Noble Thought's Thoughts on an Anime · 1:59am Jul 11th, 2015
So... This was kind of a weird month for me. I've been really thinking about my own past and what it means for certain of stories that I'm writing and the characters therein. Especially with the release of the latest chapter of The Last Vacation, when something everyone has guessed long since by now gets revealed, and Twilight faces a difficult choice.
This is going to be a short blog about Sweet Blue Flowers. I first started with the manga, but the only english translated manga goes up to about the fourth episode of the anime. So, curious to see how closely they adhered, I was very surprised to see it followed the manga very closely.
it's an anime about high schoolers in Japan dealing with relationships and drama. It focuses on four girls who have a markedly non-cliched relationship. In that none of the girls involved are buxom babes. In fact, they're all conservatively dressed, and there are no panty shots. There is, in fact, only one kiss ever seen on screen between a troubled older girl and an eight year girl with a weak self-esteem.
So... here.
Setting:
Well painted, well characterized. I'm not an expert on girls academies in Japan, but the settings all fit within the culture.
Characters:
The girls all had distinct personalities, and it wasn't hard to distinguish them, but I thought the older girl ended out being a bit of a bitch, even if there is a reason and a background for why she acts that way.
Romance:
This felt rather one-sided and weak. It may have been more of an adoration romance than a true romance, honestly. The sort of thing that's shallow and easily scraped away.
All in all, I felt like it was a rather weak presentation. This may be mostly because I'm not sure how bad the connotations of being a lesbian are in Japan, especially in high school. It may also be that it's just a rather weak anime. The story moves very slowly, and moves in circles at times, as if it were uncertain of where to go next.
It may have also been just a poor anime. It was completed at 11 episodes.
So... what's with all the lesbians? Well, like I said, thinking about past things. My own experiences within the community, my own real life coming out, and the backlash from it and the life up to now. I drew on some of those experiences, but I only had my own experiences to go on. So, I've been reading and learning about others experiences that I had not gone looking after for fear that I had somehow done it wrong.
Stupid fear, I know. But a fear all the same. Maybe I did do it wrong, but it's done, and there's no undoing it.
That's what Twilight's facing, somewhat, in The Last Vacation in its latest chapter.
Sidebar: I'm not too deep into anime, but a friend recently pointed me toward the Fate/Zero series. I watched the first episode, then binge watched the rest of it. ;) Check it out if you have a chance (it's on Netflix at least)
As for the rest of it: I've only dated three people in my life, and that includes my wife, so my perspective is clearly limited here. But, I got a very natural, very true to life vibe from this latest chapter. (and the whole story, really, but esp. these last two chapters) You've very accurately captured the angst, and at times the utter frustration of the teenaged mind. For every moment of clarity there's at least one new moment of indecision, self-doubt, or second-guessing. You're trying to make grown-up decisions with a mental playbook that is only three pages deep, and trying to adapt/force yourself to play/live above your capabilities is fraught with risk.
That's the sort of feeling I'm seeing in many of the characters here, Twi especially. I suspect RD is feeling the same, but she's much more apt to bottle it up and not say anything until she can't hold it in any longer. But in their own ways, all six of them are trying to figure themselves out, and the process you've depicted here has been as full of doubt and introspection as I think it is in real life (for most people, anyway).
I for one can't wait to see how much they grow when they finally start putting the pieces together. :)
It's a choice I've never had to make, what you're grappling with recently. From an outsider's perspective, all the personal experiences I've read about, or stories I've seen... you wondered if you did it wrong, and I'm not sure it's possible to do it right.
We spoke about this earlier, about wondering if people would know. I imagine that would be the hardest thing. It's impossible to predict everyone.
I didn't know you were interested in japanese anime! Probably already on your list, but if you're looking for more shoujo ai, you might want to give Maria-sama ga Miteru (or English: Maria Watches Over Us) a chance.
I agree that it is a stupid fear, but in a way that every human being is stupid I think. Confronting yourself with things that make your choices seem weak or downright wrong in comparison is hard.
When I started out with watching anime, I stayed clear of ones set in a highschool setting (which is, like, most), because I had hated highschool, for reasons which I later realized were exclusively my own fault. When I eventually started watching those, with all their happiness and great memories and what-not, that thought of "Yep, I pretty much fucked up that part of my life" was a bitter pill, but I came to accept it: at least it's a calm thought, instead of the frantic "don't confront me with that!" from before.
heh