Out-and-Out Lingoes

3:28 PM

Monday, October 6, 2008

I have just finished watching the last episode of Code Geass: Hanyaku no Lelouch... Since it is a highly popular anime in Japan, we would expect the producers to come up with an ending that would satisfy the majority. And there is it -- an ambiguous ending... So did Lelouch died?

In my opinion there won't be a definite conclusion as there is sufficient 'proofs' for both cases. If you want to think that Lelouch is died, of course, he is stabbed, there's a great loss of blood and no one helped him. Suzaku killed him, C.C was praying in the church, and both of them are crying. If Lelouch isn't about to die then why do they cry?

However, on the other hand, if Lelouch is really dead... It seems... Too easy. In addition, to satisfy the people who are looking forward to a happy ending, the producers provide enough 'evidence' to show that Lelouch is alive. Yes, I do know that Lelouch did not get the immorality code from King Charles, but if he is strong enough to activate geass in both eyes, and strong enough to geass even the "collective unconscious", then god knows what he couldn't do. Ultimately, he did say that he is "Zero, the man who creates miracles". From that episode we already know, nothing is what we expected. Lelouch managed to destroy King Charles, the one with the immortality seal, so why can't he be immortal with/without the immortality seal, is the seal even important? And those who watched the anime knows that the immortality part of geass has to be activated with their first death, so Lelouch probably won't expect himself to be alive actually. In addition, if Lelouch is dead, why can the hot-headed Orange be harvesting oranges? He would most likely be plotting means to avenge Lelouch's death already.

The most convincing clue from the ending, I believe, would be the part where C.C appeared. C.C appears to be talking to Lelouch, and many suspected the farmer is Lelouch, otherwise why would he cover his face as it seems quite easy to just draw an old man at the same time. Thus, we are allowed to think it might be Lelouch. This possibility is strengthened by C.C saying "Geass makes people lonely, but it isn't true for you, Lelouch" or something of the same idea. Remember, Geass makes people lonely for C.C as immortality made her suffered; she had no one who can accompany her throughout her lifetime, and people she likes will die before her. But now, while 'talking' to Lelouch, she's actually happy, in constrast to her crying in the church earlier. For C.C to be happy, we can said she either resigned to the fact the it would be better off with Lelouch gone, or we could said that she is happy as she has found company (remember Suzaku said both C.C and Lelouch are companions) as Lelouch is immortal like her, and that Lelouch has proved her wrong. Geass don't make people lonely, in fact, if Lelouch lives, he should be having a great time as he no longer have to deal with politics. However, as the world has seen his pretty face, he has to keep it covered at all times. Lastly, the paper crane as we all know belongs to Lelouch so how did it get into C.C's hand if Lelouch never pass it to her?

Remember, Lelouch said geass is like a wish, and crane symbolises a wish comes true, and if geass didn't make Lelouch lonely, then he should be alive.

Of course, it's up for interpretation, those who said that he's dead can't prove it, those who said that he's alive can't prove it either. There is a balance argument between the two resolutions. Of course, I go for the argument that Lelouch is alive.

To hold on to the future, one has to be alive and Lelouch does not have to redeem his sins with death. Ultimately, god judges people not by who they are, but who they have become.

All-in-all, the moral of the anime is... "All hail Lelouch! All hail thee future!" [I hope I can hold on to that... I hate the future actually, I like the past best].

Labels: blog

10:25 PM

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Watched 'The Dark Knight' today with Stefe, Jackson, and my boy boy... The tickets were really cheap; $6 per person (student price which I didn't know it exists until today). The movie was nice, I like the way they focus on details.

*Warning Spoilers Below*

To start it off, the movie was named 'The Dark Knight' instead of 'Batman', which I think is more fitting to the movie, as the Batman only comes out at night, so hence, the dark knight... Lolx... That's very literal. I would say 'dark' connotes 'being kept in the dark', 'evil', 'corrupted', and 'never to be exposed'. Knight would obviously mean someone who protects. The title of the movie is a direct opposite to the cliche 'knight in shining armour', which fits the movie, especially the ending where Batman has to take up all the blame (of being evil and corrupted) but nevertheless he still protects the city like a savior nobody would ever recognize (even though they continue to hope to be saved by him when they are in trouble) as people are kept in the dark of what actually happened. People revere Batman but at the same time they feel intimidated, so 'Dark Knight' is an oxymoron?

A few themes run through the movie, I especially like the theme on Chance, which was brought out by the character of Harvey Dent a.ka. Two-Face. In the earlier part of the movie where Harvey Dent was still a good guy, the phrase 'I make my own chance' (or something of that sort) appeared twice. The when he turned bad, Batman pushed him down the building before he managed to kill James Gordon's son. The camera zoomed in to the coin flipping through the air and landed on its head, which means that James Gordon's son would not be kill, however, Harvey Dent was not given a chance to act upon the decision of fate. This seems to imply that we can't really make our own chances, and sometimes, we just cannot take chances. Cruel and true isn't it... How many of us are true risk-takers?

The more prominent theme of the movie would be the one on Order vs. Chaos. I like how the 'Joker' brings out idea of Chaos -- he told two different stories about how he got those scars to different people, and you don't know which one is true, and you don't need to know, cause the important part should be his '...why so serious?'

All in all, my interpretation of the whole movie would about how there's chaos in order (all the corruptions they have in the Police department) and order in chaos (how villains plan destructions, and how to bring order back). This idea is also manifested in how twisted Batman's fate is in face of the intertwinement of order and chaos.

Omg... This sounds like my literature essays... Lolx...

Lastly, SHOKUDO @ BUGIS is NICE!

Labels: blog

10:51 AM

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

It's a SCALLOP day yesterday... Started out with a Hokkaido Scallop Ramen @ Ajisen, thereafter I went to the Hokkaido Fair @ Isetan Orchard where I spent $30 total (3 packets of beans and 1 packet of dried scallops). Heart kind of ache now... But I guess it is still such a rare opportunity to buy real Japanese products with Japanese selling it (not together with it)... Wao!

Watched two movies at Shaw House yesterday, the first one was "Get Smart". This show was quite lame. If only it can be a little more realistic. The plot wavers along factors of fantasy and realism, so the 'feel' of it was rather confused. The front part of the movie would probably make you moan at the stupidity of the protagonist. But then again... The whole movie was quite stupid. I felt the urge to punch the protagonist sometimes along the show. But then again... it's only a show.

The other movie I watched was "Never Back Down". Even though this time round, the theatre was rather small, and less comfortable than the previous one (I don't understand why "Get Smart" gotten the biggest theatre) but I think the depth of the plot sort of balanced up the money we paid. I would think the wrestling part at the end would be inevitable "everyone has their own fight", "fight now so that you won't have to fight again", sometimes there is just no way out and you'll still have to face the reality no matter how painful. Yes, I know, but I would rather I don't have to fight at all, literally or figuratively. Guess I still prefer to live in a fairytale world. Living is so meaningless, without fantasies fuelling me on, I would probably be dead long ago. Yes, I'm another emo kid.

So for my hubby who likes to say I always dwell on negative thoughts and that he thinks more than I do because he always consider both the negative and positive factors, I would beg to differ... Ultimately, he always say I 'think too much'.

Labels: blog, food

7:00 PM

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Finally completed the second chapter of my 《童话复活节》... Or rather it was completed quite long ago but I just edited and uploaded it. I'm currently penning chapter 3 of the fan fiction. The progress is slow as I've so many things to do everyday! Busy with slacking, dating, teaching tuition, k-boxing, wii-ing, sim-ming, reading lalala~

Ultimately, life is good~ Hehe...

Labels: blog

12:39 PM

Friday, June 13, 2008

Did I say I never want to go Bishan's Swensen? I think I have that impression the first time I went there, then I forgot about it, and I went there with my hubby yesterday again... And their service was as bad as the last time...

Don't they know that they shouldn't clear the table when the diners are still there? The waiters and waitresses were so eager to clear our table yesterday and I would only mention one out of the many attempts -- The moment my hubby finished his baked rice, the waiter asked if he could take it from him. My hubby absently-mindedly said okay... then he realized he couldn't eat the calamari rings without his plate and utensils around. So... in the end, I have to feed him... And he said, "So that's how the waiter wants me to eat." Lolx.

Beside the overenthusiastic clearing of tables, the other complaints I have would be the stains on the utensils (which my hubby removed with his coke zero); we didn't want to bother the waiters and waitresses again as we asked one of them to replace my tore straw earlier. Just in case, we wouldn't to be seen as difficult customers, ultimately, we are in their hands by dining in their restaurant, who knows what they would do to our food (it has not yet arrived). That reminds me their service was quite slow. We were at our table for some time, trying to decide what to eat, yet no one serves us the water until we ordered the food. Maybe that's a precaution against diners who might decide not to dine there afterall, and they can save on the drinks.

Nevertheless, I can't justify why I should pay so much for the GST with services like those. Haiz...

Labels: blog, food

12:12 PM

Just watched Kung Fu Panda yesterday, it is really a good movie, I especially like the fighting scenes and graphics. The panda do look hairy. The plot I would say is rather cliche, and the movie is kinda short also. But ultimately it did made me cry... and three times too. Owells... At least I'm not the only one who cried. During one of the sad moment, with the music building up the mood, and everyone's quiet with anticipation, a baby's howling was heard. At that instant, soft gigglings resounded the theatre. I must say I'm rather surprised to see that, did the baby really know it was the correct time to cry? Somehow, it did saved me from crying though lolx...

And if anyone intends to watch the show, remember to stay until the very end... There's a surprise at the back... I wouldn't say much to spoil the fun... Although the social pressure to leave the theatre is quite high as everyone starts to leave their seats, the cleaners will be there waiting for all the audience to leave before they could start cleaning up. Still, me and my hubby waited until the very end, enjoying the graphics and the musics in the mean time, for the heartwarming scene at the end.

Labels: blog