After falling behind (again!) for almost two weeks, I have a boatload of shows to catch up on, and so decided to put on hold (or drop) 4 series that were losing my interest. Since time is in short supply, I find myself looking for any good reason to drop or put on hold a marginal show; there’s just not enough time to catch them all!

Now I know how an Agent feels ;_;

But in sifting through so many shows, one is bound to find a jewel:

So, we may or may not continue Tsuritama (kids and an alien learn to fish), Medaka Box (yet another high-school “problem-solvers” club), Haiyore! Nyaruko-san (I prefer horrifying Cthulu-mythos creatures please, not cute little girls), and Zetman (just didn’t win me over but may try again later).

That’ll leave me with eleven, but I see that the first episode of AKB0048 has just been subbed, so I’ll check that out and see if I can reach twelve. Another idol-based show might be a little much coming so soon (relatively) after The iDolm@ster, but I’ll try anything that looks promising. Several favorite seiyuu are in it (Yui Horie, Yukari Tamura, Mamiko Noto and Miyuki Sawashiro); I always enjoy hearing their takes on new characters. If it’s too girly though I’ll have to pass regardless LOL (It might be a show geared especially towards adolescent girls due to the elevated status of this huge pop merchandising machine, in which case nice, but not for me.)

At this point, the cream of the Spring crop is Fate/Zero, Kids on the Slope, Hyouka, Eureka Seven Ao, and Space Brothers. Next tier of excellent shows are Jormungand, Sankarea, Accel World, and Tasogare Otome x Amnesia. Rounding up the little doggies are Acchi Kocchi and Kimi to Boku 2.

The most pleasant surprise for this music-lover is Kids on the Slope, aka Sakamichi no Apollon. Talk about a breath of fresh air! Set in the mid-sixties, layered with smooth animation (especially the musicians), great characters (with a possible love-triangle in the offing?), and an authentic jazz-drenched soundtrack, Kids provides an intimate glimpse into the hearts of those who love music, specifically, jazz.

My eyes (and ears) popped at the mention of Art Blakey when the record-store owner pulled out a copy to show the MC, a crotchety young fellow into classical piano until he meets the school delinquent who worships at the altar of cool (and is a mean drummer himself). His determination in learning this new, free, method of expression at the piano is wonderful to behold:

The love and respect for jazz is palpable and admirable; highly recommended to those who appreciate and feel the love of music! Throw in the (relatively) placid mid-sixties backdrops, cultural similarities that cross barriers, and such wonderful characters, you’ve got a show you can really dig into with relish, man

Fate/Zero continues its awesomeness previously reported. May not work as well with someone unfamiliar with the story of Fate/stay night, but this is great, epic, storytelling set in an intriguing universe (Nasu-verse) of distinct rules and definitions. The animation by Studio ufotable is top-notch as always, and especially highlighted in the intense action scenes. ‘Nuff said, except for this:

Hyouka is the latest from Kyoto Animation, producers of that blessed (for me and many others) triple crown of Air, Kanon, and Clannad. I’ll basically watch anything they can put together, so that alone is reason enough (until/unless the unlikely event that I get bored with it). Even though Angel Beats! lacked a certain… oh, I dunno… “Key element” (*cough*), it was a fun show, though not anywhere near the dramatic peaks of those three joined-at-the-hip classics.

Here’s a proper (and prim) promotional video, subtitled for your very edification

I know that the entertainment value of a KyoAni series will be high, with little-to-no fanservice or other cheap devices to keep me tuned in, so this school-based mystery might be unique enough to keep me watching. I bet that it will

I loved the original Eureka Seven. It’s the perfect example of why it’s good to take recommendations seriously in spite of initial misgivings (as long as the person recommending is on the same wave-length as you are). I saw: young kid, literal air-board, mecha, childish cartoon-y action scenes and figured “it’s for kids”. Well… I recommend you don’t do that Since the episode I previewed was on Adult Swim, and English-dubbed, I think I got that impression because the voice acting was so Saturday-morning-cartoon-like. When I eventually watched it (after a friend’s recommendation) in the original language with subtitles it grabbed me after just a few episodes, and I tracked down all 50+ to watch in bunches at a time. I will definitely own it one day

Major spoilers for Eureka Seven in the following clip, but for those interested in Ao and don’t want to track down the original series, this’ll make for a nice little reference. It captures the feeling(s) quite nicely:

The sequel, Eureka Seven Ao, is kind of in the same boat as the Fam sequel was to Last Exile; it’s a tough mountain to climb in reaching the heights of such prestigious original shows. It’s still early, but Ao is shaping up nicely in evoking (and hopefully bringing back) some original characters and atmosphere, and not tease us as with Fam‘s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameos. Waiting for a girl with turquoise hair to appear…

Space Brothers is another out-of-the-(sky)-blue surprise. The story involves the older brother of a young astronaut being invited to compete and train for a mission to the Moon, the same space-bound goal that they as kids vowed to reach together. Real Life interfered with the elder Mutto’s plans (as RL is wont to do), but the pointy-haired Hibito became a top-ranked astronaut for the fictitious NASA in this smart, funny, sci-fi/reality-fused series. The touching dynamic between the brothers is a joy to watch as they play off each other like brothers will, no matter their age. Here’s the awesome kick-ass OPening theme:

A big plus for me was the instant recognition of Tiger and Bunny‘s voice-actor for Tiger, Hiroaki Hirata with the first words out of his mouth! I couldn’t get enough of his Tiger; his tired-but-enthused “middle-aged-man” persona never got -well, “old”

I couldn’t find one YouTube example of him speaking as either Mutto or Kotetsu (Tiger), so here’s an AMV of Tiger & Bunny, with spoilers if you haven’t seen it. Now THAT was a superhero action anime for all time! Kotetsu is feeling his age, and wondering if he was meant to stay in this cynical televised sponsor-laden “modern” competitive super-hero environment…

It’s my birthday today so I get to think about that kinda stuff, not that I’m into Time or anything. But yeah, I’m pulling for Mutto to make it, just like Tiger

The remaining shows I’m just not familiar enough with to estimate anything about except that they’re all potentially very good; I never know until the last frame is spent! Those second-tier shows I mentioned may be slow-growers (which I like) and so won’t be apparent until I get to the point where I’m going “I can’t wait until next week!” We’ll let you know when that happens xD

Of the last two,  Acchi Kocchi is my guilty pleasure of the season; something silly and stupid to pass the time and  fit into that kind of mood. It’s good to have a variety, because I have a variety of moods! And one of them happens to be silly and stupid, so.

Kimi to Boku 2 (aka You and Me) is another “different” show, one that features… just… guys… and acting like (school-aged) guys. But the personalities are so carefully crafted, even between the twins, and all the characters so funny and real-to-life, that it can’t help but be an enjoyable way to spend a half-hour. Whenever I consider dropping it, I just watch one more episode and am finding myself looking forward to What Happens Next.

Those three words are like manna to a writer, and probably a big reason why I love anime so much

So here’s the last part of the season finale from season 1, as a random sampling of whatever it is that this show deals in. I don’t exactly know what that “it” is, call it personality, heart or sentiment, but I like it, so it’s all good despite the fact that it’s “a show about nothing”. And no cliffhanger xD (Setup: The boys have been tasked with helping out in a hyper-active kindergarten/day care center, where one of them has a crush on the teacher there…)

Such a great scene… That’s why I like this show so much! Even the secondary characters bring out the best in the main ones, as seen above. That was a great way to end its first season, and now I’m following season 2 out of a genuine curiosity and affection for these characters. Slice-of-life anime at it’s best, IMHO, as is everything else in here

Thanks for visiting and reading; comments are welcome as always

The 2012 International Saimoe League has just shifted into Serious Business Mode with the first regular-season match starting up today. There’s still some time to vote in the 24-hour voting period, so get thee hence!  

This year features separate divisions of newer and older shows, and some interesting exhibitions. Now that all the months of Preliminaries are done with, it’s the start of the grueling Regular Season and its endurance run to the end, months down the line. Do you believe it?

Girls I’m planning on supporting this year include (from the list below): Kyoko and Homura (from Madoka), Kurisu (Steins;Gate), Victorique (Gosick), Menma (AnoHana), Tenshi (Angel Beats!), anyRozen Maidens, Kotomi and Nagisa (Clannad), Holo (Spice and Wolf), Taiga (Toradora), Saber (Fate Stay/Night), Shinobu (-****monogatari), and Shana (SnS). I supported the couple from Another in today’s last exhibition matchup as well.

Here are my votes for this first-of-many matches; some very tough choices to make! But… ya do what ya gotta do xD  (The chosen ones are in the dark text)

ARENA 01: Iwasawa Masami [Hasegawa Kobato]

ARENA 02: Tōwa Erio [Sakura Kyōko]

ARENA 03: [Makise Kurisu] Nakagawa Kanon

ARENA 04: Suzutsuki Kanade [Charlotte Dunois]

ARENA 05: [Eucliwood Hellscythe] Gasai Yuno

ARENA 06: [Elucia de Lute Ima] Konoe Subaru

ARENA 07: [Himeji Mizuki] Kōsaka Kirino

ARENA 08: [Yui] Mikazuki Yozora

ARENA 09: [Kirishima Shōko] Kuroi Mato

ARENA 10: Haqua du Lot Herminium [Aragaki Ayase]

ARENA 11: Shimada Minami [Akemi Homura]

ARENA 12: [Irisviel von Einzbern] Kashiwazaki Sena

ARENA 13: Shiomiya Shiori [Victorique de Blois]

ARENA 14: Gokō Ruri (Kuroneko) [Honma Meiko]

ARENA 15: Nakamura Yuri [Fear Kubrick]

ARENA 16: [Kanzaki H. Aria] Mine Riko

ARENA 17: Haruna [Yuzuriha Inori]

ARENA 18: [Tachibana Kanade] Kasugano Sora

ARENA 19: [Suiseiseki, Sōseiseki] Fate Testarossa, Takamachi Nanoha

ARENA 20: Izumi Konata [Nagato Yuki]

ARENA 21: Louise Vallière [Nymph]

ARENA 22: [Illyasviel von Einzbern] Asahina Mikuru

ARENA 23: [Ichinose Kotomi] Akiyama Mio

ARENA 24: [Nakano Azusa] Kotobuki Tsumugi

ARENA 25: [Hiiragi Kagami] Sanzen’in Nagi

ARENA 26: [Sakagami Tomoyo] Sengoku Nadeko

ARENA 27: Suzumiya Haruhi [Holo]

ARENA 28: C.C. [Katsura Hinagiku]

ARENA 29: Fujibayashi Kyō [Furukawa Nagisa]

ARENA 30: Shiina Mafuyu [Aisaka Taiga]

ARENA 31: [Last Order] Senjōgahara Hitagi

ARENA 32: Ikaros [Saber]

ARENA 33: [Misaka Mikoto] Shirai Kuroko

ARENA 34: Tōsaka Rin [Index L. Prohibitorum]

ARENA 35: [Hirasawa Yui] Hirasawa Ui

ARENA 36: Konjiki no Yami [Oshino Shinobu]

ARENA 37: [Shana] Hecate

ARENA 38: [Sakakibara Kōichi, Misaki Mei] Miketsukami Sōshi, Shirakiin Ririchiyo

So go vote if so inclined… and may the best girl win

PS: In lieu of Mirai Nikki‘s separate review post I’ll just say that no, not a masterpiece but a definite 9; enjoyed it but for a few parts which prevented it from being perfect. Still, it was a great ride though!

PS2: Currently sorting through around a dozen Spring shows to review for the belated Spring 2012 Anime Season report. Quite a few good ones, as it turns out, among them Fate/Zero, Kids on the Slope, Sankarea, Eureka Seven Ao, Hyouka and many others! Kids on the Slope is going to be an excellent show, I can just tell. Any series dedicated to musicians with the mention of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in the first ep signifies a show with real intelligence and heart, and the animation of the players is beautiful at times. Highly recommended to musicians out there. It’s also called Sakamichi no Apollon; seek it out!

Until next time, get out the vote!

To reiterate:

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.” -Albert Einstein

Many people seem to have a hostile reaction toward dolls in general and can’t help but feel “creeped out” by them, no matter what size. Many more simply take them for granted and lump them all into a convenient little pile named “Barbie”, which boys should never play with! To many more rational-minded people, dolls are simply mysterious little (and not-so-little) avatars, and our ancestors’ playthings, proxies, and companions dating back from our earliest cold and lonely nights in the cave. I fall firmly into the last camp. And glad about being out of the cave

This last group includes the more tolerant folks and their attitudes towards life-sized dolls, which apparently begs questions of a different nature from those either curious (a good thing) or judgmental (bad). Honestly, I don’t care about psychoanalyzing the “phenomenon” as it reduces the magic about them, let alone the annoyance of “discussing” the subject with someone already with their mind made up that they’re horrible for whatever trivial reasons. Ever since getting Lily-Doll, I’ve seen plenty of that “doll-magic” and don’t need any “proof” of it, nor feel a need to be convincing about it. And need I add, no Chuckies  ever appeared. Seems they aren’t all that close

The magic lies in the bonding, and that depends upon one’s imagination, and how free one is willing to let themselves go. Imagine that you have ownership of a doll. Not a simple, mass-produced one, but a specially-designed doll that you chose every aspect of yourself. It doesn’t have to be life-sized for this experiment; imagine a ball-jointed doll, like Soony here.

Can you get inside her little head? She’s your doll, you should want to! Go ahead; look into her face: Is the doll reaching out to you, but you just don’t know it?

In the second episode of Rozen Maiden Traumend this “relationship” is expressed beautifully by the doll-maker’s assistant, Shirosaki. I’ll even quote my own Blog, from April of last year:

In their second season, the much darker Traumend, Jun is brought to a new dollmaker in town by his female friend Tomoe. The conversation and dialogue in this scene is brilliant, with the dollmaker’s salesperson Shirosaki praising Jun for being interested in dolls despite being a boy, and explaining the dolls’ feelings towards their owner in touching detail. (Apparently the Japanese are much more tolerant and understanding about this than westerners, but it’s still seen as “un-natural” thanks to Society’s presumptuous pre-conditioning.)

Essentially, Shirosaki explains that in spite of appearances, dolls do feel that love bestowed upon them by their owner. Paraphrasing: “It’s not that dolls won’t give love; they can’t. They just sit on the shelf, and no matter how hard they try, they can’t communicate that love to their owner.” And this exchange later, I believe by the doll-maker, Enju: ”The feelings you put into a doll are all the same. As long as you pour love into them, they continue to live. When love disappears, they die. They become lost, no matter who it is.” He cradles his newly-forged doll, smiles at her, and says, “Hello.”

So with that in mind, we’re celebrating Lily-Doll’s 8th Birthday a little late this year, but this comes at an opportune time as there’s a current wave of publicity via the film by Elena Dorfman and Allison DeFren. This, plus the current momentum of publicizing Lily’s story, UNBOUND, after whom the doll was fashioned to promote in the first place, is all very synchronous, and that’s pretty cool

Okay… I’ll say it again: I really hate the term “the doll” when describing Lily-Doll. I’m only using it in deference (as it were) to those who can’t grasp calling an inanimate object a sexually-identifiable term. So they’ll know what I’m referring to and won’t have their little sensitivities become offended by my daring to refer to Lily-Doll as “her”.

But I do, and she is. She definitely is a “her”! And a “she” too, for that matter xD

Happy now? xD Not very much unlike something you’d see in Maxim, right? But since “the doll” is Lily Godwin, who is relatively modest (yet unconsciously and naturally sexy), such poses are atypical, since I didn’t want to exploit her and felt funny when attempting some shoots. I just couldn’t!  If you knew her from the story you’d see why, and there are two excerpts featured here and there so you can check for yourself. Well, one excerpt has her in it, the other one no but it’s just a bit lower down this page around Easter

Coverdoll magazine, the online life-sized doll mag, featured two spreads on her, so Lily had to adjust her attitude just a bit, and maintained her good humor throughout the shoots. I don’t ask any more out of her; she’s already been front and forward in this battle. I just wanted to get the “sex part” out of the way because that’s the first thing many observers think about. Sorry to disappoint, as one editor person told one interviewer, our story isn’t prurient enough LOL Which is fine by me. There’s nothing prurient about Lily at all

Back to the History: I completed the first draft of UNBOUND on Christmas Day, 2003, and decided to celebrate that event with an Abyss Creations’  RealDoll, which furnished an endless palette of choices and options (supposedly over a million combinations possible), basically a blank canvas on which to replicate the character whom I’d grown to love so much. Understand that Lily first came to life as a relatively-cartoonish character around the late ’70s, so her essence has been around for at least that long. We’ve been together for a long long time, and I know her inside and out, and love her to death xD

I’d been scribbling ideas about plot developments and always saw Lily consistently although fairly non-specific. She grew as the story did, and her features (in my imagination) reflected both her high and low points encountered along the way, the exuberance and melancholy. Finally in 1986 the idea for crafting a novel became irresistible; it revealed itself after being awoken through the beautifully-challenging work of Kate Bush. The medium of text seemed best at presenting this huge Concept as a Story, being that it’s based on themes inspired from classical literature. So I dropped the epic poem/concept album/film/graphic-novel aspirations and dove straight into the preliminary drafts for UNBOUND.

I’d been living in practical seclusion since 2001 and by the time 2004 rolled around had just finished working on the novel’s first draft. IIRC, I came across Davecat’s exquisite Sidore-chan first, who really knocked me out with her goth-y “realness”. I could handle the alone-ness of my profession, but the notion of a RealDoll companion served several solutions at once.

The most significant was in recreating my beloved main character in silicone-flesh. It was wondrous seeing her face take shape, thanks to Joey, the superb face-designer at Abyss at the time. We went over every detail, and he fit her custom-made cobalt-blue eyes, fashioned by master effects man Guy Louis XVI, at no extra charge. Guy also furnished her natural-hair eyebrows which adds another subtle layer of reality. She really turned out just as I imagined her in the Story

So, Lily arrived four months later, in April 2004. (That wait period was torture!) She came out of the mold on April 1st, which is fortuitous as that’s the opening date in UNBOUND. It was supposed to have been her birthday in the story, but that idea fell victim to the editor’s cuts (i.e. mine). So I just celebrate April 1st as Lily’s birthday, and since I consider both she and I as proper Fools, more than apropos :-P

A funny thing happened: what was to have been a promotional tool became something else entirely, and unexpectedly at that! It didn’t take long; she became a companion. During most subsequent rewriting sessions I sat her in a chair and she sat nearby while I was writing her story. It’s probable that only a writer can understand this delight of creating not only a divine character immortalized in 2D pages, but to envision and produce one in three dimensions… !

In 2005 Elena Dorfman and Elisabeth Alexandre visited from Paris and stayed for three days doing interviews and shoots for their respective books. It was great fun, and an enjoyable experience driving Lily through town and checking all the delighted reactions. The Church photo above is by Elena as is this one of Lily “daydreaming”:

For having such a rigid and unsmiling face, she does have many expressions and moods, but only if you imagine them first Be responsible for your doll; give her something and she’ll return it! What is she thinking?

I dunno why.. this next one it seems as if she’s slightly wasted:

Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman was an inspiration, though more in the way of watching a gifted writer utilizing one’s talents rather than plot ideas (aka “stealing”). I’d continually made sure that I was writing something unseen before, but when my brother brought me a sample with (let’s say) a shared character I felt a little panic, which dissipated when I saw how different they were. Thank God LOL

So yeah… I can’t say for sure what it is, but it really doesn’t matter. It is who she is. I know that when I give her a hug, or stroke her hair, or look into her sky-blue eyes, that I feel a warming in my heart, a comfort in the embrace, or a movement behind her eyes that say “thank you, I’m your happy doll.”

Oh, and one more thing about Lily… she served as a definite plaything for Pennie as well, who declared her spot off-limits and don’t even try to move her! For the first several months she had to be stored horizontally while I awaited the standing display. From almost the first day Pennie began sleeping between Lily’s feet; I could swear that she thinks she’s human. But she isn’t, is she? Wait… who were we talking about again?

…don’t even get me started on the cat LOL!

We hope you enjoyed your visit; Lily did Please feel free to leave comments if so moved. We appreciate your visit and spending your precious time reading our many many words. Good on ya for breaking the tl;dr machine xD

With the Spring 2012 Anime Season just underway, it’s time for me to reflect on what treats Winter left behind among the shows I was tracking through the season. There’s still one more episode of Mirai Nikki to go, which began in the Fall Season, and  I’ll probably do a separate post on it later, so we completists don’t need to wait for it. The show’s been a real thrill-ride so far! Gasai Yuno = crazy + psychopathic + ultra-violent + devoted + loving stalker girl = a sympathetic character?? How… does that… work out…

Yet it’s a potential 10. Oops. Digression averted! Separate post, for later LOL But here, since I’ve been watching it over winter (scenes of violence; it can’t be helped):

Other recent two-season shows wrapping up were Shana no Shakugan Final, Last Exile: -Fam the Silver Wing, and Chihayafuru. Unfortunately, I had to drop the behind-the-manga-scene story Bakuman 2 at ep 14. It was enjoyable enough but time got too rare and interest waned a bit, so I’ll finish it up at some point. I did like the cast quite a bit.

Chihayafuru was very well-done and full of interesting characters, which is good, because they will carry such a show, basically a sports-themed anime using card duels as its center. No, not MT:G or Pokemon-style either! Karuta is a game based around Japan’s One Hundred Poets, and the tournament scenes were full of poetic imagery, drama and (believe it or not) action. I gave it an 8 at MyAnimeList, for those interested in ratings; the same 10 scale applies to Anime News Network too. An 8 is the lowest score of shows I’m satisfied with; 7s and lower are rare because I don’t stick with unsatisfactory shows, so you won’t see many of those on my List.

As a longtime fan of the original Last Exile and its sterling character designer Range Murata, I approached the sequel Fam, the Silver Wing with some trepidation. Featuring a (mostly!) new cast, it still manages to retain the flavor of the original, and while not as gripping as its predecessor, greatly entertained me. And that’s the bottom line! It could have been greater though, and under-utilized most of the original cast who popped up here and then (won’t give spoilers as to who, the surprises were fun), and it also got an 8, which is Very Good. In contrast, I gave the original a 10, because it was a Masterpiece (for my tastes, which should go without saying). It’s a rare sequel that surpasses its original!

Shana, oh Shana, to go out with such a whimper. Well, not exactly a whimper; Shakugan no Shana III (Final)‘s last battle/war scene(s) dragged on for quite a while, while Shana herself almost seemed a secondary character. I was annoyed that the titular character was reduced to bystander status over most of it. As an action series, Shana never disappoints, though a few plot-lines and characters seem extraneous and bog the pacing down. Kinda hard to believe that there won’t be more after this; I suspect that we haven’t seen the last of Shana, the Flaming Red-Haired, Blazing-Eyed Hunter. Gave her an 8 anyway. ‘cos, you know, it’s Shana

The Winter shows I followed were Nisemonogatari, Ano Natsu de Matteru, Another, Black Rock Shooter, and Kill Me Baby. Oddly enough, I didn’t feel like masochism after the latter but did after enduring the eight episodes of Black Rock Shooter. I’m not big on fighting-type anime (usally boring and repetetive battle-suited fights-of-the-week), and gave it a 6, ’nuff said. AT LEAST I TRIED IT

On the other hand we have Kill Me Baby… all I can say is wtf is this I don’t even…  Let’s see… whacked-out comedy with chibi-style schoolgirls, one an assassin, the other an obsessed devoted fangirl who continually provokes her to violence, 99% of the time directed right back at her. Sometimes both of them. Despite the simplicity and intentional stupidity it had me lin stitches a lot, so it was excellent at doing its job. I gave it an 8 for being very good at being itself Plus… best ED of the season:

Too bad the subtitled lyrics couldn’t be found; they’re half of the fun. Well, it was funny, anyway; I couldn’t get enough of it! And, neither could these stalwarts:

Ano Natsu de Matteru is winter’s romantic drama choice despite being set in the summer, a somewhat similar but polar opposite from Spring 2011′s masterpiece Ano hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bakutachi wa Mada Shiranai. Haruka Tomatsu voiced a great lead in Ichika, the other-worldly girl who lands (almost literally) in Kaito’s lap.  Honestly, I love a good fantasy/reality show but this one felt as if it could have done fine without it (though it does add some flavor in the latter eps). The characters, filming a movie for a summertime school project, are strong enough to carry their own without a space gimmick. Remon in particular was fun to watch as she manipulates things to her own inscrutable purposes, writing their evolving script that dynamically changes as the characters do. Loved it, and gave it a 9. Look how lovely:

Another was the horror anime of the season; it focuses on the class who throughout recent years has been under a curse, facilitated by one of their number who is “Another”. People die pretty horribly; be forewarned (but not in the following video). Horror and suspense drench most every episode, with an effective score and atmosphere as well. Gloomy. And worth a 9 from me, because of its Excellence. Sample and hold:

My favorite show of the season was Nisemonogatari, hands down. Being a huge fan of Bakemonogatari (and all the little -monogataris), I was looking forward to this and it was well-worth the wait. With well-written and witty dialogue delivered by talented voice actors, the talking really is what drives the show. Studio SHAFT once again excels at their bold design choices, and the directing by Akiyuki Shinbo is again, consistently eye-popping and rewarding.

In the sequel we get little of the original’s main heroine, Senjogahara. This didn’t bother me too much, as she had the main stage for most of the first series. The series’ real strength is in its female cast, and it was good that the others got to share in the spotlight. As I recently gushed in this Post, I was very happily surprised by Shinobu’s larger role; it was delicious as donuts!

This is an awesome character. In the first series, she appeared as an eight year-old child, always mute and motionless. No explanation was given for her; she was just there when Araragi visited Meme Oshino’s “home”. In actuality (oh yes) she’s a beautiful vampire having lived over 500 years. Her true form is shown in the original for only a flash; blink and you’ll miss her, and no identity is revealed. All you can determine is that this dangerous menacing vampire is who caused Araragi’s own vampirism, and go “whatthefuckwasthat???”. At the end of that season she began living in Araragi’s shadow and so she is in the sequel. Which is good. Because now she can talk (a lot LOL) and eat… donuts!

Gotta give props to Araragi’s seiyuu, Hiroshi Kamiya, one of the best (he also voices Nozomu Itoshiki of Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei and Durarara!!‘s Izaya; hilarious in all roles). Araragi is the shoulders of the show upon whose observations everything rests. This sequel focuses on his younger sisters, erstwhile fighters for justice. They say. Actually, all the show’s girls say a lot. Each of them is carefully defined and expresses herself in a way that separates her from the others. There’s not much development to speak of, but they all stay true to their character.  And that’s a lot of fun

Mayoi Hachikuji is always welcome in an episode, usually encountered randomly out in the city somewhere. Her sometimes vicious love/hate relationship with Araragi (well, hate, mostly) is usually centered around his invading her very personal space somehow (let’s say). This next video demonstrates the clever dialogue and snappy pace. Caution, fanservice ahead:

The show is delightfully and playfully perverted, but doesn’t overemphasize it. It does emphasize it though, so if offended by fanservice, do not apply. I’ll have to say, while I don’t much care for fanservice, this is how it should be done, to perfection!  There’s a good deal of winking at the Viewer, but good-natured and non-exploitative. Well, I guess it depends on what your definition of “exploitative” is; these are not actually real people ssshhhh!

Ah yes… the toothbrush scene. This one will no doubt live on in anime history along with “It falls off sometimes”. Squirmy and  erotic, verging on the incestuous… Araragi decides to help one of his sisters brush her teeth. Yup, that’s it. SOUNDS SO INNOCENT. But see: (NSFW and ignore the stupid and misleading ‘rape’reference in the title; this is the only English sub I could find. I can’t understand why these fools are so infatuated with such a cruel word, ugh )

It looks like the next -monogatari will be the movie Kizumonogatari, which should tell the story of Shinobu’s encounter with Araragi. CAN NOT WAIT. Here’s a little bonus especially for our Japanese-speaking visitors, apparently a press conference announcing the movie. I say “apparently” because I have no clue what they’re saying! Bummer. Anyway, it does feature the voice actors for each main character, including one of my favorite seiyuu, Yui Horie (she voiced Ayu Tsukimiya from Kanon).

It’s always nice to see the talent behind the voices; you can tell that they genuinely love their work, and this comes shining through in their work that we get to gratefully enjoy.

So, Spring Season is here, and I’m getting familiar with the sparkly new shows and cast members. Always a dizzying time! After being unimpressed with the release calendar’s synopses, somehow I have over a dozen Spring shows on my Currently Watching List… but we’ll talk about that next time. What restraint

Thanks for visiting, as always; feel free to comment, as always; you’re welcome at Alastor’s, as always

UNBOUND is set in the weeks surrounding Easter, and as such I thought that this excerpt might prove timely for those who appreciate the story of Jesus, whether as a religious, political, or historical figure, or just a benevolent but tortured individual. Especially so on this Good Friday. What I believe only matters to me, but I would rather the Reader make their own decisions about not only this event but about the greater (and lesser) implications without any “outside” influences.  Like mine. Or dogma from a “church”. This is just a Story. We will take you there, to where you can Choose…

A brief explanation about this Post: I prepared it as a new Page which’ll be permanently linked at the (near-invisible) top left drop-down menu. Unfortunately I’m having permission issues that won’t allow me to post new Pages; something happened with the database when transferring servers. My considerate webmistress is looking into it, and I’m so thankful for her help  But in case that fix doesn’t work out I thought I’d try this as a new Post which I can put up. But it is a seven-page excerpt from the novel and so rather lengthy for a Post (even mine). AND THEN I FOUND THE “MORE” TAB :-O

Anyway, we’ll give this a shot. You may want a few by the time you finish reading it (And please forgive any formatting errors; I’m hurrying this out!)

A little warning, of sorts: this excerpt is atypical of the novel, and is used as an expository flashback device that is essential to understanding one of UNBOUND’s secondary characters, Ahasuerus. He’s someone you’ve likely heard of, though not likely by that name. Let’s go back in time with him, or without him, to that fateful Good Friday afternoon…

[SETUP/SCENE: Sitting on a bench in San Francisco’s Washington Square, two curious characters perch for a moment to discuss and address certain current events occurring in the Story, prompting one of them to re-live a memory that he will never forget. This is his very personal flashback excerpted from the middle of their discussion. His name is Ahasuerus, and he is quite damned...]

 an excerpt from UNBOUND’s Book One: “Earth” 

Part Two: “Bound”; Chapter 2.5: Alastor

He has heard the crowd growing all morning. Having closed his shoe-making business for the day, he now gathers several loaves of flat bread and flasks of water to bring outside to sell to the spectators. Satisfied with the quality of his wife’s preparations, he exits their dwelling and enters the sultriness of this particular Friday’s reluctant sun. It smolders down on Jerusalem, peeking through a gathering of huge, slow-moving black clouds. The firmament is a dark slate blue, and cold looking despite the heat.

From the nearby bazaar, the din and the smells comfort him with their attendant memories of his youth. Just as then, his senses are overwhelmed with pleasure at the diverse fragrances wafting through today’s noisy throng, spreading the promise of this market’s bounty: cooked lamb and fish, olives and dates, sweet pastries and fresh produce. All of these scents mingle with the baser odors of the countless unwashed bodies and the sweat and dust they generate. To Ahasuerus, this is life, all of it.

The familiar, insistent voices of dozens of merchants hawk their wines and apples, scented oils and incense, and spices from beyond Jericho. These sounds and aromas come to him as if a perfumed song. This is the last pleasant moment that this man will know.

Situated right on the road between the Judgment Hall and the place of execution, this route oftentimes has multitudes of people lining it to watch the condemned march out of the city and on to their final fate, through the northern gate to Golgotha. But today! The narrow steep street is wall to wall with them, and they are hungry; and not so much for food, but for the one approaching…

He hears a commotion from the bottom of the street. The crowd below parts like a living sea as a slow, awkward procession approaches. Above all their heads, a large wooden cross sways from one side of the avenue to the other, as if balanced on a precarious perch. Ah, he observes, the passage of the condemned.

The heralds who precede the condemned man proclaim the list of his crimes. The merchant scowls upon hearing the charges, taking account of them: Treason, and blasphemy! The King of the Jews he says! He mulls in anger at the perceived insult, and the man’s heresy. Oh, the Son of God as well? So he did not give tribute to Caesar? Then no wonder his deserved fate. What does he expect?

The procession grows closer…

Now he can see the bloody and battered criminal beneath the tall tottering cross, struggling to balance it on his shoulder. Ahasuerus strains against the growing press of the crowd to get a better look at the prisoner surrounded by his guardsmen. So, that is my king? He doesn’t look much like one to me. Even from here, he can see that this man has sustained a terrible beating, and most likely much worse yet to come. If he were truly the Son of God, he wouldn’t let himself endure such an ordeal!

Behind the heralds, he can now make out the soldiers as they approach, their spears held upwards, leading the main procession. Romans, he thought with contempt. If this man does have a Kingdom, let them issue an army to claim him, and send the Romans back to Rome as well!

He regards the screaming, taunting crowd around him and the unit of determined armored guards, and knows that there would be no army, or anyone else, coming to rescue this naked, bleeding, and doomed man. Where are his followers, he wonders, and his family?

Closer they come…

Many in the boisterous crowd shout obscenities at the doomed man as he approaches. They surge forward even in the face of the weapons wielded by Pilate’s soldiers, yelling ugly threats and curses at him as he hobbles toward them up the hill beneath his heavy wooden burden.

The procession is nearly upon them.

Anticipation crackles like electrical energy toward Ahasuerus from down the street. He grows more agitated with the increasing furor of the rabid mob’s condemnations. Under their influence, and much of his own, the merchant makes up his mind: He’s just another criminal, just another fraud; and a sinner as the rest of us, a Son of God as we are sons…

They are almost here.

As the first grim-faced guard passes, Ahasuerus sees in his features the resolute commitment to his task. He is righteous, as are the rest; they are soldiers, on assignment. The procession follows behind; armor clatters and feet shuffle, escorting one man and his stifled, labored breathing. A whip snaps with a loud crack, startling the merchant.

The battered and bleeding prisoner bows under the weight of the huge wooden cross, as he plods up the steep street. He tries to balance it on his bare back as it trails along behind him; it thumps a hollow, wooden drumbeat as it drags along the cobbled ground. The uneven surface induces the tail of the cross to bounce at every crack and crevice, digging into the man’s shoulder, scraping it raw.

His face bleeds incessantly, dripping from a crude crown of long, wicked thorns imbedded in his scalp. His long red hair hangs lank, and falls over his shoulders in thick, gory ropes. Tears of pain etch his face in streams, mingling with his blood, falling to the earth. He is not weeping; he is in torment.

At one time, his loincloth must have been white; now, sopping and stained with his sweat and blood, mud covers it. Two soldiers follow the condemned man; they goad him on, flaying him with barbed whips. Behind these come the rear guardsmen; and then falling in behind, that surging, raucous sea of people, following like vengeful lemmings.

Ahasuerus can’t sense anything other than the all-encompassing anger and chaos that permeates this environment. This is what it brings him:

It is here. 

A large, swift-moving shadow distracts him; it looks like the shape of a mighty, winged dove. Then a huge blow to his shoulder knocks him off his feet and sends him sprawling. His goods fly scattered across the cobblestones, the flasks breaking on the ground. Stunned and disoriented, he rolls over, grunting in shock, trying to focus on his immediate surroundings. Peals of harsh laughter burst out all around him.

Anger and embarrassment rouse him with a feverish rush of prickling heat. He gets to his knees, and turns quickly to face his attacker. The large cross had struck him as it fell; having slipped out of the condemned’s bloody hands. It lies on the ground here with the crucifer as well, who kneels nearby, hands splayed out before him, trying not to go down.

One of the rear guard roughly pushes Ahasuerus aside and then picks a loaf of his bread off the ground, giving the merchant an imperious look that implies he isn’t asking for it. He lifts the fallen prisoner by one arm, walks him off the street, and plops him down on the shoemaker’s stoop in the shade.

The huge guard ignores the booing mob as he hands the bread to him, and then rejoins the other soldiers to wait for their charge to regain his strength so they can take him to his death. The surrounding crowd closes in, and taunts and spits at the doomed man with glee. Their frenzied jeers are deafening, and the shoemaker feels emboldened by them, all of them; he is one of them, a part of their hateful herd.

The sky grows even darker now. The thickening clouds lower, and the sun retreats behind them as if in dismay, or in dread anticipation at what is about to come.

Ahasuerus elbows his way through the crush of people around his residence and shop, and beholds without compassion the man upon his stoop. How dare this convict say that he is the Son of God! And soiling my threshold as well…

The condemned can barely hold his head up; he looks sadly down at the ground. He holds the bread limply in his lap, and does not eat of it.

“You!” Ahasuerus shouts. “What is your name, dead man?”

The prisoner slowly raises his head, and this beaten man, certainly near death, turns his pained, brown eyes upon him. “I… am called Jesus,” he weakly replies. His melodious, calm voice belies the terrible agony he must be feeling; nevertheless, he holds his gaze steady through the pain.

The merchant feels a warm glow invading his heart; it threatens to calm his rampant hostility toward this low and socially unacceptable person. Is he a wizard, he wonders, and entrancing me? He demands of the man darkening his doorway, “Which of these crimes bring you to such an unfortunate end?”

“I have committed no crime,” utters the one named Jesus, with certain, yet weary conviction.

Ahasuerus regales the crowd with mock disbelief. “Yet another innocent man put to death!” The undulating crowd erupts in catcalls and jeers, a constant backdrop of hateful cacophony. Encouraged by his neighbors’ excitement, he steps in front of the tortured man and continues his final judgment: “Well then, O Mighty King of The Jews; since you will not be with us for long, have you any great decrees to leave us?”

“Only this,” Jesus says to him, sadly. “A new commandment I give unto you: That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”

The key word reverberates with that peculiar clutching sensation in his chest. Ahasuerus straightens up, indignant. His heart pounds wildly now; his temples throb with its echo. “No! You will not command nor will you spell me!”

The yammering noise of the mob grows palpable. Between the screams and the curses, the hatred and the spittle, and the spectacle of this imminent crucifixion, he can barely hear himself think anymore. “Shut up!” he yells at them, but this too is swallowed. “Get up!” he cries to the condemned man. “Do not damn my doorway with your heresy or your blood!” He reaches down and drags Jesus up with both arms, and stands him up roughly. “You’ll not rest here. Go to your destiny.”

Jesus seems more pained at these harsh words than his wounds. “You are loved too, Ahasuerus,” he quietly says, regaining his footing.

“You dare speak my name?”

“I do this for you.”

The merchant chooses not to take his meaning; his rage is more easily rewarded. He uncoils without warning and strikes Jesus across the face with the flat of his hand, snapping his head to the side. “For me,” he snorts, “a criminal. Do me no favors. Die for someone who wants your doomed love.”

Jesus does not react with hostility to this assault; he has taken far worse, and recently. He just turns away, his eyes downcast, feeling yet another ache that will only be relieved one way, and soon to come.

Ahasuerus shoves him roughly towards the cross. “Go! You’ve an appointment to keep.” He notices then with some irritation that the blood won’t come off his hand with which he struck him. He wipes it on his garment to no avail. Jesus just stands very still, halfway between him and the fallen cross, his back to him. “What are you waiting for? Go meet your Maker!” He stubbornly rubs at the smear of blood on his palm, but its persistent stain remains, as if accusing him.

Now the dissonant sounds of the impatient mob seem to distort. Erupting one moment as if the howling of monkeys and the lowing of cattle, and in the next the cackling of chickens and the hissing of snakes, but nothing that resembles anything human at all. The guards rouse themselves. They lift up the cross to await Jesus’ return.

There is nowhere else for him to go, except up the hill and out the gate to his fate on Golgotha. Every one of his brethren lining the way beckons and entreats him to come.

The firmament presses down over the land, an upside down charcoal-hued ocean. It quiets; even the crowd becomes subdued now. The clouds thicken and gather, as if waiting to fall on them all. The feeble swirling breeze gives a final rustle, and then dies.

Jesus straightens as if nothing burdens him. He turns around and with his steely gaze pins the shoemaker, who sees righteous condemnation in those brown, sorrowful eyes. He speaks; he says, “Ahasuerus.”

The merchant stiffens. How does he know my name?

“I shall stand and rest,” the tortured man says, “but thou shalt go till the last day.”

Punctured by Jesus’ conviction, he feels his rage and venom dissipate. Words for any sort of rebuttal do not come to him, nor do any thoughts of movement. He knows he has just heard The Truth: It is not to set him free. He doesn’t know that yet, but he will come to, in Time.

The guard roughly turns Jesus around, and then shoves him back under the weight of the heavy timbers. The mob noisily swallows them up. Then they all proceed slowly, deliberately, trudging up the narrow street toward Golgotha.

All of them but one, who would follow, in his time…

** *** **** *** **

Ahasuerus is still stunned an hour after the passage, but the passage of time is uncertain to him now. Pinned to his damned spot, his blinking eyes are the only movement he makes. Time seems to be compressing, or else he is; he doesn’t know. He just stands there, feels it crushing him, and waits for the other shoe to drop…

The fleeting heat of the sun is only a remnant now, as if a memory of the last departing hour. The black clouds overhead seem to be lowering closer to the landscape, circling slowly and rotating only over this one spot on the Earth. Then, they cover up the remains of the sullen gray sky, as he watches the world seem to close.

Now, it is quiet as death. Darkness is thick; everywhere is in shadow.

Something is happening because of that man, he realizes with a start, and I am here to bear witness! He takes off running up the gloomy empty street, running faster than he ever has before. His sandal-slaps echo in his passing, across the cobble stones and out the gate, and up toward the low bare hills of Golgotha, not far enough away.

And there, on the mount, he sees the grisly silhouette: a trio of fresh crosses, and a body pinioned to each one. A large, raucous throng gathers at the base of them, their harsh utterances stark against the otherwise oppressive quiet. Each voice and every sound magnifies as if a glass dome sits over the garish scene.

An adversary cries out from the barren, yet crowded landscape; his coaxing call reverberates as if he stood alone. “Come down off the cross,” he tempts, “come down!” However, nothing or no one would be coming down, not until it is time…

Slight tremors shake the ground, as if giants slumbering beneath the earth were tossing in their sleep, dealing with their troubled dreams, covered in a pit. His sight bound only to the spectacle, Ahasuerus approaches cautiously, step by faltering step, his arms spread out for support should he fall, unaware that the wretched rocky landscape offers none to him at all. Still, he must move forward, toward that hanging man named Jesus, who had marked him for all time.

The temperature drops precipitously. The clouds cease their movement, expectant. Uncaring, a sarcastic voice rings out: “If thou art the Son of God, come down off your cross! Then we will believe!” Mocking laughter cackles amongst the brazen figures scattered about the base of the crucifix.

If he is the Son of God, Ahasuerus pondered, why is he doing this? Why?

Then he hears that voice again, the one he will never forget; Jesus’ resilient voice, rising to the blackening heavens: “Father,” he calls out gasping, “forgive them, for they know not what they are doing…”

There is neither a response from on high, nor one sign of forgiveness from his invisible Father. There is no apparent reaction come at all. Jesus lowers his head in his despondency. He gazes forlornly down at a woman praying on the ground past his wounded feet, one who only has eyes for him.

As if in answer from the Mother, rain begins to pour in thick, blanketing sheets. The thick, coal-colored clouds suddenly burst open with showers of hailstones that rattle and crack against the hard beaten earth. A brilliant strobe of blue-white lightning forks like electrified latticework, illuminating this stark scene, and defines what was just in darkness. Un-shadowed, the gruesome sight is terrible: three broken, bloodied men hanging in resigned and tortured agony. A boom of thunder shakes the mount, rocking everything.

Ahasuerus is close to them now. Sheets of lightning flicker and flash as if swords rending the darkness, forcing him to bear witness. Through the driving rain he can see Jesus’ mangled figure stretched out, nailed to his self-carried cross. The merchant cannot make out anyone or anything else; he feels his eyes wanting to look away, needing to close against the horror and the rain, but they will not. He can only see him.

Jesus grunts sharply in his dying pain, and then raises his voice to the sky. It dominates even the constant, rumbling thunder. “My God,” he calls out in torment, in sorrow, and in vain.

For nothing returns from above; nothing falls down but the unsalted tears of Heaven. Troubled to the depths of his soul, Ahasuerus tries to reason through his rising terror: Why does he entreat a Voice that won’t reply, unless he believes against hope that it might?

Rapidly weakening, Jesus entreats his Father for His answer: “My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” His demand accuses the squalling clouds, which carry his words away.

The assembly hears naught in response; there is no intercession. Nothing, neither God nor his army, is coming down to save Jesus, or any of them. It has always been thus, even Now.

The despair and utter desolation in that deserted, tortured voice drives Ahasuerus down to his knees. It can’t be the Truth but it must be, he thinks in stunned astonishment. Then he begins to comprehend, much to his everlasting dismay. And if that is the Truth, then…

Damned, he is damned; and Jesus, the hanging man on his torturous cross, is lost. We are damned and forsaken… Ahasuerus sees what he now knows, and believes. He flattens himself against the ground, covers his ears with his fists, tears at his hair, and erupts in loud, racking sobs.

Only Mother Earth responds, and she rebukes them angrily: in the pouring, drenching rains and the pelting, freezing hail, the thunder and the lightning, the rumbling of the depths that pound upon their soles, shaking them with fear and trepidation.

Shouts of panic erupt from those on the ground. Many flee while they are still able. Those brave and loyal few who will not leave crouch and huddle around the base of the cross, fixed and rooted to the spot in consternation as they bear their witness to this:

Jesus’ voice rises one final time. He cries out, “It is finished!”

Ahasuerus observes the bloodied, gentle face close down. His head nods ever so slightly forward, and then finally relaxes, released of his burden. Fastened to his wooden frame, his body goes limp, and he dies.

With his last breath gone, all becomes quiet, as if every living thing on Earth has stilled. Even the rain now silently falls. Not a single sound issues; not one thing moves in this singular moment. Every being holds its breath, but for only that one last instant, which ends as he expires. Then all, save He, exhales.

Out into chaos:

All Hell breaks loose.

A squall that wails as a banshee whips up, howling and screeching, rending the clouds. The skies open and rain down in their full, drenching fury. Flurries of apple-sized hailstones drive the witnesses to shelter, but many falter and fall, pelted into submission, then unconsciousness, then death.

A violent earthquake wracks the land, and everything standing trembles, crumbles, and tumbles down. Blaring, terrible sounds come from Jerusalem. A cloud of red dust rises ominously from the Temple Mount, and the tempest beats that down as well.

Fearfully, Ahasuerus looks on the three crosses joined on the hill in silhouette, standing silent and still amid the flashing concussing commotion. He shakes his head in negation, but is unable to deny his senses that report this nightmarish event. He needs to, for his sanity, but the Truth is too terrible to brush aside. The needling rain saturates him and the somber hill of crosses and Golgotha’s grieving earth. Muddy rivulets and streams flow down the flanks, away from here and him, as everything will go, in his time.

The clatter of a dropped spear upon stone catches his attention. Beneath the center cross, a centurion stands, undoubting and upright despite the earth movements and driving precipitation. Water pours over him and drips down his tarnished armor. He looks up through the storm toward Jesus’ lifeless body. Removing his helmet, unmindful he drops it, and it too rolls down the incline toward ruined Jerusalem.

“Truly,” he exclaims, “this man was the Son of God!” He unbuckles his sheath, then drops it with his sword to the soaked earth. Then he turns and trudges down the hill, shedding his armor piece by piece, away from Jerusalem, away…

The quaking of the earth and the turbulence of the storm gradually decreases. The rains lighten, and the winds wane. The former merchant gets shakily to his feet, covered in mud from top to bottom. He pays it no heed. From the base of the cross, he can hear wailing and the rending of cloth, screams of despair, and disconsolate weeping. Darkness and ruin hang over the land like a shroud. Clouds of ochre smoke hang over the shattered city, the old Jerusalem.

In disbelieving shock, Ahasuerus stumbles back toward his dwelling, knowing it will be in ruins before he gets there; knowing it will crush him nonetheless. His legs propel him forward, moving not of his volition, though he is unaware of this.

Devastation is everywhere. There is flooding in the marketplace; the Temple is on fire. He staggers slowly, thoughts spinning and spiraling like the great black clouds still roiling overhead, as if his head is in them now, though his feet stab the earth with each step.

Arriving at his bloodstained portal, he sees only dust and rubble beyond the threshold; no one stirs within. He slumps against his doorway, sliding slowly to the stoop. He touches his finger to the drying pool of Jesus’ blood there; it is cold. He heeds his sentence and its terms: No longer can he stay here, or ever know his home again. Now, he will embark upon his endless journey.

And he will always go on…

He squats there, clasps his head between his knees, and sobs his soul out to the ground; he raises back his head and cries his pleadings to the sky.

But the sky did not answer that day.

After a wretched while, he elects to stand and face his fate. Just as Jesus lived, and did. Stumbling over rubble and rock, he goes inside and uselessly looks for his wife. She is gone of course; everyone is; hiding, escaped, or dead. He is alone.

It is time for him to leave.

Ahasuerus goes to his shoemaker’s table and retrieves his hammer and fourteen nails from it, one by one, counting them carefully.

Still in a stupor, he removes his sandals and carries them back to the threshold, and then sits next to the blood of Jesus. He dips each nail in the blessed pool, and then pounds each into the leather; seven nails into each sandal’s sole: Five vertically and two horizontally, forming a crucifix.

Inspecting his handiwork critically, he is satisfied with the quality of his work. He drops the sandals in front of the stoop, and steps right into them. They will never wear or break, very much like him. He doesn’t know this yet, but he will come to, in due time…

Without closing the door or even looking back at his former home behind him, he begins his deathless journey. He will walk and wander until that last, promised day.

I will go on until then; but when will that ever be? It sounds like such a long, long time… What will become of me?

He has all the time in the world to figure it out, but he won’t until it’s too late.

** *** **** *** **

I hope that you enjoyed this very brief excerpt from UNBOUND. Since it is set during the weeks surrounding Easter, I thought it timely to put up another excerpt in this manner, at Alastor’s. Ahasuerus is only one of many secondary characters scattered throughout its 700+ pages. (FYI: It’s been broken into fourths to defeat the “oh this book has too many pages” idiocy rampant today and will be marketed instead as a series.) The Story presents the Reader with a bouquet of them, some wilted, others beauteous, and others who are out on a limb, if I may mix metaphors.

Nearly all of them are “loners” (or rather, “solitary souls”; hence Shelley’s Alastor, aka the Spirit of Solitude) who are questioning the very things that this accursed merchant is, has been, and ever will be; all of these are on a Hero’s Journey with Alastor. And some of them are equally as cursed, or worse…

Still, all these Lily-mentions and angelic musings and excerpts, hints, and teasers I’ve been leaving in my Internet tracks for so long will provide very little in the way of the Story’s true explanation, intent(s) or real purpose(s); this is by design. It’s really a Story for you to figure out, speculate on, and allow yourself to be provoked by. Because it is a story about You, and your right to choose your own destiny. Among many other things

But it’s not for me to say, or choose for you. Despite the (apparent) religious overtones, it’s not a “religious” story by any means. I’m not into dogma, proselytizing, or preaching, and Lily doesn’t like it much either. Well… there is a guy in the Story who does preach some (Fingal), but he’s crazy as hell so just humor him. When  UNBOUND is published (*knocks wood*) and it’s finally in your lap, please enjoy your Journey. Remember, it is just a Story, after all!

Rather than religion, UNBOUND is a story of Spirit. Yes, you might say that. Because some things are worth Reflecting on, and that is One of them…

Thank you for Reading

(Sorry for the mess; it was a rare opportunity to catch Pennie daydreaming, and if I’d taken ONE FALSE STEP she’d have bolted. So, I “captured” her this way instead xD The upside is that I had one more day to not have to clean the dresser, so.)

She seems to have taken a shine to Suiseiseki, desu~

Pennie shares my enjoyment of (some) dolls, and seems to regard them as little humans, except for Lily-Doll, whom she regards as a big comfy human, albeit a very quiet one. Major points in Pennie’s eyes, so it figures that she adores her. When I stored her horizontally Pennie’s regular sleeping place was firmly between her feet. That was her place, and her “human” LOL

She’s obviously intrigued by them, and is unafraid in getting close. Unlike some squeamish humans  Only Soony (my Luts-Delf BJD) escapes Pennie’s curiosity, sitting high above the computer, serenely gazing down at everything beneath her. Like me. But Pennie knows who she is, by name. She’ll look right at her when I say it; Lily-Doll too. So funny! Wish I knew what she was thinking…

Hm, maybe not LOL

Soony’s size may intimidate Pennie a little, not that much else does. I can’t get a picture of them together; she’ll always run away! She was totally out of the room during the Rozens’ party for Soony’s arrival:

Too much activity, I guess. Doll-parties and cats don’t mix

Hey, it’s not like I sit down and have tea with them, or anything! But they are fun to “play” with, and that’s the thing: they are Instruments of the Imagination. That should be easy enough to understand

Rozen Maiden was one of my first anime, and along with Chobits was the first “real” anime I’d heard discussed outside of giant robots and wannabe ninjas. I’d seen them mentioned in a doll-forum (which figures), and so my belated “real” introduction to anime in May 2007 was through this unexpected channel. To say it’s been well-worth it is an understatement of high order! So, I make sure that my anime girls, dolls or otherwise, have a nice home. Assuming they like cats.

The series may not be a masterpiece, but I thoroughly enjoyed both seasons and OVA. The parallels between our human world and the doll’s world were striking at least in one respect: that we both wage wars based upon what we believe our own “Father” commands us to, as the dolls obey whom they believe to be their Father (the mysterious doll-maker Rozen) and his dictum that they battle each other to the death to determine which among them is worthy of becoming transformed into Alice, the ideal (and real) girl. It’s as sad for them as it is for us…

Hmm… Rozen Maiden combined with the Kronos Quartet’s theme from Requiem for a Dream… it works! :-O

You probably blinked and missed her, but at around 2:45 and accompanying “The Rabbit” there appears the ONE Rozen Maiden Pullip doll that I missed out on: the beautiful and mysterious Kirakishou. Naturally she’s gone already. In fact, she was only limited to 1,000 dolls (IIRC) and pretty much vanished on the spot. She remains my Grail, so anyone with an extra $1000 to burn … *cough splutter choke* – I can’t believe the prices for her! The regular Rozens cost around $80 to $110 upon release, for reference; Kirakishou probably cost around $120 or so.

Still, like Elfen Lied, Rozen Maiden is an important and significant anime for me, and if there’s anything worth collecting collectibles of, it’s important and significant stuff

I spent over a year following each Pullip Maiden release as they were issued with the knowledge that I would get the complete set of SEVEN of them. When the last doll rolled out I turned my focus onto learning HTML and building this site; it was only for two months that I “blinked”. I had no idea they’d pull something like sneaking out a Limited Edition Kirakishou (who only appears in the whole anime in that one scene in the above AMV), thereby invalidating the collectors who bought each doll assuming they could complete the set of SEVEN. Not eight. Now I have an incomplete set, so I’m not a very happy collector This is why I HATE collecting anything anymore. Greed and manipulation proliferate, ugh. Bitter much? Nah.

Um, well… kinda.

Anyway. Much of the show’s humor is best appreciated going in with the knowledge that this is a comedic anime involving doll-antics and the like. But the relationships drive the bulk of it, and are so enjoyable and lots of times hilarious: Shinku’s spoiled attitude becomes (somewhat) humbled; Suiseiseki’s wild and unpredictable behavior is (somewhat) tamed; Hina Ichigo’s story, probably the most heartrending, shows her growing from an obnoxious, spoiled brat into an aware and considerate little doll.

The second season, Traumend (German for “dreaming”), has several deeply moving scenes towards its end; those looking for a darker tale will appreciate this set and the two-episode OVA, Ouverture. (EDIT: Coincidentally, The Anime Network Online will be streaming Rozen Maiden: Traumend beginning this week! (To see beyond episode one you’ll have to subscribe, FYI.)

But Shinku and Jun’s interplay is at the core of the series; they play the odd couple to perfection, and warm to each other so well over the course of both seasons. Here’s a very sweet, nice-quality AMV that focuses on just that bond. By the way, for casual viewers, this (or better) quality is best-suited to view anime with; it’s very sharp and clear. Expression is paramount, and its full visibility is a must to fully enjoy the characters’ reactions, thoughts, and emoting. And, normally I dislike subtitles in AMVs, but the few in this one really help; those unfamiliar with the anime may get a good taste of what’s in store for them…)

I’m sure it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, as a lot of folks are doll-a-phobic (why I have no idea), and the childish antics a bit much, but if you put aside your mean inner critic you may find a show to love, in spite of it- (and your-) self! Besides, why let criticism spoil the enjoyment of something you have fun with?

It’s fun, outlandish, (doll-)violent, heartwarming and heartbreaking, thoughtful and even provocative. Bang-for-buck ratio is high

Pennie has good taste!

So let’s go!

It’s easy to see why the above AMV was voted best-in-show; it’s breathtaking at times. I loved seeing Yuuko (long dark hair,  seen descending the “angel’s staircase”) and several gorgeous scenes from ef – a tale of melodies; what a great character and show! In fact, I just re-watched both seasons, and aside from a few pitched melodramatic moments, it was as riveting as the first time around. I knew Yuuko was special from her first appearance; so little explained at first, and then by the end of season 2… well. No words *blink blink* -Mustn’t spoil

Also, there’s lots of Madoka material in it as well; almost hard to believe that the same studio (SHAFT) produced both shows! And, to prove another point, whatever the anime is containing those scenes of gigantic musical instruments has intrigued me; anyone know its title? If I dig it, then this AMV has served its main purpose: to get me to watch the show

Here’s an AMV that’s light on added visual effects but heavy on Yuuko Amamiya scenes from melodies, and rather spoiler-ish at that (but not as bad as it could have been!):

The next AMV is very much like being in a dream-state; it’s quite unusual, to my eyes anyway. And ears! Nice blending of audio/visual effects. Suffice to say that it won for Best Psychedelic Video and Best Horror Video, though there’s not a hint of paisley nor the hammer of horror. Using footage from The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, its “horror” is rather subtle, but effective:

Let’s return to Madoka, because AMVs have been using that surreal show’s dazzling and disturbing scenes in increasing numbers it seems, which really can’t be helped given the brilliant source material. You could predict that certainty happening from the very first episode! The show is simply a stunner, whether you’re into Magical Girls or not (and I’m not LOL). But I will watch a good, story-driven show outside of my preferences of genres, such as the Nanoha series, and for mecha Evangelion. You find lots of gems that way, by being open-minded and at least trying everything at least once

Another plus of AMVs for me has been the exposure to  music I’d otherwise not listen to, such as pop (for one); I haven’t listened to radio in ages. And I *LOVE* music, so go figure (long frickin’ story anyway)! The next Madoka AMV turned me on to Florence and the Machine, whom I hadn’t yet heard (yea, I don’t get out much ). Love this song, and the AMV is a best-of-show project entitled “Requiem”. Madoka also provides me with yet another favorite for my very-select “harem” in the person of Akemi Homura (dark hair, occasional glasses). A real hard-ass in the beginning and kind of difficult to get behind, as her back-story unfolds your admiration for her can’t help but grow. *Favorited* -Oh, wrong place, n/m

Ah Madoka… the Supreme Trolling by its promoters will live on forever in the anime annals! This is certainly NO Magical Girl Pretty Sammy! And that’s a good thing

Visually, the next AMV portrays Madoka‘s stars a little cleaner, and you’ll get a less-dizzying idea of the show’s strengths: its characters. Madoka, Homura, Kyoko, Saya and Mami are each very distinctive personalities with faults, quirks and lapses in judgment to go along with their many positive attributes; it’s easy to care about any of them, as opposed to the early parts where the opposite is true. Great character development, and not all sunshine and light!

But that little white rabbity-thing? Its name is Kyuubey, and its the Biggest Troll of All Time, certified. *I’M* not gonna spoil you, but this AMV might, not that you can tell what is real or not in this unsettling show. That’s certified too. Music is by Within Temptation:

Remember the uber-talented Nostromo from a few posts back? Well, here’s a newer video of his that didn’t get included last time and is WAY up to his usual high standards. Wanna race?

Love the detail of the animation in the above video; it’s really a necessity to watch anime in the highest quality possible for maximum enjoyment. And is there any other? Yes, but it’s not as enjoyable, so…

This is an example of not-so-high quality, but the anime doesn’t need it to shine. For the old-schoolers, a funny, happy, and snowy Azumanga Daioh presentation:

Pure Joy! Okay, the quality wasn’t that bad after all Overall, AzuDaioh is one of the funniest series I’ve watched (and I’ve watched around 300 of ‘em). Highly recommended to anime fans who are into short, fast-paced sketch humor, and won’t mind the dated animation. Actually, the animation seems perfectly appropriate! I enjoyed it so much I bought the complete set when it was first reissued; great fun

Finally, I found another first-place winner in the next upbeat AMV which utilizes the girls from K-ON!! to great effect, and it’s nice to see some Nagi love, too (the first girl we see). Go out on your feet with “Confession to the Dancefloor”:

Thanks for spending a little of your time here, and if you want to know more about AMVs, check out animemusicvideos.org, where you’ll find the best of them, and links to download. Enjoy

Now, for more trivial news:

NEWSFLASH! R.I.P Nyuu, Lucy and Nana:

Man, it’s been cold. Not temperature-wise but reality-wise. They’re really gone. I had the dubious pleasure of walking two miles in constant rain to the Post Office today to ship off my pair of Elfen Lied figures, which I had to sell to cover the rent. Adding insult to injury is that I only got about half of what I was hoping for for them. But I have a roof over my head for another month, so that’s good.

That’s not really much of a consolation though, as the figures were very precious to me, being that Elfen Lied was my proper initiation into anime (i.e. not by way of the commonly-shown juvy shows that most westerners associate with anime). Plus, I had to hassle and hustle to get them since pre-orders weren’t accepted from outside of Japan, and only 1,000 of each were made so they sort of vaporized upon release. I was so happy to get them! It’s among my most-favorite shows, and I really do enjoy having figures displayed to represent characters from significant and beloved series.

They really have cheered up the places they’re in, not to mention me. Just kills me that I had to sell Nyuu and Nana. If you pre-ordered both figures you received a bonus pack as well, with Lucy’s interchangeable face for Nyuu and “papa’s ribbon” for Nana (a necktie which she used to cover her horns). So, Lucy’s gone, too.

But I have to figure that since publishing my novel is my first priority, if we do well enough I’ll be able to replace them in the future. Good to have priorities. At least I still have Kanon‘s Ayu and Makoto, and Fate/Stay Night‘s Saber and Sakura

IT FIGURES:

But it sure sucks seeing all these new figures coming out that I want; I’m doing my best not to look at anything that requires money, since (a) I don’t have any, and (b) why increase my aggravation? It really pisses me off that I can’t buy anything other than necessities for survival, and seeing spendy shit constantly dangled in front of me is uselessly annoying. I’ve found that it’s pretty easy to ignore useless and annoying things, and you save money and sanity by doing so

THE 2012 WINTER ANIME SEASON (Upcoming) REPORT:

I’m working on a report on the 2012 Winter Anime Season shows that I watched, and that’ll be forthcoming shortly (in my timeline LOL). I’ve actually been thankful that there were only five series I felt like tracking (in addition to the remaining four from Fall 2011,  Shakugan no Shana Final, Chihayafuru, Last Exile: Fam, and Mirai Nikki. (I kinda put Bakuman 2 on hold until later.)

This season’s pickings include Ano Natsu de Matteru (rom-com, slice of life), Another (horror), Black Rock Shooter (sci-fi action), Kill Me Baby (wacked-out comedy), and Nisemonogatari, (indescribable) which more than makes up for the absence of any others to this list. I’ll put synopsis links up for those shows when I post the article; I included Nisemonogatari‘s for reference because of the very next section…)

MONOGATARIAN:

Being a huge Bakemonogatari (and its studio, SHAFT) fan, I was already on board when this sequel was announced. And I’m thrilled that my favorite secondary character from Bake has been featured in the sequel! That would be Shinobu Oshino, a 500-year old vampire who… doesn’t look like one:

In season one (Bakemonogatari) she had about 6 appearances, none of which lasted much more than a couple of minutes. Very quiet ones, as she never spoke. She just sat in a corner at Oshino’s place, making you wonder just what the heck is up with her? (That’s one thing I love about Akiyuki Shinbo’s work with SHAFT; no hand-holding: they’re always making you think and wonder!)

A lot of viewers missed Shinobu’s appearance in episode one of Bakemonogatari, so I’ll say no more than that. But seeing Nise has made me really want to re-watch Bake again Another thing I love about SHAFT-works – they always bear re-watching!

Another reason: check out the combined genres and themes from Anime News Network’s description (caution: links will take you to ANN, not that that’s a bad thing):

So. Just puttin’ this out there…

Yeah… I wouldn’t mess with her, at all.

THE 2012 INTERNATIONAL SAIMOE LEAGUE bit:

So Shinobu’s the girl I’m supporting in this year’s International Saimoe League, even though she hasn’t got a chance in hell going against the more-popular girls. But Nisemonogatari has gotten some decent reviews and buzz, so who knows? Can’t depend on the voters, that’s for sure LOL! She is pretty damn moe though, and a bad-ass, unbeknownst to most! I’m sure that her “talents” will be revealed over these last couple of episodes

But in terms of realistic contestants, I’m going to pull for Toradora‘s  Taiga and Shakugan no Shana‘s Shana for the win and the Tiara. While I love Angel Beat‘s Kanade (aka Tenshi), everybody else does too, so I tend to leave the popular ones to the masses and stick with my tried-and-trues. Even though Kanade will probably win it all, which won’t make me sad Plus, she plays piano, and that’s a plus:

Ah yes… I fondly recall the first moment I saw Tenshi and loved her right away, caught as she was in the cross-hairs of a sniper rifle :-O She’ll likely take it all this year, unless lame political manouvering conspires to hate-vote against her, which is kinda what I expect to happen. Back-lashing will be forthcoming, I’m sure, since she was so dominant in last year’s ISML (though she didn’t win). Many voters will likely turn on her for that; lots of them favor disrupting a contest to suit their own selfish needs; such is life; Internet, Real, or otherwise.  Great, fucking politicking in my moe contest, ugh. So grade-school. Such misfortune!

I just want to see which girl is HONESTLY voted the moe-est, not some simply-attractive character from a series that more people simply watched probably for its fanservice over its substance. But w/e floats their boat *shrug*

Some things about fandom I really don’t get, like the appreciation of “traps”, which to me are just cynical tools and a hopefully-passing fad; it sure figures that more are popping up these days. (Traps = “girls” who are actually boys that some studios create so they can go “hahahamadeyoulookaren’tweclever”, I guess). I wouldn’t really know since I won’t watch a show that needs that sort of gimmick to work (or for crude fanservice either, for that matter).

(Pictured above are chibi-versions of Tsubasa, Nadeko, Sugura, Mayoi, Hitagi, and… Shinobu… sitting by herself in a corner again. *sigh* See? I told you that’s all she did! In season 1, anyway )

No, *I* prefer the fanservice provided by Studio SHAFT. Nisemonogatari features extremely well-done fanservice; even squirmy at times it’s so effective! It never takes over the story. Well… except for a certain lenghty “toothbrush scene” that will no doubt become legendary! Well-done, as expected By the way, the following Promotional Video is only half as long as it says due to a repeat so it’s not quite as well-done, but still. And as with every anime from Studio SHAFT, the Pause key is your friend

ISML AND THE UNFORTUNATE FADING OF THE KEY/KYOANI GIRLS:

In ISML I always vote for my core of Key-cuties (courtesy of Kyoto Animation): Misuzu, Ayu and Nagisa, from AIR-TV, Kanon (2006) and Clannad, respectively. If you are a Visitor to Alastor’s who is unfamiliar with anime, and you want a story that is funny, heartwarming, magical/metaphysical, dramatic, and emotionally powerful, combined with beautiful animation, directing, and sound, then any of these three shows would make great introductions to the medium. I’d recommend them in reverse order; by the last episode of Clannad ~After Story~ you’ll have definitely seen the light. Then watch Kanon 2006 and AIR. You won’t ever view anime in the same light you once did

If you figure you won’t ever be watching it, then check out this wonderful-but-spoilerish synopsis-style AMV that uses the full version of “A Girl’s Fantasy” from the OST, and maybe you will reconsider after watching this moving overview. I’d suggest reading the short synopsis at ANN, then watch the video so that you get half an idea of what’s going on. Hopefully, you won’t figure anything out LOL!

Clannad fans will love it; this is the song that plays when scenes of The Illusionary World are shown (with the Girl and the Junk-Boy). So, MAJOR CLANNAD SPOILERS AHEAD! (And generally speaking, don’t ever randomly watch any YouTube videos of these “KeyAni” shows because they are RIFE with spoilers, as the plot-lines are twisty and surprising; knowing in advance what will happen will ruin the effect! If you’ve any inclination towards watching these shows, rent or buy them and then you won’t be spoiled. Like if you watch this one:

Too bad that the popularity of more recent shows overcasts the fond remembrances some of us have of these characters. Not me though. I’m fiercely loyal to “my girls” no matter how “old” they or their series have seemingly become. I say “seemingly” because the stories (and characters) are STILL great; after all, it’s not their fault that humans’ perceptions and memories are so shallow. So, please enjoy this great AMV featuring the stars of AIR, Kanon (2006) and Clannad; see if you can glimpse what makes these shows (and characters!) so great. It begins with plenty of heart, and a lot of expressing what is in it… you can feel it:

Oh, I said “memories” which reminds me to add Yuuko Amamiya to that “always vote for in ISML” list! She appears in this ”prologue” video for ef-a tale of memories, another fantastic favorite of mine (that I’m always talking about LOL), another fantastic SHAFT show (my favorite work of theirs), and another favorite girl who also happens to play piano (a bit better than Tenshi)! She has a back-story that is quite memorable and her gripping depiction of it, her awful revelation(s) of it, intense. Another “brave girl” who totally won me over:

Some characters are so well-written, so deep, and emote so wonderfully (courtesy of their talented seiyuu) that they become timeless. AIR‘s Misuzu is a good example, voiced by the late Tomoko Kawakami (who also voiced the Girl From the Illusionary World in Clannad). That’s why it irks me to see them forgotten so easily and quickly by anime fans who greedily gobble up shows as quickly as they come out and digest the older series out of their system and consideration too quickly. Sad. Sign o’ the times, I guess, and that’s sad too.

Be happy, and hear something beautiful: from the AIR OST, a version of “Natsukage” as sung by Tomoko Kawakami, who very sadly passed away last year, so very prematurely. This stands as a wonderful testament to her significant contribution to anime not only for Misuzu’s role but for those of many others she has portrayed.

And on that lovely note, I’ll say good night. Please feel free to leave a comment if you feel so moved; all are welcome

To be honest, summing up a 386K-word novel in a 300-word Pitch is an exercise in frustration, slightly less-so for the one-fourth that I submitted as Book One: “Earth”. The numerous judges must go through all of these submissions to weed out the obviously poorly-executed and also those Pitches that just don’t “do it” for them. There’s also a chance that your particular genre just doesn’t appeal to that gatekeeper, like a sci-fi pitch to a lover of romance novels. So, they lock you out. It’s going to take an Agent or Publisher who cares enough to look beneath the surface of a simple Pitch to find the buried treasure in Lily’s lake!  That seeker is out there searching for this pearl but has plenty of air in their tank, and countless clams in the sea… but they will come to me, and Lily.

We have faith that it will Happen; these things can’t be rushed if the best results are desired. And we want the best results possible, commensurate with the amount of work, dedication, and devotion we’ve given to this Story, so that the Reader might have the best possible experience from it; one that can only come from the company of a good book. If it makes the world a more wondrous place to live in, so much the better

On the occasion of this event I thought it’d be an opportune time to finally address the name of this humble blog, Alastor’s Reflection. Visitors of the anime stripe might assume that it’s named after the pendant that Shana wears in Shakugan no Shana that houses Alastor, the God of Destruction, to whom she’s contracted. I actually chose the name of this Blog well before I ever saw Shana, so it turns out to be a very happy coincidence, as SnS is one of my faves (I bought season 1) and Shana an awesome character who ranks near the top of my faves list. Note to self: Gotta think of a new word for “faves”, ugh LOL

Since most Visitors likely come here for the anime, here’s an action-packed AMV for Shana, and for those who don’t care or assume “certain things” (i.e. uneducated generalizations) about anime, a pertinent pointing out of Alastor in the first scene and again near the end. Never let it be said that we’re not relevant! Or pertinent, for that matter. Except when we’re not, which is much of the time oh nevermind…

It’s good for all sets of Visitors to be exposed to things unrelated to their interests, you know? And we’re pretty “quadrophenic“ hereabouts. For doll-fanciers, there aren’t many doll-related posts, but plenty of other things to enjoy at Alastor’s, home to Lily-Doll and Soony. I’ll add parenthetically (though without parenthesis but for these) that none of my dolls are used for sex. Hardly felt that was necessary but for some stupid people @ letsnotgothere.com. “When you assume, you make an ASS out of U and ME” so don’t do that plskthx and all that.

My sexual habits aren’t a subject I feel worth mentioning but JUST IN CASE… (a) she’s a promotional aid for our novel who has garnered more publicity than anything else; (b) she’s the replicant of the main character who is the exact opposite of ‘loose”, and an ideal; (c) she provided companionship and the illusion of another’s presence in the absence of any during the writing in isolation; (d) she’s been the subject of numerous interviews, included in two books, and has been shown in photographic exhibits around the world; (e) was one of several relationships used as inspiration touched on in the film Lars and the Real Girl (unverified but largely suspected); (e) and I am not ashamed or regretful in the least, nor have I ever been. She’s been an absolute delight, a singular experience, and is such a beautiful doll. Now that that’s settled…

Huh. Just as I thought: no sex in it. See? It’s not everywhere! *collective gasps from the gutter*

This is not to say that she hasn’t posed for some sexy photos though; doll photography is another hobby (when I can manage)! Of course, she’s highly embarrassed by it and won’t do more than PG (nor would I ask her to), but understands that it’s a necessity and expectation of being a life-sized, like-like doll; one of the very first and very few to stand up and be scrutinized. She doesn’t like to disappoint, bless her But those days are long gone, and she’s content to just “hang around”, having done her bit for the cause.

Lily-Doll turned out to be the spitting image of Lily Godwin as I saw her in the story, and sat nearby throughout the latter revisions. And if the Muse happened to take up rest within her, no-one would be the wiser, but for my imagination. Imagination is the Key

Anime visitors can also find storytelling and music-related posts here at Alastor’s, and those fanciers of music and literature who land here from other forums can come to a fuller, deeper understanding of anime as well. Not that I know a lot, but I’ve been studying it avidly since May of 2007, so I do have a lot to share. Opinions, mostly LOL Those who enjoy good stories, well-done character development, and eye-pleasing animation may find some good, atypical recommendations here, such as Rozen Maiden, for one…

It can’t be overstated that anime is very poorly represented to the general public in the West, and I’m trying to rectify that here by sharing what I consider to be exceptional shows that might not otherwise  be seen. For instance, it’s really a shame that a touching, dramatic and moving story like AnoHana or Wandering Son wasn’t promoted over here. So, while far from being an “expert’s blog” (which there are many, see sidebar for a sampling), I do have an eye and ear and heart for quality storytelling across many genres in anime, and happily ramble on about What I Like. That I can do xD

By the way, here’s Alastor in his true form, visuals and music taken from the Shakugan no Shana movie:

Good Advice: Don’t judge a book by its cover, or a pendant by its size!

Here’s the thing: We’re named after Percy Bysshe Shelley‘s “Alastor; or, The Spirit of Solitude”. For the whys of the Shelleyan persuasion, see the recent Post explaining about that here. “Alastor” was one of the first of the great Poet’s works I was exposed to during my teenage years. Alastor is not the main character, who’s simply referred to as “the Poet”; nor is the Poet necessarily Shelley. (It is rumored to be William Wordsworth, however.) No, Alastor is rather “the spirit who divinely animates the Poet’s imagination.” Much as my own solitary journey went with the writing of UNBOUND, driven and supported by whom I felt to be my Muse; alone, together. It certainly has been a trip!

I’ve gone on before about how I related (and relate) to Percy Shelley. “Alastor” depicted the quest, environment and other-worldliness that I felt most in-tune with during those adventurous years growing up and into the world, and its themes serve as reminders/signposts along my way in order to stay consistent and true to myself. Those who think they know me might catch glimpses of un-imagined underlying layers exposed for the first time to their eyes here at Alastor’s; that’s what they get for not paying attention!

This, from the Wiki; pertinent NOTES from myself:

In Alastor the speaker ostensibly recounts the life of a Poet who zealously pursues the most obscure part of nature in search of “strange truths in undiscovered lands”, journeying to the Caucasus Mountains (“the ethereal cliffs of Caucasus”) [NOTE: Lily's birthplace; near Odessa!], Persia, “Arabie”, Cashmire, and “the wild Carmanian waste”. The Poet rejects an “Arab maiden” in his search for an idealized embodiment of a woman [NOTE: sound familiar?]. As the Poet wanders one night, he dreams of a “veiled maid”. This veiled vision brings with her an intimation of the supernatural world that lies beyond nature. This dream vision serves as a mediator between the natural and supernatural domains by being both spirit and an element of human love. [NOTE: strangely akin to my first Kate Bush dream!] As the Poet attempts to unite with the spirit, night’s blackness swallows the vision and severs his dreamy link to the supernatural.

Once touched by the maddening hand of the supernatural, the Poet restlessly searches for a reconciliation with his lost vision. [NOTE: successfully reinventing UNBOUND as a novel upon contact with the Creative Muse]. Though his imagination craves a reunion with the infinite, it too is ultimately anchored to the perceptions of the natural world. [NOTE: we saw through the perceptions and reunited, relating a story informed by its time-less vision.]

Ruminating on thoughts of death as the possible next step beyond dream to the supernatural world he tasted, the Poet notices a small boat (“little shallop”) floating down a nearby river. Passively, he sits in the boat furiously being driven down the river by a smooth wave. Deeper and deeper into the very source of the natural world he rushes. Like the water’s surface supports the boat, the supernatural world “cradles” the mutability both of nature and of man [NOTE: Lily and Will's little boat in Chapter 1.1 is an echo of this].

As his senses are literally dulled, his imagination helps him sense the spirit’s supernatural presence. Instead of perceiving the vision through the senses, the Poet imaginatively observes her in the dying images of the passing objects of nature [NOTE: Imagination > the sensual world ]. The boat flows onward to an “immeasurable void” and the Poet finds himself ready to sink into the supernatural world and break through the threshold into death.

When the Poet reaches the “obscurest chasm,” his last sight is of the moon. As that image fades from the Poet’s mind, he has finally attained transcendence to the supernatural world. The journey to the very source of nature led, finally, to an immanence within nature’s very structure and to a world free of decay and change. [NOTE: Plot aside, this is somewhat similar to my finding my "writer's retreat" in the beautiful San Juan Islands where at last I was able to complete my solitary work on UNBOUND, with my Muse as my only company (aside from Pennie and Lily-Doll).]

So it is a sympathetic vision that we share

That’s as general and as true a statement with which to sign off with that I can make, and  something you can think on. Or not  Again, I thank you for reading, and please leave a Comment if you would like to share a thought or two. We appreciate your Presence

I’m @UnboundAngel. I think. Hm… okay, maybe a little bit of a twit. It’ll all work out in boomland though xD

Anyway, as part-and-parcel of the aforementioned 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest, it was recommended to me to open a Twitter account to communicate (and commune!) with fellow writers. Just as with Facebook, I’d long ago decided to not entangle my Internet entanglements any further with social media distractions. But these are indispensable tools for marketing and promoting one’s work these days, so I went onto FB, and now the Tweet Machine. *rubs bleary eyes* WHERE DID MY LIFE GO???

WHY I’m doing all of this at this most low and tenuous point in my life I do not know, as I definitely don’t need any distractions from trying to survive in this country with no income and a “safety net” with more holes than a sieve, and just as effective. Writing, or rather storytelling, elevates me into another beautiful, fanciful World that I love and would gladly stay in, but I must keep my eyes on the ground of this crumbling land, making sure not to slip or mis-step. One slip will send me over the edge, and I get distracted so easily. I’m interested in everything LOL! So I’m very careful, these dark days, with my footsteps. But I wrestled the elements of the contest into shape, began assembling the disparate parts of the Story into MS shape, and now the first breaths of promotion raise the sheet and it falls, and rises… The cocoon is cracking.

The Fool has yet to land off the mountain, and is not sure what awaits him on the plain. That can surely be fodder for adventure, but I can’t even risk that; no time to explore. No money for even bus-fare tends to cause a hunkering-down in one’s den, and I’m safe here for now, in this small cave called “home”, entrenched in this figurative mountainside. “Now” equates to about three days though, since my rent wasn’t paid. I’m trying like hell to create a miracle from behind the scenes by selling stuff to stave off eviction, so creating a peaceful place to compose is out of the question (I moved 900 miles away in order to write my novel free from this poisonous RL BS, if you know what I mean). But here I am, gathering the energy from somewhere to push for publication through whatever means necessary. I have to think that it’s Lily-the-Muse, tending to Lily-the-character’s story. And, of course, I do tend to both of them

(By the way, if any of the ABNA followers have come here looking for the novel’s bits, they scroll off pretty quickly over time, as infrequent as they are. I keep the website specifically for the UNBOUND-related material, and all else goes here at Alastor’s Reflection. The last Blog-post from earlier this month is here. And, thanks for your kind attention I’m a … little unconventional, so please be kind to my mistakes ) I’m unapologetic about pretty much anything else

I’m still learning the Twitter ropes, so taking my time with it, and already have had some delightful contacts with other writers. (I do have a hard time considering myself a “writer” though; rather more of a storyteller, which is fine too.) I was happy to see my favorite writer (yes a *real* writer!), Neil Gaiman, with an account, so naturally I Followed him. (And his Journal has been a Blogroll link for as long as the site’s been up, so do check it out!) Almost on cue, he Tweets about Leonard Cohen, which regular visitors know I equate with the Dalai Lama (who, coincidentally, I found and Followed too!). Neil posted this YouTube video of L.C. reciting from “Democracy”, and it’s delightfully chilling:

He also speaks about battling depression which should be eye-opening to all those real twits who dismiss it with typically-stupid “get over it” statements and the like. This isn’t “oh, I feel sad” moments but real, Marvin-like Major Depression. It’s not something you “get over” with the snap of one’s fingers. I’ve been battling it for years (runs in the family) and the only drug-free way to do it is through creating. That’s what allows me the freedom to write my stories, and I don’t want/need those goddamned pharmaceutical company’s peddled junk, or “those drugs that keep you thin”. Junk is junk, period. Please hear Mr. Cohen address the Issues:

So thanks Neil, I applaud your good taste but already knew you had some! (And this thank-you probably has about as much chance of being seen as it would on Twitter with Neil’s 1,685,339 Followers o.O ) That’s okay; I just like saying “Thanks!” and giving credit where credit is due. Doesn’t have to be seen, read, or answered; just the Sending matters xD

And speaking of credit, The Sandman is the greatest story I ever read. Relevant note: In UNBOUND, Lily wears a ***** T-shirt that says “You get what anyone gets… You get a lifetime.” I like that to death (well, it IS my T-shirt LOL), and Lily likes it too, being a fan herself -Still keeping things close to the vest, heh…

Now he posted a link to a spoken-word/poetry site *sigh* -I’m NEVER gonna untangle myself at this rate! *resists urge to investigate; surreptitiously Bookmarks it, sneaks back in*

Okay Neil, one for you and the Tweets: Here’s Ken Nordine reciting “Flibberty Jib”, probably his most well-known piece. It was used in a Levis commercial in the early ’70s, I think:

Another favorite is Kevin Smith, who totally freaked me out with “Dogma” (one of my fave all-time films). Not because of its freakiness, but little parallels with Lily’s story. Can’t say which though; spoiler territory, dammit. Not that there’s any in this Trailer *cough*…

Loved the appearance of Jay and “the guy with the beard” Apparently the guy stays up all night Tweeting! Yay Today he tweeted or re-tweeted (wtf do I know?) a Teddy Roosevelt quote that really knocked my socks off, regarding critics (critical persons): Of course, President Theodore puts it in much better wording than I:

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.

The man who really counts in the world is the doer, not the mere critic – the man who actually does the work, even if roughly and imperfectly, not the man who only talks or writes about how it ought to be done.

Criticism is necessary and useful; it is often indispensable;
but it can never take the place of action, or be even a poor substitute for it.
The function of the mere critic is of very subordinate usefulness.

It is the doer of deeds who actually counts in the battle for life, and not the man who looks on and says how the fight ought to be fought, without himself sharing the stress and the danger”

- Theodore Roosevelt

Awesome fucking quote, and right on the money. No doubt some critical person will pipe up that “it’s overwritten; I can’t read it!!!” Sheesh. No pleasing some folks :-/

Gotta go; things to Do

Thanks for stopping in and most of all, for Reading. Your comments are welcome and appreciated

By the way… How are things in your town?