Kyanobenthes' Scratch Pad

In reviewing my stuff, I don’t think I nailed down exactly how old Shizuru was when she met Natsuki in the garden. Eh? Natsuki’s Prelude as translated by Apollyon indicates that Natsuki knew Shizuru while she was in her 3rd year middle school and Shizuru was in 2nd year high school. So they met each [...]

I’ve been digging into my bookmarked research sites and downloading/saving/reading a lot more new articles concerning various aspects of Japanese culture, this time as it pertains to women. Here’s an older article (2004) that people should find interesting. Note the irony in my “older” label for it–2004 really wasn’t long ago at all, but according [...]

Collection of basic information from Japanese opinion polls/surveys on various topics: http://whatjapanthinks.com/

http://www.kyotojournal.org/kjselections/oswalt.html Questioning Gender An interview with Japan-based psychotherapist Kim Oswalt (2006) “Kim Oswalt, an American psychotherapist who has been working with transgender clients in Japan for nearly five years, does not view transsexuality as a mental disorder. The very real suffering that Oswalt seeks to relieve is, she says, partly rooted in the client’s social [...]

Meaning information, of course. I discovered a legitimate and fairly recent website of a university course on Japanese culture. Fascinating stuff. This, in particular, is very interesting. The date is 1994: http://cla.calpoly.edu/~bmori/syll/Hum310japan/familyforms2 Here’s a counterpart international table from the same site: http://cla.calpoly.edu/~bmori/syll/Hum310japan/familyresp2 (Oh, hey, check out England…) Of course, the numbers would have more weight [...]

Hmm, I don’t think I asked this yet. Is anyone aware of canon information (artbook, drama CD, whatever, official site, etc.) concerning what Nao’s mom did for a living or if she had a job at all? P.S.: TAXES. P.P.S.: Have you ever edited a term book for four authors? I am. Mind you these [...]

I think there’s a very specific scene where we see the photograph of Natsuki and her parents burning up (a flashback of some sort). Does anyone know exactly where that scene is? A time code in an episode would be helpful or a description of the setting where the photo was burning. Unless I’m thinking [...]

So, ummm, can someone explain to me just how the Japanese classes are divided? Mai was in 1-A in the series and Natsuki in 1-B, for instance. Is it arbitrary? I vaguely remember a post about the class ranks elsewhere, but after a little bit of research, I’m just more confused. :P

Is there any explicit information anywhere about just when Natsuki and her mom fell off that cliff? I vaguely remember some flowers being involved in an earlier episode of the anime, but the anime calendar isn’t all that explicit either (or logical half the time).

Is there any explicit information about how old Nao was when her family was attacked?

For the dozen or so people patiently waiting, one reason why I’m takin’ so long is because I’m writing double length. :P So to speak, anyway… (It hurtssssssss-) And to make this a taggable entry–did you know there’s a difference between Western mayonnaise and Japanese mayonnaise? I had no idea. I’m guessing Natsuki is addicted [...]

WOW I have a new favorite (or tie) link for my ongoing research of Japanese culture/society: http://www.tjf.or.jp/deai/contents/teacher/mini_en/mini_top.html I haven’t actually dug very deeply in the root of the site, but I think the link sits under a high school student site and is aimed at teachers. The mini encyclopedia is way too cool. The photo [...]

Uh…. It was never said in the anime where Shizuru’s mark was, right? Any other references? ^_^;

Nao’s mom came back… and was fine… right? ^_^; I still don’t get parts of the ending, and I don’t think I ever will (excessive theoretical elucidation is annoying).