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sparring-spirals · 2 years

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So I'd already been thinking about Laudna and Ashton, and about two characters with, presumably, near-death (or just, straight up death) encounters, and coming out with a "Nothing matters! :D" attitude. (Or at least, some very strong attempts at one).

And then in the last episode, we saw Laudna mending a trashed table to leave the place a little cleaner, a little nicer, and Ashton breaking it and then denting the floor because a shitty landlord was only thinking about a dead mans rent. And I kind of went, Oh?, and then I went "Oh, yes."

Because- you look death, your own mortality, in the eye, and you'll come out different. With a knowledge that your life is short and brief and maybe violent, and its end is inevitable so you might as well have a good time!

Except Laudna was killed as an unfortunate side effect of someone else's vendetta. A tragic, and personal death, but only to her, and then she woke up in a pile of bodies, death and lives and people all gone with a horrible sort of thoughtlessness.

And Ashton- we don't know entirely, but we can presume- a horrific incident, an irreparable moment and irreversible injury. (Friendship implies a level of trust I find unhealthy). Something personal, maybe. Something deeply and horrifically targeted and painful.

And so it makes sense.

It makes sense that Laudna regards lives and people with a level of terrible amusement, asks about death and tragedy and loss with a macabre glee. And yet, will comfort individuals, ask after them. Found some measure of joy, and peace, into cleaning up messes, making inhospitable, cursed places into prettier, nicer ones. Lives, and people, and death, are all fickle, and maybe a little pointless. But there's still some form of kindness and beauty and fun to be shared, isn't there? So you mend a table and clean up the place before it inevitably turns to rot.

It makes sense, that Ashton looked at their own near-death and their brain poking out of their skull and promptly decided that he was never going to trust again, and also, that, fuck it, things don't really matter at all, not once you're dead, right? It's about- not kindness, maybe, but about a person having a really shit day and not making that any worse. It's about someone feeling helpless or worthless and flipping off the asshole who is going to take advantage of that. It's about the people, about getting people sandwiches and not taking copper and fucking over an asshole landlord who doesn't care about a tenant beyond the rent they can't pay.

All this is to say: I would love for them to talk more, and presumably, to clash more. Until they realize their philosophies aren't really at odds at all, and become an absolutely unstoppable duo of individuals who have faced their death and plan on bringing everyone else on a ride as a result.

#this isnt to say that laudna doesnt care about people!!! she very much does but theres a layer of acceptance that is fascinating #critical role #cr spoilers #c3e8 #ashton #laudna #character meta #like it makes SENSE with what we know about both of them and it feels like two sides of the same coin #and i love it when character consistencies Make Sense #not sure how well i articulated the laudna mindset here but its NEAT and lovely #my meta #ashton meta #laudna meta #can i make their tag #dying buddies #(but in the communitychannel tone) (i have no idea if anyone will undersrand that reference)#speculation #spar speaks #god this got longer than it should have it was supposed to be a smol meta

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writingonesdreams · 3 years

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This was then, this is now book review

This was a quick read. I knew I could finish this in one day but I even finished it on the same day as Bruiser.

Compared to Bruiser's beautiful writing style This was then was simpe and repetitive, but it suited the character and the overall tone and story. It's about a young teenager bordering on a hoodloom, so all the Is, slangs and simplifications make sense. It wasn't such a joy to read but at the same time it was a quick read, so it was all probably very deliberate.

This was then was written by Hinton who wrote one of my all time favourite books The Outsiders. It's pretty famous and has a decent movie. The bromance and family bonds with the giant hurr/comfort and vulnerbility element have spawn a lots of fanfiction of great quality about the characters.

This was then focuses mainly on the brotherhood between the protag and his best friend Mark. Looking back it's in many ways a tragic story, with characters irreversibly shaped by their histories and past experiences. In a way how Mark turns our is almost inevitable, yet I can't call him evil. Even calling him well-rounded or complex doesn't do him justice - he is a character without morals, not knowing why he should have them when they didn't spare him any hardship or cruelty, but who at the same time isn't bitter or angry. He just doesn't care. He is carefree and wild and doesn't reflect on things, doesn't think about consequences. He just doesn't worry and takes things as they go, which also prevents him from growing or changing them for the better. But then again if he started to wonder he might as well have been shattered.

When I hear inevitable tragedy I think Anakin. I'm still convinced he could have been saved, that his fall wasn't inevitable if only Obi-wan didn't fail him, if Palpatine didn't manipulate him, if he had been honest about Padme, if the jedi didn't have such toxic ideals about emotions (or at least it was wrong how Anakin took them). Anakin wasn't beyond saving, but the narrative here tries to frame Mark as such. Was he though? It's hard for me to believe or accept that someone who can love and care about others, even if it's just one person, one person you love more than yourself and your impulses, can't be saved. Was the bond between the brothers toxic? Or was it the only thing in their lives that was healthy which makes it all the more tragic?

There were so many things wrong for Mark. How come Bryon who shared in many of them could grow and mature and he couldn't? Was it because of his horrible upbringing and the traumatizing death of his parents killing each other? Was it that he was left too free without any adult supervisors to set him straight? Was it that he was damaged by that poor violent neighbourhood's life?

I don't see a way out of that situation. I knew it would be tragic so I was cold inside when I finished, but it doesn't help to find logic in this. Or comfort. I feel like Bryon did the right thing, yet the right thing destroyed them both - so was it really right?

The overall theme of the book from the beginning has been about good people suffering for doing something right, for trying to right a wrong that wasn't theirs.

I feel so sorry about Bryon punishing himself so much and just freezing inside after what happens. He breaks up with the girl he had a nice friendship with, his brother hates him and turns into a monster each day and he is just broken and frozen about doing the right thing. I want to hope he will be okay one day and grows up being able to care again.

Maybe the solution really was for Bryon not to call the police on Mark. He panicked that night, he was overwhelmed by the suffering he saw drugs can cause, so when he found his brother selling them he just freaked out and accused him. He wouldn't have done it any other night. He regretted it so much he couldn't look at his girlfriend, who he loved very much, who he did it for, after. And if Bryon didn't call the police, Mark would have stopped selling drugs, he wouldn't be broken by the betrayal of his closest most trusted person and he wouldn't have turned into a criminal he did. But Mark still didn't have any idea about right and wrong, about morals and law. So what problem would it solve not to get him jailed? Maybe it wouldn't have solved anything, but I think Mark could have been saved. He still cared about people, he could have still grown into something better. But all hope was lost when he began hating Bryon, when he was betrayed and hurt by him. He accepted all the wrong in life, he let the vindictivness and wildness and hate take over. He was on a brink and Bryon pushed him over. Could he have had saved him instead?

I don't think Mark was beyond saving. But Bryon couldn't save him back then, when he was growing up, when he was just about to save himself. You can't help others if you aren't okay.

In conclusion Mark was a victim of the broken system, neighbourhood, time, family, no supervision and law. He had so many disadvantages, so much instability in his life. When people are pushed to the brink like that, they will start to act beyond the law. Mark wasn't inherently evil, but he made his choices for it. But are those choices really yours when they flow from circumstances?

#writeblr #bookblr #book review #this was then this is now #se hinton #spoilers

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graysonfirewolf85-blog · 5 years

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Suicide and Witchcraft

The one question everyone has asked without exception, that they ache to have answered more than any other, is simply: why? Why did their friend, child, parent, spouse, or sibling take their own life? Even when a note explaining the reasons is found, lingering questions usually remain: yes, they felt enough despair to want to die, but why did they feel that? A person's suicide often takes the people it leaves behind by surprise (only accentuating survivor's guilt for failing to see it coming).

People who've survived suicide attempts have reported wanting not so much to die as to stop living, a strange dichotomy but a valid one nevertheless. If some in-between state existed, some other alternative to death, I suspect many suicidal people would take it.

In general, people try to kill themselves for six reasons:

1) They're depressed. This is without question the most common reason people commit suicide. Severe depression is always accompanied by a pervasive sense of suffering as well as the belief that escape from it is hopeless. The pain of existence often becomes too much for severely depressed people to bear. The state of depression warps their thinking, allowing ideas like "Everyone would all be better off without me" to make rational sense. They shouldn't be blamed for falling prey to such distorted thoughts any more than a heart patient should be blamed for experiencing chest pain: it's simply the nature of their disease. Because depression, as we all know, is almost always treatable, we should all seek to recognize its presence in our close friends and loved ones. Often people suffer with it silently, planning suicide without anyone ever knowing. Despite making both parties uncomfortable, inquiring directly about suicidal thoughts in my experience almost always yields an honest response. If you suspect someone might be depressed, don't allow your tendency to deny the possibility of suicidal ideation prevent you from asking about it.

2) They're psychotic. Malevolent inner voices often command self-destruction for unintelligible reasons. Psychosis is much harder to mask than depression, and is arguably even more tragic. The worldwide incidence of schizophrenia is 1% and often strikes otherwise healthy, high-performing individuals, whose lives, though manageable with medication, never fulfill their original promise. Schizophrenics are just as likely to talk freely about the voices commanding them to kill themselves as not, and also, in my experience, give honest answers about thoughts of suicide when asked directly. Psychosis, too, is treatable, and usually must be treated for a schizophrenic to be able to function at all. Untreated or poorly treated psychosis almost always requires hospital admission to a locked ward until the voices lose their commanding power.

3) They're impulsive. Often related to drugs and alcohol, some people become maudlin and impulsively attempt to end their own lives. Once sobered and calmed, these people usually feel emphatically ashamed. The remorse is often genuine, but whether or not they'll ever attempt suicide again is unpredictable. They may try it again the very next time they become drunk or high, or never again in their lifetime. Hospital admission is therefore not usually indicated. Substance abuse and the underlying reasons for it are generally a greater concern in these people and should be addressed as aggressively as possible.

4) They're crying out for help, and don't know how else to get it. These people don't usually want to die but do want to alert those around them that something is seriously wrong. They often don't believe they will die, frequently choosing methods they don't think can kill them in order to strike out at someone who's hurt them, but they are sometimes tragically misinformed. The prototypical example of this is a young teenage girl suffering genuine angst because of a relationship, either with a friend, boyfriend, or parent, who swallows a bottle of Tylenol, not realizing that in high enough doses Tylenol causes irreversible liver damage. I've watched more than one teenager die a horrible death in an ICU days after such an ingestion when remorse has already cured them of their desire to die and their true goal of alerting those close to them of their distress has been achieved.

5) They have a philosophical desire to die. The decision to commit suicide for some is based on a reasoned decision, often motivated by the presence of a painful terminal illness from which little to no hope of reprieve exists. These people aren't depressed, psychotic, maudlin, or crying out for help. They're trying to take control of their destiny and alleviate their own suffering, which usually can only be done in death. They often look at their choice to commit suicide as a way to shorten a dying that will happen regardless. In my personal view, if such people are evaluated by a qualified professional who can reliably exclude the other possibilities for why suicide is desired, these people should be allowed to die at their own hands.

6) They've made a mistake. This is a recent, tragic phenomenon in which typically young people flirt with oxygen deprivation for the high it brings and simply go too far. The only defense against this, it seems to me, is education.

The wounds suicide leaves in the lives of those left behind by it are often deep and long lasting. The apparent senselessness of suicide often fuels the most significant pain. Thinking we all deal better with tragedy when we understand its underpinnings, I've offered the preceding paragraphs in hopes that anyone reading this who's been left behind by a suicide might be able to more easily find a way to move on, to relinquish their guilt and anger, and find closure. Despite the abrupt way you may have been left, guilt and anger don't have to be the only two emotions you're doomed to feel about the one who left you

Powerless

So you feel powerless? You feel like you don't know what to do and think you're a failure as a witch. How do we use magick which requires our full sensibilities, willpower, emotional functions such as love, passion, and desire if they are dulled by medication? That is a good question. Is crossed my mind quite a bit. Our Magick is definitely affected.

"Witchcraft is the craft of the wise. Wise people don’t become wise simply because they have acquired some knowledge. They become wise because their knowledge is enhanced through experience. Strong Healers were often inspired through needing healing in the first place. Through our own healing, we can be inspired to heal and without the experience of being a patient we can not fully understand how to healing process can work."

The Pretty Pill

"Drugs often interfere with real magick. The nature of how anti-depressants work is in how they “dull the senses”. It changes the chemical balance in the brain to enhance the mood which often takes away emotional aspects of what we draw from when creating and manifesting from desire. But… So does depression… There are many physical causes of depression that can be managed through other forms of treatments and yes, many of them are holistic. If someone is suicidal or dealing with depression, should they NOT take their anti-depressants? I am not saying that at all. For many, anti-depressants are necessary at least for a while. I am saying there may be another solution to look into as part of the long-term treatment plan."

have too agree with the above from Summer in her article in Witch Digest. Drugs for depression are designed to dull the senses. It's also a teeter-totter in the sense that some cases require the use of anti-depressants. YET, again, not all drugs are designed to dull the senses and sometimes the drugs don't even work

6 Ways to Improve

Balance and Grounding

The mind, body, and spirit work together. When one part is out of balance, it can throw the other parts of us out of whack. That is the theory of finding balance. The art of trying to keep all three aspects in balance at the same time. I believe it takes a lifetime to master and I don’t believe it is actually 100% mastered even by the masters. That is how grounding helps us regain our balance.

Diet

Sometimes the food we eat doesn’t work well with our bodies and throws off the balance of our overall well-being. Finding a diet that works for us through a process of elimination and cleansing to help us feel our best can have positive effects but it may not be the end all solution. That also may include a dietary supplement. Care must be taken when changing one’s diet or adding a supplement. A good example is St. John’s Wort because it is known for being a mood enhancer. The biggest problem with St. John’s Wort is for those with Bipolar it can make things worse and increase the cycling effects of the disease. Not to mention how it works is by changing the levels of serotonin, a chemical in the brain, and so does anti-depressants and the combinations can be dangerous and even life-threatening.

Exercise

Adding exercise to one’s lifestyle can have many health benefits. Exercise is known to increase endorphins that can have a mood enhancing effect. But, we have to be careful not injure ourselves and care must be taken. Exercises that get our bodies in motion are great. I enjoy a dance night where I get up and dance in my living room and have a blast being silly or going for a scenic walk around my neighborhood when safety permits or even walking in the local mall. Chi gong, Tai Chi and even Yoga is said to have positive effects on mood and energy.

Holistic energy healing

Holistic healing techniques such as Reiki for some can make a huge difference as part of the whole healing and recovery process.

Meditation

This can help us regulate our balance and grounding through trying various techniques. These techniques can be found through counseling, learning through teachers or masters and even through internet searches.

Counseling

Most of all, counseling if done with the correct mindset can also add to recovery in the healing process. I have seen people go through years of psychotherapy and never recover and I have seen someone go through just a few sessions or a few years of therapy and do more healing than ever expected. Finding the right type and quality of counselor is necessary. Remembering that a counselor can only guide you on your healing path and the healing process is up to you is a key factor in benefiting from counseling.

Permanently Medicated

If one is permanently medicated or even temporarily, How can a Witch work magick while medicated? Well, there is a way. You have to work around the constraints and only you, the magickal practitioner can discover what that is for yourself. Knowing how your illness works on your overall health, which contains all three of the mind, body, and spirit and how the treatments affect your overall health is a good place to start.

Trial and error is often the only way to figure out which options work best for you.

Conclusion

Healing one aspect of our whole being requires the complimentary healing of each of our three parts; Mind, body, and spirit. At least that is what I believe. For some, medication can actually enhance their well-being and therefore increases their magickal abilities.

[Source 1|https://witchdigest.com/25707/can-depression-affect-my-magick/]

[Source 2|https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml]

[Source 3|https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/happiness-in-world/201004/the-six-reasons-people-attempt-suicide%3famp]

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youngladyblaze-blog · 7 years

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suicide is permanent solution to a temporary problem

Suicide is bad....it doesn’t end the pain but it just passes it to someone else. Look The person who suicide, dies once. Those they left behind die a thousand deaths, trying to relive those terrible moments and ask why?

I know that people can sometimes be so mean they just don’t see what hurts you until it kills you.... but remember we are all humans .We’re all the same no one is better than the other .

The main reasons people commit suicide maybe because they get bullied which is so dangerous and actually bullying is unwanted.Bullying has many types like verbal , cyber bullying etc.... if someone is just bullying you for no reason then that means you are above them like come on think about it why would they bully you for no reason it’s cause they are jealous that you are better in every way.They’re hating on you cause you are better remember DON ' T LET ANYONE’ S IGNORANCE . HATE,DRAMA and NEGATIVITY STOP YOU FROM BECOMING THE BEST PERSON YOU CAN BE .Pulling someone down will never help them reach the top. Bullying happens when sometimes the bully is home abused so the bully just brings it all out at the victim or by the way , maybe the bully is a victim too. Throughout life people will make you : mad, they’ll disrespect you ,make you cry and treat you bad but let god deal with the things they do. We all get hurt but we should hold on and god will help us . you should tell an adult or a friend or even a teacher you trust they’ll help you for sure .... tell someone instead of ending your life because of stupid people . They insult you and hurt you because they’re insecure of something they are lacking . FACT : Haters don’t really hate u instead they hate themselves because you are a reflection of what they to be . If you are in high school remember that high school is temporary and i mean that you’ll finish and have a new life ... it’s not permanent so just hold on , ignore them and defend yourself trust me if u did this you’ll scare them all . you aren’t weak .... trust yourself never give up , defend yourself it’s better then people making fun of you cause you are weak and cause yo get beaten ,never give up you can do it .

Depression :. This is without question the most common reason people commit suicide. Severe depression is always accompanied by a pervasive sense of suffering as well as the belief that escape from it is hopeless. The pain of existence often becomes too much for severely depressed people to bear. The state of depression warps their thinking, allowing ideas like "Everyone would all be better off without me" to make rational sense. They shouldn't be blamed for falling prey to such distorted thoughts any more than a heart patient should be blamed for experiencing chest pain: it's simply the nature of their disease. Because depression, as we all know, is almost always treatable, we should all seek to recognize its presence in our close friends and loved ones. Often people suffer with it silently, planning suicide without anyone ever knowing. Despite making both parties uncomfortable, inquiring directly about suicidal thoughts in my experience almost always yields an honest response. If you suspect someone might be depressed, don't allow your tendency to deny the possibility of suicidal ideation prevent you from asking about it.

They're impulsive. Often related to drugs and alcohol, some people become maudlin and impulsively attempt to end their own lives. Once sobered and calmed, these people usually feel emphatically ashamed. The remorse is often genuine, but whether or not they'll ever attempt suicide again is unpredictable. They may try it again the very next time they become drunk or high, or never again in their lifetime. Hospital admission is therefore not usually indicated. Substance abuse and the underlying reasons for it are generally a greater concern in these people and should be addressed as aggressively as possible.

They're crying out for help, and don't know how else to get it. These people don't usually want to die but do want to alert those around them that something is seriously wrong. They often don't believe they will die, frequently choosing methods they don't think can kill them in order to strike out at someone who's hurt them, but they are sometimes tragically misinformed. The prototypical example of this is a young teenage girl suffering genuine angst because of a relationship, either with a friend, boyfriend, or parent, who swallows a bottle of Tylenol, not realizing that in high enough doses Tylenol causes irreversible liver damage. I've watched more than one teenager die a horrible death in an ICU days after such an ingestion when remorse has already cured them of their desire to die and their true goal of alerting those close to them of their distress has been achieved.

They have a philosophical desire to die. The decision to commit suicide for some is based on a reasoned decision, often motivated by the presence of a painful terminal illness from which little to no hope of reprieve exists. These people aren't depressed, psychotic, maudlin, or crying out for help. They're trying to take control of their destiny and alleviate their own suffering, which usually can only be done in death. They often look at their choice to commit suicide as a way to shorten a dying that will happen regardless. In my personal view, if such people are evaluated by a qualified professional who can reliably exclude the other possibilities for why suicide is desired, these people should be allowed to die at their own hands.

They've made a mistake. This is a recent, tragic phenomenon in which typically young people flirt with oxygen deprivation for the high it brings and simply go too far. The only defense against this, it seems to me, is education.

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geekysweetie · 7 years

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Big Fish and Begonia Anime Review

Overview:

Big Fish & Begonia (also known as Da Yu Hai Tang) is not technically an anime since it is from China instead of Japan; however, it is a beautifully animated fantasy adventure with a lot of heart. The quality of the animation is on par with Disney or Studio Ghibli.

The story has a few plot holes and pacing issues, but overall, the emotional impact of the story telling makes this film a must watch. The story may feel familiar if you’ve watched Disney’s the Little Mermaid, or another Chinese animation from the 90s, Chinese Ghost Story. Despite the similar concepts, Big Fish & Begonia still manages to add its own unique twists and takes on concepts of forbidden love and reincarnation.

Big Fish Begonia Anime Review

Review:

Title: Big Fish & Begonia (Da Yu Hai Tang)

Release Date: July 2016 (China) (Not yet licensed for North America)

Production: Bejing Enlight Media

Geeky: 5/5 – The production values are top notch. The quality of the animation, music, and acting are all on PAR with Disney or Studio Ghibli. Many consider this film to be the “dawn of animation” in China. It took 12 years to complete, and the level of dedication, time, care, and skill that went into making this film really shows.

Sweetie: 4/5 – I did decide to deduct one point for a few major plot holes and pacing issues. However, the themes of love (often times unrequited), life, death, and reincarnation make this film very “sweet” indeed. I was not expecting to cry as much as I did by the end!

Overall: 47/55 85% B “Very Good Anime For Girls”

Big Fish Begonia Anime Review

Concept:

Concept: 10/10 I am in love with the concept behind this film. I am a huge fan of Chinese Ghost Story and also the Little Mermaid.

I even prefer the old 80s Japanese version of the Little Mermaid over the Disney one (blasphemous, I know, right?). Don’t get me wrong, I love Disney’s Little Mermaid too. But the reason I love the non-Disney version so much is because of how sad it is.

Spoiler for the Japanese Little Mermaid below:

Spoiler

In the end, the prince marries another girl. The Little Mermaid’s sisters come to her with a poisoned dagger. If she chooses to kill the prince and his new bride, she can return back home with her family. However, the Little Mermaid only wishes for the prince’s happiness and cannot bring herself to harm him because she is so in love with him. As the sun rises, per her agreement with the Sea Witch, the Little Mermaid turns into sea foam and dies.

Big Fish Begonia Anime Review

I know this sounds horrible to some people who always insist on watching movies with a happy ending, but I’ve always loved tearjerkers, even as a child. There’s just something so touching and sweet about this tragic tale. It also happens to follow the original story more closely as well.

So if we combine that 80s Little Mermaid with Chinese Ghost Story, we get something very similar to Big Fish & Begonia. Chinese Ghost Story is another beautifully animated Chinese film. (The animation was done by a Japanese studio). The story involves a young man who finds himself lost in a literal “Ghost Town”. All of the city’s inhabitants are spirits who have passed over. There, he meets a beautiful woman who also happens to be a ghost. Eventually the two of them fall in love; however, the only way for them to be together is for both of them to reincarnate back on earth.

Story:

Story: 7/10 The story of Big Fish and Begonia revolves around Chun, a young girl who has just become an adult in her society. Chun is from a mystical world. The movie describes the world by having Chun narrate that they are not gods, nor humans, but “others”.

In this mystical world, all adolescents become dolphins and journey to the human world for 7 days as a right of passage. During this time if they should come into contact with humans, they will not be allowed to return back to their own world.

Big Fish Begonia Anime Review

However, a sea squall occurs which traps Chun in a fisherman’s net on her last day on Earth. The past few days, she has spent observing the humans and their world, especially one young human who loves the sea. This human sees that Chun is trapped in the net and swims out to save her.

Although he is able to free Chun from the fisherman’s net, he drowns in the storm. Chun tries to save him, but is only able to retrieve his ocarina. Chun can’t forget the young man or his grieving family even when she returns back to her own world.

Chun discovers that there may be a way to revive the young boy and return him back to his world. She trades half of her life in exchange for his. In doing so, she also irreversibly links together their two souls. Should one of them perish, so shall they both. To complicate matters, his soul must remain a fish until returning back to the human world. In Chinese legends, there was a big fish who could fly through the skies. Thus Chun names him after the fish of legend, Kun.

Big Fish Begonia Anime Review

Many sad things happen along the way, but Chun resolves herself to complete her mission, even if it costs her her own life. As much as Chun cares for Kun, there’s another character who equally cares for Chun. He is her childhood friend named Qiu. With the same resolve that Chun takes to protect Kun, Qiu takes similar resolve to protect Chun, also willing if necessary to trade his life for hers.

Overall, I really enjoyed the film and loved the concept and story. My complaint with the story is the introduction of minor characters halfway through. They abandon certain concepts they have introduced, and create inconsistencies and plot holes. Here are a few examples.

1.) In theory, Chun should not have even been able to return back to her world. Contact with humans was forbidden. Yes, her world begins to suffer, and everyone turns against her. But, when the film starts, her mother warns her not to let the humans see her and tells her that another girl just took the journey and was unable to return for breaking this rule.

2.) At one point, a villain will escape into the human world. (You’ll know what I’m referring to if you watch the movie). After escaping into the human world, we never see or hear from this villain again. You would think it had some motive for wanting to go into the human world and that some consequences may occur in the human world as the result of introduction of this character. We’re never shown exactly what those consequences are.

Big Fish Begonia Anime Review

3.) When returning to the human world, all memories are supposed to be erased; however, that doesn’t seem to happen. There’s also the issue or significance of the necklace that Chun is wearing at the end, that I don’t recall being explained. It seems the creators want your attention to be called to the necklace from the swinging and shining animation and camera zoom and pan given to that scene. What significance exactly did the necklace hold?

This next bit might be a Spoiler for the end of Big Fish and Begonia

Spoiler

4.) If you watch past the credits you see a scene with Qiu (possibly eluding to a sequel of some sort), and at the end of the credits you are told that the film is based on a Chinese legend about a brother (Qiu) who evoked an 8,000 year long autumn, and his sister, Chun, who evoked an 8,000 year long spring. Then we are led to believe that the Qiu and Chun in this film are the reincarnations of the ones in Chinese Legend. Chun even tells Qiu that she can’t love him because she thinks of him as her brother.

When we look at their respective magical ability, Chun with her flowering and plant growing, and Qiu with his fruit growing/harvesting, this also reinforces the idea that they are brother and sister. Also while researching this, I discovered that Chun is the Chinese word for Spring, and Qiu, the Chinese word for Autumn.

You can also do your own research into reading more about the Legend of Qiu and Chun. One such source that I found describes that they had an incestuous affair for many years, despite Chun later marrying for political reasons, and being separated by distance geographically. Despite the distance, their feelings for one another never diminished.

The problem that I have with this theory is just simply that Chun doesn’t love Qiu in this film which seems to be a direct contradiction to the ancient legend. If it was based on this Chinese legend, it seems that she would have also had feelings for him as well as, or maybe even more than, her feelings for Kun. Qiu very clearly has those feelings for Chun as he tells her that his only regret is having not held her in his arms on their final night together. However, Chun seems to only regard Qiu as a good friend, and nothing more.

Despite the inconsistency that this creates, I have to say, Qiu is my favorite character, and that one line of dialog, and the scene of their final night together, and Qiu’s sacrifice for Chun, really is my favorite part of this movie.

Big Fish Begonia Anime Review

Characters

Characters: 8/10 Qiu makes this film for me. He begins as a bit of a child-like impish, practical jokester. By the end of the film, he has matured so much, and sacrifices so much as a result of his love and desire to protect Chun.

Chun likewise grows as a character, with her resolve to protect Kun. She goes against her elders, her mother, the people of her village. She is shunned as a result of breaking the laws of her people. While it would be easy to harbor a grudge against the people who have cast her out of their tribe, she instead endeavors to help them when tragedy befalls their home.

Chun also realizes what she was warned, that we cannot ever truly atone for our sins. As a result of helping Kun, other people begin to suffer. She realizes the weight and consequences of her actions; however, it is too late to change course.

Big Fish Begonia Anime Review

Qiu learns a similar lesson. He asks how to save and help Chun, but the answer he receives eats away at him. He asks a shopkeeper if he has anything that can make him forget his sadness. The shopkeeper offers him a drink, but he warns it will also take away his happiness. He learns that in order to have happiness, you must also experience sadness.

The minor characters are also sources of wisdom and have a lot of heart, especially Chun’s grandparents who help her even after their own death.

I did deduct 2 points because there are some characters that are forgotten and abandoned, and even Kun himself feels underdeveloped as a character. It was hard for me to like the relationship of Kun x Chun because so much more development had been put into Qiu compared to Kun.

Big Fish Begonia Anime Review

Production Value:

Animation: 5/5 This is one of the most beautifully animated films I have seen, not just from China, but from anywhere. It blends beautiful 2D and some nice 3D animation techniques. The fantasy world and characters are all unique and mesmerizing.

Voice Acting 5/5 Big Fish and Begonia is a very emotional film, and to pull that off, it makes use of talented voice actors who can capture and convey their feelings of love, guilt, grief, and despair.

Music: 3/5 Music also has a Disney-ish feeling and helps tell the story. I especially liked the song during the ending credits. There a few Disney-ish feeling “song/dance” skits, which can sometimes detract from the mature and dark feeling of the film; these are brief, but not as well handled in my opinion as similar scenes in Chinese Ghost Story, which makes great use of music interludes to tell their story. The music also doesn’t feel that memorable in Big Fish and Begonia, but it is overall, quite lovely.

Overall: 47/55 85% B “Very Good Anime For Girls”

Big Fish and Begonia Anime Review was originally published on GeekySweetie.com - Geeky & Kawaii Anime, Tech, Toys, & Game Reviews & News

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