Sick and tired (and anime and learning languages)

[thistlechaser]

Being sick is getting really, really old. This is day four of not being able to swallow. Every time I lie down, stuff backs up into my throat which of course makes me have to swallow, which hurts as bad as heck. I'm very ready to go to the doctor on Monday.

I've been trying to avoid dairy food, since that'd just make me more stuffy = more painful swallowing, but man, I never before noticed how my diet revolves around dairy. I had some soup on Thursday and yesterday I had nothing but tea and a bit of chocolate. Today I was hungry so I gave in and had some pizza. Oh, and some apples, but that totally didn't work out:

Someone posted an easy recipe for baked apples: Just slice an apple, toss in a couple spoonfuls of brown sugar and cinnamon, then bake at 350 for ten minutes. I had apples I needed to use up, and I figured that would be soft to swallow, so I tried making it. Blech! They tasted like nothing (even though I thought I put too much brown sugar and cinnamon in), and were soggy, droopy apples. Blech.

Didn't walk yesterday or today, but I'm tired just from walking around the apartment so I don't feel too guilty. In retrospect, walking Thursday in the rain when I was sick was probably a bad idea. I'm stupid, yes.

In anime news: Infinite Ryvius is rocking my socks. I've watched 15 eps in, what, two days? Totally Lord of the Fly-ish, very very very cool. Because a certain someone kept poking me to try it again, I downloaded Cowboy Bebop to give it a second chance. Watched one ep. Was majorly "eh" about it. Hated most of the music (especially the opening theme), hated the character designs, was eh about the art, and yawned through the story. Will give it one more chance before deleting it.

When I saw it available for downloading, I grabbed a copy of Pimsleur's Comprehensive Japanese (Pimsleur is supposedly the best way to learn a language outside of a classroom). Unlike German (the only other language I ever studied), Japanese feels like nothing more than random syllables strung together in a totally nonsensical way. It's interesting, but really hard; instead of memorizing just vocabulary and grammar rules, you need those two plus extra stuff. Like "ka" added to the end of a word to make it into a question. ...or maybe it wasn't ka. I've forgotten already! Heh. And you could add some other sound to the end of a word to make it a negative. (Yes, I need to listen to lesson one again.) Boy, I'm glad not to be learning this in a classroom. If anyone else heard all the mistakes I make, I'd die of embarrassment!

Comments

[metron-ariston.livejournal.com]

*hugs* I hope you get better soon... and you really /should/ go see a doctor. Have you had your tonsils out? If you have strep throat you /really/ need to get on antibiotics.

I downloaded Cowboy Bebop to give it a second chance. Watched one ep. Was majorly "eh" about it. Hated most of the music (especially the opening theme), hated the character designs, was eh about the art, and yawned through the story.

*stares* Whoa. I can't say I've ever seen someone have that reaction to CB, but to each their own!

And... heh, Japanese is a very strange language. My first two weeks of classes consisted mostly of learning kana and really, really basic vocabulary and introductions and stuff without concentrating on grammar so much since most of it was idiomatic anyway. Everyone screwed up all the time, though, so if you did take a class you really wouldn't be any worse off than anyone else.

And, yeah, ka is the question particle... usually you get negative verb forms with -masen, or -nai, or... blargh, I hardly remember anything any more and am probably confusing you and should not even be /talking/ about this! *flees*

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

*hugs* I hope you get better soon... and you really /should/ go see a doctor. Have you had your tonsils out? If you have strep throat you /really/ need to get on antibiotics.

Thanks! And I have an appointment for Monday. Assuming I'm not better by then, I'm going to guess it's strep. Yay antibiotics, they always make me sick on their own. :/

*stares* Whoa. I can't say I've ever seen someone have that reaction to CB, but to each their own!

*laughs* I know, everyone's always shocked when I say I didn't like it! Well, it gets one more chance to grow on me, then it'll be decided.

My first two weeks of classes consisted mostly of learning kana...

That's the only downside of this, it's only spoken! No kana or anything else. I bet there was supposed to be a book to teach that, but I only have MP3 files, so...

[quasilemur.livejournal.com]

Some petulant, contrary part of me figured you wouldn't like it, and is vindicated. Another part is aghast that you don't like the music. Throughout the series, the music really runs the gamut...The influences are myriad and diverse, and just about every style is represented with a sort of improvisational flair. Much of it is also fairly thematic, going along with the episode in question. Of course, if you don't like jazz, you don't like jazz.

As for being 'eh' and second chances, it's really anybody's guess. The series manages to be both continuous and episodic at the same time. Each character has a running metaplot of sorts, a quest for identity, search for redemption, what have you, that we only get bits and pieces of, at least until the plot's culmination. These fuse together with other elements into a continuous plot, albeit one that's largely character-driven and vague early on. Each episode, however, is a work unto itself...some more than others (Toys in the Attic, Mushroom Samba), with its own theme and tone.

I would definitely advise continuing to watch...Heck, the entire cast doesn't even assemble until episode 9. While it's possible that you just don't like the series, you might just have the wrong expectations. On paper, it should be something you should like...The non-vicious part of me is a little confused on that note.

-Character driven: The series is a character study of a small group of people. While certainly action-packed, the characters are well-developed and sympathetic, with real motivations and foibles...especially as the end of the series approaches and the interpersonal relationships begin to cement.
-Gritty: While the series has a sense of humor, it is actually deceptively dark. The dark side of humanity is in full force in certain episodes, again, particularly towards the end. And as far as characters go, I somehow peg you as a potential Vicious fan. There is also, interspersed through the series, past glimpses of the criminal relationships I know you love so well, as well as the present consequences.
-Comedy/Tragedy: A quite heady mixture of the two. While some of the episodes are plain silly, and others are just plan tear-jerking, most are a blend thereof. The music also goes along admirably with this. The accompaniments to Ballad of Fallen Angels, Jupiter Jazz, and Real Folk Blues are particularly good at inspiring emotion on the blue side, while in Cowboy Funk and Mushroom Samba, the music alone can bring laughter. And it's appropriate in general, particularly if you have a high degree of musical knowledge, and if you try to pick out the homages and inspirations.

It's a deceptively deep series, with a lot of very different elements to like, and quite frankly, if you're not deeply moved after the end of the last episode, there's something wrong with you. :)

One question, actually...Are you watching the sub, or dub? The sub is good, of course...But the dub is fantastic. It's actually fairly common opinion that the voices are actually more appropriate in the dubbed version.

[quasilemur.livejournal.com]

Wow, that last reply was much longer than I expected, and still doesn't scratch the surface of this particular noir/western fusion (in spaaace!)

Here's my advice as far as how far to watch if you're not sure.
-First, don't go into it looking not to like it; give it a chance.
-Don't stop after session 2.
-At the very least, wait until session 5 (Ballad of Fallen Angels). At that point, all the main cast has been introduced except for Ed (the unpredictable comic relief), you'll have more context, and you'll have finally hit upon the first dark past/gangster elements of the series, sepia-toned flashbacks and all.
-If you can get to session 12/13 (Jupiter Jazz), you're probably already sold...But they're also particularly good episodes for your previously observed tastes. They're also two of the 'important episodes,' like Ballad of Fallen Angels, Hard Luck Woman, and Real Folk Blues.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Its second chance won't be until a while after I finish Infinite Ryvius -- anything I watch at this point will look like doggy poopoo next to it. I need to finish Ryvius and clense my palate, then I can go back to giving other things a chance.

I'm watching the subbed version. I'm surprised to hear that the dubbed is better! It wasn't an option available though. (I'm surprised I found this copy so fast, since it's licensed.)

How many more eps I give it depends on how the next few eps strike me. Five is what I shoot for to give something a fair chance, but if it's painful to watch a series or if I have lots of stuff I like waiting to watch, then the number lowers.

Thanks!

[quasilemur.livejournal.com]

Yes, the sub is good, but many people, even die-hard sub-fans, prefer the dub. First off, popular opinion generally finds that Spike's English voice actor is more appropriate to the character. Second and thirdly, while bad dubbing detracts from the immersion, good dubbing like this is a part of the experience. If anything, reading subtitles in this case actually decreases the appreciation of the atmosphere. And I'd normally be the last person to day that. Back to Spike again, David Lucas is a fine voice actor, but people do occasionally get 'used' to his voice. I don't think that'll be a problem for you.

One other thing...since it is licensed, what sub do you have? If it's the Pioneer release, that's one thing, but if it's a fansub, it might be somewhat shoddy...A lot of work went into Cowboy Bebop, and it'd be a shame to have it ruined by a poor hackjob.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I started the next ep to see if it was a DVD rip or fansubbed, and man, do I hate that opening theme! *twitch* Anyway, yes, it looks like the subbed version that came with the DVD, not fansubbed.

Most fansubbings I encounter are good though, easily 98% or higher (luckily!).

[quasilemur.livejournal.com]

I've found that out of the few people I've found who don't like Bebop (all two of them), a dislike for 'Tank!' seems to be a common factor. One seems to have a hatred for big brass, which naturally, nullifies his musical opinion in my eyes. :)
The other disliked how it 'sounded like they were making it up.' In other words, had a problem with the improvisational quality of it (and this was the studio version, not the live version, in which they actually do imbellish and improv.) It's worth noting that this second person was a Top 40 kinda girl.

If I recall correctly, many of the songs in Asteroid Blues were of a Western bent. Did that have something to do with your dislike? I remember that both Spokey Dokey and Felt Tip Pin play more than once during the session, both of which are cute, personality-laden songs, but decidedly western. Rush (the big band jazz piece during the 'poncho Spike' fight Vs. Asmimov) is one of my favorites. ELM, the cool troubador-ish vocal bit during the chase makes the chase stand out. And that noir-y sax piece, Road to the West, that plays at the end of the chase, is really atmospheric. There are also plenty of bits and pieces of other songs...CB does that a lot, using different versions and pieces of songs throughout the series, often as leitmotif.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I've figure out your plan, dude! You're going to keep making me listen to the eps so that I can answer your questions, but your real intent is to keep exposing me to them so that they can grow on me! Nice try. ;)

On the theme: I hate it from the very first note. It makes me cringe. It sounds seriously old, like it belongs in a 60's movie or something. One of those stupid Bond ones. I don't hate all Jazz (though it's not my favorite, either), but I don't like it in this case.

Skimming through the rest of the first ep, it does seem like most of the music is Western. It's even the type I usually like (with all that sliding guitar type stuff), I just don't like the way they did it here.

[quasilemur.livejournal.com]

It sounds seriously old, like it belongs in a 60's movie or something.

Aha! So it's your automatic hatred of anything old raising its head once more. It's not that you're not perceiving the evocative nature of the music, it's that you inexplicably find what it evokes offensive. Gee, that makes a noir/western a tricky proposition, doesn't it?
I still stand by my earlier advice, but sheesh, woman.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Hey, it's not that I hate all old stuff! I just generally don't want it in my anime. :)

[tricianna.livejournal.com]

Hurray another Ryvius fan! I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks this series is rockin'

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Once I get through it, I want to put up a post with screenshots and the BT link. More people need to watch this! Yay!