It's hard for me to express how much I adore Gaiden. But I love the similarities and differences between the different incarnations: Kenren's confidence, Tenpou as someone of rank, Konzen as someone so proper and conscious of the right way to do things. And yet they're still broken in the way that makes me love them, that makes the reader not entirely dread what we know is coming. And you see where the current incarnations are coming from, what they've rejected, and also what they could be heading back towards.
It's curious: it took me a while to come around to Gojyo, but I instantly loved Kenren. And that's another thing that makes reading Gaiden so fun.
I hadn't noticed the Goku-Hakkai parallel; that's a really cool observation.
Glad to see Mely got you the translation links; I'm sorry, I thought you had them!
(no subject)
Sat, Feb. 18th, 2006 03:15 am (UTC)It's curious: it took me a while to come around to Gojyo, but I instantly loved Kenren. And that's another thing that makes reading Gaiden so fun.
I hadn't noticed the Goku-Hakkai parallel; that's a really cool observation.
Glad to see Mely got you the translation links; I'm sorry, I thought you had them!