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Romeo x Juliet, episode 3
That's right! I wrote so much about episode 3 of Romeo x Juliet that it had to be its own post. It's really sad. I don't know why it happens, but when I watch an episode of this anime, I feel the need to take notes. 3 pages, single-spaced, of notes. Then, I felt the need to ask screencaps - you know, in case my 3 pages weren't clear enough for you to know what I'm talking about.
Mostly, there's storyline recap. Look at the pretty pictures!
I finally figured out what was so familiar about the opening song. It is a pretty commonly-known inspirational song, “You Raise Me Up,” and I know I’ve sang it in church multiple times.
I really like that there are no time-gaps between episodes, at least not thus far. I think some days might pass within an episode, but when the story is told in this manner, I feel like I’m in on everything.
I really like this scene in the churchyard – falling rain, prophetic music played by horns as the former loyalists to the Capulet family surround Juliet as she takes up the sword and claims her birthright. Not surprisingly, the followers swear to overthrow the Montagues and take back rule of Neo Verona. Juliet unsheaths the sword and looks at her face on the blade, and suddenly has flashbacks of her parents being murdered by Lord Montague and his cronies. She faints, dropping the sword with a clatter, as everyone shouts her name.
We next see her in the bathtub, slowly repeating her newly-learned full name. Her nurse Cordelia enters, and Juliet confirms from her that she was dressed as a boy so that no one would recognize her as a Capulet. Juliet says that she keeps reliving the violent deaths of her parents. (My question: It seems awfully lucky for those hiding her that Juliet didn’t recall these memories at any other point during the last 14 years!)
William (Shakespeare) is sleeping in the opera house, and his mother arrives. She berates his laziness, and she asks to see Lord Conrad. It seems William’s mother is a noble. The servant who gives Conrad and William’s mother tea is “Emilia,” a performer in William’s plays. It is revealed that William’s mother often comes to the theatrehouse, and is giving money to Sir Conrad so that he can hide there along with Juliet, and a few other people from the Capulet household (none of whom are actually Capulets, just those loyal to them). William’s mother says that they can stay there as long as they like, and Conrad gives a burst of emotion, saying that they didn’t survive 14 years just so that they could live for a long time. Just as she leaves, William’s mother tells Conrad that she’s been hearing rumors in the Keep about “a red wind.”
The winged horses also pull carriages along cobblestone streets.
Cordelia brings Juliet some food, and they talk for a while. I do like that Juliet confides in her nurse – even though Cordelia is much younger than the nurse in Shakespeare’s play, she was the only person in whom Juliet ever confided any feelings (aside from Romeo, obviously). Juliet’s fever has broken, and Cordelia asks if she will meet Romeo again today. Cordelia asks where he’s from, what his name is, what sort of person he is, where she met him, and Juliet will only answer that she met him at the Rose Ball. Juliet confirms to a horrified Cordelia that he is a nobleman. Cordelia berates herself for having Juliet go and see him yesterday. Cordelia asks Juliet to promise that she won’t see Romeo again, but we hear no answer.
The scene cuts to Romeo and his Pegasus, sitting in the iris-covered abandoned rampart, waiting for Juliet. The sun is setting, but Romeo is still cheerfully chatting with his Pegasus, in spite of his obvious disappointment.
We are shown foreboding exterior shots of the Keep.
Inside, a noble says that a commoner named Shylock has been seeking a family crest. Shylock, as you may know, is the central character in the play “The Merchant of Venice,” in which he is a cruel character, but also experiences a life of prejudice because he is a Jew. The nobles laugh while eating fresh fruit, saying that commoners believe everything can be bought with money. The Lord Montague, while squeezing the juice out of a grape with his bare hand, says that it is their duty to drain the “use” out of all people. One noble comments that the people are suffering from poverty, and that they will rebel. Lord Montague suggest that he is not properly draining the people of their use. Romeo arrives on the scene, late from waiting for Juliet. Lord Montague slaps him across the face in front of the gathered nobles, who are standing around, drinking wine. Lord Montague berates Romeo, telling him that he must be mindful of his responsibilities to his house.
Later, most of the nobles leave. Outside, Romeo bids farewell to Benvolio. Inside, Lord Montague tells Mercutio to let him know if anything about Romeo has need for concern. Mercutio agrees.
Deep inside the Keep, Lord Montague stands alone before a glowing tree he refers to as “Escalus.” He says that so long as he has the blessings of the tree, there will be no limit to their prosperity.
In the city, some people, one of whom is the man who treats the Red Whirlwind when she is injured, are handing out bread and fruit to the impoverished. A friar comes along to chat – yay, there was a friar in the play, too – he was the one who orchestrated Romeo and Juliet’s marriage, and also Juliet’s fake-death, which lead to the real deaths of both. The friar asks where they got so much food, and one man replies, “The wind brings it.”
Romeo flies over his and Juliet’s meeting place, wondering where Juliet is.
Juliet is in her room, looking out the window and smelling an iris.
Romeo goes to see his mother, bearing lilies, although it doesn’t really seem like she needs them, as she is surrounded by a flower garden. She asks if he has grown taller, so it seems as though they don’t see one another very often. She asks if it’s all right for him to leave the Keep, and Romeo says that “there is no one at the Keep who will welcome me with a smile.” His mother apologizes for leaving him alone by leaving the Keep. Romeo says not to worry, and his mother reveals that she left him when he was little. His mother accepts Romeo’s flowers, and tells him to return to his father. She says she prays for him always. Clearly, Romeo takes after his cheerful mother, and not his creepy father.
Back in the city, the Red Whirlwind’s doctor is surrounded by guards who accuse him of being in league with the Red Whirlwind. The friar tries to intervene, and now that I see him again, I’m pretty sure that both he and Romeo’s mother are wearing the same brooch. The guard has the doctor taken away, leaving his wife and crying children behind. He tells them not to worry.
In the theatre house, Conrad sits reading. Cordelia comes and asks him if he thinks Juliet will be all right. He asks what’s happened, and Cordelia says that she’s just concerned because Juliet has hidden for her entire life, hiding even her true gender. Conrad says that once they overthrow the Montagues, Juliet will be fine. The small boy, Antonio, runs in asking for Juliet, and then runs to her room. He tells Juliet about the doctor’s capture.
At a prison, guards interrogate the doctor, asking him who the Red Whirlwind is, and where “he” lives. The doctor is defiant, although he appears to have been beaten for a while.
Cordelia sees Antonio and the Red Whirlwind running, leaving the theater house.
Romeo is once again flying over his and Juliet’s meeting place. At the prison, the Red Whirlwind appears on the scene at a dead sprint, breaking into the prison by kicking in the glass window and landing on top of the doctor’s interrogators in a very badass-like manner.
The Red Whirlwind fights the interrogators with swords, and miraculously kicks down a heavy wooden door, fleeing with the doctor in tow. She encounters more guards and continues running, although the doctor tells her to escape without him. He says, "You are our hope. The people of this city—" and Juliet interrupts him, saying, "No." She has now made it to the open roof of the prison, where she is faced with six guards. The hear a Pegasus overhead, and Romeo asks "what is the meaning of this?" Romeo lands, and the guards explain. He examines the Red Whirlwind, and notices the scent of irises. He asks for the sword of a guard, and says he will bring the Red Whirlwind to the Duke himself. He attacks the Red Whirlwind, who doesn’t hesitate to fight back.
As they fight, Romeo says so only she can hear, “There’s a canal below. We’re going to jump! Pretend to put up a fight and fall over the edge!”
The Red Whirlwind asks why, and Romeo seizes her arm and jumps over the edge of the roof. The Whirlwind manages to grab the doctor and pull him over too. The three land in the water as the guards watch from the roof.
Back in the city, Romeo comments that it’s the first time he’s ever done “something so rash.” The Red Whirlwind expresses disbelief that Romeo would save them, and the doctor is also amazed that Lord Montague’s son would save the Red Whirwind. “Montague,” the Red Whirlwind repeats, eyes watering. Romeo tells them not to tell anyone else that he helped them, and leaves.
Impressions: I really feel like Juliet isn’t quite sure she wants to lead this revolution. When she fainted after having flashbacks about the death of her parents, I really feel like it was foreshadowing. She was lying in the rain, out cold, with a sword next to her. Will Juliet survive her faction’s attempted coup?
The Escalus Tree: In the play, Prince Escalus was the royalty in the city who hated the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets. He repeatedly told them to stop the violence, and it was his ban on it that made forfeit the life of Romeo after he killed Tybalt (it was Tybalt, right? I get the names mixed up). It was also Escalus who said at the end, "There never was a tale of more woe / than that of Juliet and her Romeo." So, does this tree really favor the Montagues, as Lord Montague seem to think? Or is it a passive vessel of power?
Continued Role-Inversion of the Characters Romeo and Juliet:
When Romeo is not met by Juliet on the rampart, it is he who is left in the cold. He responds cheerfully, as a stereotypical fairy-tale female character might - joking with his pet Pegasus, instead of brooding and becoming angry, as a stereotypical male might.
Overall in this episode, Juliet is the brooding, angsty one (yes, with good reason!). She also kicks a lot of ass. The screenshots do no justice to the force with which she defeats at least 5 prison guards, and also her fast-paced fight with Romeo.
While Juliet is privy to rebellion and helping the impoverished of Neo-Verona, Romeo waits for her surrounded by flowers, is slapped on the cheek by his father for not being obedient, and brings flowers to his mom. I feel like triumphantly cackling when I make these observations.
Mostly, there's storyline recap. Look at the pretty pictures!
I finally figured out what was so familiar about the opening song. It is a pretty commonly-known inspirational song, “You Raise Me Up,” and I know I’ve sang it in church multiple times.
I really like that there are no time-gaps between episodes, at least not thus far. I think some days might pass within an episode, but when the story is told in this manner, I feel like I’m in on everything.
I really like this scene in the churchyard – falling rain, prophetic music played by horns as the former loyalists to the Capulet family surround Juliet as she takes up the sword and claims her birthright. Not surprisingly, the followers swear to overthrow the Montagues and take back rule of Neo Verona. Juliet unsheaths the sword and looks at her face on the blade, and suddenly has flashbacks of her parents being murdered by Lord Montague and his cronies. She faints, dropping the sword with a clatter, as everyone shouts her name.
We next see her in the bathtub, slowly repeating her newly-learned full name. Her nurse Cordelia enters, and Juliet confirms from her that she was dressed as a boy so that no one would recognize her as a Capulet. Juliet says that she keeps reliving the violent deaths of her parents. (My question: It seems awfully lucky for those hiding her that Juliet didn’t recall these memories at any other point during the last 14 years!)
William (Shakespeare) is sleeping in the opera house, and his mother arrives. She berates his laziness, and she asks to see Lord Conrad. It seems William’s mother is a noble. The servant who gives Conrad and William’s mother tea is “Emilia,” a performer in William’s plays. It is revealed that William’s mother often comes to the theatrehouse, and is giving money to Sir Conrad so that he can hide there along with Juliet, and a few other people from the Capulet household (none of whom are actually Capulets, just those loyal to them). William’s mother says that they can stay there as long as they like, and Conrad gives a burst of emotion, saying that they didn’t survive 14 years just so that they could live for a long time. Just as she leaves, William’s mother tells Conrad that she’s been hearing rumors in the Keep about “a red wind.”
The winged horses also pull carriages along cobblestone streets.
Cordelia brings Juliet some food, and they talk for a while. I do like that Juliet confides in her nurse – even though Cordelia is much younger than the nurse in Shakespeare’s play, she was the only person in whom Juliet ever confided any feelings (aside from Romeo, obviously). Juliet’s fever has broken, and Cordelia asks if she will meet Romeo again today. Cordelia asks where he’s from, what his name is, what sort of person he is, where she met him, and Juliet will only answer that she met him at the Rose Ball. Juliet confirms to a horrified Cordelia that he is a nobleman. Cordelia berates herself for having Juliet go and see him yesterday. Cordelia asks Juliet to promise that she won’t see Romeo again, but we hear no answer.
The scene cuts to Romeo and his Pegasus, sitting in the iris-covered abandoned rampart, waiting for Juliet. The sun is setting, but Romeo is still cheerfully chatting with his Pegasus, in spite of his obvious disappointment.
We are shown foreboding exterior shots of the Keep.
Inside, a noble says that a commoner named Shylock has been seeking a family crest. Shylock, as you may know, is the central character in the play “The Merchant of Venice,” in which he is a cruel character, but also experiences a life of prejudice because he is a Jew. The nobles laugh while eating fresh fruit, saying that commoners believe everything can be bought with money. The Lord Montague, while squeezing the juice out of a grape with his bare hand, says that it is their duty to drain the “use” out of all people. One noble comments that the people are suffering from poverty, and that they will rebel. Lord Montague suggest that he is not properly draining the people of their use. Romeo arrives on the scene, late from waiting for Juliet. Lord Montague slaps him across the face in front of the gathered nobles, who are standing around, drinking wine. Lord Montague berates Romeo, telling him that he must be mindful of his responsibilities to his house.
Later, most of the nobles leave. Outside, Romeo bids farewell to Benvolio. Inside, Lord Montague tells Mercutio to let him know if anything about Romeo has need for concern. Mercutio agrees.
Deep inside the Keep, Lord Montague stands alone before a glowing tree he refers to as “Escalus.” He says that so long as he has the blessings of the tree, there will be no limit to their prosperity.
In the city, some people, one of whom is the man who treats the Red Whirlwind when she is injured, are handing out bread and fruit to the impoverished. A friar comes along to chat – yay, there was a friar in the play, too – he was the one who orchestrated Romeo and Juliet’s marriage, and also Juliet’s fake-death, which lead to the real deaths of both. The friar asks where they got so much food, and one man replies, “The wind brings it.”
Romeo flies over his and Juliet’s meeting place, wondering where Juliet is.
Juliet is in her room, looking out the window and smelling an iris.
Romeo goes to see his mother, bearing lilies, although it doesn’t really seem like she needs them, as she is surrounded by a flower garden. She asks if he has grown taller, so it seems as though they don’t see one another very often. She asks if it’s all right for him to leave the Keep, and Romeo says that “there is no one at the Keep who will welcome me with a smile.” His mother apologizes for leaving him alone by leaving the Keep. Romeo says not to worry, and his mother reveals that she left him when he was little. His mother accepts Romeo’s flowers, and tells him to return to his father. She says she prays for him always. Clearly, Romeo takes after his cheerful mother, and not his creepy father.
Back in the city, the Red Whirlwind’s doctor is surrounded by guards who accuse him of being in league with the Red Whirlwind. The friar tries to intervene, and now that I see him again, I’m pretty sure that both he and Romeo’s mother are wearing the same brooch. The guard has the doctor taken away, leaving his wife and crying children behind. He tells them not to worry.
In the theatre house, Conrad sits reading. Cordelia comes and asks him if he thinks Juliet will be all right. He asks what’s happened, and Cordelia says that she’s just concerned because Juliet has hidden for her entire life, hiding even her true gender. Conrad says that once they overthrow the Montagues, Juliet will be fine. The small boy, Antonio, runs in asking for Juliet, and then runs to her room. He tells Juliet about the doctor’s capture.
At a prison, guards interrogate the doctor, asking him who the Red Whirlwind is, and where “he” lives. The doctor is defiant, although he appears to have been beaten for a while.
Cordelia sees Antonio and the Red Whirlwind running, leaving the theater house.
Romeo is once again flying over his and Juliet’s meeting place. At the prison, the Red Whirlwind appears on the scene at a dead sprint, breaking into the prison by kicking in the glass window and landing on top of the doctor’s interrogators in a very badass-like manner.
The Red Whirlwind fights the interrogators with swords, and miraculously kicks down a heavy wooden door, fleeing with the doctor in tow. She encounters more guards and continues running, although the doctor tells her to escape without him. He says, "You are our hope. The people of this city—" and Juliet interrupts him, saying, "No." She has now made it to the open roof of the prison, where she is faced with six guards. The hear a Pegasus overhead, and Romeo asks "what is the meaning of this?" Romeo lands, and the guards explain. He examines the Red Whirlwind, and notices the scent of irises. He asks for the sword of a guard, and says he will bring the Red Whirlwind to the Duke himself. He attacks the Red Whirlwind, who doesn’t hesitate to fight back.
As they fight, Romeo says so only she can hear, “There’s a canal below. We’re going to jump! Pretend to put up a fight and fall over the edge!”
The Red Whirlwind asks why, and Romeo seizes her arm and jumps over the edge of the roof. The Whirlwind manages to grab the doctor and pull him over too. The three land in the water as the guards watch from the roof.
Back in the city, Romeo comments that it’s the first time he’s ever done “something so rash.” The Red Whirlwind expresses disbelief that Romeo would save them, and the doctor is also amazed that Lord Montague’s son would save the Red Whirwind. “Montague,” the Red Whirlwind repeats, eyes watering. Romeo tells them not to tell anyone else that he helped them, and leaves.
Impressions: I really feel like Juliet isn’t quite sure she wants to lead this revolution. When she fainted after having flashbacks about the death of her parents, I really feel like it was foreshadowing. She was lying in the rain, out cold, with a sword next to her. Will Juliet survive her faction’s attempted coup?
The Escalus Tree: In the play, Prince Escalus was the royalty in the city who hated the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets. He repeatedly told them to stop the violence, and it was his ban on it that made forfeit the life of Romeo after he killed Tybalt (it was Tybalt, right? I get the names mixed up). It was also Escalus who said at the end, "There never was a tale of more woe / than that of Juliet and her Romeo." So, does this tree really favor the Montagues, as Lord Montague seem to think? Or is it a passive vessel of power?
Continued Role-Inversion of the Characters Romeo and Juliet:
When Romeo is not met by Juliet on the rampart, it is he who is left in the cold. He responds cheerfully, as a stereotypical fairy-tale female character might - joking with his pet Pegasus, instead of brooding and becoming angry, as a stereotypical male might.
Overall in this episode, Juliet is the brooding, angsty one (yes, with good reason!). She also kicks a lot of ass. The screenshots do no justice to the force with which she defeats at least 5 prison guards, and also her fast-paced fight with Romeo.
While Juliet is privy to rebellion and helping the impoverished of Neo-Verona, Romeo waits for her surrounded by flowers, is slapped on the cheek by his father for not being obedient, and brings flowers to his mom. I feel like triumphantly cackling when I make these observations.
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Though Creepy Informer Mercutio is not so much with the yay. I miss the terribly sarcastic shit-disturber Mercutio.
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I hope that Juliet will end up breaking free of Conrad's insatiable lust for revenge, or at least that Romeo will help her out. She knows that he's willing to help the Red Whirlwind, so why not her, too?