Ayashi No Ceres: halfway through
Feb. 23rd, 2006 12:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dangermousieI am about half-way through Ayashi No Ceres (finished ep 13 of 24) and I really like it, though not as much as Fushigi Yuugi. Actually, if it wasn’t for the incest angle (big but :P), this is, of the anime I’ve seen, the one show that I could easiest see made into a live-action, scifi/fantasy show. But as it is: this is such a dark show. Parents who, by some weird mistake, bought this for their little darlings because it’s animated would have conniptions within the first five minutes.
This is a twisted, dark show about a twisted dark world. In fact, everyone in this world, with the exception of Yuki and Aya, is grey grey grey. This world is cold and grey and twisted (yes, I am clearly too fond of the words "grey" and "twisted." Nyah-nyah, what are you going to do about it?) Take Toya himself. He is not a nice person. He loves Aya and is always unflinchingly honest with her, but he works for the evil Mikages for the longest time, and while he isn’t happy with the devil’s bargain he struck, he is hardly slitting his wrists over it. He lets Chidori go even though he has to capture her because Aya begs, but he still captures that other patient. (I do have to say, considering how he was punished that other time, and knowing what a horrible org he works for, the fact that he lets Chidori go is super-cool. I wouldn’t dare.) He has his own agenda and his morality is grey. I do find that it feeds into both the greyness and the romance that he quits the Mikage mafia for Aya’s sake (I love his telling off Mikage Cousin and blowing up the memory machine and cutting a swathe of destruction through the building in order to get Aki out as promised). On one hand, it’s romantic, on another, it’s significant it’s taken that to push him out. Of course, he’s been dissatisfied for a long time and his disgust has been building, but if it wasn’t for Aya, I don’t think he would have left then, and I find it interesting, because a true-blue good guy wouldn’t have needed the Aya push. Can you see Tamahome or Hotohori working for the Mikages? No way.
The fashion continues to be scary. Not only does he seem to be fond of a midriff-baring shirt, but he wears a choker that is a total replica of a dog collar. Where on earth does he shop? No wonder Ceres gives him Aya’s choker with a cross instead. Seriously, if he wasn’t so lethal, people’d mock him. Of course, he might work for evil, but he has a niiiice car, so not all is bleak in Toya-world.
Toya/Aya continues to interest me, even though it’s kinda bleak. Of course, the benefit of having a guy with amnesia is that for him it’s definitely like falling in love for the first time. And he picks her over his memory, something that has been his driving quest for so long, his search for identity. I guess she really is his safe place (and I love the scene where he escapes the facility, wreaking so much havoc. Mmmmm. I might not want him for a bf, but I wouldn’t kick him out of bed). And then there is that weird astral projection thingy where Aya nekkid in the shower projects herself into Toya’s cell and they hug. Ummmm…OK. Of course, I find it interesting how they keep dealing with the fact that Toya is constantly terrified behind his rather impassive façade. When he tells that kid that he is always afraid (echoing what he will tell Aya later) and he had nothing to protect ever so he never felt lost, but now he does and it’s even worse because every time he gets close to her, he hurts her. I love them hugging each other in the hospital: he keeps trying to be honest with her and reject her, by telling her he works for the enemy or later when he tells her he can only be by her side as an enemy (duh, she knows) but he will protect her no matter what, or to tell her there is someone more suitable for her (Yuhi) but every time, he just can’t help himself. Of course, then he does renounce the Mikages, so yay.
But my favorite scene so far is certainly a Toya/Aya one. It’s Aya waiting on that bridge for hours because Toya told her he will leave the Mikages and bring Aki with him. And she waits and waits, and everyone thinks she should go home and then she looks down and sees Toya standing on the road and she runs down to him and he says “sorry I made you wait” and collapses in a heap in her arms because he is so severely injured (and I love that he made it to her through sheer strength of will) and gives her the letter Aki told him to give Aya when he decided not to leave (and how creepy is it that we later find out that on the envelope it’s written that if he can’t control himself and will transform, he wants her to kill him). And then he staggers to his feet and tells her that he will go back and he will bring Aki back like he promised and Aya begs him not to go (because he is certainly in no condition to do anything) and actually Yuhi is the one who makes him stay (through yelling, LOL) and they take him to Yuhi’s house and he is all in bed, bandaged etc etc and Aya is taking care of him and my inner h/c freak is happy.
I am really curious about what Toya is now. He can’t possibly be human (and no, it’s not his out of this world fashion sense). There is the fact that the Mikage Cousin who runs that evil enterprise (from now on to be abbreviated as MC) really wants to keep him at all costs, even after it’s clear that Toya won’t always follow orders but do what he thinks is right, and even after Toya tells him that if the choice is between restoring his memory or Aya, he’d choose Aya. It can’t be just that he is so good at what he does. And then there is the fact that he can outrun those lasers, and the fact that he can make that dagger materialize out of his arm and it’s not just a dagger, it can dissolve metal! And it all comes out into the open when he is at Yuhi’s house, wounded, with Aya and he confesses to her (in a scene I love) that he has always been terrified, that if he disappeared tomorrow no one would notice or care, and the world would just keep on spinning, and he has always been looking for his safe place, but now he’s found it with her, because she loved and wanted him just as he was. And then he reveals his secret to her, about the knife, and he is unsure about his own status (and allows the panic to come to the surface): “A normal human being can’t do this.” So what is he? Is he another one of those C-Genomes (people who have angel DNA in them somewhere). And then there is Ceres’ wondering that he seems familiar as if she’d seen him before. Suddenly, that art pic of him with wings becomes really interesting.
And then there is the incest angle. Ummm. Talk about FUBAR. At the end of the last ep I saw (13), Aki has finally lost his battle against that rapist Mikage progenitor and has become subsumed. That is such a horrifying scene, Aki struggling to maintain control in view of Ceres’ physical dead body, and then not being able to, and despairingly whispering “goodbye” to Aya and then next thing we know we are back to the rapist and as Grandpa babbles happily, Not-Aki literally breaks his face and as he is covered with blood, looks impassively at the corpse, and Ceres’ mummy and says “this is just a shell. Where is my woman?” So horrifyingly creepy. Of course, there are all the earlier unsettling instances where Aki can’t control the ancestor any more. Like when he kisses the huge blow-up picture of Ceres, or when he comes to see Toya who is ‘on probation’ (in handcuffs in a cell. And he didn’t disobey. He just fell for Aya. I don’t think Mikages would win ‘employer of the month’ award) for (as MC tells Aki) “playing love games with your sister,” and Aki is horrified and undoes his handcuffs but then his eyes start to glow and he drives the sharp edge of a handcuff into Toya’s hand and tells him to stay away from his sister because she is “mine.” And then snaps out of it, and is horrified. Or even when Toya orchestrates their escape and all hell breaks loose and they are almost out and then you see Toya’s eyes widen and it’s because Aki has stabbed him and then Aki manages to reassert control but tells him he won’t escape (I think he is afraid to see what happens when he comes face to face with Aya).
And the sad thing is, Aki has been using that horrible memory device so he could find the robe to give back to Ceres so she could go back to heaven and leave Aya alone. He is a decent, sweet guy who loves his sister (not that way) and to see it twisted is awful especially when you see how it’s driving him nuts. And that horrible MC is all “oh, this is normal, you should totally lust after her.” Ugh, I hate MC and hope hope HOPE he dies.
Oh, and poor Yuhi. We find out he was the child of the maid and the step mom hated him (told him he was unlovable etc). But I am glad he does find out his father cares for him. I really hope Yuhi and Chidori hook up. Actually, Yuhi kinda reminds me of a less sexy and less intense Tamahome. Aya and Yuhi’s vibe makes me think of siblings, which is a pity because Yuhi would (in RL) make a much less problematic boyfriend than Toya.
I do like how the more we find out about Ceres, the less she becomes scary evil, and the more a wronged woman. Yes, she wants her robe and she wants to wipe out the Mikages, but that’s understandable. She is caring with that little child she takes for a flight, she bonds with Yuhi, she even doesn’t kill Toya but gives him the choker, because Aya likes him, even though he works for the Mikage. I like her. Also, that org run by MC is a bunch of sickos. Calling that rapist guy ‘the hero of mankind.’ Yeah, right. It’s depressing how surprised Ceres gets when men back off and don’t rape or whatever. She is shocked when Toya refuses Aya’s advances because he says “anyone can do that, it doesn’t prove love” because he thinks he is unsuitable for her and it will be taking advantage. And she is so taken aback by Yuhi’s niceness. It’s horrible that her life has been like this.
And Mikages are definitely the supernatural Mafia. They are all about “once in, never out.” Also, what is it with multiple sets of memories they have that they give to Toya occasionally. Not only is it creepy (where did they get them?) but also, it’s a good thing he gave up on trying to find out what’s his past from them, because with multiple sets, how would he even know what they give him is real?
This is a twisted, dark show about a twisted dark world. In fact, everyone in this world, with the exception of Yuki and Aya, is grey grey grey. This world is cold and grey and twisted (yes, I am clearly too fond of the words "grey" and "twisted." Nyah-nyah, what are you going to do about it?) Take Toya himself. He is not a nice person. He loves Aya and is always unflinchingly honest with her, but he works for the evil Mikages for the longest time, and while he isn’t happy with the devil’s bargain he struck, he is hardly slitting his wrists over it. He lets Chidori go even though he has to capture her because Aya begs, but he still captures that other patient. (I do have to say, considering how he was punished that other time, and knowing what a horrible org he works for, the fact that he lets Chidori go is super-cool. I wouldn’t dare.) He has his own agenda and his morality is grey. I do find that it feeds into both the greyness and the romance that he quits the Mikage mafia for Aya’s sake (I love his telling off Mikage Cousin and blowing up the memory machine and cutting a swathe of destruction through the building in order to get Aki out as promised). On one hand, it’s romantic, on another, it’s significant it’s taken that to push him out. Of course, he’s been dissatisfied for a long time and his disgust has been building, but if it wasn’t for Aya, I don’t think he would have left then, and I find it interesting, because a true-blue good guy wouldn’t have needed the Aya push. Can you see Tamahome or Hotohori working for the Mikages? No way.
The fashion continues to be scary. Not only does he seem to be fond of a midriff-baring shirt, but he wears a choker that is a total replica of a dog collar. Where on earth does he shop? No wonder Ceres gives him Aya’s choker with a cross instead. Seriously, if he wasn’t so lethal, people’d mock him. Of course, he might work for evil, but he has a niiiice car, so not all is bleak in Toya-world.
Toya/Aya continues to interest me, even though it’s kinda bleak. Of course, the benefit of having a guy with amnesia is that for him it’s definitely like falling in love for the first time. And he picks her over his memory, something that has been his driving quest for so long, his search for identity. I guess she really is his safe place (and I love the scene where he escapes the facility, wreaking so much havoc. Mmmmm. I might not want him for a bf, but I wouldn’t kick him out of bed). And then there is that weird astral projection thingy where Aya nekkid in the shower projects herself into Toya’s cell and they hug. Ummmm…OK. Of course, I find it interesting how they keep dealing with the fact that Toya is constantly terrified behind his rather impassive façade. When he tells that kid that he is always afraid (echoing what he will tell Aya later) and he had nothing to protect ever so he never felt lost, but now he does and it’s even worse because every time he gets close to her, he hurts her. I love them hugging each other in the hospital: he keeps trying to be honest with her and reject her, by telling her he works for the enemy or later when he tells her he can only be by her side as an enemy (duh, she knows) but he will protect her no matter what, or to tell her there is someone more suitable for her (Yuhi) but every time, he just can’t help himself. Of course, then he does renounce the Mikages, so yay.
But my favorite scene so far is certainly a Toya/Aya one. It’s Aya waiting on that bridge for hours because Toya told her he will leave the Mikages and bring Aki with him. And she waits and waits, and everyone thinks she should go home and then she looks down and sees Toya standing on the road and she runs down to him and he says “sorry I made you wait” and collapses in a heap in her arms because he is so severely injured (and I love that he made it to her through sheer strength of will) and gives her the letter Aki told him to give Aya when he decided not to leave (and how creepy is it that we later find out that on the envelope it’s written that if he can’t control himself and will transform, he wants her to kill him). And then he staggers to his feet and tells her that he will go back and he will bring Aki back like he promised and Aya begs him not to go (because he is certainly in no condition to do anything) and actually Yuhi is the one who makes him stay (through yelling, LOL) and they take him to Yuhi’s house and he is all in bed, bandaged etc etc and Aya is taking care of him and my inner h/c freak is happy.
I am really curious about what Toya is now. He can’t possibly be human (and no, it’s not his out of this world fashion sense). There is the fact that the Mikage Cousin who runs that evil enterprise (from now on to be abbreviated as MC) really wants to keep him at all costs, even after it’s clear that Toya won’t always follow orders but do what he thinks is right, and even after Toya tells him that if the choice is between restoring his memory or Aya, he’d choose Aya. It can’t be just that he is so good at what he does. And then there is the fact that he can outrun those lasers, and the fact that he can make that dagger materialize out of his arm and it’s not just a dagger, it can dissolve metal! And it all comes out into the open when he is at Yuhi’s house, wounded, with Aya and he confesses to her (in a scene I love) that he has always been terrified, that if he disappeared tomorrow no one would notice or care, and the world would just keep on spinning, and he has always been looking for his safe place, but now he’s found it with her, because she loved and wanted him just as he was. And then he reveals his secret to her, about the knife, and he is unsure about his own status (and allows the panic to come to the surface): “A normal human being can’t do this.” So what is he? Is he another one of those C-Genomes (people who have angel DNA in them somewhere). And then there is Ceres’ wondering that he seems familiar as if she’d seen him before. Suddenly, that art pic of him with wings becomes really interesting.
And then there is the incest angle. Ummm. Talk about FUBAR. At the end of the last ep I saw (13), Aki has finally lost his battle against that rapist Mikage progenitor and has become subsumed. That is such a horrifying scene, Aki struggling to maintain control in view of Ceres’ physical dead body, and then not being able to, and despairingly whispering “goodbye” to Aya and then next thing we know we are back to the rapist and as Grandpa babbles happily, Not-Aki literally breaks his face and as he is covered with blood, looks impassively at the corpse, and Ceres’ mummy and says “this is just a shell. Where is my woman?” So horrifyingly creepy. Of course, there are all the earlier unsettling instances where Aki can’t control the ancestor any more. Like when he kisses the huge blow-up picture of Ceres, or when he comes to see Toya who is ‘on probation’ (in handcuffs in a cell. And he didn’t disobey. He just fell for Aya. I don’t think Mikages would win ‘employer of the month’ award) for (as MC tells Aki) “playing love games with your sister,” and Aki is horrified and undoes his handcuffs but then his eyes start to glow and he drives the sharp edge of a handcuff into Toya’s hand and tells him to stay away from his sister because she is “mine.” And then snaps out of it, and is horrified. Or even when Toya orchestrates their escape and all hell breaks loose and they are almost out and then you see Toya’s eyes widen and it’s because Aki has stabbed him and then Aki manages to reassert control but tells him he won’t escape (I think he is afraid to see what happens when he comes face to face with Aya).
And the sad thing is, Aki has been using that horrible memory device so he could find the robe to give back to Ceres so she could go back to heaven and leave Aya alone. He is a decent, sweet guy who loves his sister (not that way) and to see it twisted is awful especially when you see how it’s driving him nuts. And that horrible MC is all “oh, this is normal, you should totally lust after her.” Ugh, I hate MC and hope hope HOPE he dies.
Oh, and poor Yuhi. We find out he was the child of the maid and the step mom hated him (told him he was unlovable etc). But I am glad he does find out his father cares for him. I really hope Yuhi and Chidori hook up. Actually, Yuhi kinda reminds me of a less sexy and less intense Tamahome. Aya and Yuhi’s vibe makes me think of siblings, which is a pity because Yuhi would (in RL) make a much less problematic boyfriend than Toya.
I do like how the more we find out about Ceres, the less she becomes scary evil, and the more a wronged woman. Yes, she wants her robe and she wants to wipe out the Mikages, but that’s understandable. She is caring with that little child she takes for a flight, she bonds with Yuhi, she even doesn’t kill Toya but gives him the choker, because Aya likes him, even though he works for the Mikage. I like her. Also, that org run by MC is a bunch of sickos. Calling that rapist guy ‘the hero of mankind.’ Yeah, right. It’s depressing how surprised Ceres gets when men back off and don’t rape or whatever. She is shocked when Toya refuses Aya’s advances because he says “anyone can do that, it doesn’t prove love” because he thinks he is unsuitable for her and it will be taking advantage. And she is so taken aback by Yuhi’s niceness. It’s horrible that her life has been like this.
And Mikages are definitely the supernatural Mafia. They are all about “once in, never out.” Also, what is it with multiple sets of memories they have that they give to Toya occasionally. Not only is it creepy (where did they get them?) but also, it’s a good thing he gave up on trying to find out what’s his past from them, because with multiple sets, how would he even know what they give him is real?
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no subject
Date: 2006-02-23 06:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-23 06:13 pm (UTC)I like AnC anime quite a lot, but I can certainly see why it never made it big here. It's very dark and twisted: most of the characters are grey and there is incest and blood and all sorts of stuff.
I never was much for it, but then I like my shojo fluffy.
I think that's another reason for it not making it here. The darkness wouldn't be as problematic if it wasn't shojo stuff. I mean, something that is supposed to be twisted from the very genre and premise and everything is one thing, but I'd imagine this is more like reading a regular novel and discovering it's horror, instead
Actually, I rather like the dark FUBARness of it all.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-23 08:20 pm (UTC)I think it's also not even so much the darkness as it is the focus on that. It's also that it was marketed as shojo and by and author well known for her light shojo. Angel Sancuary warns you upfront that it's all about incest and heaven and hell and gobs of gothic leather, AnC sort of sneaks up behind you, tosses a bad over your head and then beats you with the dark. There are other shojo manga that are heavy, but they're marketed that way (CLAMP is well known for the screwed upness of some of their series, but they also have a sense of humor that evens things out)
I'm personally all for the gumdrops and OTPs and pleasantly star crossed lovers in my shojo. It's the only genre of anything that I enjoy that in. I normally hate the treacle, but shojo manages to entertain me.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-23 08:27 pm (UTC)Heee. To be fair, FY did go pretty dark by the end but it took its time to get there. I don't mind the bizarreness or the twistedness though.
I'm personally all for the gumdrops and OTPs and pleasantly star crossed lovers in my shojo.
Just like me and Bollywood.
Btw, I read the second volume of Alice 19th, and you are right, they explain a LOT about Kyo. Finding out he was abused for years by his alcoholic father who used to abuse his mother as well explains a LOT. Like the fact that he is so into being the perfect child: he is afraid if he isn't, his family will reject him so he is desperately trying to please. His notion of family love has got to be screwed. And his passivity as he is afraid of turning into his father, especially since the incident when he almost choked a guy because he saw him picking on a girl and flashbacked to his father abusing his mother.
Hmmmm. Now that I know he is screwed up, he is much yummier :) But I am afraid I've decided I like Frey better...
no subject
Date: 2006-02-23 08:54 pm (UTC)Yeah, Kyo is so passive because by nature he ISN'T passive. Abused kids tend to become abusers since that's what they're used to and Kyo knows that. It's not that he's violent by nature or anything, he's just inherently messed up in the head and desperate to please. This is also why he's so wishy-washy with girls until it comes to Alice, who he really does care for. The anger is always right there near the surface though, which is why Kyo is so desperate to keep a lid on it. And bad things happen when he doesn't (in volume 3 or 4 I think).
Kyo is the only Watase lead male that I ever really fell for.
Frey has a whole different set of issues (and does he ever have women issues, poor kid). Under all the flirting and pleasantness, there's a whole world weary feel to Frey. You find out why later on, as he really has seen more than someone his age should have. And I love him for the fact that even though he loves Alice, he knows Alice loves Kyo and Kyo loves her and is willing to not only give her up to Kyo with his blessing, but also help Kyo state his feelings. Frey is just a good guy. I honestly hope she continues another series featuring Frey, since she left the ending pretty open for that.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-23 09:03 pm (UTC)Oh yes. He tries so hard to be the ideal child, it's very sad. He has to supress himself so much that if he doesn't stop there won't be a himself left.
Kyo is the only Watase lead male that I ever really fell for.
I understand and really feel for Kyo's issues, but his personality just doesn't click in that crushable way for me. He is someone I like a lot, and find hot, and want with the heroine without crushing on him myself. Now, Frey I could really develop a thing for. I am confused why he is so into Alice though. So, Frey has trauma? Yay.
So far, while the YW male characters I've liked and found hot are many: Toya, Yuhi, Aki, Tasuki, Tamahome, Hotohori, Amiboshi, Kyo and Frey are all on the list, the only ones I've ended up with crushes on are Tamahome and Hotohori. Which is fine with me :) (I have no idea where to put Nuriko on that list because I adore him but I never really view him as 'male' in the same way).
no subject
Date: 2006-02-23 09:29 pm (UTC)Anyway, all her men are gorgeous. Kyo, Frey, Night, Hotohori, Tasuki and Soshi are all particular favorites. Limdo is growing on me a bit too. I agree that Toya is probably her best looking male (though Night and Kyo are both way up there in my book), even though he's not one of my favorite characters.
You seem to go for the exact same types the best friend does. That's why she and I have trouble finding anime or manga we agree on.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-23 09:37 pm (UTC)I often have the same thing with my best friend. We actually mostly like the same books/movies/whatever but we go for the different characters in them.
Icons? Really? Link?
no subject
Date: 2006-02-23 09:44 pm (UTC)There are some great Kyo and Frey bases there.
My best friend is always either "yours are too nice" or "yours are too evil" with me as I like my boys either viciously snarky or very sweet.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-23 10:53 pm (UTC)