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I need a 'watching things' icon.
Awhile back, we'd watched the first couple episodes of THE STORY OF SAIUNKOKU. (By 'we' I mean 'all three residents of Chez Butterfly.') We'd wanted to watch more, but with costume stuff, ain't nothing got watched for the past two weeks. But that time is now over, so last night we went back and marathoned the first two discs, episodes 2-10.
It's glorious.
KING: I think I'm in love with you.
SHUUREI: Well, maybe if you knew me as well as I know you, I'd think about it.
KING: I'm working on it. In the meantime, how about large impractical gifts?
SHUUREI: Stand still so I can hit you.
KING: This isn't working out the way I'd hoped.
EVERYONE ELSE: No shit, Sherlock.
SEIRAN: I'm secretly the king's exiled brother.
AUDIENCE: We figured.
SEIRAN: And I love my brother more than anything. Except maybe Shuurei.
KING: I love you too. But I also love Shuurei.
SHUUREI: And I care about both of you, but what sort of 'caring' is one big question mark. By the way, are you ever going to tell me you're brothers, or just let me assume all the wrong things?
KING: No, apparently we'd rather tantalize the audience with possibilities without actually resolving things.
SHUUREI: At least you've actually admitted you like me, instead of pining in secret. Seiran keeps ducking the issue, so that's a point to you. Now if only you'd lay off the stupid gifts.
LI, a court official: I don't like women.
SHUUREI, our heroine: I just need to learn all this stuff. I don't care beyond that.
LI: Um. Okay. ...when did you get so smart?
SHUUREI: My father's the archivist.
LI: That doesn't really explain it, but I'm not going to argue with evidence. Fortunately, I'm determinedly slashy with my best friend, or I might fall in love with you.
SHUUREI: Oh no you don't. I've got enough of those.
KING: I think women should be allowed to become court officials.
COURT: As if.
LI: Imma help you with sneaky behind-the-scenes stuff.
KING: While I'm stuck writing up this proposal over and over again. Can't I do something useful?
LI: This is useful, honest.
KING: It's a good thing you really are so determinedly slashy with your best friend, or I'd be getting suspicious.
All this, plus court politics, secret identities that made Katie squeak happily, and the fact that nobody does anything just because the plot tells them they should, but because they would do that. Shuurei isn't fascinating and loveable because we're told she is, but because she's behaved like that: because she's clever and capable and treats the young men around her like she's their mother, and not in a bossy way but in a 'behave yourself, were you raised by wolves, honestly' oddly affectionate sort of way.
I like the other characters. In fact, I don't think we've met any characters that I really dislike. But I adore Shuurei, both because she's a well-rounded character and because she's the kind of strong, capable heroine that is too rarely found in anime. In the second episode, she tells the king a bit of her past in order to explain why she's willing to do what she does. And then she goes into the kitchen, and has a little breakdown, because those are bloody painful memories -- and then she wipes up her tears and goes back out and goes on with life. She isn't crippled by them.
x-posted to lj
It's glorious.
KING: I think I'm in love with you.
SHUUREI: Well, maybe if you knew me as well as I know you, I'd think about it.
KING: I'm working on it. In the meantime, how about large impractical gifts?
SHUUREI: Stand still so I can hit you.
KING: This isn't working out the way I'd hoped.
EVERYONE ELSE: No shit, Sherlock.
SEIRAN: I'm secretly the king's exiled brother.
AUDIENCE: We figured.
SEIRAN: And I love my brother more than anything. Except maybe Shuurei.
KING: I love you too. But I also love Shuurei.
SHUUREI: And I care about both of you, but what sort of 'caring' is one big question mark. By the way, are you ever going to tell me you're brothers, or just let me assume all the wrong things?
KING: No, apparently we'd rather tantalize the audience with possibilities without actually resolving things.
SHUUREI: At least you've actually admitted you like me, instead of pining in secret. Seiran keeps ducking the issue, so that's a point to you. Now if only you'd lay off the stupid gifts.
LI, a court official: I don't like women.
SHUUREI, our heroine: I just need to learn all this stuff. I don't care beyond that.
LI: Um. Okay. ...when did you get so smart?
SHUUREI: My father's the archivist.
LI: That doesn't really explain it, but I'm not going to argue with evidence. Fortunately, I'm determinedly slashy with my best friend, or I might fall in love with you.
SHUUREI: Oh no you don't. I've got enough of those.
KING: I think women should be allowed to become court officials.
COURT: As if.
LI: Imma help you with sneaky behind-the-scenes stuff.
KING: While I'm stuck writing up this proposal over and over again. Can't I do something useful?
LI: This is useful, honest.
KING: It's a good thing you really are so determinedly slashy with your best friend, or I'd be getting suspicious.
All this, plus court politics, secret identities that made Katie squeak happily, and the fact that nobody does anything just because the plot tells them they should, but because they would do that. Shuurei isn't fascinating and loveable because we're told she is, but because she's behaved like that: because she's clever and capable and treats the young men around her like she's their mother, and not in a bossy way but in a 'behave yourself, were you raised by wolves, honestly' oddly affectionate sort of way.
I like the other characters. In fact, I don't think we've met any characters that I really dislike. But I adore Shuurei, both because she's a well-rounded character and because she's the kind of strong, capable heroine that is too rarely found in anime. In the second episode, she tells the king a bit of her past in order to explain why she's willing to do what she does. And then she goes into the kitchen, and has a little breakdown, because those are bloody painful memories -- and then she wipes up her tears and goes back out and goes on with life. She isn't crippled by them.
x-posted to lj