![]() This makes the experience all the more intriguing when one can’t quite pin someone down. The simple characters fit well with this style, and it’s easy to nail down their desires and motivations. Everyone is constantly at an emotional high, usually brimming with anger or sadness, and the frantic plot keeps the reader guessing as to what wild thing is going to happen next. The series works because the melodrama never stops. The thematic meat is barely there, but the events portrayed make up for it and turn the work into unexpectedly addictive junk food. This is quickly followed by the tale of a prince and an heiress who were raised on a secluded tropical island trying to avoid political assassins with help of Hong Kong street kids who work for a local Triad group. The actual events in it continue to get stranger and stranger as time goes on, starting with a first arc where suicidal depression is cured by shooting a mirror. A truly bizarre series, it comes with a baffling set-up of an oil baron setting his daughter up with a handful of possible husbands before shifting into a political thriller about the control of one of the most oil-rich nations in the world. ![]() You can look at the late ‘00s anime adaptation of the ‘80s manga Hanasakeru Seishounen for a great example of this. Melodrama can even be used to take sub-par material and make it entertaining. This results in a strong balance of thoughtful ideas and character engagement that makes the ending incredibly satisfying. Melodrama becomes central to the series’ heart and impact, refusing to let the larger themes at work steal the show entirely. It’s here, where Princess Tutu changes melodrama from something straightforward to a way to ground a more complex and meta story. ![]() Eventually, the series tips its hand and reveals a more complex narrative about storybook characters trapped by the words of a writer. The characters are also written this way, fitting into various archetypes, with main character Duck trying to become the heroine in a story she doesn’t seem to belong to. Everything runs on fairy tale logic, going in whatever direction better serves the story. ![]() The series is creative in how it allows the characters to express themselves, using both dialog and dancing as methods of communication and even debate. 2002’s Princess Tutu is a fantastic example of how to dig greater meaning from stories focused almost entirely on the emotional viewpoints of the characters. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |