.the princess portal.

The Good Witch of the West (Nishi no Yoki Majo) is one of my favourite Anime series. I wrote about it a while ago in a list of Princess Anime. Thus I was thrilled to learn that Tokyopop had set about translating the original novels on which the series was based!

I’ve just finished reading the English Translation of Volume 1, The Girl of Sera Field, and it has rekindled my love for Firiel, Adale and the magical world they live in. The story is somewhat like a classic fairy tale, a young girl growing up in a cottage in the wild north goes to her first ball, the right of every maiden on her 15th birthday, and there she discovers secrets about her past which lead to a series of events that change her world forever.

It is a little bit Cinderella and a little bit Anastasia, the tale is innocent and classic so don’t expect anything terribly original. It does however, possess that special captivating charm that draws you in and makes you dream of stars and queens and impossible castles. The anime had to squish a lot of plot line in to a short series, so I am looking forward to seeing how the political and court intrigue is played out in more detail over the course of the books.

Its hard to tell how good the translation is, as I suspect the original was written mostly to appeal to a young female audience, with flowery language and romantic notions (not that this bothers me in the slightest! Just don’t expect Dickens.) This is very indulgent fiction though, and has its uniqueness to me in being a Japanese interpretation of standard western fanatasy. Even the Dragons and Unicorns seem new and exotic, which is quite enchanting and hard to achieve.

I can’t wait to pick up a copy of Volume 2! What have you been reading lately?

photo by apesara

I have always had a fascination for Fairy Tales, from the sweet innocence of the Disney films to the dark and symbolic originals with their many variations. Last night I went with a few friends to see The Snow White Conspiracy, Murdoch University’s student production of Howard Barker’s Knowledge and the Girl. It portrays the story of Snow White with her stepmother, the Queen as the protangonist and was certainly a very creative interpretation.

We decided to have a little bit of fun dressing up for the show, and as it was a darker retelling of the story went in Gothic and punk style. I had a photoshoot in the morning so I wore the same outfit I had used for that and touched up my makeup. When we arrived at the theatre there were posters in the lobby made by different students for the event. Some of them were really well done and we had a little browse through before picking up our tickets (which were little squares with apples on them!)

The theatre itself was small and intimate, and as we entered there were musicians on the corner of the stage, wearing powdered wigs and tail coats and tuning their instruments. The Stage itself was set with multilayered panels, some transparent, on to which were projected various animated scenes. Two gold thrones sat on a Dias and raised blocks gave the stage several different levels. I was really impressed with how they made use of the set and its simplicity worked well because the projector could change it from forest to beach to ballroom.

The play was very cleverly written, it was definitely a darker take on the fairy tale with some adult themes and implied violence. The Queen and Snow White were both powerfully portrayed, and yet somewhat sad. It made a strong statement about the way their own stength was so reliant on the King and other male characters. Their love and hatred of their own beauty and the jealousy and mistrust between eachother.

The costumes were gorgeous and original. The queen wore a suit of velvet with a gold corset and draping organza sleeves while Snow White was contrasting in a cute white dress and pink corset. Her outfit was quite similar to lolita actually, she even had knee socks and mary janes. The Queen had a few other costumes throughout the play, and a maginificent spiralling silver crown in the final scene where, as in the original tale, she must wear shoes of red hot iron.

I’m really glad we got the chance to see this performance, it was entertaining, humorous, witty and left you with something to think about. Dressing up was fun too and we all went out for dinner and icecream afterwards! I think I’ll definitely keep an eye on the university’s schedule for future performances.

Today I’m going to share with you one of the most delightful little treasures I have found recently. Penelope is a quirky modern fairy tale about the daughter of an aristocratic family who is born under a curse. The curse states that she shall have the face of a pig, and only when she is accepted by one of her own kind will the curse be lifted.

Her parents do the best they can to protect her from the world, hiding her away safely, and at the same time making her a prisoner in her own home. Here she creates a little sanctuary, surrounded by books and miniature plants in glass domes, a reflection of her own state. Meanwhile her Mother seeks out countless suitors from blue blood families hoping that one of them might marry Penelope and break the curse. However as soon as they see her face, they all run away in fright, until one day..

There is something peculiarly enchanting about this film, a little bit of a cross between Disney and Tim Burton. The styling and cinematography are magical, taking you from the safe, lush green haven of Penelope’s world to the brilliant city beyond. I love the art direction and costuming, Penelope’s outfits are blended with gorgeous jewel tones and lush patterns. The music is curious and playful and sometimes a little bit dark and the whole film has a feel that you can’t quite put a name to. Christina Ricci is cute and clever as Penelope and James McAvoy is fast becoming one of my favourite british actors.

The story itself is unique, a fairytale where the Princess isn’t beautiful, and the Prince less than honest. Where we see the way the world treats someone who is ‘different’, with a strange mixture of disgust and fascination. Where true friends see beyond appearances and we can experience the big beautiful world again with all its dew-fresh magic through the eyes of a girl who has only read about it in books. That is my favourite scene, you will know what I mean when you see it!

Penelope is the sort of film that surprises you, whatever you were expecting.

photo by pchee

Wishes are curious things, I’ve always made wishes. I’m not good with goals, dreams, desires. I never quite know what I want, but wishes I can do. There’s a little bit of a trick to wishing, of course you can just close your eyes and say it in your mind, but those don’t always come true. Wishing is an art, there are rules, techniques. The first one is fairly well known; Don’t tell anyone. Secret wishes are infinitely more powerful. Why? Because the moment you tell someone you expose your fragile little wish to someone else’s thoughts, someone else’s expectations and assumptions. It can take only the slightest huff of disbelief or scorn from them to blow out your wish, like a candle. Don’t let anyone else blow out your birthday candles.

The second rule is to not want it too much. For some reason the universe has a way of making it very difficult for us to get things that we want too much. Perhaps because if they were to come easily, we’d cease to have a reason to keep moving, we’d cease to exist. Wishing is wanting something just enough to make it real, but not so much that you’d give up your soul for it. You have to want it with a little part of you, but not want it with all your might. Let it float somewhere in the back of your mind, hide it under a few memories and issues if you can, like a letter stuffed in a sock drawer. Reserve a little space in your heart for it, a guest room, an attic, but don’t let it consume you.

The third rule, and the hardest one, is that you have to believe it will come true. There is a difference between wanting something and believing in it. You can want something so badly it hurts, but still believe deep down that its impossible. You have to believe in wishes like you believe in trees. Trees are there, they’re not something you question, they just exist and always have. You can (hopefully) walk outside a little way and see one. Wishes have to be like that, unquestionable, something you just know at the core of your being to be real. Something that could come true next sunday, or tonight or right now. You could probably wish for the ability to fly, and have it come true, if you could utterly convince yourself beyond the tiniest wriggling worm of doubt that it was possible.

photo by ninjapoodles

The best wish making opportunities rely on a combination of chance, skill and timing. Birthdays remain the single best day of the year for wishing, if the universe owes you something thats usually a good time to collect. Full moons are good too, and twilight, in between times, times where the air tastes a little different and anything seems possible. Firsts are excellent for wishes, first stars, first teeth, first kisses. Wishes are very light things, candles, dandelion heads, eyelashes, it seems a single breath has the power to carry your wish to wherever it needs to go. Blow softly and close your eyes. Personally, I like catching things. A leaf floating down from a tree, a feather from the sky, a drop of rain on my tounge, all before they hit the ground. Wishes straight from heaven.

Once you’ve made your wish, once that tiny moment of fragile magic is over, forget about it. Hide it away, somewhere out of sight and don’t think about it anymore. Don’t make the same wish twice, just let it go on its way, trust it and maybe, just maybe with a little luck and wonder you’ll wake up one day and find it has come true.

I’ve just finished one of the most beautiful books I’ve read in a very long time. I was originally attracted to it by the gorgeous cover art, the work of Kinuko Y. Craft, one of my favourite artists. I have found as a general rule, any book she illustrates the cover of is at least worth trying. I was well rewarded by Wildwood Dancing, the story of Jena and her four sisters living in rural Transylvania in their Father’s castle on the edge of the Wildwood.

Every month at full moon the girls open a secret portal in their bed chamber and cross a lake to join the faerie revels of the Other Kingdom. However, one winter with their Father gone to a foreign land the girls must fend for themselves, with sinister presences entering both their world and the magical kingdom they must untangle the mysteries around them before its to late, to keep their freedom and save eachother.

What I love about this book, is that it is an interesting retelling of The Dancing Princesses but it also weaves in a few other fairy tales that I can not mention without spoiling the plot! However, although it is based off these tales it is also a treasure in itself, and quite unique. The characters are all very real, and the main character Jena is a strong woman who nonetheless must learn a few lessons herself. I really loved the delicate balance the author established between traditional fairy tale morals and modern ideals. She also managed to include vampires in a way that was both subtle and fitting, which impressed me a lot as I am not fond of vampire stories usually.

I fully reccomend this book to anyone who loves fairy tales and fantasy, and especially if you love the tale of The Dancing Princesses, this is probably the most original and interesting retelling I have read! I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that the author lives in my own city, by our beautiful Swan River. It makes the book even more special to me and I think I will look for some more of her works now!