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After a Pandora Hearts chapter that made me rethink my own username (rabbitoz, anyone?), and while perusing this month's mind-altering revelations, suddenly I experienced a new yet entirely relevant revelation of my own:
HUMPTY DUMPTY IS REVIS.
Mochizuki-sensei told us, straight out, all the way back in Chapter 57, if anyone else remembers:
And now we know the reason for Jack's curious facial expression in reaction to this tidbit of information. Huh, I never thought it out of the ordinary before.
So it was Revis, or at least his body, that was messing with Elliot's mind and lopping the heads off all the Nightrays--and protecting Leo, curiously enough.
Another interesting aspect of Chapter 70 and the (unwanted) return of Oz's memories:
The parallels it draws to Elliot's self-discovery.
It seems that Sensei was foreshadowing this, back in Chapter 58.
Both Elliot and Oz are not what they thought they were. They murdered several people, forgot about it, were (pretty much) consumed by their chains...
But hey, on the bright side, it looks like Oz might have a better shot at saving himself, since his time is only halfway up, and plus he has a pretty good track record for survival thus far! Whoohoo!
To conclude, allow me to apologize for my blatant neglect of Livejournal for these past few...months. Yikes! I've had plenty of thoughts and ideas I'd love to elaborate on, but no opportunities to do so.
But I'll come up with some new subjects, all in good time! ^_^
P.S. Oh, yeah. As for my (very original) post title--Oz, Jack, Revis, Elliot...what do they all have in common? They're all blond, attractive, and mentioned in this post!
And I promise I'm not going insane.
- Mood:
calm - Music:Lovefool ~The Cardigans
Recently I was struck by a bizzare thought:
What if the story of Pandora Hearts takes place in France?
The more I think about it, the less bizzare it sounds.
City Names
As is common knowledge by now, "sablier" means "hourglass" in French. The other two main cities in the world of PH are LeBleu and Reveil, meaning "blue" and "alarm clock" in French, respectively.
What's less common knowledge are two minor towns that are mentioned/visited.
The first is Rytas' (name transliteration?) and Marie's (whose name I suspect is actually Mary, after a friend of Lewis Carrol) town, which is translated as Tor.
However, as it was a transliterated name, it could well be a mistaken rendering of the French word "tort". The last letters of French words are rarely pronounced, so "tort" is pronounced like "tor"!
The word itself means "wrong". Curious, yes. :)
Second is Lily Baskerville's hometown, transliterated as Ebauche. The French word "ébauche" means "draft".
All the names of cities in Pandora Hearts are French words?
Is that not a hint that the setting is France??
Character Names
Need I even say more? Break himself even commented on the meaning of "lunettes" in French-- "glasses".
His first name, unfortunately, is still a mystery, but it's definitely French.
It could be after the real France city Rheims, or it could be a version of Rémy.
Second: Rachel Cecile.
That's right, Oz's mother (unseen, mentioned only once) had a French name.
I assume Rachel is pronounced the French way, "ra-shell".
"Cecile" is undeniably French. But the character herself still remains a mystery. :P
The only other possible French named character would be Vincent (I'm not counting Claude, althought that is a French name too). But, Vincent Van Gogh, the person I personally think Vincent was named for, is Dutch. I think this way because of that one scene where Vincent cut off that man's ear, just like our painter Mr. Van Gogh... :)
Okay, I have one final piece of evidence to present, which I shall add tomorrow. So...wait for i~t! :D
- Mood: chipper
- Music:Hollywood ~Michael Buble
Retrace 67 starts with Mochizuki-sensei leading us down memory lane once again, this time through the eyes of Lacie.
When we first see her, Lacie is calmly laying spread-eagled on the floor of a tower which looks suspisciously akin to the tower in which Alice was kept 100 years ago, when Jack used to visit her (and Cheshire). And she's singing a song vaugely reminiscient of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star".
She has certainly changed a LOT since her parting with Jack.
Surely enough, Jack reveals that it's been 8 years since the day he met Lacie, so he met her at age 15, and is now 23.
Hmm. Jack and Oz were the same age when they met Lacie and Alice, respectively. Interesting, eh? :)
Throughout the chapter, Lacie is clearly much more mature and, well, less crazy, than she was last chapter. Unfortunately, her backstory is still a mystery to us, as is the mystery of...
THIS NEW GLEN.
Technically he's the old/former Glen, but whatever.
This new blond!Glen guy doesn't even resemble any of the current characters!
There's probably significance in blond!Glen's bandaged hands, which feature prominently on page 16.
But wait, it's not just his hands, he's got some on his neck too.
No...Could it be...Glen is a mummy!!! :O
*shotdead*
ANYWAYS! XD
The fact that he looks like nobody else we've ever seen probably signifies something else important, too.
At least, that's what I thought until I noticed, with a little help from someone's comment on dm5.com, that this is just like the relationship between Elliot and Leo:
the light-haired master who everybody thinks is Glen, and his
Now this brings me to: OZWALD.
Never in a THOUSAND years did I see that one coming!!! I theorized all day about Lacie/Alice/WillofAbyss being sisters, but NEVER about Glen(Ozwald) and Lacie.
Haha, Ozwald's total enmity and loathing of Jack makes perfect sense now, too---and does Mr. Protective-Big-Brother remind us of anyone else??
(dunno if that's relevant XD)
If Ozwald is Lacie's brother, and Leo is technically the reincarnation of Ozwald, does that make Leo and Alice sisters?
Leo definitely inherited the family genes--black hair, pretty eyes, extremely perceptive, slight insanity...need any more? :)
(almost made me cry! xD)
#BEAUTY.
And the worst moment? Well, how about this one?!?!? :
I'm soooo sad that Lacie has to die!! :'(
When I really like her now... And what will Jack do...
Anyways, in the above scene, the way Lacie spreads her arms wide, it's as if she's welcoming her own death, similar to her pose at the very beginning of the chapter.
*sighhhh*
Oh yeah, and Miranda Barma showed up too.
I DON'T WANNA TALK ABOUT HER AT ALL.
Just like my reaction to the mere name "Ozwald" last chapter...It's just waaaayyy too soon/sudden/confusing to think anything at all yet!! :P
By the way:
If I'm remembering right, is Jack 25 years old during the "present time" story of PH?
If so, and he's 23 now, does that mean Lacie dies in 2 years? (although that feels like too long a time)
8 years since their first meeting, 2 years till her death: 8+2=10.
The number 10 has appeared before: the number of years Oz spent in the Abyss (with Alice) before returning to our world.
So what is this:
10 years between Jack and Lacie's first meeting.
10 years between Oz and Alice's first meeting.
Of course, all this is supposition, since I assumed Jack really is 25 years old. ^_^
All in all, I loved the chapter, especially that one gorgeous Jack & Lacie scene, but...
I MISS OZ AND ALICE AND GIL AND LEO AND BREAK!!
So, till next chapter... (*sniffle*)
Adieu! :D
- Mood: hopeful
- Music:Keep Your Head Up ~Andy Grammer
I've also decided to give a shot at using an LJ Cut!!
So, without further delay, please follow the cut! :)
( Collapse! )
After that, my second cut to Chapter 66!
( Jack! )
Thanks for reading!! ♥
P.S. I totally would have included pictures in my post like I usually do, except...I have no idea how to get them in under an LJ Cut. :P But I still linked important stuff! :)
- Mood:
crazy - Music:Heroes ~All Time Low (a surprisingly fitting song for these chapters!!)
(Ignoring my hopeless lateness for the time being!)
This one's title: Tarantelle!
By the way, the Japanese name for this one is 黑翼 (kuro tsubasa), meaning Black Wings.
Maybe it's better that I'm so late posting about this chapter, since now ---SPOILER!--- we know that Jack was the one really narrating this whole chapter.
Apparently, his soul is just overflowing with darkness. Dare I say, abysmal darkness!
Anyways, I know this chapter has been plenty analyzed and summarized and whatnot, but I think I've made a couple new observations. Like, for example, the surprising amount of connections this chapter has to earlier chapters, mainly around the 20s and 30s.
~ Jack's background thoughts about "status" and "friends" are VERY reminiscient of some of his lines on pages 11 to 14 of Chapter 27.
~ Back on page 6 of Chapter 64, I don't think Leo is actually saying "too slow". In the Chinese scans he uses 可惜, meaning "what a pity" or "how regrettable". Totally different meaning, and it makes Leo seem sooo much nicer! I mean, yeah, so maybe he's trying to kill Oz and all, but still! Nicer! :D
~ VINCENT. He is acting like a crazy person! Seriously?!! A brotherly fight with Gil? How is that not completely and utterly counterproductive to the man's WISH, erasing his own existence to make Gil happy?!?!
~ "Before meeting you, I..."Why does nobody finish their sentences anymore!
But, in Chinese the phrase was 直到: until meeting you. And that reminded me of a scene from looong ago where Glen was thinking,
"Until I can meet you again, my beloved Lacie" or something, during the Tragedy of Sablier.WHICH IS WHY I NEVER SAW THE TWIST COMING WHEN JACK BROUGH HIS EVILNESS OUT OF THE CLOSET x_x
~ 0_0 JACK IS SO CHEERFUL.
And Glen...is not.
And speaking of Jack, now that we know HE'S the one who met Lacie in that snowy alley, then how is it really Leo flashing back to that memory? It can't be Oz, 'cause, well, he'd notice that. Or maybe it's a memory of the melody itself...?
Something else, too. Is there any significance to the time that the pocketwatch shows? I'm pretty sure it's a different time each instance it appears (but I dunno for sure!).
~ Another question! How is Break flashing back to the scene where Rufus calls them all idiots, if Break was ASLEEP and not present at that meeting?? Did Sharon tell him about it?
When they're shown all crowded around that desk, Break is clearly not there! *head spins even more*
~ Back in Chapter 27 again, Jack mentions the secret passageways in the Baskerville mansion again!
By the way...was Lutwidge always attached to Pandora HQ? I've always been unclear on that. And don't get me started on who in the world is Count Eary. *_*
~ REIM IS WAKING UP. Any connection to Rufus?? After all, he is Rufus's attendant!
Okay, I'm sure we've all finished expressing our shock at Rufus's turn to the dark side. But what piques my curiosity is Rufus's facial expression in the final scene.
Look at him! That is not a happy face he's making. Somehow, I feel like he's not proud of his actions. I'm not saying that he's still good deep down, or that he even regrets what he did, but he certainly isn't thrilled out of his mind or anything.
Come to think of it, the only time Rufus looked even slightly pleased (excluding omakes and and his illusion form) was when he was all a-hungering for knowledge about Kevin Regnard.
(chapter 30, page 6, at the bottom!)
In conclusion...
That was the cruelest cliffhanger Mochizuki-sensei has ever given us!! (okay, maybe except for Chapter 65. MAYBE!) Crazy epic, though. XD
ONE MORE THING!! ^_^
I just figured out yet another example of symbolism!
This time, it's just a color. Red.
It's the color of the Baskervilles and their cloaks, Rufus's hair, Vincent's red eye, Break's red eye(s), and Lotti's hair (kind of. But she was portrayed in a VERY red outfit on the back of Volume 15!).
Think: Rufus has now aligned himself with the Baskervilles, and as had Vincent. Break also has attempted to form an alliance with Lotti.
Now, who else is associated with red? Think hard...
ALICE!
She's depicted in red at least 90% of the time. And I once theorized about her being a daughter of Glen and Lacie, and while that theory has pretty much been blown out of the water,
she could quite possibly still be a Baskerville, in some way. We just don't know yet!
It's fun to think about, though! ^_^
- Mood:
energetic - Music:Stay ~by Safetysuit
I think it's safe to say that there's quite a lot of obvious symbolism in this manga. :)
Recently I've noticed one very important example.
Take a look at the very first chapter. Here, Oz and Gil discover a grave with the name rubbed off:
Now, think about where else in Pandora Hearts we've seen a cross.
A more obvious example is when Oz killed Isla Yura in Retrace 59:
Now, the big one! Where else has the cross been shown?
THE ENTIRE NIGHTRAY FAMILY.
The symbol of the Nightrays, possibly their family crest, is a cross.
Since it's too much trouble to post all the pictures, go back and look at Gil, Vincent, and Elliot, in chapter 49: Night In Gale. You can clearly see it:
All of their formal outfits wear the family cross on their chest.
(Except Vanessa: she wears cross earrings!)
Now think about what happens to all the Nightrays...
They are killed by the Headhunter. And then, Elliot, the Headhunter himself, dies.
(see the bloodstained cross on his jacket):
And so, I have concluded that in Pandora Hearts, the image of the cross is associated with death.
Lacie, whose gravestone is shaped as a cross.
Isla Yura, whose corpse had a cross-shaped sword protruding from it.
The Nightray family (excluding Gil and Vincent), whose family symbol was a cross, were all killed by the headhunter.
It makes sense, right?
So really, we could have forseen the deaths of all the Nighrays from the beginning!
And Vincent, he is always wearing the Nightray cross on his Pandora uniform! In his very first apperance in the manga (chapter 12) the cross was right there!! Plus, even Elliot's volume cover symbol is the Nightray cross!
Okay. Gil almost never wears his cross. I think he only ever wore it to Isla Yura's party. Vincent, though, wears his like every day. And now, he's asked Leo to erase his existence. Oh, and Leo, even though he's a Nighray servant, never EVER, not even once did he ever wear the Nightray cross. So he won't be dying. (Maybe, hopefully?)
So, that's my theory. I wonder if this means that Vincent really will get his existence erased... I hope not, since I've finally started to like him after Chapter 61.. :(
- Mood: hyper
- Music:Off My Mind ~Super Junior M
I'm late posting this. :) Chapter title: Purpose!
Key Points:
~ On mangareader, the scans included the advertisment pages. One of them had this picture of Leo. Now look closely!! It looks like an addition to Chapter 60's color page!! (kinda like funeral clothes) And the flowers surrounding him are marigolds. Orange marigolds, symbolizing pain and grief in the language of the flowers!! :(
~I wonder if Leo ever read Holy Knight. :)
~ELLIOT. T_T. I think there's been like, "new images" of him every chapter, not just flashbacks, since he died...oh wait, except for Chapter 61, whatever. *sniff*
~Oz is looking more like Jack all the time. Check this out: http://www.mangareader.net/pandora-heart
~In the Chinese scans of this page, Leo calls himself 元凶, meaning "culprit." (I know Chinese!) Sometimes, btw, Leo's name is translated as Reo. In Spanish, the word "reo" means "culprit."
0_0 Bizzare coincidence??
~Also, b/c I read the Chinese, I know that on this page, Leo actually says "the wish of the Baskervilles", not the goal. Wish and Goal are two very different words.
~DANG. And I thought the Will of Abyss hated Alice!! They said that, remember!!? *makes no sense*
~OMG. Why did the chapter just end on mangareader?!
~Rest of English scans here: http://fallensyndicate.com/reader/reader/r
~I didn't think Leo was using "chains" in a plural form, at least not in Chinese anyway...But he did say 制裁. Oh, and that Oz is the KEY: 要素!! VERY important!!! Break and stuff mentioned Oz being a KEY, all the way back in the beginning!!! (I have no clue what this means!!)
Ending Note:
So I've heard talk of the end of Pandora Hearts. Also that it could possibly be totally warped and twisted like Tsubasa's ending revelations. But honestly, I don't think so. I think when everything gets revealed about PH's plot (part of me doubts that everything will really be revealed, anyway), it'll just boil down to the simplest thing, between 2 or 3 characters at most. Like some TINY little beginning that spiraled into the events of the whole series... Which could also connect to a "theme", maybe...
That would make sense to me, anyway. :)
- Mood:awake
- Music:Suddenly I See ~KT Tunstall
Apparently, not only did Leo get his hair cut, but he got that old bird's nest combed, conditioned, and styled!
Geez, just look at its smooth, glossy texture...
He must have gotten his hair-care advice from Vincent.
That ridiculous, heterochromic old man... *shakes head*
~end rant ♥
- Mood: pleased
- Music:Decided To Break It ~(idk the singer)
A few weeks ago, in late June, I started reading the manga Kimi Ni Todoke!
(It always reminds me of the colors pink and blue!)
The title translates as "From Me To You," or "Reaching You."
This is a great manga.
It's touching, cute and refreshing, with these two as its main characters:
~ 黑沼 爽子 & 風早 翔太 ~
She meets Shouta Kazehaya!
He's a nice, popular
The first few chapters of this manga are really, really uplifting and will make you feel good about yourself, too. Naturally, the story will sometimes dip into sad parts, but it always brightens back up.
It's extraordinarily heartwarming and a real pleasure to read.
I can't say I know anything about artistic design, but to me it looks like Kimi Ni Todoke is drawn in pencil. Anyway, its style is so simple and beautiful, so different from a lot of other mangas, it's...refreshing! :D
All right now, on to Chapter 59.
Warning! If you haven't read the manga yet, then stop reading this post until you do!! :)
First thoughts: I see this chapter was translated from Chinese. :D
Ah ha ha, Sawako is so cute when she's freaking out.
Oh, look at that, all the couples are feeling awkward now, except for single little Pin.
When I saw the bottom of this page, I literally choked on air and burst out laughing.
That is what you would call a Kodak moment!!! XD
Kazehaya and Sawako are adorable. ♥
Ah, Jou, forever the third wheel.
Although I have to admit, I could not believe my eyes when I saw page 25.
"The person that I have always liked is you."
*jaw hits floor*
O_O
Great timing, Ryu. Whoa. Can you say un-ex-pec-ted? :O
One second licking ice cream, next second confessing eternal love.
*mind semi-blown*
And then Ayane. Now it makes sense, what she said before about being different from Sawako and Chizu. I feel for this girl.
Am I crazy for thinking that Ayane and Pin would make a perfect couple?
I don't hate Kento anymore, though. I admittedly loathed him when he first appeared. But now, he's being sweet to Ayane, which totally redeems him.
WHAT?! The chapter's over?!?! I can't believe it snuck up on me like that...
Geez, what are these people gonna do when they get home?!
Mm. I'm ashamed by the fact that I'm NOT ashamed that I love this series and it makes me happy. ^_^
I bought volume 1 of the English translation recently. I have it in my room and I treasure it! Nothing could ever make me give it up!!!
I was looking for the Legendary Kazehaya Smile in chapter 59, though. Ah well, guess I can't have everything. :)
But Chizu had better accept Ryu this time!! :)
- Mood: refreshed
- Music:Everything ~Michael Bublé
I have a rather big speculation/question about Pandora Hearts. Take a look at this:
The only other time Lacie is shown is the flashback shot
Or...could Lacie be Alice's mother? It could make sense, since Alice once wondered who her parents were, back in the early chapters, and Lacie did live over 100 years ago. (Would that mean that Glen is Alice's dad?!)
Anyways, it's strange to think that we (or maybe only me?) have been wondering what Lacie looks like for half the series when there was this picture of her, over 30 chapters ago.
Mochizuki-sensei draws Lacie very prettily, though. :D
- Mood:
contemplative - Music:Wild Horses ~The Sundays
