#the fact that no one got the closeup of when they basically kissed right before this will always leave me angry

[neyxmessi]

this felt appropriate to post given the dash atm

[papers4me]

Fruits Basket Manga Review , ch 111

sigh~~~ I feel that my recent posts are a bit negative towards the anime, but thats cuz the chapters I’ve read so far are either unbelievably important character depth content cut for no valid reason or content in the anime but packed with million other things that it lost its purpose or importance. Basically tohu’s ep 6 which consists of 4 chapters & now ep 5 which is a momiji ep & yup, packed with 4 chapters as well... so, I apologize for any negativity, my intention is just analyzing artistic & story-telling aspects, I love se03, but yeah it screwed up lots of important characters due to its not so thorough plot decisions & harmful character insight choices.

today.. we explore Momiji... but only before his curse breaks.

Furuba anime struggling to know how to design an episode based on various plot-heavy chapters?

so, they decided 13 eps, & decided one ep for momiji cuz motoko’s graduation & the fanclub is the core of the furuba & have already cut tons of tohru, cuz who cares? she’s kind. be like her. end of lesson. No. really, jokes aside, how to do this?

How to combine several chapters in one ep? collect small snippets from chosen chapters/content like a bee does flowers? you gotta skip some content, you gotta highlight others. The ep is only 20 min after all & you got an op & Ed that you cant always skip.... so.. furuba team decide that momoji’s ep should be true to his zodiac animal, this is the rabbits last appearance in spirit. so, they went with quick hopping from one chapter to the other like a rabbit?

No really, ep 5 is really like a rabbit in its flow, you can’t savior a moment enough before jumping to the other: we learned momiji grew up!! loves toheu romantically, challenged kyo, really meant it, wanted a fair love game, got freed, lost tohru romantically & faced momiji! but that’s not all? we still have space!! quick add akito’s moodiness & love triangle with her dog & her submissive bed partner, add a happy comedy for no reason whatever & make shigue kiss tohru & wish shes 'was his lover instead!!!!!!!!! Mind you all this happened in the anime before shigure hurt tohru with his “the truth of the zodiacs talk & them accepting & feeling consolance that kyo is doomed”talk. 

-Gets whats my biggest surprise after reading this chapter ?????????

Shigure is consistent!! He isnt a rabbit hopping here & there. The dog is loyal & is tired for good reason! Him being depressed & his weird talk with thoru makes so much sense given the manga’s order.

Kyo is consistent!! In the anime, momiji surprise him with confession he loves tohru & challenge him, then kyo la~la~la~joins them downstairs for curry. Not a single expression on his face, where is the expression? it will appear when the plot is forced to address it: by the end of the ep when momiji face hin again. Then we get kyo’s reaction.

I need someone to tell the anime that actions require a reaction. You can refrain from showing a certain reaction if you can’t address it now, but you can’t erase it, negate it, then make it appear when have to!!!! couldn’t they make kyo refuse to join them & eat together? the     other characters wont be surprised they think he’s needlessly moody. The audience will know that kyo is troubled with momiji’s challenged & it will excite them!!! having kyo just go eat & watch the momiji/hiro/haru/yuki comedy skit is weird.

The manga’s author wanted kyo to join the dinner, like the anime did. but huge difference. the author actually cares for logic reaction & understands that the audience aren’t dumb little kids that will sit & wait for kyo’s turn to...react! nope! she did this: (a) & (b) below.

-Lost Small Bits/ Panels from the chapter.. But Sadly Big Huge Chunks for Characters buildup & Growth:

(a) addressed the fact the hiro noticed kyoru is in love & dressed that shigure was right!! the cat being in love is a weird concept to the zodiacs! hiro reacted naturally & the author used hiro to flesh yuki’s (the rat), momiji’s (the rabbit) & haru’s (the cow) decision to silently watch the kyo (the cat) makes his own decisions to live!!! They won’t interfere or tell akito or remind him of his state as the doomed caged cat. So sad this moment is cut from yuki. Why must yuki only interact with kyo to beat him (all seasons)? why must yuki only think of kyo to envy him (all seasons) ? Here, yuki’s growth towards kyo as a person & his relationship with tohru is 1000 times better than all tohru is my mom’s sh!t & I envy kyo’s Sh!t we saw in the anime over & over till we memorized it.

(b) kyo didnt just go la~la~eat with momiji after knowing he loves tohru. Nope, there’s small bits missing: called logical emotional reaction. He was surprised he’s caught pining over tohru! cuz yuki, the audience representative, has told us in the previous chapter that ppl in love dont notice anything around them. Kyo thinks him being cold hid his feelings. the dummy’s feelings are as bright as the sun in the Sahara, tohru too. a child read her! such small thing that wont take much space from the ep but was cut cuz kyo only needs to be responsive at the ep’s end. & this scene of kyo & tohru looking awkwardly at each other is minor in space but so important cuz kyo is determined to let go but his decision is challenged by not only momiji, but his natural attraction to tohru. Here he knows he’s caught & exposed... here he knows momiji is a better choice for tohru cuz he wont didn’t hurt her mom... here he knows that even yuki is better cuz never had to pretend to be cold to her... here he knows the world is better than him... & here he just cant help by smile & walks towards her... T_T ... another lesson in writing slow burns by Takaya-san.

-Why would the anime team pass on this?? drawing kyoru closer after the epic tear in Cinderella ep, cuz they want empty suspense~! The anime team thinks that if kyo & tohru stand next to each other, then it means all their issues are solved & the audience are so stupid as to forget tohru’s mom, kyo’s imprisonment, kyo not confessing his sins to tohru & tohru’s need to make a choice wether to fogive hom or not.. nope! you see, they think, ppl who read mangas are smart, so the author can give this epic symbolism & pp would still be not sure kyoru is end game & tohru will forgive him or kyo even fogive himself, but ppl who watch, oh no, gotta cut all the plot worthy content, produce a graduation song for a minor character, cut all kyo/tohru interaction cuz it only means romance & not at all character depth & oh if we show yuki actually formulating deep thoughts that aren’t centered around him, the audience might forget his se02 struggles! or that might ruin yuki’s upcoming growth moment in the finale where he .. you guessed it hits kyo.. as he always do & sulk &  think abt himself cuz yuki can only do monologues when he’s directly involved.... man~it is so sad how the anime is dumped down.. Who is the target audience again? not kids as young as hiro cuz even hiro is smart!

-just look:

 Momiji talks abt kyo shouldn't give up loving tohru & the authr shows this this ghost!!! his mom! The author reminds us that kyo isnt da~~~~ forgetting anything. He’s a deeply troubled soul & hos mom wants him locked cuz she too was locked in a cage & thinks that’s safer...why oh why you dump ur own story! sh!t~

Side Notes:

I like the closeups on Kisa’s face as she interacted with kyo. It’s very rare for kisa to have a world beside the endearing parental/big protective bro/big doting sister love she has with tohru & haru & off course the romantic love with hiro which was perhaps since their birth or sth. lol.  Kisa & kyo arent much on the brotherly side as they rarely interact, but its one of those  refreshing  interactions she has that helps cast a new light on her as tiny as it is,  but its sth out of the norm around her. She sees him  around tohru & gets to perceive his true unprovoked character. “He is  nice guy”.

I really wanted to punch kureno this chapter.. like Shigure is a jerk shitty dog for sleeping with akito’s mom but kureno... dude.. you submissively sleep with the guy’s eternal love interest & still walks in on him talking to her!!! lol. you’re mentally, emotionally & physically weaker than him & yet, she puts you on her bed, not him & you, tho not wanting her at all, dont walk away. No wonder shigure is defeated & wishing for someone like tohru, lol! Even if shigure met an older tohru-like person, it wont work. shigure deserve someone like him mean, schemer & loves playing power games. Tohru is someone who values honesty & commutation, not saying she’s an angel on earth, but tohru knows who suits her.. except fate is saying: NO. .... currently. lol.

I know kureno’s weakness is part of his character & I love that such characters exits. There are ppl ike that in real life. It’s just this chapter, I felt shigure’s frustration. XD

Yuki in this ep is the best yuki. no exaggeration here, I love when yuki is calmly thoughtful of others & here its kyo of all ppl !!!! cutting this scene is sad.. without it, kyo & yuki remain a cat & rat in the anime. Only ever thinking abt each other thro envious binoculars or hateful words or yuki giving kyo comedic hitting or life’s problem-solving hitting. Why can’t anime yuki be interactive outside his self-centered issues is beyond me.

Momiji & kyo’s interactions are always the best! whether comedy or drama.

I hated the curry cooking scene in the anime... so weirdly out of the ep’s flow.. very forced comedy... in the manga it had a purpose! not just quick add comedy cuz next shot momiji curse breaks & drama & we’ll close the ep with tears & sadness & glimpses of hope...

I love haru’s answer to hiro... so him.. “a guy can’t fall in love?”so chill.. so..simple.

[remedialpotions]

all these people think love’s for show

This was written for the 2020 Incognito Elf exchange on the Harry and Ginny Discord for the amazing @katie-with-the-tea. Katie, I hope you have a fantastic holiday! ❤️💚 Special thanks to @thedistantdusk for organizing the event, which is no small feat! 

Title taken from "peace" by Taylor Swift, because I am forever basic and proud of it.

ao3

Harry’s not unaccustomed to seeing his face splashed over the front page of the Daily Prophet. It’s a weekly, if not near-daily occurrence, and it has been since the end of the war. They are obsessed with him. They snap photos when he’s out for a pint with Ron or visiting Madam Malkin’s for a new set of robes (because as it turns out, it’s possible to go on the run for nine months at the age of seventeen, live off mushrooms, and still go through a grow spurt). They print speculative editorials every time he has to go to the Ministry - which is frequent, since he works there, though they prefer to disregard that. They run interviews with people he only tangentially knows - the Eyelops employee who once sold him Owl Treats, perhaps, or the Hufflepuff who was Head Boy when Harry was in his first year - who share embellished tales of their interactions with The Chosen One.

At this point, it’s almost weird when they aren’t talking about him.

Mostly, though, he’s managed to shield Ginny from taking the full brunt of it. She’s a hero in her own right, and he knows that a sighting of the two of them together is guaranteed to sell more papers than the Prophet can print in a day. He spent the summer hiding out with her at the Burrow or at Grimmauld Place, which proved effective, and so far, they haven’t missed out on too much. Of course it would be nice to take her out for dinner or even just walk through London holding her hand, but the reality of his life means that isn’t exactly an option. After everything, he’s just happy to be with her at all.

But today, it’s different. Today, when the post owl flies in through the fireplace and drops a fat bundle of newsprint directly onto Harry’s mug of tea, it’s not just his bespectacled face blinking back at him. In fact, the sight before him makes his stomach sink into his shoes.

“Nice,” mutters Ron from across the kitchen table as he uses his wand to siphon up the mess. “All they do is deliver papers all day, you’d think they’d have better aim.” He pauses and narrows his eyes at Harry. “You all right?”

Harry wants to respond, really he does - he knows Ron is prone to assuming the worst when he goes all quiet like this - but maybe Ron should assume the worst, because that’s how it feels. Words are failing him.

The photo, which moves in a terrible, taunting loop upon the page, is from yesterday, when he had been foolish enough to think that he could sneak up to Hogsmeade to see Ginny without being spotted. He followed all of his own unwritten rules, too. They didn’t go to the Three Broomsticks or to Honeydukes, but instead stole away to a secluded grassy knoll just behind the Shrieking Shack, where he believed that its macabre reputation would shield them from prying eyes.

And it had, but he made the mistake of kissing her hello in the middle of High Street (having not seen her in weeks, he hadn’t really been able to help it), and now, taking up the entire front page of the Sunday Prophet, is a long-lens closeup photo of their lips locking together. Over and over and over again.

Harry tosses the paper down onto the table and leans back in his chair. At this very moment, that same paper is surely arriving in the Great Hall, landing on the long wooden tables and making a spectacle of the most precious relationship in his life.

“Fuck’s sake,” laughs Ron, blinking in surprise at the photo. “Not exactly subtle, are they?”

“I should have used the cloak,” Harry mutters, mostly to himself, as Ron picks up the empty mug and carries it over to the stove. “And I should have met up with her somewhere different, I don’t know why I thought I could Apparate to the middle of town on a Saturday afternoon and not get caught - or I should have just stayed home. I should have known better.”

“They’d have got you some other way,” reasons Ron as he refills the mug with boiling-hot tea. “It’s unavoidable at this point, really, innit?”

The fact Ron’s right doesn’t make the truth sting any less. Where Harry goes, photographers follow, and if it was only his life it affected, he could live with it. But Ginny deserves better. Most of the horror Ginny has been through has been his fault, and now that it’s over, she deserves calm and happiness and peace.

If only he could offer that to her.

“How come this never happens to you and Hermione?” Harry asks irritably as Ron plunks the mug down in front of him. “Oh, cheers.”

Ron shrugs and picks up a slice of toast. “It does, occasionally,” he replies around a bite, “if it’s a slow news day. But the difference is that they’re not usually looking for us. They’re always looking for you.”

“And now they’ll be looking for Ginny too.”

Ron nods, morose. “Yeah.”

“Fuck.”

Like he always does, Harry writes to Ginny that afternoon, but today the parchment is filled with apologies, promises to do better, ideas on how they can meet up without being seen. He doesn’t try to reassure her, because there’s nothing to reassure her about: this is his life. There is no sense sugarcoating it; she needs to know what she’s got herself into by being with him.

By the time he’s finished his letter, the sky has gone dark, and he ambles down to the basement kitchen with the intention of sending his letter off with Pigwidgeon. But just as he reaches the staircase, he pauses. He might just be imagining things - it wouldn’t be the first time - but he’s almost positive he’s heard his name just now, coming from the general direction of the fireplace.

“Harry?”

There it is again, louder, more insistent, and alarmingly familiar. His stomach just about leaps into his throat as he thunders down the stairs and darts across the kitchen to the fireplace.

“Ginny!” Indeed, her bright, beautiful face is hovering there above the grate, and the sight of her squeezes his heart with fear. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”

“Well, hello to you too,” she quips, good-naturedly shaking her head.

“How are you doing this?”

“I’m in McGonagall’s office,” she says as though this is something she does every day. “I just wanted to talk to you.”

His stomach turns over. She’s here to chuck him, he’s sure of it. She’s seen the paper and she’s decided that the hassle isn’t worth whatever benefit there is to dating him (if one even exists).

“Oh,” replies Harry, resigned as he drops down to the floor in front of the fireplace. “All right.”

Ginny tilts her head curiously to the side. “You look like someone’s just died,” she observes. “Is everything okay?”

“Well - I - erm - you go first,” he stammers out. “What’d you want to talk about?”

She squints at him, perplexed, then says, “Apparition lessons are starting tomorrow. The thing is, there’s so many people signed up this year - y’know, since we didn’t have them last year at all, it’s sixth and seventh years - that there isn’t room in the Great Hall so we’re doing them in Hogsmeade instead.”

Harry nods, unsure how to respond. If she’s chucking him, this is an odd way to begin the conversation. And if she’s not, then he’s not entirely why it’s so urgent to inform him about her Apparition lessons.

“So since the lessons are in the morning, McGonagall said we could stay in the village for lunch if we wanted to, so you can visit again.” The excitement on her face is painful to behold. “I just didn’t think a letter would make it to you in time, and I really want you there.”

Relief rushes through him - she is definitely not breaking up with him - but it is quickly replaced by guilt, because she looks so happy and so hopeful, and he loves her so much, and he doesn’t want to have to say what he’s about to say.

First, though, he leans forward and kisses her softly on her soot-tinged lips. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Ginny blinks. “Oh.”

“Just, with what was in the paper today-”

“Oh, that,” interjects Ginny. “Yeah, I thought it was ridiculous too-”

Guilt grips tighter at Harry’s chest. “I know, I’m so sorry. I had no idea they were even there, but I should have known to expect it by now-”

“But I still want to really see you tomorrow,” she says, looking earnestly up at him.

“I do too, but…” He lets out a long, slow breath. “It just isn’t a good idea.”

Ginny looks up at him again, an intensity in her eyes this time, and then nods decisively. “Right. I’m coming in there, can you pull me through?”

“Gin - you can’t just leave school-”

“What’re they going to do, expel me? Come on, pull me through.”

Her hand rises up from the grate. Harry grasps it and tugs until she materializes fully in front of him. As she steps out of the fireplace, she brushes off her robes and then drops down onto the cold tile floor beside him. Her right hand slips over his left and pulls it onto her lap, and their fingers entwine together automatically.

“I’ll be honest,” says Ginny, the tip of her thumb rubbing along the back of his. “I didn’t love the picture in the paper.”

“I’m so sorry-”

“Stop apologizing.” Her quiet voice carries immense patience; affection for her bubbles up inside of him. “I didn’t love the picture, and the article was…” She casts her eyes up to the ceiling in search of the right words. “Creative at best. But I also wasn’t surprised by any of it. I’m mostly amazed it hasn’t already happened.”

“That’s because we never used to go anywhere together,” Harry points out, and she nods her agreement. “But Ginny, it’s only going to get worse. There’s always going to be pictures and articles that make things up, it’s just part of my life. I just, I never wanted it to be part of yours.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way,” says Ginny, “but that’s completely stupid.”

Harry lets out a sputter of startled laughter. “Oh, is it?”

“Of course it’s going to be part of my life,” she tells him, eyes fixed on his, “because I chose to make you a part of my life. I didn’t have to get back together with you, you know.”

Despite himself, Harry laughs again. Somehow Ginny manages to make everything better, easier, lighter. He expected an awful, painful conversation, and instead they’re holding hands and laughing.

“I’ve always known what I was getting myself into,” she goes on. “People talked when we were together last year, too.”

“A little gossip from Romilda Vane is completely different from the Prophet printing things every day - which they’ll do, by the way, now they’ve got pictures of us together.”

Ginny shrugs. “So let them. I mean, if they’re going to do it regardless, then we shouldn’t stop living our lives.”

This is difficult to argue with, but there is still one nagging fear at the back of Harry’s mind, because now he has further proof that Ginny really is in this for the long haul with him. The wizarding world has been watching him since he was eleven, and he doesn’t expect that all of this public attention isn’t going away anytime soon.

“So, what about…” He looks down at their interlocked fingers, studying the way they fit together as though designed that way. “I mean, what if we - erm - got married, and - and had kids?”

Harry forces himself to meet her eyes and finds that same intensity burning there, the thing that kept him going on long, cold, hopeless nights in the tent, the very last thing he saw as he faced his own death.

That, and maybe just the slightest hint of a smile.

“If we have kids?” she repeats softly.

“Yeah, well - you can’t pick who your parents are, can you?”

“Maybe everyone’ll be bored of you by then,” Ginny offers up, inching closer to him and resting her head on his shoulder. “And if not, we’ll deal with it.”

“All right.” Harry angles his face towards hers so that their lips brush. “Just know that I wouldn’t blame you if you decided you’d like a quiet life.”

Ginny’s nose crinkles. “Sounds boring,” she says. “I’d rather have you.”

Their lips meet again, lingering together in soft, gentle kisses, and when Ginny pulls back to catch her breath, Harry realizes he has one last question.

“What’d the article say, anyway? I never even read it.”

Ginny sits up straight. “You haven’t read it?!”

“I was too angry!”

“It was rather brilliant, actually,” she says with relish. “It spoke a lot about what a scarlet woman I am, having had three whole boyfriends in my life-“

“Naturally-“

“But apparently now I’m even worse, because now…” She paused for dramatic effect. “I’m the one you’re cheating on Hermione with.”

Harry laughs and rolls his eyes. “As if Hermione and Ron weren’t just down the road from us?”

“Yeah, well.” Ginny planted a cheerful kiss on his cheek. “Let them say what they want.”

[marulikestea]

8th Anniversary: Van Gogh Is Bipolar

For our post commemoration of our 8th anniversary/valentines as a couple, we went to this place called Van Gogh Is Bipolar, located at Teacher's Village in Quezon City. 

As you may have noticed, our previous anniValentines was also related to Van Gogh (Sip & Gogh). That’s because I wanted to achieve a form of continuity and relevance in our celebration, especially since this would be our last one before we tie the knot. I wanted all of our actions to mean something, even the most minuscule ones, and connect it to the final page of a chapter in our story that would symbolize its worth to us, as two beings who fell and are in love, and everything else in between.

...

Also because I've always wanted to eat here ever since I've read about its uniqueness and quirkiness from 2 or 3 years ago. Lol.

Yes, I’ve waited TOO long for this.

THE HALLWAY OF DOORS

Arriving at the destined location, we got confused at first as to where the entrance to the establishment was. Sure enough, there was a small (and easy to miss) signage at the lamp post that read "Van Gogh Is Bipolar", but the door to the place was, unfortunately, obscured to our naked eye.

But then there were 2 sets of wardrobe closets that were begging to be opened.

Curioser and curioser.

So Ian opened the first closet, which actually led to this hidden garden right beside the building.

THE QUEEN’S GARDEN

The door to Paradise. Reminds me of Narnia. :P

The garden, which looked like a small haven of reprieve in the middle of the otherwise busy streets of urban life, had small tables and chairs installed that invite customers to stop and have a short break. An old double deck bed frame was reused to serve as roof from a makeshift (bar) counter and a convenient storage of whatnot at the top bunker.

The garden. Prolly looks better at night, with all the lights and whatnot.

Collection of old shoes. Perhaps abandoned by their previous owners.

Across the makeshift counter was a collection of old shoes strung together to serve as a wall to obscure the view from outside. It looked pretty eerie and post-apocalyptic, now that I think about it. 

Statue of a man. Is this St. Joseph perhaps?

At the corner,  stood an antique wooden statue that looked like it had seen better days during its years of its former religious glory.

There was also a mural painting on the wall that depicted a woman on a mask.

The white queen.

Having scouted the entirety of the surroundings, we approached the second wardrobe door and opened it... to reveal yet another door  inside.

To Wonderland.

The guardians at each side of the entrance.

I didn’t know if Ian had knocked or turned the knob open, but soon after, we were greeted by a female employee and welcomed us inside. 

After instructing us to remove our shoes of course. 

INTERIOR

Even before stepping inside, I knew that this private space exuded an otherworldly feel... like an Alice in Wonderland kind of realm where everything is a touch of creativity and madness. 

The left side of the room.

WHY IS THE RAVEN LIKE A WRITING DESK?

Near the entrance of the room is a white desk where customers would leave “love letters” or feedback to the personnel of Van Gogh is Bipolar. 

This is also where they stash their guide books, as well as menu papers for the customers to fill up as they go along their journey here.

Can you spot the “hidden” Van Gogh?

I would love to have this mori-looking clock in my unit. X3

THE QUEEN OF HEART'S DOMAIN

Just beside the white desk is the Love Red Wall , the lover's area famed for its crimson color, vandalized walls of love messages and kiss marks, and seats that are only good for 2.

Upon closer inspection, the tables were former vintage luggage converted to what they are now, with glass panels placed on top to reveal the many letters, stamps, pictures old money, and other papers underneath.

“LOVE alone is worth the fight.” - Switchfoot

“The Love Red Wall”, it says.

A painting of a woman; The red and white queen as one entity IMO.

THE HATTER’S SHOP

Not far from the love red wall area were shelves that boasted of many different vintage tableware, old decorations, and broken antiques. 

A Pinocchio wooden puppet.  

In particular, was a collection of hats and other masks and head ornaments that lay at the at the bottom shelf of the tea counter section (to be tackled on later) . It can be worn and borrowed by customers during the duration of their stay inside the premises. 

An array of headgears that can be worn while staying at Van Gogh Is Bipolar.

My personal mad hatter. Kyuuu~ <3

Not one to pass such an opportunity, Ian tried on an officer’s hat. It suited him very well, if I do say so myself. The look reminded me of Hayao Miyazaki’s male protagonist from “From Up the Poppy Hill”.

As for me, I picked a flower crown of red and pink to match my outfit. Gotta uphold the fairy/nymph vibe you know. *_*

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS

On the other side of the vicinity is a whole new flavor to take in. Slightly parted by a curtain, the previous dining area is now adorned with mirrors, broken clocks, and self portraits of the man himself.  

The supposed dining area before it was converted into a restaurant.

Can you spot us in this image? ;P

Through the looking glass; Our only couple shot in this place, unfortunately.

“Art should disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed.”

DRINK ME POTION

Similar to the Drink ME! Potion from Alice in Wonderland, there are 4 bottles of liquid placed on top of the long table for customers to try on their mouths. Supposedly said (not sure if I got this right) to have calming or healing properties of the sort, one is suggested to have at least 2-3 drops on the tongue.

Choose your own poison.

Ian and I both tried the baking soda and the coconut oil. The former tasted sour while the latter one, as expected, tasted of coconut.

THE DARK ROOM

Lastly, is the dark room which is also the comfort room, where a resident skeleton guards the main door to the sanctuary.

Similar to the red wall, its walls are also vandalized with messages from customers, and is even made more prominent due to the black light used to illuminate the room.

Left: A skeleton illuminated by the black/purple light. 

Right: Ian ❤ Maru :Our own mark inked on its walls. 

This reminds me of the game Alice: Madness Returns, wherein everything is all big and purply when you drink the potion that turns you smaller in order to see the hidden clues within the game.

Now that we had a tour of the area, let’s proceed to our main agenda of the day: food. 

A map from their guide book. The circled part became our territory for that day. :P

BTW, To those who wanted to know which area we occupied during our wonderland experience, we situated ourselves at the red wall lover’s area. Because that was the perfect seat for us in every single way, don’t you agree?

FOOD

What’s unique about Van Gogh is Bipolar, aside from the fact that their food is organic and mostly anti-depressant, is that you have no control on what food you will get. They don’t provide you with a menu of fixed food to order, but rather a paper to answer based on your preference with food (and a guide book of Van Gogh Is Bipolar Experience).

Their menu paper is as vague as it gets. Similar to the time when we had dinner at Dinner in the Dark.

We chose the Lovers feast (meat preference), with Ian’s preference to spicy food and less rice whilst mine is my hatred for fat and love for herbs. 

This set was also the most expensive one (at whooping P3,500), its serving being good for two, with complete meal courses.

A MAD TEA PARTY

After ringing the bell and submitting our menu papers to the kitchen counter hidden among the shelves, our server told us that we can brew our own tea depending on our mood. 

But first, we had to choose our own teapots first from their existing gallery.

A variety of teapots to choose from. Which of these call to me, I wonder? 

After acquiring our pots, we proceeded to the tea counter section and started our tea alchemy session.

The counter where you do tea alchemy based from your current mood. 

A simple instruction on how to make your own tea.

The mood wheel. 

I didn’t have any specific strong emotions at the time so I decided to go for stressed, anxious/worried and agitated ergo Happy Chill, Light Chill and Soothing based from my usual feelings at work and wedding planning lol.

Oh, and I also added a bit of Extra Calm too, just because. 

Added sugar and hot water afterwards. 

Jar of tea leaves: Extra Calm, Soothing, Extra Upper, Upper, Happy Chill, Light Chill

So vintage~

Here’s a closeup view of our chosen teapots by the way: A simple black teapot for Ian and a brown floral one for me (again, to match my current vibe). 

Not long after we made our tea, our soup was already ready for consumption.

A POOL OF TEARS

According to our server, our soup is called Virginia Woolf Tears; a veggie based soup with various herbs and a cheesy flavor similar to Parmesan, which I could be wrong. Haha. Ian's bowl was marked with more chili compared to mine, as indicated in his preference.

Also included is Courtney Love's Potion: a bottle of mango shake and coconut water.

HUMPTY DUMPTY

For our next course, we got an Axl Rose’s Organic Egg Shot for our appetizer.

It's basically a shot glass of black sauce, organic egg (yolks), chili, sea salt and Jagermeister. Maricar was the one who prepared it for us, and while she did so, she told us how the owner was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and deviced a diet to encounter depression. Later on, his friends told him, “why not sell your diet to others?” and that was the start of everything.

Maricar also told a little about herself, and that Van Gogh Is Bipolar is already on its 8th year.

HUH!!!

What were the chances that we celebrated our 8th Anniversary on 2 Van Gogh-related establishments, with the last one on its 8th Anniversary too?

It’s destiny~ *coughs* 82∞ = eighth to infinity *coughs*

Raw-organic egg served with herb-liquer

After the mixture was done, we gulped our appetizers in one shot...

...But not before saying our cheers in Russian.

One of Van Gogh is Bipolar’s tradition is to say cheers in another language before taking a shot. So after Maricar taught us the Russian word for cheers, we raised our glasses in the air and uttered, “Na Zdorovie!” (На здоровье)

THE TALKING FLOWERS

For our salad dish, we got  Larry Flint’s cabbage Experience, which is a beautiful plated dish, adorned with edible flowers picked from their backyard garden.

Freshly boiled whole cabbage served with fresh herbs and fruits and other healthy organic fresh kitchen ingredients.

This meal was particularly messy to eat, because it involved a hand-on experience in pulling the cabbage leaves and using it as a wrapper to hold the other ingredients in place (ala Korean style) before dipping it on the sauce and eating it. 

Don’t let its looks full you, because this dish will fill up your tummy in no time. And this is only just salad.

LOVER’S FEAST

For the main course, we got the Lover’s Feast, (I forgot what it’s actually called), which was a series of all things meat (salmon belly, chicken, lamb, pork, beef), black rice, vegetables and fruits all served into one big platter. If that wasn’t enough, it also accompanied 2 glasses of organic red wine, which tasted strong in my opinion.

WHO STOLE THE TARTS?

Finally, for our final course, we got our dessert. Contrary to the header, our dish wasn’t tarts. Lol.

We actually got 2 variants, which were referred to as the wholesome and the sinful desserts.This reminded me of 707′s Valentine After Ending in mystic messenger (white and bitter chocolate) lol.

Wholesome - Sliced organic ice candy with fruits Sinful - Mel Gibson's Darkest Sin

Similar to our Axl Rose appetizer, the sinful delicacy needed certain preparations, so this time, Daniel was the one who did it for us, since Maricar hinted that this was his favorite part of serving.

Basically, the sinful dessert, which was also called Mel Gibson’s darkest sin, contains Van Gogh’s favorite drink: the absinthe. Mixed in with sugar and fire on a glass tea kettle, our server displayed a fantastic reenactment of Harry Potter’s Goblet of Fire.

After pouring back the alcohol (now darkened by the burned sugar) on the shot glass, Daniel taught us the French term of cheers (à votre santé) and left us to enjoy our drink, with chocolate as our chaser.  

ADVICE FROM THE CATERPILLAR 

Our stay in Van Gogh Is Bipolar, to say the least, has been a tremendous and extraordinary experience. 

Almost like a metamorphosis of the soul.

This place provides an environment that lets us be detached with the real world for a short while, a small respite from the stress of everyday life. 

A secret hideout of lost sheep if you will. 

Though similar in some aspects that some establishments have offered, there is something strange and special about Van Gogh Is Bipolar that the others could not replicate: Madness & Beauty.

From its artistic vintage style to its nostalgic paraphernalia of the past, old souls like us are hooked to such aesthetics like moths on an open fire.

What's also amazing about this shop aside from its homey yet impressive display of interior design, is that their food reflects the same high caliber to which its walls and its very atmosphere emanate. Not only do they give customers like us an experience unique from the traditional ways of conventional eating, they also make sure that what you consume is healthy to your mind, body and soul. And that, in my opinion, is very laudable. 

Except for that sinful dessert. That alone felt like a punch in the gut. >.<

Overall, eating at Van Gogh Is Bipolar has given me a benchmark of a private world that I want to make with my future husband. ❤ ❤ ❤  

To end this post, here’s the final curtain event that happened before our departure from Van Gogh Is Bipolar:

DATE WITH THE CHESHIRE CAT  DINAH.

Ian’s actual date, lol. How dare you two-time me, you fiend! XP

P.S.

We spent almost 3 hours inside, can you believe it? XP