YuYuKo will EaT YoU

^The real Kuniko and Kunihito from Shangri-la. (Yoshida Ken’ichi)

This is going to be a double feature, along with a good-natured rant.

First you might ask, why is there not a picture of Suwako up at the top? Well, because this song sounds much more like the opening theme to Shangri-la, キミシニタモウコトナカレ (Kimi Shinitamou Koto Nakare), than ネイティブフェイス (Native Faith); it also sounds better, much better (no offense May’n, but Kotoge Mai’s got you one-upped).

As you all may know, I’m currently reading シャングリ・ラ Shangri-la (the novel, written by the sci-fi author, 池上永一 Ikegami Eiichi), and I hit a brick wall when I ran into Ikegami’s description of Kuniko, verses the character designs by Murata Renji [for-example]. Now, Shangri-la is a “real novel” (I’m using quote in support of NisioisiN’s argument). A “real novel” has no illustrations, because illustrations would diminish its reputation. The cover is a piece of old artwork depicting the tower of Babel taken from some museum. However, there is an add in the back for a manga-adaptation that has [this] picture by 烏丸匡 Karasuma Tasuku. I thought that might be more fitting, but it still didn’t quite match.

Kuniko is around the age of 19, just past high school age as she was imprisoned while she was in her first year and kept for two years. She wears her uniform because to a certain degree she misses the fact that she wasn’t able to have the “high school life” sort of experience. During her stay in prison, she used the time to meditate, and acts as if she believes she has attained enlightenment in the Buddhist sense of the word. She also performs acts and borderline miracles in line with both Christian and Buddhist “saints”. In this way she commands respect and takes the lead of a violent resistance movement, in her own way determined to keep it peaceable despite others efforts. She takes up a miner’s hardhat and pick (symbolically to represent the working class unable to reach Shangri-la). However, when strife hits she falls in and out of her saint-like qualities unable to cope completely with uncontrolled reality. (I haven’t yet gotten to the part where she starts using that ridiculous (-ly awesome!) boomerang – it just makes perfect sense for her to get that from an okama…)

I DO NOT SEE THAT AS A PINK HAIRED LOLI.
(Disclaimer: I’m not going to say Murata’s artwork isn’t good, and Karasuma hit more towards the mark I think, but… really. The other character designs were pretty good, just… just! D:)

So I went on a search to see if there were any pre-anime drawings (my hopes weren’t high), when I found this: [1],[2],[3],[4], a gallery of insert pictures for the book by Yoshida Ken’ichi. Now that’s what I’m talking about!! Beware of spoilers, but if you’re not going to read the book, I guess it’s ok to spoil the anime, it’s really not very good. D:

Anyway, this is a lyrics post, so I will refrain from rambling any further! I’ll save that for the inevitable Shangri-la post that will come when I finish the book. (In between my last review post I read Haruhi, but well, there’s not much to say – it’s exactly like the anime, if you know the plot, there’s really no use in reading it; it’s just an introduction of characters one after another and isn’t fun to read if you’re the least bit familiar with the characters already.)

Background Note:
Suwako is a goddess that creates earth and her symbol is a frog. She was overthrown (rather, she surrendered for the sake of the lives of her followers) by Kanako, a goddess that creates sky, whose symbol is the snake (instated after her victory because snakes eat frogs).

Kuniko is a saint like entity, tied to the earth, leading the support for the people left on the ground. She was willingly taken prisoner by agents of the government and Atlus, who are taking it upon themselves to build a tower into the sky, away from and abandoning the earth. Atlus basically uses demons to keep the power of the earth in check. Also, evil is symbolized by the snake in Christian cultures, and the Atlus tower is based off of the tower of Babel…

THE PARALLELS~!

The “you my love, I’d forgotten” is the earth.

—

愛しキミヲミツケニ
　Itoshi Kimi wo Mitsuke Ni
　Searching for You My Love
ネイティブフェイス｜東方風神録
歌：小峠舞
編曲：あとぐる
作詞：舞
Circle: C-CLAYS
Album: 煌彩 -KOUSAI-
Event: C79

立ち止まる事さえ許されぬのならば今夜
忘れてたいつかの愛しキミヲミツケニ

Tachidomaru koto sae yurusarenu no naraba konya
Wasureteta itsuka no itoshi kimi wo mitsuke ni

If I can’t stay here, then tonight
I’ll go searching for you, my love I’d forgotten

夜の帳に体震えて
問いかけるように行方捜した
目を細めたら見える気がして
仰ぐように手を翳したけど

Yoru no tobari ni karada furuete
Toikakeru you ni yukue sagashita
Me wo hisometara mieru ki ga shite
Aogu you ni te wo kazashita kedo

I shiver under the curtain of night
Asking, looking to find my way
I squint and feel I can almost see,
Looking up, shading my eyes against the sky

まやかしの言葉ただ
聞き流すのはもうやめた

Mayakashi no kotoba tada
Kikinagasu no wa mou yameta

I’ve quit ignoring
All the deception and lies

暗闇の彼方に連れ去られたそれは遠く
蘇る確かな記憶を解き放て
立ち止まる事さえ許されぬのならば今夜
忘れてたいつかの愛しキミヲミツケニ

Kurayami no kanata ni tsuresarareta sore wa tooku
Yomigaeru tashika na kioku wo tokihanate
Tachidomaru koto sae yurusarenu no naraba konya
Wasureteta itsuka no itoshi kimi wo mitsuke ni

Led far away into darkness
I release firm memories revived within me
If I can’t stay here, then tonight
I’ll go searching for you, my love I’d forgotten

枯れた大地と人の心へ
住み着く蛇に姿呑まれて
嘲笑うように波紋広がり
天（そら）に身を任せてみたけど

Kareta daichi to hito no kokoro e
Sumitsuku ja ni sugata nomarete
Azawarau you ni hamon hirogari
Sora ni mi wo makasetemita kedo

By the serpent who took to the withered earth and hearts of my people,
I was made to swallow its form
As ripples spread like harsh laughter
I let myself be taken by the sky

「従うこと慣れた」と
言い聞かす自分に気付いた

“Shitagau koto nareta” to
Iikikasu jibun ni kidzuita

As I asked myself,
“Have you grown used to servility?” I realized

失うこと恐れて背を向け目を逸らしてきた
守るべき祈りを信じて解き放て
立ち止まる事さえ許されぬのならば今夜
忘れてたいつかの愛しキミヲミツケニ

Ushinau koto osorete se wo muke me wo sorashitekita
Mamoru beki inori wo shinjite tokihanate
Tachidomaru koto sae yurusarenu no naraba konya
Wasureteta itsuka no itoshi kimi wo mitsuke ni

Fearing loss, I had turned my back and averted my eyes
Now I’ll believe in the prayers I should have protected and release them
If I can’t stay here, then tonight
I’ll go searching for you, my love I’d forgotten

争い　滲ます血は歴史を巡り
私は生きてく永遠に

Arasoi nijimasu chi wa rekishi wo meguri
Watashi wa ikiteku eien ni

War, its streaming blood runs throughout history
For as long as the eternity I have lived and more

小さな魂が強く強く願い託し
霞んでく瞳を何度も呼び起こす

Chiisa na tamashii ga tsuyoku tsuyoku negaitakushi
Kasundeku hitomi wo nando mo yobiokosu

Each small soul strongly, strongly entrusts its wishes
Calling my fogging eyes awake again and again

限りなく広がり描かれてく遠き未来
瞬くこの瞬間に光を解き放て
立ち止まる事さえ許されぬのならば今夜
忘れてたいつかの　愛し君の名を　虹架かる　キミヲミツケニ

Kagirinaku hirogari egakareteku tooki mirai
Matataku kono wake ni hikari wo tokihanate
Tachidomaru koto sae yurusarenu no naraba konya
Wasureteta itsuka no itoshi kimi no na wo niji kakaru kimi wo mitsuke ni

The distant future spreads, endlessly drawn out before me
In this instant of realization I release light
If I can’t stay here, then tonight
I’ll go searching for you, my love I’d forgotten,
　building a bridge in rainbows over your name

—

^Hey, wasn’t this song based on MY theme?