compared to what was going on. I’ll explain what I mean but to grasp it is to understand what happened next. While Yamato is working at the bakery she meets the talented pastry chef of the bakery Kouki  Ichinose, egocentric and before she arrived, a quiet outsider.

 

       He also represents the typical handsome protagonist seen in some shows or the strived for love while overlooking the main character of the series. Ichinose finds Yamato to be his inspiration, a muse for his baking and she is wowed solely by his skills but never falters or questions her devotion for Takeo. Takeo soon catches on that this man develops feeling for her and the man says it himself, declaring that he is what Yamato should seek out not someone like Takeo, meaning his appearance. As if he was the needle to pop the bubble of this dream.  Takeo doesn’t respond in anger but feels struck as if it may be true. For a moment that feels like what we’re seeing as Takeo runs to the bakery with an umbrella because it began to pour, only to find his love getting a ride from Prince Charming.

 

    So this is rolling towards a bitter-sweet ending to the romance or a violent confrontation  in which Takeo would obviously win, something to show what we could critique as finally having conflict in the series but it’s always had its small dilemmas as well as its large ones just not in the way some other shows focus on it.  Despite the sweetness of the show, the tender affection of two people trying to understand a relationship still looks to plenty of moral questions and comments on several turns on who these characters are. So seeing it this way are we losing that with the end of the episode, a possibly surrendered Takeo.

 

 

 

 

        Yet we do not, the acknowledgment of what’s happening with Ichinose looking to be with Yamato is there for Takeo as is seen by Suna, even his sister, at the moment and in the pep talks at home. Taking place in Suna’s room. However the relationship continues, there is questioning on Takeo’s part, wondering if he really is the right choice for Yamato but everyone dismisses such a question and it becomes clear to him and us that he will not giving up loving her. Still though no violence or curses comes from Takeo, instead he sees that Ichinose is trying to accomplish something with Yamato, to win a competition (first place, no gold medal) and what does Takeo choose to do?

 

      He chooses to help in any way possible, doesn’t even consider it even if helping this man win this competition would mean that he confesses his feelings to Yamato as he told Takeo he would do beforehand. Which means running the chance of losing her.  But Takeo does this because he is Takeo and this is how My Love Story is. So when Yamato declares she’s in love with Takeo and only him when Ichinose wins and confesses (which being turned down seemed impossible in the man’s head, his internal thoughts spoke on how much she loved him.) You know that is why it is their relationship and no one else can take away from that, it also allows you to understand, this is how the show is and defies being like any other show.

 

     This allows a small step for Takeo in say her name Yamato's first name, Rina. You can even argue that Ichinose baked magnificently because he observed their love without consciously knowing this was the reason. Declaring that he would bake in order to bring such happiness it also a way of showing the cake's significance and perhaps realizing in his own way what we have seen in the characters throughout the series. Yamamoto’s ignorance toward how Ichinose felt the entire time is a shining example of her wearing Takeo’s shoes and was his character in these last few episodes.  The idea that cake is the bond between Takeo and Yamamoto is only valid because of the love she has for Takeo which could be one of the major reasons she wanted the job in the first place.

 

       In doing this  as the show ends, it forges its own path, not the conventional sense in what should happen to a show at this point (whatever that conventional sense might be), not twists that go against what it was supposed to be about, just reinforcing the idea that My Love Story was tenderness and much needed focus of love between the two and all those closest to them. It’s pure uncompromising while still looking at the little pieces of a relationship  bit by bit. All the while it promises this is a journey for two characters to take beyond the episodes of the series which is uplifting, not in a way that feels forced or needed or even unresolved but only in the truest sense of what My Love Story represents.

 

  

Take A Pick Tuesday: Blood The Last Vampire

Take A Pick Tuesday: Blood The Last Vampire

 

We’re on the forefront of revolutionary storytelling every day, new shows come out all the time that have expansive ideas or expand on ideas and transcend expectations, as well as genre to be a part of culture and film. This is nothing new and yet it is always new when it brings something that can be added to an impressive collection of shows and movies that have long since been numbered beyond count, shows and movies that have been able to make these changes within the genre of anime.

      Yet knowing this, it’s easy to be surprised or instead have a greater knowledge of how long this has been happening. Blood The Last Vampire came out during a time where anime seemed so cinematic that they could just be released in theaters ( some were and have since been re-released in theaters), no one had to wave it in front of your face and say this is an anime. In Japan this had been nothing new, these were made for theater releases and had been treated as such, in fact they still are. For the US those that didn’t even watch anime knew and the only thing anyone cared about was how magnificent these shows and movies were.

       In fact looking at Manga Entertainment it’s easy to forget what a difference that made in North America, how they helped to bring such an impact, minds that had been opened for years or had already unfurled were scooped up and showed something that would remain with them for the rest of their lives. Foundations of why they were an anime fan, even if the gateway had been other shows beforehand, this is where they came to explore the genre, one of many stepping stones in that journey.

      This is before Funimation would become the monster distributor it was, even before other companies would disappear, re-emerge or live on through their titles that would be picked up from the remaining companies.  All the companies were kicking through it sure but look at Manga Entertainment’s catalog and see what a difference they brought by bringing these titles to us.  Blood The Last Vampire had company alongside, Ghost In The Shell, Patlabor, Blackjack, X and even their Street Fighter films and series managed to take something that was a basis for a fighting game and add mythos to it, a story, an explored mood that would have people go wow! At least it did for me. The list goes on and on.

      Blood The Last Vampire is insight into an era, as it is an insight into one of kind storytelling, showing that truthfully we’ve been on the forefront for some time now. The film had an all-star cast of creators and animators including Mamrou Oshii. Still you’re not distracted by who are attached to this project, you’re not saying I’m watching it because these people are working on it, no you’re watching it because of the film and it captures you the moment it starts, showing you shadows, nothing but shadows in the light, with characters, with everything. You know the moment the scene opens with Saya sitting on the train, in a nearly empty car except for one unassuming tired man, until you realize that this is the beginning of the hunt you’re watching. This is a mission, that man was a creature.

 

       We’ll get back to this towards the end but that’s just it, we’re fed details, bits and pieces, the viewers are not given a beginning, there’s more of the sense that we’re in the middle of something that’s been happening for a while, another day and mission or perhaps one of the final days of a final mission. One of the most significant points in these character’s lives, not just those that will see them, characters swept in the world but also the characters that already a part of it, like Saya.

 

       The basic synopsis of the film is this, Saya along with two men who are part of some official agency of sorts, are sent to a base in Yokota Air Base, right before the start of the Vietnam War to dispatch of these creatures we know as vampires, more specific Saya is sent in to eliminate these creatures while it becomes clear that not only may she be one of them, but might be the last original.  That’s all you really need to know going in to the film and that becomes clear fairly early.

 

     You wouldn’t think a vague description like that is enough to hook you on a story but it is,  this is coming from someone that is as fascinated with the story as anything else but of course  Blood The Last Vampire is a triumph when it comes to animation. Old and new techniques are used to give even a veteran anime watcher an appreciation of the detail and style used in the film. The era captured and the mixture of Japanese and English audio in the dubbed version at least. It adds to the mood and the tension, never forget this has heavy horror elements into it and it plays with this giving a completely new dimension that is left for you to hold on to, play around with in your hands to see a depth, one that will make you run back again to see the movie.

 

     We’re talking scenes like the glossed/waxed wooden floors with a trail of dripping blood in an auditorium at the height of a Halloween costume party.  There is a monstrous appearance of people among the monster and their imperfection gives them a realistic, believable sense that they're not just fluff for the background or just a character to say a few words to keep the movie going. The designs of the creatures themselves have an organic look to them, they could be animals in our world in some ways, long jaws and a slight trace of human anatomy in them.   

      The creatures have such rapid movement that make you look at the humans going ok, what are you going to do, I mean their eyes bulge sometimes, looking like they’re going to burst. Are they a vampire, no it’s worse, they’re just plump and ready for the vampires to kill, as fleshy as they look it makes the hunt almost natural, it makes it feel like these creatures although they’re being hunted and are things that go bump in the night, are sort of part of the food chain, they just happen to be on the top of it. Also a fine contrast to the humans that have at time clumsy motions, whether intentional or not it plays well against the actual vampire. That’s saying a lot considering they’re not even original creatures though they don’t go deep into what makes them a synthetic, an inorganic version of what Saya is, so even that can be questioned and scrutinized. At least in the film.

       Am I pitching this for Halloween, well no it’s just damn good timing but of course this is a perfect Halloween film to sit down and enjoy the mood of the coming holiday.  I mean it is downright horrific even when you have someone combating these creatures, not everyone is just a victim but enough are to still terrify you. Though the scene where Saya comes in and the nurse is looking after two students in which she kills one and then gives chase to the other, shattering the woman’s perception of the world while still progressing the story, is horrifying as well as it is thought provoking. I’ve used that a few times I know but I’m going somewhere with this.

 

         To see a blend of these themes in the show is once again to see the scene showing the Halloween party in mid-swing, where the creature shows itself and the nurse sees it and Saya runs at it with an antique sword which breaks, it’s a fake and only the nurse seems aware of what's happening besides the other two in battle against each other. It was like bringing one element into another, watching them clash and of course showing the thought provoking aspect that no one can see this real world.

 

     Than we go deeper, to do so we need to look at Saya. It’s enough to have a badass character, sort of relentless, takes nothing from anyone but also to have someone that doesn’t really allow you to see another side of them while still managing to be fascinating and still help the movie be more than a horror-action film. That’s something else entirely. There’s lots of fun films with characters like that and then there are films that have depth with characters like this, that’s a harder thing to pull off. Blood The Last Vampire does it with ease.

    Characters going through metamorphosis are important elements to a story, in order for it to have a dramatic effect on you, to draw you in, you have to be emotionally invested in the characters. So it helps if they pull on your emotions through theirs. That’s why it’s a feat to do it with a character that may seem like you couldn’t have that experience with. Yet Saya is one that you can and it shows through subtle moments, through select words of which she says little and one of the final scenes.

       A good story knows how long it needs to be and it, this film knows exactly how long and when it will end, in its final scenes it gives you this metamorphosis, that’s when you realize maybe it didn't just happened in this moment, maybe it’s been happening the entire time. This final scene, seen and then pointed out by someone else as well is when she’s given the fatal wound to the last creature, it opens its mouth in agony, Saya drops blood in its mouth.  It’s also where you get a shot of her hair blowing and only a part of her face, not truly the front but a side that shows you something other than anger.  Metamorphosis, a difference, whatever you want to call it, there’s this serene face that can hold any of the emotions you would see in a character.

       What is the face though, it could be anything from peace, to the sadness, of watching, what may very well be the last of her kind.  In this scene the movie breathes which is one of it’ greatest achievements. If you find flaws in it yourself, this scene might force you to ignore them. Everything that follows gives answers to some questions and leaves others for us to wonder as any good movie does. It also leaves a character whose perception of the world was opened up, to question everything. I remember lots of things about Blood The Last Vampire, with so many years of a gap since seeing it last and it isn’t how long the movie is that stays with me, it isn’t anything superficial that sticks with me, I'm not laughing at any mistakes or sitting to poke fun at the film, it was the feeling of watching something special, it’s the scene that breathes life into a film that was on the forefront of something revolutionary. That's what I sat down to watch.

 

 

*Photo courtesy of imdb*

Take A Pick Tuesday: Yona of The Dawn

Take A Pick Tuesday: Yona Of The Dawn

 

Everyone was so excited for this show I was excited and yet was delayed in watching it nonetheless. Set in a world that would remind people of familiar story influences such as The Romance of The Seven Kingdoms though with its own built mythology and a fascinating structure that is unique on its own. All the while Yona Of The Dawn embraces the feel of the traditional adventure story and that’s not a bad thing, it’s something to build on.

 

      Yona is the princess of the Kouka Kingdom, daughter to a king who chooses peace over war and despises violence, her father favors kindness over viciousness to secure his kingdom which inspires some and concerns other, including those closest to him. Many people speak on the other kingdoms gaining strength from this way of governing, which later shows that King il had even given away land to avoid war.  These mix results spill on to the four clans as well, (five clans including the sky clan) who are pillars to which the king stands on, his army and his strength. The other clans are wind, water, fire and earth.

 

       Some of the greatest warriors are bred from these clans but the strongest of all is the general of the wind tribe and protector of Yona, nicknamed The Thunder Beast Hak. Yona doesn’t necessarily see the complexity of how the kingdom is run, she’s only on the verge of turning sixteen with love on her mind, unaware of what the transition into adulthood would mean, even talks of marriage do not seem far behind.  It’s to Hak most of all that she conveys these feelings, showing where her mind is, her opinions of her father and of the things she is aware and unaware of.  The relationship between Hak and Yona is on the complex side that goes beyond protector and protected.

 

     The two are shown as childhood friends which includes a third friend Soo Won, who’s to attend her birthday.  The three were always inseparable but Yona had always been in love with him, it seemed a mutual thing as observed by Hak, in fact it seemed a no brainer that the two would get married except for the fact that King il refuses.  That starts a whirlwind when things turn somber because Yona can’t dwell on it long, despite having time to blame her father and criticize him as king, it all changes when she discovers his dead body and Soo Won standing over him.

 

       With Hak and others putting their life on the line, they manage to get Yona out of the palace in the midst of this rebellious act. Something that would start Yona’s journey within and without.  She’s scarred with the sight of her father’s body and the betrayal from the one she loved.  Hunted and saved, barely making it several times Yona brims with uncertainty, even knowing who’s responsible she seems to still struggle with actually blaming him.  Though she soon burns with the urge to protect Hak who she sees nearly die for her several times so she could live and is filled with the desire to set things right, except what is right?

"We'll go anywhere we have to, as long as it means you'll live."-Hak

 

        Having Yona face the greatest questions she’s ever had in her life she must ask one that tears her in two which splits the identity. How can she ignore her father’s wish of choosing above violence but desire to learn how to use weapons, protect and thereby killing in order to do so. It’s a dilemma she carries as she takes up learning how to use bow and arrow and soon becomes aware of a destiny she may have to follow to accomplish her journey, find the people with dragon’s blood that could protect or aid her, just as the legend was which founded their kingdom.

 

The legend goes something like this, the red dragon comes down from heaven and takes human form building the kingdom and getting swept into human affairs which also meant being susceptible to their dangers.  When in danger the other dragons come to protect him with the intent of taking him back to heaven where he belongs except the red dragon does not want to return. So to ensure his safety they give their blood to a chosen, one for each dragon in order to protect him for the rest of his now mortal life.

 

     Yona must search out the most recent incarnations of these dragons as the legends seem to point to her being the reincarnation of the red dragon.  Will they agree to help or even believe in the powers each one has, for each it is different some except their destiny whole heartily having waited like the ones before them. Others have been cast out, believed to be cursed, others run from this destiny wanting nothing more than freedom from it. Will they really be able to help Yona after all?

 

      Very early in the show Yona realizes she’s been shielded from histories and what was really happening in her kingdom. Now that the kingdom is in someone else’s hands she must see the kingdom for what it is and what it isn’t and must decide what it needs to be. What Yona found are complexities that may actually hurt her emotionally, even an understandable stance her father had made shows the ripples it had caused and the people it effected. This makes an interesting contrast on how other characters feel about the king even those that follow her. Some even admit to disliking the king themselves before meeting Yona.  Others who normally would have seen it as foolish find the ideal worth believing in, not just for what it is but for the man who believed in it.

 

      Meanwhile it shows the perspective of the one who snatched the throne, Soo Won and how he chooses to restore the kingdom to its former glory. His aggressive direction in which he believes riles the people yet he keeps the calm, smiling nature that Yona had fallen in love with. Even with his generals doubting him he accomplishes multiple things at once, for example restoring the income in the earth clan, giving them a resource of value they didn’t know they had, something to trade with other kingdoms and through an exhibition reawakening the fighting spirit in them and the belief of their general.

 

   After this peak into what’s happening in the kingdom we return to Yona’s trying to find all the four dragons. I have this theory about the dragons that each love Yona but in the sense that they’re drawn to her, destined but also because she inspires the concept of love much like her father did. If Sun Won has worked toward things to strengthen the kingdom and show himself a worthy king, the same argument can actually be said about Yona.

 

      Since her journey she’s learned every aspect of living both as a person and someone in the kingdom, understanding that it goes deeper than she had ever perceived. Everything from having to face the animal you slay in order to eat, to addressing the people that are suffering such as the human trafficking arc, what it means to be afraid, what it means to be a person that has no voice to speak on their suffering. This has driven her to protect the kingdom in the way maybe only she could. Especially when the obvious question is, how will she go about taking the throne, how will she choose to rule is finally brought before her?

 

     One of the greatest achievements of the show however is how it will resolve, spoiler alert she sees Soo Won again, though we all knew it would happen not quite the way it does. It isn’t so much about her questioned resolve to kill him that may make you unsure of what will happen, it’s Sun Won given a perfect opportunity, he seems to have no motivation to end the life of his competition for the throne. If it’s love even if he knows the wrath he brought, what could he do for a kingdom he may not hold for long, if he has chosen not to defend against the true heir?

 

      Some of the best shows of the previous year and this year have left us with a major cliffhanger. It’s easier to know going in that this show is one of these though most anime fans are used to some unanswered questions that the manga can give us answers to. Making us want more is a sign of a great show and of course another season could be in the cards, there’s no way to know but to wait.  Until then what we have is a feast of crisp animation, in depth storylines, while embracing humor and other minor aspects we love in some shows, making them the show’s own unique trademark.

 

   

 

Manga Select: Oishinbo

Manga Selection: Oishinbo

 

Oishinbo is more than a manga, it’s a window into the foundations of Japanese society itself, the way all cultures differ and share similarities, food. The manga has since become essential, sold in book stores anywhere with manga and even airport stores in Japan, just to give you an idea of it’s influence, as well as it’s representation of a country with pride in its traditions that has remained intact even to this day.

     Each volume is dedicated to a particular food group such as rice, vegetables, and fish and so on. They draw from a 100 volumes in a series that is still ongoing, highlighting some of the best chapters or the most relevant to what each volume is about. Food groups used in Japanese cuisine and that’s the thing, this isn’t just food but dishes that are prepared as fine culinary dishes as well. Yamaoka Shiro along with his co-workers work for a newspaper  Tozai Shimbun, preparing to present a spotlight they call the ultimate menu, which finds them seeking out the best of the best for each dish, even the intricate aspects that go with these dishes.

 

     Though each volume is divided into a topic (sort of), there is plenty to explore within it and the first volume shows more than what’s expected, even preparing what seems simple like the perfect miso soup or green tea or even the proper dishes and cups to serve them in. Why not even have one that focuses on the chopsticks themselves, yes it is an experience you’ll relish as you read it. As insightful as it was when the manga first started in the 80’s. Natural taste and seasoning, the right balance, where they come from and how they should be used.  

 

       Quite the task no matter who undertakes it, luckily for the magazine they have Yamaoka Shiro. While he may seem disinterested and bored, Yamaoka is extremely knowledgeable about Japanese cuisine, understanding the complex aspects of dishes and why the simplicity sometimes is the key. It also helps that he knows legends and unknowns in the food industry that can bring out the taste and was raised in the kitchen much to his benefit and his dismay.

         How he has obtained such a keen knowledge for such things bothers him more than he cares to admit, especially when he finds the magazine will have to deal with a rival newspaper working on what they're calling the superior meal assisted by the top gourmet, his father Yuzan Kaibara. The two can hardly be in the same room together without shooting daggers at each other with their eyes. When Yamaoka was younger, his father was demanding, overbearing, everything needed to be perfect to his taste. His job and his home life inseparable had forced Yamaoka’s mom to redo meals over and over again. Even his father’s cooks had to walk on eggshells and for this reason there was never an enjoyable moment without incurring his father’s wrath.

 

      Still these circumstances have given him the delicate, sensitive taste buds and the keen eye for what Japanese cuisine should be.  Even so the author can’t help but bring these two together and this first collection of stories sees this face off quite often. Now the volumes are collected stories so they shoot through the time line but still you can't help but feel like the editors enjoyed the father and son showdown to splice so many so close together.  At times it even misguides Yamaoka who goes against what he would normally do in order to prepare a dish just to try and best his father, with results that make his regret this choice.  Though sometimes it feels as though his father is guiding him, teaching him even in his own stuck up way.

 

    One thing it never does is distract you from what the manga is all about. Informative and loving for the art of Japanese cuisine, it’s challenges what people know in order to expand it and as an effect brings people together. Yamaoka tends to help struggling cooks or preparing a menu or get volunteered into something when someone visits the office. When it isn't these situations, it tends to be someone disliking a dish and having to be proved wrong, there's other rivalries and other personal social issues that come up and attached themselves to the food storytelling.  These usually take readers through particular taste which come with a bit of history. Even if Yamaoka is unwilling and his co-workers have to drag him along.

 

      Many dishes or explored and the author doesn’t leave you wondering how the meals are prepared, providing recipes to many of the dishes. However what is interesting is the length Yamaoka goes or other cooks go to prepare these dishes. There is even a scene where Yamaoka jumps into the water in order to obtain the right ingredient for a meal he is preparing. Oishinbo was a part of the movement during the 80’s called the gurume movment ( the gourmet boom) and yet managed to stand apart from the rest and is still an enriching experience. Since it’s publication the manga has received numerous awards and is still one of the longest running manga titles even though it’s run into a bit of a hiatus in the last couple of years.

 

    Though it isn't the first time, the recent one was shortly after a bit of controversy. It goes back to 2014 where the author received criticism for the way he depicted a story that referenced the Fukushima Nuclear Plant post meltdown. The largest nuclear meltdown since Chernobyl, which happened as a result of the 2011 Tsunami in Japan, knocking out generators and back-up generators.  In the story, a journalist finds himself getting sick shortly after visiting the Fukushima plant. Shortly after the manga went on hiatus though the editor insisted that it had been planned beforehand.

      Naturally the concern came from how the public would react, fears of fish from the area being tainted with radiation and many wanted to assure there was no cause of concern. On the other side there are some that will defend the comic, speaking out on the symptoms that they have, similar to those of the character in the story “The Truth of Fukushima.” Tetsu Kariya, author of the manga defended the story even if the reaction came as a surprise, it was a story that was researched for two years and something he and the others that worked on it wanted to stick by.

       As are all the stories in the manga you see, heavily researched to give an authentic view on Japanese culture, when you become this iconic of course it can cause a wave of reactions. Manga is versatile like all comics, anyone that would try and argue this fact has never heard of Oishinbo. For years Oishinbo has stood out as an important cornerstone not just in manga but in all aspects of Japanese culture. As the author says, it’s something to bring us all together so it may just be a manga about us as people in general and that comes from the joy of food.

A Podcast Companion

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*Need more otaku time, well for more ideas why not hop on to the newly minted podcast Rats On A Plague Ship. A podcast that speaks on all matters of geekdom with yours truly and my fellow co-host Sal Almaraz. The true cure to when the hours feel like they drag!