This is a very wordy comic, if you hadn't noticed. It seems I always come back to the theme of war, partially because war is almost always going on, and partially because it makes for good drama. More on Rich and the war to come. Don't worry, this isn't a comic about combat or anything, this is about romance, drama, and comedy. The comic won't always be funny, but I'll try to avoid getting depressing as well.

I want to take a moment and direct your attention to the links section. Jamie Noguchi, creator of Titanium Moose, has linked us and I'm very, very happy. Titanium Moose is one of my favourite web comics, and Jami is a guy who knows how to have fun. Although some parties don't like his sense of goofy, unstructured humour, I personally enjoy it. For more on Jami, check out UDON.

Now it's time to obsess. Some of you know of my love for Twelve Kingdoms, a recent anime series that spans 45 episodes and draws a great deal of inspiration from Chinese pantheon. There is no fanservice. No cleavage or panty shots, no excessive blood and gore, no psychobabble or sorta-scientific acronyms. U-DO, U-TIC, UMN, AWGS, and all that psychobabble nonsense have no place here (can you tell I dislike Xenosaga?). The story is neither too intellectual, nor too sensationalism. Rather, it's composed of interesting characters, deliberate plot twists, a rich history and culture, and incredible artwork all woven together in an elaborate but clearly explained story. Youko has become one of my favourite anime heroines ever, and it's not just because she has red hair.

Youko is a fascinating character, because she isn't energetic or positive. In fact, she's very introverted in many ways, and also very fake. She puts on a good face to try and please everyone. She even ignores one of her friends in public simply because her friend is unpopular. In all honesty, Youko, while not snobby or prissy, is very much a teacher's pet. She's not sarcastic or cocky, but rather very unhappy. She knows she's a fake, but she's also too scared to change who she is. Then the mystic Keiki appears, and everything must change. Thrown into a world of legend, where Heaven directly interferes with the world of man and determines who rules, and where people from Japan are thought to be bringers of destruction and disaster, Youko must learn what it means to be a genuine person. Little by little her barriers are torn down, and she has nowhere to run. This girl must grow or die, and she must decide which to do, quickly.

The primary antagonist in the story is her former friend, Sugimoto. In the regular world, Sugimoto was a social outcast, looked down upon and teased by her classmates for being morbid and introverted. Sugimoto is full of hatred and resentment. Unlike so many characters similar to her, she's not a flake, nor depressed. She's angry and feels she does not belong in this world. When she winds up with Youko in the Twelve Kingdoms, she starts to believe she is a chosen warrior and that she was invited to the mystical realm. When it becomes apparent Youko is a chosen individual however, Sugimoto becomes jealous and overflows with deluded arrogance. She claims there has been a mistake and that she, not Youko, is the chosen one. She even starts to believe her own delusions, and this takes her down some very, very dark paths.

The wealth of characters outside of Youko and Sugimoto is vast, and each is deliberately written to influence the story in some profound manner. There are no disposable characters, and certainly none that just tag along for the ride. From Lady Bishin the traveling performer, to Rakushun the talking rat-person, the cast is a varied mosaic of personalities. I'm only on the second DVD, and already I'm thrilled with the story. It's incredible just how detailed and rich the tapestry of Twelve Kingdoms is. If you want to hear more of my obsession, check my LiveJournal. You can order Twelve Kingdoms from Anime Nation. Each DVD is 5 episodes.

Spot the Checkerboard Nightmare reference folks!

Can you do it? If not, it's Hard Action Squad, Kris Straub's parody of various 80's cop shows and the like. The parody he's running right now is so well-written, I felt the need to pay tribute. That said, I'll include easter eggs like this one every so often. I'm an avid fan of [good] humour, and comics like Checkerboard Nightmare, MegaTokyo, Mac Hall, Real Life Comics, and Sinfest often catch my eye. I've recently started reading V.G. Cats regularly, as well as Titanium Moose. Occassionally I'll also check out AppleGeeks.

The comic's quite late this week as readers may have noticed, but I actually have a good excuse. One, I've been very, very busy. Not that I've had free time period lately, but this week was more stressful than usual. I just found out our neighbours next door want us to help pay for fence repair (it's right on the frickin' property line) which will run us at least $600. Let's just say this is coming out of my pocket for a large part. I don't mind helping with family expenses, but I hate the fact that they have to ask for the repairs right now. I don't have a lot of money to begin with, and this puts a serious cramp in my wallet. Oh well, que sera sera.

Oh by the way, we have a characters section now.

Friday, October 03, 2003 | Archived Commentaries