Surprisingly Complex: M.S.S.S Episode 8
Well, the time we spent in past was surprisingly short... So we got only two of the many things I said. I recognized Loli Hanekawa the very second, and rescuing Hachikuji was indeed the purpose. But the fact that they destroyed the world with it? Damn son.
Delving deeper into the character of Araragi, we can probably agree pretty much that he is an enormous pervert, thus almost all perverted stuff that goes on is always so damn pronounced. Seeing that Hanekawa was in the past just like she was in the future was interesting too. Maybe this little exchange also changed the future, as in Hanekawa remembering it and hating Araragi? Which in turn resulted in Kiss-Shot Acerola to berserk freely and kill everyone? I think that the scene with Hanekawa has more to do with the future than Hachikuji, but you never know. Wait... Judging that Jiangshi means a hopping vampire/zombie, it probably has something to do with this. So what if Hachikuji turned into some insane monster when she died afterwards? Possible too. Also possible that she actually didn't die and it screwed everything up, which would actually be the first thing you should think about.
I found it amusing that they delved into why Hachikuji was the only one they could help, as the other problems are in people, and you can't really solve them that easily. But hey! I think Oshino is back in this arc. Because if the future is screwed, it pretty much means he's gotta either be there, trying to do something, or dead.
So, if Ougi was not from the past, she is either something that Oshino created as a countermeasure to something, actually Oshino's relative, or Yotsugi in this world. Dunno, just throwing theories at people's faces. And what's with the clock, anyway? Does it grant access back to the original timeline or something? I'm not sure, but I do say that this arc is very promising, it really has me at the edge of my seat all the time, either by pure laughter or by the very well placed cliffhangers.
We shall see if people travel in time even more.
PS. Been reading to the novel a bit now... It seems Eikou Cram School didn't even exist back then! What?
TL;DR:
Did the meeting of Loli Hanekawa affect the future more than the rescue of Hachikuji?
sunnuntai 25. elokuuta 2013
sunnuntai 18. elokuuta 2013
M.S.S.S Episode 7
Sorry for not making an update in two weeks, M.S.S.S episode 6 was a recap, and I couldn't find it's translation. And it includes stuff I've already covered. Anyways...
Surprisingly Complex: M.S.S.S Episode 7
Time travel?! Count me in! Also, lots of stuff to analyze.
The episode begins, and we see Araragi talking to an unknown girl, who looks like a doll, Oshino Ougi. Now that makes me think it's Oshino's relative. Combined with the fact that this intro is probably happening 11 years to the past, it's kind of obvious. Also, the meaning of the talk in the intro means that sometimes everything comes to a halt and the fake sense of safety we have brings the most misery to us. How this ties to the rest of the arc has me interested, as this kind of philosophy is indeed interesting. Also the three-second lag will probably come into play later in the arc. Maybe in the case of Hachikuji crossing a street?
It's also interesting to see Shinobu and Araragi interact more, as their character development is made clearer. They have already accepted that the situation they're in is kind of final (Even though the link is severed during this arc) and they are seemingly fine with it. The severing of the link probably has something to do with the time travel and meeting Kiss-Shot Acerola. Not entirely sure. But from what we've seen, in episode 5 Araragi seemed to have gained some of his vampirism back, so maybe something happens in the past that makes Araragi a full vampire again, severing the link with Shinobu in process? Possible, everything is possible. But, as this is probably a different timeline entirely, anything that happens here may not actually do anything.
About Oshino Ougi. It's highly possible that Ougi is either Oshino's sister, which would be weird looking at her appearance, or just another apparition which he has named... And sent her to school. Neither theory really adds up. Also, Ougi could be some incarnation of Yotsugi, and that was the first thing to come to my mind. But I'm not entirely sure. The voices are pretty similar, and the speech patterns have something similar. But don't mind it, it's just theory, but here comes everything we will see during the time travel episodes. Or more like, which I think we'll see and what we should see. It also contains possible spoilers.
-Hachikuji's Death / Rescue:
Not a big surprise, as the whole arc is named after her. Also, eleven years, kind of obvious. It's also possible that Araragi is the cause to her death. And it's also possible that Hachikuji remembers Araragi (In the future), but doesn't tell. It's also possible it doesn't happen at all.
-Younger versions of characters:
The most important will probably be Oshino's trio: Oshino, Kaiki and Yozuru (Whose name I will probably never remember). Or is it a quartet with Gaen? We may also see younger Hanekawa being abused. Younger Araragi (And the fire sisters?) is a sure one probably.
Wait. Araragi 11 years back is about 7, right? What if his former self had actually met Hachikuji in the past, but he had forgotten her after her death? That'd be interesting.
-Yotsugi alive:
If it's not Ougi, we'll probably see her alive as well.
-Eikou Cram School in top condition:
They are probably going to camp there, but it's being used.
-Senjougahara's Mansion and a happy family:
I think this arc was hinted at or the idea was taken from the first Mayoi Arc, when Senjougahara could navigate in the urban renewal are with her past knowledge of it. Also, 11 years ago the family wasn't broken to my knowledge.
-Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade (Shinobu)
We will probably see this.
Remember, everything I listed may or may not happen, and some may even have twists like: What if Senjougahara's family wasn't that happy to begin with, she just decided to ignore it?
Everything is possible now in 11 years to the past. One of the funnier ones may be Araragi go on with his greeting when he sees Hachikuji, but wait for it, she hasn't met him yet, so he's just a child molester. And everyone sees it. Oh god.
Random: I think I'm either gonna love or hate the opening of this arc. No middle ground.
TL;DR?
There's fun to be had... IN THE PAST.
Surprisingly Complex: M.S.S.S Episode 7
Time travel?! Count me in! Also, lots of stuff to analyze.
The episode begins, and we see Araragi talking to an unknown girl, who looks like a doll, Oshino Ougi. Now that makes me think it's Oshino's relative. Combined with the fact that this intro is probably happening 11 years to the past, it's kind of obvious. Also, the meaning of the talk in the intro means that sometimes everything comes to a halt and the fake sense of safety we have brings the most misery to us. How this ties to the rest of the arc has me interested, as this kind of philosophy is indeed interesting. Also the three-second lag will probably come into play later in the arc. Maybe in the case of Hachikuji crossing a street?
It's also interesting to see Shinobu and Araragi interact more, as their character development is made clearer. They have already accepted that the situation they're in is kind of final (Even though the link is severed during this arc) and they are seemingly fine with it. The severing of the link probably has something to do with the time travel and meeting Kiss-Shot Acerola. Not entirely sure. But from what we've seen, in episode 5 Araragi seemed to have gained some of his vampirism back, so maybe something happens in the past that makes Araragi a full vampire again, severing the link with Shinobu in process? Possible, everything is possible. But, as this is probably a different timeline entirely, anything that happens here may not actually do anything.
About Oshino Ougi. It's highly possible that Ougi is either Oshino's sister, which would be weird looking at her appearance, or just another apparition which he has named... And sent her to school. Neither theory really adds up. Also, Ougi could be some incarnation of Yotsugi, and that was the first thing to come to my mind. But I'm not entirely sure. The voices are pretty similar, and the speech patterns have something similar. But don't mind it, it's just theory, but here comes everything we will see during the time travel episodes. Or more like, which I think we'll see and what we should see. It also contains possible spoilers.
-Hachikuji's Death / Rescue:
Not a big surprise, as the whole arc is named after her. Also, eleven years, kind of obvious. It's also possible that Araragi is the cause to her death. And it's also possible that Hachikuji remembers Araragi (In the future), but doesn't tell. It's also possible it doesn't happen at all.
-Younger versions of characters:
The most important will probably be Oshino's trio: Oshino, Kaiki and Yozuru (Whose name I will probably never remember). Or is it a quartet with Gaen? We may also see younger Hanekawa being abused. Younger Araragi (And the fire sisters?) is a sure one probably.
Wait. Araragi 11 years back is about 7, right? What if his former self had actually met Hachikuji in the past, but he had forgotten her after her death? That'd be interesting.
-Yotsugi alive:
If it's not Ougi, we'll probably see her alive as well.
-Eikou Cram School in top condition:
They are probably going to camp there, but it's being used.
-Senjougahara's Mansion and a happy family:
I think this arc was hinted at or the idea was taken from the first Mayoi Arc, when Senjougahara could navigate in the urban renewal are with her past knowledge of it. Also, 11 years ago the family wasn't broken to my knowledge.
-Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade (Shinobu)
We will probably see this.
Remember, everything I listed may or may not happen, and some may even have twists like: What if Senjougahara's family wasn't that happy to begin with, she just decided to ignore it?
Everything is possible now in 11 years to the past. One of the funnier ones may be Araragi go on with his greeting when he sees Hachikuji, but wait for it, she hasn't met him yet, so he's just a child molester. And everyone sees it. Oh god.
Random: I think I'm either gonna love or hate the opening of this arc. No middle ground.
TL;DR?
There's fun to be had... IN THE PAST.
sunnuntai 4. elokuuta 2013
M.S.S.S Episode 5
End of Nekomonogatari Shiro arc. End, or atleast, the next checkpoint to Hanekawa's search of humanity.
Surprisingly Complex: M.S.S.S Episode 5
Won't going to lie, this episode is probably going to my books as one of my favorites from the whole series. The irony of it being, that as the writer of my blog, it doesn't give me much, because all is pretty much laid bare. The only thing that this episode emphasizes is that Hanekawa is from development standpoint at least as important character as Araragi. The confession is one of the first times we actually see actual emotions on her. And boy, there's some character developed really called for there. We've seen her in two full seasons and one OVA, and not once has she lost a percent of her cool. Now it's very different, even though she is in the "black" mode, in which she actually isn't.
Notice how Araragi didn't get energy-drained when he patted her? It means that Hanekawa has successfully become one with the cat, so "Black" Hanekawa doesn't exist anymore. She still could drain the Tiger, which mean she is in control. Now that she also has the Tiger in, she might be able to generate super-heat. The question whether she actually has the powers in the future is important, because if so, she can be of help... Even more than before. But somehow I feel that the whole point is that by consuming them they lose their unnatural power.
Isn't it by the way kind of ironic that Hanekawa becomes human by consuming the supernatural that departed her? Even though they are made of her own parts, it's still an interesting thing to think about. Of course, it could be also taken as a classic example of "accepting your Demons" in a more literal sense.
I actually read almost the whole novel in the process of waiting for this episode, yet steering clear of spoilers. The novels have actually little more depth because of the style the anime went for, where you must do the thinking. The novels' way of speaking to the reader is actually not too dissimilar of the way I write these blogs, which is damn creepy. Remember my first example, the falling Senjougahara? Yeah, it was explained there, and the wording was almost identical to my way of writing it (At least the translation was). I do swear I didn't read it before I wrote my blogpost.
I really loved the artstyle of the Wandering Hanekawa -scene. It really shows how differently Hanekawa and Araragi think things through. If you're wondering "Where did we see Araragi analyze anything?" Well, we have to go way back. To the first episode of the series. Even though we never saw anything even resembling the black scene of randomness when we see him and Senjougahara arrive to the Eikou Cram School for the first time, just... Compare. I loved both scenes, but I think this was executed better.
Araragi says that he loves Senjougahara more than Hanekawa, but the important point is: Is Araragi's feelings toward Hanekawa love? NO! It was addressed in Nekomonogatari Kuro that it's not love. Just for the people wondering.
META-REDUX: HANEKAWA
This part is no longer viable, as of now, Hanekawa's character has taken a solid 180º. Or so we are told. Of course, Hanekawa is always Hanekawa, at least externally. This touches merely the inside part, of which we didn't actually know too much before now.
I could really argue that within these five episodes, we've learned more about Hanekawa than we have in the whole past series, and I think that's the point. She is way too central of a character to be just written from someone else's perspective. Or more like, her character is hard to analyze without the internal component. Why, you may ask? Because the line between "think" and "do" is very far in Hanekawa's case. The things she does, their justifications, and what goes through her mind doing it are three separate things. The things she does are very normal, their justifications are understandable, but what goes through her mind thinking about it? Different dimension. She doesn't think about the things she does in the same way normal people do. She does them (Or more like did) out of the fact that it's seen as normal procedure. She tried to become real, but she missed the whole point. Her own ignorance got her wanting the wrong thing, and as such, do the wrong things. She was just wrong.
In the end of this episode Hanekawa takes all her dark sides inside and finally turns into a real human. Does this mean she wasn't before? Not really, but it's a question worth asking, because the follow-up-question: "What does it mean to be human?" Exactly. It's a question best left unanswered.
Anyway, Hanekawa's avoidance of the dark side, or her "dimming the dark" out of her life made her unable to see the sides of the world she should've seen from the beginning. She dimmed the dark out of her life, out of her body, creating more harm to everyone. Whether she did this knowingly or subconsciously is left to debate, but the idea stays. Hanekawa thought that to become real all negative aspects must be exterminated. They couldn't be exterminated, so she exiled them. What she missed was that those negative aspects make us who we are.
There isn't always much to write, but a writing person still writes.
TL;DR?
Well, Hanekawa is human now, so... Yippee?
Surprisingly Complex: M.S.S.S Episode 5
Won't going to lie, this episode is probably going to my books as one of my favorites from the whole series. The irony of it being, that as the writer of my blog, it doesn't give me much, because all is pretty much laid bare. The only thing that this episode emphasizes is that Hanekawa is from development standpoint at least as important character as Araragi. The confession is one of the first times we actually see actual emotions on her. And boy, there's some character developed really called for there. We've seen her in two full seasons and one OVA, and not once has she lost a percent of her cool. Now it's very different, even though she is in the "black" mode, in which she actually isn't.
Notice how Araragi didn't get energy-drained when he patted her? It means that Hanekawa has successfully become one with the cat, so "Black" Hanekawa doesn't exist anymore. She still could drain the Tiger, which mean she is in control. Now that she also has the Tiger in, she might be able to generate super-heat. The question whether she actually has the powers in the future is important, because if so, she can be of help... Even more than before. But somehow I feel that the whole point is that by consuming them they lose their unnatural power.
Isn't it by the way kind of ironic that Hanekawa becomes human by consuming the supernatural that departed her? Even though they are made of her own parts, it's still an interesting thing to think about. Of course, it could be also taken as a classic example of "accepting your Demons" in a more literal sense.
I actually read almost the whole novel in the process of waiting for this episode, yet steering clear of spoilers. The novels have actually little more depth because of the style the anime went for, where you must do the thinking. The novels' way of speaking to the reader is actually not too dissimilar of the way I write these blogs, which is damn creepy. Remember my first example, the falling Senjougahara? Yeah, it was explained there, and the wording was almost identical to my way of writing it (At least the translation was). I do swear I didn't read it before I wrote my blogpost.
I really loved the artstyle of the Wandering Hanekawa -scene. It really shows how differently Hanekawa and Araragi think things through. If you're wondering "Where did we see Araragi analyze anything?" Well, we have to go way back. To the first episode of the series. Even though we never saw anything even resembling the black scene of randomness when we see him and Senjougahara arrive to the Eikou Cram School for the first time, just... Compare. I loved both scenes, but I think this was executed better.
Araragi says that he loves Senjougahara more than Hanekawa, but the important point is: Is Araragi's feelings toward Hanekawa love? NO! It was addressed in Nekomonogatari Kuro that it's not love. Just for the people wondering.
META-REDUX: HANEKAWA
This part is no longer viable, as of now, Hanekawa's character has taken a solid 180º. Or so we are told. Of course, Hanekawa is always Hanekawa, at least externally. This touches merely the inside part, of which we didn't actually know too much before now.
I could really argue that within these five episodes, we've learned more about Hanekawa than we have in the whole past series, and I think that's the point. She is way too central of a character to be just written from someone else's perspective. Or more like, her character is hard to analyze without the internal component. Why, you may ask? Because the line between "think" and "do" is very far in Hanekawa's case. The things she does, their justifications, and what goes through her mind doing it are three separate things. The things she does are very normal, their justifications are understandable, but what goes through her mind thinking about it? Different dimension. She doesn't think about the things she does in the same way normal people do. She does them (Or more like did) out of the fact that it's seen as normal procedure. She tried to become real, but she missed the whole point. Her own ignorance got her wanting the wrong thing, and as such, do the wrong things. She was just wrong.
In the end of this episode Hanekawa takes all her dark sides inside and finally turns into a real human. Does this mean she wasn't before? Not really, but it's a question worth asking, because the follow-up-question: "What does it mean to be human?" Exactly. It's a question best left unanswered.
Anyway, Hanekawa's avoidance of the dark side, or her "dimming the dark" out of her life made her unable to see the sides of the world she should've seen from the beginning. She dimmed the dark out of her life, out of her body, creating more harm to everyone. Whether she did this knowingly or subconsciously is left to debate, but the idea stays. Hanekawa thought that to become real all negative aspects must be exterminated. They couldn't be exterminated, so she exiled them. What she missed was that those negative aspects make us who we are.
There isn't always much to write, but a writing person still writes.
TL;DR?
Well, Hanekawa is human now, so... Yippee?
keskiviikko 31. heinäkuuta 2013
M.S.S.S Episode 4
Sorry that this took a bit long. I had things to do when this episode came out.
Surprisingly Complex: M.S.S.S Episode 4
3 new characters. 3. Damn. That's the most we've had since the first episode, which had 4. But in the middle of an arc, 3? What? And oh damn do they have things to tell. And oh damn are they after Shinobu. This episode might be one of my favorites in the whole series, because it so subtly sheds light upon Kizumonogatari, and this will be one of the episodes I will probably watch again after Kizumonogatari. Okay, to the subject itself.
The first minutes after the opening are dedicated for some simple parallels that show us how the Araragi family treats Araragi differently than Hanekawa, and how in contrast Araragi sees them differently from Hanekawa. Araragi's mother is shown for the first time, weirdly in Hanekawa's own arc, which I think is the only arc that does not have Araragi as protagonist. Or maybe not so weirdly, if Araragi just pays no attention to his parents, which might be the case. Araragi's mother tells Hanekawa how a problem cannot be solved if the problem is ignored, which we have seen Hanekawa doing since long time ago.
After that, on Hanekawa's way to school, we see the biggest bait for Kizumonogatari since anything really. Seeing Mr. Episode with his attitude and information it really sparked curiosity in me. I really want to see Kizumonogatari. Goddamnit when is it coming so I can go watch the fucking shit out of it. Anyway, continuing, he says that the kind of dread that Hanekawa had is gone, which is thanks to the Cat.
Then... We meet Gaen, who is later revealed to be most probably Kanbaru's mother. It explains a myriad of things, including everything in Kanbaru's backstory. We will see more of her in the Kanbaru Devil arc, which will be coming at some point. Anyway, she had hired Mr. Episode to kill a vampire, most probably Shinobu, and goddamn, if someone needs to take her down, epic shit is going down. She also proclaims to know everything, and she says it with such confidence that it almost disturbs. It would seem that she has come together with some kind of an apparition and as such has obtained more information than a human can handle. She proclaims to know everything, and says that Hanekawa really knows nothing, like she says all the time, confirming that Hanekawa knowing everything is just in Araragi's head.
Then Hanekawa figures out that maybe this Tiger is a new kind of apparition, like Black Hanekawa. This implies many things. Either apparitions are born often, or Hanekawa is some kind of apparition that makes new apparitions. This is the second super-strong apparition she has given birth to in a matter of few months. And this time it's unparalleled in strength, which means she must be mighty epic to actually deal with it. It would seem that Hanekawa's emotions have some damn power, because it would seem that the Tiger is a creation of her pure envy. Of course, it's never said that to whom that envy is aimed at, but it's most probably Araragi again. Her comments about his house and family had that kind of tone. And we're in her head, meaning the subtle comments are actually subtle. She never implies in her head anything of envy towards Senjougahara, but even the subtle comments on her thoughts about Araragi's family can make something like the TIGER? Whoah. It seems that what we actually hear from her is REALLY just the tip of the iceberg. Her emotional burdens are so mighty that they create new creatures to the world, which are usually born from many people believing into something. That's powerful, damnit.
Talking about powerful... The moment when she just leaves her scent to Araragi's bed is at the same time powerful and meaningful. She also leaves a picture to his phone(?). Then she starts to write a note to the Cat. Oh my god. It probably has either advice on how to take on the Tiger, or just a simple favor to let wake her up when the cat's in control. The latter would be damn interesting to see.
Surprisingly Complex: M.S.S.S Episode 4
3 new characters. 3. Damn. That's the most we've had since the first episode, which had 4. But in the middle of an arc, 3? What? And oh damn do they have things to tell. And oh damn are they after Shinobu. This episode might be one of my favorites in the whole series, because it so subtly sheds light upon Kizumonogatari, and this will be one of the episodes I will probably watch again after Kizumonogatari. Okay, to the subject itself.
The first minutes after the opening are dedicated for some simple parallels that show us how the Araragi family treats Araragi differently than Hanekawa, and how in contrast Araragi sees them differently from Hanekawa. Araragi's mother is shown for the first time, weirdly in Hanekawa's own arc, which I think is the only arc that does not have Araragi as protagonist. Or maybe not so weirdly, if Araragi just pays no attention to his parents, which might be the case. Araragi's mother tells Hanekawa how a problem cannot be solved if the problem is ignored, which we have seen Hanekawa doing since long time ago.
After that, on Hanekawa's way to school, we see the biggest bait for Kizumonogatari since anything really. Seeing Mr. Episode with his attitude and information it really sparked curiosity in me. I really want to see Kizumonogatari. Goddamnit when is it coming so I can go watch the fucking shit out of it. Anyway, continuing, he says that the kind of dread that Hanekawa had is gone, which is thanks to the Cat.
Then... We meet Gaen, who is later revealed to be most probably Kanbaru's mother. It explains a myriad of things, including everything in Kanbaru's backstory. We will see more of her in the Kanbaru Devil arc, which will be coming at some point. Anyway, she had hired Mr. Episode to kill a vampire, most probably Shinobu, and goddamn, if someone needs to take her down, epic shit is going down. She also proclaims to know everything, and she says it with such confidence that it almost disturbs. It would seem that she has come together with some kind of an apparition and as such has obtained more information than a human can handle. She proclaims to know everything, and says that Hanekawa really knows nothing, like she says all the time, confirming that Hanekawa knowing everything is just in Araragi's head.
Then Hanekawa figures out that maybe this Tiger is a new kind of apparition, like Black Hanekawa. This implies many things. Either apparitions are born often, or Hanekawa is some kind of apparition that makes new apparitions. This is the second super-strong apparition she has given birth to in a matter of few months. And this time it's unparalleled in strength, which means she must be mighty epic to actually deal with it. It would seem that Hanekawa's emotions have some damn power, because it would seem that the Tiger is a creation of her pure envy. Of course, it's never said that to whom that envy is aimed at, but it's most probably Araragi again. Her comments about his house and family had that kind of tone. And we're in her head, meaning the subtle comments are actually subtle. She never implies in her head anything of envy towards Senjougahara, but even the subtle comments on her thoughts about Araragi's family can make something like the TIGER? Whoah. It seems that what we actually hear from her is REALLY just the tip of the iceberg. Her emotional burdens are so mighty that they create new creatures to the world, which are usually born from many people believing into something. That's powerful, damnit.
Talking about powerful... The moment when she just leaves her scent to Araragi's bed is at the same time powerful and meaningful. She also leaves a picture to his phone(?). Then she starts to write a note to the Cat. Oh my god. It probably has either advice on how to take on the Tiger, or just a simple favor to let wake her up when the cat's in control. The latter would be damn interesting to see.
sunnuntai 21. heinäkuuta 2013
M.S.S.S Episode 3
Surprisingly Complex: M.S.S.S Episode 3
Wow... Just... Wow... This is the first episode where what I've said in this blog is actually addressed in the series. The end of Nisemonogatari doesn't really count, as it only gives us the basis of the idea, where as here, it was said loud and clear: Hanekawa's deliberate attempt to be real makes her more unreal, but that in term makes her better than the real thing. Not sure about loud and clear, but Senjougahara's speech in the beginning is really at the heart of the philosophy of Nisemonogatari.
Maybe the thing that I wanted to say was that I'm supremely pleased that what they did with the character of Hanekawa trying to be real was 100% the same as what I was thinking. I hope that this episode would get people to think about things. Anyway, the rest of the episode is also great, seeing Shinobu and the Cat interact was interesting and they confirmed another thing, that was actually cooking up from the beginning of the very first season: It's not that the thing itself is different, only the point of view has changed. The allegory of Hanekawa and the Cat being two sides of the same coin has surprisingly lot impact. It is as much implying that they are one and same as it is implying that the only thing that is between them is just a slight change in the point of view. Now you see Hanekawa, now you see the Cat.
Hair. As the fastest probably already noticed, Kanbaru's and Tsukihi's hairs have grown again, in the matter of few weeks, a ton. There is a reason to it, want to know what? Try to guess. 1... 2... 3... 4... 5... Ready? It's the apparitions. Tsukihi's apparition makes everything regenerate fast, including her hair, where as Kanbaru's monkey hand probably makes her hair grow faster. Yes, probably in every place in her body, she just shaves a lot.
Also, there was one scene where Hanekawa wasn't present, the scene between Senjougahara and Karen. The two acted so like themselves that I'd speculate that Hanekawa didn't hear what we saw, she just speculated that that was what happened when she saw Karen and Tsukihi. In reality Senjougahara probably just asked them. We're just led to believe it was something else.
Speculation about the tiger coming. It's not a big surprise the Tiger is probably the one burning everything down. Make it Araragi and we have an ingenious twist! But the Tiger is most probably the one burning everything. The fire is probably an allegory for purification, which may turn into a different one where it actually becomes a baptism by fire, where Hanekawa has to face the Tiger head on, by herself, without the Cat. That would make something interesting. The purpose of the Fire is to purify, but why it is targeting Hanekawa, it's still a bit of mystery. It probably has something to do with her fake pureness or something. Have to wait for more. Until next week!
META-REDUX: The whole series
I just understood one thing about the series. Shinobu and her brilliant character development. She hasn't actually developed based on her actions, but she has actually developed from Araragi's. The Shinobu we see in this episode is so very different from who we see in either Nekomonogatari or the beginning of Bakemonogatari. The first time we see her in Bake, Araragi has this very mean way of talking of her. "She is nothing, she has no shadow or form." And she acts the part. Why? Because her link to Araragi is strong and if he sees her as nothing, she acts like she is nothing, and she looks very sorry about it, because Araragi makes her seem like that. The reason for this way of action is because she was not really helpful in Nekomonogatari, and gave up the blade only after Araragi begged for days, and even though she helped him in the end, he's not grateful because it's not too long from the events of Kizumonogatari, which the series has explained as something that either Shinobu or Araragi can never forgive each other for.
The real development happened during the end of Bake and the beginning of Nise. I told you the bath scene was important, and it was the very reason Shinobu is like how she is now. Before that, during the return of the Cat we saw Shinobu help Araragi again, which led Araragi to trust Shinobu more, which in turn got her to talk more, and during the bath scene Araragi and Shinobu made a pact of peace and got some level of understanding between each other. This in turn makes this episode all the more meaningful. It would seem that Araragi has become more than just a pool of blood for Shinobu to feed on, and more like an ally, and even when their connection is severed, Shinobu still cares for some part for her "master."
TL;DR?
The things I ramble about, finally addressed in the series! WOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Wow... Just... Wow... This is the first episode where what I've said in this blog is actually addressed in the series. The end of Nisemonogatari doesn't really count, as it only gives us the basis of the idea, where as here, it was said loud and clear: Hanekawa's deliberate attempt to be real makes her more unreal, but that in term makes her better than the real thing. Not sure about loud and clear, but Senjougahara's speech in the beginning is really at the heart of the philosophy of Nisemonogatari.
Maybe the thing that I wanted to say was that I'm supremely pleased that what they did with the character of Hanekawa trying to be real was 100% the same as what I was thinking. I hope that this episode would get people to think about things. Anyway, the rest of the episode is also great, seeing Shinobu and the Cat interact was interesting and they confirmed another thing, that was actually cooking up from the beginning of the very first season: It's not that the thing itself is different, only the point of view has changed. The allegory of Hanekawa and the Cat being two sides of the same coin has surprisingly lot impact. It is as much implying that they are one and same as it is implying that the only thing that is between them is just a slight change in the point of view. Now you see Hanekawa, now you see the Cat.
Hair. As the fastest probably already noticed, Kanbaru's and Tsukihi's hairs have grown again, in the matter of few weeks, a ton. There is a reason to it, want to know what? Try to guess. 1... 2... 3... 4... 5... Ready? It's the apparitions. Tsukihi's apparition makes everything regenerate fast, including her hair, where as Kanbaru's monkey hand probably makes her hair grow faster. Yes, probably in every place in her body, she just shaves a lot.
Also, there was one scene where Hanekawa wasn't present, the scene between Senjougahara and Karen. The two acted so like themselves that I'd speculate that Hanekawa didn't hear what we saw, she just speculated that that was what happened when she saw Karen and Tsukihi. In reality Senjougahara probably just asked them. We're just led to believe it was something else.
Speculation about the tiger coming. It's not a big surprise the Tiger is probably the one burning everything down. Make it Araragi and we have an ingenious twist! But the Tiger is most probably the one burning everything. The fire is probably an allegory for purification, which may turn into a different one where it actually becomes a baptism by fire, where Hanekawa has to face the Tiger head on, by herself, without the Cat. That would make something interesting. The purpose of the Fire is to purify, but why it is targeting Hanekawa, it's still a bit of mystery. It probably has something to do with her fake pureness or something. Have to wait for more. Until next week!
META-REDUX: The whole series
I just understood one thing about the series. Shinobu and her brilliant character development. She hasn't actually developed based on her actions, but she has actually developed from Araragi's. The Shinobu we see in this episode is so very different from who we see in either Nekomonogatari or the beginning of Bakemonogatari. The first time we see her in Bake, Araragi has this very mean way of talking of her. "She is nothing, she has no shadow or form." And she acts the part. Why? Because her link to Araragi is strong and if he sees her as nothing, she acts like she is nothing, and she looks very sorry about it, because Araragi makes her seem like that. The reason for this way of action is because she was not really helpful in Nekomonogatari, and gave up the blade only after Araragi begged for days, and even though she helped him in the end, he's not grateful because it's not too long from the events of Kizumonogatari, which the series has explained as something that either Shinobu or Araragi can never forgive each other for.
The real development happened during the end of Bake and the beginning of Nise. I told you the bath scene was important, and it was the very reason Shinobu is like how she is now. Before that, during the return of the Cat we saw Shinobu help Araragi again, which led Araragi to trust Shinobu more, which in turn got her to talk more, and during the bath scene Araragi and Shinobu made a pact of peace and got some level of understanding between each other. This in turn makes this episode all the more meaningful. It would seem that Araragi has become more than just a pool of blood for Shinobu to feed on, and more like an ally, and even when their connection is severed, Shinobu still cares for some part for her "master."
TL;DR?
The things I ramble about, finally addressed in the series! WOOOOOOOOOOOO!
keskiviikko 17. heinäkuuta 2013
Valhalla Rising: The Descent To Hell
Surprisingly Complex: Valhalla Rising
Valhalla Rising is a silent movie, not technology-wise, but art-wise. If I wrote it all down, I wouldn't probably need even two A4:s to have all the spoken dialogue in the movie. Even One-eye, our kind-of protagonist, doesn't utter a spoken word in the whole movie.
Valhalla Rising is a silent movie, not technology-wise, but art-wise. If I wrote it all down, I wouldn't probably need even two A4:s to have all the spoken dialogue in the movie. Even One-eye, our kind-of protagonist, doesn't utter a spoken word in the whole movie.
What's so fascinating then about keeping silence? Because then you realize how many times dialogue can actually be in the way when watching a movie. Valhalla Rising has the bare minimum of dialogue, but the weird part is, almost none of it is exposition. It's mostly just people talking. Valhalla Rising is also a very slow movie, having "action" highlights only in the very beginning, and in the very end. This breaks the central rules of 3-act structure, but it works. The movie makes you wait, and when something happens, it happens really quick and usually quite chaotically.
Nicolas Winding Refn, the director, himself said that the movie is a "viking sci-fi" and I can see where he's coming from. The sci-fi elements come from the main group ending up in a foreign land, and trying to survive there. That put aside, it's important to note that Valhalla Rising is not an action movie, even though the trailer makes it look like so. It's a meditative piece of film about death.
The main thing people miss (Which isn't a surprise, as it's never mentioned) is that One-eye is not actually human. He's Odin, the one eyed king of gods. He's also the god of death, bringing the wrong-believing (In this context) christians to what they call hell, Asgard. The boat trip across the ocean was actually a journey to the other side. I don't know if intentional, but every character except One-eye have this weird glow (It can be seen on some shots as colors turning lighter right next to them) coming from their bodies when they're on the other side of the ocean. Maybe they're actually already dead?
It's also interesting how Valhalla Rising takes and mixes things by practically making everyone a bad guy. There are no goody-two-shoes in here, only people going after their goals with all they can. Usually involving in bloodshed. The only "innocent" one is of course the boy, who is spared in the hands of the native Americans. Yes, they are native Americans. Of course, someone could take this as some kind of political satire of Refn stating that America IS hell, which would be funny.
Hey, remember those random red scenes? Noticed how they were shown before they happened in the movie? Good. They were Odin's visions of future. He foresaw everything, and that's why he was unbeatable in battle. Also, the whole last chapter of the movie is one vision of his, as he actually drowns himself about midway to chapter 4, as we're shown after the first ending. Why? Because it's the only way the balance can be restored (Shown by the rocks he tries to pile). The first ending (Odin being killed by the native Americans) is also false because it would make Odin a christ-like figure, which isn't the case. He does the sacrifice (Drowning himself) to free one and to doom the others only to preserve balance. He doesn't actually die, he just leaves Asgard. That's why we see his figure against the sky in the end.
Also, it seems that only pure people can communicate with Odin, such as the boy and the "spiritual advisor." They are both capable of hearing Odin's voice, even though he doesn't move his mouth. Still, Odin's actions set him apart from a generic masculine action hero by the fact that he isn't a good guy. Gods are not the paragons of goodwill in the Norse Mythology. They are brutal and fierce, much like One-eye/Odin here.
Of course, as it is never really said where the boy's home is, we can assume it's Valhalla. We can assume he was a spirit all along, and now that he came back to Asgard, he can finally go home. Just a speculation.
Anyway, all I got to say, I love this movie so much. It's slow but never boring, silent and full of personality, one of my definite favorite films ever. I have watched it a half a dozen times, and I will continue to watch it again and again.
TL;DR?
One-eye is Odin, the silent protagonist with actual personality who sees in the future. Piling the rocks was a symbol of balance of the world.
It's also interesting how Valhalla Rising takes and mixes things by practically making everyone a bad guy. There are no goody-two-shoes in here, only people going after their goals with all they can. Usually involving in bloodshed. The only "innocent" one is of course the boy, who is spared in the hands of the native Americans. Yes, they are native Americans. Of course, someone could take this as some kind of political satire of Refn stating that America IS hell, which would be funny.
Hey, remember those random red scenes? Noticed how they were shown before they happened in the movie? Good. They were Odin's visions of future. He foresaw everything, and that's why he was unbeatable in battle. Also, the whole last chapter of the movie is one vision of his, as he actually drowns himself about midway to chapter 4, as we're shown after the first ending. Why? Because it's the only way the balance can be restored (Shown by the rocks he tries to pile). The first ending (Odin being killed by the native Americans) is also false because it would make Odin a christ-like figure, which isn't the case. He does the sacrifice (Drowning himself) to free one and to doom the others only to preserve balance. He doesn't actually die, he just leaves Asgard. That's why we see his figure against the sky in the end.Also, it seems that only pure people can communicate with Odin, such as the boy and the "spiritual advisor." They are both capable of hearing Odin's voice, even though he doesn't move his mouth. Still, Odin's actions set him apart from a generic masculine action hero by the fact that he isn't a good guy. Gods are not the paragons of goodwill in the Norse Mythology. They are brutal and fierce, much like One-eye/Odin here.
Of course, as it is never really said where the boy's home is, we can assume it's Valhalla. We can assume he was a spirit all along, and now that he came back to Asgard, he can finally go home. Just a speculation.
Anyway, all I got to say, I love this movie so much. It's slow but never boring, silent and full of personality, one of my definite favorite films ever. I have watched it a half a dozen times, and I will continue to watch it again and again.
TL;DR?
One-eye is Odin, the silent protagonist with actual personality who sees in the future. Piling the rocks was a symbol of balance of the world.
maanantai 15. heinäkuuta 2013
M.S.S.S Episode 2
Nekomonogatari White continues, but I think this time this will be quite short (Like it has always been when I say that)
Surprisingly Complex: M.S.S.S Episode 2
Okay. The Tiger is an outside apparition that is causing harm to Hanekawa for some reason. Coming from the matters discussed in this episode by Senjougahara, I'd say the Tiger comes either to those with a strong sense of fatalism (Everything that happens must happen), or to those with strong emotional detachment. Even though the missing chapters are confirmed to be the Cat taking over and we see the Cat talking to the Tiger, the main point of the episode is Hanekawa's mentality, and we will talk about that. Also, I'll explain why Senjougahara wanted to shake hands with the Cat.
Quicknote: Why all the close shots on Senjougahara when they were taking a shower? Hanekawa a bi? Possibly, as she probably looks people totally non-subjectively.
So... Hanekawa has a strong sense of fatalism, seen in Nekomonogatari Black, and seen now again. She also has total emotional detachment, or more like, total non-subjectivity. She doesn't eat food based on taste, but out of need to eat food occasionally. She also wears the bare minimum of what could be called clothes (Not in the skin-showing sense, you perverts) and buying what Senjougahara sees practically as rags, as they are clothes only really poor people would use. Not wearing clothes that look nice, wearing any clothes because society says you can't go around walking naked. But all the attire she has are approriate for the situation, so she doesn't go walking around in her pajamas all day. The Cat being a total polar opposite, goes walking around in pajamas all day, and wears even the pajamas only because the Mistress says that something must be worn. Hanekawa also puts no flavoring in her food, making it bland, but it doesn't matter to her as she only does food for herself. The only part she has some kind of attachment to life is people, as she finds Senjougahara's quirks slightly annoying.
In the first scene, before the opening, we almost hear Hanekawa's reason of loving Araragi, though, interestingly, we already did. Hanekawa does everything because it's normal. Araragi is a change to that normal, as he's some kind of a delinquent and doing generally what he pleases. It's kind of an wonder that to both Senjougahara and Hanekawa, the main reason they like him is change. The difference is, that with Senjougahara, it comes from making the change, where as Hanekawa is seeking for change.
And why is Senjougahara insistent on shaking hands with the Cat? Because she wants to know the other side of Hanekawa as well. The most probable reason for this is to get closer to her, so she won't do can't/won't do any drastic measures to pull her and Araragi apart. She's also curious, so why not?
TL;DR?
Hanekawa may be bi? Also fatalism.
Surprisingly Complex: M.S.S.S Episode 2
Okay. The Tiger is an outside apparition that is causing harm to Hanekawa for some reason. Coming from the matters discussed in this episode by Senjougahara, I'd say the Tiger comes either to those with a strong sense of fatalism (Everything that happens must happen), or to those with strong emotional detachment. Even though the missing chapters are confirmed to be the Cat taking over and we see the Cat talking to the Tiger, the main point of the episode is Hanekawa's mentality, and we will talk about that. Also, I'll explain why Senjougahara wanted to shake hands with the Cat.
Quicknote: Why all the close shots on Senjougahara when they were taking a shower? Hanekawa a bi? Possibly, as she probably looks people totally non-subjectively.
So... Hanekawa has a strong sense of fatalism, seen in Nekomonogatari Black, and seen now again. She also has total emotional detachment, or more like, total non-subjectivity. She doesn't eat food based on taste, but out of need to eat food occasionally. She also wears the bare minimum of what could be called clothes (Not in the skin-showing sense, you perverts) and buying what Senjougahara sees practically as rags, as they are clothes only really poor people would use. Not wearing clothes that look nice, wearing any clothes because society says you can't go around walking naked. But all the attire she has are approriate for the situation, so she doesn't go walking around in her pajamas all day. The Cat being a total polar opposite, goes walking around in pajamas all day, and wears even the pajamas only because the Mistress says that something must be worn. Hanekawa also puts no flavoring in her food, making it bland, but it doesn't matter to her as she only does food for herself. The only part she has some kind of attachment to life is people, as she finds Senjougahara's quirks slightly annoying.
In the first scene, before the opening, we almost hear Hanekawa's reason of loving Araragi, though, interestingly, we already did. Hanekawa does everything because it's normal. Araragi is a change to that normal, as he's some kind of a delinquent and doing generally what he pleases. It's kind of an wonder that to both Senjougahara and Hanekawa, the main reason they like him is change. The difference is, that with Senjougahara, it comes from making the change, where as Hanekawa is seeking for change.
And why is Senjougahara insistent on shaking hands with the Cat? Because she wants to know the other side of Hanekawa as well. The most probable reason for this is to get closer to her, so she won't do can't/won't do any drastic measures to pull her and Araragi apart. She's also curious, so why not?
TL;DR?
Hanekawa may be bi? Also fatalism.
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