dangermousie | I'll hold you like this until you stop shivering. If I'm out of line, just push me away

I have a new obsession. What is it? Ayashi No Ceres (or Ceres: The Celestial Legend), an anime based on a manga by Yuu Watase of Fushigi Yuugi fame. I just got it in the mail, watched 5 eps out of the 24 and I am hooked. I guess Yuu Watase does it for me, as she is like Joss Whedon seen through Bollywood lens.

The Plot: Aya (female) and Aki (male) are twins living a fairly normal life as members of a Mikage family. But on their 16th birthday, their grandfather throws them a surprise birthday party which is, in reality, a test. As a result of this test, Aki is determined to be the heir to the family while Aya must die. Long ago, the family ancestor found a celestial being bathing, raped her, and stole her robe so she could not return to heaven. And Aya can transform into this celestial being (called Ceres), a transformation she does not remember and has no control over. Aya manages to escape the carnage and the old family house but her troubles are just beginning. What does Ceres want? What will happen to Aya and Aki, who are surely the offspring of the nastiest family ever? And what role will be played in their story by Tooya, a man without memory who works for the Mikages but saves Aya repeatedly, and Yuuhi, Aya's new, unexpected bodyguard?

This is a very dark show. Granted, Fushigi Yuugi had enough angst by the end for ten shows, but it started out leisurely and light. AnC is...well, the whole story hinges on a rape of a heavenly being. And the heroine is faced by the fact that her family, everyone she's ever known and loved, wants to kill her. And that she herself is capable of inflicting great harm on everyone in Ceres' way, including her beloved brother, and she has no control over it. Even the opening credits are quite different: a sex scene? With nudity? I guess not having to be a virgin priestess a la Miaka really helps your love life.

The characters themselves are also walking wounded and are quite damaged. There is Aya, whose life disintegrates in front of her eyes and who literally cannot trust herself. There is Aki, whose life disintegrates just as badly and he discovers that that he and Aya must be enemies and her other form will kill him, and the twins' love gets twisted. There is Tooya, Aya's repeated savior, who works for her family and who hates the life he is made to lead. He cannot remember anything about himself and because of it, he is forced by the Mikage family into a role that he finds repugnant. There is Yuuhi, Aya's cheery bodyguard who lives with his sister-in-law because his own family doesn't want him. They are all damaged.

And the quote? That is what Tooya says to Aya. Enemies or not, they are certainly a new OTP. I love Aya who is quietly strong and I love Tooya who is messed-up and quiet and effective and rather bitter about things.

It's an interesting OTP in AnC, Tooya and Aya. They are quite different from FY's Miaka and Tamahome. Aya might have been cheerful and self-assured at the very beginning, but her experience transforms her. She is still strong-willed, but she is quiet and still and uncertain of her place in the world. And Tooya wouldn't really be my choice in RL, as mysterious, laconic and reserved (not to mention someone who would make Buffy's Angel appear chipper) isn't really my speed (now Tamahome is a rare fictional crush that would work for me in RL) but in fictional terms, I love him. I love the fact that I am not sure what he will do or say or how he will approach the situation.

I think Aya falls for him not just because he is drop dead gorgeous and he saved her life a couple of times (which would be good enough reasons in and of themselves) but because, in a twisted way, he is one constant in the world that completely shifted under her feet. In a world where she went from having a family to that family trying to hunt her down, in a world where she lives with people who were strangers just the day before, where she can't even be sure of herself, Tooya is a pre and post transformation constant: a mysterious savior. She might not know much about him, or his views or intentions or even whether he is her enemy or not, but importantly, she doesn't have to re-percieve him.

And as for Tooya? Well, Aya is pretty and he can't hep but admire her strength in the horrible situation she is in and of course he feels pity for her, but I think it's also that his interactions with her are the only semi-normal, human interactions he has because other than that he spends all his time being a virtual slave to the Mikage family, and not only do they not view him as a person, that is a family that would make the Gotti family appear wholesome.

And because I am so severely into lists, here are my Top 10 things about this anime so far (no order).

1 The scene that I quote as the subject line. Tooya brings Aya to his apartment (and I love that is apartment is so spare and looks almost unlived in. Because it's an apartment provided by the Mikage family and he hasn't really made it his because he doesn't have a 'himself' to remember) and is completely matter-of-fact. After she comes out of the shower he gives her his bed. And as she sits on the bed, he comes up and holds her gently and says "I'll hold you like this until you stop shivering. If I'm out of line, just push me away" (see subject line). And just holds her as Aya falls asleep.

2 Aki and Aya finally finding another and just holding on.

3 Tooya being unpredictable: finding Aki on the streets and saying he'll take him home. But when Aki says he wants to see Aya, he puts him in the car and drives him to the house where Aya is staying. He tells him to come back in the morning and leaves.

4 The fact that Aki left the Mikage house, even though he is still covered in a multitude of cuts and, through sheer determination, was walking the streets, looking for Aya, even if he had no idea where she was. And even when street thugs were picking on him, he just thought of getting to his sister.

5 Aya's disbelief when the whole family watches Aki bleed in her arms and then tell her she has to die. At first she desperately tries to believe it's a twisted joke.

6 Aya finding her mother and her mother having the lights off and peeling apples slowly during the whole conversation and then snapping and attacking Aya with a butcher knife, repeating over and over "Why did you kill your father? Now we both must die to atone."

7 Yuuhi telling Tooya (who's showed up outside a hospital) to stay away from Aya and that he will protect Aya. And Tooya replying: "You should protect her well. From everyone. And from me." And walking away.

8 Aya hiding in the tree as the family goons look for her and Tooya seeing her and climbing next to her. As she has a very verbal freak-out about her situation, he kisses her, and you see her eyes, which still have tears in them, widen with shock. And you see goons under the tree and he holds her mouth in the long kiss until the goons leave and says "sorry" afterwards. Tooya is certainly very...self-contained? Self-possessed?

9 Tooya opening a suitcase provided by his employers, seeing a new gun, and going sarcastically 'I love presents.'

10 The fact that Aya has nightmares.

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