The Summer anime season is well underway, bringing a diverse assortment of quirky, funny, bizarre, earth-shaking, bloody, quixotic, action-packed, romantic, and… well, silly series to track impatiently from week-to-week. Currently I’m attempting to keep up with eight series, and considering dropping a ninth due to its somewhat disappointing premise failing, in spite of its promise.
Umi Monogatarihas gotten a bit tedious to watch, given its Magical Girl tendencies (of which I’m not a fan) incorporating typical Transformation Scenes and “battle-o’-the-week” scenarios, and a pretty lame side character (a sea-turtle replete with bushy moustache and hat) (!). Normally I like to give a series at least 4 episodes before pulling the plug, but what with all the other shows to watch, this one can definitely go to the back burner. A shame, since its marine underwater setting was scintillating and would have been like a breath of fresh air to explore. As it were, if I were a fish. But this is one I’ll wait for reviews on after it’s completed its run.
So, in addition to the Spring series that I’m continuing (Requiem for the Phantom, Shangri-La, Saki, Pandora Hearts, and Hatsukoi Limited), here are the few, the proud, and the non-marines. Oh, ouch. Blame that brain-fart on Haruhi Suzumiya’s “Endless Eight” arc, which I just finished before starting this post. Remind me never to do that again. What a mind-fuck LOL
So, we might as well start with that! Of course, we’ve gotta have a little OP eye-candy for reference
Watch them while you can, and use Full-Screen for superior effect! (And, if a goddamn stupid intrusive ad pops up over the video, CLOSE THE FUCKER WITHOUT READING IT :-(
(-anti-ad rant off)
This long-awaited sequel to the instantly-notorious season one of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is following in the footsteps of its predecessor (which ran its episodes in seemingly-random order) by “re-running” season one interspersed with new material. Kind of. Sort of. After one new episode entitled “Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody” the next new show began an arc that is still being wailed about (and aired) today. It’s called “Endless Eight”, and my god, the otaku are MOANING! No doubt it’s due to the seventh straight episode that repeats the previous scenes and dialogue of the prior episodes, but with slight variations to everything. Included in each are several minutes’ worth of “revelations” that are (hopefully) leading to a resolution.
And, I have to confess, like Itsuki says (repeatedly, in each episode LOL), I’m kind of enjoying it. There, I said it But what an uproar by the non-fanboys over the supposed “cheating” done by Kyoto Animation! It’s not like they’re just duplicating the material; each show does involve new animation, and is still enjoyable to watch. The characters are already well-established what with the phenomenon that began in 2006 with the SOS Brigade infiltrating even Western countries and inciting a fervor not seen before or since, and they’re all still acting in their idiosyncratic and familiar ways. There’s simply not a new plot in each show; just one long arc, just like… an arc. There’s a point in the arc’s title besides the alleged number; I say “alleged” because in the title screen the “8″ might not be an eight after all, but viewed sideways, the symbol for eternity. Since the arc involves a timeloop where a slice of time has been removed during Summer break (most likely by Haruhi since she’s a [*spoiler*]) and where it ceases to exist after August 31, it could very well repeat itself for eternity!
Oh no…
Let’s hope that it just refers to eight episodes. But I’m very sure that KyoAni has something up its sleeve, as so much of what they create is with much thought, deliberation and intent. Besides just trolling their fans LOL
The second new series which I’m watching that began recently is Sora no Manimani(aka “At the Mercy of the Sky”), a gentle-yet-rambunctious high-school star-gazing anime that has mixed in some light romantic possibilities (hard to tell as only three episodes have been done) along with some outright funny scenes, and adds in the childlike wonder of discovering the stars and now graduating to watching the night skies in the students’ Astronomy Club. There’ve been some real laugh-out-loud moments, mostly involving the ready-to-bleed Club President, and the most recent episode entitled “Planetarium” was lovely with its ending depiction of constellations, planets, and our galaxy. Very nice
Oh look! The OP
And now for the sequel to a series I simply love, Spice and Wolf. This show completely took me by surprise. Never would I have imagined that a series about traveling merchants, economics (medieval-style), and a wolf-god-girl might catch my fancy, but it did, in spades. Very clever writing and dialogue, and with characters that not only develop well but also involve you deeply with their concerns and fears, their calm and mercurial temperaments, and the precariousness of their well-being, it is one of the most unique shows that I’ve seen. Just be prepared to learn a LOT about monetary and trade matters. With that being said, it will not bore you ;-)
Well, maybe if you’re a mecha-freak or an action-nut it will LOL
And Horo (“Holo,” in some circles), the wolf-deity, is such an amazing character; so very well fleshed out with her alternating craftiness, vulnerability (though she wouldn’t admit it), affection, and manipulation (not to mention a fondness for apples LOL)… she’s become one of my most-favorite anime girls. Er, wolf-girl. Um. Funny, anime girls with animal appendages and ears, tails and so on never struck me as being particularly attractive. Horo shot this all to hell! Really, I adore her.
Plus, she could probably drink me under the table LMAO
One thing that struck me about the series was how well-designed it was; not only the characters but also the realistic medieval-style settings, the approprite background music; even the episode’s title cards all look so well-thought out. And the OP and ED…
Well. Words will not suffice! Here they are
Season 1 OP:
One of my favorite EDs ever, this version of Season 1′s ED features lyrics with a “follow-the-bouncing-apple” done by the fansub group:
So, a friendly word of advice: If you’re ever traveling through the deep woods, make sure you have plenty of apples! I’ll leave you to discover season 2 on your own; season 1 is a definite pre-requisite
And now, as a preview of the next Summer Season installment that focuses on the “darker” anime that I’m currently watching, I’ll offer up a hyper-realistic series that depicts Tokyo before, during, and after an earthquake of 8 on the Richter scale hits it. Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 really hits home (as a native San Franciscan), and is portrayed unflinchingly through the eyes of its three main characters. Not too much else to say except that it is REAL.
It’s still early on (I’ve only seen the first three episodes), but I can see the potential for a lot of growth, especially in the self-centered main, middle-schooler Mirai, who between bouts of feeling angry about her life and family, selfish attitude and (at first) intolerance of her little brother Yuuki, has already begun to see things in a different light now that her world has been so terribly shaken up… and the three have to figure out a way to get to their homes. You wouldn’t imagine that it could be that hard, but do imagine yourself in that situation… when presented with the evidence that this show presents to you, you’ll think differently about things, I think.
Here’s a twofer; both the OP and ED in one!
Well, there you have it. Or half of it! Stay tuned for Part Two
Wow, I’m finally back! I had to return to the old homestead to retrieve my truck out of storage, and since going by air was too complicated logistically (lack of transport to and from airports) I decided to drive. That’s 902 miles and 14 1/4 hours each way, according to GoogleMaps. Unfortunately, GoogleMaps is about as useful as a back-seat driver Turns out to have been about 930 miles, and… NINETEEN HOURS driving time! So, basically I drove 1,860 miles in less than two and a half days, getting back here safely at 2AM (early Sunday morning) :-O
To further complicate matters, my roommate was also going to be gone during this time, and so sweet little Pennie would be left all alone over the weekend. That was my biggest concern, the absolute insanity of the driving schedule notwithstanding. I haven’t ever left her alone in all of her eleven years. So getting back to her was foremost on my mind. And there was a lot to do; I wanted to swing by my former house to load the items I hadn’t had room for or time for when I moved, so I had to do that. Oh, and sleep before going back. I was a total mess after that drive up there…
I rented a little Kia and “zoomed” back up to Washington State; I left Thursday night at 7PM and didn’t arrive until 1:30PM on Friday driving like mad the whole time, apart from several breaks at rest stops. (I’ll repeat: A NINETEEN-HOUR DRIVE!!!) Since the drop-off point was about 15 miles from my truck (which was walking distance from my old house), I needed a way to get there. Fortunately, my former Realtor (the one who I had to let go after she couldn’t find a buyer after 6 months), said that she’d be able to do it. What a sweetie!
By the time I finished loading up the truck, it was 8PM on Friday. I’d been up since 9AM the previous day, worn myself into a zombiefied state with that hellacious drive, and been up for a not-so-grand-total of 35 hours :-O I’d had the foresight to bring my sleeping bag, so slept in it for nine hours, getting up at 5AM, and finally leaving the house for good at 7AM. And as I shut the door for the last time with a melancholic eye sweeping the interior, I couldn’t help but think of Kate’s (that’s Bush for those Not In the Know) little song, “One Last Look Around the House Before We Go…”
And so I did.
Anyway, I’m still recovering, so I’ll cut this short. 52 emails to go through and 4 forums OMG…
I’ll leave you with this appropriate song by Everything But the Girl, called “Drivin’”. I know I could probably have picked an even better driving song since it’s a topic that every artist seems to have covered, but this one always runs through my head whenever I go on long drives. Tracy Thorn’s voice is simply amazing, beautiful, and moving. I discovered EBtG accidentally, when I found a Ben Watt EP (vinyl) with hero Robert Wyatt. That led me to EBtG, and discovering Tracy’s prodigious voice. I bought everything I could find LOL
Just a quick little breather before I compose a new post regarding the anime Summer Season currently underway…
I know, I know (I imagine): “Don’t you have ANY other interests besides that stuff?”
Well, yes. Yes, I do. But actually typing/talking about them doesn’t ever seem to generate much interest, so I’ll wait until the BlogSite is split so that my (more-or-less) faithful anime/music Readers can still pop in here, and the more literary/philosophical ones will be able to enjoy those subjects on the new BlogSite that will be more-directly associated with Unbound (the Novel. Haven’t you been paying attention???!) Hopefully it won’t be too long before the domain is split…
But yeah: I like baseball (Giants and Orioles), reading (though unable to concentrate much on anything at this tumultuous point in time), music (ditto), exploring (no transportation until I retrieve my truck from up north), watching movies (see ditto above), computer gaming (also see ditto *sigh*… I’ve been a HUGE gamer since the days of Zork up until and through Fallout 3), collectibles of all kinds, learning about computing and Internet-related programs and such (first computer: Apple IIe in 1983 and a user of the Internet since well before the WWW), archery, thinking/philosophizing/daydreaming, and… well, I can feel your eyes glazing over even as I type. I know mine are LOL
Oh and I have an interest in girls
But… see various dittoes above *sigh*
First order of business is always to get my house in order and my place secure, and at present I really need to find an income so that this new place is secure and the house becomes a home. That comes first. Then, we’ll see what happens. I can’t concentrate on building my home (or anything really) unless and until I have a sound and solid foundation. THEN I can play!
But for now, since most of my traffic comes here for anime-related entries, and those persons are the only ones commenting really, I’ll be happy to write for them. Plus, I’ll include the odd Unbound-related entry, because THAT is really what this is all about… and it’s all that anything related to my life has been about ever since deciding to devote my life to Lily-Muse and her Telling of it. Since there hasn’t been much happening on that subject though, I keep those entries rare. I mean, how many posts do you really want to read where nothing is STILL happening with it? Best to simply move on and continue to try and make it happen, and soon enough, it will. We have Faith
It’s been quite interesting seeing how the results of certain of the promotional aspects that I’ve employed over the years since 2003 have been paying off as shown in the Site statistics. I believe that in using Lily-Doll as an attention-getter by allowing interviews in over half-a-dozen international magazines and books has contributed greatly to the “international feel” as reflected in visits from a multitude of countries, even those not usually associated with English-speakers/readers. After the United States, here’s a little “Top Fifteen” just for fun, listed in number of Page Views:
Mexico, Germany, Luxembourg, Brazil, Italy, Poland, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, France, Austria, the Ukraine, Argentina, and India.
There are over sixty other countries after those :-O
So, I’d like to take this opportunity to say “Welcome!” and “Hello!” in their respective languages of course but since I’m American I don’t know them :-p, and add that I hope that they all (and You, of course) are finding everything here to your liking. As always, please feel free to comment on the subject at hand, if interested, and I can always use Babelfish to translate comments typed in your native tongue. The World is indeed getting smaller and divided mainly by Towers of Babble Let’s come together!
Er… yeah
And an aside to those scammers/spammers/idiots who attempt to trick me and/or my Visitors into clicking on their lame/useless/malicious links through obviously-duplicitous “comments”… Don’t even try. They won’t even make it through my Spam Filter, and if they do they’ll NEVER get approved (which is why I have to use that feature to screen all comments). And it’s also obvious that since your pathetic attempts contain nothing relevant to the Post you’re supposedly commenting on, that you’re just trying to be a ___________ (fill in the blank with an expletive of your choice). So, fuck you.
All comments should have something to do with the Topic, and not have an address that links to a malicious/stupid/useless site. Oh, and also should not have something like “FreeSex4U” as a User Name. I mean, REALLY *rolls eyes*
So, NO, I do not want to: exchange links (why? LOL); try out ANY product that is not solicited; buy your meds; have anything to do with Viagra; view your pr0nz; allow you to write a Post here; or pretty much anything else that a s/s/i would want to sneak in here to trick me into allowing so that he/she/it can pollute, infect, or degrade my WebSpace or Valued Visitors.
Clannad… from its first opening scene I knew it was going to be something special. Having anticipated this work ever since being exposed to the first two prongs of the Key/Visual Art’s(sic)/Kyoto Animation triple crown of anime (namely, Air and Kanon 2006), I eagerly watched each episode fully engrossed, and anxiously awaited each new installment as it aired week-by-week, quite impatiently, as the intentionally tangled and meandering story unfolded. I was well-rewarded, though it took until the end of After Story to realize it.
Clannad was hard to peg: Not quite exactly the realistic slice-of-life comedy-drama as it shows on its face, it was more a humanistic fairy tale with your normal day-to-day relationships tinged with a decidedly otherworldly fantasy. Yet the story was more real than anything they’d offered to date; despite this it was not without its own moments of mystery and metaphysics. And, what a story…
A story like the ones I want to tell, and have in my novel Unbound, my own “romantic fairy-tale.” (Of sorts LOL) Like the title of the film by Sam Jones about Wilco says: “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart.” And it does, and we do. Just fix me afterwards, okay? And they do, and we do, and I will fix you, afterwards… here, and there in the After Story.
“I wonder when something will change?” On his way to school, the bored and self-proclaimed delinquent Tomoya encounters a girl standing by herself at the bottom of the hill, clad in the same school uniform as he, murmuring something under her breath: ”An-pan!” (It later turns out that she uses this word to help herself gather her strength to face something challenging; it was usually a food that she would afterwards reward herself with for overcoming it.) But then she continues on, talking to “someone in her heart” as Tomoya surmises, reminding herself: “Nothing can remain the same forever.”
With a tentative piano tinkling the opening to her memorable theme in the background, in a beautifully clever use of transition from the muted shades reflecting the drabness of Tomoya’s world into brilliant hues of all colors, Nagisa is introduced both to him and to us, and together they begin their “long, long uphill climb…” And that it is, for all of us.
Spanning two full seasons, Clannad and its sequel/continuation After Story (ranked 3rd-highest on Anime News Network’s ratings board) told a tale of Family. Of all kinds, from blood-relations to that of friends brought togather by goals both significant and small, and the power of togetherness, the destructiveness of separation, and the changes these connections most often will bring. Sad changes, and painful ones, but also wonderful, happy, and miraculous ones.
If there is one “entry-level” series which to recommend, I wouldn’t hesitate to press this one to the forefront. It’s a very real fantasy, with the emphasis on “real.” From Tomoya’s difficult relationship with his father, to the other characters’ singular travails (too many to go into here) Clannad offers a palette so rich and diverse that rarely is there a boring moment. And if there is one, it is there for a purpose. Truly a story for young-minded, mature, and “seasoned” viewers alike, and romantics everywhere, it will alternately crack you up and then break your heart, and then…
Well, that would be telling!
I’m going to break from tradition here, and offer the first third of episode one of Clannad‘s first season in the hope that it may cause you to watch it, or better yet go out and purchase the series, which was recently released in a two-volume set on four DVDs. It wasn’t dubbed into English, but the original language with subtitles is the best way to go. In that way you will be able to better grasp the nuances and emotional pitch from the intended actors, and thus be given the full range of emotion and sincerity that was delivered at broadcast. Just make sure you quickly read the text and then immediately return your eyeballs to the screen, so you don’t miss the animation! (A lot of people get lazy when reading subtitles and allow their eyes to rest where the words appear, thereby missing all the action. Do not do this.)
What follows is the opening eight minutes, and features the above-mentioned introduction, the OP, and then some light-hearted (and typically silly) nonsense involving Tomoya’s friend Sunohara and “associates.” (There is a small amount of slapstick scattered throughout the series as well, but it doesn’t detract any.) New Initiates should pay close attention to how the combination of scenery, voice, expression, sound effects, music, direction and animation all work closely together to paint each frame in the complete work of art; this was one of my most-enjoyable discoveries when first getting into anime.
This clip will also later introduce you to “The Illusionary World”, a very important concept but only teasingly so throughout Season One. In After Story, you will learn a lot more about The Illusionary Girl, the Junk-Boy she creates to be born into the story, and their very special Place…
Do note that in all likelihood this will be pulled by YouTube very soon, so watch it while you can. (And not to be repetitious, but watch it in Full Screen!) If you’re in a hurry, just get through the first 6:30
(EDIT: Don’t bother, since it’s already been “removed by user” Probably at the request demand of the Soup-Nazis at YouTube *shakes fist at YouTube*)
Now that you’ve had a taste, note that if not inclined to buy it at this point, you can watch both Clannad and its follow up Season Two (and a necessity for the full picture) After Story, at Crunchyroll.
Some time ago, while looking for Clannad AMVs to post in my recent series of essays “The Craft-Work and Art of the AMV,” I was informed that “there are no good Clannad AMVs”. So, I took this as a challenge But sure enough, I had an awful time searching them out. I did come across a few though, and KholdStare (creator of the beautiful Air AMV “Fleeting Eternity” that is shared below) took the considerable time and effort to make one of his own, which is exceptional. These should help get you familiarized with the series and the themes and characters involved.
I suppose that I should once again point out that while realizing that most anime fans who drop in here will already have seen both Clannad and After Story, Alastor’s other Visitors are in all likelihood new to anime and its more mature offerings, as opposed to accidently coming across the juvenile pap that is commonly available for viewing on Cartoon Network or even Adult Swim. And Alastor wants to expose Westerners and others to this hidden little niche of creativity, and so offers these excursions into unfamiliar territory in the hopes of bringing anime to more people and busting up their assumptions, promoting them into prospective consumers and hoped-for hobbyists who may assist the genre in surviving these rocky economic times.
Also… HERE BE SPOILERS!!! Bear that in mind before you enjoy the following! After watching the above initial moments you’ll be able to decide for yourself whether to invest your interest in Clannad; if not, then the spoilers won’t matter. But if you are interested and plan to watch it, be forewarned. I’ll give warning before each of the following AMVs so you don’t have the story ruined for you. In any case, don’t worry; the Big Spoilers won’t be revealed in so many words.
Just the “little one”
Enough prattling; words can only suffice so much, and as Robert Wyatt says “words take the place of meaning.” So let these moving moving pictures serve in their stead, and please do enjoy. Also, for more info on what AMVs are all about, refer to the aforementioned series of essays, below
Our first AMV, by Sweeturk Studios, features highlights from both seasons, and is done to the powerful song “Halo” with great effectiveness. It makes for an excellent start, although there are some heavy spoilers in it. We are able to chart the progress and character growth of both Tomoya and Nagisa as they pass from school to graduation and after in the appropriately-named After Story, where both realize they must measure up not only to each other’s expectations and promises but also to those of what Life expects and demands…
The next AMV, done by brutalspoon and set to Coldplay’s “Fix You,” features Kotomi, a genius whom Tomoya meets in the school library. She shelters a sorrowful past and a memory that he has forgotten; her story-arc reveals how their lives are intertwined and how Tomoya helps to resolve her issues, though it takes her trust in a suspicious adult from her past to come to terms with it. Despite Tomoya often referring to himself as a “delinquent” he really is a good person who goes out of his way to help others, as shown here:
Wow. TWO HOURS to locate and find a suitable Fuko video, but I just had to include her story here. I finally came across this one made by Catnapper and accompanied by Regina Spektor’s “The Call”. Very sweet, and fittingly so, for Clannad‘s most underrated, memorable, and funny character. And, her arc in Season One was easily the most poignant, heart-rending and emotional in many viewers’ eyes, which more often than not were tear-filled at its end.
Fuko is a small-for-her-age girl (with good reason), very childlike, temperamental, and very much focused on one thing, and one thing only: To get people to attend her sister’s as-yet-unplanned wedding. Tomoya meets her in a classroom one day, where she sits alone, carving wooden starfish to hand out at school, her fingers and hands knicked and wounded from the constant whittling. Despite her distaste for him, he and Nagisa befriend her and attempt to assist her in giving out the starfish as wedding invitations, which she is sure will be memorable enough to bring as many people to the wedding as possible. But by and by people begin to forget her, and wonder about where the starfish came from… and some of them also wonder aloud about the rumors of a “ghost-girl” who wanders the halls alone, struck by an automobile years ago and confined to a hospital bed…
Dozo!:
Okay, time to close this out on a high note! Some serious spoilers ahead…
Largely (if not completely) taken from After Story, the following AMV was created by KholdStare after a chat about how hard it was to find a decent Clannad AMV, at least on YouTube. Using the highest-quality source material he put together this touching, beautiful, and moving tribute to little Ushio, entitled “Starlight Memories” and features the song “Dance With My Father” by Kellie Coffey. Very very fitting, and a good choice to finish up here. We also come full circle with the beginning of this article and its clip, and in more ways than one
Given Tomoya’s troubles with his own father dating back to Season One, soon he was to face it in the mirror of his own difficulties with regard to his and Nagisa’s child, a precocious, achingly-cute, curious, and aware five-year old. When Nagisa becomes absent he has to deal with Ushio’s queries about her and initial hesitation at accepting him. These episodes were really the meat of After Story for me; after following and growing with the characters over two seasons we finally have Tomoya (and friends and Family) facing some real adult situations, decisions, and realities. There’s not a lot I can say that wouldn’t spoil the story any further, really… some already consider just revealing that they have a child is enough of one, so I’ll leave it at that. However, if I hadn’t, then I wouldn’t have been able to show this to you!
Also noteworthy is the return of The Illusionary Girl and her Junk-Boy, but that’s enough of a mystery to leave you with, sooo… here ’tis:
Great job, KS! *two thumbs up*
One of the things I’d like to mention in passing about Kyoto Animation’s technique is their clever use of foreshadowing; in so many situations you are given a taste of the future (or even the past!), even though you don’t discover it until later, or not even until rewatching. (Their series all reward repeat viewings very well.) As an example, late in Season One at a particularly significant time, a snippet of the theme song from the OP of Season Two played. Of course, After Story hadn’t even been announced yet, but their intent to do a follow up was pretty much spelled out there, only of course we didn’t know it yet. I was stunned when I recently rewatched Season One and heard that now-familiar song from Season Two playing over a scene. Clannad really is more a complete single experience rather than a two-part series, and best enjoyed as such.
And another major and sneaky bit of foreshadowing… (and another SPOILER): Speaking of OPs, you must have noticed that in the Season One OP (in the clip at top) the small figure running through the sunflowers? I’d always thought that that was Nagisa as a child. But noooo…. it’s not revealed until Season Two, and it was breathtaking!
GENIUS!!!
If you want to read more, be sure to check out ETERNAL’s well-written Blog; he composed two excellent posts about why these stories work so well, and expresses a very-much shared appreciation for them (but there are MAJOR MAJOR SPOILERS, so bear that in mind):
The Good News is this: there are still at least two more Key/KyoAni works to be animated of the same ilk as Air, Kanon, and Clannad: Little Busters! and Planetarian. And there is still plenty of room left on that shiny crown of theirs; the one with the three prongs shining brightly
As a parting gift, allow me to leave you with After Story‘s OPening Theme; it’s beautiful. But you ought to have expected that by now
I thank you for reading, and hope you enjoyed the article and videos. Please feel free to leave a comment as they are always welcome
One big and unexpected thing that I’m grateful to Koopiskeva (maker of fine AMVs) for is my introduction to Vienna Teng, who does the song “Gravity” on his The Place Promised in Our Early Days AMV entitled “Waking Hour” (which can be seen in Part Two of the AMV series, far below). Since I abhor radio, I miss a lot of music and so am exposed to little, which is very sad since I am a music junkie. I know that Koop is a fan of hers, and I understand why: she is simply amazing, talented, and very lovely. That’s just for starters! “Waking Hour” is also the title of her album from which “Gravity” was taken. Er, “borrowed.” So it’s not only a tribute to the anime, it’s also a tribute to her. I admire your good taste, sir! I’m definitely going to be buying it; to hell with downloading.
Since the full version is already below (and supporting a breathtaking AMV), I thought I’d share a live video of her performing this beautiful song in San Francisco, the so-called “Lake Version.” Ever since seeing Koop’s AMV for the first time, this song has haunted me long afterwards, and rarely can I get it out of my head until sleep comes. Which is as nice a lullabye as you’re going to ask for.
This solo-piano take is a much quieter, more personal piece, which is perfect for getting to know her:
Bonus Time! Here’s a brief interview with her, again from San Francisco (hey, it’s fitting since I just moved back to the area; S.F. is my home town, after all ). It proves her to be witty, intelligent, and funny (and a good sport LOL):
Okay, look: I *know* most of you are too lazy busy to scroll ALLLL THE WAY DOWN to the AMV that features the full album version of “Gravity,” so please allow me to force feed share it with you here, for contrast, comparison, and oh yes, enjoyment! If you’re curious about what the AMV is about, you will have to scroll down to read the short synopsis (I know, so merciless LOL), because this post is about Vienna and the magic of her song and beautiful voice, not to mention the composition. THIS is the version of the song that has completely enchanted me, breaks my heart and brings a tear to my eye… artwork that is so Moving is the ultimate for me:
*sigh* Beautiful music joins with gorgeous visuals: genius overflows! Koop, you made a marvelous choice of music and edited the video to the lyrics so well; Vienna, your voice and soul breathes life into it. Which is fitting, because as I’ve said before, “Music Is Life”… THANK YOU <3
"When early youth had passed, he left his cold fireside and alienated home to seek strange truths in undiscovered lands. Many a wide waste and tangled wilderness has lured his fearless steps; and he has bought with his sweet voice and eyes, from savage men, his rest and food." (from 'Alastor, or, The Spirit of Solitude', by Percy Bysshe Shelley,1815)
For info on our novel UNBOUND, please see our website in the Blogroll!
You can appreciate why she needs the support, and I like to “spread the...
But what an uproar by the non-fanboys over the supposed “cheating” done by Kyoto Animation! It’s not like they’re just duplicating the material; each show does involve new animation, and is still enjoyable to watch. The characters are already well-established what with the phenomenon that began in 2006 with the SOS Brigade infiltrating even Western countries and inciting a fervor not seen before or since, and they’re all still acting in their idiosyncratic and familiar ways. There’s simply not a new plot in each show; just one long arc, just like… an arc. There’s a point in the arc’s title besides the alleged number; I say “alleged” because in the title screen the “8″ might not be an eight after all, but viewed sideways, the symbol for eternity. Since the arc involves a timeloop where a slice of time has been removed during Summer break (most likely by Haruhi since she’s a [*spoiler*]) and where it ceases to exist after August 31, it could very well repeat itself for eternity!
Turns out to have been about 930 miles, and… NINETEEN HOURS driving time! So, basically I drove 1,860 miles in less than two and a half days, getting back here safely at 2AM (early Sunday morning) :-O