I've loved Tsubasa from the beginning. Even the anime that so many don't (the second season not so much as the first). And the first soundtrack, well, I've listened to it hundreds of times, easily.

Finally, after learning about Bee Train losing the contract for season three, and that if there even ever is a season three, it'll be autumn at least, I caved and read the scanlations of the volumes/chapters that haven't made it to Del Rey yet. We own through volume 11, and I've read 12 at B&N (waiting for e-rewards to open up the Borders Bucks reward to buy it, since I've got almost $60 built up through them).

Everything from volume 13 on is just incredible. As much as I loved the series before, it's much deeper, into an obsession, now. I fear we've lost some of the humor, that it might not be able to come back, and that might be why Piffle world was so very full of brightness and sillies. But it's one of those stories that I just get caught in, to the point that I'm reading message boards and fan fiction just to try to wear out the excitement. It's also made me realize that Kuro is far and beyond my favorite character (okay, well, except for Mokona).

I've been thinking a lot about the inherent metaphors within it. Especially how we can come into a relationship empty, or new, and some of us grow from the relationship -- the other person fills us, holds up mirrors, and holds us, so we can find ourselves. And sometimes we don't grow. And there's no rhyme or reason to how or why one goes one way and one goes another. Or about how the coldest of us on the outside have the most soft hearts that if someone's listening, will see that.

There's just so much there beneath the surface between all of them, and I love that. I love how it's not spelled out. I love how things are left to either imagination or inference or deduction. I love the underlying archetypes and metaphors. It's just so good.

We'll have volume 13 in the States at the end of May, 14 at the end of July, and 15 at the end of October, supposedly. I'm looking forward to seeing how the official translation differs.

The last two chapters (150 & 151) make it seem a little like we're nearing the end, but everything I've read elsewhere says we've 8 more volumes to go. Part of me wants it to go on forever, part of me wonders how they're going to fill that much more story after everything that's happened.

Mostly I wish I had someone to fangirl with about it. Ah, well. Dear Blog...

PS: I've lost my season one Tsubasa discs, along with my Loveless and Peach Girl discs. OMG shoot me.