The preview had a surprising set of events. I never would have expected Asakura to appear again. I'm really left wondering what Kuyoh is trying to do. I think AsterSelene has it right with Yuki's sickness being caused by her attempts to establish contact with Canopy Domain and it's not meant as some sort of attack. I hope Yuki manages to recover soon. The "YUKI.N>" spouting nonsense freaked me out. It's supposed to be the one thing that works even when the entire world is going mad.
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A miracle that you believe in when you know it won't happen......... is hope.
Kuyoh... I'm glad to say I have no idea where Tanigawa is going with Kuyoh after this. None. One thing I can say is that if this ever reaches an anime adaptation, the scene between her and Asakura is going to be...interesting...
Spoiler for Book 10:
I really wonder what's happening with her too. At first she seemed like she wanted to actually learn about Kyon. When the battle started she got pretty hostile, but that might have been because she was threatened. I wonder if her invitation was to lure Kyon or to actually talk to him. Either way, the upcoming meeting will be rather awkward!
I'm glad Asakura got a bigger role again too. She has some interesting implications now. I loved Kyon's statement about Earth not being a playground too. From the Sighs anime to the Diasppearance movie to this new book 10 chapter you can really see the changes in his attitude.
And is it just me, or was him saying "I hope she never changes" kind of an 'awww' moment?
I really wonder what's happening with her too. At first she seemed like she wanted to actually learn about Kyon. When the battle started she got pretty hostile, but that might have been because she was threatened. I wonder if her invitation was to lure Kyon or to actually talk to him. Either way, the upcoming meeting will be rather awkward!
Spoiler:
Now you're giving me mental images of an adorable chibified Kuyou sitting in a café with Kyon and the anti-SOSers and determinedly avoiding Kyon's eye. ~~
I am so confused. Not because of cnet's translation (which I appreciate so much!), but because of the whole
Spoiler:
interplay amongst Asakura, Kuyou, and Kimidori. There's some sort of politics or something going on and I have no idea what is up. Except that Asakura still (apparently?) wants to kill Kyon, Kuyou is batshit, and Kimidori is only there to keep the status quo while Nagato is unavailable. Possibly. I'm not even sure about any of that.
The scene where everyone is paying a visit to Nagato is pretty awesome, though. I loved learning more about
Spoiler:
Haruhi's home life, especially. There's been a lot of speculation about it, and now we have some more details to fill in. Naturally, she was a good cook as soon as she attempted it...
Also, I thought the statement Kyon made about his sister, Shamisen, and the scarf was interesting, and his tendency towards rage. I'm not sure if I believe him that he's usually a pretty placid guy, but it was an interesting statement nonetheless. Likewise, when I said that there are 3 people he would do anything to protect - Asahina is one, presumably Nagato is the other, and the third - his sister? Haruhi?
I am so confused. Not because of cnet's translation (which I appreciate so much!), but because of the whole
Spoiler:
interplay amongst Asakura, Kuyou, and Kimidori. There's some sort of politics or something going on and I have no idea what is up. Except that Asakura still (apparently?) wants to kill Kyon, Kuyou is batshit, and Kimidori is only there to keep the status quo while Nagato is unavailable. Possibly. I'm not even sure about any of that.
Spoiler for not a spoiler but in answer to a spoiler:
One of the earlier volumes (I think 7, but I could be wrong) goes into the politics of the IDSE a bit, stating that Asakura is part of the Radical faction, and some other stuff. I'm sure someone here can direct you to that conversation between Kyon and Yuki.
I am so confused. Not because of cnet's translation (which I appreciate so much!), but because of the whole
Spoiler:
interplay amongst Asakura, Kuyou, and Kimidori. There's some sort of politics or something going on and I have no idea what is up. Except that Asakura still (apparently?) wants to kill Kyon, Kuyou is batshit, and Kimidori is only there to keep the status quo while Nagato is unavailable. Possibly. I'm not even sure about any of that.
Okay, let's see if I can come up with a quick (and by quick, I mean not quick) summary of my understanding of this whole deal =p
Spoiler:
The Data Integration Consciousness is divided into multiple factions; the only ones we know about are the dominant faction and the radical faction. Both exist for the basic purpose of gathering data, but they have different ideas on how to go about it.
The dominant faction are big on playing it safe - just observing and preserving the status quo so as to avoid anything nasty happening. That's why they've got Nagato and Kimidori stationed at North High, blending in and observing but not doing anything proactive unless absolutely necessary.
The radical faction are big on experimenting and making interesting things happen so they can have more worthwhile things to observe. That's why Asakura, as their representative, tried to kill Kyon back in Book 1, because Haruhi's reaction was bound to be worth observing.
And then of course there's the Canopy Domain, a completely separate entity that the Data Integration Consciousness knows almost nothing about, and finds it enormously difficult to comprehend. It wasn't even able to put a name to it until recently. Since the Consciousness' whole reason for being is gathering data, ie. "knowing stuff", it doesn't like not knowing anything about this particular entity. As far as the Consciousness is concerned, the presence of humanoid agents from both the Consciousness and the Domain on Earth is an unprecedented piece of common ground, and a valuable opportunity to actually learn something about them.
So, back to the Consciousness factions. The dominant faction, as the name suggests, are the ones "in charge", and so generally the radical faction don't manage to get their way. Originally, the dominant faction were content to have Asakura as Nagato's backup, either because they weren't aware that she was a radical, or because they were under the impression that she wasn't likely to try anything. Not sure which, offhand. Once Asakura tried to kill Kyon, though, it became obvious that she wasn't being loyal to the dominant faction, so they sent Nagato to intervene. Nagato stopped her before she could kill Kyon, and as a precaution to prevent any similar attempts in the future, shut her down indefinitely. So for the majority of the series, the dominant faction are the only ones who play much of a role, since Asakura, the only Interface we've seen who isn't from the dominant faction, is out of the picture.
However, in this chapter when Kyon was attacked by Kuyou, Nagato was incapacitated, and I can only presume Kimidori wasn't able to get there in time. So the dominant faction were forced to reactivate the only other available agent at their disposal - Asakura. Obviously letting her back out into the open was a risky move, since there was no telling what she might do, but they decided that reactivating her for a brief period of time was less dangerous than the alternative of letting Kyon fall into Kuyou's hands. Let's not forget, after all, that while the dominant faction and the radical faction favour different methods, they do still have the same basic interests at heart.
Asakura, radical that she is, was delighted to be thrust into a situation so rife with possibilities for gathering new data. If Kyon ended up dead, of course, that suited her fine, since it would provoke an extreme reaction from Haruhi, but she was equally happy to do what she had been sent there to do and hold off Kuyou, since it was an opportunity to actually learn something about the elusive Canopy Domain.
Meanwhile, the dominant faction sent their own agent, Kimidori, to the scene as soon as they could manage it, to bring the situation under control and make sure Asakura didn't do anything too outrageous. Once Kuyou had been dealt with, Kimidori deactivated Asakura again, since of course the dominant faction didn't want her hanging around any longer than absolutely necessary.
Finally, on a side note, there's the separate issue of Nagato becoming more and more human over the course of the series, largely due to being treated as an individual and taught a new set of values by the SOS Brigade. She's clearly started to demonstrate feelings and wishes of her own, separate from those of both the dominant faction and the Data Integration Consciousness as a whole. The most blatant example, of course, is the Disappearance incident, where the conflict these new values were causing within her, and the failure of both the Consciousness and the SOS Brigade to appreciate her for who she was, drove her to attempt to escape from it all by rewriting the whole world and becoming completely human.
These changes in Nagato have resulted in her holding an uncertain sort of position, with feelings of loyalty both towards the dominant faction of the Consciousness and towards the SOS Brigade (particularly Kyon). Kyon, of course, detests the way the Consciousness always fails to consider Nagato's feelings as an individual. And it looks like Asakura has now taken an interest in these developments in Nagato too, seeing them as a new way forward that she would be interested in trying out for herself.
Spoiler for not a spoiler but in answer to a spoiler:
One of the earlier volumes (I think 7, but I could be wrong) goes into the politics of the IDSE a bit, stating that Asakura is part of the Radical faction, and some other stuff. I'm sure someone here can direct you to that conversation between Kyon and Yuki.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cnet128
Okay, let's see if I can come up with a quick (and by quick, I mean not quick) summary of my understanding of this whole deal =p
Spoiler:
The Data Integration Consciousness is divided into multiple factions; the only ones we know about are the dominant faction and the radical faction. Both exist for the basic purpose of gathering data, but they have different ideas on how to go about it.
The dominant faction are big on playing it safe - just observing and preserving the status quo so as to avoid anything nasty happening. That's why they've got Nagato and Kimidori stationed at North High, blending in and observing but not doing anything proactive unless absolutely necessary.
The radical faction are big on experimenting and making interesting things happen so they can have more worthwhile things to observe. That's why Asakura, as their representative, tried to kill Kyon back in Book 1, because Haruhi's reaction was bound to be worth observing.
And then of course there's the Canopy Domain, a completely separate entity that the Data Integration Consciousness knows almost nothing about, and finds it enormously difficult to comprehend. It wasn't even able to put a name to it until recently. Since the Consciousness' whole reason for being is gathering data, ie. "knowing stuff", it doesn't like not knowing anything about this particular entity. As far as the Consciousness is concerned, the presence of humanoid agents from both the Consciousness and the Domain on Earth is an unprecedented piece of common ground, and a valuable opportunity to actually learn something about them.
So, back to the Consciousness factions. The dominant faction, as the name suggests, are the ones "in charge", and so generally the radical faction don't manage to get their way. Originally, the dominant faction were content to have Asakura as Nagato's backup, either because they weren't aware that she was a radical, or because they were under the impression that she wasn't likely to try anything. Not sure which, offhand. Once Asakura tried to kill Kyon, though, it became obvious that she wasn't being loyal to the dominant faction, so they sent Nagato to intervene. Nagato stopped her before she could kill Kyon, and as a precaution to prevent any similar attempts in the future, shut her down indefinitely. So for the majority of the series, the dominant faction are the only ones who play much of a role, since Asakura, the only Interface we've seen who isn't from the dominant faction, is out of the picture.
However, in this chapter when Kyon was attacked by Kuyou, Nagato was incapacitated, and I can only presume Kimidori wasn't able to get there in time. So the dominant faction were forced to reactivate the only other available agent at their disposal - Asakura. Obviously letting her back out into the open was a risky move, since there was no telling what she might do, but they decided that reactivating her for a brief period of time was less dangerous than the alternative of letting Kyon fall into Kuyou's hands. Let's not forget, after all, that while the dominant faction and the radical faction favour different methods, they do still have the same basic interests at heart.
Asakura, radical that she is, was delighted to be thrust into a situation so rife with possibilities for gathering new data. If Kyon ended up dead, of course, that suited her fine, since it would provoke an extreme reaction from Haruhi, but she was equally happy to do what she had been sent there to do and hold off Kuyou, since it was an opportunity to actually learn something about the elusive Canopy Domain.
Meanwhile, the dominant faction sent their own agent, Kimidori, to the scene as soon as they could manage it, to bring the situation under control and make sure Asakura didn't do anything too outrageous. Once Kuyou had been dealt with, Kimidori deactivated Asakura again, since of course the dominant faction didn't want her hanging around any longer than absolutely necessary.
Finally, on a side note, there's the separate issue of Nagato becoming more and more human over the course of the series, largely due to being treated as an individual and taught a new set of values by the SOS Brigade. She's clearly started to demonstrate feelings and wishes of her own, separate from those of both the dominant faction and the Data Integration Consciousness as a whole. The most blatant example, of course, is the Disappearance incident, where the conflict these new values were causing within her, and the failure of both the Consciousness and the SOS Brigade to appreciate her for who she was, drove her to attempt to escape from it all by rewriting the whole world and becoming completely human.
These changes in Nagato have resulted in her holding an uncertain sort of position, with feelings of loyalty both towards the dominant faction of the Consciousness and towards the SOS Brigade (particularly Kyon). Kyon, of course, detests the way the Consciousness always fails to consider Nagato's feelings as an individual. And it looks like Asakura has now taken an interest in these developments in Nagato too, seeing them as a new way forward that she would be interested in trying out for herself.
Whew. I think that sums up all the main points.
Heh, thanks guys.
Spoiler for another in reply:
I actually remembered the political faction stuff that we learned about in volume 7 (and 4? idek), it was the way things were playing out in this scene that caused confusion because it was almost like the previously established lines were getting changed, possibly due to Nagato's incapacitation. Most likely this is because of Asakura's temporary revival and the restrictions she was under? I could have been reading it wrong - I'm not very good with reading texts on the computer in the first place, and I'm already awesome at misremembering details.
But most of my wtf just happened is because of Kuyou and, seriously, wtf. I get the impression that she's still supposed to be something of a mystery, or at least the Canopy Domain is, so maybe the wtf is okay... I guess I'll reread it later today and maybe it'll make more sense. Possibly.
loved it, even after 3 years...Tanigawa's still got it.
Haruhi's home life explained a bit was refreshing since despite being on the 10th novel Haruhi herself is quite a mystery.
I have to admit...the Nagato scene with the cellphone and the broken text literally send chills down my spine...I was could feel Kyon's rage on that scene.
Asakura Ryoko, oh god Asakura...after the movie and after reading this...truly, she is one of the greatest antagonist I know, her innitial line of "this is my prey" was just brilliant. I love how she saved Kyon yet still kept her murderous attitude, in the end the knife was hers and she was indeed just pointing it at him "for the lulz"...seriously the more lines Asakura gets, the more I fall in love with her demented character.
And Kuyouh....seriously I have no idea anymore...on novel 9 she seemed...dead, but now she had actual normal speech...emotions AND she even brings a smile? WTF!!?? She is a mystery on the highest levels, and they really made it seem as if she was confessing to Kyon lol...and I hate to say this but...I like it...and I found her rather cute D:
Kimidori Emiri, I dont have much to say about her, she is just fullfilling her obligations thats all.
I seriously cannot wait for the full version to be out, after the 3 year break I was worried Tanigawa might not be able to match the serie's original glory anymore but this has put me at ease, so far its only been 1 part of the Astonishment but its already shaping up to be one of the best volumes so far.
...So I translated the Sneaker preview of Astonishment if anyone's interested =D
EDIT: And a MegaUpload version, since I know MediaFire isn't always the most stable filehost in the world. Feel free to repost/reupload anywhere you feel appropriate.
cnet... why is that every time I see that user name... I just fall more and more in love.
2010-05-03, 01:44
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