Howl's Moving Castle (and This Week's Miscellany)

Last night I watched Miyazaki's adaptation of Howl's Moving Castle. On the one hand, it was absolutely beautiful and really enjoyable to watch. On the other, it was basically nothing like the book. Considering I still haven't entirely made up my mind on the book, maybe this is a good thing, but a lot of the changes the movie made just didn't make sense. There was no reason to make the Witch of the Waste into a senile old lady. Why was Michael a little boy (who apparently goes by Markl)? What was the point in making the scarecrow-prince in love with Sophie? If you're going to introduce Lettie, why put her in just the one scene and then not bring her up again the entire movie? I'm thinking that if I hadn't read the book, I would be able to appreciate Miyazaki's film for what it is. Certainly it is a very pretty fairy tale. Jones's book is a deconstruction and affectionate parody of the fairy tale genre, though, so I'm thinking Miyazaki either missed the point or liked some elements of the story enough to produce his own wildly different variation of it. I just missed seeing Sophie be really awesome at the end, I guess. So ... yeah. I've now seen my fourth Miyazaki. Spirited Away is still my favorite. Which one should I watch next? I've seen Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and Ponyo.

Here are this week's other happenings:

• Today was Myers-Briggs day at work. I'm an INFJ, which actually made a lot of sense when I read the description. Apparently Eleanor Roosevelt was also an INFJ, and she's one of my favorite historical figures ever, so hells yeah.
• Boy Meets Girl is so darn predictable and has every Cabot quirk I don't like. I shall prevail, though, because this woman's writing is like my crack. I wish I could quit you, Meg Cabot! Except no, I don't.
• My knees hurt from too many lunges. Ouch.
• I am enjoying my Very Potter Musical soundtrack way too much. My neighbors haven't knocked on my door and asked me to stop singing along yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if they do.
• Inconsistent Internet is inconsistent. At least I'll be back in the dorms soon, where I rarely have any Internet problems.
• Ahh last week in the apartment. I shall be a laundry and cleaning fiend next weekend. This weekend, though, I plan on being a lazy bum. No one can stop me!
• The weather is so gorgeous right now. Other than the mosquitoes, I would love it if every day was like today.

Flawless weekend, here I come!

Summer's End

Today was my last day of paid work at Noah's. While I'm sure I'll be back soon on a volunteer basis, it was a little sad saying good-bye to the kids this afternoon, knowing I'm not going to be around for a while. I got a nice hug from Noah, who really is very sweet once you get to know him. Asher, always high energy, kept jumping on the little trampoline the boys have in their playroom and then trying to leap into my arms, which was cute. It'll be nice to have more free time, especially as I'm moving back to the dorms very soon, but I'll miss seeing the boys on a regular basis. Kids are so much fun.

Other than my farewell to the boys, I spent my morning trying to get the Internet in the kitchen to work consistently and then helping Jackie get Pottermore access. She's in, thank goodness. I'm debating whether or not I should blog my Pottermore experiences once the beta site opens. Would you be receptive to that, readers? I don't really know what to expect, but I am anticipating awesome things, since this is the brainchild of Jo Rowling. More on that front when I have something to report.

Nothing else of note is happening. I had a nice walk around Barracks this evening, since I had to bring back a RedBox DVD anyway. Netflix just sent me Howl's Moving Castle and the first volume of Batman: The Animated Series, both of which I'm very much looking forward to. Happy almost-Friday, everyone!

Good Life

Hallelujah! The kitchen in my sublet is close enough to the UVa network that I can get Internet without trekking over to the South Lawn. It's not the strongest connection in the world, and I can't lounge around my room while I use it, but at least it's indoors and I can bring the fan over if I get too warm. As I told my mother yesterday, I can survive without Internet. It's just so much easier when I don't have to.

Work was fairly standard and I had a good time playing with the kids today, even if I got caught in the rain without an umbrella on my way from the bus stop. The real fun of the day, however, came after work, when Kaitlin dropped by for dinner and Deathly Hallows: Part 1. We made Thai stir fry and then settled in to watch the movie. Kaitlin hasn't seen the last few Harry Potter films because she's (understandably) disgruntled at how the earlier ones came out, but she told me after we finished this one that she liked it much more than she expected to. Unfortunately she's a little busy with summer classes for us to go see Part 2 in theatres like we'd planned, but we're thinking that maybe we can have a group outing when we all come back to school in a few weeks. Already I'm impatient for third year to start, although admittedly I'm getting along fine without the homework.

There's not much else going on. I'm reading Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot, which ought to be a quick read, and then I'm moving on to Lorna Doone (perhaps the snack cookie fits in somehow). Oh, and my parents are amazing, but I'm pretty sure they know that already. Bonne nuit!

Observations

As I once again betake myself to the South Lawn to get my Internet fix.

• Apparently eight o'clock is a popular time for dog walking. I've seen two women out running with their dogs in the half-hour I've been sitting outside.
• Goodness gracious, I have so many mosquito bites I can't even count them.
• Why can't the weather be like this all the time?
• Since I no longer have the Internet to occupy all my time at the apartment, I've started re-watching season two of The Office. Michael was such a jerk back then! Jim and Pam were also really, really cute. They're still cute now, but in season two they were flippin' adorable. Incidentally, now that Jenna Fischer is expecting her first child, Jim and Pam will have another baby on the way when season eight starts in September. I'm thinking this one will probably be a boy, since their first was a girl.
• Having finished Howl's Moving Castle last night, I notice that Diana Wynne Jones is a fan of alternate worlds, predictable endings, and bickering couples. I am also a fan of one and three, so I will forgive her for two.
• I am quite easily amused. The first time I went to go return a book at the Gordon Library, I used their drive-through drop box. As I was leaving, I noticed there was a big painted "NI" at the end of the drive-through. All I could think of was the Knights Who Say "Ni!" from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and I wondered why, even in the People's Republic of Charlottesville, where there are certainly a great many aficionados of quirky British humor, anyone would be compelled to paint an homage to Monty Python next to the library. Then I realized it said "IN," not "NI," whereupon I proceeded to burst out laughing in the middle of the sidewalk. I must have looked very odd indeed to passersby. Anyway, whenever I pass by the NI/IN, I start giggling again. God, I am so weird.
• Pottermore is actually surprisingly easy to register for, provided you're on the site at the right time. The usernames are kind of ridiculous, though. I realize it's for child safety reasons, but I can think of quite a few more names that are more suited to my personality than FeatherRune49. Nevertheless, that is what I shall be going by, so if you're also a beta tester, look me up!
• I really want to be moved into my dorm already. Hurry up and get here, mid-August!

August

The Internet in my sublet temporarily stopped working today, so I wandered over to the South Lawn to use the UVa network and enjoy the fresh air. It's a nice night out, apart from the mosquitoes I just know are attacking my legs right now. UVa's never this quiet during the school year. I really miss my friends, so I'll be happy to see them when I move back to the dorms in a few weeks, but I also like the peace and solitude. The no-homework thing is pretty nice, too.

When I woke up I felt a little queasy and seriously contemplated just staying in bed all day. Then I told myself to stop being a baby and make breakfast, so I did. I went to work for a few hours in the afternoon, ran some errands, and then went home and watched The Kids Are All Right. I'm not sure if I liked it - the characters have some big-time issues - but it felt so real. As much as I love dialogue-heavy shows like The West Wing and Gilmore Girls, I have to admit that sometimes they're too witty and too rhythmic. Everyone in The Kids Are All Right talked like people actually talk, and it was kind of refreshing. Mia Wasikowska also makes a convincing American teenager, although I guess that shouldn't surprise me, since she's only a year or so older than I am.

My laptop power's running down now, and I want to check some other things before I subject myself to an evening without Internet, so I think I'll end this here. Buenas noches.

Entertainment 2011: July 1 - July 31

Books
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (first read)
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (first read)
Pants on Fire by Meg Cabot (first read)

Movies
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (fifth and sixth viewings)
The Time Traveler's Wife (first viewing)
Tangled (ninth viewing)
Forrest Gump (third viewing)
Serenity (first viewing)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (first and second viewings)
The Sixth Sense (first viewing)
The Golden Compass (first viewing)

Je Promets, This is the Last Akage no Anne Post!

Fifty episodes, four days, and one tired, wistful, and very satisfied Aida. We have come to the end, mes amis. Akage no Anne, much like its source material and title character, is a timeless treasure. I have included a link on my Facebook, but in case you'd rather not go digging through your news feed to find it, here it is. You're welcome!

My final list of impressions is below:

• I took my notes in chronological order, but I want to say first and foremost that Matthew's death made me cry so much. I sniffled a little in the book and while watching the Sullivan miniseries, but considering both of those were in English, I think Akage no Anne deserves higher praise. It touched me deeply despite being in Japanese, fan-subbed, and anime, a medium I dislike (although I love animation in general, so don't accuse me of being trapped in the Animation Age Ghetto). Short story: This is really good, guys.
• Okay, chronological notes, starting from Anne going to Queen's.
• The Charlottetown/Charlottesville typo persisted in all but two or three episodes, which of course made me even more of an emotional mess. A paraphrased line of Anne's struck me in particular: "I am going to Charlottesville to seek my future." Why do you do this to me, show?!
• Anne's studying puts me to shame. When she stays up until one in the morning doing her homework, she's not spending half of her time on Facebook and Tumblr (or whatever the nineteenth-century equivalent would be), that's for sure.
• Moody Spurgeon MacPherson cracks me up.
• The novel describes Anne's eyes as "green in some lights and grey in others." The anime does this really, really well.
• Akage no Anne uses a lot of flashbacks. Sometimes they're overdone. Other times I feel just as the characters do. Anne's character design went through a lot of subtle changes that really pay off in flashback comparisons, I will say that. I didn't notice how much she had changed from even eleven through twelve until Marilla thinks back to her arrival, and man oh man was I surprised.
• When Anne learns of the Avery scholarship, she has a vision of herself in a cap and gown (and her usual braids!) accepting a diploma while a proud Matthew looks on. My first thought was how ridiculous it was that she should graduate in braids, but my second was just sadness. Anne does eventually go to Redmond, but Matthew won't be there to celebrate with her. :(
• After Anne leaves for Queen's, Marilla is shown crying in bed and looking longingly at the empty chair at the dining room table. Once again, why do you insist on breaking my heart, show?
• One aspect of Akage no Anne I did not enjoy so much was the music. That is one advantage the Sullivan production does have. Akage no Anne has this weird track with bagpipes they like to use over and over again. It was funny the first time it played (during Mr. Phillips's farewell speech), but after that it was just overkill. There's another track with gongs that was used less often, but happened to be equally weird. Sullivan probably had a better budget.
• Another Sullivan advantage: the wonderful use of English-language poetry. In the live-action mini, Anne is fond of reciting "The Lady of Shalott" and chooses "The Highwayman" for her White Sands performance. I know "The Lady of Shalott" was not in the book, and I don't think "The Highwayman" was, either, but they were both great additions. In Akage no Anne, the recitals are pretty random, and I have no idea what Anne is talking about in any of them.
• Anne has a conversation with Jane and Diana about richness in which Jane says that diamonds would be a pretty good consolation for loneliness and sorrow. Considering Jane marries a millionaire who showers her with diamonds in Anne of the Island, I was more than a little amused.
• Whenever a lecture hall scene comes up, the girls seem to be sitting on one side of the room and the boys on the other. It might be another Japanese thing, but it struck me as odd.
• I kept getting strange sidebar ads as I went through the episodes. One that I found particularly funny featured two Twilightesque cartoons locked in a close embrace, telling me that one click would help me "Find [my] Bella." As a straight female watching an Anne of Green Gables anime this was amusing enough, but the thought that anyone would be looking for someone as aggravating and selfish as Bella Swan was what really cracked me up!
• Okay, so Josie starts the rumor that Emily Clay is a shoo-in for the Avery just to spite Anne. Later, Anne mentions that she's sure the won't get it because everyone is talking about Emily. Anne gets the Avery, of course, but I can't help feeling a little sorry for Emily Clay. Imagine being talked of as the surefire winner of a coveted school prize for weeks on end, only to lose to someone else. Maybe Emily got the Avery when Anne gave it up?
• I've said it before. I don't care, it bears repeating: Matthew's death is so darn sad!
• The scene where Anne is finally able to cry over Matthew with Marilla was heartbreaking and beautiful ("you're like my own flesh and blood!"), but there was one thing that bothered me. In the Sullivan film, and I'm pretty sure in the book, Marilla hears Anne crying and goes to comfort her with her hair down. It's a little thing, but it's symbolically important. Marilla, who always wears her hair so severely, is able to open herself to Anne emotionally fully and completely in a vulnerable state, in her nightwear with her hair down. In Akage no Anne, she's sitting with some visitors who have come to console her when she hears Anne and goes upstairs to see her. She's in her black day dress and her hair is in its usual bun. Like I said, it doesn't really matter that much, but it irked me just slightly.
• Gilbert came to Matthew's funeral. Aww.
• Matthew's name is written on his gravestone as "Thomas Cuthbert." Was his name actually Thomas Matthew Cuthbert in the novel, and I'm just misremembering? If not, that's really an inexcusable error.
• Another error: His gravestone said he died in November. This is certainly wrong. Anne had just come home from Queen's for the summer, so it had to be May or June, July at the very latest. Bad form, background artists!
• I really liked the metaphor of life being like a road, and Anne's decision to give up her scholarship and stay with Marilla as a bend in it. It was accompanied by some lovely visuals, and the whole thing just came across well. Good job!
• "Good morning" is "Ohayo" in Japanese. Whenever the characters said it, though, it sounded like they were yelling "Ohio!" at one another, haha. Unintentional humor for the win!
• Aww, Anne and Gilbert are so cute. I know this was made over thirty years ago and it was the only novel they adapted, but I really want to see a good adaptation of Anne of the Island someday. Also Anne's House of Dreams and Anne of Ingleside, but especially Anne of the Island. As someone who is in college now, I'd love to see Anne's college years on screen.

In closing, I really, really loved Akage no Anne and thoroughly recommend it to anyone who thinks of Anne as a kindred spirit. It's so, so great.

Pictures:

 

Yeah. Remember how I said the background English wasn't always perfect? I'm just going to leave this here.

Whenever Marilla burst out laughing like this, so did I.

Miss Muriel Stacy (or, as the subtitles once called her, Miss Maurice Stacy).