Blackjack Gabbiani
30th November 2004, 06:34 PM
I did this for a livejournal comm where you post an essay about your favorite character. So of course I did mine on Jirarudan.
Character: Jirarudan
Series: Pokémon
Title: Dreams Confined
Author: Blackjack Gabbiani
Warnings: Contains massive spoilers for "Revelation: Lugia" and minor spoilers for "Guardians of the Water Capital".
Note--this essay refers to both the Japanese and English versions, as there is little to no difference in the character between the two. The biggest differences are that, in English, he gives slightly more detail about himself, and has an additional line near the end.
Part one: Like a Blissful Light
When I first heard reports of the plot of "Revelation: Lugia", they told of the standard 'villian-out-to-destroy-the-world', in a roundabout way. The preliminary reports told of a mad researcher out to summon the legendary God of the Sea, which was destined to lay waste to the world.
Shortly before the movie came out in English, I chanced upon a Japanese comic book adaptation, so I flipped to the end to see what became of the man. I figured that a man so wicked would surely get what was coming to him.
But the picture showed a forlorn man staring out at the ocean; a heartbreaking sadness in his heavy-lidded eyes. I could tell by looking at him that something had to be wrong with the summary I had heard--given the show's simplistic character designs, he did not have the bearing of a villian. True villians, on Pokémon, are easy to distinguish, and he lacked their distinguishing characteristics. His eyes were not small-pupiled or hardened, he lacked the bitter posturing that many of the villians carry, and even in the shots where he was surrounded by his treasures, there was only a slight aloofness rather than egotism.
Perhaps looking at still pictures was the wrong way to go about it, but yet I was struck by the image of him in the ruins of his ship, looking out across the water.
Months later, I went to see it on the day it opened in the US, and my interest in the mystery man did not disappoint. He was captivating, to put it briefly.
His motives were not those of a wicked man. Greedy at worst, but mostly delusional. In his quest for the world's most wonderful things, he had set his sights on Lugia, the God of the Sea. Not to use it to destroy, not for power, but to have. Not the most sterling of motives, but not exactly what I would consider evil, either, especially in a world where the capture of animals for fighting purposes is not only a regular occurance, but encouraged.
Part Two--I Won't Entomb Yesterday
As the movie begins, we see an ancient tablet carved with an exotic script, and hear a man recite the words thereon:
Disturb not the harmony of fire, ice, or lightning
least these titans wreak distructions upon the world in which they clash.
Though the water's great guardian shall arise to quell the fighting,
alone its song will fail, thus the earth will turn to ash.
O Chosen One, into thine hands bring together all three:
Their treasures combined tame the beast of the sea.
(note, the Japanese version is very similar, but has no equivalent of the "turn to ash" line, refering instead to a "superior master" rather than the "chosen one")
After a confirmation from his computer, Jirarudan heads to the topmost point on his airship--an elegant machine combining ancient art with modern technology--and sets to work bringing the Bird of Fire, Moltres, from its hiding place on Fire Island. And thus the movie is set into motion. With Moltres, and later the lightning god Zapdos, being captured, the balance of the elements is set off, triggering natural disasters that may trigger the end of the world.
But while said birds are captive on Jirarudan's ship, it is not those he seeks. The legend spoke of the Beast of the Sea, the great guardian phantom pokémon Lugia, and that is Jirarudan's true goal.
But with the capture of Zapdos, something else is brought on board--a small boat containing six people (one of whom, in true 'ancient prophesy' movie form, turns out to be none other than the 'chosen one' of legend). Jirarudan introduces himself to them--not by name, but by occupation--and returns to his vantage point in the topmost room. With him out of the room, the people set about freeing the Birds, which, rather than returning to their islands, start doing battle with Articuno (the third bird, element of ice). In the battle, Jirarudan's ship is shot down by the elemental attacks, and falls in ruins on Lightning Island.
The next time we see him, Lugia has been summoned and is warring with the other birds. Jirarudan sits at a cannon-like machine, Lugia in his sights. "You are mine," he whispers, firing the capture devices.
Struggling to free itself from the binds, Lugia fires the most powerful attack in its arsenal--the godly Aeroblast--at the ship, which caves in around Jirarudan.
His empire in ruins, the final time we see him is well after the Chosen One has set the world back in alignment. with the sun low in the sky, and Lugia having returned to the sea, Jirarudan stands in the wreck of his ship and ponders the first treasure in his possession--a golden, glimmering Ancient Mew card.
Part Three--I Am Not Someone's King, I Am Not Someone's Soldier
Throughout the movie, Jirarudan shows himself to be a man of contradictions--intelligent yet shortsighted, focused yet delusional, and open yet isolated.
His personality seems to be a contrast to itself, and his very goal itself reflects this. To capture the God of the Sea seems like a wish for power, but yet power is not his goal. No, he wants to posess Lugia because he finds it the most fantastic thing in the world. He is entranced by it, to the point where he can no longer see Lugia as a living being, but as a work of art.
He seems to have spend a long time on this plan, as his ship is prepared with weapons and capture devices. He knows exactly how to bring the great Guardian out of hiding, and does so without fail. However, for all his planning, he neglected to think of what to do if something went wrong.
Such rigidity is common in collector-type personalities, as many collectors, Jirarudan included, also possess many autistic traits. His pecular isolation conforms with such a diagnosis--how he seals himself away from the world, and yet rarely is silent. He talks to himself, to his computer (which is articulate but lacks a personality), to creatures that would tear him apart if given the chance, and all in the same tone of cool detachment.
Part Four--Like Listening to Heaven
More points on Jirarudan's personality can be found in his image song, "Ware Wa Collector". Paced with a strange mix of elegance and cacophony, the music follows a strange path from the soft and dulcet to the maddening.
I am not someone's king
I am not someone's soldier
Like putting together shards of a broken mirror
I am collecting thing scattered around the world!
I am a collector!
I am a colllector! Collector!
I won't release tomorrow
I won't entomb yesterday
Like a music note sitting on top of a score
I am fixing my mistakes in the timing!
I am a collector!
I am a collector! Collector!
This looks good... like a blissful light
This sounds good... like listening to heaven
Above the ground, nothing can tie me down
From the sky I overlook everything
I hold onto the dreams confined
Within this prism...
This is my... collection!
Quite revealing of his inner self, isn't it?
A note about the Japanese lyrics--the term 'ware' to refer to one's self is an archaic form (in the movie, he uses the more common 'watashi'). 'Ware' also means 'broken', as in the broken mirror he references. In his eyes, he is incomplete, and will find what he seeks through his collection.
Part Five--Like Putting Together Shards of a Broken Mirror
Even given the time allotted and then some, there is much more to be said about Jirarudan than could be fit into this essay. Here are some points that could not be worked into the main text:
-His name is most likely derived from René Girard, a mythology expert and professor at Stanford University. Girard is a leading writer of patterns found in world myths, and has worked extensively on the connections between ancient stories and modern violence. One who follows Girard's works is known as a "Girardin".
-Jirarudan's eyes are a subtle clue as to his destiny. At that point in Pokémon, it seemed that if there was someone with purple eyes, that was a sure sign a Legendary was going to appear (Cassidy being the sole exception until Houen, where, it seems, that rule got thrown out the window).
-I have a theory that he was originally meant to be a far darker character than the finished product showed. Between the initial rumors of a 'mad researcher' (at what point he would have been changed to a collector is anyone's guess), his downright disturbing orchestral theme, and the likely history of his name, it seems very likely.
-I have been unable to verify this for myself, but I have seen it on several sites (including one, Dogasu's Backpack (http://www.bulbagarden.net/~dogasu/), that is considered the best for Pokémon reference) that Jirarudan's mother is deceased. It is unknown why this is a special point, however. Perhaps lingering grief was another trait removed from the final version. It is also rumored that she gave him his ruby ring.
-Jirarudan makes a brief appearence in the fifth movie, "Guardians of the Water Capital"...sort of. During the end credits, two jailed thieves peruse a book in the prison library. The subject of the book is unknown, however, they stop at a page with pictures of Jirarudan and his ship, and treasures presumably from his collection.
Character: Jirarudan
Series: Pokémon
Title: Dreams Confined
Author: Blackjack Gabbiani
Warnings: Contains massive spoilers for "Revelation: Lugia" and minor spoilers for "Guardians of the Water Capital".
Note--this essay refers to both the Japanese and English versions, as there is little to no difference in the character between the two. The biggest differences are that, in English, he gives slightly more detail about himself, and has an additional line near the end.
Part one: Like a Blissful Light
When I first heard reports of the plot of "Revelation: Lugia", they told of the standard 'villian-out-to-destroy-the-world', in a roundabout way. The preliminary reports told of a mad researcher out to summon the legendary God of the Sea, which was destined to lay waste to the world.
Shortly before the movie came out in English, I chanced upon a Japanese comic book adaptation, so I flipped to the end to see what became of the man. I figured that a man so wicked would surely get what was coming to him.
But the picture showed a forlorn man staring out at the ocean; a heartbreaking sadness in his heavy-lidded eyes. I could tell by looking at him that something had to be wrong with the summary I had heard--given the show's simplistic character designs, he did not have the bearing of a villian. True villians, on Pokémon, are easy to distinguish, and he lacked their distinguishing characteristics. His eyes were not small-pupiled or hardened, he lacked the bitter posturing that many of the villians carry, and even in the shots where he was surrounded by his treasures, there was only a slight aloofness rather than egotism.
Perhaps looking at still pictures was the wrong way to go about it, but yet I was struck by the image of him in the ruins of his ship, looking out across the water.
Months later, I went to see it on the day it opened in the US, and my interest in the mystery man did not disappoint. He was captivating, to put it briefly.
His motives were not those of a wicked man. Greedy at worst, but mostly delusional. In his quest for the world's most wonderful things, he had set his sights on Lugia, the God of the Sea. Not to use it to destroy, not for power, but to have. Not the most sterling of motives, but not exactly what I would consider evil, either, especially in a world where the capture of animals for fighting purposes is not only a regular occurance, but encouraged.
Part Two--I Won't Entomb Yesterday
As the movie begins, we see an ancient tablet carved with an exotic script, and hear a man recite the words thereon:
Disturb not the harmony of fire, ice, or lightning
least these titans wreak distructions upon the world in which they clash.
Though the water's great guardian shall arise to quell the fighting,
alone its song will fail, thus the earth will turn to ash.
O Chosen One, into thine hands bring together all three:
Their treasures combined tame the beast of the sea.
(note, the Japanese version is very similar, but has no equivalent of the "turn to ash" line, refering instead to a "superior master" rather than the "chosen one")
After a confirmation from his computer, Jirarudan heads to the topmost point on his airship--an elegant machine combining ancient art with modern technology--and sets to work bringing the Bird of Fire, Moltres, from its hiding place on Fire Island. And thus the movie is set into motion. With Moltres, and later the lightning god Zapdos, being captured, the balance of the elements is set off, triggering natural disasters that may trigger the end of the world.
But while said birds are captive on Jirarudan's ship, it is not those he seeks. The legend spoke of the Beast of the Sea, the great guardian phantom pokémon Lugia, and that is Jirarudan's true goal.
But with the capture of Zapdos, something else is brought on board--a small boat containing six people (one of whom, in true 'ancient prophesy' movie form, turns out to be none other than the 'chosen one' of legend). Jirarudan introduces himself to them--not by name, but by occupation--and returns to his vantage point in the topmost room. With him out of the room, the people set about freeing the Birds, which, rather than returning to their islands, start doing battle with Articuno (the third bird, element of ice). In the battle, Jirarudan's ship is shot down by the elemental attacks, and falls in ruins on Lightning Island.
The next time we see him, Lugia has been summoned and is warring with the other birds. Jirarudan sits at a cannon-like machine, Lugia in his sights. "You are mine," he whispers, firing the capture devices.
Struggling to free itself from the binds, Lugia fires the most powerful attack in its arsenal--the godly Aeroblast--at the ship, which caves in around Jirarudan.
His empire in ruins, the final time we see him is well after the Chosen One has set the world back in alignment. with the sun low in the sky, and Lugia having returned to the sea, Jirarudan stands in the wreck of his ship and ponders the first treasure in his possession--a golden, glimmering Ancient Mew card.
Part Three--I Am Not Someone's King, I Am Not Someone's Soldier
Throughout the movie, Jirarudan shows himself to be a man of contradictions--intelligent yet shortsighted, focused yet delusional, and open yet isolated.
His personality seems to be a contrast to itself, and his very goal itself reflects this. To capture the God of the Sea seems like a wish for power, but yet power is not his goal. No, he wants to posess Lugia because he finds it the most fantastic thing in the world. He is entranced by it, to the point where he can no longer see Lugia as a living being, but as a work of art.
He seems to have spend a long time on this plan, as his ship is prepared with weapons and capture devices. He knows exactly how to bring the great Guardian out of hiding, and does so without fail. However, for all his planning, he neglected to think of what to do if something went wrong.
Such rigidity is common in collector-type personalities, as many collectors, Jirarudan included, also possess many autistic traits. His pecular isolation conforms with such a diagnosis--how he seals himself away from the world, and yet rarely is silent. He talks to himself, to his computer (which is articulate but lacks a personality), to creatures that would tear him apart if given the chance, and all in the same tone of cool detachment.
Part Four--Like Listening to Heaven
More points on Jirarudan's personality can be found in his image song, "Ware Wa Collector". Paced with a strange mix of elegance and cacophony, the music follows a strange path from the soft and dulcet to the maddening.
I am not someone's king
I am not someone's soldier
Like putting together shards of a broken mirror
I am collecting thing scattered around the world!
I am a collector!
I am a colllector! Collector!
I won't release tomorrow
I won't entomb yesterday
Like a music note sitting on top of a score
I am fixing my mistakes in the timing!
I am a collector!
I am a collector! Collector!
This looks good... like a blissful light
This sounds good... like listening to heaven
Above the ground, nothing can tie me down
From the sky I overlook everything
I hold onto the dreams confined
Within this prism...
This is my... collection!
Quite revealing of his inner self, isn't it?
A note about the Japanese lyrics--the term 'ware' to refer to one's self is an archaic form (in the movie, he uses the more common 'watashi'). 'Ware' also means 'broken', as in the broken mirror he references. In his eyes, he is incomplete, and will find what he seeks through his collection.
Part Five--Like Putting Together Shards of a Broken Mirror
Even given the time allotted and then some, there is much more to be said about Jirarudan than could be fit into this essay. Here are some points that could not be worked into the main text:
-His name is most likely derived from René Girard, a mythology expert and professor at Stanford University. Girard is a leading writer of patterns found in world myths, and has worked extensively on the connections between ancient stories and modern violence. One who follows Girard's works is known as a "Girardin".
-Jirarudan's eyes are a subtle clue as to his destiny. At that point in Pokémon, it seemed that if there was someone with purple eyes, that was a sure sign a Legendary was going to appear (Cassidy being the sole exception until Houen, where, it seems, that rule got thrown out the window).
-I have a theory that he was originally meant to be a far darker character than the finished product showed. Between the initial rumors of a 'mad researcher' (at what point he would have been changed to a collector is anyone's guess), his downright disturbing orchestral theme, and the likely history of his name, it seems very likely.
-I have been unable to verify this for myself, but I have seen it on several sites (including one, Dogasu's Backpack (http://www.bulbagarden.net/~dogasu/), that is considered the best for Pokémon reference) that Jirarudan's mother is deceased. It is unknown why this is a special point, however. Perhaps lingering grief was another trait removed from the final version. It is also rumored that she gave him his ruby ring.
-Jirarudan makes a brief appearence in the fifth movie, "Guardians of the Water Capital"...sort of. During the end credits, two jailed thieves peruse a book in the prison library. The subject of the book is unknown, however, they stop at a page with pictures of Jirarudan and his ship, and treasures presumably from his collection.