A Wizard of Earthsea

Posted by:	lintilla.
Time:	9:52 pm.
Mood:	excited.

Okay, so the other day (or so) someone from Australia posted asking about the Earthsea film. At the time, I hadn't heard anything, but I just got wind of the fact that Gedo Senki (Tales of Earthsea in English) will be playing limited runs in Sydney and Melbourne. Apparently Australia will be the first English-language market to get the film (HA! IN YOUR FACE AMERICA! ;) ), but it will only be playing for about 10 days in each location. If you're in Sydney, make your plans quickly - the run starts tomorrow! (I'm going on Sunday. Hooray!)

More info here.

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Subject:	Two Good Quotes from 'Lathe of Heaven'
Posted by:	limegreensquid.
Time:	9:33 am.

Again as with my last entry, I'm reading through the book called "Lathe of Heaven" by Ursula K. LeGuin about a man whose dreams, if strong enough, can change reality around him.

Anyway, it's a really good book and it makes you really feel deeply that huge things are happening and shifting and all that. But all that aside, i just wanted to share 2 quotes that i read in there - the first one i really relate to (and recently wrote an entry about), and the second one is relevant to today's world (it was written in 1971)

"[He] had a tendancy to assume that people knew what they were doing, perhaps because he generally assumed that he did not." - Pg. 33

"He had grown up in a country run by politicians who sent the pilots to man the bombers to kill the babies to make the world safe for children to grow up in." - Pg. 87

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Subject:	Alder is Very Similar to George
Posted by:	limegreensquid.
Time:	9:41 pm.

I'm reading "The Lathe of Heaven" by Ursula K. LeGuin, and the character George is VERY much like Alder of "The Other Wind". Both have dreams that can affect real life in tremendous, and epic ways. Although it is described in The Other Wind that Alder's dreams were more of the message of the world changing being sent through him, whereas George's dreams actually change the reality of the world for everyone, making those people think what he had dreamed had always been the way of life.
But their personalities are so similar - they feel like they are small people, not really worthy of messing with the high powers of the universe.

George is trying not to have dreams because they might end up changing the world, and he doesn't believe he should have the right to change things as they are.
Alder is trying not to have dreams so that he isn't pulled over the low stone wall in the Dry Land and let all the dead that cry out to him loose, or pull him over the wall with them.

Both of them don't believe they are "big" enough people in their worlds to be meddling with such world-altering affairs.

Both of them are very quiet, almost shy men, very humble and heartfully honest. To use this character twice in her books, i wonder who she is refering to ... or if she is refering to herself? Has it ever been known whether she has had dreams that she wished not to have? So much that she had tried to escape them by any method available to her?

George with his illegal use of the drug-cards, Alder with little Tug, the kitten. And then if you remember Ged as well was pulled back into his body by the touch of the little Otak, but that wasn't really sleep ... just a parallel reference.

And in one of George's dreams he sees an Alder tree. A little bit of a stretch, but you never know ... maybe she wanted a 'George' in "The Other Wind" and came across the word 'Alder' when she was re-reading through "The Lathe of Heaven" and came across the word, as i did, and thought, "That'd be a perfect name!"

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Subject:	Le Guin's response to the Ghibli movie
Posted by:	luxvesperis.
Time:	9:38 pm.

For those interested, Le Guin has posted Gedo Senki, a First Response on her website. It's a good read. I have to say it is such a treat to read her reaction to the film after having seen it. The movie is quite different from the books in many ways. What she told Goro Miyazaki, the director, was "It is not my book. It is your movie. It is a good movie." And I really think that sums it up. Her response does contain spoilers.

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Subject:	Legend of Ged: Wind Waker
Posted by:	limegreensquid.
Time:	9:39 pm.

I just bought the Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker for the Gamecube the other day and i also just recently re-finished A Wizard of Earthsea.

How is this relevant? Well, see, Link in the game sails the open seas, calling forth the wind to push his sail in the right direction ...
And Ged sails the open seas, calling forth the mage-wind to push his sail in the right direction ...

I just feel like i'm Ged out there, chasing the shadow, speeding around on my sailboat ... she may not be the Lookfar ... but it's like, "Ahhh, so THIS is what it feels like ... virtually ..."

I just thought i'd share ... it's cool to see similarities in other things with the Earthsea books!

Just like Illusion of Gaia for the Super Nintendo has many story points and scenes that feel like they're taken directly from "The Farthest Shore" ...

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Subject:	Ghibli Film: Tales from Earthsea, Second Trailer
Posted by:	luxvesperis.
Time:	9:50 pm.

The second trailer is up.

It looks different and yet good. There is Lookfar and there is more "sea" in this one. You can kinda piece together what the story will be. And I love the song. And the dragon! And film is finished, according to the production blog. Now, just to wait. That's all I'll say for now.

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Subject:	The first trailer for "Tales from Earthsea" and article: "Waiting for the Other Wind"
Posted by:	luxvesperis.
Time:	6:58 pm.

The official Studio Ghibli Website has uploaded the first trailer for the movie "Gedo Senki" (Tales from Earthsea).

I'll give you the link, but before you click, please read what I have to say about it: It's nothing like the Earthsea I imagine in my mind. Nothing. I find so many things wrong with it. The way the characters were drawn, the way the story looks like it will go, all of it. It is not Le Guin's Earthsea. It's just not. And it's not mine either.

But, it looks beautiful. I think it's something else entirely. Not bad, I can't say that yet, just different. It's a different interpretation of Earthsea.

Unlike Narnia and Middle-Earth, there are no representative pictures of Earthsea. No illustrations came with the books except for simple wooden carvings, maps by Le Guin, and cover art that was deemed incorrect by the author. There is no concensus on what Earthsea looks like, so no movie could possibly satisfy fans. We have all drawn our own Earthsea.

So here is the link to the trailer and ( my rough translation of the Japanese ) Also keep in mind, trailers are rarely ever like the movie.

Also, here is an article written by the woman who translated Earthsea into Japanese. I find her very insightful and I put my faith into her words. "Waiting for the Other Wind." Le Guin hasn't put up anything on her site about it other than the link to nausicaa.net's page.

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Subject:	Skyehawke archive
Posted by:	espresso_addict.
Time:	12:54 am.

The Skyehawke archive now has an Ursula Le Guin section for fanfiction & poetry of all genres set in Earthsea, or other writings of Le Guin. Do take a look if you're interested in fan writing.

PS I'd be willing to sponsor writers who'd like to archive works in this fandom for Skyehawke membership. Comment or drop me a line (the_espresso_addict [at] fireflyuk.net)

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Subject:	Gedo Senki
Posted by:	purple_angel01.
Time:	7:54 am.

Just quickly- a small trailer-type thing (havn't watched it myself yet, so busy!) for Gedo Senki is now available!

Go to http://www.ghibliworld.com/news.html to see it.

Also, updates to the voice cast have been made, see http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=6147. More speculation about the plot should now be possible ^_^.

Enjoy!

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Subject:	Earthsea anime update
Posted by:	purple_angel01.
Time:	5:34 pm.

For anyone following Ghibli's anime adaptation of Earthsea (Gedo Senki):

Ghibli has announced some of the Japanese voice cast- Bunta Sugawara (Kamaji in Spirited Away) as Ged, and Junichi Okada as Prince Arren.

Source: www.animenewsnetwork.com; http://www.ghibliworld.com/

On another note, I hope we see some work from it soon...it should be really pretty ^_^

(x-posted to

leguin)

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Subject:	My current personal thoughts on Ghibli and Earthsea
Posted by:	luxvesperis.
Time:	4:03 pm.

No matter what happens, Earthsea will survive all. No matter how many times and how many ways it is brought to the screen, whether it be TV or movie, the books will always be better. No matter what happens, Earthsea will not be tainted by anything. It will not be ruined by anything. It cannot be ruined by anything. Because nothing is stronger than the truth which is contained in its covers.

That being said, I have no uneasiness about Ghibli doing Earthsea. It will be beautiful, because it is Ghibli and it will not be the Earthsea I know because it is not in book for. Being at peace with it, I am fully looking forward to it.

( It's a bit lengthy )

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Subject:	Studio Ghibli's next movie is going to be "A Wizard of Earthsea"
Posted by:	luxvesperis.
Time:	7:59 pm.
Mood:	anxious.

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki's son, Goro Miyazaki. It's on the official Studio Ghibli website (Japanese). Apparently his father is against the idea. I'll post a translated summary later. Just had to share the news as soon as learned about it.

Oh, and poster here.

LeGuin hasn't posted anything on her site just yet.

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Subject:	hello!
Posted by:	greenbeetle.
Time:	8:15 pm.

Hi! I just discovered this community and I'm relieved to see that there are other people out there who were as enraged as I was (and still am) at the miniseries.
But! I also had a question for you guys:
Does anyone know if a poster sized map of earthsea exists and if so, where? I heard once that there was such a thing, but no one seems to know whence it came.

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Subject:	thank God!
Posted by:	silent_muse06.
Time:	10:40 am.

I am SO glad I am not the only one who hates the miniseries! I watched it yesterday and was so stunned that I could not begin to list what was wrong with it until now. To spare you, I'm not going to share my list. I'm going to mourn their adaptation of Ged and try desperately to move on with my life. *sighs*

On a happier note, does anyone else love Eye of the Heron?

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