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welcometothejianghu · 7 months

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Welcome to another round of W2 Tells You What You Should See, where W2 (me) tries to sell you (you) on something you should be watching. Today's choice: 鬓边不是海棠红/Winter Begonia

Winter Begonia is the tale of the intertwined lives of a wealthy, westernized businessman and a bratty, dramatic Peking Opera performer as they navigate the historical landscape of 1930s China.

It is a slow historical ramble of a show, to the point where I couldn't really say it has a single plot. Events just happen in their lives, and the show follows them with a pleasant steadiness. Characters go away, and sometimes they come back. Interpersonal conflicts rise and then get resolved. Sometimes you just get to sit and watch part of an opera happen. The last third of the show develops a slightly more cohesive narrative, but even then, it's still mostly a loose constellation of events related to larger goings-on in the culture.

So if you're looking for tight plots and fast-paced action, you'll want to look somewhere else. But if you're the kind of person who likes to wrap up sometimes in a gentle warm blanket of a beautiful show, I have five reasons you should give this one a try.

1. Oh, they're in love

Perhaps the most notable thing about Cheng Fengtai and Shang Xirui is that they spend the entire show smiling at one another, staring longingly at one another, and/or making each other laugh.

A lot of danmei couples depend on having at least one partner who, if not outright tsundere, is at least stoically long-suffering -- which is romantic, sure, but also exhausting in real life. These two read about as married as any danmei pair I've ever seen because they make one another smile all the time. They're incredibly touchy and affectionate from basically the moment they meet. They're not just in love, they actually like one another.

Now, don't get me wrong: These two are both absolute exhausting gremlins who deserve one another so they don't have to be anyone else's problems. But they're good-natured enough about their respective gremlin natures that when one of them lets loose with his rascality, the other tends to think it's hilarious.

They don't even have the mandated danmei breakup! They're never mad at one another for more than the length of an episode. Most of the time they're just refreshingly normal about one another (or, you know, about as normal as two drama queens can be). And when they're being not normal about one another, it's because the circumstances they are currently enduring are not normal either.

They're so in love that by the time you get to the last episode, everyone in their lives is like, gee, those two sure are in love. For the main couple in a Chinese-censored BL adaptation? That's pretty darn in love.

2. The costumes!!!

Of course I have to gush over the costumes. Several major characters are professional opera performers, and their wardrobes are just stunning in complexity and detail -- and accuracy, apparently.

But they're not even where all of the wardrobe budget went! Everyone looks great, from the dapper upper class to the household servants to the street performers.

I also can't get over how everyone looks so cozy in their winter outfits. The show really wants to hammer home how cold Beijing is, and so most non-opera clothes are either heavily quilted or furry. Not a single outfit in this show is slimming (except maybe for some of the gorgeous gowns Cheng Meixin wears). It's all about conserving body heat, which means a lot of people walk around basically wearing mildly tailored quilts all the time. I love it. I envy it.

3. Oops! All bottoms!

This is a show of very soft men. It helps that very many of them have spent their whole lives playing female roles, but even those that haven't tend to be pretty darn soft.

(And I'm not even talking about the way people keep handing Cheng Fengtai babies and he loves it.)

Du Luocheng and Shang Xirui are absolutely what happens when you get two soft gay guys who are kinda into one another, but they're both too lazy to top, so they just become best friends instead.

Fan Lian stands as a testament to how you can be the only heterosexual in the show and still be soft as hell.

The old married gays. Softness level: off the charts.

Chen Renxiang's role is that of the opera frenemy, and he's incredibly soft about it. (This actor is also apparently in the Sha Po Lang live-action adaptation! Maybe someday it will be released...)

Opera underling La Yuehong hardens up later in the show, but even when he does, there's still a tragic softness to it.

Even the baddies are soft! Pretty much all the rival opera bitches fall into the "love to hate" category -- and nearly all of them win at least some sympathy from you before they leave the story for good.

There's one more soft boy whose presence surprised me, and that is Xue Zhicheng/Kujo Kazuma, a sympathetic Japanese character. Every other Japanese character in the show is sinister somehow -- not surprising, considering the drama is set during the brutal Japanese occupation of Beiping/Beijing.

But this little guy is a gentle, well-meaning opera fan who just wants to watch his favorite performers! When his actions cause trouble, it's only because he's so well-meaning that he couldn't see how anyone could disapprove of his attempts at cross-cultural undertanding. He even comes to the rescue a few times, at significant personal cost!

Moreover, the show uses him to make it clear that there's a difference between the Japanese occupying force and Japanese people and culture. In fact, the show is pretty critical of people who conflate the two and use interest in the latter as evidence of support of the former. That is not a level of nuance I've seen from other dramas set in this time period, and I was pleased to see it.

In conclusion, the critial war shortage in 1930s Beijing was not food or medicine or ammunition, but tops.

4. A whole lotta ladies

Again, not even counting the fact that one of the two main guys, many of his buddies, all of his heroes, and several of the antagonists professionally dress as women.

The most notable of them is Cheng Fengtai’s wife, Fan Xiang'er. They've been married for years by the time the show starts, and they have a son together. Theirs is an arranged marriage that they've managed to make work so well that they've actually wound up liking one another ... most of the time. Remember what I said earlier about his being exhausting? She knows that better than anyone.

(Sidebar: If you are uncomfortable with a love story where one of the participants is canonically married to someone else, this may be one you want to skip. That said, there are several male characters in this show who have multiple wives and/or mistresses, so the metric of what counts as infidelity in this setting is ... loose.)

Beyond her, though, there are many more female supporting characters in this show, from all different socioeconomic levels, in all different kinds of situations.

A caveat: Some of the women (one in particular) are at times frustrating as hell because they're too often written as jealous shrews who believe all the terrible gossip they hear and act on it without having actual adult conversations with anyone first. I dislike this trope, mostly because it relies on making some smart women artificially very stupid for the sake of forwarding the plot. I have little patience for situations that could have been solved five episodes ago if somebody had just been willing to ask clarifying questions.

That said, I can't be too mad about that, because there are many, many more women who are not written like that. Some of them are good and loyal! Some are sneaky and self-interested! Some are callous and manipulative! Some are meek and traumatized! Some make terrible decisions! Some make terrible decisions but, like, you get it! You know, just like in real life?

The answer to better representation is almost always more representation. When a character is the only one of whatever they are, everything they do is kind of an indictment of that category, especially when that category has a history of stereotypical negative representation. When there are several others, the characters stop being representatives of that category and start being just plain characters.

5. It just feels good to watch

Don't misunderstand: This is not a happy fun time show where everything in sunshine and roses all the way down. There are plenty of tense and emotional parts. Not everyone we like makes it out of the drama alive. Not all love stories get a happily ever after. People disappoint one another all the time. Awful things happen when soldiers occupy civilian populations. Poverty is a bitch.

But the show itself remains a nice viewing experience. It's absolutely a feast for the senses, what with all the music and costumes and sets and props and old-fashioned cars and everything.

The story is very straightforward. It's never trying to do any complex schemes or mislead you before some big reveal. I imagine this could be a good show to put on in the background while you're doing something else. You're never going to be too desperately confused about what's going on if you zone out for a minute -- and if you are, just hang on for a bit, because by next episode, it'll probably be onto whatever storyline comes next.

I have not read the novel, and I cannot judge anything against its standards. However, my friend who has read parts of the novel tells me that the adaptation is much preferable, because in the novel, you get to hear everyone's internal narration -- and everyone's internal narration makes it clear they're all bratty, insufferable assholes. That is not the case here! Or, rather, they are often bratty and/or insufferable, but from outside their heads, it's a lot more charming.

Finally, it's legitimately a very good love story. Shang Xirui is the only person in Cheng Fengtai's life who loves him for who he is, not what someone else needs him to be. Cheng Fengtai goes from being enraptured by this beautiful little weirdo to basically wanting to wife him. They spend a lot of time taking care of one another, sometimes in the only ways they know how. They're capable of operating independently -- there are several episodes where their storylines diverge completely -- but they'd prefer not to. They've just each found their soulmate, and that's all there is to it. (The red thumbprint in the palm is about the most romantic thing I've ever seen.)

I'm a little surprised by how little I hear English-speaking fandom talk about this one, especially since (see below) it's a widely available, high-budget show that even has a Shang Xirui figurine, and there's no question about how in gay love these two are. But if you hop over to AO3, there's only 257 works total in the Winter Begonia tag, a scant 57 of which are in English, and if you've tried looking into the Winter Begonia tag on Tumblr, you know it's pretty quiet 'round here.

I can't be sure, but I'd assume that's partly because this is both a) a relatively low-stakes drama, and b) so enmeshed with actual historical events and concepts that you'd have to do at least a baseline amount of research before making any fan media. I would imagine that for some folk, this is a barrier to entry.

And it is 49 slow, gentle episodes long. I saw Tumblr posts asking which episodes are important, because the posters don't want to or can't commit to watching the whole thing. But the answer is ... all of them? none of them? There's no plot you'd be getting or missing with specific episodes. There are very few things I can think of that would even qualify as spoilers. It's just a walk through a couple very eventful years in the main pair's lives. I understand if folk aren't up for that, but if you are, this is really a gem.

Have I convinced you to give it a try?

I would say that Winter Begonia is perhaps the most easily watchable of any c-drama I've come across. Here's where you can find it:

iQiyi

Viki

Amazon Prime

YouTube

We watched most of it on YouTube, where the subs were perfectly fine. However, there was one episode where we had to switch platforms because the English subs were all out of synch, so we went to Amazon and they were fine there too. Other than that, I don't really have a sense of which translation experience is the best. Try them all!

(PS: If you feel like putting on a tinfoil hat, I'm just going to say, they look at one another like that in real life, too.)

#winter begonia #i made this #鬓边不是海棠红 #rec post

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danielarlngton · 4 months

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A Huguenot, on St. Bartholomew's Day, Refusing to Shield Himself from Danger by Wearing the Roman Catholic Badge (1851–52) is the full, exhibited title of a painting by John Everett Millais, and was produced at the height of his Pre-Raphaelite period. It was accompanied, at the Royal Academy of Arts in London in 1852, with a long quote reading: "When the clock of the Palais de Justice shall sound upon the great bell, at daybreak, then each good Catholic must bind a strip of white linen round his arm, and place a fair white cross in his cap. —The order of the Duke of Guise."

It depicts a pair of young lovers and is given a dramatic twist because the woman, who is Catholic, is attempting to get her beloved, who is Protestant, to wear the white armband declaring allegiance to Catholicism. The young man firmly pulls off the armband at the same time that he gently embraces his lover, and stares into her pleading eyes. The incident refers to the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre on August 24, 1572, when around 3,000 French Protestants (Huguenots) were murdered in Paris, with around 20,000 massacred across the rest of France. A small number of Protestants escaped from the city through subterfuge by wearing white armbands. Millais had initially planned simply to depict lovers in a less dire predicament, but supposedly had been persuaded by his Pre-Raphaelite colleague William Holman Hunt that the subject was too trite. After seeing Giacomo Meyerbeer's opera Les Huguenots of 1836 at Covent Garden, which tells the story of the massacre, Millais adapted the painting to refer to the event. In the opera, Valentine attempts unsuccessfully to get her lover Raoul to wear the armband. The choice of a pro-Protestant subject was also significant because the Pre-Raphaelites had previously been attacked for their alleged sympathies to the Oxford Movement and to Catholicism. Millais painted the majority of the background near Ewell in Surrey in the late summer and autumn of 1851, while he and Hunt were living at Worcester Park Farm. It was from a brick wall adjoining an orchard. Some of the flowers depicted in the scene may have been chosen because of the contemporary interest in the so-called language of flowers. The blue Canterbury Bells at the left, for example, can stand for faith and constancy. Returning to London after the weather turned too cold to work out-of-doors in November, he painted in the figures: the face of the man was from that of Millais's family friend Arthur Lemprière, and the woman was posed for by Anne Ryan. The painting was exhibited with Ophelia and his portrait of Mrs. Coventry Patmore (Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge) at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1852, and helped to change attitudes towards the Pre-Raphaelites. Tom Taylor wrote an extremely positive review in Punch. It was produced as a reproductive print by the dealer D. White and engraved in mezzotint by Thomas Oldham Barlow in 1856. This became Millais's first major popular success in this medium, and the artist went on to produce a number of other paintings on similar subjects to serve a growing middle class market for engravings. These include The Order of Release, 1746 (Tate, London), The Proscribed Royalist, 1651 (Lord Lloyd-Webber Collection), and The Black Brunswicker (Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight). All were successfully engraved. There are smaller watercolor versions of the picture in The Higgins Art Gallery, Bedford, the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, and a reduced oil replica in the Lord Lloyd-Webber Collection, all by Millais.

#art #video #artist: john everett millais

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beesmygod · 2 months

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What’s the greatest musical of all time

SSSIGGGH S REALLY BIG....probably phantom of the opera. i say this with no joy in my heart bc its not my favorite and webber's work is mostly crap but he was cooking with that one and the chandelier drop really does kick ass when it happens and the music is very dramatic in a way that suits the adaptation

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yona049 · 21 days

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𝕻𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖙𝖔𝖒 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕺𝖕𝖊𝖗𝖆 𝖝 𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖗

Part 3

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Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

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Disclaimer!

This is a story following the events after the Phantom of the Opera (2004) and only follows the movie and not any other adaptations!

This has evolved into its own story, if its not something you're interested in, feel free to skip this one and check out some other fics on my page! °v°

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Christine Daaé, first a dancer, then Opera singer, beautiful slender shoulders and Radiant eyes to stun even the toughest man.

No wonder the Opera ghost fell for her, it's easy to forget they knew each other for years before Christine's debut. He was her teacher, and she was his muse.

"Isn't she beautiful!" Meg says excitedly, watching Christine in her white dress on stage.

Meg Giry, daughter of Madam Giry and best friend to Christine. She was so supportive and a good friend to Y/n aswell.

Y/n looked back at the stage with a bright smile feeling Christine's voice vibrate the floorboards beneath her feet.

Just as the chorus started Y/n could hear arguing from back stage. A very loud conversation beneath Christine's voice. No one seemed to mind since they were all bewildered by the Opera singer, except Y/n.

"Aloïs?" she questioned holding her puffy tutu up and past all the onlookers until she was back stage.

She could hear her Lover Aloïs arguing with someone, quite aggressively, any louder and they'd match Christine's Volume.

Finally she spotted him at the back of back stage near the curtain ropes. The man he was talking to was hidden behind the curtains, so hidden that Y/n entirely missed him.

"You can't take Christine! Then Carlotta will certainly take her place again!" Aloïs Yelled.

"She will be returned soon. I've been planning this for years, she won't be harmed." the voice said defensively.

"You set small accidents for Carlotta now you want to resort to kidnapping! End it! Or I will!" Aloïs suddenly grabs the man's face and yanks a white mask off it.

Y/n gasps loudly causing Aloïs to turn suddenly.

"Darling? You should be near the stage! It's almost time for your dance number!" he quickly hides the mask behind his back.

"I heard arguing?"

Y/n explains looking at what Aloïs hid behind his back. She smirks and moves against Aloïs placing a small kiss on his lips. This caught Aloïs off guard.

With swift turns in her ballet shoes, she spins around Aloïs and grabs the mask from his hands.

"What's this?" she questions holding it up to look at it.

"Hey! Y/n! Give that back!" Aloïs reaches to take the mask again but Y/n, still on her toes, En Pointe, spins away and holds the mask to her face.

"Why? I'm assuming it's just a prop?" she tilts her head sightly with the wide mask not fitting her face at all.

"Y/n!" Aloïs says with an angry tone.

With a giggle she stops teasing and hands Aloïs back the mask. Aloïs gives a sigh of relief and looks back at Y/n before placing a delicate kiss on her head.

"Thank you, darling. And yes, this is a very important prop."

Y/n smiles back at Aloïs's before her ears perk.

"Oh no!"

Putting her feet back flat on the ground, she shrinks to her natural height that's much shorter than Aloïs.

She blows a kiss to Aloïs before running off to the stage, right on cue to her dance number.

Aloïs turns back to a deep chuckle behind the curtains. Phantom had been watching Y/n's playful spectacle.

"Quite the witted beauty. Perhaps I'll take her instead?"

Aloïs growls and shoves the mask against Phantoms chest.

"Take whoever you want! Just leave Y/n out of it!"

"Y/n?" The Phantom taunted with a venomous rumbling voice. He places the mask back onto his face and swings his cape dramatically.

"I shall remember her." His last words before disappearing into the inter mechanisms of the Opera house.

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Months passed since Y/n and Erik were hired in the Tavern. Things were going well. Their room had been upgraded to one with a proper washroom and two beds.

Even tho two beds still in the same room, Y/n made a point of it to put up a curtain between her and Erik's bed for a little privacy.

After the first few days of working Erik noticed the knot in Y/n's dress was starting to ruin the dress completely.

He saved up and bought her a band new dress the next day. One with frills and extra light material to emphasize the dance moves.

Slowly they started building a living! First properly cleaning the room best they could, adding curtains and a carpet. Then clothes and accessories to match their taste.

Erik's first time in a market was a wonder to behold, like a child scattered in all directions. Spices from India, silk from Asia. All exported goods Erik never really considered beyond the walls of the Opera house.

Y/n had to hold his hand to keep him from wandering off. This ended up turning into a tugging to every stall that caught Erik's eye.

At nights when kt was time to work, Y/n took the time to properly warm up then dance for hours on end.

Erik usually leaned against the wall or sat at the edge of the bar. Watching every step and every beautiful lock of hair glide through the air as Y/n danced.

Tho his face was dark and intense, he always felt the magic of the theater when watching Y/n dance. A twinge of nostalgia.

Unfortunately there were times when he had to twist a mans arm or almost break his hand for even almost touching Y/n.

Y/n always lost track of time. Erik took this oppertunity to pull her to a corner and probably hydrate and give her a needed break.

After the day was said and done they'd go up to their room for the night, still buzzing from the energetic bar.

"Ha! Come now my dear, if I danced I'd surely look like waddling pigeon!" Erik laughed while delicately massaging Y/n's legs.

Back in the room after a long night of dancing for drunken men. A small candle was flickering against the wooden walls of the room.

Y/n had finally taken Erik up on his nonsense that she 'wasn't doing the proper cool down stretches', and told him to show her how he thinks it's done.

"C'mon! I'm sure you can do a perfect walts! You should've learned something from never leaving the Opera house!"

She watched Erik at the foot of her bed struggling with the basic massaging methods. She was finishing her dinner that Boris had brought up for them.

"Well of course! Walts and many other partner dances. But I wouldn't dare dance alone!" Erik mumbles.

"Mmh! Ow!" Y/n wines yanking her leg back.

"That's enough of your 'help'. " she lightly smacks Erik's hand with the back of her spoon.

She is quick to get back on her feet before pulling Erik to his.

"Now show me this waltz!" she excitedly puts her hands on either of his shoulders with a little bounce.

"Alright, alright! Let's start with this." He mentioned with a little chuckle before pushing Y/n down by her shoulders to stop her bouncing.

He takes one of Y/n's hands off his shoulder and holds it to the side. His hand traces down her side until it's firmly placed on her hip.

"Follow my feet, when I step forward, you step back." he looks down at their feet and starts humming a small tune.

Ta, ta tum! He steps forward and Y/n is quick to match, then another step forward and Y/n steps back.

"Good. Now there's a very important thing to remember about the Waltz." He smiles looking at Y/n's intense focus on his feet movements.

"What's that?" she questions.

Erik smirks and uses his finger to delicately lift Y/n's chin until she looks at him.

"Read the words that come from your partners eyes."

Y/n feels the blood rush to her cheeks and she nods still following Erik's steps and his hummed tune.

"Very Good." he complimented, his voice barely above a whisper now.

Their dance slow to a few small steps and Erik watches Y/n's gaze, hypnotized by his voice and the flickering of a candle in his eyes.

Erik felt his chest start beating faster. Their bodies close enough to feel Y/n's steady breathing. A delicate hand on her hip controlling her movements and keeping her tightly in his grasp.

Y/n's eyes never waver from Erik's gaze. He moves down slowly feeling an immense need to kiss her delicate lips. Their lips graze only for a moment, the want for the sweet taste of each other rushing through both their bodies before :

Knock Knock. "Y/n! A letter for ya!"

A sudden knocking pull both of them from their thoughts and Y/n is first to turn into a red tomato.

"Coming!" she yells, feeling the cold air away from Erik's embrace.

Finally opening the door she looks at Boris still holding his cigar firmly in his mouth with an abnormally white envelope in his hands.

Y/n thanks Boris and whispers a small goodnight before closing the door.

She turns back to Erik with her eyes plastered on the wax seal on the letter. Very formal one compared to any common folks letter.

She traces her fingertips over the oddly familiar crest on the seal.

With a satisfying snap she breaks the wax quickly unfolds the letter.

"What is it?" Erik questions after recovering.

Y/n reads intently which quickly turns to worry. She brings her thumb to her mouth and starts chewing on the nail.

"Floquet..." she talks with a mumble because of the nail she chewed on.

Erik delicately takes her hand from her mouth and holds it to his chest like you would a book.

Y/n looks at him then takes a deep breath.

"Aloïs Floquet. That was his family's name. I recognized the crest from back in the Opera, when he received multiple letters from his mother and father." she explains.

"The letter says they'll be coming here within the next few days. But it doesn't explain why?the letter was sent a week ago! They could arrive tomorrow!"

Y/n's hand clenches out of reflex. Erik delicately traces circles on the back of her hand before questioning.

"Why would they come here?"

"I don't know! Aloïs must've told his family about me! And they heard of me dancing here! Now someone from the family is coming here to yell? Ask me where he is? Arrest me?!"

Y/n starts breathing quicker but Erik swiftly pulls her into a hug.

"Calm your breathing, my dear. It's surely nothing of the sort, and if it is? You did nothing illegal. They will have me to deal with."

He places a kiss on the top of Y/n's head trying to calm her spinning thoughts.

Y/n nods slowly in agreement still feeling fear in her soul. She squeezed Erik tightly and sniffed her tears back.

"Thank you Erik."

She whispered so quietly Erik almost missed it.

Not long after Y/n fell asleep in hed bed. Another mental blow adding to stress that never quite left her after the Opera house burnt down.

Erik peaked through the curtain at Y/n peacefully sleeping on the bed before closing the curtain again.

He walks to the closet then kneels down to the very bottom of the wooden cupboard.

He pushes the false bottom out to reveal a small dagger he'd retrieved from the Opera house. Tho he'd like to use his Rapier sword, being the excellent swordsman he is, it would be far to obvious. Keeping a large sword visible would give him away to his opponent.

This was how Erik planned his encounters with any hint of a threat.

Christine's voice drifted through the open window and into the room. It filled Erik with a breath of fresh air once again. Christine still preforming in an opera nearby giving Erik all the more reason to think about her.

He pushed the dagger back into its sheath and set it down then pulling the ring from his shirt tied to a necklace.

Sitting on his bed he watched Y/n's silhouette through the curtain, her body tense while she slept, then back at the ring. While in thought he starts humming.

"No more talk of darkness,

Forget these wide-eyed fears,

I'm here, nothing can harm you,

My words will warm and calm you." his thoughts turned into a comforting melody.

Y/n's shoulders relax by hearing Erik sing like she's gotten so use to. He smiles seeing her figure calm down.

"Christine, you'll have to wait. I must protect My Y/n first."

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Loud cheers from two or three men early in the morning. Their obnoxious voices make Y/n jump out of her dreams and right into the bright morning.

She groans rubbing her eyes with her palm, her wild, lioness hair never breaking the morning routine it kept.

She sighed and stood up from the bed, quickly pulling back the curtain. Erik was still fast asleep with his newly made black mask on the bedside table.

Y/n smiled warmly walking over to him and placing a very quiet kiss on his cheek. A small groan from Erik still fast asleep, then Y/n prepared for the day ahead.

She sighed pulling her shoes on and quietly closing the door behind her. Breakfast was served downstairs as a way of welcoming her and Erik to work in the mornings.

She skipped downstairs with a smile before sliding down the hand rail skipping the last few steps.

"Bonjour Boris!"

She smiled and spun around to the back of the bar where she grabbed a fork.

"Bonjour, girl. Hope you're hungry!" he said tossing a cloth over his shoulder and pushing two plates onto the counter."

Y/n takes a deep breath inhaling the fresh smell of warm bread. She swiftly grabs the bread and took a seat on one of the bar stools.

"Mm~ You spoil us, boy!" she teases Boris while chewing happily, only to receive a smack over the head with the cloth Boris had.

"Ow-!"

Boris smirks with a little chuckle before looking at the door that creaked open.

"Welcome! What can I get for you?"

"I'm looking for a girl."

Once again Y/n stops chewing and drops the bread into the plate causing the fork to fall out and onto the floor. Her heart pounding in her throat at the familiar voice she heard behind her.

Her body slowly turns to see a young gentleman in the doorway. A coat hung over his shoulder and a neat vest over a white V-neck shirt.

His eyes bright blue and his curly blond hair pulled into a formal ponytail with a few stray strands.

"A-Aloïs...?"

Y/n stands straight only for the shock to hit her fast. She falls back onto the bar holding herself up with her elbows.

Slowly Aloïs walks closer and kneels down to match her hight. Delicately he lifts her chin to look at him.

"Y/n, My darling. I've been looking for you for so long." a smooth whisper before he plants a kiss on her lips.

Y/n is taken by surprise and pushes Aloïs back with her hand on his chest.

"Hold on!" she objects but Aloïs scoops her into his arms and lifts her bridal style.

"Aloïs! Please wait! I-I need to-!" her heart now in her throat she couldn't get the words out fast enough as Aloïs carries her to the door.

"Don't worry! You're safe now!" Aloïs boasted with his head held high, feeling like a knight in shining armor rescuing the damsel.

Aloïs was inches from the door when he's slammed to the side and Y/n is dropped to her feet. With one hand she's pulled into Erik's chest, holding her body tightly against it. So tight that she could hear his heart pounding aswell.

Erik holds his dagger out to Aloïs and glares even more daggers towards him.

The villain come to claim back the damsel, he held Y/n's shoulders then growls out his objection.

"She said, Wait."

Aloïs stands up from where he was pushed and looks at the masked man confused.

"You?" he proclaimed.

Y/n squeezes her eyes shut and listens to Erik's heart for just a moment. He was terrified of her leaving. Tho he doesn't talk much about his past, Y/n knows for a fact he's terrified of ending up alone again.

"That's enough!"

She shakes herself out of her panic, at least enough to talk then looks straight back at Aloïs.

"Let's talk outside."

After getting Erik to lower the dagger, they meet outside of the tavern to talk. Erik right beside Y/n leaning against the wall and listening to every word.

Y/n is the first to talk with her hands fidgeting with her dress.

"How is this possible Aloïs? I saw you get crushed by the falling beams! I heard you scream as you got burnt."

She looks at Aloïs though her hanging locks of hair.

"I did, but I was found. And thanks to my parents, I got the right treatment." his hand moves to his collar only to pull it down low enough to reveal some scarring peaking out of his shirt and crawling up his neck.

"After that I made it a priority to find you. I asked the Managers but those cowards didn't even bother to check how many people survived!"

He takes a step towards Y/n but stops the second Erik growls.

Clearing his throat he looks back at Y/n.

"I hired a private investigator to find you. In the end, they told me of a girl dancing in a tavern matching your description. I knew it had to be you! Now I've come to take you to a safer place."

Y/n shakes her head with her body still tense.

"Leave with you? Aloïs? I barely recognize you! It's been months since, I saw you die. Now you have fancy clothes and an expensive carriage!"

"Yes! To live the life we always talked about! Y/n, I have the money now."

He reaches for Y/n's hand but she pulls away.

"Aloïs... I've mourned for you, I've finally gotten myself to stop crying and move on, you want me to come right back?"

She clenches her teeth and pushes her index finger against Aloïs's chest.

"You may have been in the Opera for a few years, but I've had to learn to create an entire new life for myself and Erik!"

Y/n feels angry tears fill her eyes.

"We can't just start loving each other again!"

Y/n proclaims.

"We still could! I'm still the same Aloïs, Y/n. All you have to do..."

Aloïs pulls a sparkling ring from his pocket and holds it out to Y/n making her gasp.

"... Is give me a chance to show you."

Y/n looks at the glittering jewel as he places it in her palm and folds her fingertips over it.

"Think about it, my love."

He places a kiss on her hand. That was the final straw, Y/n couldn't take everything anymore, she took off back into the tavern leaving Erik and Aloïs.

Aloïs gives a long sigh before straightening his coat and popping the collar.

"That didn't go as planned, I'm afraid."

As much as he didn't want to, Erik chuckled at Aloïs's failed proposal allowing Aloïs to glare him down.

"You! You said you would leave her out of it."

"No, I said I'd remember her." he teased Aloïs.

Aloïs retorts.

"Don't forget, I know exactly what you are. What would Y/n think if she knew she was living with a murderer. The Phantom."

Erik's eyes go red and he shoves Aloïs against the wall and was about to plunge the dagger into the fancy vest Aloïs wore, but Aloïs grabbed Erik's mask almost yanking it off.

"Careful now! You kill me, Y/n will know instantly by my screams." Aloïs warns.

Phantom looks at Aloïs with his one eye that's not covered by Aloïs's palm. Taking a careful step backwards, he let's Aloïs go.

Aloïs straightens his coat and smirks walking to his carriage.

"Tell Y/n I will return for her answer, and you better not be here."

A final threat from Aloïs before the whip echoes and the horses gallop down the street.

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madreemeritus · 9 months

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「Kissie Spot」

(Lon Chaney Erik x GN Reader) Romantic, sugestive but SFW

Another fanfiction, yay! This is Lon Chaney's version of Erik because the silent movie is my favorite adaptation. I'm not used to write self-insert fanfictions soooo plz give me a break 🥹 the Reader is gender neutral by the way 👍🏽 have good reading :3

You woke up after a comfortable night sleep in a bed shaped like a swan. The few seconds after awakening were enough for you to remember the events of the previous day: you were courted by the Phantom of the Opera himself, the mysterious specter in the darkness. He brought you to his subterranean abode and trusted enough to tell you his true name: Erik. Gods, he loved you! The fearsome nameless legend that prowled the theater was madly in love with you. It felt weird, like acidic butterflies dancing inside you. It was strange, even frightening at one point, but at the same time… tender. Like a hidden desire touched on in the most libertine of nights.

You get up in bed and observe the room around you, everything was perfectly architected as a dark lair. The style of the catacombs reminded you of the so-called 'barbarian architecture' of the Dark Ages, a name given by the Renaissance that sounded rather insensitive towards 'gothic' sculptures. Everything that referred to the occult, the demonic and the incomprehensible was fascinating to you, and apparently, to the Phantom as well.

Your thoughts are interrupted when macabre and terribly dramatic music is played on the pipe organ. The melody rang through your ears like a siren's voice seduces sailors; it was impossible not to lean towards the triumphant spectacle. If, on just one instrument, music disturbingly penetrated your soul, you imagined what it would be like to hear the piece in a large and phenomenal orchestra. You left the room and headed towards the masked man. He played the pipe organ like no other musician, it was the darkest, most intense and most pleasurable way you will ever witness. You approach Erik and tap him on the shoulder, eliciting a noticeable anxiety that sends shivers down his spine.

— Oh! You're awake... - Erik said, sighing - I... I made you breakfast. You can stay here for as long as you like.

Erik, in contrast to the chivalry of the day before, felt shy and unsure of himself when talking to you. It's like he can't believe you stayed in his house without dying or running away in the middle of the night.

— I appreciate it, but I'm not hungry right now. – you answer, running your fingers gently over his shoulders – What song was that? Did you write it?

— Oh, yes – Erik pointed to the sheet music in front of him, written 'Don Juan Triumphant' – Ever since I laid eyes on you, this song echoes through my head. The sound of love triumphant.

If it weren't for the ominous, pale mask, you'd be able to watch Erik's face redden – just as your own face did. He played again, this time less immersed in the feeling. Visibly uneasy... your presence was like a test to him, and even more so for his proximity. You decide to break that invisible barrier, sit down next to Erik and wrap one of your arms around his back.

— It must be a divine triumph, judging by that small piece of the play.

— A-ah, yes... - Erik replies, feeling a little more courageous with all the praise he received – I put all my inner demons into this work. But there is beauty in everything, even the most vile of gargoyles... in my music, that's how it is.

Comments of that nature always came out in a sad tone from the Phantom's lips. Judging by his anxiety and the mask that covered his face at all times, you'd come to the conclusion that he had a lot of issues with self image. After all, who would isolate themselves from the world, in a catacomb, if not to escape the horrors outside? But you wanted Erik to trust you, just as you placed your trust in him when you accompanied him underground.

— Erik – you call him, resting your head on his shoulder – Can I see your face?

Upon hearing this question, Erik shuddered and stopped playing, abruptly pulling away from you.

— D-don't ever ask me to do that! Please, my angel, I... I don't have a face. What I have is the remains of a face, a carcass abandoned and despised by the Gods. No one must see my face... especially you.

— Why do you say that? You do not trust me? – you approach him again and join your hands in his.

— I… I trust you, but… – Erik stammered, his eyes filled with tears – Not even my parents loved me. They rejected me for my face, just like everyone else... that's why I live in hiding, to avoid going through the same horrors as before.

Your chest ached with sadness hearing those harsh words. You couldn't imagine how a father, a mother, could be so cruel to their own child! You had no idea how broken Erik was, after so many years in a cycle of pain and rejection. You slowly approached and hugged him, feeling him shudder at first. Erik got emotional and hugged you back, still a little hesitant; his hot tears fell onto your shoulder.

— I'm not going to lose all feelings I have for you just because you have a different face. You are an amazing and lovable person, Erik. Please don't let anyone convince you otherwise.

— Oh… – the masked man laid his head on the crook of your neck, barely able to believe that moment.

Erik pulled away from the hug, his hands shaking and sweating cold. He looked paler than usual. With his head down and his gaze averted from his, Erik takes his hand to the mask and slowly removes it, revealing more and more the morbid and slightly yellow skin. Once his face was completely revealed, he kept his eyes tightly closed as his body became more and more trembling. His skin was abnormally glued to the face, forming a cadaverous image with two holes for a nose. His eyes were very sunken, just like a skeleton. His thinness, what little remained of his lips and its strange coloring referred to the very image of death. Furthermore, the black cloth that accompanied the white mask revealed a bald spot on his head.

Silent seconds – that seemed like hours – were enough for you to analyze that deformity as a whole. The only thing you dared to do was reach your right hand to Erik's face, stroking his cheek. He immediately let out a sigh, scared at first, but relaxed as he felt that caress.

— You see? I said nothing would change between us. – you finally said.

— Oh... - Erik finally opened his eyes and had the courage to face you. He covered your right hand with his, intoxicated by your touch – You... are truly... an angel. My angel…

Erik chastely kissed the palm of your hand. You didn't stop there, instead you hugged him tightly. He didn't say anything else, just sobbed in a silent cry. There was no need to say anything at that moment. While he was distracted – hopelessly immersed in your embrace – you took the opportunity to tuck your face into the crook of his neck, inhaling the sweet masculine scent he had. Erik jumped at the scent he received.

— Wh-what are you doing?

— Sniffing you, silly. – Don't you like it?

Erik thought for a moment. He didn't want to be inappropriate, too needy, or even sound like a pervert. Yet, your fondness was undeniable... it was like an addictive drug he didn't want to retire from. He nodded slowly in affirmation, his face was noticeably flushed. You continued the affection, sniffing and kissing Erik's neck as he let out short, shy sighs. You dared, kissing even his cheek; you felt his salty tears on your tongue, which only emboldened you more. With your hands, you lowered Erik's head to your shoulders and placed a long kiss on his bald head.

— Y-you don't have to do that – he said, stuttering and shuddering, while you continued to place several kisses on his head – I'm not, ah!, I'm not worthy of this affection…

— Yes, you are worthy – you said, finally – And I am willing to kiss all over your body, if you allow me.

Erik smirked and bit his lip, like a child eager for a gift. He stands up, still shy but feeling a slight surge of confidence.

— So... Do you want to go to your room?

You smiled, excited by the invitation, and took Erik's hands.

— I'd love to – you said at last, leading him to your room where you've woken up that morning.

Doing your best to respect his space and time, you wait for him to sit on the bed and continue trailing kisses down his face and neck. Erik gently hugged your waist, sliding his fingers down your back once in a while. He was very quiet, but always flushed and smiling as he received your touches – sometimes he let out a soft giggle. Your hands dared to lift the fabric of his pants, revealing the scarred, pale skin of his legs, which made him pull away again.

— Oh! Sorry, I didn't expect that! – he said awkwardly – M-my legs are not a pleasant sight…

— What do you mean?

— Look at me, I'm sickeningly skinny, I barely have any body hair, and… well, those blue veins are very noticeable. And not just on my leg...

— Erik… – you ran your hand over the musician's trembling shins – I think you're beautiful from head to toe. And jumpy veins are normal, everyone has them.

— But mine are different! It was... years... years of slavery that punished my body so much... these scars, they...

— They don't matter. All of that is in the past, Erik. You're here with me – you kissed him passionately on the lips, which made him gasp over your nose – That's what matters now.

You slowly lowered yourself over his body, placing a light kiss on his leg. Feeling him approve of your attitude, you continued kissing each scar, each bluish and bulging vein that caused so much agony and bad memories. Erik managed not to make any undue noises, instead he lied back on the bed and closed his eyes, appreciating your affection. But he wasn't prepared for your next step: you lifted his pants higher and kissed his inner thigh, which made him accidentally let out a moan of pleasure. It had mere seconds, but loud enough for you to hear. He was terribly embarrassed, redder than a strawberry.

— F-forgive me, I… tried not to…

You laugh softly and grab him by the waist.

— It's okay, Erik. We don't need to go further if you don't want to – you crawl towards his chest, until their faces meet – But there's no need to be ashamed of feeling pleasure.

With those words, Erik felt as if pounds of guilt and anxiety had been lifted off his shoulders. He felt comfortable, happy, calm, all around you. During his years living under violence, slavery and isolation, he never thought he would find a place so comforting. This place was you, your love, your hug, your smell, everything you could offer.

— Oh… my angel… I couldn't ask for a better gift.

— I say the same – you answer, kissing him again on the lips and feeling his skin rubbing against yours – I love you, Erik.

He smiled while more tears ran down his face. The Phantom of the Opera was loved, loved for what he was. He was saved by your love.

#the phantom of the opera #erik #art #gothic #gothic literature #gaston leroux #my writing #fanfiction #lon chaney #poto 1925 #the phantom of the opera 1925 #erik x reader #self ship #self insert #x reader #poto

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slaygentford · 2 months

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hi um. as an opera enjoyer do you have any thoughts on gounod's romeo & juliette?

just dug through my absolutely unusable inbox (sorry I did that ask meme and never replied I got really busy :/) to find this again because I just saw it last night and I have a couple of points ie an essay. first off the libretto is fucking deranged you have the entirety of one of the greatest achievements of the English language at your disposal

and do this instead

which proves again that the only way to adapt Shakespeare is ballet/physicality/mime because it's the only way of not using his poetry that you can convey his poetry

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adjacent is that obv above they're in their 20s-30s but with dance the acting comes across better bc it's the entire body whereas opera they've gotta stand fairly still and so you're very aware you're watching two 35 year olds do this same scene as 14/15 year olds only singing and singing bad verse besides.

point b leads into point b.5(?) which is I straight up don't like tenors. I've come to accept this about myself. I straight up dislike a tenor. grow up. why are you as a man a tenor. men should either be countertenors (I kno we all saw it six years ago and daily since but let's revisit) or baritone or bass. stop yelling. STOP IT!!!! STOP YELLING!!!!! oh MY god. as you can imagine this makes my life very difficult. not Gounod's fault. I understand that Romeo obviously cannot be a baritone.

b.5: in every French opera you inevitably have the one frenchman in the cast who instead of rolling the r's has decided to swallow them instead which just annoys me. thats the entire point I just dont like it I like French opera fine love it even but oh my godddddd stop it. stop it. get some help.

point d: all of that being said the music alone is absolutely. just absolutely. just absolutely absolutely. beyond beautiful. and obviously we're all there at least in part for the spectacle of it. I spent 43 usd to see her do this

youtube

and obviously that was the bargain of a lifetime and regardless of all of the above I'd go again if I had another 43 bucks to spend. Ive seen her as Violetta as well several years ago and I will say that her Violetta is what took me from a casual opera fan to my current state and I did SPECIFICALLY go see this for her. the chokehold this woman has on an audience is unreal and this + je veux vivre are just really stunning pieces of Gounod's so what can you do.

in conclusion to enjoy this opera you must pretend it is not Romeo and Juliet because it is not Romeo and Juliet. not to be dramatic but it's a garish pastiche that offends me on a base level and if I'd seen it in 1860 whatever when it came out I'd be saying that loudly and complaining for the ENTIRE carriage ride home. but it's 2024 and I can turn on the baz Luhrmann Romeo and Juliet so it's all good. it's sonically really lovely and a great showcase for any soprano

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lilyrosegold · 1 year

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The thing about Gerik that I think we as a fandom don’t talk about enough is the fact that he is, at his core, an indoor phantom. Lerik and Susan Kay Erik and even merik have traveled and seen the world before coming to stay at the opera house. Gerik was a young child when he started living there and he has “known nothing but the opera house ever since” to loosely quote madam Giry. This man doesn’t go outside. He has built his whole life from inside the opera house. All his skills were learned through a combination of observation and pure childish fuck around and find out boredom in a way very similar to Rapunzel in Disney’s tangled. This means that all his dramatics, confidence, and skill has been built around how he functions inside the opera house. It is truly his domaine in a way that it isn’t for many other adaptations. For many other versions of the phantom you can remove Erik from the opera house and he still holds a certain amount of power and poses a threat. The same can not really be said for Gerik. The only time he leaves the opera house in the film he gets his ass kicked. In the graveyard, a place he has no sway over like he does with the opera house, he is easily bested by Raoul. He is in fact fully about to be stabbed to death when Christine intervenes. He is not stronger or more skilled than the average man when it comes to fighting he has simply always had the home base advantage. This Erik relies on the fact that he knows the building better than anyone else heavily in order to do everything that he does in that movie and it shows. It’s incredibly interesting to consider that unlike many other adaptations Gerik has nothing without the opera house.

#phantom of the opera #poto #erik #gerik #phantom of the opera 2004

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unpopularwiththepopulace · 2 months

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Propelled chiefly by last year’s London production, I have written a (rather) long form piece to do with Rebecca the Musical. Though focusing mainly on this eventual and heavily expectant premiere of the English production of the musical, discussion relates also to the original and other iterations of the show, and musicals more generally, too.

The piece is anchored by the central theme of insatiability while looking in turn at:

the process of tracing the evasive histories of character representations and theatrical productions over many decades – including also flickered and largely forgotten records of the play and opera forms of Rebecca, and the “apparitional”, equivocal lens that queer female sexuality is handled with across large spans of time

decoding evidence of sparse, if periodically rather dire, female queerness in theatrical, musical contexts – guided by the disciples of dykeish dissatisfaction in the musical’s character of Mrs Danvers or the story’s primary author of Daphne du Maurier herself

considering what it means to exist as an audience member responding in situ to (principally female) performers with thrilling voices, both in and outside an auditorium, and the delicate but frequently under-discussed predicament of queer female diva devotion.

Take a look if you're interested!

In further expansion of photographic documentation of each of the examined stage-based, theatrical iterations of Rebecca, more images are presented below.

Discussion originates from the existence of the 2023 English premiere production of Rebecca the Musical at the Charing Cross Theatre in London, where cast principals included Kara Lane as Mrs Danvers (alternated by Melanie Bright), Lauren Jones as I (the new Mrs de Winter), and Richard Carson as Maxim. Photos by myself.

The first stage production of Rebecca arose much earlier, concerning the 1939 play by the same name at the Queen’s Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue (now The Sondheim Theatre). Daphne du Maurier herself wrote its script. Margaret Rutherford played Mrs Danvers, Celia Johnson was the new Mrs de Winter, Owen Nares appeared as Maxim. The Queen’s Theatre was bombed in 1940 during WWII at the time of Rebecca’s occupancy, becoming the first theatre in London to be hit by a wartime bomb, and bringing to an immediate premature close the show’s successful run - and highlighting earlier associations of this story's connection to tumultuous tales and dramatic events in histories of it's staging, as the attempted primary stagings of the English musical iteration would later return to.

Photos from this first theatrical, London production include those by Angus McBean from a periodical spread entitled ‘Mystery and Murder in Stately Cornish Home - Dramatic Moments of Du Maurier’s “Rebecca.”’, published in The Sketch (vol. 190), May 1940.

The play also then appeared on the road in America, and subsequently on Broadway in 1945 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre for a fleeting 20 performances; and of this entity, record remains even more scarce. Cast principals included: Florence Reed (Mrs Danvers), Diana Barrymore (the new Mrs de Winter), Bramwell Fletcher (Maxim).

The next and last distinct adaptation of Rebecca to appear on stage before the musical was the 1983 opera production devised for Opera North, with music by Wilfred Josephs and libretto by Edward Marsh. It toured the UK before being revived briefly in 1988 and never seen again. Cast principals included: Ann Howard as Mrs Danvers, with Gillian Sullivan and later Anne Williams-King as the new Mrs de Winter, and Peter Knapp as Maxim.

Finding these few, historic photographs in obscure newspapers or consulting original scripts and librettos, for instance, in libraries and archives during this effortful and active treasure-hunting felt special and rewarding. But possible reconstruction of these stage iterations in the present day is only incompletely possible, because of reduced ease of access to or apparent remaining visceral evidence of a visceral art form.

The frustration in trying to seek out these apparitional traces not only foregrounds the importance of maintaining accessible, comprehensive primary records within the theatre, but mirrors also the act of trying to seek out records of queer female sexuality across history in works of literature, cinema or theatre, as a process typified by a similarly effortful navigation of apparitional erasure. This facet connects with the notion that consideration around Rebecca entangles with a web of insatiability or dykeish dissatisfaction, a web that stretches from this erasure and liminality of representation, to character constructions within the work – including of its infamous housekeeper, Mrs Danvers, to contextual backgrounds like those of the story’s primary author itself, Daphne du Maurier.

The entity of Rebecca, then, across its many themes, productions and decades, is uniquely useful in the way it can in turn encompass and facilitate explorations of these many facets – being capable of simultaneously holding consideration of these expansive webs of documentation, erasure or dykeish dissatisfaction that can be found lurking in historical margins, as well as also the contrasting luminous energy that can be produced in the present in association with the musical, as physical audiences interact with and respond to the material of the show and its performers within theatres in real time. These considerations have transferrable applicability beyond this singular context of this particular show to more general notions of theatrical pieces and the practice of theatregoing, too, as they foreground the question of how audience members respond to, process, and interact with shows; and, as a matter of far less common discussion or scholarly writing on the subject of diva devotion, how female fans specifically navigate the complex predicament of queer, female, performance-driven high regard.

#rebecca the musical #rebecca das musical #rebecca #mrs danvers #ich #the new mrs de winter #daphne du maurier #lonbecca #rebecca london #kara lane #willemijn verkaik #musical theatre #musicals #terry castle #wayne koestenbaum #the apparitional lesbian #theatre

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scatteredastrology · 2 years

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book recs for the signs

aries:

energetic, hot-headed, courageous, fiery, competitive, heroic, daring

- the illiad by homer

- east of eden by john steinbeck

- war and peace by leo tolstoy

taurus:

homely, indulgent, sensual, tender, stubborn, stagnant, creative

- my year of rest and relaxation by ottessa moshfegh

- on earth we’re briefly gorgeous by ocean vuong

- the goldfinch by donna tartt

gemini:

lively, witty, superficial, spontaneous, adaptable, curious

- the secret history by donna tartt

- and then there were none by agatha christie

- lord of the flies by william golding

cancer:

nurturing, moody, intuitive, sentimental

- the bell jar by sylvia plath

- the turn of the screw by henry james

- mrs dalloway by virginia woolf

leo:

dramatic, passionate, vivacious, steadfast, playful

- the picture of dorian gray by oscar wilde

- if we were villains by m.l. rio

- the phantom of the opera by gaston leroux

virgo:

meticulous, analytical, modest, critical, complex, distant

- the catcher in the rye by j.d salinger

- the stranger/the outsider by albert camus

- sherlock holmes by arthur conan doyle

libra:

romantic, diplomatic, idealistic, gullible, harmonious, aesthete

- to kill a mockingbird by harper lee

- pride and prejudice by jane austen

- little women by louisa may alcott

scorpio:

intense, perceptive, thoughtful, obsessive, elusive

- inferno by dante

- lolita by vladimir nabokov

- these violent delights by micah nemerever

sagittarius:

philosophical, optimistic, restless, insatiable, adventurous, wise

- crime and punishment by fyodor dostoevsky

- don quixote by miguel de cervantes

- the razor’s edge by w. somerset maugham

capricorn:

ambitious, reserved, dedicated, reliable, resilient, protective, melancholic

- the great gatsby by scott fitzgerald

- great expectations by charles dickens

- anna karenina by leo tolstoy

aquarius:

intelligent, unique, strange, detached, revolutionary, rebellious

- frankenstein by mary shelley

- animal farm by george orwell

- the metamorphosis by franz kafka

pisces:

introspective, yearning, dreamy, artistic, sensitive

- the haunting of hill house by shirley jackson

- the waves by virginia woolf

- the starless sea by erin morgenstern

#astrology #books #virginia woolf #literature #dark academia #zodiac #sylvia plath #charles dickens #mary shelley #kafka #oscar wilde #donna tartt #jane austen #shirley jackson #classics #book recommendations #first post in forever #book recs #edited

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himehikoshrine · 6 months

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Jack Jeanne Explainers: Takarazuka Revue

This post is a quick and probably incomplete overview of Takarazuka Revue specifically for the context of its inspiration on Jack Jeanne, for reference. It's a basic overview but it's not intended as a guide to the form and fandom.

Takarazuka Revue (JP: 宝塚歌劇団) is likely the most direct influence on the game. It also has a very dedicated fan base that maintains robust English Language resources, so if this aspect of things intrigues you, it is quite accessible to dive further into.

Takarazuka Revue is an all-female musical theater company founded in 1913 and based out of the city of Takarazuka. All roles, male and female, are played by women. It also has an associated training school, the Takarazuka Music School.

The original pitch for the game was an All Boys Revue School, so the reference starts at the very beginning, as a kind of gender swap of Takarazuka.

You may notice that the term used here for "Revue" 『歌劇』 is the same one that the game uses. It gets translated sometimes as "opera" sometimes as "theater" - in general the term does mean "opera" but it's pretty clearly not opera that they're training - it's being used as "Revue" the same way that Takarazuka uses it. Which is, loosely speaking, musical theater.

Continued below the cut --

(I suspect that the similarities in first sound and also first character between 宝塚 - Takarazuka and 玉阪 - Tamasaka are intentional as well)

Takarazuka was founded by a businessman looking for an attraction to draw people to the city and settled on the idea of an All Female Musical Revue and a focus on more western style musical, mostly, as far as I know, as a business decision and a feeling that traditional styles of Kabuki were falling out of favor with most people. It drew heavily from French Musical Revue. The full history of the company, like I said, is well documented in English, and is longer than I can get into, here.

Compare and contrast this to the information we get about the 13th Himehiko, the current principal's great-grandfather, Chuza Dairi. He's said to have been born during the Meiji era and lived into the Showa era, and was fascinated by western style musicals. He's credited with the name Univeil, and starting to use the Jack and Jeanne terms.

Takarazuka stands in contrast to a long line of male exclusive theater forms in Japan. Japan, of course, also puts on co-ed musicals, both originals and adaptations, like the rest of the world, but Takarazuka is very much, to use the phrase the game uses, the "pinnacle of all-female revues."

This image is of a showcase from 1930, where you can see the lavish, european revue style inspiration clearly.

In Takarazuka, male roles are called otokoyaku (男役) - which just means 'men's roles' and is the term Jack Jeanne uses for what "Jack" roles are. Female roles are called musumeyaku (娘役) - which translates to 'girl/maiden/daughter roles'. The game actually uses onnayaku (女役) or women's roles when introducing Jeannes.

(Worth noting that the character Kisa plays in the Newcomers' Performance is translated as Maiden but is 娘 (musume) in Japanese which means occasionally when she or other characters are talking about "playing the role of the maiden" they are saying "musumeyaku" which I think is probably an intentional reference.)

Takarazuka puts on Musicals as well as both song and dance revues. It adapts many things, from extant musicals to manga to film, as well as history and classic stories. It has a reputation for being bright, sparkly, and lavish in costuming and set design and dramatic in style.

The voice actor for Tancho, the singing teacher and head of Rhodonite, is a former Takarazuka Otokoyaku. Tancho's outfits and style of speech are directly taken from Takarazuka. The feathers Tancho wears are part of the standard Revue portion of Takarazuka shows.

Right - Tancho's image, from the website, Left - Tancho's voice actor, Nanami Hiroki, from the Asashi article announcing her retirement from Takarazuka, showing her wearing one of the typical feather backed outfits that leads appear in parades after performances.

Otokoyaku are the stars of Takarazuka and tend to draw the biggest crowd and they get top billing, though each troupe tends to have a top Otokoyaku and top Musumeyaku, decided by a complex mix of seniority (especially for otokoyaku) and gradings. I will stop short of saying these are kind of like Jack Ace and Al Jeannes of a class, though. The Musumeyaku is expected to support her Otokoyaku. Using the terms Jack Jeanne uses, for Takarazuka, the Otokoyaku is essentially always the Flower, the Musumeyaku the Vessel, which is more standardized than the point of view of characters at Univeil.

The top Otokoyaku and top Musumeyaku are called the Top Combi (コンビ). Takarazuka and its fandom use that, rather than Partner (パートナー) that Jack Jeanne is fond of, which carries a potentially romantic connotation.

Takarazuka expects its actresses to maintain a more masculine or very feminine (depending on their role) persona on and off stage, and the expectations for behavior and appearance are quite strict even off stage. For example, much like Idols, they are expected to not date, let alone marry and have kids, until they retire.

EDIT: Someone who knows more than me let me know that the rules for dating are slightly more lax now, and relationships are tolerated so long as they are kept strictly out of the public eye - though still no marriage.

Jack Jeanne remains frustratingly vague on the rules for this during school -- No one seems to think dating itself is an issue, but Ao does say that it would 'cause trouble' if people saw them holding hands. So perhaps we're supposed to imagine something similar? But back to the post.

Takarazuka is divided into several different Troupes (組, kumi, read as gumi when used after the name of a troupe). They currently have five.

They break down as follows

Flower Troupe (Hanagumi 花組) - 1921 Moon Troupe (Tsukigumi 月組) - 1921 Snow Troupe (Yukigumi 雪組) - 1924 Star Troupe (Hoshigumi 星組) -1933-1939, reestablished 1948 Cosmos Troupe (Soragumi 宙組) - 1998

Each troupe has a reputation, though they are fairly loosely followed, and many performances get performed by different troupes for different runs. However, I suspect this was a strong influence on the way the classes were divided in Jack Jeanne. For example, Moon Troupe is known for singing. The newest troupe, the Cosmos Troupe is written with a character in Chui's name, and their stereotype is 'experimental and tall'. Snow troupe, interestingly, is known for more traditionally Japanese works (loosely) which is a conspicuous absence from Univeil, especially considering Tamasakaza's style is said to be more traditional than Takarazuka's -- closer to kabuki, even.

In Takarazuka, stars are sorted into these upon graduation. The Music School is probably better as a whole separate post.

The term "Newcomer's Performance" used in the game to refer to the first show of the year is also used in Takarazuka -- shinjin kouen (新人公演), where it has the meaning of a different casting of a play with all newer Takarasiennes (a term used for the actresses of Takarazuka).

The specific announcement that Tsuki makes in the intro is almost exactly, in both wording and tone, the announcement made before each Takarazuka play. His outfit in that scene is a version of a very famous style of Takarazuka Costume, inspired by fancy French dress and specifically the manga Rose of Versaille, whose adaptation is one of Takarazuka's most iconic plays.

I would strongly encourage you to browse their official English Language site (or Japanese one, if you can read it), which can be found here : Takarazuka Revue

While you're there, if you're there for Jack Jeanne reasons, it may be interesting to pay attention to the use of the word "dream" which is one of the theme/motif words of Jack Jeanne, and is use heavily in Takarazuka's official material as well as writings on the subject.

Had to throw this in because these? These are the Takarazuka words right there. Well, their official Motto is "Modesty, Fairness, Grace" or "Be Modest, Be Proper, Be Graceful" (which is a whole lot to unpack elsewhere) but unofficially it could be "So Dreamy and Sparkly."

You'll probably get a more thorough history on the website, too, than I provided.

Rather than make this even longer, I'm going to make a separate post on Takarazuka Music School, the path into Takarazuka, and it's similarities and difference with what we know about Univeil.

I'm by no means an expert of Takarazuka, and I should probably defer to people more involved in the fandom for that, but if anyone has anything to add that I missed in this brief post, please please reblog and add! If you have any questions, I can try to answer, asks should be open!

#explainer #jack jeanne #my posts #this is intended to be a series hence the title #if I've made some zuka fandom faux pas here please let me know!#i do not pretend to know all the rules #takarazuka

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