The Tragedy of P
Sep. 16th, 2014 08:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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scans_dailyHi folks!
Still digging through my comics collection, and ran across Manga Vizion #1.
Rumiko Takahashi is best known in the U.S. for her long-running series like Ranma 1/2 and Inu-Yasha, but she has written many short manga stories as well. These have been collected in "Rumic World" volumes. The short stories have some humor in them, but tend to be rather melancholy.
10 pages of 32.
Our story opens at the Heisei Apartment Complex. It's inexpensive, but the apartments are tiny, with thin walls, so pets are banned. Two younger women commiserate with an older one who is being moved out. Her dog Maria was discovered, and it was move into her son's place or lose the dog.
Mrs. Haga isn't for or against pets, but she does have a rambunctious little boy named Kota. And Mrs. Kakei's family lives directly below them. Kouta is stomping around with his toys, and sure enough Mrs. Kakei appears at the door.
Something is staring into her eyes, and Mr. Haga has brought their son into the room, and he shouts with glee.
One of the running themes of the Rumic World stories is the havoc caused by thoughtless or self-centered characters on more responsible but mild-mannered types. Mrs. Haga reminds her husband of the rules, and that Mrs. Kakei lives downstairs. He pleads that it's only for a week, and Pippin is just so cute, so Mrs. Haga agrees to go along.
The next morning Mrs. Haga reminds Kota that he must not tell anyone about the penguin. He agrees, but Mrs. Haga has an encounter with Mrs. Kakei at the dumpster that reminds her of all the noise they'd made the previous night.
Pippin turns out to be a Humboldt penguin from Chile, and needs about a pound of fresh fish a day. Mrs. Haga hopes her husband convinced Mr. Sunstar to cover the grocery bills.
Kota kept it a secret, he didn't tell any of the girls in his class! Mrs. Haga realizes that Mrs. Kakei's son Hiroshi (who is much quieter than Kota) is also in the room, and quickly stuffs him in the closet when the doorbell rings. Mrs. Kakei is sure her son came up here, and wants to tell him to play outside, but Mrs. Haga stonewalls to keep the other woman out of the apartment.
Mrs. Haga reminds the children that if the penguin is discovered, it won't be able to stay, so don't tell your parents. Especially Hiroshi!
A few days later, there's a tenant meeting led by Mrs. Kakei. She proposes that the tenants themselves create a list of pet violators to turn over to management. The light-haired woman (we never get a name) objects that this is going too far.
The children keep their word and don't tell any adults. Only their teenage siblings. The week finishes without anything else going wrong. So of course it turns out that Mr. Sunstar, who is a very important client, has been delayed by another week.
The light-haired woman warns Mrs. Haga that the tenants' association is sending people to check inside apartments. Mrs. Kakei soon shows up at Mrs. Haga's doorstep with dumplings, and Mrs. Haga is forced by custom to invite her in for tea.
Pippin is swimming in the cold water-filled bathtub, but then comes out of the bathroom and crosses directly behind Mrs. Kakei, who remarks that something smells like fish. Just as Mrs. Kakei is about to leave, Kota and Hiroshi burst in asking for Pippin. Mrs. Haga pretends that a stuffed elephant is Pippin; Hiroshi catches on, but Kota needs a bit more cajoling, and Mrs. Kakei seems suspicious.
The next day, it's discovered that the light-haired woman has been keeping a cat named Mi-Mi. She doesn't want to abandon it, or take it to a shelter where it would likely be put down. Mrs. Kakei, her face eerily calm, points out that it's the owner's responsibility to find someone to take it. It's not humane to keep an animal in hiding. The light-haired woman claims that Mi-Mi is her only family, and decrys Mrs. Kakei's lack of human feeling. Mrs. Kakei responds that to keep the cat, the owner will have to move out. The light-haired woman did read the by-laws before signing the lease, right?
Mrs. Haga can see Mrs. Kakei's perspective now. It's cruel to keep an animal trapped in a tiny room, unable to roam or play. She couldn't allow that, even if the animal had nowhere else to go. She contemplates this as she takes Pippin out to the park in the dead of night for a walk. There's a splash panel of the starry sky, and Pippin relieves itself. Mrs. Haga cleans it up. Mr. Haga is on his way back from the office, and they walk to the apartment building together. Mr. Sunstar is finally coming back tomorrow. Mrs. haga is not sure how releived she is.
Your thoughts and comments?
SKJAM!
http://www.skjam.com
Still digging through my comics collection, and ran across Manga Vizion #1.
Rumiko Takahashi is best known in the U.S. for her long-running series like Ranma 1/2 and Inu-Yasha, but she has written many short manga stories as well. These have been collected in "Rumic World" volumes. The short stories have some humor in them, but tend to be rather melancholy.
10 pages of 32.
Our story opens at the Heisei Apartment Complex. It's inexpensive, but the apartments are tiny, with thin walls, so pets are banned. Two younger women commiserate with an older one who is being moved out. Her dog Maria was discovered, and it was move into her son's place or lose the dog.
Mrs. Haga isn't for or against pets, but she does have a rambunctious little boy named Kota. And Mrs. Kakei's family lives directly below them. Kouta is stomping around with his toys, and sure enough Mrs. Kakei appears at the door.
Something is staring into her eyes, and Mr. Haga has brought their son into the room, and he shouts with glee.
One of the running themes of the Rumic World stories is the havoc caused by thoughtless or self-centered characters on more responsible but mild-mannered types. Mrs. Haga reminds her husband of the rules, and that Mrs. Kakei lives downstairs. He pleads that it's only for a week, and Pippin is just so cute, so Mrs. Haga agrees to go along.
The next morning Mrs. Haga reminds Kota that he must not tell anyone about the penguin. He agrees, but Mrs. Haga has an encounter with Mrs. Kakei at the dumpster that reminds her of all the noise they'd made the previous night.
Pippin turns out to be a Humboldt penguin from Chile, and needs about a pound of fresh fish a day. Mrs. Haga hopes her husband convinced Mr. Sunstar to cover the grocery bills.
Kota kept it a secret, he didn't tell any of the girls in his class! Mrs. Haga realizes that Mrs. Kakei's son Hiroshi (who is much quieter than Kota) is also in the room, and quickly stuffs him in the closet when the doorbell rings. Mrs. Kakei is sure her son came up here, and wants to tell him to play outside, but Mrs. Haga stonewalls to keep the other woman out of the apartment.
Mrs. Haga reminds the children that if the penguin is discovered, it won't be able to stay, so don't tell your parents. Especially Hiroshi!
A few days later, there's a tenant meeting led by Mrs. Kakei. She proposes that the tenants themselves create a list of pet violators to turn over to management. The light-haired woman (we never get a name) objects that this is going too far.
The children keep their word and don't tell any adults. Only their teenage siblings. The week finishes without anything else going wrong. So of course it turns out that Mr. Sunstar, who is a very important client, has been delayed by another week.
The light-haired woman warns Mrs. Haga that the tenants' association is sending people to check inside apartments. Mrs. Kakei soon shows up at Mrs. Haga's doorstep with dumplings, and Mrs. Haga is forced by custom to invite her in for tea.
Pippin is swimming in the cold water-filled bathtub, but then comes out of the bathroom and crosses directly behind Mrs. Kakei, who remarks that something smells like fish. Just as Mrs. Kakei is about to leave, Kota and Hiroshi burst in asking for Pippin. Mrs. Haga pretends that a stuffed elephant is Pippin; Hiroshi catches on, but Kota needs a bit more cajoling, and Mrs. Kakei seems suspicious.
The next day, it's discovered that the light-haired woman has been keeping a cat named Mi-Mi. She doesn't want to abandon it, or take it to a shelter where it would likely be put down. Mrs. Kakei, her face eerily calm, points out that it's the owner's responsibility to find someone to take it. It's not humane to keep an animal in hiding. The light-haired woman claims that Mi-Mi is her only family, and decrys Mrs. Kakei's lack of human feeling. Mrs. Kakei responds that to keep the cat, the owner will have to move out. The light-haired woman did read the by-laws before signing the lease, right?
Mrs. Haga can see Mrs. Kakei's perspective now. It's cruel to keep an animal trapped in a tiny room, unable to roam or play. She couldn't allow that, even if the animal had nowhere else to go. She contemplates this as she takes Pippin out to the park in the dead of night for a walk. There's a splash panel of the starry sky, and Pippin relieves itself. Mrs. Haga cleans it up. Mr. Haga is on his way back from the office, and they walk to the apartment building together. Mr. Sunstar is finally coming back tomorrow. Mrs. haga is not sure how releived she is.
Your thoughts and comments?
SKJAM!
http://www.skjam.com
no subject
Date: 2014-09-17 02:00 am (UTC)The Japanese casts of the anime were mostly filled by actors who had worked in previous Takahashi series. For example, Yuko Haga was played by Sakiko Tamagawa (who had a minor role in the first Ranma film), and Mrs. Kakei was played by Megumi Hayashibara (Girl Ranma. She's also done a ton of none-Takahashi stuff.)
no subject
Date: 2014-09-17 03:25 am (UTC)A couple of the stories could fit right in on the Twilight Zone or Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
no subject
Date: 2014-09-17 05:57 am (UTC)Speaking of creepy Takahashi stories reminds me that she still hasn't finished what Viz called "Mermaid Saga." Such a shame.
no subject
Date: 2014-09-17 09:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-17 02:44 am (UTC)I used to buy this anthology, and I have a book of collected Rumic Theatre stories, too. There were at least two volumes of translations put out by Viz.
no subject
Date: 2014-09-17 10:02 am (UTC)It's cruel to keep animals locked up in a tiny apartment... So they should be abandoned (and they'll probably starve to death or get run over by cars) or taken to shelters (adults pets have very little chances of being adopted, so they will likely be put down)?
I'm all for letting animals play in open spaces. Heck, I routinely get in arguments with people who claim I'm a bad pet owner because I let my cats out (disclaimer: I don't live anywhere near endangered species, so no, my cats aren't destroying the ecosystem). But if an animal has nowhere else to go, and the choice is literally between staying in a tiny apartment or death, you are an asshole for forcing the pet out.
Kakei reminds me of those PETA guys who euthanize puppies because they'd rather see a dead dog than a dog with a human owner.
no subject
Date: 2014-09-17 11:16 am (UTC)It's not that Mrs. Haga likes her at the end, as that she understands her a little better, something she could not have done if Hiroshi had not right out and told her the information, since Mrs. Kakeiis too hidebound to do it herself.
no subject
Date: 2014-09-17 02:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-21 02:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-21 07:53 pm (UTC)