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To Your Eternity – S2 02 – Going to Town
With everyone else out cold, Tonari and Hisame have a little chat, but it quickly descends into violence as Hisame's arm has a mind and will of its own (specifically Hayase's). Once it gets its Nokker tendrils into Tonari's hands, I knew it probably wasn't going to go well for her. Her trusty owl Ligard knocks Hisame out with her poison talons, but the Nokker arm isn't affected and drags Hisame into the night.
Tonari loses consciousness, and when Fushi comes to as an honored guest of the village elder, he finds her already on her death bed. There's nothing her companion can do. All Tonari asks is that Fushi stay by her side until she "croaks", and also show her all of the friends he's made.
Fushi proceeds to transform into everyone from the original Boy to Tonari's dead family, noting that his friends Tonari and Sander are still alive (he'd know if they weren't). But what he doesn't realize is that the two of them are right beside him, though Tonari soon dies and Sander says goodbye without revealing their identities.
It's only when Fushi takes Tonari's form and finds her journal behind her back that he realizes it was her all along, and that it's always better to have many arrows than one. Now Tonari is part of his shapeshifting quiver. He soon runs into Hisame in the woods.
He wants to remove her Nokker arm, but she refuses, even when he transforms into Tonari. That night after wrapping her arm, she tells him that is her and her predecessor's dream to have a child with him, which she hopes can happen if they "sleep together". Both of them take this literally, which is obviously for the best!
The next day Fushi finds Hisame's minders and returns her to them, and there's a moment of levity as the Beholder tells Fushi that his reproductive organs work just fine, so he can "go to town" whenever. Again, Fushi takes this literally to go into town to make friends, and the Beholder doesn't comment further, leaving Fushi to either figure out things in that arena to himself or not.
He travels from city to city, never staying longer than a couple of days lest the Nokkers have time to show up and take root. He has little luck making new friends, largely because whenever they seem friend-worthy he worries about watching them die, and breaks things off.
His only constant companions in the ensuing years are leaders of the Guardians, starting with Hisame's Daughter (who was born many years after she and Fushi parted ways). Then her granddaughter, great-granddaughter, and so on for a few more generations show up, the latest being Kahaku, the first male successor. One would hope at this point in time that Hayase's fye has mellowed a bit.
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Sun, 30 Oct 2022 Categories Anime Reviews, Fall 2022, Fumetsu no Anata e 2nd SeasonTags beholder, city, death scene, doctor, friends, fushi, guardians, hayase, hisame, humanity, immortal, mass, nokkers, reincarnation, shapeshifting, successors, time jump, tonari, traveling, village, 不滅のあなたへ
RWBY: Ice Queendom – 04 – Her World, Her Rules
If you're going to go three weeks between episodes (since the first three were available in week one) following with a character-centric bottle episode is probably the way to go. We don't see how Weiss is discovered or how the rest of her team takes her before Shion; instead we're right beside Ruby inside Weiss' nightmare world as she tries to find her bearings and rescue her still-new comrade.
She arrives in a harsh winter wonderland with an psychedelic sky, but at least she can use her weapon as a snowboard, and spends coins in order to communicate with Shion, create shortcut doors, and bring up the map of where she's been. Considering she only has a finite amount of coins, I'd say she's actually way too liberal with their use early on.
After witnessing a Schnee-brand train being attacked and derailed by White Fang, Ruby follows the tracks to an Orwellian nightmare of a city, packed with statues and portraits of Weiss' father. The city is populated by a bunch of patrolling robots who salute with "Big Nicholas" (instead of Big Brother) and laborers who might as well be automatons with their highly structured, joyless days working to fatten their boss' pockets.
When blending in doesn't work (I mean look at her), Ruby tries to climb the vast walls of the city's central tower, but is pushed back by magical brambles. She then encounters a "Silly Prison" for "dummies" depicted as members of JNPR who meow kind of like cats a a pet shop. Ruby is a little disappointed Weiss sees their comrades like this.
As for Weiss herself, she's been given an Esdeath-like makeover. Her sister is a bat who alerts her to Ruby's movements, while her always-looming father orders her to take care of the intruder. Wanted posters appear instantaneously, and before long Ruby is cornered and finally comes face to face with Weiss.
As you'd expect, Weiss isn't in any hurry to go anywhere, and in any case regards Ruby with nothing but disgust and contempt. Seeing all this trippy shit inside Weiss' head, Ruby is compelled to believe that all the time Weiss was trying to make nice, she was actually harboring hatred for everyone else, including her.
Shion tells her it's not that easy; that the Nightmare itself casts a sinister shadow over everything. Ruby is an intruder, and so the Grimm will use everything at its disposal from Weiss' mind to throw Ruby off her game. But it's clear that Weiss' existence prior to joining the rest of RWBY has been harsh, cutthroat, and above all devoid of love and warmth. Hopefully Ruby can heat things up a little and bring the ice princess back from the brink.
Author braveradePosted on Tue, 26 Jul 2022 Categories Anime Reviews, RWBY: Hyousetsu Teikoku, Summer 2022Tags aura, beacon academy, city, dreamscape, dust, exploring, father, faunus, grimm, monsters, nightmare, nightmares, orwellian, prejudice, ruby rose, RWBY, shaft, sisters, snowboarding, teamwork, weiss schnee, white fang
Call of the Night – 02 – Not Just Any Neck Will Do
Kou and Nazuna met quite by chance, so it's not surprising the next night when Kou looks everywhere and can't find her. They set neither a time nor a place. Fortunately fortune smiles upon him as Nazuna eventually drops in on him, saying she was busy looking for some rando to drink blood from.
Since Nazuna told Kou before that drinking blood is like eating and "copulating" at the same time, he's a little miffed that she'd copulate with just anyone, but she tells him that's just what vampires do. Different necks are like different kinds of food to them.
What matters is they found each other, and Kou wants to make sure it's easier next time, so asks if they can exchange numbers. Only problem is, Nazuna doesn't have a phone. Well, she does, but she apparently bought it in the 80s, because it's almost the size of her boombox.
Nazuna led Kou to her place to find said gigantic phone, and once they're there, she soon plops into bed after a long night of searching for necks to bite. Kou isn't sure what to do until she opens the covers so he'll join her. But the prospect of her sucking other necks sticks with him.
That's when Nazuna confesses she was looking for him all night too…she was just too embarrassed to say it. Kou accepts her apology, and unlike the last time when he whipped out his neck willy-nilly, here he gets the timing right, and she leans in for a drink.
Both the character design and Amamiya Sora's voice acting really nail that combination of predation and vulnerability has always made vampires so fascinating. As she dozes next to him, happy as a clam, Kou is relieved and happy not that she finds his blood tasty, but because they both felt the same way: they wanted to see each other again.
The next night they have an equally hard time finding each other, but the inevitably do, and Kou presents her with a solution to her problem that avoids her having to buy a (new) cell phone: a pair of receiver watches. While a desperately dorky thing, I'm not surprised that Nazuna is into it and wants to play with them.
This leads to Kou telling her a story of how he bought a pair when he was younger, even though he didn't have a friend. Instead of making one, he hid the watch hoping someone would find it, but while it was eventually taken, he never worked up the courage to use it to call that person (or rodent).
Nazuna is right that it's a bleak story on its face, but Kou is also right that being around people can make some people more lonely than being on their own. The two dorks proceed to have a grand old time communicating and laughing together on their watches, culminating with Kou remarking that they're like a couple that just started out.
Nazuna puts the perfect capper on the evening by giving Kou another aerial ride over the city lights, this time to a new insert song. At times, the pair look like they're dancing in the sky, 'cause they kinda are. The puppy love is strong here, and these two are simply the cutest.
Nazuna lands them on the school roof, and even though Kou hates school during the day and has not been going, the night makes it a more enjoyable place to be. Nazuna walks up to him and casually sucks his blood for the first time outside her apartment—and at school, no less! As she puts it, "Talk about indecent behavior!"
But while Nazuna is super casual about drinking his blood, showing a lot of skin, and saying "copulate", Kou soon picks up that when it comes to love and romance, she gets super-embarrassed, which is how Kou "gets back" at her stolen neck bite by calling her by her first name and adding "-chan", which turns her beet-red and has her covering her face with her awesome cloak.
On the way home just before daybreak, Kou wonders if the blue receiver watch he left atop the mailboxes is still out there somewhere. Just as he's dismissing that idea, he gets a signal from his red receiver watch, and a girl in a school uniform and messy dark hair calls him by his name…
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Thu, 14 Jul 2022 Thu, 4 Aug 2022 Categories Anime Reviews, Summer 2022, Yofukashi no UtaTags at ease, よふかしのうた, cell phone, city, drinking blood, embarrassed, falling in love, first name basis, flying, freedom, friends, intimacy, lonely, nanakusa nazuna, neck bite, night, playing around, romance, school, searching, sleeping together, sweet, transceiver watches, vampire, yamori kou
Call of the Night – 01 (First Impressions) – Carpe Noctem
Now that's what I'm freakin' talkin' about! Call of the Night is a pitch-perfect vampire rom-com from start to finish with a keen understanding of how to set tone and atmosphere, and the entire episode takes place over a single night—one of my favorite settings, being a night owl myself.
The infrequent scenes from Yamori Kou's ordinary middle school life are shot relatively normally, but the light (and indeed, normalness) of those scenes feels oppressive, while the sprawling, shimmering night feels like a release. Kou doesn't get things like "crushes" and "confessions", but this place? This time? He gets it.
Surfing the web for remedies to his insomnia, many bring up booze as a surefire way to eventually lose consciousness, so he walks up to a very brightly-lit beer vending machine, and just as he's making his selection, a sinister figure wreathed in shadow sidles up to him, questioning his legal age to purchase alcohol.
But the girl is only playing around; she has no intention of snitching. Indeed, she tags along with Kou as his night continues, passing by three older dudes who took the advice of the internet and got rek'd. Kou is awed by how she can so casually high-five strangers, but that's what the night is all about: it's a time of freedom; of casting off inhibitions and living.
When Kou is starting to feel a little tired, the quirky lilac-haired girl invites him up to her place, a sparse studio with a futon on the floor. The girl disrobes—as in, removes her robe, not all her clothes—but reveals, well, a revealing crop top, which catches the romance-averse Kou off-guard and makes him wonder what this girl's intentions are.
She tells him: there's nothing in the world wrong with two people simply sleeping in the same bed together. Even though the weird girl remains very much awake and basically stares at him the whole time, Kou can't help but feel far more relaxed with her beside him than no one at all.
Kou is also good at pretending to be asleep; so good that the girl assumes he is, the light suddenly changes from deep purplish blue to warmer fuchsia, she bares her fangs and sinks them into Kou's neck. For those not paying attention, yes: this chick is a vampire.
If a series is going to spend so much time at night, it had better know what to do with light, shadow, and color, and boy does Call of the Night ever know. Some scenes even reminded me of Fantasia. When Kou wakes up with blood on his neck, her fib about a giant mosquito doesn't hold water (or blood).
That said, he keeps his head as the girl causally admits what she is, though he wonders why he hasn't become a vampire. Here's where the two find they share something in common, besides a love of the night: while some vampires go around making a whole mess of offspring, she'd…rather not. Just like Kou would rather not participate in all the junior high drama.
Perhaps it's because she feels as comfortable around him as he does around her, the girl lets slip a truth about vampires: one way to become one is to have your blood sucked by a vampire you're in love with. One thing I love about this girl is that she can get just as frazzled talking about this stuff as Kou.
She redirects the conversation to ask him how his first night "taking a step outside the norm" felt, out here in the place furthest he can hope to get from the things he thinks are a pain. He asks her formally to let him fall in love with her, but she promises nothing. She'll just keep sucking his blood; if he wants to fall for her, he can go right ahead.
Now that they're in agreement, they exchange names—her's is Nanakusa Nazuna—and she resolves to "infuse more night" into him and his blood, which she maintains tastes best at night, just before going to bed. To that end, Nazuna kicks him off the roof of her high-rise apartment building…only to catch him in the blink of an eye long before he hits the pavement.
Thence, Nazuna princess carries Kou on aerial tour of the late night cityscape, flipping him upside down for an even more unique perspective. As he simply sits there in her arms in quiet but intense awe at what's happening, Nazuna seems to take a great deal of pleasure from it as well.
And that's the key to this: for as traditionally horny as vampires are depicted and as revealing as Nazuna's garb is, this is a surprisingly sweet and innocent love story in the works. It's about two outsiders in their happy place, staying up late and embracing the freedom of the night. With this banger of a premiere, the summer season has finally kicked off in earnest!
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Thu, 7 Jul 2022 Thu, 4 Aug 2022 Categories Anime Reviews, Summer 2022, Yofukashi no UtaTags amamiya sora, よふかしのうた, boredom, city, drinking blood, falling in love, flying, freedom, insomnia, middle school, nanakusa nazuna, neck bite, night, romance, shadows, sleepover, supernatural, vampire, yamori kou
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation – 20 – Odd Man Out
Back when the explosion that shatters the Greyrat family occurred, Lilia has the foresight to grab Aisha and hold her tight for the expanding blast. She ends up teleported into the water, but manages to swim to the surface before she and her daughter drown. She makes her way on foot to Shirone, only for Prince Pax to capture and imprison them once he learns Lilia knows Roxy.
While Rudeus intends for the Ruijerd figurines he's crafted to improve the Superd's reputation, this week they actually come in handy rescuing him from Pax's clutches. Pax's older brother Prince Zanoba, you see, happens to be a figurine otaku the likes of which Rudy knows well from his old life. Wisely Rudy only owns up to being the artist once he realizes Zanoba wants to praise him and become his apprentice.
Zanoba doesn't care about Roxy like his perverted brother does, just the figurine of her, which we learn has a detachable clothes. As such, he cares nothing for Pax's plots, and so is immediately an ally to Rudy by default. Meanwhile, we see Ruijerd, Eris, and Aisha's side of things as they work with Shirone royal guards to free their families, whom Pax has hostage to secure their loyalty.
That shortsighted strategy backfires as expected, first when Rudy tells Zanoba to lower the barrier and Zanoba grabs Pax out of bed by the head and presents him to Rudy, revealing Zanoba is a "Blessed Child" with superhuman strength. Ginger is Pax's last line of defense, but when she learns her family is safe, she turns on Pax, informing him she first swore loyalty to Zanoba to begin with.
Shortly after Zanoba and Ginger free Rudy, Ruijerd returns from freeing Ginger and the soldiers' loved ones, along with Lilia, who is immensely happy to be reunited with both Rudy and Aisha. Basically, Rudy didn't actually have to do anything to get out of his latest predicament, other than make that figuring of Roxy years ago. Everything else kind of fell into place.
Later, Lilia gives Rudy a big hug, along with the box containing Roxy's underwear and a pendant Sylphiette made for him. Also, Aisha wants to join the "Kennel Master" on his continuing adventures, thus saving her from the "perverted clutches" of her half-brother.
After Rudy gives her his Dead End head protector, she either connects the dots about him actually being her half-brother, or decides to drop the charade. Either way, with Zenith and Sylphiette still missing, Rudy can go forward knowing at least one of his little sisters likes him!
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Sun, 28 Nov 2021 Categories Anime Reviews, Fall 2021, Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu 2nd SeasonTags aisha, barrier, brother, capital, city, 無職転生, eris boreas greyrat, family, figurine, hostages, lilia, little sister, otaku, pax, pervert, prince, rescue, reunion, rudeus greyrat, ruijerd superdia, shirone, trap, zanoba1 Comment on Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation – 20 – Odd Man Out
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation – 19 – The Man-God's Fast One
Rudeus appears once again in his original form from his own world before the Man-God Hitogami, a year after their last meeting. Rudy decides once again to let the Man-God guide him to his next objective, agreeing to trust him in exchange for helping find Zenith, Lilia, and Aisha. While we can't yet say Hitogami has steered Rudy wrong, his true motivations remain unknown. Is he earnestly trying to help Rudy, or just seeking entertainment?
After much vomiting over the side of a ship, Rudy, along with Eris and Ruijerd, arrive at last at the Central Continent, and the capital of the kingdom of Shirone. As has now become commonplace, the "OP" consists of a sequence of vistas of the new land, along with a new song to accompany it. It's big, it's grand, and it's awesome. It's a city I'd love to spend weeks exploring.
Of course, Rudy doesn't have time for that; he has a family to locate and rescue. Going off the vision Hitogami gave him, he searches the city for Lilia and Aisha, and finds the latter, now six years old, being bothered by city guards. Rudy uses his incantation-less magic to bear both him and Aisha away from the guards, and just like that, he's reunited with a sibling who was only a baby when last he saw her.
Unlike Norn, Aisha is friendly with Rudy…but only because she's not aware that he's actually her older brother, whom she's certain is an awful pervert due to Roxy's underwear he'd been keeping that she found one day. It's a little sad that Lilia taught her daughter not to rely on his brother, but Rudy follows the Man-God's advice to use an alias rather than reveal his true connection to Aisha.
With Aisha safely under Eris and Ruijerd's careful watch, Rudy accepts the invitation of Ginger York, a member of the seventh prince of Shirone's royal guard, who escorts him to the castle of Shirone. He's under the impression Ginger is taking him to see Roxy, who has been serving the prince, and is excited to see his master for the first time in seven years.
Alas, it's only a trap. Lilia is indeed in the Shirone castle, the captive of Pax, the seventh prince. But Rudy ends up falling down a hole into a king-class barrier meant for Roxy. Pax is determined to lure Roxy back so he can capture and have his way with her. Since Lilia wasn't sufficient bait, he'll use Rudy instead.
It's understandable that, now that he finds himself in this predicament after following Hitogami's instructions pretty much to the letter, Rudy considers the possibility the Man-God played a trick on him. But to what end? Is Rudy really trapped? I doubt it; a trap intended for Roxy means Rudy, who has far surpassed Roxy in magical ability, should have no trouble escaping it.
The problem is, Lilia is currently Prince Pax's hostage. Rudy can't act carelessly lest any harm come to Aisha's mother. I don't foresee Pax being a credible threat for long—I mean look at him—but at the moment Rudy does seem to be in a rather sticky situation.
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Mon, 22 Nov 2021 Categories Anime Reviews, Fall 2021, Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu 2nd SeasonTags aisha, capital, central continent, city, 無職転生, eris boreas greyrat, family, hitogami, lilia, little sister, man-god, pax, pervert, prince, rescue, rudeus greyrat, ruijerd superdia, shirone, trap1 Comment on Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation – 19 – The Man-God's Fast One
Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy – 06 – Gettin' Tsige With It
Tsukimichi starts out rather dry with some TenSura-style sitting around talking, but last week's cliffhanger is nicely solved as Rembrandt gravely underestimates Makoto. But even here Tsukimichi pulls off a nice trick, as Rembrandt isnt a haughty blowhard but just a guy who is desperate for the materials to make the Ambrosia that aids his cursed wife and daughters. When his employees hear that Makoto has enough Ruby Eyes for all three, they all rush in to tearfully congratulate him.
Makoto's productive visit to Rembrandt leads to him officially signing up for the Merchant's Guild, for which there is both a written and practical exam. Fortunately, the education in this isekai is far below the modern Japanese standard, so Makoto aces the written exam with ease. He also has no problem producing the rare items he's tasked with procuring in the practical exam, thanks to his high-level wagon fellowship.
Just as Makoto is trying out what looks like a beer but turns out to be…banana, we abruptly cut to Tomoe's little excursion in errantry, exposing her bandaged bosom as she poses over a massive Gain Crab she slaughtered with as much ease as Makoto slaughtered the Merchant's Guild tests. It's good to see that she's not always thinking about where Makoto is or what he's doing, but perfectly happy doing her own thing out in the isekai.
Tomoe is vibeing so hard on her historical drama reenactment, she returns to the Demiplane without so much of an "FYI" message to Makoto—who is telepathically linked, after all. Her giant crab feast is interrupted by a summons to the library from Emma, who wants her and Mio to work on translating Makoto's many memories. In doing so, Mio becomes an anime and tokusatsu otaku, just as Tomoe became a historical drama otaku.
But despite Tomoe and Mio being like oil and water, they both agree on one key thing: the Young Master needs to get laid. Makoto is resolutely disinterested, averting his eyes from the two loosening their robes on the two inn beds and content with sleeping on what looks like Fushi's chair from To Your Eternity. Perhaps it's because, as the ED seems to indicate, they remind him so much of his sisters back home.
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Wed, 11 Aug 2021 Categories Anime Reviews, Summer 2021, Tsuki ga Michibiku Isekai DouchuuTags alchemy, bickering, city, crab, demiplane, fantasy, isekai, jokes, knight errant, merchants guild, mio, misumi makoto, rembrandt, road trip, sisters, slice of life, tests, toa, tomoe, translating, tsige, 月が導く異世界道中
Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy – 05 – Ruby Eyes and Caveman Meat
With Zetsuya left utterly destroyed by Tomoe and Mio's OP one-upmanship, they, along with Makoto, Toa, Rinon, and a "fellowship" of other adventurers (an elf, a dwarf, and a dude) pile into a wagon and head for the next human town, the less feral Tsige.
While stopping at an guild outpost Makoto manages to convince Tomoe of the merit of becoming a "knight-errant", or ronin, and she heads off on her own, never to be seen again!
Tomoe would be a huge loss if the other characters both old and new couldn't hold their own, but they totally can. Toa's penchant for graphically dissecting defeated monsters while looking exactly like Hasegawa haunts Makoto, while a Mio without a Tomoe to snipe at is still jockeying for her master's attention…though she deems Rinon "a charming little girl" for assuming Mio and Makoto are dating.
Makoto and his new friends are reluctant to part once arriving at Tsige, so they have a big celebratory feast at a blue-collar tavern of Toa's choosing. Perhaps due to him being served one too many orders of Brazen Youngster-Style Primeval Meat, Mio's dreams of a steamy night alone with Master are dashed when he hits the hay and falls right to sleep. There's also the fact that he's just a kid, and has eyes only for Hasegawa or her isekai equivalent.
Thanks to the use of Mist Gates, Makoto and Mio return to the Demiplane where a far more confident and forthright Emma is waiting for them, along with Mini-Tomoe, who also has no idea where her counterpart is. I like how Makoto obviously isn't worried about Tomoe (except perhaps whether she'll destroy any other towns), but he does seem to miss her towards the end.
So did I towards the end, but like Makoto I was sufficiently distracted by the lively goings-on quickly of his expanding Demiplane empire, including that one grizzled dwarf who is absolutely hell-bent on creating a garment or accessory that will kill Makoto instantly. He's got a long way to go!
On the way to Tsige Makoto uses his trusty bow to swiftly deal with some pretty rare monsters, who drop valuable ruby eyes that the Rembrandt Trading Company is looking for. The only problem is, Makoto has heard some ill rumors about misfortune befalling anyone who deals with Rembrandt.
Thankfully, this does not dissuade Makoto from doing a deal with them anyway, though as soon as he arrives he is summarily rebuffed. Perhaps he needs a bit of Tomoe's memory-altering powers…or maybe he's going to try to negotiate his way to a profit without the many OP tricks at his disposal. Either way, Makoto & Co.'s journey has never not been extremely fun, zippy, and more often than not, hilarious.
P.S., the show has now cycled through three distinct EDs. This one went back to showing Makoto and his sisters growing up, which is very sweet and uplifting. My favorite, however, continues to be Tomoe and Mio's shred-tastic power metal cover of the first episode's Enka-style ending, as seen below:
That's the good shit.
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Wed, 4 Aug 2021 Wed, 4 Aug 2021 Categories Anime Reviews, Summer 2021, Tsuki ga Michibiku Isekai DouchuuTags alke, alone together, chemistry, city, demiplane, dwarves, fantasy, fellowship, isekai, jokes, knight errant, mio, misumi makoto, overpowered, rembrandt, rinon, road trip, spider woman, toa, tomoe, tsige, wagon, 月が導く異世界道中
To Your Eternity – 05 – A Family
Parona frees March, Fushi, and the old lady Pioran, but before they escape the prison, she wants to cut off a chunk of "Oniguma-sama" as proof to Ninnanah he was defeated. She even has a wolf toy ready to placate March, along with the justification that it will save the lives of many girls.
But March, who had just washed the great bear's wounds and watched him die, won't allow it. So Parona reconsiders. She'll convince the villagers some other way—one that doesn't require another life.
Parona proves as bad a wagon driver as she is an archer, but thanks to her asking March what she wants to do when she becomes a grown-up, it offers March a chance to set a death flag or three. Right on time, the casually relentless Hayase and her Yamone warriors close in on their fleet donkeys.
Hayase assures them she'll spare their lives if they give up the dog, but Fushi is family, so that ain't gonna happen. Parona gives a valiant effort to fight them off, but she has to be saved from an arrow by March, who declares "I can do something too" before saving her beloved husband.
Immediately after March is shot, Fushi leaps towards Hayase, transforming in mid-air from wolf to giant bear, wounds and all, and rakes her across the face. Then we take a look back at how Parona and March met. Parona watched from a distance as March played with her fingers in the dirt, imagining them as her kids.
When March approached her wondering why she was always alone, Parona presented her with a doll she made, and March returns the favor with a "thank you meal" that, while inedible, Parona still "eats" and voices how delicious it is. March suggests they become a family; her new doll can be their kid, she'll be Mommy, and Parona will be Daddy.
Fast-forward back to the wagon, and March is fading fast. Parona finds another "thank-you meal" with which March was going to surprise her. March asks Parona to become a mommy in her place, then asks if Fushi is near, and as he causes a rampage in the city, Parona says that he is. Then March draws her last breath.
Between this and Fruits Basket's tearjerker earlier today, I've gone through half a big box of tissues crying my eyes out. But Parona wears a smile as she approaches Fushi and tells him to stop; there's no longer any need to fight. He returns to human form, while Parona finds Hayase lying in a pile of rubble, wounded but alive. She picks up a nearby broken blade, telling March "Let's go home together."
In the space between life and death, March envisions returning to her village with Parona and leaping into the arms of her elated parents. She dreams of growing into a beautiful young woman with lots of stuffed "kids" made by Parona. But then March notices this isn't really happening, and that she's not really there, or anywhere. She doesn't want to be nowhere, not when there was so much more she wanted to do.
She sees Parona with the blade, seemingly pointed at Hayase, but Parona, who is unwilling to live in a reality where she outlived March, turns the blade on her throat and prepares to plunge it in, thus "going home together" with her little wife. She can't hear the spectral March pleading for her to stop…but Fushi does hear her, and stays Parona's hand, all the while pouting like March. He takes her by the arm and transforms into Oniguma, and the two ride back to Ninnanah.
Once there, Parona approaches March's parents and presents them with the "letter" containing only March's handprint, which Parona translates as "March is doing great." That, along with Parona's demeanor tells the parents all they need to know. But rather than shun her like her parents did when she dared to live, March's mother embraces Parona, thanking her for everything she did—and tried to do—for their March.
As the watch announces the Yanome are coming, Parona tells a suddenly far more expressive Fushi to flee before the enemy arrives. After all, life is never merely given, it must be won. He transforms into a wolf and departs.
Using an arrow that's served her well for more than half a year and a heavy bow borrowed from a watchman, Parona takes aim at Hayase as she aims at Fushi, and her arrow goes right through Hayase's hand. Even so, Hayase merely smiles, and Parona admits she missed her intended target, which was no doubt meant to be fatal.
As for Fushi, as the narrator says: "In meeting its mother and parting with her, its humanity increased." Not only that, he can now take March's form, and does so in order to grab one of the fruits his mommy once so generously fed him. So ends the most moving episode of To Your Eternity yet, in my books surpassing even the sublime first episode.
If I'm honest, I always knew March would be a goner and probably end up another one of Fushi's forms. And yet the show kept serving up hope she might have a future, right up to her act of self-sacrifice. Parona may not have to live with the loss of March and her sister, but she'll keep living all the same. It's what her wife would have wanted.
GODDAMN TEARJERKER™ CERTIFIED
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Mon, 10 May 2021 Fri, 2 Jul 2021 Categories Anime Reviews, Fumetsu no Anata e, Goddamn Tearjerker, Spring 2021Tags arrow, bear, city, death, escape, food, fushi, grown up, hayase, heroine, imprisoned, march, ninannah, oniguma-sama, parona, pioran, sister, stimulation, transformation, weapon, wolf, yanome, 不滅のあなたへ
To Your Eternity – 04 – Put to Good Use
Parona remembers when her big sister hid her away in a tree hollow, only to learn her sister had taken her place as an offering to Oniguma-sama. Lil' Parona had to learn when she tripped over her dead and buried sister's foot. She wakes up in a wagon with March and Fushi, headed to Yanome, bastion of the enemy. Also in the wagon is the shamaness who turns out to be a fake and a captive in her own right, admitting she only chose March because she was the prettiest.
Through the shamaness Parona and March learn that the Yanome are envious of Ninnanah's lush lands and are using the ritual to exert control. When Fushi wets himself, the wagon stops at a lake for everyone to bathe, and Fushi remembers the boy and re-assumes his form. Hayase treats her captives gently as they enter the bustling Yanome city of which she's clearly proud. But as soon as March, Parona, and Fushi eat, they're all knocked out; Hayase drugged their meals.
She then presents Fushi to other Yanome officials, declaring the immortal creature a weapon essential to Yanome's future. As two prisoners hack at Fushi, who regenerates almost instantly, he learns a new phrase: "It Hurts", and then attempts to flee by changing back into a wolf. Hayase leaves him in March's care, while Parona, in the cell above her, plans their escape, not content to spend one more day than necessary in their prison.
Hayase also puts March to work tending to Oniguma-sama, whom she learns is just a really big bear covered in arrows and spears from various attackers throughout its life. Once she's removed them all, the bear dies in peace.
Once she has sufficient rope, Parona commences her escape plan, but nearly almost slips and falls to her death at least three times before landing in a storage room. There, a Yanome guard threatens to rape her, but she kicks the shit out of him, steals his uniform, and arrives at March and Fushi's cell to announce they're getting the hell out of there, vowing to put the life her sister gave her to good use.
Parona basically owns the episode, taking on the mantle of the classic Ghibli heroine who is refreshingly not perfect in everything she does. She's as charming and lovable as the much-more-perfect Hayase is loathsome and despicable. I really hope she and March, maybe with Fushi's help(?) are able to come out on top, or at least make a good fight of it.
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Mon, 3 May 2021 Mon, 10 May 2021 Categories Anime Reviews, Fumetsu no Anata e, Spring 2021Tags bear, city, escape, food, fushi, greed, grown up, hayase, heroine, human sacrifice, imprisoned, march, ninannah, oniguma-sama, parona, rope, shamaness, sister, stimulation, weapon, wolf, yanome, 不滅のあなたへ
Shoumetsu Toshi – 01 (First Impressions) – High on Vespa Chases, Low on…Everything Else
Shoumetsu Toshi is the latest in a long string of anime in which mysterious phenomena put giant holes or voids in a city. After a brief flashback to the Akira-like mini-cataclysm, we're suddenly in the present, and a guy named Takuya with a yellow Vespa straight out of FLCL is preparing to rescue Yuki, a blue-haired maiden from lonely confinement.
It goes without saying he meets some resistance, as those holding Yuki would rather she stay put, and a hectic chase ensues. The chase, involving esper monks and Apache helicopters, is at least exciting in its execution, but one does get the feeling the show is trying to use that excitement to occlude the fact we have no idea who anyone is or why anyone is doing anything.
Takuya is also capable of doing things with his Vespa a normal Vespa probably couldn't do, but fine, perhaps it's modified. He ollies the scooter into the back of a truck lab, where his researcher client(?) is pleased he's delivered the "sample" (his rather inconsiderate name for Yuki, last survivor of that big boom in the beginning).
Yuki doesn't take well to being treated like a scientific sample, and isn't sure anyone has her back, so she wanders off alone. Fortunately, she doesn't cover much ground, and Takuya is able to catch up to her and reaffirm his commitment to doing the job he's been given.
That job is to get her safely to the site of the phenomenon, known as "Lost" (also the name of a popular former mystery series on ABC). Takuya also calls an apparent friend who is quick to betray him, as right behind her is a bad dude in a black trench coat and hood listening in.
Yuki gets back on Takuya's scooter, choosing to stick with him, and another unlikely scooter chase ensues, which while packed with more Apache monk, and guy-with-dozens-of-submachine-guns action, left me scratching my head more than pumping my fist. Ultimately, there's not enough behind the action to form much of a connection to anyone.
Had they reached the boundary of Lost, there might've been a feeling of something having been accomplished, but it's not to be, as the hooded trench coat guy knocks both Yuki and Takuya off the bike, leaving the latter in very bad shape. I wish I cared where things go from here…but I can't in good conscience say that I do. And that makes two duds to start my Spring. Not encouraging…
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Mon, 8 Apr 2019 Mon, 8 Apr 2019 Categories Anime Reviews, Shoumetsu Toshi, Spring 2019Tags chase, city, courier, father, helicopter, lost, mystery, sample, shadows, supernatural, takuya, van, vespa, yuki3 Comments on Shoumetsu Toshi – 01 (First Impressions) – High on Vespa Chases, Low on…Everything Else
Golden Kamuy – 02 – Something They Carve Together
As Asirpa prepares traps to ensnare delicious nut-fed squirrels for dinner, Sugimoto determines the prisoners will avoid small villages where they'd stand out. The pair head into the booming port and commercial city of Otaru to canvass the places where they'd expose their tattooed skin: the baths and the brothels.
While questioning sex workers, the tiny Asirpa gets nabbed by the brothel owner, but quickly demonstrates she's not worth his trouble, considering her skill with a knife handle and the "immortal" company she keeps.
Ultimately, they manage to snag their first prisoner the same way they catch squirrels: with a snare that traps him by the neck. Asirpa is adamant that they'll kill nobody needlessly, and instead uses the pencil and paper acquired in Otaru to draw their captive's tattoos. Fun little human moments like Asirpa drooling over squirrel meat or her shock at Sugimoto's "rubber pencil" trick are effective at keeping the mood from getting too heavy.
This prisoner escaped from the others when they suddenly started killing each other, not realizing that absent drafting skills (or pencils), completing the map meant quite a bit of skinning. However, before this prisoner can give them any more information, he's shot right through the brain, darkening the mood anew.
Sugimoto tracks down the gunman and identifies him not just as a fellow soldier, but one of the much-feared and respected Hokkaido 7th Division, known as the Guardians of the North for their tenacity in even the toughest battles. In other words, a division Sugimoto would be right at home in, had he not been dishonorably separated from the army.
The two share a couple moments as fellow soldiers to prepare for battle, and when the soldier asks if Sugimoto is tracking down the prisoners for money, he corrects him by saying it's for love…which isn't far off. After all, the money is for the family of the friend he loved, not for himself.
This time, Sugimoto's foe is too tough to go easy on, and when the choice becomes letting him go to inform his superiors and stopping him, Sugimoto tosses the butt of his rifle at the guy, hitting him in the head and sending him tumbling off a cliff and into the freezing river, where he and Asirpa presume he's dead but rather sloppily refrain from confirming it.
That error could be a result of hunger, but "We're alive, so of course we get hungry" Asirpa has the solution for that when they return to her hunting tent, which is also her kitchen, There, she skins the squirrels they caught and lets Sugimoto eat the brain of one raw, which is supposedly the best part.
She finely minces the remaining meat and bones into chitatap, a kind of dish that sounds like the way you make it (incidentally, one should say "chitatap" while chopping the meat). In a concession to Sugimoto's Sisam tastes, she forms balls with the meat and cooks them in broth for a sumptuous meal, and uses the Ainu saying "Hinna, hinna!" instead of "Itadakimasu!" to give thanks.
There's no such thing as eating too much out here in The Grey, so after nabbing and sketching their second prisoner in as many days, Asirpa gets a bead on a rabbit and pounces on it. Unfortunately, this prisoner is an escape artists who coughs up a razor with which to cut himself free.
While chasing him down, he and Sugimoto end up tumbling down a cliff and falling into the drink, which is a death sentence for those who don't get their freezing clothes off and warm up in front of a fire within ten minutes.
There's a black comedy of errors as the prisoner succumbs to the various symptoms of hypothermia, but once he gets Sugimoto's assurances he'll spare his life, he coughs up a bullet they can use to spark a life-saving fire.
Having survived their dance with death, the two bond, casting aside their conflict, and the prisoner, Shiraishi, shares more intel with Sugimoto, including the fact that the leader of the prisoners is a grizzled and immensely-skilled samurai veteran from a war fought thirty years prior.
Meanwhile, the 7th division private also survived his hypothermia (perhaps Sugimoto's immortaliy rubs off on people) and soon wakes up, meaning his commanding officer, who himself seems to have survived having a large part of his face peeled off. As tough and resourceful as Sugimoto and Asirpa are, the characters they'll have to deal with to achieve their goal are no slouches!
Golden Kamuy has established itself as one of the best best of the Spring, despite taking place in a bitterer Winter than the one we're still struggling to escape in real life. So far it's sported some great characters of almost mythical ability, offered some creative combat and survival skills, integrating elements of Ainu culture wherever possible. The OP and ED are also tight as hell. More than anything, Golden Kamuy has attitude, but isn't so serious it won't crack jokes where appropriate.
Author magicalchurlsukuiPosted on Sun, 22 Apr 2018 Sun, 22 Apr 2018 Categories Anime Reviews, Golden Kamuy, Spring 2018Tags 7th division, ainu, asirpa, blood, city, companionship, cuisine, drawing, escape artist, fire, harsh climate, hokkaido, hypothermia, immortal, meiji era, otaru, prisoner, prisoners, russo-japanese war, samurai, soldier, squirrels, sugimoto saichi, survival, traps, treasure map
Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou – 11
In "CULTURE", as Yuu feeds the "cut" bullets of increasing size, the girls roll into an armory, but Chito is far less interested in the tanks than a book lying on the ground. Titled "War and Human Civilization", it's written in English, which means even Chito can't read it, calling them "letters from an old, far-off place."
Considering the state of civilization in this show, that would seem to be something of an understatement. We build taller and taller buildings; Saudi Arabia is building one that will be 1km tall when finished. But we're a long way from stacking cities on top of other cities like so many pizza boxes.
The book and its language, like the elaborate giant whirligig, are elements of human culture that should be preserved and understood if lessons are going to be learned by future generations.
It's all well and good to feed an animal bullets, but to possess a book about how and why that animal can eat bullets—or detect where radio waves are originating—is even better.
Lessons of being mortally injured by falling objects or stray bullets led to the development of helmets, and in "DESTRUCTION" Chito gets and object lesson on why they still wear them even though there's no one else around: their environment can be extremely hazardous at the drop of a hat…or bolt.
That bolt is the vanguard of a hail of shards of metal and machinery, as a gargantuan robot that could be a flesh-less warrior from the Seven Days of Fire plummets into a heap. The girls explore, and the cut shapes its body into a key of sorts to activate the robot. Yuu activates the first lever she sees, and a cruise missile is launched and detonates a few thousand feet away.
She presses another button, and the robot emits a laser beam that causes even greater destruction and widespread fires just off in the distance. Yuu starts laughing uncontrollably, saying it's "fun", but Chito gives her a closed-fist punch, telling her that nothing about this is funny. Yuu apologizes.
If they didn't before, a first-hand demonstration of the destructive capabilities of civilization helps the girls to understand a little better why so much of the world is abandoned and in tatters. And yet there's stuff all over the city and its environs that is still on, long after humans disappeared.
In "THE PAST", Using their new pet as a guide, Chito and Yuri traverse a forest of windmills in, and come across a nuclear submarine. Again the animal creates a key out of its body, granting them access. The submarine may be beached, but it's in working order, to the girls' amazement.
It's nuclear reactor seems to still be generating power (though I worry about radiation), while the girls traverse another forest within the sub on foot: a forest of what look like ICBMs.
Author braveradePosted on Sat, 16 Dec 2017 Categories Anime Reviews, Fall 2017, Shoujo Shuumatsu RyokouTags animal, banter, book, chito, city, culture, evolution, flames, forest, girls last tour, helmets, infrastructure, kettenkrad, kubo yurika, language, minase inori, missile, philosophy, radio, robot, the past, translation, weapons, whirligig, windmills, WMD, yuuri, 少女終末旅行
The Fire Hunter (2/-)
Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World – 03 – Swiss Army Mitsuha
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So I thought I would make another video showing how I plan to use the projector for my singing pumpkins this year. I built rig to hid in my headstone marker that will house all of the electronics. The DVD I am using is Pumpkin Jamboree from http://www.atmosfearfx.com and its great!! They did an amazing job with it!
Thank you so much for all the videos you've posted it has gave me a lot of ideas. On the singing pumpkins, are they real pumpkins or fake?
Glad you like the singing pumpkins these are fake ones I got from hobby lobby they are Funkins they are best fake pumpkins you can buy. They are a little pricey but I use the 40% off coupons to buy them!
« Our Atmosfearfx DVD list is growing!!


Readers of this blog may remember this post about the process we started a while back: Whilst the pears on our trees were still very small, we placed them inside bottles, leaving them to grow there.
Well, things have moved along, and this Tuesday we harvested the pears – now grown full size inside the bottles – and we started the process of creating pear brandy.
We started by cleaning the bottles on the inside with a sterile solution, after which we filled them up with one of three alcohol solutions, namely: clean Vodka, pear distillate, and plum distillate sweetened with fructose.
We're letting the pears stand for a while before we sample the results, and once we've decided which combination works best, our pear brandy will be available for sale in the farm shop.
post, while I am also eager oof getting knowledge.


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The Talmud, Taanit 16a asks: What is the meaning of Har HaMoriah (Mount Moriah)? Rabbi Levi bar Chama said that it was the mountain from which Torah instruction (horaa) went out and Rabbi Chanina said that it was the mountain from which fear went out to the idolatrous nations.
Usually we think of Har HaMoriah as the Temple Mount in Jerusalem as God instructed Avraham (Breisheet 22:2) to go to the Land of Moriah and offer Yitzchak as a sacrifice on one of the mountains. Also, Avraham called the place HaShem Yireh which sounds like Moriah.
In addition, Har Sinai, the spot where the Torah was given is the place of horaa (same root as Torah).
What is the link between these two Har HaMoriahs- Har Sinai and Har HaBayit?
In Parshat Trumah, we read about the Mishkan (Tabernacle) which according to Ramban ensures that the glory of God that was revealed to B'nai Yisrael at Ma'amad Har Sinai continues to remain with them.
Ramban points out that the two gold cherubim can be compared to the fire at Mt. Sinai. Just as God spoke at Mt. Sinai through the fire, in the Mishkan He speaks from between the two cherubim.
The next step in the journey was bringing the Mishkan to the Land of Israel and eventually placing it in its final destination, the Beit HaMikdash (Temple) on the Temple Mount in the days of King Shlomo (10th Century BCE).
At that point, God's glory which was on Har Sinai was transferred by the Mishkan to Har HaBayit.
We learn from each Har HaMoriah the lesson of humility. Neither Har Sinai nor Har HaBayit are as tall as Har Carmel or Har Tavor yet they were the mountains where the Shechina (Divine Presence) rested. The Mishkan as well teaches us humility as it was built of the precious possessions that B'nai Yisrael selflessly donated.
When is the mitzvah of building the Beit HaMikdash (Temple) in effect?
Sefer HaChinuch (95) points out that this mitzvah is in force when the majority of Israelites (Jewry) are settled in their homeland. It is not a mitzvah that is imposed on any individual but rather on the entire community. When the Beit HaMikdash will be rebuilt speedily in our days a positive mitzvah will be fulfilled.
The Kuzari (5:27) writes: "Yerushalayim can only be rebuilt when Israel yearns for it to such an extent that they embrace her stones and dust."
Tehillim (102:14) states: "You shall arise and have mercy upon Zion, for the time to favor her, the set time has come. For your servants take pleasure in her stones and embrace the dust thereof."
We pray three times a day for the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash but how many people have kavana (intent) when they say those words and really want it to happen?
The first step in rebuilding the Beit HaMikdash will be the return of the majority of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel.
Last Sunday, Nefesh B'Nefesh held a mega event in New York which attracted over 1500 people who are considering making aliya (resettling in Israel). This year's fair had the largest turnout ever. This gives us an indication that aliya is on the rise and on the radar screen of American Jewry.
I have been living in Israel for 12 ½ years and Israelis still ask me why I would leave New York to move to Israel. My answer is that Israel is the place that the Jews have yearned to return to for 2000 years and it was an opportunity that we could not pass up.
In order to hold on to Israel we need more Jews to come on aliya which will eventually bring us closer to fulfilling the mitzvah of rebuilding the Beit HaMikdash.
How do we increase joy in Adar?
The Talmud, Taanit 29a states: Mishenichnas Av mamitin b'simcha, when the month of Av begins, we curtail joy. Mishenichnas Adar marbin b'simcha, when the month of Adar begins, we increase joy.
The Magen Avraham states that in Av we not only curtail joy, we eliminate it as that was the month when the Beit HaMikdash was destroyed.
According to Rashi, in Adar we increase joy in commemoration for the miracles of Purim which took place in Adar and in honor of the miracles of Pesach which took place in the following month of Nisan.
How do we increase joy? On Purim itself we have a feast with good food and wine. We also deliver Mishloach Manot (food packages) to friends and Matanot L'Evyonim (gifts to the poor).
Our joy is increased when we receive gifts. Is our joy also increased when we give to others?
In Parshat Trumah, B'nai Yisrael are asked to bring gifts to contribute to the building of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). They are asked to give their most precious possessions knowing that they can't be replaced in the desert. We see in Parshat Vayakhel that in fact both the men and women are honored to contribute. Although their possessions will not be returned to them, they find joy in the satisfaction of being part of the construction of the Mishkan. Although they are giving away material possessions they are rewarded with the spirituality that will rest in the Mishkan.
The same can be said when giving Mishloach Manot and Matanot L'Evyonim. Although we are physically giving something up, our reward is the satisfaction in knowing that we are bringing joy to others.
If these mitzvot are only observed on Purim, then how do we increase joy during the entire month of Adar (and this year over an extra month of Adar as well)?
One way is to start by thinking of who we want to give to and preparing our special gifts.
In Jerusalem, there are border patrol soldiers, both men and women who need to see our appreciation every day and especially on Purim. At the funeral of Hadar Cohen z"l the 19 year old female border patrol soldier who was murdered while protecting the Old City of Jerusalem, President Reuven Rivlin quoted Yishayahu 62:6: "Al Chomotayich Yerushalayim Hifkadeti Shomrim Kol HaYom Vikol HaLayla", "I have set watchmen upon your walls, Jerusalem, who shall never hold their peace day or night." President Rivlin explained that these words no longer refer only to the "shomrim", male guards, they also refer to the "shomrot", female guards putting their lives on the line to keep Jerusalem safe.
We must also keep in mind the poor elderly residents in Jerusalem, many of whom were founders of the State of Israel, who don't have the money or the energy to prepare Mishoach Manot packages yet are grateful to receive them.
Adar is the time to get excited about Purim and spread joy and happiness to those around us.
If you would like to contribute Mishloach Manot for the Border Patrol Soldiers and Matanot L'Evyonim for Jerusalem's Elderly Residents go to www.toratreva.org.
Light is a central theme in Judaism.
In Parshat Trumah we read about the construction of the Menorah and in Parshat Titzaveh we are commanded to light a ner tamid, an eternal flame.
Although the Beit HaMikdash no longer stands, we still light an eternal flame in every synagogue.
Every Shabbat and holiday is brought in by the lighting of candles and every holiday has a connection to light.
During the Hebrew month of Elul and through the High Holidays, Sukkot and Simchat Torah, we recite Psalm 27, L'David HaShem Ori V'Yishi, God is my light and my salvation. We recite this psalm with the hope that on Rosh HaShana God will help us see the light and repent.
Another name for Chanuka is Chag HaUrim, the festival of lights, which commemorates the Jewish people winning the war against the Syrian Greeks, rededicating the Beit HaMikdash and lighting the Menorah. We light our own personal chanukiot to remember the victory.
On Purim we read in Megilat Esther 8:16, "LaYehudim hayta ora vesimcha visason viykar", "The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor".
In what way did they have light?
Amos Chacham, the author of Daat Mikra's commentary on Megilat Esther explains that the word "ora" could be a figurative light. The troubles are compared to darkness and the salvation is the transformation from darkness to light. "Ora" can also be a literal light. When people are happy and rejoice they turn on the lights both inside and outside of their homes.
We recite that same verse from the megila (The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor) each week while holding a multi-wicked candle as part of the Havdala service and we add the words "ken tihye lanu", "so may it be for us".
At the Pesach seder, we commemorate the journey of B'nai Yisrael from the darkness of slavery to the light of redemption.
In Mishlei (Proverbs) the Torah is compared to light and the mitzvot are compared to a candle. Mishlei 6:23 states: "Ki ner mitzvah v'Torah or", "For the commandment is a lamp and the Torah a light".
Shmot Rabah 36:3 asks the question: What is the meaning of the verse: "For the commandment is a lamp and the Torah a light"? Whoever performs a commandment has kindled a lamp before God and revives their soul as it says in Mishlei 20:27, "Ner Hashem Nishmat adam", "The soul of man is the lamp of God".
When we light a yahrzeit candle, a ner neshama, literally a candle of the soul we are showing that the souls of the departed live on.
This week, Israel lost two very special people, Member of Kneset Uri Orbach who passed away from a serious illness at age 54 and Adele Bitton, a four year old who was hurt in a rock throwing terrorist attack in 2013 and never recovered. The entire nation was asked to pray on their behalf and although many of us did not know them personally we were affected by their untimely deaths. As their shiva candles flicker we must take the time to learn about and appreciate the contributions that they made during their short lives and help their legacies live on.
What Came First the Command to Build the Mishkan or the Sin of the Golden Calf?
When we read the parshiot in order, first we read Trumah followed by Tetzave and Ki Tisa. The commandment to build the Mishkan is in Trumah and the Sin of the Golden Calf is in Ki Tisa. If we follow the order in the Torah then the command to build the Mishkan comes before the sin of the golden calf. According to Ramban, this is the order in which the events took place.
However, Rashi and Sforno both go by the principle of Ein mukdam umeuchar BaTorah, the Torah is not necessarily in chronological order.
According to Rashi (Shmot 31:14), the story of the Golden Calf took place many days before the command to make the Mishkan, since the tablets of stone were broken on the 17th of Tamuz. On Yom Kippur (the 10th of Tishrei), God was reconciled with Bnei Yisrael and the next day they began to bring voluntary offerings to the Mishkan which was erected on the 1st of Nisan.
Rashi continues (Shmot 33:11), on the 17th of Tamuz the tablets were broken, on the 18th he burnt the calf and meted out punishment to the sinners, on the 19th he ascended Har Sinai... He stayed there for 40 days and interceded…On the 1st of Elul he was told to receive the second tablets and stayed there for 40 days…On the 10th of Tishrei God became reconciled to Israel in joy and with a perfect heart and said to Moshe: "I have forgiven them", handing him the second tablets. Moshe then descended and began to give the order for the construction of the Mishkan. They completed it on the 1st of Nisan.
Sforno feels that the Mishkan was an afterthought that was only given once God saw that Bnai Yisrael sinned with the golden calf and needed something tangible to help them relate to God.
We learn from these psukim that the sacrifices were never meant to be the most important part of the religion.
According to Abravanel, when Bnai Yisrael left Egypt, it was more important to focus on faith in God and civil laws. However, after they made the calf, God had to provide an antidote to their spiritual infirmity. They would not have been commanded to sacrifice had they not sinned. At Har Sinai they were not commanded concerning "burnt offering and sacrifice" rather they were commanded to be obedient to Me that I may be your God and you will be My people and steadfastly follow the faith I commanded you.
If this is so then the question is, when the Third Beit HaMikdash is built speedily in our days will we still need the sacrifices? If we follow the opinions of Rashi, Sforno and Abravanel that the sacrifices are an antidote to the sin of the golden calf then maybe we won't need them anymore.
However, if we follow the view of Ramban that the events in the Torah did in fact take place in chronological order and that the commandment to build the Mishkan did come before the sin of the golden calf then there is a good chance that the sacrifices will return.
Now we will just have to wait and see.
In Parshat Terumah (Shmot 25:8) we read: "And let them make me a sanctuary".
Sefer HaChinuch, the Book of Mitzvah Education, teaches us that it is a positive mitzvah to build a House for the sake of God, which means that we will offer sacrifices there to Him and there will be where B'nai Yisrael ascend on the Shalosh Regalim (Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot) each year.
Sefer HaChinuch continues: The building of the Beit HaMikdash is in order to prepare our hearts for the worship of God, not because God needs to dwell in a house of human beings and come under the shelter of their roof…For heaven and the heavens cannot contain Him…It was all meant for making our physical selves worthy. For the physical self becomes qualified through its actions. As good actions are multiplied and as they are continued with great perseverance, the thoughts of the heart become purified, cleansed and refined.
Even though we unfortunately don't have the Beit HaMikdash right now, we must remember this message. We must do good deeds, perform the mitzvoth and bring ourselves closer to God. We must do what we can to protect our holy sites.
Although the holiness of Har HaBayit, the Temple Mount in its state of ruin is not to be compared to its holiness in its inhabited condition, in the mean time we must appreciate the fact that we have the State of Israel and the opportunity to visit many holy sites which we were only able to access after the Six Day War in 1967.
May we be worthy of seeing the Beit HaMikdash rebuilt speedily in our days!
Parshat Terumah gives us a very detailed description of what the Menorah should look like. Is there any significance to all of the details- the seven lamps, the six branches, the three almond shaped cups on each branch etc?
Although we don't know God's reason for all of these details, some will try to find allegorical interpretations while others will say that it is not even worth trying to guess.
Abravanel explains: I personally am convinced that it is pointless to look for significance in every detail of the Tabernacle or <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Temple's construction, be it as measurements, the flowers, the cups and other minutiae. They were merely necessary parts of the construction.
Abravanel does, however, explain the allegorical significance of the articles in the Mishkan: There are two kinds of reward: material- wealth and honor- corresponding to the table and showbread and the reward for wisdom and attaining greater spiritual heights- the Menorah symbolized this. The Lamp of the Lord is the soul of man. The seven lamps symbolize the seven degrees of wisdom to be found in the Divine law. All the lamps turned inwards to the middle one, towards the Holy of Holies symbolizing that true wisdom must harmonize with the fundamentals of the Torah, housed in the ark. The Menorah was made of pure gold implying that wisdom must not be tainted by alien ideas. The cups, knops and flowers symbolize the various sciences which branch out from each other. It was "beaten work" out of one piece, symbolizing that all the various types of sciences have one common source.
You could say that Abravanel believed in Torah U'Mada, a term coined by Yeshiva University to mean that Torah and the sciences can coexist.
Rambam says that the Menorah was placed in front of the curtain to enhance the glory and splendor of the house. For an abode illuminated by a continual light concealed by a curtain, makes a deep psychological impact.
Rambam is not paying attention to the details but he is still teaching us what can be learned from the Menorah and curtain in a more general way.
Although we may never understand the details that went into making the Mishkan and even though we don't have the Beit HaMikdash or vessels today, as we hope and pray that the Third Beit HaMikdash will be rebuilt speedily in our day, the idea of the Menorah can teach us about spirituality and the importance of bringing light into the world.
There are thirteen psukim devoted to the making of the aron (ark). Why does the aron get more attention than any of the other objects that were being prepared for the mishkan (tabernacle)?
When God instructed Moshe to build the mishkan, He used the expression "veasita", "you shall make". However, with regard to the aron, He said "veasu", "they shall make".
Why does God talk about all of Am Yisrael in relation to the building of the aron?
God wished to stress that the command applied to each and every Israelite alike. No one should have the excuse to say to his fellow: I contributed more to the aron so I have a greater stake in the Torah than you, since you hardly contributed anything you don't have a share in the Torah.
For this reason, the Torah is compared to water (Yishayahu 51:1). Just as we are not ashamed to ask for a drink of water so too we should not be ashamed to ask to be taught Torah. No one should be able to say: I am a Torah scholar and the Torah is my hereditary privilege because my ancestors too were scholars but your ancestors were not scholars.
That is why it is written (Devarim 33:4) "Torah tziva lanu Moshe, morasha kehillat Yaakov", "The Torah that Moshe commanded us is an inheritance of the congregation of Yaakov".
Any Jewish person who devotes himself to Torah has as much share in the Torah as the Kohen Gadol (High Priest).
Is it a coincidence that the making of the aron is stressed thirteen times, a lucky number in Judaism, the age that a boy officially commits himself to Torah and mitzvoth regardless of his background or who his ancestors were?
In Parshat Terumah we read the words (Shmot 25:8): "V'Asu li Mikdash v'Shachanti Bitocham", "They shall make a Sanctuary for Me and I will then dwell in their midst".
If God is everywhere, not limited in space, then why does the Torah say that once B'nai Yisrael build the sanctuary then God will dwell in there midst?
The Divine intention behind the construction of the Tabernacle was to combat the idea that God has forsaken the earth and that his throne was in heaven and remote from humankind. He commanded them to build the Tabernacle as if to imply that He dwelt in their midst, that they should believe that God lived in their midst and His <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Providence was ever with them.
Different people find spirituality in different ways. Some have more Kavana, intent and awreness of God's presence when they pray in a synagogue. Others feel uplifted at the Kotel, the Western Wall. There are those who feel closest to God during Hitbodedut, spending time contemplating God outdoors. Each of these paths are valid.
Without the Tabernacle, some may have felt that they were not able to connect with God.
Now that we don't have the Tabernacle or the Beit HaMikdash, synagogues have taken over temporarily as a Mikdash Me'at, a small Temple. Yet we must remember that God is everywhere and prayer does not need to be limited to the Synagogue.
Just last week, I had the opportunity to go to the "Kotel Katan", the small Kotel, an extension of the Western Wall. The Kotel Katan is much smaller, quieter and more secluded than the large Kotel Plaza which can often have many distractions and become a social scene. The Kotel Katan is a place where you can feel the Divine Presence resting, where you can really come to understand the meaning of "V'Asu li Mikdash v'Shachanti Bitocham", "They shall make a Sanctuary for Me and I will then dwell in their midst".
May each and every one of us have the opportunity to connect with God and experience God's presence resting upon us!
*********************************************************************Send Mishloach Manot/ Matanot L'Evyonim (Gifts for Purim and Gifts for the Poor) to Jerusalem's Impoverished Elderly!As Purim approaches Torat Reva Yerushalayim is busy preparing Mishloach Manot/Matanot L'Evyonim packages which will be hand delivered to the neglected elderly of Jerusalem on Shushan Purim (the day that Purim is celebrated in Jerusalem ). The packages will include healthy snacks, gifts and Purim treats. Right now we have enough packages for ½ of a nursing home. Please help us reach our goal of providing packages to two full nursing homes so that no seniors will feel left out!
The packages that Torat Reva Yerushalayim delivered last year to Jerusalem's elderly residents were the ONLY gift packages that these individuals received!
Leave the groggers at home and bring your rattles instead. No scary costumes please.
According to T'na D'Bei Eliyahu, immediately following the words of B'nai Yisrael "Naaseh V'Nishma", "We will do and we will listen", God asks B'nai Yirael to bring Terumot, contributions for the Mishkan (tabernacle).
The Ba'al Shem Tov said that if someone arose to do a mitzvah, we must help provide them with an opportunity to perform a mitzvah, otherwise they will loose momentum and they will never end up performing any mitzvoth.
Sde Margalit adds that the excitement that a person feels about wanting to be involved must transform into the actual performance of the mitzvah. Therefore it was crucial for B'nai Yisrael to have the mitzvah of Terumah to perform immediately after they received the Torah.
R.S Alter adds that the mitzvah of tzedakah must be done "naaseh v'nishmah", without thinking too much. First you give and then you can think about it after because if you think about it too much about giving the money before you make a donation, you may never end up giving at all.
Yesterday, I received an email from a family who will be participating in our Mishloach Manot/ Matanot L'Evyonim project (Gifts for Purim and Gifts to the poor- see below) which read: "I sent a donation for your mishloach manot project. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to make a difference in people's lives".
May we have many opportunities to help others on Purim and throughout the year.
Why does the pasuk say "take for me" rather than "give me"?
According to Sforno, this commandment was directed to the gabbaim (leaders) of B'nai Yisrael who were directed to take (collect) voluntary contributions rather than levy a tax.
In the Talmud, Masechet Bava Batra 9a we learn the following: Rabbi Elazar said : "The one who causes the performance of charitable deeds is greater than one who actually performs the deed". This is adduced from the statement in Isaiah 32:17 "And it will be that the act of charity will bring peace; and the work of charity will bring everlasting tranquility and security".
According to Ritva and Maharsha, genuine peace is a greater blessing than tranquility or security.
Rabbeinu Gershom and the Malbim add that Rabbi Eliezer derives from here that one who motivates another to perform an act of charity is even greater than the one who makes the donation.
During these troubled times in the State of Israel, we need all of the help that we can get to ensure that we have tranquility, security and ultimately true peace.
The Gemara in Eruvin 2a-b states that the words Mikdash (Temple) and Mishkan (Tabernacle) can be used interchangeably. If that is the case, then why does the Torah need to use both words?
The words Mikdash and Mishkan have different connotations. The root of the word Mikdash is Kadosh, holy, while the root of the word Mishkan is Shechina, Divine Presence. In Parshat Terumah, Shmot 25:8 we find the words "Ve.Asu Li Mikdash V.Shachanti Bitocham", "They shall make a Sanctuary (a holy place) for Me and then I (My Divine Presence) will rest in their midst."
According to Sforno, God.s Divine Presence will dwell among B.nai Yisrael and receive their prayers in the same way that Moshe experienced the Divine Presence at Mount Sinai. However, God wants us to do our part and work for this privilege.
This is not only true of the Beit HaMikdash (Holy Temple in Jerusalem) and the Mishkan (Tabernacle in the desert). The Rebbe of Amshinov once said that by bringing Kedusha (holiness) into our private homes, each of our homes can become a Mishkan HaShem, a sanctuary where God.s presence will reside.
If we do our part to make ourselves and our surroundings holy, both in and out of the synagogue, then God.s presence will rest on us wherever we go.
In the beginning of Parshat Trumah, Shmot Chapter 25, God tells Moshe: "Speak to B'nei Yisrael and have them take for me a terumah (donation) offering.gold, silver and copper, techelet, argaman (purple), tolaat (crimson), fine linen and goats hair, red-dyed ram's skins, tachish skins and acacia wood, oil for the lamp, spices for anointing oil and for the incense of aromatic spices, onyx stones and filling stones for the ephod and breastplate.
What color is techelet and what makes it as important as gold, silver and copper?
According to Rashi, techelet is wool that is dyed with the greenish blue blood (mucus) of the chilazon (a marine mollusk). The Gemara in Menachot 44a states that the color of the chilazon's body is similar to the sea and his anatomy is similar to a fish. This is a rare mollusk that lives in the section of the Mediterranean Sea between Haifa and Tyre (Lebanon) and swarms out of the water onto land once every seventy years. Since the chilazon's appearance is so rare, techelet is expensive.
The curtains and the parochet (veil) for the mishkan (tabernacle) were made with techelet, argaman and tolaat as well as the ephod (apron), breastplate and coat that the kohen wore.
Techelet and argaman were the universal colors of royalty as we read in Megillat Ester 8:15: "And Mordechai left the king's presence with royal raiment, techelet and white and a huge golden crown and a wrap of linen and argaman and the city of Shushan shouted and rejoiced."
Why did God specifically choose techelet as the thread on the tzizit, hakanaf p'til techelet, that we refer to every day in the Shma?
The Gemara in Menachot 43b answers that the blue color of techelet reminds us of the blue of the sea and the sea reminds us of the sky and the sky reminds of God.
Over time, we have lost the tradition of which marine mollusk the chilazon is. However, the Jewish people never forgot the importance of techelet and what it symbolizes. Many tallitot were decorated with blue stripes in memory of the techelet. Recently, there have been attempts to recreate techelet for use in tzizit. Near Jerusalem, there is a factory that makes tzizit with blue strings using the dye from the snail murex trunculus which they believe is the chilazon. Some have taken it upon themselves to wear these tzizit.
Ludwig Austin Frankl (1810-1894) an Austrian Jewish poet believed that based on the tallit, blue and white should be the Jewish nation's colors. When it was time to come up with a flag, David Wolffsohn (1856-1914) said that the tallit, blue and white should be the backdrop.
May we merit the opportunity to reveal the true chilazon so that the mitzvah of tzizit can be performed in the manner prescribed in the Torah.


New Delhi, April 15 (IANS) A petition was filed in the Delhi High Court on Monday seeking quashing of a provision which mandates deduction of tax on the interest accrued upon the award or compensation granted by Motor Accident Claim Tribunal (MACT) to the accident victims.
"Hold that no authority can deduct TDS upon the interest accrued upon the award/ compensation awarded by Motor Accident Claim Tribunal (MACT) under Section 194A(3)(ix) of Income Tax Act, 1961 and pass necessary directions to the respondents in this regard," the plea said.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) is the body responsible for imposition of tax in the country, the petitioner said.
He has sought direction to the insurance companies as well as banks not to effect tax deduction at source (TDS) upon such interest on compensation amount.
The plea is likely to come up for hearing on Tuesday.
"Normally, interest received by a person is treated as income. However, in cases of motor accident compensation, the interest is awarded because the claims are awarded with some delay, which may be due to: late filing of the compensation claim, investigation adjudication of claim and various other factors, or because such claims are challenged before superior courts," the plea read.
"Therefore, the interest awarded in a motor accident claim is really an enhancement of the claim to compensate for delays in awarding and finalising the claim it is, thus, a part and parcel of the claim unlike in the case of a land acquisition compensation where there are specific provisions under the Land Acquisition Act for payment of interest on delayed payment of compensation. The character of the interest in motor accident cases is therefore the same as the compensation, that is, a personal receipt to alleviate the suffering of the victims."


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text:
Journey by Moonlight by Antal Szerb
Published by Pushkin Press, Antal Szerb's literary masterpiece Journey by Moonlight is indeed a masterpiece. I had never heard of the title or author until it was chosen by Polly for book group and I have to admit I inwardly groaned to hear it was an East European title and I wasn't sure I was in the mood for something dark and heavy. I know, I'm such an ignorant uncultured. But this, Journey by Moonlight, was truly sublime. At first, I wasn't sure I was going to like it. I thought it was a confused mixture that reminded me simultaneously of Sandor Marai's Embers which left me lukewarm and my favourite novel of all time, Donna Tartt's The Secret History. Yet this feeling lasted only for a chapter or so and it quickly began to morph into something else.
Mihály is on his honeymoon to Venice with his new wife Erzsi whom he has seduced and stolen away from her first husband Zoltán Pataki. It is his first time in Italy, a country he has often dreamt of as an adolescent with his friends, Támás and Éva, and later their schoolmates János and Ervin. Now 36, Mihály suddenly finds himself in a bout of intense nostalgia and longing for the friends he has lost and, leaving his wife on a train back to Rome, escapes from his world that has lost all meaning. In doing so, he sets about a train of events that will lead him to ponder his life, re-encounter his friends who have all struck out on their individual paths and shake the ghost of Támás once and for all.
This is quite a difficult novel to describe. In some sense it is a bildungsroman but of a 36 year old man who has never really grown up. Mihály, who has always been different, has spent his whole life conforming and has finally reached breaking point upon completing what he has set out to do by making a respectable marriage approved by all. It's like a version of what happens next to the Generation X of the interwar years. There is a heavy air of melancholia particular to Mittel-European literature that pervades this novel, but Szerb's skill as a writer keeps a light touch throughout. There are episodes that made me laugh at the absurdity of people, especially those to do with Zoltán, a businessman playboy who has lost the only thing he has ever loved and would do anything to get his beloved wife back, and Mihály's university friend Rudi Waldheim, a pompous academic who forever lives as though he was still a student even though he is saddled with a wife and child who abhor him for his common ancestry.
In some ways Journey by Moonlight is a love letter to pre-WWII Italy. Yet for a novel written in the 1930s, it felt incredibly modern. There is a lot of history, culture and philosophy, profound thoughts that Mihály has on his journey, but Szerb is a wonderful writer, and his translator Len Rix does him justice, making this a smooth and interesting reading experience. He describes the small, petty cowardices in man, things which we have all experienced and hence recognise in Mihály. It could be middle-age crisis, but it feels like something he has been dragging throughout his life. What I really liked about the novel was the vitality of the characters. They had an intimacy that drew you in, an empathy which kept you hoping that things will work out.
I didn't know how the ending would have worked out, but after I read the last page, I felt that this novel was complete. In the afterword, Len Rix says that Journey by Moonlight is a novel that every Hungarian school kid is made to read. I can understand why because it is a beautiful and brilliant book. But I'm not sure whether I would have understood it as teenager myself.
However, I will leave you with my favourite quote from the book which left me smiling:
'In London November isn't a month,' he said, 'it's a state of mind.'
Kim and Polly have also written about the book so do check them out.
Filed in Book Group, Books, Classics, Fiction, Translated
Tags: Antal Szerb

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New - The 2015 College Showcase Application has been published on the College Showcase page.
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Categories : Security | Tech Tips | Windows 10
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This section is completely new and for this reason we can at this moment only offer you a small selection of videos. We will, however, continue to extend the number available. Please notice: The videos are in German language, but might be helpful as well without sound.