So, Laudre's posts about how the later Symphonies didn't work for him have gotten me to thinking about my feelings on them. Like any symphony, there are parts I like more than others, and parts that just don't quite do it for me.The first 2 symphonies are great. Symphony #1 with the introduction of the characters, the hints at the coming conflict in Cephiro, and the raw human emotions of confusion and pain. The Interlude at Bancroft Tower followed by the rather exciting Hunted Rose are both some of the high points.
Symphony #2 builds on the Corwin and Utena thing quite nicely. I like how Corwin and Utena are unable to see things for what they really are even though everyone else figures out whats going on. I like how they blind themselves with their personal codes of honor, and I like how they make a very stupid decision with very good intentions in Hotel Monolith. I like seeing them work together both in the starship training and the week before Corwin's trial, and of course, the climax with the actual trial.
Knight's of the Tenth World is the high point of the symphony to date for me. The build up from the very begining of the 1st symphony finally released in a pretty epic clash of determined good and overwhelming evil. While I know that the symphony is building up again to another big battle, this is currently the most powerful piece.
The only part of Symphony #2 that didn't quite do it for me was Crown of Roses, and I think that is just a stylistic thing. The story it tells is fine, and I like seeing Anthy after her being mentioned so much in symphony #1. Perhaps it just didn't land at the right place in the story for me. I often get frustrated when an author switches to other characters when I want to know more from the characters we were previously dealing with.
I have mixed feelings about Symphony #3. I have trouble going back to see the mundane lives of the characters after seeing them in such an epic struggle. I mean, who is Clarissa Broadbank next to Akio Ohtori? (more than she appears it turns out in the end, but still). The tour while a bizarre concept works out OK, and gets the crew in a fun bit of trouble in Gunboat Diplomacy and Valiant Rose. Once the tour is done, things fall apart for the symphony. While I think it was important to see Corwin attempting a relationship outside of Utena, Kozue isn't my favorite character and her day to day trials just didn't grab me like the day to day storytelling in the 1st Symphony did.
I do like seeing Anthy trying to plot a way to get Corwin and Utena to acknowledge their feelings for one another without the "everything but" clause. I don't know if people noticed that she recognized their love immediately and decided to encourage it in an inclusive fashion, although somewhat subtley.
I was pretty happy when the decision to move on to Symphony #4 occured, although I've had a little trouble with the time gap. A lot happens in this Symphony on lots of levels from Kate's new student to the disappearance of Kei, to the Valiant being stolen, to the Klingon revolution -- which was totally not the way I expected the revolution from the title of the symphony to go.
On the relationship level, I think I have finally figured out what about For Today and For Tomorrow didn't quite work for me. I thought they were fine stories, and I was happy that the Corwin/Anthy/Utena trio was finally able to progress, but it was the smoothness of the transition that hit a snag for me. It comes down to not remembering these are no longer the children of Symphony #1, and a failure to suspend disbelief. I can except a world with 14 year old samurai swordswoman with the power to cloud men's minds without missing a beat, but got caught up in some of the same exceptional people continuing to be exceptional in their communication and feelings for one another.
On another note, as far as pure excitement goes, The Revolution Will be Televised gets the silver next to Knights of the Tenth World, and that isn't a bad thing.
So. Thats it for my long mini-review. I don't have time to go in any more detail of my likes and dislikes. Perhaps I'll have some more insights when I read the annotated versions.
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Chris can't handle chemicals