Comments on: Les Miserables - Shoujo Cosette - 45

by: angedemystere

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 22:51:24 +0000

Oy, I know, me too. It took the official website FOREVER to post the trailer for the episode. It’s the only way I can see any part of the episodes, since the show is not available to the American public yet. I’m tingling with anticipation!

Sorry I didn’t talk sooner, Irene, but I still haven’t had a chance to check my copy. I believe you and all, I’m just wondering if our different editions are consistent on that point. They should be. O_O

by: GuruLazer

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 19:26:12 +0000

I really can’t wait for the next one, I’ve been waiting for this bit since the anime began. I hope they pull it off!!! >_

by: Irene

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 05:17:37 +0000

Thenardier raised a hand to his forehead, knitting his brow and pursing his lips in the manner of a man seeking to recognize another. He failed to do so. Jean Valjean had his back to the light, and was anyway so begrimed and bloodstained that even in the brightest light he would have been unrecognizable. Thenardier, on the other hand, his face illumined by the light from the grille, faint though it was, was immediately known to Valjean, and this gave the latter a certain advantage in the dialogue that was to take place between them.
-Les Miserables, Norman Denny translation

And yeah, I can’t wait for the next episode either, especially since anyone who knows the plot and has seen the preview can guess what they’re going to cover. Oh, man, I hope they pull it off right! O_O

by: angedemystere

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 03:28:15 +0000

“Also, in the book, Valjean recognizes Thenardier at once, but Thernadier doesn’t recognize Valjean because 1) it’s really dark, and 2) by that point Valjean is so covered in blood and gunpowder and sewer muck that he’d pretty much be unrecognizable even if it were daylight.”

I thought neither of them recognized the other right away because it was dark and they were BOTH covered in muck. Valjean may have recognized Thenardier as they spoke (I, unfortunately, do not have the book in front of me), but I’m pretty sure that Hugo directly states that they did not recognize one another. Do check, my memory is by no means infallible.

And yes, Valjean is so covered in filth that even Javert does not recognize him. That’s pretty extreme, since they had seen each other just a few hours earlier.

I cannot WAIT for the next episode. Gah, next week seems so far away!

by: Irene

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 01:22:34 +0000

I’m of the opinion that a poor reason is better than no reason at all, but I do see where you’re coming from. xD

by: R

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:12:58 +0000

In the musical, Thenardier’s been looting the bodies of those who were killed at the barricade, which is kind of a better reason than the book gives, which is, uh, none at all, really.

I disagree. Whenever I listened to that part (http://www.box.net/shared/zjzd×7duqb), I always wanted to know exactly how so many corpses ended up down in the sewers. It seemed even more random than the book version.

by: Dookers

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 23:03:20 +0000

I thought Gavroche would’ve died. *sad, since Gavvy died in both the book and the musical, even though his death was kinda sad*

by: Irene

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 22:05:19 +0000

Oh, and in response to your question about Javert chasing Thenardier - that wasn’t his original intent. After being released by Valjean, Javert returned to the prefecture and made his report, then immediately returned to his duties, which included watching a certain area of the right bank of the Seine. He just happened to catch sight of Thenardier in that area, recognized him, and decided to follow him. Javert may be determined to catch Valjean, but he’s hardly neglectful of his other duties.

(Why, yes, I am watching this anime with a copy of Les Mis in hand. *dork*)

by: Irene

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 21:55:02 +0000

In the musical, Thenardier’s been looting the bodies of those who were killed at the barricade, which is kind of a better reason than the book gives, which is, uh, none at all, really. xD There’s Romantic literature for you.

Also, in the book, Valjean recognizes Thenardier at once, but Thenardier doesn’t recognize Valjean because 1) it’s really dark, and 2) by that point Valjean is so covered in blood and gunpowder and sewer muck he’d pretty much be unrecognizable even if it were daylight. But of course they can’t show that in a children’s anime. xD

by: psgels

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 21:51:05 +0000

It’s a bit strange that Javert was chasing Thenardier after all this. I mean, just before he was still obsessed with Jean, and I don’t see him chase a random criminal on his own that fast.

As to the answer of your question, yes, it did. The cliff-hanger showed Jean, finally coming out of the sewer and Javert standing outside the sewer gate.

by: angedemystere

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 21:21:41 +0000

Ah, deux ex machina. What would we do without you? Ahem.

I have not read this part of the book, but in one of the movie versions I’ve seen (the 3-hour English-dubbed French one to be precise), it shows Thernadier running around Paris trying to scrounge everything he can in the midst of the pandemonium produced by the revolution. At one point, when he is stealing from a shop, a group of policemen try to seize him and he claims that this is his shop. The police are smart enough not to believe him, but somehow Thernadier manages to escape from them and descends into the sewers to hide. This might have just been filler that the movie provided in order for Thernadier’s presence in the sewers to make more sense. Also, I think Javert was pursuing Thernadier without really knowing who he was, and when Thernadier gave Valjean the key to the grate, he also allowed Javert to follow after Valjean. It’s kind of weird because almost no one recognizes any one else (except Jean and T. recognizing Javert - he’s a hard guy NOT to recognize.)

Question: Did the episode just end with Valjean running into Javert outside the sewer grate?

by: R

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 18:56:56 +0000

No, unfortunately it didn’t. It states that he’s hiding from the police for some reason or other, but it still comes across as a case of deux ex machina.