for where we are is hell

Q: the structure of your sereies requires the same scene to appear in every episode. how do you keep it fresh?
A: put the main character in a bee costume.



five episodes in The Tatami Galaxy has become my new favourite show ever. it is all around really good and hits so many of my taste buttons. it would have to take an unimaginable dive to shit to let me down me at this point (I HOPE IT DOESN'T).

sprained one of my big toes, it's a really annoying little injury as it's such a small part of my body that I don't even notice it if I'm not trying to move, but it renders me unable to walk. and I was going to see another waterfall tomorrow, too...! I blame the absurdly uneven floors in this house. anyway.

I'm excited to get my hands on the House of Five Leaves soundtrack when it comes out (assuming there will be one); it's an interesting mix of traditional Japanese music and synthesiser and electric guitar. one of the themes though reminds me so much of some of the music from Cat Soup that sometimes I half expect to see a giant man in a mouse costume come running up.

speaking of Cat Soup,



LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THE FIRST EPISODE OF THE TATAMI GALAXY

so from the reviews and reactions I had read, all of which focused on how abstract and surreal and difficult this show was, what I was basically expecting was Cat Soup with bitter philosophical narration. instead what I got was an absolutely endearing and clever take on the Faust legend (which, if you've ever spent time in the same room as me, you will probably know is my FAVOURITE) in which a college student, after realising he lacks all social skills necessary to maintain relationships, devotes himself with his demonic friend to destroying the relationships of others, until a matchmaking god tells him he has a chance with a certain woman and he endeavours to turn his life around. I have no idea what the rest of the episodes will be like, it doesn't seem the narrative is going to progress in a linear fashion, but if they're half as enjoyable as the first this will be one of new favourite series.

some of my immediate attachment to the characters comes from my general love of anything Faust related--the narrator and his friend are so much like the Faust and Mephistopheles that reside in my mind that I actually felt a little violated watching this. and the female lead/sort-of love interest, a very no-nonsense engineering student, was so awesome I didn't even have to stop and think, "wouldn't this be great if it was about a woman instead?"






also, and I feel like as an artist I should comment on this in greater length but I'm getting tired and confused, the art and character designs are really, really, really pretty.

I BAWWWWWWW'D ;3;

(for the record, the one with long hair and lipstick is a man, the one being called "my lord" is a woman, and Fumi Yoshinaga is the best.)