鸡毛飞上天: First Impressions

 So at the moment I am watching episode 2 of 鸡毛飞上天. This is a very interesting TV drama because of the trade in 义乌, 浙江 known as 鸡毛换糖. I feel the need to know more about the economy in different parts of China and today I chanced upon this on Youtube. 

Episode 1 is about the young 鸡毛 who as a baby was found by a head of the 陈 clan in 义乌. Because during Mao's time peddling sugar is seen as capitalist in nature and therefore forbidden by CCP's Marxist doctrine, and the main livelihood of 义乌' s residents lies in selling candies, the men are rounded up and taken into custody. They are saved by 鸡毛 together with his young friend by causing a fire. 鸡毛 is considered a hero and is given the proper name 陈江河 but soon after the officers suspected that the fire was a deliberate to free the men, and have caused unease among the villagers until they find the culprit. 鸡毛 owns up and is taken into custody but is saved by his friend. Before leaving they found a butchered pig hanging and cut it up to pieces to gift the villagers. 鸡毛 is sent away in order to save him, and his foster father 金水 owns up to all that happened. 鸡毛  meets a youngster who lives under a bridge. This youngster turns out to be a girl named 小骆 whose mother passed away and whose stepmother arranged for her to be married off except she is actually sold off to traffickers and she escaped from them. The two bickered a lot but eventually learned to trust each other after running away from officers who crack down on candy-peddling. 

In episode 2, 鸡毛 leaves 小骆 (骆玉珠) and the latter comes to the former's village where the rattledrum left by 鸡毛 is almost broken by 陈金水 who had already prohibited anyone in the village to go out and peddle candy. The rattledrum is actually the signal for the candy peddlers in pretty much the same way that in PH, we know the dirty ice cream man is near when we hear bells. Meanwhile, 鸡毛 meets a university student named 英杰 on the train bound for Beijing. This person becomes interested in 鸡毛 for the latter's innate economic skills and he shared more about economic principles to 鸡毛. Before they part ways and promise to meet in 义乌 after three years, he tells 鸡毛: "义乌之外有中国， 中国之外还有世界。只有借着太平洋，大西洋的风，鸡毛才能真的飞上天。" In the next days he writes to his village and tells them about his trips but mainly focusing on information his village will need. He provides them with things that places in China lack, as well as places that produce excellent goods like 西北's wool and beef but needs toothpaste and soap as well as porcelain bowls and glass cups. 英杰 returns to 义乌 and is close to 谢书记. By this time, 陈金水 has taken 180 degree change and is totally against marketing efforts. In one meeting, 英杰 shares his many learnings from meeting 鸡毛/陈江河. 谢书记 expresses his wish to break the generational poverty in 义乌 by reviving its traditions. 

In episode 3, 鸡毛 finally returns to his village and meets 骆玉珠 again. He starts a company with fellow young adult villagers to gather cloth scraps from a company and to turn these into mops to be sold cheaply for steady income.

This drama is something that is perfect for the Holy Week. The acting is excellent. The cinematography is excellent. There is something in the characters that say that the storyline will never be boring. It tells the story of a process and this process spans 30 years, turning a poor village's simple way of life and leveraging it to enter the global market. I should have watched this along with so many TV dramas and movies that capture the impact of China's market reforms to the lives of ordinary citizens.

微微一笑很倾城/ Love 020 (First Impressions)

So I have been crying while watching Godzilla (yes, I cried buckets of tears but don’t judge me!) and 四月わ君の噓 (which I can totally relate to and which is about music so I really am bound to cry!) and every Saturday I go to the municipal library to use their free WIFI and watch Youtube videos.

the virtual wedding of Yixiao Naihe and Luwei Weiwei

I stumbled upon Love 020 (a.k.a. A Smile is Beautiful/ 微微一笑很倾城) one day while randomly watching videos on Youtube. It kept appearing in my feeds and so out of curiosity I clicked episode 1, thinking it’s another one of those wuxia or fantasy dramas. (My sister also said she often sees it on Youtube… Hmmmm…) It turned out to be a good mix of both, except that the period stuff is limited to the virtual world of gaming while the characters are actually university students. It’s hard to believe that Mainland China has made this series. Previous attempts were a flop, like the Mainland version of Meteor Garden, which I never bothered to watch even an episode. So maybe what they say about China finally being serious with strengthening soft power is true. Also, what a fine way to finally showcase how well-off Chinese citizens are now. Love 020 is, in my opinion, a successful project because of the following elements:

1. good-looking actors and actresses so one can’t help but go KYAAAAAAAAAA~ (Compared to previous drama series where they fielded in common-looking actors… ugh!)

2. Excessive use of computer graphics which is sending out a message that China is now technologically advanced (After all, they now have the four modern precious inventions which are very relevant in today's digital age as the four precious ones were in the past. Indeed, we are seeing the revival of China in this century.)

3. The cutesy plot is similar to J-Dramas which feed on female fantasies of the ideal man (KYAAAAA~ again… My Domjouji ideal will soon be overshadowed because… Yangyang, why look so hot either as 肖奈/Xiaonai or as his virtual alter ego Yixiao Naihe 一笑奈何!!! *insert smiley with hearty eyes) Xiaonai is not just the top player in the online game, he is also a basketball player, a swimmer, a budding technopreneur, a go player, and a heartthrob to boot. (They should have added that he is a talented pianist or violinist, too! *sarcasm) If a person is that kind of a package, he will surely have large eyebags, but no, they packaged him as everything you can look for in a man, except he’s not a musician. BOO! (Coz damn it, the Chinese have a very long musical history, why not bank on that??? Come on!)

On the romance part, I find it really superficial that Xiaonai falls in love with Weiwei upon seeing her play, because she plays calmly and with grace, her swift fingers confidently pressing keyboard keys and effortlessly defeating her virtual alter ego’s adversaries with poise. (As in many shallow TV series, the characters fall in love because of superficial things, not because of virtues and values. Ugh!) It just so happens that Weiwei is an equally strong character. She is the top female player in the game, the Computer Science Department Beauty Queen, a brilliant techie who knows how to fix her own laptop, and is a loving friend. So in a way, it is refreshing to see a strong independent woman in this series unlike the those we usually encounter in K-Drama (Goblin anyone?). Her only “flaw” is just she “was an old shoe”, having “married” in the game to complete a quest and getting divorced by the asshole so he can “marry” a different female player. So when the super popular top player 一笑奈何 proposed to her, we see people’s double standards who think 芦苇微微 is not good enough for him but nobody condemned her previous “husband” for requesting “divorce” in the game. But 一笑奈何 acts as the perfect gentleman when he ensured that there will be a lavish wedding ceremony and that those who badmouth his wife are horribly punished. KYAAAAA~. And they really are a perfect couple because they both are so well-composed and sensible, both are well-respected and looked up to in school, and both are good-looking.

Luwei weiwei on her second wedding day--- this time to someone who will become his real lover

Yixiao Naihe on horsebck leading the wedding procession

First date as husband and wife... KYAAAA~~~

Notes:

1. The characters study in one of China’s prestigious universities, Tsinghua. I am astounded at how different the dormitories look compared to the ones I visited in Xiamen (not Xiamen University). I don’t know if these are just edited but I find Tsinghua University a beautiful place and the dormitories are very clean, tidy, and full of cute stuffs, like the ones you usually in Taiwan or Japan. So is this China’s way of luring international students to one of their best schools? If that’s the case, I WANT TO GO (and perhaps find my Xiaonai there KYAAAAAA)!!!

2. Is this China’s way of encouraging its youth, especially women, to take up Computer Science? I’ve watched one interview after Xi Jinping’s super lengthy speech during the last National People’s Congress and the Party openly says that science and technology are top priorities for the country’s continuous development. After that, a female scientist was interviewed about the pros and cons of working in the science sector because apparently female scientists are only allowed to work up to a certain age, a limiting factor indeed for women who have brilliant minds (and needless to say, an unnecessary loss to China’s booming tech industry.) So maybe they are lifting constraints for women after all?

So anyway, I will have to watch all 30 episodes to know. But this early, after watching two episodes, I already formed some observations and hypotheses. LOL. It’s the month of love (except I am lonely in a faraway country IN WINTER season) so I am allowing myself to partake in kilig moments in this series… while trying to shut my hyperactive mind up coz my overthinking often overshadows my [frail and fragile] heart. 

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Trivia: Yangyang played the role of Jia Baoyu in the 2007 remake of Dream of Red Mansions. *hearts in eyes.

Elfen Lied

I was an undergraduate student when I first heard of Elfen Lied . Back then, otaku friends would recommend it to me since they know I love blood and gore. Everytime I try to watch the series though I would be repulsed by the seemingly harem-romantic drama series. (I seldom look for synopses in the internet for fear of spoilers...) It turns out it's much more than that. A few months ago, a dear college friend gave me a copy of the entire series insisting that I watch it because it's not what I thought it is. 

I watched it two months ago (and just finished today). The opening song blew me away the first time I heard it. WOW! It's the same song that played in the background at the end as flashbacks are shown. Despite having an echi side to it especially in the first few episodes (which is one thing I don't like in harem animé), the series is actually a poignant tragedy about the result of biotechnology, a Diclonius capable of producing vectors or arms which can be potential weapons. The promise of graphic violence is not a disappointment and add to that a psychological depth and this animé makes for a wonderful series. Philosophically, this series touches on human nature, morality, and biotechnological ethics.

The characters are thrown in a tangled web of conflicts. The main character/ anti-heroine Lucy (a.k.a Nyu/ Kaede) suffered mocks and taunts from bullies because of her horns and as a result learns quickly that the world cannot accept an abnormality like her. Having experienced the pain of being isolated and having a special friend in the form of a dog maltreated and killed in front of her just to make her sad, she in turn develops hatred for mankind. Her childhood shows the humanity of an innocent diclonius prior to transformation in contrast to the cruelty of normal humans. Things are about to change when she meets Kohta who briefly shared with her wonderful memories of the joys of human companionship. And it is no wonder that she falls in love with him. She committed a grave sin however when she begins to mistrust Kohta and in a fit of rage and jealousy, killed Kohta's father and younger sister Kanae. It is revealed at the end that though tormented by this unforgivable crime, she lives on to seek Kohta's forgiveness.

Years later, now grown ups, Kohta seems to have no recollection of the horrible past when he met Nyu (the innocent side of the grown up Kaede). Kaede seems to have developed a split personality: she is known as Lucy when her bloodthirsty and vengeful side takes over, and as Nyu when her innocent side manifests. 

Lucy is not the only Diclonius in the series. She seems to have been the cause of other Diclonius, having infected men with her genes upon contact. One of her tormentors, Kurama, was afflicted and his wife gave birth to a horned daughter who is supposed to be killed as mandated but was not. She grows up to be Mariko, a seemingly sweet and fragile child who can unleash significantly more vectors than Lucy. She was killed together with her father shortly after their reunion.

Another Diclonius is Nana, first appearing in the series as an agent sent by Kurama to kill Lucy. She later on learns more about the value of life thanks largely to Mayu, a cheerful young girl who ran away from home after repeated sexual abuses from her stepfather. Both Mayu and Nana are interesting characters in that they retained their innocence and never succumbed to the desire to exact revenge against their oppressors but instead, try to find a place where they can find happiness. Nana is very obedient to Kurama whom she calls father. 

Scenes from the final episode:

father and daughter reunited

moments before father and daughter are killed by a bomb implanted in Mariko

Kohta and Kaede´s (aka Lucy) first meeting

Kohta and Kaede´s childhood moments

On Different Interests and Human Relations

Today is the second day of the week-long workshop in UP. It pleased me to have someone finally interested in 三國, the TV drama series aired last year in a Taiwanese cable channel. For months last year, it ruled my life, making me rethink of human greed and ambitions, as well as the means employed by people to get what they want. This year they aired the series on the same TV channel (evidence of the popularity of this Chinese classic, aside from this funny video on a fan), which is just as perfect since I have been getting into Game of Thrones and the two series have many things in common with regards to politics. (The difference I can think of right now between the two series is that 三國 doesn't have soft porn, unlike Game of Thrones. That, and aside from the genre: 三國 is historical fiction, whereas Game of Thrones is fantasy--- though George says many of the scenes are inspired from history.) The thought of producing an article from this observation has been with me since I started Game of Thrones but I guess it depends if I can sneak it in my schedule.

And then just a random thought: perhaps the reason why I find it hard to be friends with other people is because I have weird interests. While many are into romantic J-drama or Western series, I am more into anime, action J-series, and Chinese period dramas. It's just strange that it's only now that I realize how I care very little for what is in vogue at the moment, but rather pursue that which truly interests me. And this has caused me to feel left out a lot because most of the time, I don't know what people are talking about and I get weird looks when I ask about things that I like.

Still, no matter how uncomfortable I am when people around me think I'm an idiot or a retard when they for example, talk about popular franchise movies which I largely ignore, I always think that life is too short to waste time on things I don't really like. So I end up watching obscure movies and series, and reading obscure books (eg. The Perfumed Garden) which nobody in my circles has heard of. I may have lost opportunities to quickly establish relationships based on similar tastes but at the end of the day, I feel like at least, I have my own secret silent sanctuary.

In the end, it doesn't even matter. (to quote Linkin Park)

So goodbye, bittersweet love. I am now free from these weird feelings I have for you. I truly wanted to understand you, to delve into your world, but I guess I love myself more to destroy myself for you.

Choujin Sentai Jetman (Part 2 of Review)

So I finally finished watching the whole 51 episodes of Jetman, something I wasn't able to do way back when the series was aired on Solar Channel. My initial review of Jetman includes the lighter episodes: the team fights against monsters who wreak havoc in the human world. The latter episodes on the other hand, bridges the gap between the team members' private lives and their mission in securing world peace.

There's the ill-fated love between Aoi Rie (a.k.a. Maria, the only lady in the enemy camp) and Tendo Ryu (Red Hawk), leader of the Jetman. In episode 32, Ryu finally discovers Maria's former identity and subsequent episodes saw him mulling over the past and even imagining that Rie is still with him. Because of this, Yuuki Gai (Black Condor) emerges as one of the best sidekicks. He takes in charge while Ryu tries to confront reality. Up to the end, Ryu never gives up and tries very hard in helping Rie go back to normal. And when Rie finally dies in episode 49, we see a crying Red Hawk bent on pursuing vengeance. At this point, it is Kaori's turn to shine as she reminds Ryu of Rie's final wish, to save the earth from the Vyram. (Kaori's role in this is important as she helps fill the vacuum Rie left when she died.)

To say that Jetman is the darkest of the sentai series of the 90s is an understatement. It is only in Chojin Sentai Jetman that one gets disturbed, not only with how twisted and cruel the antagonists are, but also by how indifferent people can be. Both antagonists and the people the Jetman sought to protect are guilty of unleashing horrors. If there's one episode that scares me, it would have to be episode 36 wherein Tranza's Ant Monster turns people into zombies. It feels like watching a horror movie, and I don't even watch horror films!

What I do appreciate in the series is the continuous improvement of the team's weapons and robots. Tetra Boy was invented and not long after, Garuda which was first manned by Chief Aya herself in episode 43 as the background music plays the Garuda theme. Aside from this, the antagonists also are a bit complex, and boasts of being some of the cruelest villains. Tran grows up overnight after a humiliating defeat and becomes Emperor Tranza, for a time the leader of the Vyram Elite, until he was defeated by the cunning Radiguet in episode 47. Radiguet is willing to create alliances when needed but can also easily discard those he have finally no use of. He even promises Maria increased powers but the hidden price is to be able to control her. Maria on the other hand, is proud and her thirst for power ultimately led to her downfall. She redeemed herself in the end though by stabbing Radiguet at the back and the wound inflicted became Radiguet's weakness during the final battle. Of the Vyram Elite, the most human-like would have to be Gray, that music-and-wine-loving robot who often rescues Maria from harm. It is ironic that a robotic creature is the one who exhibits humane traits and can be said as noble. One cannot help but like him as he pleads the Jetmen to help Maria go back to her human form.

For these reasons, Chojin Sentai Jetman easily is my favorite sentai series. Except that I cannot accept the ending where my favorite character, Gai, dies from a stab by a thief. What an awful ending for someone who served well for the sake of the world. 

Game of Thrones Season 1

When I first heard of the TV drama Game of Thrones last 2011, I made a mental note to watch it. Back then, I was still a post-graduate student and the demands of the academe hindered me to allot time for leisure, as my time was torn between work and school. 

It is only this year, two years later, that I finally got to watch the series. The first episode won me over instantly. For days I found myself itching to know what will happen next. It momentarily stopped when I went to Palawan. But when I got back, I resumed watching Game of Thrones. It's now on season 3, and I still haven't procured a copy of season 2 for myself.

Game of Thrones is a fictional series narrating the struggles of noble families for power and prestige. The opening scene is set in Winterfell, territory of the Starks who are also known as the Northern Kings. Direwolf pups were rescued and given to each of the Stark children including the affable bastard son Jon Snow.

Everything started when King Robert Baratheon and family and entourage visited Winterfell to ask Eddard Stark to be the Hand of the King. Eddard's son Bran witnessed the King's wife Queen Cersei making love to her own twin brother Jaime Lannister, and was pushed by the latter down the tower, causing Bran to stay in a coma for some time. At the same time, Catelyn Tully, Eddard's wife, received a message from her sister that Jon Arryn, the former Hand, was murdered by the Lannisters. This made Eddard accept the invitation, seeing it as an opportunity to investigate Arryn's death in King's Landing.

Meanwhile, Viserys and Daenarys Targaryen need all the help they can get in an attempt to win back the Iron Throne which was usurped from their family following the murder of the Mad King Aerys Targaryen. Viserys marries his sister off to a Dothraki lord Kahl Drogo, hoping the latter would provide men and weapons to recapture the throne. Daenarys is one of the series' most interesting characters, having transformed from a meek, timid girl to a willful Khaleesi. (Spolier alert: And I almost cried when she emerged a true dragon after entering the funeral pyre of her husband, hatching the dragon eggs simultaneously.)

My Favorite Characters:

1. Jon Snow- He is the bastard son of Eddard Stark but he is nice to his half-brothers. He seems to be fond most especially of Bran and Arya. Often snubbed by Catelyn Tully who openly shows her dislike toward the bastard son of her husband, Jon Snow finally joins the Night's Watch.

2. Arya Stark- She is my first favorite female character for her boyishness. I like that she loves playing with swords, is streetsmart, and not stupid like her older sister Sansa.

3. Danaerys Targaryen- At first she seems like a pushover, but in the course of season 1, she slowly gathers a will of her own. She is compassionate and kind, not to mention beautiful.

4. Robb Stark- He's cute.

5. Bran Stark- At such a young age, he's already a great climber. I felt sad when he woke up to find he can no longer use his legs.

6. Tyrion Lannnister- This half-man/ dwarf has a sad past but still he manages to confront everyone and everything with his intellect and wit. It's not clear whose side he really is on in the political struggles, but one thing is certain, he does have a soft spot for cripples, bastards, and broken things.

7. Ghost and Nymeria- They are Jon Snow and Arya's direwolves respectively. I still wait for the day when Nymeria is reunited with her master. (I might cry a river of tears...)

My Date with a Vampire Season 1 (Episodes 20- 35)

Last Holy Week, I keep myself busy watching series that I do not get to watch on normally busy days. As of writing I just finished (and already missing) X. Now I alternate between My Date with a Vampire and Jetman, the two being extra long series. (Now I wonder when will I be able to watch Spartacus, Big Bang Theory, and Game of Thrones???)

And so 王珍珍 finally learns the relationship between 山本一夫 and 未來 and being a naturally good girl that she is, tries to help patch things up between father and daughter. Again we see here her annoying side, always meddling in other's affairs. It should be noted that when 復生 was kidnapped she would also try to do her part, endangering herself in the process and adding to other people's concerns. But then, she's just like that, so totally naive and she means no harm to anyone, which makes her lovable to all the other major characters. In fact, she may be the thread that binds them all.

況天佑 finally moves out of the apartment and now lives with  馬小玲. His decision to move out is so as not to further endanger the people living near him as more and more people get killed due to Herman's doing, as ordered by 山本一夫. He even resigned from his job on the very day he was supposed to be promoted.

妙善 appears just in time when 山本一夫is considering doing everything for his daughter's happiness. 妙善 suggests that 山本一夫, 況天佑, and 馬小玲 go back to 60 years ago to change history by defeating 將臣 simultaneously preventing the original vampire from biting 山本一夫, 況天佑, and 復生. 山本一夫 was surprisingly cooperative, but he is now willing to do anything for his daughter who detests being a vampire more than anything else. 馬小玲 is supposed to team up with her aunt from 60 years ago, 馬丹娜, to seal the vampire.

And because 妙善 reappears, 林國棟 pleads for one question to be answered. 妙善 grants this and is asked if 山本一夫 will turn him into a vampire. 妙善 answers in the affirmative. So this is also one thing I will be waiting for in season 1.

Before the mission, 馬小玲 and 況天佑 spend time together. 況天佑 seems to be happier when he is with 馬小玲 than with 王珍珍. Even his words which seem to admonish the arrogant ghostbuster may hide deeper and more meaningful sentiments than he himself would admit explicitly. And so it is confirmed that there IS something between the two even with unspoken words. And it should happen that as the two cuddle inside 馬小玲's car, 王珍珍 should see them and run away broken-hearted. She will then cause herself to be run over by a car. In order to change her fate, the two became more resolved to succeed in their mission.

But while the three are out to find 將臣, leaving 妙善 and her assistant-guard together with 金正中 behind as they guard the threads that connect the three to the present time, one of  山本一夫's henchmen 碧加 barged in uninvited and succeeds in making the mission a flop. It is revealed that  金正中 now has super powers thanks to the life energy transferred to him by White Snake. Anyway, we also see here that Ken and 未來 are no match against  碧加 who is revealed to be a witch even before she was turned into a vampire. She was rescued by 山本一夫 when she was chased by villagers, and for that she would do anything for him.

One important thing that happened here, something that will have repercussions in the future, is that 馬小玲 unknowingly dropped and left behind her camcorder where she recorded the night she and 況天佑 had fun at a karaoke bar. It was picked up by 高保’s grandfather. 高保, by the way, is 況天佑 police partner. [Spoiler alert: Later on, when 王珍珍 happened to pass by 高保’s house to ask about news of 況天佑, the two would discover this camcorder inside 高保’s grandfather’s bag. At that time, 高保 was cleaning up his house. 王珍珍would have the camcorder fixed and would see the video, an OOOOOPS moment.]

When they got back to the present time, each was distraught over their failure. 王珍珍 miraculously gets well but smiles and is still friendly with 馬小玲 as before. Apparently either she loses part of her memory including seeing 馬小玲 and 況天佑 together, or she is just pretending that nothing of the sort happened, a move that I interpret as an attempt to save her friendship with 馬小玲, being the martyr that she is.

Because for some reason, the DVD contains incomplete episode parts, for instance, the theme song 夢裡是誰 is not played whole for each episode. And it has to happen that episode 22 has only 20+ minutes, which definitely sucks as this is where 未來 gets sucked into the vacuum when she tries to protect the thread that connects her father to the present time. 

In episode 25, 山本一夫 and 王珍珍 go on a date. The girl was interrogated by the vampire on what she would do if she found out that her loved one is a vampire. The girl gave satisfactory answers, saying she would not mind the difference and in addition, would not let her beloved suffer the sorrows of immortality and would ask to be made into a vampire so she could accompany her beloved until the end of time. So I guess we shall have to give extra credit to 王珍珍, who is such a darling to everyone. 

The depressed Ken, following 未來 disappearance, sees 王珍珍 as someone important to 山本一夫, and attempts to kill her to hurt 山本一夫 but is caught off-guard at the girl's innocence and her apparent concern for 未來. And yes, this goody-two-shoes unknowingly saved her own life just by being herself--- stupid and kindhearted. And later on, Ken becomes an ally.

It is around this time that 王珍珍 is informed of 況天佑's true nature. Seeing that 況天佑 and 馬小玲 are more compatible, she goes all on her own to face 山本一夫  and persuade him to stop his evil plans. Before she faces 山本一夫, her courage seems to have touched 況天佑 as it becomes obvious that suddenly, 況天佑 shows real affection for the girl. This is after 金正中 accidentally spills the beans about what 山本一夫 wants and the trade-off: either he gets 王珍珍 or he increases his vampire army to dominate the earth. Ever the goody-two-shoes who's willing to sacrifice herself for the good of the majority, 王珍珍 decides to go to 山本一夫 but is sent away because 山本一夫 can sense that she still has feelings for 況天佑.

And so, feeling he has lost everything, 山本一夫 makes his major move by turning all the policemen into vampires. 況天佑 and company all move from the apartment to 求叔's arcade shop as they plan how to defeat  山本一夫. Later on, Ken, 金正中 , and 高保 break inside the police office and force spirit balls inside policemen who were turned into vampires, so that the spirits contained inside the balls may possess the vampires and control them. This is to prevent the vampires from wreaking havoc outside the police office. 高保 may be the only human in this mission but he does well. In later episodes, he is revealed to be the reincarnation of a warrior, and thus, will play a major role.

As the three are busy taking care of police vampires, 況天佑 and 馬小玲 go to Japan to obtain the 13 Notes on how to exterminate a vampire (十三札記). Before that, they must face the four guardians. The first one is 孔雀 the monk who first appeared at the onset of Season 1 when 馬小玲 and 王珍珍 were in Japan. 孔雀 simply lets them pass, acknowledging his earlier defeat from the lady ghostbuster. The second one is 白蓮花 whom the two must defeat in a gamble game where souls are at stake. 況天佑 defeats him and the two go on the third pass, two roads one leading to life, one to death. They are forced to go on separate ways, so that at least one will survive to return to Hong Kong. 況天佑 is thrown into an illusion of having a happy married life with 馬小玲, whereas other unluckily chooses the death road. [From here we see that indeed  況天佑's subconsciousness wishes to be with 馬小玲.] Having come to his senses and realizing the trickery, 況天佑 leaves and finds 馬小玲. The two go on to face the final guardian, 禦命十三. 孔雀, 白蓮花, and other monks, realizing the corruption of 禦命十三 as really a sidekick of 山本一夫, tell the two to immediately go back to Hong Kong, and use the 定身咒 to seal 禦命十三.

況天佑's camp's plans are then discovered when one spirit-possessed policeman is made to face 山本一夫. 碧加 is sent to exorcise the spirits possessing the policemen. The vampires go on a feeding rampage. 金正中's father was bitten and later on he died. 嘉嘉 sneaks out of the arcade and finds 林國棟 out of concern for him. Ken drinks 血天使 (Blood Angel), a formulation concocted by 求叔. This would make him stronger, and so he faces 山本一夫 again. [Now Ken is a remarkable man, passionate but still calculating and able to wait patiently for the right time to face his enemy.] 

況天佑 and 馬小玲 returns just in time, and 馬小玲 has to be put into sleep to lure her aunt 馬丹娜 out so that the two Dragon descendants will have more chance to succeed.  王珍珍 finally asks 馬小玲 if she has feelings for 況天佑, and 馬小玲 said yes, but that she can't be with him. 王珍珍 leaves for the second time to talk to 山本一夫 and to persuade him to bite her and transform her into a vampire so she can accompany him forever in their immortal life. She even stabbed herself to prove her decision is final, knowing that 山本一夫 will not be able to bear her death. But this is stopped by the arrival of 況天佑, who later on, will bite 王珍珍, thus infuriating 山本一夫.  I have to note that Herman isn't much, having fallen after just one strike from 馬小玲. [碧加 still is who I consider to be the strongest of 山本一夫's henchmen. Ken is one level below her, having been bitten not by 山本一夫 but by 未來.] 

Having sucked 王珍珍's blood, 況天佑 transforms into a super vampire [actually a scary-looking ugly vampire] and fights with 山本一夫. When 況天佑 is losing, 未來 is sent by 妙善 (now the Goddess of Mercy who observes from Heaven). 未來 holds her father down as 馬小玲 and 馬丹娜 recite their nine-word mantra to summon the dragon and finally defeat 山本一夫. But 況天佑 falls unconscious. And well, they succeed. Or so they think.

A year has passed and 況天佑 still has not awakened. Ken and 未來are now married and are expecting a child. They are now regular humans, following the demise of 山本一夫. But another vampire is created: 王珍珍. 馬小玲 has lost her powers because she cried for 況天佑 after the battle, just before 況天佑 passes out. 金正中 now takes care of the ghostbusting business, indeed a good disciple as 況天佑 once remarked. People are now busy preparing for 況天佑's birthday while still wondering when he will wake up.

When he finally does wake up, he tells of his dream about a red moon, and also his conversation with the 觀音 (Goddess of Mercy) and 如來 (Tathagata). 如來, seeing the sufferings of humans, plans to use 大日如來淨世咒 to destroy the world and let it grow anew, that is, unless 況天佑 succeeds in defeating a more evil power. The apocalypse is slated on July 1, 1999. Upon waking up, he is made to choose whom to marry and he chooses  王珍珍. On their wedding day, Ken and 未來 arrive dying after having been attacked by 山本一夫, who is revived by 禦命十三.

況天佑 learns of the existence of 羅侯, an ancient magician who wants nothing more than to be the ruler of the three spheres: the godly realm, demon realm, and human realm. 羅侯's plans were foiled by the five legendary warriors. Suddenly out of nowhere, 羅開平 comes back from the spirit realm after training there for his earthly mission. He comes back as the reincarnated 空勇者 (Air Warrior). 高保, as already mentioned, is the reincarnated 地勇者 (Earth Warrior), whereas 孔雀 is the 火勇者 (Fire Warrior). 王珍珍, as revealed by 禦命十三,is actually the reincarnation of the pure saintly woman whose blood is needed to complete the 葬月儀式 (Moon Funeral Rites), a ritual murder ceremony that would allow the performer to suck in the yin powers of the moon. 山本一夫 kidnaps 王珍珍 and her mom. He also finally turns 林國棟 into a vampire, just when the latter has changed his mind and doesn't want to anymore, due to his better conditions by some twist of fate. 山本一夫 places 嘉嘉 inside a cell with the vampire 林國棟 and is herself turned into a vampire. 王珍珍 becomes a puppet and does 山本一夫's bidding.

On the night of the 葬月儀式, the three reincarnated warriors are joined by the 風勇者 (Wind Warrior) Peter, who is also the priest friend of 馬小玲. These four warriors, with 金正中, fight with 禦命十三 and plan to rescue 王珍珍. Meanwhile, 況天佑 and 馬小玲 come face to face with 山本一夫. 馬小玲 has to fake her death to force 況天佑 to transform into a super vampire and defeat 山本一夫. But the enemies are just too strong for 況天佑's camp to win, and one by one, they fall to death. When the ritual is about to be finished, 山本一夫 suddenly remembers his previous life as the 天勇者 (Heavenly Warrior), one of the five who stopped 羅侯 many many years ago.

羅侯 possesses 山本一夫 to also gain an immortal body, with 山本一夫 struggling to stop him from succeeding in his plans. It is revealed that before his death in the past, 羅侯 killed all the five warriors and promised to be reborn to fulfill his wish. 天勇者 (Heavenly Warrior) retorted that he and his four comrades would also be reborn to again thwart his plans.王珍珍  comes to her senses and realizes why 山本一夫 must be with her in all the worlds they are born into. Seeing that 羅侯 is inside him, she plans to stab 山本一夫 with the devil blade but is killed instead. 

The unconscious 況天佑 is visited by visions of 觀音 who tells him to get up and ask for the powers of the five warriors. It is only when his former wife 阿秀 shows up that he found the strength to get up and fight [yes, pretty much like in animé]. And it MUST happen that  況天佑 wins otherwise everything would have been in vain. And he is the lone survivor in this feat. 如來 asks him one wish and he wishes that he and 山本一夫 were not bitten by 將臣.[Take note, he wished that HE and 山本一夫 were not bitten, what about復生 ???]

So history was changed, the wish granted. 復生 died by the Japanese soldier's gunshot. 

And so back to the present with no vampires. But as everyone congregates together at the Waiting Bar and drinks White Snake's famous concoction, everyone feels like he/ she has met everyone before. 況天佑  and 馬小玲 who just arrived from America, look at each other and feel like they've known each other for long.

See summary and notes:
Episodes 1-12
Episodes 13-19
___________________________________________________________

Whew! This blog post alone took me almost a week to finish. 
Now, on to Season 2!!!

X/1999

One of the first animé series I have watched is Magic Knight Rayearth, about three teenage girls sent to a different world as saviours. The series, which combines various genres such as mecha, fantasy, action, adventure, and romance, was, though not necessarily a favorite, something that piqued my interest in animé in my early years.

In high school, I met my first fellow otakus and they were all crazy about CLAMP. I would learn from them that CLAMP is the maker of some of the most popular animé and manga series like Cardcaptor Sakura, Chobits, CLAMP School Detectives, Angelic Layer, XXXHolic, X/1999, Tsubasa Chronicles, and yes, including Magic Knight Rayearth. Later on, I would find myself watching the first three and not liking the stories mainly because I find them mainly catered to girls with their magical dreams and too much fan service, though to be fair I love the concepts and the art, I became a CLAMP-basher.

In highschool, my friends and I watched X The Movie together and seeing its many allusions to Christian eschatology, I made a mental note to one day watch the series since I could not entirely comprehend the movie due to its compressed narrative. My friends also advised me to watch the series and to give CLAMP another chance. It will only be years later, this Holy Week vacation to be precise, that I heeded their advise, and I am without regrets.

The very gist of the series is fate of the world as decided upon by Kamui, the main protagonist who started off as a cold-hearted, confused character who would fight anyone trying to meddle in his affairs. He must decide if he wants to protect the present as a Dragon of Heaven or to wish for a change by destroying the world and creating a new one as Dragon of Earth. But the fates can be cruel, because no matter which side he chooses, he must fight against his twin star, his best friend Fuma, who is destined to fill the empty seat, the role rejected by Kamui in choosing the other.

In preparation for the final battle between the two dragons, each must gather his comrades. The fourteen dragons, seven on each side, have their own stories, their wishes and decisions controlled by the circumstances they were put in in their younger years.

 Kamui’s cheerful and thoughtful personality changed when he saw his mother die before his very eyes as a shadow sacrifice, to ensure that Kamui chooses the right path. Sorata, the friendliest of the Dragons of Earth, was taken away from his mother to live in Mout Kouya as a monk (episode 6). Arashi, the swordswoman and priestess of Ise, did not care if she lived or not as a child but the reason behind this was not fully explained (episode 23). The onmyouji Subaru suffered the most similar tragedy with Kamui; his sister Hokuto was killed by Seishiro the Sakrazukamori whom he loved as well (episode 9), whereas Kamui bore the pain of seeing his childhood sweethear Kotori killed by his best friend Fuma (episode 12). The youngest of the team, Yuzuriha, was often teased as a liar as a child because no one can see her best friend Inuki, a spirit dog visible only to people with supernatural powers (episode 10).The fire master Karen, was regarded as a devil by her own Catholic mother because of her power to control fire (episode 19). Only the wind master Aoki’s back story is not revealed though repeatedly in the series, it is reiterated that he is a loving husband and father.

The Dragons of Earth, on the other hand, are composed of characters who are mostly social deviants with the exception perhaps of Kusanagi and Yuto. Aside from this, they are characterized by their obvious contempt for humans who for them, are an abusive lot deserving death. Fuma used to be a kind-hearted man prior to his awakening as Kamui’s twin star. Satsuki the computer genius orchestrated the death of her own father with the help of her computer “friends” (episode 7). Seishiro is a cold-hearted assassin, figuring in both Subaru and his sister Hokuto’s lives as the latter’s killer. Kakyou the dreamseer is tortured by the fact that he was not able to save the most important person for him, Hokuto, when the girl is killed. The clone Nataku, a lost child with “needy personality”, is a soulless body created by Tojo Pharmaceuticals (episode 15). Kusanagi is a gentle guy whom Yuzuriha falls for, being the first person in Tokyo to “see” Inuki, which brought the young girl great joy.

All dragons knew of their fates beforehand, with the exception of Fuma whose role is dependent on which side Kamui will choose. Each character then prepares himself for the Great Battle and has learned to yield to fate. However, with Kotori’s message that all hope is not lost and that the future still is undecided, Kamui goes on to fight even though Fuma tells him of the inevitability of the Dragon of Heaven’s loss. Indeed, Kamui dies in the end, but his final wish is granted--- to protect Fuma and the world he lives in. This is after he made a sudden realization--- that people die but then their wishes do not die with them, that their wishes continue to live on in the hearts of their loved ones they left behind and whom they want to protect.

All throughout the dramatic events in the series, impressive music plays in the background thus setting the mood. Saccharinely tragic and heart-wrenching, the series boasts of one of the most commendable soundtrack in animédom, and this is also one more reason to watch X/1999 over and over again. 

  

And as a last note, if there is one word that describes the series other than darkly compelling, it would have to be that X/1999  is, in a word, FEATHERY, as all 24 episodes have scenes of scattered feathers. This can be said as pretty much a trademark of CLAMP to portray dreaminess and mysticism.