Flaily HoshiYami Post
So I think I like HoshiYami more than Gekitsui, if possible (we're talking about Gineiden here, btw). It's a bit hard to compare the two because it's like comparing a romantic comedy to a serious heartrending drama. I loved Gekitsui - it was fun and funny and touching. But HoshiYami was serious, heavy drama that left a really strong impression.
The main difference for me was obviously with Nika's character. In Gekitsui (Coldwell) he's the adorable kouhai with a serious, contemplative side. In HoshiYami (Royce), he's still a kouhai, but a lost, confused, frustrated, despairing one. I thought he did a really good job because you really FELT that while watching, and it was painful. He deals with difficult situations and makes difficult life choices. He cries a lot (despair, frustration and all that) and is just generally unhappy through the majority of the show.
I cried twice. Ugh, my heart. He's very human and real and I just wanted to give him a hug.
I thought Yokoo-san did a lot better this time, too. Watta really learned how to slow down (although you could still slow down more, dude!) and his costume fit a lot better and his walk was more appropriate to the role, etc. I also enjoyed how they played the relationship between Kircheis and Reinhard much better this time. It was totally cute and way easy to see just how close they are. This time they really seemed like best friends, instead of last time when you kind of knew they were, but it was much harder to see. I think because we could see them "behind-the-scenes" more, instead of mostly the public front? Well, no, there was private time last time too. Well, anyway. You see more of their actual interaction and relationship. Maybe also just because they're younger (this show is set earlier in time than the other one).
There was a ton more action this time, too, and the battle scenes were fun. Or well, not fun, but more enjoyable to watch. I prefer fighter pilots to ground forces most of the time because you know, X-wing and all that, but in stageplay form, aerial battle is kind of hard to pull off. So ground battle it is. I'm still not sure why half of them fight with axes and swords when most of them are carrying guns and laser rifles, though. ...make that axes. Only Yokoo has a sword. I have no idea why, but he looked pretty badass with it. There's the one scene that gets paused and rotated mid-action and man. HELLO WATTA. <3 I also appreciate how Nika holds a gun. ...um. :x
The battle costumes were also so much better. I'm sorry, I really enjoy the Rosenritter (sp?) forces, but their outfits are entirely questionable. The blue imperial armor was awesome! Very much my thing. Here, have some reference sketches done by the lovely and talented enshinge (who I may have flailed all over during final curtain call): without upper armor, and with it.
I liked the way the play was staged in contrasts instead of focusing on just one person. There wasn't really a main character like last time. Not that I didn't like Poplin, because I totally did - he was really silly. But this seemed less about one dude and more about PEOPLE in general.
There was no songs in this show in the sense of a musical, unlike last time. This time there's only one song, and it's part of the story. As in, the characters sing, not the actors singing their lines. And it's very... idk. Um. Bittersweet? Sort of. It's entirely a capella. Only four people sing it, each on their own, mainly. Nika being one of them. :)
Admittedly, Nika and Watta are the worst zachou (troupe leaders?) ever. *laughing* Nakagawa-san was kind of fail at it, too, but not quite as much as these two. XD; Nika is too shy to really be useful and Yokoo takes forever to get out what he wants to say without fucking it up. It works better when Yokoo starts talking and Nika just makes fun of him (and everyone), but Yokoo kept trying to get Nika to talk at first and it was just rather pathetic. Come on, Nika, you keep saying you're working on talking! ;p It got a lot better once Yokoo gave up trying and took over, and then the whole cast kept cracking up at him. They kept bowing and praying to their "kamikami no kami-sama" (god of messing up your words). Nika puffed his cheeks a lot and looked embarrassed. :} And also bounced. Adorable~ but so fail. ♥ Nika managed eventually. ♥
So anyway, I thought a whole lot of things were better this time, although there was no catchy song that got stuck in my head. Overall, it was very serious, very touching, with a powerful ending.
I cannot wait for a DVD of this thing. *prays*
The main difference for me was obviously with Nika's character. In Gekitsui (Coldwell) he's the adorable kouhai with a serious, contemplative side. In HoshiYami (Royce), he's still a kouhai, but a lost, confused, frustrated, despairing one. I thought he did a really good job because you really FELT that while watching, and it was painful. He deals with difficult situations and makes difficult life choices. He cries a lot (despair, frustration and all that) and is just generally unhappy through the majority of the show.
I cried twice. Ugh, my heart. He's very human and real and I just wanted to give him a hug.
I thought Yokoo-san did a lot better this time, too. Watta really learned how to slow down (although you could still slow down more, dude!) and his costume fit a lot better and his walk was more appropriate to the role, etc. I also enjoyed how they played the relationship between Kircheis and Reinhard much better this time. It was totally cute and way easy to see just how close they are. This time they really seemed like best friends, instead of last time when you kind of knew they were, but it was much harder to see. I think because we could see them "behind-the-scenes" more, instead of mostly the public front? Well, no, there was private time last time too. Well, anyway. You see more of their actual interaction and relationship. Maybe also just because they're younger (this show is set earlier in time than the other one).
There was a ton more action this time, too, and the battle scenes were fun. Or well, not fun, but more enjoyable to watch. I prefer fighter pilots to ground forces most of the time because you know, X-wing and all that, but in stageplay form, aerial battle is kind of hard to pull off. So ground battle it is. I'm still not sure why half of them fight with axes and swords when most of them are carrying guns and laser rifles, though. ...make that axes. Only Yokoo has a sword. I have no idea why, but he looked pretty badass with it. There's the one scene that gets paused and rotated mid-action and man. HELLO WATTA. <3 I also appreciate how Nika holds a gun. ...um. :x
The battle costumes were also so much better. I'm sorry, I really enjoy the Rosenritter (sp?) forces, but their outfits are entirely questionable. The blue imperial armor was awesome! Very much my thing. Here, have some reference sketches done by the lovely and talented enshinge (who I may have flailed all over during final curtain call): without upper armor, and with it.
I liked the way the play was staged in contrasts instead of focusing on just one person. There wasn't really a main character like last time. Not that I didn't like Poplin, because I totally did - he was really silly. But this seemed less about one dude and more about PEOPLE in general.
There was no songs in this show in the sense of a musical, unlike last time. This time there's only one song, and it's part of the story. As in, the characters sing, not the actors singing their lines. And it's very... idk. Um. Bittersweet? Sort of. It's entirely a capella. Only four people sing it, each on their own, mainly. Nika being one of them. :)
Admittedly, Nika and Watta are the worst zachou (troupe leaders?) ever. *laughing* Nakagawa-san was kind of fail at it, too, but not quite as much as these two. XD; Nika is too shy to really be useful and Yokoo takes forever to get out what he wants to say without fucking it up. It works better when Yokoo starts talking and Nika just makes fun of him (and everyone), but Yokoo kept trying to get Nika to talk at first and it was just rather pathetic. Come on, Nika, you keep saying you're working on talking! ;p It got a lot better once Yokoo gave up trying and took over, and then the whole cast kept cracking up at him. They kept bowing and praying to their "kamikami no kami-sama" (god of messing up your words). Nika puffed his cheeks a lot and looked embarrassed. :} And also bounced. Adorable~ but so fail. ♥ Nika managed eventually. ♥
So anyway, I thought a whole lot of things were better this time, although there was no catchy song that got stuck in my head. Overall, it was very serious, very touching, with a powerful ending.
I cannot wait for a DVD of this thing. *prays*