RANT: FY Genbu >>>>> FY (original)
Heh, I call these things rants... such negative connotations. ^^::
Here's an entry I posted on AnimeNation forums for a Fushigi Yugi Genbu Kaiden topic.
Posted on July 11th, 2009 at 9:16 PM.
Okay, I had to join just to post on here.
First of all, those of us who read this series online probably already know this tidbit I'm about to share, but Yuu Watase has been taking a break from GK after chapter 31 was released and won't be getting back to it until 2010. Watase's Sorai has been translating Watase's blog and posting it in English on a livejournal website in the same format as she has been posting hers, so if you'd like to read her translated words, go here: http://watasesorai.livejournal.com/
I'll post her words below (March 16, 2009):
"About Genbu Kaiden....
I'm terribly sorry.
It's being postponed until next year. I will be uploading the official announcement onto the website. I was so willing to work on it, so when we decided upon the postponement, I was really depressed for several days. However, in my current circumstances, I thought I was being realistic in making the decision that it was impossible right now.
It also annoyed the editorial department at Flower Comics, but I feel it won't be good for the publishing if I'm not able to concentrate well on it.
My physical condition....how do I say this...I had to bear a lot with my mother being hospitalized last year. There has been a significant amount of fatigue from going and coming and carrying out weekly publishing. Furthermore, my mother was hospitalized again last month, and hasn't left yet. I've had to focus on work with that anxiety, and when I forcibly had to return home on my own birthday, I had a magnificent breakdown while wandering aimlessly around the hospital (bitter smile).
While I was far away from her, my mind and body were fairly conflicted with the thought: "One of my parents is in the hospital--is this really the time to be drawing manga?" I barely made deadlines, and I could hardly move.
So when I returned home and saw her face, I was able to calm down a little, so that was good. (Every time she went to the hospital, she would always be worried about her job, but mine was the one that was pandemomium.)
However, leaving her behind again and coming back here was a little tough.
As for manga, because the mental aspect greatly influences me (For me, it's about creating "stories," not for simply drawing pictures) I was somehow able to concentrate on drawing Arakan, but there was so much work to be done. (Somehow, I was also able to do the storyline for Sakura Gari, too, but still...)
...Well, because they're my own personal affairs, whatever I express won't change how disappointed the readers will be.
I'm really, really sorry."
Poor Watase. I hope things get better for her. Maybe by the time Viz catches up, she'll have started again.
Anyways, on my thoughts for GK, I prefer it to the original series. FY will always hold a special place in my heart, because it was one of the first manga I started reading when I was younger. Yet, while I was obsessed for a while, I started to drift away after Vol. 8 was released in America. There were several reasons for this: I came across other manga that were better, Tamahome and Miaka were getting annoying (breakup, makeup, rinse and repeat), and the story was frustrating. However, I did read some of the rest of the series (the parts that interested me), watched the OVAs and Eikoden just to satisfy my curiosity.
I was frustrated with the lack of development for the Seiryuu-seishi and how several were just shallow one-dimensional characters. But I disliked even more the lack of resolution for them. Which is why I liked the first three eps of the OVAs, if for no other reason than having Tomo, Nakago, Suboshi, and Amiboshi show up and having more resolution (especially since Suboshi was one of my favorite charas... ;_; ). It was like, they were destined to live miserable lives for being who they were and growing up where they grew up (Seiryuu being the God of War and Kutou constantly being at war), die, and then become completely forgotten. WTF? ... But, hey, who cares? The Suzaku-seishi win, get their personal issues resolved, get reborn, get to be with their loved ones in the end so it's all good and we have a happily ever after ending, yay! *strangles the air*
When I first heard about GK, I was reluctant to read it, but eventually did so (because I heard from a reliable source that it was more mature) and I'm glad I did. I really love the series and the characters, especially Takiko. Having a main character I like definitely helps. Back when I read FY, I preferred Yui to Miaka (both were flat, but at least Yui wasn't annoying in a genki way).
The thing about Takiko I like is her desire to be needed. Unlike Miaka, who just naturally has boundless amounts of willpower, love, and faith that's able to break all bonds and keep her going, Takiko crumbles when she's not needed or loved, which is very human. Her strength comes from confronting her own insecurities and finding the will to fight even when the world and her own doubts are fighting against her. Miaka never really had that level of complexity.
Of the 5 types of conflict that exists within stories (Man vs. Man, Man vs. Society, Man vs. Self, Man vs. Nature, Man vs. God/Fate), FY focused mostly on Man vs. Man conflict with others thrown in here and there. GK, on the other hand, focuses mostly on Man vs. Self (along with quite a bit of Man vs. Man as well), which IMHO is a lot more interesting.
Plus, Takiko can actually fight some and she isn't just a ditz. But I mainly love her for her humanity and her struggles with herself. True strength comes from overcoming your weaknesses, and I see GK as more of a coming-of-age story rather than a romance story: it's about characters overcoming their own weaknesses through the help of friendship and their own willpower. Romance is just thrown in as a pleasant bonus. ;D
Also, I'm preferring the Genbu-senshi to the Suzaku-senshi (holy crap, u mean I can haz moar than just pretti boiz?). Tamahome became annoying over time due to his constant back-and-forths with Miaka (Stop with the soap opera! We're in the middle of a war, there's enough drama without you two muddling it up with your stupidity). Mitsukake, who actually had depth and an interesting past, did not get enough screen time. Chiriko, who had the promise of being an interesting character, wasn't in the story long (last to arrive, third to die) and didn't have much screen time either. Wait a second, I'm sensing a trend here: we have two characters who don't get much screen time, who die relatively early, and who, strangely enough, are not of the prettyboi status. Coincidence? Well, gee, lemme think on it. Hotohori was okay but never really left an impression on me. I think the only ones I really liked were Nuriko, Chichiri, and Tasuki, and a lot of that was due to the OVAs/last chapters of the manga when you find out in depth about Nuriko and Chichiri's pasts and see Tasuki's struggles. I have nothing to complain about yet for the Genbu-seishi.
Overall, GK feels deeper and more complex than the original (more grey areas rather than just simple good vs. evil, love vs. war). Watase had aspects of this in the original FY; however, not as much. This along with the seriousness of the storyline and the internal conflict of the characters shows how she has matured, so I have hope for this new series.
It's not that I hate the original, not at all. It will always have a special place in my heart. I just prefer GK.
As for predictions as to what's to come, I'm hiding it behind a spoiler tag. Don't read if you haven't read up to chapter 31 yet.
SPOILER!
Okay, with the end of chapter 31, I'm wondering whether or not Rimudo will try to force himself on Takiko. I have a feeling that if he finds out about the "purity of the priestess" (if he doesn't already know) he might try to do so in order to save her. He seems willing to sacrifice his (and hers, consequently) happiness as long as she's alive. Therefore, he might push the issue.
As for someone pointing out the earthquake thing, I can so see that (her summoning Genbu ends up affecting her world much like Yui summoning Seiryuu had)! Thank you for pointing it out!
My predictions: Rimudo is probably going to die, which will shake Takiko greatly. Her strength comes from being needed and loved, and so her foundation will crack every time someone dies. Therefore, while she is strong, I don't think she'll have the will to stop Genbu from devouring her (hey, she's dying anyways, she's losing those she loves, what purpose does she have after summoning Genbu and saving her people?) She'll make two wishes, one to save her people, and the other... I'm not so sure. To return home? Her father will end up killing her at some point after the second wish in an act of mercy. I can't see her being able to make the third wish, because at that point, the priestess completely disappears as with Yui.
Of course, her father killing her and then himself could be a lie. It'd be cool if she makes the third wish, is devoured, but then somehow comes back on her own will... maybe meeting Rimudo in the afterlife/inside Genbu/whatever the heck happens after one is devoured and she gains the will to fight again from him. Anyways, as for tragedy, death itself is not a tragedy. The FY world has shown us life after death, therefore, I see death on Takiko's part as a release, such as with Susano. She won't get the happy ending that Miaka did, but neither do I see her getting a completely tragic ending either.
So, I guess, overall I'm excited about the series, and I can't wait to see what happens after Watase gets back to it!
Here's an entry I posted on AnimeNation forums for a Fushigi Yugi Genbu Kaiden topic.
Posted on July 11th, 2009 at 9:16 PM.
Okay, I had to join just to post on here.
First of all, those of us who read this series online probably already know this tidbit I'm about to share, but Yuu Watase has been taking a break from GK after chapter 31 was released and won't be getting back to it until 2010. Watase's Sorai has been translating Watase's blog and posting it in English on a livejournal website in the same format as she has been posting hers, so if you'd like to read her translated words, go here: http://watasesorai.livejournal.com/
I'll post her words below (March 16, 2009):
"About Genbu Kaiden....
I'm terribly sorry.
It's being postponed until next year. I will be uploading the official announcement onto the website. I was so willing to work on it, so when we decided upon the postponement, I was really depressed for several days. However, in my current circumstances, I thought I was being realistic in making the decision that it was impossible right now.
It also annoyed the editorial department at Flower Comics, but I feel it won't be good for the publishing if I'm not able to concentrate well on it.
My physical condition....how do I say this...I had to bear a lot with my mother being hospitalized last year. There has been a significant amount of fatigue from going and coming and carrying out weekly publishing. Furthermore, my mother was hospitalized again last month, and hasn't left yet. I've had to focus on work with that anxiety, and when I forcibly had to return home on my own birthday, I had a magnificent breakdown while wandering aimlessly around the hospital (bitter smile).
While I was far away from her, my mind and body were fairly conflicted with the thought: "One of my parents is in the hospital--is this really the time to be drawing manga?" I barely made deadlines, and I could hardly move.
So when I returned home and saw her face, I was able to calm down a little, so that was good. (Every time she went to the hospital, she would always be worried about her job, but mine was the one that was pandemomium.)
However, leaving her behind again and coming back here was a little tough.
As for manga, because the mental aspect greatly influences me (For me, it's about creating "stories," not for simply drawing pictures) I was somehow able to concentrate on drawing Arakan, but there was so much work to be done. (Somehow, I was also able to do the storyline for Sakura Gari, too, but still...)
...Well, because they're my own personal affairs, whatever I express won't change how disappointed the readers will be.
I'm really, really sorry."
Poor Watase. I hope things get better for her. Maybe by the time Viz catches up, she'll have started again.
Anyways, on my thoughts for GK, I prefer it to the original series. FY will always hold a special place in my heart, because it was one of the first manga I started reading when I was younger. Yet, while I was obsessed for a while, I started to drift away after Vol. 8 was released in America. There were several reasons for this: I came across other manga that were better, Tamahome and Miaka were getting annoying (breakup, makeup, rinse and repeat), and the story was frustrating. However, I did read some of the rest of the series (the parts that interested me), watched the OVAs and Eikoden just to satisfy my curiosity.
I was frustrated with the lack of development for the Seiryuu-seishi and how several were just shallow one-dimensional characters. But I disliked even more the lack of resolution for them. Which is why I liked the first three eps of the OVAs, if for no other reason than having Tomo, Nakago, Suboshi, and Amiboshi show up and having more resolution (especially since Suboshi was one of my favorite charas... ;_; ). It was like, they were destined to live miserable lives for being who they were and growing up where they grew up (Seiryuu being the God of War and Kutou constantly being at war), die, and then become completely forgotten. WTF? ... But, hey, who cares? The Suzaku-seishi win, get their personal issues resolved, get reborn, get to be with their loved ones in the end so it's all good and we have a happily ever after ending, yay! *strangles the air*
When I first heard about GK, I was reluctant to read it, but eventually did so (because I heard from a reliable source that it was more mature) and I'm glad I did. I really love the series and the characters, especially Takiko. Having a main character I like definitely helps. Back when I read FY, I preferred Yui to Miaka (both were flat, but at least Yui wasn't annoying in a genki way).
The thing about Takiko I like is her desire to be needed. Unlike Miaka, who just naturally has boundless amounts of willpower, love, and faith that's able to break all bonds and keep her going, Takiko crumbles when she's not needed or loved, which is very human. Her strength comes from confronting her own insecurities and finding the will to fight even when the world and her own doubts are fighting against her. Miaka never really had that level of complexity.
Of the 5 types of conflict that exists within stories (Man vs. Man, Man vs. Society, Man vs. Self, Man vs. Nature, Man vs. God/Fate), FY focused mostly on Man vs. Man conflict with others thrown in here and there. GK, on the other hand, focuses mostly on Man vs. Self (along with quite a bit of Man vs. Man as well), which IMHO is a lot more interesting.
Plus, Takiko can actually fight some and she isn't just a ditz. But I mainly love her for her humanity and her struggles with herself. True strength comes from overcoming your weaknesses, and I see GK as more of a coming-of-age story rather than a romance story: it's about characters overcoming their own weaknesses through the help of friendship and their own willpower. Romance is just thrown in as a pleasant bonus. ;D
Also, I'm preferring the Genbu-senshi to the Suzaku-senshi (holy crap, u mean I can haz moar than just pretti boiz?). Tamahome became annoying over time due to his constant back-and-forths with Miaka (Stop with the soap opera! We're in the middle of a war, there's enough drama without you two muddling it up with your stupidity). Mitsukake, who actually had depth and an interesting past, did not get enough screen time. Chiriko, who had the promise of being an interesting character, wasn't in the story long (last to arrive, third to die) and didn't have much screen time either. Wait a second, I'm sensing a trend here: we have two characters who don't get much screen time, who die relatively early, and who, strangely enough, are not of the prettyboi status. Coincidence? Well, gee, lemme think on it. Hotohori was okay but never really left an impression on me. I think the only ones I really liked were Nuriko, Chichiri, and Tasuki, and a lot of that was due to the OVAs/last chapters of the manga when you find out in depth about Nuriko and Chichiri's pasts and see Tasuki's struggles. I have nothing to complain about yet for the Genbu-seishi.
Overall, GK feels deeper and more complex than the original (more grey areas rather than just simple good vs. evil, love vs. war). Watase had aspects of this in the original FY; however, not as much. This along with the seriousness of the storyline and the internal conflict of the characters shows how she has matured, so I have hope for this new series.
It's not that I hate the original, not at all. It will always have a special place in my heart. I just prefer GK.
As for predictions as to what's to come, I'm hiding it behind a spoiler tag. Don't read if you haven't read up to chapter 31 yet.
SPOILER!
Okay, with the end of chapter 31, I'm wondering whether or not Rimudo will try to force himself on Takiko. I have a feeling that if he finds out about the "purity of the priestess" (if he doesn't already know) he might try to do so in order to save her. He seems willing to sacrifice his (and hers, consequently) happiness as long as she's alive. Therefore, he might push the issue.
As for someone pointing out the earthquake thing, I can so see that (her summoning Genbu ends up affecting her world much like Yui summoning Seiryuu had)! Thank you for pointing it out!
My predictions: Rimudo is probably going to die, which will shake Takiko greatly. Her strength comes from being needed and loved, and so her foundation will crack every time someone dies. Therefore, while she is strong, I don't think she'll have the will to stop Genbu from devouring her (hey, she's dying anyways, she's losing those she loves, what purpose does she have after summoning Genbu and saving her people?) She'll make two wishes, one to save her people, and the other... I'm not so sure. To return home? Her father will end up killing her at some point after the second wish in an act of mercy. I can't see her being able to make the third wish, because at that point, the priestess completely disappears as with Yui.
Of course, her father killing her and then himself could be a lie. It'd be cool if she makes the third wish, is devoured, but then somehow comes back on her own will... maybe meeting Rimudo in the afterlife/inside Genbu/whatever the heck happens after one is devoured and she gains the will to fight again from him. Anyways, as for tragedy, death itself is not a tragedy. The FY world has shown us life after death, therefore, I see death on Takiko's part as a release, such as with Susano. She won't get the happy ending that Miaka did, but neither do I see her getting a completely tragic ending either.
So, I guess, overall I'm excited about the series, and I can't wait to see what happens after Watase gets back to it!