If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
Claude is such a player. Yune should be like putty in his hands after this episode.
Peace.
I love slice of life shows, but this episode was dull even by my standards. Yune getting all scared of people because of something Claude said was trite. Her trust in others getting burned by the urchin was one thing, but spontaneously becoming afraid of all others was not. I also couldn't understand how she could get lost in the Gallery. While it was certainly bigger than I had thought, she has been there quite a few days or even a week or two. She shouldn't have to leave the Gallery just to orient herself.
This episode was a complete miss for me.
While this wasn't my favorite episode, I don't think it was that bad.
Yune was stuck inside the store the whole time. Not everyone has an amazing sense of direction. I know I don't, and I probably would have gotten lost as well.
I can also understand why Yune was scared. Her belief was shattered, and she suddenly realized that the trust she has held on to does not really apply to that foreign place. It only takes one event to cause general distrust. It happens all the time, especially with children.
Peace.
This episode would have been better with a Gens d'arme kicking the boy in the gut with no warning. Then Yune would maybe see the reality of the old Paris outside economical considerations of the gallerie.
This episode lacked pacing.
I agree. Right at the beginning of the episode Yune was already in conflict as Claude's teachings of how Paris works contrasted with her own. To her, a smiling person is a nice person who will help you. Over here, a smiling person is someone who wants to do something bad to you.Originally Posted by shinta
She decided to go with her own beliefs, and had the little guy steal on her. With her own beliefs shattered like that, along with the fright of being lost in the gallery - it makes total sense for her to rely on the only other thing she knows.
ie what Claude told her.
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
Thanks for the link Bill. More Toyama Nao goodness to hear
I spotted the fangs this episode when Yune was surprised at the mention of Oscar's 'Mistress'
Warning, slightly off topic, but for Paris lovers
Last saturday, I was shopping with Pascaline in Paris.
I decided I would take some pictures for you all.
You might recognize the first one:
Printemps.jpg
It's not exactly the view we had in the show, as the larger one is restored as of yet and it might take months.
So I had that view you might find similar.
Then I had the 2 pics below
Galeries Lafayette2.jpgGaleries Lafayette1.jpg
You would never know...
These are Galeries Lafayette, almost touching le Printemps, they are tough competitors. That department store is really gorgeous to another level compared to Le Printemps (Au bon temps in the anime). Le Printemps is rather bland inside.
Both Department stores have a Terrace on their last floor, creating an incredible view of Paris.
Le Printemps terrace has the best angles, you almost have a 360° view of Paris. But the terrasse is not that interresting and snacks are awful there. You can't really enjoy being there.
The Galeries Lafayette terrace has some wall blocking a little part of the view, but it's tidy and you have a nice café there. Prices are really high for a brunch/snack but Pastries are just over the top from a top pastry artisan (Pierre-Hermé) and Tea also high-end. So even if it's very expensive, you get to have your tea in a magnificent view with top notch scnacks.
If you do not want snacks, getting to the Terrace is free, like it is at Le Printemps.
I did 3 little videos to show the panoramic view, but I hesitate posting them on youtube.
Regarding the ep, I'm in the camp of those finding it a little bland. This time they really had us understand Yune is a Child.
All the things I really like to do are either illegal, immoral, or fattening. And then: Golf.
Episode 5 - IB
There's no doubt she would have found the store in 10 minutes had she calmed down - it's just a city block after all - but she was in panic and, as we saw, couldn't coherently go anywhere.
While I admit this ep was a bit stretched, I didn't consider it bad. It had sufficiently things happening all in all, and some breaks like the talk about the old man's dalliances. I can't say I'd be happy about Yune becoming more cynical, but realistically speaking it had to be only a matter of time. Maybe the effect won't be that severe and lasting.
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
I was rather surprised where this episode went in terms of character development and content. Here I was thinking it would just be a fun dress-up episode, but through most of the episode, Camille slyly comments on her own melancholy.
I can't help but wonder if Camille is living vicariously through Alice. According to Alice, Camille has been mature for a long time, but Alice gets to indulge and rampage (so to speak) all over town. I suppose Camille is considerably less than pleased that as the eldest daughter, she will be expected to marry some rich oaf from another prestigious family. Hence all the talk of birdcages and it getting more comfortable the longer one wears it. She's started to accept her burden, but that doesn't mean she's happy about it. Her constantly calling it a cage, showing a gloomy expression every time Alice mentioned how elegant she was or that she has "a future."
We all know Claude has a huge chip on his shoulder about department stores ruining small businesses, but his disgust at photographers was total bullshit. He made the claim that photographs ruin the demand for painters, but then went on to say that only the rich can afford paintings. There are photographs on the shelves at his home! Photography allowed a much larger percentage of the population to have images of loved ones and family. Obviously the rich like the Blanche family has albums of them, but it doesn't change that it dramatically increased access to images as keepsakes. Plus, it was quite difficult to get a photograph of any substantial size. Paintings did (and still do to a degree) dominate the larger scale portrait.
I guess it also isn't too hard to see that Claude has had quite a bit more interaction with the Blanche family than he has yet let on to Yune. Claude's relieved expression when there was no one from the Blanche family in the garden and Camille's expression out the window toward him certainly shows that more is going on than we know about.
This episode certainly painted a more plausible picture of Camille's psyche than the earlier impression, which might have suggested she's sly with possibly nefarious intentions. She's simply unhappy about her own situation and responsibilities, and, like Ryll said, has a dualistic view of Alice's freedom: one part of her is happy her sister's fate isn't set on stone, yet another part is tortured by Alice's obvious lack of understanding and the consequent glib compliments and misplaced envy.
What comes to the whole photo/painting scene, I think Oscar was correct and Claude had no idea what he was talking about due to trying to skirt the core issue that bothered him. If he indeed has had past unpleasant dealings with the Blanche family, that would make even more sense.
The last scene might even suggest that Claude and Camille know each other. My first guess was some sort of (developed or undeveloped) romantic attraction towards each other...
Being the eldest child and the expectation of being all proper and perfect sucks I tell you.
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
Oh no, the return of the deadly Japanese fever! It must have been from when Yune went out in the rain.
Did Claude get that when he was out? I can't remember.
When I was watching the episode I was trying to figure out whether they were living at a time where any illness could result in death, or whether they had gotten over that already. late 1800s... my world history is so poor, lol.
It amused me to see Claude's porridge look so thick, like western porridge.
I'm looking forward to next episode where the hinted that the older pair (Camille and Claude) knew each other, as suspected. Their characters are more complex, and I'd like to see what their (more mature) thoughts are on the differences in social class, since we've already had a fair bit of culture clash from France/Japan already.
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
No. He's European. Only the Japanese get immediately sick from getting wet.
Jokes aside, I rather liked this episode. Yune seems to have finally made an impression on the little thief, and Claude might have realized that while some people can't be trusted, that does not mean that you should judge everyone the same. Yune's trust was betrayed before, but she wasn't wrong in the long run.
I particularly liked Alice's little scene of showing off all the Japanese things she had just purchased. It strikes me as such a typical Western European example of how the "orient" was viewed. Things were remarkable just because they were from THE East, not for what they actually were. Alice actually deserves quite a bit of credit, so far, most of the stuff she has really is Japanese, not some random mix of Chinese, Korean, French Indochinese (Vietnam et al.), and Japanese lumped together and labeled "Oriental."
This was my worry as well. Medicine wasn't that bad by the late 1800s, but it certainly depended entirely on where you were. Europe was probably better than most, but I imagine that out in the country, it was more like the (well documented) state of U.S. Civil War Medicine. For the most part, Yune probably would have been fine provided she didn't require surgery.When I was watching the episode I was trying to figure out whether they were living at a time where any illness could result in death, or whether they had gotten over that already. late 1800s... my world history is so poor, lol.
Ditto.I'm looking forward to next episode where the hinted that the older pair (Camille and Claude) knew each other, as suspected. Their characters are more complex, and I'd like to see what their (more mature) thoughts are on the differences in social class, since we've already had a fair bit of culture clash from France/Japan already.
Episode 7 - IB
In a place like Paris sponsored by the Blanche family Yune might have even survived a simple surgery.
I liked this ep as well. Claude is quite a hasty and prejudiced fellow, so his opinion of street urchins was expected, but during those times Japan was surely even more a class society than France, despite the shogunate having disappeared already, so it's anybody's guess why Yune treated the thief so kindly. I reckon she's just infinitely kind by nature.
Hopefully the next ep will reveal more of Camille and Claude's past connection. This episode verified Camille does know something about Claude, enough to be surprised by his actions. As bound as she apparently is by her station, it'll be interesting to see how she plans to entertain herself at Claude's expense...
The part of Paris were Claude is, is not the medieval part of the city. It's a part renewed by Haussman in the mid 1800 (1850-1870 roughly). So they had access to fresh water in house and proper sewer system vastly improving health for the populations living there.
They probably had access to in house gas and stores upperclass families had gas lighting and Paris started it's electric transition in the late 1800s (roughly from 1880)
Regarding Claude's store, they seem to use petrol lighting, candles. But they have access to in house water etc... so it's a healthier place to live. Moreover, the gallery is another layer of protection against cold/humidity.
All of this also explains Claude's comment about germs... That little boy probably lives in a less comfortable environment, exposing him to lots of potential diseases he might be resistant to... but not the people touching/approching him. Also, he might not have access/education to personal hygiene.
Now I do not have a clear view of what doctors could do at the time, but given the environment and help from Blanche family, there's no reason Yune would be in danger from a cold or even flu.
Regarding Yune, I also find it strange she's so friendly towards that kid.
After all, she probably comes from a high class japanese family, her kimonos, the way she speaks, her ability to learn French, the fact she knows how to write and read, she already pictures taken with her sister, the flashback showing a typical mansion... all of these details might indicate she's more of the level of the blanche family.
But at the same time she's very young and might not have had many contacts with the outside world back in Japan. In a way, she was bound to live like Camille, stuck in her class boundaries. Coming to Paris was a way to escape that social prison, even if she did not do it for that reason.
All the things I really like to do are either illegal, immoral, or fattening. And then: Golf.