Lisa Dawn's Blog: The Princess Blog, page 30

I Attended a Holiday Princess Ball!

Last winter, I attended a charming local princess event I saw advertised on social media. This holiday season, I had the fortune of learning about another one. The Central Texas Theatre Academy, which put on the performance of Shrek the Musical I saw this past summer, summer, hosts an Annual Holiday Princess Ball, an intimate event in which girls are inspired to dress as their favorite Disney Princess and hang out with unofficial theme park princesses in the same vein as the princess party companies. The difference is that this event is much cheaper than hiring a private princess, and it doesn't have to be someone's birthday to attend. The party was primarily for children, but I still had a decent time.

The first thing I noticed upon entering the room was that it was set up like a tea party with a handful of round tables containing teapots, plastic teacups on saucers, pink lemonade, and water. Warm apple cider was available on one side of the room. Each table had a tray in the center with colorful brownies and sugar cookies on it. A soundtrack was playing that contained a mix of all of my favorite princess songs, including "Part of Your World," "How Far I'll Go," and the Sofia the First theme song. A little girl at my table was dressed as Sofia, and I told her that I had just finished rewatching the series. Not long after that, the princesses came out and began greeting each table. Though there were five princesses at the event--Aurora, Anna, Elsa, Rapunzel, and Belle--each princess did not come to every table. Our table was greeted by Elsa and Anna. Anna was friendly and chatted with me about the pressures of becoming Queen of Arendelle after her sister passed the role to her in the sequel.

After that, the event hosts passed around metallic fabric tiaras with stick-on jewels to decorate them with. The tiaras were mainly given to the children, but the hosts graciously provided me with one as well. This was the only craft of the evening, which was a little disappointing since the event description made it sound like there would be multiple crafts, but the tiaras looked very nice considering that they were made of fabric. After a quick photo op with all the princesses on a castle backdrop, it was time to begin the evening's festivities, which consisted of a group sing-along of "Let It Go" and two Christmas songs. The little princesses formed a circle with the five main princesses, and the adults stood outside the circle and took pictures. There wasn't a whole of dancing aside from a simple arm movement during the chorus of "Let It Go," and the little princesses were not particularly energetic, but they did the best they could.

The final event was a "surprise" visit from Santa Claus. I bowed out on that part, being Jewish and an adult, but it seemed like they devoted a lot of time to letting the children talk to him in front of the Christmas tree background, which was nice. Instead of participating in this final portion of the event, I attended a free nearby light display called Trail of Lights, which was a pleasant way to end the evening. Themed lighting is a popular attraction at the Disney Parks, where they make the castles glow with thousands of glittering crystals and light up all the buildings on Main Street. The parks aren't the only place you can go to enjoy the lights of the holidays or even hang out with your favorite princesses. I'm so pleased that there are events like this one all over the country to make everyone feel included whether they can afford a Disney vacation or not.

The holiday season only comes around once a year, so it's fun to find new ways to get into the spirit. The Annual Holiday Princess Ball was a fun and unexpected treat me that gave me an excuse to dress up and hang out with some Disney Princesses. I love that they do it every year, so anyone who couldn't attend can always try again next year. Do you have any local events that make your holiday season more magical? Let me know in the comments!

Review: Beauty and the Beast - A 30th Celebration

Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration is finally here, and there's a lot to explore. I had been anticipating this production since it was announced last summer. At the time, it sounded like it would be filmed live like 2019's The Little Mermaid Live!, but it was apparently pre-recorded with a similar format. Both productions played a chopped-up version of the animated classic that was intercut with Broadway-style performances. The biggest difference is that Beauty and the Beast paid more tribute to the original animated film by including cameos of people who worked on it, such as Paige O'Hara, the original voice of Belle, who played a librarian in the opening number, and Alan Menken, the composer, who was seen playing the piano in the background in multiple scenes. Broadway veteran  hosted with tidbits about the original movie while pencil sketches and behind-the-scenes footage were presented in between commercial breaks.

The live performances were a tad avant-garde for my tastes. The interpretive dancers that played the part of the enchanted rose made it feel more like a performance of Cirque du Soleil than a live-action production of Beauty and the Beast. The show starred an R&B singer named H.E.R. in the role of Belle, and while she sounded fine, her voice didn't really match the French princessy singing I'm used to from other performers that played the character. There was a scene during Belle's reprise that felt out of place in which a slew of other girls in every age, shape, and size, appeared out of nowhere wearing their own versions of Belle's blue dress and did a long dance number all around her. It reminded me of the opening of The Little Mermaid's 30th anniversary panel at the D23 Expo, but that was more endearing because it wasn't smack dab in the middle of the film. Josh Groban was a perfect choice for the Beast, especially after contributing his own take on the character during the credits of the 2017 remake. He sounded sensational with and without the metallic steampunk-esque Beast costume that was unlike any other live-action version Disney has created for the character. Shania Twain as Mrs. Potts was a surprising choice since I've never though of her as a stiff matronly British woman.

The production felt more disjointed than The Little Mermaid Live! due to the jarring cuts between animation and live-action and the randomness of their placement. During The Little Mermaid, it was clear when a live-action sequence was about to began because it would cut to the audience watching the show on a screen during the introduction of a song, at which point the actors would walk onto an intricately crafted set for that particular number and sing it. Here, there were parts where the animation would cut to the audience watching it on a screen for no reason as well as random scenes that turned into pencil tests and live-action sequences that had no reason to be live-action, such as when the wolves changed Maurice and later Belle through the woods. It made the both the movie and the live-action sequences feel like they were constantly getting cut off, unlike the strategically placed musical numbers in The Little Mermaid. Even the sets were disjointed at times, such as the opening number in which Belle walks down the streets of the Disney studio lot in Burbank with some fake-looking cardboard cutouts of her small French town that weren't even colored in. I can tell they were going for an artsy look, but it wasn't consistent with the rest of the show.

The most disappointing part Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration was that the performers for Belle and the Beast didn't come out to dance during the title song, "Beauty and the Beast." At first, it looked like they didn't even bother making a yellow ballgown for their Belle until she came out in one at the end as a surprise. I can see that the team behind this production put a great deal of effort into the costumes and sets, but it suffers from a lack of identity. It was as though they couldn't decide whether they wanted to a tribute to the animated film or a modern avant-garde take on the story, so they decided to do everything at the same time and see what happens. There was even a random TikTok joke thrown in! Some costumes and dances felt like they were more inspired by Hamilton than by Beauty and the Beast. This show could have been really good if it had tried to just be one thing instead of fifty different things without a taking the time to fully flesh out any of them.

Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration is a collage of puzzle pieces that don't quite fit together. I could see the live-action sequences working as a new cruise ship show or the behind-the-scenes sequences combining to create a 20/20 "reunion" special like they did with Cinderella. I would even be happy to just sit and watch the entire 1991 animated film again from front to back because it was a fantastic movie. This special had so many moving parts that never quite converged to make a whole. The constant shifts between live-action and animation were difficult to adjust to as well as all of the interpretive dancing, which could have been its own show. Did you think this special worked well the way it was, or would you have preferred to see more of the animation, live-action, or behind-the-scenes sequences? Let me know in the comments!

The Other Kingdom Is the Best Fairy Princess Sitcom You've Never Seen!

The Other Kingdom was a 2016 Nickelodeon sitcom that I learned about far too late . The final seconds of the show introduce a massive plot twist that promise a more compelling and story-rich second season that was sadly never mad. It's rare for such a strong fantasy world to exist in a sitcom and even rarer for a story about a faery princess to live on Nickelodeon instead of Disney Channel. The series gives off strong Sabrina the Teenage Witch vibes, except that instead of an ordinary girl learning that she's magical, it's about a magical girl pretending to be ordinary. It builds upon faerie lore that is heavily inspired by Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream  right down to the main character being the daughter of King Oberon and Queen Titania. There are many other easter eggs to the play peppered throughout the show as well for observant viewers.

The Other Kingdom starts out similarly to "The Little Mermaid." Princess Astral is a faery princess of Athenia who likes to turn into a ball of light and spy on the humans in the "Other Kingdom," where she develops a crush on a high school boy named Tristan. Her feelings inspire her to convince her reluctant parents to administer her right to an "Other Walk," a fae tradition in which she can live as one of the humans for 90 days and then must choose which realm she wants to belong to. She is not entirely without her powers as a human. Astral is able to blow fairy dust at people to make them fall in love with each other and lights up and levitates whenever she gets excited, something that her friends must help her hide from the public. During her time as a high school student, she manages to get close to Tristan despite the efforts of Hailey, the classic teen sitcom rival. Astal stays with a human boy named Devon under the guise of a foreign exchange student hosted by his father and becomes fast friends with Devon's bestie, Morgan, an adorakably relatable girl who is obsessed with fairies.

The Other Kingdom has some fantastic worldbuilding for a sitcom. Unlike the Australian fantasy series, The Bureau of Magical Things, which also has fairies and elves but never introduces us to their world, the kingdom of Athenia is a recurring setting. We regularly see Astral's parents in their regal fae costumes, their elven advisor, Versitude, and Astral's annoying cousin, Brendoni, in both troll and human forms. Since Astral spends most of the series on Earth, the scenes in Athenia follow the antics of Winston, the exchange student that was supposed to stay with Devon but ended up in Athenia instead, and PeaseBlossom, the fairy he befriends there. I'm pretty sure Winston comes off as an offensive British stereotype, but I would probably have to ask an actual Brit to confirm that. Much of the show's humor takes place in Athenia despite the more serious genocidal conflict that occurs in the later half of the season. It can't be sunshine and rainbows all the time.

Due to the faery princess themes, The Other Kingdom has a softer and gentler humor than most Nickelodeon sitcoms. Astral is the type of girl anyone would love to be friends with in real life. She is a classic fish out of water who gets excited over every little aspect of the human world and rocks the butterfly clip trend from the '90s that I was all about as a little girl. They still have the gross annoying sidekick, but the show justifies this by making Brendoni a literal troll. I think if The Other Kingdom had aired on Disney Channel instead of Nickelodeon, it would have found its princess audience and gotten picked up for a well-deserved second season. I'm shocked that Disney Channel has never done anything like this in sitcom form, though it bears some similarity to the animated Disney Channel series, Star vs. The Forces of Evil. Both shows feature a magical princess from another world living with a nerdy guy and awkwardly pretending to fit in at a normal high school. Since Star lasted for four seasons and was given a proper ending, it isn't a stretch to say that The Other Kingdom got picked up by the wrong network.
As it stands, The Other Kingdom is a frustrating failure that ended before its time. The final seconds of the show prove that the creators intended it to be so much more than just another high school sitcom. Because it aired on the wrong network and never found its audience, we will never learn what was supposed to happen next. I'd love to recommend this delightful series to princess fans and lovers of A Midsummer Night's Dream, but the ending left me so frustrated that I don't know if it would be worth watching as it is now. The series is currently streaming on Paramount Plus, so watch at your own risk. Were you one of the few people who knew about The Other Kingdom when it was airing? Let me know in the comments!

Review: Mermaid's Song (Dark Sea Academy)

One of the books that stood out to me the most from the last free book promotion was Mermaid's Song by Stacy Claflin. I'm a sucker for all things mermaid and princess. After completing Deborah Grace White's Vazula Chronicles, I had high expectations for stories about mermaids and royal academia. The first book in the Dark Sea Academy trilogy did not quite meet those expectations. While the setting of a school for mermaids was similar on a surface, level, Mermaid's Song was very juvenile and didn't present anything new about mermaid lore. At least the covers are stunning.

It can be a challenge to write from the perspective of a teenager and not come off as flighty or immature. Marra, a half-human half-mermaid princess along the lines of Emily Windsnap, looks like a mature young adult in her cover illustrations but sounds like a silly prepubescent child, at least in the context of the first book. All she wants to do is live a normal life as a human on land, flirting with her high school crush during the day and gossiping with her best friend all night long. When her uncle dies suddenly and her obviously evil father becomes the new king of Valora, she is forced to return to her life as a mermaid princess and leave everything she knows behind. She takes the news with all the grace of a spoiled crybaby, arguing with her parents at every chance she gets and making secret plans to live in her best friend's closet. Ultimately, she has no choice but to give in.

The mermaid school was disappointing. This book has very little worldbuilding compared to other mermaid books I've read and treats the merfolk like humans who happen to have tails with no explanation about how the mechanics of the world could work the same in the sea as they do on land. For instance, the dormitories have bathrooms that are referenced as places where the mermaids "shower and pee," even though that doesn't make much sense underwater without additional explanation. The mermaids dress in normal human shirts and dresses, forgoing pants. I know the fashions were similar in Deep Blue, but it seems more practical to wear seashells underwater instead of fabric, which would cling to their skin in the water as though it isn't even there. What's even more confusing is that one top Marra wore was described as "fuzzy." I'm not sure how it's possible for fabric to be fuzzy underwater.

Marra's new life has its ups and downs. She gets a nice room, is reunited with her childhood best friend, and finds a new crush in her school guide. However, she also makes an instant enemy whose intent to kill her is blatantly clear as she blames Marra for the king's death even though she knows it was Marra's father, and not Marra herself, who may have been linked to it. The mean girls are so direct in their actions that it was all the more perplexing that the headmistress decided not to punish them at all when she learned about it. The most interesting thing in the book is when Marra uses a magic trident that turns her hair pink and learns that she is part of some sort of ancient prophecy that is likely expanded upon in the rest of the series.

After completing Mermaid's Song, I had little interest in reading the rest of Dark Sea Academy, especially when Deborah Grace White's Vazula Chronicles provided a similar setting with much stronger worldbuilding. Marra came off as too childish to relate to, despite her beautiful character design on the cover of the book. The story is dark but never goes too far, so I think it would be a good option for younger children who are looking for something edgier than other mainstream mermaid books.

Story Saturday: The Royal Academy

"The Royal Academy"Once upon a time, a little girl named Lucy lived on the edge of the village where she gazed upon the Royal Academy every night. This imposing structure towered over her little town and glittered with large stained-glass windows of royal crests, books, scrolls, and other symbols of the education she desired so fervently. She wanted to do more than toil in the fields with her family. Lucy longed to read and make important decisions like the princesses, princes, and nobles that attended the school.

One day, when Lucy was performing errands for her family in the market, she was surprised to see another girl around her age wearing a student uniform. Royals and nobles never stepped foot in her little village, especially those who were supposed to be in school.
"Who are you?" Lucy asked the girl in the uniform. "Do you go to the Royal Academy?"
"I'm Princess Lucinda," said the girl. "My parents tried to force me to go to school, but I don't want to, so I ran away. I'd rather learn about the world outside my castle."
"You're lucky," said Lucy. "I'd give anything to read about history and art and all sorts of other important things."
"If you want to go so badly, why don't you just take my place? Then my parents won't have to know I ran away."
Just like that, the princess peeled off her uniform and shoved it into Lucy's hands. She wore a simple pink dress underneath.
"Wouldn't they notice I'm not you?" asked Lucy.
"It's the first day. They don't know what I look like yet."
Before she realized what she was doing, Lucy was so enthralled by the uniform that she had already put it on over her clothes. Before she could attend school, she decided to do the responsible thing and talk to her parents. The princess told them that she had invited Lucy to attend the Royal Academy due to her impressive intellect. In exchange, she would like to learn what it's like for them to work in the fields. Lucy's parents were so proud of her and this wonderful opportunity she had been offered that they agreed to it without a second thought.
Lucy's name was close enough to Lucinda's that she was able to attend school without changing it. The next few months were like a dream. She learned all sorts of things about running a castle, interpreting important documents, and negotiating with other kingdoms. Her eagerness to learn earned her some of the highest grades in her class. When the king and queen got word of how well their daughter was doing, they were pleased and sent her gifts of fudge and plushies that Lucy treasured.
When the semester ended, the king and queen decided to pay Princess Lucinda a visit. They were shocked to find that another girl was staying at the school in her place and demanded to know where their daughter was. Lucy took them to her home in the village, where Lucinda was playing with the village children and teaching them how to make dolls and embroider dresses. They were horrified to see their daughter living like a peasant and insisted on taking her home immediately. Lucy's parents assured them that Princess Lucinda hadn't caused any trouble and asked how Lucy was doing in school. When they learned of her wonderful performance, they were so pleased that the king and queen began to reconsider the restrictions on attending the academy.
Princess Lucinda told them it wasn't fair that only royals could attend school when peasants like Lucy had done so much better than she ever could have dreamed. Though the king and queen were still angry, they brought Lucinda back to the castle and made arrangements for Lucy to continue attending the academy. This time, however, Lucinda would have to attend as well. Lucinda was not pleased with their decision but agreed to do so only if the other girls from the village she had befriended could attend with her.
And so it was decreed that all children in the kingdom who desired an education would be permitted to attend. Soon, the kingdom began to thrive with better workers and stronger decision-makers. Lucy was so successful that she went on to become Queen Lucinda's royal advisor, and they all lived happily ever after.

Which Disney Princesses Could Have Attended Royal Prep?

In honor of the upcoming Sofia the First spinoff, I decided to rewatch the series. When I got about halfway through, I began to think about how well it developed Royal Prep as a school for princes and princesses without pushing a narrative that the classic Disney Princesses attended, which would retroactively change their backstories. I love the idea that a magical princess school can exist in the same world as the Disney Princesses without forcing them into the narrative. As I've expressed in the past, I had a major issue with The School for Good and Evil for claiming that every well-known fairy tale character attended their school even though most of them actually grew up impoverished and didn't have the resources to get any education, let alone a magical one. Ever After High does this to a lesser extent by insinuating that all of the fairy tale characters sent their children to the school, which makes more sense because it's normal for parents to want their children to turn out like them. On that note, I thought it would be fun to do a little study of which Disney Princesses, if any, could have attended Royal Prep without interfering with their backstories.

The most obvious qualifier to be a student at Royal Prep is that you must be born royal or, in Sofia's case, became royal at a very young age. This rules out all of the princesses who married into royalty, including Cinderella, Belle, and Tiana. One thing I always questioned about Royal Prep was that if the students were from kingdoms all over the world, it should have taken hours for some of them to travel to and from school every morning. Even modern airplanes can take up to an entire day to go around the world. I realize this isn't something you're supposed to question in a fantasy setting, but that still rules out princesses with overprotective parents who weren't allowed to travel, such as Jasmine, Ariel (though the fins also would have gotten in the way), Anna and Elsa, and Snow White and Rapunzel, whose guardians kept them under lock and key. Pocahontas, Moana, and Mulan have stories that are set in the real world, so it wouldn't make sense for such a magical school to exist in their realm. Raya could have attended in theory, but she was probably too busy learning how to defend her tribe to have time for princess lessons.

Princess Aurora is a special case. Even though she was raised as a peasant by three overprotective guardians, those guardians just happen to be the Three Good Fairies, who went on to become the headmistresses of Royal Prep. It's likely that Royal Prep was established after the events of Sleeping Beauty  so that Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather could ensure that every princess and prince receives the training they need to never face another tragedy like their precious Briar Rose. This is even insinuated in the lyrics of their song about it. In that respect, Aurora could be considered the first honorary student of Royal Prep since she was raised by its founders, and many of the school's traditions could have been inspired by their experiences raising her. At this point, almost all of the official Disney Princesses have been ruled out as potential students except for one. Have you guessed it yet?

Tada! It's Merida! I know it's a bit of a stretch to assume that someone who hates being a princess so much attended a school that taught her all of the things she stands against, but it actually does make sense. Most kids dislike school and grow up resenting the things they were taught. Merida was brought up as a princess with a mother who was firm about teaching her the proper behavior and mannerisms to become royal. She had the freedom to travel outside the castle and did so often on Angus, her horse, so there's no reason that either of her parents would be opposed to sending her to a far-away magical school that would teach her how to become a proper princess. In fact, she probably hated being around other girls who modeled the behavior her mother wanted to her to perform so much that it caused her to rebel in Brave . I'm not saying it's now canon that Merida attended Royal Prep. Only Disney can say that. However, she is the only official Disney Princess who could have plausibly been a student there. It is likely that Elena of Avalor attended Royal Prep as well since she was of the proper age and birth before getting trapped in the Amulet of Avalor, and her show takes place in the same world as Sofia's.

This was a fun little experiment to determine which of the princesses that Sofia encountered on her adventures could have been alumni of her school, but it is in no way meant to overwrite the Disney canon. I love that Sofia the First is the only series that combines fairy tales and royal academia without forcing them together in a way that would clash with the lore. It's clear from their stories that most of the princesses would not have attended the school, but that doesn't make them any less famous or important in Sofia's world. I hope that the upcoming spinoff continues to maintain this delicate balance of believable fantasy and ever-expanding fairy tale lore without retconning the fantastic storytelling of the original series. Would you attend Royal Prep if you were granted the opportunity? Let me know in the comments!

Review: Blood in the Snow

Blood in the Snow by Sarah Pennington was a recent recommendation that combines two stories about princesses in dire circumstances--"The Goose Girl" and "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." The title makes it sound more violent than it actually is. It refers to blood magic that the royal family wields in this Asian fantasy setting. The main character is more of a damsel in distress than most modern adaptations of these stories, but she uses her powers to even out the odds. It's a short and sweet book that combines both popular fairy tales with Asian culture.

Princess Baili is a gentle princess who rarely raises her voice and never wishes harm upon anyone. So, when her servants stop paying attention to her on a journey to a foreign kingdom, she tries not to complain. She is confused, but it is only after the royal caravan arrives at their destination that she demands to know why everyone is ignoring their princess. That is when she learns that her stepmother has stripped her of her power and intends to get rid of her. Due to her meek and mild manner, Baili has little desire to fight back, so she allows her handmaiden, Lanwen, to take her place as princess and hides away with the first family that provides her shelter. She does not intend to tell her hosts her true identity, but when one of them recognizes her, she is left with no choice. They decide to make her the new goose girl so she can stay hidden in plain sight with an easy job.

This book bypasses most of the magical elements of "Snow White" and "The Goose Girl" and replaces them with a new magic system based around royal blood (hence the title). Baili is gifted with powers over water and wind, but she can only use them if three drops of her blood touch the desired element. Due to the nature of this ability, she uses it sparingly since she is not prone to cutting herself on a regular basis. The magical elements in this book serve as a unique twist compared to other adaptions, although they also make it somewhat predictable since it is easy to figure out how Baili will ultimately prove her identity and defeat her evil stepmother.

I did miss the talking horse from the original "Goose Girl" story, an element that was used in Melanie Cellier's The Secret Princess to perfection. Instead, Baili shares her secret with her keepers, who work behind the scenes to ensure that she still marries her prince and reveals her identity at the right time. One of them is a scrappy Japanese-coded girl named Chouko who teaches Baili about the darker side of the royals. Through Chouko, Baili learns how people from other kingdoms were mistreated by her own and forced to leave their homes to become servants. She promises to become a better ruler and makes use of Chouko's guidance to help the people of her kingdom.

Blood in the Snow is a fun adventure and a quick read for those of you who are looking for a fast fairy tale fix. It has a docile Asian heroine with unique powers and takes place in a lush Asian setting. If you're looking for more fairy tale reading materials this weekend, check out this great sale for fifteen free sweet fantasy romance books, including some favorites from A.G. Marshall that I've reviewed previously on this blog! Happy reading!

Princess Peach Has the Spotlight in the New Mario Trailer!

When I heard that Illumination was teaming up with Nintendo to make a Super Mario Bros. movie,  my first thought was "Well, it can't possibly be worse than that live-action one." I'm far from a hardcore Mario Bros. fanatic, but I have cosplayed as Princess Peach and recently reviewed her game, so there is some interest there. Unfortunately, the initial teaser trailer did not show the classic pink and blonde princess at all, so I had little interest in learning more about it. All of that changed when the second trailer released yesterday, and Peach was all over the place. She has significantly more dialogue in this trailer than Mario himself, so there's a lot to dive into. Let's get started.

Right off the bat, I love that this movie keeps the brightly colored cartoony feel of the games, something that is impossible to capture in live-action. Illumination is not exactly known for their stellar animation, but their comical designs are a good match for the Mushroom Kingdom. Everyone looks on model with the games with only the slightest touch of additional detail on their costumes and accessories to make it look more theatrical. The trailer features all of the beloved characters from the video game franchise, and none of them have been horribly altered. We see Mario, Peach, Luigi, Bowser, and all of the cute little mushrooms that Peach reigns over. The bright colors and whimsical landscapes feel like the same world that gamers have played in for years.

Though they look the same, the characters' personalities have clearly been modernized, which was to be expected since none of them were very complex in the first place. Peach in particular has been given the 2020s Disney Princess personality makeover. No longer a traditional damsel in distress, which was arguably her most defining character trait in the past, Peach is now a fierce leader who is determined to protect her mushroom subjects even if it means getting her gloves dirty from time to time. Halfway through the trailer, she is revealed in her Mario Cart battlesuit wielding a halberd as she joins Mario on his quest to save the kingdom from Bowser. In her final line from the trailer, she notably tells Mario "They're all counting on us," not "you," meaning that she considers herself just as crucial of a player in this game as Mario himself.

Another Peach-related throwback comes about two thirds of the way through the trailer when she touches a flower and wields fire-like powers from her hand, similar to the "angry" power that she uses in Super Princess Peach. This implies that she may have some similar superpowers in this game, though her iconic umbrella is nowhere to be seen. The end of the trailer also features a not-so-subtle nod to Mario Cart as the characters drive over a giant rainbow. It's clear that this movie is made for genuine fans of the games instead of trying to do its own weird experimental thing like the live-action one from 1993.

There's a lot to like about this trailer. It pays loyal homage to the Mario games of the past and their fun brightly-colored worlds. As a standalone movie, it does look a bit generic, especially after the updates that have been made to Peach's character which match every other princess upgrade over the last decade or so. My favorite thing about it are the visuals. The traditional good vs. evil storyline has been done a million times before, and this one doesn't look like it has anything new to add. I'm expecting more people to enjoy for the easter eggs throwback to the many past video games in the Mario franchise than for the stories and characters alone. Are you planning on seeing The Super Mario Bros. Movie in theaters? Let me know your thoughts!

Review: Time Princess - The Apothecary

This latest visual novel in Time Princess is the biggest drain on resources in the game yet. With four chapters requiring players to boost their companions to level eight, and an average of 60 of each required clothing item for crafting, it seems like the developers have caught on to hoarders like me who have saved up loads of in-game currency over the years. Fortunately, the story, characters, and fashions in The Apothecary make it well worth the effort. While a bit late for Halloween, this story has a pleasant witchy vibe to it with a protagonist who collects mystical ingredients and brews up magic potions in a crucible. The visual novel contains the perfect amount of romance, magic, and suspense in a fully fleshed-out fantasy world.

The leading lady in The Apothecary is Emelia Farrow, a humble apothecary who is desperate to maintain her place in the guild so she doesn't lose her shop. She struggles to stay in the good graces of her trainer, Greta, while facing off against the wicked guild leader, Charon, who has gone mad with power. In order to maintain her reputation, Emelia takes on a commission from a bard named Tate whose singing knocks all of his listeners unconscious. He wishes for people to appreciate his music or at least stay conscious long enough to hear it, a feat that turns out to require a great deal of magic. Meanwhile, a mysterious owl named Oz keeps showing up to warn Emelia about certain actions that might lead to disastrous consequences for both herself and the guild as she questions the intent of a strangely intelligent talking cat she rescued.

As Time Princess has done for a while, The Apothecary features three companions--two love interests and a friend. Of the three, Clement is my favorite by far. In fact, he might be one of my favorite love interests in the entire game. He is a brooding magician donning black and purple robes with the ability to see into the future due to becoming the avatar of a god named Beornric. He hides many secrets, most of which revolve around protecting Emelia. Upon learning his full story, I don't know how it's possible to even consider any other companion's path. Tate comes off as a bit of a sleazebag, hitting on Emelia as soon as he meets her. His story as a bard whose music no one can listen to is a bit tragic, but he never lets that get to him due to his carefree nature. Morgana, the catgirl, is more of a mixed bag. She is very clever and likes to play both sides, making her difficult to trust. However, it is worth playing her path to learn her true identity.

Considering how many visual novels Time Princess has released so far, I was very impressed with the quality of the clothing for this story, not that I think they should cost so many materials to make. There were some super cute witch dresses as well as dramatic fantasy gowns themed around the elements like fire and water. There wasn't a single outfit in The Apothecary that I disliked. Everything ranged from cute to stunning. I think my favorite dress is the Waterbreath Potion, which contains a pale lavender gown with a mermaid-style skirt that flows out like waves and a potion hat with a levitating brim that looks like a stream of water caught in midair. I also really liked the fire dress and the deep blue and black ocean dress. Like the last couple of visual novels, this story requires players to get the handheld items for the main outfits from the Lucky Jerry lottery system, so many of them cannot be completed by playing the story alone.

The Apothecary is a big story that requires a big time commitment and big resources. If you have been playing Time Princess for a while and are equipped to complete this visual novel, it is a worthy endeavor. I would not recommend it to newer players due to the high difficulty level. The worldbuilding and characters are top notch, especially Clement, one of the best love interests I have seen in the game so far. Depending on whose path you take, the story can range from silly to romantic to suspenseful. I liked the range of endings and how they all made sense with the overarching narrative. While it is easy to know whose path you are on, there were a few that I had trouble unlocking due to the randomness of the earlier decisions that must be changed to unlock them, so keep that in mind. Do you think this story was a worthy addition to Time Princess? Let me know in the comments!

Story Saturday: The Princess of the Golden Roof

Instead of using my card game, I decided to do something similar to what I did with "The Princess and the Shadow" in which I took a fairy tale that I wasn't very fond of with a princess who had no agency (unlike many false Disney criticisms) and attempt to rewrite it from the princess's perspective with a better ending. This week, I will try to tackle "Faithful Johannes" (also known as "Trusty John"), a story that I consider the most disturbing Brothers Grimm fairy tale of all time, to make it more appealing to female audiences.

"The Princess of the Golden Roof"Once upon a time, a beautiful princess named Orla was always surrounded by gold. She lived in a golden castle, dressed in golden gowns, and wore all sorts of golden jewelry and tiaras. She was not particularly fond of gold, but her great uncle, King Midas, had suffered a curse that turned his entire estate and everything in it to gold. When he gave his daughter a hug and turned her to gold as well, his estate was inherited by Orla's family, so what could she do? She was stuck with all the gold.
Since Orla was too polite to say otherwise, her father assumed that she was obsessed with the gold that surrounded her day in and day out. He had the finest artist in the kingdom send her portrait to wealthy suitors around the world telling them that the Princess of the Golden Roof would only marry someone who could fill her life with as much gold as the estate her great-uncle left behind. Unfortunately, that was impossible since no one else suffered the same curse as King Midas. It was unfortunate for Orla that no one deemed themselves wealthy enough to propose to her because she dreamed of traveling the world and seeing places that contained colors and materials besides gold.
One day, a traveling merchant arrived bringing beautiful golden sculptures. The princess's chambermaid asked her to come to see the treasures, but she had little interest in them. Then she learned that the merchant had arrived on a ship that was filled with even more gold and that she was invited onboard to see it. This was her chance to escape her golden prison! Orla feigned interest and allowed the merchant to guide her onto the ship. Her feet had barely touched the deck when she felt it rock back and forth and was confident that they were sailing out to sea. To satisfy the foolish merchant, she pretended not to notice and proceeded to "ooh" and "ah" at his endless collection of shimmering wares that bored her to tears for she had seen so many similar things in her castle with the golden roof.

The princess was growing weary of her game of pretend when at last the ship jerked to a halt as it arrived at the merchant's port. She braced herself against a wall to keep from falling as it came to a rough stop against the edge of the dock. When the silly merchant gave her a sheepish grin, she knew she was supposed to feign shock.
She swooned dramatically and cried "Oh! I've been betrayed. I have been kidnapped and fallen into the power of a greedy merchant! I would rather die!" 
She wondered if she had been laying it on a little too thick, but her worries were put to rest when the merchant took her hand comfortingly and said "I am not a merchant. I am a king of no lower birth than you are. If I have tricked you into coming with me, it is only because of my great love for you. The first time I saw your portrait, I fell to the ground unconscious."
This man was an even bigger fool than Orla had realized. Not only did he think she would not notice a moving ship, but now he admitted that he had kidnapped her and lied to her about his identity. Yet, for some crazy reason, he expected her to marry him after doing all that.  What sort of lunatic fainted from seeing a portrait of someone they've never met?
"I shall consider your proposal," Orla said, swallowing her pride, "if you agree to give me a tour of your kingdom."
"Oh, my lady," said the liar king, gently kissing her hand, "you have made me the happiest man in the world!" The fool didn't even realize she hadn't accepted yet.
When they left the dock, the princess was pleased to see that not everything here was gold. The water and sky were a lovely shade of azure, and there were market stalls set selling fruits in the brightest of reds, purples, and greens. She became more and more pleased with her decision to humor the liar king even if she would need to come up with a way out of his proposal
As they forged ahead, a beautiful chestnut horse strolled up out of nowhere, and the false king decided to ride it to the castle for his wedding. The princess thought it odd that he would not have his own royal horse prepared to ride. Then, something shocking happened. The liar king's servant, John, who had tended to the ship while the princess was pretending to be interested in the golden statues, pulled out a shotgun and shot the horse dead. Everyone was shocked, but none more so than Orla, who had never seen such a weapon. As the liar king tried to defend John's actions and told everyone he was his most trusted servant, he failed to notice Orla slipping away into the lush green foliage nearby to get away from this mad group of heathens.
The princess expected the liar king to come after her, but instead, she found John, thankfully no longer armed, searching for her in the woods. 
"Do not come near me!" she cried. "You are mad to slay an innocent creature who had done you no harm!"
John walked up to her and spoke in a soothing voice. As he got closer, she noticed for the first time how calming his bright blue eyes were, like the sea.
"I understand why you might think that, my princess, but all is not as it appears. You see, I live only to serve my master. While he was distracting you on the ship, three spirits came to me in the form of ravens and told me of three dangers that would prevent your happy marriage with him. The horse was the first of them. No one must tell him of these dangers or half his body will turn to stone."
For others, it may have been a difficult tale to believe, but Orla knew from experience that a curse like the one that had befallen her great-uncle Midas could cause living beings to turn to gold, why not stone as well? She listened carefully to John's story and saw the terror in his eyes at the thought of harm befalling his master. She wondered to herself if anyone would have such great fear of something bad happening to her and began to secretly wish that this kind man would care for her as much as he did for her master. She could never love a king who had tricked and deceived her, but John was the only one to notice her terror at what happened to the horse and had come to comfort her and bring her back to the liar king before he realized she was missing.
"You need not worry about me saying anything to the king. What are the other two dangers?" she asked.
"The second one involves burning my master's wedding shirt, and I fear I cannot tell you the third, for it would put you at risk as well, but know that if you remain close to me during your wedding, I will do everything in my power to ensure your safety."
The princess nodded. "Since you have been honest with me, I will be honest with you. I have no intention of marrying the liar king, so our marriage was cursed long before these spirits came to you. However, I have no ill will toward you, so I will help you with the other tasks. Just follow my lead when we arrive at the castle."
John wasn't sure what Orla had planned, but he decided to trust her because he knew it was what his master would want.
Orla was pleased that the false king's castle contained less gold than her home with the golden roof. There were red doors, ebony windowpanes, and white railings over green-carpeted staircases. After talking to John, she had come up with a plan to get out of her marriage, making her all the more confident in her decision. When she saw John don a pair of gloves and carry the liar king's wedding shirt to the fire, she made a show of pushing him as though she had forced him to drop it into the flames. Some of the servants who did not like John still claimed that he was the one who burned the shirt, but there were enough witnesses that Orla was able to convince the liar king that she had forced him to do it while John was mearly bringing it to the fire to dry.
"Why would you try to sabotage our wedding, my darling golden princess?" he asked.
Orla gave a shrill laugh. "You foolish king," she chided. "I could never marry someone who would kidnap and lie to me. I'd rather die! I have decided to run off with your servant, and since he is so loyal, he has agreed. Isn't that right, John?"
Knowing nothing of her plan, John was rightfully horrified. He begged Orla to reconsider, listing all of the traits he respected about his master, such as his confidence and strong will, but nothing he said would convince the princess to change her mind. Finally, she asked John if he wanted to marry her. He tried to relent for his master's sake, but it was impossible to turn down a princess so beautiful and charming. The liar king knew John's heart was in the right place, so he directed all of his blame toward Orla instead.
"Very well," he said. "I was willing to give my heart to you, and you have betrayed me. Be gone from here."
Before leaving with John, Orla couldn't help but remark "Now you know how it feels to be tricked by someone you thought you could trust."
When they were out of the palace, John whispered to Orla "Why did you force me to do that? Now my master will be miserable."
"I was only trying to help you with the third task," the princess responded. "You said I needed to remain close to you during the wedding. I can't get much closer than being your bride, now, can I?"
John begrudgingly admitted that she was right, though he felt awful that his master had to have his heart broken in the process. He sent for the artist who had been commissioned to paint Orla's portrait to send other portraits of beautiful princesses to his master so he would not have to be lonely.
Princess Orla was pleased to see the coarse fabrics and dull colors that John's servant friends wore to their wedding. It was such a change of pace from the glittering gowns she was used to. She said her vows with sincerity. When the dancing began, she turned pale and fell to the ground as though dead. The other attendees were horrified, but John knew what to do. He carried her gently to her bedchamber and performed the act the ravens had requested. When she opened her eyes and saw the man she loved, she had renewed energy and returned to the dance floor for the rest of the festivities.
"It's a good thing I married you instead of that awful king," she said as they shared the last dance of the night. "If he had seen you carry me away to my chamber like that, it may have cost you your life. Who knows what fate would have befallen our children since our marriage had been cursed from the start?"
"You no longer have to worry about such things, my darling," said John, "For I will faithfully tend to your every whim for the rest of our lives."
So he did, and they all lived happily ever after.