When Darker than Black was announced, I was among those who jumped into the bandwagon. I just knew it was going to be a good show even if I didn’t know what it was about yet. When it aired, I was awed and amazed by the smoothness of the protagonist, and I vowed to finish watching it. Circumstances, however, prevented me from doing so: at the time, my laptop was technologically antediluvian, and I wasn’t able to properly view the releases by [sudo], which were, sadly, only in high quality.

I waited for a while and tried a second time to watch the show. I was able to reach a little further (I was able to watch fifteen episodes this time, but to my dismay I had a lack of disk space and I couldn’t delete anything). Yet again I had to postpone my enjoyment of it. Finally, a few months ago my aunt bought me a laptop that remains to be cutting edge. It possesses a decent processor, and it has a lot of RAM and HD space: finally, it was something enough for me to be able to watch and enjoy anime properly. Having recollected about Darker than Black I sought to watch it, and I finished doing so the previous week. I thought the ending was great, and while there were some middling moments in the series, the action was finely crafted and I was sympathetic to the protagonist Hei. The ending was quite bittersweet and made me recall the ending of Evangelion (as they were very similar): Hei was given a choice to either be with his loved ones (contractors) but sacrifice a significant part of humanity in the process, or to choose both humans and contractors but to lose the only things in his life that he ever valued, namely Pai, Amber, and the real stars he had always wanted to see. He chose the latter, and while it was a painful choice (not only emotionally scarring, but also physically enervating, as he now has to run from both contractors and humans), it was a most noble choice.

I was thus both happy and wary of the current season airing: I had already read the manga (which serves as the bridge between the first and the second season), and a most remarkable loss was that of Yin. She was no longer in the second season, and Hei was far from the Chinese Electric Dark Knight he was in the first season: on the contrary, his physical qualities reflected a broken man. I did not want to watch the show because I did not want to entertain the possibility of Yin having died, but my curiosity and affection for Hei got the better of me. So I watched.

A lot of new characters were introduced and the most notable among them (perhaps because she is the heroine of the second season) is Suou. Contrary to the kind and meek Li and the highly efficient (and clean-cut) Hei of the first season was a desperate, alcoholic, and nomadic Hei. His demeanor was also as rough as his looks, and I could only assume that it was because there was also none of Yin to be seen: he has slapped and beaten Suou up, although I would argue that these were merited. He never hit her just because he wanted to: there was always reason behind his violence, just like the first season.

I was glad that Mao eventually resurfaced. I was even more glad when Yin was finally confirmed to be alive, and that she had transcended even her past self. From what could be seen in the sixth episode, she exhibits contractor-like powers in addition to the seemingly unlimited range of her observer spirit. It was also clearly evident that Suou has developed feelings a lot more than mere hatred for Hei: I would even argue that it was a jealousy not quite yet because of love, but nearing there. A lot was revealed in the sixth episoode: I just wish that, at the end of it all, Hei will get his happy ending with Yin, because I firmly believe he deserves it.

I was never fond of lengthy posts, but forgive me for this length as I have tons to say about the episode. Here goes.

A few months ago, I had difficulty not talking about Code Geass. The series was fabulous; it had a lot of mishaps that were made funny by their superfluity; and I rooted for an ending that never came to be (it was one of the few reasons why I still kept on watching the series).

This time, I have a difficulty not talking about ToraDora!. The reasons as to why, however, are extremely different: I kept on watching Code Geass R2 because I expected another improbable tragedy befalling Lelouch, but I keep on watching ToraDora! because after a long while a series has rekindled intense emotions I have only felt when I was watching Honey and Clover two years ago.

Between one and zero

The tenth installment of this series remains to be as fresh, as intelligent, and as emotional as the episodes that directly preceded it. As viewers, we are not only introduced more to the true emotions that Ami harbors and also to the reality beneath Minori’s mask, even if only a glimpse. As what I did for the previous episodes of ToraDora!, I will no longer summarize the episode but posit my own perceptions and reactions as regards the occurrences I deem to be important this time around. Read the rest of this entry »

Now, I didn’t originally think of this, but it made a lot of sense to me when I pieced the puzzle together with the help of /a/nons’ perceptions.

The most obvious reason would be CC calling to Lelouch in the closing scene of the episode. As we can assume CC to be still sane, she must be talking to someone, and that someone would most probably be the driver of the cart: Lelouch would have to be alive.

Second, however, and this is where the others have thought things through, Lelouch is alive because he got his dad’s code. He beckoned the World of C to lend him its powers, and he took Charles’s code before Charles passed on. The reason why Lelouch still has his Geass is because he didn’t take the Code from the same person who gave him his Geass: he took his Geass from CC, and he took his Code from Charles. Thus, he now possesses both immortality and a Geass. This is also a reason that the title is Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion.

To further corroborate this, however, remember that when Nunnally held Lelouch’s hand he transferred his memories to her. CC also did it when Lelouch touched her accidentally back then, so it could be assumed that people with Codes are indeliberate telepaths. This leaves us with both immortals traversing the world for the rest of eternity.

It’s a great end, friends.

P.S. Ending line of CC translated by bibi: “Geass is the power of kings, it will isolate you… well, I guess thats a little wrong… eh, Lelouch”

P.P.S. Additional evidence, courtesy of `Nergal and 4chan:

1. Charles grabbed Lelouch with his right hand, which had the Geass sigil.
2. Lelouch needed the fully evolved Geass to transfer a code.
3. The code doesn’t appear to activate until someone dies. Hence, why C.C. was wounded when she first inherited her code. Same happened with Charles in the World of C.
4. When Lelouch touched Nunnally, Nunnally got a flash of his memories. This ONLY happens when a high potential Geass user touches someone with the fully evolved Geass.
5. The title of the series is “R2″, which is similar to how “C.C” is pronounced. So Lelouch would be “R.R.” which is Engrish (I presume) for L.L., Lelouch Lamprouge.
6. When C.C. is talking on the wagon, she says “the power of Geass brings loneliness…that’s not quite right is it, Lelouch?” and nods her head in the direction of the wagon driver.

P.P.P.S More evidence, courtesy of an intelligent anon from 4chan:

Orange knew of Lelouche’s and Suzaku’s plan and helped them out by ordering his men not to fire on Zero, he even smiled when Zerozaku jumped on his shoulder.

Now would Orange, a man who devoted himself entirely to Lelouche and threw away everything without a second thought be OK with a plan where the sole person he wants to protect in life is actually killed? The answer to that is NO, not even if Lelouche ordered him to accept the plan: he would not go along with it and would protect him with his life. There is only one way that Orange would be OK with a plan like that and thats if he knew about Lelouche’s immortality, which I assume he did as he worked with V.V. in the Geass research base. Orange was OK with this plan as he knew Lelouche would come to no harm and would be able to start a new peaceful life with the woman he loves in a world which he himself had made peaceful.

Even at the end, we see Orange on his orange plantation, completely content with the way things have panned out, he definitely could not be that happy had Lelouche actually died.

There it is, firm evidence of Lelouche’s immortality if the scene with C.C. and the cart driver wasn’t painfully obvious enough.

(I corrected a few spelling errors and run-ons, but preserved the original thought. It’s also quite convincing, if you ask me.)

I had borne through the twenty-second episode yesterday with a jolly mood brought about by an inebriation to alcohol. In Code Geass R2, alcohol is always the answer. Of course I was disappointed: I believe most people were. So as not to be simply driven by the democratic feeling, however, I watched the episode once more. My general perception hadn’t changed: the episode remains to be full of bullshit, but at least it was another entertaining distraction.

This was my ‘Don’t tase me bro’ face.

I am really a fan of The Sound and the Fury. But I am also really a fan of Cowboy Bebop. I’m not angry with Daniel for responding to my ‘bait,’ but I really think that Cowboy Bebop has more parallels to The Sound and the Fury than is obvious and that it is more than ‘a well-written, yet cheap, airport thriller.‘ Read the rest of this entry »

It’s actually been a long while since I’ve gone to TT. School work, as can be expected, has become a heavier burden. I don’t even know the new anime that will come out, and I still haven’t watched Kurenai. If any of you guys can recommend me anime from the previous season (aside from Kurenai, of course) to watch, I’d appreciate it a lot. At least that would give me some titles I may like from people whose insights I trust.

I’ll get back to anime, though. I’m just waiting for the weekend to arrive. I mean, I did finish Gundam 00 after all, right?

That’s that regarding my anime updates.

I actually have a more pressing issue at hand: I will have a new dormmate, and I have no more space as to where I can place my books. In the interest of space, I am selling some books of mine that I don’t need.

I’ll be direct and honest with the prices, but I welcome haggling, and of course, I can only meet in Metro Manila, preferably near Quezon City or the LRT/MRT stations.

1) Ten Thousand Seeds by Linda Ty-Casper – 150 pesos

An American couple arrives in the Philippines at the onset of the Philippine-American war. The novel chronicles the effects to their lives during and after the war. Linda Ty-Casper is a recognized (but lesser) Filipino author. The book is pretty rare.

2) The Fatal Eggs by Mikhail Bulgakov – 150 pesos

Mikhail Bulgakov was known more for his satiric masterpiece, The Master and Margarita. This novella is also another satire of the government during Stalin’s period: a professor discovers a ray of life that he wanted to study thoroughly. He is prevented, however, by government agents so consumed with the idea of resolving the hunger crises in Russia that the results are devastating.

3) Arctic Summer by E. M. Forster – 150 pesos

This is a character study primarily between two men of opposing ideals. One belongs to the idea of pragmatism, and one belongs to the idea of chivalry. Both are disillusioned as the novel fragment proceeds its course, and the ending is quite a surprise.

4) The Church and Its Social Involvement by Father Wilfredo Fabros – 600 pesos

This was what I quoted in my previous post through a skim. This is expensive, but with good reason. It was the last copy I was able to purchase directly from the press, and the book is out-of-print, with little to no chance of being reprinted again. It is extremely rare: even Amazon and eBay do not have copies of it. Finally, it is also highly informative, chronicling what the Philippine Church has done through critical periods of our history before the Martial Law. It absolutely illuminated my beliefs regarding the Philippine Church. While it ended in a hopeful note, the truth that the dissertation expounds upon is quite unpleasant.

Once again, thanks for reading. I’ll cook up a new post within the week.

Just post if you have questions. I’ll be happy to reply to those queries.

The previous post may have been trifling for a lot of people. Some people may even have seen it as an eccentricity. It wasn’t for me, however: the point of the post was to seek a buyer despite the fact that I was fully aware the book was valueless and worthless for the most part. The reason was not that I did not have any money: on the contrary, I have a significant amount. The reason was that I wanted to affix some value to the book even if it was only monetary, because it would have signified some worth to the book. Read the rest of this entry »

History is a nightmare from which I’m trying to awake.

I really think that the time I’ve spent reading Tristram Shandy was a colossal waste. Laughing only three times from more than 700 pages is not a good batting average. I don’t blame anyone for it, especially because I could have dropped and stopped reading the novel anytime, but I didn’t.

This was actually my position when I was reading Tristram Shandy: a reading-cum-facepalm