The Joys of Parenting

 

Some of the greatest moments as a parent come when you get to share something you love with your child. Recently, I've been watching my favorite anime series, Cardcaptor Sakura with my daughter and she loves it. 

Of course I had the Clow Card book, sitting on a shelf in my office for years, that I took out. She has spent days studying the cards, reading the names, and making me act them out so that she can use her wand (she uses a stuffed giraffe) to capture them. I even had a stuffed Kero who now spends most nights in my daughter's bed alongside well-loved bunnies.

Sakura is such great character. It's important to me that my daughter sees strong girl characters in shows and books, characters that aren't simply made more masculine to make them powerful, but who strong because they are who they are. I'm so proud of the strong girl my daughter is and will continue to become.

Mary and the Witch's Flower

Based on the book The Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart, this Japanese film was directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi. Formerly an animator and director with Studio Ghibli, this project sees him now associated with Studio Ponoc. Not surprisingly, it looks like a Ghibli film and has the same heart for magic as a Ghibli film. 

This tells the story of a young girl named Mary, who has been sent to live with her Great Aunt. One day, she enters the woods to escape her boredom and finds a mysterious flower. Unknown to Mary, the flower holds incredibly power...the power of magic.

Mary is my favorite kind of children's story character. She's brave, though she doubts herself. She's intelligent and resourceful, and she's loyal to her beliefs. It is the kind of character that can overcome any obstacle through will and determination.

After she discovers a secret world of witches and warlocks engaged in dangerous experiments, she will stop at nothing to save her friend and put an end to the horrible things taking place. This is a delightful, slow-paced movie that transports the viewer wholly into its world.

Children Who Chase Lost Voices

The other week, I was finally able to catch up with watching a few anime films that I'd been meaning to see. Along with Wolf Children, which I wrote about two weeks ago, I also watched Children Who Chase Lost Voices. This is a film that had been nominated for tons of prestige awards when it came out in 2011. It's a coming of age story that infuses magical elements based on Japanese mythology.

One of the things that I've always loved about anime is the format's ability to genre bend within a film and there is no inner voice asking me to question the logic behind such changes. This is one of those movies that starts off innocently enough, with a young girl missing the father she's lost and the mother who works days on end. She deals with her loneliness by climbing the nearby hills and listening to a radio powered by a crystal left to her by her father. 

It turns out that these crystals have a connection to a world that exists below the surface of the earth, a world where old gods and myths have gone now that they're no longer needed to guide mankind out of his infancy. The girl, Asuna, soon becomes entangled with a human who lives in that world, known as Agartha, and a government agent who is search for it for his own selfish reasons. What transpires is a journey that threatens the very existence of Agartha and causes all involved to question what is possible. 

This is beautiful film, with breathtaking moments of animation. Clearly inspired by Studio Ghibli. There are moments that seem borrowed from Spirited Away and Princess Mononokie. They are clearly interested in the same mythology and derive from similar cultural sources. Certainly worth watching for fans of Miyazaki's films. 

Wolf Children

The past weekend, I finally watched Wolf Children, the acclaimed 2013 anime film from director Mamoru Hosoda. I've been wanting to see this film ever since I stumbled across it while researching work on my werewolf novel two years ago. Though it's very different than the tale I'm crafting, the idea of wolf children intrigued me and it was a delight to see how it was handled in this beautiful film.

In many ways, Wolf Children is a classic fairy tale but with a decidedly modern feel, dealing with modern day problems. It handles extremely difficult subjects like death and childhood anxieties with delicate care, while never attempting to gloss over them or trivialize their seriousness. There are moments in the movie that are incredibly sad, but they are balanced with moments of triumph. 

It's strange how I find myself now watching things with a parental eye. When this movie was over, I was left with an overwhelming excitement to one day share it with my daughter, who has been fascinated with the DVD cover for weeks. Rated PG, it has that kind of Bambi feel that makes it appropriate for introducing tough subjects in a way that children can understand and not be terribly afraid of. And the message of following your heart, being yourself, and helping others is one that every parent can appreciate. 

Little Snow Fairy Sugar (Episodes 13-15)

(Catch up on previous episodes here.)

It's been a while since I visited the small German town where this anime takes place, but I was finally able to catch up a little bit this week. In the last episode, Sugar's magic flower had grown a bud despite the fact she'd never found a twinkle, the element that is supposed to make the flowers grow. When rowdy Basil and Cinnamon found out about the flower's progress, they demand that Sugar tell them what a twinkle is and where she found one. Under pressure, and afraid that her friends won't believe her if she told the truth, Sugar lies and tells them that she did find a twinkle. Then she becomes determined to set out and find one to prove that she isn't a liar.

Symbolic of their strengthening bond, Saga decides to set out to help Sugar, something she has been reluctant to do in the past. Pepper and Salt join in the search which takes them into the woods. Each encounter with the older season fairies leads them to assure Saga that they are certain to find a twinkle. As their journey ends, nothing tangible is found, and Saga begins to realize that it's her relationship with Sugar that is the real "twinkle." 

In the next episode, the show departs slightly from the continuing story. We see the fairies trying to help Pepper's turtle friend learn to fly. Once again, Saga tries to help them even though she knows it's an impossible task. However, keeping with the positive messages of the show, they all learn that a strong wish and teamwork can make anything come true.

Another thread running through the series is Saga's relationship with her mother who passed away when she was younger. When a three year old girl comes to stay with Saga and her grandmother, this family friend stirs Saga's memories of her mother. Though Kanon, the little girl, calls Saga her big sister, Saga behaves more like a mother to the child. The experience makes her realize how special the time with her mother was, and how important her guidance is for Kanon. Surely this will translate into her relationship with Sugar in the future. 

 

Little Snow Fairy Sugar (Episodes 10-12)

(Catch up on previous episodes here.)

When we last visited Saga and the season fairies, they had finally worked out their confrontations and had come to an understanding of how they could coexist. The tension that had existed between Saga and Sugar has finally disappeared. Though the tension between them made for a good plot, it's really nice to see them getting along. It's like when you have two good friends who are angry at each other. You just want to make up, but you know there is an understanding that must be reached. That's one of the things that I really appreciate about this show, the way it doesn't provide easy resolutions for its characters, especially Saga. It really makes her go through the painful process of growing up and making mistakes.

These three episodes all center around the visiting Hammond Theater Group and their play The Bear Pianist. The town is full of excitement over the performance, but their arrival also stirs many other emotions. After initially being taken with admiration by the bear's piano playing, Saga quickly becomes jealous. But her jealously is more of a confusion of emotions that she is unable to sort out. Her memories of her mother are all wrapped up in piano playing, memories she still has yet to deal with.

Over the course of the troupe's stay in the town, Saga develops an awkward relationship with Vincent, the actor who plays the bear pianist. She initially has a sort of crush on him, but grows frustrated when he plays the piano recklessly, which she equates to an insult of her mother's memory. But after he injures his hand, and asks her to fill in for him and play the music during the last performance, their bond grows stronger. So does her bond with Sugar, who is always supportive of her. Saga's playing inspires Sugar to play her flute, and she finally is able to make real snow. By the end of the twelfth episode, when Saga and Sugar are closer than ever, a flower has finally bloomed on Sugar's magical plant. This is such a great symbol for the power of friendship and how it nurtures each of the characters.

Little Snow Fairy Sugar (Episodes 7-9)

(Catch up on previous episodes here.)

When we left off, Saga had sent Sugar away in anger. Though their argument was over a misunderstanding, the hurt was very real to both characters. As they go their separate ways both characters face their regrets with stubborn pride. Saga goes through her day feeling distracted and guilty, but whenever she begins feeling sorry, she concentrates on the incident that angered her in the first place. I really liked how this showed the way we try to hold onto anger. So often in children's programming there's the emphasis on quick forgiveness, but in reality, most of us convince ourselves to remain angry long after we've stopped feeling the emotion.

For her part, kicked out of her home, Sugar takes up with two new weather fairy apprentices named Basil and Cinnamon. They are storm fairies who are leaning to make thunder and lightning. Cleverly, these two fairies are the opposite of the kind of cuteness given to Sugar and her friends. They are drawn, and behave like little punk rockers, causing trouble wherever they go. Sugar quickly learns to love their carefree ways and joins them in mischief. Salt and Pepper don't really like this new Sugar and decide that they must bring Sugar and Saga back together. And when they reveal that the message Sugar wrote on Saga's precious sheet music was really an apology, Saga's guilt overcomes her anger.

Saga's memories of her mother, and the interplay between a little Saga and her mother are important scenes to developing Saga and Sugar's relationship. I've said before that it a big sister/ little sister dynamic, and within that is a mothering aspect. Little Saga is a little like Sugar.  Saga finally realizes this and the accepts her role. After they've made up, the antagonism that had existed between them ceases.

It's clear that a fairy's growth is tied to a nurturing bond with a human. Hints were made earlier during the fairies' search for "twinkle" and the sprouting of their fairy seeds whenever the bond is strengthened. This is made even more obvious later when Phil, the neighborhood boy scientist, attempts his news experiment. Phil is trying to make an aurora, something that Salt claims is the domain of sun fairies, and requires powerful magic. At first Salt is worried that Phil will be able to do something that he hasn't yet been able to achieve. But when the entire class comes to watch Phil fail, Salt feels compassion for the boy who he has secretly been helping. In that moment of feeling, Salt is able to produce a beautiful aurora using his magic. 

The connection with a humans makes the little fairies powerful. I expect as Sugar and Saga's relationship blossoms, we'll soon discover the wonderful things Sugar is able to do. Stay tuned for more next week. 

Little Snow Fairy Sugar (Episodes 3-6)

(Catch up on previous episodes here)

Life with a little snow fairy apprentice, especially one as energetic as Sugar, can be extremely frustrating as eleven year old Saga quickly discovers. When the third episode opens, Saga has had enough and demands the two go their separate ways for the day so that she can shop with her friends without constantly being interrupted by Sugar. Though disappointed that Saga doesn't want her around, Sugar takes the chance to join Salt and Pepper in the search for twinkle. The only problem is, none of them can agree on what their looking for. Pepper is certain that twinkle is puffy-fluffy, Salt is convinced that it's comfy-warm, and Sugar believes whatever it is, it has to twinkle. 

When Sugar spies something twinkling high up in the bell tower, the fairies' search leads them into the clutches of the angry crow who goes around collecting anything shiny in town. One of those items is the jingle bell that caught Sugar's eye, and when she tries to take it, the crow gives chase. When she ends up trapped in a bird cage, there is only one place for Salt and Pepper to turn...Saga. 

As much as Sugar annoys Saga, there is a growing bond between them. When Sugar is in trouble, Saga is there to help. Even in the next episode, when the three little fairies flock to Saga's school on a rumor told to them by doves that they might possibly find twinkle there, Saga initially snaps at Sugar but eventually they make up. Their relationship is an interesting sibling type dynamic. Sugar desperately wants Saga's approval and attention, while Saga feels this desire to take care of the small fairy. It's a relationship of ups and downs, which truly come to a head in episode six.

After the Elder, the fairy who controls all seasons, tells Sugar she must get more serious about her practicing if she ever wants to be a full fledged snow fairy like her mother, Sugar begins to practice her magic flute at all times, driving Saga crazy. After another incident with the crow causes a lot of destruction at Saga's work, the two friends get into a nasty argument. Later, though both want to apologize, both are too proud. When Sugar finally decides to write Saga an apology note, she inadvertently writes it on a cherished piece of sheet music that reminds Saga of her deceased mother. Heartbroken, the episode ends with Saga telling Sugar that she never wants to see her again. 

The show's greatest strength is the emotional depth in which it examines the difficult moments that occur with friendship. It addresses these in ways that are both humorous and serious, giving the show a heartfelt sincerity that reminds me of Miyazaki's wonderful anime films, with the perfect blend of playful and genuine. 

Little Snow Fairy Sugar (Episodes 1&2)

It seems time once again for me to start a viewer guide of an anime series, which I haven't done since the Legend of Korra. This time around, I'm choosing Little Snow Fairy Sugar, a show that I began watching before it ever made over her to the states. After it aired in Japan in 2001, I bought the first season in Japanese and watched it with subtitles. This time around, I'm watching the English dubbed versions, which thankfully keep the personalities consistent. Sometimes the dubbed versions inflect unnecessary attitude into the voices to make them more "American" and it really annoys me. I'm happy to say that Sugar and Saga are spared that fate.

The story opens without a ton of exposition, jumping right into the life of Saga, a determined eleven year old girl in a small town in Germany. Saga is an organized girl who has her days planned out to the minute. She knows exactly when she will meet her friends, where they will eat, when she'll be home, and what she will do in the time before dinner. In the first episode she is a lot like Alice's White Rabbit, always running around and seemingly late. The last thing a preoccupied eleven year old needs her in life is a curious little fairy apprentice with little or no regard for her complicated plans.

The two main characters meet on a rainy afternoon. Saga ducks for cover on the side of a building and spots the strange creature groaning with hunger. Both characters are surprised that Saga can see Sugar the Snow Fairy, but while it thrills the younger Sugar, it disturbs Saga. She spends much of the day pretending it is her imagination, worried she has a fever that is creating the illusion. She soon discovers that ignoring the tiny menace that is Sugar isn't as easy as she thinks.

There are a few angles that will guide Little Snow Fairy Sugar throughout the story and build into something bigger. In the second episode we learn that Sugar has a mission in the human world. All fairy apprentices must plant their magic seeds, capture "twinkle", and watch the seeds bloom. Sugar's friends Salt and Pepper are also in the human world, and it is through them and their interaction with Sugar that she is truly defined as the lovable flake that Saga is getting to know. It's not all fairies that are so chaotic, just Sugar. Which makes her the perfect odd couple match for Saga, because as it turns out, Sugar's seed has begun to sprout inside Saga's bedroom, meaning Sugar is there to stay.

Because Saga is the only who can see or hear Sugar, the relationship quickly becomes problematic. With Sugar refusing to leave her alone, school is a disaster and all of her carefully laid plans for after school go up in flames. Saga becomes a girl with a burden, one that starts as an annoyance, but seems to slowly be growing into one of responsibility as the relationship between her and Sugar shows hints of a big sister/little sister dynamic, complete with the ups and downs that come with it.

Like all good anime, the show isn't flat. It has silliness, but combines those moments with bigger, more series elements. Also important for a animated show, the art is wonderful. Look for more to come when the bumpy ride continues as I make my way through all 24 episodes.

Last Exile (Episodes 25-26)

Catch up on previous episodes here)

In my experience, when becoming a writer, one of the hardest things to learn is how to end a story. Because it's the last impression one leaves with the audience, it is often the most criticized aspect of any story. This seems especially true with television shows where series finales are usually remembered as moments of disappointment rather than triumph. I'm happy to say that Last Exile avoids this fate, though at times these episodes did feel slightly rushed and did leave me with many unanswered questions. But that's okay, I always like to leave readers of my novels with unanswered questions too. As a storyteller, you don't want to give everything away -- you want the story to live on in the imagination of the audience so that the characters never actually 'end', they are simply passed on.

One technique for concluding a story that I've always enjoyed is the idea of bringing things full circle back to the beginning. In Last Exile, Claus and Alvis need to make their way back to Exile in order to prevent the Guild from gaining absolute control over the world. In order to do this, they make their way to various checkpoints, allowing us last glimpses of many characters. During their flight, we also see how much Alvis has grown. Acting as Claus's navigator, using Lavie's notes, she is braver and coming into her own. We also see Claus realize his full potential. After being attacked by two Guild ships, he displays some amazing piloting skills to defeat them. On the final leg of the journey, they reunite with Lavie and their original vanship. In order to save the world, they must cross the Grand Stream in their fathers' ship, just as they had always dreamed of doing. I really enjoyed how their personal journey ended up coinciding with the greater fate of the world.

Another good rule for an ending is that you should never give the audience exactly what they may want. During the course of a story, there are certain hopeful outcomes one wants to set up. But I firmly believe you should only deliver on some them because stories, as in life, should never work out too perfectly. There is a great deal of tragedy in the end of Last Exile, but this is offset by the overwhelming sense of good will that comes after the massive battle that concludes the story. This is definitely a series worth investing the time to watch from beginning to end. It has compelling characters, a wonderful sense of story arch and development, and is completely satisfying.

Final Grade: A

Last Exile (Episodes 22-24)

Catch up on previous episodes here)

One tool that a storyteller has is the ability to make sure plans don't go according to plan. The storyteller has the benefit of knowing what will happen and therefore can manipulate the expectations of the audience. Unexpected wrenches in the characters' plans, both positive and negative to their objective, keeps the tension going and keeps the audience interested. In this last stretch of episodes before the final two, Last Exile seems to be doing just that.

Having stolen Exile, the Guild ships return to the palace for the Covenant Ceremony where capable youths battle to the death to see who will succeed Maestro Delphine and eventually run the Guild. The 'changed' Dio is forced to take part in the brutal, wonderfully animated scene, while Claus and Alvis are brought to an observation deck where Delphine finally explains what Exile is, but not what it does. This has been one of the fundamental mysteries of the show and its revelation follows the style of previous ones on the show, revealing information only to create more mystery. Alex Row is brought on deck too, wrapped in thorns that are releasing truth serum into his body. Delphine forces him to recite the Mysteria (the four poems that will open Exile). Exile scans Alvis as Alex recites the first verse and then the second. Alvis falls into the trance like state shown in a previous episode and Exile responds. In a great sequence of animation, Exile appears ready to do something big, but it turns out Alex does not know one of the verses, delaying the outcome and causing Delphine to revise her plans. She must first capture Sophia, the keeper of the last verse.

In these episodes, the viewer also gains insight into Dio and his childhood. We see his compassion for his companion and the harshness that his sister Delphine inflicts on him, which equals the harshness she inflicts on the entire world. Seeing the caring person Dio was makes his recent change even more heartbreaking. But his former compassion is rewarded when his friend helps Claus and Alvis escape, provided they take Dio with them. The three are taken to a hidden vanship within in the palace. In order for their escape to happen, a massive piece of the palace is blown off. It falls to the world below, sending tidal waves through Claus and Lavie's hometown. The three escapees manage to crash land and are taken to a hospital (based in the house where we saw Claus and Lavie on their first messenger mission way back in the beginning of the series). Claus and Alvis are released and go back home to find their house in ruins. All of this reaffirms the beliefs instilled at the beginning of the show. We've seen Claus grow and change, but in the end, his values have never faltered.

Meanwhile in the skies, the alliance begins its assault. The Silvana and Urbanus continue to trail Exile as it is pulled along by the Guild fleet, through the Grand Stream. The rest of the alliance's warships encounter a massive Guild fleet and commence with the vanship attack they've been working on. It's an overwhelming success, destroying most of the Guild ships. These air battles are one of the many highlights of the show and are simply stunning to look at. The alliance pushes on, ready to enter the Grand Stream and join what promises to be an epic final showdown. Claus must also somehow get back to the Silvana and bring Alvis with him...she's the only one who can stop what has already been set into motion. With two episodes left, I love how there is still a sense that anything can happen.

Last Exile (Episodes 19-21)

(Catch up on previous episodes here)

When I left off, the new alliance between the two nations of Anatoray and Disith were preparing a surprise attack against the oppressive Guild, which controls all air travel and therefore is able to manipulate the two nations. Following another clever device in storytelling, the show has kept the Guild a shadowy institution until near the end of the series. Or rather, there was a shifting enemy that changed as the viewer gained information along with our hero Claus. At first, the enemy is the Disith...then the mysterious Alex Row...then the Emperor, but by episode 19, we know those forces are all united against an enemy far more dangerous and far more powerful. The build-up of this aspect of the story is a great example of how following a character through a story can aide plot development and create plot twists.

In these three episodes, we get another shift in the story, most likely the last one before the climax. Now Empress, Sophia returns to the Silvana, bringing with her the Urbanus (the Empire's best warship, which has tangled with the Silvana in previous episodes.) The two superior ships join forces to enter the Grand Stream. The Disith have provided them with a map of the Grand Stream and a recording of Exile's engines. It is still unknown what Exile is, either a ship or a life form, but in order to defeat the Guild, apparently they need to capture it.

Flying through the swift stream, which is essentially a powerful corridor of converging jet streams, the ships finally locate Exile and launch vanships that will attempt to connect Exile to the Silvana with cables. Once they do, one of the earlier story lines comes back into the play. The four poems known as the Mysteria supposedly have the power to unlock Exile and little Alvis is the key to opening them. Finally, all of the hints from earlier begin to converge.

As the vanships approach Exile, its defense system takes out all but the ship piloted by Claus and Dio. Using his exceptional skills, Claus is able to accomplish the mission. Meanwhile, back at the Guild palace, Maestro Delphine discovers that her brother, Dio, has been hiding on the Silvana and sets out to bring him back. When Claus and Dio dock again, they find the Silvana seemingly deserted only to discover it has been taken over by the Guild. Delphine is there in person and takes Claus, Alvis and Alex with her back to the Guild palace in the sky.

Claus and Alvis are treated as guests, though they are aware that they are truly prisoners. They are disgusted by the extravagance of the Guild when people on the surface starve. In another part of the palace, Dio is forced to undergo a mysterious Guild procedure that will make him an adult. When he next sees Alvis and Claus, he's completely changed. Everything seems to be going Delphine's way. Have the alliance's plans been ruined and is all hope of defeating the Guild lost? Another classic storytelling technique, stacking the odds even more against the heroes.

Last Exile (Episodes 16-18)

(Catch up on previous episodes here)

As the show enters the stretch run, the action really picks up in starting with these three episodes of Last Exile. Now that the back story is out of the way for all the major characters, it's time to establish their places for the final thrust of plot. Once again, I'm impressed with the storytelling and attention to narrative pace in this series. We are certainly leading up to the climax of the story when the first officer of the Silvana, Sophia, revealed to be the Emperor's daughter in the last episode, leaves the ship to return to the capital. We learn that she was originally assigned to the ship to keep an eye on its rogue captain, Alex Row...she stayed only after she fell in love with him. Too bad for her, he's in still in love with a woman that died years ago. By returning to the capital, she hopes to convince the Emperor to end the war that has been tearing apart the world. Her plan is severely sidetracked when she's arrested and imprisoned for treason. During her imprisonment, the Disith, now a desperate enemy with nothing left to lose, unleashes a devastating surprise attack on the capital that night, killing the Emperor and clearing the way for Sophia to claim the throne.

Meanwhile back on the Silvana, Claus is going through some turmoil of his own. As the main hero of the story, his destiny and ambitions are still up in the air. He is still unsure if he should remain on the ship as a fighter vanship pilot or leave with Lavie and attempt the to cross the Grand Stream as they had always said they would since they were kids. In another clever literary device, pieces of an earlier plot line are revived as the Silvana docks for repairs in a hidden station where a secret force is training for an assault on the Guild. Part of that assault is training vanship pilots and using the smaller ships as the main attack force. As it turns out, a large group of the pilots training are Claus and Lavie's old racing friends from the first few episodes. The reunion brightens Claus and Lavie's moods...until they realize the idea for the vanship attack was born during their first encounter with battle, seen by the viewer in the earliest episodes. They are both horrified and feel responsible for turning their beloved vanships into battleships, a purpose far from their noble intention.

Back in the capital, as the city lay in ruins, now Empress Sophia is able to organize a cease fire with the Disith. Then she travels to Claus and Lavie's hometown, now occupied by the Disith, to meet with their commander. She explains that the entire war may never have happened if Claus's father had been able to deliver his peace treaty years and years before, blaming the Guild for his death. It is finally (at least, partially) explained that the Grand Stream is a kind of barrier between the two nations, operated by the Guild. Sophia asks the Disith to join her against a common enemy. Their alliance is quickly forged and members of the Disith join the secret training squad. Of course the Guild, having been presented as a superior, almost omnipotent force, is aware of the alliance. In order to make their presence known, their Maestro, or queen, arrives at Sophia's coronation, hovering over the ceremony in warship that puts the entire alliance fleet to shame. It's hard to imagine even the Silvana can match the Guild's warships...but I'm sure we shall see in future episodes.

Last Exile (Episodes 13-15)

(Catch up on previous episodes here)

Yesterday morning I buckled up and climbed back onboard the Silvana after being away too long. I'm officially entering the middle of the 26 episode series and as I suspected, these three episodes started to provide some answers to the many mysteries raised in previous episodes. As I've mentioned in the other posts, the storytelling is following a the narrative style of a novel. And as I wrote in a post last week, one of the key elements of a novel is the middle. Traditionally the middle is where some questions are answered, only to bring new questions to light. Last Exile achieves that nicely here.

When I last left off, the Silvana had apparently sunk--not that I truly feared it's destruction. We soon discover that it is simply hiding, playing possum until it is repaired and ready to set off on its real mission which has been kept vague until now. Meanwhile, after crashing their vanship in the desert, Claus and Tatiana (a sideline character who emerges more to the center of the plot in these episodes) grow closer and manage to repair their ship. During their time together, we learn that Tatiana was an 'abandoned noble', a member of a noble family in one of the conquered towns in the ongoing war. We also learn that Claus and Lavie's fathers were famous vanship pilots who attempted to cross the still mysterious Great Stream in order deliver a peace proposal that would have ended the war. They failed nobly and the war still rages on. Claus and Tatiana encounter that first hand as they run into the Disith and learn that Lavie and Claus's hometown has fallen.

Following another novelist's trick for storytelling, the middle episode is devoted almost solely to telling the story of Claus and Lavie's fathers and how they were friends with the Silvana captain, Alex Row. One rule to telling a long story is never to bore the audience in the beginning with tons of back story. You always want to jump into the middle of the story and reveal important pieces of the back story over time. That's what this episode is, we see Claus and Lavie as children who soon become orphaned children. We watch them teach themselves to become pilots. We see as they first become messengers and build the house in which we first encountered them. Basically we learn everything about how they ended up where they were in the beginning of the series. This segment not only provides us with some key clues to the larger story, but it also serves as reminder of just how close these two characters are, especially since they have been drifting apart in the the last few episodes...which leads us to the next episode.

The last of these three episodes is where all the new questions start to rise, just as the Silvana rises once again into the skies. Almost unaware of it, Claus is the center of a love triangle between him, Tatiana, Lavie, and possibly even the first officer Sophia. In a whirlwind of revelations, the Silvana's true mission is revealed when Claus confronts Alex about knowing his father. Alex admits to having been on the mission and seeing Claus's father die. He also confesses that his mission is to steal the Guild's exile and destroy it, thus ending the Guild's control over the world. In another twist, it is revealed that Sophia is actually the Emperor's daughter and has been asked by a close advisor to step in and stop the Emperor from waging a war with the Guild as he's planned.

The second half of the series promises lots of action and shifting character alignments. Should be a great finish. Stay tuned.

Last Exile (Episodes 10-12)

(Catch up on previous episodes here)

This week I was able to make my way back on board the rebellious airship Silvana to visit in with Claus and Lavie on their continued adventures in what is turning out to be one of my favorite anime series of all time. When I last left off, the young vanship pilot Claus, along with navigator Lavie, was engaged in a marathon vanship race and leading, while the mysterious Alex Row was planning to get his hands on the last exile, a cube shaped object believed to have powers as of yet unknown to the viewer. It's the unknown to the viewer part that is making this series so fantastic for me.

So often television force feeds the viewer its plot in large, easily digestible portions. Like any great quest novel, Last Exile is content with revealing one little clue at a time and trusting the viewer to piece together the information over the course of the show. In these three episodes, the viewer is gradually getting a better understanding of the larger political intrigue that has only been hinted at up to this point.

It turns out there has been some recent turmoil with the Guild, which we now know is made up of several different houses or families that seem to behave much the way that royal families operated centuries ago. The little girl Alvis is apparently the last of the Hamilton House and the true heir. She also has some great power related to some, as of yet unknown, prophecy as evidenced when one of the members of another Guild house is able to put her into a trance that causes intense energy surges simply by reciting her a few lines of a poem. It's been clear from her entrance into the show that Alvis is important and I like that we are only now finding out the real nature of her role.

Nearly half-way through the series, the characters are beginning to change and take on what will most likely be their missions for the rest of the show. Each of the main characters seems to have their own quest to pursue, sometimes bringing them together and sometimes leading them apart. I've been very impressed with how well constructed this aspect of the show has been. But of course, like any good story, when things are getting to deep on the revelations, the storyteller needs to step back and mix in the action.

The last of these three episodes ends with an epic air battle that sees the Silvana taking on five of the Emperor's war ships and apparently being sunk at the end. What will happen next? I can't wait to find out.

Last Exile (Episodes 7-9)

(Catch up on previous episodes here)

My journey on the Silvana continues with three more episodes in the 26 episode series. One things I love about television shows that have a defined one-season arc is that you can read the show like a novel, each episode being a chapter. Last Exile achieves this better than most other shows I've seen. It's unconcerned with giving the viewer a nicely wrapped up half-hour small story within the context of the bigger story. It treats episodes more like chapters, making sure there is action, forward momentum, and intrigue at the end.

In my last post, I noted how the story was following a lot of the traditional elements for a heroic quest story. In episode 7, Claus's role as the kid with immense potential is highlighted. The commanders of the Silvana has seen it and now a mysterious member of the Guild also sees it during a bold Guild attack on the Silvana. The episode focuses mainly on showcasing the excellent aerial dogfights that the animation captures so well. This episode reminded me of Battlestar Galactica defending against a Cylon attack. And by the end, Claus and Lavie have done a great deal to prove their worth and slowly start fitting in with the rest of the crew.

Of course, after the beating the Silvana took in episode 7, the next chapter has the ship docked for repairs at a kind clandestine Deep Space 9 casino. As with any well-written work, a setting like this should achieve several things beyond the natural adventure it produces. By having one of the Emperor's ships also docked there with its crew aboard the station, the Silvana's position in the ongoing war is subtly defined through the relationships between the crews. Also, we get to see more of Alex Row, the mysterious captain of the Silvana and discover he's looking for an object known as an 'exile'....a perfect a-ha moment where the title begins to make sense. And just for good measure, we have ship duel between the Silvana and one of the Emperor's ships, the Goliath. When the Silvana sinks the other ship, it's really the first moment when the viewer feels on board with its captain and whatever secret mission they are on.

By the next episode, Claus, Lavie and Alvis feel practically at home on the ship. They are even invited to take part in the ultimate vanship race with the aide of the Silvana mechanic crew. Of course, they are unaware that the ship has another dangerous agenda. Alex Row is there for an auction among nobles and the wealthy. He is there to bid on only one thing...the last exile--a square stone object that is said to have powers no one has ever been able to unlock. Bingo! There lies the mysterious object with strange powers, another cornerstone element of a heroic quest. It's a fascinating twist in the storytelling however that we still don't know what the quest is for.

Will he get it? Will the mission succeed? What will Claus and Lavie do when they learn they are being kept in the dark? All questions for the next chapter because every good chapter ends with the reader wanting to turn the page. A lesson the writers of this show have taken to heart.

Last Exile (Episodes 4-6)

My journey through Last Exile continues and with each episode I find myself drawn deeper into this wonderfully told story. One of the things about anime that I find so appealing is the storytelling can be just as amazing as the art. Having watched six episodes now, it's clear that the show is following a type of narration typically found in a novel. As I stated in my post about the first three episodes, the show jumped right into a story, choosing to give little to no exposition and allowing the viewer to the slowly come to speed.

One of the main characters in the show, a little girl named Alvis Hamilton, was introduced at the end of the third episode. Her past is a mystery. Her fate is clearly important, but also a mystery. Clearly, there is a lot of mystery surround Al, but the fact that she is seemingly alone in the world pulls Claus, our young vanship pilot hero, closer to her. The bond between these characters is presented in that great anime way of sustained eye-contact and subtle changes in expression as they stare at each other with lots of mumbled sounds of surprise and confusion--a device I like to use a lot in my own writing.

It's clear from Claus's protective instincts toward Al that once he delivers her to the near mythical ship known as the Silvana, he's not just going to be able to simply leave her there with the shady crew. As a result, Claus and Lavie end up becoming entangled with this strange ship. Where the Silvana's loyalty in the ongoing war lie, and those of it's (yes, you guessed it) mysterious leader Alexander Row, is unclear. But by the end of episode six, the story begins to expand, giving us hints that what we thought we knew, we didn't truly know. The characters seem set in their places and now the bigger story has just begun.

So far, Last Exile takes heavily from the touchstones of an epic quest, incorporating the elements in clever ways. I can't wait to learn what is to become of heroes during their amazing aerial battles, which are as good as any dog fight in Star Wars. Claus and Lavie are perfect character duo. Alvis is enchanting as the child who could save the future. The set-up between the different fractions in the war is very intriguing. I also love how these big events are secondary to Claus and Lavie. And while we still don't know which side are we supposed to be rooting for--we can always just root for them.

Last Exile (Episodes 1-3)

Feeling the need to invest my time into a new anime series, I began watching Last Exile yesterday. A series that aired in Japan several years ago, spanning 26 episodes, Last Exile is an instantly engrossing adventure. It takes nearly two episodes before you even get a good sense of what is going on, but once you do, it's clear the journey will be an epic one.

There is a war going on, that much is clear by the striking battle scenes between two rival armies of Star Blazer type air ships. Caught in the middle of this war are a fleet of messengers known as sky couriers. The story follows two young messengers, Claus and Lavie, who perform a daring mission in the middle of a brutal battle only to find themselves pulled further into the conflict by the end of the third episode where they encounter a little girl, which they must then deliver to the mysterious ship known as the Silvana. These two characters are a great pair, the kind of perfect team that every good story needs to guide the viewer through.

So far, I'm loving every second of the incredible animation and evolving story. One of the things that I truly love about many anime series is that they challenge the viewer in a way American television rarely does. The stories tend to be told more in the way a great novel unfolds than traditional television writing. This especially true for the opening episodes of Last Exile. Personally, I can't wait to dive into the next batch of episodes.

I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so...

The other day I received a package I've been waiting for ever since I first heard my Pirate School series was being translated in Japanese and being re-illustrated. I'm a huge anime fan, so naturally I couldn't wait to see my characters done in that style. After nearly a year or more of waiting, I finally got to see them...and they're awesome.

One of the best moments (or potentially worst) of being a writer of children's books is getting to see the illustrations that accompany your story. I've been lucky enough to experience that three different times with these books. First the originals, then the German editions, and now the Japanese. It's amazing how each gives the story a different feel.

As expected, the Japanese versions of my characters are hyper expressive and everything they do is exaggerated. In many ways they fit the story perfectly. Plus the layout of the language allows for bigger illustrations and more interaction between text and picture, as did the Taiwanese versions, which kept the original illustrations.

The covers of the first four books are below. I'm not even sure which characters are my name and I kind of like it that way.

Pirate School #1: The Curse of Snake Island

Pirate School #2: Ghost Ship, Ahead!

Pirate School #3: Attack on the High Seas

Pirate School #4: Port of Spies

I feel very fortunate these stories that I've created have been able to reach so many children in so many different cultures. I'm especially proud to have them reach Japan, a culture that has greatly influenced my own imagination. I only wish it were under better circumstances. The situation there has upset me a great deal this past week. If just one child in that country can read these books and momentarily forget the horrible events taking place, then I will have done my job. Saving the world one story at a time isn't just a name for this blog, it's something that I believe in and will continue doing for as long as I can.