When you meet Edward Elric he gives off the impression that he's the short-tempered hot-headed "violence is the answer to all life's questions" kind of protagonist, and it's in fact incredible character craft that he's actually the character who ends the series with a negative-3 kill count.
God's worst soldier Edward Elric. Showed up as the youngest member of the Amestrian army, took millions of dollars from them, never followed a single order, helped dismantle their fascist regime, left with a lower kill count than he arrived with, then fucked off to go be a house-husband. Character of all time.
You know, when you said "negative-3 kill count," I, who haven't seen the anime, thought, "He resurrected 3 people?????" But I'm seeing here on the wiki that apparently resurrection in this anime is a terrible idea.
My main issue with The Other Bennet Sister (both as a book and series) is that it operates on the premise that Mary actually understands and is upset that she is not as brilliant as her sisters, when Pride and Prejudice tells us explicitly that hearing herself described as 'the most accomplished girl in the neighbourhood' at the Meryton assembly is enough for her to have enjoyed a 'pleasant' evening.
I understand that Mary is somewhat of a blank slate (given how little she is in the original novel) and thus that ability to be able to project onto her would be appealing for an author because she is the most infrequently mentioned Bennet sister. But equally, she is seldom in the story because she is not particularly relevant to the plot; it's not an oversight on Austen's part. Her character is clearly defined and we have a good sense of who Mary is (selfish and sanctimonious, rather than neglected and overlooked) even if there are not entire chapters dedicated to her.
Mary Bennet is not heroine material and that is perfectly okay.
Mary is also, by the standards of the day, constantly putting herself forward in a way which was interpreted as a moral failing.
There's a reason we have so many scenes of Austen heroines and other respectable ladies demurring when first asked to play on the piano until the host/hostess insists some more. It isn't modesty, it's morality, and it's why Mary not waiting to be asked to play and not being aware of when she's performed an excessive amount is judged so harshly.
I don't personally agree with a lot of regency lady behavioural standards, but to contemporary readers Mary is attention seeking and vain, not demonstrating any modesty or that demure behaviour which spoke of a woman having good principles. In that way she's way more like Kitty and Lydia then modern audiences can easily see, though their exhibiting takes very different avenues. But it was still an indicator of improper principles.
It's why she's included in the 'that total want of propriety so frequently, so almost uniformly betrayed by [your mother], by your three younger sisters, and occasionally even by your father' (ch35) line that Darcy writes to Elizabeth. She isn't just awkward, unlikeable, or not well rounded - she was often completely lacking propriety. Elizabeth names this judgement on her family a 'mortifying, yet merited reproach ... The justice of the charge struck her too forcibly for denial' (ch36). She doesn't make an excuse for Mary, but includes her equally in the condemnation against the behaviour of Mrs Bennet, Kitty, and Lydia.
Here's the definition of the word propriety, as I believe Austen used it in this context, from the Oxford English Dictionary: 'Conformity to accepted standards of behaviour or morals, esp. with regard to good manners or polite usage; seemliness, decorousness, decency; (observance of) convention.' That is what contemporary audiences, and the sensible characters within Pride and Prejudice itself, thought Mary was lacking. She has a problem with morals, good manners, and decorum. Not awkwardness or being unlikeable, nor shyness or trouble socialising (and in fact, I'd argue that Mary's behaviour is the opposite of shy). Though she's such a minor character it isn't as important a change, many modern interpretations of Mary are very similar to the 'Darcy isn't a snob, he's just socially awkward!' thinking which ignores the book canon.
I'm also a proponent of the idea that, where Kitty and Lydia demonstrate the flaws of seeking experiences and no reflection, Mary demonstrates the flaws of seeking only reflections and disdaining a lot of real world experiences. A situation rectified somewhat at the ending of the book, as with her sisters gone, 'Mary was obliged to mix more with the world, but she could still moralize over every morning visit' (ch61). Hopefully this situation also made her more self-aware, and less inclined to put herself forward indelicately when she didn't feel the need to compete for recognition.
It's so understandable that modern readers project social awkwardness and shy bookish-ness onto Mary, because social standards of behaviour have altered so much in 200+ years and she's a minor character, but Austen did actually write her as confident and forward to the point of vanity and disregarding morals. I have yet to see any novel that focuses on Mary recognise that, and work within that framework for her character arc. And, because it's missed, so too is the nuance of why she's disparaged by the narrator and not praised or particularly liked by Elizabeth and Jane.
This has a flow-on effect of authors needing to find some justification for why Mary is so overlooked, which, since they don't recognise Mary's own flaws, generally means they need to invent or exaggerate flaws in other characters. Which is why you get characters suddenly focusing on likeability, or looks, or social prowess, to a degree that they never did in canon, if at all. I enjoy reimaginings, but you have to be really careful and knowledgeable when making beloved characters shallower or meaner in a way they weren't in canon in order to white-wash a minor character for it to work well, and I'm not convinced they've done that in this instance.
I know I've been very harsh on Mary's character here, so I should add the disclaimer that I actually adore Mary, as I do Kitty and Lydia (yes, even Lydia). They're teenagers whose education (and emotional well being, in the case of at least Mary and Kitty) has been neglected and thrown out into society at a young age to figure it out for themselves, so I'm not at all surprised they've misstepped and gone too far in seeking external validation. Mary sure as hell didn't get enough of it growing up. But Mary isn't judged by the world because she doesn't fit the pretty, sociable, likeable mold her other sisters do, she's judged because of her own actions and the values that demonstrates to respectable society.
I just wish that more works focusing on the younger Bennet sisters recognised the actual (contemporary) errors of their behaviour in a sympathetic way and worked to show how they might improve as they grow, rather than excusing all or most of it and saying that it's everyone else who is acting wrong.
%100, weird how this misinterpretation is so common…Mary is not shy, she’s actually very thick-skinned, to the extent she completely fails to notice the unreasonable amount of time she’s been demanding attention at the piano. She likes to show off: “such an opportunity of exhibiting was delightful to her” - she continues into another song after only “the hint of a hope she might be asked again” despite the fact she is just not good at it. I don’t think it’s just regency decorum that makes this problematic either - their society was certainly less comfortable with young people who didn’t possess much talent demanding attention and applause than ours is - but I think that type of insistent misplaced self-confidence is always quite irritating…. Also, by rewriting Mary as shy and upset by her conception of her own inferiority (basically Fanny Price) you put this weird lens on the other characters treatment of her and (as Jane would say) “make everyone acting unnaturally and wrong!”😂. Yeah, if she was a sensitive Fanny maybe they should have treated her with extreme sensitivity , but it’s a fictional fact that she *isn’t … she’s more like Mr Collins, self-satisfied and oblivious to her own failings . Her problem is her lack of sensitivity , not crippling shyness or low self esteem .
See, I think Mary Bennett could absolutely be hero material, it's just that she couldn't be the hero of Pride and Prejudice. Her story has its own themes to play with.
I think that Mary has fallen victim to the Classic Autism Blunder- if someone tells you "this is what you need to be successful! Here is a list of concrete skills and talents you can acquire! Here's a bunch of frustratingly nebulous social skills you need to cultivate!", and you're on the spectrum, it's really easy to go "cool! I will do the concrete stuff that I know I can learn how to do and ignore all the boring difficult social graces!" Except that, outside some very very rare circumstances, the horrible social bullshit is the part that is going to make or break whether you can be successful.
So Mary is working very very hard to Be Accomplished- the piano! the moralizing! The reading! - and to show off that she's Accomplished. But she's presumably largely self-taught (you think Mr. Bennett is paying for tutors? Hah.), and so is not as good at any of this as she thinks she is. When you factor in that she's lacking in social graces to boot, she's embarrassing herself. But she doesn't have the social skills to even notice that this is what is happening, much less understand why she needs to notice.
If I were going to write her, I'd probably have her be able to realize that people don't really seem to like her or to appreciate her accomplishments... and have no earthly idea why, because no one has been able to get through to her why what she's doing is wrong. She knows that people react really badly to her when she plays the piano without being asked or when she tries to show off her Deep and Profound Learning. But she's under the very mistaken belief that she just isn't trying hard enough, and if she can just impress them enough with her Accomplishments (TM) then maybe, maybe, people will start to like her.
(And, tbh, I don't think anyone has tried particularly hard to explain it to her. Jane is too kind to point out someone else's flaws, Elizabeth finds Mary super grating and interacts with her as little as possible, Mrs. Bennett doesn't care because it doesn't seem to get in the way of her Look How Accomplished My Daughter Is Please Put A Ring On Her quest, and Mr. Bennett encourages her to be Like That because he thinks it's super funny.)
And the problem for Mary is... I've said it before, I'll say it again- most modern fiction set in the Regency* is functionally fantasy, it's just set in a world where social graces are magic. If you're writing A Bridgerton, everyone wants to see the heroine destroy her rival or the local Lady Catherine equivalent with three carefully chosen words and a spockbrow, without being visibly impolite. They want to see the hero and heroine verbally duking it out as a way of carefully testing each other's boundaries. Dances are wizard duels. The drawing room is a battleground.
If you look at it through that lens, Mary Bennett is actually a pretty common hero archetype- she's the kid with no talent for magic who is, functionally, trapped at wizardy death school. If you're a woman in a Regency romance, and you don't get married, you're boned, and everyone knows it. But Mary does not really have the skills to come out of The Season with a man on her arm, and everyone knows that, too. So Mary has to use whatever other skills she has- some of which will still get her a 'good grade in Accomplished Lady', some of which 'wizardy' society has no interest in- to get by.
I think you could get a really good story out of... say, a German princeling coming to town, who happens to be the most neurodivergent man in the three nearest continents, who thinks Mary's flavour of doggedly persistent autism is deeply charming. He appreciates that she can speak his language- in both senses- even if her grammar isn't quite up to snuff. He's well-read in like six different languages, he's interested in science and art and morals and would like a woman who's actually interested in debating all of these things, he's incredibly sick of the petty social-wizardy death game that is the marriage market, and he'd very much like to find a wife this year and be done with it.
Mary has to deal with her mom shoving her at him by any means necessary in ways that even she can realize are profoundly embarrassing. And with the fact that, at first, she kind of hates this guy, because he's willing to do things like 'play devil's advocate for atheism to make you really defend why religion is important', which she sees as Absolutely Heinous and Rascally Behaviour. But because of her mom's clumsy social maneuvering, they're always kind of stuck in the same room together, and he's the only person who isn't constantly reacting to her like she's doing something wrong for reasons she can't ascertain...
...and she's slowly realizing, through arguing with the princeling, that she's neither as well-read nor as deep of a thinker as she thought she was, and forcing herself to grow out of her Tumblrina Your Fave Is Problematic phase into having actual well-reasoned moral convictions of her own and being able to defend them...
...while making a fool of herself, once she's decided that courting him is necessary, by trying desperately to impress him with her other Accomplishments (TM), which would not be particularly impressive to him even if she was as good as she thinks she is, and she is not nearly there....
...and realizing that, no, this man is not a rascal, he's also got strong moral convictions and is also willing to defend them, and they're actually perfectly suited for each other if she can catch up to him intellectually.
It'd be about Mary figuring out how to woo and live with this man in a way that actually works for the both of them, rather than trying to follow her broken-ass social scripts that she can't really pull off. About her finally dropping the idea of Being Accomplished Being The Way To Find Love And Respect. About both of them figuring out how to handle the social obligations that come with being a Goddamn Rich Person without going insane, and having an easier time of it when they've got someone else to lean on.
I think that's an incredibly compelling story and one where Mary is absolutely the heroine, no character assassination needed.
*I don't think this is necessarily true of Austen, but any modern Austen adaptation is probably going to be a Regency Romance (TM) even if its source is not.
Hey guys! This was a post I was originally gonna save for after April, or later, but thanks to the ever-awesome @xmooncanary (Who downloaded her own copy of Magical Surprise Pallet digitally to send for me to transcribe and translate), you guys get this post now!
Now I had to transcribe and translate this myself since like, no proper transcriptions of the intermissions of Magical Surprise Pallet seem to exist on the internet, so I claim ownership of the translations of the dialogue and lyrics.
If you want to use them (translations or audio) in any regard, just credit me and Remmy!
Full audio logs and the translations are under the cut! (lyrics are not fully singable, but I can make a singable version if you want!)
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome! When the endless cacophony of sounds intertwine, a world of dazzling dreams is born anew. This birth, too, is a form of magic. When humans listen to music, we each experience and bring forth a myriad of emotions. These emotions may not always been the light you hope for. There may be days when you feel the world bearing upon you, and your shoulders may tremble from the sadness that threatens to overtake you.
But there's no need for you to worry about this music. This magician cast a spell, imbued a magic into the music you're about to hear. Music that will make you feel good emotions; joy, happiness, even energetic! ...Huh? "That sounds suspicious," you say? You may not believe me now, but I'm sure every single one of you have felt this spell. Even a miserable, unlucky day can turn into a fond memory. A desperate and tense situation may one day open the doors to a bright future.
I'll tell you the truth; all of you have someone in your life who is secretly pulling off tricks and feats, you just haven't realized it yet. This world we share is full of magic, and all eyes turn to it eventually, captivated. Today, the one performing these tricks is none other than me, Kaitou Kid. However, I am not alone. I'll have three assistants with me today; quirky and unique with a personality all their own.
Please, enjoy this magic in the form of song that we prepared for you~
Hey there, you've come at the perfect time. I just received a call stating that Kaitou Kid sent an advance notice to the jewel exhibition venue, and I've been racking my brain to figure it out. I've even obtained a floor plan of the venue, so I can see what possible routes he plans to use to enter, commit the heist, and escape. Would you mind humoring me as I run some deductions and countermeasures by you? I'd like a second opinion on whether they could work or not.
First up is Kid himself. Judging by heists in the past, he's bound to impersonate someone in some regard—he's a master of disguise, it's only natural. I'm certain he will make full use of his abilities here as well. Assuming he actually makes an appearance this time, I suspect he won't disguise as a police officer this time around, but rather—he may act as a normal spectator to slip into the venue unseen— as if he were simply another person among the audience. What say you?
Mm, I see. I'll take your opinions into consideration, thank you. Next, we'll go over his escape route. His go-to method is his hang glider, so given his showmanship and carefree personality, I believe he will take to the sky this night as well. Knowing that there is more risk only makes it more enticing for him, so please focus more security on the stairs and rooftop to hinder him as much as possible.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself," you say? Hm, perhaps I am. After all, he is the most sought after phantom thief who has eluded capture all this time. If anyone is to put handcuffs on him, it will be me. I will drag all his secrets to the light.
Oh man, Dad's late again. Aoko went to all the trouble of making dinner, and Kaito isn't even here either. Hm... Now that I think about it, whenever Dad's late coming home, Kaito is usually out somewhere too for some reason... Oh well, it's just more troublesome if they come home separately. The meat and potato stew will have to be fine as it is.
Also, if I make the salad too early, the vegetables will wilt while I'm waiting, so I should start making it after they get back. Whew, I want to make a seafood salad, but Kaito can't eat fish, so hmm... that's it! I'll just put in shrimp and scallops. Kaito will probably be able to eat that, since it doesn't look like normal fish. Geez, it's so hard to think of side dishes because of Kaito!
Aside from his dislike of fish, the thing about Kaito is that he just complains about everything! The other day, he nitpicked the hamburg steak Aoko made, and before that—when she made curry rice—he went on a rant like, "I'm amazed anyone could mess up curry this badly! Usually, no matter who makes it, it turns out at least halfway decent!" And then last month, when Aoko really went all out to make fried chicken, he complained that the crispiness and flavor intensity were completely inconsistent.
And yet he always grumbles about it, but in the end, he eats every last bite—that’s our Kaito for you! I mean, come on! Aoko isn't exactly a whiz in the kitchen, but she puts her heart and soul into cooking; there’s really no need for him to be so mean and to talk down to her like that. Just to eat it all anyways! Geez... And then there’s the even bigger hassle... Why on earth is Aoko making dinner for such a pain in the neck anyways?? ...Hmm. Well whatever!
The witching hour is close now. This is the time when my magic is at its peak... Mirror, Mirror, upon the wall. Who is the fairest of them all?
That’s right. Of course, I won't be stopping anytime soon. I just asked, just for the sake of asking. Hm ...What brings you here? You say a boy from my class has shown up near the mansion? Could it be that he fell captive to my charms, lost all sense of self, went on a stalking spree, and followed me all the way here from school? Hmm... I can see his pitiful figure reflected in the mirror. But you aren't welcome here, boy. You poor lamb, whose heart has been ensnared by the cruelest demon that is love... Erase all your memories of this place, and return to your own nest!
It feels like such a waste to use magic for something like this, but dealing with mere mortals is an even bigger waste of time, so I suppose it can't be helped. I have absolutely no interest in ordinary men. There is only one man I desire to possess—yes, Kuroba Kaito—The Kaitou Kid. The mirror's answer is always a mystery. It was always him. I possess a charm capable of dominating every man in the world—making them bend entirely to my will. And yet he is the only one. The face of utter defiance...
Listen here. If you think I’d give up over something like that, you’ve got another thing coming. I’ll simply wield even more powerful magic! Now, listen closely: If magic won't work on you, then I’ll use any means necessary—magical or otherwise—to make you mine. So, until that moment arrives, you absolutely must not let anyone else capture you! Good luck, Kid. I am the only one who has the right to lock you away inside the prison known as love! Heheh, ahahhah~!
Phew... Well, I somehow managed to wrap up today's mountain of work without any major mishaps. I suppose it wasn't the gem I was after, though. Just where exactly is the "Pandora"—the Gem of Life? I’ve been following in my father's footsteps—taking up the mantle of Kaitou Kid and stealing Big Jewels one after another—all to uncover the truth behind his death. But when, oh when, will I finally find Pandora? I know the rest, though. "Never forget your poker face." Right, Dad?
Well, you can't exactly call it a "poker face" if you let yourself get disappointed every single time things don't go exactly your way. But even I—yeah, even I—get stumped every now and then. Not because I can't find Pandora, mind you... but because I still don't even come close to measuring up to my old man. Back when I was a kid, the father I looked up to was an incredible magician—someone who, the moment he stepped onto the stage, could entertain any audience and leave them feeling absolutely happy.
I never realized it before, but as the Magician—the Phantom Thief Kid—who invariably claims his targeted treasure and sets the world abuzz... I sometimes wonder: if I simply keep going like this, continuing as both a magician and a thief, will I ever truly be able to catch up to my old man? It’s a bit nerve-wracking, sure... but then again, there’s no point in dwelling on it too much. After all... the true identity of the Phantom Thief Kid—the one chronicled beneath the moonlight—is no longer my father. It is me.
Now that I’ve taken up the mantle, simply catching up isn’t enough. Someday—mark my words—I will surpass you. Just you watch. Well then, Dad... tonight, the moon hangs bold and clear—a perfect sixteenth-night moon [Note: he means the moon a day after a full moon]. Welp, I suppose I’ll head out to scout that treasure I plan to steal next week.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for witnessing this truly extraordinary musical magic. Three young people—each brimming with individuality—poured their innermost feelings into song for you. And just as I, the Phantom Thief Kid, demonstrated alongside them, the thoughts and paths of human beings are as diverse as the stars in the sky. The melodies woven from these many emotions surely served to kindle a light within that one unique sentiment slumbering deep within each of your hearts. That, indeed, is the very magic I orchestrated.
Regrettably, I cannot reveal the secret behind this illusion to you. For if I were to expose the trick, the magic’s allure would vanish instantly—fading away into nothingness. Now, as the next chapter of my adventure awaits, I must take my leave. Yet I implore you: never forget the miracle you experienced here this very night. Until we meet again!
"Rune-God" is an accurate translation. "Rune" is a little prosaic but they probably wanted to avoid saying that the "Magic Knights" must awaken the "Magic Gods". Bit redundant.
But no matter how you translate it, you ruin the joke: 魔神 Mashin is a homonym of the loanword マシン Mashin, taken from the English "Machine".
americans are sooo desensitized to guns and sometimes it manifests in ways that affect your media literacy. like remember in the first episode of sherlock when john watson opens up his drawer and you see a gun in there and youre supposed to understand that this is narratively significant and conveys his suicidality as well as his willingness to skirt rules and laws but the first time i watched it i was like oh well theres his desk gun. lots of people have those
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