![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
juushikaA minute and thirty seconds into Kuroshitsuji II and it's all ready like, "Hey, Juu: We made this for you." Bruised naked shota repeating "darkness, darkness, darkness?" It's like it's specially and personally designed—and also, yes, I know I'm easy. (ETA: Excuse me, violent bloodstained shota. Damn you, show, stop pandering to me!) I know I'm also not the only one that this sort of thing appeals to, because that's what Kuro II is, really, right? A "We heard you like" meme in anime form: similar! better! more! To the point of gleeful excess—even more than the original offered, which is saying something. They put the fucking seal on his tongue, I mean seriously. And because of or despite all that, I hear better things about the sequel than I had expected. This sort of setting and these themes and that character design also appeal to my whims of the moment, so the timing is good. All told I am fairly optimistic and whatnot...
But still I begin watching with reluctance. Kuroshitsuji just ended so spectacularly, in my view—and I don't want that tainted. The balance between Sebastian's growing love and respect for Ciel and the fact that they maintained their contract, that Ciel died—by his choice, and at peace—and Sebastian devoured him, is so exquisite and brave. It is a bittersweet ending of the most finely crafted sort, it is true to itself and its original designs, and it is perfect. I jokingly refer to it as "I love you but om nom nom" but really—that end has stuck with me, and I would want it to have turned out no other way. Continuing the same sort of story at all is a bit unnecessary, because the original ended so completely and so well; that I suspect we see more of Ciel raises my hackles high. I distrust sequels for just this reason. They distort and change prior events and interpretations, and they're also rarely as good as the original work, a combination that spoils everything.
I usually opt against them but, meh, I guess I'll give this one a go. Fingers crossed.
Those wondering what the hell I'm on about or curious as to my further thoughts on the original Kuroshitsuji may be interested in my review here.
It irks me beyond reason that I always have to check the spelling on Ciel's name and I usually get it wrong anyway. (I before E except after C except when it's Ciel fucking Phantomhive, yo.)
Just watch, I'll always be able to remember how to spell it now that I've concocted a brilliant little mnemonic.
Put me on haitus and all the sudden I'm posting to LJ all the damn time.
Yes, these really are the things I spend my time thinking about. I have no life. I'm at peace with this.
ETA the second: Because, seriously, wasn't-actually-dead is probably my least favorite fucking trope. Character deaths are important. They matter. They matter because death is a pretty big damn deal that comes with associations like, I dunno, finality. They matter because big events like that have an impact on those that remain to witness them and experience their fallout. When characters turn out to not be dead, you undermine everything that came out of their supposed death: all the impact, all the character growth, all the drama. It turns the event into a cheap trick, instead, some shameless heartstring tugging. It's miserable. The original Kuro was awesome, absolutely, but the number of things and people coming back in the sequel not because they should come back (because, for example, they're still alive) but because it worked so well last time so we might as well do it again is just fucking ridiculous.
And yet Alois is a dozen types of delightful.
Damn you, show. You have me intrigued, I will continue to watch, but I still wanna smack you with a cluebat.
But still I begin watching with reluctance. Kuroshitsuji just ended so spectacularly, in my view—and I don't want that tainted. The balance between Sebastian's growing love and respect for Ciel and the fact that they maintained their contract, that Ciel died—by his choice, and at peace—and Sebastian devoured him, is so exquisite and brave. It is a bittersweet ending of the most finely crafted sort, it is true to itself and its original designs, and it is perfect. I jokingly refer to it as "I love you but om nom nom" but really—that end has stuck with me, and I would want it to have turned out no other way. Continuing the same sort of story at all is a bit unnecessary, because the original ended so completely and so well; that I suspect we see more of Ciel raises my hackles high. I distrust sequels for just this reason. They distort and change prior events and interpretations, and they're also rarely as good as the original work, a combination that spoils everything.
I usually opt against them but, meh, I guess I'll give this one a go. Fingers crossed.
Those wondering what the hell I'm on about or curious as to my further thoughts on the original Kuroshitsuji may be interested in my review here.
It irks me beyond reason that I always have to check the spelling on Ciel's name and I usually get it wrong anyway. (I before E except after C except when it's Ciel fucking Phantomhive, yo.)
Just watch, I'll always be able to remember how to spell it now that I've concocted a brilliant little mnemonic.
Put me on haitus and all the sudden I'm posting to LJ all the damn time.
Yes, these really are the things I spend my time thinking about. I have no life. I'm at peace with this.
ETA the second: Because, seriously, wasn't-actually-dead is probably my least favorite fucking trope. Character deaths are important. They matter. They matter because death is a pretty big damn deal that comes with associations like, I dunno, finality. They matter because big events like that have an impact on those that remain to witness them and experience their fallout. When characters turn out to not be dead, you undermine everything that came out of their supposed death: all the impact, all the character growth, all the drama. It turns the event into a cheap trick, instead, some shameless heartstring tugging. It's miserable. The original Kuro was awesome, absolutely, but the number of things and people coming back in the sequel not because they should come back (because, for example, they're still alive) but because it worked so well last time so we might as well do it again is just fucking ridiculous.
And yet Alois is a dozen types of delightful.
Damn you, show. You have me intrigued, I will continue to watch, but I still wanna smack you with a cluebat.
