Although Thanksgiving will be behind us when this is published, I still think it is important to take a moment of reflection on what you are grateful for. Whether that is friends, family, or simply food and shelter, there’s always something. Even as I write this, I am sick. But I am grateful for my husband, who has lovingly cared for me the last few days. And perhaps, when you read this, I will no longer be suffering from my illness.
As I mentioned last month, these wrap-up posts will be one of the last I do for my blog. Where will the blog go from here? I’m not certain. But I do know that God has a plan, and I will follow it. I think my December post may reveal exactly what that may be, and it will be a bit different, as I am also going to reflect on the year itself.
What I Watched
Both Holmes of Kyoto and Toradora were re-watches for me, but first watches for my husband. I’m surprised to find out my husband enjoys sweet romance/realistic dramas haha. This is because he isn’t much of a romantic, but I think he enjoys the light-hearted, feel good, cute romantic feel of these anime.
Holmes of Kyoto:
4 out of 5 stars
Following high-schooler Aoi and graduate student Kiyotaka as they navigate the world of antiques. Aoi gets a part-time job working at Kiyotaka’s family antique shop, and they quickly form a friendship bordering on romance as they unravel mysteries of various kinds.
The character development, especially in Aoi, was nice to see unfold as she became more confident throughout the series, even drinking the “adult” beverage of coffee. Kiyotaka, despite being called a “nasty” Kyoto boy, was very gentlemanly, and the two characters related very well because of their heartbreak. The primary thread of the series, where a “Moriarty” type character is trying to pass fraudulent antiques as the real things, was interesting and engaging. Plus, there was the other thread of healing from broken hearts and starting anew in a city. Both plots were well-put together, with a relatively good ending (though I wish there was more to it than they had). Short and sweet, this series is relatively clean with one caveat: the discussion of sex before marriage.
For some idiotic reason, both Kiyotaka and Aoi think that their previous relationships broke because they refused to have sex with their partners out of either honor or shyness. Seriously? If your boyfriend or girlfriend broke up with you because of that, they are the ones who have a problem, not you. Kiyotaka does tell Aoi that he doesn’t think her refusal to have sex is the issue, but their answers are flimsy at best. And, he doesn’t seem to use the same logic for himself. Anyway, that is the tiny bit of content that I wish wasn’t in the series to begin with. Also, if you’re worried about the age gap between these two, I looked it up, and it’s seven years, which isn’t bad, and Kiyotaka behaves like a complete gentleman. The two don’t even end up dating, which is why I was a bit upset by the ending (though it was sweet how it worked out with hope for something like that in the future).
Taisho Otome Fairy Tale
5 out of 5 stars
Set in 1921 Japan, the story centers around Tamahiko, whose right arm is paralyzed after a car accident which claimed the life of his mother. Labelled useless by his older siblings and father, Tamahiko is sent to live in an isolated mountain home. He considers it a death sentence until Yuzuki (Yuzu) shows up on his doorstep. She is to become his bride in order to pay her family debts. And even though Tamahiko considers it cruel for such a young girl to marry a cripple like himself, Yuzu happily carries out her duties as his fiancé. She cooks, cleans, and determines to love him, even when he doesn’t feel like he can love himself.
This show tugs at your heartstrings as Tamahiko grows to understand he isn’t as useless as he thinks he is, and Yuzu finds that love means making the best of your circumstances and choosing to help someone in pain. The character development is wonderful to watch, and the plot itself is well-paced. Most of it centers around Yuzu and Tamahiko growing in love and understanding, with introduction of new characters as the main plot points. However, a horrible fire and dangerous journey are the climax, ending with a sweet declaration of love and commitment at the end.
In terms of content, there are definitely hints of arousal and suggestive sexual content. One is where Yuzu volunteers to clean Tamahiko’s back. Another is when she gets sick and it is discovered she is well-endowed. There is also a thief who acts like a seductress and there are misunderstandings involved with that. Some may consider the age gap to be wrong, but it is only 5-7 years, and it is clear that Tamahiko will not marry Yuzu unless it is consensual. There is idol worship (they pray to some mountain god that is located on the estate). Finally, a family suffers under the abuse of their alcoholic father.
Toradora!
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
In a relatively longer series, Ryuji and Taiga try to help each other with their love lives with often comedic results. Their best friends, Minori and Yusaka, seem to dodge their efforts throughout the series. Adding more drama to the mix is Ami, who seems to have more insight into their feelings than they themselves. Together, they embark on the typical adventures of highschool: swimming, athletic competitions, high school festivals, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, summer vacation, and a school trip. One of the most dramatic, tear-jerking series, I absolutely loved rewatching it with my husband.
The character development is by far the best part of this show. Even though Taiga starts out as a high-strung, emotional, over-the-top character, she develops and matures in the series (with some emotional outbursts, of course!). She is vulnerable and realistic, and that is what makes her such fun to watch. The same applies to Ryuji, who is the typical ignorant young man who doesn’t understand the truth of his own heart, let alone those around him. Although both Taiga and Ryuji have crushes on each other’s best friends, it isn’t certain until the end who they truly love. And even then, there are dramatic shenanigans in which they realize that running away isn’t the answer. That is what this series does oh so well: pulling together plot and character in an intricate, ever increasing, dramatic piece.
As for content, there is far more language than I appreciate, especially from Taiga’s mouth. Ryuji’s mother is seen working at a bar that is more based on looks than it is serving alcohol, and it is clear that Ryuji’s father slept with her and then left her. During the swimming episode, Ryuji makes fake boobs for Taiga to feel better about herself. One of them slips out, and Ryuji must put it back in for her, which results in touching inappropriate places. Ami tries several seduction techniques on Ryuji before being interrupted/and or smacked around by Taiga (who often gets on her for “being in heat”). Yusaka is kind of an odd ball, despite being on the student council, and he becomes naked, Minori taking pictures, but of course, towels and other things blocking. However, there is a implication about his parts.
What I Read
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
What if everything you knew was a lie?
Wes and his dragon friend, Celesyria, slowly begin to realize that the yearly sacrifices that are made are made to false gods. As they come to this realization, they realize that they have to make a choice: they can either stand up for this newfound truth or continue to perpetuate a lie. Of course, not everyone wants the truth, and the cost for standing up could be their lives.
This is a compelling Christian fantasy, and I enjoyed it immensely. The plot is extremely fast-paced. Poor Wes experiences one bad thing after another, and the book doesn’t pause that often from the action. The character development, especially for Wes, was compelling. Wes struggles with feeling like he is not good enough, and comparing himself to his family. His self-criticism was hard to read because I really liked Wes and wished I could’ve encouraged him. Celesyria didn’t necessarily grow as a character because she stayed the same personality-wise, but she did learn how to have more faith.
The world-building was hard for me to understand at times because Lozinski drops names without much explanation and builds political systems without stopping to explain. However, her basic races (human, elves, dwarves, and dragons) did make it a bit easier to understand and she has a map at the beginning of the book that helps with discerning places. But I will say, even with that, I still had moments where I was like: who was that again? How do they relate to Wes? That being said, I still understood enough to enjoy the story, and I think fantasy readers would be able to keep up. Also, several betrayals and deaths made no emotional impact on me because they were not really build up enough for me to care (but I did care about poor Wes who had to suffer through them-so there’s that).
Other than these two small complaints, this book is clean, without any sex, gore, or language. There also (currently) isn’t any magic, so it is more of a kingdom adventure/historical fantasy book.
Overall, I highly recommend this book to fans of Christian fantasy! It is very, very good.
What I Wrote
I’ve been working on and off on Promisekeeper, the sequel to Toothbreaker. I’ve written 6,000 words, and I’m making slow, but steady progress. November has been rather full of my day job, so I haven’t had much time for writing, but I’m getting there.
I also had an idea for another book and more ideas on where I will take Etania’s Destiny, so that is all good. My hope is to finish Promisekeeper and then get back to Etania’s Destiny. I really want to make more time to write in the New Year and figure out a way to make writing more of a priority than it has been.
What I Learned
As a teacher, for a long time, I have been planting seeds. I plant the seeds of the gospel. The seeds of God’s word. I tell the truth, even if they don’t want to hear it. Some people enjoy this kind of ministry.
I do not.
It can be really hard to tell a people whose hearts seem so far from God to repent and turn back to Him. It can be difficult to endure lying, backstabbing, gaslighting, and other student responses when confronted with the truth. It can feel lonely standing and preaching God’s Word, feeling like you’re the only one.
We are studying about the prophets and divided kingdom through Bible Study Fellowship this year. And one particular line stood out to me when I was feeling this way. It was a line about how Elisha continued to faithfully serve God to a nation that, for the most part, turned its back on Him. And how God still worked, even if it wasn’t in thousands of people or popularity. Lives were still touched and changed, including one woman who wasn’t even an Israelite! That was the first bit of encouragement I had this month.
Then, I went to camp with my students and school. Not only were the students spiritually refreshed, but so was I. A student I’ve known for years, one who I know has done many wrong things, came to me to ask for me to pray for her. Even though her journey is just beginning, I saw growth for the first time. God also gave me a vision of a beautiful vase with yellow flowers growing out of it. It was as if he was saying, your time of planting is down. Now you shall see the fruits of your labors.
What a wonderful blessing and something to be thankful for this month!