A Synthesis of Adaptations - Lucas Lee & Roxie Richter
So of the seven evil exists (AN: I will cover the twins in a footnote) two of them are pretty vastly different between the book and the movie. This leads to a problem to solve in the anime, but the anime came up with a pretty clever conclusion.
(This cut text isn't for spoilers, it's just- I write essays, that's what I do. I mean there will be spoilers for the Books and The Film, but I'm talking mostly about Ramona's backstory not... the plot of the anime.)
See, Matthew is the closest any of the exes gets to a 1:1 adaptation. Being first his fight is short, the plot elements around it are easy, and the narrative purpose didn't need changing. So there wasn't any massive revision. The book's call:response format of the song number became Matthew and his Hipsters singing, but that's mostly it.
Todd is the same character, but the movie can't really go in depth on Scott and Envy so it didn't need four different fights (five if we count Envy vs. Ramona). His character is the same even if a lot of his purpose is changed. Gideon is a similar shrunk space issue while staying the same character between versions.
The Books
Lucas Lee, in the books, is a decent guy who is kind of a sell out. He's open and honest (where Ramona lied outright) and generally just- not a very interesting character, there isn't anything there. That Lucas Lee wouldn't grab any attention in a fight scene.
Roxie is also painted as 'safe' with how Ramona just lets her stay in her house, and generally isn't painted as a serious concern for Ramona. Ramona isn't worried she hurt Roxie, or that Roxie wants to hurt her. The animosity is Roxie is sure Scott is cheating on Ramona. Another nonthreatening Ex (minus her absolute desire to murder Scott. She has at least that over Lucas).
The Film
Lucas Lee is a bombastic skater boi who is equal parts asshole and sincere, he doesn't seem capable of dishonesty but at the same time you kinda think he needs a punch in the face. He's loud and memorable but there still isn't anything there.
Roxie is sassy and pissed, just generally mad at everyone but especially Ramona. She lashes out and is angry and there is no way this Roxie could stay at this Ramona's house. Not if Ramona has any self-preservation skills.
The Synthesis
So how do these polar opposite versions work together? Causation. Taking the books characterization, and having Ramona's haphazard romantic style turn them into the film version. Allowing Chris Evans and Mae Whitman to play fully into skater boi douchebag and feral lesbian goblin respectively.
Lucas Lee was a sweet kind dopey himbo until Ramona broke his heart, and on that day he decided his best course was to be a star. Be memorable. Be unignorable. And definitely be better than Todd Ingram. So that gravitas voice Evans does is a part of the trauma Ramona inflicted.
Roxie was a sweet, caring, 'there for her' friend/roommate/lover. She was the one who cared about Ramona, share things with her. We can believe that flashback Roxie just cared about Ramona's best interests and taught her Subspace things. And then Ramona left, and it broke her, and she hates everything. Everyone. Until Ramona fixes it.
Creating a feral Lesbian hobgoblin who never wishes to feel like nothing again.
It's a clever trick, isn't it. Taking two characterizations each bland in their own way, but making them interesting by basically going with 'both are right' as the answer. One of the anime's better tricks.
Footnote: The Twins
Even if the Twins weren't a nightmare to cast if you're trying to keep race, age, being twins, and hair color all in mind... Book 5 isn't about them. Like Gideon they would be a nightmare to do accurately, but unlike Gideon adapting their plot isn't easy.
Gideon is a self-aggrandizing control freak, making that 'he put a chip on Ramona' from 'using subspace to sneak into her mind and fuck with it' is a change, but thematically in line. Book 5 is about Scott and Ramona's love life becoming messy as Scott realizes he and Kim aren't nearly as okay as he thinks they are.
Generally they just kind of don't fit into any reasonable narrative without investing too much time for at best a minimum payoff? Their best payoff would be a cool robot fight. (Which I am always for, but again, lot's of invested time.)
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the naming of hunger games characters is absolutely masterful. each one could have a whole page written about it, and tho i can't say anything that hasn't already been pointed out a million times, i do want to highlight one generality. most of the names in the districts are one of two things: common words (altered or not) to become names, often in line with their district's culture (Gloss, Thresh), or phonetic shifts of contemporary common names (peeta being derived from peter). this suggests, without changing how the characters speak, the idea of linguistic evolution, which in turn is representative of change and of local cultural. the districts are a people in dialogue and evolution with one another. and now compare this with the names of those in the capitol. off the top of my head i think of Plutarch, Coriolanus, Flavius, fucking Caesar. these are, one, roman names, which further serves to reinforce the comparison between the capitol and rome and all that entails, but these roman names, names that have been etched in stone and unchanged for millennia, are a stark contrast with the alive and dynamic names of the districts. it's just another (not so) subtle way that collins reminds us of the differences and the values of the capitol versus the districts.
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really love characters who have varied panic responses. kirk stating himself that he does not panic outright, externally, not in high-stress dangerous situations, but instead becomes tense and level like a wound string, on-guard: mostly because his role as captain necessitates that he maintain level rationality even when facing potential death as his training as 'the guy who tells you what to do when shit hits the fan' requires, but also because his childhood experiences taught him early that drowning in the desperate haziness of panic won't help you survive. especially as kirk already follows his intuition so deeply. he learned to grasp and contort the feeling. spock is the main person who represses his emotions, of course, but kirk does it to those deep-set, personal ones (this includes how he doesn't reveal anything truly personal about himself willingly 90% of the time, only what others already know/shallow anecdotes) in a much more subtle way that's really interesting to me. certified expert at avoiding the subject as long as he isnt caught out on the lie. professional bluffer.
in terms of past or parents we dont know much!!! hes known as the heart-on-his-sleeve guy!!! like yes he yells, he gets irritated, excited, hes a whirlwind of quick-thinking and plans and intuition, he goes out of his way to connect with his crew and shows it, when he puts on a little act or bluff he puts his heart into it and clearly enjoys the dramatics so much, at times he wears his heart on his sleeve, he laughs openly and is honest to spock about what he means to him, he's very sun-coded to me in a burning, passionate way, always intertwined with the stars and seeking them out, but when it comes to genuine deep-set turmoil? we dont actually know all that much about him??? hes so full of emotion and character (i love fics where spock characterises jim's mind/bond as a whirl of colour and sensations, hes a quick thinker!!! intuitive!! lively!!!) and yet its still so outwardly surface level. tarsus iv gets mentioned like twice? so especially here where kirk gets briefly jumpscared by the creature, because like:
its subtle but his eyes. his eyesss!!!!! kirk commands with his emotions but there's always some sort of level of control to it, or he transforms them into something that spurs on others or uses them to ascertain a goal: seeing unguarded fear/distress in his eyes even if its faint and brief (in this instance) makes me go insane every single time. like!!! its such a small moment!!! he isnt even panicking!!! really, he just got jumpscared!!! its insignificant!!!!!!! but seeing a two-second flash of actual, naked apprehension is just...oughhh,,,,,,,,,
oh god, and dont even get me started on the galileo seven episode where he assumes a tense level-headedness throughout the whole thing, irritated and apprehensive but not panicking, making sure he maintains intelligent rationality, even when he has to leave them behind, but when spock and the crew are confirmed safe and the bridge is occupied the camera pans to him and his eyes look like they're fucking watering and he's so achingly relieved. don't even talk to me. im. fuck.
he shows so so much but at the same time reveals so little.
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you know, I actually think the moment byleth steps in front of that blow meant for edelgard, an action that changes EVERYTHING about their fate, really is monumental, especially after warriors came out and added context
you have this mercenary who’s known for being stone cold, emotionless, and who can annihilate entire mercenary camps in minutes blank faced, as we saw with shez - by all means, they should never, WOULD never take a blow like that so carelessly for someone they don’t even know, much less with such an angry, determined expression - and yet.
the game draws some clear parallels between byleth and edelgard, and in all routes they have a connection that seems unbreakable - all of this starts at that very moment, when the merciless demon gets swept by a wave of emotion so strong that they throw rationality out of the window.
idk, one of my favourite fe3h analyses mentions the ‘literal divine intervention triggered by edelgard’ and that’s exactly what that moment is. not even because of sothis, but because that’s exactly when byleth takes their first step towards humanity and their freedom - i honestly think that byleth only fully regaining their humanity in crimson flower is the only outcome that makes sense, since that’s exactly what we see in one of the first scenes in fe3h. excellent foreshadowing, I’d say
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