An Epic Mood

[Click on the title, and listen to one of the most compelling anime soundtrack pieces that exist.]

I have just completed my second viewing of Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo - or rather, finished watching it on Sunday, and have been dabbling in the episodes and music since. Even going as far as to let it influence the mood for the next installment of Blossoms. At this point, even though I have not written much more than 300 words of the next chapter, I have a general story planned out, complete with action and drama. And maybe even a love triangle. You've got to love the effect epic stories have on certain people.

I love Gankutsuou. I don't think I know of any other anime that is more aesthetically pleasing (and trippy, before you get used to the strange multi-layered animation), has more appropriate music (though I wish they had better lyrics for the opening ; it's painful to have to have that stuck in my head for hours at a time), and has a compelling story. I started reading the novel two years ago right after I watched the series for the first time, before a beloved sibling of mine swiped it. I've picked it up once again, printing out a chapter at a time from Project Gutenberg because I'm just a little bit of a cheapskate.

I wonder if anyone has cried as much as I did from Episode 18 ("The Duel") onwards - with the exception of Episode 20 ("Farewell, Eugenie"), which was somewhat satisfying. I'm surprisingly as much of an Albert/Eugenie fan as I am a Franz/Albert fan. At least within the context of the anime; it doesn't quite work with the novel, where I hear that Eugenie is a lesbian, and Franz is not quite so inclined.

And Nakata Jouji as the Count/Edmond Dantes is unbelievably superb, but then again, his voice as Folken in Escaflowne did make me fall in love with him.

All right, enough of this gushing. I shall go on to do more useful things.

Angsty Advancement

After receiving six reviews for Blossoms, two of which included a wish or an expectation for it to be continued, I find myself proceeding with the story. Only, it becomes a little difficult, because I have always imagined Yuuri to deny any sort of union with Wolfram. But if I continue it, I can imagine only two endings - and both of which must be happy, or somewhat happy, because I don't feel like angst is the way I want to end things. The first ending would be a Yuuri-discovers-feelings-for-Wolfram, and the second, since Murata has appeared in Blossoms already, would contain an eventual Wolfram-ends-up-with-Murata-while-Yuuri-looks-on.

After much thought, I think I might make it the former. Maybe have Wolfram do some cooling off, while Yuuri does some soul-searching. Because the other option, while it must have been done before, messes up the whole Shinou-Daikenja legendary pairing that I prefer to have undisturbed. On the other hand, I'm going to have to come up with reasons why Yuuri suddenly starts to become physically attracted to Wolfram.

Well, let's see what happens. I have a few excerpts written, and I'll figure out if it works.

A Writer's Feelings

A long time ago, in a drama class I had once taken (or had no choice but to take), it was said that an actor must hold memories of different emotions and let them surface at the appropriate times to convey the full feeling of a scene they must enact. Writers probably have to do the same to. They must get into the hearts of their characters, rejoice in their happiness, languish in their depression, experience their grief.

In my new one-shot Blossoms, I will explore Wolfram's feelings on his being rejected by Yuuri. The odd thing is that, when I first wrote it, I was much in the same mood. Sad, but willing to enjoy the good weather. I have a feeling, however, that if I wrote about dark clouds and rain, Wolfram would have taken to his (own) bed and lain there for days on end, in sheer depression.

I'm not sure I want to have such a connection with Wolfram. But I have chosen to write about him, and that's what I think he would feel. Despite all his fire, there is one thing that could bring him down faster than the Shinkansen, and that is Yuuri. Nor can Wolfram blame Yuuri - one simply cannot force another to have feelings that they do not already have, and if they did, well, they have major issues.

At the end of the one-shot, Murata is seen walking underneath the balcony Wolfram is standing on, and the former sees Wolfram's tear-stained visage. He immediately calls Yuuri an idiot. Well, maybe Yuuri is an idiot and doesn't realize how much he is hurting Wolfram. And indeed, unless Yuuri is in love with Conrad or some such (something I find kind of unlikely, because it just seems unromantic), Yuuri has no idea how it feels to be rejected. That may be what Murata is referring to in my one-shot: the fact that Yuuri doesn't know much about things. I don't believe that Murata would want, however, for Yuuri to force himself to feel something for Wolfram that he does not.

Both Yuuri and Wolfram have it pretty bad. I'm not sure which one is worse, to be the one to reject or to be rejected. And...that's saying something, for being one who has felt both simultaneously. If only I had an answer.

New Beginnings and Human Emotions

Welcome to my fresh new beginning. Still called Phoenix on the Shore, but this blog will be much more focused on my writing and other related creative things. Thus, I am hereby announcing my update to Kyou Kara Maou: Chronicles of Color. If you are familiar with the series and are also fond of the ramblings of an overenthusiastic mind on this particular subject, feel free to peruse it. And if you are not, go ahead anyways. My writing has improved greatly since my Fanelia: Four Years Later days, though I'm sure there is much more improvement to be made.

One of these days I will post a oneshot Kyou Kara Maou fanfic, called "Blossoms" - it is about Wolfram's unrequited love for Yuuri. While it is already written, I will post it later, maybe making a few more tweaks to it. I wanted to feel - through Wolfram - how it must be to care about someone so much, have them perfectly aware of it but not have those feelings returned. But somehow, the current time seems to be inappropriate for posting it.

Love is a tricky subject. Attraction especially; it seems to me to be something inexplicably unexplainable (yes, that phrase was coined on purpose). Human relationships and emotions are the key to every single piece of creative work that has ever existed, and often I think that there is absolutely no exception. In the past few weeks, I have gone through almost all of Jacqueline Carey's first Kushiel trilogy, watched the Korean film adaptation of Antique Bakery, and today even saw the new Star Trek movie at the theater. I wonder if anyone has ever tried anything different.