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Three years is nothing! That's how long it takes me to finish 10 episodes of an anime.

Nice meeting you! Yeah, the urge to watch anything comes and goes, especially when the formula of anime starts to feel the same. Nowadays, I mainly rewatch older anime.

We have a decent amount of anime in common. Speaking of Shin Chan, if you haven't seen the Funimation dub of the show, I would recommend it. It's a lot like the Ghost Stories dub in terms of humor.

R.I.P

Hello there. How are you?

At least the widely-available ones anyhow...

Also, your observation on his habitual "diplomatic" lying (especially to Lafiel, given her typically irascible temper) actually made me wonder if he wasn't also lying when he talked about being glad to have been made an Abh heir and all of that. But then I realised that, unlike in that hostile planet where he would have had good reason to lie (if indeed he did lie) about being "proud" of being an Abh to secure Lafiel's cooperation for their mutual survival, there seems to have been little incentive in this situation for him to go out of his way to lie to her. I guess that puts him in a very bad place after all...

Haven't seen Castlevania, only heard of the name in a gaming context if my memory serves me right (googled it just now and only then found out about the TV series based off it). But I sure hope the vampire character isn't nearly as oblivious to one's own remorseless attitude as Lafiel - or even if so, isn't framed in such an unabashedly positive light as in Crest of the Stars...

Sorry I took so long to get back.
(On Rikyu) I can immediately relate to that feeling. In fact I've even wondered if Hyouge Mono's mangaka wasn't at least partly inspired by the film's take on the subject matter.

As for procurement, let me just say that if you do find some streaming service that has relatively obscure Japanese titles on its server, I'd gladly part with my dough for it myself...

Also, there's an angle I now feel I failed to address in my previous post on Crest of the Stars i.e. the part where you point out to how frustratingly sad the experience was, one way or another (i.e. whether or not one views the show as manipulative in its intent). I've had a somewhat similar concern pointed out to me before i.e. that my reviews seem to be missing out on the intentionally tragic angle, and that the show's biased portrayal of the Abh is a deliberate part of the effect. The reason I've been unable to square off with such a viewpoint is that - in order to qualify as a legitimate tragedy, one needs to be able to at least get behind the main protagonist/s. The thing is - whether one views Jinto as a brainwashed pawn of the Abh who's playing right into their hands, or (arguably) a helpless "bystander" who sees no way out other than Abh appeasement to prevent genocide against Terrans, it's more of an exercise in frustration than tragedy. If he'd made any actual attempt at challenging/improving the status quo and then failed at it - either by changing/defying the system, or even merely trying to get out of it - then I agree it would have been tragic. Instead he just goes through the motions of toeing the Abh's line on policy matters and never even sees another alternative for himself, let alone act on one (in fact at one point he actually admits he was "glad" when he learnt that he would be an Abh heir - this was way before he could have been brainwashed, mind you - and that if he were to step down from his position he feels the people would actually look down on him for "chickening out" from his duties - that was perhaps the single most shocking moment for me)

And then there's Lafiel. As a character she doesn't seem bothered in the slightest by her predecessors' policy - rather she seems to "accept" her role in the Abh hierarchy rather enthusiastically. There's absolutely nothing to suggest that she'd do things any differently from her forebears if she were to come to power - rather, she competes for the throne simply because that's what someone in her position is expected to do. And Jinto's in love with this girl, and would do anything in his power to "support" her for as long as his relatively-short lifespan (compared to hers) permits. That for me is even harder to get behind. This is also where I feel the show's attempt to portray them as "birds trapped in cages" of their upbringings is decidedly two-faced, and the "bittersweet" doomed romance between them as an especially coy attempt to elicit the viewer's sympathy.

Once again, I know you said it's been a while since you've watched the show, but I felt that your impressions, despite being arguably "dated", were actually quite spot-on, which is why I've responded primarily based off whatever you seem to remember of the show. While I might seem to be attempting at making a persuasive case for my own position here, it's nevertheless only an attempt at explaining where I'm coming from in the context of your own observations/impressions of the show. Hope this helps.

Oh, I can't believe I forgot to mention Akira Kurosawa's 1980 film Kagemusha in my last post - it fits your description of a loosely historical fictional work that's high on entertainment value, right down to a T. And as it just so happens, it's an uncanny tragicomedy set bang in the Sengoku era, involving a what-if scenario where a body double stands in for Takeda Shingen in an attempt to stave off Nobunaga's territorial ambitions. Yamazaki Tsutomu, who portrayed Hideyoshi in Rikyu, here portrays Shingen's near-identical younger brother, and I was surprised at the actor's versatile range, given how effortlessly he slipped into such contrasting roles, and just how bang-on his casting seems in both cases.

Oh well, don't mind me - I very recently got around to starting myself off on classic Japanese cinema, and I've been on a roll ever since XD

Death of a Tea Master was actually next on my list (not in the least because I'm curious to see how Toshiro Mifune of all people would pull off the role), but the aftermath of Rikyu was (for me at least) so soul-crushing that I couldn't stand to go through it again, or worse still - bear witness to a possible hack-job in the immediate aftermath of having gone through a much more powerful depiction of the same subject matter.

My friend, you aren't exactly in the most erudite company here XD

On Sekigahara:
Even in my own case, it was more of the (borderline-)childish contrarian in me that set out to watch that film almost for the heck of it, but expecting (like you pointed out) at least some modicum of riveting entertainment, if not an especially nuanced or insightful treatment of its subject matter. It's also funny you should bring up the matter of where the hell this absurd level of characterisation comes from, because it just so happens that it's based off this revisionist novel of the same name.

Speaking of revisionism, I don't want to get into the whole Crest of the Stars matter at length again (also seeing as you're saying your own memories of the show are a bit old as it is), but I'll just say here that I felt the manipulation was fairly blatant, and doubly insulting to one's intelligence given that even someone who isn't especially politically astute can clearly see through the ruse. It's something of a double-bluff, IMO - establishing right at the outset that it's told from the standpoint of the victors, but otherwise making you believe that the author's own perspective is above the bias depicted within the show's narration, and the events as such are meant to be taken as an amoral, politically-realistic tragedy. Instead the characters' own hypocrisy (even within the context of their entrapping circumstances) becomes increasingly apparent, as does the author's enamoured ideals of what counts for "superior" character and bearing. It's not exactly subtle IMO.

That being said, your observations of historical trends in this context are spot-on: they help highlight Jinto's predicament as the biggest victim of sustained Abh propaganda and conditioning himself, as one would naturally expect under realistic circumstances (to build from your own given example, the Ottomans used Vlad Dracula's more compliant brother Radu against him - both were hostages in the Ottoman court in their youth). But unfortunately, I feel the author has been so cynical as to suggest that this was actually for the best, and that "contemptible, petty-minded" humans were actually better-off for being ruled under them. Misanthropy and cynicism of human nature isn't necessarily misplaced - it's just that the alternatives that these would-be intellects propose are often far more abhorrent than the shortcomings that they seek to address by doing so.

I dunno if you remember me from the Hyouge Mono episode discussions, but I wanted to let you know that I recently watched Teshigahara Hiroshi's 1989 movie Rikyu. Without Hyougemono's idiosyncratic comic touches, the true story has a far bleaker and haunting impact - how even a modest pursuit of artistry got entangled in venal politics. Virtually everyone's performances were as top-tier as they were understated (Yamazaki Tsutomu's portrayal of Hideyoshi was particularly spot-on), but Ishida Mitsunari's characterisation in particular was chillingly effective as a paranoid and prejudiced magistrate who insinuates into his opponents and engulfs them in a strangulating grip. Tokugawa Ieyasu also has a brief but awe-inspiring presence - he doesn't say much, but subtly gives off an aura of tremendous power. Highly recommended.

PS: I also got around to watching Sekigahara, the 2017 film I'd briefly mentioned in the forms. That on the other hand was absolute pants. Cheesy melodrama that combined historically accurate reconstructions of battle events with broad-brush characterisations that depicted Tokugawa as an unscrupulous schemer (probably a grain of truth in that) but also of Mitsunari as a high-minded idealist, which was quite laughable. Also, Japanese cinema has reached new lows if it needs to fish for leads from the pop idol industry...

It is always difficult to rate a series remake cause you have so many expectations for something to be delivered that is on par with today's quality and also drawing many comparisons.

I know alot of people have complains about the remake of Yamato and how the series has some of the most cheesy scenario's but you have to remember this a series from the 70's and although certain elements of the original were fixed and altered. I think in all honestly the studio wanted to retain some of the traditional moments of the classic yamato in the remake as well. Alot of new fans who have never seen the classic 70's series probably don't really understand that. I think it really was intentional a bit to add some of those cheesy villainy moments and contrived or cliche plot developments and classic romance scenes just to give the remake a sort of vintage charm.

I personally look at it through a different lens so to speak. I admit that by today's quality in writing, it certainly has alot of flaws, but in terms of what sci space opera presented in the 70's it was pretty amazing. Granted the remake could have adapted a series with alot more quality and writing with more logical plot developments but then again i think it would stray to far from the original and end up becoming its own series in that fashion which would feel disconnected from the original.

Usually when dealing with remakes, this is sort of my thought process and mentality of how I perceive a remade anime that is like 20 or even 30 years old. I don't know if this helps with your ratings or not, but its something to consider and think about.

Thanks bro!. You do as well :D

man i like rikyu! i have never liked a character after i disliked them for their eveil deeds. but this manga wasnt about morality of its characters, it was more about beauty and art and perspectives. tottaly amazing. i got started because a friend in discord recommended that i watch it. i fell in love with it.

I am trying to analyze Sasuke because i have never analaysed a character before. i know his goal is to be know all over japan and leave a mark history, to be the best aethsate. i am trying to figure out his inner struggles and his external struggles. i think his external struggle is for him to be a warrior or a an aethsate. that is the central struggle i think. he have inner struggles about avenging his lord or following hidyoushi. he cant get angry at hidyoushi because he understand him, right. but that is for some moment , it wasnt central. what do u think is his inner struggle? or maybe he doesn't have one?

Greetings Rosny I recently gave you a invitation to a seasonal club.
I tend to like to start a conversation with everyone I invite instead of just giving you a random invite.
*If the invite doesn't go through just message me about it*
I'm watching Shinsekai yori right now, the world building through 6 episodes has been great so hopefully it stays that way ^.^.

Dildry Yo, there's a Hyouge Mono server on discord if you wanna join. Since the manga is being translated regularly there should be lots of people who read it now. whether you like to discuss the anime or discuss the new chapters or the manga as whole, the server can be good place for any of that.
https://discord.gg/B6ATSRZ

Thanks for the friend request!

Whether you agree or disagree, I'm glad you enjoy them! Happy to be of assistance.