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I will share my Nutcracker + Fairy Secret notes after my busy weekend. Then I’ll start my series of complaints and observations about the ‘Barbie community’ (if such a thing exists). 

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Don’t presently have all the films on hand, so I’m going to have to wait until I pick them up from the library. Watching Barbie on a real TV screen with the menu is a lot different than streaming them and does affect the viewing experience. Wish I had acquired the DVDs sooner so I wouldn’t have to keep altering my opinions. Anyway, I’m so excited to watch Rapunzel and Popstar back-to-back... my girls... 

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sky princess

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Old Nori design

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I finished Nutcracker and Fairy Secret yesterday, so I might start on respective notes for them soon. The tonal shift was significant but not unpleasant. There’s something rather unique about Nutcracker and Fairy Secret is a beast all its own. Have some new information for my overarching Barbie lore, so that’s nice!

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I’m rewatching all the Barbie films in a specific order of “decade jumping,” aka watching an oldie and then pairing it with its next decade counterparts. My starting game plan is Nutcracker > Fairy Secret/Charm School/Perfect Christmas > Lost Birthday/BCBD. Next is Rapunzel > Mermaid Tale 2/Popstar and so on. It’s easy to favor a particular era, so I’m trying to mix up the review. 

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Honestly, what can I say about Princess Sophia Blair Willows that hasn’t already been said? She’s such an amazing Barbie protagonist.

She grows up in the poor parts of Gardania with her little sister Emiliy, and their mom Maria (headcanon name). Maria is sick, and presumably she can’t work because of it, so Blair has to provide for all three of them. Then this scholarship to Princess Charm School comes along, and the only reason she even accepts it is because of her family. Becoming a Lady Royal isn’t even her own dream; she just knows this is a way she can take care of them if she tries hard enough.

Her school days start out rough, but once Miss Privet tutors her, Blair really comes into her own as a potential Lady Royal, even inspiring her roommates, who are in line to become princesses of their own kingdoms.

Then the conspiracy part of the plot comes in. During a class fieldtrip/immersive study at the palace, the girls see a portrait of the late Queen Isabella and realize Blair may be the lost princess Sophia. Of course, Blair finds this ridiculous and brushes it off despite the evidence. Then Dame Devin announces they’re going to bulldoze her home, almost sending Blair back home. But then Prince brings her Emily’s drawing - a picture of Maria finding Blair on her doorstep. “I’m ready to fight”, she says. She feels a duty to Gardania (especially its poor), of course, since she’s a citizen of it, but her first priority is to her family. Emily and Maria are everything to her, and nothing will stand in her way to take care of them.

I love the way we see Blair truly blossom into a Princess. She works hard the entire film, motivated solely by the immense love she feels for her adoptive family. Gardania does need its true ruler, but that’s not her end goal. I have to hard disagree with people who didn’t like that she was a Princess after all. Sure, it feels a little against the message of “There’s a princess in every girl” because she’s an actual lost royal, but her princess potential shines through before she discovers and accepts her identity. Like Miss Privet said to her, she had “character without confidence”. She already had the qualities a Princess or Lady Royal might need. She just needed to believe it herself.

Again I know it’s all been said before, I just can’t help it. Happy Birthday to one of my favorite Barbie princesses ever.

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My friend @shegoshestay (instagram) and I did a Princess Charm School collab!

I sketched Blair and colored Delancy, and she sketched Delancy and colored Blair 💕

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the best character development ever!!!

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princess charm school

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Today is Blair’s gotcha day/birthday! I nearly forgot that the 26th was special but dash reblogs reminded me. I unfortunately did not plan anything due to the short notice, but I’ll sift through some posts in celebration.

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I’ve decided to begin producing original Babz posts/works. The debut of my obsession is long overdue, and I think it’s time to subject the world to my thoughts. I’m presently in a busy spell but shall configure my account as soon as possible. 

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Portia from the Barbie: Princess Charm School ! art’s a bit icky tbh but 😭 hey its just a doodle

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sometimes you gotta LPSify your own characters 

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The return of my fake Barbie movie covers

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Happy Birthday, Josefina!! 🎂💖

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AJ buddy... Endro... are you out there bro...