There She Is!!
A homage to the 2004 animated series "There She Is!!" by SamBakZa.
So, about a year ago, I was browsing the net, looking for something to do. Free music to listen to, artwork to admire, and of course, animations to watch. I came upon one that really, REALLY caught my eye. A story of prejudice, racism, segregation and finding your one true love, no matter how spontaneous. A tale of not only breaking through social norms, but also a light hearted and sometimes heavy hearted romance that starts off with only one side wishing it to be so.
That's right. I speak of SamBakZa's ever favorable animated classic, There She Is!!
What really sets this apart, other than the compelling story, the superb animation, or the clever and meaningful use of color, is how it tells the story through only audio and visual mediums. Hardly any line of dialog is used at all, usually reserved for writing down notes and such. Another example is the music used in the background for each chapter in the story. It sets the tone anywhere from silly and upbeat, to depressing and, ultimately, triumphant.
Seeing as how there is little to no dialog, it leaves a lot to interpretation. What is it that the characters are saying? What are their goals and reasons for doing these things? I figured I would do my best and offer some sort of tribute to this critically acclaimed masterpiece.
*PLEASE NOTE*
This is going to be a scene for scene, chapter by chapter adaptation of the flash animation. I will be staying as true to the original as possible. Also, as there is no dialog in the original, I will be basing it on not only by the actions of the characters in the flash itself, but also by possible interpretation in a way that actually fits the narrative. That being the case, this will stay PG at the most.
With all that said and done, enjoy chapter one!
_ Ah, nothing like a lazy Sunday afternoon off of work._
Indeed it was.
It was the tail end of Spring. That time of year where the howling wind has finally calmed down and the days have lengthened a considerable amount. Days grow warmer as nights grow shorter. The birds have all migrated back and the leaves on every tree have fully sprouted to their full potential.
And with the changing of the seasons comes a changing of schedule at work.
Being a local papercat, Nabi's hours have been considerably extended. He lived in a relatively large town, so with Summer well on its way, more people were coming in to rent or even buy out apartments and homes. That meant more people to deliver to and more time on the daily grind. The increasing heat did not help with the eight to ten hour shifts either.
So, it was a blessing at this time of year for Nabi to get a day or two off. On a Sunday no less. So, with the time he had, he decided to take some time at his favorite park nearby his apartment complex. Green grass, well maintained walkways, and plenty of room to run around if he ever had the urge to. Not that he would under the gaze of the blisteringly hot sun.
He spotted a couple of newly installed vending machines nearby. He was a bit parched, so why not? He approached and saw the price. 3700 won? For a cup of Frosted Fish?! Honestly, if I weren't dehydrating right now, I'd just move on. Rummaging through his wallet, he managed to retrieve the appropriate amount of money. Putting it in, he heard the internal mechanics of the machine go to work as his cup was ejected under the spout. Nabi was a bit transfixed on the process. So much so that he didn't even notice the slightly younger bunny girl getting a drink of her own.
Doki had just got done with Sunday church. She and her family rather had a decent time during Mass and they went together often, with Doki convinced that they held a strong faith. However, Doki's brother, Il-ho, needed it the most. What, with being not only the leader of a gang, but also just a bit overprotective of his only sister. He really does mean well for me. She thought to herself. I just wish that he would let me grow up to make my own decisions in life. Sure, I may be a bit young, but I'm living on my own for goodness sake!
He already had a habit of criticizing her hobby and, often times, part time job. She has always been a kind soul. Not only to others, but to animals as well. So she took that love and applied it to a pseudo small business as a stay at home vet, taking animals off of other friends and caring for them. She also does this for animals off of the streets in her own spare time out of the goodness of her heart. The rest of her family calls it a waste, but Doki knows better. It's putting a roof over her head and food in her mouth, so why the complaints?
Besides, she's learned to not take everything Il-ho says completely to heart. He is the leader of a gang after all.
It was at this time after church that Doki took her pet dog out for a nice Sunday stroll. It was Spring and the weather was absolutely beautiful outside. She had no appointments or patients today and it was a golden opportunity to get out of her own home and into the sun.
Her dog, however, had had enough of the post Spring heat. Doki had felt bad, so she sent him off. He knew the way home enough to get there safely. She herself was getting a bit thirsty as well, so she stopped by a nearby carrot juice dispenser to cool off. She got her drink after paying the ridiculously high amount that it had cost and was about to take a sip.
Until she saw him getting his own beverage.
Let me take the time to tell you a little bit of background for the area that these two live in, this cat and this rabbit. Two species, each coinciding with the other. They share everything. Public restrooms, parking spaces, apartments, tables in restaurants. They live harmoniously, with hardly any conflict or cause for concern. Crime is small, almost non-existent. Things are decent at the very least for any resident here.
Until love is thrown into the mix.
Interspecies love is heavily frowned upon in this otherwise peaceful town. Social shunning. Ridicule. Slander. Vandalism. The most caring and warm-hearted of all emotions is tainted into a stigma for the people who would otherwise give a helping hand to a stranger. Almost anyone, anywhere would slam the door in the face of any willing customer if so much as a hint of romance were shown between both a cat and a rabbit.
So imagine the weight of the dilemma hanging over Nabi like an anvil in a cartoon when he sees this smaller, younger bunny girl staring at him with the rosiest of blushes on her face.
Her cup of carrot juice was completely forgotten as Doki looked on. It fell to the ground, spilling its contents as Nabi retrieved his drink. He heard the clatter and turned to face the source of the noise. What he saw would forever change his life for both good and ill.
_ Why is she staring at me like that?_ Nabi thought to himself. Is there someone behind me? He turned to look, but no one seemed to be catching this rabbit's attention. Not a single person was looking back at her. Maybe she-OH GOD!
Her face was beet red in what could only be described as pure and unrelenting want. And it was gazing right at Nabi.
His drink fell out of his hand as well. Not out of forgetfulness, as was the case with Doki, but of raw shock. The look in her eyes told him everything he would need to confirm his fears. Wide eyed, he turned to look behind him. A crowd had formed. Murmuring. Whispering. He saw mostly rabbits grouped together on one side, cats looking at him in disbelief on the other.
_ Oh my goodness, is this really happening?!_ Nabi could only wonder why this girl, this rabbit of the opposite gender would want him. She twirled in a sort of dance like motion towards him, as she popped a carrot in his gaping, slack jawed mouth.
That was the final straw.
_ I'm outta here!_ Was his last thought as he bolted.
_ Where has this cat been all my life!?_ Doki pondered to herself as she stared at him. Everything about him is perfect. The clothes that he wear are so...right. I love the green of his scarf. It matches his eyes. And his build! Such a sleek, yet masculine physique. He has to be the one.
She was so enamored with his appearance, she hardly registered the fact that he had just run off. It only took her a minute to recover though. Playing hard to get? All right. I'm game. She took off running after him.
And like that, the chase was on.
_ What is this girl's problem?!_ Was all Nabi could think of as he was running desperately down the street. It's not that he was afraid of having a girlfriend, oh no. He did have one to call his own a few years ago in school. It's not like he didn't want to let a special someone into his life. The thing that made Nabi the most apprehensive was what kind of girl was after him. He didn't want what came with this kind of relationship. He would be forever mocked from his peers at work. He'd become a social outcast.
So he ran. He didn't have a destination in mind. All he knew was that he had to get away. Far away from this love stricken bunny who would bring down his status in its entirety.
Doki, on the other hand, was in constant pursuit. She was absolutely certain that this cat she was chasing was the one to call her own. As she was close behind him, she let all of her fantasies come to the forefront of her mind. Long, romantic walks through the flower fields on the outskirts of the city, rides on the back of a motorcycle through the streets, intimate dancing by the beach on a cloudless evening at sunset. She wanted these and more. She needed these. From him.
She knew of the repercussions of what she desired. She had heard of other couples who have attempted the same. The shunning, the cold shoulders, the outright disdain that honestly sickened her. She didn't care for any of it. All she knew was that she would gladly face it all. As long as she had this dream of hers come true, standing side by side, arm in arm with this cat she was after, then she would be content.
And she would do anything to sway him.
_ My God, there is just no getting away from her!_
Nabi kept running. Through the city, through the buildings, even through the back alleyways. He was a cat by nature. A runner. Not just for short bursts, but for entire yards, miles even. He was designed to be agile, fast, and filled with endurance. Able to either catch up with someone, or flee from danger if need be.
So maybe someone should try to explain to Nabi why that darn rabbit is catching him at every turn. He makes it up a flight of stairs, she's up there waiting. He turns the corner at the marketplace, he smacks right into her comically smiling face. He gets an elevator, she's already on it. Everywhere he goes, she is two steps ahead, getting the jump on him and only adding to Nabi's growing fear and frustration.
It was when she caught him hiding in the men's room that he decided to talk some sense into her.
Nabi had a friend at the local library that let him rent out some projection equipment for free. He led the cat and bunny to a room that Nabi could use and left the two alone. Nabi then set up the screen and projector while Doki just looked on him in wonder, a small blush still on her face.
"Here, have a seat." Nabi said, as he offered Doki a chair right in front of the screen. She did so with feminine grace. Nabi cleared his head and focused. He took his place in front of Doki to present what he was going to say and to hopefully talk this bunny stalker of his out of this delirious state she's in.
"Okay, so you have a crush on me. That much was evident from the last four or so hours of you chasing me."
Doki just grinned with her blush deepening in response.
"Riiigght. Anyways, the reason I bring this up is because I want to let you down easy."
He clicked the button in his hand to show the first slide: A man and a woman holding hands. They were obviously a couple and completely infatuated with each other. They were also cats.
He then showed the next slide: A rabbit couple. Like with the cats, they too were holding hands. The only difference being that they were staring into one another's eyes.
Nabi then spoke up. "Now, you can clearly see that these two couples are of the same species. They adhere to the old customs of our town and avoid ridicule. Most importantly, they are happy together. There's nothing that they need to overly worry about. Which brings me to my point."
He clicked the button for a third and final time, hoping that this last slide would change her mind. It showed a male cat and a female bunny in distress. They weren't angry with each other, but the expressions on their faces were those that have taken a fair share of berating. They were sad, possibly even miserable. They were unhappy.
"An interspecies couple cannot be happy together. They might care for one another, but the toll that they go through from their peers and from society in general will wear them down."
_ Let's hope this clears things up with her. I might not be interested, but I'm not mean. Last thing I want to do is hurt anyone._
He looked over to Doki, who just stared back. The look on her face was one of intrigue and confusion.
"That's not entirely true." She said. This was the first time that Nabi actually heard her speak. Her voice was soft and caring which matched her stature and demeanor. It sounded almost... pleasant. "I once had a neighbor that was a cat. She had a boyfriend that was a bunny and they got by just fine. The only reason they broke up was because of the physical state my neighbor went through. Before all of that though, they were happy together for nearly half a decade."
Nabi looked at her with a slack jawed and shocked expression. Convincing this girl is gonna be harder than I thought. Time to call for some backup.
Nabi had a couple of bunny friends that owed him a favor from high school. Maybe, he thought, Maybe if I'm lucky, one of these guys can catch her eye instead. They're all single and have been looking for a date for a while... Well, maybe not Eolgan. He was always more into books and stuff.
This was Nabi's last shot at this. He knew that if he couldn't get these, for lack of a better word, suitors to convince the girl away from him, then all Hell would break loose. It was worth the shot, though. What else did he have to lose?
He led her by the hand to a park somewhere in the middle of town. While they made their way, Nabi looked back at Doki to see that she was still slightly blushing and was about a step and a half in Dreamland. Nabi could've sworn that he saw a big heart front and center in each of her eyes. He shook that thought out of his head and continued towards the park. Now's not the time for wayward thoughts. Nabi thought to himself. I gotta focus.
_ _When they made it to the park, Nabi saw that his three friends were there waiting.
He turned to her and asked, "Hey, can you wait right here for a second? I need to talk to my buddies up ahead."
Her blush deepened a bit. "S-Sure." She said with a slightly nervous smile.
Nabi smiled rather awkwardly, but managed to make it convincing. He ran to the three men standing patiently.
"Whew! Sorry to keep you guys waiting. As you can see, I've been more than a little hung up."
Ganghan, the strong one of the three held up a hand. "It's all good." he said in a rather gruff voice. "We never forget a favor. Especially to someone who we raised Hell with back in the day." He looked over to Doki, who was a bit busy twiddling her thumbs. "She's cute. A question though, if it's alright."
Nabi knew what was coming. "I know, I know. What's a cat like me and a rabbit like her doing together? I wish I could answer that. She spent the whole day infatuated with me! I was chased around half of this damn city. I need some help, guys. Please!"
Joh-Eunbogo, Joh for short, was the suave and good looking guy of the group. He spoke in an upper class accent, "It would be an absolute joy to help an old friend out. Eolgan, are you up for it?" He looked back to see the somewhat small bunny reading through a book, who meekly answered, "Um... sure. Wait, does she like reading?"
Nabi held his gaze with a blank expression. "I uh... I've been trying to avoid her all day. I didn't really ask her any questions."
Ganghan cut in. "Well, then why don't you introduce us?"
"Right to the point, Ganghan. That's what I always liked about you." Joh said.
Nabi let out a small sigh of relief. "Thanks guys. I knew I could count on you."
Nabi led them over to Doki, who was watching a couple of birds fly by. "Hey there." She said as they approached her. "Who are your friends?"
"Well, let's start with Ganghan." Nabi ducked behind him and placed his hands on his shoulders. "As you can see, he's a pretty tough guy. He works out everyday to keep this kind of build up. He lifts what, 280?"
"360." Ganghan said.
"Even better! He is definitely the kind of guy who would protect anyone that he cares about. He's real chivalrous like that."
"...Uh-huh..." Doki said with a tinge of sarcasm that none of the guys picked up on.
"This here is Eolgan. Don't let his small stature fool you." He turned to him. "No offence."
"None taken." he said behind his glasses.
Nabi turned back towards Doki. "Eolgan is a studious person. He's always reading up on current trends, places and people. He's really proficient in book smarts. Who knows? Maybe this guy will get into a high paying job in the near future?"
Doki didn't say anything. However, a look began to build behind her eyes. She may have been innocent, but she wasn't naive.
Nabi noticed it and swallowed back a bit of trepidation. "And finally, this here is Joh-Eunbogo, Joh for short."
"Very pleased to meet you." Joh said.
That was the last straw for Doki. She knew what the man of her affections was trying to do and she would have none of it. The look of indignation and drive intensified to its fullest. It was almost as if her eyes were glowing.
Joh looked closely and gasped in horror. "Nabi, I know that look! She's not gonna stop until she gets you! Run!!"
Nabi glanced at his old High School friends for one moment. "It was worth a shot. You guys have a good one. We'll get drinks some time!"
And with that, Nabi was running with Doki in hot pursuit.
Nabi was out of ideas. She won't listen to reason, she avoids other guys with way more potential than me and she's absolutely bonkers!_ _He was completely exhausted. He hadn't eaten all day. He was just chased around for hours on end.
Thankfully, there was a tree nearby that he was sure he would be safe in. He ran up without a second thought. Wiping the sweat from his brow and taking in gasps of air into his lungs, he thought himself out of the woods. Hopefully she didn't see me run up here.
_ The tree jolted. _Yup, she saw me. It jolted again and again. Nabi looked down to see the bunny furiously chopping down the tree like a lumberjack. She swung the axe with purpose, as if her life depended on it. The tree began to budge and tip. Nabi's last thought before hitting the ground was basically him screaming in his head, WHERE DID SHE GET THE AX?!?
_ _He landed on his stomach with a thud and cried. "Ok! Ok, you win! Just end it, please!"
Doki threw the ax to the ground and walked over to claim her prize. "Hello! My name is Doki! I was trying to tell you that, but you kept running! Not to mention those other distractions that got in the way."
"M-My name is... My name is Nabi."
"Say..." Doki wondered out loud. "My Birthday is coming up in a couple of days. It's gonna be at the Cake and Bake. Maybe you'd like to join me and my friends there?"
Nabi reluctantly shrugged his shoulders. "I got work all week, but give me the time and place. I'll be there."
Doki practically squealed with joy. "Oh,thankyou,thankyou,thankyou! You have no idea what this means to me!"
Nabi just sighed.
It was a bit late in the afternoon when Doki led Nabi to the vending machines at the park where this all started.
"Are you thirsty?" Doki asked, kindly.
Nabi gave her a sideways glance. "Uh, yeah. Sure."
Doki paid the amount for a cup of carrot juice and gave it to Nabi. Another sideways glance.
"Just try it."
With that, she bought herself a cup of Frosted Fish to try. While Nabi tried out the carrot juice, which was to his surprise pretty good, he witnessed something that caught him off guard: A female cat, an attractive one at that ran by. Nabi thought this odd, until a male bunny ran after her with a bouquet of flowers and a blush on his face. Nabi could only chuckle at the irony.
Nabi then saw Doki try some of the Frosted Fish. She took a big swig and lowered the cup.
"Hmm. Not bad." she said, all with a clothespin on her nose, no doubt for the smell. Nabi looked at her with a bit of a wide eyed gaze. Heh, that was kind of cute. Wait a minute... Where did that_ thought come from?_
End Notes
I plan on doing the rest of the episodes/chapters every few days or so. Hopefully, I'll be able to release the fifth one on the 20th, which just so happens to be the 10th anniversary of the series. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and my first shot at a story