From Shared Love for Books to Find Love in Differences - Raintree no Kuni (J-Movie)

It's been a while since the last time I wrote a review for movie/drama / book, but this morning (I'm writing this at 6.30 AM btw) after I finished watching Raintree no Kuni, I felt the need to write something about it. I wrote a short (not really) review on my Instagram, but I still feel the need to write more on this blog. Is this movie really that good or am I just easily impressed? Well, not all movies/dramas/books made me this excited to review them, which means, this movie really left a great impression at least for me personally. Although I didn't have any expectations when I first found it, and the synopsis that I read on AsianWiki doesn't even sound interesting. But it turns out to exceed my expectation 😂 Okay now without further ado, let's get to the story. Warning: There will be some spoilers!

GIF by literallyadramaqueen on Tumblr

A Cyber Space Friendship
Raintree no Kuni was released in November 2015, starring Yuta Tamamori and Mariya Nishiuchi. It tells a story of Nobuyuki Sakisaka (Yuta Tamamori), a salaryman, a kind of guy we often meet in society, an ordinary guy who we can all relate. One day, Nobu lost the last volume of Fairy Games novel series which he hasn't read in so long. He forgot how the series ended and urged by his curiosity, he looked for the details of Fairy Games ending on the Internet. He stumbled into a blog named Raintree no Kuni / The Land of Rain Trees. The author of that blog wrote her opinions and impression towards the ending of Fairy Games Novel. 

"The Fairy Games that I loved had become books I couldn't possibly read again. It also becomes a book I'd never forget. It stuck deeply, like a thorn rooted inside of me. But as I grew up, 'so long as love exists, such a thing is a lie...' I understand what this line means. People can't just live by mincing words alone. Sacrifice oneself for a loved one is not possible..."

Those words from Raintree no Kuni blog author caught Nobu's interest and made him remember that he also felt disappointed with the bittersweet ending of Fairy Games novel, although his disappointment was based on a different reason. Due to his interest in that author's opinion, Nobu accidentally sent her an email that contains his own opinion regarding Fairy Games novel.

"I, too, was blown away when I read the ending. But, it wasn't because of a feeling of rejection from something you loved, as you described. More to say, it was the beginning of my life that I needed to keep pushing at the powerlessness..."

The author of Raintree no Kuni blog is a woman named Rika Hitomi (Mariya Nishiuchi). Nobu and Rika started communicating with each other through email, they discussed their point of view about the Fairy Games novel and they both became so invested in it. This is one of the things that I like from this movie, the two main protagonists were connected through their similar interest in the same book, and discuss it together in cyberspace while slowly develop a friendship. I mean, I can relate to them on a spiritual level. The never-ending talk on social media about things we both loved. Oh, I remember all the good old days 😂

GIF by nishiuchi on Tumblr

The First Date

Back to the story with some more spoilers: after intensely communicating through social media, Nobu becomes more curious about Rika and wants to meet her in person. But Rika refused his invitation to meet up on a blind date, saying that she isn't confident with her look. But feeling Nobu's sincerity in their conversation, she finally agreed to meet him. They both met up in a book store. This is one of the most painful and awkward scenes to watch 'though since their first date didn't go as smooth as a love story in Fanfiction 😂

GIF by literallyadramaqueen on Tumblr

Rika is actually a beautiful woman, 'though her long hair covered most of her ears and face and her outfits look plain and dull. Rika is also a very shy and reserved person, but despite those shy behaviors, Rika is unexpectedly a very demanding person, Rika kinda forced Nobu to fulfill her preferences, be it a movie which has to be a foreign movie with subtitle, and restaurant which needs to have a more quiet environment, and what made Nobu even more annoyed is when Rika didn't move from the elevator they both just got in although the alarm has rung, the sign that the elevator is overweight. Nobu who always speaks what's on his mind bluntly then told Rika that he was disappointed with Rika's attitude. At the same time, he found out that Rika wore a hearing aid and the fact that she is actually deaf. All this time, Rika has been reading Nobu's lips to understand what he said. Rika regretted her actions and apologized to Nobu, and decided to end their relationship at the end of that very first date.

GIF by Kisumaiyan on Tumblr

After Nobu found out the truth about Rika, he regretted his action and anger towards her. Although Rika has ended their relationship after the first date, Nobu determined to learn more about Deaf people and do a revenge date with Rika as his apology and to fix the first date which ended up in disaster. Rika didn't accept his invitation though, she was afraid she would disappoint him again and she doesn't have enough confidence in herself, but Nobu's effort and dedication in learning more about Deafness to make Rika let him enter her world once again moved Rika's heart. No one has ever cared that much about her except her parents. Is what Nobu felt was a mere sympathy? Or is it a sincere kindness? Slowly, Nobu who never hesitate to speak anything straightforwardly learn the value of words that Rika trying to say in all her limitations.

A Heartwarming (Love) Story

GIF by nishiuchi on Tumblr

I found many interesting points that made this movie left such a great impression on me. A relationship which started from the cyber world and exchanging emails, their similar interest towards the same novel, how important it is for an introvert or anti-social people to have a place to let out his thoughts (blog, book, etc), and how important an act of kindness and willingness from someone to try to empathize with other people's sorrows. Although we won't be able to fully understand someone's pain because we never stand in their shoes or face the same suffering as theirs, if we genuinely try to learn to be understanding, it could give a great influence and help people who have big insecurity like Rika to be stronger. I like Nobu's personality, he was so ordinary yet very easy to relate, we can easily have the same opinions and anger as him and sometimes being bitter about life, but he still chooses kindness and follow his heart. This movie offers such amazing values that are more than just romance, it's not just a love story between the Introvert and the Extrovert. It taught us about the difficulties that People with Disabilities (PwD) have to face every day, and in this case, it's not someone who is born disable but lost one of her abilities due to an accident, which completely changed her life and affected her confidence. This movie tells us that love is not about sacrifice. Love is about kindness. And kindness comes in many forms. 

Overall a great story and I rated it 9 / 10 because I can relate to it on a spiritual level. Mariya Nishiuchi is amazing as always, but it's been a while since I watched Yuta Tamamori's acting. His natural portrayal of Nobu surprised me and exceeded my expectation. I will definitely look for more of his works. 😊 

The Unending Secrets that Hides at the Deep of Human Heart through Pink & Gray (J-Movie)

As soon as I came back to Hey!Say!JUMP fandom, I found out that Yuto Nakajima has stepped further into the acting industry. He is one of my favorite actors in JUMP and what makes me even happier is the fact that his debut on the big screen as the lead role in this movie: PINK & GRAY, a movie adaptation from Shigeaki Kato's novel. This novel is Shige's debut in literary work, the first Johnny talent to debut as a writer to be exact. I congratulated him on my post. I love Hey!Say!JUMP and NEWS, so there's no way I'd skip this movie since it's the combined work of my two favorite fandoms. Hmm, this preface is already longer than I plan.

It is hard not to write some spoilers because half of the movie actually contain secrets and plot twist. I don't want people who are going to watch it for the first time to lose that surprised feeling from the plot twist either. Unless you've already read the novel.

This movie is split into two colors, which represent the past and present. The one with colors (Pink) is the past, and the one in black and white (Gray) is the present. It was confusing at first but it kept you curious to watch it 'til you understand what is actually going on. 

PINK - Past

The movie begins with Rengo Shiraki, a famous actor, who was preparing to commit suicide, he leaves 6 wills letters for his childhood best friend, Daiki Kawata / Riva-chan before he died. It was already too late when Daiki came and tried to release him from the tightropes. Daiki had to choose one of the wills from Rengo. Daiki's fate seemed to hinge on this choice. Rengo had an older sister who committed suicide during her Ballet performance in front of Rengo's eyes and whether this influenced Rengo's decision to do the same thing later or not will be answered later.

Daiki and Rengo's friendship began when Daiki moved to the same apartment and became Rengo's neighbor. And together with a neighborhood girl named Sally (Kaho), the trio became the best of friends who survived turbulent years of adolescence. Daiki felt both admiration and envy towards Rengo who excels at arts and looks, and popular among ladies, especially when Daiki found himself attracted to Sally, but the girl seemed to show more affection to Rengo. One day, the two boys scouted by a model agency and started working as extras. Rengo made the leap to acting and stardom, while the less-confident Daiki stews in the apartment they share. 

Rengo aware of Daiki's insecurities, tried to help him get more jobs on his dramas or movies, but Daiki was never able to give a good performance because he felt pressured with Rengo's presence at the scene. Daiki who was desperate overlooks Rengo's help and said he didn't want to stay with the current Rengo. Rengo didn't argue and just left the apartment, while Daiki poured his anxieties and feelings into Sally. They both had never seen Rengo again for the next three years.

Three years later

The two best friends reunited at Highschool class reunion. Daiki hesitated to greet his ex-best friend who has become a big star and gained so much attention at the reunion, but Rengo approached him first, and at that very same night, they were back to become best friends, as if all of the dramas and fights a few years ago never happened. That night, while the two of them drunk and reminiscing the good old days, Rengo promised Daiki that he would exchange place with him the next day. Daiki didn't understand Rengo's words since he's drunk and forgot about it right away. The next day, Rengo asked Daiki to visit his apartment at night. Daiki was too happy to finally reconciled with Rengo. He came to Rengo's apartment that night to have some fun talk and drink just as Rengo asked him before, only to find out that Rengo has committed suicide and left him with 6 wills letters.

GRAY - Present

After Rengo's death, Daiki wrote a biography novel about him, just like what Rengo wish in one of his wills that Daiki choose. This biography novel about Rengo Shiroki has gained Daiki the popularity that he's always wanted. The novel is adapted into the movie and Daiki was asked to portray one of the three leading roles. While watching his and Rengo's story through the big screen, Daiki realized that there was something that Rengo hides from him. Why did Rengo commit suicide? Why did he leave such troublesome suicide notes? Daiki who's just got into the showbiz world also learned that everything around him is more complicated and everyone wears a mask. 

Being a star doesn't always mean happiness. Daiki realized that he doesn't understand Rengo at all, despite the fact that they were best friends since childhood, Rengo never told him what's on his mind. Struggling to come to terms with Rengo’s suicide as well as with fame he can’t really call his own, Daiki sets out to discover the truth behind his friend’s death. Daiki learned that human is such a complex creature. No one really knows about anyone else except themselves.

This movie is surprisingly heavy and confusing when I first watched it, but it kept me curious. I cried a lot too, maybe the image of Yuto secretly hides something that makes him suffer actually hurt me a little. I feel like I can relate to both Rengo and Daiki's pain to some extent, but at the same time, there are moments when I don't understand him at all. Japan is really on a different level when it comes to thriller, suspense, psychological genre. I was speechless when the movie ended. I'm also amazed by Shige as the writer of this story.

By the way, as a Hey!Say!JUMP fan who is used to see Yuto's innocent, goofy, childlike image, this movie has totally changed my perspective towards him. I always know that Yuto is a great actor but I just never expect that the day will come when he's finally taking these kinds of roles and play some adult scenes, LOL. But he's undoubtedly and arguably great in portraying these roles and it made me respect him more now. I'm glad that this movie is his first debut on the big screen.

PS: All of the gifs were taken from Tumblr and google. Feel free to message me if you want to be credited or want me to take it down. Jaa :)

Jodoh atau Bodoh? Menemukan Cinta Kembali di Ada Apa dengan Cinta 2

Entah darimana harus memulai, tapi ada sesuatu di film ini yang membuat aku begitu tersentuh, padahal aku tidak fanatik sama sekali dengan film pertamanya. Tapi, sesuatu dalam film ini membuat aku menontonnya hingga 3x berturut-turut, dan masih tetap mendapatkan kesan yang mendalam setiap kali. Ada Apa dengan Film ini?

Saat Ada Apa Dengan Cinta (2002) tayang, aku masih duduk di bangku SD, dan aku baru benar-benar memahami film pertamanya setelah aku berada di bangku kuliah, dan sejujurnya, aku merasa AADC adalah kisah romansa SMA yang sangat sederhana, hanya saja kisah ini menjadi berbeda karena ada balutan puisi-puisi indah dan soundtrack yang sangat berkesan. Kisah yang agak magis sebenarnya, ketika dua pujangga dengan karakter yang jauh berbeda, saling jatuh cinta karena sama-sama menyukai puisi? And not to mention that they were only 17? Isn't that a little bit unusual? Tapi toh, hal yang tidak biasa ini malah meninggalkan kesan mendalam. 

Ada sesuatu dalam setiap karya Riri Riza yang selalu berhasil menyentuh sanubari, bahkan dari karya yang sangat sederhana sekalipun. Mungkin karena aku selalu jatuh cinta dengan kisah si introvert yang mencair oleh kehadiran seorang ekstrovert. Mungkin karena aku pun juga menyukai puisi. Dan mungkin karena chemistry Dian Sastrowardoyo dan Nicholas Saputra yang begitu natural sehingga aku tidak seperti menonton dua orang berakting. Namun, cukup berkesan saja tidak menjadikan AADC (2002) menjadi film favorit, aku akui beberapa adegan iconic-nya terus aku ulang kalau lagi iseng, seperti saat Cinta membawakan puisi Rangga di cafe, atau saat perpisahan kedua insan ini di Bandara. Lagi-lagi, Riri Riza mampu menghadirkan adegan yang sederhana menjadi terlihat luar biasa indah.

Ada Apa dengan Cinta 2

"Karena seorang Rangga, rusak move on Sebelangga..."

Aku lupa membaca komentar ini dimana, tapi ini cukup mewakilkan cerita AADC 2, in hilarious way. Film ke dua setelah 14 tahun ini pastinya diantisipasi oleh masyarakat luas yang menantikan kelanjutan kisah Rangga dan Cinta, dengan ekspektasi yang tinggi, karena itu menjadi sebuah kejutan ketika aku mendapatkan film ini dihadirkan dengan cerita yang ringan dan cara yang begitu sederhana, namun entah bagaimana, luar biasa berkesan.

Berbahaya dan sangat beresiko sebenarnya, untuk menjadikan sequel dari sebuah film fenomenal yang ditunggu banyak orang ini menjadi kisah yang sederhana, karena orang-orang mengharapkan kisah yang lebih dramatis dan lebih banyak twists menegangkan dan, kalau yang aku baca dari beberapa komentar, mereka berharap film ini bisa dibuat lebih menyedihkan. Lalu, bagaimana bisa, sebuah kesederhanaan cerita dalam film ke dua ini justru meninggalkan kesan yang mendalam? Again, it's Riri Riza's magical hands who managed to do it. I guess when he told his Laskar Pelangi fellas to go to film school to know how to make a good movie, he really mean it. Dalam karya Riri Riza dan Mira Lesmana yang merupakan lulusan Institut Kesenian Jakarta, aku selalu menemukan hal yang berbeda dan memiliki makna tersembunyi, dibanding film-film lain. Riri membuktikan bahwa dari sebuah kesederhanaan pun, kita masih tetap bisa membuat film yang bagus dan bermakna.

Puisi Rangga

Puisi masih menjadi daya tarik utama. Jaman sekarang, saat segala hal yang terlalu 'puitis' dianggap cheesy atau gombal, kata-kata sastra nan indah kembali menjadi sesuatu yang mahal di film ini. Puisi-puisi karya M. Aan Mansyur yang dibawakan dengan suara dalam dan khas Nicholas Saputra sukses membuat siapa saja yang mendengarnya merinding. Tidak hanya itu, bahkan AADC 2 benar-benar merilis buku kumpulan puisi dan foto Rangga dengan judul "Tidak Ada New York Hari Ini". Bukan hanya memajukan perfilman Indonesia, tapi juga menyumbang karya dalam dunia sastra dan mengangkat kembali keindahan kata-kata sebagai sesuatu yang membanggakan.

Pasangan Legendaris milik Indonesia

Kalau Hollywood punya Leonardo DiCaprio dan Kate Winslet, Bollywood punya Shah Rukh Khan dan Kajool, maka Indonesia punya Dian Sastrowardoyo dan Nicholas Saputra. Pasangan on screen legendaris yang memiliki chemistry nyata dan natural saat berada di satu film. 14 tahun berselang setelah film pertama, tapi karakter dan chemistry mereka tetap kuat, aku seperti tidak menonton dua orang berakting, saking naturalnya interaksi keduanya di film ini. Tidak heran kalau penonton dibuat senyum-senyum sendiri seperti Cinta yang tidak bisa menyembunyikan sumringahnya saat bersama Rangga. Tidak perlu banyak adegan romantis, keduanya mampu membuat penonton terkesima hanya dengan melihat keduanya mengobrol ngalur ngidul, tenggelam dalam kecintaan yang mereka bagi terhadap seni dan keindahan.

Konflik yang Realistis

14 tahun bukan periode yang singkat dalam fase hidup seseorang. Persahabatan SMA yang mengalami naik turun dan menjalani hidup masing-masing pun adalah hal yang lumrah sehingga ketika genk Cinta tidak mampu ada saat Karmen mengalami konflik dalam pernikahannya yang menyebabkan Karmen sempat memakai obat-obatan terlarang pun sangat dipahami.

Alasan Rangga meninggalkan Cinta banyak dinilai sebagai pengecut dan lemah, aku pun mengakui hal ini. Why didn't he try harder? Why did he give up? Tapi, mungkin, hanya orang-orang yang juga pernah mengalami titik dimana dia memutuskan untuk menyerah sebelum akhirnya bangkit lagi yang cukup mau atau bisa memahami ketakutan Rangga. Pemuda penyendiri yang dari kecil harus menerima ayahnya menjadi cemoohan orang-orang, ditinggal ibunya dan saudara-saudaranya, lalu ditinggalkan ayahnya dan harus hidup sendiri di negeri orang. Some people are lucky enough to be able to be strong all their lives, but it's not a shame when someone has to face cruel reality and became weak at one point of his life. I felt pity for Rangga and found myself teared up a bit when I found out his true reasons to leave Cinta, simply because he didn't have confidence in himself. Man, that's sad, really.

9 tahun pun bukan periode yang sebentar untuk seseorang move on dari patah hati pertamanya. Lalu, kenapa Cinta begitu lemah, hanya dengan waktu yang sangat singkat, semua perasaannya pada Rangga kembali lagi? Apa yang dilakukannya 9 tahun ini? Mungkin ini yang dinamakan jodoh, atau kebodohan. Entahlah, tapi kita semua tahu bahwa AADC memang tentang Rangga dan Cinta, maka jika kisah ini dipusatkan pada perasaan mereka, ini seharusnya bukan hal yang aneh. It took me 5 years to be completely over my first love, and I still have soft spot for him for some reasons. So, 9 years is not long enough actually. 

"Jika ada seseorang yang terlanjur menyentuh inti jantungmu

Mereka yang datang kemudian hanya mampu menyentuh kemungkinan.."

Berdamai dengan masa lalu, bukan berarti melupakan masa lalu. Ia selalu bisa menjadi pelajaran berharga. Ia bahkan bisa menjadi masa depan. Tergantung bagaimana kita menyikapinya. Karmen yang berhasil lepas dari narkoba. Rangga yang memutuskan untuk memaafkan dan berdamai dengan ibunya. Dan Cinta yang tak pernah mau kalah pada logika, namun selalu mengikuti kata hatinya pada akhirnya. 

Pesan yang sederhana. Film yang sederhana. Namun bagi saya pribadi, kesan yang ditinggalkan lebih dari sederhana. Ada sinematografi yang indah, kesenian yang unik, dan kecintaan terhadap kopi disana. Hanya beberapa nilai tambah untuk saya yang juga penikmat seni dan kopi. When it comes to phenomenal, I know I can always trust Riri Riza and Mira Lesmana.

Interesting Things that Make Me Watch Mahabharat

Shri Krishna / Basudewa / Govinda / Kanha

This story has been around in Java island and Indonesia even before the Majapahit era, it was brought by a hermit from India named Ajisaka who traveled to Indonesia. I tried to watch it because my dad is a fan of Mahabharat ever since he was a child. The story and characters are familiar, so I started to give it a try. I got hooked by the sacred language they are using in the dialogue. The metaphor filled with moral lessons sometimes makes us wondered and surprised by the perspective they offered to us. The story itself is brilliant. I have finished all the 267 episodes and all I can say is..... this series is truly a brilliant masterpiece.

The Great Woman and what it means of becoming a wife 
from the perspective of an ancient story...

Gandhari

Gandhari is the princess of the Gandhara Kingdom. She is the wife of Dhritharashtra, prince of Hastinapura who has been blind since birth. To show devotion to her husband, she oath to blindfold her eyes forever so she can feel the darkness like her husband and therefore their souls would be intertwined. Dhritharashtra hated her for doing such a selfish thing because he wanted her to be his eyes, but Gandhari never gives up on trying to please her husband and take care of her hundred children. She's always trying to make them follow the dharma. Although her act of blindfolding herself is her devotion to her husband, it caused her to never really be able to keep track of her own sons which being possessed by hatred planted by Shankuni, her brother who's longing for revenge to Hastinapura for causing his sister living a miserable life filled with darkness. Gandhari is the most miserable Queen, she has evil sons but she loves them dearly and try her best to protect them from doing evil things, and she fights all her life to be accepted by her husband.

Kunti
Kunti is one of the ladies who has been blessed to keep herself a virgin due to the curse that's given to her husband Pandu to not do any sexual activity with his wives or else he would die, Kunti stays virgin until her death. Kunti followed Pandu to the forest for exile, she served her husband with full devotion. Kunti has a special boon from Sage Durvasa where she can summon any Gods and they will bless her with a son who possessed the same character and power as them. The children would be considered as the sons of her husband, Pandu. Because of this ability, Kunti has 3 powerful sons, each of them was born from five Gods respectively. They are Yudhistira, Bhima, and Arjuna. Kunti shared the boon with Pandu's second wife, Madri, who bore Nakula and Sahadeva. They are known as Pandava. After the death of Pandu and Madri, Kunti takes care of her five sons alone and teaches them dharma. Before her marriage with Pandu, Kunti mistakenly summon Lord Surya which results in her giving birth to Karna. But, because she didn't want to ruin her father's reputation, she was forced to throw her baby into the Gangga river. She asked Lord Surya to protect Karna and that's why Karna is blessed with a divine shield and earrings which will protect his body.

Draupadi
The Princess of Panchala was born from the sacrificing fire, the beautiful Draupadi. Her father, Drupada, consumed by anger on Draupadi's birth, asking the Gods to give him the most beautiful daughter in the world who would face the dirtiest act in her life, and yet she would remain pure and clean. She has to live a miserable life and yet she will remain strong. She will face a lot of injustices in her life, and yet she would remain kind. The king wasn't sure that God would be able to give him that kind of daughter, but then Draupadi was born. Her fate from her father's wish on her birth starts to occur. She had to marry all five Pandava because of Kunti's mistaken order and sacrifice her happiness. She only wanted to marry Arjuna, but for the sake of the brothers, she agreed to marry the five. In Hindu mythology, it is also the epitome of a woman's power where one woman can take care of five strong men and devote herself to them. Draupadi has a boon that makes her remain a virgin and keep herself pure by entering the sacrifice fire each year. Draupadi is the kind of wife who will speak her mind to her husband when something is wrong and she is not afraid of people's judgment. As a wife of five husbands, Draupadi has to serve all five of them and be the consort of them. She has to love them equally. Her duty is 5 times more difficult than a normal wife.

The Disrobing of Draupadi

One of the reasons that Kurukshetra war happened was because of the disrobing of Draupadi in Hastinapura court after Yudhistira lost the dice game from Shankuni and Duryodhana. She was dragged forcibly into the court hall so the Kaurava could insult her in front of her husbands and all of the people in the hall. Durshashana dragged her by her hair and tried to disrobe her 'sari' in front of people, following Duryodhana's order. The Pandavas and other people like Bhisma, Drona, and the others who are supposed to be faithful in dharma are forced to be silent because of their old beliefs that they have to obey the King's order. Since Duryodhana has won the game and Yudhistira was forcibly had staked Draupadi, everyone else agreed that Duryodhana has the right to Draupadi, but Draupadi did not accept this treachery and keeps trying to save her dignity and honor. She repeatedly questions the legality of the right of Yudhishthira to place her at stake. At the last effort, she prayed to Lord Krishna to protect her because no one in the hall could. As Dushasana unwraps layers and layers of her sari, her sari keeps getting extended, everyone looks upon in awe, and Dushasana himself is forced to stop due to exhaustion. Krishna protected Draupadi.

The Heroes
Karna

Karna is the son of Suryadev and Kunti, the oldest brother of Pandava. After Kunti throw baby Karna in the Gangga river, he was found by Adhirata, the charioteer of Hastinapura, and his wife Radha. Since then, Karna is known as Radheya (Radha's son), son of sudra. A sudra has no right to learn about the art of battle, while Karna has a natural talent of great archery. People humiliated his talent to the point that Karna wants to prove to the world that even a son of a charioteer could be the greatest warrior in the world. Karna wants to be respected and appreciated by his talent and power and not his caste. During this struggle, Duryodhana, prince of Kaurava, offers friendship to him and helps him get the respect that he deserves. Karna was crown the King of Angga so people would never make fun of his caste anymore, and this results in Karna being forever tied with prince Duryodhana. As payback for his debt, he promised to always protect the Prince with his own power. At the same time, Karna also raises hostility with Arjuna and the Pandavas. He wants to know who is the greatest archer in the world. He or Arjuna. Although he is siding with the Kaurava, Karna always tries to stick with his own dharma. He considers Duryodhana as his true friend and wants to protect him from doing evil things, but the Prince always reminds him about his debt, and Karna is forced to do things against his own faith and principle. Karna alone possessed all the five dharma qualities in each Pandavas: wisdom, strength, patience, beauty, and intelligence. He has the most tragic life in my opinion :")

Ever since Kunti saw Karna's divine shield appeared in the battlefield between Karna and Arjuna, Kunti knows that he is her son that she threw in the Gangga river years ago. Kunti desperately wants to tell Karna about his true identity as one of the Pandavas and shower him with the love she never gives after all the years passed, but she never gains the courage to tell his son the truth. While Karna, being ignorant of the true relationship hidden, always has a strong affection towards Kunti as if she is his own mother. Karna loves the Queen and whenever he sees Kunti's sadness, he would feel miserable as well. Despite his hostility and hatred towards Pandavas, he never has the idea to kill them using evil deceit like what Kaurava always does. Karna wants to fight them fairly on the real battlefield to show his competency. After he learned the truth about his birth, Karna promised Kunti that he will protect the life of the five of her sons and she only has to mourn one son's death. Only Karna or Arjuna.

The Pandava

The Five sons of Pandu: Yudhistira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva are the epitome of five Dharma: wisdom, strength, courage, beauty, and intelligence.
1. Yudhistira, the son of Lord Dharma / Yama, he is the rightful heir to the throne.  He is the most virtuous, honest, and truthful king of all times.
2. Bhima, the son of Lord Bayu, God of Wind. He has the power of 1000 elephants, the master of mace and so wrathful that it's impossible to even for Lord Indra to subdue him on the battlefield. Bhima also called Wrekodara because of his giant appetite.
3. Arjuna, the son of Lord Indra, God of Thunder, he is handsome and the greatest archer. He is one whose mind is clean of all impurities. He is strong and the dearest friend of Lord Krishna. He possessed kindness and bravery and Yudhistira refers to him as the main hero of Pandava.
4. Nakula, the son of Lord Ashwini, he is the most handsome in the Kuru lineage and pretty much obsessed with his own beauty, lol. He has a special connection with animals and he is intelligent and an expert in healing and medication. He is the dearest brother of Bhima. He is the one who can calm Bhima's anger.
5. Sahadeva, the son of Lord Ashwini, the youngest brother, twin of Nakula, possessed almost the same knowledge and power as Nakula such as medication and healing, except that he is much calmer and quiet than Nakula. He is the most intelligent and he can see the future, but he is cursed that he will die if he tells anyone about the future he sees.

The Pandavas completed each other with their respective talent and knowledge. Just like what Kunti said, the five of them have to stick together no matter what and no one would be able to defeat them, not even a hundred of Kauravas. They always obey Yudhistira's order as the oldest son and they are bound to protect each other. They love their mother Kunti so much and respect their wife, Draupadi.

The Villains

Before they went to Hastinapura, the Pandava lived in the forest with their parents: Pandu, Kunti, and Madri, but after Pandu and Madri's death, they are brought back to Hastinapura by the Queen Mother, Satyawati. They met their cousins, the Kaurava for the first time at a very young age. Although the brothers had no aim for power nor the throne, Shankuni had been provoking his nephews that the Pandava are their enemies who will steal the throne from them. That's why the Kaurava hated the Pandava so much and keep rivaling them in any aspect. Thus started the hostility between Kaurava and Pandava.

1. Shankuni
He is indeed the one who is responsible for everything that happened in the Mahabharat's war. He is the one who provokes the Kaurava to hate their cousins, Pandava. He is cruel and smart, not a very good warrior, that's why he uses many deceptions to fulfill his plan and revenge. He has a dice that will only do what he wishes for, and he used it to deceive Pandava and Draupadi in the dice game. You hate him and his evilness, but you know the show would not be complete without him. He is indeed evil but funny at the same time, it is more entertaining when he faces Vasudeva Krishna, lol. They both are intelligent and cunning, yet the other's purpose was to re-establish dharma while the other one is to fulfill his own revenge. The actor who portrayed it is very convincing and makes you hate him but you will also miss his hilariousness.

2. Duryodhana
I will feel pity for him, not having a chance to learn about dharma nor do the right thing. All of his life has been possessed by the evil uncle, Shankuni. All he knows is he has to win the throne for him because his father is the king and he has to defeat the Pandava. He is stubborn and probably the most arrogant person, but he has good qualities as a human. At least in the Baghavat Gita, he is not as evil as in the starplus mahabharat. He actually respects and trusts his best friend, Karna, he loves his brothers, and he respects his wife. But aside from that, he conspired with Shankuni to destroy his own cousins and disrobe Draupadi. He wants the throne for himself. Nevertheless, he is a brave warrior.

Vasudeva Krishna

At first, Krishna only appeared as the storyteller and one who taught us the moral lessons behind every episode in Mahabharat. He eventually joined in the serial as a real character and be the most important role, one who leads the Pandavas to reach their victory and re-establish dharma once again. If Shankuni is the one who plotted all the evil things to destroy the Pandavas, then Krishna is the one who will help the Pandavas fight those efforts of Shankuni. In terms of intelligence, he and Shankuni are an equal match. Since Krishna is an avatar of Lord Wisnu, he has all the magical abilities to destroy evils and change people's hearts. He actually teaches you the true meaning of everything that happened in this world from the perspective you have never imagined before. You will fall in love with Krishna. It's impossible not to. He is the most significant character in the story and Saurabh Raj Jain made a great portrayal. I can't imagine anyone else playing the role of Krishna and Lord Wisnu because of him.

The Soundtracks
I must say that Mahabharat has one of the best soundtracks. Every main character has their own theme song. Especially Krishna, he has a number of songs for himself, one of them are made from Baghavat Gita's sastra. The best theme songs go to Krishna, Karna, Arjuna, Abhimanyu, and Draupadi's theme songs.

Krishna's theme songs

Discovering The Beauty of Dreams even in a Hopeless Place - Les Choristes

My first France movie ❤
Starring Jean-Baptise Maunier. 

Berawal dari pengaruh seorang teman PSM yang begitu menggemari Soprano boy, Gue pun mencoba untuk menonton film ini: Les Choristes, atau Paduan Suara. Mungkin karena sudah beberapa waktu lama ini gue mendalami dunia Padus, gue juga tertarik untuk nonton. It turns out to be one of the simplest, bittersweet yet beautiful movies I've ever watched. Film ini diproduksi di tahun 2004 dan merupakan remake dari film Prancis berjudul sama. Versi awalnya dibuat sekitar beberapa belas atau puluh tahun yang lalu kalau nggak salah. Les Choristes 2004 juga menjadi salah satu film paling nge-hits di Prancis sana.

Pierre Morhange

Les Choristes berkisah tentang masa kecil seorang musisi sukses dan terkenal, Pierre Morhange yang pada suatu hari kedatangan tamu tak diundang. Tamu itu adalah Pepinot, yang merupakan teman masa kecilnya. Pepinot datang sambil membawa sebuah buku harian milik guru mereka waktu kecil yang ternyata berisi kisah masa kecil Pierre dan Pepinot. Setelah 50 tahun berlalu, Pierre diingatkan kembali oleh perjalanan masa kecilnya, saat ia mulai menemukan bakat terpendamnya dan bagaimana musik mulai masuk ke dalam kehidupannya.

"Lend them a hand to show them a better future..."

Clement Mathieu adalah musisi gagal yang sudah berkali-kali ganti pekerjaan sampai kemudian mendapat kesempatan menjadi guru sekaligus Kepala Asrama di sekolah rehabilitasi anak-anak bermasalah, Fond de L'tang. Sekolah ini berisi anak-anak yang memiliki masalah kejiwaan, petindak kriminal, atau yatim piatu. Awalnya, ia mengira bahwa sekolah ini mendidik anak-anak bermasalah tersebut dengan cara yang baik sesuai dengan iklan yang ia baca, namun ternyata tidak. Aksi-reaksi. Begitulah tagline yang sering diserukan oleh kepala sekolah dan guru-guru disini. Ketika murid-murid berbuat salah, hukum mereka dengan berat supaya mereka kapok. Bentuk hukumannya antara lain, kurungan selama beberapa minggu, dipukul, dicambuk, dan sebagainya. Secara diam-diam, sekolah ini telah menyimpang dari yang seharusnya.

Pada awal mengajar, Mathieu dibuat kewalahan oleh kenakalan anak-anak didiknya, tapi berbeda dengan guru-guru lain, Ia tidak menangani kelakuan mereka dengan menghukum atau mengurung. Ia mencari jalan yang lebih bijak, salah satunya ketika seorang murid ketahuan telah mencelakai salah satu guru, Mathieu tidak melaporkan anak itu ke kepala sekolah, melainkan mewajibkannya untuk merawat guru yang sakit itu hingga ia sembuh. Ia tahu, anak-anak ini tidak bisa diajak berdamai dengan cara yang keras seperti yang dilakukan kepala sekolah, meski kadang ia kikuk dan malah jadi bahan tertawaan.

Mathieu ingin memberikan mereka pandangan baru, bahwa hidup mereka di sekolah ini tidak sia-sia. Mathieu ingin memberikan sentuhan baru yang bisa memberi udara segar untuk anak-anak. Ia pun memutuskan untuk membuat Paduan Suara, tak peduli meski ia harus memulainya dari awal karena sepertinya tak satupun muridnya memiliki bakat seni atau musikalitas yang baik. Selain itu, Mathieu juga harus berjuang untuk meyakinkan Kepala Sekolah bahwa ia bisa membentuk paduan suara dari anak-anak ini. Diluar ekspektasinya, paduan suara ini ternyata cukup menarik perhatian murid-muridnya. Perlahan, ia mendapatkan perhatian dari mereka. Dan perlahan, kesenangannya untuk berkesenian kembali. 

Sentuhan baru ini membuat anak-anak mulai menghormatinya, kecuali satu orang: Pierre Morhange. Anak laki-laki berwajah malaikat tapi paling sering membuat masalah. Sejak awal, Mathieu sudah diingatkan bahwa Pierre harus diawasi karena sikapnya yang dingin tapi diam-diam pengacau. Pada saat audisi penentuan ambitus suara, Pierre tidak ikut karena sedang berada di kurungan akibat berulah beberapa hari sebelumnya dan ketika ia kembali, ia menolak bergabung dengan Paduan Suara dan menolak saat diminta bernyanyi. 

Belum selesai permusuhan dengan Pierre, muncul lagi anak lain yang harus ditanganinya: Mondain. Di antara semua kasus, dialah yang paling berbahaya. Anak ini diserahkan langsung oleh Psikiater yang telah menyerah menanganinya karena sudah melakukan terlalu banyak tindak kriminal di sekolah lamanya. Mondain pun sama membangkangnya, bahkan melebihi Pierre, ia menindas anak-anak lain dan memprovokasi mereka untuk melawan sekolah. Mondain merasa Pierre mirip dengannya dan mengajaknya untuk sama-sama mengacaukan sekolah, tetapi Pierre menolak. Ia lebih senang menikmati kenakalannya sendirian.

Suatu hari, ketika Mathieu sedang mengecek ruang-ruang kelas di malam hari, ia mendengar suara seseorang menyanyikan lagu miliknya yang diajarkan ke Paduan Suaranya. Suara tinggi soprano, lembut, yang menggetarkan hatinya, dengan pitch yang sangat baik. Ternyata suara itu milik Pierre yang diam-diam masuk ke kelas dan mempelajari lagu Paduan Suara Mathieu. Suara Pierre merupakan sebuah keajaiban yang langka bagi Mathieu, lebih dari itu, ia bahkan memiliki musikalitas yang sangat baik karena mampu mempelajari lagu miliknya dengan cepat. Namun, sepertinya Pierre tidak menyadari hal itu. Dengan alasan menghukum Pierre yang berjalan-jalan pada malam hari, Mathieu mewajibkan Pierre untuk mengikuti latihan Paduan Suara. 

Perlahan, Mathieu menarik penyanyi baru ini keluar dari cangkangnya. Dan tanpa diduga, Pierre menemukan passion-nya untuk pertama kalinya. Pada waktu senggang, Mathieu menyempatkan diri untuk melatih Pierre mengembangkan kemampuan vokalnya yang cemerlang, dan Pierre menurutinya. Mathieu memberi Pierre kesempatan untuk menyanyikan bagian-bagian solo dari lagunya. Seiring waktu, Mathieu terus dikejutkan oleh bakat alami dan suara malaikat yang dimiliki Pierre. Paduan suaranya yang dulu mentah semakin lama semakin terbentuk dengan baik. Mathieu seakan mendapatkan siraman optimisme terhadap cita-citanya yang pernah hilang. Anak-anak ini menginspirasinya.

Kasus istimewa lainnya adalah Pepinot, anak paling kecil di kelasnya, anak yatim piatu yang setiap hari Sabtu selalu berdiri di depan gerbang sekolah dengan harapan suatu hari ayahnya akan datang menjemputnya. Padahal, kedua orangtuanya sudah meninggal, dan meski sudah diberitahu akan hal itu, Pepinot terus saja menunggu di depan gerbang itu. Mathieu menaruh perhatian khusus pada anak kecil ini. 

Kisah ini tidak berhenti ketika Paduan Suara Mathieu terbentuk dengan baik. Mathieu masih harus berurusan dengan Mondain yang sampai akhir tidak bisa berubah dan menaruh dendam pada sekolah, Kepala Sekolah yang keras kepala dan menganggap anak-anak itu harus selalu dihukum, dan bahkan dengan Pierre yang tidak suka jika gurunya mendekati ibunya. Pierre sempat dilarang menyanyikan bagian solonya karena membuat ulah. Namun, pada hari dimana Paduan Suara mereka tampil di depan petinggi kota dan sekolah, tanpa diduga, Mathieu memberikan kesempatan pada Pierre untuk menyanyikan bagian solonya. Pierre kemudian menyanyikannya dengan sepenuh hati, dengan rasa syukur atas pengampunan dari Mathieu dan untuk pertama kalinya merasakan kebanggaan karena bernyanyi di depan banyak orang, dimana suaranya berhasil menggetarkan hati semua orang yang datang saat itu.

Bittersweet Ending

I think this movie has the best ending. It's not a happy ending, but realistic one which gives us hopes. I love the last statement from Pierre when he remembered Mathieu. Mathieu adalah orang yang mengenalkannya pada musik dan memberikannya mimpi yang tak pernah diduganya. Mathieu yang membawa perubahan pada sekolahnya dan teman-temannya dengan kesabaran dan kegigihannya.

"Mathieu melanjutkan memberi pelajaran musik sepanjang hidupnya tanpa keinginan untuk tenar. Semua yang dilakukannya dia simpan untuk dirinya sendiri..."

Di film ini, Paduan Suara seperti dasar untuk pengembangan kisah ini. Pengaruh dari keberadaan paduan suara terhadap anak-anak rehabilitasi. I rated it 100 out of 100. It was so beautiful :') And the soundtracks are so lovely. My favorite is this one:

Recommended. You'll fall in love with the soundtracks, the movie, and with Jean-Baptise Maunier 💗

Perahu Kertas

Today I'll review Perahu Kertas. It is currently my favorite Indonesia movie ❤

Well, to be honest, I'm not that big fan of the book. Mungkin karena terlalu fairytale dan gue merasa dua tokoh pria utama yang digambarkan di bukunya terlalu perfect, like it's impossible for those two to actually exist in this world, hahaha. Yeah, I was in denial while reading the book. I don't know since when I became a bit too realistic and stop believing in many things, hahaha. How sad, but thank God, that kind of thought doesn't last long in me, because I've found someone who makes me believe in fairytale too #ea. Alright, back to the movie, alasan menonton film ini sebenarnya karena gue memang mengidolakan Maudy Ayunda sejak dia main di Sang Pemimpi, dan karena Reza Rahadian juga hehe. So, here's the story:

Terkisahlah  Kugy (Maudy Ayunda) dan Keenan (Adipati Dolken), dua manusia Aquarius yang sejak pertemuan pertama sudah merasakan chemistry kuat yang tersambung antara satu sama lain sehingga mereka langsung menjadi sahabat. Kugy, penulis dongeng yang cuek, nyeleneh, cerdas, supel, dan agak sableng. Kugy menganggap dirinya sebagai agen Neptunus dan sejak kecil selalu menulis surat yang dibentuk menjadi perahu untuk dihanyutkan ke laut agar sampai pada Dewa Neptunus. Kugy juga suka membentuk radar aneh di kepalanya. Lalu Keenan, pelukis berbakat yang keren, kalem, awalnya agak rapuh tapi juga kuat. Keenan langsung bersedia diangkat menjadi agen Neptunus oleh Kugy di awal persahabatan mereka. Persahabatan mereka masuk ke level yang jauh lebih dalam ketika Keenan jatuh cinta dengan dongeng buatan Kugy dan terinspirasi membuat ilustrasi gambar untuknya, dan Kugy juga jatuh cinta dengan lukisan-lukisan Keenan. Konflik pun muncul saat Kugy sadar bahwa perasaannya pada Keenan begitu dalam, padahal dia sudah punya pacar saat itu. Keenan sendiri juga sedang dicomblangi oleh cewek lain bernama Wanda yang membuat Kugy begitu patah hati. Untuk melindungi diri dan perasaannya, Kugy memutuskan menjauhi Keenan, dan hal ini berimbas ke persahabatannya dengan Noni yang mengira Kugy sudah berubah dan tak mau berteman dengannya lagi, juga putusnya hubungannya dengan kekasihnya. Kugy semakin tersiksa karena memendam perasaan yang begitu besar sendirian dan tak bisa melakukan apa-apa untuknya karena takut akan mengganggu banyak orang. Ia memutuskan menjauhi semua orang dengan menyibukkan dirinya.

Keenan juga mengalami konflik keluarga dimana ayahnya melarangnya untuk menjadi pelukis dan memaksanya kuliah di Ekonomi. Karena tipu daya Wanda yang begitu terobsesi dengan Keenan, ia akhirnya menentang ayahnya demi kebebasannya. Singkat cerita, Keenan pun memutuskan untuk pergi ke Bali menemui seorang kerabatnya, Pak Wayan, yang merupakan pekerja seni hebat dan sudah menganggap Keenan seperti anaknya sendiri. Sebelum kepergiannya, Keenan sempat bertemu Kugy dan gadis itu memberikan buku dongeng baru karyanya mengenai Jendral Pilik dan Pasukan Alit. Pertemuan terakhir mereka tidak berakhir baik karena Keenan bilang dia menyerah melukis karena kegagalan dan kebodohannya atas tipu daya Wanda dan hal itu membuat Kugy kecewa karena ia sangat mencintai Keenan dan lukisannya. Lukisan Keenan membuatnya percaya dengan fantasi dongengnya, tapi Keenan malah memutuskan untuk berhenti melukis.

Tiga tahun berlalu. Kugy dan Keenan melanjutkan hidup mereka tanpa pernah bertemu sambil terus menyimpan perasaan masing-masing. Keduanya bertemu cinta baru. Keenan dengan Luhde, gadis Bali yang seperti malaikat, begitu baik hati dan selalu ada untuk Keenan. Lalu, Kugy dengan bosnya, Remi, pria tampan yang begitu mencintai Kugy. If Keenan looks like a prince from fairytale in my opinion, then Remi is a prince in reality. Kugy dan Keenan mengira telah berhasil move on dari satu sama lain dengan cinta yang baru, namun sebenarnya tidak. Selama tiga tahun, buku dongeng Kugy-lah yang menjadi inspirasi melukis Keenan. Kugy pun tak pernah lagi menulis dongeng karena jauh di lubuk hatinya, hanya Keenan lah satu-satunya sosok yang membuatnya percaya dengan fantasinya dan tanpa kehadiran pria itu, Kugy seperti tidak benar-benar hidup. These two keep each other deep in their heart without they realized it. Dan ketika akhirnya radar Neptunus mempertemukan mereka kembali, perasaan-perasaan yang telah mereka pendam itupun muncul lagi ke permukaan, lebih besar dari sebelumnya. Namun, keduanya telah berpasangan dengan orang lain. Dan pasangan-pasangan mereka adalah orang-orang baik yang begitu mencintai mereka dan tidak mungkin Kugy-Keenan menyakiti mereka demi mementingkan perasaan pribadi. Tapi yang namanya jodoh, sejauh apapun terpisah dan berputar kesana kemari, pada akhirnya mereka tetap akan saling menemukan satu sama lain.

I rated it 9 out of 10. This one is really really good. Tentu saja kita tidak akan bisa mengharapkan filmnya serupa dengan bukunya. Gue suka perubahan-perubahan adegan yang dilakukan Hanung Bramantyo di buku dengan film, seperti pertunangan Noni dan Eko yang diubah menjadi pernikahan di filmnya. Lalu, sinematografi yang cantik, penggambaran hubungan Kugy dan Keenan yang seperti selalu terkoneksi satu sama lain meski mereka berjauhan juga terlihat apik. I especially love the paintings. Lukisan-lukisan Keenan di film begitu unik dan begitu sesuai dengan penggambaran di bukunya. Meski alurnya seperti sedikit kejar-kejaran, tapi tetap bisa dipahami (mungkin karena gue udah baca bukunya). Intinya, this movie is very recommended. It is simply beautiful, meaningful, and you'll overwhelmed with many emotions while watching it. 

The Legend of Korra

I watched Avatar: The Legend of Korra. Here's the review: 

The world is now at peace since Avatar Aang and Prince Zuko came together to unite all nations to become one. Now they live in Republic City where all benders of four elements live together in harmony. The story revolves around Korra, the next Avatar after Aang died and reincarnated to a young girl and a waterbender. Avatar- The Last Airbender was all about Aang trying to master other three elements except air bending and he had to hide his identity as Avatar or The Fire Nation would catch and kill him, while Avatar Korra has master all three elements, water, earth, and fire, and she's very proud of her identity as Avatar. Nonetheless, Korra faces difficulty to master air bending and she couldn't bring herself to meditate and meet the previous Avatars to ask for help. Moreover, she has to protect her country from Equalist, an anti-bender revolutionary group. The Equalists are non-benders led by a mysterious masked man, Amon. Their goal is to bring about "equality" between benders and non-benders, and Amon has the ability to remove a person's bending ability. It's almost impossible to believe since the only one who could possess such power is only the Avatar.

The Legend of Korra has more complicated story than The Legend of Aang. The world where Aang and his friends were fighting for their lives looks like a very ancient world compared to the world in Avatar Korra, LOL... It's really interesting everytime Aang shows up in the episodes of Avatar Korra as adult, hahaha. Which one do I like the most? Hmm... both story are great, but sure Avatar Kora has developed a lot in the plot, but The Legend of Aang has special impression for me. I always love Aang (and Prince Zuko!) but Korra and his new pals are great as well. I don't think I can really choose hahaha. 

Ah, I love Avatar :D

PS: I'll be leaving to East Java for Mudik. Happy Ied Mubarok to all Muslims. Mohon maaf lahir dan batin :D

Hafalan Shalat Delisa

Nah, gue mau mengisi waktu luang ini dengan mereview sebuah film dan buku yang berjudul Hafalan Shalat Delisa. 

Alasan pertama membaca dan menontonnya tentu saja karena nama tokoh utamanya hampir mirip dengan nama gue sendiri, hehehe. Cuma beda di huruf L dan N. Gue tidak punya ekspektasi besar saat membaca / menonton HSD (Hafalan Shalat Delisa), tapi ternyata, cerita dari Tere Liye ini membawa cukup pengaruh besar dalam hidup gue sekarang. Kisah ini membuat gue menyadari banyak hal tentang sifat-sifat diri sendiri, tentang agama, tentang cobaan yang sesungguhnya, dan banyak lagi. So, here's the review: 

Anak Perempuan yang Sangat Menyukai Hadiah... 
Hafalan Shalat Delisa mengisahkan seorang anak perempuan periang berumur 6 tahun bernama Delisa dengan menggunakan bencana Tsunami di Aceh tahun 2004 lalu sebagai latar ceritanya. Delisa terlahir dari keluarga Islami dari Lhok Nga, Aceh. Ia mempunyai tiga kakak perempuan, Fatimah (15), Zahra (12), dan Aisyah (12), dengan ibu yang luar biasa, Ummi Salamah. Ayah mereka, Abi Usman, bekerja di kapal pesiar dan hanya pulang ke rumah setiap 3 bulan sekali. Seperti kebanyakan anak pada umumnya di umur 6 tahun, Delisa juga sedang dalam proses belajar tentang agama Islam dan menghafal bacaan shalat. Delisa semakin bersemangat untuk menghafal bacaan shalatnya karena setiap kali anak dari keluarga lolos praktek shalat, Ummi-nya akan menghadiahi mereka dengan sebuah kalung. Khusus untuk Delisa, kalung-nya terdapat gantungan D yang berarti Delisa. Dan kalung itu akan menjadi pusat dari seluruh kisah gadis kecil ini... 

"Delisa cinta Ummi karena Allah..." 
Adegan dimana Delisa mengatakan kepada Ummi-nya, "Delisa cinta Ummi karena Allah..." adalah salah satu yang terbaik. Adegan ini, baik di dalam buku maupun filmnya, begitu sederhana tapi bermakna besar. Mengajarkan pada kita arti cinta yang sesungguhnya, bahwa rasa itu, getar-getar itu, datangnya dari Allah dan cinta yang sejati adalah cinta karena Allah. Merupakan Sunnah Rasul untuk memberitahu kepada semua orang yang kita cintai bahwa kita mencintai mereka karena Allah. Meskipun Delisa mengatakannya karena ia akan mendapat coklat dari Ustad Rahman, tapi ketika mengatakan hal itu kepada Ummi-nya, ia sungguh-sungguh. Perbedaan antara film dengan bukunya adalah, di dalam buku, Delisa mengucapkan kata-kata luar biasa itu sehabis shalat Subuh berjamaah, sehari sebelum bencana Tsunami terjadi. Sedangkan di filmnya, Delisa mengatakannya sehabis shalat Maghrib, dua hari sebelum bencana itu terjadi. 

"Kau akan memiliki lebih banyak teman dibandingkan seluruh dunia dan seisinya..." 

Bencana itu terjadi pada tanggal 26 Desember 2004, hari dimana Delisa melakukan test hapalan shalat-nya. Hari yang Delisa tunggu-tunggu, selain karena ia yakin ia sudah hapal bacaan shalatnya, ia juga akan mendapat kalungnya. Tapi di atas itu semua, ia ingin melakukan shalat sempurna-nya kepada Allah untuk pertama kalinya. Namun, takdir berkata lain. Gempa itu datang saat Delisa baru memulai praktik shalatnya, namun Subhanallah, ia tak bergeming. Tetap khusyuk, tidak peduli meski Ummi-nya sudah berteriak-teriak memanggilnya, memintanya menyelamatkan diri, Delisa tetap melanjutkan shalatnya. Ia ingat kata-kata Ustad-nya, bahwa ia harus khusyuk ketika shalat. Tidak memikirkan apapun selain beribadah kepada Allah, tidak peduli apapun yang terjadi. Namun, Delisa tidak diizinkan menyelesaikan shalatnya karena Tsunami itu datang dan menghanyutkannya sebelum ia sempat sujud.

"Delisa sedih karena kak Fatimah, kak Zahra, dan kak Aisyah, semuanya pergi ninggalin Delisa. Delisa takut sendirian..." 

"Jangan takut, Sayang. Kamu akan memiliki jauh lebih banyak teman dibandingkan seluruh dunia dan isinya.." 

Delisa selamat. Ia bertahan hidup, bahkan ketika ia terdampar sendirian, menunggu pertolongan. Delisa kehilangan segalanya. Kakak-kakaknya meninggal oleh bencana itu. Rumahnya hancur. Semua teman-teman dan gurunya meninggal. Ummi-nya pun tidak ditemukan. Dan Delisa kehilangan kaki kanannya. Namun semua itu membuatnya belajar. Ia belajar untuk menerima apa yang telah terjadi. Ia memutuskan untuk tidak menangisi semua kehilangannya terlalu lama. Gadis kecil itu menjadi dewasa dibanding anak-anak seusianya karena ia belajar ikhlas atas semua cobaan yang menimpanya. 

"Delisa Cinta Abi karena Allah..." 

Adegan ini juga sama berkesannya dengan yang pertama. Delisa mengatakan kalimat itu lagi untuk Abi-nya,"Delisa cinta Abi karena Allah..." dan kali ini tanpa mengharap hadiah apapun. Kalimat itu diucapkannya ketika ia melihat Ayahnya menangis setelah shalat Tahajud. Menangis karena merindukan isterinya dan ketiga putrinya yang meninggal. Menangis karena merasa begitu lemah. Kata-kata itu menyadarkan Abi Usman betapa ia harus bersyukur atas apapun yang telah terjadi. Bahwa cintanya kepada keluarganya semata-mata karena Allah, dan segalanya pasti kembali kepada Allah. Saat itu ia sadar bahwa ia dilindungi oleh keberadaan bungsunya yang tetap menunjukkan keceriaan di atas segala bencana itu. 

Hafalan Shalat Delisa yang menghilang dari memori-nya... 
Di bukunya, Delisa kehilangan semua memori tentang bacaan shalatnya setelah bencana Tsunami itu, begitupun memori tentang kalungnya. Ia ingat segala hal kecuali kalung dan hafalan shalatnya. Meski begitu, Delisa tetap menjalankan shalat, meski ia tak bisa mengingat sama sekali bacaan shalatnya, ia tetap ingin shalat. Delisa adalah anak yang cerdas, ia tahu ada yang salah. Kenapa ia tidak bisa mengingat bacaan shalatnya sama sekali?

Melalui sebuah mimpi yang begitu indah, mimpi dari Allah yang tidak akan pernah Delisa lupakan sepanjang hayatnya, Delisa dipertemukan dengan Ummi-nya. Mimpi itu mengingatkan Delisa, dulu ia belajar shalat untuk mendapat hadiah kalung, bukan untuk Allah. Dan begitu mengingat segalanya kembali, gadis kecil itu menangis. Ya, anak berumur 6 tahun itu menangis karena menyadari kesalahannya. Bahkan kita saja yang sudah dewasa ini masih suka merasa biasa saja kalau melewatkan shalat atau melakukan dosa lainnya, tetapi anak kecil berumur 6 tahun itu menangis karena ia pernah berniat shalat bukan karena Allah. 

"Delisa tidak ingin kalung, Ummi. Delisa hanya ingin shalat dengan baik agar Delisa bisa mendoakan Ummi, mendoakan kak Fatimah, kak Aisyah, kak Zahra, Tiur, Ummi Tiur, kakak-kakaknya Umam, dan semua teman-teman di Lhok Nga yang sudah pergi... "

"Kalung itu akan tetap menjadi milikmu, Sayang." 

Setelah mimpi itu, bacaan shalat itu seperti berbicara pada Delisa... Ia bisa mengingatnya kembali dan untuk pertama kalinya, Delisa bisa melakukan shalatnya yang sempurna untuk pertama kalinya.

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Semoga bermanfaat. Very recommended 💗