#*adds this to the holy trinity of my lyric arts*

[coconut530]

Putting filters on your art is something that can be so sexy actually

[likeaflowingriver1019]

Afterthoughts about 🍌 🐟

So I finished watching banana fish and I will save this spot to write some personal reviews and opinions.

「時の中に閉じたバラは枯れずに咲き続ける　愛のひとひらは 胸の奥にしまっておこう　永遠の時に閉じて」

I first heard about this work on Tumblr when someone was talking about the so-called “holy gay trinity”, which includes YOI, BF and Jeweler Richard, so I kind of like “well it sounds like nothing to do during this summer break on the way to graduate program plus quarantine why not start some new stuff to get into”. Long story short I first know about YOI in 2016 but I stopped watching it in the middle of airing I didn’t know why. I picked it up and finished watching it. It was a great show and it is literally making history throughout the time. Then I started watching Jeweler Richard and that was very good too. Put in one word or icon to summarize those I would use the the art style of female directors at Takarazuka, for YOI I will take it as 小柳奈穂子-ish and for Jeweler Richard I will say it is very 植田景子-ish. I would probably talk about them in the new posts. Those are just very personal view and if you don’t know about Takarazuka and those female theater directors you will have no idea what I am talking about.

And after I finishing these two I started watching BF, which is my favorite among the three and I will give it totally 上田久美子-ish.

There is an important thing I want to say that episode 24 of BF was in air somehow around Dec. 21st and that is also the day of F. Scott Fitzgerald ‘s death. People won’t take this seriously but it really means something for me that 月組 also revived the show The Last Party - S. Fitzgerald's Last Day. It was played by 月城かなと as Fitzgerald, 海乃美月 as Zelda and 暁千星 as Hemingway. They mentioned 楽園のこちら側 (This Side of Paradise), 美しく呪われし者 (The Beautiful and Damned) and 夜はやさし (Tender in the Night) in the play, but regrettably no ワルツは私と (Save Me the Waltz). I will talk more about this work later.

You know there are many literature references regarding the works by Hemingway and Fitzgerald in the plot and the ending cards of each episode, and the day of the double-shoot is just a ... mental suffering.

It also reminds me of Sisi, the Empress of Austria, but I would like to call her エリザベート. This vibe starts with a realization that the way Ash and Sisi died somehow shares something in common as they are both stabbed by someone else (although Lao is intentionally but Lucheni was not). It is sad and very torturing for me think about this because Sisi is my favorite historical figure and a character in Musicals, no exceptions. Thinking about two favorite characters died in same way is a terrible but blessed experience, no matter how you understand it. In Sisi’s “I-want” song Ich Gehör Nur Mir there is line saying she wants to be a bird and fly to the sea, and you know that Eiji jumped over that wall in EP1 like a bird, so...there is nothing left for me to say.

I also want to add that I found 七海ひろき probably is a great fan of BF (and I am not surprised that she is) because in some photos of her 入待ち/出待ち she was taking a Tasche with contents related to BF on it or it is just an official goods but I don’t know. 壮一帆 also mentioned in her radio program when ポーの一族 was on stage performed by 花組 in 2018 that she see this work as her “bible”, and she also agrees that it would be fascinating if River Phoenix would be able to perform Ash in a real person adaptation of BF.

I did start to rewatch ポーの一族 as well as はいからさんが通る to get a little bit more sense of so-called 少女漫画. I found that together with BF these three are all categorized as 少女漫画, the differences between them are too much to list. Like many other people I questioned a lot why BF is also categorized in it because there are many things in it you won’t be able to see in other works in the same genre. But during my second watching of BF I somehow could get a glimpse that it is truly a 少女漫画. And I think the main issue is with the logic in the plot. Sometimes you don’t need a very sophisticated logics in the plot as you need in Desinated Survivor or Into the Night (yes they are my two favorite Netflix shows) . Thinking about はいからさんが通る, do we need so much reasons for 少尉 doing whatever he can to get 紅緒 out of trouble? So the twist is the same at here, although the relationship between Ash and Eiji is not simple as it between 少尉 and 紅緒, but might be as complicated (in a good way and needs effort to interpret) as Edgar and Alan? I put my words here because when Yut-Long wants Ash to give him the research materials about banana fish and go back to Golzine otherwise he will kill Eiji, Ash then go to Max and asked for the files (with his gun aiming at Max). Max almost doesn’t say nothing and gives it to him but he points out that Ash is doing this for Eiji. I think this part is kind of out of the logic because Max would not be so willing to give the files to him, and Ash did all those things only because of the threat that If he doesn’t do this Eiji will be killed by Yut-Long and Blanca. This is a completely 少女漫画 thing I would say, and it is not bad.

My favorite episode is definitely EP9 “Save Me the Waltz”, Save Me The Waltz is a novel written by Zelda, and this is the only literature work that has been mentioned in the ending cards that written by female writer. This is one reason and feminists like me love those small detailes that can inspire a lot of interpretations. Ash’s appearance in this episode is fabulous, and it is a classic actualization of カリ��マ, as you might see in the 中詰 of EXICTER!! The moment when Arthur loosing the chain and Ash reaching for gun looks like an angel is forced falling to the ground, it is beautiful.

The discussion in episode 17 when Ash and Eiji heading to Long Island on the Ferry was amazing. I keep thinging of the song 彼女はエメラルド by DaizyStripper. I strongly recommend you to check it out. I would also want you to go over the album Born To Die by Lana Del Rey, especially Dark Paradise and Summertime Sadness. You may also want to try Old Money and Young And Beautiful. It is better for you to do this after finishing the whole season, but it’s completely up to you.

I also love how eng subtitles translate THAT line as “I am going prostituting”, which is much better than the Simplified Chinese version. 

I went to New York first time in my life in 2017, by that time I am not obsessed with anything related to this “greatest city in the world”. I also went to St. Petersburg and Moscow this year and that was my first time to visit Russia. My second visit to NYC was in 2018 when I was there for getting a visa to Germany. I went to Trinity Church for Alexander Hamilton, Elisabeth Schuyler and Angelica Schuyler (okay I know it is not a proper time to reveal this but I think lot about “everything is legal in New Jersey” for the episodes when Ash was in that psychiatric facility in NJ). In 2019 I was obsessed with another fandom which I choose not to tell at here but I want to visit Queens at least once in my life time.  Finally now in 2020 I am recalled back to this great city and observe more -- the lovely the disgusting things, as well as the summertime sadness.

From that Hamilton vibes I also want to say that Garden of Light makes me think of Who lives, Who dies, Who tells your story. It seems that BF brings in more ideas to the discussion about “what is legacy”, the question that never will be out of date. 

And...this is just a meme but how about THE PHANTOM OF THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY??? 

「私の真の愛を受け止めて　いつもあなたが　音楽で私の心　包むように」

The song that immediately came to my mind after the ending of EP24 was the last number of musical Don Juan in Act 2, which is called Don Juan Est Mort. In Japanese version directed by 生田大和 and played by 望海風斗 this number has a lyric like “愛に呪われて愛に散った男 忘れない”, which impacted my heart with the insurmountable sorrow and sadness. I never feel drastically sad when I watch the ending of Don Juan, but this time I feel more than anything I have came up with when I do it. 

Please let me to share something personal at here:

Aslan means “dawn”. Ibe’s niece has 曉 as her name. I also have 晓 in my name. My mother chose this character for me because I was born at 7am in the morning. When I was reading Garden of Light I think there are so much feelings that I couldn’t express perfectly in words. I know I am strongly related to this story and I am so happy I get to know this amazing work. This is a epic I will never forget. 

[homesteadchronicles]

Ten Songs Tag

Tagged by my fellow muso, @lady-redshield-writes! Thank you so much for the tag, my friend! I am always up for discussing music. Plus, your answers were super insightful, and I found some new music to jam out to!

Any of my fellow musicians, instrumentalists, vocalists, or appreciator of the arts are hereby tagged, if they find themselves so inclined to participate!

RULES: Post ten songs you are currently obsessed with and explain what caused or created this obsession!

1. “New Rules” - Dua Lipa I’ve been obsessed with this song since I first heard it on my family vacation to Walt Disney World this past December and I still listen to it consistently. Dua Lipa’s voice could only be called angelic, with a falsetto rivaling that of Allen Stone - and from a female, such a feat is almost unheard of. It’s rare to find a song on the radio that actually rejects sleeping around with the wrong person and instead solidifying healthier habits, denying toxic lifestyles and emphasizing the importance of oneself instead. Way to go, Dua Lipa!

2. “In Shallow Seas We Sail” - Emery Emery holds a special place in my heart as a band that can encapsulate the angst plaguing young adults. Most artists resonate with middle/high schoolers, but Emery speaks to me more now as an adult than they would have when I was younger. Plus, that voice? Gorgeous. This specific song has so many layers to get lost within. To me, it truly portrays that feeling of drowning in the midst of waves.

3. “Isn’t He (This Jesus)” - Natalie Grant This song really grew on me. I’ve always loved Natalie Grant, but this didn’t click with me at first. My mom sent me a link to this, overly excited to see that she had released new music after the surgery on her throat. Thankfully, she didn’t pull a Julie Andrews and came out all the stronger because of it. At first, I thought the song was decent, but it never hit home with me. Even still, I kept putting it on repeat while I wrote and I soon found myself worshipping in the midst of writing sessions instead. There’s something so...pure about this song. It’s raw, it’s honest, it’s simple. It doesn’t feel the need to be flashy, which I admire.

4. “Skyfall” - Our Last Night (OPB. Adele) I thought I liked Skyfall when it first came out - and then I heard this rendition. HOO BOY, was I in for a surprise! One of my friends, who apparently knows OLN, has been telling me to listen to them forever now and I never did. I turned this on while out on a walk and jammed to their music the rest of the night home. If you like pop-punk covers of already-phenomenal music, you might need to give this a listen...and then to their “Shape of You” cover, too.

5. “Party Tattoos” - Dodie This song goes against everything I normally listen to and I still am unsure why I like it so much. My friend included it in their character playlist and I just kept it on loop for days. It’s this wonderfully peppy, easygoing song with a slightly morbid undertone to its meaning. Maybe the mystery intrigues me so much? If you’re into indie music, give it a listen.

6. “Let the Flames Begin (Live)” - Paramore Paramore formed one part of my musical holy trinity throughout my childhood (along with Fall Out Boy and Panic at the Disco), and even though I no longer connect to their newer music, they still hold a special place in my heart. I’m not normally a fan of live performances, beyond worship songs, but this specific song adds SO much more live than it does in the studio. Williams adds an extended outtro, starting with an epic instrumental solo, and then ending with a bang. That bang? A special song snippet named “Oh Father”. I belt it out every time without question or hesitation. This may or may not be a Kingdom Come character’s theme...for a future book. 

7. “Nighttime Hunger” - Overcoats Believe it or not, @khymnal showed me this song and I cannot get it out of my head. The Overcoats have the most seamless, unified harmonies I may have ever heard. They blend together so effortlessly. Their voices are almost like sirens...the mermaid kind, not the police kind. I think a lot of people can relate to temptation lurking in the longer night comes, and this makes it both eerie and gorgeous instead of disturbing. And let’s be honest - isn’t temptation as enticing as it is unsettling? They captured the feeling perfectly.

8. “Birth of a Wish (Become as Gods)” - NieR: Automata I needed to include an instrumental game song on this list, and what better than what I play on repeat whenever I write a battle sequence for Kingdom Come? This idea that men want to become deities ties in perfectly with the themes of KC, and especially its central characters. The epicness of this music, and the way it makes me want to wield a sword and slay a dragon and save a princess in space all at once, only enhances its amazingness.

9. “Never Enough” - The Greatest Showman If you haven’t seen this movie yet, I don’t know what you’re doing with your life. I cannot tell you how emotional I got as soon as this song came on the first time. I still listen to it all of the time, and am dying to hear my mom sing it (side-note: my mom is a ridiculously talented singer and she will never admit it). The power of the lyrics matches the power in her voice and it combines to form the most dynamic musical number I’ve ever heard in a theatrical film - and the best part? They didn’t even need choreography to enhance it.

10. “Where’s My Love (Alternate Version)” - SYML Did anyone else fall in love with this song during the Figure Skating portion of the Winter Olympics? As soon as I heard this, I downloaded the song. It’s this haunting melody accompanied by a gorgeous piano player and it just works. Listen to it if you feel like you want to cry about a lost lover you probably never actually knew.

Bonus: “Hang It Up (Abacus & Vargas ‘Predator’ Remix)” - The Ting Tings So, I only heard this after I’d already written up this post...but it’s the best. I freaking love this style, the likes of which I have only heard rivaled by the Shiny Toy Guns. My best friend and I listen to it every week while we prepare for our Monster of the Week podcast recording session and it fires us up every time.