(no subject)

[skygiants]

I am pretty sure that if anyone had handed me a page out of Chalice before I read it and offered me a million dollars to identify the author, I would be an insanely rich person! (Sadly people do not actually offer me these kinds of deals very often.) This book is 100% Pure Essence of McKinley. It has the heroine who is wrapped up in an Occupational Passion - in this case, beekeeping; magic that is tied up in that Passion and that is usually fairly un-flashy except on a few dramatic embarrassing-to-the-heroine occasions; a land that is tied up in the well-being of its rulers, who are probably good for the country but unfortunately mistrusted by most of its inhabitants; leaders who are extremely uncomfortable and insecure in their position of leadership; a hero who is in some way dangerous and in human - in this case, because he is MADE OF FIRE - but is trying very hard to cooperate with humans despite this; some ordinary people who are unnerved by the strangeness of our protagonists but eventually learn to respect them . . . also the prose is vintage McKinley through and through. I am not saying this is a bad thing; I love McKinley! But I have read enough of her by this point that this book felt more like a comfortable reread to me than a new read, as opposed to the last new book of hers I read (Sunshine), which diverged enough from her usual style and setting to feel McKinleyesque-and-yet-refreshingly-different. I did really like the worldbuilding, anyways, and I would happily read more books set in this world! On the other hand, one very-McKinleyish thing that I sort of wish she hadn't done this time around was the romantic conclusion - though possibly I just feel that way because I've seen McKinley do exactly that romance before and I thought it would have been sort of interesting if it wasn't explicitly romantic this time around! I also do not feel she needed the addition of an 'oh crap necessary marriage to a despicable person???' subplot. There's more than enough tension in the issues as is! Also I was totally shipping the heroine with the Grand Seneschal even though I knew it wasn't going there, because I know how McKinley Romances work.

If, on the other hand, you showed me a random episode of the anime Gankutsuou and asked me to identify what story it was based on (this is a terrible segue, but whatever) . . . I could also easily identify it for a million dollars, which is TOTALLY AWESOME! I have seen six or seven episodes so far, and it is totally hilarious to me that despite being set IN SPACE and starring a blue possibly-demonic possibly-vampire as the Count it is still the most faithful adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo that I have ever seen! Possibly this is just because I do not expect it to be faithful at all, given the initial IN SPACE etc. premise, but every time an episode reproduces a plot point from the book I am filled with irrational handflaily glee. They kept Lucien Debray and the tabloid journalist and the aristocrat and their subplots! The Count doctored Madame Danglar's horse! Baby Edward is a brat! Monsieur Norrel is paralyzed! Albert totally got seduced and abducted by a boy disguised as a girl! And then where it does diverge from the book, it is for the most part hilariously even better - the crossdressing boy disguises himself as a maid and follows Albert to Paris, apparently solely for the purpose of following him around and making fun of him! Maximilien is a GENETICALLY ALTERED SUPER-SOLDIER! (I laughed SO HARD at this, oh man, he LOOMS.) In order to impress the Count, Albert wears a pirate hat and a coat that spells out PIRATE ALBERT in floating letters!

Um, I have no idea whether Gankutsuou is any good as an anime, for the record. But so far it fills me with irrational glee as an adaptation! Also the animation is beautiful - everything is full of textures and patterns and psychadelic colors, and it is kind of overstimulatory at times but incredibly, incredibly gorgeous. My one point of sorrow is that I am informed that Eugenie is not a lesbian in this version. :( But as she does not even really exist in most adaptations, and in this one she is totally awesome and drives super-fast cars while Albert flails in the passenger seat, and also at least retains her dream of being a musician and playing around the world/galaxy, I will resign myself to this gracefully.


I feel like I should also say something about the Sarah Connor Chronicles finale, while I am talking about TV. But I cannot, is too much, was too awesome, have no words.

Comments

[blacksheep91.livejournal.com]

I should be on the second DVD of that series, but I keep getting distracted :| (That ending theme is so badass though.)

[skygiants]

I am watching it through ahem totally legal sources, so. *grins* (It really is. I find it so hard to watch the ending credits though, because SO MUCH VISUAL OVERSTIMULATION.)

[elspeth-vimes.livejournal.com]

Gankutsuou is actually also a very well respected anime series!

...Also, I need to read more McKinley. I'm just a diehard Sunshine fan who has also read Deerskin. >.>

[skygiants]

I am not surprised to hear this - I am pretty sure it would win attention just for the animation style, because it's not anything I have ever seen before (not that I'm hugely widely . . . viewed? I am not sure what the right term would be there) and it is really SUPER PRETTY.

You totally should! I love Sunshine a lot, and it's probably the most different from the rest of her books of any of them, but I grew up on classic McKinley, The Hero and the Crown and The Blue Sword, and I kind of adore them. And her fairy tale and Robin Hood takes are fun too! (Hey, she puts a cross-dressing girl into the Robin Hood story, she knows how to appeal to my interests.)

[elspeth-vimes.livejournal.com]

The style alone would get it tons of attention, yes. There are a few things that come a little close to it (the series Mononoke (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53WFm5jlFk4), for example), but nothing that's really that daring and gorgeous in its use of patterns and colors. But the really amazing thing about it, at least to me, is that the style actually doesn't distract much from the story and the characters, because those are that strong!

I know! Especially those two, I keep being told of the importance of them. Mind you, I thought Deerskin was pretty awesome in its deeply unsettling way.
...She also needs to write a sequel to Sunshine already. >.>

[skygiants]

And that's what I have no way of telling - I love them, but I don't know whether half of that is because of having read Count of Monte Cristo already or not and having that glee of recognition! I already love the focus that we get on younger generation, though, which doesn't happen so much in the book. And so far I find Gankutsuou!Maximilien and Valentine a lot more entertaining than the book versions!

Oh, I love Deerskin also, thoroughly creepy as it is. And I so wish she would! But I've heard she doesn't have current plans to. :(

[elspeth-vimes.livejournal.com]

As someone who is still meaning to read The Count of Monte Cristo but still hasn't, I can say that Gankutsuou does indeed stand on its own!

It's a wonderful piece of work, and it should be creepy as hell, so I am glad of it.
A sequel to Sunshine might be the only thing that would be able to make me happier than a new Keys to the Kingdom book does. *sigh*

[skygiants]

It is absolutely worth the read! Um, and while the two are actually quite similar so far, I understand the ending of the book and and the anime are significantly different . . .

Oh, yes, absolutely. And it's very hard to pull off a story that creepy without making it unbearable to read, so it takes ridiculous amount of skill for her to walk the fine line there.

Keys to the Kingdom is Garth Nix, right? I have not read, though I have heard of!

[elspeth-vimes.livejournal.com]

I actually haven't seen all of the anime either, so... >.>

Yeah, she makes it just detached enough to be bearable without lessening the horror of the events.

Yes, it's Nix. And you should fix that. Like, within the hour. Keys is, to my knowledge, simply the closest thing there is to a perfect young adult/children's fantasy series.

[skygiants]

. . . well, in that case, read the book first! From my perspective it makes the anime just that much more fun. :D

Yes -- that's exactly it.

That is extremely high praise! :O I guess it is going on the list. *grins*

[elspeth-vimes.livejournal.com]

I shall attempt to do so! *will rearrange lists soon*

I am always glad to raise awareness of KttK!

[saphyria.livejournal.com]

Robin McKinley and Garth Nix. I feel my taste in books is justified, now. ^______^ I'm torn though, between wanting a sequel to Sunshine and wanting a prequel, telling of Mel's time in the Wars. Of Mel in general. Or Con, in general.

Also, I second all recommendations of The Blue Sword and Hero and the Crown. And other upcoming works by Garth Nix. ^__^

[elspeth-vimes.livejournal.com]

It is excellent taste!
I confess I want a sequel the most, but a prequel would also be made of remarkable levels of awesome!

I can't wait for Lord Sunday. It will be the biggest event of the year for me!

[kiarasayre.livejournal.com]

This Gankutsuou thing intrigues me. (Not gonna lie, mostly because of the IN SPACE thing.) Would you recommend it to someone like me (hardcore sff nerd whose full anime experience is Princess Tutu, Ouran, and Haruhi Suzumiya)?

Also, now I can't stop thinking of other literary adaptations IN SPACE. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies my ass - how 'bout Pride and Prejudice and Black Holes? A Midsummer Night's Dream with the fairies as aliens? And how awesome would the Scarlet Pimpernel with spaceships be?

[skygiants]

Actually, to be honest, my anime range is not that much wider than yours - I've only seen Princess Tutu, Ouran, Utena, and Evangelion all the way through - and I am fully enjoying it so far! Uh, I should warn you that I have no idea how scientifically accurate the SPACE!!!! stuff is, though. But it's very very pretty SPACE!

I am ONE HUNDRED PERCENT behind this idea. :D :D :D You'll never catch the Pimpernel, his spaceship is a form-changing master of disguise! And oh man, Les Miserables could have an INTERSTELLAR BARRICADE! Meanwhile poor Miranda and Prospero have been marooned on a strange planet and . . . The Tempest actually requires little to no editing at all to set it in space. Except that Prospero can call up fierce solar flares!

[jothra]

Romeo×Juliet is another anime that is sort of like Romeo and Juliet IN SPACE. Not as true to the source material, though.

[skygiants]

I think I have heard of it, though I did not know it was IN SPACE! (Trufax: appending 'IN SPACE' to the end of any summary makes it automatically 50% more awesome, much like appending 'FOR THE REVOLUTION' or 'WITH NINJAS' does.) However, RomeoxJuliet just as a plot is not nearly as much fun as Count of Monte Cristo, IMHO. Not to diss the play or anything! But where are the demonic runaway horses and wacky poisons and fabulous hashish-filled caves and paralyzed grandfathers and secret lovechildren and cross-dressing bandits in Romeo and Juliet, I ask you?

[jothra]

And the lesbians. Romeo and Juliet would be much better with lesbians.

In other news, my coworker and I were trying to think of other works that would be improved by zombies. The best one: A Tale of Two Cities Filled with Zombies.

[skygiants]

I have not actually seen it performed with Romeo and Juliet as lesbians, because I missed that college production by a year (ALAS), but I know it happened!

HAHA YES. I would so read it! (Little Zombie Women? Rebecca of Sunnybrook Zombie Farm?) - oh, and I almost forgot that Yuletide this year actually did have a 'Little House on the Prairie IN SPACE' fic!

[elspeth-vimes.livejournal.com]

...You do know about this (http://www.amazon.com/Pride-Prejudice-Zombies-Classic-Ultraviolent/dp/1594743347/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239742135&sr=8-1), right?

[skygiants]

Yes. Yes I do, and though I have not got my hands on it yet, its existence does indeed fill me with JOY.

(The author is next planning to write Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter!)

[elspeth-vimes.livejournal.com]

I need it so badly. (Sorry if it's come up before, I've lost track of who I've talked about it with.)

(I will also need that!)

[skygiants]

None of my local libraries seem to have preordered it, to which I say, FOR SHAME. (I do not blame you in the least, it is so worthy of being brought up at every opportunity!)

(I may in fact need that MORE.)

[elspeth-vimes.livejournal.com]

FOR SHAME INDEED. What are we paying our taxes for? (This is very true!)

(For me, I think that depends. Will there be Confederate vampires for him to slay?)

[skygiants]

Nothing so important as Regency zombies, I can tell you!

(TRULY, ONE CAN ONLY HOPE.)

[elspeth-vimes.livejournal.com]

Of that I am certain!

(WE LIVE IN HOPE)

[futuresoon.livejournal.com]

Gankutsuouuuuuu! *cackles* I am pleased to know that my somewhat-long-ago recommendation paid off. *g* It really is great fun, isn't it? And--oh, man, no way I'm going to spoil some of the shit that goes down, but let me just say that the eventual duel between the Count and Albert (which I think is in the book? it seems like it would be, anyway) is so ridiculously awesome my friends and I had to pause the DVD to calm down our hysterical laughter. And then it gets really sad, but still. And the ending, oh god. The ending is...different, from what I hear. I shall merely say that Eugenie's heterosexuality is very much balanced out. Very, very much.

[skygiants]

SO much fun. And so sparkly! It is like 95% composed of OMINOUS SPARKLE, I love it.

Yes, that duel is absolutely in the book, and I am SO looking forward to it! The duel between Max and Albert was already hysterically awesome ("I CAN'T FORGIVE SOMEONE WHO LIVES SUCH A DECADENT LIFESTYLE! . . . uh, oops, did I actually kill the guy?" "Hey, no hard feelings, want me to set you up with my best friend's fiancee?") and I am sure that the Count vs. Albert will be TEN TIMES MORE SO.

And . . . aheh. I am already getting something of that sense, between Franz and the Count and Albert and his gay stalker maidservant - although the 'Albert has a total crush on the Count' vibe is also really entertaining in the book ("You were a wonderful man, but you could be ADORABLE!" Count: "...are you kidding me") it is juuuuust slightly more evident here. : I still miss Eugenie's lesbianosity, though, just because - well, canon nineteenth-century eloping lesbians! What is more awesome than that?

[futuresoon.livejournal.com]

What is more awesome than that?

Wait and see, my friend. Wait and see.

[skygiants]

. . . I will be sure to report back once I have reached that point. >:D

[bravecows.livejournal.com]

Oh, Gankutsuou. You are so ridiculous! I love the (stupid, STUPID) character design. :) Have you seen Haydee yet?

[skygiants]

Haha yes! She has faces on her dress for no reason I can ascertain at all! Also, OH MAN her Opera costume that is perfectly designed for DRAMATICALLY FAINTING OFF A BALCONY, what with the giant and dramatic floaty wings and all. But I think I still find GIANT SUPERSOLDIER MAX the funniest of all. He is twice as tall as anyone else!

- but actually I think the best character design part was how I totally thought the Count being blue and pointy-toothed was just a stylistic choice until Edward ran past shouting "YOU'RE A BLUE VAMPIRE! YOU'RE A BLUE VAMPIRE!" while his mother tried to tell him that informing people they were blue vampires was very rude. If only because of what this says about how everyone else has been determinedly holding their tongue the whole time about his blue and pointy-toothed state!