(Note: Spoiler-free review) I sometimes have a preference for completed series because I think spreading out episodes weekly can sometimes dilute the impact of the storyline or direction. Regardless, sometimes I pick up on a series which I like and notice it’s still ongoing, and therefore I’m forced into that situation anyways. True Tears was one of those series, and it made me realize that there’s a positive side to ongoing series as well, which is that it’s kind of fun to …(click title to read further)
Well, the last episode of True Tears was subbed very quickly and I have to thank the folks at…er..w00f…fansubs…for their great work.
Probably the best scene, I think….
Now, as for the show, although I personally thought a Noe ending would have been consistent with the show as well, and that it made more sense considering the relative development of the plot and characters, that isn’t what we got in this final episode. Regardless, the episode doesn’t really play into any camp’s hands. It wasn’t a Noe ending, and yet the final scene between the two certainly had a lot of depth, with Shin admitting….(click title to read further)
Essentially, this episode seems to revolve around the old saying, “You don’t realize the value of something until it’s gone”. The series has been building up to the dance performed by Shin. When it happens, he is thinking about Noe and to Hiromi’s surprise, Noe is the one he is gazing at. And at the end, he is running off towards her. A lot of negative things have been piling up on Noe for the past while, and all of it reminds me of KGNE. Does that mean the writers are going to follow the trend and have a sad-but-not-tragic “parting of the ways” in the final episode? Well, I don’t know. I’m not going to pretend that I”m not biased towards Noe because she’s probably one of my favourite….(click title to read further)
With two episodes left to go, I suppose we can see the trajectory that the plotline will take over the remainder of the series. “True Tears” is a much more conventional series than some of the ones I call my favorites, but at the same time, I do find that I have developed a sort of attachment to some of the characters. What I’m trying to say is that I’m disappointed that it looks like there will be a “bad” ending for Noe. Now, we don’t know it for sure, but taking into account…..(click title to read further)
Upon a friend’s recommendation, I’ve watched a few episodes of a new show called “True Tears”. I have to admit I was hesitant at first because it sounded like a generic harem title based on an dating sim game (which I dislike - a lot), but after a few episodes, it’s not quite that bad. Generally, there’s a few tests I apply to any slice-of-life/romance/drama anime. My first basic and simple law of anime (Theowne’s law?) is that “As the instances of pointless fanservice in an anime increase, the chances of said anime being one worth watching approaches zero”. In this regard, “True Tears” isn’t awful but it still succumbs to that tendency every now and then…….(click title to read more)
The moment in “Whisper of the Heart” where Shizuku, prodded along by Seji, begins to sing nervously, and is soon joined by Seji’s uncle and his friends to form an ensemble, is my favourite moment in any Ghibli film, and one of my favourite film moments altogether. The reasons for this are half-quality wise and half-personal. It’s a well directed scene, of course. The version of the song itself is a wonderful arrangement, portraying the simplicity of the scene and expressing how beautiful such simplicity can be. This is the sort of scene where Ghibli films have a clear distinction from Disney films. In a Disney film, this moment, a song, would perhaps start with the solo violin and then quickly transform into a full musical number with a professional singer and production. But Ghibli keeps the simplicity……(click title to read more)
In addition to the Totoro sheet music posted below, I have more for you - I’ve arranged sheet music for Fugainaiya , from Honey and Clover, recorded an mp3, and also recorded an mp3 of Waltz. Neither of these appear on the actual OST for some reason. Here they are:
Someone asked me to write down the arrangement of the Totoro opening theme that I usually play on piano. So, I have done so and I’m sharing it with all of you:
This piece opens the “Children’s Corner” suite and it’s also my personal favourite from the suite. The title is a parody of Clementi’s exercises, but the piece is much more, it’s a warm, nostalgic piece of music and also a joy to play. I’ve listened to a few recordings and some people seem…..(continued, click on title)
As you know I’m very big into music, and I did this project a few months ago. I don’t play much games, but I do like adventure games because of their storytelling and depth. In particular, I enjoyed a game called Syberia, which was a very unique story of wonder and exploration. Since I liked the main musical theme of that game a lot, I composed my own arrangement of it and submitted it to a site called Overclocked Remix, which is a popular site with video game arrangements judged by a panel then posted if accepted. Although a lot of the stuff is rock, and electronic (which I usually don’t like that much), there are some very wonderful orchestral arrangements on the site. And I’m proud to say my submission is now one of them! It’s on the front page right now.
(See category listings below to find separate listings of posts regarding Ghibli, sheet music, my classical recordings or compositions, anime episode impressions, etc...)
about
Omohide.com is my personal site, where I post my thoughts on various things, including anime, films, classical music, soundtracks, books. It's also the only outlet for my fanboyism of everything from Studio Ghibli =D. As well as the above, I enjoy (read: am obsessed with) the piano and composing. The site's name, which means "memories", is derived from the title "Omohide Poroporo", which is a favourite of mine.
And who am I? I'm your typical student-by-day-websurfer-by-night from Toronto, Canada. I live in Scarborough, which is part of the Greater Toronto Area. On the internet, I usually use the nickname "theowne", which doesn't particularly mean anything. You can email me at: theowne [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
