KissFromARose wrote:

Giovanna wrote:

Gio: You forgot jumping over the car.

Anytime i see a well dressed person in a suit, fancy shoes, and well put together, i just imagine a nice little flip over the car, just like the movie.

Today for me, I was  upset with a few things at the office and stepped outside. I had no idea the bushes outside could produce flowers! Lo and behold, little purple and pink guys springing up. It was lovely and put a smile on my face. http://imgur.com/8dhvmN6




But now, thanks go Gio, i think i'm going to try that car slide today.

Thanks.. now every time I see a car I'll think of SKU

Going back to my usual work location and realizing that the stairway bannisters look like they're covered with ornamental dicks.

Will try to grab+post pics sometime soon.

Flah wrote:

Musee d'Orsay

We were there for the Sade exhibition. It was pretty freakin fantastic.

I didn't click on your links and I know the picture you're talking about, because Gio and I had a laugh that we hadn't known it was at the Musee d'Orsay. And then, yes, talked about Mikage.

I'mma just quote the pro here:

Clarice wrote:

Olympia

One scene in the episode ‘Qualifications of a Duellist’ is perhaps very unusual in the manner it alludes to two famous paintings. It is most closely associated with Manet’s Olympia, which is in turn a nineteenth century pre-Impressionist work based on Titian’s sixteenth century work Venus of Urbino. That in itself is perhaps an indication of why it is there; there are two versions of the painting, and there are two versions of the man principally in the “painting” as shown in the anime. There is Professor Nemuro, and then there is Souji Mikage.

The figure prominent in Olympia is very different to the prominent figure in Venus. While the latter is a goddess, the former is a courtesan. In fact, Olympia was widely condemned by critics of the time for precisely that reason – it was not customary to paint such a woman in such a manner. The way the painting was executed is also in a manner the critics called “childish” with obvious strokes and a very realistic “warts and all” impression. In fact, it has been said of the painting: “Instead of the carefully constructed perspective that leads the eye deep into the space of the painting, Manet offers a picture frame flattened into two planes. The foreground is the glowing white body of Olympia on the bed; the background is darkness.” This is reminiscent of Mikage; a two-dimensional “shadow” surrounded by darkness.

Of course, the most interesting thing is the composition of the painting. Why is Mikage/Nemuro represented as a courtesan? Why does Mamiya offer him roses? Why is the cat in Manet’s picture missing? All are very symbolic answers. In Manet’s painting, there is a black cat; this cat is missing from the scene depicted in the anime. Think back to the earlier symbols of the cats; they represent a family. In this scene, Nemuro has realised that he can not create a “family” situation – like the cats in the window – with Tokiko and Mamiya because Tokiko is involved with Akio. And so, the black cat – an implication of Tokiko’s presence – is noticeably missing.

Mamiya is shown in the scene to be presenting Nemuro with a bunch of roses, just as the servant girl does for the courtesan in the painting Olympia. They are said to be in the original painting a gift from a client of the courtesan – and this is a heavy inference that Akio had in fact interfered with Mamiya himself. After all, Mamiya once told Nemuro he didn’t want to go on forever, liked the dried flowers his sister took such pleasure in making. It wasn’t until Akio asked Nemuro to burn the building down that Mamiya apparently changed his mind on the subject. This sudden change of heart – mixed with the implications of the roses Mamiya offers Nemuro – seems to indicate that Akio talked Mamiya into telling Nemuro he wanted to live forever.

And Nemuro/Mikage as the courtesan? The courtesan in the painting is perhaps identifiable with Mikage, while the Venus of Titian’s painting is identifiable with Nemuro. Why is this? Mikage is the “earthy” side of Nemuro, more sensual and more capable of manipulating people to his own ends. And it was “doubly disturbing” of Manet’s painting that the subject had a real identity, just as Mikage himself had a “real” identity – Professor Nemuro. And of course, what is a courtesan? “A woman whose body is a commodity.” Indeed, Mikage, the imaginary living body, is a commodity, a possession Akio does away with when he decides he has no further need of him.

(This particular frame – the one resembling Olympia and Venus of Urbino – is found in episode 23, when Mamiya discusses with Nemuro the nature of eternity.)

I noticed the Dio Brando/Touga connection right away and the other day I was watching Kekkai Sensen and amidst all the Gintama voices suddenly there was B-Ko as Aligura. It amused me to no end.

Also, this wonderful prince:





Only the best ladies' man types for Takehito Koyasu. Or man's man types, whatever.

Talking about songs, if the Shadow Girls ever decided to present a (relatively) straightforward piece about Anthy and Akio's relationship in the form of a musical number, this could be it.

[Honestly, I think the line Do you surmise it's wise, To have laser beams emitting from your eyes? is one of the best things that could have indirectly resulted from high school English classes.]

I was watching K Missing Kings tonight and the K universe if full of flashy sword fights as it is but oddly enough the scene that really brought Utena to mind had nothing to do with those. [Just as Anna becomes the new Red King, Yata, along with all the HOMRA gang, regain their power as clansmen. Yata is shown with a symbol spinning (HOMRA's emblem, I think?) in a very cool sequel, it immediately reminded me of the spinning rose motif.]

The way this actress' hair is sometimes styled makes me think of Juri. The cap is from a Mexican soap opera.

Himouto! Umaru-chan has a gag in which a "rich girl" character appears surrounded by roses with her hair blowing:


And then they cut away to:


I'd like to think that in SKU, the Shadow Play Girls are responsible for lugging the Rose Frame around campus, positioning it in front of new characters, and cranking the handle that makes the roses spin.

Jun Togawa -> Juri Arisugawa

I am pretty sure I have mentioned this before but Mekakucity Actors is so overtly SKU inspired that it deserves comment. I'll just leave these screencaps here as they speak for themselves:







And there is also this:

Last edited by Nocturnalux (06-12-2016 08:38:29 PM)

YamPuff wrote:

Dayum.

How about the show itself? Any good?

I found it to be something of a mixed bag. I was hooked from the very start as that Adolescence-inspired scene is one of the opening ones and the very Shaft-like approach to visual storytelling was very beautiful if not all that original. It starts off with a bang with the hikikomori lead thrown in a terrifying situation when he ventures outside for the first time in two years and pulls some Durarara!! style narration flips but as the show progresses it started to lose me.
The very large cast was a major factor in this as it ends up sorely underused. Later events push the anime into SKU territory not just visual but thematically as well yet it feels less compelling than the mysterious start.

I'd say it is worth watching even if it fell somewhat short of its potential.