aarinfantasy's YAOI Collection

The Novel~

  1. foxhat
    Well, I thought our group could use some more discussion stuff... soooo

    here is a place to talk about the novel. I believe volume 5 was just released by June last week. Be kind, and watch your spoilers (though I doubt there really is anything left to spoil )

    some possible starters... >_>
    Novel versus OVA
    Plot-satisfied? looking for more?
    Cover and inside illustrations- love them or hate them?
    Favorite moments?
    More than just yaoi- the sociology and governmentality side of AnK
    Random drooling?
  2. Blind_Kira
    Blind_Kira
    why, foxy-chan, these topic hauled my attention: "More than just yaoi- the sociology and governmentality side of AnK". I mean... yoooho! we could talk about this, I'd find weally interesting since I'm getting my license in sociology xDD but people seem to wanna join the grup and then pay no attention to it... kids these days
  3. foxhat
    foxhat
    ahhaha kids these days.. they just don't value sociology! I took a course in high school on it and it was super interesting, but we only had one so I couldn't go to the next level.. and alas, college is being ever illusive to me.

    Even since I was introduced AnK, I've been interested in the social workings.

    Since you are the almighty wise one in sociology- XDD - share your thoughts, please? It's been 2 years since I had that class, so my mind is foggy, but I know there are important things that are being overlooked! I mean, a society governed by an AI system, then further ruled by a hierarchy of hair color, and mix in a revolution attempt(which succeeded yet failed completely at the same time) and there's tons of stuff to ponder over! Then there is the lack of women in the 'slums' ( was it everywhere or just there? memory fail.)
    I think I'll let you reply before I ramble anymore.
  4. Blind_Kira
    Blind_Kira
    Yes, the AnK society is quite interesting from that aspect. We could concentrate on quite a few things, though I’m not the wise-one I will start by the division of work, I find it interesting, for one thing. It is of course evident that the whole society is based on sexist and hair-color (as a metaphore for race, or ethnicity, I believe) judgement, as perfect and all-mighty as the blondies might be, this points to shallowness and lack of popular freedom, it points to a working body that is tragically flawed. This hint of nonfunctional body, despite the ode to perfection and beauty, I encounter throughout the whole thing. Now, the male symbol stands for force, might, strength, and hierarchy. This male-hierarchy association is easily observed in the slums as well, it’s a subtle message for a pack of already crazed wolves that are being locked together somewhere and they firstly become friends but then start attacking each other and eventually kill each other, even if for no good reason. The mentality of enclosed spaces is very well portrayed, the hopelessness, the despair, yet the boiling anger and frustration that slowly takes away all reason and leads the mass to provoke a revolution. It is a very nice aspect, the fact that the revolution changes something yet changes not too much after all, and it’s a sociological truth, in my opinion. The society works as a whole, as a system, and each system functions mainly not on efficiency criteria, but on the effect of inertia, meaning the low of physics stating that a body which is in motion tends to keep that state even when the motion itself has ended. –just thought I’d try and explain it in case some other members read this, find it very smart and decide on joining us xDDD -, so a revolution, being a change of prior order, will generate an instance of entropy that the system itself will automatically dissolve, without outer intervention. Some new rules might be installed, but even for the masses that demanded such rules, they will become hard to live up to. It is the scientific truth behind the common line “Nothing ever changes, all stays the same”. I think I lingered on that aspect a bit too long. Oh boy this will be a big post. Moving on…
    The lack or very low number of women, not to mention the almost complete lack of children is a sign of dying society, women are the symbol of creation, of nesting and nursing, if you will, children being the means for a future. This also comes to point that the society, as it is, has no future in the present form. The high degree of sexuality between men, as yummy and passionate as it might be, points in my view to the love of self. Blondies aren’t supposed to have intercourse with their pets, if they would be to have any, it should be with one of their one, it is the principle of separation, segreration, principle that Iason demolishes by loving someone entirely different then himself. Therefore, Iason stands for the love of the other, in a religious sense if you will, the love of your kin as apposed to the love of yourself, it is altruistic love in a philosophical sense, though it takes place in the most concrete and physical way. The intensity of Iason’s love comes to prove that no matter how separated, controlled and disciplined a being might be, the inner workings, the animalistic needs and desires and yearnings will always burst out, and the more you repress them, the fiercer they will explode and bit you in the ass. So to speak.
    (cont in next post, charas limit would be exceeded if not )
  5. Blind_Kira
    Blind_Kira
    Riki is the common low class person wanting to enter in a higher class, and the higher class rejects him, as social classes (low, middle and high) usually reject chameleon members. The way he can accede to the higher part, by being a pet, a play thing, is also a sociological truth, in that that high class members are more likely to even consider the joining of a low-class person as their own if by marriage, though they aren’t that inclined to accept them at all. The lack of a middle class is another clue to the dying status of the society, it is the middle class that offers balance and equilibrium to a system. It is why crises are such a social danger, they usually hit the middle class –they are, in the democratic world, often the most numerous and permit social change to take place as well- thus hitting the balance of the whole social organism.
    The sad ending, the death of Iason, is the common theme of the death of the visionary character in the picture. The visionary always gets a low blow in every story, he brings the wind of change and is an uncomfortable element for all sides of the game.
    Mkey, I will stop here for now, because if not, I might rant a huge lot. What do you think of these things you’ve so nicely observed yourself and mentioned? How do you think they impact the society?

  6. foxhat
    foxhat
    Bravo! You did so well! I'm going to have to read it many times ^_^ maybe watch the ova again~

    Here's a mighty question. Where do the Blondies come from? They are the elite humans, perfecting and etc. Was it Jupiter that 'made' them? They must be artificially made, with genetic tampering. They are obviously taller and, well, blonde. Sure, you could reason that because they live in high class they have access to better food, but that doesn't seem to be it. Is it mentioned on the novel? I've only made it to volume 4 Blondies almost seem emotionless. They are stuck in their own prisons of high class just as much as the mongrels are stuck in the slums. From what I gathered, the Blondies are not meant to have relationships with each other. I think it was mentioned they were infertile as well, (at least the males?) which sparks my curiosity even more.
    Children! I never noticed before, but there are a severe lack of children! In both classes. The only mention of children that I can recall are two cases- the first is about Riki's childhood at Guardian and the second is about the breeding of Furniture. One thing that I don't remember mentioned at all were the elderly. Is that strange only to me? Do the Blondies age slower than normal? In the slums, I imagine no one could survive past their thirties. But where are the old people elsewhere? It's not a young society, not one young enough to not produce elderly. I suppose it doesn't matter. Their society is doomed in the end. XD
    I think there is a middle class. There are the blondies and then the slum mongrels living in..(insert name here). But there are other citizens as well, plenty of others. It's mostly noticeable in the OVAs (and this topic is about the novel D: ) there are large crowds of people higher than Riki, but not blondies either. I believe the middle class of Tanagura is the largest, but they lack a voice of change because of two factors- one, the revolt lead by (Ceres?) citizens brought the rebels pain and suffering, preventing the current middle class from voicing opinion and second, the society is controlled by an AI computer that, presumably, lacks fear of loosing control of power and by the Blondies, beautiful super humans that work (decently?) hard to keep things running. The only people who do suffer are the mongrels who are shunned from the rest of the city sectors. Arguably, the pets and furniture might have it rough, but I'd like to think they have a better chance than Riki and his pals did.
    I don't think I'm making any valuable points. I'm just typing things >_>
    I guess it's difficult to really speculate on some topics about the society. Will it really fail? We (at least I) don't know the strength and limits Jupiter possesses. What if it can create life? What if the Blondies are manufactured and what if Jupiter can revive the society by adding key objects at proper times to prevent total collapse? What if Iason was meant to be one of those keys to keeping everything going, stirring change? It is possible they could just ship in a bunch of women from another society. I don't think Tanagura is a closed society. As long as Jupiter doesn't break down and they are in good relations with other societies, I don't think they would fall. They are suffering and nearing death, but throw in some women and things fix themselves.
    Certainly, though, if things remain the same, everything would crumble.
    I don't know what else to type... I'm not worthy! I really don't know what I'm thinking about. Hell, I still need to finish the novel!
  7. Blind_Kira
    Blind_Kira
    Haha, thanks, and yeah, good point the old people. It's like the society itself is not submitted to time-related restrictions, with ni children or elderly people, it symbolicaly has no past and future. You could see that as "living for the moment", or rootless therefore unstable...I dunno.
    Yes, the middle society is apparent perhaps, but to my eyes, it's more like absent. And I dunno if I could see the mongrels that are used as a middle class...myeah. Anyways, I didn't read through all the novels yet, I did see the OVA countless times, and I still manage to cry like a baby when the DanaBurn scenes start. I hate it when the visionary dies -pwetty much all the time-, Iason is my fav character in the whole story, perhaps my fav from all anime-related forms.
  8. foxhat
    foxhat
    I think the author was forced to set up the story in a place with very few time restrictions. If we were give all this info about the past and how things came to be, it would most likely become too lengthy and make the story boring. I still want more though XD

    Oh it's adorable when Iason hugs Riki~ And then the stupid dark haired buffoon has to be all "GUY!!!" ..idiot. If I was Iason, I'd tell Riki to carry his hunk of trash friend by himself. The dude totally ruined his manhood! Sure, what Riki said was true, that Iason and himself drove Guy to such crazy actions, but still! I wouldn't save him! D: He is the character I hate the most. Absolutely hate.

    I love the scene where Katze returns to his home and lights a cig, then starts crying. Something about the way he cries is beautiful.

    So what do you think of the illustrations in the novels?
    personally, I'll look at them, and then ignore them. I don't like the..dated style. They make the characters look a little on the ugly side.. more-so they make Iason look ugly o_o I think Riki is decently drawn, but not our bishie blondie~
  9. Blind_Kira
    Blind_Kira
    oh, definetly, I mean, my neverending love shall remain the Iason from the OVA's, he's smexy with nooooo~ limits he's so wovely xDDD *cannot help going all fangirl-mode*
  10. foxhat
    foxhat
    ahahah what do you think of the 'new' Iason for the 13 episode OVA being released in the fall? He's kind of... weird looking... >_>
    I can only hope when we see him in actions, his bishie powers will activate!

    I am so excited for the rest of the novel volumes to be published. At first, I would by them and read them, but then 3 months would pass before the next was released and I would have to start the books over again... so now I'm just waiting until all..6? are out and in my book collection before reading it again. I just can't handle re-reading the same things over and over again just because of memory fail. I'd rather just clump it all together and go nuts one night
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