Lisa Dawn's Blog: The Princess Blog, page 75
July 15, 2018
Elena Is Back and Better Than Ever!
After another indefinite hiatus as Disney is prone to do, Elena of Avalor finally came back this weekend with a new episode called "The Race for the Realm." When we saw her last, Elena had recently learned that her nemesis Shuriki was still alive. She embarked on a quest to find the pieces of the Scepter of Night, the antithesis of her Scepter of Light, before it fell into the wrong hands. They recovered the first piece of the staff just before the hiatus began. This weekend's episode accelerated that storyline, improved Elena's character development, and explained some unanswered questions about her past. Suffice to say, I think that the series has really found its footing and shown great improvement since the first season.
"The Race for the Realm" has Elena donning her adventure clothes and teaming up with her friends to return to Vallestrella and solve the remaining two riddles to complete the Scepter of Night. Unfortunately for them, Shuriki, Victor, and Carlos are hot on their trail the entire time. As a result, this episode did a great job of packing in the suspense. It moved at a much faster pace than many of the previous ones, especially from the first season. In a span of twenty minutes, the Scepter of Night was not only completed but lost to the hands of evil, raising the stakes and promising many more exciting adventures to come with the return of Quita Moz. I was surprised by how quickly the story moved forward to show the characters solving the final two riddles to complete the scepter, something that they could have easily drawn out over three or four more episodes. The new action-packed adventure direction it has taken almost directly mirrors that of the new season of the Tangled series, furthering the evolution of more active princess heroines.
I enjoyed how much more real Elena felt in "The Race for the Realm" than many of the previous episodes. One of the reasons I never felt as involved with her show as I did with other Disney Princess stories is that Elena seemed to have a permanent grin plastered on her face at all times. I acknowledge that it is necessary for princesses to put on a positive mask for the public during difficult times, but hers never seemed to come off, even when she was alone with her family discussing things like the loss of her parents or being trapped in an amulet for forty years. It's true that she was under more pressure to maintain a public image because Elena was already training to be queen, but at the same time, the flashy smile sometimes made her feel like a talking stock image of a Disney Princess. In this episode, she opened up a lot more when she became distracted from her quest by memories of her parents' death. For the first time, Elena felt like a real person that I could relate to, especially when the singing flamingos in Vallestrella told her that if she kept looking into the darkness of her past, she would never see the hope of the future.
Though this episode was not the first time we saw flashbacks of Elena's parents, I personally think that they should have come much earlier in the show than they did. The first season was so full of filler episodes that it lost sight of its own identity, something it only recovered at the beginning of the second season with the episode "The Jewel of Maru." The flashbacks also answered a question I had about why Elena's parents weren't included in the magic painting with her little sister and grandparents before they died, and that is because the painting was created in response to the tragic event, as Isa was still very much not a painting when the incident occurred. This episode also reinforced the unspoken rule that Disney Channel shows never use the words "kill" or "murder," which was established in the espionage sitcom K.C. Undercover, where characters would regularly talk about killing other spies but only use the word "eliminate." When Elena confronted Shuriki about her parents' murder, Shuriki claimed that she "struck them down."
I thought that the first season of Elena of Avalor was a mess because it was trying too hard to incorporate every piece of Aztec mythology and Mexican culture that it could while losing sight of the story in the process. In the second season, everything is finally coming together. Elena is getting better at using her Scepter of Light, which was featured in all of the show's early promos, and her friends are growing comfortably into the roles they were chosen to play. With the return of Quita Moz at the end of the episode, we can finally get back to Elena's main quest of mastering her abilities and defeating Shuriki. "The Race for the Realm" was by far my favorite episode of the series so far, and I hope that it continues to move forward with the same standards of suspense and emotion set by it for the rest of the show.
"The Race for the Realm" has Elena donning her adventure clothes and teaming up with her friends to return to Vallestrella and solve the remaining two riddles to complete the Scepter of Night. Unfortunately for them, Shuriki, Victor, and Carlos are hot on their trail the entire time. As a result, this episode did a great job of packing in the suspense. It moved at a much faster pace than many of the previous ones, especially from the first season. In a span of twenty minutes, the Scepter of Night was not only completed but lost to the hands of evil, raising the stakes and promising many more exciting adventures to come with the return of Quita Moz. I was surprised by how quickly the story moved forward to show the characters solving the final two riddles to complete the scepter, something that they could have easily drawn out over three or four more episodes. The new action-packed adventure direction it has taken almost directly mirrors that of the new season of the Tangled series, furthering the evolution of more active princess heroines.
I enjoyed how much more real Elena felt in "The Race for the Realm" than many of the previous episodes. One of the reasons I never felt as involved with her show as I did with other Disney Princess stories is that Elena seemed to have a permanent grin plastered on her face at all times. I acknowledge that it is necessary for princesses to put on a positive mask for the public during difficult times, but hers never seemed to come off, even when she was alone with her family discussing things like the loss of her parents or being trapped in an amulet for forty years. It's true that she was under more pressure to maintain a public image because Elena was already training to be queen, but at the same time, the flashy smile sometimes made her feel like a talking stock image of a Disney Princess. In this episode, she opened up a lot more when she became distracted from her quest by memories of her parents' death. For the first time, Elena felt like a real person that I could relate to, especially when the singing flamingos in Vallestrella told her that if she kept looking into the darkness of her past, she would never see the hope of the future.
Though this episode was not the first time we saw flashbacks of Elena's parents, I personally think that they should have come much earlier in the show than they did. The first season was so full of filler episodes that it lost sight of its own identity, something it only recovered at the beginning of the second season with the episode "The Jewel of Maru." The flashbacks also answered a question I had about why Elena's parents weren't included in the magic painting with her little sister and grandparents before they died, and that is because the painting was created in response to the tragic event, as Isa was still very much not a painting when the incident occurred. This episode also reinforced the unspoken rule that Disney Channel shows never use the words "kill" or "murder," which was established in the espionage sitcom K.C. Undercover, where characters would regularly talk about killing other spies but only use the word "eliminate." When Elena confronted Shuriki about her parents' murder, Shuriki claimed that she "struck them down."
I thought that the first season of Elena of Avalor was a mess because it was trying too hard to incorporate every piece of Aztec mythology and Mexican culture that it could while losing sight of the story in the process. In the second season, everything is finally coming together. Elena is getting better at using her Scepter of Light, which was featured in all of the show's early promos, and her friends are growing comfortably into the roles they were chosen to play. With the return of Quita Moz at the end of the episode, we can finally get back to Elena's main quest of mastering her abilities and defeating Shuriki. "The Race for the Realm" was by far my favorite episode of the series so far, and I hope that it continues to move forward with the same standards of suspense and emotion set by it for the rest of the show.
July 11, 2018
Is the Daughter of the Village Chief a Princess?
Being a princess can mean different things to different people. Being a Disney Princess gets a little more complicated. There's a joke from Disney's 2016
Moana
about what makes a Disney Princess when Moana tries to tell Maui that she isn't a princess, and he claims that if she wears a dress and has an animal friend, she is, which is pretty much on par for Disney standards. Even though Moana isn't listed on the official Disney Princess page due to her movie being recent enough to market off its own name instead of the Disney Princess name, she was still included in the Wreck-It Ralph 2 trailer. Moana is pretty clear about how she sees herself is in the song "I am Moana" in which she states "I am the daughter of the village chief." The lovely
Moana isn't the first daughter of a tribal chief to be featured in a Disney movie. Pocahontas is portrayed as an official Disney Princess on their website and a lot of their licensed merchandise. Some would argue that she is a secondary Disney Princess like Mulan because she fulfills the popularity, power, and personality requirements of being a Disney Princess even if she is not actually royalty. Others might say that she is royalty because she the daughter of Chief Powhatan. What makes a person royal can be somewhat subjective. Polynesian and Native American tribes divide their power more equally than medieval and Renaissance European cultures, so some might say that the village chief helps make decisions but isn't royal because he doesn't get the benefit of castles, fancy clothing, or servants. At the same time, being in a leadership position does give the chief and his family more importance than the other members of the tribe because he would have the final say in most of their decisions. If the chief's daughter wishes to live up to that level of responsibility, she could be seen as a type of royalty.
Tribal royalty doesn't fit the standard image that people envision when they think of royalty, but that doesn't mean they can't do great things or have interesting stories. Liliuokalani, for instance, had an intriguing yet tragic reign as the queen of Hawaii when she was overthrown by the much bigger and more powerful government of the United States of America. The real-life Powhatan tribe suffered the same fate many years earlier. Yet, we still enjoy hearing stories about these women and how their lives were affected by the shift in power. The fates they suffered at the end does not make their struggles any less intriguing. Perhaps people just have trouble seeing leaders of small tribes as royalty when there are so many larger government systems run by people who are more powerful and therefore appear more important in comparison.
Pocahontas wasn't Disney's first Indian princess. Many people tend to forget about Tiger Lily, the daughter of Neverland's Indian tribe from Peter Pan in 1953. That might be because she was a pretty forgettable character. Tiger Lily took a definite backseat to the other female characters in the movie with more screen time including Wendy and Tinker Bell. Yet, she was the closest thing it had to an actual princess. Tiger Lily will never be added to the official Disney Princess roster because she doesn't have the same instant recognizability as the other "questionable" Disney Princesses like Mulan or Moana. Her character also enforces some sexist standards that older princesses like Cinderella and Snow White had already transcended, like only being in the movie to feed the male lead's ego. Still, Tiger Lily made an impact on the studio in her own way by giving people an idea of what an animated Indian Princess might look like.
So, is the daughter of the village chief really a princess? If you were to ask her, she would probably tell you no, just like Moana told Maui. Still, having such a position places a girl in a unique position in a tribe, giving her the ability to learn about how the tribe is run, what role everyone else plays and possibly one day using what she learned to lead her people. If that doesn't sound like a princess, then I don't know what does. It all comes down to whether you interpret things more literally or figuratively. For instance, I thought it was very clever that Fredo, the "prince" from Dyesebel, was the son of a powerful CEO because it took place in modern times. We don't necessarily have kings or queens everywhere anymore, so in a capitalist society, the offspring of a CEO could easily be seen as royalty. Even though not everyone may agree about Moana and Pocahontas being princesses, we can all agree that they are both terrific role models and heroines.
Moana isn't the first daughter of a tribal chief to be featured in a Disney movie. Pocahontas is portrayed as an official Disney Princess on their website and a lot of their licensed merchandise. Some would argue that she is a secondary Disney Princess like Mulan because she fulfills the popularity, power, and personality requirements of being a Disney Princess even if she is not actually royalty. Others might say that she is royalty because she the daughter of Chief Powhatan. What makes a person royal can be somewhat subjective. Polynesian and Native American tribes divide their power more equally than medieval and Renaissance European cultures, so some might say that the village chief helps make decisions but isn't royal because he doesn't get the benefit of castles, fancy clothing, or servants. At the same time, being in a leadership position does give the chief and his family more importance than the other members of the tribe because he would have the final say in most of their decisions. If the chief's daughter wishes to live up to that level of responsibility, she could be seen as a type of royalty.
Tribal royalty doesn't fit the standard image that people envision when they think of royalty, but that doesn't mean they can't do great things or have interesting stories. Liliuokalani, for instance, had an intriguing yet tragic reign as the queen of Hawaii when she was overthrown by the much bigger and more powerful government of the United States of America. The real-life Powhatan tribe suffered the same fate many years earlier. Yet, we still enjoy hearing stories about these women and how their lives were affected by the shift in power. The fates they suffered at the end does not make their struggles any less intriguing. Perhaps people just have trouble seeing leaders of small tribes as royalty when there are so many larger government systems run by people who are more powerful and therefore appear more important in comparison.
Pocahontas wasn't Disney's first Indian princess. Many people tend to forget about Tiger Lily, the daughter of Neverland's Indian tribe from Peter Pan in 1953. That might be because she was a pretty forgettable character. Tiger Lily took a definite backseat to the other female characters in the movie with more screen time including Wendy and Tinker Bell. Yet, she was the closest thing it had to an actual princess. Tiger Lily will never be added to the official Disney Princess roster because she doesn't have the same instant recognizability as the other "questionable" Disney Princesses like Mulan or Moana. Her character also enforces some sexist standards that older princesses like Cinderella and Snow White had already transcended, like only being in the movie to feed the male lead's ego. Still, Tiger Lily made an impact on the studio in her own way by giving people an idea of what an animated Indian Princess might look like.
So, is the daughter of the village chief really a princess? If you were to ask her, she would probably tell you no, just like Moana told Maui. Still, having such a position places a girl in a unique position in a tribe, giving her the ability to learn about how the tribe is run, what role everyone else plays and possibly one day using what she learned to lead her people. If that doesn't sound like a princess, then I don't know what does. It all comes down to whether you interpret things more literally or figuratively. For instance, I thought it was very clever that Fredo, the "prince" from Dyesebel, was the son of a powerful CEO because it took place in modern times. We don't necessarily have kings or queens everywhere anymore, so in a capitalist society, the offspring of a CEO could easily be seen as royalty. Even though not everyone may agree about Moana and Pocahontas being princesses, we can all agree that they are both terrific role models and heroines.
July 4, 2018
Ode to the Most American Princess of All
This Fourth of July, I'd like for us all to take a moment to appreciate the most American princess of all--Tiana from Disney's 2009 feature,
The Princess and the Frog
. Disney decided to put a very unique spin on the story of "The Frog Prince" by having it take place in 1920s New Orleans instead of medieval Germany and turning the spoiled princess into a studious entrepreneur who also happened to be their first animated black heroine. The risks they took paid off greatly because the movie is incredibly entertaining and unique, even if it wasn't a huge box office hit like they were hoping. There are so many reasons I love and relate to Tiana. I was glad to see her return briefly in the final season of Once Upon a Time as Jacinda's best friend, Sabine, even if they didn't do the best job with her fairy tale counterpart.
The Princess and the Frog celebrates many of the same ideals of freedom that we do for America on the Fourth of July both literally and metaphorically. It represents the freedom to continue creating beautiful hand-drawn artwork even though Michael Eisner claimed five years earlier in 2004 that Home on the Range would be Disney's last hand-drawn movie. It taught audiences that every girl is free to feel like a princess no matter what race she is, a very important message in our diverse and changing times and one that Tiana's talented voice actress,
Tiana had a big impact on my own life because her movie came out just one year after I had graduated from college and entered the professional world. I understood the struggle of being in a fast-paced work environment and wanting to do anything I could to get ahead, even if it meant turning down social invitations in favor of putting in overtime hours. Nobody understood why Tiana wanted to work two grueling waitress jobs in order to save up money to open her own restaurant, just as some people couldn't understand why I was so obsessed with my job at the time. I got the transfer I had been working toward shortly after the movie came out and celebrated it with the Disney Parks versions of Tiana and Naveen, so Tiana truly had a big impact in helping me chase after my career goals. Another thing I was able to relate to was how studious she was and how she couldn't get into Naveen's silly pranks and goofing off after they became frogs, as demonstrated in "When We're Human." I have never able to relate to most people's humor either, so it was great to have a princess I could share that with.
I did read some critical reviews at the time The Princess and the Frog came out that it withheld some important feminist ideals by having Tiana only kiss Naveen's froggy form for the promise of money to open her restaurant, implying that women need rich men to get out of their difficult lives like in the oldest and most famous princess story of all, "Cinderella." To this criticism, I argue that Tiana needed to be able to accept help because she refused to admit that she was wearing herself out. Up until that point in the movie, she had tried to do everything on her own and was still struggling in spite of her optimism. By the end, her willingness to accept Naveen's love and assistance for the extra to achieve her dreams and happiness shows growth in her character, not weakness. Teaching girls that they have to be capable of doing everything on their own, which is so common in today's world, can put them in a very lonely and sad place. There is only so much that one person can do without being brave enough to swallow their pride and ask for help. I still think that Naveen needed Tiana far more than she needed him since she was ultimately the one who broke the curse and taught him the responsibility to ensure that he wouldn't get himself into trouble again. This makes Tiana and Naveen one of the healthiest and most stable relationships in any Disney movie.
This Fourth of July, I'd like for us all to remember the principles that America was founded on and the lessons that Tiana taught us by being the first American Disney Princess. It doesn't matter where you come from or who your family is as long as you have love in your life and passion in your heart to work hard and chase after your dreams. Being a princess means being pure of spirit and believing in yourself. Here in the new world, all girls are free to be princesses.
The Princess and the Frog celebrates many of the same ideals of freedom that we do for America on the Fourth of July both literally and metaphorically. It represents the freedom to continue creating beautiful hand-drawn artwork even though Michael Eisner claimed five years earlier in 2004 that Home on the Range would be Disney's last hand-drawn movie. It taught audiences that every girl is free to feel like a princess no matter what race she is, a very important message in our diverse and changing times and one that Tiana's talented voice actress,
Tiana had a big impact on my own life because her movie came out just one year after I had graduated from college and entered the professional world. I understood the struggle of being in a fast-paced work environment and wanting to do anything I could to get ahead, even if it meant turning down social invitations in favor of putting in overtime hours. Nobody understood why Tiana wanted to work two grueling waitress jobs in order to save up money to open her own restaurant, just as some people couldn't understand why I was so obsessed with my job at the time. I got the transfer I had been working toward shortly after the movie came out and celebrated it with the Disney Parks versions of Tiana and Naveen, so Tiana truly had a big impact in helping me chase after my career goals. Another thing I was able to relate to was how studious she was and how she couldn't get into Naveen's silly pranks and goofing off after they became frogs, as demonstrated in "When We're Human." I have never able to relate to most people's humor either, so it was great to have a princess I could share that with.
I did read some critical reviews at the time The Princess and the Frog came out that it withheld some important feminist ideals by having Tiana only kiss Naveen's froggy form for the promise of money to open her restaurant, implying that women need rich men to get out of their difficult lives like in the oldest and most famous princess story of all, "Cinderella." To this criticism, I argue that Tiana needed to be able to accept help because she refused to admit that she was wearing herself out. Up until that point in the movie, she had tried to do everything on her own and was still struggling in spite of her optimism. By the end, her willingness to accept Naveen's love and assistance for the extra to achieve her dreams and happiness shows growth in her character, not weakness. Teaching girls that they have to be capable of doing everything on their own, which is so common in today's world, can put them in a very lonely and sad place. There is only so much that one person can do without being brave enough to swallow their pride and ask for help. I still think that Naveen needed Tiana far more than she needed him since she was ultimately the one who broke the curse and taught him the responsibility to ensure that he wouldn't get himself into trouble again. This makes Tiana and Naveen one of the healthiest and most stable relationships in any Disney movie.
This Fourth of July, I'd like for us all to remember the principles that America was founded on and the lessons that Tiana taught us by being the first American Disney Princess. It doesn't matter where you come from or who your family is as long as you have love in your life and passion in your heart to work hard and chase after your dreams. Being a princess means being pure of spirit and believing in yourself. Here in the new world, all girls are free to be princesses.
July 1, 2018
Why I'll Never Do a Top Ten List
It's a fairly common thing for blogs or YouTube channels like mine to do rankings of the "best" characters, movies, etc. I put "best" in quotes because it's entirely subjective. I've seen plenty of "top ten" lists online before, and every time one of two things happen--I either agree with it or I don't. That's going to be the case for anyone who sees such a list. It's just one individual person's order of favorites, and it doesn't say anything about the quality of the movie or impact of the character. Now, if you were to ask me who my favorite princess is, I would have no problem answering that (Ariel), nor would I hesitate to tell you my runner-ups (Tiana, Mulan, Rinoa Heartilly, Anastasia, Sofia, Rapunzel, and Belle). I could even give you a list of articles I wrote about one hundred different princesses if you're having trouble keeping track of them all. The only thing I won't do is go through each runner-up for my favorite and say which one is better and why.
Another reason I don't like "top ten" lists is that I don't think it's very princess-like to make one. Princesses are generally non-competitive people, at least in fairy tales, so forcing them to prove that they are better at humility, heroism, and feminity than their peers, though sometimes humorous, will have the exact opposite effect. Even Mulan (who is technically a Disney Princess) was uncomfortable being placed against other girls who seemed far more capable than her in front of the matchmaker, and she completely blew it! Of course, as we all know, that didn't make her any less valuable as a person. Ranking a princess's value in comparison to others discredits all the great things that she did in her movie and the impact that the movie had on the film or animation industry. Snow White is rarely a favorite princess, but her movie was still the first animated movie of all time and recently celebrated its 80th anniversary. In many ways, she set the mold for all the princesses who came after her. It would be foolish to discredit that entirely based on personal preference. It's no secret that Elena of Avalor is not my favorite princess, but she still made a huge impact on the Latina community by introducing their culture into the Disney Princess mythology.
"Top ten" rankings also follow a beauty pageant ideology, which is a mostly outdated method to be seen by the public as an honorary princess. I know you're probably going to say that Disney Princess rankings aren't necessarily about their beauty, but Miss America is also ranked by how well she answers randomized questions, which still somehow doesn't feel any less degrading. Even though beauty pageants are generally associated under the princess culture umbrella because of the sparkly gowns, tiaras, and the promise of being loved by the public, they have the unwanted side effect of telling the runner-ups that they simply weren't good enough, which is the opposite of the message that Disney has been trying to promote with their recent "Dream Big, Princess" campaign. They keep stating over and over again in their promos that there is a princess in every girl.
The other reason I wouldn't want to make a post listing my ranks every princess so far is that my rankings tend to change based on the day, my mood, and my place in life. Ariel was my favorite Disney Princess for most of my life, but there was a brief time in high school where I felt more like Belle and a time in college where I actually felt I related the most to Aurora. These stories are here to help us feel as though we are not alone in our lives and give us the hope of a happy ending. If one girl clings to the ideals of Tiana and another to Rapunzel, that doesn't make either one better than the other. It just shows that we are all different and relate to different interests and philosophies. That's why I don't think it's fair for animation blogs or podcasts to line them all up in a row based on personal preference. You wouldn't go up to your friends at a party and rank them based on how much you like them, would you?
It's fine to have preferences, and it's even better to relate so much to a specific character that it increases your personal feelings of self-worth, but saying that one princess is objectively better than another is like saying that all the girls who relate to that princess are better than the ones who don't. Women should be empowering each other during these tough times. Every girl and every princess has something great to offer the world, and our minuscule nuances or quirks do not place us higher or lower on some imaginary list. They simply make us who we are, which is beautiful.
Another reason I don't like "top ten" lists is that I don't think it's very princess-like to make one. Princesses are generally non-competitive people, at least in fairy tales, so forcing them to prove that they are better at humility, heroism, and feminity than their peers, though sometimes humorous, will have the exact opposite effect. Even Mulan (who is technically a Disney Princess) was uncomfortable being placed against other girls who seemed far more capable than her in front of the matchmaker, and she completely blew it! Of course, as we all know, that didn't make her any less valuable as a person. Ranking a princess's value in comparison to others discredits all the great things that she did in her movie and the impact that the movie had on the film or animation industry. Snow White is rarely a favorite princess, but her movie was still the first animated movie of all time and recently celebrated its 80th anniversary. In many ways, she set the mold for all the princesses who came after her. It would be foolish to discredit that entirely based on personal preference. It's no secret that Elena of Avalor is not my favorite princess, but she still made a huge impact on the Latina community by introducing their culture into the Disney Princess mythology.
"Top ten" rankings also follow a beauty pageant ideology, which is a mostly outdated method to be seen by the public as an honorary princess. I know you're probably going to say that Disney Princess rankings aren't necessarily about their beauty, but Miss America is also ranked by how well she answers randomized questions, which still somehow doesn't feel any less degrading. Even though beauty pageants are generally associated under the princess culture umbrella because of the sparkly gowns, tiaras, and the promise of being loved by the public, they have the unwanted side effect of telling the runner-ups that they simply weren't good enough, which is the opposite of the message that Disney has been trying to promote with their recent "Dream Big, Princess" campaign. They keep stating over and over again in their promos that there is a princess in every girl.
The other reason I wouldn't want to make a post listing my ranks every princess so far is that my rankings tend to change based on the day, my mood, and my place in life. Ariel was my favorite Disney Princess for most of my life, but there was a brief time in high school where I felt more like Belle and a time in college where I actually felt I related the most to Aurora. These stories are here to help us feel as though we are not alone in our lives and give us the hope of a happy ending. If one girl clings to the ideals of Tiana and another to Rapunzel, that doesn't make either one better than the other. It just shows that we are all different and relate to different interests and philosophies. That's why I don't think it's fair for animation blogs or podcasts to line them all up in a row based on personal preference. You wouldn't go up to your friends at a party and rank them based on how much you like them, would you?
It's fine to have preferences, and it's even better to relate so much to a specific character that it increases your personal feelings of self-worth, but saying that one princess is objectively better than another is like saying that all the girls who relate to that princess are better than the ones who don't. Women should be empowering each other during these tough times. Every girl and every princess has something great to offer the world, and our minuscule nuances or quirks do not place us higher or lower on some imaginary list. They simply make us who we are, which is beautiful.
June 28, 2018
Review: An Inconvenient Princess
It took a few months, but I finally got around to reading Melanie Cellier's contribution to the Entwined Tales series. It was from Melanie Cellier's Facebook page that I first learned about Entwined Tales, a series of six fairy tale adaptations by different authors about a family who was "blessed" with the magic of the worst fairy godfather ever, Mortimer. I had read all of Melanie's other books as well as the first book in Entwined Tales, A Goose Girl by K.M. Shea, and A Little Mermaid by Aya Ling, the fifth in the series. An Inconvenient Princess by Melanie Cellier is the sixth and final book, so I've now read half the books while skipping over the middle three. The novels work just fine as stand-alone stories, so I didn't particularly feel like I was missing out on anything from the ones I haven't read. An Inconvenient Princess is an adaptation of "Rapunzel," but in this version, the long-haired heroine is more of a comedic sidekick than a main character.
An Inconvenient Princess tells the story of Penny, the youngest daughter of a family that is "blessed" by Mortimer, the most incompetent fairy godfather anyone can ask for. Penny is the twin sister of Anneliese, and their relationship reminded me of that of Sophie and Lily, two other twins from several of Melanie Cellier's previous books. In this case, though, there was clear contrast between the two sisters. Anneliese is the playful mischievous one while Penny is logical and responsible, constantly getting her sister out of trouble. This time, however, Anneliese got into even more trouble than usual when she disappeared without a trace, forcing Penny to ask for Mortimer's help to find her. Thanks to the fairy godfather's usual blundering, Penny found herself in Rapunzel's tower and had to rescue the fair maiden, ending up with an inconvenient sidekick who knew nothing about the world and was curious about everything. Penny saved Rapunzel just before Prince Arthur could, so he ended up tagging along on the quest to find her sister as well, since he was determined to find damsels in distress to rescue.
At times, this book felt like a bit of a self-insertion fairy tale in the vein of Aya Ling's The Ugly Stepsister. After all, what princess fan wouldn't love to become best friends with Rapunzel and fall in love with the prince? Self insertion fantasies certainly have their guilty pleasures. Though Penny's insight and wisdom make her a great contrast to Anneliese's whimsy and Rapunzel's naivete, she might just be a bit too capable, leaving very little for her sidekicks to do. Of course, that also is what draws Prince Arthur's attention toward her over Rapunzel. There is somewhat of an explanation for her incredible amount of ingenuity in getting out of sticky situations toward the end of the book. Still, everything tends to be a little too easy for Penny, which makes her kind of a Mary Sue and not very interesting as a heroine. Thankfully, her insecurities about being the youngest sibling and having purple eyes do make her seem slightly more human.
As the last book in Entwined Tales, I have to say that An Inconvenient Princess really captures the heart of the series. I'm not sure if it's because the groundwork had already been laid in the first five books or if the premise resonated more with Melanie than the other authors. Either way, of the three books I've read, Mortimer makes the most appearances in this one, and his incompetence as a fairy godfather is by far the most apparent. There are also references made to all five other books throughout Penny's story, and it is double the length of the first book in the series, which allows for a more sufficient epilogue. Another fun parallel between the first and last book is that they both contain hilariously naive princesses that the more level-headed main characters are forced to put up with due to their circumstances. Both Davina from A Goose Girl and Rapunzel from An Inconvenient Princess made poor decisions due to a lack of experience in the outside world but still had the best intentions at heart.
Though I didn't enjoy An Inconvenient Princess quite as much as the books from Melanie Cellier's Four Kingdoms series, it was still a fun read. It is a light-hearted take on the story of "Rapunzel" with a similar tone to Aya Ling's A Little Mermaid. Melanie also did a fantastic job of closing out the entire series by concluding the arc of Mortimer's follies and referencing all of the characters from the previous books. Penny was a little too capable as a heroine, but her love for her sister was admirable, and Rapunzel made for a great comedic sidekick. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the other books in the series and wants to learn how it ends.
An Inconvenient Princess tells the story of Penny, the youngest daughter of a family that is "blessed" by Mortimer, the most incompetent fairy godfather anyone can ask for. Penny is the twin sister of Anneliese, and their relationship reminded me of that of Sophie and Lily, two other twins from several of Melanie Cellier's previous books. In this case, though, there was clear contrast between the two sisters. Anneliese is the playful mischievous one while Penny is logical and responsible, constantly getting her sister out of trouble. This time, however, Anneliese got into even more trouble than usual when she disappeared without a trace, forcing Penny to ask for Mortimer's help to find her. Thanks to the fairy godfather's usual blundering, Penny found herself in Rapunzel's tower and had to rescue the fair maiden, ending up with an inconvenient sidekick who knew nothing about the world and was curious about everything. Penny saved Rapunzel just before Prince Arthur could, so he ended up tagging along on the quest to find her sister as well, since he was determined to find damsels in distress to rescue.
At times, this book felt like a bit of a self-insertion fairy tale in the vein of Aya Ling's The Ugly Stepsister. After all, what princess fan wouldn't love to become best friends with Rapunzel and fall in love with the prince? Self insertion fantasies certainly have their guilty pleasures. Though Penny's insight and wisdom make her a great contrast to Anneliese's whimsy and Rapunzel's naivete, she might just be a bit too capable, leaving very little for her sidekicks to do. Of course, that also is what draws Prince Arthur's attention toward her over Rapunzel. There is somewhat of an explanation for her incredible amount of ingenuity in getting out of sticky situations toward the end of the book. Still, everything tends to be a little too easy for Penny, which makes her kind of a Mary Sue and not very interesting as a heroine. Thankfully, her insecurities about being the youngest sibling and having purple eyes do make her seem slightly more human.
As the last book in Entwined Tales, I have to say that An Inconvenient Princess really captures the heart of the series. I'm not sure if it's because the groundwork had already been laid in the first five books or if the premise resonated more with Melanie than the other authors. Either way, of the three books I've read, Mortimer makes the most appearances in this one, and his incompetence as a fairy godfather is by far the most apparent. There are also references made to all five other books throughout Penny's story, and it is double the length of the first book in the series, which allows for a more sufficient epilogue. Another fun parallel between the first and last book is that they both contain hilariously naive princesses that the more level-headed main characters are forced to put up with due to their circumstances. Both Davina from A Goose Girl and Rapunzel from An Inconvenient Princess made poor decisions due to a lack of experience in the outside world but still had the best intentions at heart.
Though I didn't enjoy An Inconvenient Princess quite as much as the books from Melanie Cellier's Four Kingdoms series, it was still a fun read. It is a light-hearted take on the story of "Rapunzel" with a similar tone to Aya Ling's A Little Mermaid. Melanie also did a fantastic job of closing out the entire series by concluding the arc of Mortimer's follies and referencing all of the characters from the previous books. Penny was a little too capable as a heroine, but her love for her sister was admirable, and Rapunzel made for a great comedic sidekick. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the other books in the series and wants to learn how it ends.
June 24, 2018
Rapunzel's New Quest (and My 200th Post!)
Today is a big day for both Rapunzel and The Princess Blog! The second season of Tangled: The Series kicked off this morning in a big way with a new name and an exciting special called Beyond the Corona Walls. The show itself appears to now be called Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure even though the URL still has "Tangled: The Series" in it, and it's still listed alphabetically under "T" on the Disney Now show page. I am so stoked to be able to write about this amazing premiere for my 200th post. The Princess Blog has come a long way since my 100th post. Even though I stopped updating every day, I've still had at least one new topic to write about each week. I started a YouTube channel, weekly book reviews, and a relaunch of all the books I wrote. I'm very excited to bring you all the latest princess news and reviews for another hundred posts!
Beyond the Corona Walls follows the open ending of the previous special, The Secret of the Sun Drop in which Rapunzel learned that her magical hair shared a connection with the mysterious spiky rocks that had been popping up throughout the series and decided to follow the path they laid out for her to see where they would lead her. The new season revealed that she teamed up with a lot of friends to go on this adventure. Besides her closest companions, Cassandra and Eugene, Lance Strongbow and Hook Foot, who were introduced in the first season, accompanied the group on the caravan pulled by Maximus and another palace horse along with the little old man from the movie as a stowaway. Rapunzel also has a new look for this season with a dark burgundy adventure dress that reminds me a lot of the one Odette wore for outings in the Swan Princess sequels. That's not the only similarity I found to The Swan Princess in this special. A duet sung by Rapunzel and Eugene in the second act called "If I Could Take that Moment Back" was very similar both visually and thematically to the Swan Princess romance theme "Far Longer Than Forever." Both songs were sung with a lot of emotion and alternated beautifully between the two characters who were separated from each other but longed to be together again. There was also a joke about a giant swan decoration during the wedding scene later on.
There were several new characters introduced in this special. The most surprising one was a woman named Stallion, who was apparently engaged to Eugene back in his Flynn Rider days when he allegedly left her at the altar. Stallion was the daughter of a rich baron from the first town Rapunzel's caravan stopped in. As soon as she saw Flynn Rider again, she was desperate to have him back, so her father resorted to poisoning Eugene's friend, Lance Strongbow, to convince him to marry Stallion. Marriage was also a big theme in this special. Eugene awkwardly proposed to Rapunzel for the second time in this series even though she still wasn't ready to settle down. Of course, they both regretted their actions later when he was forced to marry Stallion instead. It's very interesting to see a fairy tale series about a princess who isn't ready to commit yet when her lover can't wait to begin his life with her because it's usually the other way around. It shows just how modern of a take Tangled is on the "Rapunzel" fairy tale. Of course, in the original step, Rapunzel had already given birth to twins and wandered through the desert for a long time searching for her prince, so marriage was a pretty obvious next step when they were finally reunited.
The other important new character from this special was Adira, a badass samurai woman who apparently knew Rapunzel's father in her youth. It looks like Cassandra has some competition for the toughest woman in the series now. I just love how this show is chock-full of strong women! Adira has a very unique character design with her aged white hair and half her face painted in a possible homage to Mulan's iconic dual identity image from the song "Reflections." It's pretty clear that we will be seeing a lot more of Adira this season, as her story is far from over. She knows a lot about the Sun Drop Flower and the rocks that she isn't telling us, and she also has a history with Rapunzel's family. It's unclear at this point what her intentions are with Rapunzel. Even though she initially gets into a fight with Cassandra, she doesn't seem to want to hurt the main heroines of the show, or at least not yet. She imparted them with some advice for their quest, but the information that she chose to divulge was vague and full of holes. We may not learn the full story until the end of the season. I did notice that she pulled out a scroll near the end of the special that contained an image of the Sun Drop Flower, a purple moon-like symbol, and the rocks that they had been chasing down. I assume we will be learning about the moon item later since it's probably also connected to Rapunzel somehow like the flower and the rocks are.
Overall, Beyond the Corona Walls was very exciting and fun to watch. It had some great songs, and taught us a few things we didn't know about Eugene and the king's pasts. It also brought up plenty of questions that we will await answers to from future episodes this season. It was a clever idea for the series to take us outside the kingdom of Corona and show us other parts of Rapunzel's world that we have never seen before. This leaves plenty of room for new adventures without having to repeat storylines or get awkwardly creative like the Aladdin series did at times. I'm really excited to learn more about Adira, the rocks, and the new moon flower. Maybe by the time the third season starts, I'll have three hundred posts out for all of you to enjoy!
Beyond the Corona Walls follows the open ending of the previous special, The Secret of the Sun Drop in which Rapunzel learned that her magical hair shared a connection with the mysterious spiky rocks that had been popping up throughout the series and decided to follow the path they laid out for her to see where they would lead her. The new season revealed that she teamed up with a lot of friends to go on this adventure. Besides her closest companions, Cassandra and Eugene, Lance Strongbow and Hook Foot, who were introduced in the first season, accompanied the group on the caravan pulled by Maximus and another palace horse along with the little old man from the movie as a stowaway. Rapunzel also has a new look for this season with a dark burgundy adventure dress that reminds me a lot of the one Odette wore for outings in the Swan Princess sequels. That's not the only similarity I found to The Swan Princess in this special. A duet sung by Rapunzel and Eugene in the second act called "If I Could Take that Moment Back" was very similar both visually and thematically to the Swan Princess romance theme "Far Longer Than Forever." Both songs were sung with a lot of emotion and alternated beautifully between the two characters who were separated from each other but longed to be together again. There was also a joke about a giant swan decoration during the wedding scene later on.
There were several new characters introduced in this special. The most surprising one was a woman named Stallion, who was apparently engaged to Eugene back in his Flynn Rider days when he allegedly left her at the altar. Stallion was the daughter of a rich baron from the first town Rapunzel's caravan stopped in. As soon as she saw Flynn Rider again, she was desperate to have him back, so her father resorted to poisoning Eugene's friend, Lance Strongbow, to convince him to marry Stallion. Marriage was also a big theme in this special. Eugene awkwardly proposed to Rapunzel for the second time in this series even though she still wasn't ready to settle down. Of course, they both regretted their actions later when he was forced to marry Stallion instead. It's very interesting to see a fairy tale series about a princess who isn't ready to commit yet when her lover can't wait to begin his life with her because it's usually the other way around. It shows just how modern of a take Tangled is on the "Rapunzel" fairy tale. Of course, in the original step, Rapunzel had already given birth to twins and wandered through the desert for a long time searching for her prince, so marriage was a pretty obvious next step when they were finally reunited.
The other important new character from this special was Adira, a badass samurai woman who apparently knew Rapunzel's father in her youth. It looks like Cassandra has some competition for the toughest woman in the series now. I just love how this show is chock-full of strong women! Adira has a very unique character design with her aged white hair and half her face painted in a possible homage to Mulan's iconic dual identity image from the song "Reflections." It's pretty clear that we will be seeing a lot more of Adira this season, as her story is far from over. She knows a lot about the Sun Drop Flower and the rocks that she isn't telling us, and she also has a history with Rapunzel's family. It's unclear at this point what her intentions are with Rapunzel. Even though she initially gets into a fight with Cassandra, she doesn't seem to want to hurt the main heroines of the show, or at least not yet. She imparted them with some advice for their quest, but the information that she chose to divulge was vague and full of holes. We may not learn the full story until the end of the season. I did notice that she pulled out a scroll near the end of the special that contained an image of the Sun Drop Flower, a purple moon-like symbol, and the rocks that they had been chasing down. I assume we will be learning about the moon item later since it's probably also connected to Rapunzel somehow like the flower and the rocks are.
Overall, Beyond the Corona Walls was very exciting and fun to watch. It had some great songs, and taught us a few things we didn't know about Eugene and the king's pasts. It also brought up plenty of questions that we will await answers to from future episodes this season. It was a clever idea for the series to take us outside the kingdom of Corona and show us other parts of Rapunzel's world that we have never seen before. This leaves plenty of room for new adventures without having to repeat storylines or get awkwardly creative like the Aladdin series did at times. I'm really excited to learn more about Adira, the rocks, and the new moon flower. Maybe by the time the third season starts, I'll have three hundred posts out for all of you to enjoy!
June 22, 2018
Review: A Beauty Among Beasts
I was recently offered an opportunity to read A Beauty Among Beasts by Melanie Gabrell. I went in with no expectations except that it would be an adaptation of "Beauty and the Beast." A Beauty Among Beasts mixes several genres that would work fine on their own, but not necessarily together. It takes place in Nazi Germany and tells the story of Anna Klein, the sensible daughter of a book merchant. Anna has several siblings like Beauty from the original fairy and is the most humble of all of them, requesting a rose as a gift from her father's travels instead of jewels or gowns like her sisters. Unfortunately, that's where most of the fairy tale similarities end.
As a Jewish woman, it made me a little uncomfortable to read a fairy tale set during the Holocaust. Sure, I've read The Diary of Anne Frank like most other Jewish girls my age, but that was about a real person, and I don't much enjoy my reality clashing with my fantasy. Of course, that doesn't apply to everyone. If you're into the darker side of fairy tales, including all of the things that Disney cuts from their Brothers Grimm adaptations, you might enjoy this book. Though the main heroine isn't Jewish, her adopted little sister is, which causes problems for her family further down the line. The book switches perspectives in every chapter. The chapters that take place from the Nazi side were a little harder to read than the rest. It was difficult to tell at first if the main characters were against the Nazis or just indifferent to them, which furthered my discomfort, but apparently, it was dangerous to express any dissent in Germany during that time.
You might be wondering how "Beauty and the Beast" plays into all of this, and the answer is awkwardly. When Anna's father steals a rose from his newest client's garden, the mysterious resident of the castle appears before him and asks for his daughter's hand in...employmenet. Anna agrees out of family obligation, though no real threat is placed on her or her father if she refuses. The next thing she knows, she is working and living in an enchanted castle that seems to rearrange its rooms at will. Leon, her employer, is described as pale and odd-looking for a teenager, but not an outright monster. The magic of the castle extends beyond its walls as well. Anna is free to come and go as she pleases so she can still attend school, but she finds that when she is away from the castle, she can't remember any details about what she saw or experienced there. The castle also only appears to people who are intentionally looking for it.
Since the book alternates between the perspectives of roughly six characters, it's difficult to fully embrace Anna's romance with Leon since they only share a tender moment in a chapter or two. Though not quite as emotionless as K.M. Shea's Beauty and the Beast, any feelings Anna and Leon have for each other are overshadowed by Leon's dark secret as well as the Nazi subplots. In that sense, it feels like the book is trying to be the 2006 movie Pan's Labyrinth , in which a girl escapes to a fairy tale world to get away from the war and destruction surrounding her in the real world, but in this case, the fantasy world of the castle is also darker and more dangerous than it appears once Leon's secret is revealed. Because of this, the book does not have the same beautiful juxtaposition between light and darkness that Pan's Labyrinth had. In fact, I found the romance with Anna's sister Gwen more realistic and rewarding than her own.
If you're in the mood for dark fairy tale horror stories like Magic After Midnight , you might enjoy Melanie Gabrell's A Beauty Among Beasts. However, this is not a light fluffy princess tale, and it's not for the faint of heart either. The story contains a lot of gore, death and an unapologetic look at one of the most horrific parts of human history. I personally did not get much out of this book, but it was certainly an original take on a fairy tale that's been told countless times.
As a Jewish woman, it made me a little uncomfortable to read a fairy tale set during the Holocaust. Sure, I've read The Diary of Anne Frank like most other Jewish girls my age, but that was about a real person, and I don't much enjoy my reality clashing with my fantasy. Of course, that doesn't apply to everyone. If you're into the darker side of fairy tales, including all of the things that Disney cuts from their Brothers Grimm adaptations, you might enjoy this book. Though the main heroine isn't Jewish, her adopted little sister is, which causes problems for her family further down the line. The book switches perspectives in every chapter. The chapters that take place from the Nazi side were a little harder to read than the rest. It was difficult to tell at first if the main characters were against the Nazis or just indifferent to them, which furthered my discomfort, but apparently, it was dangerous to express any dissent in Germany during that time.
You might be wondering how "Beauty and the Beast" plays into all of this, and the answer is awkwardly. When Anna's father steals a rose from his newest client's garden, the mysterious resident of the castle appears before him and asks for his daughter's hand in...employmenet. Anna agrees out of family obligation, though no real threat is placed on her or her father if she refuses. The next thing she knows, she is working and living in an enchanted castle that seems to rearrange its rooms at will. Leon, her employer, is described as pale and odd-looking for a teenager, but not an outright monster. The magic of the castle extends beyond its walls as well. Anna is free to come and go as she pleases so she can still attend school, but she finds that when she is away from the castle, she can't remember any details about what she saw or experienced there. The castle also only appears to people who are intentionally looking for it.
Since the book alternates between the perspectives of roughly six characters, it's difficult to fully embrace Anna's romance with Leon since they only share a tender moment in a chapter or two. Though not quite as emotionless as K.M. Shea's Beauty and the Beast, any feelings Anna and Leon have for each other are overshadowed by Leon's dark secret as well as the Nazi subplots. In that sense, it feels like the book is trying to be the 2006 movie Pan's Labyrinth , in which a girl escapes to a fairy tale world to get away from the war and destruction surrounding her in the real world, but in this case, the fantasy world of the castle is also darker and more dangerous than it appears once Leon's secret is revealed. Because of this, the book does not have the same beautiful juxtaposition between light and darkness that Pan's Labyrinth had. In fact, I found the romance with Anna's sister Gwen more realistic and rewarding than her own.
If you're in the mood for dark fairy tale horror stories like Magic After Midnight , you might enjoy Melanie Gabrell's A Beauty Among Beasts. However, this is not a light fluffy princess tale, and it's not for the faint of heart either. The story contains a lot of gore, death and an unapologetic look at one of the most horrific parts of human history. I personally did not get much out of this book, but it was certainly an original take on a fairy tale that's been told countless times.
June 20, 2018
Why Kilala Princess Should Be an Anime
Amid all the recent Kingdom Hearts hype in anticipation of the new game, I learned that there was once a Kingdom Hearts anime series in development that never made it to production. This has been the case for many princess ideas that never quite made it out the door, such as the "Princess Academy" short and the unreleased episodes of Disney Princess Enchanted Tales. The series would have been inspired by the Kingdom Hearts manga that was released in 2009, which got me thinking about another Disney Princess manga that could have made a terrific anime. Kilala Princess came out in 2005 and told the story of a girl whose wish to be a Disney Princess came true. She found a magical tiara that was guarded by a prince named Rei who was searching for the true princess to save his kingdom. The tiara allowed her to travel to the worlds of Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, and Jasmine, collecting jewels for its seven spikes so that it would regain its full power.
Kilala Princess was like a hybrid of Kingdom Hearts, Sofia the First, and Princess Precure, but it was more innovative at the time because of two of those three series did not exist yet. The only other story that was out at the time about a girl meeting all the Disney Princesses was a Game Boy Advance game called Disney Princess: Royal Adventure. In that game, you play as a girl named Lily who must recover missing crowns from various Disney Princess worlds by performing dull errands such as delivering items and messages to bland lifeless villagers in the town. Suffice to say, it is not one of my favorite games. Kilala Princess was everything Disney Princess: Royal Adventure should have been. It had just the right amount of romance, adventure, and intrigue with barely any violence.
One of the reasons I think Kilala Princess would work better as an anime than Kingdom Hearts is its pure simplicity. Over the years, the Kingdom Hearts mythology has developed into a mangled mess surrounding the backstory of the main villain, Xehanort, who seems to be immortal. Kilala Princess did have a villain, but it was someone the characters were acquainted with from the start, so there was no confusion or mystery requiring an extended explanation when he was revealed. Also, I'd probably be stating the obvious by saying that princess fans generally relate better to female protagonists. Kilala was just like many other girls who grew up with the Disney Princess movies.
Though Kilala is a bit of a self-insertion character like the Unfinished Fairy Tales book series, she also exhibits some wonderful traits that make her a great role model. Like most Magical Girls, Kilala would do anything to help her friends. The first chapter of the manga is about her celebrating her best friend Erica for winning a princess contest at their school. Even though Kilala loves princesses, she loves her friend Erica even more and does not even have the slightest hint of jealousy over not being chosen instead. As soon as she meets Prince Rei and learns about his quest to save his kingdom by recovering the missing jewels on the tiara to find the true princess, she leaps into action to help him without a second thought, assuming that Erica is the one he is looking for.
I love that Kilala usually finds nonviolent solutions to problems, which was uncommon for adventure stories like this at the time. Magical Girls normally use special attacks to defeat their enemies, using love as an excuse for fighting, a concept that was deconstructed in the anime Madoka Magica. Kilala exhibits magical traits when tiara respond to her actions and opens gates leading the Disney Princess worlds, but she solves most of her problems with bravery, kindness, and understanding. She befriends her foil, Princess Sylphy, a stuck-up, rude, and obnoxious princess by taking the time to get to know her and realize that she is lonely. Though Sofia the First is also a nonviolent adventure series with the same premise, Kilala Princess came first, so the concept was more novel at the time.
I think Kilala Princess would make a great anime because it shows girls that they can be brave and strong while still maintaining their femininity and not resorting to violence. Kilala is unique compared to Sora or Sofia because she comes from our world and believes in magic without seeing any proof that it's real. She is also already familiar with the Disney Princesses, which makes her excitement upon meeting them that much more genuine and heartwarming. Even though Haruka from Princess Precure is a very similar character to Kilala, a Kilala Princess anime would still have a few things that would stand out in comparison to Precure. For one, it would have the actual Disney Princesses instead of the made-up "Flower Princess" fairy tale book that Haruka obsesses over. It would be a show about more realistic problem solving that doesn't rely on sparkly transformations and attacks. The artwork is also very unique because it shows the Disney Princesses in their original hand-drawn styles with slight adjustments to the eyes that make them look more like anime characters without losing anything from the original designs. I would love to see an animated version of Kilala Princess someday.
Kilala Princess was like a hybrid of Kingdom Hearts, Sofia the First, and Princess Precure, but it was more innovative at the time because of two of those three series did not exist yet. The only other story that was out at the time about a girl meeting all the Disney Princesses was a Game Boy Advance game called Disney Princess: Royal Adventure. In that game, you play as a girl named Lily who must recover missing crowns from various Disney Princess worlds by performing dull errands such as delivering items and messages to bland lifeless villagers in the town. Suffice to say, it is not one of my favorite games. Kilala Princess was everything Disney Princess: Royal Adventure should have been. It had just the right amount of romance, adventure, and intrigue with barely any violence.
One of the reasons I think Kilala Princess would work better as an anime than Kingdom Hearts is its pure simplicity. Over the years, the Kingdom Hearts mythology has developed into a mangled mess surrounding the backstory of the main villain, Xehanort, who seems to be immortal. Kilala Princess did have a villain, but it was someone the characters were acquainted with from the start, so there was no confusion or mystery requiring an extended explanation when he was revealed. Also, I'd probably be stating the obvious by saying that princess fans generally relate better to female protagonists. Kilala was just like many other girls who grew up with the Disney Princess movies.
Though Kilala is a bit of a self-insertion character like the Unfinished Fairy Tales book series, she also exhibits some wonderful traits that make her a great role model. Like most Magical Girls, Kilala would do anything to help her friends. The first chapter of the manga is about her celebrating her best friend Erica for winning a princess contest at their school. Even though Kilala loves princesses, she loves her friend Erica even more and does not even have the slightest hint of jealousy over not being chosen instead. As soon as she meets Prince Rei and learns about his quest to save his kingdom by recovering the missing jewels on the tiara to find the true princess, she leaps into action to help him without a second thought, assuming that Erica is the one he is looking for.
I love that Kilala usually finds nonviolent solutions to problems, which was uncommon for adventure stories like this at the time. Magical Girls normally use special attacks to defeat their enemies, using love as an excuse for fighting, a concept that was deconstructed in the anime Madoka Magica. Kilala exhibits magical traits when tiara respond to her actions and opens gates leading the Disney Princess worlds, but she solves most of her problems with bravery, kindness, and understanding. She befriends her foil, Princess Sylphy, a stuck-up, rude, and obnoxious princess by taking the time to get to know her and realize that she is lonely. Though Sofia the First is also a nonviolent adventure series with the same premise, Kilala Princess came first, so the concept was more novel at the time.
I think Kilala Princess would make a great anime because it shows girls that they can be brave and strong while still maintaining their femininity and not resorting to violence. Kilala is unique compared to Sora or Sofia because she comes from our world and believes in magic without seeing any proof that it's real. She is also already familiar with the Disney Princesses, which makes her excitement upon meeting them that much more genuine and heartwarming. Even though Haruka from Princess Precure is a very similar character to Kilala, a Kilala Princess anime would still have a few things that would stand out in comparison to Precure. For one, it would have the actual Disney Princesses instead of the made-up "Flower Princess" fairy tale book that Haruka obsesses over. It would be a show about more realistic problem solving that doesn't rely on sparkly transformations and attacks. The artwork is also very unique because it shows the Disney Princesses in their original hand-drawn styles with slight adjustments to the eyes that make them look more like anime characters without losing anything from the original designs. I would love to see an animated version of Kilala Princess someday.
June 16, 2018
Review: The Incredibles 2
While I was debating over whether or not it would be okay to review
The Incredibles 2
in a princess blog post, I remembered that Violet was in the concept drawing for Disney's canceled "Princess Academy" short (riding a Fantasia centaur no less), so I figured that basically makes her a Disney Princess. Plus, I don't go to the movies very often, so I'll take any excuse I can get. Disney sequels are usually released direct to DVD with minimal effort and quality, but Pixar is different. They have formed a reputation for making sequels that are just as good or superior to the originals.
Toy Story 3
was one of my personal favorites, featuring
The Incredibles 2 picks up right where the first movie left off. Superheroes are still illegal, and the Parr family have just stopped a massive attack on the city caused by the villainous Underminer, who turns out not to be the villain for most of this film. When former superhero fanboy Winston Deavor, voiced by Better Call Saul's
The post Frozen era of Disney began a new trend that they've used in just about every movie since then called "Guess the villain." Before Frozen, the villain was always the one in the black cape with the evil cackle and awesomely catchy song. Now, it's usually a character you meet fairly early in the movie who doesn't get revealed as the mastermind behind all the protagonists' troubles until much later. It's almost like today's era of Disney movies invites the audience to play a "Whodunnit" mystery game. The Incredibles 2 followed in these footsteps with mixed results. In this case, though, the original movie used the same technique fourteen years earlier, long before Disney started doing it themselves. did think Syndrome made a better villain than the mysterious Screen Slaver who hypnotized people using projections.
Whatever The Incredibles 2 did well was done incredibly well (pun intended). The level of action and suspense during the climax kept me on the edge of my seat more than any movie I've seen in quite a while. The pacing was perfect. There was never a dull moment. It was extremely entertaining to see Bob struggle with all the normal challenges of fatherhood along with some less normal ones like having a baby who can warp to other dimensions. It was hilarious when he tried to deny his jealousy over Helen being chosen to represent superheroes in Winston's campaign and his exhaustion over having to take care of the kids on his own. Of course, it was all done in good taste because it proved how much he loved his wife by not wanting to make her worry about him. Helen also had a lot of internal struggle between wanting to be a good role model for her children by not breaking the law while also wanting to change it so they could grow up in a world where their superpowers would be accepted. Also, the short before the movie was one of the best Pixar shorts I've seen. It had the whole theater teary-eyed by the end.
If you're looking for an engaging and fun time at the movies that will keep you on the edge of your seat, look no further than Disney/Pixar's The Incredibles 2. Even though the movie followed Disney's typical story structure, it did so in an innovative, fun, and exciting way. The characters' struggles were realistic and relatable while still suspenseful and supernatural at the same time. The fourteen-year wait for this movie was absolutely worth it.
The Incredibles 2 picks up right where the first movie left off. Superheroes are still illegal, and the Parr family have just stopped a massive attack on the city caused by the villainous Underminer, who turns out not to be the villain for most of this film. When former superhero fanboy Winston Deavor, voiced by Better Call Saul's
The post Frozen era of Disney began a new trend that they've used in just about every movie since then called "Guess the villain." Before Frozen, the villain was always the one in the black cape with the evil cackle and awesomely catchy song. Now, it's usually a character you meet fairly early in the movie who doesn't get revealed as the mastermind behind all the protagonists' troubles until much later. It's almost like today's era of Disney movies invites the audience to play a "Whodunnit" mystery game. The Incredibles 2 followed in these footsteps with mixed results. In this case, though, the original movie used the same technique fourteen years earlier, long before Disney started doing it themselves. did think Syndrome made a better villain than the mysterious Screen Slaver who hypnotized people using projections.
Whatever The Incredibles 2 did well was done incredibly well (pun intended). The level of action and suspense during the climax kept me on the edge of my seat more than any movie I've seen in quite a while. The pacing was perfect. There was never a dull moment. It was extremely entertaining to see Bob struggle with all the normal challenges of fatherhood along with some less normal ones like having a baby who can warp to other dimensions. It was hilarious when he tried to deny his jealousy over Helen being chosen to represent superheroes in Winston's campaign and his exhaustion over having to take care of the kids on his own. Of course, it was all done in good taste because it proved how much he loved his wife by not wanting to make her worry about him. Helen also had a lot of internal struggle between wanting to be a good role model for her children by not breaking the law while also wanting to change it so they could grow up in a world where their superpowers would be accepted. Also, the short before the movie was one of the best Pixar shorts I've seen. It had the whole theater teary-eyed by the end.
If you're looking for an engaging and fun time at the movies that will keep you on the edge of your seat, look no further than Disney/Pixar's The Incredibles 2. Even though the movie followed Disney's typical story structure, it did so in an innovative, fun, and exciting way. The characters' struggles were realistic and relatable while still suspenseful and supernatural at the same time. The fourteen-year wait for this movie was absolutely worth it.
June 15, 2018
Review: A Goose Girl by K.M. Shea
It's been a while since I attended the Entwined Tales Launch Party on Facebook, yet the only book I had read from it until now was A Little Mermaid by Aya Ling. Instead, I spent the past few months catching up on the authors' other works. This week, I finally read the first book from the Entwined Tales series, which, if you're not familiar with it, is a series of six fairy tale adaptations written by six different authors about characters who must deal with the trials and tribulations of an oafish fairy godfather named Mortimer. The first book in the series is
A Goose Girl
by K.M. Shea, based on the Grimm Brothers fairy tale "The Goose Girl." I've become familiar with K.M. Shea's writing style as of late, and while I enjoyed some of her books more than others, I must say that this was a very fun read. I became reacquainted with the "Goose Girl" fairy tale recently after reading a version of it in
Magic at Midnight
last week, so I was eager to see someone else's take on the story.
"The Goose Girl" by the Brothers Grimm is a fairy tale about a jealous maid who stole a princess's identity while they were traveling to a foreign kingdom so that she could marry the prince and become a princess without anyone knowing the truth. The scheme would have gone through without a hitch if it hadn't been for the princess's talking horse named Falada, who communicated her secret even in death. K.M. Shea's novel was a different take on the story in which Rynn, Princess Davina's maid, was forced against her will to take her lady's place as princess so that Davina could seek adventure and shirk her responsibility to marry a man she had never met just in case he might be unattractive. She may sound like your average Disney Princess, but Davina was more of a comical character who hated responsibility and never quite thought things through all the way. As a result of her foolishness, she ended up getting robbed and seeking employment at the very castle where she had sent Rynn in her place.
Rynn, on the other hand, was a terrific heroine and welcome breath of fresh air from the two-dimensional maid in the original fairy tale. Unlike most girls her age, Rynn had no desire to become a princess or to marry a prince. She was loyal to Princess Davina but even more loyal to her kingdom, which is why she was completely against the idea of such a treasonous act. Unfortunately for Rynn, Princess Davina had paid off the guards to ensure that her silly scheme went off successfully and used magic to keep Rynn quiet about her true identity. Rynn quickly realized that something was amiss when Captain Hulderic threatened her life at the slightest prospect of her failing to cooperate with the arrangement. Unfortunately, there was very little she could do about it thanks to her magical vow of silence. Her fairy godfather Mortimer was no help to her either by giving her the ability to control wind.
Falada, the talking horse, played a smaller role in this book than he did in the fairy tale. With his occasional one line zingers, it was easy to forget he could speak. He often provided comic relief in more of a "Mr. Ed" style than that of a fantasy sidekick. Falada related to Rynn because they were both placed in situations that they couldn't control due to their sense of responsibility to the royal family. His ability to talk was another unwanted magical gift that the air-headed Princess Davina often took for granted without taking the time to get to know her equestrian companion. Falada provided Rynn with a mode of transportation when she went to investigate Davina's situation as the new goose girl. Rynn also spent a lot of time talking to Conrad, the young goose boy who seemed to know a lot more than he let on.
A Goose Girl is great fun for anyone who loves fairy tales. It was very interesting to read about a heroine who was forced into being a princess against her will. It was also funny to read about a princess who longs for adventure but doesn't know the first thing about taking care of herself. The book was short and fast-paced, making for an enjoyable and rewarding story experience without a big time commitment. I think this might be my favorite book I've read by K.M. Shea. The Entwined Tales series is a great idea both in concept and execution.
"The Goose Girl" by the Brothers Grimm is a fairy tale about a jealous maid who stole a princess's identity while they were traveling to a foreign kingdom so that she could marry the prince and become a princess without anyone knowing the truth. The scheme would have gone through without a hitch if it hadn't been for the princess's talking horse named Falada, who communicated her secret even in death. K.M. Shea's novel was a different take on the story in which Rynn, Princess Davina's maid, was forced against her will to take her lady's place as princess so that Davina could seek adventure and shirk her responsibility to marry a man she had never met just in case he might be unattractive. She may sound like your average Disney Princess, but Davina was more of a comical character who hated responsibility and never quite thought things through all the way. As a result of her foolishness, she ended up getting robbed and seeking employment at the very castle where she had sent Rynn in her place.
Rynn, on the other hand, was a terrific heroine and welcome breath of fresh air from the two-dimensional maid in the original fairy tale. Unlike most girls her age, Rynn had no desire to become a princess or to marry a prince. She was loyal to Princess Davina but even more loyal to her kingdom, which is why she was completely against the idea of such a treasonous act. Unfortunately for Rynn, Princess Davina had paid off the guards to ensure that her silly scheme went off successfully and used magic to keep Rynn quiet about her true identity. Rynn quickly realized that something was amiss when Captain Hulderic threatened her life at the slightest prospect of her failing to cooperate with the arrangement. Unfortunately, there was very little she could do about it thanks to her magical vow of silence. Her fairy godfather Mortimer was no help to her either by giving her the ability to control wind.
Falada, the talking horse, played a smaller role in this book than he did in the fairy tale. With his occasional one line zingers, it was easy to forget he could speak. He often provided comic relief in more of a "Mr. Ed" style than that of a fantasy sidekick. Falada related to Rynn because they were both placed in situations that they couldn't control due to their sense of responsibility to the royal family. His ability to talk was another unwanted magical gift that the air-headed Princess Davina often took for granted without taking the time to get to know her equestrian companion. Falada provided Rynn with a mode of transportation when she went to investigate Davina's situation as the new goose girl. Rynn also spent a lot of time talking to Conrad, the young goose boy who seemed to know a lot more than he let on.
A Goose Girl is great fun for anyone who loves fairy tales. It was very interesting to read about a heroine who was forced into being a princess against her will. It was also funny to read about a princess who longs for adventure but doesn't know the first thing about taking care of herself. The book was short and fast-paced, making for an enjoyable and rewarding story experience without a big time commitment. I think this might be my favorite book I've read by K.M. Shea. The Entwined Tales series is a great idea both in concept and execution.
