W. Chen

Deeper than an usual anime soundtrack, July 8 2004

But then, "AS" isn't your usual shoujo/shounen manga either: it dealt with issues such as morality, religion, and psychology on a gigantic scope and in a thought-provoking depth.
So was the music. I don't think I've heard a better OST (but the original drama CD is excellent too - I'm more fond of the pop songs on that one than this). There are a few rock songs on the CD, but a majority was classical orchestration with/or piano/violin solo. Some of themes are repeated, but it's so subtle and inperceptible, unlike some mono-thematic soundtracks like Jurassic Park and Titanic where the overture just goes on and on and on.
This CD has less of the gothic cling-clang of the… Read more

Promises much, delivers little halfway through, April 29 2004

Based on the Little Mermaid, as everyone probably know. The introduction in the back - jealoused young mermaid...tidal force that could keep James and Pearl apart... - is entirely rubbish and has nearly no connection to the book. Reading it, you would think that after everything Pearl and her prince would be happily ever after despite the so-called "lovestruck merman" and "jealoused mermaid," being a YA romance book and all. Right? Wrong! All the intensity built up in the front between James and Pearl was promising, but the ending that each went off their own way with a pretty prince and princess just rubbed me the wrong way.

The characterization is decent in the beginning - believable,… Read more

Much better than Hades' Daughter ---, Mar 10 2004

After I finished (and cried in the end of) the first part of the Wayfarer Redemption series, I eagerly started on Hades' Daughter, a historical fantasy that began with an ancient intrigue from the Greek myth of Theseus and Ariadne and spans till WWII. However, to my dismay, rather, the book was rather irritating in its endless details of gore and rape, that after finishing (and stopping for a while in between), I did not feel any anticipation for its sequel. Brutus was a [idiot], Cornelia a useless, sniveling child, and Genvissa I disliked beyond measure, and the only sympathi-ble character, Coel, was ruthless slaughtered in the end. But Gods' Concubine got me reading and continuing this… Read more