#sleepless paper

[papers4me]

Tohru is as popular as the boys I think. so manga readers were pretty mad when that happened.

Also, the anime love its wide shots for some reason it's literally everywhere when it's not in the manga.

Good to know that manga readers love tohru!

In the anime, tohru's selling point is her endearing kindness which unfortunately gets across as sth you should emulate & copy, kinda like the " learning lesson" from furuba, " be like tohru, kids!" & less than a characteristic trait that is both positive & negative. By cutting the bulk of tohru's emotional struggle, you fail to see how most of her kindness, while truly genuine, is also part of a shield she constructs to immerse herself in other's lives to escapee her own loneliness.

In ch 108, tohru cries thinking of kyo mentally accepting his imprisonment & says " If he's gone, I'll be so lonely": notice how she's talking abt herself more than kyo. This is NOT a tale of girl saves boy. Tohru is thinking of herself which is sth tohru is actively ignoring in the manga & anime, but only the manga shows her gradually being forced in situations where she eventually becomes self-aware & selfish. In the anime, it only comes out when she talked to Isuzu to confess.

Again, tohru's anime fame is her fixer magical charm, it is what the anime is fascinated with, the angelic mother & the fixer friend that, you guessed it: saves others. The anime, also, presents her as a stubborn lover which is way better than the (the angelic mother & the fixer friend), altho not as deep as the manga, but still, due to the shallowness of her "fixing others" role, her being a lover with agency & determination comes off strong in the anime compared with her "fixer" role, which is why tohru's scenes with kyo are one of the rarest times when tohru has a character/personality & individuality in the anime without just being " kind & nice". but those scenes are always in wide shots & focus shifts to yuki's & shigure's reaction even when it IS abt tohru!! ugh!

As for wide shots..... It is a tool, among many tools, that should be utilized to help tell a story visually. One tool should not become the designated " artistic choice" to tell a deeper emotional story, especially not when it comes to character depth... Wide shots on particular are great with comedy or closing scenes... not the go to tool to express trauma & depth.

Thank you for the info, anon<3.

[papers4me]

The Redeemable Antagonist vs The Fallen Protagonist

Don’t we love a good Redemption Arc for an interesting psychologically tortured villain? the “more corrupted” the villain is the more we cheer for them to atone & redeem themselves when we see signs for them trying or when we see glimpses of their tutored past. we cheer for them when we see the transformation signs in their behavior, hear their internal thoughts & see them struggle to mend their ways. Granted not all villains get the audience support once their Redemption Arc starts but in general this trope is widely accepted & is one of the most successful story-telling techniques & character arcs. In general, especially in fiction, reality is unfortunately not very common, audiences/readers like to believe in the inner goodness of human nature. They like to see good prevail, even if it is only within a character’s world. That’s why writers & directors include such arcs in different scales in their stories/ shows. It is guaranteed to win the hearts of the majority of audiences/readers because they feel rewarded for all the time the spent cursing the antagonist, to see them become better ppl & strive to atone for their sins creates a feeling of relief that prompts the audience/reader to watch/read more & to cheer stronger.

However, audience reaction differ entirely when it comes to fallen protagonist. The character that started the story good or naive or weak & we saw them get stronger, understand the world’s cruelty & win their small fights here & there. we dub them the “ hero” of the story/show. The hero is good. The hero must stay good. But if we see our hero, who we have been cheering for a while now, have a change of heart/ mindset & succumb to their inner demons, if we see them commit wrong acts or choose the wrong path, then it becomes a bit personal. we feel betrayed for the time we spent cheering for the hero. We  become a disappointed parent as this hero is our virtual child whom we watch grow in front of our eyes. Such change in the hero is often accompanied by justifiable causes, not justifying their wrong action itself, but justifying the reason such change in character occurs in well- written stories. You understand why the hero became the villain but you don’t cheer for them as a hero who becomes evil often commits more horrible acts than a villain at the start of their story. The fallen hero’s actions must be more horrible because this is the morale of the story: don’t fall as hard as the fallen hero. It MUST hurt stronger because it is meant to be like that. It is one powerful story telling that can create a long lasting effect in the memories of the hurt audience. However, audiences uneasiness towards such tropes often discourages the writers/ publishers/ directors to create well-written fallen heroes. A large number of audiences often drops the show/ story or call it “ bad-writing” because their beloved hero became someone else their don’t know. In a well-written story the signs of the hero’s tragic transformation must be planted from the beginning of the show in a subliminal way, so that audiences with good eyes will catch that & those who don’t will easily be able to go back & see the signs going “ oh! why I couldn’t see it when I was at this part of the story?” There Must be many different signs scattered all over the story either in the form of thoughts. behavior or dialogue. Unfortunately such trope needs an amazing writer to sell it to the audience & a brave publisher/producer to continue support it even if the audience hate it.

a very bad example is Daenerys in game of thrones. If what I heard that her final change is the writer’s intention is correct, then I can’t help but imagine How amazing her story would be if her fall to darkness is well done? She would’ve been one of the most long lasting characters in the minds of audiences & readers & one of the best fallen heroes. sadly, her change/ transformation was so horribly done! You don’t want to aimlessly & mindlessly “ shock” the audience. You want them to understand why she became “ evil/mad” & not cheer for her but instead encourage the audience to discuss the reasons such great character fell from grace. You want your viewers engage in intellectual discussions abt the corruption of power/ absolute freedom & the injustice of the world that created monsters from good humans. But alas.. Daenerys  became the most wasted character in game of thrones, let’s hope  the actual novel does it better.

In anime, I can see a good example of these two tropes in attack on titans. Riener & Eren are exceptionally well-written & have all the signs that can create a a well-done Redeemable Antagonist & an exceptionally fantastic Fallen Protagonist. I didn’t read the manga at all. But there were so many signs scattered since season 1 that there is way more into Riener than an evil character & Eren has so many well-planted signs that could serve as a good foundation in his fall from grace moment. I could be wrong off course & it could turn into sth completely different & well-written as well. but the writer has established check points for multiple characters throughout the story that could serve as a turning point once visited again. For Riener the writing is easier, turning a bad gut into a sympathetic hero is often welcomed by viewers & I can see ppl’s reaction now in Se04. but Eren is where the hard work is at. This is where the writer must flex his writing muscles. If eren will become the show’s villain,  the writer should be aware that many viewers are bind/un aware of the many signs, so how he’ll do it can affect the whole show for better or worse. I cheer for the writer to not screw up the transformation & continue establish eren as the complex character he is. The themes of the show is embodied through him. This show is not abt winning wars or friendship prevails or peace. This show is abt the darkness of human cruelty that humans are very capable of showing. It is abt the injustice of creating horrible monsters from naive children. it aims to encourage you to ponder on how can we be different from those tragic fallen heroes. I really wonder how such story will end? will the writer achieve his goal masterfully & artistically? or will we see another “ got’s Daenerys” ?

[papers4me]

Fruits Basket SE02 (ep,8)

Akito wants the so-called deluded monster:

-Akito intentionally alienated tohru from all the sohmas but Kureno points out, kyo is with her. This shows how much Akito dehumanizes kyo. she’s genuinely shocked “is it fun to be with a monster?” Akito wants tohru to be alone, so she took away the “humans” around her, except kyo becuz in Akito’s eyes, Kyo is NOT human. he is a monster.

-Kureno knows Akito. He’s lives exclusively with her, knows how she abuses others & how she thinks! Why is he bringing her attention towards kyo!!! What does he expect Akito to say?! Akito was just talking abt how much she hates tohru & enjoys making her lonely & sad!! I really do not understand Kureno at all. Is he really that stupid? Does he hate kyo, too? what abt tohru?! Doesn’t he care that Akito might go & hurt an innocent girl? He knows Akito is unpredictable! I honestly expected Akito to go & drag tohru by hair like Kana or sth... Kureno wth dude!!!!  Arisa will kick his skinny ass if she knew!!

The Constant Reminder of guilt:

Kyo/tohru time alone increases thanks to Akito. This ep alone has 3 scenes,not to mention the ones last ep. In each new scene, we notice them getting closer & learning more abt each other. Their interactions grow softer, more comfortable, more tender & with hints of unconscious flirting here & there. Their trust in each other is shown thro body language. Only tohru can touch the magic beads without him minding. As kyo tells the beads’ story, she reaches out to bring him back from the depth of darkness. He grows fonder of her that he’ll fight the damn ocean who ruined their moment & washed out Mr. hermit-crab & his castle!

-The beads origin is just sad & tragic! these things are made of human bones & blood! lives must’ve been sacrificed to give it its protective magic. No wonder kyo feels guilty! Why is kyo surrounded by death?! He is right. Why is one life more precious than the other? His mom escaped her tragic life by committing suicide & told him “i would die for you”. I hated this line in ep24. He wears a constant reminder that because of HIM others died, that he is NOT human, that others DIED for him to remain human in shape, that his monster is locked by the sacrifice of innocent lives. A reminder of Guilt. This is Tragic & heavy, it left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Confusion:

“leaving the nest” haru’s line is the gist of my long post abt yuki in ep,7. Yuki opening the lid! Although yuki is still uncertain & confused, he caused more confusion to tohru with his cryptic talk. Yuki, either tell her or not!. XD. But I gotta say, he caused me to be confused as well. The scene, his words & body language were a bit confusing & I can’t tell if my analysis in Ep7 was right or wrong, or if the show deliberately wants to prolong the possible romantic feelings to bait the viewers. Yuki’s whispering in tohru’s ear even tho he’s standing alone with her is confusing! He was just talking with her before abt the kiss & the truth. Why the sudden whisper?!

-Yuki’s interaction with kyo showcased another similarity between him & Ayami. Yuki & Ayame both have this cocky aura. The I’m better than you peasant feel. Aya showed it repeatedly when interacting with tohru & kyo but it’s warped in a funny-Aya feeling to add comedy. But he does see himself better than others. Yuki shows this side to kyo. He really looks down on kyo, although he’s admittedly jealous of him But this cockiness shows itself in the form of insults & body language. his insults always come from a higher place. I bet that once yuki sheds his mask, we’ll see more of this cocky side. But I duno if the writer will wrap it with comedy as they did with Aya. Anyway, while yuki is right to warn kyo against lashing out on Akito, he’s not right abt thinking he’s better. He isn’t. No one is better than the other. you are both lost, tragic & hopeless fools lashing at each other, both trapped by a lunatic family head, so calm down yuki. XD

Minor criticism:

The language used in tohru’s inner talk was weird. she’s using metaphors & I duno..It didn’t feel like a normal inner speech & it annoys me. Even if the writer wants to use figurative speech, introducing it thro inner talk is weird. You don’t talk to yourself saying..his voice is like silent raindrop..what’s that even mean!!

Side notes:

Kureno is not a zodiac? he wasn’t to begin with or he was & then isn’t anymore? why does he need to pretend if he isn’t? Do the others know? does shigure know? Does it mean the curse can break without tohru’s help?

kagura got told by Rin! Finally someone cared for her! “when will you stop playing pretend love” will cause her to rethink her forced love for kyo.

Rin called it “pretend love” implying Kagura is pretending consciously.

Kyo is drawn differently again. He looks way older than SE01 & the beginning of SE02. Is that on purpose since he’s the only one who looks older? he got a growth spurt?! XD If so, that’s quite refreshing of the animators to show characters growing physically & not at once. Normally anime characters stay the same or they all grow together at once!

Yuki being sassy with shigure is amazing! But shigure is no weak opponent. he strikes back deliberately making Yuki hear him describing Akito’s hatred of tohru. wanting Yuki to go after Akito. Another scheme to plant a future seed that can cause cracks in Akito’s system.

I have explained before why I find the writer extremely talented when it comes to writing kyo & tohru’s domestic/normal interactions. They are built with such ease & talent that you find yourself enjoying the normal moments. I’m so amazed & grateful to have experienced such excellent showcase of relationship building in anime!! truly rare & captivating. Kudos to the their voice actors for delivering the moments perfectly. The Japanese duo are so good, especially kyo’s! he’s fantastic!! but I’m exceptionally happy with the American duo! You can tell Tohru’s American voice actress is enjoying her work! & Kyo’s American voice actor can go back & forth between tenderness & anger with such ease & talent! Mad respect.

Tohru is the cutesiest cutie in cute-land.

Rin nearly killed tohru!! wth! & ruined her cute blouse! & cute sandcastle & nearly stepped on her cute new friend! Mr. hermit-crab !! Why so angry at my cute daughter!

Akito vs kyo next!! I love tragic drama in fiction. don’t judge me.

[papers4me]

You said you loved all FB characters, but who was the character you never cared about at all?

Oh I really like all Furuba's characters, except kyo's dad & Akito's mom, but I'm starting to see these two in new light now that the anime is over. Not liking them at all. They’re 100% negative & toxic even within the canon story!, but now I really see them, if you get what I'm saying. They’re the core of two characters: kyo/akito who affected other characters as well. I'll post my new thoughts abt them when I reach their manga chapters.

But character I never cared abt... umm... motoko! simply cuz her worshiping yuki is presented as sth with more positivity than negativity. In Furuba... " bullying" is a fun comedic gag if it is not directed to a sohma.

Her bullying attitude was never condemned beyond how it affected tohru briefly. Tohru was protected by the power of Uo/Hana. She continued to lead her army of worshipers into idolizing him & they bullied machi, which was totally fine (wasn't really) as it was used as a romantic tool to bridge the gap between yuki & machi, & a tool to set machi aside from the rest of yuki blind idolizers cuz she's the only one who " sees" the real yuki.. We saw motoko herself bullying kimi for... wait for it.. talking to yuki in a "scandalous manner" .. how dear she.. the innocent boi will be devoured by this female snake! but kimi stood her ground & taught them a lesson... more like bullied them back for gags & laughs...

Also, once motoko decided that tohru is good for yuki & stopped bullying tohru in her mind, we went deep into how her worshiping obsessive attitude is healthy for her & yuki.... her stalking, idolizing, preventing him from talking to ppl normally & locking him into a caged persona is what made their highschool years so memorable, they're literally floating. Her toxic love must be respected... therefore, Yuki is thankful. While they float, did their bullied victims who dared to love yuki differently float with them?.. I wonder.

Lots of time & space is dedicated to make this toxic one-sided relationship cute. All of us belong into fandoms & have ppl we idolize, it's cool. but once your feelings leave your chest & become toxic actions directed into the idolized target & his/her inner circle .. it's no longer cute...

I heard the author supports/loves/shiershes her. Maybe .. it's a cultural thing? idolizing someone romantically is cute in Japan? I duno.. The kpop culture is similar to this... " how dare you date oppa! he's an innocent man who never even kissed his own mommy!"... Even the west has similar attitude, but instead of wanting the idol stay " version/pure", the idolization is directed towards the idol's persona..making him/her untouchable & setting on a high pedestal of a constructed image...

My point is... Furuba poses as this " educational" show. lots of direct lessons are given on a regular episodic manner & very direct language & imagery either by tohru, shigure, kyoko or yuki. Very direct. but still fails to comment on school bullying/ idolization/ fanclubs culture. If the FB wasn't abt giving mature advice, I wouldnt care at all... School Rumble is an example where such extreme things can be treated as gags. That show is just romantic fun comedy, nothing more.

This is a part of Furubsa than I don't like. It's not cute to stalk & impose ur perspective on others. Motoko, according to the author, is shown to love yuki purely & genuinely but wrongly. That's why machi is created to be better & love him rightfully. Motoko is created to make us appreciate machi... too bad in the anime.. motoko had more character existence than machi. But motoko was never created to comment on the toxic fan culture. On the contrary, the fanculb continues till yuki graduates & yuki is shown be thankful.

Bullying is a serious traumatic experience in high school & is presented inside a show which discusses child trauma as a core theme. Nothing abt it deserves a graduation song, nor floating montage.

Thanks fore the ask!

[hiphopkins-blog1]

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HipHopkins - Sleepless Paper A simple mix of drums, strings and piano to make it easy for any artist to write for.