Of Beautiful Life, Fruits Basket, and Ayeshi No Ceres
I had a really long, hard weekend (I worked straight through it, finishing around 5am last night) so when I tell you that despite complete lack of sleep, I am totally looking forward to finally watching more of Beautiful Life in the evening, you know how much I love it.
LOVE.
I love the sense of joy that Shuji and Kyoko have together. Even before they fall in love, they interact the way good friends with: they build a friendship. I love the repeated bit with him running with her wheelchair, turning her disability into something that is ‘cool’ that is sort of special in a good way as it makes her go faster, makes them both have fun. (Though of course, throughout we get voice overs a sure sign of doom. Not to mention the fact that she has to take meds. Dooooomed).
I really really love Kyoko who is both strong and vulnerable, prickly and open. That discussion she has with her friend about not falling in love because she doesn’t want to be hurt is so her in a nutshell. She is afraid to dream but she wants to. She is wistful but not self-pitying.
But huh! We all know it. She is going to fall in love with Shuji. In fact, she already has. I love Shuji so so much. And no, not just for the fact that when he smiles, his whole face transforms (though Kimura, please stop smoking. You are too awesome to die young). He has his own demons, doesn’t he? And just like Kyoko he suppresses them. They are so suited to each other: both not really into social niceties, but straightforward and quirky. I really love the scene in the cafeteria, where they are both grumpy but companionable (when he helps her with her order because a cart is blocking her way with a ‘who left it there’ but then doesn’t really look up when she sits next to him). I actually like the fact that he is somewhat unsocial (though this is what dooms him in his professional life) because it means that when he does things for Kyoko, it is not automatic meaningless politeness but because he really views her as normal, and being with her as good, and helping her as right.
But yeah, his problems? (And I am not talking about the evil other stylist who steals his design). I love that scene in the library, with his mother (what is it with Kimura and bad mothers?) where she hasn’t seen him for years but she doesn’t even hug him or anything but expresses her disappointment over his choice of job. And Kyoko overhears it because she brought his folder back (and I wonder if she thinks of the fact that she is handicapped but has a loving family, so there are tradeoffs for everything). And he sees she saw and walks out. With a family like that, I wonder how he is so open? And then I wonder if he is only really open to Kyoko because somehow they just click.
I love the scene at the ramen place at night, where she and her friend are eating and he happens to be there (and her awesome matchmaker friend just leaves). Kyoko, full of ‘awkward,’ pays and leaves and Shuji is ignoring her, but then..all of a sudden, Shuji is right there (he must have really gulped his food), pushing her wheelchair and she says she can do it herself and he says “yeah, but it's easier when someone helps.” OMG. That's my view on relationships in nutshell and I really do think this is generally more than about wheelchairs. I died a little from squee at the pushing.
I really love the scene that follows: he asks if they can go rest and she misinterprets (heeee), but it's just in the park for him to smoke and them talk and i love how he reveals about his family and the disappointment they have in him not being a doctor like the rest of the family. I wonder if they click, why they are drawn to each other is because they are lonely, rather reserved people (behind the façade they are good at keeping things to themselves) who somehow have no barriers with each other. I love how earlier, she stops and looks at the display of these really impractical red shoes.
The RED SHOES. When she admits to him she covets those red shoes (so impractical, so normal girl!), but she can't go in because she's not brave enough to go into a shoe store in her wheelchair. And it's something she can't even tell her best friend (when she sees those have been moved or sold or whatever). She hides her disappointment and interest even from her. But not from Shuji. I just love how they have no masks on at all, with each other, or defenses (as see above, when he tells her about how disappointed his doctor family is in him. You know, he really is too nice for his cut-throat job, he is rather still in possession of his innocence and impracticality).
Oh, did I mention that she talks to him about being handicapped and how she never could date normal guys because of it. Because everything is and obstacle and it might not bug guy but it bugs her. I just love their vibe of deep friendship there.
And I also love that the drama does not drag out issues or what not. I love the scene where she unexpectedly drops by his apartment in the morning only to see his ex-gf who he had a one-night-stand with leave with him (and OMG, the camera focuses on ex-gf’s legs). And she tries to get back into the car, and her food (that she brought for them) falls in a sad little heap and he notices her and OMG…the look on his face. It is worth to see the drama just for the look on his face, which holds so many emotions, I have no idea how to describe them, where to start. And he completely disregards the ex and they have a surreal conversation about how it’s still OK to eat the food as some of it’s not ruined and why there is no raw egg there. Gosh, he is such a kid.
And I love how later she wants to help him (because she sees him so exhausted, working, and OMG the adorableness of her watching him, unknown to him, with his morning coffee, yawning, until other cars honk at her) and she and her friend spend their day off buying magazines and recording bits of movies and making a folder with pics of people on the street. And she comes to give it to him and his jealous ex throws a fit and says that she shouldn’t use wheelchair to get attention (die!) and OMG OMG OMG. Shuji slaps her. YES. But then Kyoko tells him to go after the ex who ran out and he does (after a pause) because they were friends, besides the sex. And they have a low key conversation which just makes me think all over again about how much I like the drama because the ex is not an evil k-drama other girl, but someone who might be lashing out but is understandable. And Shuji muses out loud that he isn’t in love with Kyoko but we all know it’s wrong. And that is where I left off.
In other news, to reward self for being productive, I bought a bunch of manga today, including the first two volumes of Fruits Basket (what is it with the name??? It put me off for years.) So far I am about a third of the first volume in and I love it. I’ve only met Tohru (who I’d want to be like when I grow up only I am grown up. She is rather like Miaka in her cheerfulness, only with better cooking abilities, and rather more self-sufficient :D) and Yuki, who I really really like, and Yuki’s dark haired older cousin who he lives with, whose name I am blanking on, who is sex-on-a-stick looking. But, meganbmoore, no Kyo yet.
And I finished vol. 13 of Ayashi No Ceres (semi-shirtless intense Toya on the cover? droooool). It was a Toya-less volume and went into necessary but not too 'I am into it' story of Ceres and the Progenitor. But OMG! Toya is back at the end. And I am a girly girl but I cried when Shuro died. Or when Aya missed Toya. Yeah. I was in public, too.
LOVE.
I love the sense of joy that Shuji and Kyoko have together. Even before they fall in love, they interact the way good friends with: they build a friendship. I love the repeated bit with him running with her wheelchair, turning her disability into something that is ‘cool’ that is sort of special in a good way as it makes her go faster, makes them both have fun. (Though of course, throughout we get voice overs a sure sign of doom. Not to mention the fact that she has to take meds. Dooooomed).
I really really love Kyoko who is both strong and vulnerable, prickly and open. That discussion she has with her friend about not falling in love because she doesn’t want to be hurt is so her in a nutshell. She is afraid to dream but she wants to. She is wistful but not self-pitying.
But huh! We all know it. She is going to fall in love with Shuji. In fact, she already has. I love Shuji so so much. And no, not just for the fact that when he smiles, his whole face transforms (though Kimura, please stop smoking. You are too awesome to die young). He has his own demons, doesn’t he? And just like Kyoko he suppresses them. They are so suited to each other: both not really into social niceties, but straightforward and quirky. I really love the scene in the cafeteria, where they are both grumpy but companionable (when he helps her with her order because a cart is blocking her way with a ‘who left it there’ but then doesn’t really look up when she sits next to him). I actually like the fact that he is somewhat unsocial (though this is what dooms him in his professional life) because it means that when he does things for Kyoko, it is not automatic meaningless politeness but because he really views her as normal, and being with her as good, and helping her as right.
But yeah, his problems? (And I am not talking about the evil other stylist who steals his design). I love that scene in the library, with his mother (what is it with Kimura and bad mothers?) where she hasn’t seen him for years but she doesn’t even hug him or anything but expresses her disappointment over his choice of job. And Kyoko overhears it because she brought his folder back (and I wonder if she thinks of the fact that she is handicapped but has a loving family, so there are tradeoffs for everything). And he sees she saw and walks out. With a family like that, I wonder how he is so open? And then I wonder if he is only really open to Kyoko because somehow they just click.
I love the scene at the ramen place at night, where she and her friend are eating and he happens to be there (and her awesome matchmaker friend just leaves). Kyoko, full of ‘awkward,’ pays and leaves and Shuji is ignoring her, but then..all of a sudden, Shuji is right there (he must have really gulped his food), pushing her wheelchair and she says she can do it herself and he says “yeah, but it's easier when someone helps.” OMG. That's my view on relationships in nutshell and I really do think this is generally more than about wheelchairs. I died a little from squee at the pushing.
I really love the scene that follows: he asks if they can go rest and she misinterprets (heeee), but it's just in the park for him to smoke and them talk and i love how he reveals about his family and the disappointment they have in him not being a doctor like the rest of the family. I wonder if they click, why they are drawn to each other is because they are lonely, rather reserved people (behind the façade they are good at keeping things to themselves) who somehow have no barriers with each other. I love how earlier, she stops and looks at the display of these really impractical red shoes.
The RED SHOES. When she admits to him she covets those red shoes (so impractical, so normal girl!), but she can't go in because she's not brave enough to go into a shoe store in her wheelchair. And it's something she can't even tell her best friend (when she sees those have been moved or sold or whatever). She hides her disappointment and interest even from her. But not from Shuji. I just love how they have no masks on at all, with each other, or defenses (as see above, when he tells her about how disappointed his doctor family is in him. You know, he really is too nice for his cut-throat job, he is rather still in possession of his innocence and impracticality).
Oh, did I mention that she talks to him about being handicapped and how she never could date normal guys because of it. Because everything is and obstacle and it might not bug guy but it bugs her. I just love their vibe of deep friendship there.
And I also love that the drama does not drag out issues or what not. I love the scene where she unexpectedly drops by his apartment in the morning only to see his ex-gf who he had a one-night-stand with leave with him (and OMG, the camera focuses on ex-gf’s legs). And she tries to get back into the car, and her food (that she brought for them) falls in a sad little heap and he notices her and OMG…the look on his face. It is worth to see the drama just for the look on his face, which holds so many emotions, I have no idea how to describe them, where to start. And he completely disregards the ex and they have a surreal conversation about how it’s still OK to eat the food as some of it’s not ruined and why there is no raw egg there. Gosh, he is such a kid.
And I love how later she wants to help him (because she sees him so exhausted, working, and OMG the adorableness of her watching him, unknown to him, with his morning coffee, yawning, until other cars honk at her) and she and her friend spend their day off buying magazines and recording bits of movies and making a folder with pics of people on the street. And she comes to give it to him and his jealous ex throws a fit and says that she shouldn’t use wheelchair to get attention (die!) and OMG OMG OMG. Shuji slaps her. YES. But then Kyoko tells him to go after the ex who ran out and he does (after a pause) because they were friends, besides the sex. And they have a low key conversation which just makes me think all over again about how much I like the drama because the ex is not an evil k-drama other girl, but someone who might be lashing out but is understandable. And Shuji muses out loud that he isn’t in love with Kyoko but we all know it’s wrong. And that is where I left off.
In other news, to reward self for being productive, I bought a bunch of manga today, including the first two volumes of Fruits Basket (what is it with the name??? It put me off for years.) So far I am about a third of the first volume in and I love it. I’ve only met Tohru (who I’d want to be like when I grow up only I am grown up. She is rather like Miaka in her cheerfulness, only with better cooking abilities, and rather more self-sufficient :D) and Yuki, who I really really like, and Yuki’s dark haired older cousin who he lives with, whose name I am blanking on, who is sex-on-a-stick looking. But, meganbmoore, no Kyo yet.
And I finished vol. 13 of Ayashi No Ceres (semi-shirtless intense Toya on the cover? droooool). It was a Toya-less volume and went into necessary but not too 'I am into it' story of Ceres and the Progenitor. But OMG! Toya is back at the end. And I am a girly girl but I cried when Shuro died. Or when Aya missed Toya. Yeah. I was in public, too.