maiji:Evening FacesComing back to this series. I’m determined to finish it!This is the beautif
maiji:Evening FacesComing back to this series. I’m determined to finish it!This is the beautiful, gentle and frail lady known as Yugao (often translated as morning glory or moonflower, literally “evening face” - a flower that blooms at night and then fades away during the day). She’s the heart of Genji’s most horribly failed love affair. Originally the love interest of To no Chujo, Genji’s best friend/rival, we first hear about her in the second chapter when To no Chujo laments not being able to find her or the daughter he had with her - she went into hiding after his wife got mad and started making things miserable for her. Genji discovers her after she sees him passing by and writes him a surprisingly forward poem. He begins calling on her and quietly suspects she’s the woman his friend was talking about. Their relationship grows beautifully and everything is just lovely and they are having an absolutely magical evening together when she’s suddenly possessed by a vengeful spirit and then dies. Uh. Oops. (”OMG KOREMITSU SHE DIED!! WHADDOIDO????”) The vengeful spirit? Rokujo no Miyasudokoro - her wrath at Genji turned into a malicious supernatural force.Yugao is one of the most famous chapters of Genji Monogatari, and also the one I’ve read the most variations of (at least four different translations plus the version in Asakiyumemishi). It’s not surprising - it’s one of the most self-contained chapters and works well as a standalone. TBH I can’t say it’s one I particularly care for. But I appreciate its narrative importance, and it has ramifications reaching well into future chapters. See Tendril Wreath.Genjimonogatari series @tipnaree Ahhh, thank you so much for the lovely tags/comments!! It’s so wonderful to see another Tale of Genji fan and I’m so happy to hear your thoughts and reflections on the characters and their relationships via this illustration <3 -- source link
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