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bisnes-socks · 11 hours ago

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i've read people's thoughts on the album as a whole and i've analysed most of the songs myself by now, so here's my thoughts on the whole people's champion album.

1. in ready to go, well he is just that, ready to go and try, even if he fails. he's not afraid and going forward and doing his thing is what he intends to do and what he loves to do. he has agency over his career and image, autonomy over himself.

my longer and more in depth song analysis posts are linked here in the text.

i personally don't think the album has a single narrative through it. the songs are thematically connected, but it's not one chronological and cohesive story to me. i've seen people speaking a lot on the theme of agency. i'd agree, that agency and autonomy are the major themes of the album, but i would specify that in my opinion, it's about finding and claiming agency. i think he has agency in almost every single song, but it's about him realising that he does have it, even when it feels like he doesn't, and him finding it and holding on to it.

2. in cha cha cha, he's talking about different sides of himself. in this song the two aren't necessarily living in perfect harmony, because one man needs piña coladas to coax him out, but both are.. intentional. and ultimately it's about finding the bravery to be who you are, which he is always advocating for and has really succeeded in, it seems.

3. in takavoltti, yes he is being sort of incited into crazy shit, but he absolutely recognises himself as a person who just.. gets into crazy shit easily. this side of him is also very present in mic mac. he's not bullied or abused into insane stunts and things, he recognises his own agency and both mental and physical autonomy in all of it by comparing himself to the dudesons etc. i think the song recognises the toxicity of the situation, but he's in control of it - as much as you are in control of your own personality and impulses.

4. ruoska is getting into the territory of maybe lacking some agency - life treats him harshly sometimes, and maybe he feels a bit powerless in front of all that. but then! he claims agency, by essentially going well yeah this hurts but hehe i'm into pain bitch. he literally says "baby hei mä oon valmis, anna tulla" meaning i'm ready, give it to me.

5. in kot kot i feel like he is at his most helpless. he's trying to control his situation by running away from things, trying to dance his worries away, but it's all crumbling down. in this one his agency in the situation is pretend.

7. in sex = money he is taking back like aaaalll of his agency and autonomy. his image, his work, his power, his role, his personality, his sexuality. autonomous agency anthem! he doesn't give a fuck! let's make sex moneyyy. BUT at the same time the song recognises the risks concerning agency and autonomy in the world of music, where selling sex is so prevalent. i think he is choosing to hold on to his.

6. in skit + autiomaa, he has lost agency and control over his life yes, but he is learning to find it again. he is listing things that he has done, to help himself feel better and to improve. it might not help (immediately anyway) but he's doing it. and he has thought about it, he has sought for help, he has sought for solutions, he has taken the steps. he is actively trying to help himself. i think that makes the song all the more emotional and sad, but it is not without hope, it's not without his own personal action for himself, and not without progress.

8. bananas is more about togetherness and collectivity i think. but i think it's also a song where he is truly enjoying himself. feeling himself, you know? if kot kot is a pretty sad song about partying, this one is pretty sexy. he's feeling like the hottest boy at the club, you know? truly into himself and into his crew and everything they get up to.

9. huhhahhei is about new connections. making the choice to be open and even vulnerable with new people. setting your own boundaries and giving yourself the permission to enjoy new people. self-confidence!

10. in icip, he's not so much in control of things that happen to him, but he doesn't seem to be toooo bothered about it. which i find quite fitting. he sees things for what they are but he doesn't seem insecure or scared about any of it.

11. people's champion is a recap of him finding himself in a whole new situation and finding his footing in all of it - and recognising the help he has had along the way, while also being proud of everything he himself has achieved.

so overall, i think thematically this album is quite heavy, maybe dark even, but to me, it's not a sad album specifically. he comes across as someone incredibly tenacious. he's able to stay very strong, and he is able to recognise when things aren't going great. i think ultimately, the album is him going through life changing events, both good things and bad things, and coming out on the other side stronger and wiser than ever. it's an album of many emotions, but at the end of the day, he persists. and naming it people's champion, the single tear on the cover.. he's facing it all, taking it all head on, claiming his pride and moving forward. he's strong.

it's a powerful album.

#käärijä

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sewerratzz · 3 months ago

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Through A Glass: an analysis by finch :p

I adore this song so so much, it's absolutely one of my favourites from the whole of Pulp Musicals. Plus, I'm writing a fic for pulp fortnight, and decided to do this to easier organise my ideas for that. Also, my headcanons are probably very entwined in this so.. yeah. sorry. Please enjoy :]

Through a glass, darkly I see myself, partially With pieces left forgotten or unseen Is there a way to wipe the surface clean?

So much of who Samuel is, is his family and loved ones. They mean so much to him, and he longs for connections to people. When Samuel looks in the mirror, he sees himself, but not fully. He's not completely himself, at least not the "him" he wishes he was. Not the brave man, rushing to act. Not one to stand up for himself. He sees an obscured reflection of himself. Something is missing, and seems to him, covered up by pieces of those around him that he's tried to reflect. He wonders if there's a way to see through those pieces, and see himself fully, see the man he wants to be.

Are these my mother's eyes? My father's smile?

This is self explanatory. In his reflection, he can see so much of his parents. His eyes are so similar to his mother's, round and deep and ready to take in everything they can. His smile so much resembles his father's, that old, genuine smile that they haven't seen in so long.

Speak to me, it's been a while

Samuel sees his parents in his reflection, and he wants them to speak to him. He wants them to come back, tell him things will be okay, give him advice on what to do and how to fix his mistakes. Not expect too much of him while still encouraging him to be the best he can be because that's who his parents were and that's what they used to do when he was younger. Samuel wants his family back.

Would you trust what you see When looking through a glass at me?

Samuel wonders if other people look at him and see a person they can count on, or if they see him how he sees himself. Someone just made up of parts of other people.

Through a glass, darkly I see myself, starkly With armour that's been comfortable to wear Underneath, is anybody there?

John sees himself in a suit of armour that he's grown used to. Something he began wearing when he was younger, in his early teens, because of his father. It was uncomfortable at first, but it's grown with him and perfectly protects him now. But, it's also become an insecurity for him, because now he doesn't know how to take it off, and he can't tell who he is without it. He can't even tell if he exists without it.

Are these my father's dreams? His hopes and fears?

John has a complicated relationship with his father. He loves him, though he's also never quite been his father. Even when he was younger, William could have been more considered a mentor, teaching him about the cosmos and how to study them. John learned everything his father knew, used that knowledge in school and in his career, as well using his father's money to help him along. John doesn't quite know where his father ends and where John begins. His armour and the way it makes him feel, furthers this.

Is that what people want to hear? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree When they hold a glass to me

John wonders if people want him to be just like his father. When they look at him, do they just want to see more of the great astronomer William Herschel? Everything he does, every accomplishment feels as though it's an extension of his father, not himself. John lives in the shadow of his father's legacy, and only the satellite has made him feel any different thus far. The satellite will be his [and of course Anna's] legacy, instead of his father's. At least, he hopes.

So many years spent in the atmosphere Neglecting what happens here On the earth, in my brain With the pieces just out of the frame

Both Samuel and John have found a place in the stars and the sky. John in a much more scientific way, studying and discovering new features of the sky. Samuel in a more creative and less grounded way, using his writing as a way to put himself in the stars. They both indulge heavily in this, John becoming an astronomer, and Samuel becoming a writer, and trying to include his fiction in the paper to share how it makes him feel with others. They use it to escape, John to escape how he feels with his father, and Samuel to escape his loneliness and lack of success in making his dreams come true. They use it to escape what makes them unhappy.

I'll build my own path I'll build my way back To more than I thought I could be

John building his own path represents him deciding to not use the one his father had paved, and instead find his own way to legacy.

Samuel building his way back is representative of him wanting to become what he's always wanted to be [a writer]

High enough to finally see things clearly Through a glass, darkly We judge ourselves, harshly

Inside the satellite, sharing their feelings with each other, they both feel like they can reflect better, and more accurately. They can see how they see each other, but they can also see the flaws in how they view themselves. Samuel is not just a reflection of others, he is a loyal man that is inspired by his loved ones. He's not a Frankenstein of others' traits, he is his own person who takes and learns from those close to him. John is not his father, and he doesn't have to be. He's not just an extension of him, he is his own person who, while he did get his start from his father, has made his own discoveries and advances in his field. Looking in the mirror, they have been too harsh on themselves.

The road we take The choice we make Is the view

I have such a long way to go Whatever the distance, we'll travel together.

Samuel still has a long journey to really becoming himself and finding his confidence in himself, and of course in building his relationships and trustworthiness.

John also has the rest of his own journey in proving himself to himself, and he will be at Samuel's side, and they will help each other when they need it.

#apparently it's difficult for me to analyse this character i relate to so much *squints at samuel stratford*#anyway thank you for coming to my ted talk #hope you had fun #samuel stratford #john herschel #pulp musicals #the brick satellite #finch longposts

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bella-rose29 · 8 months ago

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deep analysis of a very obscure thing in lockwood and co (bc why not)

Omg ok (spoilers for episodes 2 and 3 of lockwood and co, and also the books)

So the song that plays when Lucy is holding the ring in episode 2, during the experiment, that she says is Annabel Ward and her lover’s song (“it’s their song”), is Peer Gynt Suite No. 2: Solveig’s Song.

The version I listened to that made me go “oh okay this is the same song” (after playing it through my earphones in one ear and playing the episode in the other and desperately trying to get the timings to match up to see if there were differences in the singing) is by Edvard Grieg �� Yvonne Kenny, The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra & Vladimir Kamirski. From what I could work out, the song starts in the episode from just before the singing starts.

The story behind the song is as follows:

"The long-suffering Solveig is devoted to Peer and she sings the song just as he – once more – abandons her. As she sits at the spinning wheel, she sings that although the years may pass she knows that he will come back to her – and that he will find her waiting for him, just as she promised.”

Lyrics:

Perhaps both winter and spring will pass by And next summer and the whole year will expire But surely you will return to me, I am certain And I shall be waiting as I once promised.

May god give you strength, wherever in the world you may go May god give you joy, if you before his footstool stand Here I shall wait until you come back And if you wait above, we’ll meet there again, my friend.

I did an initial analysis and stuff and then did further research, so I’ve rejigged the document I had before to make more sense here :D

Story of the whole play:

The title character, Peer Gynt, is based on a Norwegian folk hero who is a rogue and will be destroyed unless saved by the love of a woman.

He is described as a lazy and arrogant peasant youth who leaves home to go in search of his fortune. He’s very confident that he’ll succeed, but he keeps having disasters on his journey.

At one point, he goes to the wedding of a wealthy young woman (that he might have married), where he meets Solveig. She falls in love with him, so naturally his first thought is to abduct the bride from her own wedding and abandon Solveig.

Then he has really cool and awesome adventures, going around the world and gaining wealth and fame from all his different exploits, but he is, at the middle of it all, deeply unhappy. Eventually, when he is old and disillusioned, he goes back to Norway, where Solveig awaits him, welcoming him home and redeeming him.

Annabel and John Fairfax are sort of foils to Solveig and Peer respectively, in that they are what happens as a result of a different kind of abandonment (Annabel’s murder).

Solveig is what Annabel would have been had she stayed alive and Fairfax had simply broken things off in a more traditional sense (i.e. if he hadn’t killed her), and while Peer is redeemed and saved by the love of a woman, Fairfax is destroyed by it, because he twisted the love into hate.

Now for the parallels between Fairfax and Peer:

Peer is a peasant with little success in life -> in episode 3, as they get off the train, Lockwood notes how Fairfax “came from nothing”.

Peer has a series of unfortunate disasters on his hunt for success -> Fairfax (in the books), before the Problem, spent his time drinking, gambling, and getting into show business, instead of going into the family business. In the show this does not seem to be the case, but it’s a nice parallel that includes the books!

Peer abandons Solveig to run off with the bride -> I interpreted this as Fairfax abandoning (murdering) Annabel for his own bride, which is his desire for success. In a way his bride is the Fairfax iron company, because he’s practically married to it.

After the abduction, Peer has really successful and fantastical adventures, very different to the disasters that he had previously experienced before the kidnapping -> after Annabel, Lockwood again (Lucy says he has a hard-on for Fairfax which I think is hilarious) in episode 3 (just before talking about how Fairfax came form nothing) notes that Fairfax “succeeded in everything he’s tried. Publishing, show business - he didn’t even start smelting until he was in his thirties. Now look at him”. Fairfax by his own admission also worked in casinos, adding another job (or adventure) to his list.

Peer gains wealth and fame -> Fairfax gains wealth and fame (just dropping in “miss Kingston got her hair done special” because I love it and it's vaguely related)

And this is where the similarities split off from one another:

Peer is deeply unhappy -> Fairfax seems to be perfectly fine with his situation.

Peer comes back home old and disillusioned -> Fairfax in a way comes home, as he ends up back in Combe Carey Hall (although this is not where Annabel was killed, it is still one of his properties), and he is old, but he is not disillusioned. He says in episode 3 that he doesn’t regret buying the ring, he regrets “leaving it behind when I bricked her into that chimney” and that he “knew it was monstrous. But I couldn’t throw my whole life away for one mistake. Not then, not now.” He still isn’t willing to give up his life, because he is perfectly content where he is.

The final parallel I want to note is between Annabel and Solveig. While one was murdered and the other neglected but still devoted and in love, both women wait for their old lover. In completely different ways, sure, because one is sitting at her spinning wheel hoping that he’ll come back and see that she’s the right one for him (cue “you belong with me”) and the other is bricked into a chimney as an angry Type Two ghost that kills people, but both are waiting.

“She’s been wanting to see you for a very… long time, Mr Fairfax” Lucy says.

Annabel is devoted to Fairfax, and as she dances and sings along to the song, he abandons her (kills her). while waiting in that cavity in the wall, and her spirit is bound to the ring/necklace, she is waiting for him.

We see in episode 3 that when Lucy lets Annabel out of the ring, throwing it in the air to set her ghost free, Annabel doesn't attack the agents, or even Ellie who is stood nearby.

She goes straight for Fairfax, because she's been waiting for him. Her devotion to him may have changed into devotion for revenge over the years, but she was waiting for him nonetheless. In a way he did come back to her, even if it was unintentionally, and he ended up being greeted by her one last time.

He is not saved by coming home and finding his version of Solveig, he is instead destroyed, because his version of Solveig was killed along with any love she might have had for him.

#I spent hours on this and I'm not even sorry #if anyone has anything to add or correct me on then please let me know!#belle says stuff #lockwood and co #lockwood & co #episode 2 - Let Go of Me #episode 3 - Doubt Thou the Stars #Annabel Ward #John Fairfax

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greatqueenanna · 5 months ago

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GreatQueenAnna Tid-Bits # 9

Elsa’s Apology

A bit of a longer Tid-bit than my usual, but I really wanted to write this one out in full haha.

I was watching a video on Good Dialogue vs. Bad Dialogue and I actually wanted to discuss how these ideas correlate with the scene where Elsa and Anna reunite.

Why? Because I have always argued that Elsa apologizes to Anna for the ice boat fiasco in this scene, even though a lot of the fandom feels like Elsa never did and Anna’s feelings were ignored because Elsa’s death became the main focus.

As said, this isn’t really anything new, I’ve discussed this before in my Set Adrift Analysis. However, I wanted to bring in some things that were said in this video and why this supports the argument that I’ve always tried to make.

Brandon McNulty, the author of the video above, makes the argument that good dialogue follows these rules -

1. Sounds Natural - Basically sounds like things people would say naturally. 2. Attacks or Defends - Dialogue is supposed to attack or defend a point in order to have a basic purpose. 3. Expresses Unspoken Meaning (Subtext) - Dialogue should try to avoid having a character say exactly what they mean.

I want to focus mainly on the second and third points because - as this is a cartoon, most dialogue doesn't sound natural lol. How do these points apply to Elsa's apology?

Here's the context - Elsa spends a lot of the second film telling Anna that because she does not have magic, she cannot do certain things. While Elsa does have a good point from a logical perspective. Obviously, Anna has limitations as a non-magical person, and does risk her life for Elsa multiple times, creating tension.

What is also true is that Elsa, in her fear, forgets that Anna has a strength within her to overcome many obstacles, even with her limitations. This is the context that leads into the reunion scene, and with what Elsa says to Anna.

I want to highlight some scenes here, including of course the boat scene.

Scene 1

Anna: You are not going alone. Elsa: Anna, no. I have my powers to protect me, you don't. Anna: Excuse me, I climbed to the North Mountain, survived a frozen heart, and saved you from my ex-boyfriend, and I did it all without powers, so, you know, I'm coming.

Scene 2

Anna: Promise me, we do this together, okay? Elsa: I promise.

Scene 3

Anna: Elsa! Oh thank goodness. Elsa: Anna. Are you okay? What were you doing? You could have been killed, you can't just follow me into fire. Anna: You don't want me to follow you into fire, then don't run into fire. You're not being careful Elsa. Elsa: I'm sorry, are you okay? Anna: I've been better.

Scene 4

Anna: Yelana asks why would the spirit reward Arendelle with the magical queen? Because our mother saved our father. She saved her enemy! Her good deed was rewarded With you - You are a gift. Elsa: For what? Anna: If anyone can resolve the past, if anyone can save Arendelle and free this forest, it's you. I believe in you Elsa, more than anyone or anything. Elsa: Honeymaren said there was a fifth spirit. A bridge between magical nature and us. Anna: A fifth spirit? Elsa: That what's been calling me From Ahtohallan! The answers about the past are all there. Anna: So, we go to Ahtohallan? Elsa: Not we, Me. The dark sea is too dangerous for us both. Anna: No, we do this together. Remember the song, "Go too far and you'll be drowned"? Who will stop you from going too far? Elsa: You said you believed in me that this is what I was born to do. Anna: And I don't want to stop you from that. I-I don't want to stop you from being whatever you need to be. I just don't want you dying, trying to be everything for everyone else too. Don't do this alone. Let me help you, please. I can't lose you, Elsa. Elsa: I can't lose you either, Anna.

From these scenes, we get this general idea - Elsa is a magical being that was a special gift, and meant to uphold this grand destiny that leads her to feel as though only she can solve everyone's problems.

Anna, on the other hand, does not have powers, and will only hurt herself if she tries to help. Elsa, wanting to save everyone and keep Anna safe, implies to Anna in her fear that Anna is not able to keep up with her, and will only get herself killed in the process of trying. Regardless, Anna wants to be able to do this task together.

With this in mind, let's look at the reunion conversation between Elsa and Anna. I will separate it into three sections.

Anna: I thought I lost you. Elsa: Lost me? You saved me, again. Anna: I did?

Elsa here is directly referencing the first scene when Anna argued why she should go with Elsa to the forest. Anna tells Elsa that she saved her form her ex-boyfriend, and Elsa establishes that Anna saved her again. She also says it with a question, as if Anna should already know that her actions always lead to Elsa being saved.

Elsa: And, Anna, Arendelle did not fall. Anna: It didn't? Elsa: The spirits all agree, Arendelle deserves to stand with you. Anna: Me? Elsa: You did what was right, for everyone.

Here, it's obvious that Anna is in disbelief that she really did anything special. The entire film had the characters focus on Elsa, and how special she is supposed to be. Elsa telling Anna here that she is the special one this time, that she did something grand, is not something Anna was hearing during the film at all.

Anna: Did you find the fifth spirit? Anna: You are the fifth spirit. You're the bridge. Elsa: Well, actually, a bridge has two sides. And a mother had two daughters. We did this together. And we'll continue to do this together. Anna: Together.

This scene is particular is a direct reference to the boat scene. Anna spent the boat scene telling Elsa that she is special, and is not surprised to learn that Elsa is the Fifth Spirit. But Elsa turns it around, using Anna's own words to let her know that they both are the Fifth spirit and a gift. Then, Elsa mirror's what Anna has been saying the whole film - that they need to do this together. Elsa shows that while they did things separately, it was through both their actions that this crisis was solved.

So, case and point - Good dialogue firstly needs to be able to attack or defend a point. The point that was made throughout the film was that Elsa is special, while Anna is not - that Anna needs to sit back and let Elsa do everything. Elsa attacks this idea by telling Anna that she is special along side her, and that Anna's actions were necessary.

Second, good dialogue requires that something is said without it being directly stated. Why is Elsa attacking the idea that Anna is not special? Because it was this idea that led to Elsa pushing Anna away in the first place, and Elsa is changing the narrative and recognizing Anna's accomplishments.

Thus, while not directly stating it, Elsa is basically apologizing to Anna by attacking the narrative that was established through out the film. That Elsa needs to do this alone because she is special, and that Anna cannot do the things she can and needs to stand back.

#greatqueenanna/tid bits #Elsa #Queen Elsa #Frozen #Frozen 2 #opinions and commentary

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notchainedtotrauma · 9 months ago

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In this public song and music video analysis, I write about Mitski's cinematic passiveness, the elaborate labor behind her brief narrative as the faintly beautiful dinner date, and the meaning(s) behind the visual. If you're delighted with what you just read, my Pp is [email protected] and this is my K0fi.

Anna May Wong

Tura Santana

The archival visual content from the two actresses above (Tura Santana and Anna May Wong) best visually describe the song and visuals analysis. Here are some excerpts to whet your appetite:

For the love to fill her up with its repeating violence. Every gesture is one that telegraphs the swooning frailty of the about to be murdered female lover, hand slowly gliding up, to end in a mutely dramatic gesture on her forehead.

and

Mitski here wants to be chosen, which means she wants to be killed, which means she wants transcendence. Pearls like needles, like approaching the caress of a kiss, the smooth softness of stone. She doesn't want carnality as much as she does the glare of it. This isn't about love; this is about hunger, even as her fingers force their way in the appropriately closed mouth of the actor and/or prop.

#my brain is writing

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shikariix · 1 day ago

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One for all please gimme

I knew you would do this to me AND YET

Emily okay on your own by mxmtoon (feat. Carly Rae Jepsen)

Ohhhh I love this song so much. The vibe is so tasty. This song suits the way Emily has dealt with the majority of her relationships - she's been the one to break up, saying she needs time to herself; that she's not the right person for the other; just generally she's always the one to break it off because she doesn't believe in the relationship anymore. She's not proud of it per se - if anything, she craves a loving relationship. It's just that the ones she's had made her feel like she couldn't breathe. (Of course all of this changes with Beca 😌)

Rahat Burn The House Down by AJR

why DID I add this to his playlist Rahat has a lot of trouble with his identity and once he's clean all of that will come catch up with him at the speed of light. I like how many questions are asked in these lyrics. He's always been the guy to do whatever his friends ask him to, and considering the kinds of friends these were, he's done plenty of stuff that a law abiding citizen would not. I like that this song presents the you-person as a liar because I do imagine these friends have lied to him plenty, and as he's finding his own identitiy, he becomes more aware of what he thinks of that, if that makes sense.

Anna Tears by The Tragic Thrills

I like the vulnerability in this song. Anna is someone who lives by her feelings and she's got a LOT of 'em. It's important for her to remember (and she'd remind others of this constantly!) that it's a good thing to feel so much. We DO have hearts that bleed and maybe we ARE better off having tears so we can weep. I don't have much else to say about it I'm afraid fhjfgf It's a pretty straightforward analysis.

Sara Ghost by Halsey

Okay well part of this is that Sara likes bad girls FDHJGFHJ leather jackets & teasing,,, There's just something about a rulebreaker that draws her in even though she herself follows any rule ever given to her. I think I put this song in here more for the vibes and maybe the feeling that she's lost connection with herself? I might be bullshitting this rn but when I think of her asking 'where did you go' I think more about her inner child as she had to act like a grownup at a very young age because of her upbringing and her mother's disability. Her child self definitely left nothing more than a ghost behind and I think she mourns that more than she would care to admit. But this is probably not the best song to use for this dfhgfjh

Katy Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) by Kelly Clarkson

DFJHF I know this is like a post-breakup song but for Katy (who is just 16yo) I picked this one because of its unabashed confidence!! Teens do be feeling like nothing can get them down sometimes. She also does have a tendency to think she doesn't need anyone else, partially because finding out she was adopted (single dad) was not the best experience for her. So she says screw it!! I'm cool enough anyway on my own. ✌️

Gabriella The Killing Kind by Marianas Trench

Oh I am SO PLEASED Marianas Trench made it in here hehe. This song gives me super vivid visuals of Gabriella breaking out of the shack she was being held captive in. For context, she's a mutant (like a lot of my OCs FHDJF but it's not always as relevant) and was taken hostage by a group of people who want to eradicate them and she got tortured for information for decades. Gabriella's power is airokinesis, and when a tornado hits the shack, it gives her an incredible powersurge. She uses the wind to break free and take down her captors. And yes, that does include some killing :)

Tiffany #SELFIE by The Chainsmokers

OMG THIS HAS ME BARKING WITH LAUGHTER FDHJFG. Tiff LOVES gossip and selfies, she's chronically online in the bad way hfdgjhg I just can't even find the words to describe how much this song vibes with her 😭 The bitchiness and drama of it all I'm YELLING this was the best one to end on

#answered #mcrololo #ocs #emily pricefield #rahat nayar #anna van houten #sara sweets #kaitlyn pryde #gabriella brandi joyner #tiffany marchetti #now I'm exhausted 😪

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kookies2000 · 2 years ago

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Am I really about to do a full analysis of The Last Wish? Yes, yes I am. Starting with characters!!! One by one!!!

Perrito

Spoilers

One thing about Perrito is that he is so darn pure and tragic. When the trailers came out, I noticed people were sceptical about Perrito. Saying how he might be annoying and take away from the film. People even compared him to Olaf from Frozen. Which was a shock to me. I thought people loved Olaf from Frozen but I guess I was wrong. After a day of thinking on this, I finally understood why people thought this. Side characters that are usually used as the comedic relief can sometimes flop. They can be annoying and take away precious screen time from characters that the audience wants to see. But with Perrito, that is never the case. He doesn't waste a single screen time. In fact you end up wanting more from him. He's just so darn positive and sweet even after what he went through. He was thrown away by his owners for being the runt of the litter. But he was so positive that he thought they were playing tag. So every time they tried to throw him away, he would end up returning like it was all a game. And then one day, his owners drown him in a sock. And it's just sweet to see Perrito so positive about this. The sock they try to drown him in, he turns it into something happy and keeps it as a sweater. I guess it's his positive view that makes him so likeable. He leaves a positive impression on Kitty when she has a talk with him about trust. What I love about their talk is that Kitty doesn't push Perrito to not trust anyone and Perrito doesn't push Kitty to trust him or Puss. Just that she has to trust someone. The conversation just feels very natural and healthy. Now let me talk about how his childlike view doesn't clash with the dark themes of the film.

Olaf and Perrito comparison

I'm not bashing Olaf, I'm using him as an example. If I see a single bad comment about Olaf, I will hunt you down for insulting him and writing a strongly worded letter!

I adore the first Frozen film. It was wholesome, cute, magical, and just phenomenal. And Olaf as a character blended in perfectly with the environment that was created. The film was near to perfect and every character shined. But then Frozen 2 came in. Frozen 2 had darker elements that were fantastic. I loved the concept and the way the story was told. I do have a few issues with it but this isn't about Frozen. This is about how Olaf's positivity clashed with the darker elements. Olaf is supposed to have a childlike view of life just like Perrito. The two characters are put into similar situations. Innocent, naive, and trusting characters who are struggling to understand the more serious issues around them. The difference is, Olaf, clashed with the darker elements while Perrito helped embrace the darker elements. Olaf in the second film still has his innocence and childlike wonder. He goes to the library to read about life and soaks up knowledge like a child would. He even has a song about how everything will make sense when he's older. And that's a strong beginning to Olaf's character. It only starts falling apart when Olaf doesn't really learn about his surroundings. Does he understand that Elsa died? Or that his kingdom committed genocide? You can argue he's still a kid but he never shows his emotions or thoughts about the situation. Instead, he remains positive and tells jokes to cheer up Anna. It's cute but it feels pointless. I still love Olaf as a character, I just wish they would let him take time to process what was happening around him.

As for Perrito, he helps embrace the darker elements instead of just being positive all the time. His positivity influences both Kitty and Puss. For Kitty because of his conversation with her. Seeing things in a positive way isn't bad at all and we could all use a friend or someone to trust. For Puss, it's the panic attack scene. Puss is in a very vulnerable state and Perrito follows him. The moment is very tender and quiet. No dialog or humor, just the sound of the heart beating like crazy and hyperventilating. The moment is so darn sweet because Perrito doesn't talk or try to make Puss laugh, he's simply there for him. He places his head on Puss and that's enough to calm Puss down. And I feel like this is something many people forget easily. You don't need to talk, you don't need to say a word, you just need to be there. Listening and making sure the person who's venting knows your listing. This just reminded me of a personal experience of mine. A few years ago I was very vulnerable to panic attacks. All my friends did exactly this. They didn't try to throw in flowery words or jokes, they were simply there and made sure I knew they were listening. I only lost one friend, thank God because he was actually a jerk. And that "friend" tried using flowery language and false promises. Which only made things worse for himself and I. So yeah, the panic attack scene was very meaningful to me and made me cry. And this is what I mean by Perrito embracing the darker elements of the film. He doesn't fight off the heaviness of the moment. He doesn't try to bring light into the darkness. Instead, he goes into the darkness and lets everyone feel what they need to feel. He helps the emotions flow out properly. And I LOVE that!!!! Perrito isn't oblivious to what's going on, naive yes but not oblivious. He knew what to do when Puss had a panic attack. He knew how to talk to Kitty about her issues. He helped Puss and Kitty strengthen their relationship. And he helped Goldie find out what she wanted. Oh, and his moment with Goldie was adorable. You can tell from this moment that Perrito isn't dumb, he's positive. Baby insults him and instead of being upset, he joins in. He's aware he was insulted but he puts a positive spin on it. He's aware he's an orphan like Goldie and compliments her family. This makes you wonder, is he aware that he's an attempted murder victim? And he chooses to remain positive?

I'll talk about his final arc on the Wishing Star section. But man. I adore how well written he is.

Next is Kitty.

#puss in boots: the last wish #puss in boots #perrito puss in boots #movie analysis

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viivdle · 8 months ago

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Dancing With Our Hands Tied (Jurdan's Version) with @annamatix<3

here is part two of my analysis, and don't forget to look at anna's version in jude's pov on her account!!

"And darling, you had turned my bed into a sacred oasis" fits cardan well. the most obvious reasons are that he calls jude "darling god" and he was never ashamed of his sexuality, he's open about his desires. but all he's done was try to fill the void that jude caused and would inevitably fill. she turned what was fun into something sacred.

"People started talking, putting us through our paces" the folk talk about them, it's inevitable. i think it takes a bigger toll on cardan than he'd ever admit. not because he doubts the strength of their love, but because he knows being mortal in elfhame already sets you up for failure, and how hard jude works to live up to standards and exceed them. being constantly brought down does something to you, even if you're used to it. he is the first to know it.

"I knew there was no one in the world who could take it" again, nobody can take the judging of *everyone* in elfhame without some help. he knows how strong jude is, but he also knows how she's shielded herself from the not-so-whispered whispers before. and he knows how he himself coped with it. if he can help jude ignore the small part of gossip that does get to her, he will.

"But we were dancing, dancing with our hands tied, hands tied" another example of the ability to take it literally. cardan's hands were tied through (almost) all of TWK. beside that, a lot of opportunities didn't present themselves to cardan, even though he was already the high king, because of the prophecy. all throughout the series we read about people looking down at him, this doesn't change after the coronation. it just makes other people weary of what could happen if they were to cut deals with a cursed king.

"Yeah we were dancing, like it was the first time, first time" the scheming of jude was nothing new to cardan, whenever it happened it simply followed a pattern he already knew. their whole story is so diverse but can be looked at from a certain perspective that shows it can all be watered down into the same/similar tropes. betrayal, hurt, anguish - nothing new to either of them.

"I, I loved you in spite of deep fears that the world would divide us" as mentioned before, cardan doesn't like it when jude throws herself into danger - and she does it over and over again. not only that, but there is always the chance of assassinations they can't control - we know they happen quite often as well. all those fears that are reasonable make *him* being the person to separate them even more ironic.

"So, baby, can we dance, oh, through an avalanche?" for me these lyrics fit the scene after balekin's murder when cardan asks jude to marry him. it's risky, not 100% thought through, and definitely not thought of because of rationality. but he had hopes of overcoming what had already divided them before with it.

"I'm a mess, but I'm the mess that you wanted" do i even need to explain? "shabby, worm-eaten, and scabrous" says enough. i could go into a whole rant about it though.

"Oh, 'cause it's gravity, oh, keeping you with me" what else would keep bringing them together if not gravity and the force of the universe? they shouldn't work. they shouldn't. but only if you look at their dynamic and not the chemistry and emotions that actually make them, well, them. every story and song in elfhame is basically "mortals are bad" and "how could an immortal ever love a mortal" those things are buried in the roots of the kingdom's history. cardan tormented jude for ages, and even if you forgive that, it still wouldn't be healthy. but somehow both of their unhealthy personalities better one another. they work when everything speaks against it. gravity.

"I'd kiss you as the lights went out, swaying as the room burned down" is there a better lyric for the coronation scene than this? it all went to hell, it was a massacre. cardan got obliterated but after jude held him captive he somehow wasn't a total and utter wreck. yes, his family was complicated to say the least, but it was still family. but what was more important for some reason? jude.

"I'd hold you as the water rushes in" taken literally, this is about the time the undersea held jude captive. metaphorically, it's the same. he'd stay with her through it all, it was proven many times. again - he didn't know anything but jude when he was a serpent.

"If I could dance with you again" he was sure he had ultimately lost her when he exiled her, and we have evidence of his regrets and thoughts. he didn't even have the chance to properly enjoy being with her without it being part of a scheme before he banished her. before that, she was taken by the undersea and god knows what he thought during that time.

thank you so much for listening to my rant even though again, i doubt people read all this. i had so much fun writing this and having two different sides on it - anna's and mine. i hope you enjoyed and thank you so much anna, you're amazing<3

#cardan greenbriar #jude duarte #jurdan #the cruel prince #the wicked king #the queen of nothing #the folk of the air #tfota #holly black #taylor swift #taylor swift song analysis #tfota song analysis #jurdan taylor swift #jurdan songs #jurdan analysis #jurdan song analysis

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nanasalt · 1 year ago

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Hi, I'm genuinely curious why you have called Elsa "abusive sister"? What's your, as an Anna lover, main take on Elsa?

Context for my comment.

Realizing on a reread that you asked for an Elsa analysis and I kinda made it an Anna one. They're entwined, though -- it's hard to talk about one without the other, especially when the first question is why call Elsa abusive? The short answer is I was being very reductive in that post for the sake of brevity. The tag directly after is me saying in a quick, off-the-cuff way that Elsa's not wrong:

#see: Anna of Arendelle #suffering is good! #filial loyalty should trump logic! #dying for your abusive sister is good! #Elsa obviously has her own issues but from Anna’s pov?

Believe me when I say that I can go full Elsa apologist very easily. Send a second ask if you want to see that, actually, I do have a lot of Elsa Thoughts. The thing is, there's a ton of Elsa fans out there and Anna tends to get the short end of the stick, despite being - in my opinion - the better sister, and not for nothing, but I think Elsa would agree that Anna is a better sister.

The tragedy of Frozen is that Elsa isn't wrong to isolate herself and try to keep Anna safe, and Anna isn't wrong to sense her sister still wants to connect and try to make it happen. That's what makes it tragic. Anna's desperate attempt to reconnect at the party is what makes Elsa balk, and Elsa balking is what pushes Anna away into the arms of someone who isn't afraid to tell her she's wanted. (Of course, Hans isn't afraid because wanting her won't kill her the way Elsa is pretty sure wanting a sister will.) Anna coming back from a whirlwind of having fun - having a friend - for the first time in years and telling Elsa she wants to get married freaks Elsa out, because Elsa's about to lose her sister to some stranger! Elsa tries to get the situation under control the only way she knows, which is to get away from everyone and self-soothe, but Anna is fed up and presses the argument then and there, which sets Elsa off and reveals the depths of Elsa's problems.

But critically, Anna's not wrong, and she's not stupid.

A major theme of Anna's character is that nothing is explained to her, and she is mistreated as a result. We, the audience, understand why Elsa locks herself away. We, the audience, skip over literal years of isolation for Anna in a three-minute song. We, the audience, see Elsa's anxiety when alone or with her parents. Anna, on the other hand ... to pull from the musical, which I admittedly like more than the film:

ANNA: ... Truth is, I never knew why my parents ordered the gates shut, why the celebrations ended, or why Elsa stopped talking to me. All I ever knew was, I missed my sister. I spent years trying to figure out what I did. I begged to know, to understand, but all my parents would say is, it’s for the best.

Anna blames herself for the fact Elsa locked herself away, and Elsa does not, as far as we see in the story, disabuse Anna of that notion. Sure, you can argue it happens offscreen somewhere after the show, and I'd agree that the arc of Frozen means the girls are going to sit down and realize their parents kinda sucked and gave them both trauma, but that happens after. (Frozen 2 doesn't exist in my head. I don't hold with anything that doesn't admit their parents fucked up big time. The best you can say is they tried to help their daughter, and that is tragic too, that nobody was able to help them do it.)

From Elsa's point of view, she ran away and Anna followed - against Elsa's advice and orders. Elsa felt confident enough to let her sister in and talk about things -- and Elsa couldn't handle it. She shot Anna in the heart as a result, putting them exactly back where they were when they were kids and Elsa was the biggest danger to her sister. Elsa was right to be afraid of intimacy, she was right to protect Anna from herself. The biggest danger to Anna was always Elsa.

This verges into Hans apologism, but we're focused on the girls so stick with me: Elsa literally kills Anna in the story. Hans is a big asshole about this little, "If only there was someone out there who loved you," speech, but he didn't kill Anna. Elsa did. If Elsa hadn't shot Anna in the heart, Anna would not be dying now. If Hans was going to kill Anna, that would've been the place -- and instead he leaves her to die of the wound her sister gave her.

So how does Anna feel in that moment? Narratively, we focus on the fact Hans has been the biggest dick lately, so she's heartbroken by that, but I'd posit she's been let down by the two people she thought might want her: Elsa and Hans. At this point Anna was probably thinking she could get cured and maybe that she and Hans would fix this together.

Instead, her unending faith in her sister should have brought her to this conclusion: Elsa killed her, Hans refused to save her, and they've both abandoned her for dead. In the film, Elsa - by proxy - throws Anna off a cliff right after shooting her in the heart. She could not be more clear about locking Anna out. Hans locked her in, but all to the same effect: Elsa's curse is going to kill her.

Does it really matter why Elsa cursed her?

When I say Elsa is an abusive sister, I mean that from Anna's point of view, Elsa lashes out and hurts Anna because of her own pain. We, the audience, have the benefit of knowing why - but we, the audience, also aren't feeling our fingers freeze solid as our jaw locks up with ice, so maybe we're not getting the full effect there.

Frozen's magic system is simple: magic and emotion are the same thing. (Frozen 2 do not interact.) Elsa's powers are driven by emotion, and they can be driven to great heights or great lows. The tragedy is that she doesn't learn to channel positive emotions, so she only knows fear and anxiety, which spiral out of control as those emotions always do. That fear isn't irrational - she's afraid for her sister, she's afraid for her country, she's afraid to let people down - but it is damaging and uncontrollable.

It literally kills her sister.

Anna dies, not because she threw herself under the sword and got diced, but because she turns to ice. She dies because of Elsa's curse, which ironically saves her from being killed in a bloody way. In that moment, Elsa sees her worst fears come true: she killed her sister. In the musical, she sings:

Anna? Anna - no! This is what I feared, this is why I shut you out so long ago. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry ... Look at what I've done to you.

As she realizes this, the magic begins to undo itself, not because Elsa realized the depth of her fuck up but because Anna committed an act of true love. Anna is brought back to life miraculously by her own self-sacrifice because it was pure and selfless. Which is why my final tags were:

#the narrative posits that [Anna's] suffering was good #actually. #and wanting things for herself was Bad actually

Wanting Hans, the seeming first person to value her, was wrong. Throwing herself under the sword for the sister who ignored her until she murdered her was good. In a meta sense, Anna wanting something for herself was wrong, and being blindly loyal was good. She is literally rewarded by being brought back from the dead to be a continuing loyal companion to the woman who shot her in the heart.

At the end of the day, the fact Elsa feels terrible about this both makes no difference and makes all the difference in the world. Elsa has been awful to Anna, and her being able to recognize that is what makes their relationship so compelling. The fact Elsa is also abused is important; she was locked away from society just as much! While Anna was so neglected by their parents that she spoke to paintings, Elsa was being told to just get better, keep it inside and don't freak out. Like many abused people, when Elsa grows up, she doesn't know how to form a healthy relationship at first. Her first fumbling steps end in disaster, and as musical Elsa begs:

This is all so brand new Let me first learn to crawl Before I try to walk

On one hand, that doesn't matter, because Elsa did abuse Anna for a period of time, via neglect and outright harm, up to and including murder. On the other hand, it matters more than anything, because Elsa chooses love, chooses to reconnect, finds true regret and wants to be better. Anna forgives her, because she loves her.

It's what makes the bones of this story so tragic and compelling. The love is real and the hurt is real. The difference is that both sisters choose to move past it, and I can see there being a good ending where they repair their sisterly relationship.

But for the duration of the story, and the near-decade before? Anna was abused by everyone in her family, and Elsa has to take responsibility for that before they can begin to heal.

#Kat Answers #Anonymous #Frozen #x: meta #this is a lot of words I hope it explained something #and feel free to ask more!#I have a lot of thoughts about Frozen and how it's about love #And semi-metaphorical doors but only because they're barriers to Love.

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soft-and-exhausted · 1 year ago

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Frozen Stage Musical thoughts

December 2022 + October 2023 (because I forgot to make the initial post, so this is 2 for 1)

disclaimer: Some of my 2023 additions are probably not really *new* but it's hard to remember everything... Anyway, here are the notes I took right after seeing the shows! + This is neither coherent nor an analysis, mostly just reactions to a few things lol, not even going to mention the songs cause they ALL slap

ACT 1

- Sir Jörgenbjorgen! He's right there! But he's Anna's stuffie? What does that mean?? (also is Olaf frozen advenure canon again?)

- Idunas scarf from F2!! Also right there! She's wearing it and then wraps Anna up in it after she is struck by Elsa's magic (love that)

- Iduna tells the trolls that she's Northuldra! She's the one who calls them to help Anna (setting up F2)

- Grand Pabi is uh not so gran anymore huh & Bulda says they love kids (raised a few of them themselves), and to bring Anna and Elsa around sometime

- It was a choice (neutral) to make the trolls hot

- Update: Idunna says they'll search far and wide for magical answers

- Update: Also, the gloves Elsa wears? They were Idunas!

- Update: And it looked like Iduna wanted to reply to Pabi asking "born or cursed" when Agnar interrupts and says "born" (I might have seen that wrong, but it made me think this is setting up F3??)

- Olaf actually asks about "Samantha?" When Anna and Kristoff hear him in the woods, wondering who's talking as he joins in on looking for himself... haha (Update: he asks for Samantha during "In Summer")

- Anna and Hans dancing! All the choreography is amazing and wow, but they do this funny bit of doing different (modern) dance moves together and it's pretty endearing

- when Anna tells Hans "I'm not the heir. I'm just the spare" referencing the outtake song that helped develop her character!! (Update: this hit the West End audience way different post-Prince Harry's book "Spare" and was hilarious!)

- Costumes!! HOLY SHIT, the details the materials the glitter in Elsa's ice, all of it is insane and regal and beautiful, and so well thought out I want a huge artbook with all the details, please

- Anna (Stephanie McKeon) could totally play Galinda; very Chenoweth voice qualities??? (Update: I got Gabrielle from Xena vibes for some reason, idk (Anna was Laura Dawkes))

- Wow they are doing amazing with the ice and the million and one backdrops! Insane! Also with the lights?! It's magical!

- Update: Oh my god Elsa (Laura Emmit) is so tiny and petite, the different statues of actresses always add a different flavour to the character design somehow? (Like it is so fun with Glinda and Elphaba and what their height difference will be each time) (I love everything unique an actress/actor will bring to their role)

- Elsa is like 10x more regal? I can't explain it but she very much feels like she's living in a piece of historical fiction more so than a fairytale. but I love it, it's brilliant and adds some layers too, she's so poised in the first act and polite and nods at the court like that(TM)

- more amazing dancing moments

- The Duke of Weselton calls Elsa pretty in a weird way while asking her to dance and later calls her "just a little girl" and lets out some sexism that women are weak, which is very in character and another addition to how the stage musical feels more realistic in a way? Or at least caters more towards adults

- he also says something VERY similar to Atohallen's memory of Elsa's grandfather; that magic is unnatural and uh I forgot the actual wording, but he essentially said the same thing = nothing good comes of magic (especially in the hands of a woman) (yes he says that)

- idk if Sven is amazing, cute and perfect or uncannily creepy lmao but gotta love him! Olaf is obviously perfectly recreated! (Update: Sven is so cute oh my god) (also Mikayla Jade is the first woman to ever play the role! She's a really cool stunt performer!)

- Anna is VERY flirty with Hans lmao, girl is so thirsty (the way she touched that statue's tits in "for the first time in forever" ahahaha) (Update: girl is so horny, all those adult jokes, did she actually get more horny this time? Bless her)

- Update: They don't make blorbos like Elsa anymore, for real

- Anna's snow outfit is so cute!!! With her hair open? And the hat and all that...

- Still gagging at the dress change in Let it go!

ACT 2

- Bulda asks if Anna doesn't want to marry Kristoff because of how she raised him, further solidifying how the trolls are his family

- PLUS when he joins the trolls dance! Because he KNOWS it! Wonderful moment (also wonderful when Anna starts joining in, all of her dances are so sweet and fun and Anna's love language is dance, I don't take criticism)

- child Anna's cast also played the baby troll during fixer-upper upper and it's the cutest scenes!

- Weselton and Hans both actually said they wanted to kill Elsa! Like the word kill has been said twice (2), and I just didn't expect it because Disney movies do like to dance around that one- it's really intense

- Elsa's pants and corset combo in the second act looked cool in pictures online, but seeing it irl? in the third row? Holy shit it's stunning! Her let it go dress too of course, but she looked amazing in this new outfit wow - the detail - (this is the part where I don't talk about how the corset, respectfully, she was just very stunning and wow Samantha Barks had the smallest waist ever known to man in that thing!)

- God those costumes are siccccc, a lot of this musical feels like historical fiction and is so so well thought out! The dances and songs and ten thousand backdrops are INSANE

- Instead of being knocked out by the falling chandelier, Elsa goes with the guards willingly, and they handcuff her on the spot (at the ice palace) Which is... a blow to my heart to say the least, but makes sense! She just asks to be taken to Anna, to make sure she's safe... being handcuffed and dragged off is perfectly reasonable for her!

- Update:

Weselton: "Even the queen is shivering" Elsa: "I'm not cold" Hans: "She's scared"

- the entire scene where Anna freezes to death (that also resembled dangerous to dream with the ensamble lifting Anna up; as the spotlight of Elsa's attention) was phenomenally choreographed and I have no words!!

TLDR: It's too mind-blowingly amazing for words, and so incredibly thought out! And it's a little more grown up too, adding some layers and fleshing out bits and bobs that I really enjoyed

#frozen #frozen the musical #frozen west end #frozen broadway #west end musicals #babbling #queen elsa #princess anna #frozen elsa #frozen anna #frozen kristoff

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imasloid · 9 months ago

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SHINY COLORS FASHION ANALYSIS - Sakuya Shirase (白瀬咲耶)

"I want to be someone who makes people's hearts flutter. I promise I'll give my all at being an idol!"

This is a project analyzing and taking a look at the fashion design and application in the multimedia series, The IDOLM@STER: Shiny Colors. This section is about the handsome & charming prince of the series, Sakuya Shirase! If you want to jump to a specific section, go here!

(This is a reprint of my thread on Twitter. I put it on Tumblr for easier reading and for archiving purposes. Enjoy!)

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INTRODUCTION

“Sakuya attends an all-girls high school, excels both in sports and academics, and is very good looking. She is popular with girls due to her prince-like appearance and behavior. She has a modeling background, values human relationships, and has a friendly personality.”

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Profile

Age: 18

Birthday: June 27th

Height: 175 cm

Weight: 60 kg

Blood Type: A

Hometown: Kochi

Hobbies: Going to different kinds of places

Special Skills: Behaving as cool as humanly possible

CV: Anna Yamaki

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Before starting the analysis, I would suggest if you haven’t already, read her W.I.N.G. (introductory) commu (through the broswer game's English patch or on YouTube). If you don’t play the game, I would listen to her image song and read the lyrics to get a better sense of her character.

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STYLE BREAKDOWN

Sakuya’s style is very straightforward, simple, clean, cool and fits a princely girl like herself. Her wardrobe has a good mix of masculine and feminine components as well as compliments her slender proportions and height.

Mode casual and mode-kei are two of the strongest influences in Sakuya’s style. A lot more casual than the typical mode style, Sakuya’s style introduces more color and design elements, but retains that trendy and cool minimalistic style.

The second style that is a big influence on Sakuya’s fashion is model-off-duty, specifically the 2010s iteration. As she is known to have a modelling career before becoming an idol, this effortless but cool style that compliments her height and figure fits her very well.

The last style we will talk about is mannish, a style that incorporates traditionally “masculine” elements to increase one’s elegance and femininity. Sakuya’s close relationship and respect for her father is one of the reasons why she dresses in this fashion (out of emulation).

Sakuya’s image color is a very dark teal-green color that fits the coolness and mature charm that she exudes. It’s a very masculine color as well, being close to a military green and symbolizing the calmness and freshness of an conifer forest.

Sakuya’s color palette mostly includes dull and neutral colors, giving off a chic and mature vibe like that of a seasoned supermodel. Most of her outfits contain only colors in the main palette, but sometimes she wears rich primary colors as accents to add a punch to her outfits.

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STYLE ANALYSIS

Sakuya was scouted by Producer while doing a job as a model in the city. Though Producer asks her to be an idol with such passion, Sakuya questions his decision saying that she’s not the typical image of one.

However, Producer replies that he wants to produce her because she’s so different from a conventional idol along with her talent. Though her suave demeanor and ability to charm others drew Producer to her, she accepts as she was drawn to Producer as well for choosing her.

Due to being a model that exudes a lot of charm, Sakuya has many female fans both at school and due to her fame. She does a lot of fanservice like saying one-liners or kabedon. But it also includes the way she dresses, wearing very cool & unisex clothing in the earlier days.

Sakuya cherishes her relationship with her fans, and often does things with them in mind, putting aside her own health. It’s later learned that Sakuya values human relationships above all else, due to her childhood situation. Her fan letter replies usually span multiple pages.

It’s later revealed in her pSSR3 card "Rhythm of Happiness" that Sakuya was an only child raised by her father alone, as her mother died after she was born. Her father often worked late nights, leaving Sakuya alone by herself most of the time. Because of that, Sakuya is very lonely and hates solitude.

In her S.T.E.P. route, she revealed that her father passed away before she became an idol and her grandparents take care of her. It’s inferred that Sakuya dresses more masculine due to emulating her late father, dedicating her everyday style to all the love he gave her as he is her role model.

As Sakuya puts huge importance on human relationships, she loves L’Antica more than everything else. She often takes care of her members and often does fanservice for them as well. She is known to get emotional when there is a fight or when the group is apart for a long time.

Though her fashion style stays mostly the same throughout time, there has been a very recent development. Sakuya, known to only wear pants, wears a skirt for the first time in her pSSR8, “Make My Heart Swoon" after receiving this outfit in a gig and choosing to wear it casually. Sakuya, who is not used to being called cute, dresses more girly here.

Sakuya has had grievances with her image in the past. In her GRAD route, she has received letters asking her to revert back to when she was a model, and she’s had doubts on how to make everyone happy with her due to being very service-oriented.

For most of her career as a model and as an idol, she’s cultivated her image to charm and please others. However, due to Producer, her fans, L’antica, and her grandparents, Sakuya learns that to make others happy, she must search for a more selfish happiness outside of others.

So in her two newest pSSRs, we see Sakuya’s personal style shift to one that is more girly and cute. Her suave charm is still everpresent, but her fashion here is aligned to the Sakuya that is empathetic and sensitive yet still appeals to her cool side.

Needless to say, I’m excited to see the direction Sakuya’s fashion will keep going in, especially in ShaniSon. Like all the characters in Shiny, their initial appearance decieves how they actually are like, and that couldn’t be truer for Sakuya.

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This is it for Sakuya Shirase!

If you liked this thread, check out my Twitter and give me a tip on Ko-Fi so I can do more things like this with other idol series! Thanks for reading <3

Next section: Yuika Mitsumine

#imas #the idolmaster #idolmaster #idolm@ster #shiny colors #fashion #jfashion #scfa #sakuya shirase

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ts1989fanatic · 1 year ago

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OPINION

Matty Healy exposed the dark side of the Taylor Swift parasocial fantasy

The responses to Taylor Swift's latest breakup highlight a toxic cultural phenomenon.

Karma may be your boyfriend, but Taylor Swift is not your best friend.Chelsea Stahl / MSNBC; Getty Images

June 6, 2023, 5:29 PM EDT

By Patricia Grisafi

It’s a bummer when your best friend starts dating an apparent dirtbag. God, you think, what does she see in him? He looks like he smells of stale coffee and cigarettes. He looks like a hipster stork. You’ve heard him brag about how he watches humiliation porn. And don’t forget the racism and antisemitism.

Except Taylor Swift is not your best friend.

I don’t know what prompted the breakup, but I doubt it was a tearful Swiftie on TikTok.

When news broke this week that Swift and The 1975 lead singer Matty Healy had ended their brief relationship, social media celebrated in a way that was notable — and a little deranged. (And immediately started speculating about her next fling.) Just hop on Twitter and read the comments about how Swift had really heard her fans and tossed that loser in the trash. I don’t know what prompted the breakup, but I doubt it was a tearful Swiftie on TikTok. Still, imagine feeling like you have that kind of influence over a person you’ve never interacted with. Or that kind of personal investment.

Swift is — in some ways — an unusually private celebrity. It feels like her every move is carefully choreographed. We hardly ever see her messy, incoherent, or intentionally challenging. But fans feel like they know Swift because she writes prolifically about romantic relationships. It’s hardly novel, a musician writing about love and loss. Still, fans pore over these songs. They find Easter eggs in the lyrics, do complex analysis aligning certain ex-boyfriends with specific details. And because language is subjective and Swift is arguably both elusive and slyly encouraging of these readings, the meanings are ever-shifting. Depending on who you ask, she is everything from an Aryan pinup girl to a queer icon. In short, she is the perfect parasocial fantasy subject.

The term “parasocial interaction” has been around since sociologists Donald Horton and Richard Wohl theorized on the phenomenon in the 1950s. A parasocial interaction refers to a relationship in which a consumer comes to believe that media personalities are their intimate friends and that an emotional connection is shared. The phrase has become more popular recently with the rise of pop culture super fans, or stans. These fans can become incredibly invested in their favorite celebrity’s real-life relationships, and devastated if those relationships implode.

See, for example, when comedian John Mulaney separated from his wife Anna Marie Tendler in May of 2020 and began dating actor Olivia Munn. While celebrity relationships have always been fodder for gossip and people are naturally curious about their favorite stars (this writer included), public response regarding the Mulaney situation was noteworthy. Critics suggested that this was because Mulaney’s public persona made it seem like he was your buddy, your pal, a friend you could relate to. And he made his personal life part of his public persona by integrating details about his wife and French bulldog Petunia into his comedy routine. When he violated the parasocial social contract by not living up to that fantasy, things fell apart. It’s similar with Swift — particularly, this situation with Healy.

Swift stepping out with Healy disrupted fan notions of her and the values they believe she holds dear. She’s dating a guy who makes racist remarks? Who unrepentantly laughs about violently objectifying women? Is this who you are, Taylor? And if this is who you are, who am I?

Things got so intense that a group of Swifties circulated an open letter telling other fans to #SpeakUpNow.

Things got so intense that a group of Swifties circulated an open letter telling other fans to #SpeakUpNow and condemn the relationship: “He has been involved in acts and controversies that deeply trouble us,” the letter says. “We urge you to reflect on the impact of your own and your associates’ behavior and engage in genuine self-reflection.”

Rapper Ice Spice, who Healy called a “chubby Chinese lady” on a podcast, was brought in to share the stage with Swift in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Some speculated this act was a professional olive branch, others an empty, performative gesture to both Ice Spice and fans who were disturbed by Healy’s original remarks (he has since offered both an apology and a non-apology for the comments).

Poets talk a lot about how the speaker of the poem is not the writer of the poem. You’ve got to put distance between them. That’s healthy for artists and fans. You don’t know anything about Taylor Swift except what she carefully curates and puts out into the world. Her songs may speak to you, but she directly is not. Proclamation of ownership over a stranger and her love life, the fantasy that our whispers reach Swift’s ears and she heeds our pleas, is problematic.

Parasocial relationships can show the beauty of human emotion, our capacity for empathy, and our ever-expanding desire to connect. On the darker side, they reveal our desire for control, our capacity for cruelty, and our instincts to possess. If the parasocial fantasy is punctured, you might have to make an ethical choice that forces you to confront the dissolution of that illusion — and, more importantly, yourself and what you’re willing to accept.

ts1989fanatic: in some ways the last month or so on SM has been far worse and much more divisive than this🐍🐍🐍🐍 in 2016. There are times when I don’t recognize our fandom anymore.

I honestly don’t know if it’s the rise of TikTok as a preeminent SM platform or just a general increase in SM usage but I do know it’s become far more toxic than it was just a few short years ago.

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loregoddess · 10 months ago

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Temenos Mistral for the character ask game! (Because you were talking about them earlier!)

First impression: "Oh, he seems neat, wonder what his story will be about."

Impression now: I love Temenos, one of my top favorite characters from the game, probably my scond-fave after Ochette. He's such an interesting character and his story (gripes I might have with the pacing aside) was unexpected for a "cleric" story, based on what I'd seen with Ophilia and some of the clerics from CotC. Honestly I'd write up an entire character analysis if I had the energy to do so, bc there is so much going on with him.

Favorite moment: A few different ones, but I really like how any time that the façade he puts up starts to slip, this sheer force of anger slips through--that's good stuff. Love that his "In Pursuit of Truth" theme also sounds much more energetic and aggressive when compared to his normal theme song (and like, I'm not well-versed with music terms and stuff, but Temenos is also the only character whose "In Pursuit of..." song has a significantly different tempo and more aggressive melody when compared to the standard theme, if I recall correctly).

Idea for a story: Hmm, do the two rewrite ideas of his main narrative that I have floating in my head count? Like I've said, something about the general pacing of events and a handful of narrative elements in his story don't really work for me, and as a result his story arc doesn't seem as strong compared to the others' stories. Not all of it is "bad writing" or anything, like the writers clearly had a plan in mind, and I know some of it is just my personal taste...but yeah, I have a "canon compliant, trying to match the general narrative motifs and themes of the rest of the characters" rewrite idea, and a "mostly canon compliant, but definitely changing some things to fit my personal tastes which therefore go against one or two of the overall recurring themes and motifs" rewrite idea. I'll probably never do anything with them though bc it's more like...anytime I come across story writing that I thought was really good, I try to figure out what about it I liked and how the writers set it up, and any time I come across story writing that doesn't work, I do the same thing where I try to figure out why I didn't like it and then try to figure out how I'd write it myself, and this is like, a little mental enrichment I do just for fun and also to try and sharpen my own preferences and sensibilities for storytelling and writing. So like, I don't technically have that much beef with his story, and I don't want to come off as "I'm a better writer than the original writers" or even that I thought the original arc was bad (it really wasn't bad writing per se), it's more just a thing I came up with for myself for funsies and as a mental exercise in narrative, more so than an actual like, critique of the original story.

Unpopular opinion: I uh, I don't ship him with Crick...or anyone actually. In fact the Temenos x Crick ship really does not float my goats (nothing against anyone who enjoys the ship, you do you and all that, it's just not my cup of tea). I actually read and more or less headcanon Temenos as aroace, and even if I didn't, he's got like 2934820398432 unresolved trust issues, so I'd have a hard time seeing him be able to enter into a romantic relationship anyhow. But that's just my reading, again no shade to anyone who has a different reading/headcanons.

Favorite relationship: I love his interactions with all the other main characters, but I find his weird friendship with Ochette to be really, really interesting especially (I'd write up an analysis and list of thoughts on this too if I had the energy). Outside of the main cast, what little we get to see of his interactions with Jorg, along with what we learn after Jorg gets murdered, is really fascinating to me as well. They have a very unusual familial/professional relationship (although given that Benedict and Anna's wildly unconventional familial relationship is also super interesting to me, I'm thinking I might just be an enjoyer of unconventional and murky adopted familial relationships in fiction).

Favorite headcanon: I am fond of the idea of him being related to Alpates and Throne by blood, although as I've turned the headcanon over in my head and whittled it like a wood carving, it's developed into something really specific with basically no in-game source to back it up, so it's a 100% bona fide "I just made something up and went with it" headcanon that I keep modifying and changing. Basically, I think he's got a situation similar to Hikari's, but significantly more subdued since he doesn't have an evil shadow version of himself trying to talk him into murdering everyone, and that his blood ties to Alpates's bloodline are stronger than his blood ties to D'arqest. Some more specifics about that under the cut bc explaining myself requires talking about late-game spoilers.

(Specifically rather than being directly Claude's son, I think it's entirely possible some of the Blacksnakes were able to have kids of their own, like Father did, without Claude finding out about them and having the child killed, and that even potentially those kids might have had kids, thinning the blood ties to Claude further--so rather than being Throne's half-sibling, Temenos would be more uh...*checks cheat-sheet chart for familial ties* ummm...her half-grand-nephew, god I hate everything about that phrase why does anything relating to Claude have to be a string of "wtf??"s). I keep changing this headcanon slightly (I did originally start from the base of having him and Throne as half-siblings), so who knows just how much it's gonna change before I settle on something I'm really happy with, but I do like the idea a lot.

#sdlfkja;slfdjasd sorry for posting early I keep forgetting there's a keyboard shortcut for posting a post #anyhow I heacanond the majority of the Octopath characters (both games) as some variation of ace #which is why my ''Temenos reads as aroace to me'' headcanon isn't my Favorite headcanon for him #bc it's like...my headcanon for over half the main cast #anywhos yeah #love my dude Temenos he's great I don't talk about it but I love this guy so much #thanks for letting me rant about The Guy #youcantencryptyourface #ask game #I still don't have an ask tag

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frozen-snowflakesandsunflowers · 1 year ago

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Once upon a snowman review ☃️ | Analysis

Cover created by me

I'm cryingggg!! I just saw Once Upon a Snowman on Disney plus and it's beautifulll ahhh! It's only 13 minutes but it's so heartwarming. If you haven't seen it or heard of it, it's of Olaf from the second he was born to just before he meets Anna, Kristoff and Sven.

Here's a brief summary, if you don't want spoilers if you haven't watched it, don't read this bit: ↓

We open with, a few seconds into "Let it go" when Olaf was born, and then as Elsa lets go of her cape, it goes in Olaf pushes him down the mountain. He has a mini cute identity crisis and walks along the mountain. He sees Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna and as he approaches it, he hears Kristoff sing “Reindeers are better than people" from the barn. Just before Olaf opens the door Anna bangs the door open exactly like she did in Frozen as it's the same scene. An easter egg I didn't notice until now is that there's a statue of one of the tills outside the Oaken's shop. He goes into the shop and we see Oaken selling Anna's coronation gown for 55. Oaken likes Olaf and helps him find a nose but Olaf doesn't have any money but Oaken the “fuzzy man fear” as Olaf calls him, let's him off generously. The noses Olaf tries on after being told the last carrot was just sold (to Anna for Kristoff) are, a mini Arendelle flag, a ping pong aka a paddle ball, a snow globe, a glass bottle of some green liquid, a plunger, a comb (as a moustache lol), a live fish and then finally an old fashioned view master (like binoculars but you can add frames to make you see that scene, like virtual reality). Oaken tells Olaf it's summer and he puts in other pictures of Summer which we see in "In Summer", in Frozen to see and that's what triggers Olaf's love for summer. And as he discovers this, "In Summer" instrumental music plays 🥹 Seeing Olaf fall in love with summer, he gives him a “summer sausage” nose! Just seconds before Olaf leaves, we see Kristoff, Sven and Anna leave on the sled on their journey to the North mountain. Now Olaf is set to find his name out. But the sausage smell triggers the wolf and they cause him down cliffs. While Olaf's being chased, we see a tiny glimpse of Kristoff telling Anna “You got engaged to someone you just met that day?!”, a different angle of the scene when Kristoff recognises Wolves are nearby, and another smaller glimpse of Anna telling Sven “Get ready to jump, Sven!”. Falling down a cliff, the wolves run away but the baby wolf makes sad hungry noises which make Olaf give up his nose. And then here comes the best part of the short; The baby wolf licks him and snuggles Olaf before running into the sunrise then Olaf says “That felt just like a warm hug”. He then hears voices of young Elsa and Anna playing and Anna saying “Do you wanna build a snowman?/ Do the magic!”. And then the realisation 😭 “(Gasps) I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs”, all the whole "Do you want to build a snowman?" instrumental plays in the background. The most beautiful thing isn't just Olaf's realisation of who he is but right when the sun rises, Elsa finishes her song and has found who she is, in a way, transforming into her new gown. The final scene is Olaf walking down the snow covered forest seeing Kristoff and Anna. And we all know what happens from there!

I don't know why I didn't watch this before 😭😭 Indeed water does have memory. His memories consist of Elsa and Anna's too. All this Frozen content is making me love the entire thing so much more, and right when they're about to hit it's 10th anniversary! Fun fact, Olaf's birthday is the day after Elsa's coronation and is in the summer too! Speaking of the 10th anniversary, I expect something revealed or announced on the day cuz I'm hungry for moreee! ❄️

#disney frozen #frozen #Olaf #Once upon a snowman #ouas #disney #elsa and anna #a decade of frozen #frozen 10

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curio-queries · 8 months ago

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As always I'm beyond excited to see more interpretations of Jimin's work floating around. And @jikookuntold put in some serious work with this post! If any of you haven't read it yet, please do!

I still haven't delivered on my promised Like Crazy analysis but I'd like to share just a few thoughts brought up by this post that I didn't explicitly state in my FACE post.

SOME LIKE CRAZY THOUGHTS BELOW CUT:

My personal interpretation of both the movie and the song focuses a little more on philosophy than an actual event. Now the important thing to note is I never saw the movie prior to FACE's release. And it was several weeks after release that I finally did watch it. I don't remember how long but it was enough that I pretty much knew the lyrics. That being said my place in the ace-aro spectrum always heavily influences how I generally interpret rom coms.

Here's a link to my FACE post if you're interested:

I actually really liked the movie when I watched it! It does a great job at telling its narrative while not being too obvious or patronizing. So I'm grateful for Jimin sharing it with us.

My main takeaway from the movie wasn't how arbitrary rules and regulations can cause absolute havoc on normal ppl just trying to live their lives. (Although I absolutely agree with @jikookuntold about this application to queer relationships. THAT is so inciteful and a very plausible application given thematic storytelling of the early 2010s).

I instead honed in on the idea of willful ignorance. The main character has a pivotal moment where they KNOW the consequences of their actions will not be in their own best interest. There is no excuse, they knew what they were doing. Anna is completely aware that there will be consequences for disregarding the regulations of her Visa and yet she did it anyway. It wasn't that she didn't know, it's that she decided to give into temptation and thus accept the consequences. For old school disney fans, think of Ariel signing Ursula's contract.

Jimin's song is the same for me. The 'she' being Temptation.

She's saying

Baby, come and follow me

There's not a bad thing here tonight

Save your reasons all for later

Stay with me a little while

Once he gives in, he's lost who he was before and spends a while just embracing it because getting out seems impossible.

...and now I'm remembering why most of my attempts at this post haven't come to fruition over the past year. Definitely feeling somethings. So I'm going to stop for now but I did still want to share this little bit with y'all.

Once again, thanks to @jikookuntold for sharing a great analysis. I'd love to hear any other thoughts and interpretations anyone else has as we come up to the anniversary!

What Is Like Crazy About?

Since the day "Like Crazy" was released, I wanted to post about it, but couldn't get the time to focus and do a comprehensive analysis. Finally, right before the first anniversary of this masterpiece, I got the time, and the post is ready now. Before starting off, I have to remind you of the fact that a work of art can be interpreted in many different ways, and none of those interpretations are necessarily right or wrong. Every work of art contains a message that is the artist’s main intention from that creation, but the artist doesn’t have to explain it to the audience because a true work of art speaks for itself, even though not all audiences can receive it thoroughly.

I know that in the past year, so many different types of analyses and theories were made by fans to explain this song, and most definitely, I couldn’t keep up with all of them. Therefore, I’m not claiming my analysis to be a breakthrough, and you might have read most parts of it somewhere else. In this post, we are going to discuss “Like Crazy” from a lyrical and conceptual point of view, trying to find out what message or messages Jimin wanted to convey by creating it.

About “Like Crazy”

“Like Crazy” as the title track for Jimin's first solo album, "FACE", stole the hearts of millions of fans and locals around the world, and inarguably became one of the most successful pop songs of the year 2023. I can talk for hours about how beautiful and successful “Like Crazy” is, and how it broke KPop boundaries and countless records. But, in this post, we are going to break to the surface and talk about the meanings and motivations behind this song and answer the questions like “How this song was made?” “What was Jimin's intention in writing these romantic lyrics?”

As I mentioned earlier, artists usually don’t directly address their main message and their intention in creating a form of art, but many of them speak about the motivations and inspirations that led them to the creation. Jimin hasn’t talked much about the sources of inspiration behind individual tracks of “FACE”, but I guess “Like Crazy” was an exception for him because he revealed on several occasions that he was inspired by “Like Crazy”, the movie. And this piece of information is the key to our analysis:

"I tried to express the feelings of that movie. You know, the somewhat complex, somewhat lonely, somewhat happy emotions. I tried to express all these ambiguous and subtle emotions in a slightly sexy way, but I’m not sure how it’ll end up being received by people.”

Like Crazy, The Movie

First of all, we need to keep in mind that “Like Crazy” is a completely original song, and Jimin has not used or sampled any songs, lines, or dialogues from the movie in his lyrical or visual concepts (even the intro and outro dialogues in the song were original and not from the movie). If Jimin had not stated his source of inspiration directly, the only hint that could have led us to it would be the title of the song, which duplicates the title of the movie since the title never appears in the lyrics.

So, Jimin chose this specific name for his song and announced his source of inspiration to make it clear that there is a straight and strong connection between the song and the movie. He made it clear that this connection is 100% conceptual and emotional, and if we want to know what “Like Crazy” is about, and what ambiguous and subtle feelings Jimin is talking about, we have to redirect the analysis to the concept of the movie, “Like Crazy”.

As we all know, “Like Crazy” is a romantic movie, and Drake Doremus directed it casting "Felicity Jones" and the late "Anton Yelchin" as the main characters, Anna and Jacob. Doremus based the storyline of this low-budget movie on his experience being in a long-distance relationship with his partner and developed it into a 90-minute-long movie, which was released in 2011 and became relatively successful.

Anna and Jacob

A few days before the release of “FACE”, I was informed that the title track, “Like Crazy” is based on a movie of the same name. After learning this fact, I had to re-watch it because I couldn’t remember anything after a decade, and I had some questions like: “What was in this movie that made it so special for Jimin?” “How would Jimin feel watching this?”. Having this mindset helped me to see the movie differently, but before explaining those new insights we need a short storyline of the movie:

Anna is a British exchange student in LA, where she falls in love with Jacob, an American student, and they start dating. Anna, blinded by her love for Jacob, overstays her student visa and consequently gets banned from re-entering the United States. After experiencing a forced LDR, Jacob flies to London to visit Anna, and her father suggests that getting married might resolve the issue, but they are not ready for this big step. Jacob goes back to LA and basically chooses his job over Anna, but after some time, they realize that they can’t be apart, and they decide to get married. Six months after the marriage, when the time for the appeal of Anna’s ban comes, it gets rejected, and they lose their last hope of being together. Again, they go back to their sad lives, but after some time, Anna is finally offered a visa, and she leaves everything behind to reunite with Jacob. The ending scene shows how this separation has damaged their relationship, and things will never be the same.

The movie portrays the hardships of a long-distance relationship and the damage the separation can do to two souls and their connection. I think the recent movie by "Celine Song" named "Past Lives" was partially similar to like crazy, but also there was a big difference; unlike Nora and Haesung in “Past Lives”, Anna and Jacob don’t leave it to fate, they don’t forget about each other and don’t settle down with others just because their love seemed difficult or impossible.

They found true happiness only next to each other and did everything against all odds (especially Anna) to take that back. Maybe if Anna and Jacob weren’t in love like crazy and were more mature and realistic, they would end up like Nora and Haesung (Sorry if this spoiled that movie for you), but they didn’t and made their own bittersweet ending.

Many people claim that “Like Crazy” is a breakup movie with a sad ending, therefore, Jimin’s song also must be a breakup song. But, first of all, the ending can somehow be considered an open ending. We don’t know what happens after the shower scene, but we see them together, in each other’s arms, and this is not a totally sad ending by any movie standards. Other than that, Anna and Jacob became separated a few times, but they don't officially break up by choice, their separation is the result of contractual rules and laws, made by society.

This movie, as its director explained, might be originally about a long-distance relationship, but also the main relationship in this movie can be seen as a relationship that gets strained by laws and regulations, it’s about the rules and imaginary borders that decide if two people can be together or ban them from it. It’s a story of the “love against law”.

A Heterosexual Love Story?

When “Like Crazy” was released in theatres back in 2011, it got positive reviews for good acting that made the movie feel sweet and intimate with mostly improvised dialogues. Meanwhile, the negative reviews were focused on the plotline of this drama, calling it far from reality. Other than the fact that Jacob could have easily resolved this issue by taking his job from LA to London, in reality, the couple wouldn’t have faced this much difficulty over the legal complications, especially after getting married.

The fact is, straight couples usually never face this kind of hardship, and governments take that easy on them otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many sham marriages around the world just to get citizenship. So, the idea of a couple getting separated by law is not common, and that’s why many people called this movie implausible. But, a queer person can familiarly receive this implausibility, like when they want to be with someone forever, but the laws don’t let them.

Could it be this feeling that made “Like Crazy” special and a source of inspiration for Jimin? Or was it something smaller like the Santa Monica beach scene? I have no answer, I only make theories, and I think it’s better to leave the movie here and start the lyrical interpretation to see how these words and feelings can get connected.

The Lyrics

[Intro]

(I think we could last forever (I'm afraid that everything will disappear Just trust me)

As I said earlier, this intro is not a dialogue from the movie, but the narrators were told to do it based on the audio from the movie that was sent to them. So, hypothetically, it’s Anna and Jacob having this conversation. He is afraid of losing everything, but Anna assures him that if he trusts her, they can last forever. In the MV, we see Jimin standing in the crowd, but the time goes in reverse, and through a transition into his eyes, we see him sitting alone. Weirdly, the outro of the song is playing in the background here, but we will figure out the reason later.

[Verse 1]

Korean Version, Translated

She's saying Baby, don't think about it There's not a bad thing here tonight Baby, it's fine if you leave Stay with me, just for today

English Version

She's saying, Baby, come and follow me There's not a bad thing here tonight Save your reasons all for later Stay with me a little while

Anna asks him to follow her and assures him that everything is fine, it’s fine if this is not going to last long. It’s not the time for reason and overthinking. The gendered pronoun here refers to Anna, but we will know more about her in the next verses. It is worth mentioning that in the primary handwritten lyrics by Jimin, there was no “She” and it was modified later considering the dialogues added to the intro. Anyway, we know Jimin didn’t release these drafts in his album for no reason.

In this part of the MV, we see Jimin sitting alone in a room, and with a flicker of lights, the room is filled with mud. Suddenly, a muddy hand of a girl grabs Jimin’s hand and leads him to a party. There are several symbols in this part, the lonely room is Jimin’s reality, and the party is his dream. The mud symbolizes dreams and desires that leave their trace on your life and soul.

[Verse 2]

Korean Version, Translated

Watch me go Drenching myself all night (Away) So that even the morning Gets drunk and doesn't arrive

English Version

Watch me go Now, I sink down, all alone away Where am I? A dark haze clouding up my eyes

From here, we don’t see the girl because Jimin and the girl became one. She was her reflection from the beginning, the side that leads him out of his loneliness, and allures him to his dreams and desires, tempts him to be careless and stop thinking too much. Some say she is Jimin’s Anima, but these lyrics never go to the deep levels of the subconscious to reach the Anima. She is his feminine side that is a tangible side of him, and Jimin’s asymmetric makeup gives it away. Also, the mirrored moves between Jimin and the female dancer in “Like Crazy’s” choreography made it clear that the feminine presence in this song is Jimin’s reflection.

[Pre-Chorus]

Korean Version, Translated

As the loud music I get faded out A cliché story like a drama I get used to it Have I come too far to find the me that you used to know Yeah, I know You know I know (Ooh)

English Version

I can hear the voices listening Don't know who they are Trying to take the pressure off Been reaching for the stars Tell me, will I find myself again? When I go too far? Yeah, I know You know, I know (Ooh)

Jimin enters the party and starts drinking, dancing, and having fun with the others. He laughs and enjoys himself in the crowd and trusts the supposed strangers, but the confusion doesn’t leave him alone. He feels lost, and as the lyrics say, he is worried about going too far and not finding himself again. The two opposite sides of him are conflicting. It’s the contradiction between "fear and desire", between "pain and numbness", between "loneliness and losing yourself", and between "reason and dream" that leaves him confused.

[Chorus and Post Chorus]

Korean Version, Translated

I'd rather be Lost in the lights, Lost in the lights I'm outta my mind Hold onto the end of the night Every night You spin me up high The moon with you in its arms Let me have a taste Give me a good ride (Oh, I'm fallin', I'm fallin', I'm fallin') Oh, it's gon' be a good night (Oh, I'm fallin') Forever, you and I

English Version

I'd rather be Lost in the lights, lost in the lights I'm outta my mind Can you help me numb the pain? Each night, you spin me up high Emotions on ice Let me have a taste Give me a good ride (Oh, I'm fallin', I'm fallin', I'm fallin') Oh, it's gon' be a good night (Oh, I'm fallin') Forever, you and I

In this part, he confesses which side he really wants to follow. He wants to go out of his mind, lose himself to the desire, and leave the reason behind. It’s the escapism that saves him from loneliness and the pain of real life. The chorus is the sexy and at the same time, the most poetic part of this song, especially where he is spinning up high in the arms of the moon.

The last line of the post-chorus, “Forever you and I” which also repeats in the last part of the interlude, is crucial because it declares that Jimin is not talking about vagrancy or promiscuity. He wants it all with his significant other, the only one who can help him numb the pain of real life and escape it. But this escapism has its consequences, and we see all that mud flush out of every corner symbolizing. This scene artistically ends with Jimin facing his reflection in the crowd. The question is, is this reflection the same significant other, or is it Jimin himself? We will get the answer in the next part.

[Verse 3]

Korean Version, Translated

The me, reflected in the mirror Is going crazy endlessly I'm feelin' so alive, wasting time

English Version

All my reflections, I Can't even recognize I'm feelin' so alive, wasting time

His fear of losing himself was true, and it's happening now. This duality confuses him and makes him question his reality. Which side is the true Jimin? He doesn't care anymore because this escapism makes him feel alive.

Here in the MV, we see Jimin facing the reflection, and it immediately cuts to the restroom scene where he faces his literal reflection in the mirror and talks to him about not recognizing him anymore. Then, the restroom being dismantled symbolizes his state of mind. "The reflection of myself in an unfamiliar appearance" was the concept of "his whole"FACE" which was a whole album about Jimin himself.

[Outro]

This will break me This is gonna break me (Break me) No, don't you wake me (Wake me) I wanna stay in this dream, don't save me Don't you try to save me (Save me) I need a way we (Way we) I need a way we can dream on (On, on, on) (Alone again What's the point?)

Jimin knows the consequences of losing himself but embraces it. He knows it's gonna break him but doesn't want to wake up from his dream. He knows everything will collapse but doesn't need a savior. He wants to stay in that dream, but he knows it's impossible, and sooner or later, he will be dragged out of it.

Is there a way to cut all the connections to the real world of loneliness and stay in this dream forever? We get the answer in the MV, and it's not positive because suddenly, everything goes backward in speed, to where we started (remember the outro being played in the beginning? That was the clue).

He goes back to his lonely room with a muddy hand. Did his hand get dirty from a touch of his reflection, or was the muddy hand in the beginning his own hand? Is he trapped in a loop? Maybe. Maybe this wasn't his first or the last time coming back from that dreamland, and it was the reason for so much mud accumulated in his room. He is a regular in that dreamland and he can't quit.

Conclusion

It's understandable if this analysis of the movie, lyrics, and the MV didn't guide you in any direction, and maybe you are even more confused after reading it all. But don't blame yourself because Jimin already told us that, his emotions for this movie are complex. So, don't look for just one answer, maybe we are not supposed to end up with one conclusion, and this song also can have multiple interpretations and meanings. But what are these meanings?

If you pay attention to the lyrics and the MV you will realize that despite them being aligned and in sync, the lyrics have more connection to the movie. While filming the MV, Jimin mentioned that things (scenes of the MV) didn't happen like this in real life, which was an obvious fact, because this song is clearly not about being the life of the party and stuff like that, and has more internal meanings.

In "Like Crazy", Jimin talks about the loneliness of his real life, the isolation and limitations he experienced during the pandemic, and maybe other times. But Jimin finds an alternate reality, where he can be himself, be free and careless, and forget about the future. This alternate reality is rooted in two possibilities: The feminine side, and the significant other. The feminine side is what we face in the MV, and there are not many signs of it in the lyrics.

The feminine side appears as a muddy hand and a presence at the part that faces Jimin and becomes one with him as his reflection. The idea of "bigender" is nothing new in the concepts that Jimin has offered on different occasions, from his fake tattoos in ARMY-Zip 2019 to the performance of "Filter" in 2020 and his photopholio in 2022, he has expressed this fluidity in his work, and I think the visual concept of "Like Crazy" with his different makeup in the MV and the choreography was the epitome of it.

What about the significant other? As I mentioned in the analysis of chorus parts, "Forever You and I" Can only be interpreted as his exclusiveness to someone who is his significant other. This person is the one who saves Jimin from his loneliness and assures him about their happy ending. This person has no doubt in them lasting forever and only wants Jimin to trust him to take the lead and let that happen.

He keeps saying to his significant other that there is no future. They can't be together forever, this is just a temporary situation, and despite finding comfort in each other, they should not get attached because they will forced to be separated. It's not like Jimin doesn't believe in this love, he does and has the same wishes and dreams, but he keeps getting dragged to the real world where the rules govern.

This part is just a personal opinion as a Jikooker, but I did this analysis in my head last year when "Like Crazy" was newly released and had no intention of making a connection between this and Jikook, until "Seven" came out. We all know JK had no hand in making the sexy lyrics of "Seven", but after watching the MV (which had nothing to do with the lyrics), I couldn't unsee the fact that the concept of Seven's MV looked so much like a response to "Like Crazy's" lyrics. Still, we don't know if gave any ideas for the concept of the MV, but considering his record of working as an MV director, it's not impossible.

This is all I could say about "Like Crazy", a masterpiece that is still thriving in the charts and still touches people's hearts because it comes from real and deep emotions that Jimin had in his heart. That emotion got us the moment we listened to it for the first time, even though verbalizing it is never easy, no matter how many analyses and reviews we write.

The End.

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