#Anachronistic Soundtrack

[inspectorspacetimerevisited]

It’s a good thing that the soundtrack to ‘Scoundrel’ was period appropriate,

rather than having modern-day pop songs played in a slightly old-fashioned manner, like a certain period drama that the episode takes its cues from.

[la-cocotte-de-paris]

SISI & ICH (2023), dir. Frauke Finsterwalder

[phantomoftheorpheum]

Songs I would have loved to hear in The Artful Dodger

(y'all I know it's not supposed to continue, but the possibilities)

The Girl of My Dreams Is Giving Me Nightmares - Machine Gun Fellatio ("Hard to believe you can't get what you dream, but if you try, sometimes you might find you get what you steal.")

She's a Genius - Jet

Wake Up - The Living End

Keep Walking - The Mess Hall

California - The Casanovas

Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again? - The Angels

Hard Act to Follow - Grinspoon

Round The Twist - Chelsea Manor

Freak - Silverchair

Cigarettes (Ain't Helping Me None) - The Southern River Band

All My Love - Dallas Frasca

Tonite - Spiderbait

Rip It Up - Jet

a couple of these songs I feel like you probably have to get to the chorus to see why I think they'd work for the show, but there are just endless options.

[kazz-brekker]

i do have to respect that everyone was like "bridgerton is the most cheerfully historically inaccurate horny on main period drama romance show with a very anachronistic soundtrack to be released in 2024" and my lady jane was evidently like "bet"

[momochanners]

After a good night's sleep, I think I can better solidify my thoughts in regards to the Dragon Age trailer.

First, let's start with the positives:

- Companion diversity: This has always been part of the series' DNA that has been clearly depicted with every iteration, so those who cry foul over "Asian & Black elves", prosthethics, etc etc...I really don't get that, because values and sensibilities evolve over time. Even the series itself has course corrected when needed, eg. Player character creation influencing the family ethnicity of the Couslands in DA:O vs the Hawkes in DA2.

- Unlocked romances: Letting players choose whoever they want to romance regardless of their sexuality and race has always been a positive for me. Allowing everyone to enjoy the experience equally is great (and I'm sure the nuances of player race & gender will be addressed through dialogue and banter). Moreover, CRPGs are long and time-consuming, so to be locked out of character romances mid-way through is never going to be a good time (from personal experience and observing fandom in the past).

Now the negatives:

- Maybe it's me being on the older side of the Bioware fandom (15 years in Dragon Age, 20 years if you count older games like KotOR and Jade Empire), but I cringed very hard watching the trailer. If you followed the development of this game in the past decade, the cancelled live service element that was to be DA4 in one of its iterations was so all over the way the companions were introduced that it brought out a visceral reaction in me. The tonal whiplash from how foreboding Dreadwolf was presented in the past to the patronising happy quippy MEET OUR LITTLE GUYS YOU'RE SURE TO LOVE also did not help as a first concrete look of what to expect after all this time (also poor anachronistic choice of soundtrack when you already have Trevor Morris' compositions right there). I was so dismayed when they went with a looter-shooter-esque lighthearted vibe when they could've leaned hard on the foreboding established mood and momentum they've already got going with Dreadwolf. 

- The branding switch this late in the game that comes with it, especially one as drastic as this will always come with questions and ambivalence. I feel that mitigating uncertainty from announced changes (party number, combat mechanics, setting and environment, etc) should've have been prioritised to reassure existing and lapsed fans before appealing to new ones in such a jarring way.

-  I'm simply baffled at the marketing suit who signed off on whatever this is to be their "best foot forward" at reintroducing the final form of this game? If only there were confident with the world they've already built instead of relying on trendy gimmicks, the amount of damage control I'm seeing prior to the gameplay reveal tonight was so avoidable. Controlling the narrative from the get go is so very important especially now as opinions can easily snowball overnight into behemoth-like proportions especially from bad faith actors. You would think that lessons were learned from DA:O's "THIS IS THE NEW SHIT" and DA2's "Press a button, something AWESOME happens" debacles.

(The thing is, despite it being my least favourite DA out of the three, imho Inquisition has the best marketing campaign in the franchise despite the developmental troubles going on in the background. So it has been pulled off successfully before!)

- I think the Bioware layoffs, especially the recent extensive gutting of senior staff in September 2023, significantly depleted my goodwill as a fan. To see Varric being paraded as a mascot in the trailer, game promotion and supplementary media while having his creator unceremoniously let go after years of building the franchise we love left me so very cold. And it's a me problem, but seeing many other fans barely acknowledging that save for few hollow words before getting back into the fun frustrated me so much. I get being excited to finally get something solid after years of false starts, but with what was lost along the way...I personally don't feel right to approach this installment without cynicism.

Idk, I'm just a bundle of conflicted feelings over this series I guess? When it's so good, it's really good and stays with you as memorable gaming experiences that stays with you for life, but when it stumbles and fumbles the bag...it hurts to see.

[chdarling-tle]

The Last Enemy: Dark Marks Soundtrack

Hello my loves! With TLE2 coming to a close, I thought I'd share the full TLE2 soundtrack. You can listen to it here, or I've included the track list below for those who don't use Spotify.

As before, this is a total mishmash of period appropriate and anachronistic music. The genres are all over the place. Some songs directly correlate to the plot, some songs are mentioned in the story, some are pure vibes. It's pretty long...but so is TLE2. 😌

Enjoy!!!

Track list under the cut:

The Times They Are A-Changin’ - Fort Nowhere

She Used To Love Me a Lot - Johnny Cash

Never Had No One Ever - The Smiths

Cherry Bomb - The Runaways

Father and Son - Cat Stevens

Water Under the Bridge - Tow’rs

She’s Not There - The Zombies

Break On Through (To The Other Side) - The Doors

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea - George Harrison

Raining in My Heart - Buddy Holly

Family Line - Conan Gray

With a Little Help From My Friends - Joe Anderson (Across the Universe)

Love Hurts - Roy Orbison

It’s Alright - Mother Mother

Bad Reputation - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood - Nina Simone

Play With Fire - The Rolling Stones

Edge of Seventeen - Stevie Nicks

Blue Suede Shoes - Elvis Presley

The Princess Diaries Waltz (Score) - John Debney

Astronomy - Conan Gray

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Judy Garland

Dead Mom - Sophia Anne Caruso

Vincent - Don McLean

You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away - The Beatles

Mis-Shapes - Pulp

Golden Years - David Bowie

It’s a Heartache - Bonnie Tyler

Stayin Alive - Bee Gees

Dancing Queen - ABBA

I’d Love to Change the World - Ten Years After

Be More Kind - Frank Turner

One Toke Over the Line - Brewer & Shipley

Flying - The Beatles

Baba O'Riley - The Who

Villain - Maisie Peters

Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've?) - Buzzcocks

Will the Circle Be Unbroken - The Carter Family, Johnny Cash

This Woman's Work - Kate Bush

April Come She Will - Simon & Garfunkel

evermore (feat. Bon Iver) - Taylor Swift

For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield

You Belong to Somebody Else - PJ Harding, Noah Cyrus

Know Your Rights - The Clash

Broken Crown - Mumford & Sons

Fire - Etta James

Knockin' On Heaven's Door - Bob Dylan

Lily - Benjamin Gibbard

Dancing Queen - stories, Lizzy McAlpine

God Only Knows (Acoustic Slowed + Reverb) - Jae Hall

Homeward Bound - Simon & Garfunkel

Back to the Old House - The Smiths

New World Coming - Cass Elliot

...and one more secret song that I'll add after chapter 71 ;)

[pluviatrix]

we need more bonkers anachronistic soundtracks in fantasy media. can you imagine the energy in a movie theater where you're watching a knight suit up for battle and the synth for poker face starts up. insane.

[alleiradayne]

ALRIGHT I'M MAD ABOUT THE VEILGUARD OST. No I didn't wait to finish the game, I had to go listen to it. And here's what's got me irritated:

Listen to that. If it sounds familiar, this is why:

If you don't like The Dread Wolf it's not because it's a dissonant take on the main theme from Inquisition. It's because it's an anachronistic mess. The modern acoustic guitar and synths and auxiliary are not Dragon Age and they never will be.

I had a theory on why all the modern instrumentation was used. I thought maybe Veilguard was making a run at blending Dragon Age into Mass Effect (I've been informed that this theory is false, which is fine). So many tracks on this OST have, in my opinion, too much synth work in it. And then the use of the acoustic guitar just felt too modern.

Funny enough, the last track on the OST has some electric guitar in it and it slaps. I actually enjoyed that.

While I'm playing the game, the music sounds fine. But man, just listening to the OST evokes very little, if any emotion related back to the game. Mostly, all I can hear is Zimmer's work on Pirates, Sherlock (RDJ movies), Gladiator, or Wonder Woman. It's wild, considering Inquisition's soundtrack IS the fucking game for me (I don't hear Vikings or Big Sky or any of Morris's other work). So yeah, this OST is just kinda good, nothing crazy. Wish they woulda kept Morris.

Edited in some clarifications/additions on 11/12/2024.

[chefboyar-zeee]

Idlewild - Roundtable Jukebox

Idlewild is a musical drama film released in 2006, directed by Bryan Barber and starring the hip-hop duo OutKast, which consists of André 3000 (André Benjamin) and Big Boi (Antwan Patton). The film is set in the Prohibition-era South and blends elements of music, drama, and crime with a jazz and hip-hop-infused soundtrack.

This was a beautiful film and very aesthetic. I have not seen another musical quite like this one and it’s for a reason. Here's why...

What are the social aspects within the film’s narrative that align with the film’s songs? 

The characters in "Idlewild" demonstrate resilience in the face of adversity, a theme echoed in the film's music.  Many songs highlight the characters' determination to overcome obstacles and fight for their dreams, reflecting the broader struggle for justice and equality.

The film's love songs align with these themes, expressing the joy, passion, and challenges of love.

Rooster's involvement in the criminal underworld is depicted through intense and energetic musical numbers that convey the danger and excitement of his lifestyle.

The film's songs reflect their desires for a better life and their struggles to achieve their dreams. Percival's introspective ballads, for instance, convey his longing to break free from his small-town life and pursue his passion for music.

How do the historiographies of previously recorded songs inform audience relationships with the musical’s narrative and performers? 

Most of the songs in Idlewild had already been featured on the OutKast albums Big Boi and Dre Present...OutKast and Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, essentially making it a jukebox musical. Seven of the songs from the film, along with several unreleased songs, were released by LaFace Records as an OutKast album entitled Idlewild at the time of the film's release.

This is such an interesting question for my film considering all the film’s score was performed and produced by the lead actors, Andre 300 and Big Boi, with a few credited features in the film. Obviously it isn’t just circumstance that the leads were a famous Hip-Hop duo, so it isn’t hard to assume that the actors/artists were chosen specifically to star in this film for their transformative and notable music style and sound. Without their unique sound and talent for performing, the film could not, and would not be what it is. 

The historiography of this film is unique in the way that the character actors are also the creators of the featured soundtrack. On one hand, the audiences may feel more compelled to the characters and their narrative because they are in support of their music exclusive to the film, as well as some of their originals. In general though, I think historiographies definitely inform the audience’s relationship to a narrative. It can make you more engaged with the characters and their conflicts if you personally feel the music is fitting, or on the other hand, it can make you understand and better comprehend the narrative you're following because you may be familiar with the meaning and significance of the music. I also think about people’s ability to see artists they like and songs they love being performed in a different medium. In a way, your brain might see the visuals from the first time they heard it; or maybe the song originally had a music video. It’s up to directors to build the narrative strongly around the music.

What musical genre/style drives the film’s score, and how does the genre/style (re)define the film as a musical? 

The hip-hop, funk, and soul stylings of the song score are intentionally anachronistic, a choice made to complement the film being set in 1935. Elements of 1930s-era blues and jazz music are, however, featured prominently in many of the musical numbers. The film's dance numbers, choreographed by Hinton Battle, also feature many period dances, primarily the jitterbug and showgirl moves, like featured in the above video.

The film does a lot of blending hip-hop with jazz, blues, and gospel influences.

Idlewild is known for its visually stylized and innovative approach to storytelling, incorporating musical numbers, fantasy sequences, and animation. 

The film defines itself by taking place in the 1930s, in addition to casting vetted performers and songwriters as your leads. The musical simply wouldn't have the same storytelling element had anyone else written the soundtrack, whether prior to the film or not.

#oxyfilmmusical #disguisedmusical @theuncannyprofessoro

[bite-the-bloody-hand]

6 SONG SOUNDTRACK (Part 1 - DISCO FUNK)

@chaosteddybear tagged me in the following game and the autism won. I decided to make an extra challenge for myself: a themed playlist with 1 'outsider' or anachronistic track that still fits the overall vibe. We begin... with Disco Funk.

PREPARE YOUR BUTTS

Rules: If you're tagged, make a new post with links to music and/or lyrics describing the following: 1. An event that defines your character's past 2. How your character sees themselves 3. How others view them 4. Their closest relationship (platonic or romantic) 5. A major fight scene 6. End Credits song

Spotify Youtube Music

1. AFRO CUBAN BAND* - Something's Gotta Give -

Dreams have done their share of dying love cries out but no one hears - oh, Something Something's got to give We can't, We can't go on like this

Is it a little on the nose? Sure. But a midnight revelation that he simply couldn't continue his life as it was going put Zell on the road to discovering his own path. He aches for the hurting, broken world he was brought into; he may not have the answer for fixing things, but he has to try something. Even if he's unsure of himself, even if he's convinced of his own fragility, he can fake strength if he can get out. He can't do anything while locked away in a Hellknight compound in Lepistadt, so he goes. And so it goes...

2. ARTIE SHAW - Nightmare - (Instrumental)

The problem with having an unclear sense of purpose and underdeveloped, poor self-esteem is that it can lead one down a path of introspection that keeps one in a spiral. Zell is an outsider when he isn't a rebel, never fitting with any authority and rarely synchronizing with any group; uncomfortable in his own body even when he's done everything he can to feel like himself. He desperately wants to solve the conundrum of connection - even when he's successful he has doubts that haunt him, especially in the lonely hours in the night.

(It's called Depression but they haven't invented therapy in Golarion yet)

Why this is the Anachronistic Outsider - Zell himself is a man out of time... even he doesn't know how old he is or how long he spent in Areelu Vorlesh's "care."

3. DEODATO - Also Sprach Zarathustra (instrumental)

I'm being a little bit of a shit with this; historically the misinterpretation of Nietzsche's Zarathustra have been that the title character is a teacher of doctrine/great leader/himself the 'Übermensch' he urges humanity to become. The actions of someone who wishes not to speak to the masses but instead live his own life of contemplation - and if he ever leads, to do it by example - often get twisted into fanatic parasocialization... if that isn't the life of the Knight Commander I don't know what is. Plus, this is just a bop.

4. EVELYN "CHAMPAGNE" KING - Shame

Ooh-ooh, it's a, oh-oh, it's a shame (Shame) oh-oh, it's a (Shame) mama** just don't understand Oh, how I love my man (shame) It's a, oh, it's a (shame)

Falling for someone when you already don't like yourself a whole lot can be hard, but it's much harder when nobody else likes the someone you love. Sometimes you just have to whip around and be assertive: the real shame would be abandoning what you have. Especially when it's this good.

5. C.J. & CO - Devil's Gun***

Get a new direction Well, well, well another resurrection Well now don't wait hesitate Or it's gonna be too late Flames are getting higher Got to jump out of the fire

I felt this fit as a big combat piece for Azata path especially; deeply anti-authoritarian theme about bringing together the community and avoiding the Devil (literal, figurative, and so on) and rebuilding? Yes please.

6. FRANCO MICALIZZI - Stridulum Theme (Instrumental)****

I wanted to close us out with something that felt a little magical and strange; this is a longtime favorite that really fit the bill.

TAGGING~ @Rlainarin @thedosianexplorer @arendaes I'm pretty sure two of you have already been tagged so feel no obligation, naturally.

*Had to transcribe the lyrics here myself so I'm not 100% sure I got them on the mark. Frustratingly I think this group only did one other track, which was the b-side for Something's Gotta Give. Real bummer, I love what I've found.

**Mama in this context is 100% Irabeth. She does NOT approve of this obviously farcical union. She's watching Arendae like a HAWK .

***YES, OF COURSE I played this during the Mephistopheles fight, who do you think I am?! TBH it was a real close call between this and Stayin' Alive but Devil's Gun won out for thematic reasons.

****I've had this track on Zell's playlist for a long time simply because I love the sound. It's the theme to a truly bizarre 70s Italian horror flick called The Visitor / Stridulum that's worth catching if you're curious. Free on youtube via the link.

[wolf-tail]

Watched Kung Fu Panda 4.

Twas good, not great though.

Cons:

Felt less original and more like nostalgia bait

Writing not all that great (2 was a fucking masterpiece)

Awkwafina is not as funny as casting directors seem to think she is

The Kung Fu Panda movies take place in what's essentially Magic And Anachronistic Furry China, a country name dropped multiple times by the first three films. Feels a lil sus that they don't do it even once.

The Five were snubbed AGAIN!!! Were their actors all busy or smth??? I feel so robbed.

Animation seemed more focused on hyperealism than the style and pizazz of the older films

Felt cliche but not in a fun way

Jokes just aint hittin as hard

Po's character "arc" felt like a weakly rehashed version of 3's.

Pros:

Po's dads are gay as hell

Zhen is cute

Soundtrack slaps

Tai Lung still fuckable af

At the very least less explicit fat jokes, impressive for a series built on them. Still a few there tho -_-

Po, for all his slapstick humor, is still treated as a serious, talented, and fucking scarily strong martial arts master and a genuinely kind and good guy. Determined as hell and really fucking loves his job.

[imissthembutitwasntadisaster]

Me spending four hours bitching about a book with anachronistic politics and immediately turning around and deciding I stan the new artful dodger series (anachronistic politics) because it has a good soundtrack and makes me laugh.

[claraxbarton]

Get to Know Me

Tagged by @dwisp

List 3 ships I like: cross-fandom trash that I am: McMattDrai, Winterhawk, Jay/Slade

First ship ever: oh wow, so I am old as DIRT. Gundam Wing, 3x5 was like... the first ship I wrote for?? DON'T SEARCH, you won't find the fic.

Last Song I heard: October Passed Me By (by Girl in Red) from a new playlist I'm still trying to settle into.

Favorite Childhood Book: the real answer? Strange Pilgrims by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Huh, you might say, that collection of short stories is dare I say, E rated. You're right. My grandmother gave it to me and then she died so... I read the shit out of that. Uh, the less wildly inappropriate answer that STILL explains a lot about me? The Little Prince by by Saint-Exupery. No, I didn't read it in French until high school torture french.

Currently Reading Now: hrpf like... that's it. But for my real life? A lot of textile history books.

Currently Watching: hockey. I'm not good at watching tv shows because I hate literally everything (I also hate hockey but I love it too). I recently tried that TERRIBLE Apple TV adaptation of The Buccaneers and like. Holy FUCK. Costumes are revolting, production design is garbage, anachronistic social behavior is rampant, but the soundtrack is full of bangers and some of the (certainly not from Edith herself) dialogue is pretty cute.

Currently Consuming: Diet Dr Pepper #2

Currently Craving: a good excuse to get out of going out to dinner with a friend from grad school tomorrow night.

Tagging: @schildmehdchen @deformed-globule @bibliofran @carcrash429 @fannyyann @coggedcorset @jules-in-deep @keyshui @mollynoble

[thriceturned]

I think My Lady Jane's anachronistic song choices (which I enjoy) should be leaned into further. Consider this scenario for a possible season two

Jane: We need to get out of England for a while, fast

Guildford: I've got an idea

Jane: What is it?

Soundtrack kicks on Gimme More: It's [Brittany] bitch

[animebw]

So the live action One Piece is really, really good.

I know, far from the first person to say it. But it really must be stressed how absolutely bonkers it is that One Piece, of all anime properties, is what breaks the live-action adaptation curse in the West. So many attempts at adapting far more live-action friendly stories like Death Note and Cowboy Bebop ended up complete disasters, and yet it's perhaps the most unabashedly cartoonish anime franchise, the one defined by how it takes advantage of drawing and animation to portray people, places and things that would be completely unfeasable in the real world, that shows how to translate this medium to live action without losing what makes it special in the first place. It's not a perfect adaptation, but it pretty much nails everything it needs to, capturing the heart of this story in all its most important moments and making smart changes that serve its new form as a binge-worthy Netflix drop. So let's talk about the things I liked, the few areas I think it fell short, and how I think future seasons should play out! Spoilers, obviously.

The Good:

-The most important thing to get right was the casting, and they nailed it: all the Straw Hats and their supporting cast are just about perfect. Inaki Godoy just is Luffy, Emily Rudd does a fantastic job shouldering the season's core emotional weight as Nami, Vincent Regan steals the show every time Garp is on screen, and Jeff Ward is an absolute riot as Buggy. Special shout-out as well to Morgan Davies for nailing Koby's expanded screen time.

-Speaking of, I love how Koby and Helmeppo's title-card story is fleshed out into a proper B-plot throughout this season. Following their journey under Garp's command is a perfect way to introduce us to the Navy's inner workings and the more explicitly political side of the story up front, as well as foreshadowing plenty of future story beats to come.

-The action. Is. So. Good. Thank god we're finally remembering how to film proper hand-to-hand brawls, cause every punch-up is a blast to watch.

-Luffy actually has more of an arc here than he does in the manga! Manga Luffy can be a pretty static character a lot of the time, which I know is kind of his appeal, but this adaptation gives him a bit more to work with as he grapples with the responsibility of being a captain and the consequences his mistakes can have for his crew.

-Seriously Buggy is so fucking funny they nailed him so perfectly

-Putting more of a focus on Nami's struggles throughout the season was a great way to give it more structure for a binge format. Her emotional journey is really the heart of this adaptation as we watch her go from a paraniod recluse to fully embracing the Straw Hats as her new family.

-One benefit to being live action and produced in America? Way, way less casual sexism. Dare I hope that future seasons will avoid ruining Sanji's character among other pitfalls Oda fell into? Fingers crossed!

-The production design is immaculate. It strikes the perfect balance between the wacky cartoonishness of One Piece's world and the demands of filming in live action.

-Fantastic soundtrack too! It knows just where to deploy instrumental renditions of We Are while charting its own musical identity.

The Bad

-Some of the dialogue is a liiiiiiittle cringey? I know dialogue has never been OP's strongest suit, but there are definitely a few moments that feel overly anachronistic and "how do you do fellow kids?" There's a moment Buggy jokes about toxic fandom that really made me roll my eyes (especially since the OP fandom has by and large really embraced this adaptation, so it comes off like a cheap shot at a demographic of haters that doesn't even really exist).

-While the camerawork and editing are pretty great, the color grading is very much... not. Can we please stop shooting everything in boring desaturated yellows and greys and start lighting our night scenes so we can actually see what's going on?

-Shockingly, it's the strongest parts from the manga- the backstories- that I feel suffered the most here. Some of that's due to most of the child actors not being that great, which, well, that's a risk you take with child actors. But it also cuts out a lot of the personal culpability that made a lot of those backstories so compelling? Like how Sanji used to be pretty wasteful with food until his experience stranded on an island taught him how important it was to respect every bite? That aspect of his character is completely missing in his flashback here.

-Hoo boy, they made some... choices with how they depicted Arlong's crew. I know the Fishmen are a big racism/discrimination metaphor, but between the trap music that plays whenever they show up, their overall "urban gangsta" fashion aesthetic and the design of Arlong Park, the fact Arlong himself is played by a black actor... there is some coding going on here, is my point. And considering how much I hated the direction this story arc went in Fishman Island, that does not give me confidence in this adaptation's ability to escape sucking just as much on that front.

Future Season Wish List:

Season 2: The Alabasta saga, starting with the arrival at Roguetown and ending with Vivi's send-off

Season 3: The Water Seven saga, maybe with a brief stop in Skypiea beforehand but not long enough to get bogged down in there like the manga did

Season 4: Possibly controversial, but I think this should take us to the timeskip. Spend an episode or two in Thriller Bark but cut out all the bullshit, one episode in Sabaody for the Shit Gets Real(tm) section, one episode in Amazon Lily, then onto Impel Down and the Marineford showdown, with one episode dedicated to the fallout of that battle and getting us to the timeskip.

Season 5: Big focus here should be Dressrosa IMO. If you must spend some time in Fishman Island then do it, probably don't need that much time in Punk Hazard since barely anything happens there, then get into the thick of Dressrosa.

Season 6: This should be the Wano season. One episode in Zou, maybe a couple in Whole Cake Island to set up Big Mom, (honestly we might not even need the extra Sanji backstory if this adaptation gets rid of his worst traits), then get straight into Wano so you have all the time you need for all those moving parts. Also, Gear 5 Luffy in live-action should just be him turning into his anime self Roger Rabbit style. Tell me that wouldn't rule.

[melliotwrites]

Hi! I’m writing my own music, and Adamandi is an inspiration. I’m just wondering, has there been any inspiration when it came to you two writing musicals? (Adamandi, The Art of Pleasing Princes, Ghost Story, and any other future musicals.) Such as, any movies, TV shows or any other musicals? I find the aesthetics and music in these musicals all so different and I love that! And the themes in these musicals are so interesting! (/vpos!)

Great question! It's hard to separate genuine inspiration from research, since once we get an idea we usually try to consume everything that's related to what we want to write to figure out what we wanna add to the cultural conversation. Sometimes we also get inspiration from a work because we don't like it and want to position our piece in opposition to that one. But for this post we'll try to keep it to Genuine Inspiration that we consumed before we wrote each piece (hey, this thing is cool, this helped me figure out how I wanna write my thing for the better.)

Maybe we'll break this up by show:

TAOPP

Fun light fantasy with heart that plays with the tropes of fantasy settings, a la classic DND settings, Six of Crows, Terry Pratchett

Mel took a class on the High Middle Ages and read On The Origins of Courtliness (from which the title is derived!) and The Ballad of Tristan and Isolde, which got sort of melangéd into the Princes court world- living and dying by the king's pleasure, etc.

Aesthetically, the TV show The Great? Mel watched it a little bit before writing Princes and the anachronistic dialogue + rules of court drama have something to do with it.

Not much musical inspo for this tbh, I think it was just our first go at Writing A Show Together so a lot of our influences were just other musical soundtracks we thought might be the vibe we were aiming for. (Probably Pippin, 35mm, Great Comet, etc..)

Similarly with lyrics, I wasn't really thinking of a lyrical style, but I think I based a lot of my song forms on Something Rotten as the other show I knew set in the same era (using the very loose definition of "the same era"). ~Mel

ADAMANDI GENERAL INSPO:

the usual dark academia medias (Maurice and Another Country were our favorites) and also attending undergrad at a dark academia ass college

Lots of folk horror! (The Wicker Man (1973) - was particularly fun for me in thinking about the Catholicism storyline -Mel)

Jordan Peele movies like Get Out and Us

For musicals, Passion was really inspirational in both tone and subject matter.

Lyrically, I tried to think about Falsettos and Sunday- very lyrically dense shows that portray the intricate vocabularies of a specific, often highly intellectual subculture. What shibboleths do academics use to identify who does and doesn't belong? And why is the word "shibboleth" so not singable :( I think really liking Matilda as a kid also had something to do with it. ~Mel

I looked at a lot of horror musicals for a research paper but didn't like them much. (Except Little Shop. I love Little Shop and kinned the dentist in high school.) So I guess that's inspiration but in a what-Not-to-do way? Which is how I stumble on a lot of "inspiration" - Elliot

ADAMANDI MUSICAL INSPO:

chamber pop, baroque pop (incorporating the orchestral/acoustic elements of "dark academia" movie soundtracks with alternative pop and rock that's associated with the dark academia aesthetic more thematically)

The Dresden Dolls/Amanda Palmer's music

swing, jazz, dark cabaret (for the 1930s vibe)

Murder ballads (e.g. American Murder Song)

also weirdly the soundtrack to the Yellowjackets TV show. I love the eerie vocals in them and the creepy use of body percussion/breath - Elliot

here's an early inspo playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2wjhDj3ZzR01ghNfB03sYC?si=6f38f4c5f2ee43c7)

GHOST STORY

(more of a reading list since we're thinking top-down for this one!)

M. Butterfly by David Henry Hwang. I will never write anything as bangin' as "Being an Oriental, I could never be completely a man." - Elliot

Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection by Julia Kristeva

Stranger Intimacy by Nayan Shah

A View From the Bottom by Tan Hoang Nguyen

Ishtyle: Accenting Gay Indian Nightlife by Kareem Khubchandani

For musicals, Assassins and Parade

Arcadia and Follies are my touchstones for how the past and present can intersect onstage, and what got me excited about doing it ourselves! ~Mel

GHOST STORY MUSICAL INSPO

ragtime, jazz, Americana, blues, folk, country ! For inspo, trying to look for American folk music as close to 1880 as possible, but it's hard to find. Allowing myself to listen to stuff up til 1920.

Also alternative pop/rock/indie/whatever per usual. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0QwtUiwwZfc3TYMy0DarOq?si=cc9d5129d43b4aeb is my working inspiration playlist right now - Elliot