[semi-direct contination of this post; also, this post is image-heavy. NOTE: some images missing, lost in journal-transfer]
While watching any new series, I often do searches for other folks' reviews. Pile on enough blog-reports and tiny things filter in for a bigger picture -- that is, one small question over here and another over there, that sort of thing. Then there are the things that a lot of people question. That's where I can get a pretty good idea of what's working (or not working) for non-Japanese viewers, because such things intrigue me.
In Mo No No Ke, the biggest complaints were these three things.
One, the medicine seller doesn't have a name. This really bugged a lot of people.
Two, the disconnect between his help and the actual results. In the end, just whose side is he on, anyway?
Three, there wasn't an easy-to-hand analogue for western viewers. They couldn't seem to place the archetype outside a catchall category of 'obscure/opaque Japanimanga characters'.
As I worked my way through the series, I kept thinking about those three complaints. Identity, alliance, archetype, but since the last one is often the best for understanding a character's place in a literary mindset, it seemed the place to start.
( Quick! Name that archetype in five words! )
I had more to say, you know I did, but I'm not up to it right now. First, I have a dishwasher to fix.
While watching any new series, I often do searches for other folks' reviews. Pile on enough blog-reports and tiny things filter in for a bigger picture -- that is, one small question over here and another over there, that sort of thing. Then there are the things that a lot of people question. That's where I can get a pretty good idea of what's working (or not working) for non-Japanese viewers, because such things intrigue me.
In Mo No No Ke, the biggest complaints were these three things.
One, the medicine seller doesn't have a name. This really bugged a lot of people.
Two, the disconnect between his help and the actual results. In the end, just whose side is he on, anyway?
Three, there wasn't an easy-to-hand analogue for western viewers. They couldn't seem to place the archetype outside a catchall category of 'obscure/opaque Japanimanga characters'.
As I worked my way through the series, I kept thinking about those three complaints. Identity, alliance, archetype, but since the last one is often the best for understanding a character's place in a literary mindset, it seemed the place to start.
( Quick! Name that archetype in five words! )
I had more to say, you know I did, but I'm not up to it right now. First, I have a dishwasher to fix.