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Author Topic: Castle in the Sky  (Read 20891 times)

Daniel Krispin

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Castle in the Sky
« on: April 06, 2005, 03:26:02 am »
I don't know if this has been brought up at some time in the past, so I figured I might mention it. It has seemed to me for a long time that Zeal, this idea of a great ancient land floating high above the earth, might be based upon the movie Castle in the Sky. For those who don't know, it's a Japanese movie by Miyazaki (probably the only anime I actually like.) For those who do know it: am I just throwing together ill-placed connections here? It strikes me as possible, though. It is not inconceivable that Kato knew of the movie when he wrote CT (if I'm not mistaken Miyazaki's movies are some of the most famous in Japan.) And remember even this: the people of this 'castle in the sky', the kingdom of Laputa, possessed, in the movie, a mineral-gem named Levistone (Etherium in the English dub), that allowed the castle-land to float. That stikes me as markedly similar to the way in which the sunstone was used to keep Zeal in the sky. Again, it might just be me, however. Any other thoughts?
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GrayLensman

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Castle in the Sky
« Reply #1 on: April 06, 2005, 07:29:34 am »
Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky is actually based in part on Johnathan Swift's novel, Gulliver's Travels (1726).  Swift's story featured a flying island named Laputa which used an enormous lodestone to stay aloft.  I can definitely see this as an inspiration for Zeal.
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jotabe1789

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Castle in the Sky
« Reply #2 on: July 13, 2005, 10:30:53 pm »
Not only that: Swift's Laputa is a utopian society of wise men and scientists (any science advanced enough will look like magic to backwards people), if i am not mistaken, what deepens into the relationship with Zeal.
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Legend of the Past

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Castle in the Sky
« Reply #3 on: July 14, 2005, 07:03:23 am »
Yes, I remember though it was a perfect, but a very monotonic society... Where Zeal's people spent most their time doing the same: Sleeping.
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Lord J Esq

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Castle in the Sky
« Reply #4 on: July 14, 2005, 09:38:59 am »
This is all correct so far, and now if I may speculate further, I believe the original inspiration for the floating enlightened society is the association of the elemental of Air with knowledge, logic, and dreams...creative power. Air is somewhat "impractical" without support from another elemental (the same is true of all four), and in Air's case the impracticality manifests itself as a dissociation from reality. What better place to situate the personification of these ideas than a castle in the sky, a home to the enlightened, a place completely unconcerned with the mundane existence of the limited, "real" world?
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Lordchander

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Castle in the Sky
« Reply #5 on: July 15, 2005, 10:37:58 am »
i swear there was a thread with this same name and purpose somewhere else on the compendium....
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DeweyisOverrated

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Castle in the Sky
« Reply #6 on: August 13, 2005, 07:48:58 pm »
Great song by Ian Van Dahl, btw.
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PhantomBPR

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Castle in the Sky
« Reply #7 on: September 13, 2005, 11:43:41 pm »
I sorta always saw Zeal as perhaps Nervana and the ice aged world as hell.
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AuraTwilight

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Castle in the Sky
« Reply #8 on: September 14, 2005, 07:18:06 pm »
Nirvana wasn't really heavenly, just for the record. It's a state of nonexistence of perfect understanding and enlightening. Not really blissful, but eh. I see what you mean and it's fine. Now, Zeal can still be the Nirvana of understanding and enlightening. All the Zealians are forever sleeping, always the same ((in the case Queen Zeal succeeded in making them immortal in the near future)) and the Earthbound Ones are forever suffering, dealing with their earthly sins as they change constantly, never able to hold on to their identities.
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DeweyisOverrated

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Castle in the Sky
« Reply #9 on: September 14, 2005, 07:41:20 pm »
It's also somewhat symbolic.  The Zealins enjoy "immortality" up in the heavens, while the earthbounds are doomed to be mortals on Earth.
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nightmare975

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Castle in the Sky
« Reply #10 on: September 24, 2005, 03:01:11 pm »
Sp could you say the Zeal is in a way...

Heaven?
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AuraTwilight

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Castle in the Sky
« Reply #11 on: September 25, 2005, 02:33:23 am »
I guess you could. Except it was a false heaven. An illusionary utopia. What would be a good example? Um....

Think of Instrumentality from End of Evangelion. A perfect world is achieved, but everyone loses their identity and individuality and become one single mind.
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Lord J Esq

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Castle in the Sky
« Reply #12 on: September 25, 2005, 03:50:13 am »
The Kingdom of Zeal is both the dream of the human race and the culmination of our flaws, a reminder that as a species we have such potential in our very nature, and yet also have such a long way to go. "Heaven," Zeal is not. Think of it as the imperfect paradise of an imperfect people.

A similar point was made in the film at issue; Laputa was said to be our ultimate aspiration, and, as such, it was immortal. Even if it were destroyed, we would seek to create it again. It is an allegory for the collective soul of humanity, as is Zeal.
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nightmare975

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Castle in the Sky
« Reply #13 on: September 25, 2005, 12:41:38 pm »
Quote from: AuraTwilight
I guess you could. Except it was a false heaven. An illusionary utopia. What would be a good example? Um....

Think of Instrumentality from End of Evangelion. A perfect world is achieved, but everyone loses their identity and individuality and become one single mind.


Ever read "The Giver"? It's about a perfect socity in which people are given jobs and what not. And they do that job for the rest of their lives. Oh yeah, and twins are killed off.
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Radical_Dreamer

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Castle in the Sky
« Reply #14 on: September 25, 2005, 07:44:58 pm »
Quote from: nightmare975
Quote from: AuraTwilight
I guess you could. Except it was a false heaven. An illusionary utopia. What would be a good example? Um....

Think of Instrumentality from End of Evangelion. A perfect world is achieved, but everyone loses their identity and individuality and become one single mind.


Ever read "The Giver"? It's about a perfect socity in which people are given jobs and what not. And they do that job for the rest of their lives. Oh yeah, and twins are killed off.


"The Giver" was the only worthwhile part of the seventh grade. Well, of the regular curiculum, anyway.
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