If you take part in critical discussions of anime, you’ve likely heard praise for a show that “makes good use of silence.” Meaning not every show needs to be on all the time, sometimes it’s best to take away any distractions and let the themes and imagery speak for themselves. And when I say “Magus Bride makes awful use of silence,” I mean something completely different.
AMB makes ample use of two of the worst story telling techniques in anime. 1: silent conversations to keep the audience in the dark. And 2: silent conversations to imply scenes from the manga.
Examples of the first include Stella and Ethan’s silent conversation, which was revealed in the following episode. That is the right way to use this technique, but I wouldn’t call it good. The absolute wrong way to use it, is what they did in episode 21. There was no real gain to silencing Mariel’s message to Elias, only to reveal it moments later.
But the second kind of silence is of more concern to me. It’s a disservice fans who only watch the anime and shows that the industry still views adaptations mainly as commercials for the source material. So let me tell you what you missed.
Redcurrant (Sexy Vampire)
That’s her name, btw. Chise gave her that name in this muted conversation from an episode back. She’s doing well, a little cold though. Chise suggests she try wearing some clothes in the winter. Joel’s family is selling the house, but she’s going stay there and haunt the garden. She makes a symbolic attempt to heal Chise’s curse:
Torrey Innis
You might not have caught his name, but Torrey is the overly-eager sorcerer from the college. He has an obsession with mages and natural magic.
So the note that Mariel gave to Elias told him to seek out a book in the college’s possession: the Testament of Carnamagos. It’s from the Cthulhu mythos if you’re interested. It’s a dangerous tome, held in the restricted library. Elias wouldn’t normally have access to it.
But he hides in Torrey’s shadow to sneak in and read it. In exchange, he shows Torrey a magic trick. Yeah, that’s what it costs to bribe your way into a dangerous magical depository.
So Elias recites his incantation and slices up a sheet of paper. Torrey geeks out, prompting Elias to ask what’s so special about that. They talk about how beautiful magic looks to humans, and Torrey describes Elias’ spell as “like Sleeping Beauty, slumbering in her castle amidst the thorns.”
…and a little purple, though the artists apparently decided blue was a better look.
And that’s what you missed. It’s not enough to ruin the story, but some of the strongest character moments are cut from the anime as a result of this. It’s a real shame.
The first cour of the anime I might even recommend over the manga, as Lindel’s song and the Phoenix-Chise sequence are incredible additions. But so far in the second cour, nothing in the anime has come close to the manga. Of course, my preferred way to watch/read is with both!
I agree. The anime needs viewers to have read or be reading the manga for all the subtleties in the story telling. You miss a lot of context and little things that make the story seem, as in Elias’ trek to the college, more ominous or, in the scenes of Chise walking the town after waking up with the dragon’s curse, bittersweet.
Personally, I’ve gotten to where I can wait a few days before watching the latest episode just because of this. I still enjoy it, don’t get me wrong, but it’s fallen into that ‘the book is better’ situation. I hope it doesn’t go the route of other adaptations and diverge from the manga while the next issues are still being worked on because the anime has caught up.
Sure, I’ll still watch it because I’m a sucker for AMB, but I hope that fans can get everything watching the anime because reading mangas aren’t for everyone. I definitely know watching something play out can be more entertaining than reading, so let’s hope the oomph comes back to the anime.
Finally got to a chapter I’ve been looking forward to for quite some time. We see the introduction of a very important player for the next part of Parable.
Alright, so she won’t admit this, but her full name (on her birth certificate) was Jane Quinn. She absolutely despised any connection to her mother so, when she joined the Alliance under Jane Shepard (changing her legal name to match) and now her name is Jane Shepard Vakarian, Shepard now being her maiden name.
02. Best friend:
Without saying the obvious Garrus, her best friend is (at the current time along the timeline of Parable) is Ellie. Ellie is like a mix between mother and sister, showing her all the mistakes the older woman made that Jane could have as well if choices had been made differently. Ellie, too, has learned from Jane how to live, so it’s a give and take relationship between them.
03. Sexuality:
In her youth, her sexuality was fluid, based solely on the convenience of partners. She doesn’t have any real limits to her flirting, but it’s all without any real seriousness as she’s solely focused on her relationship with her husband. Sex with anyone else just wouldn’t compare to that which she has with someone who knows and loves her better than herself.
04. Favorite color:
Blue 😉 Nono, really, she doesn’t have one. Her preferences depend on her mood, the situation, and what she has in her closet. If you gave her a single color she could pick, it’d probably be black because it can be matched with anything – and doesn’t show dirt as easily as others. Gotta think about the utility, you know.
05. Relationship status:
Happily married to an idiot turian who has her wrapped around his little finger.
06. Ideal mate:
A best friend. Someone who can see her flaws and love her despite them. Also, if she’s letting herself be selfish, someone who would give everything for her because she’d do the exact same.
07. Turn-ons:
Turians. Plain and simple. I kid, I kid. She loves strength, both in looks and actual action. She’s tired of always being the tough soldier carrying everyone through battle out of her sheer stubbornness. She wants someone she can both ogle and who can shoulder the weight everyone’s put on her.
08. Favorite food:
Since I’m boring, she likes the same food I do, pasta, pasta, pasta. Her favorite being diavolo, a spicy dish often served with some kind of protein. In Juxtaposed, it was shrimp, but I think I’m going to change it in rewrites because, since then, I have developed a really bad allergy to iodine, so I don’t want to imagine the stuff anymore. I won’t let that spoil my imagining of a perfectly romantic meal between them. lol
09. Crushes:
Her crushes come and go, not really having much bout in her life given all the factors. She had a bit of an attraction to Arcanus, put that dissipated quickly when she became close enough to him to see him more as a partner to her puesdo mom Elle. I guess you could say he became a psuedo dad by association, Hell, Jane’s kids already consider him such anyways.
10. Favorite music:
Classic rock. Well, classic for us seeing as how our own current music would end up being just as old to her, lol.
11. Biggest fear:
Losing those she loves. Can I also add in that her biggest flaw is actually fearing the loss her husband more than anything? The concept of losing the twins just doesn’t come up as much in her nightmares, but I guess that has a lot to do with all the shit she and Garrus have gone through together. PTSD can be a bitch.
12. Biggest fantasy:
Having met Garrus in a different life far from Reapers. She knows she wouldn’t have her children then, but sometimes the idea of not having to look at herself and him and see so many scars (both mental and physical) seems appealing. She lets herself wonder what it’d be like because she knows it’s not like it’d sudden happen and fantasies don’t always make sense, so she tells herself that so she doesn’t hate herself so much for not thinking of her children.
13. Bad habits:
Shameless flirting, swearing, being overall unladylike, and, now, not giving two shits about the rest of the galaxy. She’s lost all interest in saving a people that refuse to see the light and change their acts even after everyone could have died in the Reaper war.
14. Biggest regret:
Not being able to find a way to save those from the Normandy she loves. They are all her family and she lives with each death during the war weighing her down, haunting her.
15. Best kept secrets:
I’d say a lot of her childhood and younger years are still a mystery to many. Even Garrus doesn’t quite know everything she did during those years, the messes she put herself in and the dark things she did to survive.
16. Last thought:
I assume this means in the timeline? This question is a bit confusing to me. If it means what I think it does, then the last thing she was thinking about had to have been the relief of having Cassia entertained with her friends added to the possibility of Damocles getting out of the house on one of his ‘excursions.’ She and Garrus just don’t get enough time to themselves, so it’s good to have that even if it means they’re stuck in their bedroom. They don’t even have to be doing the do to just relax in bed and be lazy while a vid plays. Maybe they’d even go for a long soak in their huge bath.
17. Worst romantic experience:
Hm… I’d have to say the worst experience that had to do anything close to romance would be when a past lover tried to trick her into a date where he could bring up the topic of having a relationship beyond sex or friendship. She never mixed the two and, in trying it with him, she learned that it just wouldn’t work. Mixing business with pleasure sort of thing, it seemed. Garrus is really the only one she had both with, mostly because he broke through her walls but still maintained an air of attraction to her.
18. Biggest insecurity:
Surprising enough, she is insecure about her looks. During the pre-war and war itself, she didn’t really have the time to fret about her looks and, even now, she likes to play it off, but she secretly wants to be beautiful in someone else’s eyes. She sees so many women in media look one way and sees herself in a different light more akin to a male given her choice of occupation. Losing her legs only made it worse, but it does help that Garrus often praises her looks and gives her the heated stare more often than not. It’s because of him that she even has the courage to dress in the clothes and styles she’s loved all her life.
19. Weapon of choice:
Her boomstick, hands down. Biotics (if you want to consider them) are a close second.
20. Role Model:
Her role model was John Hannah Shepard, the older man that took it upon himself to treat her better than and raise her when her mother all but abandoned her. He taught her to love music, but also discipline and persistence. She took his name in rememberance and it’s a shame he passed long before she ever had a chance to thank or repay him for his kindness.
Thanks for this! It was a very neat experience to get into Jane’s head.
Reblog this so your followers can spam your ask box. Have fun! ♥
01. What does your character’s name mean? Did you pick it for the symbolism, or did you just like the way it sounded?
02. What is one of your character’s biggest insecurities? Are they able to hide it easily or can others easily exploit this weakness? 03. What would be their favorite physical trait about themselves? 04. What are their favorite traits about their lover? (one psychological and one physical) 05. Are they sexually confident or more of the shy type?
06. Do they have any hobbies that their lover finds unusual, odd, or otherwise annoying? 07. Is there a catchphrase or sound that they tend to make a lot (likely without being aware of it)? 08. What is, perhaps, their biggest flaw? Are they aware of this or oblivious to it? 09. Do they have a favorite season? What about a favorite holiday? 10. Is your character more feminine or masculine?
11. What is something that would make your character fly into a rage? 12. Is there some particular talent, skill, or attribute that they simply could not give up? 13. What are your character’s sleeping habits? Heavy or light sleeper? Blanket stealer? One that always rolls onto the floor? Pushes their lover onto the floor? Sleep talker or walker?
14. Do they live alone or with family? How do they feel about their family/roommates? 15. Is there a certain person in this world that they cannot stand? The very mention of this person’s name makes them tremble with anger or fear.
16. Is your character the athletic type or more of a couch potato? What are some sports/games that they like?
17. Does your character have dreams of getting married and/or having children?
18. What kind of home would they want to live in? Where would they place this abode?
19. Would your character be the kind to get into fights? (physical or verbal) Would they be a good fighter or cave in rather easily?
20. Does your character like animals? What are some of their favorite animals? Would they want pets? What about mythological creatures?
21. What is one of your character’s biggest fears? How would they react when dealing with this fear?
22. What kind of tattoos, piercings, birthmarks, freckles, and other such unique physical features do they have?
23. What is your character like when it comes to school? What subjects are they good/bad at? Do they get in trouble a lot or are well behaved?
24. In their own words, how would your character describe what their lover is like?
25. Is there something traumatic from your character’s past that greatly affects them even to this day?
26. What is their lover like sexually? How do they feel about their lover’s quirks, needs, etc?
27. If your character was going to get arrested, what would be the most likely reason for it?
28. If your character became a celebrity, what would they be famous for?
29. What is one of the most courageous things your character has ever done for a loved one?
30. When it comes to the arts (music, film, theater, etc), what does your character like?
31. Would your character be the kind capable of killing? Would they enjoy killing or only use it when necessary or, perhaps, refuse to kill no matter what?
32. If your character’s lover offered to take them out on a dream date, what would they want to do?
33. If your character wanted to be alone, where would they go?
34. Does your character have favorite foods? (breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, snacks, etc)
35. Is your character afraid of death? If they got to choose how to die, how would they want to go?
36. Does your character have any medical conditions? Are they serious or minor? Do they affect their day to day life? 37. What are some of your character’s pet peeves? What are some things that annoy them or disgust them? 38. What kind of weather does your character like? Cloudy skies, rainy days, sunshine, etc? 39. When people look at your character, is there some assumption they might make about them just by appearance? Is that assumption correct? 40. Does your OC have any guilty pleasures they enjoy? Hobbies, past times, music, etc that they wouldn’t want known by others?
41. Does your character’s family affect your character in any way? 42. Is there anything in your character’s past that they regret, haunts them, or they wish they could change? 43. Does your character have a switch that changes aspects of their personality whether they are around friends, family, etc. Is there someone who gets to see their true self? 44. Is there a particular event that would emotionally devastate your character? 45. Is your character the kind to hide their true emotions or do they wear their heart on their sleeve?
46. What is some random affectionate thing that your character always does to their lover? 47. Is your character outgoing? Would they be the leader of the friend group, or the quiet one that gets dragged along? 48. Is there anything in particular that would ignite your character’s jealousy? Or does your character not get envious? 49. What is something that your character has nightmares about? Are these frequent? Do they heavily affect your character’s mood? 50. If your character confessed love to their crush, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc, what would they say?
Vanguard, all the way. I love charging headfirst into battle with my trusty boomstick and fists flying.
4. Colonist, Earthborn or Spacer?
You know, I’ve actually played them all and have a soft spot for each depending on the story I want my playthrough to tell, but if I am to choose my favorite, it has to be Earthborn. It was both my first playthrough’s choice and pick for Parable. I just had so much leeway of what I could put into that backstory, so I feel like it gives me a better RPG experience.
7. Your favourite Renegade interrupt?
Hmm… This has to be a matchup of 2′s interrupt at the beginning of Archangel’s rescue where the batarian recruiter insults you if you’re a woman, you pull out a gun, and say something like ‘I bet mine’s bigger.’ It sounds so much like Jane and never ceases to make me laugh.
Second (and technically third) would be the Citadel DLC’s threatening of Brooks and the clone about mounting Brook’s head in the CIC, then getting the clone’s and spacing them both. It’s just so random of a threat and, once again, reminds me of Jane. It’s definitely along the lines of something she’d pull out of her ass to say.
Joke aside, I’d have to say most of my Shepard’s best friend would have to be Wrex. From the very beginning, they butted heads, but once Shepard proved herself to understand and give credit to the krogan what they had to put up with and showed that respect to Wrex, they became close. They may not always get along in the beginning with their dominant personalities, but they often end up with a shared decision, a shared goal, they just need each other to get a different view of the problem. That, and Wrex is the only other person in two to not give a shit that you were previously dead and now showing up with Cerberus colors. He trusts you, is happy to see you, and even if he doesn’t join you, he believes your cause and reasons. And, true, he puts his people first in 3, but so does everyone else in the war, so can you blame him? And who else considers Shepard a sister? Which, to me, seems like a hell of a thing after knowing his relationships with the rest of his family.
34. Favourite non-Shepard OTP?
Not considering Parable, my favorite non-Shepard relationship has to be Tali/Kal’Reegar, and not just because I like Adam Baldwin as an actor. I like that, even as a marine, Reegar gives Tali respect, sees her as a strong woman, and is willing to die for his people just as she is. I get that quarians are raised to think of the whole instead of the individual because there is no single person without the Flotilla, but he even ends up sacrificing himself for the war (which, by the way, I hate how Bioware goes about telling you that tidbit). And he looks at the bigger picture when the Admirals are too busy playing politics. It’s not often you see a quarian not gun ho to fight some geth, but I won’t go into that particular topic or I wouldn’t have enough space to type.
SquigglySquidd's Parables 