FICTION: The Letter for the King by Tonke Dragt

The book was originally written in Dutch, & the original title is De brief voor de koning. I read the translation by Laura Watkinson.

Image from Goodreads

At a glance: children's fiction, adventure, not-English


From Goodreads:

The rule-book says that a young man who is to be knighted by King Dagonaut must pass the eve of the grand ceremony in silent vigil. However, Young Tiuri, son of the famous Tiuri the Valiant, breaks the rules - he opens the door to a stranger, who begs him to deliver a secret letter to the Black Knight with the White Shield. The letter is destined for the ruler of the neighbouring realm, King Unauwen, and concerns a matter of paramount importance. 

Tiuri accepts this dangerous mission, but when he arrives at the appointed place deep in the forest, he finds the Knight dying, murdered by the vicious Red Riders. As he races to deliver the letter to King Unauwen in the Knight's stead, Tiuri is pursued by the Red Riders, who threaten his life - but he is determined to fulfil his promise: the Black Knight must not have died in vain.

I took the liberty of splitting up the paragraph & adding a full stop.



Luna comments

I'm looking for foreign-language stories at the moment, and apparently this is one of the most well-known Dutch children's books. That sounds like a good starting point.

I quite enjoyed this story! It may be because it's been so long since I last read something like this - a pure questing type story with nothing on the side. This story is purely about Tiuri getting from point A to point B without getting killed.

Now, I'm not saying that it's easy to write this story, but the overall simplicity of the plot made it a light & enjoyable read. At 400+ pages, it's incredibly long for its genre and age category (but that's by the standards I've known, which may well be different for the time period and nationality of this story), but I didn't mind at all. Wow, I miss being a child, in this aspect at least.

I really liked the setting of this story. It's set in medieval-like times, with lords and ladies and castles and knights. I enjoyed the descriptions of the places that Tiuri came to - the towns and cities, the forest, the mountains.

This being purely an adventure story, the characters don't have a great deal of opportunity to show various facets of themselves. But I liked them nevertheless. I liked Tiuri's determination, Piak's optimism and quickness, I liked the various people who decided to help them even though they didn't exactly know why Tiuri & Piak were in trouble. I liked how other characters, except those from the 'bad guys' side', helped Tiuri in some way, instead of being opportunistic. So despite the greater threat looming over them, it was a pleasant world and that made me very happy. =]

I'm also going to add that the author illustrates the pictures in this book as well =] So you get an illustration for each part - eight in total. Just a nice touch.

Closing

It's a nice adventure story suitable for children =] and over-sized, over-aged 'children' like me =] and maybe you too - who knows?

ANIME: 進撃の巨人 (Attack on Titan)

Also known as Shingeki no Kyojin (which is the romanisation of the Japanese)

Image from IMDb

At a glance: action, anime TV series (24 episodes, each ~20 minutes), Japanese, non-English, recommend 18+ (gore, & language [if the subs are to be believed])


Summary

A long time ago, a strange breed of giant humanoid lifeforms called the Titans came into existence. They stand from 3 feet up very high up ^^", often don't show signs of intelligence, and do not seem to have to eat or perform any other biological functions. There is also only one way to kill them, which is by slicing off a piece of flesh at the back of their neck. Their sole purpose seems to be to devour humans.

Due to their size and obsession and resistance towards being killed, they're incredibly dangerous, and the last of humanity now live within the safety of walled cities while the Titans roam the rest of the world.

But then, one day, a previously unknown type of Titan breaks down the outermost wall of the city, causing many casualties and forcing the rest of the citizens inside second wall. Eren loses his mother to a Titan, and from then on focuses single-mindedly on joining the Survey Corps and killing all the Titans he can lay his hands on.


Luna comments

The overview, and warnings of blood and gore, really didn't make me very interested in the series. And I'm generally not very interested in these sorts of premises. But then after hearing everyone in the anime circles talk about it, and then getting it recommended to me by my most reliable sources, and also having nothing else to watch, I gave it a shot.

And now I'm a fan too.

There still isn't much to talk about for the plot. They do make little discoveries, but they're so few and far in between that that's not really what makes the story interesting. For me, this story really hinges upon its characters. Oh, and the action scenes. They use what's called '3D Maneuver Gear' which consists of a pair of grappling hooks mounted on a complicated contraption that the user wears around their waist. This is their primary method of movement in a fight within the city walls. Despite my lacklustre description, surely it sounds awesome =D

Back to the characters. Here's a picture of the graduates from Eren's trainee squad.

Image from Shingeki No Kyojin Wiki
Eren is the 6th from the left.
Mikasa (his adoptive sister) is on his right and the top of the class.
Armin (his friend from childhood) is the 4th from the left.

I really like the the characters, even though I don't necessarily really like some of the characters themselves (most notably: Eren). They're a diverse and well fleshed-out bunch. Even though some of them don't have much screentime, they have the presence of a full-blown character rather than an 'extra'. They give the feeling that they have their own thoughts, emotions and lives somewhere off-screen.

As a group, the series does well in showing the characters' transformations. They start as trainees who may not even be in it because they want to fight titans (some are in it for the glory; particularly, if they graduate in the top 10, they are allowed to join the Military Police and move inside the innermost wall, to live among and move in the circles of the highest levels of society). They know that that's what they'll be doing if they graduate, but even then it's clear that the reality and horror of the situation doesn't hit home. They train hard, and the instructors warn them that not everyone survives even the training stages. These trainees make it anyway.

But then they encounter their first titan and watch as their friends and colleagues get killed. The show doesn't skimp on the visuals either, so these moments have quite an impact. Over the course of the series, they lose more and more members, and have to come to a decision about whether they really want to be risking their lives for the role they've trained for. The levity and playfulness of some of the trainees disappear over the course of the story. It's sad, but very fitting.

Anyway. Eren is very angry, rash, impulsive, and it doesn't take much to make him blow. He can act a bit uncaring and callous even towards his best friends, even though he does care very much for them. He's just a very angry person. Even before his mother was killed by a Titan, he showed a tendency to get angry, but this was exacerbated by that traumatic event. His emotions easily take over his rational thinking. So I don't find him very likable, but he's actions and personality are well-justified.

All the other major and recurring characters are pretty awesome, though =D

Movie version

They're making a movie version of this, which apparently cuts out some very important characters & adds in other new ones.

I think it's very funny that no one (including me) is complaining that cast is completely Japanese, even though Mikasa is the only known Asian. =P But I'm not complaining or anything. I just find it funny in light of the comlaints against the Avatar: the Last Airbender cast (yours truly, of course, being a complainant too).


Closing

Hmm. Give it a try someday. Nice action & cool characters =] 

NON-FICTION: What a Wonderful World: One Man's Attempt to Explain the Big Stuff by Marcus Chown

Image from Amazon.com

At a glance: humour, non-fiction, science (& assorted other subjects)

From Goodreads:

Why do we breathe? What is money? How does the brain work? Why did life invent sex? Does time really exist? How does capitalism work - or not, as the case may be? Where do mountains come from? How do computers work? How did humans get to dominate the Earth? Why is there something rather than nothing?

In What a Wonderful World, Marcus Chown, bestselling author of Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You and the Solar System app, uses his vast scientific knowledge and deep understanding of extremely complex processes to answer simple questions about the workings of our everyday lives. Lucid, witty and hugely entertaining, it explains the basics of our essential existence, stopping along the way to show us why the Atlantic is widening by a thumbs' length each year, how money permits trade to time travel, why the crucial advantage humans had over Neanderthals was sewing, and why we are all living in a giant hologram.*

* took the liberty of adding two commas.


Luna comments

I've read three of Chown's books, & they all have clear & simple explanations. I cannot recommend them highly enough.

But previously, he'd been explaining quantum physics. (Well, that was the subject matter of Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You and We Need to Talk About Kelvin, which were the two other books of his that I'd read.) In this book, he delves into various other subjects, including: history, economics, biology. & quantum physics - that's there too.

So this book is really good if you want to just get a general understanding of a range of topics. Even if you're the type who thinks that science isn't the thing for you, I'd still recommend it because this book is really about explaining [a part] of everything that makes the world what it is today. Of course, nothing to our current knowledge can really do that, but this is a pretty good attempt. How can it not be fascinating, to see all the tools and paints used to create this big picture?

Closing

I don't really have much to say. It's really good. Read it =]

MANGA: ライアーゲーム by 甲斐谷忍 (Liar Game by Kaitani Shinobu)

Liar Game first volume cover - Image from Wikipedia

 
At a glance: manga (19 volumes), not-English, Japanese, psychological

Summary

Kanzaki Nao is an innocent, naive and trusting girl who's honest to a fault. But one day, she receives in her mail an invitation to participate in the Liar Game, and becomes an unwitting player. After losing all her money, she requests the help of ex-con man Akiyama Shin'ichi...

Luna comments

All names are in Japanese order (surname, first name) & all characters are referred to by surname. So is the mangaka - so 'Kaitani' is the surname.

This manga has been running ran for ten years & I've been chasing new chapters for about five. So when it finished earlier this year, it was both a very happy & very sad moment.

So. Where do I even start.

This is another manga that seems to be rather polarising - out of the people I've asked, they've either liked it or disliked it, but I've yet to hear someone say they're neutral about it.

The dodgiest thing about this is probably the way all the players got into the Liar Game. They were 'invited', as in they received a card in their mail that informed them of what was happening. If Kanzaki's experiences are anything to go by, then there is no way they can get out of it after the invitation. (Some ways arise later in the game, but they had to play the first round.) I found it unrealistic that such a massive operation could remain hidden from authorities - or that there would be no way the players could get out of it - but I suspended that disbelief & read on, & I'm so glad I did.

So if you can get past that initial stumbling block, the rest of the story is completely worth your while.

The Liar Game consists of multiple rounds, or 'games'. Each one of them have different rules. The only thing they have in common is that big money is involved & that players are free to manipulate & lie, or even tell the truth, to their opponents, in order to take the opponents' money. The rest of the plot is just watching how the games unfold - the different rules of the game, the different ways the characters play them, & all the lies & manipulation & tactics that they use on each other.

There is so much in there, & yet I can say so little because nothing beats seeing it first-hand, without that experience ruined by enthusiasts like me who inadvertently spoil the details.

The gameplay is always exciting, without exception, even when a chapter might go through little more than, say, a character pondering a certain move. Kaitani is also an evil genius - most chapters end on a cliffhanger.

But, even though some of the people are so malicious, & the situation so removed from reality, I found that nevertheless there are plenty of parallels between the gameplay & the world we live in. Exactly what they are, I'll leave to you to find out.

This reflection really made the games more interesting - on top of the excellent plot, there are clear messages that Kaitani is trying to get through to his readers. This story really encourages its readers to think. About everything.

One warning: you may not love the ending. I didn't particularly like it. But I can see the sense in it and I can accept what the mangaka has chosen. So it didn't really ruin the series for me.


Closing

Read it now! NOW! Read to the end of the first round, & you can decide whether you're in the 'like' or 'dislike' camp. Highly highly highly recommend.

SHORT FILM: Komorebi [木漏れ日] from Wong Fu Productions

So a friend of mine linked me to this:

It's 7 minutes. Just watch it. 木漏れ日 is now one of my favourite words, never mind that I don't speak Japanese.

My favourite thing about it is that it's completely in Japanese, which doesn't seem like much but Wong Fu Productions has mostly an English fanbase (I would assume) so I think it's cool how they chose to do this in another language. & then there's the pretty standard stuff like the music, cinematography, which I don't really need to say much about except "GOOD~!"

ANIME: かぐや姫の物語 (The Tale of Princess Kaguya)

Image from Wikipedia

At a glance: Japanese, anime, fantasy, ancient Japan, movie (running time: 137 minutes, says Wikipedia)

Summary

A poor, childless couple finds a child in a bamboo shoot, & raises her as her own. She grows up to be known as 'Takenoko' by her friends. When her adoptive father later finds money and expensive clothes inside bamboo shoots, he is convinced that she is destined for a better life. He takes her into the city, constructs a great mansion for her, and introduces her to higher society - anything he can do to make her a princess. She is also renamed 'Kaguya', to fit with her station. However, this isn't the life that Kaguya longs for...


Luna comments


This is directed by Takahata Isao (Japanese order - so 'Takahata' is surname), whose most famous film is probably Grave of the Fireflies (a very good film & so extremely sad that I couldn't bring myself to keep watching). Just thought I'd like to let you know.

I really liked the style of the art used in this film, & so here, have another picture:

Image from Studio Ghibli Wiki

All the Studio Ghibli films are beautiful, but I think that this art style really suits this particular story. There's something soft & simplistic & fantastic about it that contributes to the nostalgic, quietly & contemplatively sad tone of the film. It also has a more 'Japanese' feel to it.

The other good thing is that it's so pretty I can stare at it for ages. Because the movie is incredibly slow, especially for about the second quarter. The pacing there is so slow, that in the middle of the movie I found myself looking at how much I've watched & being very surprised that, even after watching so much, not much has happened at all. But here, the length also contributes to that sad tone, & I can respect the decision for the pacing.

Things start happening in the second half, though, which is good, but it's still slow. (I'm usually very against slow pacing.)

I also love the soundtrack. Which is no surprise, because it's composed by Joe Hisaishi. But I want to make a particular note of the two songs with lyrics, which are both more or less about life. In case you haven't caught the general thread yet, they're both slowly paced, melodic, quiet, unassuming, & sad. One is the children's song, Warabe Uta (わらべ唄), and the other is the ending theme song. I suggest you pay extra attention! I didn't like the voice very much when I first heard it, but as I got used to it, I felt that it was quite fitting.

I think that the combination of everything in this film establishes a certain feeling, or atmosphere to it. I like it when that happens, so, +1 for the film. :)

The plot itself isn't really spectacular, but you don't watch a Ghibli film for its plot. It's a pretty typical storyline, in that the circumstances of the protagonist force them into a position that they don't like. But that's the end of the similarities. The Tale of Princess Kaguya offers a distinctively different take on the story. Kaguya isn't rebellious & she isn't assertive. It's refreshing to see how Kaguya handles her situation.

One thing I'm quite impressed by is Kaguya's characterisation. To be clear: if you want a strong heroine who actively participates in the story & shapes the world around them, that is not Kaguya. She's passive - things happen to her, & she reacts, & she doesn't even make an effort towards changing them. Her actions & emotions are at times immature & don't make her character particularly endearing.

However, despite all her flaws, I didn't find myself disliking her. There may be a cultural element to this - whereas she would probably be seen as a 'weak' character by western viewers (I'm assuming that, based on reviews I've read that comment on the reviewer's receptions of characters in other stories) - I feel as if I understand where she's coming from, that life isn't just about one's own happiness, but that we all carry certain responsibilities. & her choice, or her perception, of her responsibilities ties her down. I can't say her sadness isn't self-imposed, but I can understand why she does it.

I can't say I liked her character either. But despite her childishness, it is clear that her character carries a great weight. There's a quiet sadness & frustration & yearning for freedom that makes it almost impossible for me not to feel sorry for her. In the end, I don't really feel that anything's her fault - she's just a tragic character.


Closing

I really recommend you watch it sometime! Okay, that 'sometime' being a bit more than two hours of spare time. Don't mind the slow pace, & I'm sure you'll have a wonderful visual experience =] It's atmospheric & poignant, beautiful & musical, & I think its cultural elements are quite prominent in comparison to a lot of other films that make it to wider the English-speaking audience (i.e. more than just anime-watchers).

FICTION: Death Sworn by Leah Cypess

Image from Goodreads

 
At a glance: YA, fantasy, romance


From Goodreads

When Ileni lost her magic, she lost everything: her place in society, her purpose in life, and the man she had expected to spend her life with. So when the Elders sent her to be magic tutor to a secret sect of assassins, she went willingly, even though the last two tutors had died under mysterious circumstances.

But beneath the assassins’ caves, Ileni will discover a new place and a new purpose… and a new and dangerous love. She will struggle to keep her lost magic a secret while teaching it to her deadly students, and to find out what happened to the two tutors who preceded her. But what she discovers will change not only her future, but the future of her people, the assassins… and possibly the entire world.

Luna comments

I've read Leah Cypess's Mistwood & Nightspell, & I liked the plot for both of those. So I was quite keen on this one.

I liked the idea that Ileni used to be a powerful sorceress, but then is in the process of losing her power.

However, in terms of characters, I don't feel there's anything particularly interesting about the characters. I get the feeling that the typical YA characters are:

• (for females) a slightly hot-headed, impulsive, has immature/overly emotional moments despite their very dire situation, clever, skilful, carrying a bit of a burden or mental obsession, has a bit of anger or angst because of that burden or obsession, but has the tendency to not apply their cleverness or skills until something they really care about forces them to do it; & 
• (for males) silent, broody, outwardly unapproachable, skilful, clever, carries another sort of burden that makes them so taciturn & broody & unapproachable, is always cool-headed & calm but then pulls off an out-of-character risk or act of stupidity when something they care about (i.e. the love interest/protagonist) is threatened.

Ileni & Sorin (love interest) fit that mould pretty well.

However, having said that, I don't think it's fair to 'penalise' them for having typical YA characteristics. They're characters in their own right. But anyway, there's a low-down of who they are.

I did, however, like the master of the assassins. I like how he doesn't make much of an appearance, but his presence is always felt because everyone's so scared of him. The only thing is that sometimes I think he acts a bit too overconfident for someone of his experience & reputation, but this is one of those things where I think it could have gone either way.

The plot...I enjoyed seeing how it played out & how everything eventually fit together. So upon reading the ending, I could go, "Oh yes, I enjoyed that book", in a sort of detached way (actually, I can't think of anything I particularly liked, except the premise). But during the process of reading, I didn't feel that. In a way, that could be testimony to how well Cypess has managed to work the undercurrents seamlessly into the narration. But what kept me reading wasn't so much that I was enjoying every moment as that I wanted to find out what on Earth was happening.


Closing

So, upon finishing, I was satisfied. I got a bit impatient in the middle, though. I'm still keen on the sequel & seeing how the rest of the story plays out.

However, I feel that this book has the sort of feeling that successful YA books give off, so perhaps its intended demographic (i.e. young adults) would enjoy it a lot more.

FICTION: Cress by Marissa Meyer

From the author's website

At a glance: young adult, romance, sci-fi, futuristic


From the author's website

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and prevent her army from invading Earth.

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker – unfortunately, she’s being forced to work for Queen Levana, and she’s just received orders to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is splintered. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a higher price than she’d ever expected. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai, especially the cyborg mechanic. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

Luna comments

This is the third book of the Lunar Chronicles. I've already talked about the second book here.

Each book in this series is more or less based on a fairy tale. In Cress, a girl is locked up in a satellite for years, & used for her technological skills (which in many sci-fi or futuristic stories translates to hacking). Obviously she is a very futuristic Rapunzel.

Once again, the thing that draws me to this series is mainly the plot & the world. How this series is structured is that, with each book, the author properly introduces a new heroine (& a corresponding male protagonist). So by the time of book three, that's three of them, each with their own stories & their roles in the plot. It means a lot of travelling around the world, separating, finding each other again, carrying out activities in big groups with various roles allocated to them, so on. It makes the plot rather complicated & all over the place (in a good way) & quite interesting.

Although I think that the characters are starting to get more interesting - in this book, a new heroine is properly introduced (she's made cameo appearances before). Her name is Cress, & having lived in a spaceship by herself for most of her life, with only occasional visits from her overseer, she's a bit innocent & naive. Her knowledge of the outside world, especially Earth, mostly comes in the form of fiction, & hence her view of the world is very romanticised. So she & her occasionally inappropriate reactions were fun to read about :)

There are some other interesting characters too. Her corresponding male protagonist, Thorne, is a slippery character with a smooth tongue & comic relief value. So I like him too. He actually appeared in Scarlet, but there's more of him to see in this book. There's also Princess Winter, who makes her first appearance in the series. She's a bit loony, which is rather symbolically suitable since she's the princess of Luna (the moon). And then Winter's corresponding male protagonist, who acts as if it'd kill him to be nice.

As you can see, entertainment value (in the currency of potential for humour) is a major factor influencing whether I like a character or not.

The excitement is also building up now, as Lunar Queen becomes increasingly dissatisfied with the state of affairs on Earth (because she still isn't in power yet), & I'm really anticipating an all-over-the-place, lots-of-things-happening fourth book.

On another note, I don't particularly like the typeface used for the text of this series. It's pretty, & suits the futuristic setting well, but it feels less comfortable & flowing compared to the more typical-looking ones.


Closing

I would recommend this series for the plot. =] 

TV SERIES: 甄嬛传 (Legend of Zhen Huan a.k.a. Empresses in the Palace)

Now for something substantially different: a Chinese TV series! (I believe that this series has been fansubbed in English.) I watched this a while ago, but apparently HBO is releasing a massively edited 6-episode version of this, which makes me want to talk about it anyway.

This series is called Empresses in the Palace for the HBO version, which is why I've got it in the heading. For the rest of this post, though, I shall be referring to it as Legend of Zhen Huan, which is the closest translation to the Chinese title.

Image from the Chinese Wikipedia page

At a glance: historical (scheming concubines inside the imperial palace); 76 episodes (~45 min each)


A note on Chinese imperial palace series

Ancient Chinese emperors had many many concubines (possibly so many that they forget about a lot of them), & so the concubines fought for the emperor's attention (which comes with things like power, status, or maybe just safety). Concubines have ranks, so there's inevitably something to do with going up or down in the hierarchy. Many TV series have been made on this genre, basically all of which basically run along the lines of: Oh the imperial palace looks like such a nice place from the outside & wow everyone is evil within its walls O_O *insert plotting & scheming*


Summary

The story is about a noble girl who gets chosen to become one of the Emperor's many concubines. She starts off as an innocent girl who learns to become cunning and manipulative as she fights her way up the ranks (and her survival).



Luna comments

There's almost nothing bad I can say about this series, so let's start with what I didn't like most about this: the time period they chose.

The novel off which this series is based is set in a fictional time, with a fictional emperor. Everything is fictional. I suppose that the producers wanted to make it feel more real, & so they chose a real dynasty & a real emperor. I wish they didn't. But what's worse is that the emperor they chose & the emperor in the novel are very different (from the very little I know of the historical figure). So it was like seeing a national hero being butchered on-screen. It's also grating because it changes character relationships a bit (e.g. her eldest son is not her biological son in this drama, but in history they were biological mother & son). & various other bits where they tried to blend an originally fictional time period with a real one, & hence merged characters & created new ones & so on.

Aside from that, I think everything else is fine. I don't know enough to pick out all the inconsistencies, but whatever historical inaccuracies are in here are a lot less blatant than a lot of the other ones I've seen. It doesn't make it 'great', but it makes it 'better'.

This show seems to be rather polarising - people either love it or hate it (I know that my friends who watched it didn't like it). Or maybe that's just the reactions I'm seeing (people being more inclined to comment when they feel strongly one way or the other). Or maybe it's the whole genre.

I'm amongst the people who do like this genre, because I like watching people plot against each other (in fiction only!). & I guess the other thing I like about this genre is that, in the sexist society that was ancient China, the concubines work around the limitations of their gender and gain power in their own way. They never complain; they just use any resources they have at their disposal. They never ask for anyone to give them anything; they get it themselves. They often don't do it in a harmless way, but there's something in that determination that's interesting to watch.

I really enjoyed this series, even though it's a very daunting 76 episodes long.

In terms of storyline, this plot isn't exactly new. The innocent girl, Zhen Huan, becomes evil and rises to the top of the harem (although I do think the endpoint is something different). They invariably get there with their cunning and their opponents are always other concubines, & one of those other concubines are almost always of higher rank or the emperor's favourite or both.

& like most of the series I've watched from this genre, it's clear that most of the plotting, scheming, evil, manipulative concubines are justified in their actions, and there's the implication that they really wouldn't have been like that if the circumstances had been different. In fact, part of the fun is finding out what it is that made them that way. Because, for a lot of the characters, you could imagine that they started off as similarly innocent new concubines, & over time grew hardened. The real difference is that they lost, & the protagonist didn't (in this series, at least). In fact, I think that this story does pretty well in terms of the motivation - there's not much of a backstory that pushes the concubines forward, so much as that they're dragged into it & can't escape.

Having said all that, this is definitely & by far my favourite palace drama. There's all the plotting & scheming, which I like, but I enjoyed the story of this a lot more than the others. I felt that in terms of building a story around all the characters' motivations & actions, this one is much stronger & more interesting than others that I've seen.

Characterisation

I do think that there are some key differences between this particular series and the many others in its genre: it has real friendships. Perhaps this is unrealistic, but it's nice to see.

The protagonist and her best friend entered the palace together, and they always stuck by each other. The protagonist also found other concubines with whom she formed a stable alliance until the very end. I don't think I've watched another in which friendships didn't break down & former friends turned against each other. Which made this particular aspect very refreshing - especially the part with the best friend. It may be their relationship which makes me like this drama so much.

As previously mentioned, I think that a lot of the characters were dragged into this, rather than really willing participants in the game of how-to-remove-your-opponents. As is natural in this story, a lot of them are removed throughout the series, & many times it's seen that they didn't really ask for their life.

It's actually pretty hard to describe the personalities of the characters, because you don't really see them outside of either getting framed or in the process of framing others. But somehow, despite their similar actions & motivations, they somehow manage to stay distinct characters.

By the way, the acting in Legend of Zhen Huan is also excellent. Even though there are lots of supporting characters (quite notably the numerous other concubines who are power-hungry but don't have the capacity to compete with Zhen Huan), no matter how little screentime they get, they make their presence felt. They don't just feel like a passing character - they feel like a threat, or a nuisance, now.

Now, onto the characters.

The titular character, Zhen Huan, is portrayed amazingly by Sun Li. Zhen Huan initially starts off as a cheerful, intelligent girl who enters the palace & has the good life lavished on her. After her best friend, Shen Meizhuang, gains the Emperor's attention & is subsequently targeted by jealous concubines, Zhen Huan retaliates on her friend's behalf. But this brings the others' attention on her, & in order to stay safe, she has to play the game in earnest. Eventually she gets used to this life, & from the defensive turns to the offensive, eventually rising up to become the alpha female in the palace.

I really like the character of Zhen Huan. She's smart, optimistic (at first), accomplished (in the sense of the traditional accomplished woman), cheerful, kindhearted, well-spoken, & generally likable. Of course, some of these characteristics are eroded through her experiences in the palace, & in the end she's held together only by her determination, love for those closest to her, & a desire to survive.

As for the acting, Sun Li absolutely nails the performance. She flawlessly makes the transition from the innocent girl to the foulest of them all. Her eyes change as the series progresses - she develops a hardness in her gaze as her character grows up. Even when she's doing something simple, like smiling politely, the look in her eyes is very different between episode 1 & episode 76.

Image from Douban Movies
You can sort of - not very well - see the different look in this picture as compared to the one above.

On the other hand, while the female characters are strong & prominent & interesting, the males are...rather boring. They serve more as obstacles & 'furniture' that the concubines have the navigate, rather than really active players in the game. Never mind, though, because the story is still good. Just watch the females =]

Costumes and set

Everything is so magnificent & grand. There's a feeling of 'no expenses spared', & opulence oozes from the first episode. It only gets better as the series progresses & Zhen Huan rises in ranks.

The costumes, especially, have this majestic air to them - it really makes you feel that very 'heavy' atmosphere of the royal palace. It's hard to put into words...I'd say glamorous, except it's not, because that seems to imply 'sparkly' & 'attention-catching', which these costumes aren't. They're just...grand. They also convey a lot of information about status & rank of the concubines, & also about the character themselves.

The costumes are by far my favourite out of any recent (or even older) historical series that I've seen.

So it's a real shame that they somehow made the actresses look worse, especially the headgear. I don't know how they managed to do it. But I've been on forums where netizens have made fun of how the costumes & makeup 'ugly-fied' all of the actresses, & posted as proof pictures of the actresses in costume & in 'normal' photos. Some of them were unrecognisable, especially some of the less prominent characters.

Nevertheless, when you ignore the effect of the hair & makeup on the actresses, the effect of the costumes is stunning. Just seeing the setting makes you feel the weight of the series.

A US version?!

So the news is that HBO's planning to air a 6-episode English-subbed version of Legend of Zhen Huan. Needless to say...skepticism is everywhere. So many netizens have already worried & made jokes about how exactly they planned to translate the series, what with all the characteristics peculiar to Chinese language, history & culture. For example: all the concubine ranks, the palace protocols & polite expressions, & some of the expressions they use.

There's also the bit about...76 episodes, 45 minutes each - how on Earth are you going to pack that into 6 episodes?!

In summary - there are so many differences between the context & the US culture that no one (online) can imagine how they can bridge the gap successfully. & it's not even like the case where UK history has been so often translated & depicted & romanticised that a lot of non-British people can accept their historical fiction. Chinese history simply doesn't have that prior exposure, & I think that Legend of Zhen Huan is probably going to be a bit too much for beginners.

So there's the concern that, instead of bringing a fragment of Chinese culture into US appreciation, it's just going to prematurely kill any interest that any unsuspecting US viewer would have had. That's a relatively good scenario - if it gets worse, it could give the US viewers some totally wrong ideas.

So I really hope that doesn't happen, & that the people at HBO who made this decision really really really know what they're doing. & apparently the Chinese side won't be involved, due to different viewing habits...hmm, not sure how I feel about that.

The US will also be re-editing bits, putting in new soundtracks, etc., maybe even re-shooting bits.

If you're interested, here are some articles: here, here, here.

(If the English opening themesong is anything to go by though, I'm a bit worried.)


Closing

If you: know something about Chinese history & culture; speak Mandarin or can read the characters; & don't mind a very long, humourless series about scheming concubines, then I HIGHLY RECOMMEND giving this a shot. Unfortunately, if you got to the end of this blog post, the chances that you fulfill that criteria (mainly the last one) are rather slim.

Still. Majestic costumes & set, excellent acting, deep characterisation...I really hope you'll give it a shot & enjoy it =]

FICTION: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

From the author's website

At a glance: young adult, romance, sci-fi, futuristic


From the author's website

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.

As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner.

Luna comments 

Scarlet is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. This is the second book of the Lunar Chronicles, which I'm quite enjoying so far.

The one thing that really draws me into this series is the plot & the world (which is also because it's intertwined with the plot). This world is set sometime in the distant future, with incredible technologies which we can't even dream of.

The most interesting thing is that there are two 'types' of humans - the normal Earthens, who live on Earth, and the Lunars who have colonised the moon. The Lunars are rather scary because they have a genetic ability to control bioelectricity, which effectively allows them to manipulate other people, physically & mentally. Furthermore, the Lunar Queen has set her sights on ruling Earth, which doesn't bode too well for mere Earthlings.

The plot of the Cinder, the prequel, was the retelling of Cinderella where the protagonist has become a renowned mechanic and a cyborg. The story in that was a lot more straightforward, but even then it was making various references to the Lunars and the plans of their Queen - greater plans which are further elaborated in Scarlet (which happens on the other side of the world). I expect the plot will get even messier, because there are two more protagonists to introduce.

As I said, the thing that draws me into this series is the plot. Things happen all over the world, various characters get into trouble, a lot of things happen. I really enjoy seeing how Meyer has woven the different threads of the story together.


Closing

The trouble with liking a book for its plot is that it's rather hard to talk about. Give this series a shot sometime :)