#still not even halfway through the 'Music of the Worlds Greatest Composers' yet. only on Side 2 of the first record

[bambi-lesbian-posts]

A new collection of records I got recently from the thrift store

(and their respective song lists, if they have them):

"Music of the World's Greatest Composers" is a collection of 12 records containing songs from the following composers:

Bach Brandenburg Concerto No.1

Handel Water Music Suite

Haydn Symphony No.94 ("Surprise")

Mozart Symphony No.40

Beethoven Symphony No.3 ("Eroica")

Rossini The Barber of Seville: Overture

Schubert Symphony No.8 ("Unfinished")

Berloiz Roman Carnival Overture

Mendelssohn Symphony No.4 ("Italian")

Chopin Les Sylphides - Excerpts

Schumann Symphony No.3 ("Rhenish")

Liszt Mephisto Waltz

Wagner Tristan and Isolde: Prelude and Liebestod

Verdi La Forza del Destino: Overture

Franck Symphony in D Minor

Johann Strauss, Jr. Waltzes: Wiener Blut and Fledermaus: Du und Du

Brahms Symphony No.3

Brizet Carmen: Prelude to Act 1

Tchaikovsky Symphony No.6 ("Pathétique")

Dvořák Carnival Overture

Grieg Peer Gynt Suite No.1

Rimsky-Korsakov Russian Easter Overture

Debussy Prelude to the Afternoon of a Fawn

Richard Strauss Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks

Sibelius Finlandia and The Swan of Tuonela

Stravinsky The Rite of Spring

[musicollage]

Benoit Pioulard. The Benoît Pioulard Listening Matter, 2016. Kranky. ( Mastered By – Rafael Anton Irisarri )  ~ [ Album Review |   1) Pop Matters  +  2) Exclaim!  + 3) All Music  +  4) Impose Magazine  + 5) Echoes And Dust  ]

1) The peculiar title of Benoît Pioulard’s latest album gives the impression that it could be some kind of best-of collection. It isn’t, but The Benoît Pioulard Listening Matter could stand in as a succinct summation of Thomas Meluch’s charismatic melding of dream-folk, field recordings, and sandwashed atmospheres.

The completion of The Benoît Pioulard Listening Matter has been trailed by poignant timing and tragic coincidence. Meluch’s first album for Kranky, Précis, was released ten years earlier, nearly to the day. His brother, for whom the record is dedicated, passed away on the same day that it was finished. Listening Matter’s mood is not easily read. Its pleasure and melancholy are both wary. Meluch being a photographer as well, several of his Polaroids serve as the album art. There’s surely some reflection of the music to be drawn from the cover image; a fish eye mirror on a dark weathered wall, offering a detached and bent view of a beautiful day.

Starting with Sonnet in 2015, Benoît Pioulard has let loose an outpouring of ambient releases. There was Stanza, a companion to the Sonnet LP, Stanza II, the Noyaux EP put out by Morr Music, and the tour EP Thine. This past June he released the Radial EP, which featured an ‘interpretation’ of the Aphex Twin song “Stone in Focus”, to help pay for medical bills he incurred breaking his wrist while hiking in the Cascade foothills near North Bend, Washington.

Listening Matter swings back toward the singer-songwriter yin to Meluch’s structure-averse yang, a mode he hasn’t dwelled much in since Hymnal in 2013. Working again with Benoît Pioulard here is Rafael Anton Irisarri, who mastered the album at Black Knoll Studio in New York. Along with being the go-to guy for completing his own music, Irisarri is a composer with whom Meluch collaborates as Orcas. The duo’s stunning, underappreciated second album, Yearling, is a standout in both of their bodies of work.

Opening euphoric gust “Initials B.P.” is both a clearing of the throat and a girding of the loins. Outside the door lay a progression of perils to face down. “Narcologue” wastes no time, cutting into time and distance’s grip on love: "But this freezing of the heart / Is a shameful shuttering born of being apart / With numbness but in command / My senescence proves we hold together like sand”. Addiction lurks in “Layette”, which begins with the admission, “In a matter of time / I’ll slowly burn through my vices / Cos when I level with them / They still put me through my paces”.

The elated melody of the brief but voluble “Anchor as the Muse” belies its sense of futility. Nearly halfway in and there’s still no resolution in sight on “I Walked Into the Blackness and Built a Fire”: “So I will give chase / The back roads are clearer than before / But mist is in pace / And I can’t see the paths anymore”. Not to overstate the point, but after going practically speechless since Sonnet, Meluch has a lot to get off his chest here. He also gives himself a narrow window in which to do it; a baker’s dozen of future-past pop songs etched onto water-warped tape that average in length somewhere in the two-minute range.

Contradictions being key to the album’s balance, it is only natural that Listening Matter’s greatest moment of levity comes wrapped in cataclysm. On “The Sun Is Going to Explode But Whatever It’s OK”, each successive verse is an eloquent capture of a different thought or perspective in the context of the end of it all; a couple of the sentimental kind, but most of the ‘oh well’ variety. “Oh in the great conflagration of the universe / The sun is going to fucking explode/It doesn’t help to block it with your hand / So just tremble with the ruptures in the land”. It’s the “Take It Easy” this generation deserves.

2) Over the past decade-and-a-half, Thomas Meluch (aka Benoît Pioulard) has covered a lot of musical ground. The Washington-via-Michigan producer has averaged a release per year, tackling electronic, ambient, electroacoustic and even shoegaze and folk along the way but on his latest LP, the aptly titled The Benoît Pioulard Listening Matter, Meluch has focused on a subject that has seemed to elude him over the years: himself.

According to Pioulard, the album was recorded during a rough period in his life; the 13-track LP tackles such subjects as grief ("I Walked Into a Blackness and Built a Fire"), turmoil ("In-the-Vapor") and self-medication ("Narcologue"). Opening the record off with the bleary and antonymous electronics of "Initials B.P.," Pioulard goes on to fill the album with guitar strums and vulnerable vocal sighs, while distancing himself from his most recent work. Despite the themes covered throughout, tracks like "Defect" and "A Mantle for Charon" sound honourably optimistic and cheery as Pioulard's voice comes off clean, clear and often chatty, akin to the warbling vocals of the Beta Band's Steve Mason.

Surrounded by ambient hiss and faint female backing vocals, The Benoît Pioulard Listening Matter shows Pioulard expressing emotion through simple but intensely personal songwriting.

3) Over a decade's worth of albums, Thomas Meluch took Benoît Pioulard's music in such wide-ranging directions that, by the time of Sonnet's expansive ambient instrumentals, it seemed unlikely he'd return to the project's folktronic beginnings. However, he does exactly that with The Benoît Pioulard Listening Matter, an album title that hints at coming full circle: if Precis was a concise introduction, then these songs are a poignant summary. Benoît Pioulard's music feels lighter and freer than ever, even as it touches on heavy subject matter. Within half an hour, Meluch reflects on life's impermanence ("Narcologue"), the fleeting comforts of vice ("Layette"), and mortality ("A Mantle for Charon") in ways that give Precis' affecting simplicity a greater depth. On songs such as "Perennial Comforts" and the gorgeous "I Walked into the Blackness and Built a Fire," he couples his flair for atmosphere with lyrical storytelling that paints a more complete picture of his world than ever before. Meluch surrounds these deep dives with ambient pieces that are the mainstay of Benoît Pioulard's work -- the breezy album opener is even called "Initials B.P." -- and the interplay of space and texture is lovely as always on "In-the-Vapor" and the velvety final track, "Ruth." Nevertheless, a voice as expressive as Meluch's should be used as much as possible, and his singing is especially welcome after Sonnet; on the lilting "Like There's Nothing Under You," he says as much with his circling harmonies as he does with his poetic words. Indeed, The Benoît Pioulard Listening Matter features some of his catchiest songs in some time, from the shimmering "Anchor as the Muse" to "The Sun Is Going to Explode But Whatever It's OK," a brisk singalong for an end-of-the-world campfire. A tenth anniversary is as good a time as any to take stock, but to Meluch's credit, it doesn't feel like he's revisiting the past merely for nostalgia's sake. Instead, adding the clarity of experience to his early work's atmospheric conciseness only makes The Benoît Pioulard Listening Matter all the richer.

4) Musicians often need to assume a persona, giving an alter-identity to better create and perform. Thomas Meluch has been working under such a pseudonym for his solo efforts since 2005, moving deliberately toward his current intersection of folk and ambient electronica. His previous output under his Benoît Pioulard name has often been nebulous and, as with the case of last year’s album Sonnet, voiceless. With the release of The Benoît Pioulard Listening Matter, Meluch opens up his expressions both lyrically and via acoustic guitar. With this new effort, he shades his atmospheric music with a humanity that also works as a curative measure for his grief and emotional state.

Listening Matter begins with one of Meluch’s signature drone-based expressions, reminding of the ethereal and isolating moods of Brian Eno. Throughout the album, he uses these quick interims as a respite between vocal sets, seemingly giving himself a breather from his realizations and confessionals. When he does open up, his voice has a calming lilt reminding of many heartfelt troubadours like Nick Drake and Elliot Smith, recalling moments while looking forward. “Narcologue” has a flamenco flair but soothes like a opiate, emulating that painless relief from reality. With the bright outset of single “Anchor and The Muse”, Meluch reaches for balance and awareness in the aftermath of his struggles. Meluch states poignantly that “If you still resent me after everything I’ve done/ Well, then I can’t really blame you, can I?”, owning his faults with a weary finality.

The tracks on The Benoît Pioulard Listening Matter rarely last beyond the three minute mark, but the impressions made are distinct and indelible. His production is stark yet sprightly, finding the right moments to add a layer of anodic ambience or environmental hum. The harpsichord produced on “I Walked Into the Blackness and Built a Fire” matches well with an understated gallop as rhythm track, echoing with rich history and a tangible sound. The album’s best track “A Match for Charon” features an uplifting chord progression and swells that creep out gradually bursts through the mix like sunlight. The listener acts almost as an audience member in a theatre, where Meluch’s songs are vignettes to be experienced as well as heard.

That hazy, memorable ambience is a trademark of the music from Chicago-based label Kranky and its impact is easily recognized on the Benoît Pioulard signature. What makes the efforts of Meluch distinct on this LP is his representation of the ebb and flow of life, acting both as the cause and effect of his music. One can perceive Meluch lift the weight off of his shoulders as his songs resonate with individual pain and resilience. This feeling becomes clearer with the knowledge that he lost his brother tragically upon completing this album. With this, Listening Matter is an unmistakable release from a record label committed to a singular sound and an individual effort from a musician still coming to terms with his own art and station in life.

5) Following an excursion of a wholly ambient release, one that truly enveloped the listener into a world that offered intrigue and mystery, composer Thomas Meluch offers his latest work under the Benoît Pioulard moniker. Returning now to his roots of experimental ambient folk, The Benoît Pioulard Listening Matter features Meluch taking a step back from his 2015 album of Sonnet, utilizing his incredible range of ambient composition to further push and extenuate his own acoustic-folk musings. The result of it all is an album that that feels strangely familiar and comforting, whilst managing to express many ideas and notions that are certainly different.

Whilst Sonnet emphasized ambient techniques greatly and featured very sparse vocals, The Benoît Pioulard Listening Matter instead focuses around Meluch’s own folk notions, all accompanied, pushed, moved and broken up by his own ambient techniques. At the heart of every musical technique, is Meluch himself who examines himself and his own experiences and understanding of troubling times with great examination, using the recording process of The Benoît Pioulard Listening Matter as a growing and healing process. Vices, virtues, life and death are all mused upon and expressed by Meluch, all blurred and obscured by ambient washes, as though there’s only so much we’re supposed to see.

There’s a great intrigue following this album and its release. Meluch seems to have spent much of the past two years really turning his gaze into himself, looking at how he views the world and understands it, before turning at introspection outward through the medium of his songs. There’s an incredible fragility to much of the work on the album, whilst also being incredibly headstrong and confident. As a body of work, much of the album seems to jump further ahead than much of Meluch’s work, sounding more concise and direct than the 2015 ambient work of Sonnet or even the more folk-directed 2013 album of Hymnal.

Meluch’s works may sometimes feel a little hard to really tap into at times, especially much of his earlier work which really felt experimental at times. It seems now Meluch has really honed in his incredible range and talents, creating an album that is no doubt experimental, but is also much easier to digest and understand, whilst still being a wonderful album experience that simply achieves everything it has set out to do. It’s arguable that Meluch has created a perfect entry point into his music for those who may be unfamiliar to his unique style, whilst also releasing a work that will really inspire his many lifelong fans.

[rpgmgames]

May’s Featured Game: Cadeau

DEVELOPER(S): HALFWORLDstudios ENGINE: RPG Maker VX Ace GENRE: Horror, Fantasy, Puzzle WARNINGS: Blood, Mild Gore, Suicide Mentions, Death SUMMARY: Cadeau is an RPG Horror game about a lonely, yet stubborn, young woman named Charlotte-- who finds herself in a world unknown to man, wearing clothes that do not belong to her. Wonderful and tragic events are to follow suit, as all of her greatest wishes come true. However, as these things often go, her happiness does not come without consequence...

Play the beta here!

Our Interview With The Dev Team Below The Cut!

Introduce yourself! Macdev: Greetings and salutations. I'm Mac, writer, artist, and programmer for Cadeau, as well as the founder of Halfworld. I've loved Rpg games since I was about 10, and have been creating them since! Bruno: My name is Bruno and I'm the music composer. I got into game music approx 2 years ago and I've currently made music for a couple of games and other projects, and Cadeau was the first one of them. Aidan: I'm Aidan/kanteramcneil on Tumblr! I'm one of the voice actors, and I'm super excited to be able to follow Cadeau's progress! I've been in the RpgMaker community for a few years now and I adore being able to watch all the devs progress and grow Rindre: Hi I'm Rin! Currently, I'm on an indefinite hiatus, but Big Mac managed to catch me, chain me up to a chair, and make me say stuff about myself against my will. So... I make games, I guess. - Note from macdev: Erm, not true? These accusations are SLANDER and I will not stand for it. WariA: Hello! I’m WaraiA, one of the voice actors of Cadeau — A pleasure to meet you! I will be voicing the oh so mysterious ‘Your Admirer’, so please look forward to listening to my antics ☆〜（ゝ。∂） I am a Japanese/Chinese Australian born citizen, with a tendency to speak in an American accent. Any pronouns are fine for me My most notable role so far has been Harpae from Pocket Mirror, so some of you may be familiar with my voice already! Nothing much has changed — I enjoy cosplaying, role playing, drawing every once in a blue moon, Final Fantasy XIV, and most importantly, catboys (Nael, I’m coming for you, boy) As ‘Your Admirer’ is a rather elusive character, I cannot disclose much. But I do suggest always keeping one eye open throughout your journey

What is your project about? What inspired you to create your game initially? *Macdev: Cadeau is a game about a troubled young woman named Charlotte Émile-- who is a "tomboyish" and bold individual who has been unfortunately presented loneliness by a series of disastrous events. After giving up on companionship, she miraculously receives an affectionate letter from a mysterious person aliased as her "Admirer". This "Admirer" character beckons poor Charlotte to visit them at a mysterious well in the woods, and to come armed with nothing but a strange golden coin. From there, madness ensues. Our protagonist must learn of her past and the events that lead to her misfortune, all while becoming entangled in a family drama rooted in witchcraft, raging years before her unexpected arrival. It is a story about self-love, friendship, acceptance, magic, and all that corny-ness. Sounds fun, right? My initial inspiration was The Witches House. The game was originally meant to be simple, and maybe an hour or 45 minutes long. A simple story, and a straightforward 2-ending path.... How have we managed to get here from that?

How long did you work on your project? *Macdev: Two years, I believe! Its anniversary is April 8th. In the beginning, it was very off and on-- because I was having a difficult time with school and-- as I mention-- organization. So not a whole lot of progress was made then. I'm proud to say I've been chugging quite a bit faster than my previous pace!

Did any other games or media influence aspects of your project? *Macdev: My inspiration would probably lie in Harry Potter/Fantastic Beasts, and Alice returns to madness. As for RPG games? The Witch's House, Havenfell, and Pocket Mirror. As well as many other beautiful artists and creators in the video game community. Overall, my biggest inspiration for this game has got to be the stop-motion movie: Coraline. I even reference the movie once or twice in Cadeau. The tone of Coraline, and the whimsical yet eerie people and creatures within it give me inspiration for this game. It was very much a favorite of mine when I was younger, and that still applies today!

Have you come across any challenges during development? How have you overcome or worked around them? *Macdev: The biggest problem I've run into has been a lack of structure. In the beginning, I hadn't even written out the story halfway. I was just pulling ideas from thin air, going back and forth, and deleting entire concepts-- only to bring them back and re-arrange them as I went. Characters weren't fully dished out; the game didn't even have an ending. This state of creating is fine, but not when you have other people expecting things from you. Thankfully, things are sailing much MUCH smoother than before.

Did any aspects of your project change over time? How does your current project differ from your initial concept? *Macdev: It's absolutely taken a turn from what it was originally! As I say, it was meant to be an extremely short game in the beginning, and now obviously that’s not the case. The goal for Cadeau now is: around 2-3 hours long in playtime, and full of many diverse character types! As well as a storyline that extends far more than face value. Which is in high contrast to the basic, short, immemorable experience that it was going to be.

What was your team like at the beginning? How did people join the team? If you don’t have a team, do you wish you had one or do you prefer working alone? *Macdev: I do have a wonderful, beautiful, talented team working with me on Cadeau. - A composer! (Bruno Buglisi), - As well as voice actors! (WariA as Allete, Aiden/kanteramcneil as The Botanist, and Rindre (who I have definitely not kidnapped...) as The Maiden) I met everyone in the team through volunteer posts-- and I had never done that before-- but it worked very surprisingly well! We worked very quickly together, and we had a very mutual understanding of what each other wanted. It feels good to know I have such talented people helping this game come to fruition. I owe a whole lot to them for helping the game become what it is now.

What was the best part of developing the game? Macdev: Being able to make the world in your head interactable, for sure. Since I was 8, maybe even younger, I have loved writing stories and making art. Webcomics were my main thing as a kid, so story-telling is something I’ve always loved. So, the fact that I can turn my ideas into something someone can experience and interact with is a wonderful feeling. There's nothing more fulfilling, honestly!

Do you find yourself playing other RPG Maker games to see what you can do with the engine, or do you prefer to do your own thing? *Macdev: Very often, actually! I try not to ride too close to the material I see in other games, but I do gain lots of inspiration from my fellow creators! One thing I am laser-focused on, though, is making Cadeau quite unique content-wise. I want it to have very interesting, uncommon puzzles and mechanics that you may not expect from this type of game-- or one of this engine. So far, I think I've achieved this-- so look out for that!

Which character in your game do you relate to the most and why? (Alternatively: Who is your favorite character and why?) *Macdev: My favorite character has got to be The Botanist. At the beginning of the game he has no dialogue, yet still presents such a strong personality. They are kind, thoughtful, and absolutely adorable. Look at that foofy hair! I'm a sucker for it. Their character arc is something I'm excited for. It's been a blast writing it so far-- and I won’t spoil anything-- but you guys will love him. I'm sure of it. Now if we're talking character design, Naël has got to be my favorite. He recently received a “tune-up,” as I would like to call it, and I think everything works together very cohesively in his design now. It's probably one of my favorites out of all of them, at this point.

Looking back now, is there anything that regret/wish you had done differently? *Macdev: Thankfully, things worked out perfectly-- and the universe blessed me with a wonderful team in the end-- but it was very stressful once I realized I had asked for help way too early. I essentially made a single map, and a little character sheet-- then asked for a whole team to help me out. As I said, it luckily worked out in the end. Now we have so many amazing people helping us-- but we also lost a few in the madness-- and that's a mistake on my part, 100%. If you don't know what you want, it's hard to ask for help. It will lead to confusion, lots of back and forth, frustration, etc... Just wait until your way further in development. Trust me. I know it’s easy to jump the gun and shoot for the stars, but sometimes it won’t work out as well as it has for the Cadeau team!

Do you plan to explore the game’s universe and characters further in subsequent projects, or leave it as-is? *Macdev: I won't say as of now! The idea of a sequel/prequel has floated around, but if it does come to fruition, it won't be until way after the release of Cadeau. We'll just have to see. (This isn’t to say I’m not hopeful!)

With your current project, what do you look most forward to upon/after release? *Macdev: I have so many amazing project ideas lined up for after the release of Cadeau. I won’t spill too much, so they'll be more of a surprise-- but they range from classic, adventure-themed true RPG's-- to 3D teenage-thrillers. I'm honestly stoked, there's so much in store for Halfworld.

Is there something you’re afraid of concerning the development or the release of your game? *Macdev: I think my biggest fear is letting people down. Also, I worry about losing interest or having people form the idea that the game is never going to be completed. It’s just going to take some time, is all, and that’s okay!

Do you have any advice for upcoming devs? *Macdev: I already mentioned above not to jump the gun and ask for help too early, so some more advice I'll give: is to keep all your material, all your ideas, and all your concepts in one concise place. I would say do it digitally from the get-go, but if you would prefer to write it down physically that's fine! Just make sure it's only one or 2 notebooks, and not 13. The information for Cadeau is spread throughout my hideous mound of notebooks, as I get up during ungodly hours of the night to scrawl a sudden idea down. So, I'm currently in the process of moving them to one digital spot-- and while it's generally easy-- I would have been able to avoid it if I had just put everything in one spot in the beginning. Oh, and back up your progress regularly! I have separate backups of Cadeau from months in 2 different years, and in 4 different places. So, I take backups very seriously—and so should you!

Question from last month's featured dev @atlasatrium: What's your favorite RPG Maker game and why? *Aidan: I love End roll, Ib, OFF, Prom Dreams, From Next Door, and Aria's Story! Bruno: Mm, definitely Long Gone Days (though it’s not being made on rpgmaker now) Midnight Train, Heartbeat and Glitched! WariA: I don't really have any :0 the devs I've worked with so far have all been really sweet (´꒳`);; Macdev: This is a tough question! I have a lot of favorites. Probably Stray Cat Crossing overall, but I also love Home and Starboy. Starboy brings a lot of memories, and Stray Cat Crossing was what inspired me to start making games! Oh, and Home is just very cute.

We mods would like to thank HALFWORLDstudios for agreeing to our interview! We believe that featuring the developer and their creative process is just as important as featuring the final product. Hopefully this Q&A segment has been an entertaining and insightful experience for everyone involved!

Remember to check out Cadeau if you haven’t already! See you next month! 

- Mods Gold & Platinum

[hawk-in-a-jazzy-hat]

Anime Review: Eureka Seven, and Why Anime was Better in the Olden Days

In a constantly shifting world, people are clinging to life as best they can, despite tectonic shifts and mysterious Desperation Disease making life hard. Still, the people cling to hope in this weird world; hope for the military, for the rebel group Gekko-State, and hope brought about by the hero of the people, Adroc Thurston. Hope that the world will someday be healed.

So we meet Adroc’s son, Renton Thurston, who lives with his mechanic grandfather and dreams of a life where he can freely lift through the sky. Then his life changes as a giant robot crashes through his roof, and he meets a mysterious young girl named Eureka, as well as the Gekko-State leader himself, Holland. Given a powerful device called the Amita Drive by his grandfather, which is able to power a famous robot known as the Nirvash, or Type/Zero, Renton rushes off in pursuit of Eureka, and a new life aboard the Gekko-State. But ominous rumblings are brewing in the military and the very core of the world itself, and the carefree life that Renton thought he was getting into may just be the greatest test he’s ever faced...

Oh yeah, I’m going there. And I’m finally gonna explain why.

The golden age of anime, or of media in general, is an incredibly subjective thing. It depends on your tastes, the things you grew up with, and the things thrust at you as you stumble through life. As such, I cannot in any way say “anime was better at this time that it has ever been since”, because that’s just my opinion. And I would always respect otherwise. But still, for me, film, music and anime were all better in the olden days.

Of course, “the olden days” itself is relative. In my case the golden generation would be the one before me; say the mid-80s to the mid-90s for music and film. Anime is slightly more recent, given that the industry is actually slightly behind western animation on the timeline (so much so that the first ‘anime’ series, as it were, Astro Boy, was based off of classic Disney cartoons). That means the ‘golden age’ of anime for me actually spans from the late 90s to exactly 2007. And yes, as with everything, of course there was a load of crap that came out in that time period, and yes there have been better shows come out since (two of my favourite shows are from 2010 and 2011 respectively). But, in general, I feel anime was at its best during that period, for a few reasons.

So where does that leave Eureka Seven? It came out in 2006 as an original story from Bones, and is now considered one of the classic mech shows along with Evangelion and Gurren Lagann. So how exactly is it? And what is it that makes it so firmly a product of the golden age of anime?

Let’s start with the animation. The absolutely phenomenally awesome animation. Oh yeah, Studio Bones, baby. Immediately that puts this in the classic category; I know nowadays there are a tonne of awesome studios out there, both veterans and newcomers, but back in the day when you saw the Bones logo you knew that the show was going to look stunning. Wolf’s Rain, both FullMetal Alchemists, Soul Eater, Darker than Black, and even in the recent years they haven’t let up with shows like Blood Battlefront Blockade, My Hero Academia and Mob Psycho 100. For the longest time they were the epitamy of quality animation, and they don’t drop the ball here. Eureka Seven looks absolutely wonderful. The character animation is amazing and never devolves into emoticon slapstick, the backgrounds are wonderful, as are the colours, and the show has probably some of the best aerial battles I’ve ever seen. Eureka Seven has the unique style of having giant robots surfing through the sky, and whether or not it’s a silly concept, you can totally buy it with some of the most wonderful flying and falling moments I’ve ever seen. The only time Eureka Seven looks less than stellar is just on occasion, where they’re obviously holding back a little budget and some of the faces get a little squash-and-stretchy.  But honestly, it doesn’t matter one bit. Having every frame be perfect is nowhere near as important as having the truly important moments be special.

The animation truly is excellent, but honestly I was far more blown away by the score to this show. The composer was Naoki Satō, and honestly I’ve only heard his work once before in Assassination Classroom, although for the life of me I can’t really remember a single track. Here is a different story though, as the entire score to Eureka Seven just blew me away. From wonderfully emotional opening themes to bittersweet endings to great sweeping strings and horns to some actually epic trance and techno pieces; the whole score is full of standouts both long and short, and it’s probably the only anime soundtrack I’ve listened to in full while I’ve been working (aside from Baccano). The music belongs to the show, and it is the show. Without it, it wouldn’t be the same. I’ve heard some people say over the years that soundtracks aren’t really important, and there seems to be a rising case of that in many modern blockbusters. But as these old series, and heck, even older films can testify, the soundtrack is important. In fact, essential. Decisive Battle. Goodnight Julia. The friggin’ Team Rocket theme. And among films, The Raider’s March. He’s a Pirate. Binary Sunset. I don’t even need to have the music clips and you’re probably already humming them in your head. The music of your favourite things will stick with you until the very end of time. That is how important the soundtrack is. Again, anime was better in the olden days.

While I can’t lavish as much praise onto the dub as I can the music, I can say it grew on me an awful lot. This is, I believe, an early Bang Zoom! effort, a company who would later go on to do good work with Madoka and Kill la Kill. It still has the old dub flavours though, with a few very recognisable actors and a few actors who don’t really act very well? I don’t know; as older dubs go it’s not as fluently fitting as GTO but it’s nowhere near as flat as Elfen Lied or Soul Eater so it sort of balances out. And for the most part the actors do a great job; Johnny Young Bosch and Crispin Freeman perform really nicely as Renton and Holland respectively, as you’d expect; Kate Higgins is a standout as Talho, and while Stephanie Sheh as Eureka takes some time to get into the role, she’s definitely nailing it by the end. In fact most of the Gekko-State, the recurring villains and even a few one-off characters really nail the voices, with the exception of Woz’s actor, who always sounds like he’s questioning everything he says, and Ken-Goh’s VA in the second half of the series, Kyle Hebert. He isn’t terrible, but after the original actor Bob Papenbrook sadly passed away in 2007, the change is very noticeable.

If there is a problem with the dub it lies a little more with the script than the actors. While most of it is very well handled and feels natural, there are definitely a few monologue-y moments where the actors are clearly just standing on a soapbox. But still, as a dub it works well. Very well. And I’m not convinced that the monologue-y moments are really the fault of the ADR team, at least, not completely. But I’ll get to that a little bit later.

You may have been slightly confused with the plot synopsis, and all the weird and wonderful terms and things going on. This is understandable; this is not a simple series, with alien worlds, political and military turmoil, and a huge cast of characters. There is a lot of lore, and a lot of stuff going on in the background that even I couldn’t always follow. Much like Outlaw Star, this is a world of...well...worldbuilding. And yet despite not being simple, it is far from inaccessible. I’d even go so far as to see this would be a very good introductory series for anime newcomers; certainly a better introductory mecha series than either Evangelion or Gurren Lagann.

(Partly because it’s kinda not really a mecha series. I mean, it is, and the mechas are a very important part, but halfway through it sorta turns out to be Trigun in disguise, in more ways than one).

There’s a reason for this, and again it goes into why I prefer the older style of series; despite the fact that all this stuff is going on, the focus is constantly on the main characters. The central point of the series, for the whole 50 episodes, are the relationships aboard the Gekko-State. Romantic, platonic, and familial. Renton’s growing relationship with Eureka and Hollands strained relationship with Talho. And the characters interact with each other, and no interaction is the same. There’s no simple ‘oh I respect this guy and I’m utterly loyal to him’. There’s a lot of back talking, and a lot of abuse being flung around. There’s blood, there’re tears, and fights, and some of it can be downright unpleasant to watch. But guess what; that’s a family! Even when Renton is being at his most annoying-teenager, or Holland is at his most annoying-manchild, or heck, the three kids who are constantly annoying, it still feels natural. They are inherently relatable characters, even if we don’t always like them.

And that’s just the main four; the rest of the Gekko-State are wonderful to watch as well, and heck, even members of the military. Despite the fact that not all of them go through a character arc, even the less prominent ones like Woz and Joves still feel like real people. And I say that not all of them go through an arc, but there’s a lot of really sneaky development here across the board. The shouty military commander Jurgens spends the beginning as a shouty commander, but he reveals a few hidden depths later in the series. Moondoggie (yeah, I know, but just roll with the names) is constantly fighting against feelings of his own inadequacy. Stoner is trying to find his own way to fight, being very pacifistic. Ray and Charles, despite a limited screentime, still manage to be some of the best written characters in the cast. Even among the children, there is Maurice, whose story I found utterly heartbreaking, not just for the obvious reasons, but for the build-up throughout the series and how much the final...reveal...hit close to home. These are real people. We spend the series following real people making real decisions, and some of them are very bad decisions. They make mistakes, they scream and shout. Some of them never recover, whereas others must try to deal with the consequences. And occasionally...just occasionally...some of them find their redemption. And let me tell you, they may make for the most glorious scenes of the show.

That’s the thing. Not every character needs to go through a deep epiphany, or come out on top, or even have a real purpose in the story. You could easily write out half the members of Gekko-State, but the show would suffer greatly for it. In most modern shows of this kind, every character needs a purpose. They must have their moment in the spotlight, and their own character arc. But the thing is, we already have a story, that being, Renton and Eureka’s relationship. Some of the other characters will have stories tying into it, but this is their show. We are seeing things unravel through their eyes, and sometimes, the main character needs a constant they can lean on. That’s when you need the Winrys, the Meryl Stryfes, and the Gekko-States. Back in the day, characters were exactly that. Characters. Characters in their own right, whose paths would cross with those of the mains. Not constructs. As wonderfully crafted as shows like Hunter X Hunter and FMA Brotherhood can be, the side characters too often steal the focus away from where it needs to be. The show does not need to pull you out of the main character arc to show you another one; it should be able to just show you through the eyes of the main. I don’t need to know Shoot’s or Ikalgo’s or Ling’s motivations absolutely word-for-word; I should be able to work it out for myself.

And that’s the point (which I’ve finally gotten back round to); when I see a good modern anime, or a good modern film, or hear a good modern song, I see and hear something that is perfect. Something that has been crafted beautifully and exquisitely to be utterly flawless. And, as weird as it sounds...that’s not how art works. Art needs to have flaws; that is one of the fundamental aspects. You cannot have art that is objectively perfect, since part of the reason it exists as it does is the fact that it is subjective to the creator. It cannot be objectively perfect, therefore, it must have flaws. Every show, every film, every song out there has flaws. And that’s what makes things beautiful.

Eureka Seven has flaws. Oh boy, does it have flaws. Way too much technobabble and monologuing in parts. Some of the dialogue feels incredibly forced and preachy. Some really, really unpleasant scenes in places where even if it fits with the characters it’s just not nice to watch. The pacing can be very off, especially in parts where there are multiple things going on at once. Little things scattered throughout the series, and heck, I like it. There are people out there who are going to hate this show for the choices it makes.

But the flaws make Eureka Seven what it is, just as they do for every show. But more and more nowadays, I see films and shows that have to be utterly perfect in everything they do. The plot has to have the right timing and the right number of twists, and be split into nice neat little arcs. The characters need to have a distinct character arc that finishes in the correct place, and heaven forbid we let any characters make mistakes. Nothing is allowed to be their fault. As technically great as things such as Civil War or Frozen are, I hate the fact that there has to be a villain. There has to be somebody you can point at and say “I can support the good guys in everything because it’s all their fault.” Direction and music fit everything to a tee, to the point where the soundtrack can just be plucked from a massive backlog in order to fit the mood perfectly. In songs, it’s always the same beats, and the same chord structures, and the same computed synthetic backings, in order to show how the singer has such perfect control over their voice even though they’re not saying anything. And NOTHING is allowed to have flaws anymore. The moment a show goes into the very slightest of heavier material, suddenly it’s problematic and sending a bad message. The general public are far too critical of everything nowadays, constantly pointing out plot-holes and every single mistake a film makes, so much so that you fail to see the good. We live in a culture that will judge everything we see before we’ve even seen it, and we will praise the technically flawless as the very best without accepting that people could possibly, possibly like something else more. And believe me, I’m among them. I went through a period of being so critical that I was willing to criticise the technicals of a joke in a kid’s play. It’s not a good look, and it’s not a good feeling when you look back and realise that sometimes you just need to sit back and enjoy something for a change.

Does it go for everything nowadays? Of course it doesn’t, and of course not everything in the olden days was better. We’ve kept the good stuff and wisely decided to leave the crap behind. Even in anime. Too much studio meddling, too little effort going into the story or animation, often way too much filler, and sometimes so needlessly dark that you end up with a Berserk or an Elfen Lied.

And the very reason that so much modern anime is so technically great is that the industry is in a fantastic place. More series are being made every season, with a variety of lengths, new techniques and new studios. Just last year Studio Mappa made a massive hit with Yuri!! On Ice; a unique sports show that was funny, charming, had some gorgeous skating scenes and finally gave a great representation of a gay couple in an anime, in a mainstream hit. It had its issues with the animation and the ending (and I’ll admit, I haven’t seen the whole show so I can’t give my own opinion) but honestly that’s what made it such a hit. It’s going to stick, whether people love it, hate it, think it’s over or underrated or just think it’s meh.

And in every medium, that is the art that will stick. I can think of two areas which are better now than have ever been before. One is kids’ shows and films, which are finally being taken seriously as a legitimate art form and are having more effort put into them than ever before (Lego Movie, Zootopia, Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, Inside Out, and every Laika film, among many). The other is things that are entirely creator-driven, which was what made the classics what they were. More and more people have more freedom to create the thing they want to make. Over in the west, people like Guillermo del Toro, George Miller and Neil Gaiman, or again with the kids shows, people like Rebecca Sugar, Pendleton Ward, Daron Nefcy, Ben Bocquelet and Alex Hirsch. Netflix and Amazon are bringing more unique and wonderful shows and adaptations to more and more people. And in the anime world, there are creators like Gen Urobuchi, Kunihiko Ikuhara, Jun Maeda and ONE, as well as new and upcoming studios like Shuka, 3Hz and of course Studio Mappa. The talent is out there. The people who care are out there. And I have no doubt that in another few years we’re going to see a new renaissance of media as people like this – people like you and me - take the technology and the dedication we now have, sit down, and make the story they want to make. Flaws and all.

Anime was better in the olden days. Film was better in the olden days. Music was better in the olden days. Not because it had more talent or technique behind it, though we have sadly lost several geniuses over the past few years. It was better, because the people who made it cared. They didn’t care about it being perfect, or being good for people. The things that were good were so good because people picked up the camera, or the pen, or the instrument, and they wanted to make something. They wanted to make their very own piece of art, and nobody was going to stop them.

And we got Empire Strikes Back, and Blues Brothers, and Terminator 2, Labyrinth, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Ghostbusters, Lion King, Gremlins, Jurassic Park and Beetlejuice. We got Take On Me, Living On a Prayer, I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That), Heaven is a Place On Earth, Under Pressure, Tunnel of Love and Dry County. And we got Cowboy Bebop, FullMetal Alchemist, Wolf’s Rain, Gunslinger Girl, Baccano, Bokurano, Clannad, Princess Tutu and Welcome to the NHK.

And we got so, so many wonderful things. Not one of them perfect. But all of them forever wonderful.

Eureka Seven is a deeply flawed show, and yet I absolutely love it. It impressed me in all the right ways, with relatable characters, an exciting world, an inspiring story and an absolutely gorgeous presentation. It is every bit a product of the heart and love of Dai Satō, Naoki Satō, and every member of Studio Bones who worked on it. Not everybody will like everything about it, but personally, I found it a true classic. It made my top 20 in an instant and I would recommend it to anybody interested, and in fact, if you live in the good old UK like myself, the whole series is available completely free and legally on Viewster. Go for it. See the stories that came out over a decade ago. Because let me tell you, it’s going to be a little while before we see anything like their kind again.

My score: 9/10

[rayraywrites]

Chapter 4: Revolutionary

Pairing: Yuuri Katsuki x Viktor Nikiforov

Characters: Viktor Nikiforov, Yuuri Katsuki, Yakov Feltsman, Yuuko Nishigori, Nishigori Triplets, Phichit Chulanont, Makkachin, Christophe Giacometti (minor), Yuri Plistesky (minor)

Rating: General Audiences

Total Word Count: 8353

Chapters: Lament || Waterfall || Sunshine || Revolutionary || Toccata || Tristesse || Arpeggio

Bang: @yurionicebigbang

Partner: @uchiyin

        link to art (to be added once art has been posted)

Beta: @emeraldwaves

AO3 (Links/Other Notes included)

Summary:

Music is the language that unites those who cannot speak their feelings. It fills the holes in our heart from living. It soothes and burns.

When the spoken word of man fails, the ancient language stirs from the depths to be heard above the loudest of howls

Still, the fact that Yuuri’s initial reaction after Viktor’s offer had been to scream and run away had hurt. He made sure the smile resting on his face remained strong, even though the stares he received from the other students irked him. If anything, he’d have preferred Yuuri to do the same, and only look at him but instead the Japanese man had run away, presumably back to his dorm room.

Viktor slowly walked back towards Yuuri’s room, making sure to nod and smile as was expected to everyone who looked at him. If there was one thing Viktor was good at it aside from the piano, it was throwing on the facade of happiness. But only someone who knew Viktor well would have been able to see the stiffness in his posture, or the way his hands were forcibly swinging while he walked to prevent them from clenching into fists.

As he approached the dorm room, Viktor pulled his face into an even larger smile before knocking on the door smoothly. He could hear some shuffling from inside the room, before the door was slowly opened. Viktor felt his breath catch at the tufts of hair that stuck up from Yuuri’s head. It looked like Yuuri had just woken up, even though it had only been ten minutes since he’d ran from Viktor. But as his eyes travelled down, Viktor saw that Makkachin’s fur had also been fluffed up even more then normal and realized Yuuri must have been forced to play with her.

A soft grin spread across his face as he bent down to tug Makkachin into a hug. Ruffling her fur, Viktor glanced upwards to see a similar soft look on Yuuri’s face. “Thank you for taking care of my beloved Makka, Yuuri.” He didn’t receive a verbal response, but Yuuri simply crouched down beside him and nodded before scratching Makkachin behind the ear. The gentle nod was enough for him. Gesturing to the door, Viktor stood up and held a hand out to Yuuri. “Want to take a walk with me? Tell me everything about you? Do you only practice in that room?”

Viktor kept asking questions, coming closer to Yuuri when it seemed Yuuri refused to move. Crouching once more, he cupped Yuuri’s chin and leaned in. “What do you do besides piano? Are you with someone?” Smirking, Viktor leaned back slightly when he saw how uncomfortable Yuuri was, however he remained close enough to whisper, “before we work together, let’s build some trust in our relationship.” Viktor was astonished to see Yuuri’s face turn bright red before he ripped himself out of Viktor’s grip and sped back away from Viktor.  Blinking, Viktor stood up and smiled softly before heading towards the door once more. Makkachin walked beside him and her soft barks were the only sound that were audible in the room. Pushing the door open, Viktor turned around to say goodbye, but instead, he saw that Yuuri was standing right behind him with an awkward smile.

“Let’s head out for that walk? Have you seen the main performance theatre here yet?” Yuuri’s hand rose to seemingly push Viktor on the shoulder, but froze before lowering back down to his side as he realized what his body had intended to do.

Grinning brightly, Viktor pushed the door further, allowing Yuuri to slip out. Yuuri began walking down the hallway, pausing to allow Viktor to catch up to him before continuing. After they walked for a couple minutes, with brief pauses when other students at the conservatory came up to Viktor to speak to him. He was polite and friendly, but found the desire he had to hug Yuuri and wrap himself around Yuuri wasn’t there with all the other students. Something about Yuuri was just special.

Finally, they arrived at the theatre, and just when Viktor was going to push open the door, Yuuri instead stopped him and began walking to the side. Curious he followed, and found that Yuuri was pulling out a set of keys to the back door. He arched an eyebrow at Yuuri’s smirk before following the other man into the room. Instead of the finding themselves in the seats where the audience would sit, Viktor entered onto the stage itself. It was devoid of any chairs, however he could see stands in the opposite wing.

Viktor watched as Yuuri walked to the front of the stage and sat down with his legs dangling off the front. Following, Viktor went and sat beside him, keeping a bit of distance between the two of them. Makkachin decided to settle herself between the two of them pulling a soft chuckle out of him. He glanced over at Yuuri to see an unexpectedly serious look on his face. Sighing, Viktor looked out towards the empty seats and laughed to himself.

“You know, I might perform daily at huge venues, with incredible seating and gorgeous decorations, but this?” Viktor threw his hand out to point at the much simpler, but dignified chairs and decor. “This reminds me not of those huge orchestral chambers but instead my first national performance in St. Petersburg. That simple theatre, the quiet audience.”

He smiled lightly, eyes glistening slightly as he spoke. Turning his head he saw a small grin on Yuuri’s face and quirked an eyebrow in response.

Yuuri simply smiled before looking away and muttering, “Pachelbel.”

Confused, Viktor tilted his head to the side, not sure what Yuuri seemed to be attempting to indicate with the composer’s name. Viktor was fascinated as he watched the comfortable smile melt into an awkward one on Yuuri’s face.

Yuuri scratched the tip of his nose nervously before he spoke, once again his voice soft and unsure. “Your performance that night, was Pachelbel’s Canon in D, wasn’t it?”

Astonished at Yuuri’s knowledge of his performance history Viktor simply nodded. He, of course knew his first performance. Viktor remembered each one, regardless of how well he did in it. He never expected Yuuri to know that about him however. It wasn’t his greatest nor even an awful performance. It simply… was . Slowly, he forced himself to remove the surprised look off his face and face the the seats once more.

“I never actually expected to leave my home. It was something I never envisioned even as I knew my goal was to travel the world performing. So seeing this place reminds me of that time, of home.” He turned his head once more to look at Yuuri inquisitively. “Do you have something like that Yuuri?”

At the question Yuuri’s uncomfort vanished as a more contemplative mood slipped on. “I studied in Detroit for a few years while I got my degree. There, I played in a Jazz band, and honestly I’ve never truly enjoyed Jazz, but the atmosphere in that group was comforting, and happy. It almost felt like home, yet it could never be.” A dark chuckle left Yuuri’s mouth before he continued speaking. “When I messed up, I ran. I ran from the band, I ran from the friends I’d made there, shoving the care they had given me away.”

Surprised Yuuri had done that, Viktor only managed one word as a response, “wow.”

“I never wanted them to see me fail, to see me crumble. That was the distinction because home, my parents, my sister, Minako-san, Yuko-chan, everyone here supported me no matter what, and believed I would grow.” Yuuri’s words slowly increased in volume as he spoke about his loved ones. “They never believed I was weak, even when I believed I was.”

Viktor held his hand close to his body, clenching into a fist to prevent himself from stretching out and grabbing Yuuri. Taking a deep breath he let it out slowly before he spoke. “You’re not weak. I don’t believe that.” When Viktor had first seen the video of Yuuri playing he’d been astonished, eyes glaring at the screen of his laptop as Yuuri’s fingers danced across the piano, even as his body arched away from the instrument. He’d searched Yuuri up online after and while the other videos he’d seen of the pianist had impressed upon him of Yuuri’s technical skill, there was only one other that had stood out.

“When I first saw that video, I was angry. Not because it was bad, or because you played my arrangement.” He turned to stare into Yuuri’s eyes, hoping to make his point clear. “But because instead of being a huge hit in the musical world, I could barely find you, and I didn’t know your name.” Scratching the back of his head, Viktor continued speaking. “I saw that performance you know? Last year’s round one of the Chopin competition.”

He saw the flinch from Yuuri but ignored it and plowed onwards. “You broke halfway through the piece, your hands shaking as you struggled through the second movement, the more lyrical part. Your first movement was stunning, easily meeting the audience’s heart with each swift keystroke. But the second’s struggle spilled into the third, your rondo suffering before stuttering out the same way an old car horn fizzles out.” He refused to sugar coat what he said.

Viktor saw Yuuri sighing from each word he said and knew his fellow pianist had already known these flaws. His critique was far from complete, but his point had been punctuated and now had to be developed as every cadenza must. “Yet even through those struggles, I saw something even more powerful. Your passion might have been masked by the struggle but it was still there, trying to burst through the seams of its straight jacket. You caged yourself in order to control yourself, leading to your ultimate downfall, even as your music, your soul cried to be free.”

The heaviness of his words hung in the air, coating Yuuri with the truth of his own performance seen through Viktor’s eyes. He smiled as he saw the shell shocked look on Yuuri’s face. “So no, I don’t think you’re weak.” Switching gears Viktor looked down at Makkachin who had been quietly sitting beside her owner for the entirety of the conversation.

Stroking her ear, he opened his mouth again to speak, but this time a completely different topic. “Who do you want me to be to you Yuuri? Who should I be for you? A father-figure, perhaps a brother?”

A shake of the head and a soft no spurred on his questions. “A friend maybe?”

Again another negative.

“Then a lover? I’ll do my best of course.”

This garnered a violent head shake and even pulled Yuuri from the edge of the stage to a standing position. The response Viktor received was the second time that night he had been left speechless.

“I don’t want you to be anything but you. Be yourself, that’s all I want.” Yuuri all but shouted his reply, his hands coming to tug on his hair in anxiety as he kept speaking. “I ran from you because I don’t want you to see my shortcomings, yet you took all my fears and told me it made me stronger. I’ll make it up to you through my piano.” A determined look had crossed Yuuri’s face, tugging an equally determined look on to Viktor’s.

Standing up, he held a hand out for Yuuri to shake, an agreement of sorts building. “Very well, then I shall push you. I won’t go easy of course, its how I show love.” Yuuri grasped his hand tightly, stress evident in his stiff posture, but a gleam in his eyes promising to work as hard as Viktor pushed him and more.

If he opens up to me, then I will meet him there.

[prague-lematic]

The last few days :(

Once Mer left, I realized how short of a time I had left... sad sad sad. As I write this blog post from home it’s so real to me now and I’m looking at my pictures realizing how freakin lucky I was for all of this experience. My god. I got a pilsner at the secret garden with becca after our final and then headed to the market near old town square and picked up my final czech republic sweatshirt and some knick knacks. Then somehow we found the AAU barbecue after looking through a huge park for about 3 hours. That evening, we headed to the “Pivni Festival” meaning Beer festival up near this little coffee place Brittney and Mackenzie had brought us to and the “futbol stadium.” It was so fun, there was a live band and we drank beer to our hearts content. This night was Olivia’s last night so afterwards we all went to the Charles Bridge with her and sat and contemplated everything. We sat in a circle and ate mcdonalds. Some guy from America walked by and muttered, “You come halfway across the world to eat mcdonalds.” We all laughed. How right he was. A touch of home on the Charles Bridge. Mcdonalds was a comfort, but yet so was Charles now. It was a melancholy kind of night and I still had 5 days left to spare. The next day I took some time to myself to finish my english paper by starting near the castle at this open garden place and got some apple strudle one last time. Then I wrote the rest at Bohemia Bagle and then I got myself my very last classic Eurodog with mustard and ketchup and ate it peacefully in the shade at the Wallenstein gardens. That evening we had one last dinner all together 5 days before the sad departure at this restaurant near the baby statue park that I loved so much. Afterwards, room 18 grabbed some pizza and champagne and headed up to the metronome park and watched sunset over the greatest city in the whole entire world. I may be biased but I swear it’s true. If you’re ever lucky enough to stay in Prague, you’re lucky enough. You will see everything I am talking about. You will meet the most loyal and fun people here. You will eat the most delicious and different food. Fried cheese for instance. Huh. You will fall in love every two feet with a new sight or view or just a building. You will fall in love with Prague. All of it. That night, Kellie and I went to the Dubliner as we had always wanted. We tried to get in a month or so before but there was a soccer game so it was packed. We both got yummy beers and sat and lsitened to some great live music. We stayed awhile before heading to catch the metro. The next day I finally ordered a pilsner at mcdonalds before going to Stromovka for the actual AAU barbecue. My bad, that was actually on May 26th not 24th. It was the biggest park I’d ever seen and filled with so many beautiful flowers and trees. It was never ending. Becca and I quite literally got lost in it, ending up at some little vegetarian/smoothie stand area and finding an old theme park. Once we got to the barbecue for the free food, we found the guys and we ended up going on this Huckleberry Finn kind of raft thing that you pulled yourself across a little river/pond thing with. Of course it was for kids and we had to wait a good 30 minutes for a mom to notice us and feel bad enough for us to get her kids off for a few moments for us. Pathetic. But so worth it. I laughed the whole way even when we almost sank it. During the waiting, I saw my first ever little czech version of an ice cream truck. It was a girl on a bike with ice cream attached as a freezer to the front. I didn’t get some but I was definitely impressed and glad to see they have some fast service for the necesssities as well. Later, Becca and I checked out the market off JZP (Euros and Pita Bread as Becca called it) and got Burrito Loco and sat outside there and ate it. That night, a group of us went to see a Czech opera at the National Theater by Dvorak (Czech composer) The Jacobin. It was entertaining even though we had nose bleed seats. It was good to see something live theaterish since the last time I had in Prague was my english teachers play in like February. That night we went to Beer Geek and played some fun games and ordered a few beers. I got a coconut beer which was pretty interesting. Beer Geek was the guys place where they played magic and escaped from all the girls madness I’m sure. But It was nice to get a taste of their place for a night. The next day I met up with a good friend from High Point from my freshman year, Tori and her good friend Delaney. I showed them around the castle and then we got beer in old town square. Then we split to get ready for dinner/pub crawl round 2. We got italian again before getting our discounted tickets for the pub crawl that night thanks to Kellie and i ;). Goodness, was that pub crawl the best thing that ever happened to us or what oh my oh my. We had a blast and the British man was there as well. So fun! The next day, I walked near the center with a friend and then went into the palladium mall to grab a snack. That evening, Becca, Zach, Kellie and I went to the TV Tower for a drink. Pretty cool to be that high up over Flora and everything. The 29th I did my own day really which started early with an apple pie crepe and a few eggs at one of the very first restaurants we ate at- right near our rehearsal space. Then I visited the John Lennon wall one last time. I walked the bridge by myself which was much needed. I finally went into the church, known as St. Nicholas Church. Though there was construction going on inside I could still see all the beauty. I was so glad I made the decision to finally go in. I said a prayer or two for my family and everyone to get home safe the following day. Then I drank some beer across the street from the church, with a view of the top of the castle. It felt right. I just sat and people watched for awhile, really trying to take it all in. I visited the Wallenstein Gardens again and visited the peacocks that live there. So beautiful. I wish so many tourists wouldn’t bother them, they’re trying to clearly defend themselves or scare people away when they open their feathers in an array. Still beautiful though. I sat there for a bit before heading to Staromestska for the Andy Warhol exhibit which I’d been eyeing since I first got to Prague. I went and wandered for a bit, enjoying the AC for sure. Then I made my last trip to the castle with Becca and died of heat stroke a bit and stopped at the starbucks and then met up with everyone at the charles bridge. We watched sunset. It was a perfect sunset and I ate a lovely ice cream trdelnik while sitting on the charles bridge, looking at the sun set over the castle. I touched the good luck thing one more time. We got some mcdonalds of course and some people went back to nap before sunrise however Alec, Matt, Kellie and I decided to walk around and grab a beer at the dubliner and then got asked to join the pub crawl for free (we got into M1 for free) and we danced for awhile. We had to stay awake. It was so fun. When we left M1 though and said our goodbyes to the pub crawl staff who had become like family to us, we headed sadly back through old town square and then back to charles bridge. Charles Bridge hit us like a ton of bricks. All four of us stood seperately around the bridge and because I was sad, a group of guys even stopped me and asked if I was alright. I had to explain to them this was my last night on the Charles Bridge. They quickly understood and gave me my space hahahah. such good guys! Eventually we all regrouped as Alec and Matt headed back to get ready for the airport. Kellie and I stayed and layed on the bridge awaiting sunrise. We talked about all the lasts and how much we were going to miss Prague. We were there alone at times, sometimes it only being us and the trash guys. Then it was just us for awhile and then as soon as light began to peak through in came the photographers. We had our spot though. With a dead phone, I just simply watched with amazement as this perfect city I call home came to life. It was so beautiful and melancholy and sad. I didn’t sleep my last night in Prague and for good reason. It was the only right way to say goodbye to it. I will be back though. It is definitely more of a see you later. Thank you for everything. I am truly a different person because of my experiences there. Until then, all my love... xo