Croisee in a Foreign Labyrinth: An Admiration
I am absolutely adoring this series. When I first started watching it, it was in the decent but not great category but around episode 3 that started to change and this little series has really charmed its way into my heart.
For anyone not watching it tells the story of Yune a 13 year old Japanese Girl who gets a job in an ironwork shop in Paris so can experience life outside Japan. It takes place in the late 18th century around the time Japan was opening its doors to foreigners and things like this were taking place. Besides Yune the other main characters are Claude a 17 year old boy who runs the Iron Works shop, his grandfather, two rich French girls named Alice and Camille and what appears to be a little homeless orphan boy.
What I love about this series that while there is conflict there are no real villains and in every episode you can see Yune is growing closer to Claude and how despite being from different cultures they are learning from each other.
Although he is not the director it seems Junichi Sato(the director of Princess Tutu) has a big hand in this series so I should not be surprised it's so good. He is also directing another series in the fall Tamayura - Hitotose about a girl who is into photography so I think I will be checking that out too.
Anyways back to Croisee in a special episode they played the most beautiful song which I think really reflects the series.
Someone at Anime Suki translated the lyrics
海よ 果ては どこどこへ 続いているのアノ国へ
Oh great sea/the end lies/wherever you'll be/You will go forth to that unknown country
波間 浮かぶ 小さい船 ゆらりゆらり流されて
On the waves/you will float/In this little boat/swaying slow swaying slow carried by the waves
海の 向こう 知らぬ国 白波つれて 消えてた
Across the/great sea/is an unknown place/Taken by white-crested waves/You disappear
海よ 果てに 何見える 可愛い君の わろうた頬
Oh great sea/in the end/what I did see/is your charming face/gleaming with joy
山よ 越えて どこどこへ 続いているのアノ国へ
Crossing these/great mountains/takes you anywhere/You'll continue on your quest to that unknown place
春は うすもも 夏は群青 紅色にそまる秋
Springtime is/colored peach/Summer's striking blue/Autumn changes into a redder kind of hue
真っ白の冬 美し山 季節は崖で 変わりゆく
Winter's of the purest white/Mountains of such beauty/Watch the seasons come and go/over the cliffside
山よ そこに 居てお くれ 変わらず君に 見えるように
In this great/mountainside/I shall stay for good/So that I can see you/Someday once again
遥か 遠く この歌よ 響いてゆけ アノ国へ
Far away/far away/this song shall go/hoping that it will reach you/in that unknown place
今も思う 懐かしい 可愛い君の 居た日よ
As I think of you/it brings good memories/When my precious loved one/is still here with me
海を渡り 山を 越えて 聞こえるだろうか 歌声
When you left for the sea/I went to the mountainside/Hoping that you might hear this/song I have for you
天が 星が 歌歌う 心乗せて 輝いて
The heavens/and the stars/sing this song aloud/As they offer their hearts/they begin to shine
遥か 遠く この歌よ 響いてゆけ アノ国へ
Far away/far away/this song shall go/hoping that it will reach you/in that unknown place
For anyone not watching it tells the story of Yune a 13 year old Japanese Girl who gets a job in an ironwork shop in Paris so can experience life outside Japan. It takes place in the late 18th century around the time Japan was opening its doors to foreigners and things like this were taking place. Besides Yune the other main characters are Claude a 17 year old boy who runs the Iron Works shop, his grandfather, two rich French girls named Alice and Camille and what appears to be a little homeless orphan boy.
What I love about this series that while there is conflict there are no real villains and in every episode you can see Yune is growing closer to Claude and how despite being from different cultures they are learning from each other.
Although he is not the director it seems Junichi Sato(the director of Princess Tutu) has a big hand in this series so I should not be surprised it's so good. He is also directing another series in the fall Tamayura - Hitotose about a girl who is into photography so I think I will be checking that out too.
Anyways back to Croisee in a special episode they played the most beautiful song which I think really reflects the series.
Click to viewSomeone at Anime Suki translated the lyrics
海よ 果ては どこどこへ 続いているのアノ国へ
Oh great sea/the end lies/wherever you'll be/You will go forth to that unknown country
波間 浮かぶ 小さい船 ゆらりゆらり流されて
On the waves/you will float/In this little boat/swaying slow swaying slow carried by the waves
海の 向こう 知らぬ国 白波つれて 消えてた
Across the/great sea/is an unknown place/Taken by white-crested waves/You disappear
海よ 果てに 何見える 可愛い君の わろうた頬
Oh great sea/in the end/what I did see/is your charming face/gleaming with joy
山よ 越えて どこどこへ 続いているのアノ国へ
Crossing these/great mountains/takes you anywhere/You'll continue on your quest to that unknown place
春は うすもも 夏は群青 紅色にそまる秋
Springtime is/colored peach/Summer's striking blue/Autumn changes into a redder kind of hue
真っ白の冬 美し山 季節は崖で 変わりゆく
Winter's of the purest white/Mountains of such beauty/Watch the seasons come and go/over the cliffside
山よ そこに 居てお くれ 変わらず君に 見えるように
In this great/mountainside/I shall stay for good/So that I can see you/Someday once again
遥か 遠く この歌よ 響いてゆけ アノ国へ
Far away/far away/this song shall go/hoping that it will reach you/in that unknown place
今も思う 懐かしい 可愛い君の 居た日よ
As I think of you/it brings good memories/When my precious loved one/is still here with me
海を渡り 山を 越えて 聞こえるだろうか 歌声
When you left for the sea/I went to the mountainside/Hoping that you might hear this/song I have for you
天が 星が 歌歌う 心乗せて 輝いて
The heavens/and the stars/sing this song aloud/As they offer their hearts/they begin to shine
遥か 遠く この歌よ 響いてゆけ アノ国へ
Far away/far away/this song shall go/hoping that it will reach you/in that unknown place