Theatrical: Strong Boy, Deaf Boy, and A Girl in an Abaya and Ayanasu (Woven)

Poster from PETA

Theatrical plays aren't really in my usual list of activities for a weekend, but art somehow fascinates me that no matter how inferior I am when it comes to interpreting movements that bear no words or a steady script, but instead rhythms and sounds that are in tune with beats that change as scenes progress. I call activities such as sitting too silently pretentious and unbearable as I am used to 'not watching stiffly', I guess. Gods, how I hate the silence each time, thus when it fills the crowd, I either break it or join it by falling on a deep slumber (I once fell asleep in CCP while a lady with such a nice falsetto tries to serenade everyone - not proud of that).

But I've been involved with people who can appreciate the beauty of movements while being silent as a wall, hence this activity. It's very different from my usual films, and so here's a review.

Strong Boy, Deaf Boy, and A Girl in an Abaya

This first part was brought to us by the Philippine Educational Theater Association. This was written by Palanca Hall of Famer Nicolas Pichay. Quick background story: this is about how three kids struggle to survive in Yolanda (Haiyan) tragedy.

Before the show, I was terribly distracted, to be honest. Everywhere around me were people who seem lively and interested, and my two friends were right there, talking as if their topics can never have an ending. Then I'm just there, checking out the ceiling, the lights, the temperature, and just sighing as if I'm the world's most problematic person. My friends tried to engage me but I'm just too not there.

Then the beats began and the lights went out except those that were focused on the stage. Dancing artists appeared from the backstage wearing black pieces of clothing. What distracted me from my distractions earlier were the way their eyes were like so focused you feel as though there's something they see that you don't. And in that moment, I've found myself engaged in every move and every shadow on the stage.

It gives that unique feeling, it was as if you're being opened by something that's powerful and interesting. The actors weren't really trying to put up a play, they're trying to let you know something that is too difficult to ignore.

Did everyone do a great job? Oh yes. Yes, especially that scene with Deaf Boy on top of the bamboos. I know it's hard to balance when you're on top of something that's narrow and moving (cheerleading days), so it must've been hella scary during the rehearsals. And the strongest feeling I've felt was during the Girl in an Abaya's moment with the villain who had a long stick, and she crawled underneath it, as if implying how the one who can whip can take advantage of anyone who can't steal the whipping tool. It was so sad I cursed under my breath (you can't exactly yell in theaters).

After those minutes watching them, I was alive again and then I started talking to my friends haha.

Ayanasu (Woven)

This one's by the Dora Theater Company (Japanese). Quick background story: this is about a family's journey after the 2011 tsunami.

Here's a pic taken by my friend:

The play was at first, comedic and normal that if you've watched lots of Japanese films, you'd really see their culture in every move, until the music changed to what sounds like mellow and depicting a harsh downfall.

The actors were really really really cute, haha. They were so good in using every muscle on their faces that if they smiled, you'd see the funny side. But at the same time, they were amazing because when things were sad, they were so consistent about it. And if those faces can't get you to feel anything, you should try seeing a doctor.

---

All in all the experience was fun. I used to be in theater, did you know? Haha, it's so nostalgic in a way even if the plays I did had lines and weren't in any way silent.

After the show, we headed home. It was raining a bit, and I was tired very much, but when I reached my bed, I decided I didn't want to sleep and instead, write this.

P.S. I would like to thank The Japan Foundation Manila for sponsoring our VIP Tickets.

Movie: Transcedence

"People fear what they don't understand."

How very true - that was my first reaction upon hearing that line.

The movie was devastating, it affected me in so many levels: spiritual, professional, and personal.

Spiritual

The talk of god comes up during Dr. Will Caster's talk about the advancement of science using nanotechnology. He's a brilliant man involved in a group that is constantly looking for ways to make humanity create a step ahead in technology. During the discussion portion, someone asked: So you want to create a god, your own god? And his answer was That's a very good question, isn't that what man has always done? Which was a very good but not in a sense of humanity, morality, and spirituality, so it seems, because Will Caster got shot after this talk by that same audience member. Not shot by an ordinary gun, but a gun  loaded with a bullet that seems lethal enough to kill you in a few months.

Well, on the logical practical sense, isn't it nice to have things to work out faster, and easier? I think the purpose of intellect is to be used, otherwise, why would the god that audience member so dearly loved give this thing to humankind?

But I do get where he's coming from. And in the film, the anger from his party was coming from a reasonable background story. Apparently, someone who had been studying and pursuing the same technological advancement had tried the nanotech on a monkey, and well it didn't turn out well - the monkey 'begged for the humans to stop' so the story goes. That someone ended up dead, killed by this group who witnessed the event. If the events were for real, and not at all fiction, I would've come up to them and asked: So you want to create a god, your own god? And if they got confused and threw a why to me, I'd say: Gods take lives, and that's what you did - you took lives. Of course they'd argue that it's to save humankind, and all other life forms who'd possibly become high-tech monsters in the future, but still, murder is murder.

Professional

As an IT professional, I could say the same thing about the environment I'm in. People indeed fear what they don't understand. Why should they not? If a stranger called you on a phone and told you that you can claim a reward of say, a million bucks but you have to fill up this form, go to this place, would you not be afraid? No matter how good the promise of "nice things" brings, you'd still fear the unknown. We even fear ghosts simply because we don't understand why they exist at all, and thus theories emerge.

I'd say this, but not to come off as offensive - most of the time, old people are the ones who are so afraid of technological advancement. It is not just the monetary issues, I think, but the fact that it's back to zero again. It's going to take some time to go from manual to automatic. The buttons seem confusing all the time, and the screens are just too bright. The thought of being mocked by the younger generation also scares the older generation, and I bet nobody would ever want mockery on their everyday life event.

But we need advancement simply because we can't be forever stuck in manual counting. Life is a race, and whoever has a life can either run or die dissatisfied. Especially if your track is on the corporate world, you gotta adopt the trend, and adapt to it, else you lose the race.

Personal

Who doesn't fear advancement or the things we don't understand? Yes, in a professional sense it is important to not fear advancement, but in our personal lives, advancement doesn't necessarily mean things are on the positive ground.

(for example) Advancement in relationships: why should you think it is not supposed to be feared? It means commitment, time investment, etc., so why should we think all things that move forward in our lives are just pursuing the goodness?

Wrap

Sci-fis are always the best, in my opinion. From the rich vocabulary to the plot twists, they never seem to fail. The scripts are always wonderful and I tend to hang on into every word the actors say. It gets the mind working and at the end of the day, even if I get reminded about the reality that is slow and boring, I still find myself grateful for the little bit of distraction.

In Transcedence, the great people are the ones who understood each other, and are the ones who got misunderstood. I think a great deal of miscommunication took place. Will Caster should've put more heart onto that answer about creating his own god, and the audience member and his party should've used words before guns. Sometimes people are so impulsive it makes broken things look like they need complex calculus and methodologies when, really, it's just the simple arithmetic that's the key.

It's not that the scientific minds don't pay heed to souls and humanity, of course they do. But usually, the impulsive judgmental afraid minds who claim to be activists pro-humanity and morality, pull the trigger too soon and forget that they too now look like they're creating their own god by taking the laws into their own hands.

But did Will Caster and Evelyn Caster crossed the line? Evelyn did, Will was a dead man whose mind got altered upon getting uploaded. But Evelyn was a human being and here's the cliche: human beings make mistakes. Does that give "activists" the right to kill her? No, definitely not. But they do have a right to go to the authorities and work with them.

Evelyn did the biggest mistake a brilliant mind can ever do, but she paid it anyway, so I guess I don't have to hate her that much.

The Rate

4/5

Recommended?

To those with open minds. Close minds see nothing but the flaw ahead, I shit you not ;)

Animorphs: The Invasion by Katherine Applegate

The Invasion by Katherine Applegate
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

#animorphs_reread

This wasn't even my first Animorphs book, it was #2 - The Visitor (Rachel). But for this project re-read, I decided to do it in the right order. Haha.

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5 teenagers were normal until they met Prince Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul of the Andalite species.

Andalites - bluish in color; looks like a centaur (to me); has way way way advanced technology; you could say they're the heroic species because they kept on fighting the Yeerks.

Yeerks - like slugs; parasites; if they entered your head, they'll take over your brain and then you're done; antagonist specie

Prince Elfangor - his spaceship landed, or crashed, rather, at the exact time the 5 teenagers were passing by this construction site; he was badly wounded and was dying when they found him; he gave them the power to morph (an Andalite technology that the Yeerks weren't able to acquire)

Visser Three - ambitious Yeerk who wants to be Visser One soon; was able to possess an Andalite's body thus making him the only Yeerk (so far) who can morph

Controllers - human beings possessed by Yeerks in a forced way

Collaborators - human beings/species who weren't forced by Yeerks to be possessed; they sort of welcomed the idea of being possessed by them

The Invasion was narrated by Jake. Just Jake. They can't afford publishing their identities since that night at the construction site. Jake has four other friends: Marco, Tobias, Rachel, and Cassie.

Jake - the leader because as Tobias said: people listen to him and he knows how to plan; he wasn't thrilled about being in this whole mission of saving the Earth until he learned that Tom, his brother, was a Controller.

Rachel - Jake's cousin; the not-just-a-pretty girl; you don't mess with Rachel ;]

Cassie - the friend you wish you have haha; seriously this girl's really interesting and if you hate her, then I don't know what to do with you.

Marco - the funny one!; Jake's best friend; most practical person ever; his mom's dead and his dad's messed up (see funny people have terrible things beneath them); he was the last to say okay with the whole mission thing; he's smart, really, I suppose I like Marco more than Jake; he has the best lines haha; he came up with the name, Animorphs

Tobias - *sobs haha; most messed up family scenario; father's unknown; mom left him "a few years ago"; best character plot, in my opinion; he was the first to say yes to the whole mission thing; bullied at school (*sobs); favorite character

The Morphing Technology

Prince Elfangor gave the five teenagers the power to morph. It's pretty simple - you touch the animal, and as Tobias said - you have to want to become the animal - and then acquire its DNA. The DNA then stays with you, you only have to touch the animal once to have its DNA.

There is only one rule: never stay in a certain morph for more than 2 hours. If you stay for more than two hours, you'll be stuck in that morph forever and you won't be able to return to a human being.

*//spoiler//*

Tobias stayed for more than 2 hours in his red-tailed hawk morph (so yeah...) during that first "fight" with the Yeerks were they faced Visser Three again. They were able to get out of it alive, but they failed to save anyone, not even Jake's brother Tom.

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Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan (Quotes)

I don’t really understand the point of crying. Also, I feel that crying is almost—like, aside from deaths of relatives or whatever—totally avoidable if you follow two very simple rules: 1. Don’t care too much. 2. Shut up.

I know part of knowing someone is being mean to them or whatever.

Shutting up works. Following the rules works. So I shut up, and I don’t care, and I keep walking, and soon it’s over.

Well, I listen to my parents. They know what’s good for me. I’ll listen to anyone, frankly. Almost everyone knows better than I do.

I want her. I don’t. Maybe I am a robot after all. I have no idea what to say, so I go ahead and say the worst possible thing. “Very cute.”

god, you’re one nasty fucker.

now, if there’s anything stupider than buddy lists, it’s lol. if anyone ever uses lol with me, i rip my computer right out of the wall and smash it over the nearest head. i mean, it’s not like anyone is laughing out loud about the things they lol. i think it should be spelled loll, like what a lobotomized person’s tongue does. loll. loll. i can’t think any more. loll. loll!

everyone in our school has afterschool activities. mine is going home.

at some point last year, her gloom met my doom and she thought it was a good match. i’m not so sure, but at least i get coffee out of it.

i just want to say, ‘i feel sorry for you, really i do.’ but that might start a conversation, and a conversation might start a fight, and then i’d feel so guilty i might have to move away to portland or something. i need coffee.

i do not say ‘good-bye.’ i believe that’s one of the bullshittiest words ever invented. it’s not like you’re given the choice to say ‘bad-bye’ or ‘awful-bye’ or ‘couldn’t-careless-about-you-bye. ’ every time you leave, it’s supposed to be a good one. well, i don’t believe in that. i believe against that.

i am constantly torn between killing myself and killing everyone around me. those seem to be the two choices. everything else is just killing time.

it is only my respect for your parents that will prevent me from murdering you outright.

Love and truth being tied together, I mean. They make each other possible, you know?

I like you. And I didn’t know whether I liked you until I thought of you at that concert with some other guy, but now I do know, and I realize that makes me a bitchsquealer, but yeah, I like you. I think you’re great, and very cute—and by cute I mean beautiful but don’t want to say beautiful because it’s cliché but you are—and I don’t even mind that you’re a music snob.

I fucking hate guys who quote poetry to girls. Since we are being honest. Also, wisdom is a better fate than the vastmajority of kisses. Wisdom is certainly a better fate than kissing douches who only read poetry so

they can use it to get in girls’ pants.

Typical boy—you’re interested as long as she isn’t.

“I don’t have a bad attitude—”
“—is the kind of thing that people with bad attitudes say.”

i am just going to pretend that she doesn’t exist. because all the other options would get me
expelled and/or arrested.

when things break, it’s not the actual breaking that prevents them from getting back together again.
it’s because a little piece gets lost - the two remaining ends couldn’t fit together even if they wanted
to. the whole shape has changed.

maybe our friendship wasn’t meant to last longer than a year. maybe the things that drew

us together - doom, gloom, sarcasm - weren’t meant to hold us together.

we would have been better off if we’d never been friends in the first place. i’m not going to try to punish

her - i’m not going to tell everyone what she did, or bomb her locker, or yell at her in front of

everyone else. i just want her to go away. that’s all. the end.

mom: how’s it going?

me: fine.

and it’s true, for once.

Not that smart. Not that hot. Not that nice. Not that funny. That’s me: I’m not that.

I think about how much depends upon a best friend. When you wake up in the morning you swing

your legs out of bed and you put your feet on the ground and you stand up. You don’t scoot to the edge

of the bed and look down to make sure the floor is there. The floor is always there. Until it’s not.

It seems to me that all the things we keep in sealed boxes are both alive and dead until we open the box, that the unobserved is both there and not. 

still, what could i say? that i didn’t just feel depressed - instead, it was like the depression was the core of me, of every part of me, from my mind to my bones? that if he got blue, i got black?

He acts like he doesn’t care, but he’s closer to falling apart than anyone else in the whole freaking play.

The things he says aren’t annoying; it’s the way he says them

I’m waiting for him. To come out and apologize. Or else to come out and yell at me for being a pussy.

I know it’s immature, but I don’t care. Sometimes you need your best friend to walk through the doors. And then, he doesn’t.

It wouldn’t hurt if he weren’t right—if I hadn’t known somewhere that my weakness aggravates him.

And maybe he thinks like I do, that you don’t pick your friends, and he’s stuck with this annoying

bitchsquealer who can’t handle himself, who can’t close his glove around the ball, who can’t take a

dressing-down from the coach, who regrets writing letters to the editor in defense of his best friend.

i don’t want to be thin or conventionally beautiful or straight or brilliant. no, what i really want - and what i never get - is to be appreciated.

do you know what it’s like to work so hard to make sure everyone’s

happy, and to have not a single person recognize it?

there’s a difference - i see it, but i am

worried that i am the only frickin’ one who sees it.

because every morning when i wake up, i have to

convince myself that, yes, by the end of the day, i will be able to do something good. that’s all

i ask - to be able to do something good. not for myself, you whiny shithead bastard complainer

who, incidentally, i really, really like.

minutes have to pass before i can admit that, yes, even though i tell myself i’m feeling nothing, it’s

a lie. i want to say i’m feeling remorse or regret or even guilt. but none of those words seem like

enough. what i’m feeling is shame. raw, loathing shame.

i am awful.

i am heartless.

i am scared that these things are actually true.

need is never a good basis for any relationship. it has to be much more than that.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but

everything goes better for you when you talk to people.

I just think if you don’t say the honest thing,

sometimes the honest thing never becomes true, you know.

there’s something a little Drama Queeny about your anti-Drama Queenyness

I mean, who you want to screw and whether you screw them? Those are important

questions, I guess. But they’re not that important. You know what’s important? Who would you die

for? Who do you wake up at five forty-five in the morning for even though you don’t even know why

he needs you? Whose drunken nose would you pick?!

When you date someone, you have the markers along the way, right: You kiss, you have The Talk,

you say the Three Little Words, you sit on a swing set and break up. You can plot the points on a

graph. And you check up with each other along the way: Can I do this? If I say this, will you say it

back? But with friendship, there’s nothing like that. Being in a relationship, that’s something you choose.

Being friends, that’s just something you are.

Fuck it, I do pick you. I want you to come over to my house in twenty years with your dude and your adopted kids and I want our fucking kids to hang out and I want to, like, drink wine and talk about the Middle East or whatever the fuck we’re gonna want to do when we’re old. We’ve been friends too long to pick, but if we could pick, I’d pick you.

on the other side of the

silence. you’d think that silence would be peaceful. but really, it’s painful.

i just wish it wasn’t all trial and error.

because that’s what it is, isn’t it?

trial and error.

i guess there’s a reason they don’t call it ‘trial and success’

it’s just try-error

try-error

try-error

weltschmerz. it’s the depression you feel when the world as it is does not line up with the world as you think it should be. i live in a big goddamned weltzschermz ocean, you know? and so do you. and so

does everyone. because everyone thinks it should be possible just to keep falling and falling

forever, to feel the rush of the air on your face as you fall, that air pulling your face into a

brilliant goddamned smile. and that should be possible. you should be able to fall forever.

Notes: The Second Messiah by Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas

Some things here are just my opinions so...yea don't dwell much on it.

• The book of Revelations contains impenetrable apocalyptic visions that appear to be a memory of the destruction of Jerusalem. This was written by an unknown Jewish-minded Christian (is there any difference? Jewish minded and not but Chirstian all the same?) around 40 years after the fall of the temple. Yet also the Revelations is about the creation of a New Jerusalem. (Why's it always about Jerusalem...haha when I read it I thought it was for the whole world thus began the apocalypse fuss).

• But I knew this revelation was a big metaphor or something like that from the start. There's no way it's going to happen in the literal way. Maybe this is from  a modern human's perspective but this is much more convincing especially since predictions or phrophecies had failed too many times already.

• Oh but the destruction indeed happened. The destruction of Jerusalem, at least. So it's now safe to assume that the bible's just really done for us all. *_* It's a record of the past events, just too tampered and well written compared to the others. Humans wrote it, and these humans didn't translate anything from God. They simply recorded the happenings.

• On James' part: He was 'played down' by the Roman Catholic Church. Considering he's the brother of Jesus, this is somewhat weird because right now we believe in Jesus but his brother was 'played down'. 

• It was because these Roman Catholics wanted to make sure they look like they have a direct line of authority from even way back to Christ. This is where Peter and Paul comes in. This is the politics side, in my understanding. You see it may not look obvious but everything has a government side, even the religions, and all gov't side could play with dirty tactics. Although I still believe that the cleanest election's done by Popes, there's still a dirty side in it....that comes after the election. When you sat there to govern the church.

• It was logical to declare Peter as the first Pope because he was...as implied and directly said in the Bible, the sort of successor, right? So it's easy to believe that with James' character diminished and compressed to an almost irrelevant one, at least to any position.

• The Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland: This now holds the scrolls removed by the Templars. This was one great lesson as the authors had deducted the meaning of Rosslyn:

ancient knowledge passed down generations. 

Simply put, whoever is associated must be/could be (nothing is for certain yet) a source of the truth in all these. 

• I'm gonna stop at this part where the latin words on the archway of Rosslyn Chapel were carved:

Wine is strong. A king is stronger, women are even stronger.
But truth will conquer all.

• It doesn't make much sense now to me but why does it remind me of Sophie Neveu's grandpa's ritual from Da Vinci Code? *_* That doesn't make sense either.

Notes: The Second Messiah by Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas

So far...

-The past Church provided answes to life's puzzles when no one had a better solution, but then science advanced.

-Turning water to wine is a metaphor (most of the 'miracles' in the bible were)

-James (Jesus' bro) died because his explanation didn't make any sense to his inquisitors - he was thrown and stoned to death.

-The Paul vs. James: Why did James' religion died out? James who actually succeeded Jesus (I thought it was Peter, really!).

-James' didn't die really, just that his scrolls were hidden; refer to "terrible period of Jewish history".

-The Jews indeed believed in Yahweh, but on that 'siege' (battle that lasted fr 139 days) he "slept". The temple that kept their scrolls was burned (IDK yet if the scrolls were burned). Due to this, some lost faith.

-Simon cosplayed, lol. Okay he dressed himself in white tunics with some purple mantle - white symbolizes ressurection; purple-royalty. He was chained anyway, after he told the whole truth to Terentius Rufus.

My head aches now. And I'm only in page 23. Poor brain. *_*

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'll force my younger cousins to read this one.

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The Note by Angela Elwell Hunt

The Note by Angela Elwell Hunt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was in a ship already when I got to the climax of this book. I was with my father during that time, and with a figurine called St. Uriel - my brother's angel. We were headed home and all fast crafts were in crap-mode and hence I had the chance to finish the book right there.

In The Note, an airplane crashed and a note was left signed 'Dad'. In my head I imagined what would my father do if we'd face the same terror in that ship. Would he write a note too? Nah, I bet he'd try to save me knowing I can't swim. He'll forget Uriel and fight for both our lives.

T- I love you. All is forgiven. Dad.

That was what the note said. I began thinking, if I would be given a chance to write a last note, what would be in it? I guess I'll write to my mother. I'll tell her that I'm fine. I'm fine, I love you. Perhaps I'd really write that had the ship sank.

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The Emperor's New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen

The Emperor's New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Haha, alright, it's quite funny.

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Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've seen the movie before reading the book. I don't think I'd understand it much though if I didn't see the movie first.

The book was consistently sad for me. I am not sure if it was all due to the fact that I know it doesn't have a happy-ending or it's just Ishiguro's way of narrating. There was a different kind of sadness though. It wasn't the kind that I felt pass through me...I only felt pity for the characters. The 'sadness' didn't really came to me.

I did not understand why and how it was possible that I couldn't relate to this certain kind of emotion. But when I reached the part where they came to Madame and several revelations pushed through, I sort of thought that maybe it was because the characters weren't exactly humans...just sort of modeled and was trained to be one of us. Perhaps, Ishiguro was trying to make the characters be 'limited' or something. Well if that is the case, I think the author had a success.

It was a good concept though. It might be possible, even. Although, if in the future, something like this would happen, I'd hope to not be able to witness such reality. My sympathy might translate to sadness successfully.

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An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think the book had a pretty awesome concept, but somewhere it made me gave it four stars instead of five. I think it's the part where Lindsey started to sound or look like a vain person, who's really self-centered too. I was supposed to give three stars, but because she was honest, it felt ok to give it four.

Ok, I don't really like Colin, but his mind's pretty interesting. Wait, very...very interesting. I think he'd be a great friend to talk to. I find his character very intriguing.

My favorite is Hassan. He's super cool, and super funny. I think Green made a genius move by creating him. He balanced the whole novel.

I did not expect K-19 to actually be... well her. It was a cool move, because it's just sort of nice that Green thought about making K-19...her.

And also I liked that Lindsey is Colin's first Lindsey, and Colin is Lindsey's second Colin.

Right, this is a lame review. Haha.

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Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This one exhausted me.

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The Return of the King: Being the Third Part of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This part of LOTR gave me all sorts of emotions.

Book V marked the beginning of the Return of the King. In this part, Pippin and Merry were separated. Pippin goes to Gondor with Gandalf, while Merry remains in Rohan with Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas with their new found friends, Theoden, Eomer and Eowyn.

ROTK tapped almost everything a story could possibly tap. Overall, it is a magnificent fiction that tells heroism, romance, friendship, the good and evil, and others.

Aragorn, the rightful heir to the throne of Gondor had proven his quality to Middle Earth. He had gathered his courage to face Sauron. He led people to battle, and healed those who were ill. He was the perfect King. Tolkien did not do an exaggeration, in my opinion, when it comes to Aragorn's character. I think, he simply believes that this is how a King should be like.

Faramir, the steward of Gondor had also proven himself by being so consistently gentle. I admired that quality of him for even if he had the right and chance to be ruled by anger and hurt inflicted by his father, he preferred to remain steady instead.

Eowyn's my favorite hero though. I'm not taking her at the lead spot because she's a woman, but because she surprised me the most. I thank Tolkien for letting somebody like Eowyn exist in LOTR. In most stories, women get let behind, and always had the role of those who should be protected. I like Eowyn's guts and her ability to have more than just guts.

Merry and Pippin's friendship brought a different kind of emotion to me. It's good that Tolkien proved that they're no less than Sam and Frodo's. Whenever Merry thinks about Pippin and Pippin about Merry, I feel great and wonder, can this be for real? And at the Battle of Pelennor Fields, when Pip found Merry, and told him he would take care of him, it was really beautiful, it was so weird and yet...well beautiful. And I started to wonder where Frodo and Sam could be and how they're doing, even if I knew well they'll all survive, I just can't help but forget I knew all about that.

Sam and Frodo were just as great as Pip and Merry. I really admired Sam's loyalty to his Mr. Frodo. And even if Frodo had his grumpy moments, I feel great every time I'd read "sorry Sam, it's the ring...". I am glad he's aware every time his tone changes to rude. Also, if Sam wasn't there at Mt. Doom with him, all would have been in vain. There would've been part 2, I think. If not, it would've been a disastrous ending.

Eomer also made a great impression. Since I've always wanted an older brother or sister, I did not skip a word from his lines. He was such a good character and when he thought Eowyn was dead along with his King, I was so affected by his line: death take us all. It's like I could hear him and he's just the kind of character you'd want to comfort.

Gandalf was consistently awesome and strong in this part too. He's a very important asset and it's like he represented the race of everyone who's not from the line of men. Maybe his existence is the reason why Tolkien thinks it's not necessary to involve most of the Elves and Dwarves in the battle. Middle Earth had Gandalf and his Eagles so... :)

Gimli and Legolas didn't make much appearances, only when battles are happening and such but they were still both so cool and whenever they're mentioned, the story feels lighter. I'm not sure if that's because Gimli's just really funny and witty or is it because Legolas just so cool and elvish.

I also found my favorite chapter in this part of LOTR. It's "The Battle of the Pelennor Fields". This is the chapter where Theoden died, and Eowyn killed a Ringwraith. This was the chapter that affected me the most, as proven by how many pages I folded.

I do know I didn't do justice in reviewing ROTK but well one does not simply get over the fact that Frodo is now separated from his fellow hobbits especially from Sam. T_T

That's all. I just- well I'll just end it here. T_T

P.S.: ROTK is my favorite part.

View all my reviews

Movie: Gravity

source: IMDB

5 out of 5

The story was a simple survival story set in an extraordinary setting. 

Dr. Stone was separated from her comrades after a disaster met them in space. Shortly, after minutes of rolling into space, she was joined by veteran astronaut and together they went back to the destroyed shuttle only to find that they were the only survivors.

What happens when you get trapped outside Earth? It was the same as being trapped in water with no means of going above the surface.

Dr. Stone was lucky enough that she was found by colleague Matt Kowalsky. However, misfortune remained to follow her.

With a low level oxygen to support her, they need to get to another shuttle to get one. Time wasn't at their side, nor was Matt's resources.

They were both close to surviving, entering the shuttle and all, however, Stone who was hanging literally by a single strand seemed bound to be left alone. Matt, seeing how bad the situation could be for both of them if he won't let go, decided to do the ultimate sacrifice, leaving Stone alone, as he drifted away, and into the unknown.

Stone made it inside the shuttle, but it wasn't still easy. There was a fire, and there had been a problem with her parachute. When she went out to fix it, another disaster befell on her. Nonetheless, the woman succeeded in doing what seemed to be the impossible.

However, she faced a serious trouble in the near-end of the film. She has a trouble with the landing. She cannot get anyone from Earth to answer her calls. Instead, a chinese man who seemed to be having fun with his dog was the one she was hearing. Slowly, Stone closed her eyes and she seemed to give up, saying that nobody would pray for her if she dies here, having a child who is dead already anyway.

But at the spur of the moment, Matt returned and with that playful attitude still. He told Stone to get it together and to do something to survive. Stone insisted that the fuel left is for launching only, but Matt said that she could use it for landing as well. Stone said her landing always turn out so bad. But Matt said she should still try.

Just like that, Stone opened her eyes and realized it was just a hallucination. Matt wasn't there, he never is coming back just like their other colleagues. But she had enough motivation to keep going and try anything that could work, even with the Chinese-charactered keys before her.

She was able to land on Earth, and she made it out alive safely.

In my own opinion, Gravity is the kind of sci-fi that is rich in vocabulary (seriously, half of their terms were foreign to me) and strong on the plot. What made me remain sitting on that cinema is the fact that it kept me guessing whether she'll make it or not. One moment you'll be convinced that she will make it alive, but in the next it'll confuse you once again. It was amazing how it all happened in just less than two hours. It was, of course, one of the most impossible things to happen in human history, but the movie was so convincing you'd doubt the impossible. :)

Movie: Legends of the Fall

source: IMDB

5 out of 5

It begins with a narration by an Indian, One Stab, about the Col. Ludlow's decision to leave the war and have a quiet life. Col. had three sons: Alfred, the oldest - too old even for his age, Tristan, second born - reckless and whom One Stab believed would live a short life but turned out to live the longest and Samuel, the youngest - his two brothers would do anything for him.

The story picked a fast pace and Samuel was shown to be returning from his mother's place with a fiancee named Sussanah.

When Alfred saw Sussanah, he showed signs of admiration she did not return. But when she saw Tristan, she sort of showed hints of admiring him. It then became evident when they were caught by Alfred on the night before the three left for war being intimate and too close.

The three went to war amidst everyone's being against it. Samuel wouldn't back down and he wanted to prove his quality, hence there was no stopping him. The two brothers went with him and sworn to protect him.

However, it must've been fated to have Tristan witness his death, his horrible death in the hands of the enemies. Samuel went on to the battlefield without the two and hence, his defeat. Tristan found him caught up by wires and his eyesight was defected by smokes. The enemies were at that time preparing to launch a series of shots on his body. Tristan was nearly there to shot the two soldiers but time wasn't kind. Samuel was killed by several bullets. Tristan quickly avenged his death by killing these foes. However, the fact that Samuel died greatly had an impact on him.

After that he became a man who thirsted for his enemies' bloods. He would come back to the camp with scalps of his enemies tied as a necklace around his neck. The other soldiers wouldn't say a thing about it. Alfred left the camp and Tristan remained, claiming that he could not go home yet.

Alfred fell for Sussanah who was robbed of a husband. Sussanah remained passive, dropping hints of waiting for Tristan instead. When Alfred was nearly successful, Tristan returned.

Jealousy got the better of Alfred and thus his war with Tristan silently brewed. Sussanah helplessly fell for Tristan and at this time Alfred had decided to go to Helena to make his name. Tristan though, couldn't seem to get over Samuel's death and had been constantly blaming himself for it. Hence, he left and went to those places the map hadn't tap yet...those places that belonged to people who were never mentioned in books and such. He wrote to Sussanah that she must marry someone else as he is dead already (metaphor). Sussanah grieved for this. It was then at that time when Alfred decided to run for congress and in Sussanah's despair-time, he asked her to marry him.

When Tristan returned, his bond with his father grew stronger. Sussanah was married to Alfred already. Tristan then once again saw Isabel Two, who was almost like a sister to them three. She had grown, and Tristan married her. They had two children, the oldest was a boy whom they named Samuel.

Sussanah was very jealous of this and even admitted it so.

Tristan was at that time, building his family and rebuilding their business. He started ignoring the law and had transgressions the authority disliked. On a day when they just intended to threaten him, a stray bullet hit his wife. Revenge was planned. This became successful. The authority came back to him, not for an arrest, but this time, to permanently get rid of him. He was about to be killed when the Col. showed up and fired his gun to the two men who were to assassinate his son. But him, being a crippled already, was doomed to be defeated by the third man had Alfred not been behind a wall with a gun on hand, loaded with the bullet that killed the one who would've finished off Tristan who stood in front of his father to catch the bullet.

Alfred was again accepted by his father after he showed that he would still choose Tristan and him amidst his place in the government.

Tristan lived a long life and was killed by the bear whom he wanted to kill so bad when he was a kid. One Stab said this was a good death.

Notes:

I liked this one. I am not a fan of Brad Pitt but this and Troy were really good. He did well in this movie and I think he's meant to have the role of a solo murderer.

I say that the only thing missing in this movie is the nice script. Brad Pitt did not have much lines, and his lines weren't strong enough to be quoted. But then, his character was silent type so, perhaps that'd justify it.

All in all, the fact that it tapped almost all types of situations makes it worth watching and worth reviewing.

Movie: Your Sister's Sister

source: IMDB

3 out of 5

The story begins when Iris' boyfriend's (her best friend's bro) first year death anniversary was being celebrated by their circle of friends. There it was revealed how messed up Jack (best friend) had been in the past year. Iris then thought of a plan to somehow get him back on his feet - she sent him to her father's house on the island to do some meditation, and to think his life over.

Unknown to both of them was that the Iris' lesbian sister, Hannah, was also there for an alone-time. Apparently, through a conversation with Jack over alcohol, it was found out that she had just walked out of a long-running relationship.

The night went deeper and just like any Y.A. cliche, sex happened between a lesbian and a lost soul through the effortless help of alcohol too.

When morning came, Iris came and Jack, out of concern thought they should keep the matter a secret. Hannah at first didn't get it why but played along according to Jack's command.

Hannah sort of showed signs of being comfortable about coming out, however, she was stopped by Iris' confiding one night. Iris claimed to be in love with Jack, but the fact that he's the brother of her dead boyfriend is stopping  her from pushing her feelings through.

However, conflicts began to rise between the sisters and the truth just had to come out.

When Iris innocently dropped the truth about her sister's wish to have babies, Jack had a hint that something more than sex might've happened that night. Although Hannah assured him that they used protection, he wasn't able to rest his case. He checked the used condom and found out it was a 'rain shower', to use his term.

At the same moment, Hannah told Iris that she did have the intercourse with Jack. This devastated Iris. Iris confronted Jack about it, and Jack told her about the 'rain shower'. Hannah defended herself by telling him that he wasn't even supposed to know about it.

Jack. being a guy with still the right amount of sense asked them to make up with each other. He said he won't be able to live knowing they had misunderstandings because of him. He left the house and the two sisters had quiet days.

Hannah apologized and Iris accepted it. The two reconciled while at that moment Jack was having his breakdown on the road. Perhaps it's coming to him - the looking at his life.

He went back to the sisters and did his speech, just like most cliches. And they became happy. The ending was open-ended: will Hannah have her baby?

Notes:

The movie was quite alright for me since it could happen in real life minus the scripted lines and the speed of recovery. Let's face it that it wouldn't be natural if there's going to be a girl as nice as Iris.

Personally though, I do not hate Jack. I liked his line that goes something like: "You will never understand how I feel about my brother." He was trying to say at that time that Iris could have loss, but not the kind of loss that he had when his brother died, and that's something she would never really understand. I think he was trying to make a point that we may lose a friend or disconnect but never could we understand real loss if we won't experience the death of the person who was important.

I didn't find Hannah's character very agreeable because I simply think she's a bitch. I mean, I did not feel much sincerity from her and she (and Jack too for this matter) does not deserve Iris' kindness.

Iris was sort of stupid and that's not the kind of girl you'd want to become. However she maybe have a strength of a different kind by being the nicest piece.

Gakuen Alice (Alice Academy) by Higuchi Tachibana

Gakuen Alice



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The story begins in a scene where Hotaru Imai is set to leave the town to enter Alice Academy. Her best friend, Mikan Sakura, felt like she was being abandoned. But however many protests she did, Hotaru still pursued to enter the academy, leaving Mikan a note behind via a turtle mail (her invention).

Mikan cannot accept this, thus she went on her own to find this Alice Academy for geniuses like Hotaru. Her efforts were not all in vain, for she indeed, was able to find the academy.

When Mikan stood outside the academy, a teacher (sensei) greeted him, but not to encourage her to step inside, instead, to drive her away. This teacher, Narumi, possesses the Pheromone Alice and he could order anyone by attracting them. However, when he tried his alice to Mikan, he failed and this confused him. Meanwhile, his original task was quite forgotten and thus a disaster suddenly followed.

An explosion interfered with Narumi-sensei and Mikan’s conversation. Apparently, a student with the Fire Alice, Natsume Hyuuga, is trying to escape again. This is the first meeting of Mikan and Natsume, the main protagonists of the story.

Nonetheless, after trying to stop him for several times, Narumi was successful in his appointed task. He brought Natsume inside, and Mikan too, for he felt that maybe Mikan’s an alice.

When Mikan was left alone with unconscious Natsume, she looked at her photos with Hotaru and hoped that she’d meet her in this campus. However, in the middle of this reminiscing, Natsume was suddenly awake and attempted to burn her hair. But during this time, his alice did not work as well, like what happened to Narumi’s. Ruka Nogi, his best friend, appeared with an eagle and crushed to the window to fetch him and escape the teacher’s nagging. Just in time, they went away before Misaki, another teacher and Narumi came.

This first encounter wasn’t at all pleasant, in Mikan’s perspective and she started to despise this trouble student.

Later on, Mikan was accepted to the academy, and she met Hotaru. Hotaru showed no signs of appreciation for this at first, but as the story progressed, she too seemed happy that Mikan chose to follow her.

The reconciliation of the two brought many changes in the academy. First, in the class of Natsume. Iinchou, the president of the class, welcomed Mikan who seemed to receive too much bullying from everyone else. She was an outcast and everyone, especially Sumire (a.k.a. Permy) disliked her, accusing her of untruthful stuffs like ‘just wanting to level with geniuses’, because she cannot really show her alice – something she doesn’t know and understand yet.

Although Narumi and the other teachers were already certain, they still did not say anything about it. This put Mikan in a rather difficult situation and thus her being accepted by the class is close to impossibility. Natsume, being a genius and arrogant at the same time thought it would make sense if something could explain why he wasn’t able to use his alice on their first encounter. He challenged Mikan to prove her being an ‘alice’ through surviving the forest that was rumored to be evil.

Mikan, being a persistent girl, answered to his challenge and took Hotaru and Iinchou with her. In the forest, she met the moving Bear and several other odd animals. The test was simple, she have to go in, and get out. However, having the fact that it is impossible due to their limited force, Hotaru thought of a brilliant idea – dragging Ruka Nogi along. She thought it’s quite of use because Ruka has the Animal Pheromone alice. Using blackmails, Ruka joined them. This reached Natsume and did not please him. His only friend, Ruka, shouldn’t be used for ridiculous things.

However, Ruka had already saved the company when Natsume arrived to the place. He was so mad at Mikan that he lit a fire large enough to turn everyone into ashes. Mikan felt terrified of this and as much as she wanted to do something, she doesn’t know what it is that she was supposed to do. The realization happened when she caught a sight of Hotaru being surrounded by fires. She immediately had the will to stop Natsume from producing more. When she pushed him, something miraculous happened and even Natsume was surprised. The fire was extinguished.

Mikan did not understand at once how but Narumi explained everything to her. She was the Alice of Nullification and has the ability to repel any attack.

This made Mikan glad, and because of this, she could stay inside the academy.

The story went on with lightness until several truths unfolded. It all started when Natsume was kidnapped by Reo – a ‘terrorist’ with the Voice Pheromone Alice. He was saved by Mikan and Sumire and after that, things happened bit by bit, making the story heavier, and more dramatic. It was at that point too when Natsume started to show weaknesses in terms of his physical strength. It was then explained that he was one of those with the type called Life-Shortening Alice.

As the mysteries unfold, it was revealed that Natsume, along with several other protagonists like Tsubasa (Mikan’s friend, she calls him Senpai; Shadow Alice), and Tonouchi (Amplifying Alice) are doing dangerous jobs for the school, and this type of job causes Natsume’s life to shorten for he has to use his alice a lot.

But however dangerous the job is, Natsume cannot give it up. He has his personal reason, and that is his sister whom was kept somewhere in the academy. Even if it will mean that he’s going to die, he would risk to save Aoi Hyuuga, also an Alice of Fire.

Natsume’s past was told in several chapters. It was narrated by his best friend Ruka. They were younger and were outside the academy. Ruka was at that time living with his parents who were, as described, rich people (almost royal). He later met Natsume and Aoi in the school and became friends with the two. He also found out that the Hyuuga siblings live with their father, who was an Alice too. Their mom had passed away. Like the Nogi family, Hyuuga family also moved from town to town, escaping the academy, preventing their children from being captured by the school.

Natsume was feared by his classmates even before. He wasn’t a very cheerful child but is overprotective when it comes to his little sister Aoi. Unlike Ruka who has bodyguards all the time, he fights for himself when he needs to. However one time, Ruka was all alone and was being captured by the people from the academy…and Natsume came to save him. From then on they became the best of friends and a thing or two changed Ruka’s mind. His mom, who was the most overprotective of all, also saw this change in Ruka and accepted that his son had grown-up.

Ruka and Natsume would’ve escaped the school forever if not for one awful incident. Persona (a.k.a. Serio Rei), who was the Elementary School Principal’s pawn, was sent to meddle with the capturing. He gave Aoi a stone that would encourage her alice to burn the whole town. And just as he expected, the whole town did burn.

Narumi and Misaki were the ones in-charged at that time with capturing Natsume but they resent using such measures to get the child. Narumi wasn’t able to stop Persona from this devilry and thus, the tables turned.

The whole town detested the alices. When Natsume admitted a crime he did not commit, he was hated more by the whole town and said awful things to him. Ruka stayed by his side but this was something Natsume would never wish. He pushed Ruka away so he won’t be involved in his dark world.

The academy was then visibly in-touched with the incident. They took over Aoi’s case and used her to blackmail Natsume. Since he had no other choice but to abide by the orders for the sake of Aoi, he entered the academy. When he stepped inside the car that will transport them to the academy’s grounds, he found Ruka inside. Ruka, apparently, had decided that he shall come with him and will not let him be alone ever again. As the car went away, Natsume’s father came running after him but since he wasn’t allowed to see him before his leave, Natsume did not even dare look back. Ruka held his hand and they settled to face what’s about to come.

Inside the academy, Natsume grew colder and wouldn’t associate with anyone except Ruka. He kept on doing the deadly missions in hopes of finding his lost sister.

This frequent using of alice took its toll on him to the point that he would always be found coughing blood and staying at the hospital.

By the time the past of Natsume was revealed, they had already been quite good friends and Mikan’s cheerful aura gave him a reason to keep on living at least. It was implied that he started to fall for Mikan during the dance, and Christmas balls.

The signs of Natsume weakening began to be very visible when the incident with the Z happened.

Hotaru was shot by a woman who was believed to be a member of Z. Because of this, they needed to get the antidote to cure her.

Mikan, having a firm decision that she will find the antidote herself, went with Ruka, Natsume, and Tsubasa to get the antidote, and also, Iinchou’s alice which appeared to be missing, and was believed to be ‘stolen’ by the same organization.

Through a so-called warphole, they were transferred to another place. Later on they met the organization responsible for all the incident. Mikan did not, however, expect that she would have to face somebody whom was connected to her. Yuka – the woman with the Stealing Alice was faced by Mikan and Mikan showed her great disgust for this woman specifically, claiming that she’ll never forgive her for what she had done to Hotaru.

However, this doesn’t seem to make any sense for now but Yuka helped Mikan get the things she need and sent the company away safely. Mikan did not understand, but Tsubasa seemed to be enlightened about the mysteries of his friend.

Going back to the present course, the class of Mikan started to be friendly towards one another. Even Permy seems to be warm, although she would have her moments still at times. Nonetheless, the fate of the academy seemed to change while everything else drifted as well.

The plot began to play with several kinds of ups and downs.

When Mikan found out about Natsume’s past, she was with Ruka, Youiichi, and Hotaru searching for him who apparently fled to find his sister Aoi in the lair of the Hime-sama, the Middle School Principal, she has the Barrier Alice. Her place was supposed to be surrounded by a barrier so that alices won’t be used or would be leveled. This is because that place was a prison. At the underground was Aoi…being held as a hostage by Persona, by the orders of the Elementary School Principal.

The three separated to look for Natsume. Mikan then, either by luck or skill, found Aoi. Apparently she can’t see and was brainwashed. According to Aoi, Persona treated her with kindness because he is his brother. This disgusted Mikan and explained to her that Natsume Hyuuga is his brother and is now searching for her. To this, Aoi responded with confusion for she doesn’t remember anything about Natsume.

When they all found each other, Persona also found them, giving no chance for Natsume and Aoi to properly reconcile. Mikan tried and tried to make Aoi remember about her brother, and Ruka.

Persona, being a cold-hearted owner of the Alice of Death, hated all this fuss. Mikan saw he attempted to snatch Aoi again and she stopped this. Tough luck though, because Persona without a mask is lethal. His bare touch could kill a living.

Mikan started to show signs of being infected by death. However, a strange thing happened. She was able to survive and defeat Persona. The incident brought several other mysteries about Mikan’s alice.

Several theories were raised but in the end it was cleared that Mikan possesses the Alice of Stealing. This aroused several questions, but one stood out: Why does Mikan have the same alice that Yuka of the Z possesses?

The manga veered into another flashback via Nodachi’s alice – the Time Traveling Alice.

The teacher brought Ruka, Natsume, Hotaru, and Mikan into the past when the war began in the academy and it was decided that Mikan should leave with Yuka – who was revealed her mom. Because Mikan cannot seem to accept, neither could her friends digest this, they asked for a proof that Mikan’s mother deserves to be trusted. Thus, they traveled through time.

The story of Mikan’s mother, Yuka, started inside the academy when she was abandoned by her cold-hearted parent. Little Yuka pleaded for them to not leave her all alone in the academy, but her parents were promised a large sum of money they cannot refuse. This arc also implied that they didn’t like to keep the young Yuka with the Stealing Alice as she causes more inconveniences than benefits.

Yuka thus grew up in the academy, but she grew up as one stubborn kid – always that kid who was trying to escape in any way she can. No teacher can make her open up, and she grew colder each day with her rebelliousness.

Then one day, a man named Yukihira entered the academy as a teacher. He is the little brother of the High School Principal who possesses the alice that can detect alices even through just photographs. Yukihira was detected to have the alice of Nullification only when he was already in his twenties and is already fit to be a teacher. He was assigned to Yuka’s class and was informed about the rebellious kid.

Yukihira is good with kids, and thus taming Yuka seemed such a piece of cake. The two became good friends even when Yuka left elementary division.

Among the many good deeds of Yukihira includes being nice to Serio Rei, or Persona, who was at that time was kept in prison due to his alice that he can’t control. Because Yukihira has the alice of Nullification, it didn’t bother him to get touched by Rei.

Yuka, on the other hand, became livelier as she grew older, and developed feelings for her teacher Yukihira. But these weren’t exactly revealed at once. She met then Narumi who was already friends with Misaki. She and him became real good friends too and later Narumi helplessly fell in love with his Senpai Yuka. This is where the chain of changing the fates began.

Yukihira was the first teacher who showed a different side. He was kind, he was good to the kids, and he doesn’t like seeing them do the academy’s dirty works. Yuka realized that her teacher is right, and because of this one thing lead to another.

The Elementary School Principal, who was revealed to not be in the body of a child in Yuka’s time in the academy, had worsen his malice and greed. Due to this, he even became so close to forcing Yuka to marry him…all for the sake of her Stealing Alice. Yuka of course couldn’t agree with this because she was in love with Yukihira. This angered the Elementary School Principal and so he plotted Yukihira’s doom.

The Elementary School Principal involved his greatest weapon, the most lethal Serio Rei in this scheme. He made false claims and this enraged Rei, and thus not even the Nullification of Yukihira could save him. He was killed before he could make it back to Yuka’s side to escape with her.

At this time, Yuka had gained many friends already, and this include the Hime-san who had a brother named Shiki, who also developed feelings for Yuka. The Hime-san had a ‘maiden’ named Kaoru who had the Memory Manipulation Alice, it is a life-shortening type too. She became one of Yuka’s bestest friends amidst the odd mix.

When Kaoru graduated, she continued to look after Yuka and made her promise that they will meet outside the academy after she graduated too. Yuka agreed to this. However, she didn’t anymore wait for the graduation and instead, when she learned about Yukihira’s death, her immediate decision was to escape before the Elementary School Principal would come back to harm her…and her child, Mikan.

Yuka left the academy after saying goodbye to Narumi who cannot stop her. Narumi, being the cold hearted kid way back, was asked by Yuka an important favor. She asked him to stay in the academy and help the younger ones from the inside…at that time, Narumi and Yuka had already met the young Subaru Imai, and Sakurano, whom, in Mikan’s time were juniors already; Subaru, being Hotaru’s older brother.

When Yuka found Kaoru, she’s already nearly about to give birth to Mikan. Yuka found out that Kaoru was also pregnant, and that child is going to be Natsume Hyuuga, the alice of Fire. Yuka did not want to involve Kaoru in her messy life, and so she went away…and left Mikan to a complete stranger, to the person whom Mikan calls Jii-chan or grandpa. After that, she disappeared with Shiki who had the same alice as his sister, the Hime-san, the alice of Barrier, and continued to become terrorists, not with the Z, not exactly, but she and Shiki did things on their own.

When Kaoru was killed by the Z people, Yuka wasn’t able to accept it. She cut her hair and styled it like Kaoru’s and swore to continue what Yukihira and Kaoru willed to do while they were alive – to protect the children from the darkness that the academy holds.

Mikan saw it all. Her father’s death, their first meeting, their parting…everything. Natsume saw it all too – and it convinced him at some point that the hand he refused to hand to somebody else could be safe in Yuka’s caring. Hotaru understood that Mikan will do this decision knowing her mother did sacrificed for her.

When Nodachi was done showing them the fractures of the past, they return to the academy’s time only to find that the war had began. In this terrible war, Luna Koizumi, who happened to be one of the closest friends Yuka had during her schooldays, had joined the Elementary School Principal’s alliance, claiming that it is out of jealousy and hatred for Yuka, because Yuka gets love without trying, and that the Elementary School Principal was the only person who had been there for her ever since.

This war caused Yuka’s death. She died fighting for the children, and right in front of Mikan. On the same day, Mikan had to stand watching both her parents’ death as if it was a part of a movie on screen. This made Shiki step out and against the Elementary School Principal. Carrying the dead Yuka, he made deals with the Elementary School Principal…deals he knew the villain won’t refuse.

Shiki became the Middle School Principal, as according to the deal. He also took Mikan into custody. Mikan was sealed inside a building with barrier made by his own alice. Mikan’s lessons were taught to him directly by her uncle, the older brother of Yukihira and the High School Principal.

When Christmas came, everybody wondered what kind of life must Mikan be having. The whole class wanted to see them. Hotaru had an idea that they will send their messages through books of the Grimm Brothers…the Fairytales. This was an indirect insult to Natsume whom she accused as not fit for a prince because he had been wasting his life by staying with the Dangerous Ability even if he was given the chance to stop doing the missions. Ruka understood him though, thinking that he’s doing it to have the free pass in private buildings…in hopes to find Mikan.

Tsubasa also kept the truth about him staying in the Dangerous Ability for fear of having the children worry, and also for Misaki.

However that Christmas ball, Shiki who holds the control of the barrier lowered his guard and let Natsume and Mikan have a Christmas magic. Natsume found Mikan, and he climbed to her balcony. They exchanged alice stones, and that day, their intentions, feelings, became clearer through admitting by words with only the moon (and Shiki too though he decided he shouldn’t watch any further) as their witness.

However all magics stop, like all Christmases end after the 25^th. Natsume had then a firmer decision that no matter what happens, he will not stop unless Mikan is out of that isolated place.

The peace the academy felt left when another war came. This time it was a war started by Z’s Reo whom was the kidnapper of Natsume from before. Apparently, the plan was to murder the Elementary School Principal. But Reo, being an idiot, fell to this. Narumi, however, came to murder the Elementary School Principal himself. However, when he was about to really do it, it was revealed that the boy he was holding was just another clone of the villain. Narumi was shot. But Reo got him out of the place using his bodyguards’ alices.

As the war went on, one by one, the allies of the villain betrayed him. Persona betrayed him after seeing that Mikan cured his closest friend – Nobara, the feared Ice Princess. Persona swore to protect Mikan. Luna also betrayed, although she did not really leave the Elementary School Principal.

Mikan, at this point, had her alice all used up. She exerted a maximum effort and her alice perished. This was all to stop Natsume from using his alice any further. She was afraid he would not make it anymore. But Natsume lay unconscious. It was a tough luck since only the healing stone could do the trick this time. But without anyone who has the alice Mikan possessed before – the Inserting Alice, Natsume was fated to die.

There was one little hope that flickered though. When Mikan’s uncle handed him a stone that had her alice in it, he said it was possible to regain her alice. But when that happens, she could only use her alice once. She did not hesitate to do this. She successfully inserted the healing stone to Natsume. However, no beat could ever be heard from his heart still.

Hotaru saw her best friend’s despair and decided that she would take the matters to her own hand. She made Nodachi take Natsume and him back to the past. Her older bro Subaru went with her. She left Mikan a promise…she promised she would bring Natsume back alive.

But since Mikan wasn’t anymore an alice, it was decided that soon she would leave the academy. A hard decision was also made in order to protect her…her memories are going to be taken from her. Everything that happened, everyone she met, inside the academy will be forgotten by her. Mikan pleaded, but the academy cannot grant her this wish. It is for her benefit as well.

Of course those friends of Mikan cried. Even Sumire did. And Mikan’s last days in the academy was spent for Lessons About Memories where they talked about the most memorable things that had to do with Mikan.

On Mikan’s last night in the academy, she was visited by Hotaru. She was so happy but then, it was obvious that peril is upon them. When she asked about Natsume, Hotaru asked her to not question her just this time. She had promised, and she will fulfill her promise.

Mikan woke up and found that Hotaru wasn’t gone. Ruka, who was visited by her that night too, thought it was a dream. But seeing the item Hotaru left him that was instructed to be given to Mikan ‘someday’, he confirmed to himself that it really did take place.

The last chapter ended with Mikan about to get out of the academy with Mr. Bear who apparently was given to her with the approval of her uncle. The bear though, was instructed to protect her, and to never ever move once outside the academy’s grounds. Mikan is going to forget him as a moving bear anyway and it would surprise her if she’d see a moving bear.

The academy Mikan left was in peace. Jinno became the new Elementary School Principal. Narumi became the head of the Dangerous Ability class. The rest maintained their positions.

Meanwhile, Hotaru had made a choice her brother can’t accept. Nodachi also disapproved of this but Hotaru had made up her mind.

According to the rule of Time Travel, you cannot change someone’s fate…but when Hotaru couldn’t accept this. She was already determined to do everything for Mikan. ‘You cannot change someone’s fate’, but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t possible. Nodachi later on admitted that it is possible but it has consequences. The person who will alter the fate will be forgotten by everyone. Your existence in everyone’s memories in exchange of altering the fate. Hotaru willingly accepted this. But Subaru would not let her alone. Thus, the Imai siblings did the impossible…they altered the fate of Natsume Hyuuga.

Hotaru was holding an alice stone that belonged to Natsume. It was orange, so it was assumed that it was Mikan’s. As a rule, if you’d get your alice back…you will get your memories back. Hotaru hopes that when Natsume meets Mikan again…and her alice would be restored to her, her memories would be restored…

Note:

The manga doesn't end here.