(L) Ikoku Meiro no Croisée

[HandofFate]

wonder what kind of cheese it was.

I'm used to cheese, but even I dislike eating cheese just straight without it being on a sandwich (other than mozzarella...)

[Endless Soul]

I'm guessing it's either Brie or Camembert.

[Sheba]

Brie and camembert have white "crust" and it's whitish and soft in the inside, and camembert is infamous for its smell. IIRC, the softer, close to "drip", the camembert is, the stronger it smells (imo, it's advised to spread it over bread or eat it along grapefruit). I need to remember what was that cheese with yellow inside and orange-ish crust. I do recal to have eaten it and it is less soft than brie and camenbert.

[Flower]

You know ... on re-watching the eps released thus far I have REALLY been impressed with the animation detail. Really well done.

After thinking about it a bit last night - it seems to me that the main thrust of the series will be Yune catalysting change in the people around her for the better - most immediately Claude (maybe Oscar??? not sure about this), and possibly other characters as they pop up.

[Grey]

Eh, it was an okay first episode. The scenario and characters don't really grab me though.

Claude has an impressive temper though. His manner is rough, but he was surprisingly calm when Yune broke the butterfly.

[Qpax]

Second episode was pure hilarios. Especially I like the part where Yune disgusted and showed EEK! reaction face when she ate that cheese piece that she keeped in the paper.

Also I think this is right topic to ask this question. Some of my friend saying that this series should be considered to be Shoujo series. Do you also agree with this statement? What makes this series as Shoujo series? If I'm not wrong this series even serialized in Shounen magaize called Dragon Age. So I still don't think and weird to say that this series should be considered as Shoujo series since it isn't targeted to girl audiance. Besides what they are arguing in this series is cultural difference between two nation: west and east. So even if we don't consider this series as Shounen or Shoujo, I think it is best to say that and this series should be regarded as "historical", "sliece of life" and "seinen" genre.

[ars89]

this always brings a smile to my face. Yune was so adorable when she was being inquisitive about the food. Lol her reaction to things she likes and didn't like. Lol Oscar got dumped.

[Reckoner]

Second episode also put me to sleep. Whether it's aesthetics, the fail presentation of its setting, or the boring loli Yune, I just can't get into this whatsoever.

Dropped.

[Arabesque]

I thought episode 2 was interesting in how its presentation differed from episode 1. This episode was more comedic in nature with some segments having the characters doing reaction faces and showing them in chibi-style. Also the content was a bit different as well. Where you had last week Yune and Claude having a clearer cultural clash, this week it's more a compare and contrast of personalities.

Claude is as crass as ever. The man comes across as being very harsh in everything he does and says, whether it's asking Yune to step out so he could work, talking with his grandfather, or how he treats the customers (''if they need anything, they could always come back'') I suppose that would make him less of a raciest and more of a hardass to just about everyone in retrospect to the way he had treated her.

I do admire that he is able to speak his mind and doesn't beat around the bush no matter what the situation is, but sometimes being blunt will make one look as very uncaring, which I think it his problem is. He treats everyone just like he does steel, harshly.

Yune on the other hand is more gentle and doesn't speak her mind, for fear of causing any sort of inconvenience. Again, the principle itself is worth respect, but never speaking your mind can also cause problems as well. Had she said she didn't like the taste of the coffee, they would've put some sugar in it, and the problem would've been solved. Just because something might not be to your taste doesn't mean you have to force yourself to like it. People have different tastes, and everyone can enjoy what they like. Putting others wellbeing over your own isn't going to make them happy.

Other than that, I was surprised by what I learned about the French folk and the Japanese in this episode. Some information was against what I had initially thought about the country during the time period:

-Apparently, the French can't live without cheese. Funny, I always thought they couldn't get by one day without at least a cup of wine (even their children for matter)

-The French don't eat hot meals for breakfast. Again, surprising for myself, since I imagined that what eggs are for.

-Tomatoes, onions, mushrooms were still exotic ingredients to the Japanese cuisine.

Highly educational. I will make sure to learn what they are all called in French as well. (Speaking of learning French, anyone would recommend a good book for self study? I find that my books are hard to follow at times)

Another nice episode for myself.

[FlareKnight]

It is interesting to look at how Claude and Yune reflect two pretty different personality types. In a sense both are pretty extreme with Yune holding back so much and Claude just letting people know what he thinks. Maybe part of the series will be both of them pulling each other more towards the centre. Then Yune can speak her mind a bit more than she does now and Claude will hold back a little bit. Though really no matter what both are good people just pretty different in their approaches to interacting with others.

[MakubeX2]

You know, so far we still have not seen Claude in a suitation which calls for him to respond in anger and lash out in impluse at Yune. Would make a good piece of drama if he could speak words like "Worthless", "Hinderance" and "Go back to Japan."

[FlareKnight]

Originally Posted by MakubeX2

You know, so far we still have not seen Claude in a suitation which calls for him to respond in anger and lash out in impluse at Yune. Would make a good piece of drama if he could speak words like "Worthless", "Hinderance" and "Go back to Japan."

You would have thought her busting the butterfly in episode 1 was going to be that moment, but amazingly Claude actually responded calmly to that situation. There was a "maybe you should go back to Japan", but not like it was some kind of demand. I'm not sure what she'd have to do for him to actually get angry at her.

[MakubeX2]

Originally Posted by FlareKnight

You would have thought her busting the butterfly in episode 1 was going to be that moment, but amazingly Claude actually responded calmly to that situation. There was a "maybe you should go back to Japan", but not like it was some kind of demand. I'm not sure what she'd have to do for him to actually get angry at her.

Nah, maybe he figured that was Yune is still new and it's just a simple breakage that could be fixed.

Perhaps it would be later that Claude would gives Yune some responsilbility and she mess it up because of her naivety which result in irreplaceable losses. Such as some valuable goods getting stolen or such.

[JMvS]

Originally Posted by Endless Soul

I'm guessing it's either Brie or Camembert.

Originally Posted by Sheba

Brie and camembert have white "crust" and it's whitish and soft in the inside, and camembert is infamous for its smell. IIRC, the softer, close to "drip", the camembert is, the stronger it smells (imo, it's advised to spread it over bread or eat it along grapefruit). I need to remember what was that cheese with yellow inside and orange-ish crust. I do recal to have eaten it and it is less soft than brie and camenbert.

While Brie and Camembert are the most well know, French cheese come in several hundred of varieties.

In my opinion, it looks like a semi-hard variety of cheese, most likely cow milk, and small sized. Do not forget that there were hardly any refrigerator in this era (and anyway keeping cheese in the fridge is heresy), so a Brie or Camembert would turn viscous.

Something akin to Saint-Nectaire is most likely what they had.

Originally Posted by Arabesque

Other than that, I was surprised by what I learned about the French folk and the Japanese in this episode. Some information was against what I had initially thought about the country during the time period:

-Apparently, the French can't live without cheese. Funny, I always thought they couldn't get by one day without at least a cup of wine (even their children for matter)

-The French don't eat hot meals for breakfast. Again, surprising for myself, since I imagined that what eggs are for.

-Tomatoes, onions, mushrooms were still exotic ingredients to the Japanese cuisine.

Highly educational. I will make sure to learn what they are all called in French as well. (Speaking of learning French, anyone would recommend a good book for self study? I find that my books are hard to follow at times)

Another nice episode for myself.

Actually, the point about French people not being able to live without cheese is true to this day: I remember being told that while he was participating in an exchange program in British Columbia, my brother (we are not French, but as Swiss we are as if not more obsessed with cheese) and other French exchange students were in such a withdrawal state that they pooled their money in order to share a bit of "real" cheese.

Typical French breakfast, from that time to this day, is coffee and bread, agremented with cheese, butter or margarine, jam and spreads. Lard used to be consumed instead of butter or margarine, but it has become less popular. Coffee is also consumed by children, but it isn't shocking as it seems, given that it come in the form of Café au lait like they had at the end.

Tomatoe is tomate (the final e is silent), onion is oignon or ognon (both pronounced the same way, and almost like in English, except you don't pronounce the final n), mushroom is champignon (...and I don't know how to explain the way it sounds...).


It seems that the rivalry between the Galerie and the Grand Magasin (Department Store) will serve as an underlying plot. Kinda reminds me of Au Bonheur des Dames.

[totoum]

Originally Posted by Arabesque

-Apparently, the French can't live without cheese. Funny, I always thought they couldn't get by one day without at least a cup of wine (even their children for matter)

Well cheese and wine go really well together

I thought I was the exception but it seems Kanon doesn't like cheese either,I feel less like an outcast now!

Though cheese for breakfast?That seems pretty hardcore to me lol

Very enjoyable episode.I probably make the same face as Yune when eating fresh bread.

Though I was disapointed the anime kept using english words to refer to all the food,why use english and not french?

[MakubeX2]

Originally Posted by totoum

Though I was disapointed the anime kept using english words to refer to all the food,why use english and not french?

Japanese have a few years of English in their school curriculum. So, they would be more familiar with English than French.

[broken270]

Spoiler:

Another nice episode.

We start off with Yune wanting to help create breakfast, when, in reality, breakfast for the french were bread and coffee with a side of cheese and other spreads. This shocked Yune, who was so used to eating a warm Japanese breakfast. While the bread was fine, apparently she cannot handle the cheese nor the bitter coffee. Likewise, praying before eating was another thing that Claude was not used to seeing. Culture clash with morning commute, perhaps?

After that, Claude spends his day at work. I love how She just stared at him the entire day. While not really rude, Claude is a bit rough in the way he uses his words when talking to Yune. Claude decides to take her outside to let her get interested in the outside world. Apparently, their first pit stop was a department store. Claude dislikes it, believing that they are planning to get their old style away an get them into the easy and new product fashion. To add on to his misery, Oscar is seen hanging out at such a place, but it was for a good cause. Apparently, the owner of the said store has the kimono that he sold before. Claude still promises to get it back to her at any cost.

Leaving the place, Claude brings her to a marketplace. Yune is introduced with many items that she has not seen before and starts memorizing said products she picked out. Well, at least Yune is being courteous of the fact that she is already given so much that she could not possible ask for more, but maybe keeping things to oneself for a while is also bad in its own way. Anyway, Yune prepares dinner while Clade continues his craft. After Clause prepares the rest of the dinner. How sad that Oscar got ditched. It's interesting how she also has not used a spoon yet in Japan.

After that day, Yune goes out with Claude to get fresh bread form the bakery. Upon giving a piece of fresh bread, Yune showed a face of enjoyment. The same reaction is also applied in the sweet coffee. Maybe she is trying too hard to change herself to enjoy said customs of the French. To this, Claude wants her to speak her mind out on said things. True that her custom is to act as such, but there also comes times when she has to act for herself as well. Claude states that it is okay, because he will eat whatever she makes. How long is he going to keep that statement? Already, Yune takes out some dried plums to prepare for the next meal. While Oscar enjoys them, Claude is having quite a tough time with the taste. A clash of taste, once again, is noted.

[ThomasRomain]

About Yune and Claude's age. I didn't know exactly myself so I asked another staff member. It hasn't been confirmed yet, but Yune should be 14 years old and Claude 17.

I posted knew production pictures on the catsuka forum.

[Guardian Enzo]

Monsieur Romain, another triumph - episode two was wonderful.

I see "smile" mentioned so often in discussing this series, and that's my feeling as well - I haven't stopped smiling for two eps. I could easily see where someone would think watching people buy bread and learn how to use a spoon was boring as hell, but not me. I feel as if this show is all about creating atmospherics - the setting of Paris in 1898, as seen through the eyes of a bedazzled girl, is gloriously brought to life by the art, music and dialogue.

I also love the culture contrast ("crash being too strong a word for this show) being presented here, and I can't help but think the bi-cultural nature of Satelight helps. When Claude asked Yune "Isn't it tiring to be so considerate all the time?" I think that summed up the cultural difference between Europeans and Japanese as well as any single sentence can. It's a question I've often asked, when being walked to a destination instead of pointed or being waved through a railroad turnstyle despite losing a ticket in a flood of bags, maps and exhaustion.

I do have to disagree with some of the negativity about Claude. He's awkward in the social graces, but everything I've seen from him so far suggests he's kind-hearted, empathetic and highly principled. He might be inflexible about those principles and blunt about speaking his mind, but I think he's an honorable young man and he's treated Yune very kindly on the whole.

[ThomasRomain]

I just confirmed the age of the series main characters with Ishizuka san, the production main assistant.

Yune is 13 years old, not 14 like I mentionned before, sorry.
Claude is 17.

The Blanche daughters, Alice and Camille who will appear for the first time in the next episode are 14 and 17 years old.