what better way to procrastinate than to write random stuff
reviewing the works that the abilities were based on
Part 1: Armed Detective Agency
I just realized that I've finally read all the works attributed to the abilities of the author's BSD counterparts, at least for the ADA. I plan to do this for all organizations in the BSD universe so I can direct my reading and actually finish something HAHA
DISCLAIMER: I am not an expert on literature, let alone Japanese literature, and my short reviews are solely my opinion as a casual reader. These are all for fun so please don't take these so seriously!
Nakajima Atsushi
Ability: Beast Beneath the Moonlight
Original Work: Moon Over the Mountain
This short story has the vibes of a folktale but with existential dread sprinkled throughout. The prose is calm but the agony still reverberates. I liked this more than I though I would, perhaps because of how clean it felt. Honestly this would be one of the OG works I'd recommend to a BSD fan who wants to try classic Japanese literature.
Dazai Osamu
Ability/Original Work: No Longer Human
This is probably the one novel/work most BSD fans would pick up first - and for a good reason. The themes are pretty universal albeit heavy, the tone of the narrator throughout the entire novel is gripping, the translation by Donald Keene is very readable, and it's just in the most general sense a summary of Dazai-sensei's own life. The last point must be taken with a grain of salt, however, as he's a master liar - something you'll find out if you dig more into his life and other works. If you'd like to see depression in book form, this is for you.
Kunikida Doppo
Ability: Doppo Poet
Original Work: Doppo Collection (probably)
Here's a case of "I can't really find the original work so I'll be reviewing something else instead"
Reviewing: Those Unforgettable People
I chose to talk about this one since it's the one found in the Penguin Anthology. It's an interesting mix of forms: technically, it's a short story. However, the elements of poetry and even of the essay are present - mostly the latter, tbh. Of course the whole "ideal" thing is such a Kunikida-sensei thing that it appears it almost every story he wrote, yet somehow in this one you'll have to squint a little bit more to see it. The point of this story-essay-poem thing is at the very end (the first half is quite dragging imo) is what gives it a little oomph, but honestly I much prefer his other works (specifically Old Gen and Death).
Tanizaki Jun'ichirou
Ability/Original Work: Sasameyuki
You like a slow burn? You like pain? Familial drama? Maybe you'll like this. Maybe you won't. It's a mammoth of a book that feels like a series of extremely detailed telenovela episodes - not that it's necessarily a bad thing. I enjoyed it despite the length because the way it ends, although hardly strong at all, ties the themes and messages of the novel cleanly into a single scene.
Miyazawa Kenji
Ability/Original Work: Be Not Defeated by the Rain
It's a poem every Japanese elementary student would know. The message and style is so simple yet beautiful (I read Sulz's translation). It's joyful and so sunny... until I read the background on it. I cried over his work. Again. (Night on the Galactic Railroad PLS) Man I just love this author so much. But I'm not really a poem person to begin with, so take this review with a grain of salt HAHA
Yosano Akiko
Ability/Original Work: Thou Shalt Not Die
The only complete translation I could find is written in painfully archaic English, so I won't comment on the style HAHA. But I do think the original was just as pointed in its words and message; its anti-war sentiments and middle finger to the Japanese emperor and military (at the time) so characteristically Yosano-sensei. It's sad she'd support WW2 later on - come on sensei WHY
Personally, however, I prefer her shorter poems, specifically the ones from River of Stars. But I'm not really a poem person to begin with, so take this review with a grain of salt HAHA
Izumi Kyouka
Ability: Demon Snow
Original Work: Demon Pond
It's been a while since I've read a play, and perhaps that's why I had a hard time getting through the first half - either that or it was quite lackluster as most of the actual story happens in the second half. Its influences from folktales and traditional Japanese theater (i.e. kabuki and noh) are very apparent - I wish I could have seen it instead of read it because of that. I think this is the first work of Kyouka's that I actually liked (I've read some of his short stories and one of his other plays) so I'll definitely recommend this one if you want to start with this author.
There's also a movie adaptation of it that I haven't watched yet (but I do plan to). I think it could be much better than just reading it as is because of the visuals and mood setting, but a review on that soon. Maybe.
Fukuzawa Yukichi
Ability: All Men Are Created Equal
Original Work: An Encouragement of Learning (Sec. 1-2)
I couldn't be bothered to read the whole thing, but the essence of the ability only comes from the first two sections (which I'll be reviewing).
It's an essay that imo serves as a good introduction to Fukuzawa's philosophy. His views and arguments are built primarily on morality with logic acting mostly as a way to expound on his points. It's interesting, nothing really new for a contemporary reader, but at least it gives a nice background on the changing environment during the early years of Meiji-era Japan. Of course there are personal biases here (specifically the one with China - one of the greatest criticisms against Fukuzawa, even though he was supposedly progressive for his time) but imo that reflects some views of many Japanese at the time - not that they're right, of course.
But what about our special non-gifted boi?
I guess let's look at what one of the episodes was based on instead lol
Edogawa Ranpo
Episode: The Murder on D. Street (S01E05)
Original Work: The Case on D. Hill
I will tell you now: they have almost NO similarities whatsoever. Doesn't mean it's bad tho...
Okay ngl I was pretty disappointed HAHA. It's the same type of disappointment I had with Poe's Murders on the Rue Morgue (which was ironically referenced in the story) but it at least had some sense to it. I blame myself for not seeing it coming tho, given that this story is very typical of Edogawa-sensei. If you do plan to read it, however, be warned that there are implicit (?) themes that may be uncomfortable for some readers (this warning applies to most of Edogawa-sensei's work not made specifically for children HAHA).
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Full credits list for Literature Girl Insane
@venus-is-thinking and @accirax's Google Doc really started me off here, so shoutout to these two. I have NEARLY (update: it's now complete!) got a complete credits list for the video.
Below the cut is the full list of credits from 3:45:
ORIGINAL LITERATURE GIRL INSANE TEAM
Don (sound engineer)
Len Kagamine (incorrectly credited–this is a Rin Kagamine song)
karasuyasabou (original uploader)
Sayaka Siduki (illustrator)
Coleena Wu (English translation)
Yoppei (vocalist)
AUTHORS/COMPOSERS
Lewis Carroll (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland)
Paul W. Chodas (The Collision of Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 and Jupiter)
Agatha Christie (Murder on the Orient Express; And Then There Were None)
Osamu Dazai (The Setting Sun; The Flowers of Buffoonery; No Longer Human)
Julius Fucik (Entrance of the Gladiators)
Joseph Heller (Catch-22)
Motojiro Kaiji (Lemon)
Yasunari Kawabata (Snow Country)
Yumeno Kyusaku (Dogra Magra)
Ursula K. Le Guin (The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas)
Kenji Miyazawa (Ame ni mo makezu)
Thomas More (Utopia––surname is incorrectly spelled as "Moore")
Plato (Six Great Dialogues)
Soseki Natsume (I Am a Cat)
Antoine de Saint-Exupery (The Little Prince)
William Shakespeare (Hamlet; Macbeth)
Sun Tzu (The Art of War)
Donald K. Yeomans (The Collision of Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 and Jupiter)
TRANSLATORS
Kan-Ichi Ando (I Am a Cat)
Sam Bett (The Flowers of Buffoonery)
Alfred Birnbaum (Lemon)
Lionel Giles (The Art of War)
Benjamin Jowett (Six Great Dialogues)
Donald Keene (The Setting Sun; No Longer Human)
Edward G. Seidensticker (Snow Country)
David Sulz (Ame ni mo makezu)
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Be not Defeated by the Rain
Be not defeated by the rain, Nor let the wind prove your better.
Succumb not to the snows of winter. Nor be bested by the heat of summer.
Be strong in body. Unfettered by desire. Not enticed to anger. Cultivate a quiet joy.
Count yourself last in everything. Put others before you.
Watch well and listen closely. Hold the learned lessons dear.
A thatch-roof house, in a meadow, nestled in a pine grove's shade.
A handful of rice, some miso, and a few vegetables to suffice for the day.
If, to the East, a child lies sick: Go forth and nurse him to health.
If, to the West, an old lady stands exhausted: Go forth, and relieve her of burden.
If, to the South, a man lies dying: Go forth with words of courage to dispel his fear.
If, to the North, an argument or fight ensues:
Go forth and beg them stop such a waste of effort and of spirit.
In times of drought, shed tears of sympathy.
In summers cold, walk in concern and empathy.
Stand aloof of the unknowing masses:
Better dismissed as useless than flattered as a "Great Man".
This is my goal, the person I strive to become.
Miyazawa Kenji (transl. by David Sulz)
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𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆: ʷⁱᵗʰ ˢᵘˡˡʸ .
𝐒𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆: ᵃᵗ ᵃ ᶠᵃʳᵐ ᶠᵒʳ ᵍᵒᵃᵗ ʸᵒᵍᵃ .
if you asked ruby , she was chalk full of great ideas . always finding new hobbies and subsequently dragging her most unwilling friends into the fold with her . it was like her gift to them . one they usually didn’t ask for but got anyway . today was no different . sat in the passenger seat , as per usual , she clasped manicured hands together , a rush of excitement coming over her as the farm , somewhere in the valley came into her sight . “ do you see them ? “ a heavy tap to the males arm , other hand pointing at the goats off in the distance . “ are you ready for the best day of you life , sulz ? “ her question not requiring an answer , she’d only mold whatever he said into a semblance of a yes in her head anyways . there was something about the idea of seeing one of the most dominant boxers today do a downward dog with a friendly little goat perched on top of his back that hopped her up with more dopamine than any stimulant could . @delvedinto
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