Lisa Dawn's Blog: The Princess Blog, page 67
May 3, 2019
The Internet Dropped Two New Princess Shorts!
Just when I thought I wouldn't have anything else to talk about until the Aladdin remake comes out, the magical world of the internet surprised me yet again with two charming new YouTube shorts. Technically, neither of them are about princesses, but both are related to some of the most well-known Disney Princesses. The first is a new music video from PattyCake Productions, the dream team that brought us "Princess Academy" and "The Grande Mermaid." The second video is a clip from an upcoming animated Guardians of the Galaxy series on Disney XD called Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout! (not to be confused with the ride at Disneyland of the same name). This series will premiere this Sunday with the full episode for the princess clip below featuring Gamora, the green-skinned Avenger.
Just in time for Mothers Day, "Tough Love" is the second episode of PattyCake Productions' Villains Lair web series. It features three of the most devilish Disney stepmothers singing about the hardships of raising princesses who are not their biological daughters. Anastasia and Drizella Tremaine have an opportunity to shine in it as well as they back up their mother with their screeching off-key vocals. What stood out to me the most about this music video in comparison to others from PattyCake's impressive library of work is that it contained lovely original art pieces to accompany the costumed performers. Several of these drawings portrayed characters that we have never seen before, such as Lady Tremaine's first husband and Snow White's birth father. They were done in a very clean and simple style that is reminiscent me of classic children's book illustrations while remaining true to the official Disney character designs. The song lyrics about the hardships the the villains went through while taking care of "bratty" princesses reminded me of a Disney book series that I saw in stores a long time ago called My Side of the Story, which retold the classic films from the twisted perspectives of the villains. The song itself is incredibly catchy, and you have to admit that the Tremaine sisters make a fair point when they say that Cinderella was "crazy" because she was "talking to the mice."
The second princess video that dropped today is actually a clip from an official upcoming Disney series. It is a princess parody featuring Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy looking very different from the painted green live-action actress we've seen in the Marvel movies. This clip is particularly timely due to Gamora's appearance in the new Avengers: Endgame film. It comes from an episode of the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout! series from Disney XD called "Black Vortex, Part One." Each episode of this series will incorporate a different style of animation from classic black and white to stop motion to 8-bit. The four-part arc will feature the guardians traveling through various dimensions after jumping into a Black Vortex Mirror.
In honor of the genre it is satirizing, this episode has a similar look to traditional hand-drawn animation and takes place in a world that is appears to be inspired by Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs , right down to the fluffy animals helping Gamora clean the cottage as they sing a song about whistling. Among her snark about being stuck in a timeline that heavily predates her movie, Gamora rightfully points out that the "Whistle While You Work" parody contains an awful lot more singing than it does whistling. The animals attempt to convince that she is a princess because her stepfather, Thanos, is a wicked king, but she is hesitant to see herself in that way. "Black Vortex, Part One" will air in full this Sunday, May 5th, and will hopefully contain even more animated princess goodness.
The internet never sleeps. Every time I think I've seen all the new princess content there is, my social media feeds throw me a curve-ball. I enjoyed PattyCake Productions' new episode of The Villains Lair even more than the first one, but I'm eager to see a second episode of their Princess Academy web series as well since it's been over six months since it premiered. I'm not a huge Guardians of the Galaxy fan, but seeing the different styles of animation that will be incorporated into the Mission Breakout! series is certainly intriguing. It looks very different from anything Disney has released recently as they've been far more focused on live-action remakes and CGI than creative endeavors. Of course, it caught my attention even more that the series would be premiering with a princess parody. Gamora could be classified as a warrior princess, but that would be a stretch considering her tortured life. Many princesses do have troubled upbringings, but they still find happiness later in life, while Gamora's story has no happy ending. On May 5th, we will find out just how princess-like this new iteration of her will be.
Just in time for Mothers Day, "Tough Love" is the second episode of PattyCake Productions' Villains Lair web series. It features three of the most devilish Disney stepmothers singing about the hardships of raising princesses who are not their biological daughters. Anastasia and Drizella Tremaine have an opportunity to shine in it as well as they back up their mother with their screeching off-key vocals. What stood out to me the most about this music video in comparison to others from PattyCake's impressive library of work is that it contained lovely original art pieces to accompany the costumed performers. Several of these drawings portrayed characters that we have never seen before, such as Lady Tremaine's first husband and Snow White's birth father. They were done in a very clean and simple style that is reminiscent me of classic children's book illustrations while remaining true to the official Disney character designs. The song lyrics about the hardships the the villains went through while taking care of "bratty" princesses reminded me of a Disney book series that I saw in stores a long time ago called My Side of the Story, which retold the classic films from the twisted perspectives of the villains. The song itself is incredibly catchy, and you have to admit that the Tremaine sisters make a fair point when they say that Cinderella was "crazy" because she was "talking to the mice."
The second princess video that dropped today is actually a clip from an official upcoming Disney series. It is a princess parody featuring Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy looking very different from the painted green live-action actress we've seen in the Marvel movies. This clip is particularly timely due to Gamora's appearance in the new Avengers: Endgame film. It comes from an episode of the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout! series from Disney XD called "Black Vortex, Part One." Each episode of this series will incorporate a different style of animation from classic black and white to stop motion to 8-bit. The four-part arc will feature the guardians traveling through various dimensions after jumping into a Black Vortex Mirror.
In honor of the genre it is satirizing, this episode has a similar look to traditional hand-drawn animation and takes place in a world that is appears to be inspired by Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs , right down to the fluffy animals helping Gamora clean the cottage as they sing a song about whistling. Among her snark about being stuck in a timeline that heavily predates her movie, Gamora rightfully points out that the "Whistle While You Work" parody contains an awful lot more singing than it does whistling. The animals attempt to convince that she is a princess because her stepfather, Thanos, is a wicked king, but she is hesitant to see herself in that way. "Black Vortex, Part One" will air in full this Sunday, May 5th, and will hopefully contain even more animated princess goodness.
The internet never sleeps. Every time I think I've seen all the new princess content there is, my social media feeds throw me a curve-ball. I enjoyed PattyCake Productions' new episode of The Villains Lair even more than the first one, but I'm eager to see a second episode of their Princess Academy web series as well since it's been over six months since it premiered. I'm not a huge Guardians of the Galaxy fan, but seeing the different styles of animation that will be incorporated into the Mission Breakout! series is certainly intriguing. It looks very different from anything Disney has released recently as they've been far more focused on live-action remakes and CGI than creative endeavors. Of course, it caught my attention even more that the series would be premiering with a princess parody. Gamora could be classified as a warrior princess, but that would be a stretch considering her tortured life. Many princesses do have troubled upbringings, but they still find happiness later in life, while Gamora's story has no happy ending. On May 5th, we will find out just how princess-like this new iteration of her will be.
April 30, 2019
Let's Talk About These New Aladdin Clips
By now, I'm sure I've made my feelings about Disney's live-action remakes perfectly clear. In fact, when I saw the first trailer they released for their upcoming live-action Aladdin remake, it only reassured me that this would be a bland shadow of the original 1992 animated classic. However, Disney's clever marketing team has been stealthily dropping TV spots and other campaigns for the film over the past few weeks that make it look like it might be worth watching as its own entity. That's not to say that it won't be comparable at all since it does still feature the same songs, characters, and plot. Yet, there appears to be a bit more creativity in this remake than the watered down Beauty and the Beast clone they released in 2017. Of course, that could also be the result of a very well edited commercial. This "Rags to Riches" promo shifted many of expectations about the movie I will be seeing on May 24th in a good way.
The promo starts with Aladdin somehow sneaking into the palace and pretending to be a server for Princess Jasmine, who recognizes him instantly. She tells him "you cannot just break into a palace like you own the place," to which he responds "if you don't have anything, you have to act like you own everything" with a charming smirk that's reminiscent of a familiar animated street rat, but unique enough for the actor
The new TV spots also showcase some more of Jasmine's beautiful new clothes. While it looks like she has a wardrobe containing every color of the rainbow, each of her outfits include a pop of the classic teal that she is known for from the original film. The gold dress she wears in the scene where Aladdin sneaks into the palace has a beautiful lace corset underneath in her signature color. My favorite look for her, as I'm sure many other princess fans will share, is the stunning hot pink and gold jeweled gown that with the long cape that trails down the stairs behind her as she walks. This outfit also includes a reference to her signature look by having the gown split open in the middle to reveal her classic teal pants underneath. I love all of delicate veils she wears with most of her outfits. The sheer fabric that trails over her hair sprinkled glittering accents creates the perfect finishing touch for the look of an Arabian princess.
In addition to the new television spots, Entertainment Weekly recently released some terrific exclusive images from the film. The one I'm most excited about is pictured above and portrays Jasmine in her signature outfit casually lying on a luxurious palace bed alongside her handmaiden, Dalia. Even though Dalia has not been featured in any of the clips we've seen thus far, this image is very telling about what sort of role she plays in Jasmine's life. She is reported to be a handmaiden as opposed to a lady-in-waiting, but the fact that Jasmine is perfectly comfortable with lounging around next to her in bed for a casual princess chat shows that their relationship will be similar to that of Rapunzel and Cassandra from the Tangled series (though hopefully without that awful betrayal we saw a few weeks ago). I love that modern movies are focusing more on women as human beings instead of just love interests, and I'm very eager to see what sort of person Dalia will turn out to be.
The upcoming Aladdin movie is looking better and better as Disney teases us with more hints of what to expect from it. I would love to see it stand as a separate entity from the animation so we can have a new adaptation of the story from a fresh perspective. If nothing else, all of Jasmine's costumes are incredibly intricate and like nothing I've ever seen before in a princess movie. I'm eager to get to know Dalia and to learn how Jasmine's relationship with Aladdin will change after seeing him sneak into the palace for her instead of just barging in as a prince via a magical parade. Even is growing on me as the Genie. The Aladdin remake will be released in theaters on May 24th, so we won't have to wait much longer to see how these new clips will play into it.
The promo starts with Aladdin somehow sneaking into the palace and pretending to be a server for Princess Jasmine, who recognizes him instantly. She tells him "you cannot just break into a palace like you own the place," to which he responds "if you don't have anything, you have to act like you own everything" with a charming smirk that's reminiscent of a familiar animated street rat, but unique enough for the actor
"She believed in dreams, all right, but she also believed in doing something about them. When Prince Charming didn't come along, she went over to the palace and got him.”Of course, that was over fifty years ago. Today's audiences expect their protagonists be a lot more proactive. Having Aladdin sneak into the palace to see Jasmine and then brush it off like it's no big deal reveals a lot about his personality that we didn't see as much of in the animated film. Plus, it gives us an opportunity to see
The new TV spots also showcase some more of Jasmine's beautiful new clothes. While it looks like she has a wardrobe containing every color of the rainbow, each of her outfits include a pop of the classic teal that she is known for from the original film. The gold dress she wears in the scene where Aladdin sneaks into the palace has a beautiful lace corset underneath in her signature color. My favorite look for her, as I'm sure many other princess fans will share, is the stunning hot pink and gold jeweled gown that with the long cape that trails down the stairs behind her as she walks. This outfit also includes a reference to her signature look by having the gown split open in the middle to reveal her classic teal pants underneath. I love all of delicate veils she wears with most of her outfits. The sheer fabric that trails over her hair sprinkled glittering accents creates the perfect finishing touch for the look of an Arabian princess.
In addition to the new television spots, Entertainment Weekly recently released some terrific exclusive images from the film. The one I'm most excited about is pictured above and portrays Jasmine in her signature outfit casually lying on a luxurious palace bed alongside her handmaiden, Dalia. Even though Dalia has not been featured in any of the clips we've seen thus far, this image is very telling about what sort of role she plays in Jasmine's life. She is reported to be a handmaiden as opposed to a lady-in-waiting, but the fact that Jasmine is perfectly comfortable with lounging around next to her in bed for a casual princess chat shows that their relationship will be similar to that of Rapunzel and Cassandra from the Tangled series (though hopefully without that awful betrayal we saw a few weeks ago). I love that modern movies are focusing more on women as human beings instead of just love interests, and I'm very eager to see what sort of person Dalia will turn out to be.
The upcoming Aladdin movie is looking better and better as Disney teases us with more hints of what to expect from it. I would love to see it stand as a separate entity from the animation so we can have a new adaptation of the story from a fresh perspective. If nothing else, all of Jasmine's costumes are incredibly intricate and like nothing I've ever seen before in a princess movie. I'm eager to get to know Dalia and to learn how Jasmine's relationship with Aladdin will change after seeing him sneak into the palace for her instead of just barging in as a prince via a magical parade. Even is growing on me as the Genie. The Aladdin remake will be released in theaters on May 24th, so we won't have to wait much longer to see how these new clips will play into it.
April 28, 2019
Review: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power - Season 2
Oh, She-Ra, She-Ra, She-Ra, why must you let me down? There were only seven episodes this season. For comparison's sake, that's actually shorter than the runtime of the new Avengers: Endgame movie. Noelle Stevenson could have taken advantage of that to turn the season into an extended movie with an ongoing story arc. Instead, it followed in the footsteps of its predecessor by releasing five irrelevant filler episodes and two character-driven backstory episodes before ending with a cliffhanger that was almost--but not quite--as frustrating as the ending of the Tangled finale. I should have predicted something like this from the mediocre trailer they released, but I was hoping they were just trying to keep the plot under wraps to avoid spoilers. It was particularly disappointing after the incredibly strong first season the show delivered only six months ago.
While the first season of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power excelled at character growth, these episodes only showed the secondary characters from the Princess Alliance in two episodes. The rest focused solely on the core trio of Adora, Glimmer, and Bow, as well as spending ample time in the Fright Zone with the Horde. Swift Wind, Adora's horse/flying unicorn got some more attention this season, but I would have preferred if he hadn't. For a goofy sidekick, he is way more irritating than he is funny. Once again, Spinerella and Netossa only got about five seconds of screen time, but there was plenty of queer visibility without them thanks to Scorpia's blatant crush on Catra and Bow's unconventional parental units. In fact, this series contained enough LGBT visibility to make up for the cancelation of the Xena: Warrior Princess reboot that would have explored Xena's relationship with Gabrielle with more openness than the original. She-Ra has built a world where women, especially princesses, are warriors by default, and it is considered uncommon, though not unheard of, for men to fight as well. In essence, we have reached a complete reversal of the damsel in distress era of princesses that has gradually phased out over the past few decades.
Friendship is definitely more of a focus in this show than romantic love. The season premiere reveals Frosta's struggle as a young monarch who doesn't know how to make friends as she attempts to become closer with Glimmer. The scene was well-written, but it never came up again, probably due to Frosta only showing up in one other episode. That episode, "Roll With It," was not meant to be taken seriously in terms of story or character development, but it contained the most talked about scene of the season in which Bow uses a tabletop gaming setup to plan the princesses' next attack on the Horde. Each princess reveals a fantasy version of how she views their group, complete with different art and dialogue styles. Bow's fantasy team-up, which was previewed at Wondercon, portrays the colorful cast of characters in their costumes from the original 1985 series, She-Ra: Princess of Power. This was a charming homage, complete with nostalgic theme music and bad puns. It was particularly timely after the recent passing of series co-creator Larry DiTillio. Another fun portion of this episode is when Mermista envisions herself as "Sea-Ra," poking fun at the original He-Man intro as well as She-Ra's transformation sequence. This was the only memorable scene that Mermista had this season since we never see her again, despite being referenced later by Sea Hawk.
The final two episodes of the show reveal the backstories of Shadow Weaver and Bow, respectively. I wish the entire season had been like this, giving us more time to focus on the rest of the cast. Yes, we did find out how the group reacted to Entrapta's betrayal earlier in the season, but nothing really came of it besides seeing her get closer with Hordak. We still know very little about Hordak's plan to open portals to other worlds or where Entrapta's loyalties lie. Shadow Weaver's past as Light Spinner is very revealing because she looked and acted so different in that role. We see how her lust for power corrupted her when turned evil and joined the Horde. Her relationship in the flashbacks with Glimmer's late father, Micah, also revealed that she had once been a caring mentor and had a very different maternal relationship with children than the abusive way she raised Catra after turning into Shadow Weaver. These flashbacks show us that just one bad decision can alter a person's entire future. The same applies to Bow, who would have had an entirely different life if he had followed in the footsteps of his two dads, who were revealed in the final episode of the season. We learn that the person we know him as now--a warrior in the Princess Alliance--was entirely of his own choosing and not something that his family approved of, further pushing the progressive dichotomy between men and women in this world.
I enjoyed all the revelations that came up in the final two episodes of this season, but the other five were extremely lacking. With only seven episodes to pound through, I was expecting something much stronger than what I got. I would have loved to see the other five episodes reveal backstories for Adora, Glimmer, Mermista, Frosta, or even Entrapta. Instead, the season strung us along a path that built up to a cliffhanger and then abruptly ended when things finally started to get interesting. Perhaps they were anticipating a full thirteen episode release that got cut down to seven so they couldn't show us all the episodes they wanted to. Whatever the reason is, I would recommend skipping this season for now and waiting until more episodes come out. Based on the way it ended, it seems like it could be building up to something great. We're just not quite there yet.
While the first season of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power excelled at character growth, these episodes only showed the secondary characters from the Princess Alliance in two episodes. The rest focused solely on the core trio of Adora, Glimmer, and Bow, as well as spending ample time in the Fright Zone with the Horde. Swift Wind, Adora's horse/flying unicorn got some more attention this season, but I would have preferred if he hadn't. For a goofy sidekick, he is way more irritating than he is funny. Once again, Spinerella and Netossa only got about five seconds of screen time, but there was plenty of queer visibility without them thanks to Scorpia's blatant crush on Catra and Bow's unconventional parental units. In fact, this series contained enough LGBT visibility to make up for the cancelation of the Xena: Warrior Princess reboot that would have explored Xena's relationship with Gabrielle with more openness than the original. She-Ra has built a world where women, especially princesses, are warriors by default, and it is considered uncommon, though not unheard of, for men to fight as well. In essence, we have reached a complete reversal of the damsel in distress era of princesses that has gradually phased out over the past few decades.
Friendship is definitely more of a focus in this show than romantic love. The season premiere reveals Frosta's struggle as a young monarch who doesn't know how to make friends as she attempts to become closer with Glimmer. The scene was well-written, but it never came up again, probably due to Frosta only showing up in one other episode. That episode, "Roll With It," was not meant to be taken seriously in terms of story or character development, but it contained the most talked about scene of the season in which Bow uses a tabletop gaming setup to plan the princesses' next attack on the Horde. Each princess reveals a fantasy version of how she views their group, complete with different art and dialogue styles. Bow's fantasy team-up, which was previewed at Wondercon, portrays the colorful cast of characters in their costumes from the original 1985 series, She-Ra: Princess of Power. This was a charming homage, complete with nostalgic theme music and bad puns. It was particularly timely after the recent passing of series co-creator Larry DiTillio. Another fun portion of this episode is when Mermista envisions herself as "Sea-Ra," poking fun at the original He-Man intro as well as She-Ra's transformation sequence. This was the only memorable scene that Mermista had this season since we never see her again, despite being referenced later by Sea Hawk.
The final two episodes of the show reveal the backstories of Shadow Weaver and Bow, respectively. I wish the entire season had been like this, giving us more time to focus on the rest of the cast. Yes, we did find out how the group reacted to Entrapta's betrayal earlier in the season, but nothing really came of it besides seeing her get closer with Hordak. We still know very little about Hordak's plan to open portals to other worlds or where Entrapta's loyalties lie. Shadow Weaver's past as Light Spinner is very revealing because she looked and acted so different in that role. We see how her lust for power corrupted her when turned evil and joined the Horde. Her relationship in the flashbacks with Glimmer's late father, Micah, also revealed that she had once been a caring mentor and had a very different maternal relationship with children than the abusive way she raised Catra after turning into Shadow Weaver. These flashbacks show us that just one bad decision can alter a person's entire future. The same applies to Bow, who would have had an entirely different life if he had followed in the footsteps of his two dads, who were revealed in the final episode of the season. We learn that the person we know him as now--a warrior in the Princess Alliance--was entirely of his own choosing and not something that his family approved of, further pushing the progressive dichotomy between men and women in this world.
I enjoyed all the revelations that came up in the final two episodes of this season, but the other five were extremely lacking. With only seven episodes to pound through, I was expecting something much stronger than what I got. I would have loved to see the other five episodes reveal backstories for Adora, Glimmer, Mermista, Frosta, or even Entrapta. Instead, the season strung us along a path that built up to a cliffhanger and then abruptly ended when things finally started to get interesting. Perhaps they were anticipating a full thirteen episode release that got cut down to seven so they couldn't show us all the episodes they wanted to. Whatever the reason is, I would recommend skipping this season for now and waiting until more episodes come out. Based on the way it ended, it seems like it could be building up to something great. We're just not quite there yet.
April 25, 2019
Review: Rapunzel and the Vanishing Village
Did you know that the Tangled series might be in trouble? Despite boasting beautiful music, breathtaking artwork, and top-notch storytelling, it is reportedly one of the lowest rated shows on Disney Channel right now. Executive producer
Like its predecessor, Rapunzel and the Vanishing Village is written in first person format and alternates between the perspectives of the main characters. While Rapunzel and the Lost Lagoon only portrays Rapunzel and Cassandra's viewpoints, Rapunzel and the Vanishing Village includes a third series of perspectives from Eugene. I wasn't entirely thrilled with this format because many of the chapters were very short. Sometimes the narrative voice would change every two or three pages, and I didn't always remember who was being referred to by the pronoun "I." This book probably would have worked better in the third person omniscient narrative without losing anything important from the plot. Despite that nitpick, Leila Howland demonstrates an excellent understanding of how the Tangled characters think and act. As soon as I began reading, it felt as though I had jumped right into an episode of the show. All of the dialogue was on point. The story moves just as fast as the cartoon without wasting much time on exposition even though there were plenty of new characters as well as a new locale with a dark secret.
Most of the story takes place at Harmony Glen, the birthplace of the Flynnigan Rider books that inspired Eugene's alter ego from before he met Rapunzel. After some investigating, the characters find their way to the magical home of the Author, where everything is a little too perfect in a "Stepford Wives" kind of way. They are instantly welcome with open arms, and Eugene is given the lead role of Flynn Rider in the town's upcoming play. Cassandra is, as usual, the first to suspect that things are not as they seem, but Rapunzel catches on soon after when she notices how the town leader, Joaquin, uses subtle brainwashing tactics to break the free will of its inhabitants and stunt their creativity. She grows more concerned when she hears reports about people who used to live in the town mysteriously disappearing. Eugene and Lance revel in their new roles in the town play and want nothing to do with the conspiracy until it affects Eugene's relationship with Rapunzel. One benefit of seeing Eugene's perspective is that it give us an opportunity to see just how much he loves Rapunzel.
The concept of a deceptively "nice" village reminded me a little too much of the last book in A Series of Unfortunate Events, but I think that the strength of Rapunzel and the Vanishing Village lies more in its characters than in its plot. In both novels, Leila Howland places a lot of focus on Rapunzel as an artist, something that the series often glosses over, especially in the second season. We often forget about the whimsical Claire Keane inspired paintings that Rapunzel creates in her journal they are overshadowed by the complex backstory of the Sun Drop and the Moonstone. These novelizations give Rapunzel the mind and soul of an artist who is constantly thinking about how she can best evoke the feeling, color, and form of the world around her on paper. Being an artist is one of the things that makes Rapunzel stand out the most from the other Disney Princesses, so I love reading about this side of her usual portrayal as a generic modern heroine who goes on lots of adventures. Eugene's devotion to the Flynn Rider stories comes full circle in this novel as he comes to terms with the fact that Flynn Riders is his past, but Rapunzel is his future. Cassandra's personality as an obsessive compulsive perfectionist shines through in this book as well. Even her pet owl gets an important role here, even though we rarely see him do anything in the show.
Overall, I think that Rapunzel and the Lost Lagoon is a more important book to the Tangled mythology than Rapunzel and the Vanishing Village. It reveals how Rapunzel and Cassandra met and bonded before the series began. That said, Rapunzel and the Vanishing Village does have its charms. It's a quick and fun read and provides a rare throwback to the inspiration behind Eugene's identity as Flynn Rider, something that the series almost never mentions. I do wish it had revealed more about the Author and background of the Flynnigan Rider books instead of giving us a generic tyrannical village conspiracy plot, but it was still a pleasant read. It presented sides of the characters that we rarely got to see in the second season and fit right in with the show's upbeat humor and colorful cast. If you need a quick Rapunzel fix while awaiting a release date for the show's third season, this book will do a good job of satiating your thirst.
Like its predecessor, Rapunzel and the Vanishing Village is written in first person format and alternates between the perspectives of the main characters. While Rapunzel and the Lost Lagoon only portrays Rapunzel and Cassandra's viewpoints, Rapunzel and the Vanishing Village includes a third series of perspectives from Eugene. I wasn't entirely thrilled with this format because many of the chapters were very short. Sometimes the narrative voice would change every two or three pages, and I didn't always remember who was being referred to by the pronoun "I." This book probably would have worked better in the third person omniscient narrative without losing anything important from the plot. Despite that nitpick, Leila Howland demonstrates an excellent understanding of how the Tangled characters think and act. As soon as I began reading, it felt as though I had jumped right into an episode of the show. All of the dialogue was on point. The story moves just as fast as the cartoon without wasting much time on exposition even though there were plenty of new characters as well as a new locale with a dark secret.
Most of the story takes place at Harmony Glen, the birthplace of the Flynnigan Rider books that inspired Eugene's alter ego from before he met Rapunzel. After some investigating, the characters find their way to the magical home of the Author, where everything is a little too perfect in a "Stepford Wives" kind of way. They are instantly welcome with open arms, and Eugene is given the lead role of Flynn Rider in the town's upcoming play. Cassandra is, as usual, the first to suspect that things are not as they seem, but Rapunzel catches on soon after when she notices how the town leader, Joaquin, uses subtle brainwashing tactics to break the free will of its inhabitants and stunt their creativity. She grows more concerned when she hears reports about people who used to live in the town mysteriously disappearing. Eugene and Lance revel in their new roles in the town play and want nothing to do with the conspiracy until it affects Eugene's relationship with Rapunzel. One benefit of seeing Eugene's perspective is that it give us an opportunity to see just how much he loves Rapunzel.
The concept of a deceptively "nice" village reminded me a little too much of the last book in A Series of Unfortunate Events, but I think that the strength of Rapunzel and the Vanishing Village lies more in its characters than in its plot. In both novels, Leila Howland places a lot of focus on Rapunzel as an artist, something that the series often glosses over, especially in the second season. We often forget about the whimsical Claire Keane inspired paintings that Rapunzel creates in her journal they are overshadowed by the complex backstory of the Sun Drop and the Moonstone. These novelizations give Rapunzel the mind and soul of an artist who is constantly thinking about how she can best evoke the feeling, color, and form of the world around her on paper. Being an artist is one of the things that makes Rapunzel stand out the most from the other Disney Princesses, so I love reading about this side of her usual portrayal as a generic modern heroine who goes on lots of adventures. Eugene's devotion to the Flynn Rider stories comes full circle in this novel as he comes to terms with the fact that Flynn Riders is his past, but Rapunzel is his future. Cassandra's personality as an obsessive compulsive perfectionist shines through in this book as well. Even her pet owl gets an important role here, even though we rarely see him do anything in the show.
Overall, I think that Rapunzel and the Lost Lagoon is a more important book to the Tangled mythology than Rapunzel and the Vanishing Village. It reveals how Rapunzel and Cassandra met and bonded before the series began. That said, Rapunzel and the Vanishing Village does have its charms. It's a quick and fun read and provides a rare throwback to the inspiration behind Eugene's identity as Flynn Rider, something that the series almost never mentions. I do wish it had revealed more about the Author and background of the Flynnigan Rider books instead of giving us a generic tyrannical village conspiracy plot, but it was still a pleasant read. It presented sides of the characters that we rarely got to see in the second season and fit right in with the show's upbeat humor and colorful cast. If you need a quick Rapunzel fix while awaiting a release date for the show's third season, this book will do a good job of satiating your thirst.
April 21, 2019
Review: The Last Autumn Fairy
The final book in the Autumn Fairy Trilogy was released a few weeks ago. I've been reading these books since the beginning, so I knew exactly what to expect from this one. Like the rest of Brittany Fichter's work, it was pretty dark for a faery princess story. The main characters were tortured through the entire book until they were ultimately saved by their divine faith in Atharo, who is this world's version of God. For me, the best thing about this series was the beautiful imagery of the magical naturalistic world that the fairies lived in and the elegant floral fashions that they wore. The final book cut back on most of those pleasantries in favor of even more character torture leading up to the final conflict. Therefore, The Last Autumn Fairy was the weakest book in the trilogy for me.
The Last Autumn Fairy chronicles the logical next step in Katy and Peter's star-crossed relationship as well as all of the obstacles that inevitably come with it. Since The Autumn Fairy was about how they fell in love and The Autumn Fairy of Ages was about how they fought off oppression to get married, the final installment in the saga details the challenges of bearing an impossible hybrid child that is also heir to the throne. Many anthologies about princesses who become queen conclude with giving birth to an heir, but in this book, that is only the beginning. A good portion of The Autumn Fairy of Ages revolved around Katy's struggle over whether or not she should marry Peter if she cannot bear a child with him due to him being human. Their relationship has been put through the wringer so many times that by the time I got to this book, their struggles seemed trite and predictable. Of course they would feel obligated to leave each other forever in order to protect their newborn baby. Everything in this story from the very beginning was tailored solely for the purpose of preventing the two lovers from being together.
Speaking of obstacles, I had lost track of how many of their so-called friends had turned against them by this point. It seems like almost every character in the story is secretly evil. Peter and Katy are constantly looking over their shoulders waiting for someone to try to steal their power or rip their family apart. The end of the second book foreshadowed the betrayal of Aisling, the previous autumn fairy, who becomes the main antagonist in this story. Brittany Fichter is a religious writer, and it showed in Aisling's ultimate goal to play God and cleanse the world of sin by killing everyone and starting a new world with Peter and Katy's son, who she intended to kidnap and raise as her own. I am not very familiar with Christianity myself, but I believe there might be some sort of biblical inspiration behind this scheme because a similar plan was attempted by the villain in the Japanese Ah! My Goddess movie, which was also inspired by religious mythology.
One thing I did like about this book was seeing Katy as a mother. All she wanted was to love and be loved, but she must deal with contempt from the human realm in the first book and the fairy realm in the second book while simultaneously harboring with extremely destructive powers that she never wanted in the first place. To see her successfully birth a child with the man she loved and hold and protect him was touching. It seemed like it was the only truly good thing to happen to her after all the torture she went through in the other books. Even being with Peter caused its fair share of hardships due to his own violent nature. As a mother, Katy was finally able to be her true self. That only made it more irritating that the majority of the book was about Aisling and her followers attempting to take Katy's baby away due to the powerful role he was born into.
The Last Autumn Fairy met all of my expectations without exceeding any of them. It was filled with torture, religious metaphors, and impossible odds for the main characters. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had given Katy and Peter some down time to just be happy together with their son. The blissful moments they shared in the fairy realm in the second book were some of my favorite scenes in the series. As far as this trilogy goes, The Autumn Fairy of Ages was my favorite. However, if you are a long-time fan of the series, it might be worth reading this final book to see how everything wraps up.
The Last Autumn Fairy chronicles the logical next step in Katy and Peter's star-crossed relationship as well as all of the obstacles that inevitably come with it. Since The Autumn Fairy was about how they fell in love and The Autumn Fairy of Ages was about how they fought off oppression to get married, the final installment in the saga details the challenges of bearing an impossible hybrid child that is also heir to the throne. Many anthologies about princesses who become queen conclude with giving birth to an heir, but in this book, that is only the beginning. A good portion of The Autumn Fairy of Ages revolved around Katy's struggle over whether or not she should marry Peter if she cannot bear a child with him due to him being human. Their relationship has been put through the wringer so many times that by the time I got to this book, their struggles seemed trite and predictable. Of course they would feel obligated to leave each other forever in order to protect their newborn baby. Everything in this story from the very beginning was tailored solely for the purpose of preventing the two lovers from being together.
Speaking of obstacles, I had lost track of how many of their so-called friends had turned against them by this point. It seems like almost every character in the story is secretly evil. Peter and Katy are constantly looking over their shoulders waiting for someone to try to steal their power or rip their family apart. The end of the second book foreshadowed the betrayal of Aisling, the previous autumn fairy, who becomes the main antagonist in this story. Brittany Fichter is a religious writer, and it showed in Aisling's ultimate goal to play God and cleanse the world of sin by killing everyone and starting a new world with Peter and Katy's son, who she intended to kidnap and raise as her own. I am not very familiar with Christianity myself, but I believe there might be some sort of biblical inspiration behind this scheme because a similar plan was attempted by the villain in the Japanese Ah! My Goddess movie, which was also inspired by religious mythology.
One thing I did like about this book was seeing Katy as a mother. All she wanted was to love and be loved, but she must deal with contempt from the human realm in the first book and the fairy realm in the second book while simultaneously harboring with extremely destructive powers that she never wanted in the first place. To see her successfully birth a child with the man she loved and hold and protect him was touching. It seemed like it was the only truly good thing to happen to her after all the torture she went through in the other books. Even being with Peter caused its fair share of hardships due to his own violent nature. As a mother, Katy was finally able to be her true self. That only made it more irritating that the majority of the book was about Aisling and her followers attempting to take Katy's baby away due to the powerful role he was born into.
The Last Autumn Fairy met all of my expectations without exceeding any of them. It was filled with torture, religious metaphors, and impossible odds for the main characters. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had given Katy and Peter some down time to just be happy together with their son. The blissful moments they shared in the fairy realm in the second book were some of my favorite scenes in the series. As far as this trilogy goes, The Autumn Fairy of Ages was my favorite. However, if you are a long-time fan of the series, it might be worth reading this final book to see how everything wraps up.
April 14, 2019
Review: Tangled - Destinies Collide
The rest of the second season of the Tangled series flew by like a whirlwind over the past six weeks and concluded today with the season finale special,
Destinies Collide
. Due to the show's erratic air schedule, I was hoping the season wouldn't end on a cliffhanger, but it did. I would be really upset about this if it hadn't been for all the great stuff in the episode leading up to it. All of the big revelations and parallels to the
Tangled
feature made Destinies Collide a satisfying conclusion to the season. We know that everything will be fully wrapped up after the third and final season airs, whenever that may be, leading into the short "Tangled Ever After." There is a lot to unpack in this finale. It's hard for me to talk about it without spoilers, so I suggest that you go ahead and watch Destinies Collide before reading this if you haven't seen it yet. I'll wait.
To start, I really have to hand it to the writers of this show for incorporating so many homages to the original 2010 feature. The Rapunzel and the Great Tree special gave us a reverse incantation of the healing one from the movie for Rapunzel's magical hair, but Destinies Collide mirrored the opening voiceover monologue of the film, taking all of the dialogue of the Sun Drop and its effects on Corona and applying it to the Moonstone and the Dark Kingdom, which is Corona's opposite in every way. Just as Corona is a bright and bustling kingdom filled with colorful citizens and festivals, the Dark Kingdom is an abandoned realm without nothing to offer but bleak loneliness. The juxtapositions don't end there. We all know that Corona had a lost princess who was discovered to be our favorite magical heroine by the end of the film. It turns out that the Dark Kingdom has a lost prince, and it's someone a lot more familiar to you than you might expect. Just as Rapunzel's father tried to protect her in the first season by making the wrong decisions for the right reasons, so did the Dark King for his own son.
This season has been much edgier than the first one with its bleak locales and cursed incantations. I didn't think Destinies Collide was quite as blatantly edgy as Rapunzel and the Great Tree, but with all of the contrast to the brightness and sunshine of Corona, it definitely followed the same overarching themes as the rest of the season. For me, the biggest benefit of this was the music. I tend to be a sucker for sad heartfelt songs, and this season was chock full of them. The premiere special, Beyond the Corona Walls , kicked off the second season with a bittersweet duet between Rapunzel and Eugene called "If I Could Take That Moment Back." Rapunzel and the Great Tree, which I'm considering the season's midpoint, introduced the Moonstone incantation as well as Cassandra's emotionally charged "I want" song, "Waiting in the Wings." The finale gave Eugene his own melancholy solo, "Everything I Ever Thought I Knew," which is more touching than it has any business being for a Eugene song. The Tangled fandom grew very concerned when this song was leaked prior to the airing of the finale, and for good reason.
That brings us to this message that Eugene received in the last episode before the finale: "At the end of Rapunzel's journey, one of her party shall turn against her." Wasn't Shorty a traitor the whole time for stowing away in their caravan and eating all their food? Just kidding. When this episode aired, it looked like Cassandra was going to be the traitor. Before Eugene received this message, Cass had disappeared into a secret room in a haunted hotel that was full of evil clones of the main cast, and when she came back, we had no idea if it was the "real" Cassandra or not. After Eugene's tearjerker ballad got leaked, it looked like Cassandra was just a red herring and that Eugene would turn out to be the real traitor. Then we reached that irritating cliffhanger ending. It's easy to take this plot twist at face value, but the truth is that there are too many variables that we don't know about during the time Cassandra was offscreen in the "Rapunzeltopia" episode. It's possible that this version of Cassandra is the evil clone from the episode, "Mirror Mirror," but it's more likely that she learned some sort of horrible truth about the Moonstone while trapped in that secret room that we won't find out until the third season, whenever that many air. There is one thing that I am certain of, though. After reading Rapunzel and the Lost Lagoon, I will never doubt the friendship between Rapunzel and her loyal lady-in-waiting, just like I will never doubt the love between Rapunzel and Eugene.
If this had been the series finale, I think it could have wrapped up Rapunzel's story quite nicely if it hadn't included the surprise twist at the end. After neutralizing the power of the Moonstone, Rapunzel would have most likely gotten her brunette hairstyle back, Eugene would know the secrets of his past, and everyone could return home to Corona to live happily ever after. However, none of that can happy yet because there is still one season left, which gives the series an opportunity to develop a happily ever after for Cassandra as well. The final season will most likely be a redemption arc for her, whether if it is to go back to the haunted hotel and recover the "real" Cassandra if this one is a clone or to learn the true intentions behind her actions. Either way, my biggest hope for the final season is that it does not get any darker than it already has. Rapunzel is a bright light in the lives of Disney Princess fans, and we can only take so much heartbreak.
To start, I really have to hand it to the writers of this show for incorporating so many homages to the original 2010 feature. The Rapunzel and the Great Tree special gave us a reverse incantation of the healing one from the movie for Rapunzel's magical hair, but Destinies Collide mirrored the opening voiceover monologue of the film, taking all of the dialogue of the Sun Drop and its effects on Corona and applying it to the Moonstone and the Dark Kingdom, which is Corona's opposite in every way. Just as Corona is a bright and bustling kingdom filled with colorful citizens and festivals, the Dark Kingdom is an abandoned realm without nothing to offer but bleak loneliness. The juxtapositions don't end there. We all know that Corona had a lost princess who was discovered to be our favorite magical heroine by the end of the film. It turns out that the Dark Kingdom has a lost prince, and it's someone a lot more familiar to you than you might expect. Just as Rapunzel's father tried to protect her in the first season by making the wrong decisions for the right reasons, so did the Dark King for his own son.
This season has been much edgier than the first one with its bleak locales and cursed incantations. I didn't think Destinies Collide was quite as blatantly edgy as Rapunzel and the Great Tree, but with all of the contrast to the brightness and sunshine of Corona, it definitely followed the same overarching themes as the rest of the season. For me, the biggest benefit of this was the music. I tend to be a sucker for sad heartfelt songs, and this season was chock full of them. The premiere special, Beyond the Corona Walls , kicked off the second season with a bittersweet duet between Rapunzel and Eugene called "If I Could Take That Moment Back." Rapunzel and the Great Tree, which I'm considering the season's midpoint, introduced the Moonstone incantation as well as Cassandra's emotionally charged "I want" song, "Waiting in the Wings." The finale gave Eugene his own melancholy solo, "Everything I Ever Thought I Knew," which is more touching than it has any business being for a Eugene song. The Tangled fandom grew very concerned when this song was leaked prior to the airing of the finale, and for good reason.
That brings us to this message that Eugene received in the last episode before the finale: "At the end of Rapunzel's journey, one of her party shall turn against her." Wasn't Shorty a traitor the whole time for stowing away in their caravan and eating all their food? Just kidding. When this episode aired, it looked like Cassandra was going to be the traitor. Before Eugene received this message, Cass had disappeared into a secret room in a haunted hotel that was full of evil clones of the main cast, and when she came back, we had no idea if it was the "real" Cassandra or not. After Eugene's tearjerker ballad got leaked, it looked like Cassandra was just a red herring and that Eugene would turn out to be the real traitor. Then we reached that irritating cliffhanger ending. It's easy to take this plot twist at face value, but the truth is that there are too many variables that we don't know about during the time Cassandra was offscreen in the "Rapunzeltopia" episode. It's possible that this version of Cassandra is the evil clone from the episode, "Mirror Mirror," but it's more likely that she learned some sort of horrible truth about the Moonstone while trapped in that secret room that we won't find out until the third season, whenever that many air. There is one thing that I am certain of, though. After reading Rapunzel and the Lost Lagoon, I will never doubt the friendship between Rapunzel and her loyal lady-in-waiting, just like I will never doubt the love between Rapunzel and Eugene.
If this had been the series finale, I think it could have wrapped up Rapunzel's story quite nicely if it hadn't included the surprise twist at the end. After neutralizing the power of the Moonstone, Rapunzel would have most likely gotten her brunette hairstyle back, Eugene would know the secrets of his past, and everyone could return home to Corona to live happily ever after. However, none of that can happy yet because there is still one season left, which gives the series an opportunity to develop a happily ever after for Cassandra as well. The final season will most likely be a redemption arc for her, whether if it is to go back to the haunted hotel and recover the "real" Cassandra if this one is a clone or to learn the true intentions behind her actions. Either way, my biggest hope for the final season is that it does not get any darker than it already has. Rapunzel is a bright light in the lives of Disney Princess fans, and we can only take so much heartbreak.
April 12, 2019
Review: The Lady and the Wish
Thanks to J.M. Stengl's Advance Readers list, I had the privilege of being one of the first to read the latest addition to her Faraway Castle series, The Lady and the Wish. I believe this book will be available to the public next week, so my review will be just a bit early for those of you who are interested in reading it right away. Unlike the other three books in the series, which were based on popular fairy tales that have had many adaptations created, The Lady and the Wish is inspired by the obscure Grimm fairy tale "King Thrushbeard," which I had never seen adapted in book or media format before this point. I was familiar with the fairy tale prior to reading this book, but it had never been one of my favorites, which might be why I didn't enjoy The Lady and the Wish quite as much as the other Faraway Castle books. Regardless, it was still a very creative and original take on the story while still remaining faithful to its theme of a prideful woman's capacity to learn humility after adjusting to a less extravagant lifestyle.
The Lady and the Wish is the story of Lady Gillian, who starts out as a bit of a snob but is by no means beyond redemption. Though she wasn't mean-spirited or difficult to relate to as I feared, she still didn't possess the magical qualities of the heroines from the previous three books, which made her less interesting to me. I guess I got a little spoiled after reading about a girl who maintained magical creatures, a girl who was really a mermaid, and a girl who could control plants. Gillian is more like your average modern teenager who is obsessed with social media. The world of Faraway Castle brilliantly incorporates modern customs with fairy tale elements by maintaining the nobility class system of the past in today's world at a castle resort that blocks cell phone service. Since most of this book takes place outside the resort, there is a lot more about Gillian checking posts on social media and obsessing over how many "likes" she gets from princes she was interested in. Spending time away from her life at court to serve a senile old woman with a troublesome magical ability helps Gillian to realize how superficial her friends are.
Just like the "King Thrushbeard" fairy tale, the book starts off with Gillian rejecting a proposal from a prince because of her repulsion to his beard that looks like a bird's nest. She learns later that the proposal was set up by her family because they are heavily in debt, so she agrees to work for the eccentric Lady Beneventi in order to restore their position. She is given the title of "companion" rather than "servant," but spending so much time around the elderly lady's other servants gives Gillian a kinship toward them. She gradually stops wearing pretty dresses in favor of more comfortable jeans and starts paying more attention to the people around her. It doesn't help that Lady Beneventi has a mysterious magical aura that grants her senile wishes every time she speaks them aloud. Some of them are harmless, such as bringing her late husband back from the dead, but others are dangerous to Gillian, such as when she finds herself magically cut off from the lady she was hired to accompany on more than one occasion. Fortunately, a mysterious helper from the estate named Manny is always willing to provide as much assistance to her as he can and is never more than a phone call or text message away.
I wasn't as big a fan of the romance in this book as the others, but that might have to do with the fact that I never thought "King Thrushbeard" was a particularly romantic fairy tale to begin with. The heroine in the fairy tale had no romantic interest in King Thrushbeard at the beginning of the story, and their relationship from that point on was based entirely on lies. This book thankfully made the romance a little more believable, but Manny did not appeal to me in the same way that the other love interests in the Faraway Castle series did. He was not as sincere as Omar from the first book, as grounded as Tor from the second book, or as passionate as Briar from the third book. It had always stood out to me how realistic J.M. Stengl makes her male love interests, and this one didn't quite get there. Part of the problem was that Gillian had so many other suitors that Manny was only the best by comparison and not because of any particular spark between them. There was even a Gaston-like character who attempted to force Gillian into a disturbing romantic relationship with him.
Overall, I would say that The Lady and the Wish feels more like a story about a modern-day teenager with some supernatural elements than like a fairy tale. It's a brilliant analysis of how social media can create superficiality and pride in certain types of people, and it's also a great story of growth and redemption for Gillian that mirrors the themes of the "King Thrushbeard" story. If you are a fan of the other books from Faraway Castle, this one is very different. There's less of a focus on magic and romance and more on personal growth. I found it to be more a character study than a magical and exciting adventure like in the first three books. Even though this is my least favorite book in the Faraway Castle series thus far, it is still clever and creative for what it was.
The Lady and the Wish is the story of Lady Gillian, who starts out as a bit of a snob but is by no means beyond redemption. Though she wasn't mean-spirited or difficult to relate to as I feared, she still didn't possess the magical qualities of the heroines from the previous three books, which made her less interesting to me. I guess I got a little spoiled after reading about a girl who maintained magical creatures, a girl who was really a mermaid, and a girl who could control plants. Gillian is more like your average modern teenager who is obsessed with social media. The world of Faraway Castle brilliantly incorporates modern customs with fairy tale elements by maintaining the nobility class system of the past in today's world at a castle resort that blocks cell phone service. Since most of this book takes place outside the resort, there is a lot more about Gillian checking posts on social media and obsessing over how many "likes" she gets from princes she was interested in. Spending time away from her life at court to serve a senile old woman with a troublesome magical ability helps Gillian to realize how superficial her friends are.
Just like the "King Thrushbeard" fairy tale, the book starts off with Gillian rejecting a proposal from a prince because of her repulsion to his beard that looks like a bird's nest. She learns later that the proposal was set up by her family because they are heavily in debt, so she agrees to work for the eccentric Lady Beneventi in order to restore their position. She is given the title of "companion" rather than "servant," but spending so much time around the elderly lady's other servants gives Gillian a kinship toward them. She gradually stops wearing pretty dresses in favor of more comfortable jeans and starts paying more attention to the people around her. It doesn't help that Lady Beneventi has a mysterious magical aura that grants her senile wishes every time she speaks them aloud. Some of them are harmless, such as bringing her late husband back from the dead, but others are dangerous to Gillian, such as when she finds herself magically cut off from the lady she was hired to accompany on more than one occasion. Fortunately, a mysterious helper from the estate named Manny is always willing to provide as much assistance to her as he can and is never more than a phone call or text message away.
I wasn't as big a fan of the romance in this book as the others, but that might have to do with the fact that I never thought "King Thrushbeard" was a particularly romantic fairy tale to begin with. The heroine in the fairy tale had no romantic interest in King Thrushbeard at the beginning of the story, and their relationship from that point on was based entirely on lies. This book thankfully made the romance a little more believable, but Manny did not appeal to me in the same way that the other love interests in the Faraway Castle series did. He was not as sincere as Omar from the first book, as grounded as Tor from the second book, or as passionate as Briar from the third book. It had always stood out to me how realistic J.M. Stengl makes her male love interests, and this one didn't quite get there. Part of the problem was that Gillian had so many other suitors that Manny was only the best by comparison and not because of any particular spark between them. There was even a Gaston-like character who attempted to force Gillian into a disturbing romantic relationship with him.
Overall, I would say that The Lady and the Wish feels more like a story about a modern-day teenager with some supernatural elements than like a fairy tale. It's a brilliant analysis of how social media can create superficiality and pride in certain types of people, and it's also a great story of growth and redemption for Gillian that mirrors the themes of the "King Thrushbeard" story. If you are a fan of the other books from Faraway Castle, this one is very different. There's less of a focus on magic and romance and more on personal growth. I found it to be more a character study than a magical and exciting adventure like in the first three books. Even though this is my least favorite book in the Faraway Castle series thus far, it is still clever and creative for what it was.
April 8, 2019
Princess Twilight Takes Over for the Final Season of My Little Pony
The countdown to the final episode of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic has begun. The premiere of the show's ninth season, entitled "The Beginning of the End," aired over the weekend with some pretty big revelations about what to expect for the finale. This is still far from the end of the My Little Pony franchise as the series has been rebooted many times since the '80s. It's just that this particular iteration of it that began in 2010 was by far the most popular and lasted the longest. It's hard to believe it's been going for almost a decade now. The series was incredibly intricate in building it's vast world of Equestria and wove tons of fun new mythology into the franchise. It also placed heavy focus on princesses and princess culture in general. The pony kingdom of Canterlot is run by Princess Celestia. Showrunner
At the end of the third season, Twilight Sparkle was crowned "Princess of Friendship," and her library turned into a glittering castle for her and her companions to solve friendship problems that they were guided to by an enchanted map. Though this was a heroic and adventurous task, it didn't quit fit the rank of "princess," especially after Twilight Sparkled was mentored by Princess Celestia for that very purpose. The Crystal Empire, another kingdom in Equestria, is run by Twilight's brother, Shining Armor, and sister-in-law, Princess Cadance, but Twilight had never been given her own kingdom to run. Instead, she ends up running a friendship school for ponies and other mythological beings that inhabit her universe during the forgettable eight season of the show. Twilight's obsession with learning and studying make her more fit to run a school than an entire kingdom, but the problem is that she still has that title looming over her. She would much rather run a school than be an actual princess, judging by her freak out session when Princess Celestia and Princess Luna tell her that they are retiring and would like Twilight to be their successor in the opening scene of "The Beginning of the End." Even though these plans later get delayed in the two-part premiere, it is clear that the series is intended to conclude with Twilight's takeover over Canterlot.
The new season kicked off with one of my favorite jokes in the entire show. When Twilight asks her friends how she can possibly run the kingdom without Celestia or Luna's help, Rainbow Dash points out that the two most powerful princesses in the land had never done anything to help them through any of the other calamities they faced together over the course of the series, and Applejack makes note of this as well. This was something that had always bothered me, so I loved that someone in the show finally pointed it out. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are supposed to be in charge of the safety and well-being of Canterlot, but whenever some sort of supernatural threat appears, they are never anywhere to be found, and it is always up to Twilight Sparkle and her friends to save the day. This was particularly apparent in the mediocre theatrical movie that the franchise released in 2017. In many ways, Twilight acts like more of a leader than Celestia ever did. This season's premiere did its best to resolve this plot hole by giving Celestia and Luna the opportunity take action by fighting off a deadly forest that came to life. By the end of the episode, they come to the conclusion that they didn't realize how much they enjoyed actually using their powers and decide to give Twilight more time to adjust to her new role (approximately 26 episodes worth of time).
Of course, merely training to run a kingdom is not much of a plot in itself, so the season premiere also introduced a new big bad that the mane six will likely face off against in the finale. Grogar is an ancient ram sorcerer who spread darkness throughout Canterlot before the events of the series took place. He summons three villains that the ponies had defeated in previous seasons--King Sombra, Tirek, and Cozy Glow--in order to build a team strong enough to take on the mane six. This tradition of introducing an ultimate villain at the eleventh hour has been done in other princess shows such as Sofia the First, which concluded with Sofia's defeat of Vor. Giving the protagonists an opportunity to take on someone who is stronger than any being they had faced before gives the series a hopeful and conclusive ending that reassures the audience that the main characters will be willing and able to take on any challenge they might face after the curtain closes. Grogar seems to be the first villain on the show that appreciates the value of friendship. He asks other villains to team up with him before calculating his plans and eliminates those who attempt to stray from the group. My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic has proven time and again that there is power in numbers, so his battle strategy could easily make him the biggest threat yet.
I have thoroughly enjoyed every episode I have seen of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, but I can't say that I'm disappointed it's ending. Nine years is a very long run for a series, especially an animated one, and I feel that it has already exhausted most ideas for new stories involving the mane six. That said, I'm very happy with the direction it appears to be taking for its final season. Twilight Sparkle's role as a princess never made much sense before without a kingdom for her to run. Since Princess Celestia was her mentor from the beginning, it is logical and fitting that she would eventually take her place. Grogar is already on the path to becoming one of my favorite villains from the show because he is the first to understand the benefits of friendship and to use it to his advantage, which makes me wonder how he will inevitably be defeated in the end. It looks like we are in for a wild ride for the remaining 24 episodes in the series.
At the end of the third season, Twilight Sparkle was crowned "Princess of Friendship," and her library turned into a glittering castle for her and her companions to solve friendship problems that they were guided to by an enchanted map. Though this was a heroic and adventurous task, it didn't quit fit the rank of "princess," especially after Twilight Sparkled was mentored by Princess Celestia for that very purpose. The Crystal Empire, another kingdom in Equestria, is run by Twilight's brother, Shining Armor, and sister-in-law, Princess Cadance, but Twilight had never been given her own kingdom to run. Instead, she ends up running a friendship school for ponies and other mythological beings that inhabit her universe during the forgettable eight season of the show. Twilight's obsession with learning and studying make her more fit to run a school than an entire kingdom, but the problem is that she still has that title looming over her. She would much rather run a school than be an actual princess, judging by her freak out session when Princess Celestia and Princess Luna tell her that they are retiring and would like Twilight to be their successor in the opening scene of "The Beginning of the End." Even though these plans later get delayed in the two-part premiere, it is clear that the series is intended to conclude with Twilight's takeover over Canterlot.
The new season kicked off with one of my favorite jokes in the entire show. When Twilight asks her friends how she can possibly run the kingdom without Celestia or Luna's help, Rainbow Dash points out that the two most powerful princesses in the land had never done anything to help them through any of the other calamities they faced together over the course of the series, and Applejack makes note of this as well. This was something that had always bothered me, so I loved that someone in the show finally pointed it out. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are supposed to be in charge of the safety and well-being of Canterlot, but whenever some sort of supernatural threat appears, they are never anywhere to be found, and it is always up to Twilight Sparkle and her friends to save the day. This was particularly apparent in the mediocre theatrical movie that the franchise released in 2017. In many ways, Twilight acts like more of a leader than Celestia ever did. This season's premiere did its best to resolve this plot hole by giving Celestia and Luna the opportunity take action by fighting off a deadly forest that came to life. By the end of the episode, they come to the conclusion that they didn't realize how much they enjoyed actually using their powers and decide to give Twilight more time to adjust to her new role (approximately 26 episodes worth of time).
Of course, merely training to run a kingdom is not much of a plot in itself, so the season premiere also introduced a new big bad that the mane six will likely face off against in the finale. Grogar is an ancient ram sorcerer who spread darkness throughout Canterlot before the events of the series took place. He summons three villains that the ponies had defeated in previous seasons--King Sombra, Tirek, and Cozy Glow--in order to build a team strong enough to take on the mane six. This tradition of introducing an ultimate villain at the eleventh hour has been done in other princess shows such as Sofia the First, which concluded with Sofia's defeat of Vor. Giving the protagonists an opportunity to take on someone who is stronger than any being they had faced before gives the series a hopeful and conclusive ending that reassures the audience that the main characters will be willing and able to take on any challenge they might face after the curtain closes. Grogar seems to be the first villain on the show that appreciates the value of friendship. He asks other villains to team up with him before calculating his plans and eliminates those who attempt to stray from the group. My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic has proven time and again that there is power in numbers, so his battle strategy could easily make him the biggest threat yet.
I have thoroughly enjoyed every episode I have seen of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, but I can't say that I'm disappointed it's ending. Nine years is a very long run for a series, especially an animated one, and I feel that it has already exhausted most ideas for new stories involving the mane six. That said, I'm very happy with the direction it appears to be taking for its final season. Twilight Sparkle's role as a princess never made much sense before without a kingdom for her to run. Since Princess Celestia was her mentor from the beginning, it is logical and fitting that she would eventually take her place. Grogar is already on the path to becoming one of my favorite villains from the show because he is the first to understand the benefits of friendship and to use it to his advantage, which makes me wonder how he will inevitably be defeated in the end. It looks like we are in for a wild ride for the remaining 24 episodes in the series.
April 7, 2019
Review: The Beast and the Beauty
The Beast and the Beauty follows up
Till Midnight
as the second book in Aya Ling's Reversed Retellings series, which reverses the gender roles from well-known fairy tales. This book was her take on the story of "Beauty and the Beast" with a male beauty and a female beast. Though Gail Carson Levine did something similar to this with
Ogre Enchanted
, The Beast and the Beauty is more of a direct translation of the romantic elements of the original story, giving the reader a better opportunity to look at how the dynamics of the characters change when their genders are reversed. A conventionally beautiful man has different problems than a conventionally beautiful woman, and the same applies to a grotesque or deformed man vs. a grotesque or deformed woman. I thought this was a very clever take on the story while still staying true to the most beloved elements of it.
The Beast and the Beauty is the story of Lady Sybil de la Roche, a rich debutant who was cursed by a wicked sorceress who was jealous of her striking beauty. Unlike her beasty counterpart from prior "Beauty and the Beast" adaptations, Sybil is quite mild-mannered, and her demonic appearance is not meant to be a reflection of her cruelty to the enchantress. She is also immortal during the curse along with everyone living at her manor, so there is a very significant age difference between her and Prince Gerald when he finds her. In that respect, is similar to a vampire romance story, something that has also been explored in prior adaptations of this fairy tale. Sybil's loyal servants do everything they can to hide her deformities in the hopes that she will find a suitor to end the curse, but it always goes horribly wrong when they learn the truth. As a result, Sybil grows extremely cynical over the years and comes to the conclusion that all men are superficial, something that many women in the real world are unfortunately taught from a young age.
Prince Gerald, the "beauty" of the story, was introduced as one of the twelve princes in the prequel novel Till Midnight. He is a quiet intellectual who wears spectacles and loves to read just like many modern iterations of Belle. However, he also receives a lot of unwanted attention as a man for having striking blonde hair, blue eyes, and delicate facial feature. He is often chastised for looking too effeminate, a fate that is also shared by Martin, a character from another Aya Ling novel, A Little Mermaid . The conventional charms that women try to use on him have no effect because his interests lie solely in matters of the mind. Gerald is very humble and does his best to try to blend into the background as much as he can for someone with such a striking appearance. When he breaks into Sybil's manor to find shelter during a freak storm, he is more than willing to pitch in to help the servants repair the damage he caused.
The love story in this book is a touching tale of acceptance toward both oneself and one's partner. The message is even more poignant when women are conventionally expected to look pretty in order to find love more than men. It is made clear many times that Gerald only wants to break the curse for Sybil's sake because she hates living in a body that is not hers in a state where time is frozen. For the first half of the book, she refuses to reveal her identity to Gerald. She disguises herself as a maid named Alma and covers her face with a veil. Even though Gerald tells her multiple times that he values intelligence and wit over beauty, she cannot accept it to be true after the years of rejection she experienced prior to meeting him. Only after she is willing to let her guard down are they truly able to be together.
The Beast and the Beauty is everything you could possibly want from a gender-reversed adaptation of "Beauty and the Beast." It addresses all of the same themes as the original story in a more poignant manner by reversing conventional fairy tale roles and exploring the nature of love and superficiality. I loved how Sybil and Gerald were able to bond over their love of reading and that Sybil learned it was possible for someone to accept her the way she was after being repeatedly let down for so long. There was one pointless character death in the book that bothered me, but that was the only thing I didn't like. If you love romance, fairy tales, and challenging social norms, I suggest checking it out.
The Beast and the Beauty is the story of Lady Sybil de la Roche, a rich debutant who was cursed by a wicked sorceress who was jealous of her striking beauty. Unlike her beasty counterpart from prior "Beauty and the Beast" adaptations, Sybil is quite mild-mannered, and her demonic appearance is not meant to be a reflection of her cruelty to the enchantress. She is also immortal during the curse along with everyone living at her manor, so there is a very significant age difference between her and Prince Gerald when he finds her. In that respect, is similar to a vampire romance story, something that has also been explored in prior adaptations of this fairy tale. Sybil's loyal servants do everything they can to hide her deformities in the hopes that she will find a suitor to end the curse, but it always goes horribly wrong when they learn the truth. As a result, Sybil grows extremely cynical over the years and comes to the conclusion that all men are superficial, something that many women in the real world are unfortunately taught from a young age.
Prince Gerald, the "beauty" of the story, was introduced as one of the twelve princes in the prequel novel Till Midnight. He is a quiet intellectual who wears spectacles and loves to read just like many modern iterations of Belle. However, he also receives a lot of unwanted attention as a man for having striking blonde hair, blue eyes, and delicate facial feature. He is often chastised for looking too effeminate, a fate that is also shared by Martin, a character from another Aya Ling novel, A Little Mermaid . The conventional charms that women try to use on him have no effect because his interests lie solely in matters of the mind. Gerald is very humble and does his best to try to blend into the background as much as he can for someone with such a striking appearance. When he breaks into Sybil's manor to find shelter during a freak storm, he is more than willing to pitch in to help the servants repair the damage he caused.
The love story in this book is a touching tale of acceptance toward both oneself and one's partner. The message is even more poignant when women are conventionally expected to look pretty in order to find love more than men. It is made clear many times that Gerald only wants to break the curse for Sybil's sake because she hates living in a body that is not hers in a state where time is frozen. For the first half of the book, she refuses to reveal her identity to Gerald. She disguises herself as a maid named Alma and covers her face with a veil. Even though Gerald tells her multiple times that he values intelligence and wit over beauty, she cannot accept it to be true after the years of rejection she experienced prior to meeting him. Only after she is willing to let her guard down are they truly able to be together.
The Beast and the Beauty is everything you could possibly want from a gender-reversed adaptation of "Beauty and the Beast." It addresses all of the same themes as the original story in a more poignant manner by reversing conventional fairy tale roles and exploring the nature of love and superficiality. I loved how Sybil and Gerald were able to bond over their love of reading and that Sybil learned it was possible for someone to accept her the way she was after being repeatedly let down for so long. There was one pointless character death in the book that bothered me, but that was the only thing I didn't like. If you love romance, fairy tales, and challenging social norms, I suggest checking it out.
April 4, 2019
Behind the Scenes at the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Finale Concert
Tomorrow night is the series finale of one of my favorite TV shows, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. At surface level, this show might seem to have nothing to do with princess culture, but it is actually a deconstruction of many of the less empowering tropes introduced in some older princess movies and romantic comedies while still embracing the traits of these passionate women that we can all connect with. The show features several princess-inspired music numbers as well as a made-up Disney Princess movie called Slumbered that the main character, Rebecca, supposedly grew up with. Series star and co-creator Rachel Bloom does everything for her fans just like a real-life princess would. That's why the series finale tomorrow night will be followed by a concert special that Rachel cordially invited all her fans in the Los Angeles area to attend as audience members. I just happened to be one of those lucky fans.
This event was more than just a concert. Even though many people arrived at the Orpheum Theater extremely early and baked in the California sun to ensure entry, Rachel and her crew did everything in their power to make the fans feel welcome and comfortable once they were inside. All of the lobbies were transformed into a museum featuring as many costumes and props from the show as they could get their hands on. In the image above, I am standing in front of two of my favorite dresses from the series--Rebecca's wedding dress from the heartrendingly beautiful second season finale and her romantic "Taylor Swift" inspired look from the third season opening that portrayed some conflicting aspects of her personality. Other costumes on display included dresses from the two show-stopping Broadway inspired numbers "West Covina" and "A Diagnosis," a skeleton dress from a more recent music video called "The Cringe," a dazzling white gown from the first season for an ironic Bette Midler inspired number called "You Stupid Bitch," and a '70s style jumpsuit from the second season's "We'll Never Have Problems Again" video. Various signs form the show were on display all over the theater's waiting areas as well, including the lovely Renaissance style sign that says "Ye Olde West Covina" and was used in a music number inspired by "Belle" from Disney's Beauty and the Beast .
The concert was filled with fans who cosplayed their own versions of the outfits that were on display. Rachel and her crew gave special attention to many of these cosplayers between takes to ask them about their costumes. At the beginning of the show, Rachel gave some attention to a girl sitting in box seat who was wearing a funky outfit from a music video for a song called "I Give Good Parent" to tell her that one of the overhead camera shots zoomed on her butt because of her attention to detail in printing the words "Good Hygiene" on it to match the costume from the show. Series co-creator and showrunner
The show had very high production values that were on par with some of my favorite concerts and live shows. The back of the stage was a LED projector screen that mostly projected like a wooden wall with a marquee of the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend logo hanging from it, but it occasionally shifted to other designs to match whatever musical number was being performed. My favorite backdrop was a fairy tale castle with what appears to be the gate to the Paramount Pictures lot in front of it. This was used for the Disney Princess number from the show, "Maybe This Dream," which was performed by
After the concert ended, some of my friends decided to wait outside in case any of the cast members came out. We made our way around the theater and found a secret area in the back where we saw Kat Burns, the choreographer, Skylar Astin, who replaced Santino Fontana as Greg this season, Pete Gardner, who plays Darrell, Danny Jolles, who plays George, and Rene Gube, who plays Father Brah. When we got bored of standing in the back area, we returned to the front where we were surprised to see Vella Lovell, who plays Heather (as well as Mermista from the She-Ra Reboot) and Gabrielle Ruiz, who plays Valencia. Some cosplayers were taking a photo with Vella doing a pose from the "Let's Generalize About Men" song when Gabrielle appeared from seemingly out of nowhere to photobomb them with her pose from the number! It was a hilarious and magical moment. Just when I thought it wouldn't be worth it to wait around any longer, Rachel Bloom herself emerged from the double doors wearing a gorgeous flowing golden gown that she had on for less than a minute of the concert after joking that it was too itchy and uncomfortable to wear for a full musical number. Rachel was every bit the princess you would expect her to be from her down-to-earth role on the show. She thanked everyone for waiting for her, greeted each fan individually, complimented some of my friends on their talents, and asked us all to pose for a group photo on her phone after she spoke to everyone. It could not have been a more perfect ending to a perfect night. The series finale of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend airs on the CW tomorrow at 8/7 central followed by the concert at 9. I can't wait to see how the televised version turned out!
This event was more than just a concert. Even though many people arrived at the Orpheum Theater extremely early and baked in the California sun to ensure entry, Rachel and her crew did everything in their power to make the fans feel welcome and comfortable once they were inside. All of the lobbies were transformed into a museum featuring as many costumes and props from the show as they could get their hands on. In the image above, I am standing in front of two of my favorite dresses from the series--Rebecca's wedding dress from the heartrendingly beautiful second season finale and her romantic "Taylor Swift" inspired look from the third season opening that portrayed some conflicting aspects of her personality. Other costumes on display included dresses from the two show-stopping Broadway inspired numbers "West Covina" and "A Diagnosis," a skeleton dress from a more recent music video called "The Cringe," a dazzling white gown from the first season for an ironic Bette Midler inspired number called "You Stupid Bitch," and a '70s style jumpsuit from the second season's "We'll Never Have Problems Again" video. Various signs form the show were on display all over the theater's waiting areas as well, including the lovely Renaissance style sign that says "Ye Olde West Covina" and was used in a music number inspired by "Belle" from Disney's Beauty and the Beast .
The concert was filled with fans who cosplayed their own versions of the outfits that were on display. Rachel and her crew gave special attention to many of these cosplayers between takes to ask them about their costumes. At the beginning of the show, Rachel gave some attention to a girl sitting in box seat who was wearing a funky outfit from a music video for a song called "I Give Good Parent" to tell her that one of the overhead camera shots zoomed on her butt because of her attention to detail in printing the words "Good Hygiene" on it to match the costume from the show. Series co-creator and showrunner
The show had very high production values that were on par with some of my favorite concerts and live shows. The back of the stage was a LED projector screen that mostly projected like a wooden wall with a marquee of the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend logo hanging from it, but it occasionally shifted to other designs to match whatever musical number was being performed. My favorite backdrop was a fairy tale castle with what appears to be the gate to the Paramount Pictures lot in front of it. This was used for the Disney Princess number from the show, "Maybe This Dream," which was performed by
After the concert ended, some of my friends decided to wait outside in case any of the cast members came out. We made our way around the theater and found a secret area in the back where we saw Kat Burns, the choreographer, Skylar Astin, who replaced Santino Fontana as Greg this season, Pete Gardner, who plays Darrell, Danny Jolles, who plays George, and Rene Gube, who plays Father Brah. When we got bored of standing in the back area, we returned to the front where we were surprised to see Vella Lovell, who plays Heather (as well as Mermista from the She-Ra Reboot) and Gabrielle Ruiz, who plays Valencia. Some cosplayers were taking a photo with Vella doing a pose from the "Let's Generalize About Men" song when Gabrielle appeared from seemingly out of nowhere to photobomb them with her pose from the number! It was a hilarious and magical moment. Just when I thought it wouldn't be worth it to wait around any longer, Rachel Bloom herself emerged from the double doors wearing a gorgeous flowing golden gown that she had on for less than a minute of the concert after joking that it was too itchy and uncomfortable to wear for a full musical number. Rachel was every bit the princess you would expect her to be from her down-to-earth role on the show. She thanked everyone for waiting for her, greeted each fan individually, complimented some of my friends on their talents, and asked us all to pose for a group photo on her phone after she spoke to everyone. It could not have been a more perfect ending to a perfect night. The series finale of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend airs on the CW tomorrow at 8/7 central followed by the concert at 9. I can't wait to see how the televised version turned out!
