Inuyasha

Hello friend! 

I have brought you a new blog post today. Happy reading!

[Warning: this contains MAJOR spoilers.]

Inuyasha, also known as Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale [“Sengoku Otogizoshi Inuyasha” in Japanese] is a manga written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It ran from November 13, 1996, to June 18, 2008 [Oh my! Pretty long, right? Quite old, too.] It’s really well-written—it’s my second favourite manga! The characterisation of the titular protagonist, a half dog-demon named Inuyasha [“inu” is “dog” in Japanese] is amazing! He’s a very rough-edged, impulsive and short-tempered [as well as bad-tempered] brat, but later in the series, we see a vulnerable, emotional side to him [ he has a major inferiority complex as he considers himself vastly inferior to demons; his perpetual scowl and stand-offish behaviour are simply facades to hide the pain and trauma in his heart.] He isn’t my favourite character, though—the female protagonist, Kagome Higurashi, bags that spot! She’s an incredibly strong girl, and possesses great spiritual powers [why, even the main antagonist, Naraku, is afraid of her abilities.] She’s also really brave [to the point of being foolhardy at times. She and Inuyasha are alike in that respect. Both push themselves above and beyond their limits.] Also, she is the real star of this manga—she’s the one who saves the day in the end. There’s another character whom I really, really like—Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha’s elder half-brother [They have the same father, but Sesshoumaru’s mother is a demon as well, while Inuyasha’s late mother was human.] Sesshoumaru shows up as a horrible jerk in the beginning [he thinks his little brother is worthless because of his hybrid status, and tries to kill him several times], but as time passes, he learns the true meaning of “compassion”, and reconciles with Inuyasha to an extent. I think he’s one of the author’s finest creations! Anyway, I’d better get on with the story!

In the Sengoku Jidai [Japan’s feudal period; in the 15^th century, the country was divided into several small states which were constantly at war with each other], a half dog-demon called Inuyasha steals the Shikon no Tama [the Jewel of the Four Souls. It was created by the sacrifice of a powerful priestess named Midoriko; it grants its holder’s desires. He intends to use it to become a complete demon.] However, unfortunately for him, he is unable to escape with the jewel; he is shot by the priestess who was protecting the Shikon no Tama, Kikyou. [She shot him in the chest with a purifying arrow.] He ends up being sealed and pinned to a tree, while Kikyou, who is well aware of the evil that fills people’s hearts when they think of the jewel, decides to take it with her to the afterlife [she’s already wounded and doesn’t have much time left. She instructs her younger sister, Kaede, to burn the jewel along with her body in the hope that it will be destroyed.] However, the jewel is far more tenacious than she thought; it’s not going to be destroyed anytime soon. The scene shifts to 1997, Tokyo, where a young girl called Kagome Higurashi lives on the grounds of her family’s Shinto shrine with her mother, grandfather and little brother. She’s a rational, practical girl with no interest in her grandfather’s historical stories; however, she gets a huge shock [this is an understatement. Seriously] when, on her fifteenth birthday, she is attacked by a centipede monster and dragged into the enshrined Bone Eater’s Well [yeah, I know. It’s a very morbid name]. But rather than hit the bottom, Kagome finds herself in the Sengoku Jidai [coooool! Time travel! That’s probably what you’re thinking, right? But it is not cool—she was dragged here by a disgusting centipede woman who was after the Shikon no Tama. I know, I know, why would Kagome have it? You’ll find out soon.] She tries to find her way home, but comes across a silver-haired youth bound to a tree. Anyone else would freak out, right? Not Kagome, though—she’s surprisingly level-headed for a girl her age. She’s taken prisoner by the villagers, but Kaede frees her, and is surprised at her resemblance to Kikyou. The centipede woman attacks again, and it is revealed that Kagome is the reincarnation of Kikyou [she was carrying the jewel in her body. The centipede woman bit her in the side.] Kagome ends up freeing Inuyasha by pulling out the sacred arrow [the psychotic centipede woman is ready to kill her—and the villagers, too; they can’t fight her.] He kills the demoness in one strike [ he is rude and abrasive, but really strong, too]. He tries to kill Kagome for the jewel, but is subdued by a magical necklace [Kagome just has to say a word—any word—to keep him in line. She chooses “sit” [as in the command used for dogs. Figures.] She says “sit” whenever she’s mad at him; the command makes him fall flat on his face.] Inuyasha initially dislikes Kagome because looking at her makes his heart ache [she reminds him of Kikyou. He was in love with the priestess.] Shortly after, the jewel is stolen by a crow-demon; Kagome shoots it with a sacred arrow, causing the jewel to shatter into several fragments that scatter across the country. Kagome and Inuyasha [reluctantly] team up in order to gather all the fragments lest they fall into the wrong hands [Kikyou’s duty of protecting the jewel now rests on Kagome’s shoulders.]

Sesshoumaru is introduced soon after—he’s after a sword named Tessaiga, which was forged from his and Inuyasha’s father’s fang. Poor [not really poor, though] guy! Turns out he wasn’t meant to have the sword after all; their father left it to Inuyasha [the sword was created to protect Inuyasha’s human mother. It cannot be wielded without strong feelings towards humans. Inuyasha’s desire to protect Kagome is what enables him to use it.] Sesshoumaru gets whacked, but refuses to give up; he tries to kill Inuyasha several times [he’s obsessed with the sword and can’t get over the fact that a nondescript half-demon inherited it.] Meanwhile, Inuyasha and Kagome grow closer, and he begins seeing her as a comrade and someone he can rely on [ in the beginning, he just saw her a tool.] He begins to fall in love with her. Shortly after, it is revealed that Kikyou has been given an imitation body and has been revived by a witch; she insists that she was going to give Inuyasha the jewel so he could become completely human and they could live happily ever after, but he betrayed her and stole the jewel, which is why she sealed him. Inuyasha vehemently denies this accusation. When they are joined by a little fox-demon named Shippou and a cursed monk called Miroku [this man has an incredibly strong soul. He could die anytime because of his curse, but he’s still able to hide his pain], it is revealed that a horrible [a huge understatement] half-demon named Naraku [enter one of the darkest antagonists in manga and anime history] tricked both Inuyasha and Kikyou, resulting in the former’s imprisonment and the latter’s death.

Naraku was born from the soul of an evil lowlife called Onigumo.  Onigumo willingly submitted his body to several demons, who gave rise to a single demon—Naraku. […that’s obvious.] Naraku is collecting all the Shikon fragments for his own evil ends; he constantly absorbs demons and reforms his body in order to become stronger. Inuyasha and co. are soon joined by a sixteen-year-old demon slayer named Sango [I really like her—she’s strong-willed and quick-witted]. Her entire clan was massacred by her younger brother, Kohaku, who was being controlled by Naraku. The boy dies, but is revived by Naraku and kept alive with a Shikon fragment in his neck. While Inuyasha enhances Tessaiga in an effort to get strong enough to kill Naraku, the little band gains several allies, such as Kikyou [who has let go of her hatred now that she knows the reason behind her death], a wolf-demon called Kouga, and Sesshoumaru [yes, the one and only Sesshoumaru. He’s made his peace with his brother, and is now accompanied by a little human girl, Rin. He has a really cool sword—Tenseiga, a sword that heals; it can even call one back from the dead. Rin was the first person to be revived this way.] The battle with Naraku is really long [and brutal, of course]; he’s really, really powerful, and has several minions to do his bidding. Kohaku is one of them initially, but regains his freewill and turns against Naraku. Kikyou plans to let Naraku assemble the entire jewel and then purify them both together, but her plans are thwarted when Naraku fatally injures her [this is the second time she’s dying…. Ugh] and corrupts the jewel with his evil influence. Choosing to save Kohaku’s life over destroying Naraku, she uses the last of her life force to give the boy another chance at life. Naraku is eventually defeated by Inuyasha and his allies, but uses his final wish to entrap Kagome and himself in the jewel as forces representing good and evil. The Shikon no Tama is revealed to be sentient, and attempts to have Kagome make a selfish wish so she and Naraku will be engaged in eternal conflict and prolong the jewel’s existence; instead, she wishes for it to disappear. However, the action causes her to return to her own time with the Bone Eater’s Well sealed, and she and Inuyasha lose contact for three years.

Three years! Such a long time. A lot happens in those three years-- Miroku and Sango have three children together; Kohaku leaves to become a strong demon slayer; Rin begins living with Kaede; Shippou attains a high rank as a fox demon. Back in the present, Kagome graduates from high school [the Well reappears in her backyard, allowing her to travel back and forth again]. She returns to the Sengoku period, where she stays with Inuyasha and becomes his wife.  Happily ever after! That’s all for now. See you next time…

Thank you! I hope you liked my article!

Twelfth Night

Hello friend!

I have brought you a new blog post today which is about Twelfth Night, one of my favourite plays.

[WARNING: This contains MAJOR spoilers]

Twelfth Night, or What You Will, is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been penned around 1601-1602. It’s highly critically acclaimed because of the effortless way in which Shakespeare entwines and connects characters to churn out an incredibly well-thought of plot; this is my third favourite play [the first is Merchant of Venice and the second is Hamlet.] The lead female, Viola, is my favourite character! She’s smart, beautiful, sassy, clear-headed, gentle, and brave in her own quiet, unobtrusive way.  She is a gem among women, indeed! Her character is in stark contrast to another female character, Olivia [while Viola is humble and gracious, Olivia is proud and her bearing is cold. She’s aware of her beauty and is somewhat vain. Little peacock!] Two of Shakespeare’s favourite themes—cross-dressing [as in Merchant of Venice and As You Like It] and siblings being mistaken for each other [as in Comedy of Errors] feature prominently in this play. Love and infatuation also play a major part in the plot; I believe that Shakespeare is trying to pass on a profound message to the audience—infatuation is fleeting, illusionary; it cannot last. When Cupid’s arrow strikes you—well, that’s when you can call it ‘love’.   Well, I’d better get on with the story!

A young noblewoman, Viola, is shipwrecked off the coast of Illyria. She believes that her twin brother, Sebastian, has drowned; however, a kindly Captain [with whose help she came ashore] assures her that he saw Sebastian tie himself to the ship’s mast just before the ship was rent asunder by the raging storm. He believes that Sebastian might still be alive [he is. Sebastian isn’t exactly the brightest person in the play—he’s rather daft, actually—but he’s tenacious. He’s not going to surrender his life to a storm without making sure of his sister’s safety.] Viola is well aware of the fact that she is an unprotected woman; it wouldn’t be safe for her to wander around alone. The Captain provides her with a bundle of men’s clothes, suggesting that she disguise herself and seek the protection of Duke Orsino, the Duke of Illyria; he is known as a good, honourable man. Viola accepts his suggestion without hesitation. Now disguised as a young man, she names herself ‘Cesario’, and enters the service of Duke Orsino as a pageboy [she quickly becomes his closest advisor and confidant. She impresses him with her ready wit and level-headed behaviour. She plays her part so well, no one— least of all the duke—realise that she is actually a woman.] Viola begins falling in love with the Duke, finding him to be a man of highly reputable character [these two can be seen as contrasting characters to an extent—his moodiness is in sharp contrast to her cheerfulness.] She was initially just intrigued by him, but the bud blossomed into a flower [of love, that is.] Orsino, for his part, is “in love” with a noblewoman called Olivia [oh, sure. He doesn’t really love her; he’s just infatuated with her. The fool can’t even tell the difference!] Viola keeps her feelings to herself, biding her time.  Olivia is aware of Orsino’s infatuation with her, but she does not reciprocate these feelings; that’s one thing I like about her—she’s candid. No means NO! Her brother passed away recently, and she loved him dearly; so she refuses to see the face of an outsider—especially a man—for seven years, and keeps her face veiled.  Orsino is unwilling to give up on her [ this play’s men sure are strong-willed, huh? Still, they can’t compete with the one and only Viola!].

Believing that ‘Cesario’ will be able to convince Olivia, Orsino sends Viola to Olivia’s house. Olivia reluctantly lets her in after she causes a ruckus at the gates; well, what do you suppose happens next?  Olivia, charmed by Viola’s sweet-talk, ends up falling head-over-heels for ‘Cesario’.  She’s such a hypocrite, isn’t she? She rejected Orsino several times, stating that she will not break her vow, but once a charming young man shows up on her doorstep and makes a speech about how beautiful she is, she fancies herself in love with him? When Viola discovers that the lady of the house has such feelings for her, she is understandably shocked [in a comical fashion, actually] and excuses herself. There’s a love triangle among Orsino, Olivia and Viola: Viola loves Orsino, Orsino loves Olivia, and Olivia loves Viola disguised as Cesario. [Humph. I know that Viola is disguised very well, but even so—can’t anyone tell she’s a woman? Argh, they’re all fools.] Several characters are used solely for comic effect—particularly Malvolio, Olivia’s pompous steward; he’s really uptight and a so-called “goody-two-shoes”, so Olivia’s lady-in-waiting, Maria [she is not an important character, but I sorta like her. She’s smart and quick-witted] hatches a plot to put him in his place. Long story short, Malvolio ends up getting locked up and denounced as a madman [he tried to woo Olivia after supposedly receiving a letter in her handwriting; that was, as you’ve probably guessed, Maria’s doing. He is sufficiently humbled later, and is freed by Orsino.  Oh my god, this subplot was really hilarious! I loved it! It doesn’t really contribute to the plot, but well, that’s the reason it’s a sub-plot. Right?!]

Meanwhile, it is revealed that Sebastian was rescued by a kind sea-captain, Antonio, who accompanies Sebastian to Illyria, despite having fought and wounded Orsino’s nephew in a vicious duel a while back. Sebastian looks so much like his disguised sister that people start mistaking him for ‘Cesario’. Olivia, running into him on the streets, drags him to her house, intending to marry him. Sebastian’s response? You’d expect him to refuse, wouldn’t you; a strange woman gets in his face, declares her love for him and insists that they get married? He’s never met her before! However, he does not refuse; she’s beautiful and apparently quite rich, so he goes along with her readily [… I don’t like him much. If it was me, I’d have tried to clear up the lady’s confusion.] Fate reunites the long-suffering twins; eventually, both ‘Cesario’ and Sebastian appear before Orsino and Olivia; the two marvel at the twins’ physical similarity. At this juncture, Viola reveals her true identity, much to her brother’s joy; Olivia is revealed that she married the brother, not the sister [everyone laughs at her.] When Orsino looks at Viola, resplendent in her feminine beauty, he ruminates over every conversation they had; ‘Cesario’ had always seemed like an extraordinarily clever young man [and pretty in a feminine way, too.] Realising that he was only infatuated with Olivia, and decides to marry Viola—with her consent, of course. She happily agrees. The play, which began with a dismal scene, ends with wedding confetti!  That’s all for now. See you next time…

Thank you! I hope you liked my article!

The Merchant of Venice

Hello friend!

I have brought you a new blog post today. Happy reading!!!

[WARNING: This contains MAJOR spoilers]

The Merchant of Venice is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1599. It’s highly critically acclaimed, and the term “extracting a pound of flesh” originates from this extremely ingenious and beautifully written play. Though it has been classified as a comedy by most critics, it’s most remembered for Shylock’s [the main antagonist; a cranky, vicious, malicious Jewish moneylender] dramatic speech, beginning with “Hath not a Jew eyes?” It’s quite a heart-rending speech, and it made me feel sorry for him, but his speech can’t excuse his actions. Not by a long shot. Antonio, the titular “merchant of Venice”, is largely a passive character [even though the play is named after him. I don’t like him much. On the one hand, he’s kind and generous, while on the other, he’s a die-hard racist with a particularly low opinion of Jews; he just can’t stop insulting Shylock.]  The lead female, Portia, is my favourite—she’s extremely beautiful, sharp-witted, resourceful and generous [and has a wicked sense of humour, too. The way she sends Shylock packing is simply amazing. However, I don’t like it when Shakespeare’s women disguise themselves as men to get their way. It’s like he’s saying, “Look, reader, women can only get their work done if they’re disguised as a man. They may be extremely sharp and resourceful, but it’s of no use if they’re not disguised.” Portia, Rosalind from As You Like It, Viola from Twelfth Night—why?] Anyway, I’d better get on with the story. I’d be here all day if I began describing the state of characters in my old friend Shakespeare’s plays!

Bassanio, a young Venetian nobleman, is smitten with the beautiful and wealthy Portia, the heiress of Belmont. He’s a prodigal and boastful man [he doesn’t have enough money to buy fine clothes and travel to Belmont to woo her], so he asks his gullible and generous friend, Antonio, to loan him 3,000 ducats.  Antonio agrees at once [though Bassanio has borrowed from him before and squandered it all], but since he does not have much cash on him—his ships and merchandise are busy at sea to Tripolis, the Indies, Mexico and England—he promises to cover a bond if Bassanio can find a lender. Well, what do you suppose happens next? That desperate fool Bassanio turns to old Shylock, naming Antonio as the loan’s guarantor. Shylock harbours a murderous hatred for Antonio, who has already antagonised him with his open, unapologetic and completely unreasonable antisemitism. Alright, even I can’t stand Shylock—he’s extremely cruel and money-minded—but I don’t dislike him because he’s a Jew! There’s another reason for the enmity between these two—Antonio’s habit of lending money forces Shylock to charge lower rates. Shylock is reluctant to grant the loan at first, citing the abuse he has suffered at Antonio’s hand; however, he sees in this an opportunity for revenge, and agrees to lend the sum to Bassanio without interest upon one condition [ yeah. There are no free lunches, especially not with Shylock.]: if Antonio is unable to repay it three months from now, a pound of his flesh will be forfeit. [Now, I’m sure you’re thinking, “What kind of horrifying request is this?! That blood-sucking moneylender!!”. I think so, too. But don’t worry, Portia saves Antonio’s life while his friends just stand around gawking at her. Humph.] Bassanio is naturally unwilling to stake Antonio’s life, but Antonio breezily assures him that he will be able to repay the sum “twenty times over.” He signs the bond. Bassanio reluctantly takes the money and departs for Belmont, accompanied by his close friend, Gratiano [he’s super, super annoying]. He means well, but lacks self-control; Bassanio warns him to behave himself in Belmont.

Enter the lovely Portia! The scene revolves around a conversation between her and her close companion, Nerissa. Portia is awash with suitors, but she deeply dislikes all of them, and secretly hopes that Bassanio—whom she took a liking to some time ago—will come to woo her. Her late father, who naturally wanted only the best man for his precious jewel, has created a will that states that every suitor must choose correctly from one of three caskets—gold, silver and lead. Two of her suitors, the narcissistic Prince of Morocco and the conceited, feather-brained Prince of Arragon, leave empty-handed as they ignored the lead casket and chose the gold and silver ones respectively [fools. They had the nerve to think they deserved her! She’s too good for any man in the play, actually!] The last suitor to visit is Bassanio, much to Portia’s delight. He instinctively chooses the lead casket [the correct one! Hurray for Portia!] and weds her amidst tumultuous joy and celebrations. Gratiano and Nerissa take a liking to each other [well, that was fast!  Let’s hope it lasts] and marry each other with Bassanio and Portia’s blessings. However, this joy can’t last long; it’s the calm before a furious storm.  Bassanio receives a letter from Antonio, stating that all his ships are lost at sea and, as the due date draws near, he will have to give up a pound of his flesh to Shylock; Bassanio, Portia and Gratiano are shocked upon receiving this news, and Bassanio and Gratiano depart for Venice immediately. Meanwhile, in Venice, Shylock views this turn of events with unholy glee; he gets hungrier with each passing moment, and simply can’t wait to get his clawed hands on Antonio. Portia’s little gray cells start ticking furiously; she determines to save Bassanio’s selfless friend herself, and sends her servant, Balthazar, to her cousin, Bellario, [a lawyer. He’s in Padua, which is about three hours’ journey from Belmont] for advice and a lawyer’s robe. Figured out her plan already? Isn’t she super impressive? She makes a very convincing lawyer!

She takes Nerissa with her to Venice. The climax takes place in the court of the Duke of Venice. Shylock [who reminds me of a ravenous vulture] refuses Bassanio’s offer of six thousand ducats [twice the amount of the loan], insisting that he will have his pound of flesh, and nothing else. The Duke wishes to imprison Shylock, but is unable to nullify a contract; Portia appears as a saviour, dressed as a lawyer, and the Duke refers the case to her, asking for the “young man’s” help.  The lawyer identifies himself as Balthazar, a very learned “doctor of the law.” As Balthazar, Portia repeatedly asks Shylock to show some mercy: “Mercy is twice blest: it blesseth him that gives and him that takes”. However, this eloquent plea falls on deaf ears. Shylock will only have his pound of flesh.  She hits upon another plan. She glances at Antonio, who is standing in the dock with quiet resignation and making no attempt to defend himself. She turns back to Shylock and declares that the law will grant him his pound of flesh, but he can only extract a pound of flesh; if he draws so much as one drop of blood, his land and money will be seized by the state, and he will be executed.  Of course, cutting off a pound of flesh is not possible without drawing blood—and anyway, Shylock doesn’t care how much Antonio bleeds! I was simply enthralled. I gotta say—Portia is one of the greatest women in literature. She beats all the men in this play hollow. She doesn’t have any competition! Shylock is stumped. Defeated, he concedes Bassanio’s offer of six thousand ducats, but Portia warns him that he will not get off scot -free; he has tried to take another citizen’s life, so half his property will go to the state, half to Antonio. She leaves his life in the Duke’s hands. The Duke pardons Shylock [he’s magnanimous, huh] and is seriously awed by Portia’s intelligence. Bassanio, who is extremely grateful to this mysterious young lawyer, offers to give “him” a present [the idiot doesn’t even recognise his own wife! Fool!]. At first, she politely declines, but then an idea strikes her—she asks for the ring he is wearing. Bassanio is reluctant to part with it, stating that it is a gift from his wife, but she insists [Antonio badgers him, too. He gives in to the dual pressure.] Nerissa, who is disguised as the lawyer’s clerk, likewise succeeds in retrieving her ring from Gratiano [who does not recognise her. This play is full of insufferable fools.] Portia and Nerissa reach Belmont before their husbands and Antonio; they pretend to believe that the men gave their rings away to random women, before revealing themselves at the lawyer and the clerk, respectively. [I simply loved this scene. It was hilarious!] As all the outer characters make amends with each other, Portia takes Antonio aside and reveals that his ships have landed safely. Happily ever after! That’s all for now. See you next time!

Thank you! I am sure you liked my article! ☺

Romeo and Juliet

Hello friend!

I have brought you a new blog post today. Happy reading!

[WARNING:  This contains MAJOR spoilers]

Romeo and Juliet is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written during the early years of his career. It’s a highly critically acclaimed play; I, too, think that it’s incredibly well written [though I’m not fond of any of the characters]. It’s a heart-rending tragedy revolving around a pair of star-crossed lovers. Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet are two naïve youngsters who meet at a celebration organised by Juliet’s father; they’re aware of the feud that runs between their families [I don’t know what the feud is about. I’m not sure their families know either. It’s been running for centuries. What I do know is that a Montague and a Capulet can’t even run into each other on the streets without a clash of steel. Weird, right? And senseless.] Romeo and Juliet realise this, and attempt to express their defiance through the strength and intensity of their love. Sadly, it doesn’t end well for them.  Read on!

The play is set in Verona, Italy [lots of Shakespeare’s plays are set in Italy] and begins with a street brawl between Montague and Capulet servants, who, like their masters, are sworn enemies. The Prince of Verona intervenes, declaring that should they disturb the peace of the normally quiet city again, they will be executed. A little later, a highly esteemed young man, Count Paris, asks Lord Capulet for permission to marry his daughter, Juliet, an extremely beautiful and intelligent girl. Lord Capulet asks him to wait for two more years and invites him to a ball [that’s the celebration I mentioned earlier. This is the beginning of the romance that destroys the protagonists]. Juliet vehemently spurns Paris, but her mother, Lady Capulet, and her nurse try to reason with her [humph. Why can’t they leave her alone? Juliet is more than intelligent enough to know what she wants in a man. Paris doesn’t have those qualities; that’s all there is to it! Why don’t they understand?!].  Meanwhile, Benvolio, a dear friend and advisor of Romeo Montague, tries to talk him out of his depression; the reason behind that superficial young man’s sadness is unrequited “love” for a very pretty girl, Rosaline, one of Juliet’s cousins. [You probably guessed this already, but Romeo isn’t in love with her. He’s just fascinated by her beauty. At one point, he calls her a “swan among crows.” Talk about flattery!]  Benvolio and Romeo’s cousin, Mercutio, persuade him to attend Lord Capulet’s ball in order to distract himself [he secretly hopes to meet Rosaline. Some people never learn, I guess.] However, he ends up meeting Juliet, who’s ten times more beautiful and twenty times more intelligent than Rosaline [yeah. I’m not exaggerating.] Well, what do you think happens next? Voila! Those two fall in love [they just had a conversation, Juliet impressed Romeo with her witty answers, the two decided they were meant for each other, and that’s that. “Woah”, I thought while reading it. “That’s fast.”]  Juliet’s overprotective cousin, Tybalt, recognises Romeo and draws his sword, but Lord Capulet does not want bloodshed during the ball, which makes Tybalt sheathe his sword immediately. After the ball comes the scene which is now famously known as the “balcony scene”; Romeo, unable to forget Juliet, sneaks into the Capulet orchard and overhears her monologue [“Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”]; she asks him to change his name, as she is torn between her loyalty to her family and her love for him. It’s not much of a battle. The latter wins in, like, five seconds. An ecstatic Romeo reveals himself to her and they decide to marry secretly.  With the help of Friar Lawrence, a dear friend to both Capulets and Montagues [I don’t like him one bit. He may be well intentioned, but he just adds to the fire, causing it to rage and storm before it dies out and is replaced by cool rains.] He actually means to reconcile the two families through their children’s union, but it doesn’t work out the way he wants it to. They are married the next day.

Tybalt is unable to let go of what he perceives as a terrible insult to Capulet pride, and challenges Romeo to a duel. While never one to back off from a fight, Romeo sees Tybalt as his cousin [as he is Juliet’s cousin] and refuses to fight. Mercutio flies into a rage, thinking that Tybalt is audacious and Romeo too cautious [in Mercutio’s opinion, caution and cowardice are the same. I don’t agree at all. Well, whatever.] He accepts Tybalt’s challenge; Tybalt ends up killing him. Romeo is understandably shocked, enraged and horrified at the death of his dear, hot-headed cousin. Forgetting his “you are my cousin” stance, Romeo swiftly kills Tybalt. The Prince arrives, demanding to know who gave Romeo the right to create a ruckus and kill a Capulet; Benvolio argues that Romeo was only carrying out Justice. Fed up with the two families’ senseless and apparently never-ending feud, the Prince exiles Romeo from Verona, under penalty of death if he ever returns. Romeo secretly spends the night in Juliet’s chamber. The lovers are devastated at the imminent separation, but they don’t know that their world has just begun to fall apart.  Early the next morning, Romeo leaves Verona. Lord Capulet, misinterpreting his daughter’s melancholy silence, decides to marry her to Count Paris without further delay, threatening to disown her when she refuses. She desperately pleads with her mother to delay the marriage, but Lady Capulet rejects her. The girl turns to the only one likely to help her out of this difficult predicament: Friar Lawrence. He gives her a potion that will put her into a deathlike coma for two days. The Friar promises to send a message to Romeo asking him to escape with Juliet when she wakes up. Overcoming her initial fear and suspicion, she consumes the potion a night before the wedding. When discovered apparently dead, she is laid in the family crypt.

Bad news travels faster than good. The Friar’s messenger does not reach Romeo in time. Instead, he learns about Juliet’s “death” from his servant, Balthazar. Heartbroken, he buys an extremely strong poison from an apothecary and travels to Verona; he goes straight to the Capulet crypt, where he encounters Paris who is mourning Juliet. Believing Romeo to be an outcast and a vandal, Paris charges at with, but Romeo cuts him down [he’d normally have tried to reason with Paris, but he’s obviously not in the mood for that now. He does apologise to Paris’ dead body, though.] Still believing Juliet to be dead, he consumes the poison and falls on top of Paris’ body. Juliet awakens just then and is horrified to see the corpses of Romeo and Paris; she feels that life has no meaning without Romeo, so she stabs herself with his dagger. [I gotta admit, I have a bit of a soft spot for Juliet, so I was saddened by her death.] The Prince and the feuding families meet at the crypt to find all three dead. Friar Lawrence comes out with the entire story of the “star-crossed lovers”, who were cruelly separated in life, but united in death. The families agree to reconcile, shaken, jolted and saddened by their children’s death. The play concludes with the Prince’s declaration: “For never was there a story of more woe/ Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.” Well, that’s true; however, I’m not a great fan of tragic romances. Romeo and Juliet is beautifully woven, just like fine silk threads, but I believe that true love is about living for each other, not dying for each other. That’s all for now. See you later…

Thank you! I hope you liked my article!

Rurouni Kenshin—The Best Manga In The World [according to me]

Hello friend!

I have brought you a new, extremely interesting blog post today. Happy reading!

[WARNING: This contains MAJOR spoilers]

Rurouni Kenshin, also known as Samurai X, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. It ran from April 25, 1994, to September 21, 1999 [it’s a pretty old manga, huh.] It’s set in the eleventh year of the Meiji Restoration [1878] and follows a former assassin known as Hitokiri Battousai [Hitokiri means “manslayer” and Battousai means “someone who uses battoujutsu”. Battoujutsu is a form of sword combat.] Now, this infamous assassin who’s taken countless lives [without batting an eyelid] during the Bakumatsu [a period of intense turmoil in Japan. The Shogunate was overthrown, and the Emperor was restored, leading to the Meiji Restoration. The Ishin Shishi, a political party, played a major role in overthrowing the Shogunate. Their trump card was the Battousai] embarks on a journey after the revolution is over, vowing to never take another life, having realised the importance and irreplaceability of a life. “Rurouni” literally means “a wandering swordsman.” He discards his old identity, and is now simply Himura Kenshin, an absent-minded wanderer with a sakabatou [a sword with the blade and flat edge reversed]. Now I’m sure you’ll think that he’s completely unrealistic, because how can one survive deadly encounters with powerful enemies without killing them? I thought so too, but when you’re Himura Kenshin, anything is possible, I guess. He’s my favourite character!! I’ve read loads of manga, but Rurouni Kenshin remains my absolute and undisputed favourite [as you go on reading, you’ll find out why.]

After he’s done with spilling the blood of his [extremely unfortunate] enemies during the Bakumatsu, the Hitokiri Battousai wanders through the countryside, offering aid and protection to those who need it. He never stays in one place too long; he’s afraid someone might recognise him by the cross-shaped scar on his face. In 1878, he ends up in Tokyo, where he meets a young woman called Kamiya Kaoru, who is in the middle of a fight with an excessively violent serial killer claiming to be the Battousai [imposter!!] who is tarnishing the reputation of her swordsmanship school [she’s just 17 years old, her father died a few months ago, but she’s running it single-handedly. Impressive, right?]. Kenshin decides to help her [noting that she’ll die if she confronts the imposter one more time] and defeats the man. In the process, Kaoru discovers his true identity, but allows him to stay at her school, noting that he is peace-loving, not cold-hearted and brutally cynical, as his reputation implies. He accepts with mixed feelings [hesitation, because he’s sure he’ll endanger this kind girl, and happiness, because he’s tired of moving around.] He begins forming lifelong bonds with a lot of people, such as Sagara Sanosuke, a 19 year old rebel and “fighting merchant” [also a former member of the Seikihotai, an army made up of the downtrodden]; Myoujin Yahiko, a ten year old orphan brat who is also living with Kaoru as her sole student [she had lots of students before, but they were chased off by the imposter]; and a doctor named Takani Megumi [she was caught up in the opium trade. She’s very intelligent, compassionate and quick-witted, and I really like her. Her family is quite famous among doctors; she has studied European medicine too, you know.] However, since his wanderings have come to a standstill, his dark, bloody past and enemies catch up to him [he ends up making a new enemy, too. That’s Shinomori Aoshi, the head of the spy system, the Oniwabanshu.] He also runs into a very, very bitter enemy of his, Saitou Hajime [former captain of the Shinsengumi’s third unit. The Shinsengumi were the elite police force employed by the Shogunate. Their strength in packs and unique fighting style led to their nickname: “Wolves of Miburo.”] Saitou becomes Kenshin’s unwitting ally.

After about six months of living in the school, Kenshin learns that his successor as the Ishin Shishi’s trump card, Shishio Makoto [a homicidal maniac who kills just for power and the heck of it], is planning to wrest Japan from the government’s hands by attacking Kyoto. Feeling that his friends might be targeted by Shishio’s cronies, he says goodbye to Kaoru [only to her. The rest of them throw a tantrum when they discover that he’s gone] and leaves for Kyoto, planning to defeat Shishio. His friends aren’t as easy to shake off as he thought; all of them [with the exception of Megumi, who needs to tend to her patients] follow him to Kyoto, prepared to take on Shishio and his elite warriors, the Ten Swords. He also finds a new friend in an adventurous sixteen-year- old girl, Makimachi Misao. The two foes’ first meeting goes badly; Kenshin visits his old master, Hiko Seijurou, in order to learn his fighting style’s [it’s called Hiten Mitsurugi] succession techniques. After much trial and error [he’s really out of practice. It’s been fifteen years since he saw his master, too], he masters both techniques and defeats Shishio in a vicious battle; however, the only one who can destroy Shishio is Shishio himself. He is consumed by flames due to the rise in his body temperature caused by his severe burns; the result of a botched attempt on his life.] Oh, and in case you were wondering, Aoshi becomes Kenshin’s strong ally [after getting all beaten up and lectured.]

Sadly, it’s not happily ever after for Kenshin and his friends; upon their return to Tokyo, another deadly enemy shows up, bearing the form of a psychotic young man called Yukishiro Enishi [he suffers from Marie Antoinette Syndrome. Here’s a huge, huge shocker: he is Kenshin’s brother-in-law.] He’s here  after ten years to avenge his sister’s death at the hands of the Hitokiri Battousai. At this juncture, it is revealed that during the Bakumatsu, Kenshin had been married to a young woman called Yukishiro Tomoe [she plays a crucial role in this arc; you’ve probably figured this out already. Mr Watsuki often associates her with snow; she’s frail, beautiful in an ethereal way, very pale, soft-spoken; but she also has a lot of emotions raging in her heart, concealed by a calm exterior.] She had initially wanted to kill him to avenge the death of her fiancé, Kiyasato, whom Kenshin had killed, but her wounds healed over time, and she abandoned all thought of killing him. She was truly, hopelessly in love with him. However, she couldn’t break the chains she’d imposed on herself, and was betrayed and captured by the group of assassins which she’d joined when she entered the plot to kill him. Kenshin rushed to rescue her, killing her assailant [and accidentally landing a fatal strike on her. She jumped in to save him from a killing blow]. The eight- year- old Enishi witnessed this, and vowed to kill the man who killed his sister. Viewing Kaoru as nothing more than a “replacement” for Tomoe, Enishi kidnaps her and leaves behind a corpse doll [ [it bears a stunning resemblance to her. Everyone thinks she’s dead.] Aoshi saves the day, insisting that she’s alive [which she is. Killing that hot-headed girl is no mean task. She fights tooth and nail at times.]

Kenshin and his close-knit group leave to rescue her; a fierce battle between the two ensues, and Enishi is defeated, bringing the age-old feud to a dramatic close. He decides to let go of his hatred, determining to live peacefully for his sister’s sake. He simply disappears after that, but we catch a glimpse of him in the penultimate chapter [he smells white plums, which have a bittersweet significance for him. That was Tomoe’s signature scent.] Sanosuke decides to go see the world [he can’t stay in Japan. He ran into trouble with the authorities. Trust a born rebel]. Megumi leaves for her birthplace, Aizu. Four years later, Kenshin and Kaoru have a cute little son called Kenji. Yahiko, who’s grown into a very strong swordsman, inherits Kenshin’s beloved sakabatou. Happily ever after! That’s all for now. See you next time!

Thank you! I hope you liked my article!