#chekhov's bucket i guess?

[8bitsupervillain]

Higurashi When They Cry Hou Ch. 8 Matsuribayashi pt. 10

I wonder why MangaGamer decided to release these chapters individually later on. Do you think it just comes back to money again? Umineko has four episodes per arc release, so I just wonder why didn’t Higurashi get the same treatment I wonder. It’s not particularly a big deal, but it’s just something I wonder. Especially since Rei, and Hou+ have three or so chapters a piece.

Mashed Caterpillar, and Drowned Ducky, I would assume. A bit more elaborate than I would have assumed these punishments to take, Drowned Ducky especially. I figured it was just getting your face shoved into a bucket of water. Not shoved in a locker and then potentially drowned that way.

Not to detract from the horror, or to linger too long here, I admit that I was curious how these punishments were portrayed in the manga adaptation. This probably says something about me but I couldn’t help but laugh at the notion of someone getting killed by chickens. It just seems too silly to me, I’m probably wrong here, and there are numerous deaths via chicken in the world on a yearly basis but it just seemed really silly to me.

I know it’s probably meant to augment the horror of the situation, but the Xs just detract from it I think. You’re probably meant to mentally supply what the torture actually is, but I just find the constant XXXX-ing to be somewhat irritating. Eventually when Takano briefly remembers the torments in a much later section it’s mentioned outright that she was forced to clean this toilet with her tongue. In the manga she was dunked headfirst into this toilet as well. No clue about the anime, but I’m going to just go ahead and assume that it’s a similar situation there.

Again, it’s never explained how much time has passed since the failed escape attempt, and when Hifumi found her. In the broad scheme of things it doesn’t really matter I suppose, whether it was the very next day, or four months later, Hifumi Takano did wind up finding his former students child and adopting her. Which I suppose helps sell why Takano is so dedicated to honoring the memory of this man she calls grandpa.

Well it’s not quite being given your last name by an Imperial officer, but I guess it’ll do. Also, surprise, Miyoko was Miyo Takano the whole time!

That’s a nice gun you got there Mr Chekhov.

I get the feeling that this breathing exercise demonstration is more to inform that Hifumi might not be the brilliant scientist Takano views him to be. That his “eccentric and silly” breathing technique is actually representative of him not being all there mentally.

What follows is a brief description of Hideyo Noguchi’s research into yellow fever that eventually took his life. Yet despite dying during his research into yellow fever in North Africa, Hifumi has a great respect for this researcher. So, wanting to be as good a scientist as his hero Hifumi routinely takes trips to Hinamizawa to research the Hinamizawa Syndrome parasite.

His old pal Koizumi is here to inform Hifumi that he’s wrangled up some interested people who might be willing and able to pay Hifumi to research Hinamizawa Syndrome in earnest. So gussy up your science documents, you’ve got financial backers to impress Hifumi!

During their time they had a jaunty and lively 1980s movie style cleaning up the research montage, until finally two weeks pass and it's time for the presentation.

[yakool-foolio]

(Completed Ending 46, moving onto separate unknown route, up to Day 24)

In regards to Ending 46: Not too much of note, since I figured declining Foebe's sacrifice would lead to Nozomi kicking the bucket. What I did not expect was Takumi committing suicide, but I should've known it was coming since she's who he's fighting to keep alive. Inaction caused one hell of a reaction.

And now for the entirely new route, I wanted to see what it would be like for the students to live in an Eito-less world, so...

Choices made:

Kill Eito (Reasoning: Out of intrigue)

Don't Leave The Academy (Reasoning: Whoever the culprit is probably planned for the academy to be left defenseless, so I didn't want the culprit to have free reign so easily. It's best to stand their ground n show this secret killer they're not afraid!)

Gotta love how this game hits you over the head with the fact that killing Eito is one of the worst possible things Takumi can do. Immediately everything is thrown into chaos where there's a killer on the loose, already claiming the lives of Sirei and Gaku (rest in love and peace my MVP, they knew you were too strong). In regards to who exactly the culprit is, I've got a few running theories:

Eito is actually a zombie, lying dormant and waiting for the perfect moment to strike when least expected. Eito's corpse is a Chekhov's gun since they focus on it not once but twice so far. Perhaps Sirei's reformation of the body had accidental side effects of reanimation.

Takumi is possessed by Eito through his powerful cryptoglobin but doesn't know. Eito takes over his body when he's unconscious, which would correlate with the strange 'pop' and immediate knockout Takumi experienced the night of Sirei's death.

Takumi is just straight up a killer out of fear for what he's become after killing Eito, absentmindedly following in Eito's footsteps. He's now a completely unreliable narrator and we can't trust anything he says or thinks. I don't have much else for this one but this seems like a Kodaka thing to do.

All I can add is that the kick to the back of the head feels like a red herring. Maybe the person who attacked Takumi thought he was the killer so they tried to stop him before he could do anything and tried to make him forget. I feel like Hiruko would be the one to do that. Otherwise I'm not exactly sure what the lead up was to Gaku's death if Takumi is the killer. I won't knock the idea of two culprits existing, though!

Foebe got sick from bad vibes. I assume the future holds another complex murder that must be solved, perhaps of a victim more narratively important like Nozomi or Hiruko. I wonder if there's a way to stop it before it happens.

I find it funny that moving from Coming Of Age onto this route made facing V'ehxness much less of a threat because everyone's just spouting silly insults at her n she bites back. It makes sense if she's not regarded as the 'big bad' of this route since we've got a killer working on the inside that's already whittling down the unit's numbers. Whoever the killer may be, our battle shall be legendary! And if it's Takumi, well, ya can punch yourself I guess.

[official-kenralie-fanbase]

hello i would like to see your list of Characters Who Might Die from the fitz ask if you dont mind :)

Ooh yes I would love to list the Characters Who Might Die :D

tw for death obviously and going under a cut for space

So most book series in which characters die have The Big Death. How I've found it usually goes is that several minor/secondary characters die along the way, a couple per book, then a LOT of secondary characters die in the final book, along with The Big Death- a major character- like the love interest, best friend or parent of some sort, or even the protagonist (looking at you Veronica Roth). KOTLC is following that rule to some extent. There have been several deaths but none that were too incredibly devastating. It is a middle-grade series, and there hasn't been a character death in every book, so I'm guessing there won't be as many deaths in the finale. But there will probably be a couple along with The Big Death. And I have several ideas on who that may be.

Okay so this will be in most likely to least likely (excluding villains- I highly doubt either Fintan or Gisela will end the series alive)

Lord Cassius. Honestly, I debated a lot on whether I should put him in the "good character" category because I despise that man. But out of everyone in KOTLC that isn't directly evil, I think he is the most likely to die. He might not be The Big Death, especially if anyone else on this list dies, but it's still worth noting. Gisela will probably go after Keefe once she realizes he's not going along with her plan, and Lord Cassius will die saving his life. They'll have a super emotional father-son moment where Cassius says something like "I always loved you Keefe" and gets some inkling of a kind of redemption arc before he dies.

Oralie. She is the single most likely candidate for The Big Death, in my opinion. There's honestly been a lot of foreshadowing for her secretly being a really great fighter- "never underestimate the quiet beauties", and "I think you might be the strongest of all of us", among other things. I think she is going to jump in at the crucial moment and end up fighting someone- likely Sophie's father if I'm right and he's a part of the Neverseen- to save Sophie. OR, for an extra dose of angst, I've had the idea lately that she might die to save Keefe, actually, not Sophie. She'll see Sophie and Keefe's relationship and realize how similar it is to her relationship with Kenric, and end up dying to save him. There might be a line like "I couldn't save Kenric, but I can save you." And then of course there will be a heartbreaking scene as she's dying between her and Sophie where Sophie forgives her or something, and I will be sobbing buckets in my college dorm room.

Ro. You know that rule in the Spiderman movies that if a character says "With great power comes great responsibility" they're going to die? Well, KOTLC has its own version of that: all of the important characters that have died have given Sophie something before they died: Kenric gave her his cache (through Oralie but it still counts), Calla gave her the Panakes tree (the cure), Mr. Forkle gave her his Wanderling seed and his device for keeping important things. All of these things have had varying impacts on the plot, but all very important. And Ro gave Sophie her dagger, Hope. There's no way that this isn't going to be important (Chekhov's gun, anyone?). Ro's told Sophie how Keefe feels about her and given her something to fight with- so everything she was hiding has now been revealed. I think she's very likely to be The Big Death- Sophie and Keefe both care about her and she's the exact type of character to dive into danger to save these kids.

Tiergan. Honestly, he is the exact type of character who might die. He's just minor enough of a character that it wouldn't break the series, and just major enough of a character that he has The Big Death potential. He's always been there and has given a lot of crucial intel to the series but has never really been involved in a big battle that I remember (correct me if I'm wrong). And he's incredibly loyal to these kids- like 1/3 of the main kid group has been adopted by him. He could very easily die to protect them. And looking at the characters that have died so far- Kenric, Calla, Forkle 1- he would fit right in the mix.

Wylie. I have one main reason for this: He's the only member of the main kid group (besides Rayni but she's too recent of a character to kill off) that isn't technically a kid. Yes, there is one actual kid on this list, but I highly doubt that Shannon would kill too many literal children because she hasn't yet. Most of the kids are safe in my opinion (Dex, Keefe, Linh, Tam, etc.) besides the one mentioned below. Wylie, on the other hand, is 20, and close to a lot of the kid characters (Solreef family <3). Even though I don't want my boy to go through anything else... he might very well die for *angst* purposes.

Fitz. This would probably be the worst option on the list, especially if it's done to resolve the love triangle. But... I can see it happening. He's both smart and loyal, and he cares very deeply about his friends. There are several characters I can see him sacrificing himself for: Sophie, Keefe, Biana, Alden/Della. If it's done, I really hope it's not to resolve the love triangle and that he has some excellent development before it happens. Shannon is a good enough writer that she could make it absolutely devastating without having anything to do with the love triangle.

Lady Cadence. This is kind of a shot in the dark but it still has its merits: She's contributed enough to the story that it would be a major setback if she died, but that's precisely why I think Shannon might go in this direction. Like I said earlier, Shannon hasn't actually killed off too many characters. If Lady Cadence was The Big Death and not a more prevalent character, it would be in keeping with the death level in the rest of the series.

Livvy. Same reason as Lady Cadence: A good character whose death would be a setback but wouldn't ruin the plot.

Alden. I don't want those poor Vacker children to have to go through anything else, but once again, Alden might very well be The Big Death. I don't really have any specific reasons why, just a gut feeling. This is the least likely death on this list, but I think he's important enough of a character to several of the main cast that he might die as a sort of "apology" for all of the mistakes he's made.

Honorable mentions, or characters that might die without being The Big Death: Blur and/or Wraith, several of the Councillors, Trix, Woltzer/Lovise/Bo or another bodyguard

Sorry this turned out to be so long! I have a lot of things to say lol If anyone wants to know any more predictions/theories I have, just let me know!

[anythingstephenking]

The Morally Grey Mile

Strap in for another grim tale. At least men are the ones getting fucked in The Green Mile, amirite ladies? No, still not cool? Ok then.

I suppose it is a disservice to call The Green Mile solely a “grim” tale, but because the core story focuses on an innocent man headed to the electric chair, it is pretty damn grim. If you haven’t read the book you’ve seen the movie but spoilers anyway - the innocent man dies and it sucks for the reader. It’s certainly more complicated than “bad wins” but a real bummer all the same.

Backing up a bit. The Green Mile was King’s first attempt at a serialized story release. In the book’s forward, King tells us it’s story of inception. Through a series of fortuitous events and a conversation with business associates about Charles Dickens, King concocted the idea to release a story in a series of “chapbooks”. Apparently Dickens released some of his stories that way, and they were so fervently popular that a band of dingdongs pushed each other off a dock and drowned while awaiting a shipment of Dickens into Baltimore Harbor. I imagine if the Harry Potter books were released that way I would have ended up in the harbor too. No judgement, zealous Dickens readers, I get it.

Logically, if it worked for 19th century Dickens, it would surely work for 20th century Stephen King, right? 

(cue Mr. Burns fingers). 

A single book released in installments monthly, garnering 3-4x the cost of a single paperback. Good for you SK, good for you. Cause turns out, the constant reader ate it up and bought ‘em like hotcakes.

Cause that’s the thing - this is a really really good story. Not because it’s beautifully written like Cujo or Firestarter or mind-bending like The Dark Tower books, but because it is a real page turner. I credit the format for that - you can tell it was written in a plot-driven, cliffhanger kinda way. In the same way serialized TV (before binging took this joy away) would leave you wanting more week to week, The Green Mile leaves each installment in a way where you can’t imagine not picking up the next one.

Per my contractual agreement with myself, I am required to reach each and every page of this story, but I’m a strange bird and the rest of the world isn’t a weirdo like me. At the end of the day, the narrative structure here really works and I plowed through all 6 installments in a day or so. Those reading in real-time (and not binging like me) waited a month between each publishing, from March through August 1996. There was no dock delivery in Baltimore in 1996 but I imagine if there was, the crowd waiting for each would be large.

So the narrative approach works, but what about the story itself? My analysis comes back slightly muddy but mostly positive despite some hard to swallow flaws.

I can’t claim to know what death row would have been like in 1932, but I’ve watched enough PBS documentaries to know what it’s like now. The group held at Cold Mountain are described as killers, yes. As rapists and wife beaters and arsonists. But they also come across like a rag-tag group of buds that should have their own reality TV show. One of the prisoners, Del, raped and murdered a young girl then accidentally killed a bunch of other people trying to cover his tracks by setting the building on fire. But he’s got this cute, somewhat supernatural mouse named Mr. Jingles that does tricks. Ain’t it cute? Then he fries and literally catches on fire in the electric chair.

I understand the intention of the tale - humanity lives in all of us. Empathy shouldn’t be reserved just for some. Death is final and it comes for all of us. What I struggled with was trying to understand if this was blatant reference to King’s personal stance on the Death Penalty (against it, obvs) or something more subtle. Should we take away that killing is wrong no matter what? Or that there is more nuance at play here?

Because there’s more happening on the green mile than just murderers dying (no matter how dramatically) in the chair comically nicknamed “ol’ sparky”. We’ve got John Coffey in chains, convicted of raping and murdering two 9 year old girls. JFC. I just can’t.

But he did, and he will die for his crimes. Here’s where the controversy around this novel begins. John Coffey is a large black man with magical powers. Spike Lee specifically calls out King publicly for this “magical negro” trope, which honestly I can’t disagree with. Dick Halloran from The Shining and Mother Abigail from The Stand fall neatly in this bucket as well. But even as I type this I know I am cherry-picking; I’ve read plenty of King stories with mystical beings and they’re mostly white (or more often other worldly). But King’s repeated use of the n-word and other racial slurs in his writing is real cringeworthy. As I move further towards his 21st century writing I keep hoping this will stop. It hasn’t yet, as of 1996. But King and writing about race is an entirely separate post for another day.

Back to The Green Mile; we learn that John Coffey has special healing powers when he cures the head guard, Paul Edgecomb of a UTI by grabbing his crotch. Normally this type of behavior will get ya thrown in the hole, but Paul’s so grateful he lets it slide.

Once we learn of the healing powers of Coffey, it doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to solve the mystery. While getting arrested he cries “I tried to stop it but it was too late.” Everyone involved in the investigation assumes he means he tried to stop himself from murder but couldn’t; anyone with half a brain can deduce that someone else killed the girls; he tried to heal them. He was too late.

We’re set off to learn who really murdered the girls, but this revelation takes a backseat, at least in my mind. For me, the big mystery is; will John Coffey get executed? I’ll be honest, I hadn’t seen this movie, so I didn’t know. The phone the governor used to phone in stays-of-execution was mentioned early, so my Chekhov’s Gun senses lead me to believe it was possible. Why bother if not? Well the phone is mentioned at execution time, only to say it won’t ring. And of course it never really was a question - Coffey is a black man in the south, convicted of murdering two girls in 1932. Of course no one’s coming to save him. It’s sad. Real sad.

We’re given solace in the fact that Coffey claims he’s ready to go - his powers are too much and he’s tired. This is a nonsense cop out that provides relief to all those that understand the truth, allowing them to go on living, loving their wives and kids and casseroles. John Coffey should not have died. The end. 

Things are wrapped up in a bow with the end stories of everyone involved and their timely and untimely deaths. I guess that’s it; life sucks, then you die; death can come for you in any way, without discrimination.

I earmarked what is one of my favorite lines I’ve encountered so far in King’s work.

“We had once again succeeded in destroying what we could not create.”

Executing anyone (murderer or not) takes a toll on most of the prison staff. I just loved this so much on so many levels; they are men without the ability to create life; they are not god; they are mortals stealing mortality. So beautiful.

So, it’s no stretch to call this the brother of Shawshank, but at least we get a female character in Paul Edgecomb’s wife. I don’t remember her name so that’s not great. But she was a woman and she at least was there, so it gets knocked up a few rungs from Shawshank IMHO.

I’d have to say this is one King novel that really perplexed me. I suppose I got into the routine of enjoying typical good-vs-evil tales where the good guys eventually overcome. For me, The Green Mile wasn’t green at all but a wavering shade of grey I still can’t see properly.

(Side note: As I sat down to write this, I thought to myself “I’m not sure what I’ll say about The Green Mile.” Turns out, quite a bit, this is probably one of my longest entries. Who knew?)

8/10

First Line: This happened in 1932, when the state penitentiary was still at Cold Mountain.

Last Line: I know that, but sometimes, oh God, the Green Mile is so long.

Adaptations:

Like it’s brother Shawshank Redemption, I had never seen this movie before. It made it’s run through awards season in 1999, mostly for Michael Clarke Duncan’s portrayal of John Coffey. Who later tragically died of a heart attack with his girlfriend Omarosa (of Trump WH fame) which I didn’t know, but good golly, that is another sad story for another day.

Listen, this is a highly regarded movie that’s on many top lists, so I won’t stab into it too hard. But it is SO LONG.

Frank Darabont got his panties all in a bunch when folks told him a 3 hour running time was too long, claiming that if 2 hours was the correct length of a film that cinema classics like Lawrence of Arabia were invalidated. Well guess what? I’ve seen Lawrence of Arabia, and yes that shit is too. damn. long. As is The Green Mile.

One would think that with 3+ hours of material, the character development would be on point. It’s not really; the prisoners are mostly glossed over (even more so than in the book) as lovable murders. Wild Bill is the exception (overacted by Sam Rockwell), and he serves as the sole real “bad guy”. 

Edgecomb and his other prison guards are painted as saints (again, minus one guard who takes on the “bad guy of the good guys” role). If the book was grey the movie is much more black and white. Tom Hanks for president for sure, the guy is a national treasure. But they were one step away from giving him an actual halo. As someone complicit in the murder of an innocent man, I just can’t declare his character for sainthood. The real Tom Hanks, a million times yes. Paul Edgecomb? Nah.

The movie is fine. I approve of Darabont’s relationship with King and have thoroughly enjoyed their previous collaborations. I was sad to see that he let his film rights to The Long Walk expire last year, picked up by New Line and James Vanderbilt (of Vanderbilt fortune... old money... sigh) who penned Zodiac, which leaves me slightly hopeful but assume it’ll trickle back into development limbo for the remainder of eternity.

I’ve already finished my next read, Desperation and after I slog through the 2.5 hour ABC miniseries (UGH) I will keep trucking. New Year, more pressure placed on myself to plow through the back half of King’s bibliography.

[deansawthetvglow]

Being part of an international gay conspiracy? I guess I can Chekhov that from my bucket list.