Yeah, I feel like watching, I'm getting: "Heero is to Dr. J as Zechs is to Treize; Noin is to Zechs as Une is to Treize; Duo is to Heero as..." and so on.
It's hard to say at this point what role Barton may play in things, since he hasn't made an appearance so far. Granted, that just speaks to the complexity of the storyline, that one could come to conclusion A and have everything shifted a few steps to the left, towards conclusion D, once new information is achieved.
I'm really not sure about Darlian. I think he's partially a plot device, but there's something else going on, there. His mouthiness wasn't required, after all; if he had been graciously demurring with Une (as opposed to outright offensive), that changes the impression a little. Instead, he's acting like he's got his own chip that's just as big as hers. I would say he's pushing at the limits of his own powers in some ways--the political power versus the military.
And you're right about Duo, I think. When he first speaks to Heero via the screen at the hospital, he says, and I have a few questions to ask you but we never see those questions being asked, nor does Duo refer to any answers to give us the impression a conversation took place off-screen. As a writer, I know what's shown on screen is chosen for specific reasons, the predominant of which is that what-you-see is what-you-should-remember. If it's an important scene (such as Heero discussing his mission with Duo and vice versa), we should have seen that. But we didn't, which leaves me to suspect that Duo never raised the topic, in the end. Instead, he comes around at Heero from an unexpected angle--sneaks up on him, like--and instead socializes. Duo's dialogue, and the sheer length of his lines, indicates not talky-ness to me so much as simple ease with conversation. He's fluent, where Heero isn't, and he uses that to his advantage.
Hey, I don't take what you're saying as "setting me straight"-- obviously so much of this really is open to interpretation (or we wouldn't still be discussing a series that went off the air in Japan ten years ago)! I came across someone's short observations of the relationships between Heero, Duo, and Relena--grr, can't find URL now--and although I think it stops at about episode 20 or so, it was rather amusing to read some of the different impressions he had, compared to mine.
Like, oh, where Duo is watching Heero continuing to work, and yawns and heads to bed. The other reviewer took this to mean that Duo had stayed up to keep Heero company, and had finally gone on to bed. I, in contrast, took this to mean that Duo woke up, saw Heero's hammock remained empty, and went to check on him. Duo's hospitality, in my interpretation, has definite limits: he'll register that Heero's still up, but he doesn't go talk to him, he doesn't insist on sleep. He just observes, draws a conclusion, and goes off to do what he wants.
But then, such varying interpretations are what make life fun. IMO. ;D
no subject
Date: 15 Apr 2005 12:41 pm (UTC)It's hard to say at this point what role Barton may play in things, since he hasn't made an appearance so far. Granted, that just speaks to the complexity of the storyline, that one could come to conclusion A and have everything shifted a few steps to the left, towards conclusion D, once new information is achieved.
I'm really not sure about Darlian. I think he's partially a plot device, but there's something else going on, there. His mouthiness wasn't required, after all; if he had been graciously demurring with Une (as opposed to outright offensive), that changes the impression a little. Instead, he's acting like he's got his own chip that's just as big as hers. I would say he's pushing at the limits of his own powers in some ways--the political power versus the military.
And you're right about Duo, I think. When he first speaks to Heero via the screen at the hospital, he says, and I have a few questions to ask you but we never see those questions being asked, nor does Duo refer to any answers to give us the impression a conversation took place off-screen. As a writer, I know what's shown on screen is chosen for specific reasons, the predominant of which is that what-you-see is what-you-should-remember. If it's an important scene (such as Heero discussing his mission with Duo and vice versa), we should have seen that. But we didn't, which leaves me to suspect that Duo never raised the topic, in the end. Instead, he comes around at Heero from an unexpected angle--sneaks up on him, like--and instead socializes. Duo's dialogue, and the sheer length of his lines, indicates not talky-ness to me so much as simple ease with conversation. He's fluent, where Heero isn't, and he uses that to his advantage.
Hey, I don't take what you're saying as "setting me straight"-- obviously so much of this really is open to interpretation (or we wouldn't still be discussing a series that went off the air in Japan ten years ago)! I came across someone's short observations of the relationships between Heero, Duo, and Relena--grr, can't find URL now--and although I think it stops at about episode 20 or so, it was rather amusing to read some of the different impressions he had, compared to mine.
Like, oh, where Duo is watching Heero continuing to work, and yawns and heads to bed. The other reviewer took this to mean that Duo had stayed up to keep Heero company, and had finally gone on to bed. I, in contrast, took this to mean that Duo woke up, saw Heero's hammock remained empty, and went to check on him. Duo's hospitality, in my interpretation, has definite limits: he'll register that Heero's still up, but he doesn't go talk to him, he doesn't insist on sleep. He just observes, draws a conclusion, and goes off to do what he wants.
But then, such varying interpretations are what make life fun. IMO. ;D