What if books weren’t just a bunch of papers bound together as one? What if books could contain forbidden knowledge?
Dantalian no Shoka would have you imagine a world where mystical tomes could exist — that these books contain knowledge most of us could never hope to comprehend. Only the written form is so lucky to have attained such an allure. No one ever talks about a “forbidden film” or a “demonic video game.” Should anyone ever mention such things, you would probably think them rather strange. Ah, but people do certainly act as if books could be dangerous.
Why is that? Is it because books aren’t universal? As sad as it may seem, reading is not universal. It’s different for film, isn’t it? Even if you couldn’t understand the spoken language of a film, that’s certainly not the case for the visual language. On the other hand, if you couldn’t read, most of the content in a book is locked away. You could even say that the knowledge was… forbidden.
So the written word has existed for thousands of years, but commoners like you and I weren’t always privileged in the art and joy of reading and writing. There was always the sense that knowledge belonged to the intellectually elite, those who could afford to sit around and contemplate while the rest of us toiled in the fields.
“What do you have written there in that book,” you say (you probably couldn’t, actually, for impropriety).
“Oh… this? Forbidden knowledge~! You wouldn’t and shouldn’t understand it.”
And so it goes. We are honest working men; we only concern ourselves with the harvest. It’s those sorcerers and witches causing trouble, arrogantly dabbling in the unknown and demonic.
Imagine, then, a bunch of “Phantom Books” that no normal human should ever be allowed to read. Wes, a rich old man, tried his best to prevent others from acquiring such “dangerous” tomes. Unfortunately, a reckless individual murdered Wes to steal one of his books and subsequently unleashed the horrors within: “An illegitimate reader like Conrad could never have controlled such power.” Dalian, our heroine, goes on to say, “In the right hands, a Phantom Book can function as an ordinary book… Some things are not meant to be known.” What a hierarchal position to take.
Stray Observations
• Hey, look, I actually think the first episode was entertaining enough. I just have some qualms about the premise.
• If you still haven’t watched the first episode of Dantalian no Shoka, it’s about a guy inheriting his grandfather’s estate only to find a shoujo reading books in the basement.
And as always, there’s more to this little girl than it seems.
• I wonder why the characters are so blasé toward each other. Hugh doesn’t seem too taken aback by the fact that there’s a young girl alone in the basement. How long has she been there? How did she come to know his grandfather? See, these are questions I would ask in his position, but maybe he knows more about her than he’s letting on.
• On the other hand, at least Hugh’s not a simpering wimp. The fact that his voice doesn’t have that whiny shounen inflection certainly helps. Plus, he looks like someone straight out of Baccano! and that’s sure to please a few people.
• I’m not keen on Dalian’s personality — well, I’m not keen on tsunderekkos period, but she’s reminding me a bit of Maya from Occult Academy.
Dalian’s a little less abrasive, but I can’t understand how anyone could tolerate that kind of attitude.
• I’m not a huge fan of the background visuals.
I’m not certain what Gainax did, but it looks like they took a bunch of photographs or CGI-rendered scenes and smeared Photoshop filters all over it like Vaseline. You can probably guess, then, that the results are a blurry mess.
• But the soundtrack is nice!
• I don’t know what to make of the pivotal scene. In some sense, Hugh has the key to Dalian’s heart, but the ecstatic way in which she reacts to him makes me think he is unlocking her chastity belt.
There’s something very sensual about how this all plays out.
• At first glance, there seems to be little information out there on the internet regarding the Liber de Nymphis, but from what I can glean, the book’s reality is nowhere near as romantic as the role it plays in the anime.
• As with many shows, the anime’s ED looks more interesting to watch.
I think the practices of the learned are always seen as a little dangerous.
In the Victorian age photography was called the “Dark Art,” mostly for literal reasons (photographers always in dark rooms, their hands stained black by development chemicals) but also because capturing someone’s image was seen as a very mysterious thing. You’d never know now, of course, since anybody can make a lolcat meme at the click of a button.
And I suppose that’s just it, right? The democratization of knowledge demystifies it. But for books that’s difficult, because books are so deeply tied to language, and how well you command language so often dictates other aspects of your life. There’s a reason why “grammar,” “glamour,” and “grimoire” are derived from the same root word.
Great post. :)
Not that I didn’t believe you, but a little research never hurt and — I don’t know if it means much — but this was interesting:
Anyway, thanks for reading.
There’s always “haunted video tapes” (The Ring), and some video games are very close to demonic status!
This show seems interesting. Would you recommend it over Usagi Doroppu? If I picked this show up, I’d have to ‘drop’ Usagi Drop (ha ha). Five shows a season is overdoing it for me.
Oh, I was trying to refer to real life. There are people who actually think a book like the Necronomicron actually exists. There might whispers about an actual snuff film, but no one ever says a real tape will kill you. We only make up silly stories, and in The Ring’s case, it’s just the same usual “technology kills” story in Japan where watching too much TV will literally turn you into a lifeless husk.
I already know you don’t enjoy Usagi Drop, so why not — watch Dantalian no Shoka instead!
Well, from what I understand of the Necronomicron (Wikipedia), it seems that it also comes from fiction… albeit Lovecraftian fiction.
I agree with your point, though. It’s easier for me to think about religious texts like the Bible and the Qur’an. In essence, these are mystical texts that reveal the truth about the world. I’m sure that there are believers in their demonic text counterparts as well. (Maybe a weak connection at best, but whatever)
I hope I didn’t just offend any religious folk out there.
I wonder if there ever was a “books are detrimental” theme before television and computers became widespread. But then again, there’s just so much more crap on TV/the internet…
visibly voicing stupid thoughts
Well, I did say…
That’s an interesting question I don’t really know the answer to, but there are plenty of stories in which choosing to pursue knowledge over good, honest blue-collar work has led to man’s downfall.
After watching the first episode I’ll have to give it the thumbs up for not featuring another dull, generic male lead whose presence is so weak as to be nonexistent, and thumbs down for sadly including another pint-sized loli with some serious attitude problems as his partner (how original!).
And I’ve to agree on the backgrounds looking like hideous smudged out pictures. I don’t know much about layout and background design, but even to the untrained eye, the background artisty just seems to clash with the foreground.
I think I’ll stick watching it for now and see where it goes. I’ve seen worse first episodes.
I forgot to mention it, but this episode was unusually dark. I’m hoping it’s just the quality of the raw that we got.
Those backgrounds really serve to plunge this show into the uncanny valley a bit more than they should. Still, I don’t think it’s in the vein of Lovecraftian refusal to delve into the unknown, since the books are treated as extremely precious and items only to be perused by those prepared to deal with what they might unleash.
It might prove to be an interesting series all the same, especially if Huey doesn’t fall into the same worn tropes that other male leads have.
That’s what I’m trying to get at — this sort of elitist approach to literature that only the select few can handle the knowledge contained within.
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