Aoi Bungaku 9-10: Of greeks and yaoi

Sorry this took a long time. I intended to post this last year but the episodes couldn't be out any faster and by the time they went out, I had to be away. But anyhoo, here's the third to the last story arc in the consistently brilliant Aoi Bungaku.
Run, Melos!
Chapter 1
More Screencaps from Aoi Bungaku 09
Takada is a struggling writer commissioned to write a play adapted from a popular Greek legend about Melos who, about to be executed, begs the King to allow him to attend his sister's wedding; the King agrees but only if Selinuntius, Melos' bestfriend, takes his place and be executed if Melos fails to appear before sunset on the third day. Takada accepts the job but later has second thoughts as he realizes that the original story strikes too close to home. He recalls an incident in high school when he and his best friend, Joushima, decided to leave for Tokyo. Takada waited for him at the station but Joushima never showed up. As Takada leaves on board the train, he throws the pocketwatch that Joushima gave him out the window. At that same moment, he sees Joushima standing on the platform but by then it is already too late as the train gains speed. Takada lives on with the bitter knowledge of his bestfriend's betrayal.

Run, Melos!
Chapter 2
More Screencaps from Aoi Bungaku 10
Despite his earlier misgivings, Takada continues to write the play, struggling with his own inner demons and merciless recollections along the way. Melos is finally on his way back to the King but has to go through many obstacles, including a broken bridge and bandits. As Melos falls at the hands of the bandits, Takada loses courage to continue. Then he gets a vision of Joushima, who urges him to finish the story. Takada lets out all his anger but the vision only says that he's waiting. After that, Takada receives a telegram from Joushima's wife, telling him that Joushima is dying from heart disease and has requested to see Takada one last time. Without thinking, Takada rushes out of his house and heads for the station. In the play, Melos wakes up, battered and bruised, and uses the last ounce of his strength to run back to the King. Takada arrives at Joushima's deathbed and to him he pours out all his feelings of being betrayed. When he is finished, Joushima asks him to tell him how the play ended: Sunset. Selinuntius is about to be executed when Melos arrives, smiling in happiness even in the face of certain death. At this, Joushima finally cries, and the two friends are reconciled.

COMMENTS:

Run, Melos! is an adaptation of Damon and Pythias, two legendary Greeks whose unwavering friendship withstands the test of the knife and a cruel tyrant. Apparently, Osamu Dazai (author) got the inspiration for the story when one day he, along with a friend of his, went to a hot springs resort where they soon went over budget. Dazai promises to pay back the extra by writing a quick short story and selling it, while his friend waits. However, Dazai never wrote the story and indeed never showed his face to his friend for a long time. When they finally saw each other, his friend confronted him, prompting Dazai to pose this rhetoric question:

Who has it harder: the one who waits, or the one who makes others wait?

And so Run, Melos! was born.

This is again a liberal take by Madhouse. Instead of just telling the short story straight, the studio opted to intersperse the author's own experience with the play, drawing parallels between the two, so that we end up not with one but two tales in one. Brilliant! Even so, it is still a very simple story that focuses on friendship with a surprisingly happy ending, and in that, it wholly differs from all the other story arcs so far shown in this series. It's kind of hard to reconcile this work with the depressing piece that No Longer Human is. There is some explanation given: Run, Melos! is an earlier work by Dazai, supposedly at a time when he was...happier. At any rate, it's a welcome change of pace.

Nakamura Ryosuke directs and storyboards this arc. He's the guy responsible for Mouryou no Hako and has had a hand in many other outstanding series the likes of Monster, Gunslinger Girl, NANA, and Death Note. But I think in Run, Melos!, he surpasses even himself. In fact, I'd go on to say, that in terms of directorial style, Run, Melos! is a stand-out in the Aoi Bungaku-verse. I can't really put it into words; you'll have to see the series for yourself.

Character designs are also good. Konomi Takeshi of Prince of Tennis fame came up with the original designs for the characters of Run, Melos! I have to say, the design is one of the best-looking in the series, next only to Kubo Tite's more eclectic rendering in episodes 5-6.

This is the third to the last story arc in the Aoi Bungaku series. I can't believe it's drawing to a close. This series is particularly close to my heart because it opened my eyes to many literature gems in Japanese culture. Quick! Where can I find English translations of these books?

^.^