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spiderdreamer-blog · 1 year

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Superman: The Animated Series (1996)

It’s not always easy to appreciate how groundbreaking Batman: The Animated Series was. Much in the same way that The Simpsons revolutionized adult animated sitcoms, Batman completely changed the game for action cartoons in America. And as it wrapped up its initial run, the obvious question arose of what to do next. While creator/producer Bruce Timm wasn’t initially eager to do a Superman series, believing it would be much more difficult even with Batman under his team’s belt, he warmed to the idea and set forth on a series that would follow in those footsteps, but create its own identity. Gone were the gothic shadows of Gotham City, replaced by sunny Epcot-esque futurism. The heavy Max Fleischer influence on the character design would give way to a sleeker, streamlined look more reminiscent of Jack Kirby and Japanese anime (designer and art director Glen Murakami would take the latter influences even further on series like Batman Beyond and Teen Titans). And Superman himself would be a vastly different lead character, which trickled downwards. So how do things hold up?

As usual, we start off with a bang in my favorite rendering of the origin in the three-part pilot movie, “The Last Son of Krypton”. Jor-El desperately tries to warn the planet Krypton of its impending destruction, but they are unmoved, especially with Brainiac manipulating matters to the A.I.’s favor. Right out of the gate, we have smart decisions. I greatly dislike the depiction of Krypton as a cold, ultra-conformist state, and while it certainly has problems from what we see, there’s less of an implicit suggestion that they had this coming. Jor-El is portrayed as a nuanced figure, correct in his warnings and ultimately heroic in his dogged pursuit, but it doesn’t ring false when Lara and others chastise him for being so caught up in being right that it’s become obsessive. And tying Brainiac into Krypton’s origins immediately gives him character through his twisted logic and ego rather than “he’s a bottle city collector because wacky Silver Age” (and don’t get me wrong, I love me some Silver Age).

The tragedy comes as it must, and moving into Earth gives us more smart decisions with Jonathan and Martha Kent coming off as regular people rather than saintly. Then we segue into Metropolis with my favorite depictions of Lois Lane and Lex Luthor ever, as well as Superman’s first public showing and fight against John Corben. All wonderfully efficient and full of great character beats. I particularly enjoy Luthor’s smugness that turns to anger as he tries to talk a stonewalling Superman into working for him, or Martha observing that Superman could use good PR because she doesn’t want people to think he’s “like that NUT in Gotham City”.

We then move into the main body of the series, which is episodic but far more connected than what could be amorphous continuity in Batman. A lot happens step-by-step, such as the discovery of Kryptonite in “A Little Piece of Home” or Parasite’s energy-sucking powers in “Feeding Time” prompting Superman to create protections. Or how “Tools of the Trade” has a story that appears to be about crime boss Bruno Mannheim, then reveals itself at the end to have set a far grander stage with the introduction of Apokolips...and Darkseid. It’s certainly not as heavily serialized as series we have now or even some at the time like Gargoyles, but it’s an important step regardless. And we get the first inklings of a wider DCAU, with appearances by the Flash, Dr. Fate, Aquaman (albeit with his classic design rather than the Peter David mullet-and-hook-hand 90s look that would take hold later in Justice League), Kyle Rayner becoming Earth’s first Green Lantern, and of course, Batman fully folding in with “World’s Finest”, a 3-parter still so awesome I’m mad more adaptations haven’t taken inspiration from it. This is a smart approach creatively because it allows Timm and company to expand the scale and tone of stories that can be told with these characters, esp. because it can be so matter of fact in terms of Superman going “well I know this magic dude, he might be able to help”. Superman himself gets to be far more present in the narrative than Batman could be at times, which so often ceded the viewpoint to its villains. And we even explore his psychology in episodes like “The Late Mr. Kent”, where he has to consider both the effect he’s had and what might be lost if he has to give up his human identity.

Character, of course, is what these shows live or die on, as well as casting, and voice director Andrea Romano assembles another incredible team of actors to give life to these icons. In terms of our heroes, Tim Daly is an excellent Superman, bringing his sitcom bonafides from Wings to create a man of steel who’s very grounded rather than an unapproachable god, and without coming off as phony or bland. If I had one criticism, it’s that I think he’s not always up to the task of Superman’s righteous fury, occasionally coming off as flat in trying to work himself up; George Newbern is more natural and intimidating with these beats later on in Justice League/Unlimited. (I will say he’s an excellent Bizarro, mining a lot of comedy and tragedy out of the character in ways I rarely see) Dana Delany is an outstanding match for him as Lois Lane, a modern career woman who’s genuinely sexy and romantic to boot; she often gets the funniest lines in any given episode like a fast-talking sum-up that ends in aggravation towards an elevator. While George Dzundza and David Kaufman don’t get AS much to do as Perry White or Jimmy Olsen, they’re excellent archetypal depictions nonetheless, and Kaufman gets to show off the likability that would serve him well later on as Danny Phantom. I also like Mike Farrell and Shelley Fabares as the Kents; not only does their real-life marriage add a certain flavor, they come off as warm and down to earth. Joseph Bologna and Joanna Cassidy provide able support as SCU cops Dan Turpin and Maggie Sawyer, tough and credible at every step. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Christopher McDonald as Jor-El; it’s a performance a million miles away from the likes of Kent Mansley or Shooter McGavin in its genuine heroism, and he gives real poignancy to Krypton’s final moments.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a superhero show without great villains, and Romano does this equally as well. The approach TO the villains is interesting in and of itself; even when there are hints of tragedy or sympathy, they’re far more straightforward in their villainy and motivations rather than the psychological Russian nesting dolls we could get on Batman. Lex Luthor is of course the pinnacle of all Superman’s foes, and Clancy Brown simply IS the man to me. There have been other good depictions of course, but none are so immediately arresting and iconic than his deep, overpoweringly egotistical tones. Though my favorite era of his performance might be Justice League/Unlimited, which sends him and us on an emotional rollercoaster compared to the relatively untouchable industry captain here. Just behind him is Corey Burton as Brainiac, who gives the A.I. a chilling intellectual tone that bolsters his logical-only-to-himself mindset, and Michael Ironside as Darkseid, who has never been matched in terms of seeming like a genuine personification of evil. Plus we get solid recurring threats like John Corben, who becomes Metallo, and even in lesser episodes, Malcolm McDowell’s sneering aristocratic villainy is always welcome; the late Brion James gives Parasite a working-class brutality; Brad Garrett is hysterically funny as Lobo, who I can never, ever take seriously and barely want to try; Gilbert Gottfried is just as comedically on point as the obnoxious Mr. Mxyzptlk; Bud Cort gives Toyman an arrested-development creepiness; and Ed Asner, he of the iconic grouchy grandpa voice, goes astonishingly against type as screaming queen Granny Goodness. If you ever wanted to hear Lou Grant himself try out an Ursula vibe, this is the show for you.

Animation-wise, one reason for the streamlining of both this and the accompanying New Batman Adventures episodes was to make things look more consistent rather than the peaks and valleys of how the original Batman run could look if you got a crappy studio that week. This is mostly successful. While Tokyo Movie Shinsha’s episodes still look the best in their fluidity and shading, only a few episodes at the tail end of the series look outright wonky, and both the character acting and action scenes evolve a lot. Musically, Shirley Walker is back to oversee things with a full studio orchestra and composers like Kristopher Carter, Lolita Ritmanis, and Michael McCuistion. They give things an upbeat, heroic sound and start mixing in flavors like electric guitar depending on the episode. I particularly like Darkseid’s doomy, foreboding theme that signals You Are Fucked in the most direct way possible.

The series isn’t without its flaws, of course. The upfront consistency is certainly appreciated compared to the early LOW lows of Batman. Even this series’ worst episodes, with the possible exception of the truly dreadful “Superman’s Pal”, feel better executed than the likes of “I’ve Got Batman In My Basement” or “Cat Scratch Fever”. But this can mean that there will be strings of episodes that are good but not necessarily exceptional, and many can become slugfests thanks to the nature of Superman’s powers; “Father’s Day” is a particularly apt example of this in starting at an interesting point, but devolving into a surprisingly dull, long fight between Superman and Kalibak. He gets to be clever, certainly, but there’s less chances for him to outright outwit an opponent in the ways Batman could. And while the female characters are still very well-portrayed, especially for the time, the unrelenting horniness of some of the designs is a little “oh wow, how did I not notice THAT back then”.

All in all, though, Superman is, on some days, my favorite DCAU series because of how rock solid the fundamentals are and how enjoyable it can be to really get in a groove. It was an important series for laying the tracks that would become Justice League, and compared to some of our more modern depictions of the big blue boy scout, it’s a breath of fresh air. Despite ending on a somewhat downer note with “Legacy”, the show kept hope alive. And that’s a nice sentiment to return to now and again.

#superman: the animated series #stas #dcau #media analysis #reviews

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mavstudentvoice · 1 year

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What College Is Not

College was nothing like I thought it would be. But the crazy thing is, it was exactly what I needed it to be. I’ve learned the best things about myself and how to handle the worst. I created an entire new perspective on life and discovered the importance of putting yourself first. As I look back on my journey from high school to college, nothing comes close to the difference I found in what I thought I wanted versus what I desperately needed. When I look back now, before I say my final farewell to concluding my school years, I owe myself a tremendous thank you.

College is four years of developing self-dependency, and it’s hard. These are the fundamental years where we find and create ourselves. We decide where our beliefs and values lie. We lose people that we thought would be by our side through it all and gain those who really will be. We get reality thrown in our faces and figure out how to adapt to a world that isn’t protected by what we know, because as it turns out, we knew nothing.

Everything we thought we knew was something we have to reevaluate and decipher:

• We learn that trust is earned, not automatically given.

• We learn what love really is and what friends are not.

• We develop boundaries and understand our self-worth.

• We start to view the world differently, because now, it’s what we make of it.

College is not about textbooks and exams. It’s about becoming educated and gaining exposure through trial and error. We take a piece from every person we encounter—from our coworkers, professors, classmates, and peers—and use it to build on our own lives. Your college years change your life, and at the end of it, you’re looking at a completely different person in the mirror. A person that you’ve built up from the very bottom and transformed into someone you admire.

College is more than choosing which school to pursue and furthering your studies. College is a massive period of growing up and growth. There is no other time in your life when you will be old enough to make decisions but young enough to laugh off your mistakes. We have few responsibilities and yet hold all the power to make incredibly impactful changes.

What comes after? I’ve almost made it through my years of identifying as a “college student”. What will I now be known as? Who will I be and what will I do? I don’t know, and that is utterly terrifying. We get to start all over again. Except now, with what the college experience has given us, we can see a real future and now know how to build the steps to get there.

You form an identity in college. Don’t adapt to life when you’re done—create the change you want to see and push yourself. Continue on stepping forward to growth after you step off that stage.

-Belle

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tough-bit-of-fluff · 2 years

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Alyona Ascended - "If your character became a god" Prompt

Alyona Amariyo

(Ahl-YOH-nuh Uh-MAH-ree-yoh)

The Call To Adventure

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Domains: Luck, Travel, Freedom, Community

Goddess of adventure, improvisation and adaptability, storytelling, friendship, last-minute rescues, whimsy, and joie de vivre. Worshiped primarily by adventurers, but also writers, poets, tinkerers, and other creatives, celebrants, strangelings, and anyone looking for a way out of their current circumstances, whether physically or metaphorically.

Alyona asks her worshippers to consider their stories from a different perspective, and adherents can often be found in the tallest treetops or deepest dungeons, aboard airships headed to faraway lands, donating their time to worthy causes, flinging themselves into frenetic dance and revelry, or anywhere else they can “lose themselves to find themselves.”

The hierarchy amongst her priesthood is virtually nonexistent, being a passionately egalitarian sect. Vestments of office take “dress for the type of day you want to have” to the extreme, ranging from eccentrically layered leathers and fabrics, only wearing what has been gifted or found, to cosplay of popular characters from stage shows, or invention of a completely new identity. More than one ne’er-do-well has adopted the guise of an Alyonan priest or priestess in order to avoid capture, only to discover that the “office” was a better fit than wanton criminality, and took up the role in earnest.

Alyonans have virtually as many stories about their goddess’s frankly somewhat unbelievable exploits as there are adherents, and there is no agreed-upon central holy text. Alyona herself smiles upon these improvised stories and fabrications as a wonderful means of instruction, self-expression, and spreading of joy, so long as they are not used to unfairly castigate and harm others.

Alyona Amariyo is on friendly terms with most other gods in her pantheon, irrespective of alignment. She takes a special interest in mentoring newly-promoted demigods to more fully empower them to act as agents in their own right, even if it seems likely they will come to work against her. Alyona’s demeanor is one of an enthusiastically good-natured and patient teacher, regardless of another’s beliefs, but at her core, she has little patience for tyranny and oppression. Tyrannical deities and Powers of Law and Evil in particular have come to regret underestimating Alyona and her adherents after a millennia-long campaign of pranks, sabotage, and compassionate but firm opposition have delayed, if not thwarted, their machinations again and again.

Followers of Alyona are encouraged to adapt their religious observations to their own lives and means, and communities separated by only a few days’ travel may have wildly different rites and rituals. Worshipers treat their prayers as a conversation with a forthright and loving friend, and are sometimes heard to respond aloud to themselves “for” her. On this act of mingled theater, reframing of perspective, and self-love, Alyona smiles, of course; for what could suit her sensibilities better, or please her more?

Adherents are discouraged to seek after mystical signs, and asked to look instead to the positive changes in their own lives as evidence of Alyona Amariyo’s care and support, but it is said that when you find or make a new friend when you thought you were alone, when you fail in a way that leads to greater success down the road, or when a stranger joins in singing a song you just made up, she is especially near.

Alyona’s holy symbol is of wildly mismatched gears nevertheless turning harmoniously, to emphasize the importance of both community and diversity of experience. It also serves to remind followers that they likely already have at hand what they need to solve a problem or attain their goals; they simply have to let go of their preconceived notions about what success and the path towards it look like.

~*~*~*~*~

A friend posed this question in a Discord server and I ran with it old-school D&D Deities & Demigods style. If you make an entry for your character, please tag me, I want to read it!

#ffxiv rp #aly #alyona amariyo #miqo'te #deities #adventure #goddess of adventure #if your character was a god

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komca · 2 years

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hello, ive been sending this ask to mark fans to see the general opinion on this, do you think mark suits better 127 concepts or dream concepts?

my apologies for the lengthy answer and also because I went a bit off track with a reflection on each unit oops.

see under the cut for my mini essay response rip

with his experience with different groups and unit combinations, you know how versatile mark is musically and as a performer. so versatile he's almost a chameleon, able to adapt to each new concept thrown his way, however he always manages to stand out somehow (on purpose or not).

in my opinion, if we're strictly speaking of concepts in terms of styling, mark goes beyond just "suiting concepts" because he commits 100% to the assignment regardless of the unit, either by putting a twist to his styling or through the persona he takes on during shootings/performances to fit the part, he makes the concepts his own while preserving his individuality. (which ties into that one dance analysis which pointed out how he plays characters on stage)

to really answer your question tho i'll be considering other factors relative to concepts beyond the mere styling : how each unit and its members are marketed regardless of music, album concepts, photoshoot concepts for clothing/retail brands, and music genre.

but before i delve into a detailed comparison, i would just like to point out the lack of creativity of the styling across all units for the past couple years because they have been recycling outfit pieces under the guise of different concepts, and incoherence with the songs.

comparison time:

127 is arguably the most experimental unit in terms of music and styling, with bolder or classier, more ‘mature’ concepts. with an eclectic discography, they cover a wide range of music genres (rooted in rnb, hip hop, house and edm) which sometimes comes at the cost of cohesiveness in their full albums as they have songs that clash with the overall album tone and concept. In addition to that, one of their biggest shortcomings is their inability to fully commit to a concept during promotion cycles, there have been several instances of discrepancies between the variety content and album/mv. as for mark regardless of the changes in artistic directions always falls 100% in character and owns it. Also I don’t know if you’ve noticed but they tend to emphasize him being part of the maknae line through his styling, especially for fashion photoshoots, they play on innocence and modesty. With regards to music, I do believe mark is an integral part of their musical identity and it’s I believe the closest to his own preferred genres making it look almost natural for him to fully appropriate the feel, theme and concept of the songs.

Dream on the other hand is branded as the fresh, youthful, and tightknit unit, laying it heavy on the ‘coming of age’ aspect. I often think this traps him and allows little to no space for them to grow or explore as a group bc thematically they’re recycling, and I admit that their discography is not to my taste but I don’t think it’s stimulating mark’s artistry as much as 127 or superm do. concept-wise as I’ve mentioned before, mark completely commits to the concept beyond the styling and this was very apparent to me during glimo/beatbox promo because of the way he carried himself and made his ‘character’ come to life in the promotional content on social media, which wasn’t the case of the others imo (especially for the band concept but that’s a whole other rant), he was on the right side of ‘extra’. in theory dream concepts are lighter and more fun but i hate the styling they give mark 80% of the time but i disgress.

It’s one thing to play the part when you’re in costume and another to embody the character to make the story come to life and mark has honed the latter which is why restricting the question to which unit concepts he ‘suits’ best isn’t enough lol.

objectively, dream’s concepts fall better in line with some aspects of his personality because he’s bubbly, positive and fresh and all that, but as an artist I’m of the opinion that 127 is best suited for him.

also take this with a grain of salt because i'm heavily biased and much prefer the concepts mark had during SuperM days and what we've seen so far of his solo works.

#asks #anon #thank you for making me overthink this

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themosleyreview · 3 months

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The Mosley Review: Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender (Season 1)

And so the trend to try and adapt a beloved anime, manga or an American animated series to live action continues. It isn't uncommon that the fans demand it or someone has a vision to bring such beautiful piece of art to the big screen. It just the fact that each attempt has been a disaster or has completely missed the point of the source material. Not everything in animation translates to live action so changes have to be made for an audience to digest the information. Which in this case, was a travesty since the rich themes of identity, personal growth, fear, loss and the power of hope is what made the original animated series a masterpiece. Such themes that connected with children and adults alike is what made the series such a massive draw. Now we all know how horrible the 2010 film adaptation so there’s no need to retread those waters. You can say that expectations were tempered going into this new Netflix adaptation with all the problems that existed internally. To be fair, I will not continue this review by comparing every aspect of the original series to this new live action version, but I will always encourage you all to seek out the original series. That being said, I will save my biggest critiques at the end. Now, I went into this series with the single hope that it would be as close as possible to the original series. Well, this was a better adaptation that captured a certain percentage of what made the cartoon special, but you can feel the tug of war going on from the very first 3 episodes. This version wanted to establish that there is a dark and grittier edge to it, but also show the light hearted and fun nature of the adventure across the different nations and the lessons each character learns. In my opinion, for every great moment this series provides and gets right, there was an empty void where any connection to original show or even to the characters themselves was severed.

Gordon Cormier was really good as Avatar Aang. In many ways, he nails the character’s many emotional states as he slowly comes to grips with the loss of his Air nomad friends and mentor. He captured the pain in the Aang’s heart and also his childish humor in many scenes. I wish he had more time to actually grow out of his reluctant hero stage instead barreling through the most formative moments with his new friends. Lim Kay Siu was wonderful as Air nomad mentor Gyatso and I loved the emotional bond they had in the beginning of the show. Their chemistry was very strong and was the life blood for Aang. Kiawentiio was good as Katara and I felt she was done dirty in this show. She felt too sheepish at times and I wished she was more strong willed. She had her self doubts which is part of her arc, but I wish her steadfast nature was way more present. Everything was handed to her and she never really earns her upgrades in a selfless way as she comes off as more selfish when with Aang. Aside from a major missing character trait, Ian Ousley was excellent as her older brother Sokka. He nailed the characters' strength and humor, but I do wish he was a little bit more awkward. The family drama between Sokka and Katara was great and I liked the way it was resolved even if it was too quick. The 3 of them together make for a decent group, but I didn't feel as if they were really bonded. It felt as if they were following Aang as extra characters instead of being his friends and actual new emotional core of his heart. Utkarsh Ambudkar was awesome as the King of Omashu / Bumi. His playful nature was on full display and his message about making the hard decision as the Avatar and in his own way, as a King, was heard. He isn't the mad genius you love, but more the war torn and world weary older man. Maria Zhang was great as the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, Suki. She was strong, had a good and ambitious heart. Her instant chemistry with Sokka was cool and I loved their training montage. I wish they took more time to develop the eventual love story between them instead of just jumping right into it.

Dallas Liu was fantastic as Prince Zuko. He nailed his obsessive desire to capture Aang and bring him back to the Fire Nation. His story was a bit more fleshed out as we get to see the deeper emotional toll of his father's banishment. Dallas also nails the physicality of the character and I enjoyed every action scene. You feel the desperation, pain and overall need to please nature of his broken spirit. Paul Sun-Hyung Lee was great as his guardian and beloved character, Uncle Iroh. He is such a layered character and in the amount of time we get with him, it isn't wasted. I really liked that his past as a warlord was brought up and you see his regret. He is always been the nurturing core for Zuko and he was exactly that for this version of the series. Daniel Dae Kim was perfect as Fire Lord Ozai. He was the tyrannical lord of the Fire Nation that we all know and I loved how cold and unflinching he was in his tactics. There was a moment where I thought we were about to see an emotional side of him come out, but I'm glad I interpreted it wrong. It wasn't a father's care that was being shown to Zuko, it was more disappointment and shame and that was rough. Ken Leung was awesome as Commander Zhao and he nailed the characters arrogance and hunger for respect and power. He wanted forge his legacy in the Fire Nation and I loved his ambition and dedication. He was an excellent adaptation of the villain. On the other hand, we have a character that is not supposed to be focused on so heavily in the first season. Elizabeth Yu was good as Princess Azula, but I believe she missed the point of the character. She is supposed to be the absolute polar opposite of her brother Zuko and truly her "father's daughter". Where Zuko shows doubts and emotion, she shows rage, venom and ice cold dedication to setting the world ablaze. Here she is doubtful, second guessing and sometimes winey as hell. The actress did what she could, but she is the second character in this show that I think was done dirty.

Takeshi Furukawa takes over the reins as the series composer and he did an epic job. He nailed the emotional beats and made the action even more intense. He incorporates some of the original themes from the animated series and a favorite song returns as well. I do miss the touch of Jeremy Zuckerman and Benjamin Wynn, but Takeshi did a wonderful job. Visually, the show was torn between vibrance and darkness and I wish they leaned more into the vibrance of the worlds without the dark overcast in almost every location. Like I said before, there were so many things that rubbed me the wrong way as this adaptation completely rushes past or condenses so many arcs for the sake of time. The first 20 minutes of the show was a mistake in my opinion, because we see the Air Nomads being wiped out instead of hearing about. Sometimes the stories about an event are more heartbreaking than actually seeing it. That 20 minutes could've been condensed to dialogue like the opening of the animated series. Princess Azula and her friends should have never been introduced in this season until the very last shot of the show. That's precious time wasted to build her up instead of forging Team Avatar. Aang needed to connect more with his new friends and rely on them instead of his dead mentor. That's why they never felt like a team or a new found family for Aang. This show really would've benefited from a 10 episode run instead of 8. In the end, it all boils down to the question of “Was this a faithful adaptation to the original animated series?” I would say that its a good cover album that takes too many artistic liberties and misses the many notes that made the first album a masterpiece. Fans like myself will like it better than the 2010 abomination, but will still see the major flaws. I highly recommend going back and watching the masterpiece the original series is, but if you don't, you'll still be entertained by this adaptation. Let me know what you thought of the show or my review in the comment below. Thanks for reading!

#avatar the last airbender #Gordon Cormier #kiawentiio #Ian Ousley #Dallas Liu #paul sun hyung lee #ken leung #Daniel Dae Kim #lim kay siu #utkarsh ambudkar #elizabeth yu #netflix #nickelodeon

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hawk-ecommerce · 3 months

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Maximizing Instagram for Your Business: A Comprehensive Guide -Hawkecommerce

In today's computerized age, social media sites like Instagram have ended up irreplaceable instruments for businesses looking to improve their online nearness, lock in with clients, and drive deals. With over a billion dynamic clients worldwide, Instagram offers an energetic stage for businesses of all sizes to grandstand their items or administrations, interface with their target group of on-lookers, and construct a solid brand personality. Here’s how you'll use Instagram successfully to impel your commerce to modern heights.

Create a Compelling Profile: Your Instagram profile serves as the digital storefront for your business. Ensure it's complete with a clear profile picture, a concise yet captivating bio that encapsulates your brand's essence, and a link to your website or relevant landing page.

Content is King: Post high-quality, visually appealing content that resonates with your target audience. Whether it's captivating images, engaging videos, or informative carousel posts, strive to deliver content that adds value to your followers' feeds and reflects your brand's personality.

Consistency is Key: Maintaining a consistent posting schedule keeps your audience engaged and attracts new followers. Experiment with different posting times and analyze the insights to determine when your audience is most active.

Harness the Power of Hashtags: Hashtags are instrumental in increasing your content's discoverability on Instagram. Research relevant hashtags that are popular within your niche and incorporate them strategically into your posts to expand your reach and attract potential customers.

Engage with Your Audience: Cultivate a sense of community by actively engaging with your followers through likes, comments, and direct messages. Respond promptly to inquiries, acknowledge user-generated content, and initiate meaningful conversations to foster stronger relationships with your audience.

Utilize Instagram Stories and Reels: Leverage Instagram's ephemeral content features like Stories and Reels to share behind-the-scenes glimpses, product tutorials, or entertaining snippets that humanise your brand and keep your audience coming back for more.

Collaborate with Influencers: Partnering with influencers or micro-influencers in your industry can help amplify your brand's reach and credibility. Identify influencers whose values align with your brand and collaborate on sponsored content or influencer marketing campaigns to tap into their engaged audience.

Run Targeted Ads: Instagram's robust advertising platform allows you to create highly targeted ads tailored to specific demographics, interests, and behaviours. Invest in Instagram ads to reach a wider audience, drive traffic to your website, or promote your products/services directly.

Track and Analyze Performance: Monitor your Instagram analytics regularly to gain insights into your audience demographics, engagement metrics, and top-performing content. Use this data to refine your content strategy, optimize your campaigns, and maximize your ROI.

Stay Updated with Trends: Keep abreast of the latest Instagram trends, features, and algorithm changes to adapt your strategy accordingly and stay ahead of the competition. Experiment with new formats, such as IGTV or Instagram Shopping, to capitalize on emerging opportunities.

In conclusion, Instagram presents a wealth of opportunities for businesses to connect with their audience, build brand awareness, and drive tangible results. By implementing a strategic approach and staying true to your brand's identity, you can harness the full potential of Instagram as a powerful marketing tool for your business.

#best amazon marketing agency #facebook marketing agency #best amazon ppc agency #meta marketing agency

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mayhighfilms · 9 months

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Corporate Film Maker In Delhi NCR

Introduction

In the fast-paced world of business, effective communication is the key to success. In this digital age, where attention spans are shorter than ever, companies are turning to various forms of media to convey their message efficiently. One such powerful medium is corporate filmmaking. With its ability to engage, inform, and inspire, corporate films have become an indispensable tool for businesses to connect with their target audience. And in the heart of India's bustling business landscape lies the vibrant hub of corporate film making - Delhi NCR.

The Essence of Corporate Films

Corporate films are more than just promotional videos; they're a fusion of storytelling, visuals, and emotion that aims to convey a company's ethos, values, products, and services. These films provide an opportunity to establish a unique brand identity and build a strong rapport with customers, stakeholders, and employees alike. Whether it's a brand introduction, a product demonstration, or a company's journey, corporate films capture the essence of an organization in a concise and compelling manner.

Delhi NCR: The Corporate Film Making Hub

Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) stands as a pulsating center of commerce, innovation, and creativity. This region boasts a plethora of corporate film production houses that cater to the diverse needs of businesses, ranging from startups to multinational conglomerates. Here's why Corporate Film Maker In Delhi NCR has emerged as a hotspot for corporate film making:

Strategic Location: Being the capital of India, Delhi NCR enjoys excellent connectivity, making it accessible to businesses from all over the country. The central location enables production houses to collaborate with companies from various industries.

Talent Pool: The region is a melting pot of diverse talents, including directors, cinematographers, scriptwriters, editors, and more. The availability of skilled professionals contributes to the creation of high-quality corporate films.

Cultural Diversity: Delhi NCR's cultural diversity allows filmmakers to adapt their storytelling techniques to resonate with different audiences. This versatility is crucial when crafting narratives that appeal to a broad range of consumers.

Technological Infrastructure: The corporate film industry heavily relies on cutting-edge technology and equipment. Delhi NCR provides access to state-of-the-art studios, post-production facilities, and advanced equipment necessary for creating visually stunning and impactful films.

Creative Collaboration: The region's vibrant atmosphere encourages collaboration between corporate filmmakers and clients. The close proximity allows for efficient communication and seamless coordination throughout the production process.

The Art of Crafting Compelling Corporate Films

Behind every successful corporate film is a team of skilled professionals who understand the nuances of storytelling and visual communication. The process involves several key stages:

Conceptualization: The process begins with understanding the client's goals and objectives. This stage involves brainstorming ideas, drafting a script, and outlining the visual style.

Pre-production: Planning is essential to ensure a smooth shooting process. This phase includes location scouting, casting, scheduling, and creating storyboards.

Production: This is where the script comes to life. The crew handles camera work, lighting, sound, and direction to capture the scenes that will eventually form the film.

Post-production: This phase involves editing, adding graphics, sound design, and visual effects. The goal is to create a cohesive and impactful narrative that aligns with the client's vision.

Finalization and Distribution: Once the film is complete, it's shared with the client for feedback. After any necessary revisions, the final version is ready for distribution across various platforms.

Conclusion

Ad Films Maker In Delhi NCR making has evolved into a dynamic art form that blends creativity with business acumen. In Delhi NCR, this art form thrives, propelled by the region's cultural richness, talent pool, and technological infrastructure. From telling compelling brand stories to showcasing innovative products, corporate films have become a powerful tool for businesses to engage their target audience in a meaningful way. So, the next time you encounter a captivating corporate film that resonates with you, remember that it might have been born in the creative heart of Delhi NCR.

#corporate film makers in delhi #tv commercial makers in delhi #ad films maker in delhi ncr #corporate video maker in gurugram #product video maker in delhi ncr #corporate film maker in delhi ncr #tv commercial production companies in gurugram

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digitalcrews · 1 year

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10 Digital Marketing Trends To Follow For Fashion Brands

Digital marketing trends are revolutionizing nearly every aspect of fashion, from design and sales to the creation of new disruptive digital companies and business structures that have the potential to save the world. What are the similarities between these digital developments and company models? They are mostly facilitated by digital technology. Smart firms are concentrating on these digital changes and adapting their businesses to capitalize on new possibilities and imperatives. Whether you’re a startup that manufactures & sells only one specialized product, like summer co-ord sets for men in different patterns or you’re a big fashion brand that offers a lot of product categories. If you want to outrank your competition, boost your online traffic, and increase sales of your new trending shirts for men, belts, and other fashion items. You need to know these digital marketing trends that are going to help you in 2022 Extensively.

10 Digital Marketing Trends To Follow For Fashion Brand In 2022

We all know that there are fresh designs for the sector to experiment on as customers and fashion merchants deal with the fallout of the COVID-19 epidemic. Sustainable, yet inexpensive apparel is increasing. And the continuously transformed environment helps businesses thrive with room to grow in the aftermath of global economic shifts. As a matter of fact, a business that doesn't evolve doesn't grow. In this digital dominating era. Well, With more change than a fashion retailer's fitting rooms, we decided to put together 10 digital marketing trends for your fashion brand from designing your all-over eCommerce site around 2022. 1. Chat Bot Is A New Way To Communicate Customers do not want to connect with phony chatbots that use computerized communications. And that's what you would think of when you hear the phrase CHATBOT. People, on the other hand, are not disappointed by AI-powered chatbots since they are speedy and bring accurate solutions to the table in no time. These chatbots perfectly grasp your worries and provide you with the finest possible replies in seconds. Imagine, if newbie brands offer new trending shirts for men that are amazingly unique on the website. And, customers want to know more about the product, shipping policy, and more. If the chatbot won’t be there most customers will shy away to leave an email for you. But, having a chatbot there will make them send a quick FAQ & give answers to them. Most startups can’t afford to provide 24*7 service to their consumers. For those startups, these AI-powered chatbots embedded into your social media accounts can assist you in managing customer issues. It is a low-cost alternative for assisting people who want to start from somewhere. 2. Sale Sustainable Ethnic Wear In digital marketing trends of clothing, emissions outnumber those of all marine transport and flights combined. There is now a bigger movement to make the fashion business less harmful, and digital developments are assisting. The majority of internet users view Sustainability as an economic opportunity, with demands for the term "sustainability" to quality fashionable clothes. 3. Invest In Social Media Creating accounts on all social media platforms may seem appealing, but it may not be practical. To get the most out of your social media efforts, start with the two most popular channels: Facebook and Instagram. In the future, you may promote your fashion brand on additional social media platforms such as Pinterest, YouTube, and Twitter. The following stage would be to establish your buyer's identity and the sort of material with which they would like to interact. For example, if you're a fashion business that offers athleisure clothes, your target demographic will be completely different than if you sell gowns. 4. Try Influencer Marketing Influencer marketing comes in rising digital marketing trends. That includes star sessions, sponsored content, and product reviews, enabling social media users to find new things and learn the fitting and feeling of a clothing item without ever having to visit a real store. When influencer films themself trying on an article of clothing and provides a product review, consumers may see how the item fits, hear about its benefits and drawbacks, and determine whether it is perfect for them. Influencer marketing makes it easier than ever for consumers to purchase from the comfort of their phones and learn about things they would not have discovered otherwise. 5. Content Segmentation Can Help Segmentation is a technique that has been around for a long; most will use them for client segmentation, which implies targeting consumers with similar demographics or common interests. It is also usual practice to separate forms of communication like e-newsletters, news, updates, or promotional offers. However, beyond the typical subscribe or unsubscribe marketing techniques, organizations can explore more extensive and thoughtful labeling of their email messages that enables a consumer to really opt out of getting particular types of material. 6. Leverage User Generated Content This is one of the most powerful digital marketing trends. It happens when consumers fall in love with your brand, they will generate content for it. Such user-generated material will undoubtedly have a positive influence on the minds of your target audience. Many firms are already using user-generated content (UGC) to demonstrate the quality of their products and services. 7. Create Style Guides For Products Creating social media guides or lookbooks is one of the simplest methods to sell your items on social media. These can be flat lay images of your items, a movie of several pieces from your catalog, or a lesson on how to customize your product. Consider this Instagram carousel displaying Uniqlo's new Spring/Summer collection. 8. Buy Now Pay Later Creating guides or lookbooks on social media is one of the simplest methods to sell your items on social media. These can be flat lay images of your items, a movie of several pieces from your catalog, or a lesson on how to customize your product. Consider this Instagram carousel displaying Uniqlo's new Spring/Summer collection. 9. Personalization Is The Key Customization comes a long way and digital marketers see it as the key to modern e-commerce success. You provide a personalized shopping experience that motivates them to buy. It presents things that sellers remarkets them depending on their behavior on your eCommerce website. 10. Invest In Retention The most effective digital marketing technique for apparel manufacturers in this escalating competition is retention. You may develop a healthy connection with your consumers with a digital marketing plan. You must ensure that you include customers and stay them up to speed on your offerings. It assists people in developing loyalty to the brand and engaging with you over time. You may re-target your web visitors using Facebook Ads and YouTube as well as digital marketing. For more updates visit Digital Crews. Read the full article

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somnianus · 3 years

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On Chinese and Eastern Dramatic Acting vs Western

Part 1 Part 2

Mostly in ref to the Untamed/Word of Honor, but applies to a lot of East Asian works-

I’ve been getting the sense that people I know from the west (also being Asian-American myself) often interpret Chinese/Japanese/Korean drama and theatre to be too corny/cheesy/over-acted. A quick search on some internet forums confirms this. Maybe it’s because I used to watch a lot of C-dramas when I was a kid (Legend of the Condor Heroes/Return of C Heroes/Journey to the West/The Reincarnated Princess/etc), I personally did not notice that the acting was over the top.

I don’t really speak for the quality of acting of these actors because I barely follow them in their careers, but I do know that some of them are immature actors or don’t have much formal training (which may cause the cheesiness above). However, Eastern dramatic acting in general does seem like a common complaint, so I decided to look into it - this is all coming from someone who JUST recently got back into watching C-dramas btw, doing my own research so don’t mind me if there’s some incorrect things down here, I am by NO means at all an expert in drama and theater (lol):

^Villains are often depicted with very exaggerated facial expressions (Above, Xue Yang, The Untamed)

Part 1

1. Chinese concept of mo vs western equivalent of “mimesis” or “imitation”

From this, an excellent chapter on Chinese theatrical concepts vs Western concepts.

Mo plays a significant part in traditional Chinese theatre, usually held to be antithetical to the realism of Western theatre because of its emphasis on theatricality.

Mo means mimesis or imitation, but in a very different sense from the Western concept. One of the first Chinese scholars to use this term, Fu Sinian, used it to compare Western theatre to Chinese theatre:

Presenting a real event and performing an entertaining show are not compatible. The former emphasizes imitation (yige zhong mofang^b); the latter stresses spontaneity and entertainment. The former performance produces a lifelike image; the latter has nothing to produce. The former puts emphasis on the plot; the latter puts emphasis on theatricality. Therefore they are completely contradictory to one another.

This guy actually goes onto critique Chinese theater, saying it should be more like Western realism, so that there will “be no singing, and the acting will imitate people’s real gestures.” However! Other Chinese critics tried to approach Western vs traditional Chinese drama as two DIFFERENT but still valid forms of art. For example, Yu Shangyuan (1927) said western performance is “writing realistically” (xie shi) and chinese performance as “writing suggestively” (xie yi). Western dramas really rely on an accurate/semi-accurate representation of life and realism. Traditional Chinese drama and acting relied on the “symbolic and imaginative.”

Then what is mo? It is the emotional display, the emotional revelation, that is shown on stage. Starting from the Yuan dynasty, the Chinese drama was thought to be a continuation of poetry rather than its own independent stage art.

Poetry is where the intent of the heart goes. Lying in the heart, it is “intent”; when uttered in words, it is “poetry.” When an emotion stirs inside, one expresses it in words; finding this inadequate, one sighs over it; not content with this, one sings it in poetry; still not satisfied, one unconsciously dances with one’s hands and feet. [anonymous, 1975, from Shi Daxu 200 BCE]

Chinese drama with dancing and singing, was the most expressive product of poetry. The importance of mo cannot be stressed enough - it is the measure by which traditional Chinese drama was judged, how well this drama make you feel? Love, pain, loss, guilt, happiness? Plot becomes something that doesn’t matter as much (more on that later).

^Beijing/Peking Opera - highly stylized, emotive, “unrealistic” performances

To emphasize how central and important this concept is, it’s thought that a good Chinese playwright never fails to “seize a highly dramatic scene to stage an elaborate presentation of an emotional state.”

Love is of source unknown, yet it grows ever deeper. The living may die of it, by its power the dead live again. [Peony Pavilion, Mu dan ting]

This quote really shows how important it was to show these emotions on stage, to inspire the audience to feel deeply. Chinese critics believed that the best part about drama was how efficient it is to display emotion. Playwrights should “depict extreme bitterness, extreme happiness, extreme silliness, and extreme sobriety; imitate these feelings to the utmost (miao mo jin xing^p).”

Such performances are not necessarily accurately mimicking reality, but they are obtained through the “revelation” of a character’s internal emotional world.

2. Mo vs the depiction of reality or theatrical truth

The Chinese concept of aesthetic truth relates a lot to theatrical truth. In a lot of traditional Chinese art, painting, poetry, etc, aesthetic truth is not empirical, and doesn’t have to be accurate to life, or realistic. It’s a “truth that lies beyond mere superficial likeness.”

To the Chinese artist, an accurate resemblance between art and reality is not only superficial but often distorting. Chinese artists hold a dialectical view on the “form” (xing) and the “spirit” or “content” (shen) of an artistic object. According to them, xing and shen are not always complementary. On the contrary, they often stand in opposition to one another. (referenced in the chapter above)

Traditional Chinese artists would rather represent the object with the wish that their representation matches its spirit, or abstract identity, than its actual form because a “photographic image is a shallow image.” It’s easy to draw a picture of something realistically, but it’s much harder and more satisfying to depict its nature, its feeling, its spirit.

This also naturally affects theater and dramatic performances.

Dramatic writing can be divided into two types: “a painting-like work” or a “transformed work,” in which the latter has higher artistic value because it reaches more towards the essence of dramatic object. Realistic imitations are fine, but they’re not really enough to reveal the mo or true feelings of something.

In addition, traditional Chinese dramatists believe that “all dramas are nothing but allegories. One need not ask about their origins in actual life.” You might be able to see, then, that these older playwrights and critics really fancied the overdramatic depictions of emotions.

a. The Chinese notion of theatrical truth/aesthetic truth vs European

Onto what we, as part of the Western audience, are more used to:

For Italian neoclassical critics, the pleasure of a drama hinges on how accurate, how realistic, the depiction is. Castelvetro, the leading Italian Neo-Classical critic and creator of the concept of “the three unities,” claims thus:

We cannot imagine a king who did not exist, nor attribute any action to him.

Another Italian critic, Robortellus, said that a creative/imaginative story with no “verisimilitude” (truthfulness, in this context, realism) is less appealing than one that imitates a real-life event:

Thus if a tragic plot contained an action which did not really take place and was not true, but was represented by the poet himself in accordance with verisimiltude, it would perhaps move the souls of the auditors, but certainly less.

So basically, it’s fundamentally the opposite of Chinese theater. Italian dramatic works prized being realistic, being properly adapted from reality and real events. Chinese dramatic works, however, enjoyed the emphasis on heartfelt emotional demonstrations, or mo. Even in critical writings, the word “truth” is used, but it is usually used to modify the word “heart” or “emotion.” It is very concerned with the internal, the truthfulness of heartfelt emotional expression.

Taken these contexts, you can see why the Chinese stage/dramas are wholly “unreal” as Tao-Ching Hsu puts it. Everything, the makeup, the costumes, the props, is expressive and suggestive rather than imitative.

b. Bejing/Peking Opera, jingju

A famous example is the Beijing/Peking Opera, jingju. The makeup and costumes themselves are fantastical representations. The colors and patterns suggest different moods, temperaments, characters, and even changes in emotions. Actors would make distinct movements to depict distinct emotions with varying levels of energy. The stage itself may be sparse, because it is not as important as the expression of emotion and drama.

The stage is sparse not because of the lack of technology or funding, but because it leaves room for the actor themselves to fully express their internal thinking/feeling/emotions. Characters can cross hundreds of miles in a few steps or may take the whole stage to cross a supposed road. This representation looks “unreal” to a realistic-minded audience, but it is very genuine to a Chinese audience.

Summary (so far)

This crucial understanding of the concept of mo (the emotional revelation), and the way traditional Chinese drama depicts life and stories, informs how their modern works are also portrayed. Coming from a Western dramatic background, where realism and plot are the most important aspects of a work, it can be very confusing, right? Even Chinese scholars began to judge their own dramatic works through a Western lens.

How does this traditional background affect modern Chinese dramas and works? I think it still has a very large effect, even though much of Western ideals about dramatic works have been heavily integrated into modern Chinese dramas.

Part 2: On Theatricality and how it transfers into Chinese Cinema

#cdramas #theater #acting style #beijing opera #the untamed #word of honor #kdramas #jdramas #theatricality #east asian cinema

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i-love-hobbies · 3 years

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Eda may have more trauma than what we've seen on screen - theory

Her seeing a lot of death I think is a fact.

She has been a criminal for three decades and she ate a dude while being so chill about it. For someone to be this chill they have to have seen a lot of death and recovered from it.

She is extremely reckless like on another level when she doesn't (or refuses to) recognize the danger. We've seen her permanent record. She also got caught by Warden Wrath. She almost had Amity stabbed with a lot of spikes. She fell for a scam (for thirty years she has been a scammer) for an elixir, cause of cards.

She got herself scammed kinda on purpose just so she can prove to be better than Lilith. She actually got caught by the fun police.

She fell for Luz's apple blood signs (how bad is that problem?). She punched a guard. She almost had Amity get blasted. She told King to echolocate the lake (I know they didn't get caught and that she was expecting that as she has experience with the coven but why risk it?). She had to hit the fool's blood.

Now obviously the roots of this problem come from her parents. Her mom was probably very ignorant of her behaviour and her dad fired fireworks in the house (In my opinion this was her second transformation ever. So my problem is "in the house".)

Ok so her growing up with this problem makes sense but she has shown to respect others' opinion. She respects a fourteen year old from another dimension without natural magic and a kid which till now didn't have magic and she has no idea which species he is from.

Yes telling her "just follow the rules" like Lilith and teachers did would not work but Raine seems like the person who would recognise why rules are there in the first place and straight up say:

- You want Bump to allow you to study every track. Well don't have him completely dependent on the Emporer's coven money by breaking everything.

Now this obviously didn't work immediately, but it should have planted a seed, right?

How has she not grown out of her biggest flaw? It's been near five decades. For five decades she refuses to change?

What was stopping her? The guards she can mop the floor with? Yes she was in isolation, because of her choices, curse and wild magic but again didn't do anything till now about it.

1. Isolation 2. Bigger problem with the curse and talking to people 3. Bigger isolation

Again she didn't break the cycle for three decades. Why?

She has been shown to be very adaptive. She probably had to change at least a bit to find herself with someone with stage fright, to rebel against her mom's cures and find an elixir, to be able to so drastically change her point view of the coven system, that she accidentally inspires someone to rebel. And is overall a very mature person when it comes to her giving advice.

Then she completely pauses and refuses to change in any way. Refuses to learn from her mistakes. Refuses to learn how to manage her curse better. Just stops.

Then Luz shows up and she is adaptive again.

What happened in between? She never needed to learn to be adaptive or to put herself in other people's shoes cause she already knew how, someone just needed to show her affection.

Now here is my theory. She was apart of a rebellion or better yet she led one at some point in the past and before it and while being in it, she had overcame her reckless problem thanks to Raine.

We have seen the difference between what she was going through while she was a scammer and while she was actually proactive in a pretty small rebellion. It was a big difference. She probably thinks Raine is death. At first it felt kinda safe and then BAM.

Also her punching the guard for some stranger, her line "Only truths!" which as pizzaboat pointed out is just her saying "I'll tell you only if you catch me just like always!" her leadership when it came to Raine's rebellion that fell cause Raine fell for a trap.

Also I should probably point out Raine's rebellion as it feels relevent. I think they had a family or close friends that died in this thirty years (maybe in Eda's rebellion, maybe cause of stuff that was curable back in the savage ages when a lot of plants weren't extinct).

And then they finally decided to act while before they were just trying to join the ranks as they're plan was to destroy the system from the inside so minimum people would die, but they finally really started recruiting people, recently.

On the other hand I think Eda, after finding out how her sister was treated and probably distanced herself even more from her, cause of the fear of the curse hurting her even more and going to the forbidden part of the library, found the author of the unauthorized history book, who was probably in the rebellion that formed immediately as Belos became emporer (there is no way such a rebellion didn't exist).

From them she learned exactly what she was getting herself into and what was actually effective and started learning how to form a rebellion, before even becoming officially a criminal.

Also I think she probably used a fake identity so her family doesn't get attacked ones she became a wild witch. I'm imagining dark green clothes with red eye contacts and no hair.

While being in the rebellion she probably learned a lot of skills and went through a lot of trauma, as death was kinda normal, with the help of her mentor and her new found apple blood problem.

I think the rebellion also succesided in something but mostly it failed miserably and the rebellion was destroyed with her probably the only survivor (at the very least her mentor dies).

Also I'm still begging for an Eda vs Belos fight which is definitely not happening outside of a flashback.

Also if hundreds really did die Infront of her in the matter of a week, maybe even in a second if Belos came personally. She probably needed someone who fulfilled the role of a therapist and probably for a long time no one had heard of her or her other identity as she was hiding in the forest cause of the flashbacks she had.

Not sure what happened to the therapist but I wouldn't be surprised if they're dead.

This combined with her nightmares I think is something she is still recovering from by refusing to recognize danger, by trying to escape reality. By being so reckless so she can feel better and have fun always.

Anyway if I'm right imagen how hard s1ep18/19 and s2ep7 hit her.

#toh #the owl house #toh eda #eda clawthorne #edalyn clawthorne #the owl lady #eda the owl lady #toh raine #raine whispers #raeda #toh raeda #toh theory #the owl house theory #toh emperor belos

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cto10121 · 2 years

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West Side Story vs. Roméo et Juliette: The Musicalization of Desire

I’ve always maintained that even musical adaptations of the same work can’t be (easily) compared with each other. But it can’t be denied that we currently have not one, but two excellent, popular, and controversial modern musical adaptations of Shakespeare’s R&J—Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim’s West Side Story and Gérard Presgurvic’s Roméo et Juliette, de la Haine à l’Amour—who have drastically different takes on the same material and who succeed in different ways. One of these ways is how the two musicals portray the lovers, Tony and Maria and Roméo and Juliette, and their love relationship musically. I’ll mostly be talking about the 1961 version of the former and the 2001 French of the latter unless otherwise stated.

Score

Bernstein

Both Bernstein and Presgurvic creatively blend and bend classical and popular idioms for major love duets and even outside the lovers. Bernstein, however, takes it much further than Presgurvic, blending classical and operatic idioms with the jazz/swing idioms of its day.

Swing was a popular musical language of the time, great for (usually male) bravado, wit, urban sophistication, light satire, anomie and despondency, and occasionally machismo, with jazz being its more abstract, more intellectualized older sibling. It can be coolly detached or rambunctious. In the ‘20s it was wild and raunchy, the 40s leisurely and cool, the ‘50s brassy and macho. Bernstein uses swing for the Blues section of Dance at the Gym and “Cool,” as well as the “Jets Song,” melding jazz elements to the classical base almost seamlessly. Bernstein also uses Spanish flamenco flourishes and rhythms for the Puerto Rican characters and a jazz-inflected pseudo-mambo. This shows not only the world of the characters, but their attitudes—the gangs’ bravado and machismo, yes, but also their wit, the clever satire of the condescending psychology theories for juvenile delinquency in “Gee Officer Krupke” and the more serious satire of the police’s racism against them. On the Puerto Riccan side, it shows their cultural identity and ambivalence towards the influences of American culture.

When it comes to the lovers, however, the big band/swing is nowhere to be found—there is the instrumental Maria cha-cha, the balcony “Tonight” is fully classical, and “One Hand, One Heart” operatic. Ditto for “Somewhere,” sung off-stage by a Shark girl in the original Broadway production and sung as a lovers’ duet in the 1961 version. Tony and Maria are musically separated from their world, and only in their solo songs (the American optimism of “Something’s Coming” and the trilling “I Feel Pretty”) do they show a little influence of their respective cultures and worlds.

Moreover, Bernstein (working in tandem with Sondheim, Robbins, and Laurents), declines to musicalize any other Tony and Maria moment except their meeting, balcony, wedding, and death scene (sort of). The wedding night is only dramatized, and the focus is Anita’s discovery of them and her confrontation with Maria. The only exception is the 1961 film deleting the ballet sequence making “Somewhere” a lovers’ duet. This was in hindsight a very good film and musical choice, since Tony and Maria have no other duets until their “Somewhere (Reprise)” one at the end, as Tony is dying in Maria’s arms. The 2021 movie did further damage by opting to recontextualize “Somewhere” for Rita Moreno’s character as a wish for a world beyond internecine violence. Another fortunate choice was to have “One Hand, One Heart” as the balcony scene song, only for the creators to change their minds and replace it with the more fulsome and passionate “Tonight” from the quartet.

Presgurvic

Presgurvic, like Bernstein, blends pop idioms with classical seamlessly in musically creative ways. However, he never divorces the pop-rock completely from the lovers’ duets, even amid the more orchestral sounds of “Un Jour,” “Sans Elle,” “Le Chant de l’Alouette,” and neo-classical “Aimer.” Even then the rhythms are driving; “L’Amour Heureux” and “Aimer” have a snare drum rapid-heartbeat rhythm that is almost militaristic—and in fact, the snare drum is typically a military instrument. “Par Amour” has a rock, almost demanding passage beginning with Romeo’s “C’est Dieu qui vous aimez” to the Friar (“It’s God you love”) and leading onto the lovers’ shared verse. The result is not fully pop or even any contemporary genre, however—it is a heightened, more sophisticated pop, rich in orchestral detail and melodic feeling beyond simple catchiness. Presgurvic also, uniquely for pop, utilizes the chorus for epic gravitas.

The effect is more erotic than the pristine beauty of Bernstein’s score. Tony and Maria meet in an elegant, then sweeping Maria cha-cha, the symbolic union of Tony’s melody with Maria’s Latin culture, before they begin a cryptic, but condensed speech. Roméo and Juliette, by contrast, meet in a trombone blast and orchestral hit, (a lightning strike!) in the passionate snare drum of “L’Amour Heureux.” It’s interesting that the first reactions to each other should have Tony and Maria burst into dance, and then speech, while RetJ burst into song. Both evoke different feelings—the symbolic, mirror-like mutuality in Tony and Maria’s dance, and the intense passion of RetJ, and their (lyrical) mutuality.

For the Balcony scene, however, the musical feelings are suddenly reversed—it is in Presgurvic that the airy, romantic sweetness is emphasized, while Bernstein brings a classical intensity and power in “Tonight.” There is, however, a distinct difference in the lyrical intensity, which I’ll talk more about later.

The other scene musicalized in both is the Wedding Scene, which in Bernstein is “One Hand, One Heart” and Presgurvic’s contemporary classic “Aimer” (Love). There is no mystery as to which composition is better, but the point is that once more Bernstein has opted for a pristine classical feeling, more along the lines of a traditional wedding (ironically, the wedding scene in WSS is a play one) compared to the sweet but powerful and triumphant “Aimer” with its step-like key changes and swooping high notes and an overwhelming chorus.

From there, unlike Bernstein, Presgurvic fully musicalizes the wedding night scene (“Le Chant de l’Alouette”) and even includes an extra long-distance duet, “Sans Elle” (later including “On Prie” in the Revival), a kind of bookend to the long-distance “Un Jour” duet of Act 1. All in all, if you include the three-part “Par Amour” with the Friar, Presgurvic gives a total seven love duets to the titular lovers.

Lyrics

Sondheim

A young Stephen Sondheim (RIP) was the last of the creators to join the production team of WSS, and in later years regretted some of his lyricist choices therein as part of his juvenilia. It goes to show that even musical greats have their doubts and blind spots. Needless to say, Sondheim’s lyrics are colorful and witty, ranging from the brilliant satire of socio-psychological theories on juvenile delinquency in “Gee Officer Krupke” to the social commentary in “America,” the dramatic power of “A Boy Like That/I Have A Love.” I consider his work on WSS, frankly, to be his best along with Gypsy!

In terms of the lovers, Sondheim employs most of his wit and character dialect in their solo songs, “Something’s Coming,” “Maria,” and “I Feel Pretty.” He gives a charming American optimism for Tony with evocative imagery (It may cannonballin’ / Down through the sky / Gleam in its eye / Bright as a rose”) and buoyant optimism (“Come on, something / Come on in, don’t be shy / Meet a guy / Pull up a chair”) and a feminine playfulness and enthusiasm to “I Feel Pretty” (“I feel pretty, oh so pretty / That the city should give me its key / A committee / Should be organized to honor me”).

In the lover’s duets, however, it can get dicey. Sondheim goes for some pretty-sounding plot summary (“Tonight, tonight / It all began tonight / I saw you and the world went away”) and extremely loose Shakespearean paraphrase (“Tonight, tonight / I’ll see my love tonight”). “One Hand, One Heart” is a poetic but rather basic compression of the wedding vow ceremony.

Tony Make of our hands one hand Make of our hearts one heart Make of our vows one last vow Only death can part us now

Throughout all of this, the spectator may be wondering what, exactly, Tony and Maria see in each other apart from your typical attraction. There is the thematic emphasis of loving someone beyond color or race or social differences (“Only you / You’re the only thing I see forever”), but little on what the other means for them romantically. Even “Somewhere” is the universal wish of all lovers to be together despite the world, and originally was not sung by the lovers themselves.

In Shakespeare, we know at least how the lovers see each other and even what they (implicitly) expect from them through their love language. Tony and Maria’s love, however, is universalized to the point of generic sentiment, just as the Jets and the Sharks’ contention are particularized (their attitudes towards each other, the police, society, etc.). This generic quality makes pop singers singing the songs out of context very easily, mostly “Tonight” and “Somewhere” (as it was, countless times throughout the fifties and beyond—my personal favorite for the latter is still Andy Williams’ version), but it doesn’t give much insight into the lovers’ relationship itself.

Some of this can be attributable to the secularization of modern society in ‘50s. Forbidden (het) love felt very much like an oxymoron; popular music was dominated with adult romance and desire, light, wry, urbane, occasional sentimental and occasionally cynical. Tony and Maria’s love was, in short, very small, harmless fluff compared to the more urgent questions of race relations and cultural and ethnic clashes.

Presgurvic

Presgurvic, though not a lyricist, still makes adaptational choices through his lyrics, and while he eschews even more modern paraphrase than Sondheim, “Le Chant de l’Alouette” excepted, he includes more of the lovers’ love language than Sondheim. Despite the pop simplicity of Presgurvic’s love lyrics, they tend to be more intense than the condensed purity of Sondheim.

It is there in RetJ’s longing for love in “Un Jour” (“Et on s’aimera si fort / De nos âmes, de nos cœurs” And we will love each other so fiercely / From our souls, from our hearts) and their first meeting in “L’Amour Heureux.” In contrast to Tony’s ebullient “Maria” or Maria’s joyful, uncomplicated “I Feel Pretty,” RetJ’s love connection is immediately physical and erotic—

Roméo Elle porte une robe ligère (She wears a light dress) Un peu de soie, pour qui (A bit of silk for which) Elle est belle, belle à mourir (She is beautiful, beautiful to die for)

Juliette Quels sont les yeux des hommes (Those are men’s eyes) Quand les siens me regardent (When he looks at me with them) Et il brûle (And he burns) Comme un ange en enfer (Like an angel of hell) Comme un ange sur la terre (Like an angel on earth) Comme un ange de lumière (Like an angel of light) Il brûle…(He burns…)

There is a physical description of each other, with the detail on Juliet’s dress, Romeo’s eyes. These two notice each other. And of course the eroticism of “Beautiful to die for” (non-subtle foreshadowing) and “He burns / Like an angel of hell” are particularly intense.

At their balcony scene, the more romantic longing is accentuated (“Et que nos pères se déchirent / Leurs enfants, eux se désirent” And let our fathers hate each other / Their children, they desire each other). When Romeo claims, “S’il faut prier, je prierais / S’il faut se battre, je vais battrais” (If I must pray, I will pray / If I must fight, I will fight), you believe him. Like Tony and Maria, RetJ are well aware of the obstacles in their way and take them seriously in a way their Shakespearean counterparts don’t: “On peut pas changer l’histoire (We cannot change history) / La notre commencera ce soir (Ours will begin tonight).”

In “Aimer,” the wedding song, Presgurvic eschews the wedding vow (the Japanese and Russian, however, do a version of it) for a love blazon that echo the original Shakespearean imagery.

Romeo Aimer c’est ce qu’y a d’plus beau (To love is the most beautiful thing that is) Aimer c’est monter si haut (To love is to rise so high) Et toucher les ailes des oiseaux (And touch bird’s wings) Aimer c’est ce qu’y a d’plus beau (To love is the most beautiful thing that is)

Juliette Aimer c’est voler le temps (To love is to steal time) Aimer c’est rester vivant (To love is to stay living) Et brûler au cœur d’un volcan (And burning at the heart of a volcano) Aimer c’est ce qu’y a d’plus grand (To love is the greatest thing there is)

There is an attempt on Presgurvic’s part to keep some of the love language of the original Shakespeare (The light/flying/sky imagery on Romeo’s part and the fire/time/earth on Juliette’s), reflecting the language in the equivalent scene in the play:

Romeo: Ah, Juliet, if the measure of thy joy Be heaped like mine, and that thy skill be more To blazon it, then sweeten with thy breath This neighbor air, and let rich music’s tongue Unfold the imagined happiness that both Receive in either by this dear encounter.

Juliet: Conceit more rich in matter than in words Brags of his substance, not of ornament. They are but beggars that can count their worth. But my true love is grown to such excess I cannot sum up sum of half my wealth.

The airy language of Romeo (breath, air, music) with the earthier one of Juliet (conceit, matter, substance, wealth) is duly reflected in Presgurvic’s modernized lyrics. The restoration of the original language is inexact, however, and it can be much looser than Sondheim’s neater paraphrase.

After their wedding night scene, Romeo and Juliet no longer have any opportunity to be together. Presgurvic nevertheless includes one final love duet “Sans elle” (and later “On prie”) between them. Originally just a solo by Romeo (CD only) missing Juliet, the duet serves to reiterate their connection and commitment to each other.

Conclusion

Aspects of Presgurvic’s and Bernstein’s scores simply reflect the adaptational choices and emphasis of their respective shows, whether towards the love story or towards the feud. Ironically, West Side Story’s elegant ballet and the power of Bernstein’s score is both complimentary and at odds with the dark tale of gang violence, poverty, culture clash and ethnic conflict, and institutional racism. Some of the tension could have been eased by restoring some of the power to the love story; perhaps Bernstein et al. thought it would have cheapened the still-relevant themes of ethnic violence and American-style racism which the musical exposes and turned the musical into Just Another Broadway Musical Love Comedy.

Perhaps. Regardless, in terms of the love story, Bernstein et al. erred on the side of caution. Tony and Maria are perfectly sweet—and perfectly incoherent dramatically and even musically. The 2021 movie has more physical chemistry between the two, but Kushner’s screenplay with its emphasis of cultural division makes the romance even less probable. This is the Maria who scoffs when Tony attempts to speak in Spanish (!!) and a Tony that defends, if queasily, Riff’s white rage. At least the original Tony and Maria had no problem culturally with each other.

Presgurvic’s musical in turn lacks that tension between it and the drama, mostly due to the musical’s gleeful anachronistic meshing of modern with historical, which allows Presgurvic leeway in the musical style—pop and rock idioms, an 1800s waltz or two, film orchestra scoring, and classical/operetta stylings abound. Like Shakespeare before him, Presgurvic was careful to avoid dating the musical by modernizing the conflict, preferring to keep the original Shakespearean context. That inevitably centers Romeo and Juliet themselves, and in turn the musical also becomes the nature of love itself, its beauty and its failure to survive in a world hostile to it—hence the allegorical character, La Mort (Death), that stalks the lovers and encourages the violence, almost attracted to them. This preoccupation extends to the other characters—Mercutio’s defense of Romeo, Benvolio’s wish to protect Romeo, Lord Capulet and the Nurse’s ambivalent feelings towards Juliette, etc. Lyric-wise, Presgurvic also keeps the romantic intensity, though he lacks Sondheim’s wit and his neater paraphrase.

Still, the musical gives a big, respectful nod towards WSS’ canny polar-opposite dynamics, its bigger stakes and its frenetic ballet, clearly inspired by it, and have even made subsequent versions of the musical, the Hungarian in particular, emphasize the violence of the conflict. In that sense, RetJ and WSS remain close cousins—they are two works that reflect modern division and stratification and the desire for something greater, more beautiful. Somewhere.

#romeo and juliet #romeo et juliette #west side story #retj #cristina metas #two really good cakes #bernstein would have loved aimer and l’amour heureux #an aimer cha cha in pizzacato ahhh

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whatwillyoudodifferently · 4 years

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Look, Louts! Lilies! - Yuri For A Hope-Flung Present and Hopeful Future

Look, I’ll be frank. I typically try to keep to a more formal tone when I write for this blog. I’m not in a formal mood. It is June October 2020, and I, like the rest of you, have been under quarantine for a little over three almost seven months now due to the Covid-19 virus. Throw in a eensy, teensy bit of massive political movements and change in response to police violence and racism, and an increase of police violence and racism in response to those movements, and I think it’s fair to say it’s been a tumultuous couple of months. Except, strangely, it also hasn’t been, because so much of this time has been characterized by ennui and isolation. Stressful, yet soul-numbing. In short, it’s been a very weird place to be in.

So, we’ve all found our different ways to cope. My sister’s way has been getting really into succulents(?), and my way has been buying digital manga and video games. I’ve finished stuff I’ve put off for literal years and bought stuff I had heard was good but wasn’t that hyped to get into. And somehow, the one thing I’ve really gotten into has been yuri?

Now, yuri has a very long and rich history, as well as its own sets of conventions and nuances, so it is with a great, great, GREAT deal of respect that I say that I’m going to simplify it for this essay as “Japanese media with a particular focus on romance between women” for brevity’s sake. If you want to know more, there’s actually quite a lot that’s been written about it in English, but I’m aiming this essay at English-speakers who have had at least a little experience with yuri and more than just passing knowledge.

Because you see, I’ve found that yuri fans have a lot of things to say about yuri! And a lot of those things really bug me!! “Yuri is only fetish quasi-porn written by men,” “yuri is only bland wholesome fluff,” “yuri is only high school drama,” so on, so on. It made me mad, but it also made me realize something: a lot of people simply must not know how big this field of lilies truly is! How else can we get people saying “yuri is oversexualized” and “yuri is sexless” as gospel truth? Something’s not adding up here, guys!

So, all that is to say I’m doing something different for this blog: I’m writing up a recommendation list of yuri. A large chunk of it will be stuff I’ve read and can officially give my seal of approval to, while some of them are just titles I’ve heard of that I think will interest others. All of them have been specifically chosen to counter common untrue things I’ve heard about yuri as a whole. I hope you can find at least a few things on this list that you will enjoy and help you keep your head as the encroaching darkness lurches yet a few inches closer!

1. “Yuri is all schoolgirl stuff! Where’s the sci-fi, the period pieces, the action, the fantasy?”

Otherside Picnic

What It Is: A light novel series written by Iori Miyazawa (illustrated by shirakaba). Ongoing, four volumes at time of writing. The story is being adapted into a manga by Eita Mizuno, and an anime adaptation directed by Takuya Satou will be airing in January 2021.

What It’s About: It was on her third trip to the Otherside that Sorawo Kamikoshi almost died, and it was on that same trip she was saved by an angel. Toriko Nishina is a beautiful and confident young woman who also happens to have intimate knowledge of the Otherside, a dangerous yet captivating world that Sorawo can’t help but being drawn to. Toriko convinces Sorawo to join her on her expeditions to the Otherside, fighting off bizarre creatures that have somehow been ripped out of Japanese urban legends and finding strange artifacts in order to make a little extra cash-- all the while keeping an eye out for someone dear to Toriko’s heart.

What I Think: Otherside Picnic is heavily inspired by the novel Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky and features several creatures and scenarios from ghost stories, net lore, and-- there’s no other way to put this-- creepypasta. On paper this sounds deeply unoriginal, so it’s pretty surprising that OP has an incredibly strong identity. The idea of fusing horror with a yuri love story excited me enough the moment I heard about it, so when I finally got to read it for myself, I was delighted to find that the horror elements and the romance elements are both quite strong.

I will say that thanks to the author’s commitment to following his sources of inspiration to the letter sometimes causes him to undercut his own writing (good example: in one arc there’s an ominous train that keeps being mentioned, causing the reader to dread its arrival with each passing page, but seeing what’s on the train will inevitably fall flat in comparison to the reader’s imagination), but those moments are made up by the more original moments-- the things that are left unseen and unexplained.

The place where the story truly shines is the relationship between the two leads. Sorawo and Toriko are great characters, both incredibly charming and deeply flawed, and they achieve a great chemistry with each other right off the bat. Sorawo is a very interesting protagonist, one who turns out to have a deeply tragic past that has made her into a reclusive, somewhat selfish young woman. What’s great is that Toriko, vivacious and confident, everything Sorawo isn’t, accepts this part of her, in a way. Toriko flat out admits she’s not looking for a particularly virtuous person to accompany her, but an “accomplice.” A big part of the appeal of OP is seeing these two “accomplices” bounce off each other, and eventually come to care about each other, all playing against a background of some genuinely spine-crawling horror. Otherside Picnic is a truly underrated series, and I deeply hope that the anime adaption next year will finally get it all the eyes it deserves (menacing phrasing very much intended).

Where To Get It: The light novels are published by J-Novel Club and can be found via various digital platforms and bookstores. The manga will be published by Square Enix Books starting May 2021. The anime will start airing on January 4th, 2021.

Goodbye My Rose Garden

What It Is: A manga by Dr. Pepperco. Three volumes, complete. It inspired a stage play that ran for a while in Japan, but not much information is available about it in English.

What It’s About: Hanako has two goals: to meet Victor Franks, the mysterious author who pens the books she adores, and to become a writer herself. Despite having the mettle to travel to England on her own to pursue her dreams, she soons finds that it’s difficult for a young, unwed Japanese woman to dream in 20th century London. However, her luck seems to turn around when she meets Alice Douglas, a noblewoman who offers her a job as her maid-- as well as a surprisingly warm friendship. Alice even offers Hanako a way to meet her idol… but at the price of a horrifying request.

What I Think: In the afterword of Volume 1, Dr. Pepperco openly admits that Goodbye, My Rose Garden was the result of them trying to marry all of their favorite tropes (“Victorian maids! Loads of frills! An English family manor!” are some standout items), and this is apparent in the best way possible. GMRG is a lush period piece that will likely appeal to fans of movies like The Handmaiden and Portrait Of A Lady On Fire, with loving attention paid to details like clothes and settings.

The relationship between Alice and Hanako is quite charming, with Alice supporting Hanako as much as she can while still taking every available opportunity to tease her, while Hanako constantly surprises Alice each time she shows her moxie and strength. It’s an adorable, sweet dynamic, yet a dark, melancholy weight lurks in the background in the form of Alice’s request-- in short, it’s a relationship that feels tailor made for me. Still, I believe this “darkness” never threatens to overwhelm the story, only enhance it in such a way that the reader will soldier on, hoping for a happy ending for our two leads. With an engaging plot and gorgeous art, this is a great manga for both longtime yuri fans and newcomers looking for an introduction to the world of yuri.

Where To Get It: Seven Seas Entertainment has translated the first two volumes, with the final one coming to English soon all three volumes into English.

Seabed

What It Is: A visual novel by paleontology, a Japanese doujin circle.

What It’s About: Mizuno Sachiko is a designer who is haunted by visions of Takako, her vivacious childhood friend and former lover. Narasaki Hibiki is a psychiatrist who wants to help Sachiko make sense of these hallucinations. Takako is… confused, trying to figure out why she keeps losing her memory and why she and Sachiko drifted apart despite being so close. Seabed is a story that spans the pasts and presents of these three women as they attempt to find and understand the truth.

What I Think: At first glance, Seabed seems simple, but it’s a bit of a hard story to explain. In a way, there isn’t much to explain-- it’s a very slow, down-to-earth story that gets almost tedious at times. I think it would be a hard sell to someone who isn’t used to visual novels, but I could imagine it being challenging even for fans. All I’ll say is this: if you give Seabed a chance, it will draw you into a surreal, gentle, melancholy tale akin to slowly sinking beneath the water of a strange, yet not unfriendly sea. For its simplicity, it’s got quite a few surprises in its long, long runtime, and any attempt to explain further will just ruin an experience that’s meant to wash over the reader over time. The only thing I’ll say is the one thing I think everyone knows: the climax will make you cry.

Where To Get It: Seabed is published in English through Fruitbat Factory and is available on Steam, Itch.io, and Nintendo Switch.

SHWD

What It Is: A manga by Sono. Ongoing.

What It’s About: Sawada is one of the few women working for the Special Hazardous Waste Disposal, and the only one in her office. But that changes when the stunningly-strong yet staggeringly-sweet Koga is hired, and the two become close in no time. Sawada trains Koga and soon the two go on their first mission to dispose of the “hazardous waste” left after a recent war… the dangerous, organic anti-human weapons known as the Dynamis.

What I Think: SHWD opens with several close-ups of Sawada’s arm muscles as she works out. I have found that page alone is sometimes enough to convince someone to read SHWD, and if not, pictures of Sawada and-- especially-- Koga are often enough to do the job. In all seriousness, what I love about SHWD can be summarized by something Sono said in an interview about the manga:

‘The first motivating force was "I want to write a yuri manga featuring strong women." I was very drawn to strong female characters by watching "PERSON of INTEREST" and "Assassin's Creed Odyssey." However, I felt that I should differentiate myself by doing something other than a "strong woman" and "weak woman" dynamic. So, I thought about coupling women with different types of strength. This is why all of the SHWD main characters are "strong women."’

It’s a mindset I love a lot. Koga is remarkably strong in a physical sense, but her mental fortitude is fragile due to her past experiences with the Dynamis, and as such, it’s Sawada who uses her immense mental strength to support her. Indeed, every character in SHWD so far bears intense trauma born of the Dynamis in some way, and it’s hard to see how their pasts still hurt them in the present. But that just makes it satisfying to see these women come together to support one another. SHWD drew me in with a unique and often dark action-oriented story with horror elements, but it’s this idea of “strong women” who make up for each other’s weaknesses that really makes it dear to me.

Also, it can’t be stated enough that Sono is so so so so so (etc) good at drawing muscular women.

On a completely unrelated note, there’s a side story about Koga and Sawada playing sports together. This includes judo. I am saying this for no reason.

Where To Get It: The English translation of the manga is released in chapters by Lilyka Manga.

Sexiled: My Sexist Party Leader Kicked Me Out, So I Teamed Up With a Mythical Sorceress!

What It Is: A two volume light novel series by Ameko Kaeruda, illustrated by Kazutomo Miya. Possibly complete.

What It’s About: Tanya Artemiciov is an absurdly talented Mage. So why the hell was she kicked out of her adventuring party? Her leader and former friend sums it up in four words: “You’re a woman, Tanya.” In a fit of rage, Tanya channels her anger into a “venting” session that involves swearing her head of and casting a volley of Explosion spells into the wasteland… and accidentally releases a legendary sorceress! Luckily, Laplace is actually quite nice, and just as powerful as the legends say, so the two decide to team up so Tanya can have her revenge!

What I Think: So, this is a silly one, but after a couple of darker entries I think it’s a good palate cleanser. Sexiled is a loud, not-even-remotely subtle, unabashedly feminist take on the “power fantasy” light novel, especially the “revenge fantasy” subgenre-- and even if that sounds awesome on paper to you (ex. me), it will probably feel over-the-top at times to you (ex. me). But in a way, that’s actually kind of its charm.

I like that Kaeruda utterly refuses to let up on what she wants to tell you, especially because the story was inspired by a real case in Japan. One may be tempted to think “this story is ridiculous, no one would ever be this cartoonishly sexist!” and then you read a news article about how in a famous Japanese medical university was found rigging the test scores of women, and you realize, “oh, people are still this cartoonishly sexist.” So I’m fine with Kaeruda letting it all out in this story. At the same time, I think Sexiled is best when it’s focused not on Tanya’s revenge but on her kindness, and the way her compassion, her strength, and yes, her anger inspires the women and girls around her.

Sexiled is a fun and often very funny romp about assholes getting theirs, with some surprisingly deep and nuanced moments hiding in a very unsubtle story.

Where To Get It: The light novels are published by J-Novel Club and can be found via various digital platforms and bookstores.

BONUS: Other titles with sci-fi/fantasy/action elements that may interest you!

The Blank Of Describer: A one-shot manga by kkzt about a pair of two dream-builders. They’ve taken all kinds of commissions in the past, but one job they recieve throws them for a loop: a request for a shinigami that can predict and report death. And then comes the kicker: the customer asks the two of them to give it features that the both of them “adore the most…” (Published in English by Lilyka Manga)

A Lily Blooms In Another World: A light novel by Ameko Kaeruda (illustrated by Shio Sakura), author of Sexiled, about Miyako, a Japanese wage slave reincarnated into another world based on her favorite otome game. However, she’s not interested in her would-be love interest, but in Fuuka Hamilton-- the game’s villainess! After Miyako confesses her love, Fuuka decides to give her a challenge: if Miyako can make her say the words “I’m happy” in fourteen days, she’ll stay by her side! (Published in English through J-Novel Club, available on various platforms)

Superwomen In Love: An ongoing manga by sometime about the sentai villainess Honey Trap and her infatuation with the masked superheroine Rapid Rabbit. After being kicked out of her evil organization, Honey Trap decides to team up with her former nemesis to fight evil-- and hopefully, find romance! (To be published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment, coming in April 2021)

2. “Yuri is all stories about teenagers! Where’s the stuff about adults?”

Take a look at the previous section: there’s the stuff about adults! Otherside Picnic, Goodbye My Rose Garden, Seabed, SHWD, Sexiled, The Blank of Describer, A Lily Blooms In Another World, and Superwomen In Love are all stories with adult-aged protagonists! But if you’re searching for a more down-to-earth romance, I’m happy to report there’s quite a bit of options to look into!

Still Sick

What It Is: A manga by Akashi. Three volumes, complete.

What It’s About: Makoto Shimizu is an office lady with a secret: she’s a yuri fan who draws doujinshi. She’s able to keep her two lives separate, all until the day she comes face-to-face with her co-worker at a convention! To Makoto’s horror, Akane Maekawa is amused by her nerdy secret, but Akane may have some secrets of her own...

What I Think: This one was a roller coaster for me: I loved the premise of the manga, but wasn’t sure about the dynamic between the leads… that is, until near the end of the first volume, where something happened and everything changed. Without giving too much away, I implore people to give Still Sick a chance-- it has a much deeper story than one might initially guess, as well as an interesting character dynamic between the two leads with some surprising turns.

Where To Get It: The first two volumes of Still Sick are published in English by Tokyopop, with the final one coming soon All three volumes have been published in English by Tokyopop.

After Hours

What It Is: A manga by Yuhta Nishio. Three volumes, complete.

What It’s About: After being ditched by her friend at a club, Emi Ashiana is ready to write the whole night off. All that changes when she meets Kei, a DJ who seems to be everything Emi is not-- cool, confident… employed.... But Kei and Emi hit it off and Emi’s life changes as Kei draws her into the world of Japan’s club scene!

What I Think: It’s hard to explain exactly why I like this manga, but I reeeeally like this manga.

There’s just something about the sleek art, the amazing atmosphere of the scenes set in nightclubs, the chemistry between Emi and Kei, the focus on more mature topics.... it’s a manga that’s remarkably magnetic for how down-to-earth it is. It’s also just interesting to read stories about subcultures that don’t normally get a spotlight in comics. To sum it up, After Hours is just a lovely manga that’s severely underrated that’s perfect for someone who’s looking for a story that’s both fun and mature.

Where To Get It: All three volumes are published in English by Viz Media.

How Do We Relationship?

What It Is: A manga by Tamifull. Ongoing, five volumes at time of writing.

What It’s About: Miwa and Saeko’s first meeting is… interesting. But despite that, and despite their clashing personalities, the two of them become fast friends. Well… actually, perhaps more than friends. You see, pretty soon the two of them learn that the other is into women. With that in mind, Saeko suggests they try dating each other-- might as well, right? “Might as well” seems like a strange place to begin a relationship, but perhaps even something like that could end in true love?

What I Think: “Why do romances always end when they decide to start dating?!” That’s the question Tamifull poses in the afterword of Volume 1. And it’s a great question! What makes How Do We Relationship? an interesting manga is how oddly realistic it is, highlighting things like the compromises people make in relationships, people who get into relationships for pragmatic reasons rather than love, the whole “thing” about sex… as well as highlighting the additional issues queer people have to deal with. That may sound like a heavy story, but it’s actually quite light-hearted, as well as very, very funny at times. With a cute art style and surprisingly deep premise, HDWR is a great manga for older yuri fans who are craving a more mature story.

Where To Get It: The first volume has been published in English by Viz Media, with more on the way.

BONUS: Other titles with adult protagonists that may interest you!

Even Though We’re Adults: A manga by Takako Shimura about two women in their thirties. Ayano and Akari meet each other in a bar and almost immediately feel a sense of chemistry between them. There’s just one problem: Ayano is married to someone else. (To be published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment, coming in January 2021)

Doughnuts Under A Crescent Moon: A manga by Shio Usui. Uno Hinako wants nothing more than to be seen as a normal young woman, but she just can’t seem to make a “normal” romance work. But maybe Sato Asahi, a woman who works at the same company as her, can show her a new kind of normal? (To be published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment, coming in February 2021)

Our Teachers Are Dating: A manga by Pikachi Ohi. Hayama Asuka is a gym teacher, Terano Saki is a biology teacher. One day, they come into work both looking suspiciously happy… because they’ve started dating! (Published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment)

I Married My Best Friend To Shut My Parents Up: A one-volume manga by Kodama Naoko. Morimoto is sick and tired about constantly being badgered about finding a man to marry, so her kouhai from her high school days offers a solution: marry each other to make her parents back off! (Published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment)

Now Loading…!: A one-volume manga by Mikan Uji. Takagi has just snagged her dream job at a games publisher, but being put in charge of a mobile game that’s barely pulling in any attention isn’t exactly what she was hoping for. What’s worse, she’s drawn the attention of her strict higher-up Sakurazuki Kaori… who also happened to design her most favorite game of all time?! (Published in English through Seven Seas Entertainment)

3. “Yuri is all schoolgirl stuff! Where’s- wait, didn’t we already do this one?”

Yes we did. And you know what? I’m making a stand! There’s a lot of really, really good yuri stories set in high schools, and I think more people need to give them a chance! Here are some high school titles that I think are worth a second look for one reason or another!

Bloom Into You

What It Is: A manga by Nakatani Nio. Eight volumes, complete. A twelve episode anime aired in 2018, covering about the first half of the series. A three volume spinoff light novel series written by Hitoma Iruma was also published.

What It’s About: Yuu Koito has long dreamed of the day she’d find That One, Storybook Romance that would make her feel like she was walking on air, but the day that a boy confesses to her, her feet remain firmly planted on the ground. When she meets Touko Nanami, a girl who seems to have the same strange, distant relationship to romance as she does, Yuu feels like she has found a comrade. But what will happen when the next person to confess to Yuu… is Touko?

What I Think: What can I say about Bloom Into You that hasn’t already been said? There’s a reason it’s basically considered a staple of yuri despite being only five years old. The art is beautiful and delicate, the story has a deft mastery of comedy, drama, and romance, and the characters are deeply loveable. Really, the only reason this one is here is to tell you to get to reading this manga (or watching the anime) if you haven’t already. So get to it!

Where To Get It: The entire series-- as well as the spinoff light novel series Regarding Saeki Sayaka-- has been published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. The anime is currently streaming on HiDive.

Yuri Is My Job

What It Is: A manga by Miman. Ongoing, seven volumes at time of writing.

What It’s About: Hime wants nothing more than to be adored by everyone and to someday bag a rich husband. Of course, being loved by all takes a lot of work, and she prides herself in keeping her perfect, adorable facade so well-maintained. But of course, the one time she slips up, she ends up injuring the manager of a local cafe! Hime finds herself strong-armed into working for this cafe under their star employee, a kind, graceful girl named Mitsuki. But things aren’t quite so simple-- you see, this cafe has a gimmick in which all the employees are constantly acting out yuri-inspired scenes for the customers, so in a way, the employees also have their own facades. And under her facade, Mitsuki… hates Hime’s guts!

What I Think: Yuri Is My Job is an odd duck, but in a good way. It’s advertised and initially framed as a comedy, but it becomes a surprisingly thoughtful drama about the personas people adopt and why they do so (though, luckily, the comedy never truly goes away). There’s an interesting web of relationships between the girls, and having those interactions take place in a setting where they must act out a completely different sort of drama adds an extra level of drama and intrigue. The cute, polished artwork is just the icing on the cake. YIMJ is a good manga for those who are already familiar with yuri tropes and those who are interested in a drama that doesn’t get too heavy.

Where To Get It: Six volumes have been published in English by Kodansha comics, with the seventh on the way.

Riddle Story of Devil

What It Is: A manga written by Yun Kouga and illustrated by Sunao Minakata. Five volumes, complete. A 12 episode anime aired in 2014.

What It’s About: At Myojo Private School, an elite all-girl’s academy, Class Black has a secret. Twelve of the thirteen girls are actually assassins who have been offered a dark deal-- one wish will be granted to whoever manages to kill Haru Ichinose, the thirteenth student. But there’s still hope for Haru in the form of Tokaku Azuma, one of the assassins who has decided to defect to Haru’s side-- and defend her from the other girls at any cost.

What I Think: I’m not sure… if I can say Riddle Story of Devil is “good.” It’s definitely something. Although its premise is vaguely similar to Revolutionary Girl Utena, its tone and atmosphere remind me a lot more of the Dangan Ronpa series. It’s schlocky and ridiculous and often over-the-top and at times exploitative. It’s pure junk food, basically… and I believe that’s where the charm comes from. It’s my guiltiest of guilty pleasures. It may not exactly be good, but more often than not, it’s fun. It’s hard not to be immediately interested in a yuri battle series, you have to admit.

And if it does have one undeniably good element, it’s Tokaku and Haru’s relationship. They contrast each other nicely, and while one might expect Haru to be boring and helpless, she’s actually quite proactive at times, and some of the most interesting, engaging parts of the series come from seeing how the two work together to fend off the latest assassin. It’s a short read and if anything, it’s worth it to see how each girl ends up. I recommend it for older viewers who are okay with violence and ludicrous battle scenarios.

Where To Get It: All five volumes are available through Seven Seas Entertainment. The anime can be watched through Funimation.*

*Please don’t watch the anime.**

** At the very least, please don’t watch the anime unless you’ve read the entire manga. Riddle Story Of Devil was one of those unfortunate cases where the anime adaption was produced before the manga reached its conclusion, and as such it has a very strange, rushed ending that includes none of what I enjoyed about the actual ending. Several scenes were also changed, and if I recall correctly, fanservice was added in several places where there was none previously. All in all, I’d really only recommend it for big fans of the series.

Side By Side Dreamers

What It Is: A light novel by Iori Miyazawa, illustrated by Akane Malbeni. One volume, complete.

What It’s About: Saya Hokage has been suffering from insomnia, but one day finds relief in the form of Hitsuji Konparu, a strange girl who can put people to sleep. As it turns out, Hitsuji is a person who has the special ability to move freely in their dreams, known as a “Sleepwalker.” The Sleepwalkers have been battling beings that possess people through their dreams, and it turns out they want Saya to join them in the fight.

What I Think: Side By Side Dreamers is short and… well, dreamy. I really enjoyed the premise and I think it’s a good novel for people who think Otherside Picnic may be a little too much for them. I also enjoyed each dream sequence-- I tend to find that the writing in light novels is a little dry, so the use of figurative language to describe these scenes was really refreshing and interesting. SBSD is a fun oneshot that I think is especially ideal for newcomers to yuri.

Where To Get It: Side-by-Side Dreamers is published by J-Novel Club and can be found via various digital platforms and bookstores.

Cocoon Entwined

What It Is: A manga by Yuriko Hara. Three volumes, ongoing.

What It’s About: Hoshimiya Girls' Academy is a strange, almost otherworldly paradise with a peculiar tradition. For all three years, each girl grows out her hair to absurd, breathtaking lengths, in order for it to eventually be cut and weaved into uniforms for future students. Perhaps it is these strange uniforms that seem to whisper about the past that makes the school seem frozen in another time… picturesque, yet stagnant. But one day, a shocking incident shatters the quiet peace of the academy, and the tumultuous feelings that have long been hidden in the hearts of these girls come rushing into the light.

What I Think: Cocoon Entwined is, in a word, eerie. It’s not marketed as a horror story, and I don’t think it’s intended to be one, but I’ve seen some that say they get horror vibes from it. I definitely understand that-- there’s a deep sense of unease that permeates the entire story in a way that’s a bit hard to articulate. The running thread of uniforms made from human hair definitely doesn’t hurt (it does-- I’ve seen many people understandably turned off by this element), but it’s more than that. It’s the sense that everything at Hoshimiya feels frozen and fragile. It’s the sense that everyone is burying their true feelings under countless layers. It’s the fact that in one scene, Saeki reaches out in a dark room full of uniforms and feels her arm touched by countless hands made of hair.

Cocoon Entwined is a strange manga, and I feel it’s not for everyone-- besides the way many are put off by the central premise, the way that the story jumps around in time can be a bit confusing to follow. But in my opinion, I love it for these elements: the uniforms and their marriage between beauty and grotesque, the sense of frozen time, the delicate artwork that feels like it might be shattered by the weight of your gaze, the strange, airless atmosphere, the girls and their clear exhaustion of having to be ideal women. It’s a strange little series that I think should be given a shot, particularly if you want something a little more out there, or a darker take on Class S tropes.

Where To Get It: Yen Press has currently published two volumes in English.

BONUS: Other high school titles that may interest you!

A Tropical Fish Yearns For Snow: A manga by Makoto Hagino. Konatsu Amano has just moved to a new town by the sea, and must deal with her new school’s mandatory club policy. Luckily, she meets Koyuki Honami, an older girl who runs the Aquarium Club. Recognizing her loneliness, Konatsu decides to join her club. (Published in English by Viz Media)

Flowers: A four-part series of visual novels published by Innocent Grey. Flowers focuses on Saint Angraecum Academy, a private high school that prides itself on overseeing the growth of proper young ladies. One notable thing about the academy is the Amitié program, a system that pairs students together in order to foster friendships between the girls. But friendship isn’t the only thing blooming… (Available in English from Steam, J-List, and JAST USA)

Adachi And Shimamura: A series of light novels written by Hitoma Iruma and illustrated by Non that has recently received a manga adaptation and an anime adaption. Adachi and Shimamura are two girls who encounter each other one day while cutting class. Little by little, the two girls become a part of each other’s lives, and feelings begin to form. (The light novels are published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment, the anime is licensed by Funimation)

And there we go! 24 different yuri titles. I didn’t even go into the series that I tried but personally didn’t like that still might interest other people. I primarily made this list to gush about yuri that I liked, but I also tried to include a fairly wide range of things so that, hopefully, any random person who read this whole list could find at least one new title that interests them. And I hope that includes you!

The yuri scene is quite large and wonderful if you know where to look, and it too often gets a bad rap. I hope that this list could give you a new perspective on what kinds of titles are available, and I hope it gives you something new to try. And remember: if you want something specific, try looking for it! There’s a good chance the story you’re craving is already out there, waiting to be discovered!

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