#Asian elements
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I'll forever be upset about how Elemental (2023 Pixar movie) flopped so hard, and it's not even its fault.
Let's be real, going against Across the Spiderverse would be a deathblow for any animated movie, but the marketing team REALLY didn't help matters. Not only did the trailers barely show up (to the point my friends DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT EXISTED), the trailers also did such a poor job representing its actual story.
A lot of people were turned off by the "unoriginal premise" as well as the "forbidden romance", and I can't even blame them but no!!! The story is so much more than just "ooo they can't fall in love because they're (gasp) FIRE AND WATER?!?!?!?" and "what if (insert concept) has emotions but elements this time"!!!!!
At the heart of it all is a personal immigrant story. A story about two fire people moving to another place in order to start a new and hopefully better life (aka literally immigrants). A story about their daughter who feels in debt to them for making the sacrificd to leave their home. A story about her feeling like she'll have to sacrifice her whole life and her dreams in order to repay them and make them happy.
Not to mention how Asian-coded it is!!! The director, Peter Sohn, is clearly writing from his perspective as a Korean-American immigrant, and as an Asian immigrant, I resonated so unbelievably hard with Ember's story. It really felt like the movie held up a mirror in front of me. I've never felt this seen in a movie before this one.
And it feels so good!!! I'm so sad that a lot of people will be missing it out because the marketing team did such a terrible job at their literal jobs. If more people gave it a chance, they'll likely find a story that truly made them feel heard.
Also the romance is really cute. Like I don't typically seek out romance stories, but damn that was good food, that was good fluff. I think it's also a great allegory for interracial couples, but I'm not in an interracial relationship, so I won't overstep too much!
Long story short, if you're unsure on whether you really want to see this movie or not, hear it from me who saw it twice:
Go Watch Elemental!!! You will not regret it!!!
#THIS MOVIE WAS MADE FOR ME AND OTHER ASIAN IMMIGRANTS FOR REAL FOR REAL!!!!#also obviously it's not perfect#I understand the concerns with how fire is dangerous so the allegory may be flimsy#but they addressed it in the film!!!#also honestly there's also a good disability angle to look at here?#especially with how fire people are trying to live in a world that refuses to accomodate them#and would rather discriminate them#or shun them from society to the point they have to make their own community#but I'm not disabled so again#i won't overstep!!#elemental#pixar elemental#elemental 2023#pixar#review#rant#opinion#commentary#chris p fried rambles
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Did you know, the Chinese names of Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, and Saturn correspond to the 5 Chinese elements of gold, wood, water, fire, soil.
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Where my Zuko girlies at? I've got a Love Interest with elemental magic desperate to prove himself to a cruel father asking the impossible, obsessed with honor and duty, who throws all that away to do the right thing (for love)? Meet Alon 🌊⛈️🔥 from SAINTS OF STORM AND SORROW it will fulfill all your avatar the last Airbender nostalgia cravings. Releasing in June Preorder HERE
He's got a mother in exile, a doting uncle, and a disability (You cannot convince me Zuko is not blind or mostly blind on his burned side)
#saints of storm and sorrow#writeblr#filipino author#my writing#art#filipino fantasy#asian fantasy#romantasy#elemental fantasy#avatar the last airbender#avatar#zuko#atla Zuko#prince zuko#disability representation
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All the advertising I saw for Elemental:
Check out this wacky adventure between a fire person and a water person! A Tree Child Flirts with her! LOL! HEY LOOK CLOUD PEOPLE! *cartoon spring and honking noises*
Me: I don’t… want to watch that. Oh well, that’s fine.
Me actually watching it:
Oh wait, it’s a story of an immigrant family who come with nothing and build a community for themselves and their people and the weight of debt you feel to your parents who sacrificed for you to succeed but the way that that success sometimes isn’t what you want and how parental love can feel conditional when there’s a lack of clear communication and—
Me getting to the end: SHE BOWED AND HE BOWED BACK 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭💦💧💦💧💦💧💦💧💦🌊🌊🌊🌊🚿🚿🚿
#elemental#elemental spoilers#listen fucking Disney being brought in to advertise and then take over Pixar was a FUCKING MISTAKE#but also the surprise was ok#It was layered#you had the racism#you have the prejudice#you have the rich kid but who’s family is in touch with their emotions#so he connects to people at an emotional level#you have the very ah Asian coded family who came with nothing but their blue fire and strong spirit#who build a place for themselves AND their community#you get the aging parents who want you to continue with their legacy#that heavy debt on their kid’s shoulders#but also get her missing the meaning of their love and effects on#just#I’m getting emotional thinking about it again#anyway#I made it through the movie and then cried at the bow#so Pixar wins another point for once again making me cry#it’s been a while but they get that one#oh also look at who directed it#this person does?? everything? voice acts animates and now directs?#what can’t they do?#also obviously no shame to anyone who does like whacky adventures with cartoon honking like those are totally fun and cool#I just wasn’t in the mood for that kind of thing at the moment
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Watched Pixar’s Elemental the once. Thought it was so cute.
Did some reading on the internet. There were some vague things I was aware of, such as the story being Asian immigrant-coded.
Rewatched with a few different lenses floating around my brain.
Consider the story as an immigrant story.
–language being a barrier
–xenophobia and racism
–the struggle between first generation and second generation
–interracial relationships can be challenging, particularly for first generation immigrants to process
Consider the story as an Asian-coded story.
–parents do not necessarily openly express love
–sacrifice can only be paid with more sacrifice (this is deeply ingrained)
–respect for elders and cultural customs
–true names are difficult for those outside the culture to pronounce
Consider the story as one centered around disability.
–"the city wasn’t built for fire people.” (like me)
–the environment is a hazard to the people trying to navigate it
–Ember has to dim her light to accommodate others (masking)
–Ember might also cause damage to her environment, because it is not designed to withstand her heat
Consider the story as depicting an asexual/demisexual romance.
–nobody falls in love at first sight
–admiration and affection grows through shared experiences
–love blossoms as they see one another shining brightest time and again
–they are clearly already a couple and have been on several dates before they attempt to touch for the first time
Of course, you can accept all of these lenses all at once, they aren’t mutually exclusive, but it helps me to concentrate on what each one brings to the table before mashing them all up in my head. It’s not a perfect movie, but it has some really interesting ideas. Plus, plenty of moments where I wanted to cry. The animation is gorgeous with the lighting effects and the water effects.
Plus, Wade Ripple is the CUTEST BLOBBY WATER BOI I could have ever imagined.
Scenes that killed me:
--the elevator scene
--the vivisteria scene
--chasing down a narrow alley scene
--the fact that Wade cries when Ember shows up for their date
--the crying game
--"I love when your light does that." 🥺🥺
--touching
--Wade blocks the waterfall in his home from touching Ember by stretching out his arm
--Wade lights the incense
#elemental#pixar elemental#elemental pixar#wade x ember#ember lumen#ember x wade#wade ripple#disney pixar#demisexual#asexual#asian immigrant#interracial couple#best himbo
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sakura branch in blossom. pink tender flowers - sakura branch in blossom. pink tender flowers
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I finally got around to watching Elemental (2023) and I do think those that were describing it as an immigrant story were accurate. It is also a love story, like the marketing said, but you can't disentangle Ember's experience in the story from her family being diaspora.
But what struck me most about the film is that it's one of the only recent pieces of media I've seen, both in Disney and outside of it, that depicts generational trauma in a way that is fundamentally kind to the previous generation (parents, grandparents, etc).
In most other versions of stories like this I've seen lately, for the (immigrant, usually some variety of Asian, and it is clear that the Lumen family is inspired by multiple Asian cultural influences) parents/grandparents, even if we understand why they behave a certain way, it usually frames that generation as restrictive, oppressive, and perhaps even knowingly upsetting the younger generation. And yes, there are parents that do that. I understand the benefit of telling that story.
However, there are also immigrant families like Ember's. Where you have a family that supports you, that treats you kindly. But even still, you carry the weight of what has happened to them, an indebtedness that you can't ever repay. Bernie, Ember's father, doesn't want to force Ember to do anything. But he carries his hopes for her future, and Ember in turn responds by behaving in the way she thinks would make her parents most happy. So though they have this loving dynamic, the conflict is not in their personality, but in that weight they are both carrying. And that is a story I find relatable as an immigrant, and one that I thought was a standout point in this film.
#sorry to essay abt this disney pixar film at u all LMAO but i was touched#i often draw issue or feel at odds with the oversaturation of overbearing (immigrant - asian) parents in media. so it was nice to see this#me when people in media are inadvertently causing each other pain BECAUSE they love each other: 🥺#elemental 2023#ember lumen#bernie lumen#ayesha says things#lumen family#disney#i watched like 6 movies on planes recently so lots of thoughts#films
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Ok so I know I’ve taken a few liberties here with gijinka-fying the Rampaging Doomers, of all characters, but hear me out: self-recognition through the other (derogatory). Not just a reminder of the part of himself he doesn’t like to acknowledge but also a near-perfect replication of him at his worst (Magolor EX, specifically). They know enough about Doomer and Ancient societies and his situation with the Crown to get right to the heart of his insecurities, which makes them really effective at bullying him. Also like. Extended family judging you for your life choices lol
Anyway, included the lines this time cause I’m really proud of the composition but a bit disappointed with how the coloring turned out. It did however help me pinpoint what I’d like to improve on, which is my coloring/shading. I think I get into details too quickly to the detriment of the piece as a whole and I also think the way I shade doesn’t have enough contrast and doesn’t take light sources into account very well. I just need to do some painting studies sometime and that will fix me, I swear
#art#digital#kirby#magolor#kirby gijinka#magolor epilogue spoilers#rampaging doomers#I always think they’re called flock of doomers because of the song title lol#I think I got most of my rambling out in the post body this time#wait design notes#ok so yeah they’re based off of Magolor EX rather than Traitor cause the color scheme fits pretty well#I didn’t wanna get rid of the head wings and upper tail feathers in favor of the gears so I just added a bunch of gears other places#& I thought the halos were cute lol#I did give them some piercings(?) to mimic the gear teeth there though and fun fact:#they each have a different number that happens to correspond to the number of tails each basic type of doomer has#perhaps a ranking system within the group or something#the outfits are a mixture of elements of Greco-Roman and E/SE Asian fashion inspired by like architectural and musical details in epilogue#which was a bit harrowing given I was worried about that reading as orientalism but I think it turned out ok#also I know the purple to yellow gradient on their wings is not that warm in canon but who am I to refuse a good sunset gradient lol#I forgot about the pieces of the appy slice when I was sketching and I briefly considered sticking them in their mouths#but figured maybe that would be a bit too weird (admittedly Magolor Soul already goes full Mouthful Mode so there would be precedent)#so imagine they just have them in a pocket somewhere#oh also sorry you have to zoom in to see some details especially in the colored version; I have an ongoing problem with scale#I’ve always thought it’s really interesting how Mags’ reaction at the start of this fight is like ‘Oh come on; not *these* guys’
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"why do white people dig into their ancestry for a smidgen of culture" because they think they're not allowed to meaningfully associate with anything outside their own immediate cultural context. Even *universalist* traditions like, idk, buddhism, are tainted by the perception of cultural appropriation because their most recent adherents tend to come from the sinosphere or SE asia
#with buddhism its doubly ironic#because some of the earliest converts were greeks#who they're totally happy to associate with as western/northern europeans#at least *classical* greeks#East asian buddhism was appropriated. i mean transmitted. from central asian sources who in turn received it from northern india#though of course in those days india didnt even exist. so they received it from Gandhara as did the Greeks#I get that white adoption of subaltern cultural elements is fraught#but if you dont want a culture exclusively derived from whitebread protestantism and odinist larping#you will need to be somewhat more nuanced in how you talk about it
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Manifesting my dreams & minding my business
#in my element#manifesting#manifesation#red nails#acrylic nails#raw oysters#self love#selfie#love#lovely#poetry#asian chick#dream
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What do you think about Daniel Ricciardo?
idk if it was the water at Enstone or whether Cyril was treating him well or whatever but his hair has never looked as good as it did when he was at Renault
#nah i mean i have thoughts#but i'm having a really bad week and every element of discourse around daniel is completely insane#from the mad takes that doing a fast lap on an empty track in this year's best car means he won't struggle in this year's worst#to the idea he's like totally fine now bro totally fine just had that time off that he needed and he's FINE#and maybe he is but like hmmmmmmmmmmm#to like if you're not riding his dick 24/7 you want the las vegas grand prix to fail commercially#and apparently it's good to be commercially viable when it's someone you fancy but bad if it's an asian person#so#lots ot unpack here isn't there#but mostly i hope that daniel is in fact recovered and has in fact thought through what he's doing because that dogshit AT ain't it#and it's clearly upsetting yuki already like that crushing moment after his penalty for only the second chance at points#that's not an uphill struggle garage that's sisyphean#i just hope all the cars have fun
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Child queen of Naboo
#if theyre gonna steal asian costume elements they should make padme fucking asian#artwork#concept art#my art#character design#digital art#digital drawing#doodle#digital illustration#padme amidala#queen amidala#padme#star wars#star wars prequels#queen of naboo#naboo
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The Ascendant Cascade Adventure by Loot Tavern
#loot tavern#ascendant cascade#dragon#dragons#draconic#elemental#elementals#elements#water#aquatic#eastern#asian
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Reblog to let me know you want to play!
Follow me and I'll sort you into the one of the three gods-blessed elemental magic users in my epic fantasy SAINTS OF STORM AND SORROW 🔥🌊⛈️
Stormcaller
Tide-touched
Firetender
Which old gods call to your heart?
#saints of storm and sorrow#writeblr#filipino author#filipino fantasy#asian fantasy#reblog game#elemental magic
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I don't think I actually do want to run the shop, okay? That's what my temper has been trying to tell me. I'm trapped.
You know what's crazy? Even when I was a kid, I would pray to the blue flame to be good enough to fill my father's shoes someday. Because this place is his dream. But I never once asked what I wanted to do.
I think that's because deep down, I knew it didn't matter. Because the only way to repay a sacrifice so big, is by sacrificing your life too.
- Elemental (2023)
#quotes#words#movie quotes#pixar elemental#ember lumen#asian parents#expectation#sacrifice#mental health#migrant parents#relatable#;
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Tidal Fan by Griffon's Saddlebag
#griffon's saddlebag#tidal#fan#fans#magic weapons#uncommon#water#aquatic#wind#air#asian#movement#conjuration#element#elements#elemental
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