kazuridanzan

[kazuridanzan]

I just watched Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, Ep. 1.

The rumors are true, episode 1 reminisced Revolutionary Girl Utena, or its theme, at least.

It's a flavorful twist on the dynamics from the old classic, let's explore each one.

The duel system, its rules, as well as the prize are the same to some extent; Fight 'til you knock off a part of your opponent (In Utena, it was the rose on their chest. In WFM, it was the blade antenna on the mobile suit) off from them, win the bride. Of course, having the bride is a status of power: you immediately get hailed to the top of the leaderboard plus gain OP powers. In RGU, the winner is referred to as the 'fiance', in WFM, the winner is called the 'groom'. Both Utena and Sulleta win the first duel not for the purpose of winning the bride or gaining status, but to fight misogyny.

It's amazing to note tho, what year is WFM set up in? Some time in future were humans have colonized even Mercury (congrats Elon, I guess) but apparently, humanity got rid of homophobia but not misogyny. Damn.

Here's where the twist comes in: Utena is a confident girl, very boyish, determined, with a strong body posture. Utena is famed to be the "Prince", while Suletta is the opposite: She stammers, she is shy, and she has a slouchy posture. Suletta is called the "Witch" from Mercury.

In RGU, Anthy as the trophy bride, is shy, docile, and submissive to abuse. She is called the "Witch", while Miorine as the bride, is headstrong, proud, and tough; she is called the "Princess".

RGU = Prince saves Witch

WFM = Witch saves Princess

And of course there's always the meat head son of a gun loaded with ego and abusive behavior, who loves to boast about having the bride and treats the bride as a trophy.

I like how both series are like, "Ep. 1, Mission 1: Save your wife."

However, the motivations for duel in both series might be fundamentally different. Tho I also think The Witch from Mercury really is a nod to Revolutionary Girl Utena. The Author/Mangaka of WFM might have been heavily influenced by the RGU and/or AOU.

That is something I would take any day, because what gay person wouldn't want a Yuri anime that reminds her of the OG Yuri anime of all time, anyway?

That's all. For now, I am hooked. I'll savor the hype and the mood boost that I will be getting from WFH. Catch you guys later \m/

[kazuridanzan]

It's so fascinating to learn about the Renaissance era, not just the same way I've been taught in school which is mainly just names of dead people and names of the works these dead people created.. but like this, what made them do the things they did? What motivated them, what were their motivations, their yearnings?

I could not imagine how beautiful it was to live in an era where the rich spend their money not for vanity, but to shape an entire community and to move them toward something that is noble, charitable, beautiful, and kind, and philosophical. They spent their fortune trying to teach truth and values. They patronized artists, funded and fed them, not for their selfish kinks but for the sake of educating, enlightening, and empowering an entire generation.

We look at the current generation and laugh at the disparity. We've seemingly created a generation of dimwits, but who's really to blame? Is it the generation, which is only the by product if the world we created for them? Or is it the people in power who willfully created tools to numb and dumb people so that they could make cash out of this army of mindless zombies caught up scrolling whole day through social media? Just imagine if the people in power today were not interested only feeding their lusts, what powerful generation we would have been.

[kazuridanzan]

"What's the farthest point of a circe?"

I looked at him lost, couldn't see what he was meaning to say. "Hmm. Is it the diameter?"

"No, Sharlyn. Think it through." I totally couldn't get what he was trying to angle towards, that is how I mostly fail to answer simple questions. I care more about the nuances. I looked at him again, now seeing myself in the reflection of his gold-rimmed eyeglasses. I glanced at his gray hairs, trying to measure him up, his age, and the depth of wisdom that that might entail. I threw another guess, "Isn't it the circumference then?" "I'm asking you this because I know you are smart, as smart as the young ones I know who are from Manila." I hid my squint at that remark and thought inwardly, "You are so wrong, mister. So wrong. It is either you are underestimating the people from Davao, or it is that you are overestimating me." Keeping my stoic face, I tried to probe him for more clues, the question now is more evidently philosophical, more than factually trivial. "What are we talking about, sir." I started, "Are we talking about a simple circle, or the universe, or.." He cut me off and explained, "That farthest from the starting point of a circle, is still the starting point. When you go through your life, always return to where you started, never forget your roots." I simply nodded, already understanding that it was not a question, but rather an advice.

Years pass, and now I get what he meant. As I move through my journey, I encounter things, new things; and I'd want these new things- things I'd have never imagined would ever interest me from 5 years ago (like getting tattooed, if you may want to have a shallow example because I will never tell your the deeper ones). No matter what I now want, whether I act on those wants or not, or whether I let those wants and those actions change me, the advice of the circle will always remind me that it is okay. It's okay to travail life and want things or not want things, to change or to choose not to change. Because inevitably, there is this force that is holding me that ensures I will always come to the point from which I started; to come back to who I really am, no matter how many times I tried to walk further away, I am still who I am, I will never lose who I am and who I'm meant to be. And after I reach that point once again, I ought to start another journey, another revolution, coming from that renewed conviction. And that thought comforts me, in so many ways.

[kazuridanzan]

I just found out it's harder for me to relax the more excess time I have for myself. I'm currently as zen as I could be with the meager 10-15 mins. of rest I have. Tf is wrong with me

[kazuridanzan]

Sometimes sadness isn't always sobbing, and wailing. Sometimes grief don't come in tears.

Sometimes, it's staring at space for an hour, without moving. Sometimes it's failing to focus on the simplest tasks. Sometimes it's forgetfulness, and clumsiness. Sometimes it's staying up until 4am. Sometimes it's the loss of appetite. Sometimes times it's the loss of dreams.

Sometimes, sadness is too profound that a tear is no longer enough to represent it. Sometimes, sadness is just, dullness.

[kazuridanzan]

Where does the dawn take you?

In my case, it takes me to the realm of knights, of witches, of princes and princesses, of open endings, and endless possibilities.

Being up at 3:30am, a good story in hand, with silence gently accompanying me in place of sleep, is an experience many have called as 'otherworldly'. At this moment, at this time, nothing is bearing too heavily on me. And I happily explore the world, through which the dawn leads me.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/2835908