#edward/maurice

[kuroshitsuji-wiki]

Trivia: Public School Arc and more!

A wiki is renownedly never done. However, after a major set-back and subsequent migrations, I have finally finished all major Season 4/Public School Arc-related edits on the wiki!!! (Unless wiki.gg suddenly bans the words "witch" and "werewolf," Season 5 edits should be done much quicker and with far less head- and heartache.)

While I was actually fixing up the final page on my list, I saw the news that the manga is coming back and hurried to report on that mid-page-revision. It was... interesting timing.

One of the things I was unable to do during the airing of Season 4 because I was just too busy with other stuff was going through all of Mr. K's and Yana's tweets, extracting all fun trivia, and adding them to the wiki. I have done that now, but also thought I could bundle them all up and share them here too!

Public School Arc trivia

Otoha wrote the opening "The Parade of Battlers" based on the entirety of Kuroshitsuji, particularly on Ciel's life, not just on the Public School Arc.

Ciel has a cookie in his mouth when he hurries to school in the first chapter/episode of the arc and not a piece of toast because Queen Elizabeth II apparently had cookies and tea first thing in the morning.

Soma's observation in Chapter 71 that Cole is "a bit like Ciel" was also meant to refer to the Chapter 129 reveal.

Mr. K said that Violet's drawing of Ciel and the Jabberwock could mean that he is hostile towards Ciel or that he wants Ciel to eradicate something sinister at school, like St. George did. (Per legend, St. George once killed a dragon that extorted tribute from villagers.)

In the fourth episode, Sebastian reads out a Latin poem (part of the Elegiae) to his class. They have a special languages expert on the anime team, and he apparently approved Daisuke Ono's Latin pronunication on his first try, to everyone's surprise.

While making the chapter, Yana had concerns that Ciel could not possibly throw the lantern far enough for it to land inside the Violet Wolf dorm. Mr. K brushed her off though, but later realised that he was wrong. They asked for Sebastian to help Ciel get the lantern to its destination in the anime.

The order in which the cricket teams enter the grand hall for the eve of the tournament party corresponds with their ranking in the previous year's tournament. (Meaning, in 1888, the ranking was: 1. Green Lion, 2. Scarlet Fox, 3. Violet Wolf, 4. Sapphire Owl.)

It was obvious, but Mr. K confirmed that yes, Vincent did not win the cricket tournament fairly, and that Francis and Tanaka know the truth behind the first Miracle of Sapphires.

Yana consulted the Japanese Cricket Association about the "Sword in the Stone" technique. They were surprised by her idea, but gave her the green light for it as it did not violate any rules then.

Mr. K said it is a "positive technique that proves that there is a way to fight even if you're not a star player = someone who cannot pull the sword out."

Yana actually said that what she did to Joanne Harcourt is terrible.

Tanaka and Francis' dance during the afterparty was Yana's personal highlight.

Because Eton College has a "Fourth of June" celebration (though it does not entail a cricket tournament), the tournament takes place on June 4th too. Eton College's festivities do include a boat parade though; it was the basis for Weston College's.

The director Kenjiro Okada added Maurice's little appearance in the penultimate episode.

They might not have been able to make the Public School Arc if they had not had the help of Rico Murakami, the historical advisor.

The covers for chapters 68, 71, 72, 73, and 83 were drawn in the style of Alfons Mucha, obviously.

Character trivia

Francis Midford is the only human character Sebastian is afraid of.

Agni is the strongest human character in the series.

Because Edward is the heir of a marquess, he could have been in Scarlet Fox too.

Mr. K noted that Edward's ability of "single-minded respect" might make him powerful in battle one day.

According to Mr. K, Soma just cannot read the air; still, he gets along with everyone (except Sebastian). He is also one of the few "purely good" characters in the series and always believes in the goodness of people.

Bluewer knows the Weston College rules by heart.

Clayton raises his hands extra high when Sebastian carries Ciel away after they won the tournament because that is how one claps in the Imperial Theatre. Mr. K noted that this might mean that he is actually a nice person.

Maaya Sakamoto was a bit worried for Ciel to have to go to school as he's such a loner and not good with people. He ended up positively surprising her though with how well he handled the situation.

The question of "can Ciel even do this?" actually came up during the first Public School Arc manga meeting. Yana and the others decided that Ciel gained enough experience during the Circus Arc and would be fine. Yana also noted that while Ciel "might not have grown much in terms of appearance or ability" since the first chapter, he is nonetheless "growing steadily and brazenly on the inside."

It was difficult finding a replacement for Tanaka's late voice actor Shunji Fujimura. For that reason, the team decided to bring back Mugihito who voiced Tanaka in the first Drama CD.

Lau talks like a Japanese mafia boss despite his cluelessness.

Yana remarked that Lau and the Viscount of Druitt have the odd tendency to always be there for important points in the story.

Because the Midfords are a family of swordfighters, Yana asked Aniplex to make them look strong.

Other trivia

New staff members could not believe that Kuroshitsuji has a cast full of prominent voice actors. For example, they were surprised that Finnian is voiced by Yuki Kaji.

The little "in-between/breather" chapters are difficult to animate because they often feature a different setting, different characters, different clothes, etc. They are just as demanding to make as a new season.

For basically the same reasons, "breather" chapters are amongst the most difficult/tedious chapters to make amongst the manga staff too. E.g. the boat parade and the afterparty were hard to make because so many characters appeared, many of which even needed new clothes for the occasion.

The Luxury Liner Arc was the most difficult arc to make, according to Yana's assistants: Back then, everything was still done manually, and they could not copy-paste the Bizarre Dolls, for example. The tilting ship also made things extra hard, and Yana had to make a little model out of a milk box as a visualisation help.

Death Scythes (especially Grelle's and Undertaker's) make Yana's assistants despair. Yana later asked a professional to make 3D models of them so that drawing them would be easier.

Mr. K (and another K-san from the Media Division) always supervise the voice recordings for episodes.

The design of the saucer on the cover of the Monthly GFantasy May 2024 issue is a nod to the Public School Arc.

Her research for the Public School Arc helped Yana make Twisted Wonderland.

The more sinful a person is, the stronger are their "future episodes".

I might have forgotten something, but that should be (almost?) all of them^^'

Hope we get a lot of information from Yana and Mr. K during Season 5 too!

[imviotrash]

I love this thing

The Chess-Rock ♟️ 🪨

[tormiichu]

got bored and made these😈

[dailymidford]

[morrieandlicky]

Sweet Moments Between Maurice and Alec That You Have Not Seen Before (From E.M. Forster's 1st Draft for Maurice)

Context: Forster's first version of Maurice, finished in 1914, has a rather different ending than the final published version (no hotel scene, and no boathouse reunion). See here.

Forster's first draft for Maurice is, in my opinion, the rawest in terms of boldly displaying the love shared between Maurice and Alec. This version shows much more of Alec's emotion and tenderness, as well as of Maurice's sentiments and affection towards Alec. It is definitely not as subtle as the final version, with quite a few straightforward declarations of love.

Hence, I'm disappointed that Forster did not manage to integrate at least some of these 1914 texts into the final version: it would've made the love between Maurice and Alec much more pronounced and convincing, as well as made Alec a character with more depth and feelings.

Having read Forster's first draft for Maurice, I share below some of these moments between Maurice and Alec that are not in the final version (ordered on how lovely I think each moment is. Bolded texts are the highlights).

1. After running into Mr. Ducie in the museum and Maurice bursting out to Alec.

M: "I'd possibly have blown out my own brains."

A: "Why?" he asked, stopping dead.

M: "I should have known by that time that I loved you."

A: "You can't, sir, you couldn't."

M: "I love you, sir be damned."

A: "Maurice"—never before had the word been spoken—"you're an angel."

M: "I don't want to hear that."

A: "Maurice, Maurice" his voice failed also; he had once said the rest to a woman. "Maurice - what you've said I feel. Understand?"

M: "I think so, but I want to be sure. Remember those rose bushes in the other rain? - Look at me hard - That's right. That'll do. It's settled." (Maurice is referring to the moment when Alec ran in the rain across the rose bushes at Penge just to see Maurice's face.)

2. The conversation after Maurice refuses to stay the night with Alec—a scenario that only happens in the first draft in 1914. Be prepared for tears.

A: "Come just for a little to me."

M: "If I came it would be for ever."

A: "Ever's the best."

M: "Why, man, you sail Thursday."

Alec found no answer.

...: here's when Maurice explains in a long paragraph why they can't be together because of their class difference and the fact that they're both men. But in this long paragraph Maurice pretty much brings up wanting to marry Alec—"We can't have the particular thing we want (which is roughly speaking marriage) unless we sacrifice something else"

M: I thought from that letter of yours you might want me to come. But, Alec, come where to?"

A: "I'd know if you weren't a gentleman," Alec said. "We'd a' found work together as mates."

M: "Yes, and if you were a gentleman, I'd take you this minute to my home.

A: "I'd a' been what young Clive was to you, then."

M: "He's a saint and we aren't. Leave out him."

A: "I'd a' been yours till death, then." ("I would've been yours till death, then")

M: "Out there if you get a chance to marry, take it. That's what I wish.

A: "Maurice, what'll you do without me, dear? Have you no other friends?"

Maurice dared not look forward to his own future. He rushed on the parting.

M: "And if there's ever a child, I shan't ever have that, so remember me."

A: "I'll remember you, child or none. God bless you. O God bless you, and be with you if I can't."

3. Right after Maurice puts his hand on Alec's back in the museum

"Yes, awfully serious," remarked Maurice, and rested his hand on Alec's shoulder, so that the fingers touched the back of the neck, doing this merely because he knew that he loved Alec, that he loved him not as a second Dickie Barry, but deeply, tenderly, for his own sake, beneath weakness and vulgarity.

4. In the museum, Alec in pain and acting cute

[Alec] had bitten his lip, his eyes were red too; face and body were cramped with pain.

M: "Alec -"

A: "Alec am I?"

M: "I'm sorry I used that other name of yours."

A: "Don't speak to me," he growled, "let me go, you calling me Alec when I"

M: "Did you give me away then on purpose?"

A: "You're correct.

M: "Was it to get money - or only to do me harm?"

A: "I couldn't say."

M: "Come, let's get away where we can finish our talk."

A: "What? What do you say?"

M: "Come along, Alec."

A: "Do you call me that still?"

M: "Come away, man, don't break down for God's sake...." He took hold of [Alec's] arm. The touch was not reminiscent; it hinted at a relation to come.

A: "Oh but you must, I want it." Alec yielded.

5. Maurice at night thinking about Alec's letter

He tried to forget the treacherous letter, but it stole back to his mind, and he suffered most during moments in bed, when it masqueraded as a real love letter, and offered him the completeness that Clive enjoyed with Anne.

(This is brilliant writing because we, as readers, know that Alec's letter is a love letter, yet Maurice's "muddles" prevent him from seeing it as a love letter, and it is only at night, when he's craving Alec's presence, that he's able to allow himself to see the truth and succumb to his feelings for Alec.

Here, again, is also a suggestion of Maurice wanting to marry Alec, like how Clive married Anne)

6. One version of Maurice's and Alec's first night together

A: "Good evening - sir, said the low voice. Was you wanting something? Couldn't you sleep?" It was the gamekeeper.

On your rounds? gasped Maurice, trying to sound natural, and felt corduroys. Their touch disconcerted him. Whither was he tending from Clive into what companionship?

A: "Just wait till I've set down my gun - eh aren't you trembling?"

M: "So are you - ah don't."

A: "Don't you like that?"

M: "I don't know."

A: "Christ you're fussy. Don't you like me to touch you."

M: "That's you lad."

A: "Yes."

Side notes: hopefully these will shut all the detractors (of the relationship between Maurice and Alec) up—namely Clive apologists, Clive+Maurice shippers, and all of those dark academia classist out there.

[sitronel]

Another thing I made 3 years ago...

[pxndragvns]

•┈┈┈••✦ "his butler, in disguise" ✦••┈┈┈•

[missyterry]

For some reason I can imagine Richard Ayoade as the Riddler. Like the way he's played Moss in IT Crowd is the perfect weird nerd that he could be pre-Riddler but then his wit and the way he goes on stupidly angry rants is SO Riddler

Basically I've been binging IT Crowd and also the Big Fat Quiz and it's mixed with the Riddler hyperfixation

[citizenscreen]

‘Maurice Chevalier Does a Song and Dance’ by Edward Steichen, New York 1929

[every-black-butler-food]

[a-greatpers0n]

I need to let my anger and sadness out omg

this is like a post to js let it out if ig? Idk my friends tell me to shut up when I mention gay fictional guys who make me upset. Just my opinions bc they r just grrr they make me upset and also SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS sorry I’m really emotional rn idk why

[imviotrash]

Weston tinies for your enjoyment because i Just got my hands on the Yen Press edition of the Manga!

Allow me to Yap a bit about it because I think comparing the German edition that I own to the US one is kinda cool!

Some differences I noticed:

-The Yen Press edition is a little larger, allowing for a better viewing experience. Although I do prefer my Mangas to be compact for transportation.

-The description of the volume is much more elaborate and I quite prefer it over the German one. Each back cover also features an illustration, which the German version does not have ;0; WHICH IM SO SAD ABOUT BECAUSE I REALLY LIKE THEM!! (I'm hoping to get my hands on volume 16 soon. I think this was the one with the "Drudges" (*cough* that's not what they're called *cough*) in the library!)

I was aware of some of these illustrations but was quite surprised to find that every volume has one!

-The Yen Press edition sits at a whopping 13$ USD which is around 11€. Quite a difference to the 7€ I paid (although current Manga printings cost around 8,50€, still quite a large difference, but an understandable one considering all the extra content the Ger. edition just- doesn't have)

-The Yen Press edition features Translator notes, which are super fun if you like trivial facts. Thanks to them I discovered that Weston was named after the street Eton is on!!! Very very cool!

The German edition uses asterisks to make footnotes on a page. The elaborations there have to be short to save space of course, but this allows someone to immediately have access to missing context instead of always having to go to the last page. Both have their pros. I think a mix of both is quite cool!

-The Yen Press edition also features Yanas Author notes, which are unfortunately not present in the German pressing I own!

-I have no evidence of this as of yet, but I believe there is some bonus content that is not present in the series I own. In particular the little fairytale side comic which I was not able to find anywhere in the Mangas I own. If someone knows which volume it is in I'd be grateful to know.

[expo63]

Hello Tumblr Mauricians – you are being very quiet about Faber & Faber’s newish YA editions of A Room With a View and Maurice.

Thoughts?

POI (because I flicked through the YA Maurice in an actual bookshop):

Both are fat hardbacks (RRP £16.99 each)

The illustrations are not numerous: don’t buy this expecting a graphic novel

Yes, the illustrations are as cute/twee (delete according to taste) as they look

Because of the above I was unsure whether one illustration (cricket) is meant to be of Alec or Maurice, or who Maurice is snogging on the cover

Alec makes a definite, if distant, appearance in one further image: the film-canonic rear two-shot of M&A under the umbrella as they approach the museum

And yes, someone decided the covers should be (hot) Pink for Girls for ARWAV and Blue for Boys for Maurice

[dailymidford]

[morrieandlicky]

Happy Birthday to George Merrill who inspired E.M. Forster's "Maurice" and also paved the way for gay men to cruise and have sex in public lol—WELL YES HE DIED SO GAYS COULD HAVE PUBLIC SEX

In short, George Merrill was a horny man.

August 16th is the birthday of George Merrill, lifelong partner of Edward Carpenter who, together, inspired Forster to write the love story of Maurice and Alec—with Merrill directly causing Forster to come up with the tale by touching his butt.

George and Alec are similar in many ways—besides the obvious fact that both were working class men in a relationship with upper class men:

both swore a lot—George once swore in front of a kid and got reprimanded by the gentlemanly Carpenter

both "clocked" their lover for being gay just by looking at them,

both were love-at-first-sight with their partners

both were the one who pursued their lover for sex—Alec did so twice with Maurice, while George followed Carpenter for a mile and asked him to come over to his (George's) place

Alec is described by Forster as "the sort of person in whom all meet"; George is described by Carpenter as "accepted and... beloved by both my manual worker friends and my more aristocratic friends", and by Forster as "uneducated and sentimental, yet one feels a great respect"

both were sexually experienced

both didn't care for religion: George never read the bible, thought Jesus spent his last night in the garden having sex with someone, and once told a preacher to get the hell out.

both have cute nicknames: Alec's is Licky, George's is Geordie and Georgette

both are said to be masculine and have great physique

You can learn more about George Merrill here. It's an unpublished biography written by Carpenter himself—a biography of someone written by their very own lover!

But what I also want to talk about here is just how horny and sexually experienced with men George Merrill in fact was.... HE WAS A SLUT, respectfully!

I'll keep it short, but the story (also mentioned here) is that:

M.D. O'Brien, a far-right activist, wanted to take down Carpenter by incriminating George—he knew George was Carpenter's lover, not just a servant, and that George was very active in copulating with other men (he and Carpenter had an open relationship).

So O'Brien interviewed many men who knew of George's indecent conduct seeking for sex, which included:

placing his hand upon other men's thighs (likely taught by Carpenter who, in the same police report, was said to have done it)

using wanting to pee as an excuse to show off his erect manhood to other men—then placing his hand upon their thighs

straight up taking his manhood out of his trousers and asking other men to touch and feel it

bringing other men home at night, serving them wine and cigars, drawing the curtains, then sitting on their knees

These examples were told by men who refused George Merrill's advances—now imagine the amount of men who have accepted!

Fortunately both George and Carpenter got away from O'Brien who was years later jailed for libeling against his own wife and mother.

Additionally, George called O'Brien "the rotter of a cur" and that " It would be a pleasure to just twist such vermin’s necks;" and Carpenter was extra protective of George—didn't blame him for the O'Brien incident, even though it was George's promiscuity and indecency and straight-up horniness and hyper-sexuality that caused the troubles!

I knew these from the old letters and documents that I gathered at different archives in the UK, in addition to the biographies of Carpenter I read. I'm still transcribing some letters and reports. Feel free to DM me if you've any question.