Bratja and Review: FullMetal Alchemist

Here is an interesting combination to consider as an example of globalization and cross-border cultural flow. This song comes from FullMetal Alchemist, a Japanese anime. The story's world is based on an alternate universe in which the world developed along the lines of medieval alchemy, and so the characters have Germanic names (Edward and Alphonse Elric). This song, written specially for the series, is in Russian. I also found an AMV made by a French person for the song.

On the anime: The clip won't make much sense unless you've watched the series, but the basic premise is that these two brothers attempted to resurrect their mother through alchemy, which is forbidden. As a result, the younger brother loses his body and his soul is attached to a suit of armour, while the older brother loses his arm and leg. They then attempt to find the Philosopher's Stone to return their bodies to normal (what alchemical story would be complete without it?)

Sounds pretty bizzare, but that's Japanese anime/manga for you. It's creative, setting up alternate realities which often deal with existential or social issues (or just idealized or romanticized notions of justice, chivalry, etc). Anime or manga of this genre also balances slapstick humour with serious themes, often with sudden switches between both modes with a total absence of liminal space. I'd say that's probably the part I love best about anime--its reflexivity and playfulness despite the tragic themes it might deal with. Ok so I'm just a postmodern mass media/ pop culture junkie. You'll even see this technique in some of the comic scripts I've written. I'd like to say I got it from Chekov or Beckett or something, but really I got it from anime. *sees Distinction Between High And Low Art throw itself out the window.*

I followed the series to its end and found the story arc in the anime very compelling. Its strength lies in its brevity and the consistent character development: the heroes learn about life, death and sacrifice along the way. So do the villains. The subplots are tied up neatly and each ending carries a thematic concern related to the overall story. There isn't much subtlety in the dialogue , and the theme of guilt, revenge and forgiveness is treated about as deeply as you'd expect for a cartoon for teenagers, but it is the coherence and arcing of the plot, the fine interweaving of subplots that impressed me. The series also has moral core centring on self-sacrifice and forgiveness. (Aside: it's interesting to note how many top-rated Japanese anime are centred on themes of redemption, sacrifice, a search for forgiveness and some sort of end to restlessness. Think Samurai X/Rurouni Kenshin which is an anime much more deeply rooted in Japan's social history.)

Finally, plus points for the music which is not as repetitive throughout the three seasons that it ran, as it is with some other longer-running anime.

Return of Là où je t'emmènerai...

Because I like this better. Bleach AMV...with French song! Still emo, but I prefer watching Rukia and Kai En emo-ness...

Mad World

At first I only put in the scroller, as I found it on a website and thought it was pretty neat. But then I thought, ah, why not put in the music too? The song is from the soundtrack of indie sci-fi movie Donnie Darko, a very bizzare film with a freaky bunny named Frank (or Frankie, something like that). But it really is about Darko. Anyway, the soundtrack is Gary Jules' cover of the original version by Tears For Fears.

Savoir Aimer

Savoir sourire/to know how to smile
À une inconnue qui passe/at a passing stranger
N'en garder aucune trace/without keeping any mark
Sinon celle du plaisir/save that of pleasure
Savoir aimer/to know how to love
Sans rien attendre en retour/without expecting anything in return
Ni égard, ni grand amour/neither consideration nor great love
Pas même l'espoir d'être aimé/ nor even the hope of being loved

{Refrain:}
Mais savoir donner/but to know how to give
Donner sans reprendre/give without taking back
Ne rien faire qu'apprendre/for no other point than to learn
Apprendre à aimer/to learn how to love
Aimer sans attendre/to love without expecting
Aimer à tout prendre/ to love wholly
Apprendre à sourire/to learn how to smile
Rien que pour le geste/ just for the gesture
Sans vouloir le reste/ without wanting the rest
Et apprendre à Vivre/and to learn to live
Et s'en aller/ and to leave;die; (i.e carry on with life)

Savoir attendre/to know how to expect
Goûter à ce plein bonheur/ to taste the full happiness
Qu'on vous donne comme par erreur/ that one gives you as if by mistake
Tant on ne l'attendait plus/ one had completely given up on it
Se voir y croire/ to see oneself believe it
pour tromper la peur du vide/ in order to cheat the fear of emptiness
Ancrée comme autant de rides/ anchored like so many wrinkles
Qui ternissent les miroirs/ that tarnish the mirrors.

{Refrain}

Savoir souffrir/ to know how to suffer
En silence, sans murmure/ in silence without complaint
Ni défense ni armure/ neither (with) protection nor armour
Souffrir à vouloir mourir, to suffer to the point of desiring death
Et se relever/ and to rise again
Comme on renaît de ses cendres/ as one reborn from his ashes
Avec tant d'amour à revendre/ with so much love to give back
Qu'on tire un trait sur le passé./ that one draw a line across the past (cross out the past)

{Refrain}

Apprendre à rêver/ to learn to dream
À rêver pour deux/ to dream for two
Rien qu'en fermant les yeux/ only shutting your eyes
Et savoir donner/ and to know how to give
Donner sans rature/ to give without crossing-out
Ni demi-mesure/ nor with half-measures
Apprendre à rester/ to learn to stay
Vouloir jusqu'au bout/ to will to the end
Rester malgré tout/ to stay despite everything
Apprendre à aimer/ to learn how to love
Et s'en aller/ and to leave
Et s'en aller.../and to leave
~Florent Pagny

Another Pagny song, just to fill up the empty space this week due to lack of assignments. With translation! I love the concept for this music video. It's very simple but evocative.

Là où je t'emmènerai

C'est au bout du regard
Là ou les bateaux quittent la mer
Là, où l'horizon est tellement plus clair
Sous la belle étoile celle qui te dit que la vie ici
ne sera jamais rien que ton amie

C'est au fond de tes yeux
là, où le monde effleure tes rêves
Là, où le bonheur n'est plus un mystère

C'est là que je t'emmènerai sur la route
et si le soleil le savait
mais j'en doute, il viendrait
Là, où je t'emmènerai
Aucun doute, il s'inviterait
pour nous éclairer

Nous longerons la mer
nos vie couleront sans un hiver
comme un matin d'été, un courant d'air
Et tout au long de ta vie
que s'écarte les nuages
je serais là à chaque fois que tu auras besoin de moi
Regarde là-bas

C'est là que je t'emmènerai sur la route
et le soleil si le savait
mais j'en doute, il viendrait
Là, où je t'emmènerai
Aucun doute, il s'inviterait
pour nous réchauffer
pour nous accompagner

Là où je t'emmènerai
Aucune peur, ni aucun doute
Le monde est toujours en été
Pas de douleur et pas de déroute
C'est là que je t'emmènerai
Sur ma route
pour te réchauffer et te protéger
Sans t'étouffer
Je t'emmènerai

~Florent Pagny

I don't like the video, actually, but it's here so you can listen to the song if you want. It's quite sappy, but in a poetic fashion.

I Wish You Love by Léo Chauliac

I wish you bluebirds in the spring

To give your heart a song to sing

And then a kiss, but more than this

I wish you love

And in July a lemonade

To cool you in some leafy glade

I wish you health

And more than wealth

I wish you love

My breaking heart and I agree

That you and I could never be

So with my best

My very best

I set you free

I wish you shelter from the storm

A cozy fire to keep you warm

But most of all when snowflakes fall

I wish you love

My breaking heart and I agree

That you and I could never be

So with my best

My very best

I set you free

I wish you shelter from the storm

A cozy fire to keep you warm

But most of all when snowflakes fall

I wish you love

But most of all when snowflakes fall

I wish you love.

~Léo Chauliac

A song written in the 1950s. I like the interpretation by Rachael Yamagata best: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNLNVRw343I